#2 parter

[ravetillyoucry]

PUPARIA

Chapter 25 - Knuckle Velvet [PART 1]

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It really was a good thing Hosah had only just checked that day how many vacation days he had left for the year.

The pair sat, quietly, in the near empty diner on a particularly cold late November evening. The shifter still wasn't quite sure what the phone call was about, but whatever it was, had troubled Teddy beyond comprehension. He just ate in silence, not even looking in Hosah's direction, where he sat on his knees with his hands rested atop of Teddy's fist.

Hosah could watch all he liked, but that same thousand yard stare Teddy gave to the wall in front of him still wouldn't answer his burning questions.

The giant blinked, clearing his throat as he finally glanced down, as brief as it was, "Oh. Sorry. I didn't.. How rude of me, you want some? Here."

Teddy tore a small piece of whatever it was he ordered off between his fingertips, and handed it to the shifter before he was able to really get a straight answer. It would've been 'I'm good, thanks', but, Hosah didn't really feel as though he was in the right place to be declining any offers.

"I guess we've both had a pretty bad day." Teddy sighed. The fist Hosah leant against opened up, his own hands sliding off the back of it, only for the palm to curl around his frame as gently as it could.

There was no protest when Teddy rested his head against the table, as badly as the shifter wanted to tell him how unsanitary it was, and there was even less of one when the hand behind him pushed Hosah closer, his knees practically under Teddy's nose by now.

In the moment, Hosah couldn't tear his eyes away from the giant's face, even as his hot breath tickled at his skin through the tiny gaps between the buttons of his shirt. His fingertips were about the size of the freckles painted across Teddy's face. If he weren't so close, and if he weren't so small, he probably would've never noticed them at all. In a comforting motion, Hosah brought his hand to the bridge of the nose, and traced along every single one of them.

"It'll be okay." The shifter whispered, "It has to be."

He didn't even know what exactly it was that was wrong in the first place, but, by god would he do everything in his power to fix it.

It seemed like today was one of those days. Teddy was weird, very weird. Sometimes, it felt like he was avoiding the shifter, unable to get far enough away, avoiding touching him, doing everything in his power to make it so Hosah could do things independently. It wasn't like it was an entirely bad thing, it was just.. Strange. Other times, however, he was the complete opposite. His hand would come out of nowhere, cradling around him in a similar fashion to how it was now, Teddy physically couldn't get any closer than he was already in those moments. It was so, so confusing. Hosah could never tell which it'd be.

"Once the money comes in, I'll have more than enough to fly us both out to Italy and back, then we won't miss it." Teddy muttered, most likely speaking to himself more than to the shifter.

Hosah didn't quite know what 'it' was, but he could make a few educated guesses with how the sentence was phrased, and how Teddy had reacted entirely.

It was weird to hear the giant laugh, especially given the weight of what he was implying, and the weight of his laugh itself as the sound vibrated through Hosah's entire, tiny body, shaking him to his core in a way that could only be described as perfectly overwhelming.

"I've wanted to take you since the day I met you," He sighed, the hot breath ruffling Hosah's coat, "To where I grew up. I don't know, it feels like.. That would be far easier than telling you anything. I'm not a very good story teller."

"You're a good story teller." Hosah kneaded at the bridge of the giants nose, a far gentler way to playfully jab at him, especially when in such a fragile state.

"If I'm good or if I'm terrible, this is still sort of a good thing. I feel like I should be sadder, but I'm not really upset, per se. It's given me the perfect excuse to drag you out of the country." Teddy had more to say, the shifter could tell with how he ended his sentence in a sigh, but he refrained from saying it for a good while.   ".. I don't have to be so afraid anymore too. To go back. It's- Now that my grandmother's, well.. Gone. I'm finally safe forever, it feels."

Huh. Hosah didn't think he could do much other than be there. So, be there he did. The shifter didn't stop stroking the bridge of Teddy's nose, even when leaning his body against it. This was the closest he could get to hugging him at this size, as frustrating as that was.

"And.." Teddy filled the silence, "It gives us a good excuse to cut work for the rest of the week."

That was true. Very, very true indeed. A funeral was a mighty good excuse for time off, that was for certain. It was only Wednesday, but something about the joint events of today really made Hosah not want to get up at stupid o'clock in the morning the following day.

