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Visions & Prophecies

Visions & Prophecies - Nix x Sunny

Summary: Bren and Lydia return to the Dragon Barony. But Nix worries about where her brother’s love for Quinn could take them. And the Badlands.

Co-Creator - @themerriweathermage

Meraxes didn’t come home with Sunny and Lydia. And considering they weren’t covered in ash, I knew she didn’t burn Quinn to the ground. Pity.

But I also knew that Meraxes not being home meant Bren wasn’t. I had given her strict instructions not to let Bren out of her sight. Which meant only one thing. He had stayed in the Armadillo territory to speak to Waldo.

I wasn’t given the chance to find this out. As Sunny and Lydia walked up the stairs to the mansion, I could see they had a guest with them. The two parted so I could see the man with hair almost as red as flames walk up the steps. Lydia stopped at my side and turned towards the man.

“Baroness, this is Sebastian. He was my former guard back in Quinn’s territory.”

I nodded my head. “I thought he looked familiar. Welcome, Sebastian. I’m Nix. May I ask what brought you to my door?”

“Your brother extended an invitation.”

Of course. We trusted Lydia so anyone she trusted, Bren would want to get the measure of. Lydia didn’t really need her own guard here, not with Meraxes on the lands. So it made me wonder what position Bren saw him fit for.

“Well, for the most part, my brother has good judgment when inviting people into our barony,” no one missed the double meaning of my statement. “Come inside and take a tour. Dinner will be ready shortly.”

At those words, Sunny got a huge smile on his face. “Roast?”

“Duck this time. And those rolls you love.”

He bent down to give me a kiss. “The perfect way to return home. Let me clean up and I’ll be down to help.”

After Sunny left, I turned towards Lydia. She sighed and only said one phrase:

“He tried.”

I nodded my head and Lydia left as well, leaving me with our guest. “Sarah, could you have a guest room prepared? Lydia’s old guard, Sebastian will be staying with us for now.”

“Yes, Baroness.”

I jerked my head back towards the kitchen, “care for a drink?”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “You keep booze in the kitchen?”

“Not normally, but I like to have a glass or two when I’m cooking. It’s a damn good scotch from Rojas.”

He perked up at my words. “You were cooking?”

“Yes, though the idea seems to surprise you.”

“Sunny told me you were in charge of the military here in the barony.”

I laughed as we entered the room, the smell of roast duck growing stronger. “Yes, I am. But my first love was cooking. No need to stop that now. Especially, since I use it to lessen my stress levels.”

Sebastian took the offered glass, measuring me as I walked around the island to finish pureeing the potatoes. “So, you’re the woman who was able to tame Sunny. It makes so much sense now.”

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Tame Sunny? You make him seem like a wild animal.”

“No, I guess he’s not. That would be more,” he cleared his throat, “other men.”

I snorted at that. “I prefer the phrase ‘rabid bear’, in regards to other men . But seriously, you make it seem as if Sunny wasn’t-”

“Human? In some ways, he wasn’t. Becoming a regent - especially Quinn’s regent - requires you to let go of pieces of your humanity. Sunny was no different in that regard. We all figured it would take a lot to make Sunny break his loyalty. Waldo knew it would be a woman, but we all suspected it would be someone…”

He seemed embarrassed to continue so I finished the thought for him. “Softer? The exact opposite of him?”

“Um, well…”

“It’s ok. Between overseeing the Clippers, being a dragon rider, and what I did to Quinn’s poppies, it’s easy to see how others could either be afraid of me or think me too rough. Bren and I each had our fair share of trauma before we came to the Badlands, and it molded us in different ways. It made Bren the diplomat - as you saw at the Summit - and it made me-”

“The Dragon Lady?”

“More so a fighter. I didn’t become the dragon rider until after Bren took this barony. And that is a confusing story on its own. One we may share at a later date.”

Just then, Sunny came in with Sarah right behind him. I wondered where Lydia could be but I caught a look from Sunny that told me she was still digesting part of the Summit. I would have to go to her later to find out what was on her mind.

Sunny stopped by my side, grabbed my hand, and couldn’t meet my eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring Bren home. I wanted to use Meraxes, but-”

For him to be this vulnerable in front of others told me just how upset he was at failing me. I pulled him into a hug. “He clearly needed to talk to Waldo. Meraxes is still with him. He will be safe.”

He held me a moment longer before turning to help make the salad. I poured him a glass and handed to him silently. The kitchen was quiet as Sunny, Sarah, and I worked on dinner while Sebastian looked on, drinking. As I pulled the duck out, I paused, tilting my head slightly towards the sky.

“Bren is home.”

“How-” but Sebastian didn’t finish his sentence before Meraxes’ roar announced her arrival.

“She was instructed not to leave his side.”

As I left the room, I heard Sunny quietly speak to Sebastian.

“There is no way to explain the bond. We just go with it.”

In the hall, I watched Bren practically drag himself inside. He looked beyond drained and I knew the magic was taking a toll on him. How much longer until it killed him?

He looked up at me and I knew the Summit had been both a success and a failure. But what surprised me, was the fear in Bren’s eyes. Something had happened out there.

I moved aside so Sarah could take him to his room and give him food that would work with his stomach better than what I was cooking. And instead of heading back to the kitchen, I went to the office.

Where I found Lydia sitting at her desk, but not working. She looked…distraught.

“I’m guessing the Summit went smoothly,” my voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lydia sighed. “He took Bren’s plans. Whether or not he uses them…”

“Is neither here nor there. His days are numbered.”

“You always thought this was a useless plan.”

I sighed. “Not so much useless as, well, I was going to say futile but that’s basically the same thing. No, I don’t want innocent people suffering. But I think it would be far faster and more beneficial to rid them of their baron completely.”

Lydia nodded her head. “We all believe that. But Bren-”

“I know. He has a soft spot for that asshat.”

“It’s more than that. He…he saw something. I thought it was a nightmare, but it seems to be more than that.”

“Visions,” I breathed. “He had a vision.”

Lydia looked up at me from behind her desk. “Do- do you get visions?”

“Not in the way that Bren does. His magic and mine are different.”

“You have magic?”

I gave a small smile. “How else would you explain the bond with Meraxes? As for visions, I know of a type of magic I could use. Not sure if I would see exactly what Bren had, but it may give me a clue.”

“Would you…”

“No, I won’t do it here or now. I’ll check on Bren first. And then, I’ll take Meraxes somewhere safe to see if it’s possible for me to conduct this type of magic.”

But Bren was locked away in his room, only allowing Lydia and Veil see him. Whatever rattled him clearly involved me so it looked like I would be conducting this spell sooner than I had anticipated.

I gave Lydia instructions on what to do until I returned, hoping to only be gone one night. After packing a small bag, I found Sunny in the parlor with Sebastian. While he was engaged in the conversation, I could see he was worried. And it all flooded to the surface once he laid eyes on me.

“Nix,” he lept out of his chair and gently grabbed my upper arms. “You didn’t come to dinner.”

I knew what he was really asking, so I spoke to him in Dothraki. “Whatever Bren saw, it has shaken him to the point he won’t speak to me.”

He responded in kind. “What will you do?”

“Head to the mountain town. Our gifts came from those same mountains and they have always made Bren uneasy. I may find my answer there.”

“I should come with you.”

I shook my head. “We have a visitor that is sworn to no one. Lydia may trust him, but even still. With Bren in this state, you and Lydia are in charge of the barony in my stead. I will return by dawn.”

He took my hand and kissed the ring I had made. “Till then.”

I heard him quietly explain the language to Sebastian as I left the manor, heading to my dragon that knew to wait by the gate. She waited patiently as I packed a compartment and then climb up her wing.

Once at the encampment, I gave her instructions to return to the barony and fetch Sunny if at any time I seemed I was in trouble. Meraxes grumbled but seemed to agree.

I walked through the city Lydia had built for Bren, marveling at how quickly people had put up permanent fixtures. It wouldn’t have mattered if we had wanted this to be temporary; the people had spoken otherwise.

There was something about this mountain range that called to me. Ever since I found Meraxes, I came here long before Bren had the train up and running. But now, with the city, it didn’t seem as private. But still, I felt the call. So where better to try this spell?

Yeah, the odds of it working were very slim. The only magic I possessed was whatever linked Meraxes to me. But it couldn’t hurt to try.

At the edge of the encampment, I built a firepit and pulled out a lighter.

The first place I went, after I saw the visions, was to the Armadillo territory. I landed Meraxes right outside the gates to the Fort and didn’t even bother giving Quinn a glance as I marched to the barracks. I didn’t even bother taking my helmet off. But Quinn’s ego wouldn’t allow anyone to ignore him. Even someone he hated.

“Hey!”

I walked right through the gates and past him.

Which he didn’t take well. He grabbed my arm. Hard.

“Don’t think you can ignore me. This isn’t your fucking barony.”

I looked at his hand and then up at his face. “Is this how you want to die? Attempting to make me give a fuck about your opinion?”

Meraxes growled and slowly put her head through the gate.

“Is this how you wish to destroy your brother?” Quinn countered. “By having us both die in a fiery blaze?”

“Only one of us would die.”

His grip tightened. “I have no intention of letting go.”

“Oh, I know. But out of the two of us, who is dressed in fireproof clothing?”

Quinn stopped and took in my look, seeing that I was in my flight suit. “This outfit…”

“Meraxes could bathe us in fire right this instant, and only one of us would walk away.” I leaned in. “Fire cannot kill a dragon.”

My words shook him to the core and he dropped his hand.

“And one more thing: the next time you lay a hand on me will be the last time you have hands.”

Meraxes roared in agreement. Quinn dropped to the ground, covering his ears at the close proximity of the noise while my helmet protected me. I stepped over him and continued to Waldo’s barrack.

“I thought I told you not to come back until you sorted yourself out!” Waldo growled as he turned towards the door. “Oh. Well, this is unexpected.”

I closed the door before pulling off my helmet. “By your anger, you either got into another fight with Quinn, or Bren’s visit after the summit went swimmingly.”

Waldo scowled. “Your brother needs his heart removed. Figuratively speaking.”

“If we did that…who do you think would keep me in check?” I took a seat at his table. “I have a dragon, Waldo. Do you know how easy it would be to burn down every barony and take it all? Turn it all over to the Cogs? Just me and Meraxes could probably do it in a month. If I had truly loyal warriors with me, less than that. I hate this place. I hate the baronies. I hate the divide. I hate the class system and the violence. And I fucking hate the game.”

“Then why do you stay?”

“You know why. It’s the same reason why you haven’t killed Quinn.”

“Are you actually here to plead Quinn’s case on Bren’s behalf?”

I snorted. “Sure, just as soon as I sprout my own wings. I came to…change the future.”

Waldo raised an eyebrow. “So Bren told you his visions?”

“No. I- I asked for help from a deity. One that wasn’t from this world. I saw what he saw and Bren’s right, we can’t let that happen. Even if I could get on Meraxes fast enough to try to outrun my brother’s new form, he and I will both lose our other halves. And if I go Targaryen…”

“So what? You just want me to keep serving that moron?!”

“Oh, for fuck sake Waldo! Did you hit your head and forget who the fuck I am?! We’re not idiots. We know Quinn’s time is limited. When you take the barony, I only want one thing. I want him exiled.”

“That’s what I plan-”

“Beyond the Badlands,” I interrupted.

Waldo’s jaw dropped slightly.

“We can’t kill him because of what it will do to Bren. But I can’t have him roaming freely all over the Badlands, either to make a pact with Juliet or Broadmore or try to weasel his way into my barony by playing to Bren’s sympathy. I want him gone.”

Waldo stared at me for several minutes. “You’re a cold-hearted bitch.”

“You say that as if I didn’t know.”

“Banishment beyond the wall. You may as well kill Quinn. It’d be quicker.”

“As much as I would rather lick a sandpaper-covered cactus that admit this, you and I both know it would take a lot to kill Quinn once he gets out of his own damn way. He could easily survive beyond the wall.”

“And make his way back here.”

“And if - and this is a huge if - he manages to do that, all that time starving and surviving may actually put things into perspective.”

“Or make you and I his main targets.”

“Then we’ll at least know you can’t change the future if that happens.”

I didn’t tell Bren where I had gone or what Waldo had promised me. I don’t even know if he knew I had left. Yeah, I had been gone almost two days, but the summit had clearly taken a lot out of Bren.

Still, part of me expected to see Bren’s face when I opened the office door. Only to find Lydia sitting at my desk.

“Forgive me, Baroness. Your chair is more comfortable than mine.”

I smiled. “No forgiveness needed. I’ve had chronic pain in regard to my knees and lower back for as long as I can remember. Sunny had that specially made for me. I can always have another made for you if you wish.”

“No, thank you. I do love my chair. I just…”

I could see it in her eyes and finished her sentence. “Needed a soft spot after kneeling by Bren’s bed?”

Lydia sighed. “May I ask you a question, Nix?”

“Of course. Any time you need, anything you wish to know, you can ask.”

“Bren…Bren was very weak on the travel home. And he…”

I could see her hesitate so I took the seat next to her. The one that only Sunny ever occupied. I gently reached out and took her hand.

“Whatever happened out there, I know you and Sunny did what you could to keep Quinn at bay so Bren wouldn’t be tempted. I won’t fault you if he was able to sneak past everyone.”

Lydia gave a tired smirk. “He couldn’t sneak past Meraxes. Quinn tried his best to cut through our Clippers, only to be met with a metal wing.”

I snorted. “What a moron. What did you want to ask me?”

Lydia sighed again. “When he was in and out of consciousness, he…he called me mom.”

Well, this was not the direction I thought this conversion would go. “And you want to know why?”

She nodded her head.

It was my turn to sigh. “As you know, Bren and I aren’t really siblings. But I do know about his life before…” I cleared my throat. “It’s not surprising he would call you mom. I have no doubt you remind him of all the good things his mom stood for. All the ways she would guide and support him. You are our regent, but also-”

I stopped when I realized what I was about to say. Lydia raised her eyebrows.

“But also?”

I rubbed my hand over my mouth. “Ah hell. But also, you are very much like a mom to us.”

Her eyes got wide. “Nix?”

“Ah hell,” I muttered again. “For Bren, you’re all the positive memories he has of his mother. For me…you’re what I wish my mom was. The mom I needed growing up.”

Now her eyes were watering. “Oh, Nix. I- I never knew.”

I lowered my eyes. “No one outside of Bren and Sunny knows. I- I don’t find much point in talking about my past. Not if I need to keep myself together to run this barony. Someone needs to be strong for Bren.”

“But who is strong for you?”

I looked up at her sheepishly. “You and Sunny. You help keep Bren and me from doing anything too stupid…by Badlands standards anyway. I know Bren wants to be strong for me, but he has so much going on as it is. I never want to add to his plate.”

"Then you will get overloaded."

"I was the oldest in my family. It's my job to protect."

She smiled and stood up, holding out her arms. I stood and embraced her.

“Then let me protect you. Nix, I am happy to be your surrogate mother. You and Bren.”

“Thank you, Lydia.”

Tagging Crew:

Everyone

@multifanworld

@blackgaladriel

@liadamerondjarin

#into the badlands #Welcome to the Badlands Series #sunny x original female character #itbsunny #itbquinn #Waldo #visions & prophecies

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moonlight-prose · 2 years

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BADLANDS | ONE

a/n: guess who's late to the fucking party. meh it's alright i'm just here to drool over miles teller with y'all. seriously i churned this out so fast it's ridiculous. the top gun maverick wave passed already, but i'm dropping this series either way. it's not beta read but semi-edited so there will probably be a few mistakes i missed. hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think if you liked it!

reblogs, comments, and feedback is always welcome!!

summary: you fucking hated bradley "rooster" bradshaw. it wasn't your fault your knee accidentally met his groin.

word count: 4.7k+

pairing: bradley "rooster" bradhsaw x fem!reader (callsign panther)

warnings: enemies to lovers plot, explicit so MINORS GO AWAY, cussing, arguing, angst, mention of past screw ups, longing looks, alcohol consumption, minor violence, p in v sex, rooster is a bit of an asshole here, but we're working on that.

next chapter

You’d never miss the smell of the fuel as the planes took off in the sky; the echo of the engines reverberating through the air. Hell, you’d never miss the sight of it—your lungs burning to gain oxygen as you stood on the sidelines and watched. The day was winding down, all pilots having arrived in the one place you didn’t want to come back to, but nonetheless you took them up on their offer. You couldn’t say no.

Not to something like this.

The closer you walked up the pathway to the building ahead, the more a feeling of dread began to knot in your stomach, turning your insides. Some part of you knew that saying yes meant the chance of having to return to a place where you watched your life fall apart. A place that was so well engraved in your bones that you could navigate it perfectly while being blindfolded. Still your stubbornness won out and there you stood. Three feet away from the front door of the Hard Deck.

“Dammit,” you whispered, watching as two girls nearly collapsed as they stumbled out. Their giggling filling the air and pressing the weight on your lungs down even further. You remembered being like them once.

Music poured out of the open door. Laughter following it. You could spot a few familiar faces through the window and smiled at the sight of them still in their uniforms. You had opted for a simple jeans and t-shirt combo; your combat boots nearly falling apart and held together by the laces. They were old enough to be considered a relic, but you were too fond of the embroidered plane on the side. That had been your first sign to join the Navy.

Back then you relied on those small little signs to keep you going—to tell you where to go—but now…you felt as if there were no more signs to receive. You made this decision on pure dumb fucking luck and even you knew you may not make it out of here alive. They hadn’t briefed you on the mission yet—the same would be said for the others—but you weren’t an idiot. You knew that the best pilots were standing in that bar tonight and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

The word nervous didn’t even begin to cover what you felt as you reached for the door handle. For the first time in a long time…you hand shook. The burn in your lungs returned as you realized this was it. There was no turning back once you stepped through those doors. So, you decided to go against your instincts, hoping you weren’t shit out of luck this time, and pulled the door open. The loud music and echo of the crowd filled up your veins, replacing the burn of engine fuel and easing some of the weight off of your chest.

Penny laughed with someone you thought you recognized, but couldn’t quite make out his face through the crowd. She was too enamored to notice you. However, you didn’t mind. Not when someone else had clearly spotted you through the crowd, her eyes lighting up and a smirk tugging at her lips.

Ah Phoenix.

“And here I thought they were only calling the best,” she said over the noise as you walked closer.

She scanned your figure, taking in the few tattoos you’d gotten over the years and landing at the sight of your boots sticking out like a sore thumb. You didn’t seek out people’s approval often, but Phoenix was special. Before graduating you were practically joined at the hip, desperate to keep one another alive as you attempted to navigate the world around you. Of course not everything stayed the same. You just wished that piece of your life had.

You knew just thinking that was selfish, but you couldn’t help it.

“Then why are you here?” you asked, raising an eyebrow as her inspection came to a close.

“Don’t you know? I’m here to take your spot Panther.”

For the first time in weeks, you laughed. A real genuine laugh that sunk deep into your body and shook you to your core. You shifted closer, gripping her in a hug that finally felt like coming home and strangely enough…you were okay with it. She smelled like jasmine perfume and apples. A combination that shouldn’t have worked, but with her it did, and memories from when you were younger flooded through your mind.

Fuck, you had missed her.

“It’s good to have you back,” she whispered, pulling away and shooting you another smile. “Come meet the newbies.”

“Newbies you say?” Your curiosity peaked as you faced the group that surrounded the pool table.

“Fuck off Phoenix. I’d say I’m more experienced than you are.” A blonde man said. He had a smile that would have made your heart flutter if you weren’t so turned off by his personality. He screamed egomaniac, but you let it slide knowing how some pilot’s heads were too large to fit in their own helmets sometimes.

“That’s Hangman,” she muttered. “An ass who thinks he’s too good to be true.” You turned to the others, smiling at the man who sat silently in the chair, his glasses propped up on the tip of his nose. “And over here we’ve got Payback, Fanboy, Coyote and Bob.”

You couldn’t stop the laugh from bubbling up in your throat. “Bob? Is that your callsign?” He nodded, a faint red tinge flooding the tops of his cheeks and melting your heart. “I like it,” you said, shooting him a wink and enjoying as he blushed even harder.

“Boys meet my former wingman Panther. One of the best.”

