#I don’t personally ship it but it doesn’t ruffle my feathers

[smilesrobotlover]

Why is Sidon the most gayest straight character ever

[happyandticklish]

The Gift of Your Laughter

Notes: I literally pulled this fic out of my ass last night for the holiday so be kind to it ;-; This fic doesn’t technically have a ton of tickling actually in it but you know what I don’t care because anticipation is more than half the fun anyway~ Happy Valentine’s Day, and enjoy a heavily flustered Levi with me~ 

Summary: Erwin knows Levi a little too well. Normally, Levi appreciates this, until it comes to a certain shared interest of theirs. 

It started with a feather, which is what clued Levi in that he wasn’t overthinking it. A brown feather with white spots speckled throughout it and black streaks curving up the inside. It glistened in the sunlight coming in from the window, perfectly innocent on his desk. Erwin—the only person it could be, the only person who had access to his office—had made sure it was placed directly in the center, not wanting Levi to be able to miss it.

He hesitated, as though something was going to pop out of it and attack him, but after a moment Levi picked it up. He pinched the stem gingerly between his fingers holding it up to the light.

Soft. Beautiful. Rare. He brushed a fingertip over the edge of it, allowing the downy tufts to kiss his skin. He wasn’t sure where Erwin would have gotten something like this. He wasn’t even aware there were birds with such elaborate designs still around. 

He looked around for a note, some sign of what it could possibly mean, but there was nothing. Just a feather and a world of questions. Levi grimaced in annoyance. He wasn’t fond of antics or surprises, and Erwin knew that. Whatever game he was playing, he wasn’t in the mood for it and he would be sure to let Erwin know the next time he saw him.

He kept the feather, though. He felt too bad not to. It was too delicate of a thing to simply throw away.

The second one came at lunch, nearly crushed by Levi before he noticed it. It was sitting on a chair, his chair, the chair he always sat at because it was isolated and far away from the noise of the cadets. This one was blue and Levi sucked in his breath helplessly. Blue. It was such an unimaginable color nowadays as the ink was far too expensive to ship in. To see it so blatantly in nature…

He picked it up, placing it carefully beside his lunch tray before continuing to eat with a growing sense of unease. He felt ridiculous for putting so much thought into it, but the gesture was so un-Erwin-like that he couldn’t help but dwell on it. There was yellow in the blue too. Probably, these were collected items from the olden years, before the Titans. It didn’t surprise him that Erwin had them, but this strange scavenger hunt method of gifting them was weird and suspicious all at once.

Finally, at feather number three, he put the pieces together.

The room was mostly Hange’s domain, part of their perverted scientific ‘experiments’ that they liked to execute. It had become less of an office at this point and more of some mad scientist lab mixed with a torture chamber. Levi was supposed to pick up some paperwork from them, but he paused when he entered the room and noticed them..

It wasn’t just feather number three. It was feather number four, five, and six as well, all four of them tied with a string that was dangling out of one of the holes in a pair of rustic stocks. The rush of air from the doorway ruffled them gently, causing them to twist and buffet in the air. Realization hit Levi at the same time that a flush crept its way up his neck and out to his ears.

Oh.

Oh. 

Thankfully Hange was absent, otherwise, Levi would have killed the both of them right then and there to cover up his oncoming embarrassment. He marched forward and snatched the feathers out of the stocks, crushing them in his hands and trying to ignore the way his heart was racing.

He tried to act casual as he made his way back to his office, one hand shoved in his pocket where he fiddled with the feathers. They felt soft. Really, really fucking soft. Anger and humiliation and something else that Levi didn’t want to put a name to rose inside of him at the ploy.

More than anything, however, he tried to stifle the creeping anticipation growing inside him. If he was right, and he sincerely doubted that he wasn’t, Erwin had planned this. Which meant Erwin was waiting, somewhere, to ambush him with this. Which meant that Levi had to choose whether or not to confront him or hide like a coward.

It really wasn’t a fair decision.

By the time he reached the door he felt jittery like he’d just pulled an all-nighter, his body tense with nervous energy.

It’s just tickling, he told himself, hand wavering over the knob. It’s just fucking tickling so get a hold of yourself. At least in your office, you’ll be safe so stop freaking out.

He pushed open the door determinedly and froze when he saw Erwin casually sitting in his chair.

“Levi.” He looked unfairly calm for how rattled Levi felt. “I see you got my message.”

He hadn’t realized he was still messing with the feathers. He stopped, pulling his hand out and glaring at him. “You’re in my spot.”

An arched brow. “You want to trade places?”

The implications of it sent a thrill running down Levi’s spine. Sitting down, strong arms wrapping around him, fingers crawling ever so softly up his sides, a voice whispering in his ear—

Instinctually, he glanced towards the open door and Erwin followed his gaze. “I’ll just catch you, you know. It would serve no purpose but to draw this out and make things worse for yourself.”

He was being so unbearably smug about this and Levi wanted to punch him for it. Instead, he settled on trying to shove down the smile begging to make itself known on his features, and focused his efforts towards survival. Erwin was right. There was no way he could outrun him even if he wanted to and right now Levi didn’t trust his body not to betray him into Erwin’s awaiting hands.

Still.

There was no way he was just gonna take this gift disguised as punishment.

Erwin’s chuckle rang out behind him as Levi bolted, an affectionate, amused sound that sent goosebumps prickling up the back of his neck. He slid around a corner, years of training kicking into gear as he expertly navigated his way through the building. He could hear Erwin pounding behind him and panic sent him flying down the stairs, skipping half a dozen steps in the process.

He knew he looked stupid as he raced past the barracks, a grown man running for his life and probably alerting half the camp while doing so, but he didn’t care. He could feel Erwin right behind him and his thoughts were betraying him as he imagined what it would be like to be caught, to be grabbed, to have his arms forced over his head—

Nope, no, not going there, not right now, now he needed to focus. Left or right. Dining hall or living quarters. Both public, both dead ends. He cursed under his breath, hesitating a bit too long as he weighed out the decision. Voices of confusion murmured behind him as soldiers recovered from the shock of their captain running for his life, and, more importantly, the last of Erwin’s boot falls landed on the stairs indicating he was catching up.

Levi flung open the bedroom door haphazardly, just barely managing to get inside before the door was shoved open once more. Levi flinched, stumbling back against the wall as Erwin calmly closed and locked the door behind him. Levi silently thanked any deity that was still be remaining that this particular room was absent at the moment.

“You shouldn’t have run.” Erwin looked more amused than annoyed, which wasn’t helping matters. “It’s impolite to turn down a gift.”

“A gift?” Levi scoffed, hating how out of breath he sounded. His gaze darted anxiously about the room, looking for any path of escape. “Is that what you’re calling this?”

Erwin arched a brow. He was taking slow, steady steps towards him that set Levi on edge. “Are you saying you don’t want it?”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Levi thinned his lips together in irritation. He could feel the heat crawling over his features and prayed that Erwin didn’t notice. He didn’t move when Erwin approached him, glaring up into his eyes as he pressed him against the wall.

Stop looking so goddamn helpless already.

“Wrists?”

Levi didn’t move, stubbornness rooting him to the spot.

“Should I make it an order?”

Levi’s gaze snapped up at him before slanting off to the side. “Cheater.”

“As if you didn’t cheat first.”

He felt positively giddy and he hated how much he loved it. Erwin had grabbed his wrists anyway, tugging them firmly up and against the wall. Levi pulled at them to check their hold—breakable, if he wanted. Which only made this worse because now Levi was forced to stand there and just endure it until Erwin had had his fill.

Levi tensed when fingers came to rest at his sides. “Erwin, the cadets.”

“What about them?” A twitch to his sides.

“They’ll hear,” Levi hissed, trying not to squirm already because god would that be embarrassing if one touch of Erwin’s hands was all it took to get to him. “They’ll hear and they’ll talk and the last thing I need is to deal with rumors about us spreading through the whole garrison.”

“Well then…” Erwin’s fingers jumped into action now, skritching and digging into Levi’s sides in a manner that made him want to crawl out of his skin. “I guess you’d better be quiet.”

Levi bit his lip, something that was horrendously close to a giggle nearly slipping past his lips. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, this was not happening, this was not happening right here, right now, not when there’s a bunch of nosy soldiers standing right outside that room forcing Levi to keep silent despite how ungodly ticklish Erwin’s nails felt against his shirt.

He kind of hated it.

He kind of loved it.

“Oh, and Levi?”

Erwin’s voice was close, his breath hitting the shell of Levi’s ears and making him scrunch his shoulders in defense. Nails slipped under his shirt to get at bare skin as a shiver rippled down Levi’s spine.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

[joseeapologist]

what are your favorite and least favorite ships?

I might ruffle some feathers, sorry:

Favorite Ships:

1. Jacsee - I think I've stated why so many times so I won't even bother explaining again, or else we'll be here for hours.

2. MacSanders - They're super underrated. There's no way that they WEREN'T together during RR. Their chemistry in the show seems a lot more than just friends. The way MacArthur was like, "I play nice with you allll the time" like c'mon lol they're dating. Honestly I wish there was more content of them. You can never get enough MacSanders content.

3. Nowen - When I joined the fandom I saw them as a BROtp (I used to like Noco) but then my love for Nowen grew along with my love for the fandom, it's very contagious :) I think they had wonderful chemistry and @realitytvpros has FANTASTIC artwork of them (that's another thing, the fan art for Nowen is wonderful)

4. Crimsonennui - the best canon ship of the show, hands down (I think Jashawn and Lyler are probably the next best ships) even though they are very monotonous, you can obviously tell they love and care very deeply with each other; they don't need to show this with exaggerated PDA (like some couples) and having some dramatic spur-of-the-moment kiss - it is very obvious that they're in love.

5. Alenoah - This is Larson's fault lmao. Honestly, Alenoah (the ship) has been growing on me a lot. Something that really makes me ship characters is fan-art, but especially fanfics. I'm a bookworm, so if I see someone write a story in which they bring two characters together and show them having awesome chemistry, it's very contagious and I'll start liking it, which is exactly what happened with Alenoah. Good writing really helped me enjoy the ship (check out @alenoah's fic Pretty Poisonous,you'll see what I mean)

Least Favorite Ships:

1. Gw//ody - I’m sorry, but this makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I don’t want to be mean, but this is based on personal things I’d rather not get into. 

2. Co//derra - Same thing as Gw//ody, though I do like platonic Co//derra after canon (see @td-worrisometruths for their stuff, it’s great!)

3. No//co - Surprising, isn’t it? I’ve come to the realization that most ships involving Cody aren’t very good. I used to like Cody, but then my love for him sort of diminished over time. Cody just isn’t that appealing to me. Also, there was this whole drama about one of the No//co artists drawing very... fetish-y art even though they’re 16. Also, I never realized when I first joined how bait-y the Big Sleep episode was. Then I came to the realization that Noah would probably make Cody cry. 

4. Tom//ques - Tom//ques is basically No//co, but Tom and Jacques are adults so people think it’s okay to fetishize mlm and write gay smut of them. Say what you want about No//co, but there had been some fics in which it was centered around building a relationship. I cannot say the same for Tom//ques. Literally the only Tom//ques fics I’ve seen were smut. Shipping the two most effeminate men on the show isn’t the progressive take you think it is. This is going to sound awful, but I can’t bring myself to like Tom//ques because some Tom//ques shippers went after me because I shipped Jacsee, calling me immoral for it, and claimed that Tom//ques was “supposed to be canon” so I’m erasing mlm. Besides, the superior mlm ship for Jacques is him and Ryan :) But I love a Tom//ques friendship. I’ve said this so many times, but platonic Tom//ques is awesome.

5. Sc//ax - I mean, it’s mostly because I see Scarlett as a lesbian (and I ship her with OC named Devin!), but even if I didn’t I just don’t understand the appeal. Someone compared them to Drakken and Shego from Kim Possible, which I get, but like... no lol (Even though I do ship Drakgo) Scarlett legitimately cannot stand Max, and Max says that “evil doesn’t date” so I don’t really see them as a couple, sorry.

[dwc-jamc-spn]

okay so…not to be the one to ruffle anyones feathers (but this is my blog and I’m gonna post what I want, you can ignore), but the sub-group of Wincest/J2 shippers who accuse Destiel/JenMish shippers of hating Sam/Jared are really just projecting. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I’m really tired of them accusing Destiel/JenMish shippers of hating Sam/Jared for “ruining our ship”. Like, bruh. You can have your own opinion, but that doesn’t make it fact, chief. It’s just. It’s hilarious because no we don’t hate Sam or Jared for reasons related to our ship. Anyone who says that is quite literally projecting.

(And anyone who hates someone, actor or character, for ruining a ship—a freaking ship, of all things?—is pathetic. That’s not a valid or supportable reason to hate someone or to send anyone who likes that person hate. I speak from the experience that I’ve received hate asks and messages when I say this, btw.)

A sub-group of Wincest/J2 shippers perceive Castiel/Misha to be ruining their ship and then go turn it around on Destiel/JenMish shippers and accuse them of the same thin. like idk man. idk how to explain this to you in a digestible way, because neither Sam or Jared are “ruining our ship”. y’all are just projecting your problems or insecurities or whatever onto us for reasons I don’t care to think about because it’s really not my business. You do you as long as you’re not hurting or threatening anyone.

In all honestly, everyone needs to really remember that our opinions are not fact and we all really gotta stop treating them as such.

[tundrainafrica]

I've been following your blog for a while now and I love your writing and your meta! I was wondering, do you consider Levi and Hanji's relationship to be romantic in canon? Do you consider it canon that Levi had romantic feelings for Erwin?

Thank you for the ask anon, also, thank you for ruffling my feathers a bit too :D. I’m glad you like my writings and meta and I hope that my works continue to bring you joy. 

The types of questions you asked up there could only lead to the types of answers that can spark ship wars. I mean the dialogue in 136 and the change in kanji for chapter 132 hinting their own ships canon were enough to have Eruri and Levihan shippers bashing each other on twitter tbh. 

Personally, I see the romantic potential for both Levihan and Eruri in the show. That’s why I found myself reading a good number of Levihan and Eruri fics. (But lots more Levihan if it isn’t obvious from AO3 bookmarks and my tumblr title). I mean lots more romantic potential than let’s say.... ereri

Do you consider it canon that Levi had romantic feelings for Erwin? 

I’ll answer this one first. No. I don’t think Levi had romantic feelings for Erwin anywhere on the show. Was there potential for something to bloom? Possibly, that’s why I still read eruri fanfiction. I like exploring the possibility if Erwin wasn’t a little too obsessed with his dream, maybe their relationship could have turned out differently.

In canon, by the time they introduced Erwin, Erwin had already forsaken all romance and I think whatever feelings Erwin had towards romance rubbed off on Levi and their relationship ended up being more professional than anything. Due to Erwin’s one track mind and the position he had taken upon himself. any romantic possibilities between them in canon was just harder to make happen. 

Levi though still had strong feelings towards Erwin. It’s undeniable. Erwin had given Levi purpose to live and direction on where to go next, what to do next so that’s why regardless of whether canon had made it possible or not, this relationship is still very interesting to explore. 

Erwin was more professional and cold than Levi imo and honestly, despite the cold demeanor of his best friend Erwin, Levi was an incredible softie at heart and we’ve seen that side of him multiple times, when he gave Petra’s badge to that one soldier, when he stared at that one mother and child when they were on the wall ready to leave to retake Shiganshina.

We all know Levi begrudgingly wanted that soft side of him indulged and between Erwin and Hange the one more likely to indulge that softie side of Levi was Hange. 

Which brings me to the next question.

Do you consider Levi and Hanji's relationship to be romantic in canon? 

I wouldn’t be obsessively writing Levihan fics if I didn’t see it as romantic in canon. But at the same time, I don’t believe Hange and Levi have been in a relationship since Season 1. My headcanon here is Hange and Levi built that relationship over time and this relationship just rapidly progressed after season 3

It’s incredibly subtle which is one of the reasons people like to pretend it doesn’t exist. Probably because they’re trying to promote another ship or they don’t wanna see romance in AOT

But I don’t think a relationship developing subtly is at all a sign that it can be more platonic than anything else. 

In fact, most healthy relationships and most relationships from a bystanders point of view, develop subtly. Like we were the bystanders in many other developing relationships in real life, I think we, the audience of AOT, were also bystanders watching the subtle development of Hange and Levi’s relationship. 

Let’s think about how we’ve watched relationships develop in real life.  

If we’re not invested, they happen incredibly subtly. These people are just constantly together, then eventually we realize we can’t invite the other without the other, then we realize we can barely get them alone, then we realize the person changed and eventually they drop this bomb saying “by the way, I’m dating this person now.”

This pattern happens way too many damn times among my friends though and people I just randomly watch everyday that it just became so expected for it to develop into romance so eventually, when I’ve seen the formula play through, I tend to lean on the side of ‘yeah, they’re probably togteher or getting there.’

Yeah, I get it, there’s a danger in assuming that people are together. I’ve seen enough romantic relationships develop though to realize that leaning on the side of ‘romantic’ given specific signs is usually the correct assumption. In fact, I have earned a good amount of money irl winning bets with my friends that two people are actually together but are hiding a relationship (or possibly are in denial).

What are some of these signs? 

The way they treat this one person is so glaringly different from how they treat other people 

Through the years, I have lost a lot of my best friends to their boyfriends/girlfriends and as the youngest child, I have watched all seven of my siblings get into a relationship and believe me, a lot of them have a certain line they would draw on what they are willing to do for their close friend or sibling and what they are willing to do for a lover. 

I have seen people in love so willingly have their hand crushed while the person they love has their fingers set back. “Hold my hand as hard as you need to.” I’ve seen my friends take a detour 1 hour away from the destination just to pick up the person they love. And here’s the thing, they wouldn’t have done it for anyone else usually, they would have only done that thing for that one person. 

Yes, okay doormats exist. But even people with doormat syndrome, the threshold of what someone is willing to do for a close friend and for a person they love still differ regardless. In a life or death situation, I think both Levi and Hange would have fought to conserve lives but if we consider small things, like routines, groceries, small favors, I feel like Levi has an incredibly low threshold of what he’d be willing to do for a random person. But Levi still carried her groceries for her so he could meet her with Moblit in the smartpass. Levi still picked her up and waited for her in Season 2 when she was researching the rock. And for Hange, chapter 115 is all the hint you need. I honestly don’t know if Hange would have gone through those lengths for anyone else but selfishly abandoning commander duties for one guy? She practically said screw you to everyone else. 

The way they talk to each other is different.

This is something I notice in real life too. Most people won’t notice when they themselves do it but it’s incredibly obvious for listeners if the listeners look out for it. The tones of people’s voices change when they’re talking to someone they love. For a lot of people, sometimes their voices get a little high pitched. For others, sometimes their voices get a little softer. Just watch when you’re talking to a friend and suddenly their SO calls. (It might not apply to everyone but I find this incredibly common.) Not just tones, speech patterns change or tendencies too. In front of that one person, sometimes people are a little more selfish. Like maybe, they don’t usually say what they want to eat but when the one person asks, they would answer because suddenly they know what they want. 

