#don't eat fel's baby

[fluffysucker]

Epilogue

Bucky Barnes x Reader (AU)

A/N: Written in Third POV. No use of Y/N. However, the reader is referred to as a female.

I'm very thankful for all of you who have read this story and shared their thoughts and opinions. It really means so much to me.

Let me know if any of you want to stay in my taglist. Also I do take requests if you want. And my inbox is always open

Thank you so much♡♡♡♡

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

You stood in front of the stairs, glaring at them. If looks could kill, they would be on fire. They are your worst enemy right now. You took a deep breath, refusing to let them win. You held onto the railings for dear life, taking very slow steps down. One by one. You almost screamed in victory once you finished the stairs. You moved to the kitchen when you could already hear the chaos happening.

"Good morning, my babies." You made your presence known in the kitchen with your cheerful greeting, also declaring that you were in a good mood. There was no need to avoid you.

A mix of "Good morning, mommy" filled your ears as you moved to give each of your kids a kiss. You turned to your husband, who looked like he, too, expected a good morning kiss. But you turned to get a bottle of water from the fridge. The audacity. Like he hasn't done enough.

You sat in between your children, where Bucky put your plates filled with your favourite food. You thanked him reluctantly and kept on talking to Theo and Lily. It wasn't long before you heard the honk of the school bus. Bucky helped them out as you wished them a good day.

"So the silent treatment is only for me?" Bucky asked as he walked back into the kitchen.

"I think it's the least you deserve." You replied, eating your food.

"C'mon. It's going to be fun." Daggers shot from your eyes at your husband. Only for giggles to fill the place.

"See, Sam agrees with me." Bucky was grateful he could find someone to help him.

"No, he is laughing at how stupid his dad is." You turned to look at your smiling toddler in his chair.

"Isn't that right, sweetie?" You asked as you fed the toddler a spoonful of his food.

Your year and a half old baby, who was named after his Uncle Sam as a thank you for his help and support, was fully laughing. A laugh that warmed your heart.

You got up to get some juices out of the fridge. You opened the cupboard to get a cup, but you couldn't reach it. Somehow, you got shorter this time. There was no explanation for this.

"C'mon, doll. You can't blame me for making sure you never leave me." Bucky said as he handed you your favourite cup at the moment.

"Who is known for leaving who, Barnes?" An offended gasp left Bucky's mouth at your words.

"Cheap shot, doll." Bucky said as he added more food to Sam's plate. And your favourite vegetables chopped into yours.

"And I think you should keep it in your pants or get a vasectomy because I can't do this again." You got back to your place, resting your hand on your swallowing belly.

"But I already bought a car big enough for a football team." You threw the piece of toast at him. God, he was so annoying. But you were his to annoy.

"Plus, don't act like you didn't enjoy it. I'm pretty sure that one is all your fault." Bucky came to sit next to you.

"How so?" You asked as you fed your toddler, who was having so much fun watching his parents bicker.

"You seduced me. What exactly were you expecting when you wore that dress on my birthday? A man can handle so much." A smirk formed on his face at the memory of the day.

"So you made sure I could never look good again." You pointed to your six-month-pregnant belly.

"Nothing can ever make this true. You are always going to be the most beautiful and prettiest woman ever." Bucky wasn't just saying this to boast about your confidence, which had been lacking lately, but because he truly believed. In his eyes, you only get prettier by the day.

"You are unbelievable." You woke up to get some water. That baby was dehydrating you like a desert.

As you closed the fridge, you felt Bucky's hand around your baby bump, and you instantly relaxed into his touch.

"Okay, one more baby. Then we can see. But I'm not getting a vasectomy." Bucky kept laying small kisses on your neck until you turned to look at him.

Maybe if he stopped looking at you like you were his world, you could resist. Maybe if he didn't shower you with affection and love, you would be able to keep it together. Maybe if he wasn't always there for you, you would have something to say.

You gave up and smiled at him. You leaned in and pressed your lips to his in a soft kiss that didn't last as long as he wanted.

"You will be the death of me, Bucky Barnes."

Taglist: @lethallyprotected @almosttoopizza @ragingrainbowshipl @dexter99 @xdarkcreaturex @nash-dara @paarthurnax59 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @unaxv @missmielyhoran @wintermischief @kandis-mom @aboobie @ozwriterchick @pattiemac1 @noahspickettfence @a--1--1--3 @elsie-bells

[shinypeachkitten]

Company ~ Paul Landers

Because we love Paul :3

No warnings, just fluff

Oh, probably swearing . I do that often, sorry :3

Richard and Margaux had their beautifull babygirl Maxime Alaska.

You and Till ( your dad) were on your way to their house to see her.

When you arrived your congratulate them both and gave them your present. You made a big ''cake'' made out of diapers , a little toy and some pink baby socks. Both were very gratefull and offered you something to drink. Margaux was trying to stand up and you helped her down. '' You should take it easy, i will get myself something to drink'' you smiled and Margaux nodd '' Thank you'' she said and you walked off to the kitchen. You grabbed a glass and some soda when you heard someone say your name . When you turned around, you saw Paul. You felt the butterflies in your stomach and smiled. ''Hey Paul, want something to drink?'' He nodded while he turned around while looking at Richard an Margaux. '' It's nice to see them this happy'' ''Yeah, they make beautifull babies'' You laughed while giving Paul his drink. After an hour you looked at Paul who looked at you the same way. '' Shall we leave ?'' you said and he laughed. '' Yeah, i think is okay to leave now right?'' You shrugged and you both laughed. Paul grabbed your hand and walked towards Richard and Margaux. '' We're off , thank you for having us'' he said. Richard laughed ''Thank you for coming. Treat her right and wrap it before you tap it' he said while looking at Paul who still got a hold on your hand. ''Reeshh'' you said surprised and you felt your cheeks turning red. ''Well, thank you for that advice and see you later'' Paul smiled and you both walked out of their house. You had let go of Paul's hand while closing Richard's frontdoor. ''Well that was something'' you laughed shyly. ''Well, you know Richard'' he said with a soft smile. He''s got a point. ''Got any plans?'' you blurred out when you noticed you were almost at the end of the street. Paul had to turn left at the crossroads and you had to go straight ahead. ''Not really, had something in mind?'' He smiled and you shrugged. '' I don't want you to leave'' you said and you panicked from the inside. Fuck.. that wasn't subtle at all.. '' When you saw Paul's look you panicked even more '' Uh, I really enjoy your company'' you said quickly and you sighed. ABORT MISSION , stop talking fool !. you thought to yourself and Paul smiled. '' I really enjoy your company too'' You felt relieved and smiled from ear to ear. '' ''Thank you, sorry for being akward'' you said shyly. You felt stupid for not daring to say what you felt sincerely. You're a grown woman, it's okay if you admit your feelings for someone. But you were afraid for rejection. It was like your were in middle school again and you fell in love for the first time. Not a single fucking clue what to do.. Paul gave you an encouraging squeeze of your hand '' It's okay''. You smiled but with a feeling of disappointment you walked to your house. You opend your frontdoor and let Paul in. ''Mi casa es su Casa'' you laughed and Paul walked inside. '' Wow , it's really nice in here. And clean. You sure you''re a daughter of Till? He grinned while turning towards you. '' Yeah, pretty sure. He is a swine at times'' you giggled and showed him your house.

