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darklordofthesimp · 2 years

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Undeserving (Din Djarin x Reader)

Din had always been critical, where he'd admire others he would only ever correct you. Upon arrival to Tatooine, you realized you would never be good enough for the Mandalorian.

Requested by Anon: ohh 46 with din please! #46 I'm never going to be good enough for you, am I?

A/N: I accidentally uploaded this with literally none of this blurb shit and just the fic and I'm fuckin flying to get this done please pretend you averted your gaze, you heathens. Just pretend, okay? Also thanks love youse enjoy this fic xxxx

Category: Angst, Seemingly unrequited love.

Warnings: Swearing (as Per usual)

"You shouldn't have been there to begin with," the bounty hunter snapped, turning on his heel. The dark, tattered cape fluttered behind him as if it were mimicry of his shadow.

"I told you I was going in for supplies," was your jaded quip.

The Mandalorian didn't offer a response, though you supposed that he rarely did at times like this. You'd conditioned yourself to ignore his continual nitpicking and he'd opted to just ignore you in general.

The root of this particular incident occurred upon first landing; the hunter had announced that he'd be leaving with the Child to organize a job. In turn, you had informed him that you'd be leaving to find parts and tools for repairs.

You thought he had heard you but judging by the way he'd stomped off, clearly-fucking-not.

"Do that again and I'll leave without you," the hunter grumbled, waiting for you to climb the Razor Crest's ramp. He always insisted on being the last to board and you eventually discovered it to be a protective habit.

That thought cooled your hot frustration and you sighed. "No, you won't."

Again, he said nothing. Of course, he wouldn't leave you behind. You knew it was a bluff, a result of not finding you where he had left you. His nagging was a product of his worry and you knew that.

It never made it less irritating.

"If we weren't on the run," the hunter began, approaching you slowly while the ramp door shut. "I'd hire somebody else."

The light dimmed with each step he took and the Child cooed from his place in the capsule. You ignored the way your heart raced as he closed the space between you, just as you'd pointedly denied every feeling the man evoked.

Instead, you threw your hands up towards the ceiling, lightly stretching the stiff joints in your shoulders. It was a show of playful arrogance when you shot him a wicked grin, "you'd be crawling back the next day."

"You're infuriating," he griped, shaking his head as if pulling himself from his own thoughts. "Do a better job than last time."

The hunter sidestepped past you, moving to offload his rifle in the armory and your heart panged at the comment. The only reason you'd needed supplies, to begin with, was due to a misstep you'd made with the wiring. That mistake had resulted in the loss of secondary controls and a nasty electrical burn snaking its way up the length of your arm.

The ship's pilot had made sure you knew he was angry. Although, the Mandalorian didn't yell, that just wasn't his style. Instead, the rage came through subtle cues: shortening his sentences, ignoring attempts at conversation, and retiring early every night since.

"Ok," you whispered, the humor knocked from your system. It was a stupid mistake and you should have known better. At the end of the day, no matter where you thought you stood with the armoured hunter, he was your employer.

You heaved the bag over your shoulder, taking a moment to adjust the weight. "I'll get started now," you said, swallowing the shake in your voice.

The hunter paused, rifle in hand. Although he didn't turn, he cocked his head towards the shoulder you stood behind. "It's late."

"Leave the mothering for the kid," you teased but the words tasted wrong. A deep and secret part of you loved when he showed concern for your health. It was a step above the critique and a world away from disinterest.

"I wasn't-" he cut himself off sharply and resumed stowing the weapon into the locker. When he did continue the words were clipped, "working tired means making mistakes. We can't afford more of those."

It felt like a punch to the gut but the message was clear. This time, you were the one that stayed silent, lowering the parts gently to the floor in a safe corner.

Without a word or a second glance, you made a beeline for your small cabin. Embarrassment flared red hot across your chest and face and you knew then that you weren't going to get much sleep anyway.

The Mandalorian avoided you for the rest of the night.

_____

"I'll do it," you snarled. "You don't need to pay someone else to do my job."

"It's convenient." That was his only reasoning, the best he could come up with.

Your chest was tight with frustration, you couldn't believe the nerve of this man. Landing on Tatooine had been a mission in itself, the Crest stalling a few meters off of the sand. While it wasn't ideal, it wasn't unexpected. The ship was in bad shape and needed a solid few days dedicated to repairs. You had inventory on what needed to be fixed and what parts you required, but Mando had other ideas.

As you said, the issue wasn't the landing. The issue was where you landed.

In a mechanic's bay.

"All I asked of you was a couple of days to let me really fix the damn ship," you snapped, whirling on him before he could open the cargo doors. The man straightened, watching you intently. Red-hot anger piped through your system. "All you let me do was fix it just enough to get the thing in hyperspace."

"That's your job," the hunter said slowly. "On-board mechanic."

"My job," you snarled through gritted teeth, "Is to fix the fucking ship in general."

Mando's fingers twitched by his side, an indication that he was starting to match your mood. "You're angry because I've lessened your workload?"

You bark a sardonic laugh, pointing aggressively to his chest. "I'm angry because you've just undermined me."

"Undermined you?"

His voice was starting to rise in volume, the indignant rasp making an appearance.

Reaching into your pocket, you pulled the neatly folded parchment from your overalls. You stomped towards him, so furious you couldn't care less about personal space. "Look!" You snapped, straightening the sheet. "I've got everything. Every diagnosis, every part, every priority fix- I've got everything!"

"Then give it to Peli," he said crisply.

You swore you could have thrown the sheet at him.

"So she can do my job?" You cried and a disbelieving scoff fell from your lips. "Are you serious right now?"

"You need to rest," he enforced, the modulated voice grating on your ears. When you opened your mouth to counter, he took a step into your space, forcing you to glare up into his visor. "You need to rest before you lay a single finger on this ship."

Of course.

The bounty hunter didn't care about your health, he didn't care about your sleep cycle. He just didn't want you to fuck up his ship.

At that moment, as you stared into your own eyes reflected through his visor- you knew. You didn't register his hand on your wrist, you didn't need to think about things like that anymore.

You were never going to be to his standard. No matter how much work you put in, it was just like he said: if you weren't all on the run, he would have replaced you in a heartbeat.

"You'd rather someone else work on the ship than me?" You finally said, voice barely a rasp. You know he heard you though, you were so close he could have tasted the words.

"Right now?" The tilt of his head was slight but it was enough. "Yes. I can't trust-" He paused.

You nodded, ignoring the quiver in your lips.

"You're making mistakes," he said as though it explained everything, as though he were justified.

Your heart grew heavy in your chest, stomach lined in lead. It all came down to this, every critique, every silent night- everything was whittled down to the fact that you just weren't what he needed. You were somebody he was stuck with.

"I'm never going to be good enough for you," you whispered, "am I?"

The Mandalorian swayed, fingers dropping from your wrist. There was a hefty silence as your vision swam. Hot, fat tears began to gather and you were embarrassed of yourself- embarrassed to give him the satisfaction of seeing the effect he had on you.

"What?" he breathed, head shaking fractionally. "That's not-"

"Mando!"

You both jolted, turning towards the sealed door. Peli rapped against the metal again, impatiently. "This isn't a parking spot for your flying tin can!"

Swiping the tears from your cheek, you took a large step back and smacked the hatch button. Mechanical creaking rumbled through your chest and the hot, Tatooine suns flared into the hold.

"You can pay Peli my wages from now on," you said softly, facing the exit. From your peripherals, Mando looked at you sharply. "I'll pick up the last of my things later."

You wouldn't allow him time to speak, making your way down the ramp before it had even settled. The wild-haired woman gave you a toothy grin and you couldn't find it in you to be mad at her.

She wasn't at fault.

With a tight-lipped smile, you approached with the list you'd compiled in hand.

"Long time no see!" The mechanic cried, throwing her hands above her head. "It's been boring without youse here!"

"Missed you too, Peli," you murmured distractedly. You gripped her hand, pushing the paper into her open palm. "This is everything you need to know to get this junk running."

You watched as she opened it, running her eyes over the sheet briefly. "Far-out kiddo, you've already got it sorted. What do you need me for?"

"You're the better mechanic." You gave a sardonic smirk, clapping a hand over her shoulder. "They're all yours."

Adjusting the bag over your shoulder, you turned to leave and came up short. Mando stood behind you, chest heaving with the weight of furious breaths.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, shaking his head.

"What you've been wanting," you said with a saccharine smile. When he didn't reply, you felt your chest squeeze; the mocking expression melting into something else.

"It's for the best," you murmured neutrally, ensuring only he could hear you. "I wasn't what you needed."

When you turned this time, he didn't stop you.

#din djarin x reader #mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin #din djarin x y/n #din djarin x you #star wars #the mandalorian #baby yoda #grogu

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chaikachi · 1 year

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Grief, Guilt, and Bloodied Hands

cross posted from twitter I want to talk about this episode's use of 'bloodied hands' and how it ties into Ruby as well as Rosegarden. This post does get *dark* tho & includes shots from some of the more distressing scenes of v9e8 so please tread with caution.

I don't really have to get into detail with how this episode was framed with saving Oscar until last being what pushed Ruby over the edge and why that's important. It's very clear to everyone that saw it. But let's talk about how we get there.

Ruby's aura broke when she fell from the chandelier and then she was tossed around by a few of Neo's puppets while Oz is left out of frame until the very end. It is only then that she starts to show welts and bruises, at the other end of Long Memory. Before vs After:

We can see she's got her own blood on her hands here. The way they use this particular visual cue is threefold.

The first thing it's symbolic of is her own inner wounds. How much they've hurt her, how they've led her here, & where they're leading her next. Also in the most literal meaning of the metaphor, this is emphasized by Ruby's 'death' being on her own hands by the end of the episode.

The second is that those 'inner wounds' of hers are partially the lives of all the people she couldn't save. Her grief and her guilt.

And the third association is being symbolic of the people she hasn't lost yet. Specifically Oscar. Which we can tell because immediately after that last image (the first time we're shown the blood), we see her hand grabs her weapon before she defends herself.

This is followed by the cane falling before we're shown that the blood on her hands is now Oscar's. The first time she's able to use Crescent Rose all volume and this is how she's rewarded for it.

At the beginning of this episode, she pushes Little away because she's convinced that if they stay with her, they'll end up dead too. I will get to them next, but first this confirms something very strongly:

That Ruby is afraid to move forward. Not just because of her past, but also because of her fear for the future.

In her monologue in the v4 finale, she says the following:

"Believe me when I say I know it can feel impossible. Like every single day is a struggle against some unstoppable monster we can never hope to beat... but we have to try. If not for us, then for the people we've already-... for the people we haven't lost yet."

This sequence is literally all of Ruby's motivations and fears combined into one torturous nightmare.

"If you stay with me, you're going to end up dead too."

She is being tricked into believing that if she stays with her friends, with Oscar, the same will happen to them.

That idea is what breaks her for the first time this episode before she's interrupted by the cat.

Brief sidestep to mention that the way they frame this particular shot implies that Yang is of similar if not equal importance to Ruby here. Cause yes I'm looking at this specifically through an RG lens, but it is very important to acknowledge this scene included more than just 'shipping fuel' in how much Oscar means to her. This is her character arc, her fatal flaws, and the importance of multiple relationships she has. It started with her grief toward Pyrrha & co., an emphasis on her grief and closeness to Penny, wrapped up with the fear of losing Oscar, and then everyone else.

Ruby first reaches for the tea after watching Oscar fall & is interrupted by the cat. But even when she later comes back to her choice, we are not allowed to forget just how much that scene hurt her. Because as Little is begging her to get up and run, they are holding onto that bloodied left hand that pulled the trigger.

When Neo... does what she does to them, the narrative is telling us that Little as well as the blood on Ruby's hands (and all the things it's associated with) combined together to steal all her remaining light away.

"The light of hope is taken."

"If you stay with me, you're going to end up dead too."

She is proven right twofold.

First, with the illusion of Oscar.

Then again with Little who is very much not a mirage. "If I stay or go back home, my friends will die. I stayed here, and another did die."

And she, quite literally, can't live with that thought.

I don't thinkg Oscar's very loud absence or the similarities between him and Little as I've mentioned in other posts, compounded with both of them being used by Neo as the last piece to get Ruby to 'break' are a coincidence. And while I'll admit this episode was flawlessly executed, I am manifesting that this show never gets that dark again because I don't think I can take it.

Thank you for reading, and pls manifest that reunion hug. 😭 🌹🌲

#rwby #rwby v9 #rwby v9 spoilers #ruby rose #oscar pine #little #rwby little #meta #analysis #chainalysis #rwby analysis #rwby meta #rosegarden

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pretty-weird-ideas · 9 months

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Trauma Porn vs Representing Black Struggle in IWTV

TW: Domestic Violence (Focus) Rape (mentioned 1x)

Spoilers for the IWTV AMC Series

I think a lot of the distraught or incredibly positive reactions to Episode 5 of IWTV’s ending from black fans is because of the noticeable lack of genuine representation of black IPV let alone black queer people facing IPV at all. So not only was the scene without a trigger warning and absolutely out of nowhere (with of course the obvious foreshadowing and Lestat’s abusive behavior setting it up) but it was something that has barely been done for mainstream genre TV.

So as a black fan, seeing violence towards black people (trauma porn) is certainly not new to me... but seeing black queer people’s stories focus on IPV is something that I haven’t seen. It leaves me incredibly conflicted in ways that cannot be transcribed.

Genre TV, media in general, and even reality has an obsession with whitewashing (pun unintended) IPV towards black people unless it’s specifically meant to degrade us and utilize racist stereotypes. Rarely ever does IPV towards queer black people get spoken about in real life, let alone in fiction. So for a story to just be for real for a hot minute about that topic is both disturbing and jaw dropping.

I oscillate between “I can’t believe they would ever put this on TV” and “I’m so glad that they made this a plotline because nobody talks about this,”. IPV perpetrated by white people towards their black partners especially from a historical context is not talked about. And it certainly is not the focus of period pieces or literature as often as it should be.

This is even being taken away from us TODAY in history books; centuries of rape and domestic violence from the slave trade to Jim Crow is being censored RIGHT NOW. This is not isolated behavior.

And to see white IWTV fans sidestep this entirely back during the final stretch of season one to complain that having Lestat (who canonically abused Louis in other ways) assault Louis somehow ruined LESTAT’S character and THEIR SHIP. While completely sidestepping what themes they were intending and got across (you know like genuine media literacy) and the onscreen brutalization that happened without warning is disgusting.

Being able to cherry pick quotes and argue about whether or not slapping is “DV” is not only gross but it’s just not media literacy. That’s literacy... like good job bestie you can read! But it’s certainly doesn’t mean you have the range or comprehension to understand the intended themes of Episode 5 at all. And until white people begin to understand the nuances of being a black person being abused by a white person who holds power over you, it’s going to continue being out of reach.

It’s one thing to dislike it’s inclusion, because I also agree. But I’ve noticed that The Great Lestat Discourse TM has become the discussion rather than the perspective of how white supremacy aided in perpetuating domestic violence and the choice to show gory and unflinching physical abuse without a trigger warning.

