#like it feels like the events of chapter 5 were supposed to be the season finale

[zhoras-bitch]

Vying for Versailles is frustrating because it feels like there was a good story in there, but then someone decided to cut out all of the good filler (i.e. character and relationship development), so now characters just speedrun through the events of the book as if they are in a race to hit the next vital plot point as fast as possible.

[snitchcrimsonwrites]

Maybe pt. 4

Pairing: Norm MacLean X Female Reader or OC if you squint

Former friends to a relationship?

Life is pretty easy in Vault 33 until you're trying to rekindle a former friendship and Raiders attack. Now, our main characters are trying to navigate newfound feelings, all while undercovering the mysteries of Vault 33. Stay tuned. Follows the main storyline of season 1; some events may be reordered for plot.

We were supposed to get the big Vault 32 reveal, but this chapter just kept getting longer, so I had to cut it off at some point. Sorry!

Part 1 Here. Part 7 Here Part 12 Here

Part 2 Here Part 8 Here

Part 3 Here Part 9 Here

Part 5 Here Part 10 Here

Part 6 Here Part 11 Here

The workday was over, and you were ready to get home and relax. You headed down the Vault corridor toward your residence, your mind already planning your evening. Maybe you’d watch a movie, you thought as you entered the pin code to unlock the door. The pressurized door mechanism opened with a rush of air, revealing your main living space. You immediately noticed something had changed since you left this morning. Huh, I don’t remember leaving you here. 

A single book rested atop your kitchen table; you didn’t recognize the cover. Puzzled, you reached for the book and flipped it open, trying to jog your memory; as you did, a folded piece of paper fell onto the table. 

The paper read, Courtesy of Overseer MacLean ‘s private library—our little secret. N

You flip the cover over and take a better look. You smile. Of course, it’s a Western.

__________________________

The day of Lucy’s wedding had finally arrived. Most in the Vault couldn’t contain their excitement and curiosity. Everyone was interested to see the results of Triennial Trade. Who was this 32 dweller who would be married to their community? The speculation was endless, but the residents of 33 would have to wait until the ceremony. 

Norm, on the other hand, was wrestling with a different conundrum this morning. He picked up the folded paper atop his dresser and opened it to re-read the contents.

Courtesy of Overseer MacLean ‘s private library—our little secret. N

For a sickeningly sweet gesture, I, (Y/N), owe you, Norman MacLean, one activity of your choosing. 

 You will ask her. Don’t chicken out, he repeats to his reflection in the bedroom mirror above the dresser. Whether to ask (Y/N) to dance at Lucy’s wedding has weighed on him for several days. Does she even want me to ask? Would she be embarrassed if I did this in front of everyone? Then what if I don’t ask? Would she be disappointed? This was all too much. Decision fatigue plagued him. He’d read the room. He'd go for it if she seemed interested and the opportunity presented itself. 

------------------------------

The residents of Vault 33 congregated in the atrium's main square, waiting for Lucy to make her grand entrance. Norm could hear little snippets of separate conversations blending into one. 

“The decorations look beautiful!” “I’m so glad the sunflowers bloomed in time for the ceremony. We were getting worried.” “Should I have done something different with my hair?” “Do you think he’ll get the hint and ask me to dance?” 

He glances around to see if he can spot you among the other vault dwellers; when he does, the room goes silent. Confused, he turns around to see the source of the crowd’s change in demeanor.  

Lucy’s appearance in the upper balcony quieted the crowd. 

Norm watches as she comes down the stairs into the main square to greet the onlookers. He can see everyone smiling at the sight of the young woman in her wedding dress, including his dad. 

“Dad,” she chuckles. Stepping forward so he can admire his little girl. 

“My little sugar bomb,” their dad says as he embraces her.

“Gosh, you look just like your mother,” pride exuding from his voice. 

“Yeah, I wish she was here.” 

“Me too.” 

“Were you scared?” “When you married mom?” Norm hears Lucy ask. 

“Me?” he scoffs. “Terrified. I’d never set foot outside of Vault 31.” 

“When did it go away?” 

“The moment I met your mother.” 

How Norm wished his mother could be here to see this day. While today is supposed to be happy, her absence creates a veil of sadness he can see behind Lucy and his father’s eyes. She was supposed to be here to witness her daughter get married, to see them both grow up. He tries to push the sad thoughts and focus on the moment. If he cried on her wedding day, Lucy would never let him live it down.

“From that moment on, Vault 31 was a distant memory.” Hank continued. 

“Overseer, it’s time,” Betty announces to the pair. They take that as their cue, Hank extending his arm to his daughter and the remainder of the group filing in behind them. Norm takes his spot directly behind his Dad and Lucy. You notice and follow suit a few steps behind. 

As the group approaches the vault corridor connecting Vault 32 and 33 opens with a whoosh, and they begin the walk that will change their lives forever. 

Norm shuffles ahead quickly to end up beside his sister. He can’t pass up the opportunity to engage in some sibling teasing.

“Must be nerve-racking. Your husband could be anybody.” 

“I’m aware,” Lucy retorts. Rolling her eyes at his teasing. 

“And as for his looks?”

“Who knows?” she replies. Norm is impressed; she seems remarkably nonchalant in her response. He decides to take it up a notch. 

“Big butt? No butt? But of course, they are just superficial concerns. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” 

“That’s right!” their dad affirms, looking back at his children, hoping they will give it a rest today, of all days. 

“And in that respect, he could be a cannibal or just like crammed full of tumors.” Norm barely gets the words out before Lucy swats him with her bouquet.   

“Norman.” Hank scolds. 

“Sorry, Dad,” Norm concedes. 

Finally, they’re outside the main entrance of Vault 32. Showtime. 

Hank checks his Pip-Boy and gives Chet the okay to open the gate. Norm was surprised at his composure, given the situation. Everyone in Vault 33 knows he’s down bad for his sister. He and (Y/N) expected at least some reaction from Chet today. 

Chet connects his Pip-Boy to the mag lock. Nothing happens. 

“Honestly…” Chet sighs.” It's a Textbook tumbler jam. It’s going to take some time to fix.” 

There is it, Norm thinks. He’s SO not okay with this. Norm snickers internally and turns around to catch your eye. You return his glance as if to say, we SO called it. 

Lucy steps over to take control of the situation, and after a few hushed exchanges, Chet relents. 

The alarms sound, and the door to Vault 32 rolls back, revealing the residents out from behind its cover. 

Norm watched as his dad stepped in front of the group from 33 to welcome their new guests. 

“Welcome neighbors from Vault 32.” He says with outstretched arms. “ I am Hank MacLean, Overseer of Vault 33.” 

A dark-haired woman steps forward in matching fashion. 

“Lee Moldaver, Overseer of 32. Thank you for your hospitality.” 

“Oh, we were sorry to hear of Overseer Jackson’s passing in your telegrams.”

“When blight hit our wheat, we lost a lot of good people, but this trade will help get us back on our feet.” 

Norm frowned as he heard the words leave the opposing Overseer’s mouth. Why did she have to phrase it like that? Disdain bubbled up into his throat. Moldaver’s words made this whole event seem purely transactional. He means he knows it IS a transaction between vaults, meant to keep those in the vaults surviving, but these were people, and that was his sister. His sister, whom someone loosely compared to a few bushels of wheat. Only he was allowed to comment on his sister that way. When he did it, it was just two siblings mocking one another; when an outsider does it, it’s a step too far. 

Norm was so caught up in analyzing Moldaver’s words that he missed the remainder of the Overseers’ exchange. Suddenly, a rather scruffy 32 dweller stood out before both groups—Lucy’s new husband. 

Overseer MacLean was the one to break the ice. “Now that we’re acquainted, if everyone can move into the main square of the atrium, we can begin the ceremony,” ushering everyone to move back through the vault entrance. 

Norm hangs back from the front of the crowd to walk back with you. 

“Lucy seemed particularly happy with her new husband,” you comment. 

“Yeah, she's a little too happy. I still hope he has one ridiculously unexpected flaw, like being massively afraid of the dark. So bad he has to sleep with the lights on or maybe a nightlight, just to make things interesting.” 

“You’re incorrigible,” you reply, shaking your head.

______________________________

The ceremony was completed, and everyone took their seats at the picnic tables in Vault 33’s atrium. You couldn’t help but look around and admire the decorations. The “outdoor” space always turns out lovely when decorated for weddings. It was the same with Steph’s wedding two years prior. 

You continue taking everything in from your seat, focusing to admire the various spots decorated around the Vault’s main space. You spy Norm at an opposing table with Vault 32’s Overseer. You suppose his dad might have placed him there strategically, perhaps as a political test; it wouldn’t be surprising that he’d want his son to follow in his footsteps as Overseer. That would be quite the sight. Norm had the potential without question; you weren’t sure he wanted the responsibility. He catches you staring and gives you an awkward wave back. 

You flash him a toothy smile in return. It’s becoming harder to ignore how much your feelings for Norm have grown. In just a few short weeks, you went from hardly giving him a second thought to having him consume your waking thoughts. While you two were generally ignoring each other, it was easy not to notice how much he had grown into his features, and you couldn’t deny you found them attractive. Handsome. Not to mention how he has always made you feel comfortable being yourself around him. No masking, no walls, just you. Would becoming more than friends ruin your dynamic? Was his friendship something you'd risk?

You didn’t get more time to dwell on your feelings as Overseer MacLean started his speech from atop the stage. You redirected your drifting attention. 

“Good evening, and welcome to the proud denizens of Vault 32. We are bonded not just as neighbors but by a shared duty. To keep the candle of civilization lit. While the rest of the world has been cast into darkness. Soon, if our measurements are correct, radiation levels on the surface are dropping fast enough that the next generation, Lucy and Monty’s children, will be able to recolonize.”

 Your fellow Vault 33 neighbors erupt into cheers and applause while the other Overseer, Moldaver? visibly tenses. Huh. Maybe she’s just as afraid of Reclamation as some of other dwellers. The whole concept is terrifying enough for people who have never left the safety of the Vault. 

Overseer MacLean continues as the volume from the crowd subsides.

“After 200 years, we don’t know much about what’s up there: desperation, violence, lawlessness. These survivors will need to be shown a better way. I’ll admit sometimes I’m afraid that mean old world will change us instead. But then I look at my daughter, who’s such a beautiful bride, and her new husband. And I am not afraid. I feel hope. To Lucy MacLean. And to this marriage. And to hope!” 

Another round of celebration emanates from the Vault dwellers, and he starts off stage—but not without one final decree: “Let’s dance! Hit it.” 

The command stirs the jukebox to life, playing “Some Enchanted Evening,” and the Overseer extends a hand out to Lucy for their father-daughter dance. 

♫ Who can explain it?

Who can tell you why?

Fools give you reasons,

Wise men never try. ♫

As you watch Lucy’s tender moment with her dad, you cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness for a moment you’ll never have. They’ve become fewer and farther between, but times like this really make you miss your dad. You continue to watch them pushing out the feelings of jealousy and embracing the joy you felt for your friend. 

Suddenly, they break apart. Urging another off to the side to join them. Norm. You see him shake his head disapprovingly but gets to his feet anyway; he knows a losing battle when he sees one. Soon, all three of them are on the dancefloor, embracing and swaying to the music. You think your heart might melt at the sight. 

♫  Some enchanted evening

When you find your true love,

When you feel her call you

Across a crowded room, ♫

As the MacLeans start to separate from their family moment, Lucy notices your presence off to the side of the dancefloor and flashes you a “stay here there, I’m coming to you” gesture with her hands as she heads in your direction. You embrace her in a celebratory hug when she makes it to you. 

“Congratulations!” you offer up enthusiastically. “You make a stunning bride.”

“Thank you! It’s all so exciting, isn’t it?!” she says, matching your tone. She shifts her position slightly, taking your hands and moving her mouth closer to your ear. In a whisper, she asks, “ I was hoping to ask if you’d do my brother the honor of sharing a dance?” She pulled back into your line of sight, completing the request with a signature Lucy puppy-dog stare. “Consider it my wedding present.”

“How could I say no to that?” you respond with a laugh. Still holding your hands and smiling ear to ear, Lucy ushers you back to her family. 

♫ Then fly to her side,

And make her your own

For all through your life you

May dream all alone. ♫

As the two of you approach, you can see Overseer MacLean gently elbow-nudging a mortified-looking Norm. 

“I saw (Y/N) by herself on the edge of the dancefloor and thought someone might like to invite her to dance?” Lucy says as she offers your hand up to Norm. 

“I’d be happy to,” he replies, taking hold of your hand to lead you onto the dance floor. With a surprising amount of flourish, he pulls the two of you into a traditional slow dance pose, his right hand in yours and left hand resting softly on your waist. Your bodies tucked unexpectedly close against one another. 

“Sorry about that,” Norm pips up, shooting daggers in Lucy’s general direction, which she returns, blowing him a kiss back. “You know how she can be when she gets an idea in her head—unrelenting.” 

“I don’t mind; I was actually hoping you’d ask. Your sister just guaranteed the odds.” 

He looks up at you, and his expression softens. You two fall into a comfortable silence, enjoying the moment and each other’s company. Swaying back and forth to the music, the world melts away behind you. It’s short-lived, though, as the Overseer makes his way back towards you and his son. 

“Sorry, I will need to steal Norm away for a second,” the Overseer states as he places a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Just one family photo, and I’ll give him back,” he reassures you with a wink. 

“Not a problem,” you manage, hiding your obvious disappointment. 

“Find you after.” Norm declares, keeping a loose grasp on your hand as the two of you pull away, clearly not wanting to let go just yet. 

You give him a nod, relinquishing his hand. 

♫ Some enchanted evening ♫

[imjustasimpxd]

My Angel (Part Two)

➬ Reiner Braun x Fem reader

Part One | Part Three | Masterlist | Blog Home | Aot Masterlist

Summary : Reiner was always taught that the devils of Paradis were vicious creatures, but what is he supposed to do when he soon finds himself reluctantly falling for one? Or when he is forced to go back to Marley and leave her altogether?

Word count : around 5, 200 words

Warnings : Again, very angsty. Reiner feels guilty about what he’s done, reader is angry with him. Crying, mentions of heartbreak. Spoilers for season 4 part one.

Author’s notes : reblogs are appreciated!! I appreciate all feedback on my writing so that I can know what you guys liked and what you think I should improve on😊

Disclaimer : this is a work of fiction and should in no way, shape, or form, be taken seriously.

Side Note : this fic, and everything else I’ve written on my blog, is mine and only mine. I work very hard on everything I write so do not, under any circumstances, modify, copy, or steal my work.

❗️Important Note❗️

There will in fact be a part three! While I was writing part two, it ended up becoming so long that I just decided to split it up. That’s why this chapter leaves off on a cliffhanger (and that’s also why it took me so long to post this one). But I thank you all for your patience. If anyone else wants to be tagged for part three then let me know in the comments! :)))

“Can I please ask where exactly we’re going?” Reiner questioned, his voice lacing with a hint of annoyance as Falco gripped his arm, anxiously pulling him towards the city’s back alleys.

“I told you it’s a surprise! A friend of yours wants to say hi before the show starts!” Falco explained, glancing backward at his superior with a cheerful smile as he continued to pull him in the opposite direction.

“Is that right?” Reiner spoke sarcastically, scoffing quietly to himself as he took in the boy’s words.

What was Falco really up to?

Surely the whole “a friend wants to say hi” explanation was made up; because Reiner Braun wasn’t exactly a man you would think of as having friends.

Sure, he was surrounded by people a lot of the time, and he even had allies with whom he got along pretty well with. But even so, Reiner knew he was nothing more than a comrade to them; nothing more than a vessel to wield the armored titan.

But that was okay, because they were nothing more than comrades to him.

With being born Eldian as well as being a warrior for Marley’s military force, Reiner Braun didn’t exactly have the time, luxury, or frankly, the mental strength to seek out any social interactions beyond strictly work-related ones.

Well, at least, not anymore.

He made that mistake once, and in doing so, it cost him the demolition of a poor woman’s heart; as well as his own.

In fear that opening up to another person again might cause that beating vessel in his chest to truly see itself past repair, Reiner Braun had decided to close himself off from others, refusing to repeat those tragic events of his past.

So, with that in mind, who exactly was this “person” that Falco was happily dragging him by the arm to see?

It couldn’t have been anyone he was genuinely close with; there wasn’t anyone like that for him, not anymore at least. Any authentic connections he once had with people were now severed, collapsed by the calamity he caused back on that forsaken island.

So who on earth was he being forced to see?

“It’s just in here!” Falco said excitedly, his finger pointing toward a wooden door as they rounded the corner; one that lead to a basement stationed under an older apartment complex.

From the outside, the place looked dim and run down, its location secluded to a quiet and unfrequented street.

The very sight had Reiner scratching his head in confusion. Of all places, why here? Why pick such an isolated area to meet with him? Not only that, but why would this person send a naive little boy to escort him to this place instead of just contacting Reiner directly?

Was this a trap he was walking into?

Should he leave?

Like a flame set to brush, panic began spreading through Reiner’s veins. His free hand was gripped into a strained fist and his eyes darted in all directions, watching out for any surprise attacks.

If this really was a trap, if someone was anticipating charging at him, then he’d be ready for it.

Suddenly, the wooden door opened. Loud groans from the beat-down hinges filled the air, followed by the sound of footsteps; footsteps that belonged to a dark, hooded figure.

Reiner’s eyes widened at the scene before him, an eerie feeling twisting in his stomach as he watched the mysterious person walk out the door; heading in his direction.

Whoever it was, he thought about fighting them off, even going as far as raising both his hands in the air to assume a defensive stance.

However, that’s when he caught a glimpse of Falco next to him. The little boy had started to head towards the figure, almost as if he was acquainted with the human; if it even was human.

“Falco wait!” Reiner quickly followed in the boy’s footsteps, gripping his arm before he could walk any closer to the person. “We should leave.” He suggested, anxiously tugging on the boy’s limb in hopes to urge him back in the opposite direction.

“It’s okay Mr. Braun,” Falco smiled, quick to reassure his superior. “This is where he said to meet him.”

Who’s he? Was it that person lurking around with the cloak draped across their face? Or was there someone inside as well?

Reiner didn’t have any answers, nor did he have a definite resolve on how to react in this situation. Should he trust Falco’s judgment and allow this “meetup” to happen? Or should he grab the boy and run while he still had the chance?

The latter seemed like the best option, especially considering the fact that Falco was just a child, and therefore could’ve easily been manipulated into something dangerous.

He wanted to trust Falco’s words, but it was too risky. If something happened, the boy’s blood would be on Reiner’s hands; and he couldn’t bear the weight of any more sorrow, or any more guilt.

“We’re leaving, Falco!” Reiner insisted, readjusting his grip on the boy’s arm to forcefully pull him away from the situation.

Although, just as he’d turned around to take those first few steps, he heard something that made his body freeze, and his heart clench.

“If you’re done arguing you can go on ahead. He’s waiting for you inside.”

That voice. Reiner knew that voice.

It was the same one he used to hear nagging at him to wake up in the early mornings. The same voice that used to comfort him whenever he was feeling disheartened.

It was… the same voice he never thought he’d have the pleasure of hearing ever again…

All he received was one simple sentence, but that was all the verification he needed. There was no doubt in his mind, the voice he heard: belonged to you.

“Y/n?!” His body immediately turned around to face the hooded figure. His eyes then squinted, trying to see more than just the gentle silhouette of a pair of lips and a jawline that was exposed by the moonlight’s glow.

The figure froze at his words, saying nothing in response; almost as if they didn’t anticipate being recognized.

“Y/n, is that you?” Reiner asked again, hoping to earn a response this time.

However, there was none; at least, not a verbal one.

All he gained was a sudden flinch that occurred once he spoke that name a second time, followed by the subtle shaking of fingertips that poked out from the sleeves of the cloak.

You must’ve been scared, embarrassed; perhaps even both.

And who would blame you for it? The last time you saw him he had slaughtered more than half of your comrades. Who knows what he’s capable of now after four years have passed?

“Falco?” Reiner finally broke the silence, glancing down at the boy he was still holding on to. “Why don’t you go on inside, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

However, before the boy could open his mouth to speak, he was quickly interrupted. “There’s no reason for him to leave! I’m not staying to chat.” A stern voice echoed past the cloak covering your face, but that didn’t phase Reiner.

He knew it was you from the moment that first syllable left your lips, even more so now that you’d spoken a second time.

Your tone was serious, added with a hint of aggression in order to scare him off, but he wouldn’t be turned away by that. Not when this was the chance he’d been silently praying for ever since he left that island four years ago. The chance to finally see you once again, even for just a moment.

Now that this chance was finally here, standing in front of him, there was no way he’d let it slip away; regardless of the tone you used with him.

“Just a few minutes?!” He insisted, taking a few steps forward in case you were preparing to run away. “Please?” He asked in a much quieter tone, his eyes practically begging for you to give in, to grant him even the smallest portion of your time.

Even after all these years he still knew how to persuade you, didn’t he? He must’ve, otherwise, your mouth would’ve never opened to let out a frustrated “Five minutes and that’s it!”

Reiner’s shoulders quickly relaxed at your words. His head then turned towards Falco subsequently, giving him a quick nod of his head: which apparently was his signal to “get going.”

Falco’s gaze switched between Reiner and the person he was apparently dying to speak to. The boy was unsure of what was going on, or who that unidentified person even was, but nevertheless, Falco knew better than to argue with his superior; so he’d comply with the orders given to him.

“S-sure…I’ll just, be inside then…” Falco spoke hesitantly, slowly backing away to walk toward the wooden door. He stopped momentarily after placing his fingers on the handle, almost as if he was waiting for Reiner to change his mind. But after receiving no signs of a change of heart, Falco reluctantly opened the door and stepped inside; closing it behind him.

The moment that wooden door shut, an unpleasant silence filled the air. Instead of partaking in the “conversation” you were supposed to have, the two of you just stood in silence.

You didn’t dare speak up. Reiner was the one who made you stay after all, if anyone should be the first to start this conversation it was him.

Your eyes were fixated on him with a calloused glare, your lips refusing to part even the slightest bit.

Reiner on the other hand, wore an expression more timid and anxious than yours.

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, fingers fidgeting with each other as he contemplated the best way to start this conversation.

“I uh…” He tried to speak, but the words fumbled in his mouth, leaving just as quickly as they came.

It’s ironic, just a moment ago he was begging for you to stay so that he could have the chance to talk to you, but now that his chance had finally arrived, he couldn’t think of anything to say.

As he stood there, overanalyzing a potential response, he noticed the way you scoffed, clearly annoyed at his delay in response.

You were growing impatient with him, and if he didn’t take the opportunity to speak with you now, you’d most likely never allow him another chance to waste your time again.

So, after what had seemed like hours of silence, when in reality was more like 1 minute, Reiner finally spoke up.

“Can you take off the hood?”

Your eyes quickly narrowed in confusion at his odd request. Out of everything he could’ve asked, everything he could’ve apologized for, this is the first thing he says?

“Why?” You questioned, still unsure of his intentions on the matter.

“I just…” He began, but his words quickly started to fade out, almost as if he felt unworthy to be asking in the first place.

Nevertheless, you were persistent.

“You just what?!” You snapped, frustrated at his apparent dedication to withhold information from you; a recurring dedication at that.

“I just…” he inhaled shakily before speaking, “I want to see your face.”

You paused at his words, taking a moment to process what he’d just said. After expecting something pitiful, or perhaps even bitter coming from him, it was quite a shock to receive this: a fairly tender request.

He wanted to see your face? Why? What difference would that make?

It’d be the same one he saw four years ago, nothing’s changed; at least, not to you.

Despite asking for something which would require him to look upwards, Reiner kept his eyes glued to the ground, as if he felt undeserving to see you again. It wasn’t until he heard the heavy sigh that jerked past your lips, along with the quiet “fine” you gave in response to his request that made him finally look up.

As his gaze lifted, watching you pull that gloomy hood off your head, Reiner was met with a flashback of memories.

It all reappeared in an instant: the sound of your adorable laugh, the way your hair looked when the sun glistened across it, even the small little habits he’d discovered about you as time went by; they were all coming back, recollecting in his mind clearer than if it all happened a day ago.

Reminding him, painfully, of a time when things were simpler, when he was happier, and, most regretfully, a time when he had you.

Pulling off that hood allowed him to finally lay eyes upon a face he hadn’t seen in ages. A face he used to watch soundly sleeping next to him at night, placing gentle kisses all over when no one was around.

It was the same face he used to stare at in fascination; taken back by the beautiful way your lips would curve upwards into a smile, or even the way your eyes radiated the most alluring shade of color when the sun shone across your skin.

That face was one he had desperately longed to observe once more for the entirety of four long years, and coincidentally, it was the same face that now stared him down with an irritated glare.

Absent was the sparkle your eyes once held for the man standing before you, and gone was the loving countenance you were never hesitant to grant him.

Now your face lay still, your features refusing to move even the smallest bit in case it were to form some sort of pleasant expression towards him accidentally.

Who was this woman?

If not for the fact that he had easily identified her face, Reiner wouldn’t have recognized her.

Where was the kind and loving woman he fell in love with? Was she not the one standing before him now?

No, this woman was different. This one seemed to hold an inkling of abhorrence towards him, easily provoked by just his presence alone.

Was this… the product of his own making?

Was this… what he’d turned you into?

As if he wasn’t tormented enough by his decision, now he was witnessing the consequences of his actions unfold before his very eyes.

