#the burgs strike again!

[quicksiluers]

The Vicksburg Campaign, (1862–63), in the American Civil War, was a campaign by Union forces to take the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which lay on the east bank of the Mississippi River, halfway between Memphis (north) and New Orleans (south). The capture of Vicksburg divided the Confederacy and proved the military genius of Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.

After the spring of 1862, when the Confederates lost Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Memphis in Tennessee and New Orleans in Louisiana, Vicksburg became the key remaining point of their defense of the Mississippi River. The capture of Vicksburg would yield the North control of the entire course of the river and thus enable it to isolate those Confederate states that lay west of the river from those in the east. Vicksburg was ideally suited for defensive purposes, however: it was situated on high bluffs along the river and was protected on the north by a maze of swampy bayous. The Confederates’ batteries on the bluffs could outgun any Union ships on the river.

A Union naval expedition using ironclads (May–June 1862) to subdue the Confederate batteries failed, as did an attempt to take the city by land from the north by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman (December 1862) and an attempt by Grant to cut a canal around Vicksburg that would divert the river (February–March 1863). After this string of frustrating failures, Grant conceived a bold move that would enable him to take the city using the high-ground approaches from the east, well behind Confederate lines. Moving his army of 40,000 troops to the west bank of the Mississippi, he marched south along it for a considerable distance until he could recross the river at Bruinsburg, which lay about 30 miles (48 km) south of Vicksburg. His army recrossed to the east bank of the river by means of a Union fleet, which, under the command of Adm. David D. Porter, had run south past the batteries at Vicksburg. Once across the river, Grant quickly began moving northeast, though this meant abandoning his already tenuous supply lines and feeding his troops off the surrounding enemy countryside. His forces took Port Gibson on May 2, reached Grand Gulf on May 3, and prevented the small Confederate army of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston near Jackson from linking up with the Vicksburg forces.

Vicksburg’s commander, Gen. John C. Pemberton, led his forces out in an effort to link up with Johnston but met Grant moving westward and was forced to return to the city. On May 18 Grant arrived in the rear of Vicksburg, within which Pemberton’s 30,000 troops were isolated. After two assaults in mid-May failed, Grant settled down to methodical siege tactics while augmenting his forces. He controlled all the approaches to the city, and by early June the Confederate garrison was desperately short of ammunition and on the brink of starvation. Pemberton surrendered the city on July 4.

The surrender of Vicksburg, with the victory at the Battle of Gettysburg the previous day (July 3), greatly heartened the North and in fact marked the turning point of the war.

#ulysses s grant #vicksburg #american civil war #history #us civil war #the glorious 4th!! #always gotta make a vicksburg post for 4th of july #the twin victories! vicksburg and gettysburg! #the burgs strike again! #if you're looking for a great series of books about the wholeee vicksburg campaign...timothy b smith is the man to look at #his books?? *chefs kiss* #i'm getting a new one this week and i'm too excited to read it...

[casperberkins]

Bookstore Girl

Contains: Alhaitham x GN!Reader, Reader likes Sumeru library, Hurt / Comfort, Alhaitham is a little ooc (I’m sorry), SFW, Fluff

You should totally listen to Bookstore Girl by Charlie Burg while reading this fic. I randomly stumbled upon this song in the process of writing and couldn’t help myself. This may or may not have become a vent towards the end but we don’t talk about that (˘ŏ_ŏ) Anyway, enjoy!

The Sumeru library was always a safe space for you, and after being plagued by anxiety, this situation was no exception. The first few times you visited the library, you had always seen a green and grey haired man perusing around, always looking for /something/. And sadly, today was no exception. Every time you visited the library, you noticed him. But you never knew /him/, or his name.

The Sumeru library had always been a safe haven for you and your thoughts. You were always tucked away in the darkest corner of the library, reading and studying for whatever life threw at you. Opening the large doors, you smiled. The library was always the same. Glancing around, you noticing something.. Different? A grey and green-haired man was seated in one of the isles of books, with a stack of literature at his side as he sifted through them methodically.

“That’s strange,” you thought, but kept it to yourself, hugging your books tighter to your chest before walking off to the corner of the library you called your safe space. You stay there for hours, looking through hundreds of books just for the hell of it. Then you noticed the man again. He was standing closer to you this time, and as if he sensed you staring at him, he looked up from his book just to look at you. You made eye-contact with him, noting his green eyes with striking red pupils before continuing to read.

At some point during your time, someone had left a book on your desk. You grabbed it carefully, looking it over before sifting through the pages gently. It was a beautiful book, with accented gold edges and worn but pleasing pages. You stirred for a moment, quickly gazing around the library to find whoever left this for you. Then the man caught your eye. He was walking out the door to the library, but not before peeking over his shoulder just to see if you received the book he had left or not.

You smiled, holding the book tightly in your grasp like it was your most prized possession.

—

You glanced around the library nervously, quickly and quietly walking towards the closest desk and seating yourself. Your leg shook anxiously. School was stressing you out, and attending the Akademiya didn’t make anything better. While most of the time you could handle the workload, this time was different. Multiple professors had assigned five different projects in the same month. You felt tears collecting in the inner-corners of your eyes as you bundled your head in your hands.

You dropped the books you had been holding onto the desk, a loud crash echoing through the empty library. No one was ever in the library at this time, and even if there were people in the library, you didn’t care. You didn’t care if anyone saw you breaking down.

You tried to pick up a pencil to start writing, but your hands were shaking too badly for you to even start writing. This made you sob even more. “Why can’t I get anything right..” you cried, your voice breaking and quiet. Your breath quickened, your lungs tightening with every breath as it felt like the world was about to cave in. That’s because the world /was/ going to cave in.

“Are you.. Are you alright?” A pair of green eyes glanced down at you, a warm hand being placed on your shoulder as he spoke.

You tried to hiccup a response, but all you seemed to get out was a broken “Yes”, to which the man did, in fact, not believe. He gave you a pitiful look before pulling up a chair and seating himself next to you. The grey and green-haired man opened his book and began reading, glancing up every few heartbeats to make sure your breathing was slowing and returning to the correct pace.

Despite all your previous worries, the presence of someone else kept you at peace. You wiped your damp eyes, staring down at your feet as you sniffled quietly. You looked over at the man, who was still reading quietly, very obviously integrated into his book. He stared up at you, titling his head in a silent question of, “Are you ok now?”

You nodded, sniffling before wiping your nose on your sleeve. He closed his book, blinking at you with a softened expression as he walked off to check out his book. You smiled gently at him, glancing over at your work. While you were still shaken up, you seemed to be able to finish the work, your breath faltering every few seconds when you remembered the workload, but once your thoughts returned back to that man, you felt at peace.

With your work finished and your mood returning back to normal, you packed up all your work, looking up from your papers to notice a book. You smiled gratefully, thanking the green and grey-haired man in your head for the book before quickly picking it up and walking out of the library.

—

Day after day, visit after visit, you /always/ saw him. He was /always/ there. After the incident with you, it was like he was there every time you were there. You were looking for a book? He stayed a few rows behind you, searching for a book on the regions of Teyvat. You were reading in your corner? He was sitting almost right next to you, remaining completely silent, save for the few glances he spared you every few minutes.

He was one of the most quiet people you had ever met. It was almost endearing how soft and delicate he was with every book he touched, handling the pages with care and cursing anyone who had damaged or even bent a page of a book.

You honestly found it cute how much of a bookworm he was, and yet, you didn’t even know his name. You could’ve asked around for his name — the librarian probably would’ve known —, but you wanted to get to know him /personally/.

Sometimes you thought he forgot about you — maybe you were just a phase he grew out of —, until you noticed a book on your desk. You blinked the drowsiness out of your eyes, examining the book with utter precision, a mirthful grin on your face. He always gave you good books. And they weren’t just /good/; they were great. They were in good condition but their /plot/? He had good taste, but you’d never admit it.

You shuffled your way out of the library, giving him a wave on the way out. He smiled at you softly, the corners of his lips quirking slightly. How could a man you’d only known for about a week — give or take — make you /so/ happy? And how could someone so quiet give you so much comfort?

—

It was kinda funny, this cycle you and this man had. Throughout the following months leading up to December, the grey and green-haired man left you books. Every time you left the library, you left with a book clutched in your hands, a saccharine smile on your face. He always left you little notes in the books, the contents of the notes always being random. Either it was something about his work, or it was about what the book contained. Either way, you were happy and pleased with his choices in literature.

And you even left him books. While your handwriting wasn’t as perfect or pretty as his, you always made sure to pick out the best books you could find. Your notes were always pleasant, containing notes on the book and notes on your life, but uniquely, never your name. Your names’ seemed to be the only thing separating your interactions with the grey and green-haired man from making you two friends.

You didn’t know his name, and he didn’t know yours. It was as simple as that. And he constantly was in a hurry. Whenever you tried to talk to him, he’d just run off, claiming to be busy or just mumbling a half-hearted apology. It made you a little upset. But the look of happiness that he hid to himself whenever he saw you was confirmation enough that you two were something close to friends.

In December, as the snow fell and you hugged your jacket closer to your body, you opened the giant doors to the library and was greeted by a great surprise.

“Salutations,” the grey and green-haired man murmured gently, a neatly wrapped box in his hands. He looked down at you expectantly, tilting his head curiously.

“Hello,” you breathed, smiling. Everything around you fell away, and the only thing you could focus on was /him/. “How have you been?”

“I.. I have been..” He blinked slowly, as if in deep thought, “I’ve been holding up well, but I’m better now,” the man smiled gently at you. “How have you been fairing this winter?”

“I’ve been good,” you beamed, almost bouncing. “I.. I never caught your name,” you said slowly, a perplexed expression on your face.

“Alhaitham,” he said slowly, as if counting out the syllables in his head, “and what about you?”

“Ah, so /you’re/ the one that lies about being a feeble scholar,” you teased, leaning forward towards him.

“I /am/ a feeble scholar,” he replied gently.

“I’m [Name].”

“Ah, so I did get your name right on your present..” Alhaitham said absently, handing the wrapped box to you slowly. On the top of the lid of the box was a card neatly placed in its envelope with [Name] — in his neat as fuck handwriting — on the back of the envelope.

Your mouth opened in silent confusion. “Did I spell your name right?” He inquired, grabbing at the back of his hair nervously.

“Y- Yes, but.. But how-"

“I have my ways,” he smiled at you as he walked past you, placing his hand on the door’s wooden frame. “I hope I see you again, [Name].”

“I.. I hope I see you again, too, Alhaitham.” Your voice was so quiet, a mere whisper over the soft sound of boots walking across snow.

—

Every time you saw him after that, a sort of comfort filled your chest. You learned about him, and in return, he learned about you. He still gave you books every time he saw you, and you joked that you’d have a full library by the end of this affair. His smile soured into a frown when you said the word “end”.

Gently pushing open the door to the library, you were greeted by Alhaitham. “[Name], hello.” He said softly, the sound of his gentle footsteps reverberating off the walls surrounding you.

“You never cease to make a flashy entrance, huh?” You teased, hitting his arm as you walked past him, slipping into the chair of your favorite desk in the corner of the library.

He quickly followed after you, a gentle smile on his face. Alhaitham sat in the seat beside you, looking curiously at the book you were reading. “It’s..” he paused, blinking slowly and narrowing his eyes.

“One of your books? Yes, yes it is. I must say, for a feeble scholar, you have quite the good taste in books,” you held the book between your fingers, holding it out for him to look at. He took it with a grin, skimming the pages with a delicateness you doubted he could show to a human being. It made your ribs twinge with sadness thinking about how he might not feel the same. Unrequited love was terrifying.

And even if you were terrified of unrequited love, you were even more terrified of losing /him/. Alhaitham was one of the only people who would actually listen to you without judgment, and even if he did have judgment, he withheld it. Everything about him made you happy, whether it be his calm demeanor, to his odd hair and eyes. Your heart ached to feel something, anything, close to reciprocated love. But then your heart shattered at the thought of it being with /Alhaitham/. Because he would /never/ share the same feelings you felt for him.

“You.. You decorated the inside, didn’t you?” He inquired in an airy tone, green and red eyes searching for the drawings you had made in the book.

You looked taken aback. You didn’t think he’d notice. But, of course, that was another one of his traits. Noticing things the outside world perceived as useless. “I did,” you confirmed, fluttering through the pages as you found the drawing you were looking for. “It’s one of you,” you said quietly, lowering your head. “I- I was bored, and—”

“It’s beautiful.” He said, admiring the work of art strewn across the margins of the book. While the artwork covered some of the words, he seemed to ignore that fact, his eyes analyzing every color and detail on the page as if he was reading a scene from his favorite book. Memorizing the piece so he could keep it in his memories forever. “I.. I can’t believe you did this for me..”

“Of course I did,” you replied, your fingertips airily tapping across the page. “I.. I like drawing pretty things,” you continued, averting your gaze as your face turned a bit pink.

“Then should I draw you?” Alhaitham said slowly, gazing up from the page to look directly into your eyes.

Your eyes widened as you gasped. You were taken aback by his comment, attempting to gain composure before your mind replayed the moment over and over.

“I..”

“I love you, [Name].. I’m sorry if I’m not able to show it..” He trailed off, glancing across the library with a solemn look. “I’m sorry I can’t be the significant other you want me to be.”

“But you’re already perfect, Haitham.” You replied quickly, the words spilling out of your mouth before you could stop them. “I- I mean—”

“If I’m perfect, then what are you?” He chuckled, pulling you closer to him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Alhaitham.”

#genshin x yn #genshin x gn reader #alhaitham #gn reader #al haitam x reader #hurt/comfort #genshin impact #al haitham x you #genshin x gender neutral reader #genshin fluff #fluff #al haitham x y/n #al haitham genshin

[demonangelgirl134]

El Diablo au

Chapter 2: The legend of the magic beans.

It was a quiet moonlit night in inkwell Mexico, and many bounty hunters were hanging out in the local bar when a mysterious figure came in through the door. Some of them seemed to recognize him from the wanted posters of him hung up all around town. The figure was no other than the Devilish never-been-caught-once outlaw known as El Diablo. Diablo walked up to the main bar counter with almost everyone in the bar staring at him and whispering, then sat down on a barstool and tossed a priceless ring he had just recently stole onto the counter top.

"So what brings you here, Seinor?" Asked the bartender while picking up the ring.

"I'll just have a medium leche, please." Diablo replied. Just then, the person next to him pulled his chair out from under him, causing him to almost clip his chin and fall flat on his face if he hadn't caught himself on the counter, and also causing everyone in the bar to start busting out laughing at him. He stood up angrily and grabbed a dagger sitting on the counter in front of him and threw it out into the crowd, but it didn't hit anyone. Instead, it stuck to a pillar with a wanted poster of him hung on it. Everyone noticed this and immediately realized who they were laughing at. They looked back in the direction of where Diablo was, only to find him no longer there.

"I'm not looking for trouble." Said Diablo

The bar people turned back around to find the demon now sitting at a table next to the wanted poster he had just thrown the dagger at.

"I'm just your average fallen angel looking to strike a bargain." Diablo added after taking a sip of his drink and setting the glass on the table. "Perhaps one of you gentlemen could help me find a simple... score?"

"Actually, Seinor El Diablo, but I'm afraid that the only thing you'll be finding tonight is trouble." Said one of the men closest to him, pointing to the wanted poster next to Diablo.

"Heheh, really now?" Diablo chuckled.

Just then, Diablo noticed a guard walking outside the front door and pulled his hat down over his face to avoid being noticed. The guard walked away without even looking inside, and Diablo uncovered his face and took another sip of his drink.

"You know, Diablo, if one of us were to tell the law that you were in town, we could split the reward."

Diablo then started to hear footsteps coming towards him from behind as the man said that and immediately whipped out his sword with rapid reflexes and swung it at everyone within reach, but not hitting anyone of course, and left his sword held against the person behind him's neck, who turned out to be holding a knife and was about to stab him. The people Diablo had just swung his sword at just sat there frozen in shock, especially the man whose neck Diablo was holding his sword to.

"Tsk tsk tsk, you boys should know better than to try and mess with a demon." Said Diablo smugly while wagging his finger at the men. "Now about the score."

"Wh-well the the Church in St Michael has just put up a new golden statue." Stuttered the bartender.

