#but let's be real din didn't really go through that much change

[dindjarindiaries]

What if they had waited to let Din get his redemption in the last episode of The Mandalorian season 3 after retaking the planet? His character arc would've been able to grow in a really touching way.

While Din would've, of course, still bathed in the Living Waters (of his own desire), he would've had to spend time convincing the covert to help him and Bo-Katan retake the planet without either one of them being in the covert's good graces.

Din, essentially, would've had to come to terms with who he is beyond his Creed and who the rest of the COTW are without the Creed to get through to them in order to get them to aid the effort and unify with their fellow Mandalorians, despite their differences.

Think of how interesting of a story that would've been. Din bathing in the Living Waters at the end of it all then would've been a simple act of his honor, that he gave his word even as a child and intends to stick to it - but he would know he's so much more than that.

[omaano]

more rambly thoughts about weapons (this is turning out to be a long one): -the darksaber is a weapon (sword), the beskar spear is a weapon (spear) -perhaps omega lends you her bow (bow), because hades itself definitely differentiates between a gun and a bow (adamant rail/vs coronacht). alternatively (sorry for bad batch-ifying your hades au it will likely happen again), crosshair's sniper rifle. -anyway, the rail would likely be a blaster of some sort, a dc-17 maybe? as a reference to the clones? (gun) -that leaves the shield and fists, then, which--- what the heck man, why is this so hard to pull from star wars lore. uh. who's big on martial arts? the jedi, i would imagine, so maybe the fists are… hm. nothing is coming to mind re: the jedi. what IS coming to mind is two things: darth vader's gloves of force choking (idk man), and mandalorian gauntlets/vambraces (din's whistling birds?). so one of those two, maybe? (fists). WAIT. i had a thought. it is bad batch associated but you can kill me for it later. WRECKER'S GLOVES!! there we go. -shield is a bit harder--- i'm considering leaning mando for that because they're big on armour, uhhhh….. the only shields that are coming to mind aren't even mando, they're the goddamn plasma shields used in TBOBF against boba and fennec. hold up let me go reference a fic--- okay wookieepedia is giving me silandra's shield, a legendary plasma shield used during the high republic era, or a simple light-shield, used by jedi younglings in training but able to deflect lightsabers and blasterbolts. okay i am thinking light shield with an aspect of silandra! (shield)

I've been promising this answer for well over a month please forgive me for taking so long! I sadly didn't have as much time as I would have liked to spend on the Hades AU in August ^^; Thank you so much @elwinged for sharing these super insightful thoughts as well, they were amazing to read and re-read! <3

Hades AU WEAPONS - and ASPECTS

First things first, I'll admit that I haven't thought about much of these on my own, so I'm just very thrilled and excited to dig into what you'd sent me! *A* (I'm combing the weapons and aspects together, hopefully in a coherent and somewhat structured manner)

SWORD

The darksaber is a weapon

Aspects: "darksaber probably turns into several different lightsabers: obi-wan's, anakin's/vader's, luke's? maybe ahsoka?"

This is the one thing were I won't have many thoughts to add, except that this would need some workshoping (mostly because I cannot think of any sword variants that's not "just" a vibrosword (Din would probably love to change the Darksaber to something less cursed XD) - but also wouldn't it be real funny if the Darksaber was just the Darksaber? No aspects, Din got it, Din is stuck with it in that one single form, there is nothing he can do about it.

I love all your suggestions, but I think I will just stick with this one because it's too hilarious to me. The Darksaber is the Darksaber, no two ways about it, sorry Din, you're stuck with it.

SPEAR

The beskar spear is a weapon

Aspects: "beskar spear becomes maul's double-bladed saber, savage opress' spear and perhaps venestra rwoh's lightwhip?"

I really like the idea of Savage's spear, but (after some minor googling) I like the Mon Calamari blaster spear (it's not very practical on land, but... we need some variety. Plus you get access to aspects through character interaction in Hades, right? Like another character gets reminded of that aspect and such... I guess Kit could be a lead in for this one, as Maul would be with Savage's spear).

(As a tangent I've also found the Lasan bo-rifle, but goddamnit I've kept most of the Rebels influence out of this AU too, so that only gets an honorable mention here.)

There are also electrostaffs that Zygerians used, that's one sided/ended (and Rex must be (unfortunately) very familiar with them since he used one to impale that slaver at the end of the Zygerrian arc)... I'm not a 100% set on this, but the other alternative I can think about is a shock trooper's electro-staff...

Venestra's lightwhip is more of a lightsaber, I guess? (I haven't yet watched the last two episodes of The Acolyte so don't at me here) so that doesn't really track here imo.

BOW

"perhaps omega lends you her bow, because hades itself definitely differentiates between a gun and a bow (adamant rail/vs coronacht). alternatively (sorry for bad batch-ifying your hades au it will likely happen again), crosshair's sniper rifle."

I think in this case it might be better to indeed keep the differentiation between bow and blaster (even if it will probably be a lot more difficult to collect enough aspects for a bow), and so let's not bad batchify the bow just yet XD (I've been fighting very hard NOT to allow the Bad Batch into this AU, only Omega and Echo got a pass from that ban)

Aspects: "bow maybe has an aspect of crosshair (sniper rifle), chewbacca's bow-caster, and… a nightsister bow? maybe swap omega and nightsister around and have the more basic version be the base weapon"

Yes to all of those and...I'm really feeling our limitations here for a 4th option because all i found was the Ewok's bow and arrow. So how about we downgrade a little to the energy slingshot that Ezra has in the beginning of Rebels?

RAIL

"anyway, the rail would likely be a blaster of some sort, a dc-17 maybe? as a reference to the clones? (gun)"

I suppose it is a better question if this is a handblaster or more of a sniper rifle. I don't know the rail all that much because for the life of me I cannot make it work (I don't remember how I managed to make a single successful run with it in the first place... so I don't remember how it works in-game) since Din has a variation of those on his person at all times. So the "rail" either stands in for the Amban Rifle, or the handblaster at his hip.

(I'll veto the DC-17 since that was nominated as Rex's keepsake, so let's not confuse those two, yeah?)

Aspects: "rail has an aspect of padme (she's my GIRL), ezra's bow-lightsaber monstrosity, and perhaps leia's blaster? feel like that's quite similar to padme's though… we'll workshop it"

I was thinking that Crosshair's rifle would fit better here (both Omega and Fennec can hint at access to that?), Ezra's lightsaber-blaster combination is a genius thing, no badmouthing that horrible creation, I love that! :D and sure, I guess Padme's little screwdriver looking blaster pistol can also be an aspect?

FISTS

"[...]what IS coming to mind is two things: darth vader's gloves of force choking (idk man), and mandalorian gauntlets/vambraces (din's whistling birds?). so one of those two, maybe? (fists). WAIT. i had a thought. it is bad batch associated but you can kill me for it later. WRECKER'S GLOVES!! there we go."

Aspects: "fists.. .maybe they start out as din's whistling birds, then aspect of wrecker, vader and…. boba (flamethrower)? i also just read about mandalorian crushgaunts (beskar reinforced gloves) which could also be the base, and swap out whistling birds for boba?"

The basic weapon can be a Mandalorian gauntlet (but the whistling birds I was planning to keep for the Cast attack, since it's with Din at all times, and so are his vambraces. I couldn't think of any other long-range weapon on his person that wouldn't become a changable thing with all these other weapons. Plus there is also a limit to how many times and how fast you can fire those, so I think that tracks alright) But I can get behind the others... I don't remember what's up with Wrecker's gloves, but I do seem to remember Black Krrssantan (sorry for any spelling mistakes) having his electric knuckle dusters that can also pack a punch.

SHIELD

"shield is a bit harder [...] the only shields that are coming to mind aren't even mando, they're the goddamn plasma shields used in TBOBF against boba and fennec. [...] or a simple light-shield, used by jedi younglings in training but able to deflect lightsabers and blasterbolts."

Aspects : "shield-- aspect of silandra (a legendary plasma shield used during the high republic era), uhhhhh OOH obi wan's saber because soresu, and. uh. enfys nest's gauntlets? they're technically gauntlets, as titled, so they could be slotted in as an aspect of fists, but they fan out to be mini shields, so…."

Mandalorians can have a small shield of their own (as seen on Paz and Bo-Katan both), so that's good for base, with and aspect of Silandra, and Enfys Nest (that's made of beskar plates too, isn't it?)... and like what could be the last one. The idea of Soresu is absolutely hilarious (mostly because Din would be so bad at it ,so it would also track as a legendary aspect, considering how those are supposed to be more tricky to use?) but also like. What if it's just Din's beskar armor turned up to 11? XD I really have nothing better here ^^;

[oonajaeadira]

ADIRA DID U WATCH THE FIRST EP OF TLOU

Hey there, frand!

I didn't actually play the game--I am not really good at games that require a lot of stealth and aim. Add in a horror element and I lock up real hard. But my SO played it and I watched a good portion of that. And then when I heard Pedro got the role I watched the cut scenes. @something-tofightfor clued me in that a lot of the story actually takes place during the gameplay, that there's a lot of things said or done that really cement the characters' bond, so I watched an entire playthrough. (I also watched a TLOU II playthrough, but I have a lot of issues with it, so if I ever write fic, that second one will not exist for me.)

So I knew what was going on. And it's been really fun having folks around me at all levels of experience with these characters. The SO has spent hours with them in the game (and I believe he's played it twice), and my BFF knows almost nothing. Hearing both of their reactions to the first episode has been very interesting. And, of course, knowing how much this show overlaps loves for Rachael (something-tofightfor) and watching her enjoy this all come to life has been a fkn joy.

My own reaction? Has been puzzling. Thank you for asking my opinion, because it gives me a moment to dissect and figure out why I'm feeling the way I am.

I will start off by saying that I love the show. I love the aesthetic and the acting. I love the changes they made and think there are some clever enhancements to the story. I wasn't looking forward to Tess but I am surprised at how much I love her character in this show and how much her character enhances both Joel and Ellie's. Bella of course is brilliant and is Ellie.

Weirdly, the issue I'm having is with Pedro. Kind of.

(cut for minor spoils)

He is rocking it. He is amazing. Like everyone says, he is doing award-worthy work.

But I'm not connecting. I'm not falling in love. And I can't figure out why.

Possibility: this is the first time I've gotten to witness so much behind the scenes stuff while the show was being filmed while I was also a fan that maybe I'm having trouble separating Pedro the actor from Joel the character.

Possibility: I've been waiting so long for this that nothing can possibly match the expectations I've built up.

Possibility: Maybe I should have gone in with less knowledge and let myself be moved organically.

Possibility: I knew that they'd have to make Joel more vulnerable, but I didn't realize just how very broken this version of him would be. And it makes me S A D. Maybe because we saw so much of him in 2003 that the hard switch to this very numb man holding onto his pain feels so far beyond the reach of the heart that I can't find a softness foothold in him and I just slide off him. At least game Joel had the tiniest bit of confidence and sparkle at the beginning--and he needed to be that in order to move through the game. But Pedro's Joel is just barely surviving. And it hurts. And it's brilliant.

And it's this last possibility--if I know myself--that I'm assuming. Because I know what's coming. And I know that Ellie will wear away at that numb exterior and reveal those footholds. Just like Din, Pedro's gonna start us off with someone impenetrable and then show cracks under stress, cracks that let the light through. Just like Din, I will find Joel amazing and compelling at first, someone I love to watch but don't hook into...until the armor comes off and the heart is revealed and then I'm gonna fall really R E A L L Y hard.

And this may be why I'm not drawn to any of the fanfic just yet. I am a soft, soft girl and I can't just go straight to the sex. Especially not the hard sex. I am not someone that wants a dude to treat me rough and dominate me or treat me like a toy or object, I don't want to be the receptacle for hate or anger or pure stress relief without emotional connection. Nor can my heart handle pure, concentrated angst without the possibility of it paying off toward a happy or hopeful ending. (SPOILER: Yes, I know where this show is going, and I still find emotional hope and happiness in the ending. It counts.) And the Joel we know right now seems built for those preferences. To all those writers and readers, I am beyond thrilled for you because fk, Joel is Fertile Ground™. (This is kind of the opposite of me just rolling in the soft gold that Javi G gave us 😂)

But I do love that this Joel is custom built for a more mature girl and reader characters of his age range. I will echo Rachael's opinions that with his paternal instincts toward very young women, I don't think he's an age-gap kind of guy. And neither will he put up with anything less than common sense. And I find that very, very attractive.

What I can't fall in love with is someone devoid of emotion or someone saturated only with sorrow. My heart isn't built that way.

Thankfully, I know that Joel will evolve.

And I really really can't wait to see the scene that opens up and swallows me. That's what I'm excited for. This series has expanded on the story and adjusted Joel just enough that I don't know when that's going to happen or how intensely....and I'm so looking forward to it.

In that way, it's not a problem at all. I kind of love that I'm not falling for Joel just because it's Pedro.

And I think that is the stamp on his talent. That even thought I love our boy, he has done such a phenomenal job at bringing me away from that love and back to the starting line with Joel, starting his character not at an easy place where we love him already, but one that has to be earned.

I think....I think Pedro might break me really hard with this one....

Okay. I'm gonna go cry now.

