#Home Buddies Bazaar

[beingjellybeans]

Home Buddies Bazaar: Your Ticket to Budget-Friendly Home Style

In the bustling world of home enthusiasts, the renowned Filipino group, Home Buddies, is poised to mark its third anniversary with a remarkable event. Aptly named the Home Buddies Bazaar, this grand celebration showcases the best in home improvement, décor, and design from over 30 passionate local merchants. A Fusion of Style and Savings At the heart of Home Buddies Bazaar lies a dedication to…

[celestemona]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐒

a brief look at their daily life & random family’ moments

pairing: dad & husband! wriothesley, cyno, kaveh x fem! reader

cw: different timelines. original characters, maternity, pregnant reader in wriothesley's part, parenthood, use of endearment names, arabic terms & fluff stuff. not beta-read.

reblogs and comments are appreciated ♡

x

Wriothesley

Amid the quiet hum of daily tasks, you and Wriothesley shared a comfortable silence in his office, broken only by the soft rustling of papers and the scratch of his pen against documents.

The movements in your womb were a gentle reminder of the life growing within you, but it was the swelling in your feet that caused the most discomfort. Taking advantage of a moment to relax, you reclined on the new sofa your husband had thoughtfully bought, balancing a stack of papers on your belly. While you worked through a few revisions, your true attention was drawn to a crossword puzzle from The Steambird newspaper resting atop the pile.

“Wrio, quick—seven letters. Known as Liyue’s enlightened beasts or gods,” you asked, glancing up from the puzzle with a spark of curiosity.

Wriothesley looked up from his form, his lips curving into a smirk as he replied confidently, “Easy. Adeptus.”

You beamed, grateful for his quick answer, and eagerly scribbled it into the puzzle. Before you could move on to the next clue, a soft knock on the door caught your attention. Wriothesley called for the visitor to enter, and the door creaked open to reveal your teenage son.

“Mum, Dad. Are you busy?” Cameron asked, peeking shyly into the room.

“Never for you, sweetheart,” you replied warmly, setting aside the puzzle and placing the papers on the tea table in front of you. You gestured for him to come closer, and Cameron’s shy smile turned radiant as he walked over to sit beside you, quickly enveloped in your affection.

“Is something wrong, buddy? I thought you were in the city with Quentin,” Wriothesley inquired.

“Oh, no, everything’s fine,” Cameron reassured him. “Quentin forgot that today was his parents’ performance day, so Corinne picked him up while we were at the beach. Éveline is busy too, so I decided to come home.”

Both you and Wriothesley nodded in understanding. Rising from his desk, Wriothesley announced, “I’ll make some tea for all of us.”

As he left, Cameron nestled into your embrace while you returned to your puzzle, never letting go of your son. The peace was short-lived, however, as your daughter, still in your womb, seemed to sense her brother’s presence. She began kicking energetically, demanding attention of her own.

Cameron chuckled, watching the movements. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really,” you replied with a laugh. “Sometimes it feels like she thinks my belly is a playground, and even my ribs don’t escape her antics. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Smiling, Cameron gently placed his hands over your belly, where your baby's tiny feet were stretching. His soft touch seemed to calm her, and the powerful kicks gradually eased into gentle nudges. You sighed in relief.

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Cameron said softly, his voice full of anticipation.

You kissed the top of his head, your heart full. “She’s looking forward to meeting you too.”

A few minutes later, Wriothesley returned with a tray of tea and a few treats, the sight of his wife and son greeting him with warmth. As he joined you, the love and contentment in the room seemed to swell.

Even after all these years, Wriothesley couldn’t help but marvel at the simple beauty of his family. You, Cameron, and the little one on the way—his heart overflowed with gratitude for the life you had built together.

Cyno

The General Mahamatra was escorting the Lesser Lord Kusanali back to the Sanctuary of Surasthana after a lengthy meeting with the sages and the Akademiya's scribe when a familiar sight caught his eye—you, leaving the Grand Bazaar with the twins by your side.

A faint sparkle crossed his usually composed gaze, a flicker of warmth that most would miss—especially those who would go out of their way to avoid catching the matra's attention. However, the perceptive little dendro archon wasn’t most people. With a soft giggle, she turned to Cyno and suggested he end his day early to spend the afternoon with his family.

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, her tone light and reassuring. “I’ll take a quick look around and be back home before dark.”

Cyno hesitated, concern briefly knitting his brow. As a protector, it wasn’t in his nature to leave the young archon unattended. He began to decline, promising to join his family at the end of the day. But Nahida, with her characteristic blend of wisdom and playfulness—and perhaps a subtle flex of her authority—persisted.

Eventually, Cyno relented, expressing his gratitude before bidding her farewell and making his way to you.

It was Isaar who first sensed his father’s approach, the boy turning to greet Cyno with a wide smile and an enthusiastic wave that quickly caught both Aryan’s and your attention.

“Cyno,” you greeted warmly, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. His ears tinged red, though his stoic demeanor didn’t waver. Amused by his reaction, you chuckled softly as the twins ran up for their customary pats on the head.

“Hey, Baba, guess what!” Isaar exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. “We’re having Shawarma Wrap for dinner tonight!”

Cyno blinked, his brow arching in curiosity as he glanced at you. “That’s unusual. Any special occasion?”

Grinning, Isaar puffed out his chest. “I won three rounds against Yan in Invokation TCG! We bet that the winner could pick a special dinner, and I got to order from Mama!”

Cyno nodded in understanding while Aryan sighed, the quieter twin clearly disappointed. “I really wanted to eat Mama’s Panipuri,” he murmured, his tone soft and wistful. “Grandpa Cyrus even helped me pick the best potatoes for them.”

Your heart melted at his words. Smiling, you leaned closer to him, your hand gently stroking his face. “I’ll make them next time, Ary,” you promised in a quiet voice meant just for him. “I’ll even make double the amount, just for you.”

Aryan’s eyes brightened as he nodded, comforted by your assurance. Cyno, overhearing the exchange, couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. Once again, you had effortlessly resolved a situation that others might dismiss as trivial, yet to you, every detail of your children’s happiness mattered deeply.

Without a word, Cyno relieved you of the shopping bags, holding them in one hand while his other reached for yours. Intertwining your fingers, he began leading you home, his quiet presence grounding and reassuring.

The twins walked a few paces ahead, deeply engaged in a lively conversation in their unique language—a secret code they only shared with each other. Even as they chatted, they never strayed far from their parents’ watchful eyes.

Moments like this were rare, given your respective duties, but Cyno savored every second. The simplicity of walking hand-in-hand with you, watching the twins chatter animatedly, filled him with a quiet, profound joy. These were the moments that reminded him of what truly mattered.

Perhaps, he thought, as his grip on your hand tightened slightly, he should ask Nahida for a holiday. Just maybe.

Kaveh

“Daddy, daddy, daddy! I’m going to marry Hakim!”

Those were the enthusiastic words your sweet little girl announced as she bounded into the kitchen. You paused mid-preparation of lunch, glancing over your shoulder, while Kaveh, comfortably sipping his wine, choked violently on the drink.

Concerned but mildly amused, you hurried to help him recover from the coughing fit that erupted—not from the wine itself, but from Zahra’s startling declaration.

“Princess,” Kaveh managed to say after a deep breath, his voice still raspy, “I thought you were going to marry daddy.” He gave her a shaky smile, clearly hoping her young heart still belonged solely to him.

You snorted softly, shaking your head as you turned back to your work.

“No! Daddy is already married to Mommy,” Zahra explained matter-of-factly, placing her hands on her hips like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Also, look how beautiful this drawing Hakim made for me!”

She held up a colorful, childlike but remarkably detailed drawing of the Palace of Alcazarzaray. Even Kaveh, reluctant to admit it, couldn’t deny the talent evident in the work. Hakim, it seemed, though a miniature replica of his father, had his own gifts.

“Oh my! It’s so beautiful, Zaza,” you praised as you leaned over to admire the drawing. “Did you thank him properly?”

“Yes! I gave him a rose,” Zahra replied proudly, her chest puffed out.

Kaveh’s heart softened at her response.

Zahra truly was a thoughtful, kind-hearted child. Every day, he watched her grow into a bright, beautiful girl, reflecting the best qualities of both her parents. She was his little princess, the light of his life, and Kaveh would protect that light fiercely. The thought of anything—or anyone—taking away her happiness made his chest tighten.

“Daddy is still against this marriage, though,” Kaveh suddenly declared, snapping out of his reverie. He crossed his arms, attempting to look stern. “You’re too young, and I highly doubt Hakim has the resources—or the qualities—to provide you with a good home. Besides, men, in general, are terrible.” He paused, then added smugly, “But daddy isn’t. Daddy is the best. So daddy is still the best choice!”

You rolled your eyes, giving him a pinch on the cheek. Kaveh pouted dramatically at the gesture, though he didn’t pull away.

“Let kids be kids, Kav,” you said with a fond smile.

Zahra, meanwhile, seemed neither disheartened nor discouraged by her father’s objections. Instead, her little brow furrowed in thought before she confidently replied, “But daddy, Hakim promised we’d get married when we’re big like you and mommy, and his mama and papa. He said that when he grows up, he’ll be a great house artist like you, and then he’ll build a house for us to live in. You can visit us all the time!”

Kaveh was internally horrified. They were already making plans for the future, and Zahra hadn’t even turned seven yet. The idea was unacceptable. Intolerable. His sweet baby girl couldn’t possibly—no, wouldn’t—grow up so fast.

But as he looked into her sparkling golden eyes and saw the genuine joy in her smile, he couldn’t bring himself to crush her whimsical dream. With a dramatic sigh, he relented—though not without setting a few conditions.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But you’re not getting married until you’re fifty-nine. And Hakim has to build a palace with many rooms and a beautiful garden. And I’ll visit every day!”

Zahra clapped her hands with glee, her delighted giggles echoing in the kitchen as she threw her arms around him.

Meanwhile, you watched the exchange with mild amusement, a warm sense of comfort filling your heart.

If only Kaveh realized how common the “childhood friends to lovers” trope was, you thought with a grin, he’d surely take back everything he’d just said.

.

.

a/n: i planned to write a part for kazuha and alhaitham but i'm a little bit tired so in the next update? we'll see...

please let me know if there are any mistakes ;)

edited: dec/2024

[icomeandg0]

Hiya! Saw your requests were open and since loneliness is consuming me bit by bit I decided to be courageous (for once😭)

Is it okay if I request some isekai reader x sleepy Sky cuddles? Like, the chain's at Skyloft, it's night, so they both just cuddle to sleep? Generalizing, ultra fluff. Super ultra mega fluff. Take your time, no rush🫶

(pls forgive me if this is incoherent it's my first time requesting something and english isn't my first language so I apologize if it's bad-🙏)

-⭐️

Hi Anon, Thank you for your request and I apologise for being away from writing for so long since of my exams but I'm back and I'm prepared to write the request I have.

