#this was my first time writing for bodhi so i hope i did him justice

[rexsjaigeyes]

Are We There Yet?

Bodhi Rook x gender neutral reader

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: suggestive content

A/N: This is a birthday surprise for my bestie @zinzinina​​​​ that the lovely @mandaloriandin​​​​ and I created, but anyone can read this if they want to!

You weren't sure how many days you had been cramped up in the small ship with Bodhi. You were never good at keeping track of time in hyperspace — that was Bodhi's area of expertise, not yours. But you weren’t dumb; it was no coincidence that Bodhi took you on this little trip days before your birthday. You just weren't sure how many rotations were left before the big day — not with time seemingly dragging on as you stared out into the blue haze of hyperspace.

Bodhi greeted you with a smile as you approached the cockpit and sat in the copilot's seat beside him. He looked a lot happier here with you. He loved fighting for the Rebellion, but sometimes even the toughest fighters needed a break from it all. However, in war, a break was hard to come by. So he was taking a huge risk by 'borrowing’ this small ship to take you on what he described as an 'impromptu getaway.'

You knew there was nothing impromptu about it. Bodhi was not really the spontaneous type, and you knew he wouldn't desert the Rebellion when they needed him most. He must have planned this, and you were willing to bet credits that Cassian or Jyn helped him commandeer the ship too. You played along when he tried to write the trip off as nothing out of the ordinary. There wasn't much Bodhi could do to surprise you — not with constantly being on the Rebellion’s schedule. So you were happy to pretend his little plan had gone unnoticed if it made him feel like he was actually going to surprise you for your birthday.

Even without the element of surprise, you were still excited to see where he was taking you. You wouldn't have expected the trip would take this long, but then again, you assumed he had to find a destination left untouched by the Empire — something which was unfortunately becoming harder and harder to do nowadays.

"You're going to ask me again, aren't you?" Bodhi broke the comfortable silence in the cockpit, and you cracked a grin upon hearing his words.

"It's what you get for dragging me away from my comfy bunk back at the base."

"You and I both know those bunks are lousy."

You shrugged your shoulders, biting your lip to stop yourself from laughing too much. The entire crew had a running joke about the way Bodhi bemoaned the rock-hard bunks the Rebellion was infamous for. The first week he had spent there, he wouldn't stop complaining that even the cold-hearted Imperials gave them more comfortable beds than that. He only stopped his whining when Cassian teased, "We're rebels, Bodhi. We can’t afford luxurious beds." Your crew never let him live it down, but you knew he loved joking around with you about anything, even if it was at his expense sometimes.

"Alright, go ahead." Bodhi surrendered with a playful sigh. "Ask me."

You chuckled and got up from your seat so you could sit on his lap. If you were going to harass him for the rest of the trip, you might as well do it with his arms wrapped around your waist.

"Are we there yet?" You whined, putting on your best mock pout to drive the point home.

It was probably the 20th time you had asked him the silly question, as if he could just pull you out of hyperspace and arrive at the destination instantly. But this time, he seemed to do just that. He reached past your back and pulled at the controls, effectively bringing the ship out of hyperspace and stopping in front of a large, green planet. You glanced over your shoulder to look out the viewport and gasped at how beautiful it looked even from all the way out here in space.

"We're here," Bodhi responded with a grin. "It's been four standard rotations since we left, love. Which means… Happy birthday."

He looked almost bashful now, clearing his throat nervously as you snuggled closer to his chest.

"Thank you, Bodhi," you whispered before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. He leaned into your touch, his lips seeking yours out before you indulged him and deepened the kiss as a way to show your gratitude. The two of you stayed like that for a moment, happy in each other's embrace and far from the dangers of the war. Then he pulled away from you, eager to show you exactly where he had brought you.

The trip down to the planet's surface was exciting enough on its own, and you had barely made it through the atmosphere. You had never seen a planet crawling with so much life before. You were used to desert planets, having been born on one in the Outer Rim and sent on missions to some of the most dreadful dirtballs. As Bodhi expertly landed the ship in a clearing among the tall trees, you gaped at how beautiful everything looked. You weren’t sure if he had brought you to this specific spot on purpose, but past the trees, you could see a large river leading to a waterfall. You heard Bodhi chuckle from his seat beside you, drawing you back to reality before you turned to see his shy smile.

Your eyes welled with happy tears, amazed that he was even able to find such a lovely place that wasn’t under Imperial rule. “You did all this just for my birthday?”

Bodhi shrugged, acting as humble as ever. “It’s your first birthday with me, so I thought I’d make it special. We could all use one happy day during a time like this.”

He looked down at the controls of the ship, unable to hold your loving gaze for too long. No matter how much you reassured him how much he meant to you, he always felt a little shy bringing up the fight against the Empire because of the part he had played in it before defecting. You reached forward to tilt his chin up so he’d look at you.

“Thank you for bringing me here, love.” You brushed your lips against his again, helping him relax against you before you pulled away with a smile. “So, are we going to explore?”

~

Bodhi helped you pack some food and other necessities before the two of you made the short trek to the waterfall you had seen. Once you got past the trees, your jaw dropped at the sight of the crystal-clear water tumbling down the cliffside into the large pool of water below. There was just enough space for you and Bodhi to sit near the water and eat the food you had brought along with you. He helped you lay a blanket on the lush grass, his hands knocking against yours every once in a while as if he was a shy schoolboy trying to show you he had feelings for you. It was something so small, but somehow, the innocent gesture still left you flustered and yearning to feel more of him.

You felt at ease with Bodhi, able to talk to him about anything while the two of you ate together. You liked the way he watched you with rapt attention as you rambled on about whatever was on your mind. He always gave you the attention you deserved, filing away whatever information you shared for days like this, when he wanted to surprise you with something or show you he cared. He was everything you could ask for in a friend and in a partner. And as you stared at your gorgeous surroundings, you felt so grateful to have met the pilot.

“So… have you enjoyed your birthday so far?” Bodhi asked hesitantly, as if there was any way you could possibly say “no” after everything he had done.

You bit your lip and scooted closer to him so that you could wrap your arms around his body in a tight hug. “This is more than I could have ever asked for, love. I can’t thank you enough for it.”

He kissed your forehead and caressed you with feather-light touches. “I wish it could always be like this. You deserve so much more than the galaxy has to offer.”

Bodhi’s soft confession made your heart beat faster, and you wanted to tell him the same thing. But you were never good at receiving compliments, especially when they were spoken with such adoration. Instead, you wanted to show your feelings through actions.

You pulled yourself from Bodhi’s warm embrace and tugged on his arm to pull him to his feet. “You’ve treated me so wonderfully today,” you said with a glint in your eye. “Now I want to show you how grateful I am for such a lovely gift.”

Bodhi watched with wide eyes as you quickly shed yourself of your clothes, and you chuckled at the way he looked at you as if he had never seen you naked before. Another tug of his arm had him stumbling closer to you, and you pressed yourself against him so he could feel your soft skin beneath his fingertips.

“Take off your clothes, Bodhi. I want to take a swim with you.” You nodded your head in the direction of the clear pool, eager to feel how soothing the water would be. “I think there’s still one more thing we have left to do to celebrate my birthday, don’t you?”

--------

Happy birthday, Sam!! Kylie and I hope you enjoyed this sweet fluff with Bodhi!