“How.. how are you here?” Reiner stuttered, still in shock over the fact that you were actually standing there; that for whatever reason, his prayers to see you again had finally been answered.

“I’m only here in service of a friend; nothing else.”

Your response was so vague, so cold; nothing like the endearing way you used to speak to him.

“Which friend?”

“It doesn’t matter,” You replied forbiddingly. Your tone sounded so distant, so unfriendly towards him.

To think, the last time he heard your voice, it had told him “Goodnight, I love you.” But now that voice was harsh as it spoke, probably regretful of saying those very words after waking up to find out he’d abandoned you that next morning.

The difference in your tone was beginning to eat away at Reiner, straining that beating vessel in his chest more and more with each look of your indignant expression. As if you’d just picked up a shovel and started digging, deepening his guilt further than it already was; if that was even possible.

“Your minutes are up by the way, and I have to leave.” You suddenly spoke, hoping your statement was bleak enough to end the conversation, meaning you could finally leave; finally be free of him.

“Wait!” Just before you could escape, Reiner quickly reached forward and grabbed your wrist, clinging to it as if his life was hinging on it. “Wait please, don’t leave…”

“That’s rich coming from you.”

He deserved that. Honestly, he deserved more than that.

Call him whatever names you could think of, and he would let you, he’d allow every single one of them, no matter how excruciating, because he knew they were true; because deep down he knew he deserved them.

“I’m not interested in what you have to say, Reiner.” Your words were like knives to his heart, causing the already aching organ to shudder yet again. “Whatever it is you should’ve said it four years ago.”

Was that true?

If he really did explain it to you before he left, would things be different now? Would you have understood his situation? Understood why he had to do it?

Why he had to leave?

“Please,” he implored, desperately maintaining that grip on your wrist. “Please, just let me explain it to you.”

It was pathetic, how he was begging like this, pleading for you to stay and hear him out as if he wasn’t the one that left you in the first place.

“Nothing you say will change what happened.”

He knew that was true, but in spite of that, he still refused to let you go again without telling you, without apologizing at the very least.

“I know,” he admitted, a glossy haze shimmering in his eyes as he looked at you. “But please, I want you to know the truth.”

A part of you wanted to leave, to deny him any further chances to cause you more pain with an explanation. However, another part of you wanted an apology. You wanted to hear his side of the story; to hear whatever excuse he had for abandoning you. No matter how twisted, or pitiful, his reasoning was, you couldn’t deny you had questions you wanted him to answer.

“Fine then. Tell me.” You quickly adjusted your posture, staring at him with your eyebrows raised; a gesture he remembered you only used when you were serious about something.

“Why did you betray us?”

Here it was, the moment he had been waiting for since this conflict arose: his chance to finally be understood, to be seen as more than just the traitor he was made out to be.

“I was given orders,” he started, retracting his hand from your wrist now that you’d clearly abandoned the option to run. “I had no choice but to follow them.”

“And what were your orders?” Your voice sounded heavy, almost as if it was hurting to bring all this back up again; like a wound that was still fresh, still desperately trying to heal itself.

Reiner’s mouth remained shut, his head lowering as he closed his eyes, not wanting to answer your question. He knew he’d be made to look like the villain no matter what he said, no matter which way he worded it.

Did that mean he really was the villain?

In your eyes, maybe.

Perhaps you’d never accept his side of the story, never be able to see past the wretched sins he’d carried out. But regardless, even if he never got the forgiveness he so desperately wanted from you, he couldn’t hide from the truth any longer. It was time to embrace it, all of it.

“They told us to sneak in and make allies first, that way we had the people’s trust and no one would suspect us.” He sighed, his eyes refusing to look up at you in fear of the face you’d make upon hearing his confession. “Once the time came, we were ordered to steal the founding titan by whatever means necessary. And if anyone tried to stop us, we had permission to silence them, using whatever tactics we deemed fit.”

Reiner’s heart felt tight as he let those words out, his shame growing stronger now that he was remembering it all, remembering what he’d done.

How did things end up like this?

He was just trying to do what he was trained to do: save the world from ruin; that’s all. But here he was now, that mission an embarrassing failure as he reminisced on his actions; the same actions that caused such sorrow for so many people, including himself.

And as if things weren’t bad enough, as if Reiner wasn’t feeling guilty already, he heard a sudden change in your breathing that could only mean one thing: you were beginning to cry.

“No, wait!” His head quickly lifted to look at you, instantly regretting it as your distressed face came into view. “Please, don’t cry.” He begged, using his thumb to wipe away the liquid collecting on your skin; which you surprisingly allowed him to do without putting up a fight.

“Don’t cry, okay? Not for me.” He demanded, despite his own eyes welling up with tears as well.

He just couldn’t bear it, knowing he was hurting you yet again.

It was almost as if nothing had changed, even after all those years. As if he was reliving those horrors of his past once more, reliving that anguish he saw imprinted across your visage when you found out he was the armored titan; the same armored titan that had killed so many of your friends.

You didn’t understand it, even now.

Was the man who used to dote on you really the same person as the one who carried out such violence and hatred against your people?

How could that be true? How could he have done such a thing, committed such betrayal against the woman he loved?

What changed? Was it something you did?

Or perhaps a more gut-wrenching explanation: he never loved you to begin with. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for him to give you up, maybe, this was his plan all along.

“What else?” You asked, your voice trembling in the process.

Reiner’s face quickly scrunched in confusion, unsure of what you were getting at. “What do you mean?”

“Were those your only orders?” Tears quickly began trickling down your face faster than Reiner could stop, your gaze looking more despondent than ever. “Was there really not anything else?” Your lips parted to let out a stinging sob, one that seemed like it’d been held in for too long.

It was obvious you were waiting for some sort of answer from him, and every second he delayed with a response was only tormenting you further.

But, even so, it didn’t change the fact that Reiner didn’t understand what you were asking of him; or what you wanted to hear so badly.

Your eyes stared at him in sorrow, more tears absorbing into your skin before you asked your question one last time; phrasing it differently now.

“Was falling in love with me a part of your mission too? Was I just another means to accomplish your end goal?”

Reiner’s heart convulsed at your words, his mouth agape to let out a pained gasp.

Did he just hear that right?

A tool?! Is that really what you thought? Is that really all you assumed you were worth to him?

As if you could ever be such a thing.

Granted, he understood how you may have assumed that, given the matter of his betrayal and all. But, despite that, he never expected such an absurd accusation.

There was a wide range of names you could’ve called him: a traitor, a liar, a monster; anything, and he would’ve accepted it; He would’ve owned up to it.

But this: questioning whether or not his affection towards you was genuine; that was one accusation he’d never admit to.

You were never a tool, you weren’t even a part of his plan to begin with. Falling in love with a woman of Paradis wasn’t exactly one of the orders he received when he was assigned to that mission. In fact, getting involved with you went against the sole purpose of him being there; the sole purpose of his assignment.

He was sent there to exterminate the Eldian race, to wipe out every last one of those despicable beings so that the world could finally be safe.

Falling in love wasn’t an order laid out in his job description at all, much less with a woman of Paradis. And yet, he did.

Reiner was a strategic man, he wasn’t one to easily abandon orders, no matter how difficult they may be. That in itself should’ve been enough to prove his affection toward you; because he never would’ve done such a thing had he not felt it was worth it, had he not felt you were worth it.

Nevertheless, here you were, teeth gritted in frustration as you impatiently awaited his answer.

Your face spoke only of torment, and it pained Reiner to have to witness it. The way your eyes were slanting together in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue your tears, your fingers curling into fists to help better contain your irritation, all of it was a clear sign of the repercussions his decision to abandon the woman he loved had caused.

It was just like the last time, you were falling to pieces over him once more, and Reiner couldn’t stand the sight of it.

Your gentle cries may not have been as loud and mournful as they were four years ago, but it didn’t matter; the fact that you were even crying in the first place was enough to make that twisting sensation return to his stomach; possibly becoming permanent at this rate.

Reiner stretched his arm out to grasp your hand, hoping to console you, however, you quickly backed away, refusing to let him touch you.

“I don’t want your pity!” you spat, your fragile body trembling from both the anger and suffering fueling inside. “I just want the truth! Did you ever love me?”

Was that even a question?

Yes, he was fully aware that it would’ve been hard to believe the authenticity of someone who’d abandoned you; someone who so easily decided to turn against you, as if doing so didn’t phase them in the slightest.

But regardless, ignoring the heinous crimes he’d committed, did you still believe he never loved you?

Were his actions before this messy conflict never enough to convince you of his sentiments?

What about all the times he’d hold you in his arms, whispering to you about how happy you made him feel? Did you really not believe any of that? Was he pouring out his heart’s inner-most secrets for nothing?

Or what about the times he’d surprise you with food, despite rations being low? He almost got caught stealing food for you so many times; which was unwise of him considering the fact that it could’ve possibly had him kicked out of the survey corps: meaning his whole plan to infiltrate the military would’ve gone up in flames.

Or, perhaps how he’d always try to keep an eye on you during missions, making sure you never encountered something too dangerous for you to handle. You always complained that he was being too paranoid, but it was only because, unlike you, he was aware of the kind of power titans held; the kind of pain they could’ve, he could’ve, inflicted upon a tiny human being.

All he ever wanted was to protect you, to do what was best for you. Did you really never realize that?

Even after he made Annie and Bertholdt promise not to lay a hand on you during their countless fights with the survey corps, even after all the times he put your saftey before his own mission, was it still never enough?

Even when he left you behind, did you really never consider the fact that he could’ve been doing it because he thought it’s what’s best for you?

You would’ve never been safe with someone like him, so he spared you from that danger by leaving.

Even though he caused you much pain by doing so, did you still never put that together?

“I understand if you don’t believe me when I say this,” Reiner began, “But I never stopped loving you.”

Even before any words left your lips, the doubtful look stringing along your face was enough to tell Reiner that you didn’t believe him; or were highly skeptical at the very least.

“If that’s true, then why wasn’t that enough for you to stay?”

He’d asked himself the same question so many times before. Why didn’t he just give up on his mission and stay with you? It’s not like he wouldn’t have preferred that option in comparison to the one he chose.

Why didn’t he just let the Marleyans presume him dead, forgetting his life in Marley and starting a new one with you on Paradis?

He wanted to, he considered it even. But there was one factor he was forgetting that made all the difference; one tiny reminder that convinced him to abandon that option in the end: you deserved better.

If he stayed behind like you would’ve wanted him to, like he would’ve wanted to, then he would’ve been living a lie; deception would’ve been rooted at the heart of your relationship.

He would’ve never been able to fully open up to you because doing so would mean he told you the truth about his past, about where he’s from and why he came here in the first place. He’d have to fabricate every detail about his life up until this point; tricking you into believing he was born inside the walls just like you. He’d need to have an excuse for everything: why his parents weren’t around, where he was born, what his home life was like, everything.

Nothing about his life would be real anymore, from the moment he’d wake up, to the second he drifted off to sleep at night, he’d be living a lie.

Every time he’d look at your innocent expression he’d be reminded of the secrets he was keeping from you, the lies he was tricking you with; and he couldn’t live like that. He refused to live like that.

“Staying would’ve only put you in danger, so I left, taking the danger with me.”

“I see.” Your voice was strained, as if you were having trouble processing everything. The shock from seeing him again so unexpectedly still hadn’t exactly worn off yet, and with the addition of all this new information piled on top, you didn’t necessarily know what to say; or how to react.

So, instead, you remained silent, hoping some ideas might materialize inside your head as you waited.

However, you weren’t kept waiting for long because Reiner quickly took an initiative to speak once again, asking something that left you stunned,

“Is it okay if I kiss you?”

Your head quickly flung upwards to look at him, contemplating whether or not you heard him right.

“What??” You asked, aghastly, desperately hoping you misheard his question.

“Is it okay if I kiss you?” He repeated, unfortunately proving that your ears were working just fine, and that you did in fact hear him correctly the first time.

He only meant it as a farewell, nothing more.

He knew this might very well be the last time he ever saw you again, so, with that in mind, he wanted to leave you with something pleasant to remember him by.

He had every intention of letting you go, he’d walk away and you’d never have to see him again afterward.

Just one last memory with you, that’s all he wanted. One last moment to reminisce on the merriment of his past before he let you go for good.

That’s what he wanted at least, but, when you finally uttered a response, he realized it might’ve been too much to ask for.

“I’m with someone else now, Reiner.”

Part One | Part Three | Masterlist | Blog Home | Aot Masterlist

(YES THERE WILL BE A PART THREE. So comment below if you want to be tagged).

Tags : @thebadbatch @mvteria @nervouslad @ah-finally @usagikookiejams

This fic, and everything else I’ve written on my blog, is mine and only mine. I work very hard on everything I write so do not, under any circumstances, modify, copy, or steal my work.

Keep in mind that commenting to tell me what you liked, what you don’t, how I can improve, and any suggestions you have helps me A LOT more than simply liking my posts. If you’ve had the time to read my story, how much longer does it take to leave me some feedback on it? 😊

[petrichorca]

Hello, I am slowly figuring out how to use tumblr effectively. I thought I'd give an update on fics I've written in 2024, but keep forgetting to talk about here in a meaningful way.

As We Go Hand in Hand (explicit, gentlebeard, 7100 words) follows Ed as he processes the past few months while living on the island with Stede, massively in love but struggling with himself. I wrote it while feeling a lot of delayed grief around the (confirmed) s2 cancellation, and while it's sad at points it's also quite romantic I think. I really love this story.

Behind Closed Eyes All I See is You (explicit, gentlebeard, 5300 words) is a smutty PWP my dear friend @chaoticturtleturtle invited me to write with her. Stede lets Ed take the lead in a scene with some sensory deprivation, pwp, and aftercare.

like sugar to my heart (mature, gentlebeard, 4200 words) is a silly fic I wrote for my Animorphs OFMD AU co-writer as a birthday gift. Our blue four-legged four-eyed mouthless alien Stedeth gets foiled by a vending machine (based on the tumblr art of the giraffe centaur), and Ed consoles him.

like a bird (teen, gentlebeard, 3700 words) with @ghostalservice gives some backstory about Stedeth's life prior to the events of our 177k fic and features some very cute art of Mary and Stede's children (as Andalites, of course) by @theogem

Stede’s Cursed Red Suit as a Metaphor for Grief and Moving On (teen, stede + izzy, 1717 words) explores the squishy time of season 2, episode 5, and the dynamic between Stede and Izzy in season 2 overall. I am also obsessed with how Stede acts in the cursed suit. I find their s2 relationship really interesting so this is me looking a bit at that via a missing scene starting with Stede yelling OH FUCK OFF.

Calypso’s Dawn (explicit, gentlebeard, 1800 words) centers around how Ed made his boyfriend blush the morning after Calypso's birthday and how Ed feels about it. I love this fic. I've been trying to challenge myself to write more self-contained, shorter stories and this one turned out really well imo.

Life as a Series of Forward Rolls (teen, gentlebeard, 9900 words) features Stede running into his teenhood crush, the gold medalist in men's gymnastics from the 1996 Olympics. This fic also centers around a Barbie doll in Ed Teach's likeness, which @swashbuckling-sweethearts made an INCREDIBLE art of (embedded at the end of the story), inspired by my own 1996 Olympics Barbie. Silly and light modern AU!

Did you mean to do that? (teen, gentlebeard, 700 words) explores Stede's grief around Ed dying, even when he knows Ed is alive. I had no idea I would be so interested in writing missing scenes, but long conversations with friends have really ignited me in exploring these. (The length - I was trying to channel @brigdh, whose ability to write devastatingly brilliant drabbles inspires me, and I'm pleased with this one!)

Perfectly Ordinary Tuesday (mature, gentlebeard, 4900 words) with @ferventrabbit follows Stede and Ed deciding to get married on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday, and drag their inn guest Dave along for the ride. We split up writing the vows, and I balled my eyes out writing mine and then reading em's. This story is fluffy and fun, and it was a great way to start 2024. :)

What's next: I'm working on or noodling a lot of projects, solo and with different collaborators. Imminently, I've got a fic with @veeagainsttheday coming for AUpril on April 1st. Hoping to get something else out in April for @ofmdjanuaury's AUpril 2024 event, which I highly encourage folks to check out - it's for all sorts of creators!

@ghostalservice and I continue to think about our blue alien Stede and his human boyfriend Ed. Wanna Fly Away was such an important project to me while we were writing, and it's become even more special as folks find it. WFA now has art embedded in most of the 15 chapters, so if you haven't seen those check it out. More to come in that space.

Where was I going with this? Well, I suppose I want to say I'm still here. OFMD changed my life, and the OFMD fandom community is deeply important to me. I still hold out hope for a third season, or a follow-up that brings us more closure, but no matter what I'm still thinking about our pirates and will for a long time. If you read this far, thanks for being part of my community. <3

[gxthicupid]

𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗢 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗱 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 + 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝗡𝗘 𝗭𝗛𝗔 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗬

I know this theory has been talked about a lot, but I would like to put my own thoughts and opinions about Ne Zha’s age. Of course, Ne Zha died at the age of 12, yet in the series; considered to be a somewhat spin-off/sequel to the Journey to the West novel, he appears to be physically an adult.

Understandably, some people wanted to defend the idea of Ne Zha physically and mentally grown since Journey to the West by using other country’s beliefs of Ne Zha depicted as an adult, however, other countries still depict Ne Zha as a child, and the crew for LEGO Monkie Kid revealed he was canonically a child during Season 4, Episode 5 “The Court of the Yellow-Robed Demon”. This leaves to the question of how he managed to appear older. 

I have been pondering on the idea for quite some time, and while going through several posts of people’s headcanons, references from other media depicting the other characters from Journey to the West, I have come to a conclusion. 

To support this theory, I will be using Macaque as an example to answer the mystery behind Ne Zha’s sudden ageing in LEGO Monkie Kid. It has become abundantly clear Macaque has a missing eye, and in the Season 3, Episode 8, “Benched”, while trying to retrieve the third Samadhi Ring from Tang, for a split second, the tip of his tail becomes slightly white. 

While going through fanart, people often depict Macaque, having glamorised his looks in order to hide his features (i.e., his scarred eye). Saying that, I believe Ne Zha has adapted to glamorise his child form into an adult form, possibly from wanting to fit his mental age physically and feel comfortable. Macaque so far, hasn’t shown his true form for a prologue time, I believe Nezha can hold his adult form without any difficulty. 

𝗠𝗞’𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗬

Season 5 of LEGO Monkie Kid is bound to show Nuwa, or MK’s supposed mother, on the show. Most people are wanting Nuwa to be a loving and caring mother, however, I do not believe that will be the case considering the direction the show is taking on MK’s backstory.

In the Season 4 special “Emperor’s Wrath”, the Kings of Hell in the Underworld are shown to be devising a plan for the upcoming events for Season 5, and personally, I believe Nuwa will be some sort of secondary villain associated with the main plot in Season 5. 

I am predicting that Nuwa has some strong connections, or at the very least, is acquainted with the Kings of Hell. Perhaps in the past, the Kings of Hell held a grudge against Sun Wukong after erasing his name from the Book of the Dead.

They weren’t able to change the pages since the paper magically link to the people whose names are written, and possibly, recreating a new set of paper will negatively affect the other people’s mortality; which the Kings of Hell are not willing to risk. 

Leading to the Kings of Hell requesting the aid of the creator of humans, Nuwa, since the residents of the Celestial Realm are not going to approve such a dire plan without the approval of the Jade Emperor.

Maybe the Kings of Hell gained Nuwa’s interest throughout a promise with a type of reward at the end of deal, and making her create a lifeform with equal or stronger power than Sun Wukong.

From the flashback in Season 4 Episode 6, “Show Me The Monster'', there were several stone statues of various animals before the creation of MK (hinting there were several attempts to create the perfect lifeform). 

The idea of creating MK as a mystic monkey probably links to the Journey to the West novel, in the chapter where Macaque shapeshifted into the Monkey King and deceives the other pilgrims; and before the reveal of the Six-Eared Macaque, it was stated that the imposter was close to Sun Wukong’s power level, which, I’m assuming, Nuwa took note.  

Since Season 4 has hinted that Sun Wukong had some sort of connection with MK before he was created, I am predicting that he possibly knew Nuwa as a friend before she became an acquaintance with the Kings of Hell. Nuwa used that relationship as an advantage to analyse his skills and powers, while discussing using Sun Wukong as a pawn to help MK to be trained by the Monkey King, in order for MK to unlock his powers later in life. 

Reasoning why I believe Sun Wukong isn’t aware of Nuwa is supported in the Season 4 special, “Emperor’s Wrath”, when Azure Lion was defeated, Sun Wukong questioned him who set him free from the Scroll of Memory, and Azure Lion had no recollection.

Supporting this theory, judging the age of MK when he first met Pigsy in Season 4, Episode 6, “Show Me The Monster”, he seemed to be around the age of 5 years old, which when he should some remembered of Nuwa or Sun Wukong to some degree, but it’s possibly she must have erased MK’s memories. This might be an ability that she might use in Season 5.  

Nuwa must have deceived Sun Wukong somehow to convince him to protect MK when he proves himself to have potential to become Sun Wukong’s successor, not only to allow MK’s abilities to develop and become stronger, but she might also use MK to spy on the Monkey King from afar.  

To support this theory, I will use the 5th Anniversary LEGO set of Monkie Kid, as Nuwa is seen to be in disguise while running a jade shop in Megapolis. Perhaps she purposely dropped MK off at Pisgy’s Noodles and lived around the city to observe MK and waited until he was ready to wield the staff. Sun Wukong must have done the same, but without the knowledge of Nuwa’s plan with the Kings of Hell (To learn Sun Wukong’s weaknesses for the sake of devising a plan).  

In the pilot episode of LEGO Monkie Kid, “A Hero is Born”, MK needed to deliver some noodles to a customer, but ended up dealing with the Demon Bull Family. Perhaps Nuwa also purposely made MK make the trip so that he can find Monkey King’s staff and allow MK to meet Sun Wukong and start training because Nuwa might have a deadline to finish her end of the deal, before the Kings of Hell will take action in Season 5.

𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗬𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Connecting to the last theory, I believe there will be a likely chance that Season 5 will introduce the other mystic monkeys from the Journey to the West novel. Judging from the direction of the LEGO Monkie Kid series, there will be new characters introduced other than Nuwa, considering that Season 5 will focus more on MK’s past, and him learning how to control his monkey powers.

For those who aren’t aware, in the Journey to the West novel, it is canon that there are a total of four mystic monkeys, which includes Sun Wukong (Spirit Intelligent Stone Monkey) and Macaque (Six-Eared Macaque Monkey). 

The other two are known as the Red Butt Horse Monkey and the Pass through Arm Ape Monkey (using the translated names from the Chinese characters).

Since the series does slightly alternate the Journey to the West lore, perhaps the Red Butt Horse Monkey and Pass through Arm Ape Monkey were created before Sun Wukong and Macaque, and the idea of MK being a new mystic monkey existing in the LEGO Monkie Kid show does bring their attention and they will contribute to the main conflict of Season 5 (Perhaps they know much more about the upcoming conflict with the Kings of Hell and MK’s monkey power awakening).

This prediction might be a bit of a stretch, but since MK’s monkey powers will most likely be one of the main focuses for the plot of Season 5, I believe these two monkeys are willing to become an influence; both negatively and positively.

Reasoning for this prediction is connected to the fact that the Red Butt Horse Monkey is known to have the ability to avoid death and lengthen its life, which I believe might lead the show to make an alliance with Nuwa and the Kings of Hell. 

Meanwhile, the Pass through Arm Ape Monkey might be helping MK through his glitching when it comes to his monkey form, and might have more knowledge about dealing with  MK’s problem than Monkey King.

To support this theory, in Season 4, Episode 7, “Pitiful Creatures”, when Wukong first sees MK’s glitching, he looks like he doesn’t look like he know how to deal this side-effect of unlocking the monkey powers, considering that Sun Wukong and Macaque were already created as monkeys and were able control their powers. 

The Pass through Arm Ape Monkey might have known of MK’s existence through the battle against Azure Lion in the Season 4 special, “Emperor’s Wrath”, as the sky and the whole world was breaking apart, and since the Pass through Arm Ape Monkey can manipulate the moon and stars.

It could be the reason why the Red Butt Horse Monkey told Nuwa and the Kings of Hell about MK’s powers.  

I don’t have anything else to say about this theory/prediction. However, if the series doesn’t show them, there HAS to be some influence, Easter eggs, etc. connecting to these mystic monkeys.

𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Aside from Sun Wukong and Macaque having their pasts explored, the series does have the Demon Bull King appearance in these flashbacks since he was once a member of the Brotherhood, first revealed in Season 4, Episode 2, “New Adventures”, as everyone is discussing who will be the next Jade Emperor after overthrowing the current one.

From this single flashback alone, DBK was shown to be a good guy, fighting alongside his sworn brothers for they thought was right, and it does beg the question: What made him change his morality from good to bad?

In the pilot, Season 1, “A Hero is Born”, he is first introduced as the main antagonist whose goal is to conquer the world, and suddenly Sun Wukong traps him under a mountain despite DBK being his sworn brother. This minor detail is very unusual considering that in Season 3, Episode 10 “The Samadhi Fire”, showcases Sun Wukong, Demon Bull King and Ne Zha helping to separate the Samadhi Fire from Redson as a child.

