#in general though. while shipping is totally fine. i think people that look at any story that doesn't have romance as the main focus

[nateriverswife]

I have never seen any author complain about this but i would totally understand if someone would be annoyed that their readers are seeing romance when they intentionally didn't include that.

#i was thinking back to a comment i received and they wrote ''L/Ethe'' which made me realise that some people will inevitably #interpret the story as romantic at some point or with a romantic resolution which spoiler alert (not really) i'm not going to write #that fic is not about romantic love. and after all Ethe will do to L - he would rather be burned alive than being near her #cuz that would be less painful. it's not even going to be ''oh wow yes toxic ship!!'' cuz i am trying to write a realistic story here #and people irl don't want to stay together with someone who treated them like shit for years and ruined their trust in people yk #so yeah. i'm not personally annoyed but if you read it like that. i think you'll miss a lot of the themes i am discussing #i even made Ethe say that L thinks it's just a childish rivalry but it's much more than that so yeah... lmao #in general though. while shipping is totally fine. i think people that look at any story that doesn't have romance as the main focus #like that are not going to get all aspects #this is me being annoying but i think this heavily applies to death note as well cuz you are going to interpret any action as #obsessive toxic love & that takes a lot from the story itself #that's why i also tend to talk more about ''dynamics'' than ''ships'' even when the romantic love is there. #d.exe

[endwithajadestrick]

Who Is Fucking In Star Wars? A Non-Comprehensive List

So in honor(?) of the DDoS attack on Ao3 preventing us all from mainlining slash fic, I've decided to go horny on main and list off my opinion about 3 traits of all Star Wars characters. Our beloved Galaxy Far Far Away is a usually (tragically) chaste place, which may lead us to ponder about our faves:

Do they even know what sex is?

Have they ever actually HAD sex?

Are they any good at it?

We will not be including characters who are minors in this list. Obviously. Judgements are based somewhat on the lore, but really more on vibes. Perhaps it goes without saying, this will be lightly NSFW.

This is probably gonna take a while and stop feeling like a good idea halfway through. Which of your exes does that describe? Let's Go!!!

Starting with the big three:

Han Solo

Always begin with an easy one.

Does he even know what sex is? Yes, unlike a surprising number of people in this galaxy, Han knows how to do the do.

Has he ever had sex before? Sure (but not as often as he wants you to think). Do you, uh . . . maybe wanna get out of here and come back to his ship? She's called the Millenium Falcon.

Is he good at sex? Look. It's not going to be good the first time. He's gonna keep insisting that he "knows what he's doing," but you wish he would just let you explain what you like. He needs to be girlbossed around a little bit. And it is mostly girls for him, though the occasional guy and non-binary being has mounted that loading ramp too. His bedroom does smell kind of funny.

Luke Skywalker

This one may be controversial for some people.

Does he know what sex is? Nope. Farm boy didn't go to schmool. Skool? Am I saying that right? There were no copies of Our Bodies, Our Selves lying around the rebellion base, and you better believe the Sacred Jedi Texts did not include some kind of version of the Kama Sutra. Han wasn't gonna draw him a diagram either; that would be too embarrassing. This man is not learned in the pleasures of the flesh.

Has he ever had sex? Also no. He got into some light over-the-clothes action with Biggs Darklighter when they were teens, but nothing ever went any farther than that.

Is he good at sex? I'm sure a real earnest effort would be made, but we'll never know, will we. Because he DOES NOT KNOW what sex is.

Princess/General Leia Organa

Does she even know what sex is? Oh, absolutely. This woman was treated to an actual formal education. She probably even got a nice, progressive version of SexEd that talked about pleasure and consent and not just all the weird diseases you could get--assuming the Empire didn't nix that sort of thing on Alderaan, which, honestly, they might have.

Has she ever had sex? Of course. And despite being a princess, she's not that precious about courtship either. Casual flings are totally fine and normal.

Is she good at sex? Leia is mature but, like her hairstyles, can be a little tightly wound. Once you get over any initial awkwardness, though, it's sure to be a fun flirty time.

And this is Star Wars, so sooner or later we have to address--

Chewbacca

--the aliens of it all. Welcome, monster fuckers! It's not even weird in this universe!

Does he know what sex is? Chewy is canonically 234 years old as of TLJ, so I'm going to give this a definite yes. Also, he hangs out with Han Solo and all the doors in this universe appear to be panel-controlled. There are no door knobs to stick a sock on; he's SEEN some things.

Has he ever had sex? Again, 234 years old, and Chewy has never seemed like a wallflower. This is also a yes.

Is he good at it? Maz Kanata seems to think so? I don't pretend I have the predilections/imagination to get the appeal (though I honor those that do), but I'm gonna take a swing and say, yes, Chewbacca is a good lover. Solid stamina, surprisingly tender after-care.

Lando Calrissian

Does he know what sex is? Yes, and not just on a mechanical level. If anyone in this universe HAS read the Space Kama Sutra, it's Lando.

Has he ever had sex? He has. And he doesn't keep a list of all his past sexual partners because that would be cras. But he COULD tell you about each of them, names, dates, locations. But he won't. But he could.

Is he good at it? Surprisingly, yes! He may come across as a guy who is all talk, but Lando is an artist at heart and the democratically elected President of Consent. He has mood lighting set up and a tastefully curated playlist. The atmosphere is fun, the oral is enthusiastic. When you're done--wow!--there's a mini bar right near the bed. And would you like to borrow a silk robe?

Your magical evening will not prevent him from cheating you at cards later, though.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Does he know what sex is? No. He learned once, but has since memory-holed the information. Otherwise he might accidentally experience some pleasure from the stick up his bum.

Has he ever had sex? Many beings have made valiant efforts to claim this beautiful man as a conquest. All have failed, but there was much exquisite yearning along the way.

Is he good at it? Hypothetically? Alas, my heart wants to say yes, but my head says no.

Padmé Amidala

Does she know what sex is? Look at this dress. This dress is a CHOICE, a ruthless tactical decision made by someone who definitely knows what sex is.

Has she ever had sex? Yes, but her taste in men--oh, honey.

Is she good at it? A pillow princess if there ever was one. You will be doing all the work.

Anakin Skywalker

Does he know what sex is? No.

Has he ever had sex? Yes.

Is he good at it? . . . and I know those answers seem contradictory, but it's true. This is a man who has had normal, consensual adult sex. However, baby boy's brain is full of more holes than a colander. He is dummy thick actually in the head region. He is incapable of retaining complex thoughts such as the nuances of sexuality.

That said, he is a creature of pure instinct and, like, yeah, the lovemaking is pretty hot.

Mace Windu

Does he know what sex is? Yes.

Has he ever had sex? No.

Is he good at it? If it ever happened, which it won't? No, and Mace is possibly the only Sammy J character for whom this holds true. It would be strictly procreative missionary. No fun allowed.

Yoda

Does he know what sex is? Yes, he is aware. Knowledge is this little frog man's burden; Yoda is too in touch with the Force, the life energy of the universe, not to know. He WOULD not know if he could, but he has had to settle for just ignoring the information.

Has he ever had sex? You know I am genuinely stumped on this one. On one hand, he is the perfect ascetic Jedi sage. On the other hand, a nine hundred year lifespan is a long time . . . anything could have happened to this lilliputian enigma.

Is he good at it? Size matters not.

The Mandalorian

Yeah I know his name is "Din Djarin." Shush.

Does he know what sex is? I'm pretty sure this guy thinks that babies are found, not made. He does not know what sex is.

Has he ever had sex? I don't care what season one implied about Mando and that toothsome twi'lek, it's never happened. The helmet doesn't come off and the trousers don't drop.

Is he good at it? And here's the tragedy of it all, right? Because we know that underneath that impenetrable layer of beskar lies such a man. I don't even care if he's an ace, as seems plausible. Just the chance to look him in the eye would mean worlds.

Finn

Does he know what sex is? Negative, Ghost Rider. It's not something the First Order teaches their child soldiers, and the Resistance, like the rebellion of old, has bigger fish to fry. Poe wants to explain it to him, but feels like he has a dog in that race and it wouldn't be right.

Has he ever had sex? Men, women, and other beings are lining up around the corner for a shot at this man, but he only has eyes for one woman, and she in turn may be legitimately the only person in the galaxy who does not pine for him. Hang in there, Finn! Maybe one day she'll become emotionally available.

Is he good at it? While we have seen Finn makes some selfish moves along his journey--mainly because of, y'know, all the trauma--he has done a lot of growing and is an essentially generous spirit. This gets a yes.

Rey Skywalker

Does she know what sex is? Not in either The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi, but before Rise of Skywalker Leia explained it to her. She's the future of the Jedi after all, and this is basic stuff, goddammit Luke!

Has she ever had sex? Hmm, what's that? Sorry, she's super busy right now with, like, destiny and stuff.

Is she good at it? Rey seems to pick most things up fairly quickly, so you have to imagine that would hold true for l'amour as well, except that she'll also be a bit of a try-hard. Do less, sweety. Really, it's fine.

Lightning Round

Asajj Ventress

Yes, yes, and it depends on the answer to one question: do you enjoy pain?

L3-37

It Works.

Cinta Kaz

Yes, yes, and not just good but so good it will politically radicalize you.

Karis Nemik

No, which is a shame because you know that he would have made sex-positive feminism and queer theory a huge part of his manifesto.

Count Dooku

Gay, and pulled legendary numbers of exquisite vintage ass across the galaxy. It's the real reason Sidious traded him in for simple, pussy-whipped Anakin. He just couldn't take it anymore.

Luthen Rael

Hope you like role-play.

Armitage Hux

Yes, it's true; this man has no dick.

Qi'ra

Yes, yes, and good but maybe in a dangerous way? Like drugs, it's possible that you--maybe even most people--could have a healthy, well-adjusted relationship to it. But there's a chance also that it will alter your brain chemistry, fundamentally shift your priorities, and ruin your life. The only way for sure to be safe is not to try it, not even once!

The Bendu

The One in the Middle. So in this case, would that be, like, the taint?

Reva Sevander

I mean, do you like it freaky? How freaky do you like it? There are levels to this sort of thing, and you, through no fault of your own, may not be ready for this ride.

Cassian Andor

Cassian Andor fucks.

The Armorer

I tried to get a read on this one, and all I picked up was radio static. We'll never know. We'll just never know.

Rose Tico

Rose appears naive at first, but she's actually quite worldly and will rock yours.

Bo-Katan Kryze

I daresay more than 2% of us want her to sit on our face. Ms. Sackoff was really lowballing it. Bo does not know what sex is, however, and is rarely in listening-mode, so that's a hurdle we'll have to overcome.

But it's more than 2%.

Poe Dameron

Yes, yes, and does it even matter? It would be an honor just to be considered, sir.

Hera Syndulla

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. Apparently what Lola wants is an inexperienced, sexually repressed Jedi hotty. In this way, she is the true queen of Star Wars fandom. Captain our ship, Hera!

And Finally:

Kylo Ren

I do not understand the hold this man has on some of you--which is fine; you don't need me to understand it. He does not know what sex is, he is so horny and angry all the time. And sure, maybe you CAN fix him by completing his education. Blessings, angels. Live your fantasy.

Just promise me you'll use protection? And I don't mean a condom, I mean body armor.

#star wars #luke skywalker #anakin skywalker #the mandalorian #han solo #leia organa #padme amidala #obi wan kenobi #din djarin #kylo ren #rey skywalker #star wars finn #cassian andor #yoda #mace windu #the armorer #bo katan kryze #cinta kaz #reva sevander #hera syndulla #the bendu #qi'ra #lando calrissian #chewbacca #l3 37 #rose tico #armitage hux #luthen rael #count dooku #karis nemik

[haven-of-dusk]

for the ask game: headcanons for nico di angelo? (if you haven’t read the books, then ricky bowen 🤠)

Sorry this took me so long... I have indeed read the books, so I'll tackle both! Nico Di Angelo:

Sexuality - Gay

A ship - I actually do like Solangelo a fair bit, they're not my faves per se, but I don't have glaring issues with them (especially compared with say, Caleo).

However for the sake of fun, I also love Jasico (I hope I have that name right). Minor aside that I'm about 90% sure Jason is (he's fine, TBM didn't happen I promise) a closeted gay man based on a number of hints dropped in TBM, plus vibes plus he just screams internalized heteronormativity. So I really wish we could've explored more of Nico and Jason's dynamic. Plus they'd be incredibly adorable about one-upping each other's displays of "touch him and die" imo.

A BROTP - Percico, I totally get why shipping them romantically is a thing, but I also adore the dynamic idea that Nico completely got over Percy and Percy's a little salty about it, plus the level of trust they eventually displayed regardless of the definition of their relationship is very special to me. (End of MoA always gets me right in the feels).

A NOTP - I don't have any specific ones...so I guess I'll just say any ship that tries to get him involved romantically with a woman.

A random headcanon - Though he mostly put Mythomagic behind him, he has since become a massive D&D nerd, with multiple fully fleshed out characters and a couple campaign ideas that he badgers people to play with him. (Also the main cast of HoO playing D&D is a podcast I wish was real, Critical Role style...)

General Opinion - I love Nico, top 3 Percy Jackson Universe characters (I think, I haven't gone through and put together an exact ranking ever since I love almost all of them), not super happy when the writing leans too far into the 'edgy' side of him, but his dry wit is always a pleasure, and he's also capable of backing up the edge with badassery.

His original artwork will always give me nightmares though.

Richard 'Ricky' Bowen:

Sexuality - Bisexual

Gender - Cis Male, though he did experiment with they/them pronouns to see if they felt better to him. They didn't, but he's glad he tried.

A ship - Caswen. Obviously. I think my canon rewrite of half the show serves as adequate explanation of my love for them.

A BROTP - Redky. The friendship/brotherhood between Big Red and Ricky was something I really enjoyed in the first two seasons, it felt quite accurate to my high school experiences and I also find their interactions in fanfiction very endearing. Plus it provides more fuel to my fire that Caswen are NOT brotherly since we have a perfect brotherly relationship for Ricky right there and it looks nothing like his relationship to EJ imo.

Plus I'm still extra irritated that in addition to the rampant biphobia in how Big Red's storyline was handled, they also tried to shove him out of the picture and replace him with Jet in S4, with a scene in E3 especially feeling like the dialogue was written for BR and then they had Jet read it for...no discernable reason.

A NOTP - ...Rina /s.

In all seriousness the only answer I can readily come up with is Rily, because wtf was that subplot even supposed to be, but I struggle to think of NOTPs for Ricky since my brain is mostly Caswen or bust. I thought of the EJ alternatives purely because Tim is so militant about Rina, but I really don't know what Ricky would do outside of preferably Caswen or Tim's beloved 'canon' Rina. And while I do think Rini work better as friends, I also wouldn't call them a NOTP since I feel kind of bad for some Rini shippers (not the creepy ones, the normies for lack of a better term).

Idk, I guess I'll just say Rily and move on.

A random headcanon - Ricky loves the Spice Girls. Where did this HC come from you ask? I have no idea. But I feel like it fits.

The urge to write a mini-fic of Ricky and EJ dancing at their wedding to 'Spice up Your Life' is rising. (Totally not influenced by Doctor Who)

General Opinion - I love Ricky. Not quite as much as Elton, but that's a pretty high bar to clear since Elton rose to my top ten of all time list pretty easily. I have mixed feelings about S3 and S4 Ricky since I felt like they made him overly obsessed with Gina and lost a lot of the charm of his earlier plotlines centering on familial trauma and figuring out his own desires in life, but he's still high ranking for HSMTMTS characters, and I obviously love Caswen to death, so it's hard for me to say I don't also adore Ricky as a special little guy.

That spiraled into a bit of a ramble. Point is that I do really like Ricky, I just wish the writing for him later in the show was less...self-parodic...if that makes any sense.

