#// until i can get things settled and this can be an interactive arc

[shiroi---kumo]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆He doesn't know what to say to the others words even as he turns and red meets green.

"I don't need your protection Pikkuveli."

It would be just like Usva to declare such a thing in the face of someone like the Demon Gunman. It would be just like his brother to decide such a thing when he doesn't have a clue.

They told him Usva was dead. They told him that he'd been killed in battle on the second day of the fall. Safiirin right along with him. Knight falling at her Charge's side. He can still remember the sound that left Opettaja Sinfonia when the crystal pendant of his necklace cracked clean in half.

He will never forget the way that man screamed.

They told him Usva was dead but yet here he stood before him with the flare sword in hand, ready to take down the Windarian threat if the man somehow managed to find a way out of his Mist built prison but for some strange reason Black Wind doesn't move. Even as he turns to look over his shoulder at the man of the Magun - the gunman remains as still as he ever was.

There is no yelling and there is declarations of how he will put the Snow White Swordsman in the ground if its the last thing he ever does. No, instead Black Wind reminds oddly still and he doesn't know how to process - but it can all wait for another time because Usva is alive and he needs to know how because he saw Opettaja Sinfonia's bind snap with his own eyes.

"Maybe not, but how is this even possible, Isoveli?"

A snarl and the flare sword is being lifted to point directly at him level with his own throat.

"It doesn't matter how it's possible. All that matters is I was resurrected so we could finish our fight and this time you won't squirm out of it."

Fight? What in the world is he talking about? This can't be right. There needs to be something else going on here and something in the back of his mind is screaming foul play but he knows Usva won't give him a real answer to how this was at all possible even if he asks for it.

Never has his brother turned the flare sword on him before but it seems there's a first for anything. First it was Szél and now its Uvsa. Somehow both his brothers - adoptive or blood - seem to keep turning on him. He can't say he's fond of it.

"What are you talking about?! What fight?! Usva, you aren't making any sense!"

The growl that leaves his sibling only has more red Mist flooding into the space around them and he can't say it has to be very good for anyone. There are children in the area, and that woman and the rebel faction that His Excellency is so obsessed with. There are humans in the area and they don't need to breathing in Isoveli's Mist.

"I have no idea what you're even talking about! Can't you see you're being manipulated, Isoveli?!"

"Manipulated?!" The red sun explodes at the younger's words as red eyes turn molten and he glares his brother down with the full ferocity of the raging sun he can fall claim to within their eclipse.

"Who are YOU to talk about manipulation you little LIAR! You LIED to me and you STOLE the crown from me and if it wasn't for your tricks I would have been the rightful heir to the throne!"

The elder's foot is sliding back as hands grip the hilt of the flare sword as the body of red falls into proper position to fight.

"Now draw your blade. It's time, after all these years, that you paid for what you've done."

[its-your-mind]

ALWAYS rotating TAZ: Balance around in my brain like microwave but ESPECIALLY with the announcement of The Suffering Game graphic novel

The dope thing they can do (and are doing) with the graphic novel series is sprinkle in moments of foreshadowing and hints to the reader about what REALLY might be going on here, which is so cool and I’m a huge fan of it, especially when you’re telling a story in this form.

But what is REALLY FUCKING TASTY about Balance as a story is that none of the motherfuckers telling it had any clue what they were doing when they started

Gerblins is dick jokes and not knowing how dice work and making fun of each other for voices. LICHRALLY the scene where Taako grabs the Umbrastaff is immediately proceeded by Clint trying different voices for Merle while Justin begs him to stop, as Taako. Merle gets launched across the room cuz he failed his save, and now Taako has an umbrella. The scene moves on.

Griffin brought them up to the BOB, introduced them to the Director, and gave them memories of a war fought over nameless, lost, powerful but mysterious artifacts. The memory that Taako takes from it is the idea of soured cream (ya know, for his taco quest).

And then they’re off, on different adventures, making friends, saving lives, making more dick jokes, and Griffin is in the background, slowly building in the meta-plot, as all DMs do.

But this meta-plot was HUGE. It was ALL-CONSUMING. It completely changes everything we know about this world and these characters. It takes the moments of dick jokes, and arguments about character voices, and flirting with death, and adds a layer of tragedy and complexity that just wasn’t present the first time they told that story.

AND THAT’S WHY THIS STORY KICKS ASS. The vibe of the story changed as Tres Horny Boys grew closer and closer to remembering the lives they had lost, as Griffin upped the stakes, as people started dying. They still don’t know shit for most of The Suffering Game, but you absolutely could not have predicted the tone of that arc after just listening to Gerblins. It sounds like a completely different story. And so when the other shoe drops, when shit breaks bad, when it’s the end of the world… again, and they have to reclaim their Stolen Century…

It makes sense. The tone has shifted enough to accommodate that kind of change. The characters have grown (back) into themselves enough to make this work.

Because TAZ: Balance is a tragedy. But the tragedy happened before the podcast even started, and had been erased. So of course it started off with goofs and dildo jokes. Of course the three of them started being standoff-ish with each other and making light of every situation that should have had a lot more weight. They didn’t know what they had lost, and we, the audience, didn’t either. So it was easy to laugh and joke… until slowly, it wasn’t so much anymore.

Plenty of people have praised Griffin’s storytelling abilities, but I think the thing that was most impressive to me was how he took the disparate threads laid out behind the Boys on their adventures, and followed them backwards, into the story they had lost, and forwards, into the ending they earned. I fucking love that he settled on Istus as the deity to interact with them, because I don’t think there’s a better representation of the story Griffin was weaving behind the scenes of the arcs.

Story and Song wasn’t really an arc driven by dice rolls and role playing - but it wasn’t railroading either. Griffin took every story they had told, every happy ending they had fought for, and twined them around and through each other. The world was saved not because of a lucky nat 20 roll, but because every person they had helped through the story came out in force to fight beside them to save their world.

And so in the end, the Stolen Century was a tragedy. But The Adventure Zone: Balance was a story of hope, of family, of the power that just a few loveable doofuses can have when they move through the world, making friends and saving lives. So when the world was ending and they needed help, there were dozens of people waiting to hear the Story and the Song that would give them the push they needed to fight, and the hope they needed to win.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! Thank you for all your help and your wonderfulness in general! I had a question of my own: how do I go about writing the trope "character a fell first, but character b fell harder?"

A Fell First, B Fell Harder...

The thing that makes this trope so much fun is how unbalanced things are romantically, but without the ick that comes with unrequited love. B's interest is always there, it's just much slower to develop than A's. Here are a few tips for writing this dynamic:

1 - Plan Each Character's Romantic and Emotional Journey Carefully - This trope is all about exploring internal conflict, the obstacles it creates, and the character growth that allows those obstacles to be overcome. That said, it's important to really think about each character's arc, how their arcs interact and intersect, and how those arcs are navigated in parallel to the romance developing between them.

2 - Develop and Flesh Out Characters' Interior Life - "Interior life" refers to the psychological and emotional processes going on beneath a person's exterior. Thoughts, emotions, and desires are all part of your character's interior life. Exploring what's going on inside your character's heart and mind alongside the events of the story allows you to anchor the internal and external conflicts together, and also helps you flesh out and explore the internal elements of the romantic and emotional journey your characters need to take.

3 - Create and Develop Physical and Emotional Tension - Tension plays a big role in any romance... the push and pull of the ol' "will they/won't they" question. Your characters will more or less alternate between moments of physical and emotional closeness, and moments that put physical and emotional distance between them.

4 - Balance or Shift the Power Dynamics - Ultimately, you don't ever one one character's feelings dominate or overpower the other character's slower growing feelings, because this can undermine the physical and emotional tension you're trying to build. So, keep the power dynamic balanced or shifting the best you can.

5 - Consider How the Imbalanced Romance will Eventually Be Balanced - Before you start writing, you'll need to figure out how this imbalance between A falling first and B falling harder, but taking a while to get there, will ultimately be resolved. Are their feelings going to slowly align until they're more or less on the same page? Will there be a sudden realization that snaps everything into alignment? Or will there always be a little bit of an imbalance, where they settle into a deep mutual respect and love, but one is always a little more passionate than the other? Knowing ahead of time where things are heading will help make sure the items in 1-4 lead you in the right direction.

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[neptunes-sol-angel]

What is your healing era giving? Pick the pile(s) that you're drawn to the most then scroll down for their corresponding message.

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Pile One

You’re shocking people with the ways that you are healing yourself. What they see as they witness your transformation, is the walking embodiment of a high priestess, the keeper of knowledge and a vessel of magnificent secrets. Who you are, in this healing era that you are in, is an enigma that won’t be locked away or censored. The way that you’re healing is spiritually ancestral. You possess the kind of wisdom that isn’t gained from age, it’s inherited. You’re a generational curse breaker, someone in your bloodline who finally recognizes a poisonous pattern in your family with the strength to be the one to not consume it. You’re observant, you’re emotionally intelligent, and you have a mind of your own even when growing up in an environment that was meant to control you, this era is making you embrace the thorns in your roses. You’re becoming the modern-day Joan of Arc by having more self-conviction even when being outnumbered by people trying to convince you out of what you know to be true. You’re healing the perception of purity and time in not just yourself but others too. If you grew up sheltered with a family relative that infantilized you with malicious intent to keep you dependent on them, your healing era is helping you break out of those barriers that kept you from making choices to improve your happiness, success, and progression. You’re no longer afraid of getting hurt or “tainted” in this world, you’re living for yourself and what makes you complete. Learning feels like freedom now because fear is no longer your teacher. Don’t feel down about being a late bloomer because it is better to be late than never, there may be people in this pile who approaching their 30s/40s and feel like they haven’t accomplished anything, but your healing era is reminding you that it is never too late. People forget that youth is ever flowing, you can’t flourish by remaining stagnant because of how you think you should be to achieve something. Don’t underestimate how massive things can change for you when you believe in how capable success is, as you already are. Your healing era is a correcting history, you won’t be burned at the stake this time, you’re going to be walking through fire by knowing that the secret power is to just keep moving.

