#i need to thank rex again for the amazing present

[tennessoui]

It intrigues me so much thinking obi wan probably thought he was going to have a nice normal partner maybe a school teacher or a nurse, and live his days solving crime and then BOOM undercover on mob work and then BOOM Mob Boss is all over you like extreme osha (is that how you spell it idk) violations happening and then BOOM Killing someone because they could take it all away because they blew your cover and then BOOM going to the police ball where his shitty father can see him on the arm of said alleged mob boss WITH built in twins i feel like at some point obi wan is just sitting there thinking all of them and then shrugs cause in the end he got the hot rich dilf and he can do literally whatever he wants (well not everything but I’m sure you understand)

hello hello i finally wrote the scene where anakin/vader and obi-wan meet :D aka "boom mob boss is all over you like extreme OSHA violations happening" because i thought that was funny af

(1.7k)

It’s never a stellar sign when Obi-Wan wakes up to a headache like this. In the academy, it’d been a rare occasion. He’d never been one to join his fellow recruits for late nights out in the sort of clubs that dot the darker corners of Coruscant. He was the son of a police chief, after all, and that gave him certain expectations to follow, none of which left much room for drunken tomfoolery.

But the sort of headache that greets him when he wakes up is the kind of headache he recognizes from the worst sort of hangover, the sort he’s only had a handful of times in his life.

For obvious reasons, the very first thing he does when he finds the energy to squint his eyes partially open is to immediately roll over and away from the light source in the room with probably the most pathetic noise he’s ever uttered in his life.

He can’t even remember drinking that much the night before is the thing. He’d—why would he? He was—last night was—the first night of his undercover mission, he’d never risk it all to get drunk—

“Careful with your head,” a deep voice murmurs from very near to him, and Obi-Wan freezes. He doesn’t know who that is, where he is…how he got here. The material beneath his cheek is leather, so it’s most likely a couch that he’s resting on. “You took quite a beating,” the voice adds, and it sounds amused.

Obi-Wan squeezes his eyes shut and tries to take stock of his body. He does hurt, that’s true. He hurts pretty much everywhere actually, like his body is one giant bruise.

He took a beating? He was only supposed to be a server at the club—it had been his first night on the fucking floor, how could anyone have even noticed him enough to—

Oh. One of Skywalker’s men. He’d hit on one of the dancers, Shela. She’d been nice to Obi-Wan, had shown him around and called him Benny.  

He’d gotten into a fight with the mobster when he wouldn’t leave well enough alone.

The fight had been taken outside. Six men against Obi-Wan. It hadn’t been much of a fight at all.

But where—

“Luckily, you’ve already been seen by the best and brightest in our fine city,” the voice says, and he must know he’s awake to be talking to him at all, but he still reaches out to touch Obi-Wan’s hair, proprietary. As if he knows he won’t be stopped.

The touch of fingers running along his hairline makes Obi-Wan freeze and then move, turning his face away, out of the man’s reach, and forcing his eyes open to glare at the touchy intruder.

His glare falters when he sees who exactly has found him. Where he must be.

Anakin Skywalker, businessman, restaurant owner, and suspected leader of the Coruscanti mob scene and its most violent family, stares back at him. His eyes are dark, his lips curled up into a smirk that makes Obi-Wan’s stomach tighten and his heartbeat rise. There is something very calculated and very cold about his eyes, and being under the full weight of them restricts his very breath.

“I was wondering if you had those,” Anakin Skywalker—known to all but a few simply as Vader—murmurs. He reaches out and touches Obi-Wan’s cheekbone, rough this time as if daring him to protest or flinch away from the movement.

The spike of tender pain makes Obi-Wan’s breath stutter. He must be pressing into a newly formed bruise. “Had what?”

Skywalker’s smirk grows. “Prey instincts.”

It’s like his heart misses a beat, lurching in his chest as he stares back at the mob boss. After all, he is wounded and weak and on what must be Anakin’s couch, inside what must be his home.

He’d been tapped by his father to infiltrate the Skywalker family’s mob, and he’s been studying up on all the information there is to know about Vader, his business, and his family since. The plan had been to work his way naturally into the confidences of the men of the 501st that frequented the strip club Obi-Wan got a job at. A free drink here and there, a charming smile, a flirty look….

The best way into the mob was to become a mobster’s fuck of the week. Or longer. Everyone knew that. Obi-Wan doesn’t want to think about his father signing off on his deployment, giving his permission for Detective Kenobi-Jinn to bend over and take it for the good of justice and law and order everywhere.

The plan had been to work his way into the affections of the mob, ask innocent questions in the minutes after sex when a mobster’s shields were mostly down, record the answers and report his findings to Detective Secura every other week.

The plan was not to wake up on Anakin Skywalker’s couch with the man caressing his face. The plan was not to ever even meet Skywalker. He was supposed to spread his legs for an underlying. A commander at most.

Someone like—what was the man’s name? One of the men last night—he’d been kind. He’d been someone Obi-Wan had hoped would come back, because—

“Daddy?” A voice asks from the doorway, and Obi-Wan lifts his head slightly at the sound. He’d known Skywalker had children, but he hadn’t known they’d be here—meeting Vader’s children was not in the plan at all.

Skywalker’s eyes darken, and he doesn’t take them away from his face, not even when he reaches out a hand to the doorway. “Come here, Leia baby.”

There’s the pattering of little feet and then suddenly a pair of big brown eyes is blinking at Obi-Wan from far too close to be socially acceptable. He twitches back on instinct, and a large hand wraps around the girl’s throat to tug her away gently. “We shouldn’t scare him, baby,” Skywalker murmurs in his deep, soft voice. “He’s skittish.”

Obi-Wan barely holds back an offended scoff. He’s not skittish, he’s aware enough to know that he’s at a significant disadvantage here.

At least it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be murdered in front of Skywalker’s kid.

“Daddy, Luke and I put all those band-aids on him and patched him up so good,” Leia says, allowing her father to drag her backwards and settle her onto the edge of the coffeetable. “You can’t make him bleed again.”

Alright, maybe the presence of his kid isn’t enough to usually keep him from murder. He sits up carefully, swinging his legs down onto the ground even though the motion makes him want to vomit. 

He’s barely vertical when Leia pushes herself under his arm to put her head in his lap, arranging his hand so that it’s resting on her head.

Obi-Wan’s eyes widen and he looks at Skywalker.

The man just smirks as he leans back himself to look his full.

“You gave Luke head scratches all night,” Leia accuses when he doesn’t move.

“I—what?” Luke? Who is Luke?

“Rexy brought you to Daddy and he wasn’t here so he put you on the couch and Luke and I patched you up and you gave Luke so many head scratches even though he fell asleep which isn’t fair because we used my band-aids and you were sitting on my end of the couch!”

Obi-Wan blinks.

Obi-Wan’s hand starts moving, petting the girl’s head. 

Rex. That was the name of the man from the bar last night, the one who had been kind. Who had apparently looked after him, gotten him somewhere…reasonably safe. 

Perhaps the plan isn’t ruined after all.

“Oh,” he says very carefully. “Rex helped me? That’s very nice of him. I should like to…thank him personally then.”

Leia shoots up away from his side with an insistent scowl, one Obi-Wan is unprepared to deal with or understand. He looks away from her to frown at Skywalker, but Skywalker is wearing the same expression—though much darker.

“Weren’t you listening?” Leia demands. “Me and Luke helped you! Rex just gave you to Daddy!”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan blinks. He doesn’t…know what he’s supposed to be doing. Or saying. But he can try. “Well, thank you very much for your help, Leia. You and your brother made me feel much better.”

Leia beams and gives him a pat on the arm as if he’s a dog who has gotten a trick right. “Daddy,” she says and looks to Skywalker. “We are keeping him. Luke and I talked about it and that’s what we decided. We want Ben.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widen. This is definitely not part of the plan.

But at least he’d been with it enough to give them his undercover name, despite being out of it enough to end up on Anakin Skywalker’s couch surrounded by his children, and then pet at them.

“I thought you were talking to Ahsoka about wanting a puppy,” Skywalker says. His tone is unreadable, but his eyes are softer as they look at his daughter.

Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano. Vader’s second.

“Ben is better than a puppy,” Leia declares, and Obi-Wan feels sort of—touched. Despite himself. Despite the myriad of reasons he should be on his highest guard, even against this child.

“Ben is not even in the same realm as a puppy,” now Vader sounds amused. “If anything, you are requesting to adopt a little mouse.”

“Well…maybe Ben can be mine, and Luke can get the puppy,” Leia suggests.

Obi-Wan wonders if Ben is going to get a choice in this conversation, and then he wonders what he’d choose.

The plan does not mention him getting within touching distance of Anakin Skywalker.

As if he knows what he’s thinking, Skywalker turns dark eyes to him. “What if,” he says, in that soft tone he’d been using when he told Obi-Wan to mind his head, “I keep Ben, and you and Luke can get the puppy?”

That’s it then. The plan—and Ben—and Obi-Wan are all fucked.

“Okay,” Leia says.

Obi-Wan doesn’t say anything. His chest feels tight, and he's confused. He's confused because he's not sure he did anything to warrant being kept. He hasn't earned his keep yet. All he's done is bleed all over Vader's sofa. This is a deviation from the plan. He was supposed to be flirty and seductive and work to get the attention of one the mobsters until he ended up on his back for the good of the city. He's not supposed to--

“Well?” Vader asks, cocking his head slightly. 

“Okay,” Ben whispers, and Vader smiles. 

[eepyuii]

frostbite — pt. 4

pairing ; childe x gender neutral!reader

content ; childhood friends to “rivals” to lovers, slowburn-ish

cw ; brief mentions of drowning, fighting (?)

note ; i’m ngl i’m kinda proud of this chapter, i may have done the smidgenmost cooking. also i will be making a masterlist soon!!

previous | next | masterlist

liyue harbor looked its prettiest at night.

the lantern lights made the city’s colors pop out so much more. from afar, the harbor looked like it’s own galaxy of yellow stars or like a celestial being as lively as its nightlife. this isn’t even the first time you’ve thought this- zapolyarny palace also seemed infinitely more majestic when the lights turned on during the evening. it almost made you enjoy working late shifts.

almost.

unfortunately, aesthetics can’t sugarcoat the things the fatui has done and that you’ve been a witness to. the mass production of delusions, the robbery of gnoses and let’s not even get started on the things the doctor has done. even with eleven harbingers, who all have their fair share of unorthodox acts, don’t seem to rival the blasphemies your very boss has committed. blasphemies you’ve only watched, sitting neatly and keeping your mouth shut, and done nothing about. you’re only undeservingly grateful you weren’t present for the majority of his atrocities. but then again, who even were you to keep count of divine punishments you would never provide to the sinners who warranted them?

plus, now wasn’t the time to dwell on entirely so much.

if you stood lifelessly in the middle of the street for any longer, someone might get suspicious. you choose to head towards the coastal side of the harbor, merely observing the crowds walk back and forth between the street businesses. a few steps further and you reach a small street food restaurant- wanmin restaurant. the line of customers is concerningly big for such a time of day, you shiver to imagine what it’s like during lunch time.

the large, open window of the restaurant shows an older man attending to the customers with utmost friendliness and behind him, a younger blue-haired girl hurries from side to side as she rushes to ready the dishes. you see her look down and speak as if talking to someone incredibly short, so short that they’re entirely covered by the half wall of the window.

you furrow your eyebrows, confused by the sight- that is until the girl turns to you and panic invades her expression.

“guoba, wait! watch out for-“

before she finishes her sentence, you feel a faint thump against your leg. you look down to see… what in all honesty just looked like a teddy bear- except it seemed entirely alive and currently knocked over on the ground, paw wiping its little forehead as if it got hurt on the crash with your calf. next to it was also a small bag of mora, spilling over onto the sidewalk.

you hurry to gather up the coins and put them back in the bag before any slimy passerby could snatch them away while the girl steps over to help up the teddy bear.

“agh… i shouldn’t have sent you out to get groceries in such a hurry and you also need to watch where you go better!” she reprimands the creature, patting it down to smooth away any dirt.

“a-and i’m so very sorry! we’re overflowing with customers today and we were running out of oil so i thought i’d have guoba run to mr. dongsheng’s shop but i guess the pressure got him distracted…” she bows apologetically and the bear follows suit.

chuckling sheepishly, you wave the gesture off. “please, there’s no need for all that… it was just an accident after all.” you look down at the bag of mora in your hand.

“say, why don’t i go buy that oil for you? i’m not busy at the moment and you and… guoba clearly need all your attention on the food.”

her eyes light up as if the second coming of rex lapis has just occurred before her. “you’d do that? oh, that would be amazing! thank you so much…” she trails off as if waiting for you to say your name.

“y/n.”

“y/n! thank you so much, y/n. i’m xiangling, by the way!”

the shop just around the corner from the restaurant and you dutifully wait in line to be attended by mr. dongsheng. you’re almost getting lost in thought until you hear an exclamation from nearby.

“x-xingqiu wait up!” what sounded like a young boy huffed out, sprinting from nearby. you turn to see exactly a young light-blue haired boy in white clothes rushing to catch up with another boy with darker blue hair in elegant navy garbs who was already waiting for him at the bridge to the outskirts of town.

“come on, you slowpoke!” the other boy giggles and as his friend is finally beside him, he abruptly grabs his wrist and pulls him along to run once more.

the display is so genuine and lighthearted that it even makes you chuckle fondly, makes you nostalgic for a simpler time.

you buy the oil and swiftly head back to wanmin restaurant, where xiangling is practically weeping with gratitude. “oh thank you, thank you, thank you! you’re a real lifesaver, please let me repay you- a whole evening of dishes on the house with whatever guests you’d like!” she bows once more.

“don’t sweat it… but i’ll hold you to that.” you nod amusedly and make your way out to leave xiangling and guoba to their arduous cooking.

your aimless wandering through the harbor takes you to the eastern side next, to the passageway between the pool of lotuses that leads to bubu pharmacy. you lean against the railing, watching intently as the fish swim aimlessly through the calm waters- then you turn to watch the people crossing the passageway, couples, families, childhood friends all enjoying the comfortable mundaneness of life.

turning even further, you spot a small girl sitting at the top of the staircase that leads to bubu pharmacy, you’ve seen her before behind the counter of the establishment… qiqi, was it? she sits at the edge of the elevated structure, facing the piers of the harbor as she watches with droopy eyes and what seemed to be a glass of milk in her hands.

the sleepiness in her expression reminds you of how late into the night it must be, urging you to head back to your quarters and get whatever sleep you can.

on your way up the stairs of the catwalks, you pass by heyu tea house, where an opera is taking place. the singer is a young girl, adorning traditional liyuean opera garbs that flow gracefully with the elegant twists and turns of the dance she performs. not to mention her unparalleled singing accompanied by the smooth sounds of a liyuean instrument, a guqin as you recall it- her voice so mesmerizing it nearly pulls all of the attention away from the heart wrenching tale it tells.

you’d heard stories about liyuean opera and how entirely different it was from the snezhnayan iterations, but none of the descriptions truly made justice to the fantastical spectacle you stumbled upon by luck. once again, you almost forget you were supposed to head to your dorm and rest.

unfortunately, rest is not for you.

you lay in your bed, eyes wide awake and fixated at the decorated ceiling as you recall all that you saw this evening. the liveliness of the common folk, xiangling and guoba, the two boys, the young girl from the pharmacy delighting in something as simple as a glass of milk, the opera performance. it’s all so human, so natural, simple, meaningful and so entirely precious. you’d made an enjoyable evening stroll just out of watching people… be people.

and you were going to drown it all in just a few days.

well, not as much you as childe was going to. but you didn’t do anything to counter it, not a peep of disagreement, not an act of defiance, not even an idea of an alternate solution. all because of some goddamn chess piece for the tsaritsa’s stupid plan. a pang of forced guilt hits your heart- you’d be surely decapitated in the town square for saying such things about her grace, or thinking rather. but that’s not how you feel, you’d care less about not criticizing an archon if they were truly being stupid.

but that’s how childe feels.

he reveres the tsaritsa blindly more than anyone you know. you needed to speak to him, first thing tomorrow.

surely he wouldn’t mind pulling out of his ingenious, but foolishly dangerous, plan just for you?

—

they say early bird gets the worm yet here you remain, up at the ass crack of dawn with no worm to speak of. if you were slightly less exhausted at the moment, you would’ve caught onto ekaterina’s look of sheer pity towards you.

“good morning, sergeant! how may i help you?” she greets politely.

“mmh.. yes, morning…” you mumble back, pinching the bridge of your nose. “would you know where childe is right now?”

“i believe childe is currently exercising outside of the harbor. would you like to leave a message for him?”

“no no- no need, i’ll just go to him myself. where exactly outside of town is he?”

“childe usually likes to train up in the mountains behind yujing terrace, he took a few officers to train alongside him so it won’t be difficult to spot the group.” you nod and mutter a curt ‘thank you’ to her. your feet feel like they’ve got pure geo constructs tied to them but you manage to make it to the door of northland bank- though before you get to make your way out, you hear ekaterina call out to you.

“i would advise you to bring a weapon, sergeant! knowing how stubborn childe is.”

chuckling at the indirect jab toward childe that she delivers, you only materialize your polearm with the power of your vision, the only instance you’ll ever use it.

“don’t i know it.”

sometimes you wonder if childe is even human- the mere climb to the mountains behind yujing terrace was enough exercise to last you a week or so. once you settled upon the mountain top, heaving as if death were at your doorstep, you take in your surroundings to spot a small group of men in the distance, gathered in a circle that and facing away from you. a few more minutes of walking reveal that they are in fact clad in fatui uniform and the sound of grunts, thuds and the ever despair-inducing sound of the eleventh harbinger’s maniacal laughter.

you join the circle silently, eyes sharp and cold, to watch as childe effortlessly topples over a low-rank officer. a little more observation would show that this poor man wasn’t the first one to receive such treatment, as all the other men look over with sheer horror in their eyes and dirt clinging to their uniforms- all while childe’s clothes remain spotless and neat. said terrified men notice your sudden presence and scurry to salute you properly with trembling arms while you merely gesture for them to be at ease.

“so! who would like to go next?” the harbinger calls out obliviously only to be met with shameful silence. he scans the whole circle like a bloodthirsty predator, though once he finally turns around to see you there, his eyes seem to gain a different light. if they can even attain any.

“y/n! to what do we owe the pleasure to have you here?” he laughs, raising a hand to gesture to you while facing the other officers. “gentlemen, sergeant y/n of the medical division.”

the officers almost immediately salute you once more and you sigh. “please, at ease.”

“truly impeccable timing, doc! i’ve just sparred one-on-one with each one of these officers to teach them a thing or two about combat. though… i might’ve gone a little too hard, plus they might learn better through observing rather than getting shoved around one by one. so why don’t the two of us spar?”

you put up a hand to stop him. “yeah yeah, unfortunately i’m not here to rumble. i’ve got something i’d like to discuss with y-“

“aw, come on! this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these gentlemen!” childe whines.

“i really would rather not, it’s a bit of an important matter that i want to sort out-“

“it’ll be quick! just one round.”

“i didn’t sleep well last night plus-“

“then a spar is just the way to get the blood pumping!”