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#SAM ILY AND I HOPE YOUR BDAY IS AWESOME!! #this was my first time writing for bodhi so i hope i did him justice #divswrites #bodhi rook #bodhi rook x reader #bodhi rook x gender neutral reader #star wars fanfiction #star wars fanfic #rogue one #rogue one fanfiction #rogue one fanfic #sam's birthday celebration

[rebelrainfall]

you know what they say about absence

ao3 link here

Hey @cassianserso it’s me, your secret santa! I loved your prompt (Jyn and Cassian writing letters to each other), and I had SO much fun with it. I so hope I did it justice!

***

The cold air hits Jyn like a wall as the door to the transport swings open. It may be a good thing - there was barely room to sit down during this last four-hour leg of the return trip and she’s about ready to collapse. Cassian’s not in the hangar, not that she expected him to be, and neither is the U-wing. He must have left already, for what will be his first covert op in almost a year. He was so restless being grounded, hated feeling useless. She’s happy for him.

She’s less happy for herself, not that that’s a thought she has the time or will to explore.

No matter what Solo might say, there’s nothing weird about what she and Cassian are. Since those few, tense weeks after Scarif they’ve become close, and that’s all it is. They share a room because it’s convenient. They’re friends. Partners. And yeah, if someone had told her a year ago her life would be like this she would have been terrified, but things are different now. It’s good. What they have is good. She’s good at soothing that little voice that cries every now and then (more than she’d ever like to admit) for more. What he gives her is more than enough.

Jyn punches the code into the door of their room, ignoring the pounding behind her eyes. She has a day and a half before she’ll have to ship out again and she intends to spend as much of that time as possible asleep. Even the hot water in the ‘fresher isn’t enough to keep her there for a moment longer than necessary.

Cassian is definitely gone. The cot across from hers is neatly made, his least-conspicuous jacket gone from its hook. He’ll be on a mid level of Coruscant by now, if she remembers correctly what he told her. 

Her own things are almost entirely the way she left them. Her blankets are half-on, half-off the bed, her vest thrown over the back of the desk chair, but there is something different. 

There’s a piece of folded flimsi on her pillow.

There’s no introduction - her name isn’t even on it. But the note is in Cassian’s handwriting.

I was hoping you’d be back before I left and it came so close. If you arrived when you were scheduled to it’ll only have been an eight hour difference. I can’t say when I’ll be back but I think it should be soon. 

I heard from Bodhi yesterday. He says to tell you training is going well. He didn’t say as much, but it sounds like things are going well with Skywalker, too.

K wasn’t cleared to come with me for this one and he’s very upset about it, so be advised. He should be having his ocular lenses replaced in Bay 3 if you need him.

Maybe you’ll be around when I get back next time. I guess I’ve gotten used to [word(s) scribbled out] having someone else in the room at night. The silence is strange.

There’s no ending or signature, but she doesn’t need one. Cassian never struck her as one for gestures like this, and that he went out of his way to leave this for her makes her warm in a way she refuses to linger on. 

She sleeps twelve hours that night, and ten the next, and in the time between she snatches a sheet of flimsi from a supply closet to return the favour.

I’m sorry I can’t be back to see you. Trafficking rings don’t like to be kept waiting. At least I had two full nights in a proper bed, but you’re right. I miss It is too quiet here alone.

K is a little more charitable now that he can see again. I almost want to say pleasant, but we both know that word doesn’t apply to him. Don’t listen to anything he may tell you - the smoke bomb was his idea.

I’m shipping off again this afternoon to the outer rim, somewhere near Sullust. Pilot says the planet’s almost as cold as here. Bet you had a nice warm room on Coruscant, too bad I can’t stow away with you.

She leaves her note on his pillow and climbs into the shuttle with his in her pocket, like some holo-drama damsel collecting love letters. 

 Maybe he’ll be here next time she gets back.

II.

He isn’t. 

There are signs all over the room that he was here, at some point, since her. Another jacket missing from its hook, an empty mug where she didn’t leave it.

Another note on her pillow.

Just missed you again. We have the worst timing. I’m back on Coruscant, but this next stint is [word(s) scribbled out] delicate. I might be back in a few weeks, but it could be months. I hoped to see you before I left, but you’re right. The war doesn’t wait. 

Don’t let it go to your head, but I think I miss you. I still couldn’t bring K and it gets [word(s) scribbled out] boring by myself. K’s still being a grump - keep him company for me, hey? I also heard something about him attempting to create his own language to bother Skywalker’s droid, so I suggest you keep an eye on that.

There’s still no signature, but this time there’s a date. Two weeks ago. Jyn puts the flimsi down with a heavy breath. It could be months. The timing is… not great. She has an unusual stretch of downtime, more than a week, and no one to spend it with. This is the end of what she’d become accustomed to, she realizes. Now that he’s back in the field, Cassian can no longer be a daily fixture in her life. The prospect frightens her more than she cares to consider.

It’s ironic. Never thought I’d be sad to be alone.

Of course it isn’t so lonely as she might have feared. Bodhi is finally back from his flight training, a full-fledged X-wing pilot with the stories and the friends to prove it. He’s come such a long way in the short time she’s known him and his company is refreshing, even if he isn’t the man she finds her mind wandering far too often toward now that he’s gone.

She sleeps fine that week, though the nights are still too quiet. She could never miss the hum of snoring and whispers of the pathfinders at night. But alone, the dark and the quiet are oppressive in their deepness, threatening to swallow her without Cassian’s steady breathing from across the small space. It scares her, how accustomed she’s gotten to having someone else around. To having him around.

Maybe this is for the best, this separation. She hadn’t realized how much she relies on Cassian, his presence, his kindness. It’s a dangerous game, to rely on anyone. She’s always held a savage pride toward her independence, and maybe this reminder is what she needs to get herself back on track. 

Maybe.

But when she considers it, life without him seems more frightening even than the weakness of reliance. She doesn’t have to be alone any more. The night before she leaves again she sits at the desk in their quarters writing him another note.

Sorry I can’t be here, tried my best! Since you’re so broken without me. I’m never forgetting that and I’ll make sure you don’t either.

Hope you’re here when I get back. I need Bodhi needs someone else to talk to - you can only hear the same three stories about Luke Skywalker so many times and I hit my limit two days after he got back.

Heading back to the outer rim today. Those traffickers from before are gone so now we’re just cleanup crew. Getting sick of Dameron’s jokes. Not that yours are any better. 

Maybe I do miss you

III.

Four time zones on three different planets in the space of a week and Jyn’s circadian rhythm is wrecked. Thane says it’s 0500 local time when they hit atmo and she has to take his word for it because that makes as much sense as anything else.

She doesn’t see many people as she lugs her duffle back toward the barracks. It’s early enough that anyone on a night shift is still working and most of those who start in the morning aren’t awake yet. Madine’s given the crew the full day off, thank the force, and Jyn intends to take full advantage of that fact.

She opens the door and switches on the light before she notices anything different. Someone startles upright on the cot across from hers.

“Shavit, sorry!” She flicks it back off, already halfway to the ‘fresher to turn on that light instead as her pack lands on the floor with a quiet thud.

“No, no, it’s ok. I’m not - I wasn’t asleep.” Cassian’s voice is rough, but alert. “Turn on the light.”

She does, kicking off her boots, before the first thing he said registers. “It’s five in the morning! Why weren’t you asleep?”

He shrugs, squinting at her as his eyes adjust to the light. His hair has gotten longer since she saw him last, long enough now to fall in his face. A little part of her wants to comb it away from his eyes, or maybe tousle the bit by his ears. She shoves the thought away.

“Hi, by the way,” he says, ignoring her question. “Did you just get back?”

“Yeah.” She slumps down on her bed. “And hello to you, too.”