With Hange and Levi we have the ‘let’s live together’ and the ‘dedicate your heart’ respectively. 

These are two expressions/phrases they would have not used with anyone else. There was probably more in canon, but these are just the most glaringly obvious ones with two pivotal scenes that blatantly show that Hange and Levi do have signs of the above.  

Hange and Levi who are generally very selfless all business people, are suddenly only selfish with the person they love. Hange with “let’s live together?” An injured Levi deciding to rest and sleep despite the fact that they were in a war because Hange was nearby to take care of him?

Those two were suddenly selfish when they were alone with one another?

They are constantly together.

Okay, irl, you can see this when you have all your friends ride in a car together and somehow, it’s always them taking those two seats next to each other. They leave the classroom together. They leave every single dam room together. And it could be subtle or not but they always wait for one another. Yet if one person is not there, they’re the type to just go ahead and leave without giving the room behind them a second look. When someone wants to buy something, the other always has an excuse to come. And oh my god, when you call your friend in the middle of the night to hang, that person is always in their dam house or in their dam room, no breaks. 

And Hange and Levi have their equivalent of this. 

Levi literally picked Hange from her lab in Season 2 while she was injured and he had no need to. 

I think I have made a post where Levi and Hange are shown constantly together but lemme make some points. Even early in canon, why were Hange and Levi introduced riding next to each other, they’re not even in the same squad. Why were they riding out the gate together? Shouldn’t Levi have been with his squad and shouldn’t Hange have been with her squad? 

Yeah sure, maybe they just decided to ride together. But why were they next to each other in the Ilse’s notebook too when they went out the gate? And even when they were going to take back Wall Maria, Levi and Hange were next to each other in the lift, they were back to back on Wall Maria. 

Like the only expedition where they weren’t riding together was when Levi had to protect Eren yo.

“They’re both leaders of course they were together” Mind you, Levi’s position in the military is a special one. He’s the captain of a special operations squad and not at all a squad leader so he shouldn’t be riding next to Hange if it were by “leaders” and in the retake Wall Maria, if they were divided by “leaders” why didn’t Hange take the lift with the other squad leaders? Why wasn’t she back to back with the other squad leaders on top of Wall Maria? 

Why did she pick to hang out with Special Ops squad Captain Levi of all people, in every. Single. Damn. expedition. Scene. 

And don’t even get me started on post Season 3 man. They’ve been inseparable since Erwin died.  

They literally come in a set. 

And you kinda realized your friends are in love when you wanna invite one of them out and you realized you kinda have to invite their special little friend by default. 

And Hange and Levi are just like that too, 

Hange and Levi have always come in a set. In fan art, in those advertisements, Hange and Levi are always next to each other. In those fan audiobooks, smart passes, there are always Levihan crumbs. Attack on Titan Chuugakkou was literally a testament to the canonicity of Levihan since in that show, they didn’t even hide anything, Levi and Hange were always next to each other. (I think Hange actually ended up living with him towards the end?) Post Season 3, I don’t even think there were many seasons where Levi and Hange were apart and when they were apart it was more of for duty than anything else. 

Hange was always with him when she could, despite her duty as commander. Given their circumstances, they wouldn’t even be together a lot if they didn’t make the effort too. 

Especially towards the end, 126 - 132, the few times Hange did leave Levi behind were for commander duties but Hange never left Levi for the lulz. And also, in 132, Levi was magically able to walk when Hange finally left him behind, and Levi could barely walk in 132, yet he still pushed himself to stand up, walk toward her and attempt to stop her. 

In fact, Hange’s first scenes were next to Levi and Hange’s last scenes were also next to Levi “See you later Hange.”

And I think the huge efforts they put to being together despite their circumstances says a lot already. Hange and Levi’s treatment of each other and their being together constantly in general is a huge testament to the canonicity of their romance. 

Sure, there were no ‘I love yous’. But really, before our irl friends who were in love actually came out to us, maybe months or even years after we’ve watched them be joined at the hip, were there really ‘I love you’s  between them or did we all just place bets on it because they were just being too glaringly obvious about it in how they treated each other? 

[percyesque]

The First Glance

Part one of a new au series. Annabeth is on a cruise ship, in a unique school program. She is unaware of a very confusing and shocking truth.

“You know, I really don’t think this is the best idea,” Annabeth said while staring at her reflection in the bedroom mirror. She pulls her long blonde hair up into an elegant updo, just in time for her roommate, Jessica, to step out of the bathroom and into the stateroom.

“Are you kiddin’? It’s the first night and we’ve already finished unpackin’,” Jessica replied in her cheerful and charming southern accent. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I think we should take advantage of every moment. That means findin’ every cute boy on this dang cruise-boat thing and talkin’ up a storm!”

Annabeth contemplated whether or not she should go to the orientation dinner. This was her first day participating in a School-At-Sea program, and a big welcome party after a long day of boarding and unpacking really didn’t sound all that appealing. Flirting with people also wasn’t Annabeth’s strong suit, and she was already nervous enough about the few months ahead of her. So far she’d just gone along with what Jessica wanted to do since they had just met earlier that day and she didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. But did Annabeth want to wear a dress and try to impress boys? No. Absolutely not.

Annabeth responded, “I don’t know if talking to boys is something I know how to do all that well, so if you don’t mind, I’ll be sticking by your side for the majority of the evening.”

If not, all of it.

Jessica sighed. “Alright, whatever floats your boat!” Jessica laughed at her own joke so hard that she nearly choked while taking a sip from her water bottle that she had been holding onto all day. By then the water was definitely room temperature, which Annabeth thought was a little strange. There was literally a fridge three feet away that she could have used to cool her water for at least a little while, but everyone has their quirks, right?

Annabeth giggled. “Alright, that was a pretty good one. Props to you.”

“I know, right? Thank you, thank you,” Jessica proudly said as she bowed before Annabeth. “Are you dressed and ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Annabeth and Jessica left their room and began to make their way to the atrium. Truly, Annabeth knew she wasn’t prepared for what was to come. But she had no idea just how unprepared she was. She was in for the shock of a lifetime.

Hours later, in a room packed full of kids from high schools all over the country, Annabeth sat at a corner table to watch the night’s events unfold. She wanted to be as far away from the commotion as possible. She was also fascinated by the way people could just interact with each other and become the best of friends or the worst of enemies in exactly 0.0837 seconds. She watched one girl accidentally trip and spill her smoothie all over another girl’s dress. “Just like the movies,” Annabeth muttered.

“What was that?” Jessica asked.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just all of this seems so stereotypical. Or fake. Or scripted even. It almost feels like nobody else in the room is a real person with their own thoughts. We might as well be in some lame chick flick. You watch, now some guy is gonna walk into the room, make eye contact with a girl and they’ll fall in love and slow dance the night away.”

“Well I sure hope that girl’s me!” Jessica exclaimed. “Falling in love seems like-”

Suddenly, the sound of smashing glass interrupts their conversation. Some guy across the room decided it would be funny to play frisbee with a ceramic plate, which in theory could be pretty funny, but maybe not in a crowded room. Most people seemed to be into it though, so Annabeth let out a small chuckle along with everyone else.

Jessica continued, “So as I was sayin’,” but Annabeth wasn’t listening. Behind Hulk-smash kid on the other side of the room, she noticed a tall, dark-haired boy.

Just as she had glanced over at him, he looked up from his dinner plate. They locked eyes. It was brief, but to Annabeth, it seemed like an eternity. Time seemed to have stopped, and in a split second, she felt all kinds of emotions come over her. She felt happiness, nervousness, love, and feelings of longing that she really couldn’t put her finger on. It felt as if she had met him before. Maybe they had met in a previous life. Maybe they were together in a previous life. She immediately could imagine having a life with him, filled with all kinds of adventures. She could even picture a family with him. Annabeth felt all of these thoughts invading her mind, so quickly and vividly that she was almost convinced that they were real memories. It was like Annabeth’s life flashed before her eyes, but in a good way. And she didn’t even know his name.

Before Annabeth could think about getting up to introduce herself, suddenly the dark-haired boy had disappeared.

“Are you good?” Jessica asked her while tucking a stray strand of hair behind Annabeth’s ear.

“Yeah, yeah I’m good..”

**********

That night, long after Jessica had fallen asleep, Annabeth found herself staring at the ceiling, unable to get dark-haired boy’s intense green eyes out of her head. She kept replaying all of the thoughts of having a life with this boy, unable to comprehend how she was able to dream it all up so quickly.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the day’s events, Annabeth decided to go for a late-night walk around the ship. She figured it might be a good idea to get better acquainted with the layout of the cruise anyway. As she made her way around the ship, she felt a strange feeling in her gut. No, not the gut feeling that says ‘get to a toilet.’ The kind that says ‘start walking in that direction because there’s something important that might happen over there.’ This strange urge led her straight to the auditorium located towards the bow. Annabeth entered the room, and sitting in the front row right before the stage was the dark-haired boy from earlier.

Without hesitation, he looked back at Annabeth. It was almost as if he could sense her presence.

“Thank goodness you’re here!” The boy shouted. Annabeth stumbled backwards a step, slightly surprised at him.

“Uh, hi, I saw you earlier at the dinner. My name is-“

“Annabeth, I know,” he said.

“How do you know my name?” Annabeth asked. Just as the last word of her question left her lips, the boy looked her in the eyes. Yet again, all of these vivid images of a life and family with him re-entered her thoughts.

“I see them too. All of our memories.”

Annabeth’s face turned red with embarrassment. She wasn’t quite sure why she was so shy, since it was obvious that they knew each other and they have plenty of memories where she accidentally made a fool of herself.

The boy continued, “I know it doesn’t make sense right now, but know this: we have a life together. We got sent backwards in time somehow. I’m not sure why, but I have a theory.”

Annabeth just stood there in complete silence. She had no idea how to reply, and she had never been more confused in her entire life. Well, at least the part of her life that she hadn’t just remembered in the past few hours.

“My name is Percy, by the way. Percy Jackson.”

Annabeth still could not muster up any kind of response. She wanted to ask a thousand questions, but she had no clue where to even start. 

“Meet me tomorrow morning at 9 at my cabin and I’ll explain everything. Room 0837,” Percy told Annabeth. She detected urgency in his voice. “I’ll see you in the morning,” Percy said before walking back to his room, disappearing into the night almost as quickly as he had before.

[medusinestories]

Today is Two For One because these two eps pretty much follow onto each other in terms of storylines and themes etc.

Black Sails V and VI (s1 eps 05-06)

- A big plot point in these two episodes is Billy mistrusting and investigating Flint. It starts with Flint approaching Billy and claiming he wants an “honest” conversation with him (note that he’s had time to think about what he’ll say to Billy, coming back to my previous comment about how Flint does better at persuasion when he has time to script things). Flint explains that you can’t ever be entirely truthful to a crew because if you explain any risk of failure they’ll be demoralised. He also talks very briefly about Miranda, portraying her as a “nice Puritan woman” who likes books. When Billy asks if this is really true, Flint just gives him That Wink. Billy spends the episode wavering between trying to support both Flint and protect the crew, clearly conflicted. This feeling intensifies when Logan asks whether Flint will give up trying to get the guns even if the situation becomes extremely dangerous, and Billy can see that Flint is risking the lives of men to get at the guns and knows what he did on the Maria Aleyne. The last straw is the discovery of Miranda’s letter and the realisation that she didn’t prevent Guthrie from betraying them like she was supposed to. Gates dismisses Billy’s doubts and refuses to get into it, mostly in a stategic move, knowing that Flint is the only one who can get them through this battle, and that they all need to obey him in this moment.

- Speaking of battles, this is the first prolonged sea battle we get to see, and the first time that Flint is given a really worthy opponent in the character of Bryson. Bryson is extremely clever and uses both sailing and defense/siege/booby-trap strategies that make taking the Andromache practically impossible to take. Flint shows a lot of resourcefulness in response: he seems to know exactly how much his ship can take and how to handle it (in spite of DeGroot’s warnings, which end up being unfounded for once) and hammers out a good (if dangerous) strategy to board the ship. However, this isn’t enough to outwit Bryson, who’s extremely well prepared for a siege if he gets boarded and has the Scarborough already heading their way. In fact if the slaves in the hold hadn’t helped the pirates, I doubt Flint would have had to leave without the guns. Even when he’s dying, Bryson still attempts to blow his ship up. In fact, his explosive booby trap has a real impact on what happens in the end of episode 6.

- It’s interesting to watch Dufresne in his first battle. He’s clearly meant for us to identify with, as the “nerd” on the ship who’s never seen battle. Following him allows us to see the faces of a lot of crew members, to feel the tension and fear before boarding the other ship, the desperation of the battle, and... okay I’m not sure just anyone would go feral like Dufresne does and rip someone’s throat out. This is definitely a turning point in Dufresne’s character.

- Something new in Billy’s character that he is shown lying to Dufresne to reassure him before the battle, using exactly the technique Flint mentioned earlier. First he tried telling Dufresne that guns only go off half the time - not at all reassuring. Then he tells Dufresne that sailors on their crew never die in their first battle. Only after the battle, does Dufresne realise that what Billy told him isn’t true - and tells Billy that he appreciates the lie. Does this change Billy’s point of view on lying? Is lying all right, for a good cause?

- In the meantime, Eleanor is saddled with Silver. I absolutely love this plot line and wish these two had worked together some more, because they’re hilarious. Silver knows that Eleanor’s angry with him and finally gets to find out that it’s because he involved Max in his scheme, but he flatly refuses taking any responsibility for that, saying it was Max’s choice (which it was). Later, when the angry pirates are turning into a mob, Silver is clearly getting anxious and Eleanor pretending not to be, he says: "if you're pretending to remain unconcerned for my peace of mind, please don't", a line mirrored in S2, where Flint openly admits to Silver that he’s “appearing unconcerned” as a strategy (and thus establishing the Flint/Eleanor parallel). Finally, Silver confronts Eleanor about the danger of not appeasing the mob by letting Vane operate out of Nassau again; she asks him to convince her why she should - and he actually does. It takes two hours, but he actually gets through to her. In this conversation, he utters the classic line “guilt is natural; it also goes away, if you let it”. Clearly he’s had to make some nasty choices for his survival, and likely he has quite a personal experience of mobs, too.

- Richard Guthrie continues to be one of the biggest assholes of the show. In these two episodes he 1) betrayed Mr Scott by telling Bryson to kidnap him and sell him as a slave, 2) announcing that he’s liquidating his holdings in Nassau without warning Eleanor and saddling her with the angry mob, 3) shamelessly revealing to Eleanor how he betrayed her and why, disregarding the fact that she’s made Nassau what it is over the last few years, 4) is worming his way into Mr Underhill’s good books and got himself a cosy and very safe place to live while all hell breaks loose in Nassau.

- Speaking of Mr Scott, he ends up amongst the slaves in Bryson’s ship and appears somewhat disdainful towards them, mostly because he doesn’t want to knows the realities of what would happen to them if they joined the pirates (some would still be sold as slaves). Eme believes that they should still seize their chance for freedom, but Mr Scott won’t help the pirates get these weapons, which “are dangerous to someone I love". This of course is understood as being Eleanor, but it also easily be interpreted as the Maroon Queen/Madi in light of S3. In fact, it makes much more sense that he is resisting the Urca plan to protect them/his community than because he’s worried that Eleanor will be killed. Eme counters that he’ll never see this person again, which still isn’t quite enough to break his resolve. Finally, once Mr Scott has changed his mind and helped free the slaves and ended up helping Flint, he has a conversation with him. Flint decides not to tell the crew of Mr Scott's betrayal, because he’d rather prove Mr Scott wrong re: making Nassau into more than it currently is.

- Anne’s inability to bear the violence done to Max comes to a head in these episodes. First she dismisses Mrs Mapleton who’s not being all too gentle while “tending” to Max, and the brief talk between Max and Anne seems to reinforce Anne’s resolve to stop Hamund (looked him up) (but did they really need to bond while Anne pushes a phallic instrument into Max’s cervix after lubing it up? there’s clear sexual innuendo in the way it’s filmed and it’s pretty inappropriate). It’s only when Rackham sees Anne defending the entrance to Max’s tent and can’t believe that Anne would put herself in danger over “a fucking whore”, that it finally dawns on him that Anne is horrified with this situation (something he could have guessed considering the circumstances in which he met Anne). Once Max is freed and thanks Anne, Anne tells her that she didn’t do it for Max. Which is probably not completely true, but again what we know of Anne’s past also means that she didn’t want to see any woman treated that way.

- The theme of men siding together and not listening to women comes up several times in these two episodes. Guthrie says that he persuaded Mr Scott to betray Eleanor because “we talked like men and he saw reason”. The “like men” suggests that men support each other’s decisions, especially to resist a woman’s folly. The Consortium refuses to listen to Eleanor unless a respected captain, in this case Hornigold, also backs it. But of course Hornigold won’t back it unless Eleanor allows Vane to become a captain again; he considers how Vane’s men are treating the “thieving whore” to be of absolutely no relevance. Rackham opposes Anne’s attempt at stopping Hamund from visiting Max to protect her from Hamund, who he fears would harm Anne. And finally, Pastor Lambrick doesn’t believe Miranda when she tells him that doesn’t need to fear Flint’s anger.

- An answer to this is unlikely collaboration between women people in ep 6, aka, Eleanor  and Anne who deeply despises her. Both of them share a sense of responsibility for what happened to Max, and believe that they’ll only feel better when Max is free and Hamund is dead. John “guilt will go away if you let it” Silver is roped into the plot, when Eleanor, reminds him that he’s a “loose end” to Flint, who will likely want to get rid of him, and promises to tell Flint not to kill Silver after he’s served his purpose if Silver helps them. Which he does, begrudgingly, and at the risk of getting murdered by Hamund at any moment. This puts Eleanor and Anne’s plan to kill Vane’s remaining crew into place, and ruffles Rackham’s feathers: he’s forced to help kill even the men who aren’t disgusting rapists like Hamund. He asks "do I not deserve  say", to which Anne answers "you had your say, now I have mine". GOOD FOR HER.

- When the dust settles, we get a really interesting moment where Silver accurately analyses Eleanor, pointing out that she can’t stand to be wrong, feel weak or let anyone get away with fucking with her - which makes her in his opinion possibly more dangerous than Flint. Does this mean that Silver still thinks he had a genuine chance of winning Flint over and surviving him even without Eleanor’s help? (he’d be right, considering how his relationship with Flint evolves later on the show; perhaps the difference between Flint and Eleanor is that because she’s a woman, she can’t *afford* to show any weakness at all)

- Lambrick has his big moment in episode 6 when he rides chivalrously to Miranda in the middle of the night, hoping to save her from Flint’s retribution. Instead of really reassuring him, Miranda chooses to talk about Thomas instead. This is where we hear the most about Thomas in S1, and the way Miranda speaks about him is clearly loving and admiring. She compares Thomas to Lambrick, saying that he was also a sort of shepherd (the comparison stops here imo). Then she imagines how Thomas would have played devil’s advocate, left all of Lambrick’s beliefs in tatters, all for his own good, to free him from the yoke of shame. I can’t help but think, from her teasing tone and the way she smiles, that she believes that Thomas would have somehow debauched Lambrick. The fact that she decides to have sex with him moments later certainly supports that idea. The ghost of Thomas looms on this scene, and it could be that she briefly imagines being with him, which could explain her smile and the way she holds him afterwards. But Miranda had another reason for sleeping with him: it was a very good way to make him stop asking questions about Flint.