[cagedchoices]

Hiiii I'm really sorry to bother you but I noticed on your old blog you used to have a rule that said not to treat your character like Jesse Pinkman. I think I get why its a concern but I'm wondering why it doesn't say that anymore and also I'm curious to know about what you think the differences between Caleb and Jesse are

omg ok first of all bb, you are certainly not bothering me by asking questions. i appreciate being asked thank you 🥰

secondly uh, i removed that disclaimer from my rules bc i felt like i didn't really need it anymore. it does still apply but i really only had it up bc when i was still fairly new to writing caleb i would get a lot of anons making br.ba jokes. so naturally there would be a lot of people pretending to be fuckin walter white in my inbox trying to tell caleb "let's cook" and like "jesse stop screwing around with robots and get back to work" and shit and like. yeah it's a fun little joke. ONCE. 😬

when you're seeing it multiple times a day/week it loses charm real quick. so i decided to be kinda petty about it and be like 'y'all know that caleb is NOT jesse right?' and i did two things. i flat out stopped responding to br.ba anons and i added that warning to my rules. and it seemed like it worked! i stopped getting flooded and my inbox was allowed to know peace again. but like i said, i don't think i really need it anymore because it should just be kind of a given, right? i mean i'm sure this has happened to other people before and will continue to happen bc that's the internet and unfortunately some people have no concept of boundaries and others just struggle with understanding that they might be making someone uncomfortable without intending to.

but like. to think of a popular example which i'm sure has happened before and will surely happen in the future i just think of a mun who writes joel from the last of us and maybe they like using pedro pascal's portrayal and they enjoy using him as an fc. now imagine that rper getting an inbox filled with anon messages treating joel as totally indistinguishable from the mandalorian. telling him he's gotta go find grogu or asking him why he abandoned his son for ellie or something along those lines. there are some GLARING differences between joel miller and din djarin. they're clearly not the same character.

so it might be funny to the person sending the messages and they're probably just having fun like. i'm sure they don't mean anything bad by it. but lemme tell ya, it's not as much fun to the mun on the receiving end. and in my case it sent me into a lil bit of a writer crisis like 'oh fuck is caleb nichols just a carbon copy of jesse pinkman is that how other people i write with see him?? what can i do to make him stand apart and be different without pulling him away from westworld canon too much??'

so anyway that's the rant over with. to answer the second half of this, caleb and jesse are different people. they just are. they do have a lot in common ranging from appearance to basic personality traits to the way they use body language, but they aren't completely the same. they come from different backgrounds which were influenced by various different factors.

jesse is more creative, he's an artist at heart and he has an artist's mindset and that's a kind of freedom to him. he expresses himself mainly through aesthetics. he draws, he wears a colorful wardrobe that really makes him stand out, the first time walter tells him that cooking crystal is chemistry jesse argues back that it is art and he has his signature style and he resents that walt forces him to change it. the reason jesse got involved in the drug trade is predominantly because it's the one place he is allowed and encouraged to express himself freely through art.

caleb on the other hand, is a soldier and he has a soldier's mindset toward most things. he is/was for the most part content with being told what to do next, following orders, sticking to a game plan. he expresses himself mainly through acts of service in canon, particularly to family as we see with his mom in the hospital and when he leaves his wife and daughter behind to go try and put a stop to the war that's coming. he wants to help, he wants to keep everyone safe and the only way he really knows how to do that is to fight.

i'd also say that while jesse and caleb are both highly empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others, caleb is more stoic about it. i'm not totally sure if that's just how he is naturally or if he's so wracked and troubled by traumatic experiences and was trained to swallow those emotions in the military or otherwise learned to shut down but like. where jesse is always emoting something and never just sitting completely still and blank, caleb seems more comfortable with staying quiet and not always necessarily showing what's on his mind at a given moment.

and there are or course many more things i can say about specific differences but i feel like i've made this post long enough and gone on a scattered tangent so like. i might explore it way more in depth at a later date. ❤️

[rayven-yvonne]

Q#1: Does anyone deserve a second chance?

To me, it depends. It depends on the person.

WARNING: Could contain Filipino words and foul words :>

What are second chances?

Second chances are chances given to a person to own up to their mistakes. Whether it is a torn-up relationship, friendship, situationship or an experience with a person that made you loose trust in them.

Is it worth it give a second chance?

For me, yes. It IS worth it to give a second chance. Giving a second chance can give you a peace of mind. Forgiving them can remove the harsh voices in your head that causes all the distress and hatred towards that person. It can make you stronger as an individual. Giving second chances can make you learn the mistakes you've made in your past relationships and grow as a better human.

Pero. PERO. Kailan ba dapat magbigay ng second chance?

When is it advisable to give a person a second chance?

Ask yourself first these questions:

• Has that person owned up to their mistakes?

• Is that person willing to change for the better?

• Do you care about that person a lot?

• Why are you willing to give them a second chance

• Is your relationship with the person worth having time for again?

Pag ang karamihan sa sagot mo sa mga question na 'to is no or you're not sure, it's the best na wag mo na or wag mo muna siya bigyan ng second chance. Kasi paano ka? Paano yung nararamdaman mo? Pag binigyan mo siya ng second chance tas di niya tinupad, sinong mabibigo? Diba ikaw?

Always. ALWAYS. Consider your feelings first. Ikaw ang nagdecide, ikaw rin ang masasaktan sa huli. Pag nasaktan ka ba nyan uli, i-coconsider pa ba nyan yung feelings mo? Hindi. Either gago yan and/or tanga ka, beh.

Who are acceptable to give a second chance?

If that person was really close to your heart and the reason of them leaving you didn't affect you too much, then it's okay. But if that person was very very VERY close to your heart, but shattered it into pieces and left you without any pity, then years later you find them on their knees begging to give them a second chance, it's better to not give them.

Observe nyo yung red flags ng tao rin. Wag maging bulag.

How to know na willing yung person na magbago?

Mag-real talk kayo. Talk with them about sa misunderstandings na nangyari sa relationship ninyo. How did you two end ba? Ano-ano yung mga pagkukulang na nagawa ninyo sa isa't-isa? Try to understand both points of view. Then conclude it. Are they TRULY WORTH IT ba na bigyan ng second chance? Nakikita mo ba sa kanila, sa mga aksyon nila, na willing sila magbago para sa'yo dahil they care for you, they truly love you, and gusto niyang masalba ang nasirang nakaraan?

So binigyan mo na ng second chance, what can you do para hindi maulit yung dating nangyari sa inyo?

Well, make promises. Make promises about sa mga ugaling babaguhin ninyo para sa isa't-isa. Syempre, kalakip ng mga promises na yun, tupad-tupad din pag me time. Promise are meant to be MADE not BROKEN. You want to fix the relationship because you have faith in the person. Anong sense ng pag-ayos mo sa relasyon pag hindi karin mag-eeffort na ayusin? Ano? Iiyak ka nalang? Girl, that's not how life is, okay? Pag sinabi mo, panindigan mo. Do NOT be one-sided, sis.

Eh pano kung, paano kung ekis siya sa lahat ng factors para sa second chance? Paano kung hindi narin siya willing na masave yung pinagsamahan ninyo?

Well, it's time na para matanggap na hindi na kayo magiging yung dating kayo. Just accept the past and move on. Accept mo nalang na wala na siya sayo. Kahit na anong iyak na gawin mo at galit na maramdaman mo, hindi mo na maibabalik ang nakaraan. Nangyari na eh. The past is the past. What you only care about is the present and the future. Let those past relationships and experiences serve as a lesson for you para baguhin yung mga pagkakamali mo. KNOW YOUR WORTH!

Heartbreaks should make you a better person, beh. Let time heal you, love <3 Me and the several people who are currently going through a breakup and trying to move on are with you, babe <3

So, does anyone deserve a second chance? For me, yes. Everyone deserves a second chance but NO ONE EVER DESERVES A THIRD CHANCE. That's a different story.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Chains of Heart ep 6

I'm steaming through these eps...

Alright, no I'm not, I'm very distracted by the Our Skyy 2 trailer coming out today. But let's get on with it as best I can anyway.

The ep begins with Lue's fantasy of Ken (I wonder why he imagines Ken pre-tattoos...) in a room tinged green with red hints.

In the real world, Ken's friend group colour-coordinate in shades of Din and Ken's green and blue. I ADORE Payu's suit here, and even the flower bouquets complement the scheme. I wonder, when it comes to light who knows that Lue is Ken, whether the colours would correspond somehow.

Following the fight in the outdoor restaurant, and dreaming again of his and Din's moment on the bridge, Ken wakes up with his passion for Din around him (the red). Deedee then turns up in Ken and Din's blue and green, bearing tulips - are they pink or red? From what I've quickly read, tulips can have different meanings -> A deep or perfect love, charity, or rebirth (all applicable in some way here), and pink symbolises love, care, and admiration but not in a romantic sense, more platonic/familial, whereas red means love and romance. The ambiguity here is apt since we still don't know what Deedee's intentions are. Is he good/bad/in love with Ken/the guy sent by Payu to watch over Ken...or a secret fifth thing?

Din's father also wears green and blue to visit Ingpha again to ask for help...again. Ingpha this time looks to be all in black or a very very dark blue, is it because he's losing patience perhaps? His mask is dropping?

It feels odd to see Lue also all in black but the red is still there in the stain of the wood...and Ae has adopted Lue's usual beige, perhaps because she is trying to win him over. Maybe Lue is also losing his patience (maybe that's why he goes after Ingpha at the end of the ep...)

I want to posit a small theory here, which might just be based on my bias for Poppy (I love him ok?), in that Inspector Don is actually a Good Guy and working from inside to help take Ingpha and Ae down. He and Lue might even know each other already. I'm hoping this blue is an indication...as is the way he didn't shoot Lue/the MiB at the end of the ep when Lue/MiB was attacking Ingpha. A girl can dream. Incidentally, Ingpha is wearing a dark blue when he goes to visit the monument. I don't really have an interpretation for it because I'm so lost as to why he drove so far to go to this particular place. I don't remember if this gets explained in future eps...

Back in Bangkok and we get the burgundy gloves! - Lue is in his true colour! He's in all his feels for Ken, conflicted because he wants people to accept Din is dead but also wants Ken to love him...which he would do more easily if Ken knew Lue was Din.

And dammit! They stop with the purple light of their old love between them. I also love how the backgrounds predominantly have each other's colour in them

Returning from emphatically turning Lue's advances down, Ken has to struggle up the stairs bathed in their deep purple. (Seriously, why does this hotel not have an elevator from ground level?!)

And even though we now know it was a dream, the green and red lighting indicates a high tension scene ahead (the dreamt fight in the bathroom...much like the scene with Nok in the bathtub earlier in the ep (when Ingpha came to threaten him).

The thing with making these posts as I go is that I make a theory which then needs refining as the series goes on because patterns seem to fall into place a little differently than I had originally predicted. Not huge changes but clarifications: Green = Din, Burgundy Red = Lue, Blue = Ken, Purple lighting = Din and Ken's passion and love for each other, Green &/or Red lighting = a high tension/emotional dramatic moment (usually in connection with Din/Lue). I'm still on the fence whether blue also indicates some kind of masking or hiding, and whether black could mean a loss of patience in what is being attempted to achieve. To be continued!

[ep 1] [ep 2] [ep 3] [ep 4] [ep 5] [ep 6] [ep 7] [ep 8] [ep 9] [ep 10]

[kanansdume]

@colorstarcloaks Yes! This is exactly what I mean when I say that The Mandalorian was an ICE AGE story, not SHAZAM (2019).

In Ice Age, the story is about Manny, the lone wolf character who happens to pick up a baby and the relationships he builds along the way as a side effect of taking the baby back to its family. The baby is not a CHARACTER so much as it is a vessel through which Manny is able to grow and develop, to heal from his own past traumas (as well as a vessel for the other two mains to grow and develop, but it's mostly Manny). The baby does not change, it doesn't really develop anywhere because that's not the POINT. And at the end of the movie, Manny gives the baby back to the family and this is a HAPPY ending, it's satisfying because this was always going to be the ending. Regardless of how much the characters care about the baby or how much the baby cares about them, the best ending for that baby is to be reunited with its family, its people. Giving the baby away is the ENTIRE POINT OF THE NARRATIVE. Manny has to let go of this child he's grown close to and not fall apart over it, in part because he now has the support of both Sid and Diego, connections he didn't have before and never would have allowed himself.

In Shazam, the story is about Billy, the child separated forcibly from his family who is so desperately trying to get BACK to his family that he's built up an idealized fantasy image of them and refuses all other connections because they'll never be as good as the perfect fantasy relationship with his parent he imagines in his head. The mother is not a CHARACTER so much as she is an obstacle for Billy to overcome. But she does not change, she doesn't develop, the whole point is that Billy has to learn to let go of her in order to make connections with the people who DO care about him (in this case, the other Foster kids). Letting go of this birth mother in order to embrace a different kind of family than the one he thought he wanted is the entire point of the narrative.

The Mandalorain was NOT ABOUT GROGU. It's not Grogu's story, it never was. It was DIN'S story. DIN was the one who didn't seem to have a lot of really strong connections with people prior to meeting Grogu (and the ones he does have are almost all lost pretty quickly), but as he goes along this journey to find the Jedi so he can bring Grogu back to them, he DOES make connections. They're all initially made out of pure necessity because he has to protect Grogu or find more information, but a lot of those connections continue to pay off for him down the line. Cobb Vanth, Greef Karga, Cara Dune, IG-11, Mayfeld, Boba, Fennec, Bo-Katan, Peli Motto, etc. He builds himself a little tribe of people he's met over this journey that he can then call upon for aid when he needs them, same as he was able to count upon his covert for aid when he needed them before they all died in the effort. Giving up Grogu at the end is an ESSENTIAL part of the narrative for Din, letting go of his clan of two for Grogu's benefit to showcase how far he's come from the person we met at the beginning of the show.

Grogu was never supposed to leave the Jedi because going back to the Jedi was an essential aspect of Din's story. Grogu leaving the Jedi because he recognizes that he's too changed now to truly live that life and goes back to Din because that connection he made is what he actually needs was never set up. Like you said, there's no real build up for Grogu not feeling like he could fit in as a Jedi, there's no inner conflict that we are ever shown prior to the stolen episodes of TBOBF. We don't KNOW Grogu as a character enough to understand why all of the sudden he feels like he can't fit in with the Jedi. His choice to go back to Din undoes Din's sacrifice for him, makes it meaningless within his narrative. We're starting a narrative for Grogu somewhere in the middle of it without having been shown its beginning.

I don't think we needed more time with Luke necessarily, but we needed more set-up within the earlier seasons of Mandalorian to make it clear that while Grogu WANTED to go back to the Jedi, it wasn't what he NEEDED and wouldn't necessarily be GOOD for him. We needed to see how much better off Grogu was when he opened up to his connection with Din (and other people along the way), than he was when he was focused on getting back to the Jedi. But we don't get that. We don't even get a lot of indication that it's Grogu's IDEA to go back to the Jedi, it's just something that Din is told by the Armorer because he happens to be Force Sensitive, but Grogu's involvement in it doesn't really come into play until late season two when he uses the Seeing Stone to call Luke. Because he doesn't NEED to make it obvious that that's what he wants, it's taken as a GIVEN that that is the best path for him, the place he belongs and will be happiest.

This isn't Grogu's story, it never was, so of course we don't have the requisite build-up to make the stolen episodes in TBOBF feel like they make sense in the narrative we've been presented so far. They're from a completely different narrative that we've not actually been getting shown at all.

The Mandalorian switched from writing a story following the arc of Ice Age (2002) to writing a story following the arc of Shazam (2019) in-between seasons 2 and 3, and this is why a perfectly satisfying ending to a two season miniseries got ruined.

[obislittleone]

What Once Was Mine

Chapter Two

Summary: Locked away in a house her entire life, she always dreamed of exploring the nearby kingdom for just a day, believing it could make the rest of her days in solitude bearable. What she was unware of, was the real reason she'd been hidden away for so long. Changes comes swift like a flying dagger when a thieving bounty hunter seeks solace in the old home.

Din Djarin Royalty!AU / Tangled!AU

Pairing: Din Djarin x Princess Kryze!Reader

A/n: you all ate up the first part like it was new york pizza so here y'all go hungry chirren, another part for your starving bellies... also excuse the poor editing bc this was done via mobile

Warnings: blunt force trauma lol, angry motherTM, also some suggestive stuff 😏 but they just met... so get your mind out of the gutter please, we aren't pennywise.

SERIES MASTERLIST

You paced back and forth in front of the old broom closet in the corner of the hallway, running your hands though your hair whilst your little green goblin baby watched you with confused eyes.

"Grogu this is bad, this is very bad..."