Stars, she’s missed him. Until now she hadn’t realized how much. But now that she’s looking at him… The way he smiles at her, gentle, makes her want little more than to wrap her arms around him. Kiss that gorgeous grin off his face.

Oh.

When did that start?

(A long time ago, not that she means to admit it).

He’s saying something but she missed the beginning, a little distracted.

“Sorry?”

He shakes his head. “You really are tired. I said, meet me for lunch, if you’re awake by then?”

“Sure, I probably will be.” She’ll make sure she is - like she would skip a meal with him after the six weeks they’ve just missed each other. “How long are you back?”

“Technically, I’m still a stand-by agent. So probably a while.

“I have at least a week.” Jyn drags herself back upright and heads towards the ‘fresher. The sooner she gets in the shower, the sooner she can get out and into bed. The hot water is heaven after so long caked in mud, but it still isn’t enough to keep her any longer than necessary. Once she’s out and dressed she sits on the counter to braid her hair, listening to Cassian talk about Coruscant through the open door.

“You should know, my ‘apartment’ sucked. My neighbour in the unit below smoked and it would come up through the vent and I didn’t have any windows. You would have hated it.”

“Wanna bet? I slept in a tree last night. Not a treehouse or even a platform, a hollowed-out tree.”

He huffs a laugh. “Sounds like fun.”

She finishes her hair and turns her attention to the healing gash on her shoulder, opening the cupboard for a square of gauze and a roll of medical tape. She hops down from the counter to pass them to him. “Help me with this?”

“Where?”

“Shoulder. I can’t quite reach it.”

She turns around and pulls down the strap of her tank top to show him. He hisses in sympathy.

“What did you do to yourself?”

“Fight with that stupid tree. It looks worse than it is.”

“Still.”

Settling down on his bed, he guides her to sit in front of him so he can center the gauze over the wound. His hands are gentle smoothing the edge of the tape to her skin. She hopes it’s cold enough that he’ll assume that’s what makes her shiver. He’s so careful - far more than she would have been.

He runs a hand softly up and down her back once it’s in place, and Jyn freezes. 

“There,” he murmurs, “All patched up.”

“Thank you,” she says, proud of how steady her voice is. Force, she’s pathetic. He’s her friend. This is nothing new, this touch is not new. 

If she were to lean back she would be in his arms.

Not that she’s thinking about that.

They’ve lived together for months. He’s touched her more than this dozens of times. Why is this the gesture to undo her?

Cassian clears his throat and she almost jumps. Kriff, did he notice her sudden nervousness? But then he gestures to the desk and the two cups on it.

“Caf for me, tea for you. Should be cool enough to drink, now.”

Oh, he’s an angel. She stands up to get them and then to sit down on her own cot, grateful to have an excuse to get away from his overwhelming proximity. She passes his mug across to him and takes a sip of hers, and of course it’s her favourite kind.

“Thank you. You’re getting up now?”

“If I get more done this morning I can have a longer break for lunch with you.”

Stars, has he always been this kind?

“Aw,” she deadpans, “It’s like you missed me.”

He flicks his eyes up to hers, then looks down into his own drink. 

“I did.”

She focuses on her tea, carefully not looking at him. She can’t feel this way. Not now, not ever. This is Cassian. 

“How did the rest of the trip go? Aside from the evil tree.” It’s been quiet for long enough that the question is a surprise. She shrugs. It’s ok, she tells herself. He’s her friend and that’s more than enough. She’ll love him forever for it no matter how else her traitorous heart might behave.

“Boring. Helped Kyrell’s squadron distribute aid for a while, and then we took out the last holdout cell. It was never a huge operation. That ring had maybe a dozen ships.”

“Boring is good.”

“Mm. How about you?”

“A little less boring, but I can’t… it’s classified, sorry.”

She knows he’s not brushing her off. She wishes there was something he could tell her, if only to keep hearing his voice after so long, but she’s used to that answer. So she takes another sip of her tea and tries to remember anything that’s happened. Anything she could say to make him smile.

“How is Kay?” Is what she settles on. “Did he finish that spite-project of his?”

“His language? He did, and Threepio is suitably bothered.”

“Good.”

“What’s better though - the princess caught wind of it and now she’s trying to figure out if we could work it into a code. So all the droids might have to learn it, not just Threepio.”

It was the right topic. Casisian’s lit up as he tells her about this, all the little details he knows. She finishes her tea before she has time to realize it, and her exhaustion really is starting to catch up with her, but it’s not until Cassian stands up that she gives any of that a moment’s thought.

“You should get to bed,” he says, crouching down to fish his clothes out from the drawer under his bed. “You have six hours ‘til lunch and if you’re late I’m not saving you caf.”

“Mean,” she grumbles, pulling her blankets up off the floor and setting an alarm on her datapad while he takes out a towel. She hears Cassian turn on the shower as she lays down. She’s asleep before it shuts off.

*

Jyn would not consider herself a morning person. Not that it’s truly morning when her alarm goes off at half-after noon, but that’s just a technicality. She tells herself it’s better for her sleep cycle to get up now, and go back to bed at a more normal hour, but really it’s only her plan with Cassian that gets her properly awake.

Alarm still blaring, she reaches under the bed to grab the first set of clothes she can reach. She sits up, stretches, and reaches to turn it off.

And stops.

There’s a piece of flimsi on her datapad.

Confused, she reaches for it. She talked to Cassian only hours ago, and she’ll see him soon, so why would he need to leave her a letter now?

Unless he couldn’t meet her. If he was sent off for another op, if he’s going to be gone for weeks, but no. He’d have woken her if he had to leave. He wouldn’t leave without a goodbye.

She unfolds the note, worried. Something must be wrong.

Jyn, it begins, and that’s new. She likes the way her name looks in his small, tidy writing.

Jyn,

I’m glad you’re  home. I really have missed you. So much.

There’s something I want you to know. I never planned to tell you but [word(s) scribbled out] I think I see things a little differently now. I should have waited until I saw you at lunch but I think this may be easier in writing.

I won’t waste time. I love you. You know that already, you must. You mean so much to me and I don’t want to imagine my life without you. But it’s more than that, I’m in love with you. I was never going to bring it up but something this morning [word(s) scribbled out] [word(s) scribbled out]. I can’t explain it.

If I’m right, if you want what I do, forgive me for doing this the coward’s way and let me be yours. If I’m wrong, [word(s) scribbled out] I’m so sorry. Please, please, let me down softly and I’ll never bring this up again. We can forget about it, I’ll get over myself, just let me be in your life. I had to tell you. I love you. I’m sorry.

Jyn stares down at the words on the page.

It doesn’t compute.

Not the first time, barely the second time.

Let me be yours.

Jyn puts the letter down after her fourth time reading it, only to pick it right back up again.  She takes a deep breath, forcing her mind into a facsimile of calm and tries to think logically. 

Everything she’s hardly realized she wanted. More.

He…

He loves her.

Cassian loves her. And by now he’s probably sitting in the mess wondering if she’ll show up. Assuming the worst, if she knows him at all.

He loves her.

Luckily, there’s something she can do about that.

#cassianserso #rebelcaptainsecretsanta #rebelcaptain #therebelcaptainnetwork #my writing #did i learn to write aurebesh specifically for that banner at the top? #maaaaaaybe

[talkfastromance4]

5sos Christmas Playlist-- Day 1 ‘You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch’ Michael

First day of my 5sos Christmas playlist! Also my first writing for Michael, I hope I did it justice (even a little bit)

Word count: 1,057

Warnings: slight smut at the end but it’s mainly fluff

Masterlist

Each one is a little snippet of the days leading up to Christmas Eve. I had so much fun writing these and it’s a majority of dad!sos (except for Calum’s but his is super soft). Enjoy and please let me know if you like it!