You gave him a tour and when Paul saw your large comfy couch he jumped on it and spread his arms. '' Okay, i'm not leaving your house ever again'' he jokingly said. ''Damnit'' you joked back and smiled. ''

You and Paul got yourself cozy and after a couple of drinks you decided it was time for food.

'' So Mr. Landers. What are we going to eat?'' You said while giving him his beer and took a sip of your whine. He sat up straight and watched over you shoulder while you took out your phone to order at Door Dash. You scrolled through the menu when you suddenly fel Paul's arm snook around your waist. You felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside and bit your lip to prevent smiling like a fool. ''You choose, otherwise i'll be scrolling all night trying to pick something out'' you grinned and Paul looked at you. '' I thought a lindemann always knew what they want''. ''Oh, they do'' you said and took a sip of your whine. '' Just not with food'' you replied. '' And besides food? '' Paul looked at you playfully. He was fishing for a answer. Ofcourse he knew you liked him. You made that very clear this afternoon. But you wouldn't give him that answer just yet. '' What are you referring to?'' you said and tried to hold back your laughter. ''Oh come on, you tell me your secret and i tell you mine'' He wiggled his eyebrows and you started laughing and accidently spill some wine over his trousers. '' Omg'' you said as you put your hand over you mouth. Paul looked at his pants and then back at you. You both start laughing again and you got up. ''Wait here, i have some pants for you'' You grinn and walked to your bedroom and came back with some pants from Till. '' You are very lucky i have clothes from my dad here'' Paul laughed while putting them on and you put the dirty ones in the laundry.

''Nice distraction from my question'' he said smirking and you put your hands up. ''Hey, didn't do it on purpose'' you giggled and you sat down next to him on the couch. Paul looked in your eyes and you smiled. '' What i want ? I want you with me. I think that was pretty clear when i blurred that out very akwardly this afternoon'' you said while biting your lip. Paul smiled ''You heard what Richard said this afternoon?'' He said and you looked confused. '' Yeah, wrap it before you tap it. such a dad thing to say'' you giggled. '' Before that'' Paul said and you looked away thinking what he said. '' Treat her right?'' He nodded and you didn't really knew what he meant by that. but again, you also had a few drinks. ''Richard knows'' he said and you still had no clue. '' Y/N, I want to be with you too'' he said . '' Oooh'' you said , finally understanding what he meant. '' Oh!'' you said again when you realised what he said. He laughed. ''Well'' you said while leaning closer towards Paul. ''I'm gonna kiss you now'' you announced and Paul shook his head laughing before smashing his lips on yours. He was a really good kisser. '' Omg'' you said when you broke apart for a while and you climbed on his lap. He wrapped his arms around you and kissed you again. Things started to heat up and you both knew it was going to be a long night..

TO BE CONTINUED

xoxo :3

[anab-starr]

The List of BG3 OC's... so far

Resist-o-Durge: Oona, The Ghost Spider of Bhaal Szarkai Cleric of Eilistraee/Monk

Born of a ritual where an Underdark cult force-fed the flesh of Bhaal to a drider. She was then unceremoniously dumped above ground at the doors of an Eilistraeean church. Oona grew up with love, compassion, and a firm belief in redemption no matter the crime.

When the Slayer came for her, she razed the Church to the ground after murdering everybody inside.

Canon: Loves Gale Besties w/ Shadowheart & Astarion Hasn't killed any of the named drow. Nere, Drouin, Araj, Minty... all safe!

Yes that includes "he's drow enough" Kar'niss. She just knocked him out, dragged him somewhere safe, and left a moonlantern beside him for when he came to.

Crazy Fanon: Has a li'l Gortling daughter. I imagine the reunion would be Gortash bringing her to his office after she gets rid of Orin and being like "I mean you could kill me instead of helping me, but wow that would really upset OUR CHILD." Oona doesn't know this but the baby is exactly what caused her to rethink her Absolute plans. She didn't want to destroy the world for Father anymore, she wanted the world to be worthy of her Gortling! And maybe she could convince bae to just settle for Archduke of Baldur's Gate! She went to Moonrise Towers to talk to Ketheric about her second thoughts since she felt he'd be most apt to listen whether or not he agreed.

And that's when Orin struck.

Next, ANOTHER DURGE!

Embrace the Durge (for now): Edeva the Black Tiefling Rogue/Assassin

I wanted to do a tiefling version of Origin Durge, I just love the creepy white and red look. I don't know her background yet, I just know she has one rule: TIEFLINGS ARE OFF LIMITS. Everyone else is fair game, but when she walked in on Lump the Enlightened eating a tiefling, she went berserk. She also did not allow Lae'zel to be mean to Zorru.

But those Gnolls... were SO COOL.

Anyway, here's what I have of her: Canon: Crushing on Karlach, no besties yet :( unless you count Sceleritas Fel? Does NOT like Raphael, very much scared of him, even though she's the one who gets that good Devil-D in all my RaphxTav fanfics ^^;; Crazy Fanon: She's Orin's #1 hype gal, believes in her art skills, beat the absolute snot out of Sarevok for, as she puts it, "being mean to my girl". I figure, Sarevok is the driving force behind manipulating Orin into replacing Eva as Chosen because the thinks this Absolute Cult stuff is a waste of time and he feels Bhaal has better uses for Edeva.

My very first Tav, Meadowlark High Elf Druid/Circle of Spores

She's a Bard and a Druid, a happy woman with an 8 year old son who was playing with friends when the Nautiloid showed up. She hopes her kid's ok, neither one of them expected her to be kidnapped and tadpole'd. She did send word via the grove that she was alive and getting home ASAP.

She's giving me wicked Mommy vibes, which is why I felt she should have a child already. No romantic prospects at the moment with how badly she mother-hens her companions. She's especially protective of Lae'zel because of the gith's youth and naiveté.

That being said, she's crushing heavily on Barcus Wroot, and she hasn't met fellow druid Halsin yet...

