#and yes those are my edits it took 4ever

[angelbunnywrites]

ENTITY ☆ WIP INTRO ☆

☆ SERIES TITLE: beasts & the horrors of the apocalypse ☆ GENRE: dystopian horror apocalyptic adult lgbt fiction ☆ POV: third person, 7 main character rotation ☆ STATUS: first draft in progress (currently at 51k words!) / book 1 out of 4 ☆ TRIGGER WARNINGS: horror themes, graphic gore, mental health struggles (including suicidal ideation, eating disorders, trauma, and substance abuse), death, abuse, supernatural themes ☆ TROPES: supernatural abilities, childhood friends to lovers, lgbt/poc rep, majority fem cast, training sequences, government conspiracy, background characters galore, universe lore (this book is an apocalypse au for another story), forest fires, anarchy, chaos, war, body horror, mutated animals, cryptids, “zombies” but not zombies, romance side-plot, found family ☆ SYNOPSIS: the world is coming to an end. it starts with a pandemic and people dropping dead like flies--fear is as rampant as the disease. anarchy is on the rise, with an election of a fascist and public upheaval. before they know it, the pandemic slows people down; afraid, alone, and isolated. the young are dying; so are the elderly and sick. and then they start to turn. to mutate. so sick that they can’t control themselves; the hunger for fresh meat becomes too much. and so the parasite takes hold of them, and they lose control.

two weeks after the start of hell on earth, a group of co-dependent seven young adults hit the road and leave the destruction behind. scared, tired, and just looking for a safe place to hide, they go on a road trip in the midst of summer, and find themselves in florida at a government-sanctioned refuge. with many questions left to be answered--the most importantly seemingly being what they saw on the road trip, and how the apocalypse started to begin with--the group must navigate the trusty waters of the unknown, for better or for worse.

when up against hellish beings, zombie-like creatures, and the government itself, will the group manage to survive? or will they succumb to the weight of the world on their shoulders?

☆ CHARACTERS, LINKS & MORE BELOW THE CUT !!

☆ DANNIE YOUNG: 23, bi, androgynous boy, white. he/him (minor they/them). chaotic disaster, anxious traumatized mess, ex-drug dealer / tattoo artist / piercing artist. nephew to a mafia member. loves to say the words ‘fuck’ and ‘shit.’ preference is boys. soft boy but make him a punk-ass who’s not afraid to set things on fire. he’s still got hella anxiety though. big brother to ashley. fiona & spencer are love interests (no love triangle or poly).

☆ APRIL BROOKS: 21, bi, cis girl, biracial (half white/half mexican). she/her. manic, sarcastic, snarky, ex-bartender. although she seems really mean she’s actually super sweet and gentle; great with kids beneath her tough exterior. had a bad childhood but she doesn’t really show it. absolute punk aesthetic. loves dyed hair, has many piercings and tattoos. hardcore. adoptive mother to alexis brooks.

☆ ASHLEY YOUNG: 20, bi, cis girl, white. she/her. soft-hearted, gentle, sweet, and loyal. she was enrolled in college and working at a coffee shop as a barista. she doesn’t seem the type to swear, drink, smoke, or do drugs, but in this story, she does all of the above. traumatized and has Secrets. knows secrets too but she’s not a snitch. little sister to dannie. has a girlfriend named emily.

☆ FIONA YORK: 21, bi, cis girl, white. she/her. brutally honest, can be mean at times, but breaks down really easily. she’s quiet, adventurous, and driven. she’s flighty and doesn’t like being in the same place for a long time. tends to up and leave without any notice because she sucks at communicating. people rly either love or hate her. very flawed but honestly she’s trying ok. love interest is dannie.

☆ JACKIE VITSIN: 21, bi, cis girl, white. she/her. somehow super mean and super nice. she’s mostly just bitter and upset with herself half the time. very up in the clouds but not in a fun or quirky way, she’s just depressed and dissociating. she can be very cold and snappy but when she’s with someone she really bonds with, it’s not too hard for her to open up. was best friends with dannie when institutionalized, but bonded well with fiona too. love interest is piper.

☆ TUESDAY MCMILLAN: 23, bi, cis girl, biracial (half white/half mexican). she/her. she’s 100% the hippie of the friend group. very considerate and probably the most feminine besides ashley. she’s very sweet, open-minded, kind-hearted, and honest as fuck. she’ll be real with you when nobody else will, but also isn’t afraid to be nice about it. she loves a good social justice movement. including riots. loves conspiracy theories too but rarely believes them. honestly quite the skeptic but in a sexy dana scully kinda way. strong preference for girls. love interest is natalie, dannie’s childhood best friend.