Pile two

Immediately, I’m hearing “tuh...”. Yeah! This era in your healing journey has been long overdue, but at last bitch, it’s here. Speaking of bitch, you’re finally understanding that you’re THAT one, and you shouldn’t be humble about it anymore. Your enemies knew this before you did though, and of course, they had to attempt to knock you down a peg to make themselves feel better. This goes beyond people simply trying to make it seem like you’re not attractive when you are or people noticing your light but pretending not to see you until they get the validation from other people to do so. Your healing era is very much like this video I saw where people are like “it ain’t that deep” and this girl said, “okay puddle, I’m the ocean”, you’re realizing that yes, you cannot control the people that act crazy towards you because of their insecurities, but you can control and make it known about what you will not allow, and this is about your personal day-to-day interactions with people, like not keeping it in about the things that offend you and constantly giving grace to people who know that they’re exhibiting petty behavior to disrespect you. To stop trying to make “IDGAF” wars happen when you know that you actually do care about things, and it’s okay to do that regardless of what society thinks is cool nowadays. Your healing era consists of a makeover in love by no longer settling for shallow relationships or the utter thought of a situationship when you know that you want to be romanced and catered to like a deity. You’re bulldozing so much of who or what isn’t supportive for what you need as a person, and you aren’t afraid to do it because you now know your worth and that you have the tools to build everything over and this time in your image. Your social circle is improving, your experiences in loving others and being loved is improving, finances improving, and your skin might even be improving because this entire era of your healing is like one huge detox, you’re clearing out the toxicity out of your inner world. The words that debilitate your self-esteem, the people that say you can’t do something like starting your own business or going for that one opportunity that may get you to that amazing breakthrough, negative people and habits that make you believe the worst about yourself or that your life won’t get any better. Your healing era is about your life becoming the royal throne made to match the royal person such as yourself.

Pile Three

“You have a natural allegiance to losers and it’s unlike you”. Your healing era has a lot to do with removing yourself from situations that put you out of character. You’re moving towards more peaceful times and understanding how valuable your own energy is with an elevated fondness for spending time with yourself. You’re going to experience the kind of solitude that isn’t a punishment, but a strange feeling that may take some time to adjust to but at the same time, it’s familiar. Your healing era is about returning to normal and unlearning from the experiences that have left swords in your back. Maybe you grew up around “love”, your family and upbringing didn’t have to be perfect, but there was this innocence that you had before being out in the real world, this can look like experiencing emotionally unavailable people with communication issues and situations that have desensitized you. You could be questioning yourself about the people that are currently making you feel out of place right now, wondering what’s keeping you in these spaces that make you feel deprived of something or this paradox of still feeling empty and alone in a room filled with people. You’re healing from these effects of experiencing deficits, you don’t have to put up with certain things just to prove yourself to others or to make space for someone who doesn’t deserve to be in your life. How people perceive you in your healing era is someone who is genuinely unbothered and no longer giving your all to a situation that is unrequited. They see you full of life again instead of depleted from always putting yourself below others. They also see you essentially as someone that they can no longer exploit. You could be more private now, so it leaves others curious as to what you’re up to. You’re truly moving in silence because you’re noticing how beneficial it is to protect your intimate and professional life, people can act like they’re concerned about you or like they’re supportive until they see that you are doing better than them or up to something big. You’re focused on yourself, and it shows how much you’re manifesting your goals and even though looks aren’t everything, people are finding you to be majestically beautiful, your peace looks good on you. Keep protecting it.

[wigglesdtuff]

Hi sorry for sending another ask but I found out I'm super close to the TimeSkip (from one Robin lover to the other robin lover) and I seriously (i did theres no hiding it) wanted to burst into tears when I saw robin (and ussop- he made me upset to) please tell me how to get used to it or if I'll get used to it :,(

Oh you have come to the right place for I dearly love her timeskip design. It was admittedly jarring in the anime (the style shift alone is jarring. The manga eases you in more as the style is still consistent) and it did take me a little while to get used to her new design, but the more I thought about it and the more we see her interact it settled in and made me fall even further in love tbh. A lot of it comes from the skin color (for everyone really), the colors the anime veers toward and the lighting for a big stretch is just. Not great. The skin color has been discussed ad nauseum at this point, so I'm not touching on that. You can see where I stand on that with the way I color her. NOW. I will ramble. I will try not to spoil.

The big thing is her lack of bangs. Bangs are so cute we love her old look, no one is saying they don't. However. To me it is a really great bit of visual storytelling. She is quite literally healing from her past. Her face is softer, less harsh, and she isn't trying to cover anything up anymore. She's no longer wearing the same hairstyle she did since she was frozen at 8 years old. She's let it grow out! Quite literally she is a new person since Luffy saved her life.

Fishman Island alone shows just how comfortable she is. Robin is often shown in the background in a lot of panels or scenes just smiling with a 💬 because she's just. Content and enjoying observing the Straw Hats after those two years apart.

Her hair is so cute to me because it's actually slightly different each arc post TS, as if she's purposefully trying out new styles. Nami does this too, and to me it really helps cement that time is passing and they're not just wearing the same outfit day in and day out.

The biggest thing to me is her willingness to openly emote. It is very VERY clear that she is being influenced by the rest of the crew, and it's very endearing. She has always been silly, but she's had to lock that part of her away because she's been isolated and hunted like a dog. She's safe now and she knows it! In short, Post Timeskip Robin is this poor 30 year old finally getting to be herself, and besides just being gorgeous, I think that freedom to be what she wants instead of masking or hiding is beautiful!

In summary: Yes it's an adjustment and no it's not for everyone, and admittedly the anime style (from Fishman Island up until Wano) gets pretty bad especially with women, HOWEVER, it's good visual storytelling to show just how much Luffy has actually changed her life for the better.

I'll reblog with some more photos I'm only allowed 10.

[ssnowflowers]

Not enough people talk about Pre-LimLife Mean Gills. And I think that’s a crime because it’s integral to their relationship growth and narrative arc (in the Life Series). Spoilers for the Entire Life Series below the cut.

Basically, their first meeting is Scott just trying to enchant his things, which is positive. And from here it’s just small, little interactions of mischief and kindness, nothing substantial. That is until Martyn and Ren demand that the Flower Husbands fall in line with their kingdom, and Jimmy burns the banner.

From here on it’s a (one-sided) relationship of animosity, with them consistently fighting and Scott even implying that someone needs to take out Martyn. This only escalates in the war between the two main factions.

And then Dogwarts kills Jimmy and Cleo.

This marks a major change. Scott is immediately joined with the Pizza Alliance solidly, switching goals. In his conversation with Cleo, Scott implies that everything will die down and he’ll just settle down in the Flower Forest. Now, Scott seeks the destruction of Dogwarts at all costs. This leads to the only low performance Scott ever gets in the life series.

He even runs off with Joel to do so, who is probably his #1 enemy in the entire Life Series. That just goes to show how much Scott wants Martyn and Ren dead. Their final fight is chaos, with Martyn and Ren killing Scott twice. During their last conversation, we see something interesting. Martyn is trying to extend a hand.

“Hey, I never wanted Jimmy to die!” “I’m sorry my Hand, but we must kill him.”

Ren is the one to deliver the final blows to Scott. Martyn is only indirectly responsible. And it shows that despite all the fighting, Martyn still holds his early time with the Flower Husbands in high regard. Martyn is still trying with Scott. Scott wants nothing to do with Martyn, which is understandable. His faction killed Jimmy and Martyn is the direct killer of Cleo.

Last Life picks up and immediately the Southerners and Scottage have a rivalry, placing Martyn and Scott as opposites again. Now, it seems like this will be a very nothing season for them. That is, until episode 8.

In this episode, Scott heads off with Martyn as Boogeyman. Many will presume this is heading in the direction of a cold and calculated kill. What happens instead, is that Scott tells Martyn that he is Boogeyman. Here, circumstances are different and Scott feels he can finally let go of everything that happened.

Martyn, who never held any hate for Scott, tries to actively aid him in getting a kill. This makes no sense from any perspective. He has no loyalty to Scott and an End Crystal could even kill him. And yet, he does it anyway. He wants to believe that Scott has finally come to trust him.

And then the finale happens and Scott kills Martyn. Twice.

In a way that mirrors what happens to Scott in Third Life, despite Scotts reservations he is forced to fight Martyn. Killing him on top of Magical Mountain and severing their tenuous bond. This time, Martyn is the one who feels the hurt. He ends up going reclusive until the battle royal, where he avoids fighting Scott until the man has him cornered in a forest and kills him.

At this point, Martyn and Scott have established themselves as fated rivals, despite how much neither wants this. And now the distrust is mutual.

Double Life brings about Divorce Quartet and it’s not pretty. Cleo is quick to forgive Martyn. Scott is not and holds resentment for the bleeding heart until the latter half of the season. Meanwhile, Martyn is resentful of the relationship Scott has with his soulmate. Once again, fate has placed them as rivals.

However, the gap is very quickly bridged in the finale episodes when Divorce Quartet end up as the final yellows. And Scott is finally able to acknowledge that Martyn isn’t so bad. Finally, Scott shares the same mind Martyn always held for him.

And then Martyn betrays him.

Martyn tries to kill him for the sake of his and Cleo winning. That has always been Martyn’s goal and Scott now stands as an obstacle. Scott is quick to message Pearl of how “they betrayed me”. As if Cleo had done anything. Rather, Martyn had betrayed Scott and now he’s hurting because of it. Because he thought he could finally trust Martyn.

And then Pearl kills Cleo. And like a Soulmate domino, Scott gives Martyn an indirect death.

I personally love this narrative. Two flawed people, trying over and over to care about each other, but they can never turn the other cheek long enough for one of them not to stab the other in the back.

In this way, anything less than Limited Life would be terrible.

Scott is so quick to bind them together as a duo. He doesn’t want to be alone again, hurt by someone who doesn’t give him the time of day. It makes him picking Martyn strange, but also makes perfect sense. Martyn always tried friendship with him and had undying loyalty.

It’s what re-contextualizes the crawling back scene. Scott doesn’t actually hate Martyn, he just wants that show of loyalty. He wants Martyn to make the effort to bridge that gap like he did for Cleo. He wants Martyn to stay by his side, like the man stuck to Ren’s. He wants the loyalty he can only get from a display of Martyn’s devotion.

And for the rest of the season, Martyn is loyal and protective. And that is enough for Scott to try. Their downfall, their hatred for each other has always stemmed from a lack of trust and betrayal. But Scott and Martyn have unconditional faith in each other now and it leads to them being the duo that absolutely dominates the season.