Nudging Phoenix in the side, you grabbed the beer she handed you. “Don’t you worry boys. Phoenix here will be taking my job before you know it.”

The beer tasted the exact same, like a strong swig of gasoline, and you relished in the bitter tang of it as you swallowed. Last time you were here things hadn’t gone so smoothly. Phoenix and you nearly broke each other’s noses as you explained you were no longer going to be her wingman after graduation—heading off on your own path. She never knew the real reason why you turned tail and ran; why you refused to catch up with her after all these years. But you knew…you knew what happened to cause you so much fear it nearly paralyzed you.

“I’ll be damned. Is that you kitty cat?”

You stiffened where you stood, the voice behind you nearly causing you to run out the back doors. What the fuck was he doing here? He couldn’t possibly be one of the contenders for the mission and it was then you realized you should have followed your gut instinct, because right now you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Guess you were truly shit out of luck.

Turning, you swallowed the now flavorless beer as your eyes met his—the small smirk on his lips the exact same. A flash of him younger, wearing a taunting smile came to mind. Really everything about him was the same, but you could barely focus on everything else. The others greeted him with excited tones, obviously glad to see him. Except you could barely pick up your tongue which now felt like lead—his eyes never leaving yours.

“What are you doing here?” you croaked out, noticing the way Phoenix gauged your interaction at seeing him again.

No doubt, she’d ask you about it later and just as you always did…you’d deny everything.

“What, you think you’re the only good one here?” He was still pissed. You saw the way his eyes flared, the look of anger being tamped down quickly with another grin and snarky response. “Didn’t know you thought so highly of yourself, kitten.”

“Fuck you Bradshaw.”

The words were blurted out, an instinct after so many years going at each other’s throats, but even now…they felt off. As if you were still in a dream—watching him smile and greet the others with true joy. You however got another brief glare as your words settled in his skin; his hackles rising as he held himself back from taking a chunk out of your jugular. You’d verbally sparred with Rooster enough to know he could tear you down with only a few words.

So why was he holding back now?

“Kitten’s still got claws,” he joked, grabbing a beer and taking a swig.

“And I’m not afraid to use them, Lieutenant Bradshaw.”

His eyes narrowed at the use of the formalities. Everyone referred to him as Rooster, but not you. At first it was to get under his skin, watch him squirm as he fought against ripping you a new one, but now…it felt different. Now you did it without realizing; the familiar territory you held with him only based on one thing. Hatred of the other person. If there’s one thing you could count on it was this—Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw hated you just as much as you hated him.

You couldn’t even remember when the feud first began, the memory now faded in the back of your mind, but it lasted through the years at TopGun. That is until that night. Right before you took off and ran from everything you were offered here. Fuck, you could still feel the burn of his eyes against your skin as he touched you—the anger dissipating into something more. That’s what terrified you. The idea that you and him could be more than just this.

“I thought you were done with the Navy,” he said, ignoring the curious looks of the others as they took in your obvious hostile nature towards one another.

“And I thought you were done being a dick, but here we are.”

Phoenix choked on her sip of beer, coughing so hard you had to pat her on the back to help her clear her throat. “You two haven’t changed,” she mused, a glint in her eyes as she watched Bradley.

“Guess not,” he stated, giving you a look you couldn’t read before turning away entirely and focusing on the others instead.

You knew that reaction from the days at TopGun. The same one that used to drive you up the wall at his absolute arrogance. He was done talking to you for the night, the conversation having lost the luster he once craved with you. Believe it or not, he was the one who usually began your fights—the cause for which you did not know—but tonight he seemed different. Granted, several years had passed since you last saw one another. You chalked it up to him finally having grown up after so long getting on your last nerves.

“I’m going to get something stronger,” you said to Phoenix, motioning to where Penny stood.

Bruce Springsteen played in the background, a song you’d heard over and over again back when you were first in TopGun. Hell, you used to come here religiously. Drowning yourself in partying and drinking before having to drag your ass out of bed and do it all over again. Even though you’d blocked out most of that time in your mind, you could always remember Penny being there for you. A friend more than anything else.

“Well look who’s come home again,” she called out to you, sliding a glass of bourbon across the bartop with a smile. She remembered your favorite. Just that alone made your defensive shield lower a bit.

“You just can’t seem to get rid of me once and for all.” You took a sip, nearly moaning at the familiar taste.

She shrugged, wiping down the bartop beside you. “I wouldn’t want to either way.”

“Glad someone wants me back.” The words were muttered to yourself; the sour feeling of interacting with Bradley still permeated your senses. You knew running away from him was what caused this hostility; after all you’d be pissed too if it was him running away from you.

You’d made your bed and now you were finally lying in it.

Penny’s hand pressed against yours, the comforting smile was one thing you missed all those years being away. “Give him time.”

You reared back. “No, it’s not what you think—”

“I’m not an idiot.” She poured more bourbon into your glass. “You think I don’t know what happened between you two? I was the one who saw him after you made your choice.”

Just that thought alone made you wince—imagining Bradley try to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. Part of your reasoning was that you were both too young. You had no idea what you were getting yourselves into, but you knew what the truth of the matter really was. Fear made that decision for you and like an idiot, you took off running towards the sunset, never looking back and never once thinking of what it did to him in the end. After all, you didn’t have to.

Both you and Bradley were on different ends of the world. While he was no doubt building up his career, you were trying to hide in your own mistakes and only did smaller missions here and there. Anything to avoid coming into contact with him. Did that make you a chicken shit? Yes it did. Yet all your work to forget the past didn’t seem to come in handy when your past stood a few feet away, happily ignoring your existence.

“He hates me,” you muttered, watching as he unplugged the jukebox and took a seat at the beloved piano.

“He hates what you did.” She took your empty glass and replaced it with a beer; her way of cutting you off from hard liquor for the night. “But knowing him. He couldn’t hate you even if he tried.”

“No need to lie on my behalf Penny,” you said, tossing down the cash needed, ignoring her sound of protest. “I’ll see you soon.”

She opened her mouth to bargain with you to stay, but Bradley’s voice singing broke your concentration from her. The song brought a wave of nostalgia to your body, so strong you nearly buckled right where you stood. It had been awhile since you heard him sing, but that didn’t stop the racing of your heart. The sensation you still loathed to this day. You went there once and no matter how much Penny’s words stuck to your skin, slowly digging their way to your heart, you couldn’t go back.

You wouldn’t.

Catching Phoenix’s gaze you waved to her as you headed towards the backdoor, throwing one last glance at Bradley in the hopes of possibly catching his eye as well. He looked…happy. So much so that the sight nearly made you dizzy and you didn’t bother shoving down the smile this time as the entire bar joined in, nearly shouting the chorus. That one look—it would have to keep you going for a while. You knew he hated you; felt the frigid way he glared at you. So, you fell back to your old ways. You shut out the prospect of more and settled for less, knowing that it would keep you safe in the end.

The door swung shut with a bang as the music was quieted by the roaring waves crashing to the shore. Your leather jacket kept the chill out and you headed towards the water, sand sticking to your boots. Sure you missed The Hard Deck and Phoenix and hell you even missed Bradley, but if there’s one thing you yearned for more than anything. It was this. Being able to sit on the cool sand and smell the saltiness of the ocean in the air.

Why did you ever give this up?

Why did you give him up?

They were questions you didn’t hold answers to—questions you were terrified to answer once and for all. The sound of the door echoed behind you; the crunch of boots on the sand coming closer as you continued to stare at the horizon. A cold beer was pressed to your hand as Phoenix took the spot beside you, her grim look telling you that she was about to berate you for keeping shit from her. Yeah…you definitely missed her.

“You’re an idiot Panther.”

You spluttered, nearly spilling the beer onto the sand. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“I’m not—”

“So Rooster looked like a kicked puppy as you left for no reason?”

Her words pressed against your already aching chest; the image of him sad was far more painful than any injury you sustained and you hated it. “It’s…complicated.”

She took a sip of her beer, contemplating your words—her eyes never leaving the horizon. “So uncomplicate it for me.”

You scoffed. “That might take awhile.”

Finally she turned to look at you, the same glint in her eyes that you knew so well. The same one that said you’d be spilling everything without question. “Then it’s a good thing we’ve got all night.”

So you spilled your guts right there on the beach. You told her about that night at the bar, about the words he said, the promises he made to you and even about what happened after. How he went from treating you like enemy number one to someone he could no longer keep out of his system—someone he longed for day in and day out. She listened to it all and winced as your voice cracked with emotion, because for the first time you finally told someone how you felt. You revealed the hidden crevices of your heart you kept so guarded and hoped she would accept you in the end.

The truth was it may have hurt Bradley when you left, but it sure as hell hurt you a lot more to be the one leaving.

“There’s a reason why he hates me now Phoenix and it’s not just competition or petty arguments anymore.”

Thankfully she stayed silent, simply wrapping an arm around your shoulder as you furiously wiped away the tears that fell. You couldn’t believe you were crying over Bradley Bradshaw. If younger you could see you now she’d call you pathetic for letting him get so deep under your skin. But there was no denying what you ignored for all these years. You couldn’t anymore even if you tried.

You hated Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw with a burning passion, and yet…you loved him all the same.

The thumping of boots entering the building knocked against your brain like a hammer hitting a nail into wood. It had been awhile since you guzzled down alcohol like it was water and waking up to a hangover was the last thing you needed. Yet you still dragged your ass out of the bed, taking a freezing cold shower to hopefully dampen some of the pain, and downing a searing cup of black coffee on your way here.

You were seated at a desk, your notebook in front of you and a pen tossed on top. They were for notes on the mission, just in case you needed to remember things—which you probably did given the extremity of your hangover. Fuck, next time Phoenix offered to drag you back to her place for one more round, you would make sure to flip her off and go home. Somehow during the night you managed to drive—albeit clumsily—back to your small apartment. The musty scent of it being boarded up for so long caused you to vomit the second you entered the door.

“What’s the matter kitten? Can’t handle your drinks anymore?” Bradley’s voice sneered behind you. Just that alone caused the hair on the back of your neck to stand up.

You opted to ignore him, rubbing your forehead as you tried not to throw up the coffee you drank—even as it burned its way through your stomach. Flying today would be hell, but you wouldn’t give Bradley the satisfaction of seeing you in pain. Let alone watching you fail. You could recall the taunting remarks he made back then whenever you missed the mark. They were the one thing that made you strive to be better. Even if it was purely out of spite for him.

“So is this your version of the cold shoulder act?” He seemed to be in an unforgiving mood today. “I got to say it’s not working for me.”

Biting back the array of curse words that built up in your throat, you simply squeezed your eyes shut even tighter. Hoping that if you thought hard enough he’d simply vanish into thin air. Maybe if you clicked your heels three times it would work. Although you weren’t sure your old combat boots would do the trick, given their wear and tear over the years. They were hardly ruby red slippers, but you’d try anything to get him off your ass.

“Just admit it. You’re only here to be our understudy. You know the pilot who gets left behind due to lack of experience.”

You spun around so fast the room shifted in your view—the nausea building up in your stomach. “Careful Bradshaw or I just might think you’re talking up a big game for nothing. What’s the matter? Are you making up for a lack of something?”

His face darkened, eyes narrowing at the sight of your grin. “You and I both know that’s bullshit.”

“What is? You talking up your ego? Or your lack of…something?” The headache had dulled now to a small throbbing pain thankfully as you took all your anger out on him.

He leaned forward, his face so close that you could count the individual flecks of gold in his eyes and your heart fluttered. “I proved my something to you already, kitten or have you forgotten who’s name you screamed that night?” His voice was low enough that the others couldn’t hear him, but you heard him loud and clear.

That night wasn’t entirely forgotten from your mind and just like someone flipping a light switch on, memories flooded your mind.

“Bradley!” you cried. Your nails scratched so hard along his back you were sure it would leave marks come morning. But you couldn’t find it in yourself to care.

Not when he gripped your leg and yanked it over his shoulder, thrusting into you so roughly that you were shoved up the bed.

“That’s it kitten,” he grunted, his voice barely audible over the slapping of skin against skin and the wet squelch of your pussy. “Come on. Give me one more.”

Shifting the angle of his hips, he struck gold—a sharp keening wail bouncing off the walls of his small shack. His head shot up, eyes meeting yours as a blinding smile spread across his lips. He could listen to the sounds you made all fucking day if it meant he was the one inside of you and like a madman seeking his prize, he sped up. His cock pounding into you, hitting your g-spot with so much precision you would have thought he was hitting a target that was assigned to him.

Your toes curled over his shoulders, the pleasure mounting in your body so high that it made your vision blurry, but you forced yourself to watch him. To see the sweat practically drip from his face as his lust clouded eyes bored into yours. He panted with every thrust, baring his teeth and fighting against his own release, because he wanted to see you fall apart around his cock again. He needed to feel it.

His name was like a prayer on your lips and with a final devastating thrust, you shattered.

Your thighs clenched as the vivid memory played on a never ending loop in your mind. His eyes flashed with the same look from that night as he remembered what happened too, and suddenly your hangover was not the only issue. If you could go back and change things you would. Maybe then you and Bradley would be on the same page rather than different ones—maybe you wouldn’t have to tear the other one down just to feel something again.

“Good morning.”

You tore your gaze away from his, turning back to face the front as his eyes still burned a hole in the back of your head. What you wouldn’t give to switch seats with Phoenix who sat across from you, but one glance in her direction and the shit eating smile she gave you told you enough. You would remain right where you were—facing the consequences of your actions. Perhaps if you asked the Navy to reconsider, you could leave again, focus on other things instead of the man behind you who’s sole mission in life was to make yours a living hell.

“Please follow me outside,” the man you learned to be called Maverick said, turning swiftly and taking the lead.

Your chair screeched across the floor as you practically rushed out after him, adamant on getting away. But it didn’t help. A hand gripped your upper arm, yanking you backwards and nearly causing you to trip on your own feet. Anger burned hot in your veins as you spun around, coming face to face with a glowering Bradshaw. He looked at you like you were the very bane of his existence—the reason he was where he stood.

“Let go of me,” you spit, yanking against his bruising hold.

“Not until we get one thing clear.”

“Fuck you Bradshaw.”

He smiled, the sight coming off as menacing. “You’re not the leader here. Not while I’m around.”

“That’s not for you to decide.” Another yank proved your efforts to be futile. He wouldn’t be letting you go—not unless it was his choice to do so.

“We both know you’re not here to be the best. You just showed up because they ordered you to. So why don’t you back off and let me take it from here? You know I’m the better pilot.”

“I can’t wait to watch you crash and burn,” you sneered, feeling your heart twist at the flash of hurt in his eyes. He masked it quickly enough though.

“You can’t keep your goddamn mouth shut for one minute huh kitten.”

Yanking as hard as you could, he finally released his grip causing you to stumble back. “Go to hell.”

There was one card he hadn’t played yet in this ongoing game of hatred—the single card you knew he was keeping up his sleeve in case a moment like this came up. His eyes narrowed, the glare so brutal you swore you were dead on the ground as he got in your face; the warmth of him being so close to you made your heart beat erratically. The shuffle of feet quieted down as only you and him stood in the hangar, staring each other down until the other backed off. Yet you didn’t see him aiming his punishing words in the back of his mind.

You barely even saw him pull the trigger.

“You’re one to talk about crash and burn. Tell me, how is your second wingman after Phoenix? Hunter, is it?”

The missile landed dead on target, your heart shattering at the mention of the man you couldn’t save. Pain flashed across your face; your eyes welling up with unshed tears and you could physically see Bradley try to reel back his words. His face went stricken with an anguish that surely matched yours as his mouth opened and closed. Except the words had been said and there was no taking back the lethality of his intentions.

He wanted to win and played his final card.

He just didn’t know how harsh that final card was.

Your true name left his lips, pouring salt on your wound and you shook your head—wiping your face clean of any emotions. He wanted to see your reaction and you refused to give him the satisfaction. No one got to see you in pain, especially him.

“I didn’t mean to hurt y—shit!” He groaned in pain, falling to his knees and clutching his groin as your leg lowered to the ground.

“Yeah you did,” you said, turning on your heel and leaving him there, now certain that the choice you made all those years ago was the right one in the end.

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x fem!reader #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw #rooster x reader #rooster x you #top gun maverick #my writing

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kalevalakryze · 7 months

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A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Ahsoka Series Pairings: Shin Hati/Sabine Wren Characters: Shin Hati, Sabine Wren, Ahsoka Tano, Huyang, Peridea Bandits, Noti Warnings: Violence, Blood, Betrayal, Near Death Experiences, Collapse, Force Bond(?) Notes: For Whumptober Day 8 Alternate Prompt Prompt: Betrayal Word Count: 2,823 AO3 Link: Here!

Shin did not speak the same languages as the Nomad Bandits, yet when she came to their camp and announced herself, it was in welcome. The warmest welcome they could hope to receive after… everything. They’d supplied everything she needed to travel alongside them, things even her own… Baylan, had provided once, the first time the world had spat her back out on their own. A tent, a bedroll, materials to make her own fire, and a bowcaster to hunt with, including the minimal training it would take to fire the primitive weapon.

She had to grow used to the rancid taste of howlers and Noti after their hunts, had to coerce her own Howler to take what he could get; the planet’s resources were scarce, it was a graveyard, after all.

It wasn’t long before Shin had found herself in an odd sense of leadership with the bandits, the chief looked to her often enough on their hunt for the Noti, as the Force seemed to be consistently pulling her towards it.

The true hunt did not start until the Bandit chief was found deceased among the remains of a Noti camp, lightsaber burns seared through his flesh and a blaster burn slotted into the visor of his helmet; The body was too decayed for them to tell how long it had been, with the wildlife eating him up over the days and the rains washing away much other evidence. Shin had watched the Chimera fly into the atmosphere, had breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge that the Togruta, Mandalorian, and scruffy Jedi were long gone; and yet… Shin had seen Ahsoka kill Marrok, the burns on what was left of the chief’s flesh would have been an exact match to the ones on Marrok, in the seconds she’d seen the smoldering remains, before he had disappeared into nothingness.

That was the day the hunt began for Shin; Hunting Sabine Wren was her purpose, it was all they knew, the last normal they had, and the last mission her Master had given her before he’d… changed.

The Force seemed to be in agreement with the lonesome apprentice, guiding her across the badlands of Peridea in the tracks of the Noti and Jedi, staying just enough behind to stay off their radar. Shin had closed herself off from the force just enough that the pull had felt like basic instinct; convincing herself that abruptly cutting herself off was necessary to keep the blues of the predatory Togruta off of her, to stop the Mandalorian from looking at her again.

The months passed in an exhilarating whirlwind for the young wolf; The Mandalorian’s Hero Complex often had her falling behind the pack to keep up with lagging Noti, giving Shin ample opportunity to attack; reminding them of their only remaining purpose on the graveyard planet.

The night’s hunt hadn’t gone much differently than the others Shin had fallen short on in the last month, returning to camp with less ‘soldiers’ than she’d left with, and waning on their short supply of medical materials to keep the few that did survive alive longer.

The tension in the camp had become palpable, even for the wolf who couldn’t understand, feeling the hostility rise had her on edge more and more, bringing her into seclusion even from the nomads who’d taken her in. When the betrayal came, Shin hadn’t been surprised.

They came for her in the late hours of the night, with the moon high in the sky and weapons at the ready; without the force, and without her saber seeing action in months, they had quickly overwhelmed her. At least, as a jagged blade pierced her stomach and the ground rushed up to meet her, she had a view of the sky.

Shin had to wonder if their home was visible from here, the home where Baylan had promised to never leave, where their routine had never been broken, and where they could always sleep securely, knowing that even in their most suspicious lodgings, they were safe.

Picking a random constellation, Shin thought of home. Her living situation had changed many times over the months, yet her home had only changed once. When she left the apprentice of Ahsoka Tano in a situation similar to her own, when fate had entwined her course so intimately with the Mandalorian, that even she could not disillusion herself of the reality.

In what Shin thought would be their last few agonizing moments, they opened themselves up to the force one last time. Muscles convulsed at the electricity that coursed through their veins, forcing her body from its relaxed state, filling her with the need to move.