- And in the meantime, Flint knows that Billy has been asking questions about Miranda and overheard him talking angrily with Gates about the letter. It just so happens that Billy has to go cut off a piece of the Andromache’s sail that’s slowing the Walrus down, which puts him in a secluded and dangerous spot. The conversation between Flint and Billy is very brief: Flint asks about the letter Billy found, and Billy answers “I think you know what was in it”. Actually, no, Flint has NO CLUE what was in it. Whatever else passes between them is a mystery, and the next thing we know is Flint announcing that Billy went overboard. We see him hovering behind Gates, watching him intently, until Gates decides that they can’t turn back for Billy. The camera pans a lot on Flint’s face, and his expression is quite unreadable. At first I wasn’t convinced that he’d pushed Billy, but on this watch I’m not so sure, because of the way Flint’s face is filmed. There’s also a sort of clue where we see Flint throw Billy’s sword into the sea during the burial at sea ritual. Of course as Captain he was meant to do that... but the gesture is suggestive of him throwing Billy himself. It’s certainly true that Billy had become a thorn in his side for two reasons: 1) he was one of the rare crew members who could influence Gates and get him on his side; 2) he was much too interested in who Mrs Barlow was and what her motivations were - if Billy had alerted the crew of what she’d done, Miranda may have been in danger (a mob quickly turns against a witch who works against the crew).

- To finish on Flint and Miranda: season 1 has painted them as a unit, an inseparable pair, working as a team (in supernatural ways, sometimes). And to some extent they are. Even at this time where they are truly at odds, where Miranda has tried to take control of Flint’s fate behind his back, they are still protecting each other. Flint doesn’t reveal anything about Miranda and possibly attempts to kill Billy to protect her, while Miranda seduces Pastor Lambrick as a way to distract him from his questions about Flint. She can’t convince him to believe her, but she herself is clearly convinced that Flint is a good, decent person (as she tells the Boston judge in her letter) and she trusts that he knows that she only tried to stop him get the Urca because she wanted to save him - something he will come to accept by the end of S2 (unfortunately for them).

[sleepingcrisis]

Been awhile since I have posted any writing on here. Well anything substantial. So... take some Renga content? Luca made me in the mood for it 🤚🙄

I started writing this and it is nothing like Luca... anyway enjoy!

*****

Great. Fucking great. Langa has found someone after all these years that he is pretty sure he loves and then this bullshit happens? God forbid he love Reki in peace, that would be too much. Instead he sits, tied in rope, with his back against the edge of a ship.

"Awake at last my darling!" A voice called. A voice filled with theatrics and enthusiasm that Langa just knows can't be genuine. No one has this much enthusiasm all the time... okay maybe Reki does, but outside of that? No one.

A tall man approached him. A man with a ruffled shirt and — is that a corset? His boots have a slight heal and his dark blue hair is wild and long. He is well shaven which is not common among — Langa glanced around the ship — pirates. He has been kidnapped by pirates. He looked back over to the man who has two companions with him who stand out among the crew members.

One of them is clearly a catfolk in his humanoid form. Black hair and ears that twitched along with a tail that snapped back and forth quite rapidly. He looked bored, but he also had a quiver of arrows at his side and a bow that he was in the process of unstringing. He isn't listening to whatever it is the man in front of him is spouting off about and, frankly, Langa isn't listening either.

The other man seemed — not bored — neutral and Langa isn't quite sure what he is. Above his waist is human enough with only small patches of scales on his shoulders and neck. Below his waist? A long thick black snake tail that takes up far too much space. His green eyes are that of slits and Langa is nearly sure that if he opened his mouth to speak he might have a split tongue or maybe even fangs with venom. He isn't sure though because most lizardfolk don't look like this.

"Little prince you aren't listening to me," the blue haired male demanded his attention once more.

Originally Langa had thought he was human, but upon closer inspection (inspection which occurs when his head is tilted up by his chin and he is forced to look into ruby eyes) that isn't true.

Langa isn't quite sure what he is either, but his red eyes are practically glowing and he has fangs. Perhaps he is currently in his human form.

"Uhh... sorry?" Langa tried to offer an apologetic smile but then the man is opening his mouth in some sort of attempt to inspect it.

The man laughed before shaking his head and letting go of him, "You really are perfect. What else is there to expect from a prince? You'll do wonderfully. I can't wait. Call me Adam until then."

"Until what?" Langa asked.

"Oh you would have known if you were paying attention, perhaps I'll tell you again another time. We have quite the... intimate trip together ahead of us."

The man ran a finger along the tips of Langa’s pointy ears until Langa turned his head away. The light blue haired elf sighed softly. This trip sounded like it was going to be a long one. He just hoped Reki came and got him soon.

***

Reki hadn’t stopped his prolonged pacing and freaking out in over twenty minutes.

"I'm his guard! His knight, yet I let this happen—"

"Yeah and sitting around isn't going to help Reki."

"How are you being so casual about this? We need to go rescue him!"

"We don't even know where he went, he was taken. First of all we need to look for—"

Joe, the head guard at the castle, started as he nudged the door to the prince's chambers open only to see walls covered in singe marks that definitely weren't there before. Joe sighed softly as he scratched his head at the base of his horns. He is a demon of sorts, as he explained to Reki once "an incubus without the murder... well unless murder is required. Then there is murder.".

"...Clues," he finished his earlier thought and sighed softly.

"What is with the sigh? Do you think you know what happened?" Reki asked eagerly as he jumped into the room and his arms momentarily glowed as they transformed into wings. It happened when he got excited... or distracted... or just overly emotional in general. Basically he had a hard time with it, and hadn't yet mastered it. He was supposedly a harpy with red and orange feathers that covered his skin whenever he started to transform.

"Put the wings away Red. There is no mistaking that it was Adam who took him."

"Who is Adam?" Reki asked as he shook his arms until they turned back to their human form.

"Another demon I know."

"Is he a sex demon like you?" Reki asked.

"Hey! That is an over simplification! And no he isn't like me. We need to get going."

"Where are we going?"

"There is only one person who could possibly know how to find him and he isn't here."

Reki nodded and followed Joe out of the room and the two hurried off.

That is how they found themselves in the presence of Kaoru Sakurayashiki. A man with nine puffed out tails that matched the pink colour of his hair along with two pointy ears that twitched in agitation when he saw the two.

"Here for a meal Kojiro? Because if that is the case I'll burn you to a crisp where you stand. And don't tell me you have dragged him into this! He is far too young to be dealing with the likes of you."

"That isn't what this is Kaoru, I'm training him."

"What a great way to prey on him! I bet you like that he looks up to you. Honestly! You have the audacity to break my heart and then bring your newest sexual conquest—"

"It isn't like that!" Reki cut him off. His voice firm despite the unfamiliarity of the situation. He kept his arms from turning once more since that would be embaressing. Instead the sharp claws of his talons dug into the stone floor, surely leaving marks.

"We are looking for the prince and supposedly a demon named Adam took him," Reki countinued.

The fox man's gaze shifted to something unreadable as his tails (formerly straight up in anger) lowered themselves. He adjusted the haori that he wore over top his yukata, each white with gold embroidery.

"I see. I suppose you two need to be finding him?" Kaoru suggested.

"Yes, it is urgent," Reki whispered as he cast his gaze towards the ground.

"I'll aid you two, of course I expect whatever reward I am to be given to be doubled with having to deal with the presence of a demon," Kaoru decided before taking off to go get a bag.

Reki looked at Kojiro with confusion in his eyes. Despite his worry he can't help but wonder what happened between the two. Kojiro responded to his confusion with a shrug and an irritated look though so Reki doesn't question it.

Eventually Kaoru came back with a bag that he promptly handed off to Kojiro and instructs him to carry.

"We better get going, they might be halfway across the sea by now," Kaoru said.

"The sea?" Reki asked with more worry in his voice and small feathers forming on his arms and along his neck.

"Yeah. Adam is what you might call a pirate these days," Kaoru explained.

"How do you know that?" Kojiro asked as they headed out the door.

"I keep tabs on assholes that break my heart and it turns out that demons are especially good at it," Kaoru hissed. Reki was positive that wasn't exactly what he did, but neither he nor Kojiro pressed on the matter.

"Well you did fall in love with a couple of demons, don't know what you expected."

"Perhaps I expected you two to— no. I'm not doing this. Shut your mouth and keep walking."

Kojiro rolled his eyes but the three start walking regardless. Thankfully the Kingdom of Gelida is a port kingdom.

Unfortunately, Adam knew that as well. So when the boat is already gone by the time they get there no one should be surprise. That doesn't stop Reki’s heart from breaking.

[disgruntledspacedad]

in defense of Din’s subdued reaction to losing the kid...

gif by @quantam-widow

I know we were all thinking it. We got a 2 second reaction shot to the destruction of the Razor Crest (may she forever rest in peace), but then, Grogu gets taken, and... nothing?

What the fuck, Din? we all protest. That’s your baby on that ship! Don’t you care? Scream, curse, kick a rock, cry, make a fist, something!!

I will acknowledge that so far, the show has been excellent with giving us emotional payoff, am I right? I mean, just today we got Din laughing, twice. Twice in a row. I honestly never thought we’d see that. There have been so many excellent, precious soft!Din moments this season, and they all feel deliciously earned.

So, from a meta POV, I guess I’m saying that I have faith in the writers to get it right, and in Pedro to deliver. Duh.

In universe, though, I think it’s fair to point out the obvious - that Din is a pretty reserved guy. He’s much more of a thinker than a feeler. He’s used to keeping things bottled up, and I would even argue that his life often depends on his ability to dissociate from his emotions. Din’s entire journey so far has been about how one little baby yodito shakes his worldview to its very foundations. He’s getting there, but it’s a slow process. 

And also, consider this - we haven’t seen Din alone yet, not since Grogu was taken. For a guy who lives a guarded life literally encased in fucking armor, any display of emotion is going to be carefully protected until he’s in private.

But anyway, Din is detached, rational, a little emotionally constipated, and definitely comfortable in a stressful situation. A true ISTP if you ask me (yeah, I know you didn’t, but whatever). Often, it seems that these cool headed, logical types who have never ruffled a feather over anything in their lives are the least adept at handling genuine fear. In other words, when panic does strike, it strikes them hard. 

And guys, Din was definitely panicking during this episode. 

He’s clearly unsettled from the jump - that outburst of “dank farrik!” in the cockpit sells it, and his distress only becomes more obvious from there. Talking out loud, trying to convince himself that the best thing for Grogu is for him to be trained as a Jedi. Reminding himself of the creed. His overt caution as they approach the seeing stone. His impatience, “Are you seeing anything??”

Then there’s the effects of long term stress. Sure, a bounty hunter in the outer rim doesn’t exactly live an easy life, but Din is definitely used to the drama being on his terms. Compare Din’s body language in the opening scene of season one to when Boba confronts him in chapter fourteen. You can just feel the anxiety, the weariness, the frustration. Din has been on the run for months now, constantly looking over his shoulder, sleeping with one eye open. Notice how he even startles at Fennec’s voice? Season one Din would never have given that much away, regardless of the situation. Long term stress has clearly taken a toll on him.

So we have unsettled, stressed out Din in an emotionally charged situation. He’s exhausted, he’s scared, he’s desperate. This scenario is a recipe for even the most level-headed of adrenaline junkies to loose their cool, and that’s exactly what happens to Din. He panics, and he makes some pretty big fuckups because of it. Leaving Grogu unprotected, twice. Trying three different times to break through that “force field,” even when he knew he couldn’t. Dropping that jetpack and then just forgetting about it (I know we were all screaming about that one, or at least, I was).

So, fear is a positive feedback loop. Those neurotransmitters that do us good in a bad situation - raising heart rate, narrowing focus, shunting blood to the muscles - can also be detrimental if we get too high of a dose - tachypnea and tachycardia, inability to think critically and see the big picture, lack of blood and oxygen to the brain. Epinephrine, in particular, even inhibits the laying down of new memory pathways. In other words, stress leads to poor performance, and poor performance leads to more stress, which leads to... you get the idea.

Then, in the middle of all this chaos, they fucking blast the Razor Crest.

More epinephrine, more cortisol, more stress. 

By the end of it all, Din is a fucking shitstorm of stress hormones and pent up emotions. Notice how he seems to be on autopilot in the immediate aftermath, robotically scanning the ashes of the Crest for anything that might be left intact. Notice how empty his voice is when he says, “the child is gone.” This is a dead man walking. Din has nothing left. His whole life has just gone up in smoke, and he can do nothing about it. 

Guys, Din is holding onto his sanity by a fucking thread in this scene. “The child is gone,” he says, like he’s reminding himself, grounding himself in his shitty reality. He’s stunned. 

And helpless. There’s literally nothing he can do for Grogu. He has no ship, no credits, no resources, nothing to bargain with, nothing to offer. Din literally cannot allow himself the luxury of feelings right now. He’s just got to focus on surviving this very shitty day.

Then, Boba Fett upholds his end of the deal, and suddenly, Din has something to hold onto. An ally, a badass friend, some hope. I don’t think Boba shows Din that chain code in order to verify his claim on the armor - he’s already wearing it, for godssake. I think Boba shows him the code in order to catch Din’s attention - hey friend, I know you’re hurting, but I’m a man of my word. When I make a vow, I keep it. Let’s regroup and go find your kid.

And Din would totally latch onto that. A fighting chance? Din fucking leaps at it. There’s a job to do. A kid to save. All of those stress hormones are going to keep on stewing, because Din has never really come down from his adrenaline high. 

It’s like this in real life, too. There isn’t time to be afraid. There isn’t time to be sad, or second-guess, or say, oh how terrible, or wonder what if it doesn’t work? There’s just you and the job, and if you are the only thing standing between life and death, you will put everything else aside and do what you have to do, for as long as you have to do it.

And that’s where Din is at this moment. He’s running on the fumes of his adrenaline, all tempered focus, all strategy and no bullshit.

Emotional shock, my therapist buddy calls it. Apparently, it’s normal. Expected, even.

But guys, the fallout of this kind of crazy ass adrenaline high is insanely intense. I’m talking collapse to the floor, legs won't hold you, trembling, crying so hard you sling snot, shuddering breaths, stare dead-eyed and spent at the ceiling because you’re just too wiped out to even sleep kind of intense. 

And then, after the breakdown comes the angst. The detailed thinking. The oh god, what if this had happened, or, should I have done that instead? It seems like every emotion that gets put on the back burner in the moment comes back to bite you with twofold intensity when all is said and done. 

In other words, Din is definitely going to feels some things .A lot of very intense things. A reckoning is coming, my dudes. Trust me. It’s just not quite here yet.

That being said, here’s what I can expect from Din going forward:

Just like he’s is slow to acknowledge his growing parental feelings for Grogu, I think Din’s going to be slow at processing his grief at Grogu’s loss. In the next episode, he’s got plenty to distract him - getting together his hit team to take back the kid and coordinating an attack on the empire. 

However, I do think we’ll get a slow moment with Din, probably sometime at the beginning of next week’s episode if the pattern holds. I doubt it’s the full-blown breakdown that we’re all needing, but I’m willing to bet money that we’ll see Din grappling with the fact that his kid is gone. I also think that badass beskar murder machine Din from chapter three will resurface. Stress and desperation make us do irrational things, and anger is one of the stages of grief that Din will inevitably have to work through (I think he’s flickering between denial and bargaining for now).

But then, after Din gets Grogu back? I think that’s we’ll have our big, dearly earned emotional payoff. 

For one thing, Din won’t be able to deny his feelings anymore. He wants to keep this kid, it’s so very obvious. Losing him just forces it all to the forefront. 

And then the relief/joy/regret/guilt that Din is going to feel once he’s got Grogu back? Not to mention the physical exhaustion? All of the fear/terror/angst/grief that he ignored in favor of just going pedal to the metal, guns blazing, get the kid or die trying? That shit’s going to crash into him with all the subtly of a fucking tsunami. I guarantee you, we’re going to get some sort of confession, or adoption vow, or face revel, or other sort of profound softness from Dad!Din in the falling action of this season (At least, I hope we get it at the end this season but I wouldn’t put it past them to kick it into the premier of season three, just for pacing reasons, but then again, I obviously have trust issues).

Personally, I would love to see Din grappling with the long-term fallout of losing Grogu - night terrors, guilt, paranoia, etc. That’s probably the stuff of fanfiction - mandalorians don't have nightmares on screen, surely - but still, some lingering effects Grogu’s kidnapping would be realistic, and I would absolutely live for it.

[fanficsforheartandsoul]

Courtship | [Obi-Wan Kenobi x M!Reader] | Star Wars

Notes: This is inspired by @xmalereader​ Mandalorian x Dark Fey! Reader story. I absolutely adore his stories and the concept, therefore I wanted to write something similar, only with Obi-Wan. 

Although this is based off Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, I just mainly used the character designs, while deciding the culture of the Dark Fey myself. So it could be interpreted as an AU

Fandoms: Star Wars, The Clone Wars, Maleficent AU

Warnings: Heartbreak, Slight Fluff, Slight OOC, Obi-Wan Being Oblivious

Summary: Obi-Wan knows nothing about courtship and causes a huge misunderstanding.

Word Count: 7′455

Taglist: - 

If you want to be tagged in my stories send me a pm with the fandom/character name! Or comment on the fic :)

Masterlist

Reader is a Dark Fey!

Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka had been on an undercover rescue mission when the transport ship that should have taken them back to the Core Worlds malfunctioned. 

That only worsened the mood because their mission target had died and Obi-Wan had gotten his lightsaber destroyed in the process.

Anakin, the great pilot he was, decided it was for the best to try and land on the nearest planet and get help. 

But none of them had expected that the small multicolored ball they had landed on only housed a few inhabitants - most of which had never seen a spaceship, or even a droid. 

Thankfully they found one of the more progressive tribes. 

They had a person who spoke Basic, and fortunately, C-3PO was with them for the rescue mission, so they had another way to communicate. Although, the language of the natives was only partly in his database. 

The alien race who lived on the small planet was a species they had never seen before. They were all winged, with feathers of different colors and lengths, and two large horns that were different for each individual. 

They called themselves Dark Fey, however the name didn't seem accurate. At least not for him. Dark wasn't a word Obi-Wan would have associated with them.

Especially not with the man who had taken them in. 

Y/N was the son of the tribe chief of the village, and his wings reminded the Jedi of a butterfly in one of the Jedi gardens. They were mainly orange, with a speck of white and black and some small blue dots. 

His father's wings were even more colorful, but Obi-Wan preferred the ones of the son because they were less shrill. 

And like the color of his wings, Y/N was kinder than his father. He wanted to help them find a way back to Coruscant.

"Father, we need to help them," argued the h/c-haired man, his eyes glistening with annoyance when his stubborn parent crossed his arms and flipped his wings. 

