#or pestering Rex

[quins-makeshift-menagerie]

Hows aue doing in the oc blank room?

Probably off enjoying some weird alien froot or somethin

[the-bi-space-ace]

I’m in a Mood™️ so here’s what our favorite clones are like when they want attention:

Echo:

It depends on who he wants attention from tbh. With Fives, Tech, or Crosshair? He’s such a little shit. Has the patience of a tooka that’s grumpy he’s not getting enough pets. Is rather forward about wanting attention, though, which is shocking for him considering he’d rather bleed out than ask for help. Attention is different though. With everyone else he can play up his charms. He’s persuasive and will use his powers of “sweetness” to get what he wants.

Crosshair:

Did I hear someone say cause problems? Yeah. He’s gonna cause problems. He’ll be super grumpy but never say a damn word about what he wants. Best believe he’ll be a little shit on purpose in order to get attention: positive or negative. Any attention is good attention. Also acts like an impatient pets-starved tooka but he’ll bite to get his way instead of head butting. He teases, pokes or prods, makes a fuss out of embarrassing things his squad has done. All to get them to retaliate so he gets what he wants. Little shit.

Tech:

Straight forward man. He’s not shy about asking for attention and he will be honest about it. No grumping although sometimes he’ll get tetchy before he recognizes what it is he wants. He simply interrupts when he wants something. Echo is on his comm and Tech comes up to him, says nothing, takes the comm, turns it off, then starts rambling.

Wrecker:

He’s gonna play. I’m talking roughhousing, pillow fights, tickling, anything for some physical affection. When he’s gone a real long time without any attention he gets sad. Maybe even pouts. Not as sulky as Crosshair can get but he sure does play the kicked mastiff well with those big eyes of his.

Hunter:

Man can’t even ask for a cup of caf let alone affection. Gets cranky and ends up taking a nap instead of just, idk, asking for a damn hug. Has to be bullied into accepting it like it’s the worst thing ever. Dramatic behavior. Almost as bad as Crosshair for fucks sake. Echo nearly tackled him one day bc he kept moping and it was driving Echo up a wall. When the two of them both want attention at the same time just let Echo at him. He’ll wear him down, he’s good at that. No one can resist tooka eyes from Echo.

Rex:

Rex will always suggest an activity he knows the other person likes. It’s his sneaky way to ask to spend time together because he’s sure they won’t say no. He doesn’t like that cafe but Fives does so he’ll suggest it for lunch for some one on one time.

Cody:

Refuses to admit to needing anything he’s big and tough no need to give him anything. He will start to isolate if he’s feeling too itchy for attention. It makes him feel weird that he needs Something. Ridiculous man. Pulls away when he wants to be closer. It’s easier for him with Rex, Echo, or Fives because he’ll just show up and tell them they’re doing something with him and they follow. Anyone else? Can’t do it. Won’t do it. Will show off sometimes to impress his general for some positive feedback.

Fives:

He’s up front about it! But he’s gonna use pestering to get his way! Echo won’t even get a day without Fives trying to bother him for some attention. He gets under Rex or Cody’s skin to get a reaction. They know he’s doing it on purpose and they humor him anyway.

[nahoney22]

How about how the bad batch boys (female reader) react to you giving them unexpected HUG? 🫂 because we all need a hug in our lives 😊 as fluffy as you can make it please! Congratulations on 4000 followers 😊

Unexpected First Hug

The Bad Batch X F!Reader

warnings: Mostly fluff, maybe a mention or two of reader feeling down/homesick. First hug with the Bad Batch. Some mutual pining if you squint. Female reader but can probably be read as GN too. Crosshair reunited with brothers. Not proofread.

authors note: thank you for the request! Enjoy some hugs 🫂

Echo 🤍

You missed him.

Actually, you found yourself missing him. deeply. But Echo's decision to go with Rex and Senator Chuchi had filled you with pride. However, as days turned into weeks, the void left by his absence grew more noticeable.

When you said your goodbyes, something felt incomplete. Perhaps words left unsaid or a simple handshake would have sufficed. But in the solitude of your bunk, thoughts of him kept creeping into your mind, and you couldn't help but picture him right beside you.

Then came the day when Echo surprised everyone by announcing his return to Pabu. Excitement surged through your stomach, eager to hear his tales and, most of all, to just be close to him again.

What neither of you expected, judging by the surprise on Echo's face, was when, as soon as he hopped off the gangplank, you raced over, outpacing even Omega and Hunter, and embraced him.

Your arms encircled his shoulders, your chest flushed against his, and Echo stammered your name in astonishment at the unexpected impact.

“H-Hello,” he appeared flustered by the emotion, and yet, the hug, something you'd never shared before, just felt so right.

“Hi, sorry I just,” you pulled away yet your arms lingered around his shoulders, “really missed you.”

You see his eyes widen ever so slightly and a shy smile etched on his face. “Oh, well, I missed you too.” He says softly, hands ever so gently placing onto your hips. “A lot.”

Hunter 🤍

“Hey, come with me.”

Hunter's voice pulled you from your thoughts as you observed Omega playing outside. You turned to face him on the gangplank, watching as he disappears inside.

You followed him back into the ship, a curious brow raised, inquiring about his intentions.

As you walked, you asked, "What do you want?" But Hunter remained tight-lipped until he stopped and faced you, arms folded. "What do you think?"

You stood before him, perplexed. "What do I think about what?"

"Your new helmet," he replied with a mischievous smirk, moving aside to reveal - of course - a brand new helmet.

For weeks, you'd been pestering Hunter for some equipment, just to enhance your safety and readiness on missions. His responses had usually been along the lines of 'maybe one day' or 'not right now,' which was understandable, given the constant struggle for credits.

Your excitement couldn't be contained as you exclaimed, "No way!" You eagerly picked up the helmet, admiring its design and paint job.

Hunter asked, "So, will that do?"

Instead of a simple "yes," you showed your gratitude by wrapping your arms around Hunter's waist, drawing him into an embrace.

Hunter felt his skin warm at the unexpected contact, and he awkwardly patted your back, his mind racing with thoughts of doing more, but uncertainty held him back. "I'll take that as a yes then," he chuckled softly, instantly missing the warmth of your touch as you pulled away.

In his own thoughts, he berated himself, thinking, "Idiot!" for not giving you a proper hug in return but seeing you ecstatic with your new gear was enough to satisfy him.

Wrecker 🤍

"Hey, are you comin'—what's wrong?"

Wrecker's voice broke through your thoughts at a vulnerable moment. You were overwhelmed with homesickness, and as you sought solace, Wrecker happened to discover you wiping away tears from your cheeks.

You put on a brave face, replying with a soft laugh, "Oh, nothing, don't worry. Just homesick." You felt grateful as he quietly took a seat beside you.

"Yeah, bet it's not easy being away from home when you're with us lot!" Wrecker said with a sheepish grin, but your smile didn't quite reach your eyes. Sensing your distress, Wrecker gently wrapped his arms around your shoulders, and despite your efforts to contain your emotions, tears began to flow.

Your lips quivered, and tears streamed down your cheeks. You turned into Wrecker, wrapped your arms around his neck, and pulled yourself close to him.

The contact initially stunned him, and he wore a shocked expression, but as he felt your tears on his neck and saw you burying your face, he sighed softly and embraced you just as wholeheartedly. His large hands gently rubbed your back, offering you the comfort you desperately needed.

Tech 🤍

"I believe I have something of yours," Tech announced as he walked into the cockpit, instantly piquing your curiosity. You couldn't quite recall giving him anything of yours, so you shot him a confused look. In response, he raised your datapad and playfully wiggled it in the air. "You should be careful where you leave things, especially during missions."

Your stomach plummeted, and your jaw dropped. You felt foolish for being so careless. Hunter had always stressed the importance of keeping your gear with you. The potential consequences of someone finding your device and tracking the others' locations weighed heavily on your mind. In a hushed tone, you asked, "Does Hunter know?" To your relief, Tech shook his head.

"I thought I'd do you the decency of giving you a warning. If it were Hunter who had discovered your oversight, the consequences would have been far more severe." Tech's reminder left you both relieved and also sincerely grateful for his discretion.

You stood up quickly, taking the device from Tech's grasp, and expressed your gratitude, saying, "Honestly, Tech, thank you. You didn't have to do that."

Tech remained nonchalant, replying, "I'm aware." But then, you took a step towards him. He watched you curiously, not used to being so close to you and especially as you gently wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled yourself into a hug, chin resting just in his shoulder.

He nearly dropped his own datapad at the unexpected physical contact, feeling his heart thump in his chest at the unfamiliar sensation. Tech had never been hugged before, and having someone he was growing fond of embrace him was certainly intriguing.

"Thanks again," you whisper softly in his ear before pulling away, leaving him in a state of surprise and curiosity.

Crosshair 🤍

You had been sitting there for a while, twiddling your thumbs and contemplating how to express your immense appreciation for Crosshair after the day's mission. He had saved you from a dangerous situation, and thanks to him, you were still alive and kicking. However, Crosshair was known for his intense and stoic demeanor, and you hadn't seen much gratitude directed his way since reuniting with his brothers and Omega. But, you wanted to change that. It was about time.

As you watched him at his makeshift shooting range, knocking down old canisters and bottles, you slowly made your way beside him.

"Don't say anything," he stated without even looking at you as you approached, causing you to pause with your words caught in your throat. You had anticipated this reaction from him, but you still felt the need to express your feelings.

"But—"

"Don't," he interrupted, lowering his rifle and glancing over his shoulder at you, his steely eyes piercing through you. "It was... nothing," he grumbled before turning his gaze away.

To him, maybe.

Disheartened, you turned to walk away, but an impulse tugged at you. You turned back to him and boldly wrapped your arms around him, pressing your cheek against his back.

Crosshair took a deep breath and stumbled slightly in his spot. But he didn't push you away. In fact, for a brief moment, he lowered his head and allowed the embrace. He hadn't felt this level of comfort in a long time. His rifle fell to the ground, and for a moment, he considered resting his hand on your arms, to touch you in return, but he resisted, not wanting to reveal his vulnerability at that moment.

"Alright, get off," he finally said after just a few seconds.

As you let go, he looked back at you however and there was just a faint hint of a smile. "You're welcome."

Masterlist

Tags: @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @theroguesully @ladykatakuri @jambolska-grozdova @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 @rain-on-kamino @either-madness-or-brilliance @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet @dangraccoon @plushymiku-blog @chrissywakingup @kixs-husband @pb-jellybeans @nunanuggets @sleepycreativewriter @erellenora @zippingstars87 @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @tinyreadersmur @seriowan @kaminocasey @marvel-starwars-nerd @ladytano420 @ladyzirkonia @raevulsix @imalovernotahater @whore4rex @imperialclaw801 @temple-elder @mysticalgalaxysalad @photogirl894 @id-rather-be-a-druid @the-bad-batch-baroness 🧡🧡

[yourcousin-vinny]

if we go with the idea that kallus grew up as a latchkey kid in the lower levels of coruscant and had to scrounge and make do until he got into the academy, you bet your ass he loved the military school routine. the routine was exhilarating. making lists and plans and being able to complete them? reliable daily schedules and meals? reliable rewards and consequences? addicting. he didn't have that kind of stability or time horizon growing up, so when he gets a routine he revels in it. he can plan for a future now.

of course, under the empire that means he (and everyone around him) subsumes himself to the routines and wills of the imperial machine. but at least he knows what to expect, even when it's terrible, even when it goes against what he fundamentally believes. and once he knows what to expect, he knows how he can subvert it as fulcrum. (imperial regularity is good for many things, including monitoring guard shift changes and tracking an admiral's meal times.)

as fulcrum though, that time horizon shrinks again. he doesn't expect to live beyond it, so what routine remains is a talisman he clings to. maybe that's how thrawn finally catches him: his irregular actions to throw people off his trail became too regular.

in the rebellion, newly defected, the freedom from such strict routines is overwhelming. some defectors go the ice-cream-for-breakfast route (or, like sabine, a clearly visible break from the empire's enforced conformity), but others don't know what to do with themselves. kallus throws himself into what he knows and what he misses: the work routine. input, output. task, complete.

the rebellion has a routine too, but in the way live theatre has a routine. there isn't always a closing bell; sometimes you hurry up and wait for six hours and then aren't off your feet for the next twelve. there are tasks and protocols, but you gotta be ready to adapt at any moment to what reality throws at you. (the empire rarely-if-ever had to adapt to what the rest of the galaxy threw at it because it was the rest of the galaxy.) there's a level of chaos that kallus is capable of handling, but that chaos is every day now. meals happen when he can get them, same with sleep, because the work routine he tries to set keeps getting broken. he never had to set a work-life balance before because it was either all life (all survival) or all work (and the empire tells you when to eat and sleep). the routines were always set for him.

so yes, kallus is infinitely glad he defected and yes, he is infinitely grateful to the ghost for taking him in, but little gods, how does anything get done?!

I think the first personal boundaries kallus sets that are his alone, not dictated by a higher institution, are about when the spectres are allowed to bother him (see: pester him to drink water and drag him to the tapcafe for a break) and when they need to leave him to his duty. it's nowhere near the routine that shaped him, and that's a good thing, but he does need some things to set his chrono by. he wakes at 0500; returns from a run by 0540; first cup of caf in yavin's pre-dawn light at 0610; draven enters intelligence at 0619. the rest of the day could be anything else, but these 4 are fairly consistent.

at some point he realizes that the time horizon he has now, in this life where very few things are guaranteed, is based less on when the mission is over or when the war is over and more on when he gets his next meal or sparring session with zeb or his next drink with rex or his next meeting with cassian. because all this work he does is for these people, and if they aren't in his future then it isn't worth it.

[theaxolotlkween]

Some Nanite Project headcanon doodles and their explanations, going from left to right:

I doubt that Rex would say this exact thing but the idea is that, being a fairly lonely kid and someone who was probably easily bored even back then, Rex would’ve pestered the people around him a lot, which you know. Fair. I hc him as being a lot like he is now, but obviously more childish. Because literal child. So very inquisitive, curious, trusting, and empathetic, but easily bored and reckless. I feel like he would play on his own (or accidentally injure himself climbing on industrial equipment which just seems like something he just. Did. It also makes him currently being an adrenaline junkie make more sense) until he got bored (or injured) and then pester all the scientists around him that would tolerate him for long periods of time.