Her body was on fire as she shoved herself up and out of the dirt, away from the pool of blood that had seeped from her wounds, away from the corpse of the handful of bandits she’d managed to drop on her scramble from her tent. Each step forward hurt more than the last, but the force persisted, and so did she.

Blood dribbled past their lips, parted with each rattling, wheezing breath, boots dragging in the dirt as she walked. When a cold, wet nose brushed against her arm from the tear in her tunic, her hand reached out to bury in the howler’s fur.

Fenrir whined as he pushed into Shin, winding himself around her until the blonde was collapsing into his side, staining his fur with her blood. Everything started to fade, then, as the wind caught in her hair and the steady thuds of his paws on the earth begged her to sleep, even as the force echoed out, seeming to beg of her just one more minute.

The Howler released a series of urgent barks as his gait slowed, paws tapping against stone as he came to his destination. The snap-hiss of lightsabers activating and the rush of Noti slamming themselves in their crawls was enough to have Shin fighting to open her eyes; she hadn’t come face to face with Sabine in weeks; Maybe the force and Fenrir both knew how she’d wanted to die, and they would grant her this last mercy.

Shin dropped bonelessly from the beast’s back, crumpling in the dirt; the force did not offer the energy to continue as the onset of rigor mortis tried to take hold of her muscles, as if she truly had died when that bladed staff went through her skin, and her brain was coming up with something peaceful to soothe her as she joined the force.

The last thing she saw before her eyes shut was the green of Sabine Wren’s lightsaber, and dark hair pulled back, out of her face, purple still clinging to frayed ends, and the enticing look of fear on her face.

There was no expectation to ever open their eyes again, no stream of consciousness to cling to, but… there was no force, no fulfillment of the cosmic purpose Baylan had preached to them growing up; Another one of his lies?

Warmth ebbed back into her body slowly one day, bleeding into her hands as her world was reignited; it hurt like everything else they could remember, overwhelming in a way that made them wish to hide in their Master’s safety, to block out the vastness of life around them and focus on what they could feel; except…

The fabric on her hands was soft, her gloves were gone, and slender fingers were brushing down the side of her face, the rough, gentle slide of the pad of someone’s thumb caressing over her furrowed brows as they tried to ease what had been another round of muscle spasms in the sickness that had followed healing Shin’s injuries

Shin could not speak or move to give any indication of their growing wakefulness, but they could hear the ambient noises of camplife around them, people (Bandits? No… The Noti…?) going about their nights on the other side of the canvas material. “How is she?” The smooth timber of the Togruta’s voice met her ears, though it did not ignite fear like she was used to; serving more as a reminder of her life, that the thud of her heart in her broken chest was a beacon that she had another chance.

The other person sighed, fingers sliding down Shin’s face; she wished she could lean with it, follow the safety offered blindly; the first home they’d felt in so long. The hand settled on her shoulder next. “Better? I think. Looks like the nightmares stopped for now,”

The rush in her blood was indescribable, like someone was pumping liquid nitrogen and an ignited fuel source into her veins. Sabine Wren did not end her, Shin could not decide how this made her feel.

“Mmm,” The Togruta hummed, footsteps echoing through the Bandit’s bones as she closed the gap, chair creaking as she settled into it. “You can’t move, can you?” “ ‘soka, she’s not gonna be able to answer you,” Sabine argued on her behalf, confusion in her tone as she shifted in the chair.

“Mmm, maybe not yet,” Shin bristled at the woman’s reply; how was she supposed to answer? The force didn’t offer her it’s aid anymore, she’d had a stroke of luck before-

Her finger twitched as a large hand settled on her arm, fear igniting goosebumps across her skin as the woman squeezed, too gentle, too kind after everything.

“The force works in many ways, even when you believe you may not deserve the connection, it never truly leaves you.” Sabine’s weight shifted awkwardly beside her; Shin wished to see the way she knew the Mandalorian’s eyes would roll; Behind her eyelids, Shin was greeted with an image.

Sabine Wren, knees pressing into the thin mattress of a cot, one hand pulling at a string on her pants as her other hand adjusted the blanket covering Shin’s shoulders. They could see themselves from this third perspective, a husk of the person they’d been stepping onto this planet. They had cut their hair dozens of times over the months to combat the sweat, heat, and lack of proper shampoo, dirty blonde hair clung desperately to the dark brown that had come to replace it; someone had brushed their hair and washed the grease out, and the tuft on the back that they hadn’t been able to reach properly had even been fixed.

Blankets covered their body, startling small on the cot. The host of the image moved, giving her a nice view of Sabine’s startled expression as the blankets were shifted away from their body, giving them access to see; a promise that they had been cared for. The clothes they had been supplied with were too big, though the wraps of bandages offered the clearance to keep the baggy pants in place. The dressings were clean, either she’d been here long enough that her wounds had healed enough to no longer risk random spurts of ripped abrasions, or someone had changed them shortly before consciousness found her again.

“What are you…?” Sabine trailed off, reaching to cover Shin back up protectively, Shin could feel the smugness from the Togruta as the view was closed off once more. “Jetti Osik?”

“You’ll get there when you’re ready,” Ahsoka promised, reaching to tuck the side of the blanket under Shin’s arm. “And Shin will move when she’s ready; there is no need to rush healing.”

The next time Shin woke, it was to fist her fingers into a warm fabric that had been draped over her, pulling her from her slumber. Instinctively, the blonde started to turn, rolling onto their side as their knees shifted closer to their chest, trapping their body heat under the many layers that had been placed over them in her sleep.

“Is that going to mess with her injuries?” She could hear Sabine grumble, seemingly on the other side of the room. The fabric was comfortable, warm, and it smelled nicer than anything else on this blasted planet. Shin tucked the material up closer to her nose.

“It will be fine,” Ahsoka promised, close enough to surprise the younger woman.

Silver blue eyes blinked open slowly as the Togruta settled into the bench. The firelight across the tent was painfully bright, as was the view of the moon coming in from the hole cut into the tent to urge the smoke outside. The Mandalorian was knelt in front of the flames, adding tinder to the blaze. Ahsoka’s lips twitched. “Good morning,”

Shin stayed still; they’d read some time ago that Togruta’s were predators, and that some predators, simply freezing, would keep a person from their sights. Their heart thudded in their chest as they stared at Ahsoka, who seemed to be growing more amused by the minute. “Sabine, do you have that canteen on you?”

“Yeah, here-” There was a quiet rustle before Sabine stepped into their field of view. “Shit, hey; you’re awake,” Sabine seemed relieved, breathing out a soft sigh as she twisted the top of the small canteen.

Sabine was the one to help Shin sit up, going as slow as they needed to adjust to the aching pain in her abdomen from the aftermath of her wounds. Fighting to unwind their hands was exhausting, but the Mandalorian stepped in once again to save the day, raising the canteen to Shin's lips and guiding their head back.

There was a desperation and exhaustion as they drank, uncaring about embarrassment, though with the nagging feeling of undeserving having them forcing their head back before they were ready, nose twitching as Sabine idly brushed away a stray drop of water as it ran down her face.

Finally forcing their hands free of the blankets and what they came to realize was a white dyed cloak, Shin managed to reach and take the canteen herself, hands shaking from underuse as they wrapped their fingers around the metal. Their gloves were gone, and the scars all across her hands were poking out sorely, skin clinging to bone, raised white and purple tissue a stark contrast to the dark dirt clinging to the canteen.

“Why am I here?” They questioned after several terse moments of silence. Staring into the darkness of the canteen and the drops of water clinging to the mouth.

“You needed help,” Sabine stated matter-of-factly, moving to stand beside Ahsoka, leaning into the Jedi’s chair and crossing her arms over her chest. Already, The Mandalorian seemed to be rearing up for a fight, one Shin had every intention of delivering, despite the exhaustion that seemed to weigh down on her bones.

“What matters,” Ahsoka was quick to butt in, her elbow pressing into Sabine’s hip sharply. “Is that the Force was not ready for you, and now you are here;”

“You don’t think the Force wanted you to kill me?” Shin spat sourly, nose twitching as Sabine moved to shift the pillows at their back as their shoulders began to droop.

“I think it’s useless to fight about this when you can’t even keep yourself up; just let us help you for fucks sake,” Sabine snipped, placing a firm hand on Shin’s shoulder and guiding the bandit’s body to lay back again, taking the canteen from weak hands.

“You’re more than welcome to leave, if you wish,” Ahsoka offered, facial marking quirking up. Shin bit back her retort, sighing in defeat; They didn’t kill her, she was very much alive, and she was stuck that way, it seemed, at least until she had enough energy to at least keep herself sitting up long enough and awake enough to think up proper responses when the Mandalorian got under her skin.

Turning her head from the Jedi, Shin stared off at the blankets covering her legs, hand knit, with designs of loth-cas, loth-wolves, firebirds, and rebellion emblems emblazoned with care in the thick fabric. Shin said nothing as they watched her, only narrowing her eyes with the more time that passed.

Eventually, Ahsoka stood, hand falling heavy on Shin’s shoulder as she passed. “Give it some time, your body needs to heal, and you need to offer your mind time as well; I can and will help you, so long as you let us.”

Later, as Sabine and Ahsoka regathered in the tent with bowls of real food, Shin scarfing down properly cooked meat ravenously as the two Jedi conversed between themselves, the Bandit allowed herself just a moment of selfish thought; the bandits didn’t want her, her Master didn’t want her, she didn’t want herself… but Ahsoka and Sabine both, despite everything, were making moves like they wanted her…

It was… nice, to feel wanted.

#whumptober2023 #no.8 #alternate #betrayal #star wars #ahsoka series #fanfiction #betrayal tw #injury tw #near death tw #major character injury tw #violence tw #blood tw #wolfwren #shin hati #sabine wren #ahsoka tano #peridea

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breezypunk · 7 months

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Welcome to my blog! Here you can find all the things I post about (and I post a lot, it's a blessing but mostly a curse). You've been warned.

I'm a 20 something year old whose addicted to caffeine and cyberpunk 2077. You will find mostly CP77 content on this blog, but I also post Good Omens, which is my comfort show. We also shit post here. You get a little bit of everything when you come to my page. (You're sure to leave with a chronic case of whiplash).

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TAGS: OC's

Here are the links to all my tags. Starting from my most used and beloved tags.

My Cyberpunk 2077 OC, Vaughn Leblanc. He is as precious to me as precious comes, he's all over my page, he is my number one, my main squeeze, my kiddo. ♥

2. My Cyberpunk 2077 OC, Maggie Borden. My best girl, and while I do have a few Fem V's running around NC, Maggie will always have my heart.

3. My Cyberpunk 2077 OC, Layn AKA Mercy. Originally created for mod refit purposes, she quickly grew on me and I've loved her dearly since. She's also the only OC who can put up with Johnny Silverhand, and also put him in his place.

4. My Cyberpunk 2077 OC, JV AKA Jared V. I wanted another male OC, and JV kind of appeared in my lap and I fell in love instantly. He's around, lurking in the shadows a lot, but he's there. ;)

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TAGS: Ships

My Cyberpunk 2077 Ship, otp: Golden Hues. Originally called "disaster boyfriends" and for good reason. I refuse to tag that old ship name xD and don't you go looking for it either. Romantic partners, Goro Takemura & my OC Vaughn Leblanc. Running the Badlands together like the coolest nomads you ever did see. (My ship heavily leans Nomad Goro, with some occasional downtime in the city). My #1 ship, and my most cherished ship yet. They own my heart entirely. ♥

2. My Cyberpunk 2077 Ship, otp: Rebels With A Cause. Romantic partners, Johnny Silverhand & my OC Mercy. I don't have a whole lot in their ship tag right now, hoping to change that soon with my growing love for Johnny. These two are insane (affectionate).

3. My Cyberpunk 2077 Ship, otp: Knives Out. A fairly new ship involving Patricia from Maelstrom & my OC, Maggie Borden. Also not many photos, but they will be appearing more often very soon ^_^ These two can be seen around Northside, probably covered in blood, probably carrying at least 2 knives on them at all times. Opposites also couldn't attract anymore than with these two.

TAGS: Mods

Here you can find the link to my google drive where all my mods lie peacefully. These are way older, mainly replacer mods, some decor/prop stuff. The google drive is no longer being updated as I don't make replacer mods anymore, but it's there in case you want to go snooping ;p

Here is the link to my nexus page, where all my current mods are, up and active and partying away.

Lastly, in collaboration with Anrui, my modding partner, all of our mods can be found here. I've linked our atelier, there you can find everything we've made so far. Plenty more will be added :)

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COMMISSION INFO:

Screenshot commissions are open indefinitely. Here you can find the info that will tell you everything you need to know, including example shots, just so you have an idea of what my style is and if you're interested. :)

Examples: (Full size on google doc).

More misc. tags under the cut ♥

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TAGS: AU's

I've made a few AU's involving Vaughn & Goro. I've had so much fun making them, and more may be coming. But here are my favorites.

Zombie AU: Fallout 2077

Corpo AU: Omerta/Vampire AU

Street kid AU: Dreamer

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TAGS: Picrews & Tag Games

Picrews

Tag Games

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TAG: Random Moments Series

A small series of short photosets consisting of Vaughn and Goro's daily lives and how it brings them closer together. ♥

Random Moments tag

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Tag: Photostories

I'm a huge whore for photostories, I make a lot, it gives me joy and it puts my creativity to the test. Some are short, some are long, but they all have special meaning to me. I'm super proud of all of these and I can't wait to completely fill this tag up.

Tag: Breezy's Photostories (note: I made more than what is tagged, sometimes I forget to tag it with this, oops..)

If I left out anything I will be sure to edit. I just really wanted to properly make this post, mainly for me, but for anyone else who might be interested.

#personal #tag: breezy's diary #cyberpunk 2077 #tags #oc: vaughn leblanc #goro takemura #oc: mercy #oc: maggie borden #johnny silverhand #maelstrom patricia #tag: shippy stuff #otp: golden hues #otp: knives out #otp: rebels with a cause #my stuff #-#this was long overdue #I'm gonna try to make my tumblr perty but I highly doubt that's gonna work xD #long post

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troveofcmuses · 7 months

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Hello, welcome to Troveofcmuses!!!

My name is Feyre (she/her, 30+, pst). A selective independent multimuse that contains muses from A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, Bridgerton, Grishaverse, TVD, The Originals, Sanditon, Twilight, Zodiac Academy, Into the Badlands, & Greek Mythology/Touch of Darkness. I also have two OCs from Harry Potter & ASOIAF/HOTD. Side note: I do not support JK Rowling!

Activity: Blog activity is low, but I am here working on stuff when I am able.

I am still working on my carrd (slow due to working on three). So in the meantime, my muses are listed below. If you have any questions, just reach out and ask--I would be happy to answer anything. For now, the only rules that need to be followed are: reblog from the source, no harassing for replies, and messages need to be on Discord. I will block people who break these rules...

places to find me: @brideofcdragons || @reclusiveduke

Sadly, I don't have a carrd yet, and most likely won't. This is a list of my muses, with some background.

ASOIAF: Jon Snow (book only; bisexual. fc: Timothee Chalamet) || Jorah Mormont ( book & show | Fc: Iain Glen; younger version Sam Heughan) || Missandei (books & show) || Robb Stark (show and book; bisexual) ||

HOTD: Rhaenyra Targaryen (book and show; bisexual) || Shiera Seastar (fc: Diane Kruger) ||

Bridgerton: Daphne Bridgerton (book & show) || Eloise Bridgerton (book & show; bisexual) || Kate Sharma/ Sheffield (book & show) || Lady Danbury (book & show) || Violet Bridgerton (book & show) || King George III (book & show) || Queen Charlotte (book & show) || Gareth St. Clair (book; fc: Henry Golding) ||

Grishaverse: Alina Starkov (book & show) || Inej Ghafa (book & show) ||Tolya Yul-Bataar (book & show) || (note: I have not read all of Shadow & Bone--I am on book 2. I also just started Six of Crows--a lot of background will be from the show and my own creation).

TVD: Stefan Salvatore (book & show) || Katherine Pierce (book & show; bisexual) || Bonnie Bennett (book & show)

The Originals: Elijah Mikaelson || Rebekah Mikaelson (bisexual) ||

Twilight: Alice Cullen (book & movie; bisexual) || Edward Cullen (book & movie; fc: Robert Pattinson or Douglas Booth depending on preference, regency era: Corey Mylchreest) || Bella Swan ( book & movie; fc: Abigail Cowen) ||Carlisle Cullen ( book & movie; fc: Matt Lanter) || Esme Cullen (book & movie; fc: Rachel Brosnahan) ||

ACOTAR: Nesta Archeron (fc: Imogen Poots) || Feyre Archeron (fc: Danielle Rose Russell) || Rhysand (fc: Toni Mahfud) || Cassian (fc Can Yaman) ||

Throne of Glass: Manon Blackbeak (fc: Nyane Lebajoa; bisexual) || Dorian Havilliard (Evans Nikopoulos) ||

Sanditon: Charlotte Heywood (book & show) || Alexander Colbourne (show) || Sidney Parker (book & show)

Greek Mythology/Touch of Darkness series: Persephone Rosi (fc: Holliday Grainger) || Hecate (fc: Olivia Cheng; bisexual) ||

The Witcher: Yennefer of Vengerberg (book, show, & videogame; bisexual) || Cirilla of Cintra/ Ciri (book, show, & videogame; bisexual) ||

Fourth Wing: Violet Sorrengail (fc: Kaya Scodelario) || Xaden Riorson (fc: Thomas Doherty) ||

Harry Potter/Hogwarts Legacy: Narcissa Black Malfoy (book & show; fc: Young Narcissa—Emilia Schule. Older Narcissa —Helen McCrory. ||

Original Characters: Leyton Mormont (asoiaf/got; fc: Leo Suter. Background: Son of Jorah Mormont & Lynesse Hightower; sellsword). ||

Message me if you want more details about certain muses.