 :) 

________________________________

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch You really are a heel You’re as cuddly as a cactus You’re as charming as an eel

You were making hot chocolate for you and your boys who were already sitting in the living room. 

“Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot . . .”

You heard Michael read off in his calm voice to your three year old son, Bodhi. You’re not entirely sure how this book in particular became your son’s favorite but every year for the month of December, Michael would read “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” then you’d all snuggle up to watch the animated version. Bodhi loved the Grinch and loved hearing his Daddy’s voice as he read.

Once the marshmallows were added, you gathered the two mugs--Mr. Right and Mrs. Always Right painted on the ceramic-- and joined your boys on the couch. Your Christmas tree was lit beautifully in the corner.

Bodhi is sitting nicely on Michael’s lap, his little toes wiggling with every word Michael read. You smile fondly at their matching pajamas. Red bottoms with little Grinch heads scattered about and a green long sleeved shirt. Michael’s reads “Mr. Grinch” while Bodhi’s says “Little Grinch.” They’re his favorite to wear. 

Michael looks exceptionally adorable wearing his glasses, he glances up at you as you hand him his mug. 

“Thanks, kitten,” he mumbles with a soft smile. 

“You want a drink of cocoa, honey bun?” you ask Bodhi sitting next to him and Michael. 

Bodhi puts his small hands over yours and you tip the mug gently while he takes a sip. When he’s finished you rub the chocolate foam from his mouth.

“What do you say to mama?” Michael pokes his son’s side.

“Thanks mama,” he says quietly looking up at you with his daddy’s green eyes. 

“You’re welcome, baby,” you kiss his forehead then comb his dirty blond hair to the side. 

You smile at Michael to continue reading and Bodhi settles back in his father’s lap. His little fingers play with the small black beads of his dad’s bracelet.

It’s the bracelet you gave him when you told him you were pregnant with Bodhi. The white and black letters spelled out ‘Daddy’ then when Bodhi was born, he added his birth date. He’s never taken it off since. 

“Max!” Bodhi exclaims when Michael reads him from the book.

“Yeah, buddy! Can you find him on the page for me?” Michael asks.

It takes him a moment then Bodhi points at the sketched dog on the page. 

“There he is!” 

“Good job, buddy!” Michael praises kissing the back of his head. 

“I want a dog like Max,” Bodhi sighs falling back against Michael’s chest. His fingers play with the beads again. 

You and Michael exchange a look before he picks up where he left off in the story. You both decided on getting a puppy for Bodhi this Christmas that you already knew he was going to call Max. There’s no way he’d have any idea about that right? 

As soon as Michael finished reading, you turned on the TV and played the original cartoon. This part was when Bodhi crawled in your lap and cuddled with you. He was like a little koala the way he clung to your chest. 

You laid horizontal on the couch with your head in Michael’s lap, a fun and cozy little cuddle puddle. Michael threaded his fingers lazily through your hair while you patted Bodhi’s back. 

Like clockwork, when the final song started on the movie, Bodhi’s body was limp against yours as he was fast asleep on your chest. 

“Time to put our little grinch to bed, Mr. Grinch,” you look at Michael upside down. 

“Let’s go,” he smiles.

He shifts under you and helps you sit up, making sure not to jostle Bodhi until he was in bed. Michael flicked on his bedroom light, pulled his blankets back and watched you lay your son down onto his pillows. Bodhi cuddles into his blankets like a kitten, like his father. 

“Goodnight little grinch,” you whisper kissing his forehead. 

“We love you, Bo,” Michael tells him giving him a kiss on the cheek. 

You leave the door open a crack then retreat back downstairs. This was your second favorite part of this Grinch filled Christmas. It was your turn to cuddle Michael on the couch while Home Alone played on the TV, it was both of your guilty pleasure movie to watch. 

Michael stretches his legs out in front of him but before you can sit next to him, he pulls you onto his lap shifting your legs so you’re straddling him. 

“Well, hi there,” you giggle settling your hands on his shoulders. 

“Hey you,” he grins slipping his hands underneath your pajama top. “So if I’m Mr. Grinch, does that make you Mrs. Grinch or Martha?”

You roll your eyes at his comment.

 “Depends on what day it is, Mr. Grinch,” you poke his nose. His cool fingers skim over your skin, causing a chill to wash over your body. 

He leans forward tracing your jawline with his nose, his breath tickles your skin and another chill falls over you. “What day does it have to be to get me lucky?” his voice is low and your stomach twists. 

You feel his lips on your skin, soft kisses that creates a forever chill through your body. His hand pulls your shirt away from your neck and he peppers kisses on your collarbone, then lower as he scoops your top down further. Your breath has become shallow, his left hand still on the bare skin of your back lurches you forward on his lap. 

He’s rocking you gently back and forth until you feel him harden through his thin pajama bottoms. His fingers trail down your sternum then slips underneath the waistband of your pajama pants. He cups your sex, his middle finger rubbing tantalizing circles on your clit. Your legs jerk at the sensation and he chuckles into your neck. 

“My heart’s not the only thing that grows three sizes,” he says and you groan at his bad pun. 

That groan is soon replaced with a pleasurable moan as his fingers slip inside and his mouth sucks a love bite onto your skin. 

“You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch,” you pant and he flips you over onto your back hushing your moan with a kiss.

#michael clifford #michael 5sos #dad!michael #dad!sos #michael fluff #michael smut #michael writing #michael imagine #michael one shot #michael clifford writing #michael clifford imagines #michael clifford 5sos #michael clifford smut

[naberiie]

1 with Baze and Chirrut!!!!

1: Whispering “I love you” in between kisses.

Let’s just skip over the fact that this was from four months ago, mkay? …Anyways - first time writing Baze, and Chirrut, and spiritassassin! and my mind literally leapt to this scene. Of course. Because apparently I adore my battle-weary but determined ships.

Also on [AO3]. Hope you enjoy! ^^

Baze Malbus rested against the bulkhead, eyes closed, listening as thepilot – Bodhi – communicated with the Imperial officers. The kid was young, soyoung, too young, to have suffered somuch. His fingers still twitched and sometimes, Baze knew, Bodhi’s mind grewhazy in dim lighting. They still don’t know what Saw had done to him, the kidwouldn’t – couldn’t? – say. But the phrase that sometimes slipped out from hiswet lips in a quiet, pleading panic – “I’mthe pilot, I’m the pilot…” – were as painful as seeing bloody, brokenshards of glass on the ground. Remnants of something terrible.

And then, of course, there had been Jedha. Had been. Past tense. NiJedha, gone, ripped from its ancient foundations,incinerated in seconds, people and history and lives blasted out of existencefor… what? For what purpose? He didn’t know.

What had been left of the Holy City had risen like a terrible wave abovetheir heads.

Baze suspected the debris would be settling in orbit now.

He wondered how long it would remain a satellite graveyard.

Perhaps in a thousand years, Jedha would have a ring, and no one wouldremember where it came from.

Damn the Empire to its bloody, rotten core, Baze spat inwardly, his grip tightening on theheavy repeater, the metal groaning under his white-knuckled hands. Of allthings, a damn Imperial weapon had survived Jedha. Children had not. Disgustrose like bile in his throat and Baze sorely wanted to spit, or blast somethingout of existence, he wanted to feel the white-hot burning ammo clips, thesmoking heavy repeater hot in his hands, he wanted to watch the Empire collapseand drown in the blood of all the innocent lives –

“Baze.”

