#5 hunters Dream is Done

[milder-manners]

one thing I noticed when watching 3 hunters to 4 hunters to 5 hunters, is the progression of Dream's persona as the hunted.

In 3 hunters, Dream freely played up the theatrics of the underdog. He used the iconic "Leave me alone!" line, and remarked with open fear when the Hunters caught him off guard during the chase.

In 5 hunters, Dream barely revealed any weakness ever to the hunters. Whenever the hunters duped him or gained an advantage, he reacted more with frustration and outrage or not reacted at all.

It's just interesting to see how with the additional hunters, Dream couldn't afford to show fear anymore, so his persona evolved to be as menacing as possible to the hunters

[rileyclaw]

turn on the lights, this cannot last forever

watching and dreaming promo

[grindsta]

GAME FEATURES

THIS IS A REALLY LONG POST

There are SO MANY features in The Sims 3 that I keep learning more and more each day, so I decided to start keeping track of all of them. Some of these I've known myself, but most of them come from Reddit and TS Forum.

I'll keep on updating everytime I find new things.

Features are under the cut!

Gameplay

Careers/University/Skills

You can sign autographs as a rock star by clicking on a random building (bookstore, theater, stadium, etc.) and make cash. You can only do it once a week and have them perform the action yourself (similar to the vaccination event you do as a doctor).

If you send a Sim to college, you can get a financial aid grant every 24 hours. Just click on the administration building and select “apply for financial aid”. The better your grades, the more money you’ll get.

Traveling to the past with ambition’s time machine, random events will change your household’s present. (Change careers or add family members).

Sims who reach the highest criminal career level glow red. This is bad for relationships with Sims with Good, Friendly, and Family Oriented traits.  Having maxed out the Charisma skill will mostly prevent it, or even throw “Jar of Friendship” potion at them. Although it is good for relationships with Sims with Evil and Insane traits.

When some rectangles of one (or more) skill is highlighted, it’s because it’s the requirement for the Sim job.

If you protest about low wages, you have the possibility of increasing the wages of everyone.

Parent Sims can have a wish for their kids to have specific careers.

You will get gifts for working on your job for 5 years.

 Singer Sims could sell their albums to other Sims.

 If you click on your Sim work building when they’re at work, you can demand a raise. but if their mood is bad or their relationship with their boss is bad, this can get them fired. You can also go out with your boss and ask for a promotion.

Sims can die while you’re lifeguarding.

Your Sim can get caught if they call in fake sick.

Sims in the medical career can follow up with patients by calling them.

You can fry beetles if you are an evil private investigator (if you have a magnifying glass).

Your Sim can be an evil politician.

Ghost hunters can “appease ghosts” at the graveyard.

Lifeguard and firefighter sims can “demonstrate CPR” on another Sim as a romantic action.

You can select what type of sandcastle to build if you have a high enough skill.

Your Sim can get tattooed and tattoo other Sims. It’s a hidden skill that, if low, tattoos will look like child drawings. You can also get the tattoo removed.

Maids

Some maids actually don’t do their work, you have to fire them so a new one comes up, and is, hopefully, better.

Most Maids will have at least neat and/or perfectionists, brave and flirty, or charismatic traits. Some Maids are also Kleptomaniacs. Exceptions to this are: Delicia Hoover from Bridgeport and Simon Swift from Barnacle Bay, they are Slobs, which means they will never actually clean your House.

Maids will quit if they see Bonehilda in your house.

Toddler/Child/Teen

Kids will gain skills if someone reads them skill books to sleep.

When a witch sim does their homework they accidentally get it done all at once by magic. They grab the blue notebook, but the green bar completes itself immediately and they look confused for a second. In case they fail to do homework by magic, their whole body gets burnt. 

When children and teens are asleep, you can click on them to select a dream, and then they’ll wake up with a moodlet related to it. While the moodlet is active, you can get a special moodlet if their dream comes true. While still sleeping, the game will notify if the dream turned into a nightmare and they will get a negative moodlet.

Toddlers and Kids can build hidden skills with certain toys.

You can put kids in time out and they will stand in a corner crying.

Toys can go on the crib.

Babies can get diaper rash if using the changing station from The Sims 3 Store.

If you take a child of the bouncer, they get bratty and mad.

Children can hold a bear while talking to an adult.

Kids can read the newspapers to see what baked goods sell better.

When you get robbed children can get the lifetime wish to become a cop or a thief. They can also want to become a doctor after seeing someone dying or getting a new sibling, become a musician after seeing someone jam, become a creature robot cross-breeder after seeing a ghost. become a firefighter after a house fire, become a magician after seeing a sim use their magic, become a singer while singing with their imaginary friend.

Child witch Sims have stabilizers on their brooms.

Kids can get sick from prison food.

Your Sim can chat with toddlers through their Teddy Bears.

Parents can play with their toddlers in the ocean.

Children inherit the effects of some Genie Wishes.

Your Sim can get detention if they slack off in school.

You can create custom and random baby DNA at the hospital.

Children can fight teens. 

Parents will have a higher friendship level with their baby with an at home birth than a hospital birth.

Traits

Inappropriate sims can take sponge baths from a sink.

Your Sim can have a hidden trait called “advanced art training” earned by completing the “Skilled Painting” opportunity acquired through working in the art appraiser career. Sims with this trait can paint paintings of any skill level (0 to 9), instead of paintings appropriate only to their painting skill level.

Bookworm sims can join the book club by computer and get mailed books.

Unlucky Sims can’t die. But they can die of transmutation and leave a golden statue.

Party Animals Sims can dance on top of the counter.

Mermaids with the Evil trait can spawn sharks.

Sims with the Green Thumb Trait can Revive Dead Plants.

Brave Sims can ask for a raise.

Frugal Sims will cut coupons from the newspaper.

Daredevil Sims can “play with fire”, and will stick their hands in the fire and pull them back out until their fun motive is full.

If your Sim has the hydrophobic trait they cannot Woohoo or Try for Baby in the shower.

Being in Bot mode (Bot fan trait) will keep your sim from aging.

Sims with the daredevil trait can eat bugs.

Sims who have the childish trait have the option to read a toddler’s book like any other. Others will get the message “Sim can only read this book to a toddler.”

The Good trait Sims could accuse of being meanspirited.

Sims with the Good trait can donate to charity.

Sims with the “Never Nude” trait shower in their bathing clothes.

Moodlets

If you click on a negative need moodlet, the game will have the sim do the activity to fill that need.

If you gift your child Sims too many times in a row, they get a “spoiled” moodlet.

The creepy magical gnome (the one that kinda looks like a devil) will sometimes spawn next to your Sims bed at night with glowing red eyes. Your Sims can get a creeped out moodlet.

Buy a baby, toddler, or child a teddy bear because it gives them a special moodlet when they sleep while having it in their inventory.

You get a moodlet when you have a blog and something from the blog’s theme happens in your Sims real life.

The “rejuvenated” and “completely at ease” moodlet prevents the horrified noodlet from exploring the catacombs.

Sims can make snow angels face down, and when they do, they get the frosty face moodlet.

Mourning over the dead Sim’s gravestone would reduce the negative effect of “Mourning” moodlet.

If you send too many secret admirers texts to the wrong Sim, they will receive a negative “being stalked” moodlet.

You get a moodlet saying “Brrrr! This is cold!” when your Sim sits on ice furniture.

When swimming in the snow you will get a moodlet saying “Polar Bear Club”.

Romance/Woohoo

You can woohoo or make out behind the scenes at the theater hall if you have two romantically involved Sims visit at the same time. It works for any rabbit hole you can visit (town hall, military base, science lab…).

Using the Time Machine to Try for a Baby in the past will result in a biological teen showing up later that day.

Try Online Dating on the computer.

If your Sim is dating someone and that someone is dating someone else, you can tell them they are cheating.

Sims gets a fertility boost after getting a romantic massage.

Sims can get kicked out of theaters for woohooing.

You can give a cinnamon kiss when you flavored your food with it.

If a Sim marries a plumbot the creator of said plumbot officially becomes their parent-in-law.

If your Sim feels betrayed from an unfaithful marriage they can rebound kiss.

Money

To make money, go to the science skill tree until you have enough skill to take samples from gems, and then clone them using the science station.

Adopt a bunch of dogs or have a werewolf Sim and make them hunt.

Go through the trash of wealthy households.

Experiment on bugs until you get a plasma bug then sample and clone it. A cat with high-level Hunting skills will also catch them occasionally.

Master the Martial Arts skill and break space rocks on the board breaker and get lots of valuable gems.

Paintings appreciate in value over time and are the best sold when the Sim dies.

Miner holes are treasure chests. You can also make several holes into a cave system. 

If you have a philosopher’s stone, you can turn pretty much anything into gold. You run the risk of your sim turning into gold and therefore dying. However, if you have a death flower in your inventory you don’t die and you get to keep the gold statue of your sim - making tones of money because of it.

Pets

If you’re cooking food and have a pet, you can throw scraps to them that they will eat.

You can have a rock as a pet.

You can breed fish.

If a pet bowl is outside, any other animal can eat from it.

Gnomes can encourage and discourage cats and dogs on your lot.

Your Sim can pet their dog while they are lying on the couch.

Horses will eat and destroy the newspaper.

When pet birds die, their bodies don’t disappear, they lay there until cleaned up.

Two small dogs can eat from the automatic feeder at once.

Pets can eat garden plants.

Dogs can howl and cats can meow along with instruments.

Your Sim can drop a fish from your inventory onto the ground and their cat can eat it.

If your Sim dog uses the guard-the-house interaction, it will actually bark at any strays that happen to come by your door.

Foals will get a negative moodlet if their mother isn’t around. However, if a Sim gives lots of love and feeds it when it’s hungry, in a couple of days the moodlet changes to a positive one saying that it’s not missing the mother anymore because of all the care you provided

Death

There are only two graveyards in the game with fully unique and custom graves, and no generic ones. They are the graveyards of Sunset Valley and Riverview. Appaloosa Plains is unique in that it has a pet graveyard.

Burning, electrocution, and starvation are by far the most common causes of death among the preexisting graves, with old age being surprisingly common. 

If you make a ghost Sim as a playable Sim and have them paint, all their paintings will get the Simoleon bonus to value from the painter being dead.

Your pets can save your Sim from death.

You can have funerals when a Sim from your household dies.

Small tombstone: Dies before 75,000 lifetime happiness points. Medium tombstone: Dies between 75,000 and 149,000 lifetime happiness points. Large tombstone: Dies at 150,000 and above lifetime happiness points.

Sims Graves have different emblems on them depicting how they died; flames, hands reaching out of water, shark jaws, etc. 

Expansions

You can discover islands on Island Paradiso.

Isla Paradiso is full of hidden chests on secret islands.

Sunlight charm spell changes a wolf to their human form.

Some Supernatural portraits & paintings (marked with purple border in Build Buy) change during a Full Moon.

Vampires can raid the hospital and the grocery store. 

Misc

When out in the ocean, the Kraken can appear. It can attack and sink your Sims small houseboat. It can spawn into Sunset Valley & Lucky Palms if you go out to the furthest point of the water.

If you have a microphone from university life in your inventory, your Sim can greet other Sims by shouting in their face.

You can plant cheese and eggs.

You can upgrade umbrellas.

You can store elixirs in the fridge.

You can waterski.

Sims can mess up an alchemy spell and become a toad.

Birthday cakes can catch on fire.

There are types of objects that aren’t in the catalog that you can make in the toy machine.

If your sims mess up the weather stone, it can rain flowers.

You can open a tab at a bar and if you can’t pay it, they will add it to your bills.

Aliens can steal space rocks from the science lab.

If you steal someone’s clothes after skinny dipping, they’re too mortified to go again.

If your sims are on fire, they can put themselves out in a shower or bathtub. They also put themselves out in dive wells from World Adventures and if you have a shower in a can.

You can upload your Sim sketches and paintings to the digital frames.

Sims can send thank you notes after receiving wedding gifts.

You can place snack bowls on island countertops.

You can announce aptitude test results to other sims.

Not all adult sims get a Midlife Crisis and there are variables involved.

You can go to therapy during a midlife crisis.

Sims who have body hair can get it waxed.

If you place a professional bar at a gym, with a mixologist, they can make protein shakes for your sims and a weird wheat grass-type drinks, graveyards have the tombstone topper and others. The library has basic drinks but one is “alien brain” and is a skill drink and stacks on the library moodlet and the supernatural bonus, so reading skill books takes way less time. 

Sim can free criminals from jail with the mining tool.

Celebrities can’t be abducted by aliens.

You can throw herbs at the fireplace, and it will give you a moodlet that varies depending on what herb you have.

Selling objects in the Consignment store is something you can improve over time.

Your Sim can sue people for slander at City Hall when you’re a celebrity and they spread rumors about you.

You can get arrested for harvesting someone else's plants.

Details

The stones at the bottom of the fishbowl change depending on what you put in it.

Artistic, Can’t Stand Art, Computer Whiz, Evil, Genius, Gloomy, Insane, Neurotic, and Virtuoso Sims all have different and unique painting styles.

Fish can spontaneously breed if you put them in fish tanks.

If you are being robbed, and the police come to put the burglar in handcuffs by their car, while they search your house, you can click on the burglar to set them free. They will even thank you for doing so, promising to make it up to you, although they never do.

Cats can jump onto Sim’s lap and they can pet them.

You can drag the greeting card into a big digital frame.

You can get a “wrong number” call.

Clones will be attracted to the cloned Sim.

Cats can sleep on newspapers.

Sims can get a dirtbag reputation if caught cheating. If caught a lot of times, they get a slimeball reputation.

You can “Play in Sand” in the spots where you painted the terrain with sand.

If you have a big dog and a puppy or a cat and a kitten, they can cuddle together in a big pet bed.

Different bars will serve different food depending on the lot type. You can get onion rings, nachos, and hot wings at the normal lower-tier bars but olive platters and shrimp cocktails are reserved for fancy places like exclusive lounges, vampire lounges, and art galleries. 

Sims can get sick eating bar food at the lower-end bars.

You can preview a house before you buy it by clicking on the magnifying glass.

Sims can chat on the bunkbed and interact on the playpen.

Try using “Disco tags” in the cheats menu (Ctrl+Shift+C) and go to the map view.

Sims can read lying on the beach towel.

You can style the time machine.

Bonehilda will fight robbers.

Hydrophobic sims won’t accept a fishbowl as a gift.

Simbots have 0’s and 1’s instead of zzz’s.

Male Sims can leave the toilet sit up.

Sunglasses have the reflex of the world.

There are 6 types of snowman - classic, evil, tragic clown, hockey, Grim Reaper, and alien.

With no couch, sims will play video games sitting on the ground.

There’s a city in the background of the university world.

Sims can have different sitting positions.

When your Sim spouse dies and comes back to life, they come back divorced.

Horses can ride boats.

When Plumbots pee themselves, oil is what gets on the floor.

If you place a rubber duck on the bathtub, Sims play with it while they bathe. If you place “World’s Brew Bubble Bath”, they will have a bubble bath.

You can change the colors of the street lights.

You get a popup when a pregnant Sim enters a costume party (it reveals the number of hours left for the pregnancy to end).

Store items come with new skills.

You can expand the inventory and relationship tab by dragging it.

Your Sim only earns LHP when your Sims mood is in the “bubble” on the Mood Meter,

If a Sim’s mood drops all the way to the bottom (-100), the Sim may simply refuse to do anything, even if directed to by the player. You can send them on vacation but if they become depressed on their vacation, it will be necessary to send them home.

The volcano in Sunlit Tides can erupt.

Ants crawl in and out of a public picnic basket carrying food.

Every time a Sims learning the Painting skill sells a painting directly from the easel there is a 20% chance that the painting will replace a wall decoration item in the local art gallery.