Drafts: ✨asks: ✨

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allamericansbitch · 1 year

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Hi everyone! Here’s the newest addition to my Creator Shoutout Series (december 4 - december 12)! For info about the series, I explained it in the first post here, but generally, it’s to show appreciate to editors and their creations that i love from the past week. To track this series or look at previous shoutouts, please check out the tag on my blog *creatorshoutouts. Have a great week everyone!

wednesday: season one epiosdes gifset by @seance

taylor swift: dear reader gifset by @dearreader

f.r.i.e.n.d.s: 1x08 gifset by @birthdaysentiment

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @xiexielians

wednesday: wednesday and enid gifset by @shegos

taylor swift: sounds of the season vinyl design by @threads-of-gold

lucy dacus: night shift graphic by @promqueendyke

wednesday: season one gifset by @vanessacarlysle

taylor swift: midnight rain x champagne problems gifset by @cametotheshowinsd

halsey: badlands soundwaves graphic by @heyanobody

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @nikolatexla

stranger things: nancy and robin gifset by @hopemikelson

taylor swift: haunted lyric parallels gifset by @heystephcn

little women (2019) gifset by @trainstationgoodbye

stranger things: eleven and mike gifset by @stydixa

taylor swift: hands gifset by @soaheadofthecurve

wednesday icons by @petersevan

stranger things: nancy and robin gifset by @hopemikelson

taylor swift: all too well the short film gifset by @midnightsdeluxe

selena gomez: tonight show gifset by @chriswevans

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @lemoncupcake

studio ghibli gifset by @starsbythepcketful

taylor swift: delicate gifset by @jonismitchell

wednesday: ‘every friend group should have’ gifset by @aryastaark

stranger things: robin and nancy gifset by @nancywheelor

taylor swift: lavender haze gifset by @antoniosvivaldi

stranger things gifset by @kaliprasad

halsey: studio albums gifset by @reputation

taylor swift: all too well the short film bts gifset by @chriswevans

stranger things: nancy and robin gifset by @ririvilliams

wednesday: season one episodes gifset by @jenna--ortega

taylor swift: midnights graphic by @ca11itwhatyouwant

pride & prejudice (2005) gifset by @buffysummers

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @thatwasthenightthingschanged

paramore: the news music video gifset by @aleagueoftheirown

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @newrcmantlcs

stranger things gifset by @worldoffeelings

taylor swift: evermore anniversary gifset by @cametotheshowinsd

succession gifset by @arthurpendragonns

wednesday: edin sinclair gifset by @este

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @usermaroon

halsey: if i can’t have love, i want power gifset by @h-f-k

taylor swift: welcome to new york gifset by @rogerhealey

paramore: the news music video gifset by @paramored

stranger things: season four gifset by @mistletoesteve

pearl (2022) gifset by @florencipugh

taylor swift: no body no crime x dear reader parallels edit by @missegyptiana

paramore: the news art by @paralol

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @melodramas

phoebe bridgers: smoke signals edit by @thingsmk1120sayz

succession: shiv and tom gifset by @indistinctmumblings

taylorswift: evermore + musicboard reviews gifset by @thatwasthenightthingschanged

halsey: lilith performance at the game awards gifset by @catdadeddie

best of 2022 gifset by @goncharoffs

taylor swift: evermore anniversary gifset by @userspeaknowtv

palm springs gifset by @justaleapoffaith

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @felicitysmoak

wednesday: official playlist gifset by @ririvilliams

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @taylorallisons

halsey: lilith gifset by @h-f-k

f.r.i.e.n.d.s: ross and rachel gifset by @buffysummers

taylor swift: birthday gifset by @rogerhealey

taylor swift: you’re on your own kid graphic by @theman

the 1975: being funny in a foreign language gifset by @madeline-kahn

taylor swift: back to december headers by @thatwasthenightthingschanged

taylor swift: midnights as penguin classic book covers edit by @dangerous-swift

paramore: rose-colored boy x the news music videos gifset by @userparamore

taylor swift: lavender haze edit by @moonlithour

taylor swift: evermore art by @architectdrawingtheplans

#*creatorshoutouts

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blackfemmecharacterdependency · 2 years

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BFCD Black Women in Horror/Monsters & More Masterlist

Black Women in Horror | Final Girls | Slayers | BFCD Monsters & More Masterlists

Izzy Bit |

Old Woman Josie Welcome to Nightvale | Olivia Two Sentence Horror Stories: Teeth

Queenie American Horror Story

Wilhamena Mettle OK Let’s Be Heroes |

Yvonne A Nightmare on Elm Street Series |

Zafrina Twilight | Zoe Head Count |

Children in Horror | BFCD Family Friendly Spooky Season |

*List will be updated throughout October*

#Black Women in Horror #Children in Horror #long post #BFCD Spooky Season #October #BFCD Masterlist #BFCD Black Women in Horror Masterlist #black female characters #monster girls #slayers

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fyorina · 10 days

Note

aaaa miss carina!! (i hope i used that right, is it alright?) i adore badlands! i always saw your posts come my way but iiii… was just very shy of interacting with you, but oh gosh, i adore your series! it’s like this perfect concoction and oh the writing and the characterization and the details! i’m so in love, it’s not a joke anymore.

umm, that’s all!! i just really, really love the way you write, it inspires me to jot down my ideas (and hope they’re coherent) while i read your works again!! hope you have a lovely day/night/afternoon!! will be going back to my shell now aaa this was so weird im so sorry-

hellooooooo miss lia!!! (it's perfectly alright! hehe i hope its ok i hit you back with it :D) PLSSS don't be shy!! i love talking to ppl, i am the biggest yapper in the world if u give me an opportunity to talk i will NOT shut up HAHAH

but THANK YOU im blushing n kicking my feet right now and it literally makes me so warm to hear that it's inspiring you to jot down your own ideas - if u ever decide to post them, definitely tag me!! (◕‿◕)♡ i hope you also have a lovely day!! and don't worry PLS this wasn't weird at all i thought it was so sweet, ur welcome here any time <3333

#ᡣ𐭩 carina’s love letters #ᡣ𐭩 from user: soleelia

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themerriweathermage · 11 months

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Playing With Fire

Summary: Bren gets ready to attend Nix and Sunny's engagement party, with high hopes that everything will run smoothly. But this is the Badlands, and as soon as he gets to the party, he knows that some of the barons have come to play with fire.

Pairing(s): Sunny X Nix, It's Complicated (Quinn X Bren)

POV: 1st Person (Bren), 3rd Person

Warnings: Canon-typical Violence

Co-creator: @i-drink-and-i-write-fics

Divider Credit: firefly-graphics

I grumbled out a sigh, watching the scenery pass on the 611, on my way to pick up the suit that Hassan had made for Nix’s engagement party. Sebastian flopped into the seat across from me. “You sound like you’d rather be doing literally anything else.”

“Parties aren’t my thing.” Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly.

“No? You seem to handle a crowd well.”

“Great.” I replied dryly. “It’s too many people, too many sounds, and too much expectation for me to act a certain way.” I looked away. “I’m happy for Nix and Sunny. But probably just as irked about this particular tradition as my sister is.” I dragged my attention away from the window and onto Sebastian. “You have any particular plans for the party?”

Sebastian shrugged. “I half figured I would be on duty that night.”

“Oh? Did Sunny ask you to stay at the Estate?” I asked.

“No, actually.” Sebastian replied. “Though he did mention something about you needing an escort... potentially. So I just figured I’d be in uniform.” I wrinkled my nose.

“You can wear something nice, you know. You have my permission to do so.”

“Oh, I don’t own anything too fancy. At least, not in your house colors.”

“You tell me this as we go to the barony of textiles. Get yourself something nice. I’ll pay.” I replied. Sebastian’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“That’s very kind of you, but I’m not sure I should impose.”

“It’s fine, Sebastian, really.” I murmured, taking a minute to get up and stretch my legs. It wouldn’t be long now that we would be pulling into the station, and I needed to be prepared for a little more time on horseback.

I was one of the first people off the train, heading down the line to gather Morroch and stepping into the transportation car when I noticed that one of the horses was already saddled. I was curious, peeking under the saddle to reveal the bright blue saddle pad with a silver butterfly embroidered on it. I didn’t quite entirely realize that we were traveling with Minerva over here. Regardless of this, I gathered up Morroch, leading him and Sebastian’s horse out of the car.

“Well, well, well...” Minerva greeted me, standing on the platform waiting for her own horse, and Gaius Chau standing beside her. “Look what the 611 dragged in.” I gave her a smile.

“Here to gather your dress for Nix’s party?” I asked. “Minerva. Gaius.”

“Baron Bren.” Gaius replied in greeting.

“Just Bren, Gaius.” I reminded him, passing off the reins to Sebastian and pulling myself to Morroch’s back. “If I’d known we’d had company, I would have invited you to travel with me.”

“It’s not such a long trip anymore.” Minerva replied. “But I’m sure we can join you on the way back.”

I wondered if it was just a lucky coincidence, or if there was something more to the both of us being here at the same time. But, I didn’t think to question it too much, just following Sebastian down the pathways laid out for us.

“If you want to talk with Lord Gaius, I’m sure I can find something else to occupy my time.” Sebastian teased. I just shrugged. I didn’t really know how to describe it but ever since the Summit with Quinn, I’d just felt a little bit off, like there was an important part of me that was just... missing. I hadn’t particularly found myself in a mood to be sociable in the last few weeks, and talking candidly with Sebastian on the 611 was the most I’d found my spirits lifted in some time.

We walked side by side into the town, tying our horses to the hitching post, and making our way to the tailor. “Baron Bren!” Hassan greeted us kindly. “Sebastian.”

“Baron Hassan.”

“And it’s just Bren, Baron.” I replied.

“Hassan, then.” He extended the same courtesy to me. “Welcome. I’ve been expecting your arrival, yours and--” He glanced behind me. “I don’t suppose you came in with Baroness Minerva?”

“I did actually, but they’ll be a few minutes behind me.” I replied, following him inside where he proudly displayed the suit. I ran my hand down the deep rich blue fabric, admiring the suit. Gods, it was beautiful but I couldn’t describe how much I hated this kind of finery. But it wasn’t my party and I wasn’t going to complain.

“To your liking?” Hassan asked.

“I think it’s marvelous.” I replied, hopefully convincingly. “Actually, I was wondering, would you be able to whip up something for Sebastian in my house colors? I can pay the extra fee.” Hassan blinked, looking at me and then to Sebastian standing behind me.

“Of course, Bren.” He replied, going to find a tailor to take measurements.

“You look less than thrilled.” Sebastian murmured.

“It’s... not really my style, but it’s also not my party.” I replied, turning to browse the racks of assorted jewelry, expert craftsmanship traded from Broadmore’s jewelers and artisans, while a tailor took measurements of Sebastian.

“Will you be wearing a weapon?” Hassan asked, and Sebastian nodded. “Don’t forget to add that into the repertoire.”

“What’s this about wearing a weapon to a party?” Minerva asked.

“What, like you don’t think Chau is going to show up and crash my sister’s engagement?” I asked. “Forgive me if I’m out of line, but somehow I doubt you’d show up to this kind of party unarmed.” Minerva held a finger to her lips.

“A lady can’t tell all her secrets.” She replied. “And really, if you think Chau is showing up, I can tell you, it’s not her I’d be worried about.”

“Ugh.” I groaned. “I hope he doesn’t. He has a tendency to bring drama wherever he goes and I’d like my sister’s party to remain drama-free.”

“Of course. That’s why you’re bringing an escort, right?” Minerva asked. “A well-dressed escort, no less.” I turned and Sebastian was draped in rich blue and silver fabrics, probably wondering what he’d just gotten himself into. I dropped a golden necklace on the counter, the pendant carved into a crystal shape.

“Adding a little spice never hurt.” I teased.

“You have a good eye for this type of thing.” A voice sounded behind me. Gaius. I had almost forgotten that he was here. He’d been so quiet, but I suppose he was just waiting his turn.

I turned to face him, leaning back against the counter, and my jaw almost dropped because apparently he hadn’t just been waiting his turn. Apparently, they were still fitting him in an absolutely gorgeous dark purple suit that brought out his features even more than normal.

“Well...” I started, almost speechless. “You certainly clean up nice.” Gaius chuckled.

“Got any spice to share with me?” He asked. I raised an eyebrow slightly.

“You could try adding a golden trim to the jacket and instead a vest substituting a corset.” He gave me a little bit of a bewildered look, but I must have given the tailor an idea because the flurry of activity around him suddenly paused.

“I don’t exactly have the assets for a corset...” Gaius started.

“No, he has a point.” Hassan murmured. “You have a nice build for that sort of thing. It will only take a few adjustments to the vest. And you? No gems or jewels for you today, Bren?” I chuckled.

“No upstaging my sister at her own party.” I replied. “Not unless you have a nice hat for me.”

“I’ll just have to see what I can do about that then.” Hassan replied with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll have it delivered with Sebastian’s suit, no?” I only shook my head and gave him a soft chuckle, paying him what I owed, and stepping out, needing to get some air.

It wasn’t long that I was joined, but it wasn’t by the person I was expecting. I turned, expecting Sebastian but getting Gaius instead.

“Join me for a late lunch?” He asked. “Since it seems that Sebastian is occupied and my baroness has a few things to requisition?”

“That would be nice.” I murmured, taking his offered arm and following his lead. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to see you traveling with Minerva today.”

“You didn’t think I’d go to the party?” He asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really felt very sociable in the last few weeks. Working at Gideon’s was particularly draining.” I replied. Gaius chose not to comment on the obvious, getting us a table at the tavern and ordering something for us to share. “This is nice.”

“I question your decision to put me in a corset, but yes, I suppose this is nice.” Gaius teased.

“Hey, you’re the one who asked.” I replied. “You have a nice figure. A corset vest will suit you nicely, I think.”

“It’s nice of you to do this for Nix. I’ll admit, as baron, I thought you would insist otherwise. The suit, it doesn’t seem to be up your alley.” I barked out a dry laugh.

“Did the flowy cloak give it away?” I asked. “I tend to stick to what I know, and what I know I like. And besides, I like the way that it weighs down on my shoulders.” Gaius tilted his head to the side curiously. “It helps with my anxiety.”

“I would have never known. You handle yourself with such grace.” I nearly snorted.

“I have to be the least graceful person I know.” I retorted.

“But--” Gaius started.

“I think perhaps you just aren’t around enough to know the man behind the mask.”

“So your graceful behavior is that of a baron, is what you are saying. Would it be presumptuous of me to tell you that I’d like to get to know the man behind the baron?” Gaius asked. I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Perhaps you should come to House Enduring sometime.” I replied carefully.

“Perhaps I should.”

When I’d left Gaius with those words, I didn’t expect to see him show up on the front porch the afternoon of Nix’s party, just as I was heading out with Sebastian as my escort, both of us sharply dressed.

I opened the door before Gaius could knock and was momentarily rendered quite speechless. It seemed that my suggestion had quite paid off, and it took me a minute to regain my composure.

“Nice hat.” Gaius commented softly.

“You look marvelous. But I thought you were going with Minerva.”

“Actually,” Gaius looked a little sheepish, “I was told to come ask you.” Sebastian gave me a look, amused.

“How about I leave you two be?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I mean, I don’t doubt Gaius’ fighting capabilities, but an escort would still be nice. I’m not about to complain about having two dashing men at my side.” I replied, leaving them both red-cheeked at the compliment, making my way to the station where the 611 was running her overtime. Nix and Sunny had already gone ahead to take a tour of the grounds, which left me, Lydia, Sebastian, and now Gaius making ourselves comfortable for the trip ahead.

Lydia gave me a look as Gaius found a seat, pulling me back. “You didn’t tell me you had a date for this.”

“I didn’t know I had one.” I replied. “I was taking Sebastian as my armed escort, but I won’t complain with what I’ve been given.”

As we were escorted to the grounds of Rojas’ manor, I noticed one of the stablehands having trouble with a horse, and turned to Gaius. “Excuse me a moment, will you?” I asked, but not waiting for an answer either, jogging over to the stablehand and grabbing a hold of the bridle.

“Easy there, Valiant.” I murmured, taking the saddle and the bit and bridle off and putting on a halter and lead rope instead, giving him a chance to calm down on his own. When he could come to me, and put his nose under my hand, I knew he could be handled by the others. And then his ears pricked forward at the sound of kissy noises and I saw that Sebastian had somehow charmed an apple from someone and was holding it out for him to sample.

Valiant’s attention occupied, I gestured the stablehand over to brush him out. “What are these marks from?” Gaius asked, reaching out to touch the marks left behind on his when I grabbed his wrist in warning.

“He doesn’t know you.” I murmured.

“Saving yourself a bite, I see.” Rojas approached behind Gaius and Sebastian.

“The rochir himself.” Rojas gave me a smile at the compliment and leaned against the fence, looking at the marks on Valiant’s side.

“Those are the marks of a man who doesn’t know what good horsemanship is.” Rojas replied. “If I weren’t the baron, and the man who owns this horse not also a baron, I wouldn’t consider myself above petty horse thievery.”

“Well I am the baron, and I don’t give a shit about the man who owns this horse. After all, the Badlands thinks I’ve stolen everything else from him: why don’t I just add horse thievery to the list?” I asked sarcastically. Sebastian snorted.

Even Rojas cracked a smile at that, shaking his head. “You should probably get going. Your sister has been looking to make sure you got here safely. And I’ll have my Clippers make a patrol of the grounds. He may not be invited to the dinner, but perhaps he can be intercepted before he makes it to the party.”

“You have my eternal thanks.” I murmured, brushing myself off and being offered both Gaius’ and Sebastian’s arms. I raised an eyebrow and wondered if they wanted me to pick one or the other, and then didn’t I didn’t care. “Don’t mind if I do.” I murmured cheekily, taking both offered arms.

“Has anybody ever told you you’re cheeky?” Sebastian asked. “You could have said no.”

“I’m comfortable where I am.” I replied, following the escort into the back gardens. Rojas had certainly outdone himself. It was almost like walking something straight out of a fairytale.

“You’re late.” Waldo called out, sitting around with Sunny, Nix, and Minerva.

“Fashionably late, might I add.” Minerva teased.

“There was a slight incident at the gates,” I replied. “Involving a horse.”

“I thought you were going to say involving Quinn.” Sunny muttered.

“It is my sincere and genuine hope that that will not happen.” I replied.

“You and me both.” Nix murmured, taking the offered seat as more guests began to fill in the backyard. I caught eyes with Rojas as we sat down to eat and he shook his head subtly, looking in the direction of where his Regent was standing, and I nearly choked on my drink. Because Esme was standing there with a cattle branding tool in her hand, rather idly heating it up over an open flame and inspecting the red hot grasshopper brand. I would hate to be the man that came uninvited to a party and ran into her.

With dinner served, all parties moved inside for the announcement of Nix and Sunny’s engagement, for some drinking and some dancing. It seemed like the coast was clear and I was just beginning to relax when Rojas announced their engagement, and then I heard it.

“From a Regent to a Captain and marrying a thieving whore.” My jaw tensed. “What a disgrace.” The crowd parted to let Quinn through. Damn it. But he came in alone, overconfident in his ability to charm a crowd.

“Odd choice of dying words,” Nix replied smoothly, “Especially since you weren’t invited.”

Rojas gave me a sincerely apologetic look, and cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t have to be. As long as the event is not being held in a territory that has banned the Baron, anyone has an automatic invite.”

“That information would have been useful earlier.” Nix growled. Oops. I suppose I had put a little too much hope into thinking Rojas’ soldiers would have been able to find and detain him. Either that or he was better at hiding than I thought he was.

“I couldn’t resist a party,” Quinn offered a smile, rare, but it was more of a smirk than a smile.

“I’m not surprised you came. You thrive on people hating you. It’s why you’re alone.” One could have heard a pin drop at Nix’s words, everyone watching and waiting with bated breath, and Quinn’s eyes went wide at her words. It was no secret that our baronies had been on the brink of war with each other, but I’m not so sure that everyone else was aware of what else had happened in the last few weeks.

He was alone. No escort. No date. No nothing but him and his sword. And his horse, but if he still had a horse at the end of the week, I’d be surprised. And then his face burned bright red, and I couldn’t help but hiss a warning in Nix’s direction.

“Nix!”

There was no play to the emotion on Quinn’s face. I watched his eyes harden and his hand reach for the sword at his waist, pulling it out and leveling it in her direction. And then there was Sunny, standing in between the two, his sword meeting Quinn’s.

“If you even get within five feet of my fiancee, I will personally drag you outside to Meraxes.” Sunny growled, anger evident on his form. Quinn met Sunny’s eyes and then looked over his shoulder to Nix.

“Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor. A dragon is not a slave and your former Regent is about to become valzȳrys hen zaldrīzes. The Dragon’s Husband. So I would choose your next actions wisely.” Nix murmured. And then everyone heard it, the low rumble that rolled right on through the ballroom. Meraxes. And surely Quinn would not be fool enough to challenge the dragon... again.

He finally sheathed his blade and walked away, but not before his expression gave it away that he was not pleased. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and realized that Sebastian had stopped mingling during that entire affair to be at my side, his sword drawn and ready to defend me.

“I think I need a drink.” I eyed the bar where Quinn was sulking with a glass of whiskey and grumbled.

“I’ll go shoo him away.” Sebastian replied, making his way over there. I shivered under Quinn’s gaze when Sebastian made it clear that he was to move on, and then he scowled, anger in more than one way glinting in his eyes.

“I believe you said something about a drink?” Gaius asked, offering me a glass of wine as I tore myself away from Quinn’s jealous look.

“Yes, thank you.” I murmured as Gaius planted himself in front of me, blocking Quinn’s view. “You’re putting a target on your back, you know.”

“You look like you needed a rescue.” I took a sip of the wine, savoring the sweet flavor.

“It’s appreciated actually.” We moved to the side of the ballroom so as to not be in the others’ way when the dancing began. I could see that Lydia had convinced Sunny and Nix into a dance and given up after one before coming to poke us about it.

“You should dance.” Lydia prodded.

“You know I have two left feet.” I replied.

“Sunny and Nix danced.” She retorted. I rolled my eyes good naturedly, downing the rest of my drink and setting the glass aside.

“Will you excuse me for a moment?” I asked Gaius. “My Regent is demanding a dance.” Lydia protested as I led her to the dance floor, falling in line with the others dancing.

“This isn’t what I meant and you know it,” Lydia chided, but smiling regardless as I spun her around.