He didn't understand why you were so filled with angst, because he was under the impression that he handled the situation quite nicely.

"She's never going to let me out, now. She's going to think I'm the one who killed him," you panicked, letting your hands fling around dramatically to show your emphasis. The little green boy kept looking between you and the closet. At least he was proud of his accomplishment.

"Mother will be home any minute, and we have a body in the closet!"

The baby cheered, clapping his hands together with a wide smile and some happy noises were emitted from him. You really didn't even have time to convey the severity of the situation to him.

"No! No clapping, this is not a good thing. We can't let her find out," You went back to pacing, and it was only now that you started pulling on the braids of your hair, bringing them to a curly disheveled mess that Grogu realized how bad his actions were. "Just have to think. Think, think, think."

You ran over to the closet door and slammed it open, seeing the still lifeless body huddled over itself on the ground.

"I got it," you said with confidence and a smile, not that this was any smiling matter to begin with. "If I can get her to leave the house again, it may give us enough time to drag him outside. If we both use our power we can dig a hole by the base of the mountain and put him there."

You glanced over at the small child sitting on his stool, and he gave you an expression that called out your utter insanity. Who were you kidding? You didn't have the facilities to come through with a plan like that.

"I know... she'd have to be gone for days for that to work. Maybe we should just wait until she goes to bed tonight."

Just then, the sound of the front door opening around the corner was to be heard. It was enough to put you into cardiac arrest had it not been for Grogu's quick thinking as he shut the closet door with the wave of his hand. It wasn't a loud slam or anything too suspicious either, but you were hoping she would avoid even coming into this room.

"Sweetling, I'm back," your mother called out, beckoning you to greet her at the door like you always did.

You grabbed Grogu and glided around the corner with the cheesiest smile plastered on your face. You honestly needed to relax, because if you kept up with the tense way you moved, it would be no time at all before she started to wonder what was wrong.

"Oh my darling, I missed you." she made a grand gesture of enveloping you both in her arms, much like earlier.

"I missed you, too."

"You know I hate leaving you after a fight, especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong."

She set down her basket by the door, and you knew you had to act fast, if not to get her to turn around and leave again, at least you could create a diversion to keep her busy until then.

"Listen, mother, about earlier-"

"I don't expect you to apologize dear. You are young, and full of curiosity. It pains me to know you can never really explore what you want to, but believe me little one, everyone will be better off with you here," her words were sharp like a knife, and dug deep into your mind. You truly didn't even need to put on a face anymore to hide your secret, for the way you deflated before her was quite apparent, and not to be missed.

Then it was like lightning had struck your brain. An idea popped in from the boundless depths and you set Grogu down on the ground while you prepared yourself to present an entirely new spiel.

"Mother, since I can't go into the kingdom for my birthday, I was wondering if maybe you would consider going to the kingdom where the you got me the flightless fairy book? There's supposed to be another one that comes after and I've been dying to find out what happens to Lady Avynlei," You came close to her, placing a hand on her arm and pleading softly for something you knew she could easily give into. As long as you remained within the house walls, she would bring you the means to keep you there. Even the countless books you requested from kingdoms far and wide.

"That is a very long trip, you know. Naboo is almost three days from here. If I leave now, I'll miss your birthday entirely," she said with a heavy sigh. You knew she was only stalling to make it look like she didn't want to leave you, but you knew otherwise. She loved her adventures, and taking time away from the house was her specialty. You never asked her why she didn't enjoy time with you inside the old home, because you wanted her to be happy, with a bright and shining smile all the time.

"I just thought it was a better idea than going outside," you feigned sadness, although not completely. You were of course still upset over the fact that your life was doomed to this miserable place of burden, but that wasn't where you focus was, and certainly wasn't the reason for the diversion.

"It certainly is, dear. I tell you what, if you pack me my things, and toss in one of those scrumptious bread loaves you made, I will leave before lunch."

She brought you close, kissing you on the head, and you smiled, thinking it was almost too easy. If everything else was to be hard, then you would gladly take the ease with open arms and accept it warmly.

"Thank you, mother."

Grogu and yourself had gotten fairly comfortable on the chaise in front of the closet door, just staring at it intently with anticipation. You both looked at each other as if asking who was going to open the door, before you ultimately decided it would be your job.

"One of us has to," you mumbled as you waved your hand, letting the door creak on its hinges while it swung open slowly.

You raised your palm to face the limp body in the small space, dragging it out across the floor to free it of the confinement.

It was so abnormally frightening. Daring to approach a human man, in person. You'd never seen one before, and didn't know what they looked like. They had been described in you books time and time again, but never did you imagine someone so tall and broad and... intimidating. This man in particular had a mask over his face, and a hood o'er his head. The only thing visible to any on looker was his eyes, which you hadn't actually gotten a glimpse of before Grogu threw him into the wall.

When he came into the house, your first initial thought was to watch him, to see what he did and how he moved, to study every fiber of his being just to have an idea of what others outside looked like and how they behaved. Grogu of course had other plans, but he wasn't as proud of himself anymore.

Now that the man lay lifeless on the ground you had time to look him over once or twice, just enough before you were about to bury him in the backyard forever to cover for your small green child.

You were about to lift him with your power before he started moving, his breathing apparent now, and the moans of discomfort as he shifted awkwardly on the floor. You were afraid, now.

It was certainly good he wasn't dead, for you never wanted to spend all that time turning up the earth in the backyard anyway. It did however frighten you to know that the man was beginning to get up. You liked him better earlier when he couldn't see you hiding on the banister. You wanted to avoid being seen, so you quickly swept up your little accomplice and bolted for the doorway, pressing you back against the outside wall.

By the time he was on his feet, he glanced around the empty room, but could have sworn he just heard footsteps not even a foot from his body.

"I know you're here," he said calmly, although his anger and lack of memory as to what was going on fueled his tone just the slightest. His head was throbbing and the last thing he remembered was stumbling upon the old house he now dwelled in. It was slowly coming back to him why he had been passed out.

You held tight to the baby, hoping you could slip into the hallway unnoticed and he would just take the hint and leave. But he couldn't just walk out of the house without his satchel. You ran into the next room to retrieve it, only for the item it carried to fall onto the floor. You hurriedly tried to pick it up and stuff it back inside, but the second your hand touched it, your mind was on fire. Like the item somehow held a magical connection to you, as if you'd touched it before and now it was cursed. You squeezed your eyes shut and shook the feeling away as best you could, stuffing it into the satchel and ready to throw everything in the walkway before the man saw you.

You crept back around the corner, ready to drop the bag, but it was like divine intervention had kept you from doing so. You immediately clutched the bag tightly to your chest and slowly went back to the other room again. This was it, your only chance. You knew it was risky, but with your mother gone for the next three days or so, you knew it was now or never.

You stuffed the satchel up the unused fire place chimney, wedging it between the bricks so it wouldn't fall out. When you were sure it was secure, you turned around and began to slowly come back to the previous hiding space, just barely peeking around the corner. You caught another glimpse of him, and he was even taller when you were on ground level to him, instead of peering downwards.

He caught your eye and you froze, unable to drag your sight away from the dark brown pools of bliss. The light from outside mixed with the glow of the candles in the room made them look simply heavenly. For every book you'd ever read, they eyes were always described as the window to the soul, that you could see into the person by them, but that was not the case for this man. His eyes told you nothing, only invited you in deeper to admire their beauty and complexity. He seemed to have gotten caught as well, though he took steps towards you as you slowly came out from behind the wall and met him face to face. It was all such a slow movement, but for you it still felt rushed, and you heart beat faster every second.

His eyes up close were even more breath taking, and though you had so much to say to him moments prior, you were rendered speechless by him. Stories told you that men were beautiful creatures, with strong built bodies to protect their loved ones with, and fight the battles that others could not. You always pictures men a certain way, but every single one of your imaginative creations was purely put to shame by the one stood before you.

"Who are you?" You asked quietly, almost a whisper, but he could hear you clear as day. It was the upside of living so far away from civilization, the quiet.

"Just a traveler, miss," his voice was deep and husky. A voice like that, which was commanding as well as soft with a hint of roughness to it. He sounded like the winds when it was raining, because the depth of his tone poured over his words and made them clear, even though they were ever the slightest bit slurred together.

"How did you find my home?" You had yet to look away from his eyes, and wondered if you ever would again. They just drew you closer every second, pleading with you not to break contact. The way your eyes narrowed ever so slightly for your question made him weary of his answer.

"I didn't mean to," he took a step closer, and you took one back, keeping the few feet of distance between you in order to maintain a sense of security. "I do not wish you any harm, I was just passing through and found the house. I didn't know anyone lived here."

"Passing through a deep and abandoned gulch in the middle of the wooded mountains?" You may have sounded sarcastic and unfavorable of his answer, but in all truths, you really wanted to know.

"I needed to avoid some... accomplices," he struggled out the word, as if he didn't find it well enough to say in the first place.

You nodded in understanding, knowing that since he hadn't known of your presence in the house earlier on, it was very realistic that he could have just gotten lost while straying from the main trails.

"I only wish to reacquire what I arrived with, then I will be on my way," he only now noticed your little green baby when the small bean peaked his head around the corner. He looked deterred by him almost, but shook his head, thinking maybe the fall he took earlier was causing him to see things.

"Yes, of course... you see," you paused, taking a few more steps back, just to put distance between you for the reason of possible outburst. You knew that if push came to shove, your powers could protect you, but you didn't want to harm the only man you'd ever met. "I've hidden it."

"Well then unhide it," he seemed to grow more intense, but not quite angry. He was after all a broken in thief of another person's home.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," you spoke, getting ready to explain yourself before he cut in not allowing any room to divulge in your offer.

"You can, and will. What I have in my possession is worth more than your entire life, so I suggest you hand it over," his voice boomed loud and commanding and since you never had a stranger yell at you before, or any other human in general aside from your mother, you were spooked easily, like a horse. You used your spatial distance as a head start, sprinting out the room and down the hall as fast as you could. You looked back and sure enough he was following behind.

This old house was very large, and had endless hiding places. Surely he wouldn't be able to find it himself in a suitable amount of time. The fact that he even entertained the idea was ridiculous and a foolish waste of brain space.

You ran up the stairs, noticing Grogu still sitting on the ground where you left him. He was smiling and bouncing about, as if to express how much he was enjoying the chase. He probably thought it was a big game, he often liked to play games with you, hide and seek being one of them.

You thought you lost him when you turned a corner, peering around it to see he was still traveling down the hall. You waited a few seconds before he would surely enter the room at the end of the hall. Did he really peg you to be that stupid, that you would cut yourself off with a dead end in the house you spent every day in?

You closed your eyes and breathed out, counting several more moments as you gathered the courage to step out into the hallway. As soon as you did you collided straight into his chest. You let out a squeak of surprise, but before you were able to make any other moves, he covered your mouth with his hand, grabbing your arm with the other. He forced you against the wall carefully and looked down on you with those dark brown eyes. Your breath caught in your throat before he even started talking.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I just want to have back my things so we can go our separate ways," his voice was incredibly gentle and soft spoken, and you melted into his touch even though it still alarmed you to some extent.

He dropped his hand from your mouth, seeing that now you'd stood calmly, trapped between him and the wall. The steady rise and fall of your chest, bound with your corset drew his eyes away from yours for only a moment, and you found it peculiar how his irisis darkened for only a moment before he snapped his attention back to your face.

"I know I must seem infuriating, but I can't give it back to you yet."

"Yet? What is your deal?" He was sharp spoken but not angry, more annoyed by the obnoxiously tantalizing answers he'd received.

"You really want to know my deal?" You offered sarcastically, turning it back around on him. It was his decision. Either hear you out, or begin his long search for the items he entered with.

He sighed repressively before backing away the slightest bit. He was beginning to feel uneasy with the little space that divided you, and knew that you probably hated the close proximity.

"What deal?" He annunciated each word carefully, wanting to convey the fact that he was utterly annoyed.

"I need an escort into the kingdom. Just for one day," you said quickly, though the request was rather important you wanted to rid it from your mouth.

"I'm not a baby sitter."

"And I am not a baby."

He clenched his fists then let them fall slack at his side. He was silent for too long and you felt you needed to fill the air and maybe convince him in better words.

"I am capable of holding my own, but I do not know the way," you made your tone firm and decisive, knowing he already didn't take you seriously enough. "I only ask that you accompany me into the kingdom for a day, then back home."

"You don't know who I am, do you?" He puzzled, tilting his head in a sense of confusion. Of course you didn't, because you'd never gone outside before.

"Should I?"

He chuckled lowly at your answer, because yes, you definitely should know him by at least one of the many wanted posters hung throughout the city. He then again figured that if you lived all alone out here as a recluse, perhaps he shouldn't be so quick to judge.

"I'm not exactly an ally to the kingdom. I can't take you anywhere," he huffed. Even if he thought there was a smart way to do it, he wasn't going to put his neck down for you.

"I suppose you aren't very fond of your belongings, are you?"

Well, then there was that.

Din knew that if he harmed you in any way, you'd never help him find his satchel. He never considered harming you anyway, because he rather liked you, despite the skittish nature and infuriating stubbornness.

"I need you to tell me everything this deal entails."

You smiled widely, turning around and facing him with a bright expression. He'd never seen such sweetness before, such utterly endowed innocence. It was endearing to him to know that not all the maidens of your age had been like the ones he had seen and heard. Some of them had the makings of a village whore. He didn't mind the tendencies of the village girls of course, he just appreciated the contrast.

"My mother has gone to the kingdom Naboo to acquire me a book. She will be back in three days. I wish to begin the journey to the kingdom today, spend the entirety of tomorrow within it, and then return home safely. I do not ask you for any services other than your company to guide me along."

He did accept the fact that perhaps it wasn't such a preposterous offer. Being a wanted man gave him liberties within the kingdom, like knowing all the places to lay low, the people who would turn a blind eye. He knew it wasn't hard to get to the village, and one day wasn't a risk for him to take, as long as he was able to meet with his buyer thereafter.

"You will go where I go, and do exactly as I do. I am in control of everything from the time we leave to the time we return, and you will not question a word I say... do you understand?" He held his hand out to shake, which you gladly took, even though it was a little weird to hold someone else's hand the way you did now. Had the gesture not been in so many books, you would have foregone it completely, not understanding what it was.

"I promise, you will not regret this," you said, your smile and bubbliness getting in the way of your serious words.

"I already do."

Having met Grogu, and wondering if he was even real or not, Din was now even less excited to embark on this needless adventure. He absolutely hated the idea of children being anywhere near him, and now that there was one within close proximity, he was absolutely pertified. Especially given the fact that this one wasn't even human. Your lack of answer for what species he was also gave him great discomfort, but he shrugged it all off, knowing the less he knew the better. All he needed to do was get this over with, and he could return to his life of thieving and bounty hunting.

"Alright, we're ready," you said, standing next to him while bouncing on your toes with excitement... speaking of,

Standing on the front porch, staring out into the fog, he waited for you to saddle up, wrapping the child to your back the way some of the mothers in town would. He didn't let you catch him staring, because that would have been the end of his manly facade.

