#FINALLY got a mantis run i was happy with

[skull-storm-daily]

8/13/2022 (mantis deck) (bonus)

[weevil-wallflower]

A Jedi & A Droid

Cal Kestis x Jedi!Reader

Summary: Your life was never the same after You stumbled upon another Jedi and a droid.

Warnings/Tags: No warnings, SFW, hurt/comfort, minor angst, fluff, mutual pining, no use of Y/N, no pronouns used, pre/during Jedi: Survivor, minor spoilers for Jedi: Survivor.

A.N.: My third entry for Cal Kestis Week 2024! Prompts: Day 3 - Droid & Day 4 - "We shouldn't be doing this".

I am so late but responsibilities called! Also, this story, initially meant to be simple, got wayyy out of hand and turned into a combination of little snippets. So a bit of a wordy one but I am so happy to finally write this, as the idea had been sitting in my drafts for so long plus I really enjoyed writing it! I think this is one of my best stories yet :3 Gif by me!

Also on AO3!

Word Count: ~6,800

After the crew of the Mantis had split apart, Cal found himself adrift in the galaxy with only BD-1 by his side, spending years drifting between missions and without a crew—a family. While working for Saw Gerrera, he had formed strong friendships with fellow rebels; Gabs, the Klatooinian twins Koob and Lizz, and Bravo. However, it never felt quite the same. He longed for the camaraderie and companionship he had once known, yearning for a friend, a family and perhaps even a partner, to share in their journey’s hardships and victories.

Then, one fateful day, while Cal and BD-1 were navigating through a crowded spaceport, they came across You—running desperately from a squad of unrelenting stormtroopers. Cal's sharp senses detected the hurry in your movements and the terror in your expression as You ran through the packed streets, desperately trying to evade capture.

Without hesitation, Cal leapt into action, his instincts kicking into overdrive as he made his way through the chaotic crowds, dodging blaster fire and weaving through narrow alleyways in pursuit of You. Out of breath, he finally caught up to You, halting You in your tracks and reached out a hand to offer his help.

“Come with us!” The redhead urged, his voice firm yet reassuring as he glanced back at the approaching stormtroopers. “We have a ship. We can help you escape.”

Despite the opportunity presented before You, You hesitated, your eyes wide with fear and uncertainty as You weight your options.

“I’m not getting in a stranger’s ship!” You protested, your voice trembling with apprehension.

Cal’s gaze softened, understanding the gravity of your situation as he met your gaze with unwavering determination.

“You have a better idea?” He asked, his tone gentle yet firm as he kept his hand extended towards You.

You still appeared hesitant but the thunderous footsteps of the approaching stormtroopers and the urgent “Beep-bo-beep!” from the droid perched on the redhead’s back sealed the deal, making You choose the lesser of two evils. With a slight nod, You reached out to take the redhead’s hand, feeling a sense of trust and reassurance wash over You like a wave. Was it the Force trying to tell You something? You had no time to dwell on it, however, as Cal led You to his ship.

As the three of you boarded the Mantis, Cal’s eyes widened with excitement when they fell on the lightsaber strapped to your side, realisation dawning on him.

“You’re a Jedi!” He exclaimed, surprise apparent in his voice. “That’s why those Imps were after you.”

The knowledge brought him some hope, knowing that he had finally found another Jedi besides Cere, after all these years.

You simply nodded and hesitantly took the offered co-pilot seat as the ship soared through the vast outer space. You were unable to shake the feeling of apprehension that gripped You. The knowledge that Cal now knew You were a Jedi filled You with a sense of unease, knowing all too well the dangers that come with being hunted throughout the Galaxy. The thought of bounty hunters and Imperial forces closing in on You sent a shiver down your spine, and You couldn’t help but wonder if trusting Cal was a mistake.

However, as You stole a glance at him while he piloted the ship, You noticed something that caught You off guard—a lightsaber attached to his belt, just like yours. Your eyes widened in surprise as You turned to face him, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Are you… are you also a Jedi?” You asked, your voice full of uncertainty.

Cal’s face lit up with a smile, his green eyes sparkling with excitement and happiness.

“Yes, I am!” He exclaimed, voice full of joy. “I can’t believe I’ve finally found another Jedi!”

“Me too…” You whispered as the revelation sent a wave of relief washing over You. And sure enough, You felt his Force signature resonate around You, feeling his resilience, determination and a strong connection to the Light Side of the Force. However, while the signature carried traces of sorrow and grief, You were surprised by how warm and comforting it felt, enveloping You like a protective blanket. You were unable to remember the last time You felt someone’s Force signature—much less one as soothing. The feeling replaced your earlier apprehension with a sense of solidarity and companionship, relieved to know that You were not alone.

However, it still took time for You to feel comfortable around Cal, despite his warm demeanor and infectious enthusiasm. But slowly over time, You found yourself gradually opening up to the redhead, sharing stories of your past and your hopes for the future. Yet, a lingering sense of caution remained, a barrier that felt insurmountable at times.

But BD-1, Cal’s loyal droid friend, proved to be a source of comfort and solace during those moments of uncertainty. Seeing how happy Cal was once more, all because of your presence on board, BD-1 went out of his way to make You feel welcome with his cheerful chirps and friendly demeanour, offering You small gifts and gestures of kindness that never failed to bring a smile to your face.

And as You watched the little droid trot around the ship, trilling with excitement, You couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude towards him. His efforts to make You feel comfortable and at ease did not go unnoticed, and You found yourself growing fond of BD-1 in return.

Cal, too, noticed the bond that was forming between the both of you, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his droid friend bringing joy and laughter into your life like he did for him. Seeing You happy lifted Cal’s spirits in ways he couldn’t fully explain, and he found himself opening up to You even more, sharing his hopes and fears with a newfound sense of trust and vulnerability.

Overall, BD-1’s efforts to make You feel comfortable and welcome were essential in helping You overcome your initial apprehension and form strong bonds of friendship with Cal and the droid. There were numerous instances which contributed to strengthening your bond with both of them.

One day, Cal and BD-1 ventured out on a mission while You agreed to stay behind on the Mantis to look after it and to provide backup support if needed. But when the duo failed to return when they should have, a sense of worry began to settle deep in your mind. Especially when You were unable to contact them via the comms. Time appeared to stretch on endlessly as You waited for their return, each minute that passed only made your concern grow. Feeling restless, You paced the length of the ship, your footsteps echoing in the empty corridors as You anxiously awaited their safe return.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, just when You contemplated going out to search for them, You heard footsteps and beeping sounds. You quickly rushed down the ramp to be greeted by the sight of Cal, looking a little worse for wear but otherwise unharmed. Your worries melted away in an instant as You ran over to greet him.

“Cal, you’re back!” You exclaimed, relief evident in your voice.

The redhead grinned wearily, his expression softened by your sight. “Hey…” He greeted, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “Sorry for the delay. We ran into a bit of trouble out there.”

Before You could respond, BD-1 chirped excitedly, leaping down from Cal's back and presented You with a tiny gift he ejected from his stim dispenser. With a delighted giggle, You accepted the gift, a simple trinket made from scavenged materials—a token of BD-1's affection and friendship.

As You thanked the little droid for the thoughtful gesture, Cal couldn't help but chuckle at the scene unfolding before him.

"Well, it looks like BeeDee gets all the attention," he quipped, his tone light-hearted as he approached you. "No warm welcome for a valiant hero like me, huh?"

You grinned at his playful remark, thankful that despite the dangers they faced on their mission, Cal and BD-1 had returned safely, and that was all that mattered in the end.

As you all walked back inside the Mantis together, Cal's arm draped casually over your shoulder, You couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging wash over You. And when BD-1 chirped happily beside You, You knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, you would face them together as a team.

Another day, You remember sitting alone in the quiet solitude of your quarters at the back of the Mantis. With the weight of loneliness and longing pressing heavy on your heart, You couldn't help but feel the ache of missing your long-gone family and friends. Memories of happier times filled your mind, each recollection a bittersweet reminder of the bonds You had lost to the war of the Galaxy.

Meanwhile, out in the common area of the ship, Cal paced back and forth with furrowed brows, his concern for You evident in the worried lines etched upon his face. He had sensed your melancholy from the moment You had withdrawn to your quarters, and despite his best efforts to coax You out of your seclusion, You had insisted that You were fine, not wanting to burden him with your troubles.

But BD-1, after sensing your distress, took it upon himself to cheer You up. With a soft chirp, the little droid scuttled into your quarters, carrying an assortment of gifts and trinkets.

You looked up when BD-1 dropped the presents at your feet, startled by the unexpected intrusion. But when You gazed into the droid’s photoreceptor lenses, You noticed something—empathy, compassion and a silent invitation to share in his company.

With a small smile, you reached out to accept the gifts that BD-1 had brought for You, each one a small token of friendship and comfort in the midst of your loneliness. A handcrafted charm bracelet, a bundle of aromatic herbs, and a holorecording of soothing music—all thoughtfully chosen to lift your spirits and ease the ache in your heart.

As You held the gifts close to your heart, a wave of gratitude washed over You, grateful for the droid’s unwavering support and companionship.

When Cal noticed BD-1 entering your quarters, he longed to join in as well, wanting to do everything he could to make You feel better and suddenly, an idea came to him. Quickly, he brewed a cup of your favorite caf, its rich aroma filling the air. With each measured step, he poured his heart into the simple act of preparing the beverage, hoping that it will bring You some solace in the midst of your turmoil.

As the redhead slowly walked into your quarters with the steaming cup in hand, he felt a sense of relief wash over him at the sight of the little droid’s offerings laid out before You on your bed. He was grateful for BD-1’s presence, knowing that the little droid was looking after You in his own unique way, offering You comfort when You needed it the most.

When You saw Cal enter your quarters with hesitant steps, You couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth in your chest at the sight of him. The small, sympathetic smile he wore tugged at your heartstrings, and as You watched him walk closer, your lips curved into a small smile of your own.

Slowly, Cal extended the cup towards You, his gesture a silent offering of support and understanding. And as You accepted the cup of caf, You felt a sense of gratitude, knowing that with Cal and BD-1 present, You were never truly alone, even in your moments of solitude. Their presence and unwavering support filled the room with a comforting sense of companionship that eased the ache in your heart.

When Cal moved to leave You to your thoughts, as You had requested earlier, a sudden impulse seized You. “ Cal, wait!” You called out, surprising yourself with the words.

Turning back to face You, the redhead’s expression was one of curiosity, his eyes searching yours.

“Would you… would you mind staying here for a while?” You asked, your voice soft with uncertainty. “I could use the company…”

A flicker of emotion passed through Cal’s eyes; a mixture of surprise, gratitude and something deeper You couldn’t quite recognise. With a small nod, he settled into the seat opposite You, his presence along with BD-1’s providing reassurance amidst your troubled thoughts.

And as you all sat together in the comfort of your quarters, the warmth of the caf and the gentle hum of conversation filled the air, slowly dissipating the tension from earlier. With each passing moment, You found yourself drawn deeper into the warmth of Cal’s presence, the sound of his deep voice soothing your worries.

As You listened to him speak, your gaze wandered, taking in the details of his appearance with a newfound appreciation. His fiery red hair, the brightest You had ever seen, seemed to glow in the soft light of the room.

His green eyes, so vibrant and full of life, sparkled with intelligence and kindness, drawing You in with their magnetic charm. And as You met his gaze, You found yourself captivated by the depth and warmth that lay within them, a reflection of the soul that resided behind those beautiful emerald orbs.

His freckles, scattered like constellations across his sun-kissed skin, added to his charm, giving him an air of boyish innocence that belied the immense strength and resilience he possessed. And though his face carried the marks of battles fought and hardships endured, each scar only served to enhance his rugged allure, a testament to the trials and tribulations he had overcome over the years.

While You took in the sight of him, bathed in the soft glow of the room, You couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration wash over You. In that moment, surrounded by the comforting embrace of his presence, You knew that You were in the presence of someone truly special—a friend, a confidant, and perhaps something more.

As time went on and the bond between You and the duo deepened, You developed a deep, almost parental affection for the little droid, despite not understanding what he said half the time. Often, in moments of excitement or tenderness, You found yourself affectionately calling BD-1 "Beebee" or "BB-1," much to Cal’s amusement.

During one particularly heartwarming moment by the campfire during a stop on Bogano, as Cal's hand brushed against yours and the stars twinkled overhead, You couldn't resist reaching out to BD-1 with a soft smile.

"Come here, Beebee," You cooed, beckoning the droid closer.

BD-1 chirped happily, nuzzling against your side with a warmth that made your heart swell.

Cal chuckled at the endearing nickname, his eyes crinkling with affection as he observed the exchange.

"You're my little bebe!" You exclaimed, unable to contain your adoration for the droid, causing Cal's laughter to fill the air, a melodic sound that echoed through the night.

"You're going to spoil him with all that love," he teased, his playful tone only adding to the warmth of the moment.

You grinned, feeling a sense of contentment wash over You. "Well, he deserves it," You replied, reaching out to pat BD-1's head affectionately.

