#this is actually the most tame batch

[lightwise]

Hidden Monsters

For some reason this has been a bear (dragon, Vrathean, pick your Star Wars creature) to write, but I realized after this last episode of TBB that there was more to the “monster of the week” trope that we all love to get tired of in Star Wars, and specifically for our beloved Batch members. I believe that some of the main “monsters” each member of the Batch has faced and could face represent inner turmoil and the storms/dark things within that each of them has had to wrestle with. The choices each of them have made to tame or calm or live with the creatures they have encountered, instead of automatically killing them or choosing violence against them, is a powerful metaphor. Something that looks like a monster on the outside may not necessarily be a monster on the inside, when cared for and acknowledged properly. 

Echo and the Rishi Eel

Echo’s very first mission on Rishi station involved a giant monster, a droid army invasion, watching his superior officer die in front of him, and losing most of his squad along with the entire outpost he had been assigned to help defend. After the Rishi station is overrun by battle droids, Echo, Fives, Hevy, and Cutup escape through an air vent only to land in the middle of what turns out to be the Rishi eel’s nest. Echo is second to last in line and has to watch as Cutup is snatched up by the eel right behind him and swallowed whole. Echo is the only one to look back and commemorate Cutup with his name and a sigh before they have to keep moving. He does the same at the end of the episode when they lose Hevy, thanking him for his self sacrifice. Echo’s mind—strategic, careful, hesitant, wanting to do the right thing—is always on his brothers and their safety, and his own fears and questioning give way to courage and determination as he watches his brothers do what needs to be done.  

This formative experience is literally emblazoned on Echo’s chest and becomes part of his identity when Rex shoots the eel in the eye, wipes some of its blood on his hand, and presses it against Echo’s armor as he encourages him to keep going. This combination of bravery, looking death in the eye, and holding compassion for each of his brothers as they fall continues to be a running theme throughout Echo’s character arc—from holding 99 in his arms as he dies, to hanging in the Techno Union chamber where his mind and body were used to hunt down the brothers he loved, to overcoming the changes and loss he’s experienced and finding a new family with the Batch and Omega, to coming full circle and joining Rex to help free his brothers from the Empire’s grip. He has had to watch as brother after brother is taken away from him, but he has learned how to keep going in the face of loss. These experiences bring out who he is—caring, loyal, brave, resolute, and a symbol of endurance—and trace back to the very first monster he had to face. 

Hunter, Omega, and the Ordo Moon Dragon

In season 1 the Batch is newly on the run from Kamino after Order 66, finding Omega, and losing Crosshair. They crash onto an uninhabited planet and while trying to repair their ship, an Ordo Moon Dragon makes off with their capacitor, leaving them stranded. Like the Zillo beast seen in season 2, it feeds on energy but is actually peaceful when not provoked. Hunter wants to track it down, by himself, but Omega insists on accompanying him. While tracking the creature, Omega brings up Crosshair’s absence, and Hunter is unwilling to even say Crosshair’s name, and he is very uncomfortable with the conversation. He is unwilling and unable to face his demons right now, and instead is wallowing in self-blame. Hunter won’t be able to fully face his inner turmoil until Crosshair returns and they encounter the Wyrm on Barton IV, another dragon-like creature which also burrows underground (although it is much, much larger, and more harmful than the Ordo Moon Dragon, signifying how much Hunter’s avoidance and resentment grows over time as it is not dealt with). It’s also interesting that this episode cuts back and forth to Crosshair fully under the influence of the chip and wiping out Saw Gurerra’s insurgents in a very violent manner. 

Hunter ends up being knocked out by the creature and Omega takes her flashlight and his blaster to complete the mission, going alone into the tunnels where the dragon lives. What Omega learns is that she doesn’t need the blaster to deal with the situation. As scary as it is, she doesn’t have to kill the dragon or use violence against it, as it’s simply hungry and looking for food. The terrifying creature becomes a thing of beauty, green electric shocks running over its rainbow colored body, illuminating the tunnel and Omega’s face as it feeds on the flashlight she throws to it in exchange for their capacitor. The visuals mimic the teal and green rippling over the Vrathean that Omega and Ventress encounter and have to calm down in season 3 (more on that further on). 

However, this wasn’t Omega’s mission. It was Hunter’s, but she ends up completing it for him. Omega learns a valuable lesson here, which fits in with her natural tendencies of drawing both people and animals to her caring, compassionate nature instead of judging them based on appearance, but I’m not sure that this was her ultimate trial in facing her own inner demons. (See my thoughts on why this is important at the end of this essay in the Ventress section.) This also was a failed attempt for Hunter, and he would end up facing his trial again in The Return in season 3. 

Wrecker and the Rancor (Muchi)

Wrecker was introduced as a character whose expertise is in explosives and making things blow up. He lives for making a ruckus and having a good time, but his strengths are engineered to be used for destruction. 

Much of Wrecker’s character arc in season 1 is learning how to become more of an adult/parental figure for Omega, and how to put his own desires and needs aside in order to help take care of hers (letting her eat first, making a room for her in the gunners nest, watching out for her). In Rampage, the Batch is charged with rescuing a “child,” who they eventually find out is a young, ornery, and decidedly huge Rancor. Wrecker is the only one of them strong enough to sedate the creature after a lengthy bout of essentially hand to hand “combat.” They needed to bring Muchi back alive and Wrecker ends up gaining mutual affection and respect with her. Muchi is now calm and tamed enough that Omega can ride on her back with no fear or worry of danger.

Rancors adhere to a strict social and familial hierarchy, and have to challenge the alpha for authority. Wrecker starts out brash and boastful, and even though he is always caring, he becomes much more aware of his surroundings and his standing in their family unit as he grows in his responsibilities toward Omega. Rampage is shortly before his chip goes off, where he almost kills his entire squad. While his brute strength is an asset when used in the right ways, it is lethal if used for the wrong ones, and through his family bonds (especially with Omega) Wrecker is ultimately able to overcome the worst, chipped version of who he had been made to be, and instead be a source of safety and strength for Omega and his family. 

Tech and the Zillo Beast

The Zillo beast is a marvel amongst Star Wars creatures. Its armor is impenetrable and highly valuable, and it feeds almost exclusively on energy, which allows it to become larger and morph into an even more powerful creature. When the Batch encounters it in season 2 in Metamorphasis, it tries to attack all of them, but Tech is the only one who is “fascinated” by the creature rather than scared of it. Similar to the Zillo beast feeding on energy, Tech’s mind was what he was known for, and he “fed” it by constantly consuming and integrating data about the world around him (which is transmitted by energy currents). During this episode Tech is confident in his own capabilities and extremely interested in learning more about the cloning technologies they were uncovering on this crashed ship. Tech’s research on the Zillo beast, while helpful, unfortunately comes too late and the Batch are unable to either put down or recapture the creature before it grows too strong for them to deal with. In the process, the Zillo beast escapes and is eventually recaptured by the Empire.

I’ve always been fascinated by the point in this episode where Tech is downloading the rest of the information from the terminal onto his data pad, and Hunter warns Omega that Imperials are inbound. She immediately tells Tech they need to go, and he refuses for a moment, saying he needs to finish capturing the data. If Omega did not pressure him to leave (and the electricity go out), he very well could have been standing there when ships bomb their location a few moments later, and gotten both himself and Omega killed for no good reason. At this moment his love of knowledge is overpowering his common sense and his love for his family, and it almost costs him everything. 

Contrast this to a few moments later when he pulls Omega out of danger as they leave the ship, and Plan 99 when he chooses to sacrifice himself not for his own gain, but solely so his family has a chance to live. He had to face his greatest asset where it could also be his greatest failure, and learn how to prioritize and wield his strengths. 

Crosshair and the Vulture 

In The Outpost in season 2, Crosshair has spent almost two seasons engulfed in poor choices made both against his will (the chip), and of his own volition (staying with the Empire no matter what in pursuit of a sense of purpose and loyalty). His decisions are starting to grate on him and have led him down a dark path, but he hasn’t been fully ready to find a way to change them. When he lands on the icy planet of Barton IV, he encounters fearsome ice vultures shrieking overhead. He is told by the outpost’s commanding clone officer, Mayday, that the creatures are vicious, but admirable, because they find a way to survive. 

Vultures signify both death and cleansing and are often feared and viewed with disgust, yet are an integral part of nature. Crosshair’s isolation and status as a clone soldier have put him in a precarious and often misjudged position, in ways he doesn’t even fully realize until this episode. His very life is in danger due to the Empire’s stance toward the clones, but so far Crosshair has believed that he is valuable to the Empire in ways that the regular clones are not. This attitude and perspective are severely challenged by Lieutenant Nolan, who speaks contemptuously both about and to every clone he encounters. Nolan’s lack of respect for them as soldiers, as officers, and even as people, is an extreme look at what Crosshair’s callousness and misplaced loyalty could lead him to if he is not careful. His fate is hanging in the balance.

After being sent on an inhumane mission to retrieve two crates of armor in a blinding snowstorm, Crosshair and Mayday are caught in an avalanche. After coming up out of the snow gasping for air, Crosshair could choose to get himself back to base and leave Mayday behind. Find a way to survive in the cold on his own, but kill the last of his compassion and personal values in the process. Instead, he chooses to put his life even more at risk to bring Mayday along with him. 

Unfortunately for both of them, when they get back to base, Nolan has zero sympathy for their self-sacrifice, and allows Mayday to die unceremoniously on the platform from his wounds. Once again, a vulture is circling overhead, waiting to partake of its next meal. It signifies the threat of death but also Crosshair’s struggle and desire to survive. Crosshair is now staring his own lack of value and expendability in the face, and where he finds himself is now fully intolerable. He cannot continue on the way he has been without the very essence of who he is breaking irreparably in the process. Does he reclaim who he is, a compassionate and forceful individual who protects those he cares about? Or does he fall in line with what the Empire wants from him, knowing he will be discarded regardless?

Crosshair integrates his lesson in a visceral manner, his own personal traits mimicking the very essence of the ice vulture as he finally reorients his moral compass, takes a stand for himself and for his clone brothers, and takes vengeance on Lieutenant Nolan. His caution and inner turmoil are channeled into one desperate act as he becomes an agent/angel of death, the framing of the scene creating vulture-like wings spread on either side of him. He doesn’t expect to survive this encounter, choosing a path that looks like death on the outside but is cleansing and redeeming for him on the inside. He can now face the future as his whole, integrated self.

Hunter, Crosshair, the Vulture, and the Wyrm 

The vulture and its meaning for Crosshair, as well as Hunter’s cut-short encounter with the Ordo Moon Dragon, both have their bookends in season 3’s episode The Return. Crosshair has seen immense character growth after his choices in The Outpost, and has not only redeemed himself but has been given the chance to start reconciling with everyone he has hurt. This episode has two creatures that serve two important purposes: the vulture returns as a metaphor for Crosshair’s need to reconcile with and forgive himself, and a new creature, a giant wyrm (nice Dune reference there, Star Wars) highlights the fractured rift between him and Hunter, and the anger, distrust, and resentment that Hunter has been running from since Aftermath. 

The Batch has returned to Barton IV, and Crosshair is greeted by the ice vulture as they land. The weather is calm and clear this time, and the creature is observing him but not in a threatening way. At the same time, tensions rise to a breaking point between Hunter and Crosshair and a long-awaited argument starts between them. Before it can be resolved, the wyrm erupts out of the ground and puts all of their lives in danger. It had been kept at bay previously by high-pitched noises, (oddly similar to Hunter’s enhanced senses, which he has been so distracted from that he wasn’t aware of the danger ahead of time) and lived underneath the same snow that had buried Crosshair and Mayday. 

In their efforts to draw the creature away from the outpost so they can turn the sensors back on, Hunter falls through the snow into the wyrm’s tunnels. Crosshair has already had his inner journey underneath the snow on Barton IV. This time, Hunter has to finally face his own struggles. Every step of the way he has been running and hiding, trying to keep his family and Omega safe by keeping them away from the Empire, away from Crosshair, away from danger, but failing miserably. This time, Hunter could simply let Crosshair haul him back up to the surface when he reaches the spot where Crosshair and Batcher have dug a hole in the ice to pull him out. But he hasn’t confirmed that the wyrm is actually past the boundary and that it is safe to turn the perimeter sensors back on. This time, Hunter stays below the surface, and keeps himself in harms way until he is absolutely sure that his family is safe and that his own emotions have been worked through. He is starting to take responsibility for his journey. His senses start to kick in again and he refuses to leave the tunnel until the wyrm is barreling down his neck, and then he finally accepts Crosshair’s help. Both of them run to safety, the perimeter beacons turn on, and the wyrm is now on the other side of an invisible barrier of sound, harmless and chastened until it finally slinks away. 

The boys exchange glances and nods. Their rift has been bridged and they are both willing to move forward, together. This is proven by the end of the episode, where Crosshair, who has remained closed off and unwilling to discuss what he’s been through, opens up slightly to Hunter before they leave, and Hunter responds with forgiveness, acknowledgement, and hope for the future. And for now, it’s enough. Crosshair looks into the sky and watches the ice vulture flying overhead once again. Except this time, it flies off into the sunset, signifying that his lessons from this planet have been fully learned, that the spirit of survival in the face of death that he has been carrying with him can now be put towards living and thriving again. Both Hunter and Crosshair are leaving slightly more whole than when they first arrived, both as individuals and in their restored relationship with each other. 

Ventress, Omega, and the Vrathean

Omega gets a second chance at taming a terrifying creature in The Harbinger in season 3. After Asajj Ventress shows up on Pabu to help the Batch figure out the m-count conundrum that makes Omega’s blood so valuable to the Empire, (and after Omega has begged her to stay and test her capabilities), she and Omega go out onto the ocean to test Omega’s potential Force sensitivity. (Also after Ventress had to whoop the boys’ backsides to get them to slightly trust her, but we won’t go into that here). 

Throughout this season, (and really for most of her life), Omega has…not been doing well. Her time on Tantiss, leaving the rest of the clones imprisoned there behind when she and Crosshair escaped, and the relentless pursuit of her by the Empire has truly traumatized her and made her single-mindedly want to know why she is always in danger and putting everyone else around her in danger as well. Her mental health has been spiraling a bit and her inner turmoil is starting to rival Crosshair’s in season 2. She knows that m-count is important and is also thrilled at Ventress mentioning the Jedi, while the rest of the Batch and Ventress herself are very somber about the prospect that Omega might have Force capabilities. However, in her desire to have answers, she ends up being very impatient and frustrated and doesn’t even show her typical level of optimism and concentration in working through Ventress’ tests for her. It’s almost like her goal (finding answers) is at odds with what her idea of finding those answers looks like.

