The Truth Lies (In An Unmarked Grave)

Febuwhump Day 23 - "Don't Leave!"

Summary: While in mandatory quarantine, Rex's gets a visit from a brother he's been missing terribly.

Warning: Hallucinations caused by sickness.

[Sometimes I remember Rex got infected by the Blue Shadow Virus and that recovering from that probably didn't happen in just one day, regardless of there being a miracle cure... It's probably left a mark on his immunity system...]

[THIS STORY IS NOW ON AO3]

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Kix opts to quarantine him despite limited contact with the infected population of the little planet they'd been sent to help evacuate. A plague had run through, destroying a great part of the sentient life forms on said planet, and unfortunately Rex's armour had been breeched during an altercation with a delirious citizen.

Kix decides to quarantine him, because despite his limited contact Rex still got sick in the end. Because his immunity system had been absolutely ruined by his past run in with the BSV. The medic knows best in the end. Gives him several shots of whatever miracle cure the GAR has concocted to fight this menace of a disease, and leaves him to rest and recuperate. But the captain of the 501st can't help but feel uneasy by the decision anyway.

Everyone knew clones didn't do so good in isolation. They were raised in communal circumstances and trained to be dependant of each other's help out in the field, so separation anxiety was something of a common occurance among vode that either lost their squadrons or closest batchmates. Independent survival had to be taught to the clones that expressed enough hardiness to become ARCs.

Rex had earned that honour himself. But he was nothing if not a very social creature. And being confined to a lonely cot was... It was doing things to him.

Between the wet-sounding coughs, the sudden instances where he was overcome by vertigo even as he lay still, and the fogginess that came with flare-ups and fever, Rex wasn't sure what was worse... The fact he felt like he'd been run over and dragged by a hovercraft, or the fact it was getting hard to figure out if the things he was hearing and seeing were real or not.

Because he could swear Keeli was just sitting there with him. Watching him. Talking to him.

He didn't know his vod was on leave... He could have sworn he was on Ryloth...

"Easy now Seven..." His batchmate, his older brother, purred softly as he ran his fingers through the blond fuzz atop Rex's head. "It's just a little cold..."

"M'not supposed to get those..." He murmured back miserably, as he tried to lean into the contact. Everything hurt and he couldn't move. The covers felt really heavy on top of him. "M'a clone..."

"Even clones get sick vod'ika..." Keeli whispered soothingly. "We're engineered, but not even we can remain strong forever."

"No... s'just me... M'broken..." Rex whined. The aching muscles and sore throat made it hard to say more, but Rex didn't have to. Keeli knew. " Came out wrong..."

"No you didn't."

"I did..." His eyes burnt and he could feel tears slip down his flushed face. Past shame making his stomach feel funny. "Wrong... Hair... Everyone's... Everyone sees... M'cooked up wrong..."

"Your hair doesn't make you wrong. It makes you unique." Keeli frowned. "And I'm sorry... I'm sorry that we dyed it back on Kamino. That we tried to hide it, and made you think it was something to be ashamed of. We just wanted to protect you..."

"Ori'vod..." He wanted to reach out and hold Keeli's hand. He still couldn't bring himself to do so. It was all so unbearably hot and his body wouldn't obey.

"It's ok Rex... Rest now. I'll see you again some day..."

"Stay... Please..." The sickly clone whimpered. "Don't go..."

"I can't vod'ika... I'm dead..."

Keeli wasn't there anymore. Rex was alone. His heart ached as he remembered. Remembered that nearly all his batch was gone. That he was one of the last.

"Don't leave!" His nerve shattered and he yelled through a strained throat. "Keeli don't leave me! Keeli!!!"

The curtains parted. Kix rushed to check up on his captain as his strangled and incoherent screams and sobs annihilated the peace and quiet of the medical wing. Rex was out of his mind with delirium and fear, the fever reeking havoc in his mind as his immune system fought the leftover effects of the plague.

It was hard to see his brother so distressed, but there was nothing more he could do besides sedate him and wait out the effects...

Astronomy

"My memories, they get fuzzy here and there, I don't remember a lot most the time, except Fives, I can't forget him, and sometimes, I really wish I could-"

TW for Echo being absolutely awful to Rex and blaming him for Fives' death in the worst way possible.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Echo knew he wasn't the easiest to live with. Sure, he wasn't as much an ass as Tech was in the morning or as annoying as Crosshair, whose insecurities leaked out like a broken facet, but he still wasn't easy. He didn't take a whole hour to do his hair like Hunter and regularly dropped knives, and he also didn't look right through his brothers, able to place exactly what was wrong like Wrecker. He wasn't as bad as he could be, but he wasn't better.

He used to be better. He used to be perfect. But he'd fallen so far, half the time, Echo didn't know who he was anymore. His name didn't really feel like his anymore. But what would his name be? Echo looked down at his arm, studying scars he didn't remember getting, they danced up his arm until his clothing covered the rest. Ever since Rex rescued him, he was trying to place himself in this universe again. He was supposed to be dead. He wasn't supposed to get a second chance. But he wasn't, and he does.

Echo let out a sigh as he commed Rex, some part of him always sparked back to life when he spoke to his former Captain. But Rex didn't answer, so the last living part of Echo stayed dead. He'd just go inside.

"-No, if I ever do something as shitty as that, just leave me, let me suffer in my own stupidity, it'd do me good." Crosshair chuckled as he took a drink, "Your turn." He said before looked over to Echo and gestured towards a glass, "Join us?"

"Please, join us," Tech took a drink, "Alright, if I turned evil, shoot me on the spot and take my bed, don't let Wrecker or Hunter have it. They stink."

"-What are you two even doing?" Echo asked as he sat down. He gladly took a glass and poured himself a drink.

"I don't know if you'd call this putting together our wills, but that's basically what we're doing, except only in the case we turn evil, not if we die." Crosshair filled him in, "-and we're drinking, so it works."

"Seriously though, if I turned evil, or something more stupid than usual, I know you'd just let me think you'd never come-"

"-But we would," Tech laughed, "Not right away of course, but we'd never actually leave your sorry ass." They laughed some more, "You'd be dead within the week." Their banter continued but Echo stopped listening.

Crosshair's words echoed in his head, "-You'd just let me think you'd never come-" Echo looked at his brothers, laughing away at such a ridiculous thought: losing one another. Echo envied the fact they never had to live with the pain of a forever goodbye. He envied the fact they could joke about it and that's all it was: a joke.