"You're not going to put on shoes?" He asked his brow slanting with one raised.

You were very confused as you let your head fall to your feet, then you realized.

"Right," you smiled with embarrassment. You cheeks were definitely bright red. "I don't have any."

Just when he thought nothing could surprise him, you hit him with that piece of strange information. What human being didn't own shoes? Even the poor kids back home had shoes, not good ones, but still had them.

"Why not?"

"Well," you didn't have a half decent answer. Why didn't you have shoes? "I've never needed them before."

He gave you a look of near concern, which was actually reflected more for himself than you. He didn't want to have to carry you if push came to shove.

"I'll be fine without them though, I promise," you said with a firm nod of your head. He wasn't sure you would be, but he hated wasting time, and this conversation was doing just that.

"Good, I'll hold you to it when you start lagging behind."

He stepped off the steps of the porch, and you followed after him. Just this action was enough to make your heart beat rapidly.

Look at the world so close, and you're half way to it. Look at it all so big, could you even dare? You imagined yourself there at last, you just had to do it.

You rushed down the steps, feeling the grass between your toes, and the moisture of the soil seeping through. It was incredibly foreign, but ever so pleasant. You let out a breath you hadn't thought you had been holding, and smiled with foggy eyes. This was an enormous step for you, and without your mother anywhere in sight, you took off after the bounty hunter, giggling like a child while doing so.

The next greatest days of your life were beginning right now, and every possible outcome rang out of it.

.

.

.

Tags: @icanbeyourjedi @castleallherown @mysticalgalaxysalad @princess-prettyy @67impalagirl13 @agingerindenial @childrenofthewatch

[wyn-n-tonic]

Lessons — Prologue

Word Count: 545 Warnings: None (but let me know if there actually is). Author's Note: Okay, besties, let me just pinch my nose and jump right into this one. Here's to hoping I don't let either me or you down as I attempt to get this story out of my head and onto a page as we round out the year with the -ber months. Named f!reader but no name revealed yet. Alternative universe where time didn't open up in Rhett's backyard to swallow his brother whole. A thank you to @green-socks and @tauralmie who have been living in this little world with me for weeks in our DMs.

MASTERLIST | Ao3 | Ko-Fi | Lessons Pinterest

It finally hits somewhere along I-70, the green skies of your childhood dyed so much deeper as nothing but flat land for miles reflect back at it. If it’s not already bad, it sure looks like it was gonna get there. 

Back at home, when the sirens went off, shelter was always a step away—an interior closet, a windowless bathroom, a ditch off the side of the road you could run into. But this? This is Flying Monkey fearful with nowhere to hide for miles. 

That’s when it becomes obvious, when the first sirens go off with no trees to break the blaring sound. Life changed and it would never, truthfully, be the same. Even if you get out of this without a scratch, your appreciation for how much of the world is the same while being so different grows. Because it finally sinks in just how different but the same you are—driving across the plains in an old Honda Civic in the not-quite-cool but not overbearing heat of summer in search of yourself, looking for the comfort of home. 

But home stopped being home a long time ago, as you grew through college and hopped on airplanes, hoping to develop from who you were to the person you would be become. Home stopped being home the first time you left it for good, half a taste of independence that left you restless for more on the breaks from higher education. The final nail in that coffin came the first time you set foot on the Abbott ranch, meeting deep blue and tired eyes across the room on a Saturday afternoon. 

This is just a stepping stone to the life that you want, no different, really, but so much harder too. And easier. Two conflicting emotions telling you that even if this is the worst pain you’ve ever felt, you’ve been here before and you’ll get through it again. Find something else, somebody else. A voice in your head promising that relief is on the way. 

You pass the state line and into clear skies, everything fading into nothing in the rearview as the first sign of civilization for miles—a Wal-Mart—is advertised for the next exit with another sign not far after marking how much further to Indianapolis and the switch to 65 that will see you through to Tennessee. A thousand miles and more just to run from the shadow of one mountain and into another with a broken heart and every intention to stare down the opposite path to the woman you could have been. The things you could have seen, meet the men you could have loved.

The ringing on your phone cuts through the din of silence you’ve been sitting with for the last two hours. But there’s no point to picking it up. There won’t even be a message left or a text. If Rhett Abbott has something to say, he’ll say it in real time but you won’t be there to hear it. There’s a reason sirens were named after the beautiful women of Greek mythology, their song a warning of awaiting destruction—and now you’re forced to listen on repeat in the aftermath as you seek shelter far too late.

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[throwawaywhumper]

Write me a Novel Challenge

Day 1: (new) beginning/friends/goal

Day 2: journey/kidnapping/ambushed

Content: Bomb threat, Kidnapping, Creepy Whumper

<- prev || next ->

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"This building! Has been rigged to explode."

The sentence rang out clear in the silent auditorium, and hushed crowd murmured in excitement. Part of the show? Not quite.

"My apologies, I know you were all expecting a rather entertaining show tonight, but believe me when I say this ought to be much, much better." The disembodied voice rang through the speakers on either side of the stage.

"In this audience, five of your chairs has been rigged to set off the explosives set under this building as soon as the weight leaves it. I have been able to confirm that all three chairs have, in fact, been activated and are currently weighed down. If any of you move a muscle, you risk destroying not only yourselves, but that of everyone else in this building. Understand?"

More murmurs throughout the crowd, uncomfortable shifting. No one got up, what was going on? Was this real? Around the room, speckles of light started to appear in the dimmed room, people making calls.

"Is anyone else's calls going through?"

"I can't get a signal..."

"What the hell is going on here?"

The hushed whispers slowly turned into a worried din, an air of quiet panic settled in the crowd.

"Now that you've had a moment to come to terms with your situation..." the voice on the speaker spoke up again, after a long, long pause.

"One of you lucky, lucky folks, will be coming home with me tonight. I will rescue you from this predicament, all I need is a volunteer. Any takers? Simply raise your hand."

The din of panic started to morph into outrage, yelling, confusion.

"No volunteers? I'm disappointed. I was considering letting the rest of you go, but seeing as that's not the case, I'll choose at random. How about..."

Silence for a moment from the speakers, and then suddenly, a bright spotlight shone down from the stage, into the audience.

"Huh?" Whumpee shielded their eyes against the bright light shining in their face. Every eye in the audience was now on them, but still the vitriol and shouting continued. Were they yelling at him? What was going on?

"You, lucky audience member in the spotlight! I have fantastic news for you. I can confirm that your seat is not one of the five rigged to explode. You should count yourself very lucky indeed, you can leave this place! Run now, out of your seat and to the exits. I'll be waiting for you."

Whumpee looked around in confusion. Was it really okay for them to get up? What if they were lying? Were any of them really in any danger? He sat in his seat, shifting uncomfortably. Several moments passed, nothing changing aside from the panicked individuals around him shouting helplessly. Once again, the speakers crackled to life.

"Okay, I'm getting tired of waiting. I'm going to give you a timer of 30 seconds, your ass better be through those doors in the back or I'm blowing this place sky high. I hope you're a fast runner~"

"30 seconds?" Whumpee's eyes went wide. There was no timer, nothing to indicate how much time he had left before...

"Fuck it." Whumpee groaned, leaping out of his seat. He didn't have to grab his coat or any of his belongings that had been in the seat next to him, just bolting for the door. Up the stairs, he tried to keep time in his head but the panic scrambled his head. How much time did he have left? He didn't even have time to process that his seat really hadn't been rigged to explode or anything crazy, it didn't matter. He lost count in his head, was time moving faster? Slower? He threw himself through the exit doors, tripping into the theater lobby and falling flat on his face.

"Wow, you really are a fast runner." Whumpee looked up to find sharply dressed man, The disembodied voice from before now given a body, standing tall in the entrance of the lobby. A sharply dressed man looked from his watch to the man on the floor.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Sebastian Hawkins, but you can call me sir." The man replied, offering a hand. Whether it was to shake or help him up, whumpee couldn't tell, nor did he care.

He got up on his own, inching backwards towards the front door. "I-I'm gonna call the police! Don't fucking touch me, I will scratch your damn eyes out."

"You're apprehensive...no no you're fearful." The man retracted his hand as he moved forward. Whumpee inched back till they hit- the wall? He thought sure he'd been moving to the exit but it didn't matter as before he knew, Sebastian had closed the distance between the two of them. He was trapped.

"You don't quite know what's going on. I love that... you have beautiful fear, you know? I could smell it from a mile away, that's why I chose you. They're going to be stuck in there for a little while..." Sebastian ran a gloved hand down the side of their face, feeling them shiver under his touch. Whumpee wanted to move, wanted to run. This was just supposed to be a fun night at the theater, why did this have to happen? He found himself frozen, unable to reply as he stared into the uncaring eyes of the man before him.

"You can come with me, I've got a car waiting outside. You really are lucky you know." Sebastian backed off, grabbing a hold of whumpee's shirt and pulling them towards the door. "You know, I think that's what I'll call you, Lucky. Lucky, lucky, lucky..." he played with the word on his tongue as he dragged the terrified man out behind him. This would be more than sufficient for what he needed.

[jay-and-dean]

Worse

Dean x reader

Summary : Is it possible to love someone so much, you just wish you’re lucky enough to die first ?

Warnings : This is ANGST. I’m not kidding, this is panic attack, suicidal thoughts, grieving, light thought of murder, borderline domestic violence angst. This is kinda Dark and be careful that it’s not too triggering for you, please.

Wordcount : 1.8 k

Note : This is my fic for @negans-lucille-tblr​‘s 6k “roll the dice” writing challenge. My genre prompt was Angst (I think you got it by now) and my prompt was “I’ve been pulling you close but pushing me further”, it’s blod in the fic. 

December is a harsh month for me, so here is a harsh fic.

Jay’s Masterlist

_____________________

           Dean did it again.

           He swore on his life he wouldn't, you should have known that it meant nothing.

           How fucking ironic it is ? Dean Winchester swearing on his own life that he will try to protect it, that he won't shield every person on Earth with his soul and body.

           You're holding your painful chest, sitting on that stupid bed in this stupid motel room where nothing makes any sense anymore because your world is crumbling again. And your mind is going all the way down its own spiral of pain, the worst there is.

           Your breath is short and your thoughts go so fast, a super computer giving you all the details of the movie that will be your life once Dean is gone.

           The silence.

           The implacable silence in the bunker, the void left by the end of his voice, the kind of silence that hurts so much it could kill you, harassing cruelly, again and again, with no break at all until you're ready to open your skull on a wall to make it stop.

           That kind of silence.

           The empty bed back home, the empty room. Your mind makes emptiness rain on you : Empty kitchen and no bacon, no joy ever, no sex, no one holding you and telling it's going to be okay. No one really understanding you and no hero on Earth, no butterflies ever again. No reason to live. Empty heart. Empty life.

           Empty fucking world.

           In the middle of this chaotic din, you think of his toothbrush, of throwing it in the trash because he won't need to clean his cute, going slightly inward, teeth ever again. Of his clothes waiting on the closet forever, and how fast the smell on it will fade.

           You think of the nights spending screaming for him to come back because nothing is bearable without him, nothing... Screaming until you can't, strangling yourself with sobs, knowing it won't help because begging, threatening and bargaining won't change a thing.

           And the days being even worse.

           You think of the moment you will manage to forget the loss just enough to breathe, for a second, sitting on your bed, imagining he is just gone to the bathroom and that he will show up, pass this door again... Then remember he will never look back in your eyes again, fall even harder... And now you want to die.

           Right now.

           Even if all this is not real yet, even if Dean is still alive, you just want to die. You need to stop feeling anything forever now, just not exist because you don't want to be here when all of this happens.

           And it will happen.

           He just proved it. Your love for him doomed you and you're done praying that anyone listening would let you take his burdens...

           Your thoughts shatter when he opens the door of the motel room and walks in with his heart beating and his chest breathing, blood running through his veins... But seeing him is not a relief this time, not anymore, and the deafening fear is still compressing your ribs with its vise talons.

"Baby" he sighs and you whimper at the pain of thinking one day you won't hear it anymore.

           Everything hurts.

           Until now, you always managed to calm after Dean almost died. It always took a few days being extremely anxious, living in the shadow of fear, feeling like nothing had any meaning anymore, but he always managed to make you whole again. With empty promises that he won't leave you, that he will always be by your side...

           Bullshit.

           Last time, the unbearable despair of knowing he will go before you didn't leave you completely, and you still suffer this horrible void caused by the idea that nothing worth living, if it is not forever.

           This time, you know it, that horrible sorrow won't leave you. Not ever.

"Dean, it's over."

His big green eyes widen and his large body comes in front of you. His beloved body that you will have to burn one day, watching it as flames eat his freckled skin and flesh, as they turn to nothingness the man you love.

"Don't say that" he groans. "Baby, look at me. I didn't know for the metal thing."

You close your eyes, seeing the vampire impale him on this stupid bar again and again and it's like the spikes goes through you too.

"You know this one is not on me" he sighs. "It's not like I did it on purpose !"

"This one" you mutter his words in echo. "Maybe if you hadn't worn my heart out with all the times it was actually 'on purpose' like you say..."

He squats in front of you but you can't look at him. He was ready to say goodbye... Again. He was ready for you to lose him, who cares if you are ready or not.

"Don't say that..." he tries to touch your cheek with his fingers, the ones you held while performing that horrible spell to save him at Death's door.

To save him against his will.

           But you flinch away and repeat.

"It's over. I won't watch you die."

"I won't, Baby" he tries again but those lies are hollow and your soul burned out.

You get up and pace the ugly room, unable to bear his face so close after seeing it turn dead pale once more.

"You know how lucky you are ?" you say in a broken voice, way too sad to cry. "You're obviously ready to die, to leave me. You will be the one leaving first and th-that is the luckiest place..." he looks down and takes a loud inhale. "You're so fucking ready to quit."

"I'm not" he states but you ignore his words, they are just wind now.

"But I'm not" you continue, seeing tears fill his perfect eyes. "I can't... O-one day I will have to burn your body, Dean... How selfish is it ? Have you ever thought of what happens after your stupid blaze of glory ?" he keeps his eyes down without saying a word and you could hit him, you want to but instead you let out a desperate strangled scream of pain. "HOW FUCKING SELFISH ARE YOU ! YOU'RE WILLING TO SAVE EVERYBODY BUT ME !"

The burning rage rises in your soul, in your body, and it's like flames were consuming you too, like you were on a stake. Your skin is burning, blood boiling and your heart feels like ember.

"Y/n" he tries, paralyzed by his inability to face this paradox :

If he keeps trying to save you and everybody else with his life, it will kill you ; but if you die, he still burns.

           Is it possible to love someone too much ? Is it possible to actually die of love ? Is it possible that it is too late, that you're already dead...

"I CAN'T SLEEP BECAUSE YOU" you scream and a costumer of the motel yells for you to shut up behind the wall, you couldn't care less. "FUCK YOU DEAN WINCHESTER !"

