#and all the while the raider isn't allowed to breathe

[an-absolute-nightmare]

kabaddi might be THE most homoerotic sport invented by mankind i'm not exaggerating

[slocumjoe]

Companions react to sole getting seriously injured by saving their life

This falls into two camps.

Angry; Danse, Cait, X6-88, Gage, Nick

Guilty; Piper, Preston, Hancock, Curie, Deacon, MacCready

Cait; Cait is not only of the opinion that she had it handled, but even if she didn't, Sole wouldn't have either. And clearly they didn't. Whole time she's dragging them to safety, stabbing them with Stimpaks, wrapping up their wounds, Cait is cussing unlike anyone has cussed before. It is almost magical. She's seeing red over it. All that anger is thrown at Sole, but its really at herself. She should have been more careful, she's the one who's protecting them. And look, she made a dog's breakfast of it. Sole doesn't get a lick of good bedside manner, but Cait never leaves their side, never takes her eye off them, never lets the painkillers wear off enough for them to hurt.

Curie; Tears. So many tears. If anything would make Curie doubt herself, her intelligence and her capabilities, it's this. The area is clear, and Curie is left with her dearest friend half-dead. Maybe 3/4s of the way there, even. Curie gets them into the first empty building she finds, and can barely perform basic emergency medical assistance, she's shaking so badly. She'll talk them through the process and pain, and even if her voice doesn't waver, her spirit does. Once Sole goes to sleep, sits by them with a hand on their pulse. If they stop breathing for even a moment, hell will break loose. Curie never allows herself to be in that position again. She always has another gun on her hip, another grenade, a shock baton. Never again.

Danse; He wears the power armor, he sponsors them, he swears to them he won't let them end up like everyone else he's cared about...and Sole almost dies for him. Danse lays on the fire support until nothing is left moving, hops out of the armor, and tends to Sole right there on the ground. He doesn't say anything. He has to focus, remember where the Stimpak goes, how tight is too tight for a tourniquet, estimates the bloodloss. Once Sole is better fit for transportation, it's back in the armor, and he takes them into his arms and wherever he deems safe. Danse handles them like glass. He doesn't look them in the face, doesn't speak as tends to them. If he says anything while they're...like this, torn to shreds, broken, he's going to be screaming it till his throat is bloody. Sole needs to sleep. Danse bottles it up until they're fully recovered, however long that takes. The minute he confirms they are healthy, the floodgates burst and he's such a mess, he doesn't even pull rank.

Deacon; Doesn't bother securing the area. Sole is over his shoulder, and they are gone. Over the hills, into a sewer, up a scaffolding if he has to. Deacon does not give a shit about the raiders, or Mutants, or whatever the fuck. He gets Sole outta there. Quickly patches them up however he can, and not once does his smile break or falter. He makes jokes every step of the way. Behind the glasses, his eyes are wide and glassy. Sole's blood stains his hands as he wraps them up, as he isn't as used to performing medical assistance on the field. Not one someone else, at least. Makes a mess of the first aid bag, the floor, their clothes. Sole never gets him to crack, admit he was scared. Deacon reimagines the scene in a comic book art style, dramatic shots of bullets whizzing past them, light glinting off the glasses as he heroically carries them to safety. If he thinks of it any other way, he's going to lose his shit.

Gage; If Sole dies, the last words they will have ever heard are "WHA'TH'FUCK'RE'YA DOIN'–" in a pitch Gage will never admit to reaching. Whatever the threat is, Gage might just suckerpunch it, sling Sole under an arm, and book it for the hills. He'd like to shoot up the place and remind them you don't fuck with my Overboss, but said Overboss is kind of dying. But its fine, because Gage is not panicking. Stimpak goes in left arm, right? Right. No, left, not— fucksake. Gage works so quickly he ends up hurting Sole. Wraps the bandages too tight, literally stabs them with the Stimpak, shoves joints back in place with no warning. He's not thinking of comfort. He's thinking of the lecture he's going to give them, since they're definitely not going to die here. And y'know what? Serves them right. You want to kill yourself in front of him, you deserve an extra bruise, courtesy of your unsuspecting, unprepared nurse. He doesn't even have the skirt for this shit.

Hancock; Also grabs Sole and bolts, also cusses the entire time, also has no idea what he's doing in regards to medical attention. The only thing he's confident about is where the needle goes. Laughs at this and sounds like a balloon getting the air squished out. Not for a single moment does Hancock have his cool. Its not until Sole is patched up and resting that he takes a breath for himself. Blames himself for being too cocky, too reckless, not paying attention. Hancock is a scrapper. Messy and skin-of-your-teeth fighting is his thing. Sole didn't need to...he can't put them in that moment of fear again, make them think he needs saving. The shotgun, the knife...they might have to go. Gets something mid-range, so he can stay closer to Sole. Not have to charge in. Getting Hancock to fight smart, fight conservatively...Sole may as well have moved a mountain.