Judging from this scene, the event must have taken place post to the Journey to the West, as the Monkey King isn’t wearing the circlet, as most of the flashbacks which are taking place in the Journey to the West shows him wearing the circlet given from Tang Sanzang. The pilot does show Sun Wukong wearing the same suit of armour as in Season 3, Episode 10 “The Samadhi Fire”, and it's strange how the Monkey King went from helping the Demon Bull King to fighting him. 

Either something happened between the events of removing of the Samadhi Fire and the events occurred in the pilot, or off-screen there was some conflict between the two, but set a temporary truce to help Redson with the Samadhi Fire.

The most assumed event that could pinpoint the morality change of the Demon Bull King would be when he and Princess Iron Fan met during the battle against Heaven. However, I highly doubt that. Since this event took place before the birth of Redson, and if Demon Bull King and Sun Wukong didn’t have conflict during this time period, then this accusation would be inaccurate. 

This wasn’t a theory or a prediction, however, I REALLY do feel like talking about this since it’s been bugging me for quite some time. I hope that Season 5 will be able to resolve this plot hole and perhaps it might correlate with the main plot of the next.

While I do hope, I also doubt it since the Demon Bull Family has not had much screen time in recent seasons. But simultaneously, I bet there will be a chance since the new 5th Anniversary LEGO set does display Redson working at the BBQ restaurant in Megapolis, so maybe a slim chance. 

I was going to talk about Peng and Erlang working together in Season 5, considering the current conflict with the Monkie Gang and Peng, and due to the fact that Erlang is a cousin? Brother? Or a family member of the Jade Emperor according to the Journey to the West novel, and wanted to avenge his death.

(Probably ignore this one, this was a last minute theory)

But I didn’t know what else to talk about and it does seem like the two will be working on their own.  

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the theories that I have come up with. I haven’t gotten the chance to re-watch all of the episodes of LEGO Monkie Kid, so I mostly relied on my memory. Leave some comments about your thoughts and theories of the series or what will happen in Season 5.    

[aishangotome]

Alfons Sylvatica: Chapter 6

Chapter 5

♡———♡

Roger, Liam, and I enter the bar together.

It's daytime, but the interior is dimly lit, filled with the smell of cigarette smoke, suffocating perfume, and alcohol.

(But maybe I'll blend in better this way)

(Liam, as expected of a stage actor... he knows what to wear to fit in)

Liam: Hey, we'll be found out if we stay like this... let's disguise ourselves a bit.

After that, we disguised ourselves with the hat and glasses that Liam quickly coordinated for us, and now we're lurking in this bar.

(Where is Alfons?)

I search the surroundings with my eyes only...

Woman in a nightgown: Ugh, Alfons, you never come when you say you will, but then you show up out of the blue.

Man smoking a cigarette: Do it again today. I want to see something really intense.

Alfons: You're so impatient... I'm only on my first drink.

Alfons: Let's wait until I'm a little more drunk.

(There he is...!)

Several women's arms are already wrapped around his body, and several men are smoking suspicious rolls of what might be cigarettes, laughing happily behind the smoke.

Roger: Ah-ah, there he goes again.

Liam: Looks like his friends were just getting together.

My head spins as I witness a glimpse of the "decadent private life" I had imagined.

(He really is the type who takes this kind of lifestyle for granted...)

Our night together probably doesn't even account for 1% of his vast experience.

(... Not that it hurts me or anything!)

Ignoring the faint prickle of pain in my chest, I turn my attention back to Alfons.

I take a seat at a nearby table and sip my drink while discreetly observing him.

(Besides...)

Kate: This kind of scene isn't really a weakness or anything, is it?

Roger: Hm? Ah, well, I suppose not.

Roger: It's common knowledge in society circles that Al plays around.

Liam: And the fact that he can still attend balls and public events is all thanks to Her Highness.

I stare at his profile from afar through my glasses.

(Ah... again)

(Alfons is smiling, but it doesn't feel like a real smile...)

His cheerful smile seems awfully cold.

It's the same discomfort I felt when we were face to face.

(Even while he's playing around in a place like this, he has that expression...)

Kate: Is he really having fun...?

Roger: ...Huh?

Roger, resting his cheek on his hand, looks at me curiously.

Roger: Are you worried about Al, lil lady?

Kate: N-No, I'm not worried!

I shake my head vigorously and turn my gaze back to Alfons' fixed smile.

(But...)

Kate: It's just... sometimes it feels like his heart isn't really in it.

Kate: Even though he says he likes having fun, he doesn't look like he's enjoying himself... it bothers me.

(...Maybe that expression is a clue to Alfons' weakness.)

(He's playing around, but he's not having fun. In other words—)

(Alfons' "fun games" are a way to distract himself from something....)

That would make sense.

(Also, let's see. He's a seasoned playboy, but he's devoted to one woman?)

(He's fooling around to fill the void... that's a common story.)

While pondering these speculations and observing him for a while...

(Ah!)

Alphonse and a few others left the tavern through the back door.

(Oh no... I can't lose sight of them)

Kate: Let's go after them!

Roger: Ah, Kate, I don't think it's a good idea to follow them through that door...

Roger: ...She's already gone without hearing me out.

Liam: Hmm, I wonder if she'll be okay. Maybe she'll get caught up in something naughty?

Roger: Yeah, probably.

Roger: I'll have another beer, then I guess I'll go after her.

Liam: That's kind of you, Roger.

Roger: You never know what might be useful for my "curse" research.

Roger stares at the door at the back of the tavern.

Roger: ...When it comes to his curse, I can never have enough research material.

-

(This must be the place...)

Passing through a dimly lit alley where sunlight doesn't reach, I followed the faint sounds of a man and woman's playful voices and stepped into a ruin-like building.

The voices grew louder as I climbed the crumbling stairs with missing bricks...

(Beyond this door...)

After confirming that I could hear the voices by pressing my ear against the door, I resolutely reached for the doorknob.

-

Kate: ... Huh!?

As I opened the door, the scene that unfolded before me was—

A canopied bed draped in a thin veil.

And... the figures of multiple men and women intertwined.

(Wh-Wh-What...)

The room seemed to have no other purpose... wherever I looked, there was nowhere for my eyes to rest.

Alfons: ... Hehe, you're a bad girl for following me all the way here.

Kate: Huh!?

Alfons emerged from behind the curtains and smoothly embraced my waist.

Kate: A-Alfons!

As I opened my mouth, the sweet scent filling the room and something I couldn't tell if it was smoke or steam flowed in.

For a moment, I inhaled deeply, and my vision swayed dizzily.

(Wh-What... Is this a drug, or something...? )

Alfons: You were totally obvious while tailing me. You're a bad little robin.

His voice reached her ears, sometimes sounding distant, sometimes close, making it impossible to respond properly.

Woman in lingerie: Al, who is that girl?

Woman with long black hair: Cute... Hey, won't you play with me too?

Half-naked man: You must've had a hard time too, right? Let's forget everything here.

Her body swayed from side to side, as if being pulled from both directions.

Alfons: ...Well, yes.

Alfons: Want to play together?

(Play... together...? )

Her thoughts were hazy, making it hard to think straight.

But, her senses were strangely sharp––.

Kate: Ah...

Just the slight movement of Alfons's fingertips, sneaking in through the gap in my blouse, made my skin break out in goosebumps.

(My body... remembering last night...)

Kate: Ah... p-please... stop...

Woman with long black hair: Hehe... such an innocent reaction... hey, can I touch too?

Alfons: No way. She's my recent favorite.

Woman with long black hair: Oh? That's rare...

I could hear their conversation, but I couldn't muster any strength in my arms or legs.

Alfons: You're as defenseless as ever.

Alfons' amused expression looked down at me, leaning against his arm.

His hand traces the curve of my body and reaches between my legs, and my hips start to move on their own.

Kate: Ah, ah, ah... Hi? Why am I...?

(My body is hot... I'm going to go crazy...)

Alfons: I know all about your little secrets.

Alfons: After all, we have a special relationship, don't we?

He smiles, looking into my eyes.

Maybe it's because of something I inhaled, but my body's sensitivity is only getting higher...

Kate: Nn, stop... , ah, uh... I, no...

Alfons: ... Ah-ha, stop saying that, you're getting me so wet.

Alfons: Were you perhaps expecting this even as you chased me here from the bar?

--CHOICES--

...That could be true

I don't know

I'm not expecting anything

-------------

Kate: Expectations... I don't have... any... expectations...

Alfons: Really? It's not just a bluff...?

Alfons: They say this fragrance has the effect of heightening certain emotions...

Alfons: In your case, it might just be fueling your usual stubbornness...?

Alfons: ---Shall I reveal your true feelings?

(Eh?)

Alfons suddenly looks around.

On the bed lie empty cocktail glasses, a single earring, a corset, garter belts, and a tie.

Alfons: Ah, here's something interesting.

Picking up a fallen hand mirror, Alfons slowly lowers his arm.

(...Wh, what...?)

I can't grasp his intention with my hazy mind, and I follow the movement of his arm with my eyes.

Alfons chuckles faintly near my ear and flips the mirror over.

Kate: --- Nn, no...!

There, reflected in the mirror, was my shameful state.

His fingers wriggled beneath my messy skirt, opening the gap in my underwear and penetrating my wet spot.

Overwhelmed by the sight of it all, I was struck by such confusion and shame that I wanted to run away.

Kate: W-well...

Alfons: But, come on, don't you feel great?

Actually - he was right.

Even my own lewdness reflected in the mirror fueled my pleasure, and that fact plunged me deeper into a spiral of confusion.

Alfons: Stop trying to find something that isn't there, like my weaknesses.

Alfons: Just surrender to pleasure.

Kate: Ah, ah, ah...

My voice and the sound of water mingled with the laughter and squeals that filled the room.

Unable to stand any longer, I collapsed onto a large, four-poster bed.

Alfons: Do you want to feel even better?

I stared at the smiling face that was now hovering over me.

The feel of the sheets against my back, his approaching breath, the touch of his hands sneaking under the hem of my disheveled dress...

(Has Alfons done this... on this bed before?)

(How many times... with whom?)

(Will he do the same to me?)

Kate: ...

The moment I thought that, I pushed Alfons away.

Alfons: Oh-ho.

Kate: ... I'm going home!!

As I hastily got out of bed, the hand mirror fell to the floor.

I heard the sound of the mirror breaking, but I didn't have time to care.

Alfons: Is that so? Be careful on your way home.

Alfons remained sprawled out on the bed, unhurried.

I wanted to say something, so I turned around just once.

Alfons: ... What's the matter? Do you want to continue?

Kate: -- Oh,

Kate: Well, too much alcohol and staying up late is bad for your health, you know!

I blurted out whatever came to mind, and it sounded like a parting shot...

(Ugh...)

Embarrassed, I ran out of the room without looking back.

Alfons: .............

The door was slammed shut by Kate's hand.

Alfons: ... pfft, hahaha!

No one seems to notice Alfons clutching his stomach and laughing.

Behind me, the usual debauchery continues.

Alfons: Haa... You're really a fool, aren't you?

-

My legs wobble as I stumble out into the alley, bumping into things here and there. Someone's outstretched arm catches me.

Roger: Whoa there. Kate, are you okay?

Kate: Haa... Haa...!

(The tailing failed...!)

Alfons is living a life of debauchery, just as I expected.

That undeniable fact was all that was burned into my mind.

(Once again, I've fallen right into his trap and been placated by pleasure...)

(I couldn't get ahold of any leverage at all.)

Liam: Your breathing is really ragged... Are you okay?

Kate: I'm fine... I'll never give up...!

If I back down, he'll just keep playing around as he pleases... And besides.

(Even after all this, I still can't help but wonder why he has that unhappy-looking smile.)

.

.

.

.

.

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Chapter 7

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[yuseirra]

ch 160...

I...I didn't want it to happen, I really wish I hadn't been spoiled, I'm so confused about this comic right now. I thought I'd be able to decide if I can drop it or continue reading it the moment the next chapter gets updated, but it's making me feel really confused and lost while still being curious about what in the world is going on. On that aspect, I feel the writer is really very skilled on having people intrigued.

But I really would have had gotten a better idea if I saw these with the drawings, probably.

I can't draw anything at the moment with the plot going like this and I feel like I need another chapter or two to get a clearer idea. 159 didn't stop me, but 160 did, it's just... there are still no answers yet. Maybe they'll keep dragging this on till the anime ends. If this anime's going to get a third season, they better wrap this well, I do care about the hikaai ship and I want Ai to be happy but what I'd like the most to happen is to have the story MAKE SENSE in some way. The author knows what's going on, as for me, I need at least 2-5 more chapters of development regarding just what this chapter is supposed to discuss

so below: here's what I picked up for now, I just.. really can't go on without leaving my thoughts about what I encountered.

So everything I've been thinking about Hikaru's been right...according to his words.

>Nino says the only thing Kamiki's ever done (in a physical sense) about Ai's case is that he "talked" about her to Nino and Ryosuke, and that caused them to break for some reason?

>Nino and Ryosuke approached him first and he had no idea they were obsessed with Ai, so he considered them as his friends.

>Kamiki did not kill Gorou, it was Nino and Ryosuke who went and did it and he didn't go to the hospital because he was concerned that Ai didn't want to meet him. Nino and Ryosuke heads to the hospital and kills Gorou and hides his body. Kamiki did tell them about the hospital Ai was admitted though.

>He REALLY did just want to send a bouquet to Ai and he asked Ryosuke to do it for him (I can't even recall just how many times I said that should be it)

GOODNESS, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I THOUGHT THINGS WOULD BE. I made a few analyses in the past and let me bring them again:

the texts include the links to the respective theories/analyses posts I've made, so you can read them if you're curious!

If Ryosuke, Nino, and Kamiki are connected in some way,

the one most likely to be acquainted with Ryosuke is Nino.

Ryosuke is a big fan of B-Komachi and Ai and even personally handed over stardust sand at a handshake event. If Ai remembered him as a fan, he must have been either extremely enthusiastic in his activities or conspicuous in some other way. Given Nino’s interest in and jealousy of Ai, it’s highly likely she took notice of Ryosuke.

If Nino found out that Ai planned to have babies, she might see it as an obstacle to Ai’s career as the perfect idol. So, she could have coaxed Ryosuke by revealing this information and formed some kind of collaboration. < this turned out to be 90% true, Nino and Ryosuke knew each other and were even far as dating....

Actually, the idea that he deliberately revealed Ai’s address to have Ryosuke kill her<—there are so many strange things about this if you examine it. It seems more like he carelessly let the address slip while drunk. If it’s true that he revealed the address, that is. When he was feeling down after being rejected, Ryosuke might have said he would go congratulate her on Kamiki's behalf, so Kamiki could have told him the address then (Yes, this speculation sounds stupid... I also think it’s unlikely...he can't be that dumb but). Even if they met for the first time at the hospital, they could have been friends for about four years and he might have been too drunk to judge the situation.

No matter what, he probably didn’t want to kill Ai. < Kamiki says he only prepared the bouquet for Ai.

>As he says this, he's probably a bit agitated, towards Aqua, saying oh? Don't accuse me for what's happened! what DID I do? I did nothing at all! I didn't kill Ai! They did whatever they wanted on their own!!

I need to see what expressions he makes as he says this, that would matter tbh because if Kamiki feels he's being wrongly accused by his own son, I feel like that'd show at least a little bit through his expressions because MAN... that sounds like suffering. but if he's composed, he's still an actor.

>Aqua's reaction towards this is like: Oh, but you want to kill Ruby right? She's your own daughter!!

>Upon hearing this, Kamiki's face turns really creepy and weird (I got a photo that goes with it.. it actually does remind me of the time where Ai told she wants to break up with him with the mouth deforming a little, but it's SUPER CREEPY) while he says: "You're just like me now."

>Aqua says Kamiki manipulates people into killing people while his hands remain clean

>Kamiki says something like: You have those same eyes as I do, it makes you have your way with people and lets you get what you want. You're also guilty of instigating them to do things.

>Aqua says "Yeah, you and I are the same, but Ruby's different. She has eyes that speak of love and she's light. I need you gone for her sake" and draws out a knife.

What I get from this is that, Kamiki does have some sort of power that can make people act out - but I feel like it's unpredictable..

and that power has to do with the star eyes. They finally mention the eyes in this one. Ruby's eyes(white star) is related to love = the god who loves people, the black star should be the one that's irrational and unpredictable, really powerful but disastrous. I feel Kamiki's been possessed by that for a very long time.

Um, here's a theory I had way back in July:

it's really interesting if you start to take kamiki as a god of some sort, because that'd explain how he's unintentionally caused others to grow insane by the things he's said. He told Uehara about Airi and he ends up killing her. He told Ryosuke about Ai and he stalks and murders her. Maybe he's been subconsciously using his divinity of a god making people to take action but it ended up all twisted and it doesn't work out the way he originally intends for it to be. With the case of Yura, what he's said about her ends up coming true too, maybe she really didn't watch her steps on the mountains but that was because of his powers of a god that's caused it?

This would explain why the police never found him suspicious after Goro and Yura's death and the other murders (if he's really caused any/and more of it), there's no way to prove he's the one that'd done it because he really didn't do it in a physical sense.

So Ai, who's returned to being a god now, could be trying to stop him through her children? And Tsukuyomi is getting involved in this because Kamiki's going out of line as his duties as a god(although he doesn't know if he's one) too?

Can't this be it?

Would this guy.. really have wanted Gorou and Ai to die? For what reason exactly?? I can't really think of any good reason he'd have felt the need to do so, if everything he's said himself is true.

This whole idea of Kamiki never having played a part in anything in a physical sense makes perfect sense. I feel like the important thing here is whether he wanted to cause it or not.

I don't know about everything else but WHY would he want to hurt Ai who's having his children? He literally states he loves her, and he still brings bouquets to her grave? The stuff he says to have done fits the way I view his character and how he's used to be when he was young. He really didn't do anything. Yet things go horribly wrong and people keep dying around him. So I feel like he wouldn't have manipulated Nino and Ryosuke into murdering her. His life would suffer less without her death, don't you think?;

So if this is true, then all my theories since July about this guy are totally correct and he's a really unfortunate guy who really does love Ai(we STILL don't know what he's done after her death and that could make him irredeemable)

But I wonder how Aqua is so convinced Kamiki's manipulated people into causing murder cases. Did Tsukuyomi tell Aqua something?;; How can he make that claim? What is the basis? Is he talking about how Kamiki's acted after Ai's died?

In that case, maybe yes. He could have been using these powers he have that he's found to bring Ai back. Here's an idea I had of it sometime back: I just brought the entire post for this one

I think Kamiki may be trying to find something precious enough to trade with Ai's life, may it be his own or someone else's???

Coming to think of it, he met Ruby at the shrine (ch147) and something about a "wish" came up. The way he speaks with ruby, it seemed like he also had his own wish that he's put a lot of thoughts into and came to accept

Mephisto and Fatal both mention about wishes and wishing.

And those wishes have to do with wishing Ai back, are they not??

I'm sorry, I've been repeating the same idea in several posts now but I JUST remembered about that chapter. He's the one that brings the idea of gods back onto the table may it be brief. He talks like he knows about their nature, so he probably is aware of gods or their significance at least, that they actually ARE capable of doing supernatural things. However, Fatal and Mephisto also mention about wishes having failed to come true. That ALSO aligns with kamiki's attitude in that particular chapter saying that gods don't really give out answers and you have to come up with your own. Whatever he's up to, the gods might not have accepted it, or are even against it.

perhaps he's wished to bring Ai back but had been failing miserably, so he's becoming more and more reckless about it.

what he says there makes me wrap my head a little, it sounds like he's been where ruby's been. He might be talking about himself and trying to convince himself of his own resolve

He says he doesn't mind rotting away himself, but there's still something he has to do before that happens. I think that'd have to do with about a wish, he has a goal to fulfill.

I found the full lyric for Fatal(the new op) and it had lyrics like

あなたがいないと生いきていけない

眩まぶしさでこの身みを照てらして欲ほしい

あなたの愛あいがまだ足たらない

ただ一ひとつのアイに近ちかづきたい

I can't live without you

I want you to light up my body with your dazzling glare

I still lack your love

I want to get closer to the one and only Ai.

Aqua wants to get Ai's "revenge", he'd want to see Ai once more, yeah, but that isn't his goal, he doesn't work to meet her again. He plans to fulfill what Ai's really wanted by listening to what she's wanted to say

but the person in Mephisto (who is HUNGRY for Ai's affection) and Fatal actually WANTS to see Ai again, present tense.

あらゆる望のぞみの総すべてを叶かなえたら　ああ果はたせたら

あなたに会あいたい

If I could fulfill all my hopes, all my wishes, all my dreams, if I could make it all come true

I wish I could see you

But how IS this person going to make that happen?

I feel like finding someone that outshines Ai would have something to do with it, coming from how his reactions when he saw ruby having a chance to outshine Ai-

He feels happy about her possibility of her life having even more value than her.

He could just be being a proud dad there (I'm not taking that out of the possibility).. but you see where I'm trying to get at, right? He probably needs someone like that in order to fulfill his wish. Likely their life.

I think those lyrics from mephisto and fatal were there for a reason, those two songs are WAY too similar to each other in terms of the theme and the vibes they're giving. This speaker hasn't given up on the possibility of having Ai back, they talk like that is a thing that CAN happen, they keep.. talking towards them, even when the one they're talking to's already passed long ago. Look at me, You gave me time, Let me hear your voice.. stuff like that. That kind of attitude is more like Kamiki than Aqua. Kamiki talks about rotting away, he's never moved on from Ai's death, has he? It's like she's still alive for him?

So maybe?? Kamiki's trying to trade Ruby's life for Ai's or take her life for that cause because Ruby outshines her and is a good enough tribute to make that sort of exchange? I think that's what Aqua could be getting at,

Kamiki's reactions upon hearing those words seem...very strong.

If he's being falsely accused by his own son as a person who's capable of killing their own daughter for their mother, there is no way he can be so calm about that, right? So that really creepy expression he has could be him displaying his utter despair towards the situation. The words "You're just like me now" can mean a few different things, he could just be taunting Aqua, I'm not taking that out of the picture, but he could also be thinking, 'he's also become the same way I am, crossing lines and despairing while he's at it.'

I'd have to actually look at the way he talks to Aqua in that chapter, the tone of voice…

but I think there are two possibilities.

Either things really never work out the way Kamiki's wanted them to, and so he's lamenting to his son saying that, "strange things keep happening around him (when the black star eyes are turned on) and that Aqua should know what he's talking about because he's been there too"

Or maybe he's just mocking him and saying, "aren't you just like me?"

maybe both if he's been trying to revive Ai no matter the cost. Then that'd mean he's willing to (Yeah, I'm still not giving up in the idea that he does want to bring Ai back)

this chapter is wild.

Isn't there a possibility that Kamiki, could really have been a pure victim and is suffering from these insanity??

What exactly is the "mission" that's been assigned to the twins by the gods? 'If this person becomes an evil god, take them down'? LOL.

Wow, how would Ai think watching everything from heaven and see her son trying to kill his father? I don't think she'd have wanted this to happen, right?

If that sword had purification powers and when you stab someone, it goes 'away with you, evil spirits!' and the toxic energy of the black star dissipates, that would be really funny.

It can't be that everything about the past was a lie, right? Kamiki's past with Ai should still be true. They had this bond.

If none of the disastrous events he's been involved in were intentional, then Kamiki is honestly really pitiful (though, this might not apply to the events after Ai's death). And this ACTUALLY fits the direction I predicted, in a perfect sense.

If it was intentional, I don't get why. There's been no explanation about why he's doing these things, not in the previous chapter or in this one. If it was intentional, then the claim that he didn’t want to hurt Ai must also be a lie. Because at that time, he would have had to manipulate both Nino and Ryosuke, right? But that doesn't seem likely? What's the benefit of doing all that... If this character is truly the avatar of that black star god, it would make sense, but isn't he suffering way too much for that? Even if I give a hundred concessions, it seems like the past up to the point where he parted with Ai is still the truth. In that case... The actions this character is said to have took are consistent with the story he himself testified to. So as soon as I saw that part, I thought, 'Yep... This makes sense.' It fits too well with what I had in mind.

I’ll choose to believe in Ai's judgment and the songs~~~"

You see why I brought back the whole post about Kamiki being Sarutahiko and there's some kind of being that's trying to get back at him??

Please read this post if you haven't, honestly, I feel like this'd be the best explanation for this situation if Kamiki is someone that's "supposed to be saved."

In short, if Ai is related to Ame-no-Uzume, this guy should be related to her husband and he deals with land, guidance, and the balance of the world. Having him despair, corrupt and act out would definitely be concerning to the gods, and it could have led Tsukuyomi to assigning the twins to bring him back to the right path- this is exactly what Ai wanted to happen too?? she wanted to help him if he's still lost.

But Aqua might be thinking Kamiki's been doing all these things on purpose and he wants him gone for good since he's too corrupt at this point.

It IS about time they start discussing these elements being thrown out there so I enjoy it, but I'm still really confused. I do think Kamiki is speaking the truth about Ai...;;

I thought I’d decide whether to continue reading or drop this series after the next chapter... but the fact that the next chapter also pulls me in shows that this author has solid skills. It’s really something.

As I mentioned before, I don’t think blaming all the evil and cause on a single crazy mastermind would make for a good story in terms of the theme of this manga.

For one, I don't believe Ai's death can ever be solely because of Kamiki.(and it doesn't seem like it is but we ain't still sure? Can we be safe about this now?)