"I don't even go NEAR churches!" Snapped Diablo

"Wh-well the boys' orphanage was just donated tons of silver candlesticks, th-those would look lovely in your home." Stuttered one of the men he swung his sword at.

"Hey! I may be a demon, but I don't steal from orphans!" Diablo snapped again.

"Umm... what about Cagney and Hilda?" Asked the man whose neck Diablo was holding his sword to

"SHHH! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Scuffed one of the other men.

"The what??" Asked Diablo, lowering his sword.

The man closest to Diablo sighed. "The murderous couple Cagney Carnation and Hilda Burg have managed to get their hands on some magic beans."

"Oh please! I've spent half my life searching for those! They don't exist!" Diablo replied

"They do too exist. We've seen them." replied the man rolling up his sleeve and showing him a tattoo of three glowing green beans. "These are the magic beans of legend."

Diablo then put his sword away and listened carefully.

The other man at the table continued. "That's right, Legend has it they will transport you to a land of giants and the golden goose."

"Golden goose? Like the goose that layed the golden eggs?" Asked Diablo while leaning in.

"That's right, a heist like that could last you a lifetime. But only someone with a death wish would try and steal from Cagney and Hilda." Replied the man rolling his sleeve back down.

"The only wish I have is to pay off my debt, and I'm not bypassing that chance." Replied Diablo while standing up and putting his foot on the table. "So tell me; where do I find this Cagney and Hilda?"

Stay tuned for part 3.

@weirdgirl92 @fanoffandoms23 @fantasyfictionmaker @bubblegumlover99 @glitterdragonthegreatprotector @hey-imma-fangirl @flufflepops @marshmallow-biscuit-blog @vampireium

#my art #cuphead fandom #cuphead au #the cuphead show #puss in boots #cuphead the devil #El Diablo au

[byneddiedingo]

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in No Man of Her Own (Wesley Ruggles, 1932)

Cast: Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Dorothy Mackaill, Grant Mitchell, Elizabeth Patterson, George Barbier, J. Farrell MacDonald, Tommy Conlon, Walter Walker, Paul Ellis, Charley Grapewin. Screenplay: Maurine Dallas Watkins, Milton Herbert Gropper, Edmund Goulding, Benjamin Glazer, based on a novel by Val Lewton. Cinematography: Lee Tover. Film editing: Otho Lovering. Costume design: Travis Banton. 

If actors weren't cattle, as Alfred Hitchcock is reported to have said, they were at least property, and their studios treated them as such. Clark Gable was becoming one of MGM's most valuable properties when he was loaned out to Paramount to make the only film in which he starred with Carole Lombard, who later became his wife. It was part of a complicated talent swamp initiated by Marion Davies, who had clout with MGM because of her relationship with William Randolph Hearst, who produced films for her that were distributed by MGM. Davies wanted Bing Crosby for a movie, so Paramount traded him to MGM for Gable and No Man of Her Own. Lombard became his co-star only because Miriam Hopkins didn't want to take second billing to Gable. The studio mountains labored to bring forth a cinematic mouse: a passable romantic comedy remembered only for the star teaming. Gable and Lombard are very good in it, though he comes off somewhat better than she does. Lombard was best in movies that gave her license to clown, like Twentieth Century (Howard Hawks, 1934) and My Man Godfrey (Gregory La Cava, 1936). In No Man of Her Own she's simply a woman who knows what she wants, and it isn't necessarily Gable, it's just to get out of the dull little town where she's the librarian. Gable on the other hand is in a role tailor-made for him: "Babe" Stewart, a raffish professional poker player who's as adept at wooing women as he is at cheating at cards. On the verge of getting caught by the detective (J. Farrell MacDonald) who's been tailing him, he skips town and winds up in the burg that Lombard's Connie Randall wants to escape. She catches his eye -- in one pre-Code scene she climbs a ladder and he looks up her skirt -- and with improbable speed they get married. Eventually she finds out that he's not the stockbroker he pretends to be, but nothing fazes her. He gets in trouble again, but just as he's about to take it on the lam, deserting her, he finds of course that he really loves her. The story lacks snap and tension: It was cobbled together from several sources, nominally from a novel by Val Lewton called No Bed of Her Own, a title the Hays Office nixed, but also from another story in Paramount's files. What life the film has comes from Wesley Ruggles's direction and from its performers, including Dorothy Mackaill as Babe's former partner in card-sharping. Lombard and Gable work well together, but reportedly didn't strike any off-screen sparks at the time -- they were both married to other people. They met again at a party four years later and were married in 1939.   

#No Man of Her Own #Wesley Ruggles #Clark Gable #Carole Lombard

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Chapter 16 - Ralph Rideth the Wood Perilous Again 

Text Audio

Synopsis:

Ralph is angry with Roger, but Roger has one more trick up his sleeve: the offer to introduce him to the person he most wants to see in the world.

Summary:

"And this master," said Ralph, "is he of the Dry Tree?" Said Roger: "I scarce know how to answer thee without lying: but this I say, that whether he be or not, this is true; amongst those men I have friends and amongst them foes; but fate bindeth me to them for a while."

Roger led a strong, reddish horse to Ralph, well-equipped for fighting, and he had a good grey horse of his own. The two of them mounted at once, and Ralph rode slowly away through the wood, letting his horse take the lead, for he was thinking about all that had happened to him, and wondering what would happen next. Meanwhile, the others of that group did not wait around, but immediately got on their horses and left by a different direction.

No one said anything for a while until Roger came up close to him and said: “Where are we going, fair lord? Do you have an idea of which direction your errand lies?”

Ralph took this as mockery, and he answered sharply: “I don’t know; you’ll take me wherever you want to go, the same as you brought me here with lies and stories. I suppose you will take me by some roundabout path to the stronghold of the Dry Tree. It doesn’t matter, since you wouldn’t dare take me back to the Burg. Although, now it seems to me that it is bad to be left alone with a proven traitor and liar, and I might have been better off going with the whole group.

“No, no,” said Roger, “You’re angry and that doesn’t surprise me, but let go of that, if you can. In truth, what I have told you of myself and my struggles was not just lies. Nor was it a lie that you were in danger in the Burg, you being strong, cheeky, and—I think—raised to hate cruel deeds and injustice. They cannot abide such freedom in their ranks, and you would soon find yourself in trouble with them. And further, it’s not bad to have left those others, who might still have some rough work to do before they make it home. I won’t take you to Hampton under Scaur if you don’t want to go there; but I will certainly take you someplace you have not asked me to yet, where I say you would be both safe and at ease. Now lastly I say this: whatever I have done, I have done it for good and not evil, and there is also another one, whom I will not say the name of to you, who wishes even more good for you than I, because of the two you killed in the Wood Perilous the day before yesterday.

When Ralph heard those last words, such a strong and sweet hope to see that woman of the Crossroads of the Wood Perilous awoke in him that he forget everything else, except that he must not alienate Roger, lest they separate and he should lose the assistance of one who might bring him to see the one he had unwittingly become so enthralled by; so he spoke to Roger quietly and humbly: “Well, my fellow traveler, you see how I am still young and have stumbled into dangerous situations, which are beyond my strength to overcome alone, at least until I get close enough to look them in the eye and strike them down, if they are my enemy. So I ask you to guide me, and if you betray me then that’s on you. In truth, since I don’t know these woods and might get lost and wind up  back at the Burg—whom you’ve now made my enemies—I will take you at your word and assume the best of you, and not ask anything except you where you to go.”

“Fair sir,” said Roger, “we must at least get away from here, as we are still too close to the Burg to be safe; but as to where else we might go, we can talk about it as we ride.”

Then he heeled his horse forward at a quick trot, for the horses were fresh and the woods around them mostly of beech trees and clear of underbrush; and Roger seemed to know the way, and he went on without hesitation.

Some four hours later, the wood thinned and the beech trees were left behind and they came into a quiet, rugged area of low hills, stony earth, and scraggy thorn bushes.

The Roger said: “Here I think we’re out of danger with the Burg; if they follow our trail all the way to where we split with the other group, they won’t notice us two going off alone compared to all the others. So we can rest the horses a bit, though there’s nothing for them to eat around here. In that regard, we’re somewhat better off: look, I have food and drink in my saddlebags.”

So they got down and let their horses graze while they ate and drank, during which Ralph again asked Roger where they were going. Roger said: “I’m taking you to a safe place, and a noble house of one my masters, where you can stay if you’d like, peacefully.”

“And this master,” said Ralph, “is he of the Dry Tree?”

“I don’t really know how to answer that; I’ll say this: that whether or not he is, I have friends and enemies among them, but fate binds me to them for a time.”

Said Ralph, reddening: “Are there women among them?”

“Yes, yes,” said Roger, smiling a little. “You can bet on that.”

“And that Lady of the Dry Tree,” Ralph continued, reddening more but not hiding his face, “that woman that the folk of the Burg spoke so bitterly of, threatening her with torture and death if they could just get their hands on her, what will you tell me about her?”

“Very little,” said Roger, “except that you want to see her, and that you may do so if you let me guide you.”

Ralph listened as if he hardly heard what Roger was saying, but soon he got up and paced a little with his brows furrowed like someone considering something difficult. He said nothing, and Roger seemed to not pay him any mind, though in truth he looked at him discreetly from time to time, until at last Ralph came back and sat by Roger and after a while said: “I don’t know why you people of the Dry Tree want me, or what you will do with me, but I would leave right now—whatever the danger—except for one thing.”

Roger said: “You’ll learn later on, and find that it’s really very simple; but meanwhile I tell you again that it is for your good. So ride away if you want, who will stop you? Certainly not me.”

“No,” said Ralph, “I will first go to you to that fair house, and afterwards we shall see what happens.

“Yes,” said Roger, “then let’s get to riding, so that even if we can’t get there before dark, we’ll get there before morning, for it’s still far away.”

Notes:

From my memory, this is sort of the end of Part 1 of Book 1. I guess I said something similar when we met Roger and left the crossroads of the Wood Perilous—which was also true—but now we’ve wholly moved on from the setup and passed our first adventure, and soon we will be getting into the heart of The Road unto Love; That is to say, the Love portion of it.

This is where time and direction begin to get weird. So far we know Ralph traveled south from Upmeads to the Burg, and that Hampton under Scaur was east of the crossroads, but Ralph’s escape from the Burg leaves things in a weird place. He exits by a postern between the East and South Gates, but we don’t know which direction that door was facing. He estimates that they are traveling through the Wood Perilous south of the Burg, so I assume they went more or less south from there (although it seems like the Fellowship of the Dry Tree would trend more north-east. When Ralph and Roger split from the larger group, we’re not given any sort of guidance as to which direction they’re going. Presumably, it’s towards Roger’s Master’s house the whole time (not just after they have their discussion) but even that is supposition. I’m hoping that the next chapter gives some indication of direction, or else I have no idea where to put the Hall of Abundance (their next destination). In my first reading, I imagined them approaching from the south, but now I’m thinking more from the north-west, not that I really have any evidence for that yet. Hopefully we get some sort of landmark to orient ourselves by.

I’m going to start marking on the map wherever Ralph spends the night, to help track the days (for as long as possible). So far, each day has been described, but coming up we’ll get to longer periods of time that are glossed over, and may have to guess at things. Morris does keep us informed about the seasons, which is nice, and may mention specific months again later. If I remember correctly, the whole journey lasts a year (likely where Tolkien got the idea from), but I could be conflating things.

Map:

#the well at the world's end #william morris #The Well - Book 1 Chapter 16

[wlldcard]

here have this super incoherent summary of my boy lucian i sent to my friends on discord so yall kinda have an idea of him while i work on his about page !  💖

Sooo Lucian was born in kento but raised by his grandparents in hoenn !!!!  Cause his parents  went MIA cause  plot twist they were members of team rocket 🙊  his grandparents got him an egg at a young age that hatched Later  into a charmander so he’d have a Pokémon from his home town , so manz has had his charmander  now charziard almost his life 😭 his grandparents were very loving !! But unfortunately pretty absent cause suddenly they have a child to care for again so they often worked a lot !!! So he was pretty lonely besides charmander company 🥺 so with that and his grandparents living in a small hut in a the back woods of petal burg woods left him lacking with social skills making it hard for him to make friends 😭 and striking out with the ladies in his teen years which what was made him kinda of a simp 🗿 unfortunately when he was 8 his grandfather suffered a heart attacked & passed away 😔 which made his poor grandma have to work even harder to make sure he would be able to eat and be properly cared for jsjdjrekjee that’s when he started to get into video games charmander and video games were his greatest friends at the time when he become a teenager he was picked onquite frequently for being odd.But he wanted to fit in desperately so he thought skating was a good way to “ impress “ the kids of his town but Lucian being Lucian are shit and got laughed at Ajjejeje but luckly he ended up loving the sport enough to do it for himself and he gave up on the idea of friends for quite sometime until he met the girls so ame ( @vasileiia ) & nat (  @soulbiinding​ ) are his first real friends KDNRJEJE🥹🥹🥹 sjdnjes

Also he loves fire pokemon cause of charmander duH BUITTT

Als0 also because of the warmth he felt from them when being around them it was the same warmth he longed from others but only over received from his dear pokemon🥹

#` YOU’VE GOT A FIRE INSIDE ━ muse / lucian ♤ ’ #sdscfvgbnhj

[gobboguy]

Chapter 6: Battle Hymns and Courageous Hearts

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow upon the city of Farfield. Within the towering walls, the nine Burgs of Farfield had united their strengths, sending forth an army that stood resolute in the face of impending darkness. Ninety thousand troops, a formidable force comprised of sixty thousand heavy infantry, seven thousand cavalry, and fifteen thousand skirmishers, gathered in the shadow of the city's walls. Their armor gleamed like stars in the fading light, and their weapons, honed to perfection, whispered promises of defiance against the encroaching Orc horde.

At the forefront of the assembled troops stood King Roderick, his regal presence commanding the attention of all. His voice, strong and unwavering, rose above the murmurs of the crowd as he addressed his people.

"My fellow Farfielders, today we stand united against a threat that seeks to consume our land, our homes, and our way of life. The Orcs, driven by greed and ambition, believe they can trample over our freedom. But we shall prove them wrong! We shall defend our city, our families, and our future with every ounce of strength in our bodies and every beat of our hearts!"

The cheers that erupted from the troops resonated through the city, a chorus of determination that drowned out the distant rumble of the Orc army. King Roderick continued, his voice carrying the weight of history and the promise of a better tomorrow.

"In the name of Farfield, we shall stand firm! We shall not falter, we shall not yield! Let this battle be remembered as the day we stood against the shadows and emerged victorious! For our homes, for our loved ones, for the future we dream of! Charge, my brave soldiers, and let Farfield's spirit guide your blades!"

As King Roderick's words echoed in the air, High Priestess Lanya, a figure of divine grace, stepped forward. Her presence, imbued with the blessings of Divine Justice Miranda, filled the space with an aura of sacred power. Her voice, soothing yet commanding, rang out in a chant that carried the ancient wisdom of the gods.

"In the name of Divine Justice Miranda, the embodiment of truth and righteousness, I bless you, brave warriors of Farfield! May your swords strike true, your arrows find their mark, and your hearts be shielded from fear! May her divine light guide you through the darkest of hours and lead you to victory!"

The soldiers bowed their heads in reverence, their hearts lifted by the blessing of the goddess. Amidst the crowd, King Roderick raised his hand, signaling the chosen leaders of the battle.

"General Lother Lobrock, with the strength of a hundred horses and the wisdom of ages, you shall lead our cavalry," declared King Roderick, his voice unwavering. "Ilis Foxe, your courage is a beacon to us all. You shall command our heavy infantry. And Alden, the Sword of the Forest, your blade has defended us before, and it shall do so again. You are the spearhead of our skirmishers. Together, you shall guide our forces to victory!"

General Lother Lobrock was a commanding figure, his stature that of a seasoned centaur warrior. Towering above most, he possessed the upper body of a powerfully built human, his bronzed skin etched with scars earned on countless battlefields. His eyes, the color of molten gold, held a wisdom that came from years of experience. Lother's hair, a wild mane of chestnut, cascaded down his back, adorned with war beads that clinked softly with each step. His lower body, that of a massive, muscular chestnut horse, conveyed strength and speed, the hooves that beat the ground resounding with authority. He wore ornate centaur armor, intricately engraved with symbols of his clan, and a long cloak made from the hide of a legendary beast, marking his status as a leader among his kind. Lother's presence was as imposing as the mountains, his confidence emanating a sense of security among his fellow soldiers.

