#but i guess that one might be a nice tool to go 'i asked u to dni why are u harassing me respect my boundaries'
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first-only · 2 years ago
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Hot take, but I think that blogs that supply information on important topics (such as disorders and disabilities) shouldn't have DNIs
Like, maybe I could accept a 'do not dm me if' list, but information (especially important information) should be allowed to be accessed and spread by everyone, regardless of who they are
eeeeeeeeeeehhhhh ya know my thoughts on this might be a bit tangential to yours
first, im not about to abide by a dni in general, like someone's textual affirmation of their politics isnt gonna stop me from like.. looking at their blog lmao. second, i tend to insta block and distrust people who have dnis anyway, so i would be HIGHLY doubtful of any kind of information they might provide, especially on a fucking tumblr blog - that just reads like a powertrip and controlling behaviour to me
and speaking of, i just in general do not trust, follow, or abide by "information blogs" on social media, i dont think random tumblr or otherwise users are good providers of solid info. like sure, hearing something and then fact-checking is fine, and sometimes people /are/ experts on their field; but if they've made a whole ass infomercial blog, that doesnt immediately read as benevolent until hard proven otherwise and that's... rare. so the whole issue is a bit far away from my preferences and experiences to be honest
(and also anon - you dont really get to tell a private blog what they should or should not have. this is not an institution that must abide by equal access [whether or not a dni can actually prevent equal access lmao] - its a random person's personal blog that they use to spread [mis]information. there's no enforceable should and shouldn't for private citizens by other private citizens. no shade to you, i understand you're coming from a kind and compassionate place, but "community resources" are not.. tumblr blogs, just like "community spaces" are not discord servers. i know it's easy to get swept in the tangent of online rhetoric, and im glad you're thinking of your fellow people but. sometimes things are the way they are. this is why huge open projects are actually community owned and have actual guidelines, administrators, and TOS [wikipedia, ao3, github, local queer centers, etc])
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aluria-sevhex · 5 months ago
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I BEAT THE GAME
a solid 3rd of my ISAT notes on my phone are just from 'today' (writing this past midnight lol)
my ISAT masterpost
every post in this series is also tagged as #Aluria plays ISAT for the first time (please don't spoil)
please note that there's a bunch of notes in this post because i was still in Act 3 at the beginning of this post lol
-i'm not playing it rn but i have decided to break my 'no looking stuff up' rule so i know where to go to make Sif rember what they say when carving stuff
[WRITING TUMBLR POST ALURIA NOTE: i later looked up maps of the House to help me keep track of stuff lol]
-ok now i know. i like figuring things out myself but i could not fucking remember lol.
-i have a really long car ride so. MORE ISAT
-title theme shout-out
-Sif tripped on a rock. "you're clumsy and not at all threatening and overpowered compared to them!" :(
-they almost forgot to catch Isa :(
-dang, Siffrin didn't say nya this time D:
-hehe they hit it back. one could say it's a... COUNTER-attack B)
-SIFFRIN GHOST ON THE WAY TO THE DORM
-WAIT FUCK DID I FORGET THE SHARPENING STONE
-fuck it i was planning to loop back after finding out what to say anyway
-ah don't i also need to find more i fo on the King somewhere? eh i can do that on the next loop... so much to keep track of...
-LMAO. THE PHRASE SIF SAYS. "please don't look bad please don't look bad please don't look bad" BIG FUCKING MOOD TBH
-Sif on his way to talk to their tools and project while carving or sharpening:
-aight time to die lmao
-Loop my belooped
-hm... it's Loop's job to remember Siffrin's mistakes...
-"you don't have to remember to yell' always gets me :(
-I FOUND THE ARTICLES
-ok so currently i'm thinking that the King and Siffrin are probably from the same place. which may or may not be where Loop is from and/or the disappearing island and/or connected to the color thing.
this game has a lot of weird shit going on.
-Bonnie doesn't know what a star is
-OH FUCK NO. AM I GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE OBSERVATORY. I'M LEAVING THAT FOR A LATER LOOP.
-another ghost :0
-ISAT: 📚
ISAT if Siffrin could pick locks: 📕
-WHAT. "you used to find them disgusting, but someone you knew loved them, so you tried them."
"someone you knew?"
"who?"
O_O
-aw, Isa hugged Mira on this bathroom trip
-"you wish for rest" yeah...
-"please be sharp, please be sharp, please be sharp"
-the Keyknife is now the Knifekey. WAIT. THIS MEANS IN THE FUTURE I CAN DO OTHER SHIT ON FLOOR 3. HELL FUCKING YES.
-wait. OH C'MON. boooooooo
-i picked malanga fritters and almost skipped past something that seems important. they remind Siffrin of his parents? :0 their head hurt...
-"BECAUSE YOU FORCED THEM TO!" :(
-"where r u from" "no u"
-JUST FUCKING CONFESS ISA FJHDHEJKSMXMDKSKS
-*sighs* guess i should talk to her. actually... what if i called Loop?
-huh. can't call them here.
-"i just hope that one day you might learn" WAIT THAT'S DIFFERENT- wait nvm i got things mixed up in my head :(
-"in this moment, you were loved"
-"that was a nice rehearsal" OH FUCK.
-i just skipped from loop 37 to 40
-time to kill myself with a banana! oop- *plantain*
-"you broke your head open on a rock" it did not use to describe it like that.
-wait. Sif. if you're annoyed there isn't a more dignified way in the village to loop. just kill yourself. you have a knife. just fucking kill yourself to loop forward.
-...fuck what the hell is this game doing to my thought process
-ok what should i look for in this room...
-"BUT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO READ IT" in large font... :(
-:( Sif is trying to remember something and it's tied to the stars
-aight new thing to ask the king time to get myself killed via tear yippee
-seems like the King wants Siffrin to remember their home... "something we've all forgotten" this is definitely about the disappearing island and the colors
-i need to go to the library and find the books on it.
-hey isn't Rock also called Protection Craft? kinda interesting that the King has it
-damn i died to the King because of timing bullshit ToT
-"one more time."
-huh... it evades active remembrance
-it had a belief centered on the Universe...
-need to figure out why the King is obsessed with Vaugarde
-freezing something perfect in time... do i need to find one of those Time Craft books again?
-gonna loop forward to the King
-"even the King feels easy to fight, now"
"i still can't say it" the name of their home. he wants to be able to say the name of his and Siffrin's home. ouagh this game is going to leave me emotionally devastated ToT
-fuck i missed the option to ask Odile if she was going to continue her fake research on a loop where i didn't spend time with her
-"can we group hug after i talk to the Head Housemaiden?" oh?
-DAMMIT ODILE INTERRUPTED ISA THIS TIME
-time to talk to her. again. again and again and again and again
-"you can start breaking down now" lol
-"the curtain falls" DAMN
-"HERE AGAIN?" woah Loop why so aggressive?
-"i'm too lazy to open up new dialogue choices" lol
-hm... show Loop the souvenirs...
-wait huh. in another loop this lady in Dormont said she has no siblings but now she has a sister. odd...
-:O THE LONG THINGY-THING
-huh. Loop reacted kinda weirdly to the kid's doodle
-hey what if i gave Isa the flower at the end?
-FUCK I FORGOT THE FUCKING ROCK I GOT TOO COMFY. this is embarrassing
-hey hold up the theme that plays when everybody's discussing the country in the library is the same song that plays when Loop is recapping things
-hold up. the King was in Corbeaux. Corbeaux is where the House doing the color research is.
-took the photo. PERFECTLY FROZEN IN TIME
-oh fuck
-calling Loop
-hm. the star-shaped gate that's locked. is the passcode the name of Siffrin and the King's home?
-we're gonna use a bomb i guess
-i asked the King where he's from and uh... now a slowed-down version of the song is playing...
-what the fuck
-Sif and the King are going to die, aren't they?
-"BUT IT'S ALL GONE!"
-i'm going to loop forward and try to talk to the King. again.
-*sighs* the peel is so dorky
-FUCK I FORGOT TO EQUIP THE MEMORY OF KNIFEKEY
-wait. asking him nicely. FUCKING WORKED???
-"The Universe leads... we can only follow"
-FUCK. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME. OF COURSE. OF COURSE. OF COURSE. GO FUCK YOURSELF.
-so the King knows about the loops, even though he can't remember them.
-"Wish Craft" :0
-WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO.
-BONNIE NO
-NO NO NO NO UNHAND THEM
-BONNIE NO BONBON NO
-okay. i looped back. Bonnie is okay again. i just need to kill the King.
-hold the fuck up. it says i'm in Act 4. bad things mark the end of acts. Act 1 ended with me getting in the loops. Act 2 ended with killing the King failing. Act 3 ended with...?
-please don't let Bonnie be dead somehow
-THEY'RE OKAY THEY'RE OKAY
-...the little moments of time rewinding seem to correlate with Sif wishing to go back
-:O I CAN READ THE BOOKS NOW
-THE GATE. OH FUCK YEAH
-fucking hell when did i get (Just attack) because DAMN. Sif is so fucking done with everything.
-WISH CRAFT
-i just fumkign one-shot the Nostalgie on floor 1. "just attack" indeed
-"you need a break" :(
-Sif is like constantly teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown
-let's see how well they do against a boss
-DAMN
-ok so what the fuck was Euphrasie doing before shit hit the fan? and why does she blame herself for Siffrin's situation?
-i just realized something funny. if Vaugarde is fantasy France. and Siffrin and the King are from an island north of Vaugarde. DOES THAT MAKE SIFFRIN FANTASY BRITI- *gets shot*
-gate time.
-what was the question? what was the answer?
-"couldn't i just create another me? someone who'd understand?" ok so somebody's a clone got it.
-Loop? i should talk to Loop
-ok i guess i'll have to be like "hey Loop are you a clone?" in person (plot twist Sif's a clone :P)
-"i saw a weird shade" WAIT HOLD UP YEAH THAT'S SUS THAT SIFFRIN FUCKING SAW RED. OK THAT WAS DIAGETIC. FIRST COLOR IN THE WHOLE GAME.
-gonna kill the King again, talk to Loop, then loop again forward to Floor 2 to read the color theory book
-WAIT SIFFRIN HASN'T CRIED ONCE THIS WHOLE GAME BITCH REPRESSION IS NOT HEALTHY!
-"especially if she knows" Sif. did you forget Odile's name. OH FUCK
-"HOW BLINDINGLY WONDERFUL, FOR A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER TO BE THE ONLY HOPE YOU HAVE LEFT RIGHT NOW!" this would be so funny if not for the context
-"you wish for eternity" WAIT HOLD UP
-SIFFRIN IS USING WISH CRAFT. AND WHEN THEY PRAY TO THE CHANGE GOD STATUES THEY SEND THEIR WISHES. ARE THE BUFFS AND THE KEYKNIFE THE RESULT OF WISH CRAFT?
-hey Siffrin uses a more shy and sad portrait for the 'thank you' afterwards now :(
-FUCK I FORGOT TO SHARPEN THE KNIFE
-y'know what it's fine i have the bomb
-hey Sif i think what happened last time might've uh. traumatized you? ;-;
-welp. i used the bomb. it was anticlimactic.
-"i wonder how this country looks from the outside" *proceeds to imply that the time loop only affects Vaugarde* hold the fucking phone
-ok tho srsly Siffrin is in what looks like *extreme* duress
-oh damn Sif has different portraits for the 'you should disappear' bit. less smug and determined, more... *haunted*
-dang, can't give Isa the flower at the end
-*sigh* gonna talk to her again
-"the actor has become the director"
-there's a lot more theatre comparisons than there used to :(
-woah Siffrin you are weirdly enthusiastic to see Loop
-time to loop forward to read the books woooo
-Sif i am very concerned about this dialogue portrait. your enthusiasm is *desperate*
-hey something funny: people wish on stars
-this game has a LOT of motifs i love: wishes, stars, time, memories, etc.
-hm... what is Siffrin's 'ritual' when doing the wish-y thing?
-:0 a wish is trapping Siffrin?
-what if they're actually being trapped by their own desires or smth? like some sort of- WAIT. WHAT IF LOOP IS TRAPPING THEM SOMEHOW???
-i am in conspiracy mode i think
-moving forward to get to the library
-Siffrin is now level 85...
-maybe a wish is how the island disappeared?
-FAVOR TREE IS WISH CRAFT WOOOOOOOO
-i think the way Sif wished was from something they learned as a kid
-3, 6, 7, 13, all are numbers with significance
-HEY LOOP LOOK WHAT I LEARNED
-welp time to die ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
-ok what is in that one house in the main part of Dormont
-hm. Euphrasie was apparently asking everybody what they wished for. she probably realized something tied to Wish Craft was wrong...
-maybe the list in Euphrasie's office cataloguing the names was categorizing based on wishes?
-looping forward
-"you're a living comedy sketch"
-my guess is that the wishing to save Vaugarde enabled Siffrin to loop so they could defeat the King, but something went horribly wrong, thus causing the loops to keep going
-ugh i need to talk in person. tear time!
-a sped-up version of the happy song after you beat the King is playing and Siffrin has the desperate enthusiasm portrait...
-Siffrin, you already tried saving Vaugarde.
-"maybe you don't loop because you die... but because you feel like there would be no reason to go on, maybe?" makes sense to me. Siffrin doesn't have anything to look forward to after defeating the King.
-"something that, to you, feels on the same level of hopelessness as death? on the same level as the world ending?" me when the time loop wants me to get therapy:
-hey Sif you just looped. right in front of Loop.
-looping forward to the King.
-Odile's realizing she's missing something. too bad she'll forget it. maybe i should try making the others really suspicious of me on a future loop
-"please don't interrupt" :(
-this game has me constantly on some variety of edge and i love it
-maybe this time Isa will get to confess?
-the static is starting and i haven't even talked to Euphrasie
-damn i did a minor loop back :(
-talking to her won't work. it can't work.
-STOP SAYING THE SAME DAMN THING STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT
-I WAS RIGHT AS TO HOW EXACTLY SIF GOT STUCK
-the wish is broken. MAYBE IF I DO SOMETHING ELSE MAYBE IF HE'S DEFEATED SOME OTHER WAY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
-OH FUCK. so Sif's current theory is that somehow he has to deal the final blow
-"You just need to defeat the King on your own" BUT YOU NEED THE OTHERS TO DEFEAT HIM?
-also damn the way Siffrin's thoughts spiral into a mess is a mood.
-i am now in Act 5.
-:( the Dormont music is slow now
-Sif's portrait in the menus has changed again, there is nothing in the body text of his profile, and their title is now "The Lost One" :(
-wait. the Change God statue is glitchy now and i can't get buffs there anymore
-Sif is like perpetually pissed off
-aaaand now Mira's upset
-Sif is going to fuck things up with the others as well, won't they?
-i think Odile's gonna figure out that Sif is in a time loop
-i feel like i'm in a horror game right now. well. i've felt like that for a while. but i am fucking terrified of Siffrin right now. Siffrin you need help please they only want to help you you can't bottle up everything or it only ends up worse
-the battle theme is slowed...
-sometime i should write a crossover fanfic where Rose Lalonde picks apart Siffrin, i think it would go very interestingly
-unrelated but i just realized Isa has a hair banana hehehe... i need to cling to levity while in this hell
-uh. dude. why is your dialogue looping
-SIFFRIN! I. I KNOW YOU'RE STRUGGLING BUT ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS HELP YOU AND YOU KEEP HURTING THEM PLEASE THEY ONLY WANT TO HELP YOU I KNOW VULNERABILITY IS HARD BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE THEY'VE BEEN *TRYING* AND THEY'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT KINDA TO YOU AND IT HURTS TO SEE THIS SIFFRIN BECAUSE YOU KEEP GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND IT'S TERRIFYING!
-fuck man this game is getting me to care so much about this guy. Mental Illness Simulator 2023
-the irony of Sif calling Isa a coward who projects confidence but not backing it up... Siffrin is projecting.
-and yet despite all that... Isa still ended the conversation rather kindly ToT
-Loop seems really unsure and yeah. past me would not believe this but i am siding with the starheaded bitch.
-...Loop fucking LIED
-Sif is going alone
-oh dear the music
-most of the memories are gone. and the skills...
-level 99
-wait the room layout is fucked
-a Sif ghost but with a black hat instead
-"you're hungry" :(
-so. i think Sif just hallucinated his party members.
-"your stomach hurts. you feel cold." :(
-the world is glitching and breaking haha and i am scared i'm scared i'm scared Siffrin *please*
-how is the photo event occurring if i'm on my own?
-*oh no*
-ok brb i need to take a break
-ok back from my break and refreshed! now i can go back to Siffrin's Descent Into Hell
-entered Mira's room. her hallucination did the "head is covered in darkness creepily" thing...
-Odile...
-i'm in the Keyknife room except now the background is the post-King fight background...
-the feeling of the grim march towards a specific goal reminds me of the Undertale genocide route haha...ha...ha... ...
-stomachache, headache, and the smell of sugar...
-no more running, only a slow, slow, walk to the end
-"you've trapped this country in time even more surely than i have" oh fuck
-not often that a game makes me terrified enough for me to feel my heartbeat...
-red.
-his sprite is on the game over?
-where the FUCK am i?
-spooky shadow Siffrin
-OOO DO I GET TO FIGHT A MANIFESTATION OF SIFFRIN'S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES?
-hm what does mal du pays mean- oh :( it translated to homesickness :(
-you can't fight your own shadow
-"it's not like you haven't let me die before, right?" *OH FUCK*
-you broke your promise didn't you?
-red
-dude i think the depression is collecting its due. loops and loops of bottling your shit up has been unhealthy and now you are paying for it :(
-"if something has been forgotten by everyone, has that thing ever existed?" FUCK
-red
-more red
-BRIGHT RED
-if i had a nickel for every rpg i liked where a monochrome manifestation of the main character's mental illness taunted him in a scripted fight, i'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. bonus: the dialogue box calls Mal du Pays 'something'! oh and both games open with a content warning i guess
y'know maybe the fact i found out about this game from a blogger that i followed for Omori stuff should've been some sort of indicator.
-"the sadness within you is right" FUCK
-OH GOOD SIF DIDN'T DIE THE FAMILY CAME TvT
-"a weird shiny person helped us!" LOOP :D
-AND THE MUSIC IS UPBEAT OH THIS FEELS SO GOOD TvT
-IT HAS THE TITLE SCREEN MOTIF TOO
-i'l have to look up the song later and compare to other themes but i think it might be a medley/remix? i've definitely identified the post-King fight theme and the title theme, probably more i can't clearly identify
-everybody's battle portraits are so bright and happy
-"i still cannot remember its name" :(
-damn. he froze. womp womp
-ok but what about Loop? what's going on with them?