☆ NATALIE THOMPSON: 23, bi, non-binary fem-leaning, white. she/they. resident art fanatic with a beautiful voice. she loves all kinds of alternative music and is great with a guitar. she’s very emotional, selfless, and loving. had a shitty ex-boyfriend who’s now dead but also we don’t talk about him )-: bc he kinda sucks. a lot. her art and poetry is great too, overall very artsy and meshes well with dannie and tuesday in particular. she’s extremely independent and a social butterfly. love interest is tuesday.

☆ LINKS: spotify playlist, pinterest board, credit for header (i, ii, iii, iiii)

☆ TAGLIST: @grimeberry​ !! tell me if you want to be added <3

[ask-whitepearl-and-steven]

Alright alright alright

You’ve all been asking for it, so here it is! 

This will be (edit: HELLA) long and obviously spoiler-y, so everything is under a cut. 

Are you ready?

Before we get to it, I want to mention that for the sake of keeping things organized, I will NOT be talking about my AU (@ask-whitepearl-and-steven​) in this post. I want to just analyze the show as a viewer and a fan first. I’ll make a seperate post for AU-thoughts a bit later.

Without further ado:

EP 1: LITTLE HOMESCHOOL

This is a great way to open up the episode and show the changes through the lens of someone who has been a bit out of it for a while (we are all Cherry Quartz, fresh from the hiatus, aren’t we?) but I’m sorry, this post still takes the cake:

Okay, okay, back to the program.

“That used to be a loaded question...“

Right off the bat, Steven is SO much more confident about saying that he’s... HIMSELF! What a good feeling. I’m very proud of our boy. 

I love the name “Gemglyph” for the gem language! I’ll need to know who wrote these, though. And who the heck drew the diamonds? Hopefully it was BP. 

And I’m not the first one to point this out, but MORE ANIME REFERENCES!

Which can be seen as either a reference to the Chill Low-Fi Hiphop Beats to Study To OR Whisper of the Heart. 

And absolutely no one cares but something that caught my eye is the fact that they have an EARTH FLAG at Little Homeschool! How cool is that!

Earth 4ever!!! 

Off-note - I love how INVESTED they are in this conversation Pearl is having with Holo-Pearl.

Peak entertainment. 

I love Professor Amethyst and I love the random human who snuck in to apparently take lessons on Not Giving A Single Shit About Anything, Ever. 

And here we FINALLY are in the FUTURE

Where we FINALLY get Jasper as a functioning character

And 

She’s

SO DRAMATIC, I LOVE HER.

This is literally SO funny like she... she was just... laying on top of her house... under a blanket..... FOr WHAT? To stand up dramatically and throw it off when Steven inevitably paid a visit? 

Is that just what she dOES? 

“It’s FINE I don’t need any HELP, I’m FUNCTIONING, I’m just having a SELF CARE DAY OK”

Also I’m sorry but

Jasper: “It took forever to yank those puny green earthlings out of the ground.”

Steven: “You mean grass...?“

THIS. RIGHT HERE. is peak Jasper. 

It’s also curious how INVESTED Steven is in this:

“I’m TRYING to give you [a purpose]!“

Why are you... trying to do that, though? Isn’t the whole idea for gems to surpass their ‘purpose’ and just kinda... do whatever? Isn’t Jasper just kinda... doing whatever? 

I mean, sure, it’s not useful to anyone, but she seems relatively happy. Aside from. You know. The whole laying on rocks under blankets until she’s disturbed thing and-- okay, you’re right, maybe an intervention would be healthy. 

I’m not gonna talk at length about the rest of the episode - although I think it’s really good, I don’t know what I can say about it that hasn’t already been said. Jasper is definitely poking Steven’s buttons and rephrasing a LOT of what WHITE has said to Pink: “You surround yourself with inferior gems because it makes you feel better.”

And Steven REACTS to this. The taunt WORKS.

And yes, he gains some extra powers for it, but something tells me this AIN’T the only thing he will get. It feels like a two-edged sword. Like it’ll be his own downfall somehow....... maybe at the end of the series. 

Ashes to ashes.... hole to hole.

And oh wow I thought they were gonna bond but LMAO

“Consider your fight back there your first and ONLY lesson.“

Basically:

I love you Jasper.

EP 2: GUIDANCE

I LOVE YOU AMETHYST.

sHE’S doing SO much and she’s SO good at it!! Look at her!! Organizing stuff!!!! 