You can spy on neighbors with tab mode.

Your Sims can get bitten by mosquitos.

Sims can chat with other sims while cooking.

Friends can bring their kids over to play with yours.

Resort Staff NPCs sweep the floors of the resort.

Sims can get nauseous from foods with herbs.

Sims with the Asian Culture trait use chopsticks to eat rather than knives and forks.

Ghosts can swim in swimming pools but you can’t see their body under the surface of the water.

You can double-click on the save file you want to play on the main menu screen and it will start the game.

When you have the cheapest washing machine and your Sim tries to stop it from shaking, you will get a “Victory Over Washer” moodlet.

Magic gnomes spawn at random when you do related activities.

The trash bed in buydebug makes you stinky.

If you put your bird cage outside it might fly away.

The doors on cars matter, if a car has 2 doors, 2 Sims will get in, if a car has 4 doors, 4 (or 5) Sims get in. Also, babies and toddlers will be held by their parents inside the car.

You can wax your Sims, and when you do, their body hair will appear again after a while.

If lightning strikes vehicles during a storm, it will completely destroyed them.

If a Sim is performing an interaction related to a trait, the trait will be highlighted.

You can get a graduation gnome that “hides in your books” during university classes.

Create-a-style

You can drag the whole palette to other objects so they get the same style.

You can swap patterns by dragging one of them onto the dividing line next to the other.

You can randomize patterns + colors by right-clicking on the swatches.

Right-clicking on the color above the color wheel, the game will give you a more appealing color (a different shade) than the one you have selected.

CAS

Right-clicking the icons at the top of CAS randomizes that part of clothing you are on.

You can have hairstyles in different outfits.

Build-Buy

Plants change in size as you place them.

You can make custom object collections.

If you typed in the cheat moveobjects on you can move sims by just clicking on them (on Build Buy mode).

You can set seasonal decor on your home lot to auto-change if you place the debug marker and then decorate accordingly.

 If you press alt when building a foundation, you can change the height of it.

You can paint ceilings.

Mods

If you play with NRAAS Story Progression, no vampires or celebs will be in your town unless you specifically say you want them.

[hidden-snow]

✦┈⋆┈ ⋞ 〈 Ｒｕｎｎｉｎｇ Ｈｏｍｅ ｔｏ Ｙｏｕ 〉 ⋟ ┈⋆┈✦

Summary // You thought your relationship was as special to him as it was to you. You thought he loved and cherished you as much as you loved and cherished him. But when his family leaves the Omatikaya and all he has to offer is ‘I’m sorry’ when you beg and plead for him to stay with you, you realize that you were so, so wrong about him. Heartbroken and defeated, a girl barely seventeen years old, you decide that you will never love again. After all, it hadn’t meant anything to him. Years later and you are the best of the best. A strong warrior and an even better hunter, you provide for your people in every way except for a child to add to the next generation of Omatikaya people. They respect your wishes but you can hear the whispers. You can feel the concerned gazes from your parents, too old to conceive a sibling to make up for your lack of children. When he comes back, it throws you through a loop. Handsome, mighty, and different, he comes to you right away. But you promised yourself.

Warnings // Angst, a bit of stalker Neteyam, some fluff, mentions of drinking, heartbreak

Word count // 1,694

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7

You know the soul-shattering feeling of your heart physically breaking?

That’s what was happening at this very moment. Acid tears, so hot that you’re convinced that your face is melting off, slid down your cheeks in rivers and burned your eyes as they spilled out. Your ears are ringing so loud and high-pitched, you can’t really even hear his words.

You’re pretty sure you’re pleading for him to stay by the fact that your lips are moving. His face pinches slightly in guilt as he listens to your pleas, though you know, as he squeezes your hands, your words are falling upon deaf ears. You grip his hands tightly to keep him here, with you, just a little bit longer, trying to make this moment stretch out as much as you could make it.

All you know is that your heart is breaking rapidly, you’re a sobbing, sweating, shaking mess in front of your yawne, and there’s a rapidly growing lump in the back of your throat that you can’t seem to swallow down, no matter how hard you try.

He looks at you quietly, searching your face, before squeezing your hands once more, gently. He leans down, lips to your ears, and he whispers out a quick “I’m sorry” before pulling out of your grasp.

And then, he was gone, leaving you to pick up the shattered, splintered shards of your glass heart all alone.

»»——⍟——««

That was three years ago. Three years ago, you were left to learn how to live a life without Neteyam to light your path and your world. Three years to find a new center of gravity for your world to revolve around. And you did.

You threw yourself into your training, working hard to become the best hunter and warrior the Omaticaya had ever seen. It kept your mind busy and  your heart intact.

The clan expected you to move on from the unexpected incident that would forever leave you wondering what you could’ve done wrong, but you hadn’t.

Not yet.

Three years and the pain of his betrayal was still just as raw and bitter as the day he’d chosen to leave you behind. You used to dream of him, dream of the moments you’d had with him. Over time, they’d turned to nightmares of him never coming back, leaving you to grow old by yourself. After that, your nightmares worsened, showing your worst fears to you at night; Neteyam coming back different. Different appearance, different personality, different everything. Those ones always left you curled up in a fetal position, sobbing into your hands in the morning.

At first, men tried to sway your stone cold heart, convinced that they had a chance with you now that the olo’eyktan’s son and your best friend was gone. Eventually, though, the attempts slowed, trickling down to a dry riverbed of looks and whispers pointed your way.

You watched as people your age, the people who grew up alongside you, settled down and began to have families of their own. That life looked nice, peaceful and comfortable, but it wasn’t the life for you.

Your parents tried to talk to you, to find a suitable mate that could mend your heart in ways that only Neteyam could. There were times you’d lay awake at night, listening to their hushed whispers as they tried to figure out a way to help you move on from your tragic breakup.

It was a pity they didn’t have any other children to provide them the grandchildren they longed for.

And then, in a blaze of glory and fancy, excitement-filled celebrations, he was back. After three years, he was back.

Taller, with broad shoulders and a grin that could melt hearts, Neteyam looked different and familiar all at the same time. Tattoos covered one side of chest and his shoulder as well as some of his face. His hair was the same, thin small braids, but some of the braids were pulled back into a bun at the back of his skull.

The moment he’d seen you, he tried to approach and you’d fled, unable to face the one person who could destroy everything you’d built in his absence.

You’d found a place that was private, safe from the eyes as well as the ears of others, offering you the safety to shed the tears that had been burning at the corners of your eyes.

You couldn’t help the burning suspicion that the village had planned this, that they had known he was coming back and they’d purposefully hid this revelation from you. As if they were expecting you to be wooed off your feet if you’d been taken by surprise. Their own planned romantic story.

It was a turmoil of emotions to try and process and, in order to address your emotions, you did the one thing that usually helped you focus and calm down; hunting.

By the time you got back to the path leading towards the village, the sun had already set in the sky, night taking over the forest, bioluminescent flora and fauna lighting your path as you walked.

You couldn’t help but slow your steady pace, despite the heavy yerik resting over your shoulders, as you marveled at the beauty of your home. Neon blues, greens, purples, and pinks glowed all around you, surrounding you, and it further built up the peace that had settled in your mind.

“You look beautiful right now, Y/n. I’d forgotten how perfect you looked when you were at peace.”

At the sound of the masculine voice, you spin around, dropping the yerik in the process in order to swap it out for the blade that sat at your waist.

Your eyes meet gentle, adoring golden eyes, and a smile pulls at his perfect lips. Despite the smile, the raise of his non-existent eyebrow pulls at his face, making him look more questioning than anything.

“What do you want, Neteyam?” you ask, trying to force yourself to be civil. Just because he broke your heart into a million tiny places, trampling on it and spitting on it by leaving you, it didn’t mean your parents hadn’t raised you to be polite.

Even to assholes like him.

“Mawey yawne,” he hums softly, moving closer, and you instinctively step back, keeping the same amount of space between him and yourself. Your hand continued to grip the handle of your knife tightly, prepared to stab and run if you needed to.

A perplexed expression crosses his face and, for just a split second, his smile dropped into a curious look.

“I am not your yawne. You lost that nickname when you left me,” you spat back at him and he let out a long sigh, deep and tired, as if he was dealing with a fussy, stubborn child, rather than a fellow adult.

You cross your arms, tapping your foot slightly. You have no patience for him. When, once before, you’d enjoy dancing around topics, swapping playful banter and loving nicknames, you just want to be left alone now.

“Alright. What would you prefer I call you, if not yawne?”

“Just address me as you have. My name is perfectly fine for the likes of you. Now, why do you harass me? It’s not like you cared much before.”

He turns his head away, looking towards the village, before meeting your eyes again.

“I didn’t see you at supper. I got worried, so I came to wait for your return.”

“How thoughtful,” you bit back, gathering up your yerik. When he moved to help, you slap his hands away and shove past him to continue up the trail towards home.

How ironic that he worried about your safety now, considering how little he cared before. It was almost as if Eywa had a twisted sense of humor, putting him in situations that mirrored the one before and guiding him to react in a different way. As if trying to make your dreams come back to life.

This time, though, you weren’t going to fall for the act. After all, it was just an act. Nothing more and nothing less. You hadn’t meant enough to him then. You certainly mean nothing to him now.

»»——⍟——««

He hadn’t meant to scare you off. Watching you disappear along the path with your game slung over your shoulders, his gaze traveled down your spine, towards your rounded ass that bounced with step in your elegant stride.

A lot had changed, he realized, with you. Three years had not only seen you out of your awkwardly adorable childhood and into the elegance of a fully blossomed woman, but also had seen the change of your personality.

Whereas before, you’d been sweet, bouncy, and optimistic, you now carried yourself with a calmness that spoke of just how proud you were of yourself. Nothing could throw you off, nor could it stop you from being so damn independent. Had it really changed you that much when he’d chosen to go with his family to the reef people?

Where had that sweet girl gone?

Poking his tongue out, he licked at his lips before following after you, keeping enough distance between you and himself that you wouldn’t realize he was following you. Try as he might, he could never forget you and, convinced that you would immediately allow him to sweep you off of your feet, he’d come back.

Was he obsessed with you?

Definitely.

Had he always been obsessed with you? There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he had been.

There was never a day that he didn’t think about you, about the way you looked up at him with such large, adoring eyes. The way your voice seemed to float like the clouds, soft like a song just waiting to be sung.

Before, you were smaller, just hitting puberty, with a thin waist and small frame. Now, you were a full fledged woman, curves in all the right places, with thick black hair that tumbled down your back and over your shoulders in curly waves.

You were beautiful then and now. And he was never going to let you go again.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Weird Strange Warmth, Thailand

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Sept 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 1 of 12 - Oh it’s fucking great. What a fantastic start! It’s a fun cast too. I adore seeing all of the familiar faces. This is a lot more fun than Kidnap (sorry GMMTV, do better). I mean both shows are serving the same kind of concept but with completely different energy. I love that War is playing phi in this series. I think it suits him much better. In fact. I really like these rolls for this pair. I think they’re gonna knock it outta the park. I am so happy this is good. I wanted it to be good. And it’s good!

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) ep 8 of 12 - Oh no! He read the journal. No snooping! Well I guess they needed to get some tension for these 2 from somewhere, otherwise they are too good to each other. Meanwhile, I’m not sure about the sides in this particular series. I don’t hate them. The laundry jealousy moment was pretty well done. But I'm not sold, either.

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 5 of 10 - I forgot that we were already on the ICONIC kidnapping section of the narrative. I miss Gu Hai's OBEY sweatshirt from the original. (Someday I will own that sweatshirt.) Hero should at least be wearing an OBEY T-shirt. Frankly I miss the harshness of the original too. Johnny Huang was just so massive, August doesn't have the physicality to carry this scene off. Nor does Thailand have the guts to push it into the creepy obsessive territory that made the first version so thrilling to watch.

The thing about the original kidnapping bit was we could feel Gu Hai's vibrating need to possess overriding everything else (including his sense of humor and frustration with himself). Gu Hai KNOWS kidnapping was an over reaction, he KNOWS he is being absurd, he just doesn't care. Because he doesn't just want to fuck Bai Luo Yin he wants to consume him.

We didn't get any of that from Hero. Hero, as a character, just isn't edgy enough to carry off a kidnapping, he's been softened too much in this new Thai form.

And then... An around the back of head not-kiss? Interesting choice. (Checks to see if BoomPeak are hanging out nearby.) Is that because the actor is under age? We in that head space for this whole show? (Pun intended.) Not sure how I feel about any of it.

It’s a much milder confession this time around, because it’s Thailand, but it’s still warped. So I’m still here for the weird strange warmth of this damn show. I did laugh a lot during this episode. 

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - Oh I am very much enjoying this.

"You’re the worst kidnapper I ever ever met" is an apt accusation.

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 7 of 12 - I kinda enjoyed the little side romance story (wealthy writer intellectual + poor local salt-of-the-earth boy = Love Seaing all over my damn screen). It came outta nowhere but... okay.

I honestly have no idea what’s going on with this show. But the kisses are nice. And I pretty much like all of the couples. It’s wild how disjointed it is but simultaneously how pretty. It’s like Star Hunter got hold of Mame’s budget and aesthetic. 

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - Boyfriend era to the max. Production is still ignoring the whole "dreaming the future" POINT OF THIS SHOW.

The Trainee (Sun YT) ep 11 of 12 - Jane is VERY COOL. Like tay-style cool… as it were. I like their dynamic when they're given one to play with. It’s the rest of this show I don’t enjoy. 

Live in Love (Sun Gaga) ep 2 of 5 - It cute. Bit odd but cute. I like the language play, of course. It’s an interesting pair to watch flirt because it’s all language play so that's fun but otherwise, I'm not convinced.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) eps 7-8 of 12 - This BL doesn’t drink from the water bottle to show off its neck. It quietly hands you the water bottle and expects you to understand that is not an act of generosity but of polite distancing. It's about the delicacy of the messaging, and the way themes are conveyed with such nuance.

This story is entirely about the two of them figuring out about each other, and then trying to be what the other person needs based on that information. It means they (and therefore we) are on this journey of discovering affection together. It's brilliant.

I must talk about the physical acting of these two for a second. That scene where they’re fighting over the book and then fall into the pool. That was one take. That’s amazing. These two are really fucking stellar not only at acting but hitting their marks. And let's be clear, that is NOT the same thing. I bet they both have stage training.

Define irony: watching two abandoned kids counsel their respective parents through abandonment issues.

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 6 of 10 - It is stupid cute and utterly charming. They are total boyfriends. It’s just that one of them wants to be and one of them assumes they already are. Actually, nevermind boyfriends, they’re married.

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 12fin - It made me whimper a lot because they’re both hurting so much. But in the end it was... fine.

Summation

The compassionate story of a college kid going deaf and the one boy he can hear. I love this manga and was let down by the first adaptation (Silhouette of Your Voice), so I was expecting a lot from this BL. I expected the soundscapes in this one to be fantastic, and the were, but I didn’t expect the filming to be something special too. But it really is. The acting is great too. But the story? It was just fine. They spent far too much time on the build to a relationship, then wallowed in their separation and a problematic girl character, when they should have been showcasing Taichi's character arc and his capacity for connection. Perhaps Japan should pass this one off to Thailand, It's a soft story centering on "food as love" so they might do better with it. I am, yet again, disappointed. 8/10 but I want to give it a 7/10

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) eps 9-10 of 12 - It’s fine. it’s cute. I enjoyed getting some backstory. More of the sides, please.

Seoul Blues (Korea Fri? YouTube) ep 7 - Honestly, why don’t they just call this entire series The Cheating Diaries and have done with it? I’m only watching it because there’s basically nothing else from Korea right now. But I’m generally mad about it. Including the fact that everybody is so pretty and the acting is so good in the series, but the stories are so terrible.