I’m so sorry it took me this long, I hope you enjoy!

Content under cut:

~Skyloft Snuggles!~

An exhausting day!

The week hasn’t been easy either, constantly running into monsters, having to deal with some people’s problems around the villages you all encountered, also someone’s (won’t admit but it was yours) tent was damaged due to a monster raid so now you had to sleep in one of the other boys tent.

Sky was the first to suggest, rather quickly might you add but you were tired that night and you didn’t care.

You couldn’t help but realises that during the days, you liked sleeping near Sky. He was like a bear, once he was in a deep sleep he would drape his arms around you—as creepy as it may seem..it was nice and cozy. He was the perfect cuddle buddy.

But now you all were in Skyloft! You were particularly excited to see, you’ve seen the visuals in the game but seeing it right now, living in the moment? Felt perfect.

“Make yourself at home, Bazaar is in the centre of Skyloft so feel free to top up on items and potions” Sky smiles softly, “That sounds boring! What can you do on this tiny island?” Wind huffed as he looked around, despite Wind’s slight interest to check out the Bazaar he couldn’t help but feel the need to adventure again! A new place needs to be explored but a place this ‘tiny���?

“Well, I can show you my Loftwing.” Sky offered, Wind gasped. “Really?!” “Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him so it’ll be good to go check up on him.” Sky looks over to you, “would you like to come?” You honestly would but you were exhausted, you wanted to sleep.

“No, I think I might head to the Academy to have a nap.” You informed earning a slight nod, “alright, we’ll be back” you watch as the two leave, Wind dragging the poor boy by the arm. You head towards the Academy.

————————————

You were greeted by Sun, Sky’s Zelda. She was as kind and gentle as Sky described her to be, “You must be Y/n! It’s nice to meet you, Sky’s told me a whole lot about you in his letters” Sun chuckles which made you flushed a bit, ‘Sky writes about you in his letters?’

“All good things I hope?” You replied jokingly, “Of course, he’s very poetic with how he describes you” now you were curious.

“Oh! You’re probably wondering where you’ll be sleeping for the next few days, we’ve occupied some rooms for vacant so you all have a room however, someone will need to bunk with someone but it’s okay! You don’t get to, you’ll have a room all to yourself” Sun says sweetly, you were relieved at that fact but also disappointed, sure you’ll finally have your own sleeping space but you’ve grown accustomed to sleeping near Sky and embracing him in the night.

You shouldn’t ponder much on the thought, it’s only for a few days anyways.

You didn't realize how tired you really were! Once you had woken up from your nap it was dark time. You probably missed dinner but that's fine, you weren't hungry at the moment but your mouth was dry. You pick up your water bottle and tried to take a sip but it was empty, off to the kitchen.

You find yourself at the sink filling up your bottle and once it was filled you took a sip.

————————————

"Mmm, Y/n?" You turn to see the one and only sleepyhead, Sky. "Sky, Why are you up?" You asked softly, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. "I can't sleep" "Why's that? You finally get to sleep by yourself again"

"Yeah, That's the problem"

That answer shocked you, mostly flustered you. "Problem? How?" "It's colder than usual, no matter how hard I try I can't stop thinking about having you close to me again" You had to contain the smile that was twitching to appear on your face.

You turn away from Sky, your back facing him as you close the lid. Either you’re dreaming right now or this is really happening, you never thought he would come clean like this and the fact he’s having trouble sleeping tonight because of you? Considering yourself a one of a kind!

You heard footsteps behind you and Sky had wrapped his arms around you lazily as he rest his head on your shoulders, “Please, come back to my room” Sky whispered gently in your ear causing a slight shiver to run up your spine.

“Well, at least let me get my things—“

“No, do that in the morning”

Sky hooks an arm under your leg and manages to hoist you into a bridal style carry as he walks back to his room.

He lays you back on his bed, he hops in the bed and tucks the blanket over top of you two, the softness of the blanket was a gently caress to your skin as you could already feel yourself feel lighter, feeling drowsy.

Sky’s arms wrap around your waist, lazily placed dropping on your body but you wouldn’t underestimate him, he’s stronger than he looks and he’ll yank you back if you stray too far.

“See how cold it was before? How could you let me go through the feeling of such loneliness and coldness” Sky pouts softly, “For Hylia’s sake, you’re the hero of Hyrule and you’ve already done that before we were forced into the predicament of sleeping together” you tease, booping his nose softly as you two had a light banter between the two of you.

You could tell he was tired, well normally you can but he was about to knock out soon. He plants a soft kiss to your forehead making you flush slightly. He decides to pull you in until your bodies are flush.

You couldn’t help but let out a small content sigh as you cuddled into him, you had to admit this was better than sleeping alone.

Bonus:

“So, who’s waking Sky up? I dibs not I did the last time.” Wind raises his hand as he calls himself out, he would fight against Ganon again instead of waking Sky up—Sheesh that boy gets so angry when woken up.

“Uh bad news, Y/n ain’t in her room..All her stuff has been left behind” Twilight says as he had a worried look plastered on his face.

“What? It’s only been a few hours, she couldn’t have been taken again.” Time muttered before he looked at everyone again. “Alright, Everyone scatter around, maybe she went on a stroll without telling one of us. Legend, you wake Sky up, he’ll know where all the hiding spots would be around here” with no further discussion everyone had left to find you.

————————————

Legend grumbled as he walks to Sky’s room, first he had to bunk with none other than Wind himself who didn’t stop snoring. Remind him to never bunk with Wind again, now he has to wake Sky, just great.

“Hey Sky—“ Legend opens the door to see not just Sky but you as well, snuggling close to Sky’s chest as he had his arm lazily wrapped around you. Legend stares at the scene in front of him for a bit…

He ponders on his choices.

Get Wild to take a Photo and blackmail the both of you

Or

Be nice and—

Hell no, forget option two. Legend suffered a night so you both pay the consequences.

[dindjarindiaries]

Dincember 2024 - December 5: Boots

character: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

prompt: Boots

main masterlist • dincember masterlist

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙

Din was polishing his blaster when he heard Grogu coo from across the cabin. He looked up, narrowing his eyes as he tried to find the kid. The little womp rat had been getting back into impromptu games of hide-and-seek, but Din really wasn't in the mood on their first night back at home.

"'What's going on, pal?"

Another coo split the air, and it was one of Grogu's long ones. Din knew what it meant: Come here!

Din sighed, setting aside his blaster and rag as he pushed himself up out of his chair. He mumbled about the fact that this little venture better be worth it as he headed towards his bedroom, where he'd heard Grogu's voice coming from.

Sure enough, the kid was there, hugging one of Din's boots by the bed. Din stopped in his tracks and set his weight on one hip, his hands rising to his waist just as his eyebrow lifted in an unimpressed maneuver.

"Why are you holding my boot like that?"

Grogu huffed, rolling his eyes—Din really should be calling him out on that blatant disrespect—and tapping the boot a few times.

Din still wasn't getting it. Force, was he excited for the day the kid could finally talk.

"You... want me to put them on?"

Grogu palmed his wrinkly forehead and pointed at his own foot. He went back and forth a few times.

Realization finally dawned over Din. "You want a pair of your own boots?"

Grogu nodded and let out a relieved coo. Din chuckled and closed the distance over to him, kneeling in front of him and running his fingers along his long ear.

"You know, buddy, you could've told me that last time we were at the bazaar." Din nodded. "I would've found a pair for you."

Grogu shrugged and looked down bashfully. Din chuckled and scooped Grogu into the nook of his arm.

"C'mon, kid." Din glanced book at his boots, making a more permanent mental note to remember Grogu's next time they were out, and kept heading back to the living area. "It's time you learn how to polish a blaster."

Grogu's eyes widened in delight, and Din warmed at yet another sign that his son was truly learning—and was enjoying it.

[jennaispunk]

Gift of a Friend

Summary: An unlikely meeting leads to something unexpected.

Pairing: Din Djarin x OFC (Talia)

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: none. This is just fluff (sorry not sorry). A “This is how they met” story. It’s just two people who could use a friend finding each other. Maybe it might lead to more…..

Notes: I wrote this for the @swiftiscruff friendship exchange. This is for you @sawymredfox!!! I hope you like this. Thank you for being brave and reaching out to me. Look at us, two introverts making a connection lol. You are too sweet and my world would be a little less bright without you in it. Love you. 💜💜

The title is from a Demi Levato song.

Thank you @fallingforthearch for being my beta.

graphics and support banners by the amazing @saradika-graphics

The sounds of the bazaar filled her ears: children laughing… vendors calling out sometimes in their native tongue and sometimes in basic, peddling their fruits and vegetables or homemade goods. The sun beat down on the dirt as she made her way through the bustle and cacophony, looking for a few things to make up her dinner for the evening.

Another long shift at the hospital had come and gone, mainly assisting with patching up drunken patrons from the cantina whose mouths had earned them a fist to the jaw or the nose.

Gathering the last things she needed, she headed to her small home, ready to finally relax and maybe start the new book she’d been dying to read. The sound of babbling behind her caught her attention. She looked down to see a small green creature looking up at her. His big dark eyes looked up at her curiously, almost as if he knew her. He babbled again and reached his arms out to her.

“Hey, little buddy…. Are you all alone? Where’s your mama?”

Her eyes darted, searching the crowd. He was an unusual looking creature. Not a species she had ever seen before, but so adorable. Surely, someone must be looking for him.

His ears twitched, and he made a sound that sounded almost like a whine. He instantly lifted his arms again, and she scooped him up. The little creature babbled happily in her arms. She stared at him, feeling a sense of comfort and peace with this little guy she hadn’t felt in a long time. She felt he was trying to communicate with her, even though all his sounds were only gibberish.

“Do you speak Basic?” Talia asked. “Can you tell me where your parents are?”

The little green creature babbled again, tilting his head. His little hand reached out to touch her face. She softly gasped at the unexpected contact but relaxed as she felt the warmth and comfort wash over her.

“There you are…”

Her eyes shot up to behold a broad man clad in armor and a helmet. She recognized his armor immediately; he was a Mandalorian. She blinked rapidly at him, her tongue briefly peeking out to wet her lips.

“He's yours?”

“Yes…he belongs to me.” His voice was devoid of emotion through the modulator. He stood rigid and tall, an unmoving statue. The sun created an almost halo-like ring around him, making him look like some ancient god she’d read about in a novel.  

“Friendly little guy, isn’t he?”

“He doesn’t usually like a lot of people.” His response was short and to the point.

A puff of air escaped her lips as the little green creature babbled in her arms. This mysterious Mandalorian was so hard to read and apparently not one for conversation.

“Come on, Grogu. It’s time to go home.”

Her brow ticked skyward. It was an interesting name. The little guy completely ignored him, continuing to coo and play with strands of her blonde hair swirling in the gentle breeze.