#ask games #nico di angelo #ricky bowen #ty for the ask <3 #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #hsmtmts

[ghastlybin]

How so you feel about youtuber Gahyeon X youtuber reader and both fandoms ship them together? I think it would be really cute 🥺🥺🥺🥺

I love this idea so I shall grant your wish :) I just hope I did it right haha! ILY and thank youuuu for requesting! :)

Pairing: Youtuber! Gahyeon X Youtuber! GN Reader

WC: 1.3k

Genre/contents: Fluff, Youtuber AU, Y/N is lowkey awkward.... As hell. But it's fine, you still pulled.

Note: I'm kinda sad lately, especially today, so thank you for requesting smth fluffy :) I don't really have much of a note because I'm lowkey out of it and it's 1 am, surprise, surprise. I would say I have a YT channel but I am socially anxious so I'm gatekeeping that, however I would like to say I did NOT BASE THE Y/N OFF OF ME! Even though I could totally pull Gahyeon :') jk lmao. I hope you enjoy though! Whether you are a youtuber reader or an awkward reader, or a bold/ confident reader or a reader in general. Ily and if this flops, it's because y'all don't like me...

...I'm 100% joking LMAO

also, I fcking love this picture & I love her, goodnight/morning/afternoon!

Admittedly, you were popular.

If you imagined every subscriber you had in a room, it would be sardine packed.

Ten people was a lot.

One-Hundred people was a lot.

One million? A lot.

As the number grew, so your popularity. You were consistent with putting out content, you had a magnetic energy to you that had people across the globe returning for more.

You’ve cheered people up, made people laugh, and you’re someone’s role model, just as your role model is for you.

“Hey, all! Welcome back!”

You loved reading comments of encouragement. The endless compliments that would multiply by the hour.

This was your hobby. Making videos and sharing them with the world— Not as easy a task as you’d expected, but you were proud of yourself for making that jump, and that’s all that mattered.

Then there was Gahyeon, as stunning as ever and just as popular, if not more.

She was energetic and had a way of making even the most irritable person smile. Even you found yourself drawn to her.

“Welcome back, Gahyeon!” Gahyeon’s greeting played through your headphones, watching her latest video.

You never realized how similar your intros were. It was almost as if she completed your intro with her name. The thought of her watching your videos gave you a warm feeling that couldn’t be explained in just words.

Gahyeon watching your videos— Watching you, knowing what you looked like, sounded like, as well as your hobbies, and the schedule you typically posted.

You scrolled through the comments as her ‘Q&A’ video continued to play while you were waiting on a lengthy car ride to the convention you were a guest at.

As you scrolled further down, you noticed your name being mentioned more. At first, once or twice every few comments, but the further you scrolled, they became back-to-back full of mentions of you and a specific time stamp.

The comments varied from excitement that her fanbase felt when you had been mentioned to comments that stated how they shipped you and Gahyeon. All of them made your heart flutter.

You clicked the timestamp, hearing Gahyeon’s voice as she moved on to the next question.

“Have you seen Y/N’s videos?”

Your heart thumped hard against your chest as Gahyeon’s eyes lit up as she looked at the camera.

“Who hasn’t? They are amazing.” Gahyeon’s answer made you immediately pause, trying not to garner any attention from anyone in the vehicle with you.

The last thing you wanted was to cause a wreck because you felt like screaming.

Then again, you felt you could die a happy death.

“I actually really love them. They seem like a nice person, so Y/N,” Gahyeon leaned closer to the camera. “Hit me up.”

You paused again after she winked at the camera and screamed, startling everyone in the vehicle.

-

Upon entering the venue where the convention would be held at, you noticed how many fans were wearing shirts or hold signs that had either you or Gahyeon on it, and occasionally the other guests.

The excitement you felt when you noticed Gahyeon was at the booth beside yours, shot through the roof.

You had to remind yourself to be professional and that you were here as a guest, not a fan.

Screw that.

Gahyeon was right there.

You wanted her autograph just as much as the long line of people in front of her booth.

“Y/N.” A staff member caught your attention and you realized you were holding up your own line by staring at Gahyeon.

“I am so sorry.” You apologized to the fan in front of you, signing their autograph. Your fans were luckily understanding, if not happy, that you were staring at Gahyeon.

The next fan came up to you, handing you something to sign, “I think you and Gahyeon would be cute together.”

And for a moment, you felt a rush of confidence.

“I agree.”

The fans around had all heard you, gasps and awes filled the area, causing you to become flustered.

The fan left, satisfied, and you noticed them entering Gahyeon’s line next.

For a split second, you wished you were behind a screen, hiding from how bold you were moments ago. Sure, you were a celebrity— Technically, but you often forgot that fact. Making videos was your hobby. You were still as much a regular person as Gahyeon was and the pedestal you placed her on made you bolder than you would’ve been if you said that about a random person.

You began to consider the fact that maybe you were crushing on her.

Then you remembered Gahyeon saying she loved you.

Only as a fan, but she still said it.

As you signed more autographs, you would occasionally glance over at Gahyeon, only you were more nervous seeing the fan you agreed with reaching the front of the line.

The next time you glanced at Gahyeon, she and the fan were both looking at you, her cheeks were a tint of pink as she wore a smile on her face.

You quickly looked away, now knowing the fan relayed what you said, despite not being able to actually hear their conversation.

’She thinks I’m weird.’

‘Shut up, no she doesn’t.’

Thoughts swam around your mind, trying your best to focus on the fans in front of you.

‘You can’t rush yourself into a relationship.’

‘Watch me.’

‘No, Y/N. Stop overthinking.’

At this point, you felt like you were talking to yourself in your mind while your mouth was on autopilot.

As your line came to an end, and so did the convention, you were escorted to the private area, separate from the public area.

As you were getting ready to leave, yet another successful event complete, you were frozen when you spotted Gahyeon on her way towards you. You were too star-struck to really function normally, but she exuded confidence. She always seemed to get what she wanted— And she wanted you.

“I’m sorry.” You weren’t sure what exactly you were apologizing for. Gahyeon obviously didn’t understand why you were apologizing.

“Why?”

A question you didn’t know how to answer.

“I don’t know why I said that.”

Gahyeon grinned, holding out her hand for you to shake, formally meeting you. You shook her head gingerly, if not nervously.

‘She’s a normal person like you. Don’t be nervous.’

And to be fair, she’s very gorgeous, and that alone was enough to justify why you felt so nervous and why your heart pounded inside your chest the way it did.

“A lot of people like us together.” Gahyeon held onto your hand far longer than a regular handshake.

“Guess we’re married with two kids, one dog, and three cats?” You felt an annoying amount of awkwardness when you said that out loud, wishing you replied with something else less forward. Instead, you played it off as a joke, and refused to let go of her hand first.

“I guess so.” Gahyeon smiled, taking you by surprise.

You thought back to the influx of commenters shipping you with Gahyeon. It could work, you two jumping into a relationship. You both had massive amounts of support from both of your respective fanbases. You felt she could read your mind when Gahyeon had leaned close enough to whisper in your ear, goosebumps blanketing your skin. You worried she could hear your heart beating as loud as you heard it and somehow ceased any and every thought you had.

“I think I like us together too.”

And she let go of your hand, her eyes meeting yours again, followed by a wink.

#dreamcatcher fluff #dreamcatcher imagines #dreamcatcher au #dreamcatcher x reader #dreamcatcher gahyeon x reader #dreamcatcher #dreamcatcher gahyeon

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 172

Chapter 172: "Free"

Oh, Peter's about to fall alright but it ain't gonna be graceful. Also, so silly of him to think that a knife would be enough to kill Emma. The girl survived being stabbed by Leuvis for fuck's sake, the hell is a small blade gonna do? Ain't no way the boys would even let him get close enough to do any sort of damage to Emma either.

As much as I hate him, that slight pause he takes before he breaks out into that stupid, over-exaggerated grin is hilarious.

I love that Emma responds just as passionately as Gillian did at the start of the flashback, showing us how real her feelings are and that she's not just saying this to appease everyone. So many people (within the story and among readers) believe Emma to be this kind and generous soul and while it's completely true that she has a heart of gold, she's also capable of harboring such negative emotions. She's just real good about not always acting upon them.

This whole page is full of pain and I don't wanna dwell on it long since it'll only upset me, but damn, these kids are gonna need some therapy once they reach the human world.

She wants the killing to stop so badly that she'll even hold back on any more violence and I love her so much for it. Of course I wouldn't want her to experience such depressing emotions either. Our girl deserves to be happy and free!

I think of Nigel's words so often, honestly. Also, a rare moment that Ray & Ayshe share a panel. Literally the only reason why I wanted included that row of everyone. Just to look at 'em.

Emma is absolutely a dreamer and we adore her for it. Seriously, you gotta be so strong to be this optimistic while living in such a cruel world. Being soft ain't bad either, she's just got lots of feelings! And it's great how often the kids bring up doing everything they can so they won't have any regrets. I really gotta start living by that idea. & that panel of surprised Emma & Ray is so precious.

Okay my Isabella bias it totally jumping in here but I wouldn't necessarily call her or the other moms & sisters weak. If they gave up their lives at the gate when they were shipped, then maybe, but those ladies fought so hard during their caretaker training to stay alive, ya know? Sure they might not have taken any chances to change how the world works, but with how much they feared for their own lives, I wouldn't blame them. I get where Emma might be coming from though, such as being weak in terms of following the orders of the farm system. But yeah, no one really had control over their own lives in this world with fear being such a prominent force behind everyone's actions.

Kinda amazing how many Emma Ratri fics and fanarts have resulted from this one panel by simply existing.

I dunno about that, honey. Yeah Peter cries after James' death, but he seemed perfectly fine giving the order to the clan to kill his brother anyway.

Favorite panel/moment:

It fills me with great joy seeing the boys continue to protect Emma throughout this long conversation. Probably the only reason why Peter held his hands up the entire chapter despite Emma lowering her weapon and eventually dropping it on the ground.

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

[cwarscars]

🔥

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion.

i'ma shape this one around the final fantasy vii fandom and go off on my usual spiel ( or, old spiel? cause i haven't chatted it in a while lol ).

i honestly despise the lack of love that the side-characters get as a whole from the fandom. i really don't like what the remake did for the franchise ( i do love the remake, don't get me wrong, but i think it bought about some of the fandoms worst traits ), and i cannot stand the 'one rule for thee, another for me' mindset that fans have regarding characters.

let's start with numero uno - so, obviously i write heid. lol. he's not particularly liked & that's totally fine...but man. finding content for him is horrible. there's nothing. like, barely anything. the few fics that exist are either rape fics or are ( and i hate saying this ), sorely out of character. the art is few and far between and usually more bara-anime-oriented. overall, i feel like i'm drinking from a dried up well. actually, nah. there was no well in the first place.

i always understood that heid isn't exactly the character who would get much fanfare but it's so disheartening to shift through five million pics of 'x' character and find two of heid. i can't even draw ( or at least, im not at all confident in my art ) and yet i took to drawing heidegger all of the time because i had to start making content for him. and in doing so - my art gets no regonition and is totally ignored anywhere but here. i think if i drew a popular character, i'd maybe get more attention but...i can't bring myself to do so.

in general though; heid isn't the only one. even reeve is quite underrated and ignored by the fandom as a whole (or implied to be an owo cat boy which makes me cringe). even, dare i say, barret is often shoved aside in favour of the more 'popular' characters ( the whole tifa/cloud are now marlene's parents suggestion by some people enrages me, like, wtf? )

secondly, i don't like what the remake did for the fandom because i think it bought the worst out in the fans. it appealed to cloud/sephiroth shippers despite that ship making no sense. you could argue the sephiroth cloud sees is just an extension of himself. they're both essentially jenova. but the remake makes it overtly sexual / suggestive. even as i played, all i could think was 'yeah, this was done for fan service'. i don't even think sephiroth should have been seen in remake part 1. ( obviously that'd never happen ).

but whereas there are things i adore about the remake. i think that they dumbed down the story and by extension, made the worse aspects of fandom writers become apparent. like, by making AVALANCHE basically entirely innocent ( despite being literal terrorists ) - they make shinra ENTIRELY evil. in the og, shinra were weirdly nuanced. they were 'evil' sure, but then they were also genuinly trying to save the planet from sephiroth. as for AVALANCHE; yes, they were fighting on behalf of good. but they did murder people in their quest to shut down reactors. in the og, reeve even calls barret out on this. but...now we probably wont get that? like, way to go rid your main heroes of any nuance. god forbid a hero does something bad.

my final point cause goddamn is this getting long is - i despise the way that the fans talk about characters & the whole 'LOL i can ship this but if you ship that then lol stinky gross smelly ewww'.

i've always wanted to explore shinra/heid as a young men. like, really explore their relationship. potentially even one-sided ship them. i love the idea of it, it's interesting and i imagine their dynamic was similar to tseng/rufus. how many jokes have i seen about shipping them? tonnes. but it's not okay to diss any other ship. make a joke about tseng/rufus and ohhh noo, you fucked up, kiddo.

i've seen people imply heidegger is a pervert because he commented on sephiroth being good looking. literally suggesting he 'creeps' on sephiroth and people wholly agreeing like 'omG LoL YEs' - as if calling someone good looking is an alien thing to do or means immediately that you want to bang them (smh).

in general, i constantly see the fandom make jokes about certain characters & imply that if you ship them, like them etc - 'loool something wrong with uuu'. it's dumb as shit. don't be mean about other people's preferences when half of the fandom can't take being told that cloud shouldn't be shipped with whoever.

#(ooc) #(answered) #(saltmeme) #i went OFF on this tirade lmao #im so sorry this got lOOOOng #i read it and thought 'han get a life u loser lol'

[ithinkabouttzu]

Hi!!! Is it possible to get a BoB ship???

I’m 5’3 with a hourglass build but I’m always a little self conscious about my chest bc it seems to draw a lot of attention, sometimes unwanted. Other than that, I’m pretty confident though most would say I’m pretty quiet unless I’m totally warmed up to someone. I tend to be very stubborn and sometimes say mean things when I’m angry, but I always try to keep a cool head as much as I can. I have auburn hair and really dark eyes. Freckles and dimples that everyone seems to love when they notice. It usually surprises people bc I have really bad resting bitch face 😭. Some people I know have gone so long without realizing I have dimples tbh.

I love to read!!! Like totally obsessed. I also know way too much about dogs but I love all animals in general. Id say baking, running, and gardening are like my top hobbies but I also love a glass of wine and a good tv show tbh. I for some reason have a knack for drawing in either very unhinged guys or very calm guys. Idk why there’s never been some middle ground there but 🤷‍♀️. Idk if any of this even helps but I love your ships! If you can’t get to this one, it’s totally fine! Thank you!

Thanks for your request lovely! Sorry this took so long to get to! life has been busy but i'm glad to finally put this out :))) of topic but from your description you sound gorgeous! Hope you enjoy <33

I ship you with......

Joe Liebgott!

Song recommendation:

I think you two would compliment one another so nicely.

You want unhinged? Here’s your guy, he’s the perfect mix of sweet and psycho. An awesome boyfriend and chaotic in the best way, but if someone crosses you wrong he’s coming at them full force.

When he first meets you, he would swear that you were the girl for him, he genuinely thinks you are the prettiest human being he's ever met, he'll do anything to have you.

Let's say you're a nurse and you two meet in some small pub before D-day. He would be staring at you all night, just waiting to make a move on you. He wants to approach you but then all of a sudden he gets really shy?

And he never gets this way when it comes to women , so he's not really sure what to do. Just say hello? Ask you to dance?

He finally decides on the latter, making his way to you quickly before he can regret it. And when finally gets to you, he's blank. It's like he's forgotten everything he was going to say to you when he looked into your eyes (sounds corny ik but just bear with me) it’s also so cute but the first thing he would notice about you is your dimples 🥺

You guys would have a ball, dancing and talking all night with one another, by the time the night ended, he would be completely smitten with you and try to see you anytime he could, and even during the war he would write you tons of little love letters that would make you smile

He thinks you’re jaw-dropping beautiful, he can’t help but think about you in such a sweet way, while he was gone, he would spend any down time that he had thinking of you or writing you letters. All of the guys would tease him about it for sure 😭

And don’t even get me started on how cute some of the letters would be, he’d write them in his best handwriting and write out the sweetest things ever (he would turn into shakespeare fr)

When he finally comes back from the war and you two settle down together, the first thing he gets for you is a sweet little dog. (if you want one) He knows how much you love them and would do anything to make you smile

Speaking of making you smile, this man would be so attentive to you when it comes to your interests and such. If you wanted, he would buy you plenty of books and he would always ask you about the book you’re reading, or if you want to run with him he would go along with you for sure!

