#that he’s lost control of everything he holds dear his ship his command both things that are essential to his identity

[thedelusionreaderbitch]

Kanej x gn! Reader - Falling

A/n: So I know I haven't been posting lately and I'm so sorry! I have like 11 drafts (in my Tumblr alone) and I couldn't get any of them done and I don't know why! I also used the Dear Evan Hansen seen Did you fall? As an inspiration!

Warnings: TRIGGER WARNING!!! Suicidal reader, falling, heights, suicidal thoughts, mentions of death, language, I think that's it? You have been warned!

Summary: In a heist, you decided to let go

I do not own shadow and bone six of crows or its characters! I also do not own dear Evan Hansen because some of the dialogue came from that! On another note, I also did not make/do not own this image!

Your hand slipped from the ledge and then you were was falling.

Your know Inej had fallen many times, it's practically part of her job description. You had to make mistakes to get better so falling and tumbling was just how it worked, of course, she hadn't any more. Any of the stories she's told you have all been from the past. Kaz had fallen too, he jumped off a building and that's how he injured his leg, but you don't think any of their stories have lived up to this.

Your hair is flung back behind you, and you really have no control over your body. It should seem like your going down but that's not what it looks like, it looks like your floating up. You try and spread out your body so you would slow the speed you were falling at but it's no use.

You try and scream but at the rate that your falling it gets caught in the air and even that ability is taken away from you like so much air fills your lungs.

You don't close your eyes and try to imagine what your life could have been. After all, the only reason you weren't on the ground, safe with your friends was that you had just robbed and gotten Nikolai back Strumhond's ships. You might as well enjoy the view.

Luckily for you, there was a beautiful sunrise in the distance and the clouds seemed to be placed in all the right places like the framing around a picture.

Though it was ironic because it showed that life would go on after you died because death was inevitable for you wasn't it? Your life was just another spec in the universe barely even making a dent in anything.

A bitter thought comes to mind; at least you wouldn't have to deal with all the shit trauma you would have had to go through. The reason you had 'slipped' from the ledge was no coincidence.

The air around you started to get heavy and you could see the bottom of the earth coming closer and closer. It's then where you close your eyes and your mind forms two people - Kaz and Inej.

Your girlfriend and boyfriend would... Gosh, they would probably wreck the world till they found out who made you fall. Only their search would end up empty.

You didn't want to leave them like this, not really yet they had each other. Would good were you? You were always just an extra understudy, you were never good at something you were just... Average.

And why would you want to live in this saint's forsaken world any longer?

Mentally you brace yourself for the impact; you probably wouldn't even feel a thing. You were so high up that the force of you hitting the ground would make it so you would die on impact.

You don't. You don't end up hitting the ground the rough and welcoming grass and dirt of the earth signifying your end. Your freedom, no you find yourself face-first into a ginormous cushion on a flying boat.

Groaning you look around only to find that this is definitely Nikolai's (or Strumhond's) ship. And there were some frazzled-looking Crows coming right towards you.

Fuck. Fucking shit- Nope, nope you were not going to talk about this. No one needed to know! It was only a little high...

You had almost taken your own life.

The facts come full force at you and you have to calm your breathing so you don't have a full-on panic attack.

"Y/n!" Inej comes full force basically flying towards you as she leaps through the air as graceful as a cat and lands right beside you. Suddenly she pulls you into her arms and you have to remind yourself to embrace her because you feel so numb.

"I'm okay." You croak and it comes out a little teary but to everyone else, it had sounded like you were afraid of what might have happened but what you really were afraid of was what did happen.

Inej helps you off the cushion even though you are pretty sure you sustained little to no injuries. That thing was fucking soft.

"Y/n." It comes out shaky and your eyes meet Kaz's and they aren't lined with tears like Inej's but his voice wavers and holds the fear of the man who would do anything not to be scared like that ever again.

He limps over to you both and surprisingly pulls you both into his embrace.

This time you don't feel numb no - you feel fucking guilty.

Finally, all three of you pull away and when you meet Kaz's eyes again you know he knows.

By the Saints, this is just your luck today, isn't it?

"What happened," Kaz says slowly like he's talking to a child.

Okay, and that's why you didn't want to tell anyone because you weren't a child and you weren't making this shit up! He couldn't just undermine you because he thought you need some support 'that way!' That's not what you need!

It's not going to make it any better.

"I fell." You say crossing your arms taking a few steps back from Inej and Kaz.

"Kaz let it go." Inej's voice isn't light it's that commanding tone she uses to the people on her ship. She's never used that tone on us, sure maybe that mother tone but not that tone.

What's happening to us?

Kaz sets his hard gaze on Inej willing her to take a step back but she stands her ground of course she does.

Am I the reason we'll fall apart?

"Really? Is that what really happened?" Kaz utters and he turns his gaze towards you. It's hard and angry and he isn't Kaz Brekker or Kaz Rietveld anymore, he's Dirtyhands. And your just another opposing gang member he's trying to get information out of.

"Yes!" You shrink away from him becoming smaller and smaller till you hit the wall of the ship.

Inej seems to have caught on to what Kaz is assuming and she looks at you in surprise and shock.

"Y/n... No, no you can't have..."

"Why don't I believe you?"

You are pressed up against the wall now with Kaz and Inej in front of you, keeping you in your place so you don't or can't run away.

It was always meant to be Dirtyhands and the Wraith wasn't it? You were a fool for thinking they could ever love you. They would leave you wouldn't they? If you told them the truth.

Everything would be lost.

"I was... I was holding on!" You nearly yell like your trying to convince yourself that you didn't let go of that ship. That you almost won the war within yourself.

"Then I lost my grip on the ledge and I just... I was falling."

It's Inej this time who speaks and she gently places a hand on your shoulder.

"Did you fall or did you let go?"

The question hangs in the air and you see now that they weren't Dirtyhands and the Wraith, no. They were concerned, worried, and afraid they were going to lose you to yourself.

"I let go." You whisper looking down at the floor of the ship not bearing to be able to look them in the eyes.

You shove them out of the way but you couldn't just run away, it was a fucking flying ship for fucks shake! There was no getting away, and you didn't feel like flinging yourself off Nikolai's ship.

So you just stand by the railing as silent tears slowly roll down your face the only thing that recognized your suffering.

Out of the corner of your vision, you see two people come up beside you on each side. You don't say anything you don't even look at them, you just look on at the sunrise and how it's almost forming into a beautiful sunny day.

"I'm sorry." Inej whispers and you hesitantly takes your hand and you can't help but let her.

You look over to Kaz and for once in your life, all his guards are down and you can tell he's also sorry. But you could also tell that he was so, so afraid.

"Please don't leave us."

Its barely said yet you can hear it clear as day and he takes your other hand looking at you with pleading eyes.

Looking over to Inej her eyes held the same beg, the beg of forgiveness, and the beg of safety.

Your beautiful Crows.

"I'll try."

"That's all we ask." Inej states as she and Kaz move closer to you and you all look at the sun. And what's beyond.

Words 1463

-thedelusionreaderbitch

Shadow and bone taglist: @kaqua @rika90 @thefandomplace @musical-theatre-obsessed-dumbass @gallysonegoodlung @navs-bhat @sumsebien @dontjudgeabookbythecover @brekker-zenik @alohastitch0626

#kaz x reader #inej x reader #kaz x inej x reader #six of crows #poly kanej x reader #poly #shadow and bone #six of crows x reader #crooked kingdom #inej ghafa imagine #kaz brekker imagine #shadow and bone x reader #grishaverse x reader #x you #x reader #grishaverse #the grishaverse #fanfics #kaz brekker x reader #inej ghafa x reader #inej #kaz #kaz rietveld #kaz brekker #inej the queen #inej ghafa #nina zenik #falling #wylan hendriks #wylan van eck

[castiels-majestic-wings]

Sixth Sense - Chapter 4

Paring: Loki x Female!Reader

Word Count: 2,761

Warnings: Character Fake!death, injury and violence.

Posted: 10/01/2021

A/N: This one is based on 'Thor: The dark world'

Thor had taken you to the best healer in the palace. Odin had asked questions but Thor thought it best to let you explain. You had passed out not long after you left Loki’s cell. You had been unconscious for two days before finally waking up. You stirred before sitting up, the nurse making her way to you.

“Are you alright? How are you feeling?” Your nose wasn’t hurting as much, you assumed they used some sort of magic to heal you. Looking down you saw bandages surround your waist. Had you started bleeding? Looking at the nurse you saw how small she was. About 5’5, small face, short blonde hair framing her face, and her dark brown eyes filled with concern.

“I’m fine. I need to speak to Loki.”

“Thor insisted that you rest”

“Well, it’s his fault I’m injured in the first place!” You swung your legs over to dangle on the side of the bed.

“I’m sorry? He didn’t tell us the cause of your injuries. I-I assumed Loki-” You glared at her.

“Loki didn’t do shit to me. Thor threw a punch at him and I took it. That’s all.” You gaze fell as you hopped off the bed. Ignoring the pain on your waist.

“Where’s Thor?”

“Thor has returned to Midgard. He didn’t say where but-”

“Thank you. But I need to check on Loki.” The nurse knew not to interfere Thor had said you were stubborn, so she let you leave. Walking around the palace you decided to go to Heimdall. He could see over the realms, you had to find out what Thor was doing. Making your way to the Bifrost you saw his figure ready to open a Bifrost. Thor must be returning soon.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Heimdall didn’t need to look at you to know you were there. A giggle escaped your lips as you walked closer.

“I should, but it doesn’t mean I will.” Stopping next to him, you looked up at his figure. “Where’s Thor? I was told he returned to Earth”

“Yes. He went to find Jane after I lost sight of her.” Heimdall seemed lost. He had never lost sight of anyone before.

“Jane? Wait, you lost sight of her? But you see everything within the 9 realms”

“That is why Thor was concerned for her. I assume the convergence has opened portals to places even I cannot see”

“Can you see her now?” Heimdall ignored me as he opened the Bifrost. Thor and Jane appeared as Heimdall removed his sword.

“Thor! When I’m done with you I swear- Jane?” You stopped noticing the brunette stood next to him. “The- Thor, she has, power within her. It’s the same energy as Loki’s. It’s dark- powerful.”

“You can see it?”

“Yes, but her body can’t handle it for long. Her aura is fluctuating. Her body is fighting it. It will kill her if you don’t remove it.”

“Thor-” Jane sounded timid. You realised your mistake after you spoke but it was too late.

“Jane, humans cant hold powers like that for long, I don’t know what it is, but it’s not meant for humans to wield. How did you get it?” As you were walking to the palace again Jane and Thor explained everything they could. Your tactician senses were kicking in. You knew a power like that would draw in enemies. If it was hidden for so long, you knew it was dangerous. You sensed it. Thor had told you to rest. He said he would take you back to Midgard as soon as he could, but for now he needed to help Jane. That was before the attack. How didn’t Heimdall see it sooner? You didn’t know, but you knew something bad was going to happen. Thor had you with Jane, out of the way. Safe. After the attack, you found out that Frigga had died defending Jane, or at least the illusion of Jane she used to deceive the Dark Elf. The funeral was held later that night. You knew Odin sent a guard to tell Loki of her death. You wanted to check on him, see how he was doing. You knew he loved her, even if she wasn’t his real mother. She raised him as her own. He must be broken.

After her funeral, you had been told to stay put until you can go back to Midgard. You obliged. No one was in their right mind after the loss of their queen. You couldn’t exactly fall asleep until Thor came to you. He needed your help. You followed him until you made it into a room, under the castle, unknown to most of the palace. Heimdall, Sif and the Warriors Three were there. They had a plan to save Jane. Thor walked you through it. When the time came he asked for my company to see Loki and get his help. You were the only one who knew Loki’s true self. He would listen to you. When you entered, you knew it was an illusion, you saw Loki’s aura, but it was against the wall. Not the figure you saw standing there. He didn’t want to show how vulnerable he was.

“Loki enough. No more illusions” Loki removed the illusion and the room was trashed, and there sat Loki, right where you sensed him. He was broken, more broken than you had ever seen him. His hair was tussled. He no longer wore his elegant clothing. The furniture was scattered around him. Things were broken and out of place. Yet the way Thor spoke at him. He didn’t care. He no longer believed him to be the brother he grew up with. He wouldn’t even answer his questions. You got mad. But let him continue either way. Loki then hid his feelings again. Before we left. Getting ready to escape. You walked behind them. Loki was messing with Thor using his illusions. You had to admit it was funny. But you were worried about his wellbeing. Being able to look so, normal. So, mischievous. After seeing how broken he was you didn’t understand how he did it. But you knew you shouldn’t ask. Sif escorted Jane to our meeting point. Jane began speedwalking as Loki went to introduce himself she slapped him. You stood forward but was held back.

“That was for New York” A mischievous grin appeared on his face before he replied.

“I like her.” You huffed but didn’t think anything of it.

“Okay, now that we’re all here- let’s get to that ship” Guards appeared as you spoke.

“On my command” Thor got ready to attack before Sif intervened.

“I’ll hold them off. Take them” She nodded her head to you and Jane. You walked with Thor not before noticing everyone’s threats to Loki. You made it into the ship and Thor had tried to control it, but he was being aggressive with it. He didn’t have the patience. You leaned over him and looked at the console. You pressed what you thought was the engine. The ship started. Thor looked at you confused as to how you guessed it, while Loki looked proud.

Thor had turned the ship hitting every column in the area, but one.

“I think you missed a column.” Sarcasm was dripping from his voice. While you giggled Thor growled.

“Shut up.” Thor had started flying the ship, very unstably. Loki knew he wasn’t capable.

“Look why don’t you let me take over? I’m clearly the better pilot”

“Is that right? Well. Out of the two of us, which one can actually fly?”

“Boys! Now is not the time! We’re being attacked!” You looked at Jane, she looked bad. At that moment she fainted.

“Oh, dear. Is she dead?”

“Jane!” Thor yelled, hoping she could hear him.

“I’m okay” Her voice was weak as she raised her arm slightly before it fell back to the floor. Loki looked behind us noticing the guards ships approaching.

“Now they’re following us.” The ship shook as you heard weapon fire.

“Now they’re firing at us” Loki wasn’t helping Thor’s patience but he was at least making me laugh in such a dire situation.

“Yes thank you for the commentary Loki it’s not at all distracting” His voice was strained, but rough. He manoeuvred the ship around avoiding whatever buildings he could but he hit a statue at its neck.

“Well done. You just decapitated your grandfather” Thor growled lowly before you made it over the waters. The ship was unstable, you had no idea how you were going to get put in this.

“You know, this is wonderful. This is a tremendous idea! Let’s steal the biggest most obvious ship in the universe and escape in that!” Loki raised his voice showing his frustration. “Flying around the city, smashing everything in sight, so everyone can see us. It’s brilliant Thor! It’s truly brilliant-” Thor then pushed him out. You heard his scream and got angry.

“Why did you do that?!”

“We must jump Y/N”

“Ju- You want me to jump?!” Thor had picked up Jane and stood next to the open door.

“Trust me!” You looked at him questioning everything. But you knew he was your only way out. You and ran towards the door, closing your eyes as you leapt out the door. You fell until someone caught you. You then felt the thud of Thor’s landing before opening your eyes. You looked up and saw Loki facing you. He placed you down, struggling a bit with the cuffs but he tried not to show it.

“You lied to me. I’m impressed” Loki smiled in Thor’s direction. Proud of his brother’s deception. Loki started piloting to his secret passageway for us to escape. You sensed many people coming your way. You turned around and saw another Asgardian ship approaching.

“More ships incoming!” Thor and Loki both turned to confirm your inquiry. Loki began to avoid the ship’s attacks while you ducked. You forgot your weapons back on earth. You didn’t think you would need them. Loki turned the ship suddenly heading toward a mountain.

“Loki?!” Thor seemed like he knew what Loki was doing, but you feared he would kill you all.

“If it were easy, everyone would do it” Loki seemed calm. He wouldn’t risk his life over this, He knew what he was doing.

“Are you mad?”

“Possibly” Thor held on to Jane while you held onto the side of the ship. The ship became unstable as he went through the passage until the ship made it to a different planet. You didn’t know where you were but you knew you would need a weapon of some kind. A gun, a dagger. Anything to protect yourself. The ship was gliding to our destination. You had calmed slightly. Seeing Loki’s aura pulse, however, made you concerned.

“What I could do with the power that flows through those veins”

“No Loki, you’re body is already reacting to just being near it. It would not only consume you, but it might kill you. God or not.” Your eyes narrowed towards him, he knew you were serious.

“How is she?”

“She’s holding up alright. For now”

“She’s strong in ways youd never even know”

“Say goodbye”

“Not this day”

“This day, the next, a hundred years. It's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You’ll never be ready. The only woman whose love you've prized will be snatched from you.”

“And will that satisfy you?”

“Satisfaction is not in my nature”

“Surrender is not in mine” You couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. Your mind was focused on the other entities nearby. You tried to count them. You tried to control the power you had, Jane had sensed them to. The aether within her woke her up as dark elves entered the realm. She whispered the name of their leader. Malekith. You exited the ship following the brothers. Loki was still in chains. He lifted his hands, gesturing to his brother to remove them.

“You still don't trust me brother?”

“Would you?” Thor rolled his eyes as he freed Loki of his shackles. He rubbed his hands together before speaking quietly.

“No I wouldn’t” He conjured a dagger stabbing Thor. Your eyes went wide. This wasn’t Loki. Not the one who opened his heart to you just days prior. Thor was thrown off the hill and rolled down. Loki jumped down, ready to attack again while talking to Thor. As Thor summoned Mjolnir, Loki cut off his hand. Your hands covered your mouth in shock. You couldn't believe he would do that. Loki picked up Jane, and held her tightly making sure she couldnt leave his grip. He was bargaining with them. You ran towards them focusing on Thor’s hand, but it was still there. You could see the aura around his hand. It was an illusion. Making Malekith think that Loki was on their side. Malekith removed the aether from Jane. As she fell to the ground Thor yelled towards his brother.

“Loki! Now!” With a flick of his wrist the illusion faded and Thor’s hand reappeared. Loki shielded you and Jane as Thor tried to destroy the aether. Afterwards there was a giant force that would've injured you greatly if it wasn't for Loki. After the smoke cleared you looked up and saw the shards of the aether. It wasn't destroyed, but crystalised. As you three stood up, Malekith absorbed the aether. Making him more powerful than ever. He left for his ship while the others attacked. One of the aliens activated a grenade and threw it at us. Loki pushed you out of the way as it detonated, becoming a black hole, that was sucking him in until Thor flew past and grabbed him. You knew you needed to help. You might be a tactician but you were also a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. You were trained in combat.

“Loki! I need a weapon!” He considered the possibilities before conjuring another dagger and throwing it in your direction. Loki and Thor had the big guy. You had the grunts that were left. You held the dagger in your dominant hand before charging the grunt. You slashed at it’s chest before it jumped back dodging your attack. It attacked you and stabbed your stomach. You almost fell but you needed to finish this, You knew you had to act like Natasha on this one. You wrapped your legs around its head before flipping it onto the ground head first. Which knocked it out cold. You looked around trying to find the others when you saw a red beam destroying the last enemy. Seeing Loki on the ground made you panic. You tried to run over to them as Thor held Loki to his chest. You started crying, thinking of the worst. You made your way over slowly, jogging as fast as you could with the stab wound. Once you got there, you heard his last words.

“I didn’t do it for him.” Loki shut his eyes, as his breathing stopped. You waited for his aura to disappear. But it didn't. Once someone dies, their aura is no more. But his was still there. With tears streaming down your cheeks you narrowed your eyes. He wasn’t dead? But why was he faking it? You didn't know but you knew you had to find out.

“Thor! He has the aether! The conversion is upon us! We don't have much time!” Thor looked at His brother grieving. But he knew he had to fight for the 9 realms. For earth. He found a way to get to earth but insisted you stayed behind in Asgard until it was safe. You would have insisted on going with him but with your injuries, you would be no help. Using Nat’s move probably wasn't best suited for them, but you had to help. You agreed to return to Asgard with his help you made it there safely on your own. Once you got there your head felt heavy from the blood loss. You almost fainted then and there. But you were stubborn. You wouldn't let your body fail you. Not right now. You began walking the long distance over the bridge, keeping pressure on your wound. Ready to return to the palace you were determined to make it. You made it halfway before you saw soldiers heading toward you. Letting your body fall, you knew you couldn't take much more. You passed out before you were picked up and taken inside.

Taglist: @lovermrjokerr @lord-byron @lucywrites02 @violetica @quirkyreaderwriter @prettysbliss

#loki #loki lafeyson #loki odinson #mcu #mcu loki #tom hiddleston #mcu fic #mcu fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #marvel mcu #marvel #loki x reader #loki x you #loki series #loki imagine #cazza writes

[madd-devil]

That's what I did instead of finishing my homework

You know the deal: smut, swearing

***********************

You were sleeping peacefully in your bed, only wearing a large t-shirt (that you actually stole from Felix) and some panties on. Being one of the two children Regina Mills adopted a long time ago, people thought at first you were the perfect little girl, only getting good grades, being polite with everyone but you shared more things on the evil side that on the good heroic side. After the curse broke, you asked Regina to teach you magic and she did, of course, you told her it was for safety measures. It really was not. For once in your life, you could do what you want thanks to magic, including spending a lot of times with the former second in command of Peter Pan. 

Were you jealous when everyone was panicking because Henry was kidnapped? Absolutely. But did you regret following them on Neverland? No. After Peter Pan’s defeat, the adults had decided to take every willing lost one back home and they forced the tall boy aka Felix on the ship, to have “a better life”, something the boy was hardly believing in. After the few days in Storybrooke, you found yourself talking more and more to Felix, who was jailed for whatever reasons. He was very disoriented at first but thanks to you, he learnt quick how this world was functioning. And thanks to your pretty eyes and your pretty face of the good girl who wanted to help the bad guy, Prince Charming accepted to let Felix live, but under your responsibilities.

You had to admit, you were fascinated by Felix. How could you not? Everything about him was magical and exotic. He was quite innocent at first, not understanding anything about modern life, especially when it came to technology (but as a gift you gave him one of your former phone) but he quickly show his dirty side after some days passed with you. You didn’t know why but you felt like something was linking you to him. You wanted nothing more than being pressed against him and feeling his kisses on your skin. 

You turned in your sleep, and felt something warm on your mouth. You immediately woke up and glared at the person who was in fact, Felix. He must have climb all the way to your room thanks to his skills in climbing. You rolled your eyes and glanced at your opened window. 

“You could have at least closed it when you entered my room…” You whispered as you watched the tall and slim boy closing it.

“Oh come on, I know you’re scared. But nobody saw me climbing and no one suspect our activities.” He purred as he fell on the bed, next to you.

“I mean, I am more scared of you being put back in jail than me being forced to stay in my bedroom for months. If someone knows, we’re-”

“We’re dead, I know.” He finished kissing you softly. 

Your hands immediately flew to Felix’s hair, tugging on it, urging him to kiss you more and harder. You then helped him remove his jacket, then his shirt that you threw near your own laundry basket.

“I dare you to steal it.” He growled in your ears, sending shivers down your spine. 

“What? Don’t you like when i wear your clothes?” You asked innocently as Felix pushed you into the bed.

“You’re worried about us being discovered but if someone saw you in my clothes, our relationship will be pretty much over. And I bet you don’t want that, do you?”

You moaned as you felt the boy’s hand creeping under your shirt. You had missed his touch so much over the past days. You were on a bit of bad terms with Regina at the moment, mainly because you kind of stole a powerful magic book and started to learn powerful spells all by yourself. You just wanted to learn more but no one wanted to teach you so you took the matter into your own hands. 

