#beacon behemoth

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Beacon Behemoth

When its smoky plumes light Naya's sky, every creature from the smallest pip fawn to the largest rannet heeds the warning.

Artist: Jesper Ejsing TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

#mtg #magic the gathering #tcg #$0.11 #jesper ejsing #beacon behemoth #conflux #creature #beast

[shroomdreams]

propagation 2: Ruan Mei

CW: Cunnilingus, multiple orgasms, monsterfucking, oviposition (Ruan Mei gets eggpreg), breeding kink, reader can be interpreted as any gender (you have an ovipositor)

A/N: I don’t even have the words to describe how unhinged this got. I wrote nearly all of this in the Notes App and only just recently transferred it somewhere else. I hope you guys enjoy this behemoth of a part 2. 2.9k words

It has been a little over a year ago since you found yourself on Herta Space Station. Shortly after Ruan Mei had visited the station and left, she found herself exploring an abandoned planet, where the only signs of life were plants and some creatures that had yet to be analyzed. Ruan Mei thought that would simply be it, until she found you. She found you scavenging what appears to be a broken spaceship for parts, tearing off metal with your bare hands. You noticed her presence, but said nothing, turning your back to her and walking off into the wilderness.

After that, Ruan Mei started a little base of operations on the planet. She was a scientist, first and foremost, and a member of the Genius Society for a reason. Not only was she analyzing the creatures on the planet, she had been making an effort to get on your good side. You intrigued her, after all. There was something more to you than your appearance suggested, and she intended to find out what that is. It started off with small gestures. She would find you at the wrecked spaceship, offer you food, and watch you walk off. It's no surprise that you would be distrustful of her, since it's possible that she is the first and only human you have seen. However, her eyes lit up when you didn't walk off into the wilderness like you usually do, instead following her towards her base of operations.

It took a few weeks, but she had managed to teach you Standard Galactic Common, since she didn't have a Synesthesia Beacon on hand. From then on, you followed her around whenever she went out to explore, since you knew the area better than her you helped her out in some situations.

However, she would soon have no more interest in this abandoned planet, and would make preparations to leave. "Thank you for your help these past few months, snowdrop," Ruan Mei smiled. "This little expedition wouldn't have been as successful without your help."

"You're welcome." You say, though your face is marred with a frown. "...Does this mean you will leave now?"

"Not now." Ruan Mei shook her head. "It will be a while before a transport ship comes to pick me up."

"I see..."

Now Ruan Mei is aware that she isn't the best at emotions. Her stint in Herta Space Station made her truly realize that that is something she should be working on. And right now, she sees the frown on your face, how you look to the side with furrowed eyebrows and a twitchy leg. A thought occurs to her head.

"Snowdrop, would you like to come with me?"

"What?"

"I... Don't recall ever seeing the village you keep telling me about," Ruan Mei replied. "And I did not want to bring it up, since you might have your own reasons for not showing me, but I want to ask. Was it ever real?"

"..."

She continues. "Come with me. I know a place that might be more suitable for you."

"...Are you certain?" You hesitantly ask. "I... I'm not-"

You're momentarily cut off when Ruan Mei suddenly grabs your hands and looks you in the eyes. You flush.

"I promise you that you'll be taken care of there. Of course, you'll have to do some work… But don't you think it's better than living here?" The words seem to tumble out her mouth, almost clunky sounding. But Ruan Mei is pleased to see you nod.

That's how you find yourself awkwardly gripping a pen and writing down an application form for Herta Space Station while Ruan Mei makes idle chatter with the owner herself. After taking your measurements, you find yourself in a room in the Seclusion Zone, near the place where Ruan Mei stashed her confectionery creations. She sits down next to you, and you suddenly feel like curling into the corner, her scent overwhelming you. You could hear your heart hammering in your chest, drowning out the silence.

"So... This is where we part ways for now." Ruan Mei starts, staring at the wall. You nod. "You'll have to work hard here."

"...Ruan Mei, I..."

You see yourself reflected in those deep, cyan eyes of hers. She always seemed to be staring at something far away whenever you talked to her, keeping her vision pointed to the most interesting sight to dissect. But right now, she stares back at you. Body moving on its own, you press a chaste kiss to her lips, and another, and another... Until you end up with Ruan Mei laying on top of you, breathing ever so slightly. The soft pink glow of her cheeks, her sparkling eyes, the way her hair tickles your face... She cups your face and steals a final kiss.

Of course, she had to leave at some point, but not before giving you a direct line of communication to her. One email a month, maybe a brief conversation when Ruan Mei isn't so busy. You get into a routine at the Space Station, and soon enough you become a respectable worker with a decent enough reputation, despite being Madam Herta's brand new specimen. Thankfully, being stationed at the bottom part of the station gives you a lot of privacy. Life has become much more stable than your time on the jungle planet.

...Which is why you've suddenly locked yourself inside your room. You've immediately sent out a notice to your supervisor that you will be indisposed for a very long time. Ruan Mei stopped receiving your responses for three weeks.

A growl escapes you as you grind down on the pillow between your legs, trying your damnedest to grab some kind of relief. Blankets and other soft materials have been ripped open and stuffed with eggs, that will thankfully never hatch... Shifting your legs, you accidentally drop your camouflage when the door to your room suddenly slides open. Hidden in the darkness, you hiss out in alarm. But before you could lash out, you suddenly catch a whiff of that familiar, sweet scent.

"Snowdrop?"

That voice was almost enough to snap you out of the stupor clouding your mind. Almost. Your arms quickly grab the entity and pull them into the room, pinning their arms to the wall as the door shuts tight, leaving your eyes to glow in the darkness. "...Mei..." Her name sounds so foreign, your mandibles clicking together as you stare at her. "You came back..."

"I had to," She whispered, looking at you with a curious gleam. "You stopped responding, and Herta told me you went crazy."

"She isn't wrong." You sighed, leaning in and inhaling her scent as another pair of arms pop from your abdomen, gingerly touching Ruan Mei's sides. Despite the new sensations, Ruan Mei keeps calm, allowing your arms to hold her in place. "It's... The Propagation. Every other month or so, my body feels the urge to- well, Propagate. But it's stronger now, and if I had to guess-"

"It's because of me." Ruan Mei finishes. "I understand."

You can't help but shudder as you hesitantly pull Ruan Mei close. "I... It's a big thing to ask of you, but... Please help me." You whispered. "You can do whatever you want- I just need to-"

Ruan Mei cuts you off by leaning her head to where your mouth should be, taking one of your mandibles with her tongue and licking it. A surge of heat courses through you, your arms lifting one of Ruan Mei's legs and hooking it over your waist, grinding against her as you hold her close. That was enough confirmation for you, as you lay her down on your nest- er, bed.

First to go were her accessories, one pair of hands setting them aside as your other pair slowly slid off Ruan Mei's dress, followed by her shoes. The only piece of clothing left was her garter belt, which completes the beautiful sight in front of you. Though her expression remained largely the same, there was a red hue coloring Ruan Mei's cheeks as you slid between her legs, mandibles tenderly inspecting her inner thighs as you looked up at her. "Once I get started, I won't be able to stop so easily..." You murmured, leaning your head against Ruan Mei's thigh. "So... I'm asking again. May I Propagate with you, Ruan Mei?"

Ruan Mei leans back and wiggles her hips in response, her pussy glistening ever so slightly. "Give me your all, snowdrop." Hissing, your tongue extends outward to lick at her folds. It's unclear if it was your actions or Ruan Mei's own arousal that made her core soaked. Either way, your tongue glides over her labia, quickly getting addicted to the nectar weeping from her slit. "Mmnh~" Ruan Mei sighs, her legs trembling as you drink in her essence, held apart by your arms. She gasps when one of your arms reaches over to play with her breast, rolling your fingers over her hardening nipple. "Ah~!" Ruan Mei cried out as you plunged your tongue deep inside, chirping as you felt her walls throbbing around the wet muscle. You shift positions a bit, sitting up and holding Ruan Mei's hips to your face.

A series of moans and sighs are drawn out from your beloved scientist's mouth as you drive your tongue in and out of her pussy, her slick and your saliva dribbling down into the sheets below. She could feel her body growing hotter as two wispy shapes appear right above where her womb is located, whining when she feels you brush up against a rather sensitive spot. Ruan Mei shakily reaches towards you, but then throws her head back with a cry as you shove your face deep into her cunt, your tongue brutally rubbing against her walls and causing more of her juices to seep out. "Ah! Ah! Ohhhhh aeons! Aaaah!~" Her hips stutter against your face as she feels her release wash over her, covering your face with her cum. Gasps and moans escape from Ruan Mei as you remove your tongue,  pleased to see her sprawled out on the sheets. "H-Have... Have you finished the preparation?" She asked. Ah, that's your clever girl. You reach down and start teasing the space between your legs.

Ruan Mei's eyes go wide as she watches a strange appendage emerge from your cloaca, its appearance making her drool. So girthy... Would she be able to fit that inside, even with your help? You sigh as you position yourself at her entrance. This shouldn't hurt her too much. You hold her hips. "I'll... Go slow." You growled, stamping down your impatience. "Please tell me if it starts feeling bad."

Seeing her nod, you slowly start pushing inside, snarling and buzzing as you inch deep in her cunny. Ruan Mei feels the air being knocked out of her as you cozy up against her walls. "Ah- Ahhh! S-So... Huge...!" She hissed out, legs shaking as you finally bottomed out, her cunt stretched and filled with your length. You're entirely certain that her hips would be bruised from how tight you were gripping them. Meanwhile, your other hands play with her breasts, teasing and pinching her nipples. Ruan Mei pushes her hips against yours. "P-Please, snowdrop. Move." She whimpered, casting a needy look to you. "I want your eggs inside me. Please."

Your resolve snaps. The room fills with a symphony of slaps and moans, inhuman noises produced from your vocal chords as you roughly thrust into Ruan Mei's pussy, her walls constricting around your rod like a vice. Ruan Mei arches her back as you pound her sweet cunt, her poor breasts continue to be toyed with as you continue your movements. Your mind devolves, pure instinct takes hold of you as you your hips roughly slam into Ruan Mei. Whines escape from Ruan Mei as you rut against her, her fingers entangled in the sheets as she takes the harsh movements of your body. In your lust-addled mind, you notice her pussy fluttering around you and her moans getting louder, a sure sign she was nearing her release. It was a good thing that the two of you are in the seclusion zone now...

You slide your arms underneath Ruan Mei and pull her close as your thrusts grow sloppy, a series of clicks and chirps intertwining with Ruan Mei's cries. "I'm- *chitter* I'm gonna lay them inside you-" You gritted out. "Hold on tight-" Ruan Mei squeals when she feels a strange pressure growing at the base of your cock, her hands flying towards your carapacian body as a round object starts making its way into her body, instinctually trying to back away but unable to.

The knot in her belly comes undone as she sprays her release on your stomach, the egg settling inside her womb as Ruan Mei screams in a mixture of pleasure and alarm, foreign feelings of pure lust and want wrapping around her mind as you lay three more eggs inside. You huff, preparing to draw your hips back. Though this was the first time you’ve done such a thing with a human, you have enough awareness of your own body to know that you’re supposed to fertilize them after the eggs have been laid inside.

What happens instead is Ruan Mei’s legs swinging over your hips and pulling you back, causing you to let out a screech as you plunge deep inside her. You look down at her, and realize that you might have gone a little too far. Hey eyes stare back at you with an ocean of need behind them, whimpers and pleas tumbling out of her mouth. “W-Where do you think you’re going?” She gasped out, looping her arms around your neck and pulling you in to lick at your mandibles. “We’re not done yet, aren’t we?”

“R-Ruan Mei, let go-” You hissed out, trying to pull out. “I- I won’t be able to- Hmm~” Her walls flutter around your length.

“You wanted to Propagate with me, didn’t you?” She questioned, and you had to double take when you saw that she was actually pouting. “Propagate with me then.”

“I… You’re gonna be the death of me, you know that?” Ruan Mei says nothing in return, instead bucking her hips up to further entice you. You snarl. “Just- Just promise me that you’ll stay here? Please? Stay u-until- *huff* until they come out- Haaah-” Your hips start moving on their own accord, building back up momentum as you feel yourself throb in Ruan Mei’s snug walls. Soon enough, Ruan Mei lets out a hoarse cry as your release coats her walls, arching her back as she rides out her second orgasm.

You eventually pull out and sit back, chittering in pure satisfaction as sleep overtakes Ruan Mei, the combined puddle of your fluids staining the sheets. Her stomach bulged ever so slightly, the mark of Propagation glowing on her skin. You’re not… Entirely certain on how to navigate this with everyone else. But as you lay back down and pull Ruan Mei in for a hug, mandible gently touching her face, you decide that you’re ready for whatever happens next.

The next three months, Ruan Mei spends her time in the Seclusion Zone, sitting in the lounge area with her creations while you take care of them. She also discussed with Herta on building proper accommodations for your children, which Herta agrees. You’re somewhat worried that Herta might have ulterior motives for accepting such a deal, but Ruan Mei reassured you that everything will be fine. At the end of three months, Ruan Mei holds on to your hand for dear life as she lays your eggs, shakily holding them in her arms while you proudly chitter at her.

Soon enough, the eggs hatch, and Ruan Mei watches in fascination as the Stings crawl towards her. “How interesting… Despite the fact that I am just their incubator, they seem to recognize who I am.” She murmurs, watching as a baby Sting curls up in her lap, while the other Stings crawl on her arms.

“Well, you did give birth to them after all,” you reply, dropping your human look as you gather a few Stings. “The Propagation is a parth born of loneliness, and.. I’m very happy that I’m not alone anymore.” Ruan Mei smiles and leans in for a kiss, which translates to holding one of your mandibles in her mouth.

OMAKE:

While you and Ruan Mei have a moment with your children, Herta and Screwllum have a discussion about the many oddities the Space Station is hosting.

“Your extensive curio collection, Ruan Mei’s creations, and now descendants of the Swarm. You truly attract a wide range of phenomena, Herta.” Said Screwllum. Herta shrugs.

“Hey, I’m not complaining if Ruan Mei wants to play family here. Besides, I am curious about the Swarm outside the Simulated Universe.”

“Hypothesis: Ruan Mei would not take kindly to you using her ‘children’ in experiments.”

“Oh relax! I just want to run a few tests on them, gather data, and just leave them to do whatever they want-”

“Is that why I’ve been hearing that you’re planning on enrolling them to Little Star Cluster Daycare?”

“Please, as if they’re going to that dingy old place. No, I’m just nabbing a few teachers from Beneva’s Learning Institute and having them teach the kids here.”

“And Ruan Mei agreed?”

“Well, yeah. Buuut she also said she might be staying here indefinitely until they’re at least old enough to look like human children.”

The two Genius do not notice Arlan running after Asta in the background, screaming about how she shouldn’t just buy an entire nursery’s worth of toys.

#shroomie.fic #honkai star rail smut #honkai star rail x reader #hsr smut #hsr x reader #ruan mei x reader #ruan mei smut #propagation reader

[angellurgy]

i live in a reality, where tall glass behemoths forever enshrine themselves in our view

where stars scatter above us, dancing

where natural beauties can be wondered.

i live in a reality, where dead girls can love each other, recognize each other, be there for one another.

a reality split from reality

melancholic songs sing from nowhere like a church bell. constant, ever-chiming.

hopeful tunes tinged with blood.

the unending twilight. overcast clouds hide the raging sun, the reminder of responsibility.

i live in a reality where we can party like we're real. love like we matter. travel like we're purposeful.

i live in a reality where “we” can be we.

i see the looming grey above me, the lights in the distance, the beacon. they scream in my ear, hope, love, die, rot, live.

personified contradictions.

in my reality, they can coexist. we can rot as we hope, love as we die.

nothing can hold us down, as we scatter into the mixture of beings.

as everyone gives up, we remain. in a reality where we can be beautiful, soulful, so full of love that it hurts.

where we can sit under the gloom, travel alongside the cars flying through the world, headlights drifting away in our vision like futuristic hyperlight.

i live in a reality where girls can be girls

where there is more for us than the torment of our gods.

i live in a reality that you do not share.

a pocket, an anomaly.

a pretend world of community, that I share with only myself.

but oh how i wish you would share it with me.

#queue #'d for tomorrow #still bad at writing poetry for more than just myself. but whatever

[jadegretz]

Cammy's Fierce Pride by Jade Gretz

The crimson sun dipped towards the horizon, painting the cobblestone plaza of Acheron's Gate in hues of bruised flesh and simmering dread. Neon signs, warped by otherworldly glyphs, flickered promises of oblivion above taverns reeking of sulfur and brimstone. In this nexus of shadows, where reality frayed at the edges, stood Cammy White, her scarlet beret a defiant beacon against the encroaching twilight.