He exhaled loudly, his right knee jutting out slightly as his hands went to his hips.

“Grogu…”

The tone of his voice made Grogu’s ears droop slightly and he pouted for just a moment before leaping from her arms and returning to his Mandalorian.

He scooped Grogu into his arms and turned away without another word. She huffed. Was he just going to walk away without a word? She opened her mouth to insult him, but Grogu’s high-pitched noises stopped her. The Mandalorian stopped as well, keeping his back to her but turning his head to the side.

“Thank you…for looking out for him.”

She called out to his retreating form, her arms crossed tight across her chest. “You’re welcome.”

“Mudscuffer.” she added under her breath.

Din walked away with Grogu babbling in his arms, reaching back toward Talia. Din shook his head, a strange feeling in his chest. Something about that girl intrigued him. Maybe it was how sweet she was with Grogu. Perhaps it was the way she called him a Mudscuffer when she thought he couldn’t hear. She had spunk, and he found himself wanting to see her again.

Halfway through the bazaar, she realized her mistake. The shopkeeper offered his son to carry the packages home for her, but she refused, her pride overruling common sense. She’d been saving for months to buy this easel and canvases, and she didn’t want another set of hands all over it. Besides, she’d made it this long on her own, and she could do this too.

“Dank Farrik!”  she groaned, adjusting the packages in her hands, determined to make it back home without dropping them.

Din watched her from a distance as she struggled, silently chuckling to himself. She was a stubborn one, too damn prideful to ask for help. His heart stirred at the sight.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

Taking the packages into his arms with little effort, he looked down at her, his helmet hiding his smirk.

She stared at him, opening her mouth to speak then closing it again. She hadn’t expected to see him again, although he had managed to find a way into her thoughts over the last few days.

 Before she could speak, Grogu took the opportunity to jump into her arms.

“Hello, little friend.” She laughed as she booped his nose.

“Which way?” he asked. The glint of his armor caught her eye as he shifted his weight.

“Oh, uh…. this way.” Her hand jutted out in the direction of her place.

An awkward silence fell over them like a heavy fog as they walked toward her house, neither one willing to break the tension. His boots softly scuffed the dirt in a steady rhythm, lulling her into a strange sense of comfortability.

“Do you have a name?” Her voice cut through the silence. “Or should I just call you Mando?”

One of his shoulders raised slightly.

“I figured you’d just call me Mudscuffer.” His chuckle was like a soft whisper through the modulator.

She swallowed hard and fixed her eyes on the road. She couldn’t believe he’d heard her say that. She thought he was out of earshot when she let that slip.

“My name is Din.”  

“Talia,” she offered before he even had a chance to ask. His head turned slightly toward her, giving her an almost imperceptible nod.

He sat the package down in her living room and straightened, admiring the small space. It was sparsely decorated but cozy—like a home. A worn bookshelf stood tall in the corner, filled with books and a few small trinkets. He wondered what sort of books lined those shelves and if she imagined herself in those worlds as she read them.

She watched him standing in her living room, the sun beaming in and reflecting off his Beskar armor. She found herself wanting to know more about him…. anything about him, really.

“Thanks for your help.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. Grogu shuffled around on the floor, fascinated by the space.  His coos filled the air, punctuating the uneasiness between them.

“You’re welcome.”

She opened her packages and set up her easel by the window, adjusting it a few times to find the perfect angle to catch the light. The canvases were stacked neatly into the corner under the small shelving holding a small assortment of paints and brushes.

“You paint?”

Din could almost imagine her sitting by this window; tiny speckles of paint freckled across her cheek, her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked. The sunlight streaming down, illuminating her golden locks, would have been breathtaking.

“I’m getting back into it again. I had to save for a while before I could afford a new easel and a few pieces of canvas.”

He quietly cleared his throat, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to talking to people. He couldn’t remember the last time he had an actual conversation with someone. Talking to her was…nice. His cheeks flushed under his armor, and he was grateful she couldn’t see his face. He was a bounty hunter and a trained warrior, not some little boy with a crush.

“Would you and Grogu like to stay and have dinner with me? It’d be nice to have some company for a change.” Her cheeks burned with heat as she asked the question. Her heartbeat quickened with every moment he was silent.

“Thank you for the offer, but Grogu and I should be going.”  He didn’t know how to explain to her that his creed forbade him from revealing his face to anyone but his riduur. That was a conversation for another time. He’d broken that vow once and endured too much to redeem himself to risk it again.

Her chin briefly tilted toward the floor before she returned her gaze to his helmet with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

 “Sure…. maybe another time.”

His chest tightened as he collected Grogu. This feeling was strange to him—this feeling of wanting to connect with someone. He’d spent his whole life without any real attachment to anyone until Grogu. Now, he found himself wanting to be in her presence, wanting something with her that he always longed for but denied himself: a friend…and maybe something more.

Without thinking, he stopped in the doorway and turned back to her.

“Our home is just outside the city. If you’re ever interested, there’s plenty of good lighting and landscape to paint.”

The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop them.

“I’m sure Grogu would like it if you came to visit sometime when you’re free. He seems to like you.”

Her smile could have lit up the deepest mines of Mandalore. This mysterious stranger had her completely captivated. She’d realized how much she missed having someone to just be with… someone to fill that void of loneliness she tried to ignore for so long.

“I’d like to visit Grogu sometime, too.”

[ymilksh]

➫ A SCHOLAR'S LOVE (2)

♡theme/warnings: cyno/reader, fluff, slight jealousy

♡summary: cyno is terribly smitten by you. absolutely head over heels. thinks everything about you is great- but has no confidence to actually say it to you. you've picked up on his antics and so has your friend group... so will he stay love-sick, or tell you the truth?

"kaveh, those balloons don't go there." you stated, pointing to a bunch of coloured balloons stuck behind your couch. "i know you're into interior design, but..." you put a finger to your chin, squinting your eye at his choice of decoration. "it really looks like a clown threw up behind our couch."

kaveh raises a brow at you, setting down the last group of balloons with a weight attached to their strings. "oh really now? since when did you spend years researching the ideal grouping of indoor decorations, miss decorator?"

"since it was my birthday, mister."

kaveh groans, moving the balloons back to their original position. "thank you, kaveh~" you sing, walking into the kitchen of your small dwelling. as students of the akademiya, you were given homes to share with each other for the duration of your schooling. you and kaveh shared a house along with al haitham, and cyno and tighnari shared a house with one of their acquaintances.

earlier that day, kaveh had helped you prepare some desserts and appetizers for your birthday party. it was lucky your birthday came on a saturday, leaving you some much needed space from your studies and some time to relax on your special day. some friends and family would be over to celebrate soon, and the after-party would consist of you and your buddies having a sleepover.

everything was perfect, until you realized after looking at what kaveh had made for you; you didn't have a birthday cake.

"kaveh? y-you never made a cake, did you?" you shouted from the kitchen, a little panicked at this discovery.

kaveh walked into the kitchen, analyzing the food on the counter. "shoot. i- sorry, y/n. i must have forgotten… the grand bazaar might have a few stalls with some ingredients- but al haitham said most of them were shut down for a performance." kaveh explained with a hint of regret. he had previously made a list of things to make for the day ahead- yet threw it out thinking he could rely on his memory to finish everything.

"this is because of you getting cocky again, isn't it? listen, i told you to stop being so competitive with al haitham! you can clearly plan a party better than him, i know that, there's no need to prove that to me." you scolded him, putting away the other food you inspected.

"really, y/n, it's nothing like that! i honestly forgot about that stone-faced al haitham today, he's been out all day since the morning doing who-knows-what. i just impulsively threw away the list of food i was supposed to make." he shook his head with his palm on his forehead, disappointed with himself.

"okay, kaveh. i forgive you. we'll just...have to go without one. i'm sure i can whip up some small tart or find a pie stall-"

a knock on the front door cuts your sentence short, some muttering outside catching your attention. kaveh stays in the kitchen, panicking at the leftover mess he forgot to clean up as well.

opening the door, your eyes light up when you see cyno next to tighnari, cyno's hands full with presents and an oddly large square box. "cyno, tighnari! you're here early! come on in." you smile, opening the door fully. cyno says hello and blushes after walking in, tighnari throwing you a wink as a greeting.

having your friends’ company was just the type of pick-me-up you needed after hearing your party wouldn’t be having a birthday cake. it was an integral part of the celebration, after all! kaveh definitely owed you one. after getting everyone situated in the living room, you helped cyno place the presents onto the coffee table.

“oh, ah, y/n. that one-“ he points to the large box, “it needs to be refrigerated.” tighnari quirks a brow at him, wondering what the box’s contents are. “sorry if it’s any trouble, i know it’s quite large.” he deadpans, making you chuckle.

“no, not at all. here, come bring it to the kitchen, we can put it in the fridge. just what is it, exactly?” you inquire, your brain brimming with curiosity. maybe a fruit platter? no… he would have let that stay in plain sight. a new type of mechanical device? nah, he knows you better than that.

“it’s…nothing too special, i’ll let you know when you can look inside.” cyno sounds unsure as he tells you, following you to the kitchen.

kaveh greets him immediately, jumping at your entrance. “ah, cyno’s here! and i’m guessing tighnari tagged along with you?” kaveh nervously asks, tucking his dirty cloth behind him. you roll your eyes, snatching the cloth from him and tossing it into the sink.

“don’t mind him, cy-cy. he’s just embarrassed he managed to make this much of a mess yet didn’t bake me a birthday cake like i asked.” you informed him, throwing a light fist bump to kaveh’s shoulder.

cyno’s eyes lit up at your nickname for him- did he hear you correctly? cy-cy? he could feel his heart begin to swell with joy, a small cough erupting from him out of shock.