I know for a fact that he would LOVE your baking, I mean this guy looks forward to your famous brownies and cookies. For his birthday his ask for you would be lots of your homemade treats for him.

He would hate for you ever to be self conscious about any part of your body, he would remind you over and over again how beautiful you were to him, and if anyone tried making you feel uncomfortable he would make sure to kiss their ass.

He would love to watch a nice movie with you over a nice glass of wine, it’s probably one of his favorite times with you honestly. Just you and him relaxing with one another after a long day.

Both of you can tend to be a bit stubborn sometimes but it’s really only because you guys want the best in y’all’s relationship, even if he does (very rarely) get snappy with you he’ll make sure to buy you flowers and some treats to say sorry

I know for a fact that he would be so attractive to your confidence, just the way you walk and the way you carry yourself makes him want to praise the ground you walk on.

Also, he lowkey finds it attractive when you get mad at him or you show him that resting bitch face. Like whenever you get heated about something you love and you’re trying to prove a point all he can do is look at you with love 😭

Overall he’d be such a great bf. He’s so sweet and supportive of you and just know that he would ALWAYS be in your corner no matter what 💞

Thank you for your request!! I hope you enjoy again lovely!!! 💝💝

#ithinkabouttzu #band of brothers ship #hbo war ship #band of brothers

[juriyuna]

cookin' up an extremely niche rarepair here; don't mind me 🦇🛼

because i have unstoppable brain fungus, i started thinking about the concept of bat/miyuri...... literally nobody ships this except for me, but it seems like it could be interesting. sorta like a fucked-up version of sanmiyu.

the bat likes girls who are strong enough to get the job done, but weak enough (physically or mentally) for her to boss around. someone like miyuri- cute, timid, and with poor self-confidence- would certainly catch her eye, especially if she saw the way miyuri fought.

miyuri is incredibly fast and strong, able to hold her own just fine against witches as well as other magical girls. she also loses all sense of reason when she blacks out, operating purely on instinct of "i will destroy the threat in front of me". the bat would love her no-holds-barred fighting style... including the way she'll tear other magical girls to shreds if they're not careful.

on that note, if the bat's voice could get through miyuri's fugue state, she'd probably specifically order miyu to kill people. monzenbashi miyuri AU or smth, hm... if miyu is dangerous enough under san's guidance, she'd be an even bigger threat following the whims of the bat. may not replace ranka's position as second-in-command, but would definitely hold a cushy spot within the gang as the bat's personal bruiser. i imagine that miyu would be upset about the bat taking advantage of her blackouts to turn her into a hitman, but it's not like she has much of a choice in what she does while she's unconscious... miyu's high-ranking position means she's kept safe from the gang wars, though, so as much as her role within monzenbashi freaks her out, she wouldn't dare go against the bat and risk losing the safety she's earned.

... i'm getting sidetracked.

as for how miyu would feel about the bat in general: i think it'd be a mixture of fear and respect. (mostly fear. the bat can be vicious, and i feel like she'd look pretty intimidating; not a great combo with miyu's anxiety.) she's strong, smart, and carries herself so confidently despite secretly being a huge coward herself, which are all traits that miyu would admire. actually, if miyu knew that the bat was a coward, she might find it vaguely inspirational(?) in a twisted way that someone spineless like her could become so cunning and powerful. the bat is a horrible role model and miyu would not want to follow her example to the letter but like, the principle of the thing

do u think the bat has nice legs... in my totally not biased at all opinion, i wanna say yes. +1 reason for miyu to be kinda into her.

miyuri's character profile calls her a masochist (she very much enjoyed getting ragdolled around by san during feather training in her MSS), so. y'know. that could mix well with how sadistic the bat seems to be.

the bat wouldn't really have a reason to punish miyuri for anything (in a monzenbashi miyu AU, because she's such an effective fighter; in a normal universe, because miyu hasn't wronged her), but would probably be down for hurting her anyway if she was into it. the bat doesn't strike me as the "healing magic" type, though, so miyu would end up accumulating a number of cuts and bruises... that might make her family worry. she'd have to be sure to heal herself up a little before going home. "i wiped out and hurt myself" only goes so far...

(i get the sense that san really would not like the bat at all, however. she would especially dislike the bat hanging around miyu because she knows full well that the bat is bad news, and she doesn't want miyu to get hurt. even if the bat doesn't have any interest in attacking miyu to begin with, and in fact thinks she's quite cute, that is... the opposite of reassuring, considering the bat's personality. personally i think the bat would dislike san in return (she hates getting bossed around), so poor miyu would be caught in the middle of a high-tension situation here.)

much to think about... anyway, that's all for now. thank you for tuning in to my regularly-scheduled NPCposting \( ᵕ̈ )/

#today i bring you Crackship Catered Specifically To Myself #tomorrow? who knows... #any ship involving the bat is guaranteed to be terrible in some way because the bat is a terrible person #so really it comes down to what flavor of terrible one wants #magia record #bat of monzenbashi #yukari miyuri #komomiyu #would be the ship name i guess #i need a new personal tag

[avani008]

Dear Yuletide Writer 2022!

Here are some things I think are rad: snark. friendships. sneaky twisty endings. stories with bite. characters with personalities. stories that make their writers happy. mythology. humor. stories that dig into and expand on the canon, whether that’s backstory or minor characters or worldbuilding. brown paper packages tied up with string.

Stuff I’m not so keen on: rape, incest, mentions of RL pandemics/quarantines or cancer? more into het and femslash than slash. no modern AUs for the fandoms I’ve selected this year, as I’m interested in the canon settings; AUs that preserve the canon setting (either canon divergence or trope-based [soulmate, daemons, fantasy elements in non-fantasy canons]) are not just fine but would be much adored!

Treat Policy: Yes, please!

Fandoms Requested: Ponniyin Selvan (2022), Regency Faerie Tales- Olivia Atwater, Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

Ponniyin Selvan

Characters Requested: Kundavai, Nandini

Where to Find Source Material: currently playing in theaters, but supposedly coming to streaming (Prime?) in November 2022

I love so many characters in this movie (and the source material), but to exactly no one's surprise, I loved Kundavai and Nandini best. I'd really love to see anything more about one, or both, of them (writer, you do have explicit permission to only feature one character in your fic, if that is what works better); but also here are some prompts that may help!

A quick note, though: while I'm familiar with the novel, the movieverse seems very different--starting from the fact that everyone is aged up in this adaptation to bigger details (Kundavai is implied to be solely responsive for Nandini's adolescent banishment, Vanathi's...entire personality). I'm totally fine with incorporating elements of the novel, but a fic based only on what we see in the movie is fine, too!

Another quick note: for people familiar with the novel, certain revelations and fakeouts about Nandini's backstory skirt the no-incest DNW. If including it is necessary for your fic, that's fine; but I ask you don't center the fic around that particular tension.

For Kundavai:

Kundavai is my historical (and fictional!) favorite, and I loved how the movie showcases her political competence and general smarts--so tell me more about that! 5 times fic for Kundavai backstory? Love it. Kundavai having to solve a mystery and save the day? Amazing. Kundavai's political and moral development, taking into account her very real blinders about class/caste that we see? Please!

In terms of shipping, if you want to stick with canon verse: Kundavai and Vandiyadevan have pretty great chemistry, and I'd love to see something that explored their relationship further, since most of their novel scenes establishing their attraction got cut (though Karthi did a phenomenal job in quickly conveying that *this* crush/flirtation was serious). What actually did happen during the offscreen scene where Kundavai gives him her message for Arunmozhi?

For Nandini:

Nandini is unsurprisingly such a clever, mercurial, magnetic character-- one of my favorite scenes is the compression of 3 chapters in the book, where she faces down 3 different men confronting her, all into the space of 5 minutes; she handles each differently, easily swinging from amused indifference to indignant earnestness to furious authority. Also fascinating: her unapologetic "Yes, I have [grown accustomed to luxury]" to Ravidasan, her co-conspirator, her tangled feelings for Aditya (unlike book Nandini, who isn't nearly as venomous about him), but, more than anything the scene where Nandini is staring at the throne. Not only does she seem far more longing than we've seen her look at any man around her, but I adore the choice to have her picture her younger self (alone, rather than as royal consort) enthroned, rather than her present self: is this because her present self is no longer worthy of it? Who knows? Nandini could easilyfuel a thousand character studies by herself, and certainly all of those questions would be great to include.

Or: again, while Kundavai's protegees got cut, Nandini's handmaidens are very prominently around--and clearly involved in her scheming, both in terms of her husband's plans, but also the Pandya plot? Why? Are they also ex-Pandyas, or (the more interesting option, IMO), is Nandini, with her experience of being looked down upon, actually a phenomenal boss who inspires incredible loyalty? Exploring their relationship and who these women are and how they interact with her would also be fantastic.

For both together:

One of the things that intrigues me the most are the years just pre-canon where Kundavai and Nandini are technically both part of the royal court; we know Kundavai spends most of her time away, but surely she must have made other, earlier visits. While their verbal sparring is ever- delightful (and one of my favorite things about their relationship), I'd particularly love something about them being forced to work together to solve a problem--political intrigue? a mystery at court? a conspiracy? They'd be a startlingly brilliant team despite (or because) how much they clash, and I'd love to see them together.

Or, naturally, their troubled backstory. Aditya accuses Kundavai (both in the novel and in the film) of being motivated by jealousy only, while her defense is her duty/her internalized casteism/classism, but what if there was more that inspired her to act?

Finally: if you want to acknowledge the incredible chemistry between them, and pair them together (as enemies-to-...still-enemies-but-now-with-benefits?), absolutely go for it!

Regency Faerie Tales- Olivia Atwater

Characters Requested: Dora Ettings, Elias Wilder

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

This fandom, along with the next, were two surprise discoveries this year, both amazing in their own ways! The Regency Faerie Tales are such lovely comfort reads, with truly likeable, pleasant characters --though paired with an honest look at the social inequalities of the time period, and the chilling nature of Faerie. Consider:

That last paragraph of the epilogue and its implications! How does that come about, after their previous distaste for Lord Hallowvale’s world? How do Elias and Dora adjust to a rejoined Dora, and how is that different from their previous relationship, if in any way? How do they adjust to life in the faerie realm?

Or: each of the books is clearly vaguely based on a fairy tale--"Rumplestilskin" " Cinderella" "Goose Girl"--so maybe something that centers around another fairy tale? The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast/East of the Sun West of the Moon, and Snow White would all be interesting given the themes and backstories that the characters have, and I'd love to see a take on them!

Or, an exploration of Faerie would be so intriguing! Tell me more how its alien customs and structures really work. In particular, while I haven’t requested her specifically, I’d be totally fine with the inclusion of Lady Hallowvale, even if you wish to set it prior to the Epilogue. I’m also fascinated by the similarities and differences between her and Dora, but also the parallels between her and Elias, especially given his backstory. 

Finally, if you are interested in worldbuilding, and/or other cultures, I would love to see a more inclusive look at characters, magic systems/entities, fairy tales from other countries! How do they play into this world? How does (or doesn't) magic change this world? How do Elias and Dora react to storytelling tropes from another culture altogether?

Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

Characters Requested: Justine DeCabrillac, Adrian "Hawker" Hawkhurst

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

In contrast to that last fandom--while they share a nominal setting in the Regency period--the Spymaster series is all brilliant characterization and intrigue. The action plots are superbly paced, where the romance doesn't take up too much from the main plot, and the limited perspective works so well--the Annique twist in the first book took me utterly by surprise, and then delighted me. 

So writer, if your long standing dream has been to write canon-typical plotfic, I would be so ecstatic! Couples working and bantering together is always one of my favorite things to read, and the espionage aspect of this series is a particular strength . While we see a lot of glimpses of the Adrian-Justine relationship, I think there's always room for more, so whether you want to add a post-canon adventure, or invent one we didn’t see between flashbacks, it would be great!

I also love these characters, and their relationship--I love the pining in the face of duty, the very real tragedy* I love how it extends in bits and pieces of the years, I love how it's frequently interpreted and misinterepreted through outsider POVs. Something that plays with outsider POVs would also be so fascinating, again, at any time during the series; or, what a happily ever after looks like for these two crazy kids.

*again, DNW caveat: it's okay to acknowledge canon-accurate mentions of prior assualt in this case, but I would really prefer that it be kept to a minimum, with no on-screen incidences.

Finally, although I haven't formally requested, Annique (and her irreverent narration) is always a delight. I love her instant platonic-soulmates friendship with Adrian, and I am intrigued by Joanna Bourne's words on her blog on how Annique compares with Justine:

When I was writing Annique, I was making her the other side of the coin with Justine. They were both child spies, about the same age. Both raised by Lucille. One relatively protected, innocent, a child of the light, one who had not killed. The other abandoned and debauched, a child with little light inside her, a willing killer.

And they knew each other, of course, as they were growing up. They were more than a little jealous. When Annique makes the remark about the doppleganger, she's thinking of Justine.

Adrian, in TSL, come fresh from one side of the coin to the other and neither Annique nor Adrian realize this.

This is such an amazing dynamic we never see on-screen, and I would love to dig into it further at both ends.

I hope at least some of these prompts help! Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Yuletide yourself:D

#yuletide22 #dear yuletide writer letter #ponniyin selvan #regency faerie tales #spymaster series #queue ho gaya na

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

if u want to talk any more about ur fic PLEASE go ahead <3 i mean this lightly bc i dont want to hurt anyone but kind of THE only valid beatles rpf imo!!! (this includes all biopics)

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Anon this made me LAUGH OUT LOUD and is also insanely kind and I love how it says Fuck Nowhere Boy rights to top it off. So thank you, you just made my evening with that <3<3

Anyways OKAY FINE. I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME BITS IN MY OWN FIC WHICH I LOVE. But I'll put it in a read more both for spoilers and because it's ridiculously self-indulgent (and I'll label bits in order by chapter so if someone's interested but not up to date they can stop reading dgdhjklhgj)

Chapter 1

I think the moment I was sure my story was worth telling, was after I wrote this bit:

This bit legitimately encapsulates SO MUCH of the entire essence of I'm Looking Through You to me. The plot sounds like a goofy, cartoonish gimmick, but at its core, I write it as a character and dynamic study and a huge part of the story is a reflection on the situation John, Paul and George found themselves in by 1966 and how drugs specifically played a role in it. I think it's generally a super under-talked about period of theirs, because there weren't any full-on fights yet, as there would be two years later, but a lot of the tension that eventually led to their fall-out is already sown by this point. Also, with Yoko and Linda not yet in the picture, more focus can be put on the way they interconnect, instead of it being sidelined for competitive Bringing-Girlfriend-To-The-Studio, if that makes sense (not that that wasn't a major factor IRL)

Chapter 2

Okay, so a thing I've discovered that I ADORE writing is John/Cyn scenes. And I don't even ship them, like I'm not writing it cause I find it especially cute, I just think there's so much THERE and we don't talk about it! I love this part so much:

The DEFENSIVENESS y'know? Mouthing off from shock but accidentally implying something low-key terrible. I feel like adding any words to it will do it less justice than it deserves because it makes me feel a type of way that John feels the need to insist that he loves Cyn but I can say no more…

Also when he nearly faints upon finding out about Julian and is entranced by the pic but ALSO Paul being a Little Too Into John's child. GOD!!!!!!!! (I've said this before but: the way Paul passively participated in the Kenwood family dynamic is insane and we should talk about it ALL THE TIME actually!!!!!)

