#was thinking about editing it to flow better but i think that the more direct emotion/original version is better

[trick-of-the-troubles]

this world that has promised so much has delivered so little

because the people who made this world did not make it with us in mind

and the people who had the power to change the flawed system have instead chosen again and again to do what's easy rather than what's right

and it's hard living in a world that didn't think of you in the first place

and you deserve better than to be an afterthought

and i love you

and i'm sorry

[outeremissary]

🌺 Ok one for the new kid! Kasander likes animals but keeps their distance from them, on account of not trusting the Urges

6/10 on average, I think, spiking to a 10 depending on recency of the last Incident. Kasander really loves animals and is someone who talks to them a lot, and they struggle to balance that with the precautions that would keep other creatures safe. In the end it's the same way with their companions- they could easily hurt or kill one of them by mistake, but they still travel with others. They're learning themself better all the time, and they hope that will help them have a better sense of when it's about to take them and they need to get away. They withdraw much more completely when something has gone wrong recently though. It's hard to maintain that optimism when the strategy has just failed.

[headcanon prompt]

[cdlum]

I just wanted to say I think your art style is awesome! I was wondering if you had any tutorials on how you draw anatomy in your style (hips and legs especially)? Sorry if there's already one posted and I just didn't see it 🥲. Happy New Year :>

thanks for the kind words. i tend to draw people pretty stylized and then some so a good bit of artistic licence gets used. these tips are just what i use so feel free to take them with a grain of salt. with anatomy in particular you can kind of talk in circles because human/animal bodies are that complex so ill just zone in on the points you specified. here's a little image with a bunch of pointers:

the above image condenses a lot of the points I'd make, but basically the key parts are to start with the bare essentials and build up that complexity. using a line of action is a good way to get a quick, rough start. you draw a line out in the general direction of the pose and do your best to adhere to it to give the pose a sense of flow.

you can also draw smaller, thumbnail versions that throw a lot of caution to the wind but capture the basic energy of what you're going for. even having a tiny little stick figure version of your idea can make for a good guideline of where to take it forward.

when it comes to actual limbs, you wanna consider how they integrate and work together, kind of like how chains do. you can see on some of the parts of pear i've drawn out these wireframes to kind of portray how the mass of her legs works in a three dimensional space. for aspects like the waist/hips, i use that X technique i highlight above a lot, particularly for the lower torso. a lot of the times, even when drawing a character totally naked, imagining them wearing things like skintight underwear can help a lot to guide you in the right direction.

its also a good idea to consider things like gravity and weight to a degree. humans are essentially big meat sacks and gravity is always pulling down on that, but theres all kinds of aspects that effect that, such as character build or clothing. pear technically isn't naked in this, but i've tried to imagine her as such and take that into account.

if you are drawing digitally, don't be afraid to take advantage of the convenience you get with that workflow. you can retry and iterate on things a lot faster that pen and paper, and do things that aren't really feasible at all when it comes to editing and modifying your existing work. things like resizing certain bodyparts, instantly flipping the canvas, or using selection tools to completely adjust the positions of parts of your drawing. to give you an example heres a timelapse with all the little edits i made just to this demo drawing:

you don't have to use these techniques linearly, either. sometimes ill have a really solid idea for a piece in my head, and go back to basics with certain elements if they’re not coming out right or i just want to brush them up a bit more. some of the tutorial-y parts i added in i didn't actually use during the drawing but often do use so they're there just for demonstration. not every drawing i do starts as building blocks or a really basic version, often ill just start with a face and build it out from there.

i always encourage liberally using references (this can include yourself) and trying out stuff like life drawing or looking at things like existing photographs of real people/places/things if you can, the more you use learning material the better you'll draw up a mental inventory in your head that you can rely on more and more. some of these tips are things i've learned from other artists over the years (the chin one especially i remember seeing a tutorial about lol), so this is a lot of knowledge i've amassed from other sources over time myself. there are plenty of times ill use all sorts of reference material and its all in service of arriving at the final destination as smoothly as possible. learn by doing, as they say. hope this helps!

[strawberrystepmom]

old flame, same glow

pairing: sex worker toji fushiguro x f!reader

word count: 6.1k

about: old feelings spur you on a wild journey of paying for sex with your high school crush but you find out in the process that maybe those feelings aren't as long forgotten as you thought.

contents: nsfw - mdni. no curses au, reader and toji are similar in age (i imagine reader to be late 20s/early 30s and toji to be early/mid 30s), oral sex (f receiving), lots and lots and lots of pining from reader, reader is very pathetic it's very sad but she's my most special meow meow.

notes: this is a repost of the sex worker toji au on my old blog - full and final, with pretty extensive edits to make it flow better. i was personally asked to repost and who am i to say no? be warned tho, for being a fic about sex work this is surprisingly sexless and for that i apologize but i wanted to focus more on the feelings rather than the smut.

thank you for your support and for reading and i hope you enjoy it!!!

dividers are thanks to @/saradika

“Is it because I’ll never be him?” 

The words your now ex-fiance spit at you during that fateful last fight echo in your mind as you splash cool water over your face, the strap of your purse sagging over your shoulder. A sigh escapes as the droplets run down your nose and lips. 

Him. Toji. The man became a constant issue in your relationship that never seemed to reach resolution the moment you admitted to a one-sided crush you had on him years and years ago, long before your fiance entered the picture. You hadn’t spoken to him since before his first marriage and only knew about his life through social media and occasionally running into each other at the grocery store but your ex took exception after a single cursory glance through Fushiguro’s photo sharing app feed, each picture one of him with his shirt either lifted at the bottom or so tight you can make out each and every divot of his defined core.

Exhaling out of your mouth, droplets go flying against the surface of the bathroom mirror and you fight the urge to scream or cry or maybe both looking at your soggy reflection. You’ve never felt more pathetic in your life and now the outside matches the inside.

The memory couldn’t have surfaced at a worse time and it forced you to excuse yourself from the polite man sitting across from you in a crowded restaurant, shifting through the too small gaps between tables and refusing to make eye contact with anyone else currently sitting in the restaurant as he watched you retreat. 

He was introduced to you by a coworker who spent most of the week wondering why you haven’t put yourself back out there after a year of single life, but you regret saying yes. Not because you don’t enjoy his company - he’s smart, quick witted, and handsome which are all things regularly you’d be enchanted by. 

Truthfully, you know it’s because he isn’t him either.

Digging your phone out of the pocket of your dress, you sigh and open your most recent conversation thread. The bold letters of his name stare back at you, an F in a circle above his last name. Fushiguro.

Free later?

Toji texted you earlier today, while you were still at work, and you opted to ignore him in preparation for tonight. The intention was to clear your mind of distractions or any entanglements you may have lingering, even those with almost unimaginably broad shoulders and green eyes that twinkle mischievously with every salacious wink and smirk he tosses your direction but you didn’t realize you’d fail your mission before 9 pm. 

The sun has only barely set and here you stand in the bathroom of one of the nicest restaurants on this side of the city planning to meet up with your high school crush to pay him for sex. 

Perhaps pathetic is too light of a word for how you feel but you don’t make eye contact with yourself in the mirror for long enough to think about it, gaze darting back down to the backlit screen in your palms.

Your thumbs begin to work before your mind can catch them and you stop yourself, brows furrowed as you press down to highlight the text and delete it altogether. Rubbing your free hand over your face, you sigh and glance down at the text bubble indicating he’s typing on the screen.

You know I can see you typing and deleting?

A knock on the bathroom door makes you yelp as you look over the message, dropping your phone in the still damp porcelain sink with a clatter while uttering low curses under your breath. You hear your name from the other side of the door and in your rush to grab and dry off your phone, you slip the droplet covered device back into your pocket and rush toward the door to see the waitress assigned to your table standing there.

“Uh, he asked me to come let you know that he paid the tab and you can go.”

Panic rises in your chest and your stomach turns as you gaze around her shoulder and look around the restaurant, spotting the table you were just sitting at with its unoccupied chairs.

“Fuck,” you spit before gnawing on your lower lip and the waitress watches you as one would witness a slow motion car crash - incredulously, as if this is something she has never seen before. Part of you wonders if she hasn’t ever seen a woman struggling this close to her, the youthful round of her cheeks convincing you she can’t be old enough to have a lot of life under her belt. 

You shoot her an apologetic glance and she nods curtly.

“I’m sorry you had to do this,” your voice is muffled by your own shoulder while you dig through the purse and pinch out a banknote with enough zeroes to make her happy. You think it’s a 10,000 yen note but you can’t be certain and the embarrassment of the evening is carrying your feet toward the door too quickly to verify.

The door spits you out into a balmy evening but you don’t notice, filling your lungs to the brim with fresh air that feels restorative despite the heat. Patting around your body, you ground yourself with the knowledge that your phone is in your pocket. Pulling it out, you click your tongue at the new notification alert on the left side of your screen and exit your conversation with Toji to look at it.

The number isn’t saved in your phone but the words make you hiss as you look over them, shame making your face heat in a way that a warm summer night cannot even begin to replicate.

Hope dating gets simpler for you. Have a good night.

Sighing, you dawdle for a moment wondering how to respond, shifting your weight from foot to foot. People pass you on the street and you worry they’re going to start to wonder why you’ve been standing in front of the restaurant door for so long, dejectedly staring at the glowing screen in your palms.

Taking a few steps, you begin to walk in the direction of the train station and exit out of the conversation with your date, opening Toji’s contact info and holding down on his number until you hear your phone dialing him.

“Was wondering when you’d get back to me,” he doesn’t hesitate to speak as soon as he picks up the phone and you feel a flurry of butterflies erupt in your gut the moment you hear him. This is so bad, you contemplate with the click of each of your steps. So so bad. “Where you at?”

Humiliated, you dare to feel almost a little comforted by how happy he sounds to hear from you. You’re certain that this is how he sounds with all of his clients, everyone who hires him for a good time, but you want to believe so badly it’s just for you. The lilt at the end of his sentences that you know mean he’s smirking, one corner of his mouth turned up. 

“Do you want to hear the truth or to hear a carefully made up lie?”

He chuckles on the other end of the phone and you wish you could listen to no other sound for the rest of your life.

“Tell me the truth. You’ve never been a great liar.”

A deep exhale deflates your posture and your gaze snaps to your feet as you make your way off to the farthest part of the sidewalk, your voice lowering to keep some shred of your dignity intact. It’s bad enough you’re venting your frustration to the man you pay for sex, you don’t want to think about how mortifying it would be to have a stranger overhear your woes.

“Well, I was on a date and got walked out on so now I’m heading toward the train station.”

A sympathetic hum and shuffling come from the other end of the line, Toji absentmindedly flicking the lighter he keeps in his pocket while you speak. The silence, no matter how momentary, makes you feel awkward and your brain leaps to overcompensate.

“Did you still want to meet? I don’t have a ton of cash but I do have time.”

Another chuckle. You hate that you feel like it’s directed at you rather than to be shared with you and the hot flush of embarrassment makes you reach for your sleeve with your free hand uncomfortably. It was too hot to wear this dress. It was a stupid idea to even come out but his voice keeps your rapt attention, his next words making you genuinely smile for the first time in hours.

“I can’t make you pay full price after getting walked out on. Come over, we’ll work it out.”

Thanking your lucky stars, you shut your eyes tightly and use every ounce of willpower inside of you to keep yourself from crying. Moisture pools at your lashline and you choose to ignore it, relaxing your jaw as you respond.

“You mean it?”

He hums affirmatively and you feel the butterflies in your stomach travel further south at the sound.

“Wouldn’t offer if I didn’t. See you in thirty.”

The call drops from the other end, your phone beeping to signify the ending but you can’t keep a giddy smile from creeping across your face as you press your phone against your chest and open your eyes. Looking up at the twinkling stars above, embarrassment gives way to something you haven’t felt in so long outside of these meetings with Toji that you wonder if you’re about to have a heart attack or something equally disturbing - the familiar flush of affectionate love. 

The unimpressed gaze of your coworker follows you all the way to your desk as you make your way through the rows of desktops on Monday morning. You shrink beneath the weight of it, the wool of your pencil skirt suddenly itching more than it ever has while brushing against your legs with each step. 

She must have heard about how well your date went.

The text message sent from the man still sits, unanswered, in your phone. Shame sits like a brick in your stomach and you keep your head down, even as you sit and the hydraulics of your chair squish beneath you with a “whoosh”. Bouncing back up, you refuse to make eye contact as you get settled, logging in.

“I am never setting you up again,” she spits in a hushed whisper as soon as you sit down next to her, pulling her can of coffee away from you and setting it on the opposite side of her keyboard. 

“If you weren’t ready you should have just said so.”

It’s not like you can defend yourself. You weren’t and remain unready to see anyone else yet it didn’t stop you from immediately stuffing bills in Toji’s hand, legs still shaking while he helped you button your pants and sealed your goodbye with a wink and a kiss on the forehead.

This time, though, was the first time the two of you kissed outside of sex and you’re still reeling. Head fuzzy as you recall the way his scar felt brushing against you for more than immediate sexual gratification. Soft lips, firm flesh, warmth. You swear you feel a ghost of the kiss itself as you sit, surrounded by buzzing overhead fluorescent lights.

The two of you have had sex a dozen times now, once a month your usual schedule, but this time felt different. Maybe it’s the fact that you paid less than usual, maybe it’s the tender way he placed kisses from the underside of your breast clear down to your mound, watching your every move with those glimmering peridot eyes. 

“Are you going to say anything?”

The accusatory voice of your coworker interrupts your reverie and you blink before turning in your direction with your head bowed. Words stick in your throat and you aren’t able to swallow so you mumble a simple “sorry” with nothing further. She scoffs and turns back toward her computer, typing loudly to indicate her annoyance as you click around your desktop.

“He walked out on me, to be fair,” you finally come up with after falling short on a near infinite amount of apologies in your head and she turns once again to stare at you. Her gaze burns and you shift in your seat, the same shame you felt at the restaurant weighing your limbs and keeping you pinned in place.

“He left because you were in the bathroom for 15 minutes with no explanation.”

She scoffs and shakes her head, typing away for a moment before turning toward you again, still unfinished with her thorough lecture about the wrongs you’ve committed. Your body still feels heavy, frozen with embarrassment of your own making, but you manage to sigh and fold your arms over your chest unenthusiastically.

“I was hoping you’d at least tell me you had an accident or something.”

Without thinking, you laugh the hardest you have in awhile and several heads peek above their desktops to glance at your unusual display. They probably think you’re losing your mind and if you were to be frank with yourself, you aren’t convinced that isn’t exactly what’s happening.

You are fantasizing during work about a man you pay to have sex with, pretending you’re anything more than a client with a little cash to blow and he’s a man with a lot of free time and a natural gift for cunnilingus.

Hiccuping, your laughter subsides and your unimpressed coworkers return to their tasks, the one sitting next to you still eyeing in a way that is borderline venomous at this point. You don't blame her, though. You fucked up and can't bring yourself to own up to it when your head is too wrapped up in remembering every peak of Toji's arms wrapped around you.

How the fuck did this happen?

She says nothing further, instead turning to her computer and leaving you to sit staring at the blinking cursor on the screen in front of you. You can unpack every single choice you've made since 16 right now and it still wouldn't lend any clarity as to why you are willing to fuck up every relationship around you for the sake of sleeping with a man who you mean nothing to.

Of course, you don't know that, but it's a safe enough assumption given the dynamic itself.

You swallow thickly, pride sliding down your throat like something you may choke on, and turn your chair toward your coworker.

"I handled it poorly and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry I embarrassed you."

She scoffs, dipping her head low.

"The only person who should be embarrassed here is you."

Accepting the criticism, the truth, you plaster a smile across your face and nod once. Any argument you may have tied together at another point in your life dies and you instead turn back to your work, looking at the little clock on the bottom corner of your screen.

9:15 am.

So many hours left for shame to simmer between your ribs, a molten pool of your own failure to swim around in until you drown.

The lewd pop of Toji releasing your clit from between his lips and your panting are the soundtrack playing through his otherwise quiet apartment. Darkness envelopes both of you, so insatiable by the time you made it back here there wasn’t time to turn on the overhead lights. 

I need to stop, you think in the afterglow of another orgasm delivered by the impressively skilled mouth of the man whose green eyes are fixed on your face. You take in the sight of him, chin and lips soaked from your last release that drenched him. 

“Never seen ya do that before,” Toji remarks from between your thighs. Your muscles twitch on either side of his face and you giggle weakly, tired from being thoroughly fucked and devoured. He places a kiss on your inner thigh, eyes fluttering shut briefly as he does so. 

You want to reach out and stroke his cheek, softening with every ounce of care he gives; the way his thumbs assuredly massage the outside of your thighs. It’s all so…tender. It feels like it's meant for a lover, someone you wanna fall asleep beside and rise with in the morning.

Something meant for you and someone else.

If you weren’t so tired you’d already be gone. Instead you groan softly as he rubs a final pair of circles on your skin and sits up, wiping his face across his bicep. He stands and he feels you looking at him, scoping out every nude sculpted inch of him. How is it fair that he not only fucks like a god but looks like one too?

Truly, some people get all the luck.

“Somethin’ on your mind?”

Shrugging flippantly, you let yourself melt into the comfort of his bedding, getting too used to feeling it beneath you at this point. You've increased your visits from once a month to once a week, twice if you're particularly stressed, and he certainly will never turn down a chance to make some good money.

"How many clients do you have?"

The question leaves your lips before you can really think about the implication of what you're asking but he chuckles, pulling a pair of athletic shorts and nothing else over his softening cock. You can still make out the print of it clear as day and it makes your face heat, looking away and feigning interest in the peeling skin around your unkempt cuticles.

"I'm sorry, that was intrusive," you clarify, gaze flicking up from your nail beds to where he fills two glasses of water from a pitcher on the bedside table. You dare to indulge yourself by continuing to look at him rather than away, his hair falling in his face.

For the briefest moment, you think you'd like to be the person to brush it off his forehead forever but he turns to you with a smirk and holds out a glass of water before you can go any further into the delusional fantasies your mind keeps providing to you without asking.

"Why are you asking?" He drinks after asking, finishing his glass in one gulp and setting it back down next to the pitcher. You take the glass extended in your direction, sipping to try and wash down the lump in your throat before it can fully form. "You like me or something?"

Immediately you shoot up, hauling the blanket over your naked form ready to explain away your questioning and he sits down on the edge of the bed with a smile, reaching out and grabbing your covered thigh with one of his hands.

"I was just kidding, don't get jumpy."

Fighting the urge to fidget, you stay sitting up and sip from the water cautiously again, small mouthfuls at a time to keep from feeling overwhelmed. You're so anxious despite having cum so many times you truly lost track and Toji wishes he didn't find it so amusing that after all these years you still manage to be as neurotic as he remembers.

You were a good girl back then, scared of getting caught running around with the delinquent, but you still puffed each time he'd hold the cigarette to your lips. You still tagged along when he would skip class.

He wondered what happened to you when the two of you lost touch. Figured you'd ended up married with a kid or two like him, waiting for the next day and getting through it to the best of your ability.

He was shocked when you messaged him from your social media profile, the photos displayed on your page less than interesting. You standing in front of a shrine on vacation, you smiling next to your family on your grandma's birthday, you looking lonely with a smile that never reached your eyes in photo after photo.

The rest is history, as they say, and you rush to fill the silence.

"Curiosity got the best of me, that's all."

"Five."

You look up, reaching across the bed to slide the water onto the table beside it and he keeps his gaze fixed on you.

"Four occasionals, one regular."

Eyes widening at his words, you point to yourself.

"I'm your regular?"

He hums and nods and you take a moment to process the information for what it is. A surprise, certainly, and you can't quite figure out how you feel about knowing he sees four other women even if it is just occasionally. Logic smacks you in the face as you realize you hardly have the right to feel jealous over him doing his job but you let that feeling turn in your head for a moment, wondering what he'd do if you admitted how you felt to him.

Would he stop seeing his other clients? Would he let you take their occasional spots, making sure he's making the same amount of money regardless if it's all coming from you?

"My occasionals don't live in the city so we only meet up when they're in town."

Why he feels the need to explain himself is as lost on him as it is you, your head tilted to the side in confusion. Can he tell this is what you need to hear to quell your own wandering mind or is he simply indulging you to ensure that his regular stays a regular? You hate to think the worst of him, knowing he's a good man beneath the antics he has always managed to get wrapped up in, but the ever shifting boundaries between the two of you get less and less comfortable with every session.

"How about you?" He asks while you slide your knees up and tuck them into your chest, his hand falling to the side in the process. "You paying anyone else for sex?"

Giggling, you shake your head. It's embarrassing to even be asked, your desperation as apparent as your skin itself, but you feel like if there's anyone you can joke about it with it's the man whose face is still sticky with your release.

"Nope, one is plenty. I'm not rich, you know."

He quirks a brow and crawls onto the bed, making his way to hover above you with a smirk and that same hair hanging over his eyes the way you always seem to see it in your daydreams.

Without thinking, you reach up and brush it off of his forehead, your fingers gliding across the sweat slicked skin of his face. You look at him for a moment, the way he looms above you, and your stomach turns.

This is too much. Your fingers tremble gently as you trace them over the bridge of his nose while dragging them off of his face, hand flopping down at your side while you struggle to shift from beneath him to get out of the bed.

"You alright?"

You nod and he backs away, sitting across the bed rather than lingering over the top of you. Sliding your legs off of the bed, you stand and feel him looking at your back as you bend and scramble to grab your clothes.

"Yeah, just realized it's super late."

Hurriedly pulling your pants up over your legs, you stop when you realize he hasn’t stopped staring at you since the moment you left his bed. His gaze burns and you wither beneath it, burning out like a shooting star as you stand still as a statue.

“Just stay,” he offers as if it isn’t the most self destructive option you could possibly choose. Stay and what? Chew on your nails the entire night until the sun finally rises and you can blissfully leave? Watch morning cast a warm glow over his sleeping body while birds chirp outside?

A persistent echo of the word idiot dances through your head as you briefly consider his suggestion, wondering if it would truly be so terrible to bury your head against his side and sleep soundly for the first time in months.

You can’t do this. The night feels suffocating, like it’s smothering you rather than enveloping you gently, and you pull your pants all the way up and fasten them while throwing your shirt over your head and pulling it on in a surprisingly fluid motion.

“I gotta go. Thank you for everything.”

Bustling out of his apartment, Toji watches your back head toward the door and can’t help but feel as if that was your final goodbye, gone in a flash the same way you returned to him.

Hey stranger, what's up?

The latest in a series of ignored messages pops onto your screen before you can close out the notification, today marking 21 days since the fateful night you cried in the back of an overpriced car the entire way back to your apartment leaving Toji’s behind you.

The messages are all the same - nonchalant and non committal, unspoken business proposals - but you scroll up through them anyway with a broken sniffle. How you’re still managing to cry over this three weeks later is beyond your own understanding but your fingers reach out to brush the screen of your phone regardless, just as they did the smooth skin of his forehead that fateful night.

Life has been normal without him, you reason. You go to work, keep your head down, come home and fall asleep in front of the TV. You’ve been too depressed to even masturbate but you’ve tried, crying through the measly two orgasms you’ve managed to pull out of yourself halfheartedly.

Part of you wishes you’d just die and end this misery once and for all, the other wants to die thinking of how someone would feel looking at your browser history. “Green eyed guy big dick”, “big dick DILF” , “toji big dick”, the terms thay would haunt you enough you worry they’d emblazon them on your headstone if you were to perish.

It’s dramatic, sure, your world has imploded in on itself more than once already but this hurts with the intensity of three broken engagements. Your heart feels like it could give out at any moment and it nearly does when your phone begins to vibrate and ring. Dropping it to the floor below, you sniffle again and feel another round of sobs bubble up in your throat at the name on the screen.

Toji Fushiguro. Clear as day.

You let it ring and ring until you know your voicemail will pick up and you’ll delete it. Fuck, you should really delete his number as a whole but even that feels too permanent.

How did it hurt less when you left your old apartment with an empty ring finger and a few boxes full of your meager belongings than it does to ignore a man you paid for sex?

Truthfully, you know it was never about the sex and you were treading in deep dangerous waters from the start.

You love him.

You loved him back in high school when he was a bad influence, you loved him when you’d open your hidden photos folder to stare at pictures you screen captured from his social media as soon as your fiancé rolled over to fall asleep, you loved him hovering above you with moonlight illuminating every shadow of his face.

This is the worst thing that has ever happened to you and through a flood of hot tears, you close out the open adult website on your phone and pull up a search tab, typing the words that will lead you to listings for apartments for rent as far away from here as you can possibly get.

Your time here is done and you know it, the ding echoing from your phone letting you know you have a voicemail almost sounding exactly like a timer would but you look at the notification anyway.

It's curious he left you a voicemail but you watch as your screen loads from the browser to the one unopened message in your mailbox. Taking a deep breath, you press play and hear his voice drifting through the speakers.

"Hey, uhh...I dunno what I did to piss you off but maybe we should talk about it. I'll be at the usual spot tonight if you wanna meet. Hope to see ya."

It ends as unceremoniously as it started and you cry harder, rewinding to start it over again. Listening to his voice, you trace your fingers along the screen of your phone a final time before deciding to take him up on his offer.

Closure will only help this process, you think, ending it all and closing this chapter for good.

“Look who it is.”

You recognize the voice coming from behind you but refuse to turn in your chair to greet its owner, instead sipping from your cocktail before tossing your napkin down unceremoniously. 

This isn’t your first time at this less than reputable establishment but you hope it will be your last, ready to get away from the shit in this city you wished you would’ve left behind a long time ago. Him included.

“Toji,” you toss from over your shoulder and the man himself enters your peripheral vision. Refusing to give him the smug satisfaction of turning to look at him, you simply nod and begin to tear the napkin you tossed down into little pieces. You’ve always loved how easy it is to transform things with your hands, from whole to broken and back again. It reminds you of yourself in a strange way.

“I could make some time for you,” Toji sucks his teeth and you roll your eyes at the sound. “If you want.”

