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cowyolks · 1 year

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Petals (König x Reader)

Summary: Being socially awkward makes it hard to say just about anything. König is as socially awkward as it comes. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.

Part Two

Warnings: typical cod violence, some injuries, other than that it’s pure fluff.

Words: Way too damn long, oop

It’s super easy to overlook the aspect of comfort and love when it wasn’t smacked directly in your face. You happened to be as oblivious as a rock when it came to love and affection, which is why it was so hard for you to believe that someone truly enjoyed having you around. That was until one of the soldiers told you to open your eyes and take a glance at the little things. They pointed out how you had a secret admirer this whole time, and he had been right under your nose.

They told you that König had feelings for you.

The first time someone pointed it out you shrugged it off, saying he was just being a friendly teammate.

You were both undercover, on a co-op mission at a local Russian casino, attempting to find a rising threat and take him down. You had put on your best dress, the black fitting material was not something you were used to, but it was all part of the job.

It was supposed to be easy. You were to pose as a gambler, blending in to the casino and sneaking your way to a weapons cache that was storing illegal assault rifles to sell to the public in Moscow.

You were slightly nervous, only because you were ordered to do the opposite of your typical specialties. You were the sniper of the faction, and being out in the open made you feel uneasy. König, as much as you trusted his skills was to be the one watching over you from the rooftops. He had gotten better at staying still, but his tall frame would be hard to conceal in such a cramped casino.

“König, you copy?” You brought your hand to your ear, feeling the barely visible piece of your comm. There was a faint shuffle, “I copy.” He murmured quietly, you could hear the anxiety dripping off his voice. You knew of his difficulty when it came to interacting with others. You had tried to assure him you would never ever make him feel less of a soldier for it, yet he still hardly spoke outside of missions, except to you on occasion.

“Hey, its alright. You won’t be speaking to anyone. Leave the talking to me.” You assured, adjusting the expensive ruby necklace around your throat. “That’s not why I’m anxious.” He mumbled. You furrowed your brow in confusion.

“What is it? I need you at your best, so let me know before I’m with the enemy,” you prodded, hoping it wasn’t serious enough for him to be so anxious he’d miss his shots. You heard a quiet huff, “I don’t like you being in the middle of this.”

You deflated, relaxing a bit as he admitted what was troubling him. “Relax, big guy, I’ll be fine and that’s a promise. Besides I’ve got you looking after me. I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine, right?”

“Right.” He added, just as you ascended the steps and into the casino. “Remember, I’ll draw him away, take him down and confiscate the guns. Easy peasy.”

It had indeed not been easy peasy. You had posed as a regular gambler, bidding your expensive necklace to the drug lord, yet he didn’t seem interested in it. “If I win, I get to see who you’ve been communicating to you in that little comm of yours.” He sneered as he shuffled a poker chips between his fingers.

You gulped, watching as he rose from the table as his other guards pulled weapons from their waistbands and pointed them all at you. Shit. You brought your hands up, lowering your shoulders in defeat. Even though you had your secondary hidden in a thigh holster, you could never reach it without being shot down.

“You come in here thinking you could beat me?” The terrorist pulled you against him, you squirmed, fighting against his hold until a knife was pressed to your throat. He pulled the comm from your ear, before pushing down.

“I’ve got your soldier. Surrender and maybe I’ll let her live and we can go about our days.” The terrorist growled as he was met with silence. But your eyes caught sight of König behind one of the guards. There was five of them, you’ve seen him take out more, but you couldn’t move to help with the knife pressed to your throat.

Your eyes locked, as the mountain of a man pressed a finger to his mask, telling you to stay quiet. Quickly you adverted your eyes. You heard the nearly silent noise of his knife slicing through skin. The body dropped, but it was enough of a thud to alert the other guards and the boss. “Don’t fucking move!” The terrorist screamed in your ear, pinning you behind him as he faced König, whose eyes were fiery under his sniper hood.

“Let her go and I won’t kill you.” His voice was lower than what you were used to. The terrorist laughed, pressing you closer to him in a disgusting way. You saw König grip his weapon tighter. Carefully you inched your fingers closer to your pistol.

“I’ve got you surrounded. Drop your weapon. Now!” König did the opposite, nodding to you in a subtle way. You brought your fingers to your weapon, bringing it up and firing a round into the man’s side. He fell, just as you pulled his hand so the knife wouldn’t slice your neck. König took care of the rest, throwing a knife into a soldier before shooting two rounds into the other two.

He turned to you, jogging closer as your hands shook. It’s been a while since you’ve been that close to dying. “You alright?” He asked, slightly winded from the men he had brought down. All you could do was nod your head, taking a long breath.

You glanced up to König, but his eyes flashed, catching sight of the terrorist cocking his gun and raising it to the back of your head. You heard the bang just as he pushed you out the way. König let out a strangled noise as the bullet pierced his arm, but it didn’t stop him from raising up his pistol and shooting the man in the head.

While the mission was regarded as a success, you still felt bad as the two of you took a chopper home, another following behind with the assault rifles. König had his arm wrapped and stitched by one of the medics and was resting next to you with his eyes closed.

“I’m really sorry.” You apologized guiltily as he popped one eye open to glance at you. The man held his breath, scooting closer to you so your shoulder hit his bicep. “Don’t be sorry,” he mumbled, glancing down at you through his sniper hood.

“You got shot because of me, you almost died because of me. If I hadn’t-”

“And I would do it again. In a heartbeat.” König vowed, speaking so strongly you knew he had to be sincere. You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, the first time you had touched him outside of a mission. It may have meant little to everyone else, but to König it was everything.

The second time someone had mentioned just how well attuned he was to you. You shrugged it off again, he was just being respectful.

The team had a day off, not away from the base of course, but a day where you could all gather in the lounge and have a couple of drinks and play pool.

You had launched into a story, your eyes lighting up in a way that made König’s heart beat just a bit faster. You had used wild hand gestures, as the other boys played pool. But rather than listening to you speak most of them were invested in sinking the ball in the slot.

You became aware of just how little people were interacting to your story, a frown pulling across your lips as you dropped your hands in your lap.

“Why’d you stop?” His voice scared you, as you placed a hand over your heart. “Oh, no one was listening anyways.” You shrugged it off, actually kind of hurt that no one cared to hear what you had to say.

“I was listening.” He insisted, his blue eyes softened through his mask. König had been listening intently, loving how your eyes lit up and how pretty you looked as you scrunched your nose.

“You seem to be the only one.” You admitted before your eyes grew excited again. “You want a drink? I’ll make you one for listening to me ramble.” You offered, to which König nodded his head before standing from the chair he sat in.

You crouched below the bar, pulling out a nice bottle of whiskey you had been saving. You poured him a glass before sliding it over to him, watching as his fingers wrapped completely around it. You chuckled, taking in the sight with soft eyes. “I wonder how many of those it would take to get you feeling tipsy.”

“Quite a few.” König brought up his mask a fraction, something he hardly did when it was just himself, let alone in front of you. Your eyes studied his sharp jaw, brushed with a light-colored stubble. He had pretty pink lips, and a rather impressive Cupid’s bow.

You could see him tense up slightly, yet he still quickly downed the liquid you had gave him. When you didn’t break your gaze he was quick to ask, “Is something wrong?” He spoke quickly and nervous.

“Course not,” you denied, flicking your gaze back up to his eyes. You sat up straighter, taking a sip of the burning whiskey. “You ever take your mask off?” You asked gently, gauging his reaction.

You saw his eyelids crinkle, a good sign that he was grinning slightly. “Sometimes.” He warmly hinted, as he slid his glass towards you. You were quick to fill it again, raising your own towards him, signaling for a toast.

“To your face. I do hope I’ll see it sometime.” You spoke with a laugh in your tone.

König took a sip, only thinking that you’d be the one he would want to show himself to.

Finally you fully understood just how well actions spoke louder than words a few months later. Missions ran smooth, and partnered with König you were your best yet. The two of you had worked like an oiled machine, and when one lacked the other picked up the slack.

You learnt little things about König the more you worked together. How he had a fascination for painting and drawing despite his large hands. He was very good at pointing out noises of wildlife, surprising you when he knew the different chirps of birds.

You learnt his quirks too, how when he was anxious he would puncture his nails into his palms. You’d gotten into the habit of gently holding his hand, feeling his fingers wrap to your wrist, holding it as if it was the most fragile thing.

So while you learnt his quirks, he learnt of yours. How you’d bounce your knee up and down at briefings, he’d put his palm on your thigh, pushing down your kneecap to stop the distracting noise. He also learnt of how you could name your favorite flowers within seconds, pinpoint that your favorite were cornflowers.

It’s how he’d ended in the middle of the field as the team had downtime on their mission until they were shipped out for the second phase. He was sore and had received a cut across his eyebrow a week prior, the stitches itching slightly and needing to come out. Yet König ignored the itchy feeling while he scoured the area for wild cornflowers, hoping to find a couple to gift you and to confess.

Confess that after this past year he had fallen, and fallen hard.

“Whatcha doing out here, König?” Your voice interrupted his thoughts just as he spotted a cluster of the flowers. “Thinking.” He responded bluntly, before lowering to his knees and sitting in the soft grass. You always had a way of making the words disappear in his brain.

“Mind if I think with you?” You teased, not waiting for an answer before plopping down next to him. König groaned softly, as he itched the side of his head, helplessly attempting to get the horrible sensation.

“What’s wrong?” You asked him, shifting so you were in front of his face. He dropped his hand, letting it fall to the grass where he swung his fingers back and forth. “Damn stitches, bout time they came out.” He growled.

You tilted your head, warmly glancing at his blue eyes . “I can take them out for you.” You offered before forgetting about the obvious factor of his hood. You cringed, “never mind, I forgot about your mask.” You scolded yourself, but your mouth dropped open as König reached behind him, slowly pulling the hood from his face.

“König…” You breathed, watching as he looked at you with a gaze you were never able to fully see. He was beautiful, his light hair trimmed neatly, and his nose rather long. His eyebrow stitch was rather small, only a couple loops around. You shook your head, the two of you chose to say nothing as you got to work cutting the strings and pulling them out. His eyes would look up to you. At this point, König was sprawled out across the grass, with him being so tall you wouldn’t have been able to reach his face.

He wouldn’t admit how nice your fingertips felt against his face, one hand holding him still as it brushed across his cheek.

“I can feel you staring.” You commented as you pulled the last stitch. König blushed, averting his eyes, mumbling lowly, “can’t help it, you’re beautiful.”

Your heart quickened as he picked a singular flower, holding it out to you with a soft grin. You took it in your grasp, noticing the familiar petals. “I ought to go, thank you.” He chickened, and for his size he moved fast, making his way to the base. As he left a paper slipped from his pocket. You were about to call out to him, but curiosity got the better of you.

You unfolded the paper, gasping in surprise at the image. Drawn in pencil was yourself, a small smile on your lips as you cradled your head in your hand. Scribbled at the bottom was a poem,

If only she knew,

My love for her would never settle,

She was everything,

Sweeter than her favorite flower’s petals.

#cod #call of duty modern warfare #callofduty #König #Konig #soap mactavish #simon riley #modern warfare

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mrrwsoup · 2 months

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a bit of an intro post for my ocs, been meaning to do one for awhile

Most of them are all interconnected in some way and involved either directly or indirectly with two different fronts for organized crime (circus which is run by my ocs, and importing company which is run by my bf's) but there's a few that are outliers and belong to different time/setting.

i also have more ocs lol but these are the ones that are most involved with my bf and I's headworld. There's more i could say about each of them but since theres so many i'll keep it short LOL.

Heres my toyhouse for more.

And the intro post i did for my bfs ocs.