Nick; Baffled. Absolutely baffled as why Sole would think, for even a second, that was a good idea. He was in a tight spot, yeah. But getting themselves in the same tight spot is not the solution to that, damnnit! Another Grab and Get The Fuck Out Of There. Patches them up pretty well, frets the whole time, grumbles under his breath but doesn't lay them out like he really could. Much like Danse, he can only be angry once they're okay. When they're better, aw jeez. Sole doesn't hear the end of it for a while. As they recover, will read to them and be all coddling, but Sole is not going to remember that. No, they'll walk away having learned the hard way, don't do dumb shit for Nick. Nick might need to see Sturges, get some fuses replaced.

MacCready; Screams a colorful assortment of cusses while headshotting like he never has before. Here's what Sole is going to remember, in between black outs: MacCready yelling at them while fumbling with a Stimpak; MacCready tearfully apologizing as he drags them away; MacCready yelling again, putting something under their head; Oops, more crying as he struggles with a tourniquet; rinse and repeat. MacCready saw it the same way, only half coherent. MacCready can't be mad at them for it, though. He tried to do the same with Lucy. But he can be mad at himself. It was his fault, he was out of position, he wasn't paying attention, whatever it was. Sole almost dies because of him, and he has to wonder if he can keep traveling with them if he's this incompetent. Lucy, he had to tell himself it was a mistake, an accident. A bad luck day. What if its him?

Piper; Sole doesn't look like they have long, so Piper gets the telling out of the way before they pass out/die. Doesn't even look for targets as she shoots, pulling Sole to safety with one arm around their chest, just fires blindly and hopes that keeps the creeps back. Piper knows some field medical assistance from having to save her own life, and that iron will of hers keeps her from shaking or stuttering as she tends to Sole's wounds. You'd think she's mad, calling them crazy. Wait until Sole falls asleep and Piper is, technically, alone. Hides her face in her scarf and sobs. She was supposed to watch their back, and they had to watch hers, and they almost died for it. Doesn't eat while Sole recovers, no appetite. Doesn’t let them see her upset or scared. Doesn't allow herself to forget it.

Preston; All military business. Pretends Sole is just another soldier in his squad. He doesn't mean to, that's just what his brain does. Knocks down whatever he has to, and gets them over one shoulder, and assesses the situation to go from there. Its a blur. There's a bus? Is it liable to explode or can Sole go in there? Empty building actually empty, or will he have to deal with ghouls? Will a Stimpak do for now or does he need to retreat and tend to them immediately? There is no panic until much, much later, when he isn't wholly focused on helping them. Like...a week later. He does whatever Sole needs, and just one day, realizes what the hell happened. Bottles it up because Sole needs him right now. Guilt is not a substitute for medical attention. His feelings, later, when he actually feels them, are a cold, numb dread.

X6-88; He's a courser, God damn it. He doesn't get endangered, he is the danger. X6-88 already had three different plans to get out of that corner, and Sole should have known that. Not only did they risk themselves unnecessarily, they did it for a courser. Sure, kill yourself for an unkillable machine. Smart. Cleans house like a Swiffer Wetjet and is at Sole's side with the medbag in 0.2 seconds flat. Doesn’t bother lecturing them, as he doesn't think it would register in this state. If anything moves nearby, fires a shot off without looking, one hand still tending to Sole. Gives Sole too many painkillers, as he himself, being a courser, needs more. They're fine, but he feels bad about it, seeing them too loopy and little odd-colored in the face. Once they've got their mind back, goes on for hours how dumb that was. If Sole ever does that again, they better hope they die, because X6-88 himself is going to kill them so hard.

[one-thousand-and-one-fandoms]

Fixing The Host by Stephanie Meyer (pt. 1)

Make Melanie older. Age gap isn't particularly a problem as long as both are consenting, legal adults. Especially if one of your themes is lack of agency. Make Melanie at least 21, and then Jared can be 30 with no issue.

Change the protagonist. Make the story less about Wanderer/Wanda finding her place amongst humans and more about Melanie struggling with this new reality. I understand the need for a shared POV as Wanda and Melanie are sharing a body, but so much of the book is focused on Wanda learning what it means to be human, while Melanie is relegated to a sidekick.

Broaden the perspective of the humans in the book. If you want to tackle any subject with nuance, you must let all voices be heard equally without passing judgment (for example, what happened to Maggie and Sharon to make them resent the souls so much, aside from the obvious? Why is Kyle so angry at the souls (partly because of Jody but is that all?)? What are the stories and trauma these humans are carrying to behave the way they do?) To do this, perhaps it would be better to use a third person omniscient perspective rather than first person POV.

The individuality of one good soul doesn't negate the fact that Wanderer's species have taken over humanity and killed most of them. This is briefly touched upon by Jeb after Wanda sees the results of Doc's failed attempts at extracting the souls, but then it is immediately swept under the rug because the plot needs to move forward and there's no time to fully contemplate the ramifications of what happened.