Chapter 3

There's something tender about the moments when the rest of band get to see John wide-eyed with wonder at things they've long taken for granted. Not all of it has to be sad.

Also Paul, always focusing on the music, not only for the sake of itself and because his priorities aren't quite straight though, but also as his main tether to John as a person. I legit find it so strange when people talk about their musical connection (and their musical disagreements as well to some extent!) as if it was just a sexual proxy of some sort, when it was in fact their entire world since they were sixteen. "We could always sing."

I also actually love the entire Cyn-narrated bit in this chapter because I think it really balances her feelings for John well. (I love when she is first angry at him for having been neglectful for years, but then suddenly misses the old him, when John asks to see Julian though Julian's obviously in bed by now and even neglectful old John would know that, because he wasn't totally inconsiderate and oblivious!) One of my favourite bits from her perspective though is this one, when she bargains with herself about how John feels and felt about her. IDK it's so real and also interesting to think about the parallel she draws between her and John & Paul and Dot (one I've thought about a lot while thinking about John's feelings for Cyn tbh).

Chapter 4

(also the moment I remembered Tumblr sets an image limit lmaooooo so I'll try to tone it down with the screenshots)

The entire beginning of this chapter, with Julian and later also Paul is so *gestures vaguely*. There's just so much going on, and even though it divolves into John feeling like an inadequate parent, forced to rely on his best friend who doesn't even have kids of his own, I think the most touching part is when John realizes Julian genuinely doesn't care that he's forgotten things and how that radical acceptance is the moment he falls irrevocably in love with his son. I just 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Also this is the first chapter that incorporated a really elaborate interpolation of song lyrics with the plot and I was so NERVOUS to get it right and soooooo happy to see people responding positively to it, because I've always known it was a more fringe thing to be writing about. Also, I love John just... Appreciating that he gets to play on nice instruments now. Playing on nice instruments is Everything in fact.

Chapter 5

I really like the crowd scene in the beginning of this chapter, and capturing a true mob mentality; how John giving them one second of positive attention tips everything out of control, how the fans burst into tears the moment they do reach him.

Also, I truly adore Paul at the beginning, feeling helpless in the face of John's grief driving him to madness, but snapping back out of it the moment he believes John to be in danger, while not being able to shake his sense of responsibility as a Beatle for the sake of his friend. Helping isn't always easy. Doing the right thing can feel like an impossible option.

And then, there's this John/Cyn moment:

I really didn't write this to be cute. There's so much going on under the surface here; Cyn is in complete control – and very desperate to keep it that way – and John is only vaguely aware of it and has no idea of the extent to which she's in control. But he doesn't care because he's just that torn up about everything, so he's more than willing to let it all happen.

Also, in a way the heart of the chapter is John's debate-turned-fight with Paul over the reverse guitar solo. I talked about John's perspective already here, but Paul's view on it is so dripping with… dare I say it? Grief, where he's not only deeply in love with the idea of Lennon-McCartney – Genius Duo but also desperately trying to carry out the wishes of a "recently departed". (Paul is an ass in this scene towards the end, but CONSIDER he is also a meow meow.)

Chapter 6

Paul is so often just… At a loss of words and I love pushing him into the uncomfortable position of having to find them. But it's tragic, too; that John used to be so in sync with him that it had never been necessary before. And also Paul, always teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown and hating himself every time he shows it.

I love how he realizes that smoking weed with John is in a way a betrayal of Ringo and George, because at their root, friendships are all about the experiences you have together. And it makes perfect sense for him to rationalize it away, thinking about how being "locked out" of the first LSD trip damaged his relationship with John.

Also the little tiny nudge at the less sunny side of Paul's childhood (and how John was very much to some extent at least aware of it, as we know from interviews he gave in the 70s) and how he somehow had to reconcile that with how John treated Julian. I just … :(

Chapter 7

The little hints that maybe John Was Not Fine before he hit his head either.

Yeah. Also, also, also John throwing himself into something he thinks is the one-size fits-all solution ag– I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF!!!!!

Also, John's Paris lament was conjured out of me OUT OF NOWHERE and I was sooooooo genuinely upset after writing it. I think it really encapsulates why the story is relatable to me despite having a ridiculous plot; it really drives home how confusing life can get during young adulthood, when everyone else seems to be dealing far better than you.

And the other relatable side of this, to me, is Paul at the end of this chapter, because I have felt real anguish like his, when people close to me failed to share in a passion I was so sure they would love. It seems silly but it's genuinely one of the most upsetting and alienating experiences imaginable to me.

I think I'll stop now because GODDAMN what the fuck lmao, and also I believe I've run out of screenshots but TLDR: this story means the woooooooooooorld to me!!!!!!!!

#my fucking god this is as long as the fic itself #anyways im literally.... like i love all my characters in it so much #ask #anon #fic #fiona.docx

[kirsdoesstuff]

I might as well say how I learned about TWST and my journey through it so far with my thoughts. Slight spoilers ahead for the following a bit not much.

So to point it out, I learned about it before it’s release in eng on TikTok. I forget who’s video it was but it was like a year prior with the magical archives. I always loved some of the villains concepts as a kid, so this had me excited.

I followed the count down and the website, the pre order/downloads rewards were pretty good and they added more since the goals got hit so fast. Very interested in the fact that I was only taller than one of our main cast (Ortho).

When it came time to pick a hand, I picked Malleus. Maleficent was one of my favourite villains growing up. I don’t regret picking him to start, his CR (ceremonial robes) SR is still on my main team due to strength and Birthday Azul’s duo magic.

The free SSR I didn’t really have much preference, ended up going with Jack and he’s also a main on my team. He’s max on both spells, 2/3 friendships and close to his current max level 88/90. Currently still recovering the expenses in game, but I saved plenty beforehand.

I’ll be honest, I crush on Leona. I see the first years as kids and the second years. Most are taller than me, but I’m gonna be 20 in October so they kids. I totally first was into Malleus and Idia at first, but then book 6 in jp kinda changed things to me personally. Before it I totally would listen to the voice lines and the growl in Leona’s voice already had me. So it switched to being Malleus and Leona rather easily.

As sorta said earlier, I do look up translations for the main story mostly, haven’t looked up the full part 1 of 7 yet though. Most of my experience has been with the eng server, there are events I’m looking forward to for various reasons whether cute or Malleus in a mask (arms on show).

The eng translations in the official game have been, interesting to say the least. Cater got all those hashtags and social media language. Idia saying all his internet slang and the bunch. Epel is fine, he’s a country boy saying country things.

There’d be a lot I’d personally do if I were actually Yuu in there. Might be tempted to do what Ace did to the other Overblots. Not everyone, but a good punch on Jamil and Vil. Perhaps a slap to Leona and someone would need to hold me back from Idia in book 6. Kidnapping already traumatized ppl who were in therapy and starting to work. Plus you took the annoying but kinda lovable flame cat like monster and destroyed the dorm.

I like most of the fandom and try my best to interact. Of course I’ve seen a few accounts that were great on other platforms and then it started to have issues. I just hope most people remember this is an all boys high school.

When it’s ships, there’s plenty of cute ones and ones that make some sense. AppleJack and AppleJuice are pretty cute. ADeuce is a great team over time and plenty holding the other accountable when it counts. As long as it’s not illegal, uncomfy or I really don’t like it for whatever reason. I’m generally fine with the ships, that goes for most things tbh. Cuddles and kisses are typical safe things for all. NSFW is for 18+ characters.

Been a while since I made one, but on TikTok I have a little series of my honest opinions on characters from TWST with numbers to each one so a random number generator can pick who. I don’t have any RSA characters in it, but the staff and Grim are there. So 28 total there in that list and I’ve done 3 total (Deuce, Grim and silver).

I definitely recommend TWST when I’m talking to people about it, of course I warn that you have to pull for characters.

I do my best to use my Genshin pull luck, but I will admit I’ve spent money on this game and not the other. I spent like $40CAD trying to get Fairy Gala Leona. I’ve currently saved up some 10 pull keys for birthday Malleus. I only have Cater, Azul, Ruggie and Lilia for the birthday cards so far. I do the monthly card.

I think I’ll leave this here though, I’ll be sure to share what other item I preordered from AmiAmi in April.

Though enjoy the wallpaper edits, top for tablets and bottom for phones more. I post these on wit too.

Otherwise, what did you think about the game at first?

Edit: added a read more line

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst opinions #leona kingscholar #malleus draconia #jack howl #honest opinion #twst journey

[bosquedemel]

hotd related post. under a read more because of the subject matter, length and for personal tmi

i know we’ve moved past the show but does anyone else think milly alcock looked soooooo young, disturbingly so, as young rhaenyra? even now when i see her in gifs i’m still shocked at how young she looks even next to emily carey. i know that’s the Point and why she was cast and styled accordingly but it made the show hard to watch at times, like episode 4, which i don’t know if it was meant to be as disturbing as it was or not. maybe they did frame it like that and it’s just the fandom not seeing it (more on that below).

again, that was the point of that casting but imagine my shock when i logged on to tumblr after watching that episode and saw everyone cheering for daemon/rhaenyra and proud of it like there was nothing wrong..... i’m sorry but does she not look like an actual teenager to you, that perhaps being deliberate? (she was even dressed/disguised as a young boy in universe). do you not realize what’s happening in this scene? to the extent that the writers need to explain it in interviews over and over? it really shocked me, i’m not even joking or exaggerating.

maybe its just me but in any case it was probably my worst and most bewildering fandom experience ever and it didn’t help my anxious mood at the time (i believed i even mentioned this on discord to my friends there who btw were so cool and understanding). i’ve never experienced such a thing before with online things, and with a thing i liked and which is related to some of my favourite books too! anyway i just unfollowed people and was done with it; no point in hurting yourself.

i think i’d be able to rewatch that episode (i’m fine with discussing it, the characters and their relationship and the whole story, it’s no problem), because ultimately i rationally recognize it was not the show's problem but the fandom’s, but that brothel scene quickly became so viscerally disturbing to me.... but once again i totally recognize that that’s on me and not on the show (while maybe being part of its intention).

i also don’t want to blame the fandom in general because fandoms will fandom (after all we’ve been here before with so many ships) but this..... this was different, i think also because it’s a completely different “ship” than usual. it’s not exactly edward/bella or reylo and i don’t think i need to explain why. its something much more serious than that; at least i’d like to believe that we live in a world where a dramatic familial sexual abuse storyline on prestige tv warrants an equally serious reception (though considering what i often see on letterboxd i should probably not be so hopeful). after all this is ASOIAF/GOT, isn’t it? frequently hailed and acclaimed for its mature realism? and to see everyone treat it like a joke/meme or a romantic thing really turned my stomach. to this day it does

coupled with other things i’ve seen on here from fans about other aspects of the show (and of the books as well as GOT), i can say that this is probably the worst fandom i’ve personally seen in a while, it’s just one horrible thing after another (including misogyny, fascist rethoric, you name it). if i can use a comparison, it’s like being an offline person looking up what the folks on the internet are saying about something you like - not an experience that’s often recommended and for good reason. that's what i experienced that day

#sorry for rambling; i feel this started as one thing but then i just said what ive been bottling up for weeks #if there was ever a warning that i should be more offline it was this #text #q

[karatecaulfield]

Could I get a ST ship? I'm a bisexual man (so any gender is fine!) in my 20s, INFP, and my sun/moon/rising is all Aquarius (and I act like it tbqh). I'm generally more of an intellectual (I'm in grad school studying forensics) or artsy (I play guitar in a doom metal band and have a couple of published short horror stories), but my secret jock talent is fencing.

I'm 5'11 and have long (mid chest length) brown hair + a reasonably full beard. I generally wear comfortable clothes (bc I'm in labs a lot), but usually include denim, leather, and/or band shirts. I also have lots of body mods (I think I'm at 15 tattoos and 8 piercings now?). One of my big hobbies is tabletop gaming, although that's partly because my best friend designs them for a living and likes to test things with me. I also love cooking- my resolution for 2022 was to master the 5 French mother sauces, and I totally succeeded! I also love hiking, reading really silly fluffy romance books, and making cocktails My friends think of me as somebody who's dependable and has a strong moral compass, although I can be stuck in my ways sometimes. They also think of me as somebody calm and chilled out (partly bc I'm a bit of a stoner ngl), although when I panic I can work myself up easily. While I'm generally introverted, I actually really love parties when I have the energy for them- I really like meeting new people and getting them chatting about the things they like!

Jonathan Byers! I think he’d really appreciate someone who’s more artistic and creative. He’d love to spend time taking turns showing each other works in progress or newly finished projects. You’d be the first person to see his newly developed pictures, and he would be your number one fan for any creative endeavors you have started. While he doesn’t have any tattoos or piercings himself, I think he would be really interested in those who do. He’d absentmindedly trace your tattoos and you would often catch him looking at your shiny jewelry. In a relationship, the biggest thing for Jonathan would definitely be dependability. He can get really caught up in the moment sometimes, and it’s helpful to have someone to ground you when that happens. We all know that he has no issues with the devil’s lettuce (he’d probably say “salad”) and would really enjoy having someone new to smoke with. Even though he can get stuck in his own head sometimes when he’s having a hard time, he’s really good at working down someone who’s panicking or anxious. The dynamic would be very balanced and fair between the two of you.

A/N- thank you so much for the request! I’m so sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoyed this. if it isn’t what you were hoping for, please feel free to request again<3

#requests open #stranger things #ship requests #stranger things ships #jonathan byers

[anaer]

batflash for the ship meme please!

slightly angstier ship meme: batflash edition

who is more likely to get injured doing small tasks

Hmmm this is hard one. My initial thought is Wally, ofc, because he's definitely ADHD enough to not pay attention to what he's doing, but then Wally is superhuman and has better reaction times and I feel like Bruce is probably perpetually sleep deprived. I'm still gonna give it to Wally, he just heals so fast that no one notices.

who worries more about the other

Bruce, definitely. Bruce is a control freak, for one, but I feel like Wally looks up to and respects Bruce's capabilities just from like...you know, Bruce being Batman when Wally was growing up. That being said, Wally worries WILDLY more if something actually happens, like if Bruce gets hurt or something. Wally can bounce back from just about anything and Bruce might brood a bit, but Wally will be fine. Bruce getting hurt reminds Wally that Bruce is not at all superhuman and much less durable and much more breakable, and he does not handle that super well.

who is more afraid about the other leaving them

Bruce. Bruce generally worries more about things than Wally, who tends to ignore and completely suppress his anxieties in favor of trying to live in the moment, but like. All Bruce does is worry. Not to mention, Wally can be pretty flightly and impulsive and he's easily bored, so it's not outside the realm of possibility for Bruce that Wally would get bored with him and move on. Especially considering that Bruce is a good deal older than Wally and generally more content with settling down than Wally ever will be.

who is more likely to leave (for any reason)

Wally. I mean, running is his go to move, lolol, but also Bruce is very much the type of dude to overstep and Wally is the type of dude to not put up with Bruce's bullshit and ditch. Especially in, like, early days Wally for sure 100% is much more likely to ditch if anything were to go wrong.

who is more likely to drunkenly confess

Bruce, only because Wally can't get drunk.

who is more likely to push the other away (for any reason)

Wally is more likely to actively push Bruce away as like...an actual decision from his general anxiety or stress or temper, while Bruce is more likely to passively push Wally away just by nature of being...himself and overbearing and the Most and controlling.

who picks fights more often

Wally, for sure. Wally's a total hothead, and he will pick fights just cuz he's in a bad mood sometimes. Bruce doesn't usually actively pick a fight, even though he will definitely CAUSE fights.

who usually apologizes first

Wally, again. It ties back into Wally picking fights much more often, but generally as a character, Wally is a dude who is very aware of his shortcomings. He knows when he's fucked up - he knows when he's actively fucking up, tbh - and doesn't have an issue taking responsibility for that and apologising if he's in the wrong. Bruce...is not the most apologetic person in the world.

who is more likely to withhold their feelings for the other

Bruce, definitely. Bruce, thy name is repression. Bruce doesn't want to admit to himself that he might have FEELINGS for WALLY of all people. Completely false, completely unrealistic.