“ah- cyno, are you feeling okay? that cough sounded a little dry. anything you wanna drink?” he shook his head, refusing the offer. “okay. just let me know.” you smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. he shuddered at the action; when did you get so friendly towards him? were you always so attentive like this… ?

at this moment, cyno realized tighnari was right. his worries had definitely caused some clouded judgement.

at around 4:30pm, al haitham returned home with a bouquet of flowers and a couple bottles of wine to mark the occasion. closing the door behind him, he met with you all in the living room and set down his items on the coffee table, discussing everyone’s day so far.

after talking for some time, it was now around 5pm; the sun painting the sky a beautiful shade of blue with streaks of orange dawning the horizon. everyone gave their greetings to you, wishing you a happy birthday and all the best ahead. you beamed at the energy in the room, it was overwhelmingly positive.

cyno however, was lost in thought, imagining a million different ways this evening could go. would you enjoy your gifts? was what he prepared… too bold? tighnari had told him to make a passionate and sincere gift for you; explaining that when you don’t have the words, sometimes a handmade gift can communicate a message a lot easier. of course he would still have to clarify what his intentions were, but tighnari was sure you would love whatever cyno made. even if it wasn’t the prettiest.

still, the dark haired student had no idea what cyno ended up doing for you. he was just as confused as you when you saw the box, almost second-guessing his advice when he saw how large it was. but remembering how carefully cyno treated his interactions with you; in his heart, he had faith in his friend to make the right decision- to really put his heart into this gift. whatever it may be, tighnari trusted cyno’s judgement.

eventually, people started to filter in and out of the party, parents and grandparents parting a little earlier due to their older age. some presents were opened and others were left to be opened later, as you had gotten pretty tired from all the dancing you did and all the food you consumed. despite kaveh’s oversight of the cake, you would say your party went just as planned!

after all the excitement died down and the sun had finally set for the night, al haitham noticed you had fallen asleep on the couch, laying a blanket over your body. it was just the five of you once more; everyone taking a separate position in the house. cyno was sitting on the other sofa opposite you, head buried in a book al haitham had left on the side table. al haitham was checking to see if you had drank too much- kaveh was cleaning up the decorations strewn across the living room, and tighnari was packaging the leftover food.

as he put some containers of food away, tighnari noticed the box cyno had brought sitting in the middle of the fridge, a pang of guilt hitting his stomach as he forgot to remind cyno to take it out. “ah, dear me. he’s probably got his legs between his tail over this being left behind.” tighnari sat the leftovers down, grabbed the box and brung it to the living room.

“cyno, i think there’s something you forgot to give to miss y/n.” he smiles, setting the box down to poke you awake. you stir in your sleep, making a cute whimper sound that cyno can’t help but squeeze his eyes shut at. you were just… way too cute. it felt out of character for him to be so affected by your actions… but he nonetheless welcomed this warm feeling inside of him whenever he looked at you.

“hwaaa~ hey eweone, whad did i miss?” you yawned, your distorted voice causing kaveh to laugh at you. “don’t laugh, your words are barely comprehendable when you’re awake!” you retort, half smiling at him.

“well, cyno still hasn’t given you your present, you know.” al haitham explains, curious as to what this will lead to. his friends had clearly been planning something behind his back… and it seems behind yours and kaveh’s as well.

“ah, that box! well, come sit everyone. i’ll open it right now.” you smiled, tearing into the wrapping paper. cyno watched with anxiety, nervous about your reaction. tighnari just smiled at him, a silent plea for him to calm his nerves. you can do it, cyno. trust yourself with this.

“wow- oh my goodness, c-cyno, did you really make this…for me?” inside the box was a decorated cake with two layers, the words ‘happy birthday y/n’ written in cursive draped along the top. adorning the rest of the cake were stick figures made of pretzels and frosting, flowers and animals beside them representing you and your friends. “it’s so lovely, when did you have the time to make this?”

cyno’s face was now fully tinted with red, watching you examine each of his dressed pretzel figures with such precision and care as if they were real. “i took the time to study the preparations of a birthday cake a few days before the party. i wanted to make you a gift… that sent a message to you, one that symbolized your importance to me. to us.” he explained, holding your hand as you listened to him, teary-eyed.

“but that isn’t the only part of my gift. i wanted to take you somewhere to show you something. is…that alright?” he asked. tighnari was ecstatic at cyno’s response to his advice- he even planned something extra? it was quite the coincidence that he could make your dreams of having a birthday cake come true- but this was just the icing on top.

“yes, of course. do you guys mind at all? i’m sure it won’t take long.” you asked your friends, hearing no objections. al haitham smirked at the situation before him, of course it was like this, how could he have missed it? kaveh was thinking the same, both of them shooting a glance at each other.

“okay, we’ll be off then. i promise it won’t be long.” cyno smiled, nervously taking your hand in his to guide you outside. there was a small patch of land near the neighbourhood you lived in, clear enough to see the skies and all the stars that wandered across it. he laid next to you on the grass, turning to face you.

“y/n, i have something to tell you that i’ve been thinking of for a while.” he takes a deep breath, reciting his thoughts in his head. “the only reason i chose to say this today was because of tighnari- well, you know how he is. when he sees a flower beginning to bloom, he can’t keep his mouth shut about it.” he chuckled, looking off to the side.

you stared at him dreamily, wondering what his next words would be. the fact you were alone together enjoying the starry sky surely was a gift in itself, but was the flower… meant to represent you two?

“and, my pretty padisarah, you are who i’ve been wanting in my g-garden.” he stutters, making you giggle.

“oh archons, tighnari definitely said that to you as an example of what to say, didn’t he?” you continued to giggle, your contagious laughter spreading to him as well. resting the back of your hand against cyno’s cheek, you tucked a strand of his pearl coloured hair behind his ear, leaning a little closer to him.

“i want you in my garden, too, cyno.”

smiling, he leans further in as well, unsure about his next move until you press your lips to his. the kiss you share is sweet and pure, eliciting sparks in your chests at having your feelings reciprocated.

as you pull away, cyno lies flat on his back, and you copy him. “i’m relieved you feel the same, y/n. i’m sorry if i offended you with my staring lately, i couldn’t figure out how to tell you i liked you.”

you sigh happily, wrapping your arm around cyno’s waist. “oh, don’t worry, part of me felt it was something like this… i just wanted to see if it was really true. truth be told, i wouldn’t have known how to go about it either. i’m glad our friend did the heavy lifting, hehe.”

“yeah, me too.” cyno agrees, staring up at the sky with you. two constellations have become visible now, intertwined with each other as they float across the atmosphere.

[dindjarinandlysakane]

The Sweetest Taste | Chapter 7 - Trouble?

Din Djarin is happy on Nevarro. He has a home, a family, what more could he want? But when a woman turns up selling bread and cakes at his doorstep, how can he not fall in love? And how can he also stop her from getting hurt at the hands of her partner behind closed doors? Will the hero save the girl and get the girl? Warm and sweet fluff/romance/hurt/comfort fic.

Masterlist

Chapter 7 - Trouble?

----

“Do you know someone by the name of Crix Val’shif?”

Din was stood inside the Chief Magistrate of Nevarro’s chambers.

He had come straight here since his run-in with the thug known as Crix on Lysa Kane’s doorstep, and he was still seething.

Grogu was happily sat on Karga’s tabletop helping himself to handfuls of poit-nuts, watching as his father paced nearby.

Greef Karga, who was sitting on a grand, high-backed chair in the centre of his large and imposing desk, cocked an eyebrow up towards Din.

“Doesn’t ring a bell,” he replied. “Why? Trouble?”

Din gave a huff, stopping in his tracks.

“I’ve just got a bad feeling about him,” he said in a low voice.

Karga was silent for a moment, eyeing Din.

“Anything to do with the lady I saw you escorting to the Bazaar earlier?” the Chief Magistrate said in an interested tone. At this, Grogu also gave a chirp.

But Din merely shot him a look, causing Karga to raise both hands either side of his head in defeat.

“Alright, alright,” Karga muttered, before lowering them and tapping away at his holographic datapad. “If you think this guy is bad news then I’ll trust your instincts.”

Din moved over to the desk and watched as Karga searched Crix’s name in the extensive database.

Grogu who had eaten his way through half a bowl of nuts, waddled over to Din, reaching for him.

His father of course obliged, lifting his son beneath his tiny arms and settling him against his chest with one gloved hand.

“Hmmm,” murmured Karga after a long moment or two.

“Anything?” Asked Din quickly. But Karga shook his head.

“Couple of bar fights but that’s it,” he said with a sigh. “Nothing notable.”

Din gritted his teeth together.

There had to be something on this guy.

“Want me to ask around?” Asked Karga. “See what I can find out?”

The masked Mandalorian gave a nod. 

“Thank you.”

…….

Five long days had passed since the incident on Lysa’s doorstep. And the Mandalorian had been on edge ever since.

Crix’ threats had meant very little to him, but the thuggish man’s foul attitude had not gone unnoticed. And neither had the bruise that marked Lysa’s, otherwise smooth, skin.

Din was almost certain he knew where that bruise had come from, but without any proof to back up his hunch, what could he do? Lysa had made it clear to Din that she hadn’t wanted him to intervene or interfere. And as much as Din wanted to rip Crix limb from limb for speaking to her the way he had, the Mandalorian had agreed so far to abide by her request.

But as the days had drifted by, Din had begun to grow concerned.

Lysa had promised a weekly delivery to his and Grogu’s cabin, but now it had been nine days since her last arrival here on her landspeeder.

Din had even put off going to chase after another bounty hunter job, in case he missed her.

But for her to not even turn up?

Din, who had been sat at the scrubbed wooden inside his small cabin cleaning a couple of spare engine parts from his Starfighter with a greasy rag, had been staring into space for at least a minute.

A deep frown line was pressed between his brows, obscured behind his beskar helmet.

Would he be an idiot for going to Lysa’s place just to check if things were ok?

Din knew he liked her…as a friend of course, that was all it was. But nevertheless, he could still be concerned about the welfare of a friend, couldn't he?

Din’s attention was drawn suddenly by Grogu hopping up onto his lap.

The Mandalorian shook himself quickly from his stupor.

“Hey buddy, you wanna head into the city with me?”

Grogu chirped, cocking his head to one side in interest.

“I wanna chase up our missing delivery,” Din explained, letting out a heavy sigh.

----------

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[bryan360]

Just we’re about to set up for tomorrow’s 🎅🏻Christmas Day🎄; especially when prepared for my art gifts that thankfully finished as soon I’ll be sharing as secret blog exclusive.

In the meantime, look how my Filipino pal’s doing for his Christmas postings so far. Always one step ahead while I’m trying my best without any slacking off. 😅

That being said, it was an impressive feat that he’d gone at the Valenzuela Food Fiesta Christmas Bazaar back in Dec. 10th this year. His thoughts after trying out the burger, a shake, and some pizzas pack in his tastebuds. Not some of them were mind-blowing wonderful. Heck, I never had an Hawaiian pizzas before just for the best to avoid them. I’m more into pepperoni with meat on it.

As for his two festive holiday artworks, a very nice job. 👍 Having spaghetti dinner with Cude and his small human friend was nice, but for his friend Leapant that sure to like it very much.

🦊⚽️Sam: Yeah. PopiKir sure know how to make good meals for these two. Not to say I’ll be joining in, though. I’ll be happy if she can make some good rice and veggies for me. 😋

🐰🖌️Maxwell: I’m sure she’ll won’t mind, buddy. Better yet, how about having a Christmas feast with friends and families they’ll be worth a while?

🦊⚽️Sam: Oh, yeah! Besides, we’re almost there before Christmas coming a long. Can’t wait of what we’ll be bringing this year with our friends. 😉🖌️

🐰👊💥May: Umm, let’s not forget about Aace’s part. How nice he’s gotten his own new friend’s clothes that wasn’t the first time he had. All in all, it’s fitting for having red and blue colors in him.