Scott even places Martyn above Jimmy. He completely believes Martyn will keep him safe, tells him everything, shares every faucet of his season with the man. And Martyn does the same, to a point.

Martyn hides everything bad he does for Scott. Every death in an attempt to kill someone who hurt his friend. Every betrayal he makes against other factions to ensure it’s him and Scott at the end. All the guilt he feels for every time he does something that brings Scott harm. Especially killing him for the time.

And in the end, Martyn and Scott are in final three. And Martyn betrays Scott, because the two can never get too comfortable. The two are fated rivals and someone has to kill the other.

But Scott isn’t mad. Because Martyn has proven his loyalty. He is his mean gill, and Scott couldn’t have it any other way.

[danaewrites]

Helmet Over Heels

part iv: hooked on a feeling

din djarin x reader // read it on AO3

word count: 5.7k

summary:  When your path literally collides with a beskar-covered Mandalorian one night, neither of you expect how that meeting will irreversibly change the trajectory of your lives. 

You’re pulled into his powerful orbit, agreeing to take care of his son in exchange for adventure and freedom– when he’s not off hunting bounties and inadvertently saving villages in need, that is. It’s the perfect plan. Or it would be, if only your quiet crush on the man would stop growing into something more with every hour you spend together. There’s no way he’d ever feel the same, right?

And Din? Well, he’s been trying (and failing) to convince himself that he’s not completely helmet over heels for you since day one. But a Mandalorian can only repress his emotions for so long…

(This fic takes place sometime after Season 2. Din’s back on his bounty-hunting business with a Razor Crest that was never destroyed and an adorable green sidekick who won’t stop chewing on its wires.)

tags: strangers to friends to lovers, slow-ish burn, nicknames, touch-starved din djarin and fem!reader, canon-compliant through season 2 and then Jesus takes the wheel :P

author's notes:

this chapter officially marks the beginning of the *main* plot arc. if you’ve stuck with me this far, please accept my endless gratitude and know that things are about to get exponentially more interesting ;)

p.s. if you want faster updates, my ao3 readers usually get new chapters a week earlier than the tumblrinas <3

read it all here: part i, part ii, part iii, part iv, part v coming soon!

Weeks passed, and you settled into a routine on the Crest with unexpected ease. You split your days between caring for Grogu—which consisted mostly of cooing enthusiastically at his crayon scribbles and soothing his tired cries until he fell asleep—and testing out which recipes garnered the best reactions from his stoic father. On a particularly busy morning, you’d left a tray of rolls in the oven for too long and didn’t notice the smoke until Mando burst through the doorway in a panic. That was definitely a reaction, though not quite the one you’d been hoping for. And a rather expensive one, too, since he’d broken the automatic closing mechanism with the force of his entry. 

But your nights… the best of your nights were spent in the passenger seat of the cockpit, eyes tracing an endless path through hyperspace until you drifted off to the sound of breaths under beskar. You’d bought enough blankets in Nevarro to stay comfortable in the leather seat, although you still woke up to find Mando’s cloak draped over you when the icy chill of deep space permeated the ship. On a good night, one where he’d returned quickly from a hunt and had energy to spare on conversation, you’d punctuate the quiet with the occasional question. They ranged from serious—whether he’d been born Mandalorian (no), why his beskar was so important (forging and wearing the sacred metal was an essential part of the Mandalorian Creed)— to absurd. 

He’d been rather bemused when you asked him what his favorite flavor of sprinkles was, but you remained stubbornly tethered to your position that questions like those were quite important when judging someone’s character. That was, as long as the interviewee had an actual answer. Apparently, growing up in a hidden Mandalorian covert limited one’s interaction with dessert toppings.

And to your surprise, he returned the gesture. You’d stumbled into the cockpit late one night, wide–eyed and restless. Grogu had been particularly fussy that day, and you’d assumed that the exhausting effort you put in would shuttle you straight to dreamland. Instead, you found yourself tossing and turning for hours in the soft nest of blankets Mando had previously arranged into a makeshift bed for you. So you’d quietly climbed out of the hull, hoping to find some rest under the stars—or at least allow their muted glow to numb your racing thoughts. 

He’d silently acknowledged your arrival by unclasping his cloak and tossing it onto your lap. You’d mumbled a soft “thank you,” simultaneously embarrassed that he knew you preferred it to a blanket and pleased at the attentive gesture. At least he didn’t know why you liked the charcoal fabric so much, you reasoned. Your hand found the button that released the backrest, and you exhaled softly as your torso dipped backwards with the seat. You curled up underneath the cloak, letting its heavy weight slowly subdue your tense muscles into a more comfortable position. 

“I never thanked you for what you did at the cantina.” Mando’s baritone broke through the quiet, low and soothing.

You blinked, gaze traveling from the shooting stars above you to his silver outline in the pilot’s seat. “You don’t need to,” you insisted, but his posture remained stiffly tense.

“I was out of vambrace fuel that day,” he admitted. “Without the alcohol, I wouldn’t have been able to use the flamethrower. And my blaster charges were… limited.” He was silent for several long moments, then spoke roughly. “Without you, I—wouldn’t have made it back to the kid for a while.”

Your heart softened at the way he clearly struggled to get out the words. “You would have figured it out,” you murmured, the sides of your mouth curving up into a small smile. “I mean, my next step was to start chucking spotchka bottles at their scaly faces. I’m sure Mandalorians are trained to use more complex fighting moves.”

At that, he released a wry, surprised huff of a laugh that warmed the atmosphere of the small cockpit and set butterflies alight in your stomach. You scrunched your face up and yawned, choosing to ignore that particular feeling. Slowly, the comfortable silence relaxed you into a peaceful, half–drowsy state. Minutes ticked by in the blur of hyperspace, and then—

“Have you always lived on Nath?”

You glanced over, surprised that he was still initiating conversation. “No, I’m from Odala,” you spoke softly, the word dropping off your tongue like a bittersweet hymn. You watched his gloved hands pause their track across the control panel, his silver helmet tilting ever–so–slightly towards you. 

“Odala,” he repeated. “Isn’t that planet—”

“Destroyed?” You sucked in a breath, wincing as memories rushing through your brain in a flood of sudden pain. “Yeah. By the glory of Imperial superlasers, as if the plague the soldiers brought wasn’t devastating enough.” You looked down at your hands, embarrassed by the sarcastic outburst.

“I just miss it. So much,” you spoke, half–whispering the words. “My family had a workshop there—we crafted music boxes, radios, metal instruments. Four generations of art, wiped out in an instant.”

Mando remained silent, but his posture was attentive—a quiet invitation to continue. 

“I tried to help as much as I could when it all fell apart. Working in the med tents, sending tools from our shop to the rebels. None of it was enough. My mother sold her wedding ring to get me passage on the last cargo freighter to Corellia, a day before the bombing started.” 

You sniffed, trying desperately to regain control of the floodgates that threatened to spill over from behind your eyelids. “I had cousins, as close as siblings, and I just—left them all behind. Didn’t even make it to Corellia before the pilot kicked me off the ship.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” His tone was gentle, but the words were firm. You started to shake your head, but he stopped you, turning fully to face you. 

“You did everything you could. Your family would be proud that you survived.”

At that, your face crumpled. You pressed it into the cloak to hide the silent tears that streaked down your cheeks at his words, saltwater soured by years of pent–up feeling. You never thought you’d reveal those parts of your past to anyone, let alone a man whose face you’d never seen. Somehow, though, his quiet presence grounded you, allowing the waves of your grief to wash over you and slowly recede with your pain. 

You finally looked up to see Mando’s head bowed, his deep baritone echoing an unfamiliar language. “O’r ibic aay’han, ni partaylir gar.”

“What does that mean?” You asked softly, hands twisting the cloak in your lap. 

He straightened, helmet tilting towards you. “In this time of mourning, I remember you,” he repeated, voice stronger but still reverent. “It is how Mandalorians honor the warriors who have gone before us.”

“This is the Way,” you whispered, and he made a small noise of surprise in the back of throat before affirming your statement. 

“This is the Way.”

***

You touched down on Vati in the early hours of the morning, stirred from dreamless sleep by the gentle thump of the Crest hitting the terrain. When you opened your eyes, Mando was gone, but the unmistakable sound of the boarding ramp unlatching echoed up to the cockpit. Curiosity fueled your careful movements as you climbed down into the hull. When you finally stepped out of the ship onto unfamiliar, bluish dirt, your eyes widened with dazed surprise at the sight before you. 

Giant, puffy clouds hovered low in the purple–tinged sky, low enough that it felt like you could touch them if you stood on top of the Crest. The land that stretched out before you was barren of trees, dotted instead with thick bushes and tall grasses that waved in the cool morning wind. And to your right—twin suns peeked out from the horizon, piercing the clouds with dazzling beams of pink and orange. 

“It’s beautiful,” you murmured with awe, head tipping back as you took in the wide, brilliant expanse of the sky. 

“Mesh’la.” You whirled around to see Mando standing behind you, helmet turning from the majestic landscape towards you. Your confusion at the unfamiliar phrase must have been painted across your face, as plain as the wisteria stripes on the bush next to you. He coughed self-consciously, then muttered, “That’s—it means beautiful, in Mando’a.” 

Your face lit up with understanding, and you slowly repeated the word. Your pronunciation was nowhere near the way it’d rolled off his tongue, somehow sounding both fierce and tender, but he nodded. 

“Quick learner,” he hummed approvingly, and stars, now was absolutely not the time for that feeling curling up in your belly to appear at his praise. 

You placed your hands on your hips, turning around before your flushed face could betray you. An idea sparked to life in your mind as you surveyed the majestic landscape. You bent down and snapped a twig off of a bush near your feet, bringing it up to your face. You rolled it around in your palm for a moment, testing for moisture. When none revealed itself, you shot a bright grin at Mando over your shoulder. 

“Want to try something fun?”

Twenty minutes later, you had a fire crackling and a scuffed pan suspended over it on a makeshift tripod. You handed Grogu a pile of branches, showing him how to select the ones that would make the best fuel and carefully toss them into the fire. It was a work in progress; he wasn’t as interested in the twigs as he was the ruby flames, and you had to keep snatching him back before his tiny green hands could get burned. You’d assigned Mando the job of stirring the batter—a surprise, you’d told him. You weren’t sure whether he was the sort of man who’d be too macho to eat something you’d named Pancake Sprinklesplosion as a child, so you figured the mystery might be a good idea. 

