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wanderinginksplot · 5 months

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Refuge Chapter Seven

You have a little time to kill before your first mission. Delta Squad has very different ideas of how you should spend it.

Continued slow burn Delta Squad x fem!reader

Word Count: 6,600

Warnings: feelings of alienation, mentions of lack of money, misunderstandings, light discussion of weapons and battle tactics, slight embarrassment.

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When Scorch had mentioned finding a fun way to spend time planetside, he had apparently meant it literally. He and Sev walked you to the front entrance to the Temple and unceremoniously led the way outside.

Scorch had already started walking away, chattering about places he enjoyed, when you stepped through the towering doors. You paused when you were out, taking a moment to adjust to the differences between what you were used to and what you actually found on Coruscant.

To be fair, those differences were hardly surprising. Coruscant was densely populated and heavily polluted. The outside air wouldn’t feel fresh, cool and faintly scented with pine needles like you were accustomed to on Voubos. But you were never ready for the hot, semi-stagnant waft tinged with the exhaust of innumerable speeders flying overhead.

More than the disappointing atmosphere, Coruscant was overwhelming, so bright your eyes stung to look around. Voubos could be noisy and had its fair share of sunshine, but there were no trees to shelter you from it here. The street outside the Jedi Temple was one of the few that hadn’t been choked by buildings, and it left the sun beating down on the duracrete expanse where you stood. The vicious light was blocked only by the occasional shadow of a speeder passing overhead, like a less-pleasant version of the clouds that performed the same function back home.

And none of it was silent. The speeder engines were noisy, the people were noisy. Everything was undercut by the rumble of far-off machinery and the drone of hovering screens broadcasting the most recent Senate debate. It was loud enough that you almost didn’t register the sound of someone speaking directly to you.

“What’s wrong?”

Sev’s harsh voice managed to cut through the stimuli surrounding you. You shook your head. “I’m still getting used to all of this..”

“You came here from the GAR headquarters,” he countered, frowning. “And you tailed us from there again today.”

“Commander Gree brought us in a transport the first time and I was too scared to see anything more than a blur,” you explained, still transfixed by the chaos surrounding you. “When I found you earlier, I was focused. I had something to get done. And now…”

“Now, you don’t have a mission to concentrate on,” Sev summarized.

You grimaced. “Exactly. I’m sorry, I know I must seem… I’m sorry.”

Sev shook his head. “Remind me later and I’ll tell you about my first time on a planet other than Kamino.”

“Why not now?” you asked.

“First, I don’t want to scare you,” he said ominously. Then he nodded behind you. “Second, we’re about to have company.”

Before you could wonder about the second part of that, Scorch came jogging up to the two of you. “What’s going on? I thought you were following me.”

“Just taking a minute to look around,” Sev told him.

“We’ve all been here before, Sev,” Scorch reminded, exasperation in his face and voice. “No need to play tour guide.”

Sev - standing slightly behind you - must have made some kind of face at Scorch, who abruptly changed his stance. “Or, I suppose there might be a little need to play tour guide. But I’m the much better choice for it.”

He beckoned you closer and you obligingly followed him to the edge of one of the regular gaps that provided entrance to the lower levels. Scorch gestured toward it, though it was partially hidden behind the utilitarian fences that kept passers-by from getting too close. “Do you know what’s down there?”

With a smile at his hushed, conspiratorial tone, you nodded. “It’s another level. I understand there are five thousand of them.”

“Oh,” Scorch said, seeming to deflate slightly.

Sev laughed at his brother, joining you in staring toward the fence-flanked space. “Five thousand plus a few, but yeah. I take it you did some research about the planet?”

You nodded. “But there are a few things I still don’t really understand.”

“Like what?” Sev asked.

“How do they make sure the levels are tall enough?” you asked, feeling utterly ridiculous. But the question had been bothering you, and this was a good opportunity to get some answers. “Do they just base the height of the ceilings on the tallest known species and go from there? Or are different levels different heights?”

Sev was staring at you blankly, which made you more nervous, but Scorch tipped his head back with a look of understanding. “Ahh, I get it. You’re thinking too small, nattie. Levels aren’t just for beings to walk around on. Each one is big enough to have buildings and speeder lanes and stuff. There’s no need to base them on specific heights.”

“They’re that big?” you asked, feeling suddenly queasy with vertigo. It was strange, fearing heights with your feet planted firmly on the ground, but you were also cognizant of the fact that you were far, far from the surface of the planet itself.

Scorch nodded sagely. “Yep. And each one has more species than you can count calling it home.”

“You good?” Sev asked, fingertips grazing your elbow lightly.

You were gaping, you knew it. When you spoke, your voice was hushed and a little unsteady. “How are there any people left to live on other planets?”

“There are plenty more people in the galaxy,” Sev told you, amusement filling his deep voice. “Trust me, we’re fighting about half of ‘em.”

“You’re just not used to seeing this many life-forms,” Scorch informed you. “This is the most heavily populated planet in the galaxy. Your planet wasn’t anything compared to this.”

You hadn’t thought about Voubos very often since you had started training with the Jedi. Still, it was jarring to hear someone mention it, especially so casually. It made you feel like your life was a statistic, an incidental casualty almost too small to be counted. Not even - your life hadn’t been lost or taken, simply changed. You weren’t even significant enough to be a statistic.

Suddenly, you felt dizzy again, overwhelmed by something so much larger than yourself. But this time, instead of the planet’s population, the feeling had been brought on by the staggering largeness of the war.

The only thing that brought you out of it was an unexpected noise. The sound could only be described as the sound of a plastoid-covered hand striking a plastoid-covered chest. It was followed shortly by a growl from Sev. “Shut up, di’kut.”

“Sorry,” Scorch muttered. “I forgot natties are sentimental about that kind of thing.”

“It’s okay.” They both looked skeptical about your reassurance, but you smiled and changed the subject before they could add anything else. “So, what are we going to do? Did you have a plan for what you want to see today?”

“Whatever you wanna see,” Scorch told you with a shrug. “Explore as much as you want.”

Sev nodded. “We’re only here to make sure you aren’t attacked. Or fall off a building.”

That low opinion of your survival skills aside, you were warmed by the thoughtfulness and started off in a direction you decided looked promising.

The time you spent on Coruscant took on a strange quality. Everything you saw was wonderful, every experience unlike any other you had ever had before. But, looking back, you could hardly catch more than a blur.

You saw shops filled with goods both familiar and utterly mystifying. The streets were packed to bursting with beings, many of them belonging to species you had never seen before. Street performers playing strange instruments tried to entice passers-by to dance while stern, armored troopers ordered them to keep moving.

You couldn't help sneaking a glance at the red and white helmet as you walked past. Both the Republic and the Separatist Alliance had distributed propaganda on Voubos, so they weren't unfamiliar to you. But you hadn't realized how imposing they would be with their blankly watching visors and the blasters strapped to their thigh plates.

With your focus so close on one trooper, you completely missed another standing on the opposite side of the path. Unfortunately, your lack of attention meant that you bumped into him, swiping him with your shoulder.

He didn’t move in the slightest except to look down at you. In contrast, the slight collision had sent you staggering and you offered apologies even as you tried to recover your balance.

“Watch yourself, civilian,” the trooper ordered. You couldn’t see his expression, but his tone managed to be disdainful even through the small speakers of his helmet.

“Didn’t you hear her say ‘sorry’?” Sev asked, his deep voice lashing out from behind you.

“And that’s more than you deserve, di’kut,” Scorch told him dismissively. “Anyone could see it was an accident.”

The trooper bristled, taking an aggressive half-step forward. “Hey, just because you’re-”

“Drop it,” the other trooper advised through the crowd. “Not worth the paperwork.”

The closer trooper looked Scorch and Sev up and down. He didn’t bother including you in that. Seemingly to himself, he muttered, “Commandos.”

“What was that?” Sev asked.

If Sev took things any further, it was going to get physical. If it got physical, Scorch would join in. If Scorch joined in, it would be a brawl. Would you be pulled off of working with Delta Squad if half of them started a brawl with the Coruscant Guard? Instinct told you yes, but the Republic was short-staffed… But you weren’t taking any chances.

“Sorry again,” you called loudly, cutting off whatever else anyone might say. Your push against Scorch’s shoulder wasn’t gentle, but it was effective. Sev was more of a challenge, and you ended up bracing both hands between his shoulder blades and shoving. It wasn’t at all effective, but he let you move him. “We’ll just be on our way!”

The moment you had gotten through the press of the small crowd, Sev let out a string of blistering curses in an unfamiliar language. You watched in something like awe while Scorch gave you an amused look. When Sev had finished, Scorch asked, “Feeling any better?”

“No,” Sev grumbled. “I should have hit him.”

“I don’t think any of us are interested in seeing the inside of a Corrie Guard holding cell,” Scorch said lightly. “What’s next?”

As the second part of that had been directed at you, you glanced around. “I’m not sure. Are either of you getting hungry?”

Sev gave you a look you couldn’t quite figure out until Scorch added, “Always.”

You were, as well. “Well, something smells fantastic! I think it’s coming from over here…”

A nearby stand was offering street food, roasted meat and hunks of bread paired with a variety of sauces for dipping either into. The worker standing there belonged to a species you couldn’t name, though you had seen some of them around. They had a humanoid build with green, leathery skin. Their face had folds and curves that made you think their bone structure was slightly different than that of humans, but similar enough to know that they were offering a polite smile.

“Looking for something in particular?” The low tone and roughness of the worker’s voice made you think they were male, but there was no way to know for sure without asking, and that would have been inexcusably rude.

“It all looks incredible,” you told them, flashing a smile between staring at the array of foods spread out on the stand’s preparation surface.

“Only the best at Kiaba’s.” It was always risky trying to interpret the facial expressions of humanoid species, but from the clear pride that shone from their bearing, you assumed that you were speaking with the very Kiaba who owned the stand.

You wanted to get a closer look at the food, but before you could take more than a step, Scorch had caught at your elbow. He leaned close, and for a wild moment, you thought he was going to kiss your cheek.

He didn’t, of course. His lips ended up a scant distance from your ear instead, keeping Kiaba from overhearing. “We don’t have any credits, and this side of the city isn’t too willing to give their goods away.”

“Especially Klatoonians,” Sev added, half-turning away from Kiaba, who was watching you curiously from behind the stand’s main counter. “The culture believes in the value of hard work, but they take it to extremes. They consider any charity to be stealing someone’s chance to earn something the right way.”

You sent Kiaba a regretful smile. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been informed that we don’t have any credits.”

The professional half-smile that had stretched Kiaba’s lips disappeared in an instant as they scowled. “No handouts.”

“Of course not,” Scorch muttered, definitely loud enough for Kiaba to hear. Their scowl deepened and they leaned forward as if they were half-thinking about jumping over the workstation to beat some sense into an upstart customer.

So you cut in, avoiding Sev's attempt to stop you. "Sorry about the confusion! While we're talking, though, can you tell me what that dish is. The one right… there?"

You gestured to something that looked like a pocket of dough, crimped at the edges, with hints of a warm orange seeping through in certain spots. It looked like a normal piece of dough, other than the spots, but it smelled of deep spices and roasted vegetables.

Kiaba shook their head. "I can't take time outta my day to explain my menu to people who aren't even gonna buy something. I have paying customers."

"Where?" Scorch challenged. "We're the closest thing you have to customers within a five-klick radius!"

To Scorch’s credit, that was true. The area in front of Kiaba’s stand wasn’t empty - the size of the city made that nearly impossible - but no one seemed compelled to look at the food, much less stop.