You removed the shirt quickly, feeling the need to press yourself against Felix, who of course helped you in this hard task. His hands started to roam on your chest and you moaned in his touch but you quickly grew for more. You bite into Felix’s shoulder, sinking your teeth deep into his tender skin. The boy didn’t protest but chuckled instead. 

“What are you doing?”

“Leaving marks. In case other people don’t see who you belong with.” You whispered as you looked at the wound. He could hide it easily but knowing him, he won’t. 

“You don’t look like her but you share so much qualities with your mother-”

“Adoptive mother.”

“Right.” 

You shut him up with a kiss, trying to take the control for once. Of course it didn’t last long: Felix pushed you against your bed roughly. You only hoped your adoptive brother and mother were sleeping or else you will have big troubles. You shook your head, deciding to not think about it and rather started to focus on your lover who was removing his last clothes. You smiled as he crawled toward you. Dear god, you loved him so fucking much. You felt like a prey, a little deer, who was going to be eaten by a big and bad wolf. That was one of the many reasons why you absolutely loved Felix: everything about him was dangerous and he made you feel like a dangerous woman too. It was so pleasant to have someone like that and not those goody old shoes boys who tried to court you many times at school.

You gasped as you felt his member entering your womanhood in one swift and rough motion. You definitely tried to be quiet, not wanting to awake anyone in the house. Felix was being too loud also so you kissed him, slipping your tongue between his lips and battling with dominance with him. The tall boy quickly overcame you. Your hands were clawing at his back as his pace quickened. 

“Oh please, harder.” You tried to murmure as pleasure started to bloom through your body.

Felix gave you the smirk, the one that meant he was going to destroy you and you will be unable to walk for a few days. He wasn’t holding back and he knew how to please you. He knew the right spots after exploring your body many times. Your moans were getting louder and louder and you felt yourself coming. After whispering the boy’s name in the crook of his neck while riding your orgasm, you left Felix to finish, still thrusting in and out of you. Tho, you were leaving sloppy and small butterfly kisses on his flesh. He came some minutes afterwards, inside of you with a soft moan.

You rolled your eyes at that and started to feel thankful of your skills in potions. Who knew there were so many potions to not be pregnant after a wild night? Felix exited your womanhood and fell next to you, breathing heavily. You took a small glass bottle from under your bed and drank it right away. The taste was not very good but you would take it since it meant you won’t be with child and getting diseases. You glanced at Felix and his adorable and tired face. His hair was glued on his forehead and sweat had pearled on his body. You lied next to the blond haired boy, facing him with a smile.

“So, I guess I will sleep here tonight.” He yawned as he slipped under the covers.

“Yes you are. I will wake up early tomorrow, so I can clean the mess we made up. No one will come.” 

“Good, because I don’t want to deal with a freaking evil queen screaming at me for perverting her darling daughter.”

“I could fight her.” You told him in a serious tone, staring at his cold blue eyes. “If she dare to lay a hand on you or throw you a fireball, I will fight her.” 

Felix laughed softly and took you in his arms. God it felt so good. You felt like you were the luckiest girl in the whole Storybrooke. You could be yourself with Felix. You were so tired of appearing at the side of the good ones. You started to cuddle with him, feeling safe within his arms and fell asleep right away.

You woke up to a gasp. You and Felix opened your eyes at the same time and glanced toward the door of your big bedroom. You groaned at the sight of the person standing up in the doorway. It was none other than Henry Mills, your adoptive and annoying little brother who will surely tell everything to Regina. You needed to stop him right away. You took a shirt and your panties, threw them on yourself and chased the boy who was already outside. You took him by the collar of his pajamas shirt and threw him in his bedroom, using your magic to get in there. You glared at him.

“Tell her and I will make you suffer.”

“You wouldn’t dare do that!”

“Watch me.” You threatened, as you took one of his beloved comic books (not a precious one, you weren’t a monster yet) and destroyed it. “So this will be our secret, alright?”

Your adoptive brother nodded eagerly before both of you left his bedroom. He climbed down the stairs to greet your mother and eat his breakfast while you strolled and entered your bedroom. Felix was up and getting dressed.

“So?”

“The little snitch won’t tell anything. I made sure of it. I should start learning a forgetting memory spell.” You said as you took a sweatpant and a tank top out of your closet. “Don’t forget your other shirt.”

“Thanks, I will never wash it.” He grinned as he took the shirt you were supposedly sleeping in. 

He stopped by the window, looking if someone you both knew was there before opening it. Of course, he kissed you goodbye and jumped down before running back to where he was living. You blew him a kiss on the way, with a soft smile, to wish him good luck. You just hoped the Charmings didn’t notice him leaving in the middle of the night.

#felix ouat #ouat felix #felix ouat x reader #felix ouat imagine #ouat #once upon a time

[swtorramblings]

Commander Thexan: Sacrifice

The battle with the Emperor continues, while the royal family, Koth, Caz’zandra, and Lana prepare to escape. But keep in mind, heroes have an infinite capacity for stupidity.

Major character death. Gore.

Story begins here: One More Night Previous:  The Third Next: Downtime

As they circled him, Valkorion spoke. Perhaps not his most dangerous weapon, but the most insidious. “Why do you oppose me? I gave you all such gifts. You should be grateful. Loyal.” Scourge answered first. “Grateful? For an eternity of numbness?” “But you have an eternity, if you choose to grasp it. Isn’t it worth such a small loss?” “No.” Kira answered next. “Yeah, I’m grateful. Grateful that you put a piece of yourself in my head. Grateful that you wanted to control me.” “Dear child, I didn’t want to control you. I wanted to elevate you.” Kira almost spit at this “gift”. Surro, for her part, wished to remain silent, wished the fight to be over, whatever the outcome, but realized that keeping him speaking would delay him. Scourge’s plan. Kira? Most likely making this up as she went along, but her instincts were right, even so. She said, “My dreams are filled with a world you turned to dust. That you used me to help destroy. I am to thank you?” He barely afforded her a glance. “You ushered in greatness, however small your role was. Yes, you should be grateful. The alternative was insignificance.”

Arcann’s group ran as best they could, eventually reaching Koth’s ship just as it landed. “Come on!” Koth was shouting from the ramp. Arcann and Caz’zandra, helping Senya up the ramp, reached him first. Arcann said, “So, Thexan sent you?” “Well, yeah. He knew I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” There was an explosion behind them, scattering Knights, shredding Skytroopers. Vaylin was laughing as she ran up the ramp and then saw Arcann. “Ha! Tired isn’t helpless!” Then she looked at Arcann as she passed. “Brother, are you blushing?” Koth smiled at her and said, “Into the ship, princess.” “Ha! You are! Good to see you, too, Koth.” “I am not blushing,” Arcann grumbled as he continued up the ramp. Koth just grinned, shooting a Skytrooper coming up behind Lana, who was boarding last. “Yes, you are.” Lana ran up the ramp, stopping next to Koth. “I could have handled one Skytrooper.” “Why waste the time of the great Sith Lord Lana Beniko?” She smiled weakly and turned to enter the ship, but he put his hand on her shoulder as she passed. “I’m so sorry you didn’t find her.” She gritted her teeth and said, “I am more sorry we did.”

As the ship lifted off, Scourge took a single step forward. “Good. They are away. Now, we can finish this.” The Emperor smiled. There was something odd about the expression, something artificial. It didn’t matter, though. He said, “I think you’ll find that they are not as safe as you think. And that your sacrifice will be for nothing.” With that, he turned and blasted the ship, lightning playing over its shields, raised at the last moment but already flickering. Surro acted first, striking at his hand, but he smiled and turned the lightning on her, instead. She shifted and deflected the blast, while Scourge struck from the other side, but a shield spring up, deflecting his blow. Kira struck from a different angle, hoping they could overwhelm Valkorion’s defenses, but instead of more shielding, he simply spun from her path, leaving only empty air. The battle continued that way as the minutes ticked by, the three hoping they were keeping him occupied long enough for the ship to escape. It was looking promising, but no matter how powerful they were, or how skilled, against this monster their chances were always slim. Eventually, they began to tire. He flung lightning at Surro once again, and she was a fraction of a second too slow in deflecting it. She was flung back, smoke trailing her, and tumbled to a stop twenty meters away. Kira brought took position between the Emperor and the Jedi, bringing up her saberstaff to protect her fallen ally from any more harm. She knew she couldn’t hold him long, but she wouldn’t have to. Scourge finally reached his great enemy, and swung his lightsaber around in a powerful arc, but the Emperor dodged again, the smile never leaving his face. Scourge was pushed away by a powerful telekinetic thrust, almost going off the edge of the platform. The Emperor turned back to Kira, alone now, but if his power caused any fear at all, she didn’t show it. And he found something in her mind, something familiar. As he deflected her blows, he began to gloat. “Oh, Kira, do you think you are free of me? You think you destroyed my gift, but I sense it, still there, waiting for my hand to awaken it.” It was her turn to grin. “Is that what you think? You think everyone around you is inferior. Weak.” “Only because it is the truth.” “I’m going to tell you a little secret.” Something had changed. “He’s not asleep.” Even her voice changed, subtly, still clearly Kira Carson, but also something far older. A voice the Emperor recognized. “But I don’t work for him.” It was his own. “He works for me.” With that, she blasted the Eternal Emperor with his own lightning.

“What do you mean we’re supposed to leave them?” Arcann was saying. “Well, he said we’d have no time, that we had to retreat and leave them to delay the Emperor,” Koth answered. “But do you really think I’m going to listen to Scourge? The others seemed relieved, but Lana, ever the pragmatist, objected. “Do any of you understand what it will do if it catches us? Especially those three?” she said, pointing at the Tiralls. “Oh, we’re quite aware,” said Vaylin, a bit bitterly. Lana pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed deeply. “Yes, of course you are. I’m sorry. But we can’t risk that again.” Arcann chuckled. “If we were the kind of people who would leave them, we wouldn’t be here.” She was silent for a moment. Koth almost made a joke, probably something about making her speechless, but she gave him such a withering glare that he stopped and went back to piloting. “Fine. I knew you would do this when I asked for your help. Let’s try to get your people.” Vaylin looked like she was going to give her another hug.

Surro had recovered, though she was battered and her left arm hung limp at her side. She shifted forms to compensate and prepared to press Vitiate once more, whatever the cost. Kira was still pressing her own attack, battering their foe severely, shredding the Force shields and tearing at skin and clothing. Finally, she relented, too exhausted to continue. For a moment she understood why Vaylin laughed at times like this. That feeling worried her. Tired as she was, though, she drew her saberstaff and prepared to continue the fight. Scourge, of course, was Scourge. Valkorion looked down at Kira. “Tired so soon, my dear? Whatever tricks you have, you are still only mortal, while I have the power of worlds flowing through me.” Kira was about to retort, but at that moment, the Eternal Emperor’s facade flickered, and faded, the holoprojector damaged by her onslaught. Their true face was finally shown to the trio, that of the the smuggler Z’lia. Scourge chuckled. “So, the rumors were true, Vitiate. You did die there. And it was at Z’lia’s hand, wasn’t it? How did it feel to be undone by a force blind sneak thief?” The thing in Z’lia smiled at Scourge. “Yes, she did. She really was quite exceptional. And now she is also mine, a worthy payment for what she did.” Surro broke in, sneering, “Yes, of course, because no one ordinary could slay the great Sith Emperor, could they?” “Quite so.” Kira smiled, said, “And yet, we keep doing it, don’t we?” Before Vitiate could answer that, Scourge looked skyward, saying, “No, you fools.” Vitiate grinned and said, “I told you they wouldn’t escape. Their own weakness will always draw them back to me.” Surro whispered, “You spit on compassion. And you think you’ve foreseen everything, don’t you?” “Of course. Including your attempt at self-sacrifice. You really shouldn’t bother.” Scourge’s voice rumbled, “I think we can still surprise you!” Vitiate had been so focused on Surro in that moment that Scourge’s charge came as a complete shock. After all, self-sacrifice was not in the Sith’s nature, was it? That momentary confusion was enough to allow the former Wrath to lift the Emperor as he charged to the edge of the platform and over the edge. Kira looked over the edge as the two dwindled and finally fell out of sight, struggling until they were out of sight. Surro looked down as well, with an almost mournful expression. Kira was worried about her for a moment, but then she straightened, turned, and walked back towards where Koth was landing. It would have to do for now. They had lost Scourge, but they were both alive, and maybe he’d taken Vitiate with him. They boarded, and once again the ship was in the air, just ahead of Zakuul’s defense forces.

Scourge woke, for the first time in centuries actually feeling pain, though it was still dulled by his curse. He chuckled weakly that what he had desired for so long was given to him as he was dying. At least the others had escaped, and he had struck a blow against his enemy. Perhaps even a fatal one, he hoped for only a moment. That’s when he felt one hand, then the other, creeping over his broken ribs, crawling slowly up to his face. Z’lia’s face came into view, covered in blood, one eye socket crushed. What of the Emperor’s new body that he could see looked shattered, only the Force allowing it to still move, to keep its heart beating. Its lips curled up into a horrible smile, and the thing lurking behind those eyes said, “It will take more than that. And you have given me everything I need to heal.” As he felt his life draining from him, Scourge simply thought, “Of course.” He had intended to sacrifice all three of them. He’d hoped that together they could have caused Vitiate much more harm, delayed its plans. Still, it was somehow fitting that he would die so the others could escape, balancing his previous attempt, his betrayal of Meetra. He had come full circle, and was content with that. Vitiate stood, finally, and stepped away from the husk that had once been its Wrath. Really, it was a shame to lose him, three hundred years of experiences and his unique properties might have been of use. But he was much too dangerous, it seemed. And, really, what use would he have been as the Emperor devoured the galaxy? None at all.

#major character death cw #gore cw #CommanderThexan #Arcann #Vaylin #Lana Beniko #Koth Vortena #Caz'zandra (OC) #Scourge #Kira Carsen #Master Surro #Senya Tirall #Vitiate #Z'lia (OC) #Koth/Arcann #Z'lia/Lana

[sellyoursoulforagoodfic]

Mercenary Chapter 7

Maul x reader

Word Count: 1849

Summary: So Qi’ra exists, and you’re not happy about it.

“Dryden Vos is coming tomorrow to introduce us to his new pet,” Maul informed you as soon as he came storming out of the room that housed his holocom.

Earlier that morning, it had been the incessant ringing of that exact holocom that woke the two of you from a peaceful slumber. It was housed in the room immediately next to your bedroom so no one would be able to eavesdrop without having to go through your private quarters. And no one would live through trying to do that. So already, neither of you was in a good mood.

“Why is his pet our problem?” you complained from your place still lounging on the (admittedly luxurious) bed. Making the bedroom as nice as possible was your top priority after security after returning to the fortress on Dathomir. You were not blind enough to miss the way Maul’s eyes trailed up your form, clearly liking the sight of you lying partially exposed on the blood red, satin sheets.

“Apparently, he sees a future for her. He’s been training her in combat, and she’s proven to be quite bloodthirsty.”

“She’s using him,” you deadpanned. “I know her type. She’ll use him for power until she gets the chance to get rid of him; then she’ll kill him.”

“Which is precisely what I said, but he argued that I haven’t met her so I couldn’t know that. According to him, she is a ‘dancer’ while fighting.”

You giggled a little at the way he rolled his eyes while quoting Dryden. “That doesn’t mean she’s not going to kill him one day.”

“If Dryden is that fooled by her, he deserves his fate. We do not have room in this organization for such idiotic behavior.”

“He wouldn’t be the first to have his brain sucked out through his dick by a woman.”

The zabrak raised a brow. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Yes, I’ve been fucking you for years just to take your place at the head of an organization that I helped you build.”

“Except you fell for my sparkling personality in the process, and hoped that I’d never find out about your original plan, right?”

“Oh, exactly,” you grinned. “Come here,” you demanded, reaching a hand out towards him.

Entertaining you, he offered one of his hands to you as he stepped forward. “Yes?”

“Tell me, did he realize that you were wearing a bathrobe?”

Maul snorted. “No, he believes that I wear dramatic cloaks like he does.”

“If I recall correctly, you used to wear things like that,” you teased.

“That was a long time ago.”

“So was the last time you laid with me.”

“Now, that is a lie considering that I left you less than twenty minutes ago.”

“See? Forever.”

~

The next day saw you and Maul in the central area of the fortress, dressed to impress while waiting for Dryden’s ridiculous ship to arrive. Maul was wearing his usual attire: black clothes fit for combat at any moment, lightsaber hanging from his belt. You were in full armor for the first time since you reclaimed the fortress two months prior. Beskar pieces decorated your right shoulder and left thigh--raided from a Mandalorian settlement long ago--while strong, flexible leathers guarded everywhere else. You prioritized mobility with your armor given your fighting style, so full metal like the Mandalorians wouldn’t do. A staff was strapped across your back along with a sniper rifle, a knife at your calf, and a blaster at your hip. This was to be a show of power to an extent; the object of the presentation showing Qi’ra who was truly in charge.

Every other guard was in standard armor derived from a mixture of old Nightbrother and Mandalorian in looks. The people that worked directly under Maul in the fortress were the most trusted in the entirety of Crimson Dawn, and they were sworn to secrecy about the nature of your relationship with him. Neither Dryden or Qi’ra would be seeing any sort of attachment that could be seen as a weakness today.

“Relax,” Maul muttered under his breath after you shifted for the too-many-ith time. “You’re a professional.”

“Yes, but she isn’t. I don’t like the idea of someone like her claiming the same position I hold; makes it seem less . . .” You couldn’t come up with the word.

“She is the bed-warmer and bodyguard to a figurehead. I would hardly call that the same as your position.”

“There are those that would disagree,” you grumbled.

Finally, the door opened, revealing Dryden Vos and an admittedly beautiful woman you assumed to be Qi’ra. She was dressed to impress, that was sure, in a simple yet stunning dark blue dress that looked completely impractical for any sort of combat. Apparently, she assumed that since they were going to visit Dryden’s boss, protection would be insured. Your eyes narrowed when you noticed how her dark eyes trailed over your lover’s frame.

Foolish. Never trust people you haven’t met, and then still don’t trust them.

“Dryden,” Maul greeted cooly, “and Qi’ra, I assume?”

“That she is, a true marvel wouldn’t you say?” Dryden grinned, clearly proud of his second-in-command.

“Beautiful, I’ll give her that,” you decided. You didn’t miss the way Dryden’s facial markings flushed with his anger, but even he wasn’t bold enough to speak out against you. “Matches the rest of your collection.”

“Excuse me, who are you?” You had to respect the level of control she displayed over her facial expressions. “I’m afraid I’ve heard nothing about either of you.”

“Such caution is the reason any of us are alive,” Maul spoke up, glancing at you over his shoulder. The warning in his gaze was clear: ‘calm down.’

“Darling, this is Lord Maul, the true head of Crimson Dawn. I run the face and keep everything clear with the other Syndicates; he provides the backing we need.” You gritted your teeth at Dryden’s overinflation of his job. “This is his bodyguard, Y/N. She’s been in the position for at least as long as I’ve known him. You’ll probably never see him without her.”

“That’s how bodyguards work,” you muttered.

“And she’s worked for me since the Clone Wars,” Maul informed both of the guests. “You’d do well to respect her, and better to get her to train you. Dryden has mentioned that you’ve been training with him.”

“That would be lovely,” Qi’ra said respectfully. “Perhaps while we are here?”

“That is unlikely,” Maul replied. “Your visit was so short-notice that we couldn’t adjust our schedule accordingly. We are leaving in the morning on a business venture.”

You resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. We don’t have any such plans . . .

“You will stay for dinner, rest here for the night, and be on your way shortly before us.”

“We would love to,” Dryden lied.

Truth be told he and Maul rarely saw eye-to-eye, and it showed at that dinner. While Maul enjoyed decadence in certain areas, Dryden was far too greedy to get along with the zabrak. Dinner was a far more simple affair than any of the parties you had seen on the First Light, you never attended, but you saw the footage for various reasons. The silence was tense. The long table was covered in just enough food for all four of you. You were at Maul’s left hand like always while he was at the head of the table; Dryden was on the end opposite with Qi’ra on his right side.

Telling, was all you could think. If he’s already that comfortable with her, he might be worse off than I thought . . .

Conversation was stilted, but you were hardly surprised. Maul was rarely conversational with other people, so Dryden and Qi’ra entertained themselves by flirting among themselves. As soon as the dinner was over, you and Maul retired to the training room for your nightly sparring session. Feeling particularly malicious, you invited them to watch. The better to show them proof of your prowess.

Once the fight started all thoughts of the onlookers went out the window. The fights were always all-out; neither of you pulled punches, never had. The only thing you were cognizant of was keeping the usual level of flirting through the floor. And based off the split-second glance of Qi’ra’s face you managed to catch while falling, she clearly didn’t expect the zabrak to pull such a cheap move as headbutting you with one of his horns. Dryden apparently wasn’t going full-tilt with her training . . .

By the time you ended the fight (you lost) and called it a night, you were both sporting bloody injuries in various places on top of new bruises. You and Maul escorted the other two to their separate rooms and left them for the night.

“I don’t trust her,” you muttered as you two walked to your rooms.

“You said as much to the idea of her, my dear,” he replied simply. “I didn’t expect you to change your opinion.”

“She’s a presumptuous little snake, and don’t think I missed the way she eyed you up the second she saw you.”

“She would not be stupid enough to try it yet.”

“Yet being the operative word.” You reached the bedroom door. “Goodnight, sir,” you said formally. 

Maul’s brows furrowed, but fortunately he was smart enough to catch on quickly. There’s someone watching, he realized. He now sensed Qi’ra’s presence in the Force far too closely to be her in her room. He was mildly impressed that you noticed when he did not; granted it wasn’t that surprising since he was generally distracted when you were around. “Goodnight. Be ready in the morning.”

Qi’ra frowned. She snuck out of her room as soon as your voices sounded like they’d rounded a corner, hoping to gain more information on the pair of you. Unfortunately, all she learned was your distaste for her was genuine and accurate. She lingered long enough to see if you would do anything after he retired, but you simply crossed your arms and waited. A hard life if she remains here all night. Her exhaustion may be my advantage, was what she thought as she slunk back to her room.

As soon as you heard her door shut in the quiet of the hallway, you snapped your fingers. Instantly, another guard took your place. “Keep an eye out for uninvited eyes,” you ordered quietly.

“Yes, ma’am.”

And then you could finally retire.

Upon entering the bedroom, you were greeted by the sight of your lover lying nude among the freshly changed, black silk sheets. Already, he was dozing, giving you ample time to enjoy the site of him relaxed and beautiful in a way he rarely was. As quietly as you could, you stripped down yourself and crawled onto the bed with him. He roused enough to share a sleepy kiss when you pulled the sheet over both of your bodies, but otherwise remained asleep. While you were not content with the whole guests situation, you were more than content with your position and quickly drifted off yourself.

