#✨ industry things ✨ like this fascinate me

[kindahoping4forever]

Luke promising new solo music "soon" at iHeartRadio's ALTer EGO

[guxciestone]

✧ CELEBRITY BIRTH CHART ANALYSIS ✧

— amy winehouse.

next in the birth chart analysis series is one of my favorite music artists, amy winehouse 🥀👩🏻‍🦱 i’ve always been fascinated with her—her life, style, and music. she’s literally everything and she was truly a unique and beautiful woman. i would like to show my appreciation for her existence and legacy by analyzing her chart ✨🖤

note: i do not know any of the celebrities i do readings on personally, i just like to decipher things. not everything has to be accurate.

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✨👠 Amy Jade Winehouse was born on September 14, 1983 in Enfield, United Kingdom at 10:25pm. Amy Winehouse was a famous musician who gained popularity in 2003 from her debut album “Frank”, leading song being “Stronger Than Me”. Amy was most known for her unique soulful voice, amazing songwriting, and bass guitar skills. Winehouse was vicariously known for her sass, addictions, as well as her unhealthy relationship with her ex-husband Black Fielder-Civil. At some point, she was even considered one of the most disliked divas in the industry. Unfortunately, Amy passed away in 2011 just at 27 years old from an alcohol overdose. Her legacy lives on as she has inspired other popular artists such as Adele, Sam Smith, and Lana Del Rey. She is usually recognized by her iconic beehive hair, fabulous mole, and her eye-catching tattoos.

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she identified as:

࿐ a virgo sun, capricorn moon, & gemini rising.

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ㅤㅤ— her personality.❞

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Venus sextile Ascendant shows that Amy had a unique and striking look that stood out to others on the first impression and in the public eye; significant features such as her mole, beehive hairstyle, and thick eyeliner makes her easily distinguishable to her fans. Winehouse also had vintage tattoos such as a pocket named "Blake" and a tattoo on her arm dedicated to her grandma Cynthia. She had an incomparable beauty; not to mention, tons of models, artists, and celebrities are inspired by her fashion, iconic features, and music style to this today. Since her Ascendant is in Gemini, she definitely had a witty, playful and sarcastic personality; and her Venus in Leo added the sassiness to her character which she was partially known for. Plus, she was a fashion icon and served lots of looks.

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Moon conjunct Neptune can indicate that Amy had a sensitive and compassionate inner state. She was generous and understanding towards others. Additionally, she might have been very intuitive and easily interpret the energies in her surroundings. On the downside, this often makes someone who is selfless and tend to look out for other more often than themselves. Furthermore, she understood her emotions very well and she knew how to use mediums to express them. This aspect does call for someone who can easily be emotionally deceived or deluded. In this case, her conjunction is in the 7th house; she might have struggled with deception and emotional/mental confusion in her personal relationships. It could have been easy for her to fall victim to addictive relationships as was shown in her public relationship with her ex-husband Blake Civil-Fielder.

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Prominent Neptunes are more than likely to fall to substance abuse as well. This is also shown in Sun square Neptune. Amy might have also struggled with confusion in her self-esteem, ego, or identity. With Sun in the 5th house and Neptune in the 7th house, she might have been the type to indulge in romantic relationships to escape from herself. This is the type of placement that tries to find their identity through their connections with others (This is also shown in her Neptune opposition Ascendant) This placement is also common in people who goes into casual relationships often. This makes someone who is creative, imaginative, and has potential to create beautiful art and projects.

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Moon trine Mars could have made Amy someone who was an emotionally passionate lover. She must've loved expressing her adoration and admiration to her loved ones through her actions and efforts; and to her partners through sexual attraction. Additionally, she was a goal-oriented woman who must've saved a lot for herself in the future. I believe Amy talked about starting a clothing line in one of her street interviews, and at some point I think she was working with Fred Perry on a branding range. With Mars in the 4th house, it is possible that Amy had a desire to start a family or she had a specific passion about security or home life.

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With Lilith trine Ascendant, Amy had this image of expressing herself unapologetically. She had striking sex appeal that was unique from other artists, especially with Lilith in the 10th house. With Lilith in Aquarius, perhaps Amy might have been ostracized or bullied for how different she was from others at some point in her life. Due to her trine, she learned how to embrace her differences and use this appeal to create the image she is known for today.

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Moon sextile Saturn could indicate that Amy used to be an emotionally mature individual. She was a good partner and she was perhaps the type to stick with someone through thick and thin because she understood it all. This could show someone who has an old soul, and Amy definitely had an old soul. Amy began writing music just at 14 and made her debut album at 19. With Saturn in the 6th house, she was an orderly individual and she must've took marriage and partnerships seriously. Not to mention, she demonstrated her passionate love for Blake in their 6-year long relationship. Saturn in the 6th house within the aspects shows she was a sucker for routine and order, so she was most likely the one who wears the pants in her relationships and conducted when and how things would happen. She might've believed strongly in marriage as well with her Moon in the 7th house in this aspect.

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Sun conjunct Mercury easily makes someone who is very versatile, intelligent, and talented. Amy was proficient in a lot of things. This also calls to make a witty, introspective, and sarcastic individual who is often proficient at using their words in a eloquent way. Amy was also known for being a good songwriter and having great lyricism in her music. With Virgo in the 5th house, she may be someone who is subjected to perfectionism as she wants her arts and projects to come out exactly the way she envisioned them to be. This also makes her appear graceful in workings on an outer impression as well. Mercury square Neptune also makes someone who often struggles with verbal communication, she may have not been the best with talking to people clearly. But she might know how to communicate through other mediums such as music, poetry, and writing.

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Moon trine Venus made Amy someone who knew how to incorporate their inner world and emotional state into beauty and the arts. It was easy for Amy to express how she felt through her music; as said, it was almost as though it was a therapeutic medium for her. Additionally, she also valued balance, love, and diplomacy more than anything. She also knew how to get along with others and was very well-liked by the people in her inner circle. She was more than likely willing to be there for others and cared for others as well. She must’ve loved children too or knew how to handle them. Most importantly, she couldn't live without her relationships, it was what made her inner world thrive.

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With Mercury trine Chiron, as mentioned previously in childhood, Amy might have struggled with communicating with others. Perhaps she was a shy kid in school or she did not know how to socialize. Amy actually dealt with anxiety pretty often, especially on stage. She would mention that in interviews. That anxiety and her fidgety nature was also shown in her Mercury square ascendant. It is impossible that she could have struggled with feeling heard specifically since her Chiron is in the 12th house. Her way of truly feeling heard and making others feel heard was her talent in music, writing, and lyricism. A lot of people could easily sympathize and relate to Amy's music, especially in regards to relationships and self-love. Mercury-Chiron aspects in general also point towards delinquency or troubles in school. Amy actually was expelled from Sylvia Young Theatre school when she was fourteen for wearing a nose ring.

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Moon sextile Pluto signifies that Amy had an intense inner world. She experienced dark and huge emotions. Because of this, she was very understanding and comfortable with many taboo topics. She was very mature due to this. Amy dealt with a lot with her health, especially her mental health as shown in her Pluto in the 6th house in this aspect. Apparently, she suffered from bipolar disorder the more her dependencies worsened over the years. She also dealt with depression at a young age along with anxiety. She also dealt with bulimia long from her teens. Hence, she experienced worst so she understood it all. All of her hardships in this area, this helped her with finding motivation and reasoning too transform and become a better person.

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ㅤㅤ— her relationships. ❞

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Amy has one of the most rarest placements. Only 8% of the population has a retrograded venus. First off, venus in retrograde immediately calls for someone who has a serious karmic lesson surrounding self-love, materialism, and values in this life. With Amy having Venus in Leo in the 4th house retrograded, this might have called for her to find confidence and assurance in herself as an individual in order to feel secure in her individuality and life. However, since she might have struggled with expressing these qualities. She might have experienced the opposite. She had to deal with being in the eyes of the public and her relationships being put under a spotlight when it most likely wasn't wanted. Amy had to deal with scrutiny and her addictive marriage being put under a microscope for an audience to get her life lesson through. Amy might have not liked fame as much and she was more of a humble person.

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Venus trine neptune indicates that Amy had a dreamy, beautiful, and magical perception of love and beauty. She might have viewed it all as something that she incorporate into her life to build up security and establish relationships with others. She might have loved love and was willing to do anything it takes to experience it. She might have been used to falling with creative, selfless, and caring partners. Perhaps she fell in love with musicians and artists. This also calls for someone who is willing to try different styles or doesn't have a particular style at all.

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Venus sextile Pluto could show that Amy also had a very interesting and intense love life. In a negative sense, she might have dealt with toxic relationships. In a positive sense, every person she has dealt with has given her some type of lesson that could help transform herself. In fact, she might have became an entirely different person after every connection. With Venus in the 4th, the initiative and reasoning for every transformation in her relationship was to build security in herself and the life she has.