As the shifter stroked up and down the perfectly straight slope that nuzzled into him, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly Teddy had meant. His grandmother was dead, seemingly, but the giant had never had a bad word to say about his upbringing, especially his grandparents. Maybe he was better at hiding things than Hosah had initially assumed. It wasn't his business to press, and by god would it be an awful time to do so, but that didn't stop him from wondering.

-~-

After a streak of bad luck, it seemed that things could only go up from there, and up they went.

Hosah managed to grow back to his usual height, all their trains arrived on time, and they arrived in New Jersey with a travel time of just under two hours.

The plan was to stay the night at Teddy's parent's place, and then they'd all collectively fly the following morning in order to make both funeral and care arrangements for his grandfather. Neither of them were sure why it was decidedly easier this way, but, Teddy was strangely adamant on the plan either way.

It had been a breeze, surprisingly, with their bags already packed the night before, and everything having fallen perfectly into place was certainly a refreshing sight. Maybe this was it. A sign. The total lack of the usual chaos doing its best to tell the pair that what they were doing was right. Now that Hosah was off the case, he could seriously start taking his plans into consideration. The cabin on the lake, that was the end goal, but, some compromises could be made. After all, the northern Italian countryside didn't sound so bad, not bad at all.

Things really seemed to be working in their favour, before Teddy made a point to stop right at the front door of his parents house, just to say-

"Before we go in, just know, I'm sorry in advance, and we're.. probably gonna have to be discreet about, well, what we are. I should've told you that earlier, but,"

"No," Hosah interrupted, "Its okay. Whatever they're like, I can handle, and I wasn't really interested in having your dead grandma be the catalyst to the whole 'meet my partner' deal, so.."

Teddy didn't look too convinced, but, all he could really do was sigh and nod as he knocked on the door, just twice, letting go of the shifter's hands in the process. He was starting to miss the touch already.

The house was stunning, Hosah could say that much. White panel, suburban neighbourhood, well-maintained front yard, all the works. Truly the american dream, he thought to himself.

He knew Teddy's parents had money, but, this was just absurd. It was nothing close to the likes of Arthur Emily and his... 'humble' abode, but it was definitely nice. It was the kind of neighbourhood he and his mother would drive down back home, making up stories about who they thought lived in each extortionately expensive house, what they'd do with the yard or the interior. The memory only added to Hosah's nerves, being so used to just windows shopping out of the car from a distance, he felt almost unworthy of stepping inside, but it was far too late to turn back now.

It really didn't take too long at all before the door cracked open, a woman at the other side of it. She and Teddy whispered to eachother in a language the shifter couldn't understand before the door opened entirely. Just by looking at her, anyone could tell it was Teddy's mother. Their faces were near identical, and if it weren't for the fact she was clearly older, along with her warmer complexion and darker features, they could've been mistaken for twins. Another thing they had in common was being tall, as when Hosah stood up to shake her hand, he realised she definitely had a good couple of inches on him.

Hosah smiled as warmly as he could, "Oh wow, Mrs-"

"It's Miss Altieri now. Thank you. You are the roommate I hear so much about." Miss Altieri smiled back, although her perfectly straight posture and firm, unbroken handshake only served to make Hosah cower back slightly as he nodded.

".. Ah, right, apologies. You have a beautiful home."

She shook her head, her hand still holding onto the shifter's, practically pulling him inside whilst Teddy followed, "No need. All is well. Edward, what happened to Penny? You bring your girlfriend to these sorts of things, not your roommate." She still had a smile on her face, not quite matching her overly serious tone of voice, "... No offence."

Teddy nearly choked on his breath as he shut the door behind him, "Oh, wow, that's a.. name I haven't heard in a while. I haven't seen her since highschool. Long.. long over now."

As badly as the shifter wanted to tease him, he understood the feeling all too well. His dad still asked about Jules and whether he'd thought about proposing any time soon, no matter how many times he clarified that they were never together in the first place. Instead, he gave Teddy a smile that said 'I'll be bringing this up later'.

"Penny was such a nice girl. I still speak to her father, she's in medical school you know. Uh.. you, you talk some sense into him, okay?" Teddy's mother slipped up slightly when she went to address Hosah, clearly not having been told as much about him as she initially claimed.

She turned to her son, whispering something that the shifter still couldn't understand.

