#after Gideon left they adopted him

[spidersdad]

Spencer: fuck, how could I make such an awful mistake?! Fucking cowar-

Hotch: HEY YOU, don’t you dare talk about my son like that.

Spencer: but I was talking about mysel-

Emily: for someone who has an IQ of 187, you’re thinking really slow, son.

[divaofmads]

Remember Me | Din Djarin

The account where I found the gif @tomshiddles

**WARNINGS**: Non-canon, no y/n (Crystalia/ Nickname as Cala: When your father noticed your abilities, he made a deal with Ahsoka, thinking that a Jedi should train you. You trained for three or four years, but Ahsoka had to leave.), Fluff, Soft Sex, Toxic, Obsession, Age Gap, Erotic, !!+18 Only!!, Death, Drama.

English is not my native language. I am just trying to improve my writing skills. So I apologize for any mistakes I made.

Word: 4k∼

Pre-Story: You are a princess. A warrior princess from a rich planet. You had a happy life until Moff Gideon invaded your planet. You learned that Moff Gideon wanted to marry you when he was collaborating with your family. So you ran away and found Din Djarin to get revenge and kill him. You knew about the war they had with Moff Gideon back then. But it was out of business, you fell in love. You were going to get married after the planet was saved. You gave up your right to the throne.

Although all the Mandalorians helped you save the planet, Moff Gideon understood the bond between you and Din Djarin and was tempted to kill you. He distracted Din Djarin so that you were alone, and eventually managed to kill you in the duel you had. Moff Gideon did not leave your lifeless body alone and took it with him as he boarded the ship.

Note: You've never seen Din's face.

Please leave comment and be my inspration :)))

You were playing with Grogu on your lap. Since Din couldn’t take care of you while you were on your way to the Mandalorian planet with the Razor Crest, it was up to you to find various games for the boy. You didn't want him to forget his powers, even though he didn't choose that path, he was a great Jedi to you. You always tried to keep what he learned fresh in the name of gaming. Grogu was an orphan. After Din adopted him, he had a father. Now had a mother too. His loneliness evolved from being an orphan to an adoring family.

You held your hand up in the air, just out of reach. You were throwing the metal ball you had hidden in your palm somewhere, waiting for him to stop it with his telekinesis ability and take it, encouraging him. When he finally caught it right in the air, you shouted with joy.

"You were amazing, Grogu!"

Din turned to you as soon as he heard the joyful scream. It might not have been possible to see his face through his helmet, but his voice showed how excited he was.

"I knew you would do it! You keep doing better!"

As a parent, you were so proud of your son. Grogu was smiling and cooing.

When Din looked back to the road, he thought about how lucky he was. You both brought color and joy to his lonely life. You taught him qualities he didn't know about himself. Hours later, this happy family portrait of yours would become official.

You stopped playing with Grogu and called out to Din. “How much is left, darling?"

"It's almost there. We'll be there soon."

You stood up, placing Grogu on the couch and fastening his seat belt before you approached Din and grabbed his shoulder, got support by him as the Razor Crest shook slightly.

Din spoke up before you could. “Once we get there, we’ll both be leaving our old lives behind. Are you ready for that?” he asked in an unsure tone without waiting for an answer. “You know me, but you’ve never seen me in person. What if you don’t like the man under the helmet? Don’t you ever think about that? Young ladies care about that.”

Grogu's ears perked up as soon as he heard Din's question. He was too young to understand what was going on, but he was smart enough to understand that it was an important matter and that it concerned the attraction between the two of you. That was why you didn't want to get into such topics around the boy. You patted his shoulder over the pauldron and smiled.

"As long as no Wookie comes out of the helmet, you'll be fine."

"No, I can't be that hairy," he said, returning your joke.

But he was serious in his question. Since he couldn't get the answer he wanted from you, his anxiety increased. Although he seemed to have forgotten about it, in the back of his mind, whether you would like him when you saw him or not was being processed. Many times he wanted to take off his helmet with him. But he didn't want to go out of his way again. Otherwise, he would be too dirty to wash in the living waters. But when you died, he couldn't stand the pain and took off his helmet. He was alone. After Moff Gideon killed you and boarded the ship with your body, Din was on his knees, hugging your lifeless body in his mind. The mourning lasted for days, weeks and months. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so strict, he thought. Then you would know who he was and decide to fall in love accordingly.

Din Djarin didn’t even notice they had reached the planet as he struggled with his “if onlys.” That was until you tapped him on the shoulder and took your place in the chair.

“Here we are!” You picked up Grogu.

Din winced and readied the ship for entry into Mandalorian’s atmosphere.

As you descended into the vast courtyard of the Razor Crest palace, you saw Bo Katan herself coming to greet you. You wanted to get Grogu into his vehicle and get downstairs as quickly as possible, but he had no intention of letting go of your arms. Din said in a tone of happiness,

“He missed you more than I thought. Let’s go down.”

You were moving forward as the passageway hatch opened downwards. Bo Katan still couldn’t believe she was seeing you. It was more logical that Din had gone mad. She hadn’t even considered the possibility that you would leave the ship. The last time she saw you was when your hologramic lifeless body was adorned with Auricula flowers in the coffin. She remembered how devastated Djarin had been, and he had followed your lifeless body to make it comfortable.

What kind of a greeting would seem more sincere? Maybe it would be more appropriate to pretend that none of this had happened and greet the 'woman her friend is going to marry'. He has already begun the greeting ceremony by alienating the word 'care'.

"You've finally made it. We've all been waiting for you."

Din spoke up. "It's good to be here, Bo Katan."

Bo Katan looked at you and Grogu. You still loved each other very much. So you weren’t just a ghost. You were standing in front of her, real flesh and blood.

She shook your hand. “Princess Crystalia, I hope you find our planet for favorable your wedding ceremony favorable. Our ancestors have strived to continue their traditions for centuries. It is an honor for us to be a part of one of these.”

You smiled. “The honor is mine, my lady.”

Since you both came from noble lineage, you knew the protocols and developed your style in a balanced way.

Yet Bo Katan’s friendly demeanor was tinged with meaningful looks. “I’m sorry there’s no wedding dress. Din’s announcement that you were alive had already surprised us, but the news that you were getting married two days ago caught us off guard.”

"No problem. I guess it didn't seem normal to be married in a white dress among Mandalorians," you answered.

"For a nation that has dedicated its entire life to war, yes," she replied. As you walked through the palace corridors, she said, "Everyone is here. They are waiting for you to swear an oath of allegiance. You will see them all at the banquet."

When you entered the throne room, The Armorer was waiting for you as the person who will marry you. Welcomed you.

Your gaze was strange. "Will we be alone when the promises are made?"

If you were Mandalorian, you didn't even have to be in the same room when you swore your oath of allegiance with the person you were going to marry. All you had to do was know the promises and accept them. Everything had to be as simple and private as possible. Only after the promises were made would the others join in and a feast be held.

The Armorer answered. "Of course, this is your special moment, and you must spend your first night in the living waters, as compensation for seeing Din Djarin without his helmet for the first time. Thus will your marriage be consummated."

As you looked at her in surprise, Djarin spoke up. "I didn't expect such a big organization, to be honest."

Bo Katan glanced at Djarin. It was impossible not to notice the mischievous smile on his face. “You’re marrying a noblewoman. Of course there had to be some showiness, right?”

Grogu was looking at you with question marks next to him, aware of the tension. You locked eyes. The nervousness that fed his curious gaze had fueled Bo Katan's sense of conscience. Se turned to him and winked.

"It's okay, Grogu! Mom and Dad will be making a promise to each other in a moment."

The person who would perform your wedding would be the leader of Djarin's clan, and the person who will witness your words will of course be the Mandalorian queen. Bo Katan climbed the stairs and stood in front of her throne. She began her speech by explaining the reason for your being here and her duties as queen.

Your head was slightly bowed, as you should have shown respect to your queen. Din turned his head to you as Lady Kryze continued speaking. You agreed to follow the Mandalorian teachings in order to marry him. It was a source of pride. The fact that the woman he loved was there to support him on his own path made him even more devoted to his love. He had lost you once, never again, he told himself. He would never lose you.

When The Armorer asked you to repeat the words, Din turned his head toward her, so caught up in the perfection of a lifetime with you that he flinched.

“Together we are one,” she said, and you felt uneasy as you repeated it. You were not well versed in Mandalorian culture. “When we are apart, we are one,” Din repeated, tensing with excitement at the prospect of removing his helmet. “We share everything,” Grogu grinned, watching you as you repeated. “We will raise warriors!” you repeated.

Bo Katan, "Princess Cala, you are now Din Djarin's future wife. Your name is Din Cala from now on!"

Taking a deep breath, you turned to Din. You were now officially married. You would fight together, raising your adopted son Grogu. Of course, you had something else on your mind: the moment had come for him to remove his helmet. You would physically see the man you married. You had a smile on your face that showed his anticipation.

The Armorer says, "You can go to the living waters whenever you want."

Djarin bowed his head in agreement. “This is the way!”

You smiled at Djarin expectantly.

Djarin said, "You can see it after the banquet when we are alone."

"Okay then," you said with dissatisfaction and together you went to the dining hall where the banquet would be held.

Finally, you were at the steps of the living waters while they continued their feast. Some Mandalorians were also taking care of Grogu. No one could disturb you here. Feeling the mystical energy of the sacred waters to your cells while being with each other on your first night would complete your marriage.

You stood between the mine walls, looking at each other.

"Din, are you really sure about this? I mean, is it right for us to be here? For the intercourse."

Din spoke up. He took your hands and said,

"Cala, in the presence of the living waters we will belong to each other. There could not be a more perfect moment. If you are ready, of course."

You raised your eyebrows. “Ready for what? To see the man under the helmet, or for you to touch me?”

Djarin didn't know what to say. He was slurring his words, stuttering. He was trying to remain secretive.

You stepped closer. "You know what, Din Djarin? I never expected to see you like this."

"What do you mean?"

"You've always been a mysterious man. Sometimes I thought you were an emotionless droid. But now I see the excited man under the helmet," you said and grinned. "It gives me pleasure to surprise you."

"I'm not excited or anything," Djarin said, his tone half angry, half indifferent. "I just don't want to disappoint a young woman. That's all." He was a hunter! There was no job he hadn't taken on for credit in his day. How strange that the truly emotionless, bounty hunter was now showing his emotional vulnerability in the presence of a young Jedi. He was looking for the old Djarin. Where was he, really?

You rolled your eyes and gave him a smug look. “Is that why the topic always comes down to the helmet?”

Djarin got angry. He continued to act indifferent. "Think whatever you want. Of course, I respect that a young girl thinks such things to satisfy her ego." He said.

You frowned. You looked much angrier than he did. You stood right in front of him with determined steps. You were looking at his helmet with the same determination. Finally, Djarin stopped, realizing his stupidity.

"Come on Cala. Take off the helmet."

Excluding the times when you were thought to be dead, you had been together for a year and a half and you had lost hope of ever seeing Djarin. To love without seeing him... To fall in love with his character and soul without discriminating between handsome, ugly, old, young, wouldn't that be the most innocent love in the world? That's why Djarin surrendered himself to you. The woman he fell in love with wasn't someone who would care about material values. That's why he married you, that's why he opened the doors of secrets wide open and let his guard down.

Djarin closed his eyes as he reached for the helmet. This would be the first time you would make real eye contact. You would hear his voice changing under the helmet in its purest form for the first time. How could it not be exciting? It was the most special moment.

You slowly took off his helmet. Djarin had been curious about your reaction the moment your eyes met. He was good at hiding his emotions, but you weren’t much different.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked suspiciously.

You placed the helmet between your arm and waist and brought your other hand to Djarin’s cheek. When your fingers touched his skin, he was reminded of how much he desired you, how hungry he was for you. It was like a dying madman finding an oasis in the desert.

The fact that you still didn't say a word was causing him to get lost in the dark well of the unknown. Just as he was about to repeat the same question to you with his lips parted, you approached him and pressed your lips to his gently. You felt the warmth of his skin on you. After the long kiss, you stepped back.

Djarin was grateful for the love you had shown him. “I guess that explains it all,” he said. He never lost his reserved demeanor, unable to tell you how he felt. The teachings he had spent on the Mandalorian path had taken some of his abilities from him, involuntarily. But the feelings were permanent. This time, he was the one who made the first move. He was much more passionate now. His hands slowly moved up from your hands, following your arms to your neck, and from there he continued to kiss you, holding your face tightly. His moist kiss was so passionate that you didn’t even notice the loud sound of Beskar steel hitting the ground when you forgot about the helmet you had under your arm and hugged him. The sound echoed off the walls of the cave, though. You just continued, not caring if anyone heard.

Djarin moved a few inches away and whispered to your lips. "I never expected this day to come. But you are in front of me, my skin touching yours," he said and caressed your jawbone and moved towards lower lip again. He left bites and kisses without hurting your, while at the same time he was taking off your white waistbands. After taking his place on the fabric step, it was your war costume's turn. Leaving your lips and slowly placing kisses under your chin, his long arms found your back. He started to untie your clothes. His breath was trembling with excitement. From the day he fell in love with you until the day he tasted his death, your skins were longing for each other.

As he pulled away from you and began to pull your clothes down, he was admiring the beauty of your skin, but you averted your eyes in embarrassment.

He frowned and stopped pulling back the fabric - just as he was about to see her breasts. "We can stop whenever you want, Cala, it's okay."

Your lips parted, and you looked as if you were trying to explain yourself in a hurry.

"No, please don't stop. I just think I got excited about a man I'm seeing for the first time."