After having tried and failed to “reach out” to the Force to summon anything, Omega pouts and sits back down in the boat, seemingly defeated. Ventress has asked her to try to connect to nature, probably because she has seen Omega’s connection to Batcher and assumes that might be more in line with whatever her gifting might be. Two of Omega’s main traits and strengths are her optimism in the face of defeat, and her compassion toward literally every living thing she encounters. She is always curious, generous, caring, and wanting to connect with others. Which makes it even more curious that she is so easily stumped and disconnected by this exercise. She challenges Ventress to prove why *she* is the best person to be teaching Omega this lesson, and Ventress sighs but gently and carefully shows her powers by calling up a school of glowing green fish from the water. “I’m not the one holding back,” she tells Omega.

After a peaceful moment, however, another creature, this time a giant and tentacled Vrathean, emerges from the water as well and starts hunting Ventress and Omega down. It’s unclear if Ventress actually called the creature up herself or not, but if she did it was not intentional. She helps rescue Omega from the creature’s clutches and then chooses to put herself in more danger by letting it grab her, and communing with it through the Force as it tries to eat her. The deadly creature becomes a thing of astonishing beauty as the color of the sea ripples over its body and its eyes soften and recognize Ventress as a sentient being. 

This is where it gets interesting, because this peacefulness, calm, and compassion is not something we would have associated with prior versions of Ventress. Her experiences and growth throughout the Clone Wars, her associations with Ahsoka and Quinlan, and her choices have turned her into a much softer and stronger version of herself. This has now become her trial by allowing her to showcase just how much she has changed, and how much her own worldview has flipped. 

This is an incredible example for Omega, but similar to how she took Hunter’s trial for him in Replacement, Ventress has now filled what was supposed to be hers. This begs the question, what is Omega actually holding back on? Is she really Force sensitive? Or is just her compassion and tenderness toward everyone around her overtaking her in unhealthy ways? She has always had a tendency to put herself in harms way in an attempt to make up for the complications her presence brings her brothers. 

Omega will have to face these implied monsters at some point. I’m not actually certain that she will end up facing a creature like everyone else has—there’s the possibility that because she naturally has more affinity with creatures and beings that look monstrous but really aren’t, she may end up facing her inner demons in another manner. Will it be a person instead? Or a choice? Even, might I say, an identity crisis? It remains to be seen, but the fact that she must face it in order to overcome and integrate it is unquestionable. 

[bippot]

Robert Floyd, Man of the Sky - Chapter 1: Old Lady Grime

Story Summary -> Bob and his best friend from college move into and redecorate her grandmother's lake house, and both come to realise that there is something else between them. But just like the renovation, coming clean to each other takes longer than they'd hoped.

Chapter 1: Old Lady Grime Summary -> Renovating a house is easy, right? Together, Bob and his BFF are faced with truly how much work they have on their hands.

Tags -> Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, House Improvement, Old Friends, Sharing a Bed, Robert "Bob" Floyd is a Good Friend

Would you prefer to read this on AO3? Click here!

This is based on my favourite one shot. I wrote it ages ago so it may seem familiar to anyone who read the previous version. I wanted to update and expand it and, yeah, here is part 1.

Bob knew he was different. He'd been told he had an 'old soul' for his entire life and, if he was being honest, found it kind of offensive. He understood why people assigned that moniker to him, though.

Ever since he was old enough to develop a personality, he'd been quiet and introverted and thoughtful and smart and mild-mannered. Because of that, when he was a kid, the adults around him treated him better than other kids since he seemed far more responsible - and yeah, maybe he was more responsible than most snot nosers - and that was a lot to put onto a kid's shoulders.

More often than not, he sat at the big table at any social meal and completely missed a crucial opportunity to interact with people his age. He was a so-called 'old soul' because he was socialised to be that way, and in doing so, he had never felt that spark of youth, that childish zest that either gives you an insane amount of energy like a toddler zooming around the room or feeling like the grumpy teenager he wished he'd been once upon a time.

To put it as concisely as possible, his entire life had felt tame. He never snuck out, didn't drink before he came of age, never did drugs, and was the designated driver for most - if not all - of the parties he'd been to. Even at college, where there was little to no supervision, he was still the most well behaved 18 year old in the face of possible debauchery.

Maybe that's why he chose such a dangerous career. If he couldn't experience youthful stupidity, he would have to settle for adrenaline, and what's more adrenaline inducing than firing an arsenal of weapons from the backseat of a jet?

Throughout the years, he'd come to some conclusions:

1) Hangman has definitely been lying about the majority of his sexual encounters. Rooster, on the other hand, was not.

2) Most people have that sense of teenage giddiness when they're first in love. Bob did once have a girlfriend in the tail end of high school, and he did like her, but looking back, he didn't love her. She was sweet, and he just didn't want to be seventeen and without a girlfriend.

And 3) He was lonely. And ever since his mama died, he didn't really have anyone to talk to about it anymore. None of his coworkers or friends would want to know, and Bob knew for a fact that he didn't want to tell them.

Whenever he wasn't on a mission, he yearned for something exciting to do. The amount of hobbies he'd taken on in an attempt to keep himself occupied was uncountable, and now he had a bunch of unfinished projects in the corner of his living room. Luckily, during Bob's most recent batch of time off, he'd agreed to help his friend Y/N out with some home improvement. She'd inherited her estranged grandmother's lake house, and with the housing market in such a state, this probably was her only chance to actually own a property. So, she was going to make it count.

Bob had first met her in college. He was dragged along to a party by his roommate Kenny and finally got the nerve to talk to her when she was calming down the homeowner's dog when a frat boy startled it, and that was history. They'd spent the entire night just petting the dog and talking. From that point on, they had been the best of pals.

"You never met your Meemaw?"

Y/N sighed and glanced across to Bob in the passenger's seat. "No, my mom got herself written out of the will for some argument they had back in the day, so the house skipped a generation," she said, her tone calm and without any kind of hint of hereditary anger.

"Huh," he replied without anything more to add. He didn't know what to say for the most part, but he also knew that he didn't have to come up with anything. Y/N didn't mind if he was quiet. They could drive along in silence if they wanted to, and it would be perfectly comfortable.

Once they finally pulled up at the correct address - she'd be the first to admit she'd taken a few wrong turns on the way so the journey had taken longer than expected - they were greeted with a surprising sight.

"Jesus, I thought it was a bungalow!"

The lake house was three stories tall with a double garage and its own little pier. It was huge. There was so much space, far too much for one person to renovate all by themselves, and it wasn't in the best of shape. That was to be expected, of course. Y/N had been told that the house needed some upkeep, but nowhere near this much. The tiles on the roof were sliding off, the deck was rife with holes and mouldy wood, and the yard was entirely made up of weeds, and all that was just on the outside.

"I think you've hit the jackpot, Y/N."

"I think I've got a lot of work to do."

"We've. We've got a lot of work to do," he corrected with a grin.

She rolled her eyes and lightly pushed on his shoulder, urging, "Come on, let's see how decrepit this place is," so he'd follow her.

It was luck that he did since the first step she took up the stairs to the front door collapsed under her foot, the wood cracking in two and forcing her to grab onto the nearest thing for safety, which was Bob's bicep.

"You good?"

"Oh shit," she cursed, feeling as his palm found its way to the centre of her back, and she let out a laugh to prove that she was fine. "Add that to the to-do list, Robby."

He held out his hand to help her up the broken stairs and only released her from his grip once they were safely at the top. The front door was thankfully still in working order, so Y/N unlocked it and bowed deeply.

"After you, my good fellow.

"Why thank you, fairest maiden."

After tapping his toe on the floorboard right by the door to test if it was stable, Bob walked into the foyer and chuckled, "Yep, we've got a lot of work to do," as his eyes scanned the interior.

Though the inside of the house seemed a lot more stable to the untrained eye, it was far more ugly. The wallpaper was yellowing, and patches had been partially ripped off to reveal the dull splotches of paint underneath. The sofa was extremely outdated and had a pattern that was, frankly, upsetting to look at. And, there was a thick layer of dust and grime littering every surface.

Y/N followed him in and had the exact same reaction, the price estimate in her head increasing with every little imperfection she saw and causing her to completely zone out. She was doing a lot of mental maths as Bob saw one of the most beautiful views he'd ever seen.

His eyeline drifted from Y/N's thinking face to the back door. It was a double plane of sliding glass that allowed them to get a view of the shimmering lake that split the yard in two. The water was perfectly blue and clear, and yeah, he was going to take a dip as soon as possible. Just looking at it made him feel refreshed.

"Wow," he breathed, but Y/N was too busy in her own world to hear.

Bob stood behind her and gently pushed her towards the back door, essentially walking her out of her worries. "It's too pretty not to notice," he urged, placing his head on her shoulder and looking across at her face. "You should paint it sometime."

"I think I should paint the walls before a picture, no matter how pretty it may turn out to be."

She leant back into him, and his reaction was instant. His arms slithered their way around her waist, his hands resting on top of each other on the centre of her stomach, as he'd done so many times in the past. Throughout their friendship, it was only natural when huddling for warmth while standing around a bonfire, trying to keep together at a rowdy concert, or just because it was a nice way to hug. This was a normal amount of platonic touching.

The amount of time the pair spent standing there was unknown. This moment of physical closeness helped hold back the ever increasing to-do list that was piling up with every room they went in.

Eventually, they parted so they could continue checking out the house. It hadn't been remodelled since the 60s, so the bare bones of the place were made of far better quality materials than something built today. Yet, thanks to the fact that a very old lady who popped her hip out of place every time she stretched lived there alone, those bones had a few fractures.

It seemed that grandma had a penchant for gauche animal prints. It was almost as if she purposely sought out the most visually vile patterns ol' nana could find. "That was certainly a choice," Y/N commented as she reached out to peel back a strip of the faded tiger print wallpaper in the master bedroom.

"Yeah, it does look kind of Hefner-like in here."

"Robby!"

"What?! This place screams stone cold fox!"

She went to gently slap him on the shoulder, but he caught her forearm and tugged her closer. He further teased, "I'm sure your meemaw was a total cougar. She was a freak, I know it," and squished her against his chest so she'd have to endure his taunting.

"If there's a mirror on the ceiling, I'm never going to be able to sleep in this room. Tell me there's nothing kinky on the ceiling."

He glanced upwards. At first, he grimaced as if there was a mirror, but once she whined, "Bo," through a barely concealed laugh, he let the truth show.

That was his weakness. That nickname. Whenever he had the pleasure of being called it, he'd give in to whatever she wanted. It was a guaranteed argument winner.

"No mirror. There is a big ass spider, though."

"Can you get it for me, please?"

Sweetly, she batted her eyelashes up at him as if to add the cherry on top. The cherry was a nice addition, but it was unneeded. He was prepared to do just about anything for her and had felt that exact way since he'd met her. 10 minutes into petting that dog with her, and he knew she'd have him wrapped around her pinky finger for the rest of their lives.

So, he swiped at the spider with a broom until it hit the ground and scurried away.

Day one was spent cleaning away all the crap that had been left out. The mass amount of letters and leaves that had accumulated at the front door was the first to go. All of the never been cleaned kitchen appliances were next. Then, once they went into the bathroom, the pair found a pink fur toilet seat cover that must've been absolutely covered in old lady piss.

They were decked out in gloves and dust masks as they scrubbed and scoured every countertop and inch of grime in the hopes of not consuming in years and years of dead wrinkly skin cells and neglect every time they took a breath. The work was disgusting, to say the least. The amount of unknown splotches of something that had used to be a liquid once upon a time was truly uncountable. And Y/N didn't know much about her grandmother, but judging by the yellowish tinge that covered every single piece of furniture, she knew her nana had been a very heavy smoker.

Most of the day was spent cleaning, and it was only when Bob noticed how dark it had gotten outside did he realise how long they'd been on their hands and knees scrubbing. He got to his feet and shook out his limbs before any ache had the chance to appear.

"Do you think this place is so remote that we won't be able to order anything in?" he asked, holding his hand out to Y/N so she'd let herself take a break.

"Let's find out."

Once Bob pulled her up, Y/N patted down her pockets in search of her phone. Without missing a beat, Bob reached towards the coffee table and waved her phone in front of her nose, then proceeded to laugh at the look she gave him when she took it from him.

Luckily, they were just within the delivery radius and could order in whatever cuisine they wanted. Bob whined for Chinese food, and if there was one thing about Y/N, she was always going to give in whenever he asked for anything. Saying no to him was impossible to do and would take so much mental strength that she was certain she wouldn't be able to pull it off even on the best and most energetic of days.

"Food arriving at twenty-two hundred hours, lieutenant. Permission to see if that old ass TV is still operational?" Y/N joked, referring to the chunky old school hunk of a thing opposite the gross couch.

"Permission granted."

He grinned, watching as she knelt on all fours with her head behind the TV in order to get a better look for a plug socket, which gave him the perfect opportunity to totally not check out her ass. Okay, maybe he did check it out once. Or twice. Or three times. Whatever, maybe it was more than three. He sat down on the couch and just stared for a while.

When she returned back into view, Bob wasn't exactly subtle. He coughed and looked around the room awkwardly, pretending that he hadn't been staring like a creep. He really hoped Y/N hadn't noticed, though; because he definitely didn't want to talk about it.

"We've got a dud on our hands."

"So you bring me into the middle of nowhere with no entertainment?" he jeered, taking great satisfaction in the way she jumped on the couch beside him and poked him in the side, which made him laugh and return the favour. "Stop! Stop! I concede! I have a few episodes of Bake Off downloaded on my phone! If you yield - stop poking me, stop - we can watch it."

The poking stopped.

"That's the most on brand thing you've ever said."

So that's exactly what they did.

Bob huddled closer to Y/N so they'd both be able to see the screen. Although he had a big and fancy phone (that had the text size absolutely huge so he'd be able to see whatever popped up on the screen without even needing his glasses on), the screen was not ideal for two people to share, but neither of them complained.

The phone was propped up by a bunch of nana's DVDs on the table and, to be honest, neither of them could see it very well anyway. Y/N leaned to the side so she could rest her cheek against his shoulder, and when she looked back up at him, Bob was grinning to himself.