Dirge

graverobber. non-employed misanthrope, prefers the company of the dead.

involved with Mamba

Micajah

chainsmoking magician and animal handler, with a lot on his hands.

involved with Jackson

Rueben

trickshooting necrosadist who's charming in front of an audience, and insufferable one-on-one.

involved with Elias

Kryl

circus ringmistress. takes discipline seriously. likes cards, roses, big fur coats, and weather that allows for them.

involved with Westley

Jules

acrodancer. flexible in multiple regards. always on the lookout for a good time, especially one he can sink his claws into.

involved with Ruckus

Nova

trad goth knife thrower's assistant, getting blades thrown at him in the ring while secretly inclined to wield them outside of it.

involved with Zero

Trinity

dirty crook, and mama's boy. bashing skulls in the alley but still escorting his mom to church on sunday.

involved with Morrigan

Midas

gunrunner. disfigured from a malfunction in an altered firearm. recreationally lovesick.

involved with Rowdy

Meyer

up and coming trick rider

involved with Blythe

Feliks

circus manager. working hard behind the scenes chugging coffee and pulling out feathers over paperwork. just wants peace and order (rarely obtained).

Jaime

former competitive martial artist, hired as "security" at the circus but acts more as general assistant. patron of dive bars.

Rama

circus promoter. incessant gambler, not above leaning the odds in his favour by any means.

involved with Saul

Saul

runs a sideshow oddity cart. once involved with black market sales but is completely law abiding now, for sure. absolutely…

involved with Rama

Wolf

back-alley doctor. dwelling within his family's dilapidated estate, tirelessly working to procure the bride of his dreams.

involved with Doll

Seth

swagless aspiring hacker. tfw no gf

involved with Ryker

Grimm

sullen black dog cemetery groundskeeper

involved with Cadence

Sinclair

identity document forger for hire, family shame. evading penalization thanks to his lawyer older brother

Silas

a higher demon, posted to the mortal world and hellbent on sowing seeds of corruption.

alternatively in modern au, struggling black metal artist and occultist, performing rituals to capture an angel and bring himself fortune

involved with Valentine

Cyril

victorian player, flexing his position as he moves up the ranks of society.

involved with Julian

Kaan

under the influence of an inherent instinct to put wolves in their place.

involved with Hutch

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luminoustarlight · 7 months

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On The Edge | Din Djarin

A bounty takes you and The Mandalorian to Batuu and he reveals his true desires.

rating: explicit | pairing: din djarin x afab!reader | wc: 7.1k | read on ao3 warnings: canonical type violence, fluff, SMUT [vaginal fingering, oral (f receiving), p in v, praise kink, blind folds], mutual pining

this is a repost from old blogs of mine but it is my writing <3

Wild space fascinates you. The Unknown Regions of the galaxy are just that— unknown. Black holes, supernovas, and strange phenomena are largely unexplored and still remain a mystery to most space travelers. You’ve dreamt about what it might be like to witness a burst of colorful energy, no longer wishing to be a star, but rather a spectacle to be seen.

You’ve loved the many parts of the galaxy you’ve seen, planets you often frequented, but the stars always look the same no matter where you are. Inner, Mid, or Outer Rim.

As Mando lands the Crest at one of the ports on Batuu, you know this is the closest you’ll get to being in Wild Space. You’ve read stories and heard tales of travelers who stopped on Batuu before making their journey into the unknown. You are at the edge of the galaxy and you want to explore.

Thankfully, Mando said you can take Grogu with you to the Black Spire Outpost while he is off tracking his bounty… or bounties. Batuu has largely become a backwater world full of smugglers, gamblers, and those who want to stay off the grid. Since travelers no longer need to make a stop on the planet before venturing further into space thanks to advancements in hyperspace technology, it’s been the perfect hideout. It’s a haven for those who prefer life in the shadows.

Still, trading outposts thrive with shops and popular eateries. You can’t wait to get Grogu out of the ship and stretch your legs.

You are definitely in need of some new clothes thanks to a run-in with a couple of testy loth-cats going after the Child. Speaking of Grogu, he’s in need of some actual toys. And maybe you’ll get something for The Mandalorian to remember you by if you ever met an untimely fate.

Hey, running around with a bounty hunter and a child is a dangerous business. Not to mention the bounty that was once on your head, too. Nevertheless, after nearly a year with the gruff Mandalorian and curious child, you would trade your life for theirs without an ounce of hesitance.

You like Mando more than you like to admit. He broody, you’re bubbly. He’s quiet, you’re talkative. He’s realistic, you’re a dreamer. Sometimes you feel like you’re chipping away at his Beskar wall, discovering parts of Mando he’s forgotten about himself. You never pry, you always let him lead the conversation. And actual conversations with The Mandalorian are few and far between. But when you have them, they matter more to you than he knows.

Mando stands from his chair and heads for the armory. You follow close behind, Grogu nestled in your arms. You’ve gotten quite good at descending the ladder with one hand from the amount of time you hold the Child.

“Here.” Mando shoves your WESTAR-35 pistol against you. You grab it with your free hand before he releases it to gather more weapons for his trek. You are about to say that you don’t want it, but he speaks before you do. “It’s seedy out there. And you’re taking the Kid. Just to be safe. Do you have your knife?”

You roll your eyes. If there’s anything you’ve learned about Mando that’s surprised you, it’s that he worries. A lot.

“ It’s not paranoia if you encounter untrustworthy people every day. It’s being proactive.” You remember him telling you many months ago. You think it’s sweet he wants you to be protected. Or maybe it’s more for the Kid.

“Maker, Mando. We’re just going to the shops and getting something to eat.”

“I just want you to be prepared. You’re very—” Mando stops abruptly, catching himself before he says something he wants to keep to himself. “I don’t want… someone might try to take advantage of you.”

“You know I’m too keen to let that happen. I have my wits, my weapons, and my good looks.” You place Grogu on his feet so you can conceal your pistol beneath your shirt. You check your side pocket, ensuring you have the knife Mando crafted for you. It’s a more thoughtful gift than you initially realized, but you cherish it now.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Mando mumbles, turning away from you.

What does that mean? Before you can ask, he turns back around with a pouch of credits. “This is yours to spend.” And then he hands you another. “This is for food. For you and Grogu. Save your credits.”

Your eyebrows crease together. He is being awfully generous today… perhaps it’s because he knows how long you’ve dreamt of visiting the Black Spire Outpost. Or perhaps it’s because he’s tracking three bounties and knows he’s in for a big payday when he gets all of them back to Karga.

He stares at you while you think of the reason why he’s given you so much. Then your face relaxes. Just be thankful.

“Thank you, Mando. Bright Eyes and I are gonna get a feast at Ronto Roasters, aren’t we, buddy?”

The Child quirks up at you, cooing at the thought of something carnivorous to eat.

“Just be careful,” Mando warns while the three of you descend the ramp with the Kid’s pram beside you.

“I know.”

“I’ll be gone for at least a few days. I might not return until I have acquired all three bounties.”

“Okay,” you say contentedly. It’s routine for Mando to leave for extended periods of time. Sometimes you’d go a couple of days without communication and that used to worry you, but it doesn’t anymore. After about two months of traveling with him, you two decided that if you hadn’t heard anything from him: a hello, an update, or anything after seven days, you would contact him. He also said if you ever needed anything, you could turn on the comms. Every time Mando leaves, he hopes you need something. Hopes you want to hear his voice just as much as he wants to hear yours. You never do, though.

“Mando?”

The bounty hunter twists his head in your direction. He’d been looking towards the outpost, silent and brooding. “What?”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” He bends down to pick up the Kid. “Behave, okay? Listen to your mother.”

Your heart squeezes. He can’t go around saying things like “your mother” because that would imply Mando is “his father” and that would imply that the three of you are a family. And you’re not a family. Right? What constitutes a family, anyway? Certainly not a bounty hunter and his two ex-bounties he’s decided to keep for the long haul. Now you’re the one staring at the outpost.

“I’ll…” Mando places your shared child in the pram. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”

Grogu’s ears drop, a tell-tale sign of his sadness or disappointment. He knows Mando is leaving. He looks over at you with big, sorrowful eyes.

“How could we? You’re the life of the party, Mando,” you say lightly. You get a little chuckle out of him because you both know that you’re the entertaining one. Still, you wish you could walk around the outpost together, have a meal together, and share the experience of being at the edge of the galaxy together.

But off you go in different directions, Mando’s cape whipping in the wind. You look back at him several times and he looks back at you until you and Grogu disappear into the crowd.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“What do you think about this?” You hold up a light brown shawl with a hood. The fabric is light and drapey, and it would be ideal for cooler nights on temperate planets. You’ve already purchased a heavier jacket, made with stiffer and thicker material equipped with many practical pockets from another merchant. You also got new pants to replace the ones the loth-cats tore through, as well as some flowy and airy pants for warmer weather. Mando gave you the money to spend, right? Might as well get a new wardrobe with it.

Grogu coos in approval at the shawl you are showing him and you decide to pay for this last piece of clothing and then head to the Toydarian Toymaker. Although you know Grogu will still play with anything but an actual toy, you still feel bad all he has is the metal ball from the lever in the cockpit.

“What an interesting looking child you have there,” the Trandoshan clerk comments as he takes your credits. You glance at Grogu in the pram, unsuspecting of the tone the Trandoshan spoke in. You take your shawl from the counter and take the Kid out of the egg. You hold onto him tightly as the worker stares at him. His thin tongue slips out of his mouth and licks his scales.

Not good.

“Thank you. Goodbye,” you grab the rest of your purchases and walk calmly but swiftly out of the shop. Not good, not good, not good. The pram only moves so fast, so you know it’s best to keep the Child in your arms. Your bags of new clothing weigh heavily on your shoulder as you try not to obviously run away from the Trandoshan. You look behind you to see if he’s trailing you.

Grogu giggles wildly against you, rather enjoying his excursion. “Now’s not the time, Kid. I think we’ve got trouble.”

You pass by unassuming patrons, many of them walking leisurely from store to store. “Sorry! Sorry!” You apologize to a mother when you bumped into her son. She curses at you in her native language but you’re already gone. As you round the corner to the port where the Crest is, a loud croak emerges behind you. You immediately drop your bag and whip out your pistol from behind your back.

The shopkeeper is nearing you with his blaster pointed at your face. His yellow eyes bore into you, trying to determine what your next move is. Your arm is aimed steadily at the reptilian creature, your controlled and intentional breathing calming you. There is no one else around the port and you’re not sure if that comforts or concerns you. No witnesses. No helpers, either. Not that anyone would help, anyway.

“Hand over the kid,” he sneers while stepping closer. You walk backward as he does so, not once taking your eyes off of him. Grogu’s soft ear brushes against your arm as he looks up at you.

“Over my dead body.”

“If that is what you wish…”

Blast!

Unfaltering, you fire your pistol, dead center in the Trandoshan’s chest. He drops to the ground with a heavy thud and wisps of smoke trail into the air. A wave of relief washes over you and you kiss the top of Grogu’s fuzzy head.

But then you realize it shouldn’t have been so easy. Trandoshans relish in the thrill of the hunt. That was hardly a fight and there didn’t seem to be any real sense of urgency for acquiring your child. Was he hunting Grogu as a bounty or as a snack? Both thoughts make you shiver. You place him back in his pram and close it. You cautiously walk towards the Trandoshan, still lying on the ground. You know that they are quick to heal but don’t know the full extent of their abilities. You kick his blaster out of arm's reach before standing over him and shooting him in the head. And then the chest again…

You need to be sure he’s dead and you’ve never killed a Trandoshan before. If it was overkill, so be it. You’ll do anything to protect your child.

Now you just need to figure out what to do with the body…

You grab your bag full of new clothing and open Grogu’s egg. There he is, bright-eyed and smiling at you. You feel bad you didn’t get around to buying him anything, but perhaps you’ll go back out. Or maybe that’s a bad idea. You need to talk to Mando. But you also know he’d likely come back to make sure everything was okay. And you have everything under control.

Safe in the ship, you hike up to the cockpit to get on the comms. You hope it doesn’t freak him out, since you’ve never contacted him before. What if he’s tailing his bounty? What if he is fighting them and you distract him and he ends up killed?