#maul x reader #maul imagine #darth maul x reader #darth maul imagine #star wars imagine #reader insert

[geo-winchester]

DEAR BROTHER (11)

A/N: hello everyone! So here’s part 11 from this story, OMG I didn’t think I will go so far, but don’t worry there’s still more chapter I had to write but I also want to write more oneshots, but sometimes I don’t have the imagination or the inspiration, so if you like my writing and if you want to send me a request, I’ll be so glad to write about it. Anyway I know this one is a little long, sorry if you have a problem with that and I hope you like it. Lots of love and I also hope you be safe from the Covid-19 and take care of yourself

Tag list: @thescarletknight2014 @chloe-skywalker @reading--mermaid

Dear Brother masterlist

—————

Yn feel like she has been in the meeting for the hole day, most of the generals were debating about what they should do witt Tehran the firs order, should they need to be worry about the fact that Kylo has been quiet?, they keep talking about they got an informant. As Yn keep hear all the fear about her brother, she become more confuse, the only thing she remember about her was the love and protection her brother give her not the fear and killing things they all said about him, or at least that’s what she want to believe. After a moment she start to feel that someone was staring at her, she look at the people around the table and she met with Poe’s eyes, he immediately look away, she couldn’t help to smile when she saw the blush in his face, and now she was the one staring at him, he look as he try to get attention about what the generals were saying, she had to admit he was good looking and she didn’t know why but she could feel her heart race every time she saw him and right now she couldn’t keep her eyes from her lips, she was so focus on them that she didn’t notice he was watching at her until he smile, now she was the one blushing, she try to pay attention to the conversation.

-General we have information about Kylo Ren- Yn wasn’t the only one who look at Leia at the mention of that name, Leia sight before she make a sign so the General proceed -Our informant told us, he is planing to go to Tatooine, apparently he think Darth Vader hide something there, we don’t know what is it- the General said, Leia stay a moment in silence.

-Commander Dameron, are you ready for another mission?

-Of course General.

-Your mission would be to go to Tatooine and see what Kylo is doing there, don’t get to close, we don’t want to repeat what happened in Jakkun- Poe nod -Well If there’s anything more to do, you can go now- Leia said and start to walk to the door follow by C3-PO.

-General... mom- Yn said as she run after her mom-I would like to offer to help with the mission- Yn said, her mother look at her worry, the last time she saw her brother she follow the dark path.

-Commander Solo, I don’t think that’s a good idea- the droid start to said -the probability of the mission fail if you go is .4 of 1...

-The good thing is that I didn’t ask for probabilities...

-Yn...

-No mom, listen, you told me that I have to start to get back on my feet and I’m trying, I still training with the force and do all the physical training, I been flying with R2, and this... this is the kind of things I know I do before, so let me do this, please- Yn said and after a few seconds her mother sigh.

-Fine, but don’t try to go after your brother- she push some of her hair behind her ear -I can’t loose you again.

-You won’t- she said with smile.

-Then go and report with Poe and take the millennial with you.

-Are you trying to make Chewie to take care of me?

-You’ll never know- Leia said with a smile and get out of the control room.

The next morning Poe make his way to his X-wing, he wants to be there before Leia comes, he want to give a last check on his ship but before he can even get there, Yn call him from the millennial falcon, and by the confusion on his face she understand that he didn’t know she was in the mission too.

-They didn’t tell you...

-Tell me what?- he said.

-You aren’t doing that mission alone, I’m going to be your partner- she said with a smile but he just freeze -ok not the reaction I was hopping...

-No no no, I mean are you sure?

-Yeah,beside someone has to make sure you don’t do something stupid- she give him a wink and he smile to her and in that moment he couldn’t help to fall for her, with all what happened he couldn’t help but feel hope that they could be together again -By the way im flying the millennial...

-What? But I’m the commander in this mission...

-You can have this conversation with Chewie, right R2?- she said and the droid beep.

-Ok you’re the pilot.

It didn’t took them a lot of time to get to Tatooine, they left the ship a little far from the town, Chewie lead them across the dessert for a while, until they reach un little house in the middle of the dessert, Por thought it was small but one they reach it, he saw a hole near it and a hole house under grown, chewie roar before he take the stairs and get inside the house, Yn and Poe follow him immediately, when they reach the center Poe walk a few steps more and look at the place.

-Were are we?- Poe said.

-This is the house where Luke Skywalker grown- Yn said -I’ve been here before...

-What? When?

-After the fall of my brother.

-Wait you said you didn’t remember any of that? Did you remember something?

-Not exactly- R2 beep, before she could explain herself.

-You lie?- Poe start to raise his voice to her and Chewie roar standing between them -I don’t want to calm down, did you lie about forgetting me?

-No, you don’t understand- she said, he look at her expecting her to continue -I didn’t lie about the lost memory thing, but I lied on one thing, I do remember when my brother go to the dark side, I just... I know my mother would be worried and... I was ashamed of myself.

-What? Why would you be ashamed?

-Because I didn’t do anything- she finally said -After Ben knock out Luke, I woke up, the first thing I remember was the light of the fire coming from the temple and then... the screams... I could hear them, all of those kids there were getting kill by Ben and I didn’t do anything I just stay in my room... until I saw him walking to my room, I didn’t know what to do so I run and hide, and the next thing I know he was screaming angry about something and he left a few minutes later Luke found me and he bring me here- she could feel the tears falling from her cheeks and look at the kitchen -In that room my parents get the news that their son was gone- Poe walk to her and hug her, he hold her until she calm down.

-You never told me that story before- he said, Chewie Roar.

-Luke erased?- she asked and chewie told her that he thought he was protecting her.

Before anyone can say anything they hear the sound of a ship above of them, their instincts make them hide in one of the rooms, Yn took Poe’s hand accidentally, or at least that’s what she though but Poe didn’t let go, they step tot side of the room when none of them could hear the ship. When the night fall over the planet Chewie and Poe start to light the fire as Yn look around the house looking for food or weapons, she only found some parts they can use in case they need to repair the Millennial. Chewie was making the dinner as Yn and Poe sat in silence, until one moment R2 get back from where ever he was, and he was beeping at the memories on the house. The next day Poe and Yn prepare for their journey to the city, they try to dress the most normal they could, she braid her hair like a halo, she took the two pieces of cloth she found the night before, she hand one to Poe who look at her confuse.

-I figure it would be more easy to track Ben if he can’t recognize us, and cover our faces could help, no?- he nod and took the cloth.

-great plan- he said with a smile- by the way, you look nice- he said and she could feel the heat in her face.

As they walk to the city they start to see more and more stormtroopers, they relax when they didn’t recognize them and let them be in peace, it took them a while to find Ben, but when they saw him, he was walking to a little house with two stormtrooper on his side, they hide in one of the near house and try to see anything about what’s happening there, when he finally get out the only one thing different was the determination.

-Can you see if he has a weapon or something?- she asked him but he shook his head.

-We have to go inside, maybe we can talk to who ever he did.

And they start their way, when they get inside to the house both of them took their hood off to see the persone inside but the room was empty, the were only a table with a glass of water and an empty chair, they look at each other confuse until they feel a charge of energy go through their bodies and everything black out. When Yn woke up she could see the face of her brother, but right now he was emotionless, he look at her like if she was nothing for him, and in that moment she fear him, but that doesn’t keep her for stand and face him.

-We meet again sister- he said, and look at her in the eyes -I see that Skywalker do his commitment... but not all of it, there’s something different in you...

-Maybe the hair- She didn’t even know why she joke, but he smile.

-You look like Her- she knew he was referring at her mother, they hear a little grunt and both of them look at the pilot who was tied in the chair -I’m glad you join us- when Poe look that Ben was to close to Yn he try to free from the grip.

-Stay away from her- he said -she has nothing to do with you, I don’t know what happen before, but she’s back in the light...

-What?- she asked.

-Know I see why your different- Ben said -You don’t remember anything, do you?- his sister didn’t answer -In that case I can help with that...

-No stay away from her!

-Why?- He asked him -Why are you so afraid that she remember? Is it because your afraid she come back to the dark?- Poe keep his eyes on her -No, you’re afraid that she leave you again...

-Leave him?

-He didn’t told you, sister? You love each other- Yn look at Poe, who look at the floor -he’s afraid you break his heart again... but let’s found out what you going to choose- he step closer to her and touch her hands, suddenly she start to scream.

-Stop, your hurting her- Poe scream but as fast as the screams start they stop, she fall on the ground, after she feel her strange back she look at Ben.

-Kylo... you came back...- Poe feel like he couldn’t breath, does this mean she was going to loose her again?

-Sister, I’m glad your ok- Ben said.

-Where is my light sable?- she asked and on of the stormtroopers give it to her -Did you take care of Skywalker?

-He’s death.

-Well that’s a shame I would love to play with him a little, after what he did to me...

-Yn?- Poe whisper, Yn turn to him and smile.

-What do we have here?- she said as she walk to him -If it’s Poe Dameron- she sit in his lap -You know I had to admitted, I was starting to fall in love again for you, but you know there’s somethings more important, like end with the resistance, you get it right?- she touch his cheek but he try to take off -So what’s our next step?- she said as she get up and walk to her brother.

-We need to get back with the first order...

-Yeah that would be probably the best- she said as she start to walk to her brother, suddenly they start to hear gunshots on the outside, she took the opportunity and take a big stick near them an hit Ben making him pass out, the stormtrooper beside him tried to shoot her but she was faster and attack him with her light sable, the other stormtrooper drop his gun -if you’re not going to hurt us, leave right now- and he did, Yn run to Poe and took his head between her hands -Are you ok?- she asked him but he was still in shock.

-What just happened?

-We are trying to go away- she said nod cut the ropes, they hear chewie roar -Let’s go, Chewie is waiting for us, I’ll explain to you in the Millennial.

They run out of the house, Chewie keep shooting a few stormtroopers, Poe and Yn took some of the arms of the soldiers on the ground and try to help Chewie, she feel like the shoots come from all the ways but she did her best to keep fighting them, in some point she feel how Poe push her and shoot at the last man of the troop but both of them fall to the ground, Yn run to Poe and kneel beside him, she could see the blood coming from one of his sides.

-Hey hey hey- she said -it’s ok, you’re going to be ok- but Poe took her hand.

-It’s Ok...- he touch her cheek and smile -I’m sorry...

-No, don’t you dare to make this a good bye- she said -We are going to take you to the ship and your going to be fine and we’ll going to win this war and had a wonderful life together...

-Princess...- he know he would make her put attention to him as he never call her like that because she hate it.

-Listen to me Poe Dameron- she said -You can’t leave me, not today, no tomorrow, not ever- she said and look at Chewie -We need to take him to the ship...

Before she could finish Chewie shoot someone behind her, when she saw what happen, Ben was on the floor holding his arm, Chewie hurry up and they took Poe to the ship, the last thing Poe saw was Yn cleaning his wound and repeating him that he would be fine.

Yn stay all the night beside Poe, she couldn’t sleep knowing that he could wake up in any moment, she keep cleaning the tears that fall from her cheeks, she couldn’t help to cry every time she remember the blood coming from Poe’s side, his screams when she was trying to clean the wound but what hurt her more was the moment when he told her that he love her and pass out, that moment she thought she lost him, that she lost the person she love most and she couldn’t said goodbye, the only thing she could do is to hold to the memories they had, but she don’t want memories, she wants Poe by her side.

-Poe... babe- she said as she look at her hand on his -you have to wake up... this war has take many things from me and... I don’t want to lost you too... I’m sorry for left you before, but we need to take that chance and... well you know I mess it up, and all things I said to you... I just... I can’t loose you without not telling you that I’m sorry and that I love you.

-I know- poe whisper as he put a hand on her cheek, she froze for a minute before she jump to him and hug him, making him let out a grunt.

-I’m sorry- she said getting away from him but he stop her and took her cheek and kiss her for the first time in months, she smile between kisses, but the she look at him -I thought I would lost you...

-What? You aren’t going to get free from me that easy- he said making her smile.

-Sometimes I really hate you.

-That’s not what you said a few minutes ago- he joke making her blush, he move in the bed making her space to her lay with him -I love you too.

#poe dameron x solo!reader #poe x reader #poe dameron imagine #poe dameron x reader #kylo ren imagine #ben solo x sister!reader #kylo ren x sister!reader #han solo x daughter!reader #star wars imagine #star wars x reader

[x-avavarts-x]

Hi everybody! I come with a new part of:

A Knight For The Light

A final fantasy fanfiction for my oc and her family.

Characters: Cor Leonis, Laura lucis caelum (my oc), Ardyn lucis caelum, Loqi Tummelt

warning:

 My national language is not English. I apologize for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Sorry, my network is so weak and I can't insert photos and my story's poster.

summary :

When your flesh and blood are mixed with pain and you are nurtured with it, you dedicate your whole being to those who were trying to improve your suffering by touching their love. What's wrong with you? It does hurt to lose these loved ones, even thinking about it bothers you. At that time .. you grab everything to stop the destiny .. like a bird stuck in a cage and trying for freedom, you knock yourself on the door and the wall to find a way ... and if you find it. Nothing can stop you, even if it is a God!

Part:13

"Laura?"

I raised my head so I could see him. There was no one but Loqi! I put the gun on the guarantor and answered the method while installing the muffler.

"what has happened!"

He stood beside me and put his hand on the gun:

"Here is not the laboratory, Laura, you have must be very careful."

" You don't have to worry about her !!"

Cor's answer to Loqi brought a smile to my face. In these difficult circumstances, touching the senses by cor was sweet, and lovable. He stood beside me and continued with his always charming frown:

"I'll get over her."

I started arguing with them before their argument started again. I put the gun strap on my shoulder and pointed at both of them with my hands!

"Once we assess the plan. Loqi goes and disables that device. Cor and I open the way to the crystal!"

I paused for a moment and then lowered my hands. My gaze was focused on Loqi:

"Our life depends on your work, Loqi! you have to hurry, ok??"

He nodded with complete certainty. The ship landed, it was about midnight, and Gralia was drowning in darkness and terror! The sky-high buildings looked black and scary due to the low light of the city. Loqi got out of the ship first! To be able to take more soldiers with him. This would make it easier for us to get out. I opened the map and looked at it. I was on my way to work and finding the closest way to the Crystal Hall, I closed the map and raised my head to say to Cor which way we should go, but before I could speak, he kissed me, I was shocked and stared at his face. :

"what are you doing?"

He took my hand between his hands and answered me with the same seriousness, as usual, now we had made a pact, it wasn't a big marriage, but we were married! And he was my husband !!

"I love you, Laura, promise me that whatever happens, you will leave this city safe!"

I frowned, and again, out of those strange words, I put the map in my pocket and got up from the chair:

"What do you mean by that? Do you want to say maybe you will die to save me? Instead of talking nonsense, focus on getting back together! You are my husband now, you shouldn't say go so easily!"

We stared at each other for a few moments! He got up from his place and pulled the gun that Loqi had taken out of his hand:

"Very well, Laura. Let's go back together!"

I was relieved to some extent, but it was only in appearance, there was a storm of anxiety inside me that I had no control over-controlling. I pulled my gun out of the guarantor and went out first. There was no one and we entered the building very noticeably. There were security cameras everywhere, we didn't have to worry about MTs because they were under Loqi's control.

This was the headquarters of the enemy command. We were right at the mouth of the dragon, the slightest mistake would lead to our death, I and Cor were together, we were on the battlefield again. There was not the slightest sound from us.

We were moving slowly and behind security cameras.

Just when I doubted this peace and quiet .. Suddenly the sound of the siren sounded !! Cor quickly guarded me so he could react in time, and I was looking to see what had gone wrong! Apparently, there was a laser sensor in front of my foot and I couldn't detect it. I clenched my teeth:

"Damn!"

"Before we get caught, we have to run, Laura!"

He said to make me aware of the environment! I looked around. I armed my gun and ran to the corridor leading to the crystal, without saying anything, and Cor followed me. The first shots were from the Cor side! And then it was my turn to show up. I hit a few people running towards us from the front and opened the way.

Facing cleansing was my job and I had Cor behind me! In just one step, my weapon's bullets were finished. I held the gun in my hand and hit one of the soldiers on the head with its butt!

"Cor!"

I quickly sat down on the floor and he shots with the last bullets he had left before two assailants attacked me. He dropped his gun and took my hand:

"You have to go!"

I got up from my place and went to one of the corpses to use his gun:

"I don't leave you alone between these."

Before I could reach the gun, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back quickly. I lost my balance and hit the wall. Cor shielded me. I was leaning against the wall, and Cor was leaning against me to defend me against the grenade that they had thrown towards us. The grenade was close, but thank God Cor was not wounded. Inside the ears of both of us, a continuous whistle was reflected. Cor put his hands on my ears and tried to tell me out loud what he wanted!

"Go to the crystal! Don't Stay here, we must return sooner than later."

I listened to him and quickly separated from him. It was closing fast in the big and iron door. I threw myself inside and the door closed. Cor stayed behind. I was breathing and staring at the closed door. The only thing I could do for Cor was to hope that nothing happened to him. I hurried to the end of the hall, where there was an elevator. I knew where this elevator was going! I had to finish my work with crystal sooner and go back to Cor. When I got on the elevator, my whole being froze at once! It feels like fear. It's as clinging to my feet and lifting myself up. I took a deep breath and closed my eyelids, opening the crystal chandelier. But that fear was terrible. The elevator stopped and opened. With a deep breath of me. I opened my eyes and stepped into the iron corridor. Crystal was in front of me now !! And I was just a few steps away from him, I could feel his soft light with my heart. I slowly raised my hand and pulled slowly over the glass and purple crystal.

"Well ... now I'm here ..!"

I took a step and stood respectfully in front of the Crystal. I held out my hand to it to ask, but the sound of familiarity was reflected in my ears!

" He doesn't accept you !!"

It was Ardyn who made me angry by saying this. I didn't know what that lanyard was doing here, but I hated it so much that I couldn't stand it in front of him with a false gentleness. But ... he was Cor in front of my eyes. With a body that trembled and a pain whose effects were visible on his face. I was shocked because Cor was standing in the fence of Ardyn's hands.

Involuntarily, my sword disappeared from my hand, and Ardyn was holding his hand over Cor's eyes. And his other hand, while hidden between the black smoke and the purple light, was on Cor's heart. I was so frightened that I couldn't frown or even brag. He leaned his head on Cor's head and stared into my eyes, his eyes were eerie:

"Ah .. are you finally married my dear? In lonely?? What a bitter marriage!"

Ardyn opened his mouth and played with my feelings in a tone that seemed sad. I was completely looking to Cor. Hr was in pain. His skin was dark and his neck veins were black and swollen. Fear and anxiety-filled my body, and I stared at Ardyn. The begging was the only thing sitting inside my voice as I tried to hide it behind my anger:

"Leave him a disgusting creature! He's not in the game!"

Ardyn laughed and Cor screamed! I looked at Cor again. Anxiety filled my face and my eyes shone with fear, he was my husband! He was the only man who had taken my heart. How could I look and say with pride, but it was as if nothing was happening to me at that moment. Cor was screaming in pain and his voice had changed. It was bass, that sound, the sound of a monster, not the voice of a man whose existence was the best thing in my life.

Finally, Ardyn raised his hands. He put it on Cor's shoulders, while Cor was silent, and there were no traces of pain in his breath or in his gaze. Her blue eyes were now golden ... and instead of all that peace and beauty, her eyes were filled with hatred and anger.

My throat became swollen and in pain due to crying. I frowned and my face was like someone who was full of anger but inside I felt defeated! I turned my head towards Ardyn and stared at him:

"You don't live long ... I'll come to you damn !!"

And he laughed again. He opened his hands to the sides and slowly moved away from Cor:

"It's interesting for me to know how you escape from his hand. He won't calm down until he wets his throat with your blood, baby!"

When Ardyn's sentence ended, he attacked me! I quickly pulled myself back and reached behind him with a point warp. I wanted to force Ardyn to attack him to bring Cor back, but it was as if Ardyn hadn't come there at all! My pause didn't last long because Cor attacked me again! I barely escaped his attack this time, I showed my sword and defended myself against his quick attacks. A black liquid had spilled from his eyes on his cheeks ...

The sound of our sword's hammer had filled the large space of the hall, I was breathing and trying to survive Cor's attacks. Should I have killed my dearest? Should I have killed my husband, the person I have loved for long years? Was it fair that my destiny was like that? Was it fair to see my dear death at my own hands ??

"Run!!"

It was a Cor's voice asking me. It was as if he had been imprisoned inside. I was shocked that he was still here. I hoped !! I kicked him to keep him away from myself, he fell to the ground but he stand up quickly, he attacked me again:

"I don't want to see your death !! Go!!"

I smiled! A smile that was more bitter than poison! Cor was far away from me, but by running towards me, he tried to eliminate this distance and plunge his Katana into my chest! I closed my eyelids! but no!! I was not ready to die. I suddenly opened my hands and activated my armiger. Divine mode, which I used less often, 25 powerful weapons circled around Cor and began to spin.

My husband was standing in the blue light of the glittering weapons and crystals. As my eyes glowed pink, the weapons got faster around of Cor. He was shocked and tried to break the narrow circle of weapons by shielding his Katana, but to no avail. I didn't have much time, so I turned to the crystal. I reached out to it and asked it in the most pleading tone:

"Please .. don't let innocence die with my hands! Help me to be the savior of this land, keep my friends for me and let me be a source of your pride!"

I knew that opening an equal crystal would save Cor from darkness ... but I didn't see a reaction from the sacred crystal. I couldn't accept it and begged again:

"Please, give me your strength and defend my friends!"

I was suddenly disappointed. The Crystal did not accept me !! I experienced my first failure .. not a normal failure .. due to the shock that came to me, my Armiger stopped and I just stared at the crystal! I tried to ask again:

"Please.."

I hadn't finished my sentence when Cor noticed me with his loud scream. I quickly turned my back, but before I could defend myself, his Katana moved toward my throat. I pulled my head back as far as I could, but I couldn't escape the attack completely, and his Katana tip split my face! I fell to the ground and stopped at the crystal. The pain and burning inside my face spread all over my body. I wasn't ready to kill Cor yet. But if I hadn't restrained him, we would both have died!

I forgot the pain, stretched my hand toward Cor, and focused my Armiger on him again. He wanted to attack me again, but the rotation of those swords prevented him. He screamed at me to show his hatred, and I put my hand back to the crystal and screamed to force it to obey me:

"Beg will be my work against you forever! You have to help me because I am fighting for your honor! I am fighting for your power. Help me .. Save my friends now !!!"

At the end of my sentence, the crystal finally shone. Its soft white light shone on my body and Cor. My breath came out of my lungs deeply in relief, I turned to my husband and wiped out Armiger. Cor had fallen to the ground. It was as if he was in pain because he was pressing his fists firmly against the surface of the hallway. His skin color became normal and I knelt in front of him:

"Cor? look at me!"

He raised his head and I could see his beautiful eyes again. I didn't give him a chance to express his sorrow for my face. I hugged him tightly. His hands wrapped around my body and he squeezed himself to me. I felt like I was alive again, my tears were flowing quickly on my cheeks, and I cried in my husband's arms. The husband I had been wandering with for a few moments before he was killed or died. Now he was by my side and you were breathing with me. I was scared ... I was very scared. And the result of this fear and shock was my weakness. My body was so weak that I couldn't even lift my fingers to wipe that black liquid on my husband's face.

"I'm sorry Laura .. I hurt you .. I'm sorry!"

He had opened his mouth, but I kissed his lips again and silenced him again. I put myself in his arms and whispered in a tone that still had the effects of horror inside:

"Let's go from this hell !!"

#ffxv #final fantasy xv #ffxv oc #ff15 #laura lucis caelum #cor leonis #my oc #cor x oc #cor x laura #my fanfic #finalfantasyxv fanfic #finalfantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #final+fantasy+xv+comrades #final fantasy xv orginal character #final fantasy xv oc #ardyn lucis caelum #ardyn izunia #general loqi tummelt #loqi #loqi tummelt

[vaulthunter426]

Borderlands 3 | What we know...