🐰🖌️Maxwell: Aside from me that I do have my original red and blue clothes, but just saying. Anyways, hope we’ll won’t be missing out for tomorrow’s 🎅🏻Christmas🎄 ahead and into New Year’s. 🎆🎉

[seph7]

By Frank Rich

March 30, 1983

A PLAYWRIGHT with a strong, fresh voice will always stand out sooner or later, but there's a sure way to expedite the process: put one of his one-act plays on the same bill with works by writers who speak in more familiar and measured tones.

Such is the good fortune that has befallen Harry Kondoleon, whose ''Slacks and Tops'' is third on a new one-act bill titled ''Triple Feature'' at the Manhattan Theater Club. Mr. Kondoleon's work has been done before Off Broadway, but he's seen to exceptional advantage in this outing. Coming after the evening's two conventional plays - one of which, Stephen Metcalfe's ''Half a Lifetime,'' is quite decent - ''Slacks and Tops'' snakes through the theater like an air-raid siren.

Mr. Kondoleon's sketch, which might be described as an absurdist nightmare, is imperfect and unevenly cast, but its caustic, surreal humor and bizarre vision are original and special. Set in a motel room near Kennedy International Airport, it tells of an insane all-American family determined to uproot to Africa. Mommy is so stoned that she's convinced herself that marijuana is legal; she's so in love with Vogue magazine that she's taking her entire collection of back issues along to her new home. Daddy is a college professor fond of having affairs with his students (after which he gets them kicked out of school). Both parents despise their grown daughter, who arrives in the clown's costume and makeup she'd worn to entertain at a church bazaar earlier in the day.

A lot happens, a murder included, as these three shout at and past one another, dredging up several decades' worth of grievances. Mr. Kondoleon has wholly eccentric things to say about families, organized religion, shopping, sex, marriage, and even ''the desiccation of European cities.'' Nearly every line contains bracing language and the charge of high-voltage anxiety, and that quality is captured in Douglas Hughes's fast-paced staging. While the actors can't always keep up with the writing and the direction, Amy Wright is delightfully mad as the literally and figuratively clownish daughter.

In Mr. Metcalfe's play, second on the bill, four Middle-American men get together for their weekly beer-and-poker revels, only to discover that their lives have never lived up to the high ambitions that they shared back in high school ''half a lifetime'' ago. Confronted with the realities of dull dead-end jobs, alienated wives, children's orthodonture bills and middle-aged flab, these pals are so desperate that they even briefly contemplate a suburban bank robbery as a solution to their ills.

If there is nothing new in what this play has to say, one nonetheless admires Mr. Metcalfe's ability to portray the vulgar rowdiness and ultimately the mutual affection that binds the men together. He doesn't sentimentalize his characters - they can be outrageously juvenile, bullying and even racist - but he does make the case that male camaraderie isn't always a bad thing. Friendship is the only solid possession these buddies have, and, by the end, we feel its full value.

Dann Florek, who acted in Mr. Metcalfe's ''Strange Snow'' at the Manhattan Theater Club last season, has done a very strong job of directing ''Half a Lifetime.'' Though he can't always cover up the clumsy transitions, italicized epiphanies and bald passages of exposition, he firmly establishes the raucous atmosphere of the recreation-room gathering and delivers the emotional punch that the play's conclusion demands. The cast is excellent: John Goodman, James Rebhorn, Peter Zapp and particularly J.T. Walsh as a cop whose immediate personal crises trigger the others' soul-searching.

The evening's curtain-raiser is ''The Groves of Academe'' by Mark Stein. It tells of the first-contentious, then-symbiotic relationship between an English professor (nicely done by Terrance O'Quinn) and a bright, iconoclastic student (Neal Jones) who challenges the hidebound notions of classical scholarship. The cute writing that informs this multiscene effort is typified by the fact that the professor is named Groves. Though Mr. Stein is erudite and makes a few good jokes at the expense of academia, his formulaic play amounts to little more than a wan secular retread of a previous Manhattan Theater Club hit, ''Mass Appeal.'' 3 x Diverse

SLACKS AND TOPS, by Harry Kondoleon; directed by Douglas Hughes; set design, Pat Woodbridge; costume design, Jess Goldstein; lighting design, Ann Wrightson; production stage manager, David K. Rodger. Presented by the Manhattan Theater Club, Lynne Meadow, artistic director; Barry Grove, managing director. At 321 East 73d Street.

Wanda …………………………Sasha von Scherler

Connie ……………………………….Amy Wright

Todd …………………………….Dan B. Sedgwick

Edwin ……………………………….Eddie Jones

Ginger ………………………Jessica Rene Carroll

HALF A LIFETIME, by Stephen Metcalfe; di- rected by Dann Florek.

Tobias …………………………….James Rebhorn

Spalding ……………………………..Peter Zapp

Winninger …………………………..John Goodman

Winter ……………………………….J.T. Walsh

THE GROVES OF ACADEME, by Mark Stein; directed by Steven Schachter.

Bill Groves ……………………..Terrance O'Quinn

Paul Morris …………………………..Neal Jones

A version of this article appears in print on March 30, 1983, Section C, Page 27 of the National edition with the headline: STAGE: 'SLACKS AND TOPS,' ONE OF A 'TRIPLE FEATURE'

[aidenlyons]

*Time Skip*

Of all the holidays this year:

Harvestfest - A feast and, of course, Football.

Winterfest - Small gifts, a lonely house as people went home to their families.

New Year's - Epic house party.

The one that Aiden has been dreading is... Love Day.

(WARNING: NSFW images below!!)

A few clients gave him cards. Aiden isn't sure why he kept them. It's been a miserable day and Kory organized some sort of party downstairs. He'll hate himself tomorrow but for the first time he tries to numb his sadness with drink.

Elias comes up from the party to find Aiden, slightly drunk and miserable, wallowing in bed. He's not exactly sober himself, worried about his friend.

E: Hey buddy. Didn't see you downstairs.

A: Didn't want to. Too many happy couples.

E: Yeah? Thought you had a date last week?

A: Ugh. No second date. It was awful. It's always awful, Eli.

E: M'sorry, man. Really thought this one'd be different. You said he was nice.

A: He was. S'pose he could be a friend. But not.. he wasn't.. There was no chemistry.

A: You don't have trouble.

E: I struggle.

A: With what?

E: Dunno. That I might want somethin' I didn't know I wanted.

hat gets Aiden's attention. He knows he's a little drunk but now he's confused.

A: Wait.. what d'you mean?

E: Think.. I don't know. Talking to you, and.. I'm around a lot of guys. Here, in the locker room. I'm not bein' creepy! Thinking recently that.. some are kinda cute.

Aiden huffs a soft laugh and looks at Elias in confusion.

A: Are you.. coming out to me, right now?

This is the most bazaar Love Day he's ever lived through, he thinks. But he's also really proud of Elias. It's hard to accept thoughts that change how you see yourself.

E: I.. don't know? But.. I've been getting more curious, lately.

A: About what?

E: Everything? I mean.. A hug's a hug, they're all nice. But would kissing a guy feel the same as a girl? That's wierd, huh?

A: Nah. Think it's normal. But I dunno. Never kissed a girl.

Elias gets himself off the floor now that Aiden is sitting up, considering that.

E: It's.. nice. Girls are all just.. sorta soft. A lot of lipstick taste gross though. Like wax.

Aiden snorts a laugh, then sobers, considering that.

A: Sounds like kissing is the same.

Aiden considers. He's nervous, drunk, but hopeful. Elias is handsome, he's a friend, maybe he's the solution to why it doesn't seem to work with anyone since... Jake.

A: Well.. you wanna try? You can kiss me, if you want.

Elias immediately looks at Aiden's mouth.

E: Can I?

A: Didn't I just-? Yeah. I'd like it too.

Elias leans in and touches Aiden's jaw. He can't say he hasn't thought about it, especially with how close they've gotten this year. Who better to experiment with than a friend?

E: Alright.

One soft kiss turns into two, turns into a slightly sloppy makeout session. Eli's never been with a guy, so Aiden knows he's going to have to take lead here. It's not what he's used to, but he remembers he did it before, what feels like a lifetime ago.

Aiden nudges Elias until he lays back and then starts to crawl over him after their kisses grow heated and hands start wandering. They're both breathless.

A: Is this okay?

He has enough presence of mind to check in.

E: Yeah. Yes. Come here.

For a moment Aiden has a strong sense of deja vou and has to shake his head a little.

E: You okay?

A: Mhm. Yeah. Yeah, I'm good.

Rather than think, he attempts to shut up his brain by resuming their kissing and enjoying Elias' curious, wandering hands.

Elias thankfully is eager, and a quick learner. Aiden is sober enough to make sure they'll both enjoy this.

(EDIT: These images have been altered from original to be less NSFW)

It's good. It's damn good. Elias clearly has some skill and he's attentive. He may never have done this before but he's a quick study. It's been months since Aiden felt this good.

Afterward, there's tipsy cuddling. Elias knows he's a fan of cuddling in general, has heard it enough. He pays attention.

A: Oof, what are you doing? You're heavy.

Aiden giggles, relaxed and still high off those happy hormones.

E: That was amazing.

E: Hmm. Thank you.

A: Isn't that my line?

E: Nope. You're beautiful, know that?

A: You're drunk. We're both drunk. *giggles* We need sleep.

E: Can I stay?

A: Yeah. I'm not going to suffer alone in the morning.