When you’d finished flipping the blue bantha–milk pancakes over the fire, you set a towering stack next to the three precious sprinkle jars you’d bought in Nevarro. You fixed the beskar–clad warrior with an expectant beam, pointing to each of the containers in quick succession. 

“Chocolate. Caramel. Rainbow. The three pillars of dessert decoration,” you explained, clasping your hands together with a determined gleam in your eyes. “Prepare for your shiny mind to be blown, metal man.” 

Mando’s helmet tilted slowly towards the jars, then back up at you. “Am I… supposed to eat them?” 

You gaped at him, seriously considering whether you needed to check him for a concussion. The armored man seemed to pick up on your train of thought and cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“It’s just the, uh,” he gestured to his helmet. Your eyes widened again, this time in embarrassment. 

“I’m so sorry, I forgot! I can…go inside, if you want? With the kid?”

Mando hesitated for a few long moments, then shook his head. “No, just—turn around. I’ll do the same.” 

You bit your lip nervously, thinking of all the ways you could mess this up. Kriff, what if the kid twisted around before you could stop him—

“I trust you,” he added, interrupting your panicked train of thought. The sincerity of his tone was enough to settle your nerves into firm determination. Not on your life would you do anything to break his Creed. 

You sighed. “Alright, then.”

You turned around, bending down to strap the kid into his floating crib and sit down on a nearby log with your own plate. You heard shuffling, the melodic clinking of beskar on beskar, and then—a pressurized hiss that made your heart skip a beat. You kept your eyes trained on your pancakes, only glancing to the side to make sure that Grogu hadn’t climbed out of his pod to go looking for amphibious snacks. You didn’t plan on moving from his view for a moment. If the green child thought he had a chance to waddle away on a frog hunt, he’d take it, consequences be damned.

A few minutes passed, and the silence became suffocating. You cleared your throat nervously. 

“Mando? Are you… okay back there?”

“It’s been a while since I saw the sky like this.” He confessed, and stars. Without his modulator, his baritone was richer, deeper—somehow more warm than you’d imagined. You choked on a bite of your pancake. Apparently, your body was either going to make you acknowledge your not–so–little crush or asphyxiate trying. 

“Take your time,” you gasped out, trying not to alert him to the fact that you were currently losing oxygen from the effect he had on you. Kriff, this was embarrassing.

And that was the problem, wasn’t it? You thought you’d get over your initial attraction once you became more familiar with him, once you’d knocked him off that shiny silver pedestal in your mind. Yet somehow, the closer you grew to the man, the more you felt a breathless tug in your stomach at his presence. You watched him: interacting gently with Grogu, piloting the ship with an air of assured control, even sacrificing a much–needed storage closet so you’d have a place to rest outside of the cockpit. 

You felt... Safe. Protected, for the first time in your life. It made your heart ache with a strange mix of yearning and contentment, as if having everything you’d ever dreamed of had only encouraged you to search for more.

To your relief, he didn’t seem to notice your internal distress, and you heard the familiar scrape of cutlery against his plate after a few minutes. You settled into a more comfortable position against the log, your head tipping back to watch strange, elongated birds swirl against the painted canvas of the sky. You were lucky to have landed on Vati at the break of dawn—its twin suns would produce an almost unbearable heat during the peak of the afternoon, but the way their soft warmth kissed your skin right now was exactly what you needed. You closed your eyes, letting your chest rise and fall with the rhythm of the wind that ruffled the tall grasses. How long had it been since you’d had the chance to just breathe? Life on Nath had been cold and chaotic, but now you felt at peace—ready for whatever adventure the ship might take you to next.

Grogu’s stomach suddenly gurgled loudly. You glanced over to see that he had somehow gotten ahold of your remaining pancakes, those big, dark eyes staring guiltily at you as he gulped down the last of your breakfast. You sighed as he suddenly looked uncomfortable, his wrinkled face scrunching up in an expression you’d seen very, very often in the last few weeks. Apparently, that next adventure would be changing diapers.

“Not to rush you, metal man, but I think the kid’s going to need the ‘fresher soon,” you called out behind you. 

Your armored companion grunted in acknowledgement, and you heard him stand up behind you. You waited patiently, covering your vision with both hands until you felt him gently tap your shoulder. Your eyes flew open at the touch, and you found the Mandalorian standing in front of you—helmet back in place, as if it had never been moved. You wondered if it was hard for him to put it back on. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal, since he’d been wearing it for most of his life. But something about the way the beskar settled on his shoulders now just seemed… heavier. 

Your gaze trailed down to where his empty plate and the sprinkle jars sat, the latter looking significantly lighter than they were when you’d handed them to him. You gave a delighted wolf–whistle when you noticed how the container with chocolate sprinkles was barely half full.

“Who would’ve guessed that the big, scary Mandalorian has a sweet tooth,” you teased, grinning up at his broad figure. “Stars, at this rate you might get a stomach ache worse than the kid’s!” 

He shrugged in a cocky motion that had no right to be as endearing as it was. You wiped your hands on the faded overalls you’d bought in Nevarro, bending to pick up Grogu before he could make himself sick with more food. You wrinkled your nose when the mischievous green child burped—how the kriff did he make those so nostril–burning? Clearly, his cuteness was a necessary evolutionary mechanism, because no one in their right mind would volunteer to wipe his wrinkly butt for fifty years straight otherwise. 

“Okay, that’s my cue to take this guy inside.” You sighed, surveying the messy remains of your picnic. “Sorry, I’ll be right back to get this packed up—”

Mando interrupted you, shaking his head. “I’ll take care of it. You have enough to handle already,” he insisted, gesturing at the squirming child in your arms. 

He gently nudged you aside and began picking up the dishware that had somehow gotten scattered across the sandy terrain. Your heart warmed at the sweet, unexpectedly domestic action, and you shot him a grateful smile. As you made your way up the boarding ramp, you heard Mando swear under his breath. Then, louder, he called out your name.

“Don’t let him near the cockpit—he puked blue cookies all over it last time, made a hell of a mess to clean up—”

You looked down at the pouty child in your arms suspiciously. “Bantha milk doesn’t go down too well for you, huh?” You turned back to his armored father, an angelic expression on your face as you shifted the kid to your other hip. “Sorry, I can't hear you!” You sang out, sweet as a sprinkle. “Leave him in the pilot’s seat unattended? Sounds great to me,” you beamed, whirling on your heel.

The sound of Mando’s exasperated groan of laughter echoed your steps all the way back into the hull.

***

Somehow, without realizing it, you’d started singing again. 

The girl you’d been before the war—the one who’d so loved the ballads the elders cried out during festivals, each note a fragmented burst of joy—she was slowly thawing, emerging from the icy burial you’d unceremoniously given her on Nath. A soft melody while you showered, an old Odalian lullaby when you tucked Grogu into his hammock… your whirlwind infatuation with music was beginning to sweep you off your feet once again, almost frightening you with how intensely it begged to be acknowledged. 

Like all good things in your life these days, it was Mando’s fault.

You’d been laying on the floor, Grogu blowing raspberries at a nearby sparking wire for your entertainment, when he descended from the cockpit with a mysterious bag in hand. You watched him unfold a panel from the ship’s wall to reveal a surprisingly well–crafted workbench. When he’d started to peel off his beskar chestplate, your hands flew to cover your eyes in a panic. You tried to reach out blindly to cover Grogu’s vision, too, but yelped when your hand hit a sharp corner of the hull instead.

“Son of a porg–kissing nerf herder,” you groaned, rubbing the sore spot. You kept your eyes scrunched tightly shut as heavy boots stepped closer to you, then paused.   

“What are you doing?” Your shiny companion sounded completely baffled by your antics. You winced, wishing that you had a Mandalorian etiquette book handy—a thought that had recurred in your thoughts more frequently as of late. 

“Am I… allowed to look? When you take off your armor?” 

You couldn’t see his expression, but you would bet good credits that his eyebrows were raised behind that silver helmet. “Yes. It is the revealing of our faces that goes against the Creed.” 

“Oh,” you muttered, face red as a Tatooine sunset. You dusted yourself off and stood up awkwardly, trying to regain a bit of dignity as Mando resumed his careful disrobing of the beskar. 

After a few moments, he added, “It’ll be your fault if his first word is ‘kriff’, you know.” His tone was deceptively even, but you sensed the undercurrent of amusement that ran through it.

You shot him a look. “Says you, Mister ‘Dank Ferrik’. At least if this career path doesn’t work out, I can always go be a pirate,” you sniffed. You picked up a fine red cloth that he’d set on the edge of the workbench, curiosity overtaking your embarrassment. “What’s this used for?”

He wordlessly motioned for you to place the unusual fabric in his hand, and you obeyed. You watched as he spun the cloth in an unfamiliar, geometric pattern across the metal of his chestplate, leaving a polished silver trail in its wake. The side of your mouth curved up. “So that’s why you never looked scuffed up when you came into the cantina.” 

He nodded, then walked over to the other end of the hull. You watched his retreating form begin to sort through the supplies in the armory for a moment before your attention was drawn back to the beskar. It shimmered a strange color in the light, like the reflection of the fuel puddles that dripped beneath the Crest. You extended a tentative fingertip and gently flicked the silvery metal, eyes widening when it vibrated with a melodic echo. You hummed softly, trying to replicate its pitch. 

Suddenly, an idea struck you. You glanced over at Mando—he was still working, seemingly consumed by the arduous task of reloading his ammo. You carefully picked up his pauldron and tapped it against the side of the chestplate. A clear, proud note rang out, albeit much louder than you’d expected. Your face broke into a delighted smile at the sound, reminded of the wind chimes your mother had hung above your cottage door.

“Having fun?”

You startled, turning around to see the tall man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, observing your little experiment. Your face heated as he pushed off the hull and walked towards you. He nodded at the glimmering plate in your hands. 

“You are not the first to appreciate the sound of beskar. It is traditional for each Mandalorian clan to have a warrior who plays the bes’bev, the sacred war–flute.”

You peered up at him curiously. “I thought beskar was only to be forged into weapons or armor.”

He tilted his helmet in acknowledgement. “Yes. The end of the bes’bev is sharpened to double as a long knife.”