"This is the height of luxury!" he exclaimed sarcastically, and as soon as he glanced down and made eye contact with the girl squished on his arm, his smile softened into something else entirely. He stretched his arm out to shift her from his uncomfortable, bony shoulder to chest instead. His arm just hovered there for a while as he debated where to put it.

There were two options - the back of the sofa or around Y/N's shoulders - and both of them had their benefits. Eventually, Bob decided to let his elbow rest on the couch and his hand on her shoulder since that was the best of both worlds. Though his hand didn't stay there for long. It was too tempting to rake his fingers through her hair, so he did just that. Y/N hummed and smiled blissfully, and for an hour or so, the pair watched the screen in complete silence as they waited for their food to arrive.

Y/N's eyes were drooping further and further thanks to the affection she was receiving, but at the exact moment they fully closed, a knock came from the door. Her whole body jolted at the noise as if she'd just heard some sort of siren call. She was pushing herself up and her feet were moving towards the promise of food faster than her brain could process.

Through the door, the delivery boy could be heard saying, "Is this the right place? Fuckin' haunted house looking place," and looked a little apprehensive when Y/N opened the door. The boy handed over the food and drinks as quickly as he could then darted away as fast as possible.

"I'm so hungry. Don't look at me funny if I waterboard myself with noodles or something."

"Gimme," he urged, holding his hands out for her to place what he'd ordered in his grasp.

Bob always ordered something different whenever he was faced with the opportunity to have something professionally made. It was a simple way to broaden his horizons, but he had a tendency to forget that he was an absolute baby when it came to anything remotely spicy. So, when he said the words 'szechuan chicken' out loud, Y/N knew he wouldn't be able to deal with it.

She didn't tell him that, though. Where's the fun in that?

It was so difficult to hide her bubbling excitement as she watched him open the Styrofoam container and take a far too big bite. He was fine for 10 seconds. He placed the food in his mouth, chewed, then let out a loud "AAAAAH!" and stuck his tongue as far as it could go out of his mouth.

"HOT! HOT! TOO HOT!"

He fanned at his bright red face in an attempt to cool his tingly tongue and lips down. It wasn't successful. His eyes began to run, and an oncoming assault of hiccups soon followed. The heat was all consuming. It was even in his brain, he thought. His entire being became a soggy tomato, all flushed and teary.

"It gets worse when I breathe! Should I stop breathing altogether?"

While it had been entertaining to watch, any more suffering at this point would be cruel. Y/N brought out the small carton of milk she'd added to their order and slid it into Bob's hand. He guzzled it down immediately. Most of it was consumed in one big gulp, but the remainder of the carton was held against his forehead.

The biggest sigh ever known was let out as Bob flopped his head back against the couch, showing off his glistening neck and prominent Adam's apple. Admittedly, the glisten was a mix of sweat and saliva, but it was still pretty hot, and Y/N was momentarily frozen at the sight.

Bob was handsome. He'd always been a good-looking guy. In that moment, Y/N was absolutely sure he was the most handsome guy she'd ever had the honour of looking at. It was a 'huh, my best friend is super hot,' kind of moment and was something she'd never be able to forget.

"I think my tongue passed out for a minute." He glanced across at her. "You're evil, you know that, right?"

"You like that about me though." She brought out another container and placed it on his lap. She'd prepared for this exact moment. "It's pure luck that I ordered an extra chow mein, by the way. Kenny is a lover of szechuan chicken. He can eat this tomorrow."

"Thank god," he groaned as he tore open the package and started shovelling the noodles into his mouth.

The meal continued with the pair bantering back and forth, occasionally remarking on the episode they were watching and making snide remarks about whoever had done absolutely terribly in the technical challenge. And once they'd finished their meals, the rubbish was thrown on the floor to deal with later and they got comfy on the couch.

Y/N lay down and plopped her head on his lap, propped on her side with her ear against his thigh as she paid attention to the show. Bob looked down to the hair tickling his skin just under where his shorts ended and sighed happily at the feeling.

The feeling itself was a little bit more difficult to explain. There was a sense of comfort that was overwhelming to him - a feeling so strong that it almost hurt, yet he didn't seem to mind. His head was spinning but that was okay, and judging from his racing heart, it was adrenaline inducing too. A rush of emotion he couldn't quite name coursed through him like fire, lighting up his insides like nothing else in the world mattered.

All the stress he carried around inside of his chest, the anger, the depression, the doubt, the stagnation, all of those things disappeared. All he felt was contentment. True happiness, he supposed.

At first, he rested his hand on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze, then slowly his thumb started tracing small circles on her skin, causing her to close her eyes, sigh contently, and snuggle closer to him.

Bob had to repress a giggle. A giddiness took hold of him for the first time in his life. It seemed almost too good to be true. Was this a dream? Surely this was all just some bizarre domestic fantasy that he had to wake up from and find himself alone in his bunk. Or maybe he was dying and this was his brain's final attempt at bringing him some happiness.

To test out if this was real or not, Bob gently took a small clump of her hair and held it closer to examine the detail of his supposed dream. Each hair on her head was too intricate and vivid to be a figment of his imagination. If this was a dream, the processing power of his brain was truly inhumane if it could render this much detail.

Y/N rolled onto her back. "Are you checking me for split ends?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Something like that, yeah."

With a flourish, Bob swiped at her nose with the edge of her hair and was immensely amused by the way her face crinkled up and she swatted away his hand, only for Bob to link their fingers together and hold tight. This skin on skin contact was even more proof that this was 100% real, and that made Bob smile.

"Thank you, Bo," Y/N whispered, her tone so sincere and honest that Bob swore he melted on the spot.

"For what?"

"I think I would've been far too scared to stay in this place all by myself. It's kinda creepy here."

"Yeah, it kinda is, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh, but with my big, navy man by my side, I know they'll go for you first to take out the biggest threat, and maybe in the time it takes to get you, I'll be able to run away," Y/N replied, her eyes shining with a certain amount of mischief that Bob found to be incredibly attractive.

As much as his mind told him he couldn't fall for this girl - she was his bestie, after all, and messing with that would definitely get awkward - his heart spoke otherwise, and every second he spent with her only reminded him that he only felt alive under 2 circumstances: 1) flying at insane speeds in his jet, and 2) in the quiet moments with Y/N.

"Oh? So I'm the bait?"

"I present this hunk of meat -" She poked at his bicep playfully. "- and all the baddies will be begging to snatch you up."

"What if I used you as a human shield?" He chuckled and squidged at her hip. "I could just pick you up and keep you in front of me, huh? What do you think about that?"

The answer to that was obvious to Y/N. She scoffed, "You're too sweet to do that," then looked as if she'd planned to say more but yawned before another thought could come to her.

"Let's go to bed, yeah? What's the sleeping arrangement?"

Now, Y/N hadn't thought of that. When she'd asked Bob to stay, she'd been under the impression that the house was going to be a little messy, but in its current state, the living room was the only dirt free place available. So, she began thinking out loud, "I'm pretty sure my grandmother died in the bed upstairs so that's a no go... Do you wanna share the couch? I'll try not to kick you off."

"...Sure. It's not like we haven't shared a bed before anyway."

It was settled, then. It was almost like their college days. There had been more than a handful of instances where the pair had gotten drunk, Bob walked Y/N back to her door, then it was impossible for him to decline her offer to come inside - which was more telling of his real feelings that he wanted to confess - and, of course, she wasn't going to let him sleep on the floor.

As they got ready for bed, Bob was excitedly nervous. He was giddy, really giddy, like he was a kid and his mom let him have a sleepover kind of giddy. He was so giddy that there was no way to hide it.

"What's with that smile?" Y/N suddenly asked as she noticed his goofy grin. They were huddled under the same duvet, face to face, trying to stay as warm as possible since the heating system was totally busted like everything else in the house.

"Nothing. Just..." He shrugged nonchalantly. "This is nice."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

They stared at each other and giggled quietly, both of them grinning at one another. It was an endearing scene. One full of soft smiles, giggles, and also of genuine care and warmth.

"Do you remember Connie Langslow?" Y/N asked all of a sudden. The question came out of nowhere and caught Bob completely by surprise.

"Who?"

"Oh, Robby, don't play dumb," Y/N rolled her eyes playfully. "Connie from our classics class in freshman year. Y'know, the whole reason you signed up for the class? The girl you liked?"

Only half of that was true. He hadn't put the pieces together before she'd said it out loud though. He'd spoken to Connie 3 times in his entire academic career. She was lovely, but, no, he didn't feel that way towards her.

"I didn't have a crush on her."

"What are you talking about? I remember that we used to sit on the left hand side of row H, you on the end, and Connie sat, like, 5 people to our right on the row in front of us. You would spend the entire lesson looking at her every 5 minutes with those puppy dog eyes of yours," she explained, laughing softly to herself.

Bob scratched his cheek awkwardly and tried to avoid her gaze as she continued talking. Y/N teased, "Then, you had the audacity to ask to borrow my notes."

"That's because yours were so much neater than mine!"

"It's cause you were too busy making goo goo eyes at Connie!"

"You're impossible," he laughed, flopping onto his back and smiling fondly at the ceiling as he did so.

The two fell silent for a while after that, listening to the sounds of wind whistling against the walls and howling outside in the empty streets. As the silence stretched out into a comfortable length, Bob couldn't help but glance sideways at Y/N again, who had fallen asleep.

Bob reached over and gently brushed a strand of hair that was falling across her forehead aside, brushing his fingers softly across her face as he did so. With gentle movements and careful eyes, he tugged the duvet up to cover more of her shoulder and was blessed when Y/N unconsciously moved into the space where his arm had been. She pressed herself into his side and burrowed her face into his shoulder, making Bob freeze, wide eyed. He wasn't expecting it, and it felt quite odd.

A good odd, though. A really good odd.

There was one thing he knew for certain, he was in love with his best friend. As cliche as it sounds, it was true, and now that he was looking back on their interactions, Bob realised that this feeling wasn't new. Without realising it, he'd felt this way for quite a while and his brain never bothered to acknowledge it.

Well, now it had.

Gently, he pressed a barely there kiss to her forehead and tried to drift off to sleep with all these thoughts swimming at the forefront of his brain. Bob managed to sleep, eventually, and he had a sweet little smile stuck permanently on his face until morning broke.

Next Chapter ->

*Click here for my Bob Floyd masterlist (including Rhett Abbott and Miles Miller), or here for the entire masterlist*

Wanna be added to a taglist? Either comment on this post or send me a message!

[morgayz]

getting a feel for my new ocs in the cross country story ... figured i'd share what i got down!

cw: mentioned physical abuse

celes had always been sharp teeth, serrated edges, cutting words. each bloodied fight a pantomime of her true nature, rogue and untamed, a scourge on society’s most integral principles. learn how to use your words, they’d said - demanded, really. and when celes had, when her tongue slipped and blunt, harsh words tumbled out instead, they’d punished her for that, too. but she found her voice to be another way to tame the fire in her chest, teeth-gnashing anger and frustration spilling out in batches of insults, rather than fists thrown or hair pulled. they called her bloodthirsty, thought she liked the taste of it, but she really just wanted something to hurt. when she realized her words could do that in greater quantities than a fight ever could, she began to use that instead. liked the results better.

dakota had always been contained passion, sarcastic quips, blood on tile. born in their mother’s shadow, walking the straight and narrow under watchful glares. scars lodged in their back, belt buckles caught against soft skin. born to run, but clipped wings prevented that quick. most of the time, dakota looked in the mirror and never quite knew who was looking back, saw the good in everyone else and tried to believe in it, but never saw it in themselves. they didn’t let their words or dreams grow too large, too wild, because they knew better than anyone how fast life could change. usually for the worse. saw men as a threat, conditioned to heel, thrashing and writhing for freedom from fear. more than anything, dakota ached to be wanted, to be needed. maybe if they could do that, they could find what it was they were missing inside. find who they actually were.

i hate the way tumblr formats indents but whatever <3 anyway! yes! oc things! celes has me in a vice grip while i'm wrangling dakota to figure them out. such is life.

[poisonappletales]

@automaticcheesecakenacho’s Valentines + White Day Replies [4/5]

@automaticcheesecakenacho submitted the following Valentines:

She wrote:

Here is the 2nd Valentine of the 2nd Valentine batch to Arsenik~ ❤️ (Note: I did mention "Wall of Meat" last year in the Discord "Beauty & War" server when it was around my b-day, but I didn't provide an image so here at least you see the image of what the "Wall of Meat" looks like - I still love the birthday story + Thank you again Crown Ruler~) 🙏

She wrote:

Here is the 9th Valentine of the 2nd Valentine batch to Onyx (Second batch)  (Note: I actually love how this Valentine gram turned out~ ❤️) 

She wrote:

Here is the 11th Valentine of the 2nd Valentine batch to Dev (Second batch) 

She wrote:

Here is the 12th Valentine of the 2nd Valentine batch to Dominic (Second batch) 

♥♥♥

These are the White Day replies!

[chuckle] "That's all you have to put on your White Day card, Onyx?"

"Happy White Day."

"Oh my. Sir Dominic really ruined that wedding certificate..." [giggle]

[teasing] "Ruined it? Or improved it?"

"If I was at a Niku no Kabe cafe, I feel like I wouldn't be able to stop blushing..."

"I'd never want to leave!"

"Oh, and the answer key to this 'quiz' will be coming soon. Shall we make a bet? If you get most of the answers right, I'll give you a treat. But if you get most of them wrong, I might have to punish you..."

"So why did you choose that one, Onyx? You had four date options."

"Out of all the options, it seemed like the safest location to take her on a date."

"I'm guessing the dog in the lower left won't be a very nice doggie..."

"That's a dog? Well, if anyone could tame a dog-like beast like that, I'm sure you'd find a way."

[sarcastic] "Sure, just feed it some ice cream. Or that sushi of yours."

"Nobody touches the sad sushi! Also, I don't think it's wise to feed dogs treats like those...they would have to be made of dog-safe food or dog treats."

"Why are there fruits on the header when it's called a Wall of Meat?"

"Well, after having so much meat, fruit will be a refreshing palate cleanser."

"What would a reverse Wall of Meat look like?"

"You mean, if a man were to be surrounded by shapely women? I imagine it'd look like the king's harem."

"Good luck with your guesses, everyone!!"