Funny thing is, she's inspired by someone else's character! A long time ago I was in a Dragon Age fanart group on FB and someone created a mage named Meadowlark. The inspo pic the person used was of an absolutely gorgeous Turkish model. When I saw this face mod (Vamperen's Head's 2.0 I believe) I thought "omg that looks like Meadowlark!" and decided to make her a Tav.

Crazy Fanon: Her son is still in Baldur's Gate waiting for her... just not at home... :/

[horror-stuff]

being ghostface's victim

(1996 ver.)

Your POV (indicating when you speak so it doesn't get confusing; also steve orth doesnt exist in this)

It was late, and I was cooking popcorn. The phone began ringing again. I walked over to answer it. (A/N: sorry in advance if this sucks) "hello?"

"Why don't you wanna talk to me?"

[You] "who is this?"

"You tell me your name, I'll tell you mine."

[You] "Huh, I don't think so"

"what's that noise?"

[You] "popcorn."

"You're making popcorn?"

[You] "Yeah."

"I only eat popcorn in the movies."

[You] "well, I'm getting ready to watch a video."

"Really? What?"

[You] "oh. Just some scary movie."

"Do you like scary movies?"

[You] "yeah."

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

[You] "uh, I don't know." You thought for a moment, "hmm probably halloween. You know the one guy with the white mask who stalks baby sitters. Whats yours?"

"Guess."

[You] "nightmare on elm street."

"Is that the one guy who has knives for fingers?"

[You] "yeah, freddy krueger"

"Freddy! Right, I like that movie. It was scary."

[You] "well the first one was but the rest sucked."

"So, you got a boyfriend?"

[You] "Why? You wanna ask me out on a date?"

"Maybe. Do you have a boyfriend?"

[You] "no"

"You never told me your name."

[You] "Why do you wanna know my name?"

"I wanna know who I'm looking at."

You paused where you were. "What did you say?" You looked around the room you were in, surely this person was messing with you right? This must've been some sick prank caller..or at least you hoped it was. "I wanna know who I'm talking to." They finally spoke.

[You] "that's not what you said."

"What do you think I said?"

You were looking through every window of your house. Even if this was all a joke, you were now more aware of your surroundings. And you swore it felt like you were being watched. You turned on the back porch light, looking out into your backyard. Nothing, or so it seemed.

"What?"

You continued looking everywhere throughout your backyard. "Hello...?" You decided it was best to hang up. "Look, I gotta go." You still kept watch of the backyard.

"Wait, I thought we were gonna go out."

"I don't think so." You said as you locked the back door.

"Don't hang up on me" was the last thing you heard before you inevitably hung up. Your popcorn was beyond done cooking by this point. (A/N: it may diverge from the movie a bit at this point) You took it off the stove and set it aside. You decided to go check the backyard one last time. You didn't see anything, so you turned the back porch light off. Then you heard something from behind you. It sounded like...breathing? You slowly turned around, and that's when you saw them. They were wearing a white ghost mask with a black cloak type costume. It honestly looked like something they stole from spirit halloween. That's when you noticed they were holding a knife in one hand..and a phone in the other. "Hello Y/N." You stood there in shock for a few moments, had this person been stalking you? If so, how long? And why? (TW: gore past this point) You quickly regained your composure and ran past the person. They began chasing you, they were very fast surprisingly. You ran upstairs, trying to get to your room so you'd be able to climb out the window. Or at least you'd get a few moments to get something to fight back. That's when they jumped out in front of you. Or..no they were still chasing you, but who was this other person? They were dressed in the same costume, also holding a weapon. You had stumbled back, before realizing you were trapped. If you tried going anywhere else you would just be more trapped. In the middle of you panic, one of them had grabbed you as the other ran up to stab you. The knife went right through your left lung. Then through your heart, and your liver. They stabbed you repeatedly. Blood was gushing from your wounds. Your clothes were now soaked red, your vision was getting blurry. You looked at them with tears in your eyes. The pain was everywhere. It surrounded you. You felt yourself slowly dying. The two dropped you, and left you to die in your own home. Blood stained the floor, and anything that surrounded you. You stared at the blurry image of your ceiling. You were numb but in pain. This was the end. You didn't even see your life flash before your eyes. Your breath was extremely shallow. Then everything went dark.

[callmewhenyougetthis-a]

Jesse listened intently to her. Though it filled him with a quiet rage to think that someone else had so much power over her, he set aside his hothead persona for the sake of keeping things calm for now. It had been a few months since Billie had heard from the guy, yeah—but Jesse could sense she felt uneasy nonetheless. All too well he knew the paranoia of someone coming after you due to unfinished business. He made the mental note to keep Billie on his radar for the next few weeks, if not indefinitely.

"Well, I'm glad he ain't come around," he told her. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Just another thing that Jesse missed while he was locked away. If he was around when all of these men were acting up—Max and his sister Felicity's other baby daddy—then he was sure these issues would have been solved from the get-go. "Don't worry about it. If you ever need anything, you know to call me."

When their food arrived at the table, Jesse began digging in. It was obvious that the food in the outside world tasted better than what was served behind bars, and yet, he still sometimes was flabbergasted by the difference. While eating his food, he answered her, mouth full, "Don't matter to me. I didn't have anything planned. We'll go wherever you wanna go, under the condition that we go back to Fel's house and drop off my bike and take your car."

Billie shook her head vehemently, denying his question. "We haven't spoken in three months.'' She replied. Billie remembered the month after she broke it off. Her phone blowing up with messages, Max showing up at her work, you name it. Luckily, he had let up after Billie threatened him with legal action. Not a work since. A part of her wanted to feel relieved, the other was tittering over the edge of paranoia of worry.

Max was...not a good man when he was jealous.

"When some labels started showing interest in my stuff, he would try and get me to stay home instead of going to meet with producers, sound people, you get the gist..." Billie began. "I always ended up going and he never failed to try and guilt trip me about ''choosing my career over him.'' " Billie emphasized with quotations. He was just saying it so he could get his way. "He would get...unpleasant if I talked back or went somewhere without him.'' Billie concluded. Despite her own wished to pour her heart out, this wasn't the time for it.

"But look, it was a long time ago, he's long gone and this night is about you! So...where do you wanna go after this?''

[solartranslations]

VF Jolly Love x Laugh 3: Capricious Consigliere (TN: Advisor)

You should visit the advisor when you have a problem…

~*Scene: Alchemy Room*~

Jolly: You found an injured baby bird?

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems as usual

Place: What did you come here for?

Daily: I don’t want to do anything troublesome

Daily: I need sleep

Jolly: I don’t understand why you would bring it to me…

>I thought you would be able to heal it

>I can’t count on Luca for this

Jolly: I do have some knowledge of medicine

Jolly: But, between that bird’s life and my time…you understand which is more precious, right?