Just to add, I'm a 'prophet-type,' you know? An INFJ-

Uh...I feel like I might be able to predict quite a few things. Hahah I do get a lot of things right in the end.

As for making more fan creations... it's kind of tough right now because the story is so unpredictable; it’s hard to draw anything new when I can’t get a grasp on things. I think I need to take a little break for now. And it just so happens that Persona 3's DLC is coming out this week, so I’ll be playing that instead.

But if the story unfolds the way I predicted, it will explain why Ai asked to help Kamiki if he's lost or struggling.

And in my opinion, everything in this manga should ultimately unfold according to Ai’s wishes. A story where Ai ends up looking foolish by falling for some strange person wouldn’t fit, in my view.

Anyway, Kamiki does make the story more interesting whenever he shows up. What kind of character is this guy, seriously?

His son doesn’t trust him, pointing a sword at him, his girlfriend is dead, and while it seems like he’s done a lot, I still think it could only have been for Ai’s sake. If this is all a misunderstanding, then that’s really unfortunate for him. Anyhow he gets into the weirdest and most tragic situations.. even if he has a great appearance, I really wouldn't want to trade my life with his. Even if he's a bad guy, having your own son point a knife at you, being accused to try attempt murder of your own daughter, have the love of your life die by someone who you considered as a friend SEEMS TERRIBLE. Really?? would he have asked for all this to happen? I think he's cursed. He is indeed cursed.

If he's not a bad person, then Ai, save your boyfriend. What a life he has. If he isn't.. well.. then I drop this series because I have no idea what the story will be or maybe I won't, I'll just cross my arms and see just where this manga would end up in the end. But Ai wants him saved. That's the most important thing there is about this guy in terms of future plot deveopment I think?

So, till the next chapter drops! I'll maybe be able to make more analysis when the actual chapter drops and I see the images.

if what kamiki claims is true, then I DID get everything right and it's so funny. I wrote all that and it's really real.

[jasntodds]

Caving In [4]

Pairing: Gar Logan x Fem!Powered!Reader, Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader

Words: 7,625

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, a nightmare, fluff, hurt/comfort, some paranoia, mention of torture, mention of abuse, Dick tries to kind of have “the talk”, Jason and reader argue (we all know sometimes Jason is an asshole, this is the only time this kind of argument happens btw), mentions of bruising and swelling, a mention of drug addiction, mentions of death

Summary: ❝Tell me Atlas: What is heavier, The world or its people’s hearts?❞ You never expected your life to end up this way, turned upside down by an infamous Gotham villain. It’s been a living hell, every single day, until Dick Grayson brings you to Titans tower where you meet Gar Logan and Jason Todd.

A/N: I’m really excited to post chapter 7 just so you guys know lol This feels kind of like a filler but this is the only one that feels like it I think?? I might try to post chapter 5 this weekend because of that lol I am easily motivated to post more often when I get feedback 😂 The first few chapters take place between season 2 episode 1 and season 2 episode 2. You can add yourself the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary​ and turn on notifications if you prefer that!!

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Nightmares are a funny thing. They’re rarely anything realistic once you’re able to be calm enough to think about them. But they always contain some type of fear or traumatic event someone has experienced. Sometimes, it’s not rational or there is some deep hidden meaning behind the nightmare but other times, it’s just from trauma left unhandled. Those nightmares are the worst.

They make you revise the worst times of your life over and over and over like a broken record. No matter what you do, you lose in the nightmare. Years later, you might be happy and healthy but the nightmare comes back and you feel like you’re right back where you were. Trapped in the never-ending agony. Trapped inside a tilt-a-whirl made of panic attacks and broken hearts. And every single night, it’s a living hell.

And that’s where you are now, living your own personal hell with screaming so loud your throat is raw and ragged breaths beg your chest to finally cave in. The flashes of your “foster dad” scar the back of your eyes with every blink, like Freddy Krueger clawing his way to the surface. You might have escaped him physically, but mentally you’re trapped like a bear at a circus. Your hands shake as tears well behind your eyes and as the panic rages through your veins, the anger sets in. And you’re so mad that you’re allowing this piece of shit to haunt you even in your sleep, somewhere you might just feel safe. How are you ever supposed to be safe from him if you can’t even sleep? What if he finds you? What if, somehow, your nightmares are just a sign he’s coming after you? What are you supposed to do then? What if he has powers and that’s why he’s coming to finish you off?

A million what-ifs scramble through your brain as you sit in your bed, the bedside lamp still on. You get out of bed and it’s not even like you’re walking. With every worst-case scenario running through your head at once, you’re just moving through motions to exit your room. You need to make sure he isn’t here, need to make sure everyone here is safe from him, that you’re safe from him.

Your hands go up, right in front of you, slightly outstretched as if waiting for you to run into him. The palms of your hands glow green, ready for any type of attack you might come across in the secure tower while you tiptoe your way out of your room.

“Y/n?” A groggy voice from the right pulls your attention as you were just about to walk down the hallways. You jump and spin quickly, the glow of your hands intensifying in the dim light of the hallway. “It’s me.” Gar defends quickly, putting his hands up. “Gar?” His voice is still groggy but full of fear as he glances between your hands and your face.

You could see him with the dim lights of the hallway and the green glow of your hands but it still didn’t click, not until he said his name. You aren’t sure where your head was but a part of you is scared because of it. You were so lost in a state of fear and urgency to make sure everything was safe, you were blinded. It’s a bit terrifying. 

You lets out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, dropping your hands as the green fades. “Fuck, what’re you doing?” You whisper-yell at him.

Gar takes a few steps towards you. “You were screaming.” He whispers back to you. “I heard you so I came to see if you were okay.”

The walls aren’t thin but Gar is pretty sure your scream could have woken up anyone. It was loud and pained, etched in terror. But, that’s a thing that happens here from time-to-time. Everyone has a habit of occasionally waking up screaming. It’s either childhood trauma haunting them or new trauma from Trigon. Gar figures that’s why no one else got up. They’re conditioned to be used to it.

You watch him carefully as the panic starts to cloud with feelings of regret and guilt. You didn’t realize you had screamed loud enough to wake anyone up. That’s not fair to anyone, to be woken by someone who can’t handle their own shit. And then to be standing out in the middle of a hallway at the crack of dawn with sleep still in their eyes talking about it. You look to the floor, shifting your weight on your feet and chewing on the inside of your cheek.

“Are you….okay?” Gar asks, coming a little closer.

When you fell asleep on him earlier, you looked peaceful. Normally, you kind of always have this look of fear. Your eyes always seem a little distant and you look behind whoever you’re talking to a lot. You don’t make eye contact for longer than a few seconds. But while you slept, you looked at ease and peaceful and calm, like you didn’t need to look over your shoulder anymore but then you shot up out of nowhere. Gar knew it had to have been a nightmare. He reacts the same way when he has one, maybe everyone does but he knows the signs. Wide eyes, ragged breathing, distant but sleep-filled eyes. And now, you’re awake again from a nightmare and it doesn’t sit right with the kind boy with green hair.

You nod. “Y-yeah.” You offer a fake smile. “You, uh, you can go back to bed.”

“Are you going to go back to bed?” Gar asks with a pointed look and he doesn’t want you to be alone. The shadows are a bit more haunting when you’re alone.

“Uh….I mean….eventually.” You answer softly, dropping your head slightly.

“I can stay with you until you fall asleep if you want.” Gar shrugs his shoulders, putting his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants.

You raise a brow at him, not looking pleased with the idea. You don’t want to inconvenience him or seem weak. You’re in a tower full of heroes and you can’t even sleep through the night. The last thing you want is for any of them to see you as the weak link. What happens if you can’t pull it together? Will they just drop you because you’re not strong enough?

“It-it’s okay.” You  don’t smile this time, you just keep chewing your lip, pulling your sleeves over your hands, something Gar has been noticing you do.

“What were you doing out here?” Gar asks, his voice kind and not accusing but you shake your head, knowing it sounds ridiculous. “I won’t tell anyone.” He offers and there’s this sweet but subtle smile pulling at his lips.

Jason, a few hours ago, told you to talk to him. He said maybe it would help and the only way he’d know that, is if Gar knows Jason’s baggage, too. Jason doesn’t seem the type to wave the white flag and spill all of his secrets. Maybe Gar just cares about everyone and maybe it will help.

You sigh and cave. “I-I-I was….was just making sure….uh….he wasn’t….here.” You stutter but eventually get everything out and a part of Gar’s heart breaks at hearing it. 

You aren’t looking at him, a sense of shame consuming you and Gar is not about to have you feeling bad for worrying that the person who tortured you is seeking you out in the one place you feel safe. It’s not fair and it’s not right. Gar knows whatever you went through was horrible but the fact you’re so worried that the person is in the tower? It’s unfathomable.

Gar starts walking past you, stopping a few steps ahead of you and offering you his hand. “We’ll look together.”

You look at his hand and then up at him with his words and you can feel your nose getting warm while your eyes burn. Your entire face softens and there’s something about the offer that makes you feel like everything in you is being warmed by a fireplace, warmed by a place one can only describe as home. He didn’t think you were crazy or that it was ridiculous or stupid. He just…offered to help.

So, you put your hand in his, following him through the tower.

As you walk, you hold his hand tightly noticing the soft callouses. His grip is tight but in a comforting type of way and he glances at you every few seconds as if making sure you’re okay. You walk from room to room, turning on the lights and verifying there isn’t anyone around before you end up in the comms room with the supercomputer. Gar takes a seat and shows you that everything is still secure and there hasn’t been a break-in. Everyone still needs their fingerprints to get in and the front door is done by facial recognition. According to the logs, no one has been in or out of the tower since nine the night before.

“I’m sorry.” You say quietly, standing to the side of Gar with arms crossed and eyes on the large screen in front of you. “I know this was stupid.”

Gar spins in the chair to face you but your eyes don’t move. “It’s okay, ya know? You’re scared and this is a new place. It’s not stupid.”

“It feels like it though, I-i-i….I see him anytime I close my eyes.” Your voice is so small.

You think maybe you should take Jason’s advice fully. Gar is awake with you anyway and you woke him up. He could have gone back to bed but he walked with you instead, knowing full well there wasn’t an intruder in the tower. It’s like you owe him some type of explanation.

“Foster dad.” You clarify. “He’s originally from Gotham, too, ya know? So him being a complete psychopath kind of tracks.” There’s a sharp bitterness in your voice but you keep your stare off of Gar, afraid that if you can see the look on his face you know he’s giving you, you’ll just shut down and go to bed.

“He just…did that to you?” Gar asks with furrowed brows and pain in his voice.

“Yep, he wanted powers. Some weird thing against Batman and Robin so he used me because ya know, the system doesn’t actually give a fuck about most foster kids.” You grit your teeth, your fists balling in your arms. “Then thought I was concealing my powers from him because he was certain his experiments were working so he’d try to literally beat them out of me.” You shrug a shoulder. “Guess he was right.”

Gar pauses, piecing it together. He was sure you would have tried to use your powers, but you didn’t? “Wait so….you never used your powers around him and—“

“Let him beat me until he thought I was dead?” You ask, just glancing at Gar long enough to see him nod. “Yep. If he knew it worked, he’d have killed me anyway. Letting him think he failed was…” You tilt your head side to side slightly. “Vindicating in a way. I, uh, I know it sounds so stupid but I was desperate to try and get out. Desperate people do stupid things."

“I’m so sorry that happened.” Gar’s eyes are glued to you, hating the idea of living through that.

He was tortured before and it haunts him every single day. He wasn’t even tortured for very long and it’s still hell. You were tortured for a lot longer. He gets your hesitance and your paranoia. He’d be paranoid, too if he were you.

“Yeah….” You sigh. “So, I might have escaped physically but the piece of shit really isn’t leaving my dreams alone, I guess.”

Gar sits on it for a few seconds. While he was kind of this weird experiment in a way, Dr. Caulder knew it would work and it would save him. He never had to fear for his life around him. He feared speaking up and being himself because sometimes the doctor wasn’t very nice. He didn’t really like other people being their own people, not if it contradicted what he believed or wanted. So, he can’t even fathom want horrors haunt your mind even in safety.

“I can check the tower for you every night if you want.” Gar offers. You jerk your head in his direction, surprise etched across every crease of your face. “And uh, if you have a nightmare, you can wake me up. I leave my door unlocked anyway…if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Y-y-you’d do that?”

Gar gains a sheepish smile as he shrugs. “Yeah, of course.”

You will never tell Jason, but maybe he was right about telling Gar. You feel a little better about it and he’s so nice. He’s offering to lose sleep when you have a nightmare which could be every night. You wonder how he’s chosen to be so kind despite whatever he’s been through.

“Thank you.” You look to the ground and then finally look at Gar. “Can you not tell anyone? Please?”

He chuckles softly. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks, it means a lot.” You suck in a breath. “Well, now that I know my delusions are just delusions, I’m gonna try and get some more sleep.” You give him a genuine smile this time.

“I’ll be up if you need anything.” Gar says, turning back to the computer to exit out of the security system.

“I’m so sorry.” You apologize again. “I didn’t mean to keep you from sleeping or anything.”

“It’s okay.” Gar assures you. “I should be getting up early anyway.”

“Okay.” You nod, offering him a closed and small smile.

It’s six now so Gar’s alarm would be going off in an hour anyway. But, you’re still going to go to bed. He didn’t hear you go to bed the night before and it was pretty late when you woke up from the first nightmare.

“What, uh what time did you go to bed anyway?”

“Uh….” You squint an eye, trying to remember the last time you looked at your phone. “Four? I think?”

“Wow, okay.” Gar’s brows raise quickly as he chuckles softly.

“I-I got talking with Jason last night so…” Your words fall off. “Couldn’t sleep and I ran into him.”

Gar nods slowly, ignoring the tint of a burn in his chest. You talked to Jason but not him? He’s been so nice to you and he feels like you trust him. All you do with Jason is this weird banter thing that Gar is slowly realizing maybe it’s flirting. Not that he’s actively trying to pursue anything because that doesn’t feel right either. But something about you talking to Jason, hurts. He’s always deemed himself a trustworthy person who’s a pretty good listener but you went to probably the worst listener on the face of the planet. He doesn’t really get it and he knows he has not right to assume you would tell him anything. Above everything else, he’s just surprised you got talking to Jason.

“What’d ya talk about?” Gar plays it cool, not digging but just asking.

“Uh….nothing really, I guess.” You lie and it’s at that moment you realize you lie a lot. Not that you intend to, it just feels like an instinct now either to protect yourself or other people. “I mean…not nothing.” You correct yourself. “Some of what happened in a very unserious manner.”

Gar nods his head again and you might be a little dense but you’re not so dense that you missed the way he stiffed in his chair. “Did it help?” He asked.

“Well, I, uh, I felt better after but then I had a nightmare so….not sure how much talking about it really helped.” You scoff as you roll your shoulders.

“Is it because it was unserious?” Gar asks, quoting your direct word.

You shake your head. “Nah, always been better with unserious ways of talking about trauma. When it gets too….emotional I don’t….” You look to the floor, tugging your sleeves over your hands. “I don’t like it very much, like it less than I usually do, I suppose.”

“You can talk to me.” Gar offers, looking back over to you.

“I know.” You smile at him softly, it’s almost a smirk that forms. “Can you get a little snarky and nasty about it?”

“Would it help?” Gar chuckles, his position loosening with the question and the burning sensation in his chest starting to dissipate.

“Yeah, you can’t give that look you do. With the big eyes and sad expression, makes me feel weird.” You scrunch the left side of your mouth upwards.

Gar laughs softly, putting his hands up. “Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Thanks.” You look around the room and then back to him. “I do like talking to you and hanging around you. You make me feel comfortable here.” You admit and then realize you’re saying way too much. “Okay well, that’s enough for today. I’m actually going to bed.” You smile at him and it almost feels like you should hug him or something but that also feels like it might just get awkward so you opt for a small wave as if that wasn’t just as awkward.

“Sleep well.” Gar laughs softly, matching the wave with burning cheeks.

You finally get some much-needed rest, without a nightmare. It wasn't a lot of sleep by any means but it was a lot more than you’ve gotten in a long time and for the first time, you actually feel well-rested. You aren't sure if it's because you talked with Gar about what happened a little bit or if it's because you knew he was awake and wouldn't let anyone in your room if they tried. Or that he helped you look around the tower for Jerry like two crazy people. Maybe it's a combination of everything but you feel a lot better.

You find yourself walking into the kitchen once you’re fully awake, still dressed in pajamas. Your thing has always been you shouldn't need to get properly dressed if you aren't actively doing something or going somewhere. Why bother dirtying clothes?

When you walk into the kitchen, Gar and Jason are sat on the barstools while Dick is making some type of shake, Rachel is just coming in from the opposite hall. The boys look a little sweaty, devouring their food like they haven’t eaten in days. You assume they’d just gotten done with a training session and, apparently, were too hungry to shower first.

"Good morning." Dick chimes, bits of sarcasm in his words given it just being past noon.

You pause, glaring at him. "You're one of those aren't you?"

"What?" Dick chuckles, confusion in his face.

"Thinking the early bird gets the worm or whatever." Your voice is flat and you might be well-rested and it might be the afternoon, but you’re not a morning person.

Dick shrugs. "It's true."

"But the mouse gets the cheese, my guy." You give him a thumbs up, moving to the seat between Jason and Gar and sitting down. Gar gives you this gentle smile while Jason has this proud smirk pulling at his lips. "What?" You look at Dick who looks somewhere between amused and contentment.

Dick is looking at you with a sense of ease and accomplishment. He thought you’d be more...closed off longer. This is a new place, you’re traumatized and hurt. But, you seem comfortable, using sarcasm with him that isn’t hurtful and plopping down right between the boys whose expressions did not go unnoticed by Dick. Dick feels like he might be doing something really good here.

"Nothing." Dick's face settles with amusement. "Settling okay?"

"Mhm." You hum.

"Since she doesn't shut the fuck up, I'm sure she's fine." Jason states, his voice trying to sound menacing.

Gar and you look to Jason with annoyance. "You have not shut up for a single second I have been here and this is day three. You had no complaints last night." You look away, Dick looking between the two of you with his cup held to his mouth. He doesn’t even wanna know.

"You were whining, I wanted you to shut up and it worked." Jason mumbles and  you let out a laugh. What is his issue?

"I don't whine, I complain. There's a difference." You hold your pointer finger up to correct him and Jason cracks a smile, Gar chuckles into his water bottle.

"Same shit." Jason fires back. "You could stop."

You roll your eyes and that's when the idea sparks. Jason isn’t winning this, this is your game to win. "Hey, Dick, question: What's your rule on dating? Ya know in the tower?"

Jason and Gar both stiffen in their seats, you catching it out of the corner of your eyes and it takes everything in you not to burst out laughing or break the stare you have with Dick. Gar is choking on his water and Jason's cheeks are turning red while Dick is stuck looking at all three of you wondering how the hell he got here. The last thing Dick wants to do is discuss this. Of course, he knew there was a chance of something going on, but he kind of assumed it would just happen. He didn’t think he’d get dragged into it, not like this at least.

"She's screwing with you." Rachel says from the other side of Gar. You give Dick a wide smirk, Gar and Jason looking a little displeased, Jason more than Gar who almost looks disappointed.

"Of course she is." Dick lets out a breath, his expression unamused. 

"Sorry, you were a necessary casualty in getting Jason to shut up for a few seconds." You hold an apologetic smile.

Jason flirts a lot and in your experience, if you bring up dating out of the blue, it’ll shut someone like Jason up faster than anything because it’s out of left field. He’s caught off guard and it gets his brain going on if there’s something going on. You think it’s funny, you’ve won this bit.

"Well, since you wanted to bring it up..." Dick starts and all four of you suddenly look like you need seatbelts.

"No, not the talk, please." Gar begs with a groan.

Dick grimaces. "No, of course not. I trust you all know about that." Even if you didn’t, Dick isn’t sure he’d be able to give the talk. He’d call Donna and Dawn. They’re the responsible ones.

"Some of us more than others." Jason quips with a smirk.

"Gross." Rachel mutters.

"Dude." Gar looks past you and at Jason, shaking his head at Jason.

"Anyway, uh..." Dick fumbles for words, realizing he never had any intention of this conversation which was his fault given the Titans past of relationship in the tower. "Just make sure everyone is consenting and be safe?"

"You sound so uncertain about that." You raise a brow as your words are slow.

"I don't know how to have this conversation." Dick defends.

"We don't have to." Gar is grimacing in his seat. "We know, safety and consent, got it." It’s not that Gar is a prude, it’s just awkward and he’s not much of a fan of awkward conversations. If it were just him and Dick, it wouldn’t be awkward, but it's everyone.

"Don't bring drama into the training room or while we're out."

"Obviously." Rachel says, already tired of the conversation.

"That won't be a problem." Jason mutters.

You rolls your eyes at him before looking back to Dick. "You're doing great, bud." You give Dick a thumbs up.

"That's it. I don't care, don't do anything.....graphic..."

"God." Gar groans, making you laugh. But, everyone has gathered this look of disgust on their faces with Dick’s choice of words. "Please, stop talking." Gar pleads.

"In a public area of the tower." Dick continues.

All of your faces contort into a grimace, even Jason’s. That is such an odd and specific request. You did not think this is where that joke would go. You didn’t think it’d go anywhere, let alone here.

"I feel like there's a very specific reason you said that and I don't wanna know." You laugh. "I'm sorry, I didn't think he'd decide to have this conversation." You apologize to the room.

"And what did you learn today?" Dick asks, not too happy about feeling like he had to have the talk with the new Titans.

"You want me today something like pick my words more carefully next time but...I think I just learned not bring up interpersonal relations with you in front of other people." You scrunch your nose.

Dick lets out a sigh. "Well, are we clear then?"

"YES." Gar yells, dramatically. "Can we stop now? This is awkward."

"Come on, Gar. Surely this isn't new territory for you." You kick Jason under the counter. "Ow! What the fuck?"

"Shut the fuck up." You snip at him.

"Yeah? And What are you gonna do about it?" Jason looks you up and down.

You narrow your eyes and for a second you think about what you could do. You could give him a burn, something equivalent to a rug burn. But, that’s not right and you’d never actually try to hurt him, not like this. And you can’t punch him because that also seems a bit extreme. He’d probably see it coming anyway, block you, then hit you back.

"That's what I thought." Jason scoffs with a look of pride as he’s won.

You shove him with your hand, Jason falling off of his chair. He hits the floor with a thud, looking at up at you with a twisted face filled of anger and shock. For someone who can't fight and who's injured, you’re ballsy. Jason could fight you right now and you'd basically be defenseless but Jason wouldn't do that. He knows where the lines are when it comes to physical contact and he doesn't cross them. He crosses a lot of lines, but fighting people who can't fight back isn't one of those. So, he's even more pissed about it.

Jason gets back to his feet, closing the distance between him and you. "What the fuck is your problem, huh?" Jason yells in your face, Gar adjusting in his seat, ready to get up at any point and Dick is ready to step in if he needs to.

"You are, apparently. Why do you have to be such a fucking asshole? For no reason? Aren't you friends?"

"He doesn't need you to come to his fucking defense. I was fucking joking." Jason snarls, looking just past you at Gar before looking back at you.

"Right." You mutter. "Except it's obvious the whole conversation has made him uncomfortable so why don't you go cool the fuck off. You obviously need to." You sit straight in your seat, your face close to Jason's and you’re not backing down.

"You shoved me!" Jason flings his arm out in frustration.

"You asked me what I was gonna do about it! So I showed you!" You bark at him. "What are you gonna do about it?"

A dry laugh escapes Jason's throat and he doesn't want to actually fight you, but you’re making it a little tempting right about now. "Is that all you fucking have?" He taunts you instead.

"Wanna test me?" You open your palms, holding them just in front of your shoulders as they glow. Jason looks at the green and he doesn't get how people with powers are so willing to use them. He doesn't need powers. He's got his fists and those are plenty.

"Because you're just another freak, right?"

Gar gets off his seat at that comment, pushing Jason slightly and standing in between you and Jason. "Dude, go calm down. It's not that serious." Gar keeps his voice level, trying to diffuse the situation.

"You a team now, huh?" Jason looks in between you.

"Jason, come on. Cool off for a few minutes." Dick keeps his stance, choosing not to crowd the already heated area.

"Fuck you guys!" Jason yells, pushing past Gar and heading down the right hallway.

Gar sits down again and Dick's position relaxes with Jason out of the room. Gar's just surprised it went as far as it did but it's also Jason. He has buttons and pushing them sometimes leads to blow-ups. Jason is still his friend but sometimes, he really does not make it easy and this is one of those times. He doesn't understand why Rachel and now you are freaks but somehow Gar is never a freak. He has powers, too and as far as he's concerned, turning into a tiger is far more freakish than whatever you have going on. And he always acts like it's your fault, somehow. Rachel was just born like that, no one gets to pick their biological parents. And Gar and you were injected. How is that right? It hurts a little because Gar knows that if they weren't friends, he'd be the target one of Jason's freak rants.

"Is that what everyone meant by I'd get used to Jason?" You ask the room.

"Yeah." Gar answers and Dick nods. "He does that sometimes."

"Interesting." You hum quietly, your hands shaking slightly, Gar taking notice.

"Are you okay?" He asks, looking between your hands and your eyes.

"Oh..." You quickly move your hands under the countertop and tug your sleeves down. "I'm, uh I'm fine." You fake a smile at him.