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

And I've now watched all 8 available episodes of Sonic Prime! I'll probably make a fuller opinions post once it's properly over, but feelings so far are leaning towards generally positive but with a good amount of eh.

It's really nice to look at and has a very good and constant sense of fun, but I'm finding that they've kind of intentionally regressed Sonic as a character in order to justify the "development" he's getting. I still feel like they channel his core appeal well a lot of the time but the more under-the-surface aspects of his character are definitely neutered.

The early episodes also playing out rather achronologically and just inserting flashbacks onto the initial setting is weird, makes it kinda hard to take in the core version of the setting we're supposed to be saving. Ideally they'd all play out in proper order before getting into the shatterverse stuff, would just make the beginning flow a little better.

I don't think I love any of the three shatterverses we've dealt in so far. New animated Sonic series dealing in a premise as generic as "alternate universe but they're all X" is just kinda tame, and the jungle area in particular was pretty boring lol. I do enjoy New Yoke though, and I think it works well as kind of the primary setting. The alternate versions of our core cast aren't exactly great most of the time but I find those from New Yoke and especially Nine to be actually pretty compelling.

It's very weird that SEGA are doing their whole unifying the canon thing and all the showrunners are calling Prime canon and yet even despite that it's got like, just weird inconsistencies? Knuckles' and Sonic's first meeting flashback for example (the pixel art in those scenes is really bad btw lol) just like, isn't it lol. And the whole Green Hill being the entire setting thing. This is a very weird element of the show.

I quite enjoy the voice cast! Knuckles having a New Yorker accent is weird and it's pretty impossible to beat Mike Pollock Eggman, but everyone otherwise sounds great! I'd lowkey honestly take this Shadow over Kirk Thornton lol.

I think from the way the early episodes played out I kind of expected the show to follow a very rigid structure of X episodes in every shatterverse doing the usual so it's nice that even this early in the total runtime we're subverting that and mixing shatterverses and all that stuff. Gives the narrative stronger weight.

I don't know if I have any other particular thoughts at this present moment. Certainly glad it's releasing in batches lol, way less of a grind to keep up. Yeah uh, gamer.

[robertnelson2-blog]

How Tarot Connects With The Universe?

Tarot is described as an energy that enables people to be in touch with the cosmic power and the forces that govern the world. Thus, the 78 cards in a Tarot are believed to reflect virtually all that life may entail, and give the reader, as it were, an opportunity to journey into the soul and strive to understand one’s path. Every card also has its power and meaning, its ability to open a bridge to the world unseen and help us see ourselves and the world in greater truths. This way using the ancient knowledge of Tarot and Universal archetypes people are being nourished by the divine essence, the collective self, the cycle of the universe and being thus endowed with guidance and tools in facing life’s circumstances and opportunities. Accurate tarot readings

The Major Arcana: Taming Of The Life Cycle Crossroads

The 22 cards forming the Major Arcana are the significant events of an individual’s life, an archetype, or a lesson associated with the life phases. These are the ‘jokers’ of the cards; these cards bear the powerful and possibly the change in the entire batch of cards in the Tarot set. The most representative of the Major Arcana and some of its most famous cards are the Fool, the Magician, the High Priestess, the Empress, the Emperor, the Hierophant , Wheel of Fortune and others. These, of course, are just some of the general meanings that are associated with these cards; each of these has a lot of representation in the anthropological as well as the psychological aspects and when the meanings are represented to the reader as well as to the querent, then the essence of life becomes more clear to all.

The Minor Arcana: Understanding The Journey Further

The Minor Arcana is minor in terms of rank but the deck contains 56 cards which are grouped to four categories namely Wands, Cups, Swords and the Pentacles. These suits symbolize fire, water, air, and earth; and the forty cards in each suit illustrate most of the facets of human life, as well as the feeling realm. The Minor Arcana cards are considered as the smaller or minor cards compared to the Major Arcana, as well as the skill or the work aspect of the Tarot, encompassing real-life activities and events that happen to us.

The Ethical Considerations

However, Tarot is not only a tool for self-actualization but can also be helpful with spiritual practices; therefore, it is crucial to use it responsibly and conscientiously. Indeed, anyone who undertakes a form of divination or a spiritual activity of the like has certain perils and some sort of ethical dilemmas that ensue as well.

Evaluating Freedom of Choice

The freedom of choice is one of the basic principles that big Tarot readers should adhere to because the querent’s free will must always be respected. Tarot readers should not try to decide what the querent should do and not do but offer information that may help the querent in making his/her decisions. I feel that it is important for the reader not to influence the querent and instead interpret the cards within the practitioner’s framework of knowledge that is embraced by the querent.

Avoiding Harm and Exploitation

Students pursuing a career in tarot readership still risk harming or exploiting clients by giving them false hope or taking advantage of their vulnerability. They should never misuse the ability to read the Tarot to harm others; rather they should respect those who come to them seeking guidance through hard times such as people with depression, financial troubles, or other similar circumstances. It is critical to remember that tarot readings must be done gently and lovingly, because the objective is to offer assistance to the receiver and not to add negativity or pain to their life.

Protection of the privacy of the querent

 From the knowledge of the ethical dilemmas present in this ethical dilemma, one can be in a better position to decipher how the ethical issues present in the dilemma can be managed appropriately. It is strictly prohibited that tarot readers relay the information gained in a reading to any other third party provided by the person seeking the reading. They should also note that SPIs may surface during the reading and make necessary arrangements to ensure the querent’s privacy is well maintained.

Better Conduct and Ethical Practice For a final point

It is essential that practicing Tarot readers continuously monitor themselves and their practices for areas of personal development that will help improve their Tarot reading services to clients. This may entail performing daily meditation, constantly studying Tarot symbols and histories, and choosing to learn more everyday. Determined to uphold a strict ethical and professional code, Tarots can play their part to create a positive perception towards this as an ancient practice with potential benefit. Experiences tarot reader

Conclusion

Tarot is a tapestried and highly developed spiritual tool capable of opening the door to knowledge to relationships, recipes towards the future and existence. Thus, while becoming aware of Tarot’s history, analyzing its symbolism and the questions of morality and using Tarot’s examples as a path to personal development, one will learn to appreciate this ancient branch of art and actively use Tarot for improving one’s life.

[simayeeet]

I went through several searches of stock photos and picked the ones that made me think of a dw character for me to paste onto 

these are (some of) the results

[papergirllife]

Lee Jeno, Na Jaemin

Chapter Three

Anti-Venom! Jaemin x human! reader x human! Jeno

Synopsis:

Jeno thought he had his whole life together and was on his journey of uncovering great scientific discoveries when he got the job in a top secret governmental research center. But his life gets turned over like a snowglobe when the alien in his facility escapes in the midst of a power outage, and if things couldn’t get any worse, he becomes the host of this alien, and the only things he knows about this alien is that he’s name is Jaemin and he’s most definitely a psychopath, psychology wasn’t his major, but it won’t take one to know how crazy he is. There’s no way of escape other than to learn to live with the madness, maybe something could tame Jaemin, or someone?

warnings: DUB CON, aphrodisiacs, tentacles, mentions of ovipositioning, etc.

a/n: DON’T READ IF YOU’RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE THEMES MENTIONED ABOVE, ANY HATE MESSAGES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, THANK YOU. and sorry for the late update, mental health has been shit lately, yeah...

Jaemin couldn't really sleep in this home, that’s the issue, home, he hasn't been in an environment where he could actually deem a ‘home’ for so long, and sleeping in someone else’s only reminds him of his life back when Doyoung was still alive.

Jeno slept soundly inside him after coming to terms with himself, through thorough observation, of course, that Jaemin wouldn't kill you in your sleep, but on the other hand, Jaemin himself was restless, looking around the tiny apartment you’ve made into a home, taking in the photographs that decorate your walls, all of them had the same kind looking old woman, your grandmother, Jaemin assumes, he watches enough dramas to recognise what’s a grandma, his home planet rarely ever produced off springs the traditional method, the old women on his planet lacked, of a better word, the maternal feels he gets from mothers and grandmothers on this planet, the only person he knows that was conceived naturally was Yuta, it was a given, being in the royal family came with traditions. Jaemin brushes the thought of his old planet aside, focusing back on the photos you have on display.

Jaemin watches you grow up into the young adult you are today through the many photos over the years, noting how your smile never changed as long a you were with your grandmother, Jaemin tried looking for photos of your parents, but came up with none, where were they?

Jaemin doesn’t have parents, having bred out of some lab for the sake of having more men in the military, he only knew one out of all the eggs that he was in the same batch with, and that was Doyoung, and they had known only because they were assigned in the same base and someone was kind enough to tell them, Doyoung was Jaemin’s only known family, and now he's...gone.

Jaemin sighs, mindlessly following the photos until he reached your door, he could hear your heartbeat in a stable motion as you slept, Jaemin turned the doorknob, but obviously you had locked it, he knew he shouldn't have pried, but he was curious of you, and so he picked the lock of your door and let himself in quitely.

Jaemin could see you sleeping soundly on your bed, the blanket pulled up, a big teddy bear wrapped in your arms, you looked so angelic at that moment, Jaemin had caught himself frozen in spot before he catches himself, moving forward, he carefully climbs into your bed, careful to not wake you.

He sits beside you, a hand coming up to brush away the strands of stray hairs, he likes your face when you're not scared, so peaceful, oh how he wants to keep you for himself, like his very own pet.

You were broken out of your peaceful sleep when you felt a weight next to you, you peered your eyes open to see the unfortunately, familiar face, you almost screamed if it wasn’t for Jaemin silencing you with his hand, silencing you with a pout on his lips, a stark contrast from the quivering ones in his hold.

“I was just appreciating how beautiful you are when you don't scream, don't ruin the moment for me would you?” Jaemin said, almost tauntingly, but it was true, you do look much more beautiful when you’re not cowering in fear, but that is somewhat his fault, he admits.

Your freshly roused mind only registered the fact that he had called you beautiful. You could feel butterflies erupting in your tummy despite the fear in your head, your heartbeat speeding up, damn him for being an attractive human, even though this is obviously not his true form.

Wait, what are you thinking?

When you regained your senses and start trashing in his hold, Jaemin summoned his limbs and tied you up in his hold, your eyes darting between his ‘limbs’ that are now wrapped around your hands and legs, to how it stretches to his back, where those things sprout out.

“When will you ever learn to be a good girl?” Jaemin chides, “guess I'll just have to bend you to my will the hard way, but you'll probably enjoy it, sweet girl,” Jaemin said before you see a particular looking limb coming out from the side of his clothed stomach, slithering out of his shirt to reveal itself to be an oddly shaped thicker one, the thing faces you, most likely commanded by Jaemin, it pokes at your mouth, willing you to open it.

You quickly dart your head left and right, trying your best to avoid it, but Jaemin persists, going as far as summoning two thinner limbs to pry open your mouth before shoving it in.

Jaemin coos at the way you wrap your lips around him, your mouth stretching so wide for him, your eyes have tears prickling at its corners, not knowing what to do but panic, was he going to kill you by suffocating you?

Before you could overcome the panic and screams, you felt the appendage expanding before liquid gushes into your mouth, the texture and taste very honey like, like watered down honey, freely flowing down your throat.

You didn't know what the side effects were until you felt your body grow sluggish, you could no longer trash in his hold without overexerting yourself, then you felt yourself getting lightheaded, your sight slowly became distorted, like someone placed rose tinted glasses over your eyes.

You let go of yourself in this haze that's surprisingly tranquil, this must be how drugs feel like, fully submitting into what Jaemin has committed into doing to you. Jaemin is smiling at you so beautifully, the smile genuine, yet obviously cunning, you find him so beautiful this way, the affection in his eyes, all for you, you willingly open your mouth for more, sucking onto the smooth and warm skin.

Jaemin could feel his heart bursting at the sight, he thought humans were dumb and hardheaded species, but the sight of you like this, being under his influence by the aphrodisiac he gave you, he just wants more.

Jaemin could feel Jeno waking up before he hears the boy scream.

‘Get your tentacle out of her mouth!’

“Shut up, Jeno, this is what calms her down, am I right, my sweet girl?” Jaemin retorted, feeling pride swell when he saw you nodding your head as best as you could in this situation.

‘The last time you fed someone aphrodisiac we had to extract your eggs out of someone's ass, you dim witted beast!' Jeno retorted, reminding him of the painful sight Jeno had to endure, shoving tongs into someone’s ass was something Jeno wanted to erase from his mind.

“Oh please, the lot of you could've given me a woman, that stupid guy just kept screaming about how his ass was going to be permanently loose,” Jaemin muttered in distaste.

‘You're forcing yourself onto her, you monster,' Jeno said firmly, mad that he couldn't do anything to stop it, Jeno can't control or try to shake off Jaemin’s control when it's not his two hands and legs.

“I'm not going to touch her, like I said, it's just to calm her down, I don't need to force myself onto anyone, everyone just throws themselves at me, Jeno, watch and learn,” Jaemin said before deciding to detach himself away from you, your lips red and puffy, mouth smeared with the opaque liquid.

“Look at you, what a messy eater,” Jaemin teased, wiping your face clean of the aphrodisiac with your blanket, eyes zeroing on the bulge in your lower stomach where the blanket wasn’t concealing your body.

Jaemin reaches a hand out to touch it, jiggling it slightly, proud of himself for filling you up.

“Get some sleep, I'll have Jeno make you something to eat when you wake,” Jaemin said before you felt yourself dozing back to sleep, warmth in your belly and oddly enough, heart.

Jaemin had never intended for things to go any further, he doesn’t enjoy it when someone isn’t begging for his touch, and you’ll soon be pliant and on your knees for him, he just needs to give you a few more nudges, he’s sure.

The next time you roused, Jaemin was carrying a cup of instant noodles, a somewhat caring smile on his face, but you never know what to think of him, you can never tell what's he's going to do to you next.

“Eat up, this is the only thing that Jeno boy could make,” Jaemin said, reaching for your hand to guide you to your small vanity table, sitting you down, not knowing that this isn't a bedroom dining table.

“I... who’s Jeno?” you asked, did he capture someone new just to cook?

“Oh, the boy who's body I’m using, I’m a symbiote, and unfortunately, I need him to survive,” Jaemin told you, taking a seat on your bed, surprised at how soft it is, he thought the sofa was soft enough, humans really do know how to enjoy life, don't they?

