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lightwise · 1 year

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WHY MAYDAY IS A MIRROR OF REX (AND ALL OF CROSSHAIR’S BROTHERS)

AKA How Crosshair predicted his own redemption arc.

There have been many comparisons made between Mayday and Rex/The Bad Batch, but I have kept myself from ranting about The Outpost for too long and I figured I should get this out there before this week’s new episode hits.

Crosshair is cynical and snarky when we meet him in The Clone Wars (as is the norm for his personality, but there’s a special edge to it in S7 E1). The first words out of his mouth are “we don’t usually work with regs.”

(I am not sure who first posted this image set, so if you know who to credit please reach out).

Now in TBB E12, the episode opens with Crosshair watching regular clones being told about the retirement bill by an imperial officer. His helmet is off and they have no armor on. He’s face to face with them. He seems interested in their conversation but is still removed, separate. He still thinks this doesn't affect him.

Once he ships out to Barton 4, we meet Mayday by hearing his voice before he rounds the corner into our view. The immediate thought that flew into my mind was, “that’s Rex’s voice.” Other than Rex himself, we as the audience and especially Crosshair as a character have not heard that warm, snarky, calm tone that signifies that commanding officer’s “regular clone voice” much this season. Mayday’s voice is a little deeper than Rex’s, but he has the same commanding yet casual tone and demeanor. As weary and frustrated as he is at the lack of support from the Empire, Mayday chooses to express it with a level of snarkiness that would have made Tech, Echo, or Rex himself proud.

Or as Rex once said, "It's Captain, sir."

"Experience outranks everything."

Mayday and his squad are wrapped in mummified cloth strips, and he states that his men are all “dead. We’re all that’s left.” Three of them, to mimic the three troopers being forced into retirement that Crosshair had seen before arriving. They are dead men walking. And so are the rest of the clones.

Mayday brings the light to Crosshair. And starts talking to him, man to man, like a friend. Like a brother. He asks him his name. Crosshair’s first encounters with Rex were Rex going after Echo, pulling him free from mindless programming and reminding him what his name really was.

“What brought you here.” “Just lucky, I guess.” Luck isn’t a word that Crosshair typically uses to describe his experiences. He usually relies on and points out his superiority, his skills, his uniqueness. He knows he hasn’t engineered this meeting, and yet Mayday’s mannerisms are already starting to find the chinks in his metaphorical armor.

“I’ll give you the lay of the land.” Like Hunter would. “Conditions have degraded our equipment.” Like Tech could have helped with. “I’m not an explosives expert.” Wrecker is.

Mayday lays out the helmets of his fallen squad in a memorial, the same way Rex and Ahsoka do after order 66. Reverence and respect for the dead, even when it seems meaningless. Crosshair has let himself be deadened by the Empire, yet Mayday treats him with interest and respect, drawing him back out of himself. Mayday even shows the same respect for the raider who had been attacking his base, saying that he was bothered that his men had left him there to die.

Crosshair is still throwing up his shields, like he did at the end of season 1 when he tried to convince his brothers to join him. “We’re not like the regs, we never have been. We’re superior.”

And all of a sudden, Crosshair will die if Mayday doesn’t save him. If he doesn’t fully trust him to disarm the pressure mine he has gotten himself into. He has continued to choose to step in places that are a pressure mine waiting to go off, waiting to swallow him whole. And until now he has made enemies of anyone who has tried to help him.

Mayday saves his life, and now they’re working as a team, silently and in unison. They realize that all this effort and loss of life has been for mere equipment (that’s for their replacements, no less). Their lives really are worth even less than the epithet "used equipment" that Nolan spits in Crosshair’s face when they first meet.

Hunter had tried to tell him on Kamino: “Can’t you see they’re using you? We’re loyal to each other, not some empire.”

Crosshair: “YOU weren’t loyal to me. I was one of you. You may have forgotten, but I haven’t. I’m going to give you what you never gave me–a chance.” Only now, after Mayday gave him that chance, is he willing to admit that Hunter was right.

How many times have those words haunted Crosshair’s thoughts?

Now this was interesting to me. Crosshair incidentally causes an avalanche by targeting a group of explosives in order to end their shootout, cracks fissuring up the mountainside. Once before he was maneuvered into a situation not of his own free will (when his chip is enhanced on Kamino), yet he stubbornly pursued that scenario when he chose to stay on the platform at the end of season 1. Once again, he is put into a situation against his will by being brought to Barton 4, but this time, he ends up creating a scenario where his choices from this moment will now have the opposite effect.

Mayday shoves Crosshair out of the way, saving his life once again. A pile of snow rips Crosshair’s helmet off of his face, and as Mayday is buried, Crosshair re-emerges his true self.

“We have to move.” Rex’s words throughout almost all of their Clone Wars arc. Rex is selfless, telling Echo to go with the Batch if that was the best place for him. Letting Echo leave him behind, essentially. Mayday begs Crosshair to leave him behind and save himself. They both want what’s best for others. And their examples rub off on the men they save. Echo constantly does what he can to help his brothers escape the Empire. Crosshair’s sheer stubbornness that up until now has kept him tethered to the Empire, refuses to leave Mayday behind. He can’t watch another brother die in front of him. Not anymore.

"You're still their brother, Crosshair. You're my brother too." Omega's plea to him.

So Crosshair risks his life to carry Mayday back. A REG. He refuses to let go of him the whole journey. He lets him use his sniper rifle as a crutch. All of his defenses are finally down, and he not only cares, but is willing to show he cares, BEGS ON HIS KNEES to his commanding officer for help, to show that he DOES CARE.

Finally, this struck me. We almost never see Crosshair using a hand blaster. He’s a sniper. Yet both in his encounter with his brothers on Kamino in season 1, and his confrontation with Nolan here, Crosshair picks up a regular blaster. He’s not being the sniper, distant and removed, making a kill from afar with his own rifle. This is up close, personal, a messy choice. With a hand blaster, a regular clone’s weapon.

Crosshair’s conversation with Hunter on Kamino reads back as though he is pleading with himself to not make the same mistake twice, to stop running from his fears, to finally embrace who he is–a clone. To embrace his real purpose–protecting his brothers. He’s made his choice. He doesn’t expect to survive. The vultures are circling both of them. In season 1 Hunter stuns him and he falls to his knees and then to the floor, passing out. Here, he snarls “Lieutenant,” in a sarcastic tribute to how Mayday had first addressed Nolan, and becomes an Angel of Death. He avenges Mayday and redeems himself, and once again falls forward and passes out with the last of his strength gone.