You carefully set his pauldron down on the cloth with a thoughtful hum. Stars, your grandfather would have been instantly inspired by the musical weapon. The workshop would’ve been full of prototypes within a few days at most, a meticulously crafted instrument in your hands within the week. It had been too long since you’d so much as whispered a tune, you realized with a start. Perhaps it was time to start reconnecting with your once–beloved hobby.

Suddenly, your ears perked up with apprehension. The ship was quiet. Too quiet. You scanned the area, a feeling of dread creeping up on you as you realized what was missing—

The room suddenly lurched, sending you flying into the side of the hull. Your hands grasped for purchase on the edge of the workbench, but just as you were about to pull yourself up, the ship spun again and your ankle twisted beneath you with a violent snap. You gritted your teeth, trying your best to ignore the sudden shoot of pain up your leg. 

“The kid,” you breathed, Mando seemingly coming to the same realization. He swore loudly and fumbled his way to the ladder, narrowly avoiding slamming into the workbench. You slid across the floor, hoisting yourself up onto the ladder after him with a wince. When you finally entered the cockpit, he’d already crossed the room in two quick strides, snatching Grogu up from the control panel. But the damage had already been done—the ship shuddered once, twice, then abruptly dropped out of hyperspace with a dull roar. Mando tossed the misbehaving green child to you, and you quickly buckled him into his seat with a stern look. 

“What’d he do?” You called out from the back of the cockpit, frantically trying to make sense of the flashing lights near the door.

“Don’t know,” he yelled back, voice barely audible over the sound of the sputtering engine. “Damn it—asteroid field coming up, get ready—”

You paled, whipping around so fast you might have broken something in your neck. “Did you just say asteroid field?”

But it was too late for him to respond, as the intimidatingly large space rocks spun closer and closer to the Crest’s glass panelling. You scrambled to strap yourself into the second passenger seat as Mando skillfully piloted the ship through the dangerous patch of space. You didn’t understand how he did it—it was like he knew where an asteroid would appear before it even flickered on the radar screen. He’d grown quiet, gloved hands moving smoothly across the controls like he was locked in a dance with the machinery. 

Yet despite his best efforts, he couldn’t predict every meteorite. You breathed a sigh of relief when a burnt–sienna planet came into view, signaling what you assumed was the end of the asteroid field. But right when you had started to relax back into your seat, a fragment of rock broke off from a passing meteorite and slammed into the side of the Crest, sending it spinning on its side through the field. A gasp escaped your mouth at the impact, your arm reaching out to hold onto Grogu as the ship hung upside–down. 

“New plan,” Mando muttered, flicking a series of switches on the transmitter. A squeaky voice crackled to life over the comm. “You have entered airspace under control of the Mos Eisley Spaceport. Please state your reason for—”

“Engine failure, requesting immediate emergency landing,” he interrupted, doing his best to balance the ship as it hurtled towards the surface of the planet. 

The voice paused, then continued, sounding more annoyed this time. “Request denied until further information has been given—” 

Mando scoffed in frustration, punching the button to end the transmission. He guided the shaking ship through Tatooine’s heated atmosphere, just barely regaining control of it before it crashed into the open hangar. You waited for him to carefully stand up before rushing over to Grogu, checking the small green baby for any injuries. Seeing none, you gathered him up into your arms with relief, but not before sending him a look that promised a very serious scolding in the near future. 

You followed Mando down the ladder, but you couldn’t contain a tiny whimper of pain when your injured ankle hit the rungs. You closed your eyes, steeling yourself against the throbbing feeling, and slowly continued your downward climb. When you reached the ground, you found Mando staring at you. Oops.

You shot him a bright smile, praying that he’d buy your cheerful act until you had time to fix your injury on your own. You thought he might have been about to say something—but the moment was interrupted by the sound of the boarding ramp hissing open, clouds of steam obscuring the entrance to the hull. He immediately stepped in front of you and the kid, hand poised on his blaster. When the dust settled, a short figure with wild, curly hair appeared, soot-covered hands reaching up to pop off dusty welding goggles. The woman gave an impressed whistle at the sight of Mando, spreading her hands wide.

“Phew, what an entrance!”

***

Peli Motto was not someone who lacked personality. She kept up an incessant stream of chatter as you subtly limped into the hangar, commenting on everything from the smoke pouring out of the Crest’s left engine to the ineffectiveness of her droids. She’d eagerly stretched out her hands to hold Grogu when you first stepped off the ship—a request that made you nervously look to Mando for approval before granting it. She was certainly one of the odder characters you’d met so far in your travels, but she seemed to hold genuine care for the kid beneath all that boisterous energy, and that was good enough for you. 

“I gotta say, Mando, when I saw your ship crash into my hangar, I thought there was a good chance you’d died trying to pilot the damn thing.” She shook her head incredulously. “Musta been quite the asteroid field,” she muttered as she surveyed the damage to the ship. 

“How much will the repairs cost?”

She made an exaggerated walk around the outside of the ship’s hull. “Hmm.. the wiring here’s toast, the engine repair’ll cost me a few good tools, and—kriff, it’s not even legal to fly with a stabilizer this outdated!” She paused, giving the Crest a final once-over. “Seven hundred credits.”

Mando scoffed. “Seven hundred? Even a Jawa wouldn’t charge that much.”

Peli shrugged, unbothered. “Take it or leave it. No discounts, even for cute little womp rats like this one,” she spoke, ruffling the wiry hairs on the kid’s head. 

Mando grumbled under his breath, but reluctantly dropped the money into Peli’s eager hands. He turned to head back up the boarding ramp, but she stopped him. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think you’re going? My droids need to work on that overnight, unless you wanna pay for an extended stay,” she exclaimed. 

Mando crossed his arms. “And we need to sleep overnight. I’m not making them—” he jerked a gloved hand towards you and the kid—“stay outside in the hangar.”

Peli brushed aside his annoyed tone with a wave of her hand. “Ah, I have a spare room in the back. A bit dusty, but I suppose you can use it.” She shrugged. 

“There’s only one bed, but I assume that won’t be a problem, considering…” she waggled her eyebrows at the two of you, and your face heated at the assumption. 

“We’re not—” you started, unintentionally speaking in unison with Mando. You glanced over to the tall man, making awkward eye contact for several long seconds before he sighed and turned back to Peli. 

“Fine. But I’m not handing over another bag of credits,” he warned. The smaller woman rolled her eyes, but acquiesced.

You made your way to the tiny room, slumping against the speckled wall with exhaustion. You bent down and inspected your ankle, wincing, as you tried to remember where you’d stored the last of the bacta spray. First the scrape on your cheek from the Tradoshan’s claws, and now this—apparently, you really couldn’t catch a break when it came to needing medical attention.

You heard a sudden noise and turned, only to see Mando paused in the doorway—his gaze trained on the bruise already forming on your ankle. Kriff.

“You’re injured,” he stated, his deep baritone sounding strangely frustrated. 

You opened your mouth to protest, to tell him that it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle (a lie—it hurt worse than the time you’d accidentally pressed your palm onto the hot cantina stove), but he’d already left. He returned before you had the chance to question his disappearance, carrying a scratched black case under one beskar-clad arm. 

“Sit on the bed.” His tone brokered no room for argument. You gingerly limped over to the old mattress, fighting back a sneeze when dust puffed up from the sheets. Mando clicked open the medkit and began sorting through the supplies. 

“I can do it,” you spoke softly, but he tugged the case away from your outstretched hand.

“I know.” He found a small packet of bacta gel and motioned for you to hold out your ankle, carefully dabbing the tincture onto your aching skin with a cotton pad. 

Minutes passed as you waited for the cool gel to dry. The silence became suffocating—the armored man seemed angry about something, and you hoped to Maker that it wasn’t you. 

“I’m sorry,” he spoke suddenly. Your eyes widened. Of all the things you were expecting him to say, that wasn’t anywhere on the list. You had a feeling that his apologies were rarer than the beskar he wore, especially when they were spoken with this much sincerity.

“You shouldn’t have gotten hurt—at the cantina, or back on the ship. I… understand, if you feel that this is too much to handle.” He crouched down, wrapping a rolled-up bandage around your ankle.

You shook your head incredulously. “It was my fault that Grogu was left unsupervised,” you began. “It’s my job to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble. If anything, you’d have every right to kick me out after today,” you muttered. 

At that, his helmet snapped up to meet your gaze. He sounded almost offended. “I wouldn’t just drop you off at the nearest outpost,” he scoffed. 

You blinked, feeling rather exposed. Somehow, he’d guessed the thing you were most terrified of happening on the first try. “Well, then I’m not leaving,” you replied. Your mouth curved up in a tiny smile, and you tried for some humor. “The kid’ll have to work harder if he wants to get rid of me, anyway.”

Just then, the door swung open. Peli stepped inside, cooing at a drowsy Grogu in her arms. 

“Hey, the little womp rat looks ready to go nighty–night!”

She paused, taking in your position—Mando’s hand on your ankle, you smiling down at him from your seat on the bed. You flushed bright red as you realized exactly what it looked like. 

Peli’s eyebrows raised as she eyed the two of you. “On second thought, he and I will just spend some bonding time together instead.” 

Mando shot to his feet. “That won’t be necessary,” he began, but Peli was already halfway out of the room. 

“Don’t forget to name the next one after me!” She called out, shooting you a wink over her shoulder as she slammed the door shut.

You both stayed frozen in place for a moment after the curly–haired woman’s departure. Eventually, Mando cleared his throat. 

“You take the bed. I’ll, ah…” he gestured awkwardly to the pile of throw pillows and scratchy blankets on the floor. You didn’t have it in you to argue, nodding mutely and desperately trying to avoid eye contact. He walked stiffly across the room to the light switch, cloaking the room in a blissful darkness that hid the crimson splotches of embarrassment on your cheeks.

You buried your face in your hands, praying that whatever deity was listening would take you now before you had to face Peli again in the morning.

taglist: @magpiencrow @that-kid143 @lilly-aliyah @itmustbegreattobecalledtheitgirl @aheadfullofsteverogers @dindjarinsmut @orcasoul @maellem @pigeonmama

comment if you'd like to be tagged for any of my works/fandoms in the future! :)

read on: part v coming soon!

p.s. @djarins-cyare thanks for the extra motivation to build on my sprinkles idea!! your 'sweet' comment totally made my day and inspired a couple hundred extra words about the Pancake Sprinklesplosion TM <333

[besttropeveershowdown]

The Most Annoying Trope Showdown: Semifinals, Poll 2

Out-of-Context Eavesdropping

Someone overhears a conversation and, lacking the full context, misinterprets it as something more serious.