Felicita: *sigh*

Jolly: …Hmph

Jolly: Oh…

Jolly: You’re asking me over him…?

Jolly: Are you saying…that as a teacher, I should be able to do what my unreliable student cannot?

Jolly: You have a point, *chuckle*

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems concerned ❤≪Jolly≫ Seems to be having fun

Link: …I am causing trouble for myself

Daily: Ojou-sama is meddlesome

Pain: I need sleep

Person: That’s interesting of her to say

Daily: I would feel terrible making her leave

Pain: I need sleep

Jolly: Fine then…, I will at least administer first-aid

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems as usual

Person: If that will make her happy…

Pleasure: I didn’t want to do anything troublesome

Daily: I’ll just finish it quickly

Jolly: But, I won’t monitor its recovery. You should take responsibility for that

Felicita: Okay

Jolly: Then tell Luca to bring me the allantoin disinfectant

—A few days later—

(*knock knock)

~*Scene: Alchemy Room*~

Jolly: Hm? Welcome, Ojou-sama. What is it?

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems as usual

Place: I can tell why she came here by the look on her face

Daily: I should take a break soon

Jolly: It looks like you came to check on the bird

Jolly: Do as you like…here, I believe this is what you’re looking for

>Thank you, Jolly

>I’m glad it’s feeling better

Jolly: *chuckle*, No need to thank me

Jolly: I only provided the minimal treatment. The fact that it’s alive is proof of this bird’s vitality

Jolly: Yes, if it’s chirping like that it should be fine. It seems to be recovering well

Jolly: No matter the result, I only provided minimal treatment

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems concerned ❤≪Jolly≫ Seems as usual

Pain: How quaint…

Daily: All I did was administer first-aid

Daily: It would be a pain if it wasn’t feeling better

Pain: I was forced to follow a regular schedule because of this

Jolly: Hm? You want to know how to feed it?

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems to be teasing

Person: How caring of her

Daily: We’re monitoring it, not caring for it

Daily: This is something like a break

Jolly: *chuckle*, You’re acting like the bird’s mother, Ojou-sama…

Jolly: That bird is still too small to eat on its own. Use your hands to open its mouth and give it some mashed food

Jolly: Careful that it doesn’t go down its windpipe. It’s the same as us humans like that

Jolly: *chuckle*, that’s its second meal of the day. It’s doing well if it can eat that much

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems to be having fun

Link: I guess we are both caring…

Daily: …Caring for it isn’t so bad once you get used to it

Daily: This is a nice way to spend my break

Felicita: ?

Jolly: I fed it once this morning. It was just chirping so loudly

Love

~*Scene: Courtyard*~

Jolly: Oh, you’re releasing the bird into the wild?

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems concerned

Pleasure: That’s thoughtful for Ojou-sama

Place: Every life form has its proper place

Felicita: Yeah

Jolly: It’s the right choice. I was fed up with being woken by its chirps every morning

Jolly: It has wonderful wings. It would be a waste for it not to use such a gift

Jolly: Better for it to live out in the world than in a cage

Jolly: …

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems concerned

Place: It’s just like Ojou-sama…

???: I can’t see very well here

Jolly: Oh, I was just reminded of you during the Arcana Duello

Jolly: …You were like that too. A little bird who had lived in a cage, spreading its wings to the sky for the first time

Felicita: !

~*Scene: Advisor’s Office*~

Jolly: Hm? I hear birds outside the window…I thought we let it go already

Jolly: Oh, is this part of its homing instinct? I don’t believe this is where you belong though?

Jolly: *chuckle*, So you’ve grown attached to me…I can’t be to blame for what happens?

~*End of Scene*~

Laugh

~*Scene: Marketplace*~

Pace: Hey Ojou, did you hear? Jolly’s been raising a bird

❤≪Pace≫ Is hungry

Daily: Why is Jolly keeping a pet…

Place: Let’s eat at the bar later!

Food: I want meat today

Pace: Well, I’ve been hearing chirping sounds whenever I go near him

(*leans in) Pace: Do you think he ate one? There’s rumors that Jolly eats the creatures he’s done experimenting with

❤≪Pace≫ Is hungry

Food: There’s lots of ways to eat meat

Place: Let’s eat at the bar later!

Felicita: !

Pace: That bird’s chirps were so cute too…

Pace: Bird…birds…maybe a whole roast? Or fried chicken? Diablo-style with mustard?

(*whack) Felicita: Hya!/p>

Pace: Ow! Why did you kick me!?

❤≪Pace≫ Seems shocked

Food: We’ll have chicken at the bar for lunch!

Person: Jolly’s probably thinking the same thing!

Felicita: *running*

Pace: Ah, wait Ojou! …She’s gone

~*Scene: Alchemy Room*~

Jolly: Hm? Ojou-sama… Why are you in such a panic?

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems concerned

Person: Why is she so panicked?

Daily: I want to continue my research

Daily: The bird is as usual

Jolly: The bird is in its cage. And it seems to have recovered

Jolly: What? Pace told you I would eat the bird?

❤≪Jolly≫ Seems to be mocking

Person: Sounds like something he would say

Daily: This is very interesting research

Daily: I wouldn’t harm the bird

Jolly: Rest assured, Ojou-sama. I am not that much of a glutton

Jolly: I promise to care for it until it can fly again

(*smirk) Jolly: But, if it can’t by the time Mediterranean salt I ordered yesterday arrives, I make no promises…

❤≪Jolly≫ Experiment…

Pleasure: I’ll continue my research…after toying with Ojou-sama

Food: I can’t say I won’t change my mind

Jolly: *chuckling*…

~*End of Scene*~

(Continue to Jolly Arcana Roulette)

(Back to Directory)

[maddieinwonder]

Bait & Switch

Spencer Reid x GN!BAU!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None, super fluffy 

Word Count: 3.5k words 

Plot: Reader reveals that they’re going to buy a Nintendo Switch so Spencer invites them to go together with him. In the process, some feelings reveal themselves.  

Author’s Note: My first time writing about Spencer, and actually, my first time writing a fic in a long time haha. Just imagine that this takes place in 2017, although you don’t have to know anything about the Switch in order to read this.

Masterlist

-------------- 

"What's got you in such a good mood, baby?" Derek asked, leaning over his chair. Even without looking up, you could feel the smirk that decorated his face. After almost a month at the BAU, you didn’t need to be a profiler to expect this much from Derek. "Got a date this weekend?"

You tried to focus on your paperwork before relenting, rolling your eyes. Still, you couldn't hide the smile in your voice when you shot back a reply. "With this job? You wish, Morgan."

"Give yourself some credit, beautiful. With your looks I'm sure you could score a good looking fellow for a night you won't forget."