“can we please just talk for a few minutes and then you can go back to-“

slash.

where you expected to receive another interruption from childe was instead the sharp tip of a hydro blade right beside your head, narrowingly missing you by a hair. the officers gasp dramatically, while you practically stab childe with the incredulous glare you throw him. even worse, the asshole only smirks playfully as if it was just a playground game.

being on the other side of his blade is famously not unfamiliar to you.

you summon your polearm without thinking and swing it angrily from right to left, hoping only to get the hydro sword away from you. childe does exactly as you predict and steps back expertly to dodge your spear, bearing the widest grin. what ensues next is a tiring back and forth between the two of you- childe hits, you hit back to defend yourself, childe hits back harder. the men watch intently as if watching the most intense play of their lives. it’s probably after a good eight minutes of fighting that your arms start growing weary from how tightly you’re holding onto your weapon and your legs get even sorer than they were from how much you climbed. this is getting stupid.

you put all your focus into finding an opening in childe’s strikes to overtake him, finding it within his next attack, where he switches his grip on the twin blades so the sharp sides face outward and he brings his arms together to create momentum for a double-sided swing that covers the entire of his front. in the millisecond that his hands are next to each other, you send a wave of frigid air that freezes the entirety of his swords and bites at his fingers in a way that makes him hiss and drop the weapons on instinct.

as the icy blades collide with the ground, they shatter into a million glittering shards. childe looks down, half-shocked half-amused at the display and laughs once more. he continues to stare at the ground, any trace of his swords is entirely gone- though it’s no matter, as hydro is already swirling down his wrists as he prepares a new set.

“hah… the fun finally begi-“

before he can finish his taunt, you’re tackling him onto the ground, taking advantage of his distraction. you kneel with one knee up, the other is latched firmly beside childe’s torso, and press your polearm firmly across his arms as to restrain him. the fatui officers are practically losing their minds at this point.

“enough.” you huff out with a snarl, chest heaving up and down violently.

childe is finally, truly at a loss for words. he looks up at you as if you’re the most divine being he’s ever seen and the halo of sunlight that forms around you really doesn’t help. though, you only interpret it as him simply being so surprised that someone finally beat him. after a few seconds of remaining in the position, you take it childe has surrendered and stand up and away from him.

you dust off your clothes and utter without looking up. “leave. all of you.” the men sprint out of the scene like startled rabbits.

“now can we talk?”

taglist ; @kentply @osaemu @rain-and-a-nice-nap

[acourtofsnakes]

The Order - Freefall, Chapter 5 || The Bad Batch x Jedi!Reader

Summary: What do you do when those you trust suddenly turn against you? When you have to treat friend as enemy, just to save your own life?

Warnings: 18+, kissing, grinding, Hunter being a menace hello, heavy make-outs, swearing, fade-to-black style scene, injuries, descriptions of violence, canon fighting, fear, loss, death (no major character), blood, falls, canon violence and weapons, nicknamed reader (Ghost), Order 66

A/N: wow, this one took a while to write for some reason. It was originally gonna be one mammoth Order chapter, but i decided to split it in two. And as always, thank you to the moon and back to @mylifeisactuallyamess for helping, listening, and generally just being amazing. Love you💙

Series Masterlist | Series Playlist | AO3

Then

~“Okay. Again, boys. Sparks, you okay?” Anakin’s voice floated to you through the cloud covering your mind, nudging at you to get back up. 

You groaned softly, forcing your eyes to open and you were immediately met with the deep, rich honey brown eyes of your favourite clone Captain just inches from your own, peering down at you in concern. 

You jumped, momentarily startled and it caused you to jump foreheads with Rex. “Ouch! Rex, I’m okay!! Although, now I might have a concussion from your giant head.” A pout touched your lips and you rubbed your forehead, feeling Rex’s hand encircle your upper arm - it must have been him prodding you. 

“Sorry, Commander. You took that last round hard, you got caught by both myself and Jesse at the same time.” He moved with you, giving you support as you stood up and stumbled a foot to the side, your shoulder bumping up into his chest plate. “Okay, you might have gotten clipped by another too.” He chuckled a little, his other hand lifting to your shoulder, keeping you steady against him until you regained your balance, “Better?” 

Something flushed through your skin, the soft tickle of electricity from where Rex held you. Touch like this… Usually, you didn’t like people touching you offhand, but you were so inherently comfortable with these people, safe with them that you allowed it. Craved it, even. It wasn’t until you joined them and saw - and felt - how contact-based you were that you realised just how touch-starved you’d been this whole time. 

It also rapidly made you realise you might be harbouring a small kernel of affection for the Captain that fell outside of the boundaries of friendship. It was harmless, just a tiny crush of sorts, built on the admiration and awe you held for him. 

Still, despite being harmless, you would never be able to tell anyone. Jedi were not supposed to form attachments, which had always been completely backwards and restrictive in your mind. 

How were you supposed to fight to the ends of the galaxy and keep people safe if you couldn’t form strong bonds with them? 

“Uh, Commander?”

You blinked back to the present, crawling out of your thought spiral to see Rex peering down at you, and behind him, Anakin smirking with his arms crossed and a brow delicately raised. 

Yeah, he knew. 

With a laugh that you hoped was breezy, you looked back up at Rex, stepping back carefully from him with a nod that came far too late, “Yes! Yes, sorry, I feel much better now. Thank you, Rex.” You brushed down your clothes, hoping your cheeks weren’t too flushed. 

You really needed to pull yourself together. 

To be fair, you had taken quite a few hits. 

The Captain held out your lightsabers from where he retrieved them, “Well then, ready to go again?” His warm eyes twinkled, amusement dancing on the chiselled lines of his face and it made a grin mirror on your own. 

“You’re on.” ~~

~~

A smile was playing on your face as the last threads of that memory floated away, sinking back into the Force, leaving behind that playful, airy lightness that warmed your chest like sunshine, the same way it had back then.

All Jedi pictured something different when they meditated, went to a place of peace unique to them. You had a few of these ‘places’ that you pictured - the lush forests of Endor, the glacier fields of Hoth, the glowing paths of stars surrounding the Marauder… But this time, you imagined a calm, empty space between worlds, a place where memories slipped past you like delicate threads of mist, weaving and winding slowly, almost as if they were in the water. 

Which made sense why the memory of training with Rex and the 501st had come to mind, since you always felt his presence in the Force to be one of serenity, the smooth surface of the ocean that cooled and calmed, lapping gently and steadily against the rocks. Yet when needed, it was powerful and ferocious, a determined force of nature that few could stand against. 

In the corners of the mist surrounding your mind, you felt warmth, different to the feeling of sunshine above you. No, this was more like… the steady warmth of fire, reliable and strong, a force to be reckoned with. One that could bring peace but also destruction when needed.

A smile touched your lips again, adding to the one already there as Hunter sat down next to you, near silently. You felt him, felt the way he crossed his long legs up beneath him, settling down next to you, just basking in the tranquillity that naturally rolled off of you when you meditated. 

It always drew Omega and the boys to you, you’d feel their approach settle around you, and when you opened your eyes they could be found quietly getting on with something, be it a datapad, cleaning weapons, playing with a stuffed toy or just watching what was around you and easing their mind. 

You hadn’t often thought of yourself as a person who could bring that level of serenity and calm to others, so it always made your heart feel lighter in your chest that you could give people back what they so often gave to you. 

A space to relax, to be themselves and take the weight of the galaxy off, even for a little while. 

You don’t know how long you sat there for, at peace with one another, but eventually the muted alertness that came with force meditation gently eased away, bringing with it the sounds of the birds in the trees, the distant trickle of water and a breeze that smelt of sunshine and sweet things and beneath that, the rich, smoky scent of Hunter. 

“I recognise that smile.” The somewhat hoarse, unhurried cadence of his voice slipped through those sounds, as if he didn’t want to disturb you, but recognised you were no longer in that state of trance. “You’re thinking about your training.” His voice carried a tone of curiosity, and you knew they all liked to hear the stories of your training and upbringing in the Temple, but would never push you for them. It was a mixed load, one that brought you so much joy to remember but also that undercurrent of pain and loss. 

Today however, beneath the warm rays of the suns on this sanctuary moon, you wanted to remember them all in their happiest, with smiles on their faces and the rambunctious playfulness that even the war couldn’t shake off at the time. 

You kept your eyes closed for a little longer, though your hands relaxed on your own crossed legs, slipping down to the grass so you could weave the soft blades through your fingers, “I was thinking about one of my training sessions, with Anakin and the Five-Oh-First.” You felt the way your own smile changed, softer, warmer, “I was training with Rex, and a few of his closest men. It was something Ani set up when he trained Ahsoka, and I wanted to try it too.” You tugged at the grass, just something to keep your hands busy, “The boys would stand in a circle, and I’d have to deflect their blaster fire. It was only on stun, but Rex would have them change up their patterns and angles so I couldn’t predict what was going to come next.” 

Hunter shifted on the grass, his knee coming to press against yours, warm through the material of your tight fitting trousers, cloak hanging from a nearby tree, “How did you do?” The gentle weight of his gaze felt just as inviting as the sunshine, a caress of the most delightful kind, knowing that he saw all of those emotions playing about on your face, even though he couldn’t read your eyes.

A soft laugh at your own expense bubbled up, tasting the joy of that memory, “Ah, well. I’m afraid I wasn’t quite so amazing back then, I took as many hits as I deflected at first, if I’m being completely honest. It was nothing I hadn’t done before, but I’d memorised their patterns, hence why they kept catching me off-guard.” You let your eyes drift open, coming back to the jewel-like palette of the forest around you, all intense greens and oaky browns, cobalt sky streaked with violet and peach clouds.  

“You? Off-guard? Well, now I know this must have been early on.” Hunter’s teasing lifted the usually serious set of his face, the golden flecks in his eyes rivalling the glow of the sun, his hair loose and tumbling over his bandana more than usual. 

He looked younger, smiling like this, with joy on his face and almost no trace of the effects of war and the purpose he had been created for. 

It was so easy to have your breath stolen by him, to get lost in those eyes, the way the sunlight played off the tattoos and lines of his face. If you looked closely, you could see the hint of dimples from the tilt of his lips, lips that were always so inviting and plush, lips you’d often longed to feel pressed to your skin at any given opportunity - “Ah, well, I might have been distracted at the time, I have to admit that too.” You looked away from Hunter, feeling the rush of blood beneath your skin that had nothing to do with the sun and everything to do with the very un-Jedi-like thoughts shooting through your mind at light speed. 

But then, you had never really followed their rules, even before everything. 

Hunter arched a heavy brow, cocking his head as he turned his torso to look at you, the muscles of his shoulders rippling when he rested his hand on the grass next to his hip, and subsequently, your one, “Oh, yeah? And just what were you distracted by, huh? Or should I say, who were you distracted by?” Oh he was truly on the teasing foot today wasn’t he?

Another laugh burst free of your lips, this one sounding more like a giggle and you bit your lip, “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about and you are suggesting I had feelings that do not follow the Jedi Code.” Maker, it felt like your cheeks were going to catch fire. 

He hummed a rough noise of amusement deep in his throat, shrugging nonchalantly, “Oh no, I’m just merely observing that it seems as though you were distracted by who you were training with. Perhaps a certain Captain? I dunno though, that’s just what I think.” The grin on his face was evident in the way he spoke, the way his words lilted, “You could always tell me I’m wrong.” 

Were your ears red? 

It felt like your ears were red. 

Oh, your whole body was burning up, hotter than the two suns overhead and you knew it wasn’t just from the memory of your little crush on the captain of the 501st. No, most of the flush to your skin, the hitch to your breathing and the rapid thumping of your heart was all down to the man next to you. 

The one you’d never been able to shake, even from the moment of simply hearing about him and the boys.

Hunter into his hand, bringing his body and face closer to your own, so close you swore you could feel the exhale of his breath dance on your cheek when he chuckled, “Well, I’ll be damned. Is that my strong, fierce Loth-wolf of a Jedi blushing?” He laughed again, the noise brushing right over your ear and dancing down your spine, much like the lightning that sometimes cracked at your fingertips. 

You gasped playfully, snapping your head to the side to jokingly reprimand him, but your senses were betraying you and you hadn’t realised quite how close he truly was. As you turned, your nose brushed his, your eyes meeting the burnt honey of his own and whatever you were going to verbally throw at him disappeared, dissolving like the bubbles of the fizzy meiloorun juice you favoured in the cantina sometimes. 

He was so beautiful. 

Hunter’s eyes held your own before flickering across your face, watching the smile melt to something deeper on your lips, the way the dappled sun danced across your own face, playing with light and shadow, turning faint scars into glimmering works of art. 

His lashes brushed his cheekbones, one in such opposite contrast to the other but both halves so uniquely him. 

You were in trouble. 

But then, you’d been in trouble with him for a long, long time. 

And you were okay with that. 

You moved, if only to rest your own hand next to his, laying your fingers over his own, feeling the strength beneath his calloused skin. With the slightest tilt of your head, your nose brushed lightly against his own, both of your breathing jumping for the sky, the threads of something beginning to change, alter, to follow a course they’d been heading towards for a long time. 

Hunter tipped his head, tracing the tip of his nose along your own, until his lips followed suit, the barest brush along the bridge of your nose until they pressed the softest kiss between your eyebrows, a pause before his forehead came to rest upon your own, just for a moment. 

You didn’t dare breathe, holding in the gasp you wanted to make, the tug at your very soul at the mere brush of him. 

But it wasn’t enough, of course, You wanted more. You wanted him. 

And you’d long since given up on denying yourself what you wanted. 

With a sharp intake you couldn’t hold back, you dipped your head and pressed your lips to Hunter’s, a sob almost wanting to break free from your chest, that desperation, a need so deep it lived in your very bones only growing even as you were almost granted the very thing that would save it. 

Hunter groaned when your lips pressed to his and whatever restraint he put on himself snapped, like it didn’t exist anymore. His other hand flew up, cupping your jaw, his palm and fingers so broad that his little and ring finger rested on your neck, right over the spot your pulse beat strongest. 

His lips moved against your own, no hesitation as he pulled you in closer, needed to have you right there, as if he’d open his eyes and you be nothing but a figment of his imagination. 

It was everything. 

And it still wasn’t enough. 

You gasped a little again, feeling Hunter’s hand tremble against your jaw, maybe it was your own body, or maybe he really was shaking too. The pair of you were toeing that line, tipping headfirst over it and hanging on by a mere fingertip… And you never wanted to let go so quickly before. 

His hair curled thick and silky over your fingers when they found their way there, knotting through the strands, bringing him in closer, needing to feel him, to taste him, “Hunter…” Your voice was near unrecognisable in your ears, so full of want and desire, of a yearning so profound it stunned you.

Hunter nodded a little against you, a rumble deep in his chest as you breathed his name with such desire it made his head spin, all the way he was smoothing his thumb along your cheekbone, “It’s okay, Ghost.. I’ve got you.” The movement was tender in its attention, a single beat that held everything in stasis. 

But he knew you, knew what you could handle and knew what you wanted. 

And he was only too happy to give it to you. 

Between one staggered breath and the next, the thumb that had been tracing your cheekbone with such care suddenly pressed into the space behind your jaw, the pressure causing you to gasp and he took the opportunity with every ounce of passion and confidence he had, his tongue darting between your lips and immediately stroking against your own. 

Devouring, exploring, claiming. 

Hunter had dreamt of this moment for far too long, had these thoughts screaming in his mind as he sat mere inches from you with a face as stoic as ever, despite his skin crawling with need beneath his armour. He had no idea if what he was doing was right, he was running on instinct he didn’t even know he had, but he trusted you, trusted himself and he wasn’t thinking anymore.  Just acting on something that had been screaming in his blood for longer than he could remember. 

He didn’t even know what to name this feeling, he just knew it started and ended with you.

Everything did.

You could die here. 

You could die right here, in this moment and be happy. 

You near whined when he brushed his tongue along the roof of your mouth, stars exploding in your blood and you curled your fingers around his wrist, tugging his hand from the ground so he lost his balance, body pressing into yours and you let yourself fall back with the force of it. 

You both landed in the pillowy grass, Hunter’s broad shoulders filling your vision, the plates of his armour pressing into your ribs, your thighs, but you didn’t care. 

In truth, you wanted to tear the armour off of him, to feel the rise and fall of his chest with no barrier, the heat of his body burning into yours - but right now, you were too lost in this, in the taste of him rich in your mouth, smokey and intense, his large hand still cupping your jaw, thumb sliding along your jaw and under your chin, all with the purpose of keeping your chin back and mouth open for him.

Normally, you’d fight him for dominance but you were too far gone and only too happy to do so. 

His armour was sun-warmed beneath your palms as they greedily roamed over his shoulders, finding their way expertly through the plates separating you from him until you reached the fabric of his flight suit, creeping up his neck, until your fingertips brushed his warm skin and then his hair. You wasted no time in knotting your fingers through the silky strands again, your nails grazing his scalp as you gripped it tightly. 

The noise that ripped its way from his throat into your mouth when you tugged on his hair made you arch underneath him, the sound carrying straight into your spine and setting your body alight. You swore you could taste lightning in the back of your throat as you swallowed his moan, pulling him in deeper, mouths moving hungrily against each other, messily in its intensity. It was all ragged breaths against each other’s lips, especially when one of Hunter’s hands slipped under your arched lower back to hold you up into his body and one of his knees wedged between your thigh, the heat of his body making you burn only hotter and hotter. 

The pressure of his thigh, that simple act was almost too much and you broke from Hunter’s lips so you could choke out a breathless moan, feeling your head tip back into the grass as you desperately tried to suck air into your burning lungs. 

Hunter opened his eyes to gaze down at you and they were pitch black. There was no trace of the burnt honey gold that he shared with his brothers. No, they were blacker than deep space, his blown-out pupils bleeding into the dark ring around them, fixed solely on you. You were hunter, prey, desire - the very thing at the beginning and the end of his world, something he would happily surrender to and get lost on for the rest of his days. 

And it terrified him, in truth. He had never in his life experienced something so intense or strong, feelings he didn’t even have a name for. For so long, all he had known was war, training, fighting, his brothers. 

And then you came crackling into his life on the back of a thunderstorm and ever since then he couldn’t shake that feeling. He’d thought about asking someone about it but how could he put into words something that was so intense it took his breath away?

Hunter’s thumb caressed down your jaw again, tracing the outline of your lower lip, swollen from his kisses and he followed the shape of your chin, along the delicate skin beneath before letting his thumb come to a natural stop over your throat, testing, trying, testing… He tried a little pressure, just a little. 

He’d seen the way you responded whenever someone had their hands around your throat, regardless of the situation, be it life or death or not - There was always a flicker in your eye, the awakening of something and he felt the way your body reacted. He knew the way it flushed, the way your lips parted and your breathing quickened. 

Just like now. Your pulse skipped against his palm and the breath you’d just taken was quickly exhaled on a rough moan, eyes flickering to his and there it was. The deepening of them, that response that was deeper, something almost feral and wild. Your head tipped back again, baring your throat to him with a moan, “Karabast.” 

You were so damn responsive to him. 

He couldn’t get over it. He couldn’t grasp the fact he didn’t really know what he was doing yet you were still shaking under him, just as he was shaking over you. 

You blinked up at him, every single sense keyed into him, both physical and through the Force and you were drowning in him - and it was like nothing else. 

He leant over, pressing his forehead to your own, hair tickling your skin as he allowed you both a moment to breathe, to absorb what was happening, “Before we…” He cleared his throat, but his voice remained as rough and husky as ever, smokey with desire and the intensity of these feelings, “I haven’t, uh…” He was at a loss for words, surprising you with how ruffled he seemed, how… unlike himself. 

And it utterly melted you. 