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Venus square Chiron calls for someone who often has a wound surrounding love, romance, beauty, and self-worth. Amy might have attracted tons of partners who needed to be saved or who would save her. She might have had a savior-martyr personality in regards to her connections. With her Chiron in the 12th specifically, the issue could have been she was never heard and could have depended on her relationships to help her feel so. This could signify low self-esteem or a feeling of insignificance.

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North Node in the 1st house conjunct her Ascendant shows that Amy's ultimate direction in life was to find herself and discover her true outlook on her life and what she wanted to do. This also shows that she was destined for popularity and recognition of some sort even if she wasn't famous.

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ㅤㅤㅤ— legacy/image.❞

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Mean Lilith in Aquarius in the 10th house indicates that Amy had a very provocative, taboo, and intense reputation during her prime. First, she has a different image than typical soul singers. Her beauty was rather unconventional and alluring. She also had a very unique voice. Others thought her voice was rather a bit soulful for a British singer. She also dealt with lots of hate, scrutiny, and criticism due to her public breakdowns and reactions. She was considered one of the most disliked divas in the industry at some point due to what she was going through. 10th house also represents the father. This aspect could also indicate being exploited by an authoritative or masculine figure in one's life whether that be through career or other things.

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Mars opposite Midheaven shows that Amy's passions sourced from a different area of her life rather than her career. Amy's drive, desires, and goals come from her sense of security and comfort (with Mars in the 4th) In specific terms, her family and home life could be what motivates her the most to do what she does. She might have been someone who did not care too much about her career as a music artist, she was rather someone who was comfortable staying home and pertaining to her hobby without the need of showcasing it instead, especially since her Mars is in Leo. In fact, Amy said that she did not want to be famous. She "hated it".

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Chiron trine Midheaven shows that Amy had an image and reputation of knowing how to incorporate her wounds and traumas beautifully into her music due to the issue of not feeling like she was heard when she was younger, especially with Chiron in Gemini in the 12th. She was able to transmit her words to an audience that understood her and how she felt. She made people understand an entirely different perspective on love, addiction, and many more unique topics. This aspect also might be the reason as to why she has a reputation of being "a victim" to her addictions and relationships, similar to Marilyn Monroe who has Chiron conjunct Midheaven in her chart.

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Midheaven at the 11° shows that Amy had a humble and introspective mindset when it came to her image. On the other hand, her fame and legacy caused a charitable act to come from it all. In 2011, Jane Winehouse created the 'Amy Winehouse Foundation' which is a company that celebrates and honors the legacy of Amy and helps women who struggle with addictions.

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Amy has her own asteroid called Asteroid Amy (3375)—she has the asteroid conjunct her Mars and sextile her Ascendant.

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[theunfriendlyghost]

HQ Characters Most Likely to Date a Mortician

(Coming from a mortician)

A/N I know this is so niche and specific and nobody cares but I need this for my own mental health 😭😭also will probably do a pt. 2 because there’s a couple other characters I want to do

Sugawara Koushi

✨I don’t know why but he just seems like the type of person to have a funky taste in people (in a good way.

✨I think he would specifically date people he found to be exciting and interesting and when he found out about your job, he thought it was fascinating.

✨Sugawara also cares heavily about people as a whole. He’s a teacher, so obviously he has a lot of empathy. I think he appreciates the fact that your job requires a lot of empathy and care

✨initially, he probably thought it was a cool and creepy job but as he got to know you, he realized that the job takes a lot more skill than he initially thought. He appreciates the artistry that comes with it as well as the charisma required to do a good job.

✨This man literally tells EVERYONE about your job. He doesn’t care that people think it’s weird. He literally thinks it’s the coolest thing in the world.

Kageyama Tobio

✨This one actually took quite a bit of thinking for me but I think that after his grandpa died, he had a lot of respect for people in the funeral industry.

✨As someone who also went to funerals of family members growing up, it makes you a lot more open to the idea of death. I think he probably has a lot of questions but he’s willing to listen to the answers.

✨Probably felt weird about it at first? Possibly wasn’t as open with his friends about your job until later on when he understood it a bit more.

✨Probably also has virtually 0 idea of what you actually do at work. He appreciates it and knows it’s an important job but most likely doesn’t want too many details (which is fair and normal)

Kozume Kenma

✨This one might literally just be me holding on hope but I feel like he’d be fine with it?

✨Like to him, it’s literally just a job. When you told him, he probably just kind of said “okay?” And moved on. Wasn’t a big deal and he was confused as to why you thought he would be weird about it

✨Definitely wants to stream mortuary assistant with you so you can judge how accurate the game is to the actual job. Values your input quite a bit.

✨when he sees videos on TikTok about morticians, he always sends them to you even if you have no idea why he sent them. He just thinks you’ll like them even if he doesn’t understand 😭

Suna Rintarou

✨he gives me the vibe of someone who initially just liked your job for shock factor and then gradually realized there was a lot more to it than just that.

✨He finds it extremely interesting and asks questions often.

✨He reminds me of the type of person that used to spend his time smoking at cemeteries to be edgy and you had to tell him it was disrespectful 😭😭he thought you were overreacting at first but realized the reasoning behind it

✨I don’t pin him as the most empathetic person in the world? He appreciates your empathy for people but to him, it’s just a job.

✨Probably not great at comforting you after tough days (SORRY 🫨🫨). Probably just encourages you not to think about it too hard which sometimes does do the trick.

✨Although he’s fine with your job and thinks it’s really cool, I get the vibe that he would not step FOOT in your place of work. For some reason he’s superstitious about it? When he drops you off for work, he drops you off at the corner and drives away as fast as humanly possible but will literally never admit it.

[annes-room]

Why did you decide to study this [degree/topic/language etc]? Do you regret your decision? Do you have any pictures from when you started your learning journey?✨

I guess I've never really shared my full study journey on here, so here goes! :)

I actually started out wanted to go into acting! I still love it a lot, I did a lot in high school and I was part of a few local theatre things that I still hold very dear to me. I did go to film school for acting a few years ago now and it was one of the most amazing times of my life. I was living away from home for the first time, in a different province, and the people in my class were literally from all over the world 🌎 I still follow them on other socials and it's phenomenal to see what they've all been up to since then <3

I moved back home after film school with the intention of saving up to move to Vancouver permanently to pursue my acting career but the Covid pandemic hit literally a week after I got a job 🙃 over the course of a month I watched all of my acting/entertainment friends be out of a job and theatres shut down all over the world. it hit me in a way I hadn't expected and I reflected on how much stability I wanted in my career. acting is already a very fickle industry. you're never guaranteed anything and it can be so much work to get even the smallest jobs. I realized I needed more stability than that in the face of a global pandemic. I was mulling over my options when NASA launched their Mars Perseverance rover.

I woke up at 5 am to watch the live stream of the launch and I felt a draw to it like I was a kid. space and its exploration have always been fascinating to me, so I began looking into it more. astrobiology was a very up and coming field and I wanted to be part of it so I applied to an astrophysics program (the closest I could get) at the university in my city and got in! 📚

I stayed in that program for a year and in the fall semester of my second year I realized I wasn't having fun with the physics. I didn't understand a lot of it and even though I still passed the courses, I didn't feel like I was learning anything and it wasn't exactly what I wanted to do. the one part I did love was the data analysis we had to do in our physics labs and I enjoyed the one compsci course I had taken as an options class. so I switched programs and am now working towards a BSc majoring in stats and minoring in computer science! 💻📖

university has always been an investment for me. no matter what path I take, I know the work will be worth it for me to have a higher quality of life after I graduate. data analysts are needed for everything so I don't doubt I'll be able to find a decent job after graduating. I'm currently in year 4/5. programs here are normally 4 years if you take 5 courses a semester, but I simply cannot do that, so I'm spreading it out a bit more (plus I had to play catch-up with switching programs).

overall I'm happy where I am. I still miss acting but I'll get back into it as a hobby once I graduate. in summary: acting -> astrophysics -> stats and cs

[nikibogwater]

I honestly think that LucasFilm wanted to make the Mando and Grogu movie due to realizing how much they kinda screwed up the setup for the characters after the S2 finale, especially having the two reunite in a show not many people checked out or really knew about, not even doing a "previously on" or really quick recap for the beginning of S3 for people who weren't caught up in the loop, cause i thought that was pretty weird.

And then the entirety of S3 happened. After that, it seemed like they put a nail in the coffin that they couldn't pry out, but are now trying to pull it out with a another nail that's as dull as the previous one.