The three Jedi were currently in one of the giant tree trunks, in the forest where the Fey resided, in a room as big as the Jedi Archives. It seemed to be the tribe's meeting hall. 

Y/N's father Aster sat on a throne made out of small tree branches, his red and orange wings spread wide behind his back. 

"Don't act like that, please," groaned Y/N, and Anakin and Obi-Wan only watched with furrowed brows, not understanding what kind of conversation was going on between the two men. 

C-3PO informed them about the dispute between the son and the father, and they realized that the tribe chief did not want them here. 

Ahsoka happily munched on the fruits that one of the younger Fey had brought, oblivious or more likely ignorant of the tense atmosphere in the hall. 

Although the Fey appeared not to welcome them, they still provided them with some hospitality. The Togruta flashed a toothy grin at one of the kids, and they giggled. 

"You know exactly why I don't want to help them!" 

Y/N's father looked at the three Jedi with a stern expression, and the only person in the room who wanted to support them huffed in anger. 

"We'll be careful!" 

The tension suddenly rose, and Obi-Wan assumed it was because the younger's wings now rose too, his feathers ruffled. 

"May I say something?" he asked carefully, all eyes then turned to him. 

The five women next to Aster leaned forward to listen, they were probably the elders of the tribe. 

Y/N turned to him, his eyes held a hint of displeasure, and Obi-Wan gulped, now asking himself if he had just made a big mistake. 

"Speak, human," ordered the tribe chief, the Fey who spoke Basic translated, and he bowed slightly, then made eye contact with Y/N's father. 

"We are only looking for a spaceship that can take us off-planet. We don't want to burden you with our presence and neither wish to harm you, we can also camp outside your land if you wish us to." 

The pupils of Aster shrank considerably, the air turned cold, and Ahsoka stopped eating. Anakin gave him a worried glance, and the Jedi realized that he had said or done something wrong. 

He lowered his gaze, and Anakin mimicked his posture, his hand gripping his lightsaber inside his sleeve tighter. 

Silence reigned over them, and Obi-Wan tried to catch a glimpse of the tribe chief, but then Y/N stepped before him, obstructing his view. 

"Father...", he began, but Aster interrupted him, standing up from his throne, wings now spreading even further, showing his hostility. 

"You became a burden when you stepped foot on this planet!", he snarled and descended the stairway made out of the giant tree. 

His son held his ground and ruffled his feathers. A single feather touched Obi-Wan's cheek, and he flinched from the softness. 

He looked upwards, and the man before them looked like an unmovable stone, an unbeatable protector, who had descended from heaven to help them. 

"They did not know, Father! And they had no choice either!" 

Y/N's voice now sounded as agitated as his father's, and the situation was about to escalate - although the Jedi did not know into what - when a calm voice suddenly spoke: 

"Believe in your son, Aster." 

Everyone in the hall turned toward the gigantic entrance where a single Dark Fey had landed. 

It was a woman with snow-white wings and silky hair that reached her hips. The present Fey bowed, and the Jedi knew that the newcomer was a respected figure within the tribe. 

From the way Y/N smiled at her and how the woman opened her arms wide, she probably was related to him, although their features showed no real resemblances, besides maybe the eyebrows. Y/N hugged her without hesitation.

"You're back," stated Aster, and his wings slightly relaxed. 

The woman smiled and then turned to Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka. 

"I apologize that I could not greet you when you arrived here. I am Neela, and you're names are?" she spoke in Basic, and all three of them were surprised.

Although it probably shouldn't shock them that much, when they first met Y/N, he also spoke the language. 

The translator seemed to have taught it to the ones who wanted to learn it. 

Anakin introduced himself first, a brilliant smile on his lips. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes in his mind. His former padawan had probably realized that Neela seemed to be the only one who could tame the tribe chief to some extent. 

Ahsoka greeted the woman with a respectful bow, and Obi-Wan did the same when he said his name. 

He stole a glance towards Y/N who's lips now showed a triumphant grin. The man noticed his stare and winked at him. His expression was something along the lines of 'Don't worry, we got this'. 

It seemed like the arrival of the white-haired woman turned the tides in their favor. 

"I heard you are stranded. Your arrival here is of great significance for us. My husband knows that, and his caution is not unreasonable. We do not wish to get involved with the galactic conflicts that are waging right now, I hope you understand." 

So, she's Aster's wife... But Y/N truly doesn't resemble her. 

Obi-Wan was curious about the woman. She knew more about the galaxy than the rest of the Dark Fey, or so it seemed. 

He nodded, and Anakin replied: 

"We do. None of us wants to involve you in the war, we're just trying to return home. Our ship is badly damaged, therefore we wanted to find someone who can take us with them." 

While Neela asked about their transmitters, Aster's face darkened, the further the conversation continued, but he did not interrupt his wife. 

Ahsoka's eyes glistened with respect, and Obi-Wan could imagine what she was thinking. Aster may be the tribe chief, but Neela held the reins in their relationship, which influenced the whole tribe and important decisions. 

Anakin then informed them of the last SOS-signal they had sent before they breached the atmosphere of the planet. 

"Someone is probably already looking for us," added Obi-Wan, and Aster's eyes turned into slits. 

"They will come and force us to leave!" he growled, more towards his wife than the Jedi. 

Neela turned around to face her husband, and he visibly flinched. The woman spread her white wings, and her wingspan was even wider than her husband's and Y/N's. Her aura was way more intimidating than the tribe chief’s one.  

"They won't stay, I will make sure of that." 

She spoke in their native language, but C-3PO translated it, although reluctantly, and the underlying threat worried Obi-Wan. 

If no one arrives will they try to kill us?

But Aster relaxed, and he stepped towards his wife, their foreheads touched, and the tribe chief sighed. 

Neela's wings lowered, and she then turned around again, her hand on her husband's back. 

"You are welcome to stay until your friends arrive. We will make sure that they will find you." 

Their action before not only was a display of intimacy but also an opportunity for a silent conversation, where they had decided if they would help the Jedi or not. 

Relief washed over Obi-Wan, and Anakin's shoulders relaxed. 

As if on cue ran the Fey children from the one corner of the hall towards Ahsoka, and they laughed and fluttered their wings excitedly. They spoke a few words in broken Basic and twirled around her.

The Togruta blinked in surprise and then joined their happy laughs and followed them to their friends. 

Obi-Wan and his former padawan cautiously stood up. Anakin only watched when the small bird-like kids kidnapped the Togruta, his expression showing a hint of worry. 

"She will be fine," said a calm voice, and the Jedi knights’ heads turned towards Y/N, who had walked closer. 

"I'm worried she'll do something offensive," confessed Anakin, and the man laughed loudly. 

His head tilted back, showing a necklace with a long blue feather and his wings flapped wildly. 

"Not to be mean, but you already offended us greatly, another misstep won't matter." 

The Fey continued to laugh when he saw their upset expressions. 

"Don't fret it. it's already a miracle that your droid knows parts of our language. How would you know about our culture." 

Neela joined their talk. Her eyes focused on Anakin. 

"May I talk to you?" 

He shared a look with Obi-Wan and then shrugged his shoulders. 

"Sure," he responded, and they distanced themselves, Obi-Wan now being left alone with the chief's son. 

"Why..." he began, unsure whether he should ask or not. 

"She can feel he's special." 

He lifted an eyebrow. 

"Feel?" 

Y/N turned his in Neela's direction. 

"Mother is like you. She was chosen too." 

Obi-Wan could guess what Y/N meant, and it honestly didn't surprise him as much as it probably should have. The moment Neela had stepped into the hall, the force had changed around them. 

"What about you?" he asked curiously. 

Y/N's expression turned somewhat solemn. 

"No, I- I wasn't chosen. It's not possible." 

The Fey's hand grabbed his necklace, and his wings quivered. 

Obi-Wan realized he had touched a sore spot and decided not to pry further. 

"Come with me", said Y/N after a short while, and his smile returned to his lips. 

"I'll show you where you guys can stay." 

The Jedi followed him out of the hall, after glancing back one last time to see Anakin and Ahsoka standing surrounded by Fey.

-

Y/N lead him across the branches of the giant tree, which seemed to be the main living area of the tribe. 

Twice, they used a hoist to travel higher up, the Fey explaining that they had been built for their youngest who couldn't fly yet. 

The Jedi could stay in a room, hollowed out of the main branch. The room was sparsely decorated with wooden furniture, and instead of beds, there were three hammocks made out of thick green fabric that felt considerably softer than it looked. 

Obi-Wan put his small backpack he had taken from the ship on the table and then turned towards Y/N. 

"Thank you for everything." 

He smiled at the Fey, and the man's expression twitched. 

"It's fine", he responded curtly, and before Obi-Wan could ask if something was wrong, he had already passed through the leaf curtain that gave the room some privacy and jumped off the branch. 

Obi-Wan stayed behind with a somewhat worried expression. He remembered what the man had said before. “You already offended us greatly.” 

Hopefully they weren’t digging their own graves.

-

They stayed on the small planet, in the giant forest for about a month, and in the beginning, they held their respectable distance from the Dark Fey. 

They got invited to meals and attended them, but only Y/N, Neela, and the translator, who turned out to be a teacher and one of the only Fey who had left the planet before, really talked to them. 

If the children were excluded. 

They had a great time with Ahsoka, and she played with them and even found some friends in her age group, who were studying under Danosh, the translator. Thanks to him, most of the children could speak a few words in Basic, allowing Ahsoka to communicate with them.

Aster had instructed the tribe members to treat them with respect and give them everything they needed, but his hospitality ended there. 

He did not include them in any kind of activities the tribe performed besides the meals. 

The Dark Fey were a close-knitted species, and the tribe of Y/N did almost everything together. They ate together, hunted together, played together, and even slept together. 

They seemed very suspicious of strangers - at least the adults - and they mostly kept to themselves, only talking to the Jedi if necessary.

While Ahsoka got mostly occupied with the children, Anakin's attention got caught by Neela, with whom he even traveled to one of the Fey's sacred places for the Chosen. 

Obi-Wan got mostly accompanied by Y/N, but he did not mind that at all. 

He enjoyed the other's presence, and his open-hearted character and he talked with the man about all kinds of things. 

He told him stories about the Jedi, the beauty of the Jedi gardens on Coruscant, the vast ice tundras of Ilum, and the force. 

On the other hand, Y/N taught him about the Fey culture, the significance of one's first flight, the meaning of life according to the elders. 

He told Obi-Wan the story of the Batellia flower, that would soon bloom at a day the tribe celebrated. 

"The flower blooms for a very short time and then it dies, its roots forming a bond with another plant." 

Obi-Wan had asked the Fey why they celebrated that day then. 

"Batellia portrays the honest truth of our lives. We live, we die and then we join the Ancestors and the Phoenix Mother." 

Y/N also told the Jedi about the worst punishment a Fey could receive - losing one's wings, and the importance of death in their culture. 

But one thing he did not talk about because he thought Obi-Wan knew. 

For him, it was obvious; Something even the wingless humans should know about, but well... 

Maybe the Jedi were just too dumb.

-

"What's that?" asked Anakin, pointing at the shimmering blue stone on Obi-Wan's nightstand while drying his hair. 

He looked at the stone he was pointing at. 

"It's a present from Y/N. It's a "Soulstone" according to him. It glows in the dark." 

He smiled faintly, remembering when Y/N gave it to him. 

It's already been three weeks since they had stranded on the small planet, and the Fey had found them. And he and the chief’’s son had formed a close bond. 

They had traveled twice to their spaceship, Obi-Wan showing it to him and explaining the mechanisms while Y/N watched from a safe distance, seemingly too scared to approach the metal beast.

Y/N also accompanied him to highest tree they had, trying to send another SOS signal. He caught him, when he almost slipped and Obi-Wan clung to him like dear life, because they were so high up. 

The Fey had only laughed, his eyes glimmering with something Obi-Wan couldn’t quite place.

His former padawan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

"And the one next to it? Also a present?" 

"All of them are presents, Anakin", said Ahsoka, who had suddenly appeared and now strut to her backpack, a new load of her favorite fruits in her arms. 

"What about me? I want a present from Y/N too." 

The Togruta eyed him strangely, then muttered something to herself and grinned. 

"They are just things he had found on his regular trips to the river," Obi-Wan said, trying to calm Anakin. 

Although he also questioned why he seemingly was the only one who regularly received gifts from Y/N. 

On the other hand, he felt a tingling sensation in his chest, somewhat proud that the Fey apparently viewed him as special.

"Did Neela not give you a present?" 

Anakin shook his head but then replied: "I don't really care, the things I've learned on our trips to their temples are more than enough. Did you know that the Chosen use the power of their emotions to strengthen their force abilities? They aren't unleashing them like the Sith, apparently, but I don't really understand the difference yet. Neela will tell me more tomorrow. She's busy with the preparations of today's feast." 

Anakin's voice was full of excitement while he talked, and Obi-Wan got reminded of his early padawan days when the boy had commented on every little thing with amazement. 

"What's different this time?" he asked, Ahsoka watching the both of them silently, her fruits now stored in her backpack for tomorrow when she would go on a trip with one of the Fey at her age. 

"They will perform dances after eating. It's going to be quite a spectacle, according to Neela. She wanted us to stay and witness it." 

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, sitting up from his lying position in his hammock. 

"Is that really such a good idea? Aster still doesn't seem too keen on having us around." 

Anakin shook his head and pointed at him. 

"No, we must come. Especially you, the chief actually requested it." 

The Jedi's eyes widened. 

Aster personally demanded that he attended? Why? 

Obi-Wan wasn't delighted to see the dances after hearing that, and he went to the daily feast with a queasy gut feeling. 

-

The meal went like normal. 

The Fey sat in groups in the big hall, various bowls with different dishes on the ground, some of them vegetarian, some with fish, others with meat. 

The ages were mixed, and Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Anakin got accompanied by several small Fey who had played with the Togruta before. 

Normally, Y/N and Neela would be in their circle too, but this evening they were nowhere to be seen. 

"Probably still preparing", said Ahsoka, and Anakin nodded with a full mouth. 

They both anticipated the dances, while he was the only one who somehow couldn't. 

He just worried why Aster would want him to be there. 

Not having Y/N around made it worse. The man had acted as a calming presence in the last few weeks, and Obi-Wan had begun to like him a lot. 

The Fey was thirsty for knowledge, kind, and also understanding. He liked to listen and Obi-Wan always felt some sort of proudness, when he could guess Y/N’s thoughts or feelings correctly from the way his wings and feathers moved.

The Fey seemed to shine like a light, he was very popular with the others of his species, especially the female ones, and it was obvious that he would be the next chief. 

Although, he wasn't Neela's son. 

His mother, Aster's first wife, had died a long time ago, and his father had remarried. Neela gave birth to two other sons, but they both did not want to follow in their father's footsteps. 

Y/N didn't dislike his father for remarrying, he loved Neela like his own mother, and she loved him like he was her own son. 

Obi-Wan admired their strong bonds and Y/N's personality. 

He was comfortable around the other man, so comfortable that he had confessed the secret feelings he had harbored for Satine Kryze. 

Y/N had listened silently and then patted his shoulder to comfort him. He didn't say a word of judgment, silence was the only thing they shared at that moment, but Obi-Wan felt so much better after telling him. 

Everything went well, and although they had been here for three weeks and he knew that Cody and the High Council were probably dying from worry, he felt relaxed and content. 

When he swayed in his hammock in the evening, the stars visible through the carved out window at the ceiling, his hand holding the “Phoenix’s heart” - another stone Y/N had brought him that was always warm - he even dared to think that he wouldn't mind staying with the tribe forever. 

But now... 

Now the peacefulness seemed to be in danger. 

Obi-Wan barely ate anything, and when Aster finally stood up, the Jedi couldn't stop his whole body from tensing up. 

"Let us go to the Ancestors Realm!" the tribe chief shouted, and the present Fey joined in a cry of joy. 

"Come on!" squeaked one of the children and grabbed Anakin's arm. 

Another clung to Obi-Wan, and the young Fey pulled the three Jedi towards the hall entrance with surprising strength. 

The Ancestors Realm was a place at the crown of the giant tree. They had to use nine hoists so get up there and when they arrived, the air was considerably thinner. 

It was a flat plateau out of red lichen, the tufts at the border of the round area were glowing, and it did look like from another realm. In the middle of the plateau burned a bright fire, illuminating the faces of the arriving people.

The Fey sat at the edges, Ahsoka went to the new friends she had made, and Obi-Wan and Anakin joined Aster and Neela, the latter had shown up out of nowhere. 

The tribe chief greeted them with a smile, which surprised both of them, and he motioned for Obi-Wan to sit next to him. He hesitated for a second, but when the chief looked at him with true friendliness in his eyes he gave in.

The Jedi carefully sat next to Aster, avoiding the man's wings, which he had leisurely spread behind him, and then crossed his legs.

"Are you ready?" asked the leader, and Obi-Wan smiled weakly. 

"Yes...?" his answer sounded more like a question, and the man next to him laughed. 

"You'll like it, I'm sure." 

He could only nod, a big lump in his throat. 

He knew that Aster was watching him intently from the side, but he had no clue why. 

But before he could ponder over it, one of the elder Fey began to hum, and the rest of the Fey immediately joined. 

It was a tribal melody, and it resounded deep in Obi-Wan's chest. Aster started clapping in a rhythm, and the male Fey followed his lead, while Neela clapped another beat, and the women did the same. 

The humming was accompanied by the beating of a drum and a sudden cry caused the female Fey to shout. 

It was strange for the Jedi, but all three of them were mesmerized by the following scene. 

The shouts were a signal for the dancers, and seemingly out of nowhere appeared the few missing Fey. Among them was also Y/N, who Obi-Wan could only recognize because of his wings. 

The dancers were a group of males who wore masks that covered their entire faces, their bodies decorated with glowing paint. 

They flew a circle above the sitting Fey, and their wings spread, causing loose feathers to descend. 

Obi-Wan caught one, and it only took him a glance to know to whom it belonged.

Aster flashed a grin at him and motioned him to clap too. 

He put the feather carefully in his robe, worried that he damaged it, and then joined the clapping, feeling excited from the display of the dancers. 

They twisted and turned with surprising speed and elegance, and when they landed, the actual dance began, and the sound of various music instruments echoed in the tree crown. 

The young men all randomly picked a person in the crowd and started to perform in front of them. 

Their wings were the main attraction of the dance. They spread them and flapped, showing off their brilliant colors. 

Obi-Wan watched in amazement, not realizing that a certain person was staring at him intently. 

A light shove from Aster startled him, and he noticed the person who had gotten closer to him. 

Y/N's eyes glistened from behind the mask, and the glowing blue body paint gave him the appearance of an ethereal being. 

He twirled and then hid his lower face with his left wing. His e/c eyes pulling Obi-Wan's attention towards Y/N like magic. The Jedi felt like he was in a trance. 

The Fey looked beautiful, but at the same time powerful, his sturdy muscles visible thanks to the fire. 

A flame began to burn in his heart and it reminded him of something, however, he couldn’t figure out what. 

The feathers shook when the music quickened, and the Fey jumped from one foot to the other, his heels never touching the ground. 

The Jedi followed the man's every move, too enthralled to notice how Aster and Neela were staring at him with pleased smiles. 