-glitchy background...
-i'm on Act 5. aren't there like 6 acts? idk maybe this can end and Sif can move forward. then again... the last few times. that did not work out.
-haha Sif pls don't die on us rlly tho pls don't
-so slow...
-RED...
-Mal du Pays is following us
-FUCK
-*exhales* ok the darkness is gone
-is it weird that i kinda like this moment more than the moments of closeness with the others in Act 3? maybe cuz it feels more real, somehow... or because for once, Siffrin is the one being vulnerable...
-i think the problem was sticking to the script and treating the others like actors or well... NPCs
-FUCK FUCK FUCK NO NO NO DON'T YOU DARE GO INTO GLITCHY MODE.
-FUCK
-now that they're here they know something is wrong.
-please game please grant Siffrin one small mercy and let the others loop back with him this time
-RED
-uhhhhhhhh
-Sif did you just become your weird sadness self
-woah this is a beautiful scene
-WOAH. now THIS is a battle! and it is *beautiful*. the red and the stars...
-oh fuck. my options are hurt them or self-harm.
-wait are they HEALING ME? :(
-the battle menu simply refers to Siffrin as 'user'
-JGJRJENNDNRJE LMAO ODILE JUST PULLED A CLASSIC MOM MOVE LIKE "don't you dare storm up to your room earlier in time, young man!"
-forced group therapy
-oh, Siffrin's portrait
-i HATE that my options are hurt my friends or hurt myself. and i refuse to let Siffrin hurt their friends. it's... heartbreaking...
-chat i don't think the wish the player chooses was Siffrin's *actual* wish
-:0 hatless Siffrin
-AWWWW THEY'RE HUGGING
-aw... smiling Sif... hugging Bonnie :]
-:0 EVERYBODY IS SO HAPPY IN THE MENU!
-"It's you!!!!" also hey Sif's title is "The Traveler" again!
-"you will stay together for a little while longer" :]
-i love how the lack of hat makes the fact that Siffrin is really short apparent lol
-these new conversations are precious :]
-Odile thinks the fact that Sif loved everybody so much they got himself stuck in a time loop to be cute XD
-NO WAY. IS THIS FINALLY HAPPENING. IS HE FINALLY GONNA SAY IT?
-HELL FUCKING YES!!!!!!!!
-ok i just talked to all the housemaidens and Dormont residents. time to talk to Loop
-...
-maybe Loop was just. a manifestation of the wish...
-:0 THE SILVER COIN? ARE WE GONNA FINSLLY USE THE SILVER COIN?
-TvT
-I BEAT THE GAME :D
-:o Siffrin is no longer on the title screen
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yeenybeanies · 2 years ago
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A Break From the Surface
HOO it's been like two months since i posted that preview lmao. let's get this up here for y'all. repost from my patreon! a request for callan & odessa!! i love them v much -uwu- it's not exactly what was asked for, but i still enjoyed writing it OCs | callan & odessa kovalev 2,491 words no warnings thanks for reading!! reblogs > likes!! patreon ✨ ko-fi
Odessa didn’t take many days off. Sure, she got them regularly, as was required by her union and her contract. Everyone got days off. But Odessa struggled with doing nothing. She was an engineer on a ship, and there was always work to be done.
Her folks back home would constantly tell her that working did not count as a hobby, and that she needed to find something else to occupy herself on her off days. “You’re going to work yourself to death, Des!” they’d tell her.
Well, she wasn’t dead yet.
But today, she was actually trying to not work. Callan’s idea. Odessa waited on a bench in the busy atrium. She fidgeted with her hands and her exosuit. It was all she could do to keep from pulling up work files on her U-tool. She’d promised Callan that she wouldn’t.
Well, technically, she’d promised him that she wouldn’t work while she was with him. He wasn’t here yet…
No. Odessa shook her head. No loopholes. She wanted this break. She did.
Besides, it was always nice to hang out with Callan. Odessa found herself wanting to be around her fellow upper-deck engineers less and less every week. After Moyle’s threat, she just didn’t feel safe around them.
She might live on the upper decks, but she was a creature of the belly at heart. She’d been thinking about putting in a request to move quarters down there…
“Dessa!” called the familiar voice. Odessa looked up, searching for the face to match. She found him quickly—he was the tallest being in the atrium—and met his grin with a soft smile of her own. As soon as he was near enough, one of his tentacles slipped around her and lifted her up to his level. She adjusted easily, perfectly comfortable in his hold.
“Good morning,” she greeted warmly. A hand stroked the tendril holding her. “You were awfully cryptic with your plans for the day. Care to fill me in beyond ‘bring your exosuit’?”
Callan brought Odessa to sit on his shoulder, that tentacle loose around her to hold her in place. He started walking, headed for one of the trams. “Nope,” he said simply.
“You’re not wearing an exosuit,” she noted, glancing down at his attire. He was wearing what he always wore: a pair of messy cargo pants. No shirt, no shoes. Odessa suspected that he wouldn’t wear the pants either, were it not required of him. “So I’m gonna guess that we’re going somewhere underwater. The reservoir?”
The giant lifted a brow and regarded her with a sidelong look. A chuckle rumbled deep within his chest. “Aw, I should’a known better than to try and surprise you. You’re too smart for me.”
Odessa snorted. “Hardly.” Callan was objectively one of the most brilliant people on this ship. He was just as smart, if not smarter, than her. He was just more modest about it. “I’m sure I’ll be plenty surprised. I’ve not been to the reservoir on this ship.”
“Then not all is lost,” he said, ever cheeky.
At the tram station, an announcement overhead declared that exosuits were to be worn for non-amphibious species. With the press of a button, Odessa’s helmet sprang up from her collar and enclosed her head. On her HUD, her vitals and oxygen supply popped up, but she waved them away for now. Callan watched her with a twinkle in his eye, his pupils relaxed in a friendly oval shape.
It was a little funny. She knew that he had vertical pupils, but they never narrowed into slits when he looked at her. They always rounded out into those ovals.
“What?” she asked. “You’re staring. Is something on my helmet?”
“Hm? Naw, I was just thinkin’ how cute you look in your li’l suit.” With gentleness that never ceased to amaze her, he lightly tapped the side of her helmet with the top of a claw. “You ought’a grow some gills, Bite-size.”
A blush bloomed across her cheeks at the nickname. It was by no means the first time he'd called her that, but it still managed to quicken her heart. She wondered if he could still feel her pulse through her exosuit.
She waved the digit away. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” she said, tone dry, but amused.
The tram came soon after the announcement. Callan stepped into one of the cars and stood in the section meant for larger folk. Several of his free tentacles wrapped around the support poles, solidly rooting him in place. It was always fascinating to witness just how strong those things were; Callan didn't move at all when the tram lurched forward.
Not long into their ride, the tram slowed as it approached the reservoir. Odessa watched the windows as the water level rose past them. She knew what was to come, but it didn't stop her nerves from spiking when the car itself started to rapidly flood. She tensed, fighting back the urge to climb to higher ground. Callan, sensing her unease, brought his hand to cover her lap.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m right here. Nothin’s gonna hurt ya.”
Logically, Odessa knew that her suit’s SCUBA system would kick in once she was submerged. The water wouldn't even touch her skin, let alone her lungs. She’d been underwater before; it just always made her nervous at first. She held onto one of Callan’s knuckles, silently appreciative of his support. “I'm good. Bad time to mention that I can't really swim?”
Callan snorted. The water was at his waist, and rising by the second. “Good thing you got a propulsion system on you,” he said. “Not that you'll need it. I’m a great swimmer.”
Of course he was. His species was amphibious. They came from an ocean planet. She was safe with him.
But knowing this didn't stop her from flinching when the water reached her boots. She squeezed her eyes shut, turned into Callan’s jaw, and waited for the car to fill up. She felt the weightlessness overcome her, and felt Callan hold her down.
A light nudge from his chin made Odessa open her eyes again. He took her into his hand and brought her around to face him. His hands… they always felt more intimate than the tentacles.
Callan gestured to the side of his head, motioning where Odessa’s U-tool was. Underwater, his tentacles flared up all around him like a tangled crown. They twitched and wriggled, almost pattern-like…
Again, he gestured to her U-tool. Odessa brought up her HUD, and it automatically started translating.
“—Cannot speak to you normally, but I can still hear you. You understand this?” The text flashed before her eyes.
“Uh! Oh—okay. Got it. Yeah.” Tentacle sign language. She’d read somewhere that this was how his kind primarily communicated underwater.
“Take a breath with me,” Callan said. “Calm you down.”
Odessa nodded. With his free hand, Callan motioned to inhale. He puffed his chest out to guide her, and she followed suit. She didn’t expect his exhale to come out in a cloud of bubbles, though. The sudden—but logical—emptying of his lungs made Odessa laugh, which surprised the both of them.
“What is so funny?” Callan asked.
God, this translator made him sound so stilted. She was used to his drawl, his contractions, his slang. That made Odessa giggle as well. “Nothing. Just never seen you underwater before. Makes you look different.”
Callan pulled his tentacles in close to his body, looking suddenly sheepish. “I am not scaring you, am I?”
“What? No, no—” Odessa waved her hands— “not at all! If anything, you're keeping me sane.” She patted the thumb around her waist. “Now you look cute.”
That seemed to catch Callan off guard. She wasn’t lying, though; while seeing him with his tentacles all spread out did make him look bigger (and a bit more menacing), it was nice to see him in his natural state. He looked free like this, unburdened by the ship’s gravity.
At their station, they disembarked. Callan held Odessa with his hands as he swam, keeping her close to his chest. From her angle, she couldn’t quite see how he was propelling himself. It didn’t look like he was kicking his feet, like she would expect.
“Callan.” He glanced down at her inquisitively. “How do you swim?”
“Jets. Water goes in trough my gills, and out through holes in my back.”
Ah. So he had a built-in underwater jetpack. That was pretty neat.
Odessa turned her attention to their surroundings. All around them, a myriad of aquatic beings swam and scuttled about their business. There were a good number of terrestrial species down here, too, each of them donning exosuits. It surprised Odessa just how much noise there was. She’d expected it to be relatively quiet, but she could hear chatter in the crowd, and even some music.
A large shadow appeared overhead, startling a small gasp from her. Callan chuckled, bubbles spilling from his nose and mouth. Above them, a truly massive being swam. Their name and species popped up on her U-tool—a species she’d never heard of before.
“I thought you were pretty much as big as it got on this ship,” she said. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the being. They truly dwarfed Callan in size. They had an eel-like body, their long tail undulating side-to-side in a languid rhythm. She measured their length from nose to tail tip to be around a hundred twenty feet long.
“On land, yes,” Callan said, “but down here, not even close.”
There weren’t just giants down here, either. Once the leviathan-like being was gone, Odessa noticed a group of tiny beings down on the floor. They sported hard carapaces, reminiscent of crustaceans in Odessa’s mind. Their species was another unknown to her.
There were transparent tubes throughout the ship for many of these beings to traverse to spaces outside of the reservoir, but Odessa had only ever seen the more common aquatic beings using them. She had no idea that there was such a diverse spread of other beings down in the reservoir, or on this ship, for that matter.
This was like going down into the belly for the first time again—only not nearly as dark.
“This is so cool,” she breathed. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to the flooding trams, but she could see herself coming down here more often. Surely she could find ways to be useful here, too. Engineers were always helpful to have around. And she could get underwater tools—
Stop! No thinking about work!
“Want to show you something,” Callan said, pulling her from her thoughts. He turned down a corridor. Where he was bringing her, she hadn’t the faintest idea. The reservoir might as well have been an entirely new planet, as far as she was concerned. Her suit registered rising water temperatures the further they went—nothing dramatic, but a noticeable jump of a couple degrees.
Callan paused at the door at the end of the corridor, and smiled down at Odessa. “Ready?”
She could only shrug. “Don’t know what for, but yeah.”
The door slid open, revealing a truly spectacular scene. Spanning out in a wide, open space was a reef teeming with life. Odessa’s jaw dropped. It was all artificial, surely, but it looked incredibly convincing. Colorful structures resembling coral and kelp sprouted from just about every surface of the room.
“What is this place…?” Odessa asked. She felt almost breathless as she took in the spectacle.
“Recreational area. I thought you would like it.” Slowly, Callan descended into the reef, towards larger structures clearly meant for beings his size.
“Wait—why does—” Odessa whipped her head around, trying to take the whole area in. Her brows pinched together. “Our rec room is a minimalist white space. The reservoir gets a tropical reef?” It wasn’t a criticism of the reservoir, of course, but of the organization they worked for. It also came as a surprise; Odessa wouldn’t expect this from the Journeys Corps, a notoriously “standard species”-favoring organization.
“Good unions,” Callan explained. “Lots of waterfolk need something like this to stay happy. Healthy.” His feet touched down on one of the flat, plateau-like coral structures. His hand loosened around Odessa, giving her a bit of warning before he pulled it away entirely. Much like a stone, she immediately sank down to the coral, and landed with a soft grunt.
Good unions, hunh? Maybe she ought to try to get along with her peers better, then they could get their union to build them some enrichment like this.
Or she could rally the belly. If anyone needed better conditions, it was them.
Callan crouched down, his shadow falling over her. She craned her neck to look him in the eye. Here, under the dancing lights that filtered through the water column, the rust-colored freckles and bands that decorated his skin seemed to glow. “I like to come here sometimes,” he said, “when I’m feeling stressed. It reminds me of home. Somewhat.”
Odessa’s brows shot up. Outside of when he’d gotten sick and collapsed, she’d never seen the giant show any signs of stress. Of course, he had to get stressed out sometimes—everyone did in the Corps—but it was hard for her to imagine such a laid-back guy like Callan to get bothered. Seeing him without a smile or a grin was weird enough as it was, on the rare occasions when it did happen.
“‘Somewhat’?” she repeated.
Callan settled down on his knees, his tentacles floating, relaxed around him.. “Where I come from, we stay down deeper, usually. It is darker and colder. Not like this.” He turned his eyes to the reef around them, looking it over fondly. “But this is nice. I like it here.”
Odessa sat down next to Callan and followed his gaze. “I’ve heard stories of the reefs on Earth. I wonder if they’re like this.”
“Never been?”
“Nope. Never been to Earth at all.” It wasn’t necessarily an unusual thing; humans were one of the most prolific species among the stars, so plenty of them had never been back to their mother planet. “Honestly, I don’t know much about Earth at all.”
Callan hummed thoughtfully. A tentacle snaked behind Odessa and coiled loosely around her. “Maybe someday you should go.”
Odessa shrugged. “Maybe. I dunno. Not sure I’d fit in.” Hell, she already didn’t fit in with the space-faring humans. Perhaps it was her pessimism talking, but she doubted she would fare well with homeworld humans.
“I would go,” Callan said. Odessa glanced up at him, lips pursed. For a long moment, she was silent.
“Well,” she said finally, “if you went, then maybe I would too.” That could be fun. “If only to fistfight anyone that tried to be rude to you for being an alien.”
A snort came from Callan, releasing more bubbles from his lungs.
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the1975attheirverybest · 2 years ago
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omg wtf thats adorable would u do a pt2 where he does mattys if we pretend he didn’t already chop his hair and sideburns off yet.
george can do it instead that’s way cuter
Sorry this to a while. been in a weird writing funk. hope you'll still see this though
---
"So, what do you think?" Matty gets up from the couch, pacing back and forth as he waits for his friend's opinion.
"No, I agree we need to go softer- you need to go softer. It's just....have you thought about how you'd explain it? onstage, i mean. For continuity reasons."
Matty pauses in the middle of the room, looking up at George, "hmm." he takes in the feedback, mulling it over in his brain.
Over the years, George has grown to recognize Matty's different silent moments and their functions, so he didn't need to press any further.
"Well, what'd we do to create this...this umm....Truman Black-esque vibe?" Matty asked, mostly rhetorically, but George knew that thinking out loud was meant to be a group endeavor.
"Well, the whole fuckin show." George shrugs, chuckling.
"Right, right....I'm thinking how do we modify it to help convey the change? The raw meAt and dick touching will have to go."
"shush, wait, do you hear that?" George whispers, pressing his index fingers to his lips in a hushing gesture.
"what, what is it?"
"That's the sound of millions of fans mourning those bits of the show."
Matty smiled giggles, rolling his eyes. "I think the set will have to be different too. We lose the white. Replace it with more light, but yellow. like warmth."
George nods and hums in agreement. "How do we open the show, though?"
"direct. No performance bullshit. Just...us four, Polly, Jon, you know. Just music."
George looks off into the distance, absorbing Matty's words and attempting to visualize the idea. "We keeping the uniform?"
"is it possible?" This time, Matty's question wasn't rhetorical.
"Don't see why not...you just have to soften it."
"How'd I do THAT?"
"lose the fuckin hair wax, for a start..."
Matty giggles, George's disdain for the hairstyle always vocal. "right, what else?"
"Guess you gotta also shave off the sideburns and-"
"WHAT? bro, you're just jealous that I've got nice hair and you...well, are...bald."
"fuck off." George retorts, getting up from the couch and slowly meandering over to his luggage to retrieve shaving and hair tools.
"Excuse- what do you think-"
"C'mon, then. Have a seat." George nods towards the chair on the other side of the dressing room. "I know you. If we don't do this now, you'll change your mind fifteen hundred times. And I'll have to hear about it all week. So sit down and lets deal with it."
Matty sighs, defeatedly melting into the chair. "Well, I don't want a buzz cut."
"Not gonna give you one."
"And don't take off too much in the back-"
"you do realize I've got several sharp objects and control if your hair, don't you?" George smirks behind his friend, towering over him and positioning his clippers, ready to click the 'on/off" button.
Matty takes a deep breath. "Right, okay, fine. I- trust you- kind of. a bit."
George begins to slowly work his way up the sides of Matty's face, gradually ridding him of the sideburns that had framed his face for the majority of this tour, smiling to himself at Matty's wincing expression. "Matty!"
"What? I've literally said nothing."
"You're bouncing your fuckin leg. It's making everything move!"
"Right- sorry, I don't always notice I'm doing it."
"I know." George puts down the clippers and reaches for the scissors. "That's why I always remind you....okay, so, I think the hard bit is over, but I do think we should take a bit off the curls to balance it all out. Plus it's nearly summer, so..."
"well, I've let you get this far" Matty shrugs "might as well finish the job."
"Please try not to sound SO excited." George quipped, making the first cut and watching Matty's hair fall in small strands onto the floor.
He rounds the scissors through his friend's hair a few times, stepping back to admire his work. His brows cross as he walks back up to Matty, rounding the chair to stand facing him and check to see if both sides are equal.