A shake of your head is all you offer as you continue to throw bits of paper in front of you, a small pile of bits, all that remains of what once was whole. The metaphor dies as you think about it and you sit quietly as he settles in beside you.

“What would it cost me this time?”

Toji shrugs, the already clinging fabric of his short sleeved shirt gripping him tighter with the motion. You swallow thickly seeing the muscles move from the corner of your eye. He’s gorgeous and you hate it, reminding yourself that loneliness is what led you in his direction in the first place. Or at least you’re still trying to convince yourself of that.

You wish you could have stuck to your guns when you promised yourself you’d stop seeing him.

“I can make a deal for my favorite even if she has been avoiding me lately.”

A laugh escapes before you can stop it and you turn to look at him, taking in the deep jade color of his eyes and the dark lashes that frame them.

What point did you start looking for the mischievous little sparkle that lives inside of those irises? What point did this become more than transactional?

You always have and it never was.

You sigh, tipping your head back to look at the dim modern-attempt-at-vintage overhead lighting and he sweeps his large hand across the bartop to sweep your bits of napkin into his palm. 

“No charge, actually.” 

Making a show of considering his offer, you squirm uncomfortably at the boundary that has been firmly broken by it. He has given you discounts, sure, but to offer a completely free no strings attached session is almost more than you can reasonably deny. You have been suffering in his absence, self imposed exile keeping you locked inside of your apartment when you aren’t at work. You aren’t dating, you aren’t fucking, you’re just trying to exist as simply as possible.

Even the most upright girl needs to have a little fun sometimes, though, you think. Especially since this will be the last time before you go and leave him to his life. You have no place in his world and he no place in yours, two paths that intersected briefly but have to diverge eventually the most the two of you will ever be.

Despite your better judgment, you look at him with a bittersweet smile and he finds the look puzzling. There’s still the ever present softness you hold for him deep in that gaze but there’s something else he hasn’t seen before. 

His heavy stare makes you interrupt with a question. 

“What did I do to deserve a free one?” 

He shrugs, dropping your bits of napkin into your drained lowball glass where they soak up what’s left of the water. The cycle into something new begins again. 

“Feelin’ generous. You in or not?”

Dragging it out for a moment longer, you wonder if you should tell him this will be the last time. You’ve known him for such a long time there’s an element of obligation but you shrug it off and rise from the barstool, smoothing down the fabric of your pants.

“Fuck it. Let’s go.”

Toji doesn’t bother to hide his smug half smile, tossing down a few bills to cover your drink. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” you start and he cuts you off as the two of you walk so close your shoulders brush. “Told you I’m feelin’ generous, quit making me regret it.”

He’s teasing but you flinch a bit at his words despite yourself. 

What if he regrets this? What if it hasn’t been as mutually beneficial as you originally thought, you’re just another face with disposable income that wants to see what it feels like to fuck a man with reckless abandon? Isn’t this why you walked away in the first place?

The what ifs will drive you crazy if you keep it up so you let the cool night air clear your mind, gasping as he pushes you against the driver side door of your car.

“Toji,” you warn but his hands glide up your sides and you lift your chin to expose your neck, his lips and teeth easily finding the column of your throat. The vibrations of your voice feel good against his mouth and you yelp as he scrapes at your skin using his front teeth. “Someone could see us.”

He scoffs and lifts his face away from your neck, lips mere inches away from yours. 

“Would that be so bad?” You nod emphatically and he rolls his eyes, dark brows knit together as he considers what you’re saying. “Ashamed to be seen with me?” Your shoulders slump and he presses his lips against yours so quickly you wonder if you imagined it and you sigh.  “No, I’m not. Just would rather people not know I’m paying some dude I used to go to high school with to fuck me.” 

There’s too much truth to your words for him to argue so he simply leans in against, pressing his lips against yours for a moment longer than he previously did. You feel the corner of his lip rise, a little smirk, and you wonder what’s on his mind.

“Don’t seem so ashamed when you’re screamin’ about how you can feel me in your….” he feigns thought for a moment and you feel your face heat, knowing what he’s about to say next. “What is it you always say? Ah, yeah…tummy.” His lips press against yours again and you kiss him back this time, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and wrapping his dark hair around your fingers. The two of you separate before the dry humping starts, catching your breath as you wipe remnants of chapstick and saliva from your lips.

“Get your ass in the car before I change my mind, Fushiguro.” 

He smiles at the sound of his name on your pretty lips. There’s no going back now and he knows it as he squeezes your ass once before rounding your car to enter the passenger side. A glance up at the night sky allows you a moment to clear your mind before you enter the vehicle yourself, shutting the door behind you as you fire up the engine. 

Something new begins again, the night revealing thing you know to be true.

You love him too much for this to be the last time.

[daisys-reality]

𝙿𝙰𝙲.𝟶𝟷𝟽 : 𝙸𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎? 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝙳𝚁?

Let’s say you decided on which DR you want to shift to. You already created some type of script, whether it’s physically, digitally or perhaps you just have a vague idea in mind on what you want to experience there. Now, you started getting unsure if this is really what you want… Or if you should focus on another DR instead. I will try to give you some guidance here on your situation! But don’t take this too much to heart, just use it as additional inspiration, okay? And if you like to read more pac readings from me, feel free to check out my  masterlist as well. Also, I don't own any of these beautiful pics.

𝙿𝙸𝙻𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴  

Is this really what you want to experience? - What you have in mind or what you have on your script will be a challenge but yes, it seems to be something you really want to experience. Don’t be afraid, you're strong enough to handle it BUT it’s better to restrain your wild/aggressive side and your subconscious desire for (self) destruction a little bit and to avoid any open and (especially) unnecessary fights/scandals there…

Should you edit your script? Or focus on another DR? - Yes, you could perhaps edit your script (or plan) for this DR in a way that you will have more of a cool relaxing experience or more moments of relaxation in general (instead of constant stress and 24/07 new ‘plots’ lmao). Also, your script could perhaps mirror some of your fears (fear of abandonment/commitment). You might actually not really know what this DR will bring you. I feel like there are a few moments you want to experience but you probably left the rest open or rather up to the universe. There might be a possibility that you will at some point just aimlessly drift around the world until you truly find meaning in your existence there. I think you’re meant to keep this open, don’t try to force a direction/or a final end destination in your script. Define what exactly you want to experience, shift there and see what happens then. Go with the flow and give yourself time in your DR to make up your mind. You don’t just decide the meaning of one’s existence within one week, right? :) Regarding the DR itself, the one you have in mind might not be the best choice right now out of all your DRs, perhaps you should focus on another DR first before shifting to this one. The advice here is to think logically/rationally while choosing your DR. If your choice is influenced by greed or materialism, then you might have to rethink your choice. Obviously it’s up to you which DR you choose, just know that every decision is a commitment to some point… So, ask yourself: Are you ready for the commitment? 

 

𝙿𝙸𝙻𝙴 𝚃𝚆𝙾 

Is this really what you want to experience? - Undecided. That is something only your subconsciousness knows. Your dreams and intuition hold important information that will guide you. Follow your instincts and remember to focus on the now. It is not wise to constantly dwell on the past or on what ifs. There is also a sense of energetic protection here. So there is no need to worry too much about how the experience will be. 

Should you edit your script? Or even focus on another DR? - No, I feel like you worry too much about your script… Are you the type to make extremely detailed/long scripts? Constantly updating and adding more things to it? Sometimes you need to let things rest for some time for them to start blooming. You usually grow fond of an idea only after some time has passed. It seems like there is a feeling of being stressed to live up to something… too many responsibilities or influences here that turned into a burden for you. You might feel disconnected from your script/DR right now. Consider meditating on your situation for clarity. I don’t think you should focus on another DR. This DR you’re focusing on is ‘the right one’ for now, but to move forward you must overcome this inner blockage which I think is partly caused by a subconscious fear of commitment. Start being more grounded, face your ideas (from your script) - is it just nice to imagine or is it something (after really experiencing it)  that will bring you a sense of fulfillment or growth? Because I see that behind the veil there is a lot of joy, creative self expression and emotional fulfillment waiting for you, you just have to reach out for it…

𝙿𝙸𝙻𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙴

Is this really what you want to experience? - To be honest it feels like a slight no. What you have scripted or what you have in mind for your DR might seem perfect or without flaws …on the outside. But the experience is not completely matching with who you are and what you need. It feels like it’s something that is out of touch with an aspect of yourself. Perhaps you’ve got wealth, finance and freedom going on but you're completely isolated and alone in your DR (materialistic needs met but emotionally unfulfilled). There is just a contradiction with what you truly need…

Should you edit your script? Or focus on another DR? - I don’t think you should focus on another DR right away. This DR you have in mind is fine but I feel like you didn’t know what you should go for, so you just decided to go for something even though it's not really completely fitting. Do you perhaps have a fear of the unknown? I also feel like a lack of planning or lack of mental preparation is causing an issue too here. You should definitely edit your script/your plans for your DR. In your DR there shouldn’t only be material comfort but also emotional comfort. I really feel like your emotional world has been completely neglected while drafting your script/your DR. It will be important to build a solid foundation of who you are, what you need and who you want to be (in your DR) first. Try to integrate something that fuels your ambition, helps you grow and gives you satisfying experiences. A certain structure would be nice too. You might like a little chaos here and there but please give yourself at least a little bit of structure…

[hayatheauthor]

Everything You Need To Know Before Editing Your Manuscript 

Finishing your manuscript is a big accomplishment, but that’s only the start of your writing journey. Now that you have a manuscript to work with it’s time to start your editing process and perfect your story. Editing might sound easy enough, but it involves a lot more than just correcting your SPAG.

If you’re a new author unsure about how to start editing your manuscript, here’s everything you need to know, from a self-published author. 

Self-Editing: The First Step 

Editing your own work can be both challenging and rewarding. When you take on the role of a self-editor, you gain a deeper understanding of your writing and the opportunity to refine it to its fullest potential. Self-editing helps ensure you cut down on noticeable mistakes before sending it out to an actual editor so that you can receive more productive feedback. 

I would honestly hate having to pay someone just for them to tell me ‘you misspelt xyz’ which is something I could have caught with a quick read-through. Once you’ve finished your manuscript here’s how you can start off with some self-editing: 

1. Take a Break Before You Start

After completing your initial draft, it's crucial to distance yourself from your work. Give it some time to breathe. This break can be a few days or even weeks, depending on your schedule. When you return to your manuscript, you'll approach it with a fresh perspective.

2. Read Your Manuscript Aloud

One of the most effective self-editing techniques is reading your work aloud. This process helps you identify awkward sentences, pacing issues, and grammatical errors that might go unnoticed when reading silently. It also allows you to hear the flow of your writing and the nuances of your character's voices.

3. Focus on SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar)

Before delving into more complex edits, address SPAG issues. Look out for common mistakes such as typos, subject-verb agreement errors, and misused punctuation. Utilize grammar and spell-check tools, but don't rely solely on them.

4. Assess Overall Structure and Flow

Consider the broader structure of your manuscript. Does the plot progression make sense? Are there any plot holes or inconsistencies? Verify that your story flows smoothly from beginning to end. Ensure that transitions between scenes and chapters are seamless.

5. Dive into Character Development

Characters are the heart of your story. Analyze each character's arc, motivations, and growth throughout the narrative. Ensure that their actions and dialogue are consistent with their personalities and the story's themes.

6. Refine Your Writing Style

Pay attention to your writing style and voice. Is it consistent throughout the manuscript? Make sure your unique voice shines through, and refine your prose to eliminate unnecessary repetition or verbosity.

7. Trim Excessively Long Sentences

Long, convoluted sentences can confuse readers and disrupt the flow of your narrative. Identify and break down lengthy sentences into more manageable segments.

8. Seek Feedback

Consider sharing your work with beta readers or critique partners at this stage. Fresh perspectives can uncover blind spots and provide valuable insights for improvement.

Remember that self-editing is an iterative process. After completing these initial rounds of edits, repeat the process as necessary until you're satisfied with the manuscript's quality

Types of Editing

When editing their manuscript authors often direct their focus to the way things are written and then call it a day. However, SPAG corrections are only the start of your editing process. Unsure of other ways to better your manuscript? Here are some types of editing I think every author should consider when self-editing: 

SPAG Editing (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar)

SPAG editing, often considered the foundation of all editing, involves meticulously combing through your manuscript to correct spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. This stage is essential for ensuring the clarity and professionalism of your writing.

Tips for Effective SPAG Editing

Use Spell-Checkers Wisely: While spell-check tools can catch many errors, they're not foolproof. Pay close attention to context; for instance, "their" and "there" are both valid words but have distinct meanings.

Proofread Carefully: Rely on your eyes and proofread your work systematically. Reading backward, from the end to the beginning, can help you catch spelling errors.

Punctuation Matters: Proper punctuation enhances clarity. Study punctuation rules, including the use of commas, semicolons, and quotation marks.

Avoid Homophone Confusion: Homophones, such as "your" and "you're" or "its" and "it's," can trip up even experienced writers. Double-check these tricky pairs.

Consistency is Key: Be consistent in your use of tense, style, and formatting throughout your manuscript.

Consider a Style Guide: Depending on your project, adhere to a specific style guide like AP Style, Chicago Manual of Style, or your publisher's guidelines.

Line Editing

Line editing is where the magic of storytelling truly begins to shine. This stage of editing goes beyond correcting surface-level errors and focuses on enhancing the overall writing style, clarity, and impact of your prose.

Tips for Effective Line Editing

Sentence Structure: Evaluate sentence length and structure. Vary sentence lengths to maintain reader interest. Look for run-on sentences and fragments.

Word Choice: Opt for strong, precise verbs and nouns. Eliminate unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. Avoid clichés and overused expressions.

Consistency in Tone: Ensure the tone of your writing remains consistent throughout the manuscript. Be aware of shifts in tone that may disrupt the reader's experience.

Show, Don't Tell: Replace telling phrases with descriptive scenes and actions to immerse readers in your story. For example, instead of saying "She was nervous," show her trembling hands or racing heart.

Dialogue Polishing: Make sure your characters' dialogue sounds authentic and serves the story. Remove redundancies and refine conversations to convey subtext effectively.

Eliminate Repetition: Identify and eliminate unnecessary repetition, both within sentences and across paragraphs.

Read for Rhythm: Pay attention to the rhythm of your writing. Read your sentences aloud to ensure they flow smoothly and have a pleasing cadence.

Example: Line Editing in Action

Before: "He walked slowly into the dark room, and it was filled with an eerie silence."

After Line Editing: "He tiptoed into the dark room, which echoed with an eerie silence."

Line editing transforms a plain sentence into a more evocative and engaging one.

Plot and Structure Editing

Plot and structure editing is where the big picture of your manuscript comes into focus. It involves assessing the overall narrative flow, character arcs, and thematic coherence of your story. This stage ensures that your readers will be captivated by your tale from beginning to end.

Tips for Effective Plot and Structure Editing

Plot Evaluation: Review your plot to identify any inconsistencies, gaps, or unresolved subplots. Ensure that your story has a clear and engaging trajectory.

Character Arcs: Analyze the development of your characters. Verify that they experience growth, change, or transformation throughout the story. Characters should face challenges and evolve as a result.

Pacing: Assess the pacing of your narrative. Balance action scenes with moments of reflection. Avoid overly slow or rushed sections that may disengage readers.

Transitions: Ensure smooth transitions between scenes and chapters. Use transitional elements like hooks, cliffhangers, or thematic connections to maintain reader interest.

Foreshadowing: Check for effective foreshadowing to create anticipation and intrigue. Ensure that events and revelations are set up in advance to make them more satisfying for readers.

Climax and Resolution: The climax should deliver on the story's promises and conflicts. The resolution should tie up loose ends while leaving room for reader interpretation.

Character Development Editing

Character development editing is the key to creating characters that readers will connect with, empathize with, and remember long after they've finished your book. This type of editing focuses on making your characters three-dimensional and integral to your story.

Tips for Effective Character Development Editing

Character Profiles: Create detailed character profiles that include physical attributes, personality traits, backgrounds, motivations, and flaws. Refer to these profiles as you edit to ensure consistency.

Character Arcs: Analyze each character's journey throughout the story. Ensure that they experience growth, change, or development in response to the plot's events.

Dialogue Authenticity: Pay attention to character dialogue. Each character should have a distinct voice and speaking style that aligns with their personality.

Internal Conflict: Explore each character's internal conflicts, desires, and fears. These internal struggles add depth to their characterization.

External Conflict: Consider how characters interact with one another and their external conflicts. Ensure that their actions and decisions are in line with their personalities.

Consistency: Maintain consistency in character behavior, beliefs, and values throughout the story. Avoid abrupt character shifts unless they are well-motivated and explained. 

Style and Voice Editing

Style and voice editing is the stage where your writing truly becomes distinctive and memorable. It involves refining your unique writing style and ensuring that your narrative voice shines through consistently.

Tips for Effective Style and Voice Editing

Identify Your Writing Style: Reflect on your writing style. Are you descriptive and poetic, or concise and direct? Understand your natural tendencies.

Consistency is Key: Ensure that your writing style remains consistent throughout the manuscript. Abrupt shifts in style can be jarring to readers.

Narrative Voice: Identify your narrative voice. Is it first-person, third-person limited, or omniscient? Make sure your chosen narrative perspective aligns with the story's needs.

Character Voices: Pay attention to the unique voices of your characters. Each character should have a distinct way of speaking and thinking, contributing to the overall narrative texture.

Finding a Professional Editor

Writing a book is a deeply personal journey, but when it comes to the final steps of polishing your manuscript, it's essential to bring in a fresh perspective. This is where a professional editor comes in. They can help transform your work from good to outstanding, ensuring that it's ready to captivate readers. In this section, we'll explore how to find the right editor for your project.

When to Consider Hiring a Professional Editor

While self-editing and feedback from beta readers and critique partners are valuable, there comes a point when seeking professional editing assistance is crucial. Here are some key indicators that it's time to hire a professional editor:

After Self-Editing: Once you've gone through multiple rounds of self-editing and received feedback from beta readers, it's time to consider professional editing. You've taken your manuscript as far as you can on your own.

Before Publishing: Professional editing is essential if you plan to publish your work, whether traditionally or through self-publishing. It ensures your manuscript is in top shape, ready to impress agents, publishers, or readers.

For Complex Projects: If your project is particularly complex or requires specialized knowledge (e.g., technical writing, academic papers, historical accuracy), a professional editor with expertise in that area may be necessary.

Types of Professional Editing Services

Professional editors offer various types of editing services, each addressing different aspects of your manuscript. Here's an overview of the most common types:

Developmental Editing: This type of editing focuses on the big picture. Developmental editors help you shape your story, refine your characters, and ensure your plot flows smoothly.

Line Editing: Line editors dive into the nuances of your writing. They focus on improving sentence structure, style, and narrative flow, making your prose shine.

Copyediting: Copyeditors are meticulous about grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency in style and formatting. They ensure your manuscript is error-free and conforms to industry standards.

Proofreading: The final stage of editing, proofreading checks for typos, formatting errors, and minor issues that may have been missed in earlier rounds of editing.

How to Choose the Right Editor

Finding the right professional editor is a crucial step in your publishing journey. Here's how to make the best choice:

Research: Look for editors with experience in your genre. Explore their portfolios and read client testimonials. A track record of successful projects is a good sign.

Sample Edit: Many editors offer a sample edit or consultation. Use this opportunity to assess their compatibility with your manuscript. Check if their editing style aligns with your vision.

Communication: Clear and effective communication with your editor is paramount. They should understand your manuscript's genre, themes, and your specific goals for the project.

Budget: Get quotes from multiple editors and consider your budget. Editing can be an investment, but it's essential to find a balance between quality and cost.

Contracts: Before starting the editing process, sign a clear contract that outlines the scope of work, deadlines, fees, and any additional services. A well-defined agreement protects both you and the editor.

Choosing the right professional editor is a partnership that can significantly impact the quality of your manuscript. Take your time, do your research, and find someone who truly understands your work.

Editing Tools and Software

In the digital age, writers have access to a wealth of editing tools and software that can significantly simplify the editing process. These tools not only help catch grammar and spelling errors but also provide valuable insights into your writing style.

1. Grammarly

Grammarly is a widely recognized and user-friendly tool that checks your writing for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style errors. It provides real-time suggestions as you write in various platforms, including web browsers, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs. Grammarly's premium version offers more advanced features like style improvements and plagiarism checks.

2. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is an all-in-one writing assistant that goes beyond simple grammar checks. It offers in-depth reports on readability, overused words, style issues, and more. The tool integrates with popular word processors and even has a Scrivener plugin for authors who use this writing software.

3. Hemingway Editor

Named after the renowned writer Ernest Hemingway, this tool helps you simplify your writing. Hemingway Editor highlights complex sentences, common writing errors, and suggests alternatives to improve readability. It's particularly useful for authors aiming for clear and concise prose.

4. Scrivener

Scrivener is a comprehensive writing and editing software designed for authors. It provides a flexible workspace to organize your manuscript, research materials, and notes. While Scrivener isn't an editing tool in the traditional sense, its robust features can streamline your editing process.

5. Google Docs

Google Docs is a versatile cloud-based platform for collaborative writing and editing. It offers real-time collaboration, commenting, and revision history tracking. Authors can easily share their work with beta readers, critique partners, or professional editors.

6. AutoCrit

AutoCrit specializes in helping authors improve their fiction writing. It analyzes your manuscript for issues like pacing, dialogue, and repetition. It provides recommendations to enhance your storytelling and writing style.

7. Hemingway App

Similar to Hemingway Editor, the Hemingway App identifies complex sentences, adverbs, and passive voice in your writing. It offers immediate feedback to help you simplify and clarify your prose.

8. Evernote

Evernote is a powerful note-taking and organizational tool. While not an editing tool per se, it's indispensable for keeping track of ideas, research, and notes during the writing and editing process.

9. Reedsy Book Editor

Reedsy Book Editor is an online tool that helps authors format their manuscripts for publishing. It's especially handy for self-publishing authors looking to create professional-looking ebooks.

Common Editing Mistakes to Avoid

Editing is a critical step in the writing process, but it's essential to be aware of common editing mistakes that can hinder your progress. By recognizing and addressing these errors, you can refine your editing process and elevate the quality of your manuscript. Let's explore some of the most prevalent editing pitfalls and how to avoid them.

1. Editing Too Soon

One of the most common mistakes writers make is editing their work too soon after finishing the first draft. While the enthusiasm to refine your manuscript is commendable, it's crucial to give your writing some distance. Take a break before diving into the editing process. This allows you to return to your work with fresh eyes and a more critical perspective.

2. Neglecting the Big Picture

Focusing solely on grammar and spelling (SPAG editing) during your initial editing rounds is a mistake. While these aspects are vital, it's equally important to assess the overall structure, plot, character development, and style of your manuscript. Neglecting the big picture can result in a polished but fundamentally flawed story.

3. Overediting

Yes, you read that right—overediting can be a problem. Constantly revising your manuscript without a clear plan can lead to a never-ending editing cycle. Strive for a balance between thorough editing and knowing when your work is ready to be shared or submitted.

4. Ignoring Feedback

If you've enlisted beta readers or critique partners, their feedback is invaluable. However, it's a mistake to ignore or dismiss their insights. Be open to constructive criticism and use it to refine your work. Remember that not every suggestion needs to be implemented, but each one should be considered thoughtfully.

5. Relying Solely on Editing Software

While editing tools and software are powerful aids, they are not infallible. Relying solely on automated editing tools without human oversight can result in errors going unnoticed. Always use these tools as supplements to your own editing process, not replacements.

6. Rushing the Final Proofread

Proofreading is the last line of defense before publishing. Rushing this step can lead to embarrassing typos and errors slipping through. Take your time to meticulously proofread your work or consider hiring a professional proofreader for the final polish.

7. Neglecting Style Consistency

Consistency in style, tone, and formatting is vital, especially in longer works. Neglecting these aspects can create a disjointed reading experience. Create a style guide or checklist to maintain consistency throughout your manuscript.

8. Dismissing Your Gut Feeling

Sometimes, you might receive feedback or advice that conflicts with your vision for your manuscript. While it's essential to be open to suggestions, don't dismiss your gut feeling entirely. Ultimately, it's your story, and your voice should shine through.

9. Not Celebrating Progress

Finally, don't forget to celebrate your editing milestones. Writing and editing can be long and challenging processes. Take moments to acknowledge your accomplishments and keep the motivation flowing.

Beta Readers and Critique Partners

I want to finally end this blog post by talking about beta readers and critique partners. While some people might argue they shouldn’t be mentioned in an editing blog I think it’s important to also include them. 

As an author, it's easy to become deeply immersed in your work, making it challenging to spot its flaws and areas for improvement. This is where beta readers and critique partners come in—a fresh set of eyes and perspectives to help you refine your manuscript.

Why Beta Readers and Critique Partners Matter

Objective Feedback: Beta readers and critique partners offer an objective viewpoint on your work. They can identify issues you might have missed due to your familiarity with the story.

Diverse Insights: Different readers bring unique experiences and preferences to your manuscript. This diversity of perspectives can highlight both strengths and weaknesses in your writing.

Identifying Weaknesses: Beta readers and critique partners can pinpoint areas that might not be immediately apparent to you. Whether it's character inconsistencies, plot holes, or pacing issues, their feedback is invaluable.

Tips for Working with Beta Readers and Critique Partners

Select the Right Readers: Choose beta readers or critique partners who have an interest in your genre and can provide constructive feedback. A mix of avid readers and writers can offer diverse insights.

Clear Guidelines: Provide clear guidelines or questions for your readers to focus on while reading your manuscript. This can help you receive specific and actionable feedback tailored to your needs.

Consider Diversity: Seek feedback from a diverse group of readers to get a range of perspectives and opinions. Different backgrounds and tastes can lead to well-rounded feedback.

Be Open to Criticism: Be prepared to receive both positive and negative feedback. Constructive criticism is essential for growth, and it's a sign that your beta readers care about helping you improve.

