#LEAVE NO QUESTION BEHIND
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#tenka willow#my sona#there's no light in this room#my art#HE FINALLY FINISHED HIS TIMELOOP!!!!!!!! I CAN KILL MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!! <- no longer in art torture#brief context in the nothingness he had to face this bird which is basically a representation of his ''inner instinct''#which developed in the period where he was basically eradicating everything#he fought it at the cost of getting an eye damaged and also getting a punishment from the bird#which turned him into. a mixture of himself and the bird form#while he was trying to get out of the nothingness he also was trying to fight the urge to eradicate#but. he successfully did it. thankfully#the bad ending would've been if he merged with the bird and eradicated the entire world#just to then eradicate himself. and leave everything behind but thank god this isnt the case#this is a really brief explanation theres actually so much more but as always#if questions feel free to ask#i can now take a huge break from lore art#hopefully he'll get some normal art now. poor guy#this took me like 2 damned hours my hands hurt
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scooters in, almost falls over, refuses to elaborate, scooters away
#hes seriously the silliest man in the world#why is he always on that damn scooter#thank you aston for acknowledging it aksjadl#even if it just leaves more questions than it actually answers#pls jimmy explain to me the behind the scenes of this#f1#formula 1#fernando alonso#we do a little bit of f1#2024 saudi arabian gp
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Bonus 9: So that's where the turtle came from!
[First] Prev <–-> Next
#poorly drawn mdzs#mdzs#bonus comic#tulu xuanwu#lan sizhui#Thank you Stackedbirds for the inspiration behind this comic!#The original plan was that they would kill the turtle - only for it to be revealed there was little baby turtles she was protecting#and those turtles left the cave to then be chilling in a river by yi-city 20 years later.#This version has less turtle death and is way more straightforward.#But yes; A-Qing's turtle was always supposed to be linked to the tulu xuanwu. I enjoy call-backs and set-ups immensely.#What other creatures does LSZ have in his sleeve pockets? What other endangered beasts have been accidently translocated?#Will the turtle ever make an appearance again? So many questions. Which I will now answer:#1) At least one rabbit and a few songbirds have made a permanent home in there.#2) I like to think all the cultivators leaving baoshan sanren's mountain are accidently translocated endangered creatures.#3) Yes. The tulu xuanwu will be pivotal presence in the climax of the story. Dare I say - the hero of the darkest hour.
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#What I've learned from this list is that a lot of my favorite periods in history have to do with nations or kingdoms in flux#Many of these eras sit on precipices that change the course of history#such as The Rise and Fall of Jacobitism or the 2000s#How different would the world have looked if 9/11 hadn't happened?#Or if Christianity hadn't infiltrated Ireland and caused the near extinction of an entire culture?#There is so much about history we will never know#but these periods in time when the scales could have tipped one way over the other#and subsequently changed the course of our existences#are so fascinating to me#Which also tells me that if I'd been born 30/40 years from now#this moment in history that we're currently living in probably would have been one of my favorite periods in history; this Trump era#era and the question of whether we leave it behind or continue to spiral deeper into it...#Interesting stuff!#jack.txt#jack's polls
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Vanha Kauppahalli date: en full, a 2 minute 50 second masterpiece...
Primetime Panthers | 11.6.24 (x)
#aleksander barkov#matthew tkachuk#florida panthers#2425#the global series is a gift#“alright talk to me what do we got?” with the camera following behind them makes it seems like theyre spies doing reconnaissance#the start to a thriller where they got sent to finland stake out for intelligence#maffhew not even waiting for sasha to answer before hes asks about chocolate#“the purple one you always bring” maffhew has been charmed by sashas leaving choco in stalls as gifts when he comes back from finland huh#you can tell he says that with depravity of a man who finally realises he doesnt need to rely on his supplier he can get it himself now#“uh oh [laughs] okay... what is this?” maffhew was not prepared for all the food to already be ready for him he just hopped off a plane and#expected to have to wait more and did not and absolutely does not trust the situation in the same way you get romantic candlelit-dinnered#and youre like alright whats all this then whats your angle what are you doing#“this is salmon and rye bread 😄” “(with the eagerness to prove hes smart and engaged) so is that 👉” “(charmed) and so is that 🫱”#“ill try your favourite first” GURL RELAX OKAY SETTLE DOWN YOURE IN A NEW COUNTRY JUST CHILL MAN#“salmon and rye bread—thats the famous one 🤓” [sasha nodding along because he has to reassure maffhew but also hes in the middle of eating]#maffhew choosing the most inopportune time and you can TELL sasha is like [swallows quickly] because he wants to answer but also BIG BITE#“herring” “herrin' 🤠?” “eating all this her-RING” no notes#“is this just another salmon on rye bread” he says with hope because he likes salmon but also disappointment (he wants to try more foods)#“different salmon? smoked?” the amount of questions hes askijg because hes so terribly engaged he wants to know and sashas like [shrug]#he has to get an A+ in experiencing finland which is normal to want and possible to achieve#“i still love your country though” and sasha explodes into the mirthful grin ive seen in my life like he just won the damn jackpot#he speaks at 100 mph like please take a deep breath sweetheart youre excitement is papable but PLEASE#THE WAY HE GETS SO UNSURE WHEN HE MENTIONS BARKY HATES THAT FOOD WHEN HE LIKED IT SO MUCH#MAFFHEW YOU CAN GET A PASSING GRADE IN EXPERIENCING FINLAND IF YOU STICK TO YOUR GUNS I PROMISE#SASHA HELP A GUY OUT HERE MAN THROW HIM A BONE#SASHA ONLY LAUGHS AS MAFFHEW THROWS HIMSELF INTO A TIZZY OVER THIS YOU ARE SOOOOOO#the chuckle when sasha mentions he had runebergin torttu in school... id like to know what was funny there#we call out sasha for being too lovesick and laughing at all of maffhews “jokes” BUT HES JUST AS BAD???#“what the hell do i do with this thing?” MAFFHEW HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN MERENGUE IN YOUR LIFE???
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For everyone a bit more interested in the 'behind the scenes' of Ciudad Enamorada in my game:
I've mostly finished the Vista Hermosa neigbourhood, at least shell-wise. There's just the 50x40 lot that I'm missing and it's a difficult choice; should I build a bigger mansion or another lot with multiple buildings?
From the other 4 lots, I've already shared Casa de Tepeji 22, but I'm still undecided on what I'll do with the other 3 lots and if I'll share them at all (lots of cc and already partly furnished).
build one: I've started working on a bar and a flower shop
build two: another bar/lounge, a grocery store and a partly furnished home
build three: restaurant l'Opera + multiple deco houses
#yup another behind the scenes post!#berry talks#berry builds#ts4 wip#if you have questions/suggestions leave them!#i always love to hear everyone's thoughts :)
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Crafting forecast has changed! Some local organizations are looking for, well, a lot of things for disaster relief, but the one I can help with is the request for baby blankets so I am switching into baby blanket mode for I don't know how long
#the person behind the yarn#at least a week probably#depends on what fabric I have on hand and when I can get to the store#I might try to use what I have on hand and hope joanns does another sale this weekend?#because I just missed their last sale on flannel#but I can make patchwork flannel blankets#and regular quilts#Basic Baby Quilt Time#I am rarely so aware of my physical limitations as at times like this#where I really want to help. and I might be able to! but if I am wrong about how much I can help#someone will have to leave the location where we are working to take me home#and if I am honest it's not a question of IF I will have to leave early but WHEN#so I am more helpful by not going because other people won't have to leave early#if my stupid circulatory system would just cooperate I could help! I used to!#I have the muscle mass to move things it's just not reliable because of my everything else
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There's this interconnected web of Walten Files Information that keeps coming back into my mind which I meant to make a post about a while ago. Which is as follows:
-We know from the Richie audios in Findjackwalten/caretakerlibrary that Rosemary had already been banned from (or at least highly discouraged from entering) Bon's Burgers by the 1st of July, which is quite a ways away from when she disappeared on the 19th. I definitely wouldn't put it past her to sneak into the restaurant during its off-hours, but we know at least that her being there wasn't formally sanctioned.