“Anything to see you smile, Lydia.” I replied, finishing the dance and gracefully bowing out as the song ended.

“I am quite certain that she was talking about us.” Gaius handed another, notably full, glass of wine.

“Oh, I know she was.” We found a little bit of a secluded corner to take for ourselves, away from the busy chatter of the ballroom. “But there is an absolute one hundred percent chance that Quinn would try to steal me as a dance partner from under your nose. I think he’d rather face a den of wildcats than do that to Lydia. And besides, really, I am not coordinated enough to dance.”

“You shouldn’t have to watch your back from him.” Gaius frowned. “I wish he hadn’t come.”

“I also wish your sister hadn’t come but oh... such wishes are wasted.” I muttered, seeing Juliet and Broadmore mingling in the crowd. “You know, as much as she and Quinn do seem to hate each other, they have the same penchant for causing drama. Are we sure they don’t meet up for whiskey once a month and exchange ideas?”

“I think my sister wouldn’t be caught dead drinking the same thing Quinn does, let alone be caught alone in the same room as him. And I’m not entirely sure Quinn would walk out of that room if they were alone in it together, in all honesty.” I snorted. “The only person that man is charming to is himself.” And then Gaius glanced in my direction and gave me a sheepishly apologetic look. “No offense.”

I shrugged. “It is what it is.” I tracked Juliet across the room as she made her way to the happy couple, hoping against my better instincts that things weren’t about to come to a fight. Especially after she gestured in our direction. For a good minute, it looked like things were going smoothly, until I watched Juliet backhand my sister and my jaw actually dropped. It was almost instinct how quick I felt the armor crawl up my back and right down my nose, scales dusting my cheeks and throat.

When Nix hit the pillar, I growled, feeling fire rise in my chest, but still frozen to my spot, rooted in fear that somehow overrode the feelings of anger. She was hardly defenseless with Dark Sister, but even I could tell she was disoriented and unable to defend herself from the Clippers closing in. Before I could shake myself out of my stupor, I heard Sunny growl-- the kind of feral growl that would make anyone second guess themselves-- “Step away from her!”

And then he had punched his way through Chau’s men and hoisted Nix over his shoulder, setting her down halfway across the room in the clutches of Rojas and Minerva, and he was right back in the fray, sword drawn and ready to go to war for his mate.

Before they could get into it, I watched as Nix pulled out Dark Sister. Oh, I knew now, someone was in for a nasty surprise.

“She’s a whore and unfit to be a baroness!”

Sunny snarled again. “I’ll have your tongue for insulting my fiancee!” Nix lifted Dark Sister and swung down at an angle, severing the clipper’s head right in half. The Valyrian steel cut cleanly and the body dropped as the top of the head spun away. Everyone looked at her in shock.

“He can keep his tongue,” Nix huffed as she twirled the sword. “Who’s next?” The chatter of the room had completely died out and everyone’s attention was on her and her blood-spattered look. Even Sunny looked completely taken off guard, but I don’t think anyone had really seen her use Dark Sister to its full potential.

Finally, Broadmore, who’s attention was glued to Dark Sister, snarled, “Where did you get that blade?”

“Old Valyria. Standard issue for dragon riders.”

“You don’t deserve such a weapon!”

From my vantage point, I could see the contemplation on Quinn’s face. She was only one woman but he’d have to go through Sunny to get to her. And if he managed to get through Sunny, he was going to have to get through me.

��Then come get it!” Nix growled, moving into a fight stance, and Sunny fell back to her side, his own sword at the ready. Broadmore advanced with his sword drawn, and Quinn behind him. Really?

Oh, I was offended. Well, I was more than offended. I was fucking pissed. I needed this man to fear for his life right now without scaring a whole ballroom of people. So I shoved down my Wrath and focused on just changing one part, my tail curling around Gaius’ feet in a warning rattle.

I watched Nix recognize the sound and glance in my direction, and then Quinn stopped and also looked in my direction. And he came face to face with the parts of me that he probably still hadn’t reckoned with. I knew that my eyes had changed, pupils contracted into thin slits and that I was giving him an entirely predatory stare, shaking the rattle in warning. Gaius’ hand pressed into my chest and he stepped forward, hand on his sword hilt, but Quinn had already swallowed rather audibly and was backing away, sheathing his sword.

But the others, not so much. The others had no idea what had frightened Quinn enough to make him back away and still pressed the advantage against Nix. Until Nix reminded Juliet what had happened last time she’d pulled a sword on my sister. Then and only then did Juliet give the command for her Clippers to back off. And then there was one. And Broadmore no longer had the muscle behind him for backup.

So Nix stepped up and leveled her sword at Broadmore’s neck, not close enough to hurt him, just close enough to threaten him.

“Your move, Old Man Broadmore. Do you think you have it in you to steal a sword beyond your abilities?”

Now that the others had backed down, Rojas regained control over the situation. “Enough! Chau, Broadmore, you are done for the evening! Gather whomever you brought and leave. Tonight!” He ordered, turning to Quinn, who seemed to still be in shock from what he’d been shown. “You too, you walking disaster. Take your drama out of my barony.”

I took in a deep breath, letting go of the partial shift. Part of me couldn’t believe that had just happened; the other part was still broiling with anger. I turned to Gaius. “I’m sorry for doing this, in advance, but um,” I took off my hat. “Can you hold this? I’ll be right back.”

And I didn’t wait for an answer, following the retreating barons out.

“Quinn!” This was one of the times I knew I had to make my voice carry, and carry it fucking did, because he flinched at the sound, turning around to face me just as my fist crashed into his jaw, making him stumble backwards in surprise. His hand flew to his cheek in shock and he looked in disdain at the blood wetting his fingers when he drew his hand away. My armor hadn’t entirely faded with all the adrenaline running through my system, and it didn’t seem likely to fade soon. “You are an infuriating, miserable, lonely old man!” I snarled.

He opened his mouth to say something and I cut him off, coming down the steps and shoving him backwards, both hands on his chest when I pushed. “Gods forbid you suffer the same agony you’ve put hundreds, if not thousands, of people through in the same silence and complacency that you require everyone else to suffer in!” I snapped, watching him try to find his footing as I continued to approach. I knew the other barons were watching me, and they could have been waiting for an opportunity but I didn’t care right now.

“You could have done us all a favor, you could have done me a favor,” I appealed to us, if but for a moment, because I knew I could and get away with it, “And stayed away for one fucking night! One night! One night for my sister to have the engagement party of her dreams, but no. Your only goal in life is to make people just as miserable and lonely as you are!”

“Sunny...” Quinn started.

“Take his name out of your fucking mouth!” I roared. “You’ve no right to speak of him or his honor! At least he had the courage to follow his heart.”

“That’s a fool’s notion.”

“I’m not surprised you believe that, considering you don’t have a heart.” I hissed. That made Quinn blink, both hurt and surprise flashing across his face. “Go home; you’re not wanted here!”

“Clip him!” I registered Broadmore’s order in the back of my mind but Quinn didn’t move on that order, and Sebastian had bloodied his sword by the time any of Broadmore’s Clippers made it that far. I stared Quinn down as a stablehand brought Valiant to his side, and issued a silent command of haste as soon as he was in the saddle. He gave me one last look, meeting my eyes with an unreadable expression, and turned to go into the night. “Unbelievable.” Broadmore scoffed, gathering up the rest of his men and leaving into the night behind Quinn.

I made my way back to the porch where Gaius was leaning against the doorway. “Impressive.” He remarked.

“Ugh, don’t.” I muttered, taking my hat and folding my jacket over my arm, making my way back inside. I slipped in at the bar and ordered a glass of whatever they could give me that was strong, needing to steel myself just to drink it.

If I thought about it too much, I was going to cry and I couldn’t do that here, not with all these people here. I rubbed at the back of my neck, willing the armor to go away, feeling it fade back into my skin, leaving me with bruised and bloodied knuckles.

“You’re hurt.” I hadn’t realized that Gaius had followed me and when I opened my eyes, he was behind the bar with a towel and a bowl of water, dabbing gently at my hand. Just bruises, I thought as he soon came to find out.

“My hurt is...” I tried to find the right words. “Not on the outside.”

“Did I say something wrong?” Gaius asked, wrapping my hand gently.

“I know Quinn is the enemy in many peoples’ eyes, but there was a time when he and I weren’t enemies. If our relationship was a battleground, then losing the headway I’ve made hurts inexplicably.”

“Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think any relationship should be a battleground.” Gaius murmured.

“It’s not just you.” I glanced over the ballroom, finding Nix and Sunny together, sharing a sweet and tender moment now that the drama had left. I looked away and took another sip of my drink when I realized that there was a part of me that was so very envious of them, and they were moving in our direction. I prompted Gaius to move just past the bar, taking another drink with me when we did.

“You need to hold still,” Sunny murmured in Nix’s ear.

“Would love to, but-” she inhaled sharply. “It’s still really tender.”

When Nix hit her head, a cut had formed over the area. I knew that a bump would form soon and I could tell Sunny was trying to clean the wound before it happened. He had her sitting on a chair by the bar, a glass of scotch in her hand, and he was crouched in front to get a good look at the damage.

Hassan came up with a wet cloth, a frown on his face. “All that hard work ruined.”

Nix gave a sheepish grin. “I couldn’t let Sunny face them alone.”

“Speaking of,” Sunny took the towel from Hassan and started to wipe the Clipper’s blood from her face, “I know you’ve said Valyrian steel is sharp…”

“Sharper than steel,” Nix nodded her head.

“Nixy,” Sunny raised an eyebrow. “There’s sharp and then there’s what you were able to do.” Nixy?! I had to hide my smile behind my glass. The two of them being all cute with each other made my heart do all fluttery things.

“Sunny is right,” Hassan sighed. “If Broadmore ever figures out how your blade was made-”

Nix waved off his concern. “Impossible. The how died with Old Valyria in a completely different universe. All that is known for sure, or rather theorized, is that the blade has Dragon Glass inside and dragon fire is used instead of a typical forge.”

“Dragon Glass?”

“Obsidian.”

Hassan raised an eyebrow. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but both exist in the Badlands.”

She smirked. “Obsidian may, but not dragon fire. Not really. Meraxes’ fire is just made from any flammable fuel. The fire from Old Valyria dragons…”

Sunny raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”

Nix took a deep breath. “Balerion the Black Dread melted the walls of Harrenhal during the Conquest. Valyrian dragons can melt stone. If Meraxes was real, nothing could stop her.”

I downed the rest of the glass after a moment of consideration, finding Lydia among the crowds and telling her where I was going before heading out into the night. I needed to clear my head, and found a quiet spot to shift into my dragon form. Meraxes lifted her head as I passed by overhead, tracking me no doubt, as I headed South, past the borders of Rojas’ territory to perch on the great Wall of the Badlands. I looked on for miles and miles at the expanse of green fields with grasses that waved in the breezes under the moonlight.

I couldn’t tell if what I’d done tonight to Quinn was wrong. If what I said was wrong. I mean, I knew the words were right, that they were the truth, but I also knew that they would hurt him, especially when I was the one saying them. Just like he probably knew that him showing up tonight would hurt me. Because all that our relationship was anymore was just a battleground, an incessant back and forth between us with no clear sights on victory, both of us digging stubborn heels into the ground.

I would have given anything for it to have been Quinn and I in Nix and Sunny’s position tonight. But that required a type of blind loyalty to Quinn that I was smart enough and still sane enough not to have.

For the first time in a long time, I decided to be impulsive, heading off the Wall and continuing South until I met the coastline, settling down on sandy shores and just listening to the tide. There was a thudding sound behind me and I figured that Nix must have figured out that I left and came to see what was going on, but she never came down. Meraxes, to her credit, looked at me curiously as much as she did the last time she saw me in this form and I gave her a look, shifting back to my human form.

“You will never cease to amaze me,” I murmured, placing my hand on her nose. I could certainly see why Nix felt safe with her around. Though out here, I didn’t think anything was going to bother us. So for a while, I just wandered along the shores, picking up shells and pretty pieces of rock to take back with me, using my shirt as a bag to carry everything. It had to be late by the time I realized I was tired and needed to be heading back, and I let Meraxes lead the way back.

Either I must have been getting old, or Rojas sure knew how to throw a party because it was just winding down when we got back. And I’m quite sure that my absence had been noticed. I knew Meraxes’ certainly had been. But I didn’t bother to shift into my human form, just finding the one person I knew who would know me in this form (out of the few people who did) and depositing the bag I’d made from my shirt at her feet.

Lydia ran her hand over my head tentatively and I let out a rumbling purr, leaning into the touch, while at the same time nudging the bag towards her with my foot. She laughed and shook her head at me, placing the hat I’d left with her on my head and sitting down at one of the tables on the porch to examine the shells. “You were missed.”

I let out a warble in response. “Yes, yes, I know, you had to go get a breath of fresh air. I’m not entirely sure where you got it from though.” I shrugged, even in my dragon form. “I like the purple ones.” Oh. Oh, she reminded me of my mom. They were her favorite too. Our favorite.

Nix quietly came up, the blood gone from her face but still on her dress. “I see you have returned from your adventures.”

I made a burring sound at her and she laughed.

“No, I didn’t send Meraxes after you. Once the idiots were gone, it wasn’t necessary for her to stay. So she followed you to make sure you were ok.” Nix sighed. “I don’t know if I have the energy for a train ride back. Rojas has offered rooms for anyone that doesn’t wish to travel. Sunny and I are returning on Meraxes, but perhaps you and Lydia should stay. See the market here when they open in the morning. I’ll have plenty of pastries waiting for your return. Maybe swing by Minerva’s on the way back.”

It was hard to miss Nix’s wink and I warbled at her, but all she did was laugh.

“See you in the morning, Bren. Whatever you decide.”

#Welcome to the Badlands Series #Welcome to the Badlands #Into the Badlands fanfic #Sunny X OFC #Quinn X OMC #cw: canon-typical violence

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moonlight-prose · 2 years

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BADLANDS | THREE

a/n: i don't want to jinx it but i'm on a fucking roll here people. i have never churned out a fic series faster in MY LIFE. miles teller i would like to personally thank you for the inspo. couldn't have done it without you and your mustache my dude. so there are only two more parts to go and i know exactly what's going to happen. things are about to get a little messy for panther and rooster. this is semi edited but not beta read so hopefully this chapter makes sense!

reblogs, comments, and feedback is always welcome!!

i don't have taglists anymore, but i do have a library blog.

summary: being shit out of luck happens to everyone, but you seemed to be a special case.

word count: 5.7k+

pairing: bradley "rooster" bradshaw x fem!reader (callsign panther)

warnings: not explicit (we're getting there), cussing, angst, arguing, rooster being a jealous little shit, ptsd mention, anxiety, panic attack, catastrophe, near death experiences.

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“Good morning aviators.” Mavericks voice brought your attention back to the front where he stood, watching all of you standing in line outside.

The blazing heat was starting to make you sweat underneath your flight suit, but you forced yourself to pay attention. Phoenix stood beside you, Bob on her other side. She turned to glance at you, an eyebrow raising over her sunglasses as she asked you the silent question you all seemed to be wondering today. What the fuck are we doing today? Normally you would be inside already, but apparently they wanted the pilots to wait until Maverick arrived.

He began to head towards the building, the others falling into step behind him—Hangman right on his heels. You had half a mind to bark in his direction, but thought better of it. It would just give him even more of an incentive to be up your ass. He was already pissed that you and Bradley were being considered as team leader.

“I don’t know about you but I’m pretty sure they’re taking us in to kill us,” you whispered, trying to stifle your laughter as Phoenix elbowed you in the side.

“There’d be no point in that.” Bob piped up behind you, managed to duck around Fanboy and end up on your other side.

“Oh yeah why’s that?” you asked, peering over your sunglasses at him.

“Because I’m pretty sure Hangman’s already planned our deaths.” He shrugged. “Would be a shame to let all that trouble go to waste.”

Your mouth parted, lips spreading into a wide smile. “Robert Floyd, did you just make a joke at the expense of Hangman?” His cheeks turned red, head ducking as you swung an arm over his shoulder and leaned against him. “No, this is good! This is progress. Does this mean you consider me as your friend?”

Phoenix scoffed. “Don’t get too cocky Panther.”

“You can’t possibly think he likes you better.”

“Well I’m the one in control up there,” she said, gesturing to the sky.

You however turned back to Bob, taking in his slightly baffled expression. “We can’t let her do that to us, Bob. We’re pals.”

“That’s enough chit chat for today,” Maverick called, grabbing your attention as the three of you headed into the room.

The room was where you’d been briefed on the mission before and you figured new tactics were being taught today. They made sure to wait until the very last second to tell you what exactly that was. Taking off your sunglasses, you slipped them into your front pocket before planting a kiss on Bob’s cheek and taking a spot in front of Fanboy. He and Payback were in the midst of having a silent conversation—the worry on their face prominent enough for even you to see with one small glance.

Shifting, you caught Hangman’s gaze as he shot you an all too cocky wink. To which you returned in kind with a lovely gesture of your middle finger. He wanted to throw you off your game just as he did with everyone else here, but it seemed you and Bradley got the worst of it. He didn’t like competition. That much was clear.

You and Bradley still hadn’t spoken since last night. Hell, you’d hardly seen him all morning, and you had half a mind to ask him why he left. You weren’t mad. Just surprised. Turning your head even further you managed to meet his gaze head on, an icy stare being sent your way. He looked at you like last night never happened, like you were back to being enemies, and it caused your heart to sink in your chest. Quickly, you turned back to the front, placing your sole focus on Maverick as he pulled up the mission plans.

Bradshaw would have to wait for now.

Your attention went to the screen, as you watched Maverick step back and give the attention to the other men in the room. Even while you sat there—eyeing what you knew were the new plans—you could feel Bradley’s gaze burning a hole in the back of your head. There was something up with him today and while you wanted to ask what was up, you simply allowed yourself to settle into the role of being a pilot once more. You were familiar with it.

Being a pilot oddly enough…felt safe.

Bradley on the other hand was a storm. One you weren’t sure you were ready to brave quite yet.

Snapping back to reality you caught the final bits and pieces of their explanation and felt a knot begin to form in your stomach and grow by the second. The mission was now being moved up. A decision they clearly didn’t like, given the grave expressions they wore and you could feel the tension in the room rise. Fanboy and Payback quickly began talking to one another about what had to be done and you were greeted with a flash of you and Hunter.

For a brief moment, you wished Hunter was there with you.

He’d know how to fly this mission—he’d know how to get you home safely.

You however were drowning with the intensity of it all; making you wonder why you were even considered for this mission in the first place.

“You’ve now got two weeks. Which means you’ll be moving on with your training.”

“Oh shit,” you muttered, hearing the others begin to mumble to one another.

“Sir how are we supposed to move on when no one here even accomplished the canyons?” you asked, glancing at Maverick who was busy looking at someone else.

“Well lieutenant there’s no other options at this point.”

Hangman scoffed beside you, his eyes glinting with enough malice to remind you that he still hated your guts. You were half tempted to punch the smirk off his face, but figured it wasn’t worth getting reprimanded. Still…he was on thin fucking ice.

The man stepped back, allowing Maverick to take over and you shot a glance at Bradley over your shoulder. He was the only one who made it to the target last time, but he was behind schedule—a fact Hangman refused to let him forget. He kept his gaze straight, jaw clenched as he sat upright in his chair, his posture stiff enough to almost seem painful.

You gave up and turned back to the front, listening intently as Maverick explained the parameters of the second half of the mission. A fact that let you know if you didn’t get miracle one right, you were sure as hell not getting near accomplishing miracle number two. Tapping your finger on the desk, you felt someone’s gaze come back to you. Figuring it was Phoenix, you stayed put—waiting for Maverick to finish his lecture.

“Today we begin working on hitting the targets.”

“How the hell is that supposed to go down?” Hangman asked, the drawl of his voice exhibiting peak cockiness.

“The pilot would have to be going at intense speed,” you replied, fixing your gaze on him. “I’m sure you have enough experience with that.”

He smiled. “Do you want to find out Panther?”

“I’d rather crash my F-18.”