RUBIES IN SUNGLASSES. IN SQUARE SUNGLASSES. 

I need 20. 

And I also need 20 of Larimar because holy shit that’s hilarious. 

Larimar: “I want to hear the human screams forever.”

Steven: “Okay that’s kinda troubling.”

I love the reference to Monsters Inc here and I love the callback at the end of the episode when Larimar switches to Human Laughter to get her fill of that particular erm... need. 

And honestly the ensuing chaos is equally predictable and entertaining. 

I’m SO glad to know that Rubies are just... Like That and that actually Navy is not a deviation from the norm but rather a different flavor of the chaotic energy all Rubies naturally seem to possess. 

Amethyst is also super relatable:

“Ah yes, the fool comes crawling back. Come to beg for forgiveness, have you?”

In fact, the episode’s WHOLe HUMOUR is just very much My Brand

“Sometimes you save all the people but the rollercoaster still crashes into the ocean...... and that’s okay.”

Including the Running Gag that is Onion. Who... does not appear to have aged. At all. And that’s okay.

EP 3: ROSE BUDS

Okay where do I even begin with this one. Um.

I have to openly admit that I spent the majority of this episode wheezing with laughter. Let’s start with the Zoomans:

Who are CLEARLY STILL SUPER SALTY AT GREG ABOUT REJECTING THEM??? Which is hilarious. 

And also this paradise is fascinating in and of itself. 

But the next scene is basically where I started losing my shit.

Okay, okay, alright so. Uh. I have... a few questions.

Like Why. WHY. Does she look. SO MUCH like Rose? 

Clearly Rose Quartz differ in coloring and etc. But She literally looks. Like THE Rose. VERY explicitly. 

So here’s several options here:

1) Pink made Rose Quartz way before any of the Rebellion happened and Pearl just basically pigeonholed her into THIS specific Rose Quartz appearance because she (???) had a crush? Or somehow saw this specific Rose, thought ‘hot, i can make my sympathetic Diamond wear this exact costume and that would be EXCELLENT fanservice for ME’

2) Pink didn’t have any Rose Quartz until the Rebellion, and thereafter quickly decided ‘I need these gems as an alibi, so we’re just gonna make them” and she and Pearl basically inclubated Rose Quartz like a pokemon trainer hatching for a Shiny until they got one that looked Exactly Like That. 

3) There was no Thinking involved because this is Pink we’re talking about, and it was all just a huge coincidence for the sake of this Very Hilariously Uncomfortable Episode. 

While we ruminate on that, let’s look at some Relatable Reactions.

And here we have the holy trinity of “I have just seen the clone of my deceased parent/parental figure/lover.”

Featuring: Bonus ‘I’m Almost Over It’ Pearl

Also, I need y’all to make this into a meme:

For example:

Anyway, alright, alright. 

That relatable feel when your (hot) dead lesbian lover’s clone asks you if you’re okay after another one of the (less hot?) clones offers you a whole ass stick of butter to eat. 

And then you and your friends all hide in the bathroom to talk about your feelings:

Okay, the rest of the episode gives me FEELINGS and I love how hard Steven is trying, so I’ll just close it off with:

I LOVE THEM. Unironically, they are EVERYTHING I had hoped Rose Quartz would be. They’re SO MUCH like Rose herself - did she model her personality after them? Or are they just like her because she WAS like that, and they’re made from her essence? WHO KNOWS?! They’re adorable!

And the conflict between them and Steven is honestly so gooD! I don’t know if it’s completely relatable but I’m glad they ended up talking it out.

I wonder if we’ll ever see Her again... you know who I’m talkin’ about. 

Her....

I’m madly in love with Rose, ok, I don’t need a callout post. Just leave me be.

EP 4:  VOLLEYBALL

Alright, alright, alright.

OKAy,.... It’s fine. It’s FINE. I’m fINE. 

Confirmed: 8000 years. That’s. UH. A LOT? That puts our timelines quite a ways back. We kind of estimated as much, but still, it’s so jarring to think about. And PP is VERY casual about it. 

She’s also VERY casual about the injury.

“This is all Pink Diamond!”

It doesn’t seem like it bothers her to talk about it at all. She’s not even trying to keep it a secret. So I’m almost wondering - was there a connection to her being taken by White and the injury at all or not? 

She came to Steven to get healed - she clearly wants it gone. At the time she was injured, did Pink not even attempt to heal the injury? 

Follow up question: If she DID care, why didn’t she try to heal it?