Pacing. The story is super fast paced, which makes it very easy to read when I'm bored, but it doesn't allow for moments of calm or respite to process what I read. The plot just keeps coming. At some point, there are three plot points overlapping (the return of the raiders and their reaction to Wanda becoming a part of the community + Doc's attempts at extraction + Walter dying of cancer + Kyle trying to kill Wanda + the Seeker looking for Wanda) and none of them get the breathing room to actually explore them and the themes in depth.

That's all for now. If anyone else has read this mess of a book and has opinions on it, feel free to share.

[the-laridian]

After the nuking of his home, the breakup with his boyfriend, and the death of his beloved pet, Rowan feels pretty low, and he should probably go stay with someone for a while instead of staying alone in his empty suburban home.

The discussions of the choices are below the poll in a readmore!

Max. Max is Rowan's sister Will's mentor / hanging-out partner. Pros:

off the beaten path, chance to get away from it all

if Max isn't a raider, he might be an ex-raider, and he certainly knows/understands the raider life

booze available

has a spare couch

has a pool!

Cons:

aggressive wildlife

disapproving looks from Max and Will

Brother Stevie and his proselytizing

Willow. Rowan doesn't know Willow too well, just as a somewhat older (by 4 years) Vault dweller from 76a.

Pros:

lives real close to the Whitespring and the New Responders

has a spare couch

nice property, great views and landscaping

has a hot tub (pool is a short walk away)

LOTS of booze available thanks to Willow's boyfriend Beckett

a disturbingly Vaultlike bunker basement

Cons:

aggressive creatures (scorched, SMs, mole miners, etc)

not allowed in the bunker basement

not allowed to even breathe on the clothing collection, much less touch it

no recreational chems, and they mean it

The Crater Raiders. Many of them are Rowan's good friends and think he's all right, if a little nerdy

Pros:

definitely can crash up there somewhere, they'll make room

booze and recreational chems available

no danger from aggressive wildlife/creatures

Cons:

Meg keeps giving Rowan the side-eye

everyone keeps getting the deathclaw story wrong

raiders want Rowan to go attack settlements with them

it's in the middle of Toxic Valley for cryin' out loud

noisy

The New Responders (Flatwoods / the Whitespring). Many of them at least know Rowan and appreciate the work he does trying to make things better in the wasteland.

Pros:

it's clean and has running water

no danger from aggressive wildlife/creatures

has hot food with regular mealtimes

they're nice people making a difference

Cons:

have to pay for a room, food and the amenities if he stays there (it's a small daily fee but still)

noisy

settlers/responders want Rowan to go do stuff for them all the time

Orlando keeps giving Rowan the side-eye

Rowan’s sister Will

Pros:

They’re family

Definitely has a spare bed/mattress

Rowan can have anything he wants from the place, Will gladly shares anything with her big bro

Cons:

They’re family

Will may be trying to set him up with someone already, Rowan’s not sure

Will’s place is next to a train station and there’s a lot of foot traffic around there

Will’s not actually here all that much, she’s usually off with Max somewhere

[everythingfan589]

A Work In Progress

Chapter 7: If I’m Not There

Warnings: Fluff fluff fluff

Word Count: 3.1k

Masterlist

Sorgan finally lives up to the beautiful planet Kuiil described. With the raiders gone and the imperial walker destroyed, the farm is now a peaceful place to live.

The three of you have been living on the farm for nearly three weeks now一after Mando saved them, no one in the village had a problem with you all staying there free of charge.

The three of you, the kid especially, had become members of the community. You had taken up helping around the farm, not wanting to be dead weight on the farmers shoulders一and you were really enjoying yourself.

The child spent his days with the children, allowed to act like a kid probably for the first time in decades. Even Mando was taking to life on the farm一allowing himself to let his guard down and enjoy the peaceful ambiance. While it might be an overstatement to admit outloud一you felt like a little...family.

The weeks felt like a beautiful eternity, the bond between you and the child growing一you can’t imagine life without him anymore. The same could be said for the Mandalorian who found comfort in the presence of you and the child一the two of you finding the same solace in him.

You don’t mind getting your hands dirty and feet wet so you volunteered to help dig a new water bed in some extra land on the farm. The blazing hot direct sun makes the task less enjoyable than you originally thought, but you continue to dig.

By the time Mando walks over to the water bed, your bottom half is drenched and you have dirt一now mud一all over your arms.

Not exactly the most endearing sight, but Mando doesn't seem fazed一in fact, he seems to admire that you’re enjoying yourself.

“You should really eat something.” He says once at the edge of the water bed, looking down at you as you work alone一you didn’t even realize the others had left.

“I still have at least two hours before lunch.” The shovel hits the dirt beneath the water and you use your heel on the back of it to push it deeper into the ground.

“It’s mid-afternoon.” The realization makes you freeze, finally looking up at him to see his helmet tilted to the side一amused.