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theminecraftbee · 2 months

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so, first, accountability statement: I plan on trying to finish the “zedaph steals a baby” fic by the end of the month and god is that one-line summary no longer accurate but we’re sticking to it, said here publicly so now I have to do it. obviously I also have recursive exchange and the writing I have for hotguy comics zine, but I am not SUPER worried about either of those time/inspiration-wise at the moment and also for Reasons I know it won’t be long until I have more free writing time after that, SO.

various items that are on my potential writing docket, I am curious which of these appeal most:

I dust off the supervillain support group au. two ways this could go: I chip away at the second arc of my original outline and acknowledge this will be like a 300k fic I’m not ready to feel “done” with or “ready to post” with for ages, or I re-work it into something a little more doable and less ambitious keeping the same premise (ren runs a support group for supervillains, doc pov as he starts to heal and redeem himself). this MAY honestly be a target for “if I don’t hate the first 50k on re-reading it and I can actually make my brain write the second arc, do a slower release schedule and then start releasing chapters before I’m done writing”? but this ALSO runs the risk of “I stopped writing it, which is often a sign I was having trouble writing it”.

pearl monster au, which has been cooking in my head for a long while. the basic premise is “one day, pearl, with no memory of how or why this happened, wakes up in a facility as a monster and must try to figure out how she got there, escape, and find her way home, even knowing she may be irrevocably changed”. now with bonus season 10 fish flavor to add to this creature design I’ve been iterating on in my head for forever! this one is ALSO an experiment for me in “can I write a fic where I can’t write dialogue for basically the entire first act”, which would be interesting to see from me, you know?

the related “bigb folklore au”, where after secret life bigb is woken up by Cat and Dog by the tracks of the King Snake, which bigb can recognize as the railroad track, and decides to journey down the railroad to see if he can figure out what the fuck is going on. I need to do video review of life series bigb for this one. this is my excuse to get Weird and Metaphorical and also assign everyone to various animals for no reason, along with using some very specific aesthetic I have wanted to use for some worldbuilding but hadn’t gotten around to yet in any of my stuff. man walks through the desert with animal, confronts train that might be the watchers, might be death, and might just be a train. also, realizes that “confront” is the operative word there and has to deal with that. you know how it is.

““office au””, in air quotes because it’s not REALLY what anyone going to an office au is looking for so much as an excuse to write weird horror. iskall, normal-ish software developer man in a boring office job who does game jams in his free time, goes to work one day to work in his boring downtown office on a payment system for a client. and then things, uh, Take A Turn. this would be a LITTLE me going “what if I wrote an au with a guy who works in tech but like, the boring side of tech I’m in. like, banks and consulting and manufacturing and shit. where you sit in meetings all day and tweak java 8 code even though that language is ten years out of date. but THEN. something exciting happens in the worst way possible.” I’m doing to iskall what I did to mumbo stuffed bird is what I’m saying. it’d be fun.

DO ANY OF THESE PARTICULARLY INTEREST ANYONE. your input will be valued. like 50% chance i get hit with a strong bolt of inspiration then IGNORE that input but it’ll be valued all the same,

#note that me telling you about these ideas is ALSO accountability #on account of both ‘anyone can make whatever based on my things forever’ meaning one of you could make one now #and on account of people will start asking me about them on rare occasion now lol

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creaman · 7 months

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Hello! Just want to say that I absolutely adore your designs for Jon, Edward, and Jervis! They're so detailed and extra. I love them sm. Up in the top two favorite designs. My favorite is definitely Jervis. Which is funny, because in just about every version he's my least favorite of the three. His design is just so fun and goofy and him. It's amazing. They all are.

Anyways that's it. Byeeee<33

Oh? Do you now? Well I’m glad you think so because now you’re getting

Design Notes — Riddler | Scarecrow | Hatter

I drafted up some rogue designs last year, actually. They’ve mostly evolved from those. Content warning for horrific old art.

The McGriddler — Ah, a grown man with the strength of a baby! I’ve actually had this… horrendous peacock concept in my brain since 2022, back when my Riddler design was a dirty blonde/brunette. I hated him. He had the costume, but not the flair. Not to mention the generic facial structure.

Luckily, New Riddler is now an ostentatiously dressed vain attention whore! Highly fashionable, extensive wardrobe (def designing more outfits for him) and a possible mid-life crisis arc where he just wears a bathrobe and wifebeater for a month straight.

And listen, I’m not much of a writer, but there are notes on his personality.

Not great ones, though.

And rather than his ambiguous forensics/science job, he now works in I.T. Or rather, worked in I.T. (fired for patronising tech support customers)

For Jon — He’s always had black eyes with orange ringed pupils (initially blue) from the fear toxins. Drafted him up in high school because I was coping.

I’ve always intended to give him multiple costume designs. With narrative purposes. He redesigns himself. Ofc he couldn’t be satisfied with one thing, no, he has winter, summer, Witch Doctor, stealth etc. costumes on the way.

The initial design was trying to do too much — Patches, stitches, belt straps, arm warmers, utility belts, boots. Clutter. (Does NOT help that I can hardly decipher my old sketches.)

So, we just remove the overtly slutty components from the main design—

—And put them in a seperate campier Scarecrow design that I use as a Halloween-sona.

Silly Crazy Zonka Wonka — I think I was looking at pics of the Depp Hatter for the old design, which. May explain some things.

Acute observation! They look nothing alike. So I’ve kept absolutely nothing from the initial design except for the choppy wavy hairstyle.

Completely different colour scheme. Subbed out the TF2 Ghastly Gibus for the Towering Pillar of Hats. (Because ofc The Hatter would have something from the funny Hat FPS, no?) Shorter. Feebler. Every sickness on the planet. Congratulations! Mercury poisoning.

The initial concept for the redesign was to have a sort of reversible coat with his Arkham outfit on one side, and Rogue outfit on the other. You can see I just opted for him to wear a combination of both.

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vodika-vibes · 3 months

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I love your follower celebration idea. It's so sweet. I would love to put in a request.

Narcissus and yellow orchid, I'll let you choose any clone, bevause they all deserve love. And it can be that after months of unrequited love, f!reader is trying to move on, and he finds out about it.

I don't know. Something like that.

Please Watch Me

Summary: You've had a crush on Jesse for ages, but he doesn't really know you exist, so you're planning on moving on. Only, when he finds out, he takes issue with it.