“Of course you don’t have to talk with us if you’re busy,” you assured. “I just want to understand it to see if I can find something similar in the future when I do have some credits.”

“You’d never find anything like my tisuh,” Kiaba told you, their tone a mixture of irritation and pride. “There are others who make it, but no one who does it as well as I do.”

You nodded, offering an encouraging smile. Kiaba watched you suspiciously before heaving a loud sigh. They beckoned you closer, dishing up one of the dough pockets so you could examine it more closely against the light brown of a simple disposable plate.

“Tisuh is found many places in the galaxy,” they explained. “It is dough wrapped around a filling. There are as many kinds of tisuh as there are people who make it. Everyone has their own recipes, but the best one is found on Klatooine, where I’m from. My forebears have been making this dish for thousands of years, for millions of people. Wherever I am…” Kiaba took a bite of the pale round, showing you the orange-sauced filling inside as they chewed and gave a blissful tilt of their head, “it always reminds me of home.”

The watering of your mouth halted as you wondered what would remind you of Voubos. Everything, you expected, but you still managed a nod for Kiaba. “That’s lovely. I’m happy you have such a strong tie to things that bring you joy.”

“Where’s home for you?” they asked, taking another bite of food.

“Nowhere, not anymore,” you admitted softly. “I’m looking for a new one.”

The green-skinned being finished chewing and watched you silently. You held their gaze, waiting to hear more about their tie to the tisuh or be told to leave, but Kiaba sighed again. They set their half-eaten food aside, deposited two more tisuh onto a new plate, and held it out to you. “You might as well have a full stomach while you look.”

The smile that spread across your face was instant and - you could feel it - delighted. It was nice to be reminded that there were kind and generous beings in the galaxy, no matter how rare they seemed. “Thank you, Kiaba. I appreciate it.”

From behind you, there came the sound of a throat being pointedly cleared. Kiaba rolled their dark eyes. “I guess I can spare a few for your friends.”

“I appreciate that, too,” you told them with a slow nod to show your gratitude. “As do my friends.”

It took a stern look from you to prompt Scorch and Sev into thanks, which were muttered without an ounce of sincerity. Kiaba seemed unconvinced, but the astonishment you felt when you took your first bite of tisuh brought something almost prideful to their expression.

The dough was tender and delicate, falling away to reveal a filling that seemed to be made up of mostly vegetables. They were tender, with just enough variation in texture for you to recognize that the filling had several different kinds of vegetables in it. All of them had been stewed in a thick sauce that was toward the upper limit of your spice tolerance, but the heat was dampened slightly by the coolness of the bready dough that had surrounded the filling.

“This…” you started, pausing for a moment while your brain tried to choose between speech and shoving more food into your mouth. “Kiaba, this is incredible!”

“I know,” Kiaba told you with the closest thing you had seen to a smile on their face.

You returned to inhaling your tisuh. Sev and Scorch were silent, but you could tell that they also liked the food by the speed they were eating. Even so, your plate was the first one empty and you disposed of it in a nearby waste receptacle.

“My apologies for my friends,” you told Kiaba, earning a glare from Scorch. Sev ignored you entirely. “I can see why you were worried about a sudden flood of customers. I’m not sure how you have any tisuh that hasn’t been purchased already, but I thank you for sharing the excess with us. Your kindness is most appreciated.”

Kiaba waved you away. “Been kinda slow today, actually. Lucky for you all.”

Scorch appeared over your shoulder, peering down toward your hands. “Do you have any you’re not going to-? Oh, you’re already finished. You know, most females wouldn’t have been able to eat all of that.”

“Well, most females don’t have Kiaba’s excellent tisuh to motivate them,” you countered. “I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten!”

A dozen or so passersby glanced over at you curiously at the fervent praise. Some came to look at Kiaba’s selection of foods, and you were amused to see that a small line formed as you watched.

Kiaba glanced from the line to you, their dark eyes traveling to Sev next. They pointed a stubby green finger at Scorch and Sev. “You two keep this to yourselves. I’m not running a clone charity. This was a one-time thing. I don’t want to see clones coming around here asking for handouts.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sev muttered while Scorch made a rude gesture behind him. Fortunately, Kiaba was too busy tending to the line to pay much attention to their antics, and you managed to pull the commandos away before they could say anything else.

The three of you walked in silence for a while, but it started to grow uncomfortable. You rubbed your stomach and let out a contented sigh. “That was great.”

Sev nodded. “Better than the usual stuff.”

That made you remember to ask what you should have asked earlier. “So you guys don’t have any credits at all? How do you eat when you’re on Coruscant?”

“GAR mess hall,” Sev told you. “Or there’s a civvie place nearby that gives clones food occasionally. Some sympathizer. Feels bad for us.”

“Oh.” There seemed to be very few responses to that, but you ventured, “Nice?”

“Yeah, but it can get a little old,” Scorch said. “We don’t mind eating the same food over and over - ration bars’ll train you right up for that - but it’s nice to have something different now and then.”

You nodded understandingly. Anyone would get tired of the same food over and over again. “That’s valid. Even if it’s charity, that doesn’t mean you need to want it all the time.”

When Sev spoke, it was so sudden that he interrupted whatever Scorch had intended to say. “How much of that was Jedi osik?”

Scorch’s protests cut off and you felt the weight of their scrutiny on your face. All you could offer was the truth. “I’m not really sure.”

“I thought you learned to control it,” Scorch said.

“I am, it’s- it’s a long process,” you reminded them both. “It’s hard to know when I’m using the Force, because I’ve spent my whole life thinking it was just part of who I am and how I relate to people.”

The silence was deafening - which was a trick, considering the sheer number of people surrounding you as you walked through the city streets - until it was broken by Scorch. He sounded unusually serious, enough so that you actually looked over at him. “Never use that on us. Just… don’t.”

“I won’t,” you assured him instantly, stung by the insinuation that you would try to make them do something by force rather than conversation or negotiation.

“You might not know, though, right?” Sev pointed out.

“...Right,” you agreed, voice quiet. You hated to admit it, but you refused to lie to them. There was every chance you wouldn’t be able to recognize when you were influencing their will.

When you arrived at the barracks, Boss and Fixer were waiting for you.

The silence that fell between the three of you was tense. When Scorch suggested that you go back to the GAR’s barracks, you didn’t argue.

“About time,” Fixer grumbled. “I knew Six-Two couldn’t read a chronometer, but I thought better of you, Oh-Seven.”

“Shove it, Fixer,” Scorch retorted. “We’re not on a mission. And fifteen extra minutes is nothing in civvie time.”

“C’mon, we have places to be,” Boss ordered, offering only a brief nod to Scorch and Sev. He gestured for you to follow him as he walked away.

You glanced at the others. Sev’s expression was blank while Scorch’s was an amused mask. Fixer started walking in the direction Boss had gone, tilting his head for you to come along.

Gradually, the signage told you that you were approaching the armory. Every door you passed was just like every other, a gray door set in a gray wall. They were double the width of a standard door, leaving no hint about what lay behind or what typically was transported in or out. When you finally stopped, Boss had to enter a code into a control panel set into the wall and scan a spot on his arm before the door would open. From the noise it made while it slid, it was heavier than normal - most likely armored to withstand any attempts to break in. Even then, you entered into a narrow, shallow hallway that led directly to another door with the same control panel and scanner. Boss opened that armored door as well and you entered the room.

When you stepped through, you were taken aback by the sheer size of the armory. Just ahead of you was a waiting area, complete with hard durasteel benches set into the walls for people to sit while they awaited their chance to speak with the clerk. The clerk’s desk was set behind another wall - though this one did not reach the towering ceiling. It was guarded by a transparisteel barrier that looked resistant to blaster fire, though there was a speaker set into it so people could speak to the clerk.

Behind the clerk’s chair, you could see rows of doorways holding different types of weapons. Each entrance was covered by a ray shield. There were shelves in the middle of the space that held the additional necessities - everything from kamas to harnesses that would support heavy weapons for the wearer - and at the back of the room, you could see a practice range. There was more around the edges of the space, you were sure, but it was hidden by the half-wall and the clerk was beckoning you forward.

You took a nervous step toward the human male - definitely not a clone, you noted, but a GAR employee - but Boss approached with more confidence. “I need to outfit a new member of my squad.”

“Okay, that doesn’t help me much,” the clerk told him. “What is your designation? What is your squad’s designation? What is the new trooper’s designation?”

“RC-1138, Delta Squad, and she doesn’t have a designation.”

The clerk blinked at the resolution of Boss’s answers. “She? You have a non-clone addition to a commando squad?”

“Yes, we do,” Fixer said, ushering you forward. “Approved by the Jedi Council. Generals Yoda, Windu, and Unduli in particular.”

The clerk still looked a little stunned, even when he was looking directly at you, so you helpfully supplied your name. He shook his head in resignation. “You’re going to have to wait while I get this cleared.”

“Fine,” Boss agreed, stopping you when you started toward one of the benches in the empty waiting area.

“You’ll probably be more comfortable over there,” the clerk said.

“We’ll just wait here,” Fixer countered, leaning slightly against the counter and watching the clerk steadily.

There was no way to know for certain how quickly the clerk would have moved without being stared at by two no-nonsense commandos and one mildly confused Force-sensitive woman, but he was able to contact someone in moments. After a short conversation with a superior who sounded decidedly grumpy to be asked for clearance, the clerk motioned you over to a door set into the wall that divided the waiting area from the rest of the armory.

When it opened, Boss led the way in and Fixer followed you. The clerk gave all three of you a skeptical look. “The droids will help you from here. I assume you know where everything is?”

“Yes,” Boss said shortly.

“Thank you!” you chirped, unable to fight the urge to be polite.

Boss glanced back at you with a slight lift of his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything as he led the way toward a specific part of the room.

“Don’t thank him,” Fixer told you. He didn’t lower his voice in the slightest and you cringed at the idea of the clerk overhearing him, but the man had gone back to his desk and was now scrolling through a datapad. “He did nothing but slow us down.”

“He let us in the door,” you argued.

“Slowly,” Fixer snorted. “I could have sliced in faster than it took him to open it.”

"When you two are finished," Boss started, his even tone holding an edge of impatience, "I'd like to get this done."

With that said, he turned and tapped a droid that began to power up.

You had gotten more familiar with the variety of droids that helped everyday life run more smoothly in the Republic, but you certainly didn't know all of them. You leaned closer to Fixer. "What kind of droid is it?"

"An RMR, second generation," he told you. "They're pretty rare. The GAR is the only legal user in the galaxy."

As soon as the droid was fully upright, Boss shoved his arm in front of its sensors. "I need armor for my new squad member."

The droid scanned Boss's arm with a flickering reddish light, then trained its sensors on his face. "The records indicate that the new attachment to Delta Squad, led by RC-1138, is a human female. The approval was issued by the Jedi Council. Do you need armor for a Jedi?"

"Yes," Boss decided. As the RMR droid whirred toward one of the shelves, he gave a wordless shrug over one shoulder, offering that by way of an explanation to you and Fixer.

The droid came back, holding a small stack of plates in its metallic arms. Boss accepted them with noticeable disgust. "What is this?"

"Armor for a Jedi," RMR explained. "Most Jedi choose to wear small amounts of armor to facilitate easier movement around the battlefield. The blaster-resistant undertunics are provided by the Jedi Temple, but I could check to see what we have in stock…"

“Absolutely not,” Boss refused. The droid, having already started to move away, turned just in time to catch the plates it had just handed Boss. The sergeant was shaking his head with thinly veiled irritation. “No Jedi of ours is going to walk around unarmored. I want a full set for her, tailored to her specs.”