Whispers of an underground tournament, the Harbinger's Gauntlet, had lured her to this forsaken corner of the world. A chance to test her mettle against the galaxy's elite, they had promised, a crucible to forge legend anew. But the air, acrid with unseen things, hummed with a dissonance that prickled the Delta Red operative's instincts. This was no ordinary spectacle; it was a dance with madness, a waltz with the abyss.

As the obsidian moon bled onto the sky, the plaza pulsated with a spectral luminescence. From the swirling shadows coalesced the combatants – a grotesque menagerie of flesh and artifice. A cyclopean behemoth with skin like cracked granite rumbled a guttural challenge. A woman, her alabaster limbs woven from moonlight, flicked a razor-sharp bone dagger. Even the air writhed, taking the form of a sentient storm, its whispers promising oblivion in a thousand voices.

Cammy's senses, honed by years of Delta Red training, screamed of wrongness. These weren't mere fighters; they were echoes of nightmare, nightmares given flesh and fury by the malignant energies that seeped from the very stones of Acheron's Gate. Yet, fear was a luxury she couldn't afford. She was Cammy White, Queen Bee of Delta Red, and she wouldn't back down from a challenge, even one that reeked of cosmic pestilence.

The first clash was a symphony of the uncanny. The cyclopean brute swung a fist capable of crushing mountains, but Cammy, anticipating the blow with preternatural grace, danced past the impact, her Spiral Arrow finding its mark on the behemoth's obsidian eye. The creature roared, a sound that shattered eardrums and cracked cobblestones, but its rage only fueled Cammy's precision.

The alabaster …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

#cammy #cammywhite #streetfigther #capcom #gamer #gamerart #videogames #arcade #ai #aiart #digitalart #jadegretz #fantasyart #fanart #beautifulgirl #aiartwork #aiartcommunity

[kaixserzz]

Together

ੈ♡˳ Childe x Gn!Reader *ೃ༄

ੈ♡˳ 3.7k words ┊ Reverse hurt/comfort *ೃ༄

ੈ♡˳ Masterlist *ೃ༄

author's note ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

FINALLY I WRITE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T DOTTORE... this idea has been stuck in my head for AGES.. this was originally a part for my childhood friends to lovers with childe, but the shit i wrote was honestly too boring so i'll just post the interesting part!! also this is to celebrate childe being in fontaine!! yippiee !! (kinda became character analysis ,,)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ cw: canon typical violence, blood, mentions of death, childe and reader are both crazy, can be read as platonic or romantic!! set before childe became a harbinger!!, childe having a panic attack?? (i have no experience so it may be inaccurate but i DID do some research b4! it's not intended to be a panic attack but it seemed like it was while writing it, childe is just really out of it x-x), heavy angst on childe's part like, a bit of suicidal thoughts? maybe ooc?

There are times when Ajax felt lost and alone.

It was as if all the high he felt during battles, the exhilaration as he swings his blade, suddenly all drained from his body and there was nothing left, but a husk of a boy that he used to be.

Another day, another mission.

Ajax's face was completely painted with dark red, clinging to every fabric of his clothes. He was almost unrecognizable; a scarlet behemoth traversing the hushed, frigid halls of Zapolyarny Palace. All the blood has dried upon his return, now free of duty to do whatever he pleased.

Although the option to reunite with his family beckoned—to give them gifts he has bought for them with his salary—Ajax remained rooted in the palace.

He was searching for something. But he didn't know what he was looking for. His feet were moving on their own, leading him to rooms he has visited before, familiar spots etched within his memory, and places he wasn't even allowed to enter, yet the yearning within him persisted and was left unfulfilled, a phantom ache echoing within his heart.

Ajax wandered with purposeful yet aimless strides. He felt hopeless. He was akin to an animated corpse, stumbling over his own feet and eyes more dead than the countless bodies that piled behind his back.

Everything was dark. He was lost, afraid—there was ringing in his ears the longer he walked the massive maze that is Zapolyarny palace. He wanted to claw at his chest, to rip his heart out to finally stop it from yearning for something he doesn't even know; to stop it from beating so erratically, his breathing started getting caught in his throat—

This all felt familiar.

He felt like he was falling again, engulfed with darkness that seemed to swallow any sort of life. Ajax was back in the pits of despair. Back into the Abyss. Prickling heat seared all over his body as he felt eyes staring onto his soul—watching, waiting, for his whimpers to quiet down into nothingness, so they could finally bare their teeth onto the poor little defenseless boy with a broken leg—a hapless offering selected by the Abyss itself for an agonizing demise.

"Ajax, my boy,"

The ringing in his ears grew faint as a familiar and reassuring voice emerged, like a beacon cutting through the enveloping miasma. It was the soothing and resonant call of a man he held in high regard, someone whose integrity and reliability had earned Ajax's profound respect. This was the same man he had entrusted to safeguard his family during his absence.

The shadows that had once encircled him, obscuring his vision and drowning him in despair, relinquished their hold with reluctance. In their wake, the obscurity dissipated, as if it had been an illusion all along, unveiling a world that had seemingly vanished into the void.

Slowly, Ajax opened his eyes, and his gaze met The Rooster's. His voice, laden with genuine worry, pierced through the residual haze that clung to Ajax's senses. "Are you alright? You have been on the floor for quite some time now."

At first, he didn't know what he was talking about. He had been standing just a moment ago, but realization seeped in when he noticed that Pulcinella was peering down at him. That doesn't seem right, the elderly man was a lot shorter than him.

...How long has he been kneeling on the ground?

His fingers were tangled into his messy hair and his right leg ached, a foul reminder of his injury upon his fall. The eyes that bore into him were nothing more than the fearful and worried glances of his comrades, standing a few feet away from him.

The Rooster probably told them to give him some space.

Ajax almost flinched when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, his eyes immediately snapping back to Pulcinella's. His body went rigid when he remembered that he was, in fact, a Harbinger and that he should be bowing his head and addressing him with respect. But the elderly man just helped him back to his feet, disregarding the putrid smell of death.

"Are you looking for your friend, boy?" A warm, patient smile was all there was on The Rooster's face as Ajax finally regained full control of his body. He was still lost, afraid, and his mind merely buzzing, but his heart lurched at the sudden thought of his comrade. It seems like he has finally identified what he has been looking for. "Fortunately, they just returned from their mission. You can find them in the training area."

Ajax wanted to thank him. For snapping him out of the madness that clung at the back of his mind, for being patient, worried, and kind enough to point him where you were, but his body moved before he could. Although, Pulcinella just watched him rush across the halls. He already understood was the boy was grateful.

Growing up, Ajax has learned to tolerate other people's views of him: a ferocious, impulsive brat embracing battles just for the fun of it. His willingness to accept harm in the fray was an emblem of his addiction to that intoxicating thrill. Each ache, each hurt, served as a reminder, that his strength could burgeon, proving that his human form contained the potential to transcend limits.

He can, and will overcome anything that gets in his way.

But what of it matters when he's nothing now? He is nothing but the naked, raw emotion of his deepest darkest fears and doubts—a side of him that no one has ever witnessed, not even his family.

If they did, what would they think of him? Weak? Pathetic? He wasn't the same little boy he was, he has become something better, greater.

Only, perhaps, it cost his soul.

If they knew, would his siblings still look up at him in glee? Would his mother still press her forehead against his and promise that everything will be alright? Would his father recognize him as the same son he lost all those years ago?

Fear. Disdain. Disgust. Anger. Hatred. Emotions he has grown immune to, the gazes, glares, and stares of people he knows not of their names, yet familiar through their eyes.

None of them could see who he truly was inside. Perhaps he doesn't deserve it.

Blood soaked all over his hands, after all.

He has committed sins no man should be forgiven for.

He did it all on a whim.

Ajax wishes the Abyss could swallow him again. There, he would never feel shame. There, he could indulge in the adrenaline that will forever be pumping in his veins. His family would be safe, from the dangers of his enemies, and from himself.

"What are you doing just standing there?"

The loud, gusts of cold wind abruptly stopped and were replaced by an enveloping warmth that emanated from a mere presence. A voice, effervescent and kind, cascaded into his ears and jolted him awake from his daze.

How could he forget about you?

You were different.

You never regarded him with fear, even when his form was veiled in dried blood. Nor did you harbor any disgust or avert your gaze. You had always been the same toward him, ever since you were young. You defended him when the adults start yelling at him for his behavior. You'd pull him away from fights before he could join them.

Sure, you found his violent tendencies a little out of hand, but you paid him no mind. You were his only friend ever since he left the Abyss. You'd wipe the blood off his knuckles, reprimand him for running off to wherever he pleased, and would spend your days playing together.

Not only that, but you've allowed him to spar with you, training together to get stronger. He knows it was your efforts to keep him out of trouble, to keep him entertained, to prevent hurting himself.

Even in the present moment, you simply raised an eyebrow at his display, a wry amusement dancing in your eyes. "Hey, don't go dirtying the halls!" Your laughter resonated, accompanying your confident stride as you drew nearer.

You expected him to laugh along with you, to give you his usual shit-eating grin that you've grown fond of over the years. To smear his dirty gloves onto your face as a joke, or roll his eyes.

But he didn't. He hadn't spoken a word, only stared into your eyes.

Your brow furrowed, the concern etching lines onto your features. Ajax's expression was hard to read, or, well, there was nothing to read. He looked lifeless, dead. His eyes appeared vacant, the spark of life far long extinguished. His posture, stiff and unmoving, could have been mistaken for that of a statue. Ajax himself was aware of that. He finally found what he was looking for, but now he didn't know why. He wanted to speak, to quell your worries, yet his voice remained trapped, and he stood there, frozen.

Despite this, you still notice things no one ever could. The subtle tremor in his lower lip did not escape you, the telltale reddening of his eyes, nor did the indentation of his nails against his palms. He wanted something, needed something. You could tell he was pleading for anything.

"Ajax?" You call out his name, and he barely responded to it, lost in his muddled mind. "Ajax." You try again, louder, and closer to him. "Are you okay?" He gave you a hum, and that was all it took.

He felt your arms slowly snake around his torso, wrapping them around him, and pulling him into a hug. Ajax reacted almost immediately, hands flying to your arms with a crushing grip, ready to break them.

"You here with me?"

Ajax's eyes widened his eyes as soon as realization sank in, his grip instinctively slackening as regret permeated his being, whispered curses escaping his lips as he glimpsed the faint bruise on your skin. Why hadn't you reacted? The pressure of your weight against him acted as an anchor, grounding his spiraling thoughts and guiding him back to his senses. But why didn't you defend yourself?

Did you trust him that much?

"Hey—what are you doing? Let me go!" Please don't, he pleaded desperately, his trembling hands clutching onto your shoulders. His breath quivered, weakly squirming away from your hold. "I-I'm literally disgusting right now! Why are you hugging me?!"

You gave him a small pout, your hand pushing his head on your shoulder, and he struggled to fight against your hand and his desire to just give in. "I thought you liked hugs?" You murmur softly against his ear, and it sent shivers down his spine. "C'mon, it's not like you're fighting it."

Ajax hated that you were right. For the first time in years, he has never felt so vulnerable, and weak. If it were someone else before him, they would've taken advantage of him and ended him then and there.

But this was you, his best friend since he was little. The person who knew Ajax before his fall, and still accepted him for who he was despite his massive change. In your eyes, he was still the same boy who would pelt you with snowballs, push you onto the soft, white ground to make snow angels, and would chase you around your hometown.

He may have changed. But he was still your Ajax, your best friend. The one person you could rely on, and trusts enough to let your guard down completely before him.

Ajax's arms finally wrapped around you, his breathing in sync with yours. It was the only way to quiet down his buzzing mind, to stay conscious, and not drift back into the dark.

Your demeanor towards him remained unchanged. You still cared about him as if he hadn't laid waste to battlefields. You extended your care to him, undeterred by the carnage he might have wrought. Tenderly, you bound his wounds in bandages, scolded him for his recklessness with a stern voice, and enveloped him in warm embraces whenever the need for solace arose.

You saw him for who he was.

Not as Childe, not as the monster people perceive him for, nor as the responsible big brother he was.

No, you only saw Ajax, underneath his desire for battle.

You offered a gentle pat on his back, your voice soothing as you spoke, "Alright big guy, go take a bath." However, Ajax clung to you for a moment, an unyielding grip that seemed to resist releasing you. A soft chuckle escaped your lips as you playfully urged him, "C'mon, you reek. I'll fetch you some fresh clothes."

Ajax, with reluctance, let you go as he allowed to you to lead him to the shower rooms. He was glad you didn't ask what was wrong with him any further, he didn't even know it himself. Or perhaps you already knew.

He wishes that you knew that he would do the same for you.

You suggested that the two of you should go ice fishing as soon as Ajax has finished cleaning himself up.

It was random, and it left him confused, but he still found himself holding two fishing rods while you deftly worked to cut through the thick layer of ice that concealed the familiar lake you both frequented for ice fishing.

Ajax's father would always invite you whenever he decided it was another day to go ice fishing. Both you and Ajax would be in awe whilst you listened to his father talk about tales of heroes and adventure.

He took those stories to heart, and oftentimes, whenever he played with you afterward, he'd perceive himself as the main character, a hero, of the epic tales his father told him.

You, on the other hand? You never believed in heroes. You think they're just stories to entertain children, and those who call themselves heroes whilst being a hypocrite were unworthy scum of such a glorious title.

But you always indulged in Ajax's whims. As he swung the wooden sword his father had crafted for him, you played along, allowing him to 'save' you from the imaginary 'monster' lurking amidst the snow-covered landscape.

Nowadays, Ajax usually went ice fishing alone.

Even though Ajax has experienced the perils of the Abyss, you've always bested him in combat. He taught you what he had learned from the Abyss and from his master, Skirk, but he didn't really expect you to outperform him. So, compared to his duties, the Fatui has always deemed you as 'more useful' and 'less wild'.

Maybe, Ajax mused, if it had been you selected by the Abyss, things might have turned out differently. You could have navigated its challenges more adeptly than he managed. A thought tickled his mind—imagine you outmatching Skirk in a sparring match. Your instincts, forged by years of street life and survival in an icy nation, had helped you in ways more than he could ever think of.

So he doesn't ask you to do such a trivial hobby with him anymore. Nor did the two of you talk as much as you did.

You were a person of a higher position, closer to being a Harbinger than he was.

Ajax always thought that the growing gap between your friendship, as the years went by in the Fatui, was merely caused due to work. He wanted to train, to be even stronger than he is now. He has assumed that you were far too busy, answering the Tsaritsa's beck and call, leaving little room for anything else.

Yet he has never seen you so utterly content for quite some time. Sat next to him on a wooden stool, you cast your line onto the hole you've chiseled through the ice. You would smile at him, and it emanated warmth hotter than the burning flames of a campfire. His chest tingled, and he slowly cast his line as well.

Perhaps he was wrong.

That he was the reason the connection between the two of you was on a thin line. You've always sought out for him, but he would just excuse himself to train, or remind you that you had a mission to tend to.

Nonetheless, you didn't hesitate to accept him with open arms. To soothe him when he most needed it, to help him relax and found refuge in shared pastimes he had once assumed were best pursued in solitude. It was nostalgic. It reminded him of times when you were both smaller, clumsily pulling the line when a fish bites, and slipping on the ice.

Ajax felt nothing, but at the same time, he felt everything.

The chilly wind blowing against his hair, the way his gloves creased as he tightened his grip on his fishing rod, and your presence right beside him, ever so soothing and warm. He was at ease.

Ajax wishes that things should just stay like this.

"I've always thought about leaving the Fatui at some point."

Ajax's heart drops.

His hands suddenly weakened, and his fishing rod was almost lost in the cold depths of the water beneath the ice. His head turns to you with wide eyes.

He was at peace. Everything was fine. Why did you have to ruin it?

Ajax was well aware of what the Fatui truly was. He couldn't even remember how many people he has killed for the sake of the Tsaritsa's will.

You were the one who wanted to join the Fatui with him. You were the one who helped him fight all of those soldiers just to receive the same 'punishment' as he did. Now you're telling him you want to quit?

To just leave him like that?

"I want to live a normal life," You began, reeling the line of your rod and absentmindedly tapping your foot against the ice. You kept your eyes on the hole in the ground, choosing to ignore the heartbroken stare Ajax gave you. "Buy a house, have a family, and just live a life without crime."

You looked up into the white sky, the sun hiding behind the endless expanse of clouds. "Be happy, be normal. Pretty boring, right?" You chuckled, "But every homeless kid who grew up in this shithole has always dreamed something like that. Either live a happy, long life with a stable income or be filthy rich."

Ajax can't blame you if that was your dream. After all, you've grown up in very different conditions than he did. His family wasn't rich, but it was enough that Ajax wouldn't have to worry about if they were going to eat.

But being a Fatui without you? He could hardly imagine.

Sure, you've only talked to each other after for so long just a while ago—but you were his best friend. You were his sparring partner. The person he trusts the most, the person he knows will have his back no matter what.