But also, in another context, Bruce still emotionally shuts down when he's upset and Wally is much more emotionally needy, so that just makes him more angry, and it's just a bad time all around for both of them when they're fighting like that.

who is more likely to lash out at the other

Wally is always going to be more prone to lashing out than Bruce by a lot. Bruce is much more controlled on the emotional outbursts, and again. Wally is easily set off, but he also burns out a lot faster. Wally also acts before he thinks a lot, especially when he's upset, whereas Bruce is definitely a much, much, much slower burn. If Bruce is lashing out someone has fucked up.

who gets more jealous

Both of them, equally, in different ways. I think Bruce gets jealous because Wally is actively flirty with EVERYONE and can't really hold that back, but also Bruce gets women throwing themselves at him in a whole different way that he doesn't even necessarily think about in terms of Wally's feelings because they're such a non-issue to him. Wally is half jealous cuz Bruce, but the other half is jealous that really rich models aren't throwing themselves at HIM instead. He's got lots of jealousy to go around!! And he should always be the center of attention, lbr.

who is more likely to support the other in a relationship with someone else “as long as they’re happy”:

Yeah, Bruce, just because Wally's more likely to actually find and settle down into a happy relationship with someone else. That's not so much Bruce's thing. But also I think this is compounded by the fact that Wally is like half his age, so I think any relationship between them will always have Bruce with the underlying thought that Wally would probably be better off/happier with someone closer in age to him or someone more chill like him, and if that happened, Bruce would have an easier time convincing himself he's let go. He wouldn't really, but.

Wally wouldn't have this issue because Bruce/happiness is Bruce's notp, lolol.

#batflash #wally west #bruce wayne #the most superior ship #ask meme #ask me

[peachsayshi]

Chapter 13 - Spinning

Tags: Friends with Benefits, Smut, Angst

Summary: You and Gojo are caught up in your feelings and he unintentionally breaks another rule. 

A/N: (18+ / minors and ageless blogs dni) New chapter! This is a bit of a filler chapter but I am working up to some dramatic things (smut and angst coming up!) plus revealing some of the secrets that happened in the timeline 👀 I hope you enjoy it! And as always comments are appreciated ☺️

- - - 

Sitting cross legged on your bedroom floor, you proceeded to fold the fresh laundry into perfectly neat piles. Music enveloped your room, the bass from your speaker bouncing off the walls as you mindlessly hummed along to the track that was playing. This is how you were choosing to unwind after a long work week, by organizing and cleaning up your apartment. There was something completely cathartic about resetting your space and you found yourself having plenty of free time on your hands recently.

Gojo has been exceptionally busy. At first there was an itch when you began seeing less of him, the two of you would plan to get together but that consistently kept getting cancelled. Eventually those plans transitioned to you agreeing on catching up with one another once things settled. Now it seems the only time you managed to hear from your friend was with sporadic phone calls and random text messages that he would send you at weird hours. The itch slowly turned into an ache, that familiar knot in your stomach making its presence known more often than usual.

There was something about the way he managed to fill the silence. You always gave him a hard time about talking your ear off but realised that he actually entertained you with some great conversations.

Even though half the time he was talking about ridiculous subject matters…

You had to hand it to Satoru though, he always spoke with such enthusiasm he would make the concept of paint drying seem fascinating.

He was fascinating.

Eight years of friendship have taught you that but you were smart enough not to feed his ego. Despite the two of you being close, Gojo still never fully let you in. You couldn’t deny that you were intrigued by him, curious to know more about the strongest sorcerer who seemed totally unphased by his own title whenever he was around you. You wanted to know more about how he fought off curses and protected people from the evils that seemed to be invisible in your eyes. Although he consistently evaded your questions, he did slowly open up about other things. You particularly loved the way his face let up when he talked about his students and it made you realise that if there was anything Gojo Satoru had committed himself to, it was his role as an instructor to the next generation of sorcerers.

Still, you usually tried to pry information out of him when the two of you would get lost in deep conversation, noticing the way Gojo would drift in his own thoughts whenever the subject seemed to focus on him.

Clearly there was an extent to which the man loved talking about himself.

There was a point when he spoke where you saw his face grow pensive as he brought up an old friend. He referenced him in passing but the way his mouth fell pained you just as much as it seemed to hurt him. Your question was on the tip of your tongue, eager to learn more about the people within his own circle, but Satoru immediately shifted the conversation onto something else.

That wall, much like his infinity, is impenetrable.

Unfortunately, the dynamics were in his favor. You wished that you could conceal your own emotions as easily around him but it was impossible. Gojo had the capability of knowing exactly how you were thinking and feeling at any given second. His incredible perception was his advantage, that’s why he is able to gauge your reactions so well.

You smiled subconsciously to yourself, goosebumps floating up to your shoulders when you realised how much you wanted your arms wrapped around his neck, your body pressing into his chest while breathing that spicy, sweet cologne…

Stop it.

You paused your action, the jeans on your lap in a mid-fold as you froze in place and your brain instantly turned off those dangerous ideas.  

You swallowed your own emotions, your abdomen tight when you realised that you had just spent the last ten minutes having intimate thoughts about Gojo.

You really shouldn’t but there was something about the way he acts around you that made you the slightest bit curious as to what he was thinking and how he was feeling.

How often did you cross his mind and did he even miss you as much as you did him?

At some point the two of you were going to have to stop this little game you were playing. Even though you weren’t seeking it out at the moment, you do want to settle down eventually with somebody you love. Satoru made it perfectly clear where he stood on relationships. He had no desire to get involved with anybody and the concept of marriage was something he completely rejected.

You recalled having a conversation with him about: 

“Are you really telling me that you’re okay living as a bachelor for the rest of your life?”

“Happily, actually…” Gojo replied, while you both continued your heated debate on the prospects of love.

“But why are you so against it?”

"I have my reasons,” he replied with a shrug.

Satoru always seemed to have a reason for everything but he was not willing to share it with you, leaving you in moments like this to analyze the little things he says to try and put the pieces together yourself.

Truthfully, you don’t want to stop as you found yourself fixated on this new…friends with benefits-ship…

Everything about it felt so good that you couldn’t even remember what things were like before you started hooking up.

How could you go back to just being friends after he’s seen you in your most vulnerable state? How were you supposed to pretend that his hands haven’t unraveled you into submission time and time again? How could you sit next to him without thinking about kissing him for hours on end? How were you supposed to listen to him talk without remembering the moments where he would whisper angel in your ear?

How the hell did you manage to keep your hands off him before this even started?

There was always the unspoken fact that you found each other attractive but since this new dynamic has started the two of you were like magnets whenever you were in close proximity to one another.

Well, you were able to keep the barrier because you were in a happily committed relationship with Haru, you interjected and suddenly you found yourself slumping your shoulders.

Haru was in love with you. He gave you the companionship you needed, he filled the silence with mindless conversations and was the one who held you when you needed him. He was the one to swallow your cries with soft kisses, that made you laugh in hysterics when you needed to boost your mood…

Your heart stopped, realizing that you were seeking out what Haru gave you with Gojo. Your gut wrenching at the idea of you using your friend to fill the emotional gap that Haru left. This ache that knotted your insides meant nothing and you were letting your thoughts confuse you into thinking that you were missing Gojo.

All you needed was to get your distraction back.

After all, Gojo is just your friend.

You had no reason to think anything else could come of this and burned any other thought about Satoru from crossing your mind for the rest of the evening.

If you even thought for a second that you might be falling for him, you would cut ties immediately. You weren’t going to put a strain on your friendship because you’re silly ideals were getting in the way of your agreement.

The two of you were just fucking.

Nothing more, nothing less.

***

Gojo studied the woman before him, acknowledging the fact that she is one of the most stunning individuals he had ever laid his eyes on. She was older than him by ten years but if it wasn’t for the age on her online profile, he wouldn’t have been able to tell.

She was tall, meeting his own towering height, give or take a few inches. Her long, pin straight hair flowed to her hips, accentuating her curves and covering her supple breasts. Her face could strike down any man that looked at her with those deep eyes and he was tempted to nibble on her full lips. Seeing her in person made Gojo realize that her price was high for a reason and totally justifiable.

Anyone would pay extra to fuck a goddess.

Somehow, he wound up here thanks to his own frustrations. His desire for you was driving him wild and his own hands weren’t enough to solve this problem. He still respected the rules that were unbroken and knew that as long as he didn’t go too far with Ami, he was fine. He wasn’t going to have sex with her but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t help him out with his current predicament in other ways.

Besides, you did tell him that he was allowed to see other people. However, that didn’t stop his stomach from twisting at the thought of climbing into bed with someone other than you. He couldn’t quite figure out what this awkward sensation was or why he was bothered by his own decision to meet up with Ami in the first place.

Gojo stripped down to his boxers before sitting on the edge of her satin covered mattress. She was admiring him with amusement, the tempting smile on her lips telling him that she was also enjoying what she was seeing.

“You paid for a full hour but said that you might not be here for that long. Did something urgent come up?” she questioned, her voice sensually low and sending a shiver up Gojo’s spine.

My she is dangerous, he thought to himself, knowing full well how this entire experience would go under different circumstances.

The circumstances being, well, you.

“I don’t plan on sticking around too long...” he explained.

“I’ll have to adjust your pay accordingly then,” she replied, taking a few steps forward until she was standing in front of him.

“I don’t mind paying for the full hour,” Gojo teased with a grin, his free hand moving to touch her silky hair as he rubbed it between his fingers.

She smiled, nearly taking his breath away as she brought her finger to the blindfold covering his eyes.

“I don’t like accepting money for free,” she  stated, tracing her touch down his chiseled jawline. “I bet you’re handsome but I am guessing you don’t plan on taking this thing off to show me what you really look like.”

“Yep,” Gojo smiled as Ami proceeded to slide across her bed next to him. "And you guessed right, I’ve got an exceptionally pretty face.”

“Cocky too,” she purred, “there’s a special way I treat guys like you…”

Gojo hummed, switching his position so he was lying back against her pillows. Ami crawled her body over his lean torso, her hands rubbing up and down his thigh as she glanced in his direction.

“Oh, yeah? I would love to see how...” Gojo insisted, his breath growing heavy as she guided her hand all the way to his mouth.

She traced his bottom lip with her thumb, a devious mask highlighting her stunning features as she spoke, “Be a good boy and lie back while I take care of you…”

He fully caved, allowing this sultry siren to take control by touching and teasing his body however she pleased. Gojo usually enjoyed relinquishing his power every now and then but for whatever reason it was taking some effort for him to fully immerse himself with what was happening. Ami straddled his cock, before proceeding to press her mouth against his. Her lips were working fervently over his own as she deepened the kiss, but the spark that he needed just wasn’t igniting.

When Ami flicked her tongue over his, he would only think about the sensation of yours. The taste of you in his mouth lingered like an addictive poison. One that he craved every single time you crossed his mind. The sound of your moans played in his ear and the sweet way you called out his name when he touched you between your legs filtered his brain. He was only brought back to the reality that it wasn’t you pushing your body against his, when Ami wrapped her fingers around his throat. He tried to erase you and focus on the woman before him but was persistently failing.

She could see that something was off from how he was responding to her caresses. “Are you sure you're up for this tonight, baby?” Ami teased, whispering into his mouth as she snagged his bottom lip between her teeth. “You don’t seem ready for me...”

“Fuck…” Gojo grunted out of frustration, knocking his head back as he pressed his fingers to his temple. “It’s not you, I’m just distracted…”

“What’s on your mind?” she continued, stroking his broad chest lovingly to try and coax him out of the daze he was in.

“Not what...who…” he responded shyly, his cheeks blushing ever so slightly by his admittance.

“I see…” she cooed, “Wife? Girlfriend?”

Gojo scoffed, a comical laugh escaping him as he shook his head.

“Definitely not.”

Ami pressed her lips together, her nail doodling along his upper body with random figures as she continued to question her intriguing client.

“Tell me about her…”

Gojo froze, his hands digging into Ami’s thighs upon hearing her bold question, “she’s just a friend. There’s nothing to say...”

“Is she beautiful?”

“She’s gorgeous,” Gojo exhaled, his words passing his lips faster than he could process what he had just said. Ami tracked her hands down between her legs, stroking his boxers as she massaged his length.

“Tell me what she looks like…”

He described you in detail, from your sinfully sweet lips to the beautiful sound of your laughter and how soft your skin felt in his hands. She continued tricking him into revealing the intimate thoughts that swirled in his mind when he thought about you. She heard the way Gojo’s voice wavered as he swelled between her hands, the tip of his cock poking through his underwear as the pre-cum stained the material of his boxers. Ami pulled the clothing away from his hips, hands returning to grip his member as she continued stroking up and down his shaft.

“Do you think about fucking her with the other women you meet?”

“Yes,” Gojo revealed through gritted teeth, swallowing hard as she played with his tip by circling his thumb over the slit of his cock.

“How often?”

“Too often,” the sorcerer hissed, his hips bucking into her hands.

“I bet you wish you were fucking her right now, don’t you?”

She saw how turned on he is and how easily the thought of you brought him close to his release. Ami spread her legs, adjusting her stance until she brought the tip of his cock to her entrance. Gojo hesitated, knowing that he needed to stop what was about to happen. This wasn’t supposed to go this far. He was only here for a quick hand job or blowjob, but he couldn’t suppress a satisfied moan as she slid down to take in his length.

“F-fuck, wai-...”

“Shh, baby, close your eyes and think of your sweet angel…” Ami whispered in his ear, making Gojo roll his blue irises to the back of his head as he relaxed into her touch.

She didn’t speak after that, fulfilling her promise of taking care of him but also ensuring that his focus was solely on the mental image of you. The sound of her skin bouncing up and down his length took over the entire room. The way Ami stated that you were his was enough to send him over the edge and it didn’t take long until he climaxed at the thought, quickly pulling out of her and releasing hot ropes of cum all over her stomach but imagining that it was you the entire time. She immediately cleaned herself up after they finished, before giving Gojo some privacy and allowing him to get himself together.

After he got dressed, he pulled out his phone to transfer the payment. He doubled the amount he was supposed to give, totally aware that she didn’t reach her own release and was disappointed in himself that he couldn’t pleasure the remarkable temptress before him.

He slipped on his boots, his mind racing as the guilt rushed right through him. He hated that broke another rule, especially since this particular one was a boundary you set for your own comfort. He was angry at himself that he disrespected that and was annoyed for crossing the line in the first place.

What the fuck is wrong with me?, he thought to himself.

“I told you I don’t get paid for doing nothing. I don't accept money like that, not even from spoiled rich boys like you,” Ami stated, her words stung but she spoke in such a gentle tone that didn’t offend the sorcerer. She was leaning against the wall as she appeared before him, her body now covered with just a pink robe.

“You got me off but I did nothing to reciprocate. I tell all the other girls to charge double if that happens.”

“How considerate,” she mused before arching her brow in delight at him, “but for the sake of my own conscience I feel like I need to give you something in return…”

Gojo stood up from his seat, smoothing out his clothes before approaching her slowly. Even though he got what he wanted out of this arrangement, he was feeling worse about himself the longer he stayed in this room.

“How about a piece of advice before you leave and we can call it even?” Ami questioned.

“What is it?” the sorcerer wondered, hearing her feet patter against the carpet as she followed his footsteps to her front door.

She paused when she reached for the handle, before tilting her face and directing her full attention towards his covered eyes.

“Tell your friend how you feel or cut off whatever it is you’re doing. If you don’t tell her then you’re fucked, plain and simple.”

“Look, what happened just now doesn’t mean anything…”

She raised her fingers to his lips, stopping him from even attempting to defend what transpired.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but you’re easy to read. I have had clients come here trying to forget their lovers and those who come to see me because they can’t resist their own primative urges. I see the ones who are lonely, who only visit me for companionship and nothing more. Then there are the ones who are like you, who will bury themselves in any cunt they see just to pretend that they aren’t in love with somebody else…”

Gojo clenched his jaw, squeezing his hands together as the heat rose up to his face.