“Oh.” You can’t seem to say much else一the time flew by faster than you thought. Now that you think about it, you’re actually really hungry.

With a shrug, you pull up the shovel and throw it off to the side on solid ground before wading through the water. Once at the edge, you hold your hand up to him.

“You gonna help me out or what?”

You can hear the low chuckle through the modulator that he tries to cover up as he leans forward. He wraps his hand around your wrist一you doing the same to his with both of your hands.

Without even bracing for it, he pulls up一yanking you out of the water and on the grass in front of him. Water runs down your legs, dark green pants drenched and instead looking black.

“You should get cleaned up. There’s food waiting for you outside our hut.”

Our hut一something about that simple word creates a flutter in your chest, allowing you to only nod in response as the two of you turn to walk back.

“What have you been doing all day?” The curiosity in your voice isn't clouded from the casual conversation as you squeeze the water out of the bottom of your shirt.

“Brought all the weapons back to the ship.” He surprises you with that一even with the peaceful new world, you didn't expect him to be so willing to pack everything up. “Won’t be needing them out here.”

“I’m impressed.” You say, turning to him with a raised brow as you walk and the helmet turns slightly to look at you.

“I...” He starts, but when his words become lost in his throat he comes to a halt and you do the same, turning to face him. “I haven't...asked you wh一you haven't made it clear…”

He seems to be struggling to find the words一it’s out of character and you notice this, tilting your head with a gentle smile before putting an end to his suffering.

“What’s wrong?” With that he silences, taking a deep breath and collecting himself.

“You wanted to see the galaxy.” The words make you freeze. That was not what you were expecting but as you roll it over in your head, it makes sense.

The whole reason you joined the Mandalorian was to do a job一look after the ship while he goes on bounty hunts一a job you can’t exactly do when there are no bounties and the ship never leaves the ground.

That is...if you’re staying.

“And I did.” You assure him, the knowledge that he remembered and considered you telling him that you wanted to see the galaxy is charming. “This planet is beautiful and I’d be lucky to stay here.”

“I’ve been thinking...” It’s unusual for him to be this tentative一you’ve always known him to be assertive and confident. “You and the kid一you seem at home here.”

“We do.”

“And I...invite violence wherever I go.” You frown as he starts explaining his thought process一ever vague with his word choice.

“What are you saying一”

“I think I should go一”

The words leaving both your mouths at the same time jumble together in the air, becoming almost impossible to understand一but you hear him.

“What?” If you could see his face一maker, you wish you could see his face一he would probably be wearing a concerned frown as he sighs, not sure how to answer.

“You both could have a very happy life here. You deserve it.” His words are painfully sincere and you can’t stop yourself from reaching out to touch his wrist.

“You deserve it.” Consequence of him always being so still, you don’t notice him freeze at the touch一and the words. “You deserve to be happy.”

“I一” You don’t even let him finish.

“Stay.” Your words stir something in him. Something unfamiliar and warm that urges every instinct in him to fight back一but the visor continues to stare at you silently. “Please. Stay.”

“Okay.” He finally says after a moment too long. The words sound physically painful to release, like he had to fight back everything inside of him to reveal what he truly desires.

With that, you give him a soft smile, turning to continue your trek back to the hut with him close beside you.

It’s silent after that, comfortably so, enjoying each others company while you eat一after changing into dry clothes of course. He still hasn't eaten with you一not that you expected he ever would一always waiting to eat inside while no one is around.

A week ago, he would always disappear without notice, and you would be left alone with the kid一but lately, he’s stayed to indulge in company while you and the kid eat, only leaving to eat himself when the two of you move on to do other daily activities. You still haven't told him how much you appreciate it, but you think he knows.

As you wipe your hands on a cloth, finishing up your late lunch, Mando finally speaks.

“I’ll teach you to use a blaster.” His words make your head snap up to look at him.

“Wh一really?” You nearly choke on the last piece of food in your mouth, but manage to compose yourself.

Mando has been extremely against you using a blaster since you got to Sorgan一for reasons you have yet to fathom一and it surprises you that he’s so blatantly willing.

“On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You only use it for emergencies.” While it partly confuses you to why the Mandalorian bounty hunter would be so against you using a blaster when it’s such a normalized part of his life一you don’t question it, just wanting to take advantage of his willingness to teach.

“Fine.”

“I’m serious.”

“You always are.” You can’t help but snicker slightly, the unamused tilt of his head making you laugh even more.

“I can change my mind.”

“Sorry.” It’s not genuine一your inability to wipe the grin from your face exposes this to him, but he just sighs in response.

The weeks shared together have regularly worked like this一you making a joke and him just barely dealing with it一something tells you he actually sometimes finds them funny, but refuses to make a sound resembling an actual laugh.

You wonder what his laugh sounds like.

You’re sure that it’s the most comforting, smooth sound in the galaxy.

BANG.

The kickback from the hand-held blaster sends a shock wave up your arm and into your shoulder but you ignore it一too frustrated with yourself to care. You haven't been able to hit the target even once since you started.

