#and i'm super sad yet satisfied with the end

[silvermeww]

officially (basically) finished my first watchthrough of the pokemon anime

(ignoring 3 movies but listen-)

i have to say i'm pretty surprised, considering how i expected to finish the whole thing in a year (and that was hopeful, looking at 1000+ eps and me with my limited time and focus lol), but hey! it took me 6 months and a half, start to end plus most movies and some side series (i'm not watching those pikachu shorts even if you paid me).

and what a journey it has been.

just watching all of ash's journey, from overconfident rookie with no clue about the outside world, to world champ who has travelled to 8 regions. having went from one stubborn electric mouse that didn't care about him to a good 90 pokemon. started with his mother being his only supporter to so many friends and rivals holding their breath, watching in anticipation of his last move (and giving him help along his road to the world championships, and congratulations at the end). it was a beautiful road, full of hidden treasures and bumps and tough times and rough times, but in the end he made it through! he finally became a champion of a region he loved with all of his heart, and carried that love and experience from all of his journeys to the world stage and pulled it off.

it took everything, and nothing was left to waste, and he did it. and man, if that isn't inspirational, than what is? sure, nothing is perfect, even the actual anime itself, and i can argue and point those out for a good long while, but at least for today i want to be happy. it's a good day, a pretty lucky day if you look at the Friday the 12th thing, and i had a great time watching this as blind as i can (with something as big as pokemon, you can never be fully blind unless you watched it while it was airing lol). had lots of laughs, angry screeching, pointing at screen in shock/surprise, nodding in agreement, and quite a few tears, but my original run is pretty much finito. i might try to watch the whole thing in sub and jot down notes for future fics, but in the meantime it has been stunning, amazing, spectacular. loved everyone and everything, yes even the bad, because in the end there are infinite possibilities, and it really is up to you where you find your future.

(but seriously, can you believe this all started bc he woke up late? talk about the pen problem heh)

what else can i say? it's been a great ride. there are no spoilers that can hurt me (except horizons, but i'll see how that goes). i can finally rank all seasons whenever and whatever, and for the most part i know most pokemon know (but not numbers, pls i'm not a computer). many fun times ahead, and for once i finished something very big very quickly without much regrets. a good series, a great show, and something i can get behind, once i got the momentum. live, love, laugh and idk catch them all <3

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

What Did I Do?

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader, Reader POV and Din POV

Summary: When your brother drops in for a surprise visit, it has an odd effect on Din that you can't understand. Takes place after Season 3 when Din and Grogu have been living in their cabin on Nevarro. This is the fifth fic in my Sugar, Spice, and Starlight Series!

Tropes: Bakery AU, Grumpy vs. Sunshine, Mutual Pining, Jealous!Din, Miscommunication.

Word Count: 7.3K

Warnings: Angst, Miscommunication, Heartbreak, Sadness, Awkward Situation, Big Brother Antics, Protective Big Brother? Din getting super jealous and handling it poorly? The reader is really soft and likes to bake? Din being a little bit self-deprecating to himself? Din might be a little bit OOC.

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is no use of y/n! I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite! I'm just starting to write for Din, so please be gentle.

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

A/N: Okay, warning now this one is a little bit sad and angsty, but angst is my middle name so I can't be held responsible for this 😅

Reader POV

“Stop eating all my merchandise! Do they not feed you on your planet or something?” You shout hitting your older brother, Ezekiel, on the back of his head with a wooden spoon. It was much more satisfying now because he wasn't wearing his usual helmet to protect himself and the loud smack of the spoon against his skull filled you with an unashamed amount of joy.

Your brother's visit to Nevarro had caught you by surprise. He rarely called before he dropped in unannounced, but by now you were used to it. That being said, he had still scared you when you woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of your front door being opened and a dark shape slipping through the opening to loom in your living room.

Given what you’d been through with the Transdoshan a month ago, you figured that your reaction was justified.

If your screams had woken up your neighbors upstairs they hadn’t cared and all your brother did was laugh at you when you’d come at him in the darkness armed only with the large cookbook that you’d fallen asleep reading.

But you'd missed him.

You hadn't seen him in three months, not since you left to find the perfect place to open your shop, aka the cheapest real estate that you could invest your entire life's savings into. It had seemed like fate when you'd found the listing on your holopad one night while you were mindlessly scrolling for something in your price range, and you'd bought the place sight unseen despite your brother’s numerous insistences for you to “sleep on it” not make a random impulse purchase in the dead of night.

You hadn’t listened to him, and you didn’t regret your decision for a single second.

You loved living on Nevarro. Loved the small sprawl of buildings that warmed in the sunlight and turned to shades of silver in the moonlight, loved the fountain where growing families frolicked in the crystal blue water, and loved the customers who walked into your shop and feasted on the multicolored pastries stacked in the pristine glass cases at the front of your shop.

Some more than others.

Your cheeks warm with the thought of Din and Grogu. They hadn’t been in yet, not since your brother had arrived last night, and you wanted Din to meet him, after all, Ezekiel was the only family you had left.

You could feel the anxiety over their meeting sparking along your nerve endings. Something about it felt important, like your two worlds were colliding in the best way. It felt special.

Get a grip, it's not like the two of us are dating and I'm bringing him home to meet my parents. It's just Ez, but…

The thought of your brother and Din getting along seemed like a big step in that direction.

Things had definitely changed since Din saved you from the Transdoshan one month ago. It felt different between the two of you and you loved every second of it.

Din would stop by every morning to say "hello" before he took Grogu to school and a bag of goodies with him when he left to go about his day and each night Din would stop by after you closed up to walk you home. You'd told him a few times that he didn't need to, that you didn't want him to waste his time, but he'd said that "it wasn't a waste if it meant you were home safe."

You weren't sure why he was so worried about you getting home safe, but if it meant spending more time with Din you weren't going to say no.

He would walk stoically next to you, his Beskar glinting in the starlight that shone down and dramatized the formidable figure of the man you were quickly falling head over heels for, with Grogu snoring quietly in your arms, while you talked about your day and Din listened in the still silence of the night.

Sometimes you worried that you were just babbling on like Grogu, but Din listened. And just when you thought you were saying too much, Din would ask you another question to keep you talking.

It wasn't things that you’d thought he'd be interested in anyway- he'd ask you about how you picked flavors for your treats, how much time you spent on each one- and then there were the other questions, the ones about your kitchen that you didn't understand why Din would ask you or why he was interested in. Things like: how big one of the ovens was, how much space you needed on the counter to knead bread, and how many burners you needed when you used a stove top.

You figured that he was asking because he was trying to see how much room he'd need in his kitchen at his house as he was still working on it. Sometimes you thought about asking him if he needed help, but you didn’t know anything about construction. Of course the thought of watching Din working on his kitchen made your throat tight. Watching him sand down cabinets with his large hands until they were butter smooth, seeing him reach overhead to install light fixtures-

Your cheeks heat with your blush.

But you liked spending those walks with Din, holding Grogu in your arms as he drifted off to sleep. Each time Din tried to put Grogu back into his bag to give your arms a rest, Grogu would wriggle defiantly while you shooed away Din’s hands until he finally sighed and gave up.

By the time you reached your door Grogu would be fast asleep, his lips still sticky with the cake that Din told you not to give him, but you did anyway and always earned a heavy sigh of your name through the modulator of the helmet.

Something about the way Din said it, made you smile and your cheeks warm. You liked it, and each time you would wish to hear what it would sound like without his helmet on.

But it wasn't just the walks home that were new, you noticed that you'd see Din more in the city during the day. Whenever you went to the market Din would show up and take the bags for you so you didn’t have to carry them back to the shop, whenever you were reading by the fountain you'd catch a glimpse of his armor disappearing into the crowd of people on the outskirts, and whenever you were cleaning the front counter you’d see Din walk by talking to Karga or to Cara.

Each time you saw him with Cara you felt your chest tighten. She was everything you weren't. Confident, self-assured, tough, not to mention she wasn't soft like you were. She was almost cut from stone, arms shaped with hardened muscle the size of your face, and she had a look on her face that always said "don't mess with me." It made you wonder if that was what Din wanted, if he wanted someone who was more like Cara. Cara could take care of herself and here Din was walking you home to "make sure you were safe."

Not to mention he’d saved you from the Transdoshan who you knew you’d have been helpless to fight him off.

You didn’t want Din to think of you like a bother or like a little girl who couldn’t function without some knight in shining armor to save her. The thought that he’d like Cara more because of her self sufficiency  made your smile slip into a frown, but you shook it off.

You were going to focus on the fact that Din was spending time with you, because you were sure that you were imagining it, but when you first opened your shop and in the time before you had officially opened your shop you hadn't seen Din once in town.

But now you couldn't help but bump into him.

However, that wasn't the only thing that changed between the two of you, Din had started bringing you little things from other planets whenever he left to go on a bounty. First it had been a rock its sharp edges worn smooth from an ocean on another world and a shell the size of your hand that allowed you to hear the rapid beat of waves against an invisible shoreline when you held it up to your ear. Another time Din had brought you a little figurine to keep on the shelf behind the counter carved out of strong whiskey colored wood.

The newest thing that Din had brought you was the apron you were wearing around your waist over your purple dress. It was beautiful, a dark blue and hand embroidered with flowers along the edges in different colors each one intricately woven into the soft fabric. It was almost too pretty to use, but you liked having it on when Din came by.

When he'd given it to you, you'd been speechless while Din had stuttered out a "Do you like it cyare?"

And you'd shaken your head enthusiastically. You hadn't known what to say, it was the most beautiful thing you owned and it was special because it meant that Din was thinking of you when he was gone, that he had taken the time to find something he knew you would use everyday.

But also because you’d thought the sound of his stutter through the helmet was unspeakably cute, and you were sure that his cheeks were red with his blush when you hugged him and said you loved it.

The hugging was also a new development. It started the night that Din had walked you home after the Transdoshan and since then it had only become more frequent. That night you had felt Din stiffen in surprise before he hugged you back and you were afraid when he’d stuttered out his goodbye and then left.

But the next night, when he walked you home, he had stepped forward as if anticipating the hug, waiting for you to initiate it. It make you beam at him and hug him so tight you weren’t sure if you were hurting him, but you were just so happy that he’d wanted you to hug him you couldn’t stop yourself. And now it was a nightly occurrence.

Not to mention whenever Din told you he was going to be gone for a few days, you always gave him a hug before sending him on his way with a bag full of treats while you bounced Grogu in your arms happily. Din had begun to leave Grogu with you when he went away and you were more than happy to have the little guy around.

“Yeesh, calm down!” Ezekiel rubs the back of his head with one hand and shoves another square of the Uj cake into his mouth with his other one. “Can you blame me? This stuff is so good! I’m so glad you decided to move to the middle of nowhere and throw away your life to open a bakery!” He jokes with a wide smile.

“That’s it! Get out Ez!“ You say taking another swing at him with the wooden spoon.

He dodges the attack. “Sorry baby sis, you're stuck with me for another three days." Ezekiel sing-songs through a mouth full of the sticky brown pastry.

You exaggerate a sigh and roll your eyes. Secretly you loved having him here, but you weren't going to admit it.

Your older brother might be annoying, and yeah he might be eating the one thing that you make especially for Din when he comes in to the shop, and yes your brother might be keeping you up every night with his snoring because your apartment was only one room and you couldn’t block the heavy rumble of his snores with your pillow and-

Where was I going with this? Oh right.

But he was the only family that you had left and you loved your brother.

