Oc: Arlo - Blog Posts

Nearly Whole

Summary: Crosshair and Arlo take the next step in their relationship, and Crosshair finds clarity in what he wants for the future.

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Pairing: Crosshair x Original Female Character

Word Count: ~5,200

Warning: mild smut, swearing

Hope you all enjoy the next instalment in my Crosslo series! Slowly but surely I am adding to their story haha. The rest of the series can be found here on ao3.

Last Line Challenge

Thanks @queen-of-mandalore for the tag!

In a new post, share the most recently completed line(s) of your WIP, whether the last you wrote or the last you drew.

Then tag some folks to join in!

This is from the next instalment in my Crosslo (Crosshair x ofc) series, which can be found here on ao3.

He leaned into that feeling, deepening the kiss as he pulled her closer. He kissed her again, trying to banish the fear with each pass of her lips upon his. He allowed her to take away his guilt and pain with each caress of her hand. He felt warm. Safe. Whole? Nearly whole… the doubts lingered, but they were quiet enough that Crosshair did not feel compelled to face them, at least not right now.

I'm hoping this fic will be up sometime in the next couple weeks, but it will depend how much writing time I get!

NPT: @tealmisthams, @ladylucksrogue, @whyamismall, @aknightreaderr, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Dear Fives,

I have a bit of a dilemma. After reading all of your insightful, informative and thoroughly entertaining replies to other lovesick readers, I think you're just the person to help me.

I've had an eye on a certain clone trooper for a while now, but I just can't seem to get a good read on him. I work as a physician on Pabu, and there are a group of clones who live here. You may know them as 'The Bad Batch'? There is a certain sniper among them who has caught my attention.

He's tall, and handsome, and although he tries to put on a tough front, I know he has a kind heart. His softer side shows through from time to time, especially around his little sister. He can also be rather grumpy, but I find it endearing. I could talk about him all day... but that's not what I am trying to accomplish by writing to you.

Although I have been rather taken by his taciturn nature, it is that very trait that makes him so hard to read. We've spent a lot of time together: he often walks me home from my clinic in the evenings, and I've managed to run into him a few times around Pabu. We always talk and it's always enjoyable... but whenever I suggest meeting in a more purposeful way, he makes his excuses and scurries off. Or as well as a man of his stature can scurry anyways, but I digress.

I suppose, after all that exposition, my question to you, dear, dear Fives, is how on earth am I supposed to figure this man out? I've tried to be patient, but at this point, I do wish for an answer. I sorely hope it is the one I seek, but even if it's not, anything would be better than dancing around the subject like we tend to do.

Help me, dearest Fives. You are my only hope.

Best Wishes,

Arlo

Editor's note: Got a question for Fives? Read the rules here. My ask box will close in 12 hours. I was so excited to see that this is from Arlo!! I’m so glad your lovely OC has decided to swing by Fives’ advice column <3

Dearest Arlo,

You call it a dilemma. I call it an opportunity.

I am unfortunately acquainted with The Bad Batch. I actually quite like them all (my editor too, especially a certain Hunter-Gatherer) except for The Biting Child. You refer to her as the little sister. 

Do not be deceived by her supposed kindness. It is all an act. I must warn you that she bites. It’s important you are aware of this because if you’re about to get close to Crosshair, you’re going to be around her a lot. I’ve been told she only bites because she’s protective of those she loves but I’ll let you read between the lines.

Your Crosshair is such a sweetheart. It’s true that he hides behind the tough bad boy exterior, but he truly has a heart of gold. Please do not feel the need to stop talking about him. That’s what I’m here for - to listen!

I think that there is only one way to approach this and that’s to be blunt with Crosshair. If he keeps making excuses then it’s a sign that he is not ready for a relationship. You should not be chasing after someone who won’t recognise your value and accept your advances.

However, it is also important to balance that with realising that some people need a bit more time and coaxing. It’s a tough balance, I won't lie.

Knowing his personality and his history, I think he has a hard time connecting with new people and learning to trust them. That being said, his actions are all very positive so far. He’s choosing to spend time with you and talk to you. 99% of the time (pun intended but the statistic is true) he will grunt at someone then walk off. It’s clear that he genuinely likes you.

You need to tell Crosshair in no uncertain terms that you like him and you get the feeling that he might reciprocate such feelings. Tell him that you would like to explore a relationship and that it does not need to move fast if that’s what he needs to feel comfortable. I would tell him what ideas you have for a first date. That way, it takes away some of the nerves on his end if he is planning to say yes. Crosshair will appreciate knowing that you've thought through all of the details.

The other thing to consider is when and where to do this. I suggest one night when he walks you home that you invite him inside for caf or something to eat. Once you’ve both got a cup in hand, I’d ask him out. That way he cannot easily scurry off.