No, your Mandalorian is too good for that to happen. You sit down in Mando’s seat and hover your finger over the intercom button. Here it goes.

Static crackles before the airway goes clear. “M-Mando?”

“Sarad?” Mando says immediately. You let out a sigh of relief when you hear your nickname. A nickname you still don’t know the meaning of. “Are you okay? Grogu?”

You swallow. Why are you so nervous? You killed the guy, Grogu is safe, and you feel… fine? “We’re both fine. Well, I mean… not fine. We’re not hurt. It’s just that—”

“What is it,” Mando pressed, adding your name at the end.

“We were at a shop. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. A Trandoshan was taking the money and he made a comment about Grogu and it was just off. He was so creepy and his eyes looked hungry. I just grabbed my things and took off. I made it to the ship but he was already there. He said to hand over the Kid and I said ‘over my dead body,’ and I shot him. And then I shot him again. And then again. I had to make sure he was dead, you know? I don’t know if he had a fob, I didn’t hear it at all. I feel so guilty because I shopped so much and I didn’t get anything for Grogu so I thought maybe we’d go back out but is that a bad idea? It’s probably a bad idea. But we’re so far out and we just got here so maybe that guy just wanted to eat him? I-”

“Sarad, take a breath,” Mando says calmly. He can just imagine you in a frazzled state with unfocused eyes when telling him a story.

You do as he says, breathing in deeply. Oh, that feels good. Your lungs appreciated the taste of air. Have you not taken a breath that whole time?

“Where is the Trandoshan now?”

“Right where I killed him. Outside of the ship. What am I supposed to do with it?”

“Is there anyone else at the port?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Local patrol will eventually find him. If they try to make contact with you on the ship, ignore it. They’ll think no one is on board and they have no rights to search it.” He sounds so sure of himself, but you can’t help but imagine patrol boarding the ship and arresting you.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Do you want me to come back?”

How are you supposed to answer that? Of course, you want him to come back. You always want him to come back the minute he leaves. You want to go back to the Black Spire and shop with him, have him help you find something for Grogu. But he has a job to do. And stealing your heart was not one of them.

“No, we’ll be fine,” you sigh.

“We’ll talk later,” Mando says gently, promisingly. Hopefully.

A couple of hours later, local patrol indeed picks up the Trandoshan you killed and makes no effort in contacting you on the ship.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The Crest is quiet and still. Grogu is taking a nap and you’re doing a deep clean of the weapons. Mando has been gone for three days and you’ve talked every day. Usually, he is the one who gets on, asking if you are around. Of course, you’re around. Where else would you go? You can’t tell him you’re too scared to go back to the outpost, so you told him you would use this time to clean the ship and make any repairs that you’d been putting off.

Every barrel, chamber, handle, and trigger of the blasters are as good as new. You disassembled each of them and meticulously put them back together. Mando, of course, has his pulse rifle and several other weapons, so you won’t be able to clean them until he comes back.

You miss him. You miss him more than you ever have and you don’t know why. You’re used to being away from him and not talking for extended lengths of time. Now you’re talking to him every day, throughout the day, and you long to have him next to you. To have his broad figure taking up half of the space in the cockpit and his modulated breathing as a comforting sound to help you sleep.

There’s only so much you can do to entertain Grogu. You tell him the same tales of travelers venturing into the unknown frontier of Wild Space, helping him practice the Force magic with the metal ball and other objects around the ship, coming up with songs while you tinker with repairs. You love him, but you’re getting a little stir-crazy. You want to go back to the Outpost and you want Mando.

You close up the armory and decide to join Grogu for a nap when you hear Mando say your name over the comms. “You there?”

“I’m here,” you say into your portable communicator. You fixed it on the second day so you don’t have to stay in the cockpit or race up whenever Mando reaches out.

“Good. I- I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Thump, thump. You place your hand over your heart. Cool it. “Oh. well, hi. How are you?”

“Good,” he replies, unconvincingly. He’s tired. You know he is.“I’ve got two of the bounties. I’m on my way back.”

Your heart hammers harder. Depending on where he is, he could be back before or by nightfall. You could see him tonight, tomorrow morning at the very latest. He’d be stinky and probably grumpy like he always is when he comes back from a long hunt, but he’d be home.

And you can figure out what the stars is going on with your emotions. Maybe. Hopefully. Or they’ll get worse.

“That’s good. I, um… we miss you.”

You feel like you can hear Mando smile. “I miss you, too,” he says quietly, unsure if he wants you to hear him say it. “Both of you,” he follows up. “I’ll be back soon.”

I miss you, too. You think that’s the closest you’ll get to knowing how Mando feels about you. He misses you. He’s given you gifts. He trusts you with the Child. It may not be a proclamation of love or anything, but it’s enough. For now.

“Blech.” An unfamiliar voice on Mando’s end grouches. “ Who is that? Your girlfriend or something?”

“Shut it,” Mando warns sternly. “Sorry,” he says more gently, directed at you, you presume.

“It’s okay.”

Several whines come from behind the storage door Mando uses as a sleeping bunk. Grogu has just woken up from his nap. “Hold on, the Kid’s waking up. I’m sure he’d love to hear your voice.”

“Alright.”

You press the control panel and the door slides open quickly. Grogu smiles when his bright inky eyes land on you. He babbles happily and raises his arms out toward you. “Hey buddy,” you lift him out of the hammock. “Say ‘hi’ to Dad.”

Grogu coos into your communicator.

“Hey, Kid,” Mando says. “Has your buir been taking good care of you?”

“No, we’ve been eating nothing but junk food and killing more Trandoshans,” you reply on behalf of Grogu.

Mando lets himself chuckle at your comment. “I’m sure you have been.”

“I think I’m going to hurl. I’d rather be dead than listen to this conversation.” The same mysterious voice interjects again. The bounty can’t even hear what you’re saying. They must be filling in your replies with their imagination.

“I gave you the option,” your bounty hunter calls back to his infamous one-liner.

“Hey,” you offer gently. “Just worry about getting back safely. We’ll see you when you get back.”

“Can’t wait, sarad. ”

The comm goes silent. Your heart is hammering, your tummy is bubbling and your head is reeling. Mando wanted to hear your voice. He said he can’t wait to see you. You look at Grogu and ask, “Do you have any idea what’s going on between me and your dad?”

Your child replies back with a curious coo. You’re in love with him, you assume he says. Can it be? Are you in love with The Mandalorian?

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

It feels like hours had gone by since you last spoke with Mando. You thought every sound you heard was the ramp lowering. You paced the hull of the ship, climbed up and down the ladder, and played with Grogu until you grew impossibly antsy. Those bounties must be slowing him down.

When Mando finally comes back, you’re using the kriffing vacc tube!

A clamoring erupts from the other side of the door, much of it sounding like resistance from the two bounties. Just as you emerge from the vacc tube, Mando is pushing one of the bounties into the carbonite freezer. The other, a tall, blonde, human male is looking directly at you. His wrists are bound in front of him and he knows what his near future is looking like, but that doesn’t stop him from smirking at you. “Hey there, pretty thing.”

“Mando, you’re back,” you smile lightly, ignoring the bounty’s comment. It’s the same voice you heard over the comms. As you begin to walk towards them, the bounty frowns at you, extending his shackled arms forward, trying to catch the fabric of your shirt between his fingers.

“Now, that’s no way to treat a guest. You just gonna let her ignore me like that?”

You roll your eyes and punch him firmly in the gut. You (and Mando) watch with contentment as he doubles over in pain. You know how to land a good blow, which is just part of why Mando keeps you around. “Oh, I’m sorry,” you taunt. “Was that the kind of attention you wanted?”

You kick him into the freezer and let Mando hit the control. The man’s slender face grimaces, temporarily immortalizing his expression until he’s defrosted.

“Hi,” Mando finally says. “Did he touch you? Are you alright?”

You shrug. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m really just… I’m happy to see you.”

Mando sighs and steps closer to you. As you let him into your space, you breathe him in. He doesn’t smell as bad as you thought he might. Granted, the weather on Batuu is pretty mild. No extreme heat to cause excessive sweating beneath his armorweave and Beskar. Still, he’s gone four days without a shower. It doesn’t matter. You want to hug him. You want to be all around him, swallowed in his scent. You’ve missed him so kriffing much, you don’t even realize he’s brought his gloved hand up to your forehead. Your skin prickles and your breath catches in your throat. He traces a line down your face to your chin. He angles your head towards his and Maker, nothing is normal about this.

“What are you thinking about?”

I’m thinking about how much I’ve missed you and how I want to get on my knees and–

“Hey, Grogu,” Mando notices your child tugging at the hem of his pants. He lifts him in his arms. Grogu clings onto Mando’s cowl and babbles happily. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“A-are you going back out? For the third bounty?”

Mando shakes his head. “The third bounty isn’t here anymore.”

Oh. That means you’re leaving Batuu. You didn’t even have a chance to get anything for Grogu or Mando. He can tell you’re disappointed by the way your face falls. “We can stay another day. If you wanted to go back to the Outpost together.”

Can he read minds now?

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Are you hungry? We don’t have any food left, but we can go back to Ronto Roasters and bring it back here. Or I can go out and let you spend some time with Grogu and freshen up.” You can tell how exhausted he is. You don’t even have to see his face to know that. His shoulders reveal a multitude of traits— they adopt a heaviness when he’s tired. They roll back when he’s intimidating a bounty. And when he’s with you and Grogu, you feel as though he finally lets himself relax.

“You sure you want to go out alone?” Mando’s voice is tentative. He knows you were worried about going back out with Grogu, but he isn’t sure how you feel about going out alone. He knows you’re capable of it. You have your pistol, your knife, and your solid fists.

“I’m good. Is that what you want me to do?”

Not really, he thinks. He wants you to stay on the ship. He wants to hear about everything you and Grogu got up to while he was gone. He wants to see what you got for yourself at the outpost, but most of all, he just doesn’t want you to leave. He wants to be with you. But then his stomach rumbles. Dank ferrik. He hasn’t eaten anything substantial in days. As much as it displeases him, he agrees to let you go back out.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The Mandalorian is taking a nap when you return with the food. You half expected him to be asleep with the Child in his arms and you are right. Grogu is anything but tired, having already taken four naps during the day. He’s nestled against Mando’s side, nice and safe from the monsters lurking in the shadows.

You set the food down at the foot of the closet and tap on the wall. Mando lifts his head and smiles beneath his helmet. “Food’s hot, if you want it,” you inform. You turn to make your way up the ladder but stop when you hear scuffling and feel a gloved hand on your wrist.

“Stay?” Mando wonders.

He wants you to stay? While he eats? You were only going to do what you always do. If Mando’s eating below deck, you go up top, and vice versa. “You don’t want to eat?”

“I- I do. I was wondering… if you might want to eat together. Back to back,” he quickly adds. “I trust you,” he emphasizes those last three words, reiterating the bond you two have built over the past eleven months.

“I’d love nothing more than to have dinner with you, Mando.”

You begin taking out the food, arranging it in a line on the floor of the Crest. You gather three plates while Mando opens the containers of meat, vegetables, and starch.

With piles of food on each of your plates, you and Mando sit back to back, with Grogu on your lap. He isn’t moving and neither are you. He might have suggested the idea, but if he’s having second thoughts, you don’t want him to be uncomfortable. “We don’t have to do this,” you say.

“No,” Mando quickly replies. “I want to. Just… do you promise not to look, sarad ?”

“I promise on all the stars of the known and unknown galaxies. I would never betray your trust.” You try to comprehend the gravity of this action for him. It’s forbidden for him to show his face to any living thing. And although you’re not going to see his face, here he is, removing his helmet in your presence. Because he trusts you.