Ilis Foxe was a beacon of determination and strength in human form. With an athletic build, she moved with a grace that belied her resilience. Her hair, the color of cornsilk, framed a face that bore the marks of a fighter - a determined jawline and eyes the shade of storm clouds, sharp and watchful. A scar traced a path across her cheek, a testament to battles survived. Ilis's hands, calloused from years of training and combat, expertly wielded her weapons, the gleam of steel reflecting her unwavering resolve. She wore practical yet finely crafted armor, designed for both mobility and protection, allowing her to swiftly engage enemies in close combat. Around her neck, she carried a pendant with the emblem of her family, a lineage of warriors renowned for their courage. Ilis's voice, though commanding, held a touch of warmth, inspiring loyalty and camaraderie among her fellow soldiers. In her presence, determination was contagious, and her soldiers found solace in her unwavering dedication to their cause.

With the mantle of leadership bestowed upon them, the generals saluted their king, their expressions a blend of determination and respect. Alden, his eyes burning with resolve, turned to Elara, his goblin lover, who stood amidst the crowd, her eyes filled with worry and pride.

"For Twig and Leaf," Alden whispered to Elara, his voice tender yet resolute. He pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her lips in a moment that sent shockwaves through the onlookers. For the first time, their love was acknowledged openly, a testament to the strength that bound them together.

Alden then turned to his children, Twig and Leaf, kneeling to meet their eyes. "Be brave, my little warriors. Your mother and I believe in you. Protect each other, and remember, love will always guide you."

With his parting words hanging in the air, Alden rose, his eyes locking with Elara's one final time before he turned away. The army, united in purpose and determination, began their march, their footsteps echoing the heartbeat of Farfield itself. As they vanished into the distance, the city of Farfield stood proud, its walls brimming with courage and hope, ready to face the shadows that loomed on the horizon.

#fantasy #goblins #orcs #literature #gobboguy #SongsofPower4

[nightcoremoon]

more video games need to reject the dark souls control scheme and start incorporating its design philosophy

too many modern western RPGs particularly immsims have coddled the player. oh it’s okay baby, you horribly specced your stats and ruined your character build? you don’t have to worry, there’s always a way forward. six or seven in fact. you can fight, or you can hack, or you can explore, or you can use a speech check, or you can just throw your corpse at the problem over and over and over again and hope and pray that eventually the stars will align and you’ll get good RNG that hands you the win without you ever actually having to develop any skills. skyrim is the worst offender. save scumming is the bane of developing any actual skill or particular specialization. and skyrim rewards save scumming. skyrim rewards just ramming your skull into a brick wall for twenty minutes before moving on to the next pointless shallow radiant quest. skyrim can’t develop a chair so uncomfortable that it can kill you if you fuck up your stats hard enough.

dark souls was built around saying, ok look, sometimes you are not good enough to beat a boss first try. it will be atrociously difficult, so unless you’re already a master at the game you will not EVER beat the asylum demon with a broken straight sword. THE FIRST THING YOU DO IN THE GAME IS RUN AWAY FROM AN ENEMY YOU HAVE NO HOPE OF KILLING. and it’s not a scripted sequence. it’s not an invincible model of alduin here to ruin your day but not kill you because ~tHaT wOuLdNt bE fAiR~ dark souls slaps you in the face, kicks you in the junk, and says EXPLORATION BEFORE COMBAT. so you fully explore the area, you find your shit, you get an optional parry tutorial but it’s a trap and parrying is stupid & lame (I’ve beaten dark souls a dozen times and not parried a single time; I don’t even know how to parry but if you’re in parrying distance and not running a dagger build then your “build” is awful), then you get an environmental vantage point. suddenly holy shit the asylum demon is a cakewalk, BECAUSE YOU EXPLORED A LEVEL FIRST.

then upon going to firelink the average virgin skyrim player will say “ok now where do I go?”

they don’t talk to the crestfallen knight or listen to what he says. I mean oscar only told you to go ring the bell of awakening, and the crestfallen knight only tells you to go up to the church and down to blighttown, but hey there isn’t a blinky light on the compass telling you to get sued by aerosmith and WALK THIS WAY so of course you’re lost. nobody looks at their surroundings so they don’t see the clear and obvious path full of enemies you’ve already fought before and this would be well suited to your current skill level. they exterior collisions if smart and pick a direction if they’re dumb, and either end up fighting skeletons that take little if any damage but bonk you like a dump truck, or fighting ghosts that take zero damage at all. well gee, these don’t strike you as higher level areas? you’re used to games whose enemies scale up with your level rather than being x level in x area. like playing any mmorpg and being level 6 walking into the level 80 zone and slapping the ass of the nearest ogre berserker and he turns you into a bowl of grits and then being like WHAT THE FUCK, THIS GAME IS BULLSHIT.

so when you finally either a) pay attention b) complete the exterior collisions or c) whine until chat holds your hand to the HIGHLY VISIBLE PATH TO THE FUCKING AQUEDUCT then you make your way through the burg. skyrim players take 2 hours to get to this point. so look. before I go any further down that point, I do need to say that I did skip a step. but don’t worry I did it for a reason. see, the cemetery is technically right next to firelink. but it is not firelink. no music, no NPCs, no lights no music just anger (and skeletons). still, there’s some pretty nice loot in there. a decent starter spear, a shield, oh yeah and THE BEST STANDARD WEAPON IN THE GAME? AH FRAU ZWEIHANDER, DAST IS MEIN LEIB…stein? anyway the zweihander is dark souls’ easy mode, and it also is a reward for understanding possibly the single most important skill that young new players can learn. the suicide run. not the corpse run, the corpse run is not a new mechanic invented by demons souls, stop fucking calling it the goddamn dark souls corpse run if you do it. but the suicide run. see, what do you lose when you die? your humanity status. that’s it. you die hollow, nothing happens. you die human, you turn hollow. that’s it. you don’t lose anything by dying. anything you drop can be easily picked back up again. but your items and gear all stay. so you can easily run into the graveyard; pick up an item, die, repeat until you have everything that you need. you get stronger without fighting because you increase your options. this is a test of exploring not environment but mechanics. it’s not NECESSARY to win, but it sure does make things much more achievable in less time. because that’s the beauty of dark souls. it’s not hard, you just have to apply yourself and obtain the skill. no different from any other video game. FPS? learn to aim. fighter? memorize your combos. rhythm? get good at timing. this is just character action with extra stats.

so if you make it through the burg without exploring and collecting anything, you die repeatedly and rage out and break your controller and punch a whole in the wall and yell at twitch chat and walk away from the computer for a few minutes before ending stream to play stardew or slime rancher or something in total silence, fuming, the bullshit game didn’t hand you the win. you get tilted and spend all your time learning to fight the basic mooks with your +0 broadsword and two hours later you’ve grinded up enough souls to be ready for O&S before the taurus fight. you fought mobs instead of breeding the chocobo so you can punch the sea monster in the face. but if you’d just bred the damn chocobos you’d already be to fucking wutai by now but NOOOOO the way the game was designed isn’t good enough for you, you’re so cool and awesome and badass and so much smarter than the entirety of square enix circa 1997, you don’t need to play by the rules. you’ve wasted your time getting so stupidly overpowered you can kill anything in one shot that by the time you make it to a boss that takes actual skill and strategy to beat DYNE KICKS YOUR DAMN FOOL ASS SO HARD YOU ACCIDENTALLY LOAD YOUR SAVE FROM THE SHINRA BUILDING AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY SAVE OVER THE FILE YOU WERE JUST PLAYING AND YOU LOSE SEVERAL DOZEN HOURS OF PROGRESS IN ONE FELL SWOOP AND THEN NEVER PLAY THE GAME AGAIN FOR TEN YEARS. what do you mean my experiences are not universal? well anyway I know by personal experience ok? explore the fucking burg. realize that the black knights are not beatable by you right now. grab the gold pine resin, use it (or not) with a plunging attack (or not) and kill the Taurus demon and move on to the bridge drake. and try to kill it. and fail. because you still haven’t learned your goddamn lesson yet. EXPLORE THE AREA FULLY BEFORE FIGHTING THE DAMN BOSS, AND ONLY CHALLENGE IT WHEN YOURE STRONGER.

dark souls is so so easy if you just pay the fuck attention.

dark souls isn’t hard, YOU JUST SUCK.

[latestnewschronicle]

There May be Months of Train Strikes to Come

People who work for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and Network Rail, which represent the railway operating companies, only go when “necessary” because of canceled and interrupted services.

Mr. Lynch said again that his members wanted a solution but that the government had “torpedoed” talks with rail companies by “adding restrictions to the paperwork they know we can’t accept.”

But Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that he had “made sure” that trade unions were given a new and better offer, which two unions had already agreed to.

Richard Burge, the head of the London Chamber of Commerce, told Today that the train strikes would make it harder to get into the city at the start of the new work year.

He said that the owners of the companies were saying that “both the government and the unions” were to blame for the train strikes. He said the unions were “taking advantage of the situation,” but he also said, “The government has done nothing but sit back and pretend they are not involved in this conversation, and they need to be.”................Read More

Source:- Economic Insider

#economicinsider #trendingnews #trainstrike #christmas break #London Chamber

[longflying]

Nancy drew the captive curse keycharm

Waking Renate while snooping through her bag.Snooping in Karl's desk when he is coming back after a monster sighting, or snooping for too long and getting caught.Snooping in Anja's things when she is coming back after a monster sighting, or snooping for too long and getting caught.Pulling the gate lever, which lowers the portcullis directly on top of you.If the player doesn't wish to retry, then the game is over. Unlike the other games, when you make a mistake, it will give you a funny 'Good and Bad News' before giving you the choice to try again. Like all Nancy Drew games, there are fatal accidents you can make. He is also available to give slight hints to Nancy, hints about both her case in Germany and his possible romantic feelings for her. In the game, Frank is a good friend of Nancy and Ned, and helps them resolve their disputes. Ned can also be contacted for slight hints in the game.įrank Hardy - Frank Hardy is a character known from the Hardy Boys book series. He resents her mystery-filled life, and wishes he could be off solving mysteries with her. Ned Nickerson - Ned Nickerson is Nancy's longtime boyfriend, who isn't too thrilled with Nancy's latest adventure. At the time of the mystery, Markus is driving en route to the castle he expects that Nancy will have solved the case by the time he arrives. Despite being wealthy, Markus is planning on bringing in potential investors to Castle Finster. Markus Boehm - Markus Boehm, the owner of Castle Finster, has hired Nancy to solve the case of the monster. The Legend - What sort of creature lurks in the woods waiting for the chance to wreak havoc? Is there more to the legend than the locals are letting on? Well-versed in the monster legend and the castle's dark history, is she bringing her own tale of terror to life? Renate Stoller - Renate Stoller is an old fashioned storyteller who travels around the local countryside practicing her craft. Are his antics harmless fun, or does he have something more dangerous in mind? Lukas Mittelmeier - Lukas Mittelmeier has earned the title of castle troublemaker who knows all of the castle's hidden areas. Is her friendly manner hiding darker intentions? She's one strong lady who's not happy with the castle's current leadership. How far is he willing to go to keep them away?Īnja Mittelmeier - Anja Mittelmeier is the castle castellan, in charge of the household and second in command to Karl. He is against the Bavarianization of the castle and dislikes the tourists. Karl Weschler - Karl Weschler is the Burgermeister (mayor) of the castle community. As Nancy delves deeper into the case, she begins to fear that someone in the castle plans for her to be the monster's next victim. In the present day, young American detective, Nancy Drew, has been called in by the castle's owner to discover the truth behind recent monster sightings before the monster can strike again. So far, every victim it has claimed has been a young woman, reputed to be wearing a peculiar jeweled necklace at the time of her disappearance. According to the legend, the monster will vanish for years at a time, until without warning it reappears to claim its next victim. For centuries, a legendary monster has terrorized residents of a fictional Bavarian castle, called Burg Finster, in Germany.

#Nancy drew the captive curse keycharm

[dark-souls-1-remastered-coy]

Dark Souls: Remastered Cheats on Playstation 4 (PS4) - download

💾 ►►► DOWNLOAD FILE 🔥🔥🔥 However, you do not keep unique items like keys or Embers. The enemies will also be more difficult during the second playthrough. Their health and attack values are raised nearly twice as much from the first playthrough. Go to a bonfire, and interact with it so there are no enemies around you. Equip the Dragon Head Stone with the soul or item you wish to duplicate directly after it. Face forward, and use the Dragon Head Stone again while holding X. Immediately afterwards, turn around while still holding X, and press Down on the D-pad to switch to the item used. Release X for a split second, then hold it again. If done correctly, your character should be able to run around with his hands above his head. Repeat this as many times as desired. This trick requires a bow can be purchased from the merchant in the Undead Burg and arrows. Once you reach the point where you are underneath the bridge where the Red Dragon is resting, you will be able to see its tail sticking out just over the right side. If you shoot the base of the tail, the dragon will swoop over the bridge and spray fire, killing all enemies on top, includes the skeletons. You will be awarded souls for their deaths. Then, jump off the side of the underpass, climb back up the ladder from where you respawn below, and grab the souls. Repeat this process as many times as desired. You can get souls in approximately 30 seconds each time. Note: You must jump off the side or die before shooting the Red Dragon again to get it to do its flaming attack on the bridge again. After defeating the Taurus Demon, you will be looking at the Hellkite Dragon across a bridge. Run along the left side of the bridge, avoiding arrows from the Undead, and try to make it to the far left corner of small walled area. Stand there to avoid the fire from the dragon, while the enemies on the bridge die from it. You will get souls. Then, go across to the stairwell parallel to your position. Descend and move across to the stairwell directly under your previous position. You can then kick down a ladder which allows you to access the last bonfire. Rest, go back up the ladder, and slowly walk over to the stairwell that led down from the surface of the bridge. If you step on the purplish stone of the bridge just past the railing of the stairwell , the dragon will descend upon the bridge and breath fire, killing all the enemies again, and giving you another souls. Repeat this as much as desired. Note: Make sure to roll back down the stairwell so you do not catch on fire. You can easily kill the Black Knight in the Undead Burg with three or four strikes when you are not a very strong character. First, stock up on large arrows and throwing knives. You will be using the bridge you previously crossed while being targeted by firebombers. Run to the Black Knight, and shoot him with an arrow to get his attention. As soon as he starts chasing you, go back to the room that previously had two axe users and the Undead Knight. Turn around and close the door. Then, go out on the bridge, and start shooting him with the bow and arrow. When you run out of arrows, change to throwing knives. The Black Knight should fall, and you will gain souls. Next, sit at a bonfire, and then repeat the process as many times as desired. Note: This trick requires you are not part of the Forest Hunters covenant. Spend 20, souls to purchase the Astoria Crest from the Undead Parish blacksmith that opens the Astoria glowing door in Darkroot Forest. Then, go to the door in Darkroot Forest, and break the false wall to the left of it to find a hidden bonfire. Open the door, and kill the enemies to get 7, souls. You can easily kill the enemies by running around and getting them to chase you. Then, hide in the corner on the small ledge below the staircase next to the cliff near the ghost knight with the two-handed sword and shield on the back , and wait for the enemies to run up the staircase and off the ledge and die. Once all enemies are dead, rest at the bonfire, then repeat the process as many times as desired. In the Catacombs is a cave with a large pool of water. Baby skeletons continually and infinitely spawn in the water when you step in it. They die with one shot from a large arrow or a jump attack from a two-handed weapon. Equip the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring, and keep killing the baby skeletons to get a lot of humanity. However, you first must defeat some larger enemies in the area before you can easily kill the baby skeletons from a distance with arrows and not worry about getting attacked. The larger enemies throw fireballs, but they have to first charge up, and a hit from an arrow will interrupt them. Note: The baby skeletons' attacks can make you Toxic if they hit you enough. They will also disappear when you defeat them, taking their items with them. Thus, watch for the white glow when you kill one, and immediately grab the humanity before they disappear. Use the following trick after getting killed so you do not have to repeat game play to get humanity and souls back. When you die, immediately quit the game or turn off the system and save. The game now has saved the fact that you have been killed and made the bloodstain with souls and humanity, but still has the old saved location. You should be standing a few feet from your bloodstain. When fighting the Armored Rhino in the Undead Burg, defeat it with your weapons instead of using the nearby fire pits. It has a chance to drop the creature's head, which can be used as a helm. In Sen's Fortress, when you reach the room with the device that controls the giant boulders, move the pedestal so it sends a few boulders down every doorway. In one of the paths, a gap will be bridged by the first boulder, and the second will have broken a hole in the wall. Just beyond that hole is the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring. Go through the Great Hollow, which is accessed by reaching the swamp in Blighttown. At the end of Ash Lake is the Everlasting Dragon. Shoot the Red Dragon's tail off in the Undead Burg by snipping it from under the bridge with a bow to get the Drake Sword. It takes well over arrows to shoot the tail off. The Drake Sword is one of the best weapons you can get early in the game. It has attack strength. You might get a Gargoyle Shield or Halberd from the second Gargoyle. To get the Moonlight Sword, you must cut the tail off Seath the Scaleless, which is directly opposite from the front of its body. It can be hard to get behind Seath, but the best time to get behind it is during its breath attack that makes spikes come out from under the floor. Immediately after the attack, get behind it, and attack its tail. Once you cut off the tail, you can pick up the weapon. Once you have unlocked the elevator to the Undead Parish, take it up from Firelink Shrine, but jump off as soon as the demolished wall appears. You will now be on a platform just above the entrance to the elevators. Go around the corner, and sprint towards the edge. On the left, there will be a rounded edge of the cliff immediately across from a support pillar for the tower. Do a running jump off this rounded cliff onto the pillar. Once you have landed on the pillar, you will have to walk up the connecting stonework to the broken tower. Halfway up you will have to roll across an invisible barrier, but be careful, as the ledge is very thin. When you are on the tower, first collect the Asylum Basement Key on the corpse on top of the building. You can get it by going up the stairs to the left, and rolling off the tower onto the rounded building in front of you to collect it. Next, if you are careful, you can roll back onto the tower. If not, repeat the elevator-jump-pillar process. Then, go up the stairs, but this time, go around the corner and up the next set of stairs. This will give you access to the crows nest on top of the tower. You can now curl up in a ball, and wait until the crow comes and picks you up to transport you back to the Undead Asylum. The enemies will be much more powerful than they originally were, and there will be crumbling floors. Note: This trick completely kills the Red Dragon, and you will not see it again in the game. Thus, if you need to get anything from it, do so before attempting this trick. You can do this shortly after ringing the first bell; the dragon should either be pacing the bridge, or standing at the entrance waiting for you. You may also have to go to the bridge entrance to lure him out. Go to the adjacent bridge where you fought the Taurus Demon. If the Dragon is in the correct position, you will be able to see him from the bridge. Go over to one of the places where the wall is broken on the right side of the bridge the one right after a pile of bricks toward the middle of the bridge works well. Line up the arrow this takes practice , and shoot it at the dragon. If done correctly, he should disappear from your screen. After approximately thirty seconds, you will hear a roar, and get 10, souls as well as a humanity. Dark Souls. PS5 Backward Compatibility. Has Facebook Screwed the Pooch with Oculus? The Life and Death of Motion Controls. The Best Games of Top 7 Badass Comic Stars. Top 10 Good Games. The 7 Fantabulous Faces of Harley Quinn. More Special Features Around The Web. No Cyberpunk? No Problem! Can Gamers Really Trust Facebook? Let's Face It Super Mario is Perfect! Do you like video games more now or sometime in the past? I enjoyed video games much more in the past. Games are the best they've ever been! View Poll History. Follow cheatcc. Top Stories. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

