#At least I hope so lol | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

callsign-daydream · 2 years ago

Text

Head in the Clouds, Eyes to the Sun - Chapter 1 - Introductions

Series summary: Lt. Hallie "Daydream" A-Jones is the newest addition to the now-permanent Dagger Squadron. But when she arrives back in her hometown of San Diego, returning to TOPGUN may be harder than she expected. Will she manage to find her way back to the skies? Chapter Summary: Hallie receives her latest orders; it's time to pack up her bags and move back home to the States. After all, she is the newest recruit to the Dagger Squadron!

Warnings: Starred out swearing, mentions of alcohol, General Navy/Military inaccuracies, OC-centric fic, don't think too hard about the timeline because what is time but a construct anyway

Word count: 2174

A/N: Welcome to "Head in the Clouds, Eyes to the Sun"! This series follows my OC, Hallie "Daydream" A-Jones and how she joins the Dagger Squadron, etc. I'm not sure how many parts this will be yet, but I'm still playing with how to break the chapters. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Introductions

Captain Stafford's office didn't have the same air of foreboding other offices did. Maybe it was the relaxed persona of the Italians that rubbed off on him or the warmth of the southern sun, but his office almost crossed into inviting. If you were on his good side, he might even allow you to have something from his North American snack stash. It was a perk having a Captain whose callsign came from keeping cookies in his locker.

Still, even the scent of espresso in the room didn't prevent Lt. Hallie A-Jones from being nervous as she entered the room.

“At ease, Daydream.” Captain Stafford, or Captain "Chip" as his pilots referred to him, said. He must've noticed her posture staying rigid as he added: “You’re not in trouble. The opposite, actually.”

“Sir?”

He held up a hand and motioned for her to sit. “You’re being reassigned from Sigonella.”

Hallie's mind began spinning. This seemed like a punishment. She’d grown to love the Italian base and the people there. It wouldn’t be easy after being stationed there for five years.

Captain Chip leaned his arms on the desk, and his smile rose into familiar wrinkles. “We’ll miss you here, but I think you’ll appreciate going home.”

Hallie blinked. “Home? I'm going stateside?”

“Even better. You’re being called back to TOPGUN.”

That was a name she hadn't heard in a while, but thankfully, the memories that arose brought her a smile. She'd grown up in San Diego, making TOPGUN feel like one of the most natural places on earth for her to end up. She wasn't sure what assignment would warrant her going back, especially at this point in her career, but she couldn't complain.

"Can I ask what my assignment is?"

He nodded. “A month ago, a team was assembled at TOPGUN for a special mission. You were on the shortlist of candidates, and near the top of the list too, but because you were busy on assignment, I wasn’t able to approve you for it."

Hallie wondered why he hadn't mentioned it on her when she returned. It must've been a very short mission.

"But, it looks they decided to keep the squadron together permanently for special assignments, and they have a space open. Also coincidentally, you're off assignment now. They want to add you on as the newest member of the Dagger Squadron, and I signed off on it right away.”

"Is this a nice way to get me out of your hair?"

"Not at all," Captain Chip said with a laugh that sounded like an air gun. He stood, came around his desk, and sat on the edge of it. "Listen, Hallie. As your Captain, I'm not thrilled to be losing you. You're an outstanding pilot. That's why they want you for this. But as someone who flew with your father before he passed...I can't hold you back on your career."

Hallie bit her lip. She wasn't sure if the urge to cry was from her Captain's sentiment or simply the memories of her father before his illness.

"Thanks, Captain Chip."

“You’ll report two weeks from now to Captain Pete Mitchell, "Maverick," at the TOPGUN facility.”

“Maverick? As in…?”

“The same one.” He nodded. “You'll get more information in the next two weeks. Any other questions? I'm sure you have a lot of preparations to make."

Hallie stood and shook her head, feeling much lighter than when she sat down. "Thank you again."

She wanted to hug her commanding officer, but it didn't exactly seem like the right time. As quickly as she thought of it, he circled back around his desk.

"I'd let you take some Chips Ahoy, but you'll have plenty of access to those soon enough."

Hallie chuckled. "Yes, sir."

"Get out of here, kid."

--- “Dagger Squadron” sounded familiar to Hallie, and she later confirmed she already knew two of her new squadmates. She'd flown with Bob before, and she also knew Phoenix. Hallie and Phoenix had been two years apart at TOPGUN, and even though Hallie was behind, she'd bonded with the fellow female aviator. They'd also been stationed in Lemoore for a couple years together before Hallie was moved to Sigonella for the Unified Protector operation.