"right," George squats down to be at eye level with Matty and measures strands of hair from both sides of his face against each other. "Let's see here."
Matty realizes how close George's face is to his and he, of course, uses the opportunity to pinch his friend's nose. "ooppp...caught your nose!" He laughs.
George rolls his eyes, attempting to act frustrated, but Matty's ridiculous laugh makes him giggle in return. "Okay, all sorted, I believe. Go take a look, tell me what you think.'
Matty rushes into the bathroom turning the lights on and scrupulously examining his hair from all angles.
"So, what's the verdict?" George stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
"It's great! Wouldn't even be able to tell it was done by a complete buffoon." He grins.
"perfect. That'll be six thousand pounds." George sticks his hand out, demanding payment.
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stellawolfe30 · 2 years ago
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How does one join a fandom space on here? Asking cause I'm not very good at socializing, I mean I reblog but most of my commentary is in the tags cause I don't want to be rude. I want to start creating stuff but I don't know if it's going to be any good. You don't have to answer this if you don't want to
So heres how tumblr works ,theres no algorithm.
actually well there is. You.
you make your space, to join a fandom space you follow people, you reblog things. its a community where we pass things from one person to the other. you look through notes of other posts to find accounts that reblog alot.
some people dont reblog alot and some people do, this main account of mine here is a reblog account. i reblog a bunhc of stuff all the time. it helps push posts (especially posts that took alot of hard working making like art,writing videos stuff like that)
Reblogs>likes isnt entirely true. people say seeing more likes then reblogsis disheartening but onlt because the reblog button is the algorithm. the like button is nice and everything but the reblog button is what pushes posts through this site. so even if u dont have any comments to add in the tags pressing that reblog button doesnt hurt either
comments in the tags are in my opinion the best way to send ur opinion on something, there are comments under a post as well in the notes but adding commentary on the post as well isnt rude actually. i'd say. when you have something to add to the conversation add ur own post below it if its compliments then the tags are best for that.
then again im sure youve heard all about that from other tumblr users
its also interacting with people outside of reblogs and likes. likes asks. exactly what ur doing here, asks are imo the best thing on tumblr, i like sending and recieving them. its a fun way to interact with creators on here and sometimes you make some really cool friends. hell i adopted like three brothers on here bc i kept sending em asks and then they stormed into my dm's *cough* Kai-sand *cough*
regarding your content.
GO FOR IT.
post it, i bet you anything someone on here is going to like it. just dont look at the numbers. ignore them. tumblr is slowbc theres no algorithm and its hard for blogs with no followers to gain followers and activity on ur blog.
but once people start rebloggging ur stuff its spread with thier followers and then more ppl see it.
so your blog might stat off slow not bc ur content isnt good but bc tumblr is slow for new blogs. hell even my blogs get slow from time to time.
so go for it man! im sure your content is great and if anything it will improve as time goes on, just dont focus on numbers too much. its nice to see people like it but dont make that ur main focus. make it bc your passionate about it and want to make it. my entire lmk (lego monkie kid) blog is stuff i made for myself and decided to post. people just happened to like it :)
anyways yeah, dont be afraid to reblog, send asks, or post your content. you never know whats gonna happen. i certainly never guessed id make a bunch of friends just through a bunch of asks or fanart i made for them (this doesnt always happen)
sooooooooo yeah, have fun, interact with people. especially creatives. also make sure to look for FAQ links in thier blogs. for boundries cause some ppl might not be looking for friends.
let it happen, dont force it.
aaaaaaaaaaaaand yeah thats all i got for ya.
the fandom space you choose is curated by you, so use the tools tumblr gives you and make it. also if u like a specific topic you can find the tags in the post like for example i like lego monkie kid.
I find a post with lego monkie kid in it and look through the tags. then click on #lego monkie kid.
that takes you to a page with ALL kinds of lmk content tagged with that and then on the right side you can choose the option to follow that tag and then tumblr will show u stuff from that tag from time to time. you can follow as many as you want.
there ya go all my knowledge for tumblr fandoms. and remember to have fun!
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captain-kinda-trash · 4 years ago
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Hello love! I hope I’m one of your first asks!!! 😍
Can I order up a new love/confessing feelings with a side of fluff, a la Bayverse Donatello please?! 💜
Sure thing lovely!! Hope you enjoy!!
Truck Repairs (Bayverse! Donatello x Fem! Reader)
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"Torque wrench please."
"Got it."
The slap of cool metal against scales resounded from underneath the Turtle Truck (a name Y/N commonly used, much to her companion's distaste), as Donnie was handed yet another tool from the plastic box next to his feet.
"Thank you." He huffed out. The cranking of gears, clinking of iron echoed out from the truck.
"Sure thing, Don," The girl said, sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the turtle's legs, "How much longer do you think this should take?" Her eyes stole an extensive glance at those toned, long, delicious-looking limbs. Wait. What? That didn't come from her mind again, did it?
Of course, it did. When did it not? Donatello sighed, voice floating out from below the massive machine, and then the wheels of his skateboard rolled against the cement as he uses his feet to pull his body from underneath.
"Uh, I'm not sure. The damage inflicted on the lower regions of the compression body is pretty tremendous. It could take up a few days, weeks even, if not strategically maneuvered-" he pushed the goggles from his eyes to settle comfortably on the top of his head, revealing the glittering hue of those beautiful amber eyes, "But it seems to be going well at the moment."
His mouth cutely curled up into a smile, one that never failed to release a cocoon of uncaged butterflies in Y/N's stomach.
She grinned back, and then shyly turned to study the soles of her shoes, evidently more interesting than looking at his uncannily handsome face.
"That's good to hear. Maybe we should take a break soon. You've been working like crazy since you got back from patrol."
His smile very subtly faded at this suggestion, though he made sure that his friend didn't catch it. Donnie enjoyed this company that she provided working with him on the truck's repairs, much more than he was willing to admit. Though, yes, he could use a nice break, maybe grab a snack or glass of water, the mutant knew surely that nothing fueled his cravings like her sweet presence (incomparably rich to the taste of his beloved pop tarts).
And if the same wasn't in her book about him, then by gods...
I mean sure, he's a mutant. Gross right?
Wrong. So, so very wrong.
"Y-yeah I guess we could take a little break." He responded, then let out a sort of struggled grunt as his body lifted to sit upwards and rest his shell on the side of the garbage truck.
Y/N's eyes wandered once more at the marvelous rolling and extending of his muscles as he did so, draping a single sturdy arm across one knee and using the other to adjust his glasses. She gulped. Her gaze shamelessly traveled to the seemingly endless length of his legs, until she caught the quick movement of his head in her peripheral.
She immediately averted her stare, back down to the laces of her converse, trying to subside the heat crawling quickly over her neck.
"T-tell you what, why don't I go grab you a snack, and you stay here and see if there's anything else we can do." Y/N pushed herself up from the ground and before Donnie could respond, she had already scampered out of the workshop to avoid any further humiliation.
"O-okay!" He called after her, though the likeliness of hearing him was probably far gone since she was already in the kitchen by then.
Y/N grasped the bridge of her nose between her for dinner and thumb, letting out an exasperated sigh as the tap water still poured, pattering against the metal sink.
'He totally caught me staring,' she thought. Though her self-control was usually tempered, easily under restraint, it melted into a helpless puddle when Donatello's presence was made known around her. Hell, even passing up the open doorway of his lab as he worked was a strain, and Y/N found herself peeking in curiously as his eyes fixated carefully, passionately over a project as he worked.
It took every willful ounce in her body not to just snatch the tails of his violet bandana and yank him in for a savory kiss every time he was a few feet away from her.
Her brain, exhausted from such thoughts, tried to focus on her footfalls, the wrinkle of pop-tart wrappers, the clinking of ice against glass cups, a cool contrast against Y/N's warm arms.
She halted directly outside of the workshop, inhaled, exhaled, and then rounded the corner to see-
Nobody? Weird. Perhaps Donnie had gone to his lab to grab more tools or just put them away since the aforementioned bucket of appliances had gone missing right along with their possessor.
"Huh. Weird." Y/N thought aloud, and then after looking over her shoulder and out of the doorway, she decided that she might check out the inside of the truck. After all, it had been some time since she'd seen it and was rarely able to because of the lack of missions she joined in on.
She set the two cups of water and foil packages gently on a nearby bench, before making her way towards the rear entrance. Y/N's hands settled on the large iron handle wrapping their small extent around it and then pulled down with all of her strength.
Man, the brothers made it look so easy, and by the time the lever reached its lowest point with a loud click, she had managed to work up a bit of a sweat.
The door, a huge garage-like lift system on the back end of the truck, began to lift, creaking and groaning as it did so. Y/N smiled, eyes glancing down carefully as her feet made contact with each rising step into the truck.
However, her plan had been spoiled, if you could even call it that. Because, just as she was entering the vehicle, it seemed Donatello would be exciting. As Y/N looked up from the final footstep, and Donnie from his tech pad, their noses and mouths bumped, and all was still. Both of their bright eyes were wide with shock and unbearable mortification at the sensation of petal-soft skin against cool scales, lips awkwardly resting upon one another.
They both pulled away as fast as they had come together, though Y/N had been so caught up in her humiliation, that she forgot about the staircase behind her and lost footing. An abrupt shout escaped her lips, helplessly flailing her arms in the air to grab onto something and a strong pair of arms had quickly caught her.
When the girl hesitantly opened an eye to analyze her seemingly unfortunate position, all she was met with, was the shine of Donnie's lustrous eyes, glinting in the bright lights of the workshop. Both were heaving breaths, adrenaline rushing from the swiftness of this occurrence.
"Thanks..." Y/N managed to squeak, trying to calm the furious blush and racing tempo of her heart at the touch of Donatello's strong arms still wrapped around her, "I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes..."
At her remark, Donnie's expression seemed to relax, and he let out a little giggle of amusement. Y/N smiled softly, and then placed the tip of her finger on the bridge of his snout, accompanied with a small 'boop!' That made him laugh even more and then a snort, something he didn't seem to proud of.
"Have I ever told you how cute you are?" She asked, rather abruptly, and the blunt question caught the turtle off guard. She wanted to smack herself across the face at the spilling of her internal conflicts but figured that doing so would cause her further embarrassment. Instead, Y/N was stuck trying to interpret Donatello's dumbstruck expression.
"E-erm, uh no. No, I don't think you've told me that..." Stupid, stupid stupid! What a response! Donnie's mind quipped, Could have at least said thank you... "Y/N..."
"Yeah, Don?"
His answer was completely wordless, just boring endlessly into her sparkling eyes. Though his next move seemed to be a more suited response.
Before he could stop himself, Donnie closed the short distance between and capturing her mouth in a short kiss, tightening the strong grasp of his forearms around her waist and back.
Y/N blinked once. Twice. And nothing shifted, though seemed completely unreal, like one of the hallucinations that she'd conjured in her mind before.
But this was just so... Real. He pulled away before Y/N could fully process what was going on, leaving her mouth to chase after his momentarily.
"You're really... U-um, Y/N I think you're beautiful. And I have this strangely romantic fascination with you..." Donnie trailed off, realizing how utterly stupid he must sound, however, the girl held tightly in his arms found it extraordinarily romantic.
Her fingers danced around the back of his neck snatched the tails of his silk bandana, and then pulled him in again, this time for a lingering address on the lips, tilting her head just slightly to deepen it. Donnie let out a short squeak of surprise, that faded into a satisfied chirp, bellowing from his throat.
They broke away, heaving puffs of air, and idiot-like grins spread across their faces.
"I really like you too Donnie."
"I'm glad," he breathed, just inches away from her face, "cause now we can work together and you don't have to hide staring at my legs."
Y/N flushed immensely before swatting his chest repeatedly, trying to hide her smile at his amused laughter.
"Donatello I will take away your pop tart privileges!"
fin💜
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yellowsbuttercup · 3 years ago
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Haechan and Mirasol
This was written in the stars istg
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&NEW SERIES (requests and taglist are still open)
pairing: cottagecore!haechan x painter!reader
genre/warnings: fluff, angst
word count: 1.3K
a/n: aaaa first matching!! ngl i knew haechan and mirasol is gonna be requested. i was so excited while writing this!! hope u guys enjoy this read ( i cried btw i hope u guys too jk) :33
date: 08/11/21
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apov.
Their breaths hitched, strangers to the sight of another person who was meters apart. They thought they always had this whole lonely yet full field of sunflowers. To see another person in what they thought was their little secret, they felt conflicted.
“Who are you?”
“Why are you here?” They asked at the same time, chuckling a little bit. The tanned boy stepped forward, “Well I’m quite surprised to know I’m not the only one who comes here on their down days. Or you might have come here for a different reason and just at the same time I arrived…” His words trailed off but their eye contact remained.
“Well, I came here to paint.” The girl shyly brings up her canvas and case of which may hold her tools for painting that were hiding beneath the field of the yellow flowers.
“Oh, I see. That is an interesting hobby.” They both chuckled as their cheeks blushed to the colors of roses.
“Thank you I guess.” The boy smiles, standing straight as he finally walks closer to the girl. Holding a grin, he nears the girl, finally standing tall in front of her, “Haechan. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand, offering a shake for formalities.
“Y/N.” She smiles back, taking his hand to hers and shaking it gently.
At that moment, a birth of a new friendship was born. They shared laughs, secrets, moments, and memories to last them so long. They were inseparable. On that exact field, they always met up every sunset to watch the king of the sunflowers go down in hues from colors of goldenrods and torch lilies to the colors of asters and carnations.
Haechan loved seeing the change of the palette of the sky but in those moments whenever he looked over to her, the sky reflecting on her face. Like she was one of the flowers in the field but the most beautiful one of them all. He felt his heartbeat so fast and he couldn’t help but just stare at her. Although she might’ve looked a bit weak, thin, and pale, along with her occasional coughing at times. She assured him it was something she had long ago.
“Haechan? Is there something on my face?” He was snapped back to reality, looking away immediately. “Nothing.” He shook off.
Though it wasn’t like she felt the beating of her heighten unlike before. As days go by, she thought he was becoming more handsome and every action of his respect or even in times when they were messing around. It was like she was falling bit by bit. But she was scared for both of them.
She looked down at the hands that were placed on her lap, hiding the fact that her face was heating up. Just like when they first met, their faces were nothing but the colors of the red roses.
time skip.
Despite their strong bond and friendship, the girl had disappeared all of a sudden. It worried Haechan so much. He never knew what happened but he continued coming to the field of the sunflowers in hopes of finding her again.
Days have passed and turned lonelier for the boy. His heart ached and longed so much for her. To see her smile, to hear her laugh, to have her company. He decided to visit her house, maybe she might be there and maybe he could ask her why she wasn’t showing up anymore.
He brought with him a bag of sunflowers, she might’ve missed the sight of these yellow things around her. He walked a long way to her home but he was determined to see her. Her feelings might’ve changed, hate him or love him, he just wanted to see her again.
After a while, he arrived. His basket of sunflowers was in his other hand while the other knocks on the sturdy wood of the door. He heard footsteps from the other side, causing him to stand up straight, preparing himself to politely greet whoever was going to open the door.
The door opens to reveal an old lady with eyes that spoke of sorrow, but Haechan kept his smile. “Hi Mrs. Kim, I’m Lee Haechan! I’m looking for Y/N? I assure you I am her-“
“Friend. I know. Mind if you stay here for a bit? I’ll just get my coat and shoes. I’ll be right back”. He didn’t know what to say nor what to assume but as Mrs. Kim did instruct, he waited for her. Through the window, he observed many paintings of sunflowers hung up on their walls. The same paintings she had painted in some events they would meet up on the field. He watched as she painted strokes and filled the canvas. Until she had painted the yellow flowers onto her art.
He was zoning out until the slam of the door closing followed by a click of a lock brought him back. He looked over to see Mrs. Kim in front of him. “Let’s go?” He nodded and they walked together. His heart was beating fast, he was very eager and excited to see her again after so many days alone in that field. He thought this might be the day he will decide to confess his feelings.
time skip.
They arrived on a dry ground that leads to a forest of lush bells of Ireland leaves and grass. He stops in his tracks, looking down on a stone wall with carved letters on it. It was at that moment he knew his world had fallen to pieces.
Mrs. Kim hands Haechan a letter, familiar handwriting that seemed like they had written everything that they could in this piece of paper. As if it was their last.
“Dear Haechan,
I’m sorry for everything. For leaving you alone, for making you wait, for not letting you know. I was too afraid that you might leave me just for this very reason. I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know what is killing me, no one knew what it is. I’m sorry. But I would just like to confess so many things through this letter. The things I couldn’t say.
The day I met you in that field, at that moment it was almost like I knew what the sunflowers felt when they saw the sun. The sun was the only thing they could look at and even if it was just one thing, it gave them so many reasons to live. You were a ray of hope to me. I wanted to fight this sickness just to be with you longer. But I couldn’t make it. I was the sunflower that needed her sun for strength. After all of these that I have written, I hope you know that I lov”
The letter abruptly ended and he was confused. “Mrs. Kim, does this letter have a continuation?” He searched the paper, turning it to its back to see it empty. The ending letters were smudged and created a line that messed up the whole paper. His eyes were red as he tried looking through the tears that were already pooling.
“I’m very sorry Haechan but this was the only thing I found when I saw her…o-on the floor.” It was obvious Mrs. Kim has been having a hard time as well. She was visibly blinking her eyes rapidly to keep her tears from falling.
He dropped to his knees, weeping and wailing as his continuous tears painted the dry leaves on the ground to a darker color. He felt like his world would be in the shadows. He couldn’t be the sun that she as a sunflower thought he was. Without her, there was no meaning for this sun to serve its purpose.
Haechan looks over to the stone, remembering the basket of sunflowers that he brought with him. Standing up, he weakly took them in his hands. He walked over to the stone, placing the flowers beside her as she slept peacefully.
On the basket, there was a letter hovering on the petals. It was a smaller one compared to what she wrote for him.
‘Mirasol, a foreign word for these flowers I brought for you. A word I would want to call you’
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by czenshireland
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dialovers-translations · 3 years ago
Text
Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE ー Subaru Ecstasy [06]
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ー The scene starts in the guest room
Subaru: Che...
*Creaaak*
*Thud*
Yui: ...
( A few days have passed since, but Karlheinz-san still refuses to show himself... )
( Subaru-kun’s on edge as well... )
( Although I can’t blame him. )
( I wonder if Karlheinz-san has a reason as to why he refuses to see Christa-san...? )
( It’s quite unreasonable for him to expect us to just accept it...When he hasn’t given a proper explanation. )
( ... )
*TIMESKIP*
ー The scene shifts to the hallway
*Knock knock*
Yui: U-Um...Karlheinz-san...Are you in there?