"I'm sure you would know all about that," you replied, this time grinning from ear to ear.

Ever since you joined the BAU, your seat has always been across Derek Morgan. The guy was a terrible flirt but also one of the most trustworthy people you knew, so you couldn't keep up a sarcastic mood for long.

"Actually," you replied genuinely, "I'll be lining up this weekend to buy a Nintendo Switch." Out of the corner of your eye, you could sense Spencer stiffen in his chair next to you.

"A what switch?" Derek asked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

But before you could begin to reply him, Spencer rolled his chair over and opened his mouth. The both of you knew what was coming.

"The Nintendo Switch. A video game console developed by Japanese company Nintendo that's completely one-of-its-kind, on account of its console functioning like a tablet that can either be docked on a home console and linked to a TV, or used as a portable device with two wireless controllers so you can..."

Not being able to help yourself, you giggled at his info dump. You've always admired how much knowledge he could store in his big brain. But more importantly, you thought he was kind of cute like this. A fire would light in his eyes and it seemed like the world around him ceased to exist.

You only realised you were staring at Spencer when the last bits of his question registered in your mind. "...you going to?"

Blinking your eyes, you snapped to attention. Derek seemed to notice, because you felt his signature smirk return to his face.

"Which store are you going to?" Spencer repeated the question. Anybody else might be annoyed, but he only seemed mildly restless. A rare look for the unathletic genius.

"I'm going to the one three blocks down from here," you replied.

"So am I!" Spencer sat upright in his chair, beaming. You think that this is the most excitement he's expressed to you since you joined the BAU.

Then his confidence seemed to waver. He began tugging at the edge of his sleeve, eyes glancing to the side at nothing in particular when he asked, "W-would you like t-to go together?"

A smile spreads across your face before you can stop it. "Sure! Sounds like fun."

Spencer grinned back, and there was a moment of silence before Derek interrupted the conversation that he began. "Well, I'll leave you and lover boy to plan your date. I'm going to spend my Friday night at the bar."

Your heart thumped involuntarily at the word "date", while Derek turned to Emily. "Hey Prentiss, you want to grab a few drinks and dinner? I'm sure I can get the others to leave work for one night."

"Anything's better than this," Emily shrugged, lifting her mug of already-cold coffee.

Standing up to retrieve her bag, she smirked at you and Spencer, having heard more of the conversation than she let on. "Have a great weekend, you lovebirds. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

She and Derek shared a laugh as they moved towards the Batcave to retrieve Garcia next.

As you watched them go, you feel Spencer's eyes on you and a flush warming your cheeks. You knew they were just teasing you with the word "date", but the truth is you've liked the genius almost as soon as you met him.

You may not have an eidetic memory, but you could still remember the flutter of butterflies that exploded in your chest when you first laid eyes on Dr. Spencer Reid.

He had waved from a comfortable distance, the other hand tucked in the pocket of his dark slacks. He towered over you easily with curly locks that barely touched his sweater vest, and you swore you've never seen anybody more attractive in your life. His intelligence only added to your attraction. 

"Shall I pick you up at 7am tomorrow?"

You turned back to Spencer, who seemed even more nervous now that everybody in the bullpen had left. Yet what he was proposing was rather bold compared to his usual behaviour.

“Pick me up?” You repeated.

“It’ll be easier to find a parking spot that way, and the weather report predicts that tomorrow will be a sunny day, so I know you’d rather not walk three blocks to the store.” He rambled nervously.

“You know me well, Spencer.” A cheeky smile snuck onto your face, and in a moment of false bravado, you said what was on your mind. “7am. It’s a date, then.”

Spencer’s face turned beet red.

You didn’t wait to dwell on his reaction, dumping the last of your paperwork into a pile and picking up your bag. But as you walked to the elevator, you couldn’t help yourself from grinning ear to ear. It was a date. Kind of.

-------------- 

You couldn’t sleep. You had gotten home earlier than usual, but the extra time to plan for your “date” tomorrow proved to be a bad idea.

What would you wear? What would you talk about? Should you extend it to a meal, or dessert, or maybe coffee?

Although you were confident in the moment, you were beginning to regret teasing Spencer before you left. You’d known him long enough to know how he reacted to embarrassment, and there’s a good chance he might back away because of your forwardness. 

You groaned, trying to get these thoughts out of your head. The reality of the "date" was sinking in now. This would be the first time that you and Spencer would be alone in a non-work setting. To say that you were nervous was a gross understatement. 

But there was something worse than showing up nervous, which was showing up nervous and sleep-deprived, so you turned off your bedside lamp and tried to will yourself to sleep. That's when your phone began to buzz.

You were so on edge that the sound almost made you fall off your bed. Turning over your phone, your heart leapt to your throat.

Spencer, 2:03am: Sorry to disturb you when it's so late, but I realised I don’t have your address. Could you send it to me when you're awake?

You gulped. Just relax, just relax, you repeated in your head.

Me, 2:05am: It’s alright, you didn’t wake me up. I’ll attach my address below.

Spencer, 2:06am: Thanks. Having trouble sleeping?

Me, 2:07am: A little

Spencer, 2:08am: Me too.

What was I supposed to reply to that? You silently screamed. But it turned out you didn't have to figure it out.

Spencer, 2:11am: To be honest, I'm a little nervous about tomorrow.

Me, 2:13am: Why?

Spencer, 2:15am: I suppose it’s because we've never spent any time alone before.

Hearing the genius act so shy made you feel a little more brave.

Me, 2:16am: Well, I'm looking forward to the chance

Spencer, 2:17am: I am too.

Despite your nerves, you smiled at his small confession.

Spencer, 2:19am: We should get some sleep.

Me, 2:19am: I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, Spence

Spencer, 2:20am: Sweet dreams.

Your anxieties were washed away and replaced with the biggest smile on your face. Without knowing it, Spencer’s words rippled a sense of calm over you, and you fell asleep shortly after. 

The next morning, you woke up with a newfound clarity. You knew what you were going to wear. 

-------------- 

Spencer couldn't stop tapping the edge of his steering wheel. He knew he was nervous, and admitting it to you last night didn't do much to stop that fact from eating away at him.

He texted you 3 minutes ago that he was waiting outside your apartment, but you hadn't replied. Although he knew that there were plenty of logical reasons why you might have missed his text, his hands didn't stop itching to call you and see if you were alright.

Then out of the corner of his eye, you emerged from the corridor and he felt his heart speed up.

You were wearing a blue flannel that he'd never seen you in before with a pair of dark jeans. Your hair, which you usually kept in a up-do at work, was let down in waves, touching your shoulders. And then there was the pièce de résistance, you were wearing a Doctor Who t-shirt with the TARDIS on it.