Another one of your adventures led you all to an enchanting night market, where the dim glow of colourful lanterns illuminated the bustling streets. Cloaked in hooded robes that disguised your identities, You and Cal strolled through the bustling streets and crowds of people. The outer rim planet that you all had landed on was far from the watchful eyes of the Empire, but the threat of being hunted down as Jedi still lingered, necessitating caution in your movements.

As you both moved through the sea of sellers and stalls, You couldn't help but steal glances at Cal, admiring how handsome and mysterious he looked in his black cloak.

Cal too stole glances at You from beneath his hood, unable to contain his admiration. The way your eyes sparkled with curiosity as You took in the sights and sounds around You, the delicate curve of your smile as You marveled at the many stalls— it all filled him with a warmth that he couldn't quite explain.

His thoughts drifted to uncharted territory as he found himself yearning for more than just companionship with You. The urge to reach out and hold You close, to feel the warmth of your embrace and the softness of your touch, tugged at his heartstrings with an intensity he hadn't anticipated.

But the redhead knew better than to act on such impulses, especially in the midst of such a perilous situation. The threat of danger loomed overhead, reminding him of the risks involved in allowing his emotions to take control. And yet, despite the rational voice of caution in his mind, he couldn't shake the longing that stirred within him whenever he looked at You.

And as You turned to face him with a curious expression, he felt a rush of warmth fill his chest, the desire to protect and cherish You overwhelming any doubts or fears that lingered within him. In that moment, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the night market, Cal knew one thing for certain; he would do anything to keep You safe.

The redhead’s thoughts were interrupted when You suddenly rushed inside a bookstore with shelves full of interesting titles. Among them, a book on how to learn Binary stuck out, with a cover full of symbols and characters that attracted your interest.

"Hey, Cal, check this out!" You exclaimed, excitedly holding up the book after he caught up to You. "I've always wanted to learn Binary, especially now so I can understand Beebee better. What do you think?"

Cal glanced at the book, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I think that's a great idea," he replied, his voice warm with encouragement. "Learning Binary could definitely help you and Beedee communicate more effectively."

Turning to BD-1, who was perched on Cal's shoulder, You addressed the droid with a playful grin. "What do you think, Beebee? You think I can learn Binary? Then you and I can gossip like schoolgirls, won't that be fun?"

Cal chuckled at your remark, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I definitely think Beedee will have some juicy gossip to tell you," he quipped, eliciting a series of excited beeps from the droid. "But yeah, learning Binary sounds like a fantastic idea. Just promise me one thing: as long as you both don't gossip about me, I'm all for it."

You giggled in response before purchasing the book and tucking it safely into your robes. For some reason, You hadn’t thought to ask Cal for lessons, thinking You could learn on your own and not wanting to trouble him as he already had too much on his plate. But now, with the book in hand, You were eager to begin learning.

After weeks turned to months aboard the Mantis, You received communication from a distant friend from within the rebellion You worked for, presenting You with a difficult choice. The holographic image flickered to life from within your now fixed comms unit, revealing the face of a trusted ally, their voice filled with urgency and determination as they extended an invitation for You to return to the rebellion.

For a moment, You felt torn, the call to duty and the desire to make a difference in the Galaxy making You feel conflicted. The rebellion was your way of fighting for freedom and justice alongside allies who shared your ideals and convictions.

But as You glanced around the familiar surroundings of the Mantis, the faces of Cal and BD-1 staring back at You with concern and uncertainty, You realised that this ship had become more than just a travelling vessel—it was your sanctuary, your home.

Cal, ever perceptive to the turmoil raging within You, approached with a gentle hand resting on your shoulder, his eyes filled with understanding and empathy. “Whatever you decide, know that we’re here for you,” he said, his voice soft and reassuring. “You’re a part of this crew, a part of this family, and we’ll support you no matter what.”

With a heavy heart, You weighed your options, torn between the duty to your cause and the love for your newfound family.

In the end, You made your decision, lead on by your stubborn sense of duty to the cause. The call to serve the rebellion beckoned with an undeniable urgency. In a way, You and Cal were very similar, feeling like you both needed to keep fighting, unable to shake the sense of duty that weight heavily on both of you.

Cal accepted your decision with great reluctance, having half a mind to join You but he had his own duty to fulfill for Saw Gerrera’s rebellion.

When the moment of your departure drew closer, Cal and BD-1 stood beside You as You gathered your meagre belongings, their expressions a mirror of your own conflicted emotions, as You prepared to leave. The duo knew that your absence would leave a void aboard the Mantis that would be difficult to fill.

Cal, ever stoic and composed, held his emotions in check, offering You a reassuring smile as he bid You farewell. His words of encouragement and support echoed in your ears, reminding You that You were not alone in your decision, no matter how difficult it may be.

BD-1 on the other hand, unable to contain his emotions, wailed and cried, clinging to your legs desperately as You attempted to walk down the ramp of the Mantis and onto the planet. The little droid’s cries of distress tore at your heartstrings, filling You with a sense of guilt and anguish as You struggled to pull away.

“Beebee, it’s okay,” You whispered, calling him with that endearing nickname, your voice thick with emotions as You tried to soothe the distraught droid. “I’ll come back, I promise. We’ll see eachother again soon.”

But BD-1’s cries only grew louder, his little legs clinging to You in a desperate embrace, refusing to let go. Tears welled in your eyes as You looked into the droid’s photoreceptors, seeing the depth of his sorrow reflected back at You.

As he watched BD-1 cling to You with such desperation, witnessing the droid’s anguish and your distress, Cal felt a pang of sorrow and longing grip his heart as well. He slowly approached you both, gently reaching out to the droid. “’We shouldn’t be doing this’,” he murmured softly, his voice laced with sorrow as he pried BD-1 away from You. “We must respect others’ decisions…”

The redhead wanted nothing more than to embrace You, to hold You close and offer You comfort in this difficult moment. But he knew that if he allowed himself to give in to that temptation, he would break down completely. With a heavy heart, Cal settled for a handshake instead, his touch gentle yet firm as he bid You farewell. He knew that letting You go was the right thing to do, even if it tore him apart inside.

With a heavy heart, your touch lingered on Cal’s hand before You gave BD-1 one last reassuring pat before finally stepping away and descending down the ramp. And as You walked away, the echoes of BD-1's cries followed You, a haunting reminder of the sacrifice You had made in the name of duty.

As your silhouette faded into the horizon, Cal couldn’t shake the weight of grief that settled in his chest. Watching you leave, he couldn't help but reflect on the bond that had formed between You, him and BD-1, realizing how much he and the little droid had come to cherish You.

In the short time You had been aboard the Mantis, You had become like family to them. And now, just as they had grown accustomed to your presence, You were leaving them, all too soon, like so many others before You.

The thought of saying goodbye was nearly unbearable, a painful reminder of the transience of life and the fleeting nature of companionship in a Galaxy ripped apart by conflict and suffering. But even as the pain of loss threatened to overwhelm him, Cal knew that he couldn't hold You back, knowing all too well that your duty to the rebellion was a call You could not ignore.

As Cal returned inside the Mantis, a heaviness settled upon him, weighing down his spirit with the burden of your departure. Unable to muster the resolve to fly the ship just yet, he found himself sinking into melancholy, the empty space around him echoing with the absence of your presence.

Sitting in the cockpit, Cal held BD-1 close to him, the little droid providing what comfort it could with its mechanical chirps and beeps. But even as he clung to BD-1, a sense of loneliness overcame him, a stark reminder of the void left behind by your absence.

"BeeDee," Cal murmured softly, his voice tinged with sadness. "We... We both really did come to love our new friend, didn't we?"

"Boo-woo..." BD-1 beeped in response, his photoreceptors dimming with sorrow as he nestled closer to the redhead. In that moment, as they sat together in the silent cockpit, Cal sought solace in the presence of his loyal droid.

BD-1 then emitted a flurry of hurried beeps, crying out to Cal with urgency, telling—demanding him to bring You back right this instant. Cal felt a pang of sadness grip his heart as the desperation in BD-1's cries mirrored his own inner turmoil, reminding him of the depth of the bond that had formed between him and You.

"We shouldn't be doing something like this..." Cal repeated solemnly, shaking his head as he recalled his earlier words when BD had clung to You. "We can't force someone like that..."

His voice was heavy with resignation, a reflection of the harsh reality they faced. Despite their wishes and desires, they couldn't force You to stay, no matter how much they wanted to. The decision was yours alone to make, and they had to respect that, no matter how difficult it may be.

BD-1 emitted a series of mournful beeps in response, his sorrow palpable as he nestled closer to Cal, seeking solace in his presence. Together, they sat in the quiet confines of the cockpit, grappling with the emptiness left behind by your departure, silently hoping that You will return to them one day.

Meanwhile, as the evening turned into night, You found yourself immersed in the routine of life within the rebellion's base once more, but the memory of leaving your newfound family behind weighed heavily on your mind. Amidst the chatter and activity of your fellow rebels, a sense of longing gnawed at your heart, aching for the companionship and camaraderie You had experienced aboard the Mantis.

In the quiet solitude of your old quarters, You unpacked your belongings, the Binary language book You had purchased a few weeks earlier catching your eye. The sight of it brought back precious memories, reminding You of the laughter, the warmth, and the sense of belonging You had felt with Cal and BD-1. In that moment, You realised with a pang of regret how big of a mistake You had made in leaving them behind.

With resolution burning within You, You made a spur-of-the-moment decision to return to the Mantis, hoping against hope that it wasn't too late. Racing through the dimly lit corridors of the rebellion's base, your heart pounded with anticipation as You hurried towards the landing pad where the ship was stationed.

As You approached, the silhouette of the Mantis came into view, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. Relief washed over You as You realised despite the few hours that had passed since You had left, the ship was still there, almost as if waiting patiently for your return.

You ran up the ramp and inside the ship, your breath coming in ragged gasps as your gaze fell on the solemn figures of Cal and BD-1. For a brief moment, confusion flickered across their faces, but it quickly gave way to surprise and joy as they realised that You had returned.

BD-1 was the first to react, emitting a series of excited beeps as he rushed towards You. Tears welled up in your eyes as You knelt down to greet the little droid, wrapping your arms around his small frame in a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry," You whispered tearfully. "I didn't mean to leave you. I didn't realise how much you both meant to me until I was gone."

BD-1 chirped softly in response, his photoreceptors gleaming with happiness as he nuzzled against You. Meanwhile, Cal approached slowly, his expression a mixture of relief and concern as he watched the emotional reunion unfold before him.

"Welcome back," he said softly, his voice tinged with emotion.

With BD-1 by your side as a reassuring presence, You rose from your embrace with the droid and turned to face Cal, the weight of your emotions spilling over as You threw your arms around him in a tight hug.

As You hugged Cal, your heart overflowing with emotion, he returned the embrace just as fervently, his strong arms enveloping You in a comforting hold.

"I'm so sorry, Cal," You whispered once more, your voice trembling. "I didn't mean to leave you both..."

Cal held You at arm's length, his gaze meeting yours with a mixture of relief and sincerity. "You mean a lot to us, you know," he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of his feelings. "We've come to rely on you, to count on you. And when you left..."

His voice trailed off, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. But before You could respond, BD-1 let out a series of joyful beeps, trotting over to nuzzle against You in his own display of affection.

The redhead grinned fondly at the droid before turning his attention back to You. "Beedee's right. You're not just a member of the crew," he continued, his words filled with warmth. "You're family. And we're just grateful to have you back where you belong."

Tears of gratitude flowed down your cheeks as You gazed at Cal, feeling the weight of his words sink in. In that moment, surrounded by the love and acceptance of your chosen family, You knew that You were exactly where You were meant to be.

Your adventures continued, roaming the Galaxy with Cal and BD-1. Despite using your book to teach yourself Binary and spending more time with BD-1, your grasp of the language remained shaky at best, leading to frequent misunderstandings with your droid friend that often led to comical yet occasionally embarrassing moments.

During one very tense mission on a remote planet, BD-1 emitted a series of urgent beeps, which You interpreted as a call for action. Without hesitation, You activated the nearest control panel, thinking You were helping to disable a security system. But your actions did the opposite instead, triggering a blaring alarm and alerting nearby guards.

Cal chuckled softly at your mistake, but his amusement turned to concern when You misinterpreted BD-1's attempts at giving directions using the help of his holomap. Confused by the droid's beeps, You accidentally led the way into a dead-end corridor, much to Cal's bemusement.

"Oh, wrong turn…" You mumbled sheepishly, earning a sympathetic pat on the back from Cal.

As the mission progressed, so did your series of misunderstandings. At one point, BD-1 signaled for a left turn, but You mistook it for a right, resulting on a wild goose chase through a maze of corridors. Cal laughed good-naturedly as You backtracked, feeling slightly embarrassed but grateful— and very surprised—for his immense patience.

Later, during a small respite from missions, BD-1 chirped happily and nudged You, prompting You to offer the droid a sandwich You had just made.

Cal chuckled again, gently correcting your mistake. "He's asking for a power recharge, not a snack," he explained, suppressing a grin.

