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ghostlychief · 2 years

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Pockets of Peace

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader (goes by code name ‘Swan’)

Summary: More often than not, you find yourself in the presence of Simon Riley, aka “Ghost.” You find that your blooming friendship with the aloof Lieutenant provides you with a blanket of comfort, offering you a place of solace within his company. It’s no different when you’re injured during your next mission.

Warnings: mentions of bullet wound, blood, nothing too graphic; fluff; hurt/comfort

Wc: 3.3k+

A/n: This is purely an indulgent fic, as I’ve become obsessed with the mw2 character ghost lmao. If you stumble across it, i hope you enjoy!! I really had a fun time writing this, so i hope you have as much enjoyment while reading. <3 (sorry for any typos or grammar mistakes, i’ve read this over and over and bound to miss a few)

ALSO: I’ve deemed Peace by Taylor swift this couples’ song so have a listen when you’re reading 🫶🏻

Part 2 found here: Weighted Blanket

When you first joined task force 141, it took you some time to feel fully part of the team and comfortable. You were more on the quiet side, and chose your friends carefully; comes with the line of work, you figure. What you didn’t expect was to become closest to the man that goes by the name of “Ghost.” He was tall, quiet, and the only thing you could see of his face were his eyes, but for some odd reason, you two clicked. You frequently got paired up during missions, working well along side one another. You guys got the job done swiftly and with little difficulty and your skill sets complimented each other as well. While Ghost used brute force and took the enemy straight on, you used your size to hide and take down the enemy by surprise, from a far distance. You were the best sniper on the team.

You and Ghost completed mission after mission with flying colors, only the occasional scratch or two indicated you were ever in combat. Did he still intimidate the hell out of you? Well, of course. His intimidation and brooding atmosphere only made you want to be friends with him more.

Your acquaintanceship with Ghost started to bloom 6 months after you joined the team. After one particularly long and exhausting mission, you and Ghost ended up drinking a 12 pack in his room. It became a regular occurrence after that, with you quickly realizing that winding down with Ghost was the best way to recover from a mission. The conversation always started off with work talk but after a couple of beers, the conversation would steer towards other topics. During these nights, Ghost became more talkative, slowly opening up to you, and you the same. One evening, after Ghost had a couple beers in him, he gave you a nickname, “Little Swan.” That was the first time he ever made your heart race.

During these late-night chats, you learned that he likes his coffee sweet with flavored creamer, but he likes his tea black. You also learned that he only wears black socks and has a whole drawer filled with skull balaclavas. One night, you may or may not have stolen one after he passed out. It was all worth it though when you showed up to the team meeting the next morning sporting it.

As you entered the meeting room the next morning for the debrief, you came up to stand beside Ghost, who had his back turned toward you. The other members in the room raised their eyebrows but tried to hide their shock, as to not to give away Ghost’s surprise.

Smiling, you bumped shoulders with Ghost and said, “Damn, I really pull off your look, huh?” You grinned up at him, eyes bright, then turned back to the table to see all the other team members with their mouths slightly agape. Ghost glanced over at you, and his eyes widened slightly before going back to normal. He shook his head, “Fucking hell,” but not without you noticing the amusing glint in his eyes.

One morning you were eating breakfast in the dining hall, looking down at your book, when someone sat across from you. Usually, you ate alone, so it was a surprise to see Ghost sitting opposite of you with a steaming mug of coffee and a banana. You just smiled at him and went back to reading, and he ate his breakfast. No words were said, but every morning after that, you and the Lieutenant ate breakfast together. There was the occasional banter, but most times, you both enjoyed the quiet morning in each other’s company.

When you weren’t on a mission, you spent your time training and hanging out with the other team members on the base.

You typically trained with Soap, whether it be shooting or hand-to-hand combat. One day while you were on the mats sparing with Soap, he suddenly stopped, smirked at you and said, “I think you’ve got yourself an admirer, Swan.” With your brows furrowed, you looked up to see none other than Ghost leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching you and Soap train.

You grinned and waved at him, and much to Soap’s surprise, Ghost waved back. Turning back to Soap, you shrugged and said, “He’s been helping me with my form.” Needless to say, you won the next round, and you didn’t need Ghost to remove his balaclava to know that he was smiling.

You and Ghost were experts at your jobs, that’s how you’re on task force 141 in the first place. That doesn’t mean every mission goes smoothly- as you soon found out on your next one.

You and Ghost finally reached the safe house. The only downside was that it was in the middle of nowhere and at the base of a snowy mountain, which did not help your worrying thoughts of making it through the night. Ghost unlocked the door and you both did a quick scan of the place to make sure it was all clear. Once you guys cleared the space, you groaned and plopped down onto the couch, finally finding respite for your injured leg. Although the mission was a success, you guys got banged up pretty bad, nothing fatal, but just worse enough for you to immediately collapse on the couch. Ghost seemed to be faring much better than you, he didn’t get shot after all.

You don’t want to glance down at your thigh, because you know you will be met with a mess of a wound and blood. So much blood. It’s a wonder how you managed to escape and make the trek to the safe house.

You have Ghost to thank for that; he covered your ass and helped you along the way. You guys had spent the last few hours switching between a walk and jog to get to the safe house, and away from enemy lines.

The first time you guys slowed to a walk, Ghost wrapped your arm around his neck to support most of your weight. However, this turned out to make it harder to walk because of the height difference between the two of you. He was a mountain of a man, and as much as you appreciated his attempt to help, it would have been quicker if you just limped along. “I’m going to need you to make it to the safe house, Swan. I can’t have you dying on my watch.”

“Copy that, Lt.” You grimaced, now feeling the full effects of being shot in the thigh. Just your fucking luck, you think.

“Riley, call me Riley.”

That was new. You never referred to him as anything other than Ghost or Lieutenant. Despite the immense amount of pain you’re in, you can’t miss the feeling of small sparks igniting in your tummy.

Now seated on the couch and breathing heavily, you watch as Ghost removes most of his tactical gear, the skull mask included. Although, you conclude that he probably has at least two concealed weapons somewhere on his body. You try not to think to much about where they could be placed.

You finally bite the bullet and look down at your leg. “Fuck me.”

“How’s it looking?” You glance up to see Ghost towering over you. His hands are on his hips as he assesses your leg, but the fabric of your pants is making it hard to properly see the damage, even though your cargo pants are torn and bloodied where the bullet made contact with your body.

“Well, seeing that a bullet teared through the side of my thigh, my leg has seen better days.”

Ghost lets out a low chuckle, which you think you must have imagined. You must have lost too much blood; did he just laugh? That was also new. You’ve been on this task force for a little over two years, and despite what everyone would call you and Ghost’s acquaintanceship, borderline friendship, you’ve never heard the man chuckle, at least not at something you said. This mission is breaching all new kinds of territories for you both.

“Right. We need to get it cleaned, stitched and bandaged before it gets infected.” Ghost had already set down his pack by the fire place, so he goes back over there to retrieve the first aid kit.

“You’re not expecting me to take my pants off, are you?” Your question comes out breathy, the pain in your leg getting worse and you let out a low groan when you shift.

You think you hear a scoff fall from Ghost’s lips. “I can either cut your pants, so you’re left with only one pant leg, or, you can remove them and salvage what’s left.” When you hesitate to answer, he adds, “Don’t worry Swan, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Now it’s your turn to scoff. Typical man answer.

You cross your arms and think about your choices, well, lack of choices. Ghost is still turned from you, which allows the warmness that bloomed on your cheeks to reside. Now all that’s left is a scowl on your pretty face. Whether you’re scowling because of the effect Ghost’s words had on you, or the sucky situation you’re in, you don’t know.

Quite frankly, you don’t want to know. You can’t let yourself spiral into the abyss that harbors feelings for a certain 6’4 man; feelings that live at the bottom, just waiting to be unleashed. What you have going between the two of you is good, fine. Your quiet routine is the perfect balance between colleagues and friends, you can’t fuck it up now.

He turns around and makes his way over to you, his heavy boots rattle the floor and his tall stature intimidates you. You find that the small sparks start to ignite again and you hate yourself for it.

Damn you, Riley.

“So, what’s the verdict?” He’s back to looming over you, and you can’t tell if he’s doing it on purpose or not. His hands are back on his hips, as he awaits your answer.

Arms still crossed over your chest, you huff out, “Looks like I’m taking my pants off, Riley. Don’t enjoy it too much.”

He slightly shakes his head, but you can’t tell if he’s smiling or not because of the skull balaclava covering half his face. A part of you, buried deep down in that abyss, hopes that he is. But you’re only privy to his eyes. Which you’ve come to find hold all the weight of his emotions. You sometimes can’t help but get lost in them, trying to figure out all of the mysteries Ghost holds within him.

He turns around to give you some privacy, and takes off his jacket. You’re quick to remove your pants, wincing when the fabric brushes over your wound.

“You can turn around now.” Your quiet voice fills the room, and Ghost turns around slowly, and his jacket is clasped in his left hand. His eyes roam from your feet to your face, and you can’t help the warmth that spreads through you. He’s probably just assessing you to figure out how badly you’re actually hurt, but your heart can’t tell the difference, and it beats erratically in your chest.

You’ve haphazardly put your pants over your lower half, trying to cover yourself up, but it barely covers you. Ghost can still make out the top of your legs and the beginning of your underwear.

How embarrassing. The first time he see’s me in my underwear is in a grungy safehouse and I’m covered in dirt and blood.

He doesn’t say anything, and stretches his left hand out, his jacket swings towards you. You look up at him, brows furrowed and your mouth forms a slight pout. You don’t even have to ask before he’s muttering, “To cover up, your pants aren’t doing a great job and I’m sure you’re already cold.”

He locks eyes with you and you take the jacket from him, and your fingers briefly graze his, sparks getting brighter and brighter.

“Thank you, Riley.” He’s crouched down in front of you now, and you smile at him. You situate the jacket so it’s covering you up more, but leave the bullet wound uncovered so he can take care of it.

He looks massive even though he’s crouched on the floor in front of you. You’re still not taller than him even though you’re perched up on the couch. Your hands slightly twitch as you fight the urge to run them along his massive shoulders that are at the perfect height and distance for you to do so.

He takes his gloves off, and gets to work. When his hands first make contact with your skin, you slightly flinch. He glances up at you, and you smile sheepishly at him. “Cold hands.”

He lets out a grunt of understanding and gets back to cleaning the wound. Luckily the bullet wasn’t lodged in your skin so he didn’t have to go fishing for it, which would have hurt like a bitch.

You let out a hiss when the antiseptic touches your flesh, it stings so fucking bad and you’re trying not to cry. The last thing you want to do is cry in front of him, with no pants on.

Even though your leg is sizzling from the antiseptic, Ghost’s hands are gentle. One is holding your thigh, lightly grasping the inner part, as the other softly wipes the wound and blood surrounding it. You watch him as he continues and in no time, the wound is clean.

“You’re doing great little Swan, but here comes the hard part.”

You sigh and brace yourself for the stitching. You find yourself not caring if you cry anymore, you just want this to be over with. You’re cold, hungry and in pain and figure, there are worse things than to cry in front of him.

You don’t understand how someone with such big hands is so nimble and gentle, but Ghost sews you up quickly. There are tears in your waterline, on the precipice of trailing down your cheeks. One or two tears may have fallen, but you can’t recall because of the searing pain that courses through your outer thigh. The only evidence is the wetness that now coats your cheeks. If Ghost noticed, he didn’t say anything, which you’re grateful for.

He gives your leg a small pat, signaling that he’s done, then grabs the bandage. He wraps you up, and voices that you’re all set.

“Fuck, that was painful.” You sigh and rest your head back against the couch, forgetting that you’re pant-less, Ghost’s jacket doing wonders to keep your legs warm and cover your lower region.

Ghost stands, but before he walks away, you reach out a hand and lightly touch is wrist. Your small voice fills the room again, “Thank you, Riley.” The sincerity from you evident in your tired eyes.

Once again, his eyes lock on yours and he gives you a small nod, before heading to the bathroom to wash up. You take this as his way of giving you privacy to put your pants back on, which you do carefully, trying not to upset your wound.

Once you’re dressed you lay back on the couch. You close your eyes, his jacket draped over you. You remind yourself to return it to him, he must feel cold in his short sleeve shirt. I’m just going to close my eyes for a minute.

*~*~*~*

The next thing you feel are your shoulders shaking. Then screaming. Who’s screaming? The shaking and screaming don’t stop and you feel yourself start to cry, worried about what’s going on.

“Y/n? Y/n, wake up!”

Huh?

You jolt awake, and only then do you realize it was you screaming bloody murder, and Ghost was shaking your shoulders to wake you from your night terror.

When you sat up, the blanket that was on top of you fell halfway off the couch. Wait, blanket? Since when did I have a blanket over me?

You’re breathing heavy and place your head in your hands, trying to hide the tears streaming down your face. Ghost is beside you, crouched on the floor and his hand rubs your back. Up down, up down. The feeling relaxes you momentarily, but you still feel on edge, your nightmare still prevalent in your mind.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Your voice croaks, and you wearily glance at Ghost, who’s eyes are already on you. One might say they hold concern in them.

“You did, but don’t worry about it, seriously. I just want to make sure you’re ok.” His hand continues to stroke your back, and he reaches his other to softly push back the hairs that cover your face, tucking the strands behind your ear.

You groan, and wipe your eyes, feeling embarrassed yet again. You’re still trembling from your dream, not able to shake the feeling. The nightmares only started a few months ago but they don’t come every night. They’re sporadic, which makes them feel scarier because you never know when you’re going to be hit with one.

Ghost lets you calm down, your breathing is back to normal now, but you’re still sniffling and avoiding his eye.

He stands up, and before you can voice out another apology, he softly says, “Come here.” And before you can fully process what he said, you feel his warm hands grasp you under your armpits and he lifts you up, pulling you against him. He shifts his hand so its resting under your thigh and signals with his other to wrap your legs around his waist. You lay your arms around his neck and rest your head on his shoulder. Much to your chagrin, you’re still sniffling like a fool, and you let out a sigh. His embrace pulls you down like an anchor and you no longer feel like you’re treading through a flood of murky water. It calms and clears, and feels alleviating.

“You’re breaking my heart, little Swan.” Your only reply is tightening your arms around his neck.