He walks to you but the blazing pain is killing you, and you push him violently, making him step back in a huff.

"It's the job, Baby, you know that" he tries but it feels like gasoline on the pyre of your heart.

"Those suicidal shits to talk to Death ! Fucking OD on meds !" you feel tears roll on your face, down your chin and chest, but you don't think you're crying, or maybe you have been all this time... "Michael ! HELL ! THE MA'LAK BOX ! I NEVER FORGAVE YOU FOR THAT !"

"Y/n... I'm trying..."

"You should have tried harder ! I have been there, following you everywhere, accepting your stubbornness. I've been pulling you close but pushing me further. I'm dying of loving you Dean... I have to go."

You turn to put your clothes in your bag.

"You can't leave" he states, coming closer.

"WATCH ME !"

With hunter speed, he wraps his arms around you, hard and fast, with all his strength, preventing your every moves. All you can do is scream, and hit his arms to get free like they were enemies.

"You... You're not leaving me Y/n" he states through tears while you're fighting like you can. "You can't leave me... You're the meaning of my life... I love you more than anything in the world."

"LIAR !" you sob, hitting him with all you have, hitting him with your pain and your panic, with the despair that is consuming you.

You're fighting in a desperate last attempt to survive, like it was your last breath but when he squeezes your weak body harder, you hit and scratch every parts of him you can reach even more.

"I could die for you" he sobs.

"DON'T SAY THAT ! LET ME GO" you scream again, your voice hoarse and throat sore.

The neighbor knocks on the wall... And your eyes catch a glance at your gun at reach.

           You grab it with the speed of rage and point it to Dean's temple. Nothing matters anymore, and maybe if you both died in that dirty room, you would end up together in Hell...

           He doesn't move. You look at his tears soaked face, this face you love more than it is healthy to, to his tired wrinkled eyes, so red that the green seems greener... You cry at how beautiful he is, and press the barrel harder on his temple.

"I could kill you..." you mutter with clench teeth through your blurred mind.

"Do it" he orders. "DO IT !"

His shouting makes you flinch when his nose grazes yours at how close he is.

"WHY IN HELL WOULD YOU SAVE MY LIFE TO LEAVE ME AFTER ! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU !" he screams and presses his head harder on the gun. "LEAVING OR PUTTING A BULLET IN ME ARE JUST THE SAME ! SO GO ON ! DO IT !"

           You fall.

           His arms catch you and keep you up, but every crumb of your will just fell. The gun slips from your hand...

           A few years ago, you swore to love Dean forever, even if it meant death or Hell or even worse... So you will stay here, just here in his trembling arms until you have to burn him, for you neither can face that cruel paradox.

           You know you will walk on that pyre, that day, and hold him until the end. You will burn, but you will stay...

           Because this is it.

           This is worse.

_________________________

FEEDBACK IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME

Tags : @parinarain​​​ @mogaruke​​​ @masterof-agony​​​ @rainflowermoon @tftumblin​​​ @deans-baby-momma​​​ @roonyxx​​​ @thefaithfulwriter​​​ @vicariouslythruspn​​​ @emeow1496​​​ @daryldixonandfrogs​​​ @holylulusworld​​​  @cocklesbelli @sandlee44​​​ @screenchingartisancashbailiff @donnaintx​​​ @stormchasingchick32-deactivated​​​ @akshi8278​​​ @magssteenkamp​​​ @sister-winchesters99​​​ @neii3n​​​  @lyss-dw79​​​ @im-a-shrub @sadwaywardkid​​​@hopelesslydevotedtoyou1912 @slyqueenj​​​ @i-love-superhero​​​ @waywardsisterandpie @sunsetsandbooks​​​ @mrspeacem1nusone​​​ @stylesismyhubs​​​ @deanwanddamons​​​ @jawritter​​​ @peridottea91​​​ @chelsea072498 @chocolateheart​​​ @vicmc624​​​ @teresa-67​​​ @jessie-michael​​​ @doctor-hp-mcu​​​ @hawkerz12​​​ @mariaenchanted​​​ @hobby27​​​ @wirdbeimaufhebengebunden​​​ @thoughts-and-funnies​​​ @suramyaa @yasreadsfics​ @brilovesdeanwinchester​

[fly-like-a-phoenix]

House of Lust (part 5)

Abbé de Coulmier x reader.

Summary: Five years has passed since the events of Quills. The Abbé de Coulmier is released of prision by a misterious event. And he will know again those feelings he never thought will meet again: love... and lust.

Warnings: spoilers from Quills, some mentions of sex, things will go a little wild from here...

"Excuse me, madmoiselle." François said. "But I don't really understand anything. My parents said you will---"

"Oh, yeah. Your parents, yeah." Odelle interrupted him. "They... They came here two weeks ago, maybe more, before leaving to Spain. Are you hungry, Abbé?"

His stomach was grunting. He was thirsty too. He hadn't drink anything since the morning. But he needed some answers from those women wearing their nightgowns.

"Who are you two? Why am I here?" He said, his voice deeper than never.

"Come with us. You too, Y/N." Josephine said. But you stepped in front of François, covering him from your sisters view.

"He asked you two questions. Answer him, Odelle." You said. Knowing your sisters, you will try to protect him to all costs.

"My name is Odelle, and she's my sister Josephine. And it seems you already know Y/N, the little one. You knew us all, Abbé. But let me explain you better in the dinning room."

François and you shared a look. You nodded with your head, walking right next to him while he zipped his shirt. You weren't going to let him alone with them.

François saw the large hallways, admiring them. The walls were full of paintings, but there were not enough lights to see them properly. Some red courtains covered the windows, not letting the moon light enter the house.

And then you all arrived to the giant dinning room. A large table was in the middle, at least thirty chairs surrounding it. Josephine moved her hand to him, inviting him to sit.

"Y/N, can you bring him some food?" Odelle said, siting next to him. "As I was saying, we knew you from before. The three of us went to that theatre play in Charenton five years ago. We thought we were seeing The Happy Shoemaker, but actually you allowed the presentation of the Marquis de Sade play.

"I didn't allowed it. I didn't knew the inmates prepared another play to mock about doctor Roger-Collard and his young wife. I didn't---"

"Shh, shh. Whatever you say, Abbé. But let me finish. That play, those moments, seeing everyone enjoying it, and some quotes said from the actors... That changed us completely."

"It changed you both, Odelle." You said, bringing a plate with potatoes, a piece of meat and bread, letting it in front of François. "Don't talk for me, please. I was just sixteen years old, and I didn't care so much about---"

"Let me finish, then, if you think you didn't change too."

The silence crowned the large room for a few seconds. You looked at your sister with hate. You did hate her, actually. Because of many things.

"As I was saying before my sister interrupted me," said, as she didn't do it before with you and him. "That Marquis' play changed us. We started to read more of his work, you know? More of those hundreds of stories he had to tell. And then, we started to believe different, to feel the world and see it with other eyes. Seeing that we're just here to enjoy the carnal pleasures."

François looked at you, but you were with a hand in your face, trying not to see him or your sisters and not showing the shame you were feeling. Josephine continued what Odelle was saying.

"It's like a creed, Abbé. A creed based on lust, greed and violence. And we believe in it, as many other friends of ours do. You are pale, Abbé. Are you okay? Is the food alright?"

François was breathing heavier. He remembered that horrendous play very well. The Marquis, with Madeline's help, used the inmates to perfom those blaspheming performances that made Roger-Collard angry with him.

"This is the House of Lust in France, Abbé. Many people come here to satiate their thirst for sex and perversion. We help them to do it. And we enjoy it a lot too, just as the Marquis used to say."

"You're damn crazy, all of you!" He said, getting what Josephine just told him.

"Abbé, I'm not part of---"

"Shut up, Y/N." Odelle interrupted you again. "What were you saying, Abbé?"

"Please, stop calling me Abbé. I don't have that charge anymore. What am I doing here, for Christ sake?"

Josephine left her chair, and went to stand just behind François, letting her hands in his shoulders. Odelle touched his hand with her fingers slowly, her nails scratching the skin, hurting him a little.

"Your parents asked us to help you, that's true." Odelle said. "But they didn't know about our... activities this month. And you, as a man who took the vows, have never experienced things like we do. You're still innocent and pure, even if your body doesn't feel like that. And you got free and arrived the Villa just at the perfect moment to discover those feelings.

"What the hell are you talking about? I just wanted a place to sleep and eat something. I think I'm going to Paris again..." He responded, trying to get up. But Josephine stopped him, sitting him again.

"Now, Abbé, are you going to be a good boy and accept we're helping you? or you are going to try to escape? It's not gonna be easy, tho. Guards are everywhere, and we're not letting a cute virgin guy like you to come to this house and let you go like that. He have to taste you, you know what I mean. Or we kill you right now and we say to your parents you were killed by a thief. You choose."

François looked at you again. This time, you were seeing him too. Not only shame in your face, but fear. You nodded again, convincing him not only to stay in there, accept and survive, but also that you were in the same situation, under their threat.

"Alright, mesdemoiselles. I see I don't have other option. What do I have to do?"

"For now, just go to sleep. You arrived late, and every room in the Villa is full of our guests. We don't have other, maybe the dungeon. But I think Y/N doesn't mind he can sleep in her room. Do you, Y/N?"

You saw the young man with pity. What a poor lad! Just getting out of his unjust imprisonment to get beaten and now under the power of those mad women that your sisters were.

"It's okay." You answered, knowing that in your bedroom, at least, he will be safe for some hours. And that you both could plan a way to escape.

"Amazing! But will you let her fuck him, Odelle?" Josephine said, as if he was just a toy. "We should take care of that first."

"And we will, sister. We will. Tomorrow we will see how we start him in this. They can do whatever they want. But as I see it, she's too shy even to touch herself, so I don't think she will do nothing. And he... well, he can't do nothing without our permission. So don't you dare to do nothing to our little sister, Abbé. You're still a priest to her, until she doesn't respect those vows. She never wanted to be part of our creed, but she's our sister, and we love her. Are we clear?"

François couldn't believe all that was happening. How could people be so sick? You see them on the streets, walking, shopping, being arrogant assholes. And then, you learn how depraved they are, as Roger-Collard and Madeline herself.

"What will happen tomorrow?" Said he, scared.

"It's a surprise, my dear." Josephine responded. "For now, finish you dinner, go and sleep. Recover from that beaten you took. And wait for us. Tomorrow you will get a bath and new clothes."

Josephine squeezed his shoulders, and left with Odelle, both talking low and laughing while they went to their bedrooms.

François kept his eyes in the plate, looking at the meal in shock. What did he got into? He just needed some help his parents promised. What a fuckminded friends they got!

You served him some wine, and gave it to him. He drank it quickly, feeling the sweet savour going through his throat, waiting for you to say something.

"I'm sorry, François. I'm truly sorry. I don't even know if your parents really came here and talked with these two harpies. Maybe that isn't even true. But I should have taken you out of here as soon as I recognized you."

François looked at you in awe. He couldn't believe you were so different to them. He took your hand with care, and smiled even if he didn't knew what your sisters will do to him the day after.

"Is other people in here?" He asked.

"Around seventy guests of the famous House of Lust my sisters run. God damn it, I can't believe this is not an awful dream. They've being doing this since the last five years. And it's so wicked that I can't believe is real. I fear all them."

"Well, I can't believe you're so different to them. It's true you're not part of this madness." Said he, smiling again with pain in his eyes. "So you think we can't get through this? I'll help you escape if you help me."

Your prayers were answered! This young man you felt attracted to five years ago was going to got through many things these days, but you both will go out that Villa, that was for sure.

He finished dinner in silence, you looking at him, admiring his factions and manners. He was in prison a lot of time, but he was still a gentleman.

He decided to sleep in the divan you cured his face before. He didn't want to disturb you. But he was the most normal man in that house at the moment.

You regretted talking about him to your sisters that time after the play five years ago. Maybe him being in there was all your fault.

"That priest is really gorgeous." You said to them when you were at the carriage, leaving Charenton. "I wish he hadn't taken the vows. Maybe we could know each other and have been friends."

Your sisters seemed to take this seriously, because when they knew he could get out of the asylum, they took advantage of it.

And now, there he was, a prisoner again, like you were those last years, of your own family. Hopefully, his mind would not get so dirty those days as his body covered of mud when he was out the Villa a few hours ago.

Tagging: @darknessisafriend @five-miles-over @yukis-writing @thegirlwho @jokerflecker @missrockabilly99 @luperugorria99 @lyoongx @weirdflecksbutok @skaraboo @stardancerluv @sgtsavoytruffle @ohcarlesmycarles @beautifulyoungprospect @sophiefleck @the-queen-of-things @jokerphoenix @ajokerfangirl

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

[punkrock-writer]

Space Cowboy- part 5

Never Fight a Man With a Perm

Pairing- Din Djarin x F!OC 

Warnings- Swearing, Mentions Blood, Canon Typical Violence. The Gang from Chapter 6 are dicks. 

A/N- Howdy!! I’m so sorry this took so long to come out. I had a bad case of brain rot this past week and did not want to type, but it’s here and I hope ya’ll like it! I’m kind of nervous about this chapter because this was the situation that inspired the entire story, so please let me know what you think! 

I’m going to try to have the next chapter out quicker! Put who knows, I got worms in my brain! 

Masterlist AO3 

After almost taking another roll around the ship — thanks to Din's lack of a warning — Sedona was now aware of what hyperspace felt like. It was actually rather calm, quiet, and still. She wished she could see it, but she didn't really know if she should attempt to enter the cockpit. Instead, turning to face her bags, she figured it was a good time to get some real clothes on. The child cooed sadly when she set him down in the sleeping compartment, and though she hated to, she ignored him and knelt by her suitcase. Searching for something somewhat warm through the clothes that were packed for Florida was proving difficult. She settled on black leggings, an old grey Ron Jon Surf Shop hoodie, and a pair of soft crew socks. A sports bra and a fresh pair of underwear completed the 'look' and she gathered her things and headed to the shower room.

Not before quickly turning back and grabbing her deodorant, because, yuck.

With a deep breath, she decided it was finally time to look at herself.

Nothing was exciting or truly different to note about the person reflected back to her in the foggy mirror. It was the same girl, blue eyes, short brown hair, but now there was a brand new massive bruise on her left temple. Her dark circles were deeper, and her eyes were tired. But other than the wound there was nothing new. She discarded her pajamas, and slipped into the clean clothes, she never thought it would feel this good to be fully covered. Her arms all the way to her toes now concealed in comfortable fabric, and she was grateful. She quickly put her hair into a folded bun, and set to her second task, putting that extra bacta patch on her head.

Peli made it look much easier. Whatever it was, was slimy and hard to get a grip on, but once it was placed, it stuck. So now she had a slightly lopsided, oversized band-aid on her head. And she knew it was going to hurt like a bitch to yank out of her hair. Taking one last look in the mirror, she sighed.