I personally think he has feelings for you. However, if he is not brave enough to act on them, then you shouldn’t waste your time waiting for him to man up. Remember that your time is precious and so are your feelings. You shouldn’t put your life on hold because a man is struggling to get his life together.

Remember, my dearest Arlo, that we have hope. Hope that things will get better. And I think they will 😉

Lots of love,

Fives advice columnist who writes “insightful, informative and thoroughly entertaining replies” - quote Arlo

First Line Challenge

Thanks for the tag @tealmisthams and @aknightreaderr!

This is not the first line, but it is the first line I wrote today for my upcoming Crosslo fic. It is the one referenced in my WIP game post as “Crosslo confessions fic” so I’m tagging @julijuli77 as well since you asked about that one! I don’t wanna reveal too many details, but let’s just say there will be some confessions from both Arlo and Crosshair 👀

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” Arlo asked quietly as they turned on to her street, unable to ignore the subject any longer. Crosshair frowned but merely shrugged, seemingly unbothered.

NPT: @ladylucksrogue , @whyamismall , @acatinwinterfell , @saviinika , and anyone else who wants to participate!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful, wonderful weekend, that the creative juices are flowing, and that the creation process of your Clone x OC piece is going well! We are so, so, so excited to see everyone’s entries, and we can’t wait until February is here! If you have any questions regarding the event, please don’t hesitate to send us an ask✨

In the meantime, we’d like to collect some statistics. To the people who are participating in the Clone x OC week, we’d like to ask you:

Which clone(s) are you creating your Clone x OC week entries(s) for?

Tell us in the replies!

Unbidden - Part 4

Summary: During a date night, an intimate moment is turned sour when Crosshair is forced to relive some of his darkest memories from his time on Tantiss. Arlo is there to help him through, but he's not so sure how to let her in.

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Pairing: Crosshair x Arlo (Original Female Character)

Word Count: ~5,700

Warnings: Panic Attack, Heavy Angst

Wow FINALLY finished! Yay! Sorry this took so long everyone but life was being rude this week XD But here it is so please enjoy! <3

Unbidden - Update

Sorry guys! I know I promised the last chapter would be up tonight, but life has seen fit to get in the way.

It will be posted tomorrow. Sorry for the delay and thank you all for the love you've given the fic so far <3

Unbidden - Part 3

Summary: During a date night, an intimate moment is turned sour when Crosshair is forced to relive some of his darkest memories from his time on Tantiss. Arlo is there to help him through, but he's not so sure how to let her in.

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Pairing: Crosshair x Arlo (Original Female Character)

Word Count: ~3,000

Warnings: Panic Attack, Heavy Angst

So this chapter got so long I had to split it into two XD So please enjoy the first part of the last chapter of this fic! The second part will be up later tonight or tomorrow <3

Unbidden - Part 2

Summary: During a date night, an intimate moment is turned sour when Crosshair is forced to relive some of his darkest memories from his time on Tantiss. Arlo is there to help him through, but he's not so sure how to let her in.

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Pairing: Crosshair x Arlo (Original Female Character)

Word Count: ~2,000

Warnings: Panic Attack, Heavy Angst

Here is the next chapter of my latest Crosslo fic! I have ended up splitting the last chapter into two, so there is one more chapter to go to wrap all of this up! I will hopefully have it up by this weekend! Hope you enjoy <3

Last Line Challenge

Thanks for the tags @tealmisthams and @queen-of-mandalore !

Here is a line from the upcoming chapter of my newest Crosslo fic from my Crosshair x OC series. The first chapter of this fic can be found here on ao3. Hopefully this chapter should be up by the end of the night, so enjoy the sneak peak :)

Crosshair turned around and debated staying away for a while longer. Morbid tendrils of self-hatred wound around his ribs and snaked their way up his spine before settling at the base of his skull. Crosshair shuddered. He couldn’t be alone right now. He needed to go home. He needed his brothers. He needed Tech.

NP Tags: @ladylucksrogue, @ahsokathegray, @melting-houses-of-gold, @acatinwinterfell, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Last Line Challenge

Thanks for the tags @tealmisthams and @ladylucksrogue !

This is from chapter 2 of my newest fic in the Crosslo series, Unbidden:

He’d had panic attacks once or twice before as a cadet, after some particularly… memorable training sessions, but they’d never been so vivid as he’d experienced tonight. 

The first chapter can be found here on ao3 :)

NPTs: @whyamismall, @saviinika, @acatinwinterfell, @ahsokathegray, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Unbidden - Part 1

Summary: During a date night, an intimate moment is turned sour when Crosshair is forced to relive some of his darkest memories from his time on Tantiss. Arlo is there to help him through, but he's not so sure how to let her in.