He carries you to the bedroom, where he must have been before you woke him and lays you down in the spot where he was previously. You only know because it’s still warm and smells like him.

He climbs in after you and lays on his side to face you. You still look distressed, but much better than before.

It’s only when you drift your eyes up to his that you notice his mask is off. You notice a small cut near his eye. Reaching your hand out, you cup his face and your thumb glides back and forth over the cut. “You should have told me you got this.”

You feel the bed shift when he shrugs, “Didn’t want you to worry.” His deep voice pierces through you, poking the embers that rest at the bottom of your stomach.

Typical. “I always worry about you.” Your eyes flit to his as you confess this.

“Not as much as I worry about you.”

You bring your hand down to glide over his shoulder, then his down his bicep, then forearm. When you reach his hand, he intertwines your hand with his. His large hand almost completely swallows yours.

He pulls you closer to him, now there’s little to no space between you.

“It’s not a competition, Riley.”

“Simon, call me Simon.” He cups your face, then closes the distance between you and captures your lips with his.

#simon riley x reader #simon “ghost” riley #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost x reader #ghost fanfic #ghost fic #simon riley fanfic #simon riley fic #hurt/comfort #ghost fluff #mw2 ghost #hurt/comfort au #ghost cod #cod fanfic #ghost cod x reader #ghost cod fanfic

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will80sbyers · 5 months

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Do you still have the list of movies that inspired ST4? I had a picture of it but I lost it and I haven't been able to find it since. Please and thank you in advance.

Yep!

Long post warning lol

300

2001: A Space Odyssey

47 Meters Down: Uncaged

12 Monkeys

28 Days Later

13th Warrior

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Altered States

Amelie

American Sniper

Analyze This

Annihilation

Aristocats

Armageddon

Assassins Creed

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Arrival

Almost Famous

Batman Begins

Batman V. Superman

Basket Case

Battle at Big Rock

Beauty and the Beast

Beetlejuice

Behind Enemy Lines

Beverly Hills Cop

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey

Billy Madison

Black Cauldron

Black Swan

Boondock Saints

Borat

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Burn After Reading

Broken Arrow

Blade Runner

C.H.U.D

Con Air

Cast Away

Congo

Constantine

Children of Men

Cabin in the Woods

Crank

Casablanca

Carrie

Crimson Tide

Clueless

Dukes of Hazzard

Don’t Breathe

Death to Smoochy

Doom

Dark Knight

Dogma

Deep Blue Sea

Dreamcatcher

Drop Dead Fred

Die Hard

Die Hard 2

Die Hard 3

Don’s Plum

Dances with Wolves

Dumb and Dumber

Edward Scissorhands

Enter the Void

Ex Machina

Event Horizon

Emma (2020)

Forrest Gump

Fargo

Fisher King

Full Metal Jacket

Ferris Bueller

Fallen

Fugitive

Ghost

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Ghostbusters

Good Fellas

Girl Interrupted

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Get Out

Good Will Hunting

Hackers

High Fidelity

Hellraiser 1

Hellraiser 2

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hidden

High School Musical

Hurt Locker

Heat

Hunger Games

Highlander

Hell or High Water

Home Alone

I am Legend

It’s a Wonderful Life

In Cold Blood

Inception

I am a Fugitive from Chain Gang

Inside Out

Island of Doctor Moreau

It Follows

Interview with a Vampire

Inner Space

Into the Spiderverse

Independence Day

Jupiter Ascending

John Carter of Mars

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

James Bond (All Movies)

Julie

Karate Kid

Knives Out

Kingsmen

Little Miss Sunshine

Labyrinth

Long Kiss Goodnight

Lost Boys

Leon: The Professional

Let the Right One In

Little Women (1994)

Mad Max: Fury Road

Magnolia

Men in Black

Mimic

Matrix

Misery

My Cousin Vinny

Mystic River

Minority Report

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Neverending Story

Never Been Kissed

No Country for Old Men

Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

North by Northwest

Open Water

Orange County

Oceans 8

Oceans 11

Oceans 12

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Ordinary People

Paddington 2

Platoon

Pulp Fiction

Papillon

Pan’s Labyrinth

Pineapple Express

Peter Pan

Princess Bride

Paradise Lost

Primal Fear

Prisoners

Peter Jackson’s King Kong

Reservoir Dogs

Ravenous

Rushmore

Road Warrior

Rogue One

Reality Bites

Raider of the Lost Ark

Red Dragon

Robocop

Shooter

Sky High

Swingers

Sword in the Stone

Step Up 2

Spy Kids

Saving Private Ryan

Shape of Water

Swept Away

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Superbad

Society

Swordfish

Stoker

Splice

Silence of the Lambs

Source Code

Sicario

Se7en

Starship Troopers

Scrooged

Splash

Silver Bullet

Speed

The Visit

The Italian Job

The Mask of Zorro

True Lies

The Blair Witch Project

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Tangled

The Craft

The Guest

The Devil’s Advocate

The Graduate

The Prestige

The Rock

Titanic

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Fly

Tombstone

The Mummy

The Guardian

The Goofy Movie

The Peanut Butter Solution

Toy Story 4

The Ring

The Crazies

The Mist

The Revenant

The Perfect Storm

The Shining

Terminator 2

The Truman Show

Temple of Doom

The Cell

To Kill a Mockingbird

Timeline

The Good Son

The Orphan

The Birdcage

The Green Mile

The Raid

The Cider House Rules

The Lighthouse

The Book of Henry

The A-Team

The Crow

The Terminal

Thor Ragnarok

Twister

The Descent

The Birds

Total Recall

The Natural

The Fifth Element

True Romance

Terminator: Dark Fate

The Hobbit Trilogy

Unforgiven

Unbreakable

Unleashed

Very Bad Things

Wayne’s World

What Women Want

War Dogs

Wedding Crashers

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

Welcome to the Dollhouse

Welcome to Marwen

Wet Hot American Summer

What Lies Beneath

What Dreams May Come

War Games

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Weird Science

Willow

Wizard of Oz

Wanted

Young Sherlock Holmes

You’ve Got Mail

Zodiac

Zoolander

#stranger things #ask #st4 #st4 movies

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ltash · 4 months

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Ethereal

Part two "Thirst"

Link to Part 1 in the end.

Ghost x Vampire Hybrid, Ghost x female reader

When Ghost crossed paths with you, a vampire hybrid in the frozen Russian Tundra. Little did he know you are hiding a secret within.

18+, MDNI.

I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone."

He laid you very gently on the fur rug beside the fireplace, the warmth from the flames contrasting sharply with the icy chill that had seeped into your bones. Your clothes, little more than rags, clung to your ethereal form, hinting at the delicate beauty beneath.

Ghost removed his sniper and gloves, setting them aside with deliberate care. His puffer jacket followed, discarded in his haste to help you. You were completely unconscious, your breaths shallow and labored.

Slowly, he began to remove your makeshift shoes, his touch as gentle as possible. The old shawl followed, then the layers of rags you had wrapped around yourself for warmth. With each layer removed, he searched for the source of your bleeding, his hands steady despite the urgency of the situation.

He continued to remove every piece of clothing you wore, his movements slow and gentle, as if handling the most delicate of treasures. When he finally removed your chemise, the sight before him made his jaw drop. Your body was a masterpiece, sculpted by the hands of a higher being, a work of art so perfect it seemed almost unreal.

Your milky white complexion was so pure that he feared even touching you might sully it. In all his military years, Ghost had seen many women, but none came close to your ethereal beauty. The firelight danced across your flawless skin, setting it ablaze with a soft, warm glow.

"Steaming Jesus," he murmured, unable to tear his eyes away from the vision before him. Your tiniest waist gave way to a mound of soft breasts, adorned with tiny pink nipples, and the perfect V shape of your most sensitive part. The sight was both breathtaking and humbling, a stark contrast to the harsh, brutal world he was so accustomed to.

He gently placed his rough hand below your belly button, his touch sending shivers down his spine. You were colder than the snow outside, your body delicate and petite. Your neck, like a swan's, arched gracefully, and your collarbones were razor-sharp.

For a moment, he looked away, a sense of reverence and respect overwhelming him. There wasn't even a spot of peach fuzz on your body, your skin as smooth and unblemished as porcelain.

Ghost held your freezing cold hand in his own, marveling at its beauty. Your hands were so delicate, with thin fingers and long pink nails, a stark contrast to his own calloused palms. He squeezed your hand gently, willing some warmth to seep into your chilled body.

His gaze drifted to the wound on the curve of your side, just above your hip bone. It was a stark reminder of the danger you had faced, the fragility of life in this unforgiving landscape.

The sight of it made his heart clench. The bullet had torn through your lower abdomen, leaving a gaping, bloody hole. Ghost's fingers traced the edges of your wound. Gathering his composure, Ghost refocused on the task at hand. He knew he had to treat your wound and keep you warm to ensure your survival.

He worked quickly, cleaning the wound with the supplies from his medical kit, applying pressure to stem the bleeding.

His mind raced with thoughts of how fragile you seemed, how someone so delicate could survive in such a harsh environment. The firelight danced across your platinum hair, your pale skin almost luminescent in the glow.

Ghost took out the stitching thread and needle, his hands steady despite the gravity of the situation. With you already unconscious, there was no need to numb the area. Gently, he cleaned your wound with alcohol, half-expecting a reaction from you, but you remained still and unresponsive. He knew you were in a deep sleep, your body exhausted from the ordeal.

The first prick of the needle made your muscles twitch, and Ghost glanced at your face, but you didn't stir. As he continued to stitch your wound, he couldn't help but notice a small stream of tears cascading down your beautiful face. You were still passed out, but tears flowed from your eyes, a silent reminder that you were indeed feeling pain.

His heart clenched at the sight, a surge of empathy washing over him. He worked quickly, his movements as gentle as possible as he closed the wound. With each stitch, his heart broke with the determination to ease your suffering and help you heal.

As he finished stitching and bandaging your wound, he wiped away the tears from your cheeks, his touch light and tender. Despite the storm raging outside and the uncertainty of your situation, Ghost found solace in the knowledge that he had done everything he could to care for you.

Ghost knew that getting you to proper medical care was critical, but for now, his priority was keeping you stable and warm. He wrapped you in the thickest blankets he could find, ensuring you were as comfortable as possible.

He sat beside you, his eyes filled with a mixture of awe and determination. "You're safe now," he whispered, his voice soft yet resolute. "I'll make sure you get through this."

With one final glance at your sleeping form, he vowed to remain by your side until you woke, ready to provide whatever support and comfort you needed. In the midst of the chaos and danger of the tundra, he found himself drawn to you, captivated by your beauty and resilience.

As he sat by your side, his hand resting lightly on your belly, Ghost felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him. You were in his care now, and he would do everything in his power to keep you safe and help you heal.

The storm continued to rage outside, but inside the lodge, a fragile peace settled over you both. Ghost remained vigilant, his senses attuned to any change in your condition. He was determined to see you through this ordeal, no matter the cost.

As Ghost sat with you, his hand resting gently on your soft, icy-cold belly, he felt a deep sense of confusion and worry settle over him. Despite his efforts to warm you and tend to your wounds, your body temperature remained unnervingly low.

Minutes turned into an hour, yet there was no sign of improvement. Your skin still felt cold to the touch, your breaths shallow and labored. Ghost's mind raced with questions and doubts. What had he done wrong? Had he missed something crucial in his efforts to help you?

Desperation gnawed at him as he gently took your feet in his hands, rubbing them in an attempt to generate some warmth. But still, there was no change. Your body remained cold and unresponsive, a silent testament to the severity of your condition.

Ghost felt a surge of frustration and helplessness wash over him. He had trained for countless scenarios, faced danger and adversity head-on, but nothing had prepared him for this. The realization that he might not be able to save you was a bitter pill to swallow.

Realizing that his only option left was to give you his own body heat, Ghost felt a wave of reluctance wash over him. The thought of it made him blush, but he knew he had no other choice. Your life depended on it.

With a deep sigh, he gently peeled off his clothes, starting with his puffer jacket, then his T-shirt, leaving him in just his cargo pants. He hesitated for a moment, the gravity of what he was about to do settling over him.

Gathering his resolve, Ghost slid under the blanket beside you. He carefully nestled your head on his arm before wrapping his other arm around your petite figure, drawing you close. Your cold body pressed against his warm skin, the stark contrast sending a shiver through him.

You instinctively nestled into him, seeking the warmth he offered. Your soft breasts pressed against his chest, a reminder of your delicate beauty even in this dire situation. Ghost's heart raced, but he focused on the task at hand, pushing aside any awkwardness or discomfort.

He held you tightly, his body heat gradually seeping into yours, willing warmth and life back into your cold limbs. His hand gently rubbed your back, trying to stimulate circulation and generate more heat. He whispered reassurances, his breath warm against your ear.

"Stay with me," he murmured softly. "You're going to be okay."

He laid there, taking in your breathtaking beauty. The firelight cast a soft glow on your slightly agape lips, and the remnants of tears clung to your eyelashes, giving them a glistening sheen. Every detail of your face was a marvel to him, a mix of vulnerability and ethereal grace.

Ghost gently stroked your arm, his touch tender and soothing. He watched the rise and fall of your chest, feeling a sense of profound responsibility and protectiveness wash over him. You seemed so fragile in his arms, a stark contrast to the harshness of the world outside.

His eyes traced the curve of your face, the delicate arch of your eyebrows, and the softness of your features. The warmth of his body slowly transferred to yours, and he felt a flicker of hope as your skin began to lose its icy chill.

"You're safe now," he whispered softly, his voice barely audible over the crackling of the fire. "I won't let anything happen to you."

As he held you, his mind wandered to the circumstances that had brought you together. The tundra, the storm, the shot that had connected your fates in such an unexpected way. He wondered who you were, what your story was, and how you had ended up alone in this desolate place.

But for now, those questions could wait. His priority was keeping you alive and ensuring you recovered. He continued to gently stroke your arm, offering comfort and warmth, determined to stay by your side for as long as it took.

The storm outside raged on, but inside the lodge, there was a fragile sense of peace. Ghost remained vigilant, his heart and mind focused on the fragile, beautiful being in his arms, resolved to protect and care for you through the long, cold night.