"Okay then," he said, and Djarin continued to take off her clothing. Your breasts were revealed first. The nipples were already hard, waiting to be sucked by Djarin. Then he saw your stomach and groin. He was amazed by the velvety feel of your skin. He dropped to one knee as he peeled it down. You were looking down at him, at what he was doing.

Djarin was looking at his groin. His hands suddenly slid down to your waist, careful and gentle, as if he were holding a delicate flower.

The man on his knees in front of you, kissing your groin, seemed to be performing a religious ritual. He could feel the Mandalorian faith on his skin, as if his lips were worshipping you as they touched you. He was in awe of everything about you. He was intoxicated. He could only come to himself when he flinched when his warm breath touched his skin. He untied your boots and caressed your feet, taking them out. He got up from his knees and stood in front of you. You were completely naked.

"It's your turn," he said. He wanted you to undress him.

You started taking off his armor one by one. You looked into his eyes as you took off his pauldron. You thought he was going to look at your body but he waited a long time to actually meet your eyes. He was happy for you to see him. He was completely special to the two of you.

You took his hand and pulled off his glove, bringing it to your chest. Your gaze was Djarin’s aphrodisiac. You wore a naughty boy grin as if what you were about to experience was a great sin.

You tossed the gloves aside and brought his hands up to your lips, kissing the tips of his fingers.

Djarin took this gesture as a sign of respect. "You know these hands are going to make you moan with pleasure in a moment, right?" he asked.

You nodded. "I know."

Djarin and you were now completely naked. The hand you held was now supporting you as you descended the steps. You stood side by side. You could not take your eyes off each other as the sacred waters slowly rose from your feet. You were now in the sacred waters up to your waist.

The heat from your sexual desire radiating from your groins and spreading throughout your body combined with the coolness of the water and you shivered.

Djarin grabbed you by the waist and pulled you to him. His wet hands reached your cheek. His lips came to life on yours again. The day you died came to mind as they made love, and this made Din Djarin become much more passionate when they were in a relationship. Because he had never confessed his love to you. He regretted it. He should not make such a mistake again.

Thanks to the buoyancy of the water, you wrapped your legs around his waist very comfortably. As your bodies moved aesthetically as if they were twisting with pleasure, the waves of water were wetting you all over. You were soaked as your tongues danced with each other. The drops of water sliding down your forehead were cooling your lips, making them much more slippery; feeling your sensitive skin deeply was fueling your hunger.

Djarin's hands were exploring your body. He was holding hard by the hips, caressing you. You were so plump that you overflowed from his palm. He anticipated the pleasure he would soon experience when he fucked you.

"Oh, Cala! You have such beautiful skin! I know we were made for each other."

One of his hands suddenly went to your breast. When he stimulated your pointed nipple, you moaned without taking your lips off his. His erection had already accelerated with your moaning. You felt a hardness right on your vulva. He was pressing on your clit, forcing you. You expected his cock to be thick, but you were surprised by its length. You grinned, showing your teeth.

"Tell me, how do I take it in? It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

Djarin moved his hand from her breast to her vulva and began to caress it. "Don't worry, once I get you ready, you won't mind me coming in."

His cock was now pressing against your vagina. The arousal factor applied from two places caused you to frown, burying your face in his neck, and moan loudly.

"Cala, you moan so wonderfully, moaning for me only incites my lust more."

He moved his hand from your hip to your hair and pulled you closer to him. His face found your cheeks, nibbling on them little by little, while his other hand continued to quickly caress your inner lips.

When you least expected it, he grabbed your waist, lifted your body a few inches up, and sat you on his lap again, allowing his penis to enter your vagina. Your eyes widened in surprise. A weak scream escaped your lips. Your hands were gripping his shoulders tightly. Your nails dug into his skin. Din Djarin was no different. He moaned along with you.

"Damn it Cala! I didn't think it would be this tight."

It was as if your vagina and his penis were trying to get used to each other. It was more pleasure than you could handle.

You asked breathlessly, but moans were escaping your lips with every word. “Aren’t you happy with this?”

"I'm actually very pleased!" he replied. It was impossible not to notice the pleasure on his face. He grabbed your hips again and started fucking you, slowly moving you up and down. Your genitals felt the pleasure equally, down to the smallest detail. It was impossible for you to speed up. You were shaking every time he lifted you up and down his lap. Your muscles could not resist any longer, and your body lay down on the surface of the water. Your back met the coldness of the living waters. Your hair was moving on the surface as the water rippled. In fact, the water flowing from your wet hair was sliding down your spine, making you shiver. Djarin was slowly increasing his pace and it felt like he couldn't hold back. But he had to hold himself back, he had to hold on. The glorious taste he was getting made him caress your breasts tightly.

You had lost yourself in each other's skin as if this was your last time making love. Your love was roaming in your veins and coming to life in your groins. Djarin pulled your body closer to his. He continued to bite your ears and neck. You could hear him breathing heavily. He was drawing circles on your clitoris, suddenly applying too much pressure, making you contract. Then he was surprising you with up and down movements. You were so full, so pleased, that your body could not stand it anymore and you threw yourself forward. You wrapped your arms around his neck. Your face looked like you were in pain, but everything was from pleasure.

As you got closer to your orgasm, you noticed Din Djarin was getting emotional. He wrapped his arms around you and held you tightly as he continued to move inside you.

"I love you, baby. I love you more than you could ever imagine."

You were completely in love with Dinjarin.

"I love you too," you said in breathlessly. "I love you too, my love."

Djarin cried out your name as he orgasmed hip muscles contracted, his hands squeezed your skin so hard it hurt. You came right after Djarin. Your body was still shaking, responding to the orgasm. He pulled his penis out of your vagina and his semen mixed with the living waters inside you. Then, without letting you out of his arms, he carried you to the shore and collapsed next to you, the wet stone was cold, thanks to sex, your burning sensitive skin felt the texture more. Djarin stared at the water drops glistening on her smooth skin.

Holding your cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Strange."

Djarin frowned. “What does this mean?”

"I never imagined I would make love in the waters of a mine." you smiled.

After that night, you spent a few more days in the Mandalorian palace. Grogu was happy with his parents' happiness. He was spreading joy to those around him. The bad days he had were left behind with you, he had made peace with his memories.

In the palace courtyard, you and Djarin were teaching him to be a good warrior, you were helping him develop his Jedi powers, and Djarin was introducing him to Mandalorian weapons.

Some nights, he would get scared because of the bad nightmares he had. Since you were both Jedi who knew how to manipulate the force, you would go to Grogu's room, feeling his fear. One night, it happened again. You entered Grogu's room and woke him up, hugging and telling him you were with him. At that moment, Din Djarin appeared at the door.

"He can sleep next to us tonight. What do you say?"

You looked towards the door as you picked up Grogu and rubbed his back. “I think this will be good.”

The three of you were now lying on the bed, Grogu in the middle of you, his eyes not showing the slightest sign of sleep.

"Come on, Grogu. You need to sleep," he said.

You offered with a satisfied grin. “How about you tell him one of your Mandalorian tales?”

Djarin sat up and looked at you. “Why should I tell? You’re the princess. I’m sure your nannies told you many fairy tales when you were little.”

You switched your position to Djarin and Grogu.

"Yes, they did. Now I want to listen to you."

Djarin gave in. "Okay, okay. I'll get started."

You were both listening to the story he told with curious eyes. The soothing tone of his voice had put you to sleep in a short time. He heard your snores at the most exciting part of the story. He muttered to himself. "Did you fall asleep that quickly? Anyway, good night and sweet dreams." He kissed the child on the cheek and you on the lips, then he put the blanket on you and watched how sweetly you slept for a while. He didn't need sleep. Besides, watching his wife and child rested him both mentally and physically.

A few hours after the sunlight had lit up the sky, Djarin saw the Imperial ship appear in the sky. He knew exactly who it belonged to. He quickly got up and began to put on his armor. The sound of Beskar steel woke you. You looked at Djarin, rubbing your eyes. “What’s going on?”

"We'll find out soon," he said.

The sound of the ship reached your ears. You got out of bed and headed towards the window. Your heart was beating rapidly, your breathing becoming irregular. “He came for me,” you muttered to yourself. The long absence of news from him had led you to assume he was dead. But it was Moff Gideon who stepped out of the gate shortly after the ship landed in the courtyard.

Din commanded as he walked out of the room with stiff and fast steps. "Crystalia! You and Grogu will stay here. I'll deal with him."

Of course, you didn’t listen to him. You put on your clothes and followed him. The Mandalorians had already appeared in the courtyard, their weapons trained on Gideon. While he was trying to negotiate with Lady Kryze, Djarin appeared.

"What are you doing here! You should be dead already!"

Gideon replied with his fake smile.

"But as you can see, I'm not dead. I'm more alive than ever. There's a lot of fake news these days, isn't there?"

Djarin knew that Moff Gideon had a sickening attachment to you. He had heard of your marriage, of course. He looked like he was going mad. He would kill her without mercy if she made the slightest move. You were his, no one could tear you apart. “What do you want from us? Wasn’t your defeat in our last encounter enough!”

Gideon looked at you standing behind Din Djarin. “I didn’t come here to cause trouble. I came to take what is mine.”

You looked at Djarin guiltily, Grogu in your arms. The tears in your eyes were not fearful, but regretful.

Djarin shouted with hatred. "Does it belong to you? We got married, now leave her alone!"

Gideon started to approach you.

“Being married doesn’t change the fact that Crystalia was made for me,” he said and stopped right in front of Djarin. You sighed in fear as he held the remote control in his hand at eye level.

"No!"

Lady Kryze, like the others, could not understand the worry on his face. The secret behind his death was hidden in his current reaction; it was clearly visible.

Djarin couldn't understand. Not your reaction, not the remote control Gideon was holding in his hand. "Whatever nonsense you're talking about, just say it clearly! I'm out of patience."

"The woman you married is nothing more than a clone created using Crystalia's DNA. Doctor Pershing and I created her so that her power would be much more intense than the real Crystalia's. When I became the ruler of the Empire, I was going to make her my queen and put her in charge of my army."

Djarin couldn't make sense of what Moff Gideon was telling him. You were Crystalia. Your looks, your voice, your personality. This couldn't be true. He turned to you.

" Cala! What is all this? Can you explain it to me!"

You were crying heartily. You placed Grogu in the arms of a Mandalorian standing next to you. You were about to approach him and apologize when Moff Gideon continued speaking.

“Crystalia was in love with you. When we created her clone, we reprogrammed the synapses in her brain in the hopes that you would be Din Djarin’s enemy,” he raised his voice angrily and glared at you accusingly. “Yet despite this, her consciousness brought you and your relationship to light! She escaped from my base and lost track of you! She found you, Din Djarin! She was supposed to obey me. She was supposed to worship me! And yet I see my clone, whom I created, marry Din Djarin!”

You walked over to Djarin and grabbed his shoulders.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" you sobbed.

Djarin was disappointed. He had lost you for the second time. The real Crystalia's body was still lying in the lab. But the woman standing in front of him was also a clone derived from your genes, with your consciousness. You lied to her, but you made her feel like Crystalia. He couldn't decide whether to be sad or to thank you, the clone.

He took one of her hands and placed it over your heart. "Can you tell me this isn't real? I need it so bad, please tell me this isn't real, I'm begging you! You're not dead, are you?"

Moff Gideon spoke up. “Crystalia is dead, Mandalorian. I swore I would never reunite you, and I have fulfilled my oath. You no longer have a body to cry over. She was wasted on an incompetent clone in my lab. Fortunately, I have three more clones. They are waiting to breathe.”

Bo Katan Kryze gritted her teeth. "You're not evil, Gideon, you're sick!"

Moff Gideon looked at her grimly. “Perhaps. But I came here to fix the mistake I made,” he said, and pressed the button on his remote. “Goodbye once more, my love.”

Your body slowly began to transform into energy. You were turning into a ghost, your body becoming transparent as your cells lost their tangibility and merged with nature. Djarin shouted, panicking at the prospect of losing you once more as he lost the sensation of your skin. “No! Cala!”

"If even a part of me belongs to the real Crystalia, then she loved Din Djarin more than anything in the world," you said. Those were your last words, and when your body was completely gone, Din cried out in great pain. He had already suffered greatly from losing you. Losing you again was almost enough to make him lose his mind. He fell to his knees and pounded the ground. His cries still echoed off the palace walls. Grogu landed on the ground and jumped into Djarin's arms, sharing his sadness with his father.

Moff Gideon may have been glad to have brought his mission, but Din Djarin's suffering gave him a special kind of pleasure.

"What a shame," he said and turned around and got back into his ship. As he left, some Mandalorians wanted to make him pay for what he did, but Bo Katan said that the current situation was not ready for that. This was revenge that would have to be taken later.

[brainman1987]

Howdy howdy hey! I’ve been thinking about thinking more about that cowboy au, and so I’m trying to make some satisfying human designs for it :D this is what I’ve got so far though:

Kremy Lecroux, african American! One of the more recently learned black men after the civil rights act of 1866 (with help of course from Remy Guru) Conman and cook extraordinaire! People only ‘trust‘ him because he’s a stupid black man (wrong) The stache is still penciled on of course.

Gideon Coal, Mexican. Forced to help his pop in the Coal Mines after his mother left the two on their own with little money. His father died in the mines and Gideon was exploited (even more) as easy labor by white men. Has a set of manacles and chains he used to kill his original employers during an uprising and uses them as a lassoooooo

Morning Frost, Chinese immigrant. He originally came to America with his parents during the California gold rush. Learned English from whatever posters and newspapers he could find along with listening to white people speak. He also learned his mind games by doing the same thing. His robes are a gift from his parents when he set off to do…. Something

Gricko, Native American. He’s a younger generation, and is trying to meld into society after hearing their musics. Was kicked out of his tribe and eventually found a carnival (witchlight). There he met a young hard of hearing girl nicknamed hootsie and adopted her and ran. The two are slowly making a sort of sign language that the rest of the party eventually also learns to speak with Hootsie. Gricko picked up whittling to make toys and such for Hootsie and makes carvings of interesting animals he sees or hears about.