He made a sort of sour, indistinct noise as Chirrut settled next to him,his grip steady on his staff. His boots and robes were still dusty from a placethat did not exist anymore. Baze suspected Chirrut knew his boots were cakedwith Jedha dust. Without thinking, Baze readjusted, shifting his leg, movingthe repeater from one hand to the other, to allow Chirrut to settle close tohim. There was no space between them, and in the nervous chatter of the rest ofthe rebels, they were practically alone.

“Your thoughts are particularly bloodthirsty today.”

“What do you know? You’re no Jedi.” A young rebel tensed and looked aroundat the word, until Baze’s hard gaze scared him away.

“No. But I know you.”

Baze made another indiscriminate noise. He gathered his thoughts,Chirrut waiting patiently next to him, and then the words dripped out likepoison, “There was nothing left.”

“They have returned to the Force.” Chirrut’s reply was soft.

“The city was slaughtered.”

“Yes.” Chirrut dipped his head, his clouded eyes twitching, and in thatsingle word was pressed all the grief Chirrut would allow himself to feel. Ithung heavy between them. “Yes.”

They sat in quiet – not so much peace,there would no longer be much peace for Baze. He knew this as sure as heknew his own name. Peace and the twin hope were gone, long gone. Hope had longago fled from his bones, leaving a hardened, weary soul. Chirrut was full tothe brim with hope, but even as it buoyed his steps it weighed down hisshoulders. Hope was a heavy calling. From the cockpit, Bodhi gave a sort ofbreathy, twitched exclamation of relief, and they began to descend to Scariff.The nervous chatter rose in a swell again, and in the commotion, Baze foundChirrut’s hand. His palms were calloused, the fingers strong.

“Do you sense it?” Baze finally asked, and Chirrut smiled, a saddened,exhausted, hopeful smile. He squeezed Baze’s hand.

“Yes. The Force is… it’s wrapping around us. I can feel it.” The shipbegan to shudder as they entered atmosphere. “It’s starting to call us back.Back home.”

Baze did not need him to clarify. “What does it sound like?” It had beenso long since he’d tried to look to the Force. He wasn’t sure if he stillcould. And just as he would tell Chirrut about how the young faces around themwere equal parts anxious and eager and absolutely terrified, Chirrut would tellhim of the songs of the Force. Sometimes he missed it, hearing faint strains ofit, like whispered stories from distant stars. He could only ever catch distantmelodies, but the Force sang for Chirrut.

“Hm. It sounds like… like many things. The sound of our tea kettle uponthe stove. The children playing in the streets… your laugh.”

Baze couldn’t help but chuckle at that, and Chirrut grinned again.

“Aha. See. Home. It also sounds like the songs of the Whills, thedevoted songs, the hum of the kyber crystals in the caves… It is a beautifulsound. Pure – perhaps a little broken. But hopeful.”

Baze smiled and leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. He wasn’tafraid of death. Neither was Chirrut. Baze might have given up his Guardianstatus years ago, might have turned from the devotionals and prayers, but stillhe took comfort in the simple fact of knowing that though death was creepingtowards him, it would be like going home. That it sounded like home. Eventhough he hated that damned tea – even the whistle of the kettle upon the hearth brought him a gentle current of peace. He could feel, for the first time in avery long time, the gentle tug of the currents of the Force around him, pullinghis atoms and essence towards a greater something. Perhaps he was sensing itbecause he was allowing himself to look for it, to accept it once more.

There would soon be time enough to ponder the mysteries of the Force.And he knew he’d have Chirrut by his side, and that, more than anything, filledhim with hope.

Scariff was a suicide mission. Baze knew, Chirrut knew. The young onesprobably knew, too, but were too frightened of it to acknowledge that simplefact. There were too many factors to even consider the chance of surviving.Just as he had wished as he’d watched NiJedha disintegrate, Baze had been giventhe chance to aim his anger towards the heart of the Empire. The plans were here.Justice for all those lives lost was here. The team would probably not survive,would probably not return to the fleet as the heroes they dreamed of becoming.Some of the younger rebels still clung to that hope, that they would be able tomake it back to the rebel fleet. Baze watched their eyes as the shuttle beganits docking procedures. Hope and fear, determination – even as their fingersshook. He admired their bravery.

He prayed they would find peace before they returned to the Force.

As they… Baze blinked as the thought – once so natural, as natural asbreathing but now as strange as a splinter in his thumb – rose gently in hismind. Returned to the Force, hethought again, and laughed. It had been so long since he’d sought refuge withthe old Whills sayings. Perhaps he was now the old fool, too.

Chirrut smiled and stroked the back of Baze’s hand with his thumb,almost as if he knew. Baze turned to gaze upon that infuriating, breathtakingface; the easy smile, the crackling wit and humor. He leaned forward, closedthe distance, until everything else fell away.

Chirrut’s kiss was gentle, and he laughed a little, but they hardly evershared intimacy in public like this. Certainly not in front of strangers. ButBaze did not care. He stroked Chirrut’s cheek, felt the stubble that he hadbeen too busy or too grief-stricken to shave, and whispered, “I love you.”

“Baze Malbus, you’re a soft-hearted fool.” He said it lovingly, even ashe teased.

“Aye.”

Chirrut smiled, shook his head, and returned the kiss, and now thelaughter was gone. Only a deep, true, pure love, and the determination of whatthey were about to do. The promise to return to each other, to find each other.Our souls are intertwined forever, youold dreamer, Baze thought. But who was the dreamer now? Him or Chirrut?

It didn’t matter.

“I love you, too.”

They rested their foreheads together for a moment, and for a moment Bazethought he could hear the faint strains of that pure, distant song. Except, he thought, grinning. It’s Chirrut’s laugh.

Jyn, little sister, and CaptainAndor stepped forward into the center of the group. Their faces were grim,determined – but yes, there too, hope flickered in her eyes. Baze stood, hisjoints groaning. Just a few hours more,he thought, one hand resting on Chirrut’s shoulders. Just a few hours more.

“Make ten men feel like a hundred.” Andor said, his eyes like fire.

I am one with the Force, and the Force is withme.

The rebels began to divide themselves, and Baze took a long, steadyingbreath. Chirrut still smelled of Jedha. Here was their chance, here was thejustice. Here – the Empire would begin to crumble. Baze was determined, he washonored. He was not afraid.

We are one with the Force.

His hand found Chirrut’s once more.

The song grew stronger, and Baze smiled.

We are one.

#chirrut x baze #sw rogue one #spiritassassin #spiritassassin fic #rogue one fic #naberiie writes fanfic #ficlet requests #brevity is the soul of wit #i have no idea how to tag this #hopefully this works lmao #ok to reblog #mmmmmnow i want to watch rogue one again #anyways i love my old married bickering space dads #also i love writing about the force you can do so much with it #sorry this took so long!! #hope it was worth the wait ahhhh #crechemaasters

[shape-of-your-body]

there’s a fire inside you (and you know that i’ll find you)

For @bassianweek days 1, 2, and 3: After Scarif/Recovery, First times and happy endings. 

I’ve been struggling with creativity and writing as of late, but I couldn’t not try and give this a go. I’ve never... written from Cassian’s POV before so I’m not sure that I did him justice. I hope I did. This got a little way from me but it sort of took on a mind of it’s own and well -- enjoy!! 

Title from “Torches” by X Ambassadors 

Hoth is a frigid cold wasteland, devoid of joy or happiness -- it fits, as far as Cassian is concerned, his mood of late has been worsening with the weather. It's hard not to feel this way, he'd been fine, for a while. 

Happy, even.