-From the way he talks to and interacts with Susan in TWF4, it seems that Bon's 'Selection Process' for who he 'beautifies' is not arbitrary, nor is it necessarily opportunistic. Which is to say that he's not picking people at random, and he's not picking people only because they would be an easy target. He watches them, and chooses them based on criteria they exhibit which appeal to him. In essence, he picks people he likes, who he thinks belong in his Wonderland.
-There's a near-undeniable but Implicit fixation that Bon has on Rosemary, which we only learn through many, many small things. The 'shrine' we see him create for her in Souvenir is relatively elaborate, (in that it seems to contain more than one object that is associated with her,) and he put her in Sha, which is the companion animatronic to his Bon. Rose's death scene in TWF2 also makes it seem like he spoke to her, as the Bon animatronic, before killing her. What he says exactly is notable, too. "Rose broken. Will fix you. You will beautiful." It's, one, an explanation of what he's doing. Bon did this for Susan too, but not in the 'physical world,' before he actually hurt her. Also, it's comfort. A soothing reassurance. I'll fix you. You'll be beautiful. Then also, of course, he calls her Rosie. "I know where he is, Rosie," is a line that haunts me forever, thinking of it coming from him.
This all paints a specific sort of picture in my mind. I like to think that Bon likes Rosemary a lot, and that she's a favorite of his, because she designed The Showstoppers. I think he likes Susan quite a lot for a similar reason, she was the woman who gave him his flesh and his bone. Who forged the vessel that he now lives for. But Rosemary is the artist who made it what he loves. She was the visionary who made him Beautiful.
So I think that Bon had his heart set on Rosemary for Wonderland. And it makes me wonder if the contentions between her and Felix that kept him away from her really pissed him off. But the core of my 'theory' here is just that Bon wanted her in the restaurant, that night. That she maybe wouldn't have been there at all, if someone hadn't asked her to be.
#chirps#I have a small addition to this theory/observation#which is just that I think Rosemary's death was very violent and slapdash because Bon was very excited#and he was maybe being very indulgent. He was enjoying himself#Which I say because Rose's death led to the shutdown of the restaurant. And I definitely don't think Bon wanted that#especially not before his project was complete.#I've seen some people question why Rosemary would be in the serial disappearances restaurant in the middle of the night to begin with#and risk leaving her daughter behind#which frankly isn't the most unreasonable criticism#and this is the answer which makes the most sense to me
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WAIT HE MUGS PEOPLE???
You can trust him dont worry! ^_^ he doesnt bite I promise! ^_^ Go say hi! ^_^
#On occassion when he wants something#that something usually being money..#yes#yes he will#he usually gets what he wants but he doesnt leave without getting fucked up first#because hes bad at it lmao#[YGM!] questions#whaaaat hes not holding anything behind his back what made you think that
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one of my favourite things about bbc atlantis is the ‘this is how things are deal with it’ attitude. any other show, if the protagonist got magically teleported from the 21st century to ancient greece, the whole story would have been about getting home.
not jason. this dumbass washes up on a beach and ten minutes later he’s waltzing around like he’s lived there his entire life. truly iconic.
#he doesn’t even question it!#like sure there are moments of recognising the myths#but mostly he’s just completely chill with leaving behind modern life#literally no one is doing it like this show#bbc atlantis
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Thinking abt Ollie befriending a murder of crows around the skatepark using french fries and they bring little trinkets that he puts in the chain link fence
#and if he finds one dead hell take it out in the woods behind the skatepark and make a lil burial for it out of flowers n pretty leaves ect.#and theyve probably been aquainted for YEARS since that boys spent most of his time in the skatepark since he was like 14 so like#generations of crows just know him#him always leaving a lil bit of food out for the crows wehn he eats over there#all hes gotta do sometimes is lift his arm with a fry in his hand and theyll come and pick it out#ollie#anytime the squad questions him he just goes 'you must always befriend the crows 👁👁 whereever you go👁👁''#thrm just bring like oooook buddy#anyway loling at crows on my break now i ogtta go back to hell CYA#looking
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How did Tengen end up as Zenitsu's student in the Tsuguko AU?
tengen thought that the best way to get as good as he could as quick as possible would be to train underneath a hashira. but since there was no sound hashira at the time, he turned to the next best thing. since sound breathing is a branch technique of thunder breathing, tengen sought out the current thunder hashira for extra training
but zenitsu kind of already had a tsuguko in kaigaku and zenitsu also really wants to speedrun his way to retirement so he didn't want to have to split his attention between students.
unfortunately for him, tengen basically continuously pestered him for training until zenitsu basically had to cave. so now tengen lives with zenitsu and mooches off of him whenever possible and is generally an annoyance to him out of habit more than anything
zenitsu is outwardly annoyed and internally regretfully fond of the kid.
kaigaku thinks he's weird and worries sometimes that zenitsu will drop him as a student in favor of devoting all of his time to tengen.
#kny#demon slayer#sun hashira and tsuguko au#uzui tengen#agatsuma zenitsu#kaigaku#scramblings#queries#love me my stupid little thunder family#methinks kaigaku also has major abandonment issues and is convinced everyone he loves will leave him behind so he has to leave first#still not sure whether or not he becomes a demon. the question is just if he gets help before or after being given the offer
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the thing that bothers me most about the whole exile arc isn’t even that arthur exiles gwen necessarily (though i maintain that the way it was done was still absolutely unnecessarily cruel) but it's more so the way that the narrative presents it. like the narrative framing the writers chose to go with is essentially that what he's doing is wrong because WE, the audience, know that she didn't actually cheat - therefore he’s overreacting about something she didn't do. instead of it being that a) regardless of whether she cheated or not it would STILL BE WRONG for him to exile her even if she did - because she’s a commoner without status and a single woman being thrown out of the only home she’s ever known without provisions or a place to go on the pain of death, and that he’s abusing his power without realising it. (like what happened to all that about class equality... ok!!). and also that b) regardless of whether she cheated she would still be sympathetic and that one mistake doesn't define you and that relationships are messy and people have flaws. idk it is just so ridiculous to me that she’s not allowed to make even one mistake before he exiles her after all that talk about how he would give up his kingdom for her. its a choice!
like ultimately regardless of whether she did it or not. how he responded was still wrong and it really bothers me that that ENTIRE arc (which did nothing but traumatise her!!!!) is made to about arthur and him deciding to take his mistake back and realising he regrets it. like SHE GETS EXILED and somehow the story is still only interested in arthur…. like truly what the fuck. they just put her through trauma and then discarded it all without ever giving it the space it needed to be processed either by her or the audience. it’s the way her pain and trauma are just sooo constantly sidelined by the show's narrative in order to better serve arthur and his 'character development' or whatever. im just so done !
#bbc merlin#merlin meta#e.txt#gwen#bbc gwen#UM AND THE REST OF SEASON FOUR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT GWEN BTW.#we should have gotten an exile arc and the entire thing should have been about gwen navigating her new life outside of camelot#and it should have included her questioning whether she knew what she was signing up for when she agreed to marry the king#and that its a burden she may not have anticipated and is this what she really wants.#like does it make her question her relationship to him?#does it suddenly throw into stark contrast the life she’s leaving behind for a duty she will never escape from#and all the social obligations that will inevitably come with?#and when they reconciled etc they should have talked about this and she should have decided that yes this is what i want!#she wants to marry him not just because she loves him but also because she loves camelot and wants to do right by its people!!!#bc she's thought it through and that she KNOWS what it means and she's going through with it anyway...#which she would do ofc. because she is the best girl ever.#but no.
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Trustfall
(gif from Pinterest)
Pairing: Din Djarin x biker!Reader
Words: 8,865
Rating: Teen & Up, (mature themes, but not graphic)
Warnings: canon-typical violence, chase scene action, catcalling, skeevey sleemos, brief descrip of injuries/roadburn, consensual touching, injury care, FEELINGS, fluff to intimacy, first kiss #thehelmetcomesoff ((fem reader, mild descriptions of features, hair etc.))