It's not that you really thought Jason might hit you, him hitting you over a shove didn’t even cross your mind. You don't really know if he's the type that gets mad and hits people, you don't really know him at all. But, you'd think that would have been a warning from someone if that were the case. It was more that you don't like getting yelled at apparently. It wasn’t an issue before Jerry but, now it seems to be another trigger.

"He wouldn't have hurt you." Dick assures you, as if reading your mind.

"Jason doesn't hit people here when he gets mad, just yells a lot." Gar assures you, following Dick's lead.

"I didn't think he'd hit me." You tell them with ease. "Got that throbbing thing in the back of my head when someone's going to." You remind them. "And I just...I'm not scared of him. Guess I just don't like being yelled at when someone is in my face." You look to the counter. "I'm fine, honest."

"Are you sure?" Gar asks.

"Yeah." You give him a soft smile. "Thanks though. I'm gonna eat." You get down and find a bowl in a cabinet, moving around Dick.

"Okay, I'm gonna go check on Jason then, make sure he's cooling down." Dick gives Gar a look and a nod toward you. Gar nods in response while Dick leaves to find Jason.

You make your cereal while Gar watches you. Your hands are still shaking and he feels bad. It's not his fault that Jason blew up because it's Jason. He blows up at everything but Gar could have defended himself. It's nice that you did. He's never had someone defend him like that but it got you yelled at by Jason and after you had, what Gar assumed to be, a pretty nice conversation the night before. He just worries about you.

"Hey," Gar starts as you take your seat back next to him. "Wanna do something today?" Gar asks.

You furrow your brows at him, before taking a bite of your cereal. "Like what?"

"What'd you wanna do?" Gar shrugs, figuring maybe you should be the one to decide. He just wants to hang out with you.

"Mmmm." You hum and think for a second. "Dye my hair." You chuckle softly.

"That's what you wanna do?" Gar asks.

"Mhm." You hums. "Always wanted to and you have green hair, Rachel's hair is purple." You shrug.

You just want a change. This is a big change, being at the tower but that doesn’t have anything to do with your appearance. You like how you look but you want something different. Your mom never let you dye your hair even though you really wanted to. This place, this place allows you to do that and to change something about yourself. It’s a way to take control of something. The way you see it, with all the bruising and swelling, you don’t look much like yourself anyway. Might as well change the hair, too.

"Okay." Gar beams at you. "We can go get whatever dye you want today and I can help. I'm not sure how much help I'll be but maybe we can get Rachel to help if you want." Gar rambles off and he seems so energetic and happy about it.

"Uh..." You stutter. "Okay, yeah that'd be fun. Thank you." The smile you give him is wide and filled of joy.

"What color?"

You tell him your favorite color, beaming at him. "Always thought that hair was cool." You smirk at him.

"We'll go when you're done eating." Gar gets up from his chair. "I'm gonna shower first."

"Have a blast." You grin to yourself, going back to your cereal. "Meet me in my room after?" You look back to him and he nods with a cheery smile before turning on his feet, and quickly heading down the hallway. "He's so cute." You say to yourself, going back to your cereal.

After Gar's shower, he met with you in your room. You were already dressed and ready to go, you even asked Rachel for help when you got back which Rachel was more than happy to help. Once Gar was ready, he was the one that asked Dick for some money before you left and off you went with Rachel, you feeling more comfortable having both Gar and Rachel with you. You realize how great it is that Rachel was willing to help because you never would have gotten something everything you needed.

When you got back, Gar and you met with Rachel in a bathroom. Rachel got everything together and get to work with your hair. You explained to Rachel that you still wanted some of your natural hair color but the majority of it to be dyed. Rachel understood what you were explaining while Gar seemed a little confused.

As Rachel helped with your hair, the three of you got talking about past lives. You all avoided all talk about trauma and tragic backstories and instead talked about your favorite movies and shows, music. If you'd ever been to a concert, the best places you've ever eaten, random stories about family and friends you had before everything. And while these conversations are going on, there's warmth and comfort that consumes you.

This is the longest you’ve gone without thinking about how your face looks or how your body is sore or Jerry. It's just the three of you and you feel so at home because Gar and Rachel make it so easy. And you wonder if this is what real friendship feels like.

Sure, you had friends before your mom died. But that was then and this is now. You had a small circle of friends but only one that you really relied on and could tell anything to. But then your mom died and it all got so messy and heavy. You couldn't inconvenience even your best friend with your problems over it. Your best friend never really understood the person you started to become after. Vengeful and spiteful and angry. And desperate and cold and detached. It struck like a hurricane right through your friendship.

You couldn't handle anything and you were always running from CPS. What kind of friend would you be if you endangered your best friend's mom by getting in trouble with CPS? You knew it was only a matter of time before they threatened to take your best friend away if they didn't give you up. At least, that's how you always saw it. It was always such a big fear and you couldn't put them through that, on the chance it did happen so you just left one day and never came back. But you weren't a very good friend then either.

You had all these plans of hunting down the Joker and even though you'd probably die, too, hunting him down would have made it worth it to you. To look him in the eyes and just try to hit him or shoot him, if you had a gun anyway. You knew you would never make it out alive and that was something you deemed to be okay because you didn't have anything worth living for anymore. Your dad went off to choose drugs over you, your mom died, your best friend not knowing how to handle anything. A suicide mission seemed like a pretty sweet deal at the time. But, now you’re here with Gar and Rachel, in this bathroom getting the hair you’ve wanted to try and maybe you have more worth living for.

"Okay, what do you think?" Rachel asks, shutting the blow-dryer off, proud of the dye job she's done.

You look in the mirror and your face lights up. Stripes of the color consume the majority of your head and you could not be happier in this moment. "I love it!" You squeal before turning around. "Thank you!" You hug Rachel quickly before turning back around and there's a sweet and amused smile on Gar's face.

"It looks really good on you." Gar's smile turns shy as you look to him.

"Y-you think so?" You asks, your stomach swirling with his words.

Gar nods. "Yeah, I like the color." Gar’s smile is the softest thing in the world.

"How cute." Rachel giggles before cutting it short as Gar looks at her with wide eyes. "It looks good, yeah." Rachel agrees.

"Thank you." You look at yourself again and you’ve never had this hair before, but it makes you feel more like yourself. It's probably the self-expression it's allowing you to have but you really like it. "And hey, now people will have something else to look at that's not my face." You laugh softly.

"You're face looks good, too." Gar says so quickly, you and Rachel barely catch it, but you do and you both look at him with raised brows. Rachel looks in between you and Gar, waiting for something to happen. This is the most entertainment she's had since they got to San Francisco. "I mean..." Gar stutters. "The, uh, the bruises and stuff, they're healing."

"Mhm." You hum with burning cheeks. "Thank you, Gar."

Gar feels the embarrassment wanting to eat him alive. He can't believe he said that out loud. Now Rachel is looking at him with knowing eyes and he can't help it. Sometimes, things just come out and then he feels like he has to backtrack and now he's embarrassed even though you didn't seem bothered by it. Which then makes him think he didn't need to add in the last comment about the bruises. Surely, you know he didn't mean just the bruises are looking fine now and the meant your whole face but now he doesn't know and he has got to get his brain to shut up for five seconds.

"There you are." Dick says, looking into the bathroom, the door wide open.

"Yes?" Rachel asks.

"Training room." Dick says.

Gar checks the time on his phone, seeing they were in fact late for their last training session. Shopping with you took a little longer than expected since you stopped for food and were having fun together. Then dying your hair took a while but Dick doesn't seem mad about it.

The three of you follow Dick to the training room where Jason is already waiting, as if he hadn't left the room since this morning. You sit on a bench and watch as you’re not allowed to train yet. Dick mostly supervises after giving them some instructions on what to do and then gives pointers. You mostly watch Gar and Jason.

It's interesting watching them. Jason is clearly the aggressor. You can't tell if it's all his pent-up aggression or if it's just his experience as Robin that makes him the aggressor but you find it interesting nonetheless. Gar and Rachel seem to work together to go against Jason even though they're all supposed to be working against each other. Gar works more on a defensive tactic, going for Jason after Jason comes for him or while Rachel has him distracted and that's when Gar gets a hit it. They're being trained by the same person but they fight differently and it seems to match their personalities.

Dick walks over to you as the other three continue to spar. "Like the new hair." Dick compliments you.

"Thanks, Rachel did it for me." You beam up at him.

"Feeling more comfortable?"

"Yeah..." You sigh. "I give you shit 'cause it's fun but I think I'm gonna like it here. Thank you again for taking me in." You say candidly. You make a mental note to thank him regularly for it.

It warms Dick's heart to know his efforts mean something. He just wants to be the mentor he wishes Bruce was and he just wants to help. It seems to be working, with you and Rachel and Gar, jury is still out on Jason. But Dick knows Jason will not be an overnight success.

"Good, I'm glad." Dick offers you a smile before walking back to where he previously was.

The rest of the training session goes by, Gar and Rachel going to you when they had a water break and talking. Jason opted to be by himself, Gar noticing the concern on your face and assuring you that he'll be calm and be over it the next day. But it doesn't quite sit right for you. You don't want him mad at you, you do like to mess with him in a fun banter way, not him being pissed at you.

You like to push people's buttons but you’re not too fond of people being actively mad at you. If there's a line you aren't supposed to cross, all someone has to do is tell you and you'll respect the line. You aren't about making people unnecessarily uncomfortable or mad. But you nod along with Gar anyway and eventually training ends. You stay behind with Jason, Gar hovers a little more than he would given the events of the afternoon but he does eventually leave the two of you alone.

"So, you gonna stay mad at me forever?" You ask as you walk over to Jason who's seated on a bench, getting a drink and ignoring you. "Come on," You groan. "Can you not handle a shove from me?"

Jason glares up at you. "Just shut up." He groans.

"Nope." You sit next to him, your leg touching his. "I'm sorry I shoved you." Jason's brows furrow at you and he doesn't think anyone has apologized to him since he's been here, for anything. "Honest, I should have left it alone but I provoked you further than I should have." You are sorry for it. Sure, Jason owes you an apology, too but you can apologize first. 

"Sorry for what I said." Jason mumbles, swallowing his pride.

He never wants to hurt someone's feelings, not really. In the moment, absolutely but then after he feels horrible about it. He hates when other people make him feel weak. You shoving him from his seat, it made him feel weak and he hates it. It’s how he’s felt his entire life. Weak. So, when he feels weak or when someone pushes the wrong bottom, he just starts talking and going off. It just flows out of his mouth before he can even think about it. It's not an excuse, he just can't help it and he is sorry.

"To you and Gar." Jason lets out a sigh.

The corner of your smile pulls up. "I forgive you."

Jason glances at you and he can’t stay mad at you. Normally, he’s very good at holding grudges. He still has a grudge against a kid who pushed him down a slide when he was seven. He’s very good at holding grudges but you’ve got this smirk that says you’re up to no good and this look in your eyes that sends this electricity through his blood. He can’t explain it but he can’t stay mad at you.

"Did you still wanna train tonight when everyone goes to bed?" Jason turns his head towards you, twitching his brows up and the grin starts pull at his lips. 

"If you're still willing."

"Someone's gotta show you how to do more than fucking shove someone." Jason scoffs but a smile pulls at his lips as he chuckles softly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, got powers now and never had issues on the streets, okay? People happen to like my quick wit and quips.” You lightly nudge him with your shoulder. 

"Yeah," Jason chortles. "That's why no one fucked with you.” Jason nods his head and lightly nudges you back, not believing you.

"I'd like to think so, yes.” You hold your head up with pride and Jason has this genuinely kind smile on his face. “What time, boss?”

Jason shakes his head. “Midnight. Everyone is usually in their rooms or asleep.”

“Okay, I'll meet you here then." You smirk at him as you get up and lick your lips. He knows deep down he doesn't have a shot with you but his stomach burns with the thought of you. You get under his skin like no one else and he hates to admit it but he really likes it.

"Don't be late." Jason quips, his voice taunting.

You shake your head, turning around to face him again. “Shut the fuck up.” You laugh softly. “I’ll meet you here at midnight, on the dot.” You widen your eyes, mocking him before exiting the room.

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Tag list: @fairyofshampoo // @italiana-20 // @jasontoddsmentaldisorders // @purplerose291 // @lovelessamai  // @makaelaseresin // @lenidaslenchen // @thatfangirl42​

[mcrdvcks]

Down Bad - Chapter 5

Chapter Summary: After the events on Kamino, the squad lays low, completing small missions for Cid.

Word Count: 12.9k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: so this is a short (not really tho it's around 13k words) interlude between bad batch season 1 and 2. there are a few different short stories, pretty much all of them fluffy. but if you do not like sicknesses or illnesses (they are not described much, other than sneezing, coughing, and stuffy nose) i suggest you don't read the end of this. enjoy!

Series Masterlist - Chapter 4 → Chapter 6

AO3 Link For Chapter

Amina walked onto the Marauder, as Omega glanced up from her datapad. “Hey, Omega. Want to help me with something?” Amina shook the small box in her hand.

Omega got off the chair in the cockpit, “yeah! What do you need, General?”

Amina chucked, “well, I need to dye my hair again.”

Omega raised an eyebrow, “that’s not your natural hair?”

“Nope. My natural hair color is brown, but since most people know who I am, I died it to an auburn color. But the dye is fading so I thought I’d try a new color.” She shook the box again, “it’s black, so not a big difference, but anyways, do you wanna help me?”

Omega's eyes widened with excitement at the prospect of helping Amina dye her hair. "Sure, I'd love to help!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm as she practically bounced over to where Amina was standing. "I've never dyed anyone's hair before. This is gonna be fun!"

Amina chuckled at Omega's excitement, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at the younger girl's infectious energy. "Glad to have you on board," she said with a smile, holding out the box of black hair dye for Omega to inspect.

Omega eagerly took the box, examining it with intense curiosity as she read the instructions printed on the back. “Wait,” she looked up at Amina, “won’t Hunter get mad?”

Amina shrugged, “if we can get it done before the boys get back from getting our supplies, they’ll never know until they see the final results. We just have to be careful to not ruin the refresher.”

Omega grinned mischievously, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Sounds like a plan! Let's get started."

The two of them made their way to the refresher, leaving their weapons in the cockpit. Once inside the small refresher, Amina spread an old towel over the floor to catch any drips, while Omega eagerly tore open the box of hair dye.

"So, how does this work?" Omega asked, peering at the instructions on the back of the box.

Amina took the box from her and quickly skimmed over the directions. "Looks like we just mix these two bottles together," she explained, holding up two small tubes of liquid. "Then we apply it to my hair, wait for a bit, and rinse it out. Simple enough."

Omega giggled, her excitement bubbling over as she eagerly grabbed the bottles of dye from Amina. “Alright, let’s do this!”

Working together, Amina and Omega mixed the two liquids according to the instructions on the box, creating the black hair dye. Omega carefully sectioned off Amina’s hair, using clips to keep it out of the way as they began the process of applying the dye.

“You have a lot of hair.” Omega said, starting to dye the lowest section of her hair.

“Yeah. I don’t think my hair has ever been this long. I kept it short because of the Jedi’s rules.”

Omega nodded, her brow furrowing slightly in concentration as she carefully applied the dye to Amina's hair. "What were the rules?" she asked, her curiosity piqued as she worked.

Amina chuckled softly, the memory of her Jedi training bringing a smile to her lips. "Well, there were a lot of rules," she admitted, her voice tinged with amusement. "But one of them was that Jedi weren't supposed to have attachments. Relationships, especially romantic ones, were discouraged."

Omega's eyes widened in surprise as she processed this information. "That sounds... kinda lonely," she remarked, her tone thoughtful as she continued to work on Amina's hair.

Amina nodded, a hint of sadness creeping into her expression. "It could be," she agreed quietly. "But it was also about avoiding the temptation of the dark side. Attachment can lead to fear, and fear can lead to anger, and... well…” Amina sighed, “they tried to keep me and Anakin apart, but it didn’t go well. They realized that we were stronger together, so they stopped trying to keep us separate. We didn’t see each other all the time when we were padawans, because we had different masters, but we saw each other when we were both at the Temple.”

Omega finished the first small section, “I guess I never realized how hard it was.”

Amina smiled, “it’s alright. It’s all over with now. All we can do is move forward.”

---

Hunter and the rest of the squad walked back onto the Marauder, finding it empty. The absence of Amina and Omega was immediately noticeable, and a sense of unease settled over the group as they exchanged worried glances.

"Where are they?" Wrecker asked, his brow furrowed with concern as he scanned the interior of the ship.

"I don't know," Hunter replied, his voice tinged with worry. "They were here when we left to get supplies."

Tech looked in the cockpit, “Omega left her crossbow and Amina left her lightsaber. So, either they went somewhere close by, or are still on the ship.”

"They wouldn't have just left without telling us," Echo remarked, his voice laced with concern as he scanned the interior of the ship.

"No, they wouldn't," Hunter agreed, his brow furrowing with worry. "Which means something must have happened."

Wrecker's eyes widened with alarm as he glanced around the empty hangar. "What if they've been captured?" he suggested, his voice filled with dread at the thought of his friends being in danger.

Hunter's jaw clenched with determination as he considered Wrecker's suggestion. "We need to find them," he declared, his voice firm as he turned to face the rest of the squad. "Tech, see if you can track their comms. Echo, check the surrounding area. Wrecker, with- ”

They heard muffled laughing coming from down the hall as Hunter walked over, with his helmet under his arm. He stopped in front of the refresher’s door and knocked hearing Amina let out a muffled curse.

Hunter's brow furrowed with concern as he heard Amina's muffled curse from behind the closed door of the refresher. Without hesitation, he knocked again, this time with a sense of urgency in his rap on the metal surface.

"Amina? Omega?" he called out, his voice tense with worry as he waited for a response. He heard another round of muffled laughter from within the refresher, followed by the sound of shuffling feet.

The door slid open slowly, revealing Amina and Omega standing side by side, both with guilty expressions on their faces. Part of Amina’s hair was covered in black dye, and there were splotches of the dark liquid on her forehead and cheeks, while Omega had streaks of dye on her hands and arms.

Hunter's eyes widened with surprise as he took in their appearances, a mixture of amusement and exasperation crossing his features. "What in the galaxy are you two doing?" he asked, his voice a mixture of amusement and concern.

Amina glanced sheepishly at Omega before meeting Hunter's gaze. "Uh, we were just... dyeing my hair," she admitted, her voice tinged with embarrassment as she gestured to her half of her head covered with dye, while the other half remained up in clips.

Wrecker came up behind Hunter, his brow furrowed in confusion as he held his blaster, but then he burst into laughter. "Dyeing your hair, huh?" he chuckled, his deep voice booming through the hallway of the Marauder. "You two had us worried sick! Hunter was about to send out a search party!”

Hunter glared at Wrecker before turning his gaze back to Amina and Omega. Amina’s face held a smirk, “I guess we are pretty important, aren’t we?” Amina said, holding her hand out for a high-five as Omega air high-fived her.

Hunter's glare softened slightly at Amina's smirk, unable to suppress the fondness that warmed his chest at her playful demeanor. He couldn't help but admire her resilience, her ability to find humor even in the midst of uncertainty and danger. As much as he tried to maintain a stern facade, he couldn't deny the affection he felt for the spirited young Jedi.

"Yeah, you two definitely keep us on our toes," Hunter replied with a chuckle, returning Amina's high-five with a gentle slap of his hand against hers. "But next time, maybe give us a heads up before you disappear. We were starting to worry."

Amina grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she exchanged a glance with Omega. "Noted," she said, her voice filled with amusement. "We'll try to remember that for next time."

Omega nodded eagerly, her brown eyes shining with excitement. "Yeah, we promise!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious as she flashed a bright smile at Hunter and the rest of the squad.

“Now, come on, Omega. Let’s ignore them and finish up. I don’t really think a half-and-half look is going to be good on me.”

As Omega and Amina resumed the task at hand, Hunter and the rest of the squad exchanged amused glances. Wrecker was still chuckling to himself, a wide grin plastered across his face as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I swear, those two always find a way to keep us on our toes," Echo remarked with a smirk, his tone filled with amusement as he leaned against the wall of the hallway.

Tech nodded in agreement, his expression thoughtful as he adjusted his glasses. "Indeed. Amina's presence has certainly added an element of unpredictability to our missions."

Hunter couldn't help but smile at the camaraderie shared between his squadmates. Despite the challenges they faced on a daily basis, moments like these reminded him of the bond they shared, the sense of family that had formed between them.

"Yeah, well, let's give them some space to finish up," Hunter said, gesturing for the rest of the squad to move away from the refresher. "We can catch up with them later."

The squad dispersed, leaving Amina and Omega to finish their impromptu hair-dyeing session in peace. As they worked together to apply the dye to Amina's hair, their conversation drifted to lighter topics, their laughter filling the confined space of the refresher.

Once they had finished applying the dye and rinsed it out, Amina stepped out of the refresher with a grin, her hair now a sleek shade of black that contrasted beautifully with her brown skin. Omega followed close behind, a proud smile on her face as she admired her handiwork.

"You look amazing!" Omega exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement as she admired Amina's new look.

Amina smiled gratefully at Omega, a warmth spreading through her chest at the younger girl's enthusiasm. "Thanks, Omega. You did a great job," she said, reaching out to ruffle Omega's hair affectionately.

Omega beamed at the praise, her cheeks flushed with pride. "Anytime, Amina. I had a lot of fun," she said.

Amina smiled warmly at Omega, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over her. "I had fun too," she admitted, her voice soft with affection. "Thanks for helping me out."

Omega grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Anytime," she said, her tone playful as she reached out to give Amina a playful nudge. "Just let me know if you ever want to try out any other hair colors. I'm always up for a new adventure."

Amina chuckled, shaking her head in amusement at Omega's boundless energy. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied with a smile, ruffling Omega's hair affectionately. "But for now, I think I'm happy with black."

As they made their way back to the cockpit, Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment settle over her. Despite the lingering threat of the Empire and the uncertainty of their future, she found solace in the camaraderie she shared with Omega and the rest of the Bad Batch.

As they entered the cockpit, they found Hunter and the rest of the squad waiting for them, their expressions a mix of amusement and relief. Hunter's gaze softened as he took in Amina's new hair color, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Nice hair, General," he remarked, his voice warm with approval as he gestured to Amina's sleek black locks. "I like the new look."

Amina grinned, a warmth spreading through her chest at Hunter's compliment. "Thanks, Hunter," she said, her voice tinged with gratitude. "Omega did most of the work."

Omega beamed at the praise, her chest puffing up with pride at the acknowledgment from Hunter. "It was a team effort," she said proudly, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Now, Omega, how about we get some food? I’m starving.” Amina suggested to Omega.

Wrecker perked up, “food?”

Hunter held out his hand with a few credits as Amina shook her head, “I don’t need credits.”

Amina's refusal caught Hunter off guard, his hand lingering in the air for a moment before he withdrew it, a puzzled expression crossing his features. "You don't need credits?" he echoed, his brow furrowing with confusion as he glanced at Amina. "Why not?"

Amina waved her hand, “mind tricks. Although, I consider it to be more like persuasion. And if needed, womanly wiles.” She patted Omega’s back, “come on, let’s get some food.”

“I would li- ”

“I’ll get you food too, Wrecker.” Amina called out, cutting him off, as her and Omega walked into the streets of Ord Mantell.

---

Omega sat on the stairs of the Marauder, fiddling with her comm. They were on a mission, a simple grab and go. The squad went to go get the crate as Omega and Amina stayed with the ship. An idea popped into Amina’s head as she jumped out of the ship holding her lightsaber.

“Want to have some fun? Grab some twigs or rocks and throw them at me.”

Omega's eyes widened with excitement at the prospect of a game. "Really? That sounds like fun!" she exclaimed, eagerly hopping to her feet as she scanned the area for suitable projectiles. Spotting a pile of small rocks nearby, she quickly scooped up a handful and turned back to Amina with a wide grin.

Amina grabbed a thick ribbon she uses to tie up her hair as she blindfolded herself. “Throw when ready!”

“Are you sure?” Omega asked, taken aback by Amina putting a blindfold on herself.

“Yep. This is how we trained at the temple. Move around if you’d like, I promise you won’t hurt me.” Amina turned on her lightsaber, twisting it in her hand as the blue light shone.

Omega hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should really throw the rocks at Amina, but the Jedi's reassuring smile put her at ease. With a determined expression, she wound up and threw the first rock, aiming carefully to avoid hitting Amina.

Amina listened intently, relying on her senses to anticipate the trajectory of the rocks. With a graceful spin of her lightsaber, she deflected the first one effortlessly, the rock bouncing harmlessly off the blade and clattering to the ground.

Encouraged by her success, Omega threw another rock, this time with a little more force. Amina reacted swiftly, deflecting the rock with ease as she moved gracefully around the forest floor, her movements fluid and precise.

As the squad walked closer to the Marauder, with Wrecker carrying a heavy tote, they saw Amina blindfolded, twirling around as Omega threw varies objects at her.

"What in the galaxy are they doing?" Echo muttered, his brow furrowing with confusion as he watched Amina gracefully deflecting Omega's projectiles.

Wrecker chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest as he adjusted the weight of the tote on his shoulder. "Looks like they're having some kind of training exercise," he remarked, his eyes following Amina's fluid movements with interest.