Even when he'd left you with your grandmother, he didn't really leave. He called you on your holo-pad every week, sent money when he could, and when your grandmother died he had come to bring you back with him to his home, before trying his best to convince you to move in with his clan, but you had told him no.

You didn’t regret that. You felt like you were building something on Nevarro for yourself, doing something for you for the first time in your life.

And you couldn't wait to see where this path led.

"Shut up and make yourself useful!" You roll your eyes again, grabbing a tray of Jorgan fruit buns and thrusting them into your brother's open hands.

"If I had known you were going to put me to work I wouldn’t have come." He grumbles under his breath.

"Too bad. Jax wanted a few days off and I'm shorthanded." You say grabbing a tray of spiced egg-milk tarts, before leading the way out into the crowded shop.

The early morning rush had begun to subside, but there were still a good amount of people sitting at the smooth wooden tables at the front of your bakery chattering excitedly over buns, pies, and thick slices of cake with sweet cream icing.

This is why I came here.

The scene in front of you filled you with happiness, the smell of the sweet rolls and fresh bread bringing you back to the moments you spent tucked in your grandmother's kitchen watching her knead bread, pipe sticky icing, and roll out dough with a practiced precision that only you could replicate. Each day you felt her with you, and each day you knew that you made the right decision to come to Nevarro.

Ez follows you out into the crowded shop with a chuckle, carrying the tray and holding it for you while you stock one of the two large glass cases.

The buzz of the coffee maker behind the counter reminds you that you need to make your rounds with the pot to refill cups, but you hold off.

You were slightly surprised by the crowds. You thought that the presence of another Mandalorian would cause a stir, given everything that people still said about Din, but apparently they didn't feel the need to shame your brother to the outskirts of town as they had him.

That or maybe you'd shamed enough people into being nicer.

Doubtful.

You'd gone with Din to pick Grogu up a few times after school when it was slow and you needed the fresh air after being cooped up in the bakery all day, and each time Ms. Cross would whisper under her breath with the other parents who all threw looks in your direction. You ignored them and bounced Grogu on your hip, listening to him babble, telling you about his day in his own little way while Din watched you, and unbeknownst to you, smiled beneath his Beskar as Grogu did.

However, despite the rumors that were obviously circulating about Din and you, your business hadn't suffered. You had the only bakery on Nevarro, and, not that you were bragging, you knew for a fact everything you made was delicious and addictive. Even Ms. Cross would still come in a few mornings during the week for a cup of coffee and a Jorgan-berry cream tart before she went off to the school. She never said anything to you, and you were more than happy to have Jax deal with her before she left, casting an uncomfortable look in your direction as she did.

But even if you only had one customer, there was only one person that you were eager to see.

You hadn't mentioned Din to your brother. You knew that the moment you did that it would lead to endless teasing about Din and how you felt about him, but you wanted to ask your brother if he knew of any clans of Mandalorians that didn't remove their helmets.

When Din had told you "this is the way," it did little to pique your curiosity… but what he'd said about being married to him had.

The thought of being married to Din brought a heat to your cheeks and an enjoyable shiver down your spine- the thought that you would be the only person aside from Grogu that he shared his face with made you bite your cheek to stop the smile from splitting your face.

You didn't know why Din had been so adamant about telling you that particular part of his culture, but since he'd shared that little tid-bit it took all your willpower not to think about it during the day.

He wasn't telling you that he wanted to marry you. He was just sharing something about himself.

You chided yourself.

Aside from Din "demonstrating" how he kissed, Din had not said anything or done anything else that would persuade you that he wanted to be more than just friends. He was still calling you his friend and you figured that he was only getting you the presents because he was trying to repay you in his own way for your kindness to him when you baked treats for him.

But there was a little part of you that hoped. Hoped that Din was starting to see you as more than a friend, hoped that maybe that kiss the two of you shared had meant more, and hoped that all of it was Din trying to express how he felt about you the only way he knew how.

"So how have you been? Really?" Ez asks you, breaking up your train of thought while holding the tray steady. He's studying you, his gaze concerned, but also inquisitive.

It was like your brother to be a little bit overprotective. When he'd found out you were living alone here, he'd installed another lock on your front door.

Of course that may have also been to fix the one he broke when he broke in last night.

"I'm doing great! I really like it here, and business is even better than I thought it would be. I mean I know that I'm good at baking things but this-" You gesture with your free hand around the crowded shop. "It's better than I thought."

"Gran would be proud of you." His eyes crinkle around the edges with his smile.

"Really?" You sniffle looking up at your brother.

"Of course she'd be." He puts the tray down on the counter, before he runs a hand through his thick hair. It was different than yours, so long that he usually wore it up in a bun. How he wore his helmet over it, you weren't sure, each time you thought that he was somehow defying the laws of physics. "And I'm proud of you too sis."

"Ez-" You sigh his name with a soft smile.

"No, I don't say it enough. I am so proud of you baby sis." He pulls you into a bear hug, so tight that it takes the wind out of your chest when he did.

"Thanks Ez." You squeak exaggeratedly while he squeezes you against his armor. The breastplate cuts into your cheek, but the familiar cool feeling of the metal makes you think about Din and how it feels to hug him.

I really have to stop thinking about him as often as I do.

But even you knew that was impossible to do.

You pull away from him, raising a hand to the side of his face. "I'm proud of you too."

The front door of the shop opens with a happy chime as another customer comes into the bakery, but you don't look away from your brother.

"Really?" Ezekiel flashes a hundred-watt smile, something lurks behind his eyes that makes your heart squeeze uncomfortably in your chest.

The truth was you knew that your brother still felt bad for leaving when you were kids. You saw it in the way he overcompensated to make you happy whenever he visited and you'd seen it in the way he'd begged you to stay with him on his planet before you moved to Nevarro.

You wished that he wouldn't. You'd never held it against him, never brought it up in a way to hurt him in the heat of a fight. You knew how broken he was when your parents died, and you owed so much to the clan of Mandalorians he'd joined. The same clan that treated you like their family whenever you visited.

It brought a smile to your face to know that your brother found where he belonged, and every day you were beginning to believe that this was where you did. In a small shop on Nevarro with the smell of fresh bread, cinnamon, and cloves wrapping you in a warm blanket, feeling at home for the first time since you'd lost your grandmother.

And there was something else.

You were drawn to Din, had been since the moment you met him. And maybe it would never work out between the two of you because you were falling in love with someone who still called you his "friend" despite how much time you spent together and how Din looked out for you, but you wanted to see where this path took you.

"Mhmm." You nod with a wide smile.

A gleam of silver shines in the corner of your eye, reflecting in the brilliant light from the sun that moves with a gentle hand through the front of your shop and you turn your head to look over the counter, your hand still on Ezekiel's cheek.

Din is standing there, holding Grogu in his left arm, wearing his full armor as usual. There's a rigidness to his stance, his helmet tilted just slightly to the right as he stares at where Ezekiel and you are standing.

An odd hush has fallen over the patrons sipping coffee.

"Din! Hi." Your smile turns blinding at the sight of your friend. Your hand drops from Ezekiel's face, who perks up at the appearance of another Mandalorian.

Din's body is stock straight, tense, unmoving. He doesn't return your greeting as he usually does, in fact he hasn't said anything since he'd entered your bakery.  You can feel his gaze on you, but it doesn't bring the usual warmth. And for some reason you can't help but think that Din is upset about something. The rigidness of his stance is unusual. You were accustomed to Din relaxing as soon as he entered your shop, his body untensing with each step closer to the counter as if being there made him feel the same way you did- like you were home again with your grandmother.

But Din isn't relaxed, in fact you think that he looks even more tense than he did a few moments ago.

Worry pricks in your chest.

"Hey brother!" Ezekiel says with a smile, oblivious to the tension in the air. Your brother says your name "Didn't tell me that there was a Mandalorian on Nevarro. I'm Ezekiel." He reaches across the counter to shake Din's hand.

Din doesn't answer for a moment, head tilting down to where Ezekiel's hand is stretched in his dirrection, before he looks up again.

"Din." He replies in a monotone, his voice buzzing against the modulator, not making any move to take your brother's hand.

Ezekiel blinks in surprise.

Why is Din acting so weird?

Grogu gurgles in his arms and reaches out for you, his hands opening and closing, asking for you to hold him with a happy smile on his face. But as you reach out to take him, Din pulls back so Grogu is out of reach.

Your hands hang there in the air for another few seconds as the wave of rejection crashes over you, making you feel like you were taking a knife to the heart.  Din has never, never acted like this before. He had never withheld the kid from you, especially not when Grogu was obviously asking for you.

Your smile falters.

"You want your usual?" You clear your throat, trying to recover, but when you try to smile it falls flat.

Why is he doing this?

You didn't understand why Din was acting this way. You'd been so excited for him to meet your brother, but now you wished that he'd never come. You didn't want him to meet Din if Din was going to act this way.

The good first impression that you knew Din would get from a fellow Mandalorian was dissolving before your very eyes like sugar in a strong cup of tea.

Din's empty hand tightens into a fist where it hangs at his side the longer he stands there looking at Ezekiel and you.

"Sure." Din replies, his tone cold.

It didn't matter that Din used the voice modulator on his helmet, you could hear the difference in how he spoke. You knew when he was upset, annoyed, angry, happy- you were so in tune with how Din acted that it didn't matter that you couldn't see his face. You knew him.

And seeing him like this was breaking your heart.

Ezekiel does not miss the attitude shift and his smile drops into a frown. Despite your brother leaving when you were younger, he never lost that protective instinct. He was your brother, it didn't matter that you were all grown up, Ezekiel was not one to back down, especially not if he thought that Din was being rude.

 "What's your problem?" He snaps, narrowing his eyes at Din.

The room is still completely silent, the tension crackling in the air like a lightning storm across the plains that brings the rumble of thunder in it's wake. You could feel the other people glancing from Ezekiel to Din waiting for the storm to break.

"Nothing." Din's stance remains rigid, while Grogu wriggles in his arms defiantly still trying to reach for you.

"Ez-" You try to interrupt, but Ezekiel waves you off.

"No. He's being a dick. What do you have a problem with me? Or with her?" Ezekiel starts to walk out from behind the counter, but you grab on to his arm to hold him back.

The last thing this needs is his temper.

"Ez please." You plead, looking from him to Din. The anxiety now was more of an electrical storm, buzzing and surging in your chest, electrifying through your nerve endings. Not to mention the last thing you wanted was for Ezekiel and Din to start fighting in the middle of your shop. "It's okay. Din was just dropping by to say hi."

There really wasn't way to salvage this situation, you knew that by now your brother has made up his mind about Din. There couldn't be another introduction, because Ez would always remember this, remember that Din was rude to you- or rather rude in the way Ezekiel saw it.

"And now he has." Ez almost growls, narrowing his eyes at Din. "So get out."

Din's helmet tilts in your direction for a moment, his hand tightening on the child. "Fine." And then he's gone, stomping out through the front door of your shop, the jingle no longer happy, but now more of a clang of destruction.

"Din wait!" You shout running after him, leaving your brother behind.

You couldn't let him go like this, not when you didn't understand what had just happened. Why he was acting angry with you. You wanted to know what you did so you could fix it.

He's ahead of you weaving through the crowds, trying to slip away, but you rush after him, watching the gleam of his metal in the morning sun, lighting the way to him.

"Din!" You reach him and gently grab his arm to stop him. "Please wait."

He whirls on you so fast you shudder out a gasp in surprise. "What?" His voice sounds cold tinged with annoyance and another emotion you can't place.