Anakin looked at them with a wondering expression, not knowing what they were thinking. 

Obi-Wan's mind got filled with a thousand thoughts. His heartbeat had quickened, and the sudden wish of taking a holographic photo of Y/N dancing surged through his veins. 

He didn't expect the man to be able to move like this, like an elegant warrior. 

It was a traditional dance, the other men of the group performed the same routine, but Y/N's was somehow special. 

It felt sensual and, at the same time, like a plead. 

The man's wings stretched towards Obi-Wan. Had he leaned a little forward, his nose could have touched a feather. 

The music turned to a crescendo, and he knew the dance would be over soon, already a little disappointed. 

With a sudden move back, Y/N spread his arms, that had also reached out for the Jedi, to the side and his wings darted back and froze in a position similar to the Jedi order's symbol. 

The ending was improvised by him, the wings of the other dancers had stopped in a different pose. Obi-Wan’s heart jumped and he let out a shaky breath.

The  Fey for whom the other dancers had danced began to stand up and clap and howl wildly, their ardor audible in their voices, and Anakin and Obi-Wan joined in. 

The dancers walked up to the audience members they had chosen and they pressed their foreheads together. Obi-Wan watched their display of affection with a big smile. He loved the kindness the Fey held for each other. 

The tribe leader couple also stood up, he following their lead, when Aster suddenly pulled him closer with an arm around his neck, and the tribe chief asked him: 

"Did you like it?" 

And Obi-Wan could only exclaim with an excited tone: 

"Yes! It was wonderful!"

Y/N's father showed a very pleased expression and then let go of him. 

The Jedi wondered for a moment if that was the only thing he wanted to know, but his attention shifted when a glowing figure appeared in his peripheral vision. 

"Obi-Wan" uttered Y/N, while taking his mask off, his breathing was slightly heavy. 

"Y/N, you were amazing! The dance displayed so many emotions, I loved it!" 

The Fey stopped short in his track, and then his lips formed a breathtaking smile, which reminded him of the sunrise in the morning. 

"Thank you!" 

Obi-Wan's head got suddenly grabbed by the other man, and their foreheads touched in a swift motion. 

Y/N's skin felt hot from the dancing, and the Fey's breathing shook his shoulders, but Obi-Wan was solely focusing on the man's closed eyes. 

Their position felt almost too intimate, his heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears, but he did not move back, ignoring the sudden flutter in his chest, telling himself this was courtesy and showing his respect for Y/N. 

He expected the other to pull his head back, but the Fey did not move, until his father patted his shoulder and laughingly boomed: 

"That's enough, son. You'll have plenty of time for that later."  

Y/N finally pulled back, although not stepping far away, and he turned to his father, shooting him a glare. Obi-Wan stood somewhat dazed, blinking wildly, and wondering what Aster meant with later.

"I'm proud of you, Y/N!" said Neela, and she hugged the man. 

The Jedi smiled at the display of their feelings, and he distanced himself to give them some space and to calm his beating heart. 

Get it together. Your heart is acting as if you’re in love.

He turned to Anakin, who talked to Ahsoka, both their expressions still showing amazement. 

"That was soo cool!" squealed the Togruta, and his former padawan agreed. 

"I now feel the desire to have wings too," added Obi-Wan to the conversation, and they turned around to greet him. 

Ahsoka's eyebrows shot up, and she grinned somewhat disbelievingly. 

"So, you did it," she said, a matter of factly. 

"I did what?" he asked, not understanding what she meant. 

She gestured towards his face, and he tilted his head in confusion. 

"You got paint on your forehead." Anakin said while watching his padawan with questioning eyes, but the Togruta didn't say what she was hinting at. 

And he didn't find out until the end of the evening. 

After he had talked to the two other Jedi, Y/N had shown up again and told him that he had to attend a family meeting. 

He was apologetic, his expression showing clear annoyance and Obi-Wan felt bad for the Fey, although it wasn't such a big deal for him. 

They could talk about his performance tomorrow. 

So they said goodnight to each other, Y/N once again pressing his forehead to Obi-Wan's, who let it go without a word. 

Aster and Neela also left. 

They only waved at them, the tribe chief winking at Obi-Wan, leaving the Jedi once again puzzled about why the man had changed his behavior so suddenly.

Although the Fey poured out some delicious alcohol, the three Jedi decided to go back to their room. They were surprisingly tired from seeing the performance. 

When Obi-Wan had already laid down in his hammock, Ahsoka addressed him: 

"Congratulations, Master." 

He lifted his head to peek over the hammock's edge. 

"Congrats for what?" 

"You and Y/N." 

He didn't understand a word. 

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly worried. 

"Don't you know?" she said, now sitting up inside her hammock. 

He only blinked. Ahsoka's expression turned baffled. 

"The performance today got danced by courting Fey." 

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, then his eyes widened. 

"Are you saying... Y-Y/N..?", he finally squeezed through his lips, realisation slowly dawning on him. 

She mirrored his shocked expression. 

"You didn't know?! But you accepted!" 

He was panicking now. 

"Accepted what and when?!" 

Anakin walked into the room, unaware of the sudden revelation. 

"What's going o-" 

"The forehead touch!" 

Obi-Wan sank back into his hammock, his heartbeat thundering in his ear. He had gotten a confession and he didn’t even realize.

"Oh, what have I done?"

-

The next morning, Obi-Wan felt no motivation to stand up. 

He wasn't ready to clear up the misunderstanding that had happened yesterday.

 He hadn't known that the dance was about courtship, nor that the forehead was something only romantically involved Fey would do. 

He just thought it was something intimate that friends, partners, and family did. The other dancers had done it too, but now he knew the real reason. 

That’s why not all of them touched foreheads, they got rejected! 

But apparently, he was wrong. 

And now he had to take the consequences. 

"Come on, old man. Get up", said Anakin with a laugh, and he made his former master's hammock sway. 

"Why can't I just die right now of old age?" he sighed, feeling dreadful about what was about to come. 

Anakin snorted, and he finally sat up. 

He had to talk to Y/N before the whole thing escalated. 

But oooh, it already had.

-

"How did you not realize?!" shouted Y/N. 

The Fey was shaking Obi-Wan by the shoulder. 

"How should’ve I known?!" he shot back, now also agitated, after the other had told him his parents practically considered them being already married. 

"I brought you all these presents!" 

"Friends do that from where I come from!" 

"You kept my feather!" 

"I thought it would be a great memento!" 

"I let you touch my wings!!" 

"How should I know that's considered to be something intimate?!" 

Their voices got louder and louder, and their argument caught the attention of some unwanted spectators. 

A group of young Fey had begun to follow their conversation behind some branches, but Obi-Wan didn’t acknowledge them, too angry and panicked at the moment.

Y/N's wings had begun to flip in obvious anger, while Obi-Wan furrowed his brows in annoyance. 

"I literally danced for you at the courtship ceremony!" 

Obi-Wan gnashed his teeth in frustration. 

"How was I supposed to know it was about that?! Anakin only told me it was a dance performance!!" 

"But you-you said I danced amazing and you loved it!” 

The Jedi didn’t respond to that, only showing a guilty expression.

The Fey bit his lips when he finally realized how grave their misunderstanding was. 

"I didn't know...", muttered Obi-Wan, feeling helpless because he knew he had hurt the other. 

"Forget it," growled Y/N, then he turned in a swift motion and darted from the tree branch. His wings flapped with such a force that a few feathers fell. 

The Jedi only watched how they slowly descended, and they seemed to represent his heart. 

It sunk, and a sudden pain in his chest caused him to clench his jaw. 

How should I have known?

He told himself that he had had no idea, but deep in his chest whispered a voice that he did. Y/N’s feelings were obvious.

Maybe he just didn’t want to acknowledge them, knowing that nothing could come out of their relationship. 

Even if you do like me, Y/N, we can’t be together. 

-

A few days passed, and the atmosphere had turned awkward. 

Aster's sudden goodwill had as quickly disappeared as it had come. 

After the chief had learned of the misunderstanding, he had almost attacked Obi-Wan. Neela held him back successfully though. 

Anakin felt guilty for being partly at fault, and Ahsoka also apologized for not telling him what she had known about the courtship rules. 

They spent their days waiting for any kind of sign of the Republic, and they became restless. 

Obi-Wan felt genuinely guilty for misleading Y/N, and he grieved for their friendship, which seemed like it had already ended. 

The Fey hadn't shown himself to any of the Jedi, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but worry because neither Neela nor Aster had seen their son after he and the Jedi had argued. 

Then, one day, a Fey appeared in the great hall, informing Aster of the gigantic triangle that had appeared in the sky and the small flying objects that had landed somewhere close to the forest's border. 

Anakin shouted triumphantly, and Obi-Wan felt relief wash over him. 

But at the same time, he felt a pang in his chest. 

He didn't want to leave, not before he cleared the bad blood between him and Y/N. 

But Cody and Captain Rex found a scout of the tribe pretty soon, and they finally reunited only a week after the courtship ceremony. 

"Good to see you alive and well, general," said Cody, and Obi-Wan smiled weakly at him. 

"Good to see you too, commander." 

The clones got accompanied by Plo Koon, and Ahsoka was delighted to see the Jedi master again. 

While Anakin and his padawan were happy about their rescue, Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself from wishing they had come later. Now he wouldn’t get another chance to talk with Y/N.

He collected his belongings and hesitated when it came to Y/N's presents. The various crystals and shells on his nightstand. 

He contemplated whether to take them with him or not, but the thought of leaving them behind hurt him and he decided to bring them home. 

Although they had parted with sour feelings, he still appreciated the memories he had made with Y/N. And his heart honestly didn’t want to forget anything, not even the forehead, which apparently symbolized a kiss. 

They Fey did not publicly kiss, one of the things they didn’t display to others, Ahsoka had told him. 

When he heard about that, he couldn’t stop his brain from forming all kinds of thoughts and his ears had turned pink. 

He walked up to me and kissed me, figuratively!

The misunderstanding was really a disaster. 

He now also knew why the other Fey had treated him with more respect even though Aster seemed to hate him again. 

It was because he was the object of the future tribe leader’s affections - although he had rejected him.

He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and left the room, Y/N’s presents stored in his backpack.

He bid farewell to Danosh and the other Fey who had treated him nicely and then joined Anakin and Ahsoka who waited with Cody, Captain Rex and some other clones next to Aster and Neela.  

The tribe leader couple accompanied them to the ground and their canon gun ships. 

Obi-Wan watched the ships from the border of the gigantic forest and his chest tightened. 

Y/N... 

He bit his lip, his heart now clenching from the idea of leaving and never coming back. 

They were half way there, when Aster and Neela stopped walking.

“We’re not going any further”, explained the white-haired woman and Anakin sighed. He said goodbye first. The chief only nodded at him, but Neela gave him a long hug and whispered something into his ear, while caressing his hair.

Obi-Wan could see that the woman somewhat appeared to be like a mother-figure for Anakin. He felt the pain of saying goodbye in Anakin’s force presence. 

Ahsoka also gave Neela a hug and she bowed at Aster who surprisingly patted her shoulder and said: 

“Stay sharp, little one.” 

The Togruta beamed and then it was Obi-Wan’s turn. He looked at the chief and behind the animosity in his eyes, he could see genuine regret. 

He didn’t know what to say and just awkwardly stood there, when Aster coughed and grumbled: 

“You would’ve been a splendid son-in-law.” 

The Jedi blinked and Anakin couldn’t stop a snort, laughing silently at the blush that swept across his former master’s cheeks. 

“Uh- thank you.”

“Obi-Wan,” said Neela and she opened her arms wide. He willingly walked into her embrace and she also caressed his hair, while hiding his embarrassment with her wings. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. If he couldn’t tell it Y/N personally, he would tell his mother.

“It’s alright. Y/N is a little hasty sometimes, especially when it comes to his feelings. I’m not trying to say he rushed into the idea of liking you...”

Obi-Wan’s cheeks heated up again, not knowing how to react when a woman, who was the mother of the man who liked him, openly talked about her son’s and his relationship.

“He’s genuine, but stubborn. He was born here and never set foot on another planet. You swept him off his feet and he got too excited, not registering that our manners and traditions are unknown to you.” 

He nodded into her shoulders and she let him go to look into his face. Her blue eyes glimmered with kindness.

“I’m glad you were his first love.”

He blinked and her sentence hit him right in the gut. Oh, wow, he really hurt the man, huh.

She traced the line his knitted eyebrows made and smiled.

“It’s not your fault, Obi-Wan.”

He wanted to reply something but he had a lump in his throat and could only nod.

She let go of him and he stepped back, his expression showing how sad he was about their departure. 

“Goodbye.”

The Jedi and clones turned and began to walk away. Every step physically hurt Obi-Wan and he breathed out shakily, face looking down to not see Anakin’s and Ahsoka’s possibly judging expressions. 

Suddenly, a shadow sped across the plain and before he could look up, a person landed right before his feet, causing him to make a step back. 

He tilted his head, startled, his eyes meeting e/c ones. Time seemed to stop.

"Obi-Wan," breathed Y/N and the Jedi's heart started to pound faster. 

"You came," he hesitantly said, his tone revealed his relief. 

"Yeah... I have to tell you something." 

Obi-Wan turned his head to Anakin and the others, they feigned ignorance and acted as if they weren't listening closely to their conversation, although they were. 

"O-Okay, but I want to tell you something t-"

"I fancy you."

Hearing that sentence directed at him caught Obi-Wan off guard. 

Not that he never had been confronted by similar words, but it had never been in such a blunt fashion. And also not from a person he secretly liked too. Satine had been a different case. 

A blush crept up his neck, cheeks and ears and he swallowed hard. 

He had expected Y/N to tell him an apology or a goodbye, but not a love confession. 

"I'm sorry. I projected my culture onto you and didn't consider your feelings." 

Obi-Wan was flustered and he checked his surroundings again, the clones and the two Jedi now blatantly listening without even trying to hide their interest. 

"I-I..." he began, not knowing what to say. 

He knew he had to reject the Fey but his fluttering heart absolutely didn't want him to. 

"I'm a Jedi, Y/N," he eventually said, his tone sounding pained, and Obi-Wan expected the other man's face to sadden, after all, he did tell him what that meant when it came to attachments, but the Fey's smile stayed on his lips. 

"I know. I just wanted to tell you properly." 

The smile was the same radiating one he had flashed him after the courtship dance. 

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw, contemplated for a second and then, without hesitation, he took a step forward and grabbed Y/N's face to bring their heads together. 

Their foreheads touched and the man's eyes widened. 

Obi-Wan locked his gaze with his and the Fey sighed, now pressing his head closer and putting his hand on both side’s of his neck.. 

"You're making this very hard," he muttered accusingly, while tracing Obi-Wan’s carotid artery. 

The Jedi laughed weakly, the pain in his chest swelling. 

"I know, I'm sorry." 

He closed his eyes and breathed in, the smell of damp soil, fruits and leather filled his nose and Obi-Wan tried to engrave the scent in his mind. 

"At one point we'll have to stop," whispered Y/N and he grumbled. 

"I'm just soaking you in", he replied, eyes still closed. 

I don’t want to let go. 

He heard the Fey breath out slowly. 

Then the man moved away. 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes in protest, then his hand got grabbed, and Y/N kissed him. 

The Jedi's eyes widened and he remembered that Anakin, Ahsoka and the clones were watching, but his reason got thrown out of the window by his heart and he returned the kiss. 

It was a short and bittersweet one. Just like their relationship. 

Like the Batellia flower, their love finished before it could even properly bloom. 

But Obi-Wan did not look back at these four weeks with regret. 

After he had returned to Coruscant and continued fighting in the war, he would often smile at random times, his hands buried in his robes, where he caressed a soft feather. 

And he could be damn sure that on a small planet in the Outer Rims, a Fey would trace the faint glow of a blue kyber crystal, he always had with him around his neck.

And who knows, maybe they’ll meet again.

[enchanted-lightning-aes]

Unleashing the Grand Treasure

A/N: here’s a tale featuring Titanrin, master and savvy pirate! How they did something no pirate would do and they are not sorry for it.

Word Count: 990

TW: None

***

A ship positions itself near a docks, it's black sail waving in a quick wind. It opens up as some members of a crew carry boxes while crossing it, putting them down on the wooden floor. It would go to a market, where it bustles with excitement from customers and sellers obtaining something new with money.

After they manage to set up their shop, a pirate marches out to a set of stairs. They keep their curly locks in a high ponytail, causing it's lower strands to sweep over their coat's fabric. They adjust a patch over their eye, using their uncovered one to scan the surroundings of an area.

Plenty of gems and jewels seem to be in stock to be sold, they think, twirling a chain of an amulet.

Their beloved menace, a pale parrot with ruffling feathers, perches on their shoulder.

Some fellow pirates and sailors are aware of their presence, immediately going in formation. They know their tales of plundering for treasure and adventures of getting past harsh storms, they're a pirate meant to be dealt with caution. And also they're notorious for infuriating people. It has been too foolish to not prepare for a deal that cannot be refused.

Titanrin pulls to a halt, scrutinizing the sailors before them. With their free eye, they can see a fraction of fear overwhelming them.

"Mx Titanrin," one of the sailors greet, bowing to them. "What business proposition have you arrived for?"

"A pleasure to see ya, matey," Titanrin replies, tipping their gaudy hat of the day. "My, my. What items do ye got there, you ol' scallyway?"

"The usual," the sailor answers with a proud grin.

The usual? Well, perhaps, they should leave without causing a scene that can turn the business into a frenzy. Nothing caught their interest for it's only the same items. At least, they can get to keep their money.

"Titanrin, we have a mighty offer for you," General Vitali says, approaching them. "My squadron manages to capture a rare creature so magnificent that I think you'll be dazzled by it."

Ah, yes. This infamous rogue, who stormed a palace of islands, and squandered for treasure that no other person could before. It was rumored that it's she, who slayed a dragon meant to serve a crooked queen, who swam in piles of valuable coins.

They follow Vitali languidly while she guides them to a secluded area, where they find an edge of a rope attached a handle of a barrel. A unicorn, pale and ethereal, lays down with it's eyes shut. Their jaw drops at the sight of it.

"A unicorn?" Titanrin asks, knitting their brows together. "Where on Earth did you acquire a rare creature such as this?"

Vitali smirks, visibly pleased with herself. "This stunning thing was from lands of Milorus, your grace, I assure you that."

Somehow the unicorn being trapped in this situation doesn't look right. It sits there like a docile pet, unsure of what to do. Their parrot squawks, startling it to be awake.

"Magical horse!" Monoky pipes up.

"Keep it down." Titanrin tries shushing her. Then they grimace. "Sorry, lads. This unicorn doesn't interest me even it's worth can be compared to golds of Kettersten. I appreciate this offer, General. However, I must decline for it's not what I'd purchase for my business. Besides, how can a creature of that magnitude live in my ship? It's barely enough for most crew members onboard."

The general's expression deflates with disappointment.

"Such a shame, Mx. I suppose I can find another customer soon."

After Vitali nods, she leaves them by themself and goes off elsewhere.