Hallie wasn’t sure if Phoenix still had the same phone number or if she'd be able to receive an international text, so Hallie quickly reached out via Instagram:

Hallie A-Jones: Hey Fee, how’s San Diego?

The reply came a few hours later, thanks to the time difference.

Natasha Trace: Hey, Dream. Just the usual business. What’s going on in the land of pasta? Hallie A-Jones: Same, though about to shake things up soon. Getting reassigned Natasha Trace: You know where yet? Hallie A-Jones: Top Gun Natasha Trace: No way. Daggers? Hallie A-Jones: Dead serious, be there in 2 weeks Natasha Trace: Good, I’ve needed another woman here since Halo reassigned You need a ride when you get in? Hallie A-Jones: That’d be great, my brother can’t bring my Jeep down until the weekend after Natasha Trace: Gotcha I’ll bring Bob, we can all catch up and have a celebration at the Hard Deck Hallie A-Jones: ****, this whole thing will be a throwback Natasha Trace: HA, you can bet on that Hallie A-Jones: Looking forward to it Thanks again, I’ll send you the times later 🙂 Natasha Trace: 👍

--- Over the next two weeks, Hallie reminisced with her fellow Sigonella pilots, made arrangements for her return to San Diego, and texted Phoenix to get the rundown of what the culture of the Dagger Squadron was. The squadron at Sigonella threw a farewell party full of poorly pronounced Italian songs, alcohol, and plenty of opportunities for Hallie to grow her photo album.

A couple days later, Hallie was walking off a plane and into the heat of San Diego.

“Is this a daydream?” Natasha joked as they met in the parking lot.

Hallie laughed. “Must be. I'm looking at a weird bird made of fire.”

They hugged before Natasha gestured to Bob, who was squinting through his glasses, a hand over his eyes.

"Bob!" Hallie hugged him. "Long time, no fly."

"Good to see you, Hal." He grinned. "Hope your feelings about pineapple on pizza didn't change."

"Ugh, the Italians nearly pulverized me my first day because of that."

Bob laughed, but was interrupted by Nat slamming the trunk closed over Hallie's bags. "You two can talk in the car. Let's go."

"Why are we rushing, again?" Bob complained, but was obediently climbing into the backseat anyway.

"Because," Nat started up the car, "I want to get this girl to the Hard Deck before Hangman and Coyote."

Hallie cocked her head as she clicked the seat belt and the AC blew her stray curls around. "Hangman...sounds familiar."

Nat nodded. "The record."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"What happened?" Bob asked.

Phoenix glanced back at her WSO in the rearview mirror. "Daydream here broke one of Bagman's training records after he graduated TOPGUN."

The grin was evident in Bob's voice. "Drive faster."

Natasha laughed. Hallie grabbed the ceiling handle as they drove around a corner. In reality, they weren't going that fast, but it'd become instinct in Italy.

The ocean appeared on their left. The scent made its way into the AC, and Hallie grinned. She couldn’t wait to have her Jeep so she could drive this path on her own with the top down. It was the closest she could get to flying whenever she was on the ground. She often thought if she wasn’t a pilot, she would’ve been a racecar driver, even though she found the inner organs of planes easier to understand than the tiny workings of any car.

Hallie looked over at her driver. “So I should be prepared for a dogfight tonight?”

“Weird flirting first,” Nat said. Her eye roll was big enough to be seen behind her sunglasses. “After that…”

“Yes,” Bob finished.

The conversation continued on, including some quick information on the rest of the squad. They'd just finished describing Rooster when Nat pulled into the Hard Deck parking lot.

Nat and Bob were out and headed for the front door immediately. Hallie lagged behind. The old place looked the same, except with a new paint job. The wind whipped at her hair and the ocean murmured behind the building. It was strange to be back in a place that had claims to at least five pages of her photo album. It was as though she'd opened it up and stepped into one of the photos like Mary Poppins. As Hallie watched Nat and Bob, she quickly took a picture to capture the feeling for her album.

“Hurry up!” Nat turned at the right time to get her face in the shot.

The scent of wood and alcohol met them. Whitney Houston's voice drifted from the jukebox. There were only a few other pilots in the bar so far, creating a soft murmur of activity, and Penny herself behind the counter clinking glasses back into place.

“You’re here early,” the woman noted as Nat and Bob came up. Her gaze shifted to Hallie. “And you brought a familiar face.”

Hallie grinned. “You remember me?”