Next up is that Van Kleiss and Violeta Salazar (Rex’s mom) had similar or complimentary roles on the Nanite Project and thus worked together a lot. Judging by how Van Kleiss talks about Violeta in Written in Sand, they probably had a similar dynamic to Rex and Van Kleiss in that episode, except with a lot less sand and threat of imminent demise. This would be really funny to me. Also pictured Rex just hanging out, because he seems like he would be a momma’s boy. He is acting out a very tense and dramatic romance between these two cars and they are finally about to kiss. I also feel like current Rex would love K-dramas.

I honestly don’t think Van Kleiss hated or disliked Rex when Rex was a young child. I feel like he would’ve found him amusing at best, annoying at worst, and sort of weirdly endearing, but never being outright mean to him. Based on the tolerance he has for Rex’s shenanigans in the show while he has almost none for anyone else, even his own allies, this had to have started somewhere. If Rex was a chronic botherer, then someone who doesn’t get easily or outwardly annoyed would be the perfect target. Van Kleiss also still is not explaining shit, his favourite activity.

Finally, Rex naming ZagRS. This is actually one that I’ve had since I was about 14-15 because there’s no reason given for her name to be what it is. Like it’s not an acronym like GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System), and it sounds kind of like Zagreus, an ancient Greek deity that I cannot find anything on except for who his parents might be and that he might have some connection to Dionysus. In canon, Caesar mentions that Rex speaking Spanish makes him laugh because he has trouble with pronunciation. This recently led to a whole-ass rabbit hole where I came up with the theory that Rex has just always had trouble pronouncing words because of ADHD, which fed into my already existing headcanon of Rex having named ZagRS. Also I think that Caesar was another person Rex bothered a lot because Caesar has a tendency to be pretty chill. I kind of wonder if they had to keep Rex away from ZagRS because she was designed to destroy any nanites that got out of the holding tanks.

I honestly love making these theories and headcanons so if you want to see more or have questions just pop me an ask.

[kxizoku-ou]

CP9 Cat Headcanons

This is... a very silly post. XD After seeing a similar concept on Pixiv (images 10–12 in this log) and critiquing the breed choices it used, I wound up writing my own take on it.

These are written with actual cats in mind (not my usual Hybrid Au), and the breed choices are just for fun— as in, largely chosen based on looks/vibes, not anything too serious. I was definitely channeling that early 2000s "characters are cats for some reason now" mini-genre, so these are pure fluff/comedy, for once... >3>

. . .

Lucci

(Bengal)

Serial toy murderer. Violently destroys any and every toy you give him within a matter of hours, days at MOST. 

Some of the things he’s done to his toys probably qualify as war crimes tbh. Likes to drown the catnip mice in his water dish. Also enjoys tearing things into ragged chunks/”gutting” the stuffing. 

Sometimes you wake up to him on your chest with a present. 

(A chunk of mutilated cat toy. He drops it onto your face.)

The most athletic cat you’ll ever know. There is no surface in your house he can’t reach SOMEHOW. Also can and will learn how to open doors, drawers, etc, and will use this unfortunate skill to get into everything if he’s bored. 

Affectionate, but only on his terms. You don’t decide when you’re allowed to pet him; when the mood strikes, he’ll interrupt whatever you’re doing and forcefully put his body in your lap. 

You’re not allowed to move until he decides you’re done. :) 

Has a surprisingly cute kneading habit. He’ll go Baby Mode and make biscuits for hours. Sucks on certain blankets too.

Kaku

(Devon Rex)

ZOOMIES TO THE MAX.

Seemingly never sits still. Will run from one end of your house to the other at all hours of the day. At night, you’re regularly woken up by the distinct rapid thumping of galloping kitty paws.

Likes high places and unexpected perching spots. This includes your shoulder— and he can make the jump on his own! 

Playful, but not prone to destroying his toys. Prefers batting hard objects down a flight of stairs to tearing the plush ones open.

Too brave (and curious) for his own good. Lacks any sense of danger when it comes to investigating something that’s caught his interest. 

This includes slipping through the front door.

Not super cuddly, but likes being near you/keeping an eye on what you’re doing. 

Has a squeaky “old man” meow. WEH!

Jabra

(Egyptian Mau)

Wild, playful, curious, and so very destructive. If he’s not kept entertained, your property will suffer for it. 

Requires FREQUENT play and attention, but fortunately, he’s not too hard to please. Throwing a squishy ball for “fetch” can keep him occupied for hours. 

The asshole cat who will make direct eye contact with you before (very deliberately) knocking something off a shelf, then sit there smugly while you try to scold him. 

Very talkative! When he wants your attention, he YELLS, and seeing wildlife outside always brings out that excited, bloodthirsty chitter. 

Taking him to the vet is an ordeal, for everyone involved...

Doesn’t mind being pet and handled. Pesters you for affection regularly, but gets bitey when he’s had enough. :/ 

Highly territorial. Will not tolerate other cats/animals near him.

Kalifa

(Turkish Angora)

Truly the embodiment of the “disdainful gorgeous fancy cat” trope. 

Her fur is incredible, due largely in part to near-constant grooming. Do NOT interrupt her washing. 

She’ll wash your fingers too if she’s feeling affectionate. Mlem mlem mlemmmm...

Likes to be involved in what you’re doing. The kind of cat to walk across your keyboard or loaf-sit on top of stray paperwork, seemingly oblivious to how badly she’s getting in the way. 

At least your “adorable secretary” makes for good moral support!

Not overly playful, but she can be a DEADLY hunter when the mood strikes— fast, agile, and with amazing reflexes no matter what kind of toy you put in front of her. 

Weirdly fickle about when you’re allowed to touch her. Will glare, hiss, and swat at fingers if you test those boundaries.

Blueno

(Norwegian Forest Cat)

The most quiet, low-maintenance, independent cat imaginable. You nearly forget he exists, sometimes.

Not much of a meower, but has a deep, calming, rumbly purr. 

Content to curl up on a chair or in a corner and let you go about your day! He’ll alternate between napping and silently staring in your general direction; the eye contact is a sign of affection. <3

Won’t seek out attention on his own, but also won’t fight it if you pick him up and carry him around like a plushie. 

...he stays limp and docile no matter what you do to him, actually.

Needs regular brushing, or his fur starts to matt. It’s pretty much the only “extra attention” he’ll require, though, and he’s (fortunately) cooperative about it. 

Learned how to open doors at some point. You don’t know how he managed that.

Fukurou

(Persian)

R O U N D (and it’s not just fluff)

Despite being shaped like a furry bowling ball, he’s quite playful, and way more agile/fast-moving than you’d expect. 

...that energy is much less cute when his full weight lands on your abdomen in the middle of the night, however.

VERY affectionate. Will take any opportunity to lay his chin on your palm, headbutt your shoulder/wrists, put his paws on your chest so he can try to lovingly lick your face, etc— purring all the while! 

Chatty cat!! Chirps and squeaks at you non-stop; if you “respond” to him, it turns into a back-and-forth conversation with his mrrep-ing. 

Fond of high places, like bookshelves and tall dressers. 

It’s unclear how such a heavy cat manages to get up onto them, but he usually ends up yowling for help when he can’t get back down.

Kumadori

(British Longhair)

A huge, massively fluffy mini-lion of a cat, with that “polite little gentleman” face common in his breed. 

Sheds. Sheds SO MUCH. All of your clothes are covered in his fur, no matter how hard you try to keep him thoroughly brushed. 

You cannot escape the fluff. 

YOWLS. The loudest, most determined drama queen when he wants something. Acts like he’s dying if his food bowl is empty for more than half an hour, non-stop howling included. 

Extremely cuddly; wants as much attention from you as you’ll give, and will flop his entire body into your lap to get it. 

Fond of jingly toys! The louder and more annoying the bell, the better. 

If you ever have to give him medicine (be it a pill or liquid), he’s utterly betrayed. Gives you the huge, sad, miserable scared-kitty eyes for the rest of the evening, and won’t let you touch him. 

(He’s over it by morning, and back to purring in your arms. Baby.)

Spandam

(Siamese)

The ugliest purebred imaginable, and his personality isn’t better. <3

Health issues. Skin/coat problems, numerous food sensitivities, arthritis, frequent UTIs, and a crooked tail from a past injury.

King of separation anxiety. If he can’t find you, he’s HOWLING, then finding a corner to cower in until his protector is back.

Truly the embodiment of the phrase “scardey cat”. Terrified of everything from the vacuum to rustling plastic bags. Huddles under the couch, trembling pathetically, after every little scare. 

...it is kind of cute when he runs to you to “save” him, however. 

This clumsy dumbass WILL get himself hurt (in incredibly stupid ways) if you don’t keep an eye on him. Utterly oblivious to real danger.

His distressed yowling is awful, and the attention-demanding yells aren’t much better. The classic So So Whiney Baby Siamese! 

NEEDS to be the only cat in the household— he’s violently territorial, but guaranteed to end up the other cat’s punching bag once he’s pissed them off enough. 

[mielwriting]

HA!

Great prompt!

"Zhongli!"

Hu Tao's shouting echoed down the hallway. Zhongli was used to it by now, having long since learned to work with the Director's eccentricities.

"Zhongli, I have news! You're gonna wanna hear this~"

He sighed, "Yes, Director?"

She bounded around the corner, holding onto the doorframe to stop herself.

"It's about Venti!" "Ah, that bard who invited himself to your Lantern Rite dinner, of course. I hope he is not in need of our services?" She snickered, "No, but I bet he wishes he was! Apparently, the abyss order showed up in Mondstadt, spilled his secrets, and left!"

Zhongli stilled. He could not bring himself to respond. Hu Tao continued to droll on and on about the private details the Abyss Order had spilled to Mondstadt.

Hu Tao looked straight into his eyes.

"Who knew the Anemo Archon had such wild pastimes! I wonder if Rex Lapis has any dirty secrets as well, huh?"

Hu Tao stared at him.

He stared at her.

"Director, surely the Lord of Geo would have hidden any such... private affairs with contracts against saying anything salacious. Besides, there's no use in slandering a dead man."

He hopes.

Crack theory: Venti being the prodigal son is actually about him having past connections with the abyss that he's tried to walk away from. Irminsul erasure could get rid of any evidence more concrete/damning than the vague red flags we currently have.

This isn't even mutually exclusive with the Istaroth/winds version of the theory considering we know so little about her.

[hellfiresky]

Guest columnist: 1010

Rex pushed the boys feature Fox, since the printer was found in a forgotten backroom of the Republic Military Base on Coruscant (not technically Corries’ property, but still under their jurisdiction). Of course, Fox didn’t care - until Fives and Hardcase started showing up at his office every single day to pester him. Eventually, he caved, but only under one condition - they had to source premium caf beans that “don’t taste like osik”. He wanted handpicked beans from the farms of Endor, preferably with low acidity (bro has GERD don’t @ me) with jogan fruit note and chocolate aftertaste.

Fives and Hardcase went to the Underworld to buy smuggled caf beans (because the ones sold at Awrehon were expensive as kark). After successfully procuring a bag of beans that Fox deemed “acceptable,” he finally agreed to write a column: an extremely detailed ranking of every caf on the Republic Military Base, complete with tasting notes, alternatives, and, if we’re lucky, three tapcafe recommendations on Coruscant.

Aurebesh translation:

Upper centre: Guest columnist | Middle: FX (his head is the O) | Lower left: I smell a new CoruMatch pic -HC (In blue: He has no time -E, In black: You mean life? -5s) | Lower right: How come the printer worked normally this time? -5s (In blue: Well, he’s a 10/10 -J)

Jesse experimented with using only three colours (yellow, red, grey) for Fox’s illustration, and the result turned out cleaner and less grungy compared to Fives’ centrepiece - much to Fives’ annoyance. (It also helped that nobody dragged Fox’s piece to 79’s on Benduday night.)

Fox’s only comment was “I look slightly sunburnt in that colour palette,” - in which Jesse replied “Cope.”

——

Tagging @orangez3st because it’s Fox! No pressure ofc.

Also, Fox is a caf snob and film bro in my fic lol.

[stealthetrees]

I would first like to apologize for the short chapter 3 for my fic Incident Reports from the Coruscant Guard. I keep having ideas for much later chapters and feel the need to write them. Also I don’t know how to write action. Pester me about it and I will feel guilty for not writing and may finish it sooner.

Anyway here’s the chapter when the Corries got Fives. For context, just after the Guard faked Ashokas death (bc she was a wanted criminal anyway and now they can use her to con people) Fox decided to try and break into the evil looking building they sometimes see Palpatine go to bc he’s convinced it’s an evil fortress that could have valuable information about the war. He got electrocuted and yeeted out a 5 story window.

He squinted at the clone in the bed next to him. “Do I know you?”

He flinched at Fox’s raspy voice, and his hands fluttered nervously around the blankets as he avoided eye contact. “Uh, no I don’t think we’ve met.”

“You don’t look like one of mine,” said Fox, wondering what he could have missed while he was out. He tried to sit up but was met with sharp pain in his chest. The hiss of pain summoned a vindictive medic like magic.

“Electrocution and nearly broken ribs. As a medical professional I’d recommend not trying to break into an evil sith fortress again,” said Cherry smugly. Fox had always suspected his medics secretly fought over who got to deliver news like that to him.

Giving up, he flopped back down. “Did I miss anything big?”

“Some ARC figured out The Conspiracy but fumbled it so bad the long necks told the Jedi his ‘aggression inhibitor chip’ broke and they believed it,” Cherry rolled his eyes and used air quotes. “Dogma’s pretty psyched cause they knew each other before acquisitions, oh! And this is Tup, fresh out of a lab. Also one of Rex’s Idiots.”

Tup waved nervously. Fox tried to give an encouraging smile. “We’re glad to have you, Tup.”

The words only seemed to make him feel guilty, as he turned away again.

“His inhibitor chip went off and he killed a Jedi during a battle. It’s been removed and we did some brain scans just in case. No further anomalies have been found, but we’re keeping him for observation just in case. For your mental state if nothing else,” Cherry directed the last part at Tup. “No one here hates you for something out of your control.”

He looked back at Fox, “Thorn has your armor and Vixen is directing offworld operations. It’s been pretty calm so I wouldn’t feel bad about sedating you if you try to escape. Follow instructions and it’ll only be a day or two. Call if you need anything.”