“Is he...alive?” you asked, suddenly feeling a little sick at the thought of a corpse in your house, Jaemin wouldn’t go that far...right? He hasn’t killed you, yet.

“Of course he's alive, he just made you food,” Jaemin retorted, he doesn’t know why he felt offended, yes he did kill and blow up that lab, but Jeno, in all his goodness, did not participate in torturing him nor mocking him in the midst of his imprisonment, well he did think of killing him the very first day, and maybe yesterday, but he doesn’t think he'd be able to tolerate any human that isn't the two of you, hell he can't even stand his own kind, speaking of which...

“Are you thinking of a way to go home?” you asked breaking him away from his train of thoughts, watching him carefully, his expressions changed as quick as the weather in that short span of silence between the two of you, what was he thinking?

“Home? My planet is no longer a home, it used to be, until my bother was left to die in battle,” Jaemin said, what's the harm in letting you know? A part of him wants an input of your thoughts, Jaemin hasn’t spoken to anyone in ages, he’s dying for some attention.

“What happened?” you asked, curiosity peaking, but also empathy, you didn't think a deranged alien could have a sorrowful past too, wait...why are you pitying him? Are you crazy?

“He and a team were tasked to observe something up close, it was an ambush from our enemies, his partner left him to die while he ran away freely, I killed him, that's how I ended up being banished, trapped and sent away in a ship with limited energy, that was also how I was picked up by humans, I thought I had a chance of survival, but it ended something worse than death, and now I'm finally free,” Jaemin ended, sparing the details of his episode during the massacre he had condone in the lab, he doesn’t need to scare you any further, not after threatening to snuff your life out not too long ago.

“I'm sorry you had to go through all that,” you didn't know why you felt remorse towards a cold blooded alien, maybe it was the fact that his brother died, maybe it was because he took care of you despite in the process of crossing some boundaries, his insanity must be infectious.

“What about you, sweetheart? What happened to your loved ones?” Jaemin asked, looking at another photo of you and your grandmother, the one sitting on your vanity table.

“My parents were killed by robbers breaking into the house at night, police say it might have been just a cover up, until this day the killers weren't found and the reason wasn’t uncovered,” you told him, a short version of the story you've retold many times.

“Guess we have something in common, don't we?” Jaemin said humourlessly, pain in his eyes.

Jeno didn't know what to think of what he just heard and felt from Jaemin’s emotions, he didn't stop once to think that Jaemin could feel empathy towards a human, he has never showed signs of empathy in researches they had conducted, but here he was now, talking heart to heart to a girl he’s holding hostage.

“If I ever find out who that person is I'll kill them for you, sweetheart, but for now, I'm going to take a rest here,” Jaemin said before curling up in your bed, the scent of you somewhat calming, drifting into sleep.

“Wake up! Wake up!” you hear someone whisper as you registered someone shaking your shoulders, you had fell asleep back in your bed after finishing the noodles, too tired and it was way too early to wake up anyways.

Your eyes shot open to reveal a young boy around your age, but unlike Jaemin who although looked borderline crazy, didn't look tired in the slightest, but this boy, who you take a guess is, Jeno, has bags under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in days.

“Jeno?” you asked, still hazy albeit, you can feel your heartbeat picking up, the adrenaline from being awaken so abruptly fueling you quicker than caffeine.

Jeno nods, trying to usher you out of your bed.

“Jeno, I can’t, he's a victim too, he needs help in moving on from his brother’s death, you know that,” you argued, your hands wrapped around Jeno’s triceps, the muscle stretched taunt.

“What if he kills you?” he asked, “I have no choice because he’s trapped in my body, but you have a choice,” he reminded you, you really pity him, having to put up with him unwillingly.

“He's already healed, if he wanted to kill me, he would've made the move, he swore to kill me but he didn’t, I can change his mind, if I'm here, the chances of him harming other people are lesser,” you argued.

Jeno knew you had a point, if you took his advice and left, Jaemin would definitely wake up and set out on a killing spree in Seoul just to look for you, he could feel it, his possessiveness over you, it was something he never thought possible when he first met the alien.

That's when he felt Jaemin waking up, a tingle behind his neck, he quickly urged you to go back to sleep, to act like this conversation never took place.

‘Why are you awake and staring at her like that, Jeno? Are you secretly a pervert like the lab rats I killed?’ Jaemin taunted before forcing Jeno back inside, finally viewing you through his own sight instead of Jeno’s.

“Beautiful,” Jaemin muttered to himself as he took in your bare legs and smooth flesh, flesh that can easily be punctured by his bare hands.

“Humans are so weak, so fragile... but that's why they appreciate life, how naïve, but I won't let anything happen to you sweetheart,” Jaemin had said it so quietly, if you weren't awake you wouldn't have heard him.

Jaemin lays a kiss on the tip of your ears, you had to act like you were woken up by the action, eyes fluttering.

“Are you going to kill me?” you asked, not beating around the bush, but if this question angers him, you'll be saying goodbye to your grandmother.

“No, I'm not, we’re alike, sweetheart, you and I are the ones that are wronged,” Jaemin said before scooping you up easily in his arms, inhaling the sweet scent at your neck.

Jaemin isn't going to hurt you, that much you knew, others might think you're off your rocker for welcoming someone like this into your life, but when will you ever hear a man professing his willingness to kill for you?

Yeah, you’re definitely crazy.

a/n pt2: sorry for the short update, the next one would probably be longer, thank you for waiting!

[whoree321]

yo can i get some tech x chaotic gender neutral reader headcanons?

(fuck yeah bestie you understood the assignment. also i kinda went on my own interpretation of chaotic so if you had something a little different in mind lmk and i can make adjustments!)

tech x chaotic!gn!reader headcanons

ok so here’s the thing about tech

he is literally surrounded by/related to some of the most chaotic individuals in the entire galaxy

like wrecker? crosshair? talk about a hot mess express

and let’s not act like he doesn’t have his own little chaotic streak festering beneath that rigid hairline

so long story short, when you come along in all your chaotic glory, it really isn’t a big adjustment for him

he might be a little surprised after he first meets you (how could someone so alluring and attractive also have that personality??) but overall your presence is simply an addition to the pre-existing insanity of the bad batch

he notices right away how well you fit in with his brothers (matching wrecker’s rambunctiousness or crosshair’s quiet nefariousness or both in your own special way) and tbh he’s a little jelly

and by a little jelly i mean he’s 100% super jealous

he watches how you joke around with them and plan pranks with wrecker and make dark commentary with crosshair and how your antics get a laugh out of echo and sometimes even hunter and how well your energy matches theirs and part of him absolutely hates it

(the other part, of course, is too busy being enamoured by the music of your laugh and the mischievous twinkle in your eye and the electric brush of your shoulder against his armor when you move past him in the cockpit of the marauder to really form an opinion on your relationship with his brothers)

despite his envy, tech is not the type to allow his emotions to derail positive outcomes (on missions or in personal matters)

he’s not gonna spoil y’alls fun or even let you know he’s upset about it. if there’s one thing tech thinks he can do it’s keep his emotions in check

when chaos ensues, he regards you with the same familiar condescension and snark he uses with wrecker (although you realize quickly there’s an amusement in his gaze when he mocks you that’s absent when he speaks to the others)

as much as he loathes the current situation, he ultimately also recognizes that it’s no ones problem but his that you are more compatible for individuals with personality types more like wrecker or crosshair

(little does he know you’ve had your eye on him and only him pretty much the whole time)

before your relationship, tech is the unsuspecting victim of a lot of your tomfoolery

you tend to mess with him the most (totally not bc you have a crush on him or anything nononono)

hiding a tool or his data pad when he’s not looking? a classic

“tech i have no idea where your wrench is i don’t even know what it looks like” “y/n you play this practical joke approximately 3.7 times a standard week I know you are lying”

stating completely made up facts about different things or places with full confidence and arguing with him when he corrects you? tried and true

“fun fact: loth cats actually have a secret fifth leg tucked up underneath them and it only comes out in extreme emergency circumstances” “that could not be more untrue” “ok well have you ever checked” “…no, but..” “see tech there’s just some things you can’t know from book learning” “*deep sigh*”

the best is when you flirt with him tho

it is bold and brash

“I need something sharp to cut through this” “just use your jawline ;)”

“the system we are traveling to is known for its extreme heat and rough terrain” “hot and rough? sounds like you in the bedroom ;)”

he chokes and blushes everytime

despite the constant torment and how much he acts like it’s a nuisance, he secretly loves all the attention you give him (even if it’s at his expense)

knowing our sweet boy he is wayyy too socially awkward to make the first move in this situation (or to even recognize there is a situation tbh)

tech is pretty confident you view him as strictly a friend and an easy target for your shenanigans

like even if you basically admit to liking him, he’s gonna think it’s another joke. plotting and scheming with the other boys to make him step up (a classic “i’m gonna pretend to make a move on them to force your hand” for example) will not work

you have to very directly confess to him and it has to be very very genuine and away from the rest of the boys in order to get it into his exceptional mind that you seriously have feelings for him

once he gets that you mean it tho, he’s over the moon

and once youre in a relationship? the rest of the batch should be WORRIED

now your focus is no longer on messing with tech, and you have a super genius on your side

he may have enjoyed being a casual observer and constant victim before, but now that you’ve allowed him on your team it’s a totally different ballgame

he’s still happy to take a backseat and let you do your thing, but he also loves to be a background player in all your hooplah

you wanna play a prank? tech is scheming and building shit and looking at diagrams to figure out the best way to execute it

hunter gets mad at something you did? tech has already figured out a way to pull focus off of you and onto one of the other boys

OR EVEN BETTER a non-batcher (a reg, a superior, a random streetgoer) takes an isssue with you? tech is launching into a full rant with them about something completely unrelated and giving you time to scamper away before they can even begin to reprimand you

tech is the kind of boyfriend that isn’t gonna overtly match your energy, but can keep up and will balance you out

you still mess with him, but now he has the confidence to mess with you right back

this also creates a really spicy sexual dynamic (I won’t go too into that but def a lot of teasing, brat taming kinda stuff)

overall i actually think tech would be really good with someone more chaotic and wild bc he can seem so rigid but isn’t actually like i think that type of relationship would really suit him

you bring out his playful side and he keeps you grounded, out of trouble, AND acts as a top notch audience/partner in crime

rip hunter tho now he’s got tech to worry about on top of all the rest of you (except echo he’s a perfect angel who could never cause trouble for anyone <3)

[saturn-sends-hugs]

Thanks for the tag, Ace!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

... 3... WAIT NO 4 omg ok it's 4. listen I'm a super slow writer and every sentence has to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the recesses of my brain. (the amount of started wips/ideas I have is an entirely different thing, though)

2. What's your total A03 word count?

52,268. Again, don't write much.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars (TBB, TCW, and Rebels), Hermitcraft, and the Life Series! (although I'm taking a break from SW rn)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

HA top 5, anyway here's all four ranked: (pretty sure I can guess at this lol)

oh! I was wrong actually, first is

1. On the Reg

2. Slow Down

3. Hope is a lie

4. Arc Business

always surprised that people read On the Reg lol

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

YES!!! They're pretty much the main source of motivation for me to continue fics lol, and I love hearing people's thoughts! I know every time I leave a comment and get a response from the author, it always makes me smile too :)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hm well that's tricky, neither of said "angstiest endings" are written yet and the finished fics don't have angsty endings like at all. So I'd say either Slow Down (muahahahaha no spoilers), or surprisingly Arc Business, which is meant to end in a rush to save Echo's life. (Which now that I explain that, it isn't as descriptive as I thought it would be considering how most of my fics go. Huh.)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

On the Reg!! They all cuddle and take a nap, it's great. And that's probably gonna be the happiest ending I ever write.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No? I just don't really write ships or anything that clashes with canon or whatever, so it's all pretty tame and people are usually nice :)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nO. Absolutely not, nothing whatsoever against anyone that does, but I'm aroace and couldn't if I tried. The most I'll do is make the silly guys kiss, but even then, I'm autistic and will be gritting my teeth through the whole thing (it's for the STORY like it's so much better if they kiss but i don't know how to wRITE THAT)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nope :/

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No thank goodness (and I'm not sure why anyone would)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

if by "all-time favorite ship" you mean "the only ship you would write for" then I'd say Solidaritek (not rpf ofc), but I'll read things like Codywan, Scarian or OC stuff for sure :)

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

oh. oh girl. listen... i have it all mapped out and it's just a matter of motivation, but... Slow Down is so far back on the back burner that I don't know if she's ever getting finished. I'm kinda just waiting for season 3 to come out and drag me into bad batch brainrot again, but until then, I'm taking a break from it. (really, Arc Business is the one I have no intention of really finishing lol)

16. What are your writing strengths?

um. dialogue? I think once I get someone's voice down, I can write pretty convincing banter without it being too far out of character? ofc, that's just in my opinion :D

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

procrastination. motivation, distractions, losing focus, etc etc, basically it takes me eons to write anything and nothing ever gets finished :/

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

If it's a fake/dead language like Mando'a or old Latin, then sure! If it's real, absolutely not, I'm not bilingual and would make a fool of myself if I tried (anyone who can translate/write in another language is an absolute god)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Star wars :) On the Reg was literally the first piece of fanfic I ever wrote (yes I'm that new to this lol)

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Oh it's gotta be Slow Down, I'm super proud of that one and I like where the story is going so yeah! I feel like I made a lot of progress from my earlier works to there, and I think it shows :)

woooo this one was fun! no pressure tags: @floundrickthewayfarer and @inkstainedhandswithrings

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

23 public but I’ve archived 26 so total of 49!

2. What's your total A03 word count?

344,609

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars! Specifically the clone wars and bad batch eras

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

I Bleed the Same (M)

Evenly Trimmed (E)

Phonetic Convergence (T)

Two Years to the Day (T)

Getting Some in the Gunship (E)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love gushing with people who are excited about the same things that I am. Also to give my thanks for taking the time to read my works.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I guess the only one that followed canon where Wolffe makes it to where Rex and Ahsoka can’t have contact

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them except the above mentioned

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I’m aware of! I do have a secret hater from afar though hehe

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do!! And I’m not sure lol. The nothing-is-left-to-the-imagination kind? Copious use of the words cock and cunt? What do you want me to say?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Also not that I’m aware of! ALSO ALSO! I just want to take this opportunity to say that fics that share ideas or tropes don’t count as plagiarism. Unless it’s a word for word verbatim copy, please touch grass.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! It was such a good experience and I highly recommend!!