Follow up to the follow up: Was it because she didn’t know she could? Or did she simply not have the time to (White removed her before she could)? 

When Steven goes pink, she gasps - but makes no further comment. It’s presumably because she’s seen this happen before. She doesn’t try to move away, weirdly enough - she asks him if everything is alright. Perhaps the context is too different for it to be triggering for her. Perhaps there’s more layers to it? HMMM. 

What follows is, perhaps, the SALTIEST we’ve seen Pearl since Greg rolled around.

“Did you come to compete?”

This is doubly curious to me because Crewniverse has previously explicitly stated that Pearl was NOT in love with Pink Diamond. She was in love with Rose. So if this is true, why would Pearl care about her place as Pink’s Pearl? She is supposed to be past all that, isn’t she? 

And yet as time goes on, the salinity grows exponentially. Alright, you two, I know you’re Pearls but tone it down with the sass. 

(Also, I’m sorry but I will NEVER call her Volleyball. That’s all. Bye.)

Also it’s worth noting that... PP is clearly VERY much in love with Pink.

This is, perhaps, where the lack of a grudge plays into it. She’s completely enamoured.

Moreover, she’s VERY casual about how she talks here. This isn’t exactly how one talks of their Diamond. This is how people talk about their romantic partners. She calls Pink silly, calls her ‘funny’. That’s not exactly a term of respect - it’s way more intimate than that. 

Also, did anyone else notice how, although CG Pearl’s gem is usually shaded in teal, it’s in Pink in this episode? VEEEERY subtle, Crew.

Also, we can’t quite see Pink Pearl’s expression fully here because her working eye isn’t visible, which makes it hard to get a read on things like

“I’m older than you.“ Is she just saying it casually? Or is she fully aware that she’s poking fun at CG Pearl? 

HI SHELL. ISN’T IT FUNNY HOW YOUR VOICE AND YOUR NAME ARE A SUBTLE NOD TO PORTAL, WHICH IS FORESHADOWING HOW BADLY THIS IS GONNA END. 

Meanwhile, Pearl continues to be in character.

“No need to be overly... attached.”

And this has nothing to do with anything but

she cute

Aaaand now it’s creepy again.

The rest of this is super important so let’s get to it:

“Oh, no. Pink did this.”

“What did you say?”

“It’s a funny story, really. Once, Pink got tired of asking Yellow and Blue for her own colony, so she went straight to White. Of course, White told her she wasn’t fit to run one... and well! That set her off.”

“Set her off? What are you talking about?”

“You remember how she was! With her destructive powers, throwing tantrums left and right! She had a scream that could crack the walls. She didn’t mean to hurt me! (giggle) I just happened to be standing too close to her that time and--”

And then Steven interrupts. 

We get more CG Pearl arguing for how wrong this image of Pink is to her. What CG Pearl knew was a totally different (or, well, same, but VERY changed) Pink. 

But what we have to prove our point is Steven himself. He rolls into the EXACT same state as Pink presumably did - and begins to over-use his powers. 

(This isn’t the first time we have seen him use this attack.)

The reactions from the Pearls are telling - this is clearly not Pink Pearl’s first rodeo with this type of Mood. 

And it’s important to note that Steven clearly didn’t direct any attack AT them. He simply yelled - and the whole dang place literally started to crack. There’s weight to the argument that possibly, Pink really DIDN’T mean to hurt her Pearl - that she was just collateral damage. 

Which doesn’t make it any better, obviously. Even if Pink had no direct intention of hurting her Pearl (and there are theories that Pink purposefully hit or threw Pink Pearl or somehow physically acted directly to damage her, which I was skeptical of) the result of it is still the same.

If you raise your voice and yell, even if you’re just yelling because YOU are hurt/have feelings, you might still hurt the people around you. If you throw a tantrum, even if your direct goal was just to let off some steam without aiming to harm anyone, whoever gets in your way is still the victim. 

And this is all very much On Brand for Pink’s timeline as we know it. We already knew this about her - we KNEW she tended to throw tantrums (like in the flashback on Jungle Moon) and that she was childish. The fact that she accidentally hurt her Pearl in the process because she had no self-control at that period in her life comes as no surprise. 

(Although it’s important to mention that perhaps hurting her own Pearl WAS the breaking point during which she finally realized how her emotional outbursts could have negative consequences on those around her.)

And this is a very beautiful message - even if Pink Pearl still doesn’t want to blame Pink for what was done to her (”But... she didn’t mean to!”) Pearl brings the point of it back around to her (”But you were still hurt!”) The point isn’t the person who did the hurting - the focus is on the victim and how they were affected. 