Just because I’m not sure the best way to present this information, prepare for a long list of new features in Borderlands 3 with my comments because.... well this is my blog. I will not be discussing the two Vault Hunters we’ve seen gameplay of in terms of their action skills and skill trees.

Quality of Life improvements!

Borderlands has aged quite well, BL2 more than BL1 but we can go back to games almost a decade (and actually a decade) old and they still feel great and are tons of fun. After taking about a year hiatus from all Borderlands games, I came back after the Mask of Mayhem trailer and I found myself trying to roll or slide out of the way of charging enemies and merely crouched in front of them. After so long of this, I knew what I wanted out of Borderlands 3...

Sliding, Grappling, Ground Slams - A feature that I was hoping for beyond almost anything else were movement upgrades and boy we got them. The sliding adds a whole new dynamic to fighting a mob of enemies and the grappling opens up a plethora of verticality options. Be sure to be looking up high for hidden chests! The ground slams seem to be an upgraded, more visually appealing version of the ground slams from TPS. Zane cocks back an arm with a Digi-claw before slamming his fist to the ground while Amara leaps into the air slamming both fists to the ground (not to be confused with her Action Skill).

Vending Machines - Instead of manually purchasing each ammo type by spamming our select key on them, we can now purchase the max amount of ammo by pressing a key as we approach the machine, without ever entering the UI.

“Claim Lost Loot” - A new “vending machine” in Sanctuary III collects all the loot we didn’t pick up and store them until we access the machine. Once we activate it, all the loot comes spilling out onto the ground in front of us for us to check out and make sure we didn’t miss anything. No more lost Legendaries!

Sanctuary III is the first hub in the Borderlands franchise that features a unique room for our Vault Hunters! Our room will be tailored to the Vault Hunter of our choice with possible customization options. The wall holds a number of “mounts” where we can showcase our favorite guns as well as a couple spots for a relic, shield, and grenade mod.

Loot Instancing and Level Scaling - Is your buddy ten levels ahead of you? No problem! If you join the game of a friend who is a higher or lower level than you, your damage output will scale accordingly so no one is over or underleveled! Along with this will be loot drops. If you open a chest to a blue and purple rarity pistol, they will be at your level and ready to loot. Your friend will also see a blue and purple rarity pistol, but different manufactures and at their own level. You both can take both pistols from the same chest. All of these options have a toggle feature if you preferred the previous games style.

Claptrap as a General of the Crimson Raiders - It’s nice to know that the Crimson Raiders are continuing on after the death of Roland, but their priorities may be a bit askew if Claptrap is a general... then again maybe his title holds no responsibilities... all about the ego boost.

Lilith as Commander of the Crimson Raiders - Not all that surprising although I was speculating that maybe she had ditched our friends to deal with some of that pent up anger post-Jack. It seems like she has been broadcasting across the galaxy searching for new Vault Hunters, and maybe even “broadcasting” directly into Siren’s minds as a comment by Amara upon meeting Lilith went something like “Oh so you’re the voice in my head.” Sounds like our Guardian Angel...

Marcus - I have no doubt Marcus will be buying and selling us guns, but we do see that in person he will be our go to for SDU’s. This go around the currency used is money opposed to Eridium, similar to our BL1 days.

Moxxi - She still has her bar, this time with four different slot machines, possibly activated by a unique currency each, or rewarding different pools of loot.

Tannis - “Tannis’ Lab + Infirmary” read the sign pointing us toward our old friend, which leaves a noticeable lack of Dr. Zed on Sanctuary III. Was he a fatality of the ill fate that befell Sanctuary 2? Or is he on Pandora?

Ellie - Ellie takes position as our lead engineer / car provider for Borderlands 3, as we no longer have our dear friend Scooter with us (nice decal of him on the outside of the ship though).

Unlockable Vehicles - It looks like we will unlock vehicles as we progress through the story, similar to the Bandit Technical in BL2, but there seems to be World Event / Side Missions that allow us to come across unique vehicles parked across the maps that we can get in and return to a Catch-A-Ride station so that they are available to use any time we like! This means if your vehicle blows up before you can get it registered, you may be out of luck!

Alternate Firing Mode- Initially inthough a couple of gun manufacturers would have alternate firing modes but it almost seemed like every gun during the gameplay reveal had an alternate firing mode.

Hyperion Shields- I’ve been wondering how the shields would work for the Hyperion weapon and it looks like they are ADS activated.

Unique Dialog for our Vault Hunters - A feature introduced during some of the DLC for BL2, as well as through the entirety of TPS was character dialog unique to each Vault Hunter. It is most definitely returning for BL3 and I couldn’t be happier.

Unique Looting for our Vault Hunters? - When Amara opened a chest (really a repurposed car trunk) she punched it open in a similar fashion to Kratos in God of War. Although punching a chest open definitely seems like Amara’s style, I wouldn’t say the same for the other Vault Hunters which makes me wonder if certain chests will have unique opening animations for each VH.

Location: Ascension Bluff - This was the location title card that was on the projection screen after got the initial reveal demo which makes me wonder if the Children of the Vault Propaganda center(?) is on a map called Ascension Bluff. I could be wrong in thinking that, however I’m pretty positive that all of that was on Pandora.

Location: Meridian Metroplex - Some interesting reveals about the city we’ve seen from the trailers! The Meridian Metroplex is on Promethea, and has become an Atlas controlled city. For some this is great, for others not so much. Maliwan seems to be attacking the city with their new ally...

Locations: So far we have Pandora and Promethea listed as worlds we can visit but I believe it was Paul Sage also confirmed an Asteroid(?) map that will feature low-gravity similar to (but not quite the same as) TPS.

Tyreen + Troy Calypso / The Calypso Twins- These two are fucking Borderlands equivalent douche twitch streamers. They’ve leveraged this position (or vice - versa?) into being Cult Leaders for the Children of the Vault.

They have broadcast stations scattered around the galaxy that we can destroy / turn off as a world event style challenge.

Tyreen is a Siren who can leech the life and power out of other living beings. Being a Siren, she’s convinced her followers that she is their God - Queen. Troy is merely piggy-backing off the fact that she has all the influence, or it seems that way to me.

Tyreen has streamed her ability of sucking the life out of beings to her many followers, and to the Vault Hunters who she calls her most loyal follower yet.

What’s a cult without its followers? Instead of our typical “Bandit” enemies, it seems like the main enemy faction of that caliber has been rebranded to Fanatics.

Tyreen has struck a deal with the Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for Maliwan, a guy named Katagawa (some dweeb who hates / envies / is jealous of Rhys, but also makes sense why he wants control of Atlas) and so mobs of both the Maliwan Assault Troopers and the Fanatics will be fighting you at the same time.

Randy Pitchford has let on that Tyreen is using the bandits, and probably her Maliwan allies, as a tool to find the Vaults so that she can gain the power of the Vault Monsters.

Zer0 has left the Crimson Raiders and is working with / for Rhys under the Atlas corporation, at least while the money and weapons are good.

Crimson Lance became the Crimson Raiders after Atlas fell and they joined Roland’s cause in Sanctuary. Now that Atlas is being ran by CEO Rhys, they are called Atlas Soldiers.

New Element : Radiation - Irradiated enemies will take damage and are also more susceptible to other damage types. An irradiated enemy can spread the effect to other enemies surrounding them. Upon death, an irradiated enemy will reach critical mass and explode.

Barrels - Elemental variety barrels can now be melee’d to launch at enemies before shooting them and causing them to explode.

Pipelines -Certain pipelines can be shot to cause radiation spills, or oil slicks that can then be ignited to cause an AOE of damage.

Enemies / Mini Bosses - There will be more mini bosses in Borderlands 3, and the weapons they use against you can be dropped so that you can use that gun on future enemies.

NPC - Certain NPC’s will assist you on missions, like Lorelei and Zer0, and then can also be downed. You can revive NPC’s and they can also revive you.

Paul Sage (Gearbox Developer?) - Paul made the comment about the low-grav environments as well as stating that if you “beeline through the story” it will take around 30 hours. Upon questioning if the guns in the reveal were better than what we will find (because of the basically non-existant recoil) he stated that in the past they’ve worked there way up to really good guns in terms of level progression, but this time they wanted to know if they could “start good, and make it fucking awesome.” So yeah. Guns are gonna be fucking awesome.

And that wraps it up! A nice guide to catch you up on things you’ve missed or to remind you of some things you’ve forgotten. I make no claim to have covered everything we’ve seen, but these were some things that I took note of. Feel free to add your own bits and pieces I missed in the replies! Borderlands 3 looks amazing, happy hunting.

- VaultHunter426

#borderlands #borderlands 3 #amara the siren #long post #amara #maliwan #borderlands 3 spoilers #bl3 spoilers #bl3 #atlas #rhys #zero #claptrap #lilith the siren #the calypso twins #troy calypso #tyreen calypso

[thedistantstorm]

Keep On Rising (Until The Sky Knows Your Name) 10

Found Family | Zavala is Tower Dad | Father-Daughter Relationship | Childhood Trauma and Recovery | Canon-Typical Violence | Amputation

A story about how an orphaned Amanda Holliday comes to belong in the Last Safe City and the family she finds along the way.

(Or, the story of how Commander Zavala finds himself responsible for one Amanda Holliday.)

Chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09

This time: Zavala calls in a favor, Amanda meets Eva.

-/

There are obstacles, road blocks… challenges, to any objective.

He is not a man who allows himself to stray from the task at hand, except when necessary. This isn’t technically necessary - not to him - but he knows that the consequences of not following through will outweigh the repercussions of missing three minutes of faction banter.

Really, no matter how long the three heads argue, the outcome will still be the same. Lakshimi has the funding for her project and will proceed with her objective, paying Hideo to produce the weapons she requires, leaving Arach Jalal licking his wounds because if he wants new ships, he’ll only have the meager support of the Vanguard’s budget - and only if he plays nicely. 

For a man who consistently says whatever thought crosses his mind without any situational awareness, it’s a rather unpleasant deal. To Zavala, he’d rather they skip that part, and forego the carrying on leading up to it.

He’d made a promise this morning. Foolishly. He presumed nothing large would come up, Ikora was on duty tonight, she could handle anything short of a large-scale attack on the City, and this meeting was supposed to adjourn at least three hours earlier. He knew better than to assume.

What were you going to do? Shiori asks silently between them while Jalal throws his tantrum in the direction of Lakshimi-2. She knows you come when you’re able. 

Maintaining his look of inscrutable stoicism, he answers in kind. She was looking forward to this. I never speak so specifically on purpose, and now…

It was going to happen eventually, She replies through their link. And honestly, you’re going to have to get used to it, if this is ever going to work. There’s a pause. And I think that’s the part you’re more worried about, if you ask me.

Shiori. Though it’s not particularly audible, the Ghost understands his tone immediately. It’s the tired one he uses with Cayde-6, most of the time.

So, if you’re not going to make it, you’re going to have to think of an alternative. Someone else who might not be in this meeting and would be free. Someone who’s good with kids, easy to get along with, won’t pepper Amanda with questions…

Shiori.

What?

Zavala’s only physical reaction is a small part of his lips, a practiced glance at the ceiling. Around him, the room carries on, oblivious to their conversation. See if Eva is free. Please.

-/

The nurses try to get her to eat. They bring her both dinner choices from the hospital’s cafeteria, make offers of ice cream and sweet treats. She doesn’t want any of it. Zavala promised he’d bring them both dinner. He never makes promises, but he always follows through. Maybe something happened.

She asks the nurses, but they simply sigh and tell her that he’d likely gotten busy. He was very important, didn’t she know?

Of course she did. Anytime she asked him for something it was always in that way that suggested maybe he could, that he didn’t have to. She knew eventually it would all run out, everything did. She’d have to go back to the orphanage and it would be back to one day every few months. If she was lucky, she might see him for an hour or two. 

But she could enjoy it while it lasted, she thought. He was the one who asked her this time, not the other way around. She knew he would come through. He always did.

So, when the door to her room slides open very tentatively, she freezes. That isn't Zavala, she knows it instantly. Her eyes darken, narrowing in distrust on the newcomer and the bag in her arms.

"Hello, dear," The woman says in a heavily accented voice. She lingers in the doorway, holding up the bag. A look of momentary confusion twists her lips into something concerned, but it's there and gone. "Zavala sent me. He was worried you might be getting hungry. He's been stuck in a meeting all evening and isn't sure when it will end." She looks at Amanda's face, not her stump. And she seems pretty nice, Amanda supposes, but she still doesn't trust her.

The woman steps into the room, her brown hair glinting with a hint of gray under the fluorescent lighting. "May I?"

She nods. "Will he come after?" And then, nose scrunching, she asks, "And, uh, who are you, anyway?"

A laugh comes in reply. The woman sets aside the tray of untouched hospital good, pulling out rice and beans in a clear container and a few opaque containers that look like meats. The girl stares in rapt surprise.

"My name is Eva. Eva Levante." She sets to arranging the contents of the containers onto a plate - a real one, not the plastic ones the hospital uses. "I know he promised you something from one of his favorite restaurants, but between you and me, I think he likes my cooking better."

Amanda swallows hard. "Smells real good," She concedes in a whisper. "Do," She looks to Eva, "Do ya think he'll come after his meetin'?"

That makes Eva pause. "Oh, don't you worry, my dear. He'll come see you as soon as he's done. He seemed very upset that he hadn't been able to make it on time." She hands the child a fork. "I brought him some dinner as well," She smiles, winking, "He works too hard. Someone has to keep an eye on him." 

When Zavala arrives hours later, Eva is reading. It's nearly eleven, and it's apparent that he is bone tired, but he slips in quietly and offers her a grateful nod.

"She just drifted off about half an hour ago. Tried to hold out as long as she could, but the pain started to get to her. She didn't want them to knock her out before you got here."

"She's stubborn," He answers gently. "Thank you. Truly, I-"

"Yer here," Amanda calls, woozy, blinking her eyes to fight off the effects of the narcotics. Her hands reach toward him and he smiles, taking the few steps to her bedside, leaning down, and letting her hug him. Returning it, even, with a very gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry I'm late," He whispers, but she's shaking her head into his chest.

"'S ok," She drawls. "Jus' wanted ta see you."

He hears Eva rise sharply behind him and it strikes him immediately. This is - he detangles himself from Amanda, who blinks in hazy confusion - how this must be a difficult thing for her to walk into blindly.

"M's Eva?"

The well-dressed woman pauses, halfway to letting herself out. Zavala looks at her back, sees her fists clenched and his heart feels like it's breaking. Of course. He should have thought this through. He knew what she'd been through, this was asking so much of her.

"Thanks fer sittin' with me," Amanda slurs sleepily. "An' dinner, too. Wus' nice."

Eva nods, tilting her head so that only the side of her face is visible, shadowed in the yellow lights. "I'll come visit again, my dear," She says. "Get some rest."

"Eva."

"Don't worry about me, Zavala. It's alright." She turns all the way back, giving him a watery smile. Her voice is thick with emotion, and it guilts him terribly. "You call me any time she needs."

"Thank you," He answers, hoarsely.

"She lost people, too," Amanda murmurs a little later, her breaths so slow and even it's as though she's already asleep. He hums in agreement, knowing she'll be out like a light soon enough. She probably won’t even remember it. "She's still nice though."

"She is," Zavala agrees. “Would you mind if she came back?”

“Nah,” She hums, breathing heavier. Zavala pulls up the blankets she’s mussed in her attempt to sit up and greet him, tucking her in before taking up his usual spot beside her bed for the night. “Like yer friend.”

-/

Eva is waiting for him in the Plaza the following afternoon.

“You didn’t have to send me flowers,” She chides, hands on her hips. “It was was not a big deal.”

“You helped me, yet it upset you,” He answers. They fall into step rather easily, their destination determined by time of day. “That was not my intent.”

“There is not a mean bone in your body, Zavala. It was just surprising.” She gives him a knowing smile. “I would not have taken you to be so… indulgent.”

The Commander coughs politely, almost bashful. “Neither would I,” He admits.

“She’s a special girl.” Eva presses, and Zavala nods in agreement, almost too subtle to notice. 

Eva chances another glance his way, a wistful smile on her face. “Something tells me this isn’t just a random act of kindness. You look conflicted. Tell Eva what you are thinking.”

“It’s all right,” Zavala answers. “I don’t-”

“Amanda told me you’ve been sitting with her every evening since she was injured. And those bags under your eyes confirm it. You are not sleeping, Commander. You’re going to drive your Ghost crazy not taking care of yourself.” She wags a finger at him. Eva might be the only person in the City who has the gall.

“I’m fine.”

His Ghost flickers into the cradle made by their shoulders as they walk side by side. Eva might be shorter than Zavala, but Shiori finds a happy medium between the two of them. “I told him he needs to get used to this. It’s an adjustment phase.”

The Tower vendor stops moving. “Really,” She sounds rather elated, the opposite of what Zavala is expecting. He’d been preparing for bittersweet. He turns and evaluates her to make sure the conversation isn’t upsetting her, as the situation had last night. “You wish to take the child in? She did not seem to think-”

“I’m considering it,” Zavala admits, quietly. “I have not made any definitive plans as of yet.”

Eva hums, continuing on, passing him by. She catches his elbow, squeezing the unarmored part above it. “I think that would be wonderful,” She gushes.

Zavala blows out a controlled breath, sighing, “I have no idea where to begin.”

“No one ever does, Zavala.” Eva smiles at him proudly. Her endorsement is nearly tangible. “You learn from them as much as they learn from you.”

#destiny fanfic #amanda holliday #commander zavala #Shipwright September #eva levante #zavala is tower dad

[maurtheblack]

Dear Creator letter for MCU Spaceships

Under the cut.

Thank you for writing for me! My requests are in loose groups - due to this a couple of them appear more than once. Any prompts/suggestions from either group or a combination are fine for those. 

Group 1 - Valkyrie ships.

Valkyrie’s old. Old as balls. She’s been on Sakaar where time runs strangely, sure, but it’s still been a long time for her. Judging by the Sif stuff in the first movie, and Thor mentioning wanting to be a Valkyrie, she’s practically a cryptid to the Asgardians. How does this come out in her interactions with other Asgardians? How much have Asgardians customs changed since her time? Does she want to be an Asgardian again, and form relationships - platonic and romantic and familial - with them, or does she want to just bounce and set up on Earth as a bounty hunter and get an Earth girlfriend? Going back into earlier in the canon, did Carol ever meet her in her space travels, before or after becoming Captain Marvel? Going AU, what if Valkyrie landed on Jane’s research instead of Thor? We don’t have a canon age for Frigga, so it’s very possible they knew each other back in the day. Perhaps Frigga was once a valkyrie, or Valkyrie was Frigga’s favoured knight once upon a time. I’d love worldbuilding around the valkyries and their place in Asgardian society and history and myth.How does Valkyrie feel about the Asgard she knew being forever lost? Instead of coming back to Asgard, Asgard has come to her, homeless space vagabonds. She’s got to have a lot of feelings about that. She, Loki and Thor agreed to bring about Ragnarok - how do they feel about that? Did they fail or succeed? How does the galaxy at large respond to the fall of Asgard - and are its princes targets for Asgard’s enemies and victims? What are the Jotun up to right now, for instance?

Group 2 - Carol ships.

Carol has a lot of identity stuff going on, and I’d love to see how she’s dealing with that, how she’s reconciling who she was with who she was after that and who she is now. Did she have the same habits and quirks and wants as Vers and Carol? Or did she like different things and behave differently? How is that playing out in her interactions with others? Is she lonely, out in space with no one from either of her old lives? This is the first time she’s had a chance to miss Monica and Maria, and know Maria is growing up and Monica growing old without her. Do the Skrulls ever guise themselves as people she knows for a moment’s comfort, or would that be too painful? How does Carol fit in with a Skrull society? How do they handle it when the Skrulls can fit neatly into any society and Carol’s a sore thumb? How does Carol feel about what she did as a Kree - she was lied to, yes, but did she never suspect? How much did she close her eyes to that she realises now were warning signs? How do the Skrulls feel about this? And then there’s her return to Earth - she’s returning to a very different world, and like Valkyrie, she’s got to have a lot of feelings about her absence. How will she interact with Jane, who presumably endured everything that happened on Earth? And for that matter, what IS going on with Jane? She briefly embodied one of the Infinity Stones, same as Carol. Perhaps they’re drawn to each other. Perhaps Jane wants to study Carol. We don’t have much about Mar-Vell, but she’s a super interesting character. I’m not very interested in the period where Carol believes she’s human, but I’d be very interested in an AU where her alienness emerges early on and Carol has to deal. Also an AU where Mar-Vell lives - perhaps she takes empowered Carol and goes on the lam, or perhaps they’re both captured. 

Group 3 - Nebula Ships

Nebula’s fantastic. I love how strange she is. I wonder how strange she’d be to her own people, and how much like them she is? Was she originally blue, as Gamora was green - or not? Did she ever have hair, and does she miss it? Did she always have a healing factor, and Thanos worked with that? Are all her people a little awkward and abrupt by human standards? The dynamic between Gamora and Nebula is really interesting, and the differences and similarities in how they reacted to Thanos’ raising. One of my favourite moments in GotG is when, after it seems they’d been setting up a conflict between Loyal Daughter and Rebel Daughter, Nebula reveals she is only waiting for her chance to turn on Thanos. Did Gamora and Nebula know that about each other? Did they ever keep each other’s secrets? I’d really like to see what a happy ending for those two crazy kids would look like, or in the angstier vein, something about their power struggles when they served Thanos. Nebula and Jane - like all the Jane ships here, Jane will be interested in space, and I think Nebula would find it unusual, that Jane is interested in her not because of the quality of being Thanos’ daughter, but for the very ordinary (to her) quality of being a space adventurer. And Jane is so civilian - she’s not a physical fighter at all. (yet!) Nebula might be fascinated by a body so undesigned. Thor and Nebula haven’t interacted much, but I think Nebula’s vague similarities to Loki could attract Thor’s interest, and Nebula could be interested by someone who grew up with so little trauma and pain, and was damaged so badly by it. As for Nebula and Rocket, they have SO much in common. If you’re not into the hot raccoon action I’d be just as into them becoming besties and forming an alliance of moral expediency against the Guardians.

Group 4 - Frigga ships

I wanted way more of Frigga. We know so little about her! How long have she and Odin been married? Canonically, there’s no indication she’s actually Hela’s mother, which is interesting. (I am not really into cross-generational incest so I hope it’s okay to write them as not mother and daughter - if you only matched on this ship and you only like it as an incest ship I can cope but would prefer no explicit porn and no underage.) So is Frigga a second wife, or did Odin maintain a harem, or cheat, or did Hela leap from his brain like Athena? Is she as old as Odin? For Hela and Valkyrie, we can go back into the past and have them know each other; perhaps there was a queen-favoured warrior dynamic, or perhaps pre-marriage Frigga was a Valkyrie and fought under Hela’s command. (After all, with Hela’s banishment it would be natural for Odin to seek a wife for more children... and Frigga would, with either pairing, have lost her love. For Frigga/Jane, I just think they’d be cute together once they got over the weirdness of stealing your son’s girl. Or perhaps by Asgardian customs the ladies of the family all entertain each other while the menfolk are off doing terrible acts of war.

Group 5 - Fury/Talos

They were just cute and funny, great buddy dynamic.All I really ask is you don’t devalue Talos’ relationship with Soren. Have Skrulls non-monogamous or something, or she gets divine inspiration and joins an exclusive order of celibate warrior-monks that mean she and Talos must regretfully part with love, that’s fine, I’ll be very forgiving of handwaves. Adding her to the ship also totally fine. 

Prompts of things I’d like to see, or just go nuts based on the above comments.