"I'm gonna go move Hunter's knives slightly out of place-"

"This is why you're the smart one, good man, Echo." Crosshair nodded, refilling his brother's glass once more before he left.

"I'm the sma-"

"No-"

Their banter was fazed out yet again as Echo headed in the direction of Hunter's knife collection. He shifted a few of them but moved them back, he couldn't go through with it. Even if it was meant to be a joke, Echo found it cruel. He didn't know why, so he just stared at them, Crosshair's words still echoing in his head. "You'd just let me think you'd never come-"

Echo knew they were joking, he'd made those same jokes with Fives, Jesse, and Kix countless times. He'd laugh and drink with his brothers just as Crosshair and Tech did. But they were brothers and Echo was just invading. Echo went outside, reminding himself that there was nothing for him back with the 501st, without Fives, that there was no home with the 501st. Not anymore. Echo missed his family, but he was with his family.

Fives was dead, and when he died, Echo imagined everything bright and wonderful died with him. Every sunrise and blooming flower ceased to exist now that Fives was dead. Echo, though not bright nor wonderful, died too. He didn't exist without his brother.

Echo wondered how Fives carried on without him, who got him out of trouble, who consoled him after a battle, who loved him when Echo left. Did Fives know I was alive? Did he know I wasn't dead? Could he feel it? Did he know? Echo wanted to ask Rex questions about his brother but everytime he did, he'd watch the Captain start to down. He'd full with such sorrow, such... Guilt.

His comlink blinked and Echo answered it, Rex. "Echo, hey! Sorry, I just got back to Coruscant-"

"How did he die?" Echo inturrupted Rex, who froze instantly.

"W-What?"

"Fives. How did he die, what happened, what actually happened?" Echo practically hissed but desperation made him a monster. He was more machine now anyways, so what was the difference between monsters and men, men and machines?

Rex's stomach twisted in a knot, he felt his heart break all over again, "-I" Rex looked up at the scowl on Echo's face. Rex couldn't do it. He couldn't tell him. He opened his mouth and nothing came out. He gave Echo a plea, refraining from crying.

"-It's because of you, right? He's dead because of you?"

"Echo-"

"Tell me!" Echo screamed, "Tell me that you got him killed! Tell me that it's your fault he died!" Echo wanted to tackle Rex to the ground, it was his fault, it was written all over his face, Rex knew what happened, he was there when it happened, and he didn't do anything to save him, "Tell me how you got my brother, my best friend, killed, Rex, tell me how you killed my brother."

"I didn't, I didn't-" Rex mumbled as his eyes teared up and his voice was a desperate whisper, "Echo, please." Rex looked at Echo, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Echo, I didn't save him."

Echo saw a tear run down Rex's cheek and it only filled him with anger that quickly came then simmered away because some part of Echo knew it wasn't Rex's fault, but all the same, "He was my brother and he came to you for help," Echo sobbed, breaking his shell of anger on the spot, "He came to you for help and you got him killed-" shaking his head, Echo wished he hadn't said anything at all, that he hadn't picked at this wound, if only he'd just let it bleed. "He needed you and all you did to help was have a bullet shot in his heart-"

Rex was light years away from Echo, crying at the blue imagine of him, teary eyed and angry and all because he couldn't talk and he couldn't hang out. He'd been rendered powerless in shock, so all he could do was cry and accept all of Echo's yelling. Everything Echo accused him of, Rex believed. He'd gotten his brother killed and that was on him. He needed him, and instead, Rex got him shot. "I can't do this Echo," Rex looked up, "Everything you said, I can't defend against, I know, I know I failed you and Fives-"

"Don't say his name!" Echo cried, "You don't get to say his name, if you had been better he'd still be alive!" Echo knew he wasn't who he should be, he knew he was being awful and he knew better. But he didn't care. He didn't care. God dammit, he didn't care. So through teary, bloodstained eyes, he took aim, "You don't deserve to be here, Rex, Fives does, he would have never done that shit to you, he would've done something." Echo cried, absolutely furious.

All Rex could do was stand there, head hanging low as he tried to gather the will to hang up and end it. But he deserved it. He deserved each punch Echo threw, he deserved to hate himself all over again. "He would've done something-" Fives would've fought to hell and back, Fives deserved to be alive, and if Rex could trade places, he would, if only to see Echo smile. But that's not how this works. Echo wasn't even yelling anymore, he was only crying. Through his crys, he choked out all the anger at its target "-It's your fault, it's all your fault, you didn't do anything, you didn't do anything and he died because of it,

Because of you-

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Masterlist

Key:

+ = w.i.p

X = discontinued

Ao3:

AOJAOP Universe

Growing Pains

The Mutation – Rex is a natural blond, making him a mutant. How did he survive when almost all mutants are terminated, if not tested on?

Advice – Some advice is given on how to survive Kamino. It may be effective, but maybe not the best for a child’s self-confidence.

Lesson Learned – Rex and his closest friend decide to go on a mission and learn about the CC units. It doesn’t go as they had hoped.

A New Brother – Some rumours turn out to be true, and Rex makes it to command track. Cody’s just excited to have a new brother.

What’s in a Name? – Cody discovers a secret Rex has been keeping for years, and learns there’s more to a name than he originally thought.

Afraid – Working with different batches was always horrible, but after a particularly bad week with another batch, Rex just needs Cody by his side.

All Our Joy, All Our Pain

Udesii – Rex wanders the halls of the Negotiator after a hard battle, the toll of the war starting to show and wear on him. Cody refuses to let his brother suffer alone.

I’m Sorry (I Didn’t Mean To) – Fox killed Fives, but the guilt haunts him. He has to at least try to explain himself, even if others won’t believe him.

Betrayal – In the second between being given the order and following it, Cody’s mind races through his emotions.

Alone – Those who suffer don’t act rationally or fairly. Rex knows this, but still can’t stop himself from acting on his emotions.

Extra

An End – A short moment of grieving before Rex has to leave his brothers.

X Nu Kyr'adyc, Shi Taab'echaaj'la – A first attempt at an afterlife AU. Rex is stuck on Kamino while the war kicks back up. It causes a lot of pain for everyone involved.

Tumblr:

Headcanons

Clone Culture – 1, 2, 3, 4

Inhibitor Chips – x

Prompts

Moonlit Flurry – Cody and Rex see snow for the first time.

Don’t Eat Your Vegetables, Kids – Anakin doesn’t know that togrutas are carnivores.

Dual Dual-Wielders Dueling – Ahsoka meets Asajj and they decide to have a friendly duel.