And the rest, I daresay, is history. 

I like the fact that they managed to still bring it back around to the main message: 

It isn’t about just “Pink was bad”. It’s about how she did bad things. And there were multiple sides to her - multiple stages. And the Pearls who knew her knew different sides of her - the side that didn’t know how to be a good person, who was selfish and childish and unrestrained... and  the side that was, arguable, too restrained. Who hated her own past, her own character and her own mistakes so much that she would rather bury them and keep secrets from everyone. 

And neither of those things were good, and neither were healthy, but they are a GREAT contrast to a GREAT character arc that is, arguably, still being unearthed. And we have so much more context for it all now. 

I, for one, can’t wait to see and discover more of Pink through Pink Pearl - no matter how ugly that side of her might be. I think it gives great perspective to her later growth. 

And if you ship the Pearls.. .well, I get why. 

Personally I’m not interested in it that way. Call me unromantic - I don’t think their relationship NEEDS to be shippy in order to be satisfyingly deep. I love the idea of them having a deep bond over this - a shared past, a shared experience, and gaining confidence through one another. 

Cheers and thanks for listening!

[scav-eng-er]

“If Nothing Else, We Have This.” TROS Alternate Ending Part 2/?

okay..so I’m very tired and literally re-wrote the beginning so many times and I’m very tired lol (it’s almost 1 am) But here is the second part of my Alternate TROS Ending! I have an outline for part 3 already and MY REYLO HEART IS SCREAMING. Please be aware that I tried to give Leia the best of the best, so if there is something you guys think I could edit, please let me know. I really hope you guys like this and I am sending hugs and kisses to @reylo-trash-4ever and @mojona1999 because you two are my sweet reylomates and beans and ily <3.

Update: Im so sorry i forgot the first part if anyone needs the link lol sorry im a wreck. 

Part 1:  https://scav-eng-er.tumblr.com/post/190171393259/if-nothing-else-we-have-this-tros-alternate

“Any news from Poe and his team?” 

“Nothing yet General.” 

A wave of worry flushed over General Organa as she watched the makeshift screen blink rapidly. Tiny dots, indicating Poe’s X-wing and the rest of his ships, hovered around the grid, pinpointing their locations out in the battle. Occasionally, a red dot would disappear and across the base, another screen with the profile of the pilot would burn red with large letters titled: Connection failed. The chaos ensued back at the main base and was just as hectic as the actual battlefield. Commands were announced or yelled through holo-coms and com-links while groups from the skies and land asked what the next plan of attack was. More pilots ran around the princess, prepping their fuel tanks and testing their blasters, oblivious to see the exhaustion in her eyes. Technicians gave last minute check-ups on weapons and hurried back  and forth along the forest floor. Lieutenant Connix continued to give orders, her brows furrowed, her eyes flickering back and forth between the many screens. Leia sensed it, both sides were tired. The resistance were on their knees, using their last push of hope to try and defeat Palpatine. But she also sensed doubt in the First Order. In Ben. 

He was confused, hurt and torn. Pulled in different directions. This unknowing in him had already impacted the First Order and their so-called impenetrable power. When she felt him begin to question everything, just a few hours ago, she had finally felt more hope spark in her heart. She felt the heat of his saber as it impaled her son, Rey didn’t miss. Her heart soared when the refreshing feeling of Rey’s life force healed Ben’s wound. Yes, there was still hope. But was it enough?

Would this be enough to finally end it all? 

A sudden pain erupted from Leia’s chest. Sucking in a gasp, she quietly sat on a boulder, hiding her pain from scurrying pilots as they prepped for another take-off, soon to assist wounded comrades at Exegol. Her body was cold, and she felt weak, defeated…dead. Something had happened to Ben, her Ben. Her hand shook as she covered her mouth to prevent the whimpers of her sobs escape. Blinking back tears, and with the last reasonable idea she could think of, she reached out. Out to the one person she knew could help.

“Luke.” She whispered. 

He appeared to her, glowing brighter in the sun. His transparency, in no way hid his happiness to see his sister, aged with time from living her life. Even after all these years, Luke could see how youthful Leia was, her smile was timeless and her strength spanned generations. It inspired those who were now part of the resistance. He had told himself a million times how he wished she had continued her studies. Perhaps the galaxy would’ve turned out different, less pain, less hate. She would’ve saved Ben before Palpatine had even tried to touch him, preventing the world from becoming what it was now.