Hook, line, and sinker.

He didn't break his gaze on you the entire time you got into his car. Even when you beamed at him and wished him a good morning, a small yawn escaping your perfect lips, he was completely tongue-tied.

"Earth to Spencer," you called out, looking up at him curiously. "You there?"

Spencer shook his head suddenly, cursing himself internally for being such a doofus. "Sorry, uh, I was distracted. Good morning." He smiled sheepishly, tucking a stray hair strand behind his ear.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat. "I was thinking we could grab some coffee before we headed to the store? We can make it quick. I know there'll be some people already lining up."

He peeked at you rubbing your eyes and thought it was the cutest thing he's ever seen. “Looks like you might need it," he said without realising he'd just flirted with you.

You giggled, lowering your hands from your face. "Sounds great." 

-------------- 

Spencer wasn't lying when he said it'd be quick, although in truth you could have taken all the time in the world and you would still be happy. The initial awkwardness between you washed away almost immediately as you fell into a quiet conversation about your favourite Doctor Who episodes. 

You wanted to commit the sight of him driving in the morning to memory. The sun had just rose, lighting a gentle halo around Spencer’s messy hair and sculptured face. He was wearing a bigger sweater than usual, the sleeves hanging around his wrists loosely. While his eyes were focused on the road, his lips parted slightly as he softly bantered with you about David Tennant. 

You felt an overwhelming urge to reach out and kiss him despite the driving hazard. And despite the fact that you’ve never kissed him, of course. But you could hope. And hope you did. 

Your hope had grown when he parked in front of the coffee house you’d once mentioned was your favourite. Spencer made your coffee order perfectly and you had found yourself hoping that it was because he’d paid extra attention to you, and not because of his brilliant memory. 

And when you reached the video game store and he opened the door for you, you hoped it was because he wanted to make a good impression, not only because he was a gentleman. 

And when he stood between you and a video game rack in line, you hoped that he was trying to shield you from the other people in the store, and you hoped that he was thinking of pressing you against the rack and kissing the daylights out of you. 

You needed to get a hold of yourself. 

The conversation had swapped to the reason why you two were here in the first place, and you found yourself talking to Spencer about Breath of the Wild, a game that brought you back to fond memories of your childhood. 

“The Legend of Zelda was the first video game I ever played, on the first console I ever owned.” You shared, smiling fondly. “It was the video game that my brother and I bonded over, and we bought every game together since.”

Spencer nodded in rapt. You felt him leaning closer to you, although it may have been your imagination. 

“This is actually the first time I haven’t been with him for a new game,” you realised. “Due to our jobs, we haven’t seen each other in awhile, but we still text each other!” You tried to end on a lighter note, not wanting to bring the mood down on this “date”.

Spencer looked at you as if he wanted to say something, but he kept his lips shut. 

“What about you? What was your first video game?” You threw the question to him, trying to divert attention away from your sad-enough story. 

He blushed in response to your question and looked down at his black converse. You noticed he began touching his sleeve in a familiar motion and you looked at him suspiciously. “Spencer?”

“W-well, the t-truth is, I didn’t actually c-come here to buy a Switch, and I don’t play video games at all.“ The last part of his sentence came out rapidly. You might have missed it, if you weren’t already used to the tongue twisters he spit out on a daily basis.

“What?” You exclaimed a little too loudly, causing the other shoppers in line to glance at you weirdly. “Then... Then what are you doing here?” You said quieter this time. Your eyebrows furrowed as your mind scanned the possibilities. 

“W-well, I, uh, wanted to spend time with you,” he blurted out. He raised his eyes to meet yours, his face completely red.

It was your turn to be flustered now. Your voice was quiet and you could feel your hands shaking. “Is this a date, Spencer?” 

“Only if you want it to be, I mean, I want it to be but your opinion matters to me, and I wouldn’t want to bring you on a date if you didn’t want to. We can just hang out like friends if that’s more comfortable--” 

You grabbed his free hand, gently lowering it from where it was moving as he rambled, until your fingers were intertwined. 

“I would like it to be,” a large smile took over your face. You were a little teary despite how weird it was to confess your feelings for him in a video game store of all places. 

Spencer was quiet for a moment, squeezing your hand in return. “Would you like to go for lunch after this? As a date,” he clarified this time. 

"I would love that,” you beamed at him, “as a date.” 

-------------- 

Spencer had always imagined the kind of girl he would fall in love with. Caring, intelligent, had an appreciation for classic literature, maybe. But when he saw you for the first time, every expectation he held flew out of the window.  

You were beautiful. Wavy dark hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing a navy shirt, and funnily enough, a beige cardigan and black converse. Morgan joked that it was like meeting Spencer 2.0, but he disagreed: the two of you were worlds apart. 

You were incredibly tech savvy, although not as much as Garcia, but certainly more than the rest. You loved the smell and taste of coffee without sugar. You were happy to hug everybody you met, from colleagues to victims. You didn’t like paperback so you read everything on a Kindle. 

But the biggest difference between the two of you, was that you were emotionally intelligent. 

All of your brilliance, combined with your PhD in psychology - having worked as a psychiatrist affiliated with Sex Crimes before joining the BAU - you were able to pick out the team’s moods from a single glance. It’s what endeared everyone to you immediately, and what made you such a great profiler.   

But the way you treated him was different. You just, listened to him. While everyone else had gotten into the habit of cutting him off or simply ignoring him when he opened his mouth, your eyes would light up instead. 

He could always tell you were listening because you would look into his eyes when he spoke, and you would ask him questions after he was done. 

It made him feel like the world around him ceased to exist, except for you. 

So he started studying your interests to grab your attention, trying to throw in a few jokes hoping to see you smile. It only took one month for him to seize his chance. Still, never in his calculations did he think you would say yes. 

He smiled at the thought, stroking your hair gently as you cuddled on the couch together, watching you play Breath of the Wild. 

After a more than successful first date, you had asked him to come over the next day to spend more time together. A month ago, he would have politely declined with an excuse like needing to read a new academic journal, but when he arrived at your doorstep he allowed himself to be drawn into your arms, relishing the giggle he earned as a reward for being hugged. 

“Damn it,” you grumbled quietly as you ran out of stamina scaling a cliffside for the fifth time.

Spencer laughed. Without a second thought, he pulled you closer and kissed the top of your head. 

In the background Link fell off the cliff once again, the game playing a sound that he came to recognise as Link dying. But there were no curses this time, as you had turned to look at Spencer, nothing but adoration in your eyes. 

“That was our first kiss,” you said so quietly and sweetly that Spencer’s heart melted at the sound of it. 