"Hosah." was all Teddy said in response, although it clearly wasn't supposed to be addressed to the man himself who the name belonged to. Yeah, he could probably guess what exactly she'd asked.

The most the shifter could do in this scenario was stand there, awkwardly, lingering around like a bad smell.

"Yes, right." Miss Altieri placed her hands at either side of his shoulders, "Hosah, you tell him. I need.. I need to make a call. I'll be back."

And in quite the rush, she walked off down the hall, until completely out of sight. Sure, things were awkward, but.. Hosah could handle it. Easily. Surely.

Teddy sighed, rather loudly, his hands cradling his head, "I'm really sorry. This was a bad idea. This was a really bad idea."

".. So who's Penny?" The shifter decided he wouldn't be waiting all too long to get at Teddy for the girl his mother seemed to be stuck on.

He sighed even louder, "The girl I went to prom with. Her name was Penny Lane, like that The Beatles song."

"The one that got away." Hosah smiled, desperately running out of ways to distract both himself and Teddy from just how terrible the situation was.

Hosah couldn't imagine not being close with his parents, and Teddy seemed to be anything but. There was clearly some kind of tension or incident that occurred between him and his family that he hadn't told the shifter about, but he wouldn't push to find those out. It was kind of obvious with the way he acted, now that he thought about it.

"Sure. Fine, let's call her that." Teddy shook his head, his smile, although gentle, still forming at its own pace. A good sign, surely. "What about you, who did you go to prom with?"

Hosah blinked for a moment as he snapped out of this thoughts, "Didn't go." he shrugged.

Teddy's jaw practically dropped to the floor, "How come? You know, you never talk about high school. I don't think I could recall a single thing you've ever told me about the best time of your life."

His voice was sarcastic in the last part, but it was still a phrase that brought a grimace to Hosah's face.

Teddy wasn't so sure why he was so stuck on the topic. The shifter's nonchalance, his vague depictions, were intriguing, sure, but.. That wasn't quite it. Maybe it was the fact his family's home reminded him so deeply of his school days. How he felt as if the whole world were staring down at him, waiting to do something, anything, that would draw attention. Waiting for whatever it was that festered inside of him that made him so distinctly subhuman to crawl out, so they could crush and destroy it as soon as possible. Who 'they' were, Teddy wasn't sure of. His family, his classmates, maybe Hosah.

No. Probably not Hosah. Definitely not.

"We didn't really.. do prom. I don't talk about it because only losers talk about highschool ten years later." It was an unnecessarily cold way to put it, but it was a topic Hosah avoided at all costs, even if it meant snapping at someone whilst they were freshly in the first stage of grief.

Teddy hummed a quiet noise before promptly moving on to the next topic of conversation. One thing Hosah particularly enjoyed about the man was his ability to take a hint, even if his primal urge to do the exact opposite was obvious given the look on his face.

"Did you pack all of your.. er- Medications?" The shifter had no idea why Teddy danced around the word, hell, even the topic as a whole, but now probably wasn't a great time to question it.

Hosah sighed and nodded, "Yep, all of it."

It would be a nightmare if he were to shrink and get stuck whilst they were away. There'd be so many complications. How would they approach Teddy's family about it, how would they get through the airport? It was a situation that kept the shifter up the night before, drenched in a cold sweat, all the different terrible scenarios playing out in his head, each with a worse ending than the last. When lying awake at night, the only voice he could hear rattling around in his brain was his father's. How he should've just come home, never having left in the first place. It was frightening, but he had to be brave, for Teddy's sake.

"All right. Good, cause my mum had a sort of 'post-divorce crisis', and now there's a bunch of cats in the house, so.." Teddy paced circles around the shifter, a smile on his face despite his behaviour clearly showing just how stressed he also was.

No matter how hard Teddy would try to hide how he felt, there was always something glaringly obvious that gave him away. A look in his eye, a nervous twitch, a small curl of his lips into that god forsaken smile. He was an open book, really, you just needed to pay extra attention.

Hosah kept his voice to a whisper, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting antsy waiting for my sister to get here. I've told you before, she's basically my twin, you'd like her. You will like her." Teddy shook his head, his eyes darting everywhere, landing on everything but the shifter in front of him. At least his readability gave Hosah the reassurance that he'd never be able to lie or keep anything from him.