That’s all I have for them rn… I will likely change or flesh out certain parts of backstory’s and character designs. If there‘s any suggestions I’d love to hear them! (Im worried this comes off as insensitive or racist, I’m trying my best but there’s only so much research I can do) I’m really having fun making this so far hehe >:3c

[autumnwoodsdreamer]

Sneak Peek Sunday 14/07/24

Din wore no armour all that time.

Initially, it was because he was still healing and just the process of donning the whole set would’ve needlessly spent his energy and strength. Then, when he felt well enough to join the work, he left it off as one less thing to hinder him.

He didn’t even keep his gear strapped on his person; he carried only the Darksaber hilt on his belt.

(Sabine did balk a bit when she saw him using the ancient sword to cut up chunks of twisted metal for easier storage and transport on the scrap wagons, but it was hard to pitch any argument that Tarre Vizsla as a Jedi would’ve disapproved when Ezra was doing the exact same thing not ten feet away with his own lightsaber.)

Unorthodox usefulness aside, the Darksaber had become familiar to Din.

He trained with it often now, honing his technique and prowess with the strange blade. It took more than strength, more than even willpower to learn it; it required discipline and patience, and even after all these months wielding it, he still felt like he could barely glimpse profiency with it.

He trained with Ezra, with Sabine, with Zeb and even with Rune, each sparring partner imparting a vastly different lesson than the others. But with every session, he learned the blade just that much more.

Its weight, its song, its ability—these he knew well.

Its story, its role, its purpose—these he had yet to comprehend.

He knew the tale well now, he could recite it off by heart and he had even shared it a few nights around the fire when prodded to do so because whatever he made of it, he couldn’t deny that it made for a good story.

He told of his adoptive ancestor who forged this blade of both shadow and light as a fusion of both his Mandalorian heritage and his Jedi heritage, how it was stored safe and sound in a Jedi place until it was stolen by Tarre’s descendants and turned into a kingmaker. He mentioned the unworthy hands that grabbed madly for it and the blight it became. He told of how his wife, as a youth, tried to restore it but to no avail as it ultimately fell into the hands of the man who made it his mission to exterminate their people.

Somehow, his audience got the impression he fought Gideon to liberate the blade, get it back into the hands of the Mandalorians where it had always belonged. He could see how they concluded such, he agreed it made sense thematically, and it would’ve tied the story up in a neat, logical, satisfying end, but it wasn’t the truth. He told them, outright and without embellishment, that he knew nothing of the blade when the Moff attacked him, cornering him into a duel that shot his fate off course. He fought back because he had to; he fought to save his son.

He expected laughter.

He could see the punchline a mile away; the irony, the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

But no one laughed.

They stared at him, all eyes wide and fascinated, and he wondered if it had been something in his delivery or perhaps his expression that had lined the story with too much weight.

The next day, one of Rune’s young sons asked Din what he was going to do now as king of the Mandalorians and just that question, trimmed with a child’s innocence, ripped open his perspective of the situation in a way nothing else had, calling to mind something Sabine had tried to explain to him.

The blade has no power; the story does.

[rumbelleshowdown]

-

Moderator note: There will be only one fic posted for Groups G, H, and J. The other person in each of those groups dropped out.

-

Author: Firefighter Barbie

Group: H

Prompts: Young Gideon AND Neal. Cat and mouse, cop!Belle. Hiding.

-

Something Brave

Belle Gold stood with her back pressed to the wall as she caught her breath and changed the clip on her pistol. The call had come in just under nine hours ago and had given her and her husband two options. Option A: Bring a hundred grand to the Troll Bridge, and your kids live. Option B: Tell anyone about this, especially another cop, and you'll never see your kids again. She and Robert had chosen Option C: Hunt down the kidnappers, make them pay, and rescue their kids.

Peeking around the corner gave Belle a clear view of her children tied up with their backs to each other. They were in plain sight. She could reach them easily, but that would be giving the kidnappers what they wanted. She’d have to go about this a little trickier to ensure her children’s safety. She took a deep breath, noticing the way Neal held tight to Gideon’s hands through the ties. She knew Neal was old enough now at sixteen to protect himself and his brother if worse came to worst, but she wanted better for him. For all of them.

She caught Robert’s gaze across the hall – giving a rough nod to indicate where the children were. He took a peek and seemed to deflate at the kids’ roughened-up condition. She wanted to hug them too but most important was getting them out of there safely. Robert nodded and jerked his head to the other side — she followed his gaze. The kidnapper was no stranger to their family. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the captain of the Neverland Pirates, Killian Jones, and Robert’s ex wife, Milah.

“She always said she’d come back for me, but she never did.” Neal’s voice echoed in her mind. Neal had been four when Belle had adopted him and married his father. He’d given her away at the wedding. Now he was in danger, all because his biological mother had finally come back for him. She could see the tear tracks stained on his face. She made a fist against the barrel of the gun and told herself her job was to contain, not maim.

At least for Milah. Though it was tempting, Belle would not be responsible for ending her miserable life. That was her vow and concession to her oldest son.

Belle took a breath and holstered the gun in her boot. Maybe all Milah wanted was to scare her into leaving. Maybe if she played the game right, she could get the boys out before shots were fired. She risked a look at Robert who was making a motion with his hands above his throat. Don’t do that. 

If the plan were to protect Belle, Robert would have been right, but her safety came secondary to that of the children’s. “Milah.” She spoke confidently, feeling more afraid than she had the last time she’d stared down the barrel of a loaded gun. “You don’t need to do this. Neal wouldn’t want this.” She focused her attention on the brunette, trying not to make eye contact with Robert on her left. She had to keep him out of sight. She also was avoiding the look of her boys. She had to do this right so that she was keeping them safe. She stepped in front of them.

“Don’t talk to me about what Neal would want. You poisoned him against me, harpy,” Milah snapped, Killian looking on with a sharp smile that showed all of his teeth. Or at least - the remaining ones.

“He doesn’t need to see this.” Belle insisted, “I brought the money, Milah. You can let them go.” She threw out a bag on the floor, and it slid against the concrete with a whoosh.

“Where’s Robert?” Killian asked. He made no movement to grab the bag. Belle swallowed the urge to reach for her boys and get them out of here.

“He’s probably run away,” Milah taunted. “Lord knows he’s not man enough to come here.”

Belle schooled her facial expression after a millisecond. “He’s on his way. Are the boys okay?”

“They’re fine.” Killian interjected. “No worse for wear, right lads?” He leaned against Milah, looking sideways at the boys.

Gideon squirmed and tried to shout. Neal held fast to his brother’s hand and told him to stay quiet. Belle could see his knee was scraped through the jeans and saw red for a second before she had to remind herself to calm down.

She could be a mom in a minute when they were safe. Right now, she had to be a cop.

Killian took a step forward, Milah close on his heels. It was like a game of cat and mouse. Belle wasn’t sure who was who. She didn’t care. All that mattered was getting her boys home in time for bed.

“Take the money,” Belle said. “Let me get the boys.”

“Sensible choice, lass.” Killian scowled. “Not very fun, but I can see being with Ol' Gold wouldn’t give you much room for fun in your life. Milah, get the bag.”

Belle took two steps backwards, closer to the boys. “Neal,” she said in a low voice. “The restraints, are they loose enough to run?”

Neal gave a very small nod. Gideon whimpered. “Mama, where’s Papa?”

“When I say so, I want you to take Gideon and run down the left hallway.” Belle continued carefully, having to pretend as if she wasn’t listening to Gideon. Milah was closer to the bag now. Belle took a deep breath. “Three seconds from the end of this sentence, loosen your restraints in one hand. Keep together. Stay in the hall until we get you.”

Neal glanced to the right. He’d been in his Taekwondo classes for a long enough time that he knew not to give his position away. Gideon wasn’t as advanced yet, but Neal would protect his brother. He had to. He loosened the restraints in his right arm, and slowly slid the hand out. Belle shouted, “Now! GO.” And he was off, running to the left with Gideon dragging behind him. Milah grabbed the bag, and Killian backed up. His gun fired a warning shot in the air.

Robert grabbed the boys on the left side of the hall. Belle took her gun out of her boots and aimed it at Milah directly. “Milah Jones, Killian Jones, you’re both under arrest for kidnapping two minors.”

“The bag’s full of newspaper, not cash,” Milah shouted to Killian. Killian started to sprint, but Robert aimed his gun at Killian’s foot. Shot him in the leg, and he doubled over in pain, wailing.

“Nice shot Papa!” Neal cheered, watching as Milah’s eyes widened in shock. “Neal?” Her eyes filled with tears as Belle got up behind her, cuffing her. Milah didn’t move, betrayal written on her face. Belle hid her snicker.

Gideon launched into Robert’s arms, and no sooner did Belle snap the second cuff closed on Milah that Neal yelled out, “Mom!” Milah smirked as the boy raced in her direction, but it turned into a sneer when he ignored her and embraced Belle. “I’ve got you baby. We’re here now,” Belle promised, murmuring words of sweet affection for her son as she buried her face in his mess of brown curls. She looked up, made eye contact with Milah. “It takes more than giving birth to someone to be their mom. You have to love them more than you love yourself, something I don’t think you are capable of.”

-

[fanficwriterforeverythingnerdy]

A Kenobi

You had spent a while traveling with the Mandolorian and his adopted son. He’d picked you up after a job on Dantooine. He’d stayed with a few days when it was time to leave Grogu made it clear you had to come with. Din was skeptical until he watched you with a blaster. You were lethal yet kind-hearted. If he knew why you were that gifted with a blaster, you weren’t sure if he’d stay around. 

You tried not to think too much about the war, and the part you had played. The friends you let down. The friends who didn’t even try to find you. How he’d never tried to find you. But the past was the past. You couldn’t hold onto it forever, but you also knew it would catch up with you eventually. You just didn’t think it would catch up with you this quickly though. 

You stood behind Din as the dark troopers tried to get to you all. Everyone in the Room aimed their blaster at the doors. Then you saw it. An X-Wing. 

“One X-Wing? Great we’re saved,” said Kara. 

“Incoming craft identify yourself,” said Bo. 

Then you felt it. Felt him. While the bond between you had dimmed over the years, you knew it was him. Grogu seemed to also feel his presence. Then it all made sense Grogu had called him here. You felt goosebumps cast their way down your arm. You gasped softly. Din noticed. The dark troopers paused their assault outside. 

“Why’d they stop?” asked Cara. 

Din looked at you and the kid. He knew you knew something. On the screen, a cloaked figure began to attack the dark troopers with a lightsaber. 

“A Jedi?” gasped Bo Katan. 

Din looked over. Moff Gideon took the distraction as an opportunity to shoot at Bo Katan he then aimed his blaster at Grogu. Din leaped in front of him shielding him with his beskar. 

“Drop it,” threatened Fennec. 

All weapons were trained on Gideon. You reached Grogu brushing your hand over his head. Cara knocked out Gideon with her blaster. Grogu walked over to the screen placed his tiny hand on the screen he glanced briefly at you. Din’s eyes were on both of you. You moved closer to Grogu.

“You called him here––didn’t you?” you said. 

He cooed in response. You sighed grabbing his other little hand. As the cloaked figure took out the last of the dark troopers Grogu looked directly at Din and whined trying to communicate with him. Din seemed to understand as he lifted him up Grogu’s hand slipping out of yours. 

“Open the doors,” said Din. 

“Are you crazy?” asked Fennec

“Do it,” you said. You didn’t miss the slight shake in it. 

Din looked back at you. He wanted to ask what was wrong but this was not the time. He placed Grogu in a chair and hit the button for the doors. You moved closer to Din and sighed out of anxiety. Time to confront your past. 

He walked in through the doors. Hood up with a green lightsaber in his grip. You dreaded him taking that hood off. The glow of his saber reflected off Din’s beskar.  He deactivated his lightsaber and placed it back on his belt. He reached up and tossed the hood back. There he was in all his glory. Luke Skywalker. Grogu peeked out behind the chair. 

“Are you a Jedi?” asked Din. 

“I am,” Luke said. 

His gaze met yours. A frown took over his features. He had changed. The all-black was not a bad look for him, but it was different from how you remembered him. Din glanced between the two of you. You tried to mask your emotions, but they were festering beneath. 

“I didn’t think our paths would ever cross again,” he said. 

“You thought or you hoped,” you said.

“Y/n,” he said softly, “I’m sorry.” 

“Sorry for what exactly Luke? You left me to die.” 

“I thought you’d come back, Y/n you have to believe that.” 

“I’m sorry,” interrupted Cara, “You two know each other? Wow Y/n, I didn’t think you knew any Jedi.” 

“They don’t know do they?” asked Luke.

“Luke––” you warned.

“Know what? Mesh’la what is he talking about?” asked Din. 

Luke kept his gaze trained on you. You glared in return. Everything was about to come out in the open. 

“You don’t know who she is do you?” 

“She’s Y/n L/n,” said Fennec, “What else do you wanna know?” 

“No. Not L/n––” 

“Luke––stop.” 

“Kenobi. Her name is Y/n Kenobi.” 

Bo Katan gasped. Everyone’s eyes were trained on you. 

“And she’s a Jedi like her father before her.” 