“First?” He took his chance, leaning closer. “You know, the usage of the word ‘first’ almost always implies that there will be a ‘second’ and a ‘third’ and a...” 

His voice trailed off as your fingers left the controller to touch his lips. Your touch was intoxicating and he wanted more. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Spence,” you started, lifting your finger from his lips. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you-” 

“Don’t be sorry,” he managed to get out in a hurry before capturing your lips in his. He felt your astonishment at first, but you quickly lost yourself in the kiss as he brought his hands up to cup the sides of your face, deepening the kiss further. 

You finally broke apart after awhile, both panting for air and smiling widely. Spencer never thought he could be so lucky. “That’s the second one,” he said quietly, bringing up two fingers to indicate the number. 

You looked at him with love in your eyes and abandoned your controller on the table before throwing yourself at him, flattening the two of you against your couch. 

“Ready for the third?”

-------------- 

Derek Morgan wasn’t an idiot. That’s why he could tell that something had changed over the weekend between his desk mate and boy genius. 

The two came into work together on Monday morning, which was weird in itself, but they also took every opportunity to stick to each other, from coffee breaks to disappearing for lunch and “asking” about paperwork. 

When they vanished for the umpteenth time that day for coffee, Derek leaned over Emily’s desk to confirm his theory. 

“It’s not just me. Pretty boy finally made a move, didn’t he?” He cocked an eyebrow. 

“Definitely. Those two are so obvious that even Hotch has picked up on it. From his office.” She quipped, grinning as her eyes moved to the scene behind Derek. “Speak of the devil.” 

Entering the conversation, Spencer did what he did best. “Did you know that ‘speak of the devil’ is the short form of the idiom ‘speak of the devil and he doth appear’? The phrase can be traced back to the 16th century when mentioning the devil was considered prohibited. In fact, when people were caught saying the phrase--” 

Derek caught your eyes drifting to look adoringly at Spencer. He couldn’t take this anymore. “So what happened between you two last weekend, huh?” he interrupted, smirking. 

Your reaction was better than he gambled. You turned a bright red and your eyes darted between Spencer and Derek in panic, truly flustered for the first time since he’s met you. But Spencer was strangely calm, his eyes travelling from his best friend to Emily in the background trying to stifle her laughter, while a small smile tugged at his lips. 

“We’re dating now,” he announced to the two a little triumphantly, while rubbing your shoulder as a peaceful gesture. 

Derek and Emily were stunned by their friend’s directness, only to be shocked out of it as Hotch walked by. “Finally,” he muttered, loud enough for them all to hear. 

You were the first to crack a smile, then the rest followed suit with laughs and congratulations. Hearing the uproar, Garcia and JJ peeked out of their rooms, joining in and demanding more details about this new but not entirely unexpected development. 

Amidst the chaos, Spencer laces his hands in yours and gives it a squeeze. For the first time in a long time, you feel unequivocally, unmistakably happy. 

[ceapa-mica]

GEHAT’IK BE ALIIT | Chapter 6

{cross-posted on ao3}   {masterlist}

← previous chapter   next chapter →

pairing: Din Djarin x Original Female Character

warnings: angst, violence

words: 8306

summary: Elora sets out for the Dune Sea to meet with another Jawa tribe. Of course this journey doesn't go according to plan, and she has to face the harsh conditions and inhabitants of Tatooine.

a/n: Hello and Happy Halloween everybody! 🎃

I'm back from the dead with a new exciting chapter for y'all.

Enjoy! ♥️

                                   Chapter 6: The Dune Sea

Mando threw his hand of cards onto the small crate in front of him with a frustrated grunt. How Elora managed to win every single game of sabacc was a mystery to him. Was she secretly cheating? He had no idea. Unlike most people in this Galaxy, he didn't enjoy gambling, and it showed. What had turned out as a triple loss for him had started as just another petty argument between them. There were no stakes, as they considered their game as nothing more but a very competitive distraction from hours of hyperspace travel.

“With your luck be glad you didn't stake the  Crest . You always catch the wrong moment, and you had some pretty good hands.”

“Where did you learn to play sabacc so well?”

“My uncle Toc is the best sabacc player of my tribe and all of Arvala-7. He taught me and my siblings how to play sabacc whenever he could. When I was around ten he taught me how to shoot a blaster. An actual blaster, not just an ion blaster. My parents criticized him for that, because Jawas traditionally use only ion blasters. My uncle may be an oddball, but he knows how to handle a blaster and when to use a good hand at sabacc.”

“You miss your clan.” Mando concluded.

“Of course I miss them, but they get along without me. The kid needs me more than they do right now.” She looked to Mando’s sleeping nook where the child was napping in a small makeshift hammock Mando had made for him.

“Elora, the reason you left your clan was to find out more about yourself and to find your human relatives. Just... don't get too attached to the kid. I'm gonna bring him back to his kind. He belongs to people who understand him, including his powers. All our ways will separate one day. It's for the best.”

Mando stood up and ascended the ladder to the cockpit, leaving Elora speechless in the hull. Just when she'd thought he was opening up a bit he did the contrary. Sensing his inner turmoil in the Force didn't make it easier. As much as she wanted to talk to him about it, she knew how uncomfortable it made him, knowing the beskar couldn't hide his emotions completely from her. After she put away his old sabacc game she looked after the child, waking him by gently rocking his little makeshift hammock.

“Did you take a sweet nap, little sleepyhead?” The child cooed tiredly and yawned, showing his baby teeth. “Aww yes you did. Now let's find you something to eat.” She picked him up and kissed the tip of his tiny button nose before warming up a meal consisting of meat and veggies. As usual the child had to be bribed to eat his veggies and he was constantly planting images of frogs, lizards and bugs in Elora's mind.

“How about you show me something useful? How can I connect with you like this anyway?”

The child gestured to the floor in front of him, putting the little tray aside. Elora had noticed before that she had a different way of understanding him than Mando. She watched the child close his eyes as he relaxed where he was sitting. He put the image of her sitting on the floor in front of him into her mind.

“I can't believe this.” She did exactly as he'd shown her, and closed her eyes. Her breath became calm. For a while she waited for any sign. Nothing happened. “I don't know what you want from me, kid.” she murmured, shifting slightly on the floor. That's when a light feeling from outside nudged her soul. She knew right away the child was reaching out to her. In her attempt to reply she felt how her mind and feelings reached out. First thing she thought about was riding her speeder bike through the valley on Arvala-7 and her family. In return the child showed her images of bright hallways with large columns and people of many other kinds, other children among them – a happy memory of his. Elora didn't know what to make of it. She didn't recognize that beautiful place in his memory. Was this his home? His family? Her thoughts found their way to the child through the mental connection they'd just built. Several images of Jedi flooded her mind. Before anything else could transpire the  Razor Crest  was hit by several shots. The peaceful moment they had shared was over.