Though, if this is what you truly wanted, to leave the Fatui, to leave him... He guesses he could let you go. Ajax can't force you to do something you didn't like.

"I don't really have any reason for staying in the Fatui but..." You finally turned to look at Ajax with a mischievous smirk on your lips. "Someone ought to keep an eye on you."

Oh, Ajax blinked at you, in the end, you decided to stay. A sigh of relief escaped him, a weight lifting from his chest as he released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding, his previously tense shoulders sagging in relaxation.

He finally finds it in himself to speak, his voice, though still a little quiet and shaky, was loud enough for you to hear. "Looks like we're pretty different in terms of goals." He mutters as he reeled the line when he felt a bite. "I'm going to overthrow the gods and conquer the world."

For a moment, it was quiet. Ajax almost thought you found him ridiculous with such foolish ideas. But you threw your head back and your shoulders shook as you laughed, a sound so familiar, yet he craved to hear more. Your laughter wasn't malicious, nor it was condescending. It was pure bewilderment, in awe of his boldness."

"Wow, even if you've calmed down, you're still talking nonsense." You said between giggles, wiping away the tear that formed in your eyes.

Ajax pouted at you, throwing the fish he had caught onto your lap. "I'm strong enough to accomplish it! You don't believe in me?"

Your eyes twinkled as you grinned at him, cooing at his reaction. "Of course not! At least, not alone." Ajax raised a curious brow as you continued, "You can't conquer the world by just wildly running around and beating things to death."

Ajax was slowly catching on with your intentions, and he fought the urge to smile. "So, what do you suggest then?"

"You need strategy! And knowledge." You nodded to yourself, the smile never leaving your face, "Power is important, but you can't just fight a god to overthrow them. After all, every meathead needs a brain."

"Hey!"

"Will you be my brains, then?

"Me?" You gasp in fake surprise at his question, pointing at yourself. Though, you could tell he has become serious at the thought of it.

"Conquer the world with me," Ajax smiles, his eyes trailing down to the hands that gripped the fishing rod. "I need a... sense of direction, and you're always there to help me get my shit together when I need it. Besides, it'll be more fun with the two of us!"

You laughed again, watching him brighten up at the idea. You were glad he was back in his spirits. If you were honest, you have never seen Ajax so out of it before. His eyes held nothing, but you could sense fear. It was unusual, but you could only do your best to help him through it.

"Fine, fine," You playfully roll your eyes. "I'll be your partner in crime. You can't reach your goals without me anyway."

He turned to look at you, his eyes bright like they used to be, "Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

Ajax then brought up his pinky finger to you, his grin widening. "Pinky promise?"

"What?" You narrowed your eyes at him, suddenly annoyed. "Are you a child?"

"My code name is Childe.

"Ugh, stop." You intertwine your pinky finger around his. "I pinky promise."

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛❛ If you like this a lot, consider reblogging! I'll appreciate it very very much! Don't repost and/or translate my work anywhere. ❜❜ ┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

#favoniuslibrary #˚₊໒🔪꒱kai writes₊˚ #╰┈➤ ajax/childe/tartaglia #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact #childe x reader #ajax x reader #tartaglia x reader

[kyberblade]

Back To You (Din x Reader) - Part 14

A/N: There is one brain cell shared among all three of them, and the child has full custody of it. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I have been waiting for this part. When I first came up with the story, I was like, “Ugh! I’m going to have to come up with an OC Jedi to teach the reader and blah blah blah,” and I was dreading it. Then, lightbulb, “You, dummy! There’s an episode called The Jedi.” Don’t look at me. I laughed at myself but also wanted to hide. So without further ado, here is the next part! (Okay, more ado. Sorry.) There is more show dialogue in this one. Also, once again, there is some lore in this that @writerlyhabits​ wrote in a fantastic short, and I loved it so much, I asked if I could use it.

(This takes place right where the other one left off and goes to the middle of episode 2x5/13, The Jedi.)

I do not own Star Wars or it’s characters. Sadly. But I carry them in my heart. Does that count for something? My soul says yes.

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, Grogu being the cutest thing you ever did see, and Din is once again a warning in and of himself in this one. Typical show violence. Swearing. Space swearing. Some inappropriate jokes but all in good fun and nothing overtly spicy, more innuendos. Mando’a.

Word count: 14,010 (I regret nothing.)

As always, thanks to @grippingbeskar​ for encouraging me, looking over this for me, and being the one to introduce me to Din fanfiction in the first place, getting me hooked. You are fantastic and I always love our chats.

Thank you to @what-the-heckin-heck, @dontletyourchildrenwatchthis, @lloweryourstandardss, and @fordo-kixed-rex for reading this over for me and letting me know I’m not crazy despite it being a behemoth. And @deceiverofgodss​ for helping with the Mando’a.

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Xxx

Your right vambrace rested in your lap, the glove worn underneath clutched tightly between your teeth as you fiddled with the beskar. “Dahnk fahrik,” you mumbled around the leather as the tool slipped. Luckily not much could damage beskar, or the vambrace would be covered in scratches right now simply from this repair attempt.

Din turned in his pilot’s seat to watch when you let out a growl in frustration. “Need some help?”

“Yesh,” you said around the leather before spitting it out beside the vambrace. “Yes,” you repeated with a sigh, letting your head plop back against your chair. 

He chuckled lightly, taking the vambrace to inspect more closely. “What seems to be the problem?”

“The fastening mechanism isn’t working right.” You picked up your head to look at him properly, handing him the tool. “It clicks in, but it still sits kinda loose on my arm. I was trying to tighten the screw, but-”

Din slid the mechanism closed after three small twists with the little tool, a sound click filling the cockpit. “It’s fixed.”

You stared at the armor in his hands for a moment, tilting your head after a minute of silence and blinking. “How-”

“It’s a spring mechanism. Fails on mine sometimes, too. The trick is to bypass it here,” he pointed with the tool to a spot an inch away from where you were working, “so it can continue without catching.” Leaning forward he set the vambrace back in your lap, keeping the tool, tossing it in the air and catching it. 

Holding the beskar close to your face to inspect it for yourself, you narrowed your brows as you turned it over to see all the little crevices, poking at the spot he pointed at almost like you were testing it. “Thanks,” you mumbled.

He nodded once before turning back to the control panel and dropping out of hyperspace.

As you slipped your glove and vambrace back on, you looked up through the viewfinder to see a dreary looking planet looming ahead, half in shadow half in sun, the side in darkness barely lit up with any cities or lights. 

“Corvus, this is the place. I’ve detected a beacon.” As Din spoke, he looked across his shoulder at the kid where he sat to his right on the console, looking up at him with bright eyes, making you smile. “I’m gonna start the landing cycle. You better get back in your seat.”

Din continued to press buttons and flip switches while the child stayed where he was, looking around the cabin as if nothing had happened. His focus settled on the silver ball on top of the lever about a foot in front of him, and you rolled your eyes. This was going to be interesting.

Jerking his head back towards the kid’s seat, Din’s voice got a little gruffer, more stern. “Hey, what did I tell you?” If Din noticed, he didn’t say anything, but you had to stifle a laugh at the way the kid’s face scrunched up into a scowl as he eyed the ball again, eyes narrowed slightly. As quickly as it came, it went, and the most innocent expression fell over his features as he tilted his head to the side and looked up at his caretaker. Oh, he’s good. 

“Back in your seat.” Din turned back to face forward as the kid clamored down with little coos and grunts, hiking himself up into his chair on your right. You raised a brow as you watched him worrying his hands in front of himself as he looked between the ball and Din, and back again a few times. 

Reaching out a hand, his eyes falling partway shut, you didn’t have to feel the surge in the air to know what was happening as the kid started to slyly unscrew the ball with the Force.

Under the guise of adjusting your vambrace further, you tucked your smile towards your chest, trying to swallow the snicker that wanted so badly to come out. 

As you flew over the surface of the planet, it reminded you of the lower levels of Coruscant, grimy and hazy, the air almost yellow and thick. Everything looked gloomy and sad, the trees that once would have been a magnificent forest now stood baren and stripped, lonely spires left as a reminder of a better time.

Landing in the middle of what was once a forest on the outskirts of the village, you heard deep moaning and chittering coming from beyond the little clearing the ship was in. Stepping down the ramp cautiously, you peered around, eyes going wide when you saw the source of the sounds. Large creatures on four legs, taller than the Crest ambled about, snapping what was left of the dead trees in their jaws as they ate. 

At the bottom of the ramp, Din turned to look at you. “If anywhere was a place you needed to conceal your identity, it’s here. This is the type of place where someone would turn you in for a handful of credits, let alone whatever the bounty actually is now.”

“I’ll just stay here on the ship, then-”

“No,” he cut you off. “I can’t protect you if you’re here and I’m there. We stick together.”

You nodded. “Fine. I’m not going to disagree with that. But what’s the solution? I mean, I have my capes but they don’t really conceal me much.”

Din tilted his head to the side as he stared at you, his visor moving from your head down to your toes and back up in a silent appraisal.

You swallowed roughly. “Uh-oh. No. No, Din. Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t like it.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet!” He protested, arms going out to his sides as he laughed lightly.

“But I already know I don’t like it,” you countered, taking a step backwards up the ramp.

“Will you just trust me, please?” He was still laughing over his words, taking a step towards you. “Mesh’la, come on. Have I steered you wrong before?”

“Let’s see,” you stopped, holding out a finger for each situation. “We’ve crash landed on an ice planet because you were avoiding being arrested after helping with a prison break gone wrong.” You held out a second finger, “The Crest was held together with twine and hope as we limped to Arvala-7.” A third finger, “You said you shot the trooper at the base when it was obviously me-”

You let out a squeal as he rushed toward you, turning and darting up the ramp yelling, “No, no, no!” as you laughed. Scooping the kid up, you turned to face Din as you held the kid up in front of your face. “Think of the child,” you panted, trying to catch your breath as the little green bundle in your grasp let out a soft questioning coo. Din kept stalking closer, so you set the child down. “Run, kid! Save yourself!”

Din was on you the next second, your back against the wall of the Crest as you stared at his chest plate with a grin. “We’ve got to quit meeting like this,” you teased. Laughter filled the ship as you batted his hands away. They poked into your sides mercilessly, crawling up to your neck and back down until finally you relented. “Fine! Fine! Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Just stop! Please!” Once he stopped and you could get a deep breath, you glared up at his visor. “It’s really not fair that all of this,” you tapped a knuckle against his beskar, “keeps me from ever being able to get you back.”

“Then you’re going to love my plan.” His tone sounded like he had a broad grin plastered on under his helmet, and it made one climb up your features as well.

Xxx

“This will never work!” You yell through the refresher door.

“It has to,” Din called back, his footsteps pacing back and forth in the main part of the ship. 

Looking down at yourself, you grimaced. He’d told you to put the armor you'd gotten from Vanth on Tatooine on. It was obviously made for someone much larger than you. If you were trying to remain inconspicuous, this was going to do the exact opposite. 

You weren’t even thinking about messing with the helmet right now, it was much too big and you’d probably trip and break something if you wore it before it was necessary. You still wore your own vambraces. Din didn’t want you to bump a button on the others and blow something up.

“Just let me see,” Din said quietly, his footsteps pausing. “Please.”

Pushing the button to open the door, you looked up at him through your lashes, afraid to move your head up to look at him properly, lest the armor all just fall off.

“It…. Um.”

“My thoughts exactly,” you grumbled, shuffling forward with your arms held stiffly out at an angle to make sure it stayed on you.

Sighing, you stopped about a foot away from him, looking up expectantly. When he said nothing, you huffed, rolling your eyes. "This was made for a man, Din."

“....And?" He held a hand out in front of him in question.

“....Men don't have breasts." You adjusted the chest plate slightly, glaring at it as you did.

He choked. "I see."

Rolling your eyes again, you stomped over to your bag that sat on a crate to your right, careful to hold the armor in place, and went back in the refresher.

“Mesh’la, what’s wrong?” Din called from the other side of the door, knocking softly.

“I’m fixing this. Hold on.” You pulled off the chest plate and put on your capes, both of them, along with your scarf, hoping the padding would help fill in the blank spaces the armor left behind. It fit a little more snuggly once you slipped the armor back on, so you opened the refresher door again, walking out a bit more confidently this time.

Your face fell at Din’s instant reaction.

"No. No, no, no. No."

You held your arms out to the side, looking down to survey the armor again. "What? I thought it looked…. Okay-ish?"

"You look like a- and don't take this the wrong way... You look like a Hutt that sprouted legs."

Your arms froze out to your sides, and you looked up at him with only your eyes, the rest of you completely still. "Gee, thanks."

He was quick to add, "Or a Wookie that shrunk."

You lifted your head up to level a glare on him, your voice a deadpan. "I get it, Din."

"Or a-"

Your arms crossed over your chest, somewhat awkwardly at the bulk of the capes and armor. "Say one more thing. I dare you."

He just looked you up and down once, his visor trailing the path slowly before he couldn’t help himself. "....it doesn't look right."

Letting out a battle cry, you launched, tackling him to the floor of the Crest. Your momentum caused you both to roll down the ramp, falling off halfway, and landing on the ground with a thump.

"Why. Are. You. So. Annoying?!" You shook his shoulders, lifting him as far up off the ground as you could- only an inch or so- and dropping him back down between each word for emphasis. But you were barely moving because of the padding, each movement stilted, and Din just snickered beneath you at the whole situation.

"Kid, help!" He cried over a snort of laughter, turning his head toward the ramp. 

"Your gremlin can't save you now, Mando," you practically growled out.

Suddenly the world spun for a brief second before coming to a grinding halt as you let out a breath on an oomph. When you looked up, you saw the T of his visor looking down at you as he now had the high ground. 

"No need," he said simply, lowering to get close to your face as his next words came out on practically a hum. "You can wear my old armor, it'll fit you better. And if not....” His head tilted to the side just slightly. “Nothing is always an option."

You raised a brow at him, eyes narrowing on his visor as you slowly repeated his words. “You want me to walk into the village.... In nothing?"

His head tilted the other way. "Who said anything about the village?"

Xxx

“I look ridiculous.” The sound of your voice through a modulator made you wrinkle your nose inside the beskar dome. 

“You look like a Mandalorian.”

You sighed. “I sure hope so. Otherwise all of this,” you gestured down to the armor, “was for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say nothing….”

You reached out and shoved his shoulder lightly as you both chuckled. Taking off the helmet, you took a deep breath.

“It’s not an awful way of life. Maybe you should consider it,” he teased. “You look good in beskar.”

“And hide all of this?” You made a swooping gesture to your face before you laughed. 

“True,” Din said lightly, bumping your shoulder with his own. “Maybe it’s just that it’s my old armor.”

“That could be it….” You winked at him before you put the helmet back on, grumbling as you did. “I don’t know how you do this all day every day. I feel like I can’t breathe.”

“Everything still works the same,” Din mused, making you turn a visored glare on him, the helmet shifting slightly to the side with your movement. 

“Ugh!” You groaned. “Don’t make me glare at you. Or laugh. Any sudden movement and this thing is gonna go.” You righted it on your head, sighing when it finally sat right again.

A soft coo came from the top of the ramp, and you looked up to see the child ambling down slowly, almost sleepily. Your helmet began to shift with the movement, but Din held one finger up to the temple and held it in place. 

The child plopped down in the middle of the ramp looking thoroughly exhausted, eyes blinking slowly as he fought sleep, and when you spied the silver ball in his hands, you finally understood. He had spent his energy trying to get his toy.

“What did I say about that?” Din walked up to the child, lowering to his haunches and taking the ball gently from his ward. Holding it up, he spoke sternly. “This needs to stay in the ship.”

The child reached after the toy, whining softly as Din tucked it into his belt while he rose to his feet. Turning to survey the area, he didn’t seem impressed. “Not much to see out here.”

“Good, because I can’t move to look,” you grumbled, holding the top of the helmet with one hand as you slowly turned to glance around as well. 

“Never had dealings with a Jedi before,” Din mused absently, and for some reason that stung unexpectedly.

It frustrated you that you couldn’t be enough to help the kid. You hadn’t had the training, it just wasn’t possible to be everything he needed. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt sometimes. 

Din scooped the child up into his arms with a grunt. “Let’s head into town.” The child cooed as Din tucked him into the satchel. “See if we can pick up a lead.”

You followed behind as quickly as your awkward armor clad frame would allow, one hand on top of your helmet as you tried to keep up with your Mandalorian.

Xxx

As you approached the city wall, you lowered your hand to rest on your belt, your saber tucked safely away behind Din’s cape. Careful not to linger near your weapons, you tried to look as casual as Din did beside you on your right. 

A guard said something you didn’t understand, then a man came walking across the top of the wall, standing tall and imposing in the center over the city gates. “State your business.”

“Been tracking for a few days. Looking for a layover.” You kept your face forward as Din spoke, every bone in your body itching to rest your hand on your blaster.