Yeah, I'm fairly certain this movie was only greenlit out of financial desperation. Truth be told, I'm actually quite fascinated by the levels of incompetence and tone-deafness on display over at Lucasfilm. It's not like they don't have anyone there who knows what they're doing--it's just that the people capable of making good stories have all their creative control ripped away from them as soon as the executives realize their ideas might actually get people's money. And naturally, as soon as the storytelling is taken away from actual storytellers, the movies and shows become trash. But what is most amazing to me is the fact that Lucasfilm execs just....don't learn anything from it. People didn't like how we treated Luke Skywalker in the sequel trilogy? Great! Let's do the exact same thing to Indiana Jones! Oh fiddlesticks, looks like we just lost a few hundred million dollars on that, huh? That's okay, we still have Bo Katan to replace Din as the main character in The Mandalorian. What's that? Season 3 lost 60% of its audience within the first week? Well that just doesn't make any sense. I know! Let's try making a movie all about Rey! Y'know! The single most divisive and disliked character in the entire franchise! Somehow the saga of unwise decisions just keeps going on and on, even though it really should have ended with The Last Jedi. But they must be aware that they're not making enough money to sustain the company like this, because otherwise why return to Din and Grogu after making it abundantly clear that they don't really care about these characters anymore? The only question is whether or not the corporate side will take a step back to let Favreau and Filoni do their thing. I think that's the only way a Mando & Grogu movie would even have a chance of succeeding, after all the shenanigans the studio's pulled. But that seems pretty unlikely at this point.

Oh well. On the bright side, my spite for the current overall state of the media industry has been excellent fuel for my own creative endeavors. I never write more than when I'm angry, haha. Thanks so much for the message, Non! ✨

[wispstalk]

for the writer asks! 🥺 🛒✨🎶🎨

Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

I like writing casual non-romantic affection. Coradri and Tanis really gets me.... she is going to sleep in your lap like a cat

What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

i pay particular attention to food and the items of everyday life and the work that goes into them. one reason I like writing in a pre-industrial setting... like with clothes for example, after all the labor that goes into making a shirt by hand from start-to-finish, you're gonna wear that shit till it falls off. it degrades over time in a way that's unique to the wearer. fascinates me

Give you and your writing a compliment.

answered below but i'll gladly do it again lol. i think i do pretty well at creating symmetry (w/r/t imagery, overarching theme etc) within the confines of a piece whether it's short or long

Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

i typically like to put on an album and play it through. Currently on a kick of stoner/doom type stuff. Black Mountain - IV and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - The Night Creeper

How do you feel about fan art of your stories?

i literally vibrate with excitement like an overexcited puppy

[marthashlyn]

Now that I think about it some more

I’d like to know how every minister suddenly was a minister? How they proved they work for God? How did everyone suddenly follow them? How did everyone know God is with them? How does everyone know God is still with them?

All the important questions I have and have yet to ask anyone directly. I’m not trying to die.

The industry called ministry is scam country. Many who were never called for real and have that distinction, have so many fooled. Inform their following and you might die apparently. Those guys (the ministers) may show up at your funeral too, getting chummy with your family. That is crazy interesting to me. I’m not trying to expose them. I actually just want their following to realize and stop supporting their foolishness. It really is irritating to see.

I’m happy I can tell that sort of thing. I pray for those who don’t see it that way in their own way too. When we’re all aligned individually, I’ll see what’s what. Jesus has something up his sleeve. I’m looking. I’ll definitely peep. 👀

The ones whom Jesus really have had an encounter with, not as successful as they should be. Meanwhile those, hooting and hollering like animals being toxic as hell, are the ones you all accept. The ones actually called, end up missing, dead, or sabotaged. Something crazy. That is very interesting to me. It really is. Fascinating. Concerning..

I pray for clarity and lucidity for us all, if that helps. #WTTW

✨🦉✨

[barnesafterglow]

stuck with you

summary: when you land a job as the pa for a well known celebrity, you get more than you bargained for

pairing: chris evans x assistant!reader

word count: 5.3k

warnings: meet ugly but it’s kinda cute?, awkward reader, awkward chris, invasion of privacy (fuck paparazzi <3), implied harrassment, explicit language, me making up all kinds of shit about the industry, kind of angsty with a happy ending, dodger ✨

a/n: this was written for my best friend, the love of my life, @pellucid-constellations. happy birthday you old lady, thank you for being my friends <3

also! this is my first venture into rpf so pls be kind :,)

main masterlist ─ i no longer have a tag list, but you can follow @theafterglowlibrary and turn on notifications for fic updates!

Your leg was bouncing incessantly as you waited for the interviewer to come in. The view from this office was phenomenal, and something you could only dream of.

The truth of the matter was this: you were freaked the fucked out. Only two months post graduation and you were interviewing to be the personal assistant of a huge celebrity. Granted, you didn’t know who exactly it was, but the level of secrecy pointed in the direction of an A-lister.

Finally, just as you were about to pull your phone out and send a spiraling text message to your best friend, the door clicked open and in walked the interviewer. You scrambled to stand up, flinging your phone from your hands and across the room in the process.

You kept a straight face, even though you wanted nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow you whole, and extended her hand as she introduced herself.

“Simone Wilder, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her grip was firm, if not a little scary, but her face was warm and pleasant as she bent down to grab your phone that had landed at her feet, handing it to you as she gestured for you to sit down.

You sank into the seat, crossing your legs and waiting while she sifted through a pile of papers on her desk. Finally, she must have found what she was looking for, because she pulled it from the stack and laid it neatly on her desk as she sat down across from you.

“So, a degree from Brown in Business Management  4.0 GPA, graduated summa cum laude, two years on the executive board for your sorority, and a list of extracurriculars the length of my forearm,” she glanced up at you from your resume, one eyebrow arched. “Very impressive. So why are you here?”

The question caught you off guard, her tone of voice more than a little scrutinizing, and you had no real idea how to answer, “Oh, uh, I moved out to LA right after graduation, I didn’t really have -”

“No,” she interrupted. “Why are you here? In this office, right now? What are you wanting out of this?”

You had to hold yourself from blurting the immediate sarcastic answer your brain provided - a job - and dig deeper, knowing that’s what she really wanted.

“When I was growing up, all my grandfather talked about was living in Hollywood, directing movies, playing amongst the stars, and it fascinated me. He would tell me the same stories, over and over, and they never got old. I knew I wanted to be involved in the industry, I could have told you that from the ripe age of six, but it became very apparent as I got older that I didn’t want to be in front of a camera, or even behind it.

“I didn’t do that whole attention thing, you know? Ask my 7th grade theater teacher about my attempt at Seussical.” You knew you were starting to ramble, but that at least got a chuckle out of her, and she urged you to continue. “But what I did do, was people. And organization. Being stage manager - basically imagine a 12 year organizing everything the director really didn’t want to - was a thrill. It gave me a sense of purpose, so I kept that with me, knew what I wanted to do with it, and here I am. Just hoping for a chance.”

You were out of breath by the time you finished, and Simone was looking at you like you had sprouted a third head. Feeling a sudden sense of worry, you started to apologize, but she quickly cut you off.

“Never apologize for your passion. I think it’s amazing, and a hell of a lot better than what half the bozos I’ve interviewed today have said.” She stood up suddenly, shaking your hand again, and you felt the panic rise, that this was her letting you gently, until those magical four words came out of her mouth, The same four you had thought just seconds ago were out of the realm of possibility.

“You’ve got the job.” Her smile was bright, and you were once again dumbstruck, not knowing what to say besides a profuse thank you when the door opened again.

Letting your hand drop to your side, you stood beside Simone to see who it was, and in walked Chris Fucking Evans.

“My middle name is actually Robert, but you’re not the first person to get confused.” His voice paired with that laugh nearly made you miss what he said, then as it registered, you slapped your hand over your mouth at the fact that you had spoken out loud. You could feel your body heat, head to toe, in embarrassment, and you couldn’t even look him in the eye. Not even your first day on the job and you had made a fool of yourself in front of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor.

“Well, you clearly know my name, can I get yours?” Your head snapped up at that, that tone of voice, one you had heard make flirtatious comments to interviewers and co-stars, and now it was wholly directed at you.

Before you could make a further fool of yourself, Simone swooped in, giving him your name. “Our new friend here will be taking my place. Chris, meet your new PA.”

“What?” Your responses came at the same time, and your heart stuttered in your chest as you realized he didn’t exactly look happy at the news.

“Simone, you’re only four months pregnant, I didn’t even know you were looking for your replacement yet.” His voice pitched just a tad higher, as if the entire situation were stressful to him, and Simone had a knowing, if not slightly smug, look on her face.

“I wasn’t, actually. I had her down as a good match for Katherine Langford initially, but she reminds me so much of me. She’s going to be a perfect fit, trust me.” She looked between you as she said this, your jaw still hanging open slightly, completely and utterly baffled by whatever the fuck was going on. You were going to be the personal assistant to Chris Evans.