Take Your Time: Don't rush the feedback process. Give your readers ample time to read and provide their insights. Rushing can lead to incomplete or superficial feedback.

Ask for Specifics: Encourage your beta readers or critique partners to provide examples and specifics in their feedback. This makes it easier for you to understand and address their suggestions.

I hope this blog on Everything You Need To Know Before Editing Your Manuscript will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[evcrgardn]

once upon a dream

jake sully x fem!navi!reader

genre: angst

warnings: mentions of death and blood, maybe a bit creepy, hurt (this was literally so painful to write)

note: first fic on this blog! <3 this is inspired by a scene that i love so much from braveheart and the jake and neteyam memory scene in atwow :(( this has been in my head for so long so i really wanted to turn it into a fic. this is very sad but i hope you guys will love it still :)) reblogs are appreciated! + will probably edit this when i have the time

.・゜゜・  Just when he was about to sleep, Jake’s ears perked up at the sound of footsteps outside the tent. He does not know why, but his gut tells him that he should check out whoever might that be. He slowly gets up, very carefully making his way out of the tent, not wanting to wake Neytiri and the kids up.

The sound led Jake deep into the forest. Along with the footsteps, the sound of flowing water from afar, as well as the chirping of the nocturnal creatures of the forest filled the peaceful night. He was unsure why he was even following the source of the footsteps, and why his heart was racing in his chest. Better be safe than sorry, he thinks. He would never forgive himself if anything bad happens to his family or his people just because he ignored this. 

He then spots a silhouette, which seemed like that of a Na’vi’s, from afar. “Hey,” he calls out. “Who are you?” he asks in Na’vi, making the figure halt its steps and turn around, yet he still could not identify who it is. He was about to ask once more when the figure suddenly starts walking slowly towards his direction.

As the Na’vi figure comes closer and closer, Jake’s heartbeat goes incredibly faster. He draws his knife for his safety, although he surprisingly doesn’t really sense any danger from this person at all.

When the figure finally comes face to face with him, Jake’s knees suddenly feel weak, dropping to the ground, as well as the knife that was previously in his hand.

It was you.

I must be dreaming, Jake thinks. If so, then he wouldn't want to wake up from this dream. You look down at him as he kneels properly on one knee in front of you as if he is a knight kneeling before his queen. "Y/N," he utters your name, looking at you straight in the eye. “Oel ngati kameie.”

You gave him a warm smile that could light up the whole of Pandora, making his heart swell in his chest, "Oel ngati kameie, Ma'Jake."

Tears were starting to form in his eyes from hearing your voice for the first time in years. The longer he looked at you, the more tears came in. The bioluminescent flora lit up your face in a gorgeous purple hue, your freckles also glowing like the stars in the evening sky. Woodsprites were floating above you, a clear sign that Eywa brought you to him. You did not change a bit, your face still radiant and youthful as it was before.

You were as beautiful as the day he met you… and the last time he saw you, which was years ago, during the war against the Sky People. He remembers how your ikran led him deep in the forest to find your body covered in blood. He embraced you in his arms as he called for your name, so many times. He waited for you to respond to his touch, wishing that you’d open your eyes and give him that smile of yours that he loved so much. But no, you did none of that.

Instead, you laid there in Jake's arms as his heart breaks into pieces, your face peaceful as if you were just in a deep sleep. He could still remember that day as if it was just yesterday. He may have led the Na’vi clans to victory against the Sky People, but he felt defeated, because he lost you.

In fact, before the battle, you two made a vow to each other: that the two of you will survive, and after that, you will become a mated pair before Eywa and be together for the rest of your lives. Unfortunately, the vow was broken by you.

"Y/N, I missed you. It's been so long," he tearfully says. He could no longer hold back the tears. He could no longer hide the pain that he's been trying to keep to himself for so many years.

"And I you," you responded, reaching down to hold his hand and pull him up so you could face each other at eye level. Jake looked at you with so much love and longing. You were his woman. His first love, and you will always be.

"How are you?" you ask, bringing your hand up to his face to wipe his tears with your thumb. You smiled as you stared at him, your hand cupping his cheek. Your eyes scanned every part of his face. He had a few wrinkles showing he’s aged and faded battle scars, his golden eyes were glistening with tears. His hair is much longer and thicker than before, his body also larger now.

"I... I'm good. I'm happy to see you."

Jake has clearly changed over time but still looked as handsome as he was in his younger years. You could still see in him the reckless skxawng that you fell in love with.

"I see you are Olo'eyktan now... and you have a beautiful family. I am very proud of you, Ma'Jake." He's come so far. From just being a nobody, he became a warrior, became one of The People, became the sixth Toruk Makto, and now, the Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya. Jake forces a soft smile though his pain is still evident. He hides it very well from everybody, but now that you're here in front of him, perhaps he could just let it show just this once. Even the strongest men can break down and cry.

"I think about you everyday, yawne. I'm sorry–"

"Hush. Do not," you cut him off, your index finger touching his lips. "I am with the Great Mother now. I am with The People... and I am happy. What happened has happened already. It is not your fault."

Jake could only nod at your words, though in his heart, he wishes that he could have prevented it. If he could turn back time, he wouldn't have let you fight in the battle, though he knows that isn't possible. You were a fearless warrior, and you surely wouldn't let yourself be left behind while others fought for your home. You would rather die fighting than stand and do nothing.

"You must wake now, Ma'Jake," you tell him, "It is almost morning."

Jake frowns at your words, his eyes glossy with tears and his ears folding back. "But I don't want to. I wish to stay here with you." He says, his voice laced with pain and desperation. Many years have passed since he last saw you... since he last felt your touch and heard your voice. He's fully aware that this is all a dream, yet who knows when you'll come back to visit him again? If this will be the first and the last time, he wishes to stay here with you for a bit longer before he goes back.

You took both of his hands in yours, rubbing circles on the back of his hands with your thumbs as a way to comfort him. "It is not your time yet. You have a family to protect. They need you. The People need you," you say, reminding him of his duties as a father and as Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya. "The right time will come for you to join me." You placed your hand on Jake's chest, feeling the way his heart beats. "I will always be here. I will always watch over you," you assured him.

"I love you," Jake places his hand on top of yours, expressing his undying love for you. "I will always love you,” he adds. His voice already sounds raspy from crying.

"I love you, Ma'Jake. Take care of yourself," you say, giving him one last smile before you vanished into thin air.

"Ma'Jake, wake up."

Jake wakes up to the sound of Neytiri's voice. She was looking at him, her large eyes were filled with worry. "You were crying, Ma'Jake. I was worried. I had to wake you up."

Jake sits up, wiping his eyes that were indeed wet with his own tears. It seems that he was literally crying. He turns his head to Neytiri. "I saw her, Neytiri," he whispers.

Neytiri smiles at him, fully aware who Jake is talking about. You.

Jake rarely speaks about you, but Neytiri knows that he still carries the pain of losing you in his heart. She has no hard feelings about it, really, for she has witnessed the beautiful romance that blossomed between you two. She knows Jake is true to her and their kids, but she also understands that it is impossible to forget someone you love, most especially a first love. It is the same for her and the late Tsu'tey.

Jake recalls how heavenly your voice sounded like and how angelic you looked. He smiles. "She visited me in my dream. It was wonderful. It felt so real."

He hopes you’ll come and visit him again soon.

[shizukateal]

Miraculous Ladybug Magical Girl Fashion Review -Part 1

Preamble

Ok, so. What do you people generally think of as a "superhero outfit"? Spandex, right? Tight-skinned, uninterrupted spandex covering almost all the body, or at least not straying away from the body line if you're a girl and only get a swimsuit. Maybe a cape (hood optional) depending on how dramatic you are to add some flow or, if you're a woman, your hairstyle will do that job. Otherwise you can have some form of helmet or headpiece to distinguish yourself, and that's it. That's the extent of options you have. If you're extremely lucky, they might allow you to wear a jacket.

While this description might be a bit of an exaggeration (not by much, though) I think we can all agree that this is a very restrictive set of rules to work with. It's very hard to make something that completely contours to the body visually compelling. It's hard to distribute colors and shapes and patterns in a neat way that makes you stand out when you have to compete with thousands of millions of characters with the same 3 allowed bodytypes (lean, broad, or Woman™️). Which is why we should clap even more at designs like the DC holy trinity and especially Spiderman, who not only has a fantastic design in spite of how alienating it should be, but whose look is also currently inspiring thousands of artists to make their own variations, technically also including today's very own Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

This is all a very lengthy way to say that some of the MLB people wear their fursuits better than the rest. Skin-tight onesies with fur patterns are not something everyone can pull off. Doubly so with how inconsistent the art direction in the show is, with everyone in the cast reaching different levels of uncanny valley and swagless drip. I personally think that many of them would do better if they thought a bit outside that box of "standard superhero fashion" and went for something more specific to the personalities of the characters, but there are some winners amongst the rabble. Much like the writing of the show itself, the show's design averages into a trashy sludge pile that still manages to look tempting thanks to some unexpected moments of competence. Let's sort through the pile *cracks knuckles*

Ladybug (standard and ultimate version)

You'd think it would be easy for me to just say "yeah, the bland, near fully uninterrupted polkadot bodypaint onesie is both boring and silly and the other more balanced version is a LOT better by comparison" and leave it at that, but unfortunately I also have to talk about the hairstyle. And the hairstyle is wrong in a very specific way which I don't have concise terms for, so I need you to pay attention and stay with me here.

The pigtails work well for Marinette. They are distinct, practical, realistic enough while bordering just slightly on the fantastic, and their mild childishness enhances Mari's romantic nature. In theory they also match the polka-dot theme and they are not impractical considering the function of Ladybug's suit, but they still go against what it's trying to do. There's probably a concrete term in shape and action line theory that better educated people than me know about, but to give you the gist of what I mean I'm gonna do another Shitty Paint Edit™️ so I don't go in too many circles explaining myself:

Ok, you get what I'm trying to say here now? The pigtails match the balance of this specific pose, but the suit is too skin-tight and it highlights Marinette's neck, so they interrupt the buildup. They don't even work well as pieces of flow for contrast, because the hair is so stiff and the ribbons are barely noticeable. Compare to itsanarkee's cosplay and how much better she looks because she has an updo. The worst part of it all is that, usually, matching a body-paint suit with a hairstyle to provide contrast in a female superhero is, like, babyshit, the bread and butter of superheroine costumes, but Astruc managed to find the one hairstyle in the world to make it work wrong because he was to proud about Marinette's design to change anything. Just give her the fucking buns already.

Chat Noir

He serves cunt. Pops pussy, if you will. The only very mild itch it gives me is that I can't see what his ears are attached to and it bothers me, although he's not the only one with that feature and I understand why they would want to hide a hair band especially in his design. I can forgive that when everything else in this design is genius. The belt tail. The way his mask sharpens his features alongside the hair and ears. The flaps on his boots and gloves that highlight how his movements put more weight in his joints. The acrylic claws, the paws on his boots. The lines that highlight his figure in just the right way. The fucking bell. Chat is easily the best design amongst the heroes.

And while this my purely subjective interpretation, I truly do think it's understated how much this outfit manages to sell Adrien's clark kenting. It makes complete and perfect sense to me at least that Marinette wouldn't recognize him like this. Adrien is just slightly generically pretty enough that you wouldn't assume they are the same person just because they're both blonde bishies, and the contrast between the two personas is high enough that it could be realistic that some people wouldn't put them together if they are not looking for that connection. Doubly so for Marinette, who is way too enamored with Adrien's personality of generic un-disruptive niceness with a touch of rich boy angst to fully reconcile it with Chat's outright spicier demeanor lightened with Pathetic Wet Beast Energy for potability.

Rena Rogue vs Volpina

Yeah, this one merits a comparison. It's a perfect example to elaborate on my first rule. Lila already stands out as another of the best human designs amongst the cast, and the sleaze she exudes lends itself a lot better to this slick body-paint tightness and form-highlighting curves. The tail-sash around her waist is also brilliant. She'd probably look even better in something more grounded, but the fact that she's already pulling the outfit off like this is still an accomplishment.

Rena Rogue on the other hand... well, everything around her head is very good and cute, and I especially appreciate the eyebrows on her mask. On paper I also like the top with its longtail, but overall Alya looks a lot blander than Volpina, because her outfit doesn't reflect her personality the way it does Lila's. It's not ugly, even if the patch of white starts to bother me because it has no interruptions as it goes down. In fact it succeeds in making Rena look kind of adorable, really, but Alya is not a cutesy girl, and tbh the overall general texture of the outfit is a lot more body spray-painting-ish than Volpina's, which also makes it look cheaper in a bad way.

The Fox miraculous may be summarized as the power of Illusion, but both girls represent two facets elaborating on that concept: where Lila is the Fox as Deceit, Alya is the Fox as Cleverness. So Lila may be... smart manipulative -Ok, sincerely speaking Lila Rossi is the single most blatant Villain Sue I have ever seen put onscreen, but what I'm trying to get at is that while she -supposedly- has some cunning, her pettiness and eagerness to speak on the fly is -or rather should be- a contrast to Alya, who goes around sniffing for the truth and thus always has a fuller picture. Because remember: the best liars tell the truth. So Rena's outfit should reflect that. It should be less slick and more street-savvy, something that the pendant with its long chain is especially well suited to.

Speaking of all these thematic parallels, am I the only one in the fandom who is extremely weirded out that Lila isn't a rival to Alya? Like, aren't they extremely obvious foils beyond both of them being fox-themed? The girl who bases her clout on lies vs the one who searches for the truth? The girl who pretends to be friends with Ladybug while bullying her civilian identity vs the girl who is friends with both? Have the writers ever exploited this ever since I stopped watching?

Carapace

Nino is almost perfect. I am genuinely impressed at how well they chose the angle of this costume. It's so easy for me to imagine a much shittier version with an ugly cowl/spiderman wannabe facemask -because other characters in this series take that approach-, but taking a page out of spider-gwen's book instead paid amazing dividends. He looks great as teenage not-mutant ninja turtle.

He only has two significant faults. One is that I feel his goggles should be tinted opaque orange, and he should wear a mask over his mouth and nose. You know, make the clark kenting a little easier, the stealth more pointed, maybe he can have a cool graffiti of a turtle beak over the mask for a sprinkle of his actual personality. The second is that the partition he chose for his crotch area is a bit iffy and yes, I am very sorry to talk about this. The shape of the partition itself is not bad but it's the same color, so it doesn't actually help the transition all that much and instead, sadly, it only brings more attention to the middle. My suggestion is that he should take a page out of Rise of the TMNT's book and make the plastron into actual armor that goes from his chest to his navel, instead of just a logo on the front. Then he can either wear black shorts or he can go the Rise!Casey Jones route and wear pants that are slightly baggy but still cinch to his ankles.

Then there's only one last thing he needs to be completely perfect and that is having an actual relationship with Master Fu since he is the direct successor of his miraculous and one of the first characters to be akumatized on account of his resentment towards adults, so I feel like there's a whole bunch of narrative foiling potential not being explored there, you get me?

Queen Bee vs Vesperia

Zoe's face is more interesting and I appreciate that, as well as the design team giving her a braid, but Chloe still wins this one. Vesperia's outfit is reasonably cool on its own, but it does very little aesthetically for her. Perhaps if the colors of her top and pants were inverted it could work, but there's something about the aggressive sharpness of its lines that Zoe's bubbly face is not matching, made worse by the black being at the forefront. That might not be a problem in civilian outfit, but only because that look is balanced with other colors. Or rather, I think she also needs a more casual fit to pull it off instead of a skin-tight jacket. I also get what they're trying to do with her bangs and I would love it were it not for the fact that it doesn't look good in this artstyle. Chloe also has that problem with her hair, but Queen Bee's style fits her a lot better in a much obvious way, and for added points I think Queen Bee wears the cord as a belt better too., so congrats to Chloe on her one win, I do hope the writing allows her to have proper character development later instead of constantly resetting her to square one for conflict.

[gayofthefae]

Sometimes I watch reaction videos to Stranger Things 4 to validate myself and yup. Everybody knows Will likes Mike and see that his love is super selfless and want him to be happy, but they believe that Mike loves El so they don't know how it's gonna turn out.

But it's that consistent thing I keep saying: believing Mike loves El isn't the same as rooting for it. Across the board it seems like curiosity more than anything of how they're gonna untangle this and make Will happy.

And most notably, they tend to be very flexible, especially with the fluctuation in Mike's plot. They believe that he doesn't love her when it seems like it. They take his explanation when he gives it - two very different directions the plot seemed to be going and they got on board with both as it came. It's go with the flow. I don't see a lot of challenging of "Will can't be gay" or "How could Mike not love El after the past seasons", just objective observation and opinion on them as events, so should I think they'll behave any differently for season 5?

It calms me that most of the reaction to any event like Mike loving or not loving El and Will loving Mike is "oh, I didn't know that!" "ooh, is this what's going on? Did I figure it out?" rather than critiquing. Most people don't seem critical, just invested and curious. That will likely continue. I can absolutely see "Mike LIED? I wasn't expecting that! Ooh so wait maybe does he love Will back? Let's keep watching and see" etc. in simple, pure anticipation and not "they shouldn't have written this plotline" or "they clearly made it up on the fly how dare they ruin the show".

edit: also the "distract from all cute moments with Will being sad" ploy is wildly successful very consistently, I've even seen a couple where they noticed him in the background of the desert reunion when he was standing between them out of focus. And the focus with El tends to be on NINA. Mike's plot is the only time I see any hints of Milkvan. Rooting for Milkvan so that Mike can feel better about himself.

I repeat: they are rooting for Milkvan for MIKE'S happiness only. That's the only thing left. For him to tell them that that's not what will make him happy.

[chaoticbardlady99]

Fluff of companion pairing of your choice taking care of each other after a really hard fought battle (not related to their own personal quests), maybe when one of them went down or was severely wounded. Both feeling like they aren't "enough".

Needing space from everyone else, but realizing that being near each other was still okay. Soft words, tenderness. Safety, security, wholeness.

As the World Caves In (Karlach x Shadowheart)

Author note- I’m so sorry, this has been sitting in my inbox for a hot minute but I really wanted to feel confident. I’ve only romanced Astarion, but I’ve watched quite a bit of Karlach and Shadowheart content and I’m OBSESSED WITH THEM! So I hope you enjoy :) I definitely think I didn’t go the direction you were thinking, but this just flowed better for me.

P.S. lightly edited

CW: mentions of abuse, mentions of death, fear, mentions of Astarion x Tav

Picture from Kazuliski’s YouTube video about Karlach’s dinner date.

Karlach gently strokes Shadowheart’s hair as she sleeps soundly against Karlach’s chest. Shadowheart tells her the warmth from her engine soothes her to sleep like no other herb can. She also appreciates the white noise which made Karlach laugh so hard she peed herself when Shadowheart said it initially.

Karlach wishes it would help her sleep tonight too.

It had been an incredibly difficult day at Last Light Inn- Marcus had been a surprise for all of them. Shadowheart had been the first to make contact with the monsters he brought with him. Shadowheart had frozen- in the midsts of a religious crisis- and was struck down. Three of the creatures had descended on her as she screamed for help. Karlach had killed them all in swift, swinging blows, but the damage had been done. Karlach was grateful Isobel hadn’t been taken- she isn’t sure if Shadowheart would have recovered without her.

The moment Shadowheart sat upright and gasping for air was the same moment Karlach swept her up- the two of them crying while holding one another. Karlach supposes that you don’t accidentally walk into fear- to some extent everything must have some reason. She’s decided that fear finds you, hunts you for sport, and it makes a home in your heart. Karlach never thought she would ever feel that scared again in her life after Zariel had shoved the infernal engine in her body, but all that suffering had been ripped out and put on display again the moment Shadowheart began to scream for help. It certainly hasn’t gone away since- it’s only grown and created more worries.

Karlach is suffering from her own internal chatter. Almost losing Shadowheart today made her affection for her become slightly melancholy. She realized she doesn’t want to live without Shadowheart, but she is going to have to. Karlach will be in the Fugue plane all alone while she watches Shadowheart have a life.

At the beginning of the journey, the idea of dying a free woman at the end of this giant debacle was a tolerable thought. She wants to believe that she will be able to explore with Tav, Shadowheart, and the rest of their companions after this is all over. Karlach even imagines a world where her and Shadowheart live together- going on double dates with Tav and Astarion, becoming properly reacquainted with Baldur’s Gate together, and maybe one day she could even convince Shadowheart to adopt a couple children. They could grow old together, go on dinner dates, explore the world, and just be in love for as long as the Gods would allow them to be.

Karlach isn’t that lucky though and that’s what drives the tears down her face. She stiffles the sobs in her chest as Shadowheart continues to snore- not wanting to wake up her healing Wonder Woman.

It hurts to know when this is all over that everyone else will get to move on and she will simply cease to exist. Shadowheart will move on and have a life with someone else one day- Karlach will be nothing but a distant memory.

She doesn’t want that- not even a little bit. It makes her even more angry with Gortash than she was before. He really took everything from her at the end- even her future.

Astarion and Tav sit together at the fire, talking excitedly, and as happy as Karlach is for them, she can’t help but be incredibly envious. Astarion frequently worries that his inability to be out in the sun after this will scare Tav off- at least he won’t instantaneously combust. Also Tav is half-Drow, she could probably give a shit less about being in the sun anyway.

She didn’t realize that her sobs had become more aggressive.

Karlach doesn’t want to die. She thought she lost Shadowheart today and it felt like the whole world had caved in on her. Now she has to prepare herself to look her love in the eyes one last time as she takes her last breaths too?

It’s so Gods Damn unfair it makes her chest hurt.

“Karlach?”

Shadowheart is propped up and staring up at her with concern. Karlach tries to smile and just breaks into a fit of crying again. She sits up and pulls Shadowheart into her lap- the smaller female’s face resting in the crook of Karlach’s neck.

“What’s wrong, K?” Shadowheart whispers softly while rubbing Karlach’s back.

“I- I though- I lost you and I just,” Karlach chokes on her words, “I don’t want to die, Shadowheart. I want to stay here with you and grow old and senile together.”

The silence in the air isn’t uncomfortable or daunting- it’s melancholy and pessimistic. The grief is all consuming.

“I don’t want you to die either, K,” Shadowheart says, her own tears streaming now, “I have never met someone like you and I don’t think I ever will again.”

“You will,” Karlach says with a choked laugh, “and you’ll forget all about me.”

Shadowheart has Karlach’s face in her hands and is kissing her- hard- before looking at her with the most adorable, angry face Karlach has ever seen.

“That will never happen,” Shadowheart scolds, “and don’t you ever speak those words again or I’ll- I’ll….”

Shadowheart sits and thinks for a second- looking past Karlach’s shoulder with her eyebrows furrowed before shrugging her shoulders.

“I don’t actually know what I would do, but I can and will turn you into a sheep if that’s what it takes to never hear you say that again.”

“I’ll just keep BAAING until you change me back, you know.”

“Then I suppose we’re having lamb chops one night for dinner.”

Karlach laughs loudly and Shadowheart joins in- leaning her forehead against Karlach’s. When their laughter dies down, they just sit there and breathe each other in.

Shadowheart reminds Karlach of a walk at night under a full moon, but right after it rains- when the dew makes the grass sparkle and the world looks like magic.

Shadowheart is magic. She makes Karlach feel like she could do anything. Karlach would lay her life on the line a thousand times over for Shadowheart and never regret it. Shadowheart could betray her and Karlach would still thank her for their time together. How lucky is Karlach to have a chance at love at all? Maybe that’s not worth throwing away in spite of how scared shitless she is to end up in Zariel’s hands again.

“The only way I will survive,” Karlach whispers, “is if I go back to Avernus. Wyll offered to go with me and like that’s great and all, but…. It’s- he’s not you.”

Shadowheart’s delicate, callused fingers wipe away the ghosts of Karlach’s tears before she leaves a lingering kiss on Karlach’s forehead.

“I love you, Karlach. I want you to live, but I also don’t want to take your choice from you,” Shadowheart says with conviction, “if you want to, I will go with you to Avernus and we will find a way to fix your heart. Then we can come back and be as old and senile as you want. Deal?”

It’s Karlach’s turn to surprise Shadowheart with a kiss. Her hands glide up the back of Shadowheart’s shirt and Karlach relishes in the way Shadowheart melts into her chest. Her hands glide up Karlach’s chest and over her shoulders- connecting loosely behind her neck. Shadowheart hums happily as Karlach kisses her jaw and the sensitive skin on her neck before kissing her lips again.

Karlach had sworn she would never go back to Avernus. She would never give Zariel the chance to hurt her again, but if being afraid and on the run is the price to pay for a working heart and a life with Shadowheart- well it might just be fucking worth it.

“Deal,” Karlach whispers.

[pansexual-puppy-pack]

teen wolf x original pinoy music, no. 1 — thiam and mundo by iv of spades

scenes from @/sterekargentscenes and @/scenespacksforu on instagram!

an idea that's been bouncing around my head for a while! i'm filipino (hence the opm crossover), and i think that opm should have a bigger presence in fandom spaces :D that's all <3

translation from tagalog to english via me and spotify's weird translation feature :) (it's not the best, but you can't really capture the nuances of tagalog in a single line, so i'll do my best to explain my translation edits under the cut!

disclaimer: i am not a professional tagalog to english or english to tagalog translator! i'm just bilingual :>

1. AKING SINTA — my love

sinta is a term of endearment, equivalent to love, darling, sweet, etc. aking is a possessive, like my or mine. i just took "my love" from the spotify translation, but i think darling flows better :)

2. IKAW NA ANG TAHANAN AT MUNDO — you have become my home and my world

tahanan means home, and mundo means world. gramatically, i've taken some liberties, since translating sentences like this into english is actually really difficult: it directly translates to "you are now home and world", without any possessives, but i thought adding "my" would work well in this context, even if the direct translation is beautiful as it is

3. SA PAGBALIK — when i return

here's another example where there's no subject or narrator. this directly translates to "when return", without specifying what or who returns. i've written out "when i return," even though the translation for that would be "sa aking pagbalik."