White fans being disingenuous and asking Louis to fade into the background until Lestat (the white character) becomes the focus for TVL. While constantly mocking and ignoring the concept of IPV towards black people makes the point for me as to why this was an interesting and purposeful direction to head in. IPV is so ignored that when IWTV includes it, fans went out of their way to argue whether or not their favorite white boy would DARE TO DO THIS, and not why the writers did this and what they were attempting to say. IPV and queer victims of abuse are so ignored that after this happened people started making posts talking about APOLOGIZING TO A FICTIONAL LESTAT for writers “slandering” him! Discussions about abuse in interracial relationships during Jim Crow are so far ignored that people started to publicly doubt that actual domestic violence in interracial relationships existed at all! So badly that the writers had to come out and say that they wouldn’t make Louis “not the victim” when recontextualizing episode 5.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #amc iwtv #TW:abuse #TW:Rape

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suzannahnatters · 4 months

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And here are my reactions to Love Like the Galaxy: episodes 13-27, in which a cdrama does some absolutely terrific things I've never seen before which make me incredibly happy. This is also beneath the cut because I got very excited!

Tremendously diverted by how little this whole entire arrow through the chest is bothering our hero, one would think he'd broken a nail

Ling Buyi: I will tear apart this whole empire and everyone in my way to find out who is smuggling imperial weapons to rebels

also Ling Buyi: I am determined that only the very deepest love will ever induce me to marry

NN scolds a whole hospital full of sacking victims into drinking their medicine because how dare they lie around in pain and trauma when their loved ones died to keep them alive and it's another writing decision I'm not very fond of

the emperor is a gossipy old woman, he's discovered the secret of Murder General's heart in two minutes of screen time, I fondly look forward to episodes' worth of behind-the-scenes matchmaking

ahaha we have entered the "Niao Niao finally gets a boyfriend, and Murder General stares at the two of them sadly from a distance" section

he's just bowing himself out so silently, without ever saying a word - because he only wants to marry for love, so if NN doesn't want him, he doesn't want her

Marry the sweet boy, Niao Niao. He's not very bright, but the only baggage he's got is from the cake shop.

oh my, Niao Niao's boyfriend is sending her terrible mother snacks in an attempt to soften her heart, what a darling

I'm dead, not only does Murder General literally have a Niao Niao Memorabilia Hoard but he leaves it in his carriage for her to see while she's being given a lift in the rain askajdalfah

Niao Niao has dinner with with her three suitors and her aunt's ex and it's every bit as wildly uncomfortable as it sounds

also the Smug Scholar is here just to cause drama and wooow these are some epic sour grapes

It's a bit jarring how cavalierly everybody at this dinner dismisses the orphan girl in the backstory. The best thing I can say is that she fails to recognise one of the emerging themes of the show, that a woman shouldn't let love consume her entire life.

Murder General's family is straight out of Shakespeare - heartrendingly mad mother, moustache-twirlingly-evil estranged father.

meanwhile, over the Jane Austen side of the plot, Niao Niao's parents break the news to her that Murder General must be hopelessly in love with her. is this the worst way to find out or what

This whole mother-daughter relationship is so real it's triggering memories of a bad family situation I was familiar with around 5-10 years ago. Just…NN's mother not trusting her an inch, wanting to micromanage her life, despite all the ways that NN has bloomed away from her. Too painfully real.

Part of the reason this story feels SO Jane Austen is the way it focuses on the small domestic dramas of families, women, and marriage, with a keen eye to humour and satire. There's Murder General's political subplot too, but it's kept compartmentalised away from the main plot.

I…I think Murder General might be a darling, actually? when he's not mowing down the emperor's enemies in an overly dramatic manner or quietly and visibly pining, he is salving his broken heart by trying to make sure NN has everything she wants in life

and this is another place where this show neatly sidesteps a common pitfall - instead of HIM decided what's good for NN and then making sure she gets it despite her own wishes, he's allowing HER to decide and then silently providing her with everything she needs to make it a success.

I'm honestly astounded that this show is managing to make the typical strong, silent, commanding male lead…actually make sense as the endgame love interest, even in the presence of someone as charming and well adjusted (and devoted to snacks!) as Luo Yao. I honestly hadn't shipped them until this stretch of the show but now I'm beginning to.

He even credits her with "suppressing the mountain bandits" when he was the one who swooped in and saved her just as she was about to lose her siege T_T I'm sorry I have something in my eye

what WHAT WHATTTTT

having been informed of General Ling's feelings by her parents, is her maid now proposing to her on his behalf???????? wild

oh………he just wanted to know her hopes and dreams

Luo Yao has learned from Niao Niao how to fight for what he wants and it makes me so happy that this show is committing to these themes because the last big cdrama I watched was all about punishing the free-spirited heroine for wanting a life of her own

I feel hopelessly confused about all this arms smuggling subplot and backstory tbh

"don't be afraid, I'm here" asjkg love a good callback

also: good for you, He Zhaojun. good for you

It was also very satisfying seeing Bad Mum and our girl getting to fight together for once, but it's clearly only a temporary case of interests aligning and not a genuine change of heart for the former. I continue to enjoy the nuanced writing here.

Smug Scholar cracks me up. every interaction he has with our girl is like: NN: you make me feel sick SS preening yes I have that effect on a lot of women

Murder General telling NN that he's convinced that whatever decision she makes will be the right one!!!! and then for the first time she breaks down saying she's tired of always being the unlucky one - she's been fighting not to show any vulnerability and she's finally showing herself - to HIM eee

again: I'm ASTONISHED the show is making me believe he's the best choice for her given the presence of darling little snack boy but it is. She hasn't shown any vulnerability to Snacks. As for Murder General, he's been bleeding vulnerability everywhere silently for 21 eps.

"Everyone talks to me about righteousness and being fully considerate. But who will be fully considerate to me?" Snacks is a sweetie and he's doing really well, but the show is doing a terrific job of showing that for all his baggage, Murder General understands & supports her far more deeply.

I was wondering how the engagement with Snacks was going to end, & I have a lot of thoughts. On one hand, I really hate that after all the stuff about the importance of being able to fight for yourself, NN convinces LY to give her up & marry a girl who's already mistreated him, for the greater good

Snacks is absolutely correct here - none of the people telling him to marry He Zhaozhang can live the rest of his life for him. While NN always does prioritise the state above family, I hate that she is now putting it above somebody else's future happiness, AFTER teaching him to fight for himself.

It feels a bit hypocritical of NN, tbh, and like it muddles the themes of the show a bit. Also, it would be one thing if Snacks marrying HZ was to avert a future catastrophe, but the He family is already heroically dead and Snacks is being asked to self-immolate on their pyre. So unfair.

That said, I'm still appreciative of a lot about this. While I don't like that Snacks is deprived of agency here, you don't often see a drama heroine making this decision, & it's done without any of the "break his heart to save him" nonsense you'd usually see at this point.

We are also shown that although Snacks is giving in to marry HZ, he still has the lessons he's learned from NN about fighting for himself & plans to use them to make his life more bearable. And NN, though kinder & more respectful than HZ, never did truly love him.

I had my money on NN being the one to bow out all along, but I wish the show wasn't trying to make a virtue out of her self-righteous statism. I would love to see NN in the future realising that being able to let LY go like this, was a sign that she didn't truly love him. I hope!

In any case, I'm glad the show leaves us with real hope that Snacks is going to be a better, happier man for having known our girl.

"no need to worry about Miss Cheng's marriage. I'll be responsible for that" the SOUND I made

A LITTLE BOYFRIEND FOR YANG YANG, YESSSS

someone needed to come along and rescue our girl from Murder General's rescue just there, 1 out of 5 stars would not ask for a rescue again

does the man have fingertips made out of Velcro

the emperor is dying to matchmake Niao Niao and Murder General and tbh I feel his frustration, we have entered the "it's been eighty-five years" section of Waiting For The Cdrama Leads To Kiss (Or At Least Confess)

ahahahahahahahahahaha Murder General just blithely announces to all the princes that on account of the cancellation of NN's previous engagement he is going to marry her now and she goes into a coughing fit, hilarious

thing is, I don't think he actually means to be domineering here, I think he reckons the entire city in general and Niao Niao in particular must know about his intentions towards her, so why beat around the bush??? it's not like it's a secret or anything?

!!!! we have a proposal?!?!?!

and her mum is like NO NO NO oh die in a fire, woman

oh wow. oh wow. it's a trainwreck. oh my goodness.

"I had no idea I was so wonderful in your eyes" screaming crying throwing up

the fact that nearly their entire courtship has had to play out in public, carried by family members and households, until finally this proposal scene happens in the royal hall itself during a banquet, is just one more of the absolutely wonderful ways this is SO Austen-esque

I'm dying for these two to have a proper conversation in private but instead they've got to checks notes attend her ex-fiance's wedding together OOOOOOHH

This scene between He Zhaojun and NN is so good. I didn't expect such growth and change for this character based on her introduction. And she's absolutely right - a marriage to someone kind and gentle is far better than to someone elegant, but cruel

The writers making this point feels pretty unusual given a very usual sort of cdrama hero. But if course murder general is, as NN points out, cruel only to his enemies. Or is she in for some surprises? WE SHALL SEE

He certainly has no chill when it comes to using his more powerful position to protect her socially lollll

He's been protecting her so often it's beginning to deprive her of agency and I'm really hoping the story doesn't overlook this in the second half.

OH YES "he's standing up for you! Are you not happy" no, no she is not I AM BLESSED

I can't believe it they're finally having a chance to talk in private and it's ALL ABOUT THIS STUFF

NN just calling him out for his thoughtless use of power

Yessssss we've moved past the point where she can fight catty girls, she's fighting him now, AHHHHHHHH. so good

"let's eat together. No need to feel awkward. I am easy to get along with" amazing "hello fellow kids" energy

OH NO HE'S TRYING TO TELL A JOKE ABORT ABORT

Murder General, who has got straight As on everything in his life to date, getting an F in Intimate Family Dinners and thinking he's done splendidly is really…amazing

I see now how NN's conflict with her mother was setting up her conflict with Murder General - both want to run their families with dictatorial military discipline, and NN, who has had more than enough of it coming from her mother, definitely doesn't want it from a husband. NN I'm barracking for you

SCREAMING

Murder General has now taken over Niao Niao's household to train them so that his beloved will be strong and ready for anything. How bad is it? it's so bad that even Perfect Cousin Yang Yang no longer wants to be an obedient female anymore

the soundtrack for this drama seriously cracks me up sometimes. Most of the time it's lush, romantic classical strings and flutes. Then, BANG - 80's guitar + synths, or…jazz clarinet????

"I'm not used to discussing everything with someone yet" aw he does want to learn better!

"You represent only oppression in my life…I don't need you to take care of me and my family so much" I cannot beLIEVE this show is letting someone say this out loud. Amazing

Cannot believe she just sent him away like that. And of course he went because he only wants someone who loves him. And I think that's the one character detail that makes this man capable of change - he doesn't know how to relate to people outside hierarchy, but he WANTS it

I really, really like that the show doesn't try to gaslight NN that she's making a fuss out of nothing - her parents encourage her to compromise the life she truly wants, but even they aren't bad enough to tell her that this IS the life she wants.

And I also love that BOTH of them are shown reflecting on where they might be going wrong and why they might be better off yielding to the other person - not just NN.

It's delightfully reminiscent of Lizzie and Darcy getting a reality check in tandem after his first proposal. SO AUSTEN.

With episode 27 I've officially finished "season 1" of Love Like the Galaxy and am right around halfway through - and this show is fulfilling my wildest dreams of cdramas justifying tropes, letting the heroine have agency, and overtly calling out the hero's unthinking use of power to control, protect, and smother the heroine. All in a sparkling Jane-Austen-flavoured comedy of manners about a little gremlin girl whose greatest strength is fighting for herself when nobody else will, and a strong, silent murder general who has resolved only to marry for ~~ LOVE ~~

It's so good, if the second half continues to be this good it'll be a solid 10 for me. MORE TO COME.

#love like the galaxy #lltg #ling buyi #cheng shaoshang #cdrama #asian drama

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hollyethecurious · 9 months

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CS AU: The Law of Surprise (2/3)

Summary: The Law of Surprise: a custom as old as humanity itself. The Law dictates that a man saved by another is expected to offer to his savior a boon whose nature is unknown to one or both parties. In most cases, the boon takes the form of the saved man's firstborn child, conceived or born without the father's knowledge.

A/N: This is NOT a Witcher AU. The idea for this fic WAS inspired by the show, however. I’m not sure if the Law of Surprise was a show/game creation or if it existed before. Regardless, this fic is my spin on the concept and will be posted in three parts.

Much love and thanks to the @cssns mods for keeping this event going year after year! A HUGE shout out to my artist @eastwesthomeisbest for the AMAZING pieces she made to accompany my fic. Go give her ALL the flails! Finally, all the hot chocolate, rum, and grilled cheese sandwiches for my amazing betas @ultraluckycatnd and @kmomof4. LOVE YOU LADIES TO BITS!

Rated T (for now) / Also available on ao3 and ff.net / buy me a coffee / add to tag list / Curious? Come Ask Me!

Part One

Part Two

Ten years later…

Hook trudged his way through the Neverland jungle, the humidity dampening the ends of his hair - long overdue for a barber’s hand - and collecting along the bones of his collar and the hollow of his throat. He grumbled beneath his breath as he sidestepped booby traps left by the Lost Boys. Most of them had probably been forgotten and left abandoned when the miscreants’ whims had shifted from whatever depraved game they’d been playing to some new nefarious venture.

During his decade of service, Hook had been tasked a dozen times or more to ferry boys from the accursed realm where Pleasure Island existed. An island that lured boys to their doom with promises of wild frivolity, their fate sealed when they found themselves aboard the Jolly Roger, never to be seen or heard from again once they set foot on the new island of hellish delights. Most didn’t seem to mind, giving themselves over to the feral, lawless ways of the island, following in Pan’s deviant footsteps. Others, however… Well, Hook did not make it a habit of spending time thinking of the others, or their nightly woes that were carried to him by the vindictive Neverland winds as he attempted to find some measure of peace on his ship. Besides, after tonight, he would never have to endure those sobs, or the whoops and war cries, or the perils of the island, or the dangers of its master ever again.

After tonight, he’d be leaving the island of nightmares behind him for good. Too bad the same could not be said of the nightmarish reputation his years of service had crafted.

Pirate. Villain. Void of pity or compassion. Callous. Heartless. Merciless. Barbarous. Cruel.

These were the words he’d seen splashed across countless wanted posters, all demanding his capture - dead or alive - with bounties that had increased exponentially over the years. Posters and decrees that hung in every port, every tavern, displayed on every ship he’d waylaid, and carried in the pockets of every officer or crewmen he’d crossed blades with. Even those from a kingdom in which he’d never committed his crimes. A kingdom he had avoided at all costs, hoping that when his time was up he might still find himself a safe harbour upon her shores of refuge; a place he still might belong, despite his dastardly deeds and fearsome reputation.

Misthaven. His adopted homeland. A place to which he had sworn vows of fealty and devotion, not simply to its sovereigns, but the kingdom as a whole. He had done all he could to maintain his oath, even to the point of waging his own war in allyship as he fulfilled Pan’s ruthless commands by targeting King George’s ships and cargos, even if easier pickings had been available to him, protected by the Misthavian coat-of-arms.