Honestly, she looked like she was about to go take a plane trip back home, and it tugged her heart a little bit.

Shaking her head she picked her things back up and opened the door to exit into the hull. A shiny helmet of beskar startled her, he must've just jumped down from the cockpit, as he was facing her through the ladder. She tried not to think too much about the way he stared for a bit too long, most likely just assessing her change in appearance. Before she could say anything he turned sharply, stepping over to where the child pouted in the sleeping compartment. She scooted by them, heading to put her things back in her bag. And when she straightened up to see what he was doing, he was already halfway up the ladder, taking the child with him.

Sedona tried not to dwell on it too much, it's not like he knew her, he barely even trusted her. He didn't owe her any more kindness than he was already giving her. But it really didn't help when she felt like she knew him. She needed to get that idea out of her head, she didn't know jack shit about what went through his head. Seeing someone on screen is so much different than actually being around them, and Sedona had to make sure she didn't get too comfortable too fast— she couldn't afford any slip-ups. So for now she would take it slow, tiptoe around the Crest, and do what she needed to do when called.

In pursuit of being quiet, she decided now might be a good time to check her phone. She settled herself in the sleeping compartment, purse in her lap, and plucked it from the bag. The time read 10:34 am, and obviously, there was no way of telling if that was right. Her calendar read two days since she had been ripped from her hotel room, and she was pretty sure that would be reliable. As long as she had some way of knowing how long she'd been here, she could keep herself grounded.

It didn't even cross her mind that she should try to find some way to get back home.

Sedona dozed off after a while, curled around her purse in the sleeping compartment. Her circadian rhythm was thrown off, or maybe it was like some kind of space-sickness. She was just tired, and she didn't know what else to do. The plot was getting scrambled in her head, and until Din jogged her mind in some way, she wasn't going to risk getting a headache thinking about it.

So she slept, the soft hum of hyperspace lulling her into relaxation, no matter how uncomfortable the bed was.

~o~o~o~

That was how Din found her a few hours later. Curled like a lothcat around one of her smaller bags. The child gurgled in happiness at the sight of her— he was the reason they were down there, wailing incessantly at the ladder. He didn't understand why he liked her so much, but if he trusted anyone, it was the child. So he set him down next to her knees, a position they had just recently been in. The child began climbing up her legs, and Din could only look on in amusement as she grumbled something incoherent.

The toddler reached his intended destination, her shoulder, and began to tap his tiny hands on her cheek. Din couldn't stop a small smile from breaking his features, thankful for the helmet once again. Her eyes popped open, panic clear on her features as she turned to look at what was tapping her face, and a smile overtook her.

"Hey little guy, how'd you get up there." Din pretended not to notice the roughness of her voice or the sleepy smile that turned to face him. "Oh I see now, you had an accomplice."

She slowly sat up, taking care to hold the child steady. She folded her legs in front of her, setting him in her lap. The child smiled up at him, and before he could stop himself, a gloved hand reached out and stroked his ear. Din wasn't used to showing affection in front of others, especially people he didn't fully trust. But the atmosphere was so relaxed, and it seems his body reacted before his mind could stop it.

"Did we stop somewhere?" Her quiet voice broke him out of his trance, his head snapped back up to meet hers. She looked worried, her eyes searched the helmet, and her teeth caught her bottom lip. Din told himself he was just observing a possible threat, analyzing her tells.

Subconsciously, that was a different story.

"No," he paused to clear his throat when it came out in a whisper. "I've picked up a job, I'm changing our course, and we'll be there in an hour... I just—" well Din didn't really know why exactly he felt the need to warn her. "I just wanted to know if you had... anything to tell me." Right, just trying to get information. Her eyes seemed to light up in recognition, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Who- or what is the job exactly." She looked confused still, her eyes zoned in on something in the distance, deep in thought.

"It's with an old... acquaintance of mine." His voice was rougher than he intended, still not really enjoying the idea of the job. But by the way her eyes darkened, he knew it was probably going to be a big mistake.

~o~o~o~

Sedona's mind instantly hooked onto the information and dragged it from the depths of the scramble. This situation, she knew well. This episode, she had watched, many times. For the plot... not for the way the red lights danced off beskar or the amazingly hot fight scenes.

No for the plot.

She knew what she needed to do.

"They betray you, they're going to try and shove you in a cell and leave you there... and a droid tries to shoot the baby— and they're all massive dicks, every one of them." Okay. That sounded crazy, she didn't mean for everything to tumble out like that. According to the way Din suddenly stood straight and alert, she probably didn't say the right things. "Wait... but you get out of it, no one gets hurt— except for the assholes— but they deserved it a-and you get money."

He just stood there, still as a rock. She couldn't imagine how all of that sounded to him. He probably didn't even know what the mission was supposed to be, and she had already informed him it was doomed from the start.

Yeah, I gotta work on the info delivery.

He let out a long sigh. His fingers twitched at his side, he probably would've rubbed his forehead in frustration if he could. She could feel herself shrinking in the silence, she unconsciously held onto the baby in her lap a little tighter. He cooed at her, seemingly sensing her anxiety. His little 3 clawed hands tapped at hers that held his waist.

"Well... like I said, an hour." He then turned and quickly made his way to the ladder. Climbing into the cockpit in almost record time. Sedona let a long sigh escape her, bringing one hand up to rub her eyes. She wasn't tired anymore, anxiety had squandered that quickly.

She had to either, A. Figure out some way to keep Din from being tricked and captured. Or B. Make sure Grogu doesn't alert the droid of his presence. For some reason, the situation felt wrong. She knew this mission was on course to go sour, but there was a bad feeling whispering at the edges of her mind.

Everything was feeling super, extra, bad and it was making her stomach hurt.

Or maybe she was just fucking starving.

Sedona realized she had never eaten the 'bar' Peli had given her. And an all-liquid diet the day before probably wasn't helping her whole, situation. Moving the child from her lap, she placed her feet on the ground. Thankful for her socks as the cold of the metal seeped through the fabric. She walked over to her suitcase— not really remembering where she had put the food— the entire evening leading up to her fight with Toro was a blur. When she didn't find it in her purse, she searched through her suitcase. Her hands touched the foil wrapping, and suddenly there was another presence at her side.

The little green gremlin was a bloodhound for food, it was like he read her mind and teleported to her. Letting out an excited squeal when she brought the bar into view, Sedona couldn't help but laugh with him. Sitting cross-legged in front of her suitcase she invited him to sit with her. And with more adorable grunts and snorts he sat down in between her legs, eyes never leaving the bar.

"Okay we can share, but don't tell your dad" she whispered, he made a soft coo in response. The bar looked like someone had put a granola bar through a grinder, and then reformed it back into a bar. Not exactly the most appetizing thing, but food was food, and the little guy seemed excited. She broke off a small piece— yes she had witnessed the child swallow a frog whole— but he was so little in front of her, so she went by baby rules and gave him something small. He grabbed it in his little hands, and then she broke off a piece for herself.

It was dry, and tasted kind of like a protein bar, but not at all like a protein bar. It was just different, but with the way the child inhaled it, she knew it was probably worth eating. They carried on like this till it was gone, Grogu munching happily, not minding the crumbs that fell into his lap. She was able to choke it down with the assistance of the water bottle that still sat in her purse. But eating didn't seem to help the way her stomach twisted in worry. When she wasn't distracting herself by watching the child, her mind wandered dangerously.

She couldn't tell if the walls her mind had put up the moment she dropped on the Crest were finally crumbling. Or if something was actually wrong. Her head was starting to hurt again, and now with a stomach ache, she felt like she was starting to break down. She needed another distraction.

Crumbling up the wrapper she turned to her suitcase. The child babbled a little, probably wondering if she had more food. Instead, she was just looking for anything; she moved through everything in the bag, toiletries, bras, a journal. And then she felt something solid. Her boots! She had honestly figured she didn't have any shoes here. Those had been the first thing to come out of her suitcase when she got to her hotel. But now, pulling her work boots from the depths, it was the first time she had actually been excited to see them. They were beat up hiking boots, with the perfect amount of ankle support and non-slip bottom to make it in space.

"Well, are you gonna let me put these on or what?" She said to the child in her lap, he tilted his head with a coo. She slowly started to straighten her legs, he made a squeal and then started to wiggle away from her. She laughed, helping him get off her lap and setting him to the side. He grunted, loudly, instantly very mad at her. She chuckled again, trying not to notice the way her hands shook as she began to lace up her boots.

Grogu toddled over to the ladder, reaching his arms up toward the cockpit. She couldn't help the smile, she finished tying her boots, standing, and headed over to the child. He was hanging from the 3rd rung of the ladder, obviously getting his speed from his father, she was able to catch him just as his 3 fingers slid off the metal. She rose and looked up with anticipation, obviously he wanted to go up there, and that meant she would have to... talk to Din.

She swallowed, but the baby in her arms let out an impatient squeal, reaching his arms up. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Um... D-Mando" she called, catching herself on the name quickly. "G-The kid wants to come up, i-is it alright if I bring him up." She hated the way she was stumbling through this, it shouldn't be that difficult to ask, but she almost shaking in fear at the prospect of being dropped off on the next planet. Her subconscious was telling her the Din she knew wouldn't do that, but this wasn't the Din she 'knew', this was a stranger. God, why did this have to be so complicated?

There was a long daunting pause. "Just don't touch anything." She let out a sigh of relief, and quickly attempted the climb to the cockpit. Proving to be much trickier with one hand. Her head breached the hole, and in front of her was something amazing. The cockpit of the Razor Crest lit up with the blue streaks of hyperspace. She stopped, awestruck at all of the buttons and levers, all of the details laid out before her. She didn't even notice the child wiggling out of her grasp.

It was beautiful, but also so terrifying. She watched the expanse of space whiz by, something her mind could've never been able to comprehend. And as she stared, she didn't notice when the pilot's chair slowly turned.

"You can come inside." She jumped at his voice, eyes meeting the helmet she didn't know was facing her. She quickly shut her mouth, just now realizing Grogu had made his way to Din's lap. Slowly, she finished the climb up the ladder and found herself at the door to the cockpit. Tentatively she stepped inside, eyes still wide in wonder, and made her way to the chair behind Din's left shoulder. He turned back to the controls, or more back to making sure the child didn't touch anything. She sat down slowly, still not entirely certain this was all real.

Swirling blue was constantly moving above and before her, it was mesmerizing, she felt herself getting lost in it. She could probably look at it for the rest of her life. It was the perfect distraction. Or until someone broke her from her daze, but she didn't expect that to happen anytime soon. Instead, she sat quietly, trying to take up as little space in the room as she could. Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind, she was allowed this brief moment of peace.

Sedona had held it together surprisingly well, though it was more likely she was in shock. Numb is what she would call it, seeing everything moving around her, but she didn't really feel it. A mild form of disassociation is probably what a therapist would tell her, her body was in survival mode while her brain just followed, screaming from the shadows. But at this current moment, her mind was quiet, the rolling blue was enough.

Comfortable silence, the baby sleeping, his snores being the only thing breaking through the hum of hyperspace. The pair sat quietly for what seemed to be a long time. It was the first moments of calm both had experienced at the same time, hopefully, it wouldn't be the last. In the past, the silence would have irked her, gnawed at her stomach. She probably would've started a conversation with anyone in the room. But now, it felt okay, her mind felt at ease for the first time since she'd got here. She ignored the voice that whispered, maybe it's him.

A sudden beeping broke through the serene atmosphere, Sedona jumped, while Din only moved his helmet. His hands reached out to flick some switches and punch some buttons.

She secretly wished she might be able to figure out what it all meant, but she wasn't going to get her hopes up.

"We're dropping out of hyperspace, hold on." It was an off-hand comment she realized because she didn't even have time to straighten in her spine when the ship seemed to lurch forward. Her hands flew to her sides, gripping the seat quickly. With the sudden movement, all of her anxieties flew into her throat. And as another giant space ship came into view, another emotion came forward.

Rage.

"Oh, those fuckers." The words were growled out before she even knew her mouth was open. Her eyes widening in surprise as a T-shaped visor snapped to face her. She could only shrug in response, it was the truth. Deep down, she was glad to know her shock-induced state hadn't taken everything from her, she could still talk some smack.

That was going to cause problems.

"You're staying on the ship, with the child." He had turned back to the controls, grasping the handles with gloved hands. The child in question had just woken up, cooing curiously at the scene change. "Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble, or whatever you said happens." She heard him and understood. But she was focused on trying to figure out how the hell she was going to hold her tongue when she knew what was about to happen. Din seemed to notice her unease, his helmet shifted slightly toward her, most likely confused by the white-knuckle grip she still had on the seat.

"You're going to have to gag me." The realization came suddenly, it was the only way, she did not trust herself to keep quiet. Din fully spun to face her now, even without seeing his face she could tell he was surprised and mad. She aimed for his eyes beneath the black visor, "It's the only way to shut me up." He let out a long sigh, that ended more in a frustrated growl.

"Are you serious?" His voice was sharp, serious disbelief. She nodded, it was ridiculous she knew, but with all the choice words swirling in her head, and the way she didn't have full control of herself, it really was the only way. With another growl-sigh he leaned down, ripping off a strip of material from his cape, and handed it to her, then he more or less shoved the child in her lap. "Just go— take him to the sleeping compartment, and... do it yourself."

She stood and left quickly, not wanting to anger him further. She staggered her way down the ladder, Grogu laughing at her struggles. She was panicking, her eyes darted over everything quickly, setting the child in the compartment she went over to her things. She zipped her suitcase closed, then hooked the handle to one of the nets that hung on the wall, hoping that would keep it out of way. Then with her purse, she made her way over to Grogu and climbed in after him. He babbled excitedly, not picking up on the frazzled emotions that were rolling off her in waves.

"We are going to have a totally chill time in here." She said to the child, though it was also mostly to herself. She adjusted till her back was against the wall, and allowed Grogu to clamber onto her lap. "It's gonna be totally cool and nothing bad is going to happen, alright?" Her voice had risen multiple octaves, and it seemed the gremlin had finally caught on to her panic. He tilted his head at her, making a much smaller, almost sadder sound. She instantly felt bad; making shushing noises, she rubbed his little back as he pouted up at her. The ship started to wobble, Din was maneuvering it into the bigger space ship, she held onto the little creature. And with a big thump, they were stopped.

Sedona let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Grogu's ears seemed to perk up at that, he settled down onto her lap. Listening carefully to the noises above her, she could hear Din moving around before steps began to descend on the ladder. He paused in front of the compartment, carefully observing the situation. Sedona could only stare back, doing her best not to let him know how scared she was, but he probably had a fear sensor on his helmet. Before he could turn away her voice betrayed her again.

"Di-Mando... could I have a weapon." It was a whisper, she was doing the best she could to hold herself together. But this was becoming more and more real by the second. He stared at her for much longer than she wanted, even Grogu made a small whine at the atmosphere. Then his hand moved to his wrist, tapping something, and a compartment opened adjacent to the one she was in. She peaked around the corner, eyes widening at all of the weapons laid out. And she almost laughed at the sight of her pink taser, placed there among all of the space gadgets. He grabbed that, setting it in front of her.