You stroked over his hair, following the line down his neck to his back, shaking your head just enough so that your nose brushed against his, “You don’t need to explain anything, Hunt.” Your words were breathy, heated, “Don’t think. Just… follow your instincts. Your Hunter-senses.” A smile touched your lips, your skin tight, desperate for his touch… all of it. 

Hunter chuckled a little, teasing your lips with his own, before trailing them down your jaw again, to your throat. His plush lips pressed open mouthed kisses to the taut skin, seemingly taking a moment to gather himself and then - then his tongue dragged over your skin, a hot path which turned cold when he blew a breath out, right before he dragged his teeth across your pulse point and sucked. 

A spike of fiery pleasure ran down down your spine, making you feel more alive than you ever had before, making your hips cant up against his thigh and a moan break from your lips that had Hunter shuddering and groaning against your throat. 

His thigh pressed in harder between your own, providing you the pressure and friction you needed, his hand on your lower back immediately moving to guide you and encourage your body to continue that rocking grind against him. 

Every single thought emptied from your head, and you fell into it, into him as he bit and sucked at your throat, freehand moving to unbuckle his armour with your skilled help. 

It wasn’t the first time you’d done this, but it was the first time it felt so real. 

The first time it made every cell in your body feel awake and alert, allowing yourself to revel in the feelings you used to have to hide back when you were a fully fledged Jedi. 

But here, with the Batch, with Hunter… You were allowed to be you. 

And get lost in him. 

~~

“Finally decided to catch up, did you? I thought I was going to have to full body tackle Wrecker away from your food.” Echo looked up and over from the fire when you and Hunter finally rejoined the group, a camp of sorts built up near the Marauder. 

Wrecker pouted as he looked across at Echo, sprawled out on the floor, leaning against a crate with his arms spread either side of him, “Hey! I’ve been working hard lately, I told you it takes an effort to keep this fed.” He patted his belly, scooping up his water flask, “You’ll all be sorry next time you need me to move something.” He kept grumbling to himself, Lula plonked on his thigh. 

Tech was wandering about the camp, keenly noting down anything he saw, especially the creatures and flora. 

You just knew his datapad was going to be near bursting with everything he’d be researching. 

You laughed softly, shaking your head as you both stopped by the fire, “Aww, Wrecker, you could have taken it, I wouldn’t have minded.” You picked up your share of the ration packs, fresh food mixed in with it this time since your last mission went so well and you’d been gifted supplies from the settlement you’d helped. 

You pulled out a serving of the popped corn-kernels - that appeared to have been imported from Batuu - and then you held it out to Wrecker, “Here.” 

Wrecker gasped, joy sparking across his face, his bi-coloured eyes fixed on the fluffy popped kernels, “Are you sure?” He looked over at Hunter, perhaps remembering the times his Sergeant had scolded him for taking your food portions when you’d already lost so much, way back when you first joined them. 

A few steps around the fire brought you to him and you lifted his large hand, placing the container in it with a grin, “I’m positive. I know how much you love these, so I want you to have them.” You closed his fingers around the container, patting his knuckles gently before giving his hand a slight nudge, “Take it.” 

His booming laugh echoed around the clearing, “Aw, yeah!!!!” He grasped a handful of the kernels and unashamedly shoved them in his mouth, happy noises rumbling from his chest, such a simple thing to bring so much joy. He quickly swallowed, then beamed at you, “Thanks, Trouble, you’re the best.” 

Warmth hummed in your heart, growing the glowy feeling that already resided there, courtesy of the man shadowing you and sitting down just beside you, “You’re welcome, Wreck.” 

You looked down at Hunter, butterflies in your belly again and you settled down next to him, cross legged and you plucked a meiloorun from your pack, wondering if your cheeks were still flushed.

Hunter moved, freeing his blade from his vambrace and he held it out to you, fingertips brushing yours when you took it from him and you couldn’t help the way your eyes met his, drawn by something stronger than the Force. 

Your lips curled up, feeling that lingering heat in your cheeks and Hunter’s own lips twitched too, a smile softer than you’d ever seen playing on his face.  

Maker. 

As you sliced into the fruit, you felt eyes on you, intense - heavy. 

You glanced up, your eyes meeting the almost grey-brown gaze of Crosshair’s, levelled on you and it was dark. 

He was sitting across the other side of the fire, half in shadow but you couldn’t miss the way his eyes flickered to Hunter, the smile on both of your lips and back to you again and his body turned even more rigid than usual, giving him the impression of being on alert, ready for a mission. 

Like he was tracking a target. 

You cocked your head, frowning gently as if to ask how he was, if he was okay, but he merely scoffed and spat out his toothpick, turning away to pick up his rifle and begin taking it apart with more force than was really necessary.

There was a sudden cold grip around your heart, as if trying to take away the warmth residing there, a whisper licking down your spine through the force… a warning, perhaps?

Before you could dwell too much on that, Wrecker threw a handful of kernels with precise accuracy at Tech’s head, the kernels pinging off of his hair. “Oi, Tech, are you coming to sit down or are you carrying on with your hugs and trees and whatever?” He laughed, a hand coming to rest on his chest. 

Tech spun round, datapad still in hand and he huffed softly, shoving his goggles up, “For your information, Wrecker, I’m studying carrier butterflies. Which happen to be extremely useful creatures as they have been known to carry messages.” He consulted his pad as he came back over, weaving through the scattered things brought out from the Marauder, “They listen to instructions given to them by their owners and then carry out those requests, often sending messages to allies. Their appearance and size allow them to slip in undetected and unnoticed in places that could otherwise be considered hostile.” 

Echo looked over from where Tech had been, spying the beautiful, almost luminous creatures that fluttered between the trees, “They’re actually kind of… beautiful.” He tilted his head, watching as a swarm of them took flight and scattered overhead. 

Tech sat down, crossing his long legs beneath him, “Yes, their appearance also makes them quite popular, and they have been documented in many different shades such as pinks and white.” He set down his pad, picking up his own water flask, “I would like to know more about them, their abilities and mimicking could provide a useful blueprint to technology.”

Crosshair rolled his eyes from his shadowy corner, still looking at his rifle as he muttered, “The day you stop needing to know everything is the day I’m calling the medic in.” 

Even his voice was bitter. 

Hunter frowned next to you, a feeling of concerned confusion washing over you from him. So he’d noticed it too, then, “You boys realise if we had our own medic, they’d probably quit within the first mission.”

A chuckle slipped from your lips as you licked some juice from your thumb, “You do have a point there. I can only heal you boys with the Force, and even that feels like a never ending job sometimes.” You grinned with the familiar, affectionate teasing you’d all always had, “You need a medic who can keep you boys in shape when I’m not here. She would run rings around you, that’s for sure.”

Hunter raised a brow at you, that special smile playing about his lips again, beautiful even in profile from where he looked down at you, “Isn’t that what we’ve got you for?” He bumped into your shoulder, reaching across to steal a slice of your fruit. 

You gasped, whacking his arm and you waved the hint of your saber menacingly at him, “Touch that again and you’ll lose a limb.” You playfully glared at him in warning, but when it came to your favourite things you… were actually kind of serious. 

You would kill for this fruit. 

And space waffles. 

Oh, how you missed space waffles. 

Maybe if you ever got back to Coruscant, you could go and get some. 

Wrecker’s boyish snigger caught your attention, “Yeah, just not your favourite limb though, right trouble?” He smirked at you, resting both hands behind his head with another rough laugh. 

There was a seconds silence before two separate rocks launched themselves across the space and met his armour with a sharp clang. 

He scrambled back upright, “Hey!!!” He pouted as he brushed his armour off, “I was only telling the truth!!” 

Echo rolled his eyes, shaking his head with good-natured tiredness as he settled down with his head resting on his pack, “Here we go again.” 

The sounds of bickering between you, Hunter and Wrecker carried into the night, punctuated by laughter, that careless noise that was free of the seriousness and weight of war. 

If only for tonight. 

The chaos of battle was a symphony in your ears, fuelling every step you took, every breath. 

Your movements matched the humming whine of blaster bolts and cannon fire, the rumbling explosion of grenades providing the beat, each element a blend of chaos and adrenaline. 

You loved the quiet moments, the peace you found in the galaxy - but you had been bred for this. Taught how to be in this very moment, feet and sabers flowing between the notes of war. 

You were barely touching the ground, floating amidst an arcing blur of blue tinged white, as vivid as the stars as you defended not only the planet, but the lives of Master Billaba’s second battalion. 

They were split across the planet of Kaller which was under heavy fire from Separatist forces. 

The battalion was made up predominantly of shinies, young troopers who were yet to see the true face of war and who were, in all honesty, way too inexperienced to be out here. 

Only four battle-hardy troopers were part of the battalion, having come from Billaba’s previous forces. There was Commander Grey, Captain Styles, Sergeant Soot and Corporeal Big-Mouth. 

Despite having these four, Billaba and her padawan, Caleb Dume, the Jedi defence had all but fallen across the planet, with Billaba having sent Caleb for backup. 

Backup came, naturally, by way of the Bad Batch and yourself, who by some grace of the Maker had been nearby at the right moment. 

You’d asked the boys to drop you off on the opposite side of the planet, dropping through the smoke and rubble and striking the ground with fierce precision and a shattering force wave that toppled the droids back like toys. 

And there you remained, carving a dent in the attacking forces here, leaving droid after droid smoking behind you. 

With your twin sabers whirling through the air before them, the clones behind you were able to rip through the rest of the droids, thinning them out until now, when only a handful remained. 

Thankfully, your temporary squad had retained minimal casualties and injuries - which would have been a relief anyway, but it was even more intense for how especially young these boys were. Not to mention you were aided by Captain Styles and Sergeant Soot, their skills unmatched and just as good as the other high-ranking clones you’d worked with.

They earned their places here with their Jedi Commander, and you made a mental note to thank them, and Billaba.

Captain Styles whistled through comms as you tore through the last battle droid, watching it shatter to the ground in sparking shards. He eyed your sabers, shaking his head a little as he came up beside you, “I really have got to work on getting one of those.” There was longing in his voice and you couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Ah, well, give it some time, maybe I can have a word and get you boys one.” You grinned at him as you disarmed them, the hilts warm to the touch and you let your arms fall loosely to the sides, though you were ready to spark back into action at a seconds notice. 

Styles chuckled, holstering his blasters and he rubbed a gloved hand over the visor of his helmet to clear the dust, “I’m going to hold you to that, Commander.” He gave you a two finger salute as his comm beeped, before stepping over a few droids to a quiet spot to check in with the call. 

You watched him go, where he was soon joined by Soot and then you turned around yourself, wanting to check on the other troopers, to make sure any injuries weren’t too severe, And if they were… Well, at least you’d be able to help them and ease their pain. 

It never got any easier to lose these men, and you took each loss under your command as a personal hit. They may have been bred for battle, a means to end the war with the Separatists but they were real people, with real lives and they should be given the chance to explore their individuality… To be able to live. 

It was something you always struggled to stay silent about if you were bought into council meetings, or even with any higher ranking Jedi. You fought for the lives of these clones with such a ferocity that you’d been taken aside many times and almost scolded for feeling too passionately about it. 

No attachments, remember?

But how were you supposed to win a war, to bring peace to the galaxy when you were supposed to be as unfeeling as the countless droids you fought everyday?

As you looked out across the battlefield, a whisper ran down your neck, like ice water dripping down your spine. The very air around you seemed to tighten, tense, and every sense in your body screamed into high alert. 

From across the way, you heard the unmistakable vile, slithering voice of the Chancellor, only this time it was different. Darker. Filling the air with evil even from just a holo, “Execute Order Sixty-Six.” 

Order 66? 

Awareness screamed through your mind, the Force shaking you back to alertness and not a second too late.

On pure instinct, you spun round, igniting your sabers whilst slashing them upward to block the blaster bolts aimed at your head. They shot off to the side, hitting a tree and sizzling intently.

And where you expected a rogue droid left behind…

You found Captain Styles, blasters aimed straight on target - at you. The expressionless sight of his helmet had never seemed so gaunt and imposing before, usually you felt like you could detect his expressions through it, but this time… It was lowered menacingly, not an ounce of recognition in the once familiar colours.

This wasn't the Styles you had been fighting side by side with just moments ago.

“Styles?” You held a hand forward hesitantly, saber still within your grip but maybe he had mistook you for someone, maybe you had misunderstood.

With a sharp ping that sounded all too loud, your wrist-comms burst into life, Hunter’s voice coming through rough, demanding, “Ghost, run!! I don’t care where you are, what you’re doing. You need to run, now!!” He was using the Sergeant’s voice on you, confusion and concern bleeding through the demand. This was bad. This was happening over where he was too, then.

Your vision clouded over for a second, your mind tapping into the double vision Force sight that has saved you many times - 

A blaster bolt to the head, another two quickly following to the chest and stomach. Then, three more from various positions behind.

There was no hesitation in your response as you swung your sabers round, catching the blaster bolts in a stacked position, moving instantly to bring one of the plasma blades up behind your back in a reverse grip, hearing the hiss as it diffused the shot to your head. 

All the while, you couldn’t comprehend what was happening, the fact that your clones were attacking you, shooting at you and forming up in waves to try and bring you down. 

If this were anyone else, droids even, you would be taking them down instantly, sabers swinging through their circuits and making them crumple to the ground.

But these were real people.

Real soldiers, real men, men you had just fought to save the lives of.

And yet you were choking on the emotion pouring from them, even as your fighting style changed to one intended to disarm and disable only. Not kill. 

The very air around you was clogged with one thought - Kill.

Kill you. 

End you. End the Jedi.

When you tapped deeper into the force, into their individual signatures, they were all stained with the same oily iciness that you felt around the Chancellor… And around the Sith, actually. 

It was frightening in its intensity, slithering along the ground like a venomous snake, fangs bared and dripping poisoning, with the only goal to bring you down in tiny little pieces. 

The clones advanced on you from all angles, stepping over their disarmed brothers and it occurred to you that the only thing keeping you alive right now was the fact a lot of these troopers were still Shinies. 

So, you did what Hunter had told you to do.

You ran.

You backed up as much as you could, reaching into your pocket and producing a smoke bomb. A few more blocked blaster shots and you threw it toward the ground, not sticking around to watch as it filled the clearing with dense, thick smoke. 

Feet flying over the earth, you ran and ran, letting the Force guide you to somewhere that was safe, toward a ship you could escape on.

All the while, your mind raced as you tried to make sense of what was happening, why the clones were suddenly turning on their commanders. 

Was this just an isolated incident? Was it only happening here?

Clearly, your boys were not a part of this, they weren’t falling prey to the Chancellors order… Was he even the Chancellor anymore? 

You’d always been wary of him, but now this whole thing reeked of the Dark side, of the Sith.

These thoughts plagued your mind as you bolted through the undergrowth, ignoring the rapidly growing stitch in your side as you eventually came stumbling out of the forest onto a grassy cliff face. 

And there, in the sun that seemed too bright for a day like today, was Billaba’s ship, almost as if it was waiting for you.

Your first gut feeling was that this was wrong, you couldn’t take her ship… But you didn’t need to dip into the Force to know she hadn’t made it. You just knew. 

She’d have wanted you to escape, help anyone could, find out what was happening… So, without hesitating too much, you raced toward her ship and it was only when you were far out of the atmosphere, the dark blanket of space around you that you took a breath. 

As soon as you could, you engaged hyperspace, slumping back in the seat and dropping your head into your hands when the stars turned to bright lines out of the windows. 

Everything ached, inside and out, your connection to the Force in agony as chaos and death bled into the world. 

With a heavy heart, you reached out, imagining invisible hands stretching through those wispy bonds, reaching for your friends, for any of them. 

Where was Ahoska? The last you heard, she was with Rex, travelling back from Mandalore. She’d updated you right before she entered deep-space, so as far as comms was concerned she was essentially unreachable. 

You held your breath as you reached out for her, imagining her bright force signature, one so close to your own, and yet… You hid darkness. 

A blank wall.

There was nothing there where she should be… Even after she left the Order, you could always feel her, just in reach but this time it was like reaching into an empty room and grasping nothing but air. 

And Rex… Where his liquid, cool calm should be right next to Ahsoka’s… It was gone too. 

They were both gone. 

Panic and fear were flooding your system now, your hands shaking as you wound them tightly into your hair, pulling at the strands praying the pain would wake you up from this nightmare, or just help you to focus. 

You had to just be doing it wrong surely.

“Please… Please, Anakin. Help me.” You whispered the words to the void of space before reaching out again.

There would be no missing Anakin’s signature, it was near impossible. His was so powerful, taking up so much space with its intense vibrancy, like two sides of the coin. 

Night and day.

Dark and light. 

White and black. 

His was always like a swirling cloud in your mind, perfectly balanced like ink bleeding through water. 

Awareness flickered through you, hope flaring brighter than the sun - You’d found him?

It certainly felt like him. 

You dived head first into it, words spilling through your mind that you tried to convey through the force, needing to know if he was okay, if - 

You were drowning.

Pulled under with no warning or no air, sucked deep into a swirling maelstrom of fury, pain and fear. Of betrayal and loneliness - of grief. 

This… this couldn't have been Anakin, surely not. 

Only it was. 

But where his signature and presence usually felt like summer sunshine… His felt like ice. 

Ice that put Hoth to shame, ice that invaded your heart and mind, turning your blood to tar and making your entire body shake head to toe. 

The Dark side, it was swallowing you up, his emotion becoming your own, calling on the very same thoughts and feelings you had been made to repress. 

Anakin’s fury became your own, his fear bled with the same fear that had you waking up screaming. 

He was in utter agony, and he was giving into it. 

Your best friend was no longer here. 

In his place, a being of the Dark. 

A Sith. 

That was the last tether keeping you attached to the surface, the very last thing holding you in place… then it snapped. 

Those suffocating feelings swept over you, engulfing you completely and you tumbled into the frigid depths, feeling the raw pain as the Force itself cried out in rage that so much blood had been spilled today. 

Then the darkness consumed you and you lost hold of anything real, awareness fading and everything turning to ash.