4. MANANATILI NA SA PILING MO — i will remain by your side

the direct translation is "will remain/stay with you", i just decided to take some creative liberties so it fits the context a bit better. (also thank u spotify translation)

5. MUNDO'Y MAGIGING IKAW — my world has become you

another tricky one. this one is directly "world will become you" or "you will become world" again, without any possessives or narrator. magiging is in future tense, but hey, creative liberties ! it would've been weird for me to switch the tenses in the middle of the gifset (see point 10)

6. LIMUTIN NA ANG MUNDO — forget the rest of the world

this one's gorgeous as it's direct translation: "now forget the world" which makes me go insane. to flow better in english, i modified it a little bit :D

7. NANG MAGKASAMA TAYO — when we are together

"when we are together." (direct) NO NOTES.

8. SUNOD SA BAWA'T GALAW — following every move

"following every move" (direct) this line doesn't usually have an apostrophe, but i think it makes sense :)

9. HINDI NA MALILIGAW — no more getting lost

directly: "no more getting lost" or "[you're/i'm] not getting lost [anymore]". i prefer the first translation, since it really fits in this context, but the second one is still so good i love this song so much

10. MUNDO'Y MAGIGING IKAW — my world has become you

i originally thought that the lyric went "nagiging", which is past tense, (which would make the translation "world has become you," which would've made me cry and bawl) but i decided to stick with the official lyrics just this once. even though i'm a little pissed about it

if any tagalog speaker has any notes, do leave them in the reblogs/replies! <3

also special thanks to @urmomsfavauthor for moral support !!! RAHHHH 🗣️🗣️

[hwalovs]

A Smuggler and A Jedi 6/?

CHAPTER SIX: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Pairing; Luke Skywalker, Reader / Past Lando Calrissian, Reader Warnings; even more pining, even more angst, MENTION OF TORTURE (Not in detail), minor cursing, negative on that kiss captain.  Word Count; 21.7k 

ONE  TWO  THREE  FOUR  FIVE

Summary;  It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy. Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker have established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth. The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space....

AN; Sorry for the large gap in posts, I lost inspiration to write this for a bit, but here it is! Not a lot of Luke in this chapter, sadly. Hopefully it isn’t a long time before chapter 7. I’m also trying a new method of splitting sections so let me know what you guys think :D  thank you for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you and I'm grateful for the support :>>

THIS IS NOT EDITED

It was bright outside when Rogue Two landed in the bay, opening the exit ramp to allow other medical droids and doctors in. Han swatted all their hands away, not answering any of their questions as he pushed down his fur laced hood, sniffling. His nose was bright pink, his cheeks a similar color. 

You stood off to the side while Leia ran past, ignoring Han completely to look for Luke. 

“Took you long enough,” you jest, scrunching your nose at the wafting smell of dead Tauntaun.

“Got a little caught up-”

“You smell like a dead Tauntaun.”

He stares at you for a moment before scoffing, shrugging his shoulders, “how else were we supposed to survive?”

You groan, pinching your nose, “that's foul, even for you.”

“They’re taking him to the med wing, after spending time in the bacta tank he should be fine,” Leia sighs, smiling softly. Han nods his head.

“What a welcoming party, Princess, glad to know you care about my well-being.”

She shakes her head, glaring towards him before following the med droids that pushed Luke along on a gurney.

Han places a hand onto your shoulder, giving it a squeeze before sniffling again, “he’ll be fine, no need to get your pants in a twist.”

You glare at him, “you both could have died.”

“But we didn’t!”

“You better apologize to Chewie, he was a wreck without you.”

You didn’t stay long while Luke was in the bacta tank. It was hard to watch, with the cuts on his face and chest slowly sewing themselves back together. He only wore weighted shorts to keep him under the gelatinous slime that was bacta, a breathing apparatus strapped to his face while med droids and doctors scurried around him to make sure he didn’t suddenly flatline. 

Leaning against the wall, you ignore the presence of Han and Leia to your right, their shoulders lightly brushing against each other. Leia was pressing her fingers to her lips, rubbing the skin as she watched the droids work. 

Ever since you woke up yesterday, the days just seemed to get worse and worse. First the Falcon, the ever constant flow of problems from other X-Wings, then the fact Han went after Luke like it was what he’s been preparing for since the day he was born. 

When the droids turn in your group's direction to talk about his vitals, you take it as your time to leave while you can. The last thing you wanted was to hear how Luke was close to death if not for Han. Pushing away the worry, you force yourself down the hallway, passing by lingering pilots and other personnel before finally making it back to the hangar where the Falcon was. 

Chewie was still perched on the wing, swinging his legs back and forth as he messed with the tools. He almost looked small on the Falcon, but as you grew closer, so did his size. 

“Hey, Chewie!” You shout, pausing under his line of sight. He growls, nodding his head in greeting. The hangar was mostly empty, only one or two other pilots visible by their ships. You make your way to the ladder, carefully climbing until you reach the top, stepping over the mess of tools to sit beside him. He hands you a circuit board, waving his hands about as he complains. 

“What, it's not working again?” You ask, using your nail to slowly scrape off the soot from flaming wires. It was dated, a few cycles old by now but it was working fine the last time the ship was in the air. Then again, you can’t seem to place where on the ship the part came from. 

“Which part is this, again?” You look up at the Wookiee, who throws his hands up in annoyance, jerking to point to the open compartment behind you. You nod, crawling over until you can dive head first into the compartment. You feel Chewie grab your ankle, scared of you getting stuck, but you lightly kick away his hand. 

Being in the Falcon gives you a sense of comfort when the galaxy seems against you. It was the best place to be while Han and Leia fought all day, while Luke got himself lost and beaten out in the snowy graveyard they call a planet. 

Chewie’s still talking, his voice muffled through the metal while you look over the other circuit boards and wires. Sticking your hand out, you yell at him to hand you specific tools, and he hands them to you, still talking. 

“I swear I just fixed this,” grumbling, you try and reweld some wires together, effectively connecting them to the now, hopefully, fixed board. 

You don’t leave the Falcon until Han drags you to the medwing. It was a couple hours later, Luke being discharged from the Bacta tank and put into his own room. Han still hasn’t taken a shower, being in a hurry to see Luke before he goes back to sleep. He told you Threepio and R2 were waiting outside his room, while Leia was still talking with the Med-droids. 

“Shouldn’t you shower first?” You cringe, putting Chewie in between you both so you didn’t smell the sour stench.

“I think that Tauntaun did my hair justice, It hasn’t looked this good since Lando gave me that cream.”

You roll your eyes, smiling at the memory, “Lando never did you justice- nothing does your hair justice, Han.”

“I’m offended, (Y/n), really- I am,” he gasps, leaning over to slap your shoulder before entering the room.

Luke looks tired, sitting up in the bed while playing with the stray threads of the thin blanket. He wore an oversized shirt, only pink scars remaining on his face. 

Threepio doesn't hesitate to move past Han, throwing his hands into the air. 

“Master Luke, it's so good to see you fully functional again,” Threepio beams, hands moving about as R2 whistles. 

“How ya’ feeling kid?” Han asks, bending down to look over his face, Chewie placing a hand onto his pillow to softly growl and bark his regards, “you don't look so bad to me. In fact, you look strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark.”

Luke chuckles, his smile not reaching his eyes, “thanks to you.”

You manage to squeeze in between the two before Han points to the younger, narrowing his eyes, “that's two you owe me, junior.”

Reaching a hand, you place two fingers underneath his chin, lifting his head lightly. His smile softens when looking at you, and you can’t help but mirror it. Your thumb barely touches the skin below one scar, brushing across it lightly.

“It was stupid to go out by yourself,” you say. He painfully smiles, shrugging his shoulders. 

“You’re lucky Han was even more stupid to go out after you,” you lightly thumb over the scar under his eye, “but it’ll heal nicely, you’ll be good-to-go in no-time.”

When you pull away to stand, you glare at a smiling Han, who's giving you raised eyebrows and a little shoulder bump. It wasn’t until Leia walked in that Han dropped it, turning to face the Princess. 

“Well your worship, looks like you managed to keep us around a little longer!”

She crosses her arms, haughtily saying, “I had nothing to do with it, General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ship to leave the system until we’ve activated the energy shield.”

Settling onto the foot of the bed, you pinch Luke’s leg, smirking at him when he jerks it away. You look between the arguing pair, their attention solely on each other. 

“That’s a good story, you just can’t let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight,” Han crosses his arms, leaning against the bed. Luke rolls his eyes, looking at you with raised eyebrows. You shrug, frowning. 

Leia finally sighs, “I don’t know where you get your delusions, laser brain.”

Chewie laughs, holding onto the door frame while lightly jabbing Han’s shoulder. He jumps form his spot clearly enjoying himself, “Laugh it up fuzz-ball, you didn’t see us alone in the south passage.”

“South passage?” You snicker softly, smirking at her while she darts her eyes between you and Luke. You could see him frowning, eyebrows furrowed as his arms crossed over his chest.

Han hums, wrapping one arm around Leia’s shoulder while giving a smug smile, “she expressed her true feelings for me.”

Cheeks pink, Leia looks between the three of you before pulling away, stuttering her words, “my-” finally composing herself, she huffs, “why, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy looking’- nerf herder!”

“Nerf herder?” You choke, hand covering your mouth to stop yourself from laughing. Han whips around, glaring at her, “who’s scruffy looking’?”

“Han-” you wheeze, almost grabbing his arm but missing as he moves closer to Luke, bending down to his level. 

“I must’ve hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh, kid?”

You shake your head when you see Leia’s face fall. Her eyes glaze over for just a moment before her shoulders tense, arms dropping to her sides as she marches closer. When you try and grab her arm, she yanks if from your grip harshly, your smile diminishing.

“Well,” she scoffs, looking up at Han with a glare, “I guess you don’t know everything about women yet?”

With that, she leans forwards and grabs Luke’ cheeks, planting her lips on his. It goes silent, Threepio stepping forwards to see, looking at Han, and then you. Mouth parting, you find it hard to breathe all of a sudden, a crushing weight in your chest overtaking the once light hearted feeling. 

Han stares with wide eyes, arms still crossed when Leia pulls away, looking directly at him before leaving the room. He stares at Luke, who was still dumbstruck, and when he looks at you his eyes soften. His arms slowly drop to his sides but you can’t stop staring at Luke. 

He doesn’t look back, just closes his eyes and proudly puts his hands behind his head, sighing in contentment. Your mind seemed to run miles a minute, while also being oddly silent. Maybe it was the smug look he gave to Han, or the way he completely ignored your presence the moment Leia had kissed him. 

You wouldn’t have noticed the pounding in your ears if it wasn’t for the alarm going off in the hall, Han lightly grabbing your arms to pull you along. Luke looks at you, frowning when he sees the glare Han sends him, who lightly pats his chest, “take it easy, kid.”

“Headquarters personnel, report to command center”

“What-” Luke tries to grab your hand, to ask what was wrong, but you’re just out of reach. When he blinks, you’re already gone.

Han and Chewie silently walk beside you towards the control center, your ears still ringing. 

“(Y/n)-”

You hold up a hand, glaring over your shoulder, “I don’t want to hear it. It’s fine- I’m fine.”

The walk to the control center didn’t give you enough time to center yourself, trying with all you had to scrub the image from your mind. Rieekan nodded to you both as you walked to the console screen, Chewie peering over your shoulders. 

“Princess, we have a visitor,” he says, gesturing for her to come over. You didn’t want to see her, at least for the rest of the day. Rieekan points to the screen another officer was stationed, “we’ve picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east.”

The senior controller looks up, his headphones only covering one ear, “It's metal.”

Leia was already there, arms crossed as she looked down at the console. Stuffing her hands into her back pockets, head tilting to get a good look at the screen, “then it couldn’t be one of those creatures.”

“Could be one of our speeders,” you choke, clearing your throat. 

The senior controller shakes his head, “no. Wait- there's something very weak coming through.”

You all lean in slightly to try and make out the garbled text, but Threepio steps forwards, raising a hand. 

“Sir, I am fluent in six-million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial Code.” 

The transmission quickly cut off, leaving your small group in silence. Rieekan takes a moment to look between the three of you, Chewie also looking over the group, and you knew he couldn’t help but notice the tension that was slowly building up.

Han huffs, hands on his hips, “well, whatever it is, it isn’t friendly, common, Chewie- (Y/n), let’s check it out.”

“General, send Rouges Ten and Eleven to station three-eight,” Rieekan nods, pushing himself away from the console. 

“Remind me, when we get back, to never leave the Falcon,” you strain, trudging through the snow with your thick boots. The fur lining of your jacket gets stuck between your lips, and your blaster is freezing in your hand, even though you had thick gloves on. 

“You’re starting to sound like me,” Han jests, crouching behind a snow bank. There was a high-pitched beeping from the other side, and when you peer over, you finally see what was making the garbled transmission. 

It was a small probe droid, floating just a few feet above the snow. Its head continued to rotate slowly, and when its antennas slowly raised, it let out piercing signals before moving on. It was fully black, except for the bright red eye on its front. The Empire's sigil painted on its side, almost too small to see.

“Definitely Imperial,” you grumble, shuffling back down the bank as Han looks over his blaster once more. You were just waiting on Chewie now, who was making his way around to create a distraction. Then, you and Han would shoot it down. 

Han’s eyebrows were furrowed, grumbling softly under his breath, and it was almost drowned out by the wind, but you managed to catch snippets. 

“I’m sure the Princess feels the same way, would you stop drowning yourself over it?”

“Now's not the time for this,” he says. It's silent for a few more moments, then his head snaps in your direction, “how could she, when she kisses another guy in front of me? And what about your pouting about the kid, huh? Doesn’t seem like I’m the only one upset.”

“I’d rather not talk about it right now, Han.”

“You’re the one who brought it up!” He’s teasing you now, the corners of his lips upturning as he reaches out to slap the top of your jacket. 

“If you actually talked to Luke like I told you to months ago, we wouldn’t be in this predicament, now would we?”

“There’s nothing for us to talk about,” you snap, glaring over at him. He’s still smiling, and when he raises a finger at you, your head drops back against the snow bank.

“I know that look, you’re not slick like you think you are.”

Chewie finally making a distraction cuts you short, and you both dive back over the snow to fire at the droid. Its attention was fully on Chewie, and it allowed for you to shoot right at its most vulnerable spot. It sharply spins, managing to fire at the bank of snow before Han manages to get a few shots in, the entire droid blowing into pieces. Sending a look to Han, you both make your way over the bank to inspect the destroyed metal. Chewie meets you, bending down to try and touch it, but it is still smoking. 

Han sighs, lifting his com, “We’ve got the problem.”

“What is it?” Leia’s voice cuts back not too long after. 

“Appears to be a droid of some kind, I didn’t hit it that hard, I must have self-destructed.”

You look back over the snow, wondering how many others were there. Squinting your eyes, you look back towards the base, seeing the closed hanger doors. One one was open, allowing you in and out. 

“An Imperial Probe Droid.”

Scoffing, you shake your head, Han shares your look, “No doubt the Empire knows we’re here.”

There's a pause from the other end, and this time it's Rieekan’s voice that cuts through, “Make your way back, we’re starting evacuation.”

“Evac? Already?” You ask, getting no response from Rieekan or Leia. Han gently grabs the fabric of your jacket, pulling you back towards the base. 

“I thought you knew nowhere was safe for us at this point, kid.”

The snow crunches under your boots, and the wind now blows harshly against your cheeks.

“Yeah, well. Sorry for thinking we were safe on a snowy-death-planet in the middle of nowhere.”

When you make it back to base, you take off the thick jacket, exchanging it for your more comfortable leather one. You, Han, and Chewie now worked on the remaining broken bits of the Falcon, doing your best to get it in the air as fast as you could. Evacuation was starting slow, people still packing up tools and equipment to store onto the ships. 

“Would you please put the helmet on right?!” You groan, watching from the ground as Han only lifted the mask to his face. Chewie was in the cockpit, and Han continued to work on the remaining bits that didn’t allow the Falcon to fly. Han waves a hand in your direction, standing as he drops the mask to his side. 

“Alright! Let's try it!”

When Chewie starts the Falcon, however, the whole compartment Han was fixing burst into flame, an alarm going off when the smoke rose. Han, frantic, yells out to Chewie, “Turn it off! Off!”

After turning it off, Chewie leaves the Falcon to tend to one of the landing gears, ruffling your hair as he passes. Han was talking with one of the repair droids, and you continued work on more wiring by the broken landing gear. 

Turning to exchange your tools with ones you hoped would work, you heard Luke’s voice again, or rather, his laughter as Chewie growled and barked. When you turn back, you take a deep breath when you see him. The last time was when he just got out of the bacta tank, when Leia kissed him. 

Luke doesn’t notice you yet, turning to look up at Han, who stood leaned up against one of the Falcons wings. He wore a flight suit, his helmet in one hand as he spoke to Han. The two didn’t need to say much to get what they wanted to say across. 

It wasn’t until he turned to leave did he see you, and he stopped. There's a nervous look in his eyes when he walks to you, and you only tilt your head. 

“I don’t think you’re evacuating with everyone else,” you say softly, watching his soft eyes flicker between yours.

“They need me out there,” there's hesitation in his voice, hands fumbling with his helmet before continuing, “About what happened-”

“We’ll talk when you get back, okay?”

He sighs heavily, eyes clenching shut before he reaches forwards, grabbing your hand with his free one. 

“It’s important to me, I don’t want-”

“Luke,” you can't help but interrupt, and by the look he has, you were scared at what he was going to say.

Giving a strained smile, you squeeze his hand in comfort, “we’ll talk later.”

He doesn’t say anything else, just nods and begins to pull away. There's still that uncertain look in his eyes, and it makes your heart throb. 

“Don’t do anything stupid, blondie.”

Just nodding, Luke turns and makes his way into the hangar. No doubt going to help the others in the Rogue squadron before going anywhere else. 

“(Y/n)! I could use some help up here!”

“Yeah, yeah,” you grumble, making your way up the ladder. Han was crouched over one of the landing gear components, and Chewie was bending himself in half to fix the remaining parts of the wing.

“What is it?”

He throws one of the tools your way, and you catch it, crouching down next to him to rework damaged wires. 

“Did you tell him?”

You throw him a glare, “did you tell her?”

Chewie barks and you watch as he shakes his head. 

“No, Chewie, you need to rework the wires so we can get her back in the air!”

There was an explosion, and Han grabbed your arm, both of you looking to the slowly cracking ceiling. 

“Well, that doesn’t look too good,” you grumble, trying to get your cold hands to work faster. After the wing was done, you would be able to evacuate and rendezvous with Leia and the others. 

You both work in silence, trying to finish the gear before the Empire bursts through the ceiling. Sweating under your jacket, your shaking hands continue to thread the wires. It wasn’t a beautiful job, but it would hold until you were in a safe place, then you would be able to thoroughly fix it. 

“No, Chewie!” Han pushes himself up, throwing the tool down, “that one goes here, that one there, right?”

“Would you stop bickering! We don’t have time for this!” You shout, covering your head when the base is hit once more, snow falling from the ceiling. It smacks against the wings, ice sprinkling over your shoulders. 

“Where's the princess?” You ask.

“Probably still in the control room, I’ll get her to the transport, you two keep working.”

“Han!” You throw the tools down, the wires finished, “Hurry, we won't leave without you.”

“I’m always quick!”

You turn back to Chewie, nodding, “come on, let’s close everything up. Hopefully-” you scrunch your eyebrows, patting the ship lightly, “she’ll actually start.”

Chewie barks, waiting until you climb down the ladder. The panels were shut and screwed back into place, the tools discarded in the snow as you rushed onto the ship, turning into the small closet that held the inner workings. 

“Alright baby,” you whisper, eyes frantically moving, “let me hear you, yeah?”

Your fingers were freezing, almost having lost feeling. It doesn't stop you from reworking the wires, checking the diagnostic from the panel on the wall. You can faintly hear Chewie bark, yelling out the entry ramp before he rushes onto the falcon. 

“Hurry up, goldenrod! Or you’ll be a permanent resident!” Han shouts, going straight to you. 

“How’s it looking?”

“I don’t know! In reality she needs to be on for me to actually fix this stuff!”

Chewie shuts the entry ramp, rushing into the cock-pit. There's another explosion in the hangar, the entire ship shaking as ice crashes onto the roof. Han is busy at the control panel, yelling to you in hopes of getting the ship to start. 

“How’s this?!” He yells, and suddenly you're being sprayed with smoke. Yelping, you shout at him to turn it off, Chewie barking negatively from the cock-pit. Finally leaving the small closet, you join Han at the panel, looking over the multitude of buttons and switches. 

“Try that one,” you say before rushing back. This time, nothing bad happens, and you take it as a win. 

“Would it help if I got out and pushed?” Leia asks sarcastically, Han glaring at her, “it might!”

Threepio makes his way over, hand raised, “Captain Solo! Captain Solo! Might I suggest that-”

Han cuts him off, glaring at the droid with deadly eyes and a raised finger. 

“It can wait.”

Following Han into the cock-pit, you flip the necessary buttons before sitting down in your chair, spinning to raise the deflector shields. 

“This bucket of bolts is never going to get us past that blockade.” Leia hisses, watching Han move around the small space. 

“This baby’s got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart.”

Looking out the window, you spot multiple Stormtroopers rushing into the hanger. Looking at Han with wide eyes, you slap his arm, “we need to go! Stormtrooper’s are coming in!”

Swinging back around, you pull down on a small lever by your feet, a turret dropping from under the wing. Aiming it, you shoot towards the Troopers, all of them scrambling around to find cover. 

Leia straps in next to you, and Han in his seat. Chewie runs in seconds later, strapping himself in while Han starts the Falcon.

“Come on! Switch over,” he calls to Chewie, “let's hope we don't have a burnout.”

A blaster bolts hits the windshield right by Chewie’s head, the Wookiee yelping as he pulls back on the controls. The engine finally fires and a giant smile crawls onto Hans’ face, his head turning to briefly look at Leia. 

“See?”

“Someday you’re going to be wrong, and I hope I’m there to see it.”

“Let's go!” You shout, pulling the turret back into the ship, kicking Han’s seat, “punch it!”

He didn’t need to be told twice, accelerating out of the hangar. Staying close to the ground, Han waits until he’s a bit further away form the base to make his way out of the atmosphere. But of course, the blockade is waiting. The ship wouldn’t be able to survive any of the firepower from the Star destroyers, so he would have to weave his way through. 

Chewie lets out a howl, and Han quickly checks over the panel before nodding, “I see them.”

“See what?!” Leia asks, hands gripping onto the seat. You continuously checked the state of the Falcon from what was around you, and it didn’t look good. You can hear, and feel, the oncoming fire from the Tie’s on your tail. 

“Two Star Destroyers, coming right at us.”

You can hear Threepio bang and stumble his way into the Falcon, holding onto the door frame for stability. 

“Sir! Sir!” He cries, “Might I suggest-”

Han doesn’t let him finish, again, turning sharply to point at Leia, “shut him up or shut him down!” He turns back to Chewie, sweat running down his temple, “check the deflector shields.”

Readjusting an overhead switch, Chewie barks his reply, causing Han to sigh, “Well great, we can still outmaneuver them.”

This catches your attention, leaning out into the small space between the seats, “what did he say?”

“The shields are down-”

“What!?”

“It's fine! You’re flying with the greatest pilot to ever live!”

Suddenly, Han changes course. The Falcon starts to fly in the direction of two Star Destroyers, before taking a steep nose dive. Yelping, you and Leia try to stabilize yourself, grabbing onto whatever you could as Han flies recklessly. 

“Kriff! Han! I’m gonna kill you!”

From above, the now three Star Destroyers try to maneuver away from each other, and it almost seems like they collide into each other. 

“Prepare to make the jump to light-speed,” Han growls, trying to dodge more of the blaster fire from the oncoming Tie’s.

“But Sir!” Threepio cries, picking himself up from the floor. 

Leia pulls herself in between your seats, eyebrows scrunched, “they’re getting closer!”

“Oh yeah?” Han taunts, rolling his shoulders as he grabs the lever for light-speed, “watch this.”

He presses forwards, but nothing happens. The Falcon only produces a soft whine, your stomach sinks, and you watch with wide eyes as Han looks between you and Chewie. 

“Watch what?” Leia asks, rocking back into her seat when the ship jerks. 

“I think we’re in trouble,” you say softly, and when Han tries it again, the engine stalls. 

“Sir,” Threepio says, “If I may say so, I noticed that the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged. It's impossible for us to go to light speed!”

“We’re in trouble.”

Unbuckling your belt, you follow Han into the main hold, “what's your plan now, Han!” You yell, watching him frantically move about the different panels. He falls to his knees, unlocking the floor panel. It was heavy, and he was barely able to lift it. 

“No clue! Just get up there and fly this ship before we get shot out of space!”

“Kriffing hell,” you grumble, turning back and running to the cockpit. Chewie meets you in the doorway, lightly grabbing your arms before you fall. He growls, motioning behind you before letting go to join Han.

Falling down into his seat, you glance at Leia as she sits beside you, staring at the radar. 

“They’re hot on us,” she says.

Scoffing, you try and maneuver around bolts, but some still manage to hit, “oh really? I thought we lost them!”

The ship shakes once more, “you know how to fly this hunk of junk?”

“I’ve flown it long before Han even knew she existed-” you say, glaring her way before turning sharply, narrowly missing an asteroid. Hissing, you briefly glance at the radar before staring ahead, sighing. 

“That doesn't look too good.”

Leia looks like she’s about to say something, but you point out in front, her eyes following. Ahead of the ship was a wide field of asteroids, the belt spanning across the entire windshield of the Falcon. 

You don’t see the asteroid that looms next to the falcon, yelping when the ship lurches on impact. 

“Get Han up here, “ you stress, looking at her when she doesn’t move, “now!”

“Han!” she calls over the com, “get up here!”

It didn’t take long for Chewie and Han to appear back in the cock-pit, you and Leia both moving out of the way so they could sit. Han whistles slowly, scanning the field before driving into it. He was mad, you thought. Or, he's always been mad and now it's finally showing. 