Perhaps, Titanrin might be making a costly mistake. Regardless, they still don't see it as ideal for their crew or ship. They also could get hunted by pirates, who'd also want to deal in the magical creature business. They did no such thing as getting involved in that horrid sort of trading. Not their thing, really.

A pirate never lets a deal like this go but they can't help except think the creature would be better off on it's own. It's rare and of value, of course, but it shouldn't be sold to any random careless nobleperson, who's treat them as a prize to show off. Instead of a creature to be taken care of.

They pull their sword out from a pocket, slicing ropes that kept the unicorn in place with a swift movement. It shakes them off, dragging it's hind legs onto the air, and neighs into escape.

Titanrin whistles, stepping away from getting caught.  They can't allow their reputation get tainted with rumors of selflness deeds. They had to protect it, after all, ensuring they slayed hearts of cowards, and convinced minds of geniuses. They slip their sword back onto their sheath, pretending as if they didn't do anything.

The unicorn leaps onto the ground, dashing across a path.

"Hey!" one of the sailors yell in panic. "That unicorn's gettin' away!"

If anyone had discovered that they released the unicorn, they might spread word about how they're foolish to let a grand prize escape. However, they care not for any prizes gained from selling creatures or people. The only way they willingly engaged in trade is with ancient items of great value and coins of truest gold.

And there are better treasures out there such as freedom and loyalty. Any price might be high but they'd be damned if they don't have guts to fight for it. If they didn't have any, they wouldn't be sailing around different realms in the first place.

The unicorn runs away, wild and free, with gallant speed. It should go far away from trouble and a grasp of those trying to capture it for their own gains.

As Titanrin turns around for the direction towards the ship, they find themself ready for treasures with far more worth than mere creatures and cheap offers.

***

[braintears]

❌ trigger warning for c*owns if you're scared of them! also t/w for b*uises and a*use. 

BASIC INFO:

 😈 full name: jakko the jester.

👺 nicknames: jak, snowball, the royal frickup. (lol jk) ⭐ fun fact: he's an ablino! 

👤 age: 19! 

🎩 gender: male. 

🌈 sexuality: home of sexual.

 👽 species: human. 

🔮 powers: none. 

🚩languages spoken: english. 

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: 👢height: 4'9! (like me 😞) 

❄️ hair color: snow white but he wears a jester cowl/hat to cover it because he's totally self conscious about it. 

👀 eye color: icy blue. 

👻 skin color: an alabaster white. 

👁 type of eyes: his eyes are sunken and sad but they are also big and doe-like. 

💀 additional notes: his pupil's aren't black, they are a light blue. 

🤡 face details: his face is covered in colorful makeup. his lips are sparkly and dark blue. though he has a pretty face, it's also covered in deep bruises and he almost always has black eyes. (this is caused by the lion tamer, my other oc who really isn't a good guy. i'mma make a bio for him one day.) jakko also has long, feather like eyelashes. 

👚 regular outfit: he wears a pink and blue body suit that has lots of glitter and big frills on the sleeves. he wears a jester cowl with big white bells connected to the three tassels. his shoes are heeled and they're two different colors. on his neck, he wears an extremely large ruffled clown color.

 👗 sleepwear: he wears a real frilly and ruffly nightgown. it's pink and blue as well. he keeps his clown collar on when he wears it. 

PERSONALITY:

 💬 brief description: his personality is /very/ strong; he has lots and lots of emotions. he's also kind of obnoxious. the jester has a major addiction to sugar and anything sweet.

 🐔 first impression: very intense, lots of energy. you may also think he's nervous because he's constantly moving and shaking; nearly buzzing and vibrating, but that's just his overload of energy and excitement.

 🐥 once you get to know them: he'll probably bake you lots of sweets and never leave your side. he's loyal. 

🐷 default expression: a wide, toothy smile.

 🦆 alignment: chaotic good.

 🦇 habits: talking real loud and jumping up and down. 

🐛 intelligence: he's . . . not that bright. but he has a big heart so i guess it all works out! 

SPEECH:

 👾 voice description: it's loud and peppy sounding. he talks like a valley girl. (a very excited valley girl.) 

💉 swearing?: NEVER! 

💭 do they think before they speak?:

 i don't even think he thinks at all. 

LIFE: 

🎀 occupation: being a full-time jester at the carnival and always an international glamour-puss. 

💖 past reltionships: although he's very flirty, he really loves the Lion Tamer. He loves no one as much as he loves that piece of poop. doesn't mean that he isn't open for shipping tho! 👀

 INTERESTS: 

💚 likes: cotton candy, making people happy, hugging people

. 💔 dislikes: salt!

 🍔 favorite food: cotton candy, hands down. 

🐖 favorite animal: cats, rats or tarantulas.

 🎨 favorite Color: either pink or blue. 

🤢 least favorite food: seafood or anything savory or salty. 

👿 least favorite animal: ducks. 

🖤 least favorite color: duh! black. 

MISCELLANEOUS: ♫

 songs that fits character's personality:

 bubblegum bitch- marina and the diamonds 

theme from valley of the dolls - donnie warwick

 laughing on the outside - bernadette carrol

 if - bread

 send in the clowns - judy collins 

sunshine, lollipops and rainbows - lesley gore

 💖 HI GUYS, THANKS SOSOSO MUCH FOR READING!! I HOPE YOU LIKE MY FOOL !! PLEASE COMMENT OR MESSAGE ME IF YOU WANNA INTERACT W HIM !!! 💖

[stitch1830]

🎩

I'm fine and dandy,

Mind i ask your opinion on what became of the Gaang in LOK? I know the Toph being a cop thing ruffles some feathers and some don't accept Aang was a bad father.

HAT ANON HI glad to hear you are fine and dandy on this exquisite day of the week. And OOF this is a loaded question, but I'll do my best! :)

So I feel like there are a couple ways to answer this question based on your shipping preferences, but for the sake of this I'll try and answer everything based on what is considered canon. So ATLA, comics, and LOK.

I'll also preface by saying that I get why there are some controversial takes in LOK... I think they were trying to make the characters have more depth and show that even our favorite characters have flaws, even when they're adults. I just think that in some situations it was OOC and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you see where the Gaang went from the start to the end of ATLA, and then to see glimpses of their adult life and only seeing the trashiest parts.

Aang: If he's with Katara, it's not surprising to me that he's not a great father. Like, he has very strong opinions about his culture and while Katara is just as passionate about her upbringing, there isn't a ton of evidence of Aang accommodating the children's upbringing to also integrate SWT traditions in their lifestyle. I don't think he was outwardly trying to be a bad dad or anything, but his desperation to pass down Air Nomad traditions to an airbender overshadowed his primary need to be a father to all three of his kids. It's also really hard to see him as still this happy, lovable nice guy who treats everyone with kindness and respect when we know that he practically ignored 2 of his kids... But basically, his 'bad takes' as a dad were left unchecked, and his actions were probably defended by his wife as opposed to having to face them.

Katara: This one hurt lol. Again, it's not surprising that when she's with Aang that she chooses to settle down and be a wife and mother and healer. Aang's the Avatar, he's busy, their two oldest children are really rambunctious and are craving attention, so it's gonna be Katara to give them the love and care they need. But based on what we see in ATLA, it's just sad that we don't get to see or hear about any changes she made in the world or fighting. She really does seem to be ushered off to the side, left to retire in SWT after Aang dies. It's also sad/crazy that her strength and ability to stand up to disrespectful or ignorant people goes away when she's an adult. And I feel like this is glaring in her relationship with Aang and then also when Korra is finishing up training in the SWT. The other masters are whining that Korra isn't ready and Katara says she is and then the men keep complaining and whining. Like, no way would ATLA Katara let that go without her giving her two cents. Yes, she does help Korra leave, but she definitely would've said something to those old hoots. It's also weird that her strong resolve doesn't show up when she's raising her children with Aang. Why didn't she confront him? And if she did, how come nothing changed? Maybe it was too late, but idk. Katara doesn't seem like the person to let things go after she stood up to the problem once. Essentially, I'm upset that Katara was this strong and powerful female protagonist in ATLA, but not really hear about her amazing strides in the world in LOK (because if she did change the world, they didn't mention it... sad).

Sokka: Hmmm, he's not really ever shown in the show except in one flashback (because he's dead tears), but from what it sounds like, he didn't have any children, didn't sound like he ever really settled down, nothing like that. I think it would be sad if Aunt Wu's fortune was true and he never really ended up happy because of things he did. Would that be considered OOC? I don't think so... He was the goofy guy and the brains of the operations, but he seems like the guy that is afraid of being happy or ruins things when he is happy. My only reasoning for this is when he lost Yue, it changed him on some level, and at first he tried to push away Suki when she was initiating a kiss. Pretty light and lame reasons, but it's something....

Suki: MY GIRL SUKI NOT MENTIONED THAT'S SO OOC. Lol. Like, why didn't she randomly pop up from time to time? Are the Kyoshi Warriors just not around? I don't like that she wasn't in LOK, not even in a small flashback or anything. She was friends with the Gaang and it seems odd that no one mentioned their dear friend that helped save the world with them even if she passed away or anything. And also I don't think a casual statement about her settling in the suburbs counts as canon lol.

Toph: Okay. I don't hate that she's a cop. It's not really in character, but I don't hate it. If all of her friends settled in Republic City, and they all had their own responsibilities to deal with and asked Toph to run the RCPD, I think she would say yes out of loyalty to her friends, maybe out of boredom. I'm surprised she was in the role as long as she was, though... She was starting to get bored of her metalbending academy after a year or two once things were running smoothly, so she seems like the kind of woman that would search for the next adventure. But if she had to be a cop, I think she'd much rather be the one enforcing the rules at the top as opposed to following the rules, but... yeah. In a canon universe I struggle to come up with a long-term career for her, so I made my peace with the cop thing. Many of my friends haven't though lol, which is okay! Another thing I didn't like was how she was portrayed as a bad mother. Not that she was a bad mother (as much as it would suck, I can kind of see her being a bad mom), but they way she was a bad mom didn't really fit her character. She was neglected as a kid, doesn't seem right that she in turn would neglect her kids by giving them too much freedom. Also! My least favorite thing was how she had a 20/30 year rift with her girls, and then it was suddenly resolved. Like... No we need some more context to the conflict, and we need to see work being put into the resolution if we're going to bring this up. If Lin held a grudge against her family for 30 years, a short "sorry I wasn't a great mom, hope you don't hate me" comment isn't going to make her forgive them lol. I do like how she was portrayed as a single mother to two girls. She doesn't really seem like the type to settle down, and it was a nice surprise to see her have daughters from different men. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and it would've been the perfect opportunity to show those differences and show that there's more than one way to have a positive upbringing (Like, let's see the cloudbabies and the Beifongs both happy even though they had two very different parental upbringings? Just... there was an opportunity is all). And yeah, she seems like the one that would never settle down or have a family, so it would've been interesting to see her handle motherhood and her job! So I'm okay with that bit.

Zuko: Okay Zuko seems chill in canon, but who's his wife? Where she at? He got a partner or anything? We may never know... But it's nice that he appeared to have a happy life with good kids and grandkids... And yet I'm confused as to why Korra preferred to go to Zuko instead of the Avatar's wife for advice on what Aang would have done when choosing between saving the Air Nomads and turning herself in to the Red Lotus?? Like, I know Katara was in the SWT, but they have phones now, you're telling me they couldn't have called Katara? Why wasn't Katara the first person they thought to ask about the situation? I know the logistics would've been difficult considering Katara is holed up in the SWT, but why did everyone say that Zuko knew Aang the best? Why didn't his wife know him the best? Thoughts to ponder.

Okay. I wrote a lot and there's probably more that I do and don't like about how the characters were portrayed... But I think what it all boils down to is that there was an opportunity to still get depth in these beloved characters without us being frustrated with situations that are OOC. Then again, that would make it less about the Krew and more about the Gaang... It just seems like a bit of a slap to the face when we see glaring problems with the Gaang's characterization, and yet, we get no explanation. It does allow for canon writers to play with the 70 years in between, but idk. I much prefer AU's where there's time and opportunity to explore the characters as their best selves I suppose. Honestly, with my disinterest and disliking of canon ships, I don't see the bad takes in LOK as OOC, but it makes me wonder how different things could have been if other ships were made canon (thank goodness they weren't, we're not pigeonholed into one type of story, but still).

Does this kind of answer your question? Lol, sorry if not. My thoughts are all over the place with this one! Thank you for the ask, though, Hatty. Hope you have a great day! :)

[queen-scribbles]

Acceptable Risk

Art trade fic for the extremely patient @theheroofoakvale, exploring if Shepard’s recruiting Thane had gone a little.... differently.

-----

The door opened with a quiet hiss, and Shepard’s entry was greeted with the raised barrels of several assault rifles. The mercenaries, however, paused before opening fire, despite being confronted by three heavily armed individuals pointing guns back at them.

The asari in the middle of the cluster--clad for business rather than combat--spun to face them, her eyes widening. “Shepard?!”

Shepard smirked, centered his pistol on her. “Nassana.”

There was a muffled clatter in the ceiling that had the mercenaries’ attention swiveling upward. Her posture shifted defensive. “You’re dead.”

“I got better,” he retorted, and shot her in the throat.

Her bodyguards zeroed back in on him and his team, torn between them and the threat above, and that was their undoing. A dark figure dropped from one of the ceiling vents, and Shepard used that moment of distraction to take out two of them. When the remaining mercs focused in on him, the dark figure punched one in the throat and shot the other center mass. The few that were left went down quickly.

Massani and Vakarian kept their guns up, leveled at the late arrival, a drell, as he stood in the middle of the carnage, eyes fixed in an unblinking, regretful stare at Nassana Dantius’ body.

“Sorry if I stole your kill,” Shepard said after letting the silence go as long as he could tolerate. His pistol hung at his side in a loose grip, ready if he needed it. He didn’t think he would.

“I was not here for her, though the galaxy is no less for her removal,” the drell said softly, finally looking up from the dead woman and blinking just before he met Shepard’s gaze. “I am here for you.”

Behind him, Massani muttered a quiet curse and Vakarian tightened his grip on his gun, but Shepard didn’t even flinch. “I did wonder. Dantius hardly seems worth the time for someone of your... reputation.”

“And yet you still came,” the drell said, clasping his hands behind him and looking in no rush to kill anyone.

“She used me.” He let the barest edge of a snarl color the words. “I can go along with a likely trap if it gives me an excuse for payback. Also,” he took half a step forward, “seemed the best way to meet you, Krios. We need to talk.”

Thane Krios did not look at all perturbed that his target knew who he was. His expression remained impassive as he studied Shepard’s face. “Do we? What about?”

“I need your help on a mission. You can feel free to continue trying to kill me after we’re done.”

“Why?” Krios asked, still studying Shepard’s face.

“Why, what?”

“Why do you need me? Why should I help instead of killing you now?”

Shepard laughed darkly. “The fucking galaxy is at stake, I need the best of the best, even if they are out for my blood.” Another half step forward, Vakarian and Massani following this time until he waved them back. “As for the second question.... I know some things about you, Krios. I know you’re dying, and I know you have a son.” His pistol folded in on its clip as he crossed his arms and stared hard at the assassin. “And where he is. I imagine you’d hate for something to happen to him before you had a chance to mend fences.”

Three rapid blinks, a sharp breath, posture unchanged, but it was the most reaction Krios had shown in this conversation. “And would you make this...   something happen if I say no, Shepard?”

His calm was impressive. Shepard wondered if it was an easier illusion to maintain with eyes that had neither pupils nor iris to betray strong emotion. “If I have to. I need the best, Krios, which is you. Don’t really care how I get your cooperation.”

Krios was silent for a long moment. “This threat must be grave indeed for you to employ such measures.”

He was nigh impossible to read, but the slight shift of his clasped hands was hint enough. “I’m hunting an enemy who’s abducting human colonies and has ties to the Reapers, I’d call that pretty damn grave. Like I said, you can resume trying to kill me if we survive. What’s it gonna be?”

Another heavy pause, though shorter. “You have left me only one viable option if I care about my son.”

Shepard arched a brow.

“I will assist. Consider this a pause in the contract on your life.”

“Good enough for me.” Shepard cast a smug glance at Dantius’ corpse, then turned to exit the room. “We’re done here, so you can either come with us or meet us at the ship.”

“I will meet you shortly. I have a few personal effects to gather,” Krios said.

“Alright. We’re on a clock, so don’t dilly dally,” Shepard replied, and motioned their departure to Vakarian and Massani.

“What’s to stop him from shooting you on our way down?” Vakarian muttered as they headed for the elevator. “He’s already planning to kill you and you threatened his kid.”

Massani beat Shepard to the answer. “Doesn’t know if there’s a dead man’s switch on that something happenin’ to his boy if Shepard bites it.” He chuckled darkly and smirked at Shepard. “What the hell’d you do to earn a death mark, anyway?” 

Shepard shrugged, watching the blur of downward travel out the elevator’s glass-paned wall. “Hell if I know, Massani. Certainly pissed off enough people for there to be some options.”

The mercenary gave a rough laugh and slapped him on the shoulder. “Wear like a badge of fucking honor, kid. Means you got someone real riled up.”

---

Krios was, as promised, aboard the Normandy well within an hour. His personal effects he’d gone to collect were few enough to fit in a small shoulder satchel that he politely refused to let anyone inspect. (Lawson was not happy when Shepard told her to drop it, clearly suspicious of allowing an assassin on board without first vetting his gear.) He settled in life support at EDI’s suggestion, and ruffled no feathers with the rest of the crew, unless you counted Taylor’s mistrust of his career in general.

“What will be expected of me, Commander?” Krios asked, in that same modulated tone he’d used on Illium.

“No shipboard duties, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Shepard said. He leaned against the wall by the door and studied Krios. “You can do as you like here. When we have missions, I may want you to come watch my six, if your skillset seems a good fit.”

“I see.” He folded his hands, elbows braced against the small worktable at which he sat. There was a hesitation under the words that almost rang in the air.

“If there’s something else you wanna say, now’s the time,” Shepard prodded. He didn’t have time to be gentle prying out secrets or whatever.

“My son,” Krios said, words measured and careful. “You say you know where he is. Would you be willing to share that knowledge?”

Shepard mulled it over, weighing the value of his options. “In time,” he finally said. “We have a couple pressing assignments that are more important than family reunions. But if we hit a point with some free time I’ll let you know.”

Krios nodded, his expression unreadable as ever. “Very well, Shepard.”

“One thing I need to know from you,” Shepard began, pushing away from the wall, “is if whatever’s killing you will affect your abilities in a fight.”

“It shouldn’t, not yet.” He paused for the space of a few blinks. “I should have several months at least before the symptoms become noticeable even to myself. More than enough time to complete your mission, if it is as urgent as you make you sound.”

“Is that something you doubt, Krios?” 

“Not at all.” Krios pushed to his feet and crossed the room to examine a rack of spare rifle parts. “Even someone of your reputation would have to be on a mission of urgency to blackmail an assassin sent to kill you into helping your cause. I simply mean this threat seems the type where a decisive outcome will be reached swiftly; whether in victory or destruction. Well within the time I have before functionality is... affected.”