You tried to keep a straight face, but you were unreasonably warmed by the casual sense of belonging that Boss had offered. You weren’t even a Jedi, really, but Delta Squad had offered you a place in the galaxy where you could fit in. And you would apparently fit in there for a long time, if Boss had anything to say about it.

“Sergeant, a full set of armor is heavy,” RMR objected. “Wearing it may decrease her ability to maneuver around a battlefield. That is the reasoning behind most Jedi wearing sparser armor-”

“And that’s their choice,” Boss agreed. “But I won’t have someone on my squad who would be taken out by ricochet blaster fire. Let us worry about her maneuverability.”

RMR droids clearly had not been designed to sigh, but if it had the ability, you would bet that RMR would have done so. Instead, it settled for a heavy silence before replacing the plates Boss had handed back.

“Boss,” you started quietly, trying to disguise the emotion in your voice. You didn’t know exactly how you were going to thank him for looking out for you, but you needed to tell him. Especially in the wake of Scorch and Sev’s subtle step back after your earlier meal. “I-”

“No complaints,” he told you harshly. The surprise of it kept you from protesting aloud, but he seemed to take your silence for offense, because he gave a small sigh. You watched his shoulders move with it before he angled his head to see you in his peripheral vision. “I know it seems like too much, but-”

“Thank you,” you interrupted.

You could only see Boss’s face in profile, but you watched the eyebrow you could see shoot upward in surprise. Before he could answer, the RMR droid returned. This time, it was carrying a much larger stack of plastoid plates.

The feeling you got at the sight was a surprise to you. Those were yours - or, they would be once they had been sized properly. It would be your way to start repaying the debt you owed these men. Delta Squad had saved your life, and this pile of plastoid would protect that life while you worked to help them.

RMR was apparently not happy with any of you, and it dumped the armor into Boss’s arms. Boss caught most of it, but Fixer had to snag a few pieces out of the air. Then RMR handed you a piece of slinky black material.

“What is this?” you asked, holding it up and puzzling at the shapeless fall of fabric.

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence, broken only by a mutter from Fixer. “Body glove.”

Ah.

The next hour was among the most embarrassing of your life. Republic technology was at least good enough to keep the fabric from becoming sheer as it stretched over certain places, but there were no secrets in the body glove. Every bump and curve and swell of your figure was blatantly visible.

It was bad enough when you confronted yourself in the long, narrow mirror in the changing room, but Boss and Fixer clearly noticed the places where the fabric strained to contain you. It became a game of ignorance, everyone aware of it, but no one saying anything.

Fortunately, the nature of your task meant that you slowly got more covered up as time passed. Pieces of plastoid armor locked into place, each one held firm against you by a system of electromagnets. You had wondered how the armor worked, and you were thrilled to find that the electromagnetism was activated when the plates touched different sections of a flexible wiring worked into your body glove.

You had to swap several pieces of armor, working closely with RMR as you sized up and down to collect a full set that fit your body. By the time you finished, you were sweating. (You had to wipe it away with your palm, since the back of your hand was protected by a gauntlet.)

“Doing okay?” Fixer asked, approaching with the helmet you had been eying almost as long as you had been trying on armor.

“Yeah,” you confirmed with a sheepish look. “This really is heavy. More than I expected.”

Boss nodded. “We’ll do most of your training in it to build your strength. The relief mission we’re about to go on won’t require speed, but wearing it will keep you safe while you get used to it.”

“I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but I think it’s a good idea.”

As soon as you had agreed, Fixer handed you the helmet. “Last piece.”

You raised the helmet and slid it over your head. The seal at the bottom of the helmet pulled at your scalp, then at the sensitive skin of your face as it lowered further and further before it settled into place. When the helmet seal met the neck of your body glove, the helmet’s HUD flickered to life.

Your breath caught at the way information was augmenting everything you could see. You had assumed that the helmet would limit your sight and hearing, but that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, the only sense that suffered was smell.

The viewport allowed you to see everything around you while the HUD gave you information about everything outside your field of vision, synced to where your eyes traveled. The speakers of the helmet were incredible as well, bringing sounds inside while also allowing your sound of surprise to travel outward.

Fixer grinned and Boss gave a soft chuckle - both of which were presented with perfect clarity by the helmet.

“I remember that first time seeing the galaxy through a helmet,” Fixer said, sounding a little wistful.

“We’ll probably turn down some of the HUD features until you get used to it,” Boss offered. “And then you can sort through it all and choose what you want to keep.”

“Can I keep all of it?” you asked. “It’s incredible!”

“You won’t want to see everything,” Fixer warned you. “Especially not when you’re in combat. You’ll want the necessities - nothing more, nothing less.”

“If all members of your squad are fully armored, I must request that you leave the armory,” RMR informed you all, appearing once more. You weren’t surprised, though. The HUD had warned you of an incoming droid even with RMR approaching from behind you.

“We’ll be on our way in a minute, droid,” Boss told it. He turned to Fixer. “Go check our ship for tomorrow. Make sure everything is loaded and that systems are set for a smooth mission. You know what to look for.”

Fixer nodded and - with a final glance at you - left the armory. Boss held a hand out in your direction. You glanced at it, then at him, but he couldn’t see your confused frown under the cover of protective plastoid.

After a moment, he said, “Give me your helmet. I’ll hold it while you change back into your clothes.”

Ah. At least you hadn’t done anything mortifying, like taking his hand. Even so, your face was hot as you removed the helmet and handed it to him. Your retreat to the changing area may have been a little faster than it would have been otherwise, but that could be for any number of reasons.

When you reappeared, Boss gave you a medium-sized pack. “To carry the armor.”

You nodded and knelt to pack the plates of armor. By far the bulkiest piece was the chestplate, but it wasn’t impossible to carry. The body glove folded down smaller than you could believe, especially now that you knew there was an electromagnetic system hidden in the fabric’s weave.

You stood and slung the pack over your shoulders. It took a moment to adjust your balance, but the weight didn’t seem quite so bad with it supported by your shoulder. Boss handed you the helmet once more. “I’ve already signed everything out, so we’re good to go. Just remember that everything is owned by the GAR. They don’t care if you customize it, but not in any way that purposely damages it.”

“Got it,” you said with a nod. “Anything else I should know?”

“No, but there’s something I should,” Boss countered. “What’s wrong?”

You blinked in surprise, walking behind him as you left the armory. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nothing is wrong.”

Boss sighed through his nose, a sound filled with more disappointment than irritation. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want a real answer. What is it?”

You took a moment to think it over, but Boss apparently thought you didn’t intend to say anything at all. With a grave look, he said, “I’ll make it an order if I have to.”

With that mild threat hanging over you, telling the truth seemed to be your best option. You told him what had happened at Kiaba’s, and the way Scorch and Sev had reacted to you afterward.

“It makes sense and I understand where they’re coming from,” you hastened to add. “I’m just worried they’re never going to trust me. But I know none of us knew everything before we agreed to have me work for you and I’m not going to be offended if you feel the same way. It’s hard to-”

“I don’t.”

The simple denial made you abruptly cut off your tirade. Despite the trickle of relief running through you, the only question you had was: “Why?”

Boss shrugged. “The Force isn’t much different from getting an order. You feel like you should follow it, but nothing can completely take over your free will. Not unless you’re a complete di’kut.”

“How do you know?” you asked. It seemed stupid to question things when they seemed to be going your way, but you couldn’t help it.

“Someone had us made,” Boss pointed out. “If the Force could make people follow something without question, they wouldn’t need a clone army, they would need a rogue Jedi. Besides, Dooku would do that to make an army for the Seppies. Instead, they’re spending fortunes on their clankers.”

For the life of you, you couldn’t think of an answer to that. When you kept walking beside him in open-mouthed silence, Boss caught your look and shrugged again. “It’s a working theory, but I thought it over before I ever agreed to have you join us.”

“You’re smarter than I could ever dream of being,” you told him, hearing the awe in your own voice.

“Nah, I’m just used to thinking around what the jetii do,” he countered. “Don’t worry about Sev and Scorch. They’ll get over it soon enough. Right now, you need to focus on the mission. We meet in the hangar bay at oh-five-hundred hours. Get some sleep before then.”

---

Author's Note - Uh, oh. A little awkwardness with Scorch and Sev! I'm STILL working my way through the Republic Commando book series, and I feel like troopers (especially Delta) would have trouble with the idea of their scraps of free will being taken away by someone, even if they like and trust that person.

This chapter was supposed to be posted a week ago, but Thanksgiving was crazy and internet access was sparse. Sorry for the delay and thank you for your patience. Thank you for reading!

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hillarydiangelo · 2 years

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"Though your eyes will need some time to adjust

To the overwhelming light surrounding us"

Light, Sleeping at Last

#*sighs* take this #songs that make me think of them #star wars #swedit #swwords #kenobi spoilers #kenobi series #love can ignite the stars #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #kenkbiedit #liasarts #owkwords #owkedit

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shinidamachu · 1 year

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Have you ever heard the song Light by Sleeping at Last? I get sooooo many inukag feels from it and I feel like you’d really like it!

I love Sleeping at Last! Two is in every Inukag playlist I've made to this day. I'll admit I don't remember ever listening to Light before, but when I finally did, all I could think about was how Inuyasha's relationship with Kagome impacts who he would be as a father.

According to Genius, Light is the follow on track — storyline wise — of Uneven Odds, a song about a boy who had lost both of his parents. Ryan O'Neal explained that the song is written from the perspective of this little boy, who is now an adult and becoming a parent himself.

May these words be the first to find your ears The world is brighter than the sun now that you're here Though your eyes will need some time to adjust To the overwhelming light surrounding us

From the very beginning it's clear the narrator is a parent talking to his newborn. Kagome was the first person to tell Inuyasha things he desperately needed to hear and something I love about Inukag is how she is a source of light and warmth in Inuyasha's life and how this is supported by the text and the narrative, so it's like he is saying those things from experience here.

I'll give you everything I have I'll teach you everything I know I promise I'll do better

Inuyasha doesn't have much, but he was always risking everything he had to protect Kagome and now that he has much more than he ever thought he would, he can do the same for their child.

And I'm not talking only about the fire rat robe or tessaiga — although they can be great heirlooms — but we know when Inuyasha loves someone, he gives them his all: body, mind and soul. His sweat, blood and tears.

Furthermore, Inuyasha's jorney was tremendous and he learned a lot, especially from Kagome. Now that he is grown and wiser, he can pass on those very important lessons to his own child while still working on himself to improve and be better than he ever was, to be a man deserving of Kagome and his baby because he has been through too much and is still a work in progress.

I will always hold you close But I will learn to let you go I promise I'll do better

Inuyasha was touch starved for the most par of his life, so even though he tries to be nonchalant about it, the truth is that he thrives on physical affection, which is why he wants to keep close any source of it.

But he also came to terms with the fact that holding on is only half of what truly loving someone actually means. The other half is letting go, which is why we often got scenes of him pushing Kagome away — both literally and metaphorically — or giving her up even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Because he can't be selfish with her, her safety and her feelings have got to come first so he has to give her space to make her own decisions and hope that, whatever she decides, she will be safe and happy. He owes her that much and that's all he really dares to ask for.

With kids is not different, because sooner or later they're gonna leave the nest and there's not really much a father can do except staying back, watching them shine and cheering them on in every step of the way.