Propaganda:

I hate all miscommunication tropes but this is the one that makes me want to strangle people the most. "we need to fabricate a reason for A and B to hate each other, but not one based on their actual personalities or situation. Instead, Person A talks about something personal and important, but they decide to word it in the dumbest way possible. Person B decides to listen in on a private conversation and then gets so mad at this stuff they weren't supposed to hear that they don't even listen to the final sentence that completely recontextualises the whole conversation. also 90% of the time A would never express feelings this way AND B would never snoop this way. just poor writing to inspire the world's most insipid conflict between morons.

Pair the Spares

Every or nearly every character who did not get together with someone during the story is paired off in the epilogue or very end. The characters are often shown having kids together as well

Propaganda:

This may just be my aromanticism talking, but it's annoying seeing everyone getting shoved into a relationship at the last minute. It doesn't even make sense most of the time. Let! People! Be! Happy! Single!

I am aroace and I hate this. just let them be happy on their own, don't just pair up characters for the sake of pairing them up, even if they have zero chemistry. this happens so often in all kinds of media, and fandom is also guilty of this. not everyone needs a partner! leave them alone!

I love romantic subplots but this is just amatonormative bullshit. It has all of the "romantic partner=happy ending" bullshit that fucks people up in real life, with none of the fluttery crush feelings or the angsty decisions. It doesn't add anything to the character arcs and is only detrimental to the themes of a work as a whole. It can cast a shadow over other romantic subplots in the series I might have enjoyed up until this point, because I start to wonder if those romances were really about the character/themes/plot, or if the writers simply think "leading lady goes with leading man, sidekick with sidekick, etc. etc."

It's fucking stupid. A lot of the characters that end up together either barely interact, make no sense or both. It also implies the only happy ending requires love and marriage. It makes no sense for some of the characters to want to settle down and have kids even if they are with someone they love.

[lover-of-mine]

omggggg YES whether you look at eddie through a demi!gaze or just a queer!gaze, the difference between he and buck is sort of obvious? (to me)

it makes sense for them to say that bi!buck has been scattered throughout the show, we’ve seen and heard hints directed at/about several other male characters. so it’s logical it’s not entirely about eddie for him and therefore his bi!arc starts with someone else

eddie on the other hand hasn’t really had ‘moments’ with other male characters? a lot of his queer!spec comes from his history and the way he is with dating, but his main interactions with other male characters are the softer more domestic scenes with he and buck. 704 proved that eddie’s friendship with other men is completely different to how he is with buck. so in my head it’s logical that for him, it is about buck, and that’s where his queer!arc starts

Yeah, here's the thing, like Oliver pointed out, there are a lot of moments of Buck having flirty moments with men who are not Eddie in the show, even if it wasn't on purpose in the beginning, like, something Oliver was consciously told to portrait, Buck does have a bisexual energy to him from the get-go, and I think it is nice for him to be able to explore that outside the person we all know is the love of his life, yk? He needs to accept that he likes men before he accepts he loves Eddie. It's kinda like the way a lot of feeling realization fics from Buck's pov have Buck fine with the idea of wanting a family with Eddie but panicking when he realizes he wants to have sex with him, he needs to accept that, especially with the way he has a bad relationship with sex overall.

But, Eddie on the other hand, he doesn't have moments with men, he has moments with Buck, I think maybe if you push a little bit, you can say he was flirting with Judd in the crossover, but like, it's been Buck since the ridiculous sexual tension in the gym during under pressure. And, like, until the show tells me I'm wrong I will exist in my "Eddie is settled into his feelings because he thinks Buck can't feel the same" because you can absolutely make an argument for Eddie to be in the "it's not his fault he can't feel the same way about me" stage of falling with your "straight" best friend, I say straight because Eddie still doesn't know, I did write a whole thing on how you can recontextualize the show to make it seem like Eddie has been semi-aware of his feelings since the lawsuit, and I know they are probably not gonna go the route that he's been aware of his feelings (rip shooting as Eddie's oh moment you will always be true to me), but the groundwork for him to be like oh! about Buck at any point is there. And Eddie is a lot more aware of his own feelings than Buck, he wouldn't need someone to kiss him to have the realization, he can have the realization in a less on-the-nose moment. And the thing with the way they have been playing Eddie and his love interests, especially with the added context on Shannon we got last season, that they were friends first and all that, you can make a really strong argument for him to be demisexual and that's why he struggles with the idea of dating, that he feels like that's a performance, and why he has weird chemistry with the woman he pushed himself into dating since Shannon died, and that can absolutely push him towards Buck. Because here's the thing, with Buck dating men, and Eddie's relationship in crisis, he could very well look at Buck and be like "oh, I wasn't aware he was an option" because of the whole struggle with attraction and the way he has such a strong relationship with Buck, and maybe wonder about what it all means, and they can tumble into the realization that maybe they could be more together. That none of them has been secretly pining, but they have such a strong thing going that there's no reason for them not to go there. It could be this natural thing. And it's right there, even more with the comment of Eddie trying to understand his place in the world. Because for Eddie is not about Buck being a man, is about Buck being his best friend, and I think Eddie as a person would need to come to terms with that and he wouldn't get that hung up on the fact that Buck's a man. So Buck can absolutely be his queer awakening. But if Buck had the realization he has feelings for Eddie, he would get hung up on the fact that he is a man if he didn't explore his bisexuality before that.

I kinda think the route we are going here is Buck processing he likes man, Eddie processing he likes Buck, Buck being like "wait men are an option, Eddie is a man, I already have most of the things I'm looking for with Eddie, maybe we can go there" and then maybe some mutual pining before they do go there.

[lavellenchanted]

I could literally listen to you talk about bridgerton all day 😊! I completely agree with you about Benedict. What were your thoughts on the delay of his arc? What are you hoping to see in his season? In terms of Polin, are you hoping that the show makes any changes to their ending?

Aw, thank you, I'm glad they're entertaining you!

I was annoyed by their delaying Benedict's arc, because I think part of the impact of Colin and Eloise's stories is the fact that they're a decade older than they are in the show. However I can understand their not wanting to drag the Whistledown storyline out over another season and I think the fact that Colin will now be married and settled before him can play into Benedict's arc if they do it properly.

What I'd like to see in his season is a proper exploration of his insecurities and lack of purpose (which I was really hoping they would dig into this season after Anthony's surprise about how well he's managed the household) (which, rude, Anthony) - Benedict occupies the most liminal space in the Bridgerton family, as he's the heir presumptive to the Viscountcy until Anthony has a son, so while he has freedom to pursue his own interests, he is also in some ways more limited than Colin or Gregory. He's constantly aware that if anything happens to Anthony, he'll have to take over and he has be prepared for that, but he's also constantly waiting to be replaced at which point he has to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One of the biggest parts of the book was his wanting to see him as "Benedict" rather than just "Bridgerton No 2" and finally finding that in Sophie, so that's definitely something I'd like to see explored.

That should go hand in hand with a return to his art, which he seems to have given up after Anthony's intervention made him feel like he can't make it on his own merits. So I'd like to see him being inspired to draw and paint again, to realise his art does have worth and that he has talent outside his name.

However, what I really want to is to see that intersect with Sophie's storyline as a servant and some acknowledgement/discussion of how privileged the Bridgertons (and I mean all the Bridgertons) are. I've thought for a while that Sophie would be the perfect person to give Eloise a version of the speech she gave Benedict in S1 about not appreciating how far he can go, but I also want to see Sophie giving Benedict the push to understand that the only one holding him back is himself.

And obviously I am very much hoping for book!Sophie. She was one of my favourite characters in the whole series and I think her story would such an interesting dimension to the dynamics of the show. And while I've seen speculation that she'll be related to the Cowpers, I am hoping they'll bring in the Penwoods so that we don't lose Posy. Especially after their writing out Felicity Featherington, how they handled the Sharmas in S2, and the complete lack of interacton between Eloise and Francesca (who in the books are incredibly close) it would be nice to see a really positive sisterly relationship.

For Polin, I'm not hoping for specific changes per se but I am very interested to see how they'll handle the ending - I'm assuming they'll want to keep Whistledown going, but how do they do that if Penelope's unmasked in front of everyone? How is the Queen's bounty going to figure into it? Is Penelope going to confess to Colin or is he going to find out the way he did in the book?

The things I'd definitely like to see are: Penelope both acknowledging what she did wrong as Whistledown but also defending her work (because it is worth defending) and Colin publicly defending Penelope as in the books, as a direct contrast to the end of S2. I'd also like to see some interaction between Pen and Lady Danbury, so we can still get Agatha Bridgerton and have it made a modicum of sense.

[abybweisse]

Hey Aby! In anticipation of the 205 chapter, I decided to go back and re-read Mey-Rin's and Bard's for clues of what may happen next to Snake and Finny. I noticed something interesting with both arcs - they both seem to hint at what their ultimate fates will be. While Bard's arc is all about meeting with wife and son while in a coma and he practically promises to return to them, Mey-Rin is an unwitting witness to a sex act, in an uncharacteristically graphic scene for Yana. Do you think that death is ultimately on the cards for Bard and (I guess) a marriage for Mey-Rin? Or is it all contained to their arcs themselves and does not mean anything beyond completing a mission?

⚠️ long post ⚠️

Assignments as foreshadowing?

I think that if Mey-Rin gets married, it would not be foreshadowed by her seeing sex acts through a keyhole.

She joined Qīng Bāng at a very young age and worked as a sniper, but she saw a lot going on around her. Well, as much as she could see without glasses. There were drugs, alcohol, and probably prostitution in and around the opium den, as well as throughout Limehouse district. One of her early assignments as an assassin was to shoot this guy at a hotel or perhaps in his own huge manor, right? He was a rival gang leader, and she shoots him while he's naked with some unnamed woman. He might have even been right in the middle of having sex when she shoots him. She's witnessed a lot in her young life.... Getting married to anyone would be despite the things she has seen and done. Reminds me of how Katniss finally settles down and has kids in The Hunger Games, even though she's been thoroughly traumatized by her experiences. So far, at least, Mey-Rin seems to have kept her mind pretty well intact. I hope she can continue to do so.

