#-birth) but I don't think she actually has a short tail. I just wanted her to have that

[kirisclangen]

Calvinsplash and her two kits, Lupinekit and Wisteriakit

Calvinsplash: she/her, 70 moons, cis molly

Wisteriakit: he/him, 2 moons, cis tom, blind

Lupinekit: he/him, 2 moons, cis tom

[shadowcatzone]

i was thinking about xingyue child again today.

That in itself would make a great post i'm sure. Anyways:

Xingyue child being a child that runs, climbs, plays... but nobody has the energy/mentality for them.

Tiny toddler xingyue child who runs around and wants to play

Early morning they push some dried fruit into dan fengs mouth, climbs up on his shoulders and screams "how is it!?" And he answers "mhm" because his mouth is full and he just got up.

Toddler xingyue child who hides, sneaks, and leaps at yingxing the moment they think he doesn't see them (he knows. They're not great at hiding), then he catches them mid jump and twirls them around two or three times. But he's an old man at this point so playtime is usually rather short (also they get scolded by dan feng when they overdo it. Like, both of them)

Due to this, xingyue child's energy goes THROUGH THE ROOF whenever uncle jing yuan visits. Someone they can play with a lot? And no danger of getting scolded? Yeah!! Well he's technically a lot younger than yingxing. And even if the child was TOO energetic for him, yingxing would just see it as revenge for how jing yuan was when he was younger.

They play nicely with baiheng. Nobody knows why. Baiheng is the only one who gets the "calm toddler" experience (mostly because xingyue child just cuddles with them, due to baiheng holding them over her head, claiming they're a starskiff, and xingyue child didn't like the experience.)

They don't play with jingliu. Why not? They don't want to bother her. They're just happy she decided to visit.

The first time they all wanted to bring her to a festival, dan feng started fussing and was like "no. Too dangerous. They can't." Only to be coaxed into letting xingyue child come along because there is no way anyone would go up against all five of them, right? They had a lovely time too.

___

Current xingyue child using the ribbon on blades back as a stepladder to get up on his shoulders. To have a better view.

Running up and down the astral express when dan heng fails to entertain them adequately. Dan heng trying to catch them but this isn't their first life. It's the second and they decided to live it slippery and as a menace.

The entire astral express crew absolutely giving up when xingyue child ate candy from the IPC and now they're high on sugar because they've only ever eaten xianzhou sweets, if anything, which aren't that sweet.

On second thought maybe they're just used to dried fruits because of their upbringing.

Dan heng trying to help them brush their teeth but they don't like it so they bite his arm instead. The teeth barely even go through the sleeve but it's the thought that counts (????)

Take two with blade who just says "are you a good little kid? Good kids get their teeth brushed." And they just let him bc yeah y didnt u just say so.

i don't know why but i think yingxing, and also blade, are somehow better at parenting than dan feng/ dan heng. Maybe a short-life thing. Parental instinct and such. Whereas dan feng just thought every vidyadhara can do this/that from birth (spoiler: they can't bc its literally their first time around) and dan heng is torn between his memories, which suggest they can do this/that from birth, imaginary dan feng who lives in some corner of his mind and claims maybe they need some help learning this/that, and blade, who tells him he's stupid for expecting a toddler to be able to do this/that the reason being x/y/z.

Jing yuan as a babysitter. But really he just sleeps the whole time (or pretends to) and yanqing and fu xuan are the ones actually looking after xingyue child. if he is awake he just takes them to the seat of divine foresight and plays works a bit with them

Xingyue child playing with bailu by following her every step. Like a little duckling. Bailu feeds them a lot. They gain a bit of weight every time they're with bailu.

Ok, the stellaron hunters probably not being as involved. But i can imagine kafka holding them up by their neck/tail and asking if anyone lost their hybrid.

Also xingyue in both lives with an azure dragon plush(?) And dragging it with them always, even though the damn thing is slightly bigger than they are.

[phoebepheebsphibs]

*slides back into your ask box*

Sorry to bother you again- You're just the only person I know of who has Draxum knowledge I can ask stuff to (also you're just fun to talk to) I've run into a problem where I can't quite figure out how pre-reformation-Draxum would actually treat one of his creations if he got to keep one. A lot of people immediately assume he would have been horribly abusive, but based on how he treats the goyles, I don't think he'd be as abusive as everyone seems to think. I'm asking, because I keep trying to write flashback scenes/backstory for my OC, but whenever I do, it doesn't feel right to write him as entirely uncaring about his creation. Originally, what it was going to be was that; Since mutating the turtles didn't work out because of Lou Jitsu as a variable, he uses himself as the supplier of DNA to mutate with instead. He sends his perfectly capable henchgoyles to go find him a formidable animal he can mutate into the perfect warrior. However, what they end up bringing him is an abandoned newborn kitten. (Likely because they couldn't get their hands on anything more dangerous, or they legitimately thought an alley cat would work) The developing problem is that the kitten had gotten sick soon after birth, and the mother didn't want the illness to spread to the other kittens, so she was left behind. As a result, Abby (the kitten) was already very weak when the goyles got her. Post-mutation, Abby's body couldn't handle the stress, and her heart stopped. Tiny CPR happens, Abby's revived, and life carries on. The goyles mostly raise her- the issue is, because Draxum's not exactly easy on her, he pushes her past her limits, and when she fails, she gets hit (either because abusive, or because it's him she's sparring against) one way or another, her tail either gets pulled /hard/, or she gets it stuck somewhere and ends up trying to pull it free, resulting in it getting broken. The incident gives her spinal/nerve damage, and half her tail ends up needing to be amputated. So now not only does she have problems maintaining her balance, but back pain, and temporary paralysis in her legs if she pushes herself too hard. At this point, Draxum gives up on her. He turns his attention to oozesquitos, and though he still tries on occasion to build up her strength, he still views her as a failure for not being able to work through her problems (without, yk, physical therapy- but Draxum doesn't have time for that) What I'm stuck on is that- The whole reason she ends up not being around for the series is because when the turtles destroyed his lab again, Draxum either assumed she was dead, or intentionally left her behind to die because she was of no use to him. Therefore, the next time she sees him after the events of the finale, she only knows him as the villain that created her and left her to die. She has no sense of self worth, or what real love feels like- because she was raised to be a weapon, and since she failed at that, she's nothing.