I will soften every edge I'll hold the world to its best And I'll do better

There's nothing more symbolic than a character who was once rough around the edges wanting to soften every edge of the world because once upon a time someone softned his and now he is trying to do the same in hopes of creating a better place for their own baby.

We don't talk about it much, but Inuyasha is an idealist. Way less optimistic than Kagome, sure, but an idealist nonetheless. As much of a cynical as he was — or claimed to be — about the world and the people in it, he never really was a passive voice.

On the contrary, he fought for his life, fought for people like Shiori and Jinenji. Even though he knew this was just how things were he didn't act like he truly accepted it and that's why Change The World is one of the best openings ever. Inuyasha changed the world by just existing and now he'll make it so it treats his child better than it treated him.

With every heartbeat I have left I will defend your every breath And I'll do better

"If that's what you want, then I'll protect you with my life" is the first things that comes to mind and it couldn't be different. Inuyasha lives and dies for the people he cares about. A child would only intensify those protective instincts to the highest level.

'Cause you are loved, you are loved more than you know I hereby pledge all of my days to prove it so Though your heart is far too young to realize The unimaginable light you hold inside

Although he has his moments, words aren't usually his thing. He shows his affection with acts of service, physical touch and quality time and it's often so subtle sometimes people won't notice it or, if they do, won't comprehend just how deep his feelings runs.

Inuyasha is nothing if not loyal and the love he felt for Kagome was so transcendental that it kept growing strong even in the three years they spent apart, when he went to the well every three days to try and get to her. He would have waited for her until the end of his days and when she finally returned, he gave them all to her anyway.

And the "light" of this last verse can be interpreted both as a reference to the recurring theme of Kagome being the sun of his cold, dark world — who is now brighter also thanks to their kid — and a refference to the light of a priest(ess) born out of their union, who could easily carry their mother's powers within them.

I will rearrange the stars Pull 'em down to where you are I promise I'll do better With every heartbeat I have left I'll defend your every breath I promise I'll do better

Another thing I love about Inukag is the constant use of stars in their relationship — they often can be seeing stargazing alone — because stars are constantly associated with the universe. Stars aligned so that they could meet at the right place at the right time only for fate to cruelly rip them away from each other. They had to defy time and space to get their happily ever after. It's nothing Inuyasha wouldn't also do for their child.

Being a parent is already challenging. You're learning on the job every single day, so you're always trying to do better, to do better. In Inuyasha's especific case must be even harder due to his traumas and the prejudice that his child will have to go through, but the bottom line is that he is willing to go above and beyond to give them everything he didn't have.

#Thank you for your ask and for this amazing rec #Sidmailing #Inuyasha #Kagome #Kagome Higurashi #Inukag

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thedaughersofferrix · 1 year

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A New Purpose (Chapter Two: Partners)

(work is not nsfw, but this blog is generally intended to be 18+)

synopsis: you’re an ex-rebel fighter struggling to adjust to no longer fighting against the empire and instead having to build from it’s ashes. to combat the overwhelming sense that you need to do something, you've dedicated yourself to wiping out the imperial remnants that still cling to the underside of the new republic. that changes when you meet a socially inept mandalorian and his adorable baby, who are running from imperial remnants.

tldr: an ex-rebel, a mandalorian and force-sensitive baby walk into a bar and nobody else walks out.

pairing: din djarin x fem! reader

content warnings: canon typical violence, slow burn, like really slow burn, strangers to friends to lovers, potentially smut in the future, reader has personality/backstory, little to no use of y/n, original characters, original planets

word count: 3.7k

prev. next.

While unconscious, your mind flittered through what were half-memories and half-unintelligible dream nonsense.

One minute you were at a strategy meeting, surrounded by your friends and the Rebellion insignia, then a fyrnock jumped on the table and suddenly you were being chased. Nobody else reacted or cared, they didn’t take notice of you as you ran. Dream you was hurt by that, but you didn’t yell at them or ask for help. The fyrnock spoke to you like it’s capable of complex thought, all while it’s frothing at the mouth. You’re sure that it meant something to people who care about shit like that, you, however, didn’t have time to examine your own subconscious.

Your eyes opened like rusted shutters, slow and heavy. An involuntary groan escaped you while you moved. It was dark, with only enough light for you to see the general outline of things. Strangely, you were comfortable. Patting the ground beside you, you realised it’s not ground at all. You were on a bed. Well, it was more like stretchy mesh than anything providing real comfort, but it was better than the floor.

The events of… yesterday? An hour ago? Last week? However long you were out didn’t matter because the most recent events that occurred to you hadn’t been forgotten.

You were still experiencing some general aches and pains in your body. It’s only a fraction of the pain you were in before you had your little nap though. And the blaster wound at your side had been cleaned, sprayed with bacta and dressed. It got the job done, even if it wasn’t amazing. You’d have some new scars after all that for sure.

You carelessly felt around for a little bit, before your hand slapped a panel and the door to the bedding area opened. You winced at the sudden light and swung your legs over the edge.

There was some quiet movement from above you that let you know the Mandalorian and his green baby thing are awake. Your eyes finally focused and you took in your surroundings. It was about as quiet and methodical as you expected from him. He doesn’t have anything unnecessary sitting around or taking up space. There was a ladder directly to your right, as well as a fresher, both of which you disregarded in favour of doing some non-invasive snooping. I mean, you may as well know what you’re getting into, right?

You find what you deduce to be a portable carbonite freezing chamber, though the racks where his bounties are usually kept was empty. Must not have much time to bounty hunt while he’s taking care of the kid , you thought. Across from it is a compartment, which you opened without struggle. Blasters and explosive devices line every inch of it. There’s a brief moment wherein you consider filching one, but then you consider that he might not react well to that.

The act of climbing the ladder up to the second floor is a slow endeavour that ended up taking you longer than it should have, even on a bad day. Each of your joints is desperate for just five more minutes of rest . You persisted and made it up, though there was some struggle to actually climb onto the floor and then stand up. There was an Amban sniper rifle mounted on the wall by the cockpit door. Good to know.

The door opened automatically when you approached and the Mandalorian looked over his shoulder at you, then back to the window. It was only then that you realised you were in hyperspace. The light illuminated his silver beskar helmet like fireworks on the water. It was nearly beautiful.

“Mornin’,” you tried. He made a little grunt of acknowledgement in response. You were a little annoyed by that, though the annoyance melted away when you heard the sweet gurgles of the baby. He was playing with a small silver ball that you recognised as being the ship’s shift knob. His eyes seem even bigger and brighter than you remembered. You waved at him and his tiny clawed hand waved back.

“Where are we going?” you asked, trying to peer at his navigation system. He flicked a switch before telling you, “Korrus.” You choked out a laugh. He looked over his shoulder at you and you raised your hands in defence. “What?” he insisted.

“Nothing, nothing,” you rejected. He moved to turn back around. “It’s just—” and then he was looking at you again, “—you really couldn’t have picked a worse planet.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Explain.”

You sat down in the unoccupied passenger chair to his right and dropped your elbows on your knees. “Korrus is one of the only Outer Rim planets that has stayed under total Imperial control since the death of the Emperor. If we go there, we may as well walk out with our blasters in our mouths.”

Being able to see the look on his face would have been satisfying then. Or maybe not. It’s really hard to tell with the helmet on honestly. “Where do you propose we go instead?”

“The moon Jaji. It’s far enough away from Korrus that the Imps won’t see it, but close enough to bail out to other planets if we need to. Varied settlements and species, we’d blend right in.” In response to this counteroffer, the Mandalorian did what he does best: stared at you silently . “I can give you coordinates,” you proposed.

“Tell me,” he said and you couldn’t tell if you were making progress or if he was just this miserable all the time.

Jaji was how you remember; swampy and damp and dim . Massive willowing trees blocked out the brunt of the sunlight and made it seem like it was perpetually twilight. It was sort of nice, in an ominous way. It took the Mandalorian a while to find an appropriate place to land and he, with a little reluctance, accepted your guidance to a spot near the town of Eryuu.

The ground on Jaji is permanently mud and muck, the water has sprawling algae decorating the surface and yet the drinking water on Jaji is some of the purest in the galaxy. You didn’t fully understand the infrastructure in place, though a local merchant once explained to you that Jaji has had a complex water purification system for over two hundred years now. The purity is so intense that the first time you sipped a cup of Jaji water you’d thought they served you alcohol by accident.

When you landed, you told him your name. “Okay,” he replied dumbly as he twisted nobs and pulled levers. You waited for him to offer you his name back. He didn’t. “Is there a name I can call you?”

“Just call me Mando.”

“Oh come on! You’re not going to tell me your name? You’re going to let me bleed out in your ship and sleep in your bed but you’re not going to tell me your name?”

“Mando or nothing,” he maintained. You clicked your tongue in irritation. Your eyes fell on the kid. “Does he have a name?” you asked, pointing to the little guy. He made a little sound that you took as an answer to your question. “He does!” you grinned. “What is it?” Even though you felt like the Mando was annoyed by your attempts at basic etiquette, he told you: Grogu .

You were delighted to discover that every time you say his name, Grogu turned to you, cocked his head and made a noise you have to assume is an approximation of ‘ you called? ’

“What tools do you have?” you asked him, once the ship’s engine was off. “Enough,” he said. “Why?” Your eyes flicked over to the controls of the ship. “I think I can mod your transmitter to not be picked up by scanners.” That caught his attention.

Mando showed you what tools he had on hand for you to mod the ship and all the while, you tried to get some grasp on him. The tools were enough to facilitate the rewiring you’d need to do and the entire time you tried to work, he stood and watched you. He probably assumed you were going to plant a bomb beside his fuel injector or something.

His ship had been taken apart and repaired not long ago, that was evident. The soldering was fresh and some pieces shined while others were caked in rust. In terms of the quality of engineering, it was pretty impressive. There was no way Mando did this alone. “Who repaired your ship?” you queried. “A friend,” he replied. You couldn’t get a fucking inch on this guy, could you?

“What?” he asked. You looked over at him and furrowed your brow in confusion.

“Hm?”

“Your face, you look upset.” He wasn’t totally emotionally stunted at least. “Just didn’t think you’d have friends is all,” you teased. He would have made some disapproving noise or comment, you’re sure, but he didn’t get the chance because someone called out your name.

“Maker, it is you!”

You slid out from the Razor Crest’s walls and peered down the ramp. When you saw him, your face brightened. “Krav!”

The orange and white togruta smiled widely at you. He was as tall as he had been the last time, if not taller. He was over six foot three without his montral height added. The murky green coat trailing off his shoulders somehow made him look even taller. Krav immediately pulled you into an embrace, a hand resting on the back of your head affectionately.

“How long as been? Eight months? Nine?” he said when he pulled away. “Maybe a year by now,” you replied. At such proximity, he could see your face and the healing scars that littered it more clearly. His large hand grabbed your cheek gently, his thumb caressing the most obvious one. “My, my. Still, a troublemaker I see.”

“What can I say? Some things never change.”

He hummed. “Maybe they should.”

Grogu made a noise of curosity and Krav turned around, catching sight of him and Mando. “Ah! You’re here with friends!” he preened, clasping his hands.

“Friend is a strong word for it,” you interjected. Krav gave you a look. You shrugged. “He’s my chauffeur.” Mando’s head turned to you. “Krav, this is Mando and Grogu,” you introduced. Krav smiled. “Lovely to meet you.” Mando nodded. “Likewise.” Grogu cooed and Krav chuckled lowly.