Minutes turned into hours as Ghost lay there, his body wrapped around yours, providing the life-saving warmth you so desperately needed. Slowly, he began to feel a slight increase in your body temperature, a faint but hopeful sign that his efforts were not in vain.

The comms and evac had completely slipped from Ghost's mind as he became lost in you. Your fragile beauty and the urgency of your condition consumed his every thought. He didn't know when he drifted into a deep slumber, his arms wrapped protectively around your delicate form.

Soft whimpers woke him up. His eyes fluttered open, and he quickly focused on you. Your face was contorted in pain, and you whimpered softly in your sleep. The sight tugged at his heart, filling him with a renewed sense of urgency.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice soothing and gentle as he stroked your hair. "You're safe. I'm here."

He shifted slightly, ensuring you were still enveloped in his warmth. The fire had died down a bit, so he reached out carefully to add more wood, stoking the flames back to life. The renewed warmth radiated through the room, adding to the cocoon of heat around you.

Ghost checked your bandaged wound, relieved to see that it was still clean and not bleeding. He could feel your skin had warmed up slightly, but he knew you still had a long way to go.

As he held you closer, he murmured soft reassurances, his breath warm against your ear. "It's going to be okay. Just hang in there."

Your whimpers gradually subsided, and he felt you relax slightly in his arms. Ghost continued to hold you, his thoughts solely focused on your recovery. The outside world and his mission faded into the background; all that mattered now was keeping you safe and helping you heal.

Throughout the night, Ghost remained vigilant, occasionally drifting into light sleep but always alert to any sign of change in your condition. He knew the road to recovery would be long and uncertain, but he was committed to seeing you through it.

The morning sun shone through the windows, casting a warm, golden light into the lodge. The storm had gradually subsided, leaving a serene stillness in its wake. You opened your eyes slowly, the brightness making you blink as you tried to focus.

Your first sensation was warmth. You were wrapped in thick blankets, and the crackling fire nearby added to the comforting heat.

A gasp escaped your lips as you sat up abruptly, the blanket sliding down to reveal your bare breasts. The sharp pain in your lower belly made you wince, your trembling hand moving instinctively toward the bandage. The sudden movement brought a flood of memories, a flashback of the moment you got shot.

Instinctively, you covered your breasts with your long hair, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment and confusion.

You heard heavy footsteps approaching. Your eyes darted toward the figure emerging from the shadows. As he stepped into the light, you took in every detail, from the combat boots to the tight black cargo pants that clung to his muscular thighs. His black T-shirt strained against the rugged contours of his chest and arms, barely containing his powerful physique. The large biceps looked capable of snapping tree trunks, and a tattoo sleeve covered his left arm with intricate designs. He was tall, imposing, and exuded a raw, brute strength.

Your gaze traveled upwards until you met the shiny skull mask covering his face, with a black balaclava beneath it. His chocolate-brown eyes stared down at you through the holes of the mask, piercing and intense. You had never encountered a human like this before, let alone such a behemoth of a man. Despite your hybrid nature, his presence intimidated you deeply.

A gasp escaped your lips, and you recoiled, pulling the blanket tighter around yourself. It wasn't just fear that made you retreat—it was his scent. It hit your nose with an irresistible allure, awakening a thirst for human blood you had never felt before. Your instincts screamed at you, but you fought against them, struggling to maintain control.

"Who are you?" you whispered, your voice barely audible as you tried to steady your breathing. The allure of his scent was almost overpowering, and you found it difficult to focus.

Ghost noticed your reaction and took a step back, giving you some space. "I'm Ghost," he said softly, his voice deep and resonant even through the mask. "I found you in the snowstorm. You were injured, and I brought you here to help."

You noticed his thick British accent, the husky tone of his voice adding an air of mystery and authority. It was unlike any way people spoke English in your town, let alone you, as you were Russian.

"Who are you, if I may ask?" he inquired, tilting his head slightly and crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"I-I am Aurora," you replied, your voice shaky but sincere.

"What were you doing in the snowstorm, Aurora? Where is your family?" His interrogative nature came to the surface, his questions probing yet not unkind.

"I-I have no one," you stammered, feeling the weight of the truth in your words. "I live across the lake. I was trying to hunt."

"Hunt? In that heavy snowstorm?" He cocked an eyebrow, skepticism evident in his tone. "Look at yourself. Are you made for hunting?" He stepped closer, then knelt on one knee in front of you.

You felt a rush of emotions as he put his gloved fingers under your chin, gently lifting your face to meet his gaze. His chocolate-brown eyes locked onto your icy blue ones, a mixture of curiosity and something deeper flickering in his gaze.

"I have never seen anyone like you, Aurora," he said, his voice softening slightly. There was a genuine marvel in his words, as if he was looking at something rare and precious.

The intensity of his presence was overwhelming, yet you couldn't look away. Despite the layers of fear and uncertainty, you felt a strange connection, a sense of being seen in a way you never had before.

"Thank you," you whispered, your voice barely audible. "For saving me."

He nodded, his fingers lingering under your chin for a moment longer before he let go. "You're safe now," he reassured you. "But you need to rest and recover. We'll figure out the rest together."

You took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside you. Despite the primal thirst gnawing at you, there was a sense of safety in his presence. His scent, while intoxicating, also brought a strange comfort.

The exhaustion from the previous night finally catching up with you. Despite the fear and confusion, there was a growing sense of trust. As Ghost settled back, his watchful eyes never straying far from you, you allowed yourself to relax, feeling a fragile hope for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

To be continued...

Link to part 1

No reuploads or reproduction of my works allowed, reblogs are welcomed.

#cod ghost #ghost call of duty #ghost cod #simon ghost riley #simon riley #call of duty #modern warfare #modern warfare 2 #ghost x reader #ghost x y/n #ghost x you #simon riley x you #simon ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #simon ghost x you #simon ghost smut #simon ghost fluff #ghost smut

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undying-lilies · 3 months

Text

hehe. them

#inspired by a drabble my friend wrote about them that was very very cute #🤲 them #sniper swan #star wars #bad batch crosshair #bultar swan #lilies art #let’s ignore how crosshair’s facing the wrong side 💀😂

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bluegalaxygirl · 9 months

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Wild Flower (Zosan X Reader) P3

Plot: While doing recon for the crew, reader's snake gets captured by a marine who knows more about her than her own crew but to make matters worse he can hurt reader through her Snake using some strange powers and deadly plants.

Warning: Bad language, Making out, Sickness, Violence, Blood and Snakes

Reader is female and has the ability to control Snakes that come form tattoo's on her arms, she can change the size of them and see through their eyes but they are also connected to her emotions. Zoro X Sanji X Reader, poly relationship, established relationship.

P1 - P2 - P4 - P5 - P6 - P7 - P8 - Bonus

The battle outside the marine base was over with making Luffy sigh with frustration "It's over already?" The captain whines making Nami sigh, she goes to yell at him when a burning smell hits her nose, turning in the direction of the smell part of the marine base has black smoke rising from it, and she can tell right away that its Sanji's and Zoro's doing. "Nami-Swan" The navigator jumps a little at the sudden voice taking her eyes away from the smoke to see Sanji holding his bleeding shoulder while running up to them followed by Zoro, your injured snake being held close to the swordsman's chest. "Oh my god what happened?" Nami yells only to be cut off by Zoro "We need to get back to the ship now" The swordsman yells out gripping onto Sanji's hand hoping that the cook doesn't stop to talk to Nami, luckily he didn't they both ran past their crew heading for the sunny, the others soon following getting away from the now burning marine base. "What happened?" Franky asks running next to Zoro noticing his mixed emotions of anger, sadness and slight distress, the swordsman didn't answer though just tried to focus on keeping close to the crew and making their way back to you. "Hay, should we get out of here captain?" Jinbe yells out from the ship waving his hands at the crew running towards the sunny, a blaze of smoke and fire filling the sky behind them. Making it onto the ship, Luffy nod letting Nami take over in getting the ship ready to leave and telling the others what to do.

Sanji lets go of Zoro's hand as the two run to the medical room only to be stopped by Usopp who holds his arms out to block their way "Out of the way" The two yell skidding to a stop as to not slam into the sniper, peeking his eye open Usopp lets out a relieved sigh happy that the two didn't crash into him or shove him out of the way "Y/n's fine but Chopper sent me out to grab the snake, its needs treatment before going back and second she's on high pain meds so-" Before the sniper can say more Sanji pushes past the sniper throwing away his cigarette and clutching onto his bleeding shoulder while Zoro hands over your passed out snake to Usopp "Be careful" The swordsman states walking past the long nosed man following Sanji into the medical room. Their heart's pound in their chests scared to find out what shape your in but the two are surprised to find you awake, your chest and stomach bandaged up but your breathing on your own and you look a lot better despite your red and lump covered arm. "Oh baby, i'm so sorry" Zoro rushes over placing his hand on your head letting his thumb stroke your hair while his other hand runs over your bandages, you turn to look at him with a smile feeling dopey at best thanks to the pain medication Chopper gave you "Zo, sorry for what?" you ask unsure of what he's talking about as you lift your good arm up to stoke his cheek. Sanji stood there frozen, he's glad you look better but didn't know what to say or do after finding out where you where from and how things went down there thanks to his family.

In a way he felt guilty for what happened at your home and the fact that if Germa 66 weren't distracted with attacking your home he never would have escaped onto the Orbit and got away from his family. He also felt responsible for you getting hurt, they had your snake, and they were ready to get out of there, but he just froze and now your suffering for his actions or lack there of. Usopp rushes into the room before placing your snake on the table where Chopper was working, the doctor looks over your snake before giving it an injection and starting to clean up the wound on its chest while Usopp turns to the two men "I was trying to say before that she's going to be a bit loopy with all the drugs" The sniper sighs watching as Zoro keeps apologizing to you but you still don't seem to understand why "I didn't think, i just swung at him and now your hurt" Zoro sighs placing his forehead against yours, moving your hand to your chest you feel the bandages and finally remember what happened "Oh! this? Its nothing... at least now we have matching scars" you whisper with a tired smile and slight laugh making the swordsman pull away in shock at your reaction to it "Like i said loopy" Usopp sighs patting Zoro on the shoulder the swordsman wincing a little in pain making the sniper panic "Oh shoot sorry" Usopp backs up now noticing the burnt sleeve and skin, his eyes shoot over to look at Sanji, the cook still frozen with his eyes fixed on the floor "C-Chopper, their hurt" Usopp pants a little walking over to Sanji to try and snap the blonde out of his thoughts while grabbing a towel and putting pressure on his bleeding shoulder.

Chopper jumps up looking the two over and noticing their both hurt so with your snake now stitched up he places it in a dish of the antidote for it to sock up in before turning to take care of his other crew mates. "Sanji, Sit down I'll fix you up" The doctor orders pointing to the chair next to his desk before grabbing a few things, Usopp takes Sanji's good arm and walks him over to the chair making him sit down and hold pressure on his wound. Chopper hands the sniper a cold gel pack before assessing and clean the slash wound on the cooks shoulder, Usopp sighs seeing the cook still out of it but heads over to Zoro strapping the pack to his burned arm. Finally, being able to see Sanji you look him over seeing his sad face and bleeding shoulder "What happened?" You ask keeping your eyes on the cook hoping he will look up and talk to you, everything at the moment was confusing but the blonde not giving you any kind of look or glance made your chest hurt. "We were supposed to sneak in and get your snake back but our captain had other plans" Zoro chuckles while stroking your hair, Usopp sighs though and shakes his head "Of course our captain always has to cause trouble" The sunny suddenly starts moving making Zoro and Sanji sigh in relief, they didn't want that marine following them back and hurting you or the crew. "I'm gonna go and help, try and sleep ok" Usopp smiles at you before walking out.

You smile back at him and give him a small wave only for Zoro to take your hand and bring it to his lips lightly kissing it "I'm really sorry baby, i got mad and attacked the guy... I couldn't stand him hurting you two" The swordsman sighs against your hand which you squeeze, even though your a little fuzzy on things you know he would never hurt you. "We got your snake back, that's all that matters" The cook finally states as Chopper stitches up his shoulder, looking over you smile at him but the cook refuses to meet your eye instead staring at the floor "My snake? You got my snake back?" You ask tears of joy filling your eyes, the swordsman wipes some away before kissing your head "Thank you.. Thank you so much" You lean up placing a kiss on the green haired man's cheek relief flowing through you. Chopper wraps Sanji's shoulder up before turning to check on your snake, its still passed out but its temperature has gone down and its breathing is back to normal "Its fine now but I'd leave it out for as long as you can so it can keep soaking up the antidote if thats ok?" The doctor asks hopping off the chair and heading over to the bed to check on Zoro's arm "Thank you Chopper" a large smile forms on your face as the doctor lifts up the cold pack on Zoro's arm to see the burn, he nods with a smile before putting it back down and patting Zoro's shoulder "Your all good, just keep that on for the rest of the day and don't pick at it"

The swordsman nods patting Chopper on the head before the doctor heads off back to his desk to look after your snake. A wave of relief and happiness flowing through you knowing that your snake and your two boys are ok, that there with you and will stay with you "Thank you for bringing it back" You smile reaching your good hand up to rub the swordsman's cheek who smiles at you taking your hand and giving it a kiss, "Thank you Sanji" You smile over at the cook who still refuses to look at you, it hurt wondering if you did something wrong or if something happened but you just wanted him to look at you, at least once. "Hay Chopper, do you mind giving us a minute?" The swordsman asks getting the doctor to look at him, the reindeer's eyes scan the situation before nodding and taking the dish with your snake in it and some equipment to the kitchen closing the door behind him. A pit forms in your stomach feeling the heavy tension forming in the room, Zoro sighs and turns to look at the cook leaning back in his chair while keeping a hold of your hand, "What he said-" the swordsman's cut off by Sanji who tightens his fists on his lap "Don't.... I-I don't want to talk about it... not now" The cook sighs loosening his grip and letting his shoulders relax. Zoro growls going to yell when you squeeze his hand giving him a look that begs him not to start a fight.