Pairing: ARC Trooper Jesse x F!Reader

Word Count: 2592

Prompts: Narcissus - unrequited love, Yellow Orchid - New Beginnings

Warning: Jesse is kind of an idiot in this, but it's not malicious

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: So this was going to be a Fox fic, because I love him so much, but then I made myself sad about Jesse, and this was born instead. I hope this is close to what you want! ❤️

You learned, a long time ago, that life isn’t fair.

And you’ve, mostly, accepted it.

It’s why you agreed to join the GAR at your parents' loud encouragement. It was never your dream. But you’ve come to accept that most people don’t get to live their dreams.

It’s…fine.

You like your job well enough.

Or, well…you like the view, if nothing else.

Your gaze drifts from your datapad, which is running a diagnostic on a malfunctioning alarm, over to the group of men on the other side of the room. Your eyes linger on one man specifically.

ARC Trooper Jesse of the 501st.

Kind and handsome and charming…and so far out of your reach that he might as well be on Kamino still.

You glance down at your datapad, and sigh softly. As per usual, the diagnostic is moving at the pace of a teenager who has school that day. Nothing for it but to wait until it’s done, you suppose.

You slump against the wall, and allow your gaze to drift back over to the clones on the other side of the room.

It looks like they’re doing hand to hand combat this morning. Which has two perks for one. One, watching them spar is always interesting, though you never have the time to actually watch them. And two, they tend to spar shirtless and you’re something of a simple woman and enjoy the sight of very attractive shirtless men.

All of them. Not just Jesse.

You glance at your datapad again.

30%. You’re going to be here awhile. You should have brought a book.

You slide to the ground and balance your datapad on your knees, splitting your attention between the slowly rinsing number, and Jesse on the other side of the room.

You’ve been completely enamored with him for months now. Ever since the first time he came into your “office”, which is really just a small corner of the hanger sectioned off with crates to give you the illusion of privacy, and asked you for help updating his onboard computer since he was having a hard time with it.

You ended up having to replace the whole system, but he sat with you until you were done, cracking jokes and sharing easy conversation, until you managed to replace the whole system and run the update that he needed.

The crush started out small, just a little thing that you thought could be ignored.

But it wouldn’t. The more you watched him interact with the world around him, the stronger the feelings grew. Until you were laying in your cot late one night, staring at the ceiling, realizing that you loved him.

And Jesse.

Well, he didn’t know you existed.

Or, if he did, it was in the vague way that all of the men in the 501st knew you existed. As Tech Support.

It. Sucks.

And sure, life isn’t fair, and you’ve come to accept the fact that you’re probably going to get stuck watching the love of your life fall in love with another person, and you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to be happy for him.

Still, it would be nice if life was a little more fair.

Just a little bit?

You glance at your datapad again. 35%.

At least it’s not running backwards, that happened in the med-bay the other day and you just about ripped your hair out…and then verbally tore the entire Medical team a new one for downloading a virus on a military computer.

Rex promised that it would never happen again, when he came to save the medical team from your ire, but you have doubts.

After all, it always happens again.

You fold your legs and absently open a game of solitaire over the diagnostic screen.

Now that you’re thinking about it, maybe it’s time for you to make a change. Not with your career, you signed a contract and you’re stuck for at least 6 years, but with your personal life.

You can’t keep pining over Jesse, it’s not healthy. And you’re young and reasonably attractive, surely you can snag a date with someone?

Right?

The only problem, of course, being that whenever you consider someone to date, the only face that pops in your mind is Jesse. Which is wholly unhelpful. And you refuse, refuse, to try and get over Jesse by using one of his brothers.

That’s not fair to anyone.

You suppose you can always go to a club when you return to Coruscant. You are paid decently well, so you can afford a proper clubbing outfit, and a hookup might, maybe, help you get over Jesse?

Or, it’ll make everything so much worse.

You consider the idea for a moment as you absently move cards across the screen. It’s not a terrible idea, all things considered. You still have some friends from college who keep in touch, and they have been nagging you to go out with them.

And you have been neglecting your social life, what with the war and being assigned to the Resolute.

And your friends will be thrilled to go dancing with you.

Yes, this is an excellent idea. Maybe.

Eh. Maybe not. But it can’t hurt.

Anything is better than pining over someone who isn’t interested, after all.

“How’s the security system looking?” General Skywalker asks as he looms over you, a look of amusement on his face as he sees the card game.

You switch tabs, “Can’t tell you. The diagnostic is still only at 43%.”

“Slow system,”

“GAR standard,” You reply dryly, “It’ll get sorted, it’s just going to take time.”

Anakin sighs, “Of course. Well, we’re heading back to Coruscant anyway, Snips has some lessons she needs to actually sit for.”

“Do not miss those days.” You quip.

“Amen to that,” He glances at you, “Are you alright? You looked sad.”

“Ah, just…thinking.” You reply. You’re quiet for a moment, “I haven’t been on a date since my ex cheated on me in college, and I’m thinking of maybe putting myself back out there.”

There’s a noise from the other side of the room, and both you and General Skywalker look up to see Jesse laying on his back with Tup standing over him, both of them looking surprised.

“Well, good luck with that. I have to go…manage.” General Skywalker says with a sigh.

“Sounds like you have the harder job.” You murmur as he walks away. You look at your diagnostic one more time, and then sigh, and go back to your game.

At this rate, you’re going to be working until midnight.

Jesse is having something of a week.

Not a good one, either.

He rubs the back of his neck as he paces in Kix’s office. He is deeply, deeply agitated and he knows why. After all, he was fine until he heard her say those words.

“-I’m thinking of putting myself back out there.”

It had been startling enough that Tup managed to get one up on him and ended up beating him in the spar. And if he’s going to be honest, he’s still a little shell-shocked.

She can’t go out on a date. She just…she can’t.

“Jesse.”

It’s not allowed. Or it shouldn’t be allowed. She needs to stay near the barracks. Where she’ll be safe. Where he can keep her safe from the creeps on Coruscant.

“Jesse!”

Or, if she doesn’t stay near the barracks, she should at least go to places that are safe, like 79s where he can threaten his brothers if they bother her-

“JESSE!”

He jumps when Kix’s shout jerks him out of his increasingly spiraling thoughts. “What?”

“You’re going to pace a hole in my floor.” Kix says, irritably. “Sit. Down.”

Jesse obediently drops into a chair.

Kix glares at him a moment longer, and then he nods, “Good. Now. What is your problem?”

“You have a shit bedside manner, Kix.”

“It’s you. Get over it.” Kix rolls his eyes, “Why are you so anxious?”