You, who had walked into this interview with only the bare minimum amount of hope after so many rejections, were going to be around Chris Evans, nearly every day, for the foreseeable future.

Shit.

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You had one week - one week - to prepare for probably the biggest change of your life.

Once Chris had left Simone’s office and you quit looking dumbfounded, she explained the basic outline of the job to you, and that you would be shadowing her for a couple weeks so you could feel comfortable on your own. She also discussed your initial pay, which nearly made your eyes pop out of your head. That was so many more zeros than you were used to seeing.

Your first day, you stepped out of the Uber in front of Variety magazine, where Simone was already waiting on the steps for you.

“Did you take an Uber?” she asked as she eyed the car driving away. You nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “Next time text me, I’ll send you a car. Well, technically Chris will. He likes to take care of his people.”

That made you even more embarrassed, somehow, so you just smiled timidly and followed her inside. As you walked along the frame filled hallway, she filled you in on the day’s activities - first a quick interview about his upcoming movie, followed by a photoshoot on their rooftop set - as well as handing you a new phone. You looked between the device in your hand and her, racking your brain for a reason she would give it to you.

“Your work phone, honey,” her tone was not condescending at all, instead she seemed more endeared by your complete lack of experience. “It has all the important numbers in there. Mine, the agency, Chris’s. Along with some of our partners. You’ll learn more as you go along. But everything you could ever need should be in the palm of your hand right now.”

Realizing you still hadn’t said a word since you arrived, you finally spoke up, thanking her for being so patient with you. She waved you off, saying it was simply her job, before leading you into a dressing room.

On a chair in the middle of the room sat Chris, getting the finishing touches on his hair. As soon as he saw you, he reached up to run his hands through his hair, a nervous gesture you had noticed before in interviews and red carpet appearances. His stylist smacked his hand in retaliation to him nearly ruining her work, and he apologized under his breath, though he didn’t seem sorry in the slightest.

Simone talked with him about the schedule of the day, though he seemed bored in a way that said this was not the first time she had gone over it. He only spoke to you in a passing greeting, which hurt more than you cared to admit, but you pushed the feeling down.

You followed closely behind Simone all day, even taking a break for lunch with her while Chris disappeared to get changed for the photoshoot.

“You know he’s single, right?” she said around a bite of salad, making you nearly spit out your sip of water all over her. “What? I’m just saying. He won’t admit it, but I know he’s been looking for something. I think he gets lonely with just him and Dodger in that big house.”

“What are you telling me this?” you asked suspiciously, already knowing her affinity for meddling - she just gave off that vibe.

“Oh, you know, just chit chatting. This is stuff you should know as his assistant, anyways.” You didn’t buy it for a second, but you solemnly noted as you took a bite of your own food.

“Duly noted.”

After that, she led you back to the main building, this time through a back stairwell that led directly to the roof.

When you saw Chris, you stopped dead in your tracks, needing a second to gather your emotions. He looked good, ridiculously so, in tight jeans and a chunky white sweater, with his hair gelled and sunglasses to top it all off.

Simone, apparently an all-knowing being, simply patted your shoulder and moved across the roof to talk to him. It took you another second of staring longingly to snap out of it and follow after her.

-

Barely a month later, you sat in your car doing the breathing exercises your therapist had taught you. This wasn’t a big deal, you had been around Chris plenty in the last month. Almost every day, in fact. But this was, well, this was a hell of a lot more stressful. How were you supposed to just walk into his house like it was no big deal?

Sure, in the last few weeks the starstruck-edness had worn off, and it was easier to just see him as the regular person he really was. Still, this was uncharted territory and you were more than a little freaked out.

Finally, when you saw movement by the front window for the third time, you took one last deep breath and headed for the door.

It opened before you had a chance to knock, confirming your theory that Chris has been waiting ever since you pulled up.

“Hey, you’re here!” His voice sounded an octave higher than usual and, funnily enough, it calmed you to know that he was nervous, too. “Come on in. Don’t mind Dodger, he’s excited because he knows we’re about to go to the P-A-R-K.”

As if he could understand what Chris had spelled out, Dodger ran in circles around the two of you, and you dropped to your knees, stretching your hand out to let him sniff you. Once he determined you were a friend, and subsequently realized he was going to get the pets he wanted, he flopped on his back, inviting you to rub his belly.

After you seemed to fulfill his necessary quota, he hopped up and trotted back to his bed by the couch, waiting for Chris’s signal that it was time to go. When you stood up, wiping your hands on your pants, Chris was looking at you with a funny, almost soft, look on his face.

“Okay, so, do you have everything packed? I’ll be here in 6:30 in the morning to take us to the airport, unless you want to take a car, of course, but I figured we could just put everything in my car now and it would save both of us time,” you rambled, letting your nerves spill over, until he finally cut you off.

“Yes, that’s perfect, it’ll give me some extra time to sleep anyways. Nothing could be worse than Simone’s driving, anyways.” You both laughed at that, thinking back to earlier this week when you had learned a brand new string of expletives from her road rage.

Once you had gone over the rest of the plan for the next morning, going through his suitcase to make sure he had everything you thought necessary, you said goodbye to Chris and moved to make your way to the door. It seemed Dodger had other plans, however, because he wove between your legs, essentially stopping you from going anywhere.

You crouched down again to pet him some more, hoping you could pacify him enough to make an escape, when Chris spoke up.

“You could go with us, if you want.” The smile on his face was shy, and it made your heart speed up at just the sight. “The park’s just a couple blocks away. I usually just let him off leash and throw a ball around for an hour or so.” His expression seemed almost.. hopeful, and who were you to deny this man of something so simple? It would definitely help with the tenuous friendship you had begun to build.

Checking your calendar to make sure you didn’t have any pressing matters for the rest of the afternoon, you finally agreed and, as if Dodger could sense it, he let out a yelp of celebration. You silently thanked the heavens that you had come from home instead of the office, so you weren’t wearing your usual business casual.

Chris clipped a leash on Dodger and together the three of you made your trek towards the dog park. The walk was pleasant enough, light conversation being made as Dodger happily led the way. You felt some of your lingering tension melt away in the California sun, and before you knew it you were entering the park.

Dodger was shaking in anticipation, and took off like a bullet as soon as he was free from his lead.

“He’ll take a couple laps before he decides he misses me, we can sit down in the meantime?” He framed the last bit like a question, though he was already scouting for a shaded spot to claim.

When he finally found a spot he deemed fit, the two of you sat, so close that your thighs were pressed together. He didn’t seem to mind, so you told your erratic heart to slow down and just enjoy the time you were spending with him.

It felt a little weird, being with him outside of a professional capacity. For those first couple weeks it felt like he was keeping you at arm’s length, for whatever reason, and Simone had started to make fun of your whining, especially the first meeting you had with him solo.

He’s just like that, she had said. Just give him some time to get his head out of his ass.

She was so casual about it, you had no choice but to take it in stride. And just like she had said, he had started to loosen up, slowly but surely.

Now, it was like that divide of awkwardness had dissipated as you made conversation in the grass.

“So, are you excited for this interview tomorrow?” you asked, because you knew you were.

“God, of course. People have been begging Buzzfeed to bring me in for the puppy interview for like, seven years or something.” He laughed, playing it off, but you could tell he was just as excited to do it as you were to see it.

You continued to chat until Dodger decided he was ready to play, and he came running back to the two of you. He launched himself into your lap, causing you to fall into Chris, the two of you leaning against each other and laughing as Dodger enthusiastically gave each of you kisses.

You were so caught up in the moment neither of you heard the click of a camera shutter behind you.

-

The next morning you pulled into Chris’s driveway with just minutes to spare, having snoozed your alarm one too many times. You silently thanked yourself for laying out everything you needed the night before, otherwise you definitely would have been late.

You were watching Chris talk with his house sitter, waiting for him to get in the car, when the text from Simone came through.

Simone: I knew it, you sly girl. Link to article: CHRIS EVANS SPOTTED WITH MYSTERY GIRL IN THE PARK. IS THERE A NEW ROMANCE BUDDING?

The article had several pictures from the day before, and out of context it really did look like you two could be on a date. In addition to the photos of you pressed against Chris, there were some of you throwing the ball with Dodger, and another well-angled picture that made it look like you and Chris were holding hands as you exited the park. Thankfully, none of the shots showed your face - a small thing to be grateful for, you supposed.

You quickly sent her a text back, telling her it most definitely was not what it looked like. As much as you tried to tame your features into something cool and collected, Chris could sense your sour mood as soon as he slid into your passenger seat.

Rather than drag it out any further - or worse, him see it on his own - you extended your phone in his direction so he could read the article himself.

He was silent as he scanned the screen, gently taking your phone from your hand to inspect the photos, before handing it back without a word, though the look on his face was not that of a man with nothing to say. Instead of pressing the issue, you just put your phone away and pulled your car out of his driveway.