The deck of the Jolly Roger had been bathed in the blood of King George’s men numerous times over the course of the war, which had waged on for the better part of these ten years. It was only in these last few months that peace had finally been achieved. Some sort of deal struck with a sorcerer who ruled a far off kingdom, his dark magic laying waste to George’s forces and ending the king’s reign in, what Hook had been told was, a resounding display of brutality that rivaled his own.

Though he shuddered to think of the deal his sovereigns had willingly made with a madman of such dark proclivities, Hook understood the necessity of desperate measures during such desperate times when those you loved and served were on the brink of death and destruction. Who was he to judge them? They had done what they felt they must in order to safeguard their people. A task made more complex by the fact that the entire conflict had begun with the atrocity of robbing Queen Snow of the ability to conceive an heir. Without a progeny to pass the throne to, Misthaven could have found itself under George’s rule had anything happened to Their Majesties. Hook knew they could not risk their subjects’ futures to such a fate, though he did wonder what the future held for a kingdom with no heir.

He supposed he’d find out for himself once he returned. Assuming he was not killed on sight when he made berth, feeling relatively certain, given the bounty King David himself had set upon his head, that neither his sovereigns nor his brother knew of his true identity. He did not relish the idea of revealing that truth, and could only pray he would find pardon once their shock and disgust subsided. That is… if he even found the courage to return at all.

There was no use denying that he’d considered, on many occasions, leaving the island and sailing as far from the realm as he could. Starting anew in some foreign destination where the names Killian Jones and Captain Hook held no meaning. He could not do that to Liam, though. Could not leave his brother to wonder after his fate, or worse, come looking for him on the island of nightmares where last they saw one another. Plus, he’d made a vow to honor his accords so long as they were honored in kind. He owed it to his sovereigns to return. If the king and queen chose to sever the ties that bound them, by both his oath and the unfilled Law of Surprise, then so be it, but he would not break his oath, not when he’d gone to such lengths to preserve it.

Skull Rock held the same oppressive and imposing heaviness it always did as he marched up the damp stone steps, each bootfall echoing the dread that pounded in his chest. Every time he’d presented himself here, Hook wondered how much more of himself he’d lose while implementing Pan’s bidding. This time was different, though. This time there would be no bidding. No demands. No nefarious schemes or dark dealings. This time, he was being summoned because their deal had finally come to an end. Ten long years of torment would be fulfilled this night and by dawn he would once again taste that which had eluded him for most of his life.

Freedom.

The same, however, could not be said for the poor unfortunate sat cowered in the dark corner of the cavern. A new toy for Pan’s amusement, no doubt. With no sign of Pan just yet, Hook casually glanced back at the small figure who appeared to be trapped in one of Pan’s giant hourglass prisons and was startled to realize it was no boy sitting with their knees curled into their chest, tears streaming down their cheeks, but was in fact… a girl.

Curious. Pan only ever wanted boys to join his little tribe of miscreants. What possible reason could he have for bringing a girl to--

“Ah, Captain! I do hope you have not been waiting long.”

“Only ten insufferable years,” Hook muttered under his breath, though he knew Pan heard him. Pan heard everything. “So we can dispense with the pleasantries if it’s all the same to you.”

They were squared off with one another, each taking on the posture that had become habit. Hook’s stance was always casual yet formidable, his thumb tucked behind his belt buckle with his weight shifted to one side, while Pan leaned against the craggy interior of the cave, his arms and ankles crossed as though he had not a care in the world. However, there was something off about Pan’s comportment this time. Hook could only surmise the change in demeanor was due to the ending of their arrangement and the little bastard’s loss of an errand boy.

A summation that proved wrong when Pan narrowed his gaze and hissed, “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

Hook’s brow pulled together and his head cocked to one side. “Find out… what?”

Pushing off from the wall, Pan slithered his way towards Hook, circling him in a way that made the pirate’s skin crawl, inquiring again, “Did you really think you could keep it from me?”

“Pan,” Hook sighed. He was so tired of the brat’s games. “I’ve no clue what you’re on about.”

Coming to a halt right in front of Hook, Pan crossed his arms over his chest, and though his feet were in a wide stance, exaggerating their difference in height, he somehow leveled his eyes with Hook’s.

“Did you think I would not discover the boon you were entitled to by King David himself?” Pan asked in a casual but dangerous tone. “The Law of Surprise you were promised for saving the man’s life?”

It took all of Hook’s composure not to react, though his jaw did betray him when the muscle beneath twitched. How could he possibly know about--

“Did you really think I would not keep tabs on your brother? On those whom you had served before me? It was part of our original arrangement that they would not interfere, and I had to make sure they made good on that promise. Imagine my surprise when my Shadow returned from his most recent reconnaissance with the news. The Law of Surprise bestowed upon you long ago.”

Trepidation filled him as Pan set off circling again, his mind spinning even as it tried to comprehend the words that followed.

“You never did find out what that surprise entailed, did you?” Pan made his way to stand next to the golden haired girl who was still trapped, her cries for help unable to penetrate the glass as he practically crowed, “Surprise! It’s a girl!”

“What?” Hook exhaled on an incredulous breath. “No, that’s… that’s impossible. She’s--”

“Princess Emma of Misthaven,” Pan stated. “Her existence was kept secret all these years for her own safety. Of course, now that Misthaven’s war with George is at an end the truth was finally revealed to its subjects. Although, I’m pretty sure only their Majesties and your brother are aware of her special connection to you. Well… and now me, of course.”

Hook’s gaze had been fixed on the young girl throughout Pan’s crowing. Her hair was a bit lighter than the king’s, her complexion not quite as porcelain as the queen’s, yet there was no denying her parentage. Her nose, her chin, her eyes… all features he could attribute back to King David or Queen Snow. She was theirs. Their child. But how? The Queen was barren. George had seen to it that she be unable to conceive and produce an heir, which made her existence a surprise indeed.

His surprise. His Child of Surprise according to magical law. She was his.

Drawing his sword, Hook advanced on Pan, thundering, “Let her go!”

With a flick of his wrist Pan immobilized Hook, leaving him virtually paralyzed in place and unable to move.

“I think not,” Pan sneered. “She’s my keepsake. A little token to remember you by… unless…”

“Unless what?” Hook spat through clenched teeth.

“Unless,” Pan drawled, “You agree to stay… indefinitely.”

Hook’s eyes cut to the princess - his princess - and the fear he saw shadowing her face tore his heart. Had Pan ripped her from her bed? Had his monstrous spectre dragged her here through the night sky with the potential horror of falling to her death whipping over her as they sliced their way through the air? How long had she been trapped in that corner, encased in a glass prison? What must she think of the scene playing out before her? How desperate must she be to return to her parents? Her parents. The King and Queen must be frantic. Almost as frantic as he was over the prospect of her being trapped here. Forever.

Over his dead body.

“Deal,” Hook agreed, casting his gaze once more on the demon boy. “On one condition.”

“What condition?”

“You let me take her back,” Hook demanded. “You let me ensure she gets home safe, tucked away once more in her bed. You let me reassure Their Majesties and inform my brother of our new deal. Give me that at least.”

Pan gave him a bored look, an almost disgusted sneer pulling at his lips as though he were disappointed by the sentimentality of the request. “Very well,” he said, dismissively. “I’ll have my Shadow ready the sail, but you best be headed back here before dawn,” he warned, pointing a bony finger towards the pirate. “And remind that brother of yours, he’s not to interfere. Him and your… sovereigns.”

Pan vanished before Hook’s eyes and the weight of what he’d just agreed to fell heavy within his stomach. The glitter of magic pulled his attention towards the hourglass, its walls dissipating, allowing freedom to its captive, but the princess shrank back further into the corner. Clearly fearful, but doing her best to put on a brave face, she stiffened her posture and lifted her chin, her eyes fixed on him as he tentatively approached.

“Have you come to ransom me to my parents?” she demanded, a quiver of fear trembling in her voice and manifesting in her bottom lip.

“No, Princess,” he assured her in a calm and soothing tone, dropping the timbre of his voice as he extended his hand towards her. “I’ve already paid your ransom. I’m taking you home.”

“You? You paid the ransom?” she asked incredulously. “Why?”

He tightened his jaw, making the muscles twitch, and contemplated how much to divulge to her. “Because I… I once served your parents, and between us there is a debt owed. It is my duty to see to your safe keeping.”

“You owe my parents a debt?” she said, taking a step forward.

He said nothing, letting her keep her wrong assumptions, and beckoned her forward with a quick gesture of his hand. “Come,” he said, taking her hand once she was clear of the opening within the glass. “We have a rather long journey ahead of us, and your parents must be worried sick.”

The princess followed along beside him, her little hand tucked tightly in his as they made their way to the cove where the Jolly Roger awaited them. The main sail was already darkened by the Shadow, and Hook wasted no time casting off once he and the princess were safe aboard. As soon as they were far enough away from the island Hook felt the ship begin to lift out of the waters and take flight. He curved his hook around a spoke of the wheel, bracing himself for the transition from sea to air as he held firm to Emma’s hand. The turbulent ascent and the way it made his belly fall was expected, but the arms frantically wrapping around his middle, attempting to squeeze the life out of him was not.

Looking down, he chuckled at the way the little princess buried her face in his leather coat, barely able to discern her muffled, “Tell me when it's over,” as she held on for dear life.

“You’ve nothing to fear, Princess,” he assured her, stroking his hand over her hair. “We can go below if it’ll make you feel better.”

Tilting her face upward, she stared at him with concern and apprehension swirling in her bright green gaze, and if there had been any doubt before, Hook knew in that moment there was not a thing in any and all the realms he would not do to ensure her safety and happiness.

“Don’t you have to man the helm?” she asked.

“No,” he told her, already leading the way towards his quarters. “The ship can manage without me.”

He hovered in the corner by the hatch steps as she perused the room, giving her space to grow comfortable with her surroundings..

“I’ve never been on a pirate ship before.”

“I should think not,” he responded to her off-handed comment, unable to keep the appalled tone from underpinning his words.

“Actually,” she said, studying the maps and charts that littered his desk. “I’ve never been on any ship. I’ve never even left the castle until yesterday.”

“Aye. Pan mentioned you’d been kept a secret all these years.”

“Mama and Papa said it was for my protection. They said King George could never know or else…”

She let the statement trail off and busied herself with inspecting his books, obviously uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed.

“Forgive my curiosity,” Hook began tentatively, the need for answers gnawing at him and waging war against the instinct to keep her from having to recount anything unpleasant. “I was under the impression that Queen Snow was barren. How is it… that is. How did you…”

“The waters of Lake Nostos,” she informed him, making her way to his bunk and plopping herself down to sit on its edge with a small bounce.

“The what?” He crossed his arms and ankles, reclining further into the corner, heartened by the way she seemed to be relaxing in his presence and unwilling to make any sudden movement that might put her on edge once more.

“Lake Nostos,” she repeated, fidgeting with something in her hands. A seashell, Hook realized. She must have plundered it from his desk without his notice. She’d make a hell of a pirate someday, he thought wryly.

“My father acquired a barrel of it, hoping its powers might restore what King George’s poison took from my mother,” she went on to explain. “That’s what the legend says it does, anyway.”

Hook’s brows furrowed as a long forgotten piece of knowledge made its way from the recesses of his mind. “Its waters were said to have magical properties that could return something that was once lost.” The princess nodded, but Hook’s skepticism deepend. “I thought those waters had dried up.”

“They had,” she continued, turning the seashell over in her hands, “But Papa found a merchant that had one remaining barrel of its waters, and was able to acquire it. Although, his search for a cure was almost for naught.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because Papa’s ship was ambushed by King George, with the barrel still aboard, and it sank to the bottom of the sea during the battle. Papa himself almost perished.”

Flashes of that battle erupted within Hook's mind. The smell of the gunpowder, the coppery taste of blood in the air, the excruciating pain in his wrist, the frigid bite of the dark waters, and those last moments just beyond death’s cold grip before he…

“Fortunately, a sailor hooked himself to the barrel and used it to keep afloat. Otherwise… I wouldn’t be here.”

All the air whooshed from Hook’s lungs, but he barely had time to process that astonishing twist of fate before the ship lurched and a tell-tale shade of green began to colour the princess’ features.

“There, there, lass,” he cooed softly, managing to get the basin to her in time and rubbing soothing circles over her back as she retched. Leaving the basin in her lap, he crossed the cabin and mixed up a tonic that would help settle her stomach, as well as put her to sleep for the duration of their journey.

“Here,” he offered, giving her a soft, encouraging smile as she brought the cup to her lips. “This will help with the queasiness, but it’ll also make you drowsy.”

Hook was humbled by the trust she showed him, swallowing every last drop of the tonic before handing the empty cup back to him.

“How long will it take before we get back to Misthaven?”

“A few hours,” he replied, grabbing a soft blanket from the chest at the foot of his bunk and encouraging her to lay back.

She yawned as he covered her, seemingly unaware as he removed the seashell from her grasp and placed it in his pocket, then she turned onto her side and tucked her hand beneath her head, her eyes following him as he settled into the chair behind his desk.

“You know… Papa doesn’t care for pirates much.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmm,” she uttered wearily, the tonic already taking effect. “Make sure to wake me when we get there, so I can ensure your safety when you bring me back to the castle.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Hook’s mouth, and he couldn’t deny the warm feeling seeping through his chest at her insistence that she would protect him. Him. The fearsome Captain Hook.

“Do you believe your father would have me in irons the moment I set foot within the castle walls?”

“Yes,” she yawned. “Unless Uncle Liam gets to you first.”

The warm feeling turned to ice at the mention of his brother’s name. Uncle Liam. She’d been raised to regard his brother as her kin. It should not have surprised him. Of course his brother would have filled the void and stepped into the gap his absence had left behind. The Law of Surprise was dictated by the fates - and if he’d ever held any doubts over just how destiny driven that ancient magic was, the princess had all but wiped them away with her confirmation that her very existence would not have been possible had he not tethered himself to that barrel with the very hook her mother had later gifted him. The one still affixed to the brace on his left arm - it stood to reason that providence would provide a surrogate until such a time that destiny could be fulfilled.

Hook wondered what the fates might have in store for her now that he’d bound himself once more to Pan, this time… indefinitely. Perhaps that was fate's design as well. Who else but his brother could best help prepare her for the path that lay ahead as heir and future queen of Misthaven. Liam was a much better candidate than he, even before they’d sailed to Neverland. Before he’d failed to protect his captain from harm. Before he’d made the deal. Before Pan made him a pirate. Before he’d succumbed to the persona of Hook and, at times, many more times than he’d care to admit, had reveled in it.

Aye. This must have been the fates plan all along. A way to correct the error of the Law of Surprise ever being bestowed upon him in the first place. A way to ensure Emma’s safety and protection, her happiness and contentment. A way to set her on the right course so she could reign and rule her people with love and patience, mercy and justice. Virtues he’d long buried until they’d suffocated under the weight of his vices.

The fates were right. What use was a filthy, murderous, villainous pirate to one such as her? She was better off being looked after by his brother. Better off without him tarnishing her life and legacy, corrupting whatever goodness the fates had in store for her.