Jesse eyes his brother, and then his shoulders slump, and he quietly says her name.

“What, did she yell at you for downloading a virus, because she’s not going to stay angry for long.” Kix says.

“No. She wants to start dating.”

“And? What’s the problem with-” He stops and looks up from his datapad to stare at his brother. “Oh. Oh. Vod, I’m sorry.”

Jesse grimaces, “I was dumb.” He admits.

“Well, at least you know. How were you dumb, though?”

“I got comfortable. She watched me when she thought no one was looking. And I thought…well, I thought she would wait for me.”

“Why the hell would she do that? Have you ever actually spoken to her before?”

“Yes!”

“About something not work related?”

“I…Not really, no.”

“Then why should she put her life on hold for you?” Kix asks reasonably.

“Stop being logical and tell me how to keep her from dating people who aren’t me!”

“Talk to her, you utter idiot.”

“What if she says no?”

“Well then, you’re SOL aren’t you?” Kix says, “Because if you think for a moment that I’m going to let you ruin her life because of jealousy-”

“What! No! I would never!”

“Good.” Kix turns back to his work, “Anyway, you should go talk to her.”

“Uh…”

He turns his glare onto his brother, “You’re not really going to make me do this, are you?”

“...do what?” Jesse asks warily.

“You are. You’re lucky you’re my favorite brother.”

“Wait-”

Kix gets to his feet and drags Jesse to his feet, before he propels him out of the room. He pushes Jesse down the hall, into the lift, down another hall, into the hanger, and then into the small room where she works.

“Wait, Kix-” Jesse hisses.

She turns her wide, confused gaze over the pair of men, “Is something wrong?” She asks cautiously.

“No.” Jesse says quickly.

“Yes.” Kix says at the same time. He pushes Jesse into the only chair in the room, and then claps his brother on the shoulder, “This is for your own good, vod.”

“What are you-?” Jesse doesn’t finish his sentence as Kix cuffs him to the chair, and then leaves the room.

She stares at Jesse wide eyed, her hand pressed over her mouth, “Um…hold on, I’m sure I have a set of lock picks in here-”

“You…why would you have lockpicks?” Jesse asks, so startled at her comment that he can’t even be upset at the situation.

She ducks her head, and Jesse just about melts when he sees the adorably shy look on her face. “I, well…I was bored, and I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to learn how to pick locks.”

“That’s…”

She ducks her head a little more, and Jesse wonders what person told her that she should be ashamed of herself, and he wonders if he can meet them and introduce them to his fist.

“It’s weird, I know-”

“It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Jesse says determinedly.

Her head snaps up and she stares at him in surprise, “You…adorable?” She asks with a cute scrunch of her nose.

“Yes. Adorable. In fact, everything about you is adorable. How do you do that?”

“I…I don’t-I mean, I’m not doing anything special-?” She says shyly, “Oh, lockpicks…” She turns and digs through a drawer.

“You don’t have to do anything special. You just are.” Jesse says as he watches her dig through her things. He hesitates a moment, “Any guy would be lucky to have you.” He adds, sounding deeply pained.

“Found it!” She holds up a ring of lockpicks, and then offers him a slight smile, “And…not any guy.”

“Name one.”

“General Skywalker?”

“He doesn’t count seeing as he’s married, try again.”

“Like, all of your brothers who look right through me like I’m invisible?” She offers as she kneels next to him and starts working on the cuff.

“They have bad taste, all of them. Have you seen some of their tattoos?” Jesse asks.

“Says the man with the Republic cog tattooed on his face?”

“I have amazing taste,” Jesse says with a grin, “Have you seen my other tattoos?”

“I…have, yes.”

His grin widens, “Like I said, they all have bad taste, try again.”

She sighs and straightens once he’s free, “Okay. You.”

Jesse rubs his wrist, but keeps his gaze locked on her face, “That’s not true at all.”

She blinks at him once, and then again, “I beg your pardon?”

“Alright, so…I have a confession.” Jesse starts as he leans back in the chair, not wanting to crowd her, “I knew about your crush on me.”

Her face flames, and she presses her hands over her face, “I-”

“Can I finish before you say anything, please?” Jesse asks, his voice gentle, and he waits until she nods before he continues. “I knew about your crush, and I knew about you watching me, and I loved it.”

She lowers her hands to watch him.

“I suppose I got…spoiled. I assumed that you would always be there, and that’s on me, not on you. So…so hearing that you want to start dating again-” He trails off and shakes his head with a wry quirk of his lips. “It was something of a punch to the gut.”

“I…sorry-”

“Hey, no. No, you don’t have to apologize. It was a well needed punch to the gut.” Jesse says, “I never spoke with you, and part of that is because we’re both so busy, but part of it is…well, I’m something of a jerk sometimes.”

She tilts her head, her arms folding in front of her stomach, “Jesse…what are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying,” Jesse pauses, “Begging, pleading…don’t take your eyes off me. Please?”

“Jesse-”

“I want to…to take you dancing and to the movies and out to dinner and…and buy you flowers. And I know that you have every right to tell me to kriff off but I’m really hoping that you won’t.”

She hesitates, “This isn’t just some joke that you’re playing on me, is it?”

“No, never. I wouldn’t do that to anyone, but least of all you.” Jesse says.

There’s quiet for a moment, and then Jesse speaks again, looking both eager and hesitant at the same time, “So…so what do you think? Can you give this idiot one more chance?”

She sighs, gentle and quiet, “Jesse, I didn’t actually have any hope of finding someone else.” She admits, “I’ve been in love with you since the first time you came in here.”

“I know.” Jesse smiles slightly, “I don’t know if I love you. I’ve never been in love before. But I know the idea of you with someone else makes me unbearably sad.”

She ducks her head with a small smile, “I don’t mind waiting until you know for sure.”

“Does that mean you’re willing to be my girlfriend?” Jesse asks.

She glances at him and nods her head slowly, “But…you’re not allowed to ignore me anymore.”

“Never again. This is a new beginning for you and me. A better start.” Jesse stands when he sees the small smile on her face and he reaches out to lightly brush his fingers against her cheek.

And then he leans in and presses his lips against her forehead.

She doesn’t react for a moment, and then, slowly, she wraps her arms around his waist. “Do…do you want to stay and watch a holo with me?” She asks, her voice soft and hesitant.

“Cyare, nothing would make me happier.”