“You don't know what you're talking about. Besides, wanting to fuck somebody and being in love are two very different things.”

“True, except those two things are tangled up in one person when it comes to you…”

Gojo pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure as to why her accusation made him so irritated.

“Awww, don’t get angry, pretty boy. It’s unbecoming for somebody as handsome as you are…” Ami whispered, before kissing him on the cheek as she said her goodbye. “It’s okay, I promise that your secret is safe with me…”

*** 

CHAPTER 14: JEALOUSY

#Gojo Satoru #Gojo Satoru x female reader #Gojo Satoru x reader #gojo x female reader #Gojo Satoru x female reader #Gojo Satoru x you #gojo x you #gojo smut #gojo fluff #gojo angst #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen fanficiton #jujutsu kaisen x reader

[no-droids]

Promise Me (It’s Yours)

Part Eleven of the Rough Day Series

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 10K

Warnings: OMFG might be the first chapter of rough day to not need any warnings, can you believe it?? I mean of course there’s language, a splash of smut, and just the briefest reference to suicide, but pretty PG-13 this time my guys I apologize

A/N: I’m sorry I know people show up for the smut but I was feeling soft in this Taco Bell parking lot so here this is, I hope y’all like it.  I guarantee none of the math is correct but please go with it

***

You jerk awake to the sound of whimpers.

It’s late.  The bonfire is nothing more than glowing coals, and your back is resting against a scratchy log instead of a long, comfortable chest.  You blink rapidly, trying to figure out where that noise is comi—

The kid.  Fussy in his crib, his gasps starting to turn into quiet sobs.

“Hey,” you murmur, aiming for soft and comforting, but the sleep sits right in the middle of your vocal cords and splits your voice in half, making you sound like an exhausted demon.  Weirdly enough, it seems to chill him out (did a demon actually teach him how to choke people without touching them?) and you sit up to blearily look around.  Where’s Din?  “Where’s—” you rub your eyes and squint around once more, “—where’d your dad go, bug?”

The clearing is bare.  The field is, too—no path, excluding the one you three made on the hike here.  Nothing in the distant forest, and the black duffel bag sits somewhere near your feet.

Alright, no worries, maybe he just… went to take a leak or something.  Really… oddly far away.  That’s fine.  Sometimes humans have to do that—maybe he has a.  A shy bladder.  Or something.  You’re totally fine.  The kid blinks back at you through equally tired eyes, his head tilting as he seems to be taking cues from you right now in the absence of his father.  You both should just try to go back to sleep…

Or you can wait up for him.  That sounds like a better plan.  Don’t panic, just trust him.  Give him the benefit of the doubt, it’s the least you can do.

You take a second to look around again, still coming up empty.  It’s dark out, but the moon is suspended high in the sky.  The fire doesn’t even give off much light anymore, just dying embers.  Your eyes scan the ground again, catching on the black bag at your feet.

Was that there when you went to sleep?  No, the last person who had it was Din, and he was sitting over there, in front of the boulder behind the kid’s shield.

You blink down at the stationary bag for a few more seconds, studying it like it’ll spill all of its secrets if you glare hard enough, but then something sparks in your memory.  Something odd, something you only noticed for a second last night.  There was a red light that reflected off Din’s helmet when he reached into the bag for food earlier, wasn’t there?

You think back on it, try to isolate the hazy memory.  If it was a laser sight, you would’ve recognized the bright beam and panicked, but you didn’t.  It was unfocused, dim.  Flashing.

Had… had Din brought a tracking fob with him from the Crest?  But why?

Maker, it’s like your mind knows it should speed up but it’s still too stupid to actually do it.  You should… you should check the bag, right?  Just in case… you don’t know.  You’re being ridiculous.

You reach out to catch the dark bag nonetheless and then unzip it, rifling through it for a particular item you figure should be in here somewhere.  Food, food, more food…

Somewhere…

—It’s not here.  No tracking fob here.  No red light to be seen of.

Had you been imagining it?

No, you determine after a second.  No, because you remember thinking it was odd—you specifically noticed it, clearly recognized it but didn’t contemplate too much into it at the time.

Alright, no worries, maybe he… maybe he went on a quick little hunt while you were both sleeping.  He must’ve gone back to the ship to grab his armor and guns and then set off.  That’s fine, there’s more food in the bag.  He said he’d be here when you woke up, which most likely means morning.  Right?

Cool.  Cool cool cool, you can wait until morning.  You can just settle back down against the log right here and find a comfortable position—there we go—and just wait for the sunrise, wait for the inevitable return of your missing party member.  Party leader, arguably.  He’ll come back, he always does.

Your body begins to relax, even though something still seems… strange about this.  Like there’s something important you’re still missing.

… The field is bare.

You instantly sit up and turn back to study it in the moonlight, study the single path you left on your way here.  You remember hiking at least… a grand total of two hours to get here from the Crest, maybe?  Granted, you took quite the detour, but that just means he would’ve carved a distinct, new path on his way back—

Would he… would he really go on a hunt without going back to the ship first?  Would Mando truly venture out—without telling you—to go collect a quarry without any weapon on him whatsoever?  Any piece of armor besides a helmet?

Does that seem right to you?

Fuck, you suddenly feel wide awake, and the baby starts gasping out troubled cries again.  You push yourself up to your feet and stumble around the dying flames to go comfort him, dropping to your knees next to the reflective sphere.  Your head stays on a constant swivel as you quiet him, brushing the pad of your thumb along his wrinkled forehead and shushing him as you keep looking out at the breezy field of grass, trying to see if you missed anything.  

Fuck, maybe you’re just overreacting.  What direction is the ship?  Which way did you…?  You think back, trying to piece together limited information of what you can remember about today.  Glancing back down at the log you slept on and then the path leading away from the clearing, rapidfire calculations start going off in your head.  No, you realize after a second of frantic thought—no, the sun would’ve—if you walked…

Eventually, you’re able to pinpoint a general idea of where the ship should be, and if you’re right, then he definitely would’ve left a new path to get back to it.  You don’t like this.  It’s out of character for him.  It sits too weird with you, and the kid rarely starts crying unless something is bothering him.

Alright, alright, don’t panic.  Din is a professional.  He must’ve left on purpose—you would’ve woken up if there was any sort of struggle, or even just an exchange.  Odds are, he grabbed the tracking fob and just… went to go get the quarry.  

Without waking you.  Without telling you.  Without bringing anything else with him.  No armor.  No guns.  Just the fob.

Some strange sense of dread begins to fill you, one that feels all the worse when there’s no clear explanation for it.  You won’t pretend like you’re an expert, but to a Mandalorian, that seems like it could be considered suicidal, wouldn’t it?  What reason would he have to do this?

The field continues to wave, undisturbed, in all surrounding directions except one.  You look over at the clearing leading to the dark forest, the treetops too thick to let anything but traces of crystal moonlight through.  If he left… he’ll have gone that way.  The only direction that wouldn’t leave a path.

Okay.  So there's a decision that needs to be made.  You can either stay here, in the middle of this wide open field until the sun comes up, and hopefully he comes back by then.  Or… you could.  Go check if something went wrong.

The forest is gorgeous from here, you can see that.  Thick treetops, drifting gently in the breeze, steady and quiet and picturesque.  Admittedly, you can also see a haunting, looming nightmare of darkness warning you to stay away from whatever it’s hiding.  This is an unfamiliar planet.  You know it’s safe, this is the most isolated sector and Din said practically no crime happens here, but.  He also said he’d be here when you woke up.

Hang on, wait.  Something catches in your peripheral.  There—right on the other side of the kid’s crib, you see—

A glove.

… He left the glove.  Whether on purpose or by accident, Din left his glove.  The one connected to the vambrace, the one that houses all his controls.  

The one that houses the comm link.

The piece of armor is already in your trembling fingers before you realize you even went to grab it.  Anxiety, stress, dread—you don’t know which weighs on you heavier while you slowly rotate it in your hands, trying to understand what’s happening right now.  He left his emergency communicator.  The only chance you have at contacting him unless he decides to come back.

Panic suddenly constricts in your chest, and you make your decision blindly.  The kid continues to squeak out little whimpers as your arm sinks down into the leather and you pull the gauntlet up almost to your elbow, flexing your fingers inside the fabric and feeling your heart beating in your throat.  The controls are fairly basic, it doesn’t take much time to figure out which button he synced with the hovering sphere, which command he uses to lock the two locations together.

“Chill out, kiddo,” you whisper, doing your best to calm your own raging uncertainty.  Conviction is key, you think.  You made your decision.  Not wanting to waste any more time in case something went awry, you sling the bag over your shoulder and set off in the direction of the trees, feeling… woefully underprepared for whatever may potentially face you.

The forest is quiet as you finally make your way past the first few trees marking its beginning, or end, and you need a second to blink and adjust your vision.  It’s dark—if you thought it was dark when you awoke, it’s nothing compared to this.  The treetops are thick and barely allow any moonlight to pass through their dense leaves whatsoever, just bits and pieces scattered here or there.  There’s no path, no trail, just nature.  Fallen logs, moss, rock and boulder formations you have to avoid.

You shush your agitated ward again, wanting to control yourself because you’re getting the kid worked up into baby battle mode with no visible threats to see.  He reads energies—he’s capable when he wants to be, when he deems the situation fit.  Right now he’s quieted somewhat but he’s still on high alert, recycling your inner panic outwards until you feel the air shifting around you, an… unexplainable phenomena you can’t even describe properly.

Well, you figure.  If anything, he’s far more dangerous than any weapon Din typically carries with him.  You tend to forget, most of the time.  He’s never hurt you, no matter how boisterous the tantrums sometimes are, and you find yourself very rarely thinking of him as anything other than an innocent, helpless baby you’re tasked with protecting.  Though it appears that most of the time, he’s been the one protecting you.

What are you saying?  There’s no need for protection right now, you’re simply searching for your absent ally.  You’re not being brave—no matter how quickly your heart is beating or how much your hands are sweating, you’re not being brave because bravery implies facing something you fear.  You have nothing to fear, it’s nothing more than an abandoned forest.  A backdrop for your endeavor.

Though… though now that you think about it, this setting looks eerily similar to one you’ll have seared into your memory forever.  The forest on Corellia.

You will the thought away with a frantic shake of your head.  Naboo is safe, Naboo is safe—it’s not like Corellia.  It’s not crawling with people desperate for food and credits, desperate enough to resort to kidnapping and slave trade.  Naboo will economically prosper no matter what threat befalls the galaxy, its industry comes from tourism and resorting.

You stop for a second, needing a breather.  Just for a second.  You haven’t been walking more than fifteen minutes but the terrain makes your feet hurt.  Sure, there are clearings between trees and the ground isn’t complete overflowing with obstacles, but they’re still present.  The scattered rocks dig in under your shoes and some of the bushes you pass by have sharp leaves or thorns—but it’s the sprawling root systems that prove to be the worst.  They crawl across the ground like they can’t decide whether they want to be part of it or not, and more than once you stub your toe on a hidden tube arching a few inches out of the mossy soil.

A part of you almost has to remind yourself that you’re here because you’re looking for somebody, rather than being trapped here trying to evade something.  The adrenaline and fear are starting to get the best of you, make you too antsy, warp your senses.  You’re deep in the forest now, but not enough to feel the wind disappear yet—you can still hear it rattling around above you, leaves slapping against each other, branches creaking as they tower over you.  You almost wish it were quiet.  You don’t feel comforted by the breeze anymore, it doesn’t feel like an ever present reassurance as much as it does a burden that masks the noises you could otherwise be hearing.  The snapping of twigs that could potentially be there.  The crunching of leaves under feet that aren’t your own.

So.  You should probably admit now that this was actually a horrendous idea.  Because you’re fucking stupid for not realizing this earlier, but.  Din ventured into this hellscape to find a quarry, did he not?

A… wanted criminal.

Shit.  What the fuck.  That’s a hell of a fucking thing to register this late, isn’t it?

You can turn around, you figure.  You can turn around right now and head back to the campsite—actually, that sounds like a great idea.  You should do that.

You spin around and begin retracing your steps… which, you figure out about five minutes later, is an impossible feat.  None of your surroundings look familiar—or shit, maybe it all looks familiar.  Like… trees.  And fucking rocks.  Trying to distinguish landmarks is almost impossible now, and there’s no way to tell which direction you’re going with no visibility overhead, no celestial body to guide you.

You don’t immediately panic, not until you (quite literally) stumble upon a small stream of water flowing through some stones under your feet.

Well, okay.  That’s not good.  Okay, well, no, you suppose that could be good.  It’s water—it’s a landmark, sure, the tiniest little landmark you've ever seen, but that’s exactly the problem.  You’ve never seen it before.  Which means you’re most definitely not going in the right direction.

At this point, the only option you have is to turn around again.  Maybe you can unintentionally make the same series of stupid mistakes once more to start you right at the beginning.  The kid is still glancing around in his cradle, making sure no harm comes to your useless ass, but then you freeze when you begin to hear something in the distance.  

It’s an unfamiliar sound—a deafening one, even from this far away.  Long and echoing, a giant chorus of… something.  Something you’ve never heard before, something you can’t place.

Your heart is thundering as you walk closer to the source of it, moving slowly and cautiously forwards and having no clue what it could possibly be.  It doesn’t seem to amplify much as you travel closer, which means it must be a ways away still.  It’s terrifying nonetheless—the anticipation, how sweaty your hands are, the way you’re very aware of the muscles in your stomach for some reason.

The baby coos softly at your side, but the suddenness of the gentle noise nearly makes you jump out of your skin.  You gasp and look down at him for the first time in what feels like ages, clutching at your chest, but then—

—then footsteps rush you from behind and something grabs at your shirt.

You react completely on instinct, your body nearly throbbing with adrenaline as you whip around and launch a mean jab aimed at the dark silhouette behind you.  It slams directly into his solar plexus hard enough to bend him in half and ripple through your whole arm with the blowback.  Your other fist pulls back and instantly goes for him again, but he just barely manages to jerk his arm up and block it in time—

And thank the Maker he does.  Because you were just an inch shy from colliding your knuckles against the side of his head in your wild stage of panic.  The one currently covered in devastatingly strong, shiny metal, the helmet just barely visible in the dark forest.

It’s like it doesn’t even register with you—you’re already going to hit him again when Din’s hand hooks around your arm and he yanks you forwards.  Your body slams into his and then he’s wrapping himself around you and holding suffocatingly tight.  Everything inside you still wants to struggle against him, gasping into his shoulder as your heart continues to gallop with terror no matter what your logic tells you.  But he holds harder than steel and the sound of his voice eventually returns to you after a moment, repeating harsh words at you through a familiar vocal filter.

“—me, it’s me, it’s me, I’m right here, stop it, stop it, stop—”

You blink desperately against black fabric, letting the familiar scent, touch, and embrace bring you back down again.  He’s so solid—has such a strong hold on you, absolutely no give to be found, and the devastatingly tight embrace manages to quickly settle you.

But he doesn’t wait long.  As soon as you stop fighting him, he releases you in favor of grabbing your shoulders and shoving you out at arm’s length, frantically jerking the helmet up and down your body and twisting you back and forth while he looks.  Your arms dangle with the inspection and you readily let him move you around like a rag doll, not having enough sense to register anything beyond safe.  You’re safe.  Everything seems to exist in a box right now, far away and yet compact at the same time.  The visor snaps back up to your face and you blink dazedly up at him.

“I’m sorry,” you immediately tell him, voice pitched high and awkward, “woah, hah—whew, ahah—I’m sorry, I-I’m just—“

His fingers hook at your chin and he pulls it up, tilting your head back and forth, allowing the small patch of moonlight beaming through the treetops to catch the water in your eyes.  It glints in shameless betrayal, and you try unsuccessfully to blink it away despite the damage already being done.  Din drops his arm and you lower your chin without the platform propping it up.