Penny scoffed. “How can I not remember the girl who stood on the piano singing ‘Dancing Queen’?”

“Maybe I’ll do an encore for you tonight. I can sing it in Italian now.”

Penny shook her head. “You always had to get the attention, Hal.”

“We’re expecting a lot of that,” Nat said.

Bob nodded with a grin that might have been called cheeky without his glasses.

Penny shook her head. “Just keep my place in one piece. You know the rules.”

The older woman nodded towards her sign. Hallie made a mental note to keep her phone in her pocket at all times.

“We’ll be good," Nat said. "We have Bob to keep us in line.”

“Right. The usual for you and glasses?”

Nat nodded.

“Hal, you got some fancy Italian taste now?”

“Just give me what Nat's having,” Hallie said. “I’ve missed the American taste.”

“Glad to hear it.”

With drinks in tow, the trio retreated to what Phoenix deemed their “usual” spot. Hallie collected a selfie with her friends as the regulars of the Hard Deck began to trickle in. She could spot familiar types; the students brand new to Top Gun, nervous and jittery and loud; the ones about to graduate, calmer and not inebriated enough to be loud yet; a few older captains, especially one that seemed attached to Penny; and some civilians there for a good drink, a handsome pilot, or both.

They were shortly joined by two more pilots, who Nat introduced as Fanboy and Payback.

“How’d you get that callsign?” Payback asked Hallie.

Hallie grinned. “Cause I’m a dream in the sky.”

Nat laughed and shoved her. “You wish.”

“Okay, fine. I may have...gotten lost in thought...during a few training exercises in my first year here.”

"Lost in thought? You were totally zoned out, from what Halo said."

Hallie shoved Nat back.

The group laughed, continuing to share stories and rag each other. Nat started up a pool game with Payback when two more men came up to the group.

“Well, well, well,” said the blonde. “What do we have here?”

Nat had mentioned the southern accent so Hallie would know which one was Hangman, but Hallie would’ve been clued in anyway from the way Nat and Bob frowned upon the man’s arrival. That, and the cocky smirk that was just begging to be wiped off.

“You must be Bagman,” Hallie said with a smile.

“Hangman,” he corrected, smirk intact. “I see my reputation precedes me.”

“In more ways than one.”

“Glad to know we’ve got a head start. What’s your callsign, hun?”

Nat stepped up. “This is our new Dagger. Daydream.”

Hangman’s eyebrows twitched in thought, as though a spark were making the connection for him. Then the smirk slowly returned.

“Glad you’ll be here when I take that record back.” He leaned in.

Hallie didn’t back down. “Me too. I’ll be right behind you to break it again.”

Hangman opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off.

“Bradshaw!" Nat yelled. "Get over here!"

Hallie turned to see a mustached man with aviators and a Hawaiian shirt on, immediately connecting Bob's description to the individual as Rooster. He strolled up and hugged Nat.

"Alright, what makes me in such high demand tonight?" He asked her. "I need to do laundry if you don't want me smelling like ham tomorrow."

"That's just your normal smell, Rooster," said Payback.

Nat rolled her eyes, but kept a grin unlike she did when Hangman talked. She drug Rooster over to Hallie and quickly introduced them.

"You know what this calls for," he said, laundry evidently forgotten.

Hallie cocked her head while Phoenix grinned and drug her along behind him. In a few minutes, most of the crew was assembled around the piano. Rooster pounded out "Great Balls of Fire” as everyone scream-sung along, Hallie sitting on top of the piano and occasionally adding in some Italian: “Goodness gracious, grande palle di inferno!”

It was good to be home.

#daydream writes #head in the clouds eyes to the sun #top gun maverick fic #top gun oc #top gun maverick fanfiction #oc: hallie a jones #hallie daydream a jones #dagger squad #I know this start is a little slow but it'll get more interesting as it goes #at least I hope so lol #this is mostly for my own indulgence anyway but I hope y'all enjoy #top gun maverick

27 notes · View notes

krysmcscience · 5 months ago

Text

It’s finally done, guys – five whole pages of Narilamb AU comic AND MORE be upon you! (If you have trouble reading any of the text, view the full-size! These pages are huge!)