50% Demon, 50% Human, 100% Disaster – Anakin is half mythic, in this case, half demon. He tells the council, and the reaction is not what he expected.

50% Angel, 50% Togruta, 100% Confused – Ahsoka is half mythic, and Anakin just discovered this. Everyone thought he already knew.

Need a Hand? – Ahsoka doesn’t know about Anakin’s prosthetic, and Anakin only realises this when it smacks him in the face (literally).

I’ll Tell You a Story – Ahsoka meets Luke after the Battle of Endor.

Almost Gay, But Then Chaos – Rex and Ahsoka were in an undercover mission in Separatist space when they got caught and had to hide. Ahsoka found a place to hide for a bit, and chaos ensues.

Afraid – Working with different batches was always horrible, but after a particularly bad week with another batch, Rex just needs Cody by his side.

Bonk – Three snippets of when Rex hit his head on various things.

Extra

I’m Sorry, My Friend – Cody has been tasked with hunting down Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Captain Brothers – Rex meets Hondo, and Hondo is quick to make friends (or brothers).

Dye – Rex has to dye his hair, and Cody and Wolffe help him out.

For the clone hc thing uhhhh because of the blue shadow virus, Rex's immune system had been compromised leading to him getting sick easier then other clones, but he hates to admit it when it happens so he tries to power through the sickness. It falls to torrent (mostly Kix) to bully him into resting when this happens XD

Protocol 57: Get The Captain To Rest

Summary: Rex’s immune system has never been the same since the Blue Shadow virus. Cue Torrent company holding an intervention.

Pairing: None

Tags: sick rex, caring brothers, torrent company being the best vod, rex is very loved, but also stubborn when he gets sick

Word Count: 922

A/N: This was fun to write! Mando’a translations at the end. Headcanon submitted as part of this post.

|| Masterlist || Tag list ||

Rex gave a disgruntled sniffle as he walked down the halls of the Resolute, shivering lightly even under his full armour. In one hand he held a datapad and a stack of flimsi reports, in the other, a handful of tissues.

Ever since he contracted the Blue Shadow virus the previous year, Rex found he fell sick more often than most of his brothers, and that it hit him harder when he did. But, he was a soldier. He was the Captain of the 501st Legion and he had work to do. He wasn’t about to let a little sickness get in his way. They were at war, for Force sake!

Unfortunately, his vod’ikas had other plans.

----

Jesse was first to spot their ori’vod looking, well, for lack of a better word, osik. If it hadn’t been for the puffy eyes and coughing, the stumbling would have given him away. He tapped a few buttons on his wrist comm, tapping through to Five’s private comm link.

“Fives, we’ve got a protocol 57, spread the word.”

“Damn it, again?”

Fives responded almost immediately with a chuckle, and Jesse could hear shuffling on the other end, then a few beeps and Echo joined them. Before long, the rest of Torrent company was on the comm.

Fives chuckled as he and Echo made a quiet escape from the training room,

“Right, let's have a clean sweep this time, eh vod?”

Dogma laughed,

“Don’t worry, we got this. 34th times a charm, right?”

Tup elbowed him, and Fives continued.

“Echo and I are on point, we’ll run interference at the armoury and push him up to the bridge. Hardcase, you find him and get him to us.”

Jesse rolled his eyes as the rest of his brothers recited their jobs. “I’ll get word down to Kix. Good luck di’kuts.”

Jesse rolled his eyes as the rest of his brothers recited their jobs. “I’ll get word down to Kix. Good luck di’kuts.”

----

Rex was idly rubbing his temples as he headed for the mess hall, too engrossed in his datapad to notice Hardcase approaching him at first. Engrossed may be the wrong word, when really he was just trying to make the words stop moving.

“Captain…” Hardcase jogged to catch up with him. “Sir, are you alright?”

Rex snapped out of it, turning to face the trooper. He cleared his throat, balling his tissues in his palm.

“Hardcase, I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“You're headed for the mess and lunch finished an hour ago.” He nodded to the empty mess hall, beginning to guide him away and down the brightly lit hallway. “Are you sure you’re alright? Echo was looking for you to oversee an inventory in the armoury but I can help him if you’d like. I think Kix is still down in medical if-”

“That won’t be necessary. Thank you, Hardcase.”

The man just shrugged and clasped his hands behind his back. “I have the next training session, I’ll walk with you to the armoury, Sir.”

Rex loved all his vod, really, he did. But he did not have the energy for Hardcase right now. Still, he powered through, nodding his head.

Hardcase did. not. stop. talking. and gesturing energetically the entire time. He saluted the Captain as he stopped outside the armour, where Fives and Echo were conveniently just leaving, standing to attention.

He gave them a wink and left them in the company of their now exhausted Captain.

Rex waved his hand to put the arc troopers at ease, nodding inside the inventory and coughing.

“You needed me to do an inventory?”

Echo shook his head, “It’s alright Sir, Fives assisted me.”

“Are you alright, Captain? We can handle the bridge report this evening, why don’t you turn in early? You must be exhausted-” Fives tried, maybe they’d get lucky.

“I’m quite alright, boys.” Rex said suspiciously. “Why do you all keep asking if I’m alr-”

Rex cut himself off with a rather large sneeze, followed by a coughing fit. Fives grinned, giving Echo a look behind his ori’vod’s back.

“I think Tup was looking for your Sir, you might want to catch him on your way to the bridge, it seemed important.”

Rex suppressed his complaints and rubbed his temple, nodding. “Thanks vod.”

He set off again, and Echo was straight on his comm.

“Dogma, he’s all yours.”

----

On his way to find Tup on the bridge, Rex caught Dogma sprinting at the other side of the hallways, a stack of flimsi in his hand. Rex wasn’t in the mood for this, groaning and rubbing his temples.

“Dogma, what did I say about run-”

“Sorry Sir, I wa- wooooah-”

Dogma skidded to a halt in an attempt to salute his Captain and ‘tripped’, landing on the cold durasteel floor and clutching his ankle.

Rex kneeled beside him, shaking his head with a sigh. “Dank farrik, not again. Come on, let’s get you to Kix.”

Dogma let Rex help him up and limped all the way to the medical bay where Jesse was standing with Kix, grinning.

Kix just rolled his eyes and shooed Dogma away, who promptly stood on his perfectly uninjured feet and joined Jesse at the door.

“What the-”

Kix pointed to the nearest cot. “On the cot, Sir, you look like bantha shit.”

Rex opened his mouth to protest, and was hit with a fit of coughing. Scowling, he resigned himself to his fate and climbed up onto the cot. He shot a look at Jesse and Dogma, standing smugly in the doorway wearing matching smirks.