Karlheinz: ...Well, well, if it isn’t Eve. Is there something you need?
Yui: Well...I...
Karlheinz: Well, I suppose it is quite rude to have a lady talk while standing there...
*Ka-chunk*
Yui: ( ...! The door... )
*Creaaaak*
Karlheinz: Come on in. I shall listen to everything you have to say once you have stepped inside.
Yui: ( Even though he refused to let Subaru-kun in no matter what he said... )
...
...Pardon the intrusion.
ー Yui steps inside
Subaru: ...
ー The scene shifts to the Chamber of Time
Karlheinz: ーー Why hello there. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Eve.
Yui: N-Nice to meet you...I’m Komori Yui...
Karlheinz: Haha. Well, I suppose we can leave out the formalities.
Do not worry, I already know you very well. ...So, what did you want to talk about?
Yui: ...
...There is something I’d like to ask of you.
Karlheinz: ...A request from Eve? Please, do tell me.
Yui: Well...Please go see Subaru-kun.
And Christa-san as well...
Karlheinz: ...
Yui: She is waiting for you. She is anxious without you around.
...Also, so is Subaru-kun.
They are worried that perhaps...You do not love them.
So please put them at ease...! Show them that isn’t the case...
Please let them know that you do love them once and for all...!
Karlheinz: ...Love, you say?
Eve. Do you like Subaru?
Yui: Eh...?
Karlheinz: Be honest with me?
Yui: ...
Selection
→ I do (♡)
Yui: ...I like him.
That’s exactly why...It’s painful to just watch in silence as he suffers.
→ I do, but...
Yui: ...I do like him. However...
Right now, you and Christa-san are the only two people on his mind.
...It’s painful. I can only watch him suffer from the sidelines...
Karlheinz: ...I see.
However...
Do you not think that Subaru is the man he is today, because he walked the path intended for him...?
You said it is painful to watch him suffer, however...
Exactly because he went through said pain, he is here today...In other words, he was able to become the person you love, no? 
Yui: ...
But...That kind of sounds like you’re trying to justify your behavior afterwards.
Besides, it does not explain why you refuse to interact with them now.
Karlheinz: Because I had no other choice if I wanted him to become Adam.
Yui: ...? ...What are you talking about?
Karlheinz: Fufu. I am sure you will find out sooner or later.
Yui: ( ...I can’t let his words trick me... )
B-But...!
There’s just no time left. If you don’t act now, Christa-san will...
Karlheinz: Hooh...Christa, you say?
Yui: ( She seemed composed last time I saw her, but who knows when she’ll go on a rampage again... )
( If that happens...She might actually break down like Laito-kun mentioned. )
...Christa-san told me. That you...used her...
...She seemed so very sad.
Karlheinz: ...I see.
She spoke the truth. I did, in fact, use her.
Yui: ...! No way!
Karlheinz: ...For the future this world needs. I put my hopes into a new life created between two people who are closely related. 
She was simply one, necessary element  to complete my plan.
Yui: ( Element he says...Is he being for real...? )
( Does he think of Christa-san...and Subaru-kun... )
( Only as tools to reach his goals...? )
( That’s...I just can’t believe it... )
( I don’t want to...! )
Did you...not love her...?
Karlheinz: I needed her to ensure success. 
Yui: ...!
Karlheinz: Furthermoreーー
The reason why I refuse to summon her here...is all part of said plan as well.
Yui: ( ...I don’t want to hear another word on this... )
ー The scene shifts to the hallway
Subaru: ...I guess it really is like that, huh...?
...
Monologue
ーー I used (利用) her.
He spoke those words,
with a straight look on his face.
Those words which are far too cruel (残酷),
have been burnt into the back of my mind as I can’t seem to push them away.
I simply left the room,
completely flabbergasted. 
ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー
→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!
<- [ Ecstasy 05 ] [ Ecstasy 07 ] ->
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limitlessgojo · 3 years ago
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Blood Bound: Red Strings of Fate (Ch 12)
Warnings: Action, Coarse Language, Fighting, Descriptions of Blood
Previous Chapter: Kyoto-Tokyo Goodwill Event
Next Chapter: Home Sweet Home
Tags: Soulmates AU, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Fem!Reader
Taglist: @lessie-oxj @rizzo-nero @whoreuc @fkngkumiko @isl3t @gojoussunglasses @onepotatostand-blog @s-t-f-u-b-i-t-c-h @sunaswife @lordguameow @track5enthusiast
Notes: If you want to be tagged for every update, please mention it in the comments below ty <3
2.8k words for this chapter.
Chapter 12: Goldenrod
You went to check on Noritoshi getting cleaned up in the infirmary. He perked up upon seeing you.
"Ieiri San!" You smiled at the woman who was dressing his wounds.
"Y/n, it's been a while. How are you?" She called out.
"Doing okay here. You let your hair grow out!" You hurried to her side for a quick hug.
She laughed. "The last time we saw each other, I still had short hair?? That must have been years back. You as well, from a little girl that came up to my waist, you're nearly my height now!"
You nodded wistfully at her before turning to Noritoshi, looking over his wounds. "I'm alright, y/n." He said quietly. You gave him a shaky smile, quietly hiding the fact that you were worried when he got knocked around by some of the seniors.
Ieiri smiled at the both of you. "No need to worry, he is fine y/n."
"Ayiieeee, lovebirds get a room!" Satoru popped up from behind you. You flinched hard and on pure instinct, lashed out with your whip. It sprung out, but Satoru easily stopped it with two fingers up. "Women in love are so scary."
"Toru nii, can you not?!" You wanted to skin this man alive. Ieiri just sighed out, cleaning up her tools. "I've done what I can Kamo kun. Try to get more rest for tomorrow." He nodded, "Thank you Ieiri san."
"Wahhh, you got kicked around huh Noritoshi? You look all worn out. Ain't my students amazing?!" Satoru taunted.
CRACK. Satoru teleported a few meters away. The space where he was a few seconds ago was filled with ice and frost.
Your face was hard as stone as you said, "Noritoshi did amazing. He did his best to coordinate with his team members as he fought against 2 of his seniors. Okkotsu kun was just different as a Special Class. But of course you know all about that, Toru."
"Why so defensive Neko Chan? I didn't say your man didn't do well right?" He drawled.
You opened your mouth, eyes furrowed, ready to retort when Noritoshi pulled you to him, gently hushing you as he softly patted your back. "He's riling you up. It's okay, I've learned a lot from today. It's our loss."
You leaned into Noritoshi, "You're too nice to that dumbass."
"Hey! Anyways, I wanted to speak with the both of you. If you're done here let's go." Satoru motioned towards the door with his head.
Both of you turned to him, before looking at each other and nodding.
◇◇◇
Satoru led you both to his room. "So, how long has your soulmate bond been active?" He asked as he closed the door.
Noritoshi was surprised, "How did you know about this?"
You nudged him. "He's my family friend, he eventually found out." You lied for the sake of protecting the details of Satoru's six eyes ability.
Satoru removed his blindfold, revealing his crystalline like eyes. "Yup, don't worry your secret is safe with me. I'm surprised but not too surprised that it's the two of you." He sighed out.
You crossed your arms and sat on his bed. "What do you mean?" Noritoshi remained standing.
"Both of you are just so different. And I've known you both since before. I guess it just never crossed my mind that you'd be together.
A soulmate bond is incredibly rare and fragile as you know. And I guess it only fits since both of you are more complementary to each other rather than have similar personalities like twin flames.
I have the soulmate records of some from the Gojo clan if that would help. But Noritoshi, sorry I have to ask you not to share it with your family." He said.
Ahh. The Great 3 clans still hold their secrets. You turned to Noritoshi, worriedly looking for his reaction.
He had this internal war of obedience to his clan elders vs seeing you so close to Satoru and seeing another side of the Gojo and Tsuchimikado clans like this.
"Toshi, if you can't, it's okay, we don't need to read it." You said carefully. "I know how hard it is to keep secrets from family."
Noritoshi mulled it over. Satoru was actually sizing him up. Seeing his family friend get entangled with a great 3 clan's future head… he would be lying if he wasn't worried for you.
“I’m assuming that there might be some details or secrets of the Gojo clan involved in the diary entries, which is why you’re being wary of me. But you have offered to let me read it, which already shows a bit of trust. As a future clan head, I know the significance of keeping good relationships with the other clans and elders. And so, I promise not to tell anyone else of the details in the diary.” Nori said solemnly.
Satoru perked up at that and smiled, “There shouldn’t be a problem then. Here, you both can have a look. Return it to me tomorrow afternoon. I hope it can help with your situation. It must be scary not knowing anyone else to turn to for help with the bond.”
You felt touched by that, “Thank you Satoru.”
◇◇◇
That night, you slept over once more in Noritoshi’s room, reading the excerpts.
"A soulbond can be rejected?!" You both stared at the notebook in horror.
"That must be so painful… imagine shutting down your fated pair." You murmured, turning to Noritoshi.
He patted you and nodded. "Hey look at this." He pointed to another passage.
“Wow, they can really telepathically communicate with complete sentences, that’s insane.” You said in awe.
Noritoshi cozied up to your side, playfully nudging his head against yours. “You want that for us too someday angel?”
You turned and bumped your nose against his before kissing him. “Of course, I want to experience everything with you Noritoshi.”
Noritoshi’s heart skipped a beat or two at that. His pulse was irregular for once. What on earth was that feeling? He confusedly looked down at his chest and patted it. He checked his vitals with his technique, but everything was in order.
You worried over him, “Are you not feeling okay? You got hit in the chest earlier right? We can call it a night and rest, you need sleep for tomorrow’s individual battles.”
“Okay then. Let’s quickly skim the diary.” You both caught a few important details, like how strong trust and honesty can strengthen a soulbond.
After spending time with each other and having significant encounters (“What on earth does that mean?” Nori asked. “Maybe like notable events with each other” you supplied.) helps a couple to move forward from one stage of the bond to another.
Something caught Noritoshi's eye. Reverse cursed techniques and some other advanced techniques that usually can only be done on oneself can be applied to the other soulmate.
That made him wonder… if he could manipulate your blood. But he put that thought aside for next time, unwilling for you to be a subject of experiment.
After that you both went to bed. "I'm gonna have such a hard time sleeping alone after spending so much time in bed with you." You whined out.
He chuckled, "Then just stay over as often as you want to. I like sharing the bed with you. It's not like it's cramped for the both of us." He pressed his lips to your forehead as you kissed him on the neck.
His heart squeezed tightly once more. What was wrong with him?! He was used to having it speed up whenever he was around you and attributed it to regular attraction. But this was different. His chest was tight, almost painful, and it was getting harder to breathe.
"Okay then. No take backs." You smiled, before closing your eyes. Noritoshi watched the moonlight illuminate your features for a bit before falling asleep.
◇◇◇
The next day, the lots were out. They announced that it would be a duel between 2 students on top of thick, tall, vertical standing logs set in a small lake. First one to push the other off the logs and into the water or out of bounds wins. Momo senpai has a huge advantage with no handicap at this.
To your slight horror, Okkotsu Yuuta was matched against Noritoshi. You visibly paled, but he went up and squeezed your hand before he left for the event. “I’ll be okay.” He promised.
“Oh you will be okay. I’ll make sure of it.” You said determinedly, already planning to step in just in case Rika goes wild on Noritoshi. Your thoughts were cut as Nori poked your forehead.
“I can hear your thoughts. Have a little more faith in me.” He gave a small smile. You nodded dumbly.
You watched the matches. None of them were particularly eye-opening. Until it was time for Okkotsu to fight Noritoshi. You clasped your hands together in prayer, eyes and senses wide open.
“Ready, Start!” Satoru called out.
Noritoshi immediately fired arrows, which honed on Okkotsu even though he tried to dodge. Good technique. Okkotsu had some trouble keeping up with the arrows and Noritoshi quickly moved in to punch him hard.
But Okkotsu was quick on his feet, leaping back diagonally onto another log before slashing at Noritoshi with his Katana. It went on a bit like this. With both men trading blows back and forth. They had decent balance on top of the logs.
Until Noritoshi made a major move, “Blood Manipulation: Slicing Exorcism!” He cut down a huge number of logs in Okkotsu’s area.
Okkotsu barely held on, jumping to another log that was borderline about to collapse. The water was now dangerously filled with the sharp edges of cut wood.
Your eyes brightened, ‘Please win Toshi.’
Noritoshi moved in for the kill, “Red Flowing Scale”, the X mark appeared on his eye as he readied to knock Okkotsu off. Until the dark mass that had been hanging around Okkotsu screamed, making everyone wince. “Yuuutaaa! You’ll get hurt if you fall down now!”
Satoru had explained that Orimoto Rika was the Special Grade curse with overwhelming power. Rika made a half-manifestation, easily smacking Noritoshi away. But she hit him too hard on the head, sending him flying way past the little lake set up.
Everyone gasped and yelled in horror. You saw red.
He was going to hit the ground hard. You stood up, slowing down his body in midair as you blasted your way over to him. You caught him in time.
"Angel?" He looked up to see you, and his heart tightened again. Ah... this might be love.
"Shhh, it's alright Toshi. You've done really well. Don’t speak," You worriedly activated your Reverse Cursed Technique as you floated down to the ground, hugging Noritoshi tighter.
“Thank you for catching me.” He patted your arm weakly. Blood was streaming down his temples. Not a good sign. “Ieiri san!” You cried out, but she was already making her way towards the both of you.
“Winner! Okkotsu Yuuta!”
Your blood boiled, but you knew it was still Okkotsu’s win. ‘He didn’t have to be that harsh on Noritoshi.’ “Age doesn’t matter to Jujutsu sorcerers darling.” Noritoshi coughed out as though he could read your mind. “I said not to talk!” You worriedly scolded him.
Ieiri quickly activated her reverse cursed technique alongside yours. Hers was incredibly refined, easily sealing up Noritoshi’s popped blood vessels. “Infirmary.” She said, putting a brace around his neck just in case of any spinal injuries.
“I’m so sorry, Rika went overboard!” Okkotsu yelled out. He looked really worried and sincere. You shifted uncomfortably; the apology isn’t for you so you backed away. Noritoshi waved him off, “It’s okay. Thank you for the fight, Okkotsu kun.”
A few more apologies and words of thanks were exchanged before Noritoshi was sent to rest in the infirmary. Satoru caught you by the collar, “Stay until the end of the event. Shoko will take care of Noritoshi.”
You glumly nodded. To be honest, Okkotsu was really friendly, easily chatting with all of you. And you all were delighted, laughing hard when Rika beat the living shit out of Todo as he tried to harass Okkotsu for his ideal type. The Tokyo kids weren’t too bad.
◇◇◇
“Take care y/n!” Satoru hugged you tight as the Tokyo school students and staff readied to go home. “Thanks again for everything Satoru.” You already returned his diary to him in Noritoshi’s place. He was still resting up in the infirmary.
“Hey…. Have you ever considered transferring to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech?”
‘What?’
“No, why would I? Noritoshi and my family are here.” You were taken aback.
Satoru looked thoughtful, “I could teach you a lot, and honestly I’d love to have you as my student. You’re really strong y/n. Think about it. Later!” and walked off with the rest of them, leaving you at a loss for words.
◇◇◇
It’s been a while since you’ve been dating Noritoshi, and everything seemed a bit brighter. Like the sun seemed to be really strong, the flowers smelled so nice, the air currents seemed to bend a little more easily under the command of your technique.
'Is this the effect of our bond?' You wondered to yourself, but then quickly shook away the thoughts to focus on your task.
A few days have passed since the Goodwill event. You would be lying if you said you weren’t inspired by watching Okkotsu and Rika fight. Rika was just a force to be reckoned with.
Learning how to move well in mid-air was a challenge, but it wasn't impossible thanks to your inherited technique. Since you grew up mainly focusing on items around you and the four elements, you were still having some difficulty with some mobility techniques.
But there was something you’ve been itching to do. Aside from working on your cursed technique: reversal, domain expansion, extension techniques, etc., there was another special technique that ran in the family.
You remembered your father’s words: “Lightning is generated in the presence of both hot and cold air. You can manipulate molecules to generate both. But doing it simultaneously is the challenge. The ice shards in the cold air collide with the warm water particles in mid air, causing static electricity to form."
"That way, you separate positive and negative charges in a space. That is how you generate your electricity. Take particular care, because for this to happen, you need to master both your extension technique: Niflheim and technique reversal: Inferno.”
For personal reasons, you didn’t like using Inferno. Because the last time you successfully used it was when you were 6 years old and it caused a disaster. A memory which you’ve buried so far under everything else that you continuously try to forget about it.
But for the sake of the secret art, you will.
“Merging techniques… does any other jujutsushi do this…” You wondered.
You set up several targets of bamboo shoots and wood. “Niflheim.” You froze a target then took a deep breath before trying your reversed technique.
“Cursed Technique Reversal: Inferno.” You put out two hands and linked your thumb and ring finger in each hand together. One hand facing the other from above and below. Then a red light appeared as you encircled and swapped the positions of your hands.
This hand movement activates Inferno as the target immediately explodes from the rapid heat expanding the cooled target. Steam and smoke billowed out. You let out a slow breath. So you can still do it even after all these years.
“Special Art: Goldenrod.” You manipulated Inferno in one palm and Niflheim in the other. Your left hand had your ring and thumb still linked together. While your right hand uses the 4 pointer hand position designed for Niflheim.
At first it just made small explosions of steam. Your hands got really sore from the back and forth temperature control.
This is where it gets tricky. Goldenrod has to be activated within your hands. So you also guard your hands against the drastic temperatures with your cursed energy, as you do when you control fire.
It hasn't worked out so far. Maybe you simply had to condense the molecules. You condensed them further and started seeing small sparks of lightning.
Your eyes widened in joy. You tried activating it once more with more cursed energy, only for a huge bolt of lightning to shoot out from your hands and destroy a large amount of targets. There was a loud crack of thunder.
You didn’t expect the energy to be this high as you were pushed back from the force. The air was knocked out from your lungs as you hit the ground hard.
“I think I need help. Maybe Satoru nii can...” you wondered to yourself. ‘Is it worth bothering him over something like this…’ With a shock, you realized you were actually considering his words to transfer to Tokyo Jujutsu High. “No way.” You laughed it off with uncertainty.
Blood Bound: Table of Contents
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hatterstan-shameblog · 3 years ago
Text
Nobody asked for this but I'm gonna do it anyways...