[fandomfreak404]

Strangers, not for long

Summary: Harry was bored on his last day off for a while, before he embarked on his world tour. He would be gone for over three months. So he wanted to soak up the city in a new way before he left (again). That’s what brought him here, now, to you.

a/n: This is my first post based on one of my many daydreams about this man, so please, no hate! I know that him reading love is a mixtape, releasing pleasing and love on tour don’t actually align, but let’s pretend they do.

t/w: unedited, trash writing, first post, includes a bad pun, joke about twilight books (no hate!).

side note: I have a shorter part 2 written for this, which is now up!

song: in my head i imagine bookstore girl by charlie burg playing

word count: 860 - 870 words

harry styles x reader

You’re browsing books in the classics section towards the end of the shop when the bell rings, signalling the arrival of another customer. You, however, continue to peruse the shelves of this collection that you know all too well (pun intended). Dickens, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Bronte, Alcott. Name it, you’ve read it. Twice.

You turn the corner heading to your second favourite section, romance. Here, surprisingly, you are not alone. The tall stranger is reading a blurb so intensely he doesn’t seem to notice your presence. You proceed to browse the books you already have and love, when you notice he has picked one up. Love Is a Mixtape. ‘From a stranger to a stranger, I recommend to the highest degree,’ you say making your opinion known. He looks up quite shocked for a second but nevertheless replies playfully, ‘Yes, but what is your measurement system?’ ‘Sorry?’ ‘What would your other recommendations be because, for all I know, you could think that Twilight is a good read.’ ‘How dare you!,’ you gasp, ‘my word is gospel.’ As you laugh, you playfully touch his arm. While you are giggling, he takes the time to admire your delicate, manicured hands, adorned with gold rings that match your gold necklace. ‘How so?’ ‘I am an avid reader and if you don’t believe me … let’s strike a deal.’ ‘Ooo, I’m listening.’ ‘I will recommend you another book and if you don’t like either of them, I will ... reimburse you for both.’ ‘That’s it?’ ‘That’s it.’ ‘So, you’re a daredevil,’ he jokes, ‘fine. What have i got to lose?’ ‘£20 it seems.’ ‘How are you so sure that I’ll like them?,’ he says following you. ‘Trust me’. And he did.

You continue to laugh and joke as you walk around the store. Suddenly, catching him quite off guard, you ask, ‘do you reread books? Sorry, it’s such a random question-‘ ‘No, it’s fine. In fact, better than most questions I get asked.’ You give him a questioning look, and that’s when it hits him - you don’t know who he is. This is intriguing, especially for someone as narcissistic as Harry. ‘I guess.’ ‘Anyways, yes I do. ‘My Policeman,’ ‘Burning in water, Drowning in flame,’ uhh - and ‘The Course of Love’ are definitely worth the read, if not twice’, he admits while twiddling his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger. Your eyes fall to his painted fingernails, slightly chipped, with a range of colours, similar to yours. You stop yourself before he notices you admiring him.

Little do you know, he’s doing the same. Admiring your naturally pretty, clear skin. ‘What’s your name?’, he questions. You hesitate for a moment, and then say, ‘ok listen. Now this might sound weird so hear me out - I say we don’t do the greeting thing. We put this down as a good day and will remember it when we are old and grey, but all it will ever be is a good day. See, it’s better that way.’ (himym inspo - if you get it, you get it) ‘You make a fair point, stranger,’ he agrees, winking.

He asks you about your nails and what products you use, explaining that he is partial to doing his own. ‘It’s this brand, not sure if you’ve heard of it, Pleasing. I got sent a PR package from them. I think it’s by some singer, ugh what’s his name?! Harry ... something or other. Let me see…’ and that was the moment you wanted to die. You rambled on and on and on about how you didn’t listen to this guy’s music, but you knew a select few songs and it was him - he was Harry Styles. You felt stupid and apologised profusely, but he just laughed. ‘It’s not funny.’ ‘Oh, yes it is.’ ‘How could you let me go on like that.’ ‘It was funny you have to admit. And a new experience, it’s rare and refreshing that someone doesn’t know me.’ ‘So, I guess I owe you a name,’ you said sighing. ‘So, I guess you do.’ ‘Although it’s pretty standard for me to meet people who don’t know my name ... y/n,’ you say, extending a hand. However, he doesn’t take it. Thinking that you may have offended him for some reason, you’re immediately confused. ‘y/n?’ ‘Yes…’ ‘As in the artist y/n?’ ‘Yes, how did you know that?’ ‘Oh my god. You’re amazing. I have one of your paintings.’ ‘No way.’ ‘Yes way.’ ‘This is something most people would boast about, because most people know you. I should quote you on my brochures or something,’ you say giggling. ‘This is so cool, you have purchased my art, art from me. Wow. You learn something new everyday.’ ‘I guess you do.’

You continue to flirt and joke for over an hour, but don’t realise the time. As you make your way to the counter, you make your purchases and say your goodbyes, reluctantly. Harry admires this beautiful woman as she walks out the door, causing that same bell to ring. A woman who he wants to know more about. A woman he must know more about.

#harry styles x oc #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x reader #boyfriend!harry #harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles au #harry styles x you #harry styles writing #harry styles one shot #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles fluff #harry styles imagine #harry styles blurb #harry styles reader insert #harry styles drabble #harry styles fic

[willowedwisteria]

⁂~Don't burn the house down!~⁂

Summary -> Cooking with Genshin Characters!

Notes -> Finally, I was able to decide on an idea to write about! Credit points go to Dew Dew for helping me! I kinda made Childe's part... romantic???

Featuring -> Amber, Ayaka, Childe

Genre -> Fluff

Amber

"Amber! Amber!" You wave at the outrider excitedly, jumping up and down. The outrider turns herself to face you, waving back at you as enthusiastically as usual as you run up to her.

You grab her hand, clasping in it yours, stars forming in your eyes. "Do you know how to make Sticky Honey Roast?"

"You wanna learn how to make it?" The outrider nods to you before asking.

You smile at her, gesturing that she's right. "Paimon and the Traveler are planning to visit soon, so I want to treat them with my own homemade Sticky Honey Roast! I heard that Paimon really likes it!"

Amber's eyes widen in surprise, "The Traveler is visiting soon? Then we should make some Sticky Honey Roast for them together!"

You immediately agree, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling out your teapot to enter it.

The both of you rush into the kitchen, holding each other by the hand and grabbing aprons on the way, causing quite a scene for all the maids and butler cleaning the house.

"Alright, then! First, we grab salt, black pepper..." Amber nods at you as you bring out a bunch of spices for her from the cabinet.

She picks up one of them before taking a tablespoon and measuring it all, then pouring it as you watch her intently cook singlehandedly, noting down all of the steps for future reference.

"And... we're done!" Amber announces after pouring the sauce all over the cooked roast.

You rush up to her the moment the plate is off of her hands, tacking her with a hug. You thank her over and over again, anticipating the Traveler and Paimon's grateful and happy reactions.

Amber shrugs it off, insisting that it was nothing as she grabs a fork, piercing a small piece of roast and eating it. The smell of the Sticky Honey Roast spread through the kitchen and you immediately joined her.

"Your grace!" The traveler calls out to you, pushing the door to the kitchen to see both of you and Amber gobbling down a place of Sticky Honey Roast, a bit of sauce stuck to your mouth.

"Hey! Leave some for Paimon!" Paimon shouts with her hands on her hips, diverting your attention away from eating the Sticky Honey Roast.

The both of you nervously turn your head to face the traveler and Paimon just standing there in the doorway. You turn your head to Amber, locking eye contact before laughing at each other.

Ayaka

"Ah, right, I recall the time where the Traveler introduced me to Pizza." Ayaka recites, "It was my first time trying it, and I very much enjoyed its taste."

You happily chirp along to the conversation, "It's amazing how unique and diverse food is across nations."

Ayaka nods along, "Indeed. How I wish I could try more food from different nations. The pizza was so new to me."

You feel a moment of silence and awkwardness strike the atmosphere, stopping your friendly conversation with her. You feel as though there's something wrong.

Suddenly, you jump up in surprise, "You've never tried a burger before?!"

Ayaka widens her eyes, tilting her head to the side a bit before inquiring about what in the world of Teyvat could a burger possibly be.

You feel your heart shatter as if a crime has just been committed. You can't let such treachery continue! This is blasphemy to a whole new level!

You immediately pull her over to the kitchen by the wrist, pulling out the ingredients and making a burger with her.

"Okay, oil please!" You open up your palm, waiting for Ayaka to pass you the oil. The both of you actually made quite a good team. All of the ingredients she needed to pass you were right in front of her on the table, so it wasn't a grueling task to handle while taking notes.

Finally, after a long while of anticipation, you placed the burger on a plate, sliding it over to her as she stares at the burger in awe. Never in her life has she seen something like... this, it kind of reminded her of a sandwich.

Ayaka holds the burger awkwardly, not sure of how to properly eat it. She bites into it before pulling her face away from the burger. She covers her, probably, dirty mouth in astonishment of a new world of flavor being opened up to her.

You pass her a tissue, a smirk on your face. "So? What do you think?"

Ayaka grabs a hold of the tissue, lightly dabbing it on her lips. She turns to face you, a smile on her face, "It was unexpectedly delectable."

You place a hand on her shoulder, "Well, next time, I want to see you make one for me!"

Childe

You start to fry some meat, holding the pan by its handle as you try to flip the meat over using a spatula without dropping it outside of the pan. Childe approaches you from behind, wrapping his arms around your waist, surprising you.

"Hey! Don't just randomly come up to people from behind!" You chide him, your focus switched from the slab of meat to him.

Childe notices your nervousness about cooking and he could tell that one side of the meat would burn soon unless it's flipped over.

Childe holds your hand, which was gripping onto the spatula. His other hand held onto the handle of the pan. He guides your hands to carefully flip the meat over, successfully doing it first try.

You turn your head to him, "I didn't know you were a cook."

He laughs at your comment, memories flooding back into his head as he recites it to you, "I had to learn a bunch of cooking from my mom since most of my younger siblings didn't know how to cook."

Your eyes shift back, facing the cooking slab of meat. You pull a plate closer to the pan, turning off the heat before using the spatula to carry the meat onto the plate.

You take a sigh of relief, grateful that such a nerve-wracking process was over.

You immediately snap out of your relieved state to focus on cooking again. The meat is piping hot, the best time to eat it! You can't possibly waste this!

Childe watches your mood swings. From calamity to absolute chaos. Watching you rush all around the kitchen was certainly most entertaining for the harbinger.

"What are you making anyway?" Childe asks you in the middle of your rampage around the kitchen.

"Isn't it obvious?" You ask him, preparing the crust for the dish, "I'm making 'Mora Meat'!"

"For who? Is it a snack?"

As if almost on cue, you offer the finished dish to Childe, "For you!"

Tag list: @under-a-starry-night, @xyliope, @yourfaveisblack, @bardisipatos, @kithewanderingme, @veritaoscurata, @irethepotato, @karmawonders, @lunavixia, @anfre109, @bamboowritess, @ellethesmolbutnotreally, @The-Psychotic-Blueberry, @Hydrxngex, @darling-rikafu, @uchihaeirin, @callmemeelah

Special tags: @isariaasterial, @is-very-sad, @raidengaile, @dewwberry, @emyrl, @veritaoscurata, @saigomo, @gunterdon, @xyliope, @fuwon, @qixingflowers

#Wisteriawrites #genshin amber #amber genshin impact #amber #genshin #genshin impact #self aware genshin #genshin impact sagau #sagau #genshin sagau #genshin self aware au #genshin cult au #genshin ayaka #genshin ayaka kamisato #ayaka kamisato #kamisato ayaka #ayaka #ayaka genshin impact #genshin impact childe #childe x reader #childe tartagalia #childe genshin impact #genshin childe #childe #tartagila #tartagalia genshin impact #ajax genshin impact #gi ajax #amber x reader #ayaka x reader

[dindjarindiaries]

10 Underrated Quotes from Season 2 of The Mandalorian

As previously seen with season one, I’m here with another list of underrated quotes from The Mandalorian—this time, from season two. I’m going to highlight some of my favorite quotes from the season or quotes that stick out to me and why I think they’re noteworthy.

I don’t own any rights to content from The Mandalorian and, if you haven’t watched season two yet, potential spoilers are ahead!

1. “Pay attention when a superior addresses you.” (Chapter 15: The Believer)

While this scene certainly isn’t underrated, I believe this line spoken by Valin Hess when he finally catches Din Djarin’s attention by the Imperial terminal deserves some reflection. It’s interesting to think about how responding to Hess’ first call of “Trooper” is something Djarin just... wouldn’t think to do, or is something he thought he could get away with. It seems that Mandalorians, while they value their leadership, don’t focus on hierarchical structures in their society, so Djarin isn’t used to having to obey orders like that. It’s even worse that he has to deal with this unfamiliar situation without his helmet for the first time since he was a child. It really draws our attention to how little Djarin knows about the Empire and other organizations outside of his covert.