With a click, hiss, and a clunk, his helmet was off. You glance behind you, to see the glimmer of his helmet on the ground. You snap your head back and look straight. You tell yourself to focus on Grogu getting grease on your new pants, to focus on the inviting food on your plate, to focus on anything but your helmetless Mandalorian. You begin shoving your face with Solanum. Grogu offers you a piece of meat with a coo.

“You with me, sarad ?”

You almost choke on the food in your mouth. His voice rings through your ears and your spine shivers. Clear and unmodulated, raspy and gruff, but gentle all the same. You want to hear him again. You swallow. “Here. I’m here.”

“Got nervous for a second. You were so quiet. It’s unlike you.”

“Ha,” you deadpan. You can’t very well say you were silent because the only thoughts in your head are of him. What his face looks like, why he waited until now to do this, why he wanted to do this. “Do you like the food?” You ask instead.

“Yes. It’s very good. Does Grogu like it?” Mando already knows the answer to the question, both of you knowing that the Kid likes everything, especially if it’s meat.

“He’s almost done,” you laugh. You wonder how such a little thing can eat so much and so quickly. A large meal always tuckers him out, though.

Mando hums in acknowledgment.

You finish dinner in comfortable silence. Grogu is sacked out in your arms by the time you two are done. “Gonna put him in the hammock. Don’t turn around, okay?” You’re already facing the bunk from the dinner so at least you don’t have to pass him.

“Okay,” he replies.

“Good night, little one.” You run your hand over the top of Grogu’s fuzzy head. You close the door and warn Mando that you’re turning around. “Wait,” you shut your eyes. “Am I allowed to see the color of your hair? I’m closing my eyes, my eyes are shut.”

The Mandalorian rises from the floor and takes long strides over to where you’re standing. Right next to the vacc tube and sleeping bunk. How romantic. “Keep them closed,” he whispers close to you.

You jump reactively, placing your hand over your heart. You instinctively want to open your eyes, but you squeeze them tight, scrunching your nose along with them. “Maker, Mando. You scared me.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He wraps his fingers around your wrist and brings it down to your sides. He slides his hand into yours. You can feel his breath on your face, all warm and savory from your meal.

“It’s okay,” you answer softly. You let the tension in your face fall while still keeping your eyes closed. The tension in your chest, however, is a different story. It’s growing and stretching and clenching.

“You’re so beautiful, sarad.” Mando threads his fingers between yours. “I’ve always thought so but seeing you through my own eyes, it’s so clear. Mesh’la.”

“What does that mean?”

“Beautiful,” he answers. You’re half surprised, seeing as he hasn’t told you what sarad means.

“I-I’m sure you’re beautiful, too.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I mean it, Mando.” That name feels wrong now that he’s taken off his helmet. Doesn’t his helmet make him a Mandalorian? Now he’s just a man in armor, his face exposed to you, and Mando isn’t his name. He has a real name that goes with his face. The name his parents gave him when he was born. You wish so deeply to know who he really is. “You have a kindness to you. I don’t know if you know that you possess it, but you do. You’ve taken me and Grogu under your wing, you care for us and worry about us… it all makes you beautiful.”

“ Sarad. My sweet sarad. You see things in me that I don’t. You’re kinder than me, more thoughtful than me. You’re selfless and generous. You take care of me and the Kid. You make me want to be a better person. I want…”

You feel his forehead rest against yours. Your legs are going to buckle beneath you, your heart is about to escape and leap into Mando’s chest. You can have it!

“I want you,” Mando finally admits. And just like that, your heart is no longer yours. It is his and his to do what he wants with it. He can break it, he can cherish it, he can keep it forever. Because the culmination of everything you two have been through has led to this moment in the Crest.

You don’t even think. You tilt your head up blindly and press your lips against his. They are soft, but the scruff above his lip is coarse. He doesn’t hesitate, either. He moves against you, putting his hands on either side of your cheeks. He brings you impossibly closer to him, afraid that if he lets you go he’ll never get you back. The deep scent of leather from his gloves invades your senses as his tongue slips into your mouth. Your own hands find themselves in his hair.

“Is this okay?” you mumble against him.

“M-more than okay. Want…” he kisses harder before pulling away to look at you. Your eyes are still closed but your mouth is agape. You lean forward, wishing to fill the void Mando created.

“What?” you furrow your brows.

“I want more. If you’ll let me.”

You tug on the hairs at the nape of his neck. His hair is soft and you can tell he keeps it well-trimmed. “You mean you want to have sex with me?”

Mando— you wish you knew his name— almost snickers. At least, that’s what it sort of sounds like. “Among other things, mesh’la .”

“Like what?” You gulp.

“Like hearing you say my name.”

First, he takes off his helmet and now he wants you to say his name? Did he hit his head out there? “Wh-what?”

He pushes your hair away from your forehead and trails his hands down your exposed arms before landing at your hands. He grasps them firmly, then brings them to your chest. “My name is Din Djarin. And I’d like to hear you say it.”

Din Djarin. Din Djarin. You know your Mandalorian’s name. How wizard is that? “Din Djarin,” you say tenderly. “Din Djarin. A beautiful name for a beautiful man.”

Din just gave you his heart, and then some. Who he is under the armor and helmet. Who his parents made him to be. He’s just a man. A brave man, a complicated man. A man you wish to know everything about. You’ve known him for eleven months and you’ve only just learned his name. You can’t help but think you’ve got a long way to go.

“Will you let me take care of you, mesh’la ? Will you let me have you?”

You nod promptly. Your center is already pooling with arousal, aching with anticipation. “Please, Din. Let you do anything.”

Something is stirring deep within Din when he hears his name roll off your tongue. Like you were made to say his name. You and only you. “Good. Stay here, sweet girl. Keep your eyes closed.”

You do as he says, soon hearing him rummage through the storage bins against the wall. You aren’t waiting long before he comes back to you. “Turn around.”

“Would it kill you to say please?”

Maker, you’re insufferable sometimes. “Please.”

“Thank you.” You turn on your heels. Din places a light piece of fabric over your eyes and you immediately know why he’s blindfolding you. Din turns you back around and his lips return to yours, sending surprise tingles through your body. His hands can’t decide where they want to be– first your face, then your hair, then down to your waist before settling on your hips. He digs his fingers into your backside, pulling you closer to his body. He nudges his thigh between your legs, briefly brushing the spot that desperately needs attention. You groan, rolling your head back and allowing Din perfect access to your neck.

He places light kisses down the expanse of your neck, peppering them from your collarbone, up to the corner of your jaw. You lower yourself onto his cold Beskar cuisse, hoping to create some friction against your center.

Unsuccessful.

“Need you,” you breathe, struggling to find purchase on his armored body. Maker, there is barely anything for you to cling to, save for his cowl and cape.

“What do you need, mesh’la ?”

“F-fingers, mouth, anything. Just more. Please,” you lean your head down on Din’s pauldron, steadying yourself with his shoulders when he removes his thigh from between your legs. He picks you up in one fell swoop, making you yelp in surprise. He walks two paces over to your bedroll and gently lays you down.

“How about both?” Din slides your flowy pants and underwear down your legs. His cock twitches with each inch of skin that is revealed. He kisses over your navel, down to your center where you’re glistening for him. He removes his gloves and places them in the pile with your pants. “Perfect,” he breathes. “Just perfect.”

Din drags two fingers up your folds and presses on your clit. You shudder beneath him, overwhelmed by what you cannot see. His face mere inches from your pussy, the lust in his eyes for you and all that you have to offer. He pushes your legs open, leaving one hand holding down your thigh. He plays with the slick between your folds, teasing your entrance with two fingertips. He waits for you to beg again, to say his name with fervor before pushing into you with thick digits. “ Maker, Din!”

His fingers alone fill you well, stretching you and preparing you for his cock. At the same time, he brings his lips down to your clit, sucking and flicking his tongue over the sensitive bud. Your hands finally found something to grasp onto in the form of his hair. His fingers work quickly against your walls and it’s not long before you’re squirming against your bed. His hands are rough but his mouth is soft and warm. He hums and groans against you as his cock is becoming too painful to ignore. He fiddles with his zipper with one hand while continuing to pleasure you with the other. And with his mouth still on your cunt, he’s proving to be quite the multitasker.

“Din, I don’t wanna… don’t wanna cum yet,” you dig your head into your mattress when he sucks harshly on your clit.

“You’ll cum as many times as I want you to.” Din kisses the soft flesh of the inside of your thigh. He does the same on the other. “So if I want you to cum on my fingers and my mouth, you’re going to do just that.”

At this, Din inserts a third finger and you yelp, arching your back and fingers fisting your sheets. “Fuck! Feels good, Din. Feels so good.”

He rubs his hand over the head of his cock, spreading his precum down the rest of his length. He groans into you and begins pumping himself at the same pace of his fingers fucking you. “Cum, mesh’la. I want you to cum before you take my cock.”

You feel the sensation creep into your system. Din’s fingers and mouth overwhelm you and take away all control you had over your body. The coil begins to unravel, and your clit pulses as your orgasm washes through you. Your thighs quake and your breath staggers. Din laps all of you up, allowing you to ride out your high against his mouth. “Good girl, mesh’la. Such a good girl.”

Din brings his lips up to yours as he aligns himself with your entrance. “Can I?”

“Please,” you nod.

Immediately, Din rolls his hips into you. Stretching you wide and filling you high, you’re thankful Din took the time to prepare you. He is still, perhaps waiting for you to adjust. He kisses you tenderly and releases a heavy sigh as he revels in the feel of you around him. It’s far better than he imagined. He never thought he’d feel so complete. There’s no place in the galaxy he’d rather be.

“M-move, Din. Please,” you breathe into him, finding yourself, yet again, drawn to the textured locks on his head. He slowly begins to thrust into you, setting a page that allows him to take his time. He’s weighed down by all of his clothing and armor, breaking more of a sweat with keeping himself from putting all of his weight on you. “Let me ride you, Din. Please, just lay down and rest.”

You’ve always known how to take control of a situation and he isn’t going to argue with you. Din halts his movements, removes himself from you, and lays beside you on your bedroll. You blindly swing your thigh over him, grabbed the base of his cock, and lowered yourself onto him. His hands grip either side of your hips, guiding you up and down. You rip your shirt over your head, exposing the dusty blush bralette you have on. Din groans upon seeing the mounds of your breast, the way the lacy and sheer fabric looks against your skin. So kriffing perfect, he thinks. You lean down, wrapping your arms around Din’s back.

Din juts his hips up into you, eliciting another yelp from your perfect mouth. It won’t be long before you cum again. You two work together, creating a rhythm that flows beautifully. Your moans and his grunts compose the melody. A sweet and harmonious sound. He sucks and kisses your collar, while you do the same on his neck and jawline. You learn his scruff isn’t just around his mouth. He has the makings of a beard.

“Gonna cum soon, sarad, ” Din pants.

“Me too,” you moan. Din slips his hand between you, finding your clit with ease. “Maker! Fuck!”

With the additional friction of his fingers against your swollen bud, you’re done for. Your body falls limp against Din and he holds you tightly while he spills his thick seed inside of you. His cock twitches while you clench around him. “ Nngh,” he groans weakly. You stay wrapped in his arms for a moment, savoring this first time with Din.

“Thank you, mesh’la,” Din whispers. “I need to wash up. I’m sorry. I should’ve before we… but I fell asleep…”

“It’s okay,” you smile gently. You imagine what he must look like. Flustered, flushed, and sweaty. You roll off of him and tell him you’ll wait for him in the bunk with the lights off.

“Okay,” he kisses you. He gets up from the bedroll and climbs up the ladder to the ‘fresher. You take off your blindfold when it was safe to do so. You have to blink a couple of times to adjust to the light. You tidy your clothes into a pile near your bed, use the vacc tube, and change into your sleeping clothes. You crawl into the sleeping bunk, shimmying under the covers that smell so strongly of Din.

As you wait for him to finish washing up, you can only think of one thing.