Hook left the little princess sleeping contentedly in his bunk, making his way back to the helm with his flask unstoppered in his hand. With each long pull of rum he took his eyes scanned the stars until he saw the two familiar flickering lights that signaled their passage from one realm to the next. The ship steered towards the star on the left and new heavens opened above him, revealing constellations he’d spent many a night in recovery mapping from one of the castle’s towers.

The Jolly Roger set down in the Misthavian waters several leagues from port and Hook moored her in a small cove not far from the castle. Gathering the still slumbering princess in his arms, he secured her to his person then swung down from the deck with the aid of the rigging. The sleeping draught he’d added to the tonic was proving quite effective, and Hook pushed away the guilt he felt over drugging her, knowing it had not been only for her own comfort that he’d added the sedative.

It was an arduous trek to the castle with very little of the waning moon’s beams to help guide him. Its illumination proved enough to alert the tower guards of his approach, however, for no sooner had he stepped onto the path that led to the back gate than a voice cried out a commanding order.

“Halt! Unhand the princess!”

“I have come in peace,” Hook told them, adjusting the princess’ weight in his arms.

“Not likely,” the guard scoffed. “You were spotted the moment your ship, with its unnatural black sail, descended. Since when does Captain Hook ever do anything in the name of peace?”

Hook sighed and leveled his gaze at the young knight, all the while clocking the other guards that were beginning to surround him. “Since he is here, not as Hook, but as the man he once was before becoming a pirate.” Swallowing heavily, he announced himself by the name he’d abandoned long ago. A name that felt more like a moniker than the one he’d earned wielding the weapon that had become his namesake. “Killian Jones.”

A few of the guards balked. “Jones? As in Admiral Liam--”

“I demand an audience with Their Majesties and my brother,” Hook barked. “I will only turn the princess over to their care. No one else.”

“Now see here, pirate! Who do you think you are to make dem-”

“Let him pass!” a familiar voice called out from behind the line of knights and guards. Pushing her way through the assembly, Tink emerged, a stunned and elated expression beaming from her features.

“Lady Bell,” Hook murmured in greeting, a wash of something like shame cascading over him as her eyes took him in and her expression soured into something more like shocked horror than pleasant surprise.

Whatever her final estimations of him, she shook off her stupefaction and rounded on the guards once more. “Did you not hear me? I said let him pass. Captain Jones is a faithful servant to the crown, evident by the fact that he has returned the princess to us. Escort him to the throne room and awaken Their Majesties at once!”

Hook had no idea what power Tink had carved out for herself within the Misthaven court this past decade, but that did not keep him from enjoying the spectacle of knights and guards tripping over themselves to carry out her orders as he was ushered to the throne room.

“Wait here,” his escort instructed, securing the doors behind him as he exited to stand guard until Their Majesties’ arrival. Hook was astonished that the man had left him alone with the princess, though he was grateful for the solitude, knowing he’d need these few moments to collect his thoughts and figure out how he would tell them about the new deal he’d struck… and because he knew these were the final moments he’d have with the princess - his princess - before he’d have to say goodbye to her.

Potentially forever.

He did not wish to linger on that thought.

Hook lowered himself onto the edge of the dais and cradled the princess in his lap while he waited for the king and queen to arrive. It felt strange to be back in this room. Not much had changed, based on the cursory perusal he gave the space upon entering. He wondered how much he would find King David and Queen Snow changed, to say nothing of his brother. They would be older, no doubt. Bits of gray peppering their temples, a few wrinkles beginning to etch themselves around the eyes and across their foreheads, but despite their outward appearance, Hook doubted very much that the years would have altered them as they had him.

No. If anyone was different, if anyone had undergone a drastic change to the point they might find themselves unrecognizable to those who had once known them best, it was him. Glancing down at himself, bedecked in his typical black leather and adorned with all manner of accessories unbecoming an officer, Hook wondered very much if any of them would recognize him at all.

The throne room doors banged open, causing Hook’s head to shoot up. The king and queen rushed in, hand-in-hand, followed closely by his brother. The three of them, darned in their nightclothes with their chests heaving from the exertion of sprinting from their respective bedchambers, stopped short at the sight of him sitting there with the princess wrapped in his arms. Gently, Hook laid Emma down beside him, then moved away, averting his eyes so as to not see their shocked expressions.

“She is well,” he assured them. “I gave her a sleeping draught to help calm her nerves on the journey home. It will wear off in due course.”

Stepping further back when he heard the stampede of footfalls coming towards him, Hook watched with a pained sort of contentment as the king and queen dashed to their daughter’s side. His meticulously honed skills, developed from years of having to navigate past dangers lurking within the Neverland jungle, alerted him to the soft pads making their way, not to the princess, but to him, and Hook braced himself to face his brother.

“Killian?” Liam's tone of pure exhilaration tore right through Hook. “Little brother, is it really you?”

“Aye,” Hook replied, his gaze, growing misty from the emotion welling beneath his lashes, still cast downward as he felt the weight of his brother’s hand upon his shoulder.

“After all this time,” Liam began, a sob choking his words. His hands cupped Hook’s face and he tilted his head upwards so he could look fully at his brother’s features. “You look just the same and yet, I hardly recognize you. Whatever are you wearing?”

Hook could not help the amused huff that left his lungs, matching his brother’s cheeky smile before allowing Liam to pull him into a tight embrace. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he desperately clung to his brother, wishing with all his might this didn’t have to be another good-bye.

“Oh, Killian!” Snow wailed, launching herself into his arms after Liam had released him, and he soon found himself in the bear-like grip of the king as his arms wound around both he and the queen.

“You found her? You brought her home? But how?” King David inquired, prompting their assembly back towards the dais so he and Snow could sit with Emma as they waited for answers. “She went missing only yesterday, when her maids found her bed empty. We hadn’t even sent word to other kingdoms yet, so how did you--”

“Charming,” Snow interjected, her eyes scrutinizing Hook with the practiced eye of a caring mother. “The tale can wait until Killian has had a chance to rest.” A warm smile graced her lips as she lovingly admonished, “You look dead on your feet. Allow us to have a room made up for you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I am afraid I must decline,” Hook responded heavily. “I only have until dawn before I must return.”

“Return?” Liam exclaimed. “No! Your years of service to Pan expired yesterday! I thought… I thought that’s why you were here. Because you are now free.”

“It’s true, my original agreement with Pan ended yesterday,” Hook said, his eyes cast back down towards the floor once more. “But… I made a new deal with the demon boy, and I must get back before dawn or else it becomes void.”

“Let it!” Liam shouted. “Whatever reason you made this deal, surely it is not worth another decade of suffering under that vile imp’s rule.”

Hook flicked his gaze up to Liam’s, then over to the still slumbering princess and imparted, “It is, actually.”

Snow gasped and David balked when they both realized the meaning and gravity of Hook’s words, and three sets of horrified and anguish filled eyes turned upon him.

“You mean--”

“It was Pan,” Hook confirmed with a somber nod. “Somehow, he discovered the boon I earned in saving your life all those years ago. The Law of Surprise I was not even aware I had received until it sat caged in Pan’s lair. The price of Princess Emma’s freedom was for me to agree to stay, and it is a deal I would make a thousand times over.”

“For how long?” David demanded. “How long is this new deal for?”

Hook’s jaw tightened and once again he found himself unable to look any of them in the eye as he confessed, “Indefinitely. Likely, until one of our deaths sets me free.”

Shouts of outrage erupted around him, both the king and his brother insisting he stay, assuring him they would be willing to go to war with Pan if need be.

“No!” Hook hollered back, a flash of fury burning in his eyes as he drew himself up to full captain’s height and stepped into the persona he’d fashioned for himself over these many years. “You don’t know Pan as I do. He is a formidable foe, one you can not hope to defeat with conventional means. You’ve only just found peace for your kingdom now the war with George is at an end. I will not see you enter into another. I will not risk any of your lives just to try and save mine.” Each of them flinched under his hardened gaze as it snapped from one to the other until it landed with a softened hint of affection upon the princess. “I will not risk hers,” he murmured gruffly. “She is too important, and I… I am nothing more than a filthy pirate.”

“That’s not true, little broth--”

“It is true!” Hook growled menacingly, raising his namesake. “I am none other than Captain Hook, who you yourself have issued countless bounties for, dead or alive,” he told them as the full realization of his identity hit them. “And that is only for the crimes you know I have committed. You cannot even fathom the atrocities of which I am truly guilty.”

“Killian, none of that mat--”

“That is no longer my name!” Hook roared. His eyes flashed again and David instinctually pulled his wife behind him. The protective action cut Hook to the quick, and he quickly deflated as he swept his hand through his hair while filling his lungs with a calming breath. Running his tongue over his lips, he swallowed past the shame gurgling up from his belly, and set contrite eyes upon his sovereigns. “My apologies,” he said in earnest. “Killian Jones may have been a man worthy of such sacrifice, but I assure you, Captain Hook is not. Regardless,” he paused and set his eyes upon Emma once more. “For better or worse, the fates entrusted her to my keeping, and I would see that duty met. But that won’t be possible once I leave here, which means…” he cast his eyes upon his brother and began to decree, “Into your keeping, brother, I bestow the rights and duty of the Law of-”

“Stop!” Liam commanded, placing his hands on his brother’s shoulders. “Don’t. Don’t you do that. Don't you give up.” Gesturing towards the princess, Liam vowed, “I will look after her in your stead, but she will remain your Child of Surprise. If only to give you some reason to keep on fighting. You said you would do your duty towards her, and we will hold you to that, brother. None of us can know why the fates chose you, all we can do is trust in some greater plan that has yet to come to fruition.”

“Liam is right,” the king added in agreement. “The honor, privilege, and responsibility of my child’s life rests with you, Killian. It always has. Will you continue to safeguard it?”

Eyes once more fixed on the sleeping child resting in her mother’s lap, Hook took in a deep and shuddering breath. “Aye,” he exhaled. “Even to my last breath.”

The force of the king’s slap to his back nearly knocked him over. “Good. Then come and sit with us. You said we only had until dawn, and we have much to catch up on.”

The next few hours were spent in camaraderie and merriment, with only the occasional melancholy or remorse. Hook had forgotten what it felt like: fellowship, the use of his given name, the occasion to laugh, to tease, to bond. All too soon the roosters began to crow from the yard outside the castle walls, announcing the coming of the dawn that would begin creeping over the horizon within the hour.

Hook would never know where he found the fortitude to not break down when the time came to bid a final farewell to Their Majesties - his friends - and brother. David gave him his word that he would have pardon within Misthaven, that the kingdom would be a refuge and sanctuary to him whenever he might have need of it. Liam made his little brother promise to keep fighting, to keep searching for a way to defeat Pan so he could come home once and for all. When the time came to say good-bye to Snow, Hook’s words got caught in his throat. Not because this was a more difficult farewell, but because it meant the one he was truly dreading would be next.

“Would you…” Snow began, hesitantly. Perhaps sensing his turmoil in that intuitive way she had about her. “Would you mind helping me get Emma back to her room?” she asked, glancing over at the cushioned bench where the princess had continued to sleep throughout their reunion. “I had hoped she might wake up so you could tell her good-bye, but perhaps tucking her in and knowing she is safe and sound would be the next best thing?”

“Aye, thank you, Your Majes… I mean. Thank you, Snow,” Hook corrected when she raised her brows at him, reminding him they had agreed to dispense with the honorifics, as good friends were wont to do.

Gathering the princess in his arms, Hook gave David and Liam one last look and resolved nod before following Snow out of the throne room and through the corridors until they reached Emma’s chambers. Snow opened the doors and gestured Hook inside, hovering just beyond the threshold as Hook deposited the princess in bed.

The child groaned and stretched, momentarily opening her eyes and fighting the effects of the draught as she wearily gazed up at the pirate kneeling beside the bed.

“Shhh, princess,” he soothed. “Everything is well now. You’re home.”

“I told you to wake me,” she mumbled. “Papa didn’t arrest you, did he?”

Hook chuckled. “No, lass. Your Papa has been most hospitable, but I have worn out my welcome and must go now.”

“Must you?”

“Aye, princess. I’m afraid so.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

Hook threaded his fingers through her hair, stroking the long, silken strands with a gentle touch before tucking them behind her ear. “I hope so, princess. Most assuredly.”

“Me, too.”

Her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing began to even back out. Hoping she had not fully succumbed to the abyss of sleep once more, Hook pulled the seashell she’d taken from his desk and placed it back in her palm. “Here,” he murmured softly, “A little something to remember me by, and… a promise.” Stroking her hair once more, Hook leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead, sending up a silent prayer to all the gods and fates that she be kept safe and only know happiness in her life before vowing, “Not a day will go by I won’t think of you.”

He knelt there for a moment more before making his way back towards the door, pausing at the threshold when he heard a quiet, “good” murmured from her bed. Tears stung his eyes, a halting breath escaping from his chest as he tried to maintain his composure in Snow’s presence.

Wrapping her arms around him, Snow gave him sanctuary to pour out his anguish. The despair and injustice. Everything he’d been suppressing since he’d discovered the truth and learned of Emma’s existence. Everything that was boiling over within him now, having to leave behind all he held dear, all that was precious to him.

It wasn’t fair.

Not because he felt he deserved better, he knew he didn’t. No. It wasn’t fair to Emma. Surely she must have felt it? The bond that had been created between them through the Law of Surprise. The feeling of being incomplete, as though he were leaving parts of himself behind, would she feel that loss as well? Would she ache for something she sensed missing as the deep recesses within him were now beginning to ache for her? Would she endeavor to fill the void his absence would create? Would she come looking for him?

“She can’t ever know,” Hook declared desperately.

“What?”

“Emma,” Hook clarified. “She can’t ever know about me. About the Law of Surprise. Please, Snow. Promise me you won’t burden her with that knowledge. Have the fairies help her forget me, if necessary.”

“Killian, what are you saying?” Snow inquired, her brow frightfully furrowed at his frantic demeanor.

“I’m saying, if she doesn’t know about me, then she won’t… she won’t be tempted to come find me. She’ll stay here. She’ll stay safe. Promise me.”

“I… I promise,” Snow agreed, though Hook could tell it was begrudgingly. “I promise that if she is ever to know the truth, it will only come from your lips.”

“Thank you,” he exhaled on a relieved breath, before pulling her into a final embrace. “For everything. I…”

“I know,” she assured him. “You must go,” she insisted, releasing him and taking a step back while wiping away her tears. “Dawn approaches.”

“Aye,” Killian replied, reaching out and giving her hand a squeeze. “Take care of yourself, Your Majesty.”

“Take care of yourself… Captain.”

With only minutes to spare, Hook made it back to the Jolly Roger and set sail back to Neverland. He was halfway back to the island of horrors when a sound from the hold sparked his curiosity. A quick search revealed… a stowaway.

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing here, Tink?!”

“Shhh,” she admonished. “Keep your voice down or that spectre will hear you.”

“How do you know that spectre doesn’t already know you’re on board?”

“Because it was asleep when I snuck on.”

Hook balked. “It sleeps?”