Valkyrie/Thor/Loki: fake relationship. For whatever reason they have to go undercover as an aristocrat and her two husbands/harem boys/whatever.

Valkyrie/Heimdall: Heimdall saw everything in Asgard. He’s the best person to tell her what it was like. And she can tell him what it was like in her day. What sort of Asgard would they like to build?

Valkyrie/Frigga: Maybe Ragnarok wasn’t the first time someone found Valkyrie. Frigga goes to Sakaar looking for something lost, and while negotiating the Grandmaster’s erratic court, she finds a valkyrie.

Valkyrie/Jane: due to Reality Stone nonsense or a Bifrost mishap, Jane lands on Sakaar and is collected by Valkyrie. The Grandmaster doesn’t know exactly what’s going on with her, but she’s clearly possessed of massive power, so it’s gladiatorial training for her. Valkyrie has to teach her some self-preservation skills - perhaps it’ll reflect badly on her if Jane gets stomped first fight - and Jane needs to get control over this cosmic power if she’s to have any hope of long term survival and returning home. And the Dark Elves are still looking for her...

Valkyrie/Carol: Sparring. Carol is used to sparring with Yonn-Rogg, who always tells her to rein in her power, show better control, don’t get carried away. Valkyrie, on the other hand, spars with the Hulk. Valkyrie showing Carol it’s all right to let loose, and that she can take anything Carol’s got.

Carol/Jane: I would love some classic identity porn with Carol, Jane and Mighty Thor. Perhaps Carol is besotted with this gorgeous warrior and irritated by Dr Foster’s constant requests to interview and analyse her. Perhaps she resents this new Thor for taking on her friend’s role, but has a soft spot for that beautiful scientist. Perhaps she thinks they’re both super hot and is trying really hard to orchestrate a threesome. (Bedroom farce based on this would be amazing.) Or maybe she hates them both until events, etc.

Carol/Soren/Talos: Carol and Soren and Talos are posing as a married couple. Keyword: couple. Carol is never sure who’s holding hands with her and who’s off breaking into secret government offices. Are they both flirting with her, or only one of them? Can end up threesome, or either pairing, but as stated above please do not devalue the Talos/Soren relationship.

Carol/Mar-Vell: Vers is living a perfectly normal Kree warrior life when some lunatic woman kidnaps her and drags her off in a spaceship, telling her wild stories about her *real* past. Mar-Vell has only just managed to escape custody, and after years of mentally wresting the Supreme Intelligence, she’s kind of poorly adjusted. She knows she can’t leave Carol behind when she escapes, though.

Gamora/Loki/Nebula: Thanos sends Gamora (or Nebula) with Loki to subjugate Earth. Gamora (or Nebula) takes the chance to get an Infinity Stone out of Thanos’ hands (or get revenge on Thanos), and either persuades or forces Loki to go on the lam. Nebula (or Gamora) is sent in pursuit, and Loki and Gamora (or Nebula) have to persuade her to join them.

Nebula/Jane:Jane has to go do uhhh urgent science somewhere off planet. Or maybe she’s the first human delegate at an interstellar conference. They’re going to send Gamora as her guide and bodyguard, but due to a hilarious misunderstanding Gamora is in space jail or bodyswapped with Rocket or glued to Drax. Nebula offers to take her place, and somehow no one realises what a terrible idea this is. So off they road trip. Nebula has no idea what “dangerous” is and Jane has no idea that Nebula has no idea what “dangerous” is. So they careen from disaster to disaster, Nebula causes carnage, Jane has a lovely time and has no idea how close to death she is at any given moment.

Gamora/Nebula: between the movies. Gamora wants to find Nebula; sometimes, Nebula wants to be found. Perhaps she just wants Gamora to keep looking.

Nebula/Thor: <em> and this is the map of my heart, the landscape after cruelty which is, of course, a garden, which is. a tenderness, which is a room, a lover saying Hold me tight, it's getting cold</em> Nebula is a person who has done terrible, brutal things, and she’s betrayed her sister more than once. Thor wants to know how she’s living with herself. The answer is badly. Thor decides that maybe they can be siblings to each other, and help each other heal. He eventually decides that dropping the siblings thing is best, what with all the sex they’re having.

Nebula/Rocket: <em>There ain’t nothing like me, but me</em> As morally bankrupt lab experiments, the two of them have a lot in common. Put them in circumstances where they have to feign moral competence, heroism, or being good at  interaction - perhaps their friends are being held prisoner by a rigidly honourable alien race and they have to diplomacy them out? Perhaps they’ve been stranded on a lawless world and are pretending to be Asgardian warriors to diminish the chances of being ganked? They accidentally get custody of a small child and have to set a good example because if they return the child tattooed and with a prison record they’ll probably be executed? Trying to see them work out proper behaviour from first principles could be deeply hilarious, or kinda sad.

Frigga/Hela: Frigga was always meant to be Queen of Asgard. She just thought it would be when Hela took the throne. Frigga and Hela as battle wives, or perhaps Frigga’s a diplomat who Hela courts. Maybe Odin arranges their marriage.

Jane/Frigga: instead of Thor being banished, it’s Frigga. Perhaps she forcibly objects to Odin banishing her son, and he sends her instead. Perhaps she protest some other Odin-y thing. Anyway, Jane finds her instead of Thor, and is just as charmed. Will Frigga prove her worthiness? Does she even want to?

Nick Fury/Talos: Talos would like to be sworn warrior brothers with Fury. There are traditional rituals. Fury is touched and honoured. The rituals turn out to involve sex. Why, what do sworn warrior brothers do on Earth? 

[thejollyroger-writer]

Keep Hope at Hand, Chapter Sixteen

a/n: this is a HUGE chapter, both length-wise and content-wise, so as a gift, I want to thank each and every one of you that have stuck with me this far for your time, plus those who have joined along the way. You have no idea what this means to me, and without this story and all of you lovely people, this semester probably would have been very different for me. 

Summary:  When a curse is going to send the inhabitants of Enchanted Forest, Captain Killian Jones, husband to the Princess, must take their daughter through the wardrobe to save them from the curse and give her the ability to break the curse when the time comes.

From the Beginning: tumblr // ao3

Previous Chapter: tumblr //  ao3

This chapter on AO3

The regular crew:  @shireness-says​​@wellhellotragic​​@flyflyangel​​@stahlop​​@superchocovian​​@kingofmyheart14​​@drkeldonmd​​@darkcolinodonorgasm​​@profdanglaisstuff​​@pirateherokillian​​@captainsjedi​​ @let-it-raines​​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @cocohook38​

The Jewel of the Realm rocks peacefully on the waters of Misthaven, her sails blowing softly in the warm breeze of the sea. The sun beats down from the clear sky, and there are seagulls perched on the sails of the ship.

All is quiet in the world.

Well, that’s not technically true: all is quiet in Killian’s world, though he knows that somewhere on the ship, the crew is rejoicing, but he fails to hear it. All he can hear is a deafening nothingness, an eerie, ear-piercing silence as he holds his brother in his arms. He knows there should be sounds: the waves crashing against the sides of the ship, footsteps from the crew on the deck above them, and the cheers - they made it out of Neverland, back to the Enchanted Forest, something none of them — especially not Killian himself — thought was going to happen after the chaos of their journey.

And maybe somewhere, in the very back of his mind, he does hear these things; but all he can focus on at the moment is Liam, unmoving in his arms, the only pillar of his life that he’s always known to be solid. All he has now is… nothing. No family, no possessions beyond the small trunk of clothing sitting at the edge of his bunk. He remembers the words he said to him just moments ago: “I would follow you to the ends of the earth, brother” - and it is true. Was true. He would have followed his brother to the very ends of the earth, through every kingdom and realm known to man and those unknown. He would have gone through hell for his brother — but sitting here, holding his lifeless body, is a hell worse than any he has ever imagined.

Because now, he has no one to follow, a fact that becomes exceptionally clear as he watches Liam’s body hit the water, the burial at sea that he always wanted - though not at so ripe an age.

When one of the crew hands the sextant to him — “This belongs to you now, Captain,” — he doesn’t know what to say. He never wanted to be captain, never wanted to be in charge of his own ship — all he ever wanted was to sail the seas with his brother.

And then, running his thumb over the patch attached to the sextant bag with his brother’s name — his name — he has an idea: he may no longer be able to sail the seas with his brother, but he can surely sail the seas for his brother.

Taking a moment to look out over the crew, he can feel his heart pounding in his chest, hears it even over the sound of the waves against the hull of the ship. It is time to rally his crew.

“We are sworn to serve the king and the realm. They sent us to retrieve an unthinkable poison, one that killed our dear captain. Never again shall we take such orders, serving the king, fighting his wars. That is the way of dishonor! And all you who disagree flee now, or walk the bloody plank!” No one moves a muscle, other than to look around at the others, everyone staying true to their new captain. “For those who stay will be free men, and I will be your captain. We’ll sail under the crimson flag, and we’ll give our enemies no quarter. We’ll take what we please! And we’ll live by our own rules, for that is the best form of all!

“Our kingdom is corrupt and immoral. They took my brother from me,  and now I’m going to take everything they’ve got, starting with this ship! Bring the paint from below! It’s time we rename this vessel!” He points to a crewman, who immediately goes to follow his orders. “We no longer sail as The Jewel of the Realm , we now sail as the Jolly Roger !” Now he is truly enraged, and removes the jacket of his officer’s uniform, tossing it overboard and into the waters of the corrupt realm, following the body of his lost brother. “When they come for us, I want them to know exactly what we are — pirates! For at least among thieves, there is honor!”

His crew begins to cheer, then chant his name: “Captain Jones! Captain Jones!”

Adrenaline rushes through him, and he clenches his jaw. He may have lost a brother, but he has gained a crew, a crew that has decided to stay true to him, even after he turns against the corrupt King.

But as the newly-renamed Jolly Roger sails back towards the sea port owned by their corrupt king, a dark shadow of a man dives into the ocean behind them, not far from the burial at sea that just took place on the deck of the ship. The shadow, backed with the strongest forms of dark magic in the universe, pulls the still-sinking body of Liam Jones from the water as it flies back towards the horizon, disappearing in the sky just as the stars begin to twinkle.

When it sets it's feet down on the ground, it's owner smiles devilishly, hands on his hips.

“Good job, shadow!” he cheers, and the group of boys gathered behind him join in the cheer. “Now, all it should take is…” His words trail off as he pulls the canteen out from under his belt, popping off the cork and kneeling down to pour some into the man’s mouth, the other hand moving in slow circles over his chest.

Expectantly, he leans back, his eyes glued to the man’s chest, which should start moving at any moment.

Except, it doesn’t. 

“Tinkerbell!” he yells, jumping to his feet, and a woman  — the first woman to ever be on the island — pushes through the line of boys, her arms crossed over her chest. “You said this would work!”

She rolls her eyes at him, and he sneers at her. “I said it might work, Pan. Bringing people back from the dead isn’t the easiest thing.”

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appears behind them, and each of the boys draws their weapons as a face appears out of the smoke.

“Good thing that I know how to help you!”

“We don’t want help from you, Dark One!” Tinkerbell yells, but Pan’s eyes just go wide as he stays silent. “Why would you want to help us anyway?”

The Dark One begins pacing in front of them, wringing his hands behind his back. “There will come a time when I will come to you with a favor regarding this man in particular, and his dear younger brother, whose face will become one that you all know very well. And because I have helped you resuscitate him, you will owe me that favor. Without me, this man will never come back to life and you will never be able to do… well, whatever you’re bringing him back to life to do.”

“We would never accept help from you,” Tinkerbell yells, but Pan holds up his hand, staring down the man in front of him.

“Yes, okay,” he says, and Tinkerbell’s eyes widen in disbelief as the Dark One smiles. “I accept your help, Dark One. What do I need to do to bring Captain Jones back from the dead?”

“Hand me your canteen,” he commands, pulling a vile of sparkling black liquid out of the satchel around his waist, which he pours into the container before handing it back to Pan. “Now do as the fairy told you to.”

Pan stares up at the Dark One for a moment before pouring the liquid carefully into the sailor’s mouth, his hand moving in slow circles over his chest.

Nothing happens.

Then the Dark One snaps his fingers, and Liam Jones comes back to life.

— — / — —

Baelfire pushes through the line of trees in front of him, slowing only when his feet reach the sand of the beach. He finds the ship on the horizon, right where he knew it would be — right where it always is. He is the first of the party to make it to the beach, so he sits in the sand, his fingers digging holes into it at his side.

They meet under the cover of darkness, Bae begging to universe, the gods of fate, whoever — if anyone — is watching over him to let him get away without Pan’s knowledge, or at least without Pan's intervention.

Which is difficult on an island that Pan controls.

So much has happened since what must has been months ago, when he decided he needed to leave Neverland before Pan tried to kill him.

Again.

Tried to kill him again.

As always when he sees the Jolly Roger swaying peacefully in the waters of Neverland, he wants to be angry, but is instead just sad. When he found himself on Killian’s ship all those years ago, he really thought the man had come to care for him. Even if he was the man that tore his family apart, that took his mother and killed her when she tried to leave, he thought maybe the pirate still had a heart. But he has been here for dozens of years, and the damned pirate had never even tried to help him. He knows the Jolly can travel realms, and escaping would be that much easier if Killian wanted to help him.

But he doesn’t. Tink must have shared their plan with him by now, knows that she spends time with the pirate. The man just doesn’t care, which shouldn’t surprise him as much as it does.

Shouldn’t hurt him as much as it does.

Tinkerbell and Wendy push through the treeline, and Bae snaps his head towards the sound, thankful that it is his friends and not any of his enemies.

“Do we have enough?” he whispers, still trying to get used to the way his voice has dropped in the past few weeks. After being fourteen for so long, the magic that keeps time from passing in Neverland has stopped working for him, and he has grown a few inches, started to find some peach fuzz covering his face, and, of course, his voice.

It turns out that when you stop calling Neverland home, when you long to leave the island and live somewhere else, Neverland stops being your home. For this, Bae is almost thankful, save the fact that it’s been terrifically difficult to hide from Pan.

Tinkerbell reaches into the bag slung over her shoulder and pulls out a small jar filled with glittering powder, her fingers gripped tightly around the glass. “I collected as much as I could find without him getting suspicious.”

“But is it enough?” Wendy asks.

“I…” she starts, then presses her lips into a tight line. “I honestly have no clue. No one has ever tried to use fairy dust to leave Neverland before.”

Bae nods, reaching out to slide the jar from Tink’s grasp.

“Thank you, Tink,” he says softly, and instead of taking the jar from her, he pulls her in for a hug, his rapid growth more obvious now as he stands a few inches taller than she does. “You risked everything for this, for a whim. And one day, I will come back and take you away from this wicked place as a thank you.”

“Just get off the island for now, Baelfire,” Tink responds, a small smile pulling at her lips.

“Go somewhere he can never find you,” Wendy whispers in his ear when he moves to hug her. “Stay safe.”

“Thank you, Wendy,” he whispers back, pulling away from her just enough to look into her eyes. “In another life, things would have been different between us.”

“Perhaps, but we will never get the chance to find out.”

“Please come with me,” he pleads, for what must be the hundredth time.

“You know I cannot, Bae. Who knows what he could do to my family if I left here.”

Bae has so much more he wants to say, since the two standing in front of him are the only friends he has ever had  — but a rustle in the bushes behind them replaces all of these thoughts with terror instead, and he pulls the jar from Tink’s hand, quickly unscrewing the lid and pouring the contents of it over him.

“Go, Bae!” Tink yells. “Close your eyes and think of where you want to go.”

“Be safe, Baelfire!” Wendy calls as his feet leave the ground just as Pan pushes out of the clearing, his shadow and the other that follows his commands already flying after the boy.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know what you’ve been up to?” Pan asks, his voice a low growl, and both Tink and Wendy take a step away from him. “You’ll pay for this, you know.”

High in the air above them, Bae screams as one of the shadows takes a hold of his ankle and the other his arm, but they do not stop moving. A smile spreads across Pan’s evil features, but it fades away when Bae disappears from the sky, replaced with a momentary sparkle before the sky grows dark again.

“It worked,” Tinkerbell breathes, a smile taking over her face, and when she turns to Wendy, she finds that the girl has a smile of her own.

“Son of a bitch!” Pan yells, his shadow and the shadow of the young Captain moving back towards him, and he turns towards the girls, pointing his finger in their faces. “This isn’t over. This is far from over.”

  When Bae’s feet hit the ground, his whole body crumbles. Every inch of him hurts, his face and his legs badly bleeding, his arm most likely broken, and his head pounding.

Thankfully, he is not alone. “Baelfire?” a voice asks from behind him, the crippled man moving as quickly as he can towards the body that he somehow knows is his son even though he hasn’t seen him for decades, though he has aged about ten years since the fairy dust swept his feet off the Neverland beach.

“Papa?” Bae whispers, barely strong enough to speak, and when Rumple finally reaches his body, he barely has the energy to smile at the one man he has wanted to see for far too long. “Please, help me.”

“I — I don’t know how,” he chokes out, trying to stop the sob that comes tearing through his chest.

“You idiot,” a voice in his head that is not his own retorts. “You know exactly how to save him, but you’re nothing but a coward.”

He shakes his head as tears begin to stream down his face. “I — I can’t!” he responds out loud, but Bae has lost his consciousness, so no one hears him anyway.

“You must,” the voice responds. “You must, or you will lose your son.”

“I can’t lose you, Bae,” he sobs, flicking his hand through the air, and a dagger appears. “And if this is what I have to do to keep you at my side, then I will do it.” He holds the dagger over Bae’s chest, which is barely moving anymore. “Baelfire, I make you the Dark One, I transfer the Darkness from me to you.”

A blinding flash of light radiates from the dagger, and Rumple drops it on his son’s chest, knocked back by the force of the blast.

Momentarily paralyzed, Rumple watches as Baelfire sits up, an evil smile spread across his face. “Thank you, papa,” he growls, taking the dagger in his hand and disappearing in a cloud of grey smoke.

— — / — —

“Rumple!” Her voice travels through the house, but no one hears her. “Rumplestiltskin!”

Finally, the man in question opens the door to the library, and when Regina realizes that he is carrying a pile of laundry, her eyes go wide, a confused smile spreading across her features.

“What a sight,” she comments, gesturing towards her. “The Dark One fulfilling his domestic duties.”

Rumple opens his mouth to speak, but Bae appears behind them before he can say anything, a piece of parchment in his hands and his boots resting on the edge of the table. “That's because he's not the Dark One anymore,” he quips, failing to raise his attention from the parchment in front of him.

“Excuse me?”

“He's no longer the Dark One,” he says again, slowing down his words as if that were the issue, and then raises his eyes to meet hers. “I am.”

Regina crosses her arms over her chest. “And who are you, exactly?”

“Baelfire,” he replies, and Regina turns on her heels to face Rumple again.

“Baelfire, as in your son? The one you became the Dark One to save?”

Once again, Rumple opens his mouth to speak, but Bae's words come first.

“It turns out that the way he was to save me was by making me the Dark One after the shadow of Peter Pan and that naval captain he brought back from the dead almost tore me apart as I was trying to escape Neverland.”

Regina blinks at him a few times before shaking her head. “There's a lot to unpack there, and I don't really have time to go through it all. But if you're the Dark One now and not your father, I suppose that means I now need your help and not his.”

“Why should I help you? My father offered his services because he thought he would find me in this Land Without Magic your curse would take everyone to. Since I am obviously not there, we no longer have a need for your curse.”

Regina's eyes go wide, and she takes a few steps towards Bae, seated at the table, leaning forward against the chair beside him. There's not anything you want?” she purrs, smiling at him. “If you help me in the same way your father was going to, you can write whatever you want in the curse. Tell me, Baelfire, what do you want most in the world?”

There is not even a moment's hesitation before the words fall from his lips. “Vengeance. Revenge against Killian Jones, the man who killed my mother and tore my family apart.”

After widening with an idea, Regina's eyes sparkle as she turns to the shelf behind Bae, her slender fingers moving across the items she finds there until they finally reach the one she is looking for: a small handheld mirror that she runs her hand over before smiling down at it and handing it to Baelfire, whose eyes grow wide with a devious grin when he sees what she is showing him.

“You mean Captain Killian Jones, betrothed to the Princess of Misthaven? Marrying the daughter of the very people whose lives my curse is written to destroy?”

Bae finally tears his eyes from the mirror, the image of a proper-looking Killian Jones — no doubt the same man he met years ago, since he looks exactly the same — with the arm that ends in a hook wrapped around the shoulders of a beautiful blonde woman and his hand holding a glittering chalice as they talk to the people gathered around them. He smiles up at Regina.

“How, exactly, can I be of assistance?”

--/--

At first, he swears it must be a dream. Another dream, like the ones that have filled his mind since he slipped into unconsciousness in that alley. Or perhaps it is instead the entrance to whatever afterlife the world has planned for him. The last thing he expects it to be is reality, because it is the last thing he deserves after everything he has done.

But when he begins to move, tries to reach his hand out and is instead met with searing flames of pain across his body, he decides that either he has instead descended into hell, or is somehow still alive after everything that happened with Neal in that alleyway.

He almost hopes it is the first option.

Until she stirs, realizing what is happening in front of her before reaching out the hand that she must forget is wrapped around the chain in her hands to press it against his chest. Even hell would not be this cruel to him, using the perfect morning sun coming through the curtains to light up his wife’s peaceful face.

“Jesus, Killian, don’t try to move,” she whispers, and if the incessant beeping coming from the machines around him weren’t already making it obvious, he can swear that his heart is pounding hard enough for her to feel it with the hand still resting on his chest.

“I’ve worked that much out on my own,” he croaks out, his voice sounding nowhere near as smooth as he hoped it would, and the laugh that escapes his chest at this sends tremors of pain through his whole body.

“What do you remember?” she asks, her voice soft and soothing and everything he’s been too afraid to think of her as since he left her behind and went through the wardrobe.

He closes his eyes, focused on the beating of his heart and the warmth radiating from her hand resting right above it.

“Neal,” he tries, but it comes out as a whisper. Taking a deep breath, he swallows slowly, then tries again. “He’s — he’s more dangerous than you ever could have known, love. He wants to kill me, to kill my girl, and now that he has his powers back, he’ll be even harder to stop.”

He hears Emma suck in a breath beside him, and he opens his eyes to look at her. Her gaze has fallen to the bed, and when her hand starts to slowly fall from his chest to meet her other resting on the mattress beside him, he stops it with his hand, wrapping the chain around some of his fingers.

“His… powers.”

It is not until she speaks these words that he remembers how much she is unaware of, and he tightens his fingers around her hand, opening his mouth to speak but realizing he does not have the words.

“You mean, like, the disappearing thing?” she asks in the silence, and though her eyes are still avoiding his gaze, he watches as she pulls her bottom lip up between her teeth, slipping her hand out from under his so she can run both of them through her hair.

“Aye,” he whispers. “That’s just the beginning.”

“And he’s working with Regina.”

“He told me that, too.” Finally, she raises her gaze and finds his again. “He monologued a bit before he stabbed me,” he says, then attempts to laugh again before the pain becomes so strong all he can do is wince.

“Be careful, you have a few broken ribs, and a large laceration.”

“That must be why it hurts when I laugh.”

“You’re lucky you’re not dead, Killian,” she says, her voice more sincere than he was prepared for.

“I’m a survivor,” he comments, trying not to reveal just how much the fact that she cares gets to him, but it’s nothing compared to the overwhelming wave of pure adoration that rolls through him when she speaks again, so softly that he almost did not hear it over all of the machines running around him.

“I’m glad you’re not dead.”