2. “This is the Way.” (Chapter 11: The Heiress)

I think many of us can agree that the first time this statement is uttered in this episode, we’re less than pleased about it, thanks to Bo-Katan’s ridiculing tone. When it happens later on, however, there’s so much meaning packed behind the words. First, from Bo-Katan, who has witnessed Mando’s bravery firsthand and has likely realized how wrong she was making assumptions about him based off his covert and his traditions. In return, Mando’s response of the phrase is strained. Why? Well, it’s up to interpretation—but to me, I think it’s because Mando’s in awe of the idea of these Mandalorians who have already proven their abilities to him actually coming to respect him and the Way he’s known ever since he was a child. It was a great moment of reconciliation.

3. “Is he speaking? Do you... understand him?” (Chapter 13: The Jedi)

Something I love about this line in particular is the way it’s delivered. There’s such desperation concealed behind Mando’s modulator that tells us so much about what he’s been thinking while pacing the forest floor nervously. This desperation also tells us how eager he’s been to communicate with his child. Mando and Grogu have been together for a long time, now, and we know they’ve had plenty of one-sided conversations. I’m sure Mando has longed to know what Grogu’s been thinking in return, and now that he might have an opportunity to, we can really hear that sheer curiosity and desperation in his voice with this line he offers to Ahsoka.

4. “Jet back, you’re faster that way.” (Chapter 12: The Siege)

I’m sure we all have our mixed opinions about the season one Nevarro crew, but this moment in particular really strikes the depth of their friendship and companionship. Once they’ve all heard about Moff Gideon’s return and his request to get the child once again, there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that Mando wouldn’t be going back for him immediately. Even though the job isn’t completely done and Greef, Cara, and Mythrol all still need a way out, they don’t even try to ask for Mando’s help. Instead, Cara insists that he gets back as fast as he can, even if that means the three of them don’t make it out themselves. I really love how that shared understanding and dedication to the child in all situations shows their deep friendship amongst the trio (and Mythrol).

5. “I’ve spent much time on Tatooine. I never saw a Mandalorian there.” (Chapter 9: The Marshal)

Mando’s response to Gor Karesh insisting that he knows of a Mandalorian on Tatooine could potentially be telling us more than we’re aware of. As far as we know, Mando’s only been to Tatooine once—and it was only for two days, tops. But here, he’s saying he’s “spent much time” there, which means it’s possible that Mando lived on Tatooine for a time while the Bounty Hunter’s Guild still operated out of there. If you think about it more, Mando knew exactly where to go for some work in Chapter 5, another hint that there’s more to Mando’s time on Tatooine than we’re aware of. The same thing could be said about his knowledge of Tusken and his friendship with the Sand People. Any time we get a potential hint of Mando’s backstory, I’m excited about it!

6. “Am I under arrest?” (Chapter 10: The Passenger)

This line comes quickly in the midst of Mando’s conversation with the New Republic pilots in Chapter 10, but I really love it. These few words say a lot about Mando’s character and how he responds to praise. He’s just been told all about his heroics in Chapter 6, when he risked his own life for Lieutenant Davan and reprimanded Mayfeld, Xi’an, and Burg—and when asked whether it was true, Mando offers no confirmation. He doesn’t even own up to his good acts. Instead, he simply acts this question, remaining the practical man we know him to be. This truly shows us the humble nature of Mando and how he tries his best to focus on the present rather than dwelling on things he’s done in the past, good or bad.

7. “... talent without training is nothing.” (Chapter 16: The Rescue)

On the surface, this seems like a very practical statement that many Jedi make throughout the series (see Ahsoka talking to Mando in Chapter 13 and Obi-Wan talking to Luke in Episode IV: A New Hope). When you think about it more, especially in context, you might be able to see Luke hinting at something much deeper. Luke heard Grogu’s cry for help from the Seeing Stone where it’s very possible Grogu was talking about his desire to protect his father by strengthening his abilities. Luke knows all too well what happens when you abandon training in an attempt to protect those you love—as for him, it didn’t go well. Yoda tried to warn him but he didn’t listen. Now that he’s learned his lesson, Luke can offer this wisdom to a Grogu who wants to keep his father safe. He knows that training first will then allow Grogu to protect himself and his father to his heart’s content, just as Luke was better able to protect his friends in Episode VI after he finished his training.

8. “Okay, I’m gonna protect you.” (Chapter 14: The Tragedy)

The scene in which this line is delivered is what truly establishes this episode as a tragedy. Mando’s tried three times to break through Grogu’s Force-field—not because he wasn’t thinking, but because he was so desperate—and now he has to come to terms with the fact that he’ll only hurt himself more if he keeps trying it again and again. Mando’s voice is pretty shaky if you listen to it closely enough in these lines, reluctant to leave his child atop the mountain alone but eager to protect him somehow. We know Mando doesn’t like to feel helpless, but we can sense he feels that way in this moment. He doesn’t even know if Grogu can hear him, yet he keeps speaking to him with such fierce protectiveness and reassurance. This is a promise he doesn’t fall through with, even if Grogu does fall into the Imperials’ hands for a time.

9. “Give it to me.” (Chapter 15: The Believer)

This is the moment where we all really knew what was about to go down. What I love about this quote is that Mando says it with no remorse. He says it firmly, insisting upon doing whatever it takes to get those coordinates and get to Grogu. He’s already made up his mind. Despite the fact he gave his word earlier about not showing his face, Mando’s going to do what he has to for his son. The firm way this line is delivered proves that, especially when he shifts from taking a backseat to Mayfeld to taking charge again as he pulls the data stick right from Mayfeld’s grip. I just really love Mando’s determination in this scene, despite the circumstances.

10. “I’ll see you again. I promise.” (Chapter 16: The Rescue)

Do I particularly think this line is underrated? No, not the direct meaning of it. But when you watch Star Wars Rebels and think more about the genius of Dave Filoni, there’s a whole new layer of meaning attached to these words. For those who may not have watched the show yet (you definitely should!), Kanan and Hera are two people who care very much for each other (wink wink) who once had to exchange a goodbye very similar to Mando and Grogu. Kanan was about to go on a very dangerous mission without Hera, unsure of what would happen to him, when he delivered these words: “We’ll see each other again. I promise.” This is almost exactly what Mando says to Grogu in the face of their temporary separation. The good news is Kanan and Hera did get to see each other again—but Kanan was changed forever. Will this happen with Mando or Grogu? It’s possible. But it’s just another one of those moments that makes me yell “FILONI!” in Darth Maul style.

#idk i just love the mandalorian and star wars #the mandalorian #the mandalorian season two #star wars #meta

[mandalorewhore]

Hunter (formerly Hunter and Prey)

Cis-Female Reader Insert/ Din Djarin

Gif by @themandaloriandaily

Thank u to @cptnbvcks, @whenimaunicorn, and of course @no-droids for the inspiration and your superior writing skills, whenever i was stuck on a portion i would reread all of u guy’s works and feel inspired again

Rating: Explicit Content Warnings: Exhibitionism, Oral Sex, Rough Oral Sex, Breath Play, Deep Throating, Masturbation, Pining, Depictions Of Violence, Canon-Typical Violence Words: 11k AO3 LINK

Summary: AU where Din Djarin stays with the mercenary group owned by Ranzar Malk. Takes place a few years before Din is contracted for Grogu's bounty. You're a merc trying to make a name for yourself in the group when circumstances end up having you run away with Din. You become his hunting partner in order to support yourself but you cant help falling in love with him, even as trained killers chase you across the galaxy.

FULL FIC:

As a mercenary, you wouldn’t consider yourself an overly sensitive person. 

Maker knows you wouldn’t have lasted a week in the job if you couldn’t handle your emotions. Although you don’t consider yourself entirely void of empathy, having a sense of detachment is useful when your waking hours are spent committing crimes throughout the galaxy.

          So why the fuck are you so jealous right now?

          The obscene moans and harsh slapping that echoes throughout the hangar shouldn’t inspire a larger reaction than disgust as you dutifully continue to repair the blaster marks on one of the rogue-class starfighters. Luckily, it seems that most of your immediate associates have ran off into the deeper areas of the bay to toll your last mission.

Excluding three members, you guess.

          Thank the fucking Maker Migs isn’t here You think bitterly, willing the sparks to fly higher and machine rumble louder as you carefully manipulate your buffing laser on the metal surface. His snarky attitude certainly wouldn’t lessen your misery as you try to drown out the sounds of sex. Raunchy words hiss, bouncing off the metal walls, before finding your feet and slithering up your limbs with a foulness that chokes you. Controlling the hot spinning laser seems to stoke your inner seething more than it distracts you. 

“Mando! Stars, keep-fuck- keep doing that,” you hear Xi’an echoing. Fucking Xi’an. She knows what she’s doing to you. The cruel Twi’lek is far too observant to not know that she is practically comm-station broadcasting her sexual exploits to the entire crew, and with that sheer volume, might as well the entire galaxy. You truly wouldn’t care about her sex life if it wasn’t blatantly obvious that Xi’an was doing this to mock you. You know this is meant for your ears only, a repeat of every other time you’ve found yourself stuck with this chore.  

Even if she wasn’t directly rubbing the fact that she was fucking the Mandalorian in your face, you don’t doubt that she would find a way to taunt your nonexistent sex life just for the fun of it. Another salacious moan echoes in the bay causing you to cringe and slightly jerk the repair tool in frustration.

Fuck, why did it have to be Mando? Aren’t there enough people on this kriffing space station to warm her bed? And how is he being so quiet right now? After a second you remember that’s a stupid question, considering he is probably the quietest person you’ve ever met.

His reservation serves to intimidate your targets, all the while unintentionally stoking that warmth in your belly when you are near him. His all-encompassing presence when he enters a room strikes fear in the hearts of the opposition, meanwhile, you are secretly pressing your thighs together in desire, enjoying the spectacle?.

 You’ve found yourself reveling in the few jobs where Ran’s strategy has you in a decoy-role, weaponizing your feminine charm to lull your target into a false sense of power. The muscle composing of Burg and Mando make quick work of those men once they're thoroughly wrapped up in your wiles. Despite being placed together for jobs on several occasions you’ve never actually had a real conversation with him. 

You’re too scared to talk to him, a near-silent man covered head to toe in Beskar, but you make money killing people and robbing gangs every week. It would be funnier if that purple freak wasn’t so vile. You don’t even know how to casually approach him.. Nice job killing those guys while I manipulated them into trying to fuck me! I’m pretty good with a gun, too. Maker, it’s so ridiculous that you don’t even bother with trying to figure it out. Other fantasies are easier to picture, such as the thought of him strolling across the room to slot himself in-between your spread legs, directing that intensity into your willing, aching body.

  This infuriating crush is why you suppose that your envy wouldn’t be as biting if you caught some sort of noise from the man during these displays of exhibitionism. It would give you something to repeat in your mind while you stow away in the late hours of the night seeking your own release. You guess the inability to hear him is proof of how far Xi’an is pushing her volume. It’s all just to piss you off. 

“Uhg, how miserable..” You mutter to yourself, allowing a little moment of self-indulgent angst. Typically, you wouldn’t allow yourself to wallow like a petulant teen seeing as you’re a literal fucking criminal. 

I’m supposed to be a hardass, dammit you think, spirits low as repairs wrap up far too swiftly. You swear you’ll buff right through every layer in the ship if you keep procrastinating on finishing your job and wandering into the tucked away fresher for a shower. Wandering past….them.

Wherever they are choosing to fuck can’t be that far considering the slap of skin on skin is already fucking loud enough. The sounds seem to be emanating from a vent not too high up the wall, you deduce it connects to one of the bunk rooms not too far from the landing pad you’re working next to. It really is fucking loud with all these metal surfaces to echo off of. Making your way to your small bunk might cause you to go deaf and if the last thing you ever hear is Xi’an wailing as she rubs in the fact that you aren’t fucking Mando, well, you might just take this spinning laser to your head. Unfortunately, at this point, the exterior of the gunship couldn’t possibly get more pristine.

Sighing in defeat, you push up from your crouching position on the metal floor and start to assemble your tools for clean-up while the sounds of Twi’lek pleasure predictably pick up  in volume.

“Fuck, fuck-Ah I’m close, I-I’m going to-“ A literal howl pierces the air as your gut twists with discomfort. Fuck, this is so awkward... and like, weird? Does he consent to this? Does he like that we can hear it? Maker.. Pushing that thought out of your mind you start to jog to your goal of the darkened hall that leads to the station fresher, still so wrapped up in jealousy that you almost miss the rough modulated growl accompanying the scream.

 O-oh.

Oh shit. Was that Mando….Moaning?

The swirling jealousy is suddenly overtaken by a- stars- painful heat, so debilitating that you stumble and almost double over with an intensity that shoots through your groin. Okay well, now you feel like an actual pervert. This display of eroticism was engineered by Xi’an to make you uncomfortable, not so painfully turned on that it’s dizzying. You vaguely register a growing slickness between your legs as you hurry along the cold hallway, desperate to drench yourself in icy water and pretend to forget the sound of Mando moaning.

Shit, Maker, was he cumming? Was that what he sounds like when-- no stopstopnope. Don’t think about that. Your inner monologue is running amuck as you desperately try to block it out. This feels kinda gross, as if you’re a greasy peeping tom spying on Mando’s private endeavors even though this whole situation was shoved in your face to make you ache in countless, longing ways.

That deep growl repeats in your mind as you hum nonsensically under your breath, tapping your skull as if you can knock the sound out of your consciousness despite being well aware that you will go to your fucking grave with every detail. The top of your inner thighs is so embarrassingly slick that you have to resist waddling along the corridor to the showers. Just as you are about to round the first corner, one of the side bunker doors slides halfway opens with a whoosh. The smirking Twi’lek saunters out like the loth-cat who got the cream.

I suppose she did get the cream... Your split-second of sour mirth is further spoiled as Xi’an slides the rest of the door open revealing the gleam of silver beskar and red steel as the ever still Mandalorian adjusting his…thigh armor. You spy a large vent at the junction between wall and ceiling, confirming your earlier suspicions that she chose this location on purpose. Quickly glancing between Mando and Xi’an, your face uncontrollably floods with fire when her giggles pierce the air. You register his helmet tilting toward you right as Xi’an’s tongue slowly extends to liiiick her fingers, any curiosity at his gesture burning away in revulsion.

What does she get out of making everyone uncomfortable? You think to yourself, wanting to squirm away from the obscenity but resolving to hold your ground.

“Xi’an,” You greet the two shortly, hands linked behind your back. “Mando.”  He nods.

“Sorry,” Xi’an offers in a voice devoid of guilt. “Were we being too loud? I would never want to distract you from your… projects.” Her taunting smile curls so widely that it is almost disturbing. “What would the team do without our junior mechanic!”

Her cackle rings through the suddenly freezing hall as you spin on your heel and try to not look like you’re fleeing. Red is tinting the edges of your vision from her insult while tears threaten to flood your eyes out of embarrassment.

You need to get to that shower quickly.

    ----------------

  As the tepid shower rains down on your flushed body, you childishly wonder if you should run away. Or rather, if you could run away considering you technically don’t own any of the ships currently residing in the hangar bay. Although you technically have free reign to pilot most of the spaceships available, that freedom entirely applies to transportation between merc assignments . The thought of running away from your current acquaintances on a stolen ship is not appealing. In fact, the only crew member owning a personal vessel happens to be Mando, his Razer Crest gunship was often subject to your mechanic skills.

Mando, who always offered a genuine “Thank you.” after you’d spend hours touching up the vessel’s damage procured from the rare missions he lent its flight to. Mando, the person who you are presently trying to not think about while naked and still trembling with emotion.

Your sillier fantasies would sometimes involve stealing away in his gunship, hand pressed over his chest and leg thrown across his lower body like a romance novel while he skillfully pilots the ship away. Kriff, you felt like a soft girl whenever you run this scenario through your mind, so cliché and campy that you cringe at yourself. Thus, this particular dive into your consciousness was reserved for special moments such as lying in bed after a strenuous job, or after long days spent working through that junkyard of hangar bay trying to strong-arm your way into earning worth in the company. Private moments where you are finally comfortable letting your guard down to drift aimlessly throughout maladaptive daydreams.