“Yup,” she replied with a dramatic pop of the p. “Ten years and you never realized Pan’s shadow sleeps? I was right. You do need my help.”

“Your help?” Hook questioned, his head cocked to one side as he looked upon the fairy with confusion. “Help with what?”

“Why… killing Pan, of course. You and I both know that’s the only way out of your new deal with him.”

“How did you-”

“I was eavesdropping from the second floor gallery.”

“You what?!”

Tink held up her hand to stay his indignation. “Do you want to admonish me, or do you want to hear my plan?”

“You have a plan?” he repeated, with a heavy dose of skepticism. “To kill Pan?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Tink rocked back on her heels. “Mhmm. Wanna hear it or not?”

She was serious. She actually had a plan, and from the resolve he could see set within her shoulders and the way her eyes gleamed, Hook could tell it was a good one.

“I’m listening.”

Hook had to give it to the fairy, she was brilliant. Her plan had merit. Real merit. But it would take time, and cunning, and a fair amount of luck, and they’d be putting themselves at great risk if they failed.

“Why?” he demanded. “Why are you doing this? Risking everything. Your very life. Just to help me go free?”

“For one,” she said, taking his hand. “You deserve it.”

He wasn’t too sure about that. “And the other?”

Tink wet her lips and swallowed. “I’m doing it for her. For Emma. She needs you. Her life will never be… complete, never be fulfilled, never be what it's meant to be. Not without you in it.”

“You’re wrong,” he said, pulling his hand away. “She’s far better off without me in her life.”

A smirk lifted the corner of her lips, and they were both jolted by the jarring impact of the ship’s return to the waters of Neverland.

“We’ll see about that.”

Part Three - Coming Soon!

Tagging the Curious Crew: (add to tag list)

(Please be advised that I only keep one tag list for all fic updates and new works. If at any time you wish to be removed, just shoot me an ask or a DM. No worries.)

@paradiselady19 @aprilqueen84 @kmomof4 @mie779 @donteattheappleshook @stahlop @anmylica @undercaffinatednightmare @zaharadessert @karl0ta @booksteaandtoomuchtv @courtorderedcake @superchocovian @pirateherokillian @ultraluckycatnd @jennjenn615 @the-darkdragonfly @jonesfandomfanatic @wyntereyez @xarandomdreamx @teamhook @winterbaby89 @justanother-unluckysoul @whimsicallyenchantedrose @badwolfreturns @deckerstarblanche @tiganasummertree @jrob64 @resident-of-storybrooke @motherkatereloyshipper @lfh1226-linda @youherotype @kday426 @snowbellewells @alexa-fangirl-forever @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @unworried-corsair @sals86 @natascha-ronin @livykatelin00-blog @jackieorioncat @annep1 @ilovemesomekillianjones @soniccat @youplaylikeagirl @th3capta1n @cocohook38 @zippoluv @bizquake

#csff

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apocalypticavolition · 2 months

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Let's (re)Read The Great Hunt! Chapter 48: First Claiming

Today has not been good so let me summarize:

This post contains lots of spoilers.

Specifically the spoilers are for Wheel of Time.

ALL OF IT

Don't read if you don't want those.

We have the Dragon's Fang symbol because Rand has been marked as the Dragon in a variety of ways.

And there was something drawing her on, as surely as if she had a string tied to her.

Poor Min is already being strangled by the red strings of fate.

She did not blame Bayle Domon for not waiting longer, not after what she had seen; she thought it a wonder he had remained so long.

Makes me wonder why we looked in to see him still waiting resolutely when we could have looked in to see him finally decide to give up.

Silver glittered as the figure raised a bow; a streak of silver lanced to the boxy ship, a gleaming line connecting bow and ship. With a roar she could hear even at that distance, fire engulfed the foretower anew, and sailors rushed about the deck.

Birgitte is a badass. I really don't have anything else to say about it. She's just that cool.

She pried his hand open, and winced when the hilt stuck to his palm. She tossed it aside with a grimace. The heron on the hilt had branded itself into his hand.

It's funny that the prophecy mentions the Dragons and the Herons as twice markings but not the double unhealing wounds on his side. It can't be that Fain sidestepped fate there - otherwise Rand would not have been able to cleanse saidin on schedule - so one wonders what the deal is. Just the lack of a cool animal?

What shook her was the feel of his flesh. It had a touch of ice in it; he made the air seem warm.

Medically speaking that's pretty terrible.

With a put-upon sigh, she wriggled under the covers beside him.

This really is how you treat hypothermia, though technically speaking you're supposed to remove as much clothing as possible first to encourage thermal exchange. It's basically the only time you can remove an unconscious person's clothing and get into bed with them without being a bad person so I'm disappointed that Min's not taking full advantage of the situation.

Light, why did the Pattern have to catch me up with you? Why couldn’t I have something safe and simple, like being shipwrecked with no food and a dozen hungry Aielmen?

That's pretty racist, Min. And you probably would have been as safe as a starving person could be; I expect the Aiel would find it bad form to cannibalize someone.

“I—I felt him pulling at me. Needing me. Elayne felt it, too. I thought it must be something to do with—with what he is, but Nynaeve didn’t feel anything.”

Odd that Egwene is being tangled up in the red string of fate too. Funnier still that the Wheel doesn't point the healer at Rand, though perhaps she wouldn't have been able to stay angry at the sight of him.

Egwene looked at her for what seemed a long time. Not at Rand, not at all, only at her.

Egwene is clearly struggling between the understandable urge to scream "He'll go mad and kill you!" at Min to punish her petty comments and the desire to not think about Rand that way. Also she's fucking exhausted and just spent some time a slave, so Min's really not being cool here.

Light, I don’t even know if I am the one you’ll choose. I don’t know if I want you to choose me. Or will you try to dandle all three of us on your knee?

Not gonna lie but with how this particular polycule plays out I honestly wouldn't have minded if Rand had just tried to be a player with each gal in turn (maybe circling back to Elayne towards the end). Just for Min's sake, since she's the one who doesn't really fit in the rest at all and would probably prefer to be a FWB followed by being out the door.

Ishamael thinks he controls events, but I do.

Bold claim from somebody who...

*checks notes*

...fucked around with Rand on one occasion and had virtually no influence over him. Lanfear is incredibly high on her own supply.

“Lews Therin was and is mine, girl. Tend him well for me until I come for him.” And she was gone.

Least realistic part of this. Lanfear would have insta-gibbed Min for the sin of touching her man.

The legion was dead, Lord Captain Geofram Bornhald was dead, and there was only one explanation for that; Darkfriends had betrayed them, Darkfriends like that Perrin of the Two Rivers.

It's incredible how close to right Byar is while still being utterly wrong on all counts. Anyway, this is another odd aside in that we pretty much already knew that he was going to go tell the Whitecloaks that Perrin was responsible. Ah well.

Next time: Double feature! Chapters 49 and 50!

#let's read #wheel of time #wot #robert jordan #wheel of time spoilers #wot spoilers #min farshaw #birgitte #rand al'thor #egwene al'vere #lanfear #jaret byar

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best-titan-7274 · 6 months

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[materializes in ur inbox] perhaps. by and a kitty. or cooper and a kitty.

I saw this and knew it had to be an orange cat

"Cooper."

"Mrphrm?"

"I am detecting a life form outside your quarters."

"Mmkay, thanks."

He's halfway back to sleep when BT speaks again.

"It is not leaving."

Jack groans and rolls over, squnting at the clock. Just past two in the morning. Of course it is.

He shuffles his way to the door, sees no one, and is about to ask BT if he's sure, when a scratchy wail scares the everloving shit out of him.

Good thing there's nobody around to hear his yelp.

"Cooper!"

Right, except his Titan.

"Everything's fine, BT. I've just got a little visitor. C'mere, little guy."

The kitten stumbles toward him, more than walking, and he picks it up with both hands, hoping it doesn't have fleas. He's never going to hear the end of it, if it does.

But he's not thinking about any of that right now, because the little thing is adorable - aww, look at those ear tufts - and also totally alone. How did it even get here? The base has security systems, but none of them are calibrated for cats, especially little ones.

"Hey, BT. What do you think about a pet?"

"Unclear. Further information required."

Jack chuckles. Yeah, that sounds about right. He leaves the door open behind him, turning on the lamp on his bedside table. Gotta find his shoes somewhere, and his jacket, and probably his ID, too, so he can get back into his own room later. He's gotten locked out twice already and that has been more than enough.

The cafeteria is silent besides the quiet thrum of the refrigerated cases. All the chairs are stacked up on the tables, and the overhead lights are off, leaving just the reserve lights around the baseboard.

Now he just has to figure out what's here that he can feed a kitten.

"What do you think?" he asks, looking down at the kitten curled up in his jacket, against his chest.

It starts chewing on his thumb. Yeah. That's about all he expected.

When he hears footsteps, his head pops up, and he wishes there were more lights on, because the light from inside the fridge has kind of ruined his night vision.

"Cooper?"

Oh, Briggs. Maybe she'll have an idea on what to do next. She flicks the lights on, too, which is a help.

He opens his mouth.

"MRAOW!"

The look on Briggs' face is indescribable, and that's not a word he uses every day.

He sidesteps and closes the fridge door, so she can see the kitten.

"Would you believe me if I said 'he did it'?" he asks, trying for a charming grin.

"Where did you get a cat?"

"I dunno. BT woke me up saying there was a life form outside my door that wasn't going away, and I found this guy."

"Cooper, Commander Briggs is approaching your position."

He bites back a sigh and tilts his head back, staring at a weird spot on the ceiling for a few seconds. "Thanks, BT."

"There's cat food in the commissary," Briggs says.

"Oh. Thanks. Anything I can help you with?"

She gives him a Look, and he nods, knowing full well what that means.

"Good luck," she says, opening one of the cabinets and taking down a silver canister.

"Yeah, you too." He yawns, and then he's off to the commissary. Good thing it's a 24/7 kind of place, because he really wouldn't want to have to wake someone up to get in there.

The guy at the register abandons it the second he sees the kitten, somehow cooing and complimenting his way into holding the base's latest addition. He also leads the way to the cat food section. It's only two kinds of food, but that's more than Jack expected. Neither is for kittens, though.

A quick internet search proves that this food is fine for kittens, too, at least temporarily, and Register Guy promises to get some kitten food shipped in as soon as possible.

Jack really should learn his name, but it is two in the morning, so he just yawns again and says thanks and goes to find BT.

"Cooper. You are holding a small animal."

"Yep."

"Do you intend to embark with the small animal?"

"Mhm."

There's cafeteria-level silence after that for a few long seconds.

"Or..." Jack draws out, trying to think of an alternative. He's got nothing.

BT still doesn't say anything, but he holds his hand out as the cockpit doors open, so Jack takes that as a good sign. He's settled in his seat a few seconds later, squirming around a little to get as comfortable as he can. These things aren't really meant to be beds, but he's slept here often enough.

"Beginning information gathering. Life form class: pet. Designation: unknown."

"His designation could be Designation," Jack suggests.

"Incoherent speech patterns. Recommend additional four to six hours of sleep."

"We could name him Designation," he clarifies. "Des for short."

"Life form class: pet. Designation: Designation."

Okay, when he hears it like that, Jack laughs.

Des crawls out of his jacket, trying to explore, but Jack catches him before he goes too far. The cockpit doesn't have any loose wires, but still, he doesn't want the little guy to get into something he shouldn't. Apparently it's all right to have cats, based on the commissary stock, so now he just has to figure out how to make it official.

Once Des realises he's not going to be allowed to explore, he settles for curling up against Jack's neck, purring up a storm, his front paws kneading at the collar of the jacket.

"The purpose of the small animal's presence is unclear," BT says.

Aw, and he was almost asleep, too.

"Y'mean having a pet? They're cute. Make you happy. Chew on your furniture sometimes, I hear."

"That does not seem beneficial."

"Eh, they make trouble, sure, but it all balances out. I mean, just look at how fluffy he is."

"I will update my internal records to reflect your appreciation for fluffy small animals."

"Aw, thanks, BT."

There's silence for another few minutes, but Jack can hear the tick-kick-tick from the back that sometimes accompanies BT's 'thinking'.

"Life form class: pet, has been accepted as beneficial to pilot. Pet designation: Des, has been accepted as beneficial to pilot."

"You're real sweet," Jack mumbles, and it's not long after that, that Des' purring lures him back to sleep.

#titanfall 2 #bt 7274 #jack cooper #request #hm how do i tag the cat #ttf2 des

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marvelsage · 1 year

Text

4.Avatar: The Way of Water

PT3 PT5

“Kiri..” said girl glanced over her shoulder, your approaching figure causes her to scoot over as you sit beside her. For a moment nothing was said between a one another, you just took a moment to gather yourself.

“When Gaia was around Tuks age, she had just begun to sneak away from her lessons as a healer. Thinking nobody would notice the clinking of her beaded bracelets.” You laugh lightly at the memories.

“After the third time I decided to just follow her and see where she goes off to. Turns out that she had bonded an abandoned Tulkun.” You felt Kiri curious gaze on you, meeting her eyes you smile softly.

“You and your siblings remind me so much of her.”

“Is that you always stand up for us? In her remembrance?”

“It is part of the reason, yes. But, to also remind those who need it that you are all just children. Getting into trouble, rebelling against the odds, and making mistakes it is a part of you growing up. You know.”

“Yeah, I just wish that I wasn’t so different. Did you know that I can no longer connect with the ancestral tree because of my seizures? It-it is like a part of me..has been stripped away.” You pull her into a hug and let her cry.

“Oh Kiri, you must remember that Eywa is all around and in us. Along with the ones before us as they watch over us be it by the tears from your eyes, in the stars in the night, in the wind on your skin. They are never too far from us, Kiri.” Pulling away to see her nod in understanding and pull you back into a tighter hug.

“You remind me so much of her too…” You figured she was speaking of her own mother that you recalled having heard of in one of the conversations you had with Neytiri.

“They are never far from us.”

The distant sound of crashing and wails cause a reaction from the depths of the ocean as you and a few of your warriors went to investigate. The sight before you all enraged something deep within you. The sky people were hunting a mother Tulkun and her calf. With quick orders, you took action and dived below the ship sending two warriors to warn off the other Tulkun. Together you and your warriors did some damage to their subs and ships with minor cuts and bruises.

“…rail her in!” Arrising on one of the rocks your heart broke as they were able to catch the mother and about to proceed with the calf. With a running start, skilled steps and breathes you heaved your spear into the middle of the main boat there, at the heart of their gadgets.

“Mahana! Nani! Take the calf!” Running along the rocks as one of the boats that had been damaged from your people struggled to hit you. Sliding down the moss into the water, quickly being handed another spear and heading back for the main boat.

With a great war cry from your throat, you leaped in front of them and stabbed the front deck causing the back half to lift. The sky people rocketed in the air and into the water some were probably being saved by their subs. Rising from you kneeled position making eye contact with a certain blue man. He charges first, sloppy, a quick sidestep and flick of your wrist the spear knocks into his back sending him into the rail. He flips around but by then you had the sharp end at his throat.

“You disgu-” A quick swipe across his face and great force slam the spear centimeters from his head.

“You are what you hate, I would not speak so boldly.” He was not yours to end, he will live for now. You back away and with a final look, you dive back into the water and gain distance from the scene.