“Thank you, Emma.”

A moment passes between them, Killian’s focus on the emotions crossing her face as her eyes search the room to look at anything besides him.

“Can I—” he starts, and he can barely meet her eyes before they’ve darted away from him again. When he reaches out to place one of his hands on top of hers, resting against the edge of the mattress, though, she keeps his gaze. “Why are you here, Emma?”

She opens her mouth to respond, but all that comes out is a long breath. When she tears her eyes from his this time, they turn down to where their hands are joined, his thumb moving slowly across the soft skin on the back of her hand. How does she tell him everything going through her mind, when it all seems so insane?

But everything that’s happened over the past few weeks is so insane anyway, so the least she can do is attempt the truth.

“Everything else in my life is falling to pieces, and even though I’ve only known you for a few weeks, you seem to be the one constant that holds everything together.”

He does not know how to respond, wants in this moment to tell her the truth more than ever before, so instead, he pulls her hand to his lips, and as he kisses the edge of her knuckles, she sees a flash of a memory in her mind — or a flash of something, because it certainly cannot be a memory, can it?

How can she have a memory of the man before her, years younger, wearing the oddest outfit she has ever seen — is that leather? — a smile on his face with one hand on his sword and the other — no, not another, there’s something in place of it — on the railing of the Jolly Roger, wearing the largest smile she has ever seen as he leans down to kiss her.

What the actual fuck?

But, as quick as it came, it’s gone again.

Killian must see something change on her face as the vision fades, as she pulls her hand back from his grip.

“Emma, love, is something the matter?” he asks, his voice caring and sincere and things that it certainly cannot be in this moment.

“I can’t — I have to go.”

She jumps to her feet, the chair sliding against the floor as it moves away from the bed, but Killian reaches out to stop her, his hand wrapping around her wrist.

“Please, love, don't—” he says, but she pulls free of his grasp, staring down at him for a moment before quickly leaning to press a soft kiss against his cheek and —

Wrong move.

This certainly can’t be a memory: Killian is there again, wearing the same leather jacket from before, but this time he’s in the middle of a bright room, surrounded by flowers and people and music and she is —

A wedding ceremony.

“Emma?” he asks softly, pulling her back to reality, but she is even more terrified of whatever is happening to her, frozen with fear and curiosity and something much deeper that she’s too afraid to try to give a word to.

She leans forward against the bed, steadying herself against the mattress, and it’s all she can do to not fall to the floor. And then there is something else, Killian’s hand resting against her arm, his bright eyes still staring up at her, trying to decipher exactly what is happening, except her head is spinning and traveling in a million different directions at a time, because none of that can be real, it’s absolutely impossible, she knows what’s real and what’s not, and she’s only known Killian for a few weeks, so none of it can be anything other than… visions.

In her heart, she knows this is a lie, and this scares her more than anything else.

“I can’t deal with this,” she says, and though every muscle in her body is screaming for her to leave, she still finds herself completely frozen in place. “I can’t do this to a man who has a family and a — a wife that he’s trying to find to get his family back together, trying to raise his daughter —”

“Emma,” he says again, and all she can do is look down at him as he stares at her with the most intense expression she has ever seen — but she feels like she has seen it before. “Trust me, love,” he whispers, then reaches up to press his hand against her cheek.

She doesn’t know what this is supposed to mean, but she finds herself unable to fight him, unable to do anything besides trust him, as he wipes away the tear that is falling on her cheek before leading her face down towards his so he can press a soft kiss against her lips.

No, no, no, this is wrong , she tells herself. He has a family, has someone he loves, I can’t—

Suddenly, everything is flooded with a bright flash of light, her entire body growing warm for just a moment, and it disappears just as quickly. When it clears, Emma is still right there, inches away from his face, her eyes wide.

But something is different.

Everything is different, and the brightness in her eyes that was missing just moments before is restored.

“Killian,” she breathes, smiling as she finds his lips with hers again, her hands moving to cup his face. “Thank god, Killian.”

“I had no idea if that was going to work,” he comments, trying to laugh again, and somehow it seems to hurt less than it did before. “Bloody hell, did I need it to work, though.”

“You did it, Killian,” she says, kissing him one more time before sitting back in the chair, one hand still pressed against his cheek while he laces his fingers through the other. “You broke the curse.”

When David pushes through the doors a few moments later, they both turn in anticipation of the same excitement they share.

But it does not come.

“How do you feel, Mr. Jones?” he asks, showing no sign that anything has changed.

“I’m alive, at least,” Killian manages, trying to keep his confusion off his face. “Any updates on Neal?”

“We’re still searching for him,” is all David has to say, hands in the pockets of his jeans as he stops to stand behind Emma. “Though it’s increasingly difficult to catch a man who can disappear into a cloud of smoke.”

“You’ll keep me updated, though?” Emma asks, turning around to face him.

“Of course.”

A beat passes, none of them sure of what else to say.

“I’m going to go find your doctor, Jones,” David says finally. “And I’ll send the rest of the crew in.” Smiling at them, he turns on his heel and walks out of the room, only to be replaced by Henry and Hope.

As soon as David is out of earshot, Emma jumps up out of her seat to wrap her arms around Hope, pulling Henry in after a moment.

“My sweet girl,” she whispers, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Does this mean—” Henry starts, but Emma’s nod, and then Killian’s when he turns his attention to the bed, is enough of an answer for him.

“We broke the curse, lad.”

A smile breaks out across Henry’s face, then Hope’s, but it does not last very long. In just moments, it has disappeared from the younger boy’s, turning instead to a worried, and very confused, knit of his brows.

Emma realizes how much this look resembles the same look on his father — his real father— and her heart soars.

“But then why didn’t David act any differently towards us?”

“If the curse was broken, wouldn’t he know that he’s our grandpa?” Hope asks, her own look of worry spread across her face.

“It’s only been a few moments since it happened, darlings,” Killian explains, and Emma leads them all over to his bedside. “We’re still trying to work out the details of it all.”

“But you’re right,” Emma adds, when none of the worry drains from the looks of her children.

Her children.

“If we really broke the curse, the whole curse, my father wouldn’t hide it from us.”

“But then what are we going to do?” Hope turns her bright blue eyes up towards her parents, full of more worry than a twelve year old should be able to understand.

Neither Emma or Killian know what to say to calm her nerves. “Come here, my cygnet," Killian says, opening his arms to allow the little girl to crawl up the bed and rest her head against his chest, trying to hide his wince when the pressure she puts against his ribs causes him pain.

“We need to find out how to break the curse,” Henry says, and for the first time in what actually feels like forever to a man who has been alive for centuries, when Emma pulls her bottom lip up between her teeth, Killian reaches out to set his hand on her leg, finally able to comfort her.

“We need to talk to Jefferson,” Killian replies, Hope nodding in agreement against his chest as the other two sets of eyes turn towards him, full of confusion.

“Jefferson?” Emma asks, and Henry adds, “Like Grace's dad Jefferson?”

“Aye, he's not cursed. He traveled here not long after it was cast to collect information on it and try to learn how to break it.”

“Then I guess I'll give him a call,” Emma replies, still a bit awestruck as she moves to stand, but the weight of Killian's hand on her leg keeps her where she is. “Who else knows?”

“Well, the four of us in this room, Jeff and Grace, and Regina and the Dark One. Neal. Baelfire. Whoever he is in this world."

“Wait.” For a moment, her body is stuck, completely frozen, overwhelmed by what Killian has just revealed to her. “Neal is the Dark One? I thought Rumple was the Dark One?”

“As did I, but when he was monologuing to me as he tried to kill me in that alleyway, he revealed otherwise. Turns out when he escaped Neverland, around the same time you and I met, he was almost killed by Pan's magic, by Pan's shadow, so to save his life, Rumple was forced to transfer the Darkness to him, making him the Dark One.”

Emma takes a few moments to think over this revelation, nodding slowly. “So when Rumple helped us find the kids when Neal took them…”

“Turns out he was actually trying to be helpful, aye.”

“Maybe the man has a heart anyway.”

“That seems a little drastic, don't you think, mom?” Hope asks, turning her head away from Killian's chest to look at Emma.

Emma smiles down at her, running her fingers through he blonde curls. “You've been waiting for quite a while to call me that, haven't you, Hope?”

The little girl nods, and Emma turns her eyes up to her husband, her memories slowly coming back to her. “So you went with Hope, huh?” she asks, Hope slightly confused, but Killian just smiles when he realizes what she means. “I think it's perfect. You named her for a prophecy about herself.”

Killian wants to pull her lips down to his, wants to give her every kiss he has missed for the last twelve years, but has no choice but to pull away from her when David comes back around the corner, his eyes widening a bit in surprise at the four of them, all crowded onto the small hospital bed.

“Dr. Whale wants to keep you for a few more days to make sure your healing goes as planned, so because we haven't yet caught Neal Gold, I'd like to continue to have police protection watching over you. I can call Graham to relieve you, if you want, Emma?”

“No!” she says perhaps a bit too quickly — and definitely too enthusiastically, given the look that covers David's face. “I'd, uh, I'd like to stay here with him,” she tries again, reddening just a touch.

“Yeah, okay,” David responds, running his fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair. “Of course, that's fine.” He lets out a deep breath, trying to keep the smile off of his face as he changes the subject. “Do you want us to go get breakfast from somewhere? I don't want to make either of you eat hospital food if you don't have to.”

“Thank you, Dave,” Killian responds. “I know it's early still, but I would, uh — I'd really like a cheeseburger, if that's okay?

David smiles, shaking his head. “Of course I can get you a cheeseburger, Mr. Jones. And for you, Emma? Your usual?”

Emma just nods before wrapping her arm around Henry's shoulder. “You guys go with David, okay? Killian and I will be here when you get back.”

“Okay, mom!” he replies, hopping down off the bed, closely followed by Hope.

“Thank you, David,” Emma mumbles, catching herself before accidentally calling him “dad” — which is a very odd feeling, having a family after believing for so long that all she was was alone.

As soon as David closes the door behind him and the two kids, Emma turns on the mattress, re-situating herself so she is laying next to him, her arm wrapped around his shoulders so he can rest his head against her chest.

For a few minutes, they are silent, simply happy to be back together in the way they were destined to be, Emma carding her fingers mindlessly through his hair.

Finally, Killian is the one to break the silence. “Gods, love, I missed you so damn much,” he whispers, pressing his lips against her collarbone, her neck, her shoulder. “Every day I had to live without you felt like an entire lifetime.”

Emma laughs, a light giggle that might be the greatest sound Killian has heard in twelve years. “That's saying a lot for a man who's lived a few hundred years.”

“I'm serious, Emma,” he replies, his whole face holding the same sincerity as his voice.

“I know.”

He has so much more he wants to tell her, to apologize to her for, but instead of trying to piece the words together, he finds his lips with hers, putting all of the words into the slide of his tongue against hers.

“I love you,” she breathes, pulling away just far enough to say the words against his smile.

“And I you."

They allow the silence to overtake them once more for a few more minutes.

“We should move to a less confusing position for when David comes back with food,” Killian whispers, and Emma nods, her forehead knocking softly against his.

“And call Jefferson, apparently.”

“Aye, yes, love, that, too.”

When David does arrive back, Emma has returned to the chair beside the bed, a notepad spread out in front of her as they try to work out everything they know so far about the curse — though when David comes through the doors, Emma flips to the page before it, where they have started to write all the information they could think of about Neal, which would make more sense to everyone who still has cursed memories.

Lunch passes quickly in the hospital room, Killian practically inhaling his burger while Emma barely picks at her bear claw, and David is trying to find the politest way to excuse himself when Killian yawns just as one of the nurses enters the room.

“I think we should let Mr. Jones get some rest so he can heal better, don't you think?” David asks, smiling at the nurse, who nods in agreement.

“I would like to check on his wounds anyways, so I'm going to have to ask you all to leave the room.”

Hope turns to hug her father before hopping down off the side of the bed, and Henry flashes him a sad smile, wishing he could do the same.

“Keep me updated, Emma,” David commands gruffly as the nurse leads them out of the room, closing the door behind her.

“You know it.”

With another clap on the back from David, plus a hug from both Henry and Hope (the second leaving tears in her eyes), the three of them head down the hallway, leaving Emma behind to watch them until they turn the corner to the elevator.

After a moment, her phone begins to vibrate in her pocket, and she pulls it out to reveal an incoming call from Jefferson.

“Emma!” he cries as soon as she answers the phone. “Is everything alright?”

“Killian's getting his bandages changed, so he's not available at this exact moment but I —” Just thinking of the fact that she can reveal this to someone, that she even knows what it means, pulls a smile across her lips. “I have my memories back. True Loves Kiss worked, but it only worked for me. We have no idea why, and we're trying to figure out where to go from here.”

“That's… That's certainly interesting, Emma. I'm glad you have your memories back, of course, but this just makes the curse that much harder to break now.”

“Any ideas?”

She can almost see the way he furiously shakes his head at her question. “I'll look through my books and see if I can discover anything else.”

“Thanks, Jeff. And be safe out there, we still don't know where Neal went.”

“Thanks for the warning. I'll let you know when I find anything.”

As she slides her phone back into her back pocket, the nurse opens the door behind her, and Emma turns towards the noise.

“How is he?”

“His wounds are much better than we thought they would be when he came in. His broken ribs are going to take a while to heal, and the scarring along his ribs may never disappear. But he's alive, and in a much better state than we anticipated.” The smile the nurse shares with her is genuine, and she tries to place this woman's face from the Enchanted Forest — Dorothy. She wonders if they had ever met, if she had ever even seen her before.

“Thank you, Miss Gale,” Emma replies, needing to stop staring at her before suspicions arose — and needing to get back to her healing husband. “I appreciate all the work you've done.”

The nurse walks away after flashing another small smile at Emma, so she returns to the chair next to Killian's bed. “I talked to Jeff on the phone, he's seeing what he can find about the curse now that I have my memories back, or if anything of his has changed.”

“That's good,” he says, his voice soft, and though he tries to hide his exhaustion, he fails miserably.

“I should let you get some rest.”

“Please, stay here,” he whispers, reaching out to cover her hand with his.

“I'm not going anywhere, Killian,” she responds, leaning forward to press her lips against his cheek. “Never again. I promise.”

But he is already asleep.

#keep hope close at hand #khcah #my writing #wordsbymeganmichael #csff #cs fics #captain swan #ouat ff #canon rewrite #cursed storybrooke

[agoodflyting]

That’s What We Do - (post-TLJ Kylux)

Classic Kylux  /  Rated T  / 2100 words

Mission objective: get Ren to his quarters quickly and without anyone noticing that their new Supreme Leader was drunk off his arse.

Surely Hux does not get paid enough for this.

Hux finds him in the audience chamber.

They’ve retreated back to the Finalizer after that cock-up on Crait, their new Supreme Leader shouting at anyone within earshot that he wasn’t to be disturbed. They’ve managed to rout the Resistance, reduced them to a group small enough to cram inside a single junk freighter, but the sheer fact that any of them survived at all when he had the number, the ships, the opportunity to reduce them to nothing. It was... sloppy. Poor form, given the resources expended. The casualties.

The waste of it galls at him, nagging like the sharp edge of the tooth that he’d chipped when Ren threw him into that damn console. He keeps running his tongue over it.

They would have to do better. And so, Hux takes his life into his own hands.

“Supreme leader,” the words stick behind his teeth and have to be forced out, “We need to discuss our next move. The galaxy is watching to see what you will do next.”

No response except the faint echo of his own voice.

Ren wasn’t here. Hux had expected to find him lounging on his throne, relishing his stolen power. (That ten-stone scavenger girl killed my master Snoke and oh dear I just couldn’t stop her his arse.) It’s what he would have done, anyway.

He pauses. Glances around the audience chamber for good measure. It isn’t as grand as the one on Starkiller Base, but it’s dark and suitably ominous all the same. Snoke had a very particular aesthetic.

“Ren?” This isn’t the time to play hide and seek you overgrown child, if you leap out of the darkness at me I swear to the maker I’m going to punch you in the face and claim it was an accident-

And there- a faint sinusy sound, like a cough or maybe a snort.

“Supreme Leader Ren?” Hux tries again, trying to layer honey over the words and only succeeding in making them sticky.

Another sound, this one closer to a sob.

He approaches the low dais holding the empty throne, the sound of his own boots on durasteel echoing around the empty room. Zeroing in on the sound, Hux finds him.

The Supreme Leader is sitting on his arse on the floor, wedged into the little corner between the throne and the wall immediately behind it. He’s got one long leg sprawled across the floor, the other drawn up so that he can rest his head on his knee.

Ren makes another wet sound and Hux realizes he’s crying.

“Get up,” Hux says, flat.

Ren mutters something that sounds like fuck you.

“This is unseemly. Get up.”

Ren laughs, a weak, throaty sound. “You don’ get to tell me to... what to do, Hu-cks.”

He’s slurring. Swaying a little where he sits.

Drunk.

“You are embarrassing yourself-”

“I’m Supreme Leader now.” Ren continues loudly, not listening, before mumbling into his knee, “No- nobody getss tell me... what to do.”

“Yes, you are.” Tension is building in the hinge of his jaw. If anyone saw Ren like this the First Order would be a laughingstock. Their Supreme Leader drunk and pathetic, crying over his failures- all of high command would be a joke. “And right now you’re a disgrace. Go to bed, Ren.”

Ren growls and waves an arm and there’s a momentary surge of adrenaline- of fear - but all that happens is a light pressure, like somebody had bumped into him in a crowd. Ren glares up at him myopically, eyes red and unfocused, and waves again. Sloppy. Uncoordinated.

Another bump. Hux rocks back a half-step.

“F-fuck you, Hux-” Ren buries his face in his knee again, hugging both arms around his bent leg.

Hux pinches the bridge of his nose in one gloved hand.

He could have been an engineer. The pay was decent. More leisure time-

Far less opportunity to rule the galaxy. Damn.

He takes a deep breath and sighs it out. “Alright, Supreme Leader. We are getting you to bed, that’s the ticket.” And if Ren doesn’t think he’s demanding the Grand Marshal title for this, he’s a fool. Firm, but cajoling. It’s a tone he hasn’t used since the Academy and early mornings spent coaxing drunken roommates back into their bunks before morning roll. Why did he always end up the designated driver?

Ren protests, whining like a child, when Hux lifts his arm and slings it over his own shoulder. “Up we go, that’s right-” He nearly overbalances, swinging hard to the side when he attempts to heft Ren’s weight. Something in his back makes a worrying crunching sound. Fuck, it’s like trying to deadlift a black hole. 

“Ren, your legs- legs- stand up, Ren-” he snarls, stumbling and nearly going down before Ren gets his feet under him and collapses heavily against Hux’s side. He’s warm and clammy, reeking of sweat and ozone, and under that something cloyingly sweet. Cheap wine.

Right. Mission objective: get Ren to his quarters quickly and without anyone noticing that their new Supreme Leader was drunk off his arse.

A bottle clatters and skitters away across the polished black floor when Hux stumbles into it. “Very good. This way, Supreme Leader.”

It’s no use, he still can’t make the words sound sincere.

Ren staggers along with him, leaning heavily on Hux’s shoulder. They pause at the door, and Hux wedges Ren against a wall to fish his comm out of the pocket of his coat. He’s never believed in doing things the difficult way if it can be avoided.

“Captain Tripp,” he barks.

“Yes, General?”

“Clear the halls in thresh sector, decks eleven through seventeen. Absolutely all personnel on lockdown. The Supreme Leader is heading to his quarters.” Threading a bit of casual exasperation into his voice, he adds, “He’s in a mood again. I’d rather not have any more casualties today.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll see to it.”

Kylo Ren’s tantrums were legendary on the Finalizer. This wasn’t the first time Hux had turned them to his favor.

He waits for five minutes, long enough for Tripp to evacuate everyone out of their path. Ren is slumped heavily against the wall, like the idea of standing unaided is far too difficult.

“What...” Ren says, carefully pronouncing the word. He’s struggling to keep both eyes open and focused on Hux at the same time. “Are you looking at? Hmm?”

“Nothing.”

Ren snorts, loud and obnoxious. “Right, right, right, right... nothing. That’s right, you and everybody- everybody else. That’s what you all... see... well fuck you.”

Hux purses his lips. “How much did you drink, anyway?”

A shrug and a querulous noise.

He resists rolling his eyes, but only barely. “Come on, Ren.” Hux gets Ren’s gangling arm over his shoulder again and steers him towards the door and out into the hall. It’s a little like piloting a freighter with the controls inverted and the thrusters misfiring. Hux brackets one arm low around Ren’s hip, to keep him from slipping to the opposite side.

He doesn’t get paid nearly enough for this.

“Never- not supposed to drunk. Before.” And oh charming, he’s reached the drunken rambling state. Ren puts on a deep nagging tone like he’s imitating someone. “ Not allowed, never- that’s not control, have to be in control- not ever, ever... not in control. But... fuck it. I’m Supreme Leader now, who fucking cares. No more fucking aesthetic...”

Hux pauses, “Ascetic?”

“That, yeah. Whatever. Fuck it! I’ll be drink if- if I want to.” He stumbles heavily into Hux, knocking him a half-step to the side. “Who’s gonna stop me...? Hmm?”

“Lower your voice!” Hux hisses, as he half-shoves, half-drops Ren into the turbolift with a grunt. “The doors are shut, but they aren’t bloody soundproof!”

“I don’t care-” he enunciates, gearing up for a shout.

“Well I do!” Hux slams his gloved palm against the button for floor 17. The door slides shut and the lift engages with a quiet rush of air. Executive residential quarters were all on the same block. Ren’s room on the Finalizer was only a few doors down from Hux’s own. He rounds on Ren. “If you want to be Supreme Leader then you need to start bloody acting like it. You represent more than just yourself. That’s what power means. It isn’t doing whatever the seven hells you want, just because you want to do them-”

“Don’t tell me- you have no idea what power is-”

“I know what responsibility is. You think I’m dragging your sorry carcass to bed because I want to? I’m doing it because it’s my duty, something you have probably never done a day in your life! I would love the freedom to run around smashing everything when I’m angry, or wallowing in my misery, except I don’t have the time! You aren’t the only one who’s had a bad day, Ren!”

The lift is silent except for the soft sound of decks passing them by.

Ren’s chin crumples. His plush lips tremble, and to Hux’s mortification he bursts into tears.

“Stop that... Stop that at once,” Hux says, alarmed. Ren cries like a little boy, bawling fat messy tears, as he slips down the wall to collapse on the floor again. Hux pounds the emergency stop.

“You hate me. I don’t... why does everyone...” the words are lost under choking sobs. Ren buries his face in his knees again.

“Ren,” Hux groans. Why was this happening to him?

“Go- just- fucking go- everyone else does.” Ren sniffs loudly. “I don’t care...”

“Please get up. Please?”

No response. Grand Marshal Hux, he thinks to himself.

Wait- what was it Brendol always said when he was upset as a child? It had usually done the trick. There- “If you don’t stop crying, I’m going to hit you.”

“Fuck you.”

After a long moment of standing there awkwardly, tapping his boot while his supreme leader sobbed brokenly into his own robes, Hux sinks down to the floor and sits beside Ren, back to the wall.

“Ren, I don’t hate-” No, that was too obviously a lie. He changes tactics, tries for a playful tone, “Oh come on- we hate each other. That’s what we do, isn’t it? You throw me into a wall, I try to shoot you when your back is turned? That’s... that’s our thing isn’t it? Hmm?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“What?”

“I don’t hate you,” Ren repeats, quietly. There’s a hollow edge to his voice, like the echo in an empty room. “You’re the closest thing I have to a friend.”