Blushing, You quickly helped BD-1 into the charging station, feeling a bit silly but grateful for the opportunity to learn.

As you three continued your journey, your misunderstandings with BD-1 became both more frequent and more amusing. One memorable incident during a mission on a remote outpost, BD-1 quickly warned You about a slippery surface ahead. However, You misinterpreted the droid's chirps as encouragement for a fun slide.

With a playful grin, You ran and launched yourself onto the surface, expecting a thrilling ride. Instead, your feet flew out from under You, and You landed with a loud thud that sent a cloud of dust into the air.

Cal rushed over, concern etched on his face, but as he helped You up and noticed You were fine except a few scrapes, his expression softened into a grin.

"You really need to work on your Binary," he teased, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Blushing furiously, You burst out into laughter along with him, grateful for his good humor and unwavering support.

One evening, as the three of you sat around a campfire beneath a blanket of stars, the flames casting flickering shadows across the campsite, You couldn't help but steal glances at Cal when he wasn't looking. His red hair, illuminated by the warm glow of the fire, appeared to shimmer like molten copper, framing his face in a halo of fiery strands.

His freckled cheeks, kissed by the suns of countless worlds, added a touch of youthful charm to his rugged features. And when he laughed, his eyes sparkled like twin galaxies, filled with a light that seemed to chase away the darkness.

But it wasn't just his appearance that captivated You—it was the effortless grace with which he moved, the strength and agility evident in every fluid motion. His muscular yet lithe physique reflected countless hours spent honing his skills, preparing for the challenges that lay ahead.

Lost in admiration, You found yourself drawn to him in ways You couldn't quite explain, feeling a sense of déjà vu during that moment as You admired him. And as You watched him tend to the fire, his movements sure and purposeful, You couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in your chest.

While the flames danced and crackled, Cal couldn't help but steal a glance at You as well when he thought You weren't looking. He felt a surge of gratitude and relief to have You there with him, especially after the rest of the Mantis crew had split, each going their separate ways.

In those quiet moments by the campfire, Cal's thoughts drifted to the challenges you had faced together so far—the battles fought and the bonds forged in the crucible of adversity. And through it all, You had stood by his side, a constant companion whose presence filled him with a sense of hope and purpose.

He also admired your determination to learn binary, your willingness to laugh at your own mistakes, and the genuine warmth and affection You showed towards BD-1. In your company, he found a sense of peace and belonging, something he hadn't felt since the fall of the Jedi Order.

Lost in his thoughts, the redhead couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for You, grateful for your unwavering support and companionship. And as he watched You, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Cal's gaze remained on You longer than usual, a hint of something more lingering in his eyes. As the crackling of the fire filled the silence, he reached out to gently brush a stray strand of hair from your face, his touch sending a shiver down your spine.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze, You nodded, unable to tear your eyes away from his.

"I... I think so," You stuttered, your heart racing in your chest.

In that moment, the world around You seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you in the soft glow of the campfire. Without another word, Cal leaned in closer, his lips brushing against yours in a tender, hesitant kiss.

Time seemed to stand still as You melted into his embrace, the warmth of his touch sending sparks of electricity dancing across your skin. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the two of you, lost in the embrace of the night.

As You pulled away, breathless and flushed, Cal's eyes sparkled in their intensity, his calloused hand reaching out to intertwine with yours.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he admitted, his voice filled with a mixture of longing and relief.

With a smile, You squeezed his hand, feeling a sense of peace settle over You. "Me too," You whispered, knowing that in that moment, You had found something worth fighting for amidst the chaos of the Galaxy.

As You and Cal continued to lovingly gaze into each other's eyes, soft little footsteps filled the air, accompanied by the joyous chirps of BD-1. However, in your post-kiss daze, You misinterpreted the droid's enthusiastic speech, thinking he was teasing You for being all googly-eyed over Cal.

"Beebee, not now," You whispered nervously, blushing furiously as You tried to compose yourself.

Cal laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he gently nudged You. "I think BeeDee is just happy for us," he teased, his tone laced with affectionate amusement.

You shot him a sheepish grin, realising You mistook the little droid once again. "I guess I still have a lot to learn," You admitted.

Cal's teasing grin softened into a warm smile as he squeezed your hand. "Well, lucky for you, I'm an excellent teacher," he replied, his teasing tone hinting at something more than just language lessons.

You couldn't help but blush at the underlying implication of his words, a flutter of excitement dancing in your chest. You leaned in to kiss him once more and as the tender moment between You and Cal lingered, bathed in the soft glow of the campfire, BD-1’s lenses suddenly whirred to life, capturing the scene in a flash of light. Startled, You pulled away from the kiss, blinking in surprise as You turned to see the droid standing nearby, his photoreceptors zooming in and out as they focused on You and Cal with mechanical precision.

“BeeBee, what are you doing?” You asked, a mixture of amusement and curiosity apparent in your voice.

Cal chuckled softly, his arm still wrapped around You as he glanced at the small droid with a playful grin. “I think BeeDee wanted to capture the moment,” he explained, his eyes alight with amusement.

You couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected gesture, feeling a rush of warmth fill your chest at the thought of having a memento of this special moment.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to thank BeeBee for the souvenir,” You replied, leaning into Cal’s embrace with a contented sigh, giggling when You heard the little droid let out an excited “Whoop!” in response.

You, Cal and BD-1 settled back into the quiet comfort of the night, the image captured by BD’s lenses served as a reminder of the bond You shared with the other Jedi—a bond formed from friendship and love.

As silence once again fell upon the campsite, You found yourself lost in a moment of quiet reflection. The memory of how Cal and BD-1 had found You, helping You escape from the stormtroopers, flooded your mind with a wave of gratitude. If it hadn't been for them, You might not be here, nestled in Cal's arms, sharing laughter and companionship under the starry sky.

With a sweet smile, You turned to Cal, the flickering flames casting shadows across his features. "You know," You began softly, "I often find myself thinking about that day when a Jedi and a droid came into my life. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I'd be now. Thank you, Cal, for everything."

Cal's gaze met yours, his expression tender and sincere. "You don't have to thank me," he replied gently. "I'm just grateful that we found each other. You've become a part of our family, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

His words warmed your heart, filling You with a sense of belonging that You had never known before. With a grateful nod, You leaned even further into his embrace, savoring the comfort and reassurance of his presence. In that moment, surrounded by the silence of the night, the warmth of Cal's love and the joyous chatter of BD-1, You knew that You were exactly where You were meant to be.

[rakruined]

GOTG SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!

HOLY SHIT NOBODY DIED

Rocket's past was so fucked up, like worse than I anticipated

His acceptance of being a raccoon was both touching and badass, he finally learned to love himself <3

I loved the friendships here, everyone clearly cared about each other and it was really sweet

Seriously, nobody fucking died. How did this happen? I went in there expecting my faves to die and came out without a single death

I'm happy but still in disbelief

I LOATHED the High Evolutionary I'm so glad they jumped his ass

I liked past!Gamora, she definitely warmed up to the others but also didn't leave her family with the Ravagers

Groot was really cool in this one, lots of fun uses of his powers

Drax started off somewhat lacking but his dad arc was very nice

Mantis honey I'll miss you :'(

Nebula didn't have an arc so much as solidify her character development, I liked it but most of her growth was getting used to the other guardians

Aside from her bestieeeeeee seriously I loved her friendship with Rocket so much

Speaking of friendship with Rocket, I wish Quill had a heart-to-heart with him at some point, but their friendship was still evident from how they acted toward each other

Quill leaving for Earth was a bit sad but it died in well with the theme of not running from who you are

And of accepting both loss and its possibility

God this movie explains "Everybody's got dead people" SO PAINFULLY

Anyway Rocket leading the gotg is neat, hope this sparks a return-to-DnA for him in the comics after the current dogshit run

Okay I do wish Adam had gotten to do more but he was still really fun and I'm excited for more

[breakfastteatime]

The final fic request, 'Campfire', goes to @flammabel!

After a lot of arguing with himself, Cal calls the Mantis and announces he won’t be making it back to the ship tonight. The landing pad is too far in the encroaching dark and he knows a snowcloud when it’s threatening to dump a blizzard on his head. Cere’s not happy, Greez even less so, but Cal promises he’ll be careful. Besides, he’s got BD-1 with him, and the two of them are proving unstoppable so far.

“Please tell me you’ve at least got a few ration bars to get you through the night,” Greez says.

Cal checks his supplies and sets Greez’s mind at ease. “Three, including the muja fruit one.”

“That’ll do,” Greez replies.

Cere’s on him a second later. “What about where you’re taking shelter? Are you out of sight? Can you keep warm?”

Zeffo’s definitely chillier than Bracca, but Cal’s found himself a nice little cave to hide in not far from the tomb. BD-1 helped him build a fire that will keep him warm without the smoke suffocating him or giving away his position. “I’m fine, Cere. Promise. No one’s gonna find me here.”

“Be careful and stay alert,” she says. “If you need to sleep, set up some kind of early warning system that will wake you up.”

Cal looks to BD-1, who proudly shows off his most obnoxious alert sound. “We’ve got it covered, Cere.”

“Alright. Stay safe. The weather’s not looking great overnight, so keep that fire burning.”

Glancing out of the cave’s small opening, Cal can already see snow starting to fall. “At least the stormtroopers won’t be searching for me.”

“There are plenty of other things that might seek shelter in a cave,” Cere points out. “Just call if you need anything.”

“Yeah, okay. Stay safe you two.”

“Same to you.”

Cere signs off. Cal settles himself as best he can, treating himself to the muja fruit ration bar. He stares into the flames, mind drifting with the Force. The fire is a focal point, the Force exploding in its heat and light. If he let himself, Cal could lose himself in its energy and motion.

If he did…

If he could…

He’d remembered a key lesson today, but the deeper he went into the Force…

Cal pulls back, and the fire becomes nothing more than heat, light and the crackle of wood. Outside, the snowfall becomes the promised blizzard, snow tearing through the wind. BD-1 checks that he’s warm enough and Cal promises that he is. “Don’t worry,” he tells his friend. “I had to sleep on old, wrecked ships in worse weather than this. We worked triple shifts sometimes so there was no point leaving. This is practically a luxury hotel.”

For some reason, BD-1 does not seem to appreciate this. He hurries over to Cal and tells him to get settled, get some sleep, so they can head out as soon as dawn rises and the storm settles.

“I’m okay, BD, really.”

BD-1, however, goes off about optimal sleeping conditions for organics, and Humans in particular. Cal laughs at that. He did his best on Bracca, but he probably hasn’t had ‘optimal’ anything since the purge.

“Thanks for looking out for me,” Cal says. He yawns. He is tired. Running all over Zeffo and fighting on top of that has really taken it out of him. He’s disappointed to not be spending the night on his bunk on the Mantis. It’ll just make getting there tomorrow even better.

Thinking of Bracca makes him think of Prauf, of nights aboard broken ships with a fire barrel to keep them warm and rain to soothe his wandering mind. They’d play sabacc, talk about everything and nothing, and tease Tabbers for being overly worried about being eaten by the Maw.

Pulling the hood of his poncho over his head, Cal closes his eyes before the tears can fall. He thinks of Prauf, thinks of his friend’s advice. Look at me now, Prauf. I’m out here living my life and finding my destiny, just like you said.

He’s crying before he can stop himself. BD-1’s there, wiggling his way into Cal’s chest and offering a gentle hum of warmth. Cal clings to him as the grief pours out. He wishes Prauf could be here too, safe aboard the Mantis, talking to Greez about how to keep the engines running smoother, meeting Cere and asking her all the questions he had about the Jedi. Just Prauf, safe and sound and away from Bracca at long, long last.

Eventually, the tide subsides. The crackle of the campfire fills Cal’s mind, pulling him down into an exhausted slumber. He sleeps deeply, waking at dawn to find the fire still crackling, BD-1 using his head to add the last of their wood to it. Outside, the snowstorm has settled back to a gentle drift. Cal reaches for his friend. “Thanks, BD.”

Wiggling under Cal’s hand, BD-1 promises he’ll always help. That nearly sets Cal off again until he reaches for the Force and lets it quiet and calm his emotions.