You recoil slightly with his shout. Din had never spoken to you that way. He was always softer with you, gentle in a way that he wasn't with anyone else except Grogu. To see him like this broke you.

"Please I'm sorry Ezekiel didn't mean to be rude he's just always-" You begin to say, trying to explain the situation and trying to understand why Din is acting the way he is.

"I have to go." Din interrupts, his helmet isn't tilted down at you, it's turned up to look over your head.

"No." You say shaking your head, heart thunderous against your ribs. "Din please tell me what's wrong. Tell me what I did. I want to help-"

"I have to go." He says again, pulling his arm out of your grasp.

Grogu coos and touches his father's armor, tapping it with his little fingers to get Din's attention, but he ignores him.

"Din-" Tears burned in your eyes as you say his name, confusion and hurt swirling in your chest, but if Din notices he doesn't care.

He turns away before you can find the words to finish your sentences vanishing into the crowd in a flash of silver and black. The people around you push and shove to get past in the early morning rush, but you can't feel it.

All you feel is the hole in your heart growing steadily with each step Din takes away from you and the tears that have begun to fall onto the dirt beneath your feet.

What did I do?

Din POV

How could I have been so stupid?

Din grits his teeth together as he continues down the dusty path back to his cabin outside of town. Each step sends a cloud of the reddish brown dirt wafting over the desolate plain. There's a rumble of thunder, that rattles against Din's armor, a warning of the afternoon storm that waited with bated breath behind the dusky clouds on the horizon.

Hurt and anger dueled in his chest, forming an unnatural lump in the pit of his stomach while the memory of what he'd just witnessed in your shop continues to flicker across his mind. It had been since the moment he walked out the door.

The images of you holding on to the Ezekiel's cheek in your shop with the soft look in your eyes that Din used to think you only reserved for him and you smiling at Ezekiel with your cheeks darkening with your blush as Ezekiel smiled back at you, made feel like he'd taken a punch to the stomach. Before when Din had heard the sound of your laugh it felt like something had broken inside of him and warmth he'd never known would flood through his body, but now the sound of your laugh mocked him and the shine of your smile like a dark cloud.

Of course she already has someone courting her, she was only being nice to you. She's nice to everyone. Why didn't I see this before?

He'd gotten his hopes up over the past few weeks, all the time he spent with you feeling the warmth of your smile in his chest, hearing you softly say his name in a way that made something deep down break open, and all the moments that he felt like you had begun to feel the same way about him that he felt about you. 

Din had never allowed himself to hope for anything, but you changed all of that the moment Din walked into your shop for the first time and saw you standing there holding his son, taking care of him like he was your own.

But now Din felt like an idiot for hoping, for thinking that you would ever be with him.

That’s why she wasn't afraid of me, she already has a Mandalorian in her life.

When Din killed the Transdoshan he'd been so afraid that you would run from him, that you would turn your back and join the people who whispered unspeakable things about him, but you hadn't, you'd run to him, hugged him, allowed him to touch you…

Din felt his cheeks warm momentarily remembering the way that you held his hands, how you'd cradled them between the two of you, almost reverently. Your skin was softer than Din imagined, your curious fingertips trailing and exploring places on Din's rough palms that made him weak in the knees and made him want to melt into your touch. And Din would be lying if he said he didn't go to sleep at night thinking what it would have been like to feel the gentle caress of your fingertips against his face, for you to trace the sensitive skin and look at him, really look at him the way no one else had since he was a boy.

Din cringed as the image of your hand on Ezekiel's cheek comes flashing across his mind, followed by the echo of your laugh in his ears. Din wondered if the two of you would have another laugh later when you told Ezekiel that Din had been calling you 'beloved' in Mando'a.

He sighs as he opens the front door of his home coming to a stop just inside the entryway, to stomp his muddy boots against the rug. His head turns in the direction of his kitchen.

It was still in varying levels of construction. As soon as Din saw how much you loved to bake and cook he knew that you’d need a place in his home big enough to do so. He’d been working on his kitchen since the moment he decided to court you, creating the space from the questions he’d asked you about how much room you needed in your own bakery.

If you were to accept his courtship this would be your home as much as his and Din wanted to make a place that felt like home to you. He'd seen the way your face lit up when you spoke about your grandmother and her large kitchen, saw how happy it made you to remember her, and Din wanted so badly to give you that here.

He’d wanted you to have somewhere that felt like home to you, now he wished that he hadn’t started in the first place.

Grogu babbles something where he swings in the bag at Din’s side and Din knows that Grogu must be confused as to why Din hadn’t allowed you to take him.

Din couldn’t pretend that everything was okay, not when it felt like he’d taken a blaster shot to the chest when he saw you there with Ezekiel, and he didn’t want to see how you made Grogu smile or how you smiled at his son, not when Din knew you’d never be his.

But the biggest question that Din had was how the hell Ezekiel was able to spend any moment away from you. In the months that Din had known you, Din hadn't seen him once and Din couldn't imagine how Ezekiel could stand to be away from you that long.

Din could barely last a day before he ended up back at your bakery. It was an addiction, like an itch he couldn't scratch until he found himself taking the dusty trail to your shop through the crowded city and the only salve was your smile.  Even when he was out on a job on another planet each day that passed by was agony because he was so far from you.

He thought of you constantly, what you were doing, how you were, if you were reading alongside the fountain with the sun kissing your skin as the wind blew through your hair, if you were walking through the market wearing one of those dresses that hugged your body and made Din's throat tight whenever he saw you in them, if you were at your shop feeding Grogu treats while he cooed and tugged at your hair, and if you were safe.

That last thing Din ensured when he was gone, by telling Cara to keep an eye on you, discretely of course. Din didn't want you to know how much he worried that something would happen while he was away. The Transdoshan had only proven to Din what he already knew, that you didn't belong in his world. The one filled with blood, death, and blasters, the one that he was so afraid of you seeing.

But he couldn't stay away. No matter how hard he tried Din couldn't keep away from you. You were like a siren call in the silence of the night, promising everything good that Din thought he'd never had and didn't deserve.

How much Din missed you when he was away was only exacerbated by the bag of treats you sent with him when he left. The silent nights in the cockpit while he ate a bite of uj cake or a meat pie, he imagined that you were there with him, your soft smile making him feel warm from the inside out.  Din was starting to get a little soft around the middle, but he wasn't complaining, everything you made him was delicious and only made him think of you more.

But Din couldn't imagine how Ezekiel was able to live somewhere else and only see you sometimes, when Din could barely get by without catching a glimpse of you each day even if you didn't see him.

And why would he want to? He should spend his time with his cyare. Not leave her alone on another planet alone. It should be him here protecting her, making her smile, making her happy, not me.

His jaw tightens. He didn’t want to think about that right now, but it was the only thing he could. That it was him who had been here for you over these past few months and him who looked out for you. It was him who made you smile and walked you home, him who brought you gifts, and him who listened to you talk about your day.

Stars, Din loved that. 

He loved listening to you talk about your day with him, loved to hear everything you’d done even if it was something as small as filling the salt and pepper shakers at the tables in your shop. He liked to watch the starlight trace along the softness of your figure with a gentle hand as Din walked you home at the end of the day, see the way Grogu cuddled against you as if you were his mother.

The thought made Din's throat tight, because from the beginning you'd always treated his son that way, as if he was your own and Din hated the way you looked when he didn't let you hold Grogu. Truthfully, the memory of how you looked in the street while you pleaded for Din to come back to the shop, for him to tell you what was wrong hurt just as much. He hated to see how disappointed and worried you looked, and Din hated to walk away from you, but he had to, because if he didn’t he would be in danger of doing something very stupid…

Like telling you how he felt in the middle of a crowded street where everyone could see the two of you and laugh when you turned him down.

Din placed Grogu on the floor and made his way to his bedroom, sitting down on the edge of his bed that squeaks under the weight of his armor.

The image of you with Ezekiel in the bakery flashes through his head again making him sigh again to himself. All of his muscles tense and untense with the memory and a wave of emotion that Din cannot name crashes over him.

He reaches into his pocket for the pouch he'd placed there this morning.

Din had given you many gifts over the past month, each one was chosen specifically for you to prove his commitment. Din was determined to prove that to you, to prove that he could be someone you depended on, to prove that you were someone important to him, to prove that he would always put you first, and of course to prove his affection. Din still wasn't comfortable talking about how he felt, in fact he wasn't exactly sure how to quantify how he felt about you in terms that you could understand. Not when you made him feel things that he thought he couldn't anymore.

The gifts seemed like the next best thing, at least until he found a way to say how he felt.

Each time you unwrapped something Din brought you, he felt light, as if the weight of everything he'd done was lifted. To catch that glimpse of your smile made Din weightless and made him wish to make you smile like that for the rest of his life.

His favorite gift had been the apron you'd been wearing when he saw you today. He'd been walking through the market on Tatooine, when he saw a vendor selling hand embroidered clothing. Din had been looking for something small to bring back for you, a handkerchief or a cloth, but then he saw the apron and it looked like you. The small multicolored flowers were delicate, but woven against a strong resilient cloth. And Din knew he had to get it for you.

When he'd brought it into your shop, he was afraid. The other gifts he'd given you were merely trinkets, things he found along the way from places that Din hoped to take you someday. You'd told him that you hadn't seen as much of the galaxy as he had and you longed to visit more of it.

Din was willing to take you away right there and then if you asked him. He wanted to see your eyes shine with wonder as he showed you the vast reaches of space and wanted to hear your soft gasp when he took you places that you'd only heard about.

But you’d been so happy that you'd hugged him. Din wasn’t used to hugging, in fact before you, he could count on one hand exactly how many times that he had been hugged, but now he craved it.

The subtle press of your soft body in his arms was an addiction, the soft sigh you made each time he hugged you back like a soothing salve over his heart, and the smell of sugar and spice that filtered through his helmet with the gentle brush of your hair made him weak in the knees.

You felt like you belonged there wrapped in his arms, and Din wanted you to.

Now he knew that it was impossible. You didn't want him, you were just being nice, the same way you were to everyone else on Nevarro who didn't deserve it.

He rolls the pouch in his hand, the gift inside jingling merrily, oblivious to the gloom that rose over Din like a dark omen.

This gift was different.

Like the apron this one was special and if you were to accept this one you would be accepting his courtship, accepting him. You wouldn't be married, but if another Mandalorian were to see it, they would understand that you had a clan and you belonged to Din, that you were engaged to him.

Din's fingers deftly open the drawstring at the top of the bag and pull out the silver necklace. It was a simple chain that had a small circular pendant the size of the tip of Din's thumb stamped with the sigil of the Mudhorn.

It was made of Beskar, something that Din had gone back to Mandalore to have specially made for you by the armorer. He'd had it made after everything that happened with the Trandoshan. Din knew that having his clan sigil hanging from your neck would ward off unwanted attention, it was his way of claiming you, of warning off anyone who dared touch you.

The things that the Transdoshan did to you still made anger burn through Din. He hated that the creature had been able to do any of those things to you, lived with the guilt for not disposing of the creature sooner. But Din knew by giving you this necklace, anyone who saw it would know better than to touch you, not when the clan sigil of a Mandalorian hung from your neck.

The armorer had been pleased to hear that Din was taking a Riduur, and told him that she wanted him to bring you back with him so you could be properly introduced. Din had been excited to show you off, but now he felt embarrassed that he'd have to return it and tell the armorer that you’d refused him.