[buddymobilitycare]

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[kings-collection]

Godly Delusions

Chapter One Part Three

The girl wakes up drooling over herself. She had been learning about the world in the ruins. It turns out it ended a few days after the chaos of the fall of the settlement. People have been moving in and there is a bazaar with small accommodations around. She helped around where she could and decided to get multiple maps and create her own map in her concrete shack ¨hmmm¨ grim walks in dragging the corpse of a local animal ¨heya gr-? Grim are you ok buddy?¨ getting bandages and alcohol to clean any wound he has. He drops the body as she holds him, he licks her face happy and with no wounds though he has some stinky breath ¨oof……Jesus¨ she puts him down and grinds up some mint grabs a bit of leftover meat, and coats the leftover raw meat with the mint and feeds it to grim. As usual, he is dramatic because he doesn't like mint ¨don't be a baby you'll try and kill me if you had a cut like a few days ago¨ he barks still butthurt ¨cheer up grimmy¨ She pets him and then tickles him, he begins to bark and bite her but seems happy ¨who's a good boy who's a good boy¨ he pants happy ¨GRIMMY!¨ he awoos in joy. She laughs and begins to hang up the corpse and prep up butchering up the deer ¨just like when he brought me on his first hunting trip¨ she begins to slice up its skin putting it aside to create a water pouch ¨ok we gonna sell the shoulders and all the tender parts and we will eat all the good squishy meat¨ grim barks as she butchers the animal into all its such parts and lets grim knaw on the bone ¨ok I'll go sell the meat so don't wander you know how people feel about wendigo dogs¨ she pets him and gives him a forehead kiss ¨see you in a bit¨ he barks and begins to chow down on the bones. She walks into what would have been the barracks and walks to a meat vendor ¨heya John I got another haul of the meat”   he whistles ¨damn Sol if I would have thought you stole from a caravan group¨ she laughs so obviously trying to fake a laugh ¨oh no you caught me. Naw caught this sucker up near where I'm at ̈ he laughs taking the meat and weighing it ¨best I can do for this haul¨ he checks the meat “Sixty-fifty credits¨ she laughs and shakes on it ¨fifty I don't wanna make your broke ass even broker¨ she takes her credits and finds a dog bone toy ¨Ooo ma´am how much for the dog chew toy¨ the old woman wakes up looks at the bone and then back at her ¨two credits¨ she says shakily as she takes out four ¨here take four because I have a little dog back home¨ the old woman gets up and takes the four and gives the bone to her ¨thank you dearly, sweetie, ¨ she sits back down as she walks back through the backroads of the market to the point of entering the ruins and back into her shack ¨grim I'm home¨ grim is out cold full because he ate the bones of the deer, he barks tired but stays asleep. She laughs at him putting the bone on the shelf for later she sits at the table she found and looks at her map ¨now let's pin down this so-called captain¨ she begins to place down many pins and notes and all the sort getting the gist of what new things are in this new world

[maguro13-2]

Death Vengeance ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Chapter 3 Pt.3

[Secret Altar - Hideaki Kobayashi]

Master Phanto : Today is the year 2003, this is a very big day for ahead of us, and I have one great task to go clean up that Shinra act of their's. So this is your first day of showing me your powers that I gifted to you and I'm aware to use it properly.

Moirai Albarn : Well, gladly we can do. I have so many questions to ask or for their, answer. My sister and I have been obtaining the souls from one of those heartlesses and we will do well on gathering magnificent energy. Sister?

Maka Albarn : So, much of you had bear the fact that I have the reason that there is a city in a foreign country on the planet.

Master Phanto : It's called the USA. It's probably home to that plumber who is the hero of the mushroom kingdom or eventually hero of Subcon or Muu, the place that we althought that me and people used to live in that world only connected by dreams. We heard that an enemy to witchkind is responsible for possesing people with the Poison Spear. There is one enemy that holds the Poison Enemy, and her name is Shaula Gorgon, one of witchkind's most renegades and that renegade is one pretty slick creature. But that's not the Shaula Gorgon they know, the one that the witches sent wasn't a member of the Majo Order. [a hologram of the Sand Scorpion from Sonic and the Secret Rings appears] This is the creature of the Poison Spear, Sand Scorpion. A monster that is usually some kind of scorpion with eyes and it could bring poisonous epidemic to the populace.

Moirai Albarn : We'll do! Even though, Witchkind was not really that smart enough to think that the witch Shaula they sent was really an imposter. But my suggestion that this girl wanted to defeat her so badly it's unbearable that it's only one doppelganger that is dumb enough to attack one country. I bet it's after making it's attempt to find Heartless Medusa and that Demon Spider Jorogumo as well in order to revive Shinra's grandson.

Master Phanto : Shinra's Grandson? Is that what they're after? Well you do have a point, that Shinra fella is always one heck of a hero. He always keeps his cool and has a hero complex for that matters. So I want you to do to find this Shaula Gorgon doppelganger and destroy it before it could spread chaos on the planet.

Moirai Albarn : Yes, father. We'll do.

Maka Albarn : We mustn't give up, we'll have what it takes for to have that challenge.

Phanto's Servant : Master, the transport to Earth is ready. I've just set up the coordinates to Nevada, USA.

Moirai Albarn : This is should be a piece of Cake!

Maka Albarn : Yeah!

Maka's Mother : Be careful when you are needed to get back.

Maka Albarn : Okay, mom.

Moirai Albarn : Let's get to it.

Master Phanto : Remember. We're a proud Phantonian race. The human race could not the bear fact that human-turning weapons made from the bones of Shotaro aren't that lucky to face the true evil itself. Our blood is capable of using magic as a weapon and it's advanced to our old civilization.

Moirai Albarn : We'll do and understood! Come on, sister! We got somewhere to be!

[the two leaves and the scene changes to Mai Thi Hoang at a bazaar in the real world version of Death City]

Mai Thi Hoang : Oh my, the place for this weird fictional city in a foreign country is really not satitisfying for a place to live in, not exactly what I'm capable for. (sighs) Dumb Shinra Kusakabe and his stupid legacy of his, always the bastard for being a hero of why did he chose this place for a home of the legacy. If the Men of his influence wouldn't suspect of handling the truth out of the public eye, then I would get the truth spread from the mother of Maka Albarn. I wish if there was a way that I could really spread truth to the people and would just live in the real world anyway.

Shaula Gorgon (?) : [in a creepy voice] PSST. Hey, buddy. Over here.

Mai Thi Hoang : Huh? Who said that?

Shaula Gorgon (?) : I got a surprise for you.

Mai Thi Hoang : Really? Say, you kinda look familiar than that the "Real" Shaula Gorgon who was hiding around the world, somewhere. Are you sure that I can really trust you?

Shaula Gorgon (?) : Sure you do. After all, I can't say "no" to a girl like you.

Mai Thi Hoang : Are you sure?

Shaula Gorgon : Does it look unsure that if I may lick you for a special treat.

Mai Thi Hoang : Oh, about that. Well I basically do and--Wait, did you say you are gonna lick me like a dog?

[JOJO SFX : Menacingly]

Shaula Gorgon (?) : [chuckles] And now you just become a traitor like the rest of them.

Moirai Albarn : Hold it right there, Heartless creep!

Maka Albarn : And where do you think you're going of licking that girl's face like a dog or something?

Shaula Gorgon (?) : What the-?! [turns and sees Moirai and Maka appearing behind them, wearing Phanto's mask] Huh? Who are you?

Moirai Albarn : We are the daughters of Phanto, and we are the sworn protectors of Earth!

Maka Albarn : And we come to destroy the evil that is the dark forces of Evil!

Moirai Albarn : We knew that a heartless Doppelganger like isn't getting away of destroying this planet!

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : Y-You! How did you know that I'm a heartless doppelganger of the "real" Shaula Gorgon?

Moirai Albarn : It's easy. We found out that your little licking maybe the poison spear and therefore, Heartless knows it's true form that is a living shell.

Maka Albarn : Yeah, a living shell.

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : DAAAAH! Now I know you two really are! You're the daughters of that mask enemy Phanto from weird alien race! He was Phanto, he was the guardian of the key! He is that badass who is a soul-eating monster!

[The Grudge - Jun Senoue]

Moirai Albarn : I've known your movements, your plan on resurrecting the Kusakabe's grandson was a plan to destroy the legacy that Shinra created! Now tell me, why would Witchkind ever sent a Heartless phony like you to attack this mysterious city built in a foreign country? or else I'll have my blood to destroy you and take your soul away for good. You won't be dealing of destroying the Kusakabe Legacy anymore, you heartless moron!

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : Okay! Okay! You got me! I was expelled from Shaula Gorgon's heart and we heartlesses wanted to destroy the whole planet! We're on a path to genocide and it's all that demon spider's fault! The one who stole Shotaro's creations the demon weapons that are actually made from his bones and of course, Alchemy! But all that Death and Destruction made us realize how brainless we are! Thought that Ansem might be at the highest stake to have the whereabouts of opening the door to Darkness, so it turns out that this was all a tricky trap orchestrated by him to lure the heroes out! But more importantly, the Arachne Gorgon I know that stole the bones of Shotaro or a witch, isn't her at all. It's Jorogumo, the demon spider who wanted to feast on Shinra's Grandson. That spider was so stupid that it's attraction to Demon Vibe's power is so incredible, no witch on the planet would able to resist!

Moirai Albarn : So what's it going to be? Facing the light, facing truth, or facing my powers of blood magic?

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : Okay, I'll tell you who wanted to destroy the devil's legacy! It was Demon V-

[DBZ SFX : Energy Blast]

Moirai & Maka : [in shocked]

[Shaula yells and reverts to it's true form, which turns out to be a Neo Shadow heartless]

Moirai Albarn : That energy of light. Was it Keyblade Magic?

Maka Albarn : Could be.

Mai Thi Hoang : That stray beam of light. So this strange witch that tried to possess me was a Heartless Imposter all along? I...didn't see that clearly.

Maka Albarn : Hey, sis. That weird "Thing" that the stray beam of light hit it's back, was this a "Heartless" that father talked us about?

Moirai Albarn : Yeah, it could be. But this one over here is just bigger heartless. It's called a "Neoshadow", an adult-sized form of a heartless that way big and super strong. These heartlesses that have the ability to change one's appearance and become it's doppelganger. Luckily, this witch Shaula Gorgon that everyone mentioned about and known, is actually a Heartless doppelganger disguising itself as a witch using with dark evil magic. Not only that it fool the humans easily that much, but everyone in the real world had no idea she was a heartless herself.

Maka Albarn : So, it's just a Heartless Doppelganger. Why in the world would anyone think that Heartless Doppelgangers would easily fool the human race that easily?

Moirai Albarn : Apparently, this isn't the work of Witchkind, it was probably someone else that has been pulling the plug. Nobodies made by Xemnas, or the Shadows their selves.

Mai Thi Hoang : I see...Technically, thing that has been poisoning every human being the tongue of a Poison Spear. I get it, there was something fishy with the witches on this planet. They were hiding something superstitious about the Kusakabe Legacy that has been connecting to Soul World for a long time. The world of Smash knows that half of the Ohkuboverse was destroyed by the powers of the Time Eater, and now there is hope to finding out the answer of why are these heartlesses attack Soul World and what is their demands of destroying a hero's legacy?

??? [voice heard] : It was I, who sent the Gorgon Sisters' doppelgangers to destroy the devil's legacy and had it plans that the Ohkuboverse will soon be gone into nothingness. It was a simple plan to bring the true forces of evil that is me and I will have my puppet to dispose of you and conjure this planet for myself, wether will be me or the Time Eater gets it.

Moirai Albarn : Ngh! Who is this?!

??? : This is the ruler of Shadow Realm, and I'm putting everything on tight schedule. Although I did say that the so-called "Madness" is all nothing but a wordplay. But to me, It should be the fate of others.

Moirai Albarn : Fate of others? What are you talking?

[images flashing]

Moirai Albarn : Aaah! [holds head in pain] *painting* Fate of others, just what are their demands of destroying the legacy, and what's this silly fantasy world of theirs have to do with ending it with darkness or the time eater will destroy it?

~ Thirty-Fourth Scene : Monsters in Disguise ~

[thytaenic]

You're writing is so cute! If requests are open may I request a scenario where Characters Riddle, Kalim, and Azul meet their fiancé? Like arranged marriage AU!