Leaving nothing behind

~~~

[zoeykallus]

HI HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I love your fics so much, and was wondering if you could write a bad batch x reader plus Cody, Rex and Fives how they would spend Christmas with a female reader:) please and thank you:)

I hope you have a really good day!

Happy Holidays!

Thank you so much! Well, considering it is December and I won't get through to this ask before Christmas is over, I take the freedom to pick and do this now.

The Bad Batch x Fem!Reader HC's - Snow, Gifts, Sweets and Life Day

Wrecker

He is like a child when it comes to the holidays. Wrecker is so hyped and dreaming and humming life day songs all night and day before life day. He loves the smells of all the foods, the cookies, the life day dinner, the sweet-scented candles.

He animates you to snowball fights, building snowmen and decorating everything.

Wrecker is probably not sleeping much the night before and keeps you awake too, talking to you, excited about the next day, the presents, the food, the good time.

However, he is most looking forward to giving you your gifts. He has been getting them all year and has gathered quite a few. He needs half an eternity to put all the gifts under and around the tree the night before.

Among his gifts are jewelry, clothing, wire art he made himself and candy. It takes you a long time to unpack everything the next morning. And he is grinning all the time, super happy about your joy over his gifts.

Hunter

It is the first time that he celebrates the life day properly. You spend the time decorating, cuddling and drinking hot chocolate. The holidays with him are dreamy and relaxed.

The night before life day, you take a long walk through a snowy landscape and admire the beauty of winter. Hunter likes to be outside in nature, even in cold weather. Both of you are dressed nice and warm, so you can endure some time outdoors.

If possible, you spend the time on Life day together with the rest of the batch and Omega, with good food, gifts and in a familiar family atmosphere. However, Hunter wants you all to himself by the evening at the latest. Snuggling in front of a fire, with hot chocolate and a soft blanket wrapped around you, you wind down the evening.

Echo

A few days before Life day, you bake cookies together. All kinds, chocolate, vanilla, with sprinkles, with powdered sugar and nuts. It's fun, everything smells wonderful. Your favorite Life Day songs are playing in the background, and here and there you sneak a nibble of the dough.

Echo also has a knack for decorating, and you do that together, too. When you're done, everything looks like a fairy tale. Candles, figurines, the Life Day tree, colorfully wrapped gifts underneath and mistletoe everywhere.

Echo takes every opportunity to catch you under one of the mistletoe branches and sneak a gentle, loving kiss. Over and over while you're still decorating, you suddenly feel his hands on your hips before he gently turns you around to face him and steal a kiss.

"We'll never get anything done if you keep just lurking to catch me under a mistletoe," you say with a smile.

Echo, kisses you again before saying, "I can live with that."

You help him make the Life Day Dinner for everyone and are once again amazed at how skilled Echo is in the kitchen, despite only having one hand. He is resourceful and skilled. But most of all, he seems to enjoy preparing the food for everyone and seeing their happy faces when they eat it.

Tech

You see quite little of him in the last days before Life Day, he is constantly in his workshop, which no one, but he, is allowed to enter at the moment. He always locks himself in there when he is working. Of course, you can imagine Tech is working on gifts and trying to keep that a secret. So you try not to disturb him, either. Most of the preparations, decorations and food, you do with Echo and Wrecker.

Once he has everything done in the workshop, the day before Life day, he will eventually join you for the final preparations and help you with the finishing touches. It's good to finally see him outside the workshop, and you adore him, hardly able to take your eyes off him. Tech smiles at you, questioningly.

"You seem especially happy with me today."

You wrap your arms around him and squeeze him gently.

A surprised, "Oh", comes out of his mouth before he wraps you in his arms as well.

"I know you've been busy, but I'm so glad you're finally getting out of the workshop," you admit.

He kisses the top of your head, one of his hands gently going to the back of your neck.

"I'm sorry you had to do everything alone with Echo and Wrecker, but you'll see that the time I spent in the workshop was worth it."

Of course Tech is right, his gifts are thought out with a lot of love and homemade, for everyone exactly what they need and what they are happy about. He has decorated the entire workshop because that's where he presents his gifts. The joy on his face and the pride swelling in his chest as everyone enjoys their gifts, and you are once again more than impressed with him, is a wonderful sight.

Crosshair

It is the day before Life Day and you had a little fight. Crosshair has never participated in Life Day before, only watching it from the outside when others celebrated it. He can't really warm up to the idea yet and is a bit grumpy. He didn't want to help with the baking or decorating. He also doesn't want to try eggnog, and in general he is rather hard to enjoy at the moment.

When you tell him that to his face, he leaves the hut where you all want to spend Life Day together with a growl and disappears for a while, while you and Echo do the rest of the decorations and other preparations.

Somehow your Life Day mood is gone, you look sad and Echo and Wrecker try to talk you through it.

"You can't take Crosshair so seriously, you know him, he's always that grumpy," Wrecker says lightly and hands you another globe for the tree.

You shrug your shoulders and say, "I was stupidly hoping that today would be different".

Echo says calmly, "Give it some time, Crosshair doesn't adapt to new situations outside the battlefield very quickly. But he'll catch on"

Indeed, Crosshair does come back later that night. Everyone else is already in bed, and you are sitting in an armchair near the fireplace, looking at the beautiful tree you decorated with Wrecker and Echo.

When you hear him come in, you look up and are surprised to see that he has an armful of fir branches. He looks at you meekly and points at the branches.

"Do we need anything else for the decorations?"

Your sad face brightens. You stand up and walk over to him. Actually, the decorations are mostly done, but that doesn't matter at all. You nod and take the branches from him. As you set about decorating the branches with ribbons and other Life day tree decorations, he leans over to you, kisses your temple, and hugs you from behind.

"I know you like all this Life Day nonsense, so if it really means that much to you, I might as well get used to it," he finally says softly.

Fives

Not only does he have branches of mistletoe hanging everywhere, he always carries at least one around with him to randomly hold it over your head and say, "Oh look, mistletoe, I have to kiss you now, mesh'la."

His little cheeky ways never know a break, even in Life Day time. However, his pranks are now tinged with a certain wintry flair. Whether it's mistletoe, a little snowball in your collar, or salted instead of sugared cookies. Fives can be exhausting, but always gives you his attention out of love, even with his pranks.

However, he knows that on Life Day itself, he better not play pranks, this day should just be nice, with good food, togetherness, maybe some friends and his brothers, the exchange of thoughtful gifts and lots of affection. He loves to spoil you with gifts, cuddles and affection.

Rex

He's stressed because he knows his brothers probably have mostly nonsense on their minds on Life Day too. It takes your gentle but firm hand to calm him down and make him relax.

Rex is in seventh heaven when you hand him a mug of hot chocolate and snuggle up to him. Because of your loving care, he quickly forgot his worries... at least until Fives and Echo showed up at the Life Day celebration.

You walk up to them and say, specifically to Fives, "If you mess up today, in any way, you and I will get a serious problem. I want to enjoy this day, and I want Rex to lean back and enjoy it too. So don't even think about any pranks"

Fives looks at you, eyes wide.

"Got it?", you ask with a stern look.

"Got it, ad'ika", he replies, a bit startled.

You smile hug them both and say, "Now, let's all enjoy the good food, good company and a good time"

Fives' smile comes back, and he nods, grabbing Echo's arm.

"Come on, I wanna try that eggnog thing"

You walk back to your man, kissing his cheek.

Rex looks at you with a soft smile and says, "You are my Life Day savior"

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@puppetswithteeth

@palliateclaws

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@starwarsnerd111

[pedropascalunofficial]

Hmmmmm, it says anything....what kind of things do you like to do for fun???

Thanks for the ask. I don't usually do this so here goes. It's long but fuck it no one's asked before and maybe it'd be good bed time reading for insomniacs.

If I'm not managing my pinterest or taking care of my two kids then I'm usually working so I try to make the best of any free time I have. If it's just me and the kids, we usually visit parks, historical sites or the zoo. At home my eldest likes to watch My Froggy Stuff on Youtube. The presenter shows how to make doll furniture and accessories so we make our own pieces and watch Pedro's SNL on repeat. Her choice, not mine. It was funny the first 100 times, not so much anymore. She now does "the hospital voice". He has ruined my life😄

My husband travels for work a lot and studies so when we do have time together as a family we make the most of it. I live close to Dublin city and we're spoiled here for activities. It's full of museums, galleries, historical sites, parks and busy streets with live music. It sounds like I'm working for the tourism board but it's honestly an amazing place to live. If it's the 4 of us we can hit a restaurant, check out the buskers of Grafton Street, visit the Disney store, go to a museum and get lost in some woodlands all in a 4 hour trip door to door and for less than €100 so we do that regularly. Our last family day out was to the Game of Thrones studio tour which is in Northern Ireland. That's just 90 minutes away. (It's great but Pedro's costumes are in storage since the last tour with only accessories and weapon on show and Bella only showed for a few seconds in a VT so my kid was annoyed that neither Marcus Moreno or The Worst Witch got the appreciation they deserve). Again we're spoiled, my husband is from the North so we're regularly at GOT sites because his family live near by (Mourne Mountains, Tullymore Forest, Linen Mill Studios). I used to drink in Belfast when Pedro was there but I wasn't a fan of "Tits, Ass and Dragons" then or the tiny pub they used to hang out in. Or the dirty one with kegs for seats😆. I made bad decisions and yes, I hate myself for it now.

On the rare occasion we have time off together and we have babysitters, we'll go to a live gig followed by some booze in The Porterhouse and some Iranian food in Zaytoon. I'm not picky. We'll go to music, comedy, theatre, musicals, sport, a festival or trade shows. I'm spoiled for choice. Artists like to start their European tours here and the main venues are 30 mins away. The last gigs I was at were Counting Crows, Chris Rock, The Book of Mormon, Ireland v USA, Taste of Dublin and I collect whiskey, there are a few trade shows a year. (Sounds wanker-y but they're good investments. An annual release of a €180 bottle over 5 years can be sold as a collection for thousands should you need quick cash.)

If I need alone time, it's tough to find here. I can't stress that enough. Dubliners and visitors are generally super friendly and open so strangers will talk to you constantly and there's nowhere to hide. If I need to clear my head then it's headphones on, grab a smoke at the highest point I can reach in the city so I can take in the view. Walk the city looking for new graffiti by my favourite artists/collectives while listening to local bands (Fontaines DC, Thumper, Damien Dempsey, Dermot Kennedy, Tebi Rex, Denise Chaila, Wyvern Lingo), get some thai street food, watch some buskars (check out Allie Sherlock) on Grafton Street, get a pint in Keoghs, go to a few galleries before heading home to hide in my cabin to watch 70s and 80s movies.

My cabin is my other baby. I bought my house with the cabin in mind and finally had it installed it in 2020. It's a self contained apartment, is sound proof, has a 7.1 surround sound cinema and doubles as a gym. Sounds super wanker-y but it was another investment which is paying off when I rent it out sometimes. Eventually it will be an apartment for one of the kids when they're older and can't move out because of the chronic housing shortage we have in the city. We aren't indulgent in other ways so being able to watch old movies in 4k while cranking out a weeks worth of laundry and getting in some steps makes other sacrifices worth it.

[beananacake]

Snapshot (Richard Madden x Reader)

New Tradition

(Headcanon 1)

Synopsis: Your story time Twitter thread of how your grandparents thought you were dating Richard Madden becomes viral and you get the chance to meet the man himself.

Headcanon summary: You make this Christmas memorable.

Word Count: 593 words (and two IG posts)

Warnings: Flufffff, mention of the word bitch, someone flipping you off, that's it?

A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! Bet ya thought you've seen the last of Snapshot? Ha! You thought wrong! Enjoy this little Christmas gift courtesy of Snapshot!Richard :) As always, reviews, comments, suggestions (and reblogs) are super welcome! I hope you Enjoy New Tradition!

Also faceclaim for reader is Jenna Coleman (so it ties up with the tweets in the Bonus Contents) but you can imagine yourself in ;)

Masterlist

Bonus Content 1 | Bonus Content 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | One shot 1 | Part 5 | One shot 2 | Headcanon 1 | One Shot 3 | Headcanon 2

• It was Richard’s fifth Christmas with your family.

• His third since he married you.

• And, as always, Gramps had lots of puns and jokes for everyone.

• This year, it was Christmas-themed.

• “What don’t you ever see Santa in the hospital? Because he has private elf care!” was a joke he specifically told for you.

• “How do you know when Santa’s around? You can always sense his presents!”

• “What do you call a broke Santa? Saint Nickel-less.”

• “What’s every parent’s favorite Christmas carol? Silent Night.”

• Gran could only shake her head at Gramps’ antics.

• Y/S/N was still the butt of the joke.

• Dinner was long and fun.

• You ate lots of turkey.

• And mashed potatoes.

• And pecan pie.

• Especially pecan pie.

• “Take it easy on the pecan pie, Y/N.” Gramps said.

• You replied by shoving more into your mouth.

• The gifts were amazing.

• Gramps and Gran got you and Richard matching pajamas.

• Your parents bought you tickets to the play you had been wanting to see but couldn’t because the tickets were always sold out.

• Y/S/N got you another bottle of Moët, again, for the sixth time in a row.

• “I’ve been busy with work! I didn’t have time to get you something else! Be thankful I got you something, you bitch.”

• You only chuckled and tossed her gift to her.

• It was an ugly Christmas sweater with a wine holder made out of a Christmas stocking in front.

• “Since you’ve always been giving me wine, I figured you’d appreciate this.” You said sweetly.

• She only flipped the bird at you.

• Richard gave your gifts to your parents.

• They were Gucci Christmas sweaters that he bought for them when he was in Italy for a press conference.

• And you parents loved them.

• You got Gran a red cardigan with a crocheted Christmas tree on the right side and crocheted cats on the left.

• And Gramps laughed out loud when he got a pun-ny Christmas sweater from Richard.

• On it were the words: when I think about you, I touch my elf.

• There was a plush elf attached on the lower hem of the sweater, in line with his crotch.

• “I was thinking we start a new tradition,” you said to them.

• “How about we take a photo of the first time we’re wearing our Christmas sweaters?” you suggested.

• You and Richard got changed into your matching ones.

• A 3D T-Rex ugly Christmas sweater because why not?

• (Well, obviously because your husband loves dinosaurs.)

• Everyone got into position in Gramps and Gran’s living room.

• Gramps and Gran sat in the sofa.

• Your parents stood on their left side.

• Your sister sat on the floor.

• You and your husband stood on Gramps and Gran’s right side.

• You took three photos with your sister’s phone.

• “Wait! We need some for us too!” You said as you put your phone on the tripod.

• You took two photos with yours.

• “One last photo!” You said.

• “Say WE’RE HAVING A BABY!” Richard exclaimed.

• The look on their faces was priceless as the camera went off.

• You and Richard were beaming widely, each holding an arm of the baby Christmas sweater towards the camera.

• Gramps and Gran looked at you both like you gave them the shock of their life.

• Your mom looked like she was weeping in the photo.

• Your dad almost leapt out of his seat.

• Your sister looked confused.

• And that was the story of how you took the most hilarious Christmas photo you had in your phone (so far).

• (It was also your baby announcement on Instagram.)

BONUS:

[clone-wars-imagine-2]

Bad Batch Preference: How they react when you make a doll for them that looks like them

A/N: This idea comes from a friend on discord, I hope you enjoy this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sergeant Hunter: To begin with, you were hella bored and flying through hyperspace for 10 hours straight was making you insane. Meditation could only pass that much time, so you decided to start a little project for the remaining time until you would reach Coruscant again. Soon enough you gathered all materials and started to make a little doll. You didn’t have any particular thing in mind you wanted the doll to look like but having Hunter sit right across from you with his datapad in hand was a convenient thing. It only took you 2 ½ hours until the doll was finished, now you only had to show Hunter. “Hunter! I need to show you something really important!” You said dragging out the really, a grin plastered on your face. His response was a simple ‘aha’ but he glanced up from his reports to look at you for a moment. He seemed tired which made your heart ache, he is always overworking himself. You took the doll from behind your back and held it out to him. Hunter looked surprised at the sight of the doll and laid his datapad down, reaching forward to grab the little fabric version of him. He could see all the details you did, you even put a little bandana on the doll. The Sergeant was speechless to say the least. “Do you like it? I made it for you.” You made it for him… “Of course I do. I love it! Thank you, kar’ta.” “You're welcome, Love.”

Crosshair: Building something was one of your hobbies you had since you were a kid, it was always something you could do on your own, inside or even outside. You build things out of wood, metal, fabrics, flowers and basically everything you could find. So whenever the boys were out of the ship, getting supplies or doing assignments the thought would be too dangerous for you to tag along on they left you to look after the havoc marauder. This was one of those occasions. You’ve been sitting in the pilot seat for the past few hours making something for Crosshair. You weren’t quite sure if he would like it or not but if the latter would happen you’d just keep the little doll of him for yourself. Holding the doll up you looked it once over before deciding you were finished. It looked exactly like Crosshair, you even went as far as to carefully draw on his tattoo. You smiled and decided to put it away until he came back. It didn’t take long for your boys to come back and leave the planet as fast as possible. When everything calmed down you went to Crosshair, telling him you made something for him. He gave you a sceptical look but followed you to your quarters you had on the ship. Turning around you presented him with the doll.  “You made a doll of myself? For me?” You nod your head and beamed up at him with one of your smiles. “It looks hideous.” You saw that coming. “But it’s you!” “I know.” “You want me to take it back?”  “No it’s mine.”

Tech: Getting to spend time with Tech was hard after the Bad Batch stopped protecting you and your father after they catched the people who were after you. Now it wasn’t certain when and for how long you would see him again and it killed the both of you. The last time he came to visit he gifted you a necklace with a small piece of his armor hanging off it. He said it was so something from him was always with you and protected you. It was by far your most prized possession and you never put it off since you got it. So you decided to make something for him. You were amazing when it came to the knowledge of advanced technologies and new inventions but building something on your own wasn’t something you could say you were good at. So the only plausible thing to do was ask your mother for help which she gladly lended. Together you two made a little doll, it was only a few inches in size but it looked so much like Tech it made your heart ache for him even more. It even had a small replica of his goggles on. Now you only had to wait for him to arrive home. It was another two months before you got the message from Tech that they would be heading back to get some downtime. You were filled with exaltation and couldn’t wait until he was back, but you were also nervous about what he would think of the doll. You would find out soon enough. It wasn’t until a few hours of him being back and the two of you cuddling in bed that you showed him his little present. Tech was more than just surprised and you could swear you saw him stop breathing for a few seconds. A smile spread across his face and he gave you a kiss on the forehead, pulling you closer and nuzzling his face into your hair. “I love it, mesh’la. I will always keep it with me.” You blushed at the little word of endearment and hid your face in his chest. “Glad you like it, handsome.” Guess who is blushing now. 