“Chewie, set two-seven-one.”

Standing behind the Wookiee, you grab onto his seat for support. 

“You’re not actually going into the asteroid field, right?”

Han only scoffs, “they’d be crazy to follow us, wouldn’t they?”

There's a thump against the hold, and you and Leia both wince. Threepio stands behind Han, his golden head shaking back and forth, “Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three-thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one!”

“Never tell me the odds!” Han growls

The Falcon turns into the belt, now going against the large, looming rocks. Han bobs and weaves through them, stark silent as he piloted. Threepio keeps yelping when one comes too close, shielding his eyes when two collide into each other, smaller rocks scattering across and Han doesn’t hesitate to fly through it. The ship rocks violently, forcing you and Leia to sit back and buckle yourselves in. 

“You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake; well, this could be it, sweetheart.”

Leia shakes her head, “Well I take it back, we’re going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer.”

“Pulverized?” Threepio echo's softly. 

“I should’ve stayed back on Hoth-” you wheeze, clenching your eyes shut when two asteroids collide into each other. 

Ignoring you, Han cocks his head, “I’m going in closer to one of the big ones.”

“Closer?!” You exclaim, Leia following. 

The large rock floats into view, Han piloting down near the surface until dipping down into a large crater, following it into a small ravine, two Tie’s follow closely. 

“We’re going to die,” you wince, shutting your eyes tightly as the end comes closer. Han shakes his head, “no we’re not!” 

Sharply jerking the ship, it easily slips through onto its side. The ravine went into another crater, Han pulling the ship out of it without any Tie’s following. 

“Oh, this is suicide! There's nowhere to go!” Threepio shouts, hysterical by now. 

“There. That looks pretty good,” Han murmurs, pointing to a large hole. 

“What looks pretty good?” You ask, pulling yourself back up after undoing your belt, following Han’s finger until you spot it. 

“Excuse me, ma'am, where are we going?” Threepio asks, but you don't reply. Watching as the Falcon dives into it. 

The cave is almost pitch black, the lights in the cock-pit the only source of light. 

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Leia says softly, hands grabbing the back of his seat. 

“Yeah,” he replies with a frown, “me too.”

There's a small opening off to the side, and Han carefully sets down the Falcon, slouching into his seat before getting up, leaving the cockpit while grumbling profanities under his breath. Looking out the windshield, you can’t tell how big the cave was since it was pitch black. Chewie flicks on the lights, illuminating a wall of fog that rested over the ground. 

When Han enters the cockpit once more, he and Chewie make haste by turning off all the electronics. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see the worried look on Leia’s face as she watches him. 

“I’m going to shut down everything but the emergency power systems,” Han says, leaning by your side to flip more switches. You give him a side-eye, biting the inside of your cheek. The cave was making your stomach twist uncomfortably, and you didn’t think it was from how dark it was. 

“Does that mean shutting me down too?” Threepio asks, raising his hand. Chewie immediately barks, and you chuckle at the enthusiasm behind it. Blinking to get your eyes to adjust when more lights begin to flicker off in the cockpit. 

Han sighs, “no, I need you to talk to the Falcon, find out what's wrong with the hyperdrive.”

Suddenly, the ship lurches, causing all loose-items to fall. Leia and Chewie grab onto the chairs, while Han catches Threepio. You clutch onto the steering components, waiting until the ship is stable again before kissing your teeth. 

“I think we’re in trouble-”

“Aren’t we always?” Han gripes, worriedly looking out the front towards the fog, glancing down at you with pursed lips. 

“Sir, it's quite possible this asteroid is not entirely stable.”

You spin around with wide eyes, “oh really? Well aren’t I happy you’re here to tell us these things!”

“(Y/n), why don't you and Chewie take the professor to the back and plug him into the hyperdrive?”

Huffing, you throw your hands up while walking out of the cockpit, hearing Chewie and Threepio following. The droid's voice filling the corridor. 

“Oh! Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior. After all, I’m only trying to do my job-” He gets cut off, the Falcon lurching to the side once more, sending you straight into the wall. Chewie barks, rubbing his arms before nodding towards you. Nodding, you rub at your side before continuing. 

“Where exactly is the Hyperdrive, Madam?” Threepio asks timidly. Smiling, you glance back at him, leading him to the Control Panel in the Main hold. 

 You could map out the inside of the Falcon like the palm of your hand. You’ve been with her since her seats were white, since her stereo system worked and when the giant closet in Hans’ room was filled to the brim with different capes. 

Flipping more switches, you allow Threepio to look over it, “the Hyperdrive is in the back of the Engine room, under the flooring. It's too small to fit in there with it, so you’ll have to connect to her from out here.”

“I see, thank you, Madam (Y/n).”

After patting his metal arm, you assess the damage in the Main Hold. Chewie opens the ceiling, pulling himself up into the forest of wires while you look over the closet of wires you were in before leaving Hoth. It was worse than before, sparking every second while others hung broken, screws and bolts littering the floor. 

“Kriff- I just fixed that, too,” you mumble, kicking away some of the bolts before getting close to the wires, squinting your eyes when some of the sparks land on your cheek. 

Threepio begins whistling to the panel, it responding before he sighs, flipping another switch before trying again. Chewie holds a hand out the ceiling panel, barking and growling. You walk over, hands on your hips. 

“Oh, where is R2 when I need him?” Threepio huffs. 

Han rushes through the hold just then, brushing past you to the small cabinet with various wires and tools. 

Threepio turns to him, “Sir, I don’t know where your ship learned to communicate, but it has the most peculiar dialect.”

Looking over your shoulder, you watch as Han stands beside the droid, looking over the screens with him. 

“I believe, sir, it says that the power coupling on the negative axis has been polarized. I’m afraid you’ll have to replace it. 

Scoffing, Han shifts the bundled cord in his hands, moving the screen slightly. 

“Well, of course I’ll have to replace it.” Han says sarcastically, walking over to hand Chewie the rolled wire from where he was in the ceiling. 

“Here!” He calls up. Bumping shoulders with him, you jerk your head back towards Threepio, smiling when Han rolls his eyes and turns back, “and Chewie!”

Han waits until Chewie’s head peers down, lowering his voice so it was only heard between the three of you, “I think we’d better replace that negative power coupling.”

Chuckling, you watch Han turn to leave, seeing Leia struggling with a valve she must have been welding. It seemed to be stuck, and you watched with a small smile as Han went to help her, his body blocking your view. 

“Chewie?” you call softly, hearing him whine. “Do you need anything else? I need to get back to the wire closet.”

His head pops back over the side, and he once more points to a tool that was on the floor. Bending you pick it up, hearing Threepio cheering to himself, handing the tool up to him before turning and making your way back to the wires. With a huff, you pat your pockets for your gloves, cursing when you can’t find them. 

Turning, you search the floor for them, and sigh when you find one, but not the other. Sliding on the one you found, you return to mending the wires to where they belong, slowly putting the Falcon back together. 

“Sir! Sir!” Threepio cheers, wobbling past you, “I’ve isolated the reverse power flux coupling!”

You later find Leia sitting in the cockpit, the only light in the room was from the indicators on the control panel in front of her. She sat in Chewie’s chair, lightly dragging her finger across the steering controls. 

Her head spins when the door slides open, lips parting when she sees you. Neither of you had the time to talk since landing. Her and Han seemed to, judging by the way his eyebrows were furrowed and he was drowning himself in repairs. 

“Sorry,” you murmur, walking in the grab the rag Han uses to wipe away soot and grease. 

Leia leans up, grabbing lightly onto your sleeve. Looking at her, you raise an eyebrow. She seems to be deep in thought, and after clearing her throat, she lets you go. 

“I was hoping to talk to you, after what happened-”

Your stomach tightens again, and you lick your lips, “I’d rather not.” You stress, looking anywhere but at her. 

She clenches her hand, resting it back in her lap while turning the chair further in your direction. The distant sound of blaster fire hitting the asteroids, it reminds you to get back to repairs.  

“Look,” she starts, “I wanted to apologize for kissing Luke, I know-”

“You know what?” You cut her off again, tilting your head. Her mouth shuts, looking back out at the vast darkness while you let your thoughts get the better of you. 

Why was she apologizing? 

“I thought we were friends, Leia,” you say softly, watching her lips slowly form into a frown. Sighing, you sit in Hans’ chair, looking out at the darkness. You feel her eyes on you, but you refrain from meeting them. Your eyes are hot, and you find that you can’t remember the last time you talked about your feelings with another woman. 

“We are friends- It was a mistake, and I regretted it the moment after. Han just makes me so mad that I can’t think straight,” she huffs, rubbing at her cheeks while leaning her elbows onto her knees. Smiling, you bite the inside of your cheek. 

You don't know what you’re looking at, but when there’s movement out of the corner of your eye, you decide that this conversation can wait until later. Stilling, you reach over to grab her wrist, stopping her from talking. 

“I saw something,” you whisper, intently watching the darkness for any other movement. Leia grips your hand, also watching. Then it happened again, a form scurrying past the windshield and back into the darkness. Both of you lean forwards in your seats, slowly beginning to stand to lean closer, waiting with bated breaths. 

Suddenly, whatever creature it was latches onto the thick glass, beady eyes twitching every which way while its thick white saliva coated its teeth. There were spines around its mouth, and it released a high pitched screech before letting go, disappearing just as fast as it appeared. 

Leia screams, almost falling back against the floor if it wasn’t for your iron grip on her hand. You're frozen, waiting until the creature disappears before letting Leia drag you from the cockpit. 

Both of you were breathing heavily when entering the Main Hold, Threepio was turned towards Han and Chewie, who wore black goggles and were welding parts back into the frame of the Falcon. Leia let go, choosing to step towards Han while you continued looking around, wondering if there were more creatures. 

“There's something out there,” she states. Han and Chewie both pull off their goggles, Han furrowing his eyebrows while watching her. 

“Where?”

Leia jerks her head towards the Ramp, “outside, in the cave.”

It wasn’t until something started banging on the top of the Falcon that he stood at his full height, fully pulling off the goggles. Chewie barks anxiously and Threepio turns towards you, “there it is! Listen!”

“I’m going out there,” he says, passing by Leia in a rush to grab an oxygen mask on the back of the couch. 

“Well, wait for me!” You call, also grabbing a mask. Han sends you a glare, stopping to turn towards you, “you should stay on the ship-”

“And let you have all the fun? Absolutely not.”

“Are you both crazy?” Leia yells, rushing after the both of you, Chewie hot on her tail. 

Han throws back, “I just got this bucket back together, I’m not gonna let something tear it apart!”

As the exit ramp lowers, both you and Han make your way down it, stopping at the edge until it settles onto the ground. The mask was uncomfortable on your face, the tube that connected the mask to the oxygen box that was strapped to your belt made it hard to turn in some ways. It was extremely foggy, and it was hard for you to distinguish anything. Squinting, you walk around Han and finally step foot into the fog. The grounded squishes under your boots, making you grimace. 

“Gross.”

Leia follows behind Han, both taking tentative steps on the surface before joining you in searching for the strange creature. It looked so familiar to you, but you can’t place your finger on it. 

“The ground sure feels strange,” Leia says into the coms, her voice crackling into your ear piece. “It doesn’t feel like rock, at all.”

Han ducks to look under the Falcon, and you can faintly see Chewie go around the other side. Your palm sat against your blaster, which was still sitting in its holster, prepared to shoot at anything hostile. 

“There’s an awful lot of moisture in here,” Han comments, turning to look back at you. You still stood by the ramp, staring out into the darkness. It made you uneasy, how dark it was around you. Usually, cave systems would have dripping water, the sound of different creatures that lived in the dark and the reflection of the light from outside giving just a semblance of light. But it was pitch black, and you couldn’t hear anything. 

“I have a bad feeling about this,” you wince, turning to follow Han and Leia who were rounding to the front of the ship. 

“Yeah, me too.” Han grumbles. 

There's a hiss, and both you and Han draw your blasters, pointing towards the sound. Han makes the first shot, shooting down whatever was latched onto the bottom of the Cockpit’s windows. 

“Watch out!” 

Chewie growls, running from the other side of the Falcon, crossbow in hand, to look over the creature. Grabbing Leia’s elbow, you squint to try and see it, but its body was covered in the thick fog. 

“That’s what I thought- Mynocks,” Han sighs, waving towards Chewie, “Chewie, check the rest of the ship, make sure there aren’t any more attached, they’re chewing on the power cords.”

“Mynocks?”

“Annoying creatures that live in asteroids,” you respond, watching Leia’s face contort into disgust.

“They like to eat ships’ power supply-”

“(y/n), go inside with Leia, we’ll see if there's any more on the ship.”

Scoffing, you turn towards the ramp, rolling your eyes, “You just wanna have all the fun!”

“Oh yeah, killing Mynocks is my favorite pastime!”

When stepping towards the ramp, you’re suddenly overcome with multiple Mynocks, all letting their wings brush over the top of your head. Leia brought her arms up in defense, screaming out while you tried to bat them away, then shooting your blaster, hitting one down.

“Han!” Leia screams, running onto the ship while you continue shooting. Han and Chewie begin to as well, and the cave begins to move once more. Almost knocking you off of your feet, your hand grabbing the side of the Falcon. When the cave does move, the Mynocks all disappear, but you can still hear their whistling voices from the darkness.  

Han gives you a look, his eyebrows furrowed while his eyes scanned the fog. 

“Wait a minute,” he says, looking around once more before shooting into the mushy ground. The cave begins to move once more, throwing you once again off balance. Leia tries to grab onto one of the ramps’ pistons, but she almost falls over. Han rushes to her side, grabbing her waist and pushing her onto the Falcon while reaching out a hand towards you. Grabbing it, you let him drag you inside while you look around for Chewie, who was running to follow. 

“Common, Chewie!”

Inside, you all struggle to stay stable in the shuddering Falcon, but Chewie manages to close to hatch and tear off the mask, rushing towards the Cockpit. Han, followed by you and Threepio, runs into the Main Hold to look over the scopes on the Control Panel.

“All right, let's get out of here!”

Chewie growls, and you follow after Han. 

“The Empire is still out there! I don’t think it's wise-”

Han interrupts her, running to the cockpit, “There’s no time to discuss this in committee.”

Glancing at Threepio to make sure he’s fine, you follow after, discarding your mask onto the couch while trying not to fall. 

“I am not a committee!” Leia growls, following after him. Chewie is already in his seat, starting the Falcon when you all enter. Throwing yourself into your seat, you buckle in and grab onto Leia’s wrist, but she only spares you a glance. 

Han makes quick work in pulling back the throttle, the cave just just beginning to settle. 

“You can’t make the jump to lightspeed in an asteroid field!”

“Sit down, sweetheart, we’re taking off.”

The shaking finally stops when you’re in the air, and you can hear Threepio entering the Cockpit. Chewie barks, looking at the end of the cave, and you have to lean forwards in your seat to see it. 

At the end of the long tunnel, it looks like the cave begins to collapse. 

“Maker, that’s definitely not good,” you say, hearing Chewie grumble. 

Threepio lifts an arm, “Look! Look!”

“I see it,” Han stresses. Suddenly, a row of jagged white stalagmites and stalactites can be seen surrounding the entrance.  And as the Falcon moves forward, the entrance to the cave grows ever smaller.  Han pulls hard on the throttle, the ship surging forward.

“We’re doomed!” Threepio cries, and you bite the inside of your cheek. 

“The cave is collapsing,” Leia says, leaning down in between Han and Chewie’s seats. 

“This isn’t a cave,” you say, watching her head snap to you with wide eyes. 

“What?” She asks, looking back at the entrance. The rocks aren’t rocks at all, but teeth, which were quickly closing in on the ship. Chewie howls, and Han curses. He yanks the steering, the ship tilting onto its side to slide past the gaps in the teeth, flying into the asteroid field once more. 

It doesn’t take long for The Empire to catch up with you, and soon a large Star Destroyer is hot on your tail, flak hitting the sides of the Falcon, rocking it. Han does his best to correct the angle of the ship, and while Leia watches intently out the front, your eyes are glued to the tracking scope next to you. 

“We’re coming out of the field,” you say, Threepio cheering at your side. 

“Oh, thank goodness!”

There's another large hit to the Falcon, and you can hear something explode from the back, causing Chewie to bark. 

“Let’s get out of here.” Han states, glancing at Chewie, who was beginning to flip switches, “ready for lightspeed? One, two, three!-”

When he pulls back on the hyperspace throttle, nothing happens, Han groans. 

“It's not fair!” He sounds frantic. Chewie begins to growl and bark, throwing his hands up after bashing the control panel. Leia groans softly, rubbing her eyes harshly while slouching in her seat. 

“What did you do?!” You yell, pushing past Chewie’s arm to frantically look over the controls. Han glares, “Transfer circuits aren’t working, it's not my fault!”

Leia leans over, “no lightspeed?”

Han turns his chair, his eyebrows tight, “it’s not my fault!”

More flak hits the ship, and Han does his best to steer away. 

“Sir,” Threepio says from behind you, “we’ve just lost the main rear deflector shield, one more hit on the back quarter and we’re done for.”

There's a moment of silence, Han staring down at the levers before nodding his head once, pulling back and turning towards Chewie.

“Turn her around.”

“What?!” You yell, Chewie barking in puzzlement, both of you staring at him. He gets up from his seat, pointing at the Wookiee, “I said turn her around! I’m going to put all power in the front shield!”

He flips almost switch before sitting back down in his seat. 

“You’re going to attack them?” Leia asks, you smacking his arm, “that’s the worst decision by far!”

“Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer-”

Both you and Leia interrupt him, “Shut up!” 

 The Falcon banks, making a steep turn before heading straight towards the Star Destroyer, bobbing and weaving to dodge the flak bursts. The ship narrowly misses the bridge window, before Han turns towards Chewie, pointing to his side. 

“Engage the landing claw!”

Chewie does, and the Falcon is now clinging to the Destroyer, Han shutting off all power before freezing, watching the other Destroyers in the area. 

“We should be invisible now,” he says softly, glancing at you and Chewie. 

There's a few minutes of silence, before Threepio throws his hands up. 

“Captain Solo, this time you’ve gone too far!” Chewie cuts him off, but Threepio only waves his way, “no, I will not be quiet, Chewbacca. Why doesn’t anyone listen to me?”

Han points to the Destroyers, “the fleets starting to break up. Go back and stand by the manual release for the landing claw.” Chewie nods, barking. He struggles to stand from his seat, walking out of the Cockpit. 

Threepio speaks again, “I really don't see how that is going to help. Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances-”

You’ve stood up by then, sitting Threepio down in your seat before turning to Leia, raising your eyebrows while gesturing towards Threepio. She sighs, reaching forwards to turn him off. Han sighs, nodding his head, “thank you.”

Standing in the doorway, you watch Leia move closer to Han, who was still watching the fleet. 

“So what’s the next move?”

Han only glances her way, “well, if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they’ll dump their grange before going to lightspeed. Then, we’ll just float away.”

You cross your arms, watching the two interact. 

“With the rest of the garbage, then what?”

“Then, we’ve got to find a safe port around here, got any ideas?” He finally turns to look at you after turning on the computer map screen, you shake your head. 

“No. Where are we?” Leia asks. 

“The Anoat system.”

Leia grimaces, “Anoat system. There’s not much there.”

“Well- wait, this is interesting,” he turns to look at you with raised eyebrows, “Lando.”

You chuckle, letting your head fall back against the door frame, groaning softly. 

Leia looks between you both for a moment, “Lando system?”

“Lando’s not a system,” you correct her, “he’s a man, Lando Calrissian.” smiling, you look back at her, “he’s a card player, gambler, scoundrel-”

“You’d like him,” Han cuts in with a smile. 

“Thanks,” she grumbles. 

Han rests his fist against his chin, watching the computer screen.

“Bespin. It’s pretty far, but I’m sure we can make it.”

Nodding, you push away from the door frame, leaning over Leia’s shoulder. 

“A mining colony?” She asks, tilting her head to look at you. 

“Yeah,” Han confirms, “a Tibanna gas mine. Must have conned somebody out of it, we go back a long way- Lando and us,” he nods towards you. 

“Can you trust him?”

You laugh, shaking your head, “absolutely not, but he has no love for The Empire.”

Sitting in Chewie’s seat you watch the garbage slowly start to seep from the Destroyer. Han straightens in his seat, leaning to press into the com.

“Alright Chewie, get ready.” He waits another moment, “detach!”

The falcon detaches from the Destroyer with a lurch, and the ship slowly turns as it floats into the wave of garbage, watching as the Star Destroyer goes off into lightspeed. 

“You have your moments, I'll give you that.” Leia says softly, looking over Han for a moment before leaning down, pressing a kiss onto his cheek. Then, she sits down in her seat, avoiding your gaze. Smiling, you watch as Han smiles softly, and Leia blushes. 

Powering back on the Falcon, Han steers the ship around and begins making way to Bespin. 

You moved back to your seat when Chewie came back and Threepio was turned back on, albeit more calm and quiet after having been turned off for a few hours. You sat in silence, watching the clouds grow in number and the colors shift from black and blue to a dusty orange and pink. this suited Lando, you thought. 

There were two cloud cars following the ship from either side, talking to Han through the coms. 

“No,” Han says, “I don’t have a landing permit! I’m trying to reach Lando Calrissian!” 

Flak hits the side of the ship, and you lean forwards to watch out the window. Leia looks worried, you giving a tight lipped smile. 

“Woah! Wait a minute! Let me explain-” Han yells into the transmitter, but the pilot in the Cloud Car cuts him 

“You will not deviate from your current flight path.”

“Rather touchy, aren’t they?” Threepio says.

Leia huffs, “I thought you said you knew this person.”

Chewie growls and barks at Han, and you wonder what he said for Han to look so offended.

“Well, that was a long time ago. I’m sure he’s forgotten about that.”

“Permission granted to land on platform three-two-seven.”

Han smiles, seething into the transmitter, “Thank you.”

After saying his thanks, he snaps off the intercom, throwing it to the ground as Chewie grunts. 

“Nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me.”

“Who’s worried?” Leia asks, sitting down in her chair. 

As the floating city of Bespin comes into view, you silently wonder how Lando came to own this place. You wonder if it was from a game of Sabacc, or if he did another run and got it as a reward. The Cloud Cars escort you to the landing platform, and Han lands with a sigh, standing from his chair and walking out of the Cockpit, you and Chewie hot on his tail. You can hear Leia and Threepio following, and make sure to glance back at her. 

Han lowers the ramp, and warily looks around the platform as you exit. You’re expecting to see Lando waiting for you guys, but there wasn’t anybody around.

“Oh. no one to meet us,” Threepio voices, looking around the platform. 

Eyebrows furrowed, you place a hand onto your blaster, looking at Han and Chewie. They both have the same looks, hands close to their weapons. 

“I don’t like this,” Leia sighs, shaking her head. Han huffs, turning to look at her. 

“Well, what would you like?”

“They did let us land,” Threepio states, looking between the two.

Han leans against one of the pistons, “look, don't worry, everything's going to be fine. Trust me.”

The door at the end of the platform hisses, opening vertically to present a group of people, Lando at the front. His dark cape laid over his shoulders as he talked with one of the people from the crowd, pointing towards your group. Han makes his way from the ramp, stopping between you and Chewie. 

“Keep your eyes open, yeah?”

Chewie nods his head, growling softly. Han turns to you, smiling, “coming with me?”

You don't reply, but you do follow him when he goes to meet Lando in the middle of the platform. Turning to give Chewie and Leia a two fingered salute. 

Han opens his hands, a bright smile on his face, “Hey!”

You can hear Lando’s voice, deeper from what you remember, his cape billowing behind him. He’s grown older, smile lines creasing around his eyes. The only remaining facial hair left on his face was his mustache, his hair remaining almost the same, just a little longer, smoothed back into waves. The group he was talking to follow at a distance, looking over your group with curious eyes. 

“Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler!” He stops a few feet away, placing his hands on his hips

“You’ve got a lot of guts coming here, after what you’ve pulled.”

Both you and Han freeze, Hans’ hands pointing to his chest. You stare at Lando with narrowed eyes, but he doesn’t seem to acknowledge your presence just yet. 

“Me?” Han says softly. Lando takes a few steps forwards, jerking towards Han, making his hands fly up in defense, before laughing and pulling him into a hug. Han stands shocked, before beginning to laugh, hugging him back. 

Lando pulls away, smiling brightly, “how you doing, you old pirate! I never thought I’d catch up with you again, where’ve you been? What’re you doing here?”

Han turned to thumb at the Falcon, “ah, repairs, thought you could help.”

Lando replies in mock panic, “what’ve you done to my ship?” 

He finally turns to you, his eyes softening, trying to hide a smile as he finally speaks to you, “What’ve you let him do to our ship?”

Han laughs mockingly, looking between you both with wide eyes, “your ship? Hey- remember, you lost her to me fair-and-square.”

Chewie must catch his attention, his eyes flickering to behind you, “and how you doin’, Chewbacca? you still hanging around with this loser?”

Chewie replies in a series of barks and growls, Leia and Threepio appearing from his side. When Lando finally notices her, he smiles, “hello, what do we have here?” Glancing towards Han, he moves closer. 

“Welcome. I’m Lando Calrissian, I’m the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?” He tilts his head. Crossing your arms, you narrow your eyes at him. Leia flickers to look at you, before setting her gaze on him again, she looks wary, untrusting. Yet, she smiles, tilting her head.

“Leia.”

Lando sighs, “Welcome, Leia.” He reaches out, grabbing her hand to press a delicate kiss. 

Han huffs, moving in to softly grab Leia’s hand from his, shaking his head, “all right, all right, you old smoothie.”

Threepio moves closer, slightly bending down before shaking his hand, “Hello, sir. I am see-Threepio, human-cyborg relations. My facilities are at your-” Lando’s already turning around, eyes finding you again with a smile. 

“Finally deciding to work with your real captain, (Y/n)?” he takes your arm in his, leading you into the building. Laughing, you shake your head, looking at him with a smile. 