Forget about Wild Space. You want to discover anything and everything there is to know about Din Djarin.

ugh i'm still so proud of this piece

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#din djarin smut #din djarin fluff #din djarin x f!reader #din djarin x you #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian smut #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x f!reader

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butterflydm · 7 months

Text

looking towards s3

I'm going to be doing a bit of wild speculation for s3, here, after going through the various book narratives and moments to check off what the show has already covered (including some speculation about certain plotlines having been subbed in for other ones) and so what's likely next for them in s3. Contains book spoilers through Knife of Dreams and casting and location spoilers for s3.

(for a more thorough "what's already been done", @sixth-light has one here: what's in and what's out: characters; worldbuilding)

The Eye of the World:

I think we can probably all agree that the one big thing from EotW that hasn't been covered yet is the introduction of the Caemlyn-related characters, other than Elayne -- namely Elaida, Gawyn, Galad, and likely Morgase. We know that this will happen in s3, at least to a certain extent.

They came in clutch at the last minute with giving us Elayne taking care of her 'bird with a broken wing' aka her meet-cute with Rand.

The Great Hunt:

Pretty much everything narratively important about TGH was covered this season. Some of it was remixed (Rand's 'Fal Dara' encounter with Siuan and the Aes Sedai happening in 2x7 in Cairhien instead of at the start of the arc) but pretty much everything important has been done.

And Siuan being much harsher with Rand in the show than in the books makes it understandable why Rand is not willing to trust Aes Sedai (with a handful of exceptions). imo the change in Siuan's plotline was done for three reasons: a. to set-up Rand's increasing wariness around the White Tower and Aes Sedai; b. to have a narrative reason why none of our main characters are going back to the White Tower next season; c. to set up a character arc for Siuan in s3+. Obviously, time will tell on whether or not I'm right, but those were the reasons that came to mind immediately after 2x7 and I still think they're likely reasons.

re: 'flicker-flicker' - the most important thing coming out of flicker-flicker is that Mat is determined never to 'betray' Rand, like it's implied that he did in some of the flicker worlds, and Mat has absolutely made that emotional commitment due to the events of this season.

The only important minor character from bk2 specifically that we don't get introduced to is Egeanin, I think, and again, that's a case of "if we have her, we want to introduce her when she's more narratively relevant", which would be either s3 or s4 in this case, for Nynaeve and Elayne's storyline. We also still have Egwene's introduction to Gawyn being held in reserve for when he enters the story.

The Dragon Reborn:

Elements pulled from TDR into s2:

Perrin (and thus viewers) getting introduced to Aiel culture (though through Aviendha rather than Gaul, combining two separate elements of bk3 into one introduction).

Mat being trapped in the White Tower and then released back out into the world.

Our introduction to Moiraine's spy network.

I think that Elyas being more human-apathetic plus Ishamael telling Perrin that "the more wolf you are, the more you're mine" may have subbed in for Noam and his loss of connection to humanity, driving Perrin to be wary of the wolf-connection.

Moiraine threatening Lan with a forced bond-change because she's trying to push him away.

Rand being hounded in his dreams and being lured to a site of prophecy by one of the Forsaken in an attempt to rescue Egwene.

Rand's moment of killing people and them kneeling to him (in the books, he actually sets them up to kneel; I liked the show's approach much better)

We also witnessed Mat having an actual reason for his Old Tongue memories and his fighting prowess and the show also may tie his luck into him blowing the Horn, given that he said his battle-cry, so I feel like the "archetype" he has in the Heroes is the Gambler (which I think the 'finn call him?). I really loved that all of Mat's random stuff has kinda been consolidated (and the Horn scene might be my favorite scene of the whole series thus far).

Rand being recognized as the Car'a'carn by Aiel searchers.

Elements that were not used but will happen next season: Perrin meeting Faile. I also think it's likely that Perrin will start going into TAR next season (which could give us either Birgitte or Uno | Gaidal Cain in a re-occurring role). Elayne and Nynaeve becoming Black Ajah Hunters (I'm unsure if Egwene will or if she's going to go straight to her bk 4 plotline; I suspect that she's going with Rand), which is also their bk4 plot. I do think we'll get both Perrin (via Hopper) and Egwene (via the Wise Ones) learning TAR.

Things I'm not sure we'll get:

I'm doubtful that we'll get Egwene & Elayne's Accepted tests at all:

Egwene may come across as an even better patsy/figurehead to Salidar if she's a novice

2x7 really makes me feel doubtful that The Dragon Reborn's friends will be able to waltz into Tar Valon and then waltz back out again (unless they are returning specifically to spy out the mood in TV re: the Dragon and Moiraine?)

Egwene choosing over and over to abandon Rand in the Tests feels like it would directly contradict her character arc in s2, where her motivation for working so hard in the Tower was to give herself the strength to protect the ones she loves.

@sixth-light suggested the idea that Egwene might get her "what is to come" vision in Rhuidean and I like that idea a lot -- if she goes with Aviendha to the silver rings and catches glimpses of her potential futures!

I feel like Aludra might not get introduced until very soon before we need to take the Stone of Tear (or potentially not until after Ebou Dar, when she's needed to create the dragons).

I also suspect that we'll skip Thom's storyline from this book just like we skipped his storyline from bk2 and go straight into his post-Tear bk4 storyline, since Rand is going to be doing Aiel politics and not Westlands politics next season. So my current suspicion is that Thom is going to be part of Elayne & Nynaeve's storyline (and then once Elayne and Nynaeve come back into Rand's storyline, that could be when Thom helps Rand).

This is also the book when balefire first appears (Rand uses it on Darkhounds; Nynaeve uses it for the first (and only?) time; and Moiraine uses it twice). Not sure when the show will introduce it, because I feel like it's going to be The One Way to actually kill Forsaken, so it may be held back closer to when one of them dies. I suspect we'll see Lanfear get doorway'd in s3, but I don't think any of the Forsaken will get killed off until s4 (Rahvin, if he exists) at the earliest. If Rand kills Rahvin with balefire in s4, that gives the rest of the Forsaken a reason to back off and keep their distance (especially if Moridin shows up in s5 to take the reins back over on prioritizing corrupting Rand over killing him).

What might happen in s3 but might be reserved for s4: the convergence on Tear and the various roads people take there. I feel like Tear is likely to come after the Waste and maybe even after Cairhien (Tear may be where Sammael is instead of Illian, but then Rand fails to kill him there and he flees to Illian?).

Also, as I keep noting in my reread posts (which is where I'm getting this info from) Mat is much less anti-Rand than fandom agreement had led me to believe/remember was happening in the books at this time. He dislikes The Dragon Reborn (TM) but his thoughts about Rand as a person tend to be more regretful or frustrated than fearful. So the show is doing fine there, since they've dealt with the The Dragon Reborn (TM) issue by having the whole "who is the Dragon plotline?" in s1.

The Fires of Heaven-A Crown of Swords:

I think we already covered "oh no someone else may get Lan's bond" and he'll go directly from Moiraine to Nynaeve, because Alanna has a more important forced bond to take (probably in s4). I am wondering if we'll see Nynaeve bonding Lan much earlier than in canon, maybe even at the end of s3 if Moiraine goes through the doorway and Nynaeve ends up in the same city as Rand & co.

Crossroads of Twilight-Knife of Dreams:

Guess who just got murdered! So... no Renna and no Seta. And maybe no more Suroth. The show has been ruthless with the Seanchan (not a complaint). The show is also leaning much more heavily on the friendship of the Two Rivers Five (plus now Elayne), so Mat doing any of the bullshit that he does in CoT & KoD feels less likely because this Mat doesn't have the excuse of dagger-sickness to forget what happened to Egwene in Falme. After the show made such a (beautiful! spectacular!) show of Mat being a good person at heart, even being a Hero of the Horn, which he wasn't in the books... yeah, they are not doing the book version of Mat & Tuon (thank fucking goodness). They may do a version of Mat & Tuon, but I think it will be very different from the books, if it happens.

One of the new interesting changes that the show appears to have done (from what Egwene said in 2x8) is make sul'dam extremely weak channelers instead of being learners. I think this has some fascinating implications re: Tuon because it means that a collar would 100% work on her. In the books, the sul'dam get tested along with all the other women to see if they are damane and if any of them have sparked, they end up caught.

It's only over long years of use that they develop their 'affinity' with their damane and this is when the collar would work on them. So, per book canon, it's entirely possible that putting a collar on Tuon during any of the books would fail to do anything, because she's still quite young and also is not 'complete' as often as many other sul'dam because of her high status. But in show canon? That collar will work 100%, because they use the Searchers to find marath'damane instead of testing every woman in the Empire every year (until they turn 25, I think it was). If the show is working backwards to decide on these changes, then it's entirely possible that this change in the way finding marath'damane is done was 100% specifically for Tuon's potential storyline down the road.

Also, I love that it means that Tuon is a weak-ass channeler, because that was always my head-canon for her anyway.

The Shadow Rising:

Elements already pulled from TSR+ into s2: Rand knows that Selene is Lanfear and Lanfear is offering to protect him from the other Forsaken and wants to work with him. And Rand also knows that "the Dark One" is actually Ishamael and the rest of the Forsaken are now out in the world. We've also learned about ji'e'toh already. TSR is also when Moghedien was introduced.

What likely won't happen in s3: I think Tear itself will be held back until after the arc in the Waste. They've already done some of the related character-work from the start of bk4 in s2 already, with Lanfear and Rand, and most of the other stuff (the 'finn doorway) could be moved to Falme if need be. Or, since we have the all characters going east, maybe it'll be in Caemlyn when the characters split up to their various plotlines (which would give us Elaida's Foretelling for Rand and Egwene meeting Gawyn) and then they wouldn't have needed to have Falme as a location shoot for s3 at all.

I do suspect that the Rand & Elayne relationship is being pushed to a later season and we'll likely get the beginnings of Rand & Aviendha instead (which makes me suspect that Elayne's storylines would get adjusted in a later season to actually give her time with Rand).

What likely WILL happen in s3: the Tower coup and Elaida taking over as Amyrlin; Rand & co going to the Waste and Rand becoming Car'a'carn while Mat gets his medallion and Egwene gets Wise One training; Elayne and Nynaeve (and Thom?) going Black Ajah hunting (or specifically after Liandrin?). Potentially we will see Rand and Aviendha catch feelings for each other as Rand and Egwene fall apart (and Lanfear stalks Rand from the sidelines, since she's not supposed to be interacting with him). And Perrin defending the Two Rivers, of course.

I don't think that we'll get Tuon this early, though we may get the prophecy (and the dread from the audience that Mat is destined to marry one of these horrible slaver people, because the Court of the Nine Moons has already been mentioned).

In addition to being a big book for Rand & Lanfear developments, TSR is wonderful for Rand & Mat as well. There are so many amazing moments for them in this book. If the show hits even a handful of these beats, s3 will be great for the Cauthor side of fandom. Especially with how Josha and Dónal are playing Rand & Mat as very handsy friends who are comfortable with physical touch.

So, what are some potential ways they could go with s3?

(I promise that any and all speculation with be at least 85% inaccurate and may be as much as 100%; does contain some casting and location spoilers for what we know about s3 so far)

Starting place in 3x1:

Option One: Falme subbed for Tear

We do Tear-stuff in Falme (doorway; maybe bubbles of evil) and then the characters split up for separate journeys.

Pros: making the most out of our current location! the characters are already there!

Cons: Have to pay a location fee for an additional season when they could instead use a s3 location.

Option Two: Caemlyn subbed for Tear

We know that Caemlyn is going to be in s3 and they might want to get the most out of their new location.

Pros: Might get Elaida's Foretelling of Rand. Egwene meets Gawyn without needing to go to the White Tower. Mat could do his 1v2 quarterstaff battle against Elayne's brothers. Means that everyone has already traveled significantly to the east during the break between seasons but they're all still together as a group, meaning we won't need as big a timeskip after this. And Elaida's Foretelling could even be the trigger for Rand & co needing to flee the city.