Yet, here they were, on the precipice of an ending war. The battle happening galaxies away that would determine the outcome of their family, resting on the shoulders of his nephew, her son. 

“It’s time.” Leia stated, her voice calm and strong despite the streaks of tears down her rosy cheeks. She was prepared, ready for this day. Luke sensed it too. He knew just how far a mother would go to save her son. He said nothing, but kneeled down and like so many times before, placed a sweet kiss on his sister’s forehead. Leia closed her eyes, not seeing the few tears making their way down Luke’s cheeks. 

And just as quiet as he arrived, he was gone. 

For the first time, in a very long time, Leia felt at peace. She stood up, no pain in her heart, no worries on her mind. The princess gazed at the base around her. Everything moved in slow motion. The sounds of people and engines droned out. Leia took a step into the sun. It was warm against her skin, as she remembered her life. 

Han, her loving, brave, handsome, and annoyingly-arrogant husband. He had filled her life with laughs, tears and love as they stuck together. He was at peace, she knew that. He had never been upset with Ben, he just missed his son. Their son.

Ben. Her only child who was caught in something so much greater than him. He was used and played with, torn and pulled apart until there was nothing left. Leia knew deep down, her baby Ben was there, waiting. The same Ben who wanted to be a Jedi, who wanted to come with her to meetings and visit as many galaxies as he could. The biggest thing Leia missed was how much he needed her. Ben would never admit to how many times he crawled into her bed after a nightmare, or how he pretended to not miss her when she was away. As a teenager, she saw him pull away, trying to be tough, and hide how scared he was, or that he needed help. She could never forgive herself for ignoring how he practically begged for her in his eyes, as the cold, grimy hands of the Dark Side gripped him by the shoulders. But now, Leia felt like she could still save her son, from everything. She could prove to him how much she loved him. 