“You haven’t been a captain for how long, Lando?”

He brushes it off with a smirk, “doesn't matter, you worked under me first didn’t you?”

“You don't remember? Why, how inconsiderate of you!” You feign offense, placing your hand over the other, feeling the cape brush the back of your legs. 

“I could never forget you! After all we’ve done? It would be a crime!”

Lando turns back to Han, and you let go of his arm, clasping them behind your back as Lando's aid nods his head at you in greeting. 

“What’s wrong with the Falcon?”

“Hyperdrive.”

Lando nods, turning to his aid before looking back, “I’ll get my people to work on her.”

“Good.”

Walking backwards, Lando winks at you before looking at Leia, smiling brightly, “you know, that ship saved my life quite a few times. She's the fastest hunk of junk in the sky!”

When walking across a small bridge that leads into the main city, you finally manage to catch a glimpse of it all. The entire city reminded you of Coruscant, with cloud cars flying around, people walking through the streets, and multiple buildings linking together that stretch out as far as you could see. 

The interior was just as elegant as you expected. While walls and intricate statues and artwork. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling as your group walked down the skinny set of stairs. The windows on the wall to your left showcased the city lights, and you smile at Leia when you see the sparkle in her eyes return, even if it was for a second. 

Han makes busy with talking to Lando, their voices echoing through the hallways, “how's the gas mine? Is it paying off for you?”

Passing a small plaza, you glance at a man working on a power board just behind one of the pillars that held up the ceiling. He didn’t pay you any mind, too engrossed in his work. Another man, who did spare you a glance, was cleaning the walls with a large duster, reaching up as far as he could. 

“Oh,” Lando sighs, “not as well as I’d like. We’re a small outpost and not very self sufficient- not to mention the supply problems of every kind. I’ve had labor difficulties-” Lando stops short, Hans laughter billowing over him. Smiling, he tilts his head, “what’s so funny?”

You almost start laughing too at the way Han claps a hand down onto his shoulder, shaking his head. 

“You! Listen to you, you sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who would’ve thought that, huh?” Han looks back at you, then at Leia for a split second before turning back to the front. Lando stops in front of a large wall of windows, the sun casting an orange glow of her busy city. 

“You know, seeing you both here brings back a few things.”

Laughing, you link your arm with his again, smiling. 

“It does, doesn’t it?”

Lando chuckles, dragging you along as Han looks back, eyebrows raised and shoulders shrugging. 

“Yeah, I’m responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful.”

Raising a brow, you look up at him, “didn’t you win this place from gambling?”

“Acquiring this beauty doesn’t matter to me anymore, I think being a successful businessman suits me, no?”

You hiss, leaning away to wince, “I don’t know, seeing you like this is like seeing an imposter.”

“You hurt me, (Y/n). When did you get so mean?”

After assigning both you and Leia rooms, you take the chance to finally get cleaned up. The guest quarters was an oval shaped room, lounging all around the room while one door led into the bedroom. 

They provided you with a new set of clothes, perfect to go along with the beautiful city. It was a dark blue jumpsuit, the fabric light enough to be worn with the cape that was folded nicely underneath it. It was white, but had a gold lining and a beautiful design that covered the bottom. The fabric underneath was also gold, the collar wrapping around your shoulders to clasp right in the middle of your chest. You refused to wear the boots they gave, preferring your usual ones instead. 

After finally getting out of there, you make your way towards Leia’s room. You knew Han and Chewie were looking over the Falcon’s repairs, and you were hoping you’d be able to spend some time alone with Leia before you’d have to leave. But, when the doors opened, it revealed Han and Leia already sitting alone together, sitting closely as they spoke quietly amongst themselves. 

Han stood first, hands on his hips as he looked you over, nodding once as he gestured to the cape and jumpsuit. 

“Bespin seems to suit you.”

Looking down, you smooth over the soft fabric, shrugging, “over than it being kind of itchy in some parts, its comfortable.”

“I think you look beautiful,” Leia says, standing as well. She wore a maroon dress, her white cape falling fluidly over her shoulders and down her back. Her hair was down, braids being tied up with ribbons, and the dirt that used to be on her cheeks was washed away. She looked regal, fitting in almost perfectly with the city. 

“You do too, Leia.”

“The ships almost done, just a few more things before we can go.”

Leia crosses her arms, stepping closer while promptly ignoring Han, “have you seen Threepio? Nobody has heard anything from or about him!”

“I thought he was with you? When was the last time you saw him?”

Han raises his arms, “I already told her I’d ask Lando!”

“How long has he been gone?” You ask, hands on your hips. 

“Too long, there's no chance he would be lost. Something is wrong here, I cannot be the only one feeling like this.”

Leia sits back down on the couch, Han crouching next to her. You cross your arms, leaning against the door frame when the door across from you slides open, Chewie rushing in with a basket full of Threepio parts. 

“What happened?” you ask, eyebrows scrunching as you rush over, looking over a broken Threepio. Chewie sets the basket down on the round table in the middle of the room, Leia standing besides you as you begin lifting small parts. 

Chewie barks and growls softly, lifting Threepio's arm and foot. 

“Where?” Han asks, hand resting on the back of the couch. 

Chewie growls again, this time Han scoffs, “found him in a junk pile?”

Leia sighs, tilting her head. “What a mess, Chewie, you think you can repair him?”

Biting your cheek, you push away from the table and look at Han, a perplexed look on his face. Chewie growls, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Lando’s got people who can fix him.”

Leia shakes her head, voice cold, “no thanks.”

Sitting back down onto the couch, you cross one leg over the other as you watch Chewie begin repairs. Leia continues to stand, seeming to be deep in thought. 

Lando walks in just then, eyes flickering over everyone's face, “sorry, am I interrupting anything?”

“Not really, no.”

You give him a strained smile, and he returns it, before his eyes flicker over to Leia. He smiles, his eyes crinkling before he shakes his head. 

“You look absolutely beautiful.”

Leaning back, you look at Han with raised eyebrows while he slowly covers his mouth with his hand, eyes wide as he stares at Lando. 

“You truly belong here with us among the clouds,” he says smoothly, hands appearing from his cape.

“Thank you,” Leia returns coolly, She tugs her own cape closed, tilting her shoulders back towards you. 

Lando reaches a hand out, his smile bright, eyes smooth, “would you join me for a refreshment?”

Barking almost offendedly, Chewie sets down the leg he was working on. Lando adds, “everyone's invited, of course.”

Standing, you watch Han move in to smoothly take Leia’s arm, pulling her away from Lando’s grasp as he moves towards the door. Lando offers you his arm, and you take it with a small smile. 

Finally seeing the parts of Threepio, Lando’s eyebrows scrunch in confusion, “having trouble with your droid?”

“No, no problem. Why?” Han asks from the door frame, waiting for Lando to lead your group. 

When the door hisses closed behind you, Han and Leia pause so Lando can actually lead you to where you’re going. There’s more people in the Halls now, all different species filling the corridor as you walk. Light filters in through the windows, being cut by the large white pillars that stand tall. 

Lando clears his throat, hand tapping against yours before slightly turning his head to see the others. 

“So you see, since we’re a small operation. We don't fall under the, uh, jurisdiction of the Empire.”

You raise your eyebrow, Leia’s voice firm next to you, “so you're part of the mining guild then?”

Leading you down a set of stairs, you turn another corner. Shoulder brushing against Leia’s you look at her, and she meets you with soft eyes. 

“No not actually, our operation is small enough to not be noticed.”

Turning left down another corridor, he continues, “It’s advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves.”

There's a large set of doors at the end of the hallway, and you walk down another set of stairs, passing by another set of large windows. 

“Aren’t you afraid the Empire is going to find you out? Shut you down?” You cut in, looking down at your feet so you wouldn't trip over the many capes that billow behind you.  There's barely anyone down this hallway, and Lando begins to slow as you approach the double doors. 

“There's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we’ve built here. But things have developed that will ensure security. I’ve just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of her forever.”

There's a small red button outside of the door, and when Lando presses down onto it, the door hisses as it opens. 

Inside stood Darth Vader, he was at the end of the long table, black suit contrasting against the white interior. Ripping your arm from Lando’s grip, you instinctively reach for your blaster, but it wasn’t there. You had taken it off when putting on the clothes Lando provided you. Han was the only one wearing the clothes he arrived in, quickly grabbing the blaster from his side while pulling Leia behind him from her hand. Chewie growls while grabbing your arm, yanking you into his side.

Shooting at the Lord, Han would’ve hit, if it wasn’t for Darth Vader stopping the blaster bolts with his hand, stopping the blast repeatedly before ripping the gun from Hans’ hand, setting it down onto the table calmly.

“We would be honored, if you would join us.”

His voice was deep, mechanically terrifying as you peer over Han’s shoulder, watching Boba Fett himself walk from behind one of the pillars inside the room, standing beside Vader. Stormtroopers appear from behind you, pointing blasters. 

Lando stood to the side, frowning. His eyes were unreadable, but he refused to look at you, only Han. 

“I had no choice,” he said coldly, “they arrived right before you did. I’m sorry.”

Han purses his lips, grabbing Leia’s hand, looking at you before glaring at Lando, nodding.

“I'm sorry, too.”

Chewie growls, barking at him before pushing you forwards nex to Leia, who reaches back, grabbing your hand tightly as your group enters the room, the door hissing shut behind you. 

You were separated from Han and the others shortly after, being strapped to a chair, they didn’t ask you anything, just stared while you screamed in pain. You barely remember what happened, just the pulsating electricity that waved through your body. They tore off your cape, leaving you in your jumpsuit. Your head hurt, and so did your body. The fresh scars on your side from falling into the Falcon’s wires throbbed again, the skin still sensitive. 

They dragged you into another prison chamber after they were done, you pulled against them with the remaining strength you had left before they dropped you to the ground. Han was already laying against a metal bench, Leia brushing his hair back. He looked worse than you, his face pale with dark bags under his eyes. 

Chewie rushes over to you, helping you stand. Smiling, you rub his arm before making your way to Leia and Han. Han looked over you with the little strength he had left, but you swatted his hands away. 

“Did they ask you anything?” he questions, Leia looking over you with concern as well. He reaches out, touching your cheek softly before retracting.

“No, you?”

“No.”

Leia sighs, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Slouching onto the ground, you close your eyes while rubbing your side. You should’ve listened to Han when he told you to take care of it. 

The door hisses open once more, and two cloudian guards walk in, Lando trailing in after. Chewie growls, and Han does his best to sit up with Leia’s help. Pushing off of the ground, you grab onto Chewie’s arm. 

“Get out of here, Lando-”

“Shut up and listen!” He barks, face stern. “Vader has agreed to turn Leia, (Y/n), and Chewie over to me.”

Han scoffs, “over to you?”

“They’ll have to stay here, but they’ll be safe.”

Leia doesn’t miss a beat, “what about Han?”

Her hands are still gripping his shoulders, her body supporting him. You clench your jaw, already having an idea as to why Boba Fett would want Han.

“Vader’s giving him to the bounty hunter.”

Leia shakes her head, “Vader wants us all dead-”

“He doesn’t want you at all!” His head is shaking, trying to find the words, “he’s after someone else- someone called Skywalker-”

“Luke?” Your voice almost breaks. There's that feeling in your chest again, that tight twist in your stomach before it simmers away. Lando finally snaps his eyes to you, and you see the pain in them, looking at your pale face and worried, betrayed, eyes. 

“Lord Vader has set a trap for him.”

There's a moment of silence, Chewie still growling.

“And we’re the bait-” Leia yells, her voice echoing slightly. 

“Yeah, well. He’s on his way.”

Han is heaving now, his jaw offset as he struggles to look at the man in front of him. He pushes himself off the metal bench, wavering in his stance. 

“You’ve fixed us all up real good, didn’t you?”

Lando shakes his head, looking away from him. But Han wasn’t done, he took a shaky step forwards, “My friend.” He growls. He rears back his hand, punching Lando in the face. The older falls to the floor, Han following after, the guards hitting him with their guns. 

“Han!” You yell, trying to get to him but there's a gun pointed at you before you could move. Chewie is barking again, and at the moment you wish you knew what he was saying. What he was calling Lando. Leia is down by Hans’ side, rubbing his side where the guard hit him. 

As he got up, Lando fixed his cape, calling off his guards while looking over your group once more. 

“I’ve done all I can,” he says, touching his cheek, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do better but I’ve got my own problems!”

Pushing himself onto his side, Han glares from his place on the floor, “yeah, a real hero.”

Lando leaves after that, his guards following after. You finally fall to your knees besides Han, helping him up. Hes wincing, holding onto his side as Leia pushes herself closer to him. Leaning him up against the wall. 

“You certainly have a way with people,” she sighs.

Chuckling, you wipe the blood from Han’s chin, “you should’ve seen him with Jabba, a real people pleaser.”

They both laugh softly, looking at one another before Leia steps over him, Chewie helping her lift him from the floor. They place him back on the metal bench, him softly groaning as his back meets the cold metal. 

After everything seemed to calm down, the door hissed again, Boba Fett entering the room. You stand first, Leia staying by Han while Chewie stops his repairs on Threepio. 

“What a familiar sight,” you tease, tilting your head at the mandalorian. He doesn’t reply to you, just turns his head and nods towards Han. Six stormtroopers enter the room then, quickly placing handcuffs onto your friends before standing close to Boba Fett, who still had his blaster in hand. 

“Let’s go.” Is all he says, his voice mechanical. 

“What a party pleaser,” you grumble, letting Han leave the room first. Leia stands by your side, and Chewie straps a still broken Threepio to his back, the stormtroopers trailing after him. 

Boba Fett led you through Cloud City in silence, turning corners and going down stairs until you entered a dark room illuminated by a red light. Smoke steamed from different pipes, and the sight of even more stormtroopers had you inch closer to the princess. 

Threepio doesn’t seem to be able to read the situation well, his voice carrying throughout the large room frantically, “If only you attached my legs, I wouldn’t be in this ridiculous position. Now, remember, Chewbacca, you have a responsibility to me, so don’t do anything foolish.”

After walking down the final set of stairs, Han stops to stand behind Lando, who was watching the many Ugnaughts working on some kind of machine that stands in the middle of the room. 

“Nice to see you, buddy,” Han hisses, his hands shifting in the tight cuffs. There's another set of stairs on the other side of the room, and you can hear Vader’s mechanical breathing from beyond the smoke. You couldn’t see him, but you knew he was there. 

“They're putting you into carbon freeze,” Lando whispers over his shoulder, eyes flickering to the Dark Lord that now walks down the stairs. A shiver rolls down your back, and you push Leia further away from him. Boba Fett moves away from your group, standing beside Vader to speak softly to him. 

Carbon Freeze? You’ve only heard of it, never actually seeing the machine yourself. You’ve never heard of humans going into it and surviving, and the thought of Han going in there makes your eyes burn. Your chest feels tight, and you finally look at him. He’s looking at Leia with a soft smile, his eyes sad. 

“Han?” You whisper, gaining his attention. His brows furrow, and he tries to make his way over to you, but he’s stopped by Vader's voice.

“The Empire will compensate you if he dies, put him in!”

“No!” you cry, Chewie howling right after. Leia grabs your arms, pulling you away from the stormtrooper that rushed forwards with his blaster raised. Chewie begins to push away the guards, throwing them off the suspended platform. It's chaos, Chewie frantic as Hans' voice tries to speak over him.

“Chewie! No! Stop it, Chewie! Do you hear me?!” Han is standing in front of him now, speaking loudly to gain the Wookie's attention while more Stormtroopers place him into cuffs. 

“This won’t help me,” Chewie tries to struggle again, “Hey!”

Han’s face is stern, “save your strength. There’ll be another time. The princess, and (Y/n), you have to protect them, take care of them, you hear me?”

Chewie provides a woeful farewell, Leia leaving your side to stand next to him. Han looks down at her, then leans down, pressing his lips against hers. She reaches out, touching his cheek before he pulls away. 

You realize your shaking, your vision blurry with unshed tears. Han looks at you with stern eyes, and he reminds you of an older brother. 

“Don’t cry, kid.” He whispers, tilting his head. You can’t reply, throat throbbing. But you shake your head, wrapping your arms around his neck, hugging him as tight as you could. 

“You gotta keep her safe, okay?”

Nodding, you continue to hold him before letting go, swallowing while taking a shaking breath. 

Finally, Han is ripped away by a stormtrooper, and you almost go after him. Leia stops you, grabbing onto your arm firmly, pulling you back towards Chewie. She quickly turns to Han, who was already looking her way, her breathing shaking too. 

“I love you,” she says firmly, and Han tries to hide his smile.

“I know.”

The ugnaughts remove his bindings, and the floor slowly begins to lower into the chamber. 

There's tears rolling down Leia’s face, her hand clutching onto yours as Han disappears into the floor. Chewie begins to cry, it only gets louder as the machine turns on, cold smoke filling the air. The hissing the machine lets out hurts your ears, and you and Leia both turn to cover your faces. 

It only took a few seconds before the large claw above the pit descended, whirring and latching onto something before ascending again. In its jaws, was Han. He was frozen in a sheet of carbon, his face exclaiming in pain while his hands were raised in surrender. Leia gasps, your hand flying to cover your mouth, tears stinging your eyes once more. The Ugnaughts look over it before pushing it down, and Han lands with a thump, the entire floor rattling with the weight. 

Threepio continues to try and look around Chewie’s shoulder, only managing to get peeks in. 

Lando moves around, crouching beside the Carbon block to look at the statistics on the side, his eyebrows tense. 

“Oh, they’ve encased him in carbonite-” you can pick up, but you block him out. 

Vader steps forwards, hand clasped onto his belt, “well, Calrissian, did he survive?”

Lando is staring at the frozen block, his hands holding onto the side. 

“Yes, he’s alive. And in perfect hibernation.”

Turning back to Boba Fett, Vader says, “He’s all yours, bounty hunter.”

Boba Fett bows before turning to the Ugnaughts, motioning for them to continue with placing Han into a coffin-like box. Vader turns to the other Ugnaughts, “reset the chamber for Skywalker.”

One of the Imperial officers walks down to the platform then, only sparing a glance to the people around him before stopping before Vader, “Skywalker has just landed, my Lord.”

Leia turns your way, the tears dried on your face. Sighing, you speak silently with her. You couldn’t let Luke run into his trap. 

Lando moves towards you then, trying to grab your arm but you swat him away, glaring at him. He frowns, Vader’s voice speaks up again. 

“Good, see to it that he finds his way here. Calrissian, take the Princess, the Wookiee, and the other one to my ship.”

Lando doesn’t hesitate to protest, “you said they’d stay in the city under my supervision!”

“I’ve altered the deal.” Vader says, his voice cold, “pray I don’t alter it further.” 

Lando nods, hand lightly touching his throat before turning to you and the others, pursing his lips.

They place Han onto a floating platform, Boba leading a few stormtroopers and Cloud City workers away with it. Lando, an Imperial Officer, and a few stormtroopers lead you and the others out of the chamber, taking a different hallway to Vader's ship. You only watch the floor as you walk. Everyone was silent, your eyes still burning at the thought of Luke being put into the same chamber as Han. Leia continuously tries to look around, slowing enough to be pushed forwards by a Stormtrooper.

The group slows when the sound of blaster fire echo's down the vacant hallway, it sounded close. You raise your head enough to see Lando look back, his hand reaching from under his cape to press along the watch on his wrist before looking forwards once more, walking alongside the Imperial officer. 

Passing an adjacent hallway, the Imperial officer waves Lando forwards, rushing back to grab Leia by the shoulders and drag her towards the door to your right side. The troopers around start to fire down the hallway. Another trooper grabs you, and when trying to wiggle free, he only kicks the back of your knee, tripping you. Gaining your footing again, you can hear Leia yell over the sound of the other troopers’ blaster fire. 

“Luke!” She screams, and you snap your head to look down the hallway, the quickest sight of blonde hair disappearing around the corner makes your heart drop. It was true, he was here. 

“It's a trap!” She screams again before she’s yanked forcefully through the doorway. Chewie starts yelling, and when you try to yell his name, the trooper holding you kicks the back of your knee again, pulling you through the door. 

“Luke, run!” you manage to get out, seeing him peer from behind the wall. When the door shuts behind you, the trooper lets you go, pushing you to keep walking. Leia grabs ahold of your arm, helping you steady yourself. Clenching your jaw, you continue walking. Hoping that Luke heard you, and left as soon as he could. 

“I hope he heard us,” Leia whispers, her face looking back at the trooper’s following. 

Further down the hallway, you enter an intersection, where multiple of Lando’s guards are waiting, blasters already fixed on the Imperial soldiers and officer. Lando pushes the officer into the hands of one of his guards, and begins to grab the blasters from the Stormtroopers, handing them over to his right hand, who was standing behind the pillar in the middle of the room. 

“Well done,” Lando says, taking three more guns from the troopers before turning back to him, “hold them in the security tower, keep it quiet. Move.”

The guards begin to escort the Troopers and officer, handing you and Leia a blaster he took. When he hands one to you, you grab his arm harshly, “just what are you doing, huh?”

Lando gently takes his arm from your grip, moving to Chewie’s bindings, “we’re getting out of here.”

“Oh, I knew it all had to be a mistake!” Threepio cries from Chewie’s back. When the bindings fall from his wrists, he immediately grabs Lando by the throat, choking him. 

Leia smirks, “you think after all you’ve done, we’d trust you?”

“You’re stupid to think I won't just kill you right here, right now,” you sneer, blaster pointed at him. 

“I had no choice!” He chokes, hands clawing at Chewie’s wrists, trying to free himself. 

Chewie barks, almost lifting him from the ground. Threepio starts to protest, his voice frantic. 

“Oh, we understand, don’t we, (Y/n)?” Leia says sarcastically, turning to you with raised eyebrows. 

“Definitely,” you step forwards, “he just had no choice, right Chewie?”

Lando’s face starts to turn red, “I’m just trying to help-”

“That’s what you said when you let us in, isn’t it? Helping an old friend of yours fix his ship? We don’t want your help anymore, Lando.”

He ignores you, making a garbled sound that neither of you could understand. 

“I think he’s trying to say Han!” Threepio cries, his head trying to look over Chewie’s shoulder, who was still choking Lando. 

“There’s still a chance- to save Han- The east platform-”

“Chewie, drop him.” Leia says, Chewie letting him fall to the floor. He heaves, rubbing the raw skin of his throat. 

“I’m terribly sorry about all this. He’s only a wookiee, after all.”

“Shut it, Threepio.” You growl, turning to start rushing down the corridor. Leia was just behind you, Chewie following her, then a still gasping Lando. 

“This way-” Lando wheezes, running to the front of the group to lead you out onto a balcony, the sun setting on the city. You can faintly see Boba Fett’s ship up ahead, and you almost stop when hearing the familiar whistle of another droid. Chewie stops to growl at R2. 

“Artoo! Where have you been? Oh- turn around you wooly!”

Running up a set of stairs, Lando skids to a stop to open the hangar door. It hisses, and Leia and Chewie run through first, watching as Boba Fett’s ship flies away. Yelling out, Chewie tries to fire at the ship with the blaster Lando gave him, but it was no use. Standing beside Leia, your shoulders slump. Leia’s eyes well with tears, and you place a hand onto her back. 

“Oh no, Chewie, behind you!” Threepio cries, the Wookiee turning around with a cry. 

A blaster bolt nearly hits Leia, and you both turn around to see a group of Stormtroopers entering from down the corridor. R2 spins in the hanger doorway, speeding away from the cross fire. Lando takes cover behind the wall, and Leia soon follows. You and Chewie begin to fire at the troopers, Chewie hitting a few before Lando makes a break for the elevator down the hall. More troopers were filling the room, and Leia managed to hit a few before making a break for the elevator as well. Chewie pushes you along, acting as a shield while you peer around him, firing at the troopers before they could shoot Chewie. 

Your hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and with each trooper you shot down, it got worse. Feeling the heat in your cheeks, you step around Chewie to take another shot, a blaster bolt landing beside your head before you finally make it to the elevator. Lando shut the doors before any of them could round the corner. 

The elevator ride up was quick, and you ran off, almost smiling when seeing the Falcon on the landing pad. Just as quickly the doors slam shut, Lando slamming his hands against the metal door before looking at the door pad on the wall. Shaking his head, he looks at you and Leia. 

“The security codes have been changed!”

Chewie howls, grabbing onto the metal door to try and pull it open. 

“Artoo!” Threepio cries, the smaller droid beeping in return, “you can tell the computer to override the security system!”

Lando rushes over to the other wall, hooking into the panel's intercom, his voice ringing through the hallways. 

Taking off the computer cover, R2 tries to hook into the computer system. Suddenly, his short beep turns into a wild scream. R2’s circuits begin to light up, and his head spins wildly. Smoke erupts from under him, and Chewie promptly pulls him away, blue bolts curling around his little body.

“This is just great,” you grumble, hearing Threepio argue with the little droid before Lando lightly touches your elbow. 

“This way.”

Following him, you run against a large crowd of citizens, Chewie firing at Stormtroopers who managed to catch up to you. Lando is quick, running through the halls until coming up to another panel system. This time, there was a port for R2 to connect to, and you rushed him forwards. He whistles, turning his head towards you. 

More Stormtroopers begin to crowd, and you join Leia and Chewie in firing towards them, shooting more down while R2 works on the landing door. 

“Ah!” Threepio shouts, Chewie barely dodging a blaster bolt. “We’re not interested in the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive! It's fixed! Just open the door, you stupid lump!”

“Leia!” You shout, seeing more troopers enter the hallway, “to your left!”

Beginning to retreat down the corridor, you can faintly hear the triumphant beep of R2, the door sliding open seconds later. Lando pulls Leia away, both passing you before you shoot once more down the hallway, following behind them onto the platform. The exit ramp was already down, a small light emanating from inside. 

R2 waits for you to pass before laying cloud fog, blocking the trooper's view before following behind you. 