Sheevy SithDonald’s (E)

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Rexsoka!! 💙🧡

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

All of the other longfic ideas I have lmao

16. What are your writing strengths?

I guess writing the thoughts of all characters present? Third person omniscient I believe

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing action scenes. Actually, anything that’s not romance or smut, I’m staring into the void of the google doc

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

In a fictional language? Sparse use of Mando’a can be fun! I’ve not yet attempted an irl language other than English

19. First fandom you wrote for?

…One Direction… please don’t look at me I do not wish to be perceived

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Evenly Trimmed (E)

Thank you @sleepingbeauty21 for tagging me! This one was really fun!!

No pressure tags @whyamismall / @maxrebofeetpics / @melting-houses-of-gold / @taylorswiftscar / @lamaenthel and whoever else wants to!

[hoeforce-999]

Salvation

hunter x jedi-reader (female with she/her pronouns)

warnings: minor spoilers for bad batch season 1, angst, grief. 

From a young age, you had been taught to handle anger with gentle hands and delicate words, steadily reeling it in so you did not unleash it on people who did not deserve it. As a child being taught the way of the Jedi, you had not understood the dangers of constant anger and fear, but you hadn’t even experienced much of that to begin with. You no longer had the innocent and naive mind of a child ready to take on the world, but rather the one of a war-stricken adult who no longer knew what she was fighting for. You found it harder to control your anger and easier to unleash it. But that was not how you were taught, so again and again, you meditated and focused on your breathing. 

In 

and

out

Your attempts to calm the sizzling anger running through your veins were in vain, it would not disappear or calm no matter how many breaths you took. With even more frustration than before you got up from the floor of your barrack and sat down on the little too hard bed. It groaned in response to your weight and even that made you want to rip the white linen apart. You missed the beds at the Jedi temple, they had been soft and welcoming after days of hard training. As you thought of the place you had once called home, the lightsaber hanging from your belt felt heavier than usual. Heavy with the knowledge that you had chosen to leave, heavy with the knowledge of what had transpired after, and heavy with the guilt that you had managed to survive. Of all great padawans and Jedi masters, the one who had left it all behind had been the one to make it out alive. A broken laugh escaped past your sealed lips and echoed through the room, reminding you of a time when that laugh had not been as broken. It felt like it had just been weeks ago since you had been sitting in this ship, surrounded by your unusual team, a group of misfits who somehow fit perfectly together, on your way to another mission. Sometimes those missions had not even felt like obligations, sometimes you had given in to that young Jedi still inside of you and regarded it as your big adventure to save the universe. As it turned out you had barely been able to save yourself, let alone the whole universe. The only way you had gotten out of that last mission with your life intact, had been thanks to your newfound family and their unrelenting wish to protect you. You closed your eyes as the memory of that horrid day engulfed you in a veil of darkness and sorrow. There would not come a day when you would forget how all those clone troopers around you, Depa Billaba and young padawan Caleb had turned their blasters towards you. You would not forget how you and Depa Billapa had fought to give the child a chance, a chance to survive as the universe turned against him. Then she had fallen, becoming an empty shell without the spirit of the warrior who had once been and now no longer was. The memory of her death was haunting and your whole body was shaking with the fury you had felt and still felt as if it had been engraved in your soul. Though your memory was the reminder of something from your past, the fear you had experienced was still palpable as you thought about how close you had been to meeting the same fate. There had been no doubt in your mind that you would fall next, join her in another life with the only regret that you did not get to bid your farewells to your squad. Almost as if they had heard that silent wish to see them again, they had appeared with their blasters raised and saved your life. One of them, in particular, had fought as if his life depended on it. His chestnut-colored hair had been all over his face as he finally got to you, that red bandana he always wore was in his hands as he carefully put it around one of your wounds. He had been so tender with you as if his touch would have been the last point for you to break. It might have been, had you not been so caught up in the fact that whatever had gotten over the other clones, had left your friends alone. You had been relieved for all of them, but most of all for him, the clone who somehow had managed to take up such a big place in your heart that it had become his. 

Hunter, Hunter, Hunter

You escaped your memory and forced it into the darkest corner of your mind, wishing to never again experience it again. Instead, you tried to focus on his name, tried to busy your mind with thoughts of what he was doing or things he had said to you. He was usually enough to calm the distressed state you seemed to fall into more often now, but not today. It seemed as if all your tries to calm your anger and fear were hopeless, for you could only feel them rising as a force strong enough to drown you. When you felt how the darkness grew inside of you, you thought back to the words a certain Jedi master had repeated time after time, etching them into every young mind so they would not forget. 

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

You had not forgotten and neither had the warning bells ringing in your mind, but for such a long time you had been fighting against that dark part of you and you were growing so damn tired. This was a battle you had been struggling to win for some time now, and you were on the brink of giving up. It felt as if you should, perhaps then you could become stronger and actually do something for this universe. Maybe you would be able to bring your other friend back, the brother who had left and when given the choice, had turned his back on you again. You had been so furious as he stayed on the platform in front of a destroyed Kamino, there had been so much rage towards a universe that seemed to take everyone away from you. The darkness inside of you relished in your anger and the guilt that gnawed at your soul, and then it started to soothe you with silent promises of what you could do, who you could become if you only gave in. You could have sworn that the darkness sighed in relief as you leaned further into its embrace, perhaps this would be for the best.

yes, you can have so much more and that was true, right? You would have more power than you had now, you would be able to save everyone you loved and never have to experience that heavy feeling of loss again. 

yes, yes and so much more it chanted inside of you, drawing you further and further into it and you could almost have laughed because this was so much easier and not so horrid as those Jedi masters had preached to you. Somewhere in your head, those warning bells were still ringing, that young Jedi in you still fighting for dear life but you could do nothing else but savor how welcoming the darkness felt. It was becoming you, it became every breath you took, every beat of your heart, and every memory you had until they were all clouded by the same rage you had felt for weeks. This was not giving up, this was giving in to something else, something that would make your life more bearable. You were not even aware of your own body anymore, it felt as if you were floating away from it or perhaps sinking so deep into it, you would never escape. 

This is the right choice, you will be one to fear and never again feel fear yourself. You will do so much for the universe that gave you so little. You will-.

The chants inside of your mind were interrupted by a buzzing sound, and as you tried to locate the interruption you realized that it was not a buzzing sound but rather a soft voice calling your name. Oh, and your name on his lips always sounded like the soft drizzle of syrup and so that darkness in you was momentarily interrupted by Hunter.

This is just a memory, he is not real. You hummed in response, the darkness was right, this was just a ploy played by your own mind. Once again you found yourself sinking deeper into those feelings of rage, grief, and despair. Though it was as if you could still hear his voice saying your name, and then his hands were on your shoulders, shaking you as if he somehow could wake you up from a nightmare you had chosen to dwell in. He must be able to sense the change in you, that was one of his enhancements after all, hypersensitive to everything around him. Your name on his lips and his hands on your body ignited a battle inside of you, for just as there was a wish to forget there was a desire to hear more words from him. 

“Cyar'ika, I can’t lose you too.” 

Right, if you succumbed to the darkness you would lose him. He who had saved you in so many different ways that it felt as if you had a hundred debts to pay him. Maybe he was enough, maybe you did not need all this power that the dark side promised you. Perhaps his hand in yours would be enough for you to keep on fighting and as if he could hear your thoughts, his grip on your shoulders tightened. You knew then, that he would always be enough for you and so you joined the young Jedi in you and started fighting, fought for the girl who had once believed she could save everyone, fought for the friends she had lost, and fought for the love she had gained. Your whole body shuddered as you tried to force that darkness out of your mind, it was backing away slowly, not really wanting to give up this battle. But it would, because when you finally gained control of yourself again and looked into Hunter’s eyes the love that shone in them would have been enough to shatter every ounce of darkness in the universe. The anger and fear you had felt had vanished, never gone but perhaps tamed, and you let out a gasp, almost as if you had been drowning underwater. His hands were on your face and a small smile formed on his lips as he saw that you were you again. 

“Hi.” You could not help the small smile that tugged on your lips either, there was just so much relief that you had not given in and that this man once again had managed to drag you out of your inner despair. You lifted a hand to stroke some of his hair away, it was soft as velvet beneath your fingers. He leaned forward to rest his forehead on yours, his hard grip on your shoulders remained as if he was scared that you would vanish again if he let go. So he kept on holding you and you kept on twirling his hair, both relieved that the other was whole. 

“Glad to have you back.” He whispered and you promised yourself to never again let yourself be so close to letting him go. The darkness had been wrong, you did not need anger or power to never feel fear again. The only thing you needed was to stay with the person who would make it all bearable. Sometimes a person finds pieces of their soul in another, and when that happens you need to cling to that someone with all you have, for they are your salvation. He was yours.

[angelicamerlinbarnes]

Severus Snape being an awesome teacher and human being

Au Volant - Elsa & Emilie

He makes sure to let students work on their own when they brew Amortentia. They only have to pass in a list of things they smell and he draws little smiley faces on them because he knows a lot of kids are very insecure about their feelings. (Once a kid passed in a list that just said, I’m sorry Professor but it doesn’t smell like anything, and on their paper Severus drew an ace and aro flag and a time for the student to be at Mcgonogall’s office that weekend for tea, along with a smiley face and an O grade.) (The student was Newt.) (Hailee’s just read, People are gross and if I fall in love with one I want you to kill me, to which Severus responded, Valid, and drew her a picture of a turtle.)

He makes fake batches of Felix Felicis and gives one to every student secretly before their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s so they feel extra confident going into the test but aren’t actually cheating.

He knows his area is Potions, but he teaches defense spells to students who come after class or report bullying anonymously. Severus Snape does not fucking stand for bullying in his classroom or outside of it. If you dare to pick on one of his students, he will burn you so hard with his mere words that you will wish you were dead. Do not fuck with Severus Snape’s kids.

On parent-teacher day, he drinks different batches of Polyjuice Potion to imitate certain students, all of whom hide away in their dorms after drinking a fine batch of invisibility potion. He then follows these select parents around and endures their horrifying, demeaning remarks about their “failure of a child” so his students don’t have to. He makes sure to give these students glowing praises to their parents when it’s his turn to offer feedback (after making up an excuse to go to the bathroom as the student), and takes mental notes of the parents’ most prominent criticisms so he can be sure to compliment those parts of his students during their next assignments (and also just because).

He brews sleeping potions for students he knows stay up all night studying and sometimes slips it into their drinks if they refuse to take it willingly. He then gives them back their (usually almost flawless) tests with the note that if they want a full O they need to sleep more.

He invites kids he knows don’t have many friends to have dinner and lunch and breakfast in his classroom whenever they’d like. He tries to make friends with some of them too, hoping to make their lives a little less lonely than his was.

He keeps an eye out for abusive home situations. He does his best to come up with excuses for those unfortunate students to stay at Hogwarts over breaks or to visit often over the summer. He tries to find them friends that will help them the way James helped Sirius and Regulus, and speaks to Mcgonogall about opening a home for these kids on campus. He does his best to be the parent he knows these kids don’t have, and is open about his own horrid past in hopes of getting some of them to fess up so he can help them better than he can without hearing it explicitly from their mouths.

He uses his Pensieve to collect happy memories of and for his students to reflect on when they need to and they sit in the corner of his classroom. (Among them are his wedding day to James and Lily, the day Harry was born, a couple playdates with the other Marauder children, Sirius and Remus’ wedding day, studying with Remus, pranking James with Sirius, Sirius and James asleep cuddled together with Remus on the couch in ugly Christmas sweaters, his son and many nieces and nephews playing dress-up, reading with Hermione and exploring with Luna and Newt, dancing with Draco (he likes to dance but was always ashamed to do it at the Malfoys), going on long drives with Regulus, the Blacks’ funeral (Regulus and Sirius performed a very gay stripper dance on top of their graves, it was beautiful), and many, many more.) Sometimes he can see his saddest students watching them and smiling, and their sad eyes twinkling make him smile.

He brings in a box of small kittens, puppies, and bunnies one day and lets them wander around the classroom. Some kids start crying because they haven’t felt this loved in years. After an incident with a bad potion and a rainbow puppy, he stops bringing them all out during class, but they’re there on the weekends and whenever a student needs to hug one (or borrow one, much to Mcgonogall’s chagrin).

He works to break down House biases and help students develop inter-House relationships and friendships. He wants every student to be proud of their House and not to treat anyone differently because of theirs. He creates (with Dumbledore, Sirius, and Regulus’ help) an annual House Pride, in which every student dresses up in their House colors and has their nails and skin painted and everyone is smiling and laughing and waving flags with their House emblems in the air. Even the teachers get in on it.

He stresses the importance of friendships, communication, and choices. He urges students not to make his mistakes by treating their friends well, talking about their feelings even if they’re ugly, and making the right choices in life for you and your loved ones, even if those choices are hard. He invites Lily in to talk about this too sometimes.

He sends out his Patronus every night to wander around the school. Often it comes back to him with nothing, but sometimes he can hear a student crying through it. He’ll instruct his doe to sit with the student until he gets there, and then he’ll walk around the castle, pretending to “accidentally” happen upon the crying student. He’ll sit with them until they’ve calmed down and listen if they want to talk and then take them to their dorm, bidding them goodnight and get well soon.

He gives students hugs when they want them. He didn’t want to originally, but Harry would greet him every class with a hug, and then one day Draco came in crying and attached himself to Severus like a sloth, so he patted him on the back and continued to hug him. Not long after, Hermione couldn’t figure out a potion and burst into tears out of frustration, turning and burying herself in his chest. After Luna wrapped her stick arms around his neck for no reason, Severus just accepted his fate and let his students hug him.

A lot of first years get scared in the hallways, since the staircases move and everywhere is incredibly crowded and they are oh so very small. Severus will often hold the hand of the most anxious ones for the first few weeks and walk them to class. Eventually they become more confident with the castle and themselves and stop needing it, but the occasional sixth year will slip their hand into his just because sometimes.

He walks around campus with students sometimes. He can tell when they’re nervous or sad or angry and he takes them on walks around the outskirts of campus and lets them vent. He also teaches them how to throw curses at the Whomping Willow just because (it’s for Remus but nobody’s gonna say it out loud).