He lets out another sigh watching the necklace hang from his hand glinting in the dim light of his bedroom. Another image of you with Ezekiel makes Din shut his eyes tight, but it does little to rid himself of it.

Why did I even think that she would ever want me the way that I want her?

Guide:

Cyare: Beloved

Riduur: Spouse

Thank you so much for reading! Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are not required, but are always appreciated! If you'd liked to be added to my taglist for fics in this universe please let me know!

Taglist

@jollyhunter @scoliobean @pressedwater @littlebear423 @bookloverkat

@scorpio-echo @windsweptarmadillo @foxin5billion @silas-aeiou

@mezzprior @st0nedbitch

[taesanrot]

[love these days] eunseok x f!reader | 3.3k best friends to lovers, implied college au, making out, alc consumption, mutual pining, mls are both a lil dumb, cute n fluffy w a lil smut n angst syn. in which you drunkenly attempt to prove to your friends that you have absolutely no feelings towards your best friend (spoiler alert... you fail) note. storyline is based off of the manhwa these days love special! it's a super cute one shot and a comfort read for me so you guys should check it out. ++ thank u so so much for the support on the teaser, i honestly wrote it on a whim but i'm v proud of this fic so i hope u guys like it as welll <3

you winced at how loud your friends were yelling, sipping on your drink in a weak attempt to calm your nerves. you'd foolishly thought that coming out to drink with your friends would lift up your mood after your terrible week.

you were immediately proven wrong, chaewon and anton's loud arguing was making your head hurt and you just wanted to go home and snuggle into your blanket.

staring at the table top, you lost yourself in your own racing thoughts. you were pulled out of your trance as shotaro nudged you. you looked up at him drearily, and he gave you a sad smile, ruffling your hair.

"what's up? you seem downer than usual." you gave him a weak half smile, opening your mouth to answer his question. you were interrupted by a loud outburst from sohee.

"what do you guys think about guys and girls being best friends? do you think they can stay platonic?" the entire table erupted with noise, everyone drunkenly chiming in to answer his question.

"what on earth are you saying sohee? of course they can!"

"don't you know if you like someone the second you meet them? how can you catch feelings after being friends?"

"kissing my guy friends sounds fucking disgusting, yall stay safe."

you stayed silent, knowing better than to respond -- you already answered sohee's question with your own traitorous heart. you glanced at the table next to yours, eyes landing on the reason you were keeping your mouth shut.

your best friend, song eunseok.

who you were, unfortunately, in love with.

you and eunseok had met in during your college orientation, finding that your personalities clicked quite well as you discussed your respective majors and classes. the rest was history, you two bonded fast, and you quickly became one of his closest friends. it didn't help that the two of you lived in the same apartment complex, meaning that you basically ended up walking home together everyday.

it became a routine, even if the two of you had separate plans you'd meet up somewhere and walk back together

if you were being honest to yourself, you'd been attracted to eunseok from the day you'd met him.

sometimes, you'd think back to the early days of your and eunseok's friendship and wondered how you'd manage to not confess right then and there. chasing the high of the closeness of your friendship had satisfied you somehow.

these days, though, you started to think that you were losing your mind. your feelings for eunseok have only grown stronger as time has passed, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain your usual subtlety.

you felt like you were at your wit's end, ready to confess and be over all of this. and a couple days ago, you had been planning to do just that.

[...]

you reread eunseok's text in confusion, hoping you were walking in the right direction.

you had just gotten out of your last class, and eunseok had texted you to meet him and some other friends on the building's rooftop. you walked around a corner, recognize the back of eunseok's head and his terrible posture.

he was sitting at some picnic tables with two underclassman. just as you were about to wave, you hear one of the other boys speak.

"y/n.... as in kim y/n? you two are pretty close huh, eunseok?" you immediately darting back around the corner, hoping they hadn't seen you yet.

you pulse thrummed under your skin. they were talking about you. you felt your breath hitch as you heard eunseok's tired voice.

"cmon, you know it's not like that, sohee" sohee's loud laugh rang through the air.

"you wish it was though, don't you seokie?" a third voice, hong seunghan, chimed in. you cupped a hand over your mouth to suppress your nervous laughter. you heard eunseok shift in his seat before he spoke the words that would ruin your week.

"y/n.... she's nice and i like her. she's not even close to my type, though."

your face twitched and you clenched your hands into fists, nails digging crescents into your palms. you had to get out of here, and get out of there you did.

turning in the direction you'd come from minutes ago, you disappeared down the stairs, bolting to the comfort of your apartment. you shot eunseok a text later and make up an excuse, saying something came up on the way there. he never questioned it, thankfully.

[...]

remembering it made your shoulders sag, and you sighed for what had to be the 30th time that night, taking another swig from your beer.

of course you of all people would get rejected before you even had the chance to confess. you finally tuned back into the conversation. to your dismay, sungchan had begun to gush over his girlfriend of five years.

"it doesn't matter what i think, i'm already locked in for good." everyone rolled their eyes as he turned his phone around to show you guys pictures of his girlfriend, jiwoo, pictures that everyone had already seen a million times.

"isn't she so cute? i miss her, she's so busy these days."

huffing slightly, you felt your eyes waver over to the table next to yours. to certain brown haired boy, more importantly.

normally, eunseok would be drinking with you and your friends, but he was supposed to be getting to know some of the people in his major department better.

one of the students in question was doe-eyed underclassman sullyoon. your stomach turned uncomfortably as you watched her prettily laugh at eunseok's quips, covering her mouth politely and crinkling her eyes ever so slightly. it was impossible for you to look away as she unabashedly flirted with your best friend; the sight was almost nauseating.

jealousy tore through you, an eerie sadness filling you up from bottom to top. she was just his type, you realized, the epiphany making your mood even worse than it already was. today was the worst.

sullyoon's advances and your completely-not-subtle staring didn't go unnoticed by shotaro either.

"guess she's laid her claim on eunseok, huh?" he joked, nudging your side playfully. you dreadfully gulped down the last of your beer.

"how would i know?" you spoke gloomily, and a frown slowly etched itself onto shotaro's face as he put together the pieces in front of him.

his gaze remained on your dull figure for a moment longer before he suddenly sat up and gasped, grabbing your attention.

"guys, we're forgetting about the closest guy and girl here! aren't you best friends with song eunseok, y/n?" your eyes widen as shotaro's words boom through the bar. after a short pause, your friends went into uproar.

"hey, you're right, taro"

"do you like eunseok, y/n?"

"oh my god do you think they've kissed"

the words coming out of shotaro's mouth reached your ears almost in slow motion. your posture stiffened and you coughed roughly in shock, looking over to make eye contact with an unamused eunseok. his table had fallen into silence as well, everyone listening and waiting for what you had to say.

oh god, does he think i told him to say that? he's gonna think i like him. fuck fuck fuck.

alcohol tainted thoughts ran through your head as you panicked, trying to think of ways to shut down the conversation as quick as possible.

"you guys are crazy. me and eunseok could shower together and i still wouldn't catch feelings" seriously? that was the best you could think of?

berating yourself internally, you tried your hardest to fake nonchalance and act like that blatant lie wasn't tearing you in two. you glanced over at your best friend again, his expression unreadable. there was no going back; you really had to get over eunseok now.

tearing your gaze away from him, you downed the rest of your beer and glared at osaki shotaro's back.

[...]

"it's too earlyyyy we can't go home" chaewon half spoke and half shrieked, arm wrapped around sohee's shoulder.

"let's go to karaoke!" seunghan chirped, his suggestion earning cheers. you and eunseok both stepped away from the group, saying quiet goodbyes and excusing yourselves to walk back home. your friends cheered seeing the two of you walk away together, and you wished a hole would open in the ground and swallow you whole.

"god i feel like shit" you groaned, rubbing your forehead drearily. eunseok chuckled at your frazzled state, tugging the sleeve of your jacket and pulling you closer to him.

you held your breath as he playfully tugged the hood of your zip up over your face, laughing at the way you sputtered curses at him. the two of you bantered like this almost all the way until your place. when the two of your finally fell into a peaceful silence, you spoke.

"sullyoon seemed pretty into you." you craned your neck and tilted your gaze to the dark sky, hoping the boy next to you wouldn't be able to notice the sadness in your eyes. eunseok rolled his eyes at your question and coughed.

"did she, now?" playing dumb, he smirked at the way your gaze whipped to his face, staring at him incredulously. he hadn't helped himself to nearly as many drinks as you, a slight buzz coursing through his veins.

"i mean i found it pretty obvious." this time, eunseok laughed loudly. you really couldn't hold yourself back at all when you were wasted. your eyebrows furrowed and a blush ran across your cheeks at his laughter and response.

usually, you were pretty careful with how much you drank around your best friend, not wanting to unintentionally expose the feelings your fought so hard to hide from him.

unfortunately, past you did not anticipate shotaro's quips or the events of the past few days, the frustration leading you to allow yourself more drinks than usual.

the front door of your apartment complex came into view before eunseok could answer you. looking at your flushed face and droopy eyes, he decided it'd be best for him to help you to your place. the two of you rode in the elevator in silence, opening to your floor. you're face contorted in confusion as eunseok stepped out as well, hand coming to rest on your back as he led you to your unit.

"what're you doing?" you slurred at him. the fresh air had done nothing to sober you up, and eunseok rolled his eyes with a smile.

"making sure you actually make it to your bed." he fished your keys out of your pocket for you and opened the door to your small apartment. slightly tripping over your feet, you walked in and kicked off your shoes.

before you could even think of slumping onto the floor or your kitchen, eunseok grabbed your shoulders and led you to your room, laughing as you swatted his hands and sat on your bed.

you groaned as you leaned back and laid on your bed, exhaustion catching up to you. you brought a hand up to shield your eyes from the dizzying ceiling light. feeling the bed dip slightly next to you, you turned your gaze to eunseok. he was sitting right next to your laying figure, hand coming up to rub your shoulder lightly.

"cmon, you gotta actually get ready for bed." eunseok sighed and shook his head, pinching your neck and earning another groan.

after a painfully long amount of time, eunseok had managed to get you off your bed and into the bathroom. he helped your wipe off your leftover makeup and made sure you took out your contacts and brushed your teeth.

routine complete and pajamas adorned, you stood and stared at your awaiting bed, something stopped your from getting in and slipping underneath the covers.

eunseok turned off the lights in your bathroom and the rest of your apartment before returning to your bedroom with a glass of water.

"here, have some water." after seeing your stilled figure still standing next to the head of the bed, his eyebrows furrowed.

"are you okay?" the boy inquired. he reached his hand out to rest on the small of your back, but you turned and sat down on the bed before he had the chance.

"seokie..." you mumbled softly. eunseok felt his cheeks burn at the nickname the rolled off your drunken tongue. you'd only used it a few times -- almost always when you were intoxicated. eunseok never found it in him to tell you he loved it.

"i lied earlier, i'm sorry." you stared at your socked toes and eunseok's brows furrowed in confusion. lied? what is she talking about?

"about what?" you looked up to meet eunseok's eyes. they bored into you, sending a shiver down your spine as your mouth suddenly dried up. clearing your throat slightly, the secret you had been keeping for so long slipped from your lips.

"i can't shower with you." well, not quite. eunseok chuckled lightly at your serious tone.

"what? why does that matter?" he pried further, chuckling at your pout. you didn't find this situation amusing, all of the memories of eunseok rejecting you flowing back into your mind. letting out a tearful sigh, your face fell into your hands with a loud smack.