Silence enveloped the room. The only stare you worried about was Din. Your Din. You knew without being able to see his face that the trust that you’d built was now obliterated. Luke looked away from you glancing at Grogu. He held his hand out to him. 

“Come little one,” said Luke. 

Grogu gazed at you and Din. He was asking for permission to leave. 

“He doesn’t want to go with you,” said Din.

“He’s asking for your permission,” said Luke, “he is strong with the force, a talent without training is nothing. I will give my life to protect the child.” 

Luke looked at you at that part a hint of regret passed through his blue eyes. 

“ But he will not be safe til masters his abilities.” 

Din picked Grogu up holding him tenderly, 

“Go on,” he said. Voice soft like velvet. “That’s who you belong with. He’s one of your kind.” 

Din looked at you holding silently communicating to come here. You brushed against cold beskar and grabbed onto one of Grogu’s hands. 

“We’ll see you again,” Din spoke.

“We promise,” you finished. 

Grogu slipped his hand out of yours and brushed it against the bottom of your chin. He reached out again this time to Din. He swept his little hand against the helmet. Din carefully reached up to the helmet––you gasped and turned around refusing to look at him. 

“Alright pal,” his voice unmodulated, “it’s time to go. Don’t be afraid.” 

You turned slightly glancing at the back of Din’s head. A head you had only seen or felt in the dark of the Razor Crest. He set Grogu down and it was clear the kid was sad to go. You then heard familiar beeping––R2. Grogu seemed to recognize him. R2 beeped at the sight of you. You smiled. 

“Hello R2,” you said.

“You could come with us, Y/n. You could come home.” 

You sighed. You knew he’d say that. Knew he’d ask you to go home. Back with him. Back to Han and Leia. And while a part of you missed them you couldn’t forget what he’d done. 

“I am home Luke,” you said stepping back towards Din. 

He sighed. Luke pulled something off of his belt. Your lightsaber. He stepped towards you placing it in your hand. His touch lingered for a moment. 

“I’ll see you again Y/n. I feel it in the force.” 

You said nothing just taking your saber. Luke reached down and lifted Grogu in his arms. He looked at you and Din who now stood right beside you a tear trailing down his cheek.

“May the force be with you.” 

And just like that he and the child were gone. You felt eyes on you. You looked down at the ground. Now to deal with the present. Din interlocked your hands. 

“Mesh’la,” he said. Voice laced with sorrow, “Why––”

“Not here Din. Not here.” 

“Yes, here,” said Bo Katan, “you’re a Kenobi. Your Obi-Wan’s daughter.” 

You turned you gazed at the redhead. Before you met Din you did some digging into your past. Your mother was Satine Kyrze which made Bo your aunt. 

“Who–who is your mother?” Bo asked. 

“I never knew my mother,” you said “but I think you know who she was.”

Bo had removed her helmet. She reached a shaky hand up to her mouth. She maneuvered over to you and hugged you tightly. She let you go glancing at Din, 

“Let’s get out of here.” 

Everyone loaded up on the ship. Bo gave your shoulder a squeeze looking over at Din who had not yet put his helmet back on. You sighed. This wasn’t how you wanted him to find out. Bo walked out of the bay and headed to the flight deck leaving you and Din alone. You sat down on a nearby bench not daring to look at him. Din kneeled in front of you placing a hand on your thigh. 

“Cyar’ka, look at me,” he said. 

You always loved the sound of his voice without the helmet now you feared it. Din sighed placing his gloved hand on your chin guiding you to look at him. This was the first time you’d ever seen his face. And Maker he was beautiful. Deep brown eyes searched your own. They held a warmth to them. His hair was short but slightly wavy. His nose was cute. His mouth held a slight frown to it. He was studying you. 

“Cyar, why didn’t you tell me?” he asked glancing down at your saber. 

“I–I was just afraid.” 

“Afraid of what Cyar?” 

“Afraid you’d hate me.” 

Gloved hands cupped both of your cheeks holding you in  place so you had no other choice but to look at him. His eyes were so sad. 

“Mesh’la I could never hate you. You’re all I have left.” 

Tears streaked down your face. You knew what the next question would be. “Could you have trained him?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why didn’t you?” 

“I haven’t used the force for a few years now.” 

“Because of what happened?” 

You nodded as more alligator tears leaked out. 

“What did happen?”

“It happened on Bespin in Clou–Cloud,” you hiccuped, “City.” 

Din ran a hand through your hair while the other rested on your thigh again. He urged you to continue.

“I–it was Vader,” you shuddered, “he knew our relationship and who I was. He set a trap for Luke and me. He used our friends as bait. Luke fell out of the bottom of the tower. He escaped. But I couldn’t. I was stuck with Vader. I thought he was going to kill me. He took my saber. And placed me under arrest. I spent a few months in prison. I was supposed to be terminated. But an old friend saved me.” 

“Ashoka,” Din said. “Yeah, Ashoka. She hid me somewhere safe. I wanted to go back to the rebellion but Ashoka told me they believed I was a lost cause. Even Luke. So I ran. I ran from my past. I changed my name and never looked back.” 

“Cyar’ka, my sweet girl, I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay it’s not entirely Luke’s fault but it still hurt.” 

Din pulled you into his lap. He kept you as close as possible. His face pressed into your neck inhaling your scent. 

“Cyare, I love you. “I love you more.” 

“We should get married.” 

You looked at him as he gazed right at you. You stroked his face. His beautiful face. “Okay,” you whispered. A smile graced your lips.

“I want to be your Riduur, Mesh’la.” 

“You’ll always have me Din.” 

You curled into his arms. The events of the day catching up with you. You placed your head in the crook of his shoulder slowly nodding off. He was yours. He would always be your home. Even if one member was no longer with you.

[justagalwhowrites]

Beskar Doll - Ch. 44: Riduur

You and Din take care of each other after escaping the Empire. A continuation of Beskar Doll Ch. 1-43 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: the Mandalorian/Din Djarin x Female Reader

Warnings: SMUT :D Just smut. Smutty smutty smut. Married people smut. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ only

Length: 3.9k

You were torn when Din put the helmet back on as he brought the shuttle in to land on the moon. You’d only ever known him with the helmet, all of his armor had just become an extension of him. You loved the beskar in the same way you loved the man who wore it. But his face… 

You could have looked at his face forever. You thought you could have, anyway, but the intimacy of knowing you were the only person left alive who’d seen him was like there was a part of him that belonged only to you. Which, you supposed, was only fair given that so much of you seemed to belong to him and him alone. 

But the helmet made you shaky now, too. You had so many memories of him this way - so many conjured images from the years you were away from him this way. The Empire could have manipulated any of them to create this one. There was a nagging possibility at the back of your mind that you hadn’t escaped, not really. That they’d recaptured you and you were back in the Mindflayer and that you’d say something to give something away. 

Din set the shuttle down away from where other ships were clustered and you caught a glimpse of the Razor Crest as you flew overhead. The sight of it made you oddly emotional. 

You’d resigned yourself to never seeing the Crest or Din or Grogu again. It was worth the sacrifice but it had still devastated you. The Crest was the closest thing you’d had to a home in years. In part because it was where Din called home and you wanted to be wherever he was but it was also that the ship had been where you’d felt safest, where you felt you belonged. It was good to see it again. 

“You’re sure about living as my wife?” He asked - actually asking. There was the shriek of starfighters overhead and you peered up through the viewer to see a handful X-Wings landing nearby. 

“Damn sure,” you smiled a little. “Are you?” 

He sat up a little straighter. 

“Absolutely,” he said. “Let’s go home, Cyare.”

You followed him down the ramp of the shuttle, watching as about half a dozen or so New Republic pilots came to meet you near the base of the Crest. 

“Mando,” a tall, strong looking woman smiled, a little cocky. 

“Cara,” he replied.

“That went surprisingly well for something we did together,” she said. 

“Neither of us almost died,” he agreed. “A first.” 

She looked you up and down then and you raised your chin a bit, on instinct. It’s not like you’d had the luxury of a mirror in the past… however long you’d been gone. Normally, you wouldn’t care. But this woman was a friend of Din’s and looked like she could hold her own against him. You wanted to be worthy of him, too. 

But her face softened, almost unexpectedly. Like she approved, like she was happy you were there. 

“This your… friend?” She asked, looking to Din, her brows raised. 

“This is my wife,” Din said, shoulders squared. You looked up at him, smiling a little. You felt his eyes on you - you knew now that they were soft, brown eyes. You both looked back to the woman. “Essa.” 

“Essa Djarin,” you said when he stopped at your adopted first name. You felt him look at you for a moment and you couldn’t help but smile a little. 

“Wife?” She gaped a little before nodding and smiling, too. “Well look at you, Mando. Who knew you had it in you.” 

Din shrugged. 

“Only have it for her.” 

She turned to you. 

“Heard you caught me my general,” she said. You shrugged. “The New Republic owes you.” 

“Given what you just helped get me out of?” You said. “I think we’re square.” 

“Nah, that was just fun,” Cara smirked. “Gideon and his fleet have been on my list for a while…” 

“Gideon wasn’t on board,” you shook your head. She frowned. “I don’t know where he was but when they started the last Mindflayer session, they said he was off the ship so he wouldn’t be observing…” 

“They had you in a Mindflayer?” Cara asked, looking surprised. “Damn. But you’re sure, Gideon was off the ship?” 

“I can’t be positive,” you said. “I’m not sure how long they had me in there. He might have come back. But he had been… hands on and he wasn’t there. They had no reason to lie.” 

“At least we’ve wiped out plenty of his resources,” she sighed. “We’ll get him and now, it’ll be easier to bring him in. Plus,” she smiled a little. “That felt really good.” 

You said your goodbyes and went aboard the Crest. You took a moment to soak it up, the feeling of being home again. The first time you’d been aboard with Din as your husband. You almost laughed at it, where you’d ended up with him almost four years after you first met. From dreading this ship, this man, to him being the only place you wanted to be. 

Din led the way to the cockpit and you strapped in, watching as he launched the ship and programmed a short jump, staying in hyperspace for only a few minutes before dropping out again. 

“Think it’s safe to call Peli?” You asked. 

“Don’t think it’s safe not to,” he muttered. “I’m almost afraid of the kind of havoc they can wreak when left alone…” 

“How long…” you paused, not able to look at him. “How long was I gone?” 

Din was quiet for a moment, the silence heavy. 

“About a week.” 

You nodded slowly. You weren’t sure how to track that time. You could feel fracture points in your memory, the edges jagged and sharp. You needed to try pick through the debris in your mind, piece things together, make it so you were sure that you were living what you were seeing and feeling and hearing. 

Din pulled up a holographic com link before standing and guiding you into the captain’s chair, standing at your shoulder. Peli answered quickly, Grogu on her lap. He squealed when he saw you and you smiled at that. 

“Well look who it is!” Peli smiled broadly. “Glad to see you’re in one piece!” She bounced Grogu and looked down at him. “See, kiddo? It’s your mama!” 

He squealed again and reached with his little hands, going right for where your hair would be if you were there in person. 

“Hey buddy!” You smiled, tears stinging at your eyes. “I missed you, I’ve missed you so much. I promise, you can play with my hair as much as you want as soon as we’re back.” 

“Has he been behaving himself?” Din asked, eliciting another gleeful little yell from the child. 

“Eating me out of house and home but otherwise the womp rat’s been a dream,” she smiled. “I still say that if he ever spawns, you have to give me one…” 

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Din said wryly. “We’ll be there in about two days…” 

“Oh take your time,” Peli waved him off. “We’re having the time of our lives out here. Think he’s got it in him to be a great mechanic, don’t you little guy?” 

“Patu!” 

You smiled, a tear slipping from your eye. 

“See you soon,” you said. “I love you, so much little guy.” 

You gave Din his seat back and he set the jump, sending the Crest hurtling for Tatooine. When he did, he slumped back in his chair and took a deep breath. 

“You got hit,” you said, getting up and leaning against the console in front of him. “Getting to the shuttle.” 

He nodded once. 

“How about I patch you up?” You asked, reaching out and cupping the side of his helmet. “Seems like the… wifely thing to do.” 

He slid a hand up your thigh to your hip. 

“Seems like I should let you,” he replied. 

You went to the galley and got the med kit and met Din in his quarters. He was standing there, fully armored, watching you. You set the med kit on the bed and stepped close to him, so your body was brushing against his own. 

“When you said below the helmet,” you said hesitantly. “Does that mean…” 

He wordlessly took your hands and put them on either side of his helmet. Your breath caught. 

“You don’t have to do this,” you said. You could feel his eyes on yours from behind the mask. “I love you with…” 

“I want to,” he said quietly. “I want you to see me. Know me. The way I want to see and know you. You’re my riduur, my clan and I am yours.” 

He released your hands and you swallowed, hard, before you slowly, gently, lifted his helmet from his head for the first time in the light. 

You took a moment to look at him this close, his helmet clutched close to your side. His lips pulled up at the edges in a small smile. His eyes were so soft and deep, you had a hard time looking away to appreciate the rest of him. His hand came up to cup your face, his thumb gently skating over your cheekbone. 

“Cyare,” he said softly. You smiled a little. You got to watch his mouth move as he said it. 

“Your shoulder,” you said after a moment, before you got too absorbed. “And I really need to wash the Empire off me.” 

He smiled. Damn, he had a nice smile. 

You gently helped him remove his armor, his pauldrons, his chest plate. You unzipped his flight suit and slid it down his body, exposing his upper body. The wound on his shoulder wasn’t bad, all things considered. A glancing shot, but one you knew had to hurt. 