Not so soft fantasies exist in your mind as well. Once again that modulated groan springs to the forefront of your mind causing your clit to throb softly. The conflicting feelings of embarrassment, rage, and painful arousal serves to create an energizing cocktail that goes straight to your pussy.

‘Fuck it,” You whisper breathily to yourself, “Nows as good a time as ever..” your fingers are trailing down your stomach as you say the words out loud. You adjust the water to be slightly warmer and sigh as the comfortable heat compliments your tickling fingers. If only you could replace your hands with the significantly larger leather-clad ones of a certain bounty hunter. The thought spikes your arousal as you lightly brush against your mound, choosing to tease yourself as images flash through your mind. The armor-clad Mandalorian gripping the back of your neck to you press facedown on the floor of his ship and take his cock. Or your legs spread wide across his hips, crushing your pussy on his groin while he’s seated in the pilot seat of his ship.

Your fingers dip slightly into your slick hole then drag up to your clit causing you to bite your free palm and hold back a moan. Eyelids heavy, you give in to the fantasies and begin to earnestly rub at your clit.

“Mmf Maker, f-fuck..”, you whine into your hand at the thought of him breaking your pussy open. You just know he fucks hard -- it’s a given that the crazy Twi’lek would be one for rougher sexual affairs. Someone who spends nearly every moment of life feeling nothing but the weight of fabric and beskar on their skin must be so fucking touch starved. You bet the opportunities he’s had to feel a tight cunt wrapped around his length would completely overwhelm his restraint. Muffled moans begin to fill the fresher as your fingers speed up between your legs, head hanging forward into the metal wall and water dripping off your brows.

Your eyes flutter shut as you pull your hand from your lips to tug at your hardened nipple, other hand still between your legs, imagining a dark visor being trained on your soaking wet, writhing body. The image sends a shooting pleasure up your spine as you spin around and press your back to the wall. Imagining his dark form watching you from the other side of the gathering steam, you open your thighs and spread your labia apart, sighing at the wet sound it makes. “Like what you see, hunter..?” you whisper into the empty room wishing he would find you in this shower.

Removing your fingers from your nipple you reach down to your crotch and greedily fill yourself with two fingers, pumping in and out as your other hand works at your swollen clit. The volume of your now unmuffled pleasure is likely overheard by anyone on this section of the station, but you can't find it in yourself to give a shit. If Xi’an can screech out her orgasms at any given opportunity to fuck with you then let them hear.

Let him hear.

Your imagination runs rampant at the notion that he could hunt down your gasps and take care of you himself, causing you to gasp louder. S-shit people can hear you, you just won't say his name out loud, it's fine, it's f-fine- The thought of him discovering you here is so hot that it's blinding, and suddenly your orgasm is rushing up to crush you entirely.

Your lower half is locked tight then suddenly your knees buckle and you’re cumming hard. Your choked gasps cutting through the steamy shower like blaster fire as you peak higher, uncontrollably calling out for the Mandalorian while white-hot pleasure wrings you dry. Let him hear you crying for him as you gush around your fingers, convulsing in bliss.

     In the shuddering aftershocks, you don’t hear the uncharacteristically loud padding of leather boots retreating away from the fresher door.

    ------------------------------------------

    You’re good at your job. You wouldn’t be doing it if you truly couldn’t handle the ordeal of being a mercenary. The whole point of the job is to take care of the dirty work, so those far disconnected wouldn’t have to dwell on their choices too hard. You’re used to not asking questions, motivated by credits and reputation alone. But in moments like these, a job going this awry… well, you just feel like pure shit. This hit was way too easy and far too filthy even for your career mostly consisting of professional filth. It was so glaringly obvious that even if your associate’s numbers were sliced in half, you would still sweep the ground with your winnings.

And what meager earnings they are.

The crew’s assignment this round was to hit a casino shipment just outside the outer rim planet of Cantonica. Due to the Razer Crest’s ability to fly under the radar of both Imperial and New republic records, Ran rudely allotted that Mando should allow his ship’s use for crew transport. You’re surprised he agreed at all, but perhaps the prospect of gain motivated him. His motivations are rarely clear to you. You’re guessing the price of a wealthy city’s supply sounded frankly too tempting for everyone involved; Ran was practically salivating over the drawing board for this particular errand. One would imagine a hull stacked to the top with credits and the finest luxuries for Canto Blight’s flashy tourists. It is Catonica’s main attraction after all.

But once the team’s resident crime droid, Zero, breached the cargo ship's record, the whole team is  informed that the cargo-freighter ship only contains “organics”.

Slaves.

          In the end, Migs remarked that there may still be something of worth to obtain from this job, and thus the plan morphed into an robbery on the surface once the cargo landed at its isolated dock. You reluctantly agreed to continue while Mando shortly nodded, both of you last to assent on this change in direction.

----------------   

Some hours later you’re crouching in a derelict warehouse while the lessening blaster fire showers spark like fireworks across your corneas. The fighting between your crew and the dockyard guards has almost died down at this point and you take the moment to catch your breath behind a large stack of cargo boxes.

          “Holy stars,” you gasp out, head falling between your knees as a wave of guilt consumes you momentarily. This job fucking blows. It’s so much easier robbing Imps and gangs because they are inherently bad fucking people. Robbing a group of slaves is the lowest point you think you have ever hit in your life. This is so wrong, this is so so wrong, they don’t even have ownership of their own lives and here your crew of fucking mercenaries swoops in with a vengeance over being cheated out of something that we didn’t own in the first place.

The last straw was when you witnessed a young bedraggled woman fearfully tossing the Twi’lek sibling, Qin, a small wooden necklace, the last possession from her life before slavery. You ended up turning tail and running deeper into the dock while Qin needlessly hissed at her just to enjoy her terror. You’re sure he’ll just toss the thing after the job is over.

“I never would’ve agreed to this…” You breathe out shakily to the empty air, hollowness swallowing your ability to compartmentalize your humanity from the nature of this work. You are still fighting the impulse to give in to that deep pit of sorrow when a large shadow makes you start and grip your blaster before relaxing in recognition at the chrome gleam.

          “Oh, hey, Mando,” Smiling tightly in his presence as he approaches silently, his helmet tilted down at your crouched form. His gaze makes you straighten up quickly, realizing that you probably shouldn’t look so stricken in front of your crime associate. Gotta look tough, can’t let people think you’re too soft for this work. Man, didn’t he help start the company? That thought motivates you further to stand up and face him head-on.

 “Not what we expected huh? Certainly no Canto luxury here..” you quietly murmur to his cheek groove.

If you looked directly where his eyes might be he would likely catch the sparkle of moisture threatening to pool at your bottom lashes.

          “No,” he breathes shortly through the modulator. “Not this.” Something in his voice inspires the bravery to glance at his T-shaped visor. Compared to his usual tone of speech he almost sounds …stricken right now. Distraught by this display of debauchery your crewmates have shown the slaves and few people manning the dock. It's not noticeable unless you’ve been around him enough to read him on some level but deep down you know he feels the same way. You try to recall him taking part in the violent takeover and realize he was barely present for the ordeal. Aside from the initial violence that broke out during landing he hardly did anything and was noticeably absent once the slaves were targeted. In the back of your mind, you pray that he won't be reprimanded for the lack of effort. The thought is ridiculous but you’re scared anyway.

Stars, this is all too much, your head is swirling with grief and stress as your heart rate picks up and suddenly you are so desperate for humanity, for empathy  that you lose your filter and-

          “Couldn’t stomach it either?” You blurt out to him, desperately hoping he understands and will not judge your deep sorrow for the enslaved people affected by this brutal takedown. Your mind catches up in panic half a second later when Mando doesn’t immediately respond. Did you just seek sensitivity from the Mandalorian? Fuck. Wait. That sounded like an insult too. Fuck um-

“Ah, um I-I mean. I just mean I don’t remember you firing on anyone helpless and I um- I didn’t either, I didn’t fire my blaster at all to be honest I-Fuck- I hid. They’re just slaves not Imps, Mando. The guards were taken out in seconds and-” You hiccup and stutter as tears gather at the edges of your eyes and begin to fall. You feel so overwhelmed with anxiety and guilt that all of a sudden you forgot about his open show of emotion.

Pull it together, don't do this in front of the Mandalorian. He is the very picture of a stoic, hardened mercenary and now you’re kriffing crying in front of him? It briefly registers that this is the first time you’ve ever spoken one on one with him, the both of you were almost always alone or with members of Ran’s party during time off. You internally curse your existence for thinking you could tearfully word vomit in front of a fucking bounty hunter and get comforted by him. Your knowledge of Mandalorians is limited, despite knowing one, yet you think the point of his whole creed about giving up your identity and giving yourself to war. Why the fuck did you cry in front of a damn Manodlorian? You’re just starting to unfreeze from your panic-stricken muscles to dab at your cheeks when a gloved hand swiftly brushes just below your eye to catch a tear.

          ‘This wouldn’t have happened if that Droid could do his job,” You glance up at him in shock at his biting tone juxtaposed with the gentle gesture, but he’s already turning away, voice rotating with his visor. “The worst is over now that the shooting stopped. Let’s round up the others.”

          He pauses with his back turned and you take that moment to compose yourself. You’ve only shed a few tears so your eyes can’t be that red.

“O-okay.. .” You reply, trying to inject your usual backbone into the tone of your response before moving to follow him around the piled boxes and regroup. Staring into your warped reflection in the back of his helmet you try to find the words to thank him but they get lost in the ghosts of today.

          Your mind is still swirling but the clouds of despair have mostly cleared away. You know you don’t have time to dwell on your short interaction yet your mind is fully absorbed in his every move, both present and past. Coming from anyone else his reaction would seem shitty and dismissive but coming from Mando... well, you're honestly shocked. Those two sentences were fairly long for someone usually so silent. And what about his reaction to the way this job has gone? Him brushing away your tears?

You are gazing down at your feet deep in thought when you suddenly bonk into the back of Mandos broad back, wacking your forehead on the base of his helmet.

          “Oww.” You groan lightly, rubbing your forehead and stepping to the right of his body, “Why’d you stop so sudde-'' It is then when you notice the muffled whimpering coming from the clearing in front of the both of you. A crimson pool of blood laps at the Mandalorian’s boots, its kiss staining the leather a deep black.

Now you are truly sickened, bile rising in your throat as a ragged gasp leaves your mouth.

          “Why…? How can you..”

          “Xi’an!”

          Your choked whisper leaves your lips at the same moment the Mandalorian fucking barks the Twi’leks name.

A crumpled form adjacent to her body is the source of the whimpering and bloodshed, their contorted limbs looking less than human as muscles strain against metal binders. Xi’an’s triangular blades are dripping in her grip as she spins on her toes like a dancer and flounces childishly in the direction of your frozen form. Tearing your gaze away from the shell of a human you meet her eyes with open hostility. She stops several yards away from you.

          ‘Aha! So good to see you two. Isn’t this job sooo disappointing?” She calls out to the two of you casually. When no one responds her body deflates as she twists her knee inward and clutches one arm peevishly. Performative. “What? No hello? I could’ve died today!” She cackles at the notion.

          Mando is a statue at your side. You can feel the rage radiate in waves off his body like a heater and you wonder what's going to happen if Xi’an pushes this further. Your heightened stress from moments before is vibrating throughout your nervous system, compelling you to step forward and speak up.

          “Xi’an… this-this is completely unnecessary. The only thing required to complete our hit was taking out guards! What the fuc- and they were clearly incapacitated by you before you decided to take your blade to their skin!” Okay, that came out a little shakier than intended, but it feels like a disservice to hide your revulsion for her actions with the victim lying right there. “You could’ve just hit em’ in the skull with a blaster shot if you needed them out of your way!”

          “Guards? Oh, I already took them out. This-” Xi’an punctuates the word a kick into the person’s stomach causing them to groan weakly, “Well, this is just an Organic as Zero would put it.” Organic? Fucking- You jump slightly and glance to your left when the Mandorlorian makes a shocked exclamation at her words. Maker, you’re so sickened you forgot he was with you.

“You mean a Slave? From the shipment?” He hisses the question through his teeth. You can’t see his face but you can hear the tension in his jaw, his body still a ridged form at your side. Xi’an pokes her tongue out and runs it lightly over the pointed edge of her teeth while she considers her response. She seems to be measuring her response to Mando with a little more care than she bothered with while speaking to you. You’re guessing that she cares far more about his perception of her than your personal attitude regarding the Twi’lek. Wouldn’t want to piss off her fuck buddy.

“Answer me!” He snaps when her response takes a millisecond too long. Your purple associate sighs, exasperated now.

“Yes a slave,” she hisses, drawing out the word in contempt, “Really I’m doing him a favor. From the looks of him, he was picked up on Tatooine. I doubt he even had a family to mourn him back on that shitty dustball of a planet-” Her eyes suddenly bulge as she clamps her mouth shut, gaze fixed on the armored man betraying a twinkle of... fear?

Slowly, you turn to him. The pit in your stomach is somehow weighing heavier than ever when you take in his body language. If you thought he was emanating white-hot rage before Xi’an’s response then you don’t even have words for how he holds himself now. You take a half step back in trepidation as the air around you seems to warp around the Mandalorian’s gravitational pull.

“A foundling?” His tone is unexpectedly quiet for someone who is manipulating the very atmosphere of this desert planet. Time seems to freeze. Shadows are ebbing at the edge of your vision and your head feels like it is going to pop in the pressure. You want to do something, anything, to relieve the pressing wall closing in on the three of you, to somehow end this interaction so that you can crawl in on yourself and bury the ghosts in the back of your mind. Fuck, your mouth is so dry, heart palpitating with a painful squeeze. Shit, fuck, what do you do? What did he mean by that question and why is Xi’an freaking out? You’re still fixated on the gleam of his helmet, rushing to find appropriate words when-

A flash of red explodes in your peripheral-vision, sparks seeming to fly 20 feet in the air. The words die in your throat in shock.

Did he? Did he shoot her? You barely saw him move yet as your mind races to catch up on this turn of events, you realize his blaster is drawn low on his hip, while the rest of him hasn't shifted an inch. The pressure cooker disappears in a sweeping wave of silence.

You swallow and turn awkwardly back to Xi’an. Oh.

He shot the slave.

Xi’an is just as stiff as you, her arms slightly raised as if she instinctively tried to ward off the blaster fire before realizing its trajectory. You are still processing his actions when a gloved hand wraps around your wrist and pulls you swiftly as he runs from the scene, tossing a flash bomb behind the both of you.

Without question, you run with him.

  ----------------

  “Hey!” Within minutes your chest is burning from keeping up with Mando’s relentless pace. You’re fit from your job but he's twice as big as you and probably more than twice as fast. You get the feeling that he's moving slower than usual so you aren’t left behind. Struggling to control your breathing, you attempt to make sense of the jumbled thoughts by wheezing out, “M-Mando what are we doing?”

“Running.”

“Okay, fucking obviously!”

“To the Crest.” He clarifies just as shortly. Okay. Okay, once you reach his ship maybe you’ll get more answers. Right now, both of your priorities align with getting the fuck away from Xi’an before her vision returns and she comes after the both of you. But you can’t yet push some of the recent events to the side.

“You shot him.” You mean to phrase it like a question but it comes out more accusatory than intended with how breathless you are. “The slave you shot-“

“I ended his suffering.”

Oh. That makes sense, even if it makes your chest contract in duress you recognize his killing the slave came from a place of empathy. What exactly did he say right before drawing his blaster, something about… foundlings? You don’t know the term exactly but contextually you can guess it means orphan or alone. Fuck, this is so bad. Just what are you going to tell everyone? He may not have directed his shot at the Twi’lek but he temporarily blinded her. That still counts as an attack on a member of the team. Your chest is burning unbearably now so you slap at Mando’s vambrance to signal your need for a break. He drags you gasping around a corner into the shadowy edge of the warehouse.

“Listen, hey, look at me.” His large hand reaches out to gently grip the side of your face, warm against your skin and smelling sharply of blaster residue. Looking into his visor you realize your cheeks are damp again as hysterical hiccups threaten to make themselves known. “We are going to run. You don’t have to come with me of course but I unintentionally put you in the position of being complicit by attacking Xi’an. That-that wasn’t the plan… but I was leaving the company anyway”

His chest suddenly deflates as he rids it of air.