BUT THE MORE I TRY AND WRITE IT LIKE THIS, THE MORE IT FEELS OUT-OF-CHARACTER FOR DRAXUM!!! The idea was that- deep down, he did care for her- But he didn't let himself show her any real affection because he knew it would only make her soft. His topmost priority was preventing the prophecy from coming true, and he needed a weapon against the humans to do it. He didn't have time to be a parent. He didn't even know how. If she couldn't fulfill her purpose, he was a failure, and she was his failed experiment. He didn't have any use for her, so he left her behind. (I mean, he was fully willing to off his other creations if they didn't want to join him, so why not her?) He never realized how horribly he'd messed up his own child until after his reformation, and by then he'd believed she was dead, and it was too late to make up for it.

Long rant short, do you think the way I have villain-Draxum act in the story works? Something about it doesn't feel right to me, but I'm hesitant to change things, because that leads to a lot of plot holes in the backstory, which I would then need to rewrite- and as a result, rewrite their entire dynamic, and any interactions in other fics.

I'M SORRY FOR THE LONG ASK I JUST FIND YOUR OPINION ON STUFF TO BE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL & INSPIRING WHEN WRITING ABOUT DRAXUM- hhhh I talked for too long I'll go now sorry if this is too long merry Christmas fellow gremlinnn At least you get a free sneak peak into my AU/fanfic, if you were interested in that 🤣 eeeeeeeeeeebye ---That one gremlin who lives in your ask box 🍕🐢💕✨

Lol this actually kinda reminded me of my separated AU that I’m working on (gonna post the stories to AO3 once I’m finished with Hide and Seek). In it, Draxum raises Donnie as his son/protégé and is not very nice about it… it’s a whole thing.

Ok but to answer your question…

I think that Draxum’s affection levels for whoever he raises would depend on when he found them. You’re right, he isn’t a complete monster (we see him be… semi-decent around Huginn and Muninn), but I think he only gets like that after years of coming to grips with his disappointment and failure with the turts and Lou Jitsu. If he were to find the turtles again when they were maybe toddlers or kids, he might be more caring for them. He may grow attached to them as more than experiments, he’d truly appreciate them — because he knew what it was like to lose them.

And I’ve seen some Separated AU’s where he raises Mikey, and in most of those universes he ends up pretty compassionate and charming, mostly due to Mikey’s influence over the years. Though, I am reading some fics where that was not the case…

But, for your character’s story, I think that how you’ve described it is pretty accurate. If you want to show him more caring, maybe he’d be concerned about keeping her safe, so she’d be like a Rapunzel — overprotected and never allowed to leave him… for her own safety. OR he’d want her to be able to defend herself, so he would push her to her limits. And then, after his reformation arc, he would try to make amends with her.

But really, in the end, it’s up to you! You can decide what choices Drax makes, but you need to show WHY he chooses that. He is always capable of change, but you’ve gotta show what drives him to that change. Maybe, seeing a frail life die and barely make it back shakes him. He can’t afford losing another project like this… so he decides to give her his full attention, raise her himself rather than have his gargoyles look after her. And she starts to get better, as he spends his nights watching over her in case she has a relapse. And then, as years pass, seeing how she grows slowly makes him swell with pride… she’s come such a long way from being a mangy kitten in the rain… and suddenly, he sees her as less of a science project and more of a pupil. Maybe as she gets older, he starts getting nervous when she gets hurt because for some odd reason, he feels her pain. He cries when she does. He comforts her when she has a nightmare. He unintentionally memorizes her favourite food and her favourite colour and… starts seeing her less as a student and as… an heir? A protégé? Someone he trusts. Someone he cares for. Little by little, they grow closer. And closer. Until one day he looks at her and realizes that he hasn’t even thought about attacking humankind in years. He’s only thought of what schools she’d get into, what dress she’ll wear to Big Mama’s gala, her hobbies and interests, the fear of what will happen when she reaches the dreaded dating age, etc. She isn’t a weapon, or an experiment, or a student, or even a successor. She’s his own precious daughter.

In conclusion, everything is possible for your characters, but the real issue is finding a way to make it believable.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

(On a completely separate note, I’m kind of interested to see how your character Abby would react to Mikey and the others… would she resent them, or hate them? In her eyes, would they be the “better version” of her, what she was supposed to be, but failed to become? And not only that, but they took her only family away from her?! He was her father — a terrible dad, sure, but hers!! Would she feel threatened by them? Or would she feel like maybe she’d finally found someone with common ground and understanding?

Food for thought.)

[novankenn]

"Ozpin's Fault AU"

Birth of GoldenKitsunneGoddess (2/2) (943 Words)

Jaune clasped her hands together around her fluffy golden tail, that she had unconsciously bent about her waist. The flower printed sky blue summer dress with a modest neckline, and short sleeves made the embarrassed Jaune absolutely cavity inducing adorable. Velvet couldn't help but be entranced.

"Relax Jaune." Coco called out, "Just be yourself."

"Coco?" Jaune whined.

"Let go of your tail, and give me a little spin."

"Can I just..."

"No." Coco snapped. "Now give me a little twirl, or better yet a pirouette!"

Jaune pouted, her hands tightening about her tail, and her ears pressing against the top of her head. The pure little sister innocence nearly broke Velvet, she had to bite her lip to prevent from going older sister on Coco.

"Jaune, just go with it, okay. You're beautiful, and elegant."

"You're not going to do..."

"No. Everything will be tasteful, nothing fetish-y. Just normal outfits. I promise."

"Arc's word?"

"I'm an Adel." Coco wanted to start to cry at the 9000 power sad puppy-dog eyes. "Okay... I swear. Can you give me a pirouette?"

Velvet nearly collapsed as she watched Jaune perform the ballet manoeuvre flawlessly. It was too much. Jaune was just radiating attraction while simultaneously inspiring older sibling feelings. Velvet was forcing herself to not act. To not swoop in, yeet Coco through a window and carry Jaune back to Beacon, and safety. Then her ears drooped. Beacon wouldn't be safe.