He teaches students how to walk dramatically (as he should). He puts on student drag shows in the Great Hall with James’ help (who always kisses him way too enthusiastically because of it) and Dumbledore’s permission (so long as he gets to be the finale). The students work with Sirius on their drag looks and Sirius and Remus both join in the drag show for the opening act. Sirius’ job is to design and create the students’ looks while Remus tells them they look pretty and tames their stage fright. Severus just sits in the audience smirking while Lily screams in delight. (Regulus also shrieks with excitement eventually, though he does usually spend the first half trying to look disinterested.) (Peter’s job is to get the cookies and sweets (and underage alcohol).)

He turns into his snake Animagus form sometimes without warning when his students aren’t looking and just slithers around the classroom scaring the crap out of people. His favorite students are the ones brave enough to pet him. Harry and Newt are the only ones brave enough (and allowed) to wind him around their shoulders. Severus and Harry sometimes have conversations in Parseltongue.

He invents spells to help with dyslexia and other learning disabilities in his spare time. When he’s done with that he plans to try looking into some cures to mental illness. He’s thinking possibly a potion that treats PTSD by replacing traumatic memories with pictures of puppies, unicorns, bunnies, cats, and parrots. What do you think?

He tries hard to come up with solutions and modifications to his lessons for students with ADHD. He often talks to James about what the best steps to take are because James has ADHD. (So does Sirius, but his insecurities are bad enough that he won’t talk about it with anyone but Remus and James.)

He plays the violin sometimes during tests and uses Sonorus to make it echo throughout the classroom. Occasionally he cancels class and just plays until most of his students fall asleep. Those who want to work on extra work can, but he tries to keep their stress and general teenage angst to a minimum. (Though he encourages the emo phase.)

One of the first things he does after the Prank is get to work on a lycanthropy solution for Remus. After a couple years he invents the wolfsbane potion, but it doesn’t quite do the trick. Eventually he manages to figure out the cure, and when Remus finds out he cries so hard he can’t breathe right for days. (Sirius also cries. So does James. And Peter. And Lily and Regulus and Mcgonogall. Seriously, everyone cried and everyone hugged him and Severus tried to get away by transforming into his snake form but toddler Harry just grabbed him and refused to let go, so that didn’t work.) (He also helps Remus become a wolf Animagus when he asks almost a year later.)

He teaches certain kids Occlumency and Legilimency after school. It’s strictly for kids he knows come from abusive homes, whether they’re open about it or not, so they can tell when it’s going to be a bad night and get away or protect themselves. He teaches Occlumency for those who need to hide things from their parents (like Sirius and Regulus used to) and Legilimency to all, just in case. He focuses on stealth and untraceable versions of the craft to earn the kids as much time and protection as he can.

He figures out how to remove the Dark Mark from his own arm after the war. The next person he calls is Regulus, whose he also removes. He writes down the entire process and when the war starts up again, he keeps an eye out for students suddenly wearing long sleeves. He speaks with those he does find and helps them to make the right choice and join the right side of the war, starting with removing that horrid tattoo. (Draco bawls uncontrollably when Severus removes his.)

When they do the lesson on Veritaserum, he’s extra careful to make sure students don’t test it, especially on themselves or their friends. It, along with Amortentia, is the most guarded potion in his stash. The only times he uses it is when a student from an abusive home is too scared to tell him what’s going on, in which case he finds them somewhere private, asks them if they’d be okay with it and if so which teacher they want to be there to ask the questions (usually Remus, Sirius, or himself), and then administers the potion and leaves or begins to ask yes or no questions. It’s helped a lot of kids escape their families.

He tries to ease trepidations about himself early in the school year, since he’s aware he can be intimidating and the rampant stories regarding his time under Voldemort (though entirely as a spy) do not help. His friendships with Remus and Sirius often serve to alleviate students’ fears though, as they tend to tell embarrassing stories about him from their own Hogwarts days that make him seem more human (and make him want to strangle them, but that’s neither here nor there).

Every year, he works with Remus and Lily to arrange Muggleborn Pride. It’s an incredibly popular event with tons of Muggle inventions and artifacts floating through the air over students’ heads. At any time they can reach up and pull one down to study it. Many students dress as their favorite Muggle icons and characters. Because of this, Muggleborn students are more comfortable being who they are than ever before. (Some have even reclaimed the word Mudblood by setting up mud pits during their Pride.) (They also have more Slytherin Muggleborns now than any other time in recorded history.)

He tells Regulus’ story to every class of students, to teach them what true bravery is and how love and family, even if not blood, can change the course of history. Regulus survived his encounter with the Horcruxes and worked to destroy them and eventually Voldemort, but now lives away from the public eye in a secluded part of Muggle London. He and Severus are friends and visit often, and Regulus will occasionally come back to Hogwarts to say hello to his brother and mum (Remus), but for the most part he keeps his life intensely private. He allows his family to tell his story because he wants other kids to know they are not alone and that there is a way out, and that you are not a bad person for things you did in your childhood. Severus does his best to do it justice.

He has incredibly loud arguments with Dumbledore until he finally agrees to implement sex ed as a mandatory class at Hogwarts. Severus works with the other Marauders on the curriculum and they try to include multiple angles and identities in their lesson plan. At first they try to trust Remus with it, but Remus doesn’t go anywhere without Sirius who is less than tactful and Remus himself has some deadpan sarcasm and a lack of shame to rival James Potter’s, so. They try Lily. She can’t stop giggling. Finally they beg Regulus to come back and teach it. He’s surprisingly… perfect for the job. (He steals parenting books from Amir, that’s his secret.)

When James visits, everything becomes chaos for a bit. While he mostly hangs out with Sirius and Remus and causes trouble with them, he certainly seems to enjoy sitting in the back of Severus’ classroom and bothering him during lessons. The only way to get him to leave is to turn into a snake and wind himself around his shoulders, which makes James shriek and sputter and run away (James has always had an irrational fear of snakes; odd that he married one then, innit?). But when James isn’t causing chaos, he’s following Severus around adoringly and grabbing at his hand, whispering jokes in his ear and kissing his cheek. Despite all of the times he’s a pain in the ass, there are always these little moments that remind Severus why he fell in love with him in the first place (entirely unwillingly and with much stubborn pride on both ends, but, well. It is what it is and they got here eventually, so that’s all that matters).

When Lily visits, everything is calm. She reigns all of the Marauders in and forces them to have picnics under the tree where they all used to do homework. She often holds Severus’ hand and dances with him there, turning his insides to useless goo. She’s always full of laughter and fairy bells, and though she makes every student question their priorities and life decisions, she’s a favorite of them all. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t pull him aside and say, “You’re a lucky, lucky man.” (Or, in James’ case: “Fuck, love, how’d we bloody manage that?” (Severus just shrugs. It’s not like he knows.))

He helps kids with autism feel more like they belong. He also works to educate non-autistic students how to better socialize and respect those who are, and takes extra care to dispel myths about autism and its causes, effects, and characteristics. Lily helps when she can.

Above all, Severus tries to give his students the education he never had. Anything he can provide for them he will. He’s been given a second chance and by Merlin is he going to bloody use it.

[fictionkinfessions]

I wonder if my Collei is out there. If she remembers me. The times I'd talk to her during her treatments (trying my best to tame that bad residue batch Barnabas gave- Which he wasnt even supposed to give her before my personal evaluation of her wellbeing. Uhg.)

I wonder if she remembers me letting her escape, or the bag of supplies I even prepared for her right outside. The stories I told her of old patients and my old elezar studies.. She did always seem to be listening, even if she never talked back.

I am sorry for your living conditions, Collei. I know you dont see weight in those words, especially if the Collei's reading this arent my own. You never should have been used for any experiments, mine or my underlings. You should have only gotten the elezar treatments, your condition upon reaching snezhnaya was so terrible I was furious learning you had gotten residue. And even more furious when seeing how volitile the batch you got was. Granted I cant say your living conditions would have been better if you were treated properly, I didnt have the best holding rooms for any experiments or patients. (and yes I will partially blame Pantalone's budget, though admitedly my Prime Body was so far gone I didnt think about patient comfort most of the time by this point..)

Im still surprised despite all of that, you managed to survive. Given the state you were in upon arrival I thought you would be dead for sure. But you're such a tough kid. And well- Okay I will brag a bit, my elezar treatments are very good. Despite their painful side effects. I was still working on that-

Im sorry Im rambling- And I really doubt any Collei has read this far- And if one of you has, please do not read this as me expecting forgiveness, or for you to like me in the slightest. The things you were roped into were far worse than you ever should have had, and Im still upset that Barnabas acted on his own like that. (His given job was simply to collect some willing Elezar patients. As working on treatments for it had become a passtime of mine. His residue experiments were only supposed to go to patients I directly approved of. And he ignored all of my instructions.)

I just hope you have SOME slightly positive memories. Again of my stories, the small bits of kindness my badly calibrated clone caused to shine through. I think about those times more than I'd like to. It fills me with too much guilt. Reminds me of what I was like before the Akademiya and Fatui drove me too far. It makes me scared to share these mems. I'm terrified typing this right now actually. I'm so prepared for people to attack me despite my wishes or the blogs rules for decency. To accuse me of "erasing Dottore's cruelty" or "expecting forgiveness from all Collei kins" even though I've directly said I'm not expecting that.

I just hope my Collei remembers those moments. They can feel however they please about me, I don't care, I'll never look for them, I don't look for anyone. I just don't want to be the only one who has to remember these events.

Maybe my Collei would like to hear that these memories of kindness haunt me. Maybe they want to know that I'm suffering from knowing how much better I could have been in that life if events had played out a bit differently.

It wouldn't surprise me if the average Collei kin wished for nothing but pain for me, anyway, memories of me or not. (not intended to make you pity me I promise. Im just used to how much the community despises me)

~Il Dottore 🕯♟

P.S. If you're thinking of sending a negative response to me (No matter who you may be), don't bother. There's nothing you can say to me that the community or my brain havent already said before. Don't waste your time. I garuntee you, I already know.

'

[amjustagirl]

Chapters: one. ~ two. ~ three. ~ four. ~ five. ~ six. ~ seven. ~ eight.

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: Being with Miya Atsumu is like chasing a storm - equal parts exhilaration and danger. After all, it’s impossible to tame a storm. 

Masterlist here 

AO3 Link here

‘Y'know, when I asked you to manage 'Tsumu, I never imagined you'd manage him like this.’  Osamu states bluntly, eyebrow raised as Atsumu spends yet another evening seated right by her spot at the till, lobbing playful insults and jokes at her until she snaps at him to ‘shut up for the love of all that is holy and stop disturbing the other customers’ . 

‘Like what?!’ she splutters unconvincingly, her cheeks turning red. 

Osamu gives her a knowing look before he turns away to welcome in another batch of customers. 

Osamu closes the shop on the anniversary of its opening, and throws a small party at a rooftop bar that a friend of his owns. She’s told that her attendance is absolutely mandatory, so even though she has class early next morning, she finds herself with a drink in her hand, staring down at the crowds of downtown Osaka. If she squints, she can see a child pulling her mother to a stop, pointing overhead at the rainbow of neon street lights in awe. 

‘A hundred yen for your thoughts?’ She doesn’t need to turn around to know it’s Atsumu, his lazy drawl far more pronounced than Osamu’s. 

The child in the street below remains rooted to the spot, causing a buildup in the crowd despite her mother’s attempts to pull her away. It makes her think of the first time her parents brought her to visit the city more than a decade ago, and how overwhelmed she felt, surrounded by people and buildings tall enough to touch the sky, so different from her hometown of rolling hills and bamboo groves. 

‘Did you feel sad when you left home?’ she replies with a question of her own. 

‘Nah - was excited, really. Always dreamed of playin’ volleyball in the big leagues, so stayin’ home wasn’t gonna cut it for me, y'know?’ 

‘Heartless. Probably made your mother cry’, she accuses him, and he acknowledges it with a careless laugh. 

‘What about you? Thinkin’ about home?’ he asks, coming to stand beside her, eyes trained on the thin line separating building and sky. 

‘Leaving was necessary’, she responds simply. 

Especially with two older brothers blessed with both brain and brawn, far better suited to inherit her father’s steel forge. But while her father might spend most of the day teaching her brothers how to craft the sharpest knives, his evenings were spent at the kitchen table with her perched on his lap, learning to balance numbers in his account books. And with her schoolteacher mother drilling into her head the importance of an education, moving down to Osaka for an accountancy degree seemed less like a choice and more like an inevitable conclusion. 

He frowns at her silence. ‘Did you get kidnapped by aliens or somethin’? Usually you’d be snappin’ at me, or scolding me, or shouting at me for being a dick – completely undeserved, by the way’.

‘I just seem quiet because you talk too much. Has anyone ever told you that?’ she retorts. But there is no fire in her words, and he only chortles in response. 

They watch in silence as the crowd below them slowly starts to thin out as the dusk fades into night. The cold night air bites through her thin sweater into her skin, and she shivers, unconsciously shifting closer towards Atsumu’s warmth. He shoots her a look that’s halfway between a smile and a smirk as he slides his jacket over her shoulders, and she pretends the flush on her cheeks is from the alcohol in her drink. 

But she can’t help but lean into him, letting herself drown in the heat of his hand on her hip and the storm in his eyes. 

Osamu’s eyes cloud in disapproval when he finds out she and Atsumu are dating. ‘He’d better not run off my accountant, that’s all I can say’. 

‘Osamu! Atsumu’s your twin!’ she scolds, arm deep in a vat of rice water. 

‘Exactly’, he responds with a snort. ‘I’m not sure you realise how much of a dick ‘Tsumu can be, ‘specially when all he’s hungry for is chasing a win. I hope you’re ready to handle that.’ 

‘You’re just worried because you’re too cheap to hire a qualified accountant to do your books’ she grouses and he looks like he’s about to snark back, but the chatter of their first customers of the day entering the shop signals the end of their conversation. 

Dating Atsumu isn’t as bad as Osamu makes it out to be. She’s careful not to ask too much of him when he’s busy with training and competitions, and in any case her schedule is full enough with school and her job, but they make the effort of video calling each other at least twice a week if he’s travelling, and if he’s in town, they spend Friday nights with multiple boxes of pizza (Atsumu’s appetite is enormous) , bickering over what movie to watch next. 