He watched you - it took a moment to adjust to the fact that you could see his eyes on you now, not just feel them - as you cleaned the wound and applied a bacta strip. You pressed your lips gently to the base of his neck at his shoulder as you finished, your hands on his chest. He kissed the crown of your head and pulled you against him, pressing his cheek into your hair. You delicately wrapped your arms around his waist, breathing him in. 

“How are you doing?” He asked gently. “You said they weren’t hurting you but…” 

“It was different,” you said quietly. He held you a little tighter. “I can’t feel how long I was there or what happened, what they touched… It feels like there are parts of my head that are splintered and I’m not sure what’s real and what isn’t…” 

He gently stroked your back, pressing you closer to him. 

“What do you need,” he said, his voice soft. 

“Can…” You took a deep, shaky breath. “Can you hold onto me while I try to put things back together? I think being close to you will help and…” 

He wordlessly shifted until he was tugging you gently onto the bed. You followed his lead, lying down, Din wrapping himself around you and pulling you against him, your head tucked below his chin. His fingers from one hand tangled in your hair while the others splayed wide over your back, slipped up below your shirt, touching as much of your skin as they could reach. You breathed him in, taking the smell of his skin deep into your lungs. That was one thing you didn’t remember from your time in the Mindflayer. Sights and sounds were there but smells were hazy. You could hold onto this, ground yourself in it. 

You let your mind relax, delicately picking through the layers and layers of time and memory, putting things back where they belonged inside your head. It was like someone had gone through and searched your home for something, rifling around for things that weren’t there. You didn’t necessarily know where they searched until you checked for yourself - clothes in the closet out of order, dishes in the cabinet broken - but there was the feeling of violation, of wrongness lingering everywhere over you. 

Time was a strange thing when digging through your own head. It felt like you’d only been working on it a little while - maybe an hour - when it seemed like you’d found all the splintered pieces from the last Mindflayer session. You were more certain that ever that what was happening now was real. You hadn’t been able to notice the fracture points when in the Mindflayer before - the second you were conscious that it was a manipulation, it broke it enough that you could fight your way through it. But you were able to feel your way through them now, find the breaking points, try to piece together the options with what you knew came next and excise what the Empire had planted in you.

Your mind was worn when you were done, like just your head had just trained for days. You had a feeling that Grogu or Ahsoka could reach into your head right now with their Jedi powers and show you whatever they wanted. 

“How’s the shoulder?” You asked. Your mouth felt dry. 

“Healed,” Din said, fingertips running up and down your spine.

You frowned against his skin.

“How long have we been here?” You asked. 

“Few hours,” he said. “How are you doing?” 

“Better,” you said, pressing yourself a bit closer to him. “I think I have things back where they belong now, I think I know what they got to.” 

You flinched a little at that, knowing some of what they’d seen and started trying to manipulate. That they’d found moments between you and Din that should have just been your own. It turned your stomach to think of them touching those parts of you. 

He pressed his lips into your forehead. 

“Let’s get cleaned up.” 

Din led the way to the fresher, delicately undressing you, leaving the clothes from the Empire cast aside in a corner. 

It was so different than the last time you were in the shower together, when he’d exacted punishment and made you weak and desperate. Instead, he delicately unwound your hair from its braid and washed it, running his fingers through it, gently cradling your skull in his large palm. You peeled away the bacta patch and ran your fingers gently over the newly healed skin as you pressed a kiss to the middle of his chest. 

The two of you took turns carefully cleaning each other, your fingers running over his body in ways they never had before. You rarely had this kind of access to his skin in the light and certainly never when you weren’t both frantically trying to get him inside of you. But you liked learning him like this, finding his scars and the precise shape of his muscle beneath his skin. You liked him doing it to you, too. The way his hands ran over your skin not with wanton desire but gentle care, his lips drifting to your temple, your shoulder, your throat, the inside of your wrist. You luxuriated in watching the way his mouth moved when he kissed you, that you were lucky enough to see his lips at all. It all stoked an aching longing inside you, something that was deep and heady and threatening to consume you. You wanted to let it, wanted to let him take everything you were and fold it into himself so you could do the same with him. 

When both of you were clean and were pressed against each other, his hands on your face, every line of him tight against you. 

“Let me take you to bed,” he said softly. You just kissed him and wrapped around him as he carried you to his quarters. 

***

Din wasn’t sure he’d ever needed you more. 

He always wanted you. It was a constant state of being for him now, wanting you. But, right now, he needed you. 

Needed to feel you, needed to have you that close, needed that assurance that you were back with him where you belonged. 

There was a comfort in you being his wife, a comfort in the sense of permanence with you that hadn’t been there before. It was something he needed after he woke up and found you gone, he needed to know that it wouldn’t happen again. He couldn’t handle it happening again. 

He lay you down beneath him, his lips pressed against yours as he settled between your thighs. You arms went around his neck, your breasts pressed flush against his chest. He ran his hands over your skin, savoring the feel of you against him, until he slid between your bodies to find your warm, wet slit. He stroked you gently, all but ghosting his finger from your hole up to your clit, making you shudder against him. 

“Din,” you breathed, brushing your nose over his cheek, arching your back against him. 

“Cyare,” he whispered back, circling your clit with his finger, gradually increasing the pressure and pace of it. 

“I need you,” you were already starting to pant below him, grinding your hips against his hand. “Please…” 

“Don’t want to hurt you,” he kissed down your jaw to your throat. 

“You won’t,” you pulled your fingers from where they’d been running over the skin of his back and took his face in your hands, pulling his face just far enough from your own that you could look into his eyes. “Please, please, I need…” 

He wasn’t going to deny you, not when you were begging and desperate for the thing he wanted more than anything. He gathered some of your wetness and brought it to his aching, dripping length, making himself slick with it before he notched himself against your tight entrance. His eyes met yours and he brushed your hair back before gently holding your head in his hand. Fuck, he’d never known how badly he’d wanted this, exactly this. To be able to look at you and you at him, nothing between you. Just how badly he needed to look into your eyes when you could look back into his own. You held his gaze as he slowly parted your inner walls and pressed into you, your sex so tight around him it was bordering on pain. He could feel every ridge of your tight channel, every delicate shudder your body made as you took him into yourself, every panting breath. Your eyes were wide and wanting, searching his own as though they would satisfaction there. He held your gaze as he slid home within you, marveling for a moment that he was inside of you, one with you in a way he never really had been before. 

“Din,” the way you said his name made him know that he wasn’t alone in it, that you felt it, too. He held himself inside you for a moment, feeling you adjust to his size as your body stretched to make room for him. 

“Cyare,” he said it like a prayer, like you were the only thing he would answer to. He slowly, gently started to move within you, dragging his head along your channel, his body all but screaming in protest at the loss of any contact with you, before he thrust back inside you, finding the very back of your tight core with every stroke. 

He could feel your orgasm building inside of you, your body tightening around him, your hips moving more desperately against him with every aching movement, your pupils blown, your eyes locked on his. Your building pleasure matched his own, the fire in his blood threatening to swallow him whole, the tight pull of you making it so all he wanted to do was empty himself into you. It was consuming, all he could think of, his whole body demanding it as he did everything he could to delay it. He wasn’t ready to be without you yet, he still needed you close. 

“Need to feel you cum with me,” you managed, even your voice tight with longing. “Please, I love you, I need…” 

“Give you anything,” he kissed you, pushing into you harder, adjusting your legs to deepen the angle and you moaned into his mouth. Your body tightened further around him, your whole being so taut it felt like you might snap. He didn’t have a hope of holding back anymore, not with that look in your eyes, not with the desperation in your voice as you begged for the only thing he wanted to do. “I love you, I have to fill you, going to leave you full of me…” 

Your body started to tremble around him and he managed two more firm thrusts before he came with a strangled cry, dropping his forehead to yours but holding your gaze all the way through it as both of you panted and gasped for breath. 

Din tugged one of your legs over his hip and slid an arm below your back before he shifted to his side, still deep inside you, taking you with him. You reached out and ran your fingers through his hair before your hand slipped down to the back of his neck.

He’d expected the need to lessen once he had you, once he followed the primal drive he felt to leave part of himself within you. But it didn’t. It just shifted, the need refocusing on keeping you close now that he had you. His heart pulled at the memory of waking up without you. 

“Cyare,” he said quietly. “You cannot just leave like that again.” 

“I know,” you said softly. 

“Especially not if…” His eyes trailed down your body, to where you were his child was inside you. Something made with you, within you. Something that was you and him, built out of love and longing. He could picture it, you and him together on the uncharted moon, Grogu using the force to find tiny creatures in the grass as a child whose face and shape were amorphous clapped and laughed. 

“I know,” you said again. “I didn’t want to leave you, Din, I didn’t. It just felt like I didn’t have another option. What Gideon was threatening…. I couldn’t risk it. I still can’t, we need to take Grogu and run as soon as we have him because…” 

“We can protect him together,” he said quietly. “We are one when together, we are one when parted. We will protect him, we will protect him and all our children. We are partners.” 

You smiled a little at that. 

“Partners,” you agreed.

He reluctantly slid himself from your body but couldn’t bring himself to turn the lights fully out. He wanted to look at you this way too much. You fell asleep in his arms, your face soft and content. He knew the two of you would need to come up with a plan to keep Grogu safe, where to go, what to do, how to hunt Gideon. But, for now, he had you. You were here, you were close, you were safe from the Empire. Once the two of you were back to Grogu, he’d have everything he needed. 

The comfort of your closeness made it so he fell into a deep, easy sleep. 

It made it so that the shock of fear was almost overwhelming when you woke up screaming.

[swan-of-sunrise]

Taking Care of Business (Chapter Forty-Three)

Summary: In the wake of Moff Gideon’s defeat, (Y/N) and Din officially adopt Grogu as their son and the family bids farewell to Bo-Katan before seeking out an old friend.

Pairing: Din Djarin X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: This chapter’s a little shorter than the last few, but that’s only because I’m saving even more fluff for the last chapter! Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Forty-Three The Adoption (Previous Chapter)

The week after the Mandalorians’ defeat of Moff Gideon and the reclamation of their homeworld from the Empire was marked by a ceremony at the bank of the Living Waters; the Mandalorians – the covert, the former mercenaries and the survivors of the Siege – gathered to allow the Armorer to baptize them in the sacred water and to speak the Mandalorian Creed as a way of reaffirming their vows. Due to (Y/N)’s partially-healed leg wound, Clan Mudhorn was the last to arrive at the Living Waters, much to her embarrassment despite Din’s kind and reasonable assurances.

“You were wounded in battle against one of our people’s greatest enemies, alor’ad,” Din reminded her as he held her steady with an arm looped around her waist and helped her limp down the uneven tunnel to the Living Waters. “I’m sure that the others won’t mind us being a little late.”

“Well, my mother used to say ‘early is on-time, and on-time is late;’ the Naboo pride themselves on their punctuality, after all.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grogu – who was nestled comfortably in the crook of Din’s left elbow – lift one of his clawed hands and aim it towards her bandaged leg, and she gave him a pointed look. “No, Grogu. It’s sweet that you wanna use your Force-healing on me but trust me, I’ve dealt with worse blaster wounds than this one; besides, you still need to regain your strength after what you did last week.”

Grogu cooed in reluctant agreement and lowered his hand while the side of Din’s helmet gently tapped against the side of her head. The sound of drums filled the air as the clan of three stepped into the cavernous chamber that housed the Living Waters of Mandalore, which was now illuminated by several lanterns and adorned with tribal banners; Mandalorians stood at attention on either side of the chamber, and all were wearing their helmets as a sign of respect. The Armorer stood knee-high in the dark water and held a small stone basin in her gloved hands, turning around to watch Ragnar, the foundling of their fallen ally and friend, kneel on the steps before her. (Y/N)’s heart clenched in sympathy for the child and while they waited by the entrance of the chamber, Din’s hand subtly flexed against her waist; everyone here owes their life to Paz Vizsla, she thought to herself as she recalled the Mandalorian’s noble sacrifice, and everyone will repay that debt by ensuring Ragnar grows up safe and protected.

“I swear on my name and the names of the Ancestors…”

“I swear on my name and the names of the Ancestors…” Ragnar recited.

“That I shall walk the Way of the Mand’alor…”

“That I shall walk the Way of the Mand’alor…”

“And the words of the Creed shall be forever forged in my heart.”

“And the words of the Creed shall be forever forged in my heart.”

When he finished, he bowed his head and the Armorer poured the basin of water onto his beskar helmet. “This is the Way.”

“This is the Way,” The assembled Mandalorians echoed.

Sharing a reassuring look, (Y/N) and Din waited for Ragnar to join the others before starting forward towards the steps. Bo-Katan, whose helmet was already decorated with droplets of water, gave them a nod of respect when they passed her and (Y/N) flashed her friend a nervous smile. They descended the steps together and her husband made sure she was stable before letting go of her waist and bending down to set Grogu down on the damp steps.

“Grogu is my apprentice. He is no longer a foundling.” Din’s modulated voice was filled with self-assurance as he continued. “Add him to the Song.”

The Armorer shook her head. “He is too young to speak, so he is too young to take the Creed. He must remain a foundling.”

Grogu cooed and lowered his head in disappointment and (Y/N) struggled to resist the overwhelming urge to scoop him up into her arms, but Din was seemingly unperturbed by the Armorer’s words. “If his parent gave permission, couldn’t he then become a Mandalorian apprentice?”

“Yes, but his parents are far from here, if they are even alive.”

In that instant, realization dawned on (Y/N) and her head whipped around to meet the visor of her husband’s helmet; although she couldn’t see his face, she knew the Mandalorian well enough to determine exactly what he was thinking and after a moment, a bright smile spread across her face. “Then we will adopt him as our own,” She replied, her eyes remaining fixed on Din’s covered gaze as she reached over to slip her hand into his.