You realize you were holding your breath at the same time as him as you gasp out, before rubbing at your cheeks and asking dumbly, “Y-you were… leaving the company? Is Ran pissed?”

Stupid question. Of course, he’d be pissed at losing the one Mandalorian in the group. Mandos' presence gave him cred. 

“Ran doesn’t know.”

“Ran doesn’t… what? When was this happening then?”

Mando’s visor turns away from your gaze and looks off into the middle distance. His gloved hand on your face is still gripping gently to lock you in place. “Today. That’s the only reason why I agreed to let him use the Crest for this job.”

He shakes his helmet slightly and turns back to your face, the metal covering his face becoming your main focal point while the room spins. You can't see his features, and never would, yet you feel as if you are looking directly into his eyes. Your body has impeccable timing when you feel your cheeks heat blushing.

However, your senses return in an instant when a familiar piercing howl echoes off the walls. The glove drops and he is gripping your shoulders,

“Can you run again?”

Adrenaline springs your limbs into action as you spin around, catching his wrist and pulling, roles reversed as you lead him in the direction of his ship.

Dust is billowing from below whenever your feet meet the ground. The steps sound like thunder in your ears as paranoia begins to worm its way into the forefront of your senses, every corner, every shadow, every blindspot could be hiding one of your former partners. Xi’an is an excellent assassin; time and time again her main skill has proven to be stealth, targets dropping dead expectedly. The Crest isn’t very far thankfully. It sits right on the back of the targeted freighter since Zero requires physical contact to hack the other ship systems for paths. Oooohh shit you forgot about the droid- 

“Mando, Zero’s in there.” You puff out shortly in between breaths. 

“Fuck that droid. I’ll take care of him, just back me up.” You both slide around a corner as he responds, bringing the two ships into your field of view. You are facing the rear end of the larger vessel, thankfully leaving the coast clear as far as you can tell. Mando’s helmet scans the area then nods, indicating the go-ahead with his fingers before running ahead of you. You follow him, casting fervent glances behind you for any signs of life. You reach the ship a millisecond after he does, his vambrance held high to lower the rear ramp. As the ramp begins to lower he grips your shoulders and spins you around dizzily.

“Stay right outside here. The second I enter the crest I’m dropping the Droid. I’ll call you once it’s safe.” You gulp quickly and nod in assent right before he leaps into the opening of the ship.

Seconds pass. 

Your nerves are plucking way more than they normally would.. You never particularly liked Zero, but the sudden turn of taking out your ex-allies is making you high strung and nervous. Zero’s voice cuts through the silence, making you jump.

“Mandolarian, you are back early. Were the prospects plentiful despite being Organics?”

“No.” You twitch when a shot echoes in the hull followed by the clash of metal on metal.

 The Mandalorian sharply calls your name springing you into action. You enter the ship immediately spying Zero’s body under the cockpit ladder, blaster wound still smoking with red-hot metal ringing the edges. Your eyes linger a little on the droid’s body, slightly leery at the death of someone who was your backup only hours ago, then you sigh and duck to get a handle on under his shoulders, dragging him to toss out the open entryway. 

Grunting with effort you direct your voice at the cockpit, “Tossing the droid! Take off when read- Shit.”

One of the droid's hip joints gets stuck on a portion of the hull wall, preventing you from moving his corpse. Something wizzes above you at the exact moment you duck down to adjust the body, right where the back of your head was a second ago. One of Xi’an’s triangle blades ricochets off the wall and slides across the floor, stopping right under your nose. Oh f-

“Fuck! Fly, fly, she's here Mando!” You lurch to the floor as the thrusters kick in, twisting your head to try and get eyes on the clearing. Through the rapidly closing ramp, you see a flash of purple skin, but before you have time to react the Crest door snaps shut. Heart thudding at what feels like a million beats per second, you try to get your bearings on the floor. Twisting sideways you suddenly find yourself face to face with Zero’s corpse, revulsion whipping through you like lightning as you scramble backward on your hands and feet.

    You can’t do this right now. 

    The last thing you want is to seem weak and needy in front of the man who just selflessly saved your life, for reasons still unknown, but you can’t do this right now. A creature of habit, you fold your neck between your legs, the same reaction you had to the violence on Cantonica. A minute, you just need a minute, a minute and then this horrible drone will go away, and you can deal with this, you’re a fucking mercenary…  the blackness swarming at the edges of your sight overtakes you all at once and you slide limply to the floor.

  ------------------------------------------

  You aren’t sure how much time has passed once you rouse. At your request, Mando tosses Zero's body before kicking into hyperdrive right about 120,000 feet in the air. You stare at its flight path until the speck disappears in the taupe shithole that is Cantonica. Feeling shaky as your adrenaline finally dips, you decide that the Crest could do with a once over before the long journey. 

After performing a quick analysis on the Crests systems it’s determined that the two of you are lucky this hunk of metal can fly. Hyperdrive operating at 67% capacity, weak communication signal if it even works half the time, plus more damage than you can currently process. If there weren’t five million different stressors weighing on you, your mechanic brain would probably explode at the current state of Mando’s ship. He probably should’ve taken it to you, or anyone else handy with tools if he wanted it to be in proper form for departure, but it makes sense that he didn’t want to draw too much attention. Hopefully, his pilot skills will compensate for the Crest’s sorry state. 

 To be fair, the whole blow-up-your-coworker-and-run-for-your-life aspect didn’t seem to be in Mando’s original plan. 

“So… where are we going?” You’re on the floor in the cockpit, back facing the passenger chair while the Mandalorian is seated pilot. After crawling under the console for a while you couldn’t bother to lift your aching muscles on the chair, resigning to scoot on your butt over to the closest object that could support you. As a result, you end up craning your neck to look up at him, his back straight in the chair. 

“My original plan was to head to Nevarro to take on a few quarries. I’m still with the guild and Karga doesn’t give a shit whether I’m running with Ran or going in alone.” You bite your lip anxiously. Oh yeah, you kinda forgot your presence threw wrench in his plan. He notices and tilts the helmet sideways at you, “You’re not in the way. I’m not concerned about you joining me, someone of your skillset is helpful to have around. I’ll introduce you to Karga so you can get on your feet.”

The compliment lifts your spirits enough to make you playful, poking at his boot with your toe, “Gee, glad I’m useful enough to keep around. All I have is my blaster and the clothes on my back, so if you drop me, I’d be  pretty fucked.” 

You giggle quietly but you know it’s the truth. All of your possessions are back on the space station, but you didn’t own too many personal artifacts, aside from some clothes and weapons. The only thing of use would’ve been your credits. You worry again at the realization, dipping your head before continuing to speak,

“Shit Mando, I don’t have any money on me. It was all back in my bunk, I don’t know how I’ll help pay for things around here unless Karga decides I can take on a quarry right away. Even then I’ll have to bring it back before I ever have a lick to my name.”

“You can make it back. I’ll split the profit from jobs that you assist me on. Cut depends on how useful you are and once you prove yourself, Karga will give you the decent pucks.” He swivels the chair and faces you, knees slightly spread as he leans forward in the chair, “Deal?”

You swallow and nod your head, mind blanking at how your head is level with the bend in his hips. You don’t think he's trying to come across as suggestive but the effect, intentional or not, invites a flutter of desire in your tummy. The Mandalorian leans back on his leather backing and sighs, the sound gentle despite the modulator warping his natural tone,

“You aren’t in my way. I swear it. If I had more time before leaving I would’ve asked you to join me anyway, you're good with your hands and always had more… compassion? Than anyone else in the company. I admire that quality.” That makes you straighten back up to meet his visor. He sounds nearly shy.

“O-oh…” You never even thought he noticed you aside from when you touched up the Razor Crest. The compliment sends warmth throughout your body, as languid as sex pollen in the near feverish effect. You don’t know how to respond at all, you’re feeling disjointed, like you may reveal too much if you don't change the subject soon. You wish you could be snappier but you’re exhausted. Maybe try for a joke?

“I g-guess you value girls good with their hands, huh. H-haha?”

Silence. Hm. 

That was the absolute worst thing you could’ve come up with. 

It didn’t meet even a single one of your simple ass goals, which entail the following:

Thank him.

Change the subject.

Not reveal how much his words make you want him to rail you.

    Wow, what the fuck- kill me. He hasn’t moved an inch, much less reacted to your shitty joke. The positioning of your bodies that you found so hot ten seconds prior is now a place you’d try anything to escape from. It’s almost comical how his height advantage serves to emphasize the disappointment in the small room. He hasn’t responded so you’re guessing he won’t bother to try. Heavy silence suffocates you to the point of desperation, you need to fill it with something right now or you swear you’ll die. 

    “I-I jus-t mean like- Well you had certain- ah- habits, you’d adhere to in your free time. Li-like um, I mean you didn’t hide much. Kinda obvious if you- listen, uh, I didn’t mean t-to say that I-I was joking around-”

“Get to the point.”

“I-” Your tummy fills with heat at his command. “Umm..” You wipe your hands on your thighs and glance down from his voice. The hours of on and off adrenaline must be majorly messing with your head. It’s kinda weird that you want him this badly after everything that went down today. Wasn’t your most recent concern something about avoiding death at the hands of a bitch you hate most in the galaxy? To be honest you can’t recall. 

The proximity of his groin is suddenly at the forefront of your mind. Again.

He slowly tilts his helmet to look at you, arms bending to settle in a relaxed position on the armrests. You are extremely aware of how you’re blatantly staring at him but your mind is slow to come up with a valid response, blankness written in the reflection on his visor. His position on the chair is mountainous, looming over your body in a way that boxes you in between the passenger seat and the Crest console. You feel like a prey animal... In a sexy way? Maybe?

Although, when he leans back into his seat, helmet still trained on your face, you are unsure if you’re actually pissing him off or not.

“Say what you mean.” 

Okay, the sexy is mixing a little with anxiety. 

“Ah- Um well, I just mean like. It’s not like you hid it from me- everyone else too. In the company. Ran’s company? ‘Cause, I- We… always overheard you and Xi’a- Her…” Fuck, your mouth is so dry that last part came out like a squeak. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling again um, I kinda thought you were doing it on purpose. With Xi’an. Making me hear when you’d...fuck her.” Cheeks blazing, you duck your head back down, which doesn’t help at all since you’re just face to face with his crotch once more. 

    “You say ‘always’...” Mando’s inflection is lost somewhere between statement and question, his tone confusing enough that you end up lifting your head from its bowed position below him. 

“Y-yes?”

“As in this was a common position you found yourself in? Did you overhear me multiple times?” Now he poses not one but two questions for you, neither of which you feel brave enough to answer steadily. You can’t deflect further at this point so you answer him with a sigh.

“No, I only heard you once. Xi’an always wanted me to hear her though. It was gross.” Mortified, you gather your legs under your body to stand up from the floor. You think the hyperdrive issue is fixed well enough to hold until Nevarro. When your hand reaches for the edge of the armrest to pull yourself up it is abruptly enveloped in warm leather. Half crouched, your arm jerks back a little in surprise at his touch. 

“I wasn’t asking about myself specifically. And I wouldn’t force you to participate in her games, had I known.”

Maker strike my ass down. Can humans die from embarrassment? You wish it were possible if it got you out of this conversation. He’s correct, he didn’t specify whether you had heard his moaning. If you weren’t nursing these stupid feelings for Mando you never would’ve given away the fact that you memorized every tantalizing second of what you overheard. Not only is this embarrassing, but you don’t want him to think you’re a sicko who wanted to eavesdrop in the first place. The clarification about his awareness of Xi'an's timing is comforting but not enough to erase what you already admitted to him. You somehow feel sweaty and bone-dry at the same time, a flush spreading over your face.

“I’m so sorry.”

“I heard you too.”

You both speak at the same second, and a beat passes before either of you process what the other said. He- what? What is he talking about? Are we having two totally different conversations right now? When did you ever fuck someone on that space station anyway… unless he means… in the fresher…

This time he is the one who breaks the silence, “You’re sorry for… overhearing me?” 

“Y-yes, I really, really, don’t want you to think I’m a creep or anything. Anything I heard was involuntary, I swear. Xi’an w-wanted to make me… Um…” You trail off shyly, sitting down again. His hand is still over yours.

“Get to the point.” His voice is filled with heat now, so low and compelling that you’d tell him anything just to keep it that way. You whisper your response, lifting your eyes to his dark visor wishing you could meet his gaze.

“She wanted to make me jealous. Over you.”

“Mm… You wanted me instead?”

“Maker, yes.”

The climate between you and the Mandalorian made a 180. Nerves dissolving like honey in tea, all at once being taken over by a hum of sexual tension while his fingers caress a warm pattern over your knuckles. Exhilaration builds within you, though in the back of your mind you are calculating the possible motives behind his advance. 

You know sometimes, after a particularly rough day, people are compelled to relieve their pent-up stress through intimacy. There’s a reason why the market of sex work thrives under wartime, terror existing constantly in a fighter’s life must be paired with the softer, inner-most comforts of knowing another living being, or they’d go mad with sorrow. Brothels made a lot of money during the last stages of the Empire’s rule from both Imps, Rebels, and neutral parties alike.

It’s not out of the ordinary for you to seek each other out right now, yet can’t help but dream that this might mean more. 

The Mandalorian’s hand currently encasing yours flips your wrist to trace the lines of your palm. Sighing you tilt your head to the side, a curtain of hair cascading across your features. His free hand reaches out to brush the strands away before he gently grips your jaw, hand large enough to press his thumb on the front of your chin while his fingers wrap lightly under your ear. 

“I heard you too, pretty girl. You called out for me in the fresher… just what were you doing in there? Describe it- please.” He speaks with such allure that you break under his voice, pressing your cheek to his palm.

    “I-I thought of you watching me while I touched my pussy. I was so wet thinking about how I want you to feel me after being under all your armor, Stars, even the wind can’t touch you Mando. I thought about how you must crave the feeling of something so soft… can I show you how soft I am?” Your free hand raises to rest gently on his knee, fingertips hesitating at the edge of his thigh piece. He is still fully suited for battle, explosives strapped to one boot and rifle across his shoulders. 

You wish so badly to help him unwind, you would never disrespect him by trying to remove his armor, but you want to help him move past the experience that was Cantonica. Mando continues to stare at you for several tense seconds before melting into your touch.

“H-helmet stays on.” He breathes out shakily, a slight tremor running through his legs as your fingers lightly explore the fabric under the edge of the piece of metal. “But the rest… the rest can come off.” 

He’s already moving to undo the magnetic connectors holding his cuirass in place so you scramble to follow his movements. The rust-colored armor on his body has complex enough attachments that you don’t really know where to begin. Your hands clamber around, mostly following his deft movements. Slowly a man of flesh and blood is revealed, and as his impenetrable exterior melts away you find the true shape of him. 

The armor serves to add a few inches of bulk on his features, enhanced proportions making out a dramatic silhouette designed to be spotted from miles away. Without it his body is still so powerful, built hard as stone and broad, hard angles melding enticingly with a hidden softness. Not hidden- you realize -it compliments him completely. The pieces fall away and you’re left with the unexplored bareness of him. He is human and warm, evidence of this betrayed in rare moments where his hands travel lightly up your arms while you work at his pauldrons, brushing through your hair here and there before finally returning to your jaw to hover in front of your lips. 

“Off.” He instructs shortly, brushing the seam of his thumb over your bottom lip. Your mouth falls open to explore him with your tongue, tasting salt, blaster residue, and a hint of the heat he holds in his body. Satisfied, you bite down gently on the glove ridge, watching as he pulls off the leather encasing his hand and drinking in the sight of golden skin as it is revealed to you inch by inch. All you’ve seen of him is one bare hand and somehow it is the sexiest thing you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Flames lick your body, spreading from your white-hot core, energy gathering with such impassioned motions that at any second now it will burst from your skin, a reaction so immense that you could birth another galaxy.

You want to taste his skin too.

“Fuck baby-” You take his middle finger down to the knuckle, emboldened by his slurred reaction, noises startling to babble out of the bounty hunter as his stoicism falls apart under your tongue. Humming around the digit, you start to bob your head gently, eyes locked on his impassive visor while filthy, filtered noises drift through the beskar. It’s like there is no barrier at all between you, the air thrumming with a longing so great that you feel one with the man crumbling before you. If you're not careful you will fall with him. 