The man looked skeptical, but it quickly faded into appreciation, if somewhat aloof. “Nice armor.” When Din said nothing, he continued. “You a hunter, then?”

Din nodded once. “That’s right.” His tone was a little more amicable now, trying to get on the man’s good side.

“And them?” The man bounced his head your way, eyeing your patchwork armor. 

You nodded, as little as possible, but you still felt the helmet start to slip before it suddenly held fast. Glancing down at the satchel, you saw the kid reaching out to help, and you nodded more firmly.

“Guild?”

“Last I checked,” Din said after a moment, making you smile under the helmet while you nodded slowly once again.

The man tilted his head at you. “Do you not talk?”

Without missing a beat, you shook your head no. The armor was for a man, and your voice wouldn’t pass as masculine even if you tried. Which you had back on the ship. Din and the child found it very amusing, both of them laughing hysterically. It was ridiculous, you had to admit. You’d chuckled yourself.

“Vocal chords were frozen before they came to the Creed. Toxin from an uninhabited planet chasing a bounty. Not much to say in our line of work, though, anyway.”

You tilted your head to look up at the man again, and felt the kid’s grip on the helmet slip. Reaching out yourself, you held it still with an unseen force, looking the man in the eye.

He arched his brow at Din’s words, looking at you with a new appreciation in his gaze before he turned his head to one of the guards. “Open the gate.”

Releasing your hold on the helmet after you looked forward again, you walked a step behind Din, as smoothly as you could. Sending the kid a wave of thanks, you heard his soft coo in response.

Walking down the main thoroughfare, you came upon a vendor Din started to question before they turned and walked off, leaving him trailing off mid sentence with a sigh. 

Behind the booth was an alley with a man crouched down in front of two children. They looked so sad, you decided to do something about it. A gentle nudge with your mind, and two pieces of fruit rolled off the vendor’s table, landing softly against the children’s feet. You made sure to make their path look haphazard and natural.

The children beamed as they picked them up, but the man sadly informed them they couldn’t afford them. Taking a step forward, you held up your hand to stop him, Din withdrawing the amount of credits needed from his belt and setting them on the table. 

“We can’t-” the man began, but you just waved your hand at him, gently shaking your head back and forth the little the helmet would allow before it slipped. “Thank you,” he finally said instead, to which you only nodded once.

“I need some information,” Din began softly, taking a step forward. “I’m looking for someone.”

The man’s face fell, and he turned to the children. “Okay, bye.” As they scampered off, he rose to his feet. “Please, do not speak to them, or to any of us.” It looked like he had more to say, but couldn’t. 

Din took a deep breath in, but was cut short by some armed guards surrounding both you and him. “The Magistrate wants to see you.” Sighing, Din turned to you, signing in Tusken. “Go back to the ship. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Nodding as gently as possible, you didn’t know how else a Mandalorian would respond, so you did the first thing that came to mind. Bringing your hand up in a salute as you stood at attention, you held it for a second before turning on your heel at Din’s slight head shake in reaction.

Well.

You tried.

Xxx

You stood near the front gates as you waited for him, keeping a watchful eye on the village around you. 

It was dismal, dark, everything a bit hazy, and an overall sense of gloom hung in the air. Nobody smiled, you heard no laughter, no sounds of children playing around the corner. Just the chatter over the guard’s comms and silence.

Every once in a while, the tense air was broken with a distant yell, someone crying out in anguish as the faint sound of crackling electricity buzzed in the background. It echoed off every wall, so you couldn’t pinpoint where it came from, but it made your spine crawl every time. 

You thought you heard a “please” on the wind, carried on the latest cry, right before you saw Din approaching quickly down the street, walking a bit faster when he saw you. 

“I told you to wait on the ship,” he signed, ignoring the questioning eyes of the man who let you into the city close on his heels.

“I decided this was best,” you signed back, earning a soft growl of frustration from him.

“Problem?” The man looked between the two of you as he came to stand across from you where you leaned against the front wall, one leg bent, foot propped up against the stone beneath you easily.

You started to shake your head when your breath caught in your chest as you were abruptly hauled off the wall by the material at the back of your neck. Turning to find your assailant, you were met with none other than Din’s visor, tilted at you pointedly, making the scoff you were about to let loose die on your lips as you remembered your cover.

“No, no problem,” he grunted as he began to haul you toward the front gates, and out of the city. “Just a little domestic dispute is all.”

Swallowing the huff you wanted to let out, you shrugged out of his hold, signing in a flurry when your hands were free. “Domestic dispute my ass.”

The man let out a snort of laughter, looking down to his feet to try and conceal his amusement. When he looked back up to find two T visors on him, he sighed. “Did I mention I speak Tusken?” After a moment he held up his hands placatingly. “But, hey, it’s none of my business.” He leaned in on the last few words with a wink, before leaning back again, hands falling to rest on his belt easily. 

After a long moment, you signed something not so nice to him, making him laugh. “Sorry. I know when I’m not wanted.”

The child let out a coo from his satchel, looking up at the man with bored eyes.

“What is that thing anyway?”

Narrowing his eyes up at the man, his ears falling to the side of his head in an unimpressed scowl, the kid let out a soft grunt. 

“I keep it around for luck.” Din’s dry tone made you want to laugh.

“You’re gonna need it where you’re headed.” The man’s ominous warning didn’t sit well with you, and you turned your back on him, heading toward the tree line.

With the helmet’s enhanced hearing, you were just able to make out his low voice as he leaned into Din. “What about them? You keep them around for luck, too?”

You couldn’t hold back the soft snort when Din mumbled softly, “Something like that.”

Xxx

You stayed several paces ahead of him the entire way back to the ship, letting the helmet slip to the side a bit further with every impact of your feet as you tread a little more forcefully than necessary. 

Not knowing what else to do, you had reached up and offered your best salute, hoping it didn’t look as awkward as it felt. Din had walked off with a shake of his head, not offering you much hope that you looked very convincing. But then…. Then he came and hauled you off the wall by the back of your neck like a mothering animal to a misbehaving baby…. At least you had tried to be a little Mandalorian, you grumbled to yourself, thoughts bouncing off every wall of your mind. 

Meanwhile he had just been plain Din, what with his domestic dispute, and luck, and something like that. Letting out an exaggerated breath, you rolled your eyes, which was a bad idea, because when you tried to focus forward again, the helmet had slipped further in those precious seconds and your field of view was now almost completely sideways somehow.

Going back to the ship, as soon as you were on board, you ripped the helmet off, taking a deep breath. 

“How does he do it?” You mumbled, setting the lump of beskar on a crate.  

After some time passed, you were startled when a body pressed up against your back. It wasn’t until you felt the cool touch of beskar against your ear that you relaxed again, letting your eyes fall closed as you let out a sigh. You were still baffled by how he could move so silently.

“We need to work on your Mandalorian etiquette." His voice was low and somewhat amused, his hands finding purchase on your upper arms before they began to trace down towards your hands.

"Why? Was I a little... Rusty?" You looked over your shoulder at him, fighting a smirk. 

Stopping all movement, Din went rigid, even his modulator falling silent. Turning abruptly, he let go of you, and made his way out and back down the ramp to the outside of the ship.

“Din?” You chuckled, watching him with your eyes. Following him to the top of the ramp, you popped your head through the opening and followed his steps as he made his way around the Crest in a circle with knit brows. “Din.”

You tried everything, but he didn’t speak to you for a good hour after that.

You tried really hard to get him to talk to you and he just looked at you for a moment, pausing his incessant movement, shook his head in disbelief, and began working on part of the Crest again. 

Finally you’d had enough, following on his heels like a bad smell, lamenting, "It's the armor! It's rubbing off on me!"

He mumbled so quietly you almost missed it. "I'll help rub something off on you-"

"What?" You cut him off.

"What?" He fired back dryly just as fast.

You stared at him for a long moment, your eyes flitting over his helmet as your jaw dropped in shock before you squeaked, "What?!?”

Another long moment passed before he simply turned and walked away in silence. 

"Din?"

He held up a hand, waving it dismissively as if to say "Shhhh!"

“Ugh!” You groaned, throwing your head back and staring at the ceiling of the ship as you followed him around. “Will you please tell me what the Magistrate wanted?”

“Wants me to kill a Jedi.”

You stopped moving, your head snapping up to look at him properly. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to,” he clarified. “Offered me a spear of pure beskar in exchange. If I turned that down, it’d look suspicious. Plus, she gave me coordinates of her last known location. Get your stuff packed up, we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now,” you said without hesitation. “I’m not going to take the armor off, it was too hard to get it to look right in the first place, plus if we run into anyone from town, we need to sell our story again.” You turned, taking a few steps toward the ramp before rounding on him with a finger held close to his visor. “But I’m not wearing the helmet.”

“I thought it stayed pretty well-”

“That’s because he,” you pointed to his little green ward sound asleep in the satchel, “wore himself out holding it on for me, then I held it the rest of the time.”

Din looked down at the child. “I didn’t know,” he murmured.

“Not everything is black and white like your visor would lead you to believe, Din.”

Xxx

Walking through the woods, the soft moans of the wood chomping creatures the only sound in the air, you kept a few paces ahead of him.

“So you have to kill a Jedi?”

He only grunted in response.

After a long moment of silence, your voice lowered before you continued, something hesitant in your chest. “Do you do this sort of thing a lot?” You looked over your shoulder at him, eyes lowering to the ground before you turned forward again, voice going lower still. “I mean, before I came along.”

Din sighed. “A bounty was a bounty, mesh’la. I…. I didn’t really think twice. Didn’t look much further than the information on the puck. Until this one.”

Chancing a glance back at him one more time, you saw he was looking down at the kid in his satchel with a fond tilt of his head, the kid now wide awake and blinking large eyes up at him as he babbled nonsense around an adoring smile.

“What made you think twice?”

Din lifted his visor to look at you straight on. “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right. He was just a kid….” His focus turned toward the ground in thought, his voice going along with it. “….kinda like I was.”

“If….” You turned forward, unable to look at him as you said the next part. “If you got my puck, what would you do?”

“Go straight to the bar and get you the hell out of there.” He didn’t even hesitate.

You smiled softly. “No, I mean if you didn’t know me.”

“Oh.” Suddenly his hand was around your elbow, tugging you gently to a stop. “Mesh’la, you don’t want to go down this road.”

“Maybe you’re right. I just…. I don’t know. I’m curious-”

“No. Mesh’la,” he tugged you softly in the opposite direction you had been going. “You really don’t want to go down this road. The coordinates are that way.”

“….Oh.” Taking a few steps in the proper direction to get ahead of him again, you scrunched up your face in disbelief at yourself once you were past him as you mumbled, “I knew that.”

His hand still around your elbow stopped you short. “Mesh’la.” 

Sighing, you looked at the ground. “Forget it, Din.”

He tried again, ignoring you, his tone just as soft. “Mesh’la.”

Refusing to face him, you lifted your gaze to study the forest of dead trees around you, the faint figures of the giant creatures lowing in the distance drawing your focus as you spoke. “No, Din. I don’t know what I wanted to know. Just…. Just forget it. Okay? Please?”

He sighed. “Mesh’la,” you echoed his heavy exhale, rolling your eyes, making him let out a soft snort of laughter. “Before…. My job as a bounty hunter wasn't…. Nice. It was an existence more than anything. Yes, it came to be something I enjoyed to an extent, but…. The taking of lives, ruining someone’s life, breaking up a family…. That was never the part I wanted. I hated that part.” The fingers around your elbow slowly began to trace absent patterns. “I….” He let out a huff. “I came back to the bar, back to you, to try and forget about those parts. You made me feel a little bit more human when I’d been stripped down to just a monster in beskar.”

Turning, you looked up into his visor. “You were never a monster, Din.” He shook his head at you with a disbelieving huff, his gaze falling toward the ground. “You weren’t,” you said more firmly, trying to catch his gaze again, smiling ever so slightly when you did. “You may scare Mythrol, but you’re not a monster.” You leaned in slightly, like you were sharing a secret. “I scare Mythrol, remember. And I am most definitely not a monster.”

“I don’t know….” He mused, his voice dripping in amusement. He began to move down the correct path again, pulling you gently until his hand fell from your arm as he pulled in front of you. “Have you seen you just after you wake up?”

Stopping in your tracks after only a few steps, your jaw dropped as an indignant scoff tumbled out, making him chuckle. Stomping past him, you brushed his shoulder with your own, the beskar on each set of armor bouncing off the other with a clang. “I take it all back. You’re awful.”

It only took a few more minutes before Din slowed to a stop behind you, making you turn to face him, tugging at the scarf around your neck where it was still tucked into the armor. “This is starting to itch….”

“I tried to warn you,” he muttered, pressing a few buttons on his vambrace as he looked around, pressing something on the side of his helmet once he was satisfied. “Well, these are the coordinates.”

Looking around, you tugged the scarf a bit harder, sighing in relief when it loosened just a bit. “This?” You used your other hand to gesture to the vacant space, save for barren trees.

He only nodded, turning slowly to survey the area for himself. “Keep your eyes open.”

“For what?” You grumbled. “This place is a ghost planet.”

He huffed, making another half turn before turning back towards you, his shoulders tense. “We must be close.”

Something rustled not far from you, making all three of you snap your attention to the side at the sound, searching for the source.

“You hear that?”

“No. I’m just reacting exactly like you for absolutely no reason,” you grumbled, eyes darting back and forth in search of the sound. It was hard to swallow the smile that wanted to come up when you felt his visor level on the side of your face, utterly unimpressed with your jokes.

Keeping his visor fixed on you, he walked over to a large nearby stone, setting the kid down on top of it. Finally, he turned to look at the kid as he spoke softly. “Don’t worry. Sit right here. Let me see what’s out there.”

Pulling the scope off his rifle, he looked around the area, coming back to a spot with a sigh. “False alarm.”

Following his line of sight, you saw one of the giant creatures in the distance, meandering slowly through the leafless trees. You were about to make a joke, something about the huge beasts and how they obviously hid so well, when you felt a sudden surge in the Force. You barely had time to say, “Mando!” before he spun just in time to block two white sabers with his vambraces.

The metal sang under the pressure of the blades before they were drawn back and you saw the face of your attacker, a Togruta, very strong with the Force.

She glanced between the two of you quickly before she went in again for another swipe at his beskar, the clang and ting of impact ringing around the clearing. A spin sent the blades careening for your own armor clad arms, and you felt the impact vibrate throughout the metal as you swiftly blocked, then put distance between you once again.

Using the Force, you summoned your saber from where Din still had it tucked away safely under his cape, and it flew into your waiting hand, igniting on impact.

Without wasting a second, you ran in between them, blocking her sabers with your own. White met purple in blinding flashes, the zing of kyber on beskar rang in between the hum of clashing blades as Din tried to come from the other side.

You saw her eyes widen in shock for only a moment when she saw the glow of your saber meet hers, but she quickly schooled her features back into something more battle ready, more menacing as she came back in for another attempt.

Both of you blasted your vambraces at her, walls of fire coming from each side and meeting in the middle in a collision of flames. She leapt up and out of the way at the last second, soaring high over your heads and landing safely away, firmly on her feet with her blades at the ready. 

Din’s whipcord shot out and wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side, her sabers pointed to the ground. She quickly looked up and you saw her plan form in an instant. Before you could say a word, she had leapt up again, obviously using the Force to gain distance from the two of you, and spun her body over a low hanging branch, yanking Din up by the cord with the movement.

He grunted, reaching out with a blade in his other vambrace to slice the cord tethering them together, dropping to the ground with a thud. He spun to face her as she turned, swinging her sabers with a flick of her wrists to cut the cord still around her at her back with a flash of sparks and hum of her blades on impact. Her blades once again at the ready once the whipcord was gone, she stood ready to charge. 

“Ahsoka Tano!” Din held up his hand placatingly, backing up a step when she began to move toward him, his blaster drawn in his other hand. She stopped when she heard what he said. “Bo-Katan sent me!”

She hesitated, eyes darting between the two of you, dancing along the glow of your blade held in front of you at the ready before returning to your eyes.

“We need to talk,” he continued, voice softer as he caught his breath, and her gaze drifted over to the child.

She lowered her sabers as she casually slipped into conversation, and disengaged them, making you hesitate as you lowered your own blade, keeping it ignited as you held it loosely at your side. 

“I hope it’s about him.”

After studying her face for a long moment and finding nothing bad, you followed her gaze to look at the child as he cooed softly, tilting his head back and forth as he looked between the three of you. 

“And her.”

Looking over your shoulder, you found her eyes now on you, seeming to see beneath the layers of beskar with just a look. Shifting your weight nervously, your gaze darted to Din before you disengaged the saber, clipping it to your belt.

“Him,” you said decidedly as she and Din walked closer to the child. 

Narrowing her eyes as they looked you up and down one more time, she pursed her lips as she stared at your face for a long moment. “And you,” she finally added again, something mischievous in her tone. 