#star wars #tcw #vodika-vibes follower celebration #arc trooper jesse x reader #jesse x reader #star wars fanfiction #x reader fanfiction #f!reader fic #answered asks

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kiisstuff · 7 months

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Soulmate-if

Summary:

"Soulmate" is an interactive fiction story that follows the journey of Reyan, a high school girl who has recently been transferred to a new school. Eager to find love and belonging in this unfamiliar place, she encounters five potential romantic interests: Ava, an artistic girl with a unique sense of style; Daniel, the charismatic jock known for his athletic prowess; Gea, the popular girl who seems to have it all; Robert, the brilliant nerd who's passionate about academics; and Maxine, the troublemaker known as Max, who has a rebellious edge. Amidst navigating high school drama, friendships, and secrets, players will help Reyan make choices that shape her future, leading her towards her one true soulmate.

Decision-Making:

Players will face a variety of choices throughout the story, allowing them to guide Reyan's actions and shape her destiny. These decisions will impact her relationships, friendships, and ultimately determine her soulmate.

Character Interaction:

Interact with the five romantic interests, Ava, Daniel, Gea, Robert, and Max, through engaging dialogues and choices. Get to know them better, uncover their personalities, and discover shared interests.

Character Development:

Each romantic interest has a unique character arc and growth throughout the story. Players will witness their personal development as they navigate the challenges of high school life.

Multiple Endings:

"Soulmate" features multiple endings based on the choices made throughout the game. Players can experience different outcomes, including finding Reyan's true soulmate or exploring various paths of her high school life.

Relationship Status:

Keep track of Reyan's evolving relationships with the romantic interests. The game provides a relationship status tracker, allowing players to see how close they are to each character.

Backstory Unveiling:

Delve into the pasts of each romantic interest as Reyan gets to know them better. Uncover their secrets, dreams, and insecurities, leading to a deeper emotional connection.

Emotional Engagement:

"Soulmate" aims to evoke a range of emotions, from joy and laughter to heartbreak and empathy. Players will become emotionally invested in Reyan's journey as she seeks love and belonging.

Meeting Other Characters:

In addition to the romantic interests, players will interact with a cast of supporting characters, including friends, teachers, and rivals. These interactions will shape Reyan's overall high school experience and influence her choices.

Ava - The Artistic Soul

Ava is a free spirit with an artistic soul. She's imaginative, creative, and has a deep appreciation for beauty in all forms. She's also known for her kindness and compassion.

Appearance: Ava has long, wavy auburn hair that falls gracefully down her back, complemented by emerald green eyes that seem to hold entire galaxies within them. Her skin is porcelain-pale, and she often wears bohemian-style clothing, adorned with vibrant colors and flowing fabrics.

Daniel - The Jock with a Heart of Gold

Daniel is the jock with a heart of gold. He's confident, outgoing, and passionate about sports. Despite his popularity, he's down-to-earth and approachable.

Appearance: Daniel has a tall, athletic build, with short, sandy blond hair that matches his striking blue eyes. His sun-kissed skin reflects his time spent on the field, and he typically wears his sports team's jersey.

Gea - The Popular Queen Bee

Gea is the epitome of popularity. She's charismatic, social, and always the center of attention. Beneath her confident exterior, she harbors insecurities and secrets.

Appearance: Gea has long, flowing black hair that cascades down her back, framing her enchanting hazel eyes. Her complexion is a warm olive tone, and she's often seen wearing the latest fashion trends that accentuate her natural beauty.

Robert - The Nerd with a Brilliant Mind

Robert is the school's intellectual powerhouse. He's a bookworm, tech genius, and excels in academics. He's shy, introverted, but incredibly kind-hearted.

Appearance: Robert has messy, chestnut-brown hair and wears thick-rimmed glasses that emphasize his intelligent gaze. His skin is fair, and he dresses in comfortable, casual attire, often sporting graphic tees and jeans.

Maxine (Max) - The Troublemaker with a Rebellious Streak

Max is the enigmatic troublemaker, known for her fearless attitude and rebellious spirit. She's a bit of a mystery, with a tough exterior hiding a softer side.

Appearance: Max has a punk-rock style, with short, jet-black hair and intense, stormy gray eyes. Her dark skin adds to her edgy appeal, and she's usually seen in leather jackets, ripped jeans, and combat boots.

demo: https://dashingdon.com/go/15340 (01.01.2024)

forum: https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/soulmate-wip/147221

Tumblr: Soulmate-If , TBFamily-If

others:

#interactive fiction #if wip #wip #demo #romance #school #interactive novel #interactive game #interactive story #soulmate

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utilitycaster · 1 year

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The Twins in the Feywild

or, the adaptation is good, actually:

The thing about the Feywild arc in the Legend of Vox Machina is that it's not just a simple condensing of 20-ish hours into perhaps one hour; it's also at a notably different point in the story, and is changed to reflect that.

[as a sidebar: I am not tagging spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 1, as the episodes in question are 5+ years old. This post does have a large number of them, and in general, if you are new to CR and found this via the TLOVM tag, welcome! My blog will have spoilers for the campaign.]

In Campaign 1, after the Sunken Tomb and the encounter with Kamaljiori (who survives in the campaign, incidentally), all of Vox Machina heads towards Westruun. Grog has his (also different from TLOVM, also condensed in a thoughtful way that may be discussed in a separate post) struggles with Craven Edge, and they all encounter the Herd of Storms, deal with them, and kill Umbrasyl. The episode after they have killed the first of the four dragons responsible for the Conclave attacks, Umbrasyl the Hope Devourer, is aptly named Hope; they then go to Vasselheim where Vax formalizes his relationship to the Raven Queen, and then deal with Hotis back in Whitestone. The Deathwalker's Ward's flight power is also activated. Then they go to the Feywild, together (though Pike stays behind again due to Ashley's schedule.) In general, Vax has made peace with his decision, and the party is, for the most part, much more optimistic than they are here.

Here, all four dragons are still at large, Keyleth's spell was interrupted, Vax is still on edge, and the last thing they saw was Pike, impaled on Grog's sword. They are doing far worse.

So, understandably, Vax is in a sour mood the entire trip. This significantly changes his role, as he's less able to offer support for Vex. Keyleth is also more insecure.

The episode in Syngorn in the main campaign, which was also, notably, Critical Role's first ever live show with the tech hiccups and nerves that implies, is actually pretty funny. We do get the twins' encounter with Syldor - more on that later - but a large portion of the episode is dedicated towards stealing hats and trying to find a threshold crest for Garmelie (with Keyleth and Percy eventually outsmarting him on a technicality, in true Fey fashion); and the party accidentally implying and then fully leaning into implication that they are polyamorous and need a room so that they can have an orgy. I've seen indications that Syngorn was much grimmer than that; while the twins were understandably frustrated with it, it was far from a dark episode.