It's airing but...

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - This is a supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger). A man is hired to write an article about an old mansion in Chiang Mai being converted into a café. He sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, falls in love with one of them. Was substantially recast. I loved IFYLITA except the ending so I think I'll let this one run it's course you can tell me if it's work tracking down... if they managed to land it. I have my doubts.

Happy of the End (Japan Tues Gaga) - A boy is disowned for being gay, dumped by his boyfriend, and ends up in a dysfunctional co-dependant relationship with his would-be kidnapper. We were due for another messy JBL and it's exactly as expected. I do not like it at all. And ya know what? There is plenty airing. DNF 

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever (Korea iQIYI & Viki) 6 eps - Side couple from Unintentional Love Story, HoTae & DongHee, return for a spin off backstory show.

It started out fantastic. And it was a relief to have a good Korean BL finally back on my screen, even a high angst one. But I did spend a lot of time trying trying to figure out whether they’re going to rehash or reboot from the previous series. Are we in Between Us territory or Don't Say No or (heaven forbid) To My Star 2?

None of the above, it turns out.

This was a pure prequel about lost first love. As such, it has no real finale beyond what we got in ULS. Which, for this pair, wasn't satisfying. Putting my disappointment over this aspect aside, it is enjoyable on the strength of the characters, actors, and chemistry (if not story). Yes I said chemistry, the kissing is fantastic, sometimes KBL can do that. This one featured the "teach me to kiss trope"!!!! Plus language play. Both favorites of mine. It is all angst, ache, repression, and miles of subtext. It did fudge the ending by not skipping forward and over the events in ULS to depict what happened next (what, no year long time jump when we actually need it, Korea?) It's a worthy companion piece, but should be watched BEFORE ULS for maximum satisfaction, and even then you're going to be left feeling like HoTae & DongHee's relationship was never adequately discussed or depicted in order to achieve resolution.

The little cameo of my baby in ep 5 was much appreciated. But the motorcycle should’ve been set up a little bit more. Of course I wanted it to be about them getting together after the events in the first series. But this was all backstory from start to finish. And while it was good backstory, it wasn’t ultimately satisfying for these characters. Still it’s a good little series. 8/10 

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - I'm eating crow, binging the fucker, and live blogging. It's just taking me some time. This isn't really a bingable show, not for me anyway. It's A LOT to take all at once. No new one this week.

4 Minutes (Gaga) Ended - Spies reported in to say the ending was not-exactly-unhappy and mostly lackluster. I'm torn over whether to watch. My natural disinclination to binge, meets my dissatisfaction with wishy-washy, is going up against my love for fabulous high heat and pretty pretty men.

Mitsuya-sensei no keimakutekina ezuke finished and it’s reported to be solid. Age gap treated with respect. I'm curious, so I'll check it out. Not doing very well on binging and catching up but it's on the docket...

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Still Coming Sept 2024:

9/15 Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) 15 eps - Remake of the original. I'm scared too.

9/15 Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - Assistant to a player boss who is in love with that boss decides to quit to save himself. The boss then makes a move. (A gay What's up with Secretary Kim?)

9/17 Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 10 eps - Lawyer and a con artist meet at a bar, pair up, fall in love.

9/28 Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YouTube) ?? eps - oh I don't know just Ba Vinh doing his thing with pretty boys again.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Love a teach me to kiss, teach me to fuck, whatever moment. (I Saw You In My Dreams sides)

Not gonna lie. I laughed. Addicted.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[beaulesbian]

🌘☀️ Some thoughts on Zoro & Luffy and their connection to gods and demons☀️🌒

This post started at first with just a few points about Zoro in the context to Asura/ King of Hell but since then it somehow evolved into connecting bits and pieces between Zoro & Luffy parallels again, I just can't help it, sooo...long post ahead.

Wano + Egghead spoilers

I always love remembering this one of the very first scenes where we (and Luffy) first hear about Zoro, and in the context of Zoro being a Pirate Hunter, even described as a demonic beast or as Koby says "demon in human form." None of this discouraged Luffy upon hearing this, on the contrary - he thought that if he sees for himself if Zoro was a good guy, he would be a great addition to his crew, and then went out of his way to seek him out! And only later we got the explanation that Zoro just couldn't find his way back home. "Roaming the seas" meant surviving for him, bounty hunter meant getting by in life with the skills he knew the best - swords, which is kind of sad when you think about it, but all the more interesting that it was Luffy who found him in Shells town,

where Zoro, a nonbeliever of any gods of higher power, was bound to a cross, and the first thing Luffy pointed out was "he's smiling".

I like to think that the smile might have been one of the first signs important enough for Luffy to choose someone for his crew - not only the kindness that followed when Luffy saw Zoro eating the dirty rice ball, but the smile that's by itself also very connected to Luffy himself:

After that first fight they won together, already reading each other so well, Zoro was the first one to call Luffy his captain (and later at Baratie also the first one to call him the future Pirate King!). He was someone who already fully believed in Luffy's future of reaching his dream without questioning it, perphaps because their drive towards their goals and dreams was very similar. And Luffy was the one who freed Zoro and let him have his swords - his biggest treasures - and gave him back the possibility to go into the world to actually follow his dream!

"One day, he'll show up and take you out under the sun, to the freedom of the sea!" - ch. 1095, Buccaneers about Sun God Nika (flashback with Kuma)

Fast forward to Wano - it's incredible how entangled their stories are with belief in always striving to do better/be stronger/try again next time for Luffy, someone who doesn't care what others think - he just needs to do what he wants and to be free - only for him to awaken his Devil Fruit and his God Nika powers; and for Zoro (a non-believer/apatheist) with how determined he was to successfully wield Enma so he could defeat King the Wildfire even to the lengths of becoming the King of Hell if that was what needed to be done to get Luffy one more step towards being the Pirate King.

Which brings me back to Demon Asura Zoro and where we saw this form throughout the manga:

This whole post started at first as a parallel to my other post about Zoro not really being shown to react to Luffy's Gear 5 (yet, as of chapter 1109), and I kept thinking about Zoro's Asura technique and how he used it so far only three (!!!) times, and there weren't many reactions from the strawhat crew either.

First one was during the Enies Lobby against Kaku, who even calls that vision 'demon-god' (ch. 417). If I remember Zoro was there by himself with Kaku, his crew each fighting other opponents elswhere:

The second time was during their first visit to Sabaody Archipelago, ch. 510, where it was the whole crew against the Pacifistas. The only bigger reactions were Brook and Chopper ("So many Zoros!!" - how cute!)

Luffy went right after Zoro with his last attack against the Pacifistas, so he's either seen Zoro's attack or it just wasn't the time or place to react, which, fair.

and then, third and last time so far Zoro went into his Asura form, it was up against Kaido, ch. 1010, when Luffy was out of it and Kaido was threatening how he would end Luffy in various ways.. which only angered Zoro more ("That's my captain!" - yeah, tell him, Zoro!)

All of these three times we've seen Asura, it was against few of the most dangerous opponents and all three times Zoro had his bandana on, being serious about it. All three of these times he knew his whole crew was fighting for their lives too and were in very real danger. Enies Lobby really changed the tone of the next few arcs with how serious things were about to go; Sabaody was just after Thriller Bark with Zoro being still injured and he knew what Kuma/Pacifistas were capable of - there was real fear and despair. And of course, on Wano against Kaido,. he saw how much damage Luffy took, Zoro could only hope to put more wounds on Kaido to count in their favor.

Zoro knew he had one last attack to try and make some difference in this fight - and this was before his fight with King, so he wasn't fully in sync with Enma yet, but it was good enough to unlock Asura technique - with something more to it.

Apparently along with his haki - not just the armament or observation haki, but the supreme king haki, as Kaido himself is shocked to find out. Zoro wasn't even consciously aware of having/using this haki.

Even the wiki mentions this as Zoro adding the supreme king haki to his Asura attack to strenghten it, or possibly was only able to unlock this technique because of having supreme king haki - meaning he was possibly using it even in both of those pre-time skip situations mentioned above.

The supreme king haki is something people can't learn, but are born with, meaning Zoro probably didn't know until Wano (and still wasn't sure what he did), but possibly learnt to use it instinctively - very much like Luffy on Amazon Lily.)

I already made a post that touched a bit on King of hell Zoro, and other parts around Asura (clearly, i'm never done thinking about that), with a very big possibility/hints that he could come from lineage of people of the D. (asura - enemies of gods - people of D.) - especially if it's connected to supreme king haki as inherited ability (although that isn't confirmed in the manga, as far as I understood).

This brings me to Zoro's family, and specifically Ryuma.

Wano was a great arc that connected things from Thriller Bark -with Zoro returning the legendary sword Shusui back to Ryuma's grave where it belonged.

There was an interesting panel at the end of Wano, where people were celebrating Luffy's victory over Kaido, but were given the name Joyboy as their savior - possibly Momonosuke's doing as Luffy told him not to mention him by name because Luffy didn't want to be a hero.

And in this panel, the peple are comparing this feat of victory to the legendary "God of the Blade" - which is another title for Ryuma.

It's so curious how Zoro is connected to Ryuma, even through span of many centuries and countries across, but still there is that connection, on top of actually fighting Ryuma's zombie on Thriller Bark, and Zoro isn't even aware of it. We only know about it from the SBS corner of Oda mentioning Zoro's family. (SBS corner in vol. 105. Ryuma wasn't mentioned there precisely, but the name Shimotsuki being of Zoro's grandmother and others from Wano, it makes sense they're Ryuma's descendants):

Side note: There's also something really beautiful of how the Shimotsuki line was passed down on Zoro from his grandmother - and his promise he cherishes since childhood being tied to Kuina, someone who wanted to be the greatest swords(wo)man - and therefore Zoro carrying Wado and that dream and promise for her.

Zoro & Luffy

Now to tie it all back to parallels with Zoro and Luffy - I love that there are always these small moment in how similar these two are - in their honest words and actions, in them believing in one another and believing even more in reaching their dreams, their crew and their strengths. In both being so directionally clueless and sometimes outright stupid, yet in certain situations (more so in battles and fights), they are the ones sometimes smartest and most strategic.

Then there's these other similarities between them: how much they don't care about what's told about them or -be it by luck or fate- how things work out in their favor in the end, usually. How both of them don't wish to be heroes, because heroes had to share (food and sake).

How there's that fact that Zoro doesn't know the full context of his powers, especially with his supreme king haki- or that he doesn't want to know the truth or put a name to that ability, because he fights with his swords and doesn't need to put belief of any other powers beside his own strength. (Or maybe he will soon learn how to use it to his (and his crew's) benefit.)

and Luffy, who doesn't know probably anything about Nika- and most likely wouldn't care much about them beside the scope of his new powers. The whole meaning of being something like "sun god" for others didn't register with him yet, and it might never be that important to him personally. Time after time, people around him mention luck or fate, or how people of the D. are the enemies of the Gods - enemies of the celestial dragons, but those don't really matter to Luffy because it doesn't change why he fights and why he needs himself and others to be free and achieve his dream.

How Zoro and Ryuma could be parallels to Luffy and Joyboy - one living in the present, reminiscent of those that lived centuries ago - something about the history always repeating.

When Zoro got to fight Ryuma on Thriller Bark, or even Hyogoro compares him to Shimotsuki Ushimaru (Zoro's great uncle),

and how Zunesha was waiting for Joyboy, how Roger and Oden found messages from Joyboy of his promises to return.

The parallels between sun god Nika and demon god/king Asura are so interesting in their opposites yet similarities. There's still so much we don't know about Nika or Joyboy, but Luffy himself isn't just the perfect picture of responsibility or justice. He's free, and that's the most important for him. He now has the power to do what he really wants to do with his powers, he unlocked that new potential to make it even more fun and even more dangerous against his enemies.

Even if Zoro's saying he doesn't believe in higher powers he embraces the powers that unlocked with Enma and getting him the title of King of Hell, he knows it would be the things that would keep him fighting for another minute, hour, day when it becomes necessary to protect Luffy and their crew.

Zoro may not believe in any gods but he believes in Luffy with all his being.

And in the similar vein, Luffy is the one who always believed in Zoro's strength and capability to protect the rest of their crew when it was necessary, times after time.

It's feels like it's not at all a coincidence that Luffy's whole crew is full of otherness and beings connected to hell/monsters/demons more than anything divine - because lot of the gods in One Piece are mentioned in context of standing above others and above common people - it's a bit flipped of what's good or not, or even more it's never clear because that's life, and those people are just claiming some titles. Eneru being the first example of a "god" the Straw Hats encountered, celestial dragons being called Gods, the Gorosei having each titles of "Godhead" - it's no wonder that Luffy's crew all fights for freedom and reaching whatever each of them needs to achive as their dream,

and includes: a dead man but living skeleton Brook; a demon child Nico Robin; Chopper "I don't mind being a monster for Luffy.'"; Sanji with all his hell fire and "diable" kicks and attacks, along with his non human strength and other abilities; Nami wielding the powers similar to Eneru without the need of both Devil Fruit or being called a goddess, and bringing down lightning on anyone who threatens her crew; Usopp and his powers of nature and plants sprouting new life and strengths from long distance; Jimbei - fishman and former Sun Pirate and also "First son of the Sea"; Franky the more cyborg than a man; and of course, Roronoa "I might as well become the King of Hell" Zoro.

It's not all so black and white, good or bad. Luffy is still everything that makes him Luffy - he's honest and selfish in his selflesness, kind and brave and stubborn, and always knows that Zoro (and his whole crew) has his back so he doesn't have to hold back.

And Zoro is still Zoro despite being able to wield some newer haki powers he's slowly discovering now. He's still getting lost and still is his stubborn self that puts the crew and Luffy above himself, and would follow Luffy into hell if that was needed.

Luffy and Zoro are "just" captain and his first mate, always throughout the story since the beginning. Orphans with such interestingly woven past and relationships around them, who grew up with a big dream they had to go and achieve it no matter what, and found someone just as honest, kind, powerful and trustworthy as they were. But there's that deep and fierce devotion that always borderlines on something beyond just good. They're pirates - because that means being free.

They can be chaotic and powerful, and find something divine in the loyalty of the demonic powers, and something hellish in the god-like entity bringing freedom.

It feels like something Roger said to Rayleigh when they first met - That it was a fated meeting.

[theyoungeragrippina]

🫶🏻 15 gentlebeard/blackbonnet fic recs

(17 if you squint)

hey legends, in this bittersweet period where a lot of a us are feeling gutted but simultaneously, rebelliously hopeful, i've emerged from my reading den to showcase to you all some of the brilliant talent we have in this fandom! these fics are some of the best of the best, and i hope you love them just as much as i do! <3

they are all complete, do not feature any ongoing steddyhands/edizzy/stizzy, and are above 20k words.

peruse part 1, part 2, and part 3 at your leisure if you want to compare our tastes/devour more fine literature, or check out my masterlist as an ao3 collection.

adrift between the dreaming seas by @dandy-pirate-time

49k, mature, locked

stede lives a cursed life on a moving island, until the monotony of his days is suddenly interrupted by the fearsome kraken.

this was such a fascinating & incredible idea! i love how it manipulates aspects of the original story and transforms them into parts of the cursed island <3 sweet & unique & magical. i want to hug poor stede.

Five Birthdays and a Funeral by @bizarrelittlemew

58k, explicit

"When Ed and Stede's friend groups merge, they meet at a birthday party, and Stede's life is turned upside-down. As they collide again and again, he not only has to figure out what Ed means to him, but what he means to himself."

stede gets to be oblivious and a bit of a silly goose as a treat. also: treasure hunts, lucius is the best, ed has a cat whom i would die for, such a sweet & heartfelt fic. you will be so unbelievably fond of this version of every character.