Cherry swept out of the room before either of them could argue. Fox and Tup looked at each other with mutual understanding and contempt for medics.

The next few days had troopers coming in and out through the visiting hours. Dogma and some of the other Idiots came by several times in between missions to talk to Tup. The familiar faces went a long way to cheering him up. They dragged Fox into conversation as often as they could, possibly trying to acclimate Tup to the wildly different social structure that made up the Coruscant Guard.

The constant distractions helped time pass, despite being banned from caff and work. The medics seemed almost disappointed to clear Fox for light duties. Lucky came by to bring him his armor and laugh at how fast he got Tup to call him dad.

“I’ll be your security today, Havoc got drafted into a drug bust,” said Lucky cheerfully.

“And you don’t have anything better to do than follow around someone with a 50,000 credit bounty everyone is too afraid to touch?” Fox asked sarcastically.

“Nope!”

“Greeeaaaaaat.”

Fox got about two minutes of silence, which only got them onto a train before Lucky started yapping about Separatist droid factories and how the different production methods could best be crippled. He even shows Fox the spreadsheet he was working on.

Fox gave some suggestions and critiques as the train slowed to a stop at their station. The mass of bodies flowed out onto the platform and the two soldiers were swept along, detangling themselves to push out onto the street.

Lucky finally looked up from the data pad. “This isn’t the way to the Barracks,” he said, frowning.

“I need to make sure Palpatine doesn’t do anything rash after what happened with the ARC,” Fox explained. “And get some caff.”

“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t,” Lucky muttered. “Oh! I almost forgot! The date for Scipio was moved up to this Thursday, everything else is the same though.”

“That’s perfect timing,” Fox sighed in relief. “Once the system is lost and Palpatine takes control of the banks we wouldn’t need to be so careful with illegal transactions. Has Slicer changed his passwords recently?”

“He finally made a bot to do it every time his blood pressure gets too high,” Lucky laughed.

Fox burst out laughing as they rounded the corner and nearly ran face first into Captain Rex.

He was fully armored and tense but the sight of his little brother reassured Fox in a way he couldn’t explain. He knew logically he’d still be mad about Ashoka but that didn’t matter in the moment, Fox was just glad he was still alive.

Rex punched him in the face, knocking Fox off balance and he didn’t bother trying to find his footing.

“Yeah that’s fair,” Fox muttered, taking the time to enjoy the ground.

“Hi Captain,” said Lucky somewhere above him.

“Did you know about Fives?” Rex demanded.

Fox jumped up at that, “Fives? What happened to Fives?!?”

Lucky failed too many tests on Kamino and was going to be decommed but another battalion happened to be there and smuggled him out as a shiny. Fox took him in bc Coruscant is a better place for him than an active battlefield. The Guard adopted him as their baby brother and all contributed to finishing his training. They got him when he was almost 17 but Fox didn’t clear him for duty until he was 19 cause he’s protective like that. Bc everyone was so worried about Lucky, the kid got the most varied and in-depth training of any clone ever. He could thrive in any position, even a commander. He knows slicing, mechanics, field medicine, strategy, Quinlan Vos even helped teach him about undercover and investigation stuff. He all knows how to fight force users and carries a slug thrower.

I love Lucky dearly. He’s o happy and cheerful your first impression of him is a little kitten, until he gets into a fight and then he’s a honey badger on crack.

[scribble-dribble-writes]

Omg those protective Crosshair headcanons were 🫶🫶🫶 YES please do a part 2!! Maybe where he gets jealous because he spots his general talking to Anakin for a little TOO long. I totally see anakin catching onto it and teasing them about it tho 😭😭😭 How do you think he’d react if he also saw Regs flirting with her or making comments about her??

This was so good I had to add it to part 3 🥰

<<< Part 2 Part 4>>>

Crosshair Bodyguard Pt 3!

Crosshair felt more annoyed than usual, he would hear your laugh as you walked past him with a reg and his annoyance would turn into frustration. He was certain no joke was that funny enough to cause such a reaction or maybe his overthinking had finally made him delusional to believe he was better company.

But the sight of your happiness was worth the pain he felt, he couldn’t help but feel the way his eyes softened as they observed you from afar.

Sometimes he would use his free time to hideaway only to use his scope to see what you were up to. He was down bad with this feeling that never let him retain his peace, his whole being longed for you but this separation was for the best. For the both of you, so you can continue on to fulfill your duties while he rotted in this misery.

It was fine

It wasn’t

Did you miss him? Did you ever want him back? Was he the only one reeling so pathetically? All these questions pestering his head

Having Rex assigned to you came with benefits and nuisances. The benefit being Rex was more than what you could ask for and the nuisance being another General hovering around you making small talk. Why Anakin was so persistent you couldn’t understand.

Managing all this was thousands time more difficult when you knew Crosshair was around. The Regs would tease you and Anakin would put his arm over your shoulders or hold you close which made Crosshair miss his shot while training or be distracted that Hunter had chided him over it.

It only made you feel worser than what you felt. Maybe he hated the very sight of you. That he couldn’t stand you.

He hated they could be close to you. Hated the fact that he was barred from the one thing that he wanted. He still felt the way your slender fingers fit his palms effortlessly or the way your robe would at times drape over his knee as you walked past. This distance was ruining him.

That’s when he heard it, when the cackle of laughter died down, the sound of a blaster shot and you clutching the side of your arm.

“Watch it.”, Anakin chided a cadet whose blaster had gone off by accident but you felt your skin twinge with the sting of a burn.

Crosshair saw red, his feet carried him off before he could hold himself back. He had yanked the blaster from the younger soldier’s hands. “This isn’t a toy, kid.”, he seethed as he flipped the safety switch on. You had never heard him be this angry before.

“You.”, he turned to Anakin. “What General are you if you cannot protect those around you?”, Crosshair stood face to face with him as everyone grew silent. Your heart beating fast in your chest. A clone turning against a Jedi, this would be punishable.

“Anakin.”, you called for him to know if you could speak on Crosshair’s behalf but his focus would not turn away from your sniper as a sly smirk spread across his face when his eyes landed on you. As though, he had run a test and the results had turned favourable.

You observed your sharpshooter who stood with his gaze fixed on Anakin and the other regs as he opened and closed his fingers.

He had broken enough rules today, feeding into his desires to reach out and inspect the wound on your arm or touch you felt like the final deed he will need to commit to be banished from this place.

He could not have that happening to him. He cannot exist elsewhere on a different plant or universe if it didn’t have you in it.

But before he turned away he heard the Jedi instruct him. “Then I suggest you take her to the medic seeing how disturbed you are by her being hurt. It might ease your mind.”, Anakin chirped but you knew there was a hidden ploy to this.

With the entire crowd’s attention on you, there was no getting out of this, Crosshair froze the moment you took a step towards him and you were sure there were other wounds that were in need of healing

Part 4? @ladyanidala @crosshairscyarika @haybellewrites

[baratiddyappreciator]

Can you please do the baki boys for the first time meeting their S/Os child that is either from a past relationship or just adopted a while back. I really feel like Restu and Koshou will not really have a general idea of how to interact but they're really trying to get along ^v^

P.s the kid really like dinosaur to the point that they start calling the baki boys different dinosaur names 💕

Oh this wins for the cutest ask I've ever gotten!! Thank you!!! I'm operating off of the basis that they know the reader already has a kid and that this isn't just a "oh btw I have a child. Surprise!" type deal. Also I am SO SORRY that this took so long lmao.

Baki:

Awkward as hell. He knows you have a kid, and you'd been talking about introducing them for a while but he was so worried that this kid wouldn't like him and that you'd leave him because of it, but He apparently had literally nothing to worry about because he immediately got roped into playing with your kids toy dinosaurs in a dramatic re-creation of the moment the meteor hit, and they then proceeded to throw a temper-tantrum when it was time for him to leave. Safe to say, Baki stayed the night.

They bond very quickly, to the point where Baki just full on accepts "yes, this is fatherhood, I am prepared for fatherhood, this is my child as well." He isn't the step father, he's the father that stepped up. He's fiercely protective of your kid, and nobody, not even his father, is going to mess with them if he can help it.

Speaking of Yujiro, he throws a bit of a fit that Baki so quickly takes in another man's child because "The Bloodline Must Continue" but he gets over it pretty quick, seeing this one as more of a practice run for Baki for when it comes time for him to have his own kids, because surely this is just temporary... Right?

He introduces the kid to the other fighters in the arena. By the end of introductions, this kid has gained several uncles and a few grandpas. At that point, just accept that you're going to have a lot of people in your house spending time with your kid. Which, on the plus side: free babysitting, and you kid will literally be the safest person in Japan. Possibly the whole world if they can win over Yujiro enough to be seen as respected, but too pathetic to even think of fighting.

If they do wind up pestering you for another sibling, they're going to have to wait. Baki's got no problem with making them an older sibling, but he's barely an adult himself. That can wait until he's got some stuff sorted out on his end and you've both had the chance to have a long talk about your future together.

Learning about your kids love of dinosaurs is something that benefits Baki because he also loves dinosaurs and he can take the chance to flex that he's eaten t-rex meat before. If your child is given the opportunity to watch Baki fight, they'd probably nickname him after some form of dromaeosaur, likely velociraptor because he may be small but he's damn deadly given the chance. Bonus points if they have trouble pronouncing it, like kids often do, so it just sounds garbled in that cute way.

Hanayama:

It takes a while for him to agree to meet your kid. Not because he's scared, but because he's not nearly patient enough to be near kids for extended periods of time. If your kid is rowdy and loud, there is a very high chance that Hanayama will simply ignore them given the chance, but a more mellow child wins him over pretty quickly. Especially if they're happy to just sit there and chill out for a while, though his boys don't mind roughhousing with them if they need to get some energy out. Hanayama is an intimidating man, and likely even more so in the eyes of a child, but if they can be brave and trust you then they gain a staunch protector.

It's a slowly established bond, but once it's in place it's unbreakable. Even if you and Hanayama wind up splitting, he's going to be in that kid's life. He's at every event, big or small. Even if he gets dragged into a fight, he's normally ale to finish it up quickly enough to still make it on time as long as they don't mind him looking a bit rough and not picking them up as eagerly because he's probably at least a little bit sore. This kid now has not only a super tough father-figure, but a large system of uncles and cousins too!

Said uncles and cousins are also incredibly devoted, you will walk into your own home and find them just chilling with your child like "Oh tell uncle Kizaki how your day was! Any trouble?" Just know that if they're ever bullied... Well, simply put, no they won't, because that gets very swiftly shut down by the bullies parents. Nobody wants to deal with the yakuza, this group especially considering how scary Hanayama can be when those he cares about are put in harms way.

He's reluctant to bring the kid around other fighters purely for the reason that he's not there as much as the others. He knows that he can keep them safe, but it's a matter of protecting both you and your child from any unfavorable individuals that might show up to challenge the other fighters, though they definitely get to know Baki because of how close he and Hanayama are.

Your kid can pester you as much as they want for another sibling, Hanayama's waiting for a few more years before he even considers having a kid, especially because they'd take up the mantle of the family after he's gone. While he definitely doesn't mind having a kid, he's nowhere near ready right now. In the meantime, they can play with the kids of the gang members have have them.

Your kid likes dinosaurs? Cool. He doesn't have any real strong opinions on dinosaurs. Granted, the first time your kid looked him dead in the eyes and told him that he reminded them of an ankylosaurus, he did feel a bit weak in the knees because nobody has ever basically outright told him that he's a tanky hard-hitter quite like that. He's happy to be their ankylosaurus, he loves the kid and that's pretty final. Besides, it's not like anyone's going to say anything to him about it.

Chiharu:

It also takes him a while to meet your child, but not because he doesn't want to or is nervous (he is nervous, but he won't tell you that), he's just a genuinely busy guy. He's got some stuff to get done, making sure that not only is he safe, but that you and your child are safe too. He does have enemies in his line of "work" that wouldn't be above using some pretty deplorable methods to get their point across. When he does finally meet your kid though, he's shockingly calm, eager to meet them and happy to be there! They want to play? Hell yeah, he'll get on the ground and playing with them within the first five minutes, and they are inseparable. He doesn't want to leave, he winds up sleeping on your couch, passed out watching a movie with your child. Land Before Time, specifically, because he has TASTE!

Bond established within five minutes. Really, all that needed to be said was "Hi! I like dinosaurs!" and Chiharu was won over. He bonds with kids so easily it's almost scary, but it's because he's got an incredibly sense of whimsy and can easily see things the way that kids do. You may see a messy pile of leaves, but Chiharu sees a potential castle. He's perfectly happy to take your child under his wing. He's honestly more of a cool older brother than a father figure, but he's got his moments of paternal wisdom, such as telling them not to lick batteries or stick a fork in the electrical outlets. Really, common sense things, but sometimes kids just need to be told not to do dangerous stuff.

Much like with Hanayama's guys, his guys don't mind spending time with your kid. That's their bosses adopted little one, and they're going to treat them like family regardless. That is their little buddy now, and nobody is gonna get between them and their little buddy. They'll always have a ride to and from school, they'll always have someone able to bring them snacks or lunch, and they have an entire army of bodyguards at their beck and call.

No hesitation, just "THIS IS MY MINI ME!! LOOK UPON THEM AND WEEP BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER BE HALF AS COOL AS US!" And you know what? He's right. The two of them are cool, and your kid has become his mini-me. When they're old enough, if they wanted a tattoo, Chiharu would 100% take them to get one where he got his. It's good quality, and his partner in crime deserves only the best of the best! The other fighters will probably get attached too, because being around Chiharu is bound to increase the confidence of any child.

Your kid wants a little sibling? Well, shit, better start building that crib because he won't hesitate to give them exactly that. He'll take your opinion into consideration. If he could spontaneously pop out a kid himself, he would. Rest assured, him being unable to do this is a good thing, otherwise you'd both have about 10 toddlers to take care of on top of your own child. If you're persuasive enough though, you can convince him to just wait a little bit. Unless, of course, you are also spontaneous, in which case, congratulations, another child is on their way! Be it adopted or biological, this one will absolutely just wind up being another Chiharu 2.0, though if that's a good thing is up to you.