Aurelia was the only person Teddy had fond memories of before the age of about fifteen or so, although he'd always hold a grudge regarding the fact she got such a beautiful name, whilst he was left thoughtlessly with someone else's. She was successful in all the ways he wasn't. A useful degree, a stable job and a family, a husband she could introduce to their parents without shame or the threat of disownment. Teddy wasn't angry, he just seethed with sadness. Especially when he looked at Hosah and thought of all the things he desperately needed to do with him, that he'd only be able to do in secret.

Hosah nodded, adopting that same look of subtle disbelief, but dropping the topic either way, their conversation jumping from one thing to another by now as each road they went down ultimately stopped at the dead end of discomfort. Maybe Teddy didn't have the kind of success that would make his parents happy, but he definitely had the kind that made himself happy. He didn't reach out and wrap his arms around Hosah, even though he wanted to, desperately.

"Okay.." The echoing sound of high-heeled shoes against tiled floors filled the room, "Your father is arriving with Aurelia, they're both in her car."

Teddy's mother looked frazzled. More so than before, which seemed impossible until it was in fact proven to be quite the opposite. Even Teddy himself wasn't too sure on what or why exactly they were so tense with each other, and he didn't really care to find out either.

There wasn't much to say. Nobody dared to speak, letting the air conditioner- which most definitely didn't need to be on during the winter months, whir and fill the heavy silence of the room.

"Well." She sighed, "How do you feel about cats? Edward, go find the cats, they love to meet new people."

"He's allergic." Teddy interjected, already feeling his energy being drained with every passing second of being 'home'.

The truth was, Teddy had only been to this particular house a few times since moving out. His parents bought it shortly after both of their children had left the nest, annoyingly. It was beautiful, but, it wasn't home.

"It's okay, I've taken my allergy medication." Hosah was a dog person. "I love cats. Great, great creatures."

-~-

The pair had been sitting, awkwardly listening to Teddy's mother's stories of what she'd been up to and all the gossip she'd heard, for upwards of three quarters of an hour, until the rattling of the front door handle could be heard, along with a good two or three voices and sets of footsteps that followed shortly after.

Hosah usually wasn't so bad with people. He wasn't a particularly shy individual, despite the odds that stacked against him. That being said, he had no clue why his palms were so sweaty, why his stomach twisted into knots as he stood, and why he so desperately wished to stay sat with the ball of transferable white fur Teddy's mother called a cat.

There was probably a reason to why the shifter felt so awkward and uncomfortable when in the presence of a cat, at least in comparison to that of another person or a dog. They seemed to be far more intelligent than Hosah could ever dream of being. Silently judging, in a way that he'd never be able to understand, even if they could verbalise their thoughts about him. Just now was the first time he'd ever had the species willingly approach and sit on him, although he had no idea how to approach it, or, her, himself.

The fact Teddy's family seemed to be made up entirely of cat people didn't put his mind at ease in the slightest, especially not when he'd have to be confronted with just how damp his hands really were in the common courtesy of a handshake.

Aurelia wasn't much like anything the shifter had previously pictured her as in his head whenever she came up in an anecdote or conversation. He'd always pictured her as Teddy, but, a girl, in a way. They looked the exact same in his head, but his brain just knew the difference between them, man and woman, brother and sister. She was not in fact a carbon copy of her brother, and their appearance most definitely differed, quite dramatically. Aurelia was far warmer. Where Teddy's cheeks and nose would be nipped pink with cold, hers remained untouched, her entire face and what Hosah could see of her body being perfectly bronzed, a similar shade to himself, give or take a good few tones lighter, of course. The warmth didn't just stop at her natural colour palette, but extended in the way she dressed. Earthly, bright, and pretty shades of yellow and beige, in the form of a thick cardigan-coat combination type piece, with a long plaid skirt in a darker brownish colour that went past her knees but not quite to her ankles. If it were on anyone else, Hosah would've thought it to look rather frumpy, like something you'd picture in your head if someone were to say 'librarian', but Aurelia much more closely resembled that of a young, motherly elementary school teacher.