The Ghost of Frigate Point Lighthouse by @piratecaptainscaptainpirates

53k, explicit

"When history professor Stede Bonnet goes to investigate rumors of a ghost haunting the local lighthouse, he's thrust into a mystery centered around the ghost of one of the most famous pirates of all time."

was SO eager to read this and it did not disappoint!! it has everything - fun, magic, mystery, tired TA lucius, and a lil bit of seduction. good enough that i am worried the author may actually just be a sea witch recollecting events he personally witnessed.

Haunted by @thepirateroo

60k, explicit

"The Kraken is a famous spiritualist, working the music halls of 1920s London to help families communicate with their dead. But Stede Bonnet knows that underneath the fame and illustrious title, Edward Teach works as a ghost hunter, debunking the spirits he makes his living off."

this is, genuinely, in the top 5 fanfics i have read for any fandom EVER. i wouldn't bat an eyelid if i read this exact work as a published novel in a bookstore. the mystery is so good and had me guessing and re-theorising constantly, the characterisation is brilliant, and the emotions are perfect. i cried, i laughed, i felt sick with worry for the characters, and i couldn't stop reading until i was done.

haunt me, then by @hyruling

28k, explicit

"He releases the ropes slowly, barely registering the burn as they slip through his fingers. Then, fallible as Orpheus, turns to meet his ghost."

post s1 fixit fics ily. everyone needs some therapy. really VERY well written and a joy to read.

Homeward Bound by mari_who

51k, explicit

"In the long-ago year 2000, bouncy blonde boy-band member Stede Bonnet is 17-year-old Edward Teach's gay awakening. Decades later, Ed hears a voice he could never forget."

i said 'ohhh no poor ed/stede' so many times while reading this. a lovely exploration of emotion and human connection, and finding yourself when everyone else has always defined who you are on your behalf.

I just need some air by @cuddlytogas

26k, teen

"Stede Bonnet's been having panic attacks for almost as long as he can remember, suffocated by pressure and expectation... When [he] finally takes his life back — divorces Mary, moves to Melbourne, starts his own event management business — things get better, but he's still no good at parties. He still needs some air, even at the very events he's brought to fruition. Meanwhile, Edward Teach, renowned chef and owner of Blackbeard's Catering, is wondering why the newest bigwig in events still hasn't hired him."

zoomed through this faster than lightning mcqueen. such a lovely writing of stede, ed and the whole crew - it feels like there's depth in every character, even background ocs.

also fantastic australia rep (i was jumpscared by mention of the cotton on group) AND i've been to the bar the final scene takes place at!!!! most exciting reading experience of my life.

i'll be your treasure by @monksofthescrew

48k, mature

"Wasn't the Dread Pirate Blackbeard rumored to have a hoard hidden somewhere near Essex? It's a metal detecting AU. They're detectorists. They fall in love."

i LOVE this fic so much it is just,,,, so sweet. stede does self-discovery and is seduced. ed is a bit of a goose and i'm obsessed with him. doug and mary are lovely. alma is so cool and i love her.

+ the sequel! drift o'er the rolling hills, swim through the briny sea (made me cry. btw. doug keeps being the best.)

The Kraken's Sacrifice by @trinityofone

22k, explicit

"Every year, a person is chosen—supposedly at random—to be sacrificed to the Kraken, to quell the sea's worst storms and to stop the taking of ships... Stede discovers that there is much more to the creature than he was led to believe—and that they have a deeper connection than he could have ever dreamed."

i LOVED this okay. it was funny and sweet and gave an interesting spin to the ed-is-the-kraken genre. get both of these boys some self-esteem asap. also comes with art by @avatoh!!!!!

lovers in a dangerous time by @veeagainsttheday

52k, explicit

pacific rim au - "Edward Teach becomes a jaeger pilot, first with Izzy Hands and later with Stede Bonnet. It’s not easy trying to save the world and falling in love with your drift partner…"

made me feel every emotion under the sun, including foaming at the mouth jealous that i don't have a drift partner. absolutely, masterfully written. i've popped this link first since its the fic that focuses on stede & ed, but it was written as a prequel for:

+ catagory five: a shatterdome romance by @owlinaminor (27k, mature), which focuses predominantly on jim & oluwande, and which i also massively recommend reading (first). it's told through lucius' words and made up of journalistic notes and transcriptions, and its really terribly clever. i knew nothing about pacific rim before this, and now i'm really very invested. if i wrote something this fantastic (& creative & wildly unique) i would never shut up about it.

More of the Gravy Basket than of the Grave by @veeagainsttheday

36k, explicit

"Ed and Stede’s ‘unorthodox friendship’ ended four months ago when Stede left Ed without a word after Ed asked him to run away to a parallel universe with him. They’re thrown back together when they’re summoned to perform a supernatural exorcism at the Hillside Hotel during a blizzard."

this has got to be one of the coolest and most creative fics i have ever had the pleasure of reading. genuinely kept me guessing and so so intrigued, PLUS the most sweet stede & ed dynamic!!!

Nothing Missing in My Life by @semisweetshadow

63k, explicit, locked

"Hollywood action star Ed Teach is bored with his celebrity life. Everything changes when he meets Stede, a sweet extra working on the set of his latest film shoot. Stede doesn't know who Ed really is and treats him like a real person and Ed can't help wanting to keep him."

ed plays an action hero called jeff the accountant, and if that's not immediately the greatest synopsis ever idk how else to win you over. hilarious, clever, & so heartfelt. i gasped and said 'oh no' with a hand over my heart nearly as many times as i laughed out loud.

not pickles by smallestchurch

84k, explicit

"Ed's minding his business when the new neighbor's kid comes around holding a human puppet. It's creepy as hell, but as soon as the kid's father rounds the corner, Ed doesn't mind."

i actually feel a bit ill when i think about this fic because i love it so overwhelmingly. there's family, and healing, and good food and friends, and ed teach and louis bonnet become the dynamic duo they always had the potential to be.

Our Fangs Mean Death by @flawedamythyst

87k, teen, locked

"Master Vampire Blackbeard's afterlife is enlivened by the arrival of a new coven in town, lead by the self-styled Gentleman Vampire. Now here's a Master who doesn't mind shaking things up by wearing clothes 300 years out of date, buying a massive gothic mansion for a lair, and leading the most eclectic coven Blackbeard has ever seen."

ridiculously fun. this is the vampire novel/fic i didn't know i needed and i loved every silly second. stede really gets to fulfil his dad-ness. i'm furious i can't join the gentleman vampires coven irl, will just need to embrace the gothic vampire aesthetic in my own life.

Wayfaring by @justkeeptrekkin

35k, explicit

"The downside to being stuck on a desert island is that Stede's not awfully good at adapting. The upside is that he and Ed can finally have some peace and quiet– that is, if Ed ever wakes up from the gunshot wound in his stomach."

the sweetest desert island fic, feat. the cutest piglet in the world, a little bit of pining, a helpful skeleton named dusty, and some of the best & most accurately written stede and ed content ever (imo).

[beesmygod]

YOU HUNTED is a work in progress 20k word bloodborne plot and lore explainer intended for both soulsborne veterans and anyone new to the series. i hope it makes you laugh

9/21- when it's all over and done with i'll give it one last edit but for now i'm calling this first half DONE. you can now read about yharnam history up until the point where the hunter arrives on the scene.

if you enjoyed this, consider throwing a little cash my way. i’m embarrassed at how much time and effort i put into this and while it's a labor of love, i'm not back to making money until next month and i'm scraping by on fumes. but only donate if you liked my work! im gonna be fine, it would just like more cushioning for the next week.

donation link

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

foreword: explaining the fromsoft game design ethos and the perils of taking shit too seriously

common misconceptions

history of yharnam:

history of yharnam part 1: the founding of pthumeru, cainhurst and the labyrinth, the discovery by byrgenwerth

history of yharnam part 2: fishing hamlet, caryll and the runes, leaving byrgenwerth

history of yharnam part 3: research hall, maria, and gehrman

history of yharnam part 4: the raid on castle cainhurst, logarius, and ludwig

history of yharnam part 5: lower pthumeru, rom, and the bloodletting beast

history of yharnam part 6: the choir, kin, and ebrietas

history of yharnam part 7: the school of mensis, ailing loran, and yahar'gul

INTERMISSION: is ebrietas the source of the healing church blood?

history of yharnam part 8: silver, black, and white

history of yharnam part 9: laurence, djura, and brador

history of yharnam part 10: the night unfurls

contemporary yharnam history (wip)

the hunter's dream

appendix

significant colors in bloodborne

iceberg posts:

justifying my bloodborne iceberg part 1

justifying my bloodborne iceberg part 2

justifying my bloodborne iceberg part 3

thanks for reading! do me a favor and give it a reblog for any of the bloodborne sickos in your life to enjoy/despise

[dindjarindiaries]

Senator's Shadow - Chapter 5

summary: Hunter navigates the sweet haunting of your stolen moment in the secret base as the conflict on Eirus rages on.

pairing: hunter (the bad batch) x fem!reader

rating: mature (18+)

tags: bodyguard romance, forbidden love, fluff & angst, emotional & physical hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence, injuries & blood, trauma, eventual/mild smut

word count: 6.624k

chapter 4 ⟸ series masterlist ⟹ chapter 6

chapter 5 ⟹

Hunter woke with a start, his heart racing loud enough to thump against his eardrums as he gathered his bearings. He had to look next to him to make sure he was really alone in bed.

Because in his dreams, he had been in that secret base with you again, chasing the sweet taste of your affection in endless succession.

Hunter exhaled and ran a hand over his face. He glanced down and checked on the wound over his left side, lifting the secure wrap to see that it had made quite a bit of progress in healing overnight. Tech was going to want to check up on it again, if only to update the data he had already started to collect.

His comm chimed repeatedly on the bedside table. Hunter sighed and reached over to grab it, lifting it to his haunted lips as he spoke. “Yeah, I’m awake, Tech.”

“Good. Before you take over, it would be wise for me to do another analysis of your wound.”

Hunter smiled to himself. Even after all this time, it still amazed him how well he knew his squad. “Sure. I’ll let you in.”

Hunter set aside the comm and grunted as he stood from the bed. He was pleased to learn that he could walk without hunching over, a small yet crucial step in his healing. Hunter opened his door just as Tech walked up to it, and Hunter stood aside to let his brother enter.

“How was your shift?” Hunter hoped his strong concern wasn’t evident in his tone. He followed Tech inside of the room and sat on the end of his bed.

“As uneventful as usual.” Tech spoke while he worked, holding his datapad in one hand and a medical scanner in the other. “I imagine it was the same for Wrecker, who is now switching with Crosshair.”

Hunter’s brow furrowed. “‘Imagine?’ Do you know that for sure?”

Tech sighed and paused what he was doing, his helmet tilting at the sergeant. “Hunter, you cannot act as if it is a strong or even likely possibility that something has gone astray without us already being informed about it. We have, so far, had zero issues during our watch shifts.”

Still, Tech’s gaze softened at Hunter behind his goggles.

“Though I do understand that recent events have likely made you even more wary. You experienced a very close call.”

Hunter was the next one to soften as he reached forward to set a reassuring hand on Tech’s shoulder. “I’m fine, Tech.”

Tech lifted the scanner. “We have yet to prove that.”

Hunter huffed and let his hand fall back to his side. He took the wrap and moved it aside, letting Tech have access to the wound. The scanner’s red, gridded light assessed the skin while Tech fixed his attention on his datapad.

“Remarkable.” Tech’s eyes were wide with approval as he studied the data. Hunter lifted his brow. “The wound has healed almost exponentially overnight.” He gestured absentmindedly to the wrap that Hunter was beginning to secure back over his skin. “It would seem your effective work with the bandaging has paid off.”

There was a longing ache that struck deep within Hunter’s chest at the memory he hadn’t even been awake for. “I wish I could take the credit for it.”

Tech froze, his stare finding Hunter’s. “What do you mean?”

Hunter exhaled a soft breath and prepared himself for what was to come. “I wasn’t the one who wrapped it.”

Tech’s eyes narrowed before they widened even more than before. “Oh.” The skin around his eyes wrinkled as he no doubt smiled to himself underneath his helmet. “So, the senator had to gain access to—.”

“How else would she have done it, Tech?” Hunter couldn’t keep the defensive edge out of his tone as he raised an eyebrow at his brother. He shrugged and averted Tech’s gaze. “I wasn’t even conscious when she wrapped it, anyway.”

It was hard to miss Tech’s amused snickering. “Your wistful tone implies that you wish you had been.”

Hunter’s stare snapped back to Tech’s. “Wistful? That wasn’t…” He stopped, acknowledging his defeat. Hunter sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows upon his knees. “I’m just not happy about the fact that I was out.”

“Understandable. To be in such a state of helplessness is difficult for anyone, especially a leader such as yourself.” Tech’s hand gestured to Hunter even as he continued to tap around the datapad. “I can imagine it was even more undesirable when you had the senator in your care.”

Hunter’s jaw tightened. That was something he had been trying not to think of. “I would feel the same if it was any of you.”

Tech shot Hunter a quick glance. “Certainly.” Before Hunter could even try to argue, Tech went on. “I have to say, this does explain the dazed behavior you exhibited during our return to the capitol. I had assumed it was from the loss of blood.”

“It was.” Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. All he found behind his eyelids were the same hauntings that had filled his dreams. “The lack of consciousness didn’t help, either.”

Tech hummed. “That is a fair assumption.” He set his datapad on his belt and nodded. “According to this data, you should be just fine to complete your normal activities, so long as you keep the wrap on for now. I will check on it again later this evening.”

Hunter relaxed his posture again and smiled at his brother. “Thanks, Tech.” He gestured with his head to the door. “Go get some rest.”

Tech offered a two-fingered salute before he turned on his heel and left the room. Hunter stayed where he was for a moment, hanging his head as he forced himself to focus on the day ahead. The galaxy couldn’t stop all because of a single, stolen moment with you, even if neither of you had even gotten the chance to talk about it yet.

Hunter was quick as he suited up, though he continued to mind the wrapping on his side. It was hard not to remember the way you had helped him with this process just over a day’s time ago, but this was also something Hunter had been doing on his own for years, and recalling the mundane routine made it just a little bit easier to get through.

His helmet was already on as he stepped out of his room, taking over the empty place where Tech had been before at your doors. With his back facing them, Hunter shut out everything except the farthest spaces to which his senses could reach, threatening to overwhelm them completely in favor of drowning out his own mind.

It had been long enough for a small throb to invade both his temples when he finally heard movement just behind your doors. Hunter shut down his senses, but still waited until the doors opened to turn around. As soon as his visor found you, he picked up on a skipping heartbeat, but it was impossible to tell if it was yours or his own.

Your first moment alone together since…

“Good morning, Sergeant.” Your voice was as kind as ever as you bowed your head at him, though your gaze never left his. There was a confusing mixture of emotions hidden within its depths.

“Senator.” Hunter returned the gesture. “I hope you slept well.”

Your eyes flashed with a light Hunter couldn’t quite catch, but you smiled nevertheless. “I did.” Your brow furrowed as your stare lowered to his side. “How’s your wound?”

The corners of Hunter’s mouth began to rise at your evident concern. “Much better. Tech said it’s almost completely healed.” Hunter dared to take just a small step closer to you. “He also said the effectiveness of the wrap had much to do with it.”

You beamed at him, maintaining your intense stare. “That makes me very happy to hear.” Some of the light in your eyes faded as you embraced your vulnerability. “I was very worried.”

Hunter’s chest ached for you. “You don’t have to worry about me, Senator.”