In her peripheral vision, she watched the Armorer give them both a deep nod. “This is the Way.”

“This is the Way,” Din and (Y/N) replied in unison and when she glanced down, Grogu was beaming up at them both.

“Let it be written in Song that Din Djarin and (Y/N) (Y/L/N) are accepting this foundling as their son.” With a hint of pride in her modulated voice, the Armorer looked out at the gathered Mandalorians and addressed the child. “You are now Din Grogu, Mandalorian apprentice.”

“This is the Way.”

Grogu happily nodded and the Armorer turned to face Din. “You must leave Mandalore and take your apprentice on his journeys, just as your teacher did for you.”

Din nodded. “This is the Way.” Bending down, he scooped Grogu up and (Y/N) smiled when his clawed hand rested against the beskar covering Din’s cheek. “Grogu. Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad.” When he noticed (Y/N)’s confused expression, he softly explained, “It’s a Mandalorian adoption vow; it means ‘I know your name as my child.’ It’s something…something I should’ve spoken a long, long time ago.”

(Y/N)’s eyes prickled with unshed tears as she smoothed a hand over the child’s wrinkled head and met his gaze. “Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad, Grogu.” Beside her, Din released a shuddering breath and she nervously bit her lip. “Did I say that right? Mando’a’s pretty difficult to pronounce-”

“It was perfect, alor’ad.” While the Mandalorians began to file out of the chamber, Din pressed his forehead against hers in a Keldabe Kiss and gently squeezed her hand. “Ni kar’tayl gar darasumm, ner cyar’ika riduur.”

She brushed her lips against the beskar covering his mouth as her free hand cradled the side of his helmet. “And I love you too, my honorable Mandalorian.”

“So, I guess this is it.” They looked over to see Bo-Katan standing at the top of the steps, her helmet resting against her hip as a smile played on her lips. “What’re you guys gonna do now?”

(Y/N) tilted her head to the side and considered the Nite Owl’s question. “We haven’t really decided yet, but I suppose we’ll have plenty of time to figure it out on our way to Adelphi.”

“A lot of rumors are gonna start spreading about what happened here, and it’ll be good for Mandalore if Captain Teva and the New Republic hears the truth before the stories,” Din added before helping (Y/N) ascend the damp steps to where Bo-Katan stood. “Thanks to the leadership of Bo-Katan Kryze, Mandalore once again belongs to the Mandalorians and the galaxy is free of Moff Gideon’s influence once and for all.”

Bo-Katan’s cheeks flushed pink as she scoffed at Din’s words. “Well, don’t sell yourselves too short on my account. All of this? It just wouldn’t be possible without you three landing on Kalevala and showing me that I still had a purpose. I don’t know if I can ever repay you for that.”

Taking a step forward, (Y/N) wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug and smiled to herself when she immediately returned her embrace. “There’s nothing to repay, Bo. You were meant to lead your people, just as we were meant to help you reclaim Mandalore.”

When (Y/N) pulled away, Din offered the Nite Owl his hand and nodded as she tightly clasped it. “Take care of yourself, Bo. If you need anything, we’re only a holo-call away.”

Grogu cooed and gave Bo-Katan a small wave, and she chuckled as she blinked away her tears. “I’ll miss you too, kid. May the Force be with you.”

With one final smile, Bo-Katan turned and strode out of the chamber after the rest of the Mandalorians, radiating self-assurance with each step she took and looking every bit the leader that Mandalore deserved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After their long week on Mandalore, the sunshine and warm air of Adelphi was a treat and as (Y/N) piloted the N-1 starfighter down onto the New Republic’s landing pad, she admired the waves gently lapping at the sandy beaches and the lush green foliage framing the rocky hills in the distance. It’s not hard to see why the New Republic established an outpost on this planet, she thought to herself as Din helped her descend from the starfighter.

“We’ll be back in a few, R5!” (Y/N) called out to the astromech droid and gave him a small wave before accepting her husband’s gloved hand and gesturing for Grogu to follow them as they walked towards the Quonset hut that housed a lounge bar for the New Republic pilots. “Captain Teva’s X-Wing is here, so that’s good. Do you think he’s expecting us?”

“I’d be surprised if he wasn’t.” Din matched her slower pace and glanced down at the child toddling happily beside them. “The kid’s gonna get a real surprise when we land on Nevarro and don’t immediately leave.”

(Y/N) chuckled. “The little guy’s definitely spent more time in space than on any one planet, but I think he’ll be okay. He’s our son, after all.”

Her husband’s fingers threaded around her own and gave her hand a loving squeeze as the Quonset doors slid open to reveal the lounge bar. New Republic X-Wing pilots were drinking and chatting amongst themselves at the tables, playing table games and changing the music on the jukebox in the back, and Captain Carson Teva was nursing a glass of spotchka as he leaned against the bar and gave them a jaunty smile. “Let me buy you a drink.”

(Y/N) shook her head and allowed Din to help her slide onto one of the nearby barstools. “Thanks, but we’re here on business.”

“We really appreciate what you two did.” Captain Teva watched in amusement as Grogu jumped up onto the bar and began snacking on a bowl of nuts. “You made our jobs a lot easier.”

Din merely shrugged his armored shoulders. “We’ve all been chasing Moff Gideon. You would’ve gotten him eventually; my wife and I just got there first.”

A string of excited babbles drew their attention towards Grogu, who was pointing at the helmets and severed droid heads suspended above the bar, and (Y/N) realized why he was so enthusiastic when she spotted the old IG-11 head resting beside a slashed Stormtrooper helmet. “Your kid sure likes the trophies.”

“It’s not him, kid.” Din turned back to face the officer and explained, “One of them reminds him of someone he knew.” Captain Teva nodded in understanding and after seeing the encouraging smile on (Y/N)’s face, the Mandalorian continued. “We have a business proposition.”

The officer’s brow arched. “Shoot.”

“This youngling is my apprentice.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I’m a bounty hunter by trade; now that he’s with us, I’ll be more selective in my assignments.” One of Din’s hands rested on the small of (Y/N)’s back as he leaned against the bar beside her. “We were offered a tract of land on Nevarro by High Magistrate Karga, and we’ve decided to accept it.”

“Go on.”

“You don’t have the resources to protect the Outer Rim, let alone hunt down Imperial remnants.” (Y/N)’s smile widened when the officer reluctantly nodded in agreement. “And we need work.”

Captain Teva smirked at that. “Let me get this straight: you two want to work for the New Republic?”

“On a case-by-case basis,” Din corrected. “Independent contractors.”

(Y/N) nodded. “I’m a seamstress by trade and now that we’re settling down on Nevarro, I was considering taking commissions. That way, I can split my time between my sewing and our assignments.”

“You and I both know this is against regulation, Captain (Y/L/N). It’ll never get approved.”

There was amusement in Din’s modulated voice as he replied, “Which is why you won’t tell them.”

The officer sighed and finished off the rest of his spotchka. “Let me think about it.”

“You already did,” Din chuckled. “It’s a good deal and you know it.”

“Is that so?”

“My husband is the most skilled bounty hunter on this side of the galaxy, and I couldn’t have saved as many civilians as I did during the Rebellion without being one hell of a smuggler.” Leaning back in her seat, (Y/N) crossed her arms over her chest and didn’t bother masking her confident grin with a more modest expression. “In the meantime, all we require is a small advance.”

Din, catching onto what (Y/N) was planning, nodded in agreement and pointed to the severed IG-11 head. “What we want in return is that.”

Captain Teva’s brow furrowed. “A scrap assassin droid head?”

“Mm-hmm, we need it for parts.”

With a small head-shake, the officer slid off his barstool and after a quick word with the bartender, he retrieved the severed IG-11 head for them and they bid their friend goodbye, all three of them comprehending the unspoken arrangement that had just taken place: (Y/N) and Din would selectively accept assignments secretly sent to them by Captain Teva, and their apprehension of rogue Imperial commanders and destruction of any remnants of the Empire would help bring security to the fledgling New Republic. A peaceful life on Nevarro sprinkled with adventure and a little bit of danger, she thought as she cradled the droid’s head against her chest and walked alongside her husband and son towards the starfighter, sounds like a perfect work-life balance to me.

“…So, you really think I’m the most skilled bounty hunter on this side of the galaxy?”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh even as her lips curved into a reluctant smile. “I do…but that doesn’t mean I suddenly think that bounty hunters are better than smugglers. I guess all those rumors about bounty hunters needing their skills validated all the time must be true.”

“And I can’t believe that smugglers’ egos are so easily threatened by some competition.”

Grogu giggled and jumped up into the cockpit as (Y/N) shot Din a playful glare. “Mir’sheb.”

“I love you too, alor’ad.” With a chuckle, Din’s gloved hand caressed her cheek before moving to rest on the small of her back to help her climb into the cockpit. “Now, let’s go home…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mando’a Translations:

Alor’ad-Captain Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad-I know your name as my child (adoption vow) Ni kyr’tayl gar darasuum, ner cyar’ika riduur-I love you, my darling wife Mir’sheb-Smart-ass

A/N: And now we’ve only got one more chapter to go! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! Oh, and I’ve created a Spotify playlist of all my favorite music from the world of Star Wars, so if you’re interested in checking it out the link is down below!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2KuSKJhVOPPvxdJ9YHeo4M?si=2977ff31bf0c4bdd

Chapter Forty-Four Taking Care of Business Masterlist

Tagging: @remmysbounty @sinon36 @seninjakitey​ @thatonedindjarinfan​ @ginger-swag-rapunzel​ @mostclevermiss​ @momc95​ @welcometothepedroverse​ @sarahjkl82-blog​ @elinedjarin​ @ccomandercody​ @crowleysqueenofhell​  @goldielocks2004 @wondergal2001​ @groovyqueer​ @impala1967666​ @fluffy-canada-pancakes​ @icee228​ @siimiasoi​

[ouatnextgen]

Halloween Costumes!

One Halloween, the Storybrooke gang decide to dress as the Disney versions of their parents.

This is the abomination culmination

Roland: Because this happens after Robyn learns the truth about what went down with Zelena and Robin, she's....not happy with her mom rn. So, Roland graciously decided to let Robyn be Robin Hood.

He decided to be his step/adoptive mom instead of his birth mom for a few reasons: 1) because it was less emotional for him, 2) so Regina wouldn't feel left out (Henry and Jacinda were doing a couples costume), and 3)...because the Evil Queen costume was way easier to find online.

He ends up slaying in it, obviously.

Alex: She knew she wanted to be Prince Charming right away, even though her mother protested.

They put their hair up using a million bobby pins and about two cans of hairspray, and adjusted the outfit to fit their boobs. They were also the one who made adjustments to everyone else's costumes to make sure they fit.

Leo: He was uncomfortable wearing and dress, so he went with Prince Florian. David offered him one of his old Enchanted Forest outfits, to which Leo had to explain that the cheap costumes were what made it fun.

The costume had the downside of coming with a pair of very cheap and tight tights. PJ seemed to like them, though

PJ: Picked out his dress on September 1st. He rocks both it, and the shitty felt crown headband it came with.

Robyn: Could not find a single commercially available fox Robin Hood costume. So, she bought a Peter Pan one, and had Alex make some adjustments.

She slapped on a fox tail and a different Robin Hood hat, and called it. (On the bright side, she and Alice have matching hat feathers)

Gideon: Really didn't want to be his dad (even the Disney Beauty and the Beast version) so he went with his mom's Disney version.

He doesn't rock it as well as PJ, but he makes it work. And on the bright side, now he and Hope match. (On the downside, his shoulders are freezing)

Alice: Alice really wanted to be Captain Hook. So, if she rigged the coin toss that she and Hope did for who got to be him, sue her.

Luckily, there were a lot of official woman's Hook costumes for her to pick from, including some fancy wigs....which she ditched after the pictures were taken (those things are itchy), but she kept the hat, so she and Robyn could match.

Hope: After losing the coin toss, Hope suddenly realized that Emma didn't really have a fairytale counterpart. The closest things were the Ugly Duckling or the Swan Princess. All of the Ugly Duckling costumes were made for kids, so Swan Princess it was.

The two animated versions of the Swan Princess (Barbie and the other one) didn't have commercial dresses, so Hope got a chunky plastic tiara and a cheap ballet dress (she used her own ballet shoes)

Hey, at least she matched with Gideon.

Individual Edits Under the Cut: (They look bad up close, but you can't see Robyn's tail in the group shot lol)

[tinky-dinky]

My Version Of Season Three

If I was the one writing Season Three, this is what I'd do:

Din's quest to bathe in the Living Waters would be the end goal of the season.

Throughout the season, Din runs into various Mandalorians and somewhat accidentally ends up convincing them he should be Mand'alor. (bonus points for concealing him having the Darksaber until after his followers have sworn to follow him).

First Episode, Din goes to Nevarro, to get IG-11. Greef is being harassed by the pirates, so Din decides to help his friend, as shown in the show.

Second Episode, Din goes to Tattooine to talk to Peli. Afterwards, he goes to Boba and talks to him. This leads to an emotional scene wherein Boba talks about Jango and what he told Boba about Mandalore. Possibly even with a Jaster reference.

Third Episode, Din searches for the parts for IG-11. While he's doing so, he gets caught up in helping someone and meets another Mandalorian, someone from the True Mandalorians perhaps, to give Din another perspective on Mandalorians. Possibly Kal Skirata or Walon Vau? Neither are stated to be True Mandalorians but Jango had to know them somehow to recruit them for the Cuy'val Dar, the trainers on Kamino. They could direct Din to the surviving clones for help.