“No, just hi-”

“You may have just come for him,” she began, turning to walk away further into the woods, stooping down to pick her cloak up off the ground that had fallen off at some point in the battle, then motioning you both forward after a few steps. “But it is both of you that need my help.”

You and Din shared a look before following after her, Din scooping up the child on the way.

“I don’t-”

She held up her hand to stop you, a small smile working its way up her face. “There is no need to lie to me, little one. I could sense you long before I saw you. You’re quite powerful, but obviously never actually trained, much like your little green friend over there.” She gestured to the child with a small jerk of her head, eyes on the path in front of her. “Come.” Pulling the cloak over her shoulders, she finally fully looked at you and smiled. “We have much to discuss.”

“We don’t have anything to discuss,” you grumbled, keeping your stride alongside her. “You and the child do….”

She smiled knowingly. “We’ll see.”

Xxx

Ahsoka sat with the child by a lantern in complete silence. You could feel some sort of exchange happening between them, but you couldn’t tell what it was about, only that it felt friendly and good natured. The large moon behind them made the scene all very picturesque, but from your little viewpoint down here, everything about it made you want to run up and curl yourself around the child and never let go. It felt like a changing of the guard.

Din paced back and forth on the edge of the clearing as you leaned up against one of the old trees, your ankles crossed leisurely and your arms across your chest.

“Could you be any more of a worried father right now?” You chuckled over the words, holding your hands up in surrender when he stopped to stare at you, his head tilted in annoyance.

The armor was long gone from your frame and in a neat bundle with all but one of your capes and your scarf- which you were wearing- near your feet, ready to be carried back to the Crest. Your clothes you’d worn as a base layer had never felt better as you stretched your sore muscles, tired after lugging beskar around all day. You looked down, adjusting your vambraces needlessly, fiddling with the weapons on your belt while you waited.

He began pacing again, face toward the ground as he moved, and you sighed.

“They’ll be fine,” you tried after a minute, your arms crossing back over your chest as you slumped further back against the tree.

He stopped again, his shoulders tense, chest broad as he visibly kept from looking their way. “Can you hear what they’re saying?” 

Narrowing your eyes, you tilted your head just slightly in question. “What they are silently saying in their heads?”

“Yes.” He spoke so matter of factly, you couldn’t help but answer in the same tone.

“Oh yeah. He’s complaining about the lack of frogs in his diet- No I can’t hear them!”

With a heavy sigh, his shoulders visibly deflating and rolling forward, he began to pace again, eyes on the ground.

Pushing off the tree, you stepped into his path, stopping him with your hands on his shoulders. The way he was moving you expected it to take more effort but he gave very little resistance, a small breath leaving his modulator as he looked up at you.

“Din. Breathe.” Taking a step closer, you tilted your head back to keep eye contact with him. “This is what he needs. What’s best for him. We won’t let him go if it isn’t right.” Your hands fell down into his cowl and you pulled him closer still. “And after that little fight she put up, I have no doubt he would be completely safe in her hands. She’s a Jedi, Din. She knows what she’s doing, knows what he needs. You know that.”

He let out a ragged breath, his gloved hands coming to rest solidly on your back, fingers tracing absently ever so slightly as he spoke. “I know. Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Never said it would,” you whispered, turning your head to the side and resting your cheek against the fabric still fisted in your hands.

“And what about you, mesh’la,” Din prodded quietly after a moment, his hands stilling on your spine to hold you to him in a preemptive move. “Is this what you want?” You pulled back to look at him, and his grip only let you pull back enough to tilt your head back further. “Is it what you need?”

“He’s your ward, Din. Your foundling. It’s not my decision-”

He tisked, his head tilting to the right. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”

Closing your eyes, you buried your face in his cowl with a soft groan. Rolling your head back and forth against the fabric, you spoke into the material, unable to look at him. “No. It’s not.”

“You haven’t even talked to her yet-”

“And I don’t need to.” Pulling back, you looked at him through narrowed eyes, your brows pulled together in a scowl. “I’m fine with what I am, Din. Would I have one day, long ago, maybe have become a Jedi? Yeah.” Your eyes fell to his cowl, darting briefly to his signet that glinted in the moonlight, making you smile, before you looked back up at him. “But that’s not where I am now. It’s not where I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to be here. With you.” You poked his chest, smiling. “….Kicking ass.”

He chuckled softly.

“I didn’t join a clan just to up and leave when something else came along. You know me better than that.” You arched a brow as you looked up at him, eyes flitting back and forth between where you assumed his eyes were.

“I do,” he said softly, leaning his forehead against your own. “I know you.”

“Then why even bring it up?” He laughed again at your soft grumble.

“Because, mesh’la, I want to do what’s best for both of you. Even if you did leave, you’d still be a member of my clan. You’ll always be a member of my clan.”

“Damn right I will be,” you mumbled, unable to contain your smile. 

The squeaking of the lantern as it swung by Ahsoka’s side made you both pull away, turning to face the Jedi and your small ward. She set the lantern on the ground, then shared a long look with Din, then you, a soft smile on her face, before finally turning and setting the small child on a nearby stone. 

He grunted softly as he looked between all of you, his ears wiggling as he did. 

She sat on a rock across from him, tucking her arms under her cloak as she settled in, staring at the lamp for a long moment, before she looked back at the child with a fond smile, tilting her head as he continued to babble and coo. 

“Is he speaking?” Din finally broke the silence. “Do you…. Understand him?”

“In a way.” Looking at the child fondly, she then looked up to Din. “Grogu and I can feel each other’s thoughts.”

Everything stopped. Your breath caught in your chest. Your eyes went wide from where they studied her, darting over to the little green child you’d instantly connected with, come to love more and more over the months, and would protect with your life. The kid.

“Grogu?” Din spoke hesitantly, as if tasting the word as it passed through his lips. 

Lifting his ears, the chi- Grogu turned up toward Din, a questioning coo you’d never heard him make before softly tumbling forward into the silent space.

“Yes. That’s his name.” Ahsoka looked at the chi- Grogu with something that seemed like sadness.

Reaching out, you felt nothing but a kindred connection between the two of them, almost making you smile as the ki- Grogu turned to look at the Jedi again, but you successfully tucked it away. Turning to look up at Din, you watched as he shifted his weight a bit, processing this new information.

“Grogu.” He said it more confidently, looking directly at the kid, an affectionate tilt of his head after when Grogu immediately perked up, turning his way, ears up, eyes wide, and that silly little questioning coo tumbling out again, followed by a sweet, short little squeal of returned affection. 

“He was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” Ahsoka stared at the lamp as she spoke. “Many Masters trained him over the years. At the end of the Clone Wars when the Empire rose to power, he was hidden.” Din lowered to a stone across from her, listening with rapt attention. “Someone took him from the Temple.”

His visor turned to you, and without even looking, you felt its weighted stare along the lines of your face. “I saw it.” Glancing up toward the Jedi, she tilted her head to the side in question, studying you closely. “I was there.”

“That’s not possible,” she gently shook her head. “You would have been too young-”

“I was only a baby when the Temple burned.” You held her gaze, hard as it was, but you managed. “I remember the smoke, billowing into the sky. My parents shaking their heads, watching with such sadness…. The dread, not my own, but an overwhelming, horrible feeling I’ll never forget just coming over me in waves as the flames grew.”

Removing the saber from your belt, you gently moved it back and forth between your hands idly as you continued. “I found this on Trask, in a black market box stamped with the Empire’s symbol in the corner. It called to me. Endlessly, until I touched it. Then the voices quieted, and….”

“The visions started,” Din offered softly in support.

“Tell me about them.”

Looking over at Din, you smiled sardonically. “Um, okay.” You looked at the ground for a moment before looking back up at her, expecting some sort of judgment, but only found curiosity and a touch of concern. “It started with the vision of the k- Grogu,” you corrected yourself pointedly, making her smile, “at the Temple on that day.”

His big eyes blinked up at you as he babbled softly, his head tilting to the side as a hand reached out toward you. Sticking your index finger out to place in his small hand with a smile, you continued quietly. “I saw it all as a bystander. Then I saw him. I leaned over him to protect him on instinct, then it all faded. When I told him about it, he did this,” you wiggled your finger in reference, making him giggle. “And I saw from his perspective.”

Removing your finger, you reached it up to scratch the top of his head, a contented purr making you smile. Turning back to the Jedi, you lowered your hand to your lap. “When I leaned over him in my dream…. Vision…. Thing,” you huffed, “in his memory, I was still there. I was a shadow covering him, and made him feel safe…. At peace.” Reaching out, you pulled your finger on the tip of his ear, making it shake away from you as he let out a squeal, his face scrunching up in amusement. “When he looked up, I saw my own face looking down into his cradle. I had just gotten my vambraces, and the saber, his signet on my knife, and all of it was there and accurate down to the last detail.”

Ahsoka leaned forward, resting her head on her fist, elbow braced on her knee. “And the second?”

You sighed, leaning back on your palms. “I saw him,” you jerked your head to the left toward Din. “A ten year old him, living a story he’d only vaguely told me about weeks before. Details he never mentioned, things he forgot…. Then, at the end, a Mandalorian flew off with him on a jet pack, and I swore it was like he was looking right at me.”

“When she told me that, I remembered seeing a girl down below as we took off,” Din said almost disbelievingly. “It sounds crazy, but I remembered it clear as day. And just like the other one, the vambraces, the saber, the mudhorn, all of it.”

Ahsoka smiled, bracing her other arm and cradling it under her chin beside the first as her eyes flicked between you all amusedly. “Sounds to me like the three of you were always meant to be a clan of three.” She nodded toward the saber in your hands. “And that was always meant to come to you.” She held your gaze firmly with her own. “Kyber crystals choose the wielder, not the other way around. If it brought you to it, then immediately quieted when in your hands….” She sat back, her hands falling to her lap. “Then you were chosen.”

You stared at her, hesitating before finally stating the obvious. “But I’m not a Jedi.”

“Doesn’t matter. The Force worked with the crystal, and that is what it chose to show you. Purple kyber can be extremely….”

“An asshole?” She smiled at your muttered response.

“Rambunctious,” she concluded. “But then again, the crystals are supposed to be a reflection of the wielder, so I suppose you knew that already.” Sending you a wink, she turned back to Din and Grogu, her voice floating into your head. We’ll finish talking later. I feel you haven’t told me about one other vision that is troubling you. Perhaps I can help. 

Looking over at Din, you remember how he had reacted to the possibility of someone saying he had removed his helmet. It was like you had broken him. Darting your eyes back to Ahsoka, you were grateful she had kept this one between you.

“Then his memory becomes…. dark,” she continued, looking at Grogu sadly. “He seemed lost.” Looking over, you saw the little one hanging his head almost dejectedly. “Alone.” She looked at you pointedly, before turning her gaze back toward Din. “I’ve only known one other being like this. A wise Jedi Master named Yoda.”

At the name, a warm sensation crawled over your skin, a familiar feeling settling in your gut, almost as if a presence was right behind you, as words from when you found the saber echoed in your head.

A gravelly, quirky voice invaded your mind, echoing in the vast nothingness you found yourself in. You didn’t recognize it, but it brought you a sense of peace. “Trust in the Force, you must. Your path, you have found. Easy, it will not be, but walk it still, you must.”

Ahsoka chuckled softly, Grogu letting out an amused grunt as they shared a look, some unspoken exchange passing between them.

“Can he still wield the Force?”

Din hesitated, shifting his weight slightly. “You mean his powers?”

Ahsoka’s eyes darted to you quickly before they landed back on Din, her smile growing, her eyes softening. “The Force is what gives him his powers. It is an energy field created by all living things. To wield it takes a great deal of training and discipline.”

Her eyes once again fell on you in an unspoken question, and you shrugged, your eyes fluttering shut for a moment before meeting her gaze again in amusement. “I’ve tried to explain it before. I don’t….” You shrugged again, smiling. “It just doesn’t take.”

Nodding in understanding, her eyes danced with mirth as they fell back on the Mandalorian.

“I’ve seen him do things I can’t explain.” Din spoke haltingly, looking at Grogu before looking at you. “The same things, if not sometimes more than I’ve seen her do.” Looking back at Ahsoka, he sighed. “My task was to bring him to a Jedi.”

Something dark crossed over her face, her eyes falling back down to study the lamp again, her voice dropping with it. “The Jedi Order fell a long time ago.”

“So did the Empire, yet it still hunts him.” Lifting her gaze to his visor, she seemed to ponder his words. “He needs your help.”

A faint smile climbed her face as her gaze fell back down on the lamp. When she looked over at Grogu, you followed, and saw the child was almost asleep, fatigued         from the long mental exchange, no doubt. She sighed as he let out gentle coos, right on the edge of rest. “Let him sleep.” She took a deep but silent breath. “I’ll test him in the morning.”

You got to your feet, walking over to Din’s side as he scooped up the child, pausing when her voice sounded at your back.

“You. Stay.”

Turning, you saw her looking you right in the eye as she got to her feet. “There’s something I want to try.”

Looking across your shoulder at Din, you saw him hesitate a few feet away. Nodding once, you jutted your chin in the direction of the Crest. “I’m fine. Go.” When he lingered, you sighed, closing the distance between you, your hand coming to rest on his upper arm. “If you’re gonna be all Mando about it, at least go sit and lean against the tree I was leaning against earlier. And try to sleep? Please?” Giving his arm a squeeze, you plastered on your best smile. “For me?”

“That’s not fair,” he sighed, turning to head over to the tree several yards away.

“Thank you!” You called after him, laughing when he waved a hand in the air dismissively. Turning back to face Ahsoka, you waited for her to explain.

“How did you come to know how to use the Force?”

Shifting your weight from foot to foot uncomfortably, you stared at her for a long moment before you found the courage to respond. So far in your life, you’d talked to a total of one other person about this. Din. Adding another finger to the count was hard.

“On my own. I just…. Did it. It’s not technically proper use of the Force, but by the time I was old enough to understand that, there was no proper training available. So I used it for mundane things until they came into my life.” You gestured behind you with a slight backwards lean of your head. “Now I only use it to help keep them safe. Well, and when Mando is being annoying. But I consider that saving my life, and sometimes his, depending on this situation.” You laughed softly.

“You don’t want training.” It wasn’t a question. An observation.

You shook your head. “The kid, he needs this. Deserves this. He’s going to do great things someday. He’ll always be my ad’ika, but the things he’s destined for are far from little.” (“Little one.”)

Ahsoka smiled fondly, nodding in agreement with a soft hum as she began to circle you slowly. “I can feel it in you. The chaos. The mischief you spoke of from the kyber, it simmers just below the surface.” She came to stop directly in front of you, her thumb and index finger clutching her chin in thought. “It’s part of what fuels you, gives you the strength you have, the abilities you’ve expressed like the visions and connections before their time, but….” Her eyes studied your face, darting all over until she found what she was looking for, finally returning to your eyes. “It’s also a source of anger for you. A loss of control. I sense a rage that sits just on the edge, ready to tip over with little provocation.”

Your eyes fell to the ground in shame. “The last few times I’ve gotten emotional, highly stressed or scared specifically, it…. It feels like I’m not in control.” Lifting your gaze to hers once again, you found only grace there, no scorn or judgment. “I’m able to stop it, rein it in, but each time it’s a little harder. It’s so easy. This last time I thought I was fine, that it had stopped at some crates shaking on a platform, but then Mando went to hug me, and I tried to gently push him off, but…. Instead I pushed him back several feet.” Looking down at your palms, you stared as if they held the answer. “It was like something exploded out of me, it wasn’t…. I didn’t….” Swallowing roughly, you lowered your hands as you lifted your head to look at her fully. “Please help me.”

As her hands went to clasp behind her back, she began to circle you again. “Tell me about this other vision.”

“It was something in the future, Mando’s future, to be exact.” She nodded for you to continue. “It happened right after the others, came on like a headache. Other Mandalorians asked if he’d removed his helmet. He said yes. They excommunicated him from their ranks. He was devastated in the vision and when I told him about it.”

“There’s something you’re leaving out. A detail…. Something small you couldn’t quite see.” Her head is tilted to the side as she rounds into your field of view again, passing around the other side a few seconds later.

“How did you….” You huffed. “I guess that’s the difference between proper training and not….” She chuckled at your muttered words. “A weapon. I think. I don’t know. A small black…. Something laid at his feet, but no matter how hard I looked, it was just like I was asleep, my eyes too bleary to make it out.”

Coming around in front of you for the umpteenth time, she stopped, looking at you with an arched brow. “I’m going to teach you something basic we learn in the Temple as younglings. I think it’ll help you learn to focus. Maybe, if you can apply the practice to this dream-”

“So it was a dream, not a vision?”

“It was the future, a possible outcome, however you want to call it.”

You sighed as she smiled before continuing. “If you can apply this practice to this vision, maybe it’ll help clear up any lingering confusion.”