“You’re thinking too much.” Mando’s heavy voice hasn't failed to add to the frustration, stating facts you’re excruciatingly aware of. “You aim一then lose it while you shift your focus to pulling the trigger.”

“I’m trying.” You mumble, aiming yet again, both your arms holding the heavy blaster that Mando usually uses one hand for.

Once confident with your aim, your finger pulls the trigger, the blaster kicking back and the plasma shooting right past the metal pan hanging from a tree with some rope.

“Kriffing mud scu一”

“Try again.” He cuts off your curse with a monotone voice and you sigh, picking your sore arms up again and aiming.

Being in the middle of the forest helps shield you from the extra humiliation you would be bound to face were you doing this in front of the entire village一instead, only Mando has the honour of bearing witness to your shame.

Before you can pull the trigger, hands quickly come up behind you and hold your upper arms steady. You’re confused at first, but as his body presses into yours, one hand travelling down to your elbow to hold it firm, you realize he’s trying to keep your aim in tact.

It’s now that you can take in the fact that he’s not wearing half as much armour as he usually is. His chest and shoulder plates were removed earlier一it surprises you how much more comfortable he is here, able to indulge in being human and not a warrior.

It’s because of this that you can feel his chest, covered in nothing but fabric, pressing against your back一his breathing pushing a soft chest into you instead of hard beskar. It nearly takes the wind out of you.

“Now.” He says from behind you一if there wasn't still a helmet between you two, air would be rushing past your ear.

You do as your told, pulling the trigger and shooting a ray of plasma from the end of the blaster一it hits the target.

“There you go. Good.” He praises you, stepping back slightly and you shrug.

“That was basically your shot.”

“It was all your aim. I just held you in place.” He reassures you, making you look up at him hopefully. “Your problem isn't aim一it’s the recoil.”

“Great.” You mutter, looking down as you kick dirt, upset with yourself for not being able to get this right.

“Hey.” His finger gently tucks under your chin, lifting your head up to look at him again. “You’ll get it.”

Unable to do anything but nod, you take a breath, holding up the blaster again and aiming it at the target.

“Don’t think about the trigger as something you have to pull. It’s instinctual一the moment you lock your aim一” Listening to every word, you cut him off, following his direction and shooting.

The plasma is so close to hitting the target that the pressure of it flying through the air makes the pan spin. Closest you’ve been so far without his assistance.

“Not bad.”

“So, uh, what would qualify as an emergency?” You ask, trying to diffuse what your own frustrated mood created.

“If you need to protect yourself or the kid. If I’m not there.” He says before sighing. “I was planning on teaching you anyway一it’s something you should know how to do.”

“Well, I’m going to need a lot of practice.” You mumble sarcastically, turning back to the target just as Mando releases a low chuckle.

BANG.

You’re not sure how you convinced him.

Though, there wasn't much you needed to say on this particular night to persuade him to use the rather hilariously large cot in your shared hut. Maybe it’s because he’s finally sick of sleeping upright on wooden crates and fishing net一whatever the reason一he’s on the cot next to you.

Of course you offered to sleep somewhere other than the cot when he agreed to use it一actually, you almost insisted一but he was just as firm in making you stay put.

So...here you are一sleeping only a couple feet away from the fiercest bounty hunter in the galaxy一a Mandalorian.

Your back is turned to him, huddled up in the fetal position on the far end of the cot while he lies facing up, still fully armoured and clothed on the other end. He’s not even using the blanket, it only covers you. You can’t hear him breathing一usually you can一so it concerns you.

Maybe he’s awake. Maybe he’s trying to listen to you breathing which has, in turn, reduced his breathing. The thoughts keep you awake, until finally, you can’t take the unbearable silence and consider turning to check on him.

Before you can move, you hear a soft unfamiliar hiss followed by unmodulated breathing.

Maker, did he一

Gulping.

You listen desperately, unable to use any other sense to understand what's happening behind you as you hear, for the first time, the sound of Mando drinking water. It’s so simple and yet you are absolutely bewildered一in awe.

He must’ve been trying to check if you were sleeping, otherwise, you can’t imagine he would have taken the helmet off this close to you.

So, you pretend to be asleep一even indulging in closing your eyes to that effect, allowing him to sit in the comfortable night with his shield put to bed一perfectly vulnerable.

You’re not sure how long he kept his helmet off last night. The last thing you remember is listening to his unfiltered breathing next to you. You must’ve fallen asleep to it because the next thing you know一you’re waking up to sunlight in the hut.

Unsurprisingly, he has his helmet back on and is already up for the day. He has a habit of leaving the hut just as the sun is rising, leaving you the room to get ready, but this morning you catch him. Across the room from you, he sits on one of the crates, pulling on his boots as if he’s just getting ready now.

“Morning.” His deep morning voice cracks through the modulator as you yawn.

“Good morning.” You greet him, rubbing your eyes and pulling the blanket off your legs.