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Fluff Alphabet: Takeru/Aguni Edition
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
A = Attractive what do they find attractive about the other?
Takeru: only reason he let Aguni wear regular clothes and not swimwear is because he saw ARM in that tank top and was like "oh damn okay 😳." So, y'know, that. (And he'll never admit it but he kinda likes how Aguni is a little bit taller than he is....) Also likes that Aguni has a really dry, deadpan sense of humor—he ways finds a way to make Takeru laugh, even when he's not really trying.
Aguni: I think the physical aspect of things wasn't really a make-or-break for him at first—like, yeah, Takeru's a good-looking guy, but that's secondary. He liked how Takeru is such a live-wire, very loud and colorful and seemingly fearless, no matter what kind of trouble they got into. (But also...he likes the hair. That's a thing for him.)
B = Baby do they want a family? why/why not?
Takeru: If they end up with one somehow, then, sure. But, like. He's not going out of his was to make it a thing. (But also, he has his cat, Ziggy, who he calls his baby, so...)
Aguni: Would secretly love to be a dad but is too worried he might mess the kid up or something. Is more than happy to be 'unofficial parent' to the neighborhood kids, though. Handing out ice pops to the kids that show up at the shop, keeping an eye out and telling them to get home before dark, maybe even showing one or two of them how to throw a better curveball...you know. Real Hallmark channel shit. (And yes, for those who were wondering: Ziggy the cat loves him and often curls up on his lap while he watches TV)
C = Cuddle how do they cuddle?
They don't really "cuddle" outside of bed. Just kinda sit next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, no big deal. But in bed, Aguni lies on his back with his arm sorta outstretched while Takeru...well, my man is worm on a string but OFF the string, he just flops all sorts of ways and a lot of them don't look comfortable but he falls asleep in minutes so whatever.
D = Dates what are dates with them like?
I don't think they do "dates"—they've got a long-term thing going on, so they often end up on the couch eating takeout and watching movies. I think they'd go to the movie theater sometimes (and talk shit for the entire film lol) and every once in a while grab dinner somewhere nice...but, usually because they have some cool limited-time-only dessert item that Takeru insists they try. (And Aguni pretends to be upset about having to get dressed up and go out, but is actually rather pleased to have a little romance...and get something to satisfy his sweet tooth.)
E = Everything you are my ____ (e.g my life, my world…)
Aguni: Emergency Medical Contact
Takeru: Co-Signer On The Apartment Lease
F = Feelings when did they know they were falling in love?
Takeru: About a week after Aguni (drunkenly) confessed his crush. Literally spent a whole week like, "Wow, it's a shame I don't love him back. He's so kind and handsome and smart and funny...too bad, I guess..." until one night he sat up straight in bed and said "Hold up." He then immediately called Aguni and began demanding why Aguni didn't tell him he was in love with him this whole time.
Aguni: They had been friends since they were kids, so it's hard to say when his feelings went from "you're my best friend" to something different. But, once he figured it out, he swore never to mention it because that could complicate their friendship.
G = Gentle are they gentle? If so, how?
Takeru: Yes and no. He's got a bad case of "grabby hands" and often yanks Aguni to and fro to look at something or whatever. Just zero respect for the man's personal space. But otherwise...I imagine he's not particularly rough or gentle, just kind of normal. EXCEPT when it comes to the emotional stuff—like, the real heavy things. I think he's very gentle with that, not asking too many questions and just sort of taking care of him where he can.
Aguni: Generally gentle—physically, emotionally, whatever. But I do think that he's confrontational, like when there's an issue, he comes straight out and asks Takeru what's going on. Even corners him, sometimes. He seems like a "no bullshit" guy, and since Takeru is "Mr. 99% Bullshit" he's gotta deal with it as best he can.
H = Hand/Hold how do they like to hold hands?
The only time they "hold hands" is when Takeru is grabbing Aguni's wrist to drag him somewhere (or run away lol) and when Aguni is pulling Takeru's hand back to stop him from touching something...
I = Impression first impression/s
I headcanon that they met very young, like grade school age. After school, in the park, where Takeru was chilling in a tree and Aguni walked by and he was like "Hey, there's a spider up here, wanna see?" and Aguni is like "Not really, I don't like bugs..." Now, Takeru, being "weird bug kid extraordinaire" can't believe his strange little ears and hops down from the tree and starts explaining why bugs are so cool and that Aguni is wrong...and Aguni listens as this funky, tiny firecracker just talks his damn ear off. Aguni liked how excited Takeru got about things, and Takeru liked how Aguni actually listened to him. And they were fast friends after that!
J = Joker are they into pulling pranks?
Takeru fucks around all the time...and doesn't often find out, because Aguni tolerates all his antics. (To a certain point, but still.) Every once in a while, Aguni will tell some harmless little lie just to watch Takeru freak out—he told him once that Lady Gaga was leaving the music scene forever, and Takeru screamed so loud the neighbors filed a noise complaint.
K = Kisses how do they kiss?
I think they most often do quick pecks—at the breakfast table, when they get home from work. You know. Domestic stuff. But when it's not like that...I think 9/10 times it's Takeru initiating, and Aguni reciprocates by wrapping his arms around him in a big hug (because he likes it but also to keep that skinny little weirdo from wiggling so damn much, he's always moving, he can't just be still—)
L = Love who says I love you first?
Neither! I don't think they really say it at all! Why say something that doesn't need to be said? (At least, that's how they see it...)
M = Memory their favorite moment together
Aguni: It's not really a memory, but...just how they have breakfast together some mornings. Sipping coffee, discussing whatever's going on in the world, the general "togetherness" that comes with it is one of his favorite feelings.
Takeru: The time they spent a full 24 hours in a karaoke booth singing 80's hits and knocking back tequila shots and ordering way too much food.
N = Nickel do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?
Takeru: Absolutely buys stuff for Aguni all the time. Mostly random snacks, or little knick-knacks that catch his eye. And also clothes, but...Aguni doesn't always approve.
Aguni: Doesn't buy Takeru stuff BUT leaves vases of flowers he grew on the table for Takeru to find.
O = Orange what color reminds them of their other half
Anything bright and obnoxious reminds Aguni of Takeru—red in particular, which also happens to be Takeru's favorite. And Takeru thinks Aguni has calm and soothing blue-green vibes. Like the ocean, beautiful and serene, but also dark and capable of incredible destruction.
P = Petnames what pet names do they use?
Takeru: All of them. Darling, babe, sweetheart (but he calls everyone those lol). Aguni-specific ones are always over-the-top and ridiculous like "brightest star in all of the heavens..." and he always gets an eye-roll for his efforts.
Aguni: Absolutely does not use pet names. Just says "hey you" or something. Once called Takeru "babe" and Takeru had to stop washing dishes and sit down because he was laughing so hard.
Q = Quaint what is their favorite non-modern thing?
Takeru: I feel like he would collect a ton of vintage stuff—clothes, records, just random little bits and bobs he comes across. But his favorite is definitely his record player—it belonged to his dad, and he keeps it in a place of honor in the hat shop.
Aguni: A set of very old and well-cared-for gardening tools. Takeru got them for him for his birthday, and he legit treasures them.
R = Rainy Day what do they like to do on a rainy day?
Lay on the couch and do literally nothing. Takeru gets the left end, Aguni takes the right, and they binge trash TV shows all day. (And also they make box-mix brownies and eat them straight out of the pan. It's "their thing.")
S = Sad how do they cheer themselves/each other up
Takeru: Aside from all his self-destrictive behaviors (binge-drinking, dangerous situations, etc.) he just really needs a good laugh. And Aguni somehow always manages to make him laugh with an unexpected, deadpan comment. Also, he makes Takeru actually talk through his problems instead of ignoring them...
Aguni: if he's in a bad mood, you just need to let him work through it on his own. He hates being "talked down to" and feels that most attempts at cheering up are cheap, so most people don't attempt. Buf...Takeru is not "most people" and breaks out his most ridiculous jokes to try to get Aguni to crack a smile.
T = Talking what do they love to talk about?
Other people! You know Takeru is the "XOXO Gossip Girl" of the neighborhood, but Aguni...he's like a little old church lady and ADORES hearing all the latest drama.
U = Unencumbered What helps them relax?
Both of them have the same method of relaxation and it's...bubble baths! Aguni does a basic, skin soothing soak and just hangs out in the warm water with a book or maybe just his thoughts to keep him company. But Takeru? He's got some fancy bath soaps, and he takes in a glass of wine and lights a few candles and does a face mask and it's a whole EVENT.
V - Very thoughts about each other
Takeru: Thinks Aguni needs to loosen up and take more risks...but also just loves the guy to pieces.
Aguni: Kinda wishes Takeru would calm tf down sometimes...but also knows that it's just how the guy is and wouldn't dare change him.
W = Wedding when, how, where do they propose?
They're not really the marrying type! They just have a mutual understanding of commitment and that's that.
(But if they did have a wedding... I think it would be a relatively small affair with all their closest friends and family. Like a dinner party, but somewhere extra nice and with lots of good food and alcohol. Intimate and meaningful, with just enough "extra" to satisfy Takeru.)
X = Xylophone What’s their song?
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" because they hid out in a karaoke booth (different from the 24-hour event that Takeru cherishes so much) to es ape the Yakuza and Takeru sang it over and over to pass the time.
Y = You the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)
"Breaking" to my "Entering." The "Assault" to my "Battery." (They both hate this sort of thing and try to come up with the worst answers possible lol)
Z = Zebra if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?
They already have the cat, Ziggy, who is their perfect little angel.
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kanene-yaaay · 4 years ago
Text
Tickle me, princey
Kanene’s note: This fic is basically: Virgil is a bratty Lee, Roman is a competitive Ler and none of them are going down without a fight xDD.
Warnings, fun facts, random things and stuff:
* Lee!Virgil and Ler!Roman (Kind of. Because there is almost no tickles here, just teasing). Human AU.
* Hmmm… This is a Tickle-Fanfic! If you don’t like this kind of stuff, please look for another blog, there are plenty of amazing art in this site!! ‘u’).
* This have about 2.500 words of Roman and Virgil just being teasy beans.  ‘w’)b.
* PLEASE CHECK THIS AMAZING ART! IT’S INCREDIBLEE! <33
* Sorry for any spelling, pontuation and grammar mistakes! I didn’t proofread that one very well, so I will probably be correcting a few things later. Any advice is always very, very welcome!
* A versão em português brasileiro irá ser escrita, ainda. Eu espero! Thankys for reading, my lollipops! Do something crazy today, take a good rest, be kind (especially with yourself) and drink water! Byeioo!~
                              [~*~]
Roman cleaned his hands on his jeans before stretching his back and sighing in relief when a small ‘pop’ came from it. The pal from the nearby library was a cool person – not that he would ever allow the other to hear this, because, damn, people who called Roman cocky definitely haven’t met them yet – but equally precise in get on his nerves with as few words as possible, even though the florist didn’t care that much as his dramatics discourses tried to convince everyone he did. 
Besides that, they was Patton’s friend and even more important, they made an accord with the Flower Shop’s owner and Roman was the one in charge to deliver their biweekly floral arrangement to the library’s decór. However, today Roman managed to win their discussion and therefore a couple of podcast episodes read by them (What? Their voice was quite nice!!).
Roman ignored the small ring of the door’s bell as he entered the Flower Shop, looking around to be sure there was no clients before taking his position behind the balcony, internally thanking how chill Patton was with his employees using phone during the shift as long there wasn’t no one near, especially as he unlocked his screen and a new notification popped in front of him.
Butterflies went immediately crazy on his stomach.
[Message from Panic! At Everywhere]
[P: Hey. So, are you still ok?]
Virgil kicked his blanket out of his bed, already feeling a tad of giddiness spread across his body, a small smirk finding its way to his face without him even realizing. Today was the day. Since when he and Roman talked on the last week about boundaries to be sure nothing had changed and decided Saturday as a good day for their session the one with purple hair couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander, picturing and re-picturing what would happen, even though Roman always insisted to never tell him his plans, wanting to keep everything as a surprise, which definitely didn’t help at all the excitement running on his veins.
Their session.
Their tickle session. It was only eleven in the morning and Virgil could already feel his skin tingle just by imagine Roman’s fingers grazing, dancing on it, carefully looking for all his weak spots both knew so well before coming with an entire new technique that would make the other (almost, barely, hardly) want to jump out of his skin so he could escape from the maddening tickly sensation.
He was going to love it. 
Also, it didn’t help that he spent the previous night and its following morning consuming all his favorite tickle content, dying on the spot (and on the reblogs) and skyrocketing his lee mood to the mountains.
Nevertheless, he tried to play nonchalant as answered the other’s new message.
[Message from Dumb(o)]
[D: Yes.]
[P: Cool.]
[D: You?]
[P: Yep.]
[D: Glad to know, Blushy Bug. Try to not alarm all of our neighborhood with your squeals and giggles before I get there, okay? ~
D: And yeah, plu-e-ase, continue with your so delightful tags on your reblogs, okay, Tickle me Emo? I’m learning so much new information with that. If only I would have an opportunity to use all of them today…]
Virgil snorted, one hand trying to hide his face as he attempted with all his might to ignore the flames taking over his cheeks as the teases sank and the memories from the day he conquered this nickname emerged from the deeps of his mind. So, Princey was already so over his head with being the ler this time? Thinking Virgil would be hiding his face on the pillow, squeaking and tittering helpless? Well, he would have a big storm coming, then.
Virgil got up, his footsteps leading him to the clean desk in the room, moving some of the objects so carefully chosen in order to get the perfect picture. Every single makeup  brush lined, gleaming under the lens of his camera, away enough so the viewer would be able to realize all their individualities but close enough to create an impact. 
Two can play this game.
[Panic! At Everywhere sent an image]
Roman clicked on it, eyes going immediately wide as he quickly slammed the cellphone’s screen on his red apron, his gaze running from a place to another to be sure no one was near or had seen the conversation or noticed the way his smile went from an ear to another.
[P: Nah. I’m too occupied choosing the perfect tools for today… I mean, there are just so many options, ya know? I especially prefer the smallest ones, their bristles softly running on my ribs, tracing their way across my tummy to get to the other side… yeah. That is the good stuff. Or maybe we could be experimenting the biggest ones today, letting them tease that spot right under my chin, the softness engulfing all the nerves… ]
Roman took a deep breath, realizing the other still typing.
[P: Anyway, don’t make a big deal of this, ‘kay? I know your imagination can be very fertile but try to not alert Patton with all your blush and twitching. You know he is a curious guy and will want to know why you’re so smiley. ;)]
    “Pai amado, (Dear God) he is going to kill me.” Roman crossed his arms, using all his will to no start wiggling them to nothing, a sudden urge to sing some nursery rhymes making him begin to humming quietly as attempted to gather enough concentration to type a proper, cool reply.
[D: Is that so? So, the big, badass Virgil Storm is excited to get all his tickly-tickle-tickles today? Is he excited to become a so helpless, so adorable mess of giggles and squeaks? To be teased and tickled until he can do nothing but give me those lovely snorts and wiggly-wiggles? ~
Awww. So cute. ~]
[P: Yeah, I am. So what? Wanna do something about that, Sir Sing a Lot? 
Ops, I forgot you’re at work rn. Tsc. Such a pity. Well, guess I will have to kill some time by looking at your precious collection of feathers, see if I find something interesting there.]
[D: You just wait for when I get home.]
[P: :)]
Virgil laid his phone at his side, hiding his face on the mattress, kicking just like he was some teenager in love from those generic movies. The squeals bubbled out from his lips, smiles blooming. He knew he probably was just digging his own grave, but, ha, as if he would fall without a fight. Plus, imagining Roman trying at every cost to keep a straight expression while reading his texts and then struggling to continue his work just as if nothing had happened, with that cute, excited smile planted on his face made a proud wave of power – and joy - hit him and that was a bonus which was worth it. 
Then his phone vibrated, indicating a new notification and a new flood of shivers as he unlocked his screen, freezing for a couple of heartbeats with the length of the message.  
[D: A poem for my dear Knightmare. ~
Once upon a time
There was a wiggley-wiggly lee
That just a few pokes
Made him giggle with glee
Some scribbles here
Some scratches there
You can tickle-tickle
He is ticklish everywhere!
What, you don’t believe me?
‘That much cute he can’t be!’
Well, then allow me to demonstrate
All the beautiful sounds he can create!
Give a few prodding on his ribs
And a quick digging on his hips
Some brushes on his toesies and feet
And don’t forget about these helpless pits!
(And hey, psst, if you squeeze his sides
The cutie, squeaky, wiggly lee,
Will be squealing in a happy delight)
This neck is also asking for tickly-kisses 
He always denies, always desire
Add to that some teasy whispers
And watch his cheeks be set on fire!
Once upon a time
There was a bratty, smug lee
That just a few tickle teases
Can make him a blushy mess
Just like now, you see!]
[…]
“Have a nice day. Thank you for coming!”
Roman waved to the client who got out from the Flower Shop, taming the smugness which threatened to take over his features as he realized that even though an hour had passed, no answer to his last text had arrived yet. He was perfectly aware of how weak Virgil was for any sort of rhymed tease and a whole poem – not his best, he had to admit – dedicated to him? He could almost see the other shrieking, hiding his red face on the pillow, lost in a mess of quiet peals of laughter and curses. His smile got even bigger, swelled in pride. And, well, if he couldn’t help it but push his luck a few inches further, his fingers already halfway to typing a small, itsy bitsy, new tease to his favorite emo lee, how could someone really blame him?
[D: Oh, sorry. Did I make the scary Virgil too much flustered to talk? Awww, I will miss your sassy remarks deeply and sing a ballad in your honor at the funeral. ~] 
He snorted at the amount of time the symbol of ‘typing’ appeared and disappeared on the conversation, using the ten minutes he took to be answered to organize a few sales signs on the glass in front of the store, gaining a dance on his step as the one-worded sentence shone on his phone.
[P: Bitch.]
[D: I have no idea of what you’re talking about. Is that something I said? I feel wounded.]
But a new thing popped up.
[Panic! At Everywhere sent a video]
[P: :)]
It seemed like hours passed, even if he knew the downloading probably didn’t really take more than a few pieces of minute for him to hit the play.
The focus of the camera took a few seconds to adjust, the image trembling and shaking before going still, the crystal clear form of a small light brown, slightly spiked feather twirling between Virgil’s index and thumb locking his eyes on the screen. A quick, quiet sigh could be heard before the tickle tool descended to the palm extended on a desk, stopping by Virgil’s pulse.