“Di’kuts.”

Jesse and Dogma just grinned as Hardcase, Fives, Echo and Tup’s heads appeared one by one, sticking around the doorframe.

“We love you too, ori’vod.”

---

Vod’ikas - little brothers

Ori’vod - big brother

Osik - shit

Di’kuts - idiots

Vod - brother

Dank farrick - fuck

Rex aaaand uh. A dog

This is such a galaxy brained prompt, thank you for this! The dog in this is based off of an Australian shepherd, by the way :)

——————

To say Rex was tired would be an understatement. He’d been traveling nonstop the past few weeks in an effort to avoid catching anyone’s attention. If he stayed in one place for too long, someone was bound to notice that he looked a little familiar, and they’d call the authorities. He had to keep moving. Such was the life of someone in the run from the Empire.

The war hadn’t been over for too long. Rex watched his men die in a crash, helpless to do anything to help them. They had been prisoners of their own minds, though, and in a backwards sort of way, Rex was glad they were dead. Anything was better than being turned into mindless droids.

Not long after that crash, Rex split up with Ahsoka, knowing that they’d be safer apart. She’d given him contact information to people she thought could help, and Rex busied himself trying to take down the Empire before it could sink its poisonous claws into every part of the galaxy.

This is how Rex found himself traveling alone. Truly and utterly alone.

He hated being alone; the clones were never meant to be without each other, and yet here he was. Sure, he ran into the Bad Batch at one point (traveling with a child, and wasn’t that a sight to behold), but he couldn’t stay with them for long. He helped them get rid of their chips and then went on his way, back to his lonesome travels.

He refused to let it bother him, though. He buried himself in his work against the Empire, hoping that that might distract him from his situation, and it worked sometimes. Still, his own thoughts would often betray him, and he still often turned to speak to people who were no longer with him. It was a tough habit to break.

Rex only stopped on Dantooine to get food and refuel his ship. He didn’t intend to stay for long. He’d be in and out within a couple of hours. Surely that wasn’t enough time for anyone to notice his presence.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was being followed on his way through the market. He cursed his luck and the fact that he’d jinxed himself by telling himself he wouldn’t be noticed before slipping into an alleyway, intent on taking out whoever had been tailing him.

He leaned against the wall and slowly took out his blaster, crouching behind a trash can. He heard footsteps approaching nearer to his position. His muscles tensed before he took a deep breath and jumped out of his hiding place, blaster pointed at the owner of the footsteps…

… and the owner was a dog. Rex huffed a sigh and put his blaster back in his holster. The dog had not been startled at all by Rex’s actions, its stub for a tail wiggling so much that its whole behind was shaking. Its tongue lolled out of its mouth as it looked up at Rex with mismatched eyes, one brown and the other so light a shade of blue that it was nearly white.

Rex hesitated, unsure of what to do next. He knelt down on his knees to get closer to the dog’s level, his movements slow so that the dog wouldn’t suddenly lash out at him. The dog sat down and held up one of its paws. Not knowing what else to do, Rex took it and shook it like he would shake hands with another human being. The dog then took that as an invitation to get close to Rex, as it curled up and pressed its body against him. Rex relaxed further and began scratching its back, causing the dog to lean further into him.

“Thanks, bud.” Rex muttered, smiling. He was then mortified to realize that he was nearly crying at this simple display of affection from a dog. The dog seemed to sense his emotions, as it turned and began licking his face before the tears could even fall, causing Rex to laugh.

“Okay, okay, thank you. I’ve got to go now, okay?” Rex said, standing up. He began to leave the alleyway, stopping short when he realized the dog was following him.

“You can’t come with me.” He said with a sigh. The dog merely wagged its stub and practically grinned up at him.

“I don’t have a way to take care of a dog, and I travel a lot in my tiny ship. You really wouldn’t like it.” Rex continued as he walked out of the alley. The dog walked beside him to his right.

Rex really couldn’t keep a dog. His lifestyle was not a good way for a dog to live. Besides, this one probably belonged to someone… but, it did look pretty skinny. Maybe it didn’t have anyone, just like Rex. Maybe it was just as alone as him.

Rex sighed, eyeing a veterinarian’s office down the road. He stopped and looked down at the dog at his side.

“Okay. Maybe you can come with me.”

The dog barked and wagged its stub. Rex smiled for the first time in months.

gelphie - modern au

so! i did a poll like a week or so ago and model glinda/photographer elphie won in terms of modern aus you'd want to see. idk if I'll make a full fic but figured i'd give y'all a taste of the idea:

///

“Hey, Pfannee.” Elphaba lifts a hand in a casual wave as she enters the room, nodding her head to some of the other staff as she makes her way over to the young man. He brightens when he sees her, tottering over happily with his arms full of clothes. 

Typical Pfannee. 

“Elphaba, hey girl! Cutting it a bit close, aren’t you?”

“I’ve got three minutes to spare, what do you mean?”

Pfannee laughs, awkwardly nudging his glasses back up his nose without dropping his load. Elphaba drifts further into the room, putting down her bag and sipping on her tea.

“So, I heard we’re working with someone new today,” she drawls. 

Beside her, Pfannee gasps. “You mean you don’t know?”

“Know what?”

But Pfannee’s shocked expressions falls into something mischievous and he shakes his head. “Nope. Not going to ruin the surprise now. You’re going to die when you see her.”

Elphaba rolls her eyes. By the way he’s acting, this new model is likely someone famous. Or- famous to Pfannee at least. Elphaba doesn’t really keep up with anyone like that. Despite having chosen photography as her career, she tries to keep herself separate from the fashion industry at large. 

It’s incredibly toxic, and she’s seen what it can do to people. Case in point: 

“I can't believe I get to take her new measurements! Rumors say that she’s lost weight, and that means I’ll be the first to know her smallest size!” Pfannee grins like that’s a completely reasonable thing to say about an adult woman. 

Elphaba hides her frown behind another sip of tea. Most models don’t really have a lot of room to lose weight. If it’s enough to make a visible difference, especially since the woman’s last job, then she’s likely dropped a concerning amount in a very small time period. 

Elphaba spends the next blur of time discussing the shoot with the other photographers as well as the lighting crew, the hair and makeup artists, and Pfannee and his lackeys. They’re mostly set up and ready to go when a voice announces the model is on her way in, and everyone bustles around to prepare. 

Elphaba waits calmly, Pfannee nearly vibrating beside her. “Here she comes!” he says, just barely remembering in time not to physically shake Elphaba’s shoulders. 

