#Nok better lock him down

[crimsonrainsoughtstrawberry]

currently reading The Ghost’s Nocturne and baby let me just say I am totally enamored! 🥰 Not only is the art top tier GORGEOUS, the story is wonderful as well!

ALSO THE SMUT IS A+

[inkheart01]

Tiny in the snow

Epilogue PT1

HA I FINALLY GOT TO THIS

The morning that Kix called was a dreary one, dark clouds thick with rain threatening to open and swallow the world in a perpetual torrent.

It was a morning, like many of the past few weeks, that Charlie and Nok spent in comfortable silence, a warm mug of tea or cocoa shared between them, though the smaller of the two odd friends usually perched themself on the handle with a thimble. They had an odd sort of arrangement, Charlie and Nok. The borrower would often times have to remind the human to eat or sleep, especially when they got fixated on a project, and Nok couldn’t be left alone in the small apartment for fear of Charlie’s mother coming by unannounced for a sporadic cleaning frenzy.

Even though Charlie was meticulously neat, their mother still found something to pick up on, which always resulted in the picky woman completely rearranging their things. They had tried to stop her, but she was relentless, always weaseling her way in and even going as far as to have a copy of the key made. Charlie may have changed the locks multiple times, but much like her child, when she wanted something, she got it.

But at least she wasn’t as bad as the event two weeks ago, when Deric had broken in through an open window, no one knew how he managed to get in, considering Charlie lived on the seventh floor of a high rise with no windows in the hall and absolutely everyone in the building hating him. But he did, quite an impressive feat considering his track record. And thanks to a few close calls courtesy of Charlie’s mother, every trace of Nok had been carefully hidden, so when Deric was escorted out of the building, roaring and raving about a tiny creature, he looked like a loon.

They hadn’t pressed charges though, going to the police just wasn’t worth it, especially considering Charlie’s…less than exemplary record. So Nok had started coming along on adventures to the store or trips to the mechanic down the street, and one time they had even gone down to the shady side of the city to meet up with one of Kixer’s messengers, though the borrower had been confined to a pocket the whole time. An event they where less than pleased about. The outside world was so incredibly interesting, and Nok couldn’t see any of it from a zipped pocket.

But truly, the grand finale of this entire ordeal would be the event taking place in less than sixteen hours.

Nok knew quite well what Charlie did for a living, they had had quite a few silly little arguments about each other’s techniques when it came to getting in and out of places they where they meant to be (arguments that Nok won, every time, no matter what Charlie claimed. There was no one better at infiltration quite like a borrower). But this was an event that, quite frankly, nether of them where looking forward too. And both for the same reason.

They had no idea what to do with Nok.

Charlie wasn’t keen on bringing them along, museum heists where difficult to pull off by themselves, especially with added security from the party they would be crashing, but throw a Borrower into the mix, and things could get catastrophically bad. Not that Charlie expected Nok to purposely get in the way, they knew that the little slyph would do there damn hardest to help, if anything. But they couldn’t bring them along, not for something with such high risks.

And Nok was more concerned with if they where left alone in the apartment. Deric had no reason to not come. Charlie would be out, there was no law stopping him, and if he did miraculously manage to get in again, Nok would be completely alone and defenceless. The borrower was really starting to regret declining Kixer’s mercenary offer.

After dropping a box full of the contents from Deric’s office off in there living room (the contents of which Charlie never let them see), and finding out that Deric had broken in, Kix had offered to pull some strings and get a discreet team posted around the building. But, out of fear of more people finding out about the borrowers existence (Kixer still didn’t know about Nok, and frankly, the borrower found Charlie knowing about them that be too much), Charlie had declined, per Nok’s request.

In hindsight, Nok regretted not swallowing there fear.

But there was no use in dwelling on the past now, because Charlie had just put down the phone, a hard, grim look on there face. “We have eleven hours before I have to go”

I.before I have the go. Of course. Nok was a fool to think Charlie would take them. The borrower should be happy, they thought, less chance of them getting caught. But as soon as Deric heard about the heist, he would come for them.