The bristles grazed the skin there as the feather began to move on slow strokes, going from the left to the right, left and right, left and right… calmly making its way up, changing to small swirls as it contorted the form of the hand, giving to each finger a light tracing before concentrating on the palm, drawing a spiral which approximated inch by inch to the center. If Roman wasn’t so quiet, - even holding his breath, - maybe he wouldn’t be able to listen the incredibly low, contained huffs of laughter on the background, a soft snort escaping and making both hands tremble as the bristles hit the center of his hand, dancing around the spot for a bit. 
When it stopped, the tool was placed on the desk and then the camera started to move, stopping on Roman’s so very well-known golden with silver details box. Its lid laid next to it, letting its entire content to be proudly shown. The explosion of colors from the most diverse large, small, pointy, fluffy feathers took over the frame, however, a tiny piece of paper placed on the exact center of them was what captured his attention. The lens zoomed and focused, making him able to read the quick message written there.
“:)”
And then the screen went black. The video was over. 
Roman could feel his face being almost split in half by his grin, his fingers hitting the table top in complete frenzy since they hadn’t to hold the device anymore, curling and uncurling as the one who couldn’t just stay still started to bounce his right leg, ignoring the redness he felt crippling down his neck.
“Roman?”
He fully shrieked. Both him and Patton startled and jumped a few centimeters in the air with the sudden sound. The florist slapping his own hand on his mouth, trying with all his inner strength to stop the bubbly giggles which flooded non stop from his lips
“Sorry for the scare, kiddo,” the shine on his eyes free of any guilt as Patton bit his own knuckles proved the contrary, especially when the rest of an awed squeal escaped from his lips, only making the other to giggle harder, eyes closed, blush deepening and nose scrunched. “Aww, your giggles are so cute!” 
“Shuhuhush!!” The Flower Shop owner just smiled fondly, withholding his comments and patiently waiting for the other to recompose himself. When Roman looked at least a tad calmer he decided to make his decision to talk to him clear.
“I’m glad you’re in a good mood, Ro! I just wanted to remember today’s shift is already over. I need a bit of time to organize everything before the painter comes so we can discuss the new design of the Flower Shop. Thank you so much for the ideas, by the way! I can’t wait for you all to see the result! It will be so pretty!!” Roman’s wide eyes were enough of an explanation of why he wasn’t ready to go yet, probably having forgotten about their last month conversation. Although, the surprised look was away in an instant, a shine taking over his glare before he softened, locking his eyes with Patton.
“Of course, it will be, Patty-cake! With my magnificent ideas and your good taste, I really don’t think any other result besides wonderful and perfection will be possible!” He squeezed Patton’s cheeks and his friend stuck out his tongue at him, winning a quick poke on his ribs that made him squirms and yelp, quickly tittering and waving the other with his hands.
“Now shoo-shoo, go enjoy your afternoon!”
A devious smirk gleamed on Roman’s expression for a second. “You can count on it, Padre.” But then it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “Thank you, my mighty hero in a shiny armor! May the universe let our destiny align again in the future.”
“See ya, kiddo!” He replied, his tune also full of joy, watching the one with red hair going away, a happy bounce on his steps.
[…]
Virgil picked the phone in the first ring. “Roman, something happened?”
“Nope,” the purple lover sighed in relief, all the tension getting out of his body and being replaced by confusion, “nothing happened except that a handsome, incredible someone got out from his work earlier than expected and might be heading his home by now.”
That made Virgil shot up, biting his lower lip, butterflies freaking out. “No.” It was his whisper.
“Oh, yes. ~” Roman practically purred on the speaker. “any last words, my dear, defenseless Giggly Storm?”
Virgil just giggled and Roman had almost forgotten how that sound only was enough to spread an explosion of a warm, good feeling on his chest. “Aw, and here I was thinking I would have at least some challenge today. ~” He continued to tease.
Silence. 
“Go check your messages, Princeypie.”
And then he hung up. Roman fondly rolled his eyes, running to check the new notification on their conversation.
[Panic! At Everywhere sent a photo]
It was Virgil, sitting on his bed criss crossed, one elbow resting on his thigh as he took the picture on the body mirror on the other side of the room, a strong blush very visible on his face half hidden by the device, wearing a short and Roman’s red crop top. A new message popped right under the photo.
[P: Get your butt here and tickle me, Sir Sing a Lot.’]
This emo was going to be the death of him.
[D: Aww, I don’t even get a smile?]
[P: You gotta work for those, Princey.]
Virgil definitely did not jump nor yelp as he heard the low, dangerous tune of an “evil” laughter echoes in the house coming from the living room, the sound of the front door being closed making his flight instincts kick in.
“Oh, don’t worry.” Virgil was already halfway to the most far away room where he could escape, trying to keep his reputation as he heard another set of footsteps quickly getting ground and following right behind him. Laughter and squeaks mixed in the air.
“Because I will.” Roman answered.
109 notes · View notes
x0401x · 4 years ago
Text
Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #16
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Colombo’s Bookstore
Sri Lanka didn’t have as many bookstores as Japan. It had about three times as many used car shops as in Japan, I believed. But there were few bookstores.
In the first place, be them used car stores or bookstores, the shops were by no means big. This country was a tiny island with a national territory smaller than Japan’s, so lands that had forest reserves of local nature in them and real estate were probably valuable. If anything, I had an affinity for the place. But it was a pity that the bookstores were so few.
I often spent my time alone nowadays, so above all else, I appreciated having anything to read. I wasn’t the bookworm type, but there were just too many book-selling places in Japan. If you were getting off at some notable station in Tokyo, no matter which one it was, there would be at least one bookstore within walking distance. I also had a fresh memory of Saul-san telling me that “Japanese people really like their books”.
A street vendor was selling scissors in front of a bookstore in the sunlit streets of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Why did he decide to sell scissors by the road? And right before my eyes, a person on a bus riding slowly down the avenue was buying a pair of scissors from him. Did they have some bag that they wanted to cut open no matter what or something? I had no idea, but anyway, this was a world that operated with standards different from Japan’s, in which supply and demand were apparently well-established.
With glass doors, the bookstore had a magnificent structure and felt nice and cold when I stepped in. The study reference books were on the second floor, so I went up the arched stairs that parted to left and right, searching for the shelf that I was aiming for.
There you are.
I took three books from it, and when I went to the checkout, the female clerk, dressed in a sari, asked me, “Is this all?” in English. The official languages ​​of this country were English, Sinhala and Tamil, with English being spoken by both Sinhalese and Tamils. I believed she was Sinhalese. Because the sari was not a Hindu but a Buddhist thing.
“These are volumes 2, 3 and 4. What about volume 1?”
“I bought just volume 1 a while ago. And it was really good, so I also wanted to learn the rest from this book series.”
“So you’re studying Sinhala. That’s rare. Where are you from?”
“I’m Japanese,” I answered.
What I had come to buy was a Sinhala language study reference book. It was a book for people who couldn’t read Sinhala, so it was, of course, written in English. Even so, I had read it a little before traveling. I also found and purchased a Sinhala language study reference book written by a Japanese scholar, which I was able to buy in Japan.
Regardless, it was kind of useless for my range of understanding, so I almost felt like throwing it away before I could learn anything. I told Saul-san about this when asking him for advice, at which he burst into laughter and then bought me a red paperback book.
A Sinhala book written in English.
The letters were very large and there weren’t too many words. As for the quality of the paper, on the bright side, it was straw paper, and on the downside, it was gray and flimsy. But the contents were very easy to understand and the insides were firmly packed.
This reference book taught Sinhala letters first, as well as the meaning and pronunciation of each one. From that point onward, I couldn’t be more thankful for it. Sinhala was a language written with a Sinhalese alphabet, after all. In addition to vowels such as A, I, U, E and O, it jumped on to a variety of consonants and other symbols that stuck one letter to another like joints. It explained each of them carefully so that even people who didn’t know Sinhalese at all could understand them. This book solved a large percentage of the problem that I had stumbled upon, namely “I can’t find the commonalities and differences between letters, so I don’t know how to tell them apart and can’t organize them in my head”. I was grateful for that. There was no need to ask Richard-sensei for a foreign language course via international call all the time anymore.
That being said, there were many letters in Sinhala. Meaning that there were several pronunciations. You’d think that the Japanese syllabary was cute in comparison. Not all of it could be explained in one book, and the lectures were extended over to the second volume, but Saul-san had bought only one book, in case it didn’t suit me. The results were as could be seen. It was the same kind of joy as reading one book from a novel series and then buying all the sequels.
Learning languages was fun. By the looks of it, learning how to link them directly to communication was what worked for me.
“But can’t you live in Sri Lanka while speaking English, even if you don’t understand Sinhala? Are you on a business trip?”
“Something like that, but if possible, I’d like to talk to people using a Sri Lankan language. I’m Japanese, but I’ve had the experience of being a bit happy when someone from a foreign country spoke in Japanese to me, so now I guess it’s my turn.”
“You have so much free time, huh!”
I had no words to reply. The clerk and I burst into laughter without any reserve and finished the checkout. As I went down the arched stairs, I found a space where they were selling festival tools, stationery and picture books. Many of the same books were arranged on two sides.
Or so I thought.
But that was apparently not it. What I thought to be the exact same large-format picture books were the English version and the Sinhala version. You’d miss it if you were distracted because the pictures were the same, but the picture book, which was probably a Sri Lankan version of a “Japanese folktale”-like work, was published in two languages.
“Y’see, the ones who buy these are parents who want their kids to learn English. ‘Cause speaking English comes in handy.”
When I turned around, the clerk who had been at the cash register on the second floor was right behind me. It seemed she had come to see me off. Apparently, the cashier on the first floor called out to her, telling her to go back to work or something like that, to which she replied at length, and the two exchanged laughs. Maybe the people in this bookstore were cheerful, as not all Sri Lankans expressed their emotions so openly.
“This one is the ‘Mean Old Man’. This one is ‘The Perahera Festival’.”
“Can even a small child understand it well?”
“Of course. This book is big so that it’s easy to read to them.”
Indeed, it was a thin picture book of a size larger than A4. In Japan, it wouldn’t be strange for it to have an anime or manga-style art, but the art of this one had an ethnic touch to it, perhaps to match the contents. The colors were rich, the mean old man was drawn in a vile yet comical way, and the blue gradation of the feathers in a bird’s tail looked tasteful.
“Hum, excuse me. Can I buy this too?”
“You’re going to buy it? Do you have children?”
“I’ll read it myself.”
The clerk laughed again, but after a moment, she made a straight face and told me that it certainly might be perfect for studying. I bought the picture book at the cash register on the first floor. Either way, it cost about 500 Sri Lankan rupees, which was about 600 Japanese yen, but in the eyes of this country’s people, that was probably quite a high price. This was a world of 10 rupees for a loaf of bread and 3 rupees for a cup of tea. Thinking like that, I could understand why there weren’t many bookstores and why there were so few people here.
You can’t eat or drink books. They’re not daily necessities either, like clothes, scissors or toothbrushes. Being able to spend money on such things as if it were obvious must be a sign of wealth. My country was all the more disagreeable for having bookstores everywhere. I’d never thought about it that way.
As I took the receipt and said, “Stūtiyi”, which was “thank you” in Sinhala, the black-haired woman smiled, looked at my face and said in Japanese, “Thank you very much. We will be awaiting your return.”
“Amazing!”
“Thanks.”
And so, she told me that her husband had been working with sheet metal in Ibaraki, Japan, for a while. Her pronunciation of the words “Ibaraki” and “sheet metal” was really good. Apparently, her husband had started up a small company with the money he had earned as an immigrant worker and was its president.
With her waving a hand at me and telling me to be careful, I left the store.
Even though it was early spring, the sunlight in Colombo felt like that of midsummer in Japan. But I was growing quite fond of this glare. Everyone walking in the streets was wearing mid-sleeves, and if they were so inclined, beach sandals too, but the humidity wasn’t as high as in Japan, so I could think that, indeed, this was also spring. The white of the temple flowers blooming along the road was refreshing as well. They reminded me just a little bit of cherry blossoms. And from this street, I could clearly see my favorite landmark.
Colombo Tower, a tower that had the lotus flower as its motif.
It was a Tokyo Tower-like landmark, not visible from my base camp, the mountain town of Kandy, and although the shape was grandiose, it was still under construction and nobody could enter it. However, one day – I didn’t know whether that would be while I was still in Sri Lanka or after I had settled somewhere else, but – I definitely wanted to climb that. I would.
May I be a little more proficient in the language of this country than I am now by then, and if possible, may I get to have small talk in the tower.
With a modest goal and a new book, I treaded the way to Saul-san’s office.
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pumpkin-stars · 3 years ago
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hi! I recently followed u and i saw that you draw. I really liked your baby Yoda drawing that says why we going so damn fast 🤣🤣
And i just wanted to ask: do u have any tips on learning how to draw?
I'm kinda learning to do it by myself (as in i look up YouTube tutorials) (i don't take classes) and i would like to know how did u find your own art style? Idk how to do that.
I've done some art in the past but not faces. I mean i did a baby Yoda one but i just like took inspiration from a baby Yoda shirt i have lol. But it's more cartoon-ish than realistic. I think that's the closest i have to an art style.
I'm still learning to draw faces (realistically) but i guess i just wanted to know what an artist can tell to a baby artist like me.
i hope u have a nice day ⭐⭐⭐
omg anon, hi!! I am still learning how to draw things myself!
I only have a trackpad on my laptop to draw with so most of my work is at least partially traced from another image (basic outline mainly, but I also take colour swatches and keep the image on a separate/hidden layer for easy reference). I've put a screenshot of an Obi Wan WIP under the cut to show what I mean.
For that Grogu art, I found a picture of Grogu in the wind and used that as a basic reference (for size/shape) and picked colours from it!
I don't think I have much of an art style, I tend to just start something and hope for the best! It's a lot of experimentation, and the airbrush/eraser tools on the program I use are my best friends (I use Sketchbook for Mac because it was free and seemed simple to use!) And it took me several goes to work out which brushes I like to use most.
As a fellow baby artist, I am in awe of other people on tumblr who might be able to help you out a little more than me (and maybe help me too)! @honestly-shite @uncle-kenobi and @yours-truly-r are all lovely people with different art styles (though there are plenty more around these parts!)
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nowoyas · 4 years ago
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Picks and Locks
A/N: Izumonth day 16! For the rest of the lineup, head over here!
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Summary: You stumble across a suspicious student from another course, apparently trying to break into a random lock. Might as well help him out, right? (support course!Izuku x reader)
Warnings: uhhhh there’s a handcuff at one point and implied bullying but that’s bout it
Word Count: 2100+
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"What are you doing?"
The question is simple—no accusations, no hostility, nothing but pure curiosity—but it still causes the boy in front of you to flinch violently, his quiet muttering cutting off in a quiet 'eep!'. His hands freeze on the padlock he's working with, and if you're not mistaken, that's a makeshift shim he's trying to wriggle into the lock.
"Are you… trying to pick that lock?"
You'd been wandering the halls of UA after classes finished for the day, having no cause to stay but not quite wanting to go home yet, only to stumble across what appears to you to be a fellow first year trying to break open the lock on a toolbox.
"I-it's not what it looks like!" he yelps, turning around with a clatter as the toolbox slips from his lap. "T-this is my toolbox, I just... Someone stole the key to the lock, so I was trying to get it open..."
The boy before you at least has the presence to look ashamed at his actions. "Sorry, I'll get out of your way."
You frown. "You're going to cut your hand using a shitty shim like that. Have you ever picked a lock before?"
His mouth hangs open, and eventually, he shakes his head. "Uh, no, I was—"
You click your tongue, sitting on the floor beside him and rifling through your bag for something. "Let me help you." When your hand closes around the leather casing, you rejoice silently, laying your lockpicking kit out beside you and pulling out a proper shim. As you begin to work it into the lock, you give the boy a solid once-over out of the corner of your eye.
He's kinda cute, in a weird, plain way. Freckles dance among the pink painting his cheeks—either he's naturally flushed, or he's blushing, you're not sure which—and unruly green curls sit atop his head. He leans in to inspect the work you're doing on his lock, brilliant green eyes taking in every movement of your hands.
You wiggle the shim as best you can, but the lock doesn't want to give. "Maybe it needs two...?" you mumble, reaching for another and sliding it down the other side of the lock. With just a bit more work, the padlock clicks open, the contents of the toolbox freed.
"Ha! Success!" you cheer, turning to hand the opened lock over to the nervously silent boy. The moment you do, you're startled by the feeling of something clicking in place around your wrist and jerking you towards him. His own wrist is jerked into place, followed by another click, and it takes you a very long moment to realize that some guy just handcuffed you to this poor, shy stranger.
"...um."
The perpetrator bolts, laughing and shouting something over his shoulder about having fun. The boy you're now attached to flinches, remaining silent; you'd be concerned for him if you weren't still processing the sudden errant handcuffing. He doesn't even seem surprised.
You wave your free hand in front of the boy's face. "Hey, are you okay? Are you used to random assholes handcuffing you to strangers?"
He flushes, flinching. The motion jerks your wrist a little. Fucker definitely cuffed you too tight. "N-no, I—sorry, you were just trying to help and—" Tears pool in the corners of his eyes.
"Woah, hey. You're okay. It's not that big a deal, right?" You flash him a reassuring smile, slowly dropping your cuffed hand to rest between the two of you. "Seriously, does that kind of stuff happen to you a lot? Do you want me to come with you to talk to a teacher? I'm sure someone will—"
"I-it's okay, really! Sorry for worrying you. H-here, I can help you carry your stuff to one of the support labs and work on getting that cuff off of you."
You work on packing up your lockpicking tools one-handed, keeping your smile present as the boy wipes his eyes. "It's no big deal! My quirk lets me manipulate metal with enough concentration. I can take a look at it real fast." You concentrate on the metal at hand (or wrist, in this case), trying to morph it enough to release your wrist...
...
.....
"Um. So that's an issue."
"W-what is?"
"Either these aren't metal, or my quirk's broken."
He peers at the handcuffs again, face going pale. "Oh no. I recognize these..."
You tilt your head, finally managing to get your lockpicking kit into your bookbag. "Elaborate?"
"I made them," he admits, though he doesn't look too pleased. "They're quirk-reducing cuffs. A prototype. Come on, I'm going to have to disassemble them if Saionji-kun still has the keys."
"'Quirk-reducing'?" you question as he leads you to an unfamiliar part of the school. "Not quirk-cancelling?"
"N-no, um, so... Some people have quirks that severely alter their bodies, right? In some cases, they just look different from normal. But some quirks cause their users to produce stuff that could be really harmful to them if their quirk got completely cancelled, like if they naturally have glass in their body, or maybe they naturally produce a chemical that's normally dangerous to other people. I-I'm trying to develop cuffs that restrain the wearer without potentially severely harming them if they have a quirk like that."