A man enters first, stunningly dressed in a tailored navy suit with his chestnut hair swept back and his blue eyes sparkling. That’s sign number one. The second sign is the voice floating behind him, high and airy and delicate. Almost sing-songy. 

Ice floods through Elphaba’s veins. It stops her heart for several seconds before it kicks back on, three times faster than before. Dread twists in her stomach as she turns and eyes the doorway where a glimmer of pink and gold awaits her. 

It’s been years since she’s seen Glinda Upland. At least- in person that is. 

Glinda Upland, one of the highest-paid models in the country, is featured on enough billboards, magazines, ads, commercials, social media posts, and celebrity shows to make even the lowliest citizen feel like they personally know her. Her face is everywhere, and what a stunning face it is. 

Gorgeous and defined with flawless pale skin and dark chocolate eyes. Long lashes flutter as she blinks, and a single dimple carves into her cheek with every smile. America’s darling. Tiny, dazzling, desirable. 

And the woman Elphaba once loved.

Sad Rex imagines time

1. Rex wanting to get away from everyone because he’s stressed but doesn’t have anywhere to go where he won’t be bothered so he hides in a storage closet at the end of a lesser used hall.

2. Rex is naturally blond and when he was a cadet his batch was all normal, so they kinda shunned him and bullied him because being defective is highly frowned upon in clone culture.

3. I headcanon that Rex had a little brain damage from being yeeted every 2 seconds over 3 years which caused his chip to not work properly. Rex probably also suffers from chronic pain from all the injuries he’s sustained and then had healed in a matter of days because of bacta tanks.

4. Imagine after Fives death and it’s only Kix and Jesse left, Rex tries to make new friends with some shines, and then he sees them all die in their first battle and he gives up on trying to make new friends.

5. After Tup and Fives deaths the information on how they died is classified and Rex isn’t allowed to tell Jesse and Kix how they died so they get into an argument about it and end up not speaking to each other for a long while. Its not until much later when Jesse request for ARK training that start speaking again, but they act like their walking on eggshells when their around each other. Jesse only wanted training because he promised Fives a long time ago he’d look out for Rex if anything happened to him, and he doesn’t want Fives to come back and haunt him because he didn’t keep his promise.

6. Once on a mission Rex had to be left behind because they were ambushed and he got injured in the process. Nobody was able to go get him because they had to keep moving and Rex was captured. The whole time he was captured he didn’t think anyone would come to get him because he was just one clone.

7. Cody and Rex fought over Fives case, Rex somewhat believed Fives was right, but Cody didn’t believe it at all. Things got heated and things they didn’t mean were said, what ended it was Cody suggesting Rex was too emotionally unstable and threatened to send him back to Kamino. Rex was quite taken aback by this and left without another word, but they didn’t speak at all after that and then order 66 happened and they lost contact completely.

8. As a cadet Rex’s trainers were harder on him and would give him lower scores than the rest because of his blond hair which made him defective. This caused Rex to have a lot of anxiety as a cadet, as he was constantly threatened with decommissioning for not having a high enough scores.

9. He feels really guilty about dogma, like really guilty. It should have been him to pull the trigger but it wasn’t, and now Dogmas gone and he feels it’s his fault. He understood how Dogma felt, obey orders or face being decommissioned, it’s how he felt back at the beginning of the war. He would have taken Dogma under his wing and showed him it was ok to lighten up a little. But Dogmas gone, and it was his fault.

10. Has a phobia of wide open spaces, since he grew up on Kamino and in an in closed area his whole life, so when he suddenly placed in the vast expanse of space it didn’t sit very well with him.

11. Rex and Anakin were friends but were never close until ahsoka left. Rex felt that it was only the loss of ahsokas company that brought anakin to seek his presence. He just felt like filler for ahsoka.

12. Clones don’t get sick easily, their immune to most known pathogens, but Rex can get so stressed his body can’t take it and he becomes ill.

13. Rex has major survivors guilt way before order 66 happened but after the order it got much worse.

14. Rex and Wolffe fought too. Wolffe was upset and thought ahsoka had betrayed them and had killed their brothers, but Rex knew she would never. When it came out ahsoka wasn’t guilty things were awkward between them. Wolffe and Rex were close since they’ve known each other on Kamino.

15. Ahsoka never said goodbye to Rex when she left and he was upset about it because he felt he didn’t mean enough to her to warrant a fair well.

Sorry for being angsty city on main, Im sad and my favorite trope is hurt no comfort because I need therapy. Anyway, feel free to add your own!

For the prompts, if you're still doing those, maybe 39 with Rex?

I don't really ship him with anyone but maybe in a platonic way how Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-wan have made him feel loved over the years <3

Ahhh you’ve got me twice! I’ve never actually written anything with Rex as the main subject, and I tend to avoid writing Ahsoka (I blame Dave, like I do with many things). As such, I’m sorry if you don’t agree with some of the frustration that has weaved its way through this entire thing. However, it was a lot of fun to try something out of my comfort zone. Don’t ask me why I’ve decided that Rex is the kind of person who wants to scream when he’s unhappy--I just feel like this man is holding it in during the entire war. Disclaimer that I actually have no idea what happened on Melida-Daan.

Prompt list

Previously completed numbers: 9, 10, 45

Please send a prompt! Something from the list, another idea, a song, anything!

Prompt 39:  Things you said when I was crying

Summary: Three times when Rex needed comfort, and three people who tried to provide it.

Rex unclips his kama, tossing it to the ground, before tugging at his pauldron. It doesn’t budge, and he grits his teeth, clawing at the clasp. After much too long, and Rex is about to scream, he finally gets it off, placing it down with deliberately petty gentleness, even though he wants nothing more than to hurl it at a tree. The pressure in his chest expands, like a seismic charge detonating, and he sobs, sinking to the mossy forest floor as the tears finally fall.

The difference between the forest and the images flashing through his mind is almost comical. Eyes open, it’s lush trees and blue skies, tiny flowers and tangled, twisting mushrooms, but when he blinks, it’s barren, grey fields and smoke that smothers him, blood and screams and Cody’s too-steady voice over the comms.

He buries his head in his hands, curled up against the trunk of an ancient tree. A bird trills above his head, light and lovely, but all Rex can hear is Cae, voice strained as Rex lifts his head, saying, I’m sorry I’m sorry I knew it would be me, blood seeping endlessly from the place where his legs had been.

Rex understands what Cody had once told him, about telling someone that they will be okay, everything will be okay, over and over, even though you both know it’s a lie.