“You just—you just—” you gasp out, delayed relief suddenly filling you and making your voice wobble dangerously, “—y-you went on a hunt but you left your armor.  You left your guns, you left everything.  I didn’t know—what could’ve happened, I—why’d you do that?  W-Why—why didn’t you t-tell m—”

He wraps his hand behind your head and pulls you into his chest once more, not saying a single word.  This hug is just as tight as before, just in a different way.  He still uses it as a way to calm you and it still squeezes the air from your body, but this one doesn’t feel like it’s entirely for your benefit anymore.

It takes you a few more seconds to realize his hands are trembling.

You go to pull back, but he tightens, anchoring you to him.  “What’s—” you gasp against the fabric covering his shoulder, “—what’s wrong?  Are you okay?  Where’s the quarry?  What’s—what’s making that sound?  Are we safe?”

Din takes slow, shallow breaths, and you hear it almost too well with your ear shoved against his body.  Little by little, he loosens his grip on you.  Both of you are still panting by the time you’re able to wrench back and look up at him.

Bare, shaky hands push your hair back away from your face, eventually coming to rest framing both of your cheeks.  They’re warm and strong where his fingers wrap around the bend of your jaw, securing you in place, and when he speaks, he sounds like he’s been through hell and back.

“Don’t ever,” Din whispers brokenly, tugging a little bit to make sure you’re listening.  “Don’t ever—ever run away from me like that.  Ever again.  Understand?”

You stare up at him, wide-eyed and dumb, unmoving.  Is that what he thinks?  That you were trying to… to run away from him?

“I—I wasn’t running,” you immediately stutter out, blinking rapidly at him and trying not to let the confusion show on your face.  “I’d never run—I-I told you I wouldn’t—” 

“I came back and you were gone,” he breathes, his quivering thumbs brushing along the height of your cheekbones.  “I—my kid, he was gone, everything was gone, I-I…”  The helmet shakes back and forth the slightest bit, and then he drops his grip to clamp down on your shoulders, clearing the fragile turmoil from his throat and hardening his tone.  “Listen, you can’t do that—you can’t take my kid and just… just disappear like that, please, promise me you won’t do that agai—”

“You disappeared,” you accuse with a whisper, but it’s like he doesn’t even hear you.

“Promise me,” he urges, shaking you enough to make your head bobble just slightly, and the quiet plead of his voice through the modulator compels you to acquiesce without a second thought.

“I promise I won’t disappear,” you vow to him, unwavering and earnest.  “Now promise you won’t, either.”

Din stares at you for a moment, his body tense and completely stationary.  He’s still breathing heavy though, his chest rising and falling hard enough for you to count.  One, two, three…   Seven.  Seven whole breaths, before he finally responds.

“I promise,” he eventually declares, before taking a step forward and crowding you, pulling your shoulders in and slowly tilting his helmet down until it rests against your forehead.  The cool metal feels like ice on your burning skin—but you ignore it and allow him to get as close as he can possibly be, to hold you tight and keep you there.  “I promise,” he goes on, “that if you ever—that if something ever happens to you two, and you just… just vanish on me like that again—then I’d—I’d…”

And then his next words steal the air from your lungs, wipe your head clear of any thoughts whatsoever—the hushed, vehement sincerity in his voice.  Yet… calm.  Certain, composed, and with purpose.  Almost as if he could only get you to understand one thing, then he would want it to be this.

“Then I’d tear this whole galaxy apart to find you,” he tells you quietly, tightening his hands on your arms and swearing an oath to you.  “Both.  Both of you.  I’d—I’d never stop.  I’d rain hell.  Tell me you understand.”

“I… I understand,” you finally murmur, and Din quickly pulls you to his chest and wraps himself around you once more without another word.  His fingers tangle in your hair and encourage you to rest your face in the crook of his neck, so you do.  Even though his helmet jabs uncomfortably at your cheek like this, you do your best to just settle down and breathe him in, bring your hands up to rub at his back and wait for his heart rate to slow.

Eventually it does.  It seems like it takes ages, but eventually he's able to unwind his large stature from around you, letting you have a bit more of your own space.  He doesn’t take his hands off you, though—his palm drags down your elbow and catches your bare hand in his, gently tugging.

“Let’s go,” he says quietly, beginning to lead you… somewhere.  Probably out of the forest and back to the ship, but you don’t question it and completely forget about the low rumbling still echoing in the distance.  You follow directly behind him and away from the mysterious sound, the fingers of your right hand still laced with his left, knowing there are far more important questions to be asked.

“Din,” you whisper, but he doesn’t need anymore prompting.

“I thought I’d be quick enough,” he admits, pulling you along by your hand.  “It’s barely been a couple hours.”

You stay silent and focus on your feet, letting him go at his own pace.  More than once he plays bodyguard, standing in front of wickedly sharp branches while you and the kid pass, and there’s never anything said beyond a quiet ‘thank you’ every time he does it.

“I’ve…” he says after a while.  “I’ve been doing this job for awhile.  And there are things… things you learn.  Quick.  Ways to predict people, ways to get in their heads.  Last known locations tell you a lot about a quarry.  Smart ones go to populated planets, planets like Coruscant, planets that make it nearly impossible to find people.  Brave ones go to dangerous planets, suicidal ones try their luck in the Unknown Regions, idiots continue to go about their business on their homeworld without caring.  But planets like this—like Naboo… those are the pacifists.  The ones that don’t ever put up a fight.  Watch your feet.”

You blink and stumble over a hidden root nonetheless, trying to keep up both physically and mentally.  Din tightens his grip and catches you by your elbow.

“This one was like you,” he goes on, pulling you up and leading you forward once more.  “Wasn’t trying to run.  Just wanted to spend his last few months hiding out on the most beautiful place in the galaxy before he got caught.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?  Why’d you go in the middle of the night?”  You whisper, not upset anymore.  Just trying to understand.  “You couldn’t have waited until morning?”  But Din just shrugs.

“I didn’t want to remind you.”  His sentence is short and stunted, yet serves to answer all three of your questions without providing any information beyond that, the unspoken sentiment barreling forth and smashing into you full force.  He didn’t want to remind you.  He wanted to leave while you were asleep and then return before you woke up, never letting you remember that responsibilities exist beyond this gorgeous planet for the time being.

You’re a bit shocked, to be honest.  In hindsight, though, you suppose it makes sense.  Din was the one who navigated to this sector, kept the bag out of your reach the whole day.  If the kid had decided to wake up just an hour or two later, he would’ve been back by then, and you would’ve never known any different.

“Anyway,” he clears his throat, and a wave tiredness suddenly grips you.  Fuck.  Too much thinking.  “The quarry went willingly, they always do when their last wish is to chase down a pretty landscape.  Nice guy.  Found him camped out by a giant—”

Din suddenly goes oddly quiet, and you’re too exhausted to push it.  You’re starting to drag a little bit.  You woke up in blind panic and have been on edge ever since, and now that you know things are okay, your body just wants more sleep.  The trees blur as you keep moving forward, zoning out and knowing you likely have another few miles of walking before you’re back.

You almost trip over him.  You don’t even notice he’s there until you nearly run into him.  In your defense, the only visible part of him is his helmet; the clothing is too dark under the thick treetops to see anything else.  Still, it takes you a second, and you blink down at Din’s crouched figure in front of you, blocking your intended path.

“Up,” he turns to mutter over his shoulder when you ultimately fail to comprehend.

…There’s no way.

Hesitantly, you lift one of your knees to his side and feel his arm firmly hook under it.  Emboldened, you lean down until your forearm can wrap around the front of him, and then you do a stupid little bunny hop along the curve of his spine.  Din easily catches your other leg before rising up.

He bounces you higher on his back once he’s upright, and you’re automatically resting your chin on his shoulder and clinging to him, your heart filling with butterflies as he begins trudging forward.

It’s… oddly comfortable.  As long as you keep your arms wrapped tight around his chest, you can bury your face into him and drift in and out.  He goes out of his way to keep you as level as you can possibly be, trying to soften his steps so your jaw doesn’t bounce on top of him while he steps over fallen logs and ducks to avoid low hanging leaves.

Later—you’re not sure how long it’s been, his voice comes through the modulator, ringing with your ear pressed against the helmet no matter how quiet he tries to be.  

“How’d you know I went on a hunt?”  He asks, and there’s a soft reservation in his tone, as if he doesn’t really want to speak but needs to ask you anyways.

“Mmm?”  You slur into the fabric stretching over his shoulder, probably drooling on it a bit, too.  “Hmm?”

His voice increases marginally in volume, but still maintains a gentle undertone that lulls you into relaxing deeper.  “You knew I left to look for the quarry—how?”

“Fob,” you tell him tiredly, not having much energy to spare the words.  “Wasn’t in the bag.”

You’re too out of it at this point, it takes a moment to realize Din has abruptly slowed down.  “How’d you know there was a tracking—”

“You’re… reflective?”  You ask, though you don’t really know why you’re asking.  “S’to your detriment.  Sometimes.”

That seems to stun him somewhat, halting him in place for the time being.  The biggest response it gets from you is the tiniest little eyebrow twitch inwards, wondering why the steady movements of your transportation seems to have temporarily stalled.  “How’d you know I left my armor?”

“Hmm?”  You ask again, not really hearing him.

“Hey, stay awake for a second,” he bounces you and you groggily mutter something under your breath that even you can’t comprehend.  Din glosses over it while you blink your eyes open.  “Tell me how you knew.  You didn’t go back to the Crest.”

You drag your head off his shoulder and squint around, looking around at the edge of the forest and the flowing grass beyond and trying to think with your stupid, tired brain, really needing to focus on the question.  “…No?”

The curiosity in his voice can’t be masked, not by him nor the filter through which it’s processed.  “So how did you know I left my armor on it?”

“You would’ve left a trail,” you shrug. “The grass is tall.”

“I could’ve just taken the path we made earlier,” he eventually proposes, still completely motionless in the middle of the relatively sparse number of trees leading to it.  “Gone back to the ship exactly the way we came.”

“Y’could’ve,” you admit with a yawn. “But the ship is that way,” you lazily raise your arm and point a good fifty or so degrees to the left, and Din follows his own outstretched gauntlet you’re still sporting around your hand with the visor.

“I’m impressed,” he finally says, shifting you on his back but perfectly content to keep his feet rooted to the spot.  “I didn’t think you had a good sense of direction.  You know where the Crest is on this planet but not when we were on Canto Bight.”

You snort a laugh.  No, no you have no such thing—you got lost as fuck in this forest.  A good sense of direction counts as a solid survival skill, and you’d say you still very much lack most of those.  Besides pulling water out of thin air, you can’t claim to know much of anything at all in that department.

“Mmm.  No, that was just—“ you shake your head.  “Y’know, jus’ some… panicked?  Math?  That’s all.”

“Panicked…” Din repeats slowly, “…math.”

You nod, frustrated that he’s still not moving, clearly waiting for you to explain your rapid, chaotic thought process from earlier.  Still, you do your best for him, trying not to slur your words too much.  “We… walked towards the sun this morning to get to the field.  I remember, because your shiny ass was blinding me the entire time, what must’ve been like.  A whole fucking hour?  At least.  And… and then we walked a little less to get here, forty-five minutes probably, then me ‘n the kid watched the sunset leaning up against that one log, which was at a solid angle—little more than fifty degrees to the right from the path.  You could’ve retraced your steps from earlier if you really wanted to, but taking the shortcut would’ve shaved off about...” you snuggle your face into his shoulder deeper for a moment and think really hard about it.  “Thirty minutes?  Or an hour round trip.  Give or take, since the kid slowed us down.”

He still doesn’t move, and you huff quietly, feeling like you’re on top of a stubborn blurg that just can’t be fucking bothered.  Should you squeeze your legs around his middle?  Will that work?

“You… went on a hunt, sweet girl,” Din finally says, bluntly, after way too long of a pause.  He sounds vaguely impressed for reasons beyond that of your comprehension right now.  “In your own little… panicked way.  How does it feel?”

“Unsuccessful,” you breathe, burying your forehead into his shoulder once more and blinking your eyes shut.  Too much thinking, too much thinking.  You need to sleep.

“You were on the right track,” he hums, bouncing you up and setting off again, and you can’t help yourself.  It’s completely involuntary, tumbles out of your mouth without thought.

“Craziest bounty hunter in the guild,” you slur, and Din doesn’t give you even a shred of the laughs that deserves.

“I should make you walk just for that,” he threatens instead, though he does no such thing.  He just keeps leaning forward in a position that can’t be comfortable for him and lets you fall asleep on his back, holding you tight to his body as he finally breaks out of the last trees and continues hiking through the familiar field to go back home.

***

You rouse twice.  Once, when hands allow your legs to slowly slide down a firm body and settle on solid metal.  He spins around to catch you before you can collapse, and then slowly eases your exhausted body down to the floor.

A bare hand cradles the back of your head until that finally settles down, too.

The second time, you can’t quite be sure of.  One of those moments where you’re barely conscious, drifting to the point where everything around you could be part of your dreamscape, where you can’t trust your own ears or mind to differentiate between what is real and what isn’t.  All you’d need is a single person telling you this didn’t actually happen and you’d accept it without question.

Pacing.  Quiet footsteps moving back and forth across the floor as you sleep, pausing every once in a while to stand in front of your slumbering figure.  Something unintelligible is mumbled as he walks away, the hollow thunk of boots clambering up a ladder.  Engines rumble to life under your ear, and gravity gently pushes you deeper against the flat metal supporting your body.

The footsteps soon return and start to pace around once more.

***

“Hey,” a quiet voice murmurs, your shoulder rocking back and forth slightly.  “Wake up.”

You blink your eyes open to a familiar visor looking down at you, his hand quickly leaving your shoulder and brushing a gloved thumb across your cheekbone when he sees you’re awake.  “Mm?  Din?  Wha’s—” you glance around you at the dark hull of the Razor Crest, before blinking your tired gaze back to him, “—s’going on?  Wha’ time s’it?”

“Late,” he whispers.  “We’re in the air.  I had to wait until the kid was asleep, but I want… I want you to see something.”

“What is it?”  Still blinking blearily, you sit up, but then Din grabs your hands and keeps your momentum going until you’re slowly dragged to your feet.  What you do when you’re standing upright doesn’t really qualify as standing or upright—you just sag against him with exhaustion as he wraps his forearms around your lower back, keeping you pressed tight against him as your ankles drag uselessly against the ground.

“Use your feet,” he reminds you quietly, and you harumph in a grumpy response.  Maker, you want to go back to sleep.  You’re sure you tell him as much, but he just shushes you and encourages you to hold yourself up, letting go while you steady yourself but hovering his palms a few inches away from your arms just in case.  “I want you to put my helmet on.”

“Excuse me?”  You ask him, swaying slightly and rubbing one of your eyes, not feeling amused.  “Is this some kind of… power trip?  Or something?  Because you’ve spent the last few days literally beating me up, I’d assume that would be enough for y—”

“I let you beat me up,” he grumbles under his breath.  “How are you ever gonna take a punch if it hurts you that bad to just throw one, sweet girl?”

“I’ll punch first,” you respond groggily, trying to move forwards so you can lean on him again, but being stopped by a firm grip on your shoulders.

“I know you will,” he mutters, letting go after a second to brush your hair away from your squinty eyes.  “Listen, I want you to put my helmet on, okay?”

You nuzzle your head into his leather palm and hum, giving it some thought.  “Are you gonna… turn on the light thingie?”  You clarify, not being able to remember what the setting is called, and he nods.

“Yes,” he tells you very seriously.  “There’s a… stars, a ‘noise thingie’ that I’ll turn on, too.  You won’t be able to see or hear for a little bit—you’ll have to trust me.”

“Is this for sex?”  You blurt as soon as the thought occurs to you, and Din sighs heavily, letting his head drop to his chest in exasperation.  “Like some sort of a… sensory deprivation thing?  Because if so, I can like—I mean I can get into it.”