Reaching the Falcon just as the battalion reaches the doors, you and Leia quickly take cover behind one of the legs, shooting towards the troopers while Chewie rushes onto the Falcon, hitting Threepio's head on his way in. 

The Falcon rumbles, the engine roaring to life as more stormtroopers begin to flood the platform. Lando turns to you, waving “Leia! (Y/n)! Go!”

Find an opening, you push Leia, both of you running on board. Lando shuts the ramp, following behind you into the cockpit. Passing by the  two droids, you sit down in Hans’ seat, flipping on the deflector shields and helping Chewie with preparing the Falcon for hyperspeed. 

“Let's get out of here-”

“Wait!” Leia says, sitting in your usual seat, “what about Luke?”

Breathing heavily, you squeeze your eyes shut, “If he heard us, he should be gone by now-”

“We’ve got to go back!” She cuts you off. Turning sharply, you notice the look in her eyes, the fog that she seemed to be in. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her hand reached out to grab your arm.

“I know where Luke is.”

Chewie barks in surprise, Lando leaning forwards in his chair, “what?”

“We have to go back.” She states, still looking at you.”

Breathing deeply, you clench your jaw, staring back at her. 

“What about those fighters?” Lando voices. Chewie agreeing. 

Shaking your head, you look back to the front, “Chewie, just do it.”

Lando scoffs, looking between the three of you, “but what about Vader?!”

Chewie turns towards him, barking and growling. Lando stands from his chair, hands up in surrender. 

The Falcon does a graceful turn, the sight of Cloud City not bringing anymore comfort. The sun cast a golden glow over the clouds, the lights beginning to turn on in the city. Dark shadows began to form, making it hard to see anything. 

“You better be right,” You murmur. Leia doesn’t respond, but she does move closer to look out the window. 

When getting closer to the city, Leia points to the underside, her eyes sharp, “down there.”

Lando leans down, his face next to yours, squinting to see through the shadows before pointing as well, “There's someone down there.”

Staring, you gasp, seeing the small figure cling to a weather vane.

“Its Luke!”

“Chewie, Slow down and we’ll get under him-” you command, turning towards the other two, “Lando, open the top hatch. Leia, take my spot- I’m gonna go with Lando.”

Standing from the chair, you gently touch Leia’s back as you dash out of the cockpit, following Lando as he makes his way to the top hatch. When he stops to open the sliding door, he looks back, you only waving him off. 

“You grab him, I’m gonna get a blanket or something.” When you see him continue to stare, you almost stomp your foot, “Hurry, you idiot!”

There's a small cabinet a little further down the hall, and you open it quickly, looking over the old clothes, finally coming across a brown blanket. Grabbing it, you slam the cabinet closed behind you when the sliding door closes. You can feel the Falcon slow to a halt, the outside hatch hissing as it opens. 

Seconds almost feel like hours, and when the sliding door finally opens again to reveal Lando and Luke, you almost choke on the newly forming lump in your throat. 

Luke looked terrible, to put it lightly. The skin around his eye was deep purple, the color reaching almost to the side of his jaw. The corner of his top lip was busted, blood almost dripping down his chin. His once blonde hair was darker, soaked and sticking to his forehead from sweat. You quickly throw the blanket over his shoulders, his pretty blue eyes finally looking at you. They screamed exhaustion, his body practically falling into you. Lando speaks, but you can’t hear him over the roaring in your ears as you hold Luke’s frail body closer. One of his arms wraps itself around your waist, using some of his remaining energy to hold you tightly. 

“Oh, Luke,” you whimper, pulling away to grab his face.

“(Y/n),” he whispers back. His cheeks were sweaty, and he almost collapsed when you let go. Using your strength you grab his other hand, but stop when he yelps in pain, yanking the arm from your grasp. Confused, you look to see what wound he could have obtained, but you fall short when seeing his hand completely gone. The skin charred, clothes burned away. 

The ship rocks violently, causing you to grab hold of Luke again, Lando racing towards the cockpit while you carefully pull Luke towards the small medbay. It was only a single bunk, but it had enough supplies to keep someone stable while reaching somewhere more suitable. 

Luke’s breathing starts to become labored when you slowly lower him onto the bunk. You make sure to pull the blanket free from his shoulders, laying it over him while he falls onto the thermal padding. More flak hits the Falcon, the small life support machine shaking. You try your best to attach everything correctly, but you stop when a hand grabs your shoulder. 

Leia stands with a frown, her eyes looking over Luke before nodding towards you. Moving, you let her quickly stabilize him, his breathing beginning to level out while she attached a cuff to the arm with his missing hand. Rubbing your nose, you try and wipe away the tears that cloud your vision. 

You can hear Lando and Chewie shouting to each other, Leia’s voice louder than the flak that hits the ship. 

“Go to the cockpit, help those two idiots.”

Breathing deeply, you look back over, “what about Luke?” 

Her lips pursed at the frailness of your voice, sees the slight shake in your hands when you pull them away from your eyes. Your cheeks are pink and splotchy, tears wetting your lashes.

“I’ve got him- you go.”

“But-”

“(Y/n). Go, I’ve got him.”

Nodding, you rush to the cockpit. Briefly, you try to spot the two droids, but their nowhere to be found. 

“What’s happening?” You curse your voice for cracking, but the two must pretend they don’t notice. 

“Three TIE’s are on our tail.”

“What about hyperspeed? We can outrun them if your people repaired the ship.”

Lando throws a look over his shoulder, “I don’t know where we’re going! How can I punch in coordinates?”

Groaning, you turn towards the Nav computer, trying to think of any place that would work. Your mind is jumbled, thoughts running a million miles per minute. With shaking hands, you try and type in random coordinates, but they keep coming up invalid. 

Leia rushes in seconds later, the towel she was holding in her hand discarded to the chair next to you. The once cloudy skies turned to stars, the endless expanse of space welcoming you back. 

Pointing, Leia grumbles, “Star Destroyer.”

She turns towards the nav system while Lando steers away from the Star Destroyer. Touching your shoulder to gain your attention. Silent words are exchanged, and you back away, going back to stand between Lando and Chewie. Glancing down, you try to ignore all the muted alarms on the control panel, a new one appearing while Lando fiddles with more buttons and switches. When he switches a wrong one, you click your tongue and reach forwards, slapping his hand away to fix his mistake. 

“Just like old time- eh?”

Glaring, you almost slap him, “Shut up.”

Lando sighs, glancing back at Leia, “Ready for hyperspeed?”

“Yeah, if your people actually fixed it.”

A green light flickers to life next to Leia, and she nods, “The coordinates are set, it's now or never.”

“All right, Chewie. Punch it!”

Chewie reluctantly pulls back on the throttle. And you breathe a sigh of relief when you can hear the engine winding up. The relief is suddenly ripped away from you when the same sound of the engine dying fills the cabin, both Leia and Chewie looking at Lando, who sits in shock. 

“You’ve got to be kriffing kidding me!” you shout, grabbing Lando by the collar when the ship rattles again.

“You told us you fixed it! What happened, huh?!” You throw him back into his chair, storming out of the cockpit. You can hear Lando yelling, Chewie barking over him. 

In the main hold, you briefly glance at the two droids on the floor. R2 was slowly putting Threepio back together. Threepio was holding his own leg, watching you storm past before turning back to Chewie, who was hot on your heels. 

The Wookiee pulls the floor grates up, grabbing one of his tools and dropping into the floor. 

You stop at the system Threepio was hooked up to for what seemed like ages ago, staring at the blinking lights and switches, trying to think of some solution that would get you out of this. 

“Noisy brute, why don’t we just go into lightspeed?” You hear Threepio ask, R2 beeping a reply. Blocking them out, you turn to join Chewie. Dropping down, you shield your face when sparks fly from the panel. Chewie grumbles, and you grab another tool from his belt. 

“Tell me about it, yeah?”

The ship rocks, and Lando’s voice crackles over the coms, “Chewie!”

You and Chewie work around each other, trying to find what could be wrong with the Hyperdrive, but you couldn’t find anything. Anger filled your stomach, and when you slammed your wrench against the panel, sparks flew. 

“Why does this always happen?!” you yell, Chewie replying with a growl. 

Peering out of the trench, you watch R2 speed towards the control panel, beginning to work on a circuit board while Threepio stands off to the side, his leg in hand. 

“Artoo, come back here at once! You haven’t finished with me yet! You don’t know how to fix the hyperdrive! Chewbacca and Madam (Y/n) can do it. I’m here in pieces and you’re having delusions of grandeur!”

Shaking your head, you look back down. Suddenly, the hyperdrive engine roars back to life, the Falcon lurching into hyperspace so suddenly it throws you into Chewie, who was already leaning against the panel behind him. R2 screams as he’s thrown across the Main Hold, and Threepio is yelling in joy.

Pulling yourself out, you walk back to the cockpit, stopping when you see Luke laying back in your chair. Leia and Lando continue to look over the control panel, only glancing back to spare a soft smile. 

“Luke,” you speak softly, his attention turning to you. Standing, he makes his way over, his wounded arm cradled to his torso while the other reaches to rest on your chin.

“Are you all right?” He asks, eyebrows furrowed while looking you over. Scoffing, you grab his elbow, placing your other onto his bicep. 

“I should be asking you that, shouldn’t you be resting? Here, I’ll take you back so you-”

“I’d rather be up here with you guys, I’ll be okay.”

There's a certain look to him you can’t quite place, masked by the tired eyes and slumped shoulders.

“Let’s talk in the Main Hold. Lando, Leia join us when you’re ready.” You slowly help Luke back into the Main Hold, Chewie closing up the floor grate while R2 finishes up Threepio. Settling down next to Luke, you finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

“You know,” Luke says softly, his gaze flickering to you, “you said we’d talk- when we saw each other again.”

Laughing softly, you pinch the bridge of your nose before looking at him, tilting your head. 

“I’d rather wait until you’re in a medbay, again, being looked after so you don't die.”

Scoffing softly, Luke’s head rests against the cushions, “I’m fine-”

Chewie begins barking and growling, Lando scoffing under his breath as he enters the Main Hold. When you look up, you see Leia perched on the engineering station, looking over you and Luke. Tilting your head, you raise an eyebrow, but she waves you off. 

“Han?” Lando’s voice is loud, “Go after Han Solo? We can’t go after him!”

R2 rolls over, bumping into Luke’s leg, but he doesn’t move, just groans softly under his breath while his eyes close. 

“Maybe you forgot already, Chewbacca, but Boba Fett has Han.”

Chewie replies, but Lando seems to get more heated. He throws an arm out, eyebrows furrowed as he looks up at the Wookiee. 

“Honestly, we’re lucky he got away-”

You scoff, “We’re the lucky ones? What a nice thing to say, Lando.”

“Fett’s flying Slave One- Maybe, maybe we could’ve caught him before he went to lightspeed- I mean, this is the Millennium Falcon.”

He pauses, shrugging his shoulders, “but then what? Blast him out of the sky? Iffy- and even if we pulled it off, that’d be the end of our old buddy Han.”

Growling, Chewie pushes Lando, getting into his face. He seems to understand him, holding his hands in surrender, “okay, okay, your old buddy. He was my friend too, though, back in the day.”

“Key word, ‘was’,” you grumble, crossing your arms. Luke tilts his head, confusion crossing his tired features before looking back at Lando and Chewie. 

“We all saw you make your choice, Lando.” Leia says sternly. Lando turns to her, huffing, “so did you, princess. We missed our chance to get Boba Fett because you guys,” he throws a hand your way, “decided to go back to Cloud City for him.”

“Hey! Watch yourself, I’ll make Chewie throw you out the top hatch.”

He ignores you, still facing Leia, “what makes him so important to everyone?”

“His name is Luke Skywalker, Lando. He destroyed the Dead Star.” Her voice is softer, uncrossing her arms to place them on her hips. There's a moment of silence, Lando humming before turning to look at Luke, “Huh. No wonder Darth Vader wanted him so badly.”

“Maker,” you mumble, rubbing your eyes harshly. 

“Look,” Lando sighs, “we all lost a lot today. You lost a friend, I lost an entire city. Lotta people I care about back on Bespin, you know.”

Threepio waddles into the room, his arms raised, “I lost my arms and legs! I was blown apart!”

You all look at him, and he looks at each one of you before bowing his head, “well, for a bit anyways.”

“Listen, this isn’t a total disaster, Han is my friend, and we’ll get him back. After all, we can’t catch Boba Fett now, but Chewie and I know where he’s gonna take Han, right?”

There's an unsettling churn to your stomach, making you shift in your seat.

“Oh dear,” Threepio starts, “To Jabba the Hutt? Oh, he will certainly murder Captain Solo the first chance he gets!”

Glaring at Threepio, you almost jump when Luke’s hand touches your arm. His voice is filled with confusion, “Han? Where is Han? What are you guys talking about?”

The lump from before forms in your throat again, and you can’t bring yourself to explain the events that happened. You didn’t want to, not yet, at least. Leia walks over, giving you a sympathetic smile while tucking her knee under her when sitting down next to him. She grabs his arm, just above the cuff. 

“Darth Vader used Han to test the carbonite chamber, he wanted to use it on you, Luke,” she lets him take in the information for a second before continuing, “He’s still alive but frozen, suspended. Vader gave him to a bounty hunter. Boba Fett.”

Sitting up, Luke’s hand falls from your arm, gripping the couch tightly, “No, no. I was-” he shakes his head, “I think I saw them, Leia- I was right there-”

His voice slowly becomes more frantic, trying to push himself off the couch, “We have to go after him, Leia, we have to-”

You inch forwards, helping him sit back down. 

“We will, Luke,” you say softly, “it won't be easy, but we’ll find Han.”

Leia cuts in, concerned, “what about you? You haven't told us what happened.”

He glances at both of you before looking down at his knees, eyebrows furrowing, “I reached out to bed with the force. He didn’t,” he looks at you, defeated, “He didn’t answer me.”

His hand shakes, moving to grip onto your knee. He rubs the material of your jumpsuit with his fingers, shaking his head. He looked broken, face pale and eyes tired. The blood was cleaned from his face, the bruise slowly fading from the bacta Leia must have applied. 

You grab his hand, “He will, Luke.”

“And if he doesn't,” Leia’s voice is soft, smiling small as she looks at him, “you’ll find your own path, You’re strong.”

She says something under her breath, but you can’t hear her. 

Standing, she turns back to the others, who were looking over the engineering station. 

“Maybe we can’t save Han, not yet.”

“What?” maybe you didn’t hear her right. 

“We can save everyone else. Chewie, set a course to return to the Rebel fleet, Artoo will give you the coordinates.”

Whistling, Chewie bends down to pat the top of the droid. Lando, pushing away from the engineering station, stands tall in front of the princess. 

“Hey, now. The Empire is looking for this ship, and we know damn well they’re hunting the Rebel fleet too. How about we just find a nice quiet spot and wait for the heat to die down a little? I have places we can go. Gal on Nar Shaddaa owed me a favor.”

Frowning, Leia tilts her head. Finally standing, you let go of Luke's hand, “I'm sure she does, Calrissian. But you’re not the Captain, are you? Last I checked, Han was. I doubt he’d trust you with her now, you’d probably be the last person on that very small list. Don’t forget- you betrayed us to the Empire.”

“Oh, come on. I had Darth Vader breathing down my neck, and I still got you all out of there. I should get some credit for that!”

“Credit? For helping others? Gosh,” you say sarcastically, clapping your hands, “do you want a medal? How about we stop everything and have a whole celebration!”

“I’m commandeering this ship for the Rebel fleet, which means you don’t have a say in where it goes,” Leia says, glaring at Lando. He scoffs, looking between the both of you before holding his hands up in surrender. 

“Chewie, (Y/n), I'm sure Mon Mothma and the others are wondering where we are.”

Lando followed as you made your way to the cockpit once more. While Chewie was punching in the codes from R2, you sat in your seat, pulling up the radar and deflector shields. They wouldn’t be online until you dropped from lightspeed, but it was best to have the grids up now. Leia sat in Hans’ chair, lightly touching the arms before flipping switches in preparation for the drop. Lando sat behind her, watching as she checked over the now silent alarms. 

Chewie barks, the green light on the nav computer flickering on. Sitting down in his seat, he grabs onto the hyperdrive, slowly lowering it. 

The Mid-Rim. Rendezvous point Delta-Three. It was located near a star, right between the Vosch Cluster and the trading worlds of Caldra Prime and Caldra Tertius. The rendezvous point had been discovered, the entire fleet being surrounded by the Empire. Squadrons were being chased by TIE’s, others chasing them. The large capital ships were the closest to the star, furthest from the four Star Destroyers that blocked their way out. 

Turning on the radar, you cringe at the amount of bogies, quickly turning on the deflector shields as Chewie steered away from incoming fire. 

Leia slides on one of the coms, connecting into the Rebel link, “This is Leia Organa in the Millennium Falcon, how can we help?”

A voice comes through not long after, voice distressed, “Glad to hear your voice, Princess, but the Imperials have us locked up pretty good. They just called away some of the TIEs, but we’re still getting hit hard from the Capital Ships. We can’t get past their blockade to jump to lightspeed.”

“Okay. We’ll find a way to help. Be ready to move the moment you see an opportunity- you’ll want to head to the next fallback point. Don’t give up hope.” 

“Acknowledged. I’m not sure what you can do, but- May the Force be with you.”

Sliding off the headset, Leia looks out at the fight. 

“Chewie, we have to make a hole in that Cordon big enough to escape.”

Lando scoffs, “Make a hole? We should escape! I count four Star Destroyers out there! You know me, I believe in the cause, but this is suicide! We gotta run, live to fight another day!”

Laughing, you shake your head, “the cause? Oh boy, you’re funny!”

Barking, Chewie steers the Falcon sharply, the radar blaring with multiple TIE’s.

“We’ve got company-”

“How nice, all those TIE fighters, just for us.”

Shaking her head, Leia glares at him, standing from the chair, “stop complaining and help, Lando. I’ll get to the guns.”

She runs from the cockpit, and Lando tries to sit down in her seat, but Chewie growls a warning.

“Chewie, you need to let me pilot. You remember how good I used to be at flying? I’m better now!”

Leaning forwards, you lightly touch his shoulder, “I don’t want him here either, but it's our best chance while I’m on the shields.”

“Just trying to survive here, pal. If I pull anything funny, you can rip my arms off.”

Growling, Chewie points to the chair, Lando smiling briefly before sitting down. He slides on the headset, looking around the controls before nodding. 

“How are we even gonna do this?” Lando asks, “if those Rebel Frigates can’t make a dent in the Empire's ships, how are we supposed to?”

Flak hits the ship, and you check the internal damage, “use the missiles, you idiot.”

“Missiles? The Falcon doesn’t have missiles!”

Chewie barks, flipping another switch. Leaning back in the chair, Lando watches him, “whoa, two ST2 launchers? What the hell were you guys doing with my ship that made you install that much firepower?”

“Your ship?” You snap, glaring. He only smiles, “anyways, yeah, eight missiles, that’ll pack a punch. But even if they all land, they won’t take out a Star Destroyer.”

Barking and growling, Chewie doesn't even spare him a glance. You didn't even notice R2 and Threepio enter the cockpit until you heard his voice. 

“Master Chewbacca suggests that we don't actually need to destroy an entire vessel, merely the gun emplacements on one of the light cruisers. If this succeeds, the integrity of the Cordon will be reduced, and-”

“I understand Shyriiwook, Goldie. I get the idea, doesn’t mean it ain’t crazy.”

“Don’t talk to him like that! Not everyone is so grandiose like you and can understand Chewie.”

Lando frowns, looking at you and Chewie. 

“Spending so much time with Han changed you guys, you used to be so rational-”

The control panel goes up in sparks, alarms beginning to ring as you try and assess the damage. Looking around, you find your com underneath Chewie’s seat, plugging it in, you slide it on. 

“That blast almost cooked us, Leia, Fore shields took a huge hit.”

“You guys need to get a little better at shooting down these ties or this big heroic rescue of yours will be over right quick” Lando cuts in. 

“Lando, we got it!”

“What do you mean ‘We’” You ask, looking at Lando with furrowed eyebrows. He points to the control panel, a small light indicating both turrets were in use. 

“Luke’s on the other gun-”

“Why is he on the other gun?!”

“I'm fine!” Luke's voice cuts in, sounding more energetic, “just hard to do this only one-”

He cuts himself off, and you take off the com, not wanting to hear anything else. Another alarm starts blaring, and you stand from your chair to look over the control panel, flipping another switch to direct more power to the front shields. 

“This ain’t good at all.” Lando grumbles, trying to dodge more flak that hits the front.

“I thought everything was amazing,” you say, smiling, “I was just about to say we should dock and get something to drink!”

Chewie barks, and you get back into your seat, turning to look at the radar. When suddenly, the engines of the incoming TIE’s seem to explode, like each pilot was intentionally running into each other. 

“What the-”

“What’s to understand, princess?” Lando barks into the com, “take the luck you get! Shoot them!”

“We’re coming up on the Cordon,” You get up form your seat again, looking out. The Cordon was quickly coming closer, its guns already firing at the Falcon. Lando steers closer, hands over the missile release, “Leia, Luke, make sure you’re strapped in down there. We’re making our attack run.”

“Kriff,” you curse, turning to make sure the coordinates to the fallback point were set. Not seeing the input, you turn to find R2 already making his way over. Bending down, you open a small panel connecting to the Nav system, and watch as he connects in. His head spins, and in moments the small green light turns on. 

You can feel the missiles fly from the Falcon, and you think you can hear when they hit their target. Chewie roars, pulling back on the steering. Lando turns, “Are we ready for lightspeed?”

“Ready- hit it when you’re ready.”

Lando smiles, “hit it Chewie! I can’t believe this actually worked!”

The backup rendezvous Point Gamma-Nine was located just outside of a milky way. What was left of the fleet at the previous rendezvous point was here. The Falcon was docked on The Redemption, and when you finally stepped foot off of it, Luke was out of your sight. You didn’t know where he went, but R2 was rolling after him. You hoped he was heading towards a medbay, but with the way his eyes were downcast, eyebrows knit tight, and how his shoulders were tense, you knew he was going somewhere to deal with everything that happened. 

Leia guided you and the others to the control room, the two leading officers from The Redemption already waiting. 

“Chewbacca, for the time being, don't let Lando out of your sight.” The commander says, leaning his elbows onto the center console. His gray hair was slicked back, and he had a long beard. Chewie barks in agreement, and Lando holds his hands out. 

“Hey now, I just saved every damn ship here!”

You lean against the wall, rubbing your eyes. Your back was starting to hurt from the day, and your side was beginning to throb again. Fatigue begins to settle in your neck, and you close your eyes, still listening in. 

“Only because we didn’t let you run away,” Leia retorts, “you’re a question, Lando Calrissian. And until we know the answer, consider yourself a guest to the Rebellion.”

“There's another question too.” She turns back to the other commanders, “how did the Imperials find you? When the fleet scattered after Hoth, the rally points were top secret.”

The other leader, a man who had dark skin and a goatee, spoke up, “they didn't find us Leia. We initiated our scheduled contact with another cell- Eighth Division, out near Malastare. Not long after, they reported that the Imperials found them too. Nothing since.”

You try to make sense of what they were talking about, but Threepio beat you to it.

“If I may, Princess Leia- the odds of two cells of the Rebel fleet being found simultaneously are approximately fourteen point five billion to one. The much more likely scenario is that the Imperials have somehow found a way to-”

Leia cuts him off, “Break our codes.”

The older leader, with the gray hair and full beard, speaks with a gravelly voice. 

“If that’s true, it means the moment any Rebel cell communicates with another, the Imperials can pinpoint the location of both groups.”

He sighs, and you can hear him move around. Finally opening your eyes, you watch as Leia begins tapping her foot.

“Must be what happened to us,” he continued, one hand on his hip, “and it's what happened to eight. And we can’t warn the other cells or tell them to switch codes, because as soon as we do-”

“They’ll get attacked, and so will we,” she finishes. 

Pushing off of the wall, you stand beside her, looking down at the unused control panel.

“Hell, for all you know, it's already happened. All those other cells might have sent out their little messages, and the Empire could have swung right in, mopped ‘em up. Hell, for all you know, you might be the only ones left.” Lando sighs.

You shake your head, “this might be the entire Rebellion right here.”

The two leaders leave not long after, and you don’t recall the reason they give. You’re too busy listening to Lando and Leia argue back and forth. You’ve taken your spot back on the wall, leaning your head against it with closed eyes. Your head was starting to pound, and you can’t recall the last time you ate or drank anything.

There's a small touch to your shoulder, and when you turn, Luke is there. He looks more defeated than before, eyes sad and bloodshot. Smirking, you reach up to tap his hand.

“Where’ve you been? Started to make me worried.”

He shrugs, voice hushed “just had to be alone for a little.”

“Everything all right?” 

“You can trust me!” Lando shouts, making you and Luke jump. 

“Can I?” Leia responds. 

“No need to be rude, Leia. I’m trying to do you a favor.” Walking past you, Lando waves her off, “I don't get the hostility. I mean, if I'm trying to pull something- what's my angle? Han’s my friend too, whether you believe it or not. But if you don't want my help- don't want to see your handsome rascal again- fine by me.”

She sighs, turning to face him once more, “Lando. Okay, you can go. Take the Millennium Falcon, we can spare it for a little while. I have to stay here to try to find a way to save the Rebel fleet. But if you think you can learn something from your contacts on Tatooine about whether Boba Fett’s brought Han to Jabba yet-”

“I know I can, Princess. I’ll find out if Jabba has Solo. If he doesn’t, I'll look for leads on Fett. It’ll work. I got friends all over that dust bowl.”

Luke tilts his head, letting go of your shoulder, “you say that like it's a good thing, Calrissian.”

Lando has that smirk on his face again, “oh definitely, Luke. Definitely. I can learn things none of you can. Even Chewbacca. I love the big guy, but he doesn’t speak basic. On Tatooine, communication problems get you killed.”

“I’m aware. I grew up there,” Luke deadpans. 