Nodding your head vigorously, you stood a bit straighter. “Please. Yes. What do I need to do?”

She stood directly in front of you, walking a few paces away before turning to face you once again, her expression nothing but kind and amused. “I want you to jump.”

“How high?” You joked, your weight shifting easily onto one leg, thinking she was teasing.

“That is entirely up to you.”

Centering your weight again, your eyes widened before a look of incredulity crossed your features. “Oh, you’re serious?”

Hands still behind her back, she leaned just slightly toward you, her eyes practically dancing with held back laughter it seemed. “Jump.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “How does this help-”

“If you’d just do it, you’d understand.”

You whirled around when her voice sounded at your back, finding her now suddenly behind you several feet, stood in the same posture, hands behind her back patiently. “How did you….” Closing your eyes, your brows knit together, you shook your head in disbelief, eyes flying open when you felt a sudden surge in the air around you, a slight breeze making the finer hairs around your face move just slightly, only to find the spot she had been in empty.

“I promise this will work,” she said from off to your left, making you spin to try and find her yet again.

“Okay, now you're just showing off.” Hands on your hips, you grumbled at her with an arched brow, making her laugh.

Suddenly she shot up overhead like she had during the fight, landing back where she had started as if nothing had happened, and all you could do is watch with your jaw dropped. 

“Maybe,” she conceded, “but I thought a little demonstration was necessary, don’t you think?”

Lifting your chin and straightening your spine, you closed your eyes, tapping into everything around you. The Force flowed up from the ground, still vibrant and plush despite the barren surface surrounding you. A whole mess of creatures just below the surface working hard to repair the damaged soil sending vibrations across your skin. Ahsoka shined bright in front of you, little tendrils of energy rolling off of her like condensation on a nice cool drink. Somewhere behind you you heard Din and Grogu snoring softly, both of them emitting something so good and content that washed over you like waves.

It all built up in you like a spring, coiled and ready to burst, and when you bent your knees just slightly then rocked to the balls of your feet, suddenly the ground fell away, and with your eyes still closed, the wind rushing in your face made you grin.

Once something solid was under you once again, you peeked your eyes open to find yourself on the other side of Ahsoka now, standing on top of the rock you had been sitting on earlier. It was several feet away, much more than you should have been able to jump on your own. Your cape fluttered down around you from the force of the movement, swooshing just slightly until it came to a stop. 

You looked at Ahsoka, finding a lopsided grin climbing up her face as she watched you closely. “Now,” she said quietly, “use that focus, draw on it, and think about that vision. The object. The space. The people. Pull from everything, and let it build you a clearer picture.”

Nodding, you closed your eyes, recalling every aspect you could. The other Mandalorians. Din. Narrowing your brows you realized Grogu wasn’t there. You didn’t see yourself, either, but you could tell you were somewhere in the background, watching. 

The object at his feet shimmered like a mirage from the heat of Tatooine. That was different from before, now it was coming in and out of focus, still just enough hidden that you couldn’t tell what it was, though. 

“Then you are a Mandalorian no more.”

Your focus pulled to Din as the words of the other Mandalorian echoed in your head, and you saw his world shatter. He began to ask for forgiveness, how he could atone, and the other Mandalorian next to him made some jab, and you wanted to punch him for it. 

Sizing up the brute, you heard Ahsoka whisper near your left ear, “Focus….”

Shaking your head, you tried to do what she said, looking down at their feet to see the object clearly for the first time.

“It’s…. It’s a saber?” You tilted your head as you stared at the item, wanting to be certain. Din picked it up and left before the vision dissipated. You stared at Ahsoka with wide eyes. “A saber. But how can that be?”

“Describe it to me.”

“Black hilt, um…. The other Mandalorians didn’t seem surprised by it, either. It almost seemed like they had maybe been fighting over it with the position Mando and the asshole were in.”

A light went off behind her eyes, understanding covering her features. 

“Do you know it?”

Her head tilted to the side, a mischievous look taking over her face. “I think it’ll all be okay.”

“Mesh’la?”

Leaning to the side to look around Ahsoka, you saw Din standing near one of the rocks a few feet away, Grogu still snoring in his arms.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, the little womp rat did. Had some dream, started flailing, smacked my helmet pretty hard, actually. The sound woke me up….” He looked down as the kid started sleeping fitfully again.

Ahsoka reached out, placing a hand on his head, and instantly the lines on his face soothed, his limbs coming to still as he snuggled further into Din’s arms. “He’s dreaming about frogs,” she laughed softly.

“What have you two been doing?”

You smiled at Din as he looked at you expectantly. “Watch this.”

Xxx

The next day Ahsoka brought your little clan to a clearing, leading your little band as you brought up the rear. Grogu cooed from his spot in Din’s arms, looking all around with wide eyes.

You watched the mossy ground pass underfoot as you walked, marveling at the greenness of it as it squished beneath your feet. Growing up on a planet basically made of durasteel and concrete, you felt like you were walking on air. Leaning closer to Din in front of you, you pushed up onto your tip toes and whispered, “Somewhere green.”

He snorted. “This doesn't count.”

“I see green, it counts,” you grumbled.

“It’s barely even green, mesh’la. It’s moss. The rest of the planet is a wasteland.”

“It counts.”

“Fine, it can count,” he mumbled. “But as soon as I take you somewhere like Endor, or Naboo, even Sorgan….” Grogu’s ears perked up on the last one, his face turning up to look at Din with a smile. “You’re not even going to remember this place.”

Before you could respond, the group was coming to a stop, and before you realized, you were bumping into Din’s back with a soft oomph. “Ow,” you muttered pitifully, rubbing your nose as you took a step back.

Peering over your hand, you saw Ahsoka smiling at Grogu still perched in Din’s arms. “Let’s see what knowledge is lurking inside that little mind.” She booped his nose with her finger. Motioning over towards a nearby stone, she turned to look for something while Din set Grogu down on the large rock.

He sidled up beside you, muttering in a low voice, “What do you think she is going to do?”

“I’m not sure,” you studied her as she picked up a stone before rising to her feet again. “But I trust her.” Tilting your head back to look up into his visor, arms across your chest, you tried to ease his worry with a reassuring smile. “So far she hasn’t given me a reason not to.”

“No voices?”

The smile took a crooked tilt up in amusement as you turned your attention to Grogu. “No voices. No bad feelings. No premonitions. Nothing about the past, present, or future. And no taunting kyber crystals.” Turning back to his visor, you narrowed your eyes playfully. “Did I cover everything?”

“Just making sure,” he clarified somewhat teasingly, turning his own attention over to the child.

“Well, there was one voice.” You saw his head turn toward you in your peripheral and you smirked. “Hers. She spoke to me in my head.”

“You…. She…. Can do that?” He sounded amazed but also slightly disturbed.

“Easily,” you mused, trying to contain the broad grin trying to come out.

“Ne shab’rud’jetiise,” he mumbled under his breath, turning back to face Ahsoka with a slight incline of his head. (“Don’t fuck with Jedi.”)

Facing her palm upwards with a small stone resting in the center, she turned it toward Grogu, keeping the stone held firmly to her palm with the Force. Then, with a slight push, the stone began to float through the air slowly, gently tumbling end over end like a planet on its rotation. 

Din took in a sharp breath when the rock started levitating, holding it until the stone landed in Gorgu’s hands. Letting it out on a stutter, his chest deflated a bit with the motion, his shoulders curling forward just slightly in relief.

Letting out soft coos, Grogu looked at the stone, then over to you before he turned to Ahsoka.

Holding her palm face up once again, she smiled at him encouragingly. “Now, return the stone to me, Grogu.”

The child looked down at the stone one more time before lifting his gaze and darting it between the three of you, eyes wide and innocent. You’d seen this look before. He knew exactly what was going on, what was expected of him, but something stood in the way. He got almost a little bit…. Shy.

“He doesn’t understand,” Din finally offered after a long moment of silence, and you had to bite your lip to keep from grinning at how concerned he was.

“He does,” Ahsoka assured, turning from the Mandalorian to the child. “It’s okay,” she soothed after he whined quietly, staring down at the stone. Slightly bouncing her extended palm for emphasis, her tone once again grew more firm. “The stone, Grogu.”

With the slightest jerk of his head toward the Jedi, Din motioned for the child to do what she said. You almost rolled your eyes at him. Gone were the days of a cold Mandalorian, jumping from job to job and only worrying about credits and his ship. He’d never admit it out loud, but he wanted so badly everything for this child. He was the nervous father on the sidelines, trying to help their child succeed in any way they could. It made your chest feel too small for the feeling swelling inside it at the thought.

You brought a hand to cover your mouth in an attempt to hide the smile trying to betray you at the scene unfolding in front of you. When Grogu looked up at you after Din, it was all you could do to raise your eyebrows in encouragement and tilt your head toward Ahsoka like he had, keeping the smile sealed beneath your fingers.

The whole exchange felt light and easy, so it was surprising when the kid looked to the stone for a final time before dropping it in front of him with a frustrated grunt. It made your brows knit together as you studied your little ward, trying to reach out to him with encouraging thoughts, happy things, maybe even something about frogs, but he was completely closed off to you.

Din let out a sigh behind you, his weight shifting slightly as you knew he, too, was feeling Grogu’s discouragement without any need of using the Force.

Ahsoka let out a sigh of her own, before walking over and crouching in front of Grogu, staring at him intently. When she reached out and took his small hand with hers, you reached out to try and feel what they were ‘saying’. Closing her eyes she ducked her head and took a deep breath before she spoke calmly. “I sense much fear in you.”

Grogu looked at her as he babbled softly, ears wiggling as he did. You didn’t sense anything from him to her, he didn’t even try, but there was a small tendril being extended to you, faint and tentative, like a child hiding in their mother’s skirts when a long lost relative comes to visit. You let every calming thing you could think of flow back on the line being precariously hung between you. Be brave, ad’ika.

Walking back over to her spot across the clearing from the child, Ahsoka explained softly. “He’s hidden his abilities to survive over the years.”

Din shifted his weight to one side, his head tilting ever so slightly to the right. “So has she, but she doesn’t have this problem.”

Keeping your eyes on Grogu, you explained in a quiet voice, “I didn’t watch everyone I love die.” Your gaze fell down to study the ground, your voice so low you pictured it skimming just along the surface. “I kept it hidden. He’s kept it buried.” You turned your face up to look at his visor. “Imagine the Crest sat for a year, untouched. At the end of that time, it’s still a ship. But everything about it is going to be rusty, gunky, need a good tune up.” Grogu cooed, bringing your attention back to him with a smile. “He just needs a little elbow grease, is all.”

Humming in agreement, Ahsoka nodded once. “Let’s try something else. Come over here.”

Din jerked his head to the side, beckoning the kid over once again, sighing when Grogu stayed where he was. “He’s stubborn.”

“Not him. You.”

Din turned his attention back to her quickly, your palm coming to slap over your forehead as your eyes scrunched up tight.

“I want to see if he’ll listen to you.” She smiled softly in amusement.

He scoffed, walking over to stand beside her. “That would be a first.”

“I like firsts. Good or bad, they’re always memorable.” She placed the pebble in his hand. “Now, hold the stone out in the palm of your hand. Tell him to lift it up.” She began to walk around behind him, headed toward where you stood to the side. 

He sighed again, doing what she asked. “Alright, kid. Lift the stone.”

Ahsoka paused before she made it very far, leaning in by his ear to whisper pointedly, “Grogu.”

Din’s weight shifted side to side as he turned his visor on her, a heavy breath, not quite a sigh, filling in the silence. Facing the child once again, his posture stiffened just a bit. “Grogu….” The child perked up with that adorable new sound he made whenever he heard his name. “Come on, take the stone.” Grogu deflated, his gaze turning toward the ground with a dejected coo. “You see? I told you, he’s stubborn.” This time you actually did roll your eyes when Din enacted every bit the stubborn one and threw the rock to the side in annoyance. 

“I wonder where he gets that from,” you mumbled, simply smiling at him when he tilted his head at you in response.

“Try to connect with him.”

After a long moment, Din reached into his belt, pulling the little silver ball out, the child instantly peering up curiously. 

“Grogu…. Do you want this?” Din spoke tantalizingly, lowering to his haunches and holding the ball out in front of him. “Well, go ahead. That’s right, take it. Come on. You can have it.” He nodded his head once, gesturing toward the ball. “Come on.”

The ball flew through the air like you had seen a million times on the ship, straight into the kid’s hand. A small burst of joy surged in the air from Grogu, but it quickly faded into something a little more nervous as he stared at the little silver orb.

Din quickly stepped over to him, praise tumbling out of his mouth excitedly. “Good job! Good job, kid. You see that?” He lowered to his haunches, taking the ball back from the child gently. “That’s right. I knew you could do it. Very good.”

You could feel something anxious roll over Ahsoka beside you, and you chanced a glance her way, finding her looking at the pair of them in concern. You knew where this was headed, you’d seen it from the start. You had just hoped that maybe since the Jedi Order wasn’t around anymore that someone would be willing to bend the rules, especially for someone like Grogu. Turning back to watch Din still fawning over the child, you had to physically bite your tongue to not say anything. This needed to come from her.

“He’s formed a strong attachment to you.” Din turned his head to look at her briefly before looking at Grogu again. “I cannot train him.”

Her last words brought him back to his feet. “What? Why not? You’ve seen what he can do.”

You hung back, leaning on the rock you had been observing from, looking between the three of them. Your heart admittedly broke a little to hear the words you already knew would be said. You had found a way. Sure, you weren’t actually a Jedi, but like Ahsoka had said, that didn’t stop some kyber from choosing you. That didn’t stop the Force from making you a clan of three. Attachment hadn’t been something wrong for you, but you saw it was something almost terrifying for her. Something beyond just the teachings of the Jedi. Something about this felt personal.

“His attachment to you makes him vulnerable to his fears. His anger.” She looked at you pointedly on the last word, almost begging you to understand.

And you did. To a degree. There was also a part of you that still believed this was best for him. The part that had been in that vision with him, had felt his peace and comfort from the halls of the Temple. There was a part of him that longed for this, no matter how deep it was buried.

“All the more reason to train him.” Din was having none of it.

“No.” She stepped closer, her voice lowering. “I’ve seen what such feelings can do to a fully trained Jedi Knight. To the best of us.” The last part was almost like an afterthought, and you watched her closely, unable to get another read on her. Her walls had gone up. “I will not start this child down that path. Better to let his abilities fade.” Looking at Grogu one more time, she turned and began to walk away, passing right by you without a second glance. “I’ve delayed too long. I must get back to the village.”

The child began to whine softly, so you started over toward him, stopping when Din began to speak again, turning to watch the Jedi’s reaction.

“The Magistrate sent me to kill you.” Ahsoka froze at Din’s words. Slowly she turned to look at him over her shoulder, something between disbelief and ‘I should have known better’ on her face. “I didn’t agree to anything,” he continued in a softer tone. “And I’ll help you with your problem, if you see to it that Grogu is properly trained.”

She turned around fully to look at the child once again, but you were standing in the way. She met your eyes as you stepped aside, allowing her gaze to flicker down to the child and you watched the decision roll behind her eyes as she let out a heavy sigh.

Xxx

Walking through the woods back toward the village, Din carrying the child in the satchel and you carrying the bundle of armor until you could get back to the Crest, you listened as they discussed the technicalities of an attack.

Din listed off blasters and droids and a whole mess of things Ahsoka just nodded to, while you made a face at the kid, making him smile from his little perch.

You finally began to listen when Din spoke of the man who had let you into the village. “He reads ex-military to me.”

You scoffed before you mumbled, “He reads asshole to me.”

Din shook his head at you as a soft snort passed through his modulator, Ahsoka smiling fondly. “Combined, not even your laser swords would be able to protect you from all that firepower.”

“You do this on purpose, don’t you?” You turned up toward Din, adjusting the bundle on your back as you stared into his visor. 

Ahsoka still smiled, Din just tilting his head at you as she finally spoke. “True. But don’t underestimate the Magistrate either.”

Finally coming to a stop, you dropped the bundle of armor with a thud as they discussed the lady that had hired Din. Stretching your back as you listened, you grimaced at the stiffness in your limbs, shooting the kid a wink when he cooed at you.

“She plundered worlds, destroying them in the process.” 

That was enough for you. Anywhere that had life outside of trillions of people crawling around like bugs on duracrete and steel deserved to be saved, not looted. You hated this woman even more now.

“When you were in the city did you see any prisoners?”

“I saw three villagers strung up just outside the inner gate.” 

So that’s what you’d heard. You stared at the ground as they continued to talk back and forth, worrying your thumbnail between your teeth. There were no voices, nothing sinister in the back of your mind, just a genuine bad feeling about the whole thing simmering just under your skin. 

“We must find a way to free them.”

Din’s voice was amused as he continued. “A Mandalorian and a Jedi? They’ll never see it coming.”