He found himself staring quite a bit at her face before really making a point to speak up, given how visible it was. He'd usually have to crane his neck up to get a good look at Teddy's. Now that he stared, intently, he could see the similarities between herself and her brother. She had a soft, pretty, princess look to her, if that made any sense. Like Natalie Portman, if he squinted his eyes just the right amount. Hosah found himself so immersed in her face, that he didn't even notice her husband, or the baby on his hip, as they entered alongside.

Teddy was right, they'd probably like each other.

"You." Aurelia turned straight towards the shifter, having given her greetings to everyone else, just about, "I've heard so much about you."

Hosah was quite used to the touchy type, being raised in a family where saying 'no' to a hug simply wasn't a thing that could ever even be considered, but the way Aurelia pulled him in and held him closely wasn't anything like that. It was as if they'd known each other before, a reuniting hug, sort of. He supposed that made sense, given how he practically already knew her given how much it seemed Teddy spoke about the both of them to each other. They'd met before, through word of mouth.

It wasn't until Aurelia had let him go that Hosah was able to speak, "I've heard a lot about you too. It's about time we met." He turned to Teddy, tilting his head with a smile.

"What an occasion to bring us together." Teddy sighed with a shake of his head, his hands uncharacteristically planted in either one of his pant pockets. Huh.

Hosah would've said something had he been given the chance. The air of silence to prompt any kind of response from him was taken right before his eyes, however, in the form of an accent that grated at his brain as if it were a block of fancy cheese.

"Edward!" Unlike his son's voice, which had marinated in American over time, becoming an indistinguishable blend of his native European tongue and that of any other born and raised New Yorker, Teddy's father was distinctly different. British. "How are ya?"

The 'ah' sound in every word he spoke came out unnecessarily long, although it wasn't quite the posh voice he'd envisioned in his head given how he already knew the fact Teddy's dad was from England originally.

Teddy didn't respond, he didn't need to, because his father's mouth operated in a similar fashion to that of a motorboat, as it just never stopped, seemingly.

"You look good, you know. That's what they say though. Grief suits some people, you should've seen me when your other grandma died, whewwwww. Probably the only reason I was able to get that spot past ten on The Travel Channel."

That's right. Hosah knew he recognised him from somewhere, although there weren't many people on TV over here with such a distinguishable sound and look to them. Tony's Tables, that's what it was. The poor man's Gordon Ramsey. God, how ecstatic his own father would be to know he's in Tony Randolph's family home.

"This is Hosah. My roommate." Teddy sounded to be nothing but defeated, as if just the mere presence of his father had knocked him down several pegs of volume entirely, his voice being nothing but a mumble.

Hosah was promptly pushed, albeit gently, forward and toward the overly loud and talkative man that was Teddy's dad. Teddy and Tony was quite the duo name, now that he thought about it.

"Right." Tony didn't sound all too enthusiastic about the introduction. "What, are you lovers too? 'Ts not really a 'bring a mate' sort of deal, is it?"

The room fell quiet at the implication. Maybe things weren't going as well as Hosah had originally thought they were.

[starnerd1]

First Foray into the Bo-Katan/Din Djarin shipping lane

So, I haven't written anything for a very long time. Like, more than 10 years long time. But this season of the Mandalorian just hit me right in the feels because I love the dynamic between Bo Katan and Din, and the force of character Katee brings to the live action version is just phenomenal. No matter how this season (or series) plays out, I'm going to ship them for life.

So, I've had this idea for a fic coming to me in sections. First, based on more recent episodes, but being the person that I am, when I sat down to finally get this down in writing and out of my head, I ended up starting at the beginning. And by that, I mean the very end of Season 2 when we are left with Din and co standing in the bridge of the light cruiser. What happened? What's the transition from that scene to where we find Bo at the beginning of Season 3?

Without further ado, here is part one of two for this 'Season 2.5: Book of Bo-Katan' (Title and chapter titles are up for debate. It's just what I thought of in the moment.) It's still rough, not fully edited/polished. I just needed to get it out of my head so I can sleep better.

The Book of Bo-Katan Kryze

In two parts.

Part 1: The Prize

            The Jedi Master vanished with the foundling with the closing hiss of the lift door. How many years had it been since Bo-Katan had seen a lightsaber? A Jedi in action? A long time. Before the Purge.

            Not long at all.