Summary: Most jobs' occupational hazards may include some warnings for heavy machinery: not 3rd degree roadburn and blaster shots to the face. Just your luck, that's what happens in your line of work.... While your partner-in-not-quite-crime Din Djarin has quite a bit of on-the-job experience with patching himself up after his skirmishes, tending to yourself after a shitshow like this is new territory. Some things are just too tender to see from behind the helmet-- and need the naked eye.
Sounds like he really needs to trust you if he's going to give you help with this one...
"I'm not going without you- -and you're not going alone" -P!nk, 2023
AN: thank you from the bottom of my heart, internet strangers, for the love for my little stories... this is a long one! here's to the countdown to season 3 finale, and a dose of feminine rage, badassery, and fluff to soften the landing~
For my Star Wars | Mandalorian Masterlist, check it out here!
Read on AO3
Anywhere in the galaxy you turn, there's a place you can navigate like the back of your hand: simply find where the drinks are flowing. Every watering hole may have its tricky language and even trickier problems, but the money's always good, and no questions are asked of you.
At a cantina, you rely on this. Here, you know you can easily fall back to old habits in an instant. Safety first, of course.
The rundown: where's the doors, where's the bouncers, where’s the barkeep and where's the biggest guy in the room. You've trained yourself to look for gaps, low traffic areas where you could make a quick dash out if things are looking sideways. Do all those things as fast as you can, too, because everything can change in a second. Tables can flip over like a credit chip– tempers, all the more quick to the draw. Oh, and don't be suspicious. Give a little smile if you can chance it– unassuming glances always make folks feel better.
But it's a bit different now. You don't bother to look up when you cross the threshold of a new place. You don't dissect all these fine details. After all, you've got a green baby that's twisting in his sling across your hips that has your attention split, and he comes first.
That's a full time job on its own… and whenever he comes along for the day, you don't forget the best part of the arrangement you find yourself in.
You've got a bounty hunter in stride. Worry is the furthest thing from your mind. He’s got you.
Upon first entry, the Mandalorian you've been hyperspace hopping with comes in like he'd likely done hundreds of times before. He's no stranger to reading a room, either. Though this time, with you and the little one tucked away in your crossbody, the company he keeps is completely different. This dynamic is far from your norm, but there’s so many things you love about it– and as it turns out, the feeling is mutual. He tells you so, that you don’t have to worry when he’s with you.
You buckled in the kiddo yourself– a break for Mando's still-tender shoulder. The scuffle you'd just come from not twelve hours ago was still fresh in both your minds– not that your sabacc face showed it. He appreciated your offering to keep tabs and hold him today. Still gotta fix his pod after the 'swimming incident' last week… after this payday, maybe you two could swing it after your winnings arrive.
Heading towards his unofficial corner of this planet's best underground lounge, Mando picked up through his peripherals the bits of chatter– no… -hunger- coming from some of the smaller pods of wranglers. Their attention wasn't due to the shinier beskar plates he wore. No, it was all aimed at his newfound companion.
They're all looking at you… not that you notice.
One in particular caught Mando’s honed attention as you neared, passing him to the bartop while he waited. The man wasn't the biggest in size, but Mando knew this type; that smarmy smile told him he’s thinking himself roguishly handsome, but made of complete slime and bantha-shit.
“Bike’s out back~” you paused by the bar to pick up the drink you’d nodded for, and made a convincing-looking fake sip while sticking close to his side. “-unregistered. Pokka dropped it off this morning for a nearby delivery run. It’s not the prettiest thing, but it’ll do in a pinch for a two-seater.”
Just after that line left your lips, something in the schmuck’s eye and his low murmur to his buddy. A near growl about the ‘not the only thing I'd pinch– pretty thing, coming right up’ made your partner turn with micro-precision in the direction of the smugglers–
–and catch your hand with a fierceness. Right in front of their table.
You're surprised by the sudden gesture.
When he did let go around the back of the row of booths, the Mandalorian more or less guided you by the small of your back instead. If anyone were invested enough past their drink's contents to be watching, they’d find you in a half embrace. This move allowed Mando the space to tuck you into his side with a corralling arm. You'd honestly not registered what he’d witnessed until he fell back to your pace with a gentle ‘this way’. A pod of spacers were gawking– at the shiny guy loaded to the gils with blasters, you thought.
Now closer, you had less room, but still managed enough to swing the munchkin to your front. The ‘bag’ made a little noise- an indignant question at your description of the ride you’d secured.
“Sorry, excuuuse me- three seater! Two and a half more like, with your size...”
Situating yourself with some disappointed looks your way, you took the near end of the bench Mando directed you to. Didn’t take much to know not to keep eye contact too long with any of these unsavory characters around you, so you kept to yourself. Once Mando slid in from the opposite side, you asked him,
"Quite the crowd huh?--oof–"-
Rather than allow the space for the little guy in between you, Mando slid in right beside you: an arm behind you and a small thud of his heavy fist on the table. The tracer clacked as it landed in front of him.
Someone's got him acting testy. You eyed your hunter as he brooded; a small twinkle flitted behind your eyes,
“See someone you know?" you asked.
"No." the Mandalorian spat out, curtly.
"Then what's wrong?"
His helmet turned to you, then ahead again.
"I didn't like how they were looking at you."
You bristled, really checking the room for the first time, managing the kid in your lap with a little glance. From the moment you took stock of the table nearest you, their quick darts in your direction told you just how rusty you were. They’re all locked onto you.
The whole point of your taking the kiddo for Mando was to seem less out of place, not a target.
“You don’t– think folks all the way out here are gonna go after him?” Nervousness flared in your voice, though for the sake of appearances, you didn't dare let it show on your face, “Who even reads the Imp notices anymore? This whole town’s a glorified farming dustball-”
Mando corrected you, “Not him.”
He murmured that into your shoulder like it was obvious.
A stunted breath tripped up your budding confusion.
"Well, if it's not the sight of a baby in a bar making them creep, what then?”
“You.”
Not for the first time, you checked the look of yourself. It’s what you faced from the reflection of the beskar cheek looking back at you when you addressed him– never his face, but yours. Then, to the room. Sure, you weren’t so rough-and-tough looking from the outside, but–
"..Hold on." Flatly, you turned towards him; a quarter turn from your cozy spot. "You're saying I'm the distraction here."
All you got in response was a little quirk of the helmet.
You bristled, “I’m not the only-”
“I know you’re not,” he hushed you again, still scanning his sights across the venue like a sentry camera, “but these bantha-breaths are all the same when it comes to- distractions.”
Your eyes fluttered in a muted roll. “And you think that’s new?”
“New to me.”
“Cmon. All this? You’ve gotten plenty of looks before.”
“Not the way they were watching you. The kid had nothing to do with it.”
You never take having such protective company for granted, but Mando's insinuation that you're bringing unwanted attention was surprising– and irritating.
“Please. You flatter me, I hardly think I’m the biggest draw in the room, hon.” you settled in. Harmless, but indignant, “You want me to really up the appeal? Then we should have planned ahead, and set up a rotation for me in the dance schedule.”
His gloves crackled at the creases– their grip unmistakable, “That’s an invitation for trouble.”
“No, messing with you is an invitation for trouble. I’m not trouble.”
“May not mean to, but you might cause us some.”
In truth, this observation wasn't unfounded; of the scarred, sweaty hunters and mechanics that filled this bar, you'd likely look out of place somewhere half this packed… and there’s no mistaking with the way you’re dressed that you are no fair-eyed performer like the real beauties in here. Sure your face under the visor shield might tell a different story when you appear more intimidating on the road, but here on this world, you passed over the need for even a
This was your job, and not your first time in this line of work. You wore the kit, you didn't strut or flaunt your stuff around, and you certainly never drank on the job either. Just looked and played the part you needed to. If he didn’t want you to come meet the contact, then why ask you to join him? The whole point of this plan was to be seen very publicly as a united front, so you wouldn't be suspected of funny business; even if that was going to be your specialty after you start phase two: divide and conquer, as you always do.