"Bun-Bun? Are you okay?" Velvet shook her head, trying to suppress her older sister impulses, once she realized Coco was addressing her.

"I'm fine, just... just..."

"Shocking, isn't it?"

"You could say that."

"All that innocence, and sex appeal in one package. We're going to have to be on our toes, Bun-Bun."

"Our toes?"

"You're an older sister, right?"

"I am."

"And what would you do if you knew your most innocent and angelic sisters were surrounded by hussies, sluts, hags, cads, chads, and all manner of other reprehensible people that will only want into her pants?"

"Murder, justifiable homicide." Velvet growled at the image that Coco conjured in her mind.

"Jaune's in Beacon. That delicate angel has no idea how appealing she is. How she'll drive people insane... I need to protect my cousin, and I'll need your help."

"You've got it." An alert on her scroll drew her eyes down. "Holy Fuck!"

"Bun-Bun?"

"Do you remember how many followers your Duster account had?"

"About 75, maybe closer to 80. Why?"

"I'm set to auto upload the pictures I take..."

"Yeah, that's normal practice for when we do these little shows. Again why?"

"Well you almost 80 followers is now 2000!"

"2000?" Coco was shocked, and grabbed Velvet by the wrist, so she could see the analytics screen for herself.

"And that's from just one outfit!"

"Coco?" Jaune's voice drew the pair of huntresses-in-training from Velvet's scroll.

"Yes, Jaune?"

"I don't like these heels."

"I found the lowest ones I could find for you." Coco called back.

"They don't work with this outfit. I need something else."

"Excuse me?"

"These," the pair of open toes one inch pumps, clattered along the floor from under the curtain. "Don't work. Ankle books would be better."

"Are you..."

"You want me to do this, give me what I need to feel comfortable, please?"

Coco inhaled slowly and then moved up to the change room. Sticking her head inside, she catalogued what Jaune was wearing, and made a decision.

"You're right." Coco admitted. "Definitely need ankle boots, and not black either."

"Maybe pink?" Jaune suggested.

"I think pink would work. Hold on for a minute, okay."

"Okay."

Velvet blinked, and then shook her head, as she could swear that Jaune was actually sounding excited about pink ankle boots. That was a complete 180 from how she was acting earlier. Shaking her head once again, she checked the analytics, and choked.

"4500!" velvet screeched.

"What?"

"You now have 4500, AND they're all asking who the vixen is. Some are calling her a Kitsunne."

"Bun-Bun," Coco spoke in a very serious tone as she came back from the shoe section with a pair of requested pink ankle boots with about a 2-inch heel. "Remember that project we were considering?"

"The OnlyFans?"

"Yes."

"Well it is mostly set up, it just needs to be named, approved and published."

"Prep it. We'll use the Duster analytics for each posting. If we can get what 10,000 we activate the OnlyFans. Sound reasonable?"

"What are you two talking about?" Jaune called from behind the curtain of the change room. "Do you have my shoes?"

"Yes, I do, Jaune." Coco replied as she rushed up and shoved the requested boots through the curtain. "Let me know when You're ready to come out."

"Okay." Jaune responded as Coco power walked back to Velvet.

"So what about a name?"

"Has to be catchy, and unique."

"Well the comments are calling Jaune a Goddess, Golden Angel, Vivacious Vixen, plus of course there are the few that are swearing fealty to their glorious Kitsunne."

"Golden Kitsunne Goddess?" Coco asked after thinking for a few moments. "How does that sound?"

"It'd have to be all one word."

"That's fine."

"Okay, I'll set for the next shoot, and get the ball rolling on the approval..."

"Ask for authentication as well."

"Coco?" Jaune asked.

"Are you ready, Jaune?"

"I am, but I have a question."

"Okay, and that is?"

"After we're done with this pile, can I pick the next outfit?"

"Sure." Coco answered as she watched Velvet nod, indicating the process was started. Coco laughed, as she thought of how GoldenKitsunneGoddess was going to take the online forums by storm.

[the-blivyverse]

Did I ever end up talking about Scorch? I don't think I did...

Scorch is a half human half fire elemental. Yes I have somewhat thought about the technicalities of how a human would fuck a literal living fireball. It kind of works like Ponyta in the Pokemon anime where its fire mane doesn't burn you unless it doesn't trust you or want to be touched.

She's also the leader of a gang of various other non-human creatures. I was concidering placing her in Cyberpunk Supernatural but I'm still a little on the fence about it. She's very spunky and will 100% throw down if you threaten or offend her. She also has a signature nailbat cuz nailbats are cool and also she sometimes lights the bat on fire which is even cooler (She covers the bat in a fireproof varnish that's why it doesn't turn to charcoal.)

She's got a mostly human appearance but she has a tail and wings(that she can't fly with sorry) made of fire. Oh and she has various old burn scars littering her body from when she was little and still getting the hang of having bodyparts made of fire. She's got it pretty much under control now but there's still instances where she's singed pieces of clothing and that's why her hair is also consistently short cuz she keeps burning it by accident whenever she gets super uber pissed which tends to happen a lot...

Oh and OF COURSE she has a traumatic backstory cuz I do what I want.

Her mom died of... something idk what just yet when she was little and then it was her and her dad for a while. That is until her super traumatic event where there was a big flood somewhere idk where but they were both there for some reason oh and also the flood wasn't an accident. Somone caused it on purpose with the intention of causing harm to Scorch and her dad and she and her dad got caught in it. Scorch only survived cuz a majority of her vital body parts are human flesh and not fire but it still hurt like HELL cuz her fire limbs getting extinguished is like the equivalent of having a limb get cut off. She watched her dad get completly extinguished and die right in front of her tho ✌

Also also, Scorch isn't her original name her parents named her. It's a name she goes by in her gang to seem tougher cuz her actual name isn't very tough sounding. She's grown more comfortable with Scorch over time and started to dislike her birth name cuz all it does is remind her of her dead parents. Idk what her birth name is yet I haven't figured that out.

I do actually want her to have a line of dialouge having to do with her conception that's something like "Yeah I totally understand people's curiosity about how that works but I REALLY would rather not think about my parents having sex thank you"

[buckyhad]

Tangled (Bucky Barnes x Stark!reader)

I. Kids.

Summary: Since tony met you, he keep you safe in the tower, but Bucky has another idea about that.