            In the darkened view from behind her helmet, she moved her eyes to the Mandalorian, still standing like a stone. She shifted her weight and bites back a hiss of pain as the one pot shot from Moff Gideon that hit her flesh suddenly explodes in fire. Another scar to add to the tapestry. Gingerly, Bo stepped forward, over the unconscious form of the Imp slime, limping slightly with each fiery pulse of pain that shoots up her right leg. Her gaze shifts from the crumpled remains of the door to the back of the Mandalorian’s bared head. He still hadn’t moved. His helmet still sitting on the floor by his feet, his body stiff and hands clenched. Now close enough to him, she can hear the slight shake in each of his breaths.

            Despite her pain, Bo bends down, picks up his helmet from the floor, and holds it out in front of him. The sharp intake of breath is audible to everyone. His eyes, those dark, grief-stricken eyes snapped in focus to the front visor of the helmet he swore he would never remove.

            He turned he face towards Bo and she sees his face fully for the first time. His eyes, deep brown and deeply pained, locked on to hers behind the visor. With the slightest nod of her head towards his helmet, she said softly, “This is the Way.”

            There is the slightest flush to his face. His posture straightens, he takes the offered helmet and places it back on. “This is the Way.” The helmet cannot mask the grief, the pain, in his voice. A father who gave up his foundling.

            The man who has her prize.

            He held her gaze for just a moment longer before walking away. Out of the Command Center.

            “You are letting him walk away?” Koska asks harshly as he walks through the ruins of the blast door. Bo turned on her, glaring behind her helmet. “I will not discuss this now,” she hissed back. Koska’s face scrunched into a sneer, on the brink of a retort, but stopped as Bo closed the distance between them with a threatening step. “Not. Now,” she repeated.

            Reeves backed down with a disgusted scoff, turning her attention to the unconscious Moff. Relieved, Bo turned her own attention to Cara. She was in no mood for further conflict and the pain in her leg was really starting to annoy her.

            “So, is there any chance we can get your Republic to not blow us up turning in this sleemo in with this Imp ship?”

            “Every chance,” Cara replied. “Just need to talk to the right people.” She paused for a moment then added, “I can’t promise they’ll let you keep the ship.”

            “Consider it my part of the bounty payment,” said Bo.

            Cara shrugged in response, as if to say, I still can’t make promises. “I only ever heard of one person in the Rebellion who had a light saber,” she continued, her gaze briefly looking towards where her friend had gone. “But if it is who I think it is, and he just saved our asses, it might be possible to pull off this ship as your payment.”

            “Who did you hear of?” asked Fennec.

            “Luke Skywalker.”

            The breath went out of Bo-Katan at the name. Skywalker.

            That wasn’t….possible

            How?!

            Anakin Skywalker died in the final battle of the Clones Wars. Ashoka told her as much. Some younger relation? Extended family?

            But….that didn’t match up with Ashoka’s stories of her old master either. An only child. A former slave from Tatooine.

            “We need all the ships we can get,” said Bo, pushing the line of questions from her mind. “Fennec, get Boba back here.”

            “He’s already on his way.”

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

            Din Djarin had no destination as he left the Command Center. The room was suffocating. There were too many people.

            May the Force be with you.

            What did that even mean? Was that supposed to make him feel better? Some force to fill the raw gaping void left in the wake of Grogu leaving with the Jedi?

            The crushed remains of the Dark Troopers littered the hallway to the lift. The Jedi had cut through them all with such ease. Din nearly lost his life to one. That Jedi – younger than him – made idle, easy work of dozens.

            That was the point. The whole purpose to his mission. To delivery Grogu to one of his own kind, who could train him. He could teach the kid how to do this, he mused. Grogu had stopped a mudhorn in full charge. Held back the fire of an imperial stormtrooper. Crushing a division of droids was surely well within the kid’s power. Din had no idea what this power was that the Jedi had, but Grogu could do it.

            His quest was fulfilled.

            Stepping into the lift, Din looked straight back down the hallway, with all the littered remains, through the crumpled door to the command center. His gaze met Bo-Katan’s, her helmet removed.

            The door slid shut.

            This is the Way.

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

            Imperial ships had surveillance everywhere. There was no surprise in being discovered. Only slightly at who chose to do so. In the empty corridors of the ship, Bo-Katan’s uneven steps rang too loudly in his ears. But then, every sound seemed too loud to him now.