Sanji stands up and walks over to the end of the bed finally looking up to meet your eyes, their sad and full of worry it makes your heart ache. "We can talk about it later, when your better and less drugged up. I'm glad your ok but you should get some sleep" Sanji reaches his hand down and pats your covered leg before heading to the door, your eyes tear up not wanting him to go, you want to know what's wrong. Someone said something that made him upset but he's only upset with you. Why? "Sanji, hay you can't just leave" Zoro jumps up grabbing the cooks arm who pulls it away glaring at the swordsman, he goes to yell at the green haired man when sniffing caught his ears turning to see you trying to sit up while tears fall down your face "What's going on? Did i do something wrong?" you ask wincing in pain, shocked Sanji rushes over and places his hands on your shoulders trying to make you lay back down while Zoro places his hand on your head forcing it back onto the pillow before placing a kiss on your forehead "No baby, you did nothing wrong" he whispers against your skin trying to control the anger welling up from inside. Gripping onto Sanji's shirt you can't help but cry not wanting him to leave "What ever i did, i'm sorry. I'm really sorry" Panting the cook shakes his head trying to get his thoughts together, his heart breaks hearing you cry your hand grabbing tight stopping him from pulling away. "Y-you didn't do anything wrong" The cook states trying to calm you down.

He didn't mean to hurt you, he just couldn't understand why you would still be with him after what his family did to your home. That day during the attack on your home he was there, he made his escape and left never looking back, he didn't try and stop his family from destroying your home and killing your people, he just ran and went to start a new life. He tried to think of reasons why your still with him like maybe you didn't know who attacked your home or maybe you were too young to remember, so he didn't want to say anything and risk losing you. He also couldn't wrap his head around the fact that if you did know then why are you with him? Was it somehow a way to get back at him or his family? if so then why did you come to get him when he left you and Zoro to get married off? You stepped foot inside the castle but you did no damage to it or his family. "Why? Why won't you look at me" you cried out looking up at the cook who still refused to meet your eye instead focusing on your wrapped up torso. "Sanji" Zoro grabs the cooks good shoulder snapping him out of his thoughts, the angry swordsman glaring at the blonde but soon his expression softens noticing his watery eyes that soon start letting tears falling down his cheeks. "Come on, Just tell her" The swordsman sighs moving the chair so the cook can sit next to you, with slight hesitation the blonde nods giving in and sitting in the chair taking your hand off his shirt to hold it.

Wiping your tears away you look over at the cook happy that he deiced to stay but you can tell by the look on his face that he feels guilty for something. Sanji doesn't speak he can't bring himself to say something in case it makes you leave him but you reach your hand up wiping away some of his tears his eyes meeting yours at the feeling "Don't leave me" You whisper making Sanji gasp at your words and the way your voice breaks, his hand squeezes yours as he leans in closer placing his other hand on your cheek running his thumb over your soft skin "I'm sorry my Love, I won't leave you i- i just don't want to hurt you, your already hurt enough" The cook relaxes a little when feeling Zoro place his hand on his back giving it light rubs of encouragement "I think your the one hurting" You whisper leaning into his hand desperate to feel his touch. The cook sits there for a moment knowing your right, he was hurting, but he didn't want to bring up old memories for you. "The marine he.. he told me your home is Cozia" Sanji looks into your eyes as you look back your hand squeezing his while looking a little confused "It is, why?" fear hit him at your question, he didn't want to be the one to tell you what his family did to your home and your people, but he was shocked by your hand meeting his cheek lightly running your thumb under his eye to wipe away the last of his tears "Is it because Germa 66 attacked it?" you ask now realizing why your cook was upset, you know his family has done some bad stuff but that doesn't mean he's also responsible for it.

Zoro gives you a smile and lightly pats Sanji's back, he had a feeling you wouldn't hate Sanji because his family attacked your home but it seems the cook needed to hear you say it. Jumping a little in shock Sanji's stutters, his eyes wide not understanding why you would still be with him if you knew. "Y-Y/n, My family attacked your home, t-they burned it and killed your people. T-The Vinsmoke's did that, my family did that... h-how do you not hate me?" Sanji leans back a little placing a hand on his heart not understanding why your so calm about this, why would you love him if you knew this whole time? Your eyes soften while grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him back down to you. "How could i hate you? Yes, your family attacked my home but you didn't." You try to reassure him but the cook shakes his head still not fully understanding "I-I was there... That day i managed to escape, i left and didn't help, in fact i was happy for the distraction" Sanji's eyes lock with yours, he expected them to change into anger or hate, but they didn't, they stayed full of love and understanding as your hand runs over his cheek "You were just a child, you couldn't have done anything to stop it. I don't blame you for anything, Sanji... I'm glad you got away from them and i'm so glad i have you in my life" You sigh running your thumb over his cheek, Sanji lets a few more tears fall while trying to find any doubt in your eyes but you just wipe his tears away for him letting his mind try and figure things out.

After a short silence Sanji sniffles a little trying to gain some kind of composure before speaking again "I don't understand, how could you love me after what my family did?" The cook asks his heart racing in his chest ready to hear rejection or that you in fact don't love him but your sweet smile grows lighting up his chest "Your not your family, Sanji" Cupping his face in your hands you manage to lean up a little to place a light kiss on his lips "Your just my Sanji" you smile whispering against his lips while keeping your eyes locked on his, his eyes soften as he relaxes into you moving his hands to your waist, relief wash's over him, but he also felt stupid for thinking you were any less than loving "I'm sorry my Love, i-i just don't want you to leave me, I love you" Sanji holds back the tears as you smile up at him "I will never leave you... I love you" you whisper placing your lips on his again this time though the cook returns the kiss lightly pressing into you. Zoro sighs pinching the bridge of his nose glad its over with, he knows Sanji's family has always been a hard topic for the cook but some times he wishes the blonde would just tell them what's going on and not hide it away. Pulling away from the kiss Sanji gives you a small smile before turning to look at the slightly annoyed swordsman "Sorry for all this and urm.... Freezing back there" The cook sighs but keeps his smile seeing the Swordsman relax placing a hand on his head before leaning down "Yea you better be sorry, i wish you would just tell me what's going on in that thick skull of yours" You can't help but let out a laugh at Sanji's slightly pissed off face as he stands out of his chair "Yea well i didn't charge in head first without thinking"

The two bicker a bit while you lay there just looking at them giggling to yourself hearing them throw stupid nicknames at each other as a last resort while pressing their foreheads together. "Stupid moss head" Sanji growls glaring at the swordsman, but he can't help how his eye's flicker to the mans lips, "Shitty cook" Zoro give a cocky smile even with slightly angry eyes noticing the way the blonde looks at his lips. Before Sanji can reply Zoro crashes his lips onto the cooks grabbing the back of the blondes head to stop him from going anywhere while shoving his tongue past the cooks lips. Sanji's eyes widen in slight surprise before leaning into it and letting out a slight moan moving his tongue and lips with Zoro's his hand running up the green haired man's arm to his neck. You smile watching the two, you knew this would happen, it always does when things get a bit too intense or after a battle that wasn't satisfying enough for them. Zoro soon pulls away panting slightly as he looks down at the red cheeked cook before his eye shifted to you giving you a cocky smile "Like the show baby?" He asks giving you a wink which you slightly blush at "I can't help it when i see my two handsome boys having fun" Sanji turns to you with a smile taking your hand and kissing your knuckles "You flatter us my love". Zoro steps closer to the bed leaning down while placing his hand beside your head his lips lightly grazing yours before pressing his lips to yours, the kiss was more gentle than normal so you lean up a little to deepen it while lightly biting his lower lip.

Zoro chuckles focusing your head back down onto the pillow while shoving his tongue into your mouth "Zo, be gentle" Sanji glares but stops when you let a hum of satisfaction your hand squeezing the cooks to tell him it's ok. The swordsman hums back letting his tongue meet yours as he kisses your lips giving you short breaks in between kisses so you can catch your breath easily, the sloppy kisses slowly turn into small kisses then pecks before he stops fully looking at your tired but happy face "I'm really sorry baby, I'll do what ever it take to make it up to you" Zoro states running his hand over your bandages chest and stomach "Zo, you didn't mean too, you were just trying to stop the guy, plus you got my snake back that more than makes up for anything" You smile up at him leaning up and placing a quick kiss on his lips before laying back down. Sanji runs his fingers over your knuckles his eyes filled with love as he looks at his two lovers "You should rest love, i need to start dinner before Luffy freaks out" the cook goes to pull away when you grip his hand harder "Wait... Don't i get a kiss?" You ask putting on a fake pout and sad eyes as Zoro leans back holding in his laughter by covering his mouth with his hand, Sanji's eyes widen before he rushes closer and cups your face "Oh mi amour, i'm so sorry please forgive me" He knows your faking, but he can't help himself when you look like that, so cute yet so sad. You let a smile show and run your hand up his arm to his face pulling him closer so you kiss him.

Sanji's lips where light on yours so you move your hand to the back of his head running your fingers through his hair before pushing slightly telling him what you wanted. He hums in a tone asking if it's ok, to which you moan back almost in a begging way, giving in the blonde presses into you licking your lip before pushing his tongue into your slightly parted lips, a hum of satisfaction leaves your mouth making Sanji smile into the kiss. The cook pulls away too soon for your liking, but he places a kiss on your cheek then your neck feeling you relax back into the bed "I'll cook your favorite, how does that sound?" Sanji asks earning a large giddy smile from you "Your the best" The cook kisses your head before letting you go and heading to the kitchen, Zoro sits in the chair and takes your hand giving it light squeeze while his other hand goes through your hair "Get some sleep baby, i'm sure Sanji will wake us for dinner" The swordsman lays his head down on the bed hoping to take a nap with you before all the yelling for food starts. With a content smile you nod while lightly gripping his hand, starring up at the ceiling you let your eyes slowly close, sleep soon consuming you and the light snoring swordsman.

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bruciemilf · 1 year

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You’ve got me so obsessed with Kanes. Please drop any headcanons or literally anything to do with them at all If you ever feel like it <3

Always ready to scream about them!!

Kate is a child of divorce, but that's obvious enough

Expert marksman Jacob Kane my beloved <333 let the mf be a badass swordsman right now. Thought can you imagine him as a sniper?? ... Hooo, boy

Jake and Gabi are the Sunshine/grumpy trope, except they're both equally dangerous. They just split cause Martha’s death hit Jacob hard. He could barely be human, let alone married

In my mind, Jake is sharp and jagged and cut-throat, but also? Possibly the funniest little bitch on planet earth

The fatherly urge to focus on your nephew rather than your daughter. "You ruined my life!" "How can I ruin your life?! I wasn't even there!"

Whenever he refers to The Incident, Jacob almost never includes Thomas. It's always "after your mother's death," " When Martha died" like hooooly. Shakespeare couldn't write this drama

Seriously. Jake and Thomas hating eachother and Jake openly blaming him for the shooting. Can you imagine being little Bruce and hearing that?

Jacob wanting custody of Bruce almost immediately, but Alfred, grave serious, " Take him, and I'll kill us both." "Very well. No Waynes left to ruin this one"

Not to be edgy, but i adore The Boogeyman archetype in fiction; So many thinking that's Batman, for Gotham, but it's not. It's Jacob Kane.

Bruce still seeking out Jacob; He needs to be shaped. Needs to be fixed and broken, and from what he's seen in compromised military files, his uncle is the best at both

Jacob Kane is impossible to please; One hidden truth about Bruce is how subjective he is to validation. He wants to be a good hero, a good monster, a good soldier. And Jacob says if he can't be all three, what's the point?

Their training was...Harsh.

Bruce training in ballet for precision and dexterity; Still. He can't listen to Swan Lake without the weak phantom pain of frost bite aching in his feet, from many hours spent dancing in Russian snow

As you can imagine, Alfred and Jacob aren't too fond of eachother

Still. Golden Girls energy sjsjs "when I met you, I thought you were a huge slut and you wore too much eyeliner. I was wrong. You don't wear too much eyeliner"

Bruce makes sure to tell the Robins, even non verbally, that he's proud of them, because Jake never said it to him

But there was love there; It's obscure, and sneaky, and fleeting, but it was there.

Jacob could tell Bruce was Batman after a single fight, but it took him years to figure out Kate is Batwoman

#theyre so <3333 #ive been listening to eat your young by hozier and thinking abt jake and bruce.#bruce wayne #jacob kane #dc #dc comics #batman #text post #the waynes

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sanjisprincesswifey · 2 years

Text

"happy birthday"

summary: op boys wish you a happy birthday

♡: sanji, zoro, luffy, usopp, ace, sabo, & law x gender neutral reader (separately). 1,600+ words. sfw content.

soft music echoes across the sunny, the dim moonlight cascades over everyone as brook’s violin plays a gentle melody.

robin and franky, nami and usopp, and luffy and chopper had accompanied each other in a slow dance, each of them caught up in their own conversation.

you dreamily sigh, swaying to the music as you lean up against the railing.

“twirly cook coming this way,” zoro mumbles, taking a sip of his sake.

you greet sanji, smiling at him as he balances down on one knee and holds his hand out for you to accept. “would you accompany me in a dance, my y/n-swan?” he asks, with huge pleading puppy dogs.

you can’t help but giggle as you nod your head, accepting his hand. “yes, of course, sanji,” you chuckle as he guides you down the stairs and onto the main lawn.

he’s quick to lead, wrapping an arm around your waist and taking the other one in his. sanji delicately guides you, spinning you around, as you pass by the others dancing.

as the music reaches its climax, sanji dips you down pressing his forehead against yours. “happy birthday, my love,” he mumbles against your lips.

you lazily groan, shifting in bed realizing you were near almost knocked off. unfortunately, zoro’s broad shoulders don’t leave you with much room in your shared bed. you attempt to shift slightly, to gain a better sleeping position, but the sudden movement causes zoro to stir in his sleep.

you can feel the bed swing beneath you, as you grab on for life after your boyfriend insisted on sleeping on the top bunk. he shifts once more and, in slow motion, you fall from the bunk onto the wood floor.

“ouch,” you groan, rubbing your head where a bump is sure to form.

“hmm? y/n? what’re you doing on the floor?” zoro asks you, leaning his head over the edge to look at you. you annoyingly glare at him from the floor before you stand up and reach your hand up for him to take, which he does.

“i don’t know zoro, i just love it down there,” you sarcastically remark before you climb back into bed with him. you settle yourself on top of his chest, nuzzling into his muscled pecs with a smile.