“It’s a comfort, even if you know the truth,” Cody had said, in the dark of the planning room, blank face lit up in blue. “It’s easier to lie, in the moment, than to say goodbye.”

He hadn’t explained where he’d experienced it, but Rex had already heard of Wril, who’d injured his spine during a training mission, back on Kamino, and been ripped away by the Kaminoans, because some injuries cost more than a clone was worth. He’d always remembered it, that only he and his brothers would ever care about him, but he’d brushed aside Cody’s words, meaningless advice back then.

Now though, he knows it is true, has chanted the words to Cae as he bled out. And now he also understands the sorrow lingering in Cody’s eyes, the memories of a batchmate torn out of his grasp.

He lifts his head, gasping for air, and his eyes fall on his hands, blood smeared across his skin like ink. Shaking, breath catching, he scrubs his hands on the moss, desperate to lift the stains. It’s on his face, he realizes, rubbing wildly at it with the back of his hand. His forehead, his brow, all across his cheeks--

A branch snaps a few metres away, and Rex’s head shoots up. He scrambles for his blaster, searching the forest for a search party of droids, or a prowling nexu, teeth bared before it pounces.

A figure walks out of the undergrowth, hands raised. It’s General Kenobi, and Force, Rex looks a complete mess, armour scattered across the ground, face probably red and swollen with tears--

“I apologize for startling you. Rex, is it?” Kenobi draws closer, and how the kriff is he so clean? He looks as if there hadn’t been a battle at all, not a hair out of place, even though Rex had seen him, whirling through the fight with Skywalker at his side, like one of the tsunamis that plagued Tipoca City. Kenobi motions at the ground, a silent request to sit, and Rex nods, somewhat too vigorously.

When Kenobi is seated, Rex notices little details that he hadn’t spotted, the fraying sleeves of his robes, the pink stain on his thigh that is definitely blood, the slightly too bright edge to his eyes.

Kenobi looks at him, gaze searching, before he rips at the hem of his tunic, passing the rough fabric without a word.

Rex rubs at his hands, too embarrassed to address the mess on his face, but Kenobi rolls his eyes lightly, taking the cloth and spitting on it, before reaching over and rubbing it over Rex’s forehead, hard enough to work, but gently all the same. It’s a bizarre experience, but it takes Rex back to Kamino, when Wolffe had done the same, after Rex had cut his head open on a rock and the blood had dried along his temple. It’s comforting, to remember a moment of care, when he is receiving it once more.

“I was in a civil war as a child, on this little planet in the Outer Rim,” Kenobi says quietly. “I’d never actually been in war before, despite how much we’d studied it. And it was like a game at first, planning strategies and sharing dreams of what we’d do when we won. But then our base was bombed.

“There had been hundreds of us, all children or teens. But between one minute and the next, we were practically massacred.”

Rex frowns. “You were on Melida-Daan?”

Kenobi chuckles. “Sometimes I forget that you’d have been taught about events like that. Yes, it was Melida-Daan.” He grows somber, leaning forward. “The point is, I get it. There’s something about having them die in your arms. It changes you.”

Rex blinks, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. But tears come anyways, building and building until he is sobbing once more. He tries to apologize between tears, but Kenobi waves him away, placing a hand on his shoulder. Rex shudders as a wave of peace rolls through him, grounding him to the present, and preventing his grief from spiraling into panic. He’d known, vaguely, about the abilities of Jedi, but the proof of it is startling, used in such a kind and simple way.

“There’s no need to be sorry, I’m the one who brought it back up. I’d like to help you, if I can. Would you tell me about him? I understand you were batchmates.”

Rex hiccups, nodding. “He—we were. Cae is--was quiet, compared to me. Whenever I wanted to act without thinking, he was always there to calm me down, and to remind me about all the problems with diving in head first. He never really liked fighting, but we made a damn good team. When we found out we were both in Cody’s battalion, we were so excited. They—they usually split batches up completely. I think it was Cody’s doing, keeping us together.” Rex stops, eyes widening.

Kenobi laughs, “Don’t worry, nobody’s going to get in trouble with me. I’m glad that you weren’t alone.”

Rex cuts his gaze away. “Thank you, sir. If I may, why did you come out here?”

Kenobi smiles. “Cody’s worried about you. He wanted to come, but he had to speak with the Council. I said I’d find you.”

“He had to speak to the Council? Without you?”

“You underestimate your brother, my friend. I couldn’t fight this war without him. Besides, I wanted to meet the ARC trooper whom my Commander speaks of with such fondness.”

Kenobi stands, holding out a hand to help Rex up. Rex wonders when Cody grew so close to the Jedi, and how he’d grown to trust him so quickly. From what he’s seen, though, Kenobi might deserve it.

…

Rex’s quarters are barren, when he punches in the new code he’d been given, and steps inside. They look almost as they had when he’d first seen them, bags in hand, Anakin peering over his shoulder. It had been almost exciting then, a new home and a new title, a Captain for the freshly Knighted General Skywalker, but it is not exciting now. The sight of the closest thing he has to a home, stripped bare and left to grow dusty, is almost too much to handle. He drops his helmet to the floor, an act that would make most of his brothers gasp, and moves farther inside.

He’s not quite sure where his things are, or why they were taken. The entire operation on Zygerria had been a mess, a patchwork plan that had quickly dissolved into chaos. It’s not too surprising that they’d cleared his room out, when he and Obi-Wan had gone radio silent. There’s no time for sentimentality, in this war, and if his brothers hadn’t sorted through his things, some natborn officer would have.

Anakin would probably disagree with his flippancy, with how unwilling he was to complete the mission at their expense. Rex wonders, sometimes, how his General can be so good at war, and yet not understand it at all.

He can’t really move his head completely, neck muscles still seized up from the shock collar, so he turns in a circle to take in the entire room. Then, he sinks onto the bed, wincing at the way it stretches the wounds on his back, and takes a deep breath, relishing the way it makes his chest ache.

The silence is deafening, overwhelming, and Rex buries his face in his hands, covering his ears and pressing down until they ring. A lump forms in his throat, days of swallowed words clawing their way back up, and the first tears fall. They’re tears of relief, of safety after giving up any hope for rescue, of returning to the Resolute and to his men, but they’re also tears of long, drawn out hopelessness, of resignation and fear, of watching the confidence fade from Obi-Wan’s eyes, of throwing an electrostaff and hoping that it hurts when it finds its mark.