Nok only had eleven hours before they would be taken from Charlie forever. Eleven hours before they would go back to being alone and scared and forgotten in the dusty walls of someone’s house. Eleven hours before they would have to go back to musty cupboards and stale crackers. Back to cold food and the fading memorys of hot chocolate and warm smiles.

Eleven hours before the best part of there life would be over.

Two hours after the phone call: they had gone out to get groceries, Nok hidden safely in Charlie’s soft scarf.

Five hours after: they had just gotten out of the mechanic, a black motorbike with spoofed plates covered by a tarp sitting in the back of Charlie’s Ute.

Eight hours after: they where still downtown, a burner phone, three lines of thick rope and multiple harness stuffed in a duffle.

Twelve hours down: they where back home, enjoying some warm food and cheesy movies.

Sixteen hours after the phone call and it was go time.

They had there bag, there things, and just like when Charlie found them all those weeks ago, they where swaddled in everything that didn’t fit in there bag.

There path was planned. As soon as Charlie left, they would climb down the couch and hide in the walls. Find a new place to live. But they had to get as far from Charlie as possible, at-least then Deric might leave them alone.

Oh curses. Don’t cry now, Nok. You have to stay strong. For Charlie. The thief would miss them, but given enough time, they’ll forget about the borrower. Just like everyone else.

“Hey, Nok. Are you ready?”, From out of the bedroom, Charlie emerged, loose shirt tucked under there unzipped riding suit, a leather jacket spilling from the helmet held at there hip. “Hey, are you alright?”

Nok snuffed, wiping furiously at the tears spilling from there eyes as Charlie rushed over, sliding to there knees, gloved hands around the borrower, but not touching. They where allways so careful, allways asking before touching, allways looking to them for permission. Who knew leaving would be this hard.

And yet, calmly floating on the sea of swirling thoughts, one was. They had never seen Charlie look so intimidating.

“Don’t forget me, Please!” The borrower choked on a sob, “I know it’s selfish, but I won’t forget you! Ever!”

“Forget you? Why would I…”, as if just noticing the multiple layers, Charlie sighed, cupping the borrower in a soft but secure hold. “Oh Nok, I’m so sorry. I should have told you”

“Told me?”

“I’m not leaving you here. It’s too dangerous when Deric knows about you and this heist”. Carefully wiping away the stray tears falling down the borrowers puffy cheeks, Charlie smiled there soft smile, the lopsided one with half closed eyes that was reserved for Nok and Nok alone. “So, how does ‘first borrower to steal half a billion dollars in priceless gems and jewels’ sound?”

[captainderyn]

23. "I immediately regret this decision." - for whoever you feel like doing :)

Thank you for the ask @nusaran! Sorry this took forever for me to answer--there was awhile where my writing brain was simply fizzled out. 

Rina is mine, Danna belongs to @lumielles :’)

----

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” 

There was nothing more right in the universe than a statement such as that coming from either the child of a Shan or a Taqq, though it did not make it any less worrisome. 

The Phoenix rose above them, it’s paint spotless in a way that said it had been flown less and redone recently, Durbillion’s shimmering, lake covered landscape gleaming from the windows behind it and shining off of the metal. 

Rina looked over at Danna, her lower lip puckering out as she considered the question before shrugging. “Probably not, but that’s never stopped me before.” 

Danna grinned at her, eyes alighting with a mischievous fervor that had Rina beaming in return. “I love the way you think.” 

Rina whacked the access panel for the ramp, turning around as it rumbled in its mechanisms. “The Phoenix is much cooler than my mom’s ship was. I bet there’s still so much cool stuff in here!” 

The gears ground to a halt and she looked up, shoulders deflating as the disused gears stuck a little more than halfway to the ground. So much for a cool or easy entrance. “Give me a boost, please? I can’t reach it on my own.” 