Plans change, sure��� but only when things turn sideways… not when he’s got some alpha male jealous streak going on behind that bucket of his. That hand grab earlier proved it.
Mando just took centering deep breaths while you ran out of accommodating alternatives.
“Well, then, what do you want me to do?” the short candor that came out of your mouth wasn’t in your nature– but this was getting annoying, how short he’s acting. He’s not normally this snippy with you… “What, ‘wait by the tram’ till you come out, so I don't tinge that reputation of yours?”
The helm regarded you, then shook off– like he was redacting on the spot.
“I- didn't mean-”
And the backpedaling,
“-Fine.”
No use fighting for a place you shouldn't be in the first place, because it would only make his job more difficult. Feelings or not, you weren’t out to throw a wrench in the operation just for the sake of your involvement.
And even if your reason hadn’t won out, you sure weren't up for a soapbox moment either– despite its occupancy in your chest.
You unstrapped the kid from yourself and placed him in your spot,
“See ya in a bit, bud,” you laced a kindness into your voice- a sweetness just for him, “Maybe your dad will get his job done better without 'arm candy' throwing off his mojo."
Beelining it to the backdoor, you carried on steaming. You didn't bother looking back, which also meant you missed the Mandalorian’s lock on you the whole way across the rounded bar. Not that you had any doubts that he would be watching you; in fact, you counted on it. But you knew with even more certainty that he wouldn’t stop you. Not when there’s a job to do. You’re just going to set out on yours early.
Though you may not always see alike, there’s yet to be a final say that makes you not trust him so far. You’ll change the plan, call ‘plot twist’ and go right along with him.
Maybe one of these days he’ll begin to trust you at your word… do Mandalorians even do that with folks who aren’t their kind?
It's a job. A job you can do damn well. So, back to old habits it is. Keep the bike warm and ready for go-time.
In your retreat, you caught a comm from him. Just a blip and slight vibration that caught your attention on your wrist:
/be careful/
– and just like that, all the temper heating your neck and chest: shocked by a bucket of cold, graciously vigilant water.
Your Mandalorian couldn't resist.. and you really couldn't fault him for it.
You stopped at the door, slowing as the two words staring back at you made you come to a standstill. Checking back and finding that the man's brilliantly shiny helmet had indeed stayed tracked on you the whole time sent that pang in you alive and burning. A little breath huffed from your nose, but you didn't scowl at him.
It's just in his nature, he can't turn that off.
You looked back and nodded.
'I will'.
“Fancy seeing a livin' breathin' angel who knows her way around a rig~”
Outside, the smarmy man you'd missed noticing before made good on his interest in you and racked up his courage to act on it. He swaggered over to you by the open air skybike model you’d secured.
As aloof as he could seem, with that peacocking chest on full display…. He’d even set one of his holsters off to the side, a clear invitation for you to notice another package. Ugh.
“Vision a’ beauty in a dark, little corner like this, too…" he layered on the sugar,"Must be my lucky day, I tell ya!”
You weren’t having this pathetic attempt.
“Does this actually work on women…” You leveled your face.
Felt good, giving him a stare down before going back to your solid watch of the back door.
“C’mon now, pretty thing,” more swaggered steps towards you had your insides cringing– and had you moving ‘round the speeder to the mount side, “Couldn’t keep my eyes off’a ya in there– yer a stunner!”
And you don’t take a hint. “Not interested– I’m working.” Kept talking, too, like your words had just been a sneeze.
“Thought you was that bounty hunter’s girl, but ah-” he comically searched the perimeter of the garage, “--don't see ‘im nowhere.”
You scrolled through your wristcom, “If you did, I’d be sweating if I were you.”
“Got the hots for him, do ya? ‘R are you just friendly is all?”
It took every ounce within you not to react. Don’t give him fodder, just watch the door and keep a level head. Like he does.
You cursed yourself. Mando really did have the eyes of a hawk-bat inside. Meanwhile, you were getting rusty– or just far too comfortable.
Still, this moron was clearly set on poking the still-tender temper inside of you.
“Thinkin,” he made every move to sidle up to you, “I don’t have yer name, sweet’art- whaddthey call ya?”
“Look– I’m not here for my health. Buzz off.” You won’t be getting it.
And another step, to come lean on the front dash- “Right then– I get to guess. Sweetie, it is~”
Some sanity passed through your head, and you figured… the more you talk to this joker, the more he’ll try his luck. A hand on the palmbar, you revved the bike to full power; making your ‘Leech’ jump back, immediately floundering–
“Hey, hey, hey!!” and his sights roved over you, and in an instant, you equally revved his engines, “Ah, bit of fire in ya, huh? Like that in a bitch… Sure you know how to ride this beauty? or I can show you the ropes~”
You finally let your disgust show.
-and thank the Maker for the comm beep to save you. Your partner’s speech-to-text came through on your wrist tab,
//Making an exit//
//Which bay did you clear//
All too grateful, you typed back the number plastered on the overhead air systems installed above you.
It took a bite of your tongue to keep from writing back a fuller response:
/Listen to the sound of this skug-bag’s jaw hitting the floor- that’s where I’ll be/
but instead you mounted after a quick couple letter keys.
“Well, it’s been a not-so-lovely chat here,” you upturned your own helmet with a flourish, “But after the loss of these braincells I can never get back, I gotta run and make my pickup now.”
The man made a last attempt to lean in over your from the front handlebars,
“Nah, c’mon, gorgeous, I’ll make it worth your time real good. What’s the hurry? Sure there’s no harm in a bit a’ hooky?”
You laughed high in the back of your throat, giving gushy-sweetness back, with a side of ice–
“Not on your life, sleemo. Door to Hell is open, I hear.”
Then with the pop of your helmet on, you floored a fast reverse and drove off to leave him in the dust.
It almost occurred to you when you paused again to see what became of him, but you were shocked that he was in fact coming after you– with a gang of about four other men. Not that you could make out clearly what they were joshing about in the metallic hangar, but the slang they used about what features were hidden by your clothes was obvious…
The door you parked by remained silent when you rolled up; meaning you’d probably met Mando too soon. He likely wasn’t ‘a few moments away’ after all. And the gang who’s laughing so boisterous was nearing the exit ramp that would take them straight to you.
You tapped the wrist comm again, speaking directly.
“Got company out here too, Mando,” you firmed up, “Bit of nasty company if that makes a difference!”
In a blink’s time, the audio came back, blaster fire sparkling through the speaker,
“Same shits from the bar?”
You chortled, then answered clearly,
“Yup. Bold guys, up close.”
“I’ve got their buddies inside too.”
“Well kriffin’– do you need backup in there then?” Your slow reverse and frantic scooting along the floor looking for someplace inconspicuous -and quick- to hide your ride flew through your mind as you came up with plan ‘B’. “I’ll stash this, and lay lower inside.”
“No time– Take a lap– don’t stay where you are–” the Mandalorian blurted out.
You heard the rev of the gang’s engines as they idled around the exit ramp, “Or could you just put a rush on it? I’m already right here–”
“I’ll find you,” he stressed. “DO NOT engage them–”
But before you could snap back with–
“Guess you’re in need of a new boyfriend after all, Sweetie Pie!”
The crass voices appeared from above. While you’d slowed and chatted, they’d hopped the roof and made to bear down on you. The newcomers to the group, a couple Trandoshans and another Kel Door with a new retrofitted mask roved over you like you were a batch of Quarren hot-pot.
Oh, that blaster at your side was tempting… but you revved into top gear, and changed the route again.
Keep away it is. Just ‘till the boys show up.