But now he wonders why he thought that he could ever have anything good. What's the point, it never lasts?

--

Cassian and Bodhi are both less injured than Chirrut, but they're both confined to the med-bay for longer, in beds next to one another. Cassian has a shattered spine, which had to be reinforced with steel, Bodhi's burns were severe, but it was the arm which had been pierced by shrapnel which caused the problem, it had become infected and had to be removed. He was given a mechanical arm with a sturdy black frame and struggled to get used to it. But he did, just as Cassian had to learn to walk all over again. It's two weeks of being confined in the space, with the occasional visit from one of their teammates, or a general to talk to them for de-briefing, or the medics come to poke and prod and make sure their therapy is done.

It's... not as bad as it could be. Cassian is grateful at least, for Bodhi's company throughout.  

Cassian has never been an open person, part of it is of course, it doesn't work for a spy. But even on base, the only friend he's ever really had was Kaytoo, who is gone now. There might have been a data drive with his backup back in his room, but he's not been allowed to go back and look. It's so easy to talk to Bodhi, though. He doesn't say it, but he feels an admiration for the pilot, who'd shown as much bravery as any of the soldiers who'd been fighting in the war for years. It took courage and backbone to do what he did, and then he managed to fly them off the planet despite his injuries. But with the two of them, in the long hours of the night with the lights dimmed and only the sound of the machines, some nights sleep evades him, or Bodhi will wake up after a nightmare, they talk.

They talk a lot.

Cassian doesn't know that he's been falling for the pilot, doesn't realize that he has been -- maybe since he's met the young man. He can, however pinpoint the moment he realized that he was in love with him. The day that they were released was the day that the ashes of the Death Star were spread over the sky above them. When the plans had thought to be lost, it felt like it was the end, but now... now he has hope again.

And when he looks over at Bodhi, looking up at the night sky with a look of peace on his beautiful features ("We did that, Cassian. We did that."), he doesn't hesitate before he's leaning over to go in for a kiss. Bodhi freezes against him, and for a moment he wonders if he's made a mistake or misread any hints -- he might be a spy, trained to evaluate tells, but he doesn't know relationships very well.

The fears are put aside as Bodhi leans into the kiss, reacting, hands going to his hair to drag Cassian closer --

"Oh, sorry. Didn't know this balcony was occupied." It's Jyn, followed by Baze and Chirrut. Bodhi blushes, and Cassian curses.

"Please. Don't stop on our account." Chirrut's grin is wide, and the teasing is gentle.

--

That was then, this is now. A lot changes in the matter of a few months. Bodhi, and Jyn both officially join the cause -- Jyn as an agent just like him, and Bodhi as a pilot, invited personally to join Rogue Squadron by Luke Skywalker himself. Baze and Chirrut stay, and Cassian thinks it has to do with the jedi in training that Chirrut has taken to. Cassian continues his work in the field as a spy, and they settle on Hoth.

And then one day the squadron returns from a run in with Imperials in territory they weren't supposed to be. Cassian happens to be in the hangar, running diagnostics on the newly reinstalled Kaytoo when the pilots return. His eyes go up slightly from his work and the droid makes a comment about his full attention which he ignores. There's one ship missing. It's not until they've all disembarked and he sees Luke Skywalker's face as the young man walks in his direction does he realize who it is.

Bodhi isn't with them.

He follows them into the room as they debrief and listens to the conversations held between the pilots until he hears Bodhi cry out. "I'm hit!"

"We're coming in for you. Hold your position!"

"Negative. Two more on my tail, can't shake them off -- "

"Bodhi!"

"Tell Cassian --" and the feed cuts. The spy feels something clench painfully in his chest, as he stares impassively ahead of him, ignoring Jyn's questioning.

"Cassian?" There's a hand on his shoulder. Luke again. He doesn't know the boy, Jedi well. There's such a spirit about this young man, but he knows that he too will be extinguished. Whether it be the war takes a toll on his soul, or his life -- he doesn't know. But he knows... because that's just how it was. Bodhi was proof enough of that.

"Thank you." He says, shaking the hand off and stalking off.

--

They expect him to grieve. To show emotion, but he throws himself into his work with a reckless vigor, focusing on the fight, ignoring the looks he sometimes gets from his teammates. His friends.

"It's okay if you miss him." Jyn again. Of course it is. She doesn't know that he misses Bodhi every single day, that he sleeps with a shirt of his because it smells of warmth -- it smells like him. "You can grieve, that doesn't make you weak." She's changed so much since he's met her, and like the rest of his team, he's proud of her. But he can't make himself admit that she's right.

"This is a war, Jyn. People die all the time. We all know the risks, everyday. He knew the risks. We honor our dead, but we can't stop the work for anything." It's such a practiced answer, cold but he doesn't care. If he were to talk about it, or show her how much it hurts, he doesn't think he'll be able to stop, he needs to carry on. 

Cassian Andor now only has the cause.

"That's bantha shit, Captain."

"It's not. It's being realistic. Now if you'll excuse me--"

It's only when he's back in the safety of his room does he let the emotions flood out of him. It's proof that he can have nothing in his life -- the beacon of hope and light that was Bodhi Rook, the defector that gave him courage to question his orders, who he'd confided in, who he'd opened himself up to was gone. It hurts like a missing limb. It's also proving a point, showing him where he went wrong. Fate, or the force, or whatever you want to call it is cruel.

Attachments will only be ripped away from him, it's all the more reason to shut the others out before they too are taken.

--

It's a month and three days after Bodhi's disappearance, two weeks since he's started avoiding the others. How hard it is to get used to solitude again when he's already opened himself to people, let them in and took joy in their presence. He'd had friends. It becomes harder to sleep, and he dreams more often of losing Bodhi than he does of the happier memories, few as they were. Always the same, always watching him die and being unable to stop it. Sometimes the others are there, sometimes he has to watch them die too. 

That's when it happens. The pilots are back in the hangar after a mission, except that one ship seems to be towing another battered looking X-Wing. He watches as Wedge jumps out of the ship and runs to the second ship. By now a crowd is forming as the pilots all congregate as Wedge helps someone out and Cassian feels the air pressed from his lungs.

Bodhi looks thinner, hair falling out of it's usual ponytail. He can see cuts and bruises, and from the way he's holding his arm, he'd guess his arm was broken, and the way he limps along, supported by Wedge and Luke, a sprained ankle. But when he looks up and around, his eyes fall on Cassian and he lights up. Despite his injuries, he pulls out of the hands of those helping him and stumbles forward towards him. He's in front of the pilot before he's even aware that he'd moved, hands reaching out just as Bodhi slumps against him.

"How...?"

"I don't know, I don't know -- I just knew I had to come back, and they found me and --" Cassian silences him with a kiss. I love you, I love you, you came back to me. Bodhi returns it with vigor, as the crowd disperses. 

Finally, he pulls apart to breathe, still holding onto the pilot in front of him. As if letting him go would cause him to disappear, as if he’d wake up from this perfect dream. “I should... probably go to the medic. Before Luke and Wedge drag me. Will you stay with me?” his eyes are as impossibly wide and hopeful as he remembers. 

“Of course I will. For you, I would do anything.” 

#bassianweek #sniperpilotweek #bodhi x cassian #cassian andor #bodhi rook

[imsfire2]

WIP meme

Do This: List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or as little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on: writing, art, gifsets, whatever.

I was tagged by @thenewleeland - thank you very much!

And, ahem, you asked for it...

(I will add a read-more after a bit, since there is rather a lot of this.  Don’t panic...).