“And whatever I am.” You didn’t even realize you said it out loud, your head snapping up when you feel three sets of eyes on you. It had been meant to be out loud, then you’d thought better of it, but still it had come tumbling out into the open before you realized it.

Ahsoka placed a hand on your upper arm and a sense of calm began to wash over you. It wasn’t mind control like you had done with Mythrol, but instead just a surge of something good, something rooted deep from within her being shared with you. “You are yourself. And that is all you could ever hope to be.”

Xxx

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[vulture115]

Jeanne meets British S.A.S Jaune (idea is taken from @arc-misadventures the swap)

(Britain exists somewhere in Remnant…. Lmao) [We now see Jeanne in the white room after the swap]

Jeanne: *Scared look after seeing a lot of gunfire and dead bodies* Well… that was quite an experience. Never thought i’d see a real Great War. What is Jaune doing in that place anyway? Isn’t he supposed to be in Beacon?

*Footsteps is being heard in the same room before she saw a 6’6 behemoth in a skull mask (Similar to the CoD Reboot Ghost, but with sharp teeth), baseball cap, a tactical headset and a full military uniform walks in]

British!Jaune: *Walking in* Fucking hell, why am i even in a bloody campus? The last thing i remember before suddenly being in campus is me fighting the Al-Qatala (Qa was pronounced Qo in Arabic). One guy with red hair suddenly attacks me before I incapacitate him. What in the bloody hell is going on?

[Meanwhile in Jeanne’s universe]

Nora: Soooo…. Ren, what should we do with Pyrros’s unconscious body?

Lian (Ren is the last name): We need to carry Pyrros back to our room

Nora: Okay Rennie!!!

Team RWBY: *Shivering in fear seeing a guy takes out one of the best fighter in Beacon*

[Back to the white room]

Jeanne: *Pointing the sword at the man* Who are you and what have you done to Jaune?!

British!Jaune: *Pointing his FN SCAR H at Jeanne* Who in the bloody hell are you and how did you know my name?

Jeanne: Jaune?! Since when did you use guns, not only that, since when did you becomes such a behemoth and wearing a Skull mask and tactical gears?! And what’s with the accent?!

British!Jaune: Identify yourself, now!

Jeanne: My name is Jeanne D’Arc also known as Jeanne Arc, i’m the fifth Daughter of Acheius Arc and Juniper Arc.

British!Jaune: Fucking hell…. Seems like we’re a completely different yet the same person at the same time. What is actually going on?

Jeanne: Ok, so what’s going on is that we’re having a phenomenon different Jaune and i call “The Swap”. It happens at really random times and this place is what we call “The White Room”. Now can you answer the question i asked you before, please.

British!Jaune: My name’s Jaune Arc, callsign “Banshee”, Rank Sergeant. I’m a Sniper-Demolition expert and the newest member of Task Force 141. That’s all i gotta say

Jeanne: C’mon, that’s all? Not even your birthday and age

British!Jaune: *Sighs* My age is 22 Years old, birthday is on March 2nd 51 AGW (After Great War)

Jeanne: You’re 3 years older than me!!! The usual Jaune that i swapped with is the same age as i did!!!

British!Jaune: huh, the more you know. How the usual Jaune that you swapped with was like?

Jeanne: He’s 6’1, wearing a knight armor and using a sword. He’s also has a large amount of Aura

British!Jaune: Bloody hell, he’s also on Beacon?

Jeanne: Uh…. He kinda faked his way into beacon?

British!Jaune: *Laughs* Maybe all Jaunes always faking their way into something we really wanted to be.

Jeanne: You WHAT?!

British!Jaune: I also did faked my way into a military at the age of 16, they didn’t even know i was 16 because of my height and a bit of my voice (Just imagine RK Jaune voice but with british accent). You the same?

Jeanne: Actually i’m not, i got in legally

British!Jaune: Heh, nice work then, your parents must’ve trained you and let you in. Unlike mine did

Jeanne: Lemme guess, you’re not trained by your parents and trying to join the huntsman academy but got rejected, aren’t you?

British!Jaune: Something like that, except the rejection part, i was thinking that my bloody age is too old to start training, so i joined the military as part of the British S.A.S. And that’s where i met Captain Price.

Jeanne: Who is Captain Price

British!Jaune: He’s the Captain of the team, Task Force 141, recruited me to-

[Jeanne was later in her own room]

Jeanne: Huh, i’m back *Spots Pyrros unconscious on his own bed*

Nora: Jeanne, you’re back!

Jeanne: What happened to Pyrros, Nora? Did you hit him with your hammer?

Lian: She didn’t, he attacked a really tall man with skull mask and a full military uniform and tactical equipment and the man quickly incapacitated him

Jeanne: Jaune did that?!

Nora and Lian: That was Jaune?!

Jeanne: You guys didn’t know?

Nora: I don’t recall him being that tall and trained like that

Jeanne: Apparently i got swapped with another Jaune. He’s a soldier version of him

Lian: But what’s with the mask?

Jeanne: I don’t know, i haven’t asked him. Maybe next time

///

Forgive me for some shitty ass writing bruv

#jaune arc #rwby #ruby rose #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #nora valkyrie #weiss schnee #pyrrha nikos #call of duty #captain john price #jeanne arc #jeanne d'arc

[sterek-stuffs]

Fics that came out this year and you might have missed, but that are absolutely worth checking out!

among your heart-shaped leaves by dappledawndrawn

After rebuilding the Hale house, Derek enlists Stiles' help in planting a garden.

Bite the Moonlight & Bleed Gold by raisesomehale

Seven years after being tricked and imprisoned by the Argents, Derek Hale finds himself off the blistering coasts of Antarctica aboard the Argentum Domina, an illegal prison ship out of which the Argents operate their behemoth, underground poaching empire. Derek, a bitter, pack-less alpha, spends his days working off his servitude by poaching creatures for Gerard to sell on the Black Magic Market, just trying to retain his sanity as he earns back the years of his life one capture at a time. But there doesn't seem to be an end, or future, in sight for him. Until, everything changes when Allison Argent brings him a capture case with a reward price so ludicrous that he has no choice but to accept. The only problem is, the target creature shouldn't even exist. Derek is flung fast into the deep webbings of a bigger mystery than he could have ever imagined. And discovers that, like this enchanting creature, not everything is as it seems. Can Derek unmask the schemes that threaten not only his life, but the state of the very world itself? And if doing so means losing the unexpected love he finds along the way, will he be willing to make that sacrifice?

The Bright Side of Disaster by Gia279

Tucked between fresh harvested vegetables and fruits, homemade skincare products and lovingly knit scarves and sewn shawls, were booths and tables selling potions, amulets, crystals, and herbs, athames and wands, scrying glasses and hand-embroidered altar cloths. Beacon Hills was a hotbed for magical activity, and it drew the supernatural community like moths to a flame. There were rumors that magical tools crafted in town were more powerful, potions more effective, even herbs more potent.

buyer bonus by elisela

When he walks back to the table, Derek’s out of his seat before he can think better of it. He’s going to ask him out. He’s going to go over there, he’s not going to say the man has a mouth he’ll dream about or give any cheesy, half-assed pick-up line, and he’s going to ask him if he would like to get coffee some time. Maybe he’ll skip that and go straight for dinner, or the bookstore. Derek’s heard you can learn a lot about a person by what they read. He’s cool. He can do this. “Hi,” he says, eyes flickering down to the glossy pamphlets of houses for sale that litter the table, and when panic overtakes him, what comes out of his mouth isn’t any of those things. “I’m thinking about buying a new place. Are you an agent?” Ah, crap.

Waning Crescent by Dexterous_Sinistrous

Derek’s scent was a heady warmth that enveloped Stiles’ senses. It was like the first strike of rain in a dried forest. A crisp smokiness to the tickle of petrichor. It lit up an unfamiliar spark in Stiles’ gut. And for the first time in a couple hundred years, his fangs ached.

how long will it take (to finally atone) by lookingforatardis

“I could hurt you,” Stiles says quietly, and doesn’t quite understand why he’s being honest himself. “You wouldn’t.” “I did, though. I did, Derek.” Stiles’ voice shakes and he has to pull his attention away from Derek to calm himself down from the sudden flash of memory. Silence fills the room until it’s uncomfortable, until Stiles has to look, and finds Derek watching him with a closed expression. “That was the nogitsune,” he tells him. “Not you.” Or: Void hurts Derek while possessing Stiles and Stiles has an extremely hard time recovering from what Void did to Derek even after the nogitsune is gone. The thought of touching him sends him into a blind panic, terrifying him as if every touch will hurt him all over again. Stiles can only take so much, after all, and Derek has always been his weak spot.

Don't forget to leave the authors some love!

#sterek #teen wolf #fic recs #sterek fic recs #fic appreciation #not sure I'll be able to do this regularly but I felt like sending out some love to this fandom

[kinwarband]

Who is Hesperiah Kinslayer?

Behemoth. Mountain. A Bastion.

Those are just some of the words used to describe the Pact Lieutenant Hesperiah Kinslayer. While nowhere near as famous as the storied Commander, or their guild. Hesperiah has carved a name for herself among the ranks of both the Vigil, and The Pact.

Despite being a hulking 9 foot 11 inches. (302.26cm). Hesperiah is often described as sociable, yet reserved by her peers. An 11 year veteran of the Vigil, and the Pact means that she has taken part in every campaign waged by The Pact during the Dragon crisis. And carries the stories and scars to prove it.

Having joined The Vigil in 1325 at just the age of 18. Hesperiah was wild, snappy, and difficult to work it. Reclusive during her training, Hesperiah spoke nothing of her past before being recruited, often giving other recruits the cold shoulder. For most of the Zhaitan crisis, she remained a lowly foot soldier in The Vigil, and much the same during the formation of the The Pact.

It wasn't until the assault on Orr where her shell began to crack, as Hesperiah made friends with a group of Gladium that comprised the squad she was attached to. Although she still she kept much to herself, Hesperiah explained that she, too, was a Gladium. and had been since she was 15.

Hesperiah's original warband had been wiped out in an ambush set up by Flame Legion posing defectors seeking asylum. It was supposed to be a simple training exercise that quickly spiraled out of control, with even her Primus being injured in the ensuing battle. At the time, Hesperiah, still too young to properly cope, was deeply scarred by the experience.

This trauma manifested in her unstoppability during battle. Cleaving through hordes, and in some cases shrugging off wounds if it meant claiming one more dragon minion head. Her sheer size, and tenacity growing into a beacon that others could rally around. After all, it was difficult not to be inspired watching her shatter her greatsword slaying an enemy, only to cast it aside and continue the fight with her bare hands.

Due to this, Hesperiah earned her promotion to Lieutenant after the defeat of Zhaitan. Having grown into a leadership role during her time in Orr, she signed on for officer training. Further cracking the shell she surrounded herself with, as she grew comfortable with the members of her order, and the Pact. Forming deeper connections with the gladia she'd come to know, as well as members of the other orders.

In 1328, The Pact suffered a cataclysmic ambush from the Jungle Dragon, Mordermoth, while confronting him over Maguuma. This being Hesperiah's second brush with death, as she became lost in the Tangled Depths following the utter chaos and confusion. Surviving for days against Chak before eventually reuniting with The Pact at Dragon's Stand. The ordeal leaving much of her armor in tatters, causing her to fashion replacements using Leystone. Although during her time in Maguuma, Hesperiah discovered her knack for Longbows, embracing her role as a Dragonhunter.

Not much is known about what Hesperiah was up to between 1328 and 1332. As she took leave during that time, along with her Squadmates. Although before she left, she had a custom Greatsword and Longbow made for her. Much larger than the standard, and made from much stronger materials. These weapons wouldn't break under the strain of her powerful swings, and could channel her magic much more effectively.

However, after she returned from her absence in early 1332, Hesperiah was now the leader of the newly formed Kin Warband, having taken the surname of Kinslayer. Comprised of the Gladia she'd grown close to over the years. Not a single one of them speaks of the events that transpired, often stating that it is not their story to tell when asked about it.

Later that year, The Pact suffered a defeat at the hands of Kralkatorrik, after they failed to slay him at Thunderhead Peak. Again, Hesperiah showed her fierce tenacity, surviving being buried alive in the aftermath of the Elder dragon fleeing. After her third brush with death, Hesperiah developed a dark sense of humor, as well as solidifying herself among her peers as truly hard to kill...

Later still, when the Charr Civil war began. Hesperiah and her War Band of course participated on behalf of the United Legions. Although they officially had no loyalty to society that discarded them, they still felt that it was a right thing to do. Especially so, after the learning the circumstances of General Almorra's death, which infuriated Hesperiah to no end.

When The Dragon Storm happened in 1334, Hesperiah once again threw herself into the fray. Wanting to witness the end of the Twin Elder Dragons for herself, and as a quiet, personal tribute to Soulkeeper, someone she looked up to fondly in her early years in the Vigil. Once Primordus and Jormag destroyed each other, Hesperiah bid farewell to Almorra, promising to carry on her legacy, just like the rest of the order.

Which meant throwing herself headlong into the Void crisis in Cantha. The Last Elder dragon. One last fight. For Almorra...

Although she didn't take part in the direct assault on Soo-Won atop the Harvest Temple, Hesperiah did what she did best: Slay Dragon minions, and be an unshakable beacon for her allies on the battlefield.

Now a well, and truly seasoned veteran Lieutenant. While she has considered applying for a high position, as some have put in recommendations for her. But for the time being, she is content with staying where she's at. Especially now that The Pact finally has a moment to rest and breathe. Hesperiah taking an extended leave of absence to travel the world, and experience life away from the battlefields of Tyria.

Maybe one day, you will cross paths with the Kinslayer herself.

#Hesperiah #Character Lore #Guild Wars 2 #gw2 #long post #Good god writing this was hell #And I still feel like I need to draft this like three more times- #it's so... long winded #But it IS deep lore #so that's probably why #spoiler warning #contains story information from LWS2 all the way to the end of EoD

[strqyr]

OK, random thought on the Spring/Gretchen mystery- what if Spring was old/injured/sick/etc., and Oz was grooming Gretchen to be the new Spring (a la Pyrrha for Fall and Winter for Winter), but it went wrong?

Oz takes Gretchen to the previous Spring to make the transition, but something happens and both Spring and Gretchen get killed. Whoever the Spring powers pass to nopes right out of there.

If you tilt your head and squint, "I took Gretchen to become the new Spring Maiden but she got killed" could be twisted into "Gretchen died on a training mission"- not entirely untrue, but a hell of a lie of omission.

And this is a stretch, but is there any possibility that the timeline works out to where the Summer/Raven Secret Mission was involved? Raven unexpectedly getting the Spring powers and booking would be entirely in character.

But... what role would Summer have played in what happened?

i know it's 'only' hazel's bio from amity arena, but it certainly heavily implies that ozpin had more influence in gretchen's choice beyond being the headmaster of an academy gretchen chose to attend:

losing his only family gretchen to her training mission, hazel denies that his twin sister's choice was ever hers to make. that the honeyed words of ozpin, an immortal being long removed of the burdens of mere humanity, coaxed her to give up her life. a life hazel so cherished. how could an innocent and talented youth resist those seductive words? talk of duty, untold glory, legendary exploits, and heroes of old? how was she to know that she was merely one little girl caught in a war between behemoths, immortals, gods? instead of dissuading her, saving her life, ozpin gave her the choice... to throw it away.

parts of it are. eerily fitting for pyrrha's situation as well, so i wouldn't be surprised at all if it turns out gretchen was seen as a candidate to inherit the powers—though that would add another layer to explain who the spring maiden before her was, and idk if they want to 'complicate' this matter further by adding another character into the mix—or that she already was the spring maiden and that was the reason why ozpin would have, presumably, spoken to her directly.

as for the timeline, it's impossible to say for certain since we have no idea how old hazel and gretchen would have been in the present. hazel has wrinkles but no greying hair, tyrian is more or less the same and he's said to be in his mid-to-late 30s so that'd be the best guess, i suppose; the spring maiden running away happened over a decade ago, as would have summer's mission. depending on how far you're willing to take 'over a decade' and assuming gretchen would have been about the age of rwbyjnr when she died, it could work. might have to stretch that 'over a decade' a lot (i mean technically anything over ten years work. if it goes closer to twenty years, then so be it) or assume that hazel was on the younger side rather than older, but it's plausible.

of course there's also the fact that raven allegedly mercy-killed the spring maiden and btw was also sent to learn how to kill huntsmen by the tribe (is this relevant? who knows.) and there's the discrepancy between gretchen dying on a training mission (was it beacon related? wouldn't be the first time ozpin has sent students on a training mission they're not actually qualified for...) and spring running away and abandoning everyone (description that fits raven to the tee), and then there's raven claiming the tribe found spring (that's not a training mission... not one ozpin would necessarily know about, anyway). plus the whole mystery of why raven left in the first place.