Cons: can't think of any but I'm sure they exist; this genuinely seems like such a good option to me that I am 100% marking it down to potentially write as a fic, if I ever get the time (I continue to collect plot bunnies at an alarming rate in this fandom!)

Option Three: Hurrying through BK3's ending (aka Tear is Tear)

This seems more expensive than it's worth, but maybe they got more money for s3!

Pros: bk3 Tear will be done, I guess?

Cons: expensive set piece and location that is then promptly abandoned so that everyone can go somewhere else

So, we've done our set-up episode and now we've moving on to: everyone goes somewhere else!

Where do they go?

Stop, Wait... Option Four: There Isn't A Set-Up Episode

This is the option for not having any set-up at all and just jumping into everyone's individual journeys.

Pros: Faster to get into the main story

Cons: No bonding time for the group as a whole; fewer character interactions; would probably make me sad

Well, we've either done our set-up or we haven't, so where is everyone going?

Perrin -> The Two Rivers

I mean, we all know it. Perrin is kinda the reason that I think we won't start with everyone already at their destinations, because I don't think Perrin's storyline in the Two Rivers is meaty enough to be stretched out over eight entire episodes.

Wondergirls -> ???

A White Tower stop-over seems fairly unlikely to me after 2x7, though there's a chance. I think it's more likely that we'll get them splitting up to go into their bk4 plotlines.

(If the Wondergirls do go to the White Tower, what is Rand doing during this time? How does Egwene reunite with Rand for her bk4 plotline?)

Verin burned her bridges with Siuan & Leane, potentially (she COULD probably talk herself out of being viewed as Black Ajah... maybe... but it's hard to see how she could talk herself out of being viewed as breaking Tower law) which implies to me that SHE isn't going to return to the Tower, and she is the one who introduces Dreaming to Egwene in the books. Which makes me lean towards the idea of Doing Tear (and the White Tower plots) in Caemlyn.

They could take some of the characters back to Tar Valon in s3 but... but that bridge between Moiraine and Siuan is so scorched right now that it's difficult to see Siuan being willing to let any of them leave the White Tower if they go there again.

Mat -> Rhuidean

Mat didn't touch the dagger, so he has no need to go back to the White Tower literally ever, especially since one of his Hero friends put the Horn away into an interdimensional pocket for later.

Rafe has implied that we will see Mat's quarterstaff battle at some point (unless he just meant that we would see Mat wielding a quarterstaff against two opponents at once, which definitely happened in 2x8), which leads me further to think about s3 starting in Caemlyn, because after that, Gawyn and Galad go off into separate plotlines.

If we assume that Caemlyn takes the place of both Tear and the White Tower for book 3 & early book 4 events, then everyone would go to their book 4 plotlines from here -- Perrin would go west to the Two Rivers; Rand & co would go to the Waste; Elayne & Nynaeve would go to do some Liandrin-hunting. We would only need five main locations for the season, at least two of which are pre-existing -- Caemlyn, the Two Rivers, Tar Valon, the Aiel Waste/Rhuidean, and whichever city Elayne & Nynaeve go to in order to hunt Liandrin (and if it's Cairhien, then they already have the location/set).

Events that I'm Pretty Sure we'll get in s3:

Rhuidean. Rand's walk through Aiel history and Mat's encounter with the foxes. Rand saving Mat's life. <3

Asmodean becomes Rand's teacher.

I do think we'll likely get Couladin proclaiming himself as the Car'a'carn and the chaos of Alcair Dal, because Mat killing Couladin is really what creates the BotRH and cements him as the leader.

The White Tower coup.

Nynaeve faces off against Moghedien... or maybe this season she will still be focused on Liandrin?

The Battle of the Two Rivers.

I think we will start to get Rand & Aviendha in this season, but slow-burn. But if they plan to do the Moiraine & Lanfear show-off at the end of the season, then you'd want the Rand & Aviendha relationship to begin to flower. And then Lanfear is out of the picture (as far as Rand knows), which would let him worry less about her killing any woman that he's attracted to.

Things that we Might Get in s3 (depending on pacing):

We might get either Cairhien or Tear at the end of the season. That really depends on pacing and I don't know how fast they plan to move through the arc in the Waste. There are really only two big Events in the Waste in bk4 -- Rhuidean and Alcair Dal; though there's also visiting Cold Rocks Hold and the attack there.

Moiraine and Lanfear's encounter with the doorway. The reason that I'm thinking this might happen in s3 is because someone (was it Rafe?) teased about a "big cast change" at then end of s3 that book readers would be familiar with. Losing Moiraine right as he gets a Forsaken as a teacher would be very intriguing.

If we are going to do the polycule (*crosses fingers hard*), then there needs to be a decent stretch of time where Elayne is actually allowed by the plot to spend time with Rand. We got our meet-cute and it was beautiful, so I have high hopes. There is also a new tor.com interview where Rafe says that Elayne and Rand have a 'huge arc' together.

For now, I think the time period after her book 4 plotline and before she gets involved in Ebou Dar seems like the best time (as opposed to just wandering the countryside for weeks because Nynaeve can't remember the word 'Salidar'). So after Rand has returned to the wetlands. I am going to speculate that s3 ends with the Battle of Cairhien while, at the same time, Elayne and Nynaeve go to Cairhien for their own story reasons. Because they've already done their book 4 plotline, and maybe part of their book 5 plotline, there's no need for them to hurry off right away. And Elayne spends most of s4 with Rand (and Aviendha) (and Mat). Elayne can help Rand navigate politics in Cairhien, and they can fall in love while being big ol' workaholics. We also could have Dumai's Wells happen here so that Rand can get rescued not only by Perrin but also by Mat, Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve, & Aviendha. Which would just be nice.

I do think, based on the Power of Friendship vibe that we had in the s2 finale, that the show is going to be bringing our characters back together a lot more often than the books did (and I'm happy about that).

So, based on that idea... a tentative outline for s3 (I am not expecting this to end up being at all accurate, lol, just feeling some things out about a potential way things could go based on what we've see so far in terms of how quickly the plot moves and how the show seems like it's more willing to reunite all the characters, so I am going to try to get everyone to Cairhien by ep8 so that they can reunite again; we also might be doing Tear instead at the end of the season):

ep1: The opening of the season is supposed to start with a 'bang'. Would they do the Tower coup this early in the season? Siuan ended s2 in a terrible political position, having the Dragon in her possession and then losing him. And if anyone finds out that she was conspiring with Moiraine for twenty years... otoh, would they want to show us Elaida in Caemlyn first, before taking her to the Tower for that plotline?

I'm not sure how much of a time-jump we'll get, though probably a bit of one, but I'm hoping we'll get to see all the characters together in the same location, as happened in Tear in the books. This may take place either in Falme or in Caemlyn, but our characters will have a chance to regroup and mingle. We may get some of our action from the start of book 4 here -- the bubble of evil, getting rumors of trouble in the Two Rivers. If the opening episode is in Caemlyn and not Falme, it may also feature: Mat vs Gawyn & Galad; Egwene and Rand (at least) meeting Gawyn and Galad. Rand meeting Elaida and getting a version of the Foretelling. This might also have our characters meeting up with Verin and Alanna in Caemlyn, and we may get our Verin & Egwene scenes and a certain gift of a twisted stone ring.

perhaps spurred by Elaida's Foretelling, our group scatters to their future destinations. Since they are much closer to the Two Rivers than they were in the books at this time, it might be that Loial leads Rand's group through the Ways to Rhuidean, rather than leading Perrin to the Two Rivers. Egwene meets the Wise Ones in TAR and decides she also needs to go to Rhuidean with Rand.

ep2: Perrin arrives in the Two Rivers and we get a look into that situation; Elayne and Nynaeve get interrogated by a woman who is definitely not secretly Moghedien. Rand and Mat ask permission to go to Rhuidean. In order to make it so that all the characters are heading in to the same place, maybe Elayne and Nynaeve went to Cairhien to investigate Liandrin's disappearance? Since all the 'known' Seanchan were killed off in the Battle of Falme, the show may have the Seanchan take s3 (and s4?) off as they regroup before their next offensive.

ep3: They've put a pretty heavy-hitter in as ep3 in s2 and it seems likely they would try to do the same in s3 because of the way that Prime drops shows, so let's call ep3 the Rhuidean episode, where we learn about the Aiel's past and Mat finds a doorway. Moiraine goes through the silver rings, learning about what will happen to her in the future, and writes some letters (alt: Moiraine goes through the doorway in Rhuidean as well and learns it there?).

ep4: Rand & co travel towards Alcair Dal (skipping Cold Rocks Hold); If the White Tower Schism didn't happen in ep1, maybe it happens here. I'm going to tentatively put the Coup here. Rahvin arrives in Caemlyn, if he exists?

ep5: Alcair Dal & Rand trapping Asmodean as a teacher (with Lanfear's help). Couladin announces that he's the Car'a'carn and decides to march on Cairhien, and Rand already feels guilty about getting Lanfear to help him escape in 2x7 and her torching the city, so he's extra motivated to stop him.

ep6: Battle of the Two Rivers, so that Perrin will be able to start his cross-country road trip to meet back up with everyone else by the end of the season? Maybe including the 'trap' for Faile that happened in TDR and it makes Perrin realize that he has feelings for her, which he feels guilty about. Asmodean begins teaching Rand.

ep7: Nynaeve and Moghedien have a confrontation in Cairhien and Nynaeve manages to defeat Moghedien, causing her to flee (or maybe this is Nynaeve defeating Liandrin? We might want to keep Moggy scary for the moment). At the end of the episode, the Shaido Aiel have arrived to lay siege to the city.

ep8: Battle of Cairhien - Mat kills Couladin and forms the Band of the Red Hand; Lanfear finds out that Rand and Aviendha have... slept together? kissed? have feelings for each other? And Moiraine and Lanfear have their appointment at the docks when Lanfear loses it as she realizes that after all her work, Lews Therin/Rand is never going to love her the way that she wants him to.

Then, in the name of 'letting the characters spend more time together', Rand's friends maybe actually get to hang out with him in s4 before people split up again, giving us a situation where the whole group gets to reassemble to save Rand at Dumai's Wells? Hard to guess without knowing how much will get covered in s3. They've done a great job pulling in plot lines from various books so far.

s2 did an amazing job of having a handful of themes that they explored through multiple characters and storylines, so I expect that s3 will also have some themes that they will be using. Not sure what it might be yet though once we get our s3 trailer (in, like, a year or a year and a half, lol) we'll probably have a better idea, because Halsey's "Control" being used for the s2 trailer was INCREDIBLY accurate for some of s2's themes -- "who is in control?" and the idea of fear and control and trying to own someone's power were very much at play in s2.

So what character arcs might we see in s3?

I think we're going to see Moiraine & Lan firmly established as mentors to Rand throughout the season, doing their best to prepare him for the future. And then Rand is potentially going to lose both of them at the end of the season (since I think that the show might bring all the characters together at the end of the season again, we might even see Nynaeve "bonding Lan to save his life" at the end of s3).

In general, there's just... honestly gonna be so much Rand stuff that I will be absolutely overwhelmed (in a good way). TDR-TSR-TFoH are my favorite run of the books and there are just so parts of TSR that are SO good (and a lot of them are Rand).

Theory for Mat's arc in s3: I wonder if we're going to start with him choosing to take a bodyguard-type role for Rand (because of his guilt over the stabbening) and transition to taking a general/captain-role at the end of the season (which would involve more independence in the future when he needs to leave Rand's plotline) as the Maidens take over as Rand's bodyguards. TSR is such a good book for both Rand and Mat in general, so I'm really looking forward to what the show does because the show has invested so much in their relationship already.

I am so so curious about what dynamic will be established for Rand & Asmodean and how many of the other characters might know the truth about him. In the books, Moiraine reveals in her letter to Rand that she knew who he really was but agreed with Rand that perhaps there was no choice but to work with him, because she agrees that Rand needs the training.