Or

A Rapunzel avenger story.

Warnings: mention of death, minor violence, Bucky with a hurt ego.

Word counting: 1,3k

Note: if you see a mispelling let me know. Also if you want to be added to the masterlist tell me or reblog. Lots of love.

Tangled masterlist

"This is the story of how I died." Bucky started narrating. "Don't worry, this is actually a very fun story. And the truth is, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a girl, named (Y/n). And it starts, with the sun. Now, once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens."

He made a dramatic pause.

"Turning into a golden flower.

It had the ability to heal the sick, and injured. Oh, it can make your most desired dream come true too. Remeber that, it's kinda of important."

"There was a lovely couple in a small town, everyone loved them, she was about to have a baby, and she got sick, really, sick. She was running out of time. And that's when people usually start to look for a miracle. Or in this case, a magic golden flower."

"The magic of the golden flower, healed the woman. A healthy baby girl, was born. With beautiful hair. I'll give you a hint. That's (Y/n). To celebrate her birth, the couple launched a flying lantern into the sky. For that one moment, everything was perfect. And then that moment ended." Bucky sighed "Everyone wanted to ask for a wish, so they started to wait outside the little girl's home just to make it, the rumour spread fast and people from everywhere started going to the town." He finished.

My mother became sick again when I was 11, and my dad wasn't my dad anymore, no without her.

I was almost twelve when she died. It was awful.

But not as awful as losing my dad three months after that.

Thats when I met Tony Stark. Bumping into him while crying on the street.

Long story. Short, Tony saved me and was like my father since then.

"save what was lost, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine." I sang while Tony brushed my hair.

"You're gonna make me younger kiddo." Tony he said.

"Sorry dad." I smiled.

After what happened in my home town, I moved to the stark tower. A hidden part.

Tony say that the world was dangerous for someone with my gift.

*8 years later*

Pascal, my cat, hides behind a flower pot.

He was my best friend, a brown cat with big yellow eyes.

I shoved aside the curtains and screamed "HAH! Hmm, Well... I guess Pascal's not hiding out here.".

Pascal chuckles, then I snatches him up with my hair. He shrieks.

"Gotcha!!! That's twenty two for me. How about twenty three, out of forty five?." Pascal shakes his head no, tired of the same game. "Okay, well, what do you want to do?." Pascal points his tail out the window, indicating outside. "Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here and so do you." Pascal pouts. "Oh, come on Pascal, it's not so bad in there."

"7a.m. the usual morning lineup, starting the chores I sweep 'til the floors all clean. Polish and wax, do laundry and mop and shine up. Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15. So I'll read a book, or maybe two or three. I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery. I'll play guitar, and knit, and cook and basically. Wonder when will my life, begin. Then after lunch, it's puzzles, and darts and baking. Paper-mache , a bit of ballet, and chess. Pottery, and ventriloquy, candle making. Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch. Take a climb, sew a dress, and I'll re-read the books. If I have time to spare, I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere. And then I'll brush, and brush, and brush, and brush my hair. Stuck in the same place I've always been. And I'll keep wondering, and wondering, and wondering... Wondering, just when will my life begin?' ."

Bucky, Sam and Steve were jumping from building to building before stopping on top of one. The biggest one.

"Wow! I could get used to a view like this." Bucky smiled.

"Buck , come on." Steve warned him.

"Hold on Steve. Yep, I'm used to it. Guys, I want a building."

"We do this job, you can buy your own building." Sam laughed at his friend.

Once inside the castle a guard sneezes.

"Oh, hay fever?." Bucky asked.

"Yeah." The guard turns around to see Bucky leaning against the pedestal, with the bracelet in his hand. The guard turns back around. "Huh?." After a second of thinking he realised that sometime was wrong. The guard turns around again and sees Bucky, who is now escaping through the roof. "Wait, what? Hey, wait!."

"Can't you picture me in a castle of my own?" The three men were running of the police now. "I mean, I certainly can. Oh, the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning. Gentlemen, this is a very big day."

I sighed after a really boring afternoon, waiting for tony to come back with the movies i asked. "This is it. This is a very big day, Pascal. I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to ask him."

"So, dad, earlier I was saying tomorrow’s a pretty big day, and you didn't really respond, So I'm just going to tell you. It's my birthday!"

"No, no, no can't be. I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year."

"That's the funny thing about birthdays. They're kind of an annual thing. Dad, I'm turning nineteen. And I wanted to ask, what I really want for this birthday. Actually, what I’ve wanted for...quite a few birthdays now, I want to see the lanterns."

"You mean the stars?."

"Tony knew what she means, he was the one who made sure everyday in her birthday were lanterns in the sky" Bucky narrated.

"Excuse me, this is my part of the story."

"Sorry, my bad."

"No, there are this lanterns, and it happen to be in all of my birthdays."

"No, no, it can't be. You can see the stars from here honey, I can even bring you a telescope if you want." I was dissapointed, of course I was, it was my dream!.

"Fine, a telescope." Tony hughed me.

Back in the city the guys, running to their home in the tower, they saw a big drawing of the three.

"No, no no. This is bad, this is very, very bad, This is really bad." Bucky panicked. "They just can't get my nose right."

"Who cares." Sam chuckled.

"Well it's easy for you to say. You guys look amazing," He was truly hurt, how can they made him so ugly and his friends so handsome?. "All right, okay. Give me the keys, and I'll let you in." He panted.

"Give us the satchel first." Steve saw the hurt in his best friend's face after the picture, and with a ruined ego he has to make sure that the plan was finished.

"Wha..? I just... I can't believe, that after all we've been together, you don't trust me. Ouch."

"Now, pretty boy." Sam added.

"Sorry, my hands are full." Bucky smirked showing them the keys in his hand and running to a alley.

"What? BARNES!." Steve screamed. "Dammit! I knew it."

"Gonna kill him." Sam murmured.

"Retrieve that satchel with any force. We got him now, Maximus." Natasha, the captain of the guard told to her horse.

No one knows why she has a horse.

She chases Bucky. "C'mon Barnes, don't make this harder."