“Are you staying?” Krav asked, sounding hopeful. You looked at Mando like you were expecting to see an expression from under the helmet. Stoic beskar stared back. “I doubt it,” you settled on. “That’s a shame,” he mused, expression now glum. It wasn’t hard to clock that he had more to say. “Wanna go for a walk, Krav? Catch up a little bit?” He smiled. “Sure.”

“Don’t be long. I want these mods done before the sun sets,” Mando informed you. “Yes sir, mister Mandalorian, sir!” You gave him a mocking salute, to which he huffed, then walked back into the ship. Grogu followed after in his cot, waving to you.

“He seems fun,” Krav commented. “He’s not. Anyway, start talking.”

“You just can’t be subtle, can you?”

“Never been one for beating around the bush.”

“I’m aware,” Krav laughed. As you gained some distance on the Razor Crest, his smile dropped and he looked at you with a hardened expression. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Oh no.”

“Why oh no? Can’t I miss a friend?”

“Forgive me for being realistic. People are only ever glad to see me when they want something done.”

“A testament to your capability.”

“ Sure . Get on with it, then.”

“Do you remember a few years ago when we had an issue with the Crymorah Syndicate?” Your brow furrowed. “I do. I thought they fizzled out when Jabba died?”

“We did too, until recently. They’ve been interrupting our trade with Aibal. The summer drought has been particularly hard there this season, we’ve nearly doubled the water rations we send to them, but less than half of what we send is making it there. Then, the Syndicate take what they’ve stolen and sells it for triple the price.”

You weren’t ashamed to admit that the implication of what he was saying lit a spark in you. The promise of a fight always did that to you. Especially with fuckers like the Crymorah Syndicate. They had provided the Empire with sensitive intelligence from the start of its reign until the day the Emperor died.

The ever-growing confidence of the Imperial remnants might only serve to be invigorated by a lack of consequences from the New Republic. Who knows what information you could stand to gain from taking down this wing of the Syndicate? The transmissions you could gain access to if you got on one of their ships. Was it worth the risk though?

“You’ve tangled with the Syndicate before.”

“That was during the war, Krav.”

“This is a war to us,” Krav retorted, voice rife with emotion. “People are suffering because of this. Is that not a worthy reason for war?”

You considered this. Fuck it , you thought. Who has time to consider the risks? War was more appealing than peace anyway.

“I should probably run this past Mando first,” you thought out loud. Krav grinned at you. He could see where this was going. “I’m willing to take them down a peg though.” A large orange hand slapped your shoulder in gratitude.

“You and your Mandalorian will be compensated for your work.”

“Okay, calm down, he’s not my Mandalorian,” you said, half laughing. “He’s a Mandalorian and I think he’d object to being anyone’s.”

“Potato, tomato.”

“Potato, potahto.”

“Who calls it a potahto?”

“That’s the— hm, you know what? Never mind.”

“Mando.”

He looked back at you from his spot, kneeling on the floor. He had been inspecting what you’d done so far. “How would you feel about scoring some credits?”

“By doing what exactly?”

“Got some bandits upsetting a trade route from here to Aibal. We’ve been asked to stop it.”

“How much?”

“Six thousand.” He scoffed. “That won’t cover fuel costs for a week,” he dismissed. “Six thousand, each . You’d get my share.” Mando paused. “...Why would you be willing to give me your share?” You kissed your teeth like you were thinking about it. “I’m just that nice.”

Mando stared at you silently. You stared back. “And I mean—”

“There it is.”

“—Fuck you and I mean this is a great chance to get some perspective, isn’t it? Crymorah has been in the Empire’s pocket since the end of the Clone Wars. Intercepting these guys could let us know where we stand with them.”

“And?” You looked at him innocently. He looked back at you, waiting for the twist. No point in letting him fester, you supposed. “And it’s a great chance for you to give me a blaster.” Mando sighed at you like you were a petulant child bothering him. He stood and walked over to his weapons compartment. “Which are you familiar with?” You raced to his side.

“The DL-21, that’d do me just fine,” you said before you even reached him. If he noticed your familiarity with the weapons in his compartment, he didn’t mention it. “I assume you’ve used it before,” he said, picking it from its mount and handing it to you. You gladly accepted and check its condition. “I’ve more than used it. Used to call these things Rebel blasters during the war. She’s my blaster of choice.”

“You were a rebel?” he asked, closing the compartment back over. “Still am,” you replied. “The war is over.” You raised your eyebrows. “For some,” you remarked. “Anyway. Shall I get back to work then?”

It hadn’t taken very long to rewire the ship’s transmitter, especially since you had done it so many times. “That should be it,” you announced. “Turn on the engine and let’s see.” Mando disappeared wordlessly up the ladder and the engine roared to life. “Well?” you called up to him. “Come see for yourself,” he yelled back.

You entered the cockpit and Mando pointed to a new light on the dashboard. “That’s new,” he quietly stated. “Yeah, that’s an indicator that lets you know your ship is flying silent. This is an old military issue model so it’s there to avoid friendly fire,” you explained. He nodded in understanding, before saying quietly, “Thank you.” Mando was more polite than you’d originally given him credit for. “You’re welcome.”

“I need to pick up some supplies in town,” Mando said, flicking the engine off. “There’s a market about a two-minute walk away,” you told him. “And there’s an eatery nearby too.” Mando grabbed his rifle off the wall and slung it around himself. “Good. I think Grogu’s getting hungry.” Grogu babbled in agreement. You chuckled, giving him a pat on the head.

The town of Eryuu hadn’t changed much since you had last been there, in a nice way. It felt untouched by corruption festering in the corners of the Outer Rim. The people were as polite and welcoming as the first time you landed here, though they were perhaps a little intimidated by the wall of beskar trailing a few feet behind you. His demeanour was softened by the presence of the sweet-faced green baby though.

Grogu was examining his surroundings in the way only a young kid was able to; without a speck of judgement or disgust on his tiny wrinkled face. Just curiosity and intrigue at somewhere new and safe.

Mando purchased med nog and some bacta spray at one stall, then settled for just looking at merchandise offered by the rest of them. It was hard to not think about how all your precious gear was rotting away in an Imperial garrison, but you’d lost more at worse times.

The eatery called the Fifth under Seventh ( but known as Five-Seven to the locals ) was moderately quiet. Enough people for it not to be awkwardly quiet but enough people for some privacy. Mando ordered a bone broth for Grogu, nothing for himself and you ordered cushnip, which earned you a look from him that said ‘ I know you’re going to make me pay for that .’ You gave him a smile in return.

“So,” Mando began as the serve walked away. “You’ve modified the Razor Crest not to get picked up by scanners.” You hummed in confirmation. “How did you learn to do that?”

You laughed. “I can learn to do anything if I’m given enough time. With the right tools, I could hide loth-rat from a loth-cat.”

“And in this situation, I’m the loth-rat?”

“Grogu is the loth-rat. You’re something worse, like a little loth-rat in impenetrable armour maybe.”

He ignored that comment. “What can—”

“Ooooh, let me guess: What can you do for me if the scanner hides me anyway? ” you said, imitating his asphalt rasp. The server returned with Grogu’s broth and your cushnip and you didn’t wait to start shovelling the food into your mouth. It must have been nearly twenty-four hours since you’d last eaten anything substantial. “I don’t sound like that,” he defended.

“Everyone’s a critic, huh? First of all,” you started through a mouthful, “Any malfunction with that modification and I’m one of the few people who’re going to be able to help you fix it. Secondly—” you swallowed, “—the Empire isn’t a one-person fight, Mando.” You chose not to hear the hypocrisy in your statement. You leaned over the table slightly and looked directly at where you thought his eyes were.

“We don’t have to be friends, acquaintances or even speak outside of what’s necessary. I don’t have a ship and considering what I had is left behind on Creda, I’m not really in a position to buy one. You just need to provide me with some transport and I’ll work at keeping the Empire off our backs. That’s more than fair.”

Mando digested your words and went quiet for a few seconds. “How do I know I can trust you?” he finally asked. “The same way I know I can trust you: faith .”

“Faith,” he repeated in disbelief. “Faith,” you affirmed. “You didn’t kill me, patched me up, took me here, gave me a blaster. I didn’t kill you, led you out of the garrison on Creda and am offering you help. From there, faith in each other is all we’re going to have.”

Grogu cooed.

“And Grogu,” you joked. “He’s a reason for us to trust each other.”

“How?”

“He likes me.”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Yeah, he does.”

“He likes everyone who doesn’t want to kill him.”

“Good to know he has standards.”

He ignored your comment again. “You could look after him while I go after bounties.” Your face screwed up at that. “I’m not a babysitter,” you snapped. “I’d pay you.”

“ Fuck off!” you told him bluntly. “I’m not your employee either! If we’re doing this we need to be equals. I’d be willing to co-parent.”

“Co-parent?” he said, confused by your offer. You gestured as you tried to think of an explanation for it. “Uh, y’know, like you look after him and I go on a bounty, I look after him you go on a bounty. We take turns.”

“You’re not a bounty hunter.”

“I’m also not a babysitter.”

“I didn’t mean offence by it,” he said calmly. “I know,” you replied. “I just can’t go along with this if we aren’t both on the same page.” You took another mouthful of food and chewed thoughtfully. “Don’t get me wrong, I like him. He’s sweet, but ,” you place your half-finished cushnip back on your plate. “I have my shit to do, Mando. Same as you. I can’t prioritise him when I’m already committed to something else.”

Mando shifted in his seat so he was sitting back. “I understand.” He eyed you for a moment. Even with the helmet on, you could sense it. “I’m okay with… co-parenting .” You grinned at him.

You extended a hand to him. “It’s a deal then. We’re partners.” He hesitated before he reached across the table to shake your hand.

“Partners.”

#din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #din djarin x y/n #the mandalorian x y/n #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x you #star wars x reader #din djarin fanfiction #star wars

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egoismt · 9 months

Video

youtube

Light (Fanvid) Lyrics Translation

光明　歌詞英翻中

將自己剪輯的影片，歌詞翻譯成中文，歡迎指正，Enjoy~ :)

—–

1 00:03:06,627 --> 00:03:11,944 ♪ 希望這些詞句能成為 ♪

♪ May these words be the first ♪

2 00:03:11,944 --> 00:03:17,366 ♪ 妳最初聽到的話語 ♪

♪ To find your ears ♪

3 00:03:17,366 --> 00:03:22,996 ♪ 這世界比太陽更明亮 ♪

♪ The world is brighter than the sun ♪

4 00:03:22,996 --> 00:03:29,356 ♪ 因為此刻有妳在這裡 ♪

♪ Now that you're here ♪

5 00:03:29,356 --> 00:03:40,442 ♪ 雖然妳的眼睛會需要些時間來適應 ♪

♪ Though your eyes will need some time to adjust ♪

6 00:03:40,442 --> 00:03:52,988 ♪ 這環繞我們令人眩目的光明 ♪

♪ To the overwhelming light surrounding us ♪

7 00:03:52,988 --> 00:03:56,046 ♪ 我會給妳我所有的一切 ♪

♪ I'll give you everything I have ♪

8 00:03:56,046 --> 00:03:59,279 ♪ 我會教妳我所知的一切 ♪

♪ I'll teach you everything I know ♪

9 00:03:59,279 --> 00:04:04,318 ♪ 我發誓我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise I'll do better ♪

10 00:04:04,318 --> 00:04:06,751 ♪ 我會永遠緊緊擁抱妳 ♪

♪ I will always hold you close ♪

11 00:04:06,751 --> 00:04:10,330 ♪ 但我會學著放手讓妳走 ♪

♪ But I will learn to let you go ♪

12 00:04:10,330 --> 00:04:15,369 ♪ 我發誓我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise I'll do better ♪