“Ren...”

They sit there in silence, until finally Ren says, “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” and with a last, loud sniff, pushes himself up off the floor. He smashes the button for floor 17 again, still a little clumsy with drunkenness, and leans back against the wall. Closes his eyes. Under his dark lashes, there’s still a faint glimmer of wetness.

“S'fine, I can do it by myself,” Ren complains when the lift stops on their floor and Hux moves to sling Ren’s arm back over his shoulders.

“It’s alright,” Hux brushes the protest off. “Nearly there, anyway.”

He helps Ren down the residential hall, ignoring the way Ren sags against his side in something that might be relief, stopping at his door and allowing Ren to key in his security code. Hux notices, for the first time, that one of his gloves is missing.

Once they’re inside and the door slides shut behind them, Hux helps Ren through the nearly-empty living area into the bedroom. He knows the layout- it’s identical to his own. Only where Hux had placed a couch, a table, comforts, Ren has nothing but empty space.

He drops Ren onto the only piece of furniture in the suite- a low, simple bed.

“Here we are. Get some rest, Ren.” Hux says, brisk, as if that little exchange in the turbolift never happened. On the bed, Ren curls over on his side, facing away from Hux.

“There’s a holoconference with the security council at seven-hundred. Don’t worry about it- I’ll take care of it. ”

“Thanks.” Ren sounds half-asleep already. Or perhaps he’s going to cry again.

“You’ll need to make an appearance at the banking consortium gala next week, though. They’ll all want to see the new Supreme Leader, after Crait. Between that and the Starkiller weapon I think we sent quite a message.” He attempts a wan smile.

“Mmhmm.”

Hux hovers.

“Well at least take off your boots- do I have to do everything?” Hux tchs, but without any particular venom, before kneeling beside the bed, fingers going to the fastenings of Ren’s heavy boots. When he’s tugged each one off, Ren curls his socked feet up close to his body like a child.

A glance at his face reveals that he’s asleep.

Sighing, Hux shrugs out of his greatcoat and tosses it over Ren’s shoulders where the idiot has fallen asleep on top of the blankets. “All hail, the Supreme Leader,” he says wryly to himself.

Before turning to leave, he dials the lights down to five percent.

#kylux #kylux fanfiction #my fanfiction #supreme leader kylo ren #armitage hux #kylux fic #post-tlj

[dingoat]

The Right Way | Part Eleven

[ previous | the beginning | next ]

At first, it seemed like nothing was ever going to stop the Free People’s Army. The galaxy was theirs for the taking, and everything it had to throw at them was tossed aside in the wake of their bid for freedom. Over the years, not just hundreds, but thousands joined their cause. A movement hushed and stifled at every turn by the governments who lost men and women to the army who promised freedom from the great war machine that the galaxy had become, or so they told it. Between Nines’ uncanny, fearsome charisma, Lyrisal’s level-headed stoicism, and Crow’s utter defiance of death itself, the Free People truly believed there was a new world waiting for them. When they finally claimed a planet of their own, Nines began to believe she might actually achieve enough control, enough certainty in a world she created for herself to find some measure of peace.

It wasn’t to last, of course. Neither the Empire nor Republic would allow it.

When the joint effort to crush the Deserters finally flooded in to squeeze the life out of the newborn city, Crow suddenly knew fear. Not of death, but of inevitable capture. Of lonliness. Losing the life, the comraderie he’d found.

Ulfran and Nela watched the fateful series of events tumble past them, in the timeline where Crow turned right.

Crow fled. It killed him, to know terror that deep he could turn his back on his family. It tore up Nines’ insides to watch his ship streaking away. Coward, coward, the word on both their minds.

Crow churned and burned, sobbing as he burst through the clouds and the world began to turn to black around him. And he felt regret, he felt numb, he looked back and suddenly realised that this was not cowardice; this was  where he was meant to be, this was the death he had dreamed, surely. This was it.

Crow turned his ship and let it fall, desperately hoping that his act could let at least someone come out of this mess alive, if not him. Crow faced his death.

But this was not it.

This was not his death.

Crow’s ship tore open as it plummeted toward the battle below. He was flung from the cockpit, and it was this that saved his life; a Republic pilot, in a fit of mercy, moved by his act, banked hard and sped around, executing a perfect rescue maneuver.

“Don’t turn around. Just go. If you come back this way I’m going to have to take you in. Walk, and I can pretend you didn’t make it.”

Crow didn’t really understand why the soldier was giving him a second chance. Neither did the soldier, on that note. It just felt… right.

Crow was a mess; haggard after days of fighting, emotionally wrecked after having the certainty of death swept out from under him, distraught at the idea of walking away alone. He didn’t even know where he’d been set down; he had no idea where the others were, how the battle had gone, if it still raged. But walk he did, with what strength he did not know.

He tried to contact them.

Relentlessly at first, even after he’d learned of the defeat of the Free People’s Army, even after he’d managed to root out the fact that there had been survivors, now imprisoned under maximum security. As time wore on, though, Crow’s attempts at contacting his friends grew less frequent, until the stretch of months where he didn’t bother trying turned to years. A nomad; restless, aimless, alone, he drifted about the galaxy, doing little more than surviving one day to the next.

And then, one day, a dalliance several years in the past caught up with him, and Crow found a reason to live again, in the form of a little girl. Half human, half Twi’lek, with his eyes and his grin. He’d forgotten what that was, until he saw it beamed back at him from those precious, rosy-pink features.

She was an odd one, but he adored her immediately. It didn’t take long for him to realise, though, that her vacant spells and strange words were the result of her being attuned to an aspect of the galaxy that he was largely ignorant of. Nela was Force Sensitive. And he’d be damned if he was going to let either the Republic or, worse, the Empire get a hold of her. A nomad he would stay; bouncing from planet to planet, never sticking around long enough for Nela to be found out, keeping her safe. The gaping hole in his heart finally had something nestled inside it again.

***

Nines festered inside her cell. She’d seen Crow’s ship break atmosphere, but she never saw it come down. Coward.

Yet that was not the worst thing she’d seen. Ever observant, even with her hands bound and her legs shackled and her head constantly smacked to face the ground, she took in details where others only saw their own blood and tears. She glimpsed the holo, as one young Republic soldier checked in with his mate, she saw the pilot who responded and she saw, just for a fraction of a second, the figure who stepped away from them, receding from the field captured by the pilot’s holorecorder. She only needed an instant to recognise that hair, the slope of his shoulders, and of course the armour plates at his back. This was how the joint army had caught her people unawares, she convinced herself in that instant. Crow must have sold them out. This was why they had failed. Her blood boiled. Traitor.

Where Lyrisal closed her eyes and blanked out the horrid reality of her capture, Nines burned and seethed, endlessly, for years. Thoughts of what she would do to him when she finally broke out sustained her like nothing else could.

***

Word of Lyrisal’s desertion hit Ulfran like a blow. For a time, he followed the exploits of the Free People’s Army almost obsessively, as though somehow knowing everything they were up to would explain how Lyrisal could come to abandon the Republic.

For an even longer time, he blamed himself. If he’d never left, if he’d never taken on this task, he told himself again and again. If he had stayed openly with the Order, then surely she would have remained as well. How could he blame her for deserting, when as far as she was concerned he’d done much the same over a decade ago?

“You’re holding yourself back, Acolyte,” purred Lord Vesstris one morning. “We all feel it. Your restraint is magnificent, but ultimately pointless. When will you allow yourself to actually accept the freedom you came to the Empire to find?”

“I have what I need, my Lord,” he answered, head bowed.

“You are in pain, Ulfran. You know anger, but you do not face it, and so you live with doubt. You muddy yourself with your refusal to acknowledge your pain. Let me help you, dear one. Let me show you clarity.”

“I am here to serve, my Lord. I am here to work unhindered by Republic fetters. My personal pain matters not.” Always, she tempted him, but he knew what horrors the Empire excused. He would not put himself in a position to be swayed by Sith philosophy or Imperial law.

The sluissi Sith sighed, but patted his head and looped the end of her tail around his leg, urging him to follow. “Come, then. I have a new task for you to look into.”

This new task would keep Ulfran occupied for years to come, over which the rawness of Lyrisal’s desertion faded, and instead became a focus point. If he stayed true to the Order, even as he worked under cover, if he could achieve his missions without failing, without falling…

Maybe one day, she might be able to know that he never left.

Maybe he could bring her home.

***

Ahuska grew, the years rolling by and seeing her through her awkward teens and into young adulthood. She’d already been apprenticed to the old beastmaster, Mirshko’vlk, for a couple of years when word reached her that her parents had died out on campaign, and so while she mourned long and deep, her life was not turned about by the event.

She kept at her trade, and was taught to be diligent, hard working and thorough. Loving every animal that came into her care dearly, but learning how to let them go, be it wildlife to be rehabilitated and released, other beings’ pets that came to the ranch for boarding or a particular brand of training, animals they’d bred and reared being sent off to their new homes, or even those raised and eventually slaughtered for food. She became acutely aware of the cycle of life and death, deeply respectful of the natural way of things. Sensitivity and empathy became second nature to the growing Bothan, and she did her old mentor proud.

---

Killing felt good.

In the wake of Mar’an’s sacrifice, Ahuska’a found temporary satisfaction in spilling the blood of as many Threskiorn soldiers as she could lay her hands on. Hell-bent on causing as much pain to them as possible, she took to encouraging her anooba to feed on their kills, leaving the industrial streets littered with torn and mangled corpses.

When the official ceasefire was called and remaining troops were given a chance to retreat, Ahuska’a snuck out to pick off as many stragglers as she could. And when her Clan finally packed up and left, she still had a deep well of pain inside of her that she was desperate to soothe.

Killing was the only relief she could find, even if it was only ever fleeting.

And so she hunted, any chance she got. No quarry was beneath her. The world had taken from her the one thing she held most dear, and she felt the world owed her. She began to enjoy the sense of control, wielding power over life and death for those she chose as targets. Her brutal efficiency began to earn her a reputation, and her clan could not fault her success as a bounty hunter, even if many were unsettled by the way she fed her dogs.

Yet always, the pleasure was brief. Try as she might to fill the hole left in Mar’an’s absence with the blood of others, it would never last. But it was the only pleasure she could find, and so she did not stop.

***

To say she ‘acted out’ would have been a bit of an understatement.

When she finally discovered that Lyrisal, her Lyrisal, had been shot dead by her own second in command, Kassandra had lashed out at the Republic Army with grief and rage previously unknown to her.

And gotten herself landed in maximum security for the first time.

***

Word of Lyrisal’s death hit Ulfran like a blow. He blamed himself, at first, until he was able to dig up the details, and fixed his unwelcome feelings toward Lieutenant Falkes. He knew he would not act, could not act, there was nothing he could do that would bring her back, and thinking that he could somehow make up for the grievous wrong of ending her life was folly.

He knew that.

So why did his anger linger? Why was he unwilling to let his seething frustration at the injustice of it all scatter with the wind?

“You’re holding yourself back, Acolyte,” purred Lord Vesstris one morning. “So much of your energy, wasted on quashing emotions that have so much potential. When will you do away with these foolish Jedi rituals, student of mine? When will you accept that you can put the strength of your rage to positive use?”

“It is a distraction, my Lord,” Ulfran murmured, head bowed. “I would sooner get on with my work.”

“Your work, your work, always your work!” Her tone was gently mocking, and she slid over to drape an arm over his shoulder. “Must you always be so morose? There is fury in you, lovely fury, dear Ulfran, if you would but let it show! I feel it there…” she leaned close, tongue flicking out to taste the air around him. “Don’t you ever wonder what you might be able to achieve, if you stopped stifling yourself? So many years, and still the Order’s mark on you is strong.”

Ulfran breathed  in and out slowly, as he always did when she pressed him like this. Her temptations were an old game, and he found himself wearying of it. Perhaps if he allowed her to speak, just once, she may let up for a time. Lord Vesstris’ scaled hand toyed idly with the front of his robes, and Ulfran’s discomfort paved a way for his smothered anger to flare up before he had a chance to catch it. His lip curled, his dark eyes flashed.

“That infuriates you, doesn’t it? The good lad that you are. So chaste. So proper. You’re allowed to tell me, you know.”

“You know I have no interest in-“ he snapped, only to be cut off as she pulled away and laughed with delight.

“There, see? A little bristle, a little force behind your words, and you’ll notice I’m quite willing to accommodate. You need to try that more often. Whatever is troubling you, my clever boy, you should consider facing it with a little of that strength. You feel it, don’t you? You know you have quite a lot of power, nestled away where you imagine you have it contained.” She could sense just how tiny her window of opportunity was. He was conflicted, he was hurting, but if she were to push too hard he would slam up his walls and refuse her words. Gently, carefully, she stoked his anger.

“You have always been so… quiet. So calm, even pushed to the point of defection as you were. You can’t blame me for wondering at what great wrong you have witnessed to hold such anger in your heart. For that must be it, mustn’t it? My little once-Jedi, you would not resonate so dark on a petty whim.  I’ve always appreciated that you’ve never hidden where you’ve come from, you know. You’ve used your old schooling to benefit you here. Come, come with me, and let me show you how my teaching can help you now.”

She would never let up. Ulfran finally decided to simply let her say her piece, for once. It wasn’t like he planned to actually take any of her teachings on board. He would just let her speak.

As Ulfran’s heavy footsteps followed Lord Vesstris’ slithering trail, she gave a little hiss of pleasure. “And I have another little task lined up for you, too. A fresh little truffle for you to root out.”

In the timeline where Crow turned left, Ahuska’a, Kassandra and Ulfran each in their own way succumbed to their grief.

#writing #swtor fic #swtor #the right way #deserters #crow #lyrisal #nines #ulfran #ahuska #twi'lek #bounty hunter

[jjfantasy]

3 or 14 for the kissing prompt, please

Angst with a happy ending as you asked. ;) I added Anon's prompt (18 “I’m alive… I can tell because of the pain.”) from "Send me two characters..." prompt list.

Warning for Kylo stans, happening to ship Damerey, you might wanna sit this one out. M for violence, I mean it.

Link to AO3 (x).

Poe knew something was off the minute he and Snap landed the transporter at their current base on Rori. The Millennium Falcon was already parked in its usual spot, which set the first alarm off for Poe. A couple of hours earlier Rey sent him a message through BB-8 she’d be coming home from her own mission later than him. Even Snap sensed the weird atmosphere in the hangar, not seeing the usual greeting scene of young Jedi jumping into Commander’s arms and him lifting her off the ground.

„Where’s your girlfriend?” Snap asked curiously, looking around. Even Chewbacca was nowhere to be spotted, doing regular check-ups and fixes on the Falcon.

Poe didn’t answer and narrowed his eyes, unrest in his heart. Behind him, BB-8 rolled out of the ship.

[Master-Poe, R2-D2 is communicating Friend-Rey is unwell and is at the medical bay!]

Without a second thought, Poe ran for the base. Speeding through the tight corridors he almost stomped over a couple of other pilots.

At the entrance to the hospital part of the base, he met Leia talking to Finn and Rose, Chewie sitting in the back and roaring sadly.He supported himself on Finn’s shoulder and panted, „How bad is it?”

„She’s in a really bad shape,” Finn admitted painfully, turning to Poe, confirming what exactly he was afraid of.

„I have never seen her like that before,” Rose added tearfully, holding onto Finn’s other arm. „The things she said, Poe.”

Leia sighed and pressed her lips together. „My son is clearly rising in power.”

In a split second Poe was at the door, his hand over the handle, determined to face whatever state his beloved was in. A hand on his forearm stopped him.

„She will hurt you. Mentally and physically,” Leia warned, deep concern in her eyes.

„I will handle it like I handled it before. I can take her hurting me as long as she doesn’t hurt herself,” he replied without missing a beat.

Rose shook her head, sniffing, „It will be worse than before, Poe.”

Anger overtook him. „What do you want me to do? Sit on my ass, while she’s fighting him off on her own? She needs to know she isn’t alone,” he begged and his heart tightened when a sob on the other side of the door reached his ears.

Leia nodded and let go of Poe’s arm. „We’ll try to find a way to distract him, but I can’t promise you anything. Try to get through to her.”

Poe mouthed thanks at her and with one confident movement grabbed the door. The moment he walked past it a force pushed him to the right. His back hit the wall so rapidly he heard his bones crack. His head was pushed to the side, but with the corner of his eye, he saw a woman’s figure, sitting in the corner on the other side of the room. He realized her hands were cuffed with Quadanium steel but it didn’t stop her from creating a pure mess around the room with the strength of her mind. Her hair was in a messy bun, deep, dark circles under her bloodshot eyes making the woman of his life almost unrecognizable. This surely wasn’t his usually cheerful Rey.

„You,” Rey hissed and laughed sourly, „I cracked your head once before.” With every word coming from her mouth Poe felt a grip on his neck tighten as if real fingers traced his skin.

It was obviously Kylo speaking through her mouth, but the pilot didn’t lose hope. Last time Rey had an attack she easily fought it off with a smile on her face. Poe needed to find out what changed since he witnessed her getting stronger with each day.

„You’re gonna tell me in which system the last of Rebel scum is hiding in,” she demanded yet Poe didn’t feel the pressure on his throat to ease.

Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and burning pain started consuming every muscle in his body. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t even open his mouth to scream. Images of his and Rey’s life together flashed in front of his eyes. Their first mission together, first time flying together, their first date, first love-making and Rey moving in with him to his Commander quarters. Everything most dear to Poe’s heart framed with unbelievable pain, but it let him pull away Kylo’s attention from base’s location.

„Pathetic,” Rey roared, „You made her so weak. So distracted.”

Suddenly Poe was able to speak, so he spat while he could, „Well, that’s a first. Thanks for ending this charade of talking in the first person.” Blood filled his mouth with every word he said, but it was worth it.

Rey’s face didn’t flinch a bit. „She doesn’t love you, she’s using you,” Kylo mocked though her lips.

Poe snorted, the uneven surface of wall grazing his right cheek while he spoke, „Using me? I’m nothing special. I don’t have any power, and I sure as hell don’t own any wisdom.”

„And yet she chose this cesspool even though I offered her the galaxy,” she grimaced and put her hands up. „So you both lack wisdom.”

„At least I’m not a killer,” Poe grunted.

An ugly chuckle reached his ears. „Sure you are.”

Poe’s head was forced to face Rey who stood up and walked closer to him, at the distance shackles let her.

„Every person you recruit, every person you send off to fight your battles will die, and he will die because of you,” she continued, inspecting his face.

Poe shook under her stare, tears streaming down his face, „I mourned every person lost. But I’m not the little bitch who killed his own father to seek approval of a man who doesn’t give a shit about him.”

„Shut up!” Rey shouted and threw him to the ground, Poe’s nose hitting the floor first, surely breaking. „Who cares about Snoke, I’m even more powerful than him now.”

„Maybe,” Poe doubted, blood dripping from the fresh wound, „but all you have is power.”

Not hearing any response he looked up to see Rey with mixed emotions on her face. She was fighting Kylo. „I have enough of this conversation,” she whispered slowly, but Poe wasn’t yet sure which one of them was speaking.

„We’re not done yet,” she answered herself in a lower voice. „Tell me what system are you in or I will kill him.”

„No,” Rey whispered again but the unbearable pain was tearing apart Poe’s body again.

Blackness absorbed his vision, nothing but screech ringing in his ears. Nothing but despair filled his heart and mind, dramatic scenes from the past replaying in his head combined with awful visions of future. He couldn’t talk anymore nor scream, he only felt deep bruises emerge in every muscle of his body. ‘I love you, Rey,’ he managed to tell her through force before he passed out.

At last, Rey woke up from the worst nightmare of her life to find an even worse one take place in front of her. The moment she regained full consciousness and saw Poe laying on his face on the other side of the room she started yelling.

„FINN!” she shrieked and writhed at the end of the chain, nausea filling her body.

The steel doors opened immediately and Finn stormed in her direction.

She groaned, holding in a sob. „No, kriff, no. Check him first,” she begged, not able to ask the question that haunted her.

Without a word, Finn crouched over Poe and turned him around. It was the longest second ever in Rey’s life. At last, he shouted back, „He’s breathing!”

Rey let out a breath, leaning against the cold wall, but couldn’t stop sobbing yet.

Not long after Leia entered the hospital room, carrying a small aid kit. Her eyes revealed despair, but she remained her cool reviewing the mess around her.

„Finn, give me the handcuffs key,” General asked. „Are you able to move him to the bed?”

He nodded, handed her the key and walked back to Poe. With a few grunts, Finn lifted Poe and placed him slowly on the hospital bed next to the door.

Rey watched numbly Leia crouch slightly and release her.

„I ordered Rose and Kaydel to go get a medic, they’re waiting at the tarmac already for his arrival,” she attempted to cheer up the Jedi.

In the background Finn run out the door, shouting, „I’ll grab everything we have from the stockroom!”

Handcuffs fell to the floor and Rey rushed to Poe’s side. „What did I do?” she whimpered, caressing her lovers face. „I was so weak, Leia. I couldn’t stop Kylo.”

„You did stop him,” Leia disagreed and walked over to her. She put a hand on Rey’s shoulder and then spread next to Poe’s thighs on the bed the contents of her small kit. „You both were strong and didn’t tell him where the base is.”

Rey shook her head. „You probably had to distract him.”

„No, the backup plan didn’t work,” Leia sighed and patted Rey away. „I couldn’t fetch his thoughts. Chewbacca was supposed to find any First Order ship on the other side of the galaxy to draw their attention briefly but for once it was them who were hiding from us.”

Silence followed and Leia put some smelling salts under Poe’s nose, lips moving in a silent prayer in an unknown language.

„Don’t worry child, your fear will turn only into strength now,” Leia comforted and smiled weakly.

The younger woman gritted her teeth. „I let the fear into my heart.”

Leia nodded „Yes, and unfortunately my son sensed a weakness and an opportunity in it. Do you know what your fear was?”

Rey glanced back to Poe. „Yes,” she answered, voice breaking. „We’ve been talking lately about the future... I think he was planning on asking me to get married-”

„He is,” Leia interrupted her quickly, still smiling at her.

„And then he had this close call last week when he went to Maz to ask about buying new X-wing’s for his new recruits and a TIE spotted him just when he was about to leave the Tashtor sector,” Rey babbled but paused feeling Poe’s arm move slightly under her fingers.

„I know, I was in the control room,” Leia said and pointed to a cupboard, „throw one towel into cold water, he’s burning.”

Rey felt dizzy while she followed General’s order, her mind still racing. „I know I was selfish, and it doesn’t go with Jedi teaching... I can’t lose him.”

Leia stepped aside to let Rey put the towel to Poe’s temple. „I don’t think it’s a matter of Jedi rules or selfishness. Nobody wants to lose the ones he loves. But it’s hard to live with your mind in a constant state of danger. You have to accept the whole package that comes with loving a person. The happiness and the possibility of losing it.”

„The balance,” Rey whispered and brushed with a thumb Poe’s lips, continuing to clean the blood around his mouth and nose.

„Yes, the balance. I learned not to try to precede the bad things that may happen. I always will fight tooth and nail, but as much as I would want to I don’t have the power to prevent it all,” Leia admitted and walked over to R2-D2 at the other side off the door. „Good, the medic has landed.”

Then Poe choked and opened his eyes. Confused expression turned into a grimace when he realized the pain pulsing through his veins.

„Poe!” Rey exclaimed. „How are you feeling?”

„Alive. I can tell because of the pain,” he grunted and cracked a smile. „But otherwise fine.”