He'd probably get called Pterodactyl or something along those lines because of his back tattoo, but also: He's bird-like in his tendencies. He wears the nickname with pride though, and he doesn't need an explanation. Any nickname given to him by your little one is going to stick no matter what, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Hell, he'll even do his best to come up with a good one for your kid in return, his dino knowledge is, admittedly, very limited.

Katsumi:

Perfectly at ease, an absolute natural when it comes to stuff like this, despite never potentially being a father himself. Literally almost everyone loves him, so he's not too worried about your kid taking a liking to him as well, but that doesn't mean he won't try to win them over first. Bribes are brought and provided (with your permission, of course). Even if they like him right away, he's very quickly cemented as a favorite in their books because of all the cool stuff that he brought! He's not above getting on the ground and playing around with them too. Leaving them alone together is dangerous however, because you'll come back and Katsumi has taught your kid how to punch through a wooden board, and your coffee table is now less structurally sound than it was the last time you were in the room.

There's a very strong bond, but it takes a while to actually set in. Katsumi isn't worried about it being an instant thing, he knows that these things take time, probably better than anyone else, and he's definitely not going to push. That being said, he thinks he's doing worse than he really is. They don't talk to him about something because they got distracted and he immediately jumps to "oh god, they hate me, I need to call my dad for help because I can't have my beloved's kid hate me!" Even if it's your younger sibling being protective because that's just how kids can be sometimes. He immediately goes running to Doppo for help, only to basically be told to calm down.

Yeah, this child absolutely will be absorbed into Katsumi's friend group. They're going to grow up calling Katou and Suedo their uncles, and they're absolutely going to be able to keep up with their quips and jabs. Congrats, you're now raising a witty karate nerd and their three mentors. Of course, Doppo and Natsue are there to help if need-be, so you at least have reliable baby-sitters that are always willing to take the little one so you and Katsumi can go on a date or even if you just need a minute, even if it's just to sit down and not do anything for a hot minute.

This is his star pupil. Adults that have trained under him for months? Years? Nothing in comparison to the bond between Katsumi and his new partner in crime. And they do commit crimes. Innocent crimes, to be fair, but still crimes. One will distract you while the other steals food and snacks for the both of them. If they get caught, then they're making a break for it and you'll never catch up to them until they come back later with puppy eyes wanting more food, and you won't even be able to stay mad, because they just look so innocent and adorable (they aren't, they have committed crimes and will commit them again), so surely a little treat before supper couldn't hurt!

A sibling? They want a sibling? A niece or nephew?? His body is ready, he'll get pregnant if he has to. He doesn't care if it's impossible, his little baby will get whatever they want from him and they know it too. He's the worst at saying no, and eventually his partner in crime learns this. You're going to have to help Katsumi when it comes to letting the little ball of energy down easy. That being said, him actually telling them no will take a few years, though it's going to take a while for him to actually get the hang of it without feeling guilty.

Katsumi will most likely get called Stegosaurus, especially if he ever demonstrates his skills anywhere in front of this small, impressionable child. Is it to brag? Probably. Is it to show how cool karate is so they agree to take lessons? Mayhaps. Does he get upset about this? No, absolutely not, and the second this small human learns that Katsumi once fought a caveman, it's all over, they're gonna be asking a billion questions and Katsumi will barely be able to keep up. They'll convert him to the dark side (liking dinosaurs) in no time, just watch.

Jack:

He's so quiet. Just in general, yes, but beyond saying hi, he's not doing much initially, just sorta relaxing. There's no reason for him to get worked up, the kid's not going to be able to do anything to him, and he doubts that you'd ever leave him just because he was being himself around someone. As for the reaction to meeting Jack, there's most likely going to be either "WOAH! That guy's HUGE!!" and "Woah. That guy's huge." though after the first few minutes they'll likely realize that Jack is pretty chill. They'll most likely wind up sitting together and watching a movie, and because it's Jack he's going to want to sleep over so he can get his cuddles in before he has to go back to working out.

Any bond with Jack comes with the assurance that he's not going anywhere unless you either act like a jerk or unless you ask him to leave, and that's the same case for this child. All it takes is him being there during a few nightmares or rough days for them to realize that Jack is, simply put, there for them. He's going to be just as protective of them as he is of you as well, you're both a part of his family now and nobody is going to bother either of you on his watch. Once they get more comfortable with each-other, they'll likely rough-house a bit. Jack controls his strength well, and the kid doesn't have to worry about hurting him, so be prepared to just occasionally watch them get tossed onto the couch by Jack, only to run over begging for it to be done again.

Yujiro might give Jack a hard time about not having kids of his own and taking care of someone else's child, but Jack honest to god doesn't care. Yujiro can keep yapping at him, he's perfectly happy doing what he's doing, which is most likely enjoying a really nice outing with you, your kid as well as Baki and Kozue, he's not about to let his old man ruin that. One of the few times Jack might actually crack back at Yujiro, because while this isn't his kid, at least he's parenting. Will that start a fight? There's a decent chance Yujiro might be insulted enough, but it's the truth and deep down he knows it, so he can't really say anything.

Jack doesn't really care if he introduces them (and you) to the other fighters or not. These are good people who wouldn't hurt either of you, and if they were then you wouldn't even know about them. The first person he introduces the both of you to is Tokugawa, he needs to get the old man's approval to bring you two around to the arena on occasion, though Baki isn't long after for an introduction. He'll want all of the important people in his life to know about the both of you in case anything happens to him so you'll both be safe and taken care of. It's a morbid thought and he'd likely never say it out loud, but he likes to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

They want a sibling? They want him to give them a sibling? Well, he's conflicted about that one. On one hand, the idea of having a kid with you is fun, and he certainly doesn't mind trying even if it's not physically possible, but on the other hand: he really doesn't know if he can have kids. Not just because of the steroid abuse, but because of all the mental hang-ups he has about being an unwanted child. Would it be wrong of him to bring a life into this world? Would he be a good parent? What if they're sick, or his father does something to them because they're not strong enough? He's got all sorts of fears and concerns, but given time he'll come to you about them so you can both talk about it.

It takes a hot minute to figure out what dinosaur to nickname Jack, but eventually, given a lot of thought (and maybe a Jurassic World binge) they settle on Giganotosaurus. Because like Jack, this dinosaur is big and has a horrific bite, both powerful and fast, even if they aren't the strongest, much like Jack. Though Jack doesn't really know how to feel about being nicknamed after a dinosaur in particular, he does appreciate their knowledge and the effort they put into finding the right one to call him, even if he's not really one for nicknames. If they try hard enough, they can even get Baki on board with it. Jack will suffer the entire time, but he doesn't actually mind.

Kosho:

Awkward as all hell. He doesn't mind kids, he's just not good with them. Like, at all. He doesn't know what to do to entertain them, he doesn't know how to bond with them, he doesn't even know what they like doing other than being weirdly sticky all the time. He doesn't understand how or why, but it's a thing that they do. That being said, this kid is absolutely infatuated with him. No explanation, no reasoning, they just decide instantly that they want to be near him very often, and you're going to have to literally pry them away from him. It's like when cats find the one person in the room that don't like them and proceed to stick to them like glue. Doe she understand? No. Is he trying? Desperately trying, yes. Is it getting him anywhere? Nah. Do they still love him? Absolutely, take joy in his misery while it lasts, because he will eventually get used to it.

Kosho is pretty damn loyal. He cares for his people, and he likes to show that in his own weird way. He's like a cat, where he doesn't want to be given affection unless he's the one to initiate. At some point in time, he'll just walk past the kid while they're doing regular things to just pat them on the top of the head and then promptly walk away like he didn't do anything. If they try to hug him or lean into him, he'll act like they've burnt him, but he's not against the affection, he's just not used to kids trying to get closer to him and show him that they love him.

They never have to suffer through long and dragging on doctors appointments ever again. Given a little bit of time, both of the brothers will get used to them and be absolutely in love. Kureha is 100% willing to offer up fake doctors notes if it means he can get out of dancing around the awkward conversation between him and some macho man that refuses to admit that he's got a bright pink vibe up his butt and can't get it out. Speaking of, this kid is about to be traumatized by both Kureha and Kosho telling them horrifying stories about messed up stuff, but they're going to have fun while it's happening so I guess it's a win?

Does Kosho want to introduce this kid to the other fighters? Oddly enough, yes. He wants to brag about his new little buddy and flex that he's got the new fun cool person to hang around with. There's no hesitation, no second thoughts, he just shows up one day like "HEY FUCKERS LOOK WHAT I FOUND!! THEY ARE STRANGE AND STICKY BUT I STILL LOVE THEM!" Only for your child to just be sitting there shitting bricks because oh my god look at the size of that guy- Hey is that a caveman?? They eventually just sorta accept that Kosho is just going to show up at some points in time, and he may or may not be accompanied by a small borderline feral child, and that they may or may not have to endure (happily so) their shenanigans (talking about dinosaurs and about how cool they think all the fighters are).

Sibling? Yeah, nah, sorry kiddo. He's not too interested in having his own kids, and he's a bit worried about having another kid only for them to wind up going through a "I HATE MY OLDER SIBLING!!" phase that he went through with Kureha, not realizing that he is the exception and not the norm. It'll take a long time for him to realize that as well, but seeing the two of you interact if you're siblings does help him slowly start to figure it out. He might warm up to the idea down the line, but he's initially very against the idea and will outright deny ever wanting kids. He might never change his mind, because one might just be enough for him.

They 100% call him therizinosaurus. He cuts stuff with his nails, the connection gets made almost immediately. Does he enjoy being called a dinosaur? Not really, no. Does he appreciate the effort that was put into finding the right one that suits him? Absolutely, so they can call him a therizinosaurus all they want, he won't stop them. He never really gets the point of it, but he does appreciate their knowledge and will actively encourage their interests with random cool dinosaur things that he happens to find, be it while he's out on some adventure training or if he's getting groceries. Eventually he starts learning about dinosaur stuff against his will and just accepts that this is his life now.

Kureha:

He's not awkward per se, but he isn't super fond of kids, especially not loud energetic ones. He might warm up to them eventually if they are more energetic, but only be assured it's because they matter so much to you. He'll never admit that he was nervous before meeting them though, there's no way he'll ever tell you that he feared a young child holding the potential to ruin his relationship simply because they didn't like him. He played really nice with them for the first few months, and then he started being himself a bit more. They either get along just fine or they constantly butt heads about some things, either way, it's a playfully bitchy relationship where they give each-other a hard time to show that they care about each-other.

They will never have to worry about long wait times to get checked out for anything. Runny nose? Kureha's got it. Sore knee? He's got that too. Kureha is fully willing to spoil the living daylights out of this kid and he makes that very clear. They want dinosaur stuff? They get an exclusive tour of the paleontology wing of a museum and they get to raid the gift-shop for souvenirs after. Not feeling well? They've got doctors notes on demand. Lord help whoever manages to upset them, because Shinogi can and will give them the worst health scare of their lives. You've got a cough? Well, we took a chest x-ray and we found some weird spots so we'd better check for something more serious!

Kureha hangs around Jack often enough that eventually you'll just wind up adopting him into the family as some sort of uncle. If the kid struggled with bullies before, then the second Jack goes to pick them up from school that is over. They now have the cool massive scary uncle and the cunty scary father figure who just so happens to be a doctor. They literally can't do anything because if Kureha complains to their parents it's all over for them, especially since he's so well respected in the medical field. Otherwise, a quick call to Jack for a quick favor can really get things moving in the right direction.

Would he bring them around the arena? Not likely. He'll introduce them to Tokugawa, his brother and Jack, but the others aren't likely to meet them unless they happen to run into you all in public or at the hospital when you're visiting Kureha. Them coming around the arena wouldn't be likely until they're much older, like in their late teens or early twenties simply because he doesn't want to have to patch them up because they gain an interest in fighting. ESPECIALLY if Pickle is around. Jack, Katsumi and Retsu weren't the hardest to patch up, but it's not something he wants to do for someone that he's supposed to help raise.

They can ask him for a sibling all they want, his answer isn't likely to change from a firm no. Now if you want a kid, that's a different answer entirely, and it's more of a conversation he's willing to have because you're both adults and that's the healthy thing to do, but a kid asking him to bring another kid into the world? That's an automatic no. He doesn't even really want kids of his own simply because of how his family is (thank you Iya for the lovely lovely Shinogi brothers HCs I love you pookie) but he's open to at least talking about it and thinking about it for longer than five seconds. That being said, if he does agree for whatever reason, then he's going to be an absolute bitch about it, even if he was the one to initiate obtaining said child.

He expects to be nicknamed after some glorious majestic dinosaur, and then the kid hits him with the Synosauropteryx and he just needs to sit down for a few minutes when he finally looks the lil guy up only to realize that the only reason they chose that one in particular was because he's got red hair. It's a devastating realization for him, but please wait to bring out the chihuahua comparison, because he'll go from devastated to murderous in about half a second and you will NOT be able to outrun him. Pointing out that he's then proving you right will simply make him even angrier, and you will 100% wind up duct-taped to the ceiling, your kid will help him.

Retsu:

This man is a MOTHER. He is a MOTHER! He knows how to handle kids and he does so very well! How and where did he learn how to do all of this? No idea! He didn't help raise other kids, as a matter of fact, he was pretty much an only child the entire time he was growing up, but he does remember how he was raised. Despite him being a mother, don't be overly shocked if you come home one day and he's taught them how to kick a hole in the wall (that was not intentional and he doesn't know how to make them stop please help he is scared) and then there are also the random skills that they also learn from him passively. There's no fear, they almost instantly both click with each-other, the vibes are immaculate, it's like finding peace for the first time.

Retsu is nothing if not loyal to his loved ones. They want something? They've got it, and if he can't get it for them, then he knows someone that can get it for them in almost no time at all. Having his connections, stuff like that is child's play. They want an archeologist at their birthday party to tell them about their most interesting dig? Why not go to the actual dig site and help out? He can get that organized, he promises, just give him a few weeks to get all the ducks in a row, and he'll make this the best damn birthday party they've ever seen. How is he going to top it next year? Don't know, but he will. You just gotta trust the process!

He might take them back to the temple he was born and raised in to go meet some of the other Chinese Kempo practitioners he grew up with, though he doesn't really want to take them to meet Kaiou Kaku and his family, simply because he'd rather not put them in the potential path to be judged and treated poorly, as the old man can be pretty prejudiced, though he doesn't really have much to worry about because Kaiou Kaku is a father, grandfather and great grandfather, so he's used to kids not sharing his interests and is actually decently chill about that. It's a large family that, upon learning that Retsu has taken in this child, will do anything to protect them.