This time, you were the one to take another step closer to him. Hunter tried not to consider how little room there was left between the two of you. “But I do, Hunter, just as you do for me.”

And there it was, the simple utterance of his name that filled Hunter with an unprecedented rush of warmth. It was only the second time he had heard you say it without his title, and it made him remember the first—that sweet, pleased sigh of longing that could get him to do just about anything for your sake.

The sound of a door opening snapped the two of you out of your shared haze. Both your heads turned to face Echo as he stepped through the threshold of his room. Hunter’s visor looked down at his feet as he stepped back to make room for his brother, though he could feel the burn of Echo’s observant gaze even through his own helmet.

“Sorry if I… interrupted something.” Echo didn’t bother to hide the smug smile in his voice. “I thought I heard some voices out here.”

“No apology necessary, Echo.” You were able to keep your voice even, something Hunter couldn’t trust himself to do, as you smiled at Echo. “The sergeant was just about to do the wake-up call.”

Your words were his reminder to do just that. Hunter lifted his fingers to the side of his helmet and spoke. “Time to get a move on, boys. Crosshair, you can head inside.”

Crosshair’s cool voice was quick to respond. “Goody.”

“What are you up to today, Senator?” Echo asked the question Hunter wanted to, but beat him to it. “Anything exciting?”

You huffed. “I’m afraid not. I have to try my hand at more diplomatic resolutions today.”

Your brow had furrowed with a weariness Hunter recognized all too well. He was captivated by an urge to reach out for you, but he tightened his fist to keep his hand at his side. “How’s that been going?” Hunter at least used his words to check in on you.

Your gaze slid over to his, and what he found there was less than promising. “Exactly how you’d imagine it would.”

Hunter tilted his helmet at you. It was the only gesture of reassurance he could offer with Echo, and soon to be more of the squad, around. “Well, we’re hitting the ground running today. We’re heading back to the village to check in with the residents and see if there’s anything we missed.”

“Thank you.” Your stare softened at him. “I wish I could go with you, but… duty calls.”

Hunter released a gentle exhale as the sounds of doors opening surrounded them. “As always.”

“Mornin’, everyone!” Wrecker sounded as joyful as usual before he clapped a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. He grunted, but stood his ground and turned his helmet to face his brother. “You actually joining us today, Sarge?”

Hunter nodded in Tech’s direction. “He cleared me for action.”

Tech pushed his goggles up and kept his finger lifted. “To be clear, it was the scanner that provided the data. I simply analyzed it for the most accurate results.”

The doors to the senator’s suite opened, and you stepped aside as Crosshair joined the group and somehow responded to Tech’s statement. “How many times are you going to explain that to us?”

Meanwhile, Hunter sighed at Crosshair’s actions. “I told you all already, we shouldn���t be reentering through that passage unless we have to. We don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to it.”

Crosshair lifted his helmet to show Hunter his unimpressed look. “And having one of us standing directly outside the secret door isn’t drawing attention?”

Hunter tightened his jaw. “I just don’t think the senator would appreciate us coming and going from her suite unannounced.”

“I trust you all, Sergeant.” Your voice captured Hunter’s attention, and he turned his helmet to face you. “If it calls for less suspicion than reentering through the main exits, then it’s fine by me.”

“Ha!” Wrecker nudged Echo, who was closest to his other side. “She really is one of us, now.”

Hunter furrowed his brow at whatever unspoken conversation Wrecker was referencing, but you continued before he could ask about it. “I don’t take that compliment lightly, Wrecker. Thank you.” You beamed at Wrecker and set a hand on his armored shoulder. Hunter smiled. “I should get going, as should all of you. If you need to report,” you paused and turned to face Hunter, “you know how to reach me.”

Hunter nodded dutifully. You offered one last smile before you began to walk down the long corridor, where some of your personal guards were already waiting. He watched you until you reached them, his chest weighing heavier and heavier the further you got.

“Hunter?” Echo’s voice snapped Hunter’s attention back to the squad. He faced Echo, whose helmet had tilted at him. “Our orders?”

“Right.” Hunter had an easy time focusing back on the mission. He had yet to lead his squad into a single mission failure, after all. “We’re heading back to the village. We’ll do a sweep to make sure the hostiles are gone, and we’ll take any information we can get from the locals. We have to figure out where and how they’ll strike next.”

The squad nodded, and Hunter led them out of the capitol. Silence sat between the group until they reached the woods that surrounded the village. Wrecker was the one who walked up to Hunter’s side and started to speak. “So, Hunter, you’re really feeling better?”

Hunter tilted his head towards his brother. “Yeah, Wrecker.” He patted his hand against Wrecker’s back. “It was just a partial hit. Don’t even worry about it.”

“But it still led to a great deal of bleeding,” Tech insisted. “Had it not been for the senator, it is quite possible you could have bled out.”

“Had it not been for who?” Echo’s interest was clearly piqued.

Hunter sighed and palmed his helmet. He should’ve known better than to think he would be leaving all this back at the capitol.

“It was the senator who bandaged Hunter’s wound.” Tech’s matter-of-fact tone only made the information sound even worse somehow. “He told me so this morning after I had assessed it.”

Crosshair’s tone had just as much amusement as Echo’s did. “Were you going to tell the rest of us that too, Hunter?”

“If it ever became relevant, then yes, I would have.”

Wrecker suddenly gasped. It alerted Hunter until he heard what his brother had to say. “Wait… so that means the senator had to see—.”

Hunter wasn’t going to let him finish that sentence. “We get it, Wrecker.”

Tech couldn’t help himself from providing even more of the context Hunter had given him earlier. “Hunter was not conscious at the time.”

Crosshair huffed. “Bummer.”

Echo was next. “Do you wish you had been?”

Hunter chuckled. “Why would anyone rather be unconscious?”

Echo gave his helmet a quick tilt at that. “Fair point.”

Wrecker shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s kinda nice sometimes.”

“Not when it happens like that.” Hunter gave him a quick look. “Trust me.”

“It does at least explain your long absence before our rendezvous.” Tech, as always, was trying to do the math. “Though I can’t imagine where you could have possibly kept cover for so long.”

“An old base.” Hunter pointed to the far distance. “From the senator’s freedom fighting days. She got us both there.”

“While you were out?” Wrecker let out a whistle. “Wow, she’s even stronger than I thought.”

Hunter smiled to himself. “Yeah, she’s full of surprises.”

Crosshair’s voice was low as he responded. “You would know.”

Hunter curled up his fists at his sides, but said nothing. The group snickered amongst themselves as Hunter reached out with his senses. He was met with the familiarity of the village, which threatened to bring back memories he couldn’t afford to dwell on—especially not while he was alone with his squad. “We’re here.”

Hunter stopped the group and turned to face them. His straightened posture alone caused all of them to follow suit, turning themselves from teasing brothers to focused soldiers.

“The first priority is sweeping the village, and making sure the people are still safe.” Hunter scanned the group. “Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech, take the western half. Echo and I will take the other. Rendezvous back in the middle if you haven’t found anything.”

“Roger that, Sarge!” Wrecker gripped his blaster tighter and followed Crosshair and Tech to their side of the village. Hunter nodded at Echo before they headed for their half. He tried not to dwell on what had happened the last time he was there.

But Echo knew him well, even if he hadn’t been around as long as his other brothers. “Hunter.” His voice was low, almost like a warning, as Hunter used his senses to scout the area. “What really happened at that base?”

Hunter shot Echo a quick look. “What are you talking about?”

Echo huffed. “I know we’ve been getting on your case about the senator ever since we started this mission, but this morning was different.” He tilted his helmet at Hunter. “I felt that tension.”

Hunter tightened his jaw. “You’re reading into things too much.”

Echo scoffed. “Am I?” Hunter didn’t respond to that. Echo took his silence as an invitation to go on. “Look, Hunter, they didn’t make me an ARC trooper just because of my skills. It was also because of my ability to read people and situations. And that?” Echo let out a curt laugh. “That situation was easier to read than any plan I’ve ever had to decipher.”

Hunter exhaled. The heaviness of it all began to weigh on his shoulders as they pushed on through the village. “Don’t worry about it.” He had been doing enough worrying about it, about you, for the two of them—for all of them, if he was being honest.

Echo remained silent for a minute or so before he spoke out again. “Did you kiss her?”

Hunter’s helmet had never whipped around faster than it did then. “What?”

Echo met his brother’s gaze. “Is that what happened in the base? Did you two kiss?”

Hunter considered his next words carefully. Of course it had to be Echo, the one member of the squad he could never get away with lying to, who would figure it out first. With a small breath, Hunter prepared to answer. “Even if we did—.”

Echo set a firm hand on Hunter’s chestplate, keeping him from walking ahead. He leaned his helmet close to Hunter’s, keeping his voice low for the sake of privacy. “So, you did kiss?”

Hunter’s helmet tilted. “I said even if we did, it wouldn’t matter.” His gaze fell, though his visor remained where it was, as he spoke the same truth Echo had warned him of days ago. “The senator knows the rules, and so do I.”

Echo dropped his hand and gave his head an incredulous shake. “Come on, Hunter. Fuck the rules.” He pointed his finger into Hunter’s chestplate, near his heart. “You’re in love.”

“Love?” Hunter raised both his hands and shook his helmet. “Echo, that’s a big reach.”

“Is it?” Echo crossed his arms. “I know what I saw this morning.”

Hunter exhaled and set a hand on his hip. “Were you not the one reminding me of the rules just a few days ago?”

Echo chuckled. “Maybe I just wanted to know that you were serious about this.”

Hunter’s visor fell as he began to think through it all. It was an impossible task, especially with Echo’s expectant gaze on him. “I… don’t really know what to make of it.” He raised his gaze back to Echo’s. “All I know is that the senator has a duty to fulfill, and so do I.” Hunter gestured with his helmet to the village around them. “That’s what I have to focus on.”

Hunter started to walk forward past Echo, but he was stopped by Echo’s hand on his armored shoulder. He turned his helmet to face his brother. “Just remember, Hunter.” Echo nodded, giving Hunter’s shoulder a gentle pat. “You deserve to be happy, too.”

Hunter was too shocked by Echo’s words to say anything in response. Thankfully, Echo didn’t expect him to. He dropped his hand and continued walking, remaining in stride alongside Hunter as they continued their search. His words, however, were seared into Hunter’s memory, clouding each sense that he tried to reach out with.

Happiness wasn’t a luxury he had granted himself ever since he was put in command of his squad countless years ago. Could it really be something he prioritized, especially in a situation as delicate and dangerous as this?

That wasn’t a question he could answer, at least not now. Not when it felt like this village was still smoking from the explosion that had taken both you and him with it. No one was hurt this time around, but if Hunter didn’t focus on the task set before him, then people—your people—could get hurt next time.

Not to mention the fact he had his own squad to look after, his brothers. They were quite literally bred for war, and until he got them all onto the other side of it safely, he would continue to focus on them above all else.

Even if his mind, and his rapidly beating heart, would often drift back to you.

Hunter and Echo’s search was fruitless, and it wasn’t long before they met back up with the others in the middle of the village. The people there were frightened, but Hunter didn’t blame them. He still tried his best to coax them into conversation, attempting to get anything that would be useful. It was a vain effort.

“Hunter.” Echo’s sigh broke Hunter out of another pointless conversation. Hunter nodded at the villager to dismiss himself before he turned to his brother, who had removed his helmet to reveal his furrowed brow. “We’re not getting anywhere with this.”

Hunter exhaled a deep breath of his own and removed his helmet as well. “I know.” His gaze scanned the area as he thought through their next steps. “Now that they know someone’s countering these attacks, they’re being even more secretive.”

Crosshair slid into the conversation with a tilted helmet. “I still think somebody’s hiding something.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow at him. “We’re not gonna interrogate these people, Crosshair. We’ve already been bothering them enough.”

“They will not offer us a solution, anyway.” Tech was tapping away on his datapad as he joined the quickly forming huddle. “Considering our sweep for hostiles directly after the blast came up fruitless, they had already retreated at that point. Clearly, they were not ready for such a failure, and falling back was their best option.”

“Because they weren’t trained fighters.” Echo’s stare looked off into the distance as he spoke. Hunter’s brow knit together, but before he could speak, Echo returned Hunter’s stare and continued. “That’s what the senator said that night.”

Hunter ached just thinking of you. His jaw tightened as he continued to hold Echo’s gaze. “What are you getting at, Echo?”

Echo lifted a hand to gesture to their surroundings. “This place was an easy target for non-trained fighters. All they had to do was plant a bunch of explosives and set them off. Hunter…” he paused to convey his severity, “they’re saving their trained fighters for something.”

“Or someone.” Tech finished the thought Echo hadn’t spoken aloud. Hunter went cold, an icy chill running along his spine and souring his stomach. “An ingenious theory, Echo, that is quite sensible.” His attention went back to his datapad for a moment. “It is very likely that the trained fighters will strike the senator’s home village next. It would not only be a desirable target, but it would also achieve their goal of drawing her out.”

“We need to find out when this attack will happen.” Hunter’s response was immediate. He had to put one foot in front of the other and continue planning. His mind was given no other option. “When it does, we have to convince the senator to stay behind.”

Wrecker was the one to chuckle at Hunter’s words. “Good luck with that, Sarge. She almost loves action as much as I do.”

Hunter couldn’t even entertain the thought of you being there. “She’ll do what’s best for her people, and her people need her alive.” He nodded at the four pairs of eyes that looked upon him. “She’ll stay.”

“It is also possible that they will send a group to the planetary capitol in the event that she has stayed behind.” Tech offered up this information so nonchalantly that it added even more fuel to Hunter’s panicked fire. “Without us there, she would be more vulnerable to such a targeted attack.”

Hunter’s armored shoulders rose with a breath as he fell upon the realization. “That warning they sent during the banquet… this is how they’re making her choose.”

“It’s a lose-lose.” Echo looked around the group, but pointedly at Hunter, as he continued the sergeant’s train of thought. “If she stays, she’ll be at risk. If she doesn’t, then they’ll know she’s countering their attacks.”

“Why don’t we split up?” Wrecker offered the idea with a lilt of hopefulness. “One or two of us can stay at the capitol, and the rest can fight.”

Hunter shook his head. “We can’t split our forces. We have no idea how many fighters we’ll be against at the village, and that’s not a chance I’m willing to take. These aren’t battle droids.”

Hunter worked his jaw, quieting the volume of his worries to focus on a new plan—but there was nothing he could, not without you there to offer your own input. He couldn’t speak on your behalf when the stakes were this high.

“It’ll be her choice.” Hunter narrowed his eyes as he looked at his squad. “And whatever that choice is, we’re standing behind her.”

Everyone nodded. Hunter smiled with satisfaction and turned to face Tech.

“How far is the village from here?”

Tech was quick to map it out. “About a standard hour on foot.”

Hunter nodded and slid his helmet over his head. “Get ready for a scenic walk, boys. We should at least make sure this theory of ours is true.”

Wrecker grumbled, but didn’t make any other protests. Hunter led the group with Tech, and they remained silent the entire way there. Hunter’s mind was much too busy for him to say anything, and he was working overtime not to dwell on his worries for you. This would only put more pressure on you, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Once Tech had given him the warning of their proximity to the village, Hunter reached out with his senses. It wasn’t long before he held up his fist to stop the group, lowering himself closer to the ground and sifting the dirt through his gloved fingers.

It told him a story of fighters on foot, boots running through the soil in a nearly endless stream. When he closed his eyes, he could hear the rumblings of a massive camp, nothing distinct enough to make out but surely enough to confirm their presence.

“There’s a camp.” Hunter rose back to his full height and pointed to the source. “Let’s try to scope it out.”