With Danna’s help she clambered onto the ramp, pulling herself up by shimmying with a grip on the struts. Shuffling around, she leaned over the edge to help Danna up, bracing her heels against one of the struts as she pulled. 

They were giggling by the time they were both up, peering into the looming dark interior. The lights were blinding when Rina finally fumbled for the lighting panel. “Let’s go explore!” 

“I hope there’s still some of Nok Drayen’s treasure hidden somewhere in here.” Danna agreed conspiratorially, breezing deeper into the ship without a care in the world. With an excited little bounce, Rina followed. 

---

“Rina Taqq what the hell are you doing in my ship?”

Rina cursed, inelegant and in Corellian fashion, yanking her hands away from the controls she had accidentally started. “I immediately regret this decision so hard Danna.” 

Danna grinned at her, wild and excited. “I don’t see the trouble, this is fun!” 

There were very few things that Rina associated with the look her mother was giving her through the view port, and fun wasn’t any of them. But then again…there was the sort of adrenaline that came with being caught that made her want to duck behind the control panel, giggling like a little girl, just to prolong the moment. 

The fear of her mother negated that idea real quick. Rielay wasn’t a particularly fierce brand of mama bear, not when it came to trouble…but there were certain lines and igniting the engine of the big, scary, freighter owned by the queen and king consort who’s estate they ever so kindly resided in currently maybe smudged that line a tiny bit. 

Turning on her heel she snatched Danna’s hand, tugging her along to the airlock and the ramp…still pulled halfway down the way they’d left it. Sitting down, she swung her legs over the edge and peered out at her mother. Danna crouched down alongside her, waving to Rielay. 

“‘lo mama Taqq!” 

Rielay crossed her arms over her chest, cocking her hip. “Danna,” she greeted in a long suffering tone–the sort that harbored both affection and notes of ‘of course its always you two’ in it. “Get out of my ship.” 

“It’s not your ship.” slipped out of Rina’s mouth before she could even pause to think, just as Danna murmured. “You’re not my mom…?”

The looked they shared was filled with self regret and winces. ‘Oops’ they mouthed to each other with a visible wince. 

“Right,” Rielay’s voice sharpened, though there was a hint of amusement, Rina swore it. “Well, get your asses down from Uncle Emeldir’s ship now. Danna, sweetheart, I can and will get your mother out here and she can pull you down with whatever hand-waving Force shit she uses.” 

For the better, Danna’s eyes widened at that. “No need, no need! Please don’t call my mom.” 

“So long as you get down here then there won’t be a need.” as soon as their feet hit the ground she nodded. “Good, now let’s go see Emeldir.” 

Rina froze, Danna slamming ungracefully into her back hard enough to rock her on her feet with a soft oof. “Wait what?”

---

“Kid, you might want to start locking up your ship better.” Her mother wasted no time in announcing their presence to the sitting king-consort of Durbillion–despite the fact that he was pouring over some manner of holo map that looked more like a page of squiggled lines than anything legible. Knowing nothing of squiggled maps, Rina rather hoped it was something very important so her mother woulndn’t be able to get in another word. 

“Taqq, I’m pretty sure if anyone wanted to steal the Phoenix they’d be working through several layers of estate security…” Emeldir glanced up, grey eyes finding Rina and Danna–the former guiltily huddled behind her mother, though it did little to hide her, and the latter huddled behind Rina–with an arched brow. “Hey girls…?” 

“My lovely daughter and her accomplice decided it would be a wonderful idea to try and take the Phoenix for a joy ride.” 

“Mom!” Rina complained. “It was an accident!” 

“Accidents like that can be dangerous..Emeldir never tried to steal my ship.” 

Emeldir froze for a beat, dragging his lower lip between his teeth as he looked askance. “Yeah, I did.” 

“See he--” Rielay whipped around to narrow her eyes at her fellow captain. “You what?!” 