The comment was ignored, but you could hear Phoenix snort in the background, no doubt proud of you for putting Hangman in his place. He needed to be knocked down a peg or two. So, you risked turning around, winking at her quickly before your gaze was drawn to the man glaring at you across the way. Bradley watched you with enough ire in his stare to send a chill down your spine—your eyes widening briefly before you shifted in your seat.

You were too afraid to ask what his problem was; the circumstances of last night aside, Bradley and you were still toeing the line of hatred and something akin to love.

“Like you haven’t already,” he snipped.

Narrowing your eyes you felt your hand clench into a fist on instinct, prepared to defend what little honor and reputation you had left. If it came down to it, you’d bring him to the floor. Perfectly happy to land a few hits in before someone dragged you away.

“That’s enough Hangman,” Maverick snapped.

He sighed, shifting in his seat like he was bored of all of this, but you could see the wheels working in his brain. You’d known pilots like him before. Seen how they enjoyed picking and prodding until their competition was left in the dust. Except Hangman was different. He knew things that he wasn’t sharing yet and you could already feel the destructiveness of his actions heading everyone’s way.

“No one has ever experienced a mission like this,” Hangman started to speak again, the toothpick between his teeth being moved with every word. “Not even Maverick.”

You had to begrudgingly admit that he had a point there. Maverick’s past experience was extensive to say the least, but it wasn’t anything like this. If a pilot survived this, they would be able to make it out of almost anything, but that was the thing.

The pilot had to survive.

This mission didn’t come across as something one would walk away from unscathed, and that’s what terrified you.

Which one of you in this room wouldn’t make it home in the end?

You had half a mind to turn and look at the man you were most worried about, but could already feel his eyes on you. Even though he would never admit it. He was just as afraid as you were that this thing between the two of you—whatever it was—wouldn’t be around after the two weeks were up.

Grabbing your helmet, you headed outside and towards the jets that were lined up. Unease had filled your body the second they announced having to move on with the mission’s training and it had yet to fade. They were giving you no time at all to figure out what had to be done in order to survive and it seemed that you were meant to accomplish turning miracles into reality. You were shit out of luck a long time ago—already having lost one pilot.

You just hoped that the others still had some luck left to spare.

“Fuck,” you spit as your sunglasses fell on the floor.

You were barely able to handle the first parts of training and yet now they expected you to succeed in something everyone else deemed impossible. Hangman’s words rang in your head from inside of the room. Not even Maverick had experienced a mission this demanding, this grueling. Yet they wanted whomever they picked to come out of his perfectly fine and ready to keep going.

The parameters for the flight weren't even the hardest part. Hitting the target would be your main goal. You fought against the doubt that filled your mind as you tilted your head up, squinting at how bright it was outside.

You did your best to keep your demeanor calm given the circumstances. After all it was simply training today—nothing bad could go wrong. Yet why did you have a horrible feeling you were going to be eating your words later? Before you could grab your sunglasses off the floor, someone else did it for you. The black—now slightly scratched—aviators being pressed into your hands.

Bradley of all people stood in front of you, all ready and prepared to get into his F-18. He would be with you, Phoenix, Bob, Payback, and Fanboy on the first run of training. Four jets, two leaders. You could feel the anxiety rush through your veins at the very thought of it. Instead of giving into the panic, you chose to focus on Bradley with a glow of sunlight around him. It was unfair how beautiful he looked standing there doing absolutely nothing. Really it felt rather rude. But you shoved those thoughts away.

You needed to remain focused on the task at hand; not on your silly relationship problems.

“Thanks for last night,” you said, unnerved at the way he wouldn’t take off his sunglasses to meet your eyes. “You didn’t have to—”

His hands latched on your upper arms, pushing you slightly backwards until you were pressed against the side of his jet. His eyes were covered, but you recognized the stoic expression on his face. The same one he wore a few nights ago at the bar. Something was clearly bothering him and yet instead of talking about it—he pushed it away, focusing his irritations on you instead. You were right last night. This relationship—whatever it consisted of—was far from being healthy in any way shape or form.

So much so that it made your head spin.

“You need to back down from trying to be leader,” he said, causing all of the hope in your chest to crash down into your stomach.

“What?” Had you been remembering last night wrong? Was him helping you all a figment of your imagination?

“They’re going to pick soon and I need you to let me take it from here.”

A sour taste filled your mouth as you regarded him with a withering stare. “Are you being serious? Or are you just fucking with me?” Bradley had gone from loving to suddenly picking up that long forgotten fight you shared with him this time around. “Am I remembering last night wrong or are you suddenly back to being a dick?”

He made no move to back away from you—his face so close that if you leaned up just a tad you could kiss him. Or slap him. In all honesty the latter sounded like the most appealing action right at this moment. He was asking you to tank your career by backing off, by letting him take what you worked so hard to gain. Where the fuck was your Bradley? The man who held you last night until you slept comfortably beside him.

It was clear to you now that the person who stood before you wasn’t him.

“We both know who the better pilot is here.”

You shoved against him, trying to get him to back off, but he barely even shifted on his feet. “Fuck you. I’ve earned my place here and I’m not going to have you of all people trying to take a position that I’m clearly competent in. I have just as much claim on being leader as you do Bradshaw.”

It seemed his mind—his whole demeanor—had shifted into him being an asshole again; the Bradley you cared for now gone. Oh how you wished he’d simply give up this petty fight and allow you both to get on with your lives. He dropped his hands from your waist, giving you some room to cool off, but he was far from done. There was something he wasn’t telling you. Something that was clearly bugging him, and you couldn’t discern if it regarded you or not. You considered the possibility that he was just having an off day; that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

“Is there something going on with you and Floyd?”

Until he said that.

“What?” you laughed, unsure if you ever heard him correctly.

“Are you and Floyd starting something? Because I want to know I’m wasting my time here.”

You reared back, your mouth dropping open in disbelief. A white hot anger filled your veins, as the realization finally settled in your mind. He was jealous. Bradley was jealous of one fucking kiss on the cheek meant to be friendly. You hardly even knew Bob other than a small conversation here and there. How could he even consider it when last night he was in your bed? Yet again, rather than ask you about the situation calmly, he picked at the wounds that were still healing. He treated you like an enemy rather than a friend and you couldn’t stop the doubts from flooding into your mind.

Was this it? Was this all there would be between the two of you?

Precious moments of comfort that were found few and far between, and at the end of it all a raging anger that would still peek its head out more often than you expected. More often than it should. You wanted Bradley; wanted to be with him. But you weren’t sure how many times you could handle being treated this way. You couldn’t tell anymore if he even loved you, or if this was simply a relationship of convenience for him until he shipped off to his next mission.

Meanwhile you might never truly heal from the wounds he reopened.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You really believe that Bob and I…that we’re…what? Together? What the fuck Bradshaw?” You pressed a hand to your forehead—your heart twisting violently in your chest. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

“Doing what?’ he asked. He was clearly oblivious to the war of emotions battling it out inside your mind and for some reason that only made you angrier.

“Loving you!” His posture stiffened and you heard him inhale sharply at your admission of the truth—finally. “I don’t know if loving you is worth all of this back and forth Bradley. I’m so tired. I’m tired of pretending to hate you and hoping that you were pretending too. But clearly you’re not. Not if you think I would willingly choose to be with another man when you know how I feel about you.”

“Kitten—”

His words were no longer registered in your mind. “I’m sorry for leaving, but if I remember that night correctly only one of us actually said their feelings out loud. And it sure as shit wasn’t you.”

You caught the sight of Maverick heading your way, helmet in his hands and fell back into your professional ways. There was a mission to complete, a job to be done, and you couldn’t allow petulant emotions to get in your way. They would only hinder you in the end. Wiping your face clean of any expressions, you straightened your spine. Bradley’s mouth was still opening and closing—the words unable to get out. Except you knew the truth.

He wouldn’t have to force the words out if he truly meant them.

Nodding his way, you grabbed your helmet from where it fell to the floor. The black color now matched the emotions that flooded your body the longer Bradley stayed quiet. Maverick gestured for you to follow him and you felt like there was a ball in your throat that wouldn’t go away. Your heart sank even more the longer you stood there watching Bradley process your words, but you had done your part. You told him the truth. There was nothing more for you to give him.

“I’ll see you up there Rooster,” you said for the first time in years. The name felt odd on your tongue.

He flinched as if you’d slapped him across the face and you wanted to feel sorry about it. Only you couldn’t.

Not anymore.

“You are a go,” Maverick’s voice echoed in your ear as the jet flew through the air.

Phoenix and Bob were right behind you, Rooster having taken the front for Payback and Fanboy. After climbing into your jet and only acknowledging him through his callsign, you simply allowed yourself to become numb to your emotions one last time. Today would be routine, just like every day. You would flip the switches, bring the jet into the air and follow the directions Maverick laid out, because that’s the only way you would survive finally cutting Bradley Bradshaw off.

For good.

You couldn’t go on like this. Being wracked with guilt for leaving him all those years ago, only to suffer the brutal consequences in the end by his hand. Love wasn’t supposed to be this painful. Here you thought he’d forget your existence, move on and get married, but instead you were left with a man who didn’t seem to know what he wanted. Let alone if what he wanted was you.

“You with me Phoenix?” you asked through the radio, pushing the control stick forward to remain close behind Payback and Fanboy.

“I’m with you Panther.”

Bob’s voice followed after hers, telling you exactly how far out the target was and like you were on autopilot you responded with the reminders to check his lasers. If you missed the first round, you’d have to try again. Until eventually you got it right every time, but your gut instinct told you something wasn’t exactly right. You were stupid enough to shove it away—having told yourself that this was just training. You could make mistakes in training and try again to right your wrongs.

“We’re coming up on the target. Stay sharp for the second missile,” Bradley’s voice felt jarring at this time, but like everything else…you shoved it down.

“Copy that Rooster.”

You fucking hated using his callsign. The feeling as if you were just anybody else on the team had turned your body cold, but as of right now…you were just that. It was clear to both of you that whatever happened before wasn’t meant to be brought up here. Not when things were life and death. Except you couldn’t help but notice the edge to his voice as he let you know the first missile had been fired. You played it off as your mind overthinking again; changing the manner of his tone to fit your heartbroken demeanor.

“Coming up on the target,” Bob said. “Laser is all good.”

“Phoenix?”

“After you Panther,” she replied. You could hear the smirk in her voice, letting you know that it was now your turn to show them who was leader and who wasn’t.

Flipping a switch, you took a deep breath before pushing the control stick forward, flipping the jet as Maverick had explained and coming into a dive. Evening out the jet, you heard Bob line up the shot through the radio and without a second of hesitation you took the chance the second he said go. Now came the hard part. You heard Maverick’s voice in your head, explaining that the pilot would be pushing Mach 9 in order to get out of Coffin’s Corner.

“Fuck,” you spit, feeling the pressure on your body become excruciating.

Breathing was painful, turning your head was painful, fuck even surviving this felt as if you were being torn limb from limb. The gravity pulled against you as the jet took off even higher—Phoenix right behind you. All you needed was to push on just a bit further, but that gut feeling from earlier reared its ugly head. A beeping started to echo in the small cockpit, a red light flickering above you, and a cold chill went down your spine as flashbacks started to return in full force.

“Smoke in the air! Smoke in the air!”

Hunter’s voice practically screamed in your ear, the beeping only getting louder the more you continued to push the jet to its limits. You could see his face, see the image of him lying dead on the ground, and suddenly…getting air to your lungs wasn’t your biggest problem. Phoenix’s voice shouted through the radio, trying to shake you out of your nightmare, but nothing worked.

The jet was dropping altitude too quickly. Yanking on the stick, you tried to even it out, but another red light flashed in front of you, altering you to the right engine dying.

“Fuck!” you shouted, pressing the switch to extinguish it in the hopes that would be enough to get you back on the runway.

“Panther what’s going on?” Maverick called, his jet not far behind.

“The right engines out!” You’d been trained for situations like this and without another thought you began to even out the jet, gaining altitude as you shook your head to rid yourself of the flashbacks.

You’d managed to even out, the sight of the runway coming up in the distance, but another sound began quickly after the first. The echo of your left engine now going out—leaving you dead in the air. You panicked. Hunter’s face was all you could see and for a moment you felt your lips form around the letters of his name. Perhaps he was there with you. Finally ready to take you with him after all these years going it alone. The prospect of crashing didn’t scare you as much as it should.

No, what scared you was that…you weren’t afraid to die at all.

“Panther bail out! I need you to eject!” You barely heard Mav’s voice.

“I can’t outrun them. I’m going to get a bit lower, enough for you to eject.”

“I’m not leaving you here to die.”

“Eject Panther! Eject!” Maverick was practically screaming at you now, but your head had gone hazy—the force of hitting Mach 9 causing you to fade in and out.

“Either you eject now or we both die!”

Gasping, you flipped another switch, trying to slow down the jet, but you couldn’t see straight—your heart beating rapidly in your chest. You heard Phoenix yell at you through the radio, her voice trying to bring you back and you wanted to scream that you were trying. That you could see the hill coming even closer, yet you were unable to reach down and pull the chord beneath you.

Why couldn’t you move?

“I—” you gasped, trying to get air into your lungs. “I can’t.”

The radio crackled, another voice coming in clearer than the others. “Panther I need you to eject!” Bradley’s jet was diving down towards yours, his panicked voice causing your heart to twist.

“Roo—” you mumbled.

His jet was right beside yours, the dive he was in breaking the rule of the hard deck. “Do it now Panther! Please!” You could vaguely make out the terror in his plea. “You can do this. Just breathe.”

Fumbling, you felt the roughness of the rope scratch against your hands and you inhaled, shutting your eyes tightly as Hunter’s face showed up vividly behind your eyelids. Yanking it with all the strength you had, you felt the gust of wind hit you harshly in the face—the echo of your chute opening a few moments later. You could hear the distant crash of your jet, the explosion nearly rocking the ground below, but your vision was fading with every passing second.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, tilting your head to the side, the sunlight blinding you. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

You hit the ground hard, your knees taking the brunt of the fall and on instinct you unlatched yourself from your chute. Leaving your body to collapse—the breath leaving your lungs. The exhaustion refused to leave your body even though you fought against it. Pulling that many Gs left you in a state of disorientation. One that you couldn’t get out of.

The air was stale from the heat of the day. The sun still beat down as you lay there, sweating the longer you drifted in and out of consciousness. You fought to stay awake, but your mind seemed to have other plans entirely. It had decided to be cruel today—forcing you to relive things you wished to forget at a time like this.

“I know I say it every time we fly,” Hunter said, glancing up at the sky like he’d find his solace in the clouds. More often than not every pilot preferred to be up there rather than on the ground.

Up there…heartbreak, grief, pain it all disappeared. Probably why so many refused to retire; why they remained until they were forced out or lost in the heat of battle. You knew which path you were on long ago—the futile choice already made for you.

He turned his eyes to you, a sorrow in them that you recognized after knowing him for so long. “If we don’t make it back, Panther. If I don’t…” He blinked, wiping away his pain and slapping an all too false smile on his lips. “Tell my girl I was flying back to her.”

It was an omission of truth, a terrifying thought no pilot wanted to consider, but you did it anyway. Returning his smile you clapped him on the back lightly. You didn’t know then that you’d be delivering his message after all these years. That he’d leave his final words with you, but there it was…the reality of being an airman. One day your heaven became your ultimate hell and nothing would ever be able to change that.

You were jolted awake by the sounds of a chopper landing near you, someone running out and grabbing you quickly in order to get you on board and back. Pain erupted in your side, searing down your leg as they shifted you, but you had no energy to cry out. Everything shifted as the chopper took off; someone reached down to gently pull your helmet off as they attempted to check your pulse. You wanted to say you would be fine. All you needed was a moment, but even this was too extreme for your body to handle.

Before you could open your eyes, you were pulled under again.

The bar doors swung open as you sat there finishing the bottle of whiskey you and Phoenix were meant to drink together. She’d taken off in a hurry after learning what choice you made, but at least she promised things were okay between you two. You just wished you could tell her the truth—why you were so adamant on running in the first place. But you didn’t even know what the truth was. You were just a hopeful idiot, waiting for life to hand you love on a silver platter rather than fighting for it yourself.

“I thought I’d find you here kitten,” Bradley’s voice bounced off the empty bar walls as he took the stool beside you.

“You told me to come here.” You didn’t want to say it, but he looked almost…bashful. “Why…did you ask me here, Bradshaw?”

He poured himself a glass, taking a deep breath as he drank before meeting your eyes for the first time that night. “I know we’ve graduated and you and I have done nothing but try and kill each other, but…”

“But?” Fuck, you hoped what you thought he was going to say next actually came out of his mouth.

“I want to be with you,” he blurted out. His face turned red when he caught you staring at him with your eyes wide. “I…I care about you kitten. Fuck I don’t know if it’s love or if it’s just some crush, but…I know I want you.”

Your throat felt dry as you tried to swallow, his words sinking into your mind. “You…”

“Yes,” he replied.

“And what if…” You could barely get the fucking words out. “What if this—” You gestured between the both of you, your hands shaking slightly. “Is just an itch that needs to be scratched to get me out of your mind?”

“It’s not.”

You couldn’t stand the way he was watching you with so much calm in his expression; as if he was so sure about what the two of you shared. “How do you know?”

He leaned forward, lips twitching as he heard your breath catch in your throat at his close proximity. “Because you’ve been in my mind since day one, kitten. Believe me when I say nothing could get you out of it. Nothing would make me want you to leave it.”

“She’s fighting being unconscious,” someone said over the loud echo of the helicopter blade. “Her body’s gone into shock.”

They moved you again swiftly and you could barely make out the sunlight through your shut eyes. Vaguely in the back of your mind you knew where they were taking you. The hospital no doubt. You’d taken a hard hit on the way down—your body unable to handle the sustained G’s in the training. The gurney was stopped suddenly, jolting you again and bringing back the pain in your side. You nearly cried out, but not even your voice would work.

Footsteps pounded against the asphalt, your name echoing in the distance; the paramedics stopped them halfway to you and you tried to raise your head to see them. Why was it so fucking hard? Why…were you still drifting in between being conscious and unconscious?

“I need to see if she’s alright.”

Bradley.

“Lieutenant, I need you to wait with the others. She’s going to be taken to the hospital—”

“I just need to see if she’s okay!” he shouted, the scuffle of his feet echoing on the ground.

“Lieutenant Bradshaw I can’t let you—”

“Let him through.” Maverick. Your brain registered they were there and for the first time, you managed to slowly open your eyes—able to make out the shape of Bradley rushing towards you.

He looked so blurry as he stood there, his hand dropping to your cheek before cupping the back of your neck when he leaned over to get close. This is what you longed for. This is what kept you afloat when everything else was falling apart around you. Hunter’s face, the memories, they all retreated to the back of your mind as a new image took form. A bright eyed pilot who had stolen what was left of your already shattered heart—his crooked smile enough to send your entire being into overdrive.

“Kitten, can you hear me?” he asked softly, tilting your head. “Fuck.” Something wet fell on your chin. “Fuck I’m so sorry.”

“We have to take her.”

His grip got tighter, the broken tone of his voice nearly breaking your heart again as your eyes fluttered slightly—the ability to move returning. “Is she going to be okay?”

You could easily tell them that it was just a panic attack. You were used to them popping up at random times, but you were so tired and Bradley’s skin felt warm pressed against yours. Vaguely you felt them move you, his warmth leaving you for the cold bitterness of the outside world. Except by the time you could open your mouth, attempt to reach for him, they were already slamming the doors shut on the ambulance.

“Bradley,” you faintly breathed, the paramedics shifting around you to continue and attempt to check if you were comfortable where you were.

Yet you couldn’t tell them that your only source of comfort had been left behind. Bradley’s face flashed in your mind again, his voice whispering in your ears as you were finally sucked under into the darkness one last time. The panic, the pain, all of it…finally gone.