“Mando, Plea-se,” You stutter around him, voice shaking more than intended. “I want to f-feel more of you, let me touch you, please-” You squawk, mouth empty when he suddenly rips off the other glove, tossing it behind him before reaching down his torso to pull the hem of his trousers south. You gulp in trepidation, unable to tear your eyes away as enticing dark hair displays itself, leading to the base of his cock. He pauses, but you’re so caught up in discovering him that you don’t notice the tonal shift.

“Before I show you this-” dark words enunciated by palming his cock through the fabric, “I need to know where to put it.” 

What kind of question is that? You’re honestly bewildered, mind blank before you realize that the options are overwhelming. In his own way, he is asking you to verbalize consent, which is very much appreciated. You want him in your pussy, to work his way deep in your body and in turn, discover just how human you are... yet… You feel oddly unprepared. It’s not that you don't think you can take him, in fact you can't recall ever being this wet in your life. It’s just… after today… you want to help him unwind but you’re still not fully there. You still want to please him, but you’re not ready to let him know you that way, not until you come back to yourself. 

So in that case…

“I want you in my mouth, hunter.” 

Mando growls then grabs your wrist, guiding it over the edge of fabric and onto his throbbing length. He shudders while you process the feeling of him. He is thick, the width of his cock so wide that your middle finger and thumb are straining to meet each other. You release him from his pants then try to pull at the hem to wiggle them down his thighs. He obliges and lifts his hips so that you can reveal more delicious olive skin, but he makes no move to assist you with his hands. You get the feeling that he is drinking in your efforts to touch him, the sensation of your jerky movements giving away how much you want him. 

You kiss and nibble at every possible moment, one hand drifting lightly over the length of him, twirling at the base dusted with short, dark hairs, cupping his balls then moving back up, your mouth traveling to meet your fingers. Hissing, his hand flashes up to meet the back of your head, fingers tangling in strands to tug tightly on your scalp. With a light moan, you tongue along the side of him, teasing hot air more than actually licking him. 

“Look at me- fuck - pretty thing, s-so fucking willing for me, I want to see you take my cock as far as you can, s-show me how much you can handle-” He pulls harder at your hair, dragging you roughly enough to control your neck, back up from where you were sucking at his hip to the head of his dick. “Are you going to show me yourself before or after I gag you on it?”

Fuck, you never realized how tantalizing submitting to another person could be, not until that came out of his mouth, rough enough to clip through the modulator. You elect to show him what you can handle. Leaning forward to meet the swollen tip, you part your plush lips and kiss at the drop of precum gathered there, before relaxing your jaw to take him halfway. He groans and nearly doubles over at the sudden sensation, holding you there for a second before you draw back up to spread your saliva more thoroughly. Lips rewet, you sink back down on him, gliding smoothly as you pull his cock deep within your mouth, drinking in his breathy groans.

“Maker, yes … that’s it, fuck-” You attempt to sink even further down on the Mandalorian’s impressive length, but stop short a few inches from his base, blunt head pressing in your throat. “-so good, s-so good for me baby, you look perfect like this.”

He’s so far back inside you that you can’t access your vocal cords to produce any noise at all, otherwise you’d be whining at his praise. Your hands are free to assist you at any time, you could circumvent his daunting length if you wanted help. But you want to impress him. Besides, your palms are warm on his torso, traveling under his shirt to feel the ropes of muscle there. You don’t want to remove them. 

You surface to the tip, taking a deep breath in preparation before ducking to take him as deep as you can manage. He watches you, entranced at the sight of a face so lovingly strained to please him. Your gag reflex spasms but you will it away, determined to fully engulf his cock at least once even if you find you’re unable to handle more. The noises rising from your throat are brutal and raw as you choke around him, his helmet blurring when tears fill your eyes. You bob a little then almost give up when the urge to retreat floods your senses but then he starts talking again- so filthy that you can’t stop yet.

“You’re trying so fucking hard, fuck, I love seeing you wrapped around my cock, Maker, you feel so fucking good, I can’t imagine how your little pussy must feel, you’re so warm, so, fu-fuck, tight…” The stream of filth serves as your motivation to bob for as long as possible on his length, throat stretched obscenely around him. You realize hazily that there are tears streaming from your eyes, but the urge to pull off is lost in dizziness as the oxygen in your lungs depletes. You keep going and going, your high at its peak as you recognize that your body is starting to fade in black. You should pull off and breathe, one quick breath is all you need, but the way he’s filling you is more addicting than the purest Spice. He notices when you start to slump into his lap and pulls you up gasping for air. 

Nearly fainting never felt so good.

“Shit, are you alright?” You nod and rest your cheek on his thigh, face turned on its side to meet his visor as he spins little circles in your vision. A soothing hand brushes against your cheekbone, tracing a gentle pattern on its height. “You were doing so good for me baby. No need to hurt yourself.” Mando’s voice is still breathless, offering you tenderness through a cloud of stimuli.

“I’m okay- I’m… I just need to catch m-my breath.” You’re still heaving unevenly but you want him so bad, you want him to finish for you, your wants translating into weak pawing at his dick trying to give him more sensation. He catches your wrist with an airy laugh and guides your uncoordinated movements to better stroke him. The sound fills you with light.

“Pretty thing, I know you want me. Try to not die on my dick before I’ve had the chance to feel your cunt.” His hand leaves yours on his length and reaches over your ass to cup the apex of your thighs through your pants. You jerk up and almost crack the crown of your head open on the chin of his beskar but his other palm is pressed between your shoulder blades, keeping you bent over in his lap. A garbled noise tears from you when his index and ring finger spread on either side of your outer lips, allowing his middle finger space to travel up and down your seam, so wet that you can feel the slickness gathering through two layers of fabric onto the tip of his finger.

“Ah, Fuck! Mando, I-I- wait please, please, wait-” He draws his hand up away from your wet center, reaching your asscheek before you yelp and snatch his forearm to stop him from retreating farther. “I s-still wanna, I wanna make you come. You first, before-before me.”

“Baby, you’re… fuck okay. Can I still touch you?” Mando caresses your hip at the fold where it meets your thigh. 

“Later, let me d-do this, please.” He allows you to lift his arm from your spine and rest it on the crown of your head as you move forward and try to meet his cock again. Pulling his thighs to the edge of the chair, you settle back on your knees and stroking him one-handed while he hums low in his throat. You wrap your lips around the swollen head, sucking and swirling your tongue before taking him deeper, this time using a palm to stroke the last few inches instead of opening your throat. Starting up a rhythm of bopping and stroking his velvety length that pulls incredible noises out of the Mandalorian, each one going straight to your swollen clit. 

Coming up for air you start to jerk him off faster with your slick hand, meeting the T of his visor with your heated gaze, hoping that you are finding his eyes. He must enjoy the sight of you jerking him off because his moans start to tighten, hips thrusting into your palm. 

“K-keep fucking doing that, good girl, fuck I-I’m close, where-where do you want it, baby?” You respond by settling low near his thighs, putting his cock above you with your tongue sticking out, wetting the tip while your wrist moves faster. Somehow he’s harder than ever and-

Mando curses through his teeth as his cock convulses, warm spurts of cum painting your tongue, cheeks, and nose bridge, rivers of him flowing down your chin and dribbling on the swell of your chest. He grips the back of your head tight enough to hurt, then rips one hand down to stroke himself, smearing the mess across your features. 

The fingers on your scalp loosen then graciously begin rubbing at the base of your neck to soothe the soreness on your head. One of your eyelids is sealed shut due to a rope of his cum crossing from nose to eyebrow, the other eye unfocused, hazy with pleasure as you listen to him come down from his peak. A low noise rises from your throat as he massages your scalp, feeling tingly all over as blood flows back to the area.

“T-Thank you… that was great, I-“ he breaks off when you start to gather his cum off your skin, licking it off your fingers while studying his visor through your lashes. “Hey, let me…” 

He surprises you by wiping at your face with his cape, still hanging off the arm of the pilot chair from when you detached it. You giggle, “Is there a way to wash that on here? I can’t even tell if that hole in the wall includes a shower.” 

“There’s enough to work with.” 

You laugh louder at that, “That’s encouraging. I hope there’s ‘enough to work with’ so that I don’t meet Karga covered in cum.” Pausing to consider your current position, you add, “Actually, that might help my case.” 

Face wiped mostly clean, you're able to open both eyes now, taking in his posture. A jolt shoots through you when you realize he’s holding himself differently for some reason, he looks almost predatory but maybe that’s just the effect of Beskar’s harsh angles... Nope, he’s leaning forward now, caging you in again.  

“You want to look sexy for Karga?” Gulping, you try to figure out the best response but he continues before your slow-ass mind can catch up, “You’re right, that might help you get better pucks. But I don’t know if I want my hunting partner to be introduced that way. I still need to return the favor…” 

He lifts your body with ease, pulling you sideways onto his lap. Mando’s warm hand slides along the bend in your knee, slow and sensual on your body. He caresses you aimlessly, relaxed in the afterglow of cumming so hard. You’re still tightly wound, energy balled in your body as his movements serve to wind you up even more. But he’s not moving any faster so you relax into his broad chest, enjoying the feeling of his bare skin. 

Time blurs with your senses. His touch pulls you to a place right out of your daydreams, where everything is draped in velveteen and silk. You’ve honestly forgotten his original goal in the first place, and as his arm begins to drag on its path, it seems like he has too. The stroking on your arm has lowered your arousal to a simmer, leaving you content to stay laying across his lap, the glow of hyperspace streaking over your bodies. All at once, you realize he’s no longer moving over your body, his chest rising and falling deeply against your shoulder. 

He’s asleep. Surprise registers sleepily somewhere in your exhausted mind, the realization behind layers of warm fuzz. Didn’t even think he slept. 

There’s a full day of travel until you reach Nevarro. Snuggling closer into the warm crook of his neck to resolve to live in this dream for as long as possible. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

#the mandalorian #din djarin #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x reader insert #mando x reader #reader insert #fanfic #star wars #mandalorian fanfic #din djarin x reader #smut #smut fic #mandalorian smut fanfic #the mandalorian x you #mando x you

[kutiebug-kuddles]

Free Day! (Pt.2)

Platonic / GN / Mikey

Warnings: none

A/N: wahoo, part two baby. I realized as I was writing this that if I included all of them in one post it would be like a mile long, and I would only have one post out. So @kokokatsworld I hope you don’t mind that I used your ask for extra content, lol. I’ll tag you in all of them as they come out, so don’t worry!

Mikey groaned, “I’m so booorredd.”

The normally energetic turtle sat deflated, stomach-down on a bean bag, his foot tapping the ground.

“Have you drawn yet today?” You said slinking into another beanbag next to him. He turned his head to you.

“I’ve tried, but it’s like all my mojo juice is gone— Even a pencil feels like.. like one thousand pounds!” He sighed, smushing his face into the beanbag, “and I really wanted to practice some more today too.”

“Hmm,” you thought aloud, “maybe you just need some variety. What about baking something?”

“I looked through the kitchen. Someone -ahem Raph ahem- forgot to restock our pantry so there’s basically only cornstarch and food coloring left...”

There was an air of silence as you looked around hoping to lock onto something that might give you an idea. Hmph... what can we do with cornstarch and food coloring?

Like a switch flipped in your mind, you looked to Mikey who was staring back with the same wide-eyed expression. “Omigosh, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” You and the little Box jumped out of your beanbags and bounded off to the kitchen.

Within seven minutes twenty different colored cups of chalky, pastel liquid covered the countertops. Oobleck paint! The perfect idea. Easy to make, easy to wash off...

“Oh wait- one last thing!” He ran off, grabbed a handful of paintbrushes and threw them into the cups. And super easy to fling at your friends. “And now we’re ready! Who should we hit first?”

“Hey Mikey, have you seen my flash-y drive?” Donnie walked in absentminded, typing away at his tech brace. “I can’t seem to locate it- which is pretty ironic considering I designed it to literally fla- OHGOD”

Mikey whooped as you both pounced on him, slinging the paint and covering him from head-to-toe in pastel yellow and pink. “Oh come on, not again!” He groaned out, “You know pastels aren’t my colors!”

In his nonchalant-but-totally-not-regretting voice, Mikey said, “Relaaxxx, D. It washes off.”

You could practically see the veins popping out of his massive forehead. “Oh yeah, I’m sure it’ll just wash out of all the crevices in my DELICATE TECH easy peasy. So Easy Peasy that— that there’s not even a need for Lemon Saueezy!” The way his voiced peaked at the end had you and mike holding onto each other for dear life to keep from doubling over.

Clearing your throat, you walked up to Donnie and slung your arm around his tense shoulders. He was glaring straight lasers through your head, sure, but you didn’t care. “Jees,” you said to Mikey, “you’d think a guy who prides himself on his genius would remember to add a mess-proof layer, huh?” At this point Mikey was close to collapsing on the floor. He smacked your arm off.

“OOHKAY, that’s it!” He launched two paint cups in your directions. One, completely drenching you in green, and the other hitting Mikey square in the face. “HaHA. Take that!”

“Oh it is ON, baby!”

Before you knew it you and Mikey were crouched behind a turned over table, furrowed brows and markings painted on your faces. You can’t remember when they joined in, but you knew Leo and Raph were hiding out as well, ready to strike. Now, it was a war zone.

“We attack on my count, okay?” Mikey nodded as you both turned out. You held up your hand holding your brush; slowly your fingers lifted. “One.”

“Two.”

“THREE!”

War cries erupted from every corner of the kitchen, colors flew everywhere striking makeshift armor from pots and pans. You don’t know how long it went on for, nor how many times you were hit, but it ended with each of you exasperated on the floor, still trying to weakly fling what was left of the paint at each other. “No!! I’ll... I’ll never let you get away with this!” Donnie feebly reached out for a paintbrush only for the snap! of the smack of tail to send it flying.

“What did you do to my kitchen?!” Splinter shrieked.

“Uh.”

“Well-“

“It wasn’t me! Mikey and Y/N started it. See-” Splinter held a finger to his mouth.

“All of you will clean this mess up, now!” He turned, mumbling something as he walked out, “and the countertops better be shiny enough to see my handsome face in!”

“Way to throw us under the bus, Donnie.” Mikey sneered.

“You were already in the road, dear Michael. The bus had just arrived per its due course.” He cleared his throat, “... and also with a little bit of help from my ‘Everyone But Me Is Doing Something Stupid’ alarm.”

“Donnie!” You sighed, “Fine, let’s just get this over with.” Grabbing the supplies, you all set to work.

Mopping up next to him you said, “Sorry it had to end this way, Mikey.”

“Nah,” he smiled, scrubbing at a counter, “I’m having fun!”

“Really?”

“Yeah, besides it was both of our ideas, and we would’ve had to clean up sometime anyway. I’m just glad at least you’re here!”

“Hmm, I dunno... a pastel paint zone seems like like it would be an interesting change in décor.” You chuckled, “What a shame.”

“Well.. it’s not entirely a waste.” He flung his rag over his shoulder, “I think it helped get some of my mojo back, and I’ve got juuuust enough for one more thing!”

You finished up with cleaning, and frankly, it was due time for the kitchen to get a pampering. After chilling on the couch, you went back to Mikey’s room to collect your stuff to leave, but before you left he said he had something to show you.

“Tada!!” He held up a small banner flecked with pastel yellow and pink. On it was a drawing of you two posing victoriously atop his pile of brothers, heroically brandishing paintbrushes.

You couldn’t help but light up at the sight. “Mike, this is awesome!!”

“Well that’s good, because it’s yours.” He folded it up and tucked it in your bag before you could protest. “May today be now forever known as the day that Mikey van (Y/N)burg won the Great Oobleck War!” He saluted, jokingly.

You laughed and thanked him as you said your goodbyes, and that late afternoon when you got home you tacked up the banner by your bed. After all, what better way to start a day than to see you and your best friend taking on the world (or his three older brothers) together?

#rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #rottmnt x reader #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles x reader #rottmnt mikey x reader #rottmnt platonic x reader #mikey x reader #tmnt Mikey #rottmnt mikey #this is long but the boy dESERVES MORE ATTENTION #you can pry his joy from my cold to such starved hands #fanfic #x reader #my writing #also this one was super comforting to write 🥺 #it might be my fav outta them so far