I do think we'll see some vibes between Rand and Elayne in the first episode, but that they won't act on them. But Rand was clearly struck by Elayne tenderly healing him with the sunlight in her hair and I do think we'll get some follow-up on that moment in ep1.

We'll also be getting Rand and Egwene pulling away from each other as romance partners (but perhaps settling into being trusted friends?). And I agree with @markantonys that it makes the most sense to have Rand & Aviendha as Rand's first established romance post-Egwene, because of the way the plotlines are set-up (Aviendha is actually going to be around Rand all season) and because she comes from a culture that leaves space for adding additional partners, so you don't need to use the misunderstanding loophole for Elayne and then Min to be added to the relationship in the future.

Perrin is going to come face-to-face with his guilt and grief over his wife's death when he goes back to the Two Rivers. Especially when he begins to catch feelings for Faile. We'll also see him training in TAR with Hopper. We'll see the continuation of his struggle with Dain. I do wonder if Dain might die at the end of s3, for similar reasons to why Renna, Seta, & Suroth died at the end of s2, leaving room for Galad to become the main Young Whitecloak figure in the future. Because the Whitecloaks spend several books not really being relevant in the middle part of the series.

Given how Nynaeve struggled with her block this season and it's been a real obstacle for her, one that she can't handwave away by doing the Bruce Banner "I'm always angry" thing like she kinda does in the books, I think that her main struggle this upcoming season is going to be trying to break her block and that they might even have her succeed at the end of the season against Moghedien -- much like s2 featured Egwene, Mat, & Moiraine coming into their powers (or back into their powers for Moiraine), s3 may see Nynaeve, Rand, & Perrin doing that.

The fact that Siuan disagreed so strongly with Moiraine in 2x7 makes me feel that it's more likely that she will survive the coup, because now she has tons of space for a character growth arc once she's struggling with actually dealing with her own stubborn Two Rivers person in the form of Egwene.

This will be Elayne's first season as an established member of the group -- one of the reasons that I think we'll get a set-up episode at the start of the season is that it makes sense to establish what her place is within the group. And then if Thom is in her storyline, we'll be able to explore a lot of her feelings about being the Daughter-Heir and her relationship with her mother, even if Morgase isn't shown on-screen.

Given that we killed off* all the 'known' Seanchan, I wonder if that means that we'll be taking a break from them in seasons 3&4, and then have them return at the end of s5(?), after Mat, Nynaeve, Elayne, and Lan have all gone to Ebou Dar (maybe Egeanin's plotline is shifted to Ebou Dar and we see that being explored at the start of s5 before the bulk of the Seanchan attack at the end?).

(* well, Suroth might not be dead, since we didn't actually see her die and she might have gotten rescued from the water, so she might be existing in a quantum state -- dead if they can't get the actress back later on but alive if they can)

We had a LOT of plotlines in s2 -- five major plotlines (Rand, Mat, and Perrin each got their own, while Egwene & Nynaeve and Moiraine & Lan did some sharing) plus we had the villain plotlines.

I’m guessing that we’ll only have three main plotlines in s3, which will give them all a bit more breathing room — we’ll have Rand & co in the Waste; Perrin & co in the Two Rivers; and Nynaeve & co doing a version of Tanchico. I think that the White Tower coup is likely to be a plotline for one-three episodes rather than something that spans the entire season.

And now, just for fun, a WoT s2 speculation scorecard! How well did I do?

I'll go backwards in time, so starting with my most recent speculation (that I did based on the 2x8 trailer that aired post 2x7).

That shot of Rand asking "who are you?" would be to that lovely shot of Elayne with sunlight in her hair: Correct!

Lanfear and Ishamael will fall apart while the Two Rivers kids stick together: Correct!

Elayne and Nynaeve will have to separate due to only have one sul'dam outfit: Wrong!

Hopper is going to die; Perrin will kill Daddy Bornhald in retaliation: Correct!

I had, like, three different guesses for the Horn situation so I'm not giving myself any credit there, lol

Turok will die by channeling, not by sword: Correct!

Moiraine and Lan will free damane as their plotline for this episode: Wrong!

Speculation for 2x7 made after trailer that came out after 2x6:

I do a lot of vague spec, the first firm thing I say without as much waffling is that Rand will be put under 'house arrest' by Siuan: Correct!

Mat saw Rand get taken by Lan & co: Wrong!

Lanfear and/or Ishamael arranges the fire in Foregate to free Rand from his 'house arrest' by the Aes Sedai: Correct!

Egwene gets to socialize with other damane: Wrong!

Speculation for 2x6-2x8 based on imdb listings for the last three episodes:

again, I do a lot of waffling and 'maybe this, maybe that', my first solid spec is that Liandrin's son would die in 2x6: Correct!

I did think we would get the royal wedding, so I will mark that: Wrong!

Natti Cauthon would appear as part of Ishy messing with Mat: Correct!

I thought the White Tower would be a location in these last three episodes: Wrong!

Yacissa will get killed by the Black Ajah: Wrong! (very happy to be wrong; I LOVE her)

Lanfear will help Rand out as his presence creates a wedge between Lanfear and Ishmael: ...kinda? I mean, she was Team Rand the second she learned Rand existed, lol.

Rand will leave Cairhien via Waygate: Correct!

Maigan will be Pura: Wrong! (no one is Pura, at least not now, and Maigan is very dead)

Loial will get to visit Egwene in the 'kennels': Wrong!

Egwene won't be freed until 2x8: Correct!

The 2x8 cold open will focus on LTT & Ishamael: Correct!

Ishamael will experience a painful reversal of expectations in 2x8 as his plans fall to pieces: Correct!

I also speculated here that Perrin would kill Bornhald in this version but I already counted that one above.

Uno will reappear as one of the Heroes of the Horn: Correct!

Speculation for 2x4 based on the first three episodes:

Moiraine doesn't already know Rand is in Cairhien: Wrong!

Lan will show the Lanfear poem to Alanna & co: Wrong!

Liandrin will tell Nynaeve that Perrin & co were captured by the Seanchan: Correct!

Logain was deliberately placed in Cairhien to lure Rand there: Correct!

Before we got the episode titles but after the trailer came out:

Siuan's trip to Cairhien occurs in episode 6: Correct!

Rand will still be wandering around the countryside when he meets Selene: Wrong!

Moiraine and Lan will be researching at Verin's in 2x1: Correct!

Rand and Selene's main episode will be ep2: Wrong!

The shot of Lan on Mandarb in the woods will be in Nynaeve's Accepted Test: Correct!

Nynaeve's Accepted Test will happen in ep3: Correct!

Moiraine and Rand reunite in ep4: Correct! (wrong about how/why though)

Perrin meets the Seanchan in ep5: Wrong!

Perrin meets Aviendha in ep5: Correct!

Rand meets Logain in ep6: Wrong!

"We get the New Spring flashback scene, see Moiraine & Siuan happy and young, then hear Gitara's Foretelling": Close! (I guessed it for ep6)

Verin will be in Perrin's plotline: Wrong!

Liandrin will be confirmed as a darkfriend in ep6: Close! (it was ep5)

Egwene, Nynaeve, & Elayne will spend the first 5 episodes in the White Tower and the last 3 in Falme: Close! (it's more 4 in WT; 1 traveling; 3 Falme)

I did a huge post of How Does Mat Get To Falme, which ended up being hilariously incorrect as "Lanfear has him bonked over the head and then Travels him there" was not on my radar, lol. But my favored method included him reuniting with Rand in Cairhien, so I'm glad that part still happened.

Anyway, I didn't do so awful in my predictions, I think.

(In terms of 'accidental predictions', I did write a fic involving Rand being tied to a bed in Cairhien by his lover literally months before we had any clue it would be happening in the show, - and while I'm talking about randomly accidentally being a Prophet in my fics: in Voice, I had Lanfear (who we had not yet met in the show) giving solid relationship advice - "That's fear talking, not fact" & I had this line for Mat: "Maybe Mat was destined to be a failure and a disappointment, like his father. But he wouldn't just lie down and let it happen." which is essentially what it feels like we just got from him in 2x8.)

#wot s3 speculation #wot speculation #butterfly watches wot #wot #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot show spoilers #wot prime spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wheel of time s2 spoilers #wot 2x8 spoilers #wot book spoilers #knife of dreams #wot speculation scorecard

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thegeminisage · 7 months

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i miss posting fic excerpts. so here's a fic excerpt. sorry to be self-congratulatory but my favorite part of this is when jim calls telepathy kinky

#personal #rough drafts #liz loves writing #gambler's knife #sorry im gonna reblog this again tomorrow when people are awake.

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knifeforsale · 2 years

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GAMBLER’S CLEAR PLASTIC LETTER OPENER | LISTING

#letter opener #knife #gambler #red #luctite #clear #circle #text #font #ad #advertisement #white

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goodwhump-temp · 2 months

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Lelouch Lamperouge Whump | Code Geass

"Your big brother… is nothing but a liar." (2x19 20:50)

1x01 - Shot at, kicked, pinned, panic 1x03 - Childhood trauma, gags 1x06 - Hanging off the roof 1x07 - Daddy issues, held at gunpoint 1x09 - Tied to a chair, slapped (16:00) 1x11 - Stunned by shock image (15:35) 1x13 - Guilt, heartbroken, depressed, knocked down x2, electrocuted, unconscious, bleeding 1x14 - [Unconscious, bleeding (10:50)], grazed by bullet (18:10), heartbroken 1x16 - Panic x2 1x17 - Feels betrayed (18:10), actually tweaking (22:00) 1x18 - Held hostage (19:00) 1x19 - Hot af (04:25), exhausted (09:00) 1x22 - Intense headache (12:55) 1x23 - Crying (13:05), comforted 1x25 - Head grazed by bullet, bleeding

2x01 - Manhandled/pinned, falls down building, sickened, amnesia revealed 2x02 - Kicked, painfully pinned, MAJOR daddy issues, tortured/amnesia origin 2x04 - Knightmare neutralized 2x05 - Out of shape (17:35) 2x06 - Caught in ship crashing 2x07 - Briefly bedridden, depressed, freaked out, turns to drugs, slapped, crying 2x11 - Flustered Zero moment (15:30) 2x12 - Exhausted, jumpscared, overwhelmed, hunted, falls down flight of stairs 2x13 - Hanging off a building, hunted, trauma, heartbroken, sobbing 2x15 - Knocked down 2x16 - Shaking scared (19:35), emotional 2x17 - Confrontation, painfully stepped on, knocked down, betrayed, heartbroken, crying, captured, emotional (21:05) 2x18 - Depressed (the very end) 2x19 - Restrained (04:10), weak/in shock (04:35), suicidal 2x21 - Emotional 2x22 - Absolutely gobsmacked (the very end) 2x23 - Shaking (03:10), turmoil (04:50) 2x24 - Utterly flabbergasted (the very end) 2x25 - I'm crying

Code Geass; Lelouch of the Re;surrection (Therapy movie)

(08:20) - Weak, empty (09:10) - Freak-out, comforted (15:20) - Scared, comforted (17:49) - Me when the homeless man on the train pulls out a knife (23:40) - Me when the quiet kid (25:12) - Whiteboard erasers crying for help (27:00) - Anxious (33:30) - Consumed by the ashes (41:50) - Punched x14 (1:19:35) - Gun jumpscare (1:29:50) - Restrained (1:40:00) - Gamblers when they lose a 50/50 (1:40:40) - Unconscious body (1:44:50) - Hey, you. You're finally awake. (1:45:50) - Therapy

#whump #emotional whump #whump list #whumplist #anime whump #code geass #code geass lelouch of the rebellion #code geass whump #code geass r2 #lelouch lamperouge #lelouch whump #lelouch lamperouge whump

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jungle-angel · 3 months

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LISTEN LISTEN 🗣️🗣️I Remember Everything by Zach Bryan is SO ABSOLUTELY Rhett Abbott having a fight with you and making up CODED i need someone to write this so bad

OH GOD NONNY!!!!! I am so sorry that this is so late in coming but the squeak I had let out when I saw this!!