He'd be torn between bringing them to the arena or just keeping them introduced to a few people that he's close to, like Tokugawa and the Orochi family, though he might eventually just bring them with him because they pester him enough. He's decently protective and might be weary of Jack and Baki getting close to them simply because of Yujiro being... Well, Yujiro, but eventually he does give in and they wind up rough-housing with one of the brothers or Katsumi while he does something else, like fighting so they don't have to see him whooping ass. Though he does wind up absolutely thrilled that the others would care for his adopted child this much and he'll tell you as much with a big emotional smile and a tear in his eyes. You'll have to comfort him a little, he's easily made emotional.

A SIBLING?!? MY WORD!! Why are they asking HIM this question?! (He's stunned and shocked and oh my word he is appalled and doesn't at all realize that this means they see him as a parent and obviously parents are the ones who have kids right?) He's not really sure how to react other than a flustered and desperate request for your help please god he doesn't know what he's doing please help him. Once he calms down and thinks for a second though, he gets it, really he does. He's open to the idea as long as you're both stable enough in your lives to bring another one into the family. He's going to be just as good of a parental figure to this one, he promises, and honestly, he's one of the few people you can trust when he says that.

He doesn't mind being nicknamed after a dinosaur, he's actually highly flattered because of it and is incredibly proud when he gets to witness their knowledge firsthand! All of those late nights staying up with them to figure out what the coolest dinosaurs are were definitely worth it, because the one time he asks what dinosaur they think he is he gets hit with "Oh! You're definitely a Tarbosaurs!" A ruthless and efficient predator, thought to be a dedicated parent? That sums him up perfectly! He's got no problem calling them his little tarbosaurus either, even going as far as to learn as much as he can so he can occasionally drop interesting facts onto your childs head and watch them light up in excitement and delight.

Doppo:

He's done this before, he's willing to do it again. Younger kids are a bit of a challenge because he adopted Katsumi at a bit older, but he doesn't mind, he adapts quick. That and he's got a bunch of eager students that either know someone or are someone that works with kids and can do whatever he needs them to when it comes to child care. If he's busy for whatever reason, he knows that either Katsumi or one of the hired babysitters have them covered, especially if it's a date night. Katsumi's a bit old to be expecting a new sibling, but that won't stop Doppo. Truth be told, he did enjoy fatherhood and having someone looking up to him with that child-like wonder and amazement, so the first time he meets them he wants to immediately hit them with a wow-factor. And the fun part is that it works! Enjoy peace and quiet for the next six hours, because Doppo's got this covered! Go take a nap or get your nails done, you'll find them tuckered out and ready for a nap of their own when you get back.

Devoted and loyal aren't nearly enough to describe Doppo. You need him on the PTA? He's there, and he's getting things done! His name carries weight, and he uses that to his full advantage if he needs to. He did it for Katsumi, and he knows for a fact that the teachers and parents still at that school remember how he ruled the PTA with an iron fist, though he was always hidden in the background. They want to go to a museum with dinosaurs? He's organizing a field trip for the entire grade, and of course he's there as a chaperone to supervise and get some quality dad time in, just like he did with Katsumi when he was at the age where he didn't realize that that's what Doppo was doing.

He definitely is not letting Yujiro get wind of this one. That's the last thing he needs. This child is peaceful, interested in things like dinosaurs and learning, The Ogre would eat them alive, and there's no way he would ever let that happen. Baki is safe, Jack is a maybe, but Yujiro? Definitely a no. Absolutely not. If he sees him while out in public he's distancing himself from you and the kid just to be sure that you don't look associated with him in the slightest. He's not playing games, you and your kid will be safe no matter what, and if it means having you be whisked away by someone he knows to go back home and wait out Yujiro being... Well, his awful self, then that's simply going to be a factor. He'll let you know about that upfront though, so you know what you're getting into.

Oh he does bring them around the arena when he knows Yujiro isn't in the country. He's reluctant around Jack, but Shibukawa, Retsu and Tokugawa? They all meet his new kid, and they all weep because oh my god, they're so cute, and so clever!!! Tokugawa hopes that they'll become a fighting prodigy, much like Katsumi, but it only takes him about a month to accept that they don't really have an interest in that. They will learn Karate, because of course, Doppo wants to bond with them in his own little way and make sure they know how to defend themselves, so eventually someone will say that dinosaurs are boring and Doppo will bring them home crying laughing because someone said dinosaurs were stupid and they karate chopped them in the leg because they're wrong dinosaurs are cool don't be a dummy. Bonus points if it's some big showy fighter was trying to act hard and cool that immediately shut down once he got slapped.

A sibling? They already have a sibling! Katsumi is right there! They want a younger one? Well hell, Doppo's already in his fifties! It's a bit late to think about having another one, but yet again, if you ask real nicely he might consider it. In all seriousness though, he doubts that they'll need another sibling, they, as well as Katsumi, are more than enough for him, but if you say you want to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, he doesn't mind helping you achieve that goal. ;)

Oh he doesn't mind getting nicknamed after a dinosaur! As a matter of fact, he's entirely pleased by it. Especially when they decide that the perfect nickname for him was triceratops. Big, strong and intimidating. If he was a more insecure man, he'd be worried that he was scaring his new kid, but no, he knows that they feel safe around him. They wouldn't give him a nickname if they didn't! He wears his nickname as a badge of honor, and proudly brags about being seen as strong by his children. Katsumi might give him a hard time about it, but he's just jealous that Doppo got a cool nickname first.

[baptaincarnacles]

CHKCGJSRUARAUTSJTJS I loved the wk x octonauts crossover you did! Could ee get what the villains think of the octpnauts?/nf

Oh, hi Anon! Thanks for the ask!

(I am glad you guys like these, I yap a lot)

I’d love to explain what I believe the dynamics between the Wild Kratts’ villains and Octonauts would be!

And like I did last time with the Kratts’ crew, here’s what animals I believe the villains would be:

Main Villains:

Zach Varmitech: Hyrax (solely because they are considered a symbol of Cowardice… and imagining him as a fat, furry little creature is kinda funny)

Donita Donata: A swan (swans are considered classy, and for some reason, I feel she’d be wearing a feather boa)

Gaston Gourmand: Okay… Snapping Turtle (big, grouchy, and always snappy… also, they eat about anything they can fit in their mouth)

Paisley Paver (before her redemption): Beaver (building, and… to be fair, beavers can build an environment but they have to wreck it a little first)

Villain Lackeys:

Dabio: Peacock (big, bright-colored, but not all that smart, and loud. He tries his best)

Rex: Wolf (let’s be honest, he acts like a big puppy. So, a wolf with a pack bond would make a lot of sense)

—

Alright!

Let’s start with them in the Octonauts’ universe first… solely because I already listed the animals they would be.

How’d they get there?

We all know Zach is nosey, snobby… and rich. So, he was likely snooping around the Tortuga the second his spyware detected no one was inside. He gets inside, walks into the HQ- and there, in the middle of the room- a trampoline-? Well, partially just that- but also an open portal.

Drats! Those Wild Rats must be traveling through time!

And what benefit can Zach get from time travel? He can create his own park of extinct animals- Jurassic Park type beat. He’s positive they must be exploring ancient periods- and ancient periods means extinct animals! If he can get his Zach Bots through to capture some of these animals… then he can get rich(er than he already is)!

Now… what time period could they possibly be exploring? Not that he knows any periods of time. Ice Age? The Cambrian Explosion itself? The Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous periods? So many options (from what he just looked up)!

Maybe they got caught up in the late Cretaceous and went extinct!

Could a human even survive the Earth at the time?

Okay, that concludes it, Zach will be bringing extra supplies, including oxygen!

But… why go alone with such risk?

So…. Zach calls an “emergency” meeting with the other villains (who are less than thrilled to see him).

Paisley is resentful. Why would she care? There is no benefit to her going back in time! The only benefit she’d get from this is paving an island so Zach can build the damn park or whatever.

Donita, on the other hand, is intrigued. Now, this was something she could get behind! A coat from a wooly mammoth? A pair of T-Rex leather boots. My, my! The options for such a period of time is insane! She could start a new fashion line- Quetzalcoatlus Fashion, real clothes from real dinosaurs, locally sourced from Ancient History!

And no false Advertisement…

Gourmand is all in. Tyrannosaurus-Steaks, Tricera-nuggets, Ankylo-stew! And that’s just the big three of the Cretaceous! Or perhaps it’ll be mammoth! Saber-tooth! All sorts of tasty snacks for a man like Gourmand- and he can sure as hell whip up a 5-Star chain of restaurants with such a thing! Ice Age Resort and Cafe! Triassic Foodlines. Best seller would be Coelophysis Ribs! Mm-mm!

So… Zach has got approval of 2 out of 3 of the villains.

Paisley eventually caves because Rex won’t quit pestering her.

So, the villains all meet up in the unguarded Tortuga- Gourmand wouldn’t pay a bit of attention, he’s snooping- and they gather around the portal. Zach has at least 10 of his Zach Bots with him- Donita has a few of her mannequins, and Paisley brought one of her machines for travel.

… The disappointment they’re getting ready to face.

Zach readies himself with an oxygen tank on hand- to which Gourmand calls him a sissy for it- and jumps through. He’s followed by Donita and Dabio- Gourmand- and last, Paisley… because Rex had to lift her through the portal.

Around the time they realize what happened, they’re face-down in the sand. Zach freaks out the moment he realizes he has paws instead of hands. Donita scoffs- which comes out as a honk- and she glances down, realizing she has wings and feathers. She’s not too mad about it. At least she’s a classy bird.

“Is this what those Kratts feel when they activate their power suits?” -Donita

“No! We’re fully animals and not just in a suit!” -Zach

Gourmand just raises up, unamused. Doesn’t look like he’s going to be making that 5-Star restaurant chain after all… but… he could always cook and eat talking animals.

Paisley is annoyed. A beaver? How inefficient. What is she supposed to do as a Beaver!?

And they are relieved to still be bipedal, no doubt (unless they were birds, who were already bipedal).

Though, it is a bit awkward. Their balance is completely off- Gourmand is weighed down by a heavy shell- and canine legs aren’t quite easy to balance on with just two legs. Rex is stumbling and falling- and highly considering just going on all-fours.

Let’s say they also landed on the same tropical island as the Kratts. They are surrounded by all sorts of creatures-! Crabs… mainly, but still! Plenty! And Gourmand is starting to think that crab legs would be… quite good. Delectable, even.

So, off he goes, gathering crabs from the beach- who readily complain as they are picked up.

Donita walks off from the group with Dabio, her mannequins following behind her to see if there’s anything fashionable on the island.

Zach is more than annoyed, debating just going back through the portal and calling it a day. Talking animals- what can he do with those!? Make them into a line of pets-… he… could make them into a line of pets! And off he goes, having his Zach bots gather as many as possible. Doesn’t matter the species, just grab them.

Paisley would end up just leaving with Rex… once Rex figured out how to get up and back through the portal.

So… how do they meet the Octonauts?

With Gourmand being a greedy bastard and grabbing a bunch of crabs, I feel a few of them would wander down beach in a frenzy, catching the Octonauts crew by surprise; they had just helped them, now this?

Barnacles would be the first to approach the situation, and glancing down beach… Why is there a snapping turtle?

So, of course, he turns to the Kratts and asks if that’s a friend.

No. Definitely not.

Barnacles is somewhat aggravated by this- a creature competent enough to understand why their actions are wrong still doing so anyway? If the ecosystem called for it, sure- he couldn’t stop it. But this was just ridiculous.

So, first impression with Gourmand isn’t the best.

Kwazzi- being himself- immediately jumps out and approaches Gourmand with a: “Drop the crabs, ye beastie!”

Gourmand… would probably snort, roll his eyes, and go about catching crabs.

Which ruins Kwazzi’s moment of grandeur.

Chris and Martin decide to handle Gourmand because… it’s Gourmand. He’s arguably the villain who’s the biggest pain in the ass solely because he doesn’t know when to give up.

But, given Barnacles, he walks over and manhandles Gourmand, pinning him to the ground. That would rile Gourmand right up; he’d be writhing, yelling, demanding to be let go- all while Chris and Martin are laughing at him.

Now, Gourmand is pissed at both the Kratt bros AND this stupid Polar Bear. Would probably mock that he’s eaten things better than Barnacles, the whole 9 yards of insult.

And I feel that’s where Zach would come back in- running back onto the beach, being swooped down on by a tropical bird. Kwazzi starts laughing and Barnacles growls.

“No offense, but next time you visit, can you ensure that the troublesome people can’t follow you through? Dealing with environmental issues alone is hard enough-“ -Barnacles

Chris and Martin would give that awkward smile they do when they get in trouble while profusely apologizing.

And now- how would they meet Donita? I feel like she somehow accidentally got ahold of Peso. And while she’s figuring out what Peso was doing there, he’s frantically calling Barnacles, freaking out.

And Barnacles being the way he is with his team in there as soon as he physically can be.

So now they have three inconveniences. Which, while being harsh, is the only way to describe them. Dabio would be four but… they don’t know he’s there yet.

Now, they had to get them *out* and make sure they don’t take any of the animals with them. Dabio and Donita, Donita who is specifically annoyed by her mannequins being destroyed, willingly go through the portal. She may be stubborn, but she’s not Zach stubborn. Gourmand is the second… because he feels humiliated. And Zach had to be thrown through by the Kratt bros.

Over all? The Octonauts crew couldn’t stand them. They were loud, annoying, and rude.

—

Side note: sorry this took so long!! We’ve been dealing with flooding and snowstorms and the stress had me everywhere lol!

—

Next part:

Previous part:

[knightprincess]

Magic Medic (Part 2 of 3) - The 104th

Words: 2k Note: This part includes the OC Iseult Devitt.

"Here we go again," commented Comet as he entered the Wolf Pack's barracks on Christophsis. The latest orders came through for all personnel, Clones, Civvi, and Jedi. Along with it came the regular confusion regarding the civvi medics. It was again revolving around their favorite, Iseult Devitt.