They stay until the campfire burns down to embers, and then Cal calls Cere and Greez, assures both he had a quiet night and promises to be back soon.jg

[miroimirage]

After so many years… I finally decided to play Hollow Knight after giving up after the mantis lords…. And WHAT A WONDERFUL GAME!!! I am so so so happy I gave it another chance! I completed it at 100% (not gonna try 112%) and just have to fight the Radiance (I already got the sealed siblings end by accident) (White Palace my behated)

Enjoy these stickers I’m speed running for a con, I have Hollow Knight brainworms and need to get them out

[midnightmayhem13]

You're all i wanted

a/n this idea has been in my head for a while nd i'm tryna fill up the nebula x reader tag🩶 love my tall emo girl so here's some angst

summary: love wasn't ever easy. especially when nebulas embarrassed of her love for you and treats you like shit on the bottom of her shoe

nebula x reader; mean nebula, also mean guardians gamora x nebula, gamora x reader (platonic) angsty with a happy ending; just nebula with her soft girl

nebula had caught your eye ever since you two met. having to take nebula in for gamoras sake, you couldn't help but fall in love? you didn't understand, well you did i mean she was beautiful even with all her parts, her eyes captivated you, the way she didn't let people tell her what to do or ever let herself be scared of something. you fell in love from afar bc she wouldn't let you close anyways.

little did you know, nebula had taken a liking to you. now that was something she didn't understand. why you? and why did she like you? she treated you as if you didn't exist and you still made efforts to try to be close to her. you had defended her and all she did was yell at you and tell you to leave her alone. she shouldn't like you she thought. she sure didn't try to act like it. someone as beautiful as you didn't deserve to be with her. being mean to quill or drax or rocket was easy, it's the only way she ever treated them. but seeing you get teary eyed or hearing your voice crack when she raised her voice at you hurt her more than she cared to admit. and she liked seeing people get hurt. why did she get angry when rocket made a mean comment and made you cry? or why did it anger her when you got hurt fighting a goon?

nebula had you under her gaze all day everyday, her sister took note of this. gamora found it odd bc you couldn't seem like a threat even if you tried. the thought came to her head but she ignored it. nebula didn't like you like that right? right?

it was obvious to everyone that you had heart eyes for nebula. you wouldn't tolerate the way she treated you if you didn't. you didn't plan on telling her, never in a million years would your feelings be reciprocated.

it all started going downhill one night. the whole team, even nebula. was sitting together having drinks and laughing.

"HA quill remember when mantis exposed your sexual feelings for gamora" drax cackled making rocket and mantis crack up at the memory. gamora just rolled her eyes leaned into quill

"alright guys cmon let's not talk abt that. y/n would be in a deeper hole if mantis did the same. she has the fatest crush on blue girl over here" quill said proudly. your world went dark. no no no no. not this way. everyone was laughing except gamora and nebula who now looked like she had a disgusted look on her face. you felt tears well up in your eyes. this is so humiliating.

all you wanted to do was run. so you did. you got up from your spot and locked yourself in your room. the men's laughs only grew louder as you ran away. gamora sending you a sympathetic look as you turned to see if they were watching you as well.

you sobbed and sobbed. the smallest chance of becoming close to nebula was just crushed. you didn't leave your room from two days. finally deciding you had to face your fears you went out.

the boys continued to laugh but it wasn't as funny as two days ago. but when you tried to approach nebula, she told you to get away from her and left. this continued for days as she avoided you and constantly made you know she didn't want anything to do with you.

it's not that she thought she was superior to you. bc god she was in love you with. she didn't know what that was tho.

after about a week of being avoided and treated like shit by nebula you decided to give up. you wouldnt bother or burden her anymore.

one day in the late evening you went to look for something you had left out. when you ran into all the guardians on the ship. gamora organizing some files and cleaning, the guys talking, mantis and groot making an attempt at knitting, and ofc course nebula working on something on her arm.

you took a deep breath and went out to look for whatever you were looking for.

"hey lover girl" rocket teased. not again. drax and quill caught on and had smug looks on their faces, ready to make you regret ever leaving your room.

"i would shoot myself if i were nebula, have you seen yourself?" drax snickered letting out a belly laugh. guess they felt like being dickheads to you again. the all laughed and pointed. looking as if just looking at you made them almost pee their pants

you would do the same in this moment.

nebula just watched. wanting to laugh but knowing deeply she wanted to shoot all the men in the head for hurting your feelings. she knew how much words hurt your feelings, reasoned it for calling you weak various times.

your sure you were already crying but you didn't notice. all you wanted to do was get out of there but they had blocked your path. making you start to shake. you couldn't stand up for yourself because your voice was caught in your throat.

peter caught his breath as if preparing himself to say something. you too had prepared yourself for whatever he was about to say.

"of course nebula doesn't like you idiot! you're uglier than rocket!" peter barley managed to get out.

that one stung your heart more than anything could. you didn't think rocket was ugly, but knowing it was obvious to everyone that you had no chance because you weren't attractive was what hurt.

"hey!" rocket said sounded angered, it soon turned into a deep laughter "thats... that's a good one" he nearly yelled not being able to hold back throwing his head back in amusement.

you didn't care about crying in front of them anymore, you just wanted to leave.

just as you had made your way out covering your face with your hands, someone pushed you harshly. and lucky you, you fell straight into nebulas arms who had just gotten up to leave

"UGHHH, get off of me!" nebula yelled pushing you away from her harshly. you nearly fell ass first on the floor. as soon as you regained your composition. you were completely sobbing. breathing heavily and trembling.

"im sorry" was all you said as you past nebula. you couldn't even get we it out without your voice cracking and your breath picking up pace. she saw you disappear into the shadows and heard your door close.

why did i do that? was all nebula thought, all she wanted to do was hold you and comfort you, even tho she didn't know how, she wanted to prove to the imbeciles wrong. instead of saying anything she just left

"what the hell is wrong with you?!" gamora yelled slapping peters arm and rushing to your room. your door wasn't locked bc all you wanted to do was curl up and die. "y/n..." was all she said. she held you and let you cry on her until you fell asleep. nebula had told her everything she felt about you. why wouldn't she let it show. you were the sweetest girl in the galaxy. you just wanted to love nebula.

after leaving your room she went to find her sister. she found her in her small room doing some work on a new weapon she recently found. "what was that nebula?" she asked fiercely. "i don't know, get out" gamora inhaled aggressively "are you kidding me?! y/ns the sweetest girl in the galaxy. all she wanted was you, nebula. you couldn't even defend her. and did you have to shove her? cmon nebula, i know we both never knew what love was but the least you could do is not treat her like shit! y/n would kill to be as close to you as i am right now" with that gamora left. leaving nebula staring into nothing, feeling as if she got stabbed in the heart.

this time, you didn't step out of your room. you didn't eat or leave the room other than to use the restroom. you cried day and night just holding yourself and cursing yourself for every catching feelings for her. and even after all of this. she was all you wanted.

nebula found herself think of you often. really often. the ship had been even less enjoyable without your constant efforts to try to talk to her or your beautiful smile when all she did was glare at you.

nebula stood outside your door. listening to your sobs knowing she caused this. knowing she couldve stopped it. she wanted to knock, to talk to you, to hold you. to love you.

she found herself in this position a lot. standing outside your door wanting to knock or see you walk out. she just wanted to see you. she regretted ever purposely hurting your feelings.

gamora eventually saw nebula doing this in her routine. encouraging her to talk to you. nebula just shook her head and walked away.

about three weeks later she was tired of waiting. wanting two just burst in and tell you everything. until one day, while she was staring at your door, you opened it. and for the first time in what felt like forever. she saw your gorgeous face. although there wasn't the light of happiness that there usually was. there was just, emptiness, puffy eyes, tear stained cheeks.

"i'm-i'm sorry i didn't know you were passing. i'll j-just go" you rambled going to close the doors before you cried at the sight of her face.

she slammed her hand on the door not letting you close it "wait. please." she said almost sounding desperate. with a deep breath, you let her in.

you two sat on your bed, an awkward amount of space away between. you fiddled with your fingers, quickly wiping away tears with the sleeve of your hoodie. nebula watched you. a small smirk on her face from finally being able to see you. she knew she had to make things right, right now.

she stiffly scooted closer to you. she heard your breath hitch and saw your cheeks get red. maybe there was still hope.

you two were shoulder to shoulder. facing the big window of your room. you always had the best view of the galaxy. she looked over at you and softly smiled when she saw you quickly looked away flustered

breaking the silence, she huskily said"i always thought you were the most beautiful girl in the galaxy." "wha?" you questioned softly the air having left your lungs from her sweet words.

you two were staring at eachother now. shoulder to shoulder. your eyes never looked so beautiful. and you had never seen how pretty her blue hue was.

she roughly grabbed your hand but held it gently. you were sure she could hear your heart beat. "please stop hurting me, it's not funny" was all you said. whispering it as you were on the brink of tears

nebulas heart shattered realizing you thought she was playing a cruel joke on you. god how she loved you, but how could she come about it.

she squeezed your hand three times. gently grabbed your chin to look into your sad eyes. she wiped a tear from your cheek. she didn't know what to do. so she just acted on impulse. she kissed you. softly, sweetly, briefly. when she pulled away your eyes were still shut and your cheeks were pink. you were so beautiful to her.

"im sorry, i never meant to hurt you. i didn't know what to do." nebula admitted shyly. you had stared with so much love in your eyes after everything she had put you through "it's okay" was all you said, your chin still in her hand, gazing at her. "no it's not. don't say it is because it's not. i will make it up to you." nebula stated firmly. posture stiffening as she squeezed your hand as if she was trying to pop it. you giggled and smiled. "you're all i ever wanted" you whispered touching your forehead against hers.

i love you, im sorry

was all nebula wanted to say and all you wanted to hear, but in never came out. but you were okay with it, as long as she was here now

and everything seemed right after that. you in nebulas arms was all you ever wanted. and now you had it.

a/n that was long i'm sorry😭 it had been in my head for the longest time and writing it felt so good lmao hope you guys enjoyed🩶

[itsscromp]

Im not losing him !!

Hey everyone, As I said yesterday, I was rewatching Vol 3 and I felt so inspired to write this story around moments of the film, in a y/n pov. Rewatching it just made my heart happy and sad at the same time. I love Rocket so damn much I wish he was real and he was my best friend. Word count:2.6k !!!!

It has been a disaster from the very moment you went to bed, A sovereign warrior named Adam Warlock crashed into Rocket's room and blasted him in the chest, Everyone tried to fight him off to the best of their abilities. But now your best friend is fighting for his life as the med pad has activated a kill switch that was implanted into his heart.

"A kill switch !!??" Peter spoke up

"A device set to destruct if anyone goes poking around inside him or even if we use Med-Paks" Nebula said as she was investigating the kill switch.

You could only watch in horror as the x-ray revealed it inside him, Who in the bright mind would do this to him.

"And why would Rocket have a kill switch ??"

"Apparently, someone considers him proprietary technology and sent that golden lunatic to get to him."

"So he'll die if we operate on him ??" Mantis asked worriedly

"And he'll die if we don't." Drax said.

"There has to be some way to bypass it." You finally spoke up

"It looks like there's a passkey that could override the kill switch."

"Y/n you've known Rocket for the longest, What do you know about where Rocket came from ??" Mantis turned to you.

"He won't talk about it" Your eyes trained on Rocket, the many what-ifs were running around your mind a million miles an hour. But right now more than ever, Rocket needed you guys. He needed you to save him. Whoever did this to him they were gonna pay.

"Much of the tech was developed by a company called OrgoCorp and there's a code on all of it. 89P13, He's got maybe 48 hours"

You immediately grew worried at the time length and sprung into action.

"Where are you going ??" Peter followed you

"OrgoCorp have to have records right ?? Maybe they'll have a way for us to override the kill switch and save rocket."

"They won't just give us that information" Mantis informed you.

"Well, that's why were gonna break in"

"We kill anyone who gets in our way !!!" Drax spoke a little too enthusiastically.

"Not kill anyone." Peter reminded him

"Kill a few people" He tried to bargine

"Kill no people" You enforced it

"Kill one guy, one stupid guy who no one loves"

"Now your just making it sad"

The guardians then arrived at OrgoCorp, Which was a Bio-formed factory. You couldn't help but be in slight awe and disgust at the same time.

As you were setting up the bowie's shields, the ship started to lock into place.

"Why didn't we go through ??" You spoke to Nebula through your communicator.

"We did, It's not the shield"

Making their way to the cockpit, they found they were stopped by the Ravagers, a criminal gang that Peter had a history with. In actuality, the reason why they were there was because Nebula had contacted her sister Gamora who is now the leader of the Ravagers ever since the events of Thanos happened. Granted you never met Gamora, nor right now would you wish to. But you saw Peter try all his attempts to get her to remember the previous events that had happened between the two.

Getting the code from OrgoCorp was hard enough, Having way too many close calls before the signal was alerted that you guys breached the perimeters, Drax only sustaining minor injuries, the group went back to the ship to find that the codex they got wasn't the kill switch. Only it was a recording of Rocket's past. Everyone was horrified by what they were watching, Tears fell from your eye's as you heard the painful and heartbreaking little screams.

"Rocket..." You muttered

"Why did he never tell us about any of this ?" Mantis spoke through her sobs.

"This is worse than what Thanos did to me." Nebula gritted through her teeth.

"Well, what about the passkey. Is it their ??" Peter said.

Nebula skimmed through the files. But no passkey.

"No. But a file was removed today, Downloaded and deleted a million characters in length. The biometrics say it was this man, Recorder B2H6."

"Wait, I saw this guy outside of records today" You pointed out

Gamora then looked closer at the recorder.

"Looks like one of the High Evolutionary's recorders."

"The High Evolutionary ??" Mantis remembered hearing his name as she and Drax were looking for the passkey. "The founder of OrgoCorp ??"