It’s only as your feet touch the ground do you start to feel embarrassed. You’re usually able to get yourself ready before he sees you一now he’s looking at you right at the butt-crack of dawn with bed head.

Why do you care?

You push the thought out of your mind as quickly as it appeared, walking over to the little wooden crib where the child lies sleeping.

“And good morning to you.” Your voice is soft, giving him a gentle awakening. The little green bean rolls over in the crib, opening his big black eyes to look up at you sleepily. “You’ve got a full day of playing ahead of you, little one.”

“Are you working again today?” He asks while you gently lift the child from his bed, rocking him slightly.

“I don’t see why not.” You say without looking up from the nearly asleep child, walking him over to the sitting Mandalorian. “Here. Take him.”

“Wh一” He stutters as you push the small bundle into his large arms.

“You two can wait outside while I change.” As you speak he stands, your hands prodding him over to the door.

“I need my一”

“Go.” You nearly laugh as he glares at you for a half second before walking out of the hut with the child in his arms.

The rest of the morning was pleasant. Business as usual, working the farm while the children played. You had recruited Mando一much to his dissatisfaction一to help with the new water bed. Instead of subjecting him to digging in the water which would no doubt drag down his already heavy attire一you assigned him to wagon duty.

Stoic and uncomplaining, he pulls the cart where it needs to be, full of dirt and falling apart at the hinges. You conceal your amusement at him performing the task一it really is the perfect job for someone of his build一maybe not of his skill set though.

“You okay over there一” You call out to him from the edge of the water bed, but before he can even turn to acknowledge you, a short deafening blast has pierced the air, rattling through your eardrums.

Everything happens so fast一Mando jumps to action, turning toward the forest where the shot came from as you pull yourself from the water.

“The kid一” You don’t even give him time to finish before you’re sprinting toward where you left him with the other children一your heartbeat throbbing in your ears as the thought of what could await you fills your head.

“Please, no. Maker, please一” You mumble to yourself as you run into the middle of the farm, looking around desperately for the little green head. A tiny little familiar gurgle makes you spin on your heel一there he is.

You rush over to him, scooping him up into your arms protectively, before finally looking around at the chaotic farm. Everyone is grasping their own children, not sure where the shot was fired from or if anyone was hit. You can’t see Mando anymore一he must’ve gone to find the culprit, leaving you to protect the child.

Not even a minute later, you see shiny beskar walking back into the farm, his strides long and purposeful and he makes his way over to you.

“What happened? Who一”

“We have to leave.” His words catch you off guard, reality finally creeping into your perfect little homemade world only to slap you across the face.

“Who fired that shot?”

“Bounty hunter.”

An unwelcome shiver runs down your spine as you realize what this means. He’s not safe here. He won’t be safe anywhere as long as they’re looking for him.

You look down at his big eyes, clearly confused at the fuss created only moments before.

“Collect your things. We’ll leave tonight.”

You can’t give him anything more than a single nod for an answer, the life you had only just become used to being ripped away from you without trial. What’s worse is that Mando was getting used to it to一and you wanted it for him一you so badly wanted this for him.

But, you do as requested. You pack up your things一not that you had much to begin with一and, with a heavy heart, say goodbye to the second home you’ve ever known.

[mandadoration]

Fool: Okay, maybe this is against the rules, but what if alternate reality Dog or Mando have realized that this isn't the right life they're living. So they fund the other and try to explain it to them, but fate interrupts and the one who is explaining dies in the other's arms. As the blood drops from their mouth and they take their last breath, they look up. The world is becoming fuzzy around the edges and as their eyes close they say "[I/We] should've gotten life right the first time"

a/n: i’ll allow it. Alternate universe hound with a technically I guess soulmate au?

—

Honestly, you should’ve taken the chance to escape the moment the Mandalorian stepped outside to deal with the raiders. 

You should’ve taken the shootout that followed as another chance to leave.

The same when he gets cornered with only a single blaster to defend himself. 

You want to tell yourself that you were staying put in the cockpit, hands still cuffed because you were done running, that you were still there because he had told you to stay as if you were some fucking dog, but you can’t tamp down that little voice that’s saying you hope he makes it out of this situation alive. You shake your head free of those thoughts, and try to settle in to watch how this unfolds. 

Two more raiders emerge from over the hill.

Hm. 

Not good. 

You should be glad that the raiders came. Otherwise, you would’ve been halfway to Nevarro where Mando would’ve collected the damn bounty on your head and dumped your sorry ass to whoever called you in. The raiders didn’t look like Guild members, and after whatever Mando does to them, you’re sure you can handle the rest. Easy. 

Except that something is tugging at your conscience. You sigh. 

“Fuck.” 