He quickened his pace, and the squad followed suit. When they got close, Hunter stopped them again, instructing Crosshair to get up high. The rest of them waited, and Hunter drew out his binocs to see if he could catch sight of them at their lower position.

“I see it.” Crosshair’s words captured everyone’s attention as they looked up at him. “Good call not splitting our forces, Hunter. I’m clocking at least two dozen of them here.”

Hunter sighed, lowering one of his hands from the binocs to tighten it into a fist. “And they probably have more forces doing patrols.” He slid his binocs back into his pack and motioned for Crosshair to climb down. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’ll come back tomorrow to see if we can get an estimate on when the attack will happen. For now…”

Hunter paused, staring at the sky through the trees. With all their searching and traveling, he hadn’t realized just how quickly time was passing.

“We have to head back. Once we’ve gotten some chow, I’ll brief the senator.”

With that, Hunter began to lead the way back to the capitol. The silence on the way back was solely centered around Hunter, as he heard the chatter of the squad behind him throughout the journey. All he could do was plan out exactly how he would confess this to you.

There was only one thing he knew for certain: satisfying his own desires had just become even less of a priority.

Hunter remained lost in his thoughts even as they returned to the capitol and had a meal. He was working out countless plans and strategies, seeing if there were any scenarios in which you wouldn’t have to make such a choice. Time and time again, he came up with nothing. They had crafted a brilliant strategy. It made Hunter miss fighting battle droids.

Tech and Echo were the first two on watch, with Echo joining Hunter outside the doors to the senator’s suite. Tech had already made his way to the secret door on the outside. Hunter exchanged a nod with Echo before he knocked on the doors, preparing himself for a briefing that was going to be harder than any other.

Your doors opened in short order, and for a moment, Hunter enjoyed the sweeping wave of relief and comfort he earned simply from laying his eyes on you. The way you beamed at him suggested that you were doing the very same. “Sergeant.” You bowed your head in greeting before turning to Echo. “Echo.”

“Ma’am.” Echo returned your slight bow.

“Senator, I have our briefing ready for you.” Hunter gestured with his gaze to the inside of your suite. “May I?”

You stepped back and lifted your arm. “By all means, Sergeant. I’m eager to hear what you have to say.”

Hunter tightened his jaw, and he struggled not to make it obvious. He could feel Echo’s stare burning into the back of his head until the doors closed, leaving you and him alone inside your suite. If he wasn’t holding such a new, heavy weight on his shoulders, Hunter would have had half a mind to continue what you both had started in that secret base.

“How did it go?” It was your hopeful voice that drew Hunter from the dark depths of his mind. His stare found yours, and the way your expression started to fall meant that he wasn’t as good at hiding from you as he hoped he would be.

Hunter focused on the positives first. “There wasn’t much in the village, but you’ll be happy to hear that everyone there is okay.”

You exhaled a heavy breath and closed your eyes, lowering your head for a long moment. “Good.” Your eyes reopened and settled back on Hunter again. “I really needed to hear that.”

Hunter was able to manage a small yet genuine smile. “I’m glad I could deliver some good news.”

Your brow furrowed. “What’s the bad news?”

Of course you still saw that written all over him. A single smile wasn’t going to fool someone as intelligent as you. Hunter took a deep breath and looked to the side for a moment, waiting until he had regathered his thoughts to take a step closer to you and speak in a low voice. “We know where the next attack will be.”

Hunter paused, giving you time. You said nothing, but the way your fingers fumbled together over your middle spoke for you.

“They’re targeting your home village.”

You stared at him in pure disbelief for a few breaths. Hunter searched every inch of your gaze for something, but what he found instead was the quickened pace of your heartbeat. It was different from the way it had drummed so rhythmically against his ears when your lips were on his; this was a panicked beat, one that Hunter was used to hearing so much more often.

You raised a hand to your lips before you spoke. “When?”

Hunter shook his head. “We’re not sure yet. Our goal for tomorrow is finding that out.” He sighed, making sure you had nothing else to say before he went on. “That’s not all of it.”

Your brow rose, but the defeat in your gaze was hard to overlook. Hunter wished more than anything he didn’t have to say the words, even if you had to hear them.

“They’re the trained fighters you once fought with. We found at least two dozen at a camp by your village. Right now, our biggest theory is that on the night of the attack, they’ll send a few fighters here to go after you.”

Hunter gave you time to process his words, and that’s when he saw the defeat completely overtake you. “That means…” You couldn’t bring the truth to light.

Hunter would do that for you, too. “They’re going to make you choose, Senator, just as they warned you at the banquet.” His gaze fell from yours. “Either they’ll find you here, or they’ll find you there.”

When Hunter gained the faith to look at you again, his chest constricted at the sight of your hand covering the side of your face. Your eyes were closed as if you were in pain, and the way your free hand was gripping your arm suggested the very same thing. Hunter took another small step closer to you.

“I’m sorry you have to make this choice. I know I told you before that you wouldn’t have to.” Hunter nodded, even if your closed eyes kept you from seeing it. “But you don’t have to do it alone. We’re standing behind whatever decision you make.”

You continued to remain where you were for a few more moments. When you reopened your eyes and lowered your hand, Hunter saw the sparkling tears at your waterline. His brow wrinkled together as a familiar sense of strong concern washed over him.

“Senator?” Hunter’s voice was soft as he spoke. He reached a hand towards your face, but hesitated, instead resolving to set it upon your shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I just…” Your breath caught, the tears shining in your eyes even more as you avoided Hunter’s gaze. “Nothing is working. Diplomacy is failing, they’re outnumbering us in combat, and I just… I don’t know what to do.”

You paused, your stare slowly sliding to meet Hunter’s again. His own heart crumbled apart when he saw the pure devastation and desperation in your eyes.

“I never wanted any of this. They were the ones who chose me.” You closed your eyes and shook your head. “I’m tired, I’m angry, and…” you paused, your eyes reopening to meet Hunter’s as your voice lowered to a broken whisper, “I’m scared, Hunter.”

You reached out in a subtle movement, but Hunter understood it and accepted it before could even make sense of it. He set his helmet aside and took you into his arms, letting you hold tight to his middle as your head fell into the space between his armor and his neck. One of his hands pressed upon your back as the other held your head in place, and his chin rested upon your head as he reached out with his senses.

You were taking small breaths to steady yourself, though it at least didn’t sound like you were crying. Your heartbeat was still faster than usual, but so was his, and he had no doubt that this intimate touch was responsible for it. But Hunter couldn’t, and didn’t, dwell on that. What mattered most was putting you at ease.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you.” Hunter closed his eyes for a moment. “I wish I could make it stop. I had hoped my whole squad could make that possible.”

“It’s not your fault.” Your voice was slightly muffled by Hunter’s armor as you responded. “You’ve helped in more ways than you know.” You paused. “You all have.”

“And we’ll continue to.” Hunter gained the faith to ease himself away from you. Still, he kept himself close, and he finally let himself touch your face. His gloved hands held either side of it as he nodded at you. “You don’t have to do this alone. Not as long as we’re here.”

Your hands found his wrists and held them tightly. Hunter was pleased to see the ghost of a smile tugging on your lips. “Thank you.”

Hunter returned your small smile. “No need.” His brow furrowed as he returned to a state of soft severity for you. “You don’t have to make this choice yet. There’s still time for that. What you need to do right now is rest.”

He caught your gaze flickering to his lips for a moment before you nodded. “I’ll try my best.”

“Good.” Hunter bent down to kiss your forehead before he could think better of it. For as new as the action was, it was instinctual, and he didn’t have to give it a second thought. He pulled away and dropped his hands from your face as he instead turned to grab his helmet again. “I should get some rest, too. Tomorrow could be a long day.”

Hunter saw you nodding once again in his periphery. “Yes, that’s a wise decision.”

Once his helmet was tucked underneath his arm, Hunter stopped and caught your stare. For a long moment, he considered staying and allowing you to drown your worries in the pleasure of what you had shared just two nights ago. Then, reality fell into place once again, and he remembered the burning feeling of Echo’s stare as he had entered the suite. Hunter bowed his head and spoke in a low voice. “Goodnight, Senator.”

Hunter turned and began to walk towards the doors, but your voice stopped him in his tracks. “Hunter?”

He turned on his heel, making himself face you again. You walked up to him and caressed the tattooed half of his face, pressing your lips against his other cheek. The skipping heartbeat he heard was no doubt his own as you pulled away with lingering lips and a warm smile.

“Sweet dreams.”

Hunter nodded, returning your smile before he summoned all his strength to turn around and keep going. There was a lot that awaited him on the other side of the door: a smug Echo, a long night of restless sleep, and an early watch shift that would no doubt be full of more planning. But it was the warmth of your words and actions that would make it all bearable, even if Hunter couldn’t let himself ask for more of it just yet.

chapter 4 ⟸ series masterlist ⟹ chapter 6

hunter tag list: @zenrobbins0021 @cw80831 @yunggoblin @maddiedrmr @Molmcb

senator’s shadow tag list: @violetlilly2020 @jellybeanstacey0519 @dindadjarin

[kaminocasey]

We Were Golden Part 5

Summary: You get to Cut and Suu's. Tension between you and Hunter starts to rise.

Pairing: Ex!Crosshair x Reader / (Eventual?) Hunter x Reader

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI; Smut in a dream (oral f receiving), angst

WC: 4.2K

A/N: Wow, it's been a hot minute since I've updated and I'm so sorry. That season 3 trailer really put my ass in gear, huh? Lol.

We Were Golden Masterlist │ TAGLIST FORM

(pictures from Pinterest)

“Fuck, you’re so pretty…” Crosshair groans softly in your ear as he teases your clit with his slender fingers, with you pushed up against the fresher sink.

Letting out a soft whimper, you catch his lips in a passionate kiss, needing more of him. 

You and Crosshair have been together for three months and within those three months, there hadn’t been a day that the two of you hadn’t found yourselves like this in the fresher, locked away, enjoying each other. In the midst of war and battles, all you could do was cling to these little moments. 

He drops to his knees, latching his perfect lips to your cunt, determined to make you cum harder than the night before and the night before that and so on. 

“Cross-” You gasp, gripping his silver hair tightly, desperately.

“That’s it, Princess.” He praises you, slipping a long, slender finger into you. “Want you to cum on my face just like this.” 

You wake up with tears in your eyes, sitting up to wipe them with your sleeve. When you look up, you find Hunter sitting in his bunk across from yours, watching you. The look on his face is of concern but he’s clearly trying to give you space. 

“You… okay?” He asks you, but you shrug with a sniffle. “You wanna talk about it?”

You shake your head. “Not really.” 

What was there to say? 

You left Crosshair back on Kamino… you’re a terrible partner… how could you live with yourself? He would’ve never done that to you. Right?

“It’s not your fault, you know.” Hunter murmurs across to you, softly. 

He’s always been able to read your mind and usually, it’s endearing. But right now, you’re still slightly resentful of him, even though you really don’t want to be.

“No, I suppose not…” You stare at him.

But he reads your mind again. Your eyes still say It’s yours. Even though you don’t really believe that. 

“I know…” He nods. “I’m sorry…” 

“I know you are.” You sigh. “It’s just… hard.” 

He puts his feet down on the ground and leans forward to you, his forearms resting on his thighs.

“We’re going to get him back, okay? I just had to get the kid out of there.” Hunter murmurs, glancing down the hall at Omega, who’s asleep against Gonky. 

“I get it…” You sit up, your legs resting against his as you lean on your forearms as well. “I really do…”

The two of you are closer now, looking at each other. It’s almost comforting, after sleeping in the empty bunk, missing Crosshair’s presence. But then, you’re hit with the memory that he shot at his own brothers… tried to stop you from getting to safety. This new him… what if it’s permanent?

“I just…” You look down at your hands, clasping them together. “I miss him… and it’s weird… because that person we left behind… was not Crosshair. And I keep thinking… what if we can’t get him back to normal?” 

“We’ll figure it out if it comes to that.” He pats your hand and you place your other hand over his, nodding. “I think Crosshair was sort of right… Maybe I’ve been making bad calls-”

“Stop.” You squeeze his hand, catching his eye so that he looks at you. “You’re doing what you think is best for this squad. I told you a long time ago that I would follow you to the ends of the galaxy, Hunter. You’re a good leader. A great one. And there’s no one else I’d rather follow.”

You don’t miss the way he glances at your lips, but you choose to ignore it. 

“Would you really follow me to the ends of the galaxy?” He smiles, softly.

You roll your eyes, smirking, bumping your knee against his. “You know I would.” 

You hear Echo clearing his throat in the doorway and as you look up at him, you and Hunter separate as if you’ve been caught in some compromising position. 

“What is it?” Hunter asks, standing up. 

“Should I move the kid?” He looks down at Omega behind him. 

“I’ve got her.” Hunter steps over Wrecker’s leg and scoops her up, carrying her to his bunk and laying her down gently.

You ignore the tug in your chest at the gentle action and lean against the wall, crossing your arms.

Hunter steps back into the doorway, looking down at her, chuckling. “It’s a first, isn’t it?” 

“Inspecting every corner of the ship finally tired her out.” Echo smirks. 

“Yeah, she’s curious. I’ll give her that.” Hunter glances at you again.

“Hunter, she’s a child. What are we going to do with her?” Echo whispers with a sigh.

You’d all been through a lot over the last 24 hours, but you can’t help the attachment you’ve already formed with Omega. She deserves better than what she was given on Kamino. You could all give her that… But also, you know that this life that you and the Batch have is incredibly dangerous for a child. Obviously, she needs someone and she’s very clearly already attached to you guys as well. Especially Hunter. 

Hunter looks to you as if you could have all the answers but you just give him an encouraging smile, knowing he’ll make the right decision.

“We are coming up on Saleucami.” Tech announces.

Hunter joins Tech up in the cockpit, leaving you and Echo in the bunk room doorway. Echo gives you a strange look and you raise your eyebrows.

“What?” You ask.

He shrugs, glancing at Hunter, knowing Hunter can hear. You’re sure he’ll bring it up later when you land. 

“You wanna wake her up or you want me to?” Echo asks. 

“I’ve got her.” You start toward Omega but she’s already sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

“Are we there already?” She asks and you can’t help but smile.

“Yeah we are.” You reply.

She immediately bounces up, ready at the hatch, but Hunter pulls her back.

“Whenever we land, I go first, so I can make sure it’s safe, alright?” He asks her, softly.

She nods up at him, her eyes already filled with wonder, as Tech lands the Marauder. Hunter still hasn’t told you who’s on Saleucami that they know, so you’re a little anxious, even though you trust him fully. 

Hunter hits the hatch button and it comes down, the steps ascending with it. He walks down the hatch first with Echo behind him, and then Tech, Wrecker, and you. Omega is the last to exit the ship and when you turn around to tell her to follow close with you, you find her shielding her eyes from the sunlight, clearly having never been used to such light before on Kamino. When she gets used to the light, you watch the wonder fill her eyes once again and your chest tightens.

“Huh? What’s with her?” Wrecker asks, confused.

All of the guys turn to look and watch Omega inhale the fresh air and then step on dirt for the very first time. You just can’t help but smile as she kneels down to the ground to sift it through her fingers. 

“Woah.” Omega looks at it falling from her hand, with wonder. “What is this?”

“That would be dirt.” Tech speaks up and you grin. 

You’ve wondered a few times what it would be like to have kids. Though, you were never fully sure if you wanted them. But looking at Omega experiencing things for the first time, brings you to a realization that maybe one day… it wouldn’t be so bad. 

You and Crosshair had talked about your futures many times, but never about children. Would he ever want them? 

What about Hunter? 

Wow. Where did that come from? You shake your head slightly, trying to clear your head as you look around you. 

Omega lets out a soft gasp. “It’s amazing.”