In the end, you lose your seedy admirers after your third pass around. Touch and go driving proved in your favor, messing with their sloppy sense of acceleration with each lap around the back parking area. That was perhaps your saving grace– letting their inebriated states affect their pursuit instead of performing on the offensive– but it was short lived.
Your first chatty Leech gets a corner up on you and forces your trek on the inner wall, where the backdoors line the complex. At this stretch of buildings, there weren’t any more service ladders like where Mando was going to meet you.
Coincidentally, there were garbage units separating where that former landing zone was to where you are now. So when you skidded to a perfect stop, Leech rammed into the back and managed to jam his front end into the back of your second-seat attachment. Lovely. A flare of alarm chilled your back– feeling him far too close for comfort.
The blaster you carry is holsted between you- he’d see if you turned to grab it. You’ll have to slip down for your vibroblade if he tries to grab you.
And of course now is when he comes out of the far backdoor–
The Mandalorian burst from the firefight in the back door and -0ki whipped around the railing looking for you. The munchkin spots you first, and with your visor’s magnification, you see his smile- and subsequent squeal- which drags the Mandalorian’s attention to you.
From clear across the divide, his blaster raised and you leveled down with your handlebars: like he showed you.
“Hey now, friend! I was just returnin’ yer lovely thing to you!” the man’s voice flipped up several octaves in defense.
The maglock between your bikes activated, and he dragged you in reverse ever so slowly,
“Been runnin’ me and my crew like wild around the place. Been a fun chase- yeh must have yer hands full of this girl-”
Mando shot the man’s acceleration chamber till it hissed– stopping him in his tracks.
“You stay.”
You bashed the man’s face with a harsh elbow while his sights are down.
“YOU CRA-”, he recoiled with a bear swipe while you dismounted to try and fling him off– “--AH!”
But another shot grazed the man’s foot, making him slump onto his speeder.
He’s buying you time.
Running through your mental catalog, you risked the man’s pain-induced split focus to detach your bikes from his panel’s shortcuts– but didn’t miss the Mandalorian’s next shout,
“Touch her and you lose your head next.”
You smirked under your visor. He’s gonna take him out anyway, you just know it. Swinging your ride back around to where you can remount never felt so good.
Now, you really did try to avoid close calls like this as much as you can manage. But if nothing else, this run-in proved you could always learn a bit more, should spare reading up on grav separation, and maybe outrig yours a bit better when you get the chance…
A spared nod to the Mandalorian while you backed up– and his nod back– gave you the confirmation from the high ground that you needed.
From your angle down low, your helm didn’t have the scope for it. But Mando’s does; you’re cleared to run the gap.
Against the exasperated Leech’s expectations, you jumped it. Sure enough, when you landed, no more jeers followed. Only yells of surprise from the guy’s crew, who were screaming around his form laid flat on the ground, some to call for a extinguisher droid for the speeder fire, another calling out for a medic…
Under the railing where Mando stands, blaster shots chink off his backplate again, signaling him to get out of there. A perfect land later, Mando mounted behind you and wedged his foundling between the both of you.
“I take it you got it?” you asked, your modulated voice still perking up the Child’s ears.
He answered with arm wrapped tight your waist, “Got it. Drive.”
With the Mandalorian and the kid’s padded sling strapped tight to him, the three of you dipped off the ledge of the garage, leaving the bad vibes- and big paycheck -secured.
–However, there's a gap in the antigrav you don’t account for. Turning sharp back to the main road, you slip off a level, and wipe out. Happens so fast, you don’t even breathe– just feel a punch to the gut where the front end of the bike lurches back against you when you curl forward around it as it spins against the momentum.
The acceleration drones when it falls off kilter, the compressors go creepily silent, the metal plates grind against your eardrums, scrapes and crashes, and so do you.
The Child’s fine; if just a little dizzy when Mando curls away from his landed position behind you. Made of straight beskar steel everywhere it counts, he’s perfectly fine too.
You? Not so lucky… You can count on one hand the amount of times over the age of fifteen where you’ve had a messy landing– and this makes the top ten.
Crashing feking hurts. But you can still feel your legs; that’s good.
You rolled onto your back at Mando’s yell for you. He’s calling for you by name– louder and longer each time it leaves his vocoder– before you can reorganize your rattled brains enough to make any noise. A test of tilting your head proved you had range of motion. An adrenaline-high hand simply gave a thumbs up to him, even though your cheek burned.
White hot sting radiated across your face even when you chucked your helmet off with gasps of breath, as fiery steam and dribbles of blood were dangerously seeping close to your eyeline. From your good eye squinting to the side, you caught the remnants of your smoking, stolen ride spun out amongst some employee’s stash of speeders. So much for returning that poor two-and-a-half speeder back in one piece…
The Mandalorian led you out of the hangar with a steady hand on your back- for support, this time.
Even through the leather, you felt the pressure he gave as a buffer between you and any lingering watchers. Out in the bustle of a crowd should have provided a comforting white noise to be moving along in, fading into their routine existence through the foot traffic. But not this time; not with your ear still ringing and ears popping every time you swallow. Instead you were still shaking off the chills that creep sent when he was starting to block you in.
That hand on your back slid onto your waist, tucking you closer to him as you walked and merged with the crowd. Then, while your attentions moved to the booths, he slowed a bit and moved up to your arm.
"Are you alright?"
You lifted up, that soft tone a sharp contrast to what you’d just witnessed: as he made his threats and his kills like the hunter he was. It hadn't bothered you, in fact the protective nature of him made you feel slightly good.
You smiled and fell into his side. You didn't realized how tightly you'd crossed your arms over your fractured helmet. His touch alone- brief as it was- encouraged you to release the tension.
"Yeah... Thanks for that." You sunk a bit. With every breath, the adrenaline ebbed more and more from you, and your cheek stung.
You both could bicker about how you had it covered another time. When there was some distance between this incident, maybe, but thanks was due here. There was no game of ‘I told you so’ between you; it was unspoken- but the care won out over any personal beef.
Your ego is plenty bruised over having a wipeout in front of him. And yet, even as he'd brought you to your helmet, the first comment he made wasn't about how reckless you'd rounded that corner, or how you got yourself into a chase scene picking a petty fight…
Mando was by your side the instant your hand fell limp after your cheery hand signal, and said something about how this helmet saved your life. In the moment, you were just sad its visor shattered.
"Spent a lot of credits on the tint job…" you groaned.
"You're bleeding. From the head."
"Fine, fine," you waved him off, "I'll spring for substance and not style next time."
"Thank Ashla her humor's intact," Mando bemoaned to the Child. "C'mon, let's get you up and out of here."
"Ow, shit– that's gonna bruise… all down here, too.."
"I've got you."
He looked ahead and motioned with a little nod to the corner of the side street. Once under a pavilion cover he loosened his hold on completely in favor of facing you.
"I'm.. I'm sorry that happened."
"Yeah," you sighed back, "Wasn't the finest show of my skills. Even stellar have bad days too, see?"
"N-. Not that," he shook his head a little, "When I found you, out back."
You stood confused. "What, that a creep wanted to get in my pants? It's not the first time, and probably not the last."
What started as a quip in your voice turned more genuine as you admitted the truth,
"You uh… had that part right at the bar. How they're all the same, y'know."
He bristled, the turn of his helmet evident.
"That's happened to you before?"
You shrugged it off, a little surprised that he hadn't been privvy to that kind of scene.
"Just read the stats. It happens more often than folks care to admit, honey,” that sick feeling returned, the one that made even your toes lurch.The sourness of your memories made your broken helmet decidedly more interesting to look at, “Dregs say whatever they want in these parts, really anywhere from Mid-Rim out. Don't like being told 'no' for the most part either… It just depends on how far they'll go to try and ‘convince you’."
He really must be all business in establishments like that to never see those locales from another's perspective… But you grin back up at him while he stared speechless.
"...I haven't ever had someone come to my rescue before.." you admitted. "That was– welcome. Appreciated."