A sob breaks the silence, almost detached from himself, followed by another and another, until he is gasping for air, mind flashing with images of those electro-whips, of furnaces that burned, of little Togrutas curled up together, looking so much like Ahsoka, back when she was little--

The knock on his door is soft, hesitant, but Rex startles, straightening and desperately scrubbing at his face.

“Rex?” Anakin’s voice is softer than usual, almost meek. “Are you alright?”

Rex doesn’t have a chance to respond, to ask for a minute, before the door slides open.

He feels like a bantha in speederlights, when his eyes meet Anakin’s, and he nearly wants to laugh to see his own expression reflected back to him.

“Rex?” Anakin asks uncertainly, as if he’s not looking right at him. Rex nods, confused, and Anakin steps inside.

He cuts his gaze away as Anakin picks up his helmet, cradling it as he sits down next to Rex.

Anakin is tapping his leg up and down, fingers drumming random patterns onto his knee, and Rex wants to yell, wants to stand up and walk out, wants to get into the shower and feel the burning water on his back and sink to the floor and stop feeling those curious, tentative tendrils as Anakin pokes around his mind in that unintentional way of his.

The silence is tense for what feels like forever, before Anakin finally speaks, “When I lived on Tatooine, water meant something very different than it does everywhere else. Here, people say it’s cleansing, this great flood that washes away dirt and blood until everything is new again. But on Tatooine, water is rare. It meant survival, death and life. Water was a symbol of love, of giving something precious. It was used during weddings, the sharing of a glass, to show their desire to live and die for one another.” He chuckles, “There wasn’t much grey area on Tatooine.” He grows more solemn. “My mother used to say that water is healing, and that love is wishing to take someone’s pain from them. She did it for me, and I’d do it for you, if I could.”

Rex is well aware of how precious this story is, with how little Anakin discusses his childhood, and with the shadows that darkened his eyes the one time Obi-Wan had mentioned his mother. He looks over, wiping his eyes, and says, “I’m grateful, sir.” He accepts Anakin’s words, although he wants to say You can’t take my pain, or Obi-Wan’s. You can’t protect us from our duty, and we don’t want you to. All you can do is be there afterwards. But he’s tired, and he wouldn’t want to make Anakin close up again, after he’d shared a piece of himself, so instead he says, “I don’t know if water is healing, but I do hope it’s cleansing. I’m going to take a shower, if that’s alright.”

Anakin stands swiftly, Rex’s helmet held awkwardly in his hands. “Of course, Rex, I’m sorry for keeping you.”

It feels like there’s a stone in Rex’s stomach, like this conversation has turned into a series of miscommunications. “You didn’t, sir.” He’s not quite sure why he’s comforting Anakin now. “Is General Kenobi alright?”

Anakin looks away, down at Rex’s visor instead. “He’s in the medbay. Cody’s with him. I wanted to find you.”

Rex realizes that Anakin wishes to help, but doesn’t know how to say it. He racks his brain for what to do. “Sir, do you think you could help me get the chestplate off? I can’t reach the clasp.” He hasn’t actually tried to, but he imagines it would pull his muscles quite angrily. Zygerrian armour is way too complicated.

Anakin lights up. “Yes, I can get it!”

Rex hides a smile as Anakin searches for the snap, muttering about bad design and poor protection. When it’s off, fallen to the ground, Rex turns, “I can handle the rest, but I’ll need some help bandaging my back when I’m done showing, if you can?”

Anakin nods energetically. “Yes, of course!” He looks as if he’s going to offer to help Rex with the shower, so Rex cuts in immediately, “Also, do you think you could take a look at my HUD while you wait? The night-vision lens has been acting up.”

Agreeing happily, Anakin sets off to work. Rex feels a bit better, as he heads into the ‘fresher. He guesses it’s alright to accept help from Anakin, since it’s so obviously beneficial to them both.

…

Jesse’s face is bloody, but his expression is almost peaceful. It would almost look like he was sleeping after a battle, having passed over taking a shower like he always did, a stupid habit of his that drove Rex mad. It’s not a troubling sight, really, except for how pale his skin is, and for the steel shaft that gapes from his stomach.

“I should never have left.” Ahsoka lowers herself to kneel beside him.

Rex doesn’t look up, doesn’t respond, instead wiping his hand across Jesse’s helmet, against the Galactic Roundel, the symbol of a Republic that seems to have failed them from the very beginning.

“Oh, Jesse,” she breathes, reaching out a hand to wipe the blood from his head.

“Please don’t,” Rex says, sharper than he meant to. Ahsoka draws her hand back, brow furrowed.

Rex keeps his gaze down. “You can help me with the others, but I’d like to carry him by myself, please.”

“Of course.” Ahsoka stands, but hesitates. “I’m sorry, Rex.”

Rex clears his throat, but his voice is still gruff. “It’s not your fault. Obviously this was far beyond all of us.”

“Maybe, but that’s not what I mean. I shouldn’t have left you. If I’d been here--”

“You wouldn’t have fixed it!” Rex interrupts, looking up at Ahsoka. “The Council was tricked. Anakin, Mace, Yoda, they all believed the Chancellor, because why shouldn’t they. Nothing happened that wasn’t given a perfectly normal explanation. Fives was scared out of his kriffing mind, but it just sounded like he’d lost it.”

“Still, if I’d stayed...I was scared, and I didn’t know what I was fighting for anymore, but everything was falling apart, and I left all of you to try and keep it together without me.”

Rex doesn’t say anything, but he remembers when Anakin had told him Ahsoka was gone, jaw clenched and face closed off, and when Rex had sat in his room afterwards and wondered why he hadn’t mattered at all, wondered how Ahsoka could have left her men without a second thought. But he’d been so happy when she was returning, in hindsight so much like a massiff waiting for its owner, and they’d all painted their helmets for her--

He understands why she left, when he brushes aside all the hurt, but in the end, he had never gotten the same choice. None of the clones had.

Angry tears begin to fall, as he looks down at Jesse again, and he clenches his jaw to stop himself from screaming. “We should have killed them,” he chokes. “They all died anyways, why the kriff wouldn’t we just shoot them?”

Ahsoka falls to her knees, hard, ash rising in a cloud. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Rex, but none bigger than that. I was just so tired of having to make the tough calls. I told myself that I was saving them, but I was only saving myself.”

Rex sobs, pressing his forehead to Jesse’s chest. “I should have killed him. Who was I to act like some kriffing hero, taking the kriffing high road? I’m a soldier, I lead these men, they depend on me to make sure they die for the right reason.”