Aligning The Stars

in which you, a busy person are tied to an arranged marriage and so, the first time you meet them was unexpected for you and marked as the best day in your calendar.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

bcs this is my first request, i hope it meets your expectations ! im still trying to figure out what to put for the rules of requests and i might’ve also overwritten these scenarios. anyway, enjoy <3

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

⊹˚︵‿₊˚ʚɞ˚₊‿︵˚⊹

ʚɞ ～ ❝ 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ❞

╰‧₊˚ riddle rosehearts, kalim al-asim, azul ashengrotto x fem!mc

Bakes For You, a bakery shop handled by (y/n) and two of her friends, ace trappola and deuce spade. for the past few days, the shop has received a lot of requests from birthday cakes to farewell cakes too. as a professional baker, she managed to keep up with the deadlines and delivered a great service to her customers.

(y/n) who's in her early 20s was set up in an arranged marriage by her parents with a nobleman's son, most likely her father's friend. because of her packed schedule, (y/n) had told her parents that she wont have time to find someone for her to spend the rest of her life with.

"goodbye, sweethearts. OH, before i forget. put it under the name riddle rosehearts, thats his name." they bid her mom who placed an order for her wedding a nice goodbye as she exited the shop, leaving behind a note. boy, just by looking at the note, her heart raced faster than usual.

“riddle rosehearts. riddle. riddle rosehearts. rosehearts. mr riddle rosehearts. mrs (y/n) rosehearts.” she muttered, giggling to herself at how silly she was.

who would've thought its finally her time to enjoy a marriage life? but with a stranger whom she never met. she shook away the curiosity and went back to the kitchen to start working on the order.

two days went by smoothly as the shop got busier than before. the day of her weeding drew closer too. (y/n) locked the door behind her, closing her shop for the door when she suddenly, she heard footsteps coming her way. who could it be? turning around, her eyes met with a pair of ash grey iris of a man dressed in a formal suit. they shared a look for a moment before looking away in unison. "good evening, miss. seems like your shop closed the moment i got here. i was wondeing if i could take order under the name riddle rosehearts?"

"oh, my apologies. since its a wedding cake, i was tasked to set it up on the venue tomorrow. but im guessing youre mom's assistant. may i know your name? i could tell mom about this matter." she spoke, hoping to know his name at least. she scanned the male standing before her. his eyes were red and so was his hair. but he dressed very well, maybe a nobleman? but why would her mom picked an expensive looking man to be her assistant?

the male's eyes widen, shocked at the way she's addressing him, "no, dont mind about it. i'll be going now." and so he hastily walked back into his car. 

“wait! at least, your name?”

he smiled at her, “riddle rosehearts, i’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow then.” zooming away from the street and disappearing into the darkness of the night. truth be told, (y/n) felt a familiar sense of happiness the moment they locked eyes just now. without paying attention to the situation, she went home to rest for her wedding tomorrow but she couldnt stop thinking about him

“so thats riddle rosehearts. i wonder if he knew about the wedding.” oh but little did she knew, she managed to spark some fancy from him making the male blushed so hard that he couldnt focus his eyes on the road.

“gosh, shes so cute.” he noted, clearing her throat before continuing his drive.

"hurry up, kalim. we dont have much time."

"jamil, wait! i need to buy a gift for my future wife."

the two buddies went out to the bazaar that day to search for something needed for the dinner preparation. kalim was told to marry the Land of Sand's famous businesswoman named (y/n). speculations said that she's the nation's sweetheart.

dragging his friend past the crowds at the bazaar, they stopped in front of a huge shop building. from the glass windows, the inside was decorated with extravagant chandelier and modern setup of displays for what seems to be bottles and packs of perfumes. jamil was about to say something but was taken aback by kalim who continued to drag him into the shop. 

greeted by how good the smell of the shop is, they couldnt help but to take a long around the shop. “jamil, what do you think? do you think (y/n) will like this?”

“searching for a gift for someone special?” suddenly a voice came from the second floor of the building. a lady with a purdah on to cover half of her face came down the stairs and walked towards them, greeting with her eye-smile.

“yes, im looking for a gift for my future wife. but its going to be my first time meeting her today so i dont know what she loves.”kalim explained as she listened to him carefully. 

grabbing a glass jar from the shelves behind the two male, she showed it to kalim. “this is our new invention. its called a scented candle. when you lit this candle, it acts as a fragrance for the room its in. im sure your wife will love it.”

jamil nooded, most likely amazed. “we’ll take two of this then.”

after spending a long time at the bazaar, kalim and jamil reached the Al-Asim’s residence. they had to prepare for the joint dinner with Al-Asim’s family and the bride’s family. kalim who was excited before couldnt stand sitting in his room as he grew restless.

“nervous?”

“a little bit.”

“its time. lets go to the hall to greet them.”

the two of them walked down the corridor of the mansion, passing through several rooms and even the garden before reaching the door. the long haired male pushed open the door, revealing a long dinner table with lots of chairs. the food were looking so mouth-watering too. at the other end of the hall stood a group of people.

approaching the group, kalim spotted a familiar figure among the people. finally, theyre together with the group. jamil on the other hand facepalmed when he saw (y/n) standing next to her father. “ah, kalim. meet (y/n), shes the one i told you about.”

changing looks with (y/n), the white-haired male’ eyes widen but this time with a smile on his face. “pleasure to meet you again, (y/n). please take this. do you love it?”

(y/n) chuckled and gently accepted the gift from him, “i did tell you that your wife will love it, no? because i really love it, kalim.”

azul ashengrotto, the current owner of the well-known Mostro Lounge which had over 20 branches was rumored to marry a woman of his parents' choice. no wonder he's every girls ideal type. but the rumor really started a huge issue in social medias. speculations, gossips, old stories, you name it.

netizens went crazy over this. as for azul, its a good thing their parents managed to find the best bride for him despite their packed schedules. fiance or not, strangers or friends, he only hoped for one thing which is to be able to marry a woman who can accept him for who he is. and once the rumor calmed down for a bit, its finally an ideal time for the two parties to meet each other.

"azul, personally speaking from a friend of yours. you'll have to spend more time with your future wife more than doing business." jade who was one of azul's friend suggested to him. knowing how busy he was, marriage is a good way to keep him from working too hard and staying up until late night.

recalling back jade's word, his heart went restless and raced faster. is it really a good choice? upon entering the fancy restaurant he booked for the meeting, azul went to the receptionist to look for the reserved table and thus, he was brought by the waiter to a table full of people. his parents spotted him firstand stood up to welcome him. "we're so glad you could make it, azul dear."

"its only natural for me to attend this meeting, no? greetings, mr and mrs (l/n)." azul said, shaking hand with (y/n)'s father who pulled him into an unexpected embrace. standing next to him was (y/n) dressed in a beautiful purple dress.

(y/n) politely bowed to greet azul but was caught off guard when the male gently took her right hand, drawing it close to his lips as he placed a soft kiss on her knuckle. such a gentleman, she thought. "im honored to finally meet you, (y/n). i hope i dont keep you waiting."

"of course not, dont worry about it. i just arrived here too." she replied, smiling at azul who failed to control his excitement at how cute she was. she then gestured everyone to take their seats. dinner were served quicker than they expected and they enjoyed the evening, taking the opportunity to get to know each other better. he learned that (y/n) was also a businesswoman and this is certainly a chance to broaden his business with collaborations.

once the dinner was coming to its end, azul excused himself first from the gathering to go back to his office. "leaving already? at least bring her h-”

“who said im leaving her? i was about to take a night drive. care to join me, (y/n)?

they walked away from the parents and bid them goodbye before exiting the restaurant and walking towards azul’s car. for being a gentleman he was, azul helped her to get to the passenger’s seat before entering the car too. “so, why do you accept it?”

“the marriage? because i wa-’

“money? i can give you money and we can stop this marriage.”

it was unbelievable for (y/n) to hear that coming from azul ashengrotto. he realised his words too and sighed. he was harsh, he didnt know what has gotte into him. was it because he saw the worst in marriage life? or was it because marriage life will affect his business?

“i didnt say that. i never said that, azul. i accepted because i wanted to know you better. and to love you too. is that wrong? tell me, what part of wanting to love you and wanting your love is wrong in your eyes? i know we just met tonight but part of me wanted this arrange marriage to be considered based on love, and not just because its arrang-” (y/n) ranted out, getting furious and was about to say more when a pair of arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her into such tight and warm embrace. azul sighed, tightening the hug more.

“lets get married soon then.”

[swampythesweetsketch]

Cult of The Dragon AU

A Ninjago and Cult of The Lamb AU

The Main Six

Lloyd - Green - The New Deity of Destruction

The last dragon among the living and son of the previous Deity of Destrcution, Garmadon. When he hatched, years have passed and his father's soul (in the form of his crown) leads him on his journey to accumulate his own cult. His journey brings him among friends and enemies, some of which he must decide who is trustworthy.

Jay - Blue - Unwilling Beast of Hunger

A octopus once set on the chopping block in a fish market, Jay was saved by a nice dog couple Ed and Edna. As time passed in his home, The Sea of Sand, a new cult leader Pythor had taken over the brutal terrain and turn his cult members into cannibalistic monsters who snatch the dwindling non-cult population for their meals. Jay and his parents were unlucky enough to be taken in, but with Jay bearing resemblance to a once great desert monster, Pythor has changed him with black magic into a being not even his poor parents recognize.

Kai - Red - Swordsmith of Ignacia

Once part of a renowned family of fighters and swordsmiths, Kai lived in a remote village in Ignacia with his baby sister Nya and their parents. When their parents, the strongest fighters in the village, were killed off by Samukai's cult; The rest of the village split up and ran to save themselves, only to be picked off and killed. Leaving Kai and Nya the only real survivors of the village. While Kai may of not learned the whole ropes of smithing before his home fell apart, he well makes up for it by making wild and enchanted weapons for fighters to buy.

Nya - Cyan - The Executioner

Her first memories were of her small village being torn apart by cultists and her older brother, Kai, carrying her to safety. As she began to grow up, Nya vowed to kill any cultists she finds. Which in her early years of battling have given her a little too close encounter with death. She improved, and now seen as the Executioner to many. But not all journeys are without peril, and Nya gets captured by Samukai's cult to be sacrificed to their Deity, Garmadon! She hopes that she can break free. If not, then it's up to Kai and Lloyd to rescue her...

Cole - Black - Wayward Trader and Semi-Thief

A lone ram that travels to forget his past, Cole has been traversing the mountains, valleys, and cities of Ninjago as a independent seller. He doesn't hate cults, but he knows the dangers that come from being sucked into one, yet stills does business with them once in a while. As he and Lloyd meet, Cole is on his way to his favorite bazaar when they discover Master Chen taking his fellow traders as prisoners on his island. Even if he doesn't want to, Cole joins Lloyd as they journey to Tournament Island to save his buddies and maybe steal some cool stuff along the way?