With the caveat that I have not read Kith and Kin, Syldor Vessar is one of the characters in Critical Role canon whom I feel the fandom has the most warped perception. He is a dick, to be clear; but on a scale of living character parents, he is treated with a vitriol the far worse Howaardt Darrington and Thoreau Lionett oddly dodge, and it says something that Tary and Beau never to our knowledge attempt to interact with their fathers again, whereas Vex maintains a distant and at times contentious but minimally cordial relationship with hers. (It's not unique for parents in this show to be given the madonna/whore treatment, as others have noted, and parents who fall most towards the middle of that false dichotomy tend to bear the brunt of it - see the Calloways and the Gentleman - but Syldor's treatment is, to be honest, inexplicable and weird.)

In "Heredity and Hats," Syldor is not warm or pleasant, but he does, in fact, apologize at length for his behavior and accepts that the twins have reason to hate him when he offers his assistance. (1x60, 47:58) He also accepts Percy's correction of Vex's title in full, and indeed, seems pleased by it (1x60, 55:22). He is not a good person, but he is, by the time the twins see him in the Feywild, a penitent one. And, in this episode, Vax is the one who is largely unconcerned with Syldor, with the implication he's already given up on him and doesn't particularly care, whereas Vex is much angrier.

However, that's all very difficult to convey in TLOVM in under ten minutes, when Vex's upcoming showdown with Saundor hinges on her insecurity surrounding how she was perceived in the past and her ongoing struggles with powerlessness. So in that, Syldor is far more dismissive, and Vax, who is still, as mentioned, in a very angry place himself, is, well, angry. It is a different tack! It also is a very smart choice given that in a campaign that lasts hundreds of hours, the rule is show don't tell; and in an animated series that must compress this into a tiny fraction of that time, that rule is lifted. This is not a time for the subtle background of Vex's C1 arc. There is no time for the subtle background of Vex's C1 arc. What matters is that the adaptation is consistent within itself; achieves the general, for lack of a better term, vibes and major plot beats of the original campaign; and can reach an audience unfamiliar with the source material. We can't make Syldor fascinatingly complex and Vax blasé here, so we don't, so that we can understand why Saundor is able to cut so close to the core of Vex before she's able to pull away.

It's different! And, yes, as someone who does like something very long-form and subtle and show-not-tell, I do prefer the original! I also think that within the limitations of an animated show with 6-hour seasons, with the assumption that the Feywild arc starts here (that is, with Vax still where he is emotionally, Umbrasyl alive, and Grog, Scanlan, and Pike absent), trying to otherwise keep things the same would feel artificial and unsatisfying, and fail to serve Vex's story. It is changed to heighten it in a medium that needs heightening because there's no time for breadth, and you can dislike it, but criticizing it for not being identical to the original is a particularly egregious missing of the point.

(It's also worth keeping in mind: have you rewatched this arc recently? Are you even comparing it to the story as it was, or are you comparing it to the story you remember, because, like it or not, Vex's story was always very much about her relationships to Syldor, Vax, and Percy, and her need to be liked; her flaw was that she simultaneously desperately needed people and hated herself for it.)

#i made a shitpostier version of this i've queued but like. hm.#i think the best way to put it is that a lot of people REALLY love to Strong Female Character Vex (and Keyleth)#while thinking they are absolutely not doing so #and it is. shall we say. irritating.#tlovm #tlovm spoilers #long post #critical role

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rndmpeep · 10 days

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Spoilers for TBB episode 3.13

So I've now officially determined that the reason Echo has been missing from so many TBB episodes is because he is extremely OP. He has so much experience, training, and competence that they really had to remove him from the batch because there WOULD BE NO CONFLICT.

Rescue Omega? Echo's been working on it, but he has other rebel things he's trying to help with.

CX-2 shows up? We can't have Echo kill Tech before he comes back to himself.

Sneak onto an imperial ship to get to Tantiss? Echo will do it himself, and then proceed to stay hidden on the ship, without backup and support, for the duration of the trip.

This man served under Captain Rex in the excellent 501st, Torrent Company, has ARC training, is so incredibly intelligent and strategic that he was held hostage by the Techno Union, and more. By the way, he manages to be COMPLETELY SILENT sneaking onto the ship on his ENTIRELY METAL LEGS.

In conclusion: Echo is so powerful he actually destroys the integrity of the season 3 plot. Deus ex Echo.

#sw tbb spoilers #tbb spoilers #swtbb #arc trooper echo #when i tell you the entire episode was an echo thirst trap #like 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

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funnel-webbed-au · 1 year

Text

The Fools/The Family

Syntax dropped his pencil as the robot that carried his claws attached itself to his back. A soft, guttural hiss escaped the half-spider as he bore his fangs, then wiped a bead of sweat off of his cheek. The pain from when the needles slid in never ceased to catch him off guard, no matter how many times he endured it. As the scientist sighed, he couldn't help but remember the first time those needles had slid in and penetrated his spinal column, binding and readjusting part of it so violently that it knocked him out for a few minutes.

The ironic part was that it was his machine. Perhaps he should have seen the signs, her megalomania being the largest red flag. He was too trusting, even now as the cynical, walled-off individual he'd become over the years. Syntax hissed.

He'd been a fool. Her fool.

That thought alone had him pacing in his laboratory before he barked an order at the AI to scramble the passwords of his blast doors. The sigh of relief that came to him afterwards would have been audible to anyone within a car's length of him.

Syntax leaned against one of his walls, then slid down it until he landed in a small heap, legs pulled against his chest ever so gently. He couldn't aggravate the scars there, after all. That sting wasn't something he could forget.

It felt like his mind was full of static. For all he knew, it likely was. The buzz in his ears reminded him of flies that hadn't been caught yet, of ambient voices who said too much for him to parse what they were saying, what they meant.

Why had he trusted her? He should have known she would use him, like they always do. It's always his talent that's important and never him. He was sick of it, but it wasn't like there was anything he could do, or so he thought. His claws curled around himself, ready for a cocoon. He needed a nap anyway, and maybe he could sleep off this dread, sleep off this grief.

He was interrupted by Maratus's monotone voice as the artificial intelligence spoke, penetrating the silence and giving him much needed reprieve from his own demons. Right, yes, he had more important things to worry about than anyone else's opinions. They didn't matter, they shouldn't matter.