Wrecker: You were set at home on one of the few days you could take off, waiting for Wrecker to arrive after one of their missions. He had commed you earlier in the day, letting you know he would be there today and that he got some more stuff for you. The clones didn’t earn a lot of money so Wrecker never really bought much but he brought some stuff back for you that he found on his journeys. Be it intriguing  looking stones, beautiful flowers he pressed under some weights to preserve them or shells he found on shores. Seeing all the little things lying on their own little shelf in the living room you took the opportunity of being alone for a little while longer and started making something you knew Wrecker would like. Wrecker owned a tooka doll he so fondly called Lula that you decided it could use a little friend and what better friend would there be than a smaller version of your boyfriend himself!  It took you longer than you would like to admit until you got the hang of stitching the doll together. You were a mechanic, an inventor, not a sewer! But thankfully Wrecker wouldn’t arrive until late in the night as he told you in a message. Great, more time to figure out how to not poke you in the fingers 50 times in a row. You finished the doll around 11pm, mere ten minutes before he arrived. When Wrecker arrived he crushed you in one of his tight hugs which you endured with a smile, by now you were used to his strength. He immediately started rambling about the mission and taking the stuff out he collected for you during his time away when you stopped him. “Before you continue darling, I want to show you something I made for you. I-” “You made something for me?! When?!” You let out a laugh and smiled up at him. “Today, I had some time and thought you might appreciate it.”  Wrecker immediately begged to see it and how could you keep him waiting? You showed him the doll of himself, it was by all means the first thing you ever made in that regard but it didn’t look too bad, and it resembled him which you wanted! His eyes lit up the second they met the doll and he took it out of your hands. “This is amazing! And it looks like me! I will put myself right next to Lula so she isn’t alone!” A laugh bubbled out of your chest and you looked fondly at him. “That was my intention. Glad we are both on the same page.” You got pulled in another bone crushing hug and you savoured every second of it.

Echo: It has been over a year in which you thought that Echo was dead. After the Citadel mission Fives and Rex came to you, bearing bad news. The moment you saw them you knew and cried your eyes out for weeks. You couldn’t believe he was just gone like that, taken from you from moment to the other. Both Rex and Fives tried to help you and they succeeded in some ways until Fives passed away.  You had thrown yourself in your work for the senate, doing everything not to think about how your heart ached for the love of your life and your best friend who were gone. When your body finally broke down, telling you to rest and to process you did. In memory of the both of them you made two little dolls, the one of Fives you put right next to his gravestone. You did everything to make sure he got buried and his body wasn’t used for scientific research by the Kaminoans.  The doll of Echo you always kept close to you. There was no body you could bury or mourn so this was the only alternativ you got, and it helped, it really did. And then Rex commed you, telling you Echo was alive right before one of your most important senate meetings. It was another few days from when they brought Echo back to when you were allowed to see him and your heart stopped when you saw him. What have they done to him? Tears filled your eyes and you threw yourself at him, not letting him go as you thought he might disappear again. Echo was very hesitant at first, fearing he could hurt you with his prosthetics, yet he still forced those thoughts from his mind and enveloped you in his arms.  You talked for the maker knows how long, trying to comprehend what the other went through while giving as much comfort as possible. Every time Echo would flinch at your contact, even if it was tiny, your heart felt like it got stabbed a thousand times. When he carefully reached for your hand and told you he was leaving with the Bad Batch you tried to protest but he shut it down, telling you he had to do it and you only nod. “I promise you that I will come back, I always do, don’t I?” Echo had a smaller version of his usual sly smile on his face and for the first time in a long while you felt your heart melt again. You smiled softly at him, leaning closer to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I know you do, but before you go I want to give you something.” , you mumbled against the skin of his cheek, taking out the small doll you made months ago. Carefully you handed it to him and watched his face for his reaction. You could see tears gather in the corner of his eyes and you pulled him closer. “I made it a while after you… Well…” Echo shushed you and looked up into your face, smiling. “I will keep this close to me so whenever I see it I will think about you, cyar’ika.” 

[bored-storyteller]

@severnrose honey, I shouldn't have preferences but how could I wait to write for you and Xiao?

Dear Xiao, sweet Xiao, thank you for asking, I have good reasons to love you :3

60- Genshin Impact, Xiao x Reader (angst/comfort)

From the prompt list

17- "Am I the reason you cry every night?"

33- "Do you know how it feels to wish for death every day?"

For Xiao you are like a little sparrow, so fragile and so free at the same time. He never understood what bad star forced you to meet with him, it was something so unlikely that it might have seemed ironic, but still he never tried to put you in a cage. You didn't deserve it. Sure, you're an absurd being, sometimes annoying, sometimes inconsistent and stupid, but you're also something he never bothered to find, a free kindness and a relief he always knew he didn't deserve.

So he never wanted to condemn you to a relationship with someone like him.

For this reason, when the darkness inside him had become heavier, when he realized he had gone too far, he pushed your worried eyes away from him. It was his job to protect you too, and he hadn't noticed the wound he had inflicted on you.

He is never too kind with words, he doesn't talk much and when he does he is never able to sweeten his sentences. It has always gone well with you.

Yet this time something was different; maybe he had been worse without realizing it, or maybe you were more fragile than usual, but he immediately opened a cruel door in front of you and a wave of awareness hit you. Yes, you were nothing but a burden to him.

Xiao hadn't seen you since that day. Or rather, he had happened to see you around, as always, doing your chores, helping where there was need, but he had no longer had the opportunity to be with you, alone, as you used to do from time to time, maybe in the evening, under the stars.

Initially he hadn't done anything, he hadn't thought of anything either. You were simply too busy, as he was, on the other hand.

But one night, about to give way to the morning, while he was checking his wounds, your sobs had come to him, and so did the next night, and the one after that.

He found himself listening to your silent cry every night, and he watched over you, albeit from a distance. And when he reluctantly had to walk away, he cursed anyone who caused you that unspoken suffering. If only you wanted to tell him he would be ready to protect you, again. But again, you were a fragile, free little bird, and he wasn't enough for you, he wasn't enough to take the pain away from your heart. Someday in the near future that would pass, everything passes for mortals, and maybe he could see you smiling again under the stars. This was what he believed - or hoped for.

But in one of those dark moments, your call rang in his ears and vibrated in his bowels. Wherever he was, he recognized his name spoken by you, in the agony of your nights.

He had joined you immediately, he had immediately appeared there, standing at your bedside.

Your name had escaped his lips perhaps too quickly, and for a few seconds he waited for an answer that never came. In its place, your sobs continued soft and distressed, your body curled up under the pale sheets.

He should have sensed right away, that yours was just a moan in your sleep, but somehow it had been necessary for him to chase the chance to see you again. How long had he not seen you?

Your suffering face made his heart tremble; he would have devoured your nightmares if you asked him.

He again spoke your name, his hand shaking you slightly, trying to tear you out of your dream.

Your reaction had been more violent than he expected and had broken the composure of the Adeptus for a moment, making him move backwards, taken by surprise. However, he thought it was normal, given the sudden awakening.

"Xiao!" His name had been uttered by your voice in amazement, but it was soon abandoned as you took your eyes off his figure "What are you doing here?"

The delicate face of the millennial Yaksha frowned in perplexity. Even now that he was there in front of you, did you persist in hiding your torments from him?

"You called me." His response was swift and straightforward, as always.

"I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to, I'm really sorry." Your apologies were fragile and uncertain.

Xiao let out a slight sigh, while his dark lashes lowered to the precious gold irises.

"Why don't you tell me?" The question he asked you later was unexpected, and for a moment you shivered at the authority of his voice, but he didn't realize "What happened?"

"Nothing." You cut it short and it irritated him. You knew how to be so stubborn when you wanted to.

"I hear your sobs every night."

He didn't want to utter those words as an accusation, maybe he hadn't even done it, but suddenly you stiffened and bowed your head even more, guilty.

"I'm sorry…!" Now your voice was broken and desperate, and a doubt began to creep into Xiao's mind as slimy as a snake.

How long haven't you called him? Why weren't you looking at him? Why weren't you smiling at him anymore?

"Who ... has anyone hurt you?" Now it was he who had lost confidence in his voice.

"Nobody ... really." You had obviously made an effort to stay calm, and somehow reassure him. But even though he didn't really understand human emotions, even though he was a different and detached creature, he could sense you.

"It's me…?" He couldn't explain why, but he felt like he was hurting himself "Am I the reason you cry every night?"

Your silence was a new pain for him. You didn't dare look at him, because it was hard for you to admit how much his distance and his disappointment had upset you.

But behind his sweet stoic face he prayed to have your eyes on him, he prayed for you to remove that horrible, strange feeling that made its way inside him, at least until he was forced to turn his back on you.

Xiao is used to pain and suffering, but that time something had changed. It was something new, something he never wanted to try.

A fist clung to his chest, and he trembled. How long had his hands no longer been shaking?

He thought he was about to give in, he believed that finally his heart would break under the weight of the new, umpteenth, fault of him.

He felt the physical need to vent that sudden wave of suffering that had hit him. He wanted to cry, but Xiao didn't know what it meant to cry, so he didn't, and he just vanished, not even looking at you.

It was the only thing he could do to protect you, right? If he was the cause of your suffering, then he would no longer exist for you. It didn't matter what he did, he didn't even ask himself, he just knew he hurt you. After all, he must already know that this was his destiny.

...

You never called him again, and Xiao never showed up again. Yet, although he endured this condition with the same resignation with which he endured every painful task of him, he realized that the selfish desire he had for you had not ceased. He didn't know how to call it by name, he just knew that it was really selfish, on his part, to expect that a little bird like you at least a little bit remained attached to him.

However, even if you despised him, even if he could no longer hear your voice or your laugh even though you were still breathing, somehow at least he hoped to remain present in your memory.

So every morning a flower was placed on your window sill. He never brought you the same type of flower two consecutive days. He didn't admit it to himself, but he wanted at least in one corner of your mind the whole Liyue to remind you of him. The scent of its flora, its colors and the sweetness of it, he hoped that even if you didn't want those things would make you think of that cruel guardian. Not that Xiao dared compare himself to flowers, no, but certainly those flowers could be compared to you for him.

The Adeptus wasn't good with words, but he was capable of meaningful and powerful gestures - it was something you loved about him.

You didn't need to know that those flowers came from him - even if it was unlikely they were someone else's gifts - and he relied on your kindness to accept them with a smile.

For a while it had worked. Even though he could no longer see you and have you around, that little contact you maintained had given him a sense of peace. In evil it was that little drop of good that gave him the relief he needed.

But he couldn't deserve that either.

One morning, when the first rays of the sun began to paint the earth with the warm colors of dawn, he came to your window. The Glaze Lily he had plucked for you had remained clasped in his hands as his eyes painfully gazed upon the Qingxin he had given you the previous day, left to itself on the windowsill, away from your care.

It was so, even the thought of him you could no longer bear.

The flowers stopped coming and Xiao stopped hoping. He only prayed that Rex Lapis would see your sweetness and cherish it with love, without needing you to endure the protection of a cursed Adeptus.

...

Xiao wanted to see you again, but certainly not right now.

The first thing his mind thought was nothing, then immediately afterwards he wondered which Archon had to thank for not killing you during his battle, and then all that was important was that you were standing in front of him, and looking at him, even if from a distance.

His mask frees his face as soon as his eyes settle on you. How long had he not seen you? For a moment the pain disappears, a wonderful, ephemeral second of peace. And then again the weight of darkness falls upon him.

He should run away, run away from your sight, but like under a spell he is stuck in his place, and you still don't run away.

You are pale and scared, your eyes full of tears. How much have you seen? How long have you been there?

It doesn't matter if the blood that covers him is that of his enemies, of those who want to harm those like you, all that matters is how Xiao now appears before you: a figure disfigured by the red of shattered life, a devouring demon .

He should go, but you call him.

"Xiao ..." His name in your voice is a desperate breath as it is sweet, and you run to meet him in your anguish.

He can't look at you, not when he's like that. He looks at the ground covered in repulsive liquids, without having the courage to meet your judgment. He would have liked to see you again, but now he is ashamed of who he is, he is ashamed of being Alatus, of being the Conqueror of Demons and the Eater of Dreams, he is ashamed of being Xiao before your pure eyes.

Now you are a few steps away, he hears you, but you are afraid to approach. He wonders why you ever even wanted to come close to him again, was it your good heart that pushed you to do it?

"Do you know how it feels to wish for death every day?" He did not want to ask that question, yet he posed it in front of you limpid and clear, as his "no" always are.

If he could die he would no longer distress you, nor would he hurt you, nor would he make you cry. If he could die, all aeons of unspoken pain would disappear. If he couldn't exist, everything would be better. But he can't, he has to live.

"If we are such a heavy burden to you why do you continue to protect us?" Yours is not a nasty question asked, it is rather a sweet worry distorted by insecurity.

His golden eyes return to immerse themselves in yours by instinct, without really wanting to.

"It's my duty, it's my ..." Xiao realizes he can't speak "But you're not ..." he tries again, but he can't.

He can't explain that knot blocking his throat and voice, which he can't spit or swallow.

It is my duty, my contract. But you are not a burden, you will never be.

His eyelids drop again and his head bows in chagrin. You are everything in front of him, and he is nothing in front of you.

"Don't look at me ..." is all he can tell you "You don't have to see me like that."

He was convinced that you didn't want to see him anymore, he was convinced that you wanted to forget him, but then why did your trembling hands rest so lovingly on his face?

"You are so beautiful Xiao." Your broken voice was asking him desperately to believe you, and he in front of your face now so close to him has no way to escape.

The misunderstandings between you two, the pain and the fear, no longer mattered.

Your arms gently encircle his chest and your head rests on his shoulder, without asking for permission, but he won't be the one to walk away, not now that he's found you.

"I'll get you dirty." He murmurs.

"It does not matter." You answer him softly.

You have no respect for the ways of the Adepti, but that is precisely why he needs you.

"Please be happy to live, Xiao."

[doorbloggr]

Tuseday 7/9/21 - The Dinosaur Scavenger Debate

Model of Sue the T.rex eating a baby Edmontosaurus, from the Field Museum, Blue Rhino Studios

Full disclosure before I start this article, I am not a palaeontologist, neither have I kept up with all of the relevant literature to know everything on the topic. But I've seen this debate flair up a few times on paleo twitter in the past, so I'm gonna give you a very shallow overview of the discussion.

Therapod dinosaurs were a very unique type of carnivorous animal. All the active hunting terrestrial carnivores we have today have an upper size limit of maybe a tiger or a bear, and most of those travel on all fours. Large meat eating dinosaurs had different bone structures, metabolisms, and importantly, different prey.

A few times in the past, and again recently, there have been those sceptical of the actual hunting ability of large therapod dinosaurs. Sure they were big enough to kill their prey, but were they fast enough? Had enough stamina? Tyrannosaurus rex had jaws powerful enough to break clean through flesh and bone, but you know what else does? Hyenas, jackals, vultures; scavengers. I am not personally aligned with this hunter-sceptical side of palaeontology, but it is an argument that exists.

Hyenas scavenging, Credit: The Next Crossing

Long ago there was an ill-informed take that some dinosaurs were too big to walk. Now the current take is that some dinosaurs were too big to hunt. So, with a bit of research, today I'm going to explore both sides of this debate.

Obligate Scavengers

The first part of the argument is usually about how powerful the jaws of Tyrannosaurus are. Its bite could crush bones, and coprolites (fossil poo) from the species has shown remains of bone fragments, confirming that this dinosaur was indeed eating bones. The teeth of dinosaurs more commonly thought of as pursuit predators such as raptors have narrower, blade like teeth, while T.rex had large, thick, banana sized/shaped teeth. So was this dinosaur specialised for mostly rotted carcasses?

Tyrannosaurus eating a Triceratops, Atrox1 (deviantart)

Tyrannosaurus has also been recently found to have extraordinary senses. It's eyesight is second to none in the dinosaur kingdom and may even rival the visual acuity of today's falcons. And it's sense of smell was amazing too, able to smell blood way beyond even it's visual range. Senses like these are useful for scavengers today who need to travel long distances to find their food. Vultures and condors may travel thousands of kilometres to find a carcass, and like T.rex, their large size means that they can scare off most smaller scavengers from a larger corpse.

Allosaurus fragilis attack a Diplodocus, Fred Weirum

This last point is more about Allosaurus, who has recently been accused of a scavenging lifestyle too. Although Allosaurus was more lightly built than Tyrannosaurus, and had large powerful claws, it has long been studied to most often preyed on Sauropod dinosaurs, which were many, many times larger than Allosaurus. Allosaurus was thought to be unlikely to be able to take down a Sauropod on its own, and its skull is not as robust as most large therapods its size. Sauropod dinosaurs were truly gigantic, and have been studied to move in herds, so perhaps it was just that Allosaurus followed these herds, and when one died, that's enough meat to sustain even a family of Allosaurus for weeks!

Active Hunters

While it's easy to find fossil evidence of bones being damaged while the animal is dead, evidence of the animal being hunted is not as easy. BUT it can be found. Many prey species dinosaurs have evidence of bone scar tissue, meaning that the animal was injured, but got better. In some specimens, there are specific markings evident of teeth marks on partially healed bones, or even teeth lodged in the bones. Tyrannosaurus rex teeth markings have been found in multiple specimens, showing that Tyrannosaurus was actively attacking live animals, and sometimes, the prey got away.

Tyrannosaurus, Mark Garlick

The unusually well adapted senses also point to a predator positive position. Tyrannosaurus' binocular vision is evidence of an animal that needed depth perception, and the only extant animals with true binocular vision are predators. Bone studies have, for a long time, concluded that Tyrannosaurus rex could only walk relatively slowly. But this is a misconception, Tyrannosaurs preferred to walk slowly, and may have travelled most of the time at a more relaxed pace, but it could likely experience short bursts of higher speed. The herbivorous prey items it hunted were not extraordinarily fast either, and a quick dash as an ambush was probably all it took to grab a surprised hadrosaur or ceratopsian.

Komodo Dragon hunting a feral goat, Caters News Agency

The hardy teeth of Tyrannosaurus rex may have been well suited for crushing bones, but their overall shape point to damages that could also better injure their prey. Unlike the pointed daggers of most therapods, Tyrannosaurus teeth were deeply serated like a Komodo Dragon's. And Komodo Dragons do not need to kill their prey in one bite either. Their serated teeth are home to bacteria, and once they bite into their prey, the wound festers and bleeds out profusely, until their injury worsens enough that the predator catches up and finishes them off. Palaeontologists have theorised T.rex may have done the same.

Opportunistic Scavengers

The issue with this debate is there seems to be this misconception that it's either one or the other. But what if we consider modern examples of meat eating animals? Sure Hyenas, a well established scavenger can crush bones with its jaws, but you know what else can? Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh my! Crushing bones can help you kill living animals too actually.

And sure Tyrannosaurus rex has shown evidence of scavenging on the carcasses of long dead animals, and Allosaurus has been discussed reaping the benefits of a massive Sauropod carcass, but what predator wouldn't pass up on an already dead animal corpse? Big cats, bears, and wolves have been observed countless times reaping the benefits of animals killed by humans, or massive sea mammals or fish that wash up dead on the beach.