Tears shimmered in Rey’s eyes but she couldn’t stop herself from kissing him. Laughing through tears, she bent over him to place a gentle and quick peck on his lips. Even though receiving a faint response, she was so desperate to feel every inch of him and every brush of his lips. In that moment he was her air, nothing else mattered. Rey’s whole body curved into his, gently avoiding pushing pressure on the bruises, yet wanting to be as close as possible. However, in all her passion she forgot about Poe’s face meeting with the floor.

„Ouch,” he yelped in pain, breaking the kiss.

Rey lifted herself and put the cold towel to his nose. „I’m sorry. It’s definitely broken.”

Poe sighed, but shrugged, „I’ve been worse. I’m so proud of you, beautiful.”

Rey scoffed, „How can you be proud of me?”

He looked at her, playfulness long gone from the tone of his voice, „You were strong enough to fight him off. Again.”

„No, you were strong enough to get through to me,” Rey protested.

„Team effort,” Poe settled.

Finally, an older medic, a tall Mirialan, entered the room, followed by Finn carrying truly every medicine and bandage he could find in the supplies.

With Rey’s help the medic removed Poe’s jacket and shirt, so she could examine the pilot and start applying injections and bandages to some of the open wounds. Meanwhile, Rey put some ointment to the blue marks across Poe’s calves.

„So, listen,” Rey started when Finn left, „I was thinking about what you said about starting our own family and so on...”

Poe interrupted her, his words muffled by the medication the medic put into his mouth, „Hey, don’t worry about it, it was just a loose idea. We don’t have to, like, get married or do anything-”

„Yes, we do,” she replied firmly and put her left palm into his right, interlacing their fingers „Otherwise, all of this was for nothing. I won’t let him win, I won’t let the fear win.”

Poe’s eyes widened. „Do you want it?”

„Yes. Please marry me,” Rey replied and grinned. The medic kept doing her job, totally ignoring the scene playing around her.

„Well then,” Poe grunted and with free hand grabbed his necklace. „This wasn’t how I planned this. Please take it,” he said and handed her the silver ring.

They both looked like hell, but neither couldn’t care less. Love drove out the fear from Rey’s heart the second she put on Shara’s ring on her finger.

„I love you,” Rey laughed and kissed Poe’s knuckles.

„Love you too,” he slowly replied, painkillers apparently kicking in.

Rey left the room to let the medic put back together the broken nose, and in the corridor found Rose waiting nervously for her and any news of Poe’s state.

„How is he? How are you?” her friend inquired and rushed to hug Rey.

„He’s going to be fine, we’ll be fine,” Rey replied and tightly hugged Rose back.

She felt invincible with the cold piece of metal wrapped around her finger.

#damerey #rey x poe #poe x rey #jedipilot #my writing #fic #mine #jj writes #auroraborealis82

[scarjarbinks]

The Fool’s Journey: A Star Wars Story (2)

Episode Two A Ballad of Self-Preservation

"Two?" The pilot spat through the comlink that was tightly gripped in Rokkna-1's hand.

"I-I didn't think it'd be a problem."

The transport shuttle increased speed and navigated away from the pick-up zone with a steady hand. Vrina busied himself while the two argued by plucking larger shards of glass from his sand-brown tunic. He winced after extracting a particularly long specimen. The Human, now tilted by the heated debate between him and his pilot, examined both guests while a grimace strained his face.

"Critical mission failure, Kaz. Remember when you said we wouldn't be wasting our time? And now—blast, we have sky skiffs on our trail."

"Easy. Open the hold and keep us steady." The man brandished his brand new DL-44, straightened his wrist, and locked his shoulder.

A long pause preceded the pilot obeying the command. Air escaped Vrina's lungs and he held onto a groove in the wall. The still-unconscious Zabrak was only a short distance away in case he had to reach out to save him from slipping out of the shuttle.

Kaz was greeted with a powerful bolt striking the hull just above his head. He recoiled and recovered within the same movement. The weapon's iron-sights hovered over two slender vehicles that struggled to maintain ascension. Their noses were pointed at the shuttle and fired off another debilitating round. Only one struck the underside of the ship, but the impact was enough to knock the Human to his knees.

He threw himself into what insignificant amount of walled cover there was between the open door and bay. The pilot shouted, "It's not like this thing has shields! It's not military!"

"That's right," Kaz exhaled under his breath and steadied his breathing and brought the comm to his face to respond. "Slow down and descend—hard."

Panicked but attentive, she asked, "Like, cut engines?"

"That works!" Kaz turned to the Mikkian. "Hold onto your pal."

Vrina stretched to grab ahold of Wegil's arm and brought him closer. "Just so we're clear, I wouldn't really call him my 'pal'."

The Human frowned, his posture suddenly tense. "Then why is he here?!"

A lurch from the shuttle drew Kaz back into the plan. He pulled himself up and aligned his heavy blaster onto one of the two sky skiffs. Its pilot had a difficult time readjusting the nimble vehicle's altitude and left its underside open for a volley of well-timed shots.

Two struck the skiff in its tail, flipping the pilot off after an explosion launched the nose upward. The shuttle made a hard bank to the left and Kaz was tossed to the ground. His new weapon tumbled out of the open door.

Vrina was desperate to maintain upright while struggling with the limp weight of Wegil. He shouted to the bearded man and asked if he was injured.

"I'm okay," the man crawled backward and found himself back behind the same feeble amount of cover as before. Into the comlink: "Tam, what happened?"

"They're called buildings, Kaz. Maybe you've heard of them."

He rolled his eyes but could not prevent a smirk from creeping onto his face. To Vrina: "Hey, throw me that blaster I lent you." The Mikkian's eyes widened and he patted his chest and hips before shrugging. "Are you serious?! Then, I don't know, use some kind of Force power and knock this guy out of the sky!"

The skiff had managed to catch up to their shuttle but missed each shot as Tam gently bobbed the ship from side-to-side.

Vrina let go of Wegil long enough to rub either eye with his palms. "I don't know what you're talking about! I don't even know where we're going!"

"Well, buddy, as of right now, we're all on the same page." Kaz's eyes searched the small cargo bay for some kind of answer.

Adjusting himself and the unconscious body, he shouted, "Why did you set off a detonator in Wegil's club?" The Mikkian raised his voice and repeated his question after a moment of silence from the Human who appeared to be lost in thought.

Kaz looked up to Vrina and grinned. "Quick, turn on that grav-lift and shove it my way. Tam," he spoke into the comlink. "Nose up and route everything you've got to engines. Seal the hatch in sixty. Does this thing have a charged hyperdrive?"

"Surprisingly."

As soon as the Mikkian stood, the shuttle began to pivot and he nearly lost his footing. A stray bolt from the skiff struck the interior of the bay and a shower of sparks washed over both Vrina and Wegil—though, the latter of the two did not seem to mind much. Completing his task with only minor difficulty, a waist-high crate rolled toward Kaz after a dainty push. The Human drew another sticky detonator from his belt. "It's too slow!" Another blast hit the underside of the shuttle and an alarm began to blare.

Wegil slid down the bay floor while peacefully snoring. Holding onto a wall panel, Vrina could not extend his arm far enough to fetch him.

"Actually, that's perfect." Kaz set the detonator on a ten-second timer. Just as the Zabrak's body struck the crate, the Human attached the explosive and helped guide the heavy package out with one final exertion. In another movement, he crouched and whipped the body back inside just as the bay door began to seal.

Looking down and through the open cargo bay door, Vrina watched the crate skid off of the ramp and arc into the path of the skiff. The pilot was quick to pull right, but the compact explosion caused a nebulae of glittering debris to strike both him and his vehicle. The door sealed seconds later.

Kaz let go of the Zabrak and turned on his comlink. "How long before we find a route?"

"Routing power to stabilizers in thirty, will be free to jump in three minutes."

"No more friends?"

"Just the ones you brought on board. Hope they're worth it, Kaz. I saw what you did with our credits."

He chuckled and relaxed with his back against the bay door. "They were fake, anyway."

"Yeah," Tam's voice lilted. "But we could have done a lot of damage with thousands of fake credits."

From Kaz's point of view, the Mikkian held onto the panel for dear life. To his right, a groan from Wegil. "Hey," he greeted the disoriented Zabrak with a salute. "How was your nap?"

"M-my… What?" He blinked thrice and frowned. His gravelly voice dragged against their ears. "What's the clown doing up there?"

Vrina cleared his throat, his typically blush-hued skin became red with effort.

Both the Mikkian and Zabrak were ushered to the passenger hold and were instructed to find a seat from either row that lined each wall of the shuttle. The air was polluted with smoke that carried with it a scent of charred plastic.

With crossed arms, Kaz watched the two sit opposite each other. "You two really aren't friends, huh?"

Wegil clicked his tongue. "I barely know this fool, now I'm swept up in some anti-species terrorist attack. Some kind of protest, kidnapping."

"That's not quite what's going on here," the bearded man attempted to calm the Zabrak's nerves. He remained at a distance, choosing to hover in the central corridor that led to the cockpit. Vrina could make out a shorter figure operating the pilot system. Kaz looked to Wegil and offered a weak smile. "I'd like to start by saying, I'm sorry that I, erm, knocked you unconscious."

"Alright. So it was you, then."

"Nobody was supposed to get hurt. Well, maybe one or two specific people. You, uh, the one with the head wrap."

The Mikkian blinked and touched the side of his head. "Vrina Hon."

Kaz nodded once. "Okay, Vrina Hon. I'd like to ask about your involvement with the eff-ess-ess." He watched the Mikkian's expression wilt into confusion. "You hid a lot of truths in your, I guess, comedy set. You knew that Gil's Gab was a meeting ground for several high-ranking members."

"I… Didn't."

"You—wait, what?" The Human's confidence diminished. He turned to the pilot and she shook her head, eyes still on the control panel.

Wegil lifted himself from the seat and approached Kaz with weighted steps. "Hey, now. That's an unfounded claim. Who are you to blow up my club and whisk me away into hyperspace?" The two were face-to-face, though the bearded man had no fear in his eyes as he stared down the irate Zabrak.

"We are agents of the New Republic, commissioned by Senator Hamato Xiono to piece together nuggets of intelligence regarding the networking and goal of the eff-ess-ess."

The Zabrak exhaled through a wide grin. "Your faith in yet another totalitarian regime stuns me." He turned and seated himself, this time much closer. "A flag can mean many things, agent, but it comes down to those who uphold its original intention."

"And we do."

"Republic, Empire. Good, evil. These words are ultimately meaningless."

Kaz furrowed his brow and straightened his posture. "What is the Federation of Six Systems, then?"

"It doesn't have a flag, I'll tell you that much." Wegil maintained a wild grin. "And it's name is subject to change. Our friend here, the joker—he was right on the money."

Vrina blinked. "You mean… About the name?"

"Six systems, sixteen systems. When news spreads, the name will, too."

The Human cautiously approached the Zabrak but kept several feet away. At that moment, he was glad to be unarmed. "You're giving away a lot of information."

"Just what I know."

Tam called back to her companion, her voice straining to compensate for the distance. "Breaking into neutral territory. We're going to need to find a place to hide out while Are-Nine and I change the shuttle's signature."

"Copy that." Kaz crossed his arms and pouted. He scanned Wegil's expression for a long moment before being interrupted by Vrina raising his hand. "Erm, yeah?"

"I know you already said we'd be back in time for breakfast, but I'm going to need confirmation on that." His shoulders shrunk. "I have a tooka to feed."

Wegil shuddered. "Disgusting things."

The Mikkian frowned and leaned forward with both hands on his thighs. "I happen to like mine and don't want it to starve."

A chain of electronic squelches sounded from the pilot's den. Tam removed herself from the cockpit and stood by Kaz with stiff eyebrows. "Who exactly are these guys and why did we waste our entire day and all of our resources to bring them on board?"

Kaz gestured to The Mikkian and introduced him with a bright disposition. "This is Vrina Hon, a comedian and Jedi."

Equally astounded, both Tam and Wegil repeated, "Jedi?" The Zabrak continued, humored. "Since when?"

Vrina wagged his hands and scrunched his shoulders. Through a grimace, "I'm not—sir, I'm going to need you to stop telling people that I'm a…"

"Got it," the bearded man winked. "You're undercover as a stand-up comedian and it's all super secret. Makes sense why your jokes were so bad." Both he and Wegil shared in laughter. Tam made her way to stand in front of the blushing Mikkian.

"I don't think he's lying." She craned her neck to take in his outfit. "No laser sword. Nothing useful utilitywise. Kind of run down shoes." The pilot turned her attention to the Zabrak. "And what about him?"

Wegil stood up from his seat and cleared his throat. "I'll introduce myself. I'm—" His voice trickled away at the sight of Tam's blaster. The line of sight was secured to his chest.

"I didn't ask you."

"Yup, that's fair." The Zabrak seated himself and held both hands next to either ear.

Her eyebrow cocked. "Well, Kaz?"

"Yeah," the bearded man stroked his chin and took in a sharp breath. "He's the owner of the same club that's been welcoming captains of the eff-ess-ess. He seems to know quite a lot about their affairs. All in all, maybe the mission was more of a success than we expected?"

Tam sucked on her teeth and mulled over the stream of potentials. "You seem pretty intelligent," she nodded to Wegil. He shrugged one shoulder. "Why are you wasting your time running a comedy club?"

"You have to be intelligent in order to know how to profit off of others while refusing to be profited off of yourself."

"Solid logic. And you've chosen the side of the Federation because they are a better option than that of the New Republic, or retrospectively, that of the Empire?"

"An individual alone can not choose to join the eff-ess-ess, though one can agree ideologically. The Federation makes an offer to the lower levels of planetary government, specifically federal and local. If the offer is pleasant, they are then hired to install the Federation's circuitry onto the entirety of the planet—not just measly occupations scattered about towns or cities."

"And you've decided to give us this information for free?"

Wegil leaned back in his chair. For the first time since waking up, he appeared to be completely relaxed. "What other ways are there to prepare you for the inevitable paradigm shift of shared galactic ideals? Brute force? Vrina," he swung his gaze to the Mikkian. "How many were killed while I was unconscious?"

He forced a hard swallow and looked to the Human with glossy eyes. The man's face hardened. After a quiet exhale, Vrina responded: "Just one." The lie scalded the inside of his ribcage.

"Just one?" The Zabrak bounced a loose nod. "And do you believe it was justified?"

Immediately, "Yes. Of course."

"Of course the death was justified," Wegil teased. "Of course murder was necessary." He turned his focus to Tam. "Now, I've only known you for a handful of minutes, but I know you wouldn't lie to me. Even with your blaster pointed at my heart, you'd at least grant me the courtesy of honesty. How many died—from the detonation, from your desperate escape?"

Her eyes flashed and her trigger finger shuddered. "One." Then, through her teeth, "It's about to be two."

"You agents truly are an extension of the New Republic. Go on, then. Eviscerate me."

A smirk creaked onto Tam's face, but she was mindful of her tone. "Why would we do that?" The blaster dropped to her side and found its way back into its holster. "We'll be more than happy to drop you off at the nearest waystation. I'm sure there are other shuttles who wouldn't mind making the trip to Coruscant."

Vrina stretched his arm upward once again, but did not wait to be called on. "My tooka," he shook his head. "What about my tooka?"

Kaz frowned. "I thought Jedi were discouraged from having attachments. I guess that doesn't extend to pets—"

The Zabrak scoffed. "Why do you keep insisting this one is a Jedi? The myths of the temple on Coruscant are false. It's no more than a glorified museum."

"Maybe," he crossed his arms. "But why would a museum need cycle-long protection?"

A small voice peeped from the Mikkian's throat: "I just want to go home."

After a click of the tongue, Tam shook her head. "No can do, not for hours. Are-Nine," she called back to the cockpit and craned her head. "Anywhere we can dock?"

Three distanced chirps were ostensibly translated by everyone except Vrina. Tam and Kaz glanced at each other with exhaustion painting their faces while Wegil shook his head. "What?" The comedian who was very much not fluent in droidspeak scanned the room. "What did it say?"

"I'm bringing it in," Tam elbowed Kaz as she passed him. He nodded and resolved to take a seat on the row opposite from the Zabrak. The pilot sustained a playful conversation with the astromech droid hidden somewhere in the pilot's den.

Wegil pressed his gaze on to the Human until he was forced to make eye contact. "I'd rather you just eject me now." Vrina furrowed his brow and shifted in his seat; frustration wound its way up his limbs and into his throat. Recognizing his body language, Kaz ignored the horned man's prod and turned to the comedian.

He proceeded to explain that their shuttle was to dock at a droid-operated refueling station called TIL-03. "A once-asteroid-turned-moon of the planet Kerrond. It's… It's perhaps not the most joyful place to land, but the droids are efficient to say the least."

Vrina straightened his spine and huffed. "I've never heard of any of these places." His peripheral caught a glimpse of the pilot's den. A massive, water-laden planet filled the window. The shuttle twisted its pathing left and carefully locked onto one of many empty landing pads. "Not a lot of business?"

"No need to pay droid employees, right?" Kaz scratched the tip of his nose and relaxed into his seat. "It can be as busy or as quiet as possible. Doesn't make much of a difference."

The Zabrak rolled his eyes and leaned forward with a sniff. "I never had droids in my club. I'm glad to have nourished the economy for organics. What?" He hissed at the two men who stared him down. "I'm not evil or anything. They are slaves, after all."

Vrina stretched either leg and began to massive his knees. The right side of his leg throbbed in a dull ache, a large, hidden bruise spread from his right thigh and past his ribs. "Can I stay on the ship?" With hope in the Mikkian's heart, he looked to Kaz who stolidly shook his head. "Ah. Dosh."

#starwars #star wars #starwarsfanfic #starwarsfanfiction #star wars fan fic #star wars fan fiction #star wars fanfiction #star wars rebels #star wars resistance #rebels #resistance

[lodessa]

For "DVD commentary" -- from "Parameters," chapter 12: from the paragraph that begins “There you are,” she murmured softly..." through the paragraph that ends "... and reaching for the nearest pieces of clothing." I'm especially interested in Chakotay's description of needing to let go, and also when he sarcastically "thanks" Starfleet and it upsets Kathryn.

“There you are,” she murmured softly, finally sitting up before crawling back up to cover his body with her own, kissing her way up his outstretched arms before releasing them from being bound.  Chakotay, wrapped them around her, burying his face in her hair as she nestled hers against his neck, feeling their hearts still racing against one another.

“So good,” he sighed in response, “Relinquishing myself to you is so damned good.”

“I think so too,” she smiled, arching into the soft small circles he was tracing on her back, “Love when you let go for me.”

“I needed to,” he told her, “I needed to let go, to surrender myself, for so long, the tension of it twisting within me, but I never could before, not until you found me.”

She remembered him as she first laid eyes on him, tightly wound, alert to just shy of jumpy.  Coiled in on himself and ready to lash out at any sudden movement. They’d locked eyes when he’d beamed onto Voyager’s bridge that first time and she hadn’t quite been able to explain it, the shift, something primordial and deep, the subtle shift of his posture and the way he held his jaw.

The first thing that’s probably important to say, is that to me this (and what precedes it) is an extension of the Ancient Legend.  Chakotay tells her he has struggled to find peace his whole life but finds it submitting himself to her, and this (to me) is a natural extension of that.  I didn’t want it to be kink for kink’s sake and there’s a reason it is very soft and affectionate both during and after.  The d/s element here is about intimacy, about the trust between them, about it being safe for him to give himself over to her and for her to treasure and enjoy him.  He still struggles a bit in the moment (40 odd years of defensiveness and resistance don’t just go away) but for him literally giving control over to Kathryn is a release from that tension and weight he’s carried his whole life, just as it is in the metaphorical sense but more intense. 

The fic is from Kathryn’s POV of course, so there’s limitations to how much of his experience I could show, but I’ve always believed that Chakotay was good at being in charge, at being hard, at being harsh, he but never relished it. He did it because it was needed, but I think that scene with “The Maquis Way” is a clear indicator that he isn’t who he wants to be.   You do see him visibly react not just in his face but his whole body when he and Kathryn lock eyes that first time, so I really liked the idea that (even then) there was a real need being touched on there, submitting to her felt good it felt right to him, even if he couldn’t explain why.  Throughout the show though, he isn’t able to do that completely.  He has to look out for the Maquis, the ship, her.  As her first officer it’s his job to constantly be on the lookout for problems without and within.  He is more relaxed around her (seriously look at the screencaps) but he never gets to fully let go.

Here there’s nothing holding him back from completely letting go  He can rest at last, not having to to be vigilant or guarded.  The thing is, though, that the same is true in a way for Kathryn.  Kathryn is an affectionate person, she’s tactile and curious and expressive.  The captain’s mask wears heavy on her.  But it’s not because she doesn’t like being in control/chage like Chakotay.  It is because she is not fully free to be in charge without restraint.   She is constantly holding back her impulses and trying to consider outside directives.  She’s the captain not the queen.   She doesn’t mind deciding what people should do, but it is an effort for her to hold back and follow guidelines instead of her own heart and mind.  Here though... she can explore without restraint.  She can be affectionate.  She can cede control to her impulses.

So for her here, to be able to explore, to cherish, to love... without heitation, without restraint or control, without interference or interruption... in some ways her control of him serves the same function as his submission.

“Too bad we can’t sent Starfleet a thank you card,” she teased.

“Dear Starfleet Command, Thank you for not only selling my people out to the Cardassians but being so self righteous you actually sent a ship out to hunt me down for defending them.  If you hadn’t been so hypocritical and vindictive I would never have found peace and happiness.”

He was making a joke. She knew that, but something inside her protested, souring the post coital haze.

“We’re never going to have anything but replicated food if I don’t get out of bed and check on those seedlings,” she changed the topic abruptly,  pulling away from their embrace.

“Mmmm…” he protested half heartedly, “But it’s so nice here in bed.”

“It is. So you,” she disentangled herself from his arms, “Should enjoy that for a while more.  Sleep in some more if you want so you are nice and rested up for our hike later.”

They’d developed a habit of afternoon treks into their surroundings, trying to get a better sense of their new home.  It was something to do, some vague sense of task to keep from feeling aimless.

“Are you sure it’s the hike you want my energy for?” Chakotay grinned up at her from the bed, looking so wonderful she really did think about just crawling back into his arms and sleeping the day away.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out,” she replied, leaning over and kissing him soft and teasingly, before sliding off the bed and reaching for the nearest pieces of clothing she could find.

The initial line from Chakotay in this part is a little bit of a callback (forward?) to the scene early on in “Timeless” where they leave the party in engineering and they’re discussing how Starfleet Command will feel about the slipstream drive. (”I’d like to thank the Borg Collective...”)

Here’s the thing, though.  Even when we make big leaps forward emotionally like Kathryn did in the last chapter, these things don’t just vanish.  Starfleet and thinking about what she’s lost still hurts Kathryn, even if she’s happy about what she has instead. It makes her think about what she’s lost and it reminds her of the divisions between them, even if they aren’t relevant in this moment.

On the other hand, Chakotay... he usually makes a point not to remind her or anyone of his issues with Starfleet (it would undermine their effort to unify the crew etc) but for him that life is just as in the past as his Maquis days.  He’s feeling so relaxed and free (especially in this post coital... post submission moment) and for once he’s not thinking about what might or might not upset her.  He feels safe so he’s not strategizing. 

Of course, it’s also a little bit of foreshadowing.  Their little moment of bliss is about to end.  Starfleet, Voyager, etc. is about to come between them again. he can’t submit to her all the time in everything, even if they both wish he could.

I’m still accepting request for this:

#janeway x chakotay #fic commentary meme #Anonymous #ask response