13 00:04:15,369 --> 00:04:17,872 ♪ 我會軟化每個稜角 ♪

♪ I will soften every edge ♪

14 00:04:17,872 --> 00:04:23,224 ♪ 我會讓世界保持最佳狀態 ♪

♪ I'll hold the world to its best ♪

15 00:04:23,224 --> 00:04:26,108 ♪ 而且我會做得更好 ♪

♪ And I'll do better ♪

16 00:04:26,108 --> 00:04:28,958 ♪ 以我剩下的每次心跳 ♪

♪ With every heartbeat I have left ♪

17 00:04:28,958 --> 00:04:33,963 ♪ 我會守護妳的每次呼吸 ♪

♪ I will defend your every breath ♪

18 00:04:33,963 --> 00:04:40,809 ♪ 而且我會做得更好 ♪

♪ And I'll do better ♪

19 00:04:40,809 --> 00:04:44,215 ♪ 因為妳是被愛著的 ♪

♪ 'Cause you are loved ♪

20 00:04:44,215 --> 00:04:52,173 ♪ 妳被愛得遠勝於妳所知 ♪

♪ You are loved more than you know ♪

21 00:04:52,173 --> 00:04:57,769 ♪ 我在此立誓以我所有的日子 ♪

♪ I hereby pledge all of my days ♪

22 00:04:57,769 --> 00:05:04,685 ♪ 來證明確實如此 ♪

♪ To prove it so ♪

23 00:05:04,685 --> 00:05:15,528 ♪ 雖然妳的心太過年輕而不明白 ♪

♪ Though your heart is far too young to realize ♪

24 00:05:15,528 --> 00:05:28,734 ♪ 妳內在蘊藏著無可想像的光明 ♪

♪ The unimaginable light you hold inside ♪

25 00:05:28,734 --> 00:05:31,862 ♪ 我會給妳我所有的一切 ♪

♪ I'll give you everything I have ♪

26 00:05:31,862 --> 00:05:35,268 ♪ 我會教妳我所知的一切 ♪

♪ I'll teach you everything I know ♪

27 00:05:35,268 --> 00:05:40,655 ♪ 我發誓我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise I'll do better ♪

28 00:05:40,655 --> 00:05:43,261 ♪ 我會永遠緊緊擁抱妳 ♪

♪ I will always hold you close ♪

29 00:05:43,261 --> 00:05:46,563 ♪ 但我會學著放手讓妳走 ♪

♪ But I will learn to let you go ♪

30 00:05:46,563 --> 00:05:52,019 ♪ 我發誓我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise I'll do better ♪

31 00:05:52,019 --> 00:05:54,834 ♪ 我會重新排列群星 ♪

♪ I will rearrange the stars ♪

32 00:05:54,834 --> 00:05:58,101 ♪ 將它們拉下凡塵到妳所在之地 ♪

♪ Pull 'em down to where you are ♪

33 00:05:58,101 --> 00:06:03,314 ♪ 我發誓　我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise, I'll do better ♪

34 00:06:03,314 --> 00:06:05,920 ♪ 以我剩下的每次心跳 ♪

♪ With every heartbeat I have left ♪

35 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,257 ♪ 我會守護妳的每次呼吸 ♪

♪ I'll defend your every breath ♪

36 00:06:09,257 --> 00:06:14,296 ♪ 我發誓我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise I'll do better ♪

37 00:06:14,296 --> 00:06:17,111 ♪ 我會軟化每個稜角 ♪

♪ I will soften every edge ♪

38 00:06:17,111 --> 00:06:21,768 ♪ 我會讓世界保持最佳狀態 ♪

♪ Hold the world to its best ♪

39 00:06:21,768 --> 00:06:25,591 ♪ 我發誓我會做得更好 ♪

♪ I promise I'll do better ♪

40 00:06:25,591 --> 00:06:27,954 ♪ 以我剩下的每次心跳 ♪

♪ With every heartbeat I have left ♪

41 00:06:27,954 --> 00:06:36,816 ♪ 我會守護妳的每次呼吸 ♪

♪ I'll defend your every breath ♪

—–

BGM: Sleeping At Last - Light

https://youtu.be/lJbscoDctuU

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person4924 · 1 year

Text

may these words be the first to find your ears. the world is brighter than the sun now that your here. though your eyes will need some time to adjust, to the overwhelming light surrounding us. i’ll give you everything i have, i’ll teach you everything i know. i promise i’ll do better. i will always hold you close, but i will learn to let you go.

#light #sleeping at last #i love this song sm #this is aimed to y’all #listen to it #it’s true

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alexander-hamilton-2022 · 2 years

Note

May these words be the first

To find your ears

The world is brighter than the sun

Now that you're here

Though your eyes will need some time to adjust

To the overwhelming light surrounding us

I'll give you everything I have

I'll teach you everything I know

I promise I'll do better

I will always hold you close

But I will learn to let you go

I promise I'll do better

I will soften every edge

I'll hold the world to it's best

And I'll do better

With every heartbeat I have left

I will defend your every breath

And I'll do better

—🎵

Hm.

#ask #🎵 anon

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ourfirstmonth02 · 2 years

Text

Light

May these words be the first To find your ears The world is brighter than the sun Now that you're here Though your eyes will need some time to adjust To the overwhelming light surrounding us

I'll give you everything I have I'll teach you everything I know I promise I'll do better I will always hold you close But I will learn to let you go I promise I'll do better I will soften every edge I'll hold the world to its best, And I'll do better With every heartbeat I have left I will defend your every breath, And I'll do better

'Сause you are loved You are loved more than you know I hereby pledge all of my days To prove it so Though your heart is far too young to realize The unimaginable light you hold inside

I'll give you everything I have I'll teach you everything I know I promise I'll do better I will always hold you close But I will learn to let you go I promise I'll do better I will rearrange the stars Pull 'em down to where you are I promise, I'll do better With every heartbeat I have left I'll defend your every breath (I promise I'll do better) I will soften every edge Hold the world to its best (I promise I'll do better) With every heartbeat I have left I'll defend your every breath (I'll do better)

This is so f*cking special.

Nunca antes sentí que haya tenido alguien a quien pueda dedicarle esta canción hasta que llegaste a ser parte de mi vida. Escucho esta canción y pienso en lo mucho que quiero cuidarte, por el ser maravilloso que eres, así que sí, te la dedico una y mil veces.

The world is brighter than the sun now that you are here.

Eres mi personita especial. Eres alegría, paz, bondad y todos los adjetivos bonitos que te definen como persona. No puedo verte de otra manera más que con ojitos de amor.

Quiero entregarte todo de mí, todo lo que se le puede dar a alguien que amas.

Quiero tener un amor sano y lindo contigo, que aprendamos el uno del otro, y si en algún punto de nuestras vidas el destino nos quiere separar por distintas razones, estaré listo para soltarte sanamente y aceptar tus decisiones, esperando que sigas tu rumbo y seas feliz de la manera en que lo desees, aunque realmente no quiero que eso suceda.

Te amo más de lo que imaginas y tu felicidad será mi prioridad, espero poder demostrártelo siempre.

Siempre querré ser una mejor persona para ti y para nosotros; me esforzaré por ello.

0 notes

thirstytea · 3 years

Note

I don't know if you will read this but here's my request. May I request a NSFW scenario, that involves a woman who sacrificed them self to a tentacle monster, the monster would be surprisingly gentle and tender during the sex? Like I also like to imagine that, the woman is only doing this because they want to be fucked and breaded by the tentacle monster.

Yes! So sorry for the very late answer but I hope this makes up for it! I also changed it a bit from the request, but I hope you don't mind.

Everyone in the small town knew that walking through the woods at night was dangerous. There where many stories and rumors going around that deadly monsters inhabited the surrounding area at night. While the stories explained how all the missing people were going missing in the first place, no one has ever been able to come back to tell the town where they go missing. Over the past few months you have been investigating that exact problem.

In your search to find the fellow townspeople, you had stumbled across a very old book telling the story of a monster that came to the town every few hundred years. Over the years the town had apparently forgotten to tend to the creature and now it was taking out it's wrath on the town. You have tried to figure out what it wanted exactly but that page was conveniently ripped. It did say something about breeding, which made you both confused and somehow, excited? What it needed to breed wasn't specified so you moved on with further research.

The book did however give a detailed map of how to get to the creature's den. You decided to further investigate when the sun was out and found the entrance. It was blocked by a huge boulder covered in moss. So you knew where the cave was but not how to get in it. It was the night of the full moon when you decided you would see if you could find a way in. After all, they did say people only were taken at night.

So there you were standing in front of the open entrance of the mysterious monster's den. Before you could think to turn back, a large tentacle came shooting out of the cave and wrapped itself around your waist. You scream as it drags you into the dark abyss of the cave, terrified as you see the moonlight slowly disappear.

After a few moments you stopped being dragged and were standing directly in front of a large mass of tentacles. Still unfocused as it let you go, you fell to the ground in a daze. You laid there for minutes even after you regained your focus, trying to figure out what to do. You looked around and noticed the small hole at the top of the roof that let bright moonlight shine into the cave. Using that, your eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave well enough for you to see the massive pile of bones not too far from the tentacles.

You panic as you start feeling light touches all over your body, at first tapping but then lightly pulling. If you didn't do something soon, the tentacles would rip you apart and kill you. In your panic you remembered one word from the book, 'Breed'. You then decide to test your hypothesis, either you were correct or you would die trying.

You carefully get on all fours and lower your upper body to the floor, tilting your head and pressing your cheek into the dirt floor. The pulling stopped as you started moving, curious as to what you were going to do. Your backside was facing the tentacles, on full display. You were grateful that it was working so far, but you were scared of what it was going to do next. You then slowly started waving your butt, trying to get the tentacles to do something, anything.

You started arching your back, trying to rub against one of the smaller ones that was pulling on your leg. You huff in frustration as the tentacles remain frozen, just out of your reach. You try for a minute or so more, getting more and more embarrassed that you may have been wrong about what the book said. At this point you were getting more and more horny thinking about what the tentacles might do, as well as more scared that they were just going to continue and kill you.

Just as you were about to give up and let them kill you, you jolt as you feel a tentacle slowly start to rub against your clothed pussy. You mewl as you rub against it roughly, trying to get some sort of friction. Slowly but surely, more and more tentacles started wrapping around various part of your body, around your thighs, your angles, wrists, and waist. All of them had a firm grasp that refused to let go. The ones around you thighs slowly started to spread you as you felt yourself getting more and more soaked.

All of a sudden you hear rips and feel your pants and panties get torn off your body. You moan as a thicker tentacle started rubbing up and down your wet lips, pausing at your entrance but it goes back to rubbing, while the smaller one moved down to rub your clit. You cry out in frustration as the tentacle once again lightly grinds into your entrance, only to back out. The ache you feel in your pussy was becoming overwhelming, and the need to be filled was dominating your thoughts.

You were on the verge of tears when it started pushing into you. It was painfully slow, but you appreciated the gentleness as you felt it only get thicker and thicker the further it went. It finally stopped when it lightly kissed your cervix, and you shudder at the feeling. It stopped, allowing you to adjust to it's size. You felt it lightly pulsing against your walls, the stretch, while large, not to the point where it was uncomfortable. You finally felt full, but you were missing something, you weren't satisfied. You started to wiggle around in its hold, trying to figure out what was missing.