Your eyes light up. "I see! That's a really good point! How far along are these, compared to what you're going for?"
"Well... I'm still fine-tuning them," he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right now, I've managed to find an alternate method of quirk cancellation than the cuffs already on the market, and I'm trying to see how much I can scale it back while still effectively subduing a villain."
He stops and maneuvers the door to the lab open, sparing you a glance. "I-it might be a little loud, Hatsume-san's inventions tend to be a bit... explosive."
The teacher, a shirtless man with some weird fucking helmet on his head, spares the two of you a questioning look as you enter. The boy leads you over. "U-um, I know I haven't put in a request to use the lab after hours today, b-b-but, um, it's kind of an emergency..." He bows, raising your linked wrists.
The teacher scoffs. "How'd you end up cuffed like that?"
The boy stiffens. "Um! Y-y-you see, it was an accident, a-and I lost the k-key, and—"
You raise an eyebrow, but for now, you remain silent. Maybe he's just shy, and that dude really was his friend playing a prank. "I'm really clumsy, Sensei," you lie, bowing as best you can while your wrist is still cuffed to his. "I was helping him with a broken lock and I messed with his cuffs without asking and tripped, and we have no idea where the key is."
"Well, I can't very well let you kids be stuck together. Have at it, just don't blow anything up or touch anything, even if it doesn't look like it'll explode."
You nod, and the boy leads you by the hand to a free workbench. You set his toolbox on the table in front of you, and he somehow managed to wrangle his arm around until you're stretched across the table. Helpfully, you push the toolbox within his reach. 
The boy sets to work immediately, lower lip sticking out in a pout as he begins searching for the right tools. "I-I'm sorry again, about all this."
"Don't be. So, you're a support course student?"
He nods, something like pain in his eyes. "Yeah."
"You don't seem very happy about it," you observe. Maybe you're more alike than you thought. 
The boy doesn't respond for a moment. When he does, it's so quiet you almost don't hear it over the noises of... Whatever the hell that pink-haired girl is doing in the background.
"I guess I'm not."
You frown. He looks wounded at his own words, intently focusing on unscrewing the cuff on his wrist as though his eyes aren't shining at the admission.
"I know I'm a total stranger, but you've got my wrist, you know. I can lend an ear, too, if you ever wanna talk."
He flinches like he's wounded at your offer, the motion jerking your wrist and torso unfairly. You wince as your chest hits the bench. "Ah! S-sorry, sorry! I just... I'm not used to people offering stuff like that. I wouldn't want to trouble you."
"I won't force you, but I think we might be similar. I'm not where I want to be either."
His eyes flicker to study your face before concentrating on the cuffs. "You're not?"
"Nah. I hurt my wrist pretty bad the day of the entrance exam and didn't perform half as well as I could have. I don't even know if I would have made it into the hero course if I were at my best, but now I'll never know, y'know?"
He swallows, nods. "What course are you in now?"
"I ended up in General Studies," you admit sheepishly. "I'm going to try to transfer into the hero course if I can, but in the meantime I feel like I'm missing out on so much. It fucking sucks."
He flinches, the screwdriver slipping from its drive from the motion. "I couldn't make it into the hero course either," he admits quietly. "It's always been my dream, but..." The boy falls silent, re-slotting his screwdriver and finally managing to unscrew the piece of his cuff that he was working on.
You frown. "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you going to try to transfer, or...?"
He shakes his head. "I should have given up years ago."
"Hey, don't say that! I'm sure you'd be a great hero. I think people who can build stuff like these cuffs are pretty amazing too, though. I don't have the mind for this stuff. Pretty much all I'm good at is fighting."
He shoots you a pained smile as he finally frees his wrist from the cuff, moving to disassemble the cuff on your wrist now that both his hands are freed. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew me. Thanks, though. For trying to be nice."
You frown. "I'm serious! You're kinda timid, but you seem really nice. You can train to fight, but you can't teach someone compassion."
"It doesn't matter," he insists, and you swear you see a stray tear slip down his cheek. "I'm quirkless. E-even... Everyone's always said I can't be a hero like that, and they're right."
"What the fuck" leaves your mouth before you can even think about it. "That's so shitty! Who the hell's going around saying rude shit like that?"
He blinks in shock. "It's... not that big of a deal. I'm used to that sort of thing, so..."
"You shouldn't be," you frown. "It's not right or fair."
Your words don't seem to help the boy at all. He simply turns back to working on your cuff in silence with a sad look on his face. 
"If you ever decide you want to try to transfer, I could use a training buddy?" you offer, angling yourself awkwardly to pull out your phone and slide an empty contact over to him. "Or, you know, if you just want to talk. I don't really have a lot of friends in general studies, or at all, so, um."
The boy's face flushes. "Y-you, um, yeah! Sure! Sounds great, let me, um—" He pops off the piece holding the cuff in place on your wrist, allowing it to finally come loose and free your wrist. Just as fast, he's shakily entering his name and number into your phone. "—I uh, I never got your name," he admits quietly, words almost lost beneath the noise of the support lab.
You flush. "Oh! I'm so sorry, god, no wonder I struggle to make friends. [full name], it's good to meet you! Thanks for helping get the cuff off me, and uh. If you want, I can tell off that guy who stole your key and stuff for you?"
"Oh, no, that's r-really okay!" the boy yelps, sliding your phone back over to you. "M-My name's Midoriya Izuku. Thanks for helping me with my lock earlier."
"No, don't mention it! I should be getting home soon, but I'll text you, alright?" You roll your wrist, rubbing at where the cuff had dug into the skin slightly. Now that you're free, you slip your bookbag back onto your back, grab your phone, and give the Midoriya boy a little wave on your way out.
He watches you go, rubbing his own wrist with flushed cheeks.
Maybe it's worth giving transferring at least one shot, he thinks. If for no other reason than to have an excuse to train with you.
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Tags: @tooloudarts​ @sapid-rose​ @xxangelpridexx​ @birds-have-teeth​ @icythotsenpai​ @warmchoccymilk​ @wesparklebitch​ @izoodles​ @fujimoribaby​ @my-bnha-things​ @denise-the-death-goddess​ @themerpenguin​ @sincerebubbles​ @fudobaby​
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bregee13 · 3 years ago
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A New Home
It wasn't before long until the Raposa family wandered into the snowy fields. At first the snow barely dusted the grass beneath their feet, but eventually the snow became almost knee deep. It was a good thing Polly thought of bringing blankets with them. Even then, the three wished they had the time to change into warmer clothing. 
Polly, while squeezing her dad's arm for support, shivered uncontrollably. "D-dad??? Why did-didn't we u-use the S-snow G-gate...?" 
Nixie, who was also freezing, couldn't help but glare at her husband. "That's a g-good question, Polly! Bobby, why DIDN'T we use the snow g-gate?" 
"Nghh..." 'How's this my fault? Movin dis way was YOUR idea...' As much as Bob wanted to say it out loud, he was much too tired to butt heads. Besides, after trudging through the snow for that long, you almost HAD to blame somebody. Though, if he didn't say anything, Nixie would freeze him to death before any snow could. "Well, if we w-went through the snow gate, we could've walked right i-into darkness. A-and dat wouldn't be fun, would it?" 
Nixie, who was starting to remember her plan, felt her cheeks flush a little more than they already were. Though embarrassed, she welcomed the extra warmth on her face.
"B-but.... Why did-didn't we go to th-the dock?? A-and r-ride a boat somewhere?" Polly asked, hoping asking more questions would distract her from the cold. 
Her mother shook her head. "N-no... We couldn't have done that. The d-darkness might've covered the dock by then..." 
"M-might've!?! Y-you didn't k-know?!" 
"I...I... Um... f-figured there wouldn't be any more boats sailing to and from there anyway... With all this darkness, of course... Of course...." 
"Th... That... s-sounds..." Polly tried to call her mom out on her poor excuse, but she was just too frozen to speak. 
"Dat sounds like a c-cra... crummy excuse, N-Nix.." 
Nixie turned her head toward Bob in confusion. "Wh...what? Are you saying, Bobby?" 
Bob stared off into the distance. He longed to go back home and sleep in the warmth of his bed, but he knew that was impossible. "D-dere was no h-harm in checkin first... Ya k-knew dere was a chance of esc-cape dere.... W-what the Rapo stopped ya...?"
"Oh... U-um... You know, um..." 'Well, you didn't bother to check either! Why blame me...?' It took a moment for Nixie to regain some of her composure. She knew she was the only one planning anything out, and that Bob likely didn't even think of checking the docks in the heat of the moment. She actually thought about leaving the village by boat many times. But the one thing that stopped her every time was her fear. "...E-even if there was a way.... Th-there's no way to know what to expect... The o-other villages might be worse off than where we w-were.... There's no way... There's no way...." While she did fear the darkness in other villages, she did have one other small fear that she was afraid to admit. She was scared of returning to her parents after going missing for so long. 'Only Creator knows how those two would react...' 
"...Y-ya got a point.... I haven't h-heard from Jack in a real long time... H-Hope he and the folks are alright in Lavasteam... N-nice.... hot..... L-Lavasteam...." 'Rapo... This snow is messin with our heads n' makin us lookin all ridiculous!'
Bob looked back toward Polly. She hadn't spoken for a while now, which was odd for her. On top of that, she was moving at a snail's pace, slowing everyone down as a result. "Polly? Ya doin okay?" 
"..." Polly, shaking rapidly, fully relied on her father's arm for support. She had a hard time gathering her words and saying them out loud. She felt horrible. "D-dad....." She cried. "I...I can't feel my legs......." 
"Dat can't be good.... Hang on..." Bob walked up to Nixie and handed her the clothes he was carrying. "Hold dis for a s-sec?" 
"O-oh... Of... Of course..." 
Bob then proceeded to lift Polly off the ground, and carry her in his arms. "Urk!" 'She's heavier than I remember!' "It's okay... you're o-okay... Y-you you're gonna be okay, okay?" He tried to reassure her, but it only seemed to make everything worse. 'Oh Creator, she's real cold....' As worried as Bob was, he knew he couldn't show too much concern. For all he knew, it would just jinx everything. "...Y-Ya got uhh... Um... Bangle with ya? Ah! I..! I m-meant...! B....Bon...Go?" 
Polly, squeezing her stuffed friend in her arms, didn't even bother to correct her dad. Though the fact that he caught the mistake on his own really meant a lot to her. "Mhmm..." 
"G-good. Dat's good... "
Nixie took the clothes that were handed to her and covered her daughter with them as if they were extra blankets. "There. H-hope that will help s-somehow..." 
"Th-thank thank you..." 
The three silently continued on their journey through the snow. The bitter wind brushed their cheeks. Eventually, the snow began to die down, and the air was less stiff. The knee-high snow turned into mere frost. Needless to say, everyone was relieved. The ice life is NOT a nice life.
The wide open snow fields slowly turned into a chilly forest. The trees were of a purplish hue and had seemingly no end to them. It was clear that they had entered the forest gate region. 
Bob, now getting tired of carrying her around, set Polly down by one of the many trees. "There ya go. Are ya feelin any better?" 
Polly slowly nodded. "Y-yeah." 
Nixie leaned down to feel Polly's arm. "She's still really cold..." She turned to her husband. "What should we do now?" 
Bob looked up at the sky. Even after all that time, was just as gray as it was before. "We gotta get some shelter. Can't rest out in da open..." 
"Where are we going to find this shelter, anyhow?" 
"We're gon have to build it from scratch... Don't expect nothin fancy, I don't got no tools to work with." 
"That's fine... But..." She looked down at Polly before returning her gaze to Bob. "Are you going to be alright by yourself?" 
Bob tried to reassure her with a smile. "I'll be good on my own. Don't worry bout me. Just worry bout her." 
"...Okay. Just be back soon." 
"I will." Bob stepped back from his family and got to work.
Now, Bob may be a carpenter, but he wasn't exactly experienced in wilderness survival. Lucky for the three Raposa, he managed to put a small shelter together out of branches and leaves. And for the restrictions he had, it was relatively spacious. Just big enough for everyone to lay in comfortably. 
Nixie had Polly wrapped up in her arms. "How are you feeling, baby? Are you warmer now?"
Polly yawned. "Yeah. I'm okay. I think Bongo's a little tired though. Are you tired, Bongo?" 
"..." 
"Yeah... He's pretty tired..." Polly's eyes had grown heavy from the exhausting journey she had been through. 
Nixie, who was tired as well, softly chuckled to herself. "It seems that you're tired too. How about we get ready for bedtime?" 
"Yeah… Okay." Polly stretched. 
"Are you well enough to get up on your own?" 
"I think so..." Polly slowly started to get up off of the ground. Although her legs were a little wobbly from sitting too long. 
Nixie reached out for her daughter in an attempt to stable her. "Are you alright?!" 
"I'm okay! I'm okay! My legs are just sleepy." 
"Come on, I'll help you over there." Nixie had her arm wrapped around Polly's body, helping to guide her to the makeshift home Bob had made. "Bobby! Is the shelter finished over there?" 
Bob looked back at his wife, and sighed. "It's 'bout as done as it's gonna get... Hope it works just fine." 
"It looks wonderful. Why don't you take a break and get some rest? It's been quite a long day." 
"It is gettin pretty late, huh? Alright. I'll take a breather." 
"That's what I wanted to hear! Besides, a good sleep in there will make the perfect test for the structure you made." 
"That's true..." 
Polly pulled her mother's arm toward the shelter. She was starting to get cranky from a lack of sleep. "Mooom... C'mon! We gotta go to bed! Bongo's really really tired!"
"Alright, Polly! Settle down! We're on our way. Why don't you go on ahead and get ready for dreamland?" Nixie suggested.
"Okay..." Polly yawned. "G'night...." She squeezed Bongo in her arms, and stepped inside. 
Nixie glanced at her husband. "We should follow her." 
Bob nodded. "Yeah, I guess we should..."
The two stepped inside the structure. The dirt floor was covered in a bedding of grass and leaves, which in turn was covered by the largest blanket they had brought. It was cozy to say the least.
Polly was already laying down, curled up underneath her very own blanket. She held onto her doll as tightly as she could. Her eyes were shut. As far as Nixie and Bob could tell, she was already fast asleep.
“She looks so peaceful…” Nixie whispered.
“That didn’t take very long at all, huh?”
“That journey must have drained all of the energy from her. I don’t believe I blame her.”
“Poor Polly… I sure hope all dat snow didn’t leave her sick…”
“I hope so too. She didn’t seem to be all that ill, just tired. ...I have faith that she’ll turn out alright."
Bob sighed. “Rapo, what’d we do to deserve any of this? We lost nearly everythin, and now we gotta live in this… this… whatever this is!”
“You’re the one who built the shack… I don’t see why you’re the one complaining.” Nixie mumbled.
“...What was that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s fine.” Nixie clearly sounded annoyed. “It’s not a permanent solution, anyhow… We’re not staying too long.”
“...Are you insulting my work?”
“Bobby, please.”
“No no, I get it. I understand! I don’t wanna live here either! Who the Rapo would? In fact, it’s so awful dat any normal Raposa would rather sleep outside on the dirt and die!”
“We may as well be…” Nixie muttered.
“Excuse me?! I worked real hard to set this up! All by myself with no tools, no help of any kind, and you’re talkin to me like that?! A lil while ago, you said it was fantastic. I worked the best that I could under these circumstances, and now you’re mad it ain’t good enough?!” 
“Bobby, you know that isn’t what I meant.”
“Really? What else could you have meant by that?! I don’t understand anything you’re saying, Nix! First you said one thing, then you say the opposite? I don’t understand at all...” Bob crossed his arms and hung his head low. His eyes were starting to water in frustration. “...Explain to me, Nix. What’s wrong? What’d I do wrong? What the Rapo did I do to you to make you insult me like dat?!”
“Rapo, you didn’t do anything! Nothing is wrong! Why would you come to the conclusion that everything is your fault?! What the Rapo do you even think you did?”
“I-I dunno… I was just askin you that! Ya can’t just say ‘nothin is wrong’ right after complaining your rear off to me!”
“Well maybe I’m just feeling a little peeved.”
“Peeved?!”
“Of course I’m peeved! I didn’t want this! I didn't want to be forced out of my home, I didn’t want to have to worry about whether or not we’ll make it out of this okay, and I surely didn’t want you to yell at me!”
“Yell at ya?! Nix, you’re da one dat started it!”
“Bobby, what the Rapo are you talking about? I didn’t start anything! You just got mad at me out of nowhere!”
“Out of- What?! I-I would never do dat to you! I would never yell or get mad at you for no reason!”
“Then why are you yelling at me right now then?”
“B-because... I’m mad because you insulted me!” He began to cry. “I’m mad because you decided to be mean at me for no reason! I’m mad… because I don’t understand why you would do that…”
“Bobby?”
“That… that really hurt, Nix… Why would you go and do that?”
“Bobby… I… I’m so sorry.” She gently lifted his chin up so she could see his face better. “I’m sorry.”
Bob looked at her and sniffled. “I don’t understand, Nix. I-I know it ain’t the best I’ve done, but you ain’t gotta be mean about it…”
“I wasn’t trying to be mean to you… I… I was just frustrated. And I ended up saying the wrong thing… I know that wasn’t right for me to snap like that, but… I’m sorry…”
“I know you’re sorry… I know you’re just stressed out. Dat just… really got to me for some reason. I-I’m sorry I overreacted.”
“Bobby… You didn’t overreact. It’s okay. It’s my fault for upsetting you.” She sighed. “We’re both just... frazzled from all of this. I understand.”
“...I forgive ya Nix. I know ya didn’t mean what you said.” He faintly smiled for a moment. “But… There’s somethin I don’t understand. Why’d ya say it looked good earlier? I don’t get it.”
“...You want me to be honest? I... was trying to be polite. I didn’t want something like this to happen. Especially not in front of Polly. ...Wait a minute. Polly!” She turned around to face Polly, hoping that she was fast asleep and didn’t hear anything they said.
Polly, who was watching the entire time, hid under her blanket once she got caught. ‘Rapo! She saw me!’ She then pretended to be sleeping, hoping that she wasn’t in trouble.
Nixie sighed and turned back to her husband. “We really need to pull ourselves together, don’t we?”
Bob nodded. “If I were her, I wouldn’t want my folks arguing over nothin… I’d want em to be happy. I’d wanna be sure that it’s all gonna be okay. ...We gotta do better for her.”
“You’re right. From now on, we have to stay positive. No matter what happens.”