Without a word, he turned, fingers working at his wrist again. Almost simultaneously, the weapons doors and the door to her compartment shut. While the side ship door opened. She and Grogu were alone in the dimly lit compartment. He turned to look at her, head tilting in confusion. And she could only shrug in response.

There was silence on the ship for what felt like hours. Sedona and Grogu sat quietly, only the child breaking the silence with his babbles. She would shush him quickly; not really knowing when the crew would be joining the ship, and she didn't want their cover blown sooner than it needed to be. When his fussing became a bit more persistent, she gave him her keys that were still tucked in her purse. His big eyes widened further, entranced by the shiny metal and jingles.

Because how else do you calm a baby you don't know what to do with, you give it your keys. Fuck.

A heavy sigh passed through her as she leaned her head back against the wall. She's trying desperately to keep her emotions under control, obviously, Grogu could sense them, so if she was calm, he was calm. And that was most important right now. Her mind was constantly on edge, just waiting for something to happen. She didn't want to tie her mouth yet, fearing it would startle the child. Instead, she chewed on her lip, distracted by the soft tinkling of her keys.

The wait was soon over.

Metallic footsteps were making their way up the ramp. Thinking fast she tied the strip of fabric around her mouth, then held the child close. He cooed, moving his head up to face her before his ears flicked up in surprise. She tried to give him a smile.

It definitely looked absolutely horrifying.

His little features contorted into a frown, and a whimper was heard before the footsteps on the ship drew closer. They both snapped their heads to stare at the unmoving compartment door. Ears perked, listening closely as she heard someone ascend to the cockpit. There were noises outside of the ship, people were gathering, she felt her heart rate increase sharply. She squeezed them further into the corner of the compartment. The mattress creaked so loudly in the silence, but thankfully the noises coming from above them seemed to drown it out.

Her brain had ceased its flow of information. She wasn't sure who entered the ship first, it could be Din for all she knew. But she knew there were about to be a lot more people, and then shit was going to go down. Her mouth had gone dry thanks to the fabric, and the child had started to whine. She tried to shush him, but it came out more in weird hissing sounds. His eyes bugged out as he looked at her in fear, pushing his arms against her chest. She moved to set him down behind her, pretending her heart didn't break at the sight. She maneuvered herself more to the front of the compartment, leaving the keys behind for him.

She almost didn't notice the grumbling that followed the metallic clink of someone leaving the ship. The person was complaining, aggressively, but the voice was definitely not human.

Of course. That shitty droid.

The one emotion that had been hardest to keep at bay was rising up again. It coiled in her throat, sharpening her tongue with nasty thoughts. She hated this group, and all the shit they say to Din and the violent betrayal. She didn't know how she was going to be able to handle it if it happens right in front of her— the fabric in her mouth was going to be her saving grace. She really did not want to risk making this even worse for Din than it already would be.

And sure, she knows they get their due karma in the end. But the nagging pit in her stomach, the feeling of wrong, was eating her alive. She reached for the taser that sat at the front of the compartment and maneuvered her back to Grogu. If that compartment opens, she was going to fight like hell.

And that's how she waited.

And waited.

Back turned to the child as he jangled her keys around. She waited as voices crept closer to the Crest. As someone made their way up the ramp, then another. Until something was set down with a heavy thump, and a murmur of voices filled the hull. No one was really saying anything of importance, just fighting about who got to sit where. Sedona turned her head back to the child, who was now also listening attentively. His ears perked, owlish eyes met hers, the keys now forgotten in his little hands. He made a small 'ooo' sound and pointed to the compartment door, and she shrugged, holding her finger up to her mouth in a shushing motion.

Then there was the sound of the hatch closing, her head snapped back to the door. Trying to picture the scene behind the metal. She heard someone climbing the ladder, and then there was more grumbling. It wasn't long after, the ship began to move, she braced her hands behind her back as the compartment rocked. She looked back at the child, who was now back to jangling the keys around, she tried not to cringe at the sound, hoping they couldn't hear it.

She couldn't help thinking how insane this was. She was sitting in a space ship with a little green alien, gagged, and listening to other aliens argue. Her breath had started to quicken, and she could feel her pulse thumping in her neck.

This is so fucked up. What the hell am I even doing here. I'm going crazy-

Her spiraling thoughts were cut off when she felt a small hand on her back. She turned, blinking away a tear that had formed in her eye. Grogu made a tiny coo, his eyes wide. She instantly felt bad, he could sense her distress and it was making him feel bad. But she almost let out a sob when the little creature leaned forward, setting both his arms on her back in a tiny hug. A strangled noise tore through her throat, lifting one of her hands to pat his wrinkled little head. He made a snorting noise, one of the cutest things in the world, before plopping down and playing with the keys again. The interaction so small, but it had immediately calmed her down.

God, I can see why everyone loves this little shit.

She felt the atmosphere speed up, and the telltale feeling of hyperspace overtook the ship. A sound she recognized made her snap her head back to the door. The weapons hold adjacent to the sleeping compartment was open. She hadn't even heard their earlier conversations, too entranced by the little guy. She couldn't remember who had opened the door, but from the grumbling, it sounded like the one she hated most. Everything was happening much faster, but it felt as if time had slowed. She distantly registered the thump of someone jumping down the ladder, then the doors closing, and someone immediately hitting them.

"Hey, hey, hey. Okay. Okay. Okay, I get it. I'm a little particular about my personal space too." That voice, God she knew that voice. Her blood boiled as she listened further. "So let's just do this job. We get in, we get out, and you don't have to see our faces anymore."

How ironic, she almost rolled her eyes.

"Someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian." The voice was much closer than she wanted it to be.

"Well, apparently they're the greatest warriors in the galaxy." There was a pause, Sedona gritted her teeth around the cloth. "So they say"

"Then why are they all dead"

And there was laughter. She heard a sharp giggle, the kind that makes your lip curl. And she felt herself shaking— she wanted to say something so fucking bad. She didn't know how Din could just take all of this.

"Well, you flew with him, Xi'an— Is he as good as they say?"

"Ask him about the job on Alzoc 111." Their voices grated her ears. Subconsciously she really did want to know what happened on Alzoc 111"

"I did what I had to." But this voice, with his calculated roughness, broke her heart. She didn't know how much more she could take before words started leaving her mouth. She heard a female voice, and her hands curled into fists behind her. She could hear what they were saying, but it wasn't fully registering anymore. Her ears rung with rage, the feeling of the child still leaning against her back was the only thing keeping her from ripping off the gag and screaming.  

Her eyes narrowed at the continued jeering and insults. She tried to blink away the tears of anger that burned her eyes. Pressing all of her weight into her arms, her muscles tense. Ready for what was coming next.

The ringing in her ears didn't stop, even as a fistfight took place outside her door.

Only when she was suddenly faced by the people she did not want to see, did everything come crashing back to the surface.

The trio looked at her in shock, Din out of her view. She sees Mayfield's mouth moving as he walks closer to her, but she only picked up the last of his sentence.

"— you get lonely up here buddy? Huh." He stepped up to the compartment, Xi'an sauntered after him. Sedona tried not to focus on the way the other woman's gaze twisted into disgust. She turned her head to meet all 3 of their eyes, Burg looking even more devil-like up close.

"Why do you have your bed warmer tied up like that huh?" Din didn't answer Mayfield, she couldn't even see him, but with the way Burg had his arm locked out of view, he was probably being held back. "Is that how he kept you, huh, Xi'an? Is that how he likes 'em?" The woman in question hissed in response, and she settled herself against the door. Knife still held loosely in her hand.

"Didn't take you for the type." She snarled at Din, her eyes predatory as they shifted away from Sedona. "Maybe that code of yours has made you soft."

And suddenly there was another voice. Though not really a voice, instead it's sounded like an angry cat in the other room. Muffled, and full of rage.

It wasn't till she noticed the others were just staring at her in silence, that she realized it was her. She was snarling like a rabid dog, her mouth has developed a mind of its own. Thankfully all the words were swallowed by the cloth.

"Well let's see what she has to say," Xi'an said with a sickening smile, sharpened yellow teeth on full display. The next actions happened so quickly, Sedona honestly didn't realize what transpired. There was a flash of metal, as Xi'an's hand darted out like a snake. A searing pain appeared on her left cheek, and the cloth holding her words in fell away. She felt herself gasp, her hand instantly flying up to cradle her cheek. And then there was laughing, the trio laughed at her pain, and it only made her angrier.

"I said," She placed her hand, now sticky with blood, behind her back. Bracing herself. "I've got a penchant for smokes and kicking douches in the mouth. Sadly for you, my last cigarette's gone out."

And with that statement, her right foot flew out. Connecting with Burg's jaw, a sickening crack rang through the hull.

Then there was chaos.

The Devaronian stumbled back, his own hand coming up to clutch his jaw with a growl. Mayfield and Xi'an jumped for their weapons. But before anyone else could cross the threshold of the sleeping compartment, there was a blaster shot— and the metal door collapsed shut. Din had shot the control panel to the door, no one could get in, or get out without the use of his fancy wrist control. There was aggressive banging on the door, Sedona feared it might dent. She could hear swearing and shouting from the other side, but she wasn't done. She sat up on her knees, slamming her hands against the metal a few times. If Din wasn't going to say it, she would.

"Fuck you Xi'an! I wanted to be your friend so bad!" She could hear an aggressive snarl over the other commotion. Burg roared, and then there was a particularly loud thump against the door.

"Fuck you, Burg! Your breath fucking reeks!" Her voice had a heavy growl in it, all of the rage she could muster put behind her words.

"And fuck you, Mayfield! Prison is going to make you it's bitch!" Her voice had risen to a scream to counteract the noise. And with a few more slaps against the metal, she sat back down. Her hand coming up to the cut on her cheek. Xi'an's blades were so sharp, they cut deep and thin. A perfect slice, that was going to leave a nasty scar. It was then she realized the other creature in the room.

Grogu let out soft whimpers at the commotion, he was trying to hide behind her purse. Her stomach dropped at the sight, instantly letting out a soft coo of her own, she reached her hand out to him, trying to let him know it would be okay. But another voice broke through the pandemonium.

"Dropping out of hyperspace now." She scooped up Grogu, and he let out a small cry of protest. But she knew what was coming next. The ship lurched foreword suddenly. "Commencing final approach now."

"Cloaking signal now" Grogu let out a scream as they were suddenly airborne. Sedona's head crashed against the ceiling of the compartment with a thump. They slammed back down, the wind getting knocked out of her lungs. Trying to catch her breath she glanced down at the child, who was relatively fine. Just panicking by the way his massive eyes stared up at her. The ship stopped with a heavy crash, and she heard the droid speaking again. But she was far more distracted by the little green hand straining to reach her cheek.

"I'll be okay buddy" she whispered, bringing her hand up to gently grab his. He frowned, babbling urgently at her. She gave him as much of a smile she could muster, hoping he accepted it. "You don't have to heal me, I'm all right." Truthfully, she wasn't really all right. Her cheek was burning, and from what she could feel, the cut ran from just under her jaw bone, all the way up to her cheekbone. A neat slice, that was still steadily leaking blood. She set Grogu to the side and reached for her purse, fishing out the travel pack of tissues, and holding one to the cut. It wasn't stitches or magical healing space goo, but she hoped it would at least stop her from bleeding all over Din's bed. A loud smack interrupted their tentative peace. Mayfield's voice followed.

"Don't think we forgot about you girl, we'll be back for you!" There was laughing, and for the first time since the door had opened, the wrongness flooded back to her stomach. She focused on taking deep even breaths, for the sake of the child who whimpered beside her. She heard a fast beeping, and then someone jumping from the ship. They were leaving, and her heart only seemed to race faster. She waited till she heard the particularly loud thump of Burg.

"Din," she cleared her throat, voice coming out raw. "Don't let them capture you." She wasn't sure if she was just talking to an empty hull, or if the Mandalorian could even hear her raspy voice. 

She just hoped desperately if he had, he would listen.

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

Taglist- 

I’ve never done this before! But please message me if you’d like to be tagged, and I’ll try to figure it out along the way! 

@thekingofthegoats @cosmicbreathe @daddydjarinxx @gallowsjoker 

[savoryscribbles]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 (𝙵𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎) 𝙷𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗

A/n: third times the charm? I’ve had to redo this multiple times, first time I put it in the wrong like font thing, and second I forgot to tag it!!! Ugh, stupid me. I really enjoyed writing this, I hope you enjoy reading it! Big thanks so @pigletxpoohbear and @someone-but-still-noone for proof reading, both of y’all were a huge help!

𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

𝙼𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝙼𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

𝙷𝚃𝙳𝙷 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

Info about this piece and the series can be found at the link above(third one down) ;) Enjoy!

⊱ ❀ ✿ ꕥ ✿ ❀ ⊰

I stand up as I hear the door open and close. Walking through the hallway I see Jumin before he can see me.

“Darling? I'm home.” He called out to me, just as I entered the living room. His eyes lit up as he saw me.

“Hello honey, welcome home.” I said as I walked into his open arms and wrapped my hands around his middle. He kissed my head as I buried it into his chest. He chortled, holding me tighter.

“I missed you.” I mumbled into his chest. He pulled back and looked into my eyes.

“I miss you every second I'm not with you.” He responded, kissing me on my lips. It was a short and sweet peck. He reluctantly pulls away from me and takes off his suit jacket.

“What did you have for dinner my love?” He asked looking at me while walking to the phone to call the chef.

“I- I didn't eat, I wanted to wait for you to get home.” I responded to his question.

“You shouldn't wait for me, okay? Eat when you’re hungry not when I do. I suppose you're hungry though. What would you like to eat my dear?” He asked before calling the chef.

“How about pasta?” I asked, following him into the dinning room.

“Pasta it is then.” He responds, causing me to roll my eyes. He never said no to me, he didn't even input his opinions when I was making a decision.

As Jumin calls for the chef, I think back to our conversation last night.

‘I would like to go property shopping soon.’ he said, breaking the silence.

‘Property shopping? For what?’ I asked, confused as to what he meant.

‘For our future house.’ He stated matter-of-factly.

‘Oh. Okay, when were you planning on going?’ I curiously responded, quite excited. Jumin had mentioned the prospect of owning a house a couple weeks ago, and while this information shocked me, I was extremely happy. Designing my own house was a dream of mine.

‘I was thinking of the day after tomorrow, I’m planning to take that day off so I will likely be home later than normal tomorrow because of that.” He explained, causing me to pout. I didn't want him home late, he works late normally, I had no idea how late “later than normal” would be.

‘I know love, it’s less than ideal, but you’re always saying I should be more respectful of Jaehee, so I thought this would help.’ he said, noticing my pout taking my hands in his, kissing them.

‘It’s fine, I understand, Jumin,’ I reassured him. Yes I love him to death, and I know he loves me with the same fiery passion, but he has to work. Work, so he can spend more time with me.