As expressionless as the helmet made him, the slight tip of the head spoke wonders for you. Mando's hand rose to catch your top wrist and rubbed his thumb against it– solidifying those feelings he didn't dare speak in public. Without any facial features to go on, you relied on these touches and read into every little thing: chipping up your chin is an encouragement, a pat on the shoulder is a quick ‘atta girl’ or ‘stay put’ depending on the situation. And this little hold on your wrist spoke equal wonders, a hidden language of care:
I’d do it again in a heartbeat, cyar’ika. Simply say the word, and it’s done.
Your pause was a quick one, and with no more words shared, he simply took claim of your hand, adjusted your fingers to work together, and led you back to the shipyard.
The Child would peek his head out now that the action was over. He’d crane and lean up at you both as much as his sling could afford him– though he was most interested in what sight was in front of him: your hands now fitting together like they belonged.
His buir was currently holding your hand, like he’s reached out to hold his own three fingered claw when they first met. He hoped this meant you'd stay, too. With his green-skinned hand, he could almost reach yours and add it to the pile.
......................................................................................................
The Mandalorian was quiet that night. The quiet itself was not unusual, no not that– setting a course and spending his time in the cockpit making the adjustments he wanted was a completely normal task for him. He always knew where to go, which route to plug into the navicomputer to coast comfortably in this hyperspace lane for the next few hours so he didn’t have to stay up there and babysit it. You left him to it; this brand of silence was nothing really out of the ordinary for him.
You thanked his strictly-taught discipline tonight. While he stayed busy, you were able to clean yourself up without an audience.
After an indulgent sonic shower by his insistence, you fiddled around in the small kitchenette. The domesticity, the residential feel you’d fostered on the ship piece by piece was a sharp contrast to how the bar made you feel. The security of this place; you fall back into the feeling of ‘home’ here everytime you come up the ramp. So far tonight, that’s meant heating up a few bean rolls, monitoring the data cells you’d comped from your intel, and watching the kiddo roll around that little knob he was always sneaking off with. The minute after you’d realize the twist top of the gearshift throttle in the cockpit was missing, you’d smile. What thievery, at such a young age… at least your pilot didn’t have need of it yet.
You shook your head and laughed when the Mandalorian sighed behind you– clearly finding it, too.
"What am I gonna do with you, pal..." He wrestled with himself more than anything- begging the odd baby for reason, and picked him off the floor.
After setting him on the crate, the Mandalorian came up to the side of the sink. You didn't move much from what you were doing, but looked up when he just stood there quietly for too long.
"--What's up?"
“Really need to clean that.”
At the nod, you knew what he meant– the split brow and cheekbone.
Your instincts flared- hedge away.
You fanned your face, “I was just getting him settled first. It’s clean, I was just letting it cool down a minute.”
Your name left his lips. Firm as steady morning rain, and in a similar hush. You didn't need to see what color they were to know they were set on you and only you.
“Look, it’s only this much, see?--AH! Oof, nevermind..”
At your cheek’s lift, the fire came back. The move brought a tear to sting your eye.
In a second, the Mandalorian came to your aid, a bracing hand on your waist as his hand cupped your chin to see the damage himself. He asked you to take another step towards the light, so you did. It seemed like he was tilting about a bit, even as he tested the touch around the roadburn. You winced at it each time- from both the poking and the bulb of the overhead glaring into your eyes.
“It’s pretty bad, huh.” you mumbled out.
Guilt came through the sigh as a little exhale. You barely caught it, but it struck you in the stomach. The night, its quiet, and the privacy of hyperspace allowed you to bring your favorite secret to your lips–
“How bad is it –Din?”
“I can’t see it too well.” Mando -by his true name- told you, a skosh gentler. “My scanner doesn’t always allow me to see the debris from the clotting clearly. Hard to tell,” he weakly let go of your chin.
“Damn,” you sniffed and looked about for the tabletop lantern back by the kiddo, “Do I need to get the handheld?”
Then, with a little look back to the hull where he sat occupying himself sleepily by the towel pile, your Mandalorian took maybe his largest risk ever:
“-I need you to close your eyes for me.”
“Huh?”
“I need to see it better. Need– you to close your eyes for me to do that.”
Realization punched you again. Made your ears prick– and gooseflesh chill you.
You can't let him do this... You know he would.
“We can get a medscanner, Din. It's not too late to stop somew-.”
“No,” he caught you again, “I can do it; need to do it. I just– I need to trust that you’re hearing me.”
It's less of an order and more of a curated ask, one that begged for assurance. This man would always do his best to help you– but you never imagined he'd go this far… what he's willing to do for you.
It's the most vulnerable request he'd ever made of you; a Mandalorian's trustfall.
Now? You took back every doubt you had in the bar about him. You looked him straight in the visor –while you still could.
“...I hear you, hon.”
It nodded back to you; just one, solemn motion.
“Okay. Come sit here.”
You obeyed and locked onto the sight of the child while the Mandalorian fell to a knee in front of you, then propped himself up on both to match. With prepped gauze and tools to extract the pebbley shards, you winced at the canister of bacta being shaken up in his palm. A gloved palm came to caress your thigh. It’s meant to soothe.
“It’s ok. Gonna get you taken care of.”
“Yeah,” you feigned a brave face.
But every nerve ending fluttered at its tips when you felt it: his now bare hand brushing your good cheek,
“Do not open them, please.” you heard him whisper in the helmet.
The already low-lit vision of the cabin fell dark at your will. And you nodded– any reaction of his, unseen.
With the latch release and depressurization, you knew the helmet was off. And without meaning to, your ears prickled at every breath, every swallow, every ounce of sound that man was making – now naked to the hallway of this ship.
“Okay,” a gentle baritone spoke in the air between you. It’s new, like a stranger. “Hm– looks like we’re out of the stim solution, I don’t have any numbing cartridges. But I have the wipe kind. Gonna do that first.”
You hummed your agreement, then immediately whimpered at the first dab.
The Mandalorian froze and detached.
“It’s just a wipe…”
“Tell my face that.” You cringed. “Sorry, juss' stings.”
“I know,” he soothed, “T’sgonna be alright. I’ll make it as quick as I can. There. Gonna get these pieces out now.”
He did work pretty quickly now that he’s out from the helmet. You barely felt the edge of his tweezers as they scooped the wedges of asphalt from that high point of your cheek where the visor of your headgear had shattered. Before you could hedge away from one particularly deep poke, you heard him speak again,
"I've been thinking about what you said earlier,” Mando peeped up from his quiet, “About... men who've said those things to you before."
You softened. Was he still thinking about it? That was hours ago.
"And.. I know I've said things like that. I just wanted you to know, I can't stomach the thought of you feeling that way. And I apologize if I have ever done so, even if you'd never said a word about it. If you want me to stop, I will."
Kriff, this man. You’d sooner lay across an electrode-fencing rig than ever make him stop. You sighed, and not simply from relief as you heard him switch tools.
He’s a man of few words, but not meaningless ones. The first compliment he ever paid you was about your fire- your heart, your will, and how strong you were and how you believed. Later when you had to doll up for that ridiculous undercover function, he finally spoke his mind in the moment and said you looked ‘stunning’. He calls you 'pretty thing' often; mostly when he's giving you a hard time. Truthfully he'd called you all sorts of things, both in Basic and not– which likely gave him this pang of guilt all the more.
But those endearments were just that: things that gave you joy, a peace and comfort with him. A sweet word here or there? It's born out of familiarity- the ease of tongue that comes with living in close quarters. The draw between you two is perfectly synchronous– it is an unexpected bond through bizarre shared experiences in an infinite galaxy that inevitably brought two rough-and-ready folks together and practically conjoined at the hip. To
Your Mandalorian is not a man without faults, but he'd never once made you feel filthy.
"Oh stars above, you sweet man.." you chuckled a little, wrenching your palms from your shirt hem and blindly batted up in the air to find his arm. "You've never made me feel like that. It's different when it comes from you. You know that, right?"
He huffed out of his nose. Relieved, if his trigger fingers were any indication as they tilted your cheek again,
"I didn't want to assume. You're always so collected. Talented, confident.. But you're– painfully polite."