"OrgoCrop is just a way to fund his experiments that lie outside intergalactic laws, He's created whole societies. Xeronians, the Ani-men, The sovereign"

"The sovereign ??" Drax said confusingly

"Corners of the universe consider him god."

Mantis then went to the ship's coordinates to track down where he is.

"I am groot"

"Yes"

"Yes what, That he's Groot ??"

"He said maybe this man downloaded the passkey into the computer on his head."

"Huh ??" Gamora looked at Groot confusingly wondering how in the flark did she understand him.

"That could store the passkey." The hologram revealed the computer on the recorders side profile.

"We find him we save rocket" Peter said

"The High evolutionary's coordinates"

You looked at everyone and nodded. "Put the coordinates in the nav"

"Wait a minute, Are you kidding me ??" Gamora followed you as she was trying to reason with you. You didn't care, You needed to save your best friend's life. "What he wants is that gutted badger in the Med-Bay and you're gonna bring it straight to him ??, Its almost certainly a trap."

"Trap isn't a trap if you know the trap is trying to trap you its a face off."

With the coordinates located for counter-earth, the guardians then changed into their uniforms and arrived on the planet. You were shocked with how closely it resembles New York City. Even more shocked when you saw anthropomorphic creatures as its citizens. After an almost rocky start, the guardians get some information from a family on the whereabouts of the recorder. They agreed as well to let you use their car. So you, Peter, Nebula and Groot got to the car.

"Drax, stay here with Rocket, watch him. That's who they're coming for."

"I wanna come."

"No."

"Mantis watch Drax" Peter asked her, even though she looked slightly annoyed. He then handed Groot two of his pistols. "Groot you know what to do with these." The three then got into the car although nebula was having trouble.

"Push down on it" Peter said to her

"What ??"

Push it down" You repeated for her

"I am pushing it down."

"Push the button"

Nebula tried to but ended up pressing the keyhole instead.

"It looks like your pressing the keyhole."

"The what ??"

"There's a button under the handle, Press that in" Peter spoke firmly, Nebula did so but she didn't open the door.

"Okay, Now what ??"

"Open the fucking door !!!" Both of you said to her, she got in finally but a bit grumpy

"That is a stupid design and both of your instructions were very unclear." The car started and the 4 headed to the High evolutionary's building, along the way you were shocked to see that what goes on in the streets of this version of New York city is absolutely no different to what it was back on terra.

"This is the perfect society ??" Nebula questioned.

the four arrive at the Headquarters of the High Evolutionary only to be stopped by his guards.

"Here we go"

The four approached the guards when you spoke up.

"We're here to see..."

"The High evolutionary is expecting you"

"Which means it is a trap." Nebula muttered to you

"It's a face-off"

"Only two stay here"

"Why ??"

"Policy against weaponry and your arm is a gun" The guard gesturing to Nebula's bionic arm.

"The second reason, We can't risk bigger groups."

Right now the four were caught in a rock and a hard place, who goes up and confronts him and gets the passkey, Peter then pulled you aside and whispered to you.

"You go in their y/n, This is a much bigger deal for you than it is with everyone, Our one chance to save your best friend's life. Don't worry, Groot will go with you ok ??"

"Ok," You nodded as you gestured Groot to follow you, Once scanned for any weaponry the two then went up the building to the high evolutionary. He gestured to you two a finger as to say he was busy. But as you kept waiting for him, you grew more angry and annoyed at him. Until you turned and found the recorder.

"You !!" You shouted at him

"Hey yeah, you !!" This got the recorder's attention.

"I take it the passkey, It's in that thing on your head."

"I would advise against any aggression." The high evolutionary finally acknowledged you.

"Oh. Got time for me now ??" You turned to him.

"Your friend once took advantage. I learned my lessons, I aimed some small part of my mental capacity back in my own direction and now, gravity itself serves my whims."

"You must find Counter-Earth familiar"

"Counter-Earth ??"

"I visited your planet many years ago."

"Earth hasn't been my planet for 15 years."

"Your people had wonderful spirit"

The high evolutionary went on to explain how he wanted to make a perfect version of Earth without stubbornness or bigotry. But being a guardian for so long you get sick of the classic villain speeches.

"I don't care, I don't need another speech by some impotent whackjob whose mother didn't love him rationalizing why he needs to conquer the universe."

"I'm not trying to conquer the universe, I'm perfecting it" The HE said as like he is doing nothing wrong.

"I just want the passkey"

"Then bring me 89P13"

"I am groot" Groot spoke up angrily

"He says 'Suck my.."

"Why are you so angry ??" the HE interrupted you

"Because I know what you did to my friend !!" You gritted out of your teeth.

"Everything I've done, I've done for the betterment of the universe."

"Newsflash Einstein, Better universes generally don't include don't include a bunch of octopuses selling meth to guys with cockroach heads."

"They do not, which is why as I have done many times before, I'm going to have to raze it all and start again."

"What ??"

With that, the building slowly rose out of the ground and into the sky. "Nebula stay here, I'm going back to the ship." But the two turned around to find Drax and Mantis there, having disobeyed their orders and went to find them. Quill quickly hopped on the motorbike and headed back to the bowie while the three lunged onto the levitating ship.

"I am groot ??"

"Kill 'em all"

But before Groot could do anything, the high evolutionary pinned you two down with his telekinesis before walking away. The recorder laughed.

"This is amusing really, How stupid are you, Hmm ?? It was so obviously a trap."

"It's not a trap, It's a face-off" Nodding to groot "Now kill them all"

Groot then pulled a grenade out hidden in his chest and tossed into the middle of the room, Blowing up everyone in the radius. The smoke cleared to reveal the hidden Blasters that he had hidden as well, You two killed off the others that were still standing only leaving the recorder standing.

"No! Don't !! " He whimpered when you aimed the blaster at his head. "Don't !! No, no, no !! No, please please spare me !!!"

You lowered your blaster as he looked at you almost gracefully.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank...

"That'd be premature"

"Huh ?"

Before he could think, you tackled him out the window, falling many feet above. Groot quickly went after you and reached you. Growing wings out of his back, Gliding to the ground, You shoved the recorder down onto the ground. Killing him, Finally extracting the passkey out of his head. You made it back to the ship to save rocket.

"It's going to be ok buddy it's going to be ok" You said to him as the code started to boot up, But something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Okay okay here we go.."

Gamora noticed it too

"This isn't right"

"No, no, no, It's good. It's gonna work, it's working." You said in a way it was almost in denial, It has to work. It has to.

"It needs to be faster."

Rocket began to flatline. This turned critical, You ultimately lost it from the pressure, This couldn't be it. You didn't want your best friend to die. Not like this, All the fun memories you had with each other couldn't have led to this.

"No, no, no !"

You shook Rocket gently to get him up, but it was no use. He was dead.

"Come on !!" You began to perform CPR on him. "Come on !!"

"Y/n"

"No !!!!!, No !!!!!!!!!!!" You let out the most heartbreaking scream. Groot and peter were at a loss.

"Y/n" Gamora tried to calm you.

"No !!"

You continued the CPR, You were not losing him. This all couldn't be for nothing.

"Y/n !!"

"I'm not gonna lose him !!"

"He's gone."

"I'm not. Letting him go !!"

During the whole time, Rocket found himself in a place he wasn't familiar with. It was all white and had cages. He then heard footsteps and turned to find a figure heading to him... It was Lylla.

"Lylla ??" His voice broke seeing her for the first time since it all happened. The guilt overwhelmed him.

"Friend"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"Rocket."

"I let you down, I got you killed. I got everybody killed." He spoke through his sobs, If he hadn't... What if... they all came back to him.

"We were right" Lylla comforted him "The sky is beautiful, and it is forever, And I've been flying with our friends."

In the background, Rocket could see his other friends Teefs and Floor waving to him. He waved back at them.

"Can I come ??"

"Yes."

But as he gently started to walk forward, She stopped him gently.

"But not yet, You still have a purpose here." She said gently

Rocket meanwhile his breath shuddered, He wanted to be with his friends again.

"A purpose for what ?? They made us for nothing. Stupid experiments to be thrown away..."

Lylla gently placed her hands on his shoulders

"There are the hands that made us, and then there are the hands that guide the hands."

The two shared a tender moment. Nuzzling their muzzles against each other before hugging. Lylla was right... While he wanted to be with his friends. He had a family. A family who also loved and cared about him, Formed by his amazing friends, Pete, Groot and y/n.

"My beloved raccoon, This story has been yours all along, you just didn't know it"

Rocket gently let go of her after a bit.

"I'm not a raccoon"

Once he finished the sentence he fell back. Like he was falling back into his body. He woke up in the med-bay gasping for air. The code then sprung to life. Going the way it should be.

"The passkey's going through" You were in a mix of shock and relief. Gamora then rushed over and grabbed a med pad, Wrapping it around Rocket's chest and activating it. This time it did it, It worked, You couldn't help but let tears fall as you took the oxygen mask off of him. He was ok.

"Y/n ??" He spoke weakly.

The tears became heavier as you gently sat him up and hugged him tightly. Rocket slightly tensed up from the hug as Groot also came in and hugged him. Overwhelmed by all the love and affection, Knowing that the others risked their lives for his. He started to cry as well and returned the hug. His best friends saved him. They saved him... He would be forever thankful for you guys.

taglist: @callofdudes @raccoonfallsharder @rogertaylorswift @mybelovedraccoon

[tryan-a-bex]

A Reunion in the Dreaming

1274 words, Gen, fluff and cheesecake, no dragons. Thanks to @aetheltrythh and @best-wishes for beta reading! Based on this post by @windsweptinred and a prompt by @violetoftheendless; thank you! @themirokai also wrote a version of this reunion, how cool! More cake! Unity's situation is based on Desires well-tended are a hearth by @dancinbutterfly. Read it on AO3.

“Rose! Jed!” 

Unity’s eager greeting floated from where she stood waving beside the picnic she had spread out under a stately maple tree in Fiddler’s Green. Rose blinked as her mind adjusted from regular dreaming to the lucid dreaming state that let her visit with her great-grandmother in the Dreaming. Looking around, she saw Jed beside her also blinking, and watched his face transform into a huge smile as he saw Unity.

“Nana Unity!” he cried, running over to give her a big hug. The joy in her eyes as she snuggled him almost brought tears to Rose’s eyes as she walked over more sedately, joining them in a group hug when Jed and Unity refused to relinquish each other. Laughing, they finally separated and turned to the picnic. 

“Ooh, cherry cheesecake!” Jed exclaimed. Rose had shared with Unity that Jello cheesecake from a box had been Jed’s favourite when he was little, and Unity had asked Lucienne for help replicating it in the Dreaming. It seemed to have turned out well, and Jed’s reaction was especially gratifying. Enthusiastically, they all settled down to catch up over an open-air meal. 

“My manuscript is almost ready to go to the editor,” Rose shared excitedly. At least this was one deadline she wasn’t late for! She reached for a fresh strawberry in celebration.

“And how is your application for grad school going, dear?” Unity asked, pouring some lemonade for each of them.

“I’ve applied at three schools–they all have very good reputations for their Creative Writing Master’s.”

“Excellent!”

“Yeah, my buddy Joe wrote this great story about a monster robot praying mantis!” Jed interjected. “He was telling it during soccer practice. I got a goal that day, it was super awesome!”

“Wonderful!” Unity beamed at Jed’s accomplishment, and Rose glowed with how happy and settled he was becoming. As he dug into the cucumber sandwiches and sipped his lemonade, Rose turned to Unity.

“How about you, Unity? How have you been?”

“Oh, my dear! It’s so lovely to visit with Desire again! They made me happy for over a hundred years while I was asleep, and Dream has been so kind as to allow them to continue seeing me now that I am back!”

“I’m so glad for you!” Rose said. “But I thought Dream and Desire didn’t get along very well?”

“Well, no, you know, they didn’t. But I asked for them specially, and Dream was able to allow it, as long as Desire stays with me. Dream’s been visiting too, you know, at my request.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes! I thought he could use a grandmother, you know. He needs taking care of!”

“Hey, look! What’s that?” Jed pointed as a big green bug leapt out of the grass. “Oh, cool, a grasshopper!” He ran over to see if he could catch it, and crowed with joy as he startled a handful more from the grass. Rose leaned back on the blanket, full of joy at watching him regain the simple childhood pleasures he had almost missed out on.

“For example,” Unity continued, watching Jed chase the grasshoppers, “just the other day, Dream was looking kind of down, when he came for tea, and when I asked him about it, he confessed. He was feeling guilty that it bothered him that Hob was leaving his dirty socks on the floor, and he just didn’t know how (or even whether) to talk to him about it. You see? A grandmother is just what he needs.” Rose and Unity chuckled as they sipped their lemonade, but Rose was actually quite glad that Dream was finally willing to ask for and receive wise advice from time to time. 

Suddenly, Jed came running back to them.

“Look, look, what could that be?” He pointed at a couple of dark shadows high in the sky. “Dragons, do you think? Will I get to see the roc today? What if it’s a pterodactyl?” 