Tech, ever the analytical one, squinted as he observed the scene. "It appears to be a form of sensory training," he observed, his tone thoughtful as he studied Amina's blindfolded form. "A test of her ability to rely on her other senses, particularly her connection to the Force."

Hunter nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on Amina as she continued to move with grace and precision. There was something mesmerizing about the way she moved, a fluidity and confidence that spoke to her years of training as a Jedi.

"Should we... interrupt?" Echo asked hesitantly, glancing uncertainly at Hunter as he gestured towards the blindfolded Jedi.

Hunter considered the question for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of interrupting Amina's training. On one hand, they were on a tight schedule, and they needed to get moving as soon as possible. But on the other hand, he didn't want to disrupt Amina's focus or inadvertently cause her harm.

Before he could make a decision, Amina seemed to sense their presence, her movements faltering slightly as she turned towards them, the blindfold still covering her eyes.

"Hey, guys!" she called out, her voice bright and cheerful despite the blindfold. "Just finishing up some sensory training with Omega.” The girl threw two rocks at Amina as she spoke, her lightsaber cutting them in half.

The Bad Batch approached cautiously, their curiosity piqued by the sight of Amina twirling around gracefully, her lightsaber slicing through rocks and twigs thrown by Omega with precision.

Hunter stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Amina with a mixture of admiration and concern. "Sensory training, huh?" he remarked, his voice tinged with amusement as he watched Amina's fluid movements.

Amina nodded, a grin spreading across her face as she continued to deflect Omega's projectiles. "Yeah," she replied, her voice slightly breathless from the exertion. "Just trying to stay sharp."

Omega threw one last rock and twig as Amina took off her makeshift blindfold. “You did good. But not good enough, young one.” Amina playfully said.

"Aw, man," Omega replied, her tone playful as she stuck out her tongue at Amina. "I'll get you next time, General."

Amina chuckled, her heart light with amusement as she watched Omega's playful antics. Despite the challenges they faced on a daily basis, moments like these reminded her of the joy and camaraderie she shared with the rest of the squad.

---

Cid’s parlor was a bit busier than usual today, so Amina took it upon herself to do some bartending for extra credits. AZI was her helper, or really more like an annoyance, but she made the drinks quickly and to everyone’s liking.

Cid walked behind the bar and threw a piece of clothing at her, landing on her face as Amina pulled it off. “Put that on.” Cid said.

Amina looked it over, grimacing. “What… is it?”

“It’s a dress.”

Amina scoffed as Cid walked away, throwing the so-called dress underneath the bar. She wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of wearing a dress, especially not one that seemed to have been picked out by Cid of all people. With a shake of her head, she leaned against the bar, glancing around the bustling parlor.

AZI hovered nearby, its mechanical whirring filling the air as it scanned the room for any potential troublemakers. Despite its somewhat grating presence, Amina couldn't deny that having AZI around provided a sense of security, especially in a place as rowdy as Cid's parlor.

"So, are you going to put on the dress?" AZI chirped, its voice tinged with curiosity as it floated closer to Amina.

Amina rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not a chance," she replied firmly. "I'd rather wear my Jedi robes than whatever monstrosity Cid picked out for me."

AZI let out an amused beep, its sensors flickering with amusement. "Suit yourself," it said, its mechanical voice filled with amusement. "But you might want to reconsider. Cid can be... persuasive when she wants to be."

Amina arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "I'm not afraid of Cid," she declared, her tone confident. "I can handle whatever she throws at me."

As if on cue, Cid returned to the bar, a mischievous glint in her eye as she approached Amina. "So, did you try on the dress yet?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Amina shook her head, her expression unapologetic. "Not interested," she replied, her tone firm.

Cid chuckled, leaning against the bar as she regarded Amina with amusement. "You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" she remarked, a hint of admiration in her voice. "I like that."

Amina raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Cid's unexpected compliment. "Uh, thanks?" she replied, unsure of how to respond.

“But since the rest of the gang is out, you are working for me.”

“I’m not working for you. I’m not even getting paid other than the tips. I’m doing this because I’m bored.”

Cid tapped her long nails against the bar, “how about I pay you and you put on the dress?”

Amina arched an eyebrow, “alright, maybe. How much?”

“15 credits for the night.”

“No way, I’m worth a lot more than 15 credits. 60.”

“25.”

“40.”

Cid sighed, “deal. Put on the dress.”

Amina groaned, “why? It’s an ugly dress.”

“Because you’re bringing the mood down here with those rags of yours.” Cid said, her eyes roaming over Amina’s clothes. She looked down at her raggedy poncho and back up.

“Okay. I see your point. But it’s not that bad. And how do I know you’re not lying to me to try and get some of these mercenaries to get handsy with me?”

“You don’t trust me?”

She scoffed, “no. I don’t trust Trandoshans.” She looked outside, noting it was almost nighttime and the squad and Omega should be back from their mission in a few hours.

“Fine, think of it this way. You putting on a dress, means more tips.” Cid said, making the money gesture.

Amina rolled her eyes at Cid's persistence, but she couldn't deny the logic in the argument about potentially increasing her tips. With a resigned sigh, she relented. "Fine, but I'm not wearing it for long," she grumbled, reaching under the bar to retrieve the discarded dress.

Cid grinned triumphantly, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she watched Amina begrudgingly retrieve the dress. "That's the spirit," she declared, her tone cheerful as she leaned back against the bar.

As Amina slipped into the dress, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious. The fabric was scratchy against her skin, and the cut of the dress was far too revealing for her liking. She tugged at the hem, trying in vain to cover more skin as she shot a glare in Cid's direction.

Cid chuckled at Amina's discomfort, her laughter ringing out through the bustling parlor. "Looking good, General," she teased, her tone playful as she surveyed Amina's appearance.

Amina scowled at the nickname, but she didn't protest. She knew that Cid was just trying to get a rise out of her, and she refused to give her the satisfaction.

With a resigned sigh, Amina straightened her shoulders and plastered on a forced smile. "Happy now?" she asked, her tone dry as she turned to face Cid.

Cid grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she nodded in approval. "Ecstatic," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Now get back to work. We've got thirsty customers to serve."

Amina rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having successfully negotiated with Cid. She may not have gotten the best deal, but at least she wouldn't have to endure the dress for long.

As she moved behind the bar to serve the next round of drinks, Amina couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about wearing the dress made her feel vulnerable in a way that she wasn't used to.

Pushing aside her doubts, Amina focused on her bartending duties, determined to make the best of the situation. She may not have liked wearing the dress, but she refused to let it affect her performance.

Hours passed in a blur of activity as Amina served drinks and engaged in idle conversation with the patrons of Cid's parlor. Despite her initial reservations, she found herself enjoying the lively atmosphere, the camaraderie of the mercenaries and smugglers providing a welcome distraction from the trials and tribulations of their daily lives.

She was waiting for the parlor to clear out and the Bad Batch and Omega to come back so she could escape, hopefully with a lot more credits than they’ll get from the mission.

And because she’s close to cutting one of Cid’s arms off.

Just as Amina was about to give in to her mounting sense of unease and make a hasty exit, the familiar sound of footsteps echoed through the parlor, drawing her attention towards the entrance. With a sense of relief, she watched as Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker, and Omega made their way inside, their weary expressions a testament to the challenges they had faced during their mission.

Omega ran behind the bar to Amina, “woah, that’s new.”

Amina let out a huff, “yeah, I know. Cid made me wear it. But I got some credits out of it.”

Hunter approached the bar, his gaze lingering on Amina for a moment before he spoke. "You look... different," he observed, his tone careful as he studied her appearance.

Amina shifted uncomfortably under Hunter's scrutiny, suddenly self-conscious in a way she hadn't been before. "Yeah, well, Cid has a way of convincing people to do things they don't want to do," she admitted, her voice tinged with annoyance.

Hunter nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic. "I know the feeling," he replied, his tone rueful. "Cid can be... persuasive when she wants to be."

"Well, at least I got some credits out of it," Amina added, trying to lighten the mood. "And I didn't have to wear the dress for too long."

Hunter chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "That's one way to look at it," he agreed, his tone playful. "Although, I have to admit, you do look good in a dress."

"Thanks," she replied, her voice soft. "But once I get out of this thing, I’m going to burn it with my lightsaber.” Amina reached down on a counter behind the bar and pulled out a small bag of credits, “I think there’s around 400 in there.”

Amina rubbed her japor snippet, looking up at him, “And I still don’t understand why I couldn’t go on the mission.” she muttered.

Hunter looked up from counting the credits, “you had a nightmare last night, I didn’t want to risk it.”

“Come on, a nightmare doesn’t make me a liability. I have them all the time.”

"Amina, it's not just about the nightmare," Hunter began, his voice gentle but firm. "It's about your well-being. We can't afford to take any unnecessary risks, especially when it comes to the safety of the squad."

Amina sighed, her frustration evident in the furrow of her brow as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I know you're just looking out for me, but I'm not made of glass, Hunter," she protested, her voice tinged with irritation. "I can handle myself, nightmare or not."

Hunter reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Amina's shoulder. "I know you can," he replied softly, his gaze meeting hers with unwavering intensity. "But I can't help but worry about you.”

Amina's expression softened at Hunter's words, a warm feeling spreading through her chest at the sincerity in his voice. Despite their occasional disagreements, there was no denying the bond that had formed between them over the past few months, especially with what happened after Kamino.

"I appreciate your concern, Hunter," Amina said, her voice softening with gratitude. "But you have to trust me. I can handle whatever comes my way."

Hunter nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I do trust you, Amina," he assured her, his grip tightening slightly on her shoulder. "More than you know."

Amina felt a flutter of warmth in her chest at Hunter's words, a surge of affection welling up inside her as she met his gaze. There was something about the way he looked at her, something that made her heart skip a beat every time their eyes met.

Before either of them could say anything more, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Turning around, they saw Tech and Echo making their way over to the bar, their expressions somber as they joined the conversation.

"Everything okay?" Tech asked, his brow furrowing with concern as he glanced between Amina and Hunter.

Amina nodded, offering them a reassuring smile. "Yeah, everything's fine," she replied, her tone light despite the lingering tension in the air. "Just having a little chat with Hunter here."

Echo arched an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between Amina and Hunter with a knowing look. "Ah, I see," he said, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Talking about your feelings, are we?"

“Yeah, I was talking about me and Omega going on a shopping spree.”

Omega looked up at Amina, “have you ever been shopping?”

“Nope. But it’s worth a try.” She picked up another small bag with around 500 credits, “there’s got to be some nice shops around here somewhere.”

Hunter’s eyes widened looking at the second bag of credits. “Where did those come from?”

“You really think I’d give you all the credits I earned wearing this stupid thing?” Amina said, walking out with Omega from behind the bar, “no way. I deserve to get some new clothes and maybe some Nectrose Freeze if we’re lucky.” She patted Hunter’s chest plate as her and Omega walked out of the parlor and out into the streets of Ord Mantell.

Hunter turned around on the stool, his gaze lingering on the doorway where Amina and Omega had just exited Cid's parlor. There was a softness in his eyes as he watched them leave, a warmth spreading through his chest at the sight of Amina holding Omega's hand.

Echo and Tech exchanged a knowing glance, their lips quirking up in amused smiles as they observed Hunter's reaction. It wasn't often that they saw their stoic leader display such obvious affection, especially towards someone outside of their squad.

"You think he's got it bad for her?" Echo whispered, his voice barely audible over the din of the parlor.

Tech shrugged, adjusting his glasses as he studied Hunter's retreating form. "It's possible," he replied thoughtfully. "There's definitely a connection between them, whether he wants to admit it or not."

---

A few hours later, Amina and Omega walked back to the Marauder, where Echo said they were now, the two of them holding 3 bags each.

She honestly had no idea what to expect, the closest she got to shopping was watching Padme shop online for dresses.

As they reached the ramp of the Marauder, Amina glanced over at Omega with a grin. "I can't believe how much stuff we got," she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "I can't wait to show everyone."

Omega's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she nodded eagerly. "Me too! I can't wait to see what you got," she replied, her voice tinged with anticipation.

With a shared giggle, the two of them made their way inside the ship, the bags of clothes and trinkets swinging from their arms. As they entered the main living area, they were greeted by the rest of the squad, who had gathered around the holotable, deep in conversation.

Hunter looked up as Amina and Omega entered, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of their overflowing bags. "Looks like you two had a successful shopping trip," he remarked, his tone warm as he gestured towards their haul.

Amina nodded eagerly, her excitement palpable as she set her bags down on the floor. "We found some amazing stuff," she replied, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. "You won't believe the deals we got."

Echo arched an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between Amina and Omega with curiosity. "I'm sure it's all very exciting," he said, his tone dry. "But did you happen to find anything useful? You know, like supplies or equipment?"

"Actually, I did, I can be responsible occasionally," Amina said with a playful smirk, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced at Echo.

Echo raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Amina's confident tone. "Oh really? And what did you find?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Amina reached into one of her bags and pulled out a small datapad, holding it up triumphantly for the squad to see. "I managed to pick up a few supplies that I think will come in handy," she explained, her voice tinged with satisfaction. "Some medpacs, extra rations, and a few spare parts for the Marauder."

Tech's eyes lit up with interest as he took the datapad from Amina, his fingers flying across the screen as he examined the inventory. "Impressive," he remarked, his tone approving. "These supplies should help replenish our stockpile."

Amina grinned, her chest swelling with pride at Tech's praise. "Glad I could be of assistance," she replied, her voice tinged with satisfaction. "I figured it couldn't hurt to be prepared, especially with everything that's been happening lately." She reached into one of the bags and threw 3 detonators at Wrecker, “thought you might like those.”

Wrecker caught the detonators with a grin, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he examined the explosives. "Thanks, Amina!" he exclaimed, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "These will definitely come in handy."

Amina chuckled at Wrecker's enthusiasm, pleased to see her efforts being appreciated by the squad. "Glad you like them," she replied, her tone warm as she watched Wrecker inspecting the detonators with childlike curiosity.

---

The Marauder flipped upside down as Amina piloted the ship, much to Tech’s dismay who sat in the co-pilot seat as they flew away from a swarm of pirates.

"Would you mind keeping us right side up?" Tech asked, his voice laced with a hint of urgency as he adjusted the controls in a futile attempt to stabilize the ship.

Amina grinned mischievously, her fingers dancing across the controls as she expertly maneuvered the Marauder through the chaotic space battle. "Where's the fun in that?" she replied, her tone playful as she evaded another volley of blaster fire.

Tech let out an exasperated sigh, his frustration evident as he struggled to maintain control of the ship. "Fun?" he echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief. "This is not fun, Amina. This is reckless and dangerous."

Amina shrugged nonchalantly, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she glanced over at Tech. "You worry too much, Tech," she teased, her tone light despite the gravity of their situation. "We'll be fine. Trust me."

Echo let out a chuckle, “I’ve missed Skywalker flying.”

Amina laughed, “see, someone appreciates my flying skills!”

Wrecker let out a whoop of excitement as he fired the Marauder's cannons, sending a barrage of blaster fire towards their pursuers. "This is what I call a good time!" he exclaimed, his voice booming with excitement as he reveled in the thrill of battle.

Omega bounced in her seat, her eyes wide with excitement as she watched the space battle unfold before her. "This is so cool!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe as she cheered Amina on.

Tech, however, was less enthusiastic about their precarious situation. "Cool or not, we need to focus on getting out of here in one piece," he reminded them, his tone serious as he scanned the ship's scanners.

“You think I’d let me die? No way, Tech. But at least let me have some fun.”

Wrecker let out another whoop of excitement as he fired the Marauder's cannons, sending another barrage of blaster fire towards their pursuers. "Keep 'em coming, Amina!" he shouted, his voice booming with excitement as he unleashed a relentless assault on the enemy ships.

Amina grinned, her heart pounding with exhilaration as she pushed the Marauder to its limits. Despite the danger they faced, she felt alive in a way she hadn't in a long time. Flying had always been her passion, her escape from the chaos of the galaxy, and she relished every moment of it.

Echo glanced over at Tech, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Looks like Amina's having the time of her life," he remarked, his tone amused as he watched her expertly maneuver the ship.

Tech grumbled under his breath, his frustration evident as he struggled to keep up with Amina's erratic flying. "She's going to get us all killed," he muttered, his voice tinged with irritation as he adjusted the controls once again.

Amina patted Tech’s shoulder, “relax, Tech. I’m an expert flyer. If I can survive pod racing, and fighting General Grievous, I can survive a few pirates.” She flew the ship downwards in space, as the pirates continued to shoot, “ready for hyperspace?”

Tech glanced nervously at the rapidly approaching ships on the sensors before turning back to Amina. "Ready as I'll ever be," he replied, his voice tense with apprehension. "Just make it quick."

Amina nodded, her fingers flying across the controls as she plotted the course for hyperspace. With a flick of a switch, she engaged the hyperdrive, and the stars outside the viewport stretched into streaks as the Marauder jumped into lightspeed, leaving the pursuing pirates far behind.

As the ship hurtled through hyperspace, Amina let out a relieved sigh, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion as the adrenaline of the battle began to fade. She glanced over at Tech, a grin spreading across her face as she nudged him playfully.

"See? I told you we'd be fine," she teased, her voice laced with amusement as she leaned back in her seat.

“Yes, your flying techniques are…” he adjusted his goggles, “not very technical.”

“It’s all about feeling Tech.” she replied, bumping his shoulder.

Tech grumbled under his breath, adjusting his goggles as he muttered something about reckless piloting techniques. Amina couldn't help but chuckle at his exasperated expression, finding his disapproval oddly endearing.

"Relax, Tech," she teased, nudging him playfully with her elbow. "We made it out in one piece, didn't we?"

Tech huffed, his irritation evident as he shot Amina a sideways glance. "Barely," he replied, his tone dry. "But I suppose I should thank you for not getting us all killed."

Amina laughed, the tension of the battle melting away as she basked in the afterglow of their victory. "You're welcome," she replied, her voice light with amusement. "Just doing my job as the best pilot in the galaxy."

Tech rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Modest as always," he remarked, his tone fond despite himself.

As the banter between Amina and Tech continued, Hunter watched them from his seat across the cockpit, a soft smile playing on his lips. Despite the chaos and danger they had just faced, there was a sense of camaraderie among the squad that he found comforting.

Echo glanced over at Hunter, his gaze lingering on the captain for a moment before he spoke. "You seem awfully quiet over there, Hunter," he remarked, his tone curious.

Hunter shrugged, his attention still focused on Amina and Tech as they traded playful barbs. "Just enjoying the show," he replied, his voice tinged with amusement. "It's not often we get to see Amina in action."

Echo nodded in understanding, his lips quirking up in a smile. "True," he agreed, his tone thoughtful. "She certainly knows how to keep things interesting."

Wrecker let out a booming laugh from his seat behind Tech, his enthusiasm infectious as he clapped Amina on the back. "That was some top-notch flying, Amina!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration.

Amina grinned at Wrecker's praise, her chest swelling with pride at the recognition from her squadmates. "Thanks, Wrecker," she replied, her voice tinged with gratitude.

Omega bounced in her seat, her eyes wide with excitement as she looked around at her family. "That was so cool!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.

Amina gave Omega a high-five, “why thank you. Maybe one day I can show you Boonta Eve on Tatooine.”

"What's Boonta Eve?" Omega's question hung in the air, prompting Amina to smile fondly as she considered how to explain the significance of the event to the young girl.

"Boonta Eve is a big race that happens on Tatooine," Amina began, her voice filled with excitement as she recalled the memories of watching the event with her brother Anakin when they were younger. "It's a podrace, where pilots from all over the galaxy compete in these incredibly fast and dangerous vehicles called podracers."

Omega's eyes widened with fascination as she listened intently to Amina's explanation. "Wow, that sounds amazing!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe.

"It is," Amina agreed, her tone nostalgic as she thought back to the exhilarating atmosphere of the podrace. "The sounds, the sights, the speed- it's unlike anything else. Anakin and I used to watch the races together when we were kids. It was always the highlight of our year. It’s also how we got our freedom.”

“Freedom?” Omega asked again, “why would you have to race for freedom?

“Me and Anakin were slaves.” Amina answered casually.

Echo turned around to face her, “what? General Skywalker never said anything about that.”

“Yeah, we were slaves before Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan came to Tatooine. And Anakin didn’t really like to talk about it.”

"I'm sorry, Amina," Hunter said, his voice gentle as he reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you and Anakin."

Amina offered Hunter a small smile, her eyes shining with gratitude at his words. "Thanks. But I don’t really remember much. I was 8 when they brought us to the Temple, so I didn’t spend much of my life as a slave. But enough about my boring life, how about a game of dejarik, Omega?”

Omega's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of playing dejarik with Amina. "Yes, please!" she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat with enthusiasm. "I love playing dejarik!"

Amina chuckled at Omega's eagerness, her heart swelling with affection for the young girl. Despite everything they had been through, Omega's boundless enthusiasm never failed to bring a smile to her face. "Alright, let's do it," she said, gesturing towards the dejarik board with a playful grin. "But be warned, I'm not going easy on you."

Omega grinned, her eyes sparkling with determination as she settled in front of the dejarik board. "Bring it on, Amina," she replied, her tone confident. "I'm ready for anything."

---

“Your destiny lies with me, sister. Like it always has.”

Amina stood her ground, her lightsaber held in front of her. “I write my own story.”

Vader took menacing steps forward, the ground shaking, “Join me and we can rule the galaxy together.”

“No.” she said firmly.

Vader's mechanical breathing filled the air, a menacing sound that sent shivers down Amina's spine. She stood her ground, her grip tightening on her lightsaber as she faced off against the dark figure before her.

"You cannot resist the power of the dark side," Vader growled, his voice echoing with a cold certainty. "It is your destiny."

"I will never join you," Amina declared, her voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at her insides. “I may not be a Jedi, but I will not fall.”

Vader's mechanical hand tightened around the hilt of his lightsaber, the crimson blade humming to life with a menacing glow. "So be it," he replied, his voice dripping with malice as he raised his weapon to strike.

The two combatants circled each other warily, their lightsabers casting eerie shadows against the walls of the darkened chamber. Amina could sense the raw power emanating from Vader, a palpable force that threatened to overwhelm her. But she stood her ground, her resolve unwavering as she met his gaze with steely determination.

"Your resistance is futile, sister," Vader hissed, his voice laced with contempt. "You cannot hope to defeat me."

Amina clenched her jaw, her grip tightening on her lightsaber as she prepared to strike. "I don't need to defeat you," she replied, her voice steady. "I just need to survive."

With a roar of rage, Vader lunged forward, his lightsaber flashing as he unleashed a flurry of strikes. Amina met his attacks head-on, her movements fluid and precise as she parried each blow with expert skill. She could feel the heat of the lightsabers as they clashed, the sound of their duel echoing through the chamber.

With a upwards move, she sliced the eyes of his helmet as he kneeled down in front of her. Instead of bright blue eyes staring at her, they were a vengeful yellow. “Anakin.” She whispered.

Vader's expression twisted into a sneer, his lips curling in disdain. "You cannot save me, Amina," he growled. "I am lost."

But Amina refused to be deterred. She reached out with the Force, her mind probing his, searching for any trace of the man he used to be. And amidst the darkness and despair, she found a glimmer of something else—a spark of longing, of regret.

"You still care," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the hum of their lightsabers. "You still feel.” She turned off her lightsaber, “Padme died knowing there was good left in you. And I agree with her, I know it’s there somewhere. And I will find it Anakin, I promise.” She stroked the outside of his mask, kneeling down in front of him.

She thought the yellows of his eyes started to disappear when she felt a sharp sting in her gut. She looked down to see his red lightsaber through her stomach as he turned his saber off and she fell to the ground.

Amina quickly sat up on the Marauder, something that seemed to happen every time she fell asleep. No matter what happened in her dreams, she always tried to turn him, but it never worked.

And never in her dreams did Anakin actually deliver the final blow like in this one.

She glanced around the dimly lit interior of the Marauder, her eyes landing on the familiar forms of her companions. They were all asleep, unaware of the turmoil that plagued her mind. Amina ran a hand through her hair, trying to steady her racing thoughts.

"Another nightmare?" A voice broke through the silence, and Amina turned to see Hunter watching her with concern from his spot across the room. His expression was soft, his eyes filled with understanding.

Amina nodded, her throat tight with emotion. "Yeah," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was... intense."

Hunter moved closer, his footsteps barely making a sound on the metal floor of the ship. He settled beside Amina, his presence a comforting anchor in the midst of her turmoil. "You know it's just a dream, right?" he said gently, his voice laced with reassurance.

“I don’t know about that.” She pulled her legs to her chest, “me and Anakin have these… Force gifts. We have vivid dreams, but it’s so hard to tell if it’s just a dream or a vision.”

Hunter listened to Amina's words, his brow furrowed with concern. He had heard her speak of her Force gifts before, but he couldn't imagine the weight of carrying such a burden- especially when those gifts manifested in haunting nightmares.

"Yeah, I get that dreams can feel pretty real sometimes," Hunter said, his voice quiet as he tried to find the right words. "But you can't let them consume you. You're stronger than that."

Amina nodded, her gaze distant as she wrestled with her thoughts. "I know," she replied softly. "It's just... hard to shake the feeling that there's some truth to them."

Hunter reached out, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we're here for you," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "Whatever you need, we've got your back."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Amina's lips, grateful for Hunter's unwavering support. "Thanks, Hunter," she said, her voice tinged with warmth. "I appreciate it."