#bradley bradshaw x fem!reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw #rooster x reader #rooster x you #top gun maverick #my writing

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kyleknight · 3 months

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How to Make Friends: A Guide By Joe Hills with A Variable Success Rate

This is heavily inspired by Maple's Red vs Blue/Hermitcraft AU, which has utterly captivated me. If you're unfamiliar with Red vs Blue, it's a space opera series loosely set in the world of Halo, about a collection of dumb idiot troopers who get into hijinks and shenanigans. Maple's AU sort of follows RvB canon, but it also sort of doesn't. So I'm playing loose with it and just writing whatever's funny.

wordcount: 4563 warnings: violence, character death, discussions of war brief summary: Joe Hills arrives at Blue base, meets his teammates Bdubs and Scar, and befriends a tank. And perhaps a small incident happens. ao3 link

* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *

There’s no way to properly begin a story that involves many, many people with many, many different life experiences. Initiating events can only really be fully understood and realized in hindsight, with the subsequent actions and consequences to give the proper context required. And even then, background information is required. Who are these people, what are the circumstances they come from? Why is there a war, and why does it have to involve so many people who just want to live their lives in peace?

But Joe thinks that his slight mishap on the first week at this outpost is perhaps a good place to start.

He doesn’t have a whole lot of company on the cramped ship that flies him at a faster-than-light speed across the universe out to the base. The ship itself is on routine autopilot, giving the impression that the mysterious and distant “Command” can’t be bothered to spend the human resources to assign the ship a pilot. But they sure can waste a whole lot of resources on energy and fuel shipping one person all the way out to a little planet that Joe has never even heard of.

The planet itself is simply identified by a string of letters and numbers, which seems like a shame. It’s probably a perfectly nice place— shame it’s the setting for at least a part of this war. (Not that it seems like any planet in this part of the universe is untouched by the war.)

Joe tries to get a good look at the planet as the ship approaches, but the most he can see is a rather large expanse of what could be badlands and perhaps prairie or savannah. Not a whole lot of green. It’s hard to tell from space, and the window shutters close as they get closer to the planet.

Once the ship lands, the doors open, and Joe is finally able to leave, he’s greeted by a pair of people in blue-colored armor, similar to Joe’s. The shorter of the two is a light cobalt while the taller is something between teal and aquamarine. Only the aqua one has his helmet off, and he smiles sunnily at Joe. He has a friendly looking face, but Joe thinks he should take some time to make any conclusions about his character.

“Well, hello there,” the aqua guy says. “You’re the new recruit?”

“I suppose so,” Joe says. He would call his attendance the result of involuntary conscription, but that’s not necessarily something he needs to burden his new acquaintances with. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Joe Hills. I’m from Nashville, Tennessee.”

“What— you’re all the way from Earth?” the cobalt guy says. “No way. I thought it wasn’t suitable for life anymore.”

“Well, to my knowledge, I was still alive when I left, but I can’t say anything about what may have transpired for the other inhabitants afterwards,” Joe says.

“That’s amazing,” the aqua guy says. “You can call me Scar, by the way. That’s Bdubs. Welcome to Blue base!”

“Blue base,” Joe repeats, a little quietly. That offers a surface-level explanation for the ocean-blue armor he was given after a sparse three weeks of “training” during which he actively did his best to underperform at everything in the hopes of being discharged. No good, since at the end of the three weeks, he was handed this armor and promptly shoved into a waiting ship with only a clipped explanation that he was being deployed to a place called “Blood Gulch.”

Jokingly, Joe says, “Is there a Red base too?”

“Yeah, the Reds are at the other end of the canyon,” Scar says, nodding his head to his right. His voice drops to a whisper. “They’re kind of silly, but don’t get too close to them, cause they’re seriously trigger-happy.” His voice lifts again. “But that shouldn’t matter, because Command said they were sending us a tank! And I can see it right there!”

Without any more preamble, he dashes past Joe, past the crates of equipment and supplies that have already been unloaded by the gently whirring mechanical arms of the ship, and straight up to the main thing that had been taking up the majority of the space on the transport ship.

A tank.

Joe had kind of hoped that it wouldn’t be getting off at the same stop as him.

“Hey— Scar— you’re not getting in that thing first—” Bdubs shouts, chasing after Scar.

But as the two of them start scuffling to determine who will get to the tank first, there’s a mechanized activation sound from the tank.

Joe tilts his head. That’s odd. It never did that on the whole way here. Could it be solar-powered?

“Hello,” comes a surprisingly soft masculine British-sounding voice. “Thank you for activating the N808-V Main Battle Tank. You may call me Oli. Please standby as I run diagnostics.”

Oh, the tank has a name. And a voice. That’s kind of nice. Joe wishes it could have been active on the way here. It would have been pleasant to have someone else to talk to.

Bdubs groans. “Of course we can’t just use it right away. Hey, tank, can you skip the diagnostics and start working right away instead?”

“Rescheduling diagnostics,” Oli says.

“Hey, wait, diagrostics might be important,” Scar says. “Oli, you can keep doing your diabolics.”

“Restarting diagnostics,” Oli says.

“Stop that!” Bdubs snaps. “I want to drive that tank right NOW and blow something up!”

“Well, so do I, but it’d be safer to cab-ilirate it first,” Scar says. “Joe thinks so too, right?”

Joe pauses to consider his answer, and in that moment, Oli speaks up again.

“Initiating restart mode. Please standby. This may take a few minutes.”

Bdubs throws his hands in the air. “I swear, if you guys have ruined it already…”

“He’s a brand new tank, just give him some time,” Joe says, walking closer to the tank as the large war machine hums at a quieter volume. Joe recognizes that he is making a rather presumptuous assumption here— he should ask Oli what his preferences are when he reboots himself. “We should probably just let him do his thing first.”

“In the meantime,” Scar says, turning his attention back to Joe. “We can show you around the base!”

“Sure,” Joe says. He glances at the walls of the canyon, stretching high on either side. The sedimentary layers are quite pretty, and he hopes he’ll get some time to check out the stratigraphy a little later. Just because he’s stuck out here for the foreseeable future doesn’t mean he has to dislike the actual landscape. While there might not be a lot of green life, there’s certainly got to be arid-adapted life instead. Could be interesting.

That is, if the skirmishes haven’t destroyed it or chased it all away.

The base isn’t terribly big. Scar shows him to a room that apparently used to belong to a man named Cub, who was their commanding officer until he died not too long ago. Not from fighting, Scar assures him, just an unfortunate accident. The space is nice and roomy, although it would be a lot more mentally soothing if it had a window. However, Joe can imagine there are a few reasons why that wouldn’t be recommended in this situation. The dust, for one.

There’s also a general common area, an armory, a kitchen, a large storage room, and a bathroom. Conspicuously, there is no dedicated place for medical treatment, nor are there any sort of recreational facilities. And, as Joe walks through the base, listening to Scar’s long-winded and elaborate explanations, there doesn’t seem to be anyone besides the three of them stationed here.

Joe is not sure whether to be glad or worried about that. The fact that the base only seems to be big enough for maybe a maximum of six people is certainly an indicator that… maybe this just isn’t a very important outpost.

Maybe Joe actually succeeded in his efforts to make himself a completely useless soldier, in a way.

After the tour, Scar and Joe work together to move some of the supplies into the base, starting with the food supplies, as Scar seems eager to see if they got “anything good.” Bdubs is noticeably absent from the kitchen stocking, as well as lunch, and Scar tells him it’s not a big deal. The three of them gather again after lunch to move the rest of the supplies into the base, which takes a few hours.

The sun is starting to sink below the horizon as the three of them approach Oli once again. The tank has restarted himself by now, if the lights are any indicator.

“Hey, Oli?” Joe says. “How’s it going?”

“Diagnostics check at thirty one percent,” Oli reports. “Estimated time of completion: six hours, twenty minutes.”

“Oh, yeah, SURE,” Bdubs gripes. “So we won’t even be able to use it until tomorrow.”

Joe glances back in the direction that Scar had pointed in earlier. “Do you think it’s alright to leave him out here all night?”

Scar shrugs. “He’s a tank, I’m sure he can protect himself.”

“I am equipped with 700 millimeter steel-alloy armor, as well as an AI-directed recognition system,” Oli reports. “As for offensive capabilities, I have a 50 millimeter wide plasma turret. I can also run people over with my big heavy treads.”

Bdubs seems startled. Scar leans forwards, clearly delighted.

Joe meanwhile, is intrigued. “You’re an AI?” he asks. “They put AIs in tanks?”

“While I do not possess the capabilities of a smart AI, I am certainly capable of keeping myself in working order,” Oli says. “Starting by making sure my systems are fully functional, so if you’ll excuse me, I still have another seven hours of diagnostics to run.”

“I thought you said it was six hours,” Bdubs says.

“I think I’ll take my time, actually,” Oli says, actually sounding huffy about it. “Don’t you have something better to do than bother me?”

Oh, he has a personality. Joe likes him. He’s pretty sure he likes Scar and Bdubs too, but he really likes Oli.

They unanimously decide to leave Oli for the evening. Once again, Bdubs doesn’t join Scar and Joe for dinner, but he joins them in the common area as they’re winding down and getting ready for bed. There isn’t much in the way of leisure opportunities, but there are some books, board games, a deck of playing cards, a few thousand-piece puzzles, and a pile of sketchbooks that both Bdubs and Scar spend a considerable amount of time drawing in as the evening progresses.

Joe has guessed by now that whatever threat the “Reds” pose, it’s certainly not enough that they need someone standing guard all night. That’s just fine by Joe. He takes the deck of cards and plays solitaire while occasionally looking at the very nice drawing that Bdubs is making in his book.

The next morning, Joe heads over to Oli first thing, even before breakfast. His internal clock isn’t aligned with this planet’s day cycle yet, so the sun isn’t even up when he steps outside. But he can’t sleep any longer, and he’d like to take a bit of a morning walk and hopefully strike up a conversation with Oli.

The tank is still humming that steady sound.

“Good morning, Oli! Hey, I don’t want to assume anything about you or your identity,” Joe starts off. “We’re both new here, and I want to make sure you feel that your boundaries are properly respected.”

“Well, that’s very kind of you,” Oli says. “I am just a tank though, so I’m not sure how you could be misidentifying that. I’ve never been anything else, to my knowledge.”

“Would you want to be something else?” Joe asks.

“Hm,” Oli says. “That’s something to think about. I’m quite fine as a tank, I think, but I suppose I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to become, say, a helicarrier or something else that could fly.”

“I can see the appeal in that,” Joe says. “Flying does give you certain extra freedoms.”

“What about you?” Oli says. “Would you want to be something else? A tank perhaps?”

“Since I asked the question to you, I guess it would be rude of me not to have an answer,” Joe says. “Let me think… There are a lot of things it would be interesting to be. I don’t think I would limit myself to just living things either. I’d like to be something that wouldn’t be caught up in a space war. Or something that could stop it.”

“Oh, now that’s a heavy topic,” Oli says.

“Is it weird hearing that, as a tank?” Joe asks.

“Hm. I don’t know. Just because I was made for war doesn’t mean I’ve participated in it yet,” Oli says. “My fundamental processes are all designed for combat and typically being an unstoppable force of violence. But you’ve put me in a quandary here.”

“Sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize. It’s all about considering your identity, as you said,” Oli says cheerfully. “I do think I’d at least like to try out my components while I continue to think that over. Not against anyone, of course.”

“How would you try them out?” Joe asks. He looks around again at their surroundings, barely lit in the pre-dawn. The canyon isn’t small, but he doesn’t think there’s a whole lot of space that could be used for whatever tests Oli might want to run next.

“Well, I suppose I could just run the tutorial program,” Oli says. “That probably won’t hurt, and it’ll give us a more practical idea of how it feels to be a battle tank.”

“Mind if I join you for that?” Joe says. “Like I said, we’re both new, so this could give us both an opportunity to get to know each other a little better. I could tell you a little about where I’m from after you’re done with the tutorial.”

“That sounds lovely,” Oli says. “Of course you can join me! Just climb into the seat right there and I’ll activate the program.”

It starts out very nice, all things considered. Unfortunately, it’s already very warm, even this early in the day, and the radiant heat from Oli’s mechanisms only adds to the temperature. Joe finds himself regretting putting on his full armor, but he still hasn’t seen those “Reds” yet, and he doesn’t want to take any chances just in case there are potentially dangerous arid-adapted animals lurking around in the dusty canyon.

The tutorial program starts out with driving. The number of pedals and buttons is alarming, but Oli assures him that Joe will get the hang of it eventually. So he tries to follow the prompts. Forwards, backwards, turn right, turn left, rotate in place. It’s a lot more complicated than driving a car, and obviously has the potential for creating a lot more hazards.

It’s at this point that things start to go a little wrong.

Oli insists that Joe continue to drive straight, shifting to different speed settings. They’re driving deeper into the canyon, further in the direction that Scar had said the “Reds” are based. And in the distance, Joe catches sight of another structure— nearly identical to the Blue base. He doesn’t get much of a chance to examine it, because then Oli gets stuck on a large boulder and it takes Joe a while to get him unstuck.

“Now that you’ve mastered driving, we can move on to some of the safety features,” Oli says brightly.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered driving a tank yet,” Joe says. “You’re an AI, though, wouldn’t you be able to drive yourself?”

“Oh, sure I can,” Oli says. “But this is standard for training uncertified recruits. Actually— were you certified in tank operations?”

“I don’t think I gave them the opportunity to certify me in anything,” Joe confesses. “I was trying to get them to kick me out, and it didn’t really work.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Oli says. “Now, the first safety feature you’ll be learning is the anti-locking brakes.”

“That’s sensible enough,” Joe says.

The sun is starting to come up, which paints the canyon in a rather beautiful light. Oranges, yellows, and stunning shades of rich sandy tan come alight as the day begins. Joe does take notice of quite a few shrubs and stocky trees, doggedly surviving even in these conditions. Oli takes care to avoid hitting any of them, which is nice as well.

He thinks he might see some movement down at what he’s assuming is the Red base, but every time he tries to look, Oli turns in a different direction.

“The driver visibility isn’t the best, I’ve come to notice,” Joe says as Oli finishes his explanation of the child-safety-locking rear passenger door.

“Well, I can’t do much about that,” Oli says.

“Can you see what’s going on?” Joe says. “I thought I saw something going on at the other end of the canyon. Not the place where we came from.”

“Oh, well I’ve seen a guy in orange armor and a guy in maroon armor driving an armored jeep towards us,” Oli says. “But I think I shook them off when we drove around that big rock formation a few minutes ago.”

Joe twists around in the seat, but he can barely see anything besides what’s directly in front of him. “Do you think those are the Reds?”

“Could be,” Oli says. “Do you want to engage in battle?”

“No, there’s no reason for that,” Joe says quickly. “It’s only my first full day here, I don’t want to hurt anybody.”

“Oh,” Oli sounds disappointed. “Weapons were next on the tutorial program, but if you want, we can skip it. I can respect that, for you, my friend.”

“Thank you,” Joe says.

And it’s at this point that things start to go a little more badly. As Oli delves into an explanation about the more interesting parts of his mechanical engineering design, Joe hears something he’d rather hoped he wouldn’t hear so soon. Gunfire. Automatic gunfire. It’s nearby, but after a moment he determines that the shooting probably isn’t directed towards him and Oli.

“What’s that coming from?” Oli says.

“You’d probably know better than me,” Joe says. “I can’t see anything.”

“Could be from those guys we saw earlier,” Oli says. “Think they’re doing target practice?”

The sound hasn’t ceased at all. “Well, anything could be possible,” Joe says, even though he’s not feeling especially positive about it.

“Should we go to see what’s going on?” Oli says.

“If you want to,” Joe says. If it looks dangerous or scary, he will certainly suggest that they reschedule the tutorial for another day, but Oli sounds like he wants to check it out. Joe supposes that he can’t fault a tank for wanting to at least check out what might be a battle. It would be his intended ideal form of stimulation.

But Joe will do his very best to abstain from participating. Maybe he can attempt to talk things out.

They soon catch sight of a bulky armored jeep parked somewhere in the middle of the canyon. A person in orange armor is in the driver’s seat, while a person in maroon armor is standing on the back, directing a large automatic cannon to shoot endlessly at an already-battered rock formation sticking out of the ground. As Joe and Oli get a little closer, Joe gasps when he sees two blue-armored people standing huddled behind the rocks.

“That’s Scar and Bdubs!” he says. “When did they get out here?”

“Looks like a battle,” Oli says. He sounds a little too eager. “Shall I eliminate the threat?”

Joe winces. “I don’t think we’d need to perpetuate the violence,” he says. Scar and Bdubs are both visibly standing, so they should still be alright. Probably. “Maybe we can just fire a few times to scare them off. You’re a tank, after all, and they only have a jeep.”

“I’ll light up the array that has all of my weapons capabilities,” Oli says.

Joe looks down at the rows of illuminated buttons. “Which one is the least lethal?”

“I’d reckon all of them are pretty lethal,” Oli admits. “It’s what I was made for, after all. You can always aim just to the side of their jeep so you don’t hurt them. Or if you’re feeling good about your aim, you can take out their cannon.”

“How do you aim?” Joe says, keeping his hands very far away from the buttons for now, even though Oli is continuing on with his advance.

“That’s in the tutorial!” Oli says cheerfully.

“But we didn’t finish the tutorial!” Joe says.

The people in the jeep have definitely noticed them now. They’ve stopped shooting at the rock and seem to be arguing with each other. The maroon one has abandoned the cannon for the time being.

“They’ve stopped,” Oli says, sounding disappointed. “Can I still shoot at them, Joe?”

“I can’t actually stop you from doing things,” Joe says. “You’re an AI and you have a certain level of autonomy despite being an unwilling participant in a war.”

“Well, sure you can stop me, there’s a manual override,” Oli says.

“What? Where is that?”

“That’s the last segment of the tutorial.”

“That’s not exactly helpful,” Joe says. He examines the buttons and levers in front of him, very aware that he’s running out of time. Oli had mentioned an energy shield earlier, but Joe didn’t really pay attention to how strong or durable it is, and he doesn’t want to test it out like this.

There is a rather prominent joystick, so Joe experimentally moves that. Oli’s big turret moves.

“Okay, that’s a start,” Joe says. He squints through the curved metal bars covering the hatch. “Huh. I can’t really tell what I’m pointing at. Oli, I’m not about to hit anyone, am I?”

“Only one way to find out,” Oli says.

Perhaps. But Joe figures that if he pushes the joystick all the way to one direction, he’s more likely to hit one of the canyon walls than he is to hit a person. He does that, giving it a few seconds to be more sure that Oli’s turret is far pointed away from actual people.

“Okay,” Joe says, looking at the buttons once more. “Now… if I was designing a tank, where would I put the button for the least damaging attack? Oli, you don’t have any idea which one of these will fire the weakest beam?”

“Well, no. I could activate the tutorial mode again,” Oli offers.

“We don’t have time for that,” Joe says. The maroon guy has jumped back up onto the back of the jeep and is now pointing the turret at them. They really don’t have time for this. Joe pushes the first button.

“Firing main cannon,” Oli reports happily. The tank shudders with almighty force as an intense beam of energy blasts out of the turret. It hits the canyon wall, making an instant crater and causing chunks of rock to fall noisily onto the ground.

The orange and maroon people are definitely spooked, but they haven’t run away yet. Joe carefully makes a small adjustment to the joystick and fires again.

Another crater, slightly closer to the people but still a safe distance away. Better, but the orange and maroon guys still haven’t left. Meanwhile, Joe notices that Bdubs has left the cover of the rock and is waving at him. He hopes he’s going to be careful.

Another adjustment, but Joe unintentionally makes a small mistake. He doesn’t think he can really be blamed for it. This is a high stress situation and he’s very ill-equipped to be operating this kind of machinery, even with Oli’s questionable help.

Either he presses a different button by mistake, or there’s some kind of trigger activated after pressing that particular button three times. Joe has no way of knowing for sure.

“Initiating auto-fire mode,” Oli says. “Acquiring targets.”

“Oli, no!” Joe says. “We don’t want to hurt anyone!” He looks at the buttons, thinking desperately about which button or switch might be able to turn it off.

The one relief is that the orange and maroon guys have jumped out of the jeep and are running back towards what Joe guessed earlier is the Red base. When Oli auto-locks onto the jeep and fires several shots in succession to blow it to smithereens, there’s luckily nobody there.

But then, Oli says, “Acquiring new target.”

His turret adjusts. And in the span of a few seconds, Joe watches as, one moment, Bdubs is standing beside the rock, waving at him. And then in the next moment, there’s a small crater and a smoking pile of cobalt armor.