Arriving at the agreed location with your people even form a car you could hear the wails from the babe. Swimming up beside it as they turn to you and with the soft shake of your head, they curl against the side of another elder Tulkun as you gave them the space to mourn. Signing to surface, you each take a spot on one of the small sand bays conflicted. You let them have their moment as well as a few sniffles were heard and tune everything out.

“What do we do?” It was Mahana who had asked the question breaking the ice. You continued to stare into the water taking deep breathes to not cry but also to retain your burning rage. Collecting yourself before spinning to the group and looking to each on of them.

“…Make sure the Tulkun get far away.” Heading in the direction of the metkayina tribe, motioning for Mahana and Nani to follow.

“Yes, Olo’eykte Y/n” Being the last you hear from them before submerging into the water.

@zatarias-pandora @lovelyspecs @laylasbunbunny @ladylovegood-69 @atwerkingbee @bunnysimp08 @lilithizhere

#avatar 2 #avatar the way of water #avatar fanfiction #avatar x you #jake sully #neytiri #tonowari #ronal #x reader #avatar #aonung #neteyam #kiri #loak #tumblr fyp

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photogirl894 · 1 month

Text

"Sun and Rain Part 2: Age of the Empire"

Chapter 31

"The Koriena Way"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

A/N: Here we go again with another chapter! We're taking a break from a lot of the angst I've dealt out recently and having a bit more fun with this one 😊 And I say that sincerely! Love you all and I hope you enjoy!

Also, thanks to @l-lend for her help with some ideas in the beginning of this chapter as well as a little credit to my hubby, as well 😉😊

Lastly, if you play Baldur's Gate 3, there is a minor BG3 reference in here...if you're familiar with Minthara at all 😜

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @intrepidmare , @cole-kenxbi , @tech-aficionado , @ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan , @sammi9498 , @darthzero22 , @scarlettrose9901 , @thebadbatchscyare , @chxpsi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @4pplecider , @locitapurplepink , @l-lend , @nekotaetae , @eternalwaffle , @merkitty49 , @avathebestx , @idoubleswearimawriter , @techs-stitches , @fantasyproductions , @sverdgeir , @totallyunidentified

《 Chapter 30

》 Coming soon!

All chapters (Part 2) (Part 1)

Explanation: The Bad Batch are off to Raxus for a mission while Omega and Kimber stay behind on Ord Mantell and end up spending a day with the Koriena Force.

“How's the Mantell Mix, kid?” Wrecker asked Omega, whom he was carrying on his shoulder.

“Better than ever,” she declared, dropping a piece of the sweet treat into his open mouth.

“Yeah, it is!” he agreed after chewing it up.

The Bad Batch had returned to Ord Mantell after a few days and were making their way back to Cid's parlor. Hunter's chest wound had fully healed, luckily, but Kimber's leg wasn't quite at a hundred percent. The damage done to her muscles as well as part of her bones were more severe than they’d realized. She was walking better, but still had a limp and needed support. She wasn't using her rifle as a crutch and instead had her arm looped through Hunter's and was using him to lean on as they maneuvered through the streets. They had also seen the Aurora still docked in the hangar, which meant the Koriena Force were still planetside. If the girls weren't at the parlor, then the Bad Batch would go back and see them at their ship after giving their report to Cid.

“So when's our next mission?” Omega asked the others eagerly.

Tech answered, “With two bounty hunters after you, it'd be wise to keep a low profile.”

Just as they reached the entrance to Cid's, Hunter added, “Tech's right. There's too much heat on us right now.”

He turned back and helped Omega down from Wrecker's shoulder to the ground. As he did so, Kimber sidestepped out of the way and Tech quickly moved forward to catch her arm just before using his other hand to steady Omega.

While Hunter quietly made some comments to Wrecker, who claimed having too much heat on them never stopped them before, Omega asked the other three, holding up her box of Mantell Mix, “You guys wanna try some?”

Tech simply held up a hand and shook his head, Kimber said “no, thank you” and Echo took a handful and started sniffing it cautiously, but then he ultimately declined, putting it back.

Afterwards, they saw Hunter walking past them towards the stairway leading to Cid's and knew it was time to follow. Tech kept his arm strong and steady for Kimber as they descended the stairs.

“You all right?” he asked her.

“I am. It twinges a little still going up and down stairs, but it's nothing too bad,” she told him.

“Hopefully another day with some bacta treatment and your leg will be back to normal,” commented Echo.

The doors to the parlor opened and they walked inside, hearing the familiar music of the jukebox overpowering the silence of the bar.

Or at least…it was silent until they heard an angry woman's voice yell out, “Sarge!”

All eyes looked in the direction the voice had come from and they saw Rina practically on top of one of the back tables with Kida, Irys and Lex sitting there with her, all of them with drinks on the table. Rina, for some reason, looked less than pleased to see them, to say the least. Namely Hunter.

Then she called out to him, “You. Me. Out back. Right now!”

“Rina, calm down,” said Lex.

The Clones and Kimber all exchanged bewildered glances, mostly directed at Hunter. What in the world was going on?

Rina climbed over the table to the other side and dropped to the ground. “I mean it. Let's go,” she challenged.

Still confused, Hunter finally asked, “What are you talking about?”

As she started moving forward, she said back, “You know what you did.”

The other three girls were scrambling out from behind their table and both Irys and Lex put their hands on Rina's shoulders to help keep her back, looks of almost worry on their faces.

“I really don't. Are you okay?” Hunter asked, genuinely concerned.

“Oh that's it!” Rina snapped and suddenly became enraged, shoving Lex and Irys away and charging full speed at Hunter, angry blades in her eyes.

Everyone instinctively took a step back in astonishment. With how quickly she was moving, it was almost as if she hadn't gotten badly injured just a few days prior.

“Whoa, there, Rina!”

Though, just as she was about to reach Hunter, Wrecker jumped between them and proceeded to grab her by the arms and lifted her up in front of him like a small child. She growled in frustration for a split second, but once he planted a big kiss on her lips and she found herself looking into the face of her favorite guy, all of her anger just dissipated almost immediately.

“Oh…h--hi, Wrecker,” she stammered, words suddenly failing her.

“Boy, you've definitely got your fire back,” he observed, impressed.

Kida groaned and put a hand to her forehead. “I swear, she's been like a ticking bomb waiting to explode,” she grumbled.

Wrecker chuckled in amusement and stated in reply, “Well, good thing I'm a demolitions expert.” Then he unceremoniously tucked Rina under his arm, who still looked dumbstruck, and announced, “Time to diffuse my favorite explosive. I saved your hide this time, boss.”

“I owe you one,” Hunter replied quietly.

“Be right back!” Without waiting for a response, Wrecker turned on his heel and just walked right out the door.

As the door shut, Echo looked at Hunter, still perplexed, and asked him, “What did you do?”

“What makes you think I know?” Hunter asked back.

Still flabbergasted at what they just witnessed, Omega commented aloud, “That was…bizarre.”

“What in the blazes is going on with her?” Kimber demanded, turning to the girls.

With a loud sigh, Lex explained, “A few days ago, she went off about feeling a disturbance in the Force and then suddenly, she just got irate and said, ‘I'm gonna kill him. He made her cry’.”

Then Irys came forward and inquired, “Did uh…something else happen on Bracca?”

Hunter and Kimber turned to each other and their expressions shifted to awkwardness. They began to realize that Rina must've somehow sensed the harsh disagreement they'd all had on Bracca. Then they recalled that she had warned Hunter that if ever he made Kimber cry or he broke her heart that he would answer to Rina. Now, her unexpected outburst made sense somewhat.

“Well…yes,” Kimber answered Irys. “We had some setbacks on Bracca that led to some contention between us. Things were said and done on both sides that were hurtful, but we all managed to work through it. I can give you all more details later, but I promise everything’s fine.”

“I just hope Wrecker explains things well enough to calm her down,” said Lex, who had moved over beside Echo and was holding his hand.

“I’m sure he will. Wrecker knows how to handle her pretty well by now,” Echo replied to her before kissing her temple.

Kida went on to tell them, “We had no idea Rina would be able to sense any of that through the Force. It was so unexpected.”

“Just goes to show how much we really don’t understand about the Force,” said Kimber.

“There are many aspects about the Force that are certainly even beyond my own comprehension,” stated Tech. “Any science behind any of it seems to defy all logical and pragmatic thought.”

“On that, we can agree,” said Irys. “To be able to feel something clear on another side of the galaxy and know what is happening…it shouldn’t be possible…and yet, we just witnessed it for ourselves and I have no sensible explanation for it.”

“Needless to say…she’s been ready to put you in the ground for days, Hunter,” said Kida, flashing him a look that said “you got lucky this time”.

With a timid half-grin, he replied, “I could tell.”

“But we’re glad you’re all back,” said Lex, hugging Echo’s arm while looking at everyone else.

“It’s good to be back…though I get the feeling it won’t be for long if Cid has another job for us,” Kimber supposed.

Right then, they heard a familiar, nasally female voice call out from the back, “I’ve got another mission for you guys!”

As everyone rolled their eyes, Echo remarked to Kimber, “You had to say something, Kim.”

As Cid came into the room, she waved her arms at the girls and cried, “Get outta here, broads! Don’t you have somewhere better to be?”

“You know, a little politeness and the word ‘please’ can go a long way, Cid,” Lex retorted.

Rolling her eyes, Cid fired back, “Yeah, yeah, tell it to someone who cares, Spike. Now, get a move on and take Goldie and Bluey with you.”

Kimber took a threatening step forward, but Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She already couldn’t stand hearing Cid back-talk her boys, but she drew the line when it came to the girls. They didn’t deserve to be treated like that. That and it annoyed her hearing the new condescending nicknames Cid now had for Lex and Irys. She’d heard Kida’s before and it was still no less irritating to hear it again now.

However, the girls seemingly just brushed Cid off and started walking out of the parlor. “Stop by the Aurora before you all head out,” Kida told the Bad Batch as they walked out.

After the ladies left, Cid went on to explain the Bad Batch’s next mission to them: an extraction mission on Raxus, which Tech explained was the former center of the Separatist government...which meant the mission meant helping a Separatist. It seemed both Hunter and Kimber were on the same page when Cid tried giving them the datadisk with all the details.

“Help a Separatist? Not gonna happen,” Hunter refused, giving the datadisk back.

“You seem to have forgotten who we are and what we did during the Clone Wars,” added Kimber. “We fought the Separatists and we’re certainly not going to start helping them now.”

“I don’t care what you did before, Dollface,” Cid snidely remarked. “You’re working for me and that’s what you’re doing now.”

Kimber’s fists clenched at her sides as she glared at the Trandoshan. “One shot…one shot is all it would take…,” she thought to herself.

Then Cid stated to Hunter, “Your debt’s still not paid, remember? A job’s a job.”

Hunter then pulled Cid over to the other side of the parlor to speak privately, leaving everyone else by the bar.

After the two of them moved away, Kimber turned to Echo and grumbled quietly, “Just say the word and I’ll put an end to that miserable lizard. We’d be praised as heroes.”

“Easy, Kim,” Echo urged her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“She may not be amiable, but eliminating her would make us no different from the Separatists we once fought against,” added Tech.

She groaned through gritted teeth. “I hate when you’re right. I’m just tired of all the abuse she throws at us and the girls and yet she still expects us to do her bidding. She doesn’t deserve our help.”

“I know, but this is what we’re going to have to do for now,” said Echo, albeit begrudgingly.

Just then, they heard Cid exclaim to Hunter as she walked away from him, “Yeah, yeah, Bandana. Just get outta here, will ya?” With that, she just sauntered by the rest of the group towards the back in the direction of her office, ignoring the less-than-pleased glances the rest of the Batch cast her way.

Omega was strapping on her belt with her bow as Hunter came over to her. “Ready when you are, Sergeant,” she said, saluting him.

He knelt down to her level and said back, looking a bit down, “Not this time, Omega. You’re staying with Cid.”

Kimber’s eyebrows shot up, astonished.

“But th--the mission! I’m part of the squad, too,” Omega tried to argue.

Resting his hand on her shoulder like he always did, Hunter said back, “Then following orders shouldn't be a problem. Stay close to Cid and don't leave this parlor. Got it, soldier?”

She still wasn’t happy with that decision, but Omega just rolled her eyes, groaned and answered, “Yes, sir.” Afterwards, she walked back to the bar and sulked on one of the barstools.

Kimber didn’t like Hunter’s choice anymore than Omega did and she quickly stepped in, saying quietly to Hunter, “Are you crazy? We can’t leave Omega with Cid. I wouldn’t trust that dragon alone with her for even a minute.”

“I don’t trust Cid either, but I’m not taking Omega to a Separatist planet. She’d be safer here,” Hunter replied.

“Then leave her with the Koriena Force, not Cid. They’re still here and even if they’re given another mission, Omega can assist them,” she implored. “She’s fully capable of doing so.”

“They’ve already got one child to look after,” he said.

With a scoff, she replied back, “Oh come on, Rina will be just fine.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m talking about the baby.”

“Yeah…and like I said, Rina will be fine.”

“I meant Kori, Kimber,” said Hunter, shaking his head.

She snickered, highly amused at her joke even though he didn't seem to be. Then she became sincere again by saying, “Seriously, though, leave her with the girls…and if it'll help ease your concerns any more, then I'll stay behind with her, too.”

He reared back slightly at that suggestion. “Why would you stay? We need you.”

She mustered up a small smile. “I appreciate you saying that, my love,” she said back, “but let's face it: my leg still isn't fully healed and I’m still limping. I can’t move around properly for a mission and would only hold you guys back. Besides…after what I did on Bracca, I don't feel like I've earned back my place fighting at your side.”

“Sweetheart, we talked about this,” he said. “I forgave you and so did the rest of the lads.”

“I know…but I haven't forgiven myself,” she replied. “I just…need a little time. Even still, my first point still stands: I can't actively help in the mission when my leg isn't back to a hundred percent. I would only cause problems for you. It's better if I stay anyway.”

Hunter sighed heavily. “I guess you're right. If that's your choice, then I'll respect it.”

She gave him a grateful nod in return. “Good luck and be safe, okay?”

“Of course. I have to come back to you, don't I?” he asked, touching her cheek lightly.

He kissed her cheek and turned away, signaling for the others to follow him out the door. Hunter walked out, but Echo and Tech hung back by the door for a moment, unbeknownst to Kimber and Omega.

As Kimber went over to talk to Omega, Cid cried out, “Hey, tiny, I got a mission for you. Now get scrubbing.” Then she threw a cleaning brush at the kid.

Kimber reached out and caught the brush one-handed in midair before it reached Omega. “Change of plans, Cid. She's coming with me,” she told the Trandoshan, a smug smirk on her face at not letting Cid have her way.

“Seriously?” Cid questioned.

“You got a problem with that?” Kimber challenged back with a raise of her eyebrows as she carelessly tossed the brush over her shoulder and behind the bar.

Frowning, Cid snapped, “Yeah, you're taking away my free labor.”

That one short sentence made Kimber's blood boil. If Omega hadn't been next to her, she would've screamed and ripped Cid a new one for sure, but decided to be more calm about it for Omega’s sake.