Unity squinted at the sky and nodded in excitement rather than agreement. “No, I think it’s something much better than any of that!”

“What?!” Rose laughed, “Better than dragons?”

“Yes, look!” Unity said as the shapes grew closer and larger. “It’s my friends, Lucienne and Gault!”

“Oh, yes, Lucienne is even better than dragons! I remember hearing Gault’s name before,” Rose mused. ”Wait, was she the one…?”

Rose’s words dwindled off as she watched Jed run toward the two women, raven and fairy wings now clear, carrying them closer to the picnic under the tree. Jed doubled back as they passed low over him, and he ran up laughing as they came in gracefully for a landing several feet from Rose and Unity. 

“Rose! Unity!�� Lucienne exclaimed. She came forward to hug each of them in turn, followed by Gault who also embraced Unity. 

“I think we’ve met,” Rose said to Gault as they came face to face.

“Yes,” Gault confirmed, turning to include Jed as well. “We have met, though not under the best circumstances.”

“Wait, I remember you!” Jed tilted his head, scrutinizing the dark, glowing fairy before him. “You’re what mom turned into right before the King of Nightmares took her away.”

“Yes.” Gault smiled gently at him. “I never was your mother, I only looked like her for a time. But I did enjoy the time I spent with you, and I’m so proud of how courageous and strong you were in all of your dream adventures. I see you’ve met your real life adventures just as bravely since we were parted.” 

A thoughtful look crossed Jed’s face and he hesitated–looking around at the four beautiful women gazing at him fondly and surrounding him with love–and found his courage once more. “I have a request. Can you be Mom again? Just for a minute, so I can say goodbye to her?”

“Oh, Jed,” Rose said. “You know it won’t be Mom? Are you sure it will help, and not just make it harder for you?”

Unity nodded. “It’s hard to say goodbye to people. Sometimes saying it out loud with someone else there helps. But living in a fantasy will not help you heal.” 

“I know. But she helped me a lot, when I was at that place, and I want to say thank you.” 

As the women all nodded in understanding, Gault transformed into the shape of Miranda. Jed’s smile broke open like the sun coming through clouds, and he threw himself into her arms. They hugged for a long moment, as tears ran down everyone’s cheeks. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much for helping me there,” he said, his face buried in her chest. “Thank you for not leaving me alone.”

“You are welcome. I’m so proud of you for being so brave, and I’m so happy about how well you are doing now.”

Jed stepped back, knuckles swiping away the tears prickling in his eyes. “Goodbye, Mom.” He nodded, and Gault transformed into herself once more. Suddenly he threw himself into her arms once more. Startled, she embraced him back. “I hope we can be friends,” he said this time.

“Of course!” Gault wiped a tear from her cheek as her face also broke into a glorious smile. “I’d love to be your friend, Jed!”

“Oh, excellent!” Unity exclaimed. “Now that we’re all friends, everyone sit down and help me eat this cheesecake!” They laughed, brushing the tears from their faces, and sat around the blanket.

“So, how have you two been doing?” Rose asked as Unity handed out cake.

“You wouldn’t believe,” Lucienne answered with a smile. “The other day, Merv got himself into such a scrape…”

For the rest of that story, read Fireflies and a Missing Person. @carnelianmeluha I described the food (a little bit) just for you, but it's very simple: cherry cheesecake, cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and lemonade. The cheesecake box link is in the endnotes! @thesandwomen this is really early for your October event and it's not a femslash. But. I was thinking of you.

[fandomnerd9602]

With Feeling

Fem!Star Lord/Penny Quill x Reader

Art found here

Your Star Lady’s birthday was fast approaching and the other Guardians weren’t much help. You would not be going to them for advice ever again. You got the following advice from them:

“Present her with the head of your enemy“ Drax chimed in. “I proposed to my wife with that one”

“I really don’t care” Nebula said.

“Want me to bomb a moon so it says P+Y/N 4Ever?” Rocket asked. Lylla smacked him upside the head for that one. “What?!”

“Get a gift from the heart” Lylla told you. “Penny loves you for you”

“I am Groot” Groot said. Surprisingly that was the best advice.

You searched the junk shops on all of Knowhere. Every single one. It took some extreme searching but you found the perfect gift for Penny Quill. You slaved away at it for weeks, making sure that Penny didn’t suspect a thing.

Then came her big day. Penny awoke in her little apartment on Knowhere, your presence bringing a smile to her face as she woke up.

“Hey baby” she lets out a little giggle.

“Hey my Star Lady” you pepper her face with kisses. “Happy birthday”

“Is it my birthday? I don’t feel any wiser”

“Well I’m the wisest of the two of us” you smirk, earning a light punch from your lady.

Her beach blonde curls bounce as she jumps on you, playfully punching you and then kissing you. Her giggles fill the air. Penny collapses against your chest, her gentle giggles warming your heart.

“I love you” you whisper

“I love you”

“Come on,” you try to get up, “the team’s waiting”

You guide Penny out the center of Knowhere, the entire place decorated with 70s and 80s memorabilia. Lylla and Rocket really outdid themselves. Cosmo runs up, jumping around Quill.

“We love Star Lady” the dog exclaims.

Mantis comes out with a cake, “I think Kraglin outdid himself”

“Thanks sis,” Penny gives Mantis a hug. Kraglin gives her a proud smile.

And then came the gifts. Drax presented Penny with his favorite knife and a bag of zarg nuts. Mantis gave Penny a Cheers shirt. Nebula made some upgrades to the Bowie. Rocket and Lylla upgraded Penny’s helmet and rocket boots. Groot brought Penny a homemade sculpture of her and you helping to raise Groot when he was only a potted plant. Cosmo left a dead Orlani at Penny’s feet. And finally came you.

Your hard work was finally about to pay off. You pull out a small box and hand it to Penny.

Penny unwrapped the box and saw it. Your labor of love: a new Walkman and a trio of cassette tapes. A copy of Awesome Mix Vol. 1 and 2. And one of your own.

“C-Cosmic Mix Vol 1?” Penny looks to you with tears in her eyes.

“You’re an out of this world girl. Kraglin filled me in on the songs from volume 1.” You explain as you hook up the Walkman with your cosmic mix to the sound system. Penny clicks the play button.

The song begins to play and Penny can’t help but smile. It doesn’t take long for all of Knowhere to join in dancing.

You and Penny sway to the beat of the song. Penny wraps her arms around your neck.

“You’re the only one I want to listen to music with” she gives you a kiss.

“Happy birthday, my Star Lady”

Drax surpringly smiles, “I still think we could’ve gone to Earth and kidnap this warrior Ralph Macchio. She always spoke of him”

“Drax no!!” Mantis practically yells back. “Not after the time with Kevin Bacon!!”

[lyranova]

As promised here are my “in depth” thoughts about Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King movie!

Warning Spoilers below!

I thought the movie was pretty fun and exciting! The different team ups between characters were amazing, and they showed off characters and squads (ie; Mantis’s and Lions) who didn’t really get their “times to shine” much in the anime and they introduced really interesting characters with the Wizard Kings!

My favorite team up (besides the BBs ofc) had to be Fue, Nozel, Yami, and Yuno. Not only because 3/4 are my faves (I’ll admit Nozel is growing on me 👀) but because it was so interesting to see, I mean, we’ve seen Nozel and Fue team up before, but we haven’t really seen them team up with either Yami or Yuno. At least not that I can remember. Also we never got to see Yami and Yuno team up with each other either, so that was really fun and exciting to see 😁!

I also LOVED Mereo’s fight against FunnyBunny in the desert, like, it was so awesome to see! I’m glad we got to see just how much Mereo’s squad and brothers mean to her as well and how they give her strength to keep fighting, it really warmed my heart 😭! Also FunnyBunny has my favorite magic out of the Wizard Kings besides Conrad, it just looks so cool 😱’

The BB’s fight was sooo great too! Like the Ice mage’s Chapel and spells were really interesting to me 👀, and I loved the different team ups between the Bulls (like Magna and Gordon, Zora, Nero, and Luck) and how it shows just how great they all worked as a team! NOELLE WAS SO AMAZING THO!! Like we got to see her kick some serious butt against that old guy and just show off how cool her Valkyrie armor is 😁👏!

And I gotta shout out Grey because she showed off her transmutation magic and was absolutely great 🥺, I also loved the “blink and you’ll miss it” moment with her and Gauche 🥰!

I also love the contrast between Asta and Conrad, like, they’re so similar but so different. Asta could have easily become like Conrad if he let all the hate and discrimination that the Nobles and Royals threw at him get to him, but also what happened to Conrad’s family and friends contributed to that mindset too 😅.

WE GOT NACHT and LIEBE CAMEO’s!!! AAAAAHHHHH I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I SAW THEM LIKE 😭😭💕💕💕!! ALSO WE GOT TO SEE LEOPOLD BEING COOL AND FIGHT AGAINST ONE OF THE WIZARD KINGS!

And finally…I NEED MORE LORE ON THE WIZARD KINGS LIKE??? I NEED IT, WHAT WERE THOSE SMALL GLIMPSES OF THE PAST? WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM, WHY WERE THEY ALL STRIPPED OF THEIR RANK?? DID THE ICE MAGE KNOW NOELLE SOMEHOW?? I NEED TO KNOW PLEASE I BEG OF YOU 😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏🙏!!!!

My only gripes would be that we didn’t get to see much of Julius and that sometimes I got dizzy and i actually had to close my eyes at one point 😅. But that’s really my only gripes.

Now onto my mother 👀!

Firstly; She thinks Conrad is a cheaty cheaty cheater who does nothing but cheat 😆! She finds Jester annoying af, she said FunnyBunny was Black Clover’s Erza Scarlet, and…she didn’t have any opinions on the Ice Mage other than she felt he was related to Noelle in some way 😅!

She felt the movie was very disappointing, and I think her main problem was with the storyline and character development.

She said it was her least favorite and, in her opinion, the least interesting. She felt that she couldn’t really connect with the bad guys and that the good guys didn’t really “earn” their win since they didn’t get any power upgrades or anything, which is understandable. I think if the movie had been broken up into episodes and more was able to be shown that she would have liked it more 🤔.

She did have parts of it she liked tho! Mainly with Mereo (she is my moms favorite BC female character) 😆.

She loved when Mereo was first shown and said quote: “Yeah She doesn’t play around, she will not hesitate to kick your ass” 😆! She also loved when Mereo grabbed Sekke by the head before he could run away “He deserved it!” was her reasoning as to why she liked it.

And finally she found it HILARIOUS when Grey turned the Ice into Water and Magna began surfing and just randomly said “Alright here we go!”.

I don’t know why she found it so funny, and in turn so did I, but I think it was because of how his VA said it 😆!

Anywho, that's just our opinion. I liked it. Mom didn’t. It happens 😅!

[profound-imagination]

Lost & Found - Cal Kestis - Part 7

A/N: I don't think there's any trigger warnings, some angst, some talk of injury and such. I hope you enjoy part 7! ❤️

When your eyes opened Cal was gone and it was like you had kissed a ghost, you swore to yourself next time you saw him you'd kiss him for real. The next time you saw Cal in person was a month later, you had only seen him very rarely in your dreams since you'd kissed and each time he seemed further and further away, like no matter how much you ran towards him you couldn't close the distance. You had finally gotten him to agree to meet you, got him to agree to come with you, Cere insisted you weren't going alone in case it was a trap but you had managed to get them to agree to wait on the ship and that you would bring Cal to them if you thought he could handle it, you knew they all loved the young Jedi and only had his best intentions at heart but it had taken you so long to get him to this point that you didn't want to overwhelm him, so you had worked with Cere to come up with a compromise, you would take both ships, yours and the Mantis, they would land further out and stay hidden while you approached in your ship, that gave Cal time to adjust to being back with you before you told him the others were here for him as well. Only nothing ever goes to plan.

You had told Cal to meet you at the waterfall, that way if the Empire got inside his head they wouldn't have an exact location, they'd have to work to get it out of him. Slowly and cautiously you approached the clearing with the waterfall that Cal had shown you so long ago, it was still as beautiful as ever, it would always be beautiful to you, it's where the two of you had spent the night in each other's arms for the first time, you had wanted to arrive first to scope out a couple of escape routes if you needed them, only, Cal was already there. "You always were the best pilot I knew" he said without turning to face you, you stopped in your tracks as you took him in, dressed head to toe in his Inquisitor's uniform, it hadn't really affected you the first time, you didn't know it was him until you were fleeing for your life, this time however, you took in the magnitude of it, of what he was on his way to becoming. "Prauf taught me the theory when I was a kid, made me my own little ship out of a cardboard box and he would pick me up in it and run around with me whenever I got all the steps right, it was only when I got older and you dared me that I found out I was actually quite talented at it" you replied, the memory of hijacking a TIE in the middle of the night with Cal right beside you flashed in front of your eyes, he already knew this of course, you took a few steps closer to him "Cal, take off the helmet?" You asked him gently, he shook his head no, "Please?" You asked at the same time BD beeped a please from your shoulder, Cal didn't respond or move, so you took a chance and moved to sit next to him, legs dangling over the side of the cliff face, taking his hand in yours you pressed the subject again "Let me see you, Cal Kestis" he all but snatched his hand out of yours and removed his helmet "Happy?" He spat back at you in response, BD tucked himself out of view sensing the mood that Cal appeared to be in.