“If I say yes, will you put it on?”  He tries, and.  Well, that question shouldn’t wake you up nearly as much as it does.  You blink at him, actually registering the sight of the mirrored visor this time.  Your gaze drops to see he’s back in full beskar regalia, his body looking even larger and broader with it on.

“Oh,” you say quite suddenly, remembering the question.  “Oh.  Shit yeah, I will.”

He shakes his head.  You’re getting better and better at reading him—becoming more fluent in helmet, one could say—and this head shake says he can’t believe he’s actually surprised that worked.  “It’s not for sex,” he tells you immediately, deadpanning the delivery even more than he typically would.  “Will you still put it on?”

You look at him blankly, wondering why this is even happening.  He said you’re in the air right now, and there’s… something he wants you to see?  Whatever this is, it’s spur of the moment.  Something he felt the need to wake you up for, but likely won’t push if you decline.

“Yeah,” you nod, “'course I will.”

“Close your eyes,” he murmurs, tipping your chin up slightly in the dim hull so he can watch.  Since they already want to do so regardless of the gentle command, your lids readily dip shut and you wait patiently as his touch leaves you for a moment.

You’re already sagging a bit by the time one of his hands returns to your cheek, and then plush lips press gently to yours.  The sigh you give him is completely involuntary—aching and quiet and longing as you let it go right in his mouth, your expression narrowing with concentration.

But he’s quick.  He leans back before either of you can get lost in it and reminds you with a gorgeous, rumbling baritone, “You’ll have to trust me.”

You nod in confirmation and soon his helmet is carefully being lowered over your head.  This is the second time around he’s done this—and you suppose if you couple that with your still lazy demeanor, the silent darkness that comes along with it doesn’t bother you as much as it did a few months ago.  The padding still grips your cheeks and you still feel disconnected from your surroundings—even more so now than the last time he put it on you—but it’s welcoming, in a way.  Giving you a reason to cling to him and tilt your head with the unfamiliar weight, breathing slow and easy while isolated in your own little pitch black world.

Oh Maker, you could probably fall asleep again just like this, so long as he keeps holding you up.  But Din has other plans, clearly.  He eases you backwards, continues to walk you back and back and back some more, and you have no problem just going with it.  He’s strong, taking almost all of your weight and somehow instinctively knowing how to hold you so that you’re fully supported no matter how you’re positioned.  He shifts you to one arm at one point, does something with his free hand that you can’t really figure out but aren’t really bothered by either.

He guides you both a few more steps backwards, and you start to wonder how long the hull actually is.  But then he suddenly grabs you tight—tight enough to make your eyes pop open to the black void in front of you and panic slightly, before he tilts you back even more and suddenly the ground is dropping out from under your feet, the air rushing silently around your entire body.

Okay, now you full-on panic.

He doesn’t let go, thank the stars, even when you scramble up to straddle and cling to him, heart clanging hard against your sternum at his fucking audacity.  The jet pack?  Are there just no fucking rules anymore?

Sure enough, the thrusters kick in and he’s good enough with the phoenix to counteract the gravity shift as much as possible, making it a gradual thing instead of a rapid change in motion.  You’re almost confident you would’ve slipped out of his grip and gone slamming to the ground had he not done the preventative maneuver.

Regardless, you’re gonna fucking kill him.  You’re going to murder Mando and get your own bounty puck, one with your name on it.  It won’t end well; everyone after you will have a personal vendetta considering you offed one of their own.  If you survive the confrontation then you’ll likely get taken to mine spice somewhere for the rest of your miserable life, probably Kessel—that is, assuming he doesn’t kill you first, within the next however many minutes.

And oh, he seems like he takes his sweet fucking time, hauling your fuming, decapitated ass along on a late night joyride.  Every second he continues to allow you to fly in blind, deaf isolation is another butt whooping you’re vowing to give him, and it pisses you off even more that you can’t even express your righteous fury because you can’t let go of him.  You’re a parasite in midair, clinging to his metal body while he slowly descends, navigating you both down until you feel his boots finally meet solid ground.

You carefully reach for the ground with one foot and try to feel it with your tippie toes just in case he’s somehow tricking you, until Din drops you down and your feet mercifully meet dirt.  As soon as you find your balance, you shove an open palm against the metal of his chestplate in anger and Din quickly catches your wrist, the beskar shaking slightly under your hand like he found the whole thing rather humorous.

You don’t have much time to fuss.  He spins you around and then his hands settle on your shoulders, and for some reason… you only notice it now.  The fabric covering your torso and legs is gradually becoming damp for some reason.  You can’t feel any real splashes of water—no raindrops or anything, but it gets worse and worse the longer he holds you steady in front of him.

His hands eventually drag down your arms and elbows, until they’re catching your wrists and slowly pulling both of them up.  Din cradles the backs of your hands as he presses your palms against the cold metal helmet around your head, and then he gradually begins to pull it up, and—

—Loud.

You stop for a second.

… Tears spring up.

Din keeps pulling.

What starts out as a dull hiss continuously amplifies as the beskar slowly lifts, growing louder and louder in volume until it’s a deafening, violent, thunderous roar.

Yet still, you don’t open your eyes.  You just… listen to it.  Let the sound of it fill your heart, the same sound you caught earlier in the forest but now amplified exponentially, almost surrounding you with reverberating white noise.  Your whole body is practically drenched in water by the time you finally open your eyes and blink through the heavy mist.

He said no oceans, and he was right.  It isn’t an ocean—it’s… something so unbelievably beautiful that you don’t even have a name for it.  You don’t want one, not really.  There isn’t a name that would be good enough.  It’s easily—by and far, in your measley handful of decades of existence—the most majestic thing you’ve ever seen.  A gigantic, enormous cliff dwarfs you on three sides, with tens of thousands of tons of water arcing over their sharp edges and plunging into the rocky lake below.  

The cloud of droplets ricocheting from the base of the jaw dropping cascade is massive in and of itself—easily taking up a good quarter of your field of view even from this distance away.  The shore sits close enough but the spectacle is still somewhat distant, remaining an untouchable heaven, a gorgeous lake separating you from it and rippling with waves that settle to lap at the sand.

The rest of the setting comes later, after you’re able to process the main event.  You’re in the middle of the forest from before—familiar colossal trees wrap around the shoreline and vibrant shrubbery blankets the edges of the falling water, evergreen and fed by a constant nourishing mist.  The sun is also beginning to come up.�� You can’t see it yet, but you can see the way the sky is starting to gradient itself from a starry midnight blue to pale lavender, the first rays beginning to peak over the treetops.

You feel yourself take a few, slow steps forward, but leather catches your hand from behind and gives it a firm squeeze before you can move completely out of reach.  You don’t even have to look back at him to know what it means.  The sentiment transfers seamlessly—be careful, he says, before dropping it and letting you continue forth.

Reaching the shore brings even more beauty to a backdrop you didn’t think could get any better.  You have to carefully step over—oh, heavens—small, transparent crystals tinted every color you can imagine to reach the water, sparkling under the gently lapping waves.  They’re like thin, flat shards of glass, and you know that if the sound of the falling water wasn’t so deafening, you’d probably be able to hear the muted crunching noise they make shattering under your boots with every cautious step.  Jagged edges and multicolored powder is all that’s left in your wake, no matter how careful you try to be.

You almost don’t want to move since they’re so delicate and everywhere, probably blanketing the entire floor of the lake, but you push forward with purpose until you’re just close enough to squat down and dip your fingers into the cool water.  It’s crystal clear and reflects the lightening sky with every gentle ripple and disturbance.  You study the pieces of glass as the repetitive waves distort their shape, the colorful shards turning to smooth, round pebbles the closer they are to the water.  A large green one catches your eye—circular and comparatively tiny, but standing out amongst all the rest.

You pluck it from the shore and let the almost perfectly round emerald sphere roll around in your palm, scanning the shallow water once more.  Then, ah—there, you reach out and grab a slightly larger, heavier, unassuming brown one that you have to hold up to the gradually rising sun to see its sparkle.  It’s got harder edges and feels rougher in your hand but you like it that way.  You like that there’s a bit of a warm amber at its center when the light hits it right.

Perfect.  Taking another moment to study your choices, you eventually end up finding a gorgeous, slightly pearlescent piece that sits just between the size of the other two in your collection.  It’s tinted a pale, off-white amongst a sea of color and there’s something gentle about it that speaks to you, something that feels right about the gradual sloping curves and how it sits in your palm.

Carefully pocketing the three pieces of fragile glass and rising up, you glance back to see Din standing there, helmet on once more and frozen right where you last left him.

He looks… awkward, almost.  Holding his hands behind his back, all his weight shifted to one foot while the other twists back and forth against the ground just slightly.  Nervous, for some reason.  Feeling unsure of his place.  The posture tugs at your heartstrings, as well as the spectacular gesture, and you soon make your way back to him.

“Where did you… where did you find this!?”  You have to yell over the rushing water once you get close enough.  “I didn’t see anything on the navcomp—”

“—wasn’t—navcomp—” he replies, barely just loud enough for you to hear.  You miss most of it, but you’re able to piece together the gist based on what little you can catch.  “—quarry—isolated sector—uncharted.”

Uncharted.  It’s uncharted, the navcomp wouldn’t register it.  Untouched by millennia of progress.  Plenty of people have probably seen it before, but apparently none of them have ever told anybody about it.  The universe is vast but it’s also old—it’s unbelievable that cartographers have plotted almost the entire galaxy but they still missed something like this.

The roar of the marvel is so deafening, it takes you a moment to realize he’s still speaking

“—nobody—yet—it—” he nods the helmet out at the spectacular landmark, “—it’s yours—you want—”

“My what!?”  You bellow, but he doesn’t clarify or add anything new.  He just spins you around again, extending his arm out over your shoulder to point at the breathtaking view and then dropping his helmet down next to your ear.

“Yours,” Din repeats firmly, resolutely.  Nothing more to be said.

You’re not sure if you’re crying yet, there’s too much water in the air to tell.  All you can do is just instinctively lean all your weight back into his chest and let his arms lace around your body, and you have to blink the droplets away as they start to trail down your forehead and into your eyes.  He keeps you like that until the rising sun begins to reflect off the cloud of mist at the rocky base of the monument, scattering light in all directions and splitting it into a beautiful spectrum that reflects every color.

You wonder if Din can see it.  You wonder if there’s a filter on his helmet that isn’t infrared or night vision, where a computer isn’t constantly alerting him to movement or sudden changes in atmospheric pressure.  Just… pure, unobstructed, visible light.  You know there’s probably all sorts of tracking measures programmed in, you know he can zoom and spot a sniper from a vast distance—you know he sees things you don’t.  Things you won’t ever see.  But you also hope the visor isn’t shaded too dark—you hope there’s a setting that works like a one way mirror, if only so that he can also see the beauty of this planet the same exact way you can.

You eventually turn in his arms and take one small step away from him just so you can look at him, and sure enough, the visor is tilted up towards the natural beauty.  Your eyes study every inch of him as if you’ve never seen him before, as if he may as well have taken the helmet off right in front of you.  This is thoughtful.  It’s so fucking thoughtful of him.  For being such a mystery, this right here… this is soul bearing.  It’s not an ocean, it’s a million times better than one and the fact that he not only remembered you telling him something like that, but he actually flew you out here to see it.  It makes your chest ache with an unknown feeling, one you still have trouble recognizing.  It settles down right in the softest part of you, makes your mouth open and give it a four letter name.

You say it so softly, confess it knowing he’s not looking, knowing he’d never be able to hear above the sound of the cascading rapids crashing against the rocks below.  You can’t hear it either, but you can feel it.  The way the word lilts off your tongue, the simple truth in it that’s impossible to hide from any longer.

He glances back at you, before doing a double take.  Gently, Din pushes at your shoulder and urges you to face forward again, to take all of it in while you still can, and yet.

All you can see is him.

His head slowly turns back down to face you, and your eyes keep shamelessly scanning every bit of him, watching the mist droplets chase each other down the reflective metallic curves and contours of his helmet.  Din slowly leans in, carefully eases his arm under yours and wraps tight around your lower back to bring you closer to his side.  You sigh and press up against him, your palm creeping up the damp fabric wrapped around his throat.  The visor doesn’t leave you, even when your temple comes to rest against his pauldron.  No, he just allows the smooth metal covering his forehead to gently touch yours for a moment and hold there.  Both of you tucked away in the middle of a hidden paradise, standing in front of a gorgeous monument crafted by the hands of the Maker himself.  

And, like the two starry eyed idiots you are, neither one of you can seem to look away from the other.

You mouth a silent thank you to him, hoping he can read the heartfelt candor from your lips.  Something tells you your message was received, because his grip tightens.  As if in slow motion, his whole body lazily drops down just enough to scoop you up with an arm hooked under your knees—before Din suddenly rockets upwards.

You squeal and cling tight to his shoulders as he lifts you up higher, and higher—he slowly rises across the considerable length of the lake and closer to the falling water.  You’re already beyond drenched but as he gradually approaches the base of the falling water, it starts raining down and splashing you in buckets.

Once he’s near enough to the powerful, arcing column pouring over the long rocky edge, Din carefully spins around and hovers until his back faces it, which means you can hide your nose and mouth from the splashes against the armor shielding his shoulder.  He slowly rises up the length of the natural landmark and lets you watch the rushing water up close behind the safety of his body, sacrificing his own view so that yours can be all the better.

Eventually the falling waves break and you look down at the broad, gorgeous rapids flowing out towards you, the sun casting its dawning light over their foaming peaks.  Din spins around and you adjust yourself accordingly against his chest, knowing you’ll never have a view like this again.  He flies low along the river and you can see the colorful glass sparkling through the strong, yet completely transparent current.  Soon he levels out and you cling tight to him, burying your face in the soaking wet fabric of the cowl wrapped around his neck and sighing, unable to recall a time you’ve ever been happier.  It swells in your heart and warms your entire body even as it’s drenched in cool water, and you wonder again how he could’ve ever thought you were running from him.  How could he ever think you’d run from him when all he’s ever done is give you wings?

***

The Crest hurdles through hyperspace while Din silently removes his armor and then strips you both of your sopping wet clothes.  You remember your glass souvenirs at the very last second and carefully remove them from your pockets despite your closed eyes, reaching out to hand them to Din without looking.  His palm catches the pebbles with the quiet sound of them clinking together, and you feel him pause for a second, probably studying them as he cradles them in the dim, single fluorescent light he left on.

You feel him leave you momentarily, hear him gently set them down someplace safe without a word.  When he comes back and his warm arms snake around you once more, he lowers you down to the blankets and then proceeds to make the softest love to you he knows how on the floor of his ship.  

A small part of you wishes you were still on Naboo, but somehow.  Somehow, despite the dead quiet hull, it’s better than anything you can remember.

His naked body presses tight to yours, his mouth always open and tasting wherever you’ll let him venture, never letting you forget for a single second that he’s just as bare and exposed as you are.  Your hands take full advantage, feeling everything.  The strong, rippling muscles of his back as he props himself over you, the soft hair curling at his nape, the length of his spine shielding you from the rest of the ship, allowing you the opportunity to pretend you’re somewhere else if you really tried.  If you tried, you could convince yourself you’ve got a mattress beneath you instead of a blanket draped over hard steel.  You could convince yourself your eyes are open while he kisses you, despite knowing it’ll never be allowed.

But… you don’t.  You don’t need to.  There’s nowhere else you’d rather be.

And then at one point, his mouth is between your legs and you see a flash of his forehead on complete accident.

To see it on any other person would be nothing, it would mean absolutely nothing.  It’s not like it somehow makes him anymore recognizable to you—plenty of people share the same exact features, you still wouldn’t know him out of a trillion different faces.  He could walk right by you and you’d never know.  Technically, it’s not even his face—it’s just a small fragment of it.  But to you, the quickest glimpse of dark, wavy locks curtaining over the smooth, golden skin just below his hairline… it means everything to you.  You sear it into your memory, right alongside the sight of crystalline water roaring over an enormous cliff edge.

You never tell him you saw.  He never finds out.

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #din djarin #fanfic #reader insert