“Good.” Shepard nodded. “Not sure when I’ll need you, but I want to be sure you’ll be worth it when the times comes.” He left the room, noting Krios’ undertone murmur as he did, and from the cadence wondered what the assassin was praying for.

---

Shepard first tested him on something that seemed of no consequence; a mercenary base on a backwater planet trafficking stolen eezo. Thane did his job, no more no less, all the while making note of how the man fought. The risks he thought worth taking, the sacrifices that were acceptable cost, the balance of recklessness and cunning. It was not a complete picture, not off one mission, and Thane wouldn’t act on what he’d gleaned even if it were.

Not with the blade the commander had hung over Kolyat. Not with the hope of learning where his son might be. Patience was the hallmark of an assassin, after all; knowing when to strike as well as how. And Thane had been an assassin a very long time. He could wait.

Especially as conversations with others aboard the ship painted a clearer and clearer picture of the mission’s scope. A trip through the Omega 4 relay was very likely to be suicidal just on its own. Destroying whatever these Collectors used as a base doubly so. When Shepard made ‘if we survive’ comments, he wasn’t joking. Thane could wait. He could help with the mission--it was a worthy goal after all, one he would have assisted in accomplishing without the threats--and then resume his contract.

After the mercenary base was eliminated, and easily, Shepard made use of Thane’s skills a few more times. Usually on missions with plentiful shadow coverage and good sight lines.

“How’re you holding up?” Garrus asked on one such mission, the two of them picking off targets from a bit of a distance while Shepard made viciously short work of the battlefield.

“I’ve had worse assignments.” Thane’s rifle kicked against his shoulder and the krogan he’d been targeting dropped. He fired another shot, just to be safe, and watched the body jerk then lay still, before searching out another target. “What of you?”

Garrus snorted, took down his own target. “I’m  here because he’s my... friend” --there was a brief hesitation, as if the turian wasn’t completely sure that was the right word--”and I trust that whatever he’s doing is worth whatever it costs to accomplish.”

“You’ve fought alongside him before.”

“Against Sovereign, yeah.” Garrus’ mandible twitched as he focused on sighting in another shot. “This feels different.”

He didn’t elaborate, and it was only a few moments more for them the claim victory and press further on with their mission.

Thane watched Shepard, and wondered what had changed in the eyes of his friend.

---

It was after the derelict Reaper, after adding a geth to their mix, that Thane’s patience paid off. At least in part.

“Your kid’s on the Citadel,” Shepard informed him out of the blue. “Lucky for you, Vakarian has some unfinished business there as well, and the techs need some time to integrate the IFF to the Normandy’s systems. I can spare a side trip for personal issues while they get that squared away. Be ready to go in an hour.”

Thane didn’t protest. Didn’t question. He could ask for details on approach to the Citadel.

They set a cold knot in his gut when he learned them. “He’s here to kill someone,” Shepard said bluntly, and all Thane could think was Like father, like son. That was not a path he’d ever wanted for Kolyat. Shepard didn’t have a lot of details, just that Kolyat was there. Apparently even Cerberus’ resources had limits.

They spoke to a C-Sec officer, then to Mouse at his suggestion--Thane was surprised but pleased he was still alive--both conversations Shepard kept as short as possible. Clearly he was not in the mood to waste time. Thane wished that hadn’t involved the commander breaking Mouse’s nose, but couldn’t muster much sympathy when the same proved true of Kelham once they got his name and interrogated him.

“We have some time, not a lot of it,” Shepard growled. “And we still need to find Sidonis when we’re done with your shit, Krios.” He turned to Captain Bailey.  “What can you tell me about this Talid Kelham wants dead?”

The picture Bailey painted--up and coming turian politician, vocally anti-human and gaining support--made it obvious why Kelham would want Talid gone. He had to be very bad for business. He was also in a very vulnerable position currently; pressing flesh on a walk through the Wards with only one or two bodyguards along for protection.

Thane had to admit surprise when Shepard was alright with them splitting up to track Talid and (hopefully) find Kolyat.

“You can’t find him alone any more than I can,” Shepard commented with a sharp smile s he and Garrus headed for the catwalks. “Stay sharp, Krios.”

As if he would do otherwise. Still, he bowed his head and asked Amonkira for strength and guidance before he vanished into the shadows, hoping they weren’t too late to save his son from a very familiar dark path.

Are you really surprised? a voice inside him mocked as Thane picked his route along catwalks and ducts, through shadows and crowds. Even if he hates you, that’s the example you left.

He shook it off. He didn’t have the luxury of internal debate right now. He had to pick out his route on the fly, keep in touch with Shepard and Garrus, plot out several ways to handle the situation that all depended on Kolyat’s behavior. And he didn’t know his own son well enough to predict that, so his solutions were all loosely structured ideas at best. Some plan was better than none.

It was a close thing, despite their best efforts. Kolyat spooked, shot the bodyguards and dragged Talid into his apartment with a gun to his head.

Shepard was only a step behind once Kolyat broke cover and very quickly had a gun pointed at him.

Thane went very still, watching this standoff. He didn’t know Shepard well enough to know what the man would do, but he knew what C-Sec protocols would be, and he could hear their approach. Shepard had been very clear about the limited time they had for this side trip, the fastest resolution--which would also fulfill C-Sec’s mandate to keep Talid alive--would end with his son dead, and Shepard was not a patient man.

Kolyat’s anger blazed, even from across the room, and he was far from willing to cooperate, his pistol pressed to the back of Talid’s head.

The loud crack of a pistol shot nearly made Thane flinch, his chest squeezing in protest at the thought of his failure. Just this one thing, I wanted to fix just this.

But Shepard’s shot snapped Talid’s head back, not Kolyat’s. The turian collapsed in a spray of dark blood and Kolyat recoiled. In that moment of distraction, Thane surged forward and twisted the pistol out of Kolyat’s hands, unsure if the tremor was adrenaline or rage.

Shepard was talking to an incensed Bailey; “No one will miss a racist asshole, I did you a favor”, but Thane’s focus was all on his son. 

“This was not the best way,” he said softly.

“What do you know?” Kolyat hissed back, struggling against Thane’s unrelenting grip.

“More than you might think.”

Kolyat yanked away as if the contact had burned him. Fury simmered in his eyes, and resentment, but he was alive. C-Sec would still have to take him in for what he’d been ready to do(attempted murder? That would likely be the charge), there would be consequences for what he tried to do, and Thane didn’t know if they even could “mend fences” as Shepard had put it. But he was alive. And hopefully could be deterred from a path Thane wouldn’t wish anyone to tread.

“Krios,” Shepard barked and Thane pulled himself out of his reverie watching C-Sec lead Kolyat away. But rather than Time to go, the commander nodded after the arresting officers. “Massani can help with tracking down Fade. You have until we’re done. I wouldn’t count on more than an hour or two.”

Thane blinked, thrown off kilter by the gesture, but recovered quickly.  “Understood.” He’d taken three steps after the C-Sec officers before he stopped and turned. “...Thank you, Shepard.”

The man waved him off, already walking away with Garrus in his wake.

---

An hour and a half didn’t go very far working through a decade of distance, but it was a start.

“Why do you stay with him?” Kolyat asked when Thane’s comms crackled with a heads-up Shepard and the others were on their way back and he stood. “If... this” --a quick gesture, more a flick of the wrist than anything, between the two of them-- “is so important?”

For you. In more ways than one. “Shepard’s mission is... critical. And there is, unfortunately, a time limit on saving the galaxy.”

Kolyat snorted at his father’s dry humor. “Right.”

“I will keep in touch,” Thane promised. “Perhaps we can meet again once this is finished. If you would like.” If I survive.

“...We’ll see.” Kolyat was staring at the table rather than him, but Thane would take it.

He nodded and headed for the door. “Very well.”

“Does he have something on you?” Kolyat asked abruptly. “With the reputation Shepard’s made, he doesn’t seem the type honorable people would be following.”

“I have made no claims of honor,” Thane said quietly, hand on the door frame.  “And with  the stakes of mission, some sacrifices may prove necessary.”

“Sounds familiar,” Kolyat muttered.

Thane made no reply, and didn’t look back as he left the room with a cold weight in his chest.

---

It ha been the right call letting Krios reconnect with his son. He seemed more centered, more focused, for having dealt with his baggage. Probably that whole ‘something to live for’ schtick. Shepard only cared that Krios did his job and the mending bond made the kid an even more effective pressure point.

Not that Krios had ever protested. Ever balked. But everyone had their limit, and if he happened to find the assassin’s, it never hurt to have a brute force solution in your arsenal. Especially as they were very close to actually pursuing the Collectors through the Omega 4 relay.

“Just a few more tests,” Lawson assured him. They wanted it to work right, after all. It’d be a real short trip otherwise.

“So,” he asked Krios, “out of morbid curiosity, who wants me dead?” There were plenty of options, he wanted to know who wanted it badly enough to hire an assassin. And it wasn’t like he currently had anything better to do with his time. 

Krios cocked his head, a flicker of what might have been amusement crossing his face. “I cannot tell you, Shepard.”

Shepard snorted and arched a brow. “Client confidentiality?”

“Client anonymity,” the drell corrected.

“You let some faceless coward point you at a target with my body count?”

“As you know, I am dying,” Krios said in that implacable tone of his. “Odds of survival were... far from troubling, as a factor.”

“And odds of success?” Shepard retorted.

This time there was definitely a small smile before Krios schooled his expression neutral. Not mocking or cocky, just... amused. “There is a first time for everything.” The faint amusement was gone when he locked eyes with Shepard. “How will we handle this, commander? When we are finished our mission, assuming we both survive, and I resume my contract to kill you?”

“Feel like giving me a day’s lead?” Shepard grinned sardonically.

“I could be persuaded,” Krios said. He shifted in his chair. “Let us see how things progress, shall we?”

You’d never know to look at the man he’d been... convinced to help with this by threat of harm to his son. He seemed perfectly at home, posture easy. He didn’t talk to the crew much, Shepard knew from EDI, but it was hardly surprising an assassin was accustom to solitude.

As if summoned by his brief thought of her, a glowing sphere materialized on the AI kiosk. “Shepard, Miss Lawson wished you informed that the IFF installation is in its final stage. For the shakedown we will need complete access to the Normandy’s systems, so it is recommended you use the shuttle for whatever you plan to undertake next.”

“Got it,: Shepard tossed in vaguely the direction of the AI. “That’ll make things tight,” he muttered to himself. He had something in mind that would likely need the whole team. They’d fit in the shuttle, but it would be tight. Last thing he needed was Lawson and Jack killing each other before they even hit the Collector base.

Krios was eyeing him with curiosity. “Commander?”

“Gear up,” Shepard said, heading for the door. “Got a search and recover that might take all hands.”

The assassin nodded and pushed to his feet, heading for his locker. “Very well.”

---

Their mission went well. Things on the Normandy in their absence, not so much. Shepard left a fully-staffed state of the art warship an returned to a picked-clean husk manned only by his pilot and the now-unshackled AI.

The Collectors had bloodied his nose, cost him his crew. Again. He’d had it.  “Ship’s not getting any more ready than it is. Joker, head for the Omega 4 relay.”

“Aye, aye,” came the determined, hungry reply.The pilot was probably even more eager than Shepard to punch back at the bug-eyed bastards.

Unlike Joker--and probably the others--Shepard viewed getting the crew back as a secondary objective to taking out the Collectors. The threat they posed to humanity ended now.

Get us there was his order, and that didn’t change when they came out of the relay having to dodge starship wreckage, or when they were harried by drones, or even when a fucking occulus busted into the hold.

“Krios, Massani, with me!” he barked, rifle in hand, listening to the scrape and thud of wreckage and lasers ricocheting off the upgraded hull on the way to the bowels of the ship. By the time they had trashed the occulus, Joker had them past the debris field and the drones, and a new problem had arisen.

New, but familiar--the same Collector vessel that he had encountered numerous times before. But this time, the Normandy had sharper teeth. “Let ‘em have it!” he ordered, a command Joker follow with alacrity Darting, looping, dodging, the pilot had them dancing around the larger ship, deftly avoiding the beam that had been their destruction before.

The surge of satisfaction at destroying the vessel was short lived, as it erupted in a fireball more than large enough to knock the Normandy into a crazy, barely controlled descent that could more bluntly be called a crash.

“Everyone alive?” Shepard checked over comms. When that was affirmative, he followed with, “Assemble in the CIC.”

This was it. A quick rundown of schematics pulled from the vessel and what he expected to find inside, a victory whatever it takes reminder, and it was time to go.

---

Than prayed silently to Amonkira as they disembarked from the Normandy. Let our hands strike true, and victory be worth the cost. There would be a cost, of this he was sure. He was familiar enough with Shepard’s methods by now there was little room for doubt. If I am among that cost, please guide my son, that his steps may trace a better path.

He wondered, if he should fall, whether his client would hire someone else to complete the task of killing Shepard or if they would let it go. He hoped it wouldn’t come  to that. He wanted to survive, to speak more with Kolyat before the end, but it would be what it was.

They split into groups, Shepard leading Thane and Zaeed, Garrus the rest of them, to serve as distractions while Tali crawled through the vents to let them pass. It was a good call; the Collectors swarmed thick enough any other plan would likely have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. They were not given the luxury of time for sighting in targets, so Thane stuck with his pistol--and occasionally biotics--firing, reloading, firing, with the odd interruption to scrounge more thermal clips because he’d run out.

Shepard’s back and forth with Garrus and Tali was just background noise, like the beating wings of their foes, as Thane gave his focus to the task at hand.

Tali stumbled out of the vent just as they finally reached the heavy doors barring the end of the hall. She beelined for the access panel, teetered as a couple shots ricocheted off her shields.

“Get it open!” Shepard barked as the three of them wheeled to give her cover fire. “Vakarian, where the hell are you?!”

“Almost there, a group of the bastards ambushed us!”

A Collector dove toward Tali and Thane shot it--rushed, imperfect, but the grazing shot knocked it off course long enough for him to try again. This time, it fell and did not rise again.

---

The sense of urgency, pounding Hurry, hurry, hurry through Shepard’s veins thrummed louder as the door beeped and started to hiss open. A muffled burst of gunfire reached his ears a handful of seconds before Vakarian and the others came into view, hauling ass down the passageway toward them.

“Massani, Krios! Through the door!” He rattled off a stream of cover fire, driving the Collectors to hang back for a second. Just a second. But it was enough time for the second fire team to reach the end of the passage and dart through the door.

Krios and Massani maintained some cover fire from the far side of the door, buying breathing room for the others as one by one they darted through the door. Lawson brought up the rear, her barrier shimmering out as the doors groaned on closing.

“They’re stuck!” Tali bit out, shoving one door with scraping, grinding protest along its track. Shepard and Lawson ducked through the narrowing gap just as a final shot slammed into Lawson’s shoulder and sent her stumbling.

“I’m fine,” she ground out, slapping medigel on the injury as the group of them shook off the adrenaline to register what the room held.

The walls were lined with dozens, hundreds, thousands, of the Collectors’ pods. The dingy yellow glow throughout the room spoke to them all being occupied.

Movement caught Shepard’s eye and he swung his rifle toward the potential threat. it was just one of the nearby pods; the dark-skinned, dark-haired woman inside stirred, pounding against the transparent canopy in a futile attempt to escape. Even as Tali and Krios rushed forward to try and free her, the pod hummed and the woman only had time for a single terrified scream before she simply... liquefied into a sludgy brown paste which drained away almost before his crew had time to recoil in horror.

“Commander! Over here!” Taylor fumbled with a nearby pod until a very disoriented figure tumbled out. “It’s the crew!”

That broke the horror that had frozen them, and the group surged forward to free their comrades before the same fate could befall them.

Chambers. Daniels. Donnelly. Gardner. All of them were here, as Shepard ran a mental roster, but Chakwas was the one to explain. Near as she could tell, the humans in the pods were being reduced to genetic material and ...piped elsewhere in the base through tubes, though she wasn’t sure where or why. That sounded like where they needed to go.

“We need to get them out of here,” Taylor said, hovering near a few of the engineers as they stumbled to their feet.

We don’t have time for this. “You wanna take them back, be my guest,” Shepard returned brusquely. “We need to destroy this base, but we can mange without you if it’s that important to you.”

“It is.” Taylor’s voice was firm as he tugged Chambers’ arm around his shoulders and herded the crew back toward the Normandy. “See you on the other side, Commander.”

---

Thane almost offered to accompany them; it was a lot of people for one man to safeguard. But Shepard was already snapping orders for the next stage of their infiltration. He’d be taking Garrus and Zaeed, sheltered from the overabundance of Seeker swarms by Jack, down the shortest route that followed the tubes. “The rest of you follow Lawson on the other route EDI indicated, draw some of the flying bastards off.”

Forward, then. Thane checked his reserve of thermal clips, made sure his pistol was undamaged, and fell in with the others as the door hissed open and they pressed on.

They hadn’t advanced far when the first Collectors appeared, drones and a small number of husks that were easy enough tot pick off. Their numbers only increased as time wore on, but that was the point wasn’t it? Draw them here, so Shepard could get through. Thane stood shoulder to shoulder with Tali as their squad advanced, shared his thermal clips when hers ran out first, lent what strength he could to the biotic barrier Samara had summoned to protect their backs.

“There’s a lot of them, Shepard!” Miranda hollered into comms when they were forced to take cover from a particularly large group, dotted with abominations and led by a scion.

“Good!” his reply crackled back underscored by gunfire. “Keep them the hell off us! We’re almost there!”

She hissed a quiet curse, then, “Yes, Commander!” Her fist flared blue and a pair of husks flew off the edge of the path. “Samara, push them back on three!”

The justicar nodded and the rest of them by unspoken agreement turned their focus to give the women cover fire.

“One!”

Strafing fire raked Grunt’s armor and he bellowed a laugh as he shot back. Thane admired his defiance.

“Two!”

The barrier Samar had been maintaining shrank inward in preparation. Amonkira, guide their strength.

“Three!”

The combined power of two gifted biotics exploded outward in a wash over overwhelming ozone-scented blue. Just as it slammed into the descending Collector horde, a heavy, white hot pain tore into Thane’s arm and side. 

He was dimly aware of Miranda yelling for them to move, of a hand closing around his bicep to drag him with them, of his legs moving to keep up until the gave out and he was hauled over someone’s shoulder instead. There was  rushing sound in his ears and it wasn’t until it was it was punctuated by gunfire and Miranda hollering at Shepard they were under heavy attack Thane realized it was Collector wings and not the lure of unconsciousness.

“Give us a minute, Lawson!”

“We don’t have a minute!”

Shepard’s curse was broken by static. “Vakarian, get that door open! Now!”

Time was fuzzy with the pain that swirled fresh at each jolted step of whoever (probably Grunt) was carrying him, but it still seemed an eternity before, muffled, he could hear someone calling an encouragement.

He slammed against something and the pain flared so white, for a moment he saw Irikah’s face. There was a dull murmur of voices, then a spike of numb shot through the pain and spread, blanketing, pushing back until he was aware again.

Tali knelt beside him, her omnitool just closing down as he became conscious of her presence. “Good, you’re still with us.”