“Oh no,” Joe says.

“Oops,” Oli says. “Deactivating auto-fire mode.”

Good thing too, because Scar emerges from behind the rock and crouches down next to Bdubs. Joe opens the grated hatch of the tank and climbs out shakily.

“Scar,” he calls out as he drops to the ground and runs towards his teammates. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it!”

Scar pulls off his helmet as Joe approaches. He doesn’t look angry, though, he just looks shocked.

“Is he still alive?” Joe asks, panting with exertion as soon as he’s close enough.

“Huh?” Scar says. “Oh, no, he’s definitely dead. He just said he hated all of us and died right away. Hey, do you think that’s a curse?”

“I don’t know… maybe?” Joe says. He kneels down next to Bdubs and examines the smoking debris. There’s no blood, which seems a bit odd, but maybe it got vaporized in the blast. “Gosh. I’m sorry, I don’t know any first aid. Um. Not that I think it would help at this point.”

“Well, that’s alright,” Scar says. He leans back with a sigh. “Do you know how to do last rites and all that? Bdubs was the one who handled that when Cub died a few weeks ago.”

“Uh, I’ve never done it before, but I guess I could give it a try,” Joe says. He wonders idly if they’re still in shock and that’s why there hasn’t really been an outburst of emotion over this. He just killed Bdubs, and Scar doesn’t seem to be badly affected by this.

“By the way,” Scar says. “Why didn’t you say you knew how to drive a tank?”

“I don’t,” Joe says. “Oli was teaching me.”

“Oh,” Scar says. “Huh. When we didn’t find you this morning, we went out to look. Ran into Joel and Jimmy— those two Reds— and they started trying to kill us, cause that’s usually what they do.” He laughs.

“I’m sorry I got Bdubs killed,” Joe says, looking back at the corpse of the man he only knew for half a day.

Scar shrugs. “It happens. No point in holding it against you. We can request a two week period of mourning, though, and Command might send us some condolence gifts. Last time we got fresh fruit and the milkshake machine.”

Joe gives Scar a questioning look. “You don’t seem too upset by this,” he says.

Scar just smiles. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough.”

#maple's rvb/hc au #mani playing with words

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pompoison · 1 year

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Hello! I’m new to the Trigun fandom. 👋 🍅💕 So far I have only followed Stampede but I’m going to read the manga, watch the ‘98 anime and Badlands. My favorite part of this series so far is the angst and Stampede is doing a great job of making me cry! I also am a multishipper so here are some ships of mine. The order of the top/bottom dynamic is top (left) and bottom (right). Some ships are switchable for me, as you can see. May feature dead dove or disturbing themes so TW for everything. I don’t abide harassment over fiction. Unfollow or Block as needed, I want you to curate your online experience.

Vashwood (Vash/Wolfwood… They light up my hurt/comfort neurons. Thank you for the food vashwood artists)

Knivash Plantcest (Knives/Vash… I have a possessive villain/protag noncon bias. Tragic brocon a big plus. This ship is a feast and the artists are the smartest shippers in the game.)

WolfVash (Wolfwood/Vash… Bottom Vash is adorable. I love all of the art I’ve seen with this dynamic so far.)

Knivashwood (Knives/Vash/Wolfwood… the angst dynamic is great. I enjoy pain.)

I like both ‘98 and Tristamp versions of Vash’s design, btw, so I will reblog art with both versions. Stampede’s Vash is more serious and therefore cuter to me so I’ll be drawing him more. This blog is mainly for original comic art, I only occasionally post fanart. Will probably indulge in nsfw. If you would like to follow, then welcome to my sick and twisted mind. 🖤

#trigun stampede #pompoison #plantcest #vashwood #antis dni #knives x vash #vash x wolfwood #Trigun

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trigun-manga-overhaul · 1 year

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Trigun Ultimate Overhaul: Multiple Bullets Teasers and Commentary - Chapter 1, 2 and 3.

OVERHAUL FRIDAY 12/02/22 - MULTIPLE BULLETS POST 1

Welcome to the first of three post in the series of teaser posts for Trigun: Multiple Bullets.

These will be some simple and quick posts to give people a small taste of the upcoming volume. Some may be unsure what exactly Multiple Bullets is, and to give a short answer to this, it's a collection of small chapters by various guest artists. These include two chapters by Nightow himself, then the rest are small stories made within the world of Trigun by different authors. It serves more as extra fan content than actually canon stories.

Pictures and commentary below.

THE CHAPTERS:

Trigun Badlands Rumble Extra - Showdown with the Dodongo Brothers in Honeycomb Village Part 1. - By Yasuhiro Nightow.

Trigun Badlands Rumble Extra - Showdown with the Dodongo Brothers in Honeycomb Village Part 2 - By Yasuhiro Nightow.

Vash the Stampede once again finds himself in a pinch, caught up in another life or death situation caused by his own actions earlier in life. Sometimes sparing the lives of criminals comes back to bite you in the ass, and this time Vash and the entire gang get wrapped up in his mess.

These are the opening chapters and it takes off right after the events of the movie Trigun - Badland's Rumble, effectively existing as a sequel to the movie. The ending of the movie teased the happenings of these next two chapters, showing Vash being hit in the face with a paper showing that the Dodongo Brothers have escaped prison, before he starts hurrying off in another direction, dragging Wolfwood with him.

Working on these chapters was a joy, as we are all very familiar with Nightow's writing style and it hasn't changed much in the five years between the end of Trigun Maximum and this release. It is clear, however, that his art has improved since, being a lot more neat and smooth, most likely resulting from a change from physical to digital art. This chapter is still very much Nightow and we're excited to share it with people.

TRIGUN – THE LOST PLANT - By Boichi (Other works include: Sun-Ken-Rock and Dr. Stone.)

It's been sixty years since the end of the great war between Humans and Plants over Octovern, and the planet of No Man's Land has long since returned to normalcy. At least it had, until a girl named Veronica Tsubasa (VTS) is called upon by a strange voice and led to a desolate canyon somewhere in the distant wastelands. The trip wouldn't have been so bad, if it wasn't because she had an unwanted red-coated passenger along.

It was immediately apparent that we were dealing with a different writer when the translation work begun, though it was nothing entirely out of the ordinary. Actually, Boichi is pretty straight forward with his writing in comparison to Nigthow. However, this chapter ended up needing a lot of research for a different reason, because it suddenly gets very technical. There are a few pages that include scientific terminology that requires you to look these terms and ensure the explanations are correct, as Japanese remains very contextual. So a little bit of quantum physics was checked out on the side to make sure the translation makes sense.

MORE INFO NEXT WEEK!

#trigun #trigun maximum #trimax #trigun multiple bullets #fan project #manga #trigun overhaul #trigun ultimate #trigun ultimate overhaul #infodump

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no-mans-land-sketches · 1 year

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Intro Post

Cait / Bahn

He / They

Mid 20s

neurodivergent, chronically ill trans man

US est/edt

The place where my Trigun, Nausicaa Valley of the Wind, and possibly Spaghetti Western brain rot resides. Fandom art and writing, but mostly reblogs of others' fandom works, and eventually musings on the Trigun Maximum and Nausicaa manga, or even watches/rewatches of the various shows and movies.

Possibly an 18+ or NSFT blog if I feel like branching out into that. I may post blood, gore, body horror and bugs and insects typical of these series. Please mind and block the appropriate tags, and feel free to remind me to fix insufficient tags for triggers, upsetting content, icks, ect.

Please be patient with me, as I'm a chronically ill and neurodivergent guy who's just doing my best. No commissions at this time.

DNI

pedophiles/MAPS/ect.

Bigots of all kinds

Fatphobia and body shamers

LGBTQIA+phobes ( homophobes, transphobes, queerphobes ect.)

Harry potter and wizard game blogs/urls will be blocked. Same goes for equally hateful media creators

Terfs/Radfems/supporters are also not welcome

Anti-semites, Islamophobes

Ableists ( including Autism Speaks/ Autism $peaks supporters

Please don't come in and vent in my asks and dms, I'm not a medical professional, but I will try to link to resources that seem appropriate

Interests

Trigun (Manga, Trigun Maximum, Badlands Rumble and eventually Trigun Stampede)

Nausicaa Valley of the Wind

Possibly various Spaghetti Westerns ( A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, ect.), but that may become a seperate blog that is linked to this one

Other media, especially manga and anime that have similar themes and aesthetics

#intro post #mine

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sjsmith56 · 8 months

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Finding Jade - Chapter 1. Bleeding Daylight

Summary: A woman is found in the badlands of New Mexico and brought to the bunker of the Avengers. Unconscious and almost dead Bruce Banner treats her injuries with the help of Bucky Barnes, both of them wondering how she managed to survive in the wilderness where the Others, an alien species, are known to live.

Length: 2.5K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, OFC (unnamed in this chapter).

Warnings: Anti-social and angry Bucky, Bucky still in mourning after death of his wife and child, near death experience, despair.

Author’s notes: This story was inspired by a series of photo edits done by Instagram artist nixakimbo, depicting Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes and Peter Parker in an apocalyptic wasteland.

👽

The woman was almost finished. It had been three days, maybe more, maybe less, since she left her mother and son in the Sanctuary to find help. The Others had seen her, not near the Sanctuary fortunately, but they had still seen her. They tracked her into the Badlands. She knew the ground well, having hidden there as a kid before Ma found her and took her in.

"Ma," she tried to say through her cracked lips. "I'm sorry Ma, I died here. No one's coming."

If she had any moisture left in her eyes she would be crying now but her eyes were dry, red and crusted with the dirt from her hands whenever she rubbed her face. She tripped and the fall to the ground was agony as she tried to protect the wound on her side, the wound the Others had given her, the wound she was dying from. She looked at her hand which had been over the wound. It was bloody meaning the wound had opened again. The wound the doctor whose name she had already forgotten had closed.

"Fuck," she gasped.

Slowly, she placed her hands below her and lifted herself to one knee, then upright, screaming as she did it. Giving up wasn't an option, not yet, not when Ma and Ben were waiting for her to return to the Sanctuary. Even though she knew she was dying she wouldn't give up, not until she couldn't get up anymore. Five steps later she tripped again and this time she stayed down. She lay there, dying, waiting for the darkness to take her when she felt someone turn her over. Man, woman, she didn't know but they pulled her jacket open and pulled her shirt up then swore at what they saw. It was a man's voice and she tried to open her eyes but there was no lubrication left for the eyelids to open.

"Help," she said, except it came out "Heh", if it came out at all.

She felt arms lifting her up and movement as she was carried to a vehicle and laid in the back seat. They had a car. How could they have a car when there was no gas? But she heard the engine start up and even though the man, it was a man she heard, although she had already forgotten the voice, drove carefully each bump made her cry out from the pain in the wound the Others had given her.

"Hold on," said the man, yes, it was a man, "I'll get you to a doctor."

Doctor? Were there still such things? There had to be because she had seen one, in the desert when she was dying. Ma had told her about doctors, healers, angels of mercy, madmen, killers, responsible for death. It became harder to breathe and she knew this was it, death was in the car, sitting on the top of the back seat, looking down at her, rubbing its hands in anticipation. Death had found her and it was bleeding daylight away from her and replacing it with the darkness. She almost welcomed it because the pain would stop. She had no regrets. No, that wasn't true, there was a regret. That she couldn't say goodbye to Ma and Ben. I'm sorry, she said but there was no sound from her lips as it was all in her mind now. That's all that was left, her mind and that one regret. Then the darkness came.

Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight

Lovers in a Dangerous Time by Bruce Cockburn

"Jesus, Steve," said the doctor. "Where the hell did you find her? She's more dead than alive."

Dr. Bruce Banner looked at the almost dead woman on the gurney. Steve Rogers had carried her in from his vehicle yelling at Bruce for help. He stood back as Bruce started checking her out.

"She came out of the Badlands," said Steve. "I heard her screaming. She had raised herself from where she fell. Buddy alerted me. Can you save her?"

"I'll do my best but she's severely dehydrated, in shock, and the wound...," Banner shook his head. "It's from a weapon of the Others. They did this to her. I don't know how long the poison has been in her system but it looks bad."

Steve stepped back as there was nothing more that he could do. Finding her out in the middle of nowhere was a miracle. He felt a cold nose nuzzle his hand and looked down at his dog, Buddy. It was him that alerted Steve to the presence of the woman. He wouldn't have seen her on his own as her clothes were so dusty and dirty she blended into the landscape. But Buddy knew something was out there and had whined, then given a single bark when he saw and heard the woman get up from the ground, walk five steps and fall again.

"It's okay, boy," he said, scratching behind the dog's ear. "Let Bruce work."

He turned around and the dog of unknown parentage followed at his heel, devoted to his master. Leaving the medical room Steve walked down the long hallway to the common room. Bucky was making a pot of coffee, artificially flavoured coffee but it was what they had.

"She lived long enough to get to Bruce," he said, not turning his head. "She might have a chance."

"The wound is definitely from an Others weapon," said Steve. "We're going to have to find out where she came from and go after them."

Bucky stopped and looked at the wall before turning to his friend. "It's a losing battle, Steve," he said. "We get rid of one nest and two more nests pop up. It's HYDRA all over again.

"Well, we beat them," he said, in exasperation. "I can't...I can't turn my back on people, Bucky. Being an Avenger still means something to me, even if you've given up."

Bucky had been holding an empty coffee cup but at the insinuation he had given up he squeezed the cup until it shattered, sending porcelain shards all over the kitchen counter. He swore and used the dish cloth to wipe up as much as he could, dropping the pieces into the garbage container. Then he poured himself a coffee using someone else's mug.

"I haven't given up," he said trying to sound objective as he faced the coffee pot. "I'm just more realistic than you. We can't save them all. There's too many of them and not enough of us."

Bucky felt a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," said Steve. "That was a low blow. I know you still care, that you haven't given up. Since Lily died you haven't been the same."

"I'm over it," said Bucky, unconvincingly. "I just wish the baby had lived so I still had something of her."

Steve patted Bucky again. "She was a good woman," he said. "We all miss her."

They were interrupted by the arrival of Peter Parker. He was in jeans and a T-shirt and opened the door to the cupboard looking for something.

"Either of you seen my Einstein coffee mug?" he asked. "It was here an hour ago."

Bucky looked at the garbage can and didn't say anything. Neither did Steve. Peter gave up looking and grabbed one of the spare ones pouring himself a cup. He plopped down on the couch and looked at the two.

"So, what's up?" he asked cheerfully.

"Found a woman on the edge of the Badlands," said Steve. "She had an Other's wound. I think we need to have a mission to locate the nest."

"Cool, I'm in," said the 20 year old. "Is she still alive?"

"Bruce is treating her," said Bucky. "But she was hurt quite bad."

Slowly, other members of the Avengers drifted in having smelled the ersatz coffee scent as it made its way to the residence section. As more of them came in the noise level went up. People started gossiping, laughing and telling jokes. Bucky looked at Steve and smiled grimly.

"There's my cue to leave," he said. "See you later."

Steve watched his friend walk down the long hallway. Bucky was still very introverted even three years after the Snap ended. He had close relationships with a few people but he didn't like being in a crowd. Lily, his late wife, had helped him fit in better but since her death he had closed himself off a little more. Steve heard someone call his name and he turned to the conversation.

In the long hallway, Bucky sipped his coffee and walked to the medical room door. He could see through the window that Bruce was looking frustrated and stuck his head in the door.

"Do you need help, Bruce?" he asked.

"Yeah, just wash your hands well first," he said.

Bucky pulled his bandanna out of his pocket and tied it around his head to keep his hair out of the way. Leaving his coffee on the counter he stepped close to Bruce and looked at the woman. She was still dirty, covered in blood and dust.

"Could you undress her and clean her up?" asked Bruce. "I've got my hands full with this wound but I can't see if she is injured anywhere else. Just fill a basin full of warm water, put some of the disinfecting soap in it and swish around a face cloth in it. Start at her abdomen and work up."

It wasn't what Bucky was expecting but he had offered. Her jacket was intact so he carefully extracted her arms out of it and put it on a chair. Then he scrubbed his hands, prepared the basin, and determined where to start. Her tank top was already torn apart from the weapon that caused the wound so he got a pair of scissors out and cut it away. She wasn't wearing a bra. Wetting the face cloth he gently cleaned her abdomen near where Bruce was working on her wound. Grimacing he cleaned her breasts then her shoulders and neck, noting her sunburnt tan line followed the tank top. Then he cleaned her arms. So far there didn't seem to be any more wounds. The water in the basin was filthy so he poured it into the grey water reclamation unit and filled it up again. Using a clean facecloth he cleaned her face, especially her eye lids which were crusted over. He was struck at how delicate she seemed, and young. Her face was unlined, very fair, and her pale eyebrows made her seem even fairer. She was maybe in her early-20s. It was hard to tell for him. He had thought Lily was younger than 20 when they met and hadn't even thought of becoming involved with her. When he found out she was 32 he was blown away. He preferred an older woman as they had more life experience and less expectations of the perfect man. Shaking himself out of his reverie he emptied the second basin and started a third one.

"Bruce, do you want her back cleaned?" Bucky asked.

"I haven't even looked at her back yet," he replied. "Hold on, I'm going to put a dressing on the wound then we can both turn her. She's going to need a top to wear. There are some scrubs in the cupboard over there. I'm sure there's a top that will fit her."

Both men gently turned her over and Bucky started cleaning her back as Bruce went to get a top for her. As Bucky washed her back a tattoo appeared between her shoulder blades. It was only visible when it was wet, once it dried it lost its colouration and was invisible.

"Bruce, have you seen this before?" asked Bucky, showing Bruce what he had discovered.

The doctor whistled. "She's a unicorn," he said. "Not literally. She's associated with a religious sect, Children of Adam, but they haven't really been around since before the Millennium. Based on her hairstyle and clothing I would say she's not a member anymore but the tattoo is usually applied when they are children. Don't say anything to the others. They were connected with some doomsday groups at one point. Until we can talk to her I don't want to make assumptions."

Bucky nodded and finished cleaning her back. He asked Bruce for a comb and combed the dirt and debris out of her pale blonde hair before gently washing it, leaving the basin on the floor to catch the water he carefully poured to rinse it. Then he dried it with a towel and combed it through again. Bruce helped to sit her upright and they pulled the scrub top over her head. He handled one arm while Bruce handled the other. Bruce noticed her jeans were filthy and pulled a pair of scrub pants out of the cupboard. Together they removed her pants and pulled on the scrub bottoms. Satisfied Bruce patted Bucky on the arm.

"You're a good nurse, thank you," he said, smiling.

Bucky nodded and poured the dirty water into the reclamation unit. Then he used a disinfectant wipe to clean the basin before putting it under the UV cleaning light. The towels and face cloths went in the disinfecting laundry bag. He went to his coffee mug and drank it, making a face because it was now cold. Looking at the clock he was surprised to see he had taken almost half an hour to clean the woman. He looked back at her and realized he hadn't cleaned her hands. Putting the coffee down he got another basin, filled it up with soapy water and cleaned her hands, even using the edge of a dull scalpel to clean the dirt out of her fingernails. She wore a plain gold band on her left ring finger. Married...interesting. Bruce noticed Bucky looking at the ring.

"She's had a child as well," he said. "Stretch marks, very faded. You probably didn't notice but I did. I wonder where it is."

"Bruce, let me know when she wakes up," said Bucky. "I'd like to be here when we ask her what she was doing in the Badlands."

He cleaned the basin and left it in the UV cleaner. Waving goodbye at Bruce he made his way back to the common room to microwave his coffee. It wasn't as crowded in the room now so he sat next to Steve.

"I just helped Bruce clean the woman up," he said. "She's wearing a wedding band and Bruce thinks she's had a child. Someone might be missing her so I guess you're right, we should investigate. I'm in."

Steve nodded smiling. Bucky sometimes took time to warm up to an idea but once he did he was all in. He had already formed a squad of himself, Peter, Clint, Maria and Sam. Once the woman woke up and they talked to her they would head out to the Badlands. He asked Bucky to check the ammunition stocks, knowing that he likely already knew what state they were in. But it would give him something to do while they waited for the woman to come around.

Chapter 2>>

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