"Sorry Nat, our lifes are boring now, had to add a little bit of emotion." He pushed Natasha, and jump on top of Maximus.

"Go! Heyah! Come, fleabag, forward. No. No, stop it. HAH! AHHHHH!" Maximus tried to bite him.

So he jumped. "Catch me creature."

He entered the tower with the animal hot in his heels. "How can a horse get in here, damn Tony." He murmured to himself while going up the stairs, stopping and looking around he frowned. "Where the hell am I".

Bucky wasn't the smartest person in the world,

"Hey! That's rude."

So instead of going back, he opens a door and entered the unknown place.

"Alone at last." He sighed.

"And everything turned black."

Taglist: @gabrielislovegabrielislife

[fialleril]

I just had to deal with all this transphobic bullshit in therapy (because why should my doctors bother to actually respect me) and I cried all day and I just feel awful. If it's not too much trouble, could I get a snippet of Anakin totally destroying someone who absolutely deserves it? Verbally, physically, I don't really care, I'm just in serious need of a revenge fantasy. I don't care what universe it's in. I love all your fics and I'd really appreciate it if you could take the time. Thanks!

Posting this publicly with permission - I hope it helps! (And I hope you can get access to a therapist who will respect you.)

This is another snippet from the Jedi reformation AU. In which Anakin and a couple of Padme’s former handmaidens plot to help a group of enslaved people escape from the palace of the king of Brundia. A king who just so happens to also be Anakin’s Jedi assignment at the time. Also, at least one character has now officially migrated to this fic from Anabasis.

Takes place less than a year before AOTC. Warnings for discussion of slavery.

Anakin’s transponder goes off almost the minute they dock onBrundia. He hesitates a moment after settling the ship and powering down, justlong enough that Obi-Wan looks over at him with a raised brow.

“I know you’re not excited about this mission, padawan,” hesays dryly. “But I do hope I won’t have to drag you off the ship. We don’t wantto keep His Majesty waiting.”

“Of course not, Master,” Anakin mutters, exaggerating hissigh just that much more than necessary. It makes Obi-Wan roll his eyes, and hemisses the way Anakin taps twice against a pouch on his utility belt as he pullshimself to his feet with a groan.

King Marlonartan the Seventh, formally styled His RoyalHighness, Lord of the Fifteen Mysteries, Prince of the Infinite Isles, Augustand Radiant Fount of Wisdom, Crown of Justice and Throne of Mercy, King Ordainedby All the Powers of the Cosmic Oneness, Marlonartan, Seventh of that Line, isnot someone who likes to be kept waiting. He’s also, apparently, one of thosepeople who believes that on time is in fact late. It’s a common belief amongMasters, though they never seem to apply it to themselves.

Obi-Wan and Anakin present themselves before the AugustPresence at exactly 17:00 galactic standard time, just as they were scheduled.The Fount of Wisdom glares down at them from his jewel encrusted throne and mutters,peevishly, “I had understood that Jedi were always punctual. You disappoint me,Master Kenobi. I would expect to be shown more respect by the emissaries of theSupreme Chancellor.”

“I do apologize, Your Highness,” Obi-Wan says, bowingdeeply. His annoyance is obvious in the Force, though nothing of it shows inhis outward bearing. Anakin follows his lead, teeth gritted to hold back ascoff. He’s already imagining how he’ll describe this scene to Kitster.

Their assignment is simple enough: they’re on securitydetail for the duration of Brundia’s week-long celebration of the Exalted andMost Holy Day of the Birth of the King. The Council believes that KingMarlonartan, who has a history of predicting threats against his person, mayactually have reason to be concerned this time, so they’ve sent Obi-Wan andAnakin to babysit.

“This assignment is fairly routine, and we don’t expect muchresistance,” Master Windu had said. “But Brundia is a strategic world in ourefforts to combat the spread of the Separatist movement.” Then his eyes hadnarrowed and he’d added, “And Padawan Skywalker could use the practice indiplomacy.”

Obi-Wan had agreed of course, his embarrassment not quitehidden in the Force, and Anakin had bowed and said, “Yes, Master,” and that wasthat.

Later, when he messaged her with the news, Padmé respondedwith a long string of laughing faces. “Someday,” she wrote, “we’re going toattend the same diplomatic summit, and I’ll get to see the show in person.” Shealways calls it “the show,” mainly because she finds it absolutely hilariousthat the Council still believes Anakin causes diplomatic incidents out ofignorance, rather than out of very deliberate choice.

Padmé had offered a bit of teasing advice, too. “I’ve metKing Marlonartan before,” she wrote, followed by a grimacing face that made himlaugh for longer than it probably should have. “It’s pretty much impossible todo too much bowing and scraping, as far as he’s concerned, so you can get awaywith quite a lot there. Just…try not to call him a rich Core Worlder to hisface.”

“No promises,” Anakin wrote back, and he’s fighting a grinthinking about it now.

But he manages to mold his face into an expression of deepcontrition as he bows low, his right palm pressed to his brow, in the properdisplay of Brundian fealty. “Please forgive us, Most Merciful Highness,” hesays, eyes trained on the marble floor. “I am only a learner, and I fear my aweof your magnificent palace caused my Master to be delayed.”

He can feel Obi-Wan looking at him, and his Master’scuriosity prodding at the edges of his mind. Anakin hides a smirk and lets histhoughts fill with the pious desire to do well, to have a successful missionand meet the Council’s expectations. That makes Obi-Wan even more suspicious,but as a shield it’s effective, and a moment later his mind withdraws. Anakin’sglad that he’s looking down, so the laughter doesn’t show on his face.

The truth is, the obsequious bowing and constant use offlowery, inflated titles come easily. Resistance in the form of scrupulousobedience is a lesson older than his oldest memory, and in a place like this,where even the hint of a double meaning is completely lost not only on the kingbut on his Jedi Masters as well, it’s almost fun.

King Marlonartan nods graciously and offers his forgiveness,and then they’re dismissed to meet with the king’s security team.

“What was that, padawan?” Obi-Wan hisses the moment the ornatedoors of the throne room close behind them.