It had been a long week for both you and Rhett. He felt terrible about the fight you two had gotten into one night, a simple mistake really, but one that you didn't wish to make again. Tensions in the house were already high and everybody was on their last nerve, the stress of getting your home built up in Bozeman and the stress of getting all the paperwork in so that you and Rhett would have legal custody of Amy.

You sniffed away the tears, your hands buried in your face even as Pongo, your beloved Dalmatian whined and licked your face. Perdita wasn't too far behind him either, settling in beside you with her head in your lap.

You turned every thought over in your head as you watched the gorgeous sunset of early spring, the days much warmer and much lighter now, listening for the little baby monitor on the porch just in case Amy started crying.

God why does this shit have to be so fucking hard.......?! You thought.

Why did it? It shouldn't have been that hard and yet it was. You wiped away the tears from your stinging, reddened eyes, watching the hills with every hope that your husband would come back. You heard the storm door on the porch hiss and click shut along with the clunk of your father-in-law's boots.

"Hey sweetheart," Royal said, seating himself beside you. "Ya'll ok?"

"I dunno Roy," you croaked. "I'm so sorry for whatever happened......."

""Don't you dare be sorry (y/n)," Royal told you. "This ain't your fault. There's just alot of tension in the house right now and us Abbott men tend to let it get the better of us."

You nodded as Royal handed you a mason jar full of his homemade spiked apple cider. It was so smooth you couldn't even taste the alcohol in it.

"Why does shit have to be this hard?" you croaked.

"Sometimes shit gets hard so that we can appreciate life more," Royal mused. "I know it sounds fucked up, but if ya'll go through life expectin everything to be handed to ya then what's really the point of it all?"

"You think so?"

"Not a doubt honey," Royal answered. "S'a real harsh lesson to learn. My Ma and my Pa learned that the hard way too and so didn't I. Ya'll should've heard the stories from when Cece and I were startin out."

"That bad?"

"Her temper got real hot one night after her younger brother stole money from her," Royal said with a chuckle. "She thought I was him walkin through that door and chucked a kitchen knife right at me."

You suddenly laughed through your tears as Royal went into detail about his and Cecelia's younger years, just starting out on the ranch as a young married couple with no idea of what the fuck they were doing. Deep down you felt better, but a nervous pang welled in your chest when you saw the familiar sight of Rhett's truck pulling up the gravel driveway. You saw Pongo and Perdita bounding down the steps to go and greet Rhett as he pulled out a bag from the back containing his and Royal's dinner orders from The Handsome Gambler.

"All good Dad?" he asked.

"Yeah just sharin a before dinner drink with (y/n)," Royal explained. "You free tomorrow or no?"

"I've got some stuff goin on," Rhett answered, running a hand through his hair. "Chester needs some help down at the farm across the street from the school."

"Alright, just curious, that's all," Royal said with a shrug. "Here, I've gotta go in and help your Ma with the laundry for a few."

Royal disappeared inside, leaving the two of you alone on the porch. Rhett quickly noticed the look on your face and tilted your chin so that your gazes met.

"Baby I am so, so sorry," he apologized, his voice croaking a little.

"Rhett, it was my fault, I made a mistake and....."

Rhett quickly drew you into his arms and pressed a heated kiss to your lips. "Hey," he said. "We both made a dumb mistake and we own up to it. Ya'll know I'll never walk out and leave you right?"

You nodded, the tears starting again.

You and Rhett sat on those steps for what felt like forever, nearly forgetting that dinner was waiting. You, Rhett, Royal and Cecelia all sat out on the porch and ate together, all of you listening just in case Amy woke up. Rhett curled his arm around you and pressed a kiss to your lips, the lingering taste of a cheeseburger still on his lips and the both of you closer than ever.

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #royal abbott #cecelia abbott #royal x cecelia abbott #amy abbott #outer range

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southpawbitch · 8 months

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Busy | Rhett Abbott x Reader

Masterlist (this is part FIVE; read the others here)

word count: 1.7k

summary: rhett ends things (feels like a spoiler, but c'mon guys...what did you think was going to happen?)

warnings: mentions of cheating, maria, reader has an alarm set to take birth control

A/N: so as promised, here's the next part! i don't super love it...i was trying very hard to avoid them having this convo, but i really needed a transition because the next part will be a time skip! lightly edited (i'm a working gal). hope u enjoy!!! x MJ

Rhett’s nervous as he stands at your door, fiddling with his thumbs that are wrapped tightly around the small bouquet of wildflowers he picked up at the farmer’s market a half-hour ago. He wasn’t sure what his plan was for today–just that he had to see you–and when he saw these flowers, he couldn’t not get them for you. Maybe it’s because of his growing feelings towards you over the past year, or the guilt that he can’t seem to shake, but he’s here to make things right with you–for good.

You’re sitting on the couch avoiding real life by immersing yourself into the fictional world of The Nanny where cell phones and cowboys are essentially nonexistent when you hear the knock on the door. You’re surprised Fran’s voice didn’t drown out the sound, but you perk up anyway, turning your head to look out the obscured glass in the wooden door. You can’t make out much, just that they’re tall, and you assume it’s one of your brothers coming to ask you if you’re alright. You haven’t left the pool house in two weeks, and you only look at your phone when the alarm to take your birth control goes off at 5:55pm each day.

You pad across the hardwood floor into the small entryway, and pull open the door slightly, revealing Rhett. He’s not smiling, but he is trembling like he’s nervous to be standing on your doorstep. You stand up a little straighter, hoping he can’t tell that you’ve been wearing the same oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts going on four days straight and haven’t washed your hair in the same amount of time. You take a step back, distancing yourself as much as you can while keeping the door slightly closed, not wanting him to see the complete mess you’ve made of your space.

“I’m busy, Rhett.” It feels like a knife to the chest when you say his name. He hasn’t heard it in a while, and you sound less than pleased to see him here at your door. He can’t blame you, though. The last time you saw him, he was cozying up to Maria at The Pit Bar and you were being berated by your fiance for dropping a glass and attracting the attention of the entire building. He assumes that’s why you’ve been holed up for weeks. He heard Katie and Jade talking about trying to get you to come out with them when he was at The Handsome Gambler yesterday. It makes him sick to think he could be the reason for it all. And he knows he is. The list of reasons for his unexpected visit keep growing the longer he thinks about it.

“We need to talk.” He’s not asking, and he’s not buying your lame excuse. Clearly, you’re not busy. You’re the only one home–period. Every truck is gone from the main driveway, and he saw your mom at the farmer’s market. On top of that, It’s not like you to distance yourself from everyone and everything. At least, he doesn’t think it is. He’s worried about more than one thing at the moment, and it would be a lot easier if you’d just relax and let him in. “I-I got you these.” He stutters slightly, holding out the small bouquet of flowers towards you like a peace offering.

You honestly didn’t even notice the multicolored bundle of flowers in his hands before this moment–you were too wound up from seeing him for the first time since that night. A shiver goes down your spine as you accept them, reluctantly dropping your hand from the door handle and retreating back into your house for a vase to keep them in.

Rhett lets himself in behind you, noticing the state of your place. He’s never seen the pool house in such disarray. Mail that hasn’t been sorted through or opened is strewn across the entry table, shoes litter the hallway, and as he gets into the living area, he sees it’s not much better. There are glasses sitting on nearly every surface, along with a growing collection of empty wine bottles on the counter. Your favorite mindless TV show plays in the background, and a bundle of blankets and pillows are piled on the sofa. He stops in between the living room and the kitchen, watching you put water in a vase he made during a pottery class he took with Amy for her birthday six months ago.

“Are you gonna talk, or what?” You ask, not bothering to look up from what you’re doing, placing the flowers in the vase, arranging them nicely as they sit in the middle of the counter.

“I’m sorry about Maria, but–” Your head snaps up and you make eye contact with him. He can see the tears already forming in your eyes, and he has to admit it’s a bit much for him. He’s never been good with negative emotions, especially when other people are the one experiencing them on account of him. “You’re engaged…I-I can’t keep stringin’ you along like this.” He wipes his sweaty hands on his jeans and keeps distance between the two of you. You’re just staring at him with those big, doe eyes. A single tear falls down your cheek, and admittedly, he wants to pull you into him and wipe it away and make it all better, but the two of you being together only causes chaos–no matter how right it may feel, it’s one-hundred percent wrong.

You know his words are true, but you’ve been desperately trying to sweep your reality under the rug and live in this dream world you created when you started sleeping with him. It was all so innocent at first. He hadn’t really ever thought of you as someone he could be with, and you were living out a high school fantasy. It felt like playing pretend. You never imagined you’d actually fall for him, and you’re not sure how you’ll ever be able to stop. Now, he’s standing in front of you, admitting that he’s the one stringing you along–like he knows you have real feelings for him that he can’t reciprocate. Maybe it’s still just a fun, little game for him. Maybe his feelings haven’t changed since that first time. Maybe they never will.

“You brought me flowers to tell me that?” You cross your arms over your chest as you stand on the other side of the counter. It hurts to hear him say what you probably should’ve known all along. You knew it wouldn’t last forever, but you never thought it would end like this. You thought you’d slowly stop wanting to see him after the thrill of what you were doing wore off, but that never happened. A hint of something you’d probably call ‘love’ lingers in the air when the two of you are together, but you’re not dumb enough to call it that. Not anymore, at least.

“I think you know how I feel about you, but it’s not fair for either of us. It’s not fair for Ben…or Maria.”

Your mouth opens to respond, but instead of allowing her name to spill out of your mouth angrily, you laugh dryly. Do you know how he feels about you? “You say that like you’re dating her.”

And then he’s quiet, which confirms that your petty response is true. Whatever him and Maria had all those years ago must still be there. There are so many things you want to say to him right now. You want to remind him what she did in high school and that their entire relationship was built on that lie. You want to remind him that it didn’t work out the first time, and ask him what he thinks will be different this time, but you don’t. You can’t. He’s right about one thing. It wouldn’t be fair for you to criticize his relationship. You’re the one that’s supposed to be getting married. He doesn’t owe you anything. It’s a tough pill to swallow.

“I wanted you to hear it from me first, but I’m leaving.”

“Yeah, okay.” You roll your eyes, turning your head to look out the glass doors that lead to the pool. You can’t look at him any longer. He can feel the hurt from across the room, but he knows this is the right thing to do. You have to quit each other–this can’t keep happening. He’s doing this for you. You’re just way too stubborn to see that.

“I’m going to Denver to ride. I just don’t think I can stay here any longer.” What he means is that he can’t stay here and watch you get married to that asshole, but he leaves that part out. He may not like Ben, but the guy is perfect for you. Your family loves him. Your friends are his friends. In all honesty, he can’t compete with that, and he’s not going to. He’s not the marrying type, and he knows that’s what you want–that’s what you’re getting. He’s done getting in the way of it.

You can’t tell if he’s being serious or not. It’s been a well known fact that Rhett Abbott has always wanted to leave Wabang, but it’s been almost a decade since you graduated high school, and he’s still here. You’re not sure he even has it in him to leave, but you nod your head in understanding, knowing that if you try to speak, more tears might come. It feels like you’ve only been crying because of him these days. Ben’s hurtful actions don’t even seem to phase you anymore, but it’s different coming from Rhett. It’s not even a bad feeling. It’s just genuine emotion. You’re not faking anything when it comes to him. The heartache is real.

“I think it’s best we put this behind us. I want you to be happy, and I know you’re never gonna be happy with me.” The worst part is that Rhett Abbott truly believes every single word that just came out of his mouth. And you let him leave without correcting him as you watch him walk across the grass to his blue truck, hoping that by next week, he’ll take back everything he said to you today.

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott #rhett abbot x reader #rhett abbott fanfiction #rhett abbott x you #outer range #outer range fanfic #lewis pullman

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