“Ah,” Rina snickered behind her head as her uncle seemed to freeze totally like a dear caught in headlights. “I may or may not have definitely taken the Promise for a loop around the spaceport at some point when I was on your crew.” 

Her mother gaped at him for several seconds, her cheeks pinkening in frustration and probably from holding back the laughter she was no doubt suppressing. “Well shit kid there’s a lot for me to deal with there. How am I supposed to use you as the good example?” 

“Riight...ah, shipnapping is bad.” Emeldir looked over at Danna and Rina as Rielay rolled her eyes and slapping a hand to her forehead, stepping aside so that the girls faced to full humor of the cool grey gaze that fell on them. “Besides, how’d you even get the codes for the hangar?” 

It was Rina and Danna’s turn to scuff their feet on the ground and hum and haw. “You ah...left them on your desk.” Rina said, finding the ceiling suddenly very fascinating. 

“And the door was unlocked.” Danna volunteered. 

Rina jumped when Emeldir laughed outright. “Stars, Taqq, they’re double trouble.” 

“They are.” Finally Rielay broke, shaking her head and laughing softy into the hand still pressed across her face. “Remind me why I agree to let them in the same room?” 

“Because you love us...?” Rina offered cheekily, grinning as Rielay dissolved into further laughter. “At least sometimes?” 

[baar-ur]

21 please c:

The one prompt post you liked before you sent me this was the OTP Angst, so I’m assuming this is what you want: “I know you won’t forgive me, but I’m still sorry.” 

- - -

Krenth is swearing fluently and forcefully in Huttese behind the locked door: “Cheeskar nok, tooska chai mani, caba dee unko, Corso Riggs-”

He can’t really tell her anything while she’s yelling, so he just keys the door open. She stumbles forward against his chest, her hand still raised to bang on the door, then jerks back. He’s ready for her to start screaming again, possibly in a language he understands. He’s not expecting her to haul off and punch him straight in the jaw. “Nine hells, Captain,” he curses in surprise, stumbling back against the corridor wall with a hand to his face.

“Take. Me. Back.” She’s tiny, bloodied, and clutching her hand to her chest, but his captain’s anger is like a supernova as she snarls at him. He wants to apologize immediately, automatically, but at the moment he thinks it’d just earn him another punch.

“We’re past the defense stations and into hyperspace already,” he tells her. “Without a new set of clearance codes, we won’t make it in.”

Krenth hisses in reply. Corso lowers his hand and raises his chin; if she wants to use him for sparring practice, at least it’s a way to make her feel a little better about this awful situation. Instead she puts her back to the doorframe and slowly slides down until she’s on the floor with her head in her hands. “My sister,” she whispers, and then louder, a sob: “My sister, Corso!”

“I know,” he says softly. He moves carefully, giving her time to push him away as he sits down beside her.

“You know - how many years -”

“I know,” he says again. “I know how many years you thought she was gone. I know neither of us thought she’d show up on some Sith planet, let alone one we were tryin’ to steal somethin’ off.” Krenth sobs again, her hand pressed against her mouth. “And I know she ordered me to get you out of there before we all got killed.”

“Since when do you follow somebody’s orders other than mine?” Her voice breaks on the last word, and he can hear her asking “Since when are you somebody else’s other than mine?”

Corso reaches out slowly to take Krenth’s injured hand in his. “I know you won’t forgive me, but I’m still sorry. When you took me on, I swore I wouldn’t touch you unless you wanted me to.”

“You think -” She hiccups out another little sob. “You think I’m angry ‘cause you picked me up and carried me out of there? I’m angry ‘cause you forced me t’ leave her there t’ die!”

“Captain...” He shakes his head, stroking his thumb over her bleeding knuckles. “If she’s half as tricky as you are, she’ll come out of it on top, whether that’s fightin’ her way out or tellin’ ‘em she’s the reason we lit out without takin’ anythin’ with us. Let me take you down to the med-bay and get you patched up.”

“I’ll forgive you, Corso,” Krenth says softly as she takes her hand from his. “But not today.”