Anakin offers his best innocent, eager to please smile.“Diplomacy, Master,” he says. “I really am trying to do better. I know howimportant this mission is.”

Obi-Wan looks at him for a long moment with narrowed eyes.Finally he sighs. “Just try not to cause a diplomatic incident this time,” hesays wearily. “That’s all I ask.”

“Yes, Master,” Anakin says dutifully.

He doesn’t manage to slip away until nearly midnight, afterthey’ve gone over King Marlonartan’s security arrangements twice andestablished a shift for both regular guards and Jedi protectors.

Obi-Wan’s on watch now, and Anakin is supposed to besleeping. He’s going to be horribly tired through his shift, he knows, but he’srun on less sleep before and this is far more important.

Rabé and Yané are waiting for him in an all-night dinerthat’s half the city away from the palace and might as well be on anotherplanet. The streets here are narrow and dingy, lit by sporadic stabs of blindinglybright light that serve only to cast the rest of the street in deeper shadow.The air is full of myriad food smells, some more appetizing than others. It’s afar cry from the perfumed air of the palace. Anakin breathes it all in with asigh of pure relief.

He spots the two Naboo women instantly, though they’ve goneto some pains to make themselves unremarkable. Without the makeup and fineclothes, neither of them looks all that much like Padmé, which helps.

He slides into the booth next to Yané without a word, andjust manages to hold back a laugh when they both simply blink at him.

“Can we help you?” Rabé asks at last, her voice pointedlycold, and a snort of laughter escapes Anakin in spite of his best efforts.

“Well I hope so,” he says, grinning, as he reaches up to tapa finger against his padawan braid, tied up and around the short tail of hairat the base of his neck.

Their eyes widen, and Yané blurts, “Ani?”

“Uh, yeah,” he says, laughing again. “Do I really look thatdifferent without the braid?”

Rabé snorts. “It’s not the braid,” she says. “I swear, Ani,the last time I saw you, you were still shorter than me. What the hellhappened?”

That’s an exaggeration, of course, but she does look a good bit shorter than heremembers, so Anakin lets it go.

“Jedi nutrition,” he says dryly. “It’s very exact.”

“I’ll say,” Rabé mutters, eyeing him up and down. “You oughtto market that diet.”

“A Jedi never strives for profit,” Anakin says piously.

“Oh, sure,” Yané says, nodding sagely. “That’s why you havea major fundraiser every year, and that charity gala in the Senate.”

“Well, the generosity of the people of the Republic isdifferent, of course.”

“Of course,” Rabé says. She smiles wryly and slides adatareader containing the diner’s menu across the table to him. “Are youeating?”

“Troona, yes,”Anakin says. “The king had a feast tonight, and Obi-Wan and I had to worksecurity. They served caviar and a bunch of little things on sticks thatprobably cost more than everything in this place. It was awful.”

“Poor baby,” Yané says, patting his arm. “We picked theright place, then. My sources tell me the Aldoshan curry here is enormous, andhotter than the lava pits of Mustafar.”

Anakin orders the curry, and when the waitress comes back afew minutes later to see how they like their meals, he asks if she has any hotsauce. Rabé and Yané stare at him, aghast, and even the waitress looksimpressed, but Anakin just shrugs them off. “I’ve been cooking for Obi-Wan foryears now, so everything’s been mild. I’m not going to miss my chance at realfood.”

“It’s amazing you have any taste buds left,” Rabé says witha laugh.

“Core Worlders are just weak,” Anakin says, grinning arounda mouthful of curry. “So, what have you got for me?”

“Big news,” says Yané, glancing around surreptitiouslybefore sliding a datastick to him. “We’ve got a group of twenty-three comingalong the Ryloth trail next week, and half of them need ID. But the moreimmediate concern is right here on Brundia. And it’s going to complicate thingsfor you.”

“Ah,” says Anakin. “I knew I had a bad feeling about thismission.”

Rabé rolls her eyes. “No, you just picked that up fromObi-Wan,” she says. “He always has a bad feeling about everything.”

Anakin snorts. “True. Okay, so approximately how many of theking’s servants are actually slaves?”

For a moment Rabé and Yané both just stare at him. Then Yanéshakes her head. “You picked up on that, huh? I don’t know why I’m surprised.Our sources say there are nineteen people working in the palace who…didn’texactly choose to work there.”

“How diplomatic of you,” Anakin says dryly. “And you’ve gota contact?”

“Dinsa Atray,” Rabé says. “She’s a Twi’lek woman, not mucholder than you. The information’s all there.” She gestures vaguely at him, buthe knows she means the datastick.

“You’ve got a transport ready?” he asks.

“Ready and waiting,” Yané says. “We just need thepassengers. But we haven’t been able to get admission to the palace, and Dinsaand her people can’t get out.”

Anakin smiles. Maybe there’s a reason he’s here on Brundiaafter all. Even if it does mean he’s almost certainly going to end up breakinghis promise to Obi-Wan. And he’s not likely to do himself any favors in MasterWindu’s eyes, either.

Oh well. He’s got a reputation by now, so they won’t exactlybe suspicious if another of his diplomatic missions goes awry.

“Leave that to me,” he says with a grin.

*

Dinsa Atray isn’t hard to spot, once he knows who to lookfor. She seems to be always present at every banquet the king holds, and heholds a lot. She’s Marlonartan’s personal server, it seems, and that could be aproblem. Anakin watches her, demure and silent as she serves her master anotherglass of sparkling wine, and wonders how he’s going to explain Marlonartan’sassassination, if she moves before he has a chance to talk to her.

One thing he knows for sure: if she does move, he’s notgoing to stop her.

But two days go by, and no one tries to kill the king, andfinally Anakin manages to catch Dinsa alone. They’ve just endured yet anotherfeast, and the king’s gone off to bed with Obi-Wan on guard duty. Anakin’smeant to be sleeping, but he has much more important things to do, and anywaythe food at tonight’s so-called feast was even worse than usual, so maybe hehas an ulterior motive for visiting the kitchens. Or maybe it will just make agood excuse.

Dinsa starts when she hears him enter, then spins aroundwith a knife in her hand. Startled or not, she holds the knife like someone whoknows what she’s doing.