“Of course. We gotta set an example. It’s what Polly deserves. It’s what Hunter deserves too.”
“...Yeah.”
“...I wonder if Hunter’s doin alright. Maybe… Maybe he’s alive somehow?”
“I don’t want to talk about Hunter...”
“Alright, I understand.”
The two stood there for a moment in awkward silence. With all the chaos in their lives, it had been a long time since either of them found a moment of joy. When Hunter disappeared, arguments began to take his place. And with each new horrible event, it just kept getting worse. And that was something nobody wanted.
The two couldn't help but get lost in thought. They truly wanted to set a good example for Polly and be positive, but where would they even begin? It wasn't like there were many positives that came to mind. But neither of them wanted to go to sleep on a negative note, so the two thought in silence.
"...Our anniversary is tonight, ain't it?" Bob broke the silence.
"It is? I didn't know that... Are you sure?"
"Sure I am! I mean, don't ya feel it in the air?"
"...Do you even know what the current date is, Bobby?"
"Ah... No, but you don't know either! It's close enough, ain't it? Besides, dates don't matter now anyway!"
"Well, you're not wrong!" Nixie laughed.
"...You remember when we first met?" Bob reminisced. "You didn't have a home for yourself, and I let ya stay with me."
Nixie smirked. "Oh, how could I forget? It was obvious you fell for me the moment I met you."
"I was, huh?"
She nodded. "...You know, Bobby, it's funny. I feel as homeless as I felt that very day."
"Oh really?"
"Oh~! Mr. Builde, I have been left abandoned and homeless! May I stay here in your fine home~? Only for a short while~!"
"Oh! Are ya sure you want to stay in this shack of mine?"
"Bobby, please. I don't want to start that again."
"Hey, I'm just stating facts here! And to be honest, our home at the time wasn't that much better than this shed. "
"Oh Bobby, stop being so hard on yourself. Come on, why won't you let me inside your cozy home~?"
"Ah.. I dunno~" He blushed. "I think it'd be more romantic out under the stars~" He leaned in for a kiss.
"Bobby! No!" Nixie laughed. "It's too cold out! Besides, the stars disappeared a long time ago!"
"Ah, c'mon Nix! Can't we pretend there's stars?" He smirked. "It'd be just like that one romantic time we had in twilite years back~"
She flushed a bright red. "B-Bobby!" She hid her face and laughed out of embarrassment. 
"Oh... I uh... I didn't mean it like that!" Bob blushed from embarrassment himself. "Just... We were so in love back then... I miss it, Nix."
"Bobby..." Nixie held Bob's hands in hers, and smiled. "You know that never went away. We're just... going through obstacles. It's normal. ...Though I admit these latest obstacles are far more extreme than anyone could anticipate."
"That's true, this ain't exactly something I expected to deal with." Bob kissed her hands. "But we just gotta tackle these problems head on, huh?"
Nixie nodded. "We just have to stick together from here on out."
"I can handle that." Bob looked back at Polly, who was asleep for real this time, and turned back to Nixie. "You ready to hit the hay?"
"I'm not sure..." She said, hesitant. "Something doesn't feel right. Maybe it's only my nerves, but..."
"...Ya scared?"
"...A little. I mean, what if something shows up while we sleep and... makes us sleep for good?"
"That's not gonna happen. I won't allow it."
"Bobby, I'm serious. We could get really hurt." She glanced over at Polly. "...Or worse."
"Well I'm serious too. I'll stay up and keep watch for anythin that'll go bump in the night."
"No, you need sleep. Especially after you've done so much..."
"You done a bunch too though." Bob pondered for a moment. "Alright, why don't we take turns then?"
"...That could work. But what if-?"
"Hey, no 'what if's! Just go and get some sleep. I'll watch first." He yawned.
"You know, I'm not that tired." She said before yawning herself. "I think you should rest while I watch first."
"Nah, I've already made up my mind. I'm watching first."
"After all that labor? Aren't you being stubborn? Let me watch."
"Nix. Remember we said no fighting over nothin."
Nixie looked at the ground, ashamed. "...Yes. You're right, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry 'bout it. Now go get sleep. The sooner ya do, the sooner my shift starts. And the sooner my shift starts, the sooner it ends."
"Alright." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you again soon. Love you."
Bob blushed. "Love ya too hun."
Nixie walked further into the shelter, checking her sleeping daughter before laying down to sleep herself.
The two followed through with their agreement and took turns keeping watch while the other slept. Nothing posed threat to them then.
Bongo was held tight in Polly's loving arms. It had been absorbing as much energy as it could, but it knew it only had a fraction of the energy needed to reach it's goal of a long life. 
Luckily, Bongo managed to absorb a massive amount of energy a few months back. It wasn't near enough to reach it's goal, but it was just enough for it to go and seek enough. 
Bongo had been waiting patiently and desperately for the opportunity to fully feed off it's host, but no good opportunities presented themselves. It wouldn't dare risk everything with other Raposa present. If it failed, it would waste it's precious energy. And if the Raposa found out what Bongo was made to do, it could get destroyed. So Bongo needed to be as careful as possible. 
It quickly scanned the area, checking if it's opportunity finally arrived. 
It knew there was no longer a town of Raposa to potentially catch it, but Polly's parents were still there. 
Bongo considered making it's move while the parents slept, but it would be far too high risk considering how protective they were. And with the new environment, the two were more high alert than usual. 
Bongo knew the only chance it had at draining it's host would be when Polly was all alone. 
Bongo rested once more. It couldn't drain itself now. 
The waiting game wasn't over yet. And Bongo knew if it played its cards right, it would surely win.
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generallybrontidefeelings · 3 years ago
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He Smells like Petrichor
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Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Pairing: Din Djarin/female reader
Five times the Mandalorian is a protective caretaker to the kid and you, and one time you protect them both.
Rating: T
Warnings: a mild concussion, the Razor Crest not having it, fluff
Thirty-seven solar cycles since you left your home world and everything about the Razor Crest is a surprise. The power lines are messy and corroding, the electrical work is shoddy. The schematic you’d asked the Mandalorian for isn’t comprehensive at all, and you’d privately made it your project to take every chance you set down dirt-side to re-write the manual.
Well. Write the manual.
The green kid loves it. He sits in your lap and happily holds cables you hand him until you’re done cataloguing and ready to re-connect them. It’s grueling, but talking out-loud to the green bean helps stave off your exhaustion. He loves to be held and talked to. You’re happy to hold him against your hip and oblige.
You have no idea if your inquiries to the baby about the ship’s guts bother the Mandalorian. You hardly see him anyway.
He’s a predator, and he acts like it. You never see him sleep. He hunts for hours and brings back bodies walking or dragging-it doesn’t seem to matter to him. You do your part to keep the ship flying and take care of the kid, and leave him food on the dashboard or in the recessed cot he shares with the kid. Sometimes after a long hunt he comes and takes your work buddy from you and recedes to the cockpit. You guess it's how he deals with not carrying the child on hunts anymore.
You have no idea if he eats. He must , you think, he isn’t a droid . You literally wouldn’t know that except for one time he’d shucked his gloves to cradle the kid after a particularly bad encounter with a stick bug and seen his hands. Fingernails and crevices along his knuckles. Human for sure.
There are always three bowls to clean though.
He’s been up in the cockpit for a few hours, hopefully still sleeping. You’d climbed up there to ask where his toolkit was but he didn’t respond, and the kid was trying desperately to climb out of Mando’s heavy grip. You’d sprung him and taken him downstairs to help you track some more wiring. He gratefully cooed at you for freeing him.
“Come on, snack time,” you tell him.
You like digging into the ship. It’s exciting and similar to genetics, finding what makes the organism tick, grow, change, evolve. You could get by as a mechanic, but being around green things was really your strength, and the heat of the greenhouses always made you feel better. You don’t doubt you could do a number of software and hardware updates on the ship over time if Mando let you. But you need a blueprint first.
You’ve only been working for an hour with the baby happily munching on a jerky piece in your lap when Mando’s boots make contact with the hull. You peek at him quickly before returning to your work.
“We’re dropping out of hyperspace soon. The atmosphere on this planet is dense. Could get bumpy,” he says simply. You’re used to the utilitarian way he talks. Just enough and no more. It’s just with you though. You know for a fact he talks nonsense the kid.
“Where are we?” you ask, setting your tools down and latching the box shut one-handed.
“Dagobah-”
Hyperspace falls away and deposits the Razor Crest in a gritty atmosphere, and you’re thrown side-ways at the change. Wild beeping comes from the cockpit, alarms on the navcomp system screeching to alert you something is wrong. You scoop the baby against the u-shape of your body as you try to make it to your knees on the quaking hull floor. Mando has one arm wrapped around the ladder and a boot jammed against the steel. He’s furiously clicking buttons across his vambrace and does get one beeping system to stop.
An updraft kicks the side of the ship up and you’re swearing furiously under your breath as you’re thrown down against the hatch. You hope this isn’t the day it decides to yield to atmospheric pressure whistling against it. The Mandalorian makes another complicated set of beeps in-between furious swearing that pitches the ship forward this time, throwing your curved body directly toward the cockpit opening and into the buckethead’s armor.
Your head contacts the beskar chest plate, and you hear an awful noise rip out of your throat at the impact. The Mandalorian wraps his whole arm grasping around your shoulders, your face squished against him. This kid has never been safer, you think as Mando hitches you against his ribcage. You close your eyes and taste the iron sting of blood against your lip, and between the baby cooing, Mando swearing, and the growl of the Crest encountering-that’s too nice a word, let’s call it battling-the atmosphere, you’re disoriented.
The ship clangs and pitches sideways again. You groan as the grip around you shoulder slips under your armpit and is hard as durasteel, and Mando lets out a pained grunt when your knees clank against the inside of his thighs. You want to curl up and die from embarrassment, but if you do, you’ll drop the baby, so you try to wrap an ankle around the back of his knee, and end up forcing your whole thigh against him.
Fuck  you think miserably, cheek scrunched against the harsh drop off between his chest plate and cloak.
You suck in a breath, too scared to take too much in or you’ll throw up. You close your eyes as the hull screams against the troposphere, g-forces squishing all three of you together, hot and freezing all at once. Mando pulls you tighter if that’s possible to get at his vambrace buttons. You think you’re going to scream. When the beeping finally stops, the ship slows and levels out. The Mandalorian doesn’t let go until the Crest has flown smoothly for a full 10 seconds, and you can hear him breathing deeply through the helmet filter. He releases you slowly, hands off once both feet are planted securely on the full floor. He takes the kid from you, probably to check him over himself. All you can do is hang onto the ladder and slowly, slowly slide down the wall.
It’s a sickening few moments where you’re somewhere between throwing up and passing out. You’ve traveled in space before, but never in such an old ship, and always been strapped in. This is-fucking terrifying.
“Are you hurt?” he asks. Concern laces his voice, enough to sound interested. You try to shake your head but it’s still ringing from contact with his chest plate and you end up reaching up to thumb your lip.
“I think my lip is bleeding,” you say. You can taste it’s metallic richness on your tongue tip. Running your fingers a little higher you feel the indent on your cheek from where your face was pressed into his armor.
“You’ve got a bruise on your temple too,” he tells you, gently handing the kid back to you. “I’ll find a landing site then see about the swelling.”
Once he’s back in the cockpit you move around on shaky legs to find the floating pram in the hull’s carnage. Crates are everywhere, and it takes some effort to free it from the mess. You settle the kid inside it. He keeps reaching up one wrinkly hand toward your head. Even though your stomach is in knots you start moving containers back to where they should be, anything to occupy you away from a bought with burning alive. Your head feels like it's swimming, and you’re moving a little slower than you should be.
“Any luck?” you try to call up. Landing in Dagobah can take the better part of a solar cycle, so you've heard. It’s surprising the ship sets down less than an hour later. You’ve barely moved...three crates? That doesn't seem right. For an hour? It should be done .
When Mando slides down the ladder with a medkit in hand he finds you with your hands on your hips, staring blankly at one crate that...is just too heavy to move.
“You done?” he asks, startling you out of your focused attempt to make the box move .
“I don’t understand. I moved this yesterday,” you say. You realize slowly Mando has your elbow and is guiding you to his cot to sit. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure your concussion doesn’t cause permanent damage,” he says. He jerks his head at the closet he calls a bed, and you lean back against it. “Sit, don’t lean.” You push yourself back further until you’re seated. Shoving your knees to the side with his hip, he stands blocking your escape from the cot and the med-scanner. You pull back a little when the red-blinker shines directly in your eye, but Mando’s quick and not having an argument. He grips your jaw not ungently, and proceeds to inspect your head wound. You stare directly at the spot where you think is forehead would be. He’s leaning heavily into your knees: he knows you will try to escape medical care. Or maybe he just needs something to ground against too. It wouldn't surprise you.
“I think it’s fine,” you say, tonguing the spot you can taste blood on inside your mouth.
“Beskar has been known to kill people on impact,” he replies tiredly. Like you should have known that. “Lucky for you, this is a concussion. You’ll have a bump for a while,” and to prove it he pokes a finger into your still forming egg. “This bounty should take a few hours. I suggest you turn out the lights and sleep.” He holds the cooling pack to your skull, and you reach up to hold it in place so he can release your legs and pack away the scanner.
“The kid has been cramped, he’ll want to play,” you tell him. He snaps the medkit closed and looks directly at you.
“You aren’t much use if you can’t think clearly,” he tries back. “I’ll take him with me. Might find a lizard or something to eat.”
“Mando-”
“Zip it,” he scolds. He’s gigantic in the suit of armor, and you sit dutifully still as he doles out pain medication for you to take. “Take these. Then lie down.” He watches you swallow the gel capsules down, and you sigh in relief as soon as they kick in and settle the nausea in your stomach.
“How long will you be gone?” you know he just told you.
“Few hours,” he says. He shoves a crate away with the flat of his boot and finds your crumpled bedroll on the hull floor. You obediently curl up on the non-lump side, drowsiness overtaking your body. He’s clinking around the armory. You hear the dull snap of blasters and charges.
As soon as you close your eyes, everything is quiet.
.....
The Razor Crest had landed at the vineyard’s loading docks before midday on Pamarthe. You’d heard the push against the sound barrier while in your greenhouse as your shift ended. Sweaty and satisfied with hours put in, you'd gone to meet your neighbor for a tasting of the sample blend. A newly modified vine that you’d all hoped would produce a slightly new taste in the vintage community.
You’d been giggling over the strong draft with your neighbor Anijae when you heard your shift super call your name from behind you. No thank you, you thought about saying.
“I’m off duty, Flitt” you say instead, barely turning.
Her hand clapped down on your shoulder and you almost sent your elbow reeling into their ribs. “This Mandalorian needs a guide,” she tried again testily.
You leaned back to see behind her, and sure enough a full suit of new beskar with a rifle strapped to its back and a tote lying across its shoulder stood waiting. Your brain is wine-addled and the first thing you think is big-
“You need a guide?” you ask, clearing your throat, and hoping to high stars he didn’t see you leering. He did, your second brain chimes in, he one hundred percent saw.
Following him out of the bar, you hear Anijae tell Flitt she’s a fool , and she’s not coming back, and haven’t you heard the stories ?
You led him on a safe path through quarries and rock rubble to a bunker the Rebel Alliance had used for a time, and now was regularly degraded by fugitives and tipsy patrons, who were sometimes the same life forms.
“Do you live here?” he’d asked, one of the few things he’d said the whole trip. You were both lying belly down looking over a ledge leading down into a stony gully devoid of foliage.
“My whole life,” you respond. You think for a second he can’t be that dangerous. He’s got a green critter with huge soft ears tucked in a bag behind his elbow. It reaches a little clawed hand at you. “There are housing units built into the cliff face above the greenhouses.” He tilts his helmet to the side. “Do you need anything else from me?” you asked, ready to ditch your work jumpsuit for something comfy.
He considers for a moment, and you squirm a little under the visor slit. “Yes,” he says, and removes the satchel with the kid from his person..
...and pushes it toward you.
You looked at the kid. He looked at you through big bulbous eyes, and before you can protest, he’s got a little hand tugging on your hair. You sigh and lean into his tiny hand.
“My unit is four-seventeen,” you tell Mando, scooping the baby up, and striding away. You aren’t really sure if this is a gift or a temp job, but the kid falls asleep on the walk home, and you aren’t complaining.
You took a day off of work to watch the kid. A day turns into two, and two turns into three, so you take him to the greenhouse with you for your shifts. He’s happy to walk up and down the rich soil plots, but you have to stop him from eating the pollinating lizards. A...few times.
The Mandalorian shows up late on day four. You and the baby are curled up on your couch, resting after dinner. You had had to gently uncurl the little green bean’s claws from your undershirt while handing him back over to the Mandalorian.
“What do I owe you?” Mando asks when you hand the kid back over.
“Nothing. He was fun to watch. Don’t suppose you need a full time babysitter?” you ask, half-kidding. The kid has one of your fingers wrapped in his claws. In Mando’s arms he looks itty bitty. First big , and now nanny? Get it together .
Mando lets his helmet fall to the side, considering. You feel a blush come over your cheeks, that  was too forward. “What I do isn’t safe for little ones. He seems to like you.”
“I like him too,” you say. The thought of abandoning your little apartment is very appealing all of a sudden. You can't be a wine-geneticist your whole life. “Whatever you’re doing sounds dangerous.”
“It is,” he concedes. You leap.
“Should I pack my blaster?”
“I’d advise it.”
“When do you leave?”
“Now,” he says.
Pamarthe glows violet in space.
.....
The edges of the dreamscape are disturbed by clunking boots and rifle thunks. Your dream about thick pickle-green vines and caves is shaken out of focus.
Mando’s knee sets into your blurry vision. The scrape of his glove against your bruise makes your mouth twist in pain. Who needs weapons when you can just incite enemies to head-butt you and instantly die.
Once you’re out of the atmosphere, he comes back and holds a cool pack against your head with one hand, and the snoring kid in the other. He uses your shoulder as a pivot point.
“You smell good,” you hear yourself mumble. You’re going to blame it on pain meds later, or just deny ever saying it. Forever .
“I smell like a swamp,” he rasps.
“No…” you trail off. “Like healthy dirt. Like ozone.”
“Like I said,” he says, lifting the cool pack to inspect the lump. “Swamp.”
“Was it raining outside?” you ask quietly, barely above a whisper. Your throat is parched, the pain meds must have absorbed all the water in your system. It’s a coherent sentence, and you’ll never be able to deny telling him he smells good now.
“Yes,” he answers, prodding at your forehead.
You hum and let the lull of hyperspace rock you back to sleep.
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