Instead, with a no less icy tone, she spat in Huttese, “E chu ta!”

Cid frowned even more. “What did you say to me?” she demanded.

Then Kimber heard Tech answer behind her, “You don't want to know.”

She grinned to herself. Only Tech would've known what she'd really said and it amused her even more that he was going to leave Cid in the dark just as much as she was. It's what the old lizard deserved.

Then she gave Omega a light pat on the arm and said, “Come on, dear. I'm taking you somewhere else.”

The kid gave no objections, slipped off her barstool and started heading for the door where Echo and Tech were waiting. Kimber cast one last distasteful glance at Cid before whipping around and following Omega, still limping slightly.

As they went through the door and it shut behind them, Echo inquired, “What did you say to her?”

“Words I shouldn't repeat in Basic with a child present,” Kimber answered. “And that was me being calm.”

That made Echo chuckle as he offered her an arm to help her up the steps.

“Will you be all right without us?” Tech asked her.

She scoffed and replied, “Don't you worry about us. We'll stay with the girls until you get back.” As they reached the top of the steps in the alleyway, she looked down at Omega and stated with a smile, hoping to lift the girl’s spirits a little about being left behind, “We’ll have some fun on our own, won’t we, Omega?”

The blonde girl looked up at her and couldn’t help but grin at seeing Kimber’s encouraging smile. “Yeah, we will,” she agreed.

“Well, we’ll head to the Aurora before we leave since Kida told us to stop by first,” said Echo.

“I would also assume Wrecker is still there with Rina,” added Tech.

“Don’t let me hold you back. I’ll be a bit behind you because of my leg,” said Kimber, giving them a dismissive way. “You lads get going. Be safe on Raxus.”

They both gave her and Omega affirming nods before jogging off in the direction of the hangar.

“You can go with them, Omega. I’ll catch up,” Kimber urged the young Clone.

However, Omega shook her head and replied, “I’m not gonna leave you alone. I’ll walk with you.”

Kimber certainly wasn’t going to say “no” to that.

“What did I tell you, Kimber?” Irys chastised her.

Now on the Aurora, after the Bad Batch had left for Raxus, Kimber had just relayed to the Koriena Force the details of everything that had gone down on Bracca after Kida and Rina had departed and Omega had also informed them of what had happened to her during her brief capture.

Irys kept going, “Did I not warn you of what could happen if you continued to keep in contact with Crosshair?”

“You did,” Kimber admitted.

“Yet you didn’t heed that warning and brought him to you and your squad anyway,” said Irys.

Then Kida spoke up, “Oh, lay off, Irys. It wasn't her fault. Crosshair took advantage of her feelings. That was his choice, not hers. She thought there was hope and took a chance. I’m sure anyone would’ve done the same.”

“Not when the other person still has a chip in their head that’s keeping them under the Empire’s control,” Irys rebuttled.

“Okay, unnecessary,” commented Lex, who was lounging on the couch and flourishing her vibroblade. “She's already gotten enough from the boys and they've forgiven her. No need to throw it back at her.”

Irys simply groaned, irritated.

Then Kida looked over at Omega and declared, “And you, Omega: what a brave young girl you are to have escaped from a bounty hunter all on your own!”

“Yeah, you definitely got brains as well as guts, kid,” Rina added.

“Thanks,” said Omega, looking pleased with their approval.

“I’ve definitely heard things about Cad Bane. He’s a nasty one. You’re real smart if you managed to outwit him,” stated Lex.

“As well as the gal we dealt with on Pantora,” said Rina. “She does not play around.”

“We're all just glad you're safe,” said Irys.

Omega nodded. “Me too. Though, I don't like being left behind now because I got taken.”

Kimber came up beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “The boys just want to protect you. I'm sure it'll only be this one time. I'll make sure of it.”

Then Rina spoke up, “In the meantime, us ladies have a quick job to run for Old Dragon Lady. You two wanna come with?”

Omega's eyes lit up at the prospect of another mission. “Yes! Where are we going?”

“Don't get too excited,” Irys warned her as she took out a datapad and started typing on it. “It's only here in the city. We're not going off-planet.”

Then the girl groaned in disappointment and her smile faded.

Lex, however, added, “Well, only if the target chooses not to run and escape on a ship…which is highly unlikely because people always run.”

“I know, why is that?” Kida asked, putting a hand on her hip.

Irys answered, not even looking up from the datapad, “Guilt, fear, basic human instinct, fight or flight response.”

“That was rhetorical, Goldie,” Kida responded, rolling her eyes.

That made Irys’s head snap up, her bright pink eyes flashing with contempt as she threatened, “Call me by Cid's ridiculous nickname again and I'm shoving this datapad down your throat.”

Kida lifted her eyebrows up and down as she replied, “Mmm, don't threaten me with a good time.”

As Irys huffed in annoyance, Kimber commented, smirking, “You know, you walked right into that one.” Then she turned to Omega. “You still wanna go?”

With a shrug, she said back, “Well, it's better than sitting around doing nothing. Besides, I'd like to see how the Koriena Force does things.”

Giving a final twirl of her vibroblade, Lex responded with an amused grin, “Now, you're talking, kid. We're gonna show you how we do things the Koriena Way.”

A burly man with dark skin and covered in tattoos, now winded from running so much, found himself cuffed and shoved into a chair in a small, empty warehouse in another part of Ord Mantell with several blasters, a vibroblade and an energy bow all pointed at him.

“It’s just like I said: they always run,” Lex commented, giving a spin of her blade.

“I’m not scared of a bunch of girls and a kid!” the man snarled at them with a deep voice.

Cracking her knuckles in front of him, Rina responded, “Maybe not now…but you will be.”

Kida stepped up in the middle of them, a devious expression on her face as she faced their target. “You’re Jido Berym, are you not?” she asked him.

“Yeah…what about it?” he questioned, trying to appear stoic.

“You owe our employer, Cid, a hefty sum of credits…and have failed multiple times to deliver. Which is why we have come to collect it on her behalf,” Kida informed him.

Then Kimber chimed in, “I’m guessing he still doesn’t have the money, seeing how he ran from us.”

“Either that or he’s hoarding all the money for himself and just playing dumb, acting like he don’t got it to get out of paying,” Rina put in.

“Start talking,” Omega ordered the man, stepping closer with her bow.

Jido’s eyes darted back and forth frantically and the ladies could all tell they were on to him. He was still trying to appear like he didn’t care or know anything, but his poker face was terrible.

“Look, I told Cid I’d give her the money when I have it,” he tried to argue.

However, Irys spoke up and refuted, “Oh, you have the money.” She held up her datapad, which was showing a list of transactions on it. “You’ve made quite the killing selling weapons on the black market. I even see people listed on here, too, so you’re dealing in slavery and human trafficking, as well.”

At hearing those words mentioned, Kimber’s grip on her two blasters tightened and her teeth clenched so tightly, she thought her jaw would crack.

“That’s a lie!” Jido cried out.

“It isn’t. I have all your financial records right here,” Irys said back.

Rina had sensed Kimber’s anger immediately and tried to divert the conversation by saying, “You’ve got some dark marks in your ledger, Berym, and refusing to pay your debts will only add another against you. How about you save us the headache and yourself a great deal of pain by just paying up? I’d really hate to mess up your face over something that could be solved pretty easily.”

There was an audible gulp that sounded from his throat, but he still held firm to his act and responded, “I don’t have the money. Tell Cid she’s still gotta wait.”

Kida bent over in front of him and said in a calm tone that still had some bite to it, “Listen, Jido…I’ve got a sleeping baby to get back to whose due to wake up anytime now, so if you could just speed things up already and give us the money, that would be much appreciated, okay?”

He scoffed, unamused. “What makes you think I’d care?”

“Well, it’s one parent appealing to another, seeing as how you have a son, too,” said Irys, who now had an image of Jido and a young brown-haired boy on her datapad.

Jido’s eyes widened in horror.

“Though, since you don’t seem to care or have the money for Cid and you’re involved in human trafficking, perhaps you could simply sell your boy to get the money you need,” Irys suggested nonchalantly.

“Irys…! Read the room, for Force sake!” Rina chided her through gritted teeth.

When Irys turned her head, all of the ladies except for Kimber were giving her looks that said “Are you serious?” Then Lex motioned subtly with her head to Kimber, whose eyes were tightly closed and hands were briefly shaking, her face writ with intense discomfort. Irys realized her faux pas in the moment and regret overcame her.

However, before she could say anything, Jido exclaimed, “Don't you lay a finger on my son! I don't have the money, I swear!”

“He's really holding onto that act, isn't he?” Lex asked.

“So what do we do?” Omega asked, looking up at the other ladies while still holding her bow at the ready.

“Boss Lady…you good?” Rina questioned Kimber, concerned.

Kimber inhaled deeply and released her breath, remembering to breathe to avoid having a panic attack at the mention of slavery. Just like she and Echo had always done. It took a few seconds for her heart rate to slow down and for her to feel herself again. Once she did, her eyes opened and her usual look of determination returned.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” she answered.

Just then, a device on Kida's wrist beeped and they then heard the sound of a child's cries coming from it…Kori's cries.

She sighed, irritated, as she silenced the device. “All right, time's up for you,” she stated, looking at Jido. “I've got a baby to feed, so we need to wrap this up. Lex, you know what to do.”

Needing no further instructions, Lex proceeded to pull an explosive from her belt, toss it onto Jido's lap, activate it with a remote and state, “Ten seconds.”

Jido yelped in a panic at the now beeping explosive.

Kimber and Omega exchanged astounded looks. Were they really just going to blow this guy up?

Quickly, Rina said, “Give us the money.”

“I can't!” he cried.

“You're running out of time,” she warned him.

“Five seconds,” said Lex.

“Now, Jido!” yelled Kida.

He let out a frightened cry as the beeping sped up rapidly and then shouted hastily, “Six-one-five-two-one! That's my account code! Take the money! Please don't kill me!”

The beeping got faster before the bomb went off…releasing a cloud of smoke right up into his face and making him momentarily choke on it.

“See? That wasn't so hard, was it?” Kida asked mockingly with a pleased grin as she knocked the smoke bomb off his leg and onto the floor.

“We smoked you out, scumbag…literally,” Rina added.

Once again, Kimber and Omega shared surprised yet impressed glances. That had been a clever plan that they didn't anticipate.

Then Irys stated, “For the record, I figured out the code to your account two and a half minutes ago just after I accessed your financial records and already transferred the credits.”

Flabbergasted, Jido yelled, “Then what was the point of the bomb?”

Lex flashed a cocky grin and replied, “We wanted to hear the information from you directly…and just to see you squirm.” Then she went over and sliced off the cuffs on his wrist with her knife.

“Thanks for that, Jido. I'm sure you'll be hearing from Cid very soon,” Kimber spoke up as Jido stood up from the chair, rubbing his wrists. “It would be wise for you to not get on her bad side again.”

“Y--yes, ma'am. Thanks for not killing me,” he replied.

“You won't be so lucky if we get sent after you again,” said Rina, crossing her arms and glaring at him threateningly. “Now, scram.”

Without any more encouragement, Jido took off running out of the warehouse, still whimpering in fear.

“And that's how you handle a job the Koriena Way: quickly and efficiently,” Kida declared with pride.

“Wow! That was amazing,” Omega replied in awe.

“Glad you're impressed, dear,” Kida told her, ruffling the girl's hair.

Holstering her blasters, Kimber commented, “You know, I forget sometimes how scary you girls can be.”

Giving her a light shove in the shoulder, Lex responded, “Then you need to hang around with us more, princess.”

“Would if I could, Lex. You know that,” Kimber said back. “Though, if you're with Echo now and Rina’s with Wrecker, we'll be seeing you plenty, I'm sure.”

“You better believe it, boss lady,” agreed Rina.

They then heard Kida, who had gone over to the door of the warehouse without them really noticing, call out, “Hey, I wasn't kidding when I said I have a baby to feed! Move it or lose it, ladies!”

“Well, you heard Mom. Let's go,” said Rina, already running with the rest moving after her.

They decided they would report to Cid after things with Kori were taken care of first. The baby's needs came before the grouchy Trando's needs, according to Kida, which everyone else agreed with. While she was in her room on the Aurora feeding the baby, Rina had gone into the kitchen to make a quick bite to eat for everyone and Omega had gone with her to help. Lex was lounging on the couch with a datapad along with Kimber and Irys had gone into the cockpit where she liked to be.

A few minutes later, though, Kimber heard Irys's voice say over the ship's speakers, “Kimber, can you come to the cockpit for a moment?”

She figured she'd oblige, got up from the couch and made her way to the cockpit of the ship, where she found Irys working on the main computers.

“What is it?” Kimber asked her as she walked in.

Irys turned in her chair, looking uneasy. “Listen…I wanted to apologize,” she said.

Taking a seat in the chair next to her, Kimber questioned, “Apologize for what?”

“For my comments earlier to Jido…about selling his son for money,” Irys admitted, wringing her hands together nervously, which was very unlike her.

Then Kimber remembered what she was referring to and gave a small nod in understanding.

The gold Togruta went on, “It was insensitive of me to say such a thing around you. I was caught up in the moment and temporarily forgot your past as a slave, which I know is no excuse. I nearly caused you to have a panic attack back there. I was in the wrong and I'm sorry.”

“You're forgiven, Irys. I know you didn't mean anything by it towards me,” Kimber told her calmly. “I pulled through and I'm getting better at handling those things.”

Irys seemed a bit surprised that Kimber had forgiven her so quickly, but she smiled gratefully nonetheless.

“It's a pity Tech isn't here. He'd be shocked to hear you actually apologize for something,” Kimber then teased her.

That made Irys snicker. “Well…thank you for not thinking badly of me.”

Kimber smiled back. “I could never.”

Just then, Omega came running in and informed them, “Rina says the food's ready.”

Both Kimber and Irys stood up, gave each other one last friendly grin and then Irys went ahead and left the cockpit. Kimber stayed behind for a moment, looking down at Omega.

“Did you have fun with the ladies today?” she asked.

Omega nodded gladly. “I did! They're great. They definitely do things differently than we do, but that's what makes them a lot of fun.”

“You know, I was their leader at one point in time,” Kimber told her. “I could still be leading them now, if I wanted to.”

“Why aren't you? What changed?” Omega asked.

Kimber knelt down to her level. “Your brothers,” she said with a bright smile. “These girls helped me get them out of a tight situation once. Rina convinced me to lead the Koriena Force since it was my squad we were going after, as well as some other Clones that were involved, too. They all wanted me to stay with them, but…I couldn't leave the boys.”

“Especially Hunter,” Omega commented with a smirk.

With a chuckle, Kimber remarked, “You're not wrong there. The girls understood my position…but I know I always have a place with them, too. They're my family just as much as you and the boys are.”

“I really like them, Kimber, and I'm glad they came here for us,” said Omega. “I'm glad they're your friends because now they're all our friends.”

Kimber chuckled again. “Well…some are definitely more than friends with our squad.”

Omega giggled, putting a hand over her mouth. “I know. They're all so cute. Rina and Wrecker, Echo and Lex, Rex and Kida…even Tech and Irys, even though they're not a couple, but their bickering is entertaining.”