You get up from your seat and down the ladder to the hull as best as you can, punching in the code to the weapons cache, pausing only for a split second when you wonder how the hell you knew it, before you hear some more blaster shots. You grab a hefty blaster, wishing your hands were free so you can grab the rifle propped up against the wall, and storm down the ramp, taking down two of the raiders that were advancing on Mando. His helmet jerks to look at you for a moment before he pushes himself off the side of the ship to shoot three more during the slight confusion. There’s a raider shielding himself behind one of the legs of the ship, so you shoot at their feet to get them out from behind it, and Mando finishes him off. You huff and walk, hunched over in an attempt to make yourself a smaller target, and stand next to him.

“I had it handled,” you complain, and you don’t even flinch when he raises his blaster right next to your head to shoot. The heat of the plasma blasts past your ear, but does nothing to hide the scowl on your face. 

“Go back to the ship,” Mando orders, and pulls you forward to hide behind cover as more blaster shots ring out. Why do bad guys even have backup? And where were they even coming from?

“‘Thank you’ is usually the proper response,” you bite back. You really wish you were uncuffed right now. It’s throwing off your aim, but another one goes down. “Maker, Din, you’re such an ass!”

Mando’s head snaps towards you, but you’re too busy stepping out of cover to get the last four raiders that you don’t see how he freezes like a fathier caught in headlight. It takes two shots to get the one closest to you, but one to kill the next, the shot going clean between their eyes. You have to squint to see past the glare of the twin suns. Unfortunately, a stray shot clips your shoulder, and forces you to drop the blaster. You grunt, and move to get back behind cover, but the next shot goes through your chest, knocking you back so that you hit your head on the sun warmed durasteel of the ship, gasping in pain. 

That puts a dent in your plans. 

At least the wound cauterizes immediately. 

You going down is enough to snap Mando out of whatever daze he was in, killing the last two raiders and diving down next to you, cradling you in his arms in some uncharacteristic tenderness you never would’ve expected from the greatest bounty hunter in the parsec. Every breath you take feels like glass is in your lungs, and while you know you won’t bleed out, there is blood pooling into your lungs and choking you. You feel yourself slipping, and your eyes unfocus. Mando roughly shakes you, making you grunt in pain. 

“How do you know my name?” he demands, and you’d rather not get interrogated right now as you lay in your captor’s arms, but life’s a bitch. “How did… How did you…” Mando trails off, and he ducks his head down, taking in the deep breaths you only wish you could take. You hate the silence. 

“Got an-any bacta?” you choke out, laugh turning into hacking coughs as blood stains your teeth. For some reason, even when Mando fumbles for words and the pain runs down all the way down to your toes, you feel comfortable, relieved even, as if dying in his arms was the best thing that could’ve happened to you. It feels like you’ve fulfilled something. “I think… I think this–” you motion weakly with your hand, and Mando grabs it, lacing his fingers through yours, “– isn’t how things were sup-supposed to go.”

“You think?” Mando croaks out. You shake your head, and swallow back the blood welling up in your mouth, cringing at the coppery tang. When you look up at him at the visor, it’s like you’re seeing a double image. Not of him, but of some other event, some other life, maybe, because you see glimpses of a different reflection, Mandalorian helmet, instead of your own face. Despite only knowing him for an hour, most of spent spitting swears at him or trying to inconvenience him the best you can, there’s some old familiarity at the way he grasps at your hand like a lifeline.

“In general,” you elaborate. “In general, life wasn’t– wasn’t supposed to be this way.”

You remember one time when you were stuck hiding out underground with a team that was supposed to excavate some artifact, there was one who would tell stories of soul bonds. Connections that transcend time and space, and even entire lifetimes. Something about the Force and mysterious workings. You brushed them off the first time you heard it, pinning on them being the romanticist, but as the mirages that flash across your vision become clearer and start feeling more like memories, you think maybe they were onto something after all. 

“What makes you say that?” Mando asks, voice impossibly soft as he searches for something in your fluttering eyes, and he doesn’t want to tell you that it feels wrong to be looking at you. It’s too bare, too intimate for his liking. You shrug, wincing when it pulls at the wound. You don’t have enough energy to try and articulate the feeling you have.

“Kriff, this hurts,” you rasp out, changing the subject. Mando laughs hollowly. 

“Well, next time you try life,” he says, a teasing tone that sounds all too forced, “try to avoid getting shot.” Mando’s attempt at a joke falls flat, and you squeeze his hand as your vision turns fuzzy and sleep drags you down. 

“We should’ve gotten life right the first time,” you whisper. “I hate dying.”

—

Forever Tag: @mabelleen @mando-vibes @isaissafail @adikaofmandalore @lavenderl3mons @jokersdoll​ @creamysacrilege​​

Pedro Tag: @mrsparknuts

[nitannichionne]

The Captain's Secret (Chris Evans/Captain America Fanfic), Chapter 10: Message From Beyond (Cap POV)

CAP POV

I watched Coulson sit back in his chair. I started checking the background of the video. He was definitely on the Helicarrier.

"Evie--" He closed his eyes for a second. "Lesedi is a very special girl-young woman." He took a deep breath. "She is the granddaughter of Ororo Munroe, also known as--"

"Storm." I said it with the recording, leaning forward. "Oh, boy."