...rambling aside, there is the connecting thread of training in all of this; gretchen died on a training mission, the spring maiden ran and abandoned her training, and when she was found by the branwen tribe raven tried training her.

if all of this fits together somehow, then someone's lying. and when the options are ozpin and / or raven, i'm just going to throw in the towel. i'll end up losing my sanity if i try to figure that one out.

and that's before summer enters with a steel chair.

#rwby #anon #ask.strqyr #the mystery of the spring maiden #i thought i'd left you behind but alas

[ophidion]

It hurts my heart to see the hate that you and other authors have been getting! But most of all you after that horrible "Society scandal"!! You're so talented and doesn't deserve this!

I usually use anon here because english is not my mother language, but this whole situation has pissed me off so much that I felt like not hiding!!! That is the same reason why I sometimes don't leave comments on fics (trying to change that!), because there's so much I want to say that sometimes words escape me (also the corrector (is that the word?) tests my patience!) and since I don't have such a deep knowledge of canon I can't do these in-dept reviews that I wish I could, and I feel like only leaving something like 'amazing', 'so good' is not enough to express how much I loved the chapter!!

Also wanna say this weekend I'm gonna read beacon again! Because there are no words to describe my love for it!

Sending you all my love!!❤❤

Please never feel like you need to hide again!! This made me smile and warmed my heart as I am *also* re-reading beacon and getting back into the swing of things of writing the behemoth that it is.

I hope you know even the smallest comment is appreciated. but you coming in here means the world. thank you so so much and while unfortunately whoever decided to write that decided to tag me as a character, I'm by far not the only person to get hate. or to deserve people coming just to my works.

i myself am behind on reading but my biggest thing is--hey every author deserves a right to be here. toss them a kudos, throw them a comment saying I really loved this!! not just me. especially not just me. i try to be as inclusive as possible and get so excited to chat with other writers whenever they decide to reach out to me. and sometimes. yes, I'm in their DMs being like, we are going to be friends.

everyone is doing their best in the world. we all probably would get judged for loving something so nerdy, which is why I'm tried to come to this space with warmth, friendliness and kindness. so go out there and give maybe a new writer some love. maybe someone doesn't have a lot of kudos, a lot of comments, but its the most vulnerable thing to be putting one's work out there into the world.

(it's my goal to start doing the same once i get a handle on this next chapter :))

#i answer

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Beacon Behemoth

When its smoky plumes light Naya's sky, every creature from the smallest pip fawn to the largest rannet heeds the warning.

Artist: Jesper Ejsing TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

#mtg #magic the gathering #tcg #$0.08 #jesper ejsing #beacon behemoth #conflux #creature #beast

[howlingday]

Pokemon AU

Salem: Watts how is your virus working on Beacon

Watts: It is working perfectly ma-

*BOOOM*

Gulpy: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (in case you don't know Guzzlord just sounds like it's yelling at the top of its lungs all the time although he is mad right now)

Salem: Oh for the love of me why a Guzzlord

"Ma'am, it appears the Guzzlord has devoured much of the Grimm and land around the castle." Watts stated, wincing at the pain in his side from his battle almost a month ago.

"I see," Salem replied, watching the behemoth of a glutton through a one of multiple distant seers, "and have you found a way to deal with this nuisance?"

"My apologies, Your Grace," Watts bowed, doing his best to ignore the pain in his abdominals, "but it seems too strong for my experiments."

"A pity, Arthur, but you are forgiven." Salem's lip curled on ends with a sinister eye twinkle. "Because I have found the perfect solution."

Far below the forgotten kingdom of the black wasteland, the Guzzlord continued their rampage across the lost continent. Gulpy screeched in rage and pain as everything around them became a distant memory before them. But unknown to them, along their backside, something black and oozing like molten tar began to spread, slowly, over their skin, like a dark and sinister mold. Soon, the corruption would gain another powerful ally.

#rwby #pokémon #rwby pokémon au #rwby au #salem #arthur watts #guzzlord

[helix-studios117]

Halo Reloaded: Battle On Madrigal

The battlefield on Madrigal was a maelstrom of violence, a cacophony of destruction where Spartans John-117 and Linda-058 stood as beacons of resistance amidst the chaos. The ground shook with the fury of the ongoing conflict, the air was thick with the stench of ozone and burned flesh, a testament to the ferocity of the battle.

Linda, her figure shrouded in an armor that pulsed with an almost ethereal light, moved with a grace that belied her lethal intent. Her newfound telekinetic powers, a gift borne from exposure to the arcane machinations of Forerunner technology, allowed her to dispatch foes with a mere thought. Her telekinesis, a wild, newfound ability, became an extension of her will, hurling debris and enemies alike with reckless abandon. A Covenant Elite, armed with a deadly energy sword, lunged at her with a ferocious roar, only to be met mid-air by a thrown Warthog, courtesy of Linda's mind, turning the attacker into a fiery comet of metal and alien flesh.

Meanwhile, John, the Master Chief, was a force of nature, embodying the fury of the storm. Weaponless but far from defenseless, he turned the battlefield into his armory. With a roar, he launched himself at a group of Hammer-Chieftains, ripping a Gravity Hammer from the hands of the nearest brute and swinging it with devastating effect. The ground erupted, sending Brutes flying like ragdolls. Hunters, those towering behemoths, launched volleys of Fuel Rod Cannon blasts, John, relying on his Spartan agility, dodged the incandescent blasts, closing the distance. He leveraged the hammer, not just as a weapon, but as a shield, deflecting incoming fire, closing in to exploit the brief window of vulnerability as the Hunters reloaded. Once the gap was closed, he used the Hammer to vault into the air, landing atop a Hunter, prying its armor plates apart before delivering a final, crushing blow.

In a moment of chaos, an unnoticed plasma grenade, its azure glow sinister and unassuming, flew across the field unnoticed like a comet and found its mark near Linda. The explosion, a maelangetic fireball, hurled her across the battlefield. Her armor, though designed to synergize with her powers, absorbed the brunt of the blast but at a cost. The impact left her dazed, her body refusing to obey, her powers flickering out like dying stars. Hunger gnawed at her insides, a reminder of her increased metabolism's demands.

John, upon seeing Linda's plight, cut through his adversaries with renewed vigor. His path to her side was a blur of motion, every step a defiance of the odds. Reaching her, he lifted her with a gentleness that belied his armored exterior.

"Linda, stay with me," he urged, voice laced with concern as he dodged incoming fire, making a beeline for the extraction point.

Her voice was faint, a testament to her exhaustion. "Can still fight... just need..." Her words trailed off, lost in the din.

"No arguments," he cut her off, his tone leaving no room for debate. "You've done enough. Now, let me do the rest."

The interior of the Condor was a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Here, in the dim light, the world seemed to slow down, the roar of battle a distant echo. John carefully placed Linda among the survivors, John pulls her helmet off, their eyes locking in a moment of silent understanding. "Don’t do this alone," Linda's voice was a whisper, tinged with desperation. "Please."

John's response was a soft, determined murmur. "I’ll make it back. For us." He brushed a lock of hair from her face, a momentary gesture of intimacy in a world devoid of gentleness.

He stepped back, his figure framed by the Condor's doorway, the light casting his shadow long and solemn across the cabin. As the Condor lifted off, Linda's gaze lingered on John, a silent plea in her eyes that he return safe.

John turned away, stepping into the maelstrom once more, his promise to Linda a beacon in the darkness. The Condor ascended, carrying away the wounded and weary, leaving behind the solitary figure of John-117 as he faced the horde anew, a lone guardian against the night.

#halo #halo fanfic #halo fanfiction #master chief fanfiction #master chief fanfic #master chief #halo headcanon #halo au #john 117 #john 117 x linda 058 #john/linda #linda 058

[gobboguy]

Chapter 17: The Conquest Begins

In the heart of the Orcish village, surrounded by ancient trees and echoing roars, Gelbeg, now the united leader of the Orc people, stood with unwavering determination. Before them loomed the ship, a formidable creation forged from sweat, timber, and tenacity. Its presence was a beacon of hope amidst the verdant wilderness.

With the books on carpentry and shipbuilding spread before them, the Orcs, more accustomed to battle cries than the subtleties of construction, stared at the foreign symbols and diagrams with confusion etched on their faces. Progress was slow, the learning curve steep, but Gelbeg was relentless. He knew that this ship was their gateway to a new world, a world they would conquer and mold in their image.

Amidst the labor, an Orc, his brow furrowed in confusion, clutched a hammer and nails like relics of an ancient past. Gelbeg, patient and understanding, approached him. "Like this," he said, guiding the Orc's hand with his own calloused fingers. Together, they hammered the nail into the timber, the sound resonating like a battle drum in the forest.

When timber was needed, the Orcs, once hunters, now wielded axes with a newfound purpose. Trees that had stood for centuries fell under the might of their blows. Teepees, once their homes, were dismantled to provide the canvas for their sails. There was no turning back; the Orcs had no intention of returning to the icy shores of their homeland.

Weeks passed, marked by sweat and determination. The ship, although rough around the edges, stood proud and seaworthy. Its mast, a symbol drawn from Gelbeg's vision, bore a sail that rippled like a living thing in the wind. Proudly, Gelbeg painted the sails black, adorned with the green hand of the orc. It was a defiant symbol, a warning to any who might witness it: the Orcs were coming.

The Orcs, their muscles tired and their hands calloused, stared at their creation with a mixture of awe and anticipation. This ship was more than wood and nails; it was their vessel of destiny, a destiny they would carve with blood, sweat, and unyielding determination. The horizon beckoned, and the Orcs, their spirits aflame with the promise of conquest, stood ready to embark on a journey that would shape the fate of their people for generations to come.

Under the sprawling canopy of ancient trees, where sunlight filtered through leaves like shards of gold, the Orcs toiled ceaselessly on their vessel of destiny. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and wood shavings, echoing with the rhythmic thud of hammers and the scrape of metal against timber. The ship, now a magnificent behemoth, stood tall and proud, its sails unfurled like the wings of a mythical beast.

In the midst of this bustling activity, the High Priestess, Split-Nose, emerged, her demeanor solemn and purposeful. Cradling a steaming bowl with reverence, she approached Gelbeg, whose formidable frame stood out amidst the crowd. The tribes had labored endlessly, their collective effort transforming the ship into a masterpiece of Orcish craftsmanship.

The bowl in Split-Nose's hands held a peculiar mixture, a blend of the tribes' combined urine. It symbolized unity, a fusion of the Orcs' essence mirroring the amalgamation of their tribes. With an air of sacred ceremony, she had dipped the bowl into the communal latrine, drawing forth the amalgamated liquid that represented the strength of their shared purpose.

As Split-Nose recited a holy hymn, her voice resonated through the clearing, invoking the name of MOG, the Orc God, in reverent tones. She approached Gelbeg, her eyes alight with a fervor that mirrored the flame of a sacred pyre. Anointing his forehead with the pungent mixture, she intoned, "Warchief of the Orcs," bestowing upon him a title that echoed with the weight of their people's destiny.

Gelbeg, his forehead marked with the sacred blend, stood tall, his eyes reflecting the flickering light of the campfire. The murmurs of the tribesfolk hushed to a respectful silence, a collective breath held in anticipation. The title bestowed upon him signified not just leadership but a divine calling, a mantle he was destined to wear.

In that moment, amidst the scent of timber and the distant calls of wildlife, Gelbeg felt the weight of his people's hopes and dreams settle upon his shoulders. He was not just Gelbeg anymore; he was the Warchief of the Orcs, a beacon of their united strength, and the harbinger of a new era for their people. The ship, their vessel of conquest, stood ready, its timbers infused with the essence of Orcish determination. The tribes, once disparate and fragmented, had become one under his leadership.

With a newfound purpose burning in his eyes, Gelbeg gazed upon the ship, now adorned with the mark of the green hand, a symbol of their defiance and unity. The time of reckoning was near, and Gelbeg, Warchief of the Orcs, would lead his people across the sea, guided by MOG's divine will, to claim the destiny that awaited them beyond the horizon.

The Orcs, a unified force, stood tall and resolute upon the deck of the ship, their gazes fixed upon the distant horizon where their destiny awaited. A thousand strong, men, women, and children, they were the embodiment of Orcish might, their spirits aflame with the promise of conquest. The vessel, christened "The Conquest," groaned under the weight of their collective hope, its timbers thrumming with anticipation.

In the hold below, casks of provisions were carefully stowed - dried meat, fish, Orcroot, and sweetleaf, sustenance for the journey and beyond. The scent of dried meat mingled with the earthy aroma of Orcroot, creating a heady atmosphere below deck. Casks of bloodgrog, the Orcs' favored brew, clinked together, promising both solace and strength in the face of uncertainty.

Gelbeg, their revered Warchief, stood at the forefront, his imposing figure casting a shadow upon the deck. His eyes, filled with determination, scanned the faces of his people, acknowledging the trust they had placed in him. He raised his hand, a signal for silence, and the clamor of the Orcs hushed, their attention fixed upon their leader.

"I salute you, my kin, for declaring me your Warchief," Gelbeg's voice boomed, resonating with the depth of his gratitude. His hand slapped his belly, the sound echoing across the deck like a war drum. "I salute you, my mother, for giving birth to me." Another resounding slap, this time reverberating with the love he held for the woman who had raised him.

His gaze turned towards the island they were leaving behind, a land that had molded them into a race worthy of conquest. "I salute you, Orc Island, for forging our people into a race worthy of conquest." His voice carried over the waves, an acknowledgment of their shared history and the trials they had overcome.

The pride in his mother's eyes was unmistakable, her tears reflecting the magnitude of the moment. Gelbeg's voice rose, his words infused with an iron resolve. "We set sail for lands unknown, but know this. I will fight alongside you and will continue to fight until we have reached our promised land." His words hung heavy in the air, a solemn oath etched into the hearts of every Orc present.

"In that place of conquest and plenty," Gelbeg thundered, his voice carrying the weight of their collective ambition, "we will spread like a plague upon the land, consuming and pillaging until this world is marked forever more with the conquest of the Orcs!"

A chorus of fervent roars erupted from the Orcs, their cheers merging with the crash of waves against the ship's hull. With a mighty heave, the vessel surged forward, leaving Orc Island behind in a spray of frothy waves. They sailed towards the unknown, driven by their hunger for conquest, their will unyielding, and their hearts aflame with the promise of a new world waiting to be claimed by the Orcs.

The deck of the ship vibrated with the collective energy of the Orcs as Gelbeg gazed upon them. They were a people unpolished, perhaps even uncivilized by some standards, but in their eyes, he saw the spark of determination. They were a raw force, unrefined and untamed, but there was a primal strength within them, a relentless desire for dominance.

As the Orcs cheered, their voices merging into a thunderous cacophony, Gelbeg knew that despite their rough edges, they were worthy. Worthy of the power they sought, worthy of the conquest they envisioned. With a great heave, the ship surged forward, propelled by the sheer will of the Orcs. In that moment, they left their island behind, their past fading into the distance like a fleeting memory. Their journey towards the unknown had begun, and with every beat of their hearts, they were ready to leave their mark upon the world, shaping it in the image of Orcish might and ferocity.

#fantasy #goblins #orcs #literature #gobboguy #SongsofPower5

[kaylor]

I hope you don’t mind this ask. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts lately about how the m*Ty situation has really disillusioned people and changed how they view Taylor and I genuinely do see where everybody is coming from. I have to be honest though for me personally the 2020 tumblr stuff really changed how I viewed her but also the whole Grammy credit thing did it as well. I’m not saying I know for sure the motives and truth behind that move but it was shady enough to the point it made me think that if she’s willing to bend her morals for stuff that she genuinely feels the most passionate about then everything else just doesn’t really stand a chance …. Does it ? this was just rambly so I hope you don’t mind it and again I do acknowledge that I might not know the actual truth but a very decent portion of my heart most times leans towards false credits

it hasn't changed the way i view her tbh, like she's done so many sketchy things for her own benefit, like working with racist people is not off the table for her if it means she can get her foot in the door in the film industry for example. she is not and has never been a moral beacon, she is a millionaire popstar who wants to cement herself as a behemoth of the industry, and she has proven on multiple occasions that she will do that at any cost. as gross and unpleasant and hurtful as this is, it's nothing new. it's just the first time it's bled into her dating life i guess so it's getting more attention. and yeah what she did (or didn't do!) in 2020 is still like.....girl. but this is where it's important to remember she literally won't do anything that would hurt her streaming numbers or, more importantly (at this point)(to her), her standing with the Big Dogs of the industry, who are most likely all incredibly conservative/racist. speaking out against this stuff WILL get you put on the shit list of potential dirty little socialists to look out for. and doors will close for you.

#like. yes it sucks! but it's not brand new information #she surrounds herself with people who suck all the time #she is simply so insulated from Consequences that it doesn't matter #she only cares about the consequences in her industry bubble and it requires her to brown nose her way into powerful circles