I think we can safely say she has somehow managed to remain a virgin up to this point, too. Otherwise, Georg von Siemens' inappropriate actions towards her wouldn't have been enough to make her question whether she was still worthy of marriage. Going by "Rin" and dressing as a boy until she joins the Phantomhive household might have been partly to protect her virtue. Good thing Haku was apparently only interested in her sniper abilities.

In Baldo's case, the interaction with Joanna and his son might be an indication he will have to break whatever promises he's made to them. At least for now. I mean, his claim he can now properly cook fried eggs is an exaggeration "Sebastian" calls out even before Baldo can fully return to the living realm.

I put Seb in quotations because I'm not sure whether Sebastian has infiltrated Baldo's coma or if he's just a nagging figment of his imagination.

Then again, maybe he will soon join them. We still don't have confirmation that he and the others safely made it out of Athena Sanatorium, thanks to a cliffhanger and moving on to the next assignment, with Finny and Snake. Next time we see Baldo et alia, they might be trying to take leave of the place... when Polaris freaking shows up, mad as all hell. Even if Ronald and William stick around and actually enter the fray (since it's another bizarre doll to take down), I don't see it ending too well. Baldo does seem to have this uncanny ability to survive, though, even if everyone else around him doesn't....

Either way, I highly doubt he will ever make it to Shanghai with the others, even if the others do. And if he stays in England and somehow still survives to the end of the series, this is most likely a false promise, as well:

Mostly because he's just that terrible in the kitchen.

I still somewhat hope Mey-Rin and Baldo end up together, despite their age difference. At least she is an adult already. Also, it was a very common practice in Victorian England for older men to marry much younger women, especially if those men were widowers. Much like Katniss again, perhaps Mey-Rin would only pair well with a man who has experienced much of the same trauma. Likewise, Baldo might now have trouble settling down with some completely innocent sort of woman. Katniss and Peeta go through the deadly and maddening games together. Baldo's been altered by war and losing his wife and son. Mey-Rin has been altered by her years as an assassin for a drug dealer and gang. Mey-Rin and Baldo have both been enlisted as servants for our earl, chosen because of their abilities and previous training; now they volunteer as pawns in this deadly game of chess against their young master's brother. Perhaps their bond will be strengthened by all this... if they live to see the end of it.

The main thing the first two assignments have in common, besides their basic instructions, is that Mey-Rin and Baldo each flashback to the events directly leading up to being offered positions as our earl's servants. Mey-Rin's flashback is triggered by Jane offering her the opportunity to switch sides. Her flashback shows us why her loyalty stays with our earl and Sebastian -- with the Phantomhive household.

Baldo's is triggered by Ada admitting her guilt as a survivor during warfare; Baldo feels much the same.

And he also develops loyalty towards our earl, Sebastian, and the other servants. Just like Jane ends up aiding the infiltrators, so does Ada.

As I'm typing this up, I realize "hunger games" describes both Mey-Rin's and Baldo's lives before: Mey-Rin is once fooled into biting a boot and is regularly given moldy bread to eat... while Baldo's battlefield starvation tempts him to cannibalize his fallen comrades. Sebastian barely arrives in the nick of time to stop him from eating the arm of Terry, or whoever that poor dead dude was, if it wasn't Terry. Sebastian shows up with a picnic basket filled with afternoon tea items and possibly more. The first thing our earl does to extend any kindness to Mey-Rin is provide her with the first hot, freshly prepared meal she's had in ages, perhaps as far back as she can remember.

Back to their assignments; they are paired with people who are in our earl's network but are not his servants. But Finny and Snake (and his snakes) are both Phantomhive servants, so do we get a major flashback from Finny, from Snake, from both, or from neither one? So far, Finny is having single-panel flashbacks and even briefly stating things he recalls to Snake and the top students. The orphanage reminds Finny of the research facility in some ways, and that could segue him into a major flashback. Since Doll is there, she could trigger Snake into one. However, before the assignments, they were the two we already knew the most backstory for, and we might never learn all that much more about either one. To deal with both characters, we might just continue to get tiny snippets here and there.

But Mey-Rin has a choice to make -- choose Jane's offer or remain loyal to our earl. She remains loyal, and Jane even helps her and Ran-Mao break up the blood collection operations there before parting ways. Mey-Rin and Ran-Mao just need to get to our earl and make their report.

Baldo still has a choice to make -- stay in England and return to our earl... or go with Lau and the others to China. Like I said before, he might never get to China, even if he tries. I do expect him to ultimately end up staying behind, possibly loaded down with fresh feelings of survivor's guilt. If Ada is still around when we get back to them, she might also decide to stay back and help Baldo take down the Aurora Society.

With Finny and Snake, I don't think Finny's loyalty could ever come into doubt. His choice might come down to whether he has to fight Snake. But I don't think Finny will see much, if any, choice in the matter if it comes to that.

Snake is probably about to hear Doll's full tale about the circus members' fates. Then his choice (and the choices of his individual snakes) is to either help Doll get revenge... or attempt to destroy her and shut down the orphanage. Snake is the last to join our earl's household, so he could end up the first to leave it (I don't think Tanaka has truly left). There's also the possibility that one of his snakes, like Emily, chooses Doll and must be eliminated.

There is foreshadowing in each assignment, but most of that pertains to what ends up happening in each assignment. I don't know what long-term foreshadowing there is in the assignments, other than perhaps some things not directly related to them... like:

The chance of Jane popping up again later because she hinted that she might

The shapes of souls and "aptitudes" hinting about soul transplants

If Layla ends up being Heathfield's daughter

If Layla/Al ends up being some experiment of Undertaker's regarding soul transplants

What I do see is each servant's loyalty being put to the test, and they must make quick, fateful decisions. Whatever choices they make during their assignments, they will ultimately affect the outcome of the story. Each assignment definitely has long-reaching consequences; they are not little bubbles of existence.

I hope I answered your question thoroughly. I stayed up too late working on this -- but not finishing it -- and have been half asleep all day.

[bokettochild]

Hyrule and Twilight for click/clack please!! :D - 🌼

Alright! So I did a re-read, and I'm sort of surprised, but here's the result

There's only one actual interaction between these two specifically before the Sunset arc

Hyrule is trying to crack a joke about Time in the Masks comic, and Twilight is Not Having It. This gives me the impression that Hyrule is using humor as a tool to try and connect with the other heroes, something he actually does a few other times, teasing and joking at the others (especially Warriors) in order to break the ice. As we know, it worked with Wars, because those two are pretty close, but with Twilight, it's met with dead silence; Twilight doesn't appreciate Hyrule's humor, and he flat out just ignores Hyrule's joke beyond this look.

It's not until Sunset that we actually see another interaction between these two. (Which is basically the length of the whole comic so far) Until he reaches the inn, Hyrule doesn't actually know Twilight is Wolfie

Once he knows though, he doesn't get all worried and fussy like the others. In fact, Hyrule seems to be pretty harsh about some things

He approaches Twilight's situation with force, with intent. He's level headed, although clearly upset by Twilight's despair, and immediately tries redirecting from Twilight's talk of sadness and worry by presenting what he's going to do to fix it, something he's fiercely determined to actually do, no matter the difficulty.

One could say Hyrule is concentrating, and that's what that scowl is for, but I think he's actually being a bit harsh with Twilight because this situation bothers him. Not just upsets him, not just because Twilight's hurt, but there seems to be a sort of disconnect between these two, and it frustrates him, especially since he can't resolve it with Twilight like this, and that shows through in how Hyrule handles Twilight's behavior throughout Sunset.

He's not despairing. Hyrule's worried, but it's not crushing. That disconnect that stops him from feeling intense concern is still there. Twilight is a person who needs help to Hyrule, not a brother on the brink of death; a patient.

That right there? Some good bedside manner. He's being friendly and gentle now, but I can promise you, I've seen doctors take a similar tone and expression with folks.

Hyrule's choice to say "deal with" also makes me wonder. Sure, he's a guy, they mess around and tease like this, and we've already established that Hyrule teases a lot already; that said "deal with" might betray that he thinks Twilight maybe only tolerates some of them, including himself (he's got the self doubt to make you wonder).

That said, he's softening here. He cares, clearly. They're not close, but he still values Twilight if only as a team-mate.

The turning point comes here though

This is the first time Twilight has smiled at Hyrule. The first time either of them have called the other anything vaguely affectionate. This is when they agree that they are now friends. Hyrule says it in a dismissive way, almost suggestive as if testing the waters. Twilight's affirmative "my friend" settles it though. It's a new thing still, and clearly they have precious little in common, but I think Twilight's healing was the ✨traumatic bonding experience✨ they both needed to actually click a bit.

So! To recap:

Twilight and Hyrule don't interact much, and Twilight previously rebuffed Hyrule's attempts to be friendly with him. They aren't close at all through most of the comic so far, and there's definitely a bit of a clash between them, although unspoken. it's Twilight recognizing Hyrule's skill, effort and aid that has that barrier resolving somewhat and opening up the possibility of friendship. Going forwards, they have potential to get along better and be good friends, but this is still pretty new, so it might take a while, especially with how differently they approach life and this particular venture.

Result: Mostly Clack (newly Clicked)

[enden-agolor]

I can’t even imagine how awestruck Recovery!Lukas prolly was when Jesse called him “my dear lukas” in episode five😭😭

You know, I kind of like to think that point in time (beginning of portal arc) was when Lukas was beginning to figure out his feelings towards Jesse. Like yes, I wrote him out to have always been interested in Jesse, even before they were friends, but not in a romantic sense, more of a sense that he really reeeally wanted to get to know Jesse more as a person.

With the Witherstorm arc, he definitely felt some sort of way towards Jesse. Comfortable enough that, through the short time he'd known Jesse, he'd developed that sense of friendship towards him. There'd always been a weird feeling in him, though, that he could never really grasp until the portal arc. He never really had time to mull over his thoughts on Jesse during the Witherstorm arc because they were all in the middle of a world ending crisis, so obviously, he didn't have the peace of mind to really settle down and think things over until the world was saved and everything returned to normal.