Yeesh, this took forever. <:)

There’s probably a ton of inconsistencies and anatomy/perspective wonkeries, but this was mostly just comic practice, so Oh Hekkin Well, Lol <:D

(Yes, I am aware the Gateway’s door isn’t present in the Afterlife, and the actual way in is just a pentagram portal. Yes, I put the door in there anyway because Artistic License, i.e. it felt more impactful for there to be a prison door of sorts to walk through to freedom, rather than just a bland boring portal on the ground. 😠)

anyway, i hate backgrounds so much lmao

Alternate ending and a buttload of bonus art under the cut, followed by goofy AU rambles and headcanon stuff:

I’m calling it the Revival AU. It’s not all that creative a title, and someone else has probably used it already, but I am too lazy to really care, LOL

Alternate ending page, which you will Definitely need to view the full-size for, Whoopsie Daisy:

The alternate ending was actually the first ending I finished things off with, because I had a brief badbrain moment where I forgot the emotional beat I initially wanted the comic to end on, and I tend to write comedy, anyway. I later remembered and drew out the proper ending, but I preserved and finished this one, too, because it still makes me giggle.

They had to go back for the followers off-screen in the AU’s real ending. And by ‘they’ I mean just the Lamb, because they weren’t about to ask three newly freed cats to go back into what used to be their prison. The Lamb DID spend some time watching Narinder and the bois enjoying the outdoors first, though:

In other news, here’s the Lamb and me making fun of my anatomy-drawing ‘skills’:

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering why the Lamb is just a-okay with how things went down vis a vis Their Murder, this bonus comic should answer at least some of your questions:

Ah, yes, also this is how they get engaged outside of the alternate ending. Forgot to mention that bit. XD (I already refuse to believe that Narinder is capable of flirting normally, so why would his initial marriage proposal be any better???)

Oh, and before any of them get a chance to actually head back to the cult grounds, there is one potential problem:

And by ‘problem’ I mean something Narinder intends to ignore for At Minimum a thousand years. Cuz he’s a petty bitch like that. :D

what do you mean i drew the lamb too tall compared to the background? clearly they’re standing on top of baal and aym lmao, why else would you think those two aren’t in this one??? (aym and baal got way too excited about finally being outside, you see, and their silly modes are nothing to sneeze at)

And, speaking of heading back to the cult grounds, I’m sure y’all would love to know how the Lamb’s followers felt about the brand new change in management:

It all went better than expected. <:D Tiny ramble now, feel free to skip down to the next comic.

Before you ask, no, the Lamb does not have any actual powers anymore, other than the immortality Narinder definitely grants them. The Red Crown just thinks it’s funny to suggest otherwise, and Narinder does nothing to discourage this. Also, the Lamb and Narinder aren’t actually married here yet, but, uh. Pretty safe to say that particular ritual directly follows the events of this comic. XD

Given how quickly he mellows out in canon, Narinder probably chills out a lot in this AU once he’s in charge of the cult, too, if only because 1.) He’s finally free, and 2.) He’s equally smitten with and distracted by the Lamb. He’s definitely in charge at least 95% of the time, though, because the Lamb never actually wanted to be a cult leader and, now that their time as a vessel is done, they just want to be a normal(ish) sheep who’s wholly devoted to their hot new divine husband.

Some followers do still have some valid concerns about these two being together, though, which I’m sure at least a few of you might share…

Unfortunately for any such concerns, the Lamb is a bonafide masochist in this AU. :D

They’re also 100% a sub, obviously

Anyone at all: Your relationship is problematic and potentially toxic

The Lamb: fuck yeah it is, it’s so hot~ OuO

Here’s just the last panel, made transparent for whatever nefarious purposes y’all might have for it:

Additional exchange Narinder and the Lamb have at some point, probably after the Lamb does a fatal whoopsie while out on a mission trip or in response to things getting a little too sadistic in the bedroom, ahaha:

Look, there is a very important distinction between life and death, and if you don’t understand that, then you’re probably not worthy of being the God of Death, anyway. (At least, according to Narinder, and ONLY Narinder.)

Last but not least, have these shittens:

~Such creative naming conventions I have utilized, lololol~ :D Anyway, there's a few deets on them in the rambles down below.