You whine when you feel the other tentacles start pulling you forward off the tentacle nestled deep within your pussy. The whine was cut off though, when they lightly pulled you back, filling you once more. The slow pace was slowly driving you insane as more and more tentacles started to join in, massaging and rubbing against your skin. You felt the tentacle drag against your walls so soft and gentle. While you were getting what you wanted, it wasn't enough. Your precum was all but all over your thighs and the tentacle, making it easier to move in and out. You cry out in frustration once more as you need more than what the tentacles were offering currently.

Luckily, the tentacles heard your delicious sounds and decided that they wanted to hear more. Just as the tentacle was near completely outside of your warmth, the tentacle all but plunged as deep as it could go back into your warm cunt. You scream and tears start to form in the corners of your eyes. The small tentacle that was lazily rubbing against you clit started to speed up as well. Soon, all that could be heard was the wet strokes of the tentacle filling your dripping wet cunt as well as all the cute little noises you were making.

You feel yourself getting closer and closer to release, but that ache you had first felt still was clouding your mind. Your walls started spamming as you feel yourself start to climax, the tentacle only starting to move faster and faster to help you chase that high you craved. The tentacle pumped ruthlessly into you as you came all over it, covering it with even more of your slick.

After the white you see starts to fade, you felt the tentacle start to contract within you. You subconsciously start to drool and sloppily start begging. "Please please pleaseplease!" What you wanted, you didn't know, all you knew was that you belonged to tentacles. You feel yourself starting to get overstimulted as it continues with the fast and rough pace, scrapping deliciously against your walls. Your head finally clears to one word again, 'breed'. You start crying out for the tentacle to breed you, to fill you up and make you their's. You cry out that you'd be a great little breeding slut for the tentacles and for it to always keep you full of it's cum.

You all but scream when it hits your cervix and starts pumping you full of it's cum. You see white as you climax again and fall limp in it's hold, allowing it to continue to make you into it's obedient little human. When it finished, it pulled you deeper into the nest of tentacles and started to affectionately vibrate against your sweaty skin. The tentacle was still within your sore pussy, but you didn't mind, it was making sure not one drop falls out of you. You start drifting off to sleep from the calming vibrations as well as the soft head pats the tentacles were giving.

This is the first smut I've actuallu written, so I'm so sorry if it wasn't good lol. I hope to improve over time ;3

(Also excuse typos and grammar, I wrote this in one go and didn't look it over)

#tentacles x reader #tentacles #tentacle smut

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nebulablakemurphy · 3 years

Text

Miss American Pie

Chapter Five: This Will Be The Day (Finale)

Warning: this series features a romantic Yelena Belova x Fem!Reader pairing.

Summary: Everyone has returned but the battle for humanity against Thanos wages on.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

You wake in a coughing fit, the rubble surrounding you sears your lungs. “Natasha.” You call into the rocks and flickering lights. Clearing your throat, you try again. “Natasha!”

“Here, I’m here.” Her voice is rough, pained.

You push yourself toward the sound, through the dust you can make out her hair. “You ok?”

“Mostly.” She’s laying face up, a few scratches visible.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I can’t move.” She nods at the piece of collapsed cement. “My leg is broken, you should go.” Nat says, staring up at the sky.

“I should’ve never let you go to Vormir. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” You try uselessly to budge the blockage over her leg.

“What is Vormir?” She asks.

“Doesn’t matter.” You swallow the lump in your throat. “How much do you remember?”

“The red room.”

“Do you remember getting out?”

“No one gets out.” She shakes her head.

“We did.” You inform her. “Yelena did.”

“Yelena?” Her gaze finds yours. “You know Yelena? Is she here?”

“Yes, I know her.” You press your lips together. “She’s not here though.”

“The rest of this building is coming down. If you were really trained in the red room you have to know that.” Natasha frowns. “You need to leave.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Don’t be a hero.” She whispers. “Let me go, it’s ok.”

“No, it’s not.” You argue. “I won’t do it again.”

“What about Yelena?” Natasha gives you a pointed look.

“She’ll understand.” This is what she would do.

“Hey,” Natasha pushes herself up on her elbows. “Would it be a good thing or a bad thing if a giant man in a metal suit carrying a smaller man and a raccoon appeared behind your head?”

You turn toward the man in question. Scott Lang. “It would be a good thing.”

———————————————————————

Natasha is taken somewhere safe. She can’t fight.

As the strange doctor and his disciples start opening portals you see that you’re not alone. Through one comes Alexei, Melina and Yelena.

Her white suit is pristine, dirty blonde hair held away from her face in ponytails.

On shaky legs you move toward her, taking your rightful place at her side. Facing what lies ahead together.

Yelena catches your hand, “this isn’t much of a welcome home.”

You can’t help but laugh, “pretty cool way to die though.”

“Very,” she agrees. “Natasha?”

“She is a little worse for wear.” You warn her, “but alive…and safe.”

Yelena gives you a watery smile, squeezing your fingers. “And you?”

“A tower fell on me.”

“Of course it did.”

Thanos’ army is nothing to scoff at. Giant airborne creatures hover over his troops. Larger monsters stand in their ranks, space ship overhead ready to destroy.

Steve is almost unrecognizable, covered in dirt, his shield battered and broken. But you know it is time when he gives the order. “Avengers, assemble.”

Fighting is easy, it’s what you know. What you were trained to do. Fight to stay alive, fight for what you believe in, fight with Yelena; for Yelena.

The two of you move together like a well oiled machine. Like riding a bike, even after all this time you could never forget.

“We’ve got company to the left.” Yelena says through gritted teeth, kicking at the alien creature beside her. Dropping an empty cartridge to the ground and reloading her gun seamlessly, firing several shots.

Despite everyone’s best efforts they just keep coming. “Do we have a plan here?”

“Getting there,” Steve replies. “Anybody have eyes on the gauntlet?”

“Yeah!” Clint rushes past you with the glove in hand. “What am I supposed to do with it?”

“Get it out of here!” Tony insists.

“What’s happening?” Alexei shouts over the chaos. “I still don’t have ear piece.”

“Just keep their army away from that guy in the tank top.” You grunt, falling backwards from the force of one of Thanos’ soldiers colliding with you.

“We have to get the stones back where they came from.” Rhodey reminds everyone.

“The time space tunnel is completely collapsed.” Tony points out.

“That isn’t our only time machine.” Lang cuts in.

“Does anyone see an ugly brown van out there?” Captain America’s voice hums through the ear bud.

“I do,” a female voice chimes in. “But you’re not going to like where it’s parked.”

After grappling for far too long, you manage to knock the creature from you. Using your knife to dismember it.

“Next time, we get the cool laser guns.” Yelena yells loud enough to be heard by everyone on the network, as she hauls you to your feet.

“Friday, please add laser guns for the ballerinas to my grocery list.” Stark gives his smart ass remark.

“What’s the word on the van?” Rhodey wonders.

“Working on it now.”

The ship at Thanos’ disposal begins raining fire, no regard for their own troops.

“We’ve got people going down!” Rocket hollers.

“Clint,” you call into the microphone. “How’s that gauntlet?”

“Moving down the field.” The archer replies, “I’m alright too, thanks for asking.”

“Good.” You bite back a smile.

Hell continues breaking loose around you. Glowing circular orbs unfold in the air above, providing coverage from the missiles. You’re not sure if this is winning or losing. It feels like a bit of both.

———————————————————————- Thanos and his army are dusted away. Leaving you surprised and still swinging as the shock wears off.

You won. You. Won.

And you lost.

You lost Tony Stark. The man you’d barely known, but offered you clarity that will stay with you forever.

You lost the Natasha you’d come to know over the five years that Yelena was gone. Some parts of the redhead stripped away for the price of the stone.

But she’s still here. Waiting in the wings to be greeted by Yelena and their little makeshift family. You share a look of understanding when your eyes meet over the blonde’s shoulder.

Others come, Banner refuses to leave her side. Despite the fact that Natasha doesn’t remember him.

Clint falls to the ground at her feet. Breaking down at the sight of his friend, his family alive and well. She doesn’t remember him either, but welcomes him into her arms somewhat awkwardly.

Her expressions flicker from happy to overwhelmed. Hesitant to open herself up to the possibility that she is wanted, needed and loved.

Too confusing for the girl who only remembers the red room. Adjusting to this life will take time.

Everyone begins clearing out, their jobs finished. Rushing home to reunite with their loved ones. Tomorrow will bring about new challenges. The world is in shambles, and so are you.

Steve decides that he should be the one to return the stones. His goodbye tells you that he has a bit more in mind. But this is his life. His choices, not yours.

“Well, I guess we should head out too.” You say after a while. Your car is gone, lost in the wreckage from the explosion.

The setting sun is eclipsed, causing all of you to turn your gaze upwards just in time to see the ship’s door open.

“Is that a raccoon?” Melina asks, pointing toward Rocket.

“Do you want a ride or not?” Rocket shoots back.

“Not the avenger’s super jet, but it will do huh?” Alexei smiles, this is his dream.

“This is better!” A man’s voice carries down from the interior.

“Well,” Yelena shrugs, “if you say so.” She leads the pack up the ramp and onto the ship.

“Fanny and the pigs will be expecting dinner soon.”

“How are they?” Melina asks, “have you been taking care of them.”

“That was me!” Alexei says proudly, bending at the waist to gather Natasha into his arms. “Aye honey,” he grunts, hoisting her up. “You are only little girl in my heart.”

Nat pushes against his chest in retaliation.

“Do you mind if I hitch a ride too?” Clint asks.

“The extra stop will cost you,” Nebula stares blankly at him from her seat.

“They always do.” He remarks, trotting up the ramp.

Bruce paces at the foot of the metal grate, watching the rest of you load up. “I gotta hang back, make sure Steve gets there in one piece.”

“After what happened with Scott the first time I’d say that’s probably the best bet.” You agree, standing near the entrance.

“Yeah,” he smiles, kindly. “Keep me posted on Nat, will ya?”

“I will,” you return the smile.

“I’ll see you around.”

You nod, “I’ll see you.”

The captain of the ship introduces himself as Star-lord, and after a moment without response, Quill.

“Any requests?” He asks, finger hovering over the control panel.

Alexei creeps over to the younger man, quietly relaying a message.

“Alright,” Quill nods. Stroking the keys until a familiar set of notes ring out.

“A long, long time ago-“ The singer croons.

You let out a chuckle.

“I can still remember how that music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance. And maybe they'd be happy for a while.”

“We’re really doing this?” Yelena puts a hand to her head, the corners of her mouth turning upward.

“But February made me shiver, with every paper I'd deliver. Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step.” The melody carries on.

“It’s your song.” Natasha turns to her sister.

“I can't remember if I cried. When I read about his widowed bride.” Melina’s eyes are far away, carried back to their years in Ohio. Before the world had been so cruel.

“Something touched me deep inside, the day the music-“

“Died.” Yelena joins in, lulling her head to the side to gage your reaction.

You sigh, all of this beyond surreal. But you allow yourself to live in this moment, because you might not get another. “So bye, bye Miss American Pie…”

“Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry.” The roaring chorus of voices fills the silence you’ve grown used to. Fills the parts of you that were empty for so long. “And them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye. Singin', “this’ll be the day that I die.”

“This’ll be the day that I die.” Yelena sings, her face alight with a childlike glee.

——————————————————————-

Melina, Natasha and Alexei stay with you for a while. A few weeks as Natasha heals and becomes acclimated to her life.

She claims to hate the attention, but deep down you know she’s full of it.

The Ohio house is bursting at the seams with five adults, nine pigs and one dog.

That isn’t enough to keep visitors at bay. Namely Clint, his wife Laura and their three children.