"What's going on Cal? Why are you being like this, we're going to help you, get you away from them" he shook his head at you for the second time since you'd been there "Why is it so hard for you to grasp there is no getting away from them?" He asked although you were fairly sure he didn't want an answer, he looked pale, he looked like he hadn't slept in days "They put you in that chair again didn't they?" You already knew the answer before he told you "It's called reconditioning" he sighed "They found me reading Jedi texts" so that's what's happened, they'd broken him a little bit more for trying to find out what the connection the two of you have is.

You were scared, you weren't sure how much of Cal was left, but based on the way he was talking to you, you'd bet not much. You reached up and ran your fingers along the scar on his cheek and followed it to behind his ear where it ended. "Do you remember how you got this? You told me the story once and I cried for you, do you remember?" He nodded but changed the subject "My connection to you is getting weaker, that's why it seems like you're so far away when I see you in your dreams" the two of you had worked out that Cal could only connect the two of you when you were sleeping and Cal's emotions were particularly high, not that there should be a connection at all, you weren't a force sensitive but that's how you ended up witnessing his reconditioning after he saved your life and let you go. "What I can't work out, however, is how your connection to me, you said you had no force connection, did you lie?" He spat the words at you like venom "Cal, I've never lied to you, you know that? I'm just some orphan girl who grew up on Bracca" you were trying to be gentle with him but he was really starting to test you, you wanted to shake him, bring him back to reality, stand him in front of a mirror and show him that he'd become everything he always swore he wouldn't. "But where did you come from!?" He pushed "Prauf said you were a youngling when you arrived on Bracca so where did you come from!?" You shook your head at him "I don't know! You know I don't! You were meant to help me find out when you'd saved the galaxies remember?!"

The two of you sat there in silence, both contemplating your next move, you knew you needed to get him on either one of the two ships you had waiting, if you got him to the Mantis would Cere and Merrin be strong enough to keep him there? You swore you could feel his power now, the darkness that hung around him like electricity, that was new, you only ever used to be able to pick up on his Force powers when his emotions were high and even then it was like a warm breeze caressing you, this new power put you on edge, it didn't make you feel safe anymore, in fact, you felt like you were in grave danger everytime, it equally terrified you and excited you. You were seriously debating taking him prisoner and deprogramming the Empire agenda from him yourself but you didn't know if you'd manage to get him to the Mantis. There was always plan B, one you'd never spoken to anyone, not your crew back on the Mantis, not BD-1, not even Cal but you were really hoping you wouldn't have to resort to that.

Movement caught the corner of your eye and you turned your head to see Cal standing up, you were quick to follow suit "Are you ready to go? Or do you want to stay here a bit longer? It'll probably be the last time we get to see this place" he looked at you as if you were speaking a language he didn't understand "I'm not coming with you" your heart shattered, you felt like he'd just punched you in the chest, there was no air left in your lungs, all you could do was stare at him "I just came to return this" he pulled your necklace out from his pocket and placed it back around your neck, he took one last look at you and turned to walk away, anger over took heartbreak "Don't you walk away from me Cal Kestis!" Storming towards him with your fist raised ready to pound on his chest like you did the first time, only this time he caught your wrist. "Don't" he warned you, his voice sounded leathal "You said you'd come with me" there were tears lining your eyes and you hated yourself for looking so pathetic "Why don't you understand that I can't?" He barked "I can't come with you, you'll be at risk for the rest of your life, they will never, ever stop hunting me down, they will use you to get to me and I will not have you torn apart, I will not have you put in that chair while I'm forced to my knees and made to listen while you scream for me to help you, I can't" he'd never shouted at you like this before, he dropped your wrist and your arm hung limp by your side "You need to go" he spoke softer now "Somewhere far away, somewhere we've never been, somewhere with no connection to me, somewhere I and they can't find you" you let the tears fall freely now "Will I still see you in my dreams?" You asked desperate to keep him with you in anyway that you could. "Only until I figure out how to stop them or until they've broken me completely" it was like he was doing his best to hurt you, break you so you would give up on him. He tensed as a TIE was heard over head "You need to go" he said again, more urgency in his voice now "I'll come with you!" Plan B, send BD back to the Mantis and go with him, Cal looked at his feet and back to your eyes "The fortress is no place for you little human" you cringed at the nickname, it was like he was twisting the knife "You really never want to see me again?" You were almost sobbing now as he tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear "It has to be this way, to keep you safe" he was being an idiot, trying to be a hero for you but still so broken by the Empire, Cal was conflicted and you knew it, he had turned to walk away from you again "Cal!" He stopped, sighed and turned just in time for you to collide with him, he caught you under your thighs as your legs wrapped round his waist as you kissed him hard, you poured everything you felt for the fallen Jedi into that kiss and he returned just as much, you pulled away slightly, your nose touching his "Please don't leave me, Cal" he sighed again "I have too" he pulled his head back slightly but made no move to put you down.

He tensed as his gaze looked past you, gently he placed you on your feet and moved you behind him, horror filled your entire being as you took in Trilla, stood there with a smirk on her face "Well, well well" she drew out "What do we have here, Eleventh Brother?" Anger filled you, like acid and fire in your veins, this was her fault, she had taken Cal away, she had turned him into this broken man that was stood in front of you desperate to leave you behind but fully prepared to fight to the death to keep you safe and she didn't even have the decency to use his name. "You know this isnt forbidden like it is with the Jedi, if taking her with us is what'll get you to fully submit then I'll allow it, despite the trouble she's caused" she was talking to Cal and ignoring your presence, it was like something had taken control of your body and you were no longer in control of your actions as you pushed past Cal, let out a battle cry and pushed your palms forwards towards Trilla. Cal and Trilla watched in shock as a green glow shot out of your palms and hit Trilla in the chest.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Just watched the GoTG Holiday Special and... OMG it's awesome!! Gunn, you absolute beauty! I adore him and I adore the Guardians.

Spoilers ahead.

Gunn has such a great handle on these characters, watching this left me wanting more and now I can't freaking wait for Vol 3!

Mantis jumping like an insect! I didn't know I needed this until now, loved it. Also, what's with Mantis getting so happy about Steve? 😂

She sees the guy dressed as Steve and goes running to him saying "Steeeeeeeeeeve!!", what's with that? lol Yeah, we love him too, Mantis, calm down lmao

Nebula dancing? Hell yeah. She's healing now that she's away from that monster and she's surrounded by people who treat her well, can't wait to see more of her in Vol 3. And... she got Bucky's arm for Rocket!!

I won't even ask how 😂😂

I loved Quill being the reasonable one and calling them out for kidnapping Kevin Bacon. Really can't express this enough, I so want to see a Quill that's more serious and mature. If this is what we're going to have in Vol 3 then fuck yeah I'm gonna love it.

Yondu trying to protect Quill by telling him sentiment will make him weak and the universe will eat him for it, but in the end Yondu is the most sentimental of all. It's like that scene he has with Rocket in Vol 2.

Also, Mantis fighting! Damn, she's got a few good moves, I want more of that. She was the highlight really, gotta love it when she uses her power to make that woman give her all her money lol Way to go, Mantis, that's not morally reprehensible at all 😂😂

And the scene where Kevin Bacon gets service on his phone and Kraglin gives some half-assed explanation has got to be one of the best in the special. I could almost hear Gunn say "yeah whatever, he has service, who the fuck cares why" 😂

And Groot as a Xmas tree!!

All the moments shared by the characters are genuine, they're sincere. It's a mix of jokes, comedy and emotion. I went from laughing to shedding tears in a matter of seconds.

I think one of the things that really puts Gunn above other directors who have tried to bring comedy to their movies and failed miserably is that the Guardians' installments have so much heart and they're not afraid of showing it.

The scene where Mantis finally confesses that she's Quill's sister is not undermined by any joke or anything that takes away from her words (and tears). Quill says that reveal is the greatest Xmas gift he could possibly have and they hug each other, that scene is allowed to be emotional and sincere and meaningful.

That's what Gunn does so well and what sets him apart.

Now gimme Vol 3!!

[funderberker-thefrog]

It's almost 3am and I can't sleep so I have decided to give y'all an update of my Hollow Knight playthrough (please don't spoil anything to me or anything I'll cry). I've advanced a lot since the last time I posted (I think I was barely on False Knight/Hornet back then) but I still feel like there's a lot more to go oof.

I've got the dream nail and I am close to the first 100 essence the guy told me to collect! yay!

Myla is infected:( She didn't attack me last time I checked up on her, but I'll just leave her be. I hope you're better soon my friend.

I love the Mantis Lords. As in, I had a hard time (even though I didn't try them right after getting the mantis claw bc I couldn't get through the platforming – which i got quite easily later), specially when they threw the blade thingy at me with the lower pattern, but i like the guys a lot. Their theme was neat and idk i think they're pretty cool guys and I love that they've accepted me. I wish I could dream nail them, like I guess I technically could've done that during the fight but I was busy, uh, trying to not get killed and stuff.

Easiest (took me the least tries) bosses so far: Gruzzmother (fun fact, I actually beat her before the false knight! i as super lost since i didn't have the compass and ended up there by chance), Dung defender (funny guy. also, why does dung need to be defended? maybe I'll never know), Broken Vessel and the Fluke thingy.

I have rescued a little over half of the grubs! I love the happy noise they make when they see me coming to the rescue and also when I go visit them! My precious little things. Also, I have lots of charms now, according to Salubra there's only 15 more to go and I'll have her blessing. Additionally, I've upgraded my nail twice already:)

The deepnest was wild lmao. As in, I love creepy stuff so I loved it but like it also made my skin crawl i guess, specially the noises the bugs do when they "come back" to life thanks to the parasite stuff (I have the Hunter's diary btw!!). Really an interesting place and I saved Zote down there, too:D Oh and I met the Midwife?, except I never actually talked to her bc I reflex hit her and later had to google "hollow mask deepnest masked character from the walls".

As another fun fact, I found Nosk earlier today. Like, technically I just got to Kindom's Edge recently, but I went back bc I wanted to review certain areas and things I had marked on my map bc I found them funny (to see if I could investigate now that I have more abilities).

So, I find the breakable wall and I try to explore as much of the area. Eventually I reach the part in which I start seeing myself and I just kept going. It was definitely eerie (which I love) but as I was trying to find my way around, I was a bit afraid thinking something along the notes of "This other me scares me a little, I feel like at some point I will actually run into him and he's going to absolutely fucking wreck me". And I swear I had no idea if that was really where the whole thing was going (I've just played enough videogames to distrust shadow/clone selves) but yeah. that's exactly what happened😭 I didn't really try to beat him, though. I decided to just keep him in mind for later.

And, oh, I found the Godhome, too? But I just looked around a little (there where things marking the bosses I have defeated) and decided to go back bc I had a big big feeling I'm not supposed to be there yet.

At last, I finally rescued Bretta!! I had seen her from afar before but i didn't have the means to reach her yet. After some battling with the later section of the platforming, I finally got to meet her and I love her!!! And she's??? got a crush on me????? I'm. She's so cute. If I sit on the bench beside her at dirtmouth she blushes. blushes¡!!!!! And I read her thoughts and she's like oh my saviour besides me. And I go to her room and there's a plushie of me and and the written story. She's adorable I wanna hug her so bad:(

And I feel like that's all, perhaps? I woke up a dreamer at the distant village and the crossroad is infected now but that's it. anyways. I feel like i might be able to finally sleep after this:)

[askmissthunder]

Hello Miss Thunder and friends! Has anything interesting happened to any of you lately?

Miss Thunder: Hello, hello, everybody!

Red Rabbit: Hey, y'all! Long time no see!

Talon: 'Sup.

Eli: AWWWOOO! Black Dog is back and running wild!

MT: Sorry if we've been gone a while. I think all of us were busy with different things this summer.

RR: I went with my family on a sea cruise!

E: Ooooh! Where to?

RR: To the Caribbean! Didn't you get the postcards I sent?

MT: I did! It looked really nice from what I saw.

RR: Oh, girl! Ocean City has a nice beach but the Bahamas has REAL beaches. The water was so clear and warm, we went snorkeling and rode on jet skis! They were literally the perfect beaches you'd imagine in your dreams!

MT: Blimey!

RR: *Sighs* And all the fine men and ladies there!

T: Aw, geez, here we go...

RR: Oh my God, both on the ship and on the islands! If you threw a rock in any direction, you'd hit either a guy with the most chiseled abs or a gal with the curviest body. Ohhhh...it was like Heaven...

MT: Hee hee! Sounds like you had fun getting to know the locals!

RR: Oh, just a few summer flings here and there. *Sighs* Oh, Jacqueline...She was a lot of fun. She and her boyfriend, George.

E: Whoa ho ho ho!