“Love?” Jumin asked, bringing my attention to him.

“Yes?” I responded a little startled.

“The chef will be here in 30 minutes.” He stated, walking up to me. Before I had time to respond he leaned down and grabbed my face with both his hands.

“Oh to know what thoughts go on in that mind of yours.” He whispered to me before kissing my forehead.

“Hmm. I was actually thinking about what you’d said yesterday. About property shopping tomorrow. Are we still doing that? Have you contacted someone?” I voiced my concerns to him.

“We are still going, or else I wouldn’t be late. And yes, I have contacted a real estate agent. They said they had multiple properties to look at, we’ll probably be gone most of the day.” He answered, walking to the door after hearing someone knock on it.

Jumin opened the door, finding the chef waiting with our dishes. He stepped aside to allow the chef in, while I had a seat at the table, which had been cleaned and freshly set.

“Thank you, chef Yoon, for preparing a meal so late, you always treat us so wonderfully.” I said to the chef as he set the dishes on the table and pulled the lids off.

“You’re welcome Mrs. Han, enjoy the meal.” He smiled before seeing himself out. As he left, my attention returned to Jumin. My husband sat across the table looking at me with what some would describe as ‘heart eyes.’

“Yes dear?” I questioned, making him come out of his stupor.

“You are always so polite to everyone, it reminds me of how lucky I am to call you my wife.” He said calmly before grabbing his cutlery.

There were small conversations while we ate, but nothing major. And soon it was time for bed.

As I finished changing, I felt Jumin take me into his arms. I cried out in shock.

“What are you doing?” I asked, clutching to him.

“Carrying my wife.” He stated unfazed. I laughed as he walked us to our bed. He set me down onto the sheets before walking to his side of the bed. Jumin turned the bedside lamp off, causing the room to go dark. Before I fell asleep I felt him wrap his arms around me.

I woke up, seeing my husband's face loom over mine.

“It’s time to get up dear.” He said kissing me all over my face.

I laughed, rising from the bed, and walked into the closet. After choosing a business casual outfit, that's also comfortable to walk around in a lot, I entered the bathroom, getting ready for today.

Jumin and I walked hand in hand out of the penthouse, towards the car that was already waiting for us. As we entered the car Jumin told Driver Kim the directions to, what I can assume is, the first property.

As the car pulled up to the vacant lot, I saw a man waiting near the driveway. Jumin took my hand, leading me gently out of the car and towards the man.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Han. I am Mr. Kae and I will be guiding you through these properties today.” Mr. Kae exclaimed when we were in earshot.

“This first property is almost half an acre, coming in at 25,000 square feet with woods surrounding the area. There is a lot of privacy, with no neighbors for a couple miles.” The agent said. I grimaced at the last part. Neighbors were something I definitely wanted, people I could talk to.

“The property does not come with a front gate, however one can be installed if you wish. This is also the cheapest out of all of the properties we will be looking at today.” Mr. Kae continued. I looked to Jumin, finding him already staring at me. We both shared a look of displeasure.

“I think that will be all for this property, me and my wife would like to discuss some things privately, so excuse us for a moment.” Jumin announced to the agent before walking us back to the car.

“I didn’t like there not being any neighbors, what if we need help? What if something bad happens and no one can get here in time?” I said to him, he nodded, agreeing with me.

“I don’t like that as well. I would prefer to live in a gated neighborhood. I’ve also looked at the location of each property, this one is the farthest away from my work.” Jumin added. We both agreed that this one was definitely going to be at the bottom of our list.

Jumin walked back to the real estate agent, and seemingly discussed our disinterest in this property. The conversation didn’t last long, because soon Jumin was walking back towards the car and me.

“Come on love, he gave me the directions to the next property.” He informed me, opening my door. As I buckled in my seat belt I heard Jumin get in on the other side, and tell the directions to Driver Kim.

“Forgive me, dear, I am so sorry, I forgot to ask you what you would like for our place to have.” Jumin confessed.

“It’s fine, I really only want a place with neighbors and beautiful scenery.” I responded. I didn’t want a lot, I really just wanted to design the house. He nodded, taking what I said into consideration.

The second property was similar to the first. However, this time there was an extra half acre and less woods. There were also a couple neighbors, we passed by them on our way there. Jumin and I both agreed that this was not the property we wanted.

It was nearing the end of the day, we had looked at several properties, none of them really feeling right. I was starting to give up hope by the time we reached our last property. Jumin had mentioned that this one was the closest to his work, which was a large plus.

“This is the last property of the day. As you saw this is a gated neighborhood, and the community here is great. This is the largest property you’ve looked at today, at a total of 2 acres. It looks over the city. It is situated a little further away from the rest of the neighborhood, as it’s the highest property.-” Mr. Kae kept on rambling, but I wasn't listening. I stared at the beauty before me. It was sunset, and the property seemed to face exactly east, which also meant that the back faced directly west.

The sunset was heavenly, and in that moment, I knew, this was the property I wanted. So I looked over to Jumin with a bright smile on my face. My husband doesn't smile much, but he couldn't stop himself as he saw mine.

“This is it Jumin. This is the one I want.” I said to him, still staring at the cultivating colors in the sky. I couldn't see it, but he nodded as well.

“This is the property we would like.” Jumin interrupted the agent, who was still rambling.

“Oh? Oh! Okay, this property is quite popular so there are already a few offers on it.” Mr.Kae responded.

At that point I stopped listening, knowing Jumin would handle everything financial.

“Come on love, let's go home.” Jumin said, leading me back to the car.

Once we got back into the car I saw Jumin on his phone. I was curious as to what he was doing, because he wasn't normally on his phone during car rides.

“Why are you on your phone?” I therefore asked, causing Jumin to look up at me. He looked away, thinking for a bit.

“I’m just making notes of people I need to call, like a home designer, and a construction company, there’s a lot I need to do.” He responded, listing some of the things that needed to get done.

“Can I help?” I asked excitedly. My dream might become a reality, and I couldn't help but express my enthusiasm.

“Of course, we will be approving the designs before they’re put into action.” He responded, a little confused as to what I meant.

“No! I mean, can I design the house side by side with the home designers?” I explained, still looking at him with hopeful eyes.

“I can’t think of a reason why you shouldn't be able to.” Jumin said, still looking a little confused.

“Yay!!!” I exclaimed, if we weren’t in the car I’d run up and hug him right now. He laughed at my enthusiasm.

At home we sat down on the balcony for our nightly wine drinking. Usually we’d talk about our week, but all I could focus on was the house. As I looked out into the night sky, all I thought about was how I couldn’t wait to see it from the amazing view of the, soon to be ours, property.

[xelles-archive]

[vent tw]

just had a mental breakdown. wow. how surprising. tbh i don't even know why this keeps happening. this happened so many times already but there seems to be no improvement in my behavior. why am i like this. why haven't i changed. i don't know what's wrong with me. why can't i just drop my phone and do things that i need to do. it doesn't sound too hard. but why can't i do it. is it because of the lack of support. i mean, i appreciate the kind words and moral support from my friends, but there's something missing. i can't truly feel it. sometimes words aren't enough. maybe i really am touch starved. because all i need right now is a long, comforting hug. i tried not to let the incident get to me too much but i couldn't help it. i started crying. i started apologizing. to din. to jose. to dell. to peter. to papa. i started about apologizing about how i'm such a failure. about how nothing of me has changed. i'm still a shitty piece of shit who fucks up things and does nothing to make up for it. din even helped me get hyped to start working, but i guess i wasted everyone's time and energy.

but din, he- he came up to me. removed his helmet and listened to me rant as i cry. he stayed silent and waited until i finally calmed down. he took my hand, rubbed the top of it, and said some encouraging words to me. i know he struggles to comfort people, but i also reassured him that i already appreciate the little things he's done for me and that he shouldn't feel ashamed for not having the same ability to comfort as other people. he understands what i'm going through, he didn't say anything bad about my habits, because he knows. he knows that my mental health is going bad, and that i'm in need of love and affection. unlike these people who don't know shit.

it was polite for him to ask first before bringing me to a hug. i love him so much. he's so gentle and kind, so warm and protective. i love everything about him. i don't know what to do without him. i wish he could be real.

[shi-daisy]

Ghost

Ah, the angsty theme. I'll be honest I've never been fond of sad stories, but I'd be lying if I said Ulquihime dosen't have potential for really tragic stories, be it a one shot or a full length fic. Plus they're the only ship I would ever use this song with. Fits so well with them 😢

Special thanks to @vikowolf for letting me use her gif. Go give this talented bean some love!

I hope you all like!

@ulquihimeweek

Ulquihime Week- Day 4- Haunting/Touch Starved

Ghost

"Are you afraid of me, woman?"

She remembered his voice clearly, along with his empty emerald eyes.

Ulquiorra was turning into ash, but he did not despair, instead he reached out for her.

"No, I'm not afraid. I've never been afraid." Orihime tried to hold his hand but his fingers turned to ash under her touch.

"No! Ulquiorra please don't go! Don't die!"

She wanted to run. To heal him, to keep him from falling apart, but her feet didn't move. All she could do was beg him to stay alive.

The result was the same every night, he'd turn to ashes before her eyes and she would wake up screaming his name.

"Ulquiorra!" she called. There was no response, for her apartment was empty.

'Thats right. I'm home...' she remembered. It was getting harder to tell the difference.

'Goddamn it not again!' Orihime felt a headache coming on. She pushed her covers and walked over to the kitchen.

She had run out of medicine, much to her chagrin. The kit was empty save for a bottle of sleeping pills.

'I forgot to go shopping again.' Ever since she got back home she was forgetting things more often than usual. To her luck, both Rangiku and Toshiro had stocked up the fridge before going back to the Soul Society, so she still had some food. Orihime grabbed a box of doughnuts and scarfed them down on the dinning room table.

She glanced at the clock. It read 1 a.m.

'I have school tomorrow, I can't fall asleep in class again! C'mon Inoue get it together!'

Last week she had fallen asleep during class and had the same dream. Not only had it been embarrassing to scream his name upon waking, but this time she'd been crying when she said it, and all her friends saw it.

They all looked concerned and tried to talk to her about it, yet she didn't want them near at all, especially not Ichigo.

"Staying mad at Kurosaki because of me?"

That voice again. She lifted her gaze and saw Ulquiorra sitting across from her.

"Can't you leave me alone for one night?!" she screamed, throwing a glass at him. The glass shattered after hitting the wall.

"Woman, please don't break the utensils. We both know I'm not really here."

"I wish you were."

"Why? Why do you miss me? I was a monster. I took you away from your friends, I kept you locked up and even killed the man you loved. Yet you miss me. It's not logical."

"I know."

"You'd be better off forgetting me."

"No. I refuse to forget you." Tears began streaming down her cheeks. Orihime gripped the edge of her nightgown trying to keep from sobbing. "I know we were never close, or even friends, but I did care for you.

It wasn't clear to me until you were nearing the end. You told me you were curious about us humans. And then I understood.

You wanted emotions, companionship, understanding, a heart...I was willing to give all of that to you. Had you lived."

Talking felt like having glass shoved down her throat, but she continued.

"Instead of welcoming you into my life as a dear friend all I had left of you was a pile of ash and a torn dress!

I should have tried harder to save you! Aizen said my powers rivaled those of the gods, and I yet when I had the chance to use them I froze like an idiot! I should've put myself between you and Kurosaki! I should've tried to escape on my own and come back for you when the war ended! There were so many ways for me to keep you safe. And I did nothing! I'll never forgive myself for letting you die."

Ulquiorra stood up and walked over to her. Then he hugged her, laying his head on her shoulder.

Orihime knew it wasn't real, but she didn't care. It felt real. His touch was cold yet comforting. She leaned into it.

"I could only hold your hand for a few seconds before it turned to ash, still, I could feel it. It was cold, it was gentle, it was electric...I'd give anything to hold you again, properly this time."

"We both know that's not possible, nor is it ideal.

My demise was no one's fault but my own, woman. I was the one who engaged Kurosaki un battle. Had I surrender you to him I would still be alive."

"No. He had forgiven his enemies before. Enemies that wouldn't have hesitated to cut him down if they could. What made you any different?"

"I do not know. Maybe the fact that I tried to kill him twice, or the fact that I took you away."

She scoffed. "Kurosaki dosen't care that much about me. He went to Hueco Mundo to fight Grimmjow, not for me."

"That's a narrow way to look at it. Kurosaki Does care for you, even if he dosen't show it."

"That's not enough for me. It'll never be enough for me, anymore."

She stood up, feeling slightly cold as Ulquiorra let go of her. The clock read 1:30 a.m

'I'm not going to fall asleep at this rate.'

Opening up the fridge again, taking a bottle from the very back. It has half empty, and the scent from it filled the whole apartment.

'Sora wouldn't be too proud seeing me like this.' she winced. 'Then again, we both inherited things from our parents that we didn't want. I wonder how those two lowlives are doing these days...'

The first glass always burned her throat but by the second the sting subsided and she got used to it.

"So now, you're just going to drink away and ignore me?"

Ulquiorra's voice startled her. "You usually don't stay this long. Even in my dreams you fade away after the first touch."

"My apologies. I cannot change the past."

"I know, you're only in my mind after all."

Again he walked over to where she was, this time she was the one who tried to hold him, but her hands went right through him.

Orihime began to cry again, not caring if she was being too loud. Ulquiorra sat beside her, holding her hand.

"Woman, what did you mean before by 'not enough'?"

"Exactly that. Empty gestures and fake concerns are not enough. They should've never been.'"

"Then what would be enough? What do you want?"

"You." she whispered. "I want you. Not your spirit, not in my dreams or in my mind. I want you here in the flesh. I want to hold you, to truly speak with you. To be with you."

"You shouldn't want that. You should move on. Everything's alright now, you're back home with your friends, this is what you should want."

"Well I don't!" she yelled. "I don't want any of this, if I can't have you by my side! It all feels so..."

"Empty." He finished for her.

"Yes. It's all so very empty."

Ulquiorra stayed silent for a moment, then he looked at her. "If that is your final answer, then I just have one last piece of advice."

"What would that be?"

"Go to sleep."

"I can't. You won't be there when I wake-"

He put a finger over her lips to silence her. "Yes. Yes I will. I'll even lay down with you."

Orihime didn't expect him to inch closer towards her and kiss her. His touch wasn't cold anymore, or maybe she was the one radiating warm. It didn't matter, this was what she'd been wanting for weeks now.

"Now please woman, go to sleep."

Orihime nodded, grabbing a couple sleeping pills from the kit and taking them with what was left of the liquor. The effect was immediate, as drowsiness began to take over.

She walked over to her bed, and settled in. Ulquiorra was lying beside her over the covers.

"I need you to promise me you'll be here when I wake up. I'm getting tired of seeing you disappear."

"I'll be here. I promise."

With that in mind she closed her eyes and let sleep take over. Ulquiorra would be there to greet when she woke up.

If she woke up at all.