You were about to turn on the radio to kill the growing silence when Chris’s phone rang, Simone’s name flashing across the screen. He picked up quickly, and you were torn between straining your ears to hear both ends of the conversation or pretending not to listen at all.

In the end, you didn’t have much of a choice, the quick phone call was mostly Simone’s rushed jabber and the occasional yeah I figured and I’ll be sure to do that on Chris’s end. When he finally hung up, he still didn’t say a word, so turned up the volume and hummed along to You Are In Love by Taylor Swift.

When you finally parked your car, you couldn’t help but laugh at the sunglasses and baseball cap Chris donned before stepping out of the car.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asked as he loaded up both of your bags in his arms - flat out refusing to let you carry your own.

“Do you really think that’s going to keep people from knowing who you are?” You gestured to his “disguise”, and the fact that anyone would know who he was from a mile away.

He didn’t give you any answer beyond a smug you’ll see, and surprisingly, you made your way through security and onto the plane without so much as a second glance from anyone. You hated that he was right.

Once the two of you were settled in your first class seats, an awkward silence settled over you.

“So, should we talk about it?” you asked, hating the way the air felt thick around you. You figured at the very least you could clear the air. Instead, he cut you off with a short no, he put his Airpods in his ears and didn’t say another word the entirety of the five hour flight.

-

You managed to get a few words out of Chris over the course of the few hours you had spent in New York, but it was still tense when the two of you were finally led to the iconic room at Buzzfeed Headquarters - the one full of puppies.

At the very least you could sulk while commandeering a puppy into your lap.

Which is exactly what you did, listening in as he answered mundane questions, gave tidbits about his movie, and joked around with the interviewer. As they were about to wrap up, an intern came, whispering to her co-worker, before tossing a longing glance in Chris’s direction and heading back through the door she came from.

“One last question before we wrap up,” the interviewer - you think you remember him introducing himself as Jonathan - said. Chris nodded, too busy wrangling the pitbull puppy in his arms. Jonathan took his cue to continue, “It seems you were spotted just yesterday with a mystery girlfriend. Care to give any comment on that?”

Chris stopped dead in his movements, giving him an icy glare. “I’m not answering that.”

“So she’s not-”

“She’s nothing to me,” Chris interrupted harshly, his entire demeanor changing, and you could tell the squirming puppy in his lap was trying desperately to make it better. Your breath hitched, and two sets of eyes snapped towards you.

You scrambled to stand, letting the puppy previously occupying your lap rush back to its friends.

Pulling out your phone, you called an Uber to your hotel without a glance back. You at least managed to get into the car before the tears started to fall.

-

Simone was going to kill you. You were getting fired, and blacklisted, and you would have to move back to your hometown where there was nothing left for you but pain and sadness.

Maybe you were being dramatic, but it had been hours and there was no sign of Chris.

Worried after your escape from the Buzzfeed office, you had stationed yourself at the hotel bar, taking a seat that had an unobstructed view of the main door. After an hour of biting at your nails and sipping at a glass of water, you switched to vodka crans. One, then two, then you lost track, but the sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Chris finally came through the lobby, looking worse for wear.

He spotted you almost immediately, and you downed the rest of your drink as he made his way over to you.

“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of his mouth, to your surprise. The next, unsurprisingly, being to order himself a glass of whiskey. You stared each other down and he downed the tumbler in one swig, signaling the bartender for another.

“Why?” Sure, your feelings were crushed for reasons you didn’t care to examine, but you didn’t expect him to necessarily care about that.

“I -” he stopped himself, wiping a hand down his face, before turning to the bartender again. “Can I actually get the whole bottle? Thanks, charge it to room 681.”

He took the bottle in one hand, and gently grabbed yours with the other, leading you towards the service elevator at the back of the bar. Neither of you said a word as it ascended, you awkwardly fiddling with the sleeve of your sweater while he worked on the cap of the bottle.

You were shocked when the door opened to the rooftop, taking in what seemed to be a bar that was closed for the night. You were about to ask why he had brought you here rather than, say, one of your rooms, but he was already talking as he moved closer to the far railing.

“This is one of my favorite views in the city,” he stopped to take a sip of the bottle in his hand before passing it off to you. Feeling like this was a conversation you wouldn’t want to sober up for you, you tilted it back, the burn in your throat not unpleasant. “When I went to school here, my apartment was just down the block. I used to sneak up here on weeknights when the bar was closed. I would always bring my sketchbook with me, I really loved drawing this skyline.”

You stood next to him, handing the bottle back with a slight push.

“Why are you sorry?”

He let out a long breath of air, setting the bottle on the ground before turning to face you.

“Because I didn’t mean it, you’re not nothing to me. I knew it the moment I walked into that office, and I’ve been fighting every moment since then. I figured there’s no way in hell it could work, right?” He ran his hand through his hair, clearly not the first time he had been worked up about this. “But then I got to know you, and it got harder. You’re so fucking amazing, you know that? You’re smart and brilliant and I had half a mind to beg Simone to fire you, pass you off to someone else, so I could be selfish.

“But I couldn’t do that to you, not after hearing you talk about your past and how hard you had worked. So I just shoved it down because I thought that’s what was best. And that article proved me right. This is a crazy life, and I don’t want you to be dragged into it, not like this.” At that point he was pacing, and you finally caught his arm, causing him to look at you.

“Hey,” you kept your voice soft, wanting to calm down the racing thoughts in his head. “Did you ever think about, I don’t know, asking me what I thought about all this? Maybe I wouldn’t even want to date you.” Your joke broke off another piece of the wall that had been crumbling around you two, and he left out a breathy laugh.

“Yeah, that would have been smart of me. Not that I ever claimed to be.” He took your face in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking your cheekbones. “So, what do you think of all this?”

“I think you’re an idiot.” He started to laugh at that, but you squished his cheeks together so you could keep talking. “But I also think that once I got to know you, the real you and not the version 16 year old me had made up in my head, I knew I was in deep shit. Because I thought you hated me and I was putting every bit of effort into pushing my feelings down so I didn’t get, like, blacklisted or something.”

“I could never hate you.” He laughed again, placing a feather light kiss to your forehead, then to the tip of your nose. “Let’s agree to just talk to each other from now on, yeah?”

“I say that’s a great idea,” you wanted to laugh at him, but the sound was swallowed by the press of his lips to yours.

-

The next morning was a rush, you darting back and forth between your room and Chris’s to make sure you had everything before your car arrived. Once you had stopped your internal freak out, and finally had a cup of coffee, you let Chris take the bags downstairs, standing by the door with them while he checked you both out.

When your phone pinged with a notification that your car was outside, you decided you were going to pull one over on him, taking the bags yourself. It was a small thing, but you still felt a brief flash of petty triumph.

But the second you stepped outside, the flash of bright lights and the pull of hands in every direction disoriented you. You couldn’t understand why they would be interested in you, until you heard the shouts of questions, asking if you were Chris’s new mystery woman, and how long you had been together.

You turned around in a panic, shouting for Chris, but you were pushed so far into the crowd you couldn’t even see the door anymore.

Inside, Chris was turning away from the main desk, smiling to himself when he saw you were no longer waiting for him, realizing you must have taken the bags yourself and were already in the car.

Annoyance bubbled inside of him as he stepped outside, figuring someone had leaked the hotel he was staying at, and painstakingly took a few pictures, though he was longing to be next to you again.

It wasn’t until somebody shoved a phone in his face, his eyes focusing on a grainy picture - one of you and him, lips locked on the roof the night before - that he heard the panicked yelling of his name.

He elbowed his way through the mass of people, finally parting to reveal you, on the ground, your t-shirt ripped and mascara streaking your face.

“Hey,” he yelled, pushing at the two men with cameras in your face. “Fuck off!”

They held their hands up in defense, but he paid them no mind as he wrapped one arm around you, the other gathering your bags, and led you to the car.

He ushered you in, putting your bags in the trunk and sliding next to you, wrapping you in his arms again. You had stopped crying, but you were still shaking like a leaf.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into your hair. “I’m so sorry.”

Instead of heading towards the airport, he leaned forward and gave the driver another address, holding you tightly the rest of the drive.

When you pulled up outside a nice looking brownstone, the confusion was clear all over your face.

“This is my place here, in case I ever need an extended stay. I didn’t think either of us were in a position to go through TSA right now.” You laughed at his attempt at a joke, following him up the stairs and inside.

Once inside, you made your way to the bathroom to wash your face and fix your hair, and came out to find Chris in the kitchen with two cups of coffee already waiting.

“I’m so-” he started to apologize again, but you cut him off.