When she stands up, she giggles and kicks it around a little bit, sending it up into the air around her. You and Hunter smile at each other before looking back down at her as she joins the group. 

You notice Hunter quickly glance up at the sky when some thunder rumbles. 

“Come on. Let’s get moving.” He nods toward some fields. 

As you start walking through the fields, you keep a safe eye on Omega as she finds wonder in every stalk and plant and insect. Her curiosity is a breath of fresh air, honestly. 

When you glance forward, you find Hunter’s eyes on you and you go warm in the face and look up at the sky. Things were so easy a couple days ago. Now everything is so turned around and different. You’re supposed to be able to handle the biggest changes. To adapt. To survive. 

You hear Echo call your name and tell you to watch out. But due to your mind being elsewhere, you don’t comprehend what he’s saying in time and step into an unfortunately deep mud puddle.

“Karking hell…” You groan as you find yourself waist deep in the puddle, which just turns out to actually be a hole in the ground.

Echo and Wrecker immediately burst into laughter. You start to throw an obscene gesture at them but then remember the kid and just settle for a glare instead. With a grumble, you reach for your pack and toss it to Hunter who sets it to the side and starts to reach for your hand. You ignore it and instead crawl your way out. Wrecker ignores your protests and helps you to stand. 

Tech scans you with his data pad. “Nothing seems to be hurt or bruised.”

“Just her ego.” Echo teases.

That time you do throw up your finger, walking ahead of the group, despite not being entirely sure where you’re going. You can practically feel Hunter’s gaze on you now. 

“Anyway, this friend of yours, what’s he doing all the way out here?” Echo asks.

“Hiding. That’s what deserters do.” Tech informs him.

A deserter? 

“Staying off the radar’s not our specialty, but he’s been doing it for years.” Hunter speaks up.

“And you trust a deserter?” Echo seems unsure.

He’s always been a loyal soldier to the Republic. Of course he’d be wary of a deserter. But before you can point out that you’re all technically deserters now, Tech speaks up.

“Why not? We’re all deserters now.” Tech says what’s on your mind and you nod in agreement. 

Hunter speeds up a little bit in front of you, putting up his fist for you all to stop, just as you’re about to point out the trip wire. He even stops Omega as she was about to keep walking. 

“What are we looking at?” Omega looks up at him.

“A booby trap.” Hunter informs her, but Wrecker steps over it.

“Single trip wire.” He chuckles. “That’s cute.”

Just as he says that, he triggers a second trap sending a circle of battle droids pointing guns at Wrecker flying up around him. You quickly pull Omega behind you, like it’s already a reflex to protect her.

“WOAH!” Wrecker lets out a yell and quickly pulls his blaster off his back and shoots down the droids. 

“Easy, Wrecker!” Hunter shouts, trying to get the giant to settle down just as you realize the droids aren’t active.

Thank the Maker. 

“W-was that me?” He asks, confused.

Before anyone can say anything else, you all hear a female voice and then turn to look toward it. 

“What do we have here? More clones who have lost their way.” A pink Twi’lek woman and a man with her are pointing a rifle at your group. 

“It’s been a while fellas.” The man puts his gun down.

You quickly realize the man is a clone and you look to Hunter for some sort of an explanation. How do they know these two people?

“You look like you could use a shower.” The woman smiles at you, eyeing the dried mud.

“Yeah, you got a hole in your field out that way.” You tell them, back behind you.

“Sorry about that, I’ve been meaning to fill it in.” The man tells you as you start walking toward their house. 

When they let you inside, the guys all gather around the table and Hunter starts to introduce you while Omega starts to check everything out. You don’t blame her one bit. This small house has to be intriguing to someone who’s spent their entire life in a Kaminoan facility. This place, which is full of life and warmth, is basically the complete opposite of Kamino. 

“I see a few new faces.” The woman says after getting everyone a drink.

Hunter introduces you, Echo, and Omega and then the two hosts as Cut and Suu. Omega waves up at Suu, politely, and Suu waves back. 

“Pleased to meet you.” She tells you all.

“Ma’am.” Echo nods, politely, and you can’t help but smile. 

When you met Echo back in the 501st, he was quite smooth with the ladies. Since his incident, he’s been more refined and not as outgoing. It was also really hard on him when he learned about his twin, Fives, who was basically joined at his hip. They did everything together. And that included going out and finding women together. They were something, that’s for sure.

Cut looks up suddenly. “Where’s Crosshair?”

The guys all look at you and you get a soft pang in your chest. You and Hunter make eye contact for the first time since before you fell in that mud hole and he sighs. 

“It’s complicated.” Hunter tells Cut, pulling his gaze away from you. 

“Sounds familiar.” Cut smiles, obviously noticing the look between you and Hunter. “Rex told us about the clone troopers turning against the Jedi.” 

Rex?

“You talked to Rex? When?” Echo asks, more eagerly.

Your brain goes back to the 501st. You could never imagine them killing Anakin Skywalker nor his former padawan Ahsoka Tano. Last you’d heard some of the 501st branched off to help her and a group of Mandalorians. You know that yours and Echo’s brains must be on the same wavelength because you both share a look of concern. 

Rex would never hurt either of them. Right?

“Well, he passed through yesterday.” Cut tells Echo.

“Where’d he go?” Echo asks.

“Didn’t ask.” Cut shrugs. “He was going on about some behavioral implant.”

Omega joins the table, next to Hunter. “He must mean the inhibitor chip.”

“The what?” Hunter asks her.

“Inhibitor chips. The Kaminoans implanted them in the clones to modify their behavior.” She tells him. 

You look at all of the guys, confused. Inhibitor chips. So that means if that’s what’s making Crosshair act this way, it can be removed… right?

“Tech, you said the regs were programmed but you never mentioned a chip.” Hunter looks over at Tech.

“How else did you think it worked?” Tech looks up from his data pad.

Suddenly, the front door bursts open and two small children come running in. 

“Mom! Dad!” They yell. “There’s a ship outside!” 

“Shaeeah, Jek!” Wrecker yells, excitedly. “Remember me?”

They both yell “Uncle Wrecker!” as Wrecker scoops them up in a hug. It warms your heart how good Wrecker is with kids. You suppose it’s probably got something to do with the fact that he can be like a big kid himself sometimes. But the fact that they’re calling him “uncle Wrecker” means that they all know these people well. 

The girl, Shaeeah, turns toward Omega. “Who are you?”

Omega suddenly gets shy, peering out from behind Hunter’s chair. 

“Omega.” She tells them. 

“We never see kids around here.” Shaeeah informs her, grabbing her hand. “Come with us.”

The kids start ushering Omega toward the door and Omega looks back at Hunter, as if for reassurance that it’s alright. Hunter gives her the softest smile and a nod to let her know that it’s okay. With that, they drag Omega out to go play and Suu turns toward you.

“I suppose you would like that shower now.” She smiles.

“That would be great.” You smile, gratefully, taking your pack with you.

She grabs you an extra pair of clothes that she said she’d had lying around for a long time and didn’t need anymore and you thank her again as she shows you to the fresher. 

You shred your muddy clothing and hop in the shower, immediately appreciating the warm water. You let it run over your body for a moment before starting to scrub. 

Once the grime is off of you and your hair is clean, you feel instantly better. You get out of the shower, wrapping the towel around you. You put your shampoo and body wash back into your pack kit and pull out your brush, wiping the fog on the mirror down with the towel and then hanging it over the bar on the wall. 

You turn around and look in the mirror, seeing yourself for the first time since throwing up in the fresher back in the barracks on Kamino. You feel like you look different. Maybe it's because you aren’t necessarily who you were the other day anymore. So much has happened in such a small time frame, that would surely change anyone. 

You put the clothes that Suu gave you on, and notice it feels a bit snug. She’s obviously a bit smaller than you. Whatever. If you get uncomfortable, you’ll just borrow from one of the guys. 

As you walk out of the fresher, you see Hunter and Cut by the door. Hunter is in civilian clothing that Cut must have given him. You both just stand there and stare at each other because wow, he looks good with his arms showing. It’s not a sight that many get to see all that often due to the black bodysuits that GAR keep the clones in underneath their armor, and also because of said armor. 

Hunter’s eyes sweep down your body, taking in your form and he has to physically tear his eyes away from you by looking at Cut, who’s of course giving him a knowing look.

“We’re uh… heading into town. To book Cut, Suu, and the kids a shuttle offworld.” He tells you.

You nod. “Alright. Be safe.” 

He smiles, softly. “We will.” 

When they leave, you notice Suu’s eyes on you.

“Uh hi.” You clear your throat, sticking your pack with the rest of the Batch’s. 

“Are you two-?” She smirks as she takes your clothes and throws them in a washer tub.

“Ha. No, absolutely not.” You wave her off and go sit on the couch. 

She joins you on the couch, resting her arm on the back of it, grinning at you. “But you want to.” 

You shake your head, glancing over at the guys who aren’t even paying attention to you. Echo’s keeping an eye on Omega in the doorway. Tech’s nose is buried in his data pad and Wrecker is passed out in the recliner, mouth gaping open and snoring. 

“No. It’s not like that.” You shake your head. “I’m with or… was with… Crosshair.” 

“Oh…” She murmurs. “I apologize. I just saw the way that you two…”

You shrug your shoulders. “Hunter’s my best friend. We look out for each other.” 

“And what happened to Crosshair?” She asks.

That pang in your chest is starting to become familiar and you really don’t care much for it. You realize though that she’s probably asking because she knows him and is genuinely curious. 

“He chose this new… “Empire”. Or I suppose the inhibitor chip did…” You murmur, looking at the rug on the floor. 

“And you still love him.”

“Of course.” 

There’s no question. He may have broken up with you, but you’re still always going to love him. 

“But you have feelings for Hunter.”

It’s not a question that she’s asking. She’s telling you she sees right through your shit. But she’s not being rude about it. You don’t know what to say because what you and Hunter have is something too complicated, yet also easy. 

Complicated for others, easy to the two of you.

You’re sitting in the barracks by the window, watching the ocean rage on angrily, your knees drawn up and your chin resting on them. As always, you’ve never once seen a calm Kaminoan Sea.

You hear the doors slide open and shut and you assume it’s Crosshair come to apologize about your fight you had. Which have been becoming more frequent. And desperate to follow Hunter’s rules about it not affecting the group, you went out for some alone time on the Marauder and Crosshair got offended. 

Which is not only stupid, but also hypocritical because the man loves his alone time, which you’d pointed out and it only escalated things, making him storm out of the Marauder. 

“Hey.” Hunter’s voice is suddenly next to you as he sits in the window with you, but leaning his back on the window.

“Hey.” You look at him.

“Crosshair mentioned you’d had an… argument?” He raises an eyebrow.

You shrug.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He offers.

“What, are you trying to be my therapist?” You quip. 

He chuckles. “Just a friend.”

And that’s what Hunter became. Your best friend. 

After a while, Hunter and Cut finally return and Echo nods for Hunter to follow him outside. Which seems strange to you. Normally Echo isn’t usually shy about saying what’s on his mind in front of people. 

Unfortunately, your curiosity quickly gets the best of you and you decide to follow them once you think they’re far enough away. You watch as they head into the barn and quietly make your way that way so you can at least hear what they’re talking about. Being out of the know doesn’t sit well with you, that’s how you justify it being alright that you’re about to eavesdrop.

“I heard her talking to Suu… even Suu could practically see right through the two of you.” Echo tells Hunter as you lean up against the hale bay by the barn doors.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Look… I’m not saying don’t pursue her… But… give her time to get over Crosshair. We can’t afford any fuck ups right now. If you’re both not focusing-”

Hunter sighs and you can already tell he’s rubbing his hands down his face in exasperation. “I am giving her time, Echo. I’m giving her space. Hell, I’d even give her the entire galaxy if she asked for it. Since when are you so nosy?”

Your chest tightens at Hunter’s serious tone when he says that last part. 

“Since I heard the hurt in her voice, and saw it in her eyes when they brought up Crosshair.” 

Hunter’s apparently not the only one who can read you like a book. But Echo’s right. You need time. It’s not like you can just move on from Crosshair in a day. You spent every single day together for a year.  

“You think I didn’t?” Hunter snips.

Deciding you can’t handle anymore talk about Crosshair, you start to head back to the house but end up tripping over a smaller hale bay, cursing automatically as you fall to the ground. You try to yank yourself up quickly, but are met with two confused clones, staring down at you.

“Uh, hey. Looking for Omega.” You cough. 

Echo snorts and holds out his hand to help you up. “Right.”

You take his hand and Hunter rights you, holding a hand on your shoulder.

“You two should talk.” Echo lets go of your hand and shoots Hunter a look and walks off.

Hunter guides you down to the hay bale, sitting on it next to you, watching Omega as she plays with Shaeeah and Jek. You sit like that in comfortable silence for a little bit. And for a moment, it feels normal again.

“Echo’s right. We should talk.” Hunter murmurs.

“I hate when he’s right.” You sigh. 

He lets out a chuckle and then looks at you. His eyes briefly fall to your lips before settling on your eyes. 

After a moment, he gets back up and starts to pace a little bit. It’s clear that he’s anxious about whatever conversation has to be had between the two of you. He finally stops to look down at you and then looks at the barn and goes into it, knowing you’ll follow him. Because that’s what you and Hunter do, apparently. 

You could ask for the galaxy and he would give it to you, and you would follow him to the ends of it. 

What does that mean?

He turns to look at you, leaning forward on the table. You stand across from him, crossing your arms. 

“Just talk to me, Hunter.” You murmur, softly. “Please…” 

He opens his mouth to speak but Tech’s voice falls over Hunter’s comm requesting both of your presences back at the house. Hunter lets out an annoyed grunt.

“On our way.” Hunter pulls the comm up and talks into it, never breaking eye contact with you.

Whatever the conversation was, it’ll have to be put on hold for now. Which, judging from the way that Hunter’s looking at you, is probably for the best.

TAGS: @rebel-finn @rexandechosandwich @madameminor @dumfanting @corona-one @tecker @ladykatakuri @brynhildrmimi @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @zoeykallus @maulslittlemeowmeow @littlemousedroid @arctrooper69 @rexxdjarin @padawancat97 @hated-by-me @sleepingsun501 @idledreams @redheadgirl @themcuwriter @ashotofspotchka @sunshinesdaydream @crosshairsimp73 @ariadnes-red-thread @rosmariner @heyitsaloy @starstofillmydream @high-ct5555 @echos-girlfriend @sleepywych @nekotaetae @justanothersadperson93 @aconstructofamind @book-of-baba-fett @chopper-base @palliateclaw @501st-rexster @dead-poolz @nahoney22 @where-is-my-mind-tho @jediknightjana @erishimoon @witching3 @queen-of-many-fandoms @wizardofrozz  @burningfieldof-clover @rebelsriley 

[daitranscripts]

Solas Cutscene: High Approval

Before the Anchor

Solas Masterpost

Solas: Inquisitor, I was… do you have a moment?

Solas leads the PC to the balcony of their quarters.

Solas: What were you like before the Anchor?

The PC looks at their hand.

Solas: Has it affected you? Changed you in any way? Your mind, your morals, your… spirit?

Dialogue options:

General: No, not really. [1]

General: How should I know? [2]

General: Get to the point. [3]

1 - General: No, not really. PC: I don’t believe so. Solas: Ah. PC: Why do you ask?

2 - General: How should I know? PC: If it had, do you really think I’d have noticed? Solas: No. That’s an excellent point. PC: Why do you ask?

3 - General: Get to the point. PC: What do you think is going on here?

4 - Scene continues.

Solas: You show a wisdom I have not seen since… since my deepest journeys into the ancient memories of the Fade. You are not what I expected.