            He had found his way to an observation deck. Empty space filled every corner of his vision. Which way had the Jedi gone? He’d told the kid he would see him again. He would hold himself to that promise. But he hadn’t even thought to ask where they were going.

            Kryze reached him, saying nothing as she took a position at a respectful distance just into his view. She made no move to say anything at first. What was there left to say? Only to challenge him for a weapon he would freely give her.

            “Cara is securing the Moff in the detention cells,” she said at last.

            “Pershing still in the shuttle?”

            He saw her nod. “I made sure they weren’t going to be together. Koska has the good doctor locked down. Gideon has escaped too many times to trust him in the room with another Imp. He’d either kill Pershing or get his help in escaping.”

            “Two bounties are better than one,” Din replied, “especially alive.”

            Bo-Katan bit back a retort. She was not a bounty hunter. It wasn’t his point. And she knew that. Instead she stepped more directly into his view, her back to the star scape, and sat at the edge of a table. “I offered you a place with us before,” she began. “To retake Mandalore. Unite our People.” He was an immovable object. Unreadable. Expressionless beskar staring out into space. “That offer remains.”

            A moment passed before he actually looked at her, a deep exhale dropping his shoulders a few centimeters. “Will you take the sword?” he asked her, holding the hilt out between them. “If it is so important, take it. No one is here. I can say you challenged me and won.”

            She couldn’t help but glance at the hilt. Gleaming, sleek, black artistry of craftsmanship. The lore, the myth, the weight of it. The prize she so desperately wanted. Needed. She shot her eyes back up to his face, scowling. “Is that the honor your Creed taught you?” she snapped at him? “To fake battle, in victory or defeat?”

            His shoulders sagged deeper at the rebuke, the hand holding the hilt dropped to his side. “I don’t care about this,” he said.

            “You don’t have to. The others do and that is all that matters.”

            He sighed again, clipping the hilt back to his belt. “I have to return to my Covert,” he said. “Find my Covert,” he corrected. How long had it been? Where could they have gone? He had nearly as much chance as finding out where the Jedi had taken Grogu as he did his Covert.

            “We could help you.” The offer slipped out before Bo even really thought about it. Help him? Actively search for any covert of the Children of the Watch? An organization she had spent half her life trying so hard to stay away from?

            He shook his head. “No. It would not serve to provoke them.” Anymore than I may have already, he added to himself. Din had broken one of the primary tenants of the Creed. He showed his face to a living being. First Mayfeld and the Imperials. Then Grogu. Even Bo-Katan. He would have to find a way to atone for this sin.

            “I hadn’t intended to meet them myself,” she said, a tinge of disdain coloring her tone. “Merely provide the resources to locate them. I know many Mandalorians in exile."

            Din actually seemed to consider it. That blank visage staring at her, then back out to space again. “I don’t think that would be wise. Koska didn’t seem to approve of you letting me keep the blade.”

            She scowled. “Koska is in no position to approve or disapprove of my decisions,” Bo countered. The annoyance and frustration was not directed at him. If Koska reacted so badly, and so openly – even after knowing this man, the circumstances of the saber’s new possessor – she was sure to face some additional push back from her own allies once they were back together. “I will handle her.” At the very least, him joining their group could be a form of compromise. Bo-Katan may not wield the saber, but one of their number would. And it could still rally the Clans.

            Still, he shook his head. “No, I must find them and return on my own.”

            “Very well.”

            Ahead of them, in the space outside, Boba Fett’s ship suddenly appeared out of hyperspace. Bo’s wrist comm chirped. “Boba’s here,” came Fennec’s voice.

            “Yes, we can see that,�� Bo replied.

            “Cara’s contacted the New Republic. I don’t think I need to explain how eager they are to get their hands on the Moff. We can expect them very soon.”

            “Understandable,” Din acknowledged.

            “I’d rather not be here when they arrive,” Fennec continued. In other words, I’m getting out of here with Boba. Din’s nod told Bo he understood the same.

            “Can’t imagine why,” Bo replied, amused. “We’ll make our way to the hanger to meet you and Fett.” The clone. The face of 250 million men.

            “Understood.” Fennec closed the channel.

            Din’s slightly tilted head in an obvious question. “I assumed you would want to leave with Fett,” she said. “Unless you want the imperial shuttle – you are welcome to it if you do.”