But her eyes widen when she sees who he is, and she dropsthe knife on the counter and her eyes to the floor. “I’m so sorry, MasterJedi,” she whispers. “What can I help you with?”

Anakin winces. He can’t help but wonder how many Jedi she’smet before. How many Jedi have come here and left again. I didn’t come here to free slaves, the memory of Master Qui-Gonwhispers in his mind, and Anakin grits his teeth and blurts, “I came to helpyou. And my name is Anakin, not Master.”

He says it in Ryl, and he thinks it’s that more than thewords themselves that gets her attention.

Dinsa looks up sharply, eyes narrowed and expressionunreadable. She’s silent for a long moment. And then, slowly, she smiles.

“You have a Tatooine accent,” she says.

“Mos Espa,” he says, smiling back. “I learned fromGrandmother Imayli.”

Her brow arches again, and he knows she understands the fullsignificance of that. But all she says is, “I didn’t know there were any Jedifrom the Territories.” There’s not a trace of emotion in her voice.

Anakin is impressed, and maybe a little jealous. “There’snot,” he says, and tells himself there’s no hint of bitterness to his smile.But he can see in Dinsa’s eyes that she knows. “There’s just me.”

He tells her that he’s in contact with her transport, andasks what it will take to get everyone out.

Dinsa eyes him for another long moment. “All I really needis a thorough distraction,” she says.

“I’m good at distractions,” Anakin says with a grin.

“And the other Jedi?” Dinsa asks, and Anakin’s smile falls.

Obi-Wan is a true Jedi. He’ll prize the mission overeverything else, and his mission is what they were assigned by the Council: toprotect King Marlonartan. Assignment or not, that’s not Anakin’s mission.

“He’s…good at responding to distractions,” Anakin says atlast, and feels a little guilty for not feeling guilty.

Dinsa only nods. “I understand,” she says. “So we’ll givehim the kind of distraction he can react to.” She eyes him slyly and adds, “Ihave access to more than enough chemicals. All I really need is a detonator. Idon’t suppose you have one lying around?”

“Give me an hour and I will.”

*

The explosion goes off in the middle of the next evening’sfeast. Anakin will discover later that it takes out the majority of the RoyalAtrium, where they’d feasted only the night before. But tonight they are in theGilded Ballroom, on nearly the opposite side of the palace. The assassinationattempt has been foiled chiefly by the assassin’s bad information, and no oneis hurt in the blast.

Obi-Wan instantly springs into action, taking up position atthe king’s side and ushering him rapidly from the room and into a secure,undisclosed location. Anakin yells that he’s going to secure the perimeter, andignores Obi-Wan’s questioning glower as he dashes from the room.

It’s almost disappointingly easy to disable the securitycams when the palace is on lockdown. The array is pretty sophisticated, and thecoverage is extensive, but the entire system goes down if both the power andthe backup generator fail. Obviously, whoever set off the explosion must haveknown this. It’s unfortunate that, whoever they were, Anakin must have justmissed them – the system control room is dark and empty when he arrives. Atleast, that’s what he’ll tell Obi-Wan and the king later.

Anakin’s duty, of course, is to get everything up andrunning again. That will only take him a few minutes. So he takes his timeexamining the system and looking for clues in the room. The door hasn’t beenforced. It’s almost as though there wasn’t anyone here before him at all.

Less than ten minutes later, he gets a secure transmissionfrom Dinsa. “We’re out,” it says. Anakin smiles to himself and reboots thesecurity system.

An hour after that, there’s another transmission, this onefrom Yané. “And we’re off. Sorry for blowing up your mission.”

Anakin erases the message immediately, but he’s stilllaughing to himself about it days later as he and Obi-Wan are on their way backto Coruscant, King Marlonartan’s rather peevish thanks still ringing in theirears.

[oprashaant]

The tea-seller's little boy

On a cold Friday evening, in the month of December, Sudhakar had just opened his small tea-shop. He was running his shop in a small corner on the ever busy East street area from 3 in the afternoon till late evenings. In the morning he would go door to door to deliver milk and cottage cheese.

He was late that day, late by atleast 3 hours. The reason for this was his 6 years old son Raghu. He had been crying inconsolably since last night. The stray puppy that he had brought home just a week ago, had come under the wheels of a car and died. That had shattered him and broke his little heart.

They lived in a one room shanty in a crowded slum but Raghu hardly had any friends. A birth defect had caused him to limp while walking and his friends would tease him everytime they saw him walk because of his funny stance. That would hurt him a lot.

With only a half broken bat and a plastic ball to call a toy Raghu would often play alone. When he was not playing he would stay indoors lost in his thoughts. His mother Savitri would often wonder what a kid so small would deeply think about?

So when that stray puppy followed him home Raghu thought he had found his best friend. The pup too had taken a great liking in him. They called him Sonu. He was all white with scattered black spots all over.

Sonu and Raghu were a bundle of joy together. A true treat for the eyes of his parents. It was like they were made for each other. The little pup wouldn't move from the door when Raghu was out at school. And once back home Sonu would be all over him, licking him all over his face. Sonu's low gruntling noises and Raghu's laughter had filled their home with pure happiness. They had never seen Raghu so happy and that is why Sudhakar and his pregnant wife Savitri too had become very fond of him.

"Raghu we will bring you a new one," Savitri had already told him this a hundred times since morning but he just wouldn't listen.

"Aai, is God angry with me?" he asked between sobs. He was lying on a torn carpet on the uneven floor with his head resting on his mother's lap.

"Why would God ever be angry with such a sweet boy"?

"First he made me limp and now he's taken away Sonu from me".

Sudhakar was choking inside. Savitri too was fighting her tears. Losing Sonu was a huge loss.

"Raghu if you come with me to our shop today, I'll get you 2 new puppies before Sunday".

"2 puppies? Really Baba"? Raghu asked wiping his tears.

"That's a promise".

Raghu jumped with joy.

"I don't think it's a good idea Sudhakar," Savitri said, " you are running late today. Raghu hasn't slept at all. He also has not eaten anything. He will bother you".

"Savitri I just want to give him some change".

"Aai please let me go with baba. I won't trouble him. Give me a glass of milk and 2 biscuits and I will be ready in 5 minutes".