Fan fic – all Rogue One at the present time

In a dark time, the eye begins to see

AU in which Cassian is an artist and Jyn is sent by Saw Gerrera to model for him as a cover to get into the Imperial Archives on Corellia.  Angst, feels, smut, action and drama.  WIP – currently writing chapter 38 in draft, with the published text on AO3 now up to chapter 35.  

Keeping faith

AU in which Cassian and Jyn survived Scarif and are still with the Alliance, but are separated during the battle of Hoth.  Jyn is taken prisoner and then discovers she is pregnant, and angst and many feels ensue. WIP – currently on just over 9,000 words in draft with the published text on AO3 standing at just over 6,000.

Hot and wet

Rebelcaptain one-shot that won’t behave; primarily feels, not as smutty as the title suggests!

In your eyes

Rebelcaptain one-shot, a follow-up to A little more information (which was itself a follow-up to one of the Paths of hurt and darkness stories, On attachment elsewhere).  Cassian is hospitalised following a suicide attempt, post-battle of Endor.  Serious angst and feels.

The Hope of Lyonesse

Only just got started on this, basically it’s still at the planning stage, and it may be a monster as there’s a lot of material to work with.  Rogue One/Arthurian legend/other Celtic legends mash-up AU.  Cassian is Tristan, Jyn is Isolde, Draven is Mark of Cornwall, Chirrut and Baze are the last two acolytes of the Order of Merlin, Bodhi Rook is a character who fuses the roles of Bedwyr and Brangäne.  Mon Mothma is King Arthur, and is a rather more active figure than usual.  The Rebel Alliance is the seven Celtic nations, Albion, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Lyonesse and Galicia; they have a system of loose alliances and treaties cemented by dynastic marriages, and are trying to work together to fight off invasion on two fronts.  The Empire is an unholy alliance between the Saxon invaders coming from the east and the magic-wielding Formorians of Hy-Braseal invading by sea from the west.  Tarkin and Krennic are Saxons, Vader is the Lord of the Isle of the Torrent.  Other SW characters being slotted in gradually. Warning: Do not expect a happy ending.

Captain Andor lives for a day

Only just got started on this, too!  Total contrast to the above.  A Rogue One/Miss Pettigrew AU.  Late 1930’s setting, with jazz music, cocktails and romance for all.  Expect fluff and feels with just an undertone of angst (because some of the protagonists are not stupid and are aware of politics).  

Original fiction

The Bargain of Liberty (working title)

Just got started on this, so don’t look for it anytime soon!  Especially as, being original fic, it won’t be going on AO3.

Historical fantasy set in a sixteenth century AU in which the Spanish did not succeed in conquering the native kingdoms of Central and South America.  Consequently the balance of power across the world is totally different. In London, Dr John Dee has worked a great act of magic, the eponymous Bargain of Liberty, to ensure the freedom of his beloved sovereign, Elizabeth of England, and her people, and to enable her to marry her true love, her cousin Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots.  A work of magic which has had unexpected ramifications.  As our story begins, two British spies, Emilia Tanqueray and Kit Marlowe, and a mestizo Aztec sleeper agent, Javián Cuauhtémoc Sanchez, set out together to thwart the plans of the Inquisition.  The Inquisition’s goals are to overthrow the Emperor Axayacatl the second of Mexico, and to send an Armada to invade the island of Britain…

Also sitting in my Dropbox, Pt 1: Uncompleted original fiction

The taker of daughters

This is a rewrite and expansion of an earlier Hansel and Gretel: Witch-hunters fan-fic.  Significant character changes and hefty filling-in of background.  A steampunk historical fantasy using characters from various ballet versions of folk tales, set in the aftermath of a great war between the High and Low Kingdoms of Faerie and the Middle World of Humankind.  Main character is now Klara Stahlbaum (from The Nutcracker), other characters are her brother, who I’ve named Anton because I don’t like the name Fritz, a Firebird, an OFC who is a human/Firebird mongrel, the Lilac Fairy, and a pregnant giantess.  The main antagonist, the Taker of Daughters, is Kostschei the Terrible.  Currently at just over 77.000 words.  I’m not sure if this is working, though.  I’m having what I can only call tonal problems and struggling to find a balance between the darker and the less-dark elements of the story. So it may end up being abandoned altogether.

The Smiling Assassin

This was a NaNoWriMo project from 2014; a thriller about a retired MI6 agent working for a small London charity, who gets pulled back into his old world when a friend from the past asks him for a favour.  It backfired at around 36,000 words when I realised the plot was not only derivative as all hell but also really sucked!  

Fortitude

A Sci-Fi story about first contact with a telepathic alien species; needs re-writing a lot, but the basic storyline is still good.

A dream of death

My “no-zombies zombie apocalypse” story.  Yeah, that.

Midnight in the Café Tana

An urban fantasy about a local government employee who is a practising witch, and her attempts to help her ex who has fallen victim to a psychic vampire.

Nohomer

A Sci-Fi piece mixing a love story inspired by Pelleas et Melisande with a background of social conflict between rich and poor in a far-off future of Rampant Intergalactic Capitalism.

The war is over

A Sci-Fi story inspired by the core ideas from my very first ever fan-fic, which was a sequel to Return of the Jedi written when I was a teenager. Key plot points are A) the Emperor is dead and the beleaguered Evil Empire is on the verge of losing the galactic civil war, looking for ways to fight back and sabotage their enemies, and B) any Emperor worth his salt is bound to have a son-and-heir tucked away somewhere.

Also sitting in my Dropbox, Pt 2: Completed original fiction

The Healers

A magic realist historical fantasy Western; a faith healer who really can heal rescues a member of the Jesse James gang from certain death and hires him to ride shotgun with her. They travel through 1880’s Missouri having assorted adventures, healing various people and one another and trying not to get killed by various other people who want to bring him to justice, while falling in love.  Features lots of gritty local colour, dirt, violence, whores, blood, sex, angst and feels.  I had a ball writing this and it’s probably my best piece of full-length original fic so far.

The Secret Country

Urban fantasy with people who have real magical powers/superpowers trying desperately not to get found out and caught by a government agency determined to make use of them as weapons.  Flawed as a piece of writing, but quite an exciting read if you can get past a few sticky patches.

The eternal love of Gabriel Yeats

A slightly bonkers magic realist historical fantasy, featuring time travel, reincarnation, doomed romance and a lot of major character death.  Very fond of this one too though it has its issues as a piece of novel writing – it’s much too episodic and has a big structural flaw which I never managed to solve successfully.

Ramundi’s sisters

A historical romance about an artist and his three sisters in early C20th rural Sicily.  Very angsty and feels-y, with thwarted love and lots of unhappiness for everyone.  This was my first full-length novel and although I think I’ve improved a lot since as a writer then I’m still fond of it because I remember the thrill of writing it and having it flow.

[thebastardofgloucester]

More Thoughts on Rogue One

So I saw Rogue One again:

I don’t have any real revelations to expound upon - the first half is still a bit messy (though beyond the Krennic scene on Mustafar which we’re rather fond of I’m not really sure you can just cut out some of the planetary back and forth). The second half/last third really pulls the film together in some of the best action sequences I’ve seen in any war movie, Star Wars or no, but it also fails to resolve a lot of character arcs, which is...unsatisfying from a narrative nerd perspective but not really crippling to the film as a whole? In my opinion, anyway. 