He insists she watch as many games of his as possible, and he spends so much time crowing about his plays that she should be annoyed, but she finds herself charmed by the childlike enthusiasm in his voice. ‘That’s probably why you’re the only one that can stand him’, Osamu comments but she pays him no mind. He’s in the audience cheering for her when she graduates, and takes her out for a fancy meal when she lands her first job ( no, Osamu, working at Onigiri Miya doesn’t count, no matter what you say). 

Their paths might not always converge but when they do, there’s the quiet contentment of finding shelter in each other, and she quickly becomes addicted to the warmth of that feeling in her heart. 

‘Stop being a baby’, she scolds, as she peels back the sports tape on Atsumu’s back with deliberate care. ‘It’s your fault for going for practice with a strained shoulder and not listening to your physiotherapist!’

‘Don’t nag darlin’, I had to – it was Hinata-kun’s first practice with us!’ He’s practically buzzing in his seat with glee, and she can’t help the soft smile that grows on her face. 

‘There - all done’, she says, and she can’t help but run her hand to rest in the dip of his spine.  

‘What would I do without you?’ he asks, shooting her a roguish smile that distracts her long enough that he’s able to pull her into his lap. 

‘Idiot’, she huffs fondly, and he chuckles in reply, the sound warming her heart. ‘Hey ‘Tsumu?’ she says again, pushing his wandering hands away. 

‘You called, doll?’ he quirks an eyebrow at her, hands heavy against her hips. 

‘I love you’, she whispers against the broad expanse of his chest. 

‘I know’, he says with light laughter in his voice, and swallows her outraged cry ‘arsehole!’  by sliding his mouth over hers until her breath starts to stutter and she closes her eyes. 

There is a storm raging outside, but she pays it no mind. 

Her stomach churns when she sees the faint line on the test she bought in a panic during her lunch break, and she now wonders whether the nausea she’s been feeling the past week was not a bug she thought she caught, but actually morning sickness after all. That thought makes her feel like puking her guts out again and she does - unceremoniously every morning for weeks after that. 

Atsumu’s in the middle of a series of matches away from home, and she knows he’s warned her again and again not to distract him especially when the championship is within his team’s reach, but the rising swell of panic in her throat outwrestles any rational thought she has left in her head, so she finds herself blurting it out to him the minute they log on for their twice weekly call. 

‘You’re pregnant?’ he echoes blankly, rubbing a disbelieving hand over his face. ‘How?’ 

‘D’you remember the gala night for the opening of the season when I was on antibiotics for an ear infection?’ He nods dumbly, and she twists her fingers in her lap. ‘Yeah… Well I figure it must have happened then.’ 

The connection of their call crackles, and she strains her ears for his response. It doesn’t come. 

‘Tsumu?’ 

‘Right.’ he finally says. ‘So what are you going to do about it?’

‘I...don’t know,’ she confesses. 

They’re both barely on the cusp of adulthood, and the thought of bringing a new life into the world that she’d be wholly responsible floods her with a tidal wave of fear and dread and anxiety that does not ebb away. She’s not sure her boss will take too kindly to finding out she’s pregnant, much less so out of wedlock, especially since she’s barely a year into her job, and she doesn’t even want to think about the dishonour and shame she’ll bring to her family - though a part of her is willing to brave her father’s disapproval and her mother’s tears just to feel their arms around her again. 

But her hands are drawn to the slight swell of her belly, and perhaps it’s sentiment clouding her mind, she’s not sure she has it within her to stamp out the flicker of life budding within her after nights filled with dreams of a child with her smile and Atsumu’s eyes. 

‘Look - I’ve got to go. We’ll talk when I get home, ok?’ he mutters, logging off before she can say goodbye. 

But he doesn’t - not even when his team wins the championship and she finds out from the team’s social media that he’s returned back to Osaka. 

Her calls go unanswered, her texts remain unread, and with desperation rising in her chest she turns to Osamu - even though she initially swore to herself she wasn’t going to drag him into the messes that Atsumu tends to make. But the laws in Japan require the consent of the father if she wants to get rid of the problem (though it feels wrong to term it like that), and he’s the closest male friend she trusts enough to step up to the plate. 

‘Fuckin’ pig’ he snarls, slamming his fist down on the counter so hard it makes her jump back in shock at seeing the normally mild-mannered Osamu lose his temper and react with such obvious rage. But he calms down quickly to close his shop early and walk her home. 

‘It’ll be fine’, he promises her. ‘You’ll see’. 

She’s not sure she trusts Osamu’s definition of fine, not when Atsumu turns up on her doorstep that same night with a smear of blood under his nose and a purple bruise over his right eye. She stares at him, her arms folded across her chest.

‘What do you have to say for yourself, Miya?’, she says, and he winces at her use of his surname, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.  

‘I freaked out ok? Finding out that you got pregnant - that I’m going to be a  dad  made me panic ‘cos I’m totally not ready for that  shit  - even though Osamu’s right, I’m a piece of crap and you’re probably going through so much worse and I should do right by you -.’

‘Atsumu, what are you even saying?!’ She interrupts, exasperated. 

‘I’m asking you to jump off a cliff with me’, he says, lifting his chin to return her stare.

‘Wha-’ 

‘Marry me.’ He cuts in softly, bringing his hand to cup her face, brushing his thumb across the corner of her lip. ‘It’s gonna be one hell of a ride, but you and I - we’ll get through this together’. 

She’s struck dumb, suddenly reminded of how being with Atsumu is like chasing a storm - equal parts exhilaration and danger. While there’s the thrill of being near enough to witness the sky collapsing into a torrent of rain and hear the wind descend into howls of rage, there’s also the lingering fear that the next flash of lightning might mean pain, or even death. 

But Atsumu’s eyes are clear pools of light, and she can only see  hope  reflected within it. She wonders if it mirrors the hope in her heart too. 

So she says yes, and catches his smile in her hands. 

They hold a small wedding at the Miya family shrine with their respective families as quickly as they can before the swell of her belly is unable to be hidden by the folds of her shiro-muku, the traditional white of her kimono a stark contrast against the black and gold of Atsumu’s montsuki. Her face is hidden under the weight of her headdress and her hands tremble as she clasps her kaiken, a blade her father forged himself, and her mother’s bamboo fan to her belt. She does not breathe until she and Atsumu take their third sip of sake from the nuptial cup. 

Osamu is obviously appointed as the best man, and after the ceremony is over, he slaps Atsumu on the back before pressing a careful kiss to her cheek. ‘You’ve downgraded from being my accountant to my sister’, he tells her, and she has to hide her teary laugh behind her hands. But her heart is full and she throws her arms around his neck until Atsumu clears his throat playfully and she pulls away to greet her family. 

‘Take care of her’, her father says, the threat in his and her brothers’ eyes amplified by their wedding gift to her of their sharpest knives. Atsumu meets their gaze evenly and laughs, unfazed. 

‘I will’, he says, and he kisses her with his promise still on his lips. 

[robertnelson2-blog]

Best tarot reader

Tarot as spiritual practice is fascinating and has remained important all the way from ancient eras. It is a set of 78 cards, where each card has its own card significance and meaning that is used for the process of divination, or understanding of one’s self and personal development. The Tarot deck is divided into two main parts: There are two categories of tarot cards which are the major arcana and the small arcana. The Major Arcana is describing the major events, major aspects or signatures, key; major aspects, the best and most valuable lesson in life; The Minor Arcana is describing all day to day activities, all the tests, all trials and tribulations in life. Best tarot reader

Tarot History The theory that links the evolution of Tarot to the antiquity is possibly as old as the cards themselves while historians have estimated the cards to have begun in the entire 15th century. It is believed that the oldest sets of the Tarot cards originated from Italy and their purpose was actually more associated with trivial entertainments. But the depressive paper use changed its purpose with the time as people realized that Tarot cards are more than just cards, they contain the threads of symbolism and knowledge.

How Tarot Connects With The Universe

Tarot is described as an energy that enables the people to be in touch with the cosmic power and the forces that govern the world. Thus, the 78 cards in a Tarot are believed to reflect virtually all that life may entail, and gives the reader, as it were, an opportunity to journey into the soul and strive for understanding one’s path. Every card also has its power and meaning, its ability to open a bridge to the world unseen and help see ourselves and the world in greater truths. This way using the ancient knowledge of Tarot and Universal archetypes people are being nourished by the divine essence, the collective self, the cycle of the universe and being thus endowed with guidance and tools in facing life’s circumstances and opportunities. Expert tarot readings

The Major Arcana: Taming Of The Life Cycle Crossroads

The 22 cards forming the Major Arcana are the significant events of an individual’s life, an archetype, or a lesson associated with the life phases. These are the ‘jokers’ of the cards; these cards bear the powerful and possibly the change in the entire batch of cards in the Tarot set. The most representative of the Major Arcana and some of its most famous cards are the Fool, the Magician, the High Priestess, the Empress, the Emperor, the Hierophant , Wheel of Fortune and others. These, of course, are just some of the general meanings that are associated with these cards; each of these has a lot of representation in the anthropological as well as the psychological aspects and when the meanings are represented to the reader as well as to the querent, then the essence of life becomes more clear to all.

The Minor Arcana: Understanding The Journey Further

The Minor Arcana is minor in terms of rank but the deck contains 56 cards which are grouped to four categories namely Wands, Cups, Swords and the Pentacles. These suits symbolize fire, water, air, and earth; and the forty cards in each suit illustrate most of the facets of human life, as well as the feeling realm. The Minor Arcana cards are considered as the smaller or minor cards compared to the Major Arcana, as well as the skill or the work aspect of the Tarot, encompassing real-life activities and events that happen to us.

[nomadicauthor287]

Babysitter AU

Boil and Waxer ask Omega and Wrecker to watch the Rising Star daycare at the Republic Shopping Center for the afternoon. Hunter finds out about it and drags the rest of the batch to go help the two.

Schedule

0900-0920- Arrival- Period 1-

0920-0950- Morning circle- Period 2- Hunter and Omega go over the schedule of the day/warm-up for fun activities- Police School

0950-1030- Morning activity- Period 3- Math and English with Tech and Echo

1030-1050- Stretch/Gym time- Period 4- Lead a stretching exercise with the children

1040-1150- Park time- Playtime at the children's play area on the fourth floor- Wrecker doing the rocket ship for the kids-(basically tossing him in the air)

1150-1250- Lunchtime-Hunter

1300-1420- Naptime

1420-1430- Afternoon circle

Lunch options

Hunter

He basically turns into Arnold Schwarzeneggar in Kindergarten Cop

Does the whistle technique to tame the kids

He has Baby Koji strapped to his chest on the baby carrier

Leads the exercises

Makes Omega change the diapers after playing hot potato with the others

Has to take care of Baby Koji at the daycare

Thanks to Omega the girls ambush him

Then tie him up

They put makeup on him and dress him up in a dress

The girls dress him up as a princess

https://youtu.be/JZpcNgEIWZQ

Echo

Puppet show

The kids aren't scared of him

They bombard him with questions

Kids like to cling to his legs while he walks

They ask him to hack stuff around the mall

Then ask him to make the vending machines give them free snacks

Can you talk to droids?

The kids think he can make cotton candy with his scomp link

Plays dress up with the kiddos

They dress him up as the Tinman from Wizard of Oz

He does the whole Tinman dance for them

Tech

He makes the others wear aprons

He makes Crosshair wear the cutest apron which just so happens to be Boil's

The kids crowd him when they find out about he can fix things with electronics and stuff

The kids make him dress up like Spongebob going jellyfishing

They make him dress up in the shorts, glasses, white shirt and tie with the loafers

Gives them an engineering lesson

Does storytime for the kids

Does all of the voices

Helps Omega make the cute bento boxes for the kids

He gives the kids little toys he makes

At the end of the day, he puts on Big Hero 6

Makes it his personal project to either make a hologram or an actual robot of Baymax for the kids

He’s the translator for Koji

The only one who can understand Koji

Wrecker

He shows up to the Daycare in a snowman onesie

He panics when a kid starts to cry so he tosses the kids up into the air and catches them

He calls it the rocket ship

The kids like to climb him

He relates to them the most because he acts like a child too

The kids swarm him when he first comes in because he visits the daycare sometimes

He is a character cosplayer for events

So when he shows up in a Wreck it Ralph costume for the kids

After Hunter is ambushed by the girls custody of the baby goes to Wrecker

This happens because everyone else is busy with the kids

So Wrecker and Baby Koji just chill in the shallow ball pit

For nap time Wrecker makes sure all the mats are laid out before Tech does storytime

Wrecker has Baby Koji sleep on his chest

Doesn't want to let her go

"Some people are worth melting for" he coos at Koji

Crosshair

He is stiff around kids

He "glares" at kids

Kids try to do 2 things

Climb him

run away from him

Until Toby sees him

For some reason, he feels comfortable for him

Throughout the day Toby slowly got closer to him

Until lunchtime

Toby sat next to Crosshair

He wasn't eating much so Crosshair decided to feed him himself

Toby climbed into his lap

So Crosshair fed him while Toby was drifting off

Toby clung to Crosshair like a koala

When Crosshair brought Toby to wash his hands he started crying because he didn't like being away from Crosshair

"This is my life now," he says to Hunter

After naptime, the other kids ask Toby to get Crosshair to wear a Hello Kitty onesie

Crosshair can't say no so he wears it throughout the day

Now for the rest of the day, Toby stuck to Crosshair

After that day he visits Toby at playtime

https://youtu.be/0nwjAFgyHv4

Omega

She keeps a headcount on the kids

Sticks with Hunter most of the time because of the Baby

Has to change the diapers because the others are too chicken

Takes pictures with Tech

In charge of the crafts for the kids

Helps the girls ambush Hunter

For lunch, she helps Tech makes the cute designs

The kids dress her up as Doc McStuffins

She helps fix all the toys at the daycare

Tob'balaw "Toby"

Twi'lek

shy

loner

chubby

3 y/o child

still uses a pacifier

carries his blankie everywhere

always stuck to Boil

Now he sticks with Crosshair

Calls Crosshair Dad in Ryl

Koji

Baby zabrak

about 9 months old

Still has nubs

peach

Likes to bite things

Doesn't have teeth

Ring leader in kiddie fight club

Fights the adults a lot

Granddaughter of Viscus, the Elder and main teacher of the Nightbrothers Dojo

@itsjml @agentmarymargaretskitz @soundwavetherav @kratosfan6632466 @eyecandyeoz @echoy-naak @dreamy-day-daze @zaffrefox