"That's like my boy," Sudhakar said and picked him up in his arms.

Raghu was immediately filled with energy even before he had his milk. Savitri was happily smiling to herself. She knew the reason behind this sudden burst of energy.

"I will also give you your favourite cream roll and an ice-cream when we return", Sudhakar said as he prepared him for a bath.

Sudhakar used to sell tea, coffee, cream rolls, biscuits and cigarettes at his shop. Cold weather always meant good business. That is why he knew the 3 hours that he had lost today would have cost him 500 rupees atleast. It was too much for someone who was always running on a tight budget. His monthly income was almost equaling his expenses which included the room rent, school fees, daily expenses and Savitri's medical bills. He also had to send some money to his old parents back in the village every month. Now that his family was growing he was also thinking about renting a bigger space to stay.

Savitri, even though pregnant, was still slogging as a house maid to help him make ends meet. But he had decided now .He won't allow her to work anymore, no matter what. The lady she worked for made her toil hard even after knowing her condition. She almost slipped once while mopping wet floor.

"I would take up some odd labor jobs after dropping Raghu to school for some extra income," he said to himself as he quickly put the milk vessel, the paper cups and other items in the rented rickshaw. He picked up Raghu in his arms and left for work.

"Take care Savitri, we'll be back by 10," he told her before leaving.

By the time he reached his shop it was already 6.30. He briskly unlocked the door, removed a stool and asked Raghu to sit on it, just outside his shop. Raghu was wearing a half sleeves shirt, an old ill-fitting sweater which Savitri had purchased for Rs 200 from the lady she worked for, shorts and a pair of slippers.

"Late today"? A cobbler, Gopi, who worked on the pavement just next to his shop asked.

Sudhakar had a quick glance at Raghu who was carefully removing the tea cups from the box. He went a little closer to Gopi and told him about the pup. He also requested him to not bring it up in front of Raghu as that would hurt him again.

"Poor boy, no wonder he's looking so sad".

Raghu's eyes were still red from all the crying.

"Hello Raghu," Gopi greeted him animatedly.

"Hello Uncle".

"His face is too stressed for a 6 year old boy, " Gopi said in a concerning tone. "Children his age should laugh all the time and roam worry free. You should do something about this Sudhakar".

"I have promised him 2 puppies before Sunday. That will change things for him".

"I hope he gets all the happiness in the world," Gopi said as he looked at him affectionately. Raghu had by now removed all the cups and placed it on the table.

"You are a very good boy Raghu, you are helping your father".

Raghu could only manage a half smile in reply. He was deeply thinking about something.

Sudhakar had by now set up his shop and was waiting for his first customer impatiently.

"1 coffee," one of his regular customer came at the stall and asked.

"Sure Sir", he replied as he closed his eyes and looked towards the Gods in appreciation for his first customer.

"Why are you late today, I came down twice looking for you".

Sudhakar's tea shop was near a big business complex. Almost everyone from that building came to his shop for their tea and snacks.

"Here's your coffee Sir".

"Thanks".

"Cigarette"?

"Sorry, no cigarette today. My son is here with me," he said pointing towards Raghu.

"Oh.. ok. No problem. You are a great father".

"Thank you Sir".

"I hope you are sending him to a good school".

"Yes Sir, he goes to an English medium school. He is going to study and become a big man one day and not sell tea like me," he replied cheerfully. There was immense hope in his eyes for Raghu and he was proudly smiling all to himself as if he was actually seeing him becoming a big man in the future.

Soon a lot of customers started pouring in and Sudhakar got busy. Raghu was dozing on and off. One moment he would fall asleep and the next he would wake up with a jolt. Sudhakar was wondering if he did the right thing by bringing him to the shop.

Around 9 p.m all the milk was over. So were the other items. Sudhakar was happy that he had made good money. But Raghu was looking sad again.

"What happened Raghu, are you sleepy"?

It seemed he was lost somewhere and he didn't hear it.

"Raghu I am asking you. What happened?" he bent down and asked while playing with his hair.

"Baba, I am missing Sonu". Tears welled up in his little eyes and came running down his cheeks.

Sudhakar was shattered. He himself was close to tears. How can a small innocent boy like him carry such a heavy heart? He couldn't take it anymore. He picked him up in his arms and held him tightly.

But the next moment he quickly gathered himself and put him back on the stool.

"I think you have forgotten about the two puppies that I am going to gift you tomorrow," he said trying to cheer him up.

"But I only want Sonu", he replied with a breaking voice.

"They will be just like Sonu and you can play with them as much as you want. In fact we all will play together."

Sudhakar was sure once he brings those pups home Raghu will be happy again.

"Now sit here and have this cream roll I saved for you. I'll be back in a minute. Don't go anywhere. I am going to the next building to get some water. We clean it up and we'll be on our way back home. Of course with that ice-cream I promised".

"Okay Baba," he replied.

His eyes followed Sudhakar while he crossed the road in the heavy evening traffic and went to the other side. Sudhakar waved at him before disappearing in the basement of the building.

Suddenly there was a sparkle in Raghu's eyes.

"Sonu," he jumped in excitement.

He spotted Sonu right in the middle of the road wagging its tail excitedly at him.

"Sonu," he screamed again.

"What's the matter boy?" Gopi asked.

"Look Uncle, my Sonu has come back".

Raghu was ecstatic and getting impatient.

"Who's Sonu"?

"My pup, my best friend".

"Where is he, I can't see him"?

"There he is in the middle of the road".

Gopi got up to get a better view.

"But I still can't see him".

Raghu saw a speeding SUV at some distance. He panicked. He didn't want to lose him again. He limped as fast as he could to get Sonu to safety.

Gopi watched in horror as the driver of the SUV tried hard to avoid hitting Raghu. But it was too late.

"Baba," he screamed.

A young woman who had come for her evening stroll screamed and fainted at the spot.

Gopi too collapsed on the road.

Even as the horrified crowd tried lifting the wheels of the SUV, Raghu quickly got up , picked up Sonu in his arms and walked off in the direction of a bright ray of light.

Sonu was happily licking his face, while Raghu laughed and kissed him back.

"Look Sonu, I am not limping anymore," he said animatedly.