She loved how much Ben needed his mother as a child, and now he needed her more than ever. The general’s world went black as she collapsed to the forest floor.

~~~~

Rey played with the hem of Ben’s shirt, the fabric wet with sweat, dirt and blood. He smelled like earth, and Rey realized she had never been this close to know that he smelled so..intoxicating. Every breath she took was so soothing, she couldn’t help but lean in closer. Ben’s eyes never left her, and Rey’s cheeks reddened at how beautiful he made her feel. The comfort in his arms was new, yet felt so familiar that she never wanted to leave. His thumb circled her arm as he held her, and goosebumps scattered down her body.

“So..long..” Rey mumbled, annoyed by how long they had tried to cover it up, or deny just how powerful their feelings for each other really were. This..connection was created before either of them were even born. This attachment and need to be near each other, to be together finally had an explanation behind it. Rey believed this would be the one and only thing she could actually thank their grandparents for. The two mens intertwined fates had curled and twisted. Hate, deceit, years of pain and darkness came to an end with her and Ben, here and now. So yes, she could thank them, for giving her Ben. 

Ben hummed in agreement, “Who knew we could be so..” he trailed off.

“Dumb?” Rey stated.

“I was going to say stubborn!” Ben couldn’t help but laugh, before engulfing her lips once again. Every time Ben kissed her, Rey felt like a bad memory was wiped away. Bit by bit, she was losing more details about her life of Jakku. She already couldn’t remember some scars she got as a child, or the names of rival scavengers who occasionally tried to gang up on her. It felt like he was taking away her pain and grief, replacing it with passionate kisses and featherlight touches she hoped she would never forget. 

They held each other for a few more moments in sweet, silent bliss before Rey interrupted with the lingering statement.

“We have to go back.” 

Ben sighed, “Or we could go…just…leave.” 

There was nothing more Ben wanted to then to just be with Rey. They could anything or nothing and he would be happy. If she wanted to boss him around on the falcon? He would do it without hesitation. If she wanted to settle in the greenest galaxy and continue her training? He would make her stronger than him. 

But the resistance? He would not just be away from Rey, but behind bars, in chains, with every other soul on the planet, maybe the galaxy, wanting him dead. 

“Ben,” She sounded serious, though her voice was quiet. “We’ll figure something out.” She continued to play with his hair. The black, damp curls twisted in her finger and she wondered what he would look like with braids. 

“Leia will help us, reduce your sentence. Banishment to another planet is better than life imprisonment right?” 

Hearing his mother’s name made his heart sink. Could she even look him in the eye? Would she cry? Scream at him? Forgive him? Ben had hurt her so much, he would understand however she reacted. He undoubtedly deserved it. Even so, he wanted to see her, to hear her voice. He pulled Rey’s hand to his lips, giving a heartfelt kiss before nodding.

Her heart beat rapidly in hope. Ben was going home. He was going to see his mother, going to see Chewie…but he would also see the resistance, including Finn, Poe and Rose. Rey didn’t care. She would do anything to prove just how alive Ben Solo was, with the pieces of Kylo Ren dying long ago. 

“Just..no matter what happens, you’ll come back to me right?” He mumbled into her fingers, almost afraid to let go. 

Rey smiled so hard, she could almost laugh. She stood up and pulled him with her, her hands never letting go. Even as he towered over her, he looked worried, his eyes trailing up and down her body, making sure she was still alright, still alive. Rey pulled his attention to her warm eyes.

“Nothing could keep me away. Not even death.” She declared. Standing on her toes, Rey wrapped her arms around Ben as she pulled him to her lips. He felt comfort in her embrace, like she would truly never leave him. Even when he would eventually be pulled from her grasp and thrown in a cell, he knew she would fight for him as hard as she could. They would be separated, of course, by distance, guards, and maybe even Leia. But he could wait, he had been waiting for her his whole life anyway. So many had passed through his life in fleeting increments, he could hardly remember any faces, knowing they would all be there one moment, and gone the next. Rey was solid, sturdy, and there for him, with him. At the end of all this, Ben finally felt like he could belong somewhere, in her arms. 

The two pulled apart when the noise of battle erupted the from the skies and shook the ground beneath their feet. They ran back to the surface, forgetting the pain they had just endured, ready to take on the next adventure together. 

Rey burst through the stars in the X-wing, Ben seated behind her. They danced among the falling debris as it crashed back onto Exegol. He watched as Palpatines undead fleet fell, returning to their graves. Feeling his darkness fall with them, a small smile grew as he said goodbye to the shadows that had trapped him in. Feeling light as a feather, Ben settled into his seat. His eyelids were heavy, and he suddenly felt so tired that he just couldn’t stay awake. As he felt himself drift to sleep, he could vaguely hear the voices and shouts from Rey’s helmet comlink, screams of victory as everyone announced the First Order had officially fallen. 

[edjectedly]

One Long Semester

So... a day later than I said (We are going to ignore the fact I said there would be a part two a year ago), but I realized this had to be three parts so, here is part two! A sequel to I Just Wanted a Good Grade which was inspired by @tsfanart so thank you again for starting this!! Shout to @fuzzypurplecloud for putting up with my complaining during this process, and @sanders-trash-4ever for editing!

Warnings: Lying, overthinking, minor self blaming

Words: 1291

Parings: Background Royality, Eventual Analogical

Tags: @irrelevantbutfabulous, @chemically-imbalanced-romance, @total-trash-emo, @llamaly, @himrachel, @a-wild-zaneta, @acrobaticcatfeline,  @fuzzypurplecloud @emphoenixcat @tree4life25 @vergeangst @ashrain5 @thisrandomperson102 @callboxkat @princelogical @meginoi @moxiety--sanders101 @poisonedapples  @say-no-to-this-but-its-laurens @kanejandkruge @lizaelsparrow 

Logan could barely wrap his head around the events of tonight. He was hopelessly infatuated with the purple haired, emo, graphic design major that just so happened to be the roommate of his close childhood friend. Said close friend had tried to introduce them several times, but Logan always managed to get out of those encounters and thus would never actually meet the person whom he admired so deeply.