The rest is all ramble, so before I get to that, I’ll just say – likes and especially reblogs are very much appreciated!!! :D If you happen to really really REALLY like my stuff, meanwhile, I do have a link in my bio to my ko-fi page, where I’m accepting commissions and donations if you’re especially generous… ÓuÒ

Now, BE FREE IF YOU AIN’T DOWN FOR READING MY GOOFY RAMBLES

First ramble is re: Baal’s question of ‘Did it really work?’, since I didn’t feel like expanding on it in the comic proper, and it’s arguably pretty vague? He doesn’t ask because he doubts Narinder or his capabilities, exactly, but because neither Baal nor Aym have ever actually seen their god at full power before (he’s still technically not at full power here, either). It’s not expressly stated how soon the brothers were brought to Narinder after his imprisonment, but whether it was early on or after a length of time for Shamura to (somewhat) recover from his attack, he must have already been weakened, since I have no doubts that there was a huge battle that accompanied the Bishops working together to trap him. So, between that fight with all four of his siblings, sharing his power with a variety of vessels over time, and being chained immobile for a thousand years, he must have been severely weakened by the time he lent the Red Crown out to the Lamb, which would have only weakened him further.

I like to think this is how the Lamb is able to defeat him if they refuse to be sacrificed, despite how it took all four Bishops working together to subdue and chain Narinder in the first place.

All that aside, the three cats have been trapped in the Afterlife for so long that Baal also wanted verbal reassurance that they are all, indeed, actually able to leave it now – something that I headcanon isn’t possible without a significant amount of power (i.e. the Red Crown’s cooperation with its bearer/vessel).

(On a semi-related note, I don’t headcanon Aym and Baal as twins. I like sweetheart big bro Baal and snarky little goth bro Aym too much to have them be that close in age.)

Ah, teeny thing: If you noticed I switched up the art style for Narinder on the second page, that was intentional. It's sort of a visual indicator that there has been a Big Change for him - that being, how much power he has after sacrificing the Lamb. As for why I changed up his arms in the grass rollin' pic, I don't really subscribe to the notion that his arms are spooky bones because they're horrifically injured (beyond chain-chafing scars, that is), but rather just because he's the Bishop of Death, so he can change how normal-to-spooky they look at will. At some point I might doodle out how I imagine his appearance to range between least to most eldritch... 🤔

Next ramble, regarding Narinder’s feelings towards the Lamb...he was initially too focused on being freed from his imprisonment to form any real attachment to them. They were a tool for his use, first and foremost, but he did notice their intense devotion towards him. It was impossible not to notice, because the Lamb was always very happy to see him, even if it was because they died during a crusade (yet again). He wasn’t originally planning to revive them once he was freed, either, because he saw no real point to it – after all, they were already dead when they first met him, just as any other mortal would be when meeting him in the Afterlife, so death has very little real consequence in his eyes. But, once the chains were off, and it really sank in that he stood to lose the most devoted follower he’s ever had, he decided…why put their soul to rest for good or leave them stuck in the Afterlife when he could just as easily revive them again? And why not reward them for their hard work, anyway? Not only would it cost him nothing by comparison, but the future devotion that could come of it would surely make up for his (bare minimum) effort in reviving them.

He wasn’t expecting to get a full dose of that devotion and a smiling face so soon after killing them, though~ :3c (because the Lamb is a bonafide freak, and not-so-secretly into the fucked up power dynamics going on here, lol)

I should mention here that I am firmly of the belief that any non-god/vessel who crosses through the Gateway and into the Afterlife just straight up dies. So, Aym and Baal? Also straight up dead, from the second Shamura brought them through. Their souls were just never put to rest so that Narinder could have some company – if only according to Shamura. Narinder kept the two around mostly out of bewilderment, because honestly, who are these kittens, and what is Shamura’s game here, anyway??? They never even explained anything, they just tossed these kittens into the Afterlife and LEFT!!! At any rate, Aym and Baal being dead is how I explain why their souls apparently become lost in the void if they’re killed, along with the added complications required to revive the two because of it.

So, with those deets in mind, and given a bit of time, if Narinder hadn’t chosen to revive the Lamb, and also hadn’t chosen to put their soul to rest, they still would have woken up at some point, despite being as straight up dead as Aym and Baal. Who, don’t worry, were also properly revived while Narinder was waiting for the Lamb to wake up. Because I am also firmly of the belief that, first, the dead cannot leave the Afterlife without the use of a ritual/relic (and can't stay in the living world for long regardless), and second, dead followers’ devotion isn’t anywhere near as potent as that of the living, given how much more the living stand to lose.