“Don’t you dare apologize, it’s not your fault.” You gave him a pointed look when he tried to talk again. “I’m no stranger to this industry. Just because this happened doesn’t change how I feel for you. It doesn’t change the fact that I want to be with you.”

“Maybe you should consider working for -”

“Don’t make me throw this cup of coffee at you. I’m not working for anyone else, either. Hate to say it, but you’re kinda stuck with me.”

He smiled at that, walking around the kitchen island to stand toe to toe with you. He took the cup of coffee from your hands, setting it down before lifting you to sit on the counter next to it.

“I think I can handle that,” he said, moving between your legs to wrap you in a sweet kiss.

if you enjoyed this pleased consider donating to my ko-fi! 🤍

[cestcirque]

do you think most 30yr old seiyuus are already married? 😲 I know some like to announce that to their fans with a proper announcement over their social media but I was thinking if there must be some that like to keep it on the low low and not tell anyone about it lol

👀👀👀 Short answer: I assume most seiyuu are at least seeing someone or trying to. It’s pretty standard to keep it secret, but these days fans/agencies are getting better and the norm is shifting towards announcing marriage!

Long answer? Dating is still a big taboo—they have many reasons to not go public on certain things… and I find it ✨fascinating✨

What it comes down to is that fans in Japan can get possessive

For example I think the industry still remembers Miyano Mamoru’s struggle to get married after fan outbursts. Having dated the same person since high school, trying to conceive for years, fans were outraged when they found out he was expecting a child. This forced him to hold a press conference which ended in him bowing and begging fans to let him marry

Shimono Hiro, fearing the same fate (since he was married 2011 while the memory was still fresh), didn’t let slip for 10 years—a BIG story when he was recently spotted with children!

Kaji Yuuki and Taketatsu Ayana waited until her 30th birthday to announce marriage, for several reasons—most notable to me being Ayana’s agency writing a relationships ban until age 30 into their contracts

Hanae Natsuki also reports concern getting married “so young” (25) that it would cause low popularity ratings and put him out of work (sorry no link for this, I believe it was on a radio interview)

Conclusion? Japanese publicity is actually ruled with an iron fist and the way public figures handle relationships is a great mystery that will never stop intriguing me

[im-no-jedi]

My Life With The Bad Batch

aka a journey into my self insert nonsense✨

notes: I created a few new planets for this story. I’m also not 100% versed in SW terminology, so forgive me if some things are labeled incorrectly! each chapter will be rated accordingly, as opposed to the overall fic. lastly, there is romance in this story. hope you enjoy! 💙

add. notes: this chapter was edited and proofread by my sis @jam-n-ham! thanks sis!! 😋💙 also... this is it!! the final chapter!! I can’t believe it!! there will be an epilogue after this, but this is technically the end of the fic!! aaaah!!! 🤩

Chapter 17, 4900+ words, rated G (more fluff! more happy things! yay! 😊)

previous chapters:  Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16

epilogue

______________________________________________________________

It wasn’t long until Hannah and the Bad Batch finally reached Ord Mantell. The planet looked very different from Volruna. Most of it was of a deep, rusty red-brown color with small sections of blue dotted throughout. Hannah actually thought it was quite beautiful, although Echo was quick to quip that it wasn’t so once you actually got on the planet. But Hannah decided to make that determination for herself once they got there.

As they approached the city, Hannah was fascinated at how industrial everything looked. Plumes of smoke rose from various sections of the city, with all of the buildings seeming to encircle one massive structure in the middle. Hannah inquired what that structure was, and Tech said as much as he wanted to tell her, he didn’t have time at the moment and would have to tell her later. She was a bit disappointed, mostly because she was doing everything that she could to distract herself from the massive wave of anxiety that was building in her stomach the closer they got to the city.

They didn’t go that far into the city before docking at one of the landing bays, closer to the outer edge of the makeshift circle. Hannah was both excited and nervous at what might happen once she finally stepped out of the Marauder again. Omega was still able to sense her friend’s feelings and stuck close to her, holding Hannah’s hand as the door to the outdoors finally opened.  

It thankfully wasn’t that bright out, but Hannah still had to adjust to the change in lighting once she stepped outside. It was obvious right away that this docking bay was very different from the nice and colorful Volruna one; if anything, it was closer to Astreon’s rundown messiness. Like she had done before on Volruna, Hannah took a big sniff of the air to get a feel of the place.

“Oh geez!” Hannah sputtered and coughed, immediately clasping her hands over her nose and mouth. “I thought the Marauder smelled bad! Augh!”

“Yeah, I wish I could say you’ll get used to it,” Echo commented as he came up beside her. “But I doubt that.” He leaned in closer and added, “believe it or not, our barracks on Kamino actually smelled worse than this.”

Hannah placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. “I am so sorry, you absolutely did not deserve that.”

After everyone else filed out of the ship and began leaving the station, Hannah found herself frozen in place. The overwhelming reality of what was happening had started to get the better of her. Even the anxious grip on her bag strap had returned. Her gaze drifted back to the Marauder, the place that had been her temporary home for the past several days. Much like with the Bad Batch, Hannah had grown attached to it, despite how smelly and unkempt it was. It felt like she was saying goodbye to it.

A familiar gentle touch on her arm brought her out of her thoughts. Omega was once again next to her, looking up at her with a reassuring smile. Hannah didn’t need to worry. Her friends were still with her, after all. She managed a small smile at Omega and gently took the little girl’s hand. The two of them walked side by side together the entire way afterwards.

It was immediately obvious what sort of place Ord Mantell was as soon as Hannah stepped out of the station. Much like the inside of the Marauder, the streets were filthy and unpleasant. The walls of the buildings were decorated with graffiti, and it felt like there might be something dangerous around every corner. The people were no different, seeming as if each of them had some sort of secret to hide as they passed by. Neon lights lit up the fronts of the buildings, and there were all manner of smells, both pleasant and repulsive. It was like the exact opposite of Volruna in every way possible.

Thankfully, the protective Bad Batch barrier Hannah had gotten after they escaped the Prism Palace had returned, with the boys keeping close to her and Omega as they walked. Hunter made sure to stay at Hannah’s side, opposite to Omega. After a bit, he noticed the anxious grip Hannah had on her bag and slipped his arm in the crook of her elbow so their arms were now linked. She looked a bit surprised by this action, but Hunter just smiled at her warmly. Like magic, Hannah’s anxiety was nearly flushed out, and she walked with much more confidence than before. Wrecker even made an effort to scare off anyone who even dared to give Hannah a funny look. Nothing could bother her now.

Until they finally got Cid’s place.

It didn’t really look like much from the outside, just a graffiti decorated stairwell that went downward with a neon sign overhead indicating the location. Still, the tightness in Hannah’s chest began to return, which prompted Omega to reassure her friend that everything would be ok. Hunter also reassured her, saying that the five of them would take care of everything; she didn’t need to say anything to Cid if she didn’t want to. Hannah agreed and took a deep breath before walking down the stairs, still holding Omega’s hand for support.

As soon as Hannah got to the bottom of the stairs, her eyes went wide. There was no door to the parlor, just an open entrance which let both the neon lighting and muffled background music feed into the stairwell. Inside, there were several different gaming machines along the walls, along with some game tables scattered throughout the area. A decent sized bar sat on the left side, brightly lit up with more neon lighting. There was even a long bench for sitting against the right side of the room. The only other persons in the parlor that she could see were a male Weequay and a male Ithorian, who were in the middle of playing on one of the game machines together. The whole place was surprisingly much nicer than Hannah thought it would be. In all honesty, she thought it looked pretty cool aesthetically.

Cid was nowhere to be found unfortunately. The boys figured that she was in her office, located in the back hallway. Hannah followed them there, taking in the space with wonder in her eyes. She stopped briefly when she noticed the Weequay and Ithorian staring at her, and she gave them a small wave before heading into the hallway with the others.

It was a short hallway, just long enough to fit the six of them, with a single door at the end of it. Hunter told Hannah to wait there while they talked to Cid and once again reassured her that they would take care of everything. She nodded in response, then watched as they all filed into the room, one by one.

“Well, look who it is!” exclaimed a voice from inside the room. Hannah assumed that this was Cid and kept her ear close to the doorframe to listen to the conversation.  

“I was wonderin’ when you boys would come back,” Cid continued. “Tell me what I wanna hear.”

“We got the data rod,” Hunter promptly responded.

“After much trial and error,” Tech added in.

“That’s an understatement!” Wrecker also added.

“Tell me somethin’ I haven’t heard before,” Cid replied with a scoff.

“Ok then,” Hunter began. “You should know we weren’t the only ones after this thing.”

“Oh?” Cid replied, genuinely curious.

“What can you tell us about Vin Drazundr?” Echo asked in a serious tone.