"i can't because i already have feelings for you!" eunseok's lazy smile dropped immediately, not only at the fact that you just confessed to him, but also because you were now crying into your hands.

"i like you so much, i'm sorry seokie. sohee was right about me." you sniffled and cried even harder into your hands, not realizing eunseok kneeling in front of you. your crying subsided as eunseok's hands wrapped around yours, pulling them away from your teary face.

"you're seriously something else." your best friend smiled at your teary eyes and red nose. even while crying you looked so adorable to him. you opened your mouth to whine at him but he placed a finger over your lips, continuing.

"i can't shower with you either, y/n" your face crumpled even more.

"because i'm not even close to your type! i already know that, you asshole." it was your turn to stare in confusion as eunseok laughed and shook his head.

"no, don't you get it?" a thick silence hung in the air as you racked your brain for any possible explanation.

because he wants to keep things platonic? no, that can't be it. or maybe ...

no.

does he... like me?

eunseok watched the gears turn in your head, seeing your face fill with realization before you spoke.

"do you l-" eunseok didn't give you a chance to finish your question, moving forward and swiftly capturing your lips in his own.

you made a noise of surprise before shutting your eyes, reaching for his shirt to pull him on top of you. eunseok was gentle as ever with you, laying you down on the bed slowly. hovering over you, he let his tongue run across your bottom lip, coaxing your mouth further open so he could taste more of you.

you sighed out in satisfaction as you felt his warm tongue explore your mouth. you don't know how long you'd been waiting for this moment. running your hands along the blades of his shoulders, you pressed them into his back, hugging him close as if he might disappear.

entangling his legs with yours, breathing the same air as you, eunseok wanted to capture this moment and lock it in his memory forever. he decided instead to let you know how he felt through his lips and hands, easing his fingers through your hair and sucking your bottom lip.

as he pulled away and the two of you watched the string of saliva connecting your lips, you wondered how you managed to bottle up your feelings for the boy above you for as long as you did.

twisting the hem of your shirt, eunseok looked into your eyes with a hooded gaze, drunk off of you.

"can i?"

[...]

opening your eyes slowly, you registered your surroundings. you were snuggled in bed, wrapped in your comforter.

as you mind flashed with the memories of the bar last night, you shot up in bed.

"morning." you screamed at the greeting, turning to see eunseok laying next to you in your bed, scrolling through his phone lazily.

"what are you-" you question was interrupted by a loud noise from the boy's stomach.

"ugh, i'm so hungry, lemme go pee and let's get something to eat, yeah?" eunseok fought to hide his laugh as he watched you scratch the back of neck in confusion.

[...]

you stared at eunseok intensely as he ate his burger and fries like a starved man. you and your best friend were seated in nearby diner. you wished you knew what eunseok was thinking; he hadn't brought up the events of the night before and you were starting to think they didn't even happen. not to mention your memory was pretty foggy following eunseok helping you to your room anyways.

you hoped nothing happened past the two of you making out; you'd really want to remember sleeping with eunseok if you did. looking up at eunseok nonchalantly sipping on his coke, your patience ran out.

"we didn't sleep together, right?" eunseok swallowed his drink slowly, letting your question hang in the air for the moment before answering.

"what do you remember?" he inquired and you exhaled shallowly.

"kissing. and you took off my shirt i think." the boy in front of you smiled. he was secretly very happy you remembered the night before. he'd be a little bothered if he was the only one who remembered your first kiss together.

"yeah, you passed out like right after that." he chuckled, watching your face turn bright red. chewing your bottom lip, you turned your focus back to your food. eunseok smiled softly at you. he thought you were too cute for your own good.

[...]

walking back to your apartment, you turned to eunseok.

"you never told me if you liked me." eunseok stopped in his tracks, turning to look at you in disbeilef.

"the making out wasn't enough of an answer for you?" he laughed as you smacked his arm, hoping no one passing by heard eunseok's crass answer.

"song eunseok!" smiling like you were the only person in the world, eunseok grabbed your hand and laced his fingers with yours.

"y/n, i like you too. will you go out with me?" swinging your arms, he pouted at you, waiting for answer.

"ugh, you're so corny." snatching your hand out of his grasp, you jokingly walked away from the boy, giggling.

"hey! you're the one with a crush on me!" he chased after you, laughing as he wrapped his arms around you and locked you in his grasp. turning in his arms to face him, you met his brown eyes and smiled prettily.

"i'd love to go out with you."

[bonus — the day eunseok "rejected" you]

"y/n.... she's nice and i like her. she's not even close to my type, though."

eunseok's words hung in the air as he searched for the right way to express his thoughts. just hearing your name made his cheeks flush pink. balancing his chin in his hand, he continued.

"somehow though, she seems prettier every time i see her." this earned a loud cheer from the two boys.

"eunseok hyung, you really surprised me." seunghan laughed at the eunseok's dopey smile.

"could you guys please keep it a secret for me?"

...

taglist: @shnnzsworld @beomgyusonlywife @pompompush @forrds @yoursyuno @snowyseungs @dreamiestay @taeraeverse

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

What makes you love payneland as a romantic pairing? Personally when I watched the show I saw them as a platonic pair almost exclusively. Like yes, I believe that sometimes you do look at your best friends with stars in your eyes, bc that's part of the queer experience to me. Anyway I'm getting off track. What drew you to them as a ship? How do you feel about Palasaki? Do you think the show will ever get picked up again? Will it ever be the same?

Love to know your thoughts!

I think Edwin and Charles's relationship is super queer and I love it. Like, they are best mates. They have been married 35 years. They've never kissed. They go to Hell for each other. They have lots of feelings that are a mix between friendship and devotion and romantic love, and the lines between those feelings blur. They are currently in essentially an exclusive relationship. They are not yet together.

Their dynamic is so fucking relatably queer, which I love.

In the end, the reasons that I advocate for them romantically (rather than in an exclusive QPR) are:

Edwin's current canonical feelings for Charles. I have Been In His Shoes and it is kind of a sucky place to be. I want him to experience love and romance, too, and I view Payneland as a Sold-as-a-Set do-not-separate nothing-comes-between-us monogamous unit already.

The fact that Charles so clearly already likes Edwin back. He did the hand over the heart thing! At the end of 8! Yes!!!

George and Jayden have amazing chemistry.

I just want to see them build their entire existences around each other in every sense of the world and be happy. It would bring me so much joy to see them happy and in love, because the trust and devotion they share would lend well to a beautiful and loving relationship.

I actually wrote an in-depth essay on this subject here!

I also think seeing them get together would help heal the sad little queer kid inside me that loved Destiel, lol.

Okay! What drew me to them as a ship?

They are my favourite kind of ship. Two very traumatized individuals who fit around each other's jagged edges and love each other all the more for those edges.

Edwin and Charles have been home for each other. For decades. They share every aspect of their existence and are fully comfortable together, and it's especially beautful considering that they had really lonely, short, horrible lives. They've saved each other.

Edwin wants to be safe? Charles makes him safe. Charles wants to live? He may not realize it, but Edwin is building a life after life with him.

Next, Palasaki! I do like Palasaki. I think they're a cute ship and have a lot of potential, and I would have loved to see them develop.

I'm not sure about the show being picked up again. I really hope it is (and also hope they totally sever it from Sandman). But shows that were canceled are rarely saved, and I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I think it has a chance, but I'm not letting myself hold my breath.

I think that the show would be the same if it did get picked up again. I trust this team of writers and think they have done really well with season 1, and I want to see what else they had in store during seasons 2-6.

However, I do have this fear that we'd do all this work to renew it and Payneland wouldn't be endgame. I think that would be a slap in the face to a lot of the fan base. Luckily, I am 99.9% sure they are endgame and am not that worried about this. I just have Anxiety.

[johanna-swann]

So I've been complaining for a while that 911 has nothing exciting going on anymore, but there is actually one thing that I am super curious to watch play out. Not even just in universe, I'm curious to see how the show handles this:

How are they going to resolve the Christopher problem?

If the rumors are correct the actor moved away and he is mostly leaving the show. We've had a situation similar to this before with Harry and his actor, but despite the similarities there are also differences that will be difficult if not impossible to navigate.

Harry left to live with his dad. Everyone in the Grant family was on board with this because they all had a good relationship to each other and Harry had already stayed with Michael during covid. It made sense that Harry would want to stay with his dad and stepdad.

Christopher left LA not because he wanted to stay with his grandparents so badly, but because he didn't want to stay with his dad. He didn't leave because he loves his grandparents that much, he left because he was angry with his dad. Eddie was not okay with this decision, but let Chris go anyway because he felt it was the right thing to do. Ramon and Helena don't officially have custody of Christopher or any other form of guardianship agreement (afaik), so even legally this could get complicated.

Harry left the show in a way that was satisfying storywise. I was sad to see him go, but David had this huge opportunity and of course Michael went with him. Harry going as well was okay because it was a happy parting of the ways even if I miss all three of them.

Christopher left in a way that needs a resolution. There is still conflict here and the only way to end this in a satisfying way is to reunite Eddie and Chris. Ideally not 3 seasons from now, but asap. It has already been 8(?) months.

(This entire plot is madness btw. Like. Even when you have a bad argument you don't just let your child move 800 miles away from you permanently. Especially when the grandparents in question have a history of trying to get guardianship. After the summer break at the latest Eddie should've put his foot down about this. But I digress and they probably had to do it like this because Chris' actor wasn't available.)

My point is: There are 2 ways this can go.

1, Eddie and Christopher reunite in El Paso. Eddie leaves LA, Ryan Guzman leaves the show, a notoriously angry fanbase will send death threats to the showrunner and producers like they never have before. You know, fun stuff.

("Not all Buddie fans", I know I know, but there is a significant portion of shippers in this fandom who have become very fond of online harrassment and bullying, icluding death threats and suicide baiting. Need I remind you that only recently the 911-bts account was bullied offline? They were completely neutral on the ship question and only posted about official info, they really didn't do anything wrong and yet, here we are.)

2, Eddie and Christopher reunite in LA. Chris comes back, they talk things out, work on their relationship. Sounds better, right? Yeah, tiny problem though. How?

How, if Chris' actor isn't available? Do they just have Eddie talk about Chris without ever showing him again? What about Chris and Buck's relationship? They throw that out the window too? I imagine recasting is quite difficult, how many child actors with CP who fit the bill can there be in LA?

Besides, don't get mad at me, but Christopher kinda makes up 80% of Eddie's personality. He's the single dad, that's his constant. What else does he have? The panic attacks, the military trauma, the anger issues - all of those things are stuff the show brought up once for rather short arcs and then never again. If you look for things that are always true about Eddie there's two of them: He's a single father and he's still hung up on Shannon.

They can't drag Shannon's corpse around forever (though they do try). Take Christopher out of the equation too and forget about Chris himself, what is this show going to do with Eddie? He has never shown any ambition to further his career in any way. He doesn't seem to have close ties to any of his relatives outside of Pepa. Like. Dude has two sisters and he never even mentions them. Carla apparently also left the show. He doesn't really have other friends outside the 118 (he hasn't talked to Linda since season 5 and Tommy left the show too). And even within the 118, who is he particularly close to other than Buck?

They could of course actually go for Buddie, but is that a good idea right now? Eddie still hasn't worked out his Shannon complex, Buck is not over Tommy yet and it doesn't solve the Christopher problem.

So yeah. Very curious about how they'll solve this pickle. I'd love to hear some other people's thoughts about this.