Dialogue options:

General: I’m just like everyone else. [5] -Solas slightly disapproves

General: You make that sound bad. [6]

General: What did you expect? [7]

5 - General: I’m just like everyone else. PC: I don’t think of myself as different from anyone. Solas: Perhaps not in the form of your body, no. [8]

6 - General: You make that sound bad. PC: Sorry to disappoint. Solas: It’s not disappointing, it’s… (Sighs.) Most people are predictable. [8]

7 - General: What did you expect? PC: What have I done that’s so surprising? [8]

8 - Choice dependent dialogue:

Dalish PC [9]

Dwarf/Qunari/human PC [10]

9 - Dalish PC Solas: You have shown subtlety in your actions, a wisdom that goes against everything I expected. If the Dalish could raise someone with a spirit like yours… have I misjudged them?

Dialogue options:

General: Yes. [11]

General: Honestly, not really. [12]

General: No. I am who I am. [13] +Solas slightly approves

10 - General: Yes. PC: I don’t hold the Dalish up as perfect, but we have something worth honoring. A memory of the ancient ways. [14]

11 - General: Honestly, not really. PC: Most of the Dalish care more about impressing other hunters with a good shot or talking about how awful humans are. There are only a few who seem to care about the old ways. [14]

12 - General: No. I am who I am. PC: The Dalish didn’t make me like this. The decisions were mine. Solas: Yes, you are wise to give yourself that due. Although the Dalish, in their fashion, may still have guided you. [14]

14 - Scene continues.

Solas: Perhaps that is it. I suppose it must be. Most people act with so little understanding of the world. But not you. [18]

10 - Dwarf/Qunari/human PC

dwarf PC Solas: Dwarves are practical. They do not dream. The cannot even imagine a world beyond the physical. But you have shown subtlety in your actions. A wisdom that goes against everything I know of your people.

Qunari PC Solas: Qunari are savage creatures, their ferocity held in check only by the rigid teachings of the Qun. But you have shown subtlety in your actions. A wisdom that goes against everything I know of your people.

human PC Solas: Humans are shortsighted, brutish. Blind to the beauty of the Fade, their minds cast in a duality of black and white. But you have shown subtlety in your actions. A wisdom that goes against everything I know of your people.

Dialogue options:

General: What about our friends? [15] General: I try. [16] General: You were misinformed. [17]

14 - General: What about our friends? PC: I’m just one part of this team, Solas. What about Cassandra or Leliana? Solas: Cassandra separates matters of faith from those of the world, and she above all should understand how limited that is. Leliana has a brilliant mind, but her faith was damaged. To her, it is all a game of tactics now. But not you. [18]

15 - General: I try. PC: I do what I can. Solas: You are modest. So many would use this Inquisition as a blunt instrument in their rise to power. But not you. [18]

16 - General: You were misinformed. PC: It seems everything you’ve been taught by your people has some holes in it. Solas: I have seen enough of the world to know I was not misinformed. Most people are small… petty. But not you. [18]

18 - Scene continues.

PC: So what does this mean, Solas?

non-romanced Solas: It means that I respect you deeply, Inquisitor. And I have disturbed you enough for one evening. Solas leaves. Scene ends.

romanced Solas: It means I have not forgotten the kiss.

Dialogue options:

End relationship: Let it go, Solas. [19]

Flirt: Neither have I. [20]

19 - End relationship: Let it go, Solas. PC: Perhaps you should. Solas: Perhaps you’re right. I will always respect you, Inquisitor. Solas leaves. Scene ends.

20 - Flirt: Neither have I. PC: Good. The PC moves closer, and Solas goes to leave. PC: Don’t go. The PC grabs his arm. Solas: It would be kinder in the long run. But losing you would… He turns, and they kiss. Solas: Ar lath ma, vhenan. Solas leaves, and the PC leans against the doorway. Scene ends.

[milder-manners]

what are your favorite manhunts plays?

5. Catching Sapnap’s water bucket (5 hunters grand finale): I have never been more convinced that Dream was done for in a manhunt than when Dream was running in that mesa/desert with low hunger and basically no health. Which I know sounds silly since the literal Final Manhunt video was just beginning but in that moment I couldn’t fathom how in the world he was going to get out of that situation. So you could probably guess how hyped I got seeing that moment.

4. Frostwalker (First 4 Hunters): the music, the vibes, the quick work of finishing off all 4 hunters. Immaculate execution. Dreamie’s really gotten down killing to an art right here. I genuinely think this is the second smoothest performance of his plays that he’s ever pulled off in this series.

3. Killing all 5 hunters twice (5 hunters Rematch): look, I know this isn’t exactly a play but since this is my post I’m allowed to cheat. Before this video Dream has been pressed to a defensive by the hunters for a long while. Even during the 4 hunters series he’s been pushed to avoid fighting the hunters whenever possible because he simply couldn’t beat them all. Until he did. Twice over. In this video. Fuck yeah

2. Nether roof play (4 hunters rematch): the “storytelling” of manhunt peaked here. Holy fucking shit. A one in a million gem that through some miracle has been captured in a successful manhunt. I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it in the series.

The entire End sequence of (5 hunters Grand finale): the unintentional callbacks, the sacrifice, the quadruple kill, the climbing so high into the sky that the platform couldn’t be seen anymore, Dream running out of blocks and food and only Sam dying by a chance being the thing that saves him (Sam gave him the fishing rod), the slime block clutch!!!! It has fucking everything and I’m proud to say that the Final Manhunt is my absolute favorite by far. What a fucking end to the series

[fanfoolishness]

Summer of Bad Batch 2024 Masterpost

With SoBB wrapping up soon (noooo! it's been so much fun!) I realized I should probably make a masterpost specific to it. I may not make the overachiever status, as there's some prompts that didn't really speak to me, but I did some prompts multiple times, ficced and drawn several ways! @summer-of-bad-batch has been so much fun!

OVERACHIEVER COMPLETE! (I think? I hope?)

Here's what I've done so far as of 8/27/24:

Week 1

Main Prompt: Water Gun Fight

The cadet Batch have a water gun fight, fic.

Alt. Prompt: “It’s not what you think.”

Crosshair and Wrecker visit the Armory in 1x01. Fic.

Week 2

Main Prompt: Injured

Crosshair on heavy pain medication after losing his hand, angsty family feels fic.

Wrecker comforts Crosshair, art for the above fic.

Crosshair reassures Omega after his injury, art for the above fic.

Cadet Crosshair is injured, but Wrecker's there for him. Art + drabble.

Alt. Prompt: Comfort Zone

Crosshair and Tech hanging out, art

Week 3

Main Prompt: “It’s just a scratch.”

Wrecker struggles on the approach to Tantiss - no he doesn't.

Alt. Prompt: “Forget I asked.”

Wrecker and Crosshair talk about their chips. Fic.

Week 4

Main Prompt: Cadets

The Batch meet themselves as cadets, art

Alt. Prompt: "You really think you're going without me? Not going to happen."

Crosshair and the batch go stargazing. Art and fic.

Week 5

Main Prompt: “You’re a bad liar.”

Hunter tries to conceal an injury, but gets found out. Fic.

Alt. Prompt: “Need a hand?”

Wrecker and Crosshair illustration for @just-here-with-my-thoughts's fic, Need a Hand?

Crosshair and Wrecker ficlet

Week 6

Main Prompt: Battle Scars

Crosshair's scars after Bracca, art

Alt. Prompt: “Get out of my room!”

Crosshair and Omega both struggle with nightmares, fic.

Week 7

Main Prompt: “Don’t avoid the question.”

Hunter wonders what to tell Omega after Tech calls Plan 99, fic.

Alt. Prompt: Getting a Haircut

Wrecker gives Crosshair a haircut, post S3. Art and drabble

Week 8

Main Prompt: Swimming Lessons

Wrecker and Crosshair learn to swim on Kamino. Doodle and drabble.

Alt. Prompt: Lula

Crosshair wakes up sick; Omega's there to help, fic.

Week 9

Main Prompt: “Hold still.”

Hunter wonders what to tell Omega after Tech calls Plan 99, fic.

Alt. Prompt: Stargazing

Crosshair and the batch go stargazing. Art and fic.

Week 10

Main prompt: Hugs

Hunter and Crosshair hug, art

Hunter and Crosshair hug, fic

Omega hugs the Batch, art

Alt prompt: “Just when were you planning on telling us that?”

The Batch grows older, fic. (Fills multiple prompts.)

Week 11

Main Prompt: “I didn’t think I would get this far.”

Hunter works on a new skill. Fic and doodle.

Alt. Prompt: “Yeah, kid, we’re fine.”

The Batch grows older, fic. (Fills multiple prompts.)

Week 12

Main Prompt: Nightmares

Crosshair knows bad dreams, art.

Alt. Prompt: Radio Silence

Echo tries to send a message, fic.

Week 13

Main Prompt: "Stop touching me!" / "I'm not touching you!"

Hunter and Crosshair get into it, doodle.

Alt. Prompt: Crashing Hard

Crosshair and Mayday struggle through the frozen night, fic.

Bonus... I apparently invented a prompt? I think I hallucinated there being a Pabu prompt and drew this for it. What the hell self. XD

Real bonus prompts:

"Can you braid my hair?"

Hunter works on a new skill. Fic and doodle.

A Light in the Darkness

Crosshair and Mayday struggle through the frozen night, fic.

[sugareey-makes-stuff]

This Sterek fic I've been poking at for the last 4 months is nearly done, so I might as well share what I have while I edit the last part (which should be posted up next week!!). What a labor of love this story was. I guess I'm aiming to annually write at least one thing for myself, so this story is it for me. Yep, there's whump, angst, hurt/comfort and feelings, but I also decided to play with different segways and pacing from my usual. Was it difficult? Yep. Was it worth it? Also yes! Things get worse before they get better, so that's what Sterek deals with before they discover some Very Important things about themselves and each other. Written for @augustofwhump's Day 5 prompt "stranded" and alternative prompt "drowning" and @tw-anchor-down's 2024 Waxing Crescent Round and Full Moon Round prompts "daylight" and "converge." Also crosses off the "stalking" and "secret revealed" squares for my @sweetspicybingo Hurt/Comfort Bingo card (and gets me bingo!), the "kiss goodbye" square for my @hurtcomfort-bingo card and the "kidnapping" square for @twbingo's Situations card 016. Hope you like what I've come up with! And please, mind the tags.

Title: Everything I Ever Wanted (<- read on AO3) Rating: Teen Tags: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Post-Season/Series 04, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Monster of the Week, Hunters & Hunting, Kidnapping, Car Accidents, Drowning, it's temporary, Nightmares, Unconsciousness, Dreams vs. Reality, Misunderstandings, Arguing, Mutual Pining, Reunions, Panic Attacks, Anchors, Confessions, Derek Hale Returns to Beacon Hills, Derek Hale Needs a Hug, Stiles Stilinski Needs a Hug, Canon-Typical Violence, Fire, Healing, Crying, Injury, Scent Marking, Elemental Magic, Feelings Realization, Hopeful Ending, Stiles Stilinski-centric, POV Stiles Stilinski

Summary: Stiles swallowed thickly, his throat feeling tight and sore. What was he supposed to say, now that he knew the truth? Derek staying meant a continued cycle of him enduring more pain and guilt. But Derek leaving had somehow created a new void in Stiles’ heart. They never stood a chance. And this was why life was so unfair. * [Or: Stiles and Derek go through emotional whiplash when they get kidnapped, encounter a Big Bad and almost drown. Old wounds reopen and some big secrets slip out.]

[saellefanwork]

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕋𝕚𝕞𝕖

The Demon Slayers are not the only ones tracking down and beheading the deadly creatures of the night. There are also solitary hunters, acting in the shadows for different reasons. The Nagase family, of which you are the last heir, has been training their eldest daughters for generations in the art of wielding Nichirin swords. Your Breathing style is unique to your lineage: it is the Time Breathing, capable of slowing down or accelerating the movements of both the user and their opponent. Despite the tensions between the Kisatsutai and the solitary hunters, nothing can break the bonds that unite you and your childhood friend, Rengoku Kyojuro. Not even death.

Story in second person (you). The name of the main character can be changed using Interactive Fics without disrupting the narrative.

First name: Kanoko. Family name: Nagase

While my interpretation of Kanoko appears in the art, there is not much text descriptions of her features, hoping it will give you more freedom to imagine her in your own way if you wish to ignore the pictures. More info on how the illustrations are done on my instagram (saellefanwork)

Intro

Chapter 1: There is this woman I like...

Flashback Arc

Chapter 2: Our First Encounter

Chapter 3: The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 4: The Darkest Night

Chapter 5: I swear to the kami!

Chapter 6: A life's commitment

Mugen Train Arc

Chapter 7: A Wind of Love

Chapter 8: A Wind of Death

Chapter 9: Lost in Time

Chapter 10: No matter what it takes

Chapter 11: What Duty Demands

Chapter 12: A demon's vow

Eternal Paradise Cult Arc

Chapter 13: Deceiftul Dreams

Chapter 14: The Bloody Altar

Chapter 15: Voices from the Past

Chapter 16: The Eternal Paradise Cult's Fall

Chapter 17: One should always listen to their heart

Bonus scene! (preview)

Hashira Training Arc

Chapter 18: The Hashira Training

Chapter 19: The kanoko-patterned haori

Chapter 20: New Year's Eve

Final Battle Arc

Chapter 21: Upper Moon Three

Chapter 22: The Tsuguko's teachings

Chapter 23: The Lord of Demons

Chapter 24: Setting our Hearts Ablaze!

A world without Demons Arc

Chapter 25: A New Dawn

Chapter 26: Grief and Gratitude

Chapter 27: Home

Epilogue

Chapter 28: Fated Love

[turbulentscrawl]

Hunter Sizes

Just some more general musings from work the other night. Special thanks to @athanasius-symposium-of-writings for listening to my random chatter about this kinda stuff haha

-I think most of the Hunters aren’t as large as the game makes them seem in comparison to the survivors. That’s something done, firstly, to give the Hunter-player a better field of vision, and secondly, to emphasize the survivor’s fear of whoever is chasing them. That said, I do think most of the Hunters have been made bigger than they were as mortals. Like, they're still huge! But the survivors aren't usually eye-level with their crotches haha.

-Fool’s Gold is the largest of the Hunters, and the closest to his in-game height. Norton’s body has been built up and filled out with a ton of rocks and coal, and the as a result he stands somewhere between 9-10ft tall. Ann is close to his height as well because she’s been so stretched out, but her posture is terrible so she tends to stand at eye-level of the next group.

-Jack, Antonio, Wu, Luchino, Pierre, Percy, and Alva are the tallest Hunters, aside from Fool’s Gold and Ann. They all stand between 7-8ft tall.

-Sangria (and she's all leg lol), the Will Brothers together, and Orpheus are the next group, and generally stand between 6.5-7ft tall. Grace is also at eye-level at this group, due to her floating which she can’t turn off. If she were able to rest on the ground, she’d be in the same group as Michiko. Dream Witch is also in this group, but since no one can see her it barely counts.

-Hastur’s height is variable. When he’s resting, he’s right in the middle of Hunter’s height charts. But his body is like an octopus, so he can squash and stretch himself easily to change his size.

-Michiko, Mary, Burke, Kiegan, Ithaqua, and Joseph are on the shorter side, compared to other Hunters, but they still stand around 6ft. Ithaqua uses his stilts to seem taller; with those on, he’s got another foot on people and stands at eye-level with Sangria. Leo, Joker, and Bane are also close with this group, but they’re also much bulkier overall than the others.

-Galatea, Violetta, Bonbon, and Robbie are the shortest Hunters. They’re still not as “small” as their age or conditions would suggest, but probably average between 5’-5.5’ when standing.