Cid scoffed again, this time out of amusement. “So you all ran into ol’ Vinny, huh? Hoo boy, I do not envy you. I quit doin’ business with him a long time ago. That man is a nuthin’ but a two-timin', self-righteous, pompous sack of scum. I’d go on, but I don’t wanna say anything I shouldn’t in front of the kid.”

“Do you know what kind of people he worked with?” Hunter asked.

“Unfortunately,” Cid replied. “He had connections all over the galaxy, includin’ some folks who’ve since risen to power within the Empire.”

Hannah balled her hands into fists and growled quietly. “I kriffin’ knew that guy was full of it,” she angrily thought to herself.

“I gotta admit,” Cid continued. “I’m impressed you all walked away from an encounter with Vin so easily.”

Hunter scoffed. “It wasn’t easy, trust me.”

“Yeah, Hunter almost died,” Wrecker bluntly added.

There was a pause, as if they were waiting for a response, but there was just silence.

“But it doesn’t matter now,” Hunter continued. “Vin won’t be a problem to anyone ever again.”

A loud slapping noise rang out, like someone had hit the top of a table or desk. “You got rid of Vinny?” Cid actually laughed. “Alright, my respect for you boys just went up a bit. Don’t let it go to your heads though.”

“That being said, I again stress that it was not easy obtaining this item,” Tech stated. “To say we weren’t the slightest bit curious as to its apparent importance would be an understatement.”

“Well, keep wonderin’,” Cid bluntly replied. “I don’t care what’s on it or what it’s bein’ used for, but knowin’ Vin won’t be gettin' his grubby hands on it is all I need to know.”

Hannah heard Hunter sigh in a way that he only did when he was agitated. “Just give it to her, Tech.”

It went silent again for a moment, which Hannah assumed meant that the data rod had finally been passed over. She secretly hoped that she would never have to see the accursed thing ever again.

“There’s... something else, Cid,” Hunter eventually said.  

Hannah’s heart began racing, knowing that he was about to start talking about her.

“Oh boy,” Cid said exasperatedly. “What did you knuckleheads do now?”

“We weren’t the only ones involved in all of this,” Hunter responded. “Someone from Astreon got involved accidentally. We ended up bringin’ them along with us, and--”

“Oh, I can already tell where this is goin’,” Cid interrupted with a groan. “How many times do I gotta tell you guys? I ain’t runnin’ a charity! I can’t be fixin’ your messes all the time either!”

Omega decided to speak up. “The Empire took her home away, Cid! She has nowhere to go.”

“So?” Cid bluntly responded. “Not my problem. You boys pick up a stray, it’s your problem.”

“Fine,” Hunter replied, a slight aggression in his tone. “But if we have to deal with it, then know that it’ll impact any work we might do for you in the future.”

“Again, not my problem,” Cid responded. “Remember, I’m the one who hired all of you. And as useful as you all have been, I can easily replace you!” She scoffed again. “Honestly, Bandana, I expected better from you. You’ve been gettin' soft, and it’s showin’. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was a tactic to take advantage of my generosity to all of you.”

Hannah couldn’t take it anymore; she’d heard enough. She swung around and presented herself in the doorway, exclaiming, “that’s not true!”

Everyone in the room suddenly turned in her direction, save for one person at the back of the room. Seated at a large desk was an older female Trandoshan with her arms crossed and a scowl plastered on her reptilian-like face. It was very obvious that this was Cid. She didn’t even need to move, she could see Hannah clearly from her position.

“Well, if it ain’t the problem herself,” Cid announced, gesturing to Hannah. “Should’ve known it would be a pretty girl. Seriously, you boys are unbelievable.”

Timidly, Hannah began to step further into the room. At a quick glance, she noticed the space was decorated with an array of objects and knick-knacks from various different cultures, obviously put on display as a form of gloating. In all honesty, it reminded Hannah a bit of the way she displayed items in her old apartment back on Astreon.

“Please don’t get mad at them,” Hannah meekly pleaded at Cid. “They were just trying to be nice to me.”

“Obviously,” Cid dryly responded.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect much coming here,” Hannah continued as she stepped closer to the desk. A large holo table was in the middle of the room, and she swerved around it as she continued to speak, also squeezing past the others until she was at the front of the group. “I don’t want to be an inconvenience to anyone.”

“Oh, it’s too late for that,” Cid retorted.

Hunter’s angry scowl returned, and it looked like he was about to say something, but Hannah continued to speak for herself with surprising confidence.

“If you don’t think that you can help me, that’s fine. I have no expectations anymore. I have nothing anymore, honestly. Well...” she took a quick look between the people standing beside her. “Nothing except these guys. They didn’t have to help me, but they did. And I know I’ll never be able to repay them for it. So, the least I can do is try to find some way of making it without their help.”

Each member of the Bad Batch looked at each other in surprise. Hannah had never given any indication of this desire previously to them, so it was shocking to hear. Cid meanwhile had gone quiet, intent on letting Hannah say her piece. She was genuinely curious to hear what Hannah had to say now.

“I’m gonna be honest,” Hannah said with a pitiful laugh. “I’m... not that good at anything. I have little experience working and don’t have any talents that could be useful in most places.” She sensed Hunter about to say something in response to that and shushed him. “But I’m... I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to listen. I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to make a life for myself, wherever it may be. I just need the opportunity, that’s all.”

It went quiet for a moment after that. Cid seemed to be both pondering Hannah’s words and studying her with her eyes. Eventually, she leaned forward on her desk and shook her head. “I gotta admit, I don’t usually like people beggin’ me for things, but I can see you got genuineness in you, girly.” She gave Hannah a hard look. “It ain’t easy to admit when you’re no good at stuff. I get that. But I also can’t do much for someone who’s got nuthin’ to their name other than association.”

Hannah visibly looked downhearted, but nodded understandingly. “I know that. But I also know that I’ll never have anything until someone gives me the chance. I’ll...” She sighed shakily. “I’ll do anything at this point, really. Anything to just get my foot in the door.”

Cid looked at her with squinted eyes, really studying her face now. “Anything, huh? You really mean that?”

Hannah hesitated, but still nodded in response. Hunter tried to speak again, but was once again shushed.

Cid then leaned back in her chair, still giving Hannah that thoughtful look. “That changes things a bit.” She continued to think for a moment, with Hunter looking like he was practically about to explode from not being able to speak.

“Lemme ask you,” Cid said, leaning forward in her chair again. “Exactly how badly do you want this?”

“More than anything,” Hannah promptly responded.

“And you’re seriously willing to do anything?” Cid asked.

Hannah just nodded.

“Even if it involves gettin' caught up in some shady business?”

Again, Hannah just nodded, albeit swallowing a bit of unsureness this time.

“Hmm... you any good at talkin’ to people?”

“If I have to be,” Hannah said with a shrug.

“You good at not askin’ questions?”

Hannah had to think about that one for a second. “I guess, unless I need clarification for something.”

“Right, right, of course.” Cid waved her hand nonchalantly. “Now answer me very truthfully... are you much of a drinker?”

That was an unexpected question. Hannah blinked rapidly and responded, “uhh, no, I don’t drink at all actually.”

“Great. You any good with a mop?”

Another unexpected question. Hannah’s face contorted into confusion and she said, “uhh, yes?”

“Perfect!” Cid exclaimed, throwing her clawed hands into the air. “You’re hired!”

Literally everyone else in the room reeled back in shock.  

“I’m... I’m sorry, what?” Hannah asked, blinking rapidly again.

Cid started to get up from her chair as she spoke. “I said, ‘you’re hired’. Was I not clear enough?”

Hannah stammered, unable to form actual words, completely dumbfounded.

“Where?” Hunter butted in, unable to keep quiet anymore. “Here??”

“No, my other parlor on Coruscant,” Cid replied sarcastically and rolled her eyes. She started walking over to Hannah from around the desk. She was shockingly much shorter than Hannah expected - only coming up to the top of Hannah’s chest - especially considering how large of a presence she was.

“I’m a busy gal,” Cid said as she came up to Hannah. “I can’t be doin’ business and watching this place all the time. I’ve been wantin’ to hire someone to help look after the parlor for me for a while now, but you literally can’t trust anyone on this blasted planet. You seem like an honest soul, bless your heart. And if you can handle wrangling in these bozos,” she gestured to the boys for emphasis. “Then you can handle anything, in my eyes. You can start work today even.”

Hannah didn’t know what to say. She felt like she was dreaming. Was she even alive right now??

Thankfully, once again, Hunter became her mouthpiece. “Cid, she needs a place to stay too.”

“Oh right,” Cid said with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t want the poor thing livin’ in your poor excuse of a starship. Not a problem. I got a place upstairs that I’ve been usin’ for extra storage. She can move up there, so long as she doesn’t mind the mess.”

Now Hannah straight up felt like fainting. She actually grabbed Hunter’s arm to steady herself. “I... I don’t know what to say,” she managed to respond.