[inkievoid]

Leon’s wife is the type of wife to pick at her husbands face and back all day. He’d be watching TV in the living room and suddenly she’s sitting on his lap plucking his eyebrows because she’s bored. All while he complains that it hurts. (That man was been beat to death yet can’t even sit still while getting his eyebrows plucked. 🙄)

Or she’d make him do some stupid silly skincare. He’d get a silly headband to push his hair back of course, he’d just be half asleep as she gently spread the clay mask across his face.

Violet and Lia would probably mess around with his face too. They’d drag him over to Violet’s room and make him go to their “Salon.” A place where they literally torture him with girly things.

They’d put his hair up in little pigtails, probably beat his face to the gods too. He’d come out of Violets room looking like a pretty princess. His left eye filled with dark colored eyeshadow from Violet and his right with pretty colors and pastels.

- Anon! 🎀

Suggestive Moment Below Cut

No literally she'd be an absolute menace with grooming him. He has no idea why she loves it so much.

"Ow!" He flinches as you rip another long hair from his brow.

"Oh it doesn't hurt that bad you big baby." His grip on your waist tightening as you lean back to assess your work so far, not wanting you to fall back and crack your head on the coffee table like last time.

"You're not the one having hair ripped o- ow! I thought I married a scientist not a beautician..." He huffs as you giggle at his pain, putting the tweezers back into the small brow kit on your lap.

"I'm a woman of many talents." You reach in pulling out the brow scissors, grabbing your wrist he stares at them.

"What are these for?"

"To shape, relax I'm not gonna cut your eyebrow off." He stares, raising his freshly plucked brow, you sigh. Leaning into his ear to whisper.

"If you let me use the scissors I'll let you do that thing you like." Your tone is teasing, his head turns to you.

"As long as I want?"

"Mmhm, and I won't even complain." He lets go of your wrist immediately, leaning back like he's in a professional chair ready for someone to do their worst to him. You smirk, going to shape his brows. His arms pull you closer as he watches you work through slightly cracked eyes.

"For the record, I like when you complain. Makes me know I'm doing it right." You flick him in the chin making him chuckle as you continue to work carefully.

You sit back, nodding to yourself.

"Oooh, we have twins!" You gasp staring at him.

"What! What!?" Your voice is barely above a whisper as you lean back in.

"You have grays in your beard..." You immediately reach for the tweezers, he pushes them onto the couch.

"No! It's bedtime!" Standing up, he lifts you into his arms, making his way towards the stairs.

As for the mask thing I personally think Leon has sensory issues when it comes to stuff on his face, when clay is chunky it makes him think of... the past.

But I could see him being okay with those sheet or charcoal masks that peel. But you'd always fight him on doing the peeling because let's be real it's gross but super satisfying. An it's always funny watching him cringe at how nasty his pores were.

Putting the little creams on him after is his favorite part! Because that means you use a jade roller over his face. He loves that thing. Wishes they came in the size of a paint roller for his back. Every time that little roller touches his face he melts. He'd almost be purring it feels so good to him.

Not only is he getting to do a routine with his adorable wife but that damn roller nearly makes him fall asleep standing up at their his and hers sinks. You'd kiss his chin once he's nice and clean, pull off the cute little tabby cat headband off his head.

"We're done?" He looks so sad. But you always end up having him cuddled up to your side by the end of the night, using a wooden rolling hand massager on his back. He'd be out like a light, snoring away in 20 minutes tops.

But the skincare routine definitely started after his girls loved playing salon with him (not mommy because daddy always listens to the kid gossip and gives the best feedback)

Violet's talking about her 2 friends arguing over who gets to play with her at recess or sit with her at lunch while putting his hair up in tons of tiny pigtails with different colored hair ties. All while Lia would be just clipping on any little beret or cute clip she could find from her collection to his bangs.

Leon would walk out of there and into the kitchen while you're doing the dishes. You look at him and grin.

"Rough day Leona?" You joke, making him groan as you laugh. "You look like that doll from the Rugrats if she got into a fist fight."

"The girls thought I looked beautiful!"

[sitp-recs]

Hey Liv! I'm in the mood for something really angsty and sad but I can't handle unhappy endings. Any recs?

Hi there! I totally get what you mean, while I tend to avoid hardcore angst, sometimes I’m just craving that kind of overwhelming sadness without having to a see a character die. I loved the angsty reads below and I hope you do, too! For those looking for angst + unhappy endings, I recommend this brilliant rec list curated by @kbrick. Happy sad readings!

you've got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (M, 21k)

When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want. He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

Vale Sanare by RurouniHime (M, 23k)

Draco’s world gains a new component just when he thought he’d sorted everything out.

Us, in Lieu by Tepre (E, 28k)

Teddy needs help and Harry needs funding. Draco sits in the other room and plays the piano.

remember me by hupsoonheng (T, 31k)

On a chilly day in October, Draco kisses Harry goodbye before he goes on yet another dangerous, undercover mission with the Aurors. And then Harry doesn't come back.

On One's Knees by pir8fancier (E, 34k)

The war is over and to the victors go the spoils. If you are triggered by infidelity, this is not the fic for you.

As Souls From Bodies Steal by Femme (E, 41k)

Hope may be found in the oddest of places, even in the bleakness of winter.

Super Rich Kids by @thusspoketrish (E, 81k)

Draco Malfoy has become disillusioned by the glitz and glamour of the scandalous lives of the Post-Second Wizarding War Pureblood Elite. Enter: one existential crisis, one group of thieving cynical friends, and several terrible, terrible decisions.

Merlin Works in Mysterious Ways by lordhellebore (M, 82k)

When Harry is forced to form a Blood Bond with Draco Malfoy under threat of death, he thinks his future will consist of a cold home and sexual frustration. But when a group of left-over Death Eaters decides to stir trouble, their lives change completely – and it takes them both some years to figure out whether it’s for better or for worse. Cw: major permanent disability

I Am Not Who I Became by mab_di (E, 93k)

Draco left England after the trials and has travelled the world meeting wizards and Muggles from different cultures and with vastly different relationships to magic, each other, and the natural world. Now he's a fisherman in Finland on commercial vessels. Harry has been struggling since the war and has become a recluse while trying to write his autobiography.

Nor All That Glisters by @sweet-s0rr0w (E, 110k)

Lonely and frustrated on house arrest, with no prospects for the future, Draco begins brewing Felix Felicis in an attempt to improve his lot. Just in the short term, of course. He isn’t a total idiot. But before long he finds himself with a thriving business, a nice flat, some actual (albeit irritatingly Gryffindor) friends, and a very satisfying sex life. What’s more, no-one is hexing him in the street. And Harry Potter is single, and gorgeous, and giving Draco decidedly interested looks.

Grounds for Divorce by @tepre (E, 122k)

Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter. A story about histories, a story about families. A story about a lemon tree somewhere in Upper Egypt.

Close Behind by @oflights (M, 134k)

To rescue Draco from the Underworld, Harry has to look forward. Unfortunately, Draco has to look back.

[tohisprettyc00l]

Escapism Hunter x reader

A/n: yet another reader who used to be in the emperor's coven, I don't know why I like this idea so much.

It was nice to finally relax, despite the circumstances. It wasn't great to be trapped in the human realm. But Belos wasn't there to torment you and Hunter. Which felt like enough. You could just be yourself, with no fear of punishment for messing up. 

You had recently gotten into a new book series. Anytime you could read it, you did. And recently you had finished it. The book had a super satisfying ending. So of course you had to share it with Hunter. You skipped down the stairs. "Hey, Hunter I have a book for you to read!" You said happily. Hunter smiled, "I do too!" He held up a book in his hands, "it's called cosmic frontier!" "Oh do tell!" You sat beside him.

"Okay, so it's set in space! There's Captain Avery, Security Officer Quando," A smile spread across his face, "and my personal favorite Chief Engineer O'Bailey!" You listened closely to everything he said. While you didn't understand half of it, it was clear he was happy. And you could get the gist of things you didn't understand via context clues.

"I'm going to stop before I explain the whole story. So what was your story about?" You inhaled slightly, "Okay the book is about two twins. One's a slacker the other one is super smart. They get sucked into a book." You explained, "They meet a frog dude. In order to get back home they need ingredients... Like a fairy tear. Kind of like us huh." There was a pause between both of you. Hunter spoke up, "How weird is it that we both found a book that relates to going back home?" You chuckled, "Yeah. But I find it weirder that it was the two people who are the least enthusiastic to get back." 

Hunter seemed to get weirdly nervous. "What do you mean? I want to get back as soon as possible!" You leaned into him, "You can't lie to me, neither of us were that happy while we were in the Demon Realm. By the time we got out of the coven the Day of Unity was in like a week." Hunter looked down, "But I feel like I should feel bad. Everyone else lost their home." "Is it really such a bad thing that we're happier? We could feel bad for them but happy for ourselves." Hunter gave a slight smile. "Yeah... Yeah! We don't need to feel sad. It's good to finally be happy."

A/n: If you know what book I was referring to I love you.

[runningflowers]

Hi! I hope ur having a good day/night :)

I was hoping I could request ningguang x artist reader who uses she/her pronouns, where ningguang finds reader drawing her! (And honestly I'm fine with or without an established relationship, whichever is easier for you to write) anyway ningguang is like super flattered but teases reader about it, and reader is too shy to say anything back so she just lets ningguang see all of her drawings of her so she'll (hopefully) be satisfied and stop the teasing

ty for the request! seeing the layout and how stuff is received intrigued me a lot just now... hope u have a great day as well ☺️

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

and that's what ningguang happened to think. seeing you perched up before slumping back onto your canvas made her giggle. despite your messy appearance, she seemed to think that you were quite the view.

"hm? and what do we have here?"

she peeked onto your project only to see a sketch of herself. she gazed at it longer before-

"ah! lady ningguang!"

a pity. you covered the drawing urgently.

"i was hoping to see more of this," she feigned sadness.

your face turned so red that ningguang would've thought someone painted it. you slowly uncovered the canvas, allowing your art into her view.

"my! i'm quite amazed at the accuracy of this! what medium of art were you going to use after this sketch?"

"oh... um... i'm not too sure yet..."

you look away, but ningguang turns your head towards her with a finger.

"now now. didn't anyone teach you to look at who you're speaking to?"

you shake your head furiously and close your eyes. this cannot be real right now. your hair messes up, shadowing over your eyes. you're about to make a run for it when-

"i apologize sweetheart. i didn't mean to make you so nervous."

she cups her hands around your face, moving your hair in the meanwhile. oh my god. you want to fucking explode, and ningguang seems to notice as her eyes glint mischievously.

"don't blow up, baby girl. we can't have your talent go to waste. now, how is it you draw me so accurately? i don't think i've seen you around too often."

"i just- um... so basically..."

you're vibrating like a dog put on top of a cat tower in your seat. oh my god oh my god. your eyes dart around everywhere besides the beauty in front of you. shit!

"hm? your sketchbook?"

you nod furiously, eyes shut. you start hearing pages turn and forcefully peek open one eye.

"ahem! well. this certainly is something," ningguang covered her face, visibly red.

"i'll be confiscating this for now, so try to make do without it. i will visit you during your process and watch your progress if i have time."

"ah! oh! of course, lady ningguang!"

you bowed, not wanting to look up, but ningguang disagreed.

"head up, sweetie. then, i'll be on my way. i hope to see you and the drawing soon."

ningguang turns her back, waving with your sketchbook in hand.