Zane - White - The dethroned Deity of Home Found as a little owlet with promising powers to protects and elongate live and prosperity by his "father" Dr. Jullien, Zane was a mortal promoted to deity in the Cult of Birchwood. Until a new figure came into power shortly after his father's death and being casted out. Now forced to watch his old home fall apart under a new deity's power, Zane has changed his ways to become a resource trader. Happilly marries to his crow wife Pixal, and father to several babies with his youngest Gidgette on his head at all times. He seeks Lloyd out for help as his home is now on the cusp of death as the new deity, the Overlord, vows to consume the cult's lifeforce and use his vessel to find another cult once done ruining the current.

[writing-the-end]

LoL Chapter 39- Periapts

Masterpost

A Wizard Hermits tale (AU, designs, ideas belongs to @theguardiansofredland)

How many hermits does it take to find protection amulets? And not bring home even more junk like a target run? And what do they do when the Guild of Gedeon discovers them?

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“Grian, those shoes are worthless for you- you already have wings!” Iskall waves his arms, exasperated by his shopping buddies. In the midst of the Redland bazaar, the hermits have separated out to find supplies they both need and could use. Iskall tones himself down as two Gedeons walk by, the entire area going quiet and watching as the council guildmembers march on. What are they doing in Redland?

“Yeah, but you don’t. You guys could use it though!” Grian buys the sandals without second thought, and without haggling for the price. Mumbo groans. They have yet to even purchase a protection or repelling item- or any amulet. He’s not sure if Grian understands saving money, and can only look away, across the busy, bustling bazaar to see who else is having better luck. 

Hypno can’t help but play with the dowsing rods in his hands, only for xB to grab one rod before the two pieces can cross paths. “Those aren’t a toy, give me those things. Do you want to summon a storm?”

“It could be useful! A big storm to battle off a husk storm!”  Hypno grins, before patting his hands against his friend’s shoulder. “It’s alright, man, we can grab some talismans right after this. But this is too cool to pass up!” 

Together, with xB’s innate kipling knowledge of enchantments, they pick out a few talismans. Wards against harm and unfortunate thoughts. Removing the law of attraction, or at least easing it. Two of the talismans were mass produced, before xB advised Hypno that unique amulets were likely stronger, picking through boxes and glass cases full of strange, vibrant pieces. 

But it doesn’t take long for xB to get distracted on his own. Reeling back when he sees it. “Whoa, I didn’t know these still existed! I thought the last of the moodium ores have died out!”

“But xB, we’re supposed to be looking for amulets.” Hypno mimics xB, but he’s grinning. “What even is it?” 

“It’s a mood ring!” xB’s voice rises and falls to make it sound mysterious. 

Hypno isn’t much impressed. “You mean the trinkets you get from the candy store as a kid?” 

“No! Those were inspired by real mood rings. Watch this.”  xB slips the ring on, and covers the pink, round cut gem and closes his eyes. Hypno snickers, watching for the stone to change color just because of xB’s body heat. His snicker fades, lip quivering as he feels globs of hot tears fall from his eyes. What the hell, why is he crying? Why does he feel so sad? 

“You…” xB’s grin and a wiggle of his bejeweled finger is all he needs to see to know what’s happened. “Asshole! You changed my emotions!” 

“No, I didn’t. You were already sad about something, I just amplified that. I also can smell that you didn’t brush your teeth this morning.” xB covers his nose, pulling off the ring before taking a deep, relieving breath. 

Hypno isn’t sure what he’s sad about, but it was obviously there. He wipes away the tears, large droplets and streams down his cheeks. Ruining his cool guy attitude, just crying in some random shop in the middle of a bazaar. He looks around for something to raise his epic points, but becomes distracted when he sees three Gedeons roughing up a shopkeep, demanding some kind of council tax he never heard of. In fact, all of the bazaar is quieter than other times he’s been to Redland. As if a nightmare patrols with Sidero’s henchmen. Perhaps that’s what saddens him. Even here, the Council’s influence is felt. 

Further down, nestled in an arcade offshoot, Ren, Jevin, and Cleo are in the middle of an intense battle. Not with swords or magic, but words. 

“300 rupees.” Cleo declares, holding up the protection talisman. The sigilized stone dangles in the air, twisting and casting it’s armoring gaze out on the bazaar.

“800, little lady.” The portly merchant reaches out, threading his fingers around the cord and starts to pull it back.

“350, and you get to keep your fingers for calling me a lady.” Cleo lays her other hand on the hilt of her sword, smiling a demure grin, her sickly green skin stretching for him to see. 

“Fine.” The merchant untangles himself from the fight and the amulet, grumbling under his breath as he takes the money from Jevin’s outstretched hand. “I dunno why people are suddenly buyin’ up all the protection amulets. There some kinda guild war about to break out?” 

“Not exactly.” Ren snickers, before trodding out of the tent and back into the sunlight. If he were on Eremita, he’d stretch out and sunbathe, sunglasses perched just so that he can see the clouds make their own creations in the sky. His daydream is ruined, however, when he feels a rap against his rear, tail tucking between his legs. 

“Hey boy, wanna get the stick?” Jevin teases, waving a snarled old staff for Ren. 

The mixed-up mage isn’t amused- though, the werewolf in him does make his heart beat in excitement to chase a stick. “My dude, I’m not even a real werewolf. I just know I rock a tail and ears.” 

Cleo shakes her head. “This is ridiculous. Who would waste 2000 rupees on some stick? These merchants are out of their mind. Now I see why Scar left his home.” 

“That’s not just ‘some stick’ li-” The merchant stops when a flash of metal glints against the sun, backing up until Cleo sheathes her sword again. “I- it’s a shift stick. It’s a one time use, takes the holder back in time a minute. A do over, a chance to fix a mistake. Perhaps even more useful than any stone necklace. One of a kind, and for such… unique customers like you, I’ll lower the price to 1500 rupees.” 

Jevin pulls out 5 gold rupees, before Ren and Cleo can say anything, and clutches the stick. “Totally worth it.” 

“How do we even know if it works?” Ren isn’t sure if it does exactly what it claims to do. They may have bought the most expensive branch in the world, but Jevin refuses to let it go. 

“We can ask Xisuma. He can check or something, he’s a smart guy.” Jevin shrugs. They have enough money, especially with how well Cleo’s haggling has gone. They could buy three shift sticks with the money they’ve been given, and still have enough to buy even more talismans. 

The three wander along the bazaar, meeting with other hermits on their way. BDubs and Keralis show off an entire chest of shielding stones, while Scar is laden with more golden amulets than anyone. When Cleo presses him on how he managed to find so many unique and powerful charms, he only smiles. “I know a thing or two about the trade business.” 

“Those are the dragon spirits on them.” Cub points out the twisting, dancing dragon. Without wings and the white pearl accents, it’s easy to identify which of the spirits is depicted. Ashtios, the Northern Wind Dragon. Another depicts winged dragons, finned dragons, sheared dragons. Fire, water, and earth. The spirits and sages that aided the gods to create the earth, and who provide median between the two realms. Nothing is more protective than a dragon, and they can feel the strength in the spell of each amulet. 

Down the bazaar, the hermits jump at the sound of metal clashing and magic being cast. Followed by yelling, Keralis and Doc are chased from a shop. The shopkeep waves her broom at the two. “What kind of freak eats a bug in the middle of my store! Get back here you cretins!” 

Doc’s gruff snicker is only matched by Keralis’s whimper. “But it was gonna help us. It was just a noisy locust.” 

The two escape from the bazaar, disappearing into the crowds of Redland. BDubs points in the direction his friends just escaped, blinking away confusion. “Should we be concerned about them?” 

“Keralis is with Doc, he’ll be fine.” Xisuma waves. “Besides, their grown men.” 

“Looks like we weren’t the only ones who got distracted by other goods.” Cleo nods her head at the books in X’s arms. 

Xisuma looks offended by the statement, and stutters over his breath to explain himself. ‘The-these are ancient works! They could have important information about dark magic!” He looks at the stick Jevin’s holding. “What kinda crap are we bringing home now?” 

“We have flying shoes.” Iskall holds them aloft, Grian preening the white feathers flat against the golden laces. 

“Dowsing rods and a mood ring.” xB keeps the metal rods far away from Hypno, who seems all too keen on starting up a hurricane in the city.

“And what we hope is a stick that can turn back time.” Jevin holds it up. “Otherwise I’m going to use this stick to beat that merchant for lying.” 

Lucky for Jevin and the merchant, Xisuma can feel the magic in the whorls of the wood. “I’ll say, these are all pretty impressive. Useless for our cause but… temporal magic is difficult. Were all our rupees wasted on things we didn’t intend to buy?” 

“Not the Convex!” Cub grins, hefting the smaller of the duo over his head, blue embers gleaming from their eyes. “We have enough protection amulets to destroy whatever Dolios got!” 

Xisuma opens his mouth to answer, but another voice cuts through the air, his own faltering and fading against his mask. “Now what reason could you have to go against Magistrate Dolios?” All of the hermits turn, seeing a squadron of members from the Guild of Gedeon, red tassels that mimic the Council’s golden ones fluttering in the wind. Behind them, the broom wielding merchant sticking her tongue out at the hermits. “Wait a minute- I think I’ve seen these scum before.” The center mage points at Mumbo. “You beat me in the duel!” 

Xisuma meets his gaze with TFC, both with their eyes wide. Behind him, Iskall rolls up his sleeves and snaps his gloves tight, ready for a fight. Mumbo’s fraught voice whispers out from beneath his mustache. “No one bought any smoke bombs, did they? Anyone?”

The guildmembers hear his words, and three magic circles rise. Mumbo shrieks and hides behind Grian. “Why did we have to send our two best fighters to Alphasgard?” 

Wind blusters against the hermits, tearing flags against their poles and sending the bazaar into chaos. Grian’s wings open, flight feathers brushing against the stone walls on both sides of the bazaar. He beats his wings down, and a gale force wind sends the bucket-headed goons of the Council knocking into one another, rolling down and into the mudcaked gutter. “Alright, I think the shopping spree is over guys. Time to bounce!” 

One second, the head mage is on his feet, the next he’s collapsed on the floor, snoring. Hypno’s wild purple magic circle twists in his hand, eyes blank and full of sleep while he searches his own mind. Digging through his dreams. The other two wizards slip their way out from the gutter, sharp spines of one’s spell driving forward like horns of a bull. But a dense fog appears in the midday sun. 

It’s also bright blue. Beef turns, taking the sudden cover as his chance to escape. All of the hermits follow suit, though Joe remains a few paces behind to follow Hypno. “Blue fog that smells faintly of cotton candy...I would love to study your psyche and dreams one day, my dear friend Hypno.”