The two of them sat in companionable silence for a moment, the gentle hum of the Marauder's engines filling the air. Amina leaned into Hunter's touch, finding solace in his presence as she tried to push aside the lingering echoes of her nightmare.

Eventually, Hunter broke the silence, his voice soft but determined. "You know, we could always try talking to Tech about your dreams," he suggested. "Maybe he could help figure out if there's more to them than just... well, dreams."

She shook her head, “I can’t tell anyone about my dreams.” Telling anyone that Anakin became Darth Vader would put them in more danger than her being with them.

"Okay, I won't push it," Hunter said, his voice gentle as he gave Amina's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But just remember, we're all in this together. You don't have to face whatever's troubling you alone."

Amina offered him a small smile, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks, Hunter," she said, her voice soft but sincere. "I really appreciate it."

As the two of them sat in companionable silence, Amina couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the bond she shared with her fellow clones. They had been through so much together in the short time they had known each other, and yet they had always remained steadfast in their loyalty to one another.

But amidst the warmth of their camaraderie, Amina couldn't shake the lingering sense of unease that clung to her like a shadow. She knew that her nightmares were more than just figments of her imagination—they were visions, glimpses of a future that she desperately hoped to avoid.

Lost in her thoughts, Amina barely noticed as Hunter turned to look at her. "Well, it's getting late," he said, glancing towards the viewport where the faint glow of distant stars could be seen. "We should probably get some rest."

He went to stand up when Amina grabbed his forearm, “could you…”

Hunter turned back to look at Amina, his expression softening as he saw the earnest look in her eyes. He settled back down beside her, his curiosity piqued. "Could I what?" he prompted gently, giving her a reassuring smile.

Amina hesitated for a moment, her gaze dropping to her hands as she tried to find the right words. She could feel the weight of her request hanging in the air, the vulnerability of baring her innermost thoughts to another person almost overwhelming. But Hunter's presence was a comforting anchor, a steady presence that made her feel safe enough to voice her fears.

"Could you... stay with me?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just for a little while?"

Hunter's smile widened, a warmth spreading through his chest at the sincerity in Amina's request. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his own. "Of course," he replied softly, his voice filled with reassurance. "I'm not going anywhere."

Amina's shoulders relaxed slightly at his words, a small sigh escaping her lips as she leaned into his touch. She could feel the tension slowly melting away, replaced by a sense of calm that she hadn't felt since before her nightmare had begun.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely audible as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to savor the warmth of Hunter's presence beside her.

As Amina slowly fell asleep, she sleepily wrapped her arms around Hunter’s waist and placed her head on his chest as she drifted off. Hunter remained still for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest as he felt the weight of Amina's head against him. He could hear the soft sound of her breathing, steady and rhythmic, as she slipped into slumber.

Carefully, Hunter shifted his position, adjusting himself so that he could wrap an arm around Amina, holding her close. He could feel the warmth of her body against his own, a comforting presence in the darkness of the ship. For a moment, he allowed himself to simply bask in the intimacy of the moment, savoring the feeling of being so close to her.

---

Amina blew her nose on a tissue, walking out of the Marauder to see Omega sitting on Gonky going over the types of Imperial ships as “homework” from Tech.

"Hey, Omega," Amina greeted warmly, her voice carrying across the open space. "What are you up to?"

Omega looked up, her face lighting up with a smile as she saw Amina approaching. "Hey, Amina!" she replied cheerfully, setting aside the datapad. "Just doing some homework from Tech. He's been teaching me all about the different kinds of Imperial ships."

Amina nodded, her interest piqued. "Sounds interesting," she remarked, taking a seat beside Omega on Gonky. "Mind if I- ” Amina brought the tissue to her mouth, sneezing 3 times.

Tech walked over from the ship holding his datapad, “from my calculations, you’ve had this so called ‘cold’ for 3 rotations. And you’ve used 12% more tissues every day.”

Amina chuckled weakly; the sound muffled by the tissue pressed against her nose. "Yeah, well, I guess you could say I'm a bit under the weather," she replied, her voice nasally as she sniffled. "But don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back to my usual self in no time."

Tech nodded, his expression thoughtful as he continued to analyze the data on his datapad. "It's just... unusual," he mused, his fingers tapping against the screen as he processed the information. "Your symptoms seem to be persisting longer than anticipated, given your usual resilience."

“Well, it’s not my fault you have mutations that allow you to not get sick. I’m the unlucky o- ” Amina sneezed into the tissue again. “Unlucky one.”

Tech raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking from his datapad to Amina and back again. "Indeed, it does seem that you're experiencing some rather inconvenient symptoms," he remarked, his tone laced with curiosity as he continued to analyze the data.

Amina nodded, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips as she tossed the tissue into a nearby waste bin. "Tell me about it," she muttered, rubbing at her nose with the back of her hand. "I feel like I've been hit by a speeder."

Omega frowned, her expression filled with concern as she watched Amina's discomfort. "Is there anything we can do to help?" she asked, her voice soft and earnest.

Amina shook her head, a weak smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Thanks, Omega, but I think I just need some rest," she replied, her words punctuated by another round of sneezes. "I'll be fine."

Hunter stepped forward, his gaze lingering on Amina with a mixture of worry and affection. "Maybe you should take it easy for a while," he suggested, his voice gentle as he reached out to touch her shoulder. "We can handle things here."

"Oh, please. I was on Naboo when whatever his name was released the Blue Shadow Virus. This is nothing," Amina quipped, her voice tinged with playful sarcasm despite the discomfort she was feeling.

Hunter couldn't help but chuckle at Amina's response, admiring her resilience even in the face of adversity. "Fair enough," he conceded with a smile. "But still, maybe you should take it easy for a bit. We don't want you getting any worse."

Amina rolled her eyes playfully, but the concern in Hunter's voice didn't go unnoticed. Despite her efforts to downplay her illness, she appreciated his caring nature. "Fine, fine," she relented with a sigh, giving him a mock glare. "But only because you asked so nicely."

Hunter grinned, relieved that Amina had agreed to take it easy. He knew she had a tendency to push herself too hard, especially when it came to fulfilling her duties as a Jedi. But even Jedi needed to rest sometimes, and he was determined to make sure she took care of herself.

Tech, ever the analytical thinker, couldn't resist chiming in with his own observations. "According to my calculations, rest is indeed the most logical course of action," he remarked, his tone matter-of-fact as he consulted his datapad.

Amina sighed in mock exasperation, shooting Tech a playful glare. "You and your calculations," she teased, shaking her head with a smile. "Sometimes, I swear you forget that we're not just numbers on a screen." She tapped on his datapad, “have you ever looked up at the sky? Do you know what clouds look like?”

Tech raised an eyebrow at Amina's playful jab, his expression unreadable as he glanced up from his datapad. "Of course, I know what clouds look like," he replied, his tone dry. "But I fail to see how that's relevant to our current discussion."

Amina chuckled, shaking her head in amusement at Tech's literal-mindedness. "It's not," she conceded with a grin. "I just think you could use a little more... spontaneity in your life."

Tech arched an eyebrow, considering Amina's words for a moment before responding. "Spontaneity is an inefficient use of time and resources," he remarked, his tone matter-of-fact. "I prefer to rely on logic and calculation to guide my actions."

She shook her head, "I swear one day I'm-" Amina's sentence was cut short by another bout of sneezes, two in quick succession. She sniffled, feeling utterly miserable as she struggled to keep her symptoms at bay.

Hunter's expression softened with concern as he watched Amina, his brow furrowing with worry. "Maybe you should head back inside," he suggested gently, his voice filled with genuine concern. "You need to rest."

Amina nodded weakly, conceding defeat to her stubbornly persistent cold. "Yeah, you're probably right," she admitted, her voice hoarse from all the sneezing. "I hate to admit it, but I think I'm beat."

Omega frowned, her worry evident as she watched Amina's discomfort. "Is there anything we can do to help?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.

Amina shook her head, a weak smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Maybe some Karlini t- ” Amina trailed off, it was something Padme had made for her whenever she visited, a Nabooian specialty.

Omega hopped off Gonky, “what’s Karlini?”

“It’s a tea from Naboo. Padme always was stocked up on it, and whenever me and Anakin would visit, she would always have some ready. But we can’t get any since it’s mainly sold in core world planets. Som- ” Amina sneezed again before letting out a few coughs. “But it’s okay, I don’t want tea.”

Or rather she doesn’t want tea that’s not Padme’s.

"Would it help if we tried to find some?" Omega asked, her voice filled with determination. "I mean, we travel to different planets all the time. Maybe we could track some down for you."

Amina smiled weakly at Omega's offer, touched by her friend's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Omega, but I don't want to put you guys through all that trouble," she replied, her voice still hoarse from all the sneezing. "I’m just going to do some meditating and see if that’ll help the healing process.”

Hunter watched Amina with concern, his brow furrowing as he took in her weary appearance. He knew she was stubborn when it came to accepting help, but he also knew that she needed to take care of herself if she wanted to get better. "Are you sure you don't want us to at least try to find some Karlini tea for you?" he asked, his voice gentle but insistent. "It might not be as much trouble as you think."

“I don’t want to drink tea that’s not from Padme,” she admitted, a tad harshly, before turning around and facing him. “Sorry. It’s just… I never liked tea, but Padme said that I’d love the one she had. And I did, but when I tried making it myself it was never the same.”

Hunter listened to Amina's words, his heart aching at the pain evident in her voice. He knew how much Padmé meant to her, how deeply her loss had affected her. And he understood why she was hesitant to accept any substitute for the tea that held such sentimental value.

"I understand," Hunter replied gently, his voice soft with empathy. "I'm sorry, Amina. I didn't mean to push."

Amina glanced up at Hunter, her eyes filled with gratitude for his understanding. Despite the distance she had tried to maintain, she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in his presence. He had a way of making her feel seen, of easing the weight of her burdens with just a few simple words.

"It's okay," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know you were just trying to help."

Hunter nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Well, if there's anything else you need, just let me know," he said, his tone warm and reassuring. "I'll be here."

Amina offered him a grateful smile, touched by his unwavering support. "Thanks, Hunter," she replied softly, her voice tinged with warmth. "I appreciate it." Amina walked onto the Marauder and sat down cross-legged on the floor. Hopefully a good mediation will connect her to the force more, and it’ll be taken care of. Then she could breathe properly.

---

A few rotations later and she felt no different. The squad had gone on a mission while she had stayed behind on Ord Mantell.

But as she finished her meditation, she stood up feeling a little shaky and dizzy. She leaned against the wall of the Marauder and took a few deep breaths as she felt a light gust of wind and a whispering voice.

Amina turned her head to look behind her and found nothing. Either she was starting to hallucinate or Anak- Vader, was trying to make a connection with her through the force.

“Amina.”

She made a shushing sound, “why are you so loud?”

“Turn around sister.”

Amina shuddered at the vocoder and the coldness surrounding her. But even with that coldness she felt warm, “last time I saw you in my dream you tried to kill me.” Amina placed her cheek against the wall of the ship, the cool metal feeling good against her skin.

“You’re sick.”

Amina stuck out her hand and made a talking motion with her hand, “blah, blah, blah.” She felt a hand on her upper arm, and she glanced behind her, and there he stood, clear as day. “Man, this hallucination is good.”

Vader's mechanical breathing filled the air, a harsh reminder of the man he had once been before he had succumbed to the lure of the dark side. “You’re sick,” he said again.

Amina rolled her eyes, her irritation momentarily overriding her fear. "Yeah, thanks for the update, Captain Obvious," she retorted, her tone sharp with sarcasm. "I'm well aware of the fact that I'm not exactly firing on all cylinders right now."

Vader's expression remained impassive, his gaze unwavering as he studied Amina with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "You should rest," he suggested, his tone surprisingly gentle despite the mechanical rasp of his voice. "You won't get better if you push yourself too hard."

Amina scoffed at Vader's advice, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "And what do you care?" she demanded, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Last time I checked, you were more interested in cutting me down than offering me sympathy."

“I can feel you from across the galaxy. Where are you?”

Amina let out a laugh, “as if I would tell you. You’re gonna,” she made a whooshing sound, “me. No, thank you, sir.”

Vader's mechanical breathing filled the air, a harsh reminder of the man he had once been before he had succumbed to the lure of the dark side. “You underestimate the power of the Force,” he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. “I can find you, Amina. It’s only a matter of time.”

Amina raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident in the quirk of her lips. "Is that a threat?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because last time I checked, I wasn't exactly quaking in my boots."

Vader's expression remained impassive, his gaze unwavering as he studied Amina with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "You should rest," he suggested again, ignoring her jab. "You won't get better if you push yourself too hard."

“Like I said, no, thank you, your majesty. I don’t take orders from you. Now, can you get out of my head?” Instead of a response, she heard mechanical breathing, “come on. You may be a Sith, but you can’t hold this connection for much longer.”

She blinked and felt lighter, turning around to see no Vader looming over her. She still wasn’t quite sure if it was really a force connection, or a wild hallucination.

Amina slowly walked down the ramp where the group was gathered, her steps faltering slightly as she fought against the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her. She could feel the eyes of her companions on her, their concern palpable in the air as they watched her with furrowed brows.

Hunter was the first to approach, his expression filled with worry as he reached out to steady her. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft with concern. "You look a little... off."

Amina blinked at him, her vision becoming blurry and reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. Her hands came up to his face, patting his cheeks gently. "I didn't know you had two heads," she murmured, her words slurring slightly as the dizziness threatened to overwhelm her.

Hunter's brows furrowed with concern as he gently grasped Amina's wrists, guiding her hands away from his face. "Hey, come on, let's get you back inside," he said softly, his voice laced with worry. He wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her weight as they made their way back towards the Marauder.

The rest of the squad followed closely behind, their expressions filled with concern as they watched Amina's unsteady steps. Tech stepped forward, his datapad already in hand as he analyzed Amina's symptoms with clinical precision. "It appears that Amina's condition has worsened," he remarked, his tone matter-of-fact as he consulted his data. "Her symptoms are consistent with a viral infection, possibly exacerbated by her recent exertions."

Hunter helped her lay down on one of the bunks as Amina looked to the side, at a space that was empty. There he was, standing there looking down at her with his arms crossed over his chest and his loud mechanical breathing. Was she hallucinating? Should she comm Obi-Wan? Or would he get angry at her like Anakin seemed to be right now?

Hunter followed Amina's gaze, his brow furrowing with confusion as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. But all he saw was an empty space, devoid of any presence except for Amina lying on the bunk, her eyes wide with fear.

"Are you okay, Amina?" he asked gently, his voice laced with worry. He reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face as he searched her eyes for any sign of what she was seeing.

Amina blinked, her gaze unfocused as she tried to process what she was seeing. She could still feel the weight of Vader's presence, the coldness of his stare burning into her soul. But as she looked around the empty bunk, she couldn't find any trace of him.

"I... I don't know," she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "I thought I saw... someone. But they're not here."

Tech stepped forward with his datapad, his expression serious as he analyzed Amina's symptoms. "I believe she might've contracted Dantari flu," he announced, his tone matter-of-fact as he consulted his data.

Hunter's brows furrowed with concern as he turned to Amina, his expression filled with worry. "Dantari flu?" he echoed, his voice tinged with concern. "Isn't that... serious?"

Tech nodded, his gaze focused on his datapad as he continued to analyze the data. "Indeed," he replied, his tone clinical. "The Dantari flu is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to severe respiratory symptoms, among other things."

Amina groaned, her head spinning with dizziness as she tried to process the information. She had heard of the Dantari flu before, but she had never experienced it firsthand. And from what she had heard, it wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"What do we do?" Omega asked, her voice tinged with concern as she looked to Tech for guidance. "Is there a cure?"

Tech nodded, his expression serious as he continued to consult his datapad. "There are treatments available," he explained, his tone measured.

Hunter's brows furrowed with concern as he considered their options. "So, what's our next move?" he asked, his voice steady despite the worry gnawing at his insides. "Do we need to find a medic?"

Amina shook her head, “maybe just some medicine? I don’t need a medic; it would bring unwanted attention.”

Hunter nodded, his gaze flicking between Amina and Tech as he considered their options. "Alright, let's see what we can do," he said, his voice steady despite the worry gnawing at his insides. "Tech, do you have any idea where we can find medicine for the Dantari flu?"

Tech consulted his datapad, his brow furrowing with concentration as he analyzed the data. "There's a medical supply shop a few blocks from here," he announced, his tone matter-of-fact. "They should have what we need."

“Alright, Tech, you and Omega can go get some medicine, Wrecker and Echo, see if you can’t find any water or food. I’ll stay here with Amina.”

As the squad dispersed to carry out their assigned tasks, Hunter remained by Amina's side, his concern for her evident in the furrow of his brow and the gentle touch of his hand on her shoulder. Amina leaned against the bunk, feeling the weight of her illness pressing down on her as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"You don't have to stay," Amina murmured, her voice hoarse with exhaustion as she glanced up at Hunter. "I'll be fine on my own."

Hunter shook his head, his expression resolute as he met Amina's gaze with unwavering determination. "I'm not leaving you," he replied firmly, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "Not when you're like this."

Amina offered him a weak smile, touched by his steadfast loyalty. Despite her stubborn insistence that she could handle things on her own, she couldn't deny the warmth that spread through her chest at the thought of having Hunter by her side.

"Thanks," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to rest against the soft fabric of the bunk. "I appreciate it."

Hunter went into the refresher and wet a piece of cloth with cool water. He came back and brushed Amina's hair off her forehead before gently placing the cloth on her skin. The coolness of the cloth provided some relief to Amina's fevered brow, and she sighed softly, leaning into the soothing sensation.

"Thanks," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she opened her eyes to look at Hunter. "That feels nice."

He smiled and nodded, “I’m going to go keep watch until the squad gets back.” Before he made it far, Amina gently grabbed his wrist.

“Can you stay?” She asked quietly, scooting over on the bunk towards the wall, “you make a pretty good pillow.”

Hunter hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering between Amina and the door of the Marauder. He knew he should keep watch, especially with Amina feeling under the weather, but her quiet plea tugged at his heartstrings, and he found himself unable to resist.

"Sure, I can stay," he replied softly, a warm smile spreading across his lips as he settled onto the bunk beside Amina. He shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, his arm instinctively wrapping around her as she leaned into him.

Amina sighed contentedly as she rested her head against Hunter's chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat a comforting presence in the midst of her illness. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to bask in the warmth of his embrace as she drifted off to sleep.

For a while, the only sound in the Marauder was the gentle hum of the ship's engines and the soft rustle of fabric as Hunter shifted slightly to get more comfortable. He glanced down at Amina, a fond smile playing at the corners of his lips as he watched her sleep.

Despite the circumstances, there was something undeniably comforting about having Amina in his arms. He had always felt a strong connection to her, ever since they had first met on Kamino all those months ago. And now, as he held her close, he couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over him.

As the minutes turned into hours, Hunter remained vigilant, keeping a watchful eye on the door of the Marauder as he held Amina in his arms. He knew he should be focused on the task at hand, but he couldn't shake the feeling that being here with Amina was exactly where he was meant to be.

Eventually, the rest of the squad returned, their arms laden with supplies and medicine for Amina. Hunter helped them unload the supplies, his gaze never straying far from Amina's sleeping form as he kept a protective watch over her.

Tech quickly got to work, administering the medicine to Amina and monitoring her vitals with his usual clinical efficiency. The rest of the squad hovered nearby, their expressions filled with concern as they waited for any signs of improvement.

As the hours passed, Amina's fever began to break, and her breathing eased as the medicine took effect. Hunter breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging with relief as he watched Amina's color return to her cheeks.

Amina stirred slightly in Hunter's arms, her eyelids fluttering open as she blinked up at him in confusion. "Hey there," Hunter greeted softly, his voice gentle as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. "How are you feeling?"

Amina smiled weakly, her voice hoarse from sleep as she glanced around the Marauder. "Better," she murmured, her gaze drifting back to Hunter's concerned expression. "Thanks to you."

Hunter smiled, a warmth spreading through his chest at Amina's words. "Anytime," he replied softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

The rest of the squad gathered around, their expressions filled with relief as they watched Amina slowly sit up in bed. Echo offered her a glass of water, which she gratefully accepted, taking small sips as she regained her strength.

"Thanks, everyone," Amina said, her voice stronger now as she looked around at her friends. "I really appreciate all of your help."

Wrecker grinned, his expression filled with genuine warmth as he clapped Amina on the back. "No problem, General," he said, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "We're just glad you're okay."

Omega nodded in agreement, her expression serious as she met Amina's gaze. "Yeah, we were worried about you," she admitted, her voice tinged with concern. "But I'm glad you're feeling better now."

Amina smiled gratefully at her friends, feeling a surge of warmth in her chest at their unwavering support. She knew she was lucky to have them by her side, especially in times like these when she needed them the most.

"Well, thanks again. But I think I’d much rather get shot at by Separatist droids than go through that again," Amina remarked with a weak chuckle, her voice still raspy from her recent illness.

Hunter couldn't help but smile at her attempt at humor, though he knew firsthand just how serious the situation had been. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he replied, his tone lighthearted as he glanced around at the rest of the squad.

Wrecker let out a booming laugh, clapping Hunter on the back with enough force to nearly send him stumbling forward. "You hear that, Tech?" he exclaimed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Amina would rather face a whole army of droids than be laid up in bed."

Tech rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice as he shook his head. "I highly doubt that Wrecker," he retorted, his tone dry as he adjusted his goggles. "But I suppose it's a sentiment we can all agree on."

Echo nodded in agreement, though his expression was more subdued as he surveyed the small group gathered in the Marauder. "We should count ourselves lucky," he remarked quietly, his gaze flickering to Amina with a hint of concern. "Not everyone gets a second chance."

"More like a twenty-second chance," Amina quipped, her voice laced with a hint of amusement as she glanced around at her squadmates, her eyes lingering on Hunter for a moment longer than necessary.

Hunter couldn't help but chuckle at her remark, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he met Amina's gaze. "Well, let's make sure you don't need a twenty-third," he replied, his tone light but filled with genuine concern.

tags: @callsign-denmark

[fimproda]

Anotha question

Whats a fond memory you have from your time as a writer, either this Acotar fics or the previous ones? Has there been any reader comment you liked specially? Can you name some top 5 good experiences?

These asks are getting better and better, this is so interesting!

I have many, many fond memories of my time as a writer. Let me give a top 5 on this topic as well, and then I'll list my best experiences with readers.

It was the Year of the Lord 2020, November 5th if I recall correctly. I had started my first year of university on September 30th, and for my very first semester, the only subjects I had were General and Inorganic Chemistry I, General and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, and Maths I. It was a Wednesday. Usually, we would've had two hours of GenChem in the morning and two hours of Maths in the afternoon, but the professors had decided to switch for that day, so our lesson of GenChem started at 3 PM and should've gone on until 5 PM. Now, our GenChem professor was quite old and nearing retirement, and it had already happened that he'd cut lessons short because he'd gotten tired. That day, he ended the lesson after only one hour had passed, and I found myself staring at my computer screen at 4 in the afternoon without nothing to do. I don't know what drove me to open a document and type 4k words in one sitting, but I did it. I finished House of Cards that day, one year and a half since my latest update.

Speaking of House of Cards, I won the 2019 Wattys with that story. I remember that I was doing my homework, around 3 or 4 PM, and I either got an email from Wattpad or a message from one of my acquantainces that I'd met on Wattpad (I don't recall which one of these happened first) telling me that I'd won. I just smiled, texted my friends, told my readers and followers, and got back to my homework. The Wattys had never been a great deal for me, to be honest, but I dare anyone not to be happy when you've won something.

In 2022, watching Bridgerton season 2 and reading Tower of Dawn inspired me a great deal to write Daisy, chapter... 4? 5? Let's see if @zoyalannister has a clearer memory; I believe it was chapter 4.

Speaking of Zoya, I wrote from scratch a huge chunk of one chapter of her story How (not) to end a feud, which I was only supposed to edit. It was either chapter 6 or 7 (or maybe even 5, I truly don't recall), and I worked on it from the afternoon all the way into the night, until like 3 AM. Everyone who knows me well, including Zoya, knows that I am not a night owl by any means and I'm usually asleep by 11 PM, so me being awake at that late hour was quite unique, and in fact hasn't happened since.

Last year, I watched the last episode of Queen Charlotte, cried, and wrote a good 70% of Constellations, chapter 3 all at once.

And now for the reader experiences:

Let's start with House of Cards again. During my time on Wattpad, my friends bore witness to the many, many, truly dumb comments and/or reviews I got on my story. We were so used to it that, when the time came that I finally got a decent one, we full-on celebrated. If I had to number the actually good reviews I received, I'd say 5: one from Caterina, one from Rebecca, one from Elisa F., one from Elisa S. (who is one of my best friends now), and one from Giulia. Their comments and reviews are my Roman Empire; I think about them every day.

My grandma read all my old stories, the ones I wrote in Italian, and we used to have hour-long conversations about them. I don't know what else to say about this, I think it's enough. Pity that she doesn't know a single English word; it's been too long since I heard her opinion on one of my works.

The second comment I got on Hydrangea, soon after posting it on AO3: survivegladers said "A very well written story! I was able to really feel and understand Grace's feeling through the events! It's indeed an incredibly deep narrative that was handled in an assertive way." @zoyalannister and I were shitting ourselves in fear over that story, so when we got this comment, we were able to finally release the breath we'd been holding for days.