"fuck. i gotta do her beauty justice."

end.

so uh im ngl this did not turn out like how i thought it would 😞 but ty for reading

[kiefbowl]

I live in Seattle and wanna move back to Chicago one day. Your blog is cool, mine ain't and that's why I'm anon. Serious question here: my family is pressuring me to have kids (I'm a lady) and I don't want to do that. I'm 31 and hetero-married. I wonder about if it'd even matter if I regretted my decision to not have kids. Is this potential regret going to shatter me emotionally? I don't think so. Has anyone ever pressured you to have children? I wonder if I'd be ready to have kids if I was not expected to. Does that make sense? Anyway love your blog because you're real and super relatable.

Yeah, I feel a little pressure. I think when compared to other women, it's really not so bad. I think my mom feels like she can't talk to me at all about children (which isn't true...she's just unwilling to have the conversation on my terms), so she has made some off handed comments to people who aren't me within my earshot, things like "well I'll never have a grandchild at this rate" and other nonsense. The thing is I actually haven't decided yet, and I am leaning towards yes as long as certain things happen in the next couple years financially. I also feel the "biological clock" as it where in the fact that it would be nice to have a baby by a certain age if I'm going to have any, and that age gets closer. However, I'm not overly concerned about that either. It weighs on me but ultimately I want to make this choice intelligently, because I'm not interested in bringing a child into the world without it being the best situation possible for that child, so if I haven't reach certain goals by 35, I'm not going to say fuck it let's get pregnant just so I'm having a baby by 35.

I'm quite satisfied with what my life is and could become without kids, so I don't think I'll regret it if it never happens. I think I could feel sad though, only because if it doesn't happen, it feels like a choice I didn't get to make freely, and I can see myself lamenting never meeting the child I could have love. That being said, my life won't be over! I'll have freedom, youth, money. I'll lament it in the same way I didn't try to become a paleontologist or travel vlogger now knowing with hindsight I could have with the right guidance and knowledge. You can't be everything, and if I don't become a mom, I'll be the other things I'll be.

All that's to say, if you don't feel like me right now, you're probably right that you won't regret it. And if you start feeling like me in a couple years, that's fine because you still have time. And if you do end up feeling shattered with regret...you know, you just can't avoid grief and pain, so why try to hedge your bets on this one when it involves brining another person in the world? Maybe you will feel sad later, but I think you'll have the wherewithal to shoulder it, because you've probably already lived through many sad things and disappointments and jealousy and anger, why would this be something so uniquely different?

In the end, you can't live your life for others. You have to make your life your own, and every choice you make will have detractors. Ultimately, you have to say "well fuck off lol" even if it's your own family.

Good luck sis!

[detectiveseapancake]

Fields of Mistria Log 3

Putting together another tiny log before I get into the update. 💜

I've been diligently bringing Dozy presents because I love the best boy very much of course! I love that you can befriend him and Henrietta. (though I still have to get started on the latter, oops)

By now I've gone through all the group dialogues for Friday nights at the inn. I'm both sad I've seen everything and amazed at how much there was, and all of them were super fun!

His silly expression when he proposes the salted watermelon was so funny hehe. ...I might try this next summer and see if it's good. 💭 Watermelon is always delicious. Another thing that made me laugh a lot was this:

I like that he and Eiland get along! We're stuck between wanting to romance both of them and are really not set on it yet. Even if I'm mostly posting about March (which is in part because I (Ray)💜really like Eiland and 🎭 Scara really likes March. Wow I wonder why.) In a perfect world we'll get to romance multiple characters at once and be poly, but I've never seen that in any of these kinds of games before. Even if Mistria's a step above everything I've seen so far with the pronoun options etc., I won't get my hopes up yet.

I got Mistria's reputation to the max level and finished all of the repairing quests. Seeing Reina so happy about the inn upgrade was really so cute! Such a lovely community hub, and it's really even cosier now. All of these quests have been very satisfying and made me smile!

Lastly, I also got to visit the shooting star festival with march in year 2. He's so fucking awkward, it's endearing. I'm really glad this ended up cute the way I hoped it to. I wonder if the dialogue will be different in the future, if you go again and we've gotten the updates where you can have more than 6 hearts? I'm very curious! Next year I'll go with Eiland, so that I can see his event too. 💜

Now, I've been eagerly awaiting the March 10th update. I saw sneak peeks of Caldarus, and I'm incredibly excited for the new event, the mines, and especially pets! I've been working hard on breeding for all the farm animal colours I want. All of them are adorable and the varieties are great choices. Let's get to playing the new stuff, yay yippee!

[bananasfosterparent]

Playthrough Updates!

Just some rambles about my recent playthroughs...

Solenia the Drow Cleric of Elistraee

Finally found her hair that I'm satisfied with!!! And sorry Efenity, I know I always put you in this dress, but it's Sol's now 🤩 she rocks it so well!

She saved the grove and flirted with Gale and Halsin. I should note, this was my first time since my very first playthrough that I saved the grove and for a minute there I had no idea what to do or where you're supposed to go after the fight 🤣 if you side with minty and the gobos, it just cuts right to the party after it's all over.

She is currently in the Underdark and is reminded why people dislike her underground kin so much.

I made her to be paired with Gale but hooonestly...Halsin might be the play. We'll just have to see 👀

Enyana the Dryad (Wood Elf Druid)

Surprise! New Tav. Enyana (yes, name after Enya lol) is a dryad who's very far from home. Too far. She keeps a part of her tree with her, on her body, but she never intended to be so far away from home after getting kidnapped and crash landing in the mindflayer ship.

Enyana is a sassy but very kind person who believes in sticking up for yourself and not letting others take advantage of you. She didn't let Astarion drink her blood and I have never seen him so sad!!! 😭😭 But oh well lmao she refused to let him take advantage of her vulnerability like that.

I didn't make her to romance anyone in particular, but thought perhaps she would go for Halsin....turns out she seems to like Gale a lot more 🤣

Efenity the Storm Sorcerer (canon run #3000 lmao)

Sweet, evil Efe, my beloved. 😌💜

Nothing crazy going on in this run...it's just my "usual" run for her. It's like the 6th time I've played as her and H O P E F U L L Y this time I will finish the game and actually get to see the epilogue with her and AA!!!😩👌🏽

She's getting there! Currently in the Underdark as well, just working on the Myconid quests. Next one is the Nere quest.

I also have her a new do for the funsies. I really like it on her! I also got this mod that really makes all the eyes "pop" and glow. That's why her orange eye looks so glowy!

Nordicai the Tiefling Rogue (Durge!!!)

BABY'S FIRST DURGE!!!!

I took a really long time to make one but I finally did 😌 Meet Nordicai! He's a meph tiefling and an arcane trickster rogue!

So my whole concept is ...I wanted him to be as edgy and intimidating and BAMF looking as possible, like the kind of dude you don't bring to the family dinner, because he's... a resist Durge who's super docile and sweet and has no idea what's going on most of the time 🤣 I was amused by the concept of that contrast.

Also didn't make him with any specific romance in mind but it seems he is leaning toward Shadowheart 👀 never romanced her before so we'll see how that goes.

--

Still working on Silkina but no new screenshot yet. Just got to the goblin camp fight and working my way through that! Haven't played her in a hot minute, but she'll be next!

Forgot about my Efeniti spawn run AU 🤣🤣 one day I'll play you spawn ending. One day.

[miraakulous-cloud-district]

Tag game that took me way too long to do

Hi, hello, I'm still here. Life and side-tracking happened a lot and, lately, my only online presence was some reblogs. Nonetheless!! It made me really happy to see that I've been tagged in this wonderful tag game by @inkoherentwriting and @dirty-bosmer and @blossom-adventures Thank you so much and sorry it took me this long to actually do it!

How many works do you have on AO3? Just 6 so far!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 100,271 (oh!! I didn't realize I hit the 100k word count before doing this!)

3. What fandoms do you write for? The Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age so far, but I would love to expand that list, and I have my eye on a few fandoms (looking directly at One Piece)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? I only have six fics, and I don't really like looking at the statistics because it makes me terribly sad and unmotivated.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes!!! Comments are everything to me. It may take some time to respond, but just know that I read the comments as soon as I get the email notification and I reread whenever I feel self conscious about my fics (which is *very* often lmao)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? My longfics are not finished yet, but if you read chapter 15 of WYGTYA, then you'll know which one will have the angstiest ending Spoilers: it's Hymn of the Highs Seas, it's prequel. Author's note: WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO, I AM SO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO THE PIRATES. But I *will* find a way to make it as satisfying an ending as possible, and it will most definitely have a fluffy/bittersweet epilogue. HOTHS will not be sad, I promise!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? After all the shit I'll put Ravonna through, she deserves it the most, so WYGTYA, probably! Also, my Ralof/Hadvar fic has a really happy ending, if ya know what I mean :)))))

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not yet. I have this wonderful small community of dear readers and they're the most awesome people in the world <3

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Smut is not really my thing, so no. The most I'll do is imply.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I haven't, but I'll never say never!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of, and I doubt anyone would want to steal my writing out of anyone's

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? No, but I think it would be a very nice experience! I've spoken to a few beloved mutuals about crossovers in which Ravonna meets their ldbs, and I have an idea in mind where I could write a few chapters, each of them exploring Ravonna accidentally teleporting into their ldb's world, but it's still just an idea at the moment :)

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? That I've written? I don't know if I can choose because I love them all, but Rumcurio and Ralof/Hadvar are incredibly underrated ships in the TES fandom and I wish they had more content! Fave ship of all time? Well, right now I am watching Jujutsu Kaisen and I am, of course, having satosugu brainrot. They could have had everything :(((( So beautifully tragic, this one. The fix-it fanfics are amazing, too! But if I had to pick just one ship to be my favourite, I think I'll go with the ineffable husbands because 6000 years of pining is just exquisite <3 <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? A very sad and romantic reincarnation AU of WYGTYA where we get to see many versions of Ravonna through the ages! I say romantic, but knowing myself, it won't be super sappy. It's Ravonna that we're talking about here :))

16. What are your writing strengths? I would say that dialogue, and banter in particular. That's what flows the easiest to me, and I think that is how I'm able to express a character's traits and personality the best

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I believe there's room for improvement in all areas, but what I struggle with the most is angst, probably. I need to practice focusing on describing the character's feelings more. Also, politics. Crucial to the plot, but my mind never cooperates when I want to write politics.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue on another language in a fic? If it's a few words, it's fine, I think it adds flavour to the chapter, but translations should be provided. However, I would avoid writing entire paragraphs in another language, that's just confusing to readers.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Skyrim! I wrote for the Tes Summer Fest event in 2022!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I love them all very dearly, but hear me out!!! WYGTYA is my first baby, my longest fic and the thing that led me to start such beautiful friendships online. It will always have a special place in my heart! In my soul, there's a jewellery box dedicated to just WYGTYA, and it's all heart shaped and made out of love. Ravonna is by far my most developed oc, so much so that she feels like a real person sometimes when I think of her. She's even become a source of inspiration for me at times and her story with her fellowship will never fail to put a smile on my face. She's also such a big impact on my writing that I think she will become a blueprint for future stories that I write. Every story will have a Ravonna-type character, for sure. That's how much love I have for her! But I started writing WYGTYA as a beginner, and I sense that I will go back to some of the earlier chapters and re-edit some stuff. Right now, the fic that I'm most satisfied of is HOTHS. It's still at 2 chapters (soon to be three), but I'm so excited about this project, and the characters are all ocs, and my heart is so full of love for them that it overflows! It's also a pirate story, and I always have such a weak spot for pirates. It also follows the storyline and plot twist that I'm most proud of in WYGTYA, all about Ravonna's lineage. Damn, I guess I have Ravonna to thank for this, too. I'm just really happy with this twist and canon divergence in Deathbrand's character. I feel like he has so much potential in the TES Universe, and I'm about to explore all that and more in this fic!