Fandom: Star Wars The Bad Batch

Pairing: Crosshair x Arlo (Original Female Character)

Word Count: ~6,000

Warnings: Panic Attack

Written for Whumptober Day 1 Prompt: Panic Attack

Not sure if anyone is still following these two cuz I know it's been forever and a day since I posted anything for them, but here is another little thing I wrote for them! Chapter 2 will be up in 1-2 weeks <3

OC ootd Tag Game! 💚

Rules: create an oc wardrobe and outfit of the day (ootd) for the following situations: casual/daily wear, fancy event, on a date, during one of the most significant events in the book

Thanks for the tag @ladylucksrogue 💕

This game is so fun! I did it for my OC, Arlo who is from my Bad Batch Fanfic series, Cross My Heart and Help Me Heal which can be found here on ao3.

All these images were taken from Pinterest and the templates are from canva!

Arlo is a physician, so for her casual wear, I have what she wears outside of work on the left, and her work attire on the right (top pic is what I envision her wearing when she’s in her clinic on Pabu, bottom pic is what she would have worn when she was part of the empire). Her favorite color is green (if you couldn’t tell). Hope y’all enjoy!

No pressure tags (for my mutuals who I know have some beautiful OCs): @lexavalon052, @queenjiru, @leenabb104104, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Excited to see you doing these too! How about 19 for crosslo

Thank you so much for this ask! Sorry for the delay, but life has been so busy. I had the most fun writing this and I did take a little liberty with what it means to be "underwater" but I hope you enjoy! There is a little bit of spiciness in this one, so I'm putting the full text below the cut :)

Falling for You

Kiss Roulette Prompt 19: A kiss underwater

Pairing: Crosshair x oc (Arlo)

“Look, Cross!” Arlo called, wiping the sweat from her brow with one hand while extending the other out before her, pointing to the clearing at the end of the long jungle trail.

Crosshair shook his head, little droplets of sweat flying from his brow as he did so. Picking the hottest day of the year to go on a hike through the jungle on the far side of lower Pabu hadn’t been the finest idea, but it seemed it had all been worth it to Arlo, as she continued to point emphatically into the clearing before her, a broad smile on her face.

Stepping up to meet her, he peered beyond the thicket of tropical trees and bushes and was pleasantly surprised by the oasis that awaited him. There was a large pool of water in the middle of the clearing, fed by a beautiful waterfall, skittering over the rocks a few meters above the pool and cascading down into the clear green-blue water below.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Arlo observed, already wandering across the clearing to the water’s edge, where she promptly sat down and removed her hiking shoes. Crosshair padded up behind her, folding his arms over his chest and regarding her dubiously.

“What are you doing?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow as she pulled the hairband from her golden locks next, allowing her hair to cascade down her back, and then she stood.

“I’m going for a swim of course,” Arlo replied evenly, pulling her shirt over her head. “If I spend a minute more in this heat, I’m going to melt.”

Crosshair stared openly as she threw her shirt to the ground and made quick work of the buttons on her pants. To his surprise, she didn’t stop there. Next came her bra, and then her underwear, until she was standing before him completely naked, without a hint of self-consciousness whatsoever.

He must have worn his shock on his face, because Arlo gave him a suggestive wink before wading into the water. Crosshair watched her with interest. Though they’d been together for years, she never ceased to catch him off guard from time to time. Arlo was a confident woman, but this was bold, even for her.

Huffing a short chuckle, he watched as she continued to make her way towards the center of the pool. When the water reached her waist, she turned back towards him and regarded him with a saccharine smile on her face.

“Care to join me, love?” she asked, eyes wide with false innocence as her hands boasted temptation, drawing his gaze from her face to her chest as she played with her hair, the long golden strands having fallen over her shoulders.

“It looks cold,” Crosshair grouched, even as he set his pack on the ground, fighting the smirk that warred with his scowl for dominance upon his lips.

“Hmmm,” Arlo murmured, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. “I find it rather refreshing.”

“Indeed,” Crosshair drawled, kicking off his boots as he pulled his shirt over his head. Arlo merely giggled softly, dragging her fingers playfully through the water at her hips, watching him with a heated satisfaction in her eyes. Crosshair allowed himself to smirk then, happy to know she liked what she saw.

After he finished divesting himself of his clothes, he followed her path into the middle of the pool. When he reached for her, Arlo stepped back but caught his hand in hers. Tugging on it gently, she led him across the water towards the waterfall.