“Thanks to you,” Thane rasped. He passed one hand gingerly over his injured side. The healing wound was large, like from a plasma- or other energy-based weapon rather than bullets. He could cope much better with bullets.

“You are welcome,” Tali said, pushing to her feet and offering him a hand up.

Thane accepted, but leaned against a wall once he’d gained his feet. It would take a few minutes for the medigel to truly do its work. He cast a surveying glance about as he waited. Mordin was limping heavily, Grunt, Garrus, and Zaeed all had significant battle damage to their armor....

And Miranda lay still, half-slumped against a wall, pistol resting in her limp grasp. Shepard knelt next to her, blood streaked in his stark white hair, but stood even as Thane’s gaze landed on them. “She’s gone,” he confirmed, as if there was any doubt. He half-turned, hand rising to his ear, expression flint-hard. “Got it, Joker.”

Garrus’ mandibles clicked. “The crew?”

“They made it back.” Shepard shoved a new clip into his rifle. “Taylor died getting them there.”

Thane grimaced. He should have gone along. 

“It happens,” Shepard said, as if he’d caught the self-reproof without even looking. “According to EDI, this next room’s the core. Vakarian, Massani, you stick with me, the rest of you cover our asses.”

He didn’t wait for agreement or confirmation, just strode to the console for the necessary door and and punched in the command to open it. Garrus and Zaeed followed silently, the former briefly locking eyes with Tali before the three of them disappeared down the hallway.

---

The rest of them hastily arranged themselves in a defensive perimeter, gazes and weapons trained on the two doors that separated them from the Collector forces.

Thane said a rushed but heartfelt prayer to Kalahira for their fallen, working the fingers of his injured arm to test the medigel’s progress. It would do.

The sheer number of Collectors made the task a difficult one--more than once Thane feared running out of clips for his pistol until a brief pause between waves allowed them to scavenge and share from the fallen. This sort of sustained firefight was far from his normal milieu, but this close to the end he was still determined to do his best.

They held as battle chatter from Shepard’s squad broke through the static. They held even though Mordin fell and Legion fell and Jack nearly followed, snarling and spitting curses as she struggled back to her feet. They held until Shepard’s order came over comms, “Move if you don’t want to go up with this place!”

Then they ran, Samara and Jack shielding them from as much as they could, the rest picking off the bolder Collectors even as they ran. They reached the Normandy, adrenaline surging as they gave Shepard’s squad cover fire until they were aboard as well. Joker had them rocketing toward the relay before the doors had fully closed, and the whole ship seemed to hold its breath until they were safely through.

---

As the adrenaline wore off, all Shepard wanted to do was sleep. But he couldn’t. Not yet. There were things that needed to be settled first.

Krios was in the medbay, sitting serenely still as Dr. Chakwas more thoroughly treated the nasty, half-healed burns on his side and forearm. (In sharp contrast to Jack, who was glowering and cursing about both having to sit still to let her injuries heal and being around so many people.)

“Looks like we both survived,” Shepard said without preamble. Chakwas took the unspoken cue and moved off to see to Jack.

“Indeed.” Krios didn’t move, hands folded in his lap as he sat on the edge of a bed.

“You make up your mind about that head start?”

Krios chuckled. “I believe my recuperation will be a bit more than a day, Shepard. A good time for me to visit my son, I think, and a good head start for you as the contract resumes.” His lips twitched to a small smile. “Perhaps my client will reconsider in light of your actions.”

“Doubt it,” Shepard snorted. “I get the sense their beef with me is personal. Doesn’t lend itself to rational decision making. We’ll see, I guess.” Stranger things had happened, but he wouldn’t be holding his breath.”I’m not going anywhere near the Citadel, in case the Council gets any bright ideas about me or my ship, but we can drop you on Omega before we head off.”

Krios nodded solemnly. “A fair arrangement.”

A less intelligent person might have wondered--hoped--leaving him on Omega injured was as good as a death warrant, but Shepard had seen him fight. It would take more than a set of already-healing electrical burns to put Krios at a disadvantage against the thugs on Omega. (And if they did happen to prove too much for him, one thing less for Shepard to worry about.)

“We can have you there in an hour or so,” he said. “once the doc’s done with you go get your things together.”

Krios inclined his head. “I shall.”

---

It had been a while since he was last on Omega and Thane hadn’t missed it in the slightest. Fortunately he wouldn’t be here long. Passage elsewhere was easy enough to  procure, and from there he could work his way to the Citadel. He could take some time to mend more fences with Kolyat before he resumed his hunt.

That was one thing about Shepard; he was never a hard man to find.

[nightswithkookmin]

Hi!💜 Your theories about jikook not being together during a portion of the ON era are interesting. It seemed like they were vibing together in some bits we saw in that era. Like a level of intimacy and comfort (like when they 'played hide and seek' during that sirius radio interview in the states, when jk wouldnt shut up about🎶jm jm yeah jm🎶. What are you seeing that i am not?

Oh lord! Uhmm...

I honestly don't know the answer to your question quite frankly. It's not a competition is all I can say.

We see from our experiences not from our sight? From our intuition not our vision? So, I don't know. We are all experiencing Jikook differently and perceiving them differently is what I think. Some see Jikook and see two brothers, some see them and see two best friends. We see them and see two lovers. What do we see that they don't?

The answer wouldn't matter because at the end of the day, it's all just theory and opinions and not facts. Until Jikook themselves come out as LGBTQ plus and in a relationship with eachother nothing we say here about them matters.

You don't need to see what I see to have an opinion on Jikook or feel your opinion on Jikook is valid. And I don't need to convince you of my opinion for my opinion to be valid.

I am not in this to convince anyone of my opinion about Jikook. Let me set that record straight. And all these concerns about brainwashing people... how stupid do y'all think people are? Yall keep talking as if shippers are dumb and gullible and don't have the brains to distinguish between people's opinions and actual fact. That's very presumptuous, obnoxious and condescending quite frankly. People have brains you know? Chilee.

Mine is just to support Jikook the best way I can- which is to treat them as people and individuals, not fantasies. Thus, I do not want to engage in and will not engage in any argumentative discussions about what these kinds of moments are and what they mean. At the very least we can agree to disagree.

And if it's my opinion you want, I think I have already exhausted this topic across several posts so you can kindly refer to that. Quiet frankly I would rather read your opinion about the topic at this point- Jikook in that era or the era before it. So please share your thoughts as well.

My belief about Jikook don't cancel yours, nor does yours cancel mine- if it did there would be only one ship in BTS and yet here we are amongst a sea of ships all waving the 'it is real' flag.

And these moments you mention are/were very cute and honey I love them too uWu- but are they moments you consider as indicative of two people in an intimate, sexual relationship with eachother? I gotta ask.

Or did you just miss everything else that was happening within that period from their trip to New York and back to S.K?

I think the moments you mention are really cute interactions and there is even much more cuter interactions within that period- my favorite of which would be Teleporter Jeon teleporting his ass from next to Tae all the way to his man because a certain Idol behind him was getting too close- uWu!

I rate teleporter Jeon much higher on my Jikook is real assessment tab than the moments you mention because that is right of authority and claiming right there.

But the moment you mentioned, honestly if I see two people in other ships do it too I am not gonna yell they are a couple you know? And if you wouldn't consider any other ship that did that in BTS to be real too when they do it, then why ask me to believe Jikook is real just because they do these kinds of things?

I mean Jikook is also a tradship like any other ship in BTS after all. And people are going to swoon over their skinship and interactions each time and lament when they think they are not interacting or doing much skinship. But none of that is proof Jikook is real. To me.

I think a distinction ought to be made here between Jikook the tradship and Jikook the alt-ship. To see what I see in Jikook as an alt-shipper, you would have to also be an alt-shipper or at least a tradshipper with an open mind. It's as simple as that.

Jikook in On era is just the climax to a series of tensions between them starting in November 2019 that had nothing to do with Jikook as a couple but was affecting their dynamics anyway. I said I felt it was a period of JK trying to push back against the group putting a leash on them and censoring their interactions in public etc. I said I felt Jimin wasn't there with him- on the same page I mean and I tried to talk about GCF Helenski, MMA 2019 and all that Jazz.

I kept referring to JM as very Kumbaya in nature who would put the interest of the group above his or even JK's and would often shade him for it and joke about it. But after reading his Weverse magazine interview where he talked about doing things to please people because he wants to be loved- I don't find it funny anymore.

And I kept saying I felt JK was trying to assert himself against Jimin and the group. That Jikook in this period had been trying to assert themselves against eachother and against the group and I'm glad Jimin talked about trying not to be a people pleaser as much and focusing his energy on people who love him- I think I need to take his advice. I'm glad to see him show this level of growth and maturity but I don't trust him. Lol. He isn't exactly known to be one to keep the promises he makes to himself- if what the members say about him is anything to go by. Sigh. But I support this agenda. Self love is everything. You go Park Jimin!

Let's just hope he doesn't relapse because if he do he and Kook are gonna have a problem. In my opinion.

People often see JM as very nurturing of JK but JK pushes JM to be a better person too. That's one way he nurtures Jimin. And I don't have proof of this, but I believe in my heart of hearts based on everything I've seen and said so far about them, that Jikook make each other better individuals. They are perfect for eachother and I support them.

Just as JK, I think, pushes JM to be emotionally assertive, JM pushes JK to be emotionally vulnerable and less possessive- it seems of late.

If you missed all of that happening in the background then certainly On era would fly over your head too. So you can start there.

You can start reflecting on Jikook's moments as individuals who don't exist to feed ships, to try and understand the motivations behind their interactions as humans because that's what I do as an alt-shipper. And when I do and draw conclusions about them, those conclusions are not facts or meant to be. They are just my opinion. I could very much be wrong about them. But it is still my opinion. What's your opinion of them? Whatever it is, it's valid too.

Then there is the whole BigHit releasing content out of order thingy and so you would have to look at all of that and try and reconstruct those too- which is something I do a lot. It is why I haven't commented much on Jikook post JM's birthday. I simply haven't seen enough to theorize on the state of their relationship in this era. When I do I will post a comprehensive theory and analysis and ruffle some feathers while at it. Lol.

Ever wondered why in one moment JM seems to be leaning forward in their relationship, 'acting clingy," chasing JK and in the next JK is the one doing all clingy and the chasing? Their push and pull dynamics is it? Ever wondered why they have that going on with them? Or to you, that just happens?

It's not rhetorical I would like to know. Lol.

I think this trad vs Alt ship wars needs to stop. Let's stay out of eachother's business. It's not a competition. It's really not that deep. We can have our own biases but we can't battle it out with pens and keyboards because none of us know the truth about Jikook. Saying Jikook is not together is a theory just as much as saying Jikook are together. None is factual at all.

And if you believe they are together because believing they are human and can have issues will disrupt your fantasy of them then yikes- miss me with that. Tradship alert. Alexa play Jimin's sirens. Wwwuawwwuawwua. Lol.

And I get that to some people, it's their fantasies on the line, their egos on the line and they would want to protect these interests- but I'm not in the validation business. My ego is not on the line, my fantasies is not on the line. Jikook kills me as much as they heal me and guess what- I like it. Stock Holmes is real people. Lol.

Just do you. No one is right when it comes to Jikook. That's just the gist of it.

You talk about those moments as intimate... True. But intimacy to me is when Jimin, in a euphoric state turns instinctively to hug JK but stops himself as he did in the recent Grammy reaction video or even throughout the recent Runs- when he shot the hoop and won and turned around in excitement towards Kook but then didn't know what to do with himself. He is a physically affectionate person and he is used to a certain level of intimacy between him and Kook and that shows.

Intimacy is when JM reaches to kiss the top of JK's head but stops himself because he is in the middle of filming a run episode. Intimacy is JK reaching to touch Jimin in excitement, in Soop when they were playing puzzle or whatever, but stops himself because there are cameras filming.

You can't hide this kind of intimacy nor can you fake it. Your instincts will always give you away.

It's like that moment in the elevator from Bangtan Bomb when the doors were closing and Jimin was left behind and when JK noticed Jimin was not in there with them he panicked and yelled for them to stop the door from closing or something but it was too late. Probably pouted and glared at whoever didn't hold the door open for Jimin throughout that right- poor Kookie. Lmho.

Or when Jimin yelled at JK when JK was contemplating whether or not to join Jimin's team in Bon V or Run I don't remember which lol. He seemed like he had reached his limits there- now if you would excuse me, I have tears to shed.

When they exhibit these involuntary reactions in certain moments I think it speaks more of how close they really are and the level of intimacy between them not when they play hide and seek in a middle of an interview- that just shows they are goofy. It's nothing TaeJin haven't done or wouldn't do. Jin and Tae do same too. I mean they tried to kiss or whatever they were trying to do during the dynamite MV reaction VLive. I wouldn't say that is proof Taejin are dating eachother too.

But when one of them can't exercise a right of authority over the other like they often do when they are together together, or when they are not claiming eachother, minding their boundaries like they usually do most times, reassuring eachother when one of them clearly is seeking reassurance and validation or closeness or when the others around them suddenly stop respecting the right of authority either one of them has over the other- then that is a sign because all of these and a lot more I can't even get into is what makes them a couple. In my point of view and opinion.

Jikook are friends and lovers. They were friends before lovers. They were interacting and goofing around and trying to kiss and what not too when they were just friends. They were doing all of that before they starting getting into eachother- that's not a metaphor.

Unless, you mean to tell me they started dating from day dot? In which case I have no words. Skinship is not a sign Jikook is real.

Jikook is real, they try to play off most of their interactions as fanservice but they are real. And for Jimin, because 'the boy in love with the Maknae' is also a key aspect of his persona and a facade he hides behind to love JK, it's easy for him to act it up for the cameras.

Most people see this persona of Jimin too and I think it is why they dismiss his feelings for JK as bro love or even claim Jikook is fanservice. That what Jimin feels for JK is fanservice and they could be right but I just don't believe or share that view simply because I see what they see and more. You may not see that aspect of Jimin but that doesn't mean others don't. Perspective is everything.

It's why I said if you look at JM's way of expressing himself as the sole indicator that Jikook is real and prefer his way of expressing himself over that of Kookie that you've been played.

It takes two to tango. JK is part of that dynamic and he is also expressing his feelings for JM too- in a different less loud way. Jikook is not one sided. Jimin cannot be the only one carrying their relationship on his back. His feelings for Kook is not unrequited. Jimin just over expresses himself sometimes. Jk doesn't express himself enough but when he does it is much more louder and intense than Jimin- I'd say in my opinion but fuck it. I'm tired.

That kind of intimacy between Jikook is something I would consider with high regard in deciding whether or not two people are dating and not just their skinship or interactions. But to each his own.

BTS in general are a very intimate group. You can expect a certain level of closeness and familiarity between them- all of them including Jikook. But that in no way indicate they are dating eachother. Please, your honor. Thank you. Lol.

May be you should go back and reevaluate the timeline with the new content we've got and the new information and try not to latch on to the good stuff but critically examine all the questionable moments that happened within that time frame because dismissing all those clues is how Tae Kook is real and Yoonmin is real and VMin is real- ok not VMin, Tae wants him some piece of Jibooty but let's not talk about that. Lol.

If Tae kook is real it's unrequited, if VMin is real it's unrequited. If Jikook is real it's mutual and I can't be mad at that- it feels random but those who sent those asks would understand. Lol.

Keep supporting Jikook. Jikook is real. By real I mean HUMAN. Deuces.

Signed,

GOLDY

[en-231-world-lit-pre-1650]

Big Greek Energy, pt. I

So Achilles & Agamemnon seem like nice dudes, right?? 

Obviously not. Let’s unpack! 

The whole “king of kings” thing sounds weird to a lot of modern ears, but the thing to keep in mind here is that Agamemnon, et al were not your British “The Royals” -- they were the biggest & most successful raiders/swaggerers around. The best ones -- like our good buddy Nestor -- were sensible, grounded guys who could handle a complicated negotiation, smooth over ruffled feathers when needed, and get through the day without starting a years-long bloody conflict. The other ones were ... pretty much what you see in the opening scenes from The Iliad. 

Keep in mind that Menelaos is this guy whose wife ran off with Paris because Aphrodite thought that golden apple looked shiny. An interesting point to note here is that, while Helen of Troy has become a stand-in for “extraordinary example of female attractiveness” and given us the expression “the face that launched a thousand ships” ... the text of The Iliad doesn’t really demonstrate that Menelaos misses her or even cares particularly about getting Helen back, as a distinct individual: He’s upset about the affront to his dignity caused by some other man running off with his “stuff” -- another example of how, in most of Greek literature, women very much are “stuff” and not, you know, people in their own right. You get the occasional exception in Greek drama, with Antigone or Jason and Medea (although, on that note, I don’t think we’d want to consider Medea all that aspirational). 

Hint: If you want to read a not-too-spicy version of The Iliad’s backstory, check out a copy (anywhere; it’s widely available online AND in library copies) of Bullfinch’s Mythology. 

^ I spelled Patroclus “Patrochlus” on this list. I don’t know why. It’s Patroclus. 

One of the frustrating things (for most people) reading through The Iliad (or most other examples of Greek literature) is how gosh-darn unreasonable everybody is. People are always getting all worked up, going on enormous rants, taking their toys and going home (or, well, back to their huts/tents but somehow hanging around in the area just in case there’s a better chance for them to get the last word, somehow). 

On the other hand: Take a good look at humanity today and tell me we’ve actually resolved this problem. I dare you.

It’s always easier to see someone else’s mess. 

Anyway, good ol’ Achilles is the example of this throw-a-tantrum-call-it-manly-rage par excellence, and he gives this mode of engagement A WORKOUT in the first several stanzas of The Iliad. 

Spoiler alert: He doesn’t really get any more likable, although I think his overwhelming grief in the later stages of the epic makes a better excuse than “Agamemnon took my toys.” 

Speaking of Achilles’s grief: 

^ that’s a page from Thomas Cahill’s Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea; the passage describes the circumstances of Patroclus’s death, but that isn’t really why I’m sharing this particular page -- look over to the right and notice the second note in the sidebar. We’ve mentioned several times before that physical texts during periods of residual-manuscript orality pick up the “fingerprints” of the hands they pass through along their long journey to EN 231: The scribe’s marginal “doodles” here make a good example. 

The Greeks Get a Lot of Names: 

The Achaeans get a link because, well, we have plenty on that term. 

There are plenty of references to the Danaans as well, but the generally shallow character of the scholarship tracing the usage of Danaans in Greek literature has always frustrated me. (Doing something about that was the original reason I started my second tour in graduate school, but I ended up venturing down a whole series of other rabbit holes. That’s life, or at least that’s life in grad school. Anyway.) Here’s a screenshot of a pretty good summary from The Homer Encyclopedia: 

The key thing for you to know about how the word Danaan(s) is used within the context of The Iliad is that it’s basically another term for Achaeans, which is another term for Greeks (as contrasted with Trojans). 

That’s it for this post 

... but as you keep reading & thinking, bear in mind some of the “big picture” questions we raised in class today: 

Who “counts” as a person? 

Whose bodies “count” as the body count rises? 

What does “honor” mean if it can be taken from you? 

We should probably also talk about my fave, Nestor ... but that’s another post.