“Trust me, we all feel the same way,” said Kimber.

“The girls make our squad happy…and that makes me happy. That's what matters to me,” Omega said sweetly.

Smoothing Omega’s hair a little, Kimber replied, “You and me both, dear. Now, come on. Let's get some food. I'm starving.”

“I can't wait for you to try what Rina and I made!” Omega responded eagerly as they walked.

Kimber grinned and stated, “I'm looking forward to it.”

#star wars the bad batch #the bad batch #bad batch hunter #sergeant hunter #bad batch fanfic #hunter x oc fic #sun and rain fanfic

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user-needs-new-hyperfixation · 1 year

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Some of this is copy-pasted from my response to a comment on one of my fics several months back, so sorry to anyone who read that and will now have deja vu.

These thoughts are based on my perception/headcanon of Sherlock and Liam as an allosexual couple. I’m totally supportive of people who like to ship pairs as ace/queerplatonic/etc, but with these two I do find it a liiiiiitle bit of a stretch...have y’all seen the train scene? They have the horniest of energy, good golly. But that’s in my opinion, and anyone who sees it differently is absolutely valid; we’re here to have fun, so have fun with it!

Okay, disclaimers out of the way: the more canon Sherliam gets, the more I love that they don’t meet typical BL seme/uke cliches. I do catch myself borderline feminizing Liam on occasion, primarily because I want him to be held, and engulfed in too-big sweaters that smell like Sherlock, and tucked into comfy armchairs with blankets and books: and alas, gender stereotype nonsense makes that feel like feminization even though it really isn’t. And that’s totally separate from the way I perceive their potential sexual dynamic, which is basically: switchy as hell, but Liam is more prone to being a bit dommy.

But like...They're the same age and height and even weight to start with. There are no particular inequalities in their education or unbalanced power dynamics. Sure, the Lord of Crime is puppeting Sherlock around, but Sherlock knows that, and though he doesn’t feel he’s truly on equal footing with Liam until right before the fall, it doesn’t feel...skeezy. Liam never actually lies to him (*glares at English manga translation*). There might not be outright spoken honesty between them, but there’s a mutual understanding of the game they’re playing, and overall their energy is incredibly nontoxic for an “enemies to lovers” dynamic (not that they ever really managed “enemies” to begin with).

(Another disclaimer: I don’t have a problem with shipping toxic pairs, Hannigram is one of my all time fave ships. But the older I get the more I’m drawn to happy stories and healthy representation and boy oh boy has Yuumori been delivering.)

Anyway, back to avoiding BL standards: Liam is pretty and fashionable and a scholar but sometimes exudes such dom vibes. Sherlock is an athletic borderline himbo, vaguely wrong-side-of-the-tracks, but gets blushy and flustered easily. Liam is the damsel in distress saved by his dashing hero: but he is also the criminal mastermind taunting his rival. Liam is rich to Sherlock's working-class, except nope, Liam is an adopted East End kid and Sherlock's family is running the country.

So many gay stories, with BL being probably the worst offender but far from the only one, blatantly signal top/bottom, feminine/masculine. They practically put a giant flashing arrow over one guy’s head that says “HE’S THE GIRL IN THE RELATIONSHIP.” And as someone who is neither a gay man nor prone to entering relationships at all, I can’t really speak for the realism of these things; I know there are people who strongly align themselves with presentations like twink, bear, etc. And I’m sure many people have a strong preference for a particular role in the bedroom, especially in a dating scene dominated by hookup culture: but it also feels so disingenuous to me that anyone, particularly in a long-term partnership, would be like, “This is the only one thing I ever do.” Even in a straight relationship that sounds hella boring.

And Sherlock and Liam sidestep those assumptions so neatly, which up until chapter 67 I would have said is simply because...it’s not BL. But now we’ve got chapter 75 and they’re practically married. Mix together the almost undeniable sexual charge of their early interactions with their more recent LITERALLY VOWING TO SPEND THEIR LIVES TOGETHER and it seems reasonable to assume that sex is on the table. Yet nothing about the way they look or act demands the reader assign them certain sexual roles. They don't feel like a collection of stereotypes signalling top and bottom, they feel like an actual human couple who probably have preferences in bed but also like to switch things up and try new things.

I appreciate that.

#yuukoku no moriarty #moriarty the patriot #sherliam

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popatochisssp · 5 months

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So I had this question about reader/yn fics for a while now how come you don’t use ocs in your fics instead? reader mcs are technically ocs but still im really curious

I haven't thought about the 'why' too much, to be honest.

I guess I started reading some /reader fics when I was younger, and then wrote a few, and then later felt like it was cringey and dumb and moved away from it for awhile and only read and wrote fics that shipped canon characters.

And then when Undertale came out, I thought it was awesome but I didn't really hardcore ship anybody in the canon, so I took a look at what was on AO3 to see what the popular ships were and a ton of it was Sans/Reader.

At first I avoided it because of those 'cringe' feelings, but you know how it goes, you see some cool fanart or hear people talking something up and decide to give it a shot, and I did and it kind of reignited the passion for /reader stuff, I guess.

Personally, I've always had a hard time coming up with OCs, especially ones I feel connected to, but /reader fics sidestep that part and just put you in the situation you want to read about, and I think that's pretty cool. It's a nice way to explore stuff that's probably never going to happen to you in real life--like an epic fantasy romance, or some kind of spy adventure, or in this case, dating a skeleton monster--and writing it, I kind of get to both think about the experience and share it with other people who can also dive right into it.

I generally try to leave the reader-insert as vague as possible when I write so that more people can have that experience of being able to insert themselves into the story without being taken out by specific details, like hair type, body features, even just using they/them pronouns instead of she/her opens things up a lot and more people can have the same kind of fun I do thinking about smooching a skeleton.

And that makes me happy, so I guess that's why I do it!

#anonymous #crinkling

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the-force-awakens · 2 years

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help me slow it down

gender neutral reader, no pronouns used but coded language included throughout (reader has boobs). 18+ only, smut ahead. ~hand stuff, implied/referenced oral. more hurt/comfort than you'd expect from this description. written for day 21 of @the-purity-pen's 2022 kinktober event, based on the prompt: praise kink

You hate how tense Poe is when he comes out of the meeting, thumb sweeping up and down the side of his index finger in that nervous stim he has, his jaw clenched and his brow furrowed.

His most recent mission had gone south, ending in a blazing skirmish between a squadron of TIEs. Poe (the sole Resistance combatant) survived, but he hadn't been able to retrieve the intel he'd been sent for — by the time the dog fight tapered off, the other ship made the jump to hyperspace.

"It's not your fault," you tell him as you catch up to him. His legs are longer than yours, meaning his stride is too. "Leia knows that, so does the rest of command.”

He doesn't even spare a glance at you, which is indicative of his own spiraling mood. "I still failed, starlight. We needed that data -”

"And what good would it have done exactly?” You cut in, sidestepping around him and pressing your hand to his chest so he'll have to come to a full stop. “Would it have been any different to your last op with Kazuda? We know they're making weapons, a lot of them. Whatever intelligence we lost today, we'll find again. Or something even more valuable.”

You can tell that Poe isn't convinced by this, but you can also tell that your words are having an effect on him regardless, because his jaw has unclenched and his eyes are shifting to something softer, like part of him is warring with himself to believe you.

So you tilt a little further into his space, pressing your fingers a little more firmly against his chest. “The First Order wasn't going to have the location of Supreme Leader Snoke on a rundown freighter, alright? We'll get better leads.”

And it's here that the anger evaporates from Poe's face, but it's instantly replaced with a heart wrenching expression of disappointment. "I can't let them down. I'm not supposed to fail, it was a simple snatch and grab and it -” he sucks in a breath - "what if whatever was on that freighter was something valuable? That's on me. 'Cause I couldn't shake those TIEs, they got away.”

Your brow furrows, dropping your hand from his chest. Only Poe could blame himself for a mission going wrong because he had been focused on surviving it. And you can tell by the way his face is pinched that he's spiraling into a pit of self-loathing, questioning his own value to the Resistance — for someone so forgiving with everyone else, he sure held himself to impossible standards.

So you grab him by the sleeve of his jacket and haul him into the nearest available private space, which happens to be a storage closet.

The door snicks close behind the two of you, blanketing you both in darkness. Poe leans back against the wall, eyebrows half raised as he waits patiently for you to say your piece.

"You are more valuable than anything else on that mission,” you tell him, stressing your point by moving closer to him. "The fact that you survived, that you got back home to us, makes this mission a success.”

Something complicated plays across his face for a moment before he replies quietly, "I didn't say that made it a failure.”

Your eyes burn at that, at the softness of his voice and the worry that has his brow furrowing again from whatever he must read in your expression. You let the urge to cry pass before you reply with, "You didn't have to. I know you. You think anything that gets us ahead of the First Order is worth more than your life.”

"It is -”

"It isn't!” You all but shout, startling you both. You shrink in on yourself, guilt coursing through you for raising your voice at him, while Poe stares at you dumbfounded. “Nothing is worth more than your life, alright? There will be more assignments, ones where you'll get something that'll give us a real leg up on the First Order. Command knows that too, so does Leia. This was just one bad mission, Poe. That's all.”

You frame his face in your hands, leaning up on your tiptoes. Instinctually, he brings his up to curl around your wrists and you feel something settle behind your ribs, like you hadn't quite truly believed he was back until you felt him skin to skin.

He nods a couple of times as he soaks in your words. "I want to believe you," he says and the earnesty in his voice makes your heart fracture because he does, he's trying, and that's all you could really ask for. "It's - you know I get my head stuck in the cockpit.”

You snort at that, a wet little thing, and it makes a smile flicker briefly across his face like a candle in the wind. “No, I know that you're harder on yourself than everyone else. And you shouldn't put yourself through that, baby, the galaxy will do it enough for you. Don't make it easier for them.”

Poe exhales shakily. "Alright.”

“Alright,” you repeat, letting your hands slide down to his neck before you press yourself against him.

Instantly, Poe's arms are twining around you, pulling you impossibly closer and nothing, nothing in the galaxy is better than this. Sometimes you wish you could just tuck yourself into his chest or vice versa and never leave: he's a lighthouse in the dark, he's the warmth of a cozy bed on a cold morning, he's the jolt to hyperspace. You love him so fucking much, and it kills you that he can't see how wonderful he is.

But maybe you could show him.

You pull your head away from his chest, putting some space between your torsos but not moving your feet. You wet your lips and whisper, "You need some help getting out of your head?”

Nothing outwardly shifts about him, but a budding spark builds in his lovely brown eyes as Poe replies, "I dunno, starlight. What'd you have in mind?”

A slow, dangerous smirk overtakes your face as you step back up on your tiptoes to ghost your lips against his jaw. Poe's breath catches like his stubble against your skin, and you feel a little of that same fire permeating in your veins.

You move down, opening your mouth against his neck. When you pinch down hard enough to leave a bruise, Poe gasps and grips your waist tighter.

“Little of this,” you tell him, soothing the sting with your tongue and he's melting against you already. Not that you're doing much better: tasting his skin, feeling the warmth of his body against yours, his hardening length pressing up into you — it's a dizzying cocktail you'll always get drunk on, want more of.

It only worsens when you grind your hips against his, and Poe makes a strangled noise low in his throat, a ragged and harsh thing that you want to hear again and again. "And a little of that,” you finish, gripping his shirt to keep yourself standing. "You want that?”

Poe nods, tipping his head back against the wall. "Yeah. Yeah, works for me, darling - f-fuck -” he grunts again when you press into him once more, not entirely intentionally, your own body craving a little more friction.

But despite the gathering wetness between your legs, this isn't about you and you don't have any plans on getting off right now. That could come later, if Poe wanted (or by yourself), right now you just want to make him feel good.

So you shuffle back just far enough to undo his belt, unzipping his pants and immediately bypassing his underwear to touch his cock - and immediately have to lean in to press your mouth to Poe's to muffle the groan he makes at the direct contact. The closet door is thick, but it's by no means sound proof, and command was still convened not that far away.

The thought that he has to be quiet while you turn him into a shuddering mess, lest you both be caught, shouldn't be as much of a turn on as it is.

You swallow hard, eyelids fluttering in a mirror to Poe's as you trail your fingers down the length of him and back up again - it's a tease, really, and you're nearly overwhelmed with the urge to get on your knees, to take him into your mouth and give him a real challenge to stay quiet.

However, you're going to require your mouth for other things, so you file that desire away to be fulfilled a little while later.

"You're so beautiful like this,“ you tell him, taking his dick more firmly into your hand. It's started to leak precum, so you gather it on your thumb and use it to glide your hand more easily across him. “You always are but I love seeing you this way -”

You make a point to emphasize your next words by twisting your hand and the gasp that bursts from Poe's mouth is music to your ears - "love that I'm the only one who gets to do this to you. You like when I get you off, pretty boy?”

Poe only manages a jerky nod in response, still making all sorts of lovely noises low in his throat, which is completely exposed to you and you have to tamp down the nearly overwhelming urge to continue what you started earlier when you'd kissed his neck.

Your movement is unhurried, carrying him close to the edge and stopping for a few seconds to wait until his breathing almost evened out to pick up your ministrations.

On the third time you stop before he comes, Poe actually whines and you silence him again, this kiss a little more apologetic. "You're so good, baby. You're doing so good, I love you so much, you're so good -” you close your eyes, unable to look at him as you continue your litany of praises, working your hand more quickly, until Poe is left a panting and whimpering mess, his hips bucking up into you, fucking himself on your hand, becoming more as more frenzied the more you talk - "you're so - hngh - wonderful and ridiculous and so good to me, I can't believe you're mine -”

At this point your words are practically nonsensical, your head swimming with desire but they seem to do the trick because Poe makes a devastating and ruinous noise, rocking into you one final time as he comes into your hand.

He's struggling to suck in breath when you pull your sticky hand from his pants, but he stops altogether when you lick your fingers clean. You raise your eyebrows, pulling your index finger out of your mouth with a little pop, and ask innocently, "What?”

Before you can so much as blink, Poe has surged forward, capturing your mouth with his in a messy kiss, his tongue pressing against yours and it's a heady thing, especially when he palms your breast over your shirt and the sensation zips straight down between your legs.

You gasp and that's when Poe breaks away from you, glancing briefly around you for a minute, before his eyes light up in the way you've both come to be wary of and adore. "You said I'm good to you, yeah? Lay down, I wanna remind you how good I can be.”

Your heart jackknifes behind your ribs and you have to grab onto him to keep from buckling right there. "Someone could walk in -”

"Didn't stop you from sticking your hands down my pants,” Poe reminds you, ducking in to nip down your neck and fuck he gives as good as he gets. “It's not gonna stop me from burying my face between your legs if you want that.”

You respond with a groan, and you can feel Poe's smile against your skin, proud of himself for being the cause of it. You break away from him, unbuckling your belt and tossing it away before scrambling down to the floor as he requested, pulling him down with you.

As Poe covers your body with his own, hands sliding up and under your shirt, his eyes sparkling with something deeper than just arousal, you can't help but be a little proud of yourself too for chasing away his shadows.

#tppkinktober2022 #poe dameron x reader #myfic

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