            “No,” he said quickly. “Too conspicuous for a Bounty Hunter. I’ll leave with Fett.”

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

They journeyed to the hanger in silence. In part because there was nothing else to say. But also because their attention was pulled to the full glory of the Jedi’s destruction of the Dark Troopers. The carnage was on full display the entire way there. Din observed in awe and none too little respect for the power required to accomplish such complete destruction.

The scenes brought Bo-Katan back to the Clone Wars. The handiwork of other Jedi she had witnessed against both clones and Mandalorians.

Her sister.

“Bo-Katan.”

The sound of her name ripped her back to the present. When had she stopped moving? Before her lay a Dark Trooper droid, practically unscathed save for a single lightsaber stab through the chest.

“Something wrong?” Din asked her.

She shook her head. “No. Nothing. I’m coming.”

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

            Fett stood outside his parked ship, Fennec’s back disappearing up the gangway into the ship. He looked at them both. The aged face of a Clone. One among millions Bo had seen. But his eyes had no loyalty. The clone troopers, at least, had that.

            Until the Jedi Purge.

            He looked to the both, to Din’s empty arms. “Fennec told me a Jedi showed up, took the kid.” His tone was matter-of-fact, but the statement hit Din in the chest like a blaster bolt.

            “Yeah,” he managed to say. “Mission accomplished. Mind if I get a ride?”

            Fett’s eyes flitted to Bo-Katan. “Not going to stay with the Princess?”

            That broken down old clone was going to pay. She started sharply forwards but was stopped at the Mandalorian’s gesture. Annoyed, she glared at the blank plate that stared back, as if to say ‘Drop it. It’s not worth it.’ “I’ve got other business to finish,” Din said quickly.

            “Suit yourself, Mando. Don’t take too long with your goodbyes.”

            Bo raised an eyebrow in surprise. So, Fett didn’t know the man’s name either? “Mando can’t possibly be your actual name,” she remarked as Fett disappeared into his ship.

            “It’s Din,” he said quietly. “Din Djarin.” He moved towards the gang plank of the ship, but stopped short. “Thank you, Bo-Katan Kryze,” he said, turning back around to look at her. “I know this didn’t end the way you wanted, or expected –” her eyes dropped on their own accord to his hip, where his fingers reflexively twitched next to the Dark Sabre – “But Grogu would not have survived were it not for your help. For that, I will forever be in your debt.”

            “Help me retake Mandalore,” she rejoined, a small upturn playing at the corner of her mouth.

            “Accept the saber,” he countered.

            She couldn’t help but smile, sadly. “You know I can’t.”

            His reply froze her in place: “This is the Way.”

Damn that man.

Part 2

[lonelyzarquon]

[expelliarmus]

[snugglecat453]

Oh childhood… How fast you go by. Needed some Turtle Tot Disaster twins in my life….

[meamiki]

(You gently drop the flower in their open palm, and act like nothing out of the ordinary happened.)

(Loop does, too.)

[florida3exclamationpoints]

[thedoodlebuggo]

it's that time again!

First - Previous

not super happy with the like. pacing? of this update? and the super text heavy page, but it's kinda hard to space out all of that dialogue without it taking up like 3 pages. anyways

[kirby-madness]

Whoopsies!

[a2zillustration]

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[mammoth-clangen]

TRICK OR TREAT.

Treat! 🎃

You get a wip of next moon >:3c

[daily-ethoslab]

[749] any day now.. that tablet pen will come….

[opqrstuv04]

Eleventh Doctor/River dynamic is so funny to me because it’s like. This milf he barely knows rolls up and starts calling him “darling” and “my love” and his response is to immediately turn his twink charm up as high as it will go 

[chaoticrosesimp]

Drawing collab with the amazing artist TDS_whovirak of TenRose (impossible planet and Satan pit) They do amazing Doctor who fanarts , and they draw Ten amazing check them out on Twitter HERE

@TDS_whovirak (on twitter)

https://twitter.com/TDS_whovirak

(Rose was drawn by me and Ten was by @TDS_whovirak and then we did our own version of the coloring! )

[italyveneziano]

I'm sorry, America. I can... No longer see...

Based on that one HetaOni scene :') Lyrics are from England's Song by Sapph! (please don't tag as ship!)

[the-gif-factory]

N and Uzi gifs?

Murder Drones: NUzi || part 1