- Jyn’s a flat character. I’m not sure if it’s that Felicity Jones is a bad fit for the part - they needed someone who did a lot of non-verbal acting and that ain’t her - but her character is choppily written at best, and wavers back and forth between passive and active in a way that just feels awkward when it abruptly switches. You have a bunch of character-establishing moments - trying to flee her rescuers, saving the little girl in Jedha, beating and gunning down stormtroopers, resenting Saw for abandoning her - and they just don’t fit together. At points, it seems like she’s a deer in the headlights, which makes some sense - she’s not a soldier, she’s not used to battle, to death striking suddenly and brutally - but it again swings back and forth and there’s no key determining factor beyond the immediate needs of the plot. And yet she knows her way around a blaster, she goes after that child (which is just wildly out of place and used as an excuse for Cassian to shoot one of Saw’s men, precipitating the group’s capture), she’s quite brave under fire. She’s established as initially cynical and apathetic about the Rebellion - for understandable reasons, though Cassian also rightly calls her out for wallowing in self-pity, which she clearly takes to heart.

Her transformation from reluctant accomplice to Rebel leader just doesn’t really follow.  A scene where she spoke with, say, Chirrut and Baze (maybe with Bodhi popping in) about their reasons for fighting the Empire, and she explicitly confronted her desperate need to redeem her father’s legacy and exonerate him from horrible crimes would have been a tremendous help, would have given Baze and Chirrut more depth (digging into their past service as guardians, their grief and Baze’s rage at the destruction of their home), and would have given some reason for the ‘little sister’ comment, which just feels so out of place because they don’t have that kind of relationship. I’m probably going to write this scene, honestly. At that point, speaking up about the need to strike Scarif makes more sense. Maybe another actress better conveys Jyn’s desperation and makes her sound less inexplicably confident. She’s not idealistic enough for that, change of heart or not. Fewer motivational speeches from her would have been a good idea. The one in the shuttle is the best fit - it’s full of desperation and anxious resolve. She’s addressing her men, not the leaders of the Rebellion. Basically, somebody else needs to back her case in front of the council. Hell, maybe Chirrut could have backed her up. That would have been another moment to establish their relationship. Jyn’s the primary protagonist, but she’s also not a conventional hero, and the film did not commit to that as it did with, say, Cassian. 

- Honestly, that’s the movie’s biggest flaw. It drags a bit, but I’m not sure what I would really cut. The trading port scene is vital to establish Cassian. The jailbreak was apparently largely a product of the reshoots, and that was absolutely a good call. The Jedha stuff needs to happen to launch the plot. The Eadu stuff needs to happen to raise the stakes, stage the Cassian/Jyn conflict, and kill off Galen. I *guess* the first Yavin 4 scene wasn’t entirely necessary, but it would be hard to do without it, and it does a lot of worldbuilding for the ANH-era Rebellion. 

- The movie isn’t terribly interested in preserving the scale of the GFFA - unless Eadu, Scarif, and Yavin 4 are within the same star cluster or something, the Rebel forces have at most a few hours travel time and that does’t make much sense. It’s not that Star Wars has ever cared about those kinds of logistics (save a few novels), but somehow the planet jumping makes it more obvious.

- The space battle is still astounding, and the Pacific Front-inspired beach scenes aren’t far behind. Just the perfect use of CGI, practical effects, and storytelling to create truly spectacular scenes. Also nice to see Rebel women pilots, though they pretty much all die.

- Bodhi has the most complete and coherent character arc, and given the time constraints, it’s actually a pretty good one. His sacrifice is poignant, even if his death is surprisingly pedestrian (which is by no means a bad thing - it adds a layer of realism to the combat that people just die). K2-SO has something resembling an arc. Cassian is the deepest character, even if a few more exchanges with Jyn or Bodhi or Chirrut could have helped make his inner conflicts more explicit. His relationship with Jyn actually worked better for me the second time around, but it has the overall vibe of ‘almost’ or ‘what if’ as it really should. 

- The movie does a lot of work in terms of world-building, and there’s loads of material for future films or EU media to take advantage of. I’m excited about the new in-between-the-OT Rebellion era. It might be a bit ponderous in the film, but it’s valuable yeoman’s work in the young new canon. 

- Krennic isn’t the most effective antagonist. That’s partially by design - he’s simply outclassed by the likes of Tarkin and Darth Vader. But in a moment where we might be able to explore his complexity with the reveal that his adversary is the daughter of his long-time friend and betrayer Galen he just...doesn’t really react beyond ‘generic Imperial villain’. That was a missed opportunity. More could have been done with him than having Cassian appear and shoot him while Jyn does her deer in the headlights thing again. There’s poetic justice in his being killed by his own life’s work, but it needs to be dwelt upon a bit.  

EDIT: my little brother suggests Jyn pointing out the Death Star rising above the horizon, as Krennic realizes that not only is Tarkin willing to sacrifice the entire base, but that he is expendable. Unlike Jyn, he is not ready for that brutal truth.

- In hindsight, the whole Vader in the corridor thing is a bit less fraught than I thought - the damn data tape is at the partially open exit the whole time, the dude with it just wants to escape. A better scene would be him desperately forcing the door open as his comrades try to slow Vader down, succeeding at the last minute before he’s cut down. All that would have been required is a few shots of the dude trying to force open the door, nothing really complicated. 

- It’s a bit weird that the Tantive IV, with Leia aboard, is waiting for ages inside the disabled Rebel flagship - presumably the data tapes take a while to transfer, but it seems like quite a risk. Plus there’s the ‘transmissions’ line in ANH which is now seemingly in error. Maybe the corvette is waiting on the fringes of the system, giving Leia plausible deniability? But that probably sacrifices the Vader scene, and I’m not sure any of us want that. It’s a hard problem to solve without retconning. 

- The Dr. Evazan/Ponda Baba cameo on Jedha is just not necessary. R2D2 and C3PO are acceptable - they’ve been in every damn movie and they have a reason to be there.  

- It’s a really good heist-cum-war movie, honestly. It’s got weaknesses in terms of characterization, because that’s not Gareth Edward’s real strength. It might not feel like ~Star Wars~ in terms of being magical space opera based on hero’s journey cliches and stronger characterization than plot, and might be missing the ‘magic’ or something, but it’s not supposed to be anything like The Force Awakens. I feel like a lot of the movie’s critics were just expecting ~something else~ and find the genre differences off-putting. I don’t. 

- Saw Gerrera deserved a bit more time - specifically, I think cutting his ‘what will you become’ speech was a mistake, though I’m not sure where it was supposed to fit? He’s a really really great character, honestly, and he’s vital in establishing that the Rebellion is a messy loose coalition of splinter groups who are at this stage very divided in terms of strategy, conviction, and morality. 

- Chirrut is definitely low-level Force sensitive. To an extent, fine, his sharpened sense of hearing explains his physical combat skills. But sensing Jyn’s kyber crystal, reading Bohdi and Jyn, dodging laser blasts, hitting stormtroopers on the beach - he’s not a Jedi, but he doesn’t really have to be. There’s another point of possible connection with Jyn - his faith in the Force would resonate with her memories of her mother. Again, just a handful of lines. Not a huge change. 

- I still think Chirrut and Baze’s relationship is easily interpreted as romantic, whether that was the result of the actors, Edwards, or Kathleen Kennedy, I don’t know. But it’s appreciated and extremely important. 

- Revised rating: 7.5/10. Could have been an 8.5, even a 9 with a more talented character writer and a more compelling primary protagonist. But it’s intensely watchable, really thrilling at points, fits seamlessly into the Star Wars universe, adds emotional impetus to A New Hope and the circuitous journey of the Death Star plans to Yavin 4, and Luke and Han’s subsequent heroism, and has a ton of interesting ideas percolating in the background. 

#rogue one #rogue one spoilers #martinus watches rogue one #save the rebellion. save the dream.