“you’re so weird,” zoro says, wrapping his arms around you and holding you close to him. “but i love that about you. happy birthday,” he murmurs before dozing off back to sleep.

you gasp, never having heard him say those words to you before. hearing his light snores, you decide it’s best to wait until he’s woken up to bring it up.

“y/n! y/n! y/n!” luffy yells from down the hall. you blink your eyes harshly, wanting to rid them of the sleep you wish you could continue to get.

luffy bursts into your room, a gigantic smile on his face as he jumps into your bed with you. “y/n,” he, now, whispers, poking you in your cheek. “y/n, wake up” he groans in a whisper, or what he thinks is a whisper.”

“luffy, i’m up,” you chuckle, getting him to finally stop his onslaught of annoying affection. “what do you need babe?” you ask.

“huh? oh nothing, i just wanted to tell you happy birthday.” he smiles, cuddling up to your side.

you raise your eyebrow at him. “luffy, you told me happy birthday earlier,” you confusingly say.

he nods his head, giggling too, before kissing your cheeks. you can’t help but blush, the affection still fresh and new to you.

“i know, but i want to tell you a lot so you have a good birthday,” he assures.

you can’t help but blush even further at his sentiment, before rushing in to kiss his lips.

“uh, y/n?” usopp calls, politely knocking on your open door.

you put away your newly acquired presents and glance back at the sniper who was nervously standing in your doorway, hands behind his back.

“yes usopp?” you answer, noticing how odd he was acting.

“i, uh, have something for you. for your birthday,” he mutters with an awkward smile. slowly revealing the object that he was holding behind his back. in his hands were a boxed hand-painted teapot and a matching teacup set.

you immediately recognize the pattern as the one you had complimented him on many months ago when you ‘accidentally’ peeked over his shoulder at his drawing journal.

“usopp! it’s beautiful,” you compliment, taking it from his hands and wrapping yours around him. you lean in to kiss his cheek and hug him tightly. “thank you so much, i love it,” you giggle into his ear.

a warm, bright blush washes over his cheeks as he rushes to hug you back. “oh yeah, uh, don’t mention it. happy birthday,” he stutters, trying to hide the smile you always seem to bring to his face.

the morning sunlight falls in the room through the cracks in the curtain, the angle ace was laying at had him fall victim to the sunlight in his eyes. he groans, shifting over on his side, pulling your body closer to his.

your smaller frame is now cradled against his warm chest, as you hum a sweet tune. ace snuggles his face into your hair, inhaling the sweet aroma of your shampoo. he hugs you tightly to his body, no longer feeling the need for sleep, and instead wanting to savor this moment before the craziness of your birthday ensues.

one of his arms hoists himself up and the other has a tight hold on you, as his fingers run underneath your shirt and over your skin.

you giggle slightly, the feeling of his fingers tickling you slightly as you turn over on your back, able to look up at him. “good morning baby,” you whisper, reaching up to cup his cheek.

ace leans down, capturing your lips in a soft kiss. “good morning princess, and happy birthday,” he hoarsely says.

he brushes your messy hair back, not even caring that both of you have morning breath. how could he? when ace got to wake up to you, it felt like it was his birthday every single day.

“happy birthday to you! make a wish y/n!” your friends all cheer. you tightly close your eyes, thinking of the perfect wish before blowing out the candles.

koala runs up to hug you and then cuts the cake for everyone to share. after accepting the first slice, you excuse yourself to go outside for some fresh air.

you happily consume your cake, staring out onto the ocean before you hear clicks of someone’s shoes ascending toward you.

“great birthday?” sabo asks, holding a plate of cake himself.

“my first ever, actually,” you admit, still staring out onto the waves. sabo stares at you with a smile on his face, which you pretend not to catch in your peripherals.

he chuckles, a little proud of himself. “that’s good, i was hoping so—”

surprised, your head spins quickly in his direction and he catches himself. “oh i mean, we were all hoping so. you know, it’s your first birthday with us and when i saw you come out here, i wanted to make sure you— i, i mean koala wanted me to follow you out here and make sure you were enjoying your birthday,” he stutters, continuing to ramble on.

you lean over to him, kissing his cheeks which is the only way you can think of to halt his speech as a pink blush flushes his face.

“what was that for?” he asks with an embarrassed smile on his face.

you shrug your shoulders, leaning your head against his shoulder. “just a thank you for such a great birthday,” you shyly say, bringing the fork with a piece of cake on it into your mouth.

“of, of course, y/n. happy birthday,” he whispers, leaning his head on top of yours.

law scribbles into his medical journal, rubbing his tired eyes. he has a quick glance at the clock before noticing how late into the night it was. as he realized it was far past midnight, he guiltily notices the date on the calendar or yesterday’s date, to be more precise.

‘y/n’s birthday!’ was written in bright red ink with multiple hearts doodled around it. law slaps a tattooed hand to his forehead, realizing he hadn’t left the room once all day and missed your birthday altogether.

an unusual amount of guilt sets in, he usually didn’t feel like a bad boyfriend, but this time, he did…big time.

slamming his journal shut, he rushes out of his office and notices you on the couch that was right outside his office. you glance up once the door opens as you smile and hold out a piece of cake.

“you missed cake, so i figured i’d bring you some,” you say with a grin that melts his ice-cold heart.

he shakes his head, setting the plate down as he takes both of your hands in his own. “i’m so sorry y/n-ya. i missed your birthday,” he grumbles, almost ashamed to be your boyfriend.

“don’t worry about it, i know you were busy,” you say sympathetically. his eyes fall as he leans in to kiss your forehead, not understanding how you were being so nice to him when he missed such an important event.

“well happy birthday y/n…thank you…for being mine. i—i love you,” law expresses, unable to maintain eye contact with you while clearing his throat.

your heart yearns at his confessional which causes you to kiss his cheek, which, by the surprised look on his face, you can tell catches him off guard.

“i love you too law,” you agree, watching an undeniable smile emerge on his face.

like, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated! (✿◠‿◠)

#black leg sanji #sanji x reader #roronoa zoro #zoro x reader #monkey d luffy #luffy x reader #god usopp #usopp x reader #portgas d ace #ace x reader #portgas d ace x reader #sabo the revolutionary #sabo x reader #trafalgar law #law x reader #one piece #one piece x reader

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archetypesanalysis · 7 months

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Crosshair's Innate Archetype (Part 2)

This is the sixth instalment of my Bad Batch analysis. This character analysis has two parts: innate archetypes and anima. I will be referring to “Gods in Everyman” by Jean Shinoda Bolen for this first part analysis. This innate archetype analysis is split into two parts.

Part 1 | Part 2

Apollo is the God of the Sun, and he is second only to Zeus as the most important Greek god. The Romans called him “Apollo” like the Greeks, or “Phoebus”, which means “bright, shining, pure”. He is also the god of the arts (especially of music, dance and poetry), prophecy and archery. He is the lawgiver and punisher of wrongs, the protector of herdsmen, and the patron of medicine, who can also bring plagues. He is often depicted with a bow and a lyre, and the laurel is his sacred plant. His two famous precepts, “Know thyself” and “Nothing in excess” are inscribed on his temple at Delphi. Although he is noted for clarity and form, he has a lesser-known darker aspect, with both light and dark reflected in his symbols. Apollo is known as the pure, holy and cleansing god, which are all associated with the sun, his most important symbol. Swans are Apollo’s sacred birds, but so do crows and ravens, which represent his dark side. Snakes and wolves are also associated with Apollo. As a punisher of wrongs, Apollo is known to be cruel and can act vindictively.

The Apollo archetype is the most common archetype found in real people and in fictional characters. The clones have a strong Apollo archetype due to their military training and genetic modifications that cause them to be more inclined in following orders. This archetype is further enhanced during Order 66 as the inhibitor chip causes the clones to carry out orders without question. Crosshair has an enhanced Apollo archetype due to his genetic modification that grants him enhanced eyesight.

Apollo is an archer. His bow and arrow shafts are golden like the sun. It takes will, skill and practice to be an archer. An accomplished archer can aim for a distant target and be confident of hitting it, which comes naturally for people with strong Apollo archetype. People who identify as Apollo are logical and can easily relate to objective reality. They know what they want and have the will to accomplish their goal. They have a sense of future time, which enables them to plan ahead and set goals (like aiming at a target). Their targets are realistic, require effort to achieve it, and grant recognition. Crosshair is an accomplished sniper who is confident of hitting his targets from afar, even when the surroundings are a blur. In the Hyperspace Stories #10, Crosshair warns Wrecker that he can blast a flea off his back from 200 meters away in the pouring rain, and that he can do the same thing to Wrecker’s new toy. This indicates that Crosshair will do anything to accomplish his goals regardless of how difficult his goals are. Adding to his severe and unyielding personality, he has a very strong will to achieve his goals. Moreover, his goals are realistic for they are tangible and objective (for example, taking down a platoon of battle droids is a tangible goal). Like an archer, Crosshair has an excellent sense of future time, which enables him to plan out his trickshots perfectly as he knows where to place the reflecting mirrors and when to shoot to make those trickshots.

Apollo is the Greek god of prophecy, even though he himself does not prophesize. He gained this title by killing a great dragon or serpent named Python and taking over the oracle of Delphi as his temple, a site with a long history of prophetic divination. Through this myth, he was called Pythian Apollo and his priestess was Pythia. Apollo’s mediums were all women and their psychic divinations came from their communion with him. When people came to Apollo’s temple to consult with his oracle, the Pythia would enter a trance state and the priest would put questions to her and take down her words. The response would be turned over to another priest, who usually put it into the rhythm of poetry, though the meaning of the words was often obscure and ambiguous. Apollo as the god of prophecy fits his future-mindedness, like an archer who aims for a faraway target.

Crosshair has shown to exhibit some traits of Apollo as the god of prophecy, but it is usually limited to his ability to plan trickshots. He expertly places the reflecting mirrors on the surfaces as he has already predicted the movements of his targets. He also knows when to make the shot, which enables him to wipe out his targets with one precise shot. In “Return to Kamino”, Tech notices that Crosshair has placed the reflecting mirrors on the walls of the training ground. The placement of mirrors allows Crosshair to take down all four Imperial troopers in one shot, while leaving the Bad Batch unscathed. Crosshair only makes the trickshot when the Imperial troopers refuse to stand down. This indicates that he has foreseen that the Imperial troopers will disobey his order, and that he has planned their deaths. Moreover, the placement of mirrors also indicates that he has foreseen the positions of the Imperial troopers and the Bad Batch will take once they are in the training ground, and he ensures that his trickshot will take down all the Imperial troopers but not harm the Bad Batch.

@wwheeljack has shared this link that explains the observation training taken by military snipers. In this exercise, the snipers observe the various given objects for a short period of time. Then, they need to remember and describe what they have seen – they are not allowed to say the names of the objects. This exercise reminds me of how the oracle of Delphi is sought out by the Ancient Greeks, which evokes the Apollo archetype. It does feel that Crosshair’s enhanced eyesight and sniper training have enhanced his Apollo archetype.

As the goal-oriented archer and the god of the sun and prophecy, Apollo is the far-distant one. He can live in the future, always planning ahead. He can rise above the situation or “go skyward” to see everything objectively or to see his experiences as spiritual lessons. People who are like Apollo response to emotional pain by distancing themselves from these feelings and rise above their emotions through intellectual understanding, a mindful spiritual practice, or repeating their own principles to themselves. In the myths, Apollo had a connection to the mysterious realm of the Hyperboreans, and taking his chariot pulled by swans, he went there during the winter months. The realm of the Hyperboreans was the “northerly realm beyond the mountains”, and on a psychological level, this realm was depicted as a distant place of retreat, a starry world, another dimension, an Underworld or an enlightened world. Regardless of its depictions, the Hyperborean aspect of Apollo leads to feelings of isolation from others and the tendency to occasionally disappearing from this world into another.

As the far-distant one, Crosshair has the tendency to see the bigger picture. Throughout season 1, Crosshair explains his reasonings why he joins the Empire willingly, and keeps accusing Hunter that he cannot see the bigger picture. Moreover, Crosshair prefers to stay above his emotions when chaos breaks out. For example, when the food fight breaks out between the Bad Batch and the regular clone troopers, Crosshair chooses to ignore the commotion and continue to eat until his meal gets ruined. Interestingly, his transfer to the snowy planet of Barton IV can be interpreted as his travels to the realm of the Hyperboreans, despite the realm is not necessarily located in the Arctic Region by the Ancient Greeks. Though, the need to keep his helmet on can be Crosshair’s Hyperborean aspect of Apollo.

As the god of the sun, nothing hides from Apollo, like light shines through the darkness to expose every hidden thing. The Apollo’s clear-sightedness enables a person to see through lies, ulterior motives and hidden information. In the myths, on the day Hermes was born, he proceeded to steal cows from his half-brother Apollo. He hid his tracks by tying branches to his feet, and he laid down a false trail by having the cows walk backwards. When Apollo discovered his cattle were stolen, he noticed tracks that seemed to lead in the opposite direction, and he was not fooled. When Apollo demanded Hermes to reveal where his stolen cows were hidden, Hermes lied and tried to pass himself off as an innocent infant, in which Apollo did not buy into any of his lies. Helios, the god who personifies the sun in Greek mythology and who shares the same title as God of the Sun with Apollo, also exhibits the same clear-sightedness. In the myths, Helios was the one who tells Demeter that her daughter Persephone had been abducted by Hades, and Zeus had permitted it to happen. Helios was also the one who told Hephaestus that his wife Aphrodite had been cheating on him with Ares.

We have seen how Crosshair can easily see through lies and anything hidden from plain sight. In “A Distant Echo”, Crosshair quickly figures out why Rex strongly believes that Echo is alive and is adamant of rescuing him because Rex feels guilty for leaving Echo for dead at the Citadel. His deductions are based on his observations of Rex’s body language and changes to his voice tone. In “On the Wings of Keeradaks”, Crosshair uses his helmet scanner to see through the walls, and reports that their enemies and many droids are approaching them. In “Aftermath”, Crosshair is not convinced that Hunter has stunned Caleb, which caused the Padawan to fall to his death in the waterfall. He even inspects the surroundings and the bottom of the waterfall using his helmet scanner to confirm his suspicions. Then, he points out that Hunter should look down not across when he sees someone falls, showing his understanding of body language and how observant he is. In “Reunion”, an Elite Squad Trooper reported that he cannot detect any life signs aboard the Jedi cruiser because the scanner is not working due to atmospheric interferences. However, Crosshair immediately knows that Tech has jammed their sensors and that Clone Force 99 is still onboard the ship. He also manages to predict that Tech has tapped into their comms to track down their movements. In “Return to Kamino”, Crosshair immediately catches on Wrecker’s lie that they did not bring Omega with them. We know that our pupils dilate when we lie, and I am sure that Crosshair can see that even when we wear sunglasses or helmets with dark visor. I am also sure that Crosshair would never be impressed by magic tricks since they involve misdirection, deception and illusions. He is so observant that he can easily debunk the magic tricks. If you are hiding something, both Hunter and Crosshair will catch on quickly but with different methods – Hunter can sense it while Crosshair can observe it.