A brown bear and a wolf scavenging on a fin whale carcass, Credit: Brad Josephs

The probable truth of the dinosaur scavenger debate is that most large therapods were capable of taking down some prey items, but would not pass up a large dead dinosaur if the opportunity presented itself. Because much like the corpse of a whale at the bottom of the ocean, a dead dinosaur could sustain a small ecosystem of its own for a while.

Thanks for Reading

This was a very long blogpost, so if you read all the way through it, I much appreciate you taking the time. The topic of predatory dinosaur behaviours is ever evolving as new tests and evidence are presented. The consensus on Tyrannosaurus is currently leaning more toward predator than scavenger, but this study on Allosaurus is still fresh, and despite much of the paleo community opposing this take, evidence against it hasn't been well compiled yet.

If you have any further information you want to present on this topic, I am more than happy to hear it in the Notes, or via inbox. If you know other Palaeontology based topics that you think would be interesting to cover, my inbox and asks are always open.

You can find more articles like this linked in my pinned post.

Credits/Further Reading:

Was Tyrannosaurus rex a Ferocious Predator or a Wimp? (Wilkin & Hone); Frontiers for Young Minds

Allosaurus was not a Carnivorous Predator but a Scavenger during Late Jurassic, Study Finds (Jefferson); The Science Times

Time to slay the T.rex Scavenger Debate (Brian Switek); National Geographic

Tyrannosaurus rex was not a Fast Runner, more a Slow Walker, Simulation shows (David Bressen) Forbes

T.rex: A Hunter AND a Scavenger; The Prehistoric Saga

The Truth About T Rex - Predator or Scavenger; Dangerville - Youtube

[loth-wolffe]

Make a Wish

Pairings: none. a lil bit of captain rex x reader if you squint.

Summary: the torrent company prepares something for your birthday<3

Word count: 1,4k not proofread

A/n: So!!! i know I've been dead for the past week, but today's my sweetiepie ana @leia-saveourskins birthday!!!! and she asked me to write a little something for her so I came back from hell bc i can't really say no to mi bb ana. congrats bubs!! i hope you have the most amazing day today and always. hope you like this heheh<3 tqm mucho. mwah mwah mwah

Rex had called you to the hangar, something about Anakin needing some help with something, his words rushed as if he didn't have time and you felt confused, it wasn't like there weren't any more mechanics working at the time, and the General had given you half day off, "as a birthday present," he had told you, after a little hug and a congratulations.

You rushed your steps, hair still slightly wet from the shower you took before and the thought of getting more engine oil on you made you roll your eyes.

This better be good.

Once you got to the hangar door, you found it was closed, frowning, you commed Rex.

"The door is closed."

You hear him coughing, a few murmurs are heard and you never felt more confused in your life, what was going on.

"Yeah, sorry." He mumbled, "Ahsoka locked it by, uh, accident." Rex sounded nervous, and for some reason it made your heart beat faster. Did something happen? If it required for the General, Commander and Captain to be in the room, it must be important, but then again, there's no power in this galaxy that could ever torn them apart.

"Its open now."

It's not long before the door opens before you, and as soon as you step into the room, a chant of "surprise!" is heard, keeping you in place as your brain processes the image before you, tears filling your eyes as soon as it settles in your heart.

Everyone is there, your fellow mechanics, Anakin, Ahsoka, the troopers you had become friends with, even the General of the 212th was there, with big smiles on their faces, a big sign with messy letters in aurebesh that read Happy Birthday colored with the 501st blue hung between two ships, it was almost falling off, but the thought warmed your soul. The "ay" looked incredibly smaller as they run out of space compared to the wide H at the beginning, they all had different styles, and you wondered if they agreed to write one letter per person.

"I–" you started, but words didn't come out, you were left speechless, many emotions running through your mind and your heart that you couldn't pick one to express what you felt.

"Thank you," you whisper, blinking quickly in hopes for the tears to disappear, but they don't, much less when Ahsoka comes for you and holds your hand, leading you towards everyone.

"Ah! it's nothing, the boys insisted we should celebrate." She told you, the mischievous smile she wore told you she was to blame.

"The boys? Snips you couldn't shut up about the surprise party for a week." Anakin said, walking towards you before enveloping in a warm hug, one that lasted longer than the one he gave you a few hours prior. "Happy birthday," he murmured softly in your ear, and you smiled widely.

Anakin hasn't been nothing but nice since you joined the Resolute, times spent at the hangar fixing whatever ship he completely destroyed in his perfect landings, and you were completely past knowing him solely as The General and more as Anakin.

"Thanks, boss."

He chuckled, ruffling your hair before Ahsoka pushed him away.

"Hey, we all want our hugs gramps," she said as she gave you the tightest of hugs, laughing quietly when you hear Anakin huff in annoyance. "Hope we have you many many more years with us."

It took you a while, to be congratulated by everyone, Obi Wan being the first right after Ahsoka, Rex lingering a bit more than most, his cheeks a sweet shade of pink as he stumbles over his words.

"I uh," he scratches the nape of his neck, aware of the line of clones behind him waiting to hug you, "I, I know this isn't much but," his eyes look down to his feet before meeting your eyes, golden eyes filled with nothing but affection, his fingers fumble awkwardly with his belt as he tries to take something from one of the many bags. "I got you this."

He gives you a little bouquet of flowers of your favorite color, already placed in a cup with water to keep them from dying.

"Rex you–" for the second time in the past hour, tears fill your eyes, a lump in your throat makes it hard for the words to be pushed past your lips, "you didn't have to."

"I wanted to." He frowns slightly, looking at the little box in your hands, "like i said, it's not much, but–"

"It's perfect, thank you."

You kiss his cheek, feeling like melting from all the love you're receiving, but mostly because how even now, in the middle of war, between so much death and suffering, they still find a moment to celebrate life, to still be kind, to be thoughtful and caring.

The tips of his ears turn red, and you giggle softly before thanking him again, he nods as he moves for the next person to give you his best wishes, a few give you little kisses on your cheeks, and others give you stiff hugs that made you chuckle.

Jesse is the last one to hug you, along with Hardcase and Fives.

"Happy birthday to not only the best mechanic in the GAR, but to our best friend as well." Jesse says before giving you a bone crushing hug, a loud, breathless laugh leaving your lips as he leaves a very wet kiss on your cheek.

Hardcase doesn't wait for Jesse to leave before he's hugging you too.

"Happy birthday!"

And it's not long before you have all the boys crushing you in the biggest bear hug you've ever had, feeling a bit claustrophobic for a moment but that doesn't stop you from enjoying the moment, your heart swelling with love.

When they all pull away to let you breath, Fives places a hand over your shoulders, walking you towards the Generals and the Commander waited for you.

"We got another surprise for you!"

"Oh really?" You ask, looking at Echo when he places himself on your other side, throwing his arm over your shoulders as well and walking in sync with you and Fives.

"Fives really insisted on it."

You hum, confused once more, but as soon as you meet with the others, you find what they were talking about.

There's a big cake being held by two astromechs, the white frosting perfectly placed under the blue letters that held your name right on the middle, sprinkles of at least eight different colors, one of the corners had way too much yellow and there was a tiny smiley face on another.

"There's no birthday if there's no cake." Fives stated, and everyone agreed.

"We made it, so we're not completely sure if it's good," Tup sheepishly admitted, and you almost melted at the thought.

They were too sweet, incredibly so that your heart couldn't take it.

"Thank you guys, I'm sure it's amazing."

"Oh! you cannot cut it without blowing the candle," Obi Wan spoke, patting his clothes trying to find the candle Anakin made sure he didn't forget.

He placed it on the when he found it, giving you a dashing smile and a wink once he did. R2 was quick to lit it up.

The boys made sure to be loud when singing the happy birthday song, Hardcase and Jesse making their voices as low and loud as they could, making Dogma roll his eyes and Fives laugh for most of the song.

Tears left your eyes a few times, overwhelmed with the affection they all had for you, your cheeks hurting with how wide you were smiling.

"What did you wish for?" Fives asked you at some point, to which you shook your head as you took another bite of cake that –to everyone's surprise,– it was actually good.

"Can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Some say that if you say your wish, it won't happen." He scoffs.

"Sounds like bullshit." You laugh loudly, which makes Fives' face break into a smile.

You don't tell him, though, that you didn't wish for anything. Not really, for everything you wanted was right there, with you, the feeling of home, of warmth. Knowing you belonged somewhere, in a family you found all by yourself, surrounded with joy, and love.

They made sure it was your best birthday ever.

[miraculous-trinity-leo]

Tᕼᗴ ᑕᕼᗩOTIᑕ ᗩᑎᘜᗴᒪ

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)

Chapter 5: Don't Jinx It!

·•·—–·•†•·–—·•·

Chloé Bourgeois... A girl that can be described in many words

"She's absolutely ridiculous! I can't believe you have to do an art project with her of all people!" - Alix sprawled out on Marinette's balcony

"She can't be that bad, besides we might become friends." - Marinette sketching some designs

"Believe me, even I think she's a bit much... She's snobby, annoying, rude, immature, spoiled, she basically has the “I'm better than thow” attitude to a T."- Kagami sitting next to the flowerbed while reading a literature book

"See? Even Kagami agrees... Just don't talk to her, actually don't even move if you're in her sights. She's like a T-Rex, she can't see you if you don't move." - Alix

… … … … …

"Hello, I'm Marinette, it's nice to meet you." - Marinette reached out her hand as she smiled

*Que Alix facepalming herself while Kagami lets out a sigh*

"Whatever, I'm Chloé, but I'm sure you already knew that." - Chloé

They started their project and most interactions went the same way, Chloé would sit in a chair near the window and paint her nails while Marinette did all the work. The next day Marinette and Chloé were the only ones in the art room.

"Okay, let's get started." - Marinette skipping her way over to the art supplies

"You do that, I'll just sit over here." - Chloé walking to her chair

"... Say, is it fun painting your nails?" - Marinette looking over to Chloé

"Of course, what girl doesn't like nail art?" - Chloé

"Well, painting on a canvas is kind of like nail art, here try painting something." - Marinette handing Chloé a paint brush

"Please, I don't do art." - Chloé refusing the paint brush

"But you ‘Paint’ your nails." - Marinette

"It's different!" - Chloé

"Okay, how about this, if I can do a magic trick for you, will you try painting just a little bit?" - Marinette

"...Fine, impress me." - Chloé giving Marinette her full attention

Marinette pulled a seed she got earlier that day out of her pocket and showed it to Chloé

"A seed?" - Chloé giving an unimpressed look

"I'll turn it into a flower, as you can see I only have this seed, and there's nothing up my sleeves. When I turn back around this seed will be a flower, are you ready?" - Marinette still holding the seed for Chloé to see

"Just do it already." - Chloé

So, Marinette turned around putting her free hand over the seed, and imagined it growing. When Marinette turned back around, all Chloé saw was a fully bloomed Common Rockrose flower, leaving her stunned.

"How did you do that?!" - Chloé walking up to Marinette to get a better look at the flower

"Family secret." - Marinette with a small smirk - "So, you want to try painting now?"

"... Fine." - Chloé pouted her lips and sat down at an empty canvas while Marinette walked to the table beside it, and Marinette may or may not have seen a small smile on Chloé's face while she grabbed some more paint.

After about 30 minutes Alix and Kagami came in and found Chloé and Marinette flinging water paint at the canvas

"Ha!" - Marinette whiped her arm out, watching as the wet paint from the brush splattered onto the canvas

"Ha HA!" - Chloé doing the exact same motion, but with a little more flare

Kagami and Alix just stared in amazed silence... they had created a master piece... It was a magnificent painting showing a meadow with many flowers in an almost hazy dream kind of look,  it had a blue sky and a faint rainbow in the background behind some clouds on the horizon

"It's *sniff* Ridiculously beautiful..." - Chloé

"And you thought painting was boring." - Marinette teasing Chloé

"... Isley-Quinzel, look me in the face and say that again." - Chloé

"And you- ("Boop" - Chloé) -Hey!" - Marinette got booped on her nose by Chloé's paint covered finger

"I admit it was fun... to some extent. Now lets act like this never happened." - Chloé getting ready to leave

"How the hell did you get Chloé to paint?!" - Alix snapping out of her surprise, which caused Chloé to get startled and trip, knocking the paint onto Marinette and herself in the process

"Well... that was a colorful entrance." - Marinette now covered in blue, pink, green and red paint

"Utterly Ridiculous!" - Chloé now covered in yellow, dark green, and blue paint

"Ooops?" - Alix shrugging her shoulders

*facepalms* - Kagami

… … …

Marinette and Chloé had to walk around school covered in paint, definitely getting a few awkward stares from the other kids. About an hour later, each pair of students presented their shared work of art. When Marinette and Chloé went up, both holding their masterpiece while still covered in paint, stunned the other students.(Not because Chloé was 1. covered in paint, 2. actually carrying the painting, and 3. had a smile on her face) Needless to say they got an A+, and for the rest of the day Marinette, Chloé, Alix and Kagami hung out laughing and having fun. Not long after that the other kids started making bets on who Marinette would befriend next, and how long it would take for that someone to be an instant friend.

Chloé ended up spending a lot more time with the GPS and eventually...

The girls sat around in a circle within Marinette's room with all the lights off, only having a single lamp in the center of the room to add an ominous glow

"Are you ready to take the oath?" - Alix

"Yes, but why do we have to make it look like some utterly ridiculous ritual summoning?" - Chloe

"I agree with Chloé, I'm not allowed to summon the unnatural or paranormal." - Kagami

"Well, let's forget the paranormal stuff for now, ehem. Chloé Bourgeois, do you promise to always have our backs..." - Marinette

"Through the good and the bad..." - Alix

"To say the truth and nothing but the truth." - Kagami

"Wrong oath Kagami." - Marinette whispering to Kagami

"...... To always stay on the path that is straight and true..." - Kagami

"To uphold the justice in this crazy world..." - Alix

"And to guide those who have abandoned the light... Are you ready to join the GPS?" - Marinette

"Yes." - Chloé

"Girls, time to eat- ... Marinette, please tell me you aren't summoning the unnatural like Harley did that one time." - Selina just opening the door and seeing basically a ritual gathering

"In mom's defense, she was trying to get rid of the spooky spirit." - Marinette

"That was from a story Ed made up that one time, you wouldn't stop seeing the shadows ‘moving’, and then Harley thought she saw them move, and she ended up doing a ritual to get rid of it, but we ended up with the cursed toaster ghost. And now all bread we toast is burnt back home." - Selina

"... But burnt toast is the best!" - Marinette

"Ivy told you that it would make you grow quicker, which then tricked you into liking burnt toast, which isn't tasty at all." - Selina

"*dramatic gasp* You Take That Back!" - Marinette

"Nope, now come down in 3 so we can eat." - Selina closed the door and walked away

"You girls agree with me right?" - Marinette turning to her friends

"... Marinette, how can you think burnt toast is good?!" - Alix

"It's... burnt." - Kagami

"Ehhh, it's okay." - Chloé

"Thank You!" - Marinette hugging Chloé

"... un-second thought, I retract my ‘yes’ to that oath." - Chloé

"Too late." - Kagami

"You're stuck with us..." - Alix then leaned over and whispered in Chloé's ear - "Foreverrrrr."

……… ……… ………

After they had their food they went back up to Marinette's (ritual free) room and started playing Ultimate Mecha Strike 2.

After a few rounds of Marinette dominating Ultimate Mecha Slaughter Strike 2, they moved on to watching some Jurassic Park

"So... your mom cursed your toaster?" - Chloé

"... maybe." - Marinette

"Honestly though, who in their right mind likes burnt toast?" - Alix

"Apparently Marinette." - Kagami

"It's kinda like thin burnt rice crispy treats, just minus the sugar." - Marinette

"*dramatic gasp* You Take That Back Right Now." - Alix

"You don't even know what rice crispy treats are, do you." - Marinette now looking away from the TV and directly at Alix

"Not a clue." - Alix

"It's an American treat, it's actually really good, not to sweet, and not to crunchy." - Chloé

"This is why you are part of the GPS." - Marinette hugging Chloé - "You understand most red blooded American treats, and for that I give you my thanks." - Marinette now starting to tear up

"What are we, chop liver?" - Kagami pointing to Alix and herself

"Well unlike you two, I have seen the other side... I swear, they're all hillbillies, and they live in the worst weather ever! Sunshine state my ass, more like out door saunas 24/7." - Chloé ended up mumbling her last few words

"... That's Florida, and it's not that bad, it never gets hotter than 115°F, and that's during summer." - Marinette

"... No wonder you like burnt toast... your brains were burnt with it." - Alix

"I didn't live in Florida, I lived in New Jersey, and the weather is better there." - Marinette

"That's what she said." - Kagami stuffing her face with popcorn

……… ……… ………

Over the course of the next few months Marinette taught the GPS all she knew about parkour and self-defense, at first they wondered why she knew so many different techniques of self-defense, until she explained where she grew up had a few unpleasant people. They still think she's meta.

When Winter rolled around she was to head back to Gotham for the next month and a half. She was packed and ready when the GPS burst into her room.

"Don't leave! I need an Ice skating buddie!" - Alix clinging to Marinette

"You have Chloé and Kagami, besides, I'm pretty sure Kagami is better on the ice than I am." - Marinette accepting the fact she won't be getting Alix off her anytime soon

"It's Not The Same!" - Alix becoming a human koala on Marinette's back

"She's going to see her family, show some restraint!" - Chloé detaching Alix from Marinette

"No!" - Alix getting out of Chloé's grip and reattaching herself to Marinette

"There's a new attraction with a big ramp jump for the ice skating rink." - Kagami on her phone

"Really?! Let me see!" - Alix detaching herself to look at Kagami's phone, only to see the normal boring ice skating rink - "You tricked me." - Alix gave Kagami the stink eye

"It got you off of Marinette at least." - Kagami putting her phone away

"I'm gonna miss you girls." - Marinette gave them a big hug

"You better not do anything stupid while you're back home." - Chloé

"I would never." - Marinette thinking of the time she ran from the Bat-Birds

"What city in New Jersey do you live in again?" - Alix

"That's-" - Marinette

"Kitten you all set for Gotham?" - Selina opened the door and saw Marinette in a big hug with the girls - "Oh, you girls are here, hope you said your goodbyes because we're leaving in 10 minutes." - She then closed the door to make sure everything was ready downstairs

"... ... ..." - Chloé/Alix/Kagami - "You live where?"

"Gotham...?" - Marinette slowly backing up to grab her luggage and make her way to the door

"Oh hell No!" - Kagami standing between Marinette and the door

"You're staying!" - Alix clinging to Marinette again

"Gotham's a death trap!!!" - Chloé joining Alix and clinging to Marinette

... ... ...

After some convincing the girls let Marinette go, and she was now on the plane that would take her back home.

"... They really think Gotham's a death trap?" - Selina relaxing in the first class seats she got them.

"It's not that bad is it? I had asked them what they thought could even go wrong." - Marinette

"... Well literally everything can go wrong in Gotham... It's not to late to get off actually." - Selina getting up

"Not you too!" - Marinette grabbing her Aunt's hand

"I'm joking Kitten... you are wearing the bullet proof vest under that coat right?" - Selina

"Of course." - Marinette

"Then we should be fine..." - Selina now sitting back down and looking 10 times more nervous than before

"..." - Marinette put her hands together and mumbled under her breath - "Please don't jinx it. Please don't jinx it. Please don't jinx it. Pleeeeease don't jinx it."

……………… They had an hour delay, had to switch flights and couldn't eat anything because it looked like it would give them food poisoning, and they didn't get a wink of sleep......... but they made it to Gotham in one piece... at 2 in the morning.

"You jinxed it." - Marinette dragging her luggage sleepily

"It can't get any worse now-" - Selina

"No!-" - As Marinette tried to stop her Aunt from finishing her sentence, a truck past by the curb and sent a blanket of powdered snow flying into them - "-say it..."

"...Okay, now it-" - Selina was cut off by Marinette stuffing her mouth with the last secret cookie she had

"Don't anger the jinx gods, please." - Marinette pleading to her Aunt

After Selina finished the secret cookie she called Ivy to pick them up. They waited about 15 minutes before Ivy, along with a sleeping Harley in the back seat, picked them up. As they got in the car Harley jolted awake

"Are we dere yet?" - Harley rubbing her eyes

"Yes, and in our snow covered glory we entered the car." - Marinette giving her mom a hug