You giggled at that. All of his touches that root you to the spot when you least expect them are anything but unwanted. Of course you were polite when he jumps the gun on grabbing you while out in traffic, or whipping a hand in front of you at a hard stop– but you've never once taken offense to that.
With a tentative reach, his fingers brushed the line of fine little curls by your ear, relishing in your smile at the touch.
"I don't just want you in safe places. I can’t always promise our adventures will grant us ideal jobs," In the dark, you envisioned his solid, pitch black visor giving a barely there shake… "But I want you to feel safe when you're with me."
You turned your head and kissed the palm of it.
"I do feel safe with you. You'd be the first to know if I wasn’t–NNGH!"
"Be still."
"Shit… m'working on it… this whole thing's new to me, y'know?" Your mouth wandered like your frantic mind, blitzed with stinging pain. "My visor's never shattered like that before," You clenched your fists against the picks made at your browline, "I just fill in the scuffs with some epoxy usually, but it's never broken like that. Frikkin’ hurt."
Mando hummed in sympathy and merely added, "Gotta fit you with some beskar one of these days."
"Oh, sure, for half my year's portion of – nehNGH!"
“Shh, I know. Last bit’s over. Just gonna clean it up before the spray.”
With a water’s dip and wrench out, Mando made a little cleansing exhale before dabbing over the whole area. Didn’t hurt as much of your face other than the center of the wound because of the sedative, but it certainly made your eyes squeeze shut. No worries of opening your eyes for a peek when it stung so badly.
Your gentle angel in beskar whispered a quiet ‘m’sorry’ for the repeated flare of pain. His nervousness was palpable, regardless of how confident he was at this job. A jostle of your leg at calf-height told you he was checking around for dry gauze.
“Almost done,” he cooed, “You want a break?”
You hummed and gave your pitiful nod to agree. The barest turn of your head caused little pops in it from craning so much. The pressure would take a while to dissipate and you know that when you open your eyes, they’ll be bloodshot. But the pain would be over soon.
Pleased enough to give you a minute, Mando released your chin in favor of brushing another bit of hair back. Due to taking your own helmet on and off so much, the wisps of curls were bouncier than normal like this, with just enough length to give you some fun bangs. You smirked with a tight-lipped smile, as you did not want to bother and pull your cheeks too much.
It’s kinda beautiful, this. Having this closeness, sharing in a horrible task but in the best of conditions imaginable– being cared for by the one you adored most. Who wouldn’t crave that when it’s what the heart screams for?
And with this new secret shared between you, this loophole in Din Djarin’s creed… this isn’t a moment you took lightly at all.
With a little shaky exhale of your own, you searched for his hand again in your bubble of darkness. Now, it met you fully–and linked your fingers together.
And then, what shocked you the most: steady fingers supported your jaw again, and a slight breeze to cool down your enflamed cheek rushed across your face.
Din is here. Kneeling before you and blowing on it– just for your comfort.
You welcomed the cooling flow; your brows showed it. Every ounce of tension left you while dragging heartache into its warm spot. Emotion flooded every corner of the body. It nearly hurt: how it compressed your chest into submission and brought loving tears behind your eyelids.
You didn’t deserve him.
“We’re almost there, sweetheart. Finish line,” he squeezed your hand before lifting it to his lips. He spoke gently to the fingers, "Keep those eyes closed for me."
"Promise." You squeezed them again, bracing yourself for the final burn.
And there it was– freezing and sealing all at once. A white, blinding sensation like what you’d feel from a lightsource turning on overhead, but all over your skin. Each pore was touched by the bacta’s strange magic without warning- and perhaps it was better that way to get it over with. Your breathing raced in that short time until the spray set, but you made sure to mute any noise with angry focus. Fighting the aftertaste, only a small moan eeked from you while the medicine reacted after your nurse had done his job covering the area. Darling thing, he even shielded the mist from getting directly into your eyes.
Mando's hands left you only to set its things down. This, only in favor, of cupping your face evenly to hold you still when they returned. They warmed what once felt so cold. His forehead met yours in a tender touch as your tears spilled over from the edge of your eyes. Not to worry, for his thumb wiped them up straight away.
Hair caught in every which way brushed along your slightly damp brow- his. Matched yours, in a way.
"All done.” his words danced just over your nose, “You can smack me away now, if you want."
You gave a wet little laugh as you settled into him. Slapping him is unthinkable to you. “Never.”
No, this was a perfect feeling that you’d never wish an end to. His caresses surpassed that of strict medicinal care and turned intimate, rendering your insides limp and on their way to healing already..
The urge to finally cry hit when you parted… when you felt his lips meet your unharmed cheek in a plush, hot kiss.
You whispered in reverence: Din. Desperation for ‘more, please Starborn, more’, an equal measure of shock had you squeezing his wrist, pinning him to you,
"Should– heh- sh-should you be doing that?"
He kissed you again. Again. Like he’s addicted to the touch, like it’s his favorite vice to pass the time; soft, loose, sighing up to your temple. You know he must be taking in this sight of you now, before the analytics of heat sensors block him from vivid color and dynamic shadows once the helmet returns.
"Probably not,” he admitted without true remorse– his voice turned soft and delicious, "But I've always wanted to. And right now, I can–" he pulled away at your forehead, "--Should I stop?"
"Oh, please don't stop–"
Your urgency, his delight. Mando chuckled, and kissed your forehead next: with such love from him, you could never doubt it. Enjoy this, honey. Take it all in.
The moment could have lasted forever. You'd about blindfold yourself for the rest of your life, for all you cared. If he just kept kissing you; lower, lower, lower–
–your lips fit against his, and you burst like a case of firewhiskey spirits poured on a flame. It engulfed you both, and he latched on– to burn right there with you.
Your hands flew to keep him close, fingers finding a hold through the whisps of his hair he kept short that curled in choppy, sweat-licked parts. He sighed so heavenly when you touched him skin to skin. And easy to please, it seems, since he matched you move for move– threading through your feather-soft waves like it was second nature for him to hold you so close.
Oxygen and a too-full heart demanded you part for a breath, your pulse going rapid fire in your throat.
“Thank you.”
“Thank me? Thank– I should be thanking you,” For caring, for the space to exist at his side, to have his loyalty in your back pocket and in your very soul, “For… everything today.”
“Nothing special about that. You thanked me already.” he said so with such frankness. “We have each other’s backs. We’re on each other’s sides. No, this–”
His shield dropped from your browline, replaced by his whisper over the lid of your eye–
“–this means everything, mesh’la.”
The honesty of this man wrecked you.
You found yourself pressing your forehead into the space by his neck to hide. Your Mando petted through your hair like a lovestruck man- desperate and wanting and content with every intention to keep you there for the rest of Time. By how this killer matched your breathy giggles, you had a clue that he wouldn't mind that idea.
"So," you broke the quiet with a small question, "is that what I can expect every time I get a punch to the face?"
Din huffed.
"You start poking around for trouble, we're going to have an entirely different problem on our hands,” he mumbled back hoarsely, “Don't you dare get any ideas."
“Even if they get me kisses?”
“Nothing’s worth you getting hurt, cyar’ika,” those indulgent lips pressed to your hairline before he reached down- to get his helmet.
At the lean, you panicked a second, and flung back again with a rush for him to wait.
At your word, he stilled for you to speak your peace. Happy lines greeted your fingertips as you caught the edge of his smile with a blind-man’s reach.
You fought through your elated headspace and begged, "One more?"
Praying to every heaven out there, you were blessed when Din graced your mouth again without any teasing. Kiss after kiss, you melted into each other in this place where nothing hurt– though who did the falling first, you genuinely didn't know.
Must have been a hell of a numbing wipe.
After breathless kisses later, stolen tokens as they were, you both felt and heard the Mandalorian shudder and he moan back,
"Gotta stop.." he flipped up the helm with expert precision. It found its home again with only another blip of static when the seal reanimated. "You can open your eyes now."