Fourth Episode, Din finds and befriends one or more of the remaining clones. Perhaps not Rex, seeing as he's likely to have a big role in Ahsoka, but maybe Wolffe. Some kind of adventure ensues. This could be used to help set up Ahsoka, if necessary.

Fifth Episode, Din runs into Axe Woves and Koska Reeves, them having left Bo Katan after she failed to get the Darksaber. They go on some kind of mission/adventure (maybe helping that Mon Calamari/Quarren couple run away?).

Sixth Episode, Din finds the Covert, hiding somewhere not full of monsters. Paz decides to accompany Din on his quest, out of a brotherly feeling of 'I hate this little brat but I can't let him go get killed'.

Seventh Episode, Din and his assorted Mando buddies go to Mandalore, where they find Gideon's base. The episode ends on a similar cliffhanger to the actual seventh episode, except if someone is killed off, it's done much better than Paz's death was.

Eighth Episode, Din and co battle Gideon and manage to defeat him and his troopers, reclaiming Mandalore. Din bathes in the Living Waters, redeems himself and adopts Grogu. The episode and season ends with Din being declared Mand'alor.

[spencermyangel]

Prompt: reid is hotch's adoptive kid and autistic. he is not part of the BAU yet (I was thinking late teenager) so the team wants to meet this mystery genius child they've heard about but hotch is nervous that they will judge him because he's "weird/different" and has been out-casted/bullied before (but then obviously they do end up meeting him and they're all very nice).

“So, Hotch, when are we going to get to meet this genius kid of yours?” Morgan casually asked as he sipped on his coffee. 

Hotch sighed, ever since the team had found out about Hotch’s 18 year old adopted son, they had been nagging to meet him. He understood why. a young genius tended to spark people’s interest. But, he was worried. Spencer was incredibly smart, but he struggled. He had autism. Hotch didn’t want the team to judge Spencer for his differences. 

But, Spencer had also been bugging Hotch to let him visit his work too. He was very interested in joining the BAU after Gideon pitched the idea to him. Gideon and Spencer had been close before Gideon left. 

“Yeah, Aaron,” Rossi decided to pile on, “you talk about him all the time, but we’ve never even seen a picture of him. I’m starting to think you made him up.” 

“Please, could you bring him in for us to meet,” Garcia added with a pleading look. 

Hotch took in the hopeful look of his teammates before relenting, “fine. I’ll bring him in next week.” 

*

Spencer stepped off the elevator, eyes wide as he took in all there was to see of the place his father worked. The place he, himself hoped to someday work.  

Hotch watched him with a soft smile on his face, but in his head he was still concerned. Spencer had been made fun of all his life, and Hotch knew it would break his heart if the team would be mean to him. 

They walked into the bullpen side by side. Hotch glanced at his son, and seeing a nervous look on his face, he gave him a gentle pat on the back. Spencer smiled nervously as Hotch approached a group of agents talking around a desk. 

Hotch cleared his throat and the agents turned around, quickly noticing the tall, skinny young man next to Hotch. He glanced around nervously, one hand fidgeting with the too long sleeve of his sweater. The other hand reached up to fix his glasses. 

Hotch, seeing the confused look on his team’s faces, began to explain, “This is my son, Spencer. He wante-” 

Hotch was cut off by Garcia’s squealing, “oh my gosh!”

She rushed forward and before Hotch could stop her, squeezed Spencer into a hug. Spencer kept his arms at his sides and tensed. 

Garcia finally released him and studied him, “Oh! You’re so adorable. Look at your hair!” Garcia reached her hand out and felt the soft curls that almost fell to Spencer’s shoulders. 

Morgan, noticing the overwhelmed look on the genius’ face, placed his hand on Garcia’s shoulder. “Slow down, baby girl.” He then turned to Spencer and reached out his hand, “I’m Derek Morgan.” 

Spencer stared at Morgan’s hand, until Morgan awkwardly lowered it, giving Hotch a confused look. Spencer bit his lip and began to rock on his feet. Hotch opened his mouth to speak to Spencer but was stopped by JJ walking forward. 

“Hi, Spence. I’m JJ,” she introduced herself, not reaching out her hand. 

“Hi, Spence. Hi, Spence, Hi, Spence,” Spencer softly repeated to himself, before looking up at JJ, “Hi.” He shyly waved at JJ. 

Although they were all confused at Spencer repeating what JJ had said, they didn’t say anything. Emily introduced herself to Spencer, followed by Rossi. As soon as Rossi said his name, Spencer’s eyes lit up and he began to ramble, hands happily flapping. 

Rossi chuckled and shook his head fondly, “slow down, kid. Don’t worry, I can tell you all about my books and my career later.”

Spencer blushed, “right, sorry.”

Hotch watched as Spencer spent the day interacting with the team. He was so happy and relieved that the team accepted Spencer.

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[soulslayer2020]

Some of my current D&D Characters!

Hanyuu - Soft on the Outside, Ice Cold on the Inside

Name: Hai'Ryuun 'Hanyuu' Kori Race: Levistus Tiefling Class: Fiend Warlock (4) Campaign: Icewind Dale

Don't let the baby face and soft voice fool you. This seemingly innocent little tiefling is actually a warlock and cultist of Levistus. A street urchin who fell into an icy lake and was rescued in exchange for her soul, Hanyuu uses her innocent appearance to her advantage to infiltrate adventuring parties to find the one mentioned in a cult prophecy as the ones to bring back the sun. Is she truly the puppeteer controlling the party from the shadows, or is even she being kept in the dark about the cult's intentions...?

Sagitta - Rebel Pirate of the Stars

(Commission by @pauloz_art on twitter) Name: Sagitta Luminis Race: Half-Astral Elf, Half-Eladrin Class: Wild Magic Sorcerer (9) Campaign: Spelljammer Academy/Light of Xaryxis (Non-RAW)

Part of a union of space rebels knows as the Auriga Alliance, Sagitta was once Spelljammer to her adoptive father - Captain Perseus of the Auriga Alliance's Carina fleet - but was taken to Toril by fellow fleet leader Captain Gideon of the Vera fleet when her ship was attacked by Neogi. Now a Spelljamming Academy graduate who has suddenly found herself go from first mate to captain of her fellow graduate due to the sudden loss of their captain and close friend, Sagitta is tasked with gathering allies on the Rock of Bral, finding her old crew, and leading her friends to victory against the Xaryxian Empire.

Drifter - From Royal to Renegade

Name: Princess Xochitl 'Drifter' Xaryx Race: Astral Elf Class: Swords Bard (11) Campaign: Post-Light of Xaryxis Homebrew

The youngest of the Xaryxian royal siblings, Xochitl left her old name and life behind to become Drifter - a renegade astral elf who sought to end the Xaryxian Empire's conquest, which she succeeded with after meeting a ragtag crew of Spelljamming graduates on Toril. With the empire now in shambles and her siblings fighting to rule what little remains it, Drifter and co. have set out to find a way to stop her siblings once and for all. But deep down, Drifter wants nothing more than to end things peacefully; the last thing she wants is to lose what's left of her family.

Lynn - Broken Past

(Her look throughout the campaign so far, from left to right: Starting/Cultist, Caravan Disguise, Restored Memories)

Name: Lynn Historia Race: Moon Elf Class: Assassin Rogue (8), Fighter (1) Campaign: Tyranny of Dragons

Awoken on a riverbank with no memories aside from her name, Lynn found herself travelling with a caravan towards Greenest where she found herself not only confronting dragon cultists but her past. Once chamberlain to Prince Neronvain, Lynn ran away with him to join the Cult of Dragons and worked her way up through the ranks alongside him, even leading a secret coup against the former Wyrmspeaker to allow Neronvain to take over. But after being ambushed by Harpers during a scouting mission, Lynn was knocked into a river and fell unconscious, losing her memories. Determined to convince Neronvain to leave the cult, Lynn managed to organise a meeting between them in Daggerford. But when Zhentarim began to storm their once-thought-to-be-secret meeting spot, Neronvain offered to teleport her away with him to escape. Not wanting to drag her party into trouble, she agreed. After pleading Neronvain to let her go find her party as well as a way to convince him to leave the cult, he agreed - albeit a tad somberly - to let her go, even giving her a teleportation tablet to bring her where he guessed they'd most likely be infiltrating. Now reunited with her party and her memories fully restored thanks to Neronvain's aid, Lynn is determined to save her crush dearest friend from the cult and prevent Tiamat's return.

Marcy - Caring Clutz

Name: Marcillia 'Marcy' Caligo Race: Wood Elf Class: Drakewarden Ranger (9) Campaign: Tyranny of Dragons (Temp Character)

Name a more iconic duo! Marcy and her adorable silver drake companion, Zephyr are the right-hand (hands? hand and claw?) of Prince Alagarthas. Sent to keep a distant eye on Lynn's meeting with Neronvain after learning of them both still being alive after 15 years of being missing, Marcy saw the Zhentarim try to storm Lynn's meeting and the two teleporting away. Unsure of what to do, Marcy offered to join Lynn's companions in continuing to track the cult until Lynn was able to find her way back. Clumsy and socially awkward, Marcy is a lovable doof with an equally lovable drake that acts more like a hyper puppy at times. But cross them on the battlefield and you'll see exactly why Alagarthas chose them as his trusted protectors. What? No, Marcy's not crushing on Alagarthas! Shut up!!

Nadirah - Guardian of the Veil

Name: Nadirah Strigoi Race: Dhampir (Formerly Dusk Elf) Class: Grave Cleric (7) Campaign: Curse of Strahd (Non-RAW)

Once a proud cleric of Mother Night and protector of the Dusk Elves, Nadirah fought hard against her older brother Rahadin to prevent his genocide at Strahd's orders. However, her strength wasn't enough as her closest friend Kasimir had his ears cleaved off, his sister Patrina was murdered in front of them, and she was dragged off to Castle Ravenloft to be turned into a thrall as punishment. However, something intervened and prevented her full transformation, causing her to become a dhampir instead. Sealed away in the catacombs, Nadirah remained there for over a thousand years. Her only company was one of Strahd's consorts named Escher, who would bring her food. The two became friends over time and even started to fall for each other. One day, Escher 'accidentally' left her cell unlocked which allowed Nadirah to escape and flee the castle. Finally free, Nadirah swears to avenge her fallen kin, find a cure for her dhampirism and maybe even Escher's vampirism so he can be free of Strahd, and most of all: kill Strahd and free Barovia for good.

Crow - Holy Liar

(Art by u/LuciusG_Dean on Reddit)

Name: Crow (Real Name: Mycareth Baenre) Race: Drow Class: Vengeance Paladin (1) Campaign: Out of the Abyss

Kidnapped from House Baenre and raised as a slave in Faen Tlabbar, Crow spent most of their life never knowing their past, not having a name of their own, and yearning for freedom, which they managed to achieve at 150. Fleeing to the surface, Crow chose their own name and joined Bregan D'aerthe, where they (unbeknownst to both parties) worked under their uncle, Jarlaxle Baenre. But freedom wasn't enough. Crow wanted to make those who enslaved them suffer. Shortly after becoming a paladin of Cyric - lord of lies - Jarlaxle sent Crow down to the Underdark to investigate rumours of a demon threat and deal with it if they think it could effect dealings with the towns below the surface.

[marroniere]

fic: Family Lexicon, Thranto

Summary:

After Moff Gideon's cloning project does not go as planned, Thrawn is forced to adopt a month-old baby who happens to be just like him in too many ways.

Excerpt:

Months of patrol missions go by, and Thrawn catches himself enjoying the time he spends with Thrass far more than he used to. He moves Thrass’s cot to his bedroom—for practical purposes, he tells himself at first, as it is much easier to monitor Thrass’s state. But pragmatic as this decision is, there is something else, something that does not follow any logic. Thrawn has grown to enjoy falling asleep to the sound of Thrass’s breathing.

When he starts showing Thrass different objects to study, he chooses his Paccian ring and only then does he notice it.

The ring is the first true piece of art he could call his, something that he owned. The ring was where his collection started. Uingali foar Marocsaa, who gave it to him decades ago, said that it was a family heirloom—and if Thrass is considered Thrawn’s son now, it would make sense for him to inherit it one day.

At this point, however, Thrass does not understand it. Does not have to.

The ring is big and shiny, and Thrass watches it with an excited look in his eyes.

This is the moment when Thrawn allows the thought that maybe they are similar, after all.

“Unbelievable,” Doctor Pershing mutters when Thrawn pays a visit to his ship lab.

Thrawn would have left Thrass in the quarters, but Thrass started fussing, and Eli and Enoch were busy, and Thrawn was in a rush. He had only fifteen minutes to meet with Pershing and Ronan before the start of the bridge shirt. Pacifying Thrass would have required five or ten.

Thrawn’s life is now divided between two schedules: that of a Nightdragon-class ship captain and that of a, well, young father.

“What is so unbeliavable, Doctor?” he asks.

Pershing tenses like he usually does when he hears Thrawn’s voice.

“Um, nothing, sir. I am simply happy to see little Thrass…enjoy life. It is…not a luxury available to most clones.”

Thrass coos from his new hover-pram. The Springhawk-II’s engineers have constructed it, as Eli said, “in an attempt to save your already injured back, Thrawn.” The boy has acquired a very healthy amount of thermogenic fat, and even though it is a positive development, and Thrawn is no weak man, the crew was becoming worried.

“You remind me of someone,” says Doctor Pershing.

Thrass smiles at him but then hides in the hover-pram.