"What's up?" called Warthog from across the room. He was lounging across his bunk, his arms resting behind his head. Sinker and Boost attempted to paint something on the durasteel walls, although it was anyone's guess what it was meant to be. Perhaps it was a loth wolf or maybe a crystal fox.

"According to the latest orders, we get Iseult back," began Comet, interrupted by Boost celebrating the news that the sarcastic medic would be among their ranks again. Wolffe would be happy, at least when he wasn't protesting and attempting to argue with her. "But she's also supposed to stay with the 501st too."

"Wasn't she supposed to be on Commando tour for her last rotation?" asked Sinker, dropping the paintbrush and spray paint he'd previously held. "Maybe Wolffe knows. He seems to like stalking her as of late," he added, quickly fleeing behind a durasteel crate upon noticing Wolffe already in the room. He was quietly completing the overdue paperwork at the nearby desk.

"Wolffe doesn't know," replied the Commander, without lifting his head or taking the attention away from the reports and other paperwork he'd neglected for months. "She's as much a mystery to me as she is to everyone else."

"Didn't get far with the stalking, huh?" called Warthog, ignoring the glare Wolffe all but threw at him. "I dare say she's got under the skin of others too. How can she not with that devious charm," added the pilot, chuckling at the thought of others having to deal with the quick wit, sarcasm, and overall loud personality. Iseult was a flirt, a playful one, but a flirt nonetheless.

"Imma comm Jesse, see if he knows what's going on," Comet said, reaching for the communication device he had previously abandoned at the end of his bunk. Hope shimmered in his eyes. The boys of the 501st would know something or at least be able to help solve the seemingly endless mystery.

"Maybe Iseult's a clone like us?" Boost yelled excitedly, hoping he had found an answer to their bugging mystery. After all, they'd all witnessed the sarcastic medic seemingly teleporting, and the Jedi had, too, although they didn't seem overly bothered by it or, if they were, didn't show it.

"That brings up more questions than answers," spoke Wolffe as if to shut the absurd theory down before it took on a life of its own. "Who is she a clone of? Who cloned her? How many are there?" listed the commander, forcing the wolf pack to think over the logic before getting behind the Iseult clone idea.

"Kaminoans, they made all of us after all," replied Warthog as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy. "Wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. They've done work for others, too."

"If that were the case, we would have seen Iseult clones wondering Tipoca City as we did as cadets," grumbled Comet, anguished to be the one to shut down the clone theory. "How many Iseults are there anyway?" he asked; he knew there were at least two after the Rex date incident. One had stood either side of him, at least before Rex appeared from his detour, then one disappeared as if she'd not been there in the first place.

"I swear there is more than six," said Sinker confidently. "What, there is. We have our Iseult, the deviously flirt one here with us; the 501st have the angel; the Guard kept being tormented by the one they call the minx; Clone Force 99 have a sarcastic one of their own; the 212th has the nerdy one, and the naughty version has pestered Howzer," he listed as if to add evidence to Boost's earlier claim of clones.

"Don't forget the playful one that keeps winding Gregor up," added Wolffe, chuckling to himself upon remembering Fox's rant about the Iseult minx, how he swore the seemingly ordinary medic just come and went as she pleased. "327th, 41st, and 13th haven't been affected yet," continued the commander, curious if there was truth behind the claim of clones or if it was all an elaborate and well-thought-out prank of some kind.

"Hey, how come they get away scot-free?" questioned Boost, almost offended by the idea the three battalions, in particular, had seemingly escaped the chaos. "Scratch that they don't know what they're missing," he added, quickly changing his tune. The Iseult clones had brought endless mystery, curiosity, and distraction when they needed it most.

"Maybe she's some form of artificial intelligence," mumbled Warthog, hiding beneath his pillow the moment the idea he quickly determined as dumb passed his lips.

"Iseult … a droid?" began Comet, a grin painting on his lips to hear Wolffe bellow out with laughter. The idea was horrendous, but at least it brought their tormented Commander some amusement. "Honestly, that would explain why she crashed into the wall and seemed perplexed by rayshields."

"Doesn't explain why Howzer wasn't knocked senseless when she clobbered him, though," replied Wolffe, recalling witnessing the act. Howzer was drunk and slurring his words, believing he was complimenting Iseult; instead, he'd offended her. She'd quickly told him so by whacking him upside the head before walking away. "First and last time he insulted her."

"And we're only just hearing about it now?" replied Boost, sitting on the crates to the side of the masterpiece he and Sinker had been working on.

"Jesse said their angel has a different name," called Comet, puzzlement painting on his features. "Said there one is called (Y/N)," he added before determining the boys in blue were simply ribbing them again. No doubt, it was revenge for the howling prank some months before.

"Two medics with different names but the same identification number?" started Warthog, looking over to Wolffe as if to confirm that he, too, was baffled by the mistake. "Either there was a massive mistake, there are clones under the same number but different names, or we're missing something," he added, noting when Wolffe didn't seem all that bothered. He was amused, yes, but not bothered as much as one would have thought.

"I'm contacting Iseult," spoke Boost, reaching for his communications device with the hope the medic in question could solve their perplexing mystery. Maybe answer their questions about how she could be in so many places simultaneously.

"She's with the frat boys," growled Wolffe, as if remembering the other troopers who seemed just as attached to Iseult. Three of them never failed to flirt with her when the chance arose. The other always seemed to be in a playful banter war with her. "Set to return to Coruscant just after us unless they rerouted to Kamino or given another assignment," he added with a low grumble.

"At least we know she can be in two places at once," worded Warthog, "Comet said she was with the 501st, and we know from her she was assigned to the havoc lot," he added, managing to stifle his laughter at the thought of their Iseult causing just as much if not more chaos than the combined experimental unit.

"Iseult, my favorite sarcastic medic," began Boost when the attempt at making a holo call connected. Iseult's video feed appeared along with the boys of Clone Force 99, or at least two of them. Tech and Hunter. One twirled a vibroblade, and the other fiddled with a circuit board.

"Boost my favorite lunatic," replied Iseult, a smile on her lips. "Don't tell me one of you boys lost a limb. While I've been away," she added so casually that it was like complimenting someone.

"We were hoping you could help us with your mystery," called Warthog, moving to sit on the bunk below his own. At the same time, both Hunter and Tech appeared to pay a little more attention, as if the Iseult mystery had been a topic that haunted them, too.

"Iseult mystery?" enquired Tech, intrigued by the news of such mystery surrounding their medic.

"They think Iseult is a clone," grumbled Wolffe, his voice more brutal than intended. Despite that, Iseult's laughter came through loud and clear.

"Not heard that one before," admitted the civvi medic, a bright smile upon her lips. "A new favorite me thinks," she added.

"Did float the idea of you being a droid too, but none of our theories make sense," voiced Comet, witnessing as Warthog once again hid beneath the nearest pillow, still embarrassed by the idea. Even if Wolffe once again chuckled at the amusement.

"They're trying to work out how I can be in two places at once," spoke Iseult, cluing the pair of enhanced clones into the mystery and rather imaginative ideas they'd come to answer it. "And your answer is super simple, boys. I use magic."

"Iseult two said the same thing," Comet answered upon hearing the answer. "Jesse said Angel Iseult and Rex were up to something, too," he added as if trying to gauge if there was indeed more to the mystery than met the eye.

"There has been no documented case of civilians using magic to …" began Tech before Iseult wrapped a hand over his mouth, a sweet smile as she did so. At first, Tech seemed startled but didn't appear to protest further, instead glancing over to Hunter as if silently calling for aid.

"Angel Iseult and Rex are working on the final touches of a plan of mass pandemonium," sweetly replied Iseult. However, a mischief glint lit up her eyes, suggesting there was far more than met the eye, and the answer to their seemingly complex mystery was simple and something all thrust far missed.

"Remind me to remind Wolffe to interrogate her when we all get back to Coruscant," said Sinker when the call ended. This time, Wolffe looked around in confusion, not entirely understanding why he needed to interrogate their favorite medic.

"Forget that," started Warthog, suspecting Wolffe knew something they didn't. Perhaps he had other ideas he'd yet to share. After all, when the commander lost his eye, Iseult was the one to patch him back up again. "What do you know about Iseult?" asked the pilot, side-eyeing his commander as if to gauge the reaction he got. "And what she's up to?"

"What she's up to, not a clue," replied Wolffe, admitting his innocence when it come to the pandemonium planned, although he could make an educated guess on where it would take place. Either at the military base or 79, depending on her mood. "As for what I know about her, what's in her file, and a couple of her favorite things," he added as if attempting to hide the relationship that had bloomed between the two of them. She'd succeeded in getting him to ignore rules that prevented him from being like any other being in the galaxy, and she'd helped him find who he was outside of being a soldier.

"We're gonna be invited to the wedding, right?" asked Sinker, ignoring the heated glare expertly thrown his way, at least before the deer caught in headlights look painted on Wolffe's features. "Yeah, you're even less subtle than Iseult," he added with a wide grin.

"Cute though, our medic of magic tamed our commander," added Boost, as if he were a hopeless romantic waiting for his chance at love.

"You watch too many romance films and series on the holonet," replied Wolffe, returning his attention to the reports demanding to be done, at least before they become more of a burden and punishment than they already were.

"We miss her too," started Comet, knowing all the theories and playful banter that revolved around Iseult was their way of filling the gap she left behind when she was not with them. "Tell her that when you see her next," he added, receiving a small, subtle nod from Wolffe in confirmation of the task placed before him.

"Better yet, give her a kiss from us," called Warhog, darting from the bunk he'd been perched on, launching toward the refresher door in the hopes of getting there before Wolffe caught and strangled him.

Part 1 - Part 3 Knight Princess Masterlist

[66sharkteeth]

🧣For Claude ?

🐞 for Bell ?

(hey what the heck that isn't red at all)

Hm... Surprisingly enough, probably Jericho. Obviously not when he's at his worst, but when he's just being his more goofy, casual self, Claude feels really comfortable and at home, even if he's nagging and pestering him.

This is kind of hard bc Bell can't technically have "a perfect day" in her situation since she has to be in hiding. But within what she's capable of, I think just a quiet day, watching movies with Rex or something is the best she can hope for.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Hi Frosty! Congratulations on your 200 followers 🥳 Very well deserved!

I didn't have anything specific in mind, so I'm going to do my request a little differently (if you're not a fan of this, feel free to ignore). I'll give you three things. You can write whatever you want, but it must contain all three!

1. Fireflies

2. Peanut butter

3. A goodnight kiss

For clones, you can choose from Fives, Wolffe, Tup, or Thorn. It could be fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, suggestive or not. It's up to you! Oh, and with a female reader, please!

I can't wait to see what you come up with 💚

Much love!

@the-bad-batch-baroness

Holidays in Hyperspace [Tup x Fem!Reader]

Warnings and Information: Having been friends for quite some time, Tup has grown incredibly fond of you and your company, and has been wondering how to take things to the next step. A unique opportunity presents itself when the 501st helps Ahsoka put together a party to liven things up and celebrate one of the many galactic holidays while on a long journey through hyperspace; Tup chooses the night of the party to make his affections clear. Will he pull it off without his (well-meaning) brothers meddling with his plans? 2nd Person POV, undescribed Fem!Reader (save for a costume). Fluff fic. Friends to lovers. Some fixing of each other's clothes costumes. Mando’a. Very minimal Star Wars and real-world swearing. Fictional and in-universe holidays. Narrative and stylistic use of italics. This fic doubles as a submission for @pinahallowsevecloneparty (permission was given by the requester); prompt sentence(s) for that event are in orange. 

Word count: 6,593

It was an early Taungsday morning, the Resolute flagship deep in the thralls of hyperspace. 

Though you should be used to it at this point in the war, you would occasionally find yourself struggling with the extended hyperspace journeys. The longer they were, these trips were capable of warping one’s internal sense of time without local day-night cycles to take one’s cues from. The unaccustomed and inexperienced had a much harder time dealing with these drawn-out travel periods, often oversleeping or undersleeping. 

Those who had grown wiser in time advised that if you were finding it difficult to sleep, it was best to find something productive to do until you were sufficiently worn out. So, around 03:30, you shuffled yourself down to one of the unofficial social centers—disused meeting or war rooms that had been converted to more inviting spaces-—and wondered who you would find. 

More often than not, you could expect to brush elbows with your fellow crew members, as well as the boys of bravest blue, troopers of the 501st Legion of the GAR.

In your time among the Resolute’s crew, you created more than a few unexpected friendships with the Clone soldiers, all of which you cherish deeply. 

Captain Rex, longtime leader of the 501st and right hand man to both General Skywalker and Commander Tano, often kept his mind sharp by devising battle strategies and studying intel on the Separatists. You’ve provided company (and caf) while he puzzles out new methods and attack algorithms with the limited downtime he has a handful of times in the past. He’s always been appreciative of how attentive you are as he painstakingly explains tricky terminology or tactics. Admirable ARCs such as Fives and Jesse enjoyed an easy conversation while working to keep their gear in perfect working order. They liked having someone to trade little jokes, someone to playfully pester with all the questions they had on galactic pop culture. 

And once you had the approval of the legion’s oldest soldiers, the affections of Torrent Company’s youngest weren’t far behind. They made regular efforts to invite you to join them at the long tables within the commissary time and time again. Generously shared their space with you because they knew you were kind and nothing but respectful, and that you could tolerate most of their boredom-borne antics. (As well as counting on you to talk them out of the riskier ones.)

You haven’t had the chance to confirm it with anyone, but you’re beginning to suspect you're one of their favorite crew members, too. 

As you step into one of these converted social centers, you find General Skywalker’s padawan and most of Torrent Company inside, the room in total disarray. Alerted by the door’s hydraulics hissing open, several turn to see who it is and greet you in excitement. Crates full of colorful bits and bobs are piled in the middle of the room, and the tables have been pushed against the interior walls to give everyone space to work. 

“Hey, come join us!” someone calls in a lively voice from the back of the group. “We were just helping Commander Tano choose some decorations!”

Interest piqued, you join the cluster in the center of the room to see what all the fuss is about. Clutching a datapad, the young Togruta is scrolling down a long file, face set in an expression of deep concentration. Loosely circled around her, the Clones waiting patiently take the opportunity to trade a few more greetings with you once you’ve drawn closer, choosing to stand beside a trooper with his hair styled in a topknot. 

“Hey there, Tup.”

Tup’s word of welcome is slightly teasing, but all in good humor. 