Coulson took another deep breath. "Storm had a daughter named Kymera while married to a Wakandan king. Kymera left the Xavier School for the Gifted before finishing. In that time away, she got pregnant. We do not know who the father is, but we do know he isn't exactly human." He paused, seeming to know I'd need a minute for that. "Kymera returned to her mother to give birth, and died not long after Lesedi Evelyn Munroe was born. When Lesedi was small, she often used her powers unintentionally in moments of heightened stress. For small children, this is easy to occur, but not common since most mutants come into powers during adolescent years. Storm came to us for help, and Fury brought her to SHIELD for her own protection."

Coulson swiveled in his chair and put the focus on a monitor. "Fury treated her more like a specimen than an innocent little girl, so I became her advocate. Fury and SHIELD call her Eve, but I call her Lesedi or Sedi." I watched a short film of Lesedi as a child being put through some tests, and receiving different injections or having blood drawn. There were other tests to make her use her capabilities. She spent most of the footage crying or in fear. Then the film cut to Lesedi standing in what looked like a bedroom. The place looked like it was in a snowstorm and she was crying in the middle of it. No one could get near her. Some scientists and medics tried, but to no avail; she was generating some sort of cold blast. Fury tried, and she backed away from him but hit him twice as hard. Finally, Coulson came into the room, and started talking to her. He had taken off his jacket and tie, bent low as he maintained eye contact with her. As he neared her, the elements subsided, and he picked her up, rocking and holding her. When Fury entered the room, Coulson put a hand up, and shoved past him, taking her out of the room. Coulson swiveled away from the screen and put the camera back on himself. He swallowed hard, still affected by that memory. "Over the years Nick Fury has had her undergo tests to find the specifics of her capabilities. I have been what stood between them at times. In short, if I didn't agree to a test, Lesedi simply didn't do it. I had become her parent, and I love her as such."

Coulson stopped for a moment. Just as I thought he couldn't look more serious or sad, he began to speak again. "Lesedi's father. I have a theory about him. I think he may be an Asgardian. In SHIELD history we have known of a few who came here despite the King and Queen's warnings. I have been able to collect DNA samples from Thor when he tried to reclaim his hammer, which was why I allowed it. I believe that-others-" he gave a meaningful nod. "will show themselves now that we have the Tesseract." He sat as if waiting for me to put it together myself. "You've probably guessed that I plan to try to get information and DNA from Loki now that we have him in custody," Coulson said quickly. That was when I noticed the video was made the day he died, after we met. "No matter what, Lesedi is my daughter, and finding the truth for her is worth everything, but is becoming dangerous. This made me think who could I trust with all I knew? Who would I trust with her?"

I paused the video. Now in hindsight, I realized that Coulson believed that Lesedi's father was none other than Loki, who would murder him later that day. It was possible, but now there were so many possibilities in hindsight that Coulson could not have seen. This was a lot. "No wonder she didn't get brain freeze." I took a deep breath. I wanted footage of that room from the time Loki came on board till he escaped . I wanted all of it. I had a feeling more happened in that room than anyone let on, or anyone really knew. Then I thought about our conversation:

"It's a huge honor to have you on board."

"Hope I'm the man for the job."

"Oh, you are, absolutely."

Those words had a new meaning. I leaned forward, and hit play. "Oh, no, Phil. Not me. Not...me!" I watched the play of emotions across his face. Oh, no...

"Yes, I am begging you to look after her." Coulson's face got closer to the screen, and I sat back. "She is powerful and vulnerable. I know no one-there is no one I know of-that could have her best interests at heart and protect her, maybe even from herself. When this mess is over, I plan to introduce you. I kind of botched our first meeting and I need to clarify things, but if this doesn't happen, I need you to understand. I hope you do. Lesedi will know that you have received correspondence from me if you call her Sedi." He paused. "Destroy this first chance you get, and not on the ship. Fury is part conspiracy theorist, so things you throw away are the first things he will search through. Thank you for whatever you do. Good luck, and tell Sedi I love her. Good luck."

@nuggsmum @messyinsomnimaniac @jencanbeyouryengeralt @sweetdreamsofgelato @mary-ann84 @omgkatinka @the-soot-sprite @viking-raider @keanureevesisbae @henryobsessed @summersong69 @sunshine96love @michelehansel @thelastsock @tumblnewby @tenaciousneckpartypainter @rn7rocks @daydreamin83 @musicartmayheminmyheart @kaatelyynn-blog-blog@forallthebrokenheartedthings @alphacancrii @liquorlaughslove @designerwriterchic @tamychm @nikkilynn303 @circesgirl1 @xoxohannahlee @pixie88@fckdeusername @maan24 @kaatelyyynn​ @october505​ @absentmindr​ @introvertedmouse​ @sassy-pelican @griscka75 @kebabgirl67 @its-carlerr