He feels a pressure on his back, but no presence in his mind, like he would have with Obi-Wan or Anakin. Ahsoka lets him have his grief and his loneliness, but she embraces him tightly when he turns to her. He’s grateful for that, though he’d give anything to know that Anakin is alright, or to hear Obi-Wan’s calm, steady voice. She says nothing as he cries, as he wipes his tears, as he carries Jesse to the hole he’s dug, but she is there, bound to him through their shared mistakes, and that means something, even if nothing else does anymore.

During the funeral Rex stood behind class Seventeen, his old spot in the platoon occupied by its previous owner. It reminded Rex of a question he’d been putting off asking. 

He didn’t go to find ‘17 until late that evening, almost curfew, knowing the dread low and heavy in his gut would make it impossible to sleep unless he had an answer. 

“Sir? Can I ask you something?” Rex  fell in beside ‘17 as he left the Aurek’s mess after a meeting and made his way to– presumably– his barracks. 

“Yes?” ‘17 stopped, turned to give Rex his full attention. Rex skidded to a halt as well, surprised. 

“Um. Now that Kote’s back, what’s going to happen to me?”

“What do you mean what’s going to happen to you?”

“Am I being transferred back to my CT platoon? If it’s possible, I’d like–” Rex swallowed. “If A-030’s alright with it, could I be transferred into Colt or Havoc’s spot in class Thirty?”

He didn’t want to leave command track. He didn’t want to leave Davijaan or Fox or Kote. And if he was honest with himself, he didn’t want to leave ‘17 either. 

Even if he was in a new class that would be better than being back in CT training. He’d at least get to see them. 

‘17 raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to be transferred?”

“… No, sir.” 

“Then you’re not getting transferred. Not if I have any say.”

“But–” Rex sputtered. “The class is at capacity!”

‘17 shrugged. “Thirty-seven’s only one more than thirty-six. Doesn’t seem like much of a difference to me.” 

“There’s nowhere for me to stand.” 

“Kote and Davijaan can squish in. I’m sure they won’t mind.” 

Rex gaped at ‘17. ‘17 reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere, Rex,” he said, soft. “I promise. And I will do whatever I have to do to keep that promise.” 

And all Rex could do was nod, and hope.

Keep reading

Don't worry vod, I got your back.

The captain is exhausted. He's been working on his dead trooper reports for way too long and isn't getting any progress. Too much paperwork, even for him.

At this point he's using all of his remaining energy to just keep his eyes open, but even that doesn't help much.

He has to do the reports, he has to. Otherwise the very existance of these long gone brothers would be never remembered, and that was not an option. He has a duty.

Though as much as he tries, as much as he forces himself to stay awake, it's no use. He's worked himself way too much..

..and he falls unconscious.

The papers and the datapad are just left there for another time for him to stress about them.

He really needs the sleep though..

Sometime later, Stiff enters quietly out the door to the Captain's quarters, coming to check up on him.

Just before that he was heading to the refresher at night, woken up from a nightmare which caused his adrenaline to flow and make him forget all of his wishes to sleep. Nor did Stiff feel like welcoming those nightmares anytime soon, so as he had passed the Captain's quarters, he thought about checking if he's sleeping for once. Knowing the tendencies of his blonde ori'vod, he's pretty sure he's overworking himself again.

He decided to check just to be sure.

The door opened with a tiny whiz as he entered the room quietly. He nearly sighed from relief that Rex had finally remembered to sleep as he saw how there were no lights on, but sadly he was mistaken.

The captain was indeed asleep, but seemingly not in a comfortable rest. He had, as expected, worked himself up again.

Stiff looked at Rex with a frown of sympathy written all over his face. 'I really hope he'd learn to take care of himself..' he thought.

Strangely, Stiff feels a lot of responsibility for taking care of the ones that don't seem to find selfcare so important.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

He thinks for a moment in hopes to find a way to help the captain.

Stiff leans to get a look of what kind of reports Rex had been filling up.

Fallen clone reports.

Well.. that's really nothing new to him. And neither his favourite thing to do. Quite the opposite.

But, he'd do anything to make someone feel better. In this case that someone is his brother who really needs it, even if he never asks for it.

Stiff goes on and carefully carries a chair next to Rex and starts reading the reports. He can't risk the light sleeper to wake up and get another sleepless night, so he has to be content with the little amount of light he gets from the datapad.

About an hour later he's done with them and the energy has gone from his body. Now the tired and sleepy clone can't believe how Rex can do this so often. Having to fill the reports of his dead men so often makes Stiff wonder if he would want to talk to someone. He knows Rex would immediately dismiss the offer of talking about his problems, but he needs it. No one should carry so much guilt, grief, and frustration just by themselves. Everyone needs a someone.

Stiff promises himself to ask Rex about it, whether or not he'd already know his answer.

He looks up from the table, having been deep in thought. How many times had he done that again? Sighing heavily, he throws the thoughts to the back of his head. 'I'll think more about that tomorrow.'

Stiff stands up and wonders what he's gonna do next. Maybe he should move him to his bed. The table isn't looking very comfortable to sleep on.

He knows that this brother if someone is the lightest sleeper ever, due to his alertness 24/7. Stiff has to make sure to be extra careful and not wake him up, since who knows how Rex would react to Stiff having done his work without context of why he even is in his room in the first place.

He has also carried his -passed out or injured- vods more than just a few times, so it's obviously nothing new.

After deciding, Stiff sits up from his chair, leaning down, carefully and quietly slithering his left hand under Rex's legs and right under his back. As gently as possible, resting him on the bed.

Waiting for a moment of making sure he didn't wake up, Rex shuffles to a comfortable sleeping position, sighs and relaxes.

Wow, he actually didn't wake up? Thank the maker.

Fortunately Rex had already taken off his upper armor so Stiff didn't have to accidentally shake him awake while taking off the rest.

After, he covers the sleeping captain -who's now on his blacks- with a warm blanket.

...Stiff hasn't seen such a peaceful expression on his face in forever...

Stiff also has to let him know that he did the work for him somehow..

Right, a note.

He looks around for clear paper and after finding, he ripped a piece of it and wrote a message on it for when Rex wakes up. He has to make sure the captain doesn't freak out that he had fallen asleep on his job.

"Don't worry Rex, I filled the reports for you. Hope you slept well :)

- Stiff"

..Is what he wrote, and of course with his signature smiley face.

With a content smile for his work and a hope for his ori'vod to be okay, he swiftly exited the room and went on to try and fall asleep again..

[ This was a pretty short one, but I hope you liked it! One of my first ever fanfics.. ]