"I missed yuh so much, it just hasn't been de same wit'outcha cupcake." - Harley returning the hug

"And what about me, did you miss me?" - Selina getting comfortable in the passenger seat

"Ehhh." - Harley tilted here hand from side to side as she continued to side hug Marinette

"... Have I ever told you how great you are at warm welcomes?" - Selina giving Harley the stink eye

"She didn't mean it, you know she has no filter at this hour." - Ivy pulling up to the stoplight

"In other words her honest opinion of me being back is ‘ehhh’, I'm glad she thinks so highly of me." - Selina resting her head on the window

The ride to their base was peaceful, they arrived and went to their rooms after Marinette gave her moms and aunt a goodnight hug. As Marinette went to sleep in her bed, Bud and Lou jumped onto the bed and curled up next to her, as she stroked their fur, she couldn't help but feel excited to spend time with her family and friends. She soon fell asleep in the calm silence of her room, the last thought she had before drifting off, was that she was happy to be back home.

·•·—–·•★•·–—·•·

Chapter 5 complete, hope you're all having a magnificent day, rockin' all the positive vibes and staying safe !BUG-OUT! 🐞💮🐞

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜Tag List〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

1st Place★: @jumpingjoy82

2nd Place★: @myazael

3rd Place★: @solangelo252

@fandom-trapped-03, @zorua-adorable, @blueblossombliss, @thefangirlwholiterallydies, @woe-is-me0, @lady-bee-fechin, @jayjayspixiepop, @kashlyn, @toodaloo-kangaroo, @buginetye, @our-preciousss, @vroomtaka, @alessialeone6997, @doll246 , @aestheticnpoetic, @moon5608, @moonlightstar64, @kking13

[ghostfives]

Warming cuddles

A/N: This is a Christmas present for @ct-crosshair, I really hope you like it since you are an amazing friend. Merry Christmas 💙

Rex shivers as he walks through the snow, only a thin coat on. He was being dumb today, thinking the quick walk to his boyfriends Echo’s wouldn’t be too bad. He didn’t need to wear his coat, he told himself before leaving.

What Rex didn’t realise was that there was a kriffing blizzard on its way, so now he’s stuck in it and absolutely freezing. He hugs himself, shivering violently as he finally catches sight of Echo’s house, smiling with relief and now going as fast as he can to get to it.

He pounds on the door. “Echo!!? You here? Please be here.” Rex begs, when he hears footsteps and the door opens. Echo has wide eyes. “Rex, what the kriff are you doing here?!” Echo asks, grabbing Rex and pulling him through the door. “You’re going to catch your death!!”

Rex is ushered through the hall, right to the fire place. Echo frowns as he tugs Rex’s coat off. “Rex, you’re freezing.” He says with a frown, making Rex duck down sheepishly. “I’m sorry?” Is all he can say, making Echo sigh and shake his head before leaving the room.

Rex watches Echo leave, then scootches closer to the fire, sighing at the warmth. He looks up after a few minutes when he hears someone walk in, smiling to see Echo with a blanket.

“Take your wet clothes off and get wrapped up in the blanket, I’ll get your clothes in the dryer, love.” Echo coos, handing Rex the blanket before leaving again. Rex blushes at the thought of just the blanket covering him, but takes it off and covers himself all up. He sighs with relief, being out of his wet clothes.

Echo comes out with a cup of steaming hot coffee, he sets the coffee on the coffee table and kneels down, giving Rex a soft kiss. “You shouldn’t have been out in that storm, Love.” He says with worry, handing Rex the coffee. Rex frowns. “I just wanted to visit, and I’m okay.” He promises, taking a sip of the coffee and sighing. He feels all warm and cozy now.

Echo shakes his head with a laugh. “Of course, well I’ll go put these in the dryer, then how about we cuddle and warm you up?” He suggests, getting a nod from Rex. “Yes, please.”

Echo gives Rex one more soft kiss before he picks his boyfriends wet clothes up and leaves to put them in the dryer.

Rex pouts a bit, but sips at his coffee, feeling so lucky to have Echo as a boyfriend. He still doesn’t know how Echo ever fell for him, but he did.

Rex can remember the day he met Echo, Cody had forced him to go to a carnival, even though Rex had been horribly busy with work, and Cody knew that. Echo and Fives had been there too, Fives carrying a gigantic bear he had won. Fives had walked into Rex by mistake, and it was Echo who had helped him back up. Rex had fallen in love that day, and had hung out with Echo and Fives the rest of the night.

Then he asked Echo for his number, and he actually gave it! They started messaging a lot and meeting up… and the rest is history, and now they’re dating. Rex will never understand it.

Rex looks up when Echo walks back into the room, smiling and walking over. He sits beside Rex and pulls him close, the two cuddling together. Rex hums, laying his head on Echo’s shoulder. “Thank you so much for warming me up.”

Echo chuckles, pulling Rex closer and kissing his forehead. “No thanks necessary, love. You deserve to be warm.” He croons, making Rex blush at the kiss. Rex nuzzles into Echo, smiling softly as his eyes flutter closed. “You deserve all the thanks.”

Echo chuckles, taking Rex’s coffee from him and stealing a sip, making Rex glare. “Hey! I thought that was for me?” He grumbles loudly, making Echo chuckle again.

“Last I remembered, I made you this coffee, so it’s mine. Let me sip.” He says, taking small sips and humming as he warms up inside. Rex huffs and crosses his arms, but can’t help but smile at Echo. Echo smiles back and hands Rex his coffee, before pulling his boyfriend into a kiss.

After a few minutes, they break for air. “I love you.” Echo whispers, pressing his forehead to Rex’s, making Rex just melt. “I love you too, Echo. So much. It’s why I wanted to visit tonight, although I should have warm more appropriate clothes.” He says sheepishly, and Echo lets out a sweet laugh. Music to Rex’s ears.

“Well, that was a very stupid decision, but at least you made it here so I could warm you up.” Echo coos, pulling Rex close so that he’s practically in his lap, kissing his head and nuzzling it.

Rex blushes, but sinks into the embrace and lets himself be held, curled into the blanket as well as Echo. He snuggles onto his loving boyfriend, eyes fluttering a bit as he smiles. “Thanks for warming me up, Love. I love you so much.” Rex says before yawning, making Echo laugh. “I love you too, now just sleep. We can do more later.” He whispers, and with that Rex lets the tiredness of the walk and from the warmth lull him to sleep, listening to the soft breathing of his boyfriend, and held in his arms. He’s never felt any more safe than he is now.

[captainrexisboo]

Comfort pt5: Sarad

Link to Previous - this chapter takes off right at the end of the previous part, so!

Here It Is. Part Five. I Love My Boo So Much. Also- my first fully completed fic?? Ever??! Holy crap!!!! Dumb Luck stares at me as it sharpens a knife in the corner

No warnings apply, Rex x Reader, reader is a lady. Questions and comments are always welcome! Let me know if y’all want an epilogue!! 

EDIT!!! Link to Epilogue!!!

Tagging: @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @000ayfh @pinkiemme @midnightredemption @simping-for-fives @danger-xylophones @iscream4clones @jyvorakal @leias-left-hair-bun @vesperstalksclones @mackstrut @yamaktaria @juitoverride @callme-eds @greenygreenland All of you have been so wonderful, I love reading your comments/tags, and seeing your names/icons pop up in my notifs always make me smile!!! You’re all amazing!!! Love y’all!!!

~

You sat at your desk, spinning a stylus in between your fingers and back straight, chewing on a swollen, worried bottom lip. Your eyes were rimmed red and puffy, but dry- you had already done all your crying, and were now just sitting alone, stewing in your own emotion. You couldn’t even look at Rex directly as he slowly steps into the room, just thinking to yourself about what happened, replaying the unexpected uneventfulness in your mind, trying to find out why it hurt you so. You felt so hypocritical, throwing a fit about Aurin’s lack of attention when you explicitly asked him to leave you alone. You were such a fool, anyway you looked at it.

Your gaze went low as Rex stepped closer, putting your cup directly in front of you. You gave him a silent nod in thanks, and he stood for a minute, holding his own cup as he shifted on his feet. His voice came out nearly strained, a thin whisper, “Should I… Do you need me to come back later, or-”

“Please stay.”

Your words were croaked, and you winced at the broken sound, but you didn’t want him to leave. You didn’t realize how much you didn’t actually want to be alone until Rex had walked in. He sat across from you, armor clacking together as he got comfortable (or as comfortable as he could in full gear) and you could feel his calculating gaze tracing your face and form. You let out a cough (it was supposed to be a laugh) knowing exactly what he was searching for. “He didn’t hurt me, Captain. Never did, never will.”

You felt a corner of your lips twitch up slightly as Rex let out a sigh of relief, but noticed how he still stayed tense. “Y/N, what’s the matter? What happened?”

What happened?

“What happened indeed,” you let out a wry exhale, “In all seriousness, nothing happened” -you held up a hand as Rex opened his mouth to protest, stopping him before he made a sound- “and that’s just the problem.”

Rex tilted his head, cocking his eyebrow, “I, uh. I don’t think I follow.”

You finally looked up at him with a dead stare, and he stiffened again. You sighed low, your eyelids feeling heavy as your heart sank deeper into your stomach. You let your gaze fall again, before clearing your throat, “I’m sorry, Rex. I… I don’t know what I’m doing. I ask him to leave me alone, and when he does- literally, he barely even spared a glance at me today- I fall completely apart. I don’t know if this is like just a release of energy because I was hyping myself up beforehand and planning all the ways I’d deflect his conversation, or if it’s shock because I wasn’t expecting to be ignored, or if I’m regretting-”

“Hey, slow down, wait a second,” Rex shushed you, voice a little more present as he leaned forward, “Look at me.”

You hesitated, pulling your lip back between your teeth, but did as you were told. You felt meek, glancing up at him through your lashes as he held your stare with his deep honeyed eyes. He gestured towards your caf, and you slowly lifted a hand to wrap around the cup, feeling your shoulders release a little as the warmth of the cup seeped into your palm and fingers. When did they get so cold?

“Take a breath,” Rex demonstrated for you, as you followed his command to the letter, “Now take a drink. Relax.”

You brought the drink up to your lips, letting the sweetened substance flow past your lips and glide easy down your throat. He had this uncanny ability to doctor your caf just right, it never ceased to make your eyes flutter shut, like the drink was a signal that you could begin to let go of any stress that plagued your mind. The same warmth that spread through your hand pulsed through your chest, before you let out a shuddering breath, placing the cup back on the desk. You opened your eyes, Rex giving you a soft smile at your heavy sigh, ”Better?” You nodded to him. “Good. Now, ‘nothing’ happened?”

“Yeah,” you deflated, not defeatedly in self-pity as you were before, but an expel of the tension that had been eating away at you for the better half of the day, “I thought this was what I wanted, and I… I think that’s it’s still what I want, but when he actually put it into practice I just…”

You scoffed at yourself, glancing off to the side to stare at the pile of flimsi Yularen needed to sign off on, “You know how you get yourself excited for something that’s about to happen, something you want to happen, and the moment it happens it’s different than how you’d expect it to be?”

Rex nodded, heart skipping as he thought about Ahsoka’s speculation. What would happen if he told you his true feelings now? Would you laugh at him, thinking he’s playing a cruel joke on you? Would you pout at him, and apologize for not feeling the same way? Would you stare at him with an icy glare and tell him how awful he is for telling you at the worst possible timing? Would you smile at him so sweetly, and get up from your chair to walk around and whisper an admission of your own feelings as well, lips brushing against his temple like that one day he can’t stop replaying in his head? He’s unsure which option scares him the most.

“Aurin ignored me throughout the entire inspection today, even as we stood alone with each other. He didn’t say a word, didn’t look in my direction. He simply stood next to me,” you recounted, gaze going unfocused again, “He did exactly as I asked. For whatever reason, it hurt me. It hurt so much-”

You cut yourself off as your voice cracked, feeling the lump form in your throat again. You reach for your caf, taking another soothing sip, letting the hot liquid push past the emotion rising in your throat. Breathing steady, you looked back into your lap, sitting your caf back on your desk before shrinking into a whisper, “And I can’t figure out why.”

Rex sat still, ankle crossed over his knee. He took a long sip from his own cup, soaking in the information. It was a heavy minute before he cleared his throat, “Do you… do you maybe want to talk to him?” Rex felt himself swallow thickly. “Do you want to be with him again?”

“No.”

You reeled back, wincing at yourself, surprised at how quickly you responded. Rex looked at you intently, but with merciful patience, only the incline of his head urging you to continue. You gazed back into Rex’s eyes, feeling something in your stomach stir from their sincerity. If nothing else, Rex was earnest and kind at his core. You had unwavering confidence in your friendship, and you were reminded of that everytime you looked into his eyes. You could tell him anything- he could pull the truth out of you better than you could push it through by yourself. Alone, you had to hunt for it, search the darkest corners of your mind, and almost always came back into the light empty handed and frustrated. You’d exhausted yourself so easily doing just that today, but when you locked onto Rex’s gaze, he could easily lead you to your truth. He coaxed it out of you with gentle whispers and soft touches, with eyes that practically glowed with an emotion you thought you knew but couldn’t quite place. You swallowed a breath, sitting up straight, and talking directly to Rex, letting your instinct take over as you answered silent questions.

What do you want?

“I want to continue to keep my distance from him.”

Why?

“It was...shocking. To not have any interaction with him. But its what I need, to grow into my own person. It’ll be better this way.”

So how do you explain your reaction?

“I guess I… I’m afraid.”

You stopped yourself from venturing further down that rabbit hole, finally breaking away from Rex’s stare. You took a deep breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth, the emotional strain from today taking its toll on you. You shut your eyes tight, dropping your chin to your chest, trying to stop the headache from coming on, not even looking up as you heard the weighty steps of Rex’s boots as he walked around your desk.

Rex had gotten up from his seat as soon as your lashes hit the tops of your cheeks. He allowed his typically quiet footfalls to echo in the room as he opted for a slow walk to come closer to you, setting his half-finished caf on the edge of your desk. He never seemed to be able to shake his nerves whenever he made a move to touch you, always moving as if time was slowed down around the two of you, in your own little pocket of reality. His hand moved cautiously, making sure you had time to feel his presence, time to move away if you needed to. Rex’s fingers brushed at your shoulder, curling over the muscle as his thumb traced your collarbone, hidden under your uniform jacket. He put pressure there, a slight squeeze, causing you to hum lightly at the contact. Rex continued his motions at your approval, sinking down to one knee to see if he could catch your eyes, only to find them closed. He smoothed his gloved hand over the gray material, following the slope of your shoulder in a fluid motion, keeping his voice low despite being the only two people in the room, “What are you afraid of, cyar’ika?”

The endearment was out of his mouth before he could stop himself, but if you knew what the term meant you didn’t mention it. He left it alone, letting the moment settle.

You shivered slightly at his gravelly tone, taking note of the new word you’d have to ask about later. He said it so softly in a single exhale, that at least you knew it wasn’t supposed to be an insult. You opened an eye, finding his stare on you, and opening the other one as you leaned forward, placing your forehead against his. The position was awkward, your back was hunched and you could already feel your neck getting stiff, but the keldabe kiss made you feel at ease, lifting a hand to wrap around the back of Rex’s head, feeling the prick of his buzz on your palm, the pads of your fingers rubbing lightly over his scalp. You felt a smile twitch up as he gave a relieving sigh of his own, closing his eyes as he melted at your petting.

“I’m afraid of changing,” the admission fell out of you as a wave of calm washed over the two of you, startling yourself, but the grip you and Rex held on each other kept you grounded enough to move forward, “Aurin and I… we were inseparable for so long. I want to know who I am without him, figure out what it means to be me. But I can’t help but think- this is so silly- what if I spend too much time on that? What if I finally complete my journey, but can’t find anyone to love that version of me?”

Your hand moved down to grip at the back of Rex’s neck, his eyes opening as your gaze went downcast, continuing after a breath, “Aurin and I had a love… I outgrew it. What if by the time I finish growing, no one has room to love me like that anymore?”

“I will.”

Your eyes shot back up at the two simple words, growing wide at the sudden revelation. You froze after your eyes locked, swallowing down a breath as you waited for him to continue, still keeping your foreheads pressed together. Rex moved his hand over your shoulder, rubbing up and down your arm in a calming pace, though you’re unsure if it was to soothe your nerves or his own. The air you both were suddenly all-too-aware of sharing thickened as the silence stretched, Rex’s eyes searching your own as he briefly wetted his lips in anticipation of your reaction.

“Y/N, I need you to know, you’ll never outgrow those who already care for you. Aurin kept you locked in a box, and it was a warm, safe box. But you did a brave thing. You took a step out of that box, and as soon as you did you blossomed. Sarad, flower, you’ll always be growing, that’s a part of life,” he cleared his throat, intent on making his devotion ring clear, both of his hands moving to wrap around your own, the one still in your lap, “You’re healing, finding your roots, and already you’ve changed so much, in the brightest of ways. And I… I really, really care for you. I’ll always be here for you, by your side, ready to welcome you into my heart with open arms. If you decide I’m not for you, that’s fine, just please take this to heart- I’ll always make room to love you.”

He held his breath, waiting for your response, not daring to break your hold. Your fingers had stopped their light massaging on his head, but you kept him pulled to you. He gripped your hand between his own, running his thumbs over your knuckles. He didn’t want to let go- if you ended up hating him for this outburst, he wanted to be in your touch as long as possible until then.

You had no response. You were silent and intensely looking right through him, to say you were shocked was an understatement, but you held no doubt that Rex had spoken only the truth to you. The past few months started to replay through your mind, all his little quirks and notions that you thought were just him in culture shock to nat-born socializing became clear- and you could punch yourself for not realizing it sooner. He loves you...seems like he always had. The longer the moment stretched, the more nervous the Captain’s gaze fell, and you just barely choked out a whisper, “Rex…”

Your mouth hung open, stuck in how to continue, letting a breathless, but short giggle come through you as he visibly perked up to your voice. You blinked at him, trying to clear your mind, “I...I-I’m sorry, I need some time to think, still.”

“That’s fine,” Rex nodded, almost forgetting your foreheads were still pushed together as his words came out in a rush, “take as much time as you need. I’m not telling you this as a way to ask you out o-or anything, I just. I just don’t want you to feel unloved. I’m here for you, no matter if you match my feelings or…”

He trailed off, his eyes being pulled to the floor as the other option crossed both of your minds. He didn’t need to say it. You felt your heart ache for him, here he was laying his soul out to you, and all you could do was request that he gives you time. 

But this its time that he’s willing to give. 

“I’ve waited for you for so long already,” his baritone rumbled from his chest, as he slowly brought his gaze back up to you. You felt your cheeks heat under the warmth of the amber hearth that was his eyes, “I’ll gladly wait two lifetimes more.”

Something in you broke. It snapped, and the force of it pushed you forward, colliding with the Captain’s lips. You both made brief sounds, a muffled chirp against a surprised throaty grunt, equal parts terrified and triumphant. He tasted like caf, with a bite of citrus, like he’d been eating an orange, and the thought for whatever reason made you smile against him as your eyes slid shut.

Rex’s eyes blew wide open, freezing in place at your movement. Holding his breath as you stayed on his lips, heart racing like never before, even on the battlefield. This was different, and delightful, and how do you kiss someone properly, is there a manual for it, should he stay still or-

Just as quickly as you brushed against him, you had left, and he had to restrain himself to keep from following you back. You looked at him, and- oh. He knows those eyes.

“I still need time,” you breathed out, moving off of his forehead but fingers resuming their petting over his scalp, “but maybe I’ll run the course quicker knowing you’re at the finish line.”

Rex had dreamed of your eyes looking at him like that, and he was sure his gaze matched. Like you had hung the stars in the sky for the ships to fly through, like he had painted the universe on a velvet canvas- like he loved you. Like you loved him. Your moony gazes were locked on each other before he rasped out, only just remembering to breathe in the quiet moment, “I don’t want to push my luck, but… could you maybe, possibly, kiss me? Again? Please, I feel like I did it wrong.”