Literally every comment I got on In the shadow of a dream. I'd written it without much care or thought, in no more than 3/4 hours, when barely a day had passed since its conception. I was not expecting the overwhelming (and overwhelmingly positive) response from the public, and I'll always be grateful to the ACoTaR fandom for being so active and engaging.

Again, literally every comment on Constellations, chapter 3. I took a gigantic leap of faith with that chapter, choosing to voice some thoughts and ideas that I knew much of the fandom would consider wrong or at least controversial. I remember I'd just returned home from pilates when I got the first comment, which was a simple "Wow", and I couldn't bring myself to read it in a positive light: I kept thinking it meant something like "Wow, this is a load of bullshit". Thanfully, that reader then did me the favor to write something more and elaborate, and it did end up being a positive opinion. Another reader then kept answering my answers to her comments, so we struck up a conversation in the comment section. But to be fair, all my Constellations readers are wonderful people, @panaryn and @generalnesta above all others.

[simpingcorner]

Daughter of the shadows Ch. 5

Word Count: ~1.5k

Warnings: subtle mention of human tr*****, Non-canon events(?), bittersweet goodbye,not proofread, let me know if I forgot something.

Author's Note: Fifth chapter to my Grishaverse fanfic. I know Inej canonically leaves after the events of Crooked Kingdom, or at the end of season two on the show. But trust me it’ll make sense in the future, please don’t be mad at me.

Also sorry for the late update, I was celebrating Easter with my family.

A reminder this is insipred by my SoC DR so it’ll follow both the books and the show plotlines, there will be changes to the canon characters and their storylines, it’s also a Kaz Brekker x OC. | English isn’t my first language so please bear with me and tell me if there’s something wrong. I hope you like it.

all rights to leigh bardugo, i only owny liith and her backstory (other ocs will be introduced later)

Ch. 1 - Ch. 2 - Ch. 3 - Ch. 4 -  Ch. 6

CHAPTER 5

LILITH

It had been a few weeks since she had been wounded, the brunette knew Kaz needed her, though he would never admit it.

The usual dangerous and violent jobs that had become a daily part of her life had been entrusted to Inej, leaving Lilith to guard the door of the Crow Club, the bar of the club or simply to sort out paperwork in the boss's office.

The late autumn sun woke her as it filtered through the window above her, the enforced rest and sedentary work that had filled the last few weeks had allowed the girl's wound to heal leaving only a white scar.

Lilith looked at herself in the mirror, her body like a map, a pale canvas covered in even paler lines, the scar that cut across her lips was white in contrast to the red of her lipstick, the numerous scars on her arms that cut across the two tattoos reminded her of some of the worst moments of her life, the scar on her side was just an addition to her story, something to be proud of, something to remind her of how strong she was and how many nightmares she had woken up from stronger than before.

She wore a black sweatshirt covering her story; sure she was proud of every single scar she had on her body, but she wouldn't show them to anyone, they were her past, her story, her life, her memories and no one else's, she didn't demand anyone's pity and she knew it would come if she showed them.

She covered her right hand with the leather glove, secured the knives in their sheaths, feeling the heat in the handles before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

The corridors were silent, her colleagues' rooms were closed, occupied by Dregs either fast asleep or busy enjoying their morning off; she descended the last few steps, the room in front of her, usually full and noisy was empty and quiet, the only people in the room were the younger Dregs who did not yet have the privilege of Sunday off.

"Dirix remember to clean under the table in the council room." Said Lilith looking at the younger one from the stairs, "I don't envy you Dir, at least you didn't witness the scene though." yelled Brawen from behind the counter, "Brawen the toilets on the first floor need to be cleaned." said Lilith to her with a half smile, "But I cleaned them last week, today was supposed to be Pim's turn." complained the blonde walking towards the storage room, "Pim is running errands for Specht." explained Lilith simply before walking out the door leaving the room behind.

The salty air filled her nostrils as Lilith sat on the dock of the seventh harbour, the only abandoned harbour, she fixed her gaze on the sea ahead, the blurry shadow of Hellgate in the distance ready to remind her where she would be sent if they found out who she was, what she had done to survive and how she had come to Ketterdam.

Somewhere across the expanse of water her family was looking for her, she could feel it, she knew they would never stop looking for her, but she knew she could not return to them.

"We will see each other again soon." A man's voice rang like an echo in the girl's mind, she could not remember his face, every detail of the man had disappeared from her memory, every detail except the last sentence addressed to her. It was a promise, he had promised her that they would see each other again, that they would be together again, but years had passed and that promise had been broken.

She could feel his hand gently caressing her cheek, a pure cheek, porcelain white skin marred only by tiny mahogany flecks, tears had overcome the child's resistance and fell freely onto her white cheeks, the man's thumb wiped them away as a father wipes away a daughter's.

The man's calloused but gentle hand brought her back to that day, she had left everything behind, forgetting who she was, hiding who she had been, becoming yet another soul lost to the corruption of society and the violence of the world she lived in. Everything she had had during her childhood, everything she had studied, everything she had been taught was now something Lilith would never want to talk about, she had discovered the truth too late to continue living the way she had grown up, too soon to be able to change her future and that of others.

"We will see each other again soon." Whispered Lilith to the sea, the promise echoed on the waves of the sea before disappearing into the horizon.

Her footsteps echoed before her feet touched the dock, the girl's gaze was fixed on the blue expanse before her, in the distance a few ships could be seen, she could not see who was working on them but part of her knew that one of those ships was the one that had brought her to that city, that had brought Inej, Brawen, Pim and hundreds of other kids to that city forgotten by the Saints.

"Will you feed my crows?" Inej asked as she sat down next to Lilith, her legs crossed in front of her, the handles of the daggers glistened in the afternoon sun, Lilith's gaze shifted from the sea to the Suli beside her, the brunette knew she was beautiful, that she had all the qualities a boy could ever want in a mate, but not only did she not care about boys, sure she had had her experiences but she would never want to feel trapped in someone else's shadow, she had decided to be free, to choose herself, her heart had no place for another person, but all the confidence she had disappeared the moment Inej entered the room, her optimism, her determination, her faith, everything about the girl made Lilith wonder if she was enough.

The sun shone on the Suli's caramel skin, her black hair was perfectly arranged in a ponytail, even with the wind blowing in from the sea it didn't move, her brown eyes shimmered reflecting the sea water below, her lips slightly open to inhale the salty air were soft, a brilliant colour without the need for chemical or grisha aids.

"Can I count on you?" The Suli asked again, shifting her gaze to the younger one, "Why can't you?" the brunette asked, "Because I don't know when I'll be back." "You'll come back from where?" "Kaz finished paying Tante Helleen..." "You're free..." "And he found a boat, not as big as those, but big enough to let me set sail with a small crew." "When do you leave?" "Tonight, after the eleventh bell." "How long have you known?" "A few weeks, just long enough to find the boat and crew, I wanted to tell you but with everything that's happened I didn't want to make you feel worse." Lilith smiled at the Suli, she knew this moment would come from the moment she had met her, it shouldn't have been a surprise and yet the brunette was at a loss for words, Inej had been the first girl she had met in Ketterdam, since the first time they met she had been the person Lilith had shared the most with and she knew she would miss her.

"I will feed them, don't worry. Promise me one thing, kill the bastards who brought us here for me." "I will make them pay." Inej said, smiling before hugging Lilith.

They both knew Inej would leave without saying goodbye to anyone and Lilith would be too busy with the Crow Club to greet her as she would have liked, but sitting there, legs dangling, hands intertwined, eyes fixed on the horizon and daggers at the ready was what they needed, something familiar and habitual before the change Inej's departure would bring.

"Inej." Lilith broke the silence by moving her hand from her friend's and bringing it towards the sheath attached to her thigh, pulling out a knife and handing it to the Suli, "I want you to have it, a reminder that you will always have someone to return to here." Inej studied the dagger, the black handle had red inserts extending to the blade, a design unknown to Inej covered part of the blade, "Lils..." "Please remember me when you use it." "I will.” The older girl brought the dagger towards her belt drawing one of her own before securing it in it, "Sankta Lizabeta, I know you do not follow faith but we know we both could use their help and blessing.” The dagger was light in Lilith's hands, lighter than her own, she knew why and she knew that the one she had given to Inej had been forged from the same metal, while the others had been forged especially for her, the handle was white, contrasting with the black blade.

The two girls remained on the dock until the sun went down, in silence, each lost in their own minds, until the eighth bell rang, their steps were silent, their movements almost imperceptible, "Don't die." Said Lilith to Suli hugging her, "Don’t perish." replied Inej breaking the embrace and walking towards the harbour.

Towards her boat.

Towards her future.

Tag list: @awkwardbean4337 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

[mybuginette]

My favorites fics

So, im a spanish speaker who is still learning english and my teacher said that if i want to improve i need to write/speak more in my ordinary life...and theres no better way of doing that that writing about my hiperfixations on Tumblr, so here i go.

This is the first long post that i do, so im sorry if i have any grammar mistake, im trying i swear 😔✌️ 

So here's the list (without order):

The Growing Pains Of Child Soldiers by BloodWolf13 What do the citizens of Paris do, when they realize that their heroes are literally growing up before their eyes? They freak the fuck out. Or everybody realizes that the heroes of Paris are young teenagers and are a little (extremely) worried about children fighting a terrorist.

I have always been wondering if in canon parisian knows that Ladybug and Chat Noir are just teenagers.

I mean, in season 1 we have Theo having a crush on Ladybug (ik that Thomas said that hes like 16/19 but still weird) so i asumed that people thought that they were adults but then remembered that in Bubbler, he didn't talk to Ladynoir as if they were adults.

Then Sabine is worried about them bc they have been working a lot and this fic shows how it could be if the other adults of paris worried about them too.

It was interesting for me because its like a realistic version of mlb paris socity, the discussions about mental health, ethical dilemmas and literally has a university essay in the first chapter. Its an amazing fic and if somebody knows if the author has a tumblr let me know pls.

Review of Les aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir by @sunfoxfic Alya Cesaire, moderator and writer for the Ladyblog, reviews the newest movie in France — Les aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir. How will this movie hold up to the hype? How will it hold up to the truth? All on the Ladyblog.

In-universe fics are my favorites, i like to see the events of the show from the pov of a normal civilian and the love that parisians have for Ladybug and Chat Noir. In this fic we have a review of the Ladybug and Chat Noir movie by Alya, one thing that i found funny is how in-universe Lady and Chat have like 2 or 3 movies while in real life we just got the 1 movie 3 months ago 😭.

Also, its funny that poor Adrien probably was forced by his father to do that role just like in Frightningale and he had to act like Chat Noir good enough for his father but not so good that anybody could tell that it was the same voice.

Miraculously Ladybug? by @the-angst-lord ON HIATUS FOR UNTIL SEASON 5 PROBABLY Marinus "Xiang" Dupain Cheung just wanted to go to school and keep his head down, design clothes, and bake cookies. Instead, he finds himself jumping across rooftops, defeating supervillains and partnered up with a cat who has the ability to destroy anything he touches. What a first day of school. Adrien Agreste just wants friends and the freedom to live his life outside of his father's influence. He's all too eager to become a hero of justice and defend the people of Paris. Gaining a handsome ladybug-themed partner who embodies said ideal is just a bonus.

I really enjoy the genderbend fics and this has to be the best rewrite of the show that i've ever read.Marin has the best features of Marinette, but with his own essence and characterization, when you read you really know that he is a reinterpretation of Marinette character and i looooooooooved him.

The situations, the relationships and the reinterpretation of Chat Blanc was so goooood.

I also loved the Dupain-Cheng family background in Shangai special ✨

(and it has drawings too and the suits are soo pretty)

@the-angst-lord i love your fic man

Perfectly Platonic (Unless…) by @frostedpuffs After accidentally revealing their identities in less than ideal circumstances, Adrien and Marinette must navigate their newfound relationship as both partners and friends. Becoming best friends was a quick process, but when romantic feelings begin to bleed into what's supposed to be a platonic connection, their friendship starts to change in more ways than one. Surely it can't be that hard to hide their feelings from their best friend? (A post-reveal, pre-relationship fic full of romantic crushes, best friend shenanigans, and a whole lot of dumbassery.)

I just lost count of the times that i've re-read this fanfic, the jokes are so funny and Adrinette acting like Ladynoir and Ladynoir acting like Adrinette >>>

These idiots are so horny and so in love, i need more 😭😭

[junipersrambles]

Alright, so I just finished watching the season 5 finale of BSD and I have a lot of thoughts, most of them unprocessed but I'm going to try and summarize them anyways!

Its not shocking to me that there was a bit of a twist ending with everything being tied up quite nicely (for the most part, I'll get to the 'two hours later' thing in a bit). Kafka Asagiri has a habit of subverting expectations when concluding complex plots. Now is it a bit convenient that it ended the way it did? Perhaps, I would argue though that we were left with a lot to explore in the upcoming chapters/season of the show (assuming the manga follows the same plot beats when released in the upcoming months). Lots of great character moments and parallels occurred which I will likely write in future posts.

Do I think Fyodor is dead? I'm not entirely convinced, considering the circumstances though its the most likely conclusion. Not how I assumed it would play out, but it was an interesting conclusion to the mind games between him and Dazai that have been playing out since the prison arc started.

I'm curious to see why there was a lack of focus on Sigma. It probably has something to do with wherever the next arc is going. I would hope that he isn't dead as his arc feels like it hasn't been properly concluded. If he isn't dead its possible that he gained knowledge about whatever the next incoming disaster is. The best we can hope for is that he survived and we can learn about what Fyodor knew and what his ability truly is (if we are lucky).

I could gush forever about Nikolai and how he talks about Fyodor after the helicopter crash. It feels like an interesting conclusion to his story, one that seemed inevitable in my opinion. Though I am curious to see where his character is taken from here, I think it would be okay if this was his final appearance. I have a feeling that he may get a few more scenes processing his feelings about how his worldview may have been altered/shifted after the events of this episode. Only time will tell.

Bram gets his body back!! He is probably one of my favorite characters if not for his interactions with Aya alone, then definitely for his characterization (and the way I know the real Bram Stoker would be rolling in his grave). No idea where he'll go from here, but all the moments with him were nice and its my hope that he can at least be a fun father type figure for Aya in the future.

Its nice to see Dazai and Chuuya interact (as always). Was it a bit convenient that Chuuya was pretending to be a vampire? Yes of course, though it provides a reasonable explanation as to why Dazai isn't dead, so I suppose it works. Glad they aren't dead, their arcs don't feel complete yet. I don't have much else to say about their time in the episode unfortunately.

All of the scenes with Fukuzawa and Fukuchi were excellent and I am very glad that they took up the most time in the episode. The emotional resonance in their scenes is palpable and I'm really glad that they had time to talk things out while in Poe's book. Those moments had too many literary quotes and references to count, but I really appreciated that their motivations were laid bare for the audience. I think the final scene between the two of them will stick with me for a long time. If you have yet to see the episode this moment alone makes it worth watching in my opinion.

I don't think that there is a complicated answer as to why Akutagawa appears to be human and alive again in the 'two hours later' segment. The simplest answer likely has to do with aspects of Bram's powers that have yet to be explained. If this is not the case I'm sure there's another convenient explanation.

I always think that its an interesting choice when a studio releases the conclusion of an arc or season of a show before the story line has concluded in the manga, that being said the final part of Twilight Goodbye makes me nervous for a couple of reasons.

One, kind of wild that it progresses to a big super-powered fight only a few hours after the conclusion of the last arc. Not that BSD hasn't done something similar before, but this seems like a bit of a rush for the timeline. I will hold my extended worries on this for now. It reminds me of the Bad Apple story line and how quickly all of that plays out. Perhaps this will proceed similarly? Though with how many characters are in focus right now we can't be entirely sure.

Two, this mystery character seems quite powerful and is seen wielding the "space-time sword" that Fukuchi had previously been using. I can't help but notice that this mysterious figure also looks a lot like Fukuchi. Same scars on the face, same hair. I am not saying it is him, but I think that him being the 'final?' enemy of this story line would interfere with a lot of the meaning infused into the end of the current arc. I sincerely hope that its not him, but I would be interested to see where everything goes if it Fukuchi.

Lastly, I do truly hope that this is the intended direction of the story moving forward for Asagiri's sake. I don't think Studio Bones would conclude or move on with a story without more of the manga being written. They tend to be more patient than other studios when it comes to waiting for enough material for new seasons. That being said, season four and five did not necessarily need to be produced separately and back to back. Then again, I am not that familiar with the inner workings of the Anime industry. In conclusion, I just hope that this is genuinely what the author intended and that whatever is made moving forward carries the spirit of BSD as it has been portrayed so far.

[jewwyfeesh]

Tasty Travels - An Unexpected Journey 5

Writer: Mitsuki

Character(s): Suou Tsukasa, Tsukinaga Leo, Sena Izumi, Sakuma Ritsu, Narukami Arashi

Translated by: jewwyfeesh

Ritsu: Just now when we were chasing after the car, there were people holding their phones out taking photos… who knows, maybe someone’s already captured a photo of Secchan looking horrifically inelegant and uploaded it.

Translator's Notes: [1] 美味指挥棒 (original CN term) was used as a blanket term to refer to the biscuit sticks (pocky/pretz etc). As such, I decided to use a tl of the original term instead of mentioning either brands. 美味 - tasty/delicious, 指挥棒 - baton (conductor's baton)

Season: Summer Location: Outside Ensemble Square

<A while later>

Tsukasa: So, Leo-senpai, kindly explain yourself. How did you manage to forget that your companions were still in town, and drove off on your own?

Izumi: Chasing after cars is a suuuuuper~ annoying thing to do, and some pedestrians even thought we were filming some sort of show…

Ritsu: It’s so tiring~ Feels like I’ve maxed out my exercise quota for the year, and from here on out I don’t wanna move at aaaall.

Arashi: Yeah, agreed. Running around like that without any thought for my image… I look anything but beautiful.

Ritsu: Just now when we were chasing after the car, there were people holding their phones out taking photos… who knows, maybe someone’s already captured a photo of Secchan looking horrifically inelegant and uploaded it.

Izumi: …If I find any pictures on the internet that ruin my perfect image, you will not be let off the hook, Leo-kun.

Leo: Why are y’all looking at me like I abandoned you? Do I seriously look like someone who’d do that? I should be the one asking why you single-handedly decide to run over!

The event isn’t over yet! I had intended to let everyone wait in town, and drive over by myself to pick up the second set of taste testers… Suddenly disappearing then reappearing with more promotional materials… isn’t this as fun and enthralling as a magic trick?

I wasn’t expecting all of you to run after the car, though, it really gave me a shock! It’s not good to disrespect traffic rules, ya know? Obviously, as ‘idols’, you should be the one setting the example! Am I right or am I right?

Though, it really seems like y’all can’t bear to part with me! In that case, y’all can tag along for the round trip afterwards!

Izumi: There’s actually a round trip involved? Why didn’t you tell us about these important things earlier!?

Tsukasa: If it was for that reason, it’s completely OK for you to discuss it with us from the very beginning, Leo-senpai!

However, this is a sign that you are doing your part, so… I’ll do my best too.

Arashi: Ufufu, as long as you’re enjoying yourself, I suppose these sorts of situations are also a kind of special journey in their own right…?

Ritsu: Yep yep, that’s exactly it~ And, when you compare it to any ordinary journey… If you’re our King, then these events are actually some rather unexpected pleasures~

This journey is truly one of a kind, sweet and delicious~ Here ♪ (Ritsu shoves something into Tsukasa’s mouth)

Tsukasa: Ritsu-senpai! This isn’t particularly appropriate…… (nom nom)

Izumi: Do you take me for a blind person, Kuma-kun!? I saw that! You’re not allowed to sneakily give him any more chocolate flavoured ‘Delicious Batons’[1]!

Leo: Wahahaha, in that case, let’s officially rename this trip to Tasty Travels!

Three, two, one…… blast off ☆

Translator's Notes: [1] 美味指挥棒 (original CN term) was used as a blanket term to refer to the biscuit sticks (pocky/pretz etc). As such, I decided to use a tl of the original term instead of mentioning either brands. 美味 - tasty/delicious, 指挥棒 - baton (conductor's baton)

← chapter 4 | event page lines/interactions →

[wordsbyarwen]

my top 5 works/chapters of 2022

@ehay has tagged me in this in the past, but i’m the actual #Worst at doing these things no matter how much i want to. But this year i produced a lot of work that i’ve really enjoyed not only writing but also looking back at for a revisit for my own enjoyment. We’re our own worst critics for sure, especially six months after the thing is posted, but some of these resonate with me continuously.

I feel very blessed to be able to continue to produce works not just for myself, but that other people enjoy ^^ Listed chronologically by publication.

1. like a river loves a stone (Rated E, 10,719 words) Kicking it off with the fic that was supposed to be a quick 2k M rated bit and turned into... this. I love the ideas that came out of it though, and the tender playfulness at the end. Canon-divergent rewrite of the bath scene in the beginning of s2 of The Witcher, occuring after my work “stone in your water” but sort of its own little pocket universe. Characters: Tissaia, Yennefer, Sabrina, Triss, Murta Ships: Tissaia/Yennefer, Sabrina/Triss (drive-by, only if you squint)

2. (and you knelt beside) my hope torn apart (Rated G, 2922 words) I wasn’t too thrilled with Yennefer’s return this past season, nor of how she claimed to travel the world trying every remedy in one month. Not the best-executed story (it was written quickly and with no beta for the Witcher Bows and Arrows prompt “home”), but i have a lot of feelings about this take on Tissaia and Yennefer’s reunion. Characters: Tissaia, Yennefer Ships: Yennaia

3. Chapters 2 and 3 of you’ll be an architect, so pull up your sleeves (Rated M, 15,713 words total) Listing this as one entry because the two chapters were supposed to be published one. I’m glad i split them into two though, because i wound up devoting a lot more time to the content in chapter 3 than i intended, and i’m so, so glad i did. I come back to this fic over and over again, and i can definitely say it’s my favorite of those listed here. Follows Yennefer and Tissaia as Tissaia has begun to finally really recover after the events of the Coup. The path to recovery is not easy, and it’s filled with bumps in the road. This one features gentle hand-holding, new clothes, tender touches and, somewhere in the desert, a hidden well. Characters: Tissaia, Yennefer Ships: Yennaia

4. i feel my heart start to tremblin’ whenever you’re around (Rated M, 6618 words) Was this the best executed fic of the year? No. Those 6600 words were written and edited in 2 days and had no beta. Chekhov’s six guns are scattered across the stage. AND YET, this ballroom dance au lived in my head for about 6 months before i wrote it down, and i’m so glad i finally did. A very quick slow-burn, in that it takes place over months but those months go by rather quickly in the fic, and a delightful little romp of a modern AU with a very sexy Tissaia and a very hopeless Yennefer Characters: Tissaia, Yennefer, Triss Ships: Yennaia, Sabrina/Triss (but only mentioned)

5. still your hands an still your heart (all the morning glows anew), chapter 8 (fic rated M, 62024 words, ongoing) It was hard to pick only 5 works, especially only one chapter from this fic, because i’ve had SO much fun writing it, but this first glasshouse tour between Tissaia and Yen in the florist!au is just so much. Yennefer is high-key, Tissaia is stunning, Triss is an angel. There are plants, and tender touches, and misplaced concern and gay floundering. It’s got a lot of the good stuff! And it has STUNNING artwork by ehay right over here! Characters: Tissaia, Yennefer, Triss (Jaskier and Rita feature in other chapters) Ships: Yennaia (bonus Geraskier, Sabrina/Triss, and some not-so-drive-by Rita/Tissaia, not romantic, in other chapters)

Honorable Mention: a tender green is showing (rated G, 2959 words) Another one that may not have been super well-executed, but this one was slammed out and got all of its edits done in 3.5 hours so forgive me. A longer-form version of an au headcanons post about organic farmer Tissaia and chef/cafe owner Yennefer. I loved this silly prompt, so i wanted to give our girls a little more time on the screen, so to speak. A micro-slow-burn if you will. Yennefer is smitten. Tissaia said “pretty sure she’s smitten so i am going to Present Myself Before Her until she takes the hint that i feel the same.” Purely lighthearted fluff.

[intravention]

In light of Link Click season 2 coming out (first episode is supposed to drop later today) alongside Bungou Stray Dogs season 5 from earlier this week, a crossover between them could be intriguing. They're both about supernatural abilities, and their settings are supposed to be similar in how people with such abilities aren't common enough to be public knowledge.

...Or at least that's how Dazai puts it back in chapter 1. The story is pretty inconsistent on this detail, so maybe Asagiri forgot. Not sure how that's going to impact worldbuilding given recent events in the manga. From the official translation:

For Link Click, you can find the setting and synopsis translated here. (Funimation also translated the synopsis, though not the context behind the setting.)

It might just be a difference in how we see abilities being handled, though. In Link Click, it does feels more like a secret, because Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang don't talk about their abilities openly with other people and we don't meet many characters with abilities. In Bungou Stray Dogs, nearly every character seems to have an ability.

Link Click is set in China (though we will get to explore more going abroad with the characters in season 2), and Bungou Stray Dogs is set primarily in Yokohama, Japan. If they were to take place in the same universe, then characters would likely meet while Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang (the main characters of Link Click) were abroad.

It'd be pretty cool. Both Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang would do well together in the ADA. Not sure how they would mesh with the Bungou Stray Dogs characters. It's worth exploring further.