Crosshair’s Apollo archetype balances out his Poseidon archetype. When Crosshair unleashes his emotions, they are depicted as storms. The sun only comes out when the storms subside, indicating that he has finally calmed down and he now can see the truth. This motif is shown twice, which are in “Kamino Lost” and “The Outpost”. In “Kamino Lost”, the raging storm on Kamino has subsided by the time the Bad Batch reaches the landing platform at daybreak. The sun comes out, which is a rare occurrence in Kamino. At this moment, Crosshair’s anger, disappointment and sadness towards his teammates have returned to stable conditions after all the explosive arguments they have. When Hunter offers him a chance to rejoin the team, Crosshair turns it down because he sees through Hunter’s intentions. Hunter wants Crosshair to give up his life as a soldier and his allegiance with the Empire, which makes his offer conditional. This contradicts Hunter’s unconditional love towards his teammates (including Crosshair), and if Crosshair chooses to rejoin the team, it will mean that he chooses to sacrifice his values and live in the lie that everyone is fine with him (which is clearly not true because Tech, Wrecker and Echo aim their blasters at Crosshair, thinking that he is going to shoot Hunter). Crosshair can see through this inconsistency and he refuses to return.

In “The Outpost”, Crosshair and the injured Mayday endure the freezing conditions as they return to the Imperial base. Once they arrive there, the snow has stopped falling and the winds have ceased. The sun is hanging above the base as Crosshair begs Lieutenant Nolan to send a medic to save Mayday’s life. Nolan refuses, claiming that it will be a waste of the Empire’s resources. As Mayday succumbs to his injuries, Crosshair finally sees the truth – the Empire never cares about the clones because they are expendable, including him. The sun shining above Crosshair symbolizes his light side as the Empire’s cruelty towards the clones has been exposed in broad daylight. The Ice Vulture circling above Crosshair represents his dark side as Crosshair makes the decision to kill Lieutenant Nolan. The mountains behind Crosshair are positioned to look like the wings of the Ice Vulture – as if Crosshair has become the Ice Vulture. I interpret the Ice Vulture as the equivalent of the raven, Apollo’s sacred bird that represents his dark side. In the Greek myth, the raven was once white, and Apollo assigned it to keep an eye on his mortal wife Coronis, who was pregnant with his child. The bird reported to the god that she was cheating on him. Apollo responded by turning the raven’s feathers from white to black, and he killed Coronis, which he later regretted it. However, he managed to save his unborn son from her body, and gave him to Chiron the centaur to raise. This son was Asclepius, who became the god of healing and medicine. Surprisingly, Apollo’s sacred birds – swans, crows and ravens – are known for their loyalty, and the same goes for vultures. These birds fit Crosshair well as loyalty is important to him.

Apollo is the favourite son of Zeus, and he is the second most important Greek god (the first being Zeus). From his birth, Apollo proclaims that his life mission is to carry out his father’s will. As the favourite son, Apollo people are likely to be basked in parental love, approval and praises, especially from traditional parents, as if there is a brightness cast about them. They are the success in the making, a positive reflection on their parents, and an achiever in a culture that values accomplishments. If they do not have a biological father, they will seek out the approval of other people who resemble Zeus. Crosshair has this archetypal affinity to excel and to please, and he constantly seeks out approval from Hunter, who has the Zeus archetype. This is hinted in “The Bad Batch” when Crosshair smirks as Hunter praises his sharpshooting skills. Crosshair also looks up to Commander Cody and Commander Mayday, who both have higher authority than him.

When Anakin (who has the higher authority as he is a Jedi General) leads the Bad Batch and Rex to rescue Echo, Crosshair is seen following and aiding him. In “A Distant Echo”, Anakin is seen checking out Crosshair’s rifle, and Crosshair is fine with it (possibly even feeling proud that he is being noticed by a Jedi General). When Anakin is snatched away by a keeradak, Crosshair shoots a grappling line towards the flying reptile so Hunter can use it to track down Anakin. When the Bad Batch and Rex find Anakin has been pinned down by the creature and is surrounded by the Poletecs, Hunter commands Wrecker and Crosshair to carry out Plan “Rockslide”. Wrecker proceeds to push a boulder down to distract the Poletecs while Crosshair shoots an electric dart at the leg of the keeradak, forcing it to release Anakin. When Anakin tells them to split up so they can find Echo easier, Crosshair follows Anakin and saves him from almost being cornered by battle droids. Crosshair is also seen fighting alongside Anakin and Echo in the episode “On the Wings of Keeradaks”. In “Unfinished Business”, although Crosshair tells the rest of the Bad Batch and Rex to go as he helps them to buy some time, they stay back to see him performing impressive trickshots. I am sure that by staying back to watch his performance boosts Crosshair’s ego because he loves showing off and all eyes are on him. Crosshair is probably more determined to impress Anakin when he is present to witness his impressive trickshot where he destroys a group of battle droids with only one shot. Some fans jokingly say that Crosshair is disappointed that he does not receive praises from Anakin after that trickshot, so he feels the need to bring down Wrecker by jumping in to say that “he won’t top him next time”.

Apollo is the lawgiver as he provides cities their legal institutions and a structure for communities to work together and settle disputes. He also interprets law, and he supports order and moderation. He is uncomfortable with chaos, turbulence or passionate intensity. He intends to bring form and provide order through rules, laws, measure and time. As the upholders of law and order, Apollo people have a strong conviction that they know what is right and good for everyone. They may be idealists who envision a time when all people may live peacefully under the rule of law that will guarantee justice and fairness. All clones have the Apollo archetype as they follow orders without much questioning. Although the Bad Batch has a tendency to deviate from standard protocol, they still mostly follow orders. When Order 66 is issued, the inhibitor chips enhance the Apollo archetype to the point that the clones mercilessly execute their Jedi Generals that they have been working together for years.

Crosshair takes on the law-and-order aspect of Apollo strongly, even taking the saying “good soldiers follow orders” seriously. In “Aftermath”, Crosshair is somehow affected by the inhibitor chip, and tries to shoot Caleb Dume down despite Hunter keeps telling him to stand down. Crosshair later gets angry at Hunter for helping Caleb to escape and lying that the Padawan has been eliminated. To him, an order is an order, and Hunter should have completed the mission objective without considering the morality of the given order. When the Bad Batch refuses to execute Saw Gerrera and his people, Crosshair grumbles about the need to debate about morality, and states that they need to complete the mission. He believes that Saw Gerrera and his people are enemies of the Empire, and they should be eliminated. He even blames Hunter for making the team disobey orders, which causes them to be branded as traitors to the Empire.

With the effects of his inhibitor chip get amplified, Crosshair leaves the Bad Batch and joins the Empire. He carries out orders without hesitation. In “Replacements”, Crosshair orders his Elite Squad to execute the civilians associated with Saw Gerrera, and he even executes one of the members of his Elite Squad for refusing to obey his order. In “Devil’s Deal”, he follows Rampart’s order and shoots one of Senator Taa’s lekku, which allows Rampart to arrest General Cham Syndulla, his wife and other insurgents for the attempted assassination of the Senator. In “The Solitary Clone”, he carries out Governor Grotton’s order to execute Tawni Ames when Commander Cody fails to do so. In “Return to Kamino”, Crosshair reveals that he already has his inhibitor chip removed, and that he willingly pledges his loyalty to the Empire. This shocks the Bad Batch and Hunter refuses to believe it, but Crosshair says that this is who he is. It is not out of character for Crosshair to stay loyal with the Empire even without the effects of the inhibitor chip because of his strong Apollo archetype. He even chooses to return to the Empire despite he is left on the Kaminoan platform for 32 rotations because he is a soldier of the Empire. When Commander Cody talks about the rumour that more Clone Troopers have been questioning Order 66, which explains the increasing number of their desertion, Crosshair describes them as traitors like the Jedi.

Moreover, Crosshair is shown to have a strong conviction of what he thinks it is right and good for himself, the Bad Batch and Omega. In “Aftermath”, he strongly believes that the Bad Batch should have obeyed orders like good soldiers because he does not want the team to get into trouble with the higher-ups. In “Return to Kamino”, He believes that he and the rest of the Bad Batch are meant to be soldiers as this is their purpose. This is why he tells them to stop running and join the Empire because the Empire cannot protect the galaxy without strength, and he hopes to be a part of it. In addition, he tries to take Omega away from the Bad Batch and intends to send her on a shuttle offworld. He claims that this is for her own good and theirs as well. He tells Hunter that Omega is in constant danger from living among fugitives like the Bad Batch (which he has a valid point there), and that Hunter should let her go to protect her.

In Greek mythology, Apollo is known to have sibling rivalry and friendship with his younger half-brother Hermes, the Messenger God, and with his older twin sister, Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon. Competition emerged between Apollo and Hermes when Hermes stole Apollo’s cattle, and from whom Apollo received the lyre. Shortly after Artemis was born, she helped her mother Leto during her prolonged labour with Apollo. There was one myth where Apollo and Artemis were called upon by their mother Leto to avenge Niobe’s insult. In a myth about Artemis and Orion, Apollo was jealous of her love towards the hunter, so he created a challenge for Artemis, causing her to unknowingly kill Orion. As an archetype of the sibling and favoured older brother, Apollo people can easily become part of a team effort. They are also competitors, and they do it well thanks to their emotional distance. Though, they may not win the top position because they appear cautious and do not inspire others to see them as leaders. They also lack the drive to amass either power or money, the vision, decisiveness, or ruthlessness of a Zeus archetype. Crosshair has a brotherly relationship with members of Clone Force 99, and he works well with them. In the episodes “On the Wings of Keeradaks” and “Unfinished Business”, he and Wrecker have a sibling rivalry where they compete each other on who can take down the most droids. Though, Crosshair does not work well with regular clone troopers with the exceptions of Commander Cody, Commander Mayday and Captain Rex (at the later part of the Clone Wars arc).

Apollo values prudence, avoids physical danger, is emotionally distant, and prefers being an observer. This makes him a side-liner, not a hero. During the Trojan War, Poseidon challenged Apollo to a duel. Apollo turned it down and explained that he was not going to fight for insignificant, short-lived mortals. He still refused to be drawn into combat even when his sister Artemis called him a coward (and somehow Hera gave her a beating for that). Furthermore, Apollo was shown to actively dislike heroes. He refused the help from Heracles through the Pythian Oracle. He also opposed Achilles during the Trojan War. Achilles died when he was struck in the heel by an arrow, which was a vulnerable spot as that had not been bathed in the river Styx. In some versions, it was Apollo who killed Achilles, but in other versions, he was the one who guided Paris to take the shot. Apollo’s action is not a heroic act – he shoots an arrow from a distance instead of getting involved in direct combat.

Crosshair is shown to have traits of the non-hero. As stated in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!” book, Crosshair can be cynical and bitter about the war. He is not like Wrecker, who enjoys the thrill of being on the battlefield and engaging physical combat like a hero. He is a sniper who carefully takes down his targets from afar and without revealing his position. Although he carries out his duty as a soldier seriously, he does not like being in the battlefield. The book also states that Crosshair has little regard for regular clone troopers because he views them as expendables. This aligns with Crosshair telling Captain Rex that he would have left Echo for dead because he is “just another reg”.

Apollo is the archetype of the musician. The bow and the lyre are the two stringed instruments belonging to Apollo. He uses the bow to release arrows, while he plucks the lyre to bring forth music. As the most alert Greek god, he produces music that leads people to a clearly seen truth. Apollonian music expresses clarity and purity that bring harmony and lift spirits up. Moderation and beauty are the essence and the effect of his music, which helps to charm beasts and soothe the tormented mind. Aside from music, dance and poetry are also associated with Apollo. Apollonian art is associated with order, reason, harmony, clarity and structure, which is the opposite of Dionysian art (from Dionysus the god of wine and ecstasy), which is associated with chaos, ecstasy, turbulence, emotional conflicts and passion.

I have seen headcanons of Crosshair being a musical expert – he can sing well, he can write songs, and he can play musical instruments (like the piano and bass guitar). He is likely into classical music and ambient music. He also likes songs with poetic lyrics. There are also headcanons that Crosshair is into other music genres like rock, blues, alternative, rap, and heavy metal. I accept these headcanons because Apollonian and Dionysian are the opposites of the same coin. It will be in character for Crosshair to be drawn to chaos, irrationality, intense emotions and passion. In this YouTube video between 17:00 to 19:00, Dee Bradley Baker, who voices the Bad Batch, comes up with the idea of Crosshair singing “The Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (someone even made a short animatic about it in this link). The song talks about madness, chaos, sexual freedom, sensations, and being in the present, which are Dionysian values. Crosshair may be drawn to these opposite values. Aside from music, there are headcanons that Crosshair is a great dancer (mostly ballet), he writes poetry (perhaps to express his cynicism and bitterness towards the war), and he is into calligraphy, literature and aesthetic art, which align with Apollonian values.

People like Apollo tend to live in their heads, rather than in their bodies, emotions or imagination. Hence, Apollo men are not lovers. Their single-minded focus means that they are not easily distracted by attractive partners. Their relationships with women usually lack passion and emotional depth, which lead to both parties having a brother-sister relationship instead. With this arrangement, Apollo men tend to work best with Artemis and/or Athena women because these women are independent, competent and competitive, just like Apollo men. Though, Apollo men can be attracted to their opposites, which is shown in the myths where Apollo is in love with Sybil and Cassandra, who are psychic women – emotional, irrational, impractical and often unimpressed with him. Most Apollo men find these women fascinating, frustrating and unpredictable, and they may try to control them.