I think the moment in Soren's wool room, after all the awkward interactions they both share throughout episode 3, this was the moment it really clicked in Lukas' mind that Jesse is actually treating him with his honest respect, like how a friend would, and that would be the part where Lukas begins recognizing Jesse as a friend rather than an acquaintance, because after the F-Bomb failure, we see them back in the cave and Lukas expresses to Jesse that he considers him his friend.

Skip ahead to episode 5, we know there's been a significant amount of time between the Witherstorm arc and now. This would give time for Lukas to think over a lot. His relationship with the ocelots, the friends he made during the first four episodes, and Jesse himself. I always thought it was kind of sweet that, in the treasure hall, Lukas was all like "yeaaah you guys have fun with that-" and then Petra snags him and is all like "Oh no you don't, you're coming with us," and immediately Lukas looks at Jesse with this bashful little smile as if he was totally intending for one of them to say something that would keep him around. I think by this point, Lukas absolutely wants to be closer to Jesse, mentally seeking him as a friend before realizing the depth of his feelings deep down as the portal arc plays out.

Hearing Jesse call him, "my dear," definitely struck a cord in him, and while the moment was still fresh, Lukas didn't pay it as much mind (especially since they were all stranded on a floating island, that's kind of distracting yknow), uuuntil later when he realizes it keeps playing over and over in his head and how... nice... it felt hearing that from Jesse. So much so that, fun fact, did you know that one of the achievements you receive in the game is called "Elementary, my dear Jesse." I love to think that Lukas wrote that in that little travel journal of his, and maybe even implemented it into one of his own books.

Sorry for rambling, but I can talk about Lukas' feelings towards Jesse for hours 🥴

[strideofpride]

I'm rewatching HOD again (such a comfort show) and thinking about george and annabeth again and how it's so perfect that annabeth was one of the very few people who was like "meh" about "golden boy" George Tucker then they fell in love :D if you have any more hcs about pre-series or pre-getting together george and annabeth please do share!! :D

Love any excuse to talk about them, thank you!

-for starters, I think they're probably the two members of the Yeehaw Six who have low key known each other the longest. Like I literally think George & AB have known each other since birth. We know both sets of parents were Auburn alums living in Bluebell - I bet even if they weren't close friends, they were still very friendly (also George's parents are THRILLED when he starts dating AB so).

-Like I bet their moms would meet up in town square once in awhile and walk them in their strollers together. I bet there were barbecue dinners where George & AB were forced to play together cause they were the same age (we know Harry is older - is AB's sister older or younger do we think?). Maybe there's even a very awkward shared toddler bath photo that Lemon somehow digs up for their (2nd) wedding reception.

-But despite the forced proximity, they are never friends. First, because they're at an age where they think boys & girls shouldn't be friends (the gender essentialism in Bluebell in the 80s must've gone crazyyyyyyyy). And later, cause they get on each other's nerves in a way only family friends can.

-Like when Lemon's all thirsting over George in high school, AB is just baffled. "Him? He's hot to you? I've seen him vomit up grape soda out of his nose while covered in barbecue sauce, trust me, he is so NOT hot". (It becomes a debate that gets the whole cheer team involved. AB sorely loses)

-Doesn't stop Lemon from trying to get them to get along though! (And now here is where I'll link my very first fic)

-I think they both probably went to Auburn (and without Lemon) and would occasionally cross paths and talk about Lemon, but again, they never became friends, this time mainly cause they had their own circles.

-AB moved back to Bluebell after college and married Jake but George went off to law school and then New York and their interactions became limited to the rare double date with Lemon when he was home.

-One of the things I think is really interesting about HoD is how disconnected the Yeehaw Six start off from each other, despite some old connections (mainly cause these old connections are kinda retcons lol). Like Wade & George are distant, AB & Lemon are distant. Lavon & Lemon are on the outs and he seems to barely know George and AB (which makes sense considering he would've been four grades ahead of them).

-So anyway my headcanon for all of that is George coming back from New York was like a bomb. Golden Boy was back. So Lemon broke things off with Lavon. AB had to contend with Lemon, who had already been distant the past six weeks (what was going on there?), becoming even more distant, as she threw herself into an engagement with George. And Wade was finally feeling settled in a way (as much as he could at that point). He got a day job at the Rammer Jammer and he moved into Lavon's gate house and things were looking up but now Golden Boy is back and he's bringing back fifteen years of Wade's resentments with him.

-Anyway, anyway, back to George & AB - one of the most important lines to me of their courtship is "I know you, George Tucker!" Because like, even though those two barely interact the entire series until their arc, AB has his number pegged from the jump. And that, to me, is evidence of some life long connection, the kind you can only have from knowing someone forever, since when they were not even really a person yet.

-So yeah, that's a very important part of why I like them, cause it's all about two people who have known each other forever finally seeing each other in a new light <3

-And, yes, AB being George's one love interest who's "meh" about the Golden Boy thing is also very important, because it allows her to see him as a person and not a saint. And that's what real love is babey!!!

[gloomiegalaxie]

Unintended Story Arc

i was putting together a picture of demeter and tig that i thought was cute, then the game decided that isn't what should be happening. tig rolled the want to break up with demeter, like 5 minutes later. i guess it makes sense, he started arguing with her and she started doing autonomous mean interactions with him. turns out they only really like woohoo'ing each other and not much else. soooo yeah, that didn't last long. i know i could have just ignored it, but eh, i like to follow the game's whims. as soon as they broke up he gained the "non-committal" trait too, of course. also demeter is pregnant conveniently at the same time. all things i did not intend to happen, but here we are lol. i actually think my ww fucked up since tig is flagged as not being able to cause pregnancy and he's the only sim that's gotten her pregger after many conquests. i don't have lore for how all this works, probably something egg or spore related.

Demeter and Tig have been living together for a few months, things started out strong but then became to deteriorate quickly as Tig began to withdraw and spend hours away from home.

They stepped out on the front porch to get some fresh air. It was late, but the air was still warm and the stars were sparkling. Demeter embraced Tig and kissed him on the forehead.

Demeter: i love you.

Tig: I uh... *cough* can we go back inside?

D: Sure? Are you alright?

-they both go back inside-

T: Yeah. I've just been uh, thinking. I like you, but I don't think this was the right decision.

D: What exactly do you mean?

T: I don't think I'm ready for this. To settle down, to always be around each other...

D: You were the one that asked to move in.

T: Yeah, I guess I was... um...

D: -pauses, staring at Tig intently- I don't really know how to bring this up, but surprise, I'm pregnant. I'm not sure how, but I am. Considering what you just told me though, I think you should leave. I've just learned very quickly that you are a waste of my time.

T: Oh, I wasn't expecting that... but it sounds like you weren't either. Do you know if--

D: I just found out earlier today. -they break down crying- this is not what I wanted, at all.

T: I really don't know what to say. I'm... going to leave now. I'm sorry.

Tig leaves and walks down to the beach. Demeter watches until she can no longer see his silhouette. She stands, stunned about what just happened. They are alone, terrified, and not prepared for any of this.

She spends time to quietly reflect on everything that has happened and takes a deep breath. This is not was anyone planned, but this is the reality she is in.

They are keeping her little sapling, and vow to remain solo for the foreseeable future. She came here to create stability, and that is what they plan to do for their sprout.

[girl4music]

This is why Willow Rosenberg is such an important character in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and why she’s so relatable and resonatable. Imposter syndrome may not be the only mental condition she has but it is arguably the first one she has - which means that every other stems from it and is manifested because of it. Power corruption, addiction, repressed sadism, consent issues, OCD, anxiety disorders,… the lot.

All of it is informed by her simply believing like she doesn’t belong and doesn’t deserve and isn’t worthy. This condition is a problem for her right from the start of the show. In her very first interaction with Buffy she is already in that state of mind where her extremely poor self esteem is informing everything she does and says about herself, about other people, about the world and her involvement in it. She doesn’t have any friends besides Xander and the soon-to-be-dead Jesse. Xander is also someone who is viewed as a geek and a loser and so she feels comfortable with him. She knows that she belongs in his friend group. But as soon as Buffy comes along - it’s a different story because she comes along with Cordelia. The most popular girl at Sunnydale High and her bully. Before Willow knows anything about Buffy being the Slayer she already automatically understands that Buffy is off-limits and she has no right to be around her. Internalizing her geek and loser status as “wrong” for her. And so when Buffy comes up to her and asks her for help later, Willow just thinks she wants her to move. That she wants her to disappear so she can sit in her space. She already and immediately thinks that Buffy is “someone” and she isn’t. She is just nothing.

When they become friends at the end of the episode and she is now following her around and being her “Slayerette” she makes herself useful to her however way she can. But the feelings of doubt that she actually cares about her and wants to be her friend still linger. And they linger all the way up until we get a proper look-in to her mind in Season 4 with ‘Restless’. In her dream we are privy to things we wouldn’t ever be otherwise. The way she truly thinks and feels about herself and everyone else. The way she perceives of herself and everyone else. She’s not the heroine that saves the day. She’s the damsel in distress. She’s the helpless victim. She’s not the one everybody relies on. She’s the one everybody stares and laughs at. She’s the one exposed for being nothing at all. She’s just a sham, a fraud, an imposter. She’s just playing a role.

This condition is never resolved in her arc in the show even though it’s an on-going condition right up until the very end of it. Willow’s arc is never fully concluded. She has a good endgame. Don’t get me wrong. I really did like what they did with it. Had her settle with being the “BIG GUN” only by activating all the Potentials. I thought it was good. But it wasn’t enough. That big gaping hole of where and why her insecurities and anxieties started was never addressed properly and therefore not explored to make her endgame earned. Willow’s initial and foundational condition was imposter syndrome and because they didn’t address and explore this, then ‘Light Willow’ or whatever THAT Willow was was just a symbol and not an evolution.

The thing about the condition of imposter syndrome is that the person is never an actual imposter. It’s just that they believe that they are and it only affects their whole life because they believe it. It’s a self-corruption and self-sabotage. It is a mental condition. It doesn’t exist in external and objective reality. It’s made up. And it’s true, people can become the worst of people because of that of which they believe of themselves. They can destroy their whole life - their relationships, their environment, their well being - because of it. But the honest truth of it is that it is not real. And if it is not real than it is not you… Because you are real. You exist. You are an external and objective existence. You can only do the best you can in the moment. Let go of control and let somebody else carry you for a change. There’s nothing wrong with you other than what you let be wrong with you. Other than what you believe is.