[primelight]

Concerning Seluvis (and Pidia)

Ok, I completely understand where the ‘Pidia is the puppet master’ theory came from (Vaati, alternate interpretations of lore etc.). However, all the evidence in favor of that is circumstantial, AND can be countered.

1. We already know that puppets can be given (or loaned) to someone who isn’t the original creator. After all, the player can get a few.

2. The Raya Lucaria soldier puppets are being used to guard the rooftops of Caria Manor. Pidia is a servant of Caria Manor, and looks to be the only sane Albinauric sorcerer left. It makes sense for him to tasked to use the puppets to protect the Manor.

3. This also explains why he says ‘You!’ when you first come down the ladder; he saw you on the rooftops.

4. There’s no law that there can’t be two perverted dolly-botherers. And Pidia is absolutely a perverted dolly-botherer.

5. You can hear the soldier puppets kill him after you find Seluvis’ body. If we’re talking ‘real’ puppet master, that’s an interesting coincidence.

6. Yes, he has the map to the amber starlight shard. However, he runs a storeroom. It makes sense that there’d be old, forgotten things in there.

7. From a meta perspective, you, the player, are just browsing the shelves when you buy stuff from Pidia.

8. Gideon has beef with Seluvis. It’s clearly mutual. Seluvis chose Nepheli, Gideon’s adopted daughter, as his target for the puppetizing potion. Why would Pidia, an Albinauric sorcerer with no apparent connection to the Roundtable Hold, order something like that?

9. Puppetry is specifically called out as a Night Sorcery/Nox thing. Carians in general are connected to the night, and the stars. Seluvis was one of Ranni’s father’s Preceptors, and a master sorceror. Seluvis’ bell bearing indicates a clear visual connection to Carian and/or Night sorcery....and that’s an entirely different post, stay tuned.

11. We’ve seen a non-summoned remote-controlled puppet in action: Finger Maiden Therolina. She shows up at the Radahn festival, and is utterly silent. She bows and...that’s it. You can buy her from Seluvis, too, or get her as a free puppet. And you see her in his chambers, so, yeah, she’s a puppet. And Seluvis himself has an awful lot of personality for a remote-controlled doll, doesn’t he? So...I speculate that he isn’t.

12. The biggest one IMHO is that Ranni knows that Seluvis puts you up to giving her the amber starlight draught. Either she is...spectacularly stupid, or Seluvis is the puppetmaster. And she knows it.

And, finally...Seluvis’ puppet body...This is a stretch, sure, but there are a few explanations:

13. We already know that sorcerers can body-surf. Sellen does it, using a body that Seluvis made. Jerren himself says, when he finds her ‘dead,’ that she’s doubtlessly got another body stashed somewhere. We help her upload her consciousness with that primal glintstone.

14. The merchant note on ‘the Preceptor’s Secret’ claims that Sellen visits (of visited) him quite frequently. Circumstantial, but it is not out of the question that they were both in on her backup plan. Why wouldn’t he have a backup plan?

15. ...He was totally being a pervy dolly-botherer with her new, empty body though.

16. So one explanation is that he somehow ditched his body for another. Or shut it down for future use. But we’ll never get that proven one way or another.

17. Another explanation is that Ranni made him drink one of his potions. He gets puppetized after you give her the fingerslayer blade....so he’s outlived his usefulness to her. And since she absolutely did know what he was up to, maybe she thought it was time for some justice?

Anyway...This is also all circumstantial. We’ll likely never get a confirmation of any of this. I think you can run with either theory...Fanfic fuel either way!

(Image credit to Fextralife for Sellen)

[autumnwoodsdreamer]

5, 10, 18, and 29 for the ask game! I’m always curious what stories don’t end up getting posted

— @corellianhounds

Writing Ask Game

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

Oh, that would be the ole Mandalorian Modern AU. I’ve got some stray ideas for it but very little motivation to actually write it. I can’t see a clear path through it and I can’t envision a climax, and when I can’t do that, I can’t even force myself to start writing it. So yeah. That one’s just gonna sit on the back burner for perhaps forever.

10. Is there a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

I’d have to say Echoes, the “what if Gideon made a clone of Din and said clone was a baby and Din went on the run with the baby?” story. I did not expect people to really care for it but it’s one of the fics I get the most requests for updates on.

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

“But I can care for you. I can be your buir. My ancestors can be your ancestors. I will not take what you were away from you; it will always be a part of you. But you can also be a part of me, if... if it’s what you really want.”

—Lift a Sail, Chapter 7: Father & Son

This one is definitely one of my favourites because it’s the reason I started the fic in the first place: to give Din and Grogu the opportunity to choose to become a family, also to have it clearly stated that Din is not trying to erase or put down Grogu’s Jedi heritage by adopting him.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

“May I ask a question?” she petitioned as she applied the bacta, working as carefully as she could so as not to needlessly aggravate his injuries.

“Of course,” he replied without delay, prepared to answer anything, no matter how exposing or uncomfortable, hoping it would go some way towards smoothing over their discord.

“What happened? To the other child?” she clarified when she spotted his frown.

He took a long breath and closed his eyes.

He saw, in blurred flashes, the whole ordeal play out again: the cruiser, the Moff, the Darktroopers… the blast doors caving inwards, and then the strange hush, the feeling of something incredible and impossible happening as the Jedi arrived.

“I was commissioned to return him to his people,” Din explained, fighting a sudden tightness in his throat and an acute airless sensation in his chest. “And I succeeded.”

It was a woefully simplified synopsis of events but it was what he told himself, every day, every night: he had succeeded. He had done right by the child and he was safe now, he was where he belonged, doing what he was meant to do.

—a bit I cut from Echoes. Just couldn’t get it to connect to the other parts so it got snipped out.

But for random ideas for fics I don’t plan on getting to… I did have this idea for a short story following Cobb Vanth, Taanti and Jo in Mos Pelgo after the liberation from the Krayt Dragon. How they’re cleaning up the town, learning to work more with the Tuskens and even forging friendships with them, maybe go some way towards explaining how the dragon rib cage ended up in the local cantina when they had promised to leave the carcass for the Tuskens. Maybe see Cobb go through an illness of some sorts (I don’t know why, but he looked like he was healing up from something when Din revisited Mos Pelgo; also pitch into why he’s recently appointed a deputy). The inspiration sprang up after the Boba Fett episodes because what they showed left me with some questions but it never got off the ground, partly because I just don’t like to acknowledge that point in the timeline without some heavy fixing first. Maybe one day 🤷🏽‍♀️

[rumbelleshowdown]

-

Author: Avalanumbres

Group: C

Prompts: A new hobby. Lady Belle, Peasant!Rumple. Another kid.

-

Stone Seekers: Waters of Avonlea

Something wet dripped down Gideon’s face as he ran through the streets of his seaport home. When the moisture hit his lips he licked them and tasted salt. Not blood then, that relieved him. His father would kill him if he injured himself. Assuming the angry pirates chasing after him didn't do it first.

“Street rat!” One shouted. “Stop, thief!”

Gideon had one advantage over the larger men. He knew these roads. Fast as lightning, he darted through a crowd, turned left into a narrow alley, and came out in the market. There he resumed a normal gait, pretended to study a few random items on vendors’ carts, and listened as the angry sailors passed him by.

“Hot day today,” he told the costermonger while wiping his brow. 

The woman humphed.

“Papa would like two of these, please.”

The seller glanced at the small golden pears in Gideon's hand. “One copper.”

Gideon handed over the coin and strode off toward his home.

Rumplestiltskin and his son lived in a single-room shack with a sagging roof and a packed dirt floor. The space was filled by three objects: a bed, a small washtub for dying wool, and a spinning wheel. Everything else existed in their lives by either coincidence or through the process of creating items to sell. They had little, yet their lives were filled with love and joy. 

It was lonely at times, moreso for Gideon’s father, who pined endlessly for the woman he’d fallen in love with more than ten years ago. Belle was Gideon's mother, but wasn't a part of their lives. She lived in the castle beyond the walled part of the city. On occasion, she left her father’s protection to wander the markets. On those rare days she always sought out the spinner’s stall. The family’s reunions were brief and both parents clung to the hope that they would see each other again soon. Gideon, on the other hand, felt little for his mother beyond the knowledge that she made his father’s heart sing. Rumplestiltskin’s happiness meant everything to his son and so he’d adopted his father’s dream of a permanent reunion. In fact, that was the very reason he was in this mess right now.

“Hello, Papa,” Gideon shoved the door back into its frame and held out the pears. “I got us something sweet to end our dinner.”

At the wheel, Rumplestiltskin took his foot from the treadle and looked up, eyes skimming past the fruit to a small bag Gideon clutched to his chest. “My favorite. Thank you. They look delicious.”

The boy sighed as he squeezed his slender frame between the wheel and the wash basin, then dropped to the bed. “You only like them because they are yellow and mother always wears a golden dress to come see you.”

The assumption brought an image of Belle to Rumplestiltskin’s mind, one of warm light caressing a satin gown. From where they had hidden for their lovemaking, a ray from the sun reached out to touch Belle’s tousled hair and made the blue in her eyes sparkle. She told him about the baby that day and their lives had changed forever. 

“The fact that they remind me of your mum has little to do with why I like them.” Rumplestiltskin returned to spinning for a moment, then stopped the wheel to turn a knowing frown toward his son. “And what else did you acquire while you were meant to be at your lessons?”

“I went to my lessons, “ Gideon protested.

“For how much of the day?”

Now that his father's full attention was on him, Gideon felt compelled to tell the truth. “Half,’ he grumbled.

“Son, the money I make from dying and spinning pays for that education.” Rumplestiltskin reached for his walking stick and used it to pull himself to his feet. “I wish you wouldn't throw it away so easily.”

“I’m not throwing it away, Papa. Not this time.” Gideon’s eyes lit up as they tracked his father’s movements. “I met another kid on the way to classes today and I learned of a way we can leave this life behind us!”

“By starting a new hobby of thievery?” Rumplestiltskin leaned heavily on his walking stick. He could only blame himself for his son’s behavior, though it’s origin baffled him. He eyed the bag again. “Magical endings always come at a great price.” 

“This isn't like your story,” his son insisted, oblivious to the price his parents paid for the magic that kept him a secret. “This is different. If we can help gather these stones we can save the land from a horrible evil. You can be a hero and earn the right to ask for Mother’s hand! No more pining for her at your wheel or daydreaming while you dye the wool. No more secret meetings in the market! You could be married! We could all be together. Forever.”

“And just what do we have to do to earn this great gift?”

Gideon rose from the bed and stepped into the light by the window. With hesitation he began to untie the strings of his leather satchel. “We need to find the rest of these before-”

A terrible crashing erupted from the world beyond, followed by blood-curdling shrieks that grew closer with great rapidity. The noise triggered Gideon’s reflexes, making him draw the string taut and clutch the treasure back against his chest.

“Something’s happening.” Rumplestiltskin rushed to the door and flung it open, took two stumbling steps and then froze. There, directly in front of him, was Belle, golden skirts hiked up as high as she could manage and eyes wide with terror.

“Belle!” The fear that struck him wasn’t for himself, but for the woman he could never live without. “Belle!”

She ran to his side and reached out to help him find balance. “Giant Calixclaws have entered the city from the sea,” she told him. “They’re headed this way.”

“You have to get behind the walls,” Rumple insisted.

Belle shook her head, then turned her gaze to some point down the road. “There’s no time.”

Gideon drew a dagger from his belt and strode forward. “You run, I’ll stay and protect our home.”

“You can’t do that, son. Better to find safety.”

Gideon shook his head. “I can do this. It’s me they want anyway.”

“You?” Belle whimpered. “Gideon… Why?”

He turned, gave her his most triumphant smile, and adjusted his grip on the bag he’d carried from the sea. “I have the Water Stone.”

“Magic,” Rumplestiltskin spat. “Leave that behind and run. Now. Please, son.”

Their boy was about to protest again, but instead he fell silent and tipped his head to one side. The ruckus from down the lane was changing. The sounds of splitting wood and shattering glass had been replaced with something more akin to the crunch of a breaking seashell. “Do you hear that?”

Both parents nodded, but neither could speak. Their attention was on the giant claw reaching up from behind the milner’s home. It rose into the air, then slammed down, splintering the tiny structure into bits that covered the street. The empty space was then replaced by their enemy.

“Giant crabs,” Gideon whispered, swallowing hard. After taking a deep breath he squared his shoulders and stretched himself to his full height. “I’ll have them for dinner.”

“Gideon!” Both parents reached for him, but he slipped away. After just two strides he stood under the creature’s belly and stabbed upward, using all of his strength. He heard a crack and stared up at the orange-pink carapace. The tip of his blade was wedged in the belly of the beast but would go no further. It would also not come out.

Belle tried rushing to Gideon’s side, but Rumplestiltskin held her back, begging her not to leave him. While he pleaded, a cloaked form appeared behind the legs of the Calixclaw. Small and powerful, this newcomer yielded a sword with such precision that each swing sliced a leg of the crab. The beast shrieked again and again, then finally stumbled.

The warrior waved Gideon back, screaming. “Get out of the way!”

He did as he was told, scrambling through his retreat with just enough time to spare. Following one more swing from the sword, their maritime foe thrashed mightily, then collapsed to the ground, dead.

“Gotta aim for the weak points,” the newcomer told him, lowering her cloak’s hood to reveal her wavy, golden hair. She turned to Rumplestiltskin and gave him a wide grin. “A staff fighter, huh? Good. We’ll need all the help we can get. Come on.” With that she took off, expecting the others to follow.

“Who was that?” Belle squinted after the girl, even as her son urged her along.

“Alice,” Gideon said. “And she’ll help me explain everything once you are safe.”

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