Although Apollo is handsome, virtuous and dependable, he is unsuccessful in love as he is rejected by Daphne, Cassandra, Sybil and Marpessa. Even his love for Hyacinth ends in tragedy when he accidentally kills Hyacinth in a discus-throwing contest. Jean Shinoda Bolen interpreted the women Apollo desires but gets rejected by them as the same women who also may reject Apollo men. These women reject Apollo because he lacks depth and intensity, emotional closeness and expressiveness, or sexual spontaneity. Some women reject an Apollo man because they sense that he is too attached to appearances.

Marpessa was loved by Apollo and a mortal man named Idas. Zeus allowed her to choose her lover between the two. Marpessa wisely chose Idas because she was aware that Apollo would desert her when she became old and grey. This myth can serve as a metaphor of choosing a “human” relationship that has the potential to grow and change over time, rather than a relationship with the unchanging Apollo.

When it comes to his relationships with Sybil and Cassandra, Apollo mistakenly assumes that love can be given in exchange for what he can provide. Apollo granted Sybil the gift of prophecy (which was how the famous Sybilline oracles came about) but she rejected him. Apollo taught Cassandra the art of prophecy on the condition that she became his lover, but she did not keep her word. Apollo got his revenge by cursing her that nobody would believe her. With the onset of the Trojan War, Cassandra continuously tried to warn everyone about the future calamities but she was shut away as a mad woman.

Although an Apollo man is cut away from his instinctual, sexual, and sensual thoughts, these thoughts may arise occasionally. His ability to focus on goals combining with his sexual desire may cause him to pursue the person he loves with great enthusiasm and passion. This is similar to the myth where Apollo was struck by an arrow shot by Eros (also known as Amor or Cupid), causing him to fall in love with Daphne and he actively pursued her. If the woman has not fallen in love with him, like Daphne in this myth, she is unlikely to relate to the intensity of his feelings due to the lack of intimacy and communication in the early stages of the relationship. She may feel like a pursued Daphne and may flee from him, as she feels more like an object he wants to possess than a woman being wooed. The myth of Apollo and Daphne ended with Daphne turning into a laurel tree to escape from the god overtaking her. Apollo still loved her, and the laurel became his sacred tree, with her leaves being made into wreaths that adorned his hair.

Even if an Apollo man manages to win a woman’s heart, she may become disappointed at him with his tendency to “go away” as a lover. She may even be unfaithful in his “absence” like the myth of Apollo and Coronis as stated earlier. If a woman desires substance rather than form, needs emotional depth rather than the security of an enduring relationship, or her nature is passionate, intense and in the moment (like Aphrodite the Goddess of Love and Beauty), she will be unhappy with her relationship with an Apollo man. This is because an Apollo man often does not see the importance of sexual attraction, physical affection and intimate verbal communication. When facing relationship difficulties, the Apollo man often withdraws as he does not see them as his problems. He can stay comfortably in a relationship or a marriage marked by emotional distance and lack of passion. His partner may feel lonely because of his lack of emotional and communication depth. She may become more like Apollo and start to cut herself off from her emotions, or she may become more irrational or hysterical in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to react emotionally.

Fortunately, Crosshair has the Poseidon archetype to balance out his Apollo archetype. This means that he is “handsome, virtuous and dependable” like Apollo, while also capable of depth and intensity, emotional closeness and expressiveness, intimacy, and sexual spontaneity like Poseidon. This archetype combination may make him an ideal partner, but with Poseidon’s relentless passion combining Apollo’s single-mindedness, he risks mirroring the myth of Apollo and Daphne if his desired partner does not reciprocate his feelings. Moreover, there is a tendency that he may occasionally sway too far into one archetype if he is unbalanced. This is because Apollo and Poseidon are the opposites – Apollo is associated with emotional distance, while Poseidon is associated with overwhelming emotions. If Crosshair chooses to distance himself emotionally, he may go too far to the point of inadvertently pushing people away and becoming lonely. However, if he chooses to give into his intense emotions, he may carry out his actions too far and inadvertently hurt other people, which can cause them to become terrified of him. Hence, it is important for Crosshair to find his centre or “Self” so he can take on the best aspects of both archetypes while reducing the risk of being “taken over” by either of them. This is possible if his “Self” is strong, which is associated with Hestia, the main archetype of Echo.

Since Apollo is “above it all” due to being the sun god, he is emotionally distant. This causes him to communicate about his emotions indirectly. When people seek his advice about something that he does not clearly understand, Apollo speaks through the Delphic Oracle, which contains ambiguous messages that require interpretation. People around an Apollo person often have to interpret the cryptic words that hint at their feelings. The Apollo person will withdraw further if they get the meaning wrong or if they try to draw them out. It is ironic that Apollo, the god of clarity who can make a person speak so precisely and clearly about an impersonal subject, is unable to make a person express themselves clearly. Furthermore, Apollo’s emotional distance also means the tendency to avoid emotional conflict, like the god refusing to respond to Poseidon’s challenge to fight during the Trojan War. He prefers to assess or judge the situation or the person from a distance. He is unwilling to “get close up” – be vulnerable and empathic – in order to truly know someone else.

It is clear that Crosshair struggles to express himself and his emotions through words – he prefers to express it through action. In “The Bad Batch”, Jesse gets angry at Crosshair because he interprets his words as insulting the regular clone troopers and disrespecting Captain Rex. In “A Distant Echo”, Rex interprets Crosshair’s words as he does not care about Echo, which causes him to angrily punch Crosshair. In these occasions, Hunter does not call out Crosshair or intervene when Rex punches Crosshair, possibly because he knows that Crosshair does not mean it. In “Aftermath”, Crosshair’s inhibitor chip is somehow activated, which causes him to become adamant about following orders. Crosshair does not understand what is wrong with himself, and his inability to properly communicate his issues with his teammates only worsens with the effects of the inhibitor chip. To make matters worse, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo do not understand what is wrong with Crosshair. They are confused of his behavioural change since they never have an issue with disobeying orders as they do it all the time. In addition, they are more focused on trying to escape the makeshift prison then dealing with Crosshair’s antics. Crosshair feels frustrated that they do not understand him and he withdraws from the team. He withdraws further when Omega tries to draw him out. In “Return to Kamino”, Crosshair offers the Bad Batch to join the Empire so they can have a purpose again. Hunter counters that Crosshair does not get who they are. Crosshair feels hurt that they do not understand his intentions and feelings towards them, and warns them not to make the same mistake twice and become his enemy. Hunter tells him that they never are enemies. Throughout “Kamino Lost”, Crosshair keeps on explaining why he chooses to join the Empire willingly, but the Bad Batch does not get him and they struggle to accept that he does this without the influence of the inhibitor chip. This causes Crosshair to withdraw himself further to the point of refusing to rejoin the Bad Batch.

People who identify as Apollo are influenced by their innate characteristics, culture and family of origin. If their family discourages emotional expression and perception, as well as enforcing a culture that disapproves vulnerability, encourages competition, and rewards acquiring power, the Apollo person, especially if they are intelligent and good-looking, may become narcissistic. This negative aspect may be worsened if they have narcissistic parents. These parents are likely to make the Apollo child to become an extension of themselves. They feel better about themselves when their Apollo child “wins” and demand that their child reflects well on them. This child feels the need to win in order to retain the conditional love of their parents, which can lead to anxiety and they end up performing worse.

An Apollo person whose life is full of successes may become arrogant. Their sense of self may become inflated, as if they identify with the god or the archetype. They may forget that they are human, and may assume that they can take on much more that they are able. This can lead to disastrous results, just like what happens to Phaëthon, the son of Helios. In this myth, Phaëthon was told by his mother that he was the son of Helios, and the young man boosted about it. When he was not believed in, he set forth to find Helios to confirm the truth. Helios acknowledged his paternity, and to assure Phaëthon further, he promised to grant him any favour he wished. Phaëthon requested to drive the sun chariot across the sky for one day. At daybreak, Phaëthon put on his father’s sun crown and climbed into the chariot. The great horses of the sun felt his unfamiliar and inexperienced hand on the reins and left the usual path taken by the sun. Phaëthon lacked the strength or experience to check their flight, and the blazing heat of the sun scorched the earth. To save the earth from further damage, Zeus struck Phaëthon down with a lightning bolt. Helios, distraught over the loss of his son, allowed the earth to go without light for one whole day, before once more putting the sun chariot on its regular course. Jean Shinoda Bolen interprets Phaëthon’s assumption that he could drive Apollo’s chariot as “an ego trip” that hurts others and causes him to be struck down.

The Bad Batch consists of Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Crosshair, who are all enhanced clones. Crosshair views himself and his squad as more superior than the regular clone troopers or ‘regs’. In “The Bad Batch”, Crosshair sneers at Jesse and tells him that they usually do not work with regs. In “A Distant Echo”, Crosshair says that he would have left Echo for dead too because he is “just a reg” (though his actions say otherwise). In “Return to Kamino”, Hunter realizes that Tipoca City is being decommissioned, which is not a good sign because he has been informed that the Empire is phasing out clones next. Crosshair is unconcerned of it because he thinks that his loyalty to the Empire, his exceptional sharpshooting skills and his superiority will mean that he gets to keep his position. Moreover, he tries to convince the Bad Batch to join the Empire as they are superior to the “regulars” and their strength can help the Empire to protect the galaxy. When the Bad Batch refuses his offer, he tells them that Kamino, the regular clones, and the Galactic Republic's time are over. He claims that the Empire will control the entire galaxy and he hopes to be a part of it. Crosshair’s assumption that he would be important to the Empire is his “ego trip” which hurts the Bad Batch, and it eventually causes him to be “struck down” when he realizes that he is disposable in the eyes of the Empire in spite of his skills, abilities and loyalty.

Apollo is known to be cruel and punitive, especially when he has been humiliated and dominated by someone else. He does not show mercy when he defeats a rival or when he enacts his revenge. In one myth, Marsyas the Satyr challenged Apollo to a musical contest, with the agreement that the victor could do whatever he liked to the loser. There were many variations of the contest, but the most notable one was that Apollo won the contest because he could play the lyre upside down, but Marsyas could not do it with his flute. As punishment for his hubris to challenge a deity, Apollo had Marsyas tied to a tree and stripped his skin off alive, which is inhumane and cruel. In another myth, after Cassandra did not keep her word, Apollo allowed her to keep the gift of prophecy, but he proclaimed that nobody would believe in her. This punishment is both creative and cruel as Cassandra suffers both for knowing the horrible future and living through it.

Crosshair has been shown to be capable of cruelty, especially towards those who disobeys his orders. In “Replacements”, ES-01 questions Crosshair’s leadership and the efficiency of the clones. He also tells Crosshair that the Empire is currently hiring human recruits, which means Crosshair may soon be replaced. This must have been humiliating to Crosshair, and with his emotional intensity, he is not going to let it slide so easily. When Crosshair decides to execute the civilians in compliance with the order to wipe out Saw Gerrera’s camp, ES-01 refuses to comply because he feels that the order is wrong. He takes over leadership as he tells the squad to ignore Crosshair and they should bring the civilians in for questioning. Crosshair coldly reminds ES-01 that the reason he is put in charge is because he is willing to do whatever it needs to be done. Crosshair then shoots ES-01 in the chest and in front of the squad as a punishment of his insubordination. Although not as cruel as Apollo flaying Marsyas alive, it is enough to cause the rest of the squad to obey his command and execute the civilians.

In “Reunion”, Crosshair hunts down the Bad Batch for being traitors to the Empire. He and his troops surround them at the end of the ion engine chamber, and he orders one of his troops to activate the engine. His plan is to trap the Bad Batch within the ion engine and force them to surrender as to avoid being burned by the engine flare. However, the Bad Batch manages to outsmart Crosshair and escape from being incinerated, while Crosshair gets burned by the ion engine. In “Return to Kamino”, when the Elite Squad Troopers reject Crosshair’s order to stand down, he makes a creative trickshot to execute all four of them at once.

Although Apollo is known for his clarity, moderation and healing abilities, the Ancient Greeks also believed that his poisoned arrows brought pestilence and sudden deaths to mortals. Jean Shinoda Bolen interpreted these poisoned arrows as “venomous words” uttered by an Apollo person. When a moderate, rational Apollo person unleashes his fury, he unleashes his repressed emotions that are primitive, undeveloped and irrational. The Apollo person becomes a venomous snake that harms others with words. His hostile words are often directed towards his loved or respected ones who have hurt him, humiliated him, or did not live up to his expectations. Though, his own positive self is the major casualty. Dee Bradley Baker describes Crosshair’s voice as “a coiled snake”, and his words are “deliberate and ready to strike” – resembling the dark aspects of Apollo. We have seen how his venomous words have wounded many people around him. In “The Bad Batch”, Crosshair’s words have incited Jesse’s anger, which causes a conflict between the regular clone troopers and the Bad Batch to break out. In “A Distant Echo”, Rex is wounded by Crosshair’s words and he punches the sniper in a fit of rage.

Throughout Season 1, Crosshair accuses Hunter’s failed leadership as the reason the squad is in trouble, which causes Hunter to start questioning his leadership skills, and he blames himself for leaving Crosshair behind. In “Kamino Lost”, Wrecker is hurt by Crosshair’s mocking his intelligence, and he points out that Crosshair never once tried to reunite with his teammates by his own volition, and that they would have accepted him back. In the same episode, Omega tells Crosshair that she wants to believe that the inhibitor chip has made him like this but she is wrong, indicating that she is hurt by his claim that he already has the chip removed and he willingly joins the Empire.

Since an Apollo person tends to live in their heads and uphold their values, they are often ruled by an idea of what it should be. They care greatly about their appearances, and they want order to their own worlds. They are unlikely to make choices based on their heart, emotions and instincts because these are devalued within them. As a result, an Apollo person can remain in a boring and meaningless job, an empty marriage, or a study course they are not interested in, despite knowing that something better exists out there. With their tendency to emotionally distance themselves, they are able to appear unaffected by the loss.

Crosshair is a sniper, which means he only takes the shot when he is absolutely certain that he can hit his target. Any slight miscalculation will give away his position and possibly compromise the mission. With that, I can see that Crosshair is a risk-averse person. This is evident when Omega suddenly shoots the rifle out of Crosshair’s hand, taking him by surprise. When she starts spraying several blaster bolts in his direction, Crosshair chooses to retreat as he cannot predict her movements, let alone predicting that she can use a blaster well.