He didn’t understand his feelings, similarly to how he didn’t understand the man who made him feel this way. He also didn’t understand why Roman was so insistent on him dealing with his feelings. Feelings were inherently illogical, but when Roman texted him begging for help, Logan just could not say no. Logan thought that maybe meeting the person of his affections would help him get over it, but no. Watching Virgil grow to understand a subject that had clearly just been explained poorly had only made Logan fall harder. And with Virgil’s newfound understanding should have come the end of their interactions, and Logan thought that would be the end of it. Then he had gotten that one fateful text.

Virgil had needed him again, and who was he to deny someone knowledge? So, he had made the trek across campus to see him, only for the other to start panicking when Roman came in. It had seemed so simple at the time, to just lie and say they were dating, except for the fact that  Logan decidedly didn’t want it to be a lie. He actually wanted to get to know someone that was not being pushed upon him by someone else.

Then everything just fell into place, the double dates with Roman and Patton, the study sessions with just him and Virgil, movie nights where Virgil always managed to fall asleep on him right before the end. Logan even learned how to help him through a panic attack, and though he’d never want Virgil to go through another one ever again, he was glad he was trusted to help. Everything was perfect, but Logan knew that eventually the semester would end and he did not know what to do. He didn’t want anything to change, barring his wishes possibly becoming a reality. Which lead Logan to do something he never thought he’d do. He went to Patton.

Logan hadn’t been sure exactly how to breach the topic to him without exposing their lie, but he was stuck in a loop of not knowing what to do, and so when he finally met with Patton, he had accidentally confessed everything. It had all just poured out in a way extremely uncharacteristic of Logan, which he would never admit to.

At first Patton seemed a little bit upset about the lying, but ultimately he understood why they did it, and he was willing to help Logan figure somethings out.

“So, you like Virgil, why not tell him?” Patton asked, as they sat in his dorm.

The question itself was simple enough, but Logan didn’t have any idea how to respond.

Logan sighed, running his hand through his hair, “I don’t want to mess up what we already have.”

“Logan, what you have right now is nice, but wouldn’t it be even better if it was real?”

“You’re correct, but I do not wish to stress him out before his final. That seems counterproductive to all the work he has put in over the semester and I won’t let my… infatuation with him cost him the good grade he’s worked so hard to get.”

There was a brief pause, enough for Logan to look up at Patton and for Patton to offer him a knowing smile, “Yah know he may be just as worried about this as you are? I haven’t known Virge that long, but he is my anxious child, and as such, I have a pretty good grasp on how he thinks and what he worries about. Just think about it for a bit and tell me this. Doesn’t it stand to reason that he’s worried about where you two stand as well?”

Logan shifted uncomfortably, not liking where this was going, “Are you suggesting he would be more successful if we were to ‘update our relationship status’, metaphorically speaking?”

“That’s for you two to decide Lo, I don’t want either of you feeling… low!”

It took all of Logan’s willpower not to let out a sigh at the pun, instead shifting his eyes toward the ground, focused more on making a plan than anything else. He knew Virgil, and he knew that Virgil’s final was coming up in two weeks. Between him and Patton they could keep him distracted, and knowing Roman, he’d contribute without meaning to. That way, he couldn’t stress about potential feelings, and Logan would have more time to make a decision on how to deal with them.

“Patton, do you think you could help me minimize Virgil’s stress this week and next, so I have more time to properly assess the situation? That way I cause him no further emotional distress, and he can focus on his grades, which are more important.”

Patton pressed his lips into a tight line, his usually ever-present smile disappearing, “You know, feelings are just as important as grades right? I’m all for helpin’ you both calm down kiddo, but your feelings are important too.”

“If you didn’t understand earlier when I explained the situation, this is my fault, and therefore it is my job to resolve this mess in a way that will cause everyone the least amount of turmoil.”

“From what you told me,” corrected Patton, “All you did was give him a way out of a sticky situation where he just wasn’t ready to talk about whatever was going on. Sure there were other options, but you both thought that was best in the moment. It wouldn’t be smart to blame yourself for this.”

Logically, Logan knew Patton was correct, but for some reason he still felt distressed in regards to the whole situation. He didn’t feel right keeping his secret hidden from Virgil, but he knew he couldn't come clean to him today. He was too afraid, despite knowing that his fears were irrational.

Upon sensing the other’s growing distress, Patton quickly spoke up, “I’ll help you Lo, don’t worry. But, you have to promise me you’ll talk to Virgil before we go home for Christmas break. Do we have a deal?”

“Yes, of course,” Logan exclaimed, standing up, “Thank you so much Patton. I am certain that I can handle this situation, I just need some time.

“I’m sure you can,” Patton shrugged, smile returning to his face, “Just remember you aren’t alone anymore, and Virgil is your friend. He won’t just turn his back on you.”

“You are quite right, sometimes my emotions simply override my intelligence,” Logan paused for a moment before blurting out, “I’m sorry I have never come to you before for advice on matters such as this. You’re a lot wiser than I gave you credit for.”

“I know I met you because of Roman, but don’t forget I’m your friend too. I’m always here to help!”

With that, Patton opened his arms, and despite the fact that Logan normally did not participate in such displays, he felt himself subconsciously leaning in to embrace his bubbly friend. When he pulled away, Logan could not help but notice how much higher his tolerance for affection was now, as compared to the time before he had actually met Virgil.

A lot of changes had occurred when he grew closer to the purple haired emo, and hopefully they would continue to change for the better. Now all he had to do was wait.