"Stop…" you managed your beating heart and blinked open your gaze, straight up to the reflected 'T'-shaped gap of his visor. The pupils that looked back at you were straight dilated. You asked out of the haze of your bliss, "Why ‘stop’?"
Still ungloved and with sleeves rolled up, the Mandalorian’s head lolled in a little shake.
"If I didn't stop right then," Mando caressed your good cheek, "Don't know if I ever would…"
"Would that be the worst?" You hoped for the chance again.
Mando sweetly answered,
"No.."
It was the kind answer he knew you wanted, to wish for more kisses from you. But he wasn't completely convinced. Not with that lilt in his voice that left a question to be answered.
He slipped a hand around your waist,
"No, I think.. if I never saw your eyes again, that would be the loss I'd suffer the most.”
Lucidity came back by the moment, your sense of confusion officially returned.
“See me? But you just did, for the first time, right?”
“Couldn’t see those pretty eyes though.”
“Well, tough.” you sassed, “Now you know how I feel.”
You tried to make it sound bossy, but the dig left your mouth too sleepily for him to take it. Behind the metal, his rough rush of static resounded his chuckle.
To further prove the point, you mimic the motion you do for your eye contact removal with a bright, goofy smile,
"It's just retinas, you know,” you shrugged, “Mine don't even work."
"Your loss is my gain, all the same." Mando fell back to only one knee again, to get comfortable at your level. "I'm almost glad we didn’t pass a med droid in town, or else…” he curled an arm around you again, “--this might not have happened any other way. I count your poor excuse for headgear as my blessing this time."
You glanced at what was left of your helmet, but fell into good humor with his warmth bringing you close again.
“You’ll be all too glad to see me walking around a beskar cyclehelm, won’t you? Gonna take a while to find that much to make one, if you’re serious.”
“Oh, I’m serious,” the helmet nodded, chipping your chin for a moment, “But we’ll manage until we source it. Always do.”
You’re still reeling over this; over what this means, him offering you the most prized form of protection. To give you comfort by shedding down to his most vulnerable state. The complete faith he has in you by doing so... It gave your nervous anxieties ballasts on all sides.
You’d keep your wits about you better next go round, so this doesn’t happen again… but you knew the word ‘partnership’ had a different meaning between you, from this night onward.
Din continued past your mind’s lovely spiral,
“You won’t need to worry about finding a better replacement before we head to Bespin with this package; we'll just let you heal. No sense pushing it.”
"Probably for the best, yeah," you nuzzled back, "I clearly have issues keeping a helmet on my head as it is."
The helmet giving you a kiss of its own shook side to side. That gesture all but begged ‘what am I going to do with you’.
"So we stick in our lanes for now?” you whispered your hope, “...Try my luck and steal chances whenever I can?"
Instead of a quick nod, the man who’d just kissed you senseless gave you a promise again,
"We can work something out."
#the mandalorian x reader#din djarin x reader#din djarin x you#din djarin fanfiction#the mandalorian fanfiction#din djarin#the mandalorian#pedro pascal#this is self indulgent#din djarin is a sweetheart and a badass and i'll take no questions#it's a trustfall baby#close your eyes and leave it all behind#go where love is on our side#mando#mando x reader
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Also just because you get annoyed by something someone is doing doesn't mean they are evil you can leave us alone
#this is about autistic people.#that guy in you class that is always asking questions? he always raises his hand theres nothing wrong with it#it takes time in the class but that's how he makes sure he understands the subject#and meanwhile every other student decides hes an asshole#that girl who doesnt blink and who cant seem to have a linear conversation is not doing anything wrong#you dont like interacting with her but that doesnt say anything about her you can leave her alone you dont have to bitch behind her back#that person cant read social cues? why are you getting mad? can you shut the fuck up?#it is insane how often some of my friends talk about people who are clearly autistic and are mad at them#no its not because theyre autistic theyre just always interupting!#its not because theyre autistic they just make me uncomfortable! PLEASE LISTEN TO YOURSELF#i swear youre all asshole to us#no respect fr#its so annoying to see you run in a circle trying to justify calling someone an ass for doing literally nothing wrong#youre allowed to feel how you want about other people but you always jump to bullying#and whenever i try to make them realize they get so deffensive#just because you grew up with an autistic brother does not make you a fucking expert youre not even close to him!!#ok sorry im gonna go hit my bong im getting too angry lol
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I'm so looking forward to iroh and zuko properly talking and seeing irohs reaction to zuko being gay.
Like we all know he doesn't agree with the fire nation rn but how will he react?
Will he not support him cause sokkas a guy? Will he not support him because it's SOKKA? Will he accept him? Will he reveal he's known for years zuko was gay?
Especially with everything that happened with zhao, regarding to what jee said to bato on their date. (Which is a very understandable perspective, zuko just got out of this very sexually traumatising situation and almost immediately starts a relationship (his first relationship) with sokka, but then again it is a very unique situation)
One thing I love about some atla fics is how they portray the FNs thoughts on queerness, cause on one hand they were one of the only country's (I think) that treated men and women the same but then again it's also the fucking fire nation.
And I also think zukos whole canon arc can be very comparative to queerness,
His dads an asshole and after speaking out against him he throws him out, and zuko try's for 3 years to regain his father's love and acceptance, and then faced with the opportunity of regaining it takes it immediately regardless of who or what he may hurt (iroh, his own morals etc) but once he makes it back home realises how fucked up everything is and eventually confronts his dad and openly tells him he doesn't agree with him then runs aways.
I also wonder if iroh secretly knows jee is queer it doesn't seem that likely to me but it also is iroh so who knows.
<3
I do think Iroh’s reaction will be a big moment for not only the story but for Zuko’s character development. Right now, Zuko’s technically still a prisoner, holding himself there by assuming Iroh will not understand or judge him when in reality he’ll never know what his uncle is thinking until they TALK ABOUT IT. (Which the FN royal family is just sooo good at healthy communication I don’t understand why this is so hard for them lol?!)
I do agree that the suddenness of the relationship combined with the intensity from both zuko and Sokka is very alarming for people looking at it from the outside (I mean we all totally get it cause we were there but others are like uhhhh hmmmm ok this might be concerning) so I get them gossiping and wondering if this is truly real or what the fucks going on with those boys.
I love Zukos canon arc because there’s just so much about zukos story that can be relatable no matter who you are and I think that’s why he is a fan favorite (it doesn’t explain why we torture him the way we do but ehhhh it’s fine haha)
Hmmmmmm does iroh know Jees gay? Depends on how saucy those music nights got ;)
#HAHAHA DO SEE THE JEEROH JOKE SOCKS?!?! I hope you see it through all your House reblogging nonsense haha#Jk you obsess over your new blorbos I support you!#I love this ask thank you#I also love that canon gave us so much to work with but left it loose enough we could do what we wanted#like I’ve read the fire nation written so many different ways in fics it’s insane#And I love all the unique thoughts!#I will continue to flesh out the FN little by little as we progress#An azula pov (or someone from her squad) will be part of every new chapter until the end#She’s a coming haha#I don’t know if iroh knows Jee is gay#Or that jee is like one date away from hooking up with bato haha#Or that zuko is already kind of hooking up with sokka (not really but I mean they’re getting prettttttttty snuggly haha)#But yeah idk I’m excited this next chapter it is A LOT#& we will be SUPER CLOSE to getting some answers to your questions lol#Thanks for this cool ask these are my favorite asks#Sorry if you’ve sent me an ask lately and I haven’t responded I’m getting better at that I promise#I will say though that I don’t respond to asks if I genuinely don’t know what to say or if I feel I might come off too mean or rude.#So yeah sorry anyone who’s ask I didn’t respond#(I also forget them in drafts and then feel weird about posting it after it’s been a month so I’m sorrrryyyyyy…)#Ok phew this was a lot of tags sorry#monsieugrgraves#Leaving it all behind#LIAB#ITF#ask
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