We know that Crosshair is proud of being part of Clone Force 99 for they are known for their 100 percent success rate. This makes Crosshair believe that they deserve challenging missions as seen in the Hyperspace Stories #10 when he initially complains that the mission to investigate battle droids can be done by regular clone troopers. Being part of Clone Force 99 also means that Crosshair sees himself and his teammates as the more superior one. In “The Bad Batch”, when Rex takes charge of the mission to the Cyber Center, Crosshair challenges his authority because Clone Force 99 has been called in to help Rex, which means they (or more specifically, Hunter) should be in charge, not Rex.

With the rise of the Empire, the Bad Batch decides to defect because they do not agree with the Empire’s orders. They become mercenaries while also taking care of Omega. On the other hand, Crosshair doubles down on what he is made for and what he is always good at – as a soldier. He believes that the Bad Batch is made to be superior soldiers, and that the Empire will benefit from their skills and abilities. In “Return to Kamino”, Crosshair offers the Bad Batch to stop running and join the Empire to have a purpose again. To him, being a soldier is all that matters, and it does not matter that his allegiance is to the Republic or to the Empire. He is angry that Hunter chooses to throw away the squad’s legacy and defect. He feels that Hunter has brought chaos to his ideal world and has tarnished the squad’s reputation. He even tells Hunter to let Omega go and stop pretending to be something that he is not – a father figure to Omega. He also looks down at Omega because she is a child, despite that she has proven many times that she is a helpful ally, and she even saves him from drowning.

Even if Crosshair knows that the Empire is bad news, he is unwilling to break away from his values and his ideal world. He tries to justify the Empire’s action of destroying Tipoca City, saying that the Clone Wars is over and now the Empire will expand their control across the galaxy. Although he is left stranded on Kamino for 32 rotations, he still chooses to return because he is a soldier of the Empire. Since Crosshair cannot see what lies ahead if he chooses to give up being a soldier, he is unwilling to take the risk and run away. He stays with the Empire because they can bring structure and stability to his life, like providing him food, weapons, clothing, shelter and payment. He even scoffs at the thought of being more than a soldier as he sneers at the Bad Batch for scavenging like rats in “Reunion”. He also calls the clones that are questioning the Empire’s orders as traitors like the Jedi in “The Solitary Clone”. His tendency to live in his head and his decision to choose order above all else have made him physically and emotionally distant from everyone. The more detached he becomes, the lonelier he gets, which is shown throughout Season 2.

It is necessary for an Apollo person to grow beyond their rational and logical mind, and be in touch with their heart and body. Jean Shinoda Bolen has proposed four methods to grow beyond the Apollo archetype. The first method is to make room for Dionysus in the psyche. Apollo shared his temple at Delphi with Dionysus. Inside the temple, there was a grave of Dionysus, and the cult of Dionysus celebrated his death as an adult god and his reincarnation as a new-born infant. During the three winter months, Dionysus was worshipped and celebrated there, while Apollo went away to the realm of the Hyperboreans. Jean Shinoda Bolen interprets it as the Apollo person must realize the need to live in the moment, and to be absorbed in sensation, feeling, inner imagery, or outer experience, which will allow Dionysus to be present.

Many Apollo people can gain access to the Dionysus archetype through Dionysian music and dance. Dionysian music and dance are perceived as a bodily experience that invites people to dance spontaneously and without self-consciousness. They respond to the music instinctively, letting their bodies move with the flow of the music. In romance, Apollo people are goal-oriented and technique minded. They tend to stay aware of the clock and they may be self-conscious in how they express their love. By allowing Dionysus to take over the romantic aspects, the person becomes more focused in the present and becomes less conscious of their sensuality and methods of expressing love. The relationship will feel like a soulful communion or an emotional merger. I have seen fans describing Crosshair being critical of his appearance and becoming anxious in pleasuring his partner, and I think these are true to his Apollo character. With that, he must learn to let Dionysus in his romantic life, and this can be done with encouragements from his partner.

Hunter is innately Dionysus while Crosshair is more like Apollo. They are the opposites and they balance each other out. When Hunter focuses too much on his body or other people, Crosshair likely helps to shift his focus. For example, in “Aftermath”, Crosshair wants Hunter to focus on the mission and stop being bothered by Omega. It is possible when Crosshair stays in his head for too long, Hunter encourages him to let go and live in the moment. I have mentioned that Dee Bradley Baker once proposed the idea of Crosshair singing “The Time Warp”, which evokes the Dionysus archetype. Dee Bradley Baker once joked that Crosshair would be the one that sits in the back of the classroom eating a bottle of glue (link here), which also evokes the Dionysus archetype. This means that it is possible for Crosshair to move his Apollo archetype aside for the Dionysus archetype.

One of Apollo’s principles is “Keep the woman under rule”, and Jean Shinoda Bolen interprets as an Apollo man’s tendency to suppress his anima, the unconscious feminine of a man. Carl Jung views the anima or inner woman as the realm of emotions and relatedness, which is linked to the man’s emotionality and capacity for closeness and receptivity, which is usually undeveloped. With that, the second method to grow beyond the Apollo archetype will require one to liberate the anima or inner woman. This liberation means to have a positive regard for “feminine” values, which allows one to honour their own feelings and the feelings of others. This method helps an Apollo person to get out of their head and into their heart or body, which enables them to feel connected to nature and all living beings. According to Jean Shinoda Bolen, most Apollo men gradually develop their anima through loving women who do not live in their heads and who can speak for their feelings. An Apollo person often hurts other people’s feelings unconsciously or due to their self-centered attitude. The Apollo person must be willing to listen and learn about feelings so they can be more caring towards others and not wanting to offend others.

Although Crosshair is surrounded by his brothers, he is free to liberate his anima (which is discussed in this link) under the encouragement of his brothers. Hunter has a strong Demeter anima, which is the mother archetype. Wrecker has a strong Aphrodite anima, which is the lover and creative woman archetype. Echo has a strong Persephone anima, or more specifically Persephone Queen of the Underworld. Demeter, Aphrodite and Persephone are associated with emotions, instincts and connectedness with others, which can help Crosshair to develop some positive regards for these values. Echo also has a strong Hestia anima, which is the wise maiden aunt archetype. This wise maiden aunt archetype can encourage Crosshair to follow his heart. Like Echo, Omega has a strong Persephone archetype, but it is more towards Persephone the Kore, which is the maiden archetype. This maiden archetype can encourage Crosshair to have a hopeful outlook in life, to be willing to trust others, and to be kind and compassionate. Even though Tech has a strong Athena anima, which is a feminine archetype that leans more towards living in one’s head and becoming detached from the heart and body, he has the Hermes archetype to counter it. Since Hermes is known to be an alchemist, a guide of souls and the rescuer of the child, he has the ability to unite masculinity and femininity, which is extremely helpful for Crosshair. By surrounding with people who view emotions, instincts, sensuality, and connectedness with others as positive values, Crosshair can learn to listen and be more considerate of other people’s feelings.

When a person is a sun-blessed Apollo, they begin life with a favoured status and with some advantages that help them to succeed in this world. The successful Apollo person usually takes credit for their accomplishments and assumes that their success is well deserved, leading them to become prideful. They may also blame others for not succeeding, without considering other factors such as circumstances, status quo, personality or intelligence. Hence, the third method to grow beyond the Apollo archetype will require one to learn humility. An Apollo person may need to actually be in someone’s shoes, or to suffer loss and feel grief, before they realize how arrogant they were and how much they did not know or appreciate. They may need to make a terrible mistake and be forgiven to experience humility. They may need to grow older and go through humbling experiences to become wiser.

The events of “The Outpost” finally gives Crosshair the hard lesson of humility. By working alongside Commander Mayday, Crosshair is able to actually feel the fit of a different pair of shoes. Although Mayday is a regular clone trooper, he is highly experienced, confident without a hint of hubris, and caring towards others. Yet, Lieutenant Nolan looks down at him for being a clone. After Crosshair and Mayday realize that the stolen cargo that they are sent to retrieved contain Stormtrooper gear, Mayday gets upset that they and their fellow brothers are thrown aside despite their combat service, sacrifice and loyalty. From here, Crosshair finally sees and feels himself in the same position as Mayday – the Empire still chooses to cast him aside despite his loyalty, exceptional skills and his supposed superiority as an enhanced clone. Later, Crosshair loses Mayday and he feels immense grief over his death. He is furious at Lieutenant Nolan for refusing to provide medical attention to Mayday. Lieutenant Nolan represents the worst aspects of an Apollo person – arrogant, cruel, thinking he is above everyone else despite lacking of command experience, and disregarding others who are below him. Upon witnessing and experiencing Nolan’s cruelty and hubris, Crosshair finally realizes how arrogant he was in the past. He also finally realizes that he did not appreciate the Republic, the Jedi, the Bad Batch, regular clones like Rex and Cody, and Omega, who are all better than how the Empire treats him and other clones. Crosshair’s decision to kill Lieutenant Nolan represents his decision to kill off his arrogant self and choose to become humble.

An Apollo person has a tendency to always do what is expected of them, without questioning whether they really want to do it. Since young, they gain love and approval for conforming to the rules, which is not difficult for them based on their archetypal nature. It often takes around the time when a mid-life crisis hits to make them start questioning their life. The fourth method to grow beyond the Apollo archetype requires one to make decisions based on love instead of logic. Once an Apollo person starts following their heart, they step out of the boundaries of their “known” rational world. They become human: they know that they are now vulnerable and they may make mistakes, but they are willing to take risks. They also give up the emotional distance that both protect them and keep them isolated.

Crosshair has a natural tendency to do what is expected of him, and he does it without questioning. He gains love and approval for being a good soldier that follows orders. His self-worth is based on what he is good at – as a soldier and as a sharpshooter. As a result, he does not see himself being more than a soldier and a sharpshooter. However, throughout the series, we are seeing Crosshair starts to follow his heart. In “Reunion”, Admiral Rampart orders Crosshair to execute Clone Force 99 for their desertion have made them traitors to the Empire. However, Crosshair reveals that he never intended to kill them in “Return to Kamino”, which means he is going against the Empire’s orders. Moreover, in “Rescue on Ryloth”, when Howzer chooses to stand up to the Empire and helps the rebels to escape, Crosshair does not choose to execute him for treason or for going against orders, which he has done previously to ES-01 in “Replacements”. Furthermore, in “Kamino Lost”, Crosshair chooses to save Omega from drowning even though his action does not fully regain his brothers’ trust. Although Crosshair is disappointed that the Bad Batch refuses his offer to join the Empire, he still chooses to protect them, lying in his report that they have perished in the bombardment of Tipoca City. In “The Outpost”, Crosshair gives up the mission to retrieve the stolen cargo, and chooses to bring Mayday back to the Imperial base in hopes that he will get medical treatment. In “Tipping Point”, Crosshair shoots the Stormtroopers but he chooses to stun Emerie Karr instead. He does this because Emerie has been at least kind to him, and it is possible that he knows that she is a female clone like Omega. When he attempts to escape, he sends Plan 88 to the Bad Batch, warning them to hide as the Empire is after Omega. He puts his brothers and sister above his need to be rescued. Of course, this journey won’t be easy for Crosshair, but as long as he continues to put an effort to let love be his motivator, he would gradually see himself as more than a soldier and a sharpshooter, and realize that his self-worth is not determined by people with authority. He would also learn to be vulnerable and be willing to take a leap of faith into the unknown.

I have the Apollo archetype as my animus. I was born into a well-off family that prioritizes education. I was able to earn very good grades and show off my various talents. With that, I was treated as “the golden child” in the family, receiving many praises from my family, relatives, teachers and even strangers. Many of my uncles and aunts would compare me with my cousins, saying how I was better than them in every way. I have to admit that all the love and approval had made me arrogant and judgmental. During my college and university years, I went to study law under my family’s suggestion. The reason was that I could work in the legal firms owned by my uncle and aunt. Besides, being a lawyer meant that I could gain a higher status in society and I could protect myself from people who wanted to take advantage of me.

I thought I have a clear future path ahead of me. However, the day after I took my first examination to become a lawyer, I had a terrible realization: my father would have never recognized me as his daughter if I wasn’t smart or talented. My parents separated since I was three, and my father had pretended that I never existed in his life. That all changed when I started to perform well in school, and he started introducing me to his business partners and workers. He was proud of my achievements and boosted about how he was a great father to me, when in reality, he was rarely there for me emotionally throughout my childhood. This realization devastated me. I almost lost sense of my identity. I did not know myself beyond my intelligence, skills and talents. I found myself only being held in high esteem based on what I could give to my family – excellent grades, high status, the perfect image of a family that raises a child to be a successful woman, etc. I was lost, not knowing where to go – this was not the life I wanted.

Then, I was denied by my uncle and aunt to work in their legal firms. I also failed my examination, which shocked my family because I always passed my examinations in my first attempt. They pressured me to retake the exams in hopes that I could pass and become a lawyer. They wanted me to earn the high status and get a stable job. Though, I had lost the motivation to become a lawyer, and I failed my retake. Since then, I became “the black sheep” in the family, and now my family threw various words to berate me. I also failed in my first relationship, which hurt me immensely. I wandered around aimlessly, unable to find a job because I could not find one that piqued my interest. I slipped into depression once more as my future became bleak and uncertain.

When I watched “The Outpost” and saw what Crosshair was going through, I saw myself in him. I saw a proud child, doing everything in their power to please those with authority, only to find that their efforts mean nothing to them, and they get casted aside instead. I was touched by the episode, and I had compassion towards Crosshair. As I saw him starting to move beyond his Apollo archetype, I found myself doing the same. Currently, I am studying a Master’s Degree in the field of education, which I have found a passion for it. My father has apologized for causing so much childhood trauma on me and he is willing to make amends, which strengthens our father-daughter bond. He now tells me that I can be whoever I want to be, and that I am more than my intelligence, skills and talents. I start to become more in touch with my instincts and emotions. I learn to be humble and less judgmental. I learn to embrace the positive and negative traits of Apollo, while choosing to move beyond this archetype. I hope to see Crosshair continuing this journey, just as I am doing now.

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