“Say nuthin’,” Cid responded before turning to the rest of the Bad Batch. “And I don’t want any of you thinkin’ you can get away with whatever you want because of this! This just so happened to work out with my own personal desires, you got it?”

The boys all just nodded in response. It seemed like they were all in somewhat of a dumbfounded state themselves.

Seeing that Hannah was still flabbergasted, Cid gave her a firm pat on the shoulder to help snap her out of it. “You can thank me later, Red. Just do a good job, and you’ll be just fine here, alright?”

“Y-yes,” Hannah meekly replied with a nod.

“Now come on,” Cid said, shaking her head. “Where’s that fiery confidence I saw earlier? Try it again.”

Hannah cleared her throat and stood up straighter. “Yes ma’am.”

“Much better.” Cid began walking towards the door, beckoning Hannah to follow her. “I’ll give ya a rundown of the place. Pay attention though, cause I’m only gonna explain this once.”

Hannah nodded in understanding and began following Cid to the door, but suddenly stopped. Once Cid was out of the room, Hannah turned on her heels back to the others. All five of them were standing there looking at her with similar expressions of happiness and pride on their faces. Hannah felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest with sheer love for all of them. They were all going to stay together, just like she wanted.

With happy tears welling in her eyes, Hannah rushed forward towards Hunter and threw her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. He returned the hug, equally as happy as she was that they were going to stay together. Then she pulled back and looked into his eyes for only a moment before rushing over to Wrecker and giving him a squeeze as well. He definitely returned the hug, laughing happily the whole time. Then Hannah went over to Tech and Echo and wrapped her arms around both of them into a double hug. They both seemed shocked at the gesture, but returned it as best they could, considering how awkward a position they were in. Then Hannah bent down and practically scooped up Omega into her arms, swinging her around a bit as they both laughed with joy.

“Hey Red!” Cid called out from the hallway. “You comin’ or not?”

“Yes! I’m coming!” Hannah called back as she put Omega down. With a newfound skip in her step, she ran to the door, stopping only briefly to give a final, gleeful look at her friends before heading into the hallway.

There was a brief moment of silence in the room as the Bad Batch relished in everything that had just happened.

“Wow,” Wrecker eventually said, rubbing the back of his head innocently.

“Well, I don’t think that could have possibly gone any better,” Tech stated, unable to hide the smile that had remained on his face.

“Guess things are gonna be different around here from now on,” Echo added, crossing his arms with a content look.

Omega walked up to Hunter, who still had his gaze towards the door. She had never seen him look so happy in all the time she’d known him, and her heart somehow swelled more than it already was.  

“Looks like we all get what we want now,” she said to him.

A happy sigh escaped Hunter’s lips before he looked down at his little sister, the same adoring look still on his face. “Lucky us.”

Eventually, everyone walked out of Cid’s office and back into the parlor. Cid seemed to still be showing Hannah around and informing her of all the different things she would be taking care of. While mostly delegating her to bartending duties, Hannah was also going to be responsible for keeping the parlor clean, which she honestly didn’t mind considering how messy the place was. Tech also reassured her that she wouldn’t have to worry about remembering what Cid was telling her as he already had all that information recorded, unsurprisingly. Mostly, Hannah was just relishing in her circumstance, still unable to believe that she was actually going to be working for Cid at all.  

At some point, Hannah felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see the Weequay and the Ithorian standing awkwardly behind her. She greeted them amiably, and they in turn greeted her back. Then they awkwardly began introducing themselves to her, with the Ithorian saying his name was Bolo and the Weequay’s name was Ketch. Hannah happily told them her name as well, joyfully exclaiming that she was the parlor’s new bartender. The two of them seemed to like the sound of that, especially after Hannah offered to get drinks for them. She was anxious to have her first customers, and Bolo and Ketch happily accepted her offer.

As that was happening, Hunter went over to Cid again and told her that he thought Hannah should have a cut of the reward for bringing back the data rod since she was a part of the entire thing.

Cid chuckled amusingly at him and said, “you really have gone soft, huh Bandana?”

Hunter just shrugged and replied, “is that a bad thing?”

Cid groaned in response and told him that if he wanted that to happen, he’d have to give her a portion of his cut, not hers. She said nothing else and headed back to her office, not wanting to stick around for the inevitable mush fest that was going on in her parlor.

Everyone was now crowded around the bar, with Hannah excitedly pouring out drinks for all of them. Any worries she might have had earlier that day were completely gone. Why did she need to worry? Her new life was just getting started, and she was sure it was going to be one heck of an adventure.

*************************

The door to Cid’s office slid open as the Trandoshan woman stepped back inside. She could still hear the chatter going on back in the parlor, and she shook her head, knowing this was probably going to be the new way of life for a while. As if it wasn’t crazy enough having the Bad Batch hanging out at her place all the time, now she had Hannah to deal with as well. She of course wasn’t worried about Hannah herself, but more so what could transpire from her relationship with Cid’s finest mercenaries. Best scenario possible, Hannah would help keep them all in line, but only time would tell if that would be true or not.

That was a concern for another day though. Cid had other things to worry about right now.

After she made her way over to her desk, Cid picked up the small metal rod that been left there earlier. She still couldn’t believe that the boys had managed to take down Vin Drazundr in the process. Just knowing that he had also been after the data rod was enough to warrant some curiosity; she didn’t blame the boys for being so curious about it either. They didn’t need to know though, it wasn’t their business.

It was Cid’s business, however.

“Alright Vinny,” Cid said as she walked over to her holo table. “What were you stickin’ your horns into this time?”

She took a moment to make sure her door was fully sealed before sticking the data rod into the table. Strings of words and other types of data began flashing in front of her face, projected by the table, and she began to study them intently.

“Let’s see here, what have we got... somethin’, somethin’, unnamed species... strange phenomenons, blah, don’t care... oh? The Techno Union, ehh? Now we’re gettin' somewhere... uh huh... ehh? Secret lab? Weapon prototypes? And what’s this about Ast—oh. Ohhhh. Oh boy...”

Almost like she had read something she knew she wasn’t supposed to, Cid quickly shut the table off and yanked the data rod out of the socket. She looked at it curiously in her clawed hand, then back at the door. Laughter could be heard from outside, even with the door shut tight. For a brief moment, Cid began to question if there was something more to her new bartender than she originally thought, but quickly shrugged it off as mere coincidence.  

Still gripping the data rod in her hand, Cid walked back to her desk with a huff. For once in a very long time, she was questioning the viability of the deal she had made. And knowing that Vin Drazundr of all people had gotten involved in the whole thing...

A groan escaped Cid’s mouth, and she shook her head before setting the data rod down on the desk, almost like she was trying to hide it. Then she walked back over the holo table and punched some buttons. A projection of a Nemoidian appeared above the table.

“Ahh, finally,” the Nemoidian exclaimed. “I assume this means you have obtained the data for me.”

“Not quite,” Cid replied as she walked back to her desk and sat down. “My men just got back and told me there was another party after it. Someone incredibly dangerous.”

“I was told that danger would not be an issue for your men,” the Nemoidian responded.

“Normally, yes,” Cid responded back. “But this one was special. The name Vin Drazundr ring a bell to you?”

Even through the projection, Cid could tell the Nemoidian seemed a bit nervous at the mention of Vin’s name. “Of course I am familiar with the name. But no more than that.”

“Right.” Cid clasped her hands together and leaned onto the desk. “Turns out he was a bit too ambitious about gettin' the thing for himself and caused a whole ruckus over it. My men did what they could, but because of Vin’s meddling, the data was destroyed. Along with Vin, apparently.”

The Nemoidian seemed both upset and a bit taken aback by this. “You are certain of this?”

“Positive. You can go look for Vin’s dead body yourself, if you’d like. The Syndicate just lost a major player cause of this. Which means a shift in power is about to go down.” Cid leaned forward even further, addressing the Nemoidian in a more serious tone. “I can’t do much to replace the lost data, but I can offer my assurances that if somethin’ does change cause of this mess with Vin, you won’t wanna have any association with his name whatsoever. You catchin’ my drift?”

The nervous state of the Nemoidian began to visibly heighten. “I understand. Consider my payment as proof of this.”

“Good answer.” Cid leaned back in her chair again, a small smirk appearing on her reptilian-like face. “Pleasure doin’ business with you.”

The projection disappeared, and Cid huffed. She looked back down at the data rod she had cleverly hidden and shook her head. Then, standing up, she took the rod and walked over to the door to her supply closet. The door slid open with a puff of dust. Several boxes lined the shelves of the dirty closet, filled with who-knows-what. Cid stepped inside the closet and picked a random box to toss the data rod into, then turned back around, left the closet, and shut the door behind her.

“This better not come back to bite me in the butt later...”