MT: Oooooooooooh! Spicy!

RR: Heh heh heh! I'll have to tell you about that away from the computer. That story's pretty...steamy.

T: And your parents were just fine with you fucking around on your vacation?

RR: Hold up now! I didn't screw everybody I met! Most didn't even get past second base. Besides...what Mama and Daddy don't know, won't hurt them!

T: Hmm.

E: Well, me and the Ocean City Wrestling stable went on tour up and down the East Coast!

RR: Wow! How'd that go?

E: It was great! The bus rides were long but I got to see a buncha different cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville...

MT: How'd you do overall with your matches?

E: Not bad! I lost about four but I won seven!

RR: Woooooo! Way to go, Black Dog!

E: And I'm happy because I finally, finally got to do a match I always wanted to do: a cage match!

MT: I remember! You called me right after!

E: It was in Charleston and it was me against The Mantis! His holds and submissions might be deadly but he didn't think I was gonna climb the cage upside down and do a body slam on him, ha ha!

MT: Wha...Eli! Aren't those cages like 20 feet tall?!

E: Yeah, but that makes it look cooler when I climb up the sides and do my patented Flying Dog Punch!

T: Oh, stop being such a wet blanket, Penny. He's fine and in one piece.

MT: *Picks Eli off the ground and hugs him* Hmph! I'm his girlfriend! It's my job to worry about him.

E: *Nuzzles against Penny's big cheek* Heh heh! I don't mind.

MT: As for me, I attended a summer music program at my school!

E: So...what? Isn't that just more classes for you to do?

MT: Yes, but it looks good on my student record and it helps my GPA! Plus, we got to do more live performances like the works of Franz Liszt and Gioachino Rossini!

MT: *Claps hands Excitedly* Eeeeee! It was so much fun!

T: Heh. Only you would find having school in summer fun.

MT: And guess who got to be First Chair Flute during the entire program?

RR: Oooooh, I bet a certain bunch of bullies weren't too happy about that!

MT: No, they were not, but getting to play all those solos made all those ugly looks and remarks worth it!

RR: Good for you, Penny! You know what they say: "Success is the Best Revenge!"

E: What about you, Talon? What'd you do while we were all busy?

T: *Shugs* Same ol', same ol'. Work at the deli by day, go on patrol at night. Somebody has to keep watch on the city while you're all lollygagging around.

MT: Oi! It's not like I went on vacation! I went on patrol with you a few times!

T: The keyword being "a few".

RR: Tsk tsk! Sounds to me like you out of all of us needed a vacation!

T: Hmm...I wouldn't mind going back to your beach house.

RR: That'd be fun! I know classes have started already but maybe we can go for a weekend before it starts getting cold.

MT: Ohhhh! Speaking of the beach house! Eli, did you enjoy that photo I gave you?

E: Yup! Thank you, Penny! Heh heh heh!

RR: Whoa whoa whoa whoa! What photo?!

MT: Well, before Eli left on his trip, he told me he was sad he wouldn't be able to see me for almost a month so I gave him a photo to cheer him up whenever he missed me.

RR: *Grinning cheekily* Penny! I thought you were a good Christian girl! Why are you sending Eli sexy photos of yourself?

MT: Hee hee hee! It was only the one photo! Besides, you're the one who took it!

RR: What?! When?!

MT: At your beach house last year. You had the Polaroid and you caught a photo of me...adjusting "The Girls"...

RR: Ohhhhhhh, that photo!

MT: I know it looks like I'm giving a "Come Hither" look but in reality, I was annoyed because of how much I was sweating and I think this was right before I said, "How can you Yanks stand this bloody heat?!"

E: I certainly didn't mind either way...

T: Pssh. Of course, you wouldn't.

(Artwork by @fileorwell on Twitter)

[theselfshippingwitch]

i literally just wrote this heyyy

ray/violet, some janine/egon, some ocs i have literally never mentioned before now, guaranteed diabetes at the ending, barely any proofreading

-

"This week is a nightmare."

"When this week is over, I'm buying you the biggest stuffed animal."

Violet and Ray walked up the driveway to their house. She practically dragged her feet across the pavement. It was just one of those days when nothing goes right. Deadlines were sneaking up on her, editor's notes were getting on her nerves, everything made her feel like the world was ganging up on her and the week would never end. Worst of all, she had barely any time to see Ray. This brief walk home with him was the reason why she declined a ride from her driver though she was completely exhausted. The only thing she held onto was once this week was over, the next had Valentine's Day.

She smiled at him. "You mean it, Ray?"

"I won't be able to fit it through your front door."

She giggled, reaching for his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I can't wait."

-

That next Monday was the day before Valentine's Day. Violet sat in a downtown Manhattan restaurant at the top of a high rise with her personal assistant (and close friend) Steffi, Janine, and Layla, who had been hired by the Ghostbusters almost a year back. She, Violet, Janine, and Louis Tully made up what Violet and only Violet referred to as the "B-squad". Within that year, Layla had gone from the spoiled rich hotel heiress forced by her parents to get a job at her new accountant's second place of employment to being engaged to that accountant and estranged from her parents.

All of them had had an eventful year. For Violet, it ended with Ray finally proposing to her, right at midnight on New Year's Eve. For Janine, it saw the beginning of a suddenly fast-moving relationship with Egon, which now saw her planning a trip to Vegas that may or may not cumulate with her wedding. For Layla, it included discovering her parents are cult leaders. As for Steffi, she continued to refuse to be tied down to any woman, career first as always. However, tracking Violet's exploits as a famous best-selling author was eventful enough. Now, they raised their mimosas to the best year of their lives, and to things only getting better from here on in.

Meanwhile, Ray was frantically driving from store to store. Just his luck that the weekend had been incredibly busy and he had no time to shop for Violet's gifts until the day before Valentine's Day. He had promised Violet a giant teddy bear, and he hated to disappoint her, especially when he knew she deserved it after such a rough week. But, every store he went to was sold out or too expensive. It certainly didn't help that he was running short on cash, all the money he had earned that weekend going into repairs on Ecto-1, which was in rough shape after all the stress put on her. He managed to get all the other essential gifts - purple roses, a box of Violet's favorite chocolates, and a necklace with a heart-shaped stone of Onyx (a gem he knew meant protection, calming, and release of negative energies, three things he knew Violet needed lately). He settled finally on a regular size teddy bear, though reluctantly. He just hoped Violet wouldn't be too disappointed.

-

The next day, both Violet and Ray were busy once again. But, they had the evening free to be alone together. They agreed they wanted to stay home, so Ray cooked salmon for dinner, exchanged gifts (Violet got him a framed cel from Murray the Mantis, one of Ray's favorite cartoons, signed by the animator, who she met at a con) and they settled in to watch Cinderella (Violet's favorite "romantic" movie). As they cuddled on the couch, Ray turned to her. "Are you happy now, my moon goddess?"

Violet blushed at her pet name. "Of course I am. You're here."

"I'm only sorry I couldn't bring you a bigger teddy bear."

"You silly. You brought me the biggest, cuddliest, sweetest teddy bear in the whole world. My favorite teddy bear."

"I did?"

"Yeah," She nodded, and poked her finger into the center of the chest she was curled up into. "He's right here."

His face turned bright red, and he smiled so bashfully she couldn't help but kiss him.

[rise-alchemy]

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts as I watch Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Episodes 3-4

I’m already getting Five Night’s at Freddy’s vibes from this episode.

That kid trapped in the claw machine is surprisingly supportive.

How is it April’s fault that Alberto broke down after a kid threw an entire pint of root beer into his mouth?

Where is the manager? This kind of thing should be his job!

How many times have the boys masqueraded as birthday robots to get free pizza from this place?

“I upgraded my upgrade in the middle of my upgrade.”

Honestly Donnie’s upgrades to the band are super cool - just look at that fluidity!

Ah. Yes. There’s the chaos.

Poor Alberto…

WHERE is the kitchen staff? Freddy’s is better staffed than this!

OH GEEZ HE’S SENTIENT NOW

“You know what? Turns out I cannot fix this.”

“Who wants to play a little game of ‘Running to Safety’?”

Seriously, WHERE is this manager? This kind of detachment from the business day is SUPER unprofessional.

You know what, better question: WHERE ARE TIMMY’S PARENTS?!

Has that poor child been trapped in the claw machine this whole time??

PRESIDENT PEPPERONI???

That wasn’t even the highest scoring slot in Skeeball! I should know - that game used to be my jam.

The manager absolutely bought himself that trophy.

“I’m gonna crack you open like a birthday piñata!”

“You can’t be the king of birthday parties without having one of your own!”

APRIL NO! Donnie actually got through to him with that cake and song.

Ugh. With the way that cake crumbled, I think the birthday kids dodged a bullet by not eating it.

The manager sure isn’t happy and April lost her job, but at least Timmy had the best birthday of his life.

Do we ever circle back to Alberto not being 100% dead? That’d be pretty cool.

---

Aah! This is where the worm guy comes from!

EW GROSS DON’T KISS THAT MIRROR! Do you see those stains?!

How is this man able to pay the rent for that apartment as a giant worm.

Raph is really attached to that hippo suit.

WHY does Donnie have a bottle of female hippo scent?

WHERE did Warren get a piece of flypaper that big?

D’aww! Mikey in the background just vibing out on the spring ride.

LEO WHAT DID YOU DO-

“He was ON my HEAD. I PANICKED.”

Pfft! The boys just leave Warren in the park to regenerate with his insides on the outsides.

WHERE did Warren get those fully functional non-integrated prosthetic legs?

Yo Warren don’t throw Clem’s phone at him! He was nice enough to let you borrow it in the first place!

“You ruined that woman’s 95th birthday.”

Raph: “Be careful.” *shoves Mikey through a hole in the roof to a 20ft drop*

OH. OOOOH, NO. NO NO NO. I HATE WARREN’S BUFF WORM LOOK-

“He’s Current Occupant!”

“I am Current Occupant!”

“Finally! The thing we actually care about!”

“This has been the WORST mating season!” Hypno have-…have you been through more than one…?

I am absolutely stealing Hypno’s hypno scream for later use.

WAS HYPNO GOING TO JUST DISEMBOWEL MIKEY RIGHT THERE ON THE FLOOR? GOOD LORD!

Gotta say, I’m a sucker for villains fighting to protect heroes because “I’M the only one allowed to kill them!”.

WARREN! Put those worm nips away!!!

Leo absolutely knows who Warren is. He’s just messing with him at this point.

---

How fast were these Jupiter Jim movies being churned out if there were sixty of them made in, like, just a few decades?

“OH NO! A MUTANT! …oh, wait. We’re mutants, too.”

These boys don’t understand how money works, and that’s a Vibe.

I want to know how Repo Mantis holds things with those claws.

Aaaaa! A Tototo reference!!!

So…are all of these mutants the result of the Oozesquitos? Or were there mutants/Yokai living in and around New York before then?

PUPPIES! PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY PU-. Ahem. Yes. Puppies.

“That honestly tastes exactly like sunshine.”

Donnie: “We’ve got to be tough with him. Hard as nails!”

Mikey: *finishes his lemonade* “Hard as nails!”

Todd hasn’t made a payment in two years?? My GUY, how do you still have functioning utilities?!

“I’m in something squishy. I AM IN SOMETHING SQUISHY.”

Even that umbrella is threadbare…

I love that it was Donnie’s idea to build a brand new puppy sanctuary to trade for the RV.

WHERE did all of this raw material come from??

ngl the end result is pretty darn beautiful.

Was that moon buggy always fully functional and fully fueled? Or did Repo Mantis fix it up himself?

WHY DOES THAT MOON BUGGY HAVE A FUNCTIONAL TURBO MODE???

Those pedestrians are having a terrible day, but honestly? They’ve probably had worse.

So uh…how is Donnie planning to get that moon buggy down into the sewers?

---

Do the boys have an entire arcade room all to themselves in the Lair? That’s so cool!!

Splinter has the cutest darn sneeze I’ve ever heard and that’s not fair.

Splinter: “I feel terrible. Do I look terrible? Be honest.”

The boys: *all screaming*

Raph, lying through his teeth: “You look great!”

I absolutely do not trust Donnie with uranium.

I’m with Leo - matching unicorn onesies would be adorable.

“Buckle up, boys. It’s about to get weird.”

How fast does Splinter’s fur grow back if, every year, when he inevitably gets sick and feels too hot from the fever, he shaves himself bald?

“He loves pizza in confined spaces you can barely breathe in!”

These stage names are killing me but in the best way.

How badly did these bouts of sickness go for them before they figured out these elaborate plans and procedures to deal with them? Did one of the boys miraculously miss out on the bug one year and saw the chaos from the outside?

Stage 6: Fan Fiction.

Listen. Listen. I know a couple spoilers about this show. How could I not? That said: IS SPLINTER WRITING FAN FICTION ABOUT HIMSELF???

Leo just becomes a big ol’ cuddle bug when he’s sick.

I don’t believe stage seven lasted nearly as long as the boys think it did. I think Splinter was messing with them.