“Well good morning. Couldn’t sleep, burc’ya?”

Friend. 

You’ve picked up enough Mando’a in your time to recognize the word, sleepless as you are. Out of Torrent’s youngest soldiers, you and Tup are probably the best acquainted. It’s probably been a good few months since you’ve gotten to know one another properly after a few unfortunate trips to the medbay around the same time. 

He had sprained his ankle during a field exercise on the planet the Resolute had been stationed over at the time, and needed to pay the health center a visit. Just to make sure the injury wasn’t something more serious than what a bit of bacta and rest could take care of. You, on the other hand, found yourself catching your cabin-mate’s stubborn fever, so you went to see if there was something you could get to lessen the amount of time you would find yourself out of commission. No such luck. 

His kind demeanor and even kinder smile made your ailment more bearable when it became more severe, for a time. Tup was sure to visit you every day until you made a full recovery. You’ve been close ever since. 

“Something like that…” you reply with a mild chuckle. “What are we choosing decorations for, exactly?”

“Commander Tano was telling us about different, minor galactic holidays just a moment ago.” 

Your interest piques again. You knew of big ones, like Boonta Eve, named such in the honor of Boonta Hestilic Shad’ruu, a Hutt who ascended to godhood in Hutt lore. And the Wookie holiday, Life Day, that’s spread in popularity in recent years. But much like sleep, the knowledge of any minor holidays eluded you. 

“Oh? Anything interesting?”

Dogma, listening nearby, offers an example. “There’s the Weequay holy season called the Month of Plenty. Honors a lunar god.” It apparently involves open skylights in temples dedicated to the deity Quay on Sriluur to aid with tracking the moon’s position.

Ahsoka, continuing to comb through the file, explains why she’s trying to plan for a small party when you ask what brought this up. “Around this time of year, when I was a youngling, Masters at the Jedi Temple would teach us about the different cultural holidays around the galaxy. To help us expand our minds and form compassion for other lifeforms. I… started feeling a little homesick for the Temple once I remembered.” There’s a few that have looked promising so far, but there’s simply not enough time to prepare for some of them. 

Jesse, playfully elbowing Fives next to him, pipes up next. “That’s when we suggested we could find a holiday to celebrate before our next mission! It could be fun for everyone.” There had to be something that didn’t take a lot of planning or effort. Glancing at the datapad, he suggests one he sees at random. “Like… What about the Day of Breath, Commander?”

Ahsoka studies the information on the holiday for a moment, then shrugs. “Day of Breath is for celebrating the day someone was born. I can’t think of anyone who we could celebrate in the next two days before we’re out of hyperspace…” 

Fives strokes his goatee in thought before nodding in your direction. “The day she was born wasn’t that long ago. Maybe we could do a belated celebration of her’s?” There’s a murmur of agreement around you, as well as apologies from those who hadn’t realized or forgotten. 

“Wait,” Hardcase calls over his brothers’ voices, “what about this one?” He singles out a holiday listed in the middle of the screen just before Ahsoka scrolled on, one that’s celebrated around this time of the standard year.

The Night of Guises and Gourds. 

“That’s an odd name.” Ahsoka remarks. Regardless of the strange name, she thinks the holiday holds promise.

It entailed colorful decorations, the creation and gifting of simple, sugary snacks, and costumes. There weren’t many strict or rigid traditions for celebrants to observe, either. Following the end of many galactic harvest seasons, this marked a time to honor the departed, and revere the creatures and concepts of lesser—and sometimes frightening—understandings. (The padawan laughed seeing the Force listed as one of the examples of poorly understood subjects by the document.) Reading deeper into what caught Hardcase’s eye about the costumes explained that these clever guises had drawn inspiration from galactic folklore and mythos long ago, and expanded to iconic figures from pop culture in more recent years. 

And, they could be homemade. 

“What do you think, Commander? Could probably find things laying around the ship, same as the decorations.”

Ahsoka nods in agreement with Hardcase, grinning. 

“I think I already know where to look.” 

“We can get a start on the decorations while you’re gone,” you offer, knowing it would take time to rifle through everything collected. It would be doing Ahsoka a huge favor as well. 

“You wouldn’t mind supervising?” Ahsoka double-checks, handing over the datapad. You’d need it to best judge what decor crammed in the boxes in the middle of the room will fit the theme of the party while Fives and Jesse volunteer to go search with her. 

You smile, certain. “No, not at all! There’s enough of us here to get a good start.” Like the majority of the GAR, Torrent Company was full of hard-working men who had a talent for making the most monotonous of tasks an enjoyable experience. 

The padawan nods appreciatively. “Thanks. Dogma, would you mind helping her?”

Dogma meets Tup’s eye, and a strange expression crosses his face. He was never known to question or turn down orders, so to the surprise of both you and Ahsoka, Dogma attempts to shift responsibility. “I’m afraid I… h-have a headache. I should go see Kix for it, Commander. Perhaps Tup can help her in my stead?” Feigning an ache in his right temple, Dogma momentarily cradles the side of his head in hopes of better selling the lie. 

Concerned, Ahsoka apologizes for not noticing earlier. “I’m sorry, I had no idea. Go get taken care of. Have Kix let me know if it gets any worse.” She waits once Dogma has quietly excused himself from the room, oblivious to the subtle glances the troopers cast in one another’s direction before turning her attention to your friend standing beside you. 

There’s something slightly odd about those smiles coming from them when Tup says he’d be happy to help however you need while you set up for the party, but you try to pay it little mind. Maybe it’s just some form of Clone humor. You’ve seen plenty of it since joining the crew, and you’re sure to see more while you spend the next few days preparing for the Guises and Gourds party. 

Word of the party spreads quicker than anticipated. 

Plans to decorate one social center turned into multiple, before quickly changing to taking over the main cafeteria after late-meal in order to accommodate everyone interested in attending. As the volunteer team grows, problems disappear almost as quickly as they show up. 

An hour ago there wasn’t enough bunting to decorate the main snack and drink tables. Now there’s enough to line the walls of the commissary in an unbroken loop. A majority of the decorating will have to take place the day of the party, leaving plenty of time that can be devoted to figuring out the fun foodstuffs and costumes. 

Torrent Company continues to do most of the legwork, the troopers trading their armor for aprons as they work to make enough sugar cookies to feed an army, and then some. They’ve gotten a good head start while you have been busy with your respective tasks around the flagship. By your estimation, they must’ve made fifty trays or more so far, leaving some plain while others were decorated with icing and sprinkles.

You plan to join them once you’ve spent a little time off your feet. So snacking on a sample cookie given to you by Hardcase, you’ve taken to thumbing through a list of last-minute costume ideas on your datapad, looking for inspiration for the few who haven’t found something to wear. 

“Mm. That’s a really good cookie.”

Someone from the back of the kitchen tells Hardcase that it’s probably Tup who deserves the credit for the batch of cookies he gave you a sample of. “He figured out how to make ‘em really soft before he and Fives started experimenting on another recipe together.” Hardcase then laughs, adding, “Neither of them will tell us what it is, or accept any offers to help.”

That doesn’t come as much of a surprise to you. Since Tup joined the ranks of the 501st, he’s adopted a few mannerisms and formed close friendships with many of his brothers, namely Dogma, Hardcase, Jesse, Fives and the captain. Out of all of them, and apart from you, Tup’s perhaps closest with Fives. 

“Ooh, I bet Jesse hates that.” you reply with a mirthful grin.

Jesse, among the oldest of the company, had a sense of humor that often meshed well with that of his younger brothers’, leading him to keep a closer eye on them in an inadvertent manner. 

Sure enough, as he slides another tray laden with cookies out of the industrial ovens before setting them aside to cool, Jesse calls to Fives and Tup as they continue to work with their backs to the rest of the kitchen. Whatever it is they’re working on, they’re doing a splendid job of keeping it secret. 

“Are you sure you don’t want more help, Tup?”

“No, no, we got it.” Tup insists, likely not for the first time. “Don’t you still need to find a costume?”

Jesse laughs sheepishly, grateful for the reminder. “Oh damn, nearly forgot.” He’d been busy helping Captain Rex with official matters while most of Torrent had the opportunity to pick out their costumes.

Feeling bad he had missed out on that fun, you came prepared and put together a list of potential costume suggestions you thought he might like with the help of his brothers. “I gotcha covered, Jesse.” You invite him to grab something to sit on and pull up a spot beside you, pulling up those notes from the planning session. 

“Got some ideas for me, mesh’la?” He takes the ideas everyone had brainstormed, grinning like a nexu. 

You warn him with a playful roll of your eyes. “I had a little help from your brothers. So if you don’t like any of them, don’t be hasty to blame me.” 

“What’re you dressing up as?”

Consulting the short list, there was a ‘headless horseman’ suggestion that had been wisely scribbled out; that sounded like he was just begging to be haunted by Jango’s pissed-off spirit. Better safe than sorry. 

“A siren. It took a tiny bit of convincing from Tup.” you say. 

It had been the strangest thing. You had only mentioned it off-handedly, just a passing sort of comment while looking through the costume material Ahsoka had gathered up, finding a large bolt of shimmery sequin fabric in your favorite color. Like, a really large bolt; enough to make an elaborate (but probably very itchy) dress or two. It helped that it had a vaguely scale-like look to it as you showed the others. 

“Heh. Someone could make a really handsome merman using some of this. Whaddya think, boys?”

Tup hadn’t found a costume yet and was seemingly eager to get the process over with, so he jumped on your suggestion. While doing so, he dug out a bolt in a complimentary color to the sequins and offered it out to you. 

“Sounds good to me. Oh look! Maybe you could take some of this silk and use it with the sequins to make yourself a siren, burc’ya! You’d look really great.”

You agreed after a short moment of thought, hearing how sincerely he meant it. Tup would never purposely steer you wrong. Now the two of you would have a similar costume theme for the Guises and Gourds party.

It was hard for Jesse to contain his smile next to you. “Tup as a merman. And you’re matching with him? Sounds like you’ll be having a lot of fun.” Turning back to the list, he looked over everyone one last time before making a selection. 

“If no one’s taken the king’s costume, I’ll use it.”

“Sounds good then; I’ll ask Ahsoka since she’s keeping track of everything.” Taking back the datapad, you send a short message to Ahsoka, who confirms the costume is still up for grabs just a few minutes later. “Say, any idea if the captain’s able to make it to the party, or does he still think he’s gonna be busy?”

“No idea,” Jesse replies glumly. “Didn’t have a chance to ask.”

“That’s okay.” you say, trying to remain optimistic. 

There’s still time to find out, and no shortage of tasks to do before the night of the party.

The day of the party, not long before late-meal, you and Tup agree to meet up to take care of any alterations needed before getting ready for the Night of Guises and Gourds. 

It’s not going as smoothly as you hoped. For whatever reason, Tup’s hands are shaking like an under-caffeinated Corrie while he helps you strengthen the stitching holding the slippery folds of silk together. More than once, while wearing the skirt fashioned in place of an awkward and constricting mono-fin, the needle he’s holding has grazed you while piercing through the elastic waistband. 

“Ow.”

“S-sorry,” Tup apologizes with a stammer, checking for blood where he poked you.  

By the mercy of the Force, he finds none. 

“Just a couple more stitches. Unless, you’d rather not risk my help?”

With an assuring nod, you tell him to go ahead and finish. “It’s okay Tup. Just feeling nervous about the party?”

“Maybe a little,” he confesses, concentrating harder on making these last stitches as painless as possible. 

Tup’s grateful you’re not Force-sensitive like Commander Tano or General Skywalker right about now. Otherwise you might be able to sense, even hear, how fast his pulse pounds in the shell of his ear. How his heart races, skipping a beat when you say his name. The flush of fire that builds in his face when he thinks of you in fondness and in friendship; it burns hotter day by day. How could he be so lucky to have you for a friend? What cosmic force did he have to thank for putting someone so wholly kind and sweet in his life? 

And was he going to be able to pull this off tonight? 

If he didn’t… When would he get another chance? Before he plucked up the nerve again, someone else could come along. Maybe another, less cautious brother. Or rather than risking romantisms with someone only born and bred to die, you’d play it safe and date a fellow crewmate. Maybe… maybe he had you all wrong and you weren’t the sort interested in dating. 

Other than honest, loyal companionship, what could he even bring to a relationship? 

Tup honestly wasn’t sure. But blast it, he wanted to try. 

Stitching finished without further incident, Tup puts the sewing supplies aside. “That should do it. Give ‘er a spin, let’s see how I did.” 

Humoring him, you start slowly, performing little half-spins. You want to make sure the thread survives a warm-up, first. The fabric sways like grass reeds in the wind, silk swinging against sequin. Building up to higher speeds, bigger movements, the layered skirt now ripples and snaps like wind-battered masts on seafaring ships of old. Slowing again, the movement becomes hypnotic, almost mesmerizing. 

As you are now, you look fit for the sea with the long, layered skirt and borrowed bodysuit to give your upper body a slightly more ‘streamlined’ feeling. Your hair has been styled, careful hair gel application giving you a slightly damp, tidal-swept appearance. With more of Tup’s help, you would complete the look and truly fit the part of a siren for your guise. A bit of makeup here and there and a few faux pearls should be enough. 

He’s grateful this part doesn’t require a steady hand worthy of a surgeon; daubing brushfuls of shimmering eyeshadows into the scale stencil you’ve made comes a lot easier than grasping a thin needle. Creating patches of these false scales around your eyes, your neck, and the back of your hands takes no time at all. Everything gets sealed with a setting spray and given time to dry. 

You’ll leave adding any pearls for last. Now helping Tup, you take the same portion of fishnet stocking you sacrificed for a stencil and start at the collarbone and shoulders. Knowing it’s going to tickle, Tup asks you to save applying makeup on his face for last. 

Working quickly, you move the brush and stencil down a portion of his arms, and he begins to regret the amount of glitter building on his skin. 

“There’s so much glitter,” Tup remarks with a soft grimace. “We’re gonna be finding this stuff for years after tonight.” 

You chuckle sympathetically and try to keep the lilt in your voice playful. “You decided to be a shirtless merman, remember? I can add less scales than we initially planned, but you should make your peace with it now, Tup.” He only shrugs, fiddling with an errant strand of thread from his sequin pants while you brush in the scales. With the completion of his upper arms, all that’s left to work on is his face. 