Oh wow, that last bit got so very rambly, I'm so sorry! I don't know who has done this or not, but I'll tag @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @bostoniangirl21 @sheirukitriesfandom @illumiera

[dazais-guardian-angel]

🧡💛💖💕 for the Ask meme! (Tales of the Abyss ;))

🧡: What is a popular (serious) theory you disagree with?

Lmao well..... I think you saw my previous ask 😂😭 Any theory that says Asch or Lorelei or some weird Luke-Asch personality hybrid or anyone else people come up with that isn't just Luke who comes back at the end. It's gotta be Luke; the narrative just falls apart if it isn't. The other day when I was answering the previous ask looking for your "theory" post again I saw the take (put very simply here) that Abyss is a tragedy, Luke's character is a tragic one, so it makes sense that he ultimately dies and stays dead, and I'm just like.... how?? Genuinely I don't understand how his character arc can possibly be read as that his entire struggle to change and for life was just completely futile in the end and that there was no meaning to any of it all, that's such a downer ending for what is ultimately, despite how much sad shit happens in it, a hopeful story 😭😭😭 (one of the main themes is LITERALLY CALLED MEANING OF BIRTH).

Even putting that aside though, I just feel like it makes even less sense for Asch to come back?? Like, his character arc finished when he died. The whole point is that he remained stagnant the whole game and his tragedy is that he dies that way, while Luke was willing and able to change!! What purpose would it serve narratively to bring him back after his very sad yet satisfying conclusion?? Again, by all means, it makes for juicy AUs, but as canon.... there's no way.

💛: What is a popular ship you just can’t get behind, and why?

....I feel like I'm putting myself in danger answering this when it's coming from you 😂😭 But, well, I'm really not that interested in Luke/Tear lol. By no means do I hate it though, I just don't have any strong feelings towards it either way, and honestly part of that is just because I'm not really a shipper in general lol and nothing to do with them specifically. A lot of people who don't ship it say it's because they see Tear as more of a sister figure to Luke because that's how the game initially presents her as (and with the "big sister" title or whatever it's called), but idk... I honestly can't decide what I see her as to him. They just feel like very close friends to me by the end of the game, I guess, and although I like some of their touching scenes, I never really felt the chemistry between them. I guess it's just hard for me to imagine Luke in a relationship with everything he's going through during the game, and also Tear is pretty bland to me herself so that doesn't help. 😭 I know her Japanese voice is very different from her English one and her English one gets some flak, so maybe that's to blame ugh; maybe if I listened to her in Japanese sometime I would become more endeared to her.

💖: What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series?

...If I had to pick another one that isn't just the first answer again lol, though this isn't exactly super unpopular, but Abyss is the best game in the Tales series, by a wide, wide margin. Not only do I believe it to be the best Tales game, but one of the best games of all time period, and one of the best stories of all time. Yes, I said what I said, fight me. And it has absolutely nothing to do with nostalgia; I played Abyss on my 3DS around 2014-2015, probably? in my early 20s, so I don't have any special childhood memories of it, nor was it even my first Tales game (Graces holds a special place in my heart for that). I just... played it, and it left such an incredible impact on me that has yet to be beaten by nearly any other media I've ever experienced. I don't know what it is about it that makes it so powerful, but it's true. Don't get me wrong, plenty of other stories have come very close to making me feel the same way..... but none of them have ever quite reached Abyss level.

So yeah, a lot of people agree Abyss is good.... but I still believe that most don't recognize it for the masterpiece it truly is.

💕: What is an unpopular ship that you like?

Like I said, I'm really not a shipper lol, but I'm really fond of Guy/Natalia? I just love their scenes together, how respectful and gentlemanly he is towards her, and how her growth is most strongly shown in plenty of her interactions with him; it's so lovely to see. 🥹 and I think about their time spent together post-Eldrant and before the epilogue, them helping each other grieve.... it destroys me so good :' ) they're very sweet together.

Thank youuu sista! 🩷

Ask game

[starpains]

Trope selection tag game :3

Thanks for tagging me @somethingsteff. This looks fun! I'm doing this in a sort of general way (applicable to all my ships in all fandoms).

🍆 enemies to lovers or friends to lovers - How about enemies to friends to lovers--honestly it's my fave. But if I had to choose from these two I'd probably choose enemies to lovers. I love the idea of overcoming impossible hardships in fiction. I love how authors are able to take some absolutely ridiculous or hopeless situation and write the characters out of it. It takes skill and creativity and it really draws me in. I'm a romantic at heart and the idea that 'love can overcome all' really sings to me.

🍆 coffee shop au or flower shop au - I'm choosing the flower shop AU simply because I think coffee shop AU's been overdone by now. I think I only read one flower shop AU fic in my life, and I'd like to read more. But honestly... out of all modern AUs I'm really into any professional sports AUs and *wink* bookstore/library AUs.

🍆 hurt/comfort or there was only one bed - I like both! But there's something about hurt/comfort that makes my heart melt, especially when it's well-written. The want to comfort is a really big part of loving someone, and I like when it's connected to feelings realization. These two go well together.

🍆 found family or partners in crime - Impossible choice! I like both, but I guess I like found family just a lil bit more. There is something alluring about lost or broken characters that finally find their place with someone. I like my characters going from sad to happy in any story, and found family is a good literary device to achieve that.

🍆 canon compliant or canon divergent - This really depends on the fandom, but for this question I'll stick to star wars. Gimme my fix-its! Canon is so fucking sad that I cannot deal with it. Besides, for any of my sw ships to happen, the story needs to be canon divergent. I'm one of these people who always hate canon ships for some reason, especially when they're heterosexual, because the romance is almost always unsatisfying and gives me zero feels, and so I need a canon divergent fics to destroy canon ships and replace them with my own.

🍆 fluff or angst with a happy ending - I think it ties back to some things I said before - I need my characters sad/broken and then they get healed by love, it's the most satisfying thing to read for me, so yeah angs with a happy ending is an obvious choice here.

🍆 1st person POV or 3rd person POV - It's funny, cause I don't mind 1st person POV in books (especially in my native language), but for fic it takes a lot of time to get used to it when reading... So yeah, 3rd person POV for fanfic for sure.

🍆 soulmates or forbidden love - Nope. I refuse to choose. I LOVE BOTH. Gimme my soulmate identifying marks, better yet--slap them on two enemies and make their love forbidden :D.

🍆 roommates or fake dating - Fake dating is super fun, especially when the two think they're fake dating but no one is fooled because everybody knows they're in love but being idiots about it.

🍆 slow burn or meet-cute - I mean... it can be a meet-cute that ends being a slow burn :D. It's kinda what I'm going for with The Narrative Effect - they met cute but then Anakin drags it out for several long chapters because he's an oblivious idiot :D. But anyway, if I have to choose I'm going for slow burn because I just love when the first kiss comes and I've waited for so long that reding it makes me tingle all over. *dreamy sigh*

🍆 love triangle or polyamorous relationship - Neither. Give me my one-on-ones. I'd be able to deal with love triangle, but polyamorous relationships or threesomes or whatever are always an automatic nope for me

🍆 royalty au or magic au - I don't really like fantasy, so neither of these two would be my first choice, but if I had to, then I'd first read royalty AU.

🍆 high school/college au or neighbours au - Difficult choice between college AU and neighbours AU (I'm not even considering HS AU, because I don't wanna read about kids...). I'm choosing neighbours AU because to me it gives more possibilities to be creative and come up with some really original interactions. I really loved some fics about neighbours who started off on a really wrong foot and then slowly grew feelings.

🍆 mutual pining or idiots to lovers - I gotta agree with Steff here that it's kinda the same thing. I'm choosing mutual pining because I love pining in general. It's usually a huge part of slow burn fics, and since I love slow burn I just gotta go for mutual pining here.

Idk who played, but I haven't seen @starwalkertales post it yet, so that's my choice.

[laney-rockin]

OKAY OKAY OKAY.

I know I haven't made a whole "my thoughts on -insert star trek episode here- for a while [I've been so busy and surprisingly to me doing a sport for two weeks straight will murder any energy I have]

BUT THIS WEEK WAS THE SNW SEASON 2 FINALE AND I COULDN'T NOT TALK ABOUT IT.

FIRSTLY. Chapel, babes. GET THE FUCK OVER SPOCK HOLY FUCK. Spock, babygirl, GET THE FUCK OVER CHAPEL. You two are not soulmates, you will never be soulmates. I am tired of watching you two hold hands and look in each other's eyes while you could be GOING BACK TO THE SHIP HOLY FUCK MOVE.

SECONDLY. WHAT THE FUCK?!?! The Gorn are shown to be a highly advanced society capable of fucking WARP. What the actual fuck is SNW doing trying to push a "they're monsters that eat humans and babies" narrative. YOU MURDERED A CHILD. NO FUCKING WONDER THE GORN HATE YOU.

THIRDLY. Batel and Pike are kinda cute together I can see how they're meant to be together. Kinda weak making Batel get bitten by a Gorn but go off SNW- make some decisions. Would've been way fucking cooler to have Batel get into more action without getting bitten just so Pike can have some sad man moments. But what do I know? I'm not even out of high school, I cannot possibly fathom what is going on in these people's minds.

SPEAKING OF WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THESE PEOPLE'S MINDS- WHAT THE ACTUAL FLIPPITY FLAPPING FUCKING HELL ARE Y'ALL DOING ON A COVERT MISSION WITH SEVENTEEN MILLION LIGHTS ON YOU. THE COLONY IS BURNING AROUND Y'ALL- THAT'S ENOUGH LIGHT HOLY FUCKING SHIT IF YOU DON'T WANNA BE SEEN BY THE LIZARDS WHO YOU DECIDED ARE CANONICALLY SENSITIVE TO LIGHT DON'T WEAR FUCKING LIGHTS.

Also Chapel uselessly looking out the window to stare at the Enterprise was so fucking stupid. I get her flashlight didn't work but also like- she had an HOUR until she ran out of oxygen/life support. Where is the hustle? Personally I would be having an actual legit panic attack as I searched for a spacesuit and extra flashlight instead of just staring at the Enterprise and calling Spock's name.

ALSO [In my opinion that means nothing] THE "TO BE CONTINUED" SCREEN FUCKING SUCKED. The ending was not satisfying at all in an "I wanna see more!" kinda way. It was more of a "LET THIS "ADVENTURE" FUCKING END" kinda way.

In my opinion the only thing that saved this episode was Scotty, my role model and the biggest reason why I wanna do aerospace engineering. That man was amazing and stole the show for me, every single time we had to cut away to see Spock and Chapel be annoying I just wished I could see Scotty again. He was so fucking cool and so fucking nerdy and just the coolest man ever.

Speaking of introducing legacy characters: next season they have to bring in Bones McCoy. And I guarantee it's gonna be top-tier because SNW seems hellbent on just ruining Spock and Chapel atm. But if they touch the grumpy country doctor and don't give him and Spock the stupidest yet so in character reason for them to just start bickering like two old woman at the bazaar I will riot.

All in all- a "what the fuck was that" episode. Loved Uhura, Pelia, Scotty and everyone else but Spock and Chapel. Their actors I have no ill will towards [I think they're both super cool and I'd love to meet them someday] but I just cannot actually stand their characters in scenes together. That's just me tho!!