Final ramble, regarding the Lamb’s feelings towards Narinder, and why they’re so devoted to him…

Well, you don’t spend most of your life on the run with your steadily-dwindling herd, trying to evade the ongoing genocide of your species, without becoming a little fucked up in the head. Maybe a lot fucked up in the head. Life is suffering, so might as well have fun with it, right? Maybe start finding death and pain to be kind of hilarious, even a little bit hot, once everyone you know and love is dead and gone, leaving you all alone? And maybe after that, there’s something comforting in how, despite the cold, cruel uncertainties of life, at least you can always count on the inevitability of death, patiently waiting for you until your very last breath? Who knows. Either way, as soon as the Lamb was killed, and they learned that the literal God of Death was offering them a second chance at life and vengeance via effective immortality, they were 100% ride-or-die-devoted all at once. Turns out death is kinder than life – go figure. (Of course, it helps that Narinder is 100% their type.)

They weren’t put off by Narinder’s thinly-veiled sadism or manipulations, either – they’re not too different in those regards, albeit opting for vastly different methods. It’s a very ‘two sides of the same coin’ sort of deal. In order to stay alive once they were made the last of their kind, the Lamb had no qualms with using others to their advantage, and that did not change once they were revived and expected to run a cult. They didn’t care for the position of authority, though – being a sheep and all, they’re much more of a follower than a leader, and thus greatly appreciated Narinder’s need for control. With how they had to keep on their toes for so long, the Lamb was also pretty good at reading people by the time they died, so they could recognize that a lot of Narinder’s posturing was just that – posturing. Dude’s 95% bluster and only 5% bite. He could obviously be vicious when he wanted or needed to (the Bishops' injuries were clear proof of that), but underneath his outer layer of cruelty was a generous layer of tsundere, and underneath all THAT was a soft squishy middle sibling velcro cat in desperate need of attention and affection.

(Which, for the record, he Did Not feel comfortable getting from Aym and Baal – Narinder still has no idea why the fuck Shamura sent them to him, beyond acting as keepers at best or trying to sabotage his attempts to escape at worst. Which, he thought HE sabotaged in turn, by guiding the kittens into being his devoted disciples instead. He thought he was very clever for it. ‘I outsmarted Shamura!’ he thought, despite that there was never anything there to outsmart. ‘What do you mean, Shamura sent your kittens to me for company?’ he demands of Forneus later. It may or may not lead him to pull Shamura out of Purgatory just so he can shake them and scream about how they should have Fucking Explained that!!!)

But, getting back on track as to why the Lamb was so willing to be sacrificed, I cannot stress this enough – if you pay even a minimal amount of attention to what he’s saying, Narinder is REALLY NOT SUBTLE about his intentions. ‘Death is of little consequence.’ ‘Followers are for you to use to your advantage.’ ‘Sacrifice a follower to absorb more power.’ So, yeah, the Lamb knew exactly what would be expected of them once the other Bishops were dead. They knew Narinder would expect them to die for him one last time. But, after all, death is of little consequence (not to mention hot), so when the time came, they wanted to see him freed, even if it meant oblivion for them in the end.

He’d given them a second life, and the ability to avenge their kin, and they felt indebted to him for that – so, while they were still pretty glum about the possibility that they might not get to see him free of his chains, nothing beyond their devotion and debt to him mattered. They never wanted all the drama and expectations that came with the Red Crown’s power, anyway, so, better for Narinder to have it back so that he could deal with it. What he did with the Lamb afterward would be up to him, and seeing as he was their god, they’d accept his decision gladly.

Were they in love with him by that point? Oh, obsessively so, but only in the devotional sense – romance was nowhere on their mind nor radar. That is, until he unexpectedly revived them again, told them he still needed them, and then offered down his hand to help them up.

The Lamb fell HARD for him in that moment. :3c

And now, a tiny shitten ramble. Lu and Li are twins, because sheep tend to have those a lot, and are conceived not long after the Lamb and Narinder’s marriage ceremony. Lu is the minutes older one, but Li is much more mature. I have put no further thought into these two, other than that they are utter menaces, birthed by the Lamb, cling hard to both their parents but especially Narinder (who spoils them rotten), and they are both genderfluid, using whichever pronouns/names they feel like at any given time. They are also both intersex, same as the Lamb, who was initially infertile up until Something Something Vague Magic, which I have also put no further thought into ¯\_(シ)_/¯

oh, and before anyone tries to suggest i headcanon this AU’s lamb as trending more female due to them giving birth or whatever, no, no, a thousand times no, they might have a vag, but they've also got a dick, and even if it's not as big as they'd like, they still know how to use it

Finally, the very tentative name for the Lamb in this AU is Yazdi, which is really just another name for the Baluchi breed of sheep XD (Not that the Lamb is this specific breed, I just didn’t like any of the other sheep-related names I found, ahaha...)

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW (collapses into an exhausted pile of goopy limbs)