He melted in the ring of your laughter, a smile finally breaking through his face at the sound, squeezing the hand he still held. You looked at him with unchecked fondness, and shook your head, “You did fine.” A coquettish gleam came through your eyes, as you gently pulled at the back of his head. He followed your prompting, leaning up eagerly to close the space between you, eyes glancing to your lips as you smiled, “Although, a little practice never hurt anybody.”

[pro-fangirls-unsocial-life]

Sweet Nothings (2/2) Rex x Reader

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of the support so far. I really cannot express how happy I am with how well received this has been. You guys are so nice and I am so glad that you like it. Enjoy!

Tags: @captainrexisboo @bad-batch-of-fics @mackstrut @jyvorakal @danger-xylophones @dissapointingpancake​

Length: ~1500 words

Warnings: none :) just pure fluff again

Part One

You had just gotten back from picking up the food from Rex’s favorite place when your communicator beeped.

 Just landed. Have to give a mission report but should be there in about two hours. ~ Rex

 You smiled and set everything down on the table. You cleaned up the rest of your apartment that you had not been able to the night before and set out everything that you had prepared for Rex. A pile of holofilms on the table by the couch and a sea of blankets strewn across the couch itself. When you were done with that, you made sure that everything in the refresher was clean so that Rex could take a nice shower when he got home. You set out towels that you had just washed and the soft, blue pajamas that you had bought him when he first started staying the night at your apartment. Once you had done all of that, you looked at the crono on the wall and saw that Rex should be there in about twenty minutes.

You brought the food from the table into the kitchen and began to reheat it. After you had done that, you started making a pot of caf, knowing that he would probably be tired. You were humming to the background music that you had on while you were working when you heard your front door woosh open. You looked over and saw Rex standing there with his helmet in his right hand and his bag in the left, a small smile on his face as he looked at you.

 “Rex!” You ran at him and he dropped both of his things as you jumped into his arms. Wrapping your arms around his neck and legs around his midsection, you buried your face in his neck. You both held onto each other as tightly as you could, both not wanting to ever let the other go.

 “I missed you,” he said gently as he pressed a kiss to the side of your head. You both stayed like that for a while. Not saying anything. Just holding on to each other like it was the last thing you would ever do.

 You finally stepped down onto the floor and brought your hands to either side of his face, placing your foreheads together. “I missed you too,” you whispered as your thumb rubbed his cheek. You pulled back and held his face while you looked at him.

 He looked tired and worn, dirt still covering his face and armor. You could tell that he was exhausted, but he was relieved to finally be home. As you looked over him, you could see that he didn’t have any kind of signs of injury and you breathed a sigh of relief. He gave you a small, loving smile and brought his hands up to yours. He pulled them to his lips and kissed both of them before letting them rest between the two of you.

 “Everything in the refresher is ready if you want to shower before eating,” you said tenderly looking up at his beautiful brown eyes.

 He looked down at you and sighed. “That would be amazing.”

 You let go of his hands and started helping him take off his armor and set it in its place by the door. Once all of it was off, you told him to go relax and take all of the time that he needed while you put everything away.

 After he had showered and you both had eaten, you sat cuddled together on the couch drinking caf under a blanket, a holofilm playing quietly as you listened to each other’s soft breathing.

 “Oh! I almost forgot!” You excitedly got up from the couch, letting go of his hand as you made your way toward the kitchen. “I have a surprise for you!”

 “A surprise?” He watched you leave and brought his hand up to the back of his neck. “Cyare, you’ve already done so much for me tonight. You didn’t have to you know.” He looked at you as you returned with your hands behind you back. A gentle, loving smile on his face as he looked at you with adoration.

 “I know, I know. I just wanted to do something special for my amazing Captain. Besides, I thought you could use a pick-me-up when you got back.” You smiled and brought the bag of Idelle wafers out from behind your back as you sat back down next to him.

 He looked down and his eyes widened. “Are those?”

 “Yes,” you beamed as your smile widened. “I remember you saying how much you liked them on our first date. I’ve been looking for them since then but wasn’t able to find them. It was a stroke of pure luck that someone from Sesid just moved to Coruscant and just happened to set up a booth in my path home from work.”

 Rex kept silently looking down at the small bag in your hands. His face staying in the same shocked state as before. He slowly reached out and picked up the bag and looked at it. He blinked a few times as he looked it over, his face unreadable.

 “Rex? Are you ok?” You were starting to get worried. “Are they not the right kind? I tried describing the ones you told me about to the man who owned the shop but—”

 Rex lurched forward and pulled you into a deep kiss. You gasped in surprise but quickly smiled into it. Rex brought his hand up to hold your face and pulled away. He brought your forehead to his and deeply breathed in as he smiled. “I love you so much Y/N.”

 You smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips before returning to the keldabe kiss. “I love you too Rex.” You pulled back and pressed your face into his chest and hugged him tightly. “Welcome home.”

 *******************************************************************************************

 As you were snuggled together, Rex was lightly tracing shapes onto your arm as he slowly snacked on the sweet cookies that you had given him. You took a deep breath and scooted deeper into his arms. You had both been absent mindedly watching the old holofilms that played while you just enjoyed being back in each other’s arms. After a while, Rex’s breathing had evened out and you thought that he had fallen asleep. You gently started pulling the blanket overtop both of you, and just as you were about to turn off the holofilm, you heard him lightly say your name.

 “Do you remember the day we met?”

 You turned slightly so that you could see his face. He was looking down at you with heavy and tired eyes and a face with nothing on it but admiration. His small grin making your chest bloom with affection.

 You smiled back at him. “How could I forget?”

 “I walked into the hangar to see you yelling at General Skywalker with a screwdriver in your hand pointed at his face. You were saying something about not fixing his Starfighter anymore if he was just going to keep ‘modifying’ it and undoing all of your work.” Rex softly chuckled as he looked back on the memory.

 “Ha. Yeah… When you walked up and asked if there was a problem, I turned the screwdriver on you and snapped at you to control your Jedi.” You smiled. “Then you took your helmet off and I could barely form a sentence.”

 Rex chuckled again and pulled you closer. “You weren’t the only one you know. I was half tempted to not say anything because of how much I could feel my face heating up when I first saw you. Hell, if I had known that the mechanics who worked on the 501st’s ships would be so gorgeous, I would have had Skywalker intentionally crash his so that I could come see you.”

 You scoffed. “Oh, come on, doesn’t he already do that?” You stretched up to place a small kiss on his cheek as you shifted to lying on his stomach with your head on his chest. “But,” you said with a mischievous smile, “I can’t say that I would have minded all that much if you did. How else would I have met you?”

 Rex placed a kiss on the top of your head. “What did I do to deserve you?” He moved his hand to your back and started slowly tracing shapes on it through your shirt. He chuckled, “Guess we owe a thanks to General Skywalker for being reckless enough for you to call him to the hangar in person to yell at him.” As Rex spoke his voice got deeper and his eyes began to drift shut, a slight smile still present on his face.

 “Yeah,” you breathed out. “I guess we do.” You sat there for a while just watching as Rex’s body began to relax and his breathing began to even out. You carefully placed a kiss to his chin and settled into his chest as you pulled the blanket completely over the two of you. “Goodnight Rex.” You smiled as you closed your eyes. “I love you.”

[thefoundationproject]

Hii it's the anon again! Honoured that my word vomit could inspire something so wonderful!

I love the touch of what I'm guessing is Guinea Pig! Domino Twins and Tooka!Jesse witnessing the convo. Neyo snuggling with the Domino twins is adorable. Jesse collecting blackmail probs (Uhm getting the Bacara and Rex origin story? Human Jesse would never dream to be this lucky!). Someone else is probably trying to figure out how to decursify them, probably (Is it Kix? Or dear god Hardcase?!?) Neyo and Rex bonding the Neyo Way™️. Love to see it. Neyo used to be so terrible at socialising, but look at him now! Making CT friends left and right! They'll study his methods in sociology class I bet ya! He should teach.

Bacara and Rex having physical contact after so long apart is just amazing and heartbreaking. Bacara knowing goodbye is coming but he's leaving in such a good place compared to how he left, in all aspects, so it's best case scenario considering.

The fact that you got so much character development out of my braimworm is just !!!! Bacara the baby bean feeling guilty that Rex didn't tell his brothers. The line about how close he knows Rex is with the Shebse and not being able to see any other reason as to why he would hide it. Him thinking of Neyo as "people who are important to Bacara". Bacara knowing by the end of ARC training that Rex was it for him. Love all of it.

Also love how insightful Neyo is about other people's relationships yet watch him when he gets his own Sexy Sidearm. Though here it fits because Neyo knows what it's like to be alone and having/wanting to prove yourself on your own (ouch why did I hurt myself like that), so he saw Rex's reasoning. Him and Rex have some similarities in the needing to prove themselves regard that I've noticed over time.

Pointing out all the Shebse had something to prove because of 17 organising ARC training hadn't even crossed my mind, but so true! Though this brings into question if a certain Alpha-17 should be the first recipient of the 'who knew Rex'ika had a boyfriend and didn't tell Ponds' interrigation call.

Writing is amazing as always espescially when it involves Rex/Bacara, Neyo and Healthy Adult Communication. Inject it.

Thank you!!

Hello again! The idea had been a wee bit of an idea, but after your comment it went suddenly off the rails!

The guinea pig!Domino Twins jokeis one I’ve wanted to make for a long time (they were originally hamsters, and then fancy rats, before they were guinea pigs) and Neyo rolled in and presented the best possible reasoning. Are these truly Torrent ARCs shapeshifted? Has he ARC-napped Rex’s ARCs and is pretending some fluffy critters he’s borrowed from someone are them? Is that lettuce he sharpied ‘cursed’ actually cursed? The galaxy may never know. (If someone is working to decursify them, it’s probably a joint Hardcase-Anakin-Kix adventure. And boy wouldn’t that be a hecking adventure!!!!)

Rex is getting a crash-course in how to be mine-d by Neyo. Very different from his past experience being mine-d by Ponds and Cody (and Bly and Wolffe, but I’d love to see someone accuse them of being as mine-y as Ponds. Even if Wolffe totally raised Rex. (Ponds helped.)) Neyo’s bonding techniques are a wonder of the modern world. They should study his methods to try to see at what point they start to make any sense.

Bacara and Rex have a romance in the small things and I love it so much. It’s not really in the grand gestures, more in the little moments. The quiet touches, leaning against one another, little private smiles. And the important thing is that ‘knowing goodbye is coming’ doesn’t stop them from enjoying the now. They won’t let what-ifs control the present and that’s definitely something I admire. And Bacara! Being so cautious with his heart but falling fast and hard anyway, and Rex falling just as quickly just ah. I love them. (Also Neyo is definitely Bacara’s people, no argument at all).

Neyo’s incredibly observant! Just … he’s also Vode and vode have some certain genetic predispositions to flailing, romantic shenanigans and some shades of obliviousness. So Neyo is incredibly observant about others, and because I have A Brand he’s also very much going to be flailing along in his own relationship development because I find the Dramatique hilarious.

(Neyo probably knew every single possible detail about Rex before the end of that first tenday. Here was this little CT kid, running with the CCs. And what’s more, running with the best of them (not that Neyo is bragging (he’s absolutely bragging).) This little CT who clocked Bacara as interesting nearly instantly, who started following after him with heart-eyes and wriggling his way into Bacara’s orbit … yeah, Neyo darn well learned everything about this guy immediately. Bacara deserves something genuine and Neyo just … had to make sure. He probably did see a lot of himself in that guy too.)

The Shebse’s Alpha is considered good enough to have his own elite training course. That means he’s at a certain level, and I’m sure there was the unspoken expectation that the Shebse would reflect that. So yeah, they would have thrown everything into ARC training, even if they didn’t have to. They all ended up in incredibly vital positions: they’re clearly excellent at their specialties. But it’s the principle of the thing.

(17 and Ponds I’m sure have many incredibly amusing conversations. I feel like Ponds might be the one who talks to 17 the most, given he has the most regular schedule of them all.)

Thank you very much! I’m prescribing HAC for everyone and then having to fill the prescriptions too but you know, that’s life sometimes.

Thank you!!!

[hasquetzorkukudoneanythingwrong]

The (not so) lil master that could

Rex was sitting at a desk in an art studio. He was practicing his art with Da Vinci (caster) over looking his practice. He was practicing with human anatomy, with Cleopatra as the model. This wasn't the first time he'd tried this but he had an unfortunate habit of being over critical of himself. Da Vinci was well aware of this, many times when she tried to give him some criticism he'd take it way worse then she intended and end up dropping it for a long time.

Rex: uh... I might be close to being finished?

Da Vinci: are you sure? How do you feel about it?

Rex took a look at his sketch, the anatomy wasn't amazing and the clothing was a bit inaccurate.

Rex: no... it's crap.

Da Vinci: it's not that bad... I've told you before not to be over critical of your art.

Rex: but it's true. I shouldn't even try...

Da Vinci: hey! Stop giving up! You won't get anywhere doing that!

But Rex wasn't listening and he got up and left.

Cleo: what happened?

Da Vinci: he gave up. *sigh* he needs to stop dropping this stuff so quickly.

Cleo: well let me see the picture.

Da Vinci showed the picture to Cleopatra

Cleo: I mean... it's not so bad. I can see potential... he should keep going.

Da Vinci: that's what I've been trying to tell him...

Eventually Rex was in the writer's room this time trying his hand at writing a story. He was too disappointed in the art he tried so he hoped writing would be more his speed. Murasaki was there to help like Da Vinci with the art. Just like with the art and anything he tried, he was too critical of his own writing. Murasaki wanted to help him get better and to keep at it but she was too shy, the only reason she's helping instead of others is because folks like Shakespeare and Anderson annoyed him a bit too much so she's the better option.

Murasaki: how's the manuscript? Is it going well?

Rex: ...not sure... why don't you take a look?

Murasaki took a look at what he wrote.

Murasaki: it's pretty good so far... but this part seems a bit forced.

Rex: *sigh* so what do you think I should do instead?

Murasaki: stories need to flow naturally... try to take a bit of a realistic view on it.

Rex: hmmm...

As he reread the story, he became more and more dissatisfied with it. He noticed many errors and moments where the characters' dialog didn't seem right.

Rex: y'know what... maybe I shouldn't try...

Murasaki: wait! Please don't give up master!

Rex: why keep going? It's crap...

He got up and left, Murasaki just watched him as she wasn't very confrontational. Not that it would help as Da Vinci could tell you.

Murasaki: *sigh* not again...

Eventually Murasaki and Da Vinci met up in the hall and Da Vinci had a question for Murasaki.

Da Vinci: have you seen Rex?

Murasaki: no, he was writing earlier but he got over critical again and left.

Da Vinci: of course. He needs to work on his self esteem issues. I know you're always your own worst critic but he won't even let the ink dry before he burns the canvas.

Murasaki: did he go that far?!

Da Vinci: no... but it wouldn't surprise me. I'm going to keep looking, he needs to end this whole hyper critical crap!

Murasaki: alright, but don't be too abrasive with him, he may shut down entirely on the subject.

Da Vinci: *sigh* he needs a therapy session or something.

As she continued to look, she passes by the gym and hears his voice.

Rex: how was that?

???: your almost there! Let's try one more time!

Da Vinci: there he is!

She went into the gym, to see him in the wrestling wring. He was sparring with Quetzalcoatl, specifically lucha libre moves. This wasn't the first time he'd done this. In fact he'd been practicing with her for ages now.

Da Vinci, thinking: hey... how come he's never dropped this? When he first came in he had no interest in most physical activities. He was overweight and rarely left his room, but now look at him.

Da Vinci left the gym for now, but she planned to confront him about this later.

Later on Rex was walking back to his room, tired from the training he just endured. Then Da Vinci came in to question him.

Da Vinci: Rex!

Rex: ah!

Da Vinci: there you are!

Rex, nervously: what do you want?

Da Vinci: I've got some questions for you.

Rex: I dunno if I wanna answer

Da Vinci: too bad. Why do you keep dropping art and writing and such!? You have real potential for those things. But then I see you practicing hand to hand combat and you've stuck to it for so long! I've read your file, and have seen your behavior firsthand before all this and you never struck me as the athletic type.

Rex: ...well if you want the answer, then I've got a story to tell.

Da Vinci: by all means.

It was relatively far back, a while after Camelot was dealt with. Rex and Quetz were at the rec room watching Lucha matches. They had just finished one up, and you could see just how pumped Quetz got.

Quetz: wow! Wasn't that amazing master?!

Rex: it was pretty intense...

Quetz: I still can't believe you've never watched a match before. It's so increible!

Rex: I dunno... just never peaked my interest that much, but you make it way more interesting then I thought it'd be.

Quetz: gracias! When I first layed eyes on this amazing spectacle I couldn't help how awe struck I felt. I knew I had to master it.

Rex: ...I've noticed most of the time they have a partner. If you were ever in the ring for a serious match, who'd you want to be your partner?

Rex had asked simply out of curiosity, he expected her to say Martha or Scathach or some other powerful servant. But what she said surprised the hell out of him.

Quetz turned towards him, and before she said anything she held both of his hands in hers and gave him her answer.

Quetz: I actually think you'd be an amazing partner!

Rex couldn't believe what he heard. Him? Why?! He wasn't coordinated, he was a bit fat, and he was barely any good fighting without a weapon. If anyone that knew him from before chaldea was there, they'd expect him to give her a "no thanks" because that's the kind of person he was. But what he did say, would've surprised any of his family or former friends.

Rex: ...I'd love to!

Quetz: you would!?

Rex: yes! Anything for you!

Quetz: yay! Let's get started with your training!

Rex: now?!

Quetz: well.. it's actually getting late, how about tomorrow?

Rex: sure...

Back in the present day.

Da Vinci: of course, I knew it had to be her. You continue on to make her happy.

Rex: yeah... there's been many times where I was ready to quit training with her. It's painful, and just like with other things, I don't see what I do as good enough. But everytime I see her face beam with excitement for my training, I keep going. I do it for her, I want to be her perfect partner, she has high hopes and I can't disappoint her.

Da Vinci: but you can't put that effort for things you enjoy?

Rex: ...not really...

Da Vinci: ...why don't you show her your art or writing?

Rex: no! She'll think it's stupid.

Da Vinci: only you think that way... or at least that critically anyways. Regardless, I'm showing her!

As she said this she left to find Quetz and show her the picture he drew.

Rex: don't! It's too stupid!

Despite pleading with her he couldn't get her to budge on the subject, she was determined to do this. After a bit of the two walking and their back and fourth they finally ran into Quetz.

Quetz: Hola mi amor! Hola Da Vinci! What's going on?

Da Vinci: Quetzalcoatl, I've got something to show you!

Rex: pls don't look!

Quetz: why not mi amor?

Rex: it's crap!

Da Vinci: stop thinking that way!

As she says this she hands the paper to Quetz. She over looked it for a bit.

Quetz: mi amor, did you draw this?

Rex: yeah... it's crap I know

Quetz: no! It's actually pretty nice! I think you did a fine job!

Rex: huh?! You can't be serious!

Quetz: of course I am!

Rex: for real?!

Da Vinci: I've been trying to tell you!

Quetz: si! Don't look down at your art mi amor! It's really good!

Rex: ...you sure?

Quetz: si! You've got potential and I'd love to see you continue!

Rex was now filled more confidence then ever! He was ready to get back into it! Especially if it was for her!

Over time he'd get back into drawing and writing and even got into a bit of cooking. It was all for Quetzalcoatl of course! But he also never stopped training to be her lucha partner! He was ready for the day they'd have a match up together.

A/N: there ya go. Had this idea brewing most of work. Sometimes we're more willing to do things for others then ourselves, but that can still be a good motivator.

Tags

@hasishtardoneanythingwrong @hasereshdoneanythingwrong @haspaulbunyandoneanythingwrong @haskamadoneanythingwrong @hasabbydoneanythingwrong @hasspartacusdoneanythingwrong @castlecsejtespeakertechnician @hasbbdoneanythingwrong @hasnightingaledoneanythingwrong @nureenarts @kierakaz @valiantstrawberrymilk