“Well,” Leia cuts back in, “Chewie’s still going with you. He’ll take you to Tatooine, and he’ll bring you right back. Right, Chewie? You’ll keep Lando flying straight? And if he tries anything, you’ll-” Chewie cuts her off with a roar.

Pushing off the wall, you ignore the pain in your back, “I’m going with him.”

They turn to look at you, then Lando laughs, “No, you’re not.”

“You really think I’m going to let you dictate that? I know that hellscape like the back of my hand, I think I know a lot more people than you-”

“That’s exactly why you can’t go, (Y/n),” Leia says softly, eyes shining with regret. 

Scoffing, you turn to look at her, eyebrows furrowing, “you’re serious?”

“If both you and Chewbacca go, word might get out that you’re back on the planet. Jabba will try anything to have both you and Solo hanging pretty on his wall-”

“Okay!” you shout, silencing Lando, “so what do you want me to do, sit pretty and wait for you to find him?”

“Yes. You have to trust me, second.”

Glaring, you bite the inside of your cheek. Luke touches your lower back, standing next to you, “If Jabba does have Han, let me know. We can Rendezvous at the Jundt Massif, not far from the palace. I know that region, so I can help.”

Lando shakes his head, “Jabba the Hutt ain’t the Death Star, Luke. He needs a subtle touch. And I hate to be blunt, but you’ve only got one hand.”

“I don’t need two hands Lando, I’ve got The Force,” Luke raises his wounded arm, seemingly glaring at the cuff. Lando nods his head once, not believing him, “Uh-huh. Let’s hope so. Because if Boba Fett’s already sold Han to Jabba, it’ll make a rescue mission just about impossible.”

“Getting him out of that palace alive?” Lando smiles softly, “It’d take a miracle. Come on Chewie, time to fly!”

The two talk back and forth as they leave, and you sigh heavily. Leia’s fingers tap against her chin, and Luke watches Lando and Chewie go as well. 

“Can we trust him?” He asks softly, looking at Leia. 

She shrugs, “only if we know he’s going after something he wants. That’s why I sent Chewie.”

“He’s not wrong,” you speak up, motioning down to Luke’s arm, “you should get your hand fixed.”

Leia sighs, “there's a medical bay a few decks down-”

“I know, Leia. I already talked to the surgical droid, they can make me a replacement. But, I haven’t been feeling like myself lately, not since Bespin. I’m not sure getting a new hand would help.”

She gently grabs his arm, “don't worry, Luke. No matter what happens, you’ll always be you.” 

Leia leaves after that, most likely going to follow up with other officers. You stay behind with Luke for a little while longer. He’s looking down at his missing hand, eyebrows furrowed. Stepping closer, you tilt your head to grab his attention. 

“She’s right, you know.”

“About what?” He asks, shoulders slouching. He looks at you with defeated eyes and a broken soul, trying desperately to ground himself back into reality by looking at you. Smiling, you reach out and tap the underside of his chin. The corner of his mouth twitches, but none of it reaches his eyes.

“You’ll always be Luke Skywalker.”

He sighs, “and what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What am I to you?”

You take a minute, thinking of what to say. You remember your last conversation on Hoth, how Leia kissed him, how he looked like the happiest man in the world after she fled the room. You also remember the short conversation you had with Leia on the Falcon, and the way Luke was desperate to talk to you in the hangar back on Hoth. You weren’t ready to talk about everything, but you came to understand your feelings when you saw him broken and beaten. When he clung to you and whimpered in pain, how he whispered your name like a prayer only meant for The Force to hear. 

You were in love with Luke Skywalker, and for once your heart sings his name without being shunned into silence by your naïve mind. 

“You’re a man who always does the right thing, no matter what anybody tells you.”

He breathes deeply, breaking eye contact to look down at his hand again, seemingly falling back into the thoughts that cloud his mind.

“Common,” you clear your throat, stepping away from him, “let's get you to the bed bay, yeah?”

Leia joins you when Luke is out of surgery, right by his bedside while you're standing at the large bay windows that overlook the rest of the fleet, Lando’s voice crackles through the com in his hand. 

“Luke, we’re ready for take off.”

“Good luck, Lando.” Luke’s voice is more full of life than it was, the med-droid that was working on his arm worked quickly. Leia, already back in her crisp white dress, hair tied tightly into a low bun, stood next to him, watching over the droids work intently. 

“When we find Jabba the Hutt and the bounty hunter, we’ll contact you.”

Threepio and R2 join you at the bay window, silently watching along with you. 

“I’ll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine.”

“Princess, (Y/n), we’ll find Han.”

You ignore him, clenching your jaw while crossing your arms. You wanted to go, deep down you knew if you pressed harder, you would be in the Falcon too. You’d find Han faster than Lando, but you knew it would be a big risk going to Tatooine when you were wanted as well. Albeit not as much as Han, you’d still be a prize to Jabba. 

“Chewie, I’ll be waiting for your signal.” Luke says, you can hear the faint smile in his voice. 

Chewie wails over the com, and Luke laughs, “Take care, you two. May the Force be with you.”

Leia lightly touches your shoulder, smiling when you turn to her. Luke yelps once, the droid mechanically apologizing before you can hear him shuffle on the bed, his body sliding in between yours and Leia’s, his arm resting around your waist. His smile was light, and when he turns to Leia, she returns it. His hand tightens around you, and his other slides around Leia’s shoulders, pulling the both of you closer. 

You watch as the Falcon begins to fly off, and you raise your hand, giving it a two finger salute just as it jumps into hyperspace. You would find Han, it would just take more time. 

TAGS-

@aliengirl99  @beeblisss​  @fanfics-welcome​  @kaylahat​  @acupnoodle​ @mikeysemowife @ladyrebel25  @stanny-uwu  @citrusmando​  

Wanna be tagged? send a message or comment! I’ll gladly tag you :>>

again, thank you to everyone who stuck around and waited almost a year for this to drop- I appreciate each and every one of you 

[gorbalsvampire]

In the Gehenna War era, post-splinterification, what do you imagine it takes to be judged True Sabbat? (Please note: I'm way more interested in your creativity, interpretations, and what interests you than in strict canonicity.) Thank you!

So, about the Sabbat, post-interregnum...

In a surprising but welcome shift in approaches, antitribu doesn't mean "on the other side of the sect war from where your clan normally is" but a far more interesting "opposed to the idea of even identifying by your clan to begin with." Pack and Path identity are far, far more important than whose blood flows in your veins and, if we stop and think about it, this is both ideologically and practically on point.

Ideologically, the Sabbat makes war to hunt the Antediluvians and destabilise domains which protect or apologise for them and, of course, to recruit. Leave turf war for mundane practical reasons to the Anarchs! Given that end goal of annihilating the Third Generation, of course it makes sense that Sabbat reject the clan identities defined by which of your targets happens to be at the root of your own particular bullshit.

Practically, the Sabbat shares vitae (and consequently Disciplines) as a regular ritual practice, and during wartime, the mass Embraces aren't a tidy one-bites-one affair. It's a squirming pit of hungry angry vampires, in which the survivors are probably diablerising each other down there before the surface. And, of course, diablerie is going to have an impact too. Given these practices, the Sabbat must be breaking down the boundaries between clans all the time. Most of the buggers should, mechanically speaking, be Caitiff, with only the rare Lasombra or Tzimisce childe groomed personally for a position of apprenticeship or leadership really standing out. Even they, if they have any sense about it, will lean on the achievements of their ancestors within the sect, and push against the definitive limitations of their Blood.

(Defined "bloodlines" like the Volgirre may emerge, but - gosh, now that I think about it, Baron Philippe's brood make a lot more sense as not defining themselves as a bloodline until they're accepted by the Camarilla and start to Embrace more widely and spread. Likewise, the Harbingers joined the Sabbat as allies but kept to themselves and seldom-if-ever Embraced, until they returned to the nascent Hecata.)

Perhaps what is to be Cainite, and True Sabbat, is in truth to be descended from Caine and not his cursed grandchilder. A clanless potentiality, unburdened of the weaknesses of the bloodlines, and able to develop in the direction its chosen Path demands.

SO! Let's talk about the Paths. I've Posted before about the mechanical faults with "adopting a Path" and the impossibility of transhuman ascension under Vampire's transgression-based morality rules, let's take that as read for now. Second edition did it right with the insistence that all "playable" (read "viable, True") Sabbat are on a Path and have successfully internalised its ethics and mobilised them against the Beast.

I really like how the contemporary Sabbat has fractured into packs led by priests and sharing a Path in common. It Just Makes Sense that the philosophical commitments of given Sabbat are what holds them together. The Sabbat is, after all, a militant cult; an army. Units work better if they're pursuing common goals and adopting a common strategy, rather than being tugged every which way by the individual desires of its members.

And, again returning to my Touchstone of second edition, all Sabbat used to operate on a mechanically distinct and alien basis in which Conviction (belief in an ethic), Instinct (trust in the Beast) and collective Morale (faith in the strength of the pack) replaced personal Conscience and Self-Control, and individualistic Courage. They weren't like you, they didn't think like you, and whatever made them so unlike you happened before you ever met them.

The paradox at the heart of the Sabbat is that it preaches freedom (from mortal and Camarilla moral and ethical concerns, i.e. freedom to be an unapologetic vampire) at the cost of submission (to the sect and its goals, i.e. freedom without liberty, do what thou wilt so long as thou dost what th'art told). Adoption of a Path and inclusion into a Pack that shares that commitment is part of that act of submission: it signifies a sublimation of the self into the sect. One cannot be True Sabbat until one has accepted oneself as a vampire - playing, metaphorically and literally, by vampire rules that are proven to work.

Forsake your Clan. Choose your Path. And, above all, make war, on your own initiative, because there are no orders coming from Mexico. The Regent is dead (and, in unknown fact, has been for a decade). The elders who founded and led the sect threw their childer to the fires and answered the Beckoning call of the ancient horrors: fuck 'em, they'll die with the Antediluvians they protect and serve. The self-proclaimed Kindred are merely obstacles. Recruit them, or tear them down. Leave the turf war bullshit to the Anarchs. We have a higher goal.

It's funny how I always drift into character when I talk about the Sabbat. I started out running a Sabbat game, and cast myself as pack priestess when I started playing them. They've always been my favourite mistake, and now that they and the Anarchs are in distinct and very different kinds of conflict, they are more interesting than they've ever been.

[split-spectrum]

Water and Rock

Interlude

Pairing: Obi Wan × FemReader

Warnings: None

Length: 1K (A Short Preview)

Spoilers below the cut...

☆☆☆

I wanted to show some appreciation for everyone who's been so kindly and patiently waiting for chapter ten, so here's an (early) WIP Wednesday bit.

This chapter is longer than the others, and I'm admittedly less comfortable with the technical aspects of spacey things so I'm very, very grateful people have been so nice about the long wait while I edit down 9K words, which I initially thought of splitting into two chapters, but eventually realized flows better as one.

I hope to have it posted very soon (this week-ish) and in the meantime, I'd like to share the first 1K in gratitude for those who have stuck through the wait.

Thank you again!

--

Several years ago, in the gardens of the Jedi temple on Coruscant...

"Please, Master. Be honest."

His eyes seem to snap back into focus when the tone of your voice goes up at the end of the question. He'd been looking at you, you realize, and you don't know for how long. The way he resets his posture before answering, he'd almost seemed... uncomfortable? On edge? You can't quite place it. Perhaps, you think, he senses your uncertainty. Your weakness.

With each second that passes before he responds, your anxiety increases. He shifts on the bench, sliding his gaze to the foliage in front of him, a whisper of a smile on his face.

"Often I am told," he says softly, "that these final days before one's padawan completes the trials are celebratory. Peaceful and reflective..."

You widen your eyes a bit and tilt your head, expectant - knowing he's feeling the tension of you staring at him without needing to look in your direction. But he does, eventually, turn to face you, dropping the act of the put-upon master.

"The council believes you are ready. They would not have asked you otherwise."

"That's not what I asked."

He holds your gaze. "I know you will pass. I have every confidence in your abilities."

You break eye contact. "Thank you. But that's not exactly what I asked, either."

He gives you a wry look. "Then perhaps you could clarify precisely what question I'm answering?"

You're tugging a loose thread at the end of your sleeve, hands in your lap. "Do you truly believe I'm ready?"

He doesn't answer right away. Your fingers still, stopping their fidgeting when you force yourself to look at him again. "Is it not normally the master who approaches the council when a padawan is ready for the trials? Isn't it unusual for the council to make a request like this?"

His brows raise in acknowledgement, and he nods slightly. "It is indeed unusual. But these are unusual times. And you possess a unique gift. The council does not make these decisions lightly."

"You still haven't answered my question."

The corners of his bearded mouth tip up into a melancholy smile. "Whether I believe you will pass or that you are ready may be two different questions, but my answer changes nothing. As Jedi, we have a responsibility to protect life and serve the Republic. You have been called upon, and if you are capable, you must answer." His expression becomes more sincere. "And you are capable."

You try to mirror his smile, but your stomach is upside down. "I understand."

You watch another pair of Jedi as they stroll through the greenery in the distance, seeming to take much more pleasure in their surroundings than you presently are. Silence hangs between the two of you, and it's a kind of silence that's never been there before. You're on the precipice of something, and it's not just the trials. Something about him in this moment is different. It's in the way he's looking at you; the way he hesitates before answering. He's not just thoughtful, or pensive. It's something else.

But then, something has changed in you, too - ever since the council shared those fated words.

You venture another question, your voice even quieter this time.

"Once I'm... no longer your padawan," you begin haltingly, "is it still permitted for me to seek your guidance, if I need it?"

As you tense your shoulders in anticipation of his answer, he just offers another smile. "You have my guidance whenever you are in need of it."

His words might have brought you comfort, if he'd left it at that. But he goes on.

"Even if I were to fall in battle tomorrow, the lessons I have passed on will always remain, as a part of you." He places a hand very gently at the side of your shoulder. "The teachings of generations of Jedi are within you. You need only ask for guidance, and you shall always have it."

He's rarely this affectionate, and it forces the rest of your words to stay wrapped up tightly inside you. It seems ungrateful, now, to ask whether you can still bother him for tea and meditation.

You bite back the question you'd really wanted to ask - the one that had been on your mind ever since your first discussion of the trials: Would you still be a team, even when things were different?

You pull your mouth into a tight smile that lacks the proper strength. All you can do now is nod.

Then, you do as he's always instructed - as you always have - and reach out into the force, releasing your feelings.

"Thank you, Master. You're right. I am ready."

--

Several years later, approaching the Separatist outpost on Asar-2...

"Are you alright?" Obi Wan asks after your second sigh permeates the silence in the cockpit.

The closer you get, the more reality is setting in, and you're struggling to hide it. Your initial thought is to lie, but it occurs to you that you're both in too far at this point to turn back. You tell the truth.

"I'm nervous."

A beat passes. He flips a couple of switches and you can't be sure whether he's silent in response to your answer, or just because he's concentrating on flying the ship. You squirm, just slightly, but enough for Obi Wan's muscles to stiffen. Yet again you have to remind yourself to stay still, and more words tumble out of you.

"The time pressure, and what's at stake... If we don't..."

"Commander," he interrupts you softly. "You have made your decision. Now you must be at peace with it."

This silences you. He's correct, as he usually is. And after this morning's heated discussion regarding your part in the mission, you can't have expected him to comfort you.

But he does anyway.

"There is no emotion; there is peace," he reminds you, his voice decidedly calm and even.

All at once, everything - the noise in your head, your buzzing nerves, the tense air that surrounds you - all of it begins to fade. The familiar mantra leaves your lips in answer to him. "There is no ignorance; there is knowledge..."

You finish the lines, and he helps you, murmuring the words just behind yours, as he moves a gloved hand here and there to keep the ship on course.

"There is no death," you complete the last line slowly. "Only the force."

There is no death...

"We'll be landing in a moment. Remember, we approach from the West - landing South and coming over that ridge, there." He gestures through the windshield and your eyes follow. "You'll need to deactivate the lateral thrusters for me. I can't reach them with you sitting like this."

He points again, to a switch just above your knee. You lean forward. "Alright. Just tell me when."

His breath is shortened, his voice strained when he answers. "Thirty more seconds."

...

--

More to come soon!

Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway @cursedfaechild @honeymoon7770 @hedvighedvig @cool-ontherun-world @ladytano420

[slytherhys]

12 Days of Christmas - ACOTAR Edition

In the spirit of the Holidays, I will be writing & posting short stories about the ACOTAR characters for the next 12 days. Please note that some will be shorter than others and that this is simply meant to be a fun time for everyone that loves these characters as much as I do!

PS. I'm open to requests.

You can also find this story on my AO3.

9th day of christmas - solstice ft. high lady's birthday (i spent the 21st of december doing some christmas shopping so pls forgive me for posting this a day later)

A life by your side (A Feyre's birthday oneshot)

The High Lord of the Night Court had spared no expense in throwing a party to celebrate his mate’s 24th birthday. People from all around Prythian gasped with wonder as they entered the ballroom, surprised to see it so beautifully decorated for the winter solstice and the long night awaiting them.

The floors were so thoroughly polished guests could see their own reflections staring back at them in awe; white tulle drapes covered the archways leading outside, their fabric dancing as the wind flowed between them. The ceiling, too, reflected the night sky, but no cold touched the guests’ skin. The tables were covered in food and champagne tastefully decorated with both fairy lights and beautiful flower arrangements.

Feyre was by the champagne table with Mor, her sparkling blue gown making her easy to spot. It didn’t take long before guests were wishing her a happy birthday, toasting to the High Lady, and wishing the Night Court a prosperous year. Helion himself had already pulled Feyre away for a poorly executed waltz (entirely her fault), and Cassian had taken her for whatever disastrous dance the band had chosen to play.

Rhysand, however, was still nowhere to be seen.

Feyre tried not to frown, but Morrigan just sighed dramatically. “He’s just taking care of something, he’ll be here in no time.”

“What’s so urgent he couldn’t have given me a kiss before running away to Mother’s knows where?” Feyre grumbled, taking a sip from her champagne glass.

Mor narrowed her eyes, eyeing the glass in Feyre’s hand before saying, “I think you might be a little more drunk than what we first thought.”

“Good.” Feyre huffed. “Might make me a better dancer by the time my mate decides to grace me with his presence.”

Mor chuckled, eyes scanning the room as she presumably searched for her cousin. “I promise it’ll be a worthy surprise.”

Feyre perked up at that, setting down her empty glass on the table behind her. “A surprise?” She inquired. “What surprise?”

“I think that defeats the purpose.” She deadpanned. “Don’t you enjoy surprises?”

No at the moment, no. “Well, you’re no help.”

Having fun, my love? Rhysand’s voice rang down the bond.

Feyre frowned deeply. Where are you?

Doing something very important.

“Are you talking to him, right now?” Mor asked. “It kinda weirds me out when you guys do that.”

Feyre ignored her. What’s so important you can’t even bother to see me in this ridiculously expensive dress?

You look beautiful, came his reply a few seconds later. Feyre spined around, scanning the ballroom for him.

Can you see me or are you just guessing?

His scent enveloped her, an arm going around her waist as he pulled her against his chest. “Of course I see you, darling.” He said, lips gently pressed against her ear. Feyre turned around, cheeks heating as she found his eyes drunkenly taking her in.

Good. It had been a pain to fit inside the dress, so he might as well appreciate it.

“And that’s my cue.” Mor announced, quickly fleeing in the direction of a pretty female wearing a beautiful, black dress. Emerie, if Feyre recalled correctly.

She turned to Rhys. “You’re late.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”

Feyre narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to answer my question?”

He shook his head, a smirk on his lips as he watched her. “Dance with me.” He whispered instead.

Feyre was slightly taken back. “You wish to dance with me?”

“I wish to have you in my arms,” He smiled softly. “Even if it means sacrificing a few toes.”

Feyre pushed him playfully. “You’re an asshole.” Rhys chuckled, smoothly grabbing her hand and pulling her to the dancefloor without another word. Feyre let herself follow him, suddenly too giddy at the thought of dancing with him.

“Is it another house?” She eyed him contemplatively. “A palace, maybe.” She searched his face for a reaction, but Rhysand only smirked.

“Are your expectations that high?”

“You have no one to blame but yourself.”

He twirled her before pulling her body back against his. “A blame I can easily take.” His eyes softened as he looked down at her. “You really do look stunning.”

Feyre smiled primly. “I think so too.”

“Nothing I offer you can ever compare to how I feel when I see you smile.” He leaned down, kissing her softly. “But I can try.” He whispered before raising his head, his violet eyes focusing on the clear dome above them. Feyre looked around quizzically, quickly raising her head when she noticed everyone’s attention focused on the sky above them.

Feyre gasped, his hold on Rhys tightening ever so slightly as she watched the sky. A spectacle of lights seemed to dance in front of her eyes, fireworks of every colour and shade painting the night sky in a colourful display. Wherever she looked, different forms took shape – the stars, wolves… A message to her. For her. Tears filled her eyes.

Before she could even think to kiss Rhysand senseless, a door to her left opened with a flourish, a large cake making its way towards Feyre, quickly followed by a grinning Elain. People clapped, cheering for the lavish display of love, but Feyre could pay them no attention: not when her attention was on Rhys, who looked at her with something akin to adoration on his face.

“Not that long ago,” He said in a low voice meant only for her. “the stars made sure I knew you belonged right by me side.”

Feyre let out a surprised laugh, a tear running down her cheek. “Is this your way of reminding me how young I am?”

“Or a way of reminding you how old I am.” He smiled fondly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I have lived many years, but I have yet to believe that I deserve to truly have this life.” He reached for her face, gently swiping away a stubborn tear. “To have found the love of my life, to have our family around us.” He leaned down, his lips a whisper away from hers. “That I get to share a life with you.”

“Is it worth losing a few toes?”

Rhysand grinned. “Absolutely.”  He said, kissing her once more. “Happy birthday, darling.”

Feyre leaned her head into his chest as Rhys swayed them softly to the sound of a music only they could hear. “Happy Solstice, Rhys.”

[teecupangel]

Hello! I love your fics and was wondering if you had any advice for someone who has never really written anything before but would like to start?

Like with yours, do you have the whole story planned out beforehand or just the some plot points and wing the rest?

Also, when making your mutli-chapter ones, how many chapters do you find yourself writing in one go?

Hello! I’m glad you loved my fics!

Oh, hhhmmm. I mean, I guess the best advice I got since I started writing is to write what you want to write and read. Write with the idea that your main audience, the one you’re trying to make happy, is yourself.

As for more concrete advices, I have a habit of forgetting specific words and OneLook really helps. I also reblog any posts I think that might become a reference in a specific sideblog so they would be easier to find. So if there’s any reference you think you’d use a lot or might use, you can either save it somewhere you can access easily or, if it’s in Tumblr, create a sideblog for them.

As for planning the whole story, especially a multichaptered one…

Well…

What I first do is make notes of what I want to include in the fic. The notes can be detailed or just a simple list, the main point of the notes is to give you an idea of the flow of the story. It’s not meant to be a beat by beat of what you’re going to write. Just… a guideline that you can edit at any time.

After that, I usually research whatever I believe would become part of the timeline, especially for fics set in historical setting like AC. For example, in Eagle of Alamut, I primarily research how Alamut would look like (taking inspiration from both AC Mirage’s released promotional photos and Prince of Persia the movie’s Alamut design) and noted important dates leading to the Third Crusades. For Ouverture, I researched where in Paris I could throw Desmond in (and that’s how I learned of Mozart being in Paris and able to incorporate him in the story).

Also, I made this timeline to make it easier for me to look back at everyone’s ages and any important AC related events.

I usually make this very barebone like this one for The Price of Power

Of course, you don’t have to research everything immediately. Most of the time, I only do light research of the timeline and focus more on researching what would be necessary for the first chapters. For example, I knew shit was going to go down in 1187 which included a battle that leads to Saladin taking Jerusalem. Did I specifically know the important names, dates and locations? Nope. It was written in my notes as “1197 Siege of Jerusalem”. I only researched about it when I was writing Chapter 32.

The main reason why I do this is because… I cannot stress how much my writing deviates from the original plot. If you read the og plot for Eagle of Alamut, Desmond and Altaïr were never meant to meet until the start of AC1 and they were meant to have a more… rivals vibe to them but if you read Eagle of Alamut, you know that went sideways already.

… or maybe I plan to ‘correct the timeline’ later on, who knows. (I know. I already have it planned, mwuhahaha)

So it’s honestly better in my opinion to not plan too much. Take note of the key plot points but think of those as a helping guide, not a strict point by point milestone.

Like… spoilers for Ouverture, a key plot point was Desmond taking Arno away from Paris and going to the homestead. That was a key plot point that will forever be part of the story. Did I plan for Desmond to develop a sorta father/son bond with Bellec? Nope. That just happened while I was writing. And it was because of that deviation that the conflict with the council became part of the fic.

So yeah, in a nutshell, I plan some plot points and wing the rest. Most of the time, I usually wing it when the writing goes in a direction that ends with me going “Oh, we’re doing this? Alright.”

For your last question, well… I have a strict schedule I adhere to because not having it makes it hard for me to get anything done. I usually spend 3~4 hours per day writing depending on if I have any urgent work that needed to be done that day and have to OT. During that time, I get approximately 700~1000 words written per hour and my chapter lengths vary in terms of… how I feel.

Like, for Eagle of Alamut and Zero Eclipse, the chapter length varies because I deem a chapter complete only if I feel like it’s a good stopping point (and yeah, sometimes that does mean cliffhangers, sorry).

But for something like Beloved Moon or fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum, the chapter ends when the ‘theme’ is reached. For example, Beloved Moon’s chapters usually ends with someone saying the moon is beautiful or any of its variation while fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum’s chapters always ends after the ‘night’ is concluded. There's also The Shadow’s Endgame that I mostly try to end in a way that makes it feel like each chapter is a CoD campaign mission. And then there's Möbius that almost always ends with Desmond fainting XD

So yeah, if you’re asking how many chapters I write in one go in a day? It’s either 0 or 1 XD