Things feel a bit off when everyone begins moving out. Alexei, Melina, and their pigs return to the farm outside of Saint Petersburg.

Natasha finds herself drawn to New York, with Bruce and the makeshift building he’s using as a lab.

You adjust to the steady thrum that is daily life, with Fanny and Yelena.

After dinner you load the dishwasher, drying your hands on the nearby tea towel before selecting a cycle.

“So how does it feel?” Yelena asks, leaning against the doorframe.

“Hmm?” You turn to face her.

“Being a hero.” She clarifies, a smile playing at her lips.

“I’m not-“

“Oh cut the crap, Y/N. You saved the world.” Yelena narrows her eyes at you.

“I did it for you.” You say simply, because it’s true.

Yelena closes the space between you, “why?”

“You know why.” You whisper as she cups your face in her hands, gently stroking her thumb over your cheek. “It’s ok if you wouldn’t have done the same.”

“I’d do more for you, and worse.” She assures you. “But do you really want to spend the rest of your life fumbling around feelings in the dark when you could have someone who-“

“I want you. I only ever want you.” You beckon her closer. “Anyway I can have you, that will be enough for me.”

Sometimes wires get crossed and you want things you never have before. And she provides them before you have a chance to ask. You give back to her tenfold, so that neither glass is ever empty. That is love. True love, the only way you’ve ever known it.

“I am yours…in every way a person can belong to another.” Yelena breathes, “and then some.”

Series taglist: @jeyramarie @freeshavocadoooo @ilovewinter101 @3and30aresoultwins @yelenabelovv @miphas-trident @1800-fight-me

If you loved this series as much as I did, you can check out the prequel here!

#yelena belova x reader #yelena belova #marvel fanfiction #black widow fanfiction #black widow #yelena belova fanfiction #yelena belova imagine #yelena belova x y/n #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha romanoff imagine #yelena belova x you #yelena belova x female reader

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certifiedskywalker · 3 years

Text

Neurogenesis - Charles Xavier

It was never meant to happen. He thought it was impossible and you were both far too busy leading overly complicated lives. Where was the time?! Between the school and saving the world, where did a little family fit in? Your little family.

WARNINGS: mild cursing, scientific/clinical language, and pregnancy

Something was changed in you. Though, arguably, it would be easier to determine what remained the same after the beach in Cuba. What once were steadfast facets of Charles’ life were twisted beyond recognition like a piece of metal warped by Erik’s hand or the sudden divergence of a bullet’s path. At the thought, Charles felt his back ache. The pain pulled his attention from your figure and towards his still legs.

“And it’s finished!”

Hank, a blur of blue fur, rose up from behind one of the lab tables. Charles raised a brow at the scientist before he flicked his gaze over to you. You eyed whatever Hank had been working on while hidden behind the table before you met Charles’ gaze. His own mouth quirked upwards instinctually as you looked at him. Charles could never not smile when you looked at him like that: eyes full of love and the softest hints of a grin on your lips.

“Here you are,” Hank said as he rolled a shining, new wheelchair out from behind the table. “I should have thought about a joystick control before. Just been a bit...out of it.”

“It’s alright,” Charles replied, waving Hank’s worry away with a hand. “We’ve all been adjusting to this new normal.”

Nothing feels normal anymore. Your voice rang through Charles’ head like a sweet song despite the bitter truth of your words.

He tilted his head towards you and met your eyes with a knowing look. It will soon, darling, I promise.

Always the optimist, you telepathically replied before you returned to the files spread out on the table before you. Charles watched you carefully, still trying to pinpoint what exactly was different. Your thoughts and voice were clear but something was...newer. Sharper.

Hank sighed, pulling Charles’ attention back to him. His thick, blue arms were held out towards him, waiting to move Charles from chair to chair. “Are you ready?”

Charles swallowed hard but nodded up at his beastial friend. “I don’t think I’ll quite ever get used to being carried around.”

“Just need to adjust to the new normal, Professor,” Hank echoed with a wry, lopsided smile. Against his newly blue skin, his teeth, especially the longer canines, looked more yellowed. But the awkward joy that Hank exuded with his signature half-smile remained a constant despite his altered appearance.

“Yes,” Charles agreed as Hank scooped him up from his old wheelchair.

As he was lifted, Charles caught your eyes again. You held the same love in your eyes he saw moments before but something danced along the edges. It wasn’t pity at the sight of him or his more-less limp body in Hank’s arms. No, Charles had told you in hospital that he did not want you to weep for the loss of his legs. The strain his new condition added to your relationship would be enough to bear.

Was it worry perhaps? With your ability to block him from reading your mind, you always left him with so many questions. He joked about how, while you could speak to each other telepathically, communicating each other’s thoughts remained just as difficult as it was for average couples. Couples without powerful mutations, that was.

That did not stop Charles from trying to read you though. In fact, he enjoyed the mystery. Even as Hank placed him in his new chair and you watched with that strange, mixed expression, Charles felt a twinge of wonder. He could study you, love you, forever if the world allowed him to. He so wish that it would.

“How does it feel?” Hank asked once he stepped back to admire his work. Charles looked from you to Hank to the new chair’s joystick. Tentatively, he wrapped his fingers around the knob and pushed it forward. With a small heave, the chair moved in the direction Charles pointed it in: right towards where you stood.

You laughed as Charles rode quickly over to you. He stopped immediately in front of you and looked up with an expectant glint in his blue eyes. Your smile widened at the sight and you reached a hand to his face. When your palm pressed against his cheek, Charles turned his head to lean into your touch. His eyes closed to savor the feeling of your skin on his.

“Looks like it works great, Hank,” you mused before leaning closer to Charles. “And you look very handsome, dapper even.”

“Dapper? I was expecting a very different descriptor,” Charles jested as he opened his eyes. He grinned when he saw your eyes widen slightly and your hand moved to trail through his hair. For a moment, Charles was so immersed in you that he did not feel the mystifying newness that seemed to glow about you.

It was only you, and then, as Charles drank in your form, it suddenly wasn’t.

“You can’t say that in your heads?”

“Where’s the fun in that, Hank? We don’t get to see your face of disgust,” you teased, looking up at the scientist.

Charles would have gladly joined in but he could not ignore the small, bright sparks that stemmed from new neurons. Each one burned in his brain but not with thoughts he could read. There were only hints of tactile feelings and very base sounds that seemed to echo in some pitch black void. Despite the darkness, Charles was not afraid. It was not a fearful dark, but warm, almost comforting in some strange way.

“Funny. Well, I have to run this upstairs to Alex,” Hank sighed, holding up a energy blast channeling disc. “Don’t break anything in my lab.”

“It’s the school’s lab,” you countered.

“Y/N.” Charles reached his hands up to your hips, trying to grab your attention.

“It’s basically Charles’ lab,” you continued as Hank walked away.

Charles shook his head and rested his hands on your sides. Beneath his fingers and your clothes, he could feel the warmth of your flesh that mirrored the sparks of newness he felt in his mind. Before you turned your head to look at him, your hands moved to rest on top of Charles’. When you finally focused on him, Charles felt his stomach lurch.

“Y/N…”

“What is it?”

Then Charles saw it in your furrowed brows, feeble frown, and, mostly, in your eyes: nothing. There was no recognition or masked emotion. After a few seconds of silence, your expression grew grim, more worried. Your hands held his tighter and squeezed.

“Charles?”

“You don’t know,” Charles breathed. His eyes fell from yours to your joined hands, your sides, then to your abdomen. In his mind, little flickers of light like firecrackers sparkled in the warm void that surrounded him. “I can’t believe this.”

“Charles,” you whined, “you’re scaring me. What is it? Are you alright?”

“Am I...I’m fine, Y/N, are you,” he met your gaze, “you’re pregnant.”

Your worry melted away as a laughed rumbled up from your stomach and out of your mouth. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I can see inside the embryo’s forming neurons. I can feel the neurogenesis occurring in utero, the very forming of the brain.”

“Wh...it wasn’t, it isn’t possible. Our mutations, they aren’t compatible,” you stepped back and dropped Charles’ hands. “This is impossible, right?”

You met Charles’ eyes and, at his silence, all he could see now was the panic. He did not need to read your mind to know how fast your overwhelming thoughts were racing through your head. Carefully, he reached out to again, desperate to calm you. You did not move to meet him in the middle. Instead, you braced yourself against the lab table behind you.

“Hey, hey, breathe, darling,” he cooed. “It will be alright.”

“Alright?! Charles, you can’t be serious! We can adjust to a new normal, to a life without Raven and Erik and your legs, but a baby?!” You lifted your hands to hold your face and, for the first time in his life, Charles felt utterly powerless.

His lips fell into a frown and stinging tears began to gather behind his eyes as he took in the sight of you. Gently, he pressed the joystick of his chair forward to get closer to you. When he was close enough, Charles reached a hand up and wrapped his fingers around your forearm. With all the tenderness he had, he pulled your arm away which peeled your hand from your face. Tears rolled down your cheeks and Charles wanted nothing more to reach inside your mind to steal them away; or fully share in them.

He wasn’t sure which would help more. All he wanted to do was help, but he did not know what to do or what to say. So, he did the first thing he thought of and pulled you towards him. Wordlessly, Charles guided you into his lap so you could sit and so he could hold you.

You melted into him so naturally. Your head fell to his shoulder and his arms wrapped around your waist instinctively. Charles pressed his face into the crown of your head, savored the feeling of your hair tickling the skin of his face. It was a comforting contrast to the wetness of your tears that soaked through his shirt to the skin of his chest. He closed his eyes and just held you.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

You lifted your head from Charles’ shoulder and let your red-rimmed eyes meet his gaze. I love you too, I love you. I’m just-

“You don’t have to explain,” Charles interjected aloud, “and I’ll support whatever you decide to do. I’ll be here for you, always. Alright?”

His hand lifted to your face and brushed against the peak of your cheek before his fingertips traced down to your neck. You nodded quietly and Charles leaned in, grazing your lips with his. After a moment’s hesitation, you reciprocated, your arms linking behind his neck to draw him in further. It was a long kiss of comfort that tasted of sweet love and salted tears.

When you parted, Charles pressed his forehead to yours and let your noses knock gently together. He did not want to pull away so completely, he did not want to leave any unnecessary distance between you. So much had changed and left your lives so quickly that Charles could not bear the thought of separating from you. Not now, not even a little bit.

So, you both sat in silence and pressed as close as possible to each other. Eventually, your breathing evened out and Charles was able to check in on the new neurons that sparkled with growth. There was no denying it was there. A small piece of you and Charles made physical. It felt surreal, beyond even his total comprehension.

“Does that mean, in Cuba,” you began, pulling your face from Charles’. You did not have to continue for Charles to understand.

“Yes, most likely,” he replied, “but it seems fine. Healthy, alive.”

“I don’t know how to feel about that, about this.” Charles nodded and tilted his head up to press a kiss to your forehead. “First it’s the school, the X-Men, the world, and now...this.”

Against his will, Charles smiled against your forehead before he moved away to look into your eyes. “And now this.”

You gave Charles a small, hopeful smile. It was enough to make his heart swell and his chest ache with pure adoration. He leaned forward again, pressed another kiss to your lips and lingered. The soft scent of your soap and the warmth of your body against his overwhelmed his senses. Through it all, he could still sense the flickering shocks of budding cells.

He entertained the thought of normalcy, of raising a child with you. Charles would be lying if he did not admit he wanted it, wanted it as badly as he wanted to prepare the school. But he wanted you more. Forever if the world would let him.

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