She looked like something out of a dream, a water nymph, leading him towards what could only be both his pleasure and his doom. Crosshair was enchanted and couldn’t help the smile and laugh she pulled from his lips as she placed her free hand into the waterfall’s path, grinning and giggling as the water splashed across it.

“It feels nice,” she assured him as she backed under the silvery falls, tipping her head back as the cool water slid down her face and neck before trailing down the rest of her body. Crosshair eagerly stepped into the waterfall with her, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as she finally allowed him to hold her.

With his hands encircling her waist, he stepped forward, until her body was pressed against his. The warmth of her skin was a delicious contrast to the coolness of the water running over his body.

“Kiss me,” she murmured. Or at least that’s what Crosshair thought she was going to say. His lips were already on hers, and she kissed him back eagerly, falling into his embrace.

Arlo

color: Green -> a color often associated with spring, life and new beginnings, Arlo embodies all of these qualities. She is vibrant and full of feeling, and her endless optimism allows her to inspire new beginnings in even the most desolate of beings flower: Spring Beauty -> symbolizes cheerfulness, youthful gladness, which is Arlo's general state of being animal: Dove -> this ties into the role she plays in Crosshair's life. Just as the dove is a symbol of peace, freedom and love, Arlo is Crosshair's love, helped him make peace with the scars of his past, and ultimately find his freedom scent: Freesia -> a light, cheerful scent, often associated with springtime song: imperfect for you by Ariana Grande -> this song is the Crosslo theme. Neither is the perfect partner, but they are exactly what the other needs, and are better together because of it feeling: warmth -> a lot of the Crosslo series focusses on Crosshair and Arlo's desire to feel safe and a sense of belonging, and this is often described as the feeling of 'warmth', which Arlo embodies for Crosshair.

This was a fun way to share more about Arlo with you all! For those who don't know her, she is my oc love interest for Crosshair in my Crosslo series, Cross My Heart and Help Me Heal . Please check it out if you want to read their story!

NPT: @ladylucksrogue, @tealmisthams, @queenjiru, @lexavalon052, @leenabb104104 and anyone else who wants to participate!

Credit for the page breaks to @rpiconsgalore

Blank Template Below:

Ah I’d love to do this for Arlo!

oc asks: character design edition

FACE & FEATURES

glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature?

face: Describe your OC's face. What's their smile like? Are their orbs cerulean? What would someone notice first when looking at them?

stature: What's your OC's body type? How tall are they? Do they wear clothing to accentuate their look or do they try to mask it?

motion: How does your OC move? How does their clothing help or hinder their range of motion? Are they flexible, coordinated, clumsy?

stillness: How does your OC act while still? Are they fidgety? Do they have any common gestures or tics? Does their clothing affect how they hold themselves while at rest?

canvas: Does your OC have any scars, piercings, tattoos, or other markings? Do they display or cover them up at all?

CUT & CLOTHES

night: What does your OC wear to sleep? Do they have a favorite pair of PJs, or are they more the birthday suit type?

day: What does your OC wear on a normal day? Why do they default to those clothes? Do they wear similar things, or do they change it up?

formal: What's your OC's formal look? Do they like dressing up? Do they have different looks for different occasions?

informal: What's your OC's lazy-day look? How do they like to dress when they're winding down?

outerwear: What's your OC's outerwear situation? Jacket, sweater, cloak? What sort of weather do they deal with most and how do they protect themselves?

footwear: What does your OC wear on their feet?

road: What does your OC wear while traveling? Do they have high-quality equipment, or are they making do? What does their gear look like?

armor: What kind of armor does your OC wear? Is it well kept? Bonus: where does it come from? Is there a story behind it?

arms: Does your OC have any weapons? What weapons do they carry, and how do they wear them when they're not fighting?

roots: Is your OC's look inspired by any specific style of clothing or fashion trend? What are the roots and/or inspiration for their look?

texture: Does your OC favor any specific kinds of cloth or textures? Is there anything they can't wear or don't like? What sort of fabrics do they prefer?

wardrobe: How big is your character's wardrobe? Do they wear things threadbare, or can they afford new clothes often? Are they any good at mending and repairing their own clothing?

ACCESSORIES & ACCENTS

bling: What jewelry does your OC wear? Does it have any meaning?

hair: How does your OC wear their hair? Does it have some kind of meaning?

makeup: Does your OC wear makeup? How often? What kind? Why do they wear makeup, and do they like it?

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

change: Has your OC ever drastically changed their appearance? Significant haircuts, big tattoos, complete wardrobe swap, etc? Why? How do they feel about the change?

alternate: What would your OC's alternate universe look be? If they're a fantasy character, what's their modern look? If they're sci-fi, what's their fantasy look? What AU would you want to see your OC in, and how would they dress themself? Bonus: Prompt an AU!