"Huntsman has deposited a bowl of pho on the gift table outside." Maratus announced, and the thought of a hot meal brought Syntax to his feet. As he unlocked the blast door that separated his lab from the rest of the nest, and the world at large, the scent of beef hit him like a ton of bricks... and he couldn't help but smile.

[Flashback.] Huntsman knocked on the blast door to Syntax's lab. The spider hadn't come out for dinner, which had the stronger spider antsy. Syntax almost never missed dinner. When the door opened, the larger spider entered slowly, carefully. He didn't want to mess up anything that the scientist had left out; he knew he'd get an earful for that at best.

Huntsman paused. Why was Mac lying there like that? He was curled up and uncomfortable, and those tears looked like they'd recently started. Hunter sighed and went to kneel in front of his sibling, then chose his words carefully. Sure, he did care... but he didn't want the other spider to know that. He'd never believe in his sincerity. Both of them were closed off, and justifiably so.

"What do you want for dinner, Mac?" Hunter spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper in the quiet of Syntax's lab. He'd seen the signs. The other spider had been shivering ever so slightly, goggles over his eyes in case any bright lights came on unannounced. Hunter knew how Mac reacted to too much going on at once.

The younger spider sighed softly, then reached for his tablet so he could pull up an old photo. A dinner long past, but something Hunter could definitely make if he decided to. He likely would, for the other's sake.

"Pho. Got it. You just sit tight here, Mac. I'll return with food in the next hour... it's lucky I saved so much spare broth, eh?" Huntsman chucked gently as he ruffled Mac's hair.

[End of flashback.]

"Send one of the robots to deliver one of the stuffed toys I sewed last week. Make sure to leave a note on it, Maratus." Syntax instructed the AI of his workshop lab, and soon enough, the letter and the plush were sent to Huntsman.

A soft smile distorted the former lumberjack's face as he read the note attached to the small plush. It was a sweet note, truly, but the colors of the plush spider were what really got him: Jade, amethyst, gray, and black. Both of their colors.

"Syntax, you sap." Hunter chuckled as he took the plush to bed with him... one of his most closely guarded secrets. He had several similar plushies in his room, and never went to bed without one of them. The last words he spoke before he fell asleep were almost too quiet for himself to hear... and yet...

"...you're a good kid, Mac."

#[Tech Support - Mac - Syntax]#[Nightmare - Memories We'd Rather Forget - Lore Drop]#[Frayed and Grayed - Knox- Huntsman]#[Dream - Memories We Hold Close - Lore Drop]#[To Be Denounced - I might rewrite this later.]#[The Crystal Dragon - Mod Riley]#[Arc Two - Toxic Winds - Post-Canon]

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happytroopers · 3 months

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Literally anything about Echo, please. Could be before or during bad batch, I’m just completely head over heels for the man

PAST LIVES // Echo x Reader

Summary: Echo's been rescued from Skako Minor, settling into Clone Force 99 slowly but surely. His past catches up with him during a routine diagnostic run, and you... well, you're unknowingly somewhere between a memory and a reunion. Echo is convinced he knows best.

Something wasn't right, things were too soft and hazy, too golden, too warm, dreamy… But the way you were smiling at him, the way your warm fingers were tracing patterns through his hair, Echo couldn’t bring himself to think too hard about it. It had been far too long since he’d had time with you like this, legs tangled together, his hands were settled on you waist, and you were smiling lazily. Maybe something was right for the first time in a while.

Where was he again? Your apartment on Coruscant? The Barracks? Why couldn’t he tell? Then you shifted, rolling so you were on top of his chest. The hand not on his bicep crept up his torso, nails scratching just right to make his back arch. Maybe it didn’t matter where you were...

"We gotta get up." Your voice was sleepy but happy, muffled as you dropped your face into the crook of his neck. Echo wanted to focus on your voice, on the feel of your lashes against his jaw, but under your voice was the hint of something else. Something that injected a bit of urgency into his system, but nothing here was that urgent right? Echo wrapped his arms a bit tighter around your waist, but nothing felt different, like you slipping through his fingers.

"Echo, you need to wake up now." You said again, suddenly not buried in his neck but staring down at him expectantly. The warmth was sapping away, despite your touch his legs were feeling colder and stiffer. Your voice wasn’t soft, but an order, behind it was the reverberation of someone else’s. Rex? Fives? No, that wasn’t right either. Echo started to try to sit up, reaching up to run a hand through your hair, locks slipped over his quickly cooling fingers like an water washing away an illusion, revealing a durasteel scomp link in it’s place.

The urgency was rising, his other hand running over his head to find his cropped cut gone. Barely any stubble had started to regrow, his face had gone gaunt. Furrowed brows lifted his eyes to you, the golden version of you smiling and the cold urgent version of yourself flickering like a faulty holo-com. He tried calling your name, but a static shock at the base of his neck catapulted him first into darkness though he was becoming rapidly more aware of his reality.

Half a moment later, a hand shook his shoulder and he startled awake again. The harsh white light of the Kaminoan medical bay was a stark difference to the hazy golden light in his dream.

It had been a dream, of course it had, Echo hadn’t spoken to you since…well, since he’d been a different man.

"Diagnostic scans are looking good. New implants are operating satisfactory. " Tech announced, tapping away at a data pad that was connected by a couple wires to the base of Echo’s skull. The former ARC trooper sighed, craning his neck this way and that though the cybernetics along his spine wouldn’t let the joints pop.

"Great, can we find a way to test these things without knocking me out?" He groaned, watching Tech tap at a few more things. The genius rose his eyebrows.

"We could but we risk neural overload, neural underload, brain fry, memory lapse, short term memory loss, long term memory loss, hallucinations,…" Tech’s list was on going, bordering on droning but Echo’s focus was lost when motion at the door way caught his eye. The medbay doors swished apart, making room for two clones. Two older cadets in training armor, one half supporting his brother who was sans helmet. The injured one had blood dribbling down his forehead and looked more than a little dazed. Training incidents, those happened all the time. It was the pretty civilian nurse who flanked the pair that held Echo's attention, taking the injured cadet under his other arm to help him walk straight.

You.

It was like being shocked all over again.

Echo was an entirely different man now, but you… You’d barely changed. Sure, your hair was a little longer now, a couple more shadows under your eyes. But, you were still you. The woman that Echo had loved, still loved. He couldn't help but watch you sit the injured trooper down, asking both cadets diagnostic questions. They seemed flustered under your keen eyes, casting each other wide eyed looks when you’d offer them that soft, reassuring smile you gave all your patients.