The brush, combined with a feather-light touch proves rather ticklish for your friend. 

“Hold still, silly,” you chide him after his head ducks to the side once more. “Hard to do this when you’re squirmy.” You’re prepared to cup his face if necessary, just to make sure the facial pattern doesn’t become misaligned or smudged. He'll need a do-over otherwise. Taking him gingerly by the jaw for the moment, you guide Tup’s head where you need him and try to pick up where you left off. 

“Please look at me…”

Tup complies with your request, eager to follow instruction. The pair of you so close together like this, his soulful eyes are practically amber in the ambient light, wholly focused on you. Each time you need to lean in a little closer, carefully brushing in scale after scale, Tup’s smile seems to brighten. 

Look at you? Be this close to you? He’d be all too happy to do so. 

Once you’re finished, taking extra care to protect the scales with the setting spray, you surprise him with one final addition for his costume. Knowing you’ll have extra, you string together a row of the pearl beads meant to be finishing touches to your own costume with some of the thread from earlier and carefully wrap it around the base of his topknot. This way, it looks like his dark, curly hair has been secured by a string of pearls. 

You take a second to find a pocket mirror so he can see the final product before the two of you set off to join his brothers for a hurried late-meal. He admires your work for a moment before telling you he loves it in a soft, awed voice and helps you gather your things. 

“Mirdala, - ! I never would have thought of that.” 

The two of you walk down to the commissary together and find they’re serving stew tonight—something that provokes an excited “Hell yeah, soup!” from the back of the hall—before you have a chance to discreetly confer with your datapad under the table and find the meaning of the words. 

You find one means 'clever', but unfortunately, you hadn’t been able to properly make out the second word at the time. 

But that wouldn’t matter soon enough.

In all your time aboard the Jedi cruiser as a longtime member of the crew, you can’t remember a time you’ve seen the main mess hall this lively. Tech-savvy Clones compiled a setlist and mood lighting for tonight to really complete the atmosphere, giving the space a playful vibe. 

You’ve had a chance to sample some of the snacks, along with probably one of the best glasses of punch you’ve enjoyed in a long time. 

And the costumes! You’re relieved there’s no costume contest put in place for this Guises and Gourds party because it really takes the pressure off of those who feel their entry is in some way conditional. Attendees can come just as they are, if that’s what they desire, or, if plans change. 

Letting down her lekku for the night, Ahsoka traded her typical attire for a comfortable poncho set, only keeping the headdress and beaded markings of a padawan learner. You, Tup and the rest of Torrent Company couldn’t remember a time you’d seen her so relaxed, other than when she was meditating. Well, maybe relaxed isn’t the word for it. Happy is probably more appropriate. Carefree. 

Ahsoka gets to put her responsibilities behind her and act more like others her age, just for tonight. She’s been bouncing between groups of soldiers since the start of the party, complimenting everyone on their costumes, enjoying the food and the music. 

Around the same time she’s made it over to you and “your” little portion of Torrent friends, the 501st’s medic cuts his way through the crowd, surprising everyone. 

“Kix! You made it!” 

He had been expected to oversee the medbay tonight, but more than likely he cashed in a few favors in order to make an appearance. “Thought I’d see what all the fuss was about. Sorry I missed…” Kix trailed off, gesturing to the decorations and a few of his brother’s costumes. “All this. But you guys look great! What’s everyone supposed to be?” Going around in a circle, everyone explains their costume, or lack thereof. 

Dogma decided on a vampire costume because of its simplicity, settling for a red cape to accent his Republic blacks, though he wasn’t a fan of the false fangs. He wore them only for pictures, since they made it hard to talk. Fives had tried to pull off a lycanthrope look, but the adhesive was dodgy and he ended up looking like a Wookie with a very unfortunate case of mange. He had to settle for borrowing a non-Clone’s medical coat to dress up as a “Sexy Doctor” reminiscent of those medical holodramas. A glorious-looking king for all of fifteen minutes, Jesse successfully demoted himself to a fancy prince after he convinced Captain Rex to take the crown offered to him. Hardcase had wandered off to go talk to the captain about something shortly after and hadn’t yet returned, but he opted not to go in costume due to decision fatigue. He would much rather eliminate any stressors that would take away from the fun of spending time with his brothers. 

Tup explained he was a merman when Kix questioned if he wasn’t cold being shirtless, proudly showing off the shimming patches of scales and the string of pearls nestled in his hair. He gestured to you next before his brother got the chance to ask, obviously excited.

“And she’s a siren; similar theme!” 

Kix nodded to show his approval. “Rather impressive you two. And what about you, Commander? What’s your costume?”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Oh, I don’t have a costume.” 

“Your poncho has a hood,” you point out, carefully raising the blueish white pocket of fabric over her head when she asks. “There! Now you can be a ghost.” 

She gives you a beaming smile, grateful for your help. “Thanks! And thanks so much for all the help you’ve put into the party. Means a lot.” 

Her smile is returned with one of your own. 

“Any time, Ahsoka.” 

Before setting off to mingle with the other attendees once more, she leaves you with a kind embrace and a reminder to enjoy the rest of the party. Everyone else, she playfully instructs to behave. 

Kix assures her that they will. “It’s not every day we get to celebrate a holiday in hyperspace. Right, Tup?” He gently nudges the end of his elbow into the brother beside him currently looking a little lost in thought. Surprised, Tup turns to look at the medic, unsure what was asked. 

“Hmm?”

“You okay, Tup? You seem distracted.”

Assuring his brother, Tup tries to wave Kix’s concerns away. “Yeah, yeah- I’m fine. Just remembered that I forgot something for the party in our bunkroom. Erm, more than one thing, actually…” 

Without a moment of hesitation, or even knowing what it is that he’s forgotten, you offer to go with him. Surprisingly, none of his other brothers offer to lend a helping hand. That’s not like them at all. Each one of them merely smiles and says “Alright, we’ll see you two later.” before Tup disposes of your empty punch glass and leads the two of you out of the crowded mess hall. The lengthy corridors of the venator feel so empty by comparison, quieter than you ever remember them being. 

Tup’s pace down to his bunkroom is hurried, which you chalk up to distance. While the bunkroom isn’t too far away from the party, you still have a bit of ground to cover together. You expect to return to the party before long, unless whatever it is Tup forgot ended up being something heavy, or unwieldy. 

“Are you sure we don’t need your brothers’ help?”

“I’m sure. They keep offering, but I don’t need the help of my vode for this.” Tup replies cryptically. 

You find his answer a little strange, but you’ll know what he means soon enough. 

Opening the bunkroom door, Tup seems surprised that there’s no light on inside when the hydraulics quickly whip the door back. They were on when he left to help you fix your costume, and none of his brothers told him they had turned off the light, either. Nothing too weird about that, they must’ve just forgotten to mention it, excited about the Night of Guises and Gourds party. 

He’ll just turn on the light and- nothing. Was there a problem with the panel? Depressing the usual buttons a few times has no results on the room, save for turning the dim ‘sleeping’ light overhead on and off instead of the primaries. 

Great. More problems for the maintenance crew to sort out. 

Shaking his head, Tup suggests you both just forget it for now and go figure out where the stuff ended up. What you came for had originally been left by the door, but it looked like someone forgot why it was there and put everything away. It was likely going to be by his bunk or along the back wall, both of which were further back from the door. 

Guiding you through the semi-darkness, he takes your hand to help you navigate the room. 

It’s tidier than you expected, the only ‘mess’ to be seen are a few open foot lockers stacked at the foot of each bunk. “Watch your step. Wouldn’t want you to trip over anything.” As you venture deeper, the radius of the dim sleeping light fails to adequately light the way around, meaning in no time at all you’d be stumbling blindly without your friend’s help. 

You tighten the stitching of your interlocked fingers, an anchor of safety. In return, Tup squeezes your hand reassuringly; a promise you’ll be okay while your eyes adjust to the dark.

Coming up to the back of the room, Tup tells you to wait off to the side, offering to find a decent light-source for you so you have an easier time helping him ‘find’ everything. 

But he won’t be finding anything; this is all part of his plan. Removing the mattresses from the frame of the bunk, he lays each on the floor in front of you, throwing down a couple of spare pillows for good measure. Inviting you to get comfortable, he collects the box of rations and a small holo-projector previously hidden under the lower mattress. 

Humming to life, the projector begins to play a pre-selected recording once Tup has set it on the floor. 

Slowly, tiny spots of blue light wink into existence and fill the air around you, lazily drifting on a far-away breeze. In the bottom of the projection, thin stalks of tall grass sway and ripple, wave-like. This must have been recorded in a forest clearing, or grasslands of some kind. In it is a ‘sparkle’ of fireflies, climbing and bumbling through the air in a fascinating spectacle. 

It becomes pretty apparent what he’s trying to do. In your lifetime, you’ve seen more than enough holo-dramas and read just as many romance novels to puzzle out where this is going. Tup, your very good friend, has put together a picnic in the middle of hyperspace to the best of his ability in order to ask you a very important kind of question. 

“Tup… Is this what I think it is?”

By way of answering, Tup takes the hinged lid of the ration box and swings it back to show you what’s inside. Nestled in a crumpled layer of parchment paper lay peanut butter cookies, still looking just as soft and gooey from when they were baked. It’s an offering to share, or maybe a gift to you. 

Moving closer, he puts the box between you, waiting with bated breath and a nervous smile after you take the first cookie and break off a mouthful to sample. “Oh, Maker,” you moan near-sinfully after the first bite. “These are even better than the other cookies.” It’s decadent; rich and buttery smooth all at once. A lot of care must have been put into getting the recipe down for you. These had to be what he and Fives were working on in the kitchen the other day. 

“You made these for me?”

Tup nods, finding his voice. “I did. I wanted to make tonight special. Well, m-more special than it already was.”  Throat bobbing, he swallows down his nervousness with a bite of his own hard work, chewing slowly to think of something more to say. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now… But I couldn’t find the right time to say it. Or the right thing to do.”

Half-eaten cookie in hand, he gestures to the holographic fireflies. “I wanted to take you stargazing. But we see stars all the time, especially in hyperspace. So Hardcase suggested fireflies instead. I-I dunno where he found the idea; I was running out of time.” 

“Well, even if he can be a tad… distractible, ‘Case is full of lots of good ideas. And fireflies are pretty.” you reply, breaking off another portion of your first cookie. “What were you running out of time for?”

In the dim light, he shrugs his shoulders, full lips set in a slight pout. “It doesn’t really matter, I guess. There was so much more I wanted to do and I only had a few days to do it.” The fact he did it at all was an accomplishment, too. It would probably be best to tell you that another time. 

Best not to spoil the moment when you move aside the repurposed cache full of cookies and slide closer to him, all with that sweet look on your face he grew so fond of. It didn’t matter that it had been half a year or less since getting to know you. Tup had grown so enamored with you for your kindness and a rare, genuine nature to you that he knew he’d be willing to risk making his heart vulnerable to you.

His brothers had his back. You practically had his heart; he just hoped to make it official. 

Trying to put himself at ease, Tup finds your hand and merely holds it for a time. Committing to memory as much as he can. The weight of your hand, the length of each digit. Where your hands are soft, or rough with the evidence of a storied life. How comforting it is to feel you squeeze his hand and rub your thumb over every scarred knuckle with the kind of tenderness he was never really afforded as a young cadet, or even as a tubie. 

He’s courageous, and competent, and capable of so many things… except finding the bravery in himself to utter three little words. 

“I… I want you to be more than just my friend. More than a vod’ika, too.” Tup tries explaining, using the Mando’a word that means more than just ‘sibling’, but also ‘dear friend’; both of which are always meant as endearing terms. He’s grateful you’re clever enough to read between the lines and know what his tongue cannot bring itself to tell. 

Utilizing your knowledge of the ungendered language, you search for the next closest words as you move to cradle the back of Tup’s head, smiling encouragingly. 

“What do you want me to be?” you ask. “Gar…?”

Voice soft, almost breathless, Tup answers your prompting. He sits forward. You do the same. 

“Mirdala cyar’ika.”  

Drawing him close, warm, silken lips take that first of shared gestures quickly—testing, even tempting deeper waters. Each of you face this depth, deciding to press on together. Warmth consumes the two of you as you each grow bolder, going forward with more confidence in swimming further out from safe harbors. Out of reach from the white caps of the cresting waves, together you take pause, seeming to recall where you are. 

For a moment, you felt almost adrift. Heads light, and the silk from your skirt pooling between you, slipping with every moment, had given you both the feeling that you were somewhere else. Somewhere lightyears beyond the Resolute racing through a hyperspace lane, bigger than this dim bunkroom and the middle of a projection of little, living stars swimming in an ocean made of oxygen. 

Basking in this euphoria, both of you first lean against the other, arms laced tight and catching your breath. Neither want to let go. Not when there’s a thousand unspoken I love you-s to perform, and a thousand more ways that are far more unique. 

“We can tell your brothers whenever you’re ready. This little bit of… ‘star gazing’ was a great idea… Thank you, ner cyare.”

Before the end of the night, it would not matter that he ended up missing the rest of the party with his brothers; Tup could now say with full confidence that his new favorite holiday was the Night of Guises and Gourds. 

Not when you could say the same thing. 

Thank you for making a fun request for this little event, Steph, and for allowing me to double-dip by fitting this into Pina's Monster/Halloween AU by making this a costume party. This ended up longer than I expected but it was so, so much fun to write; I hope you enjoyed! 🩷

Fic taglist: @dukeoftheblackstar @dystopicjumpsuit @msmeredithrose @lonely-day3636

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Here is Ahsoka for my medieval AU!

Lady Ahsoka Tano Koon, or Lil’ Soka for short, is the only daughter of the widowed Sir Plo Koon. Having a royal knight for a father, Ahsoka grew up around weapons and became fascinated with the art of combat. Being a maiden, she has been barred from being explicitly trained, but it doesn’t stop her from sneaking out to the barracks to observe the knights and soldiers train.

She has become good friends with a lot of the soldiers that guard the castle. Most notably being Rex Fett, her closest soldier friend. Aside from her father, Ahsoka looks up to knight Kenobi the most. She is envious of the almost effortless way that he fights and stays calm and centered, and has always pestered him to teach her how to fight. Sometimes Kenobi will give her a few pointers here and there, but no explicit training.

Her one dream is to be a knight herself!