You’d given Echo that smile, it seemed like decades ago now when you’d met, and, kriff, it’d stunned him to silence, too. Still did. Echo watched you put gloves on, sliding them over a ring he’d given you shortly before he left for the Citadel. And he watched those gloved hands gently feel over the Cadet’s head, not quite like you used to play with his hair, but just as gentle. He couldn’t quite hear your voice, but he could see your lips moving, your face was still gentle, probably explaining what you were doing or cracking a joke as opposed to the scolding you used to serve the 501st when they’d get hurt doing something dumb.

The cadet flinched as you started to clean the shallow wound on his forehead, and Echo almost laughed at the face you made at him. There was the scolding, judging by how the cadet sat up a little straighter. It didn’t take you long, cleaning, bandaging, shining a light in the clone’s eyes.

"Alright, I think you’ll survive, just barely."

Echo couldn’t hear you, but he knew that glint in your eyes. You always said that when treating minor wounds; you thought it was funny. He knew exactly the lilt of your voice, which words you put emphasis on, the quirk of your brow, the breath of a laugh you’d tag on the end as you patted the Cadet’s knee. He’d heard you say it a hundred times, been the patient on the receiving end when he’d make excuses to come see you in the medbay before he asked you out.

Tech was prodding his shoulder again, trying to get his attention. Echo could just barely hear him over the rash of memories going through his mind.

"Are you even listening to me? Something made your brainwaves spike." Tech questioned finally looking up from his datapads to follow Echo’s line of sight to you, "Oh."

The cadets were leaving now, you were cleaning up the bit of mess you made before taking a sweep of the infirmary. Your eyes landed on the two different clones, your brow twitched for a moment as you looked at him. A spark of recognition dimmed by a crash of sadness before you shook your head, offering the two of them a smile and wave.

"Can I help with anything?" You called after setting a cleaning droid on your station. You were walking over, curiosity in your pretty eyes.

"No, just routine diagnostics." Tech answered when Echo just stared at you like a ghost. Ironic considering he was the more ghost like of the two of you. You slipped more into work mode, eyes scanning over the cybernetics on his head and dumbstruck look.

"And they’re coming back green?" You asked, sincerely, reaching out to gently take hold of Echo’s chin. Kriff, if you touched him he didn’t know what he’d do. He’d been so carefully avoiding you since his rescue. Stars, the truth was clawing up his throat to tangle with the wisps of your perfume that he’d breathed in, like sparks and gas. It burned your presence into him, but, dank farrik, it was nice to be warm again.

But could he do this to you? You deserved more than what he’d become, he couldn’t give you what he once could. Could he put you through that after everything?

Rex had told him. How hard you took it when the news of Echo’s apparent death was broken to you. Everything you’d been through afterwards. Rex told him that you weren’t coping well, you were becoming reckless, distant. Barely eating, barely sleeping, less patient, quiet. The only reason you were still working in the GAR at all was because some of the boys were worried what might happen to you if you were formally discharged. So, Rex pulled some strings, had you transferred back to Kamino where you’d been primarily an instructor, teaching cadets medical skills, running drills with them to show them how to work with civilians in the field, and taking shifts in the infirmary just to keep busy. Compared to what Kix had described, you seemed to finally be doing better. You seemed like you.

Echo could feel the warmth emanating off your fingertips as they got closer, reminding him exactly why he needed to not be this close. That spark of recognition was back in your stare, your brow twitching. At the last second, Echo flinched backwards away from your fingers, leaning away to try not to choke on your scent as he cleared his throat.

"Just a little out of sync when things come back online, ma’am, nothing to worry about. ‘M fine." Echo forced his voice to be rigid, cut and dry, the way soldiers were supposed to talk to civilians like you. Anything else, he’d be afraid you’d clock him based just off his tone. You always could do that, pick him out of a crowd with your eyes closed. Sometimes, Fives and Jesse would convince Echo to play ‘musical armor’ to try to trick you, you wouldn’t even have to turn around. The moment Echo opened his mouth, you’d hit him with a sweet greeting. It always made the guys laugh, but it made Echo feel… right, warm all the way through. So, he couldn’t risk it and kept his voice firm.

Echo expected you to look at him weird, maybe even be irritated at his cold tone, but instead, you just smiled, shaking your head with the slightest laugh as you dropped your hand back to your side.

"What?" Echo pressed, fighting the urge to smile back. He shouldn’t have, he needed to leave. It was nice to have you this close again, but it’d just hurt more in the long run. You straightened up, taking a half step back.

"Sorry, you just… remind me of someone I used to know."

Echo tried not to flinch at that.

"We’re needed in the docking bay."

Both of you had completely forgotten Tech was there. The batch’s genius was watching Echo carefully and you curiously, and for all the crap they gave him, Tech had obviously picked up on Echo’s inner struggle. Tech stood slowly, slipping his helmet on and handed Echo’s to him, "We’ll see ourselves out."

Echo nodded to Tech, and also to himself, before offering you a curt nod as well, just for the excuse to give you another short look. Your brows crinkled again, but Echo turned on his heel to follow Tech out before he could give you anymore reason to question him.

"Oh, alright. Bye then." Your voice was soft, confused as you stared at the two men leaving the infirmary.

—

"You knew her."

Tech’s phrase wasn’t a question, but a fact. Stated as such as they walked back to the docking bay. Echo answered it like one anyone, after he slipped his helmet on, hoping it’d make him harder to read.

"Uh, yeah. She used to work in the 501st." Not a lie, you had worked in the 501st, after the incident on the Rishi moon.

"Your body language suggests some sort of deeper relation than simple coworkers. Your pupils dilated, brainwaves spiked, vocal change, hyper fixated focus, fidgety muscle reactions-"

"Don’t need a biology lesson, Tech." Echo groaned, "And I’m suggesting that it doesn’t matter anymore."

"It just insinuates that-"

"Un-insinuate it then."

"Hmm." Tech hummed, casting an odd look to the newest member of the Batch.

"I..." Echo thought for a moment, trying to come up with some sort of dismissal, but that truth was still crawling up his throat. His shoulders slumped a bit as he fixed his helmeted gaze on the pristine white floors, "I'm not the man she knew."

wow this is so dramatic and unedited lol

#arc trooper echo x reader #Echo x reader #tbb Echo #tbb x reader #Bad batch echo #bad batch x reader #the bad batch x reader

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