“Come up here!” Mando called from the cockpit. Elora grabbed the child and went to sit down in one of the co-pilot seats, clutching the child firmly against her chest. She gritted her teeth in fear while the little one didn't seem to mind the turbulences at all.

“Hand over the child, Mando.” a voice spoke on the intercom. The following shot hit one of the  Crest's engines. The turbulences and risky maneuvers made Elora's stomach turn. Mando tried to get out of the attacker's crosshair. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt increasingly more lightheaded with each turbulence.

“I can bring you in warm or I can bring you in cold” the attacker mocked.

“Get us out of here!” Elora yelled, barely keeping herself from throwing up. She let out a high pitched scream when he suddenly pulled the brakes. The attacker didn’t expect this reckless maneuver. His ship overflew the  Crest  and Mando managed to shoot it to bits.

“That's my line.” he muttered and checked on his companions. “Are you alright?”

“Just great, Mando. Really...” It took everything in her to not throw up.

“Losing fuel. We'll need to do an emergency landing.” he informed her. “The closest planet's Tatooine. A good place to look for a job and for you to visit your people. Maybe they have what you require to build your weapon.”

The feeling of nausea didn't falter. As soon as the Razor Crest touched the sandy grounds of Mos Eisley’s Hangar 3-5, Elora stumbled down the hatch and threw up noisily into an empty plant pot.

“You there! Didn't your parents ever tell you not to throw up into other people's properties?” The woman who called her out got instantly distracted by a shot. “Hey! You damage one of my droids, you pay for it!”

Elora sat down on the solid ground and took a few deep breaths of the warm dry desert air.

“Is she ok?” the mechanic asked.

“She'll be fine. Keep your droids away from my ship!” While Mando and the mechanic went to inspect the damage on the  Crest , the child waddled down the hatch and climbed on Elora's lap. She wiped the corners of her mouth and put the child in her bag.

“Nothing feels better than solid ground under my feet, little one. All this space stuff is not my cup of tea anyway. You know what I'm talking about, right?” The child babbled and then looked around with curious eyes. Elora had heard a lot about Tatooine. Jawas originated from this world and most of her tribe's stories took place in this world’s vast desert. What she hadn't considered was the heat. Tatooine with its twin suns was completely dry, unlike Arvala-7 where a little downpour here and there was possible and the temperature wasn't as high. First thing she pulled up her hood to protect her scalp from the excessive amount of sunlight and considered covering her face again, but decided against it...  at least for the moment.

“What do you think you're doing?” Mando stood behind her, arms crossed.

“I go looking for my people. Trading for the parts I require.”

“Leave the kid here.” He gestured at the child in Elora's bag.

“You wanna take him on your hunting trip? Bad idea, he's safer with me.”

“I could take him. That'll cost you extra, but he'll be safe here. The outskirts of the city are no place for a little womp rat like him.” the mechanic, who'd introduced herself as Peli Motto, offered. Mando and Elora exchanged a look. Elora nodded, signifying she couldn't sense any ill intentions in this woman. Mando agreed to Peli's offer and Elora handed the child over to her.

“Good luck on your hunt, Mando. I'll try to be back by tomorrow and I'll comm you in case it takes longer.”

“Good luck to you, too.”

It felt strange leaving the child with somebody they'd just met. Mando trusted Elora regarding the judging of someone's character. After all, Tatooine could be a very dangerous place, especially when there was a large bounty on your head.

Armed with two blasters and a handful of credits in her bag she walked the busy roads of Mos Eisley. Vendors were yelling their best offers. Fruits and vegetables imported from throughout the Galaxy, handcrafted jewelry, and second hand blasters to name a few of the offered goods. Though the market was incredibly noisy, it wasn't hard for her to filter distinctive little voices in her language out of said noise. She soon found two Jawas arguing over a landspeeder fuel line.

“Excuse my interruption, I’m looking for a diatium power cell, a power regulation chamber and a power conversion cone.” She showed the Jawas her list which she'd jotted down in her native writing on a piece of flimsi.

  “Foreign friend speaks and writes Jawa as if you were raised Jawa. You should visit our tribe in the Dune Sea. Maybe our tribe has what you are looking for. Beware, desert walking is dangerous. Better rent a speeder or dewback.”

She thanked the Jawas for their advice and went looking for a mode of transport.

If she had noticed one thing about the locals, it was their roughness. They were as rough and resilient as the desert itself and worked very hard to get by. It didn't take long until she could sense somebody's enormous greed. That somebody was a dewback dealer. A Devaronian with multiple scars across his face and a whip in his hands which he used on a chained up dewback who growled in agony.

“Stop hurting this magnificent creature!” Elora yelled without a second thought.

“Mind your own business, child of a bantha!” he bellowed, continuing the torture, hitting the gentle beast twice as hard. Far beyond tense, she focused on the whip in his hand until she had the Force around it in her grip. She pulled and the whip flew out of the Devaronian's hand over to her. Her anger caused the whip to splinter into tiny pieces in her Force grip.

“What have you done?! Looks like I need to teach you a lesson!” As he approached her she focused on the chains that captured the poor dewback. Again, she pulled and let the Force take the chains and used them to tie up the dealer around a fence post faster than he could react.

“You're gonna regret this, you filthy little-”

“Aw really? I'd love to stay and have a chat with you, but look at the time, I gotta go!”

Elora approached the dewback. She could sense its fear. Slowly she reached out to touch it. Closing her eyes she tried to build a connection to the creature, just like she had with the child earlier. She was able to sense the dewback in the Force and sent reassuring images and feelings its way. She opened her eyes when she felt thick scaly skin under her palm. The dewback faced her and gently licked her palm with its sticky tongue. She sensed the creature's gratitude. While the Devaronian still yelled all kinds of expletives at her while writhing in the chains, she climbed up into the saddle and gently patted the beast, then used the Force to show it an image of a sandcrawler and Jawas. The creature groaned gently and set off towards the endless horizon.

Elora was puzzled at how well she had handled this situation. Reaching out through the Force into the mind of another had turned out to be very useful, despite this being only the second time she'd done so. The child had taught her a very valuable lesson with this and probably didn't even know it, she thought. This time she hadn't been afraid of her abilities, just like on Nevarro when saving the child from the clutches of the Imps. It was exactly like Maz had told her - the more she got to know the Force, the less her insecurities would become.

The twin suns burned down on Elora's covered head. Not long after mounting the dewback she'd put on her Jawa face mask to keep the sand out of her eyes and to protect her from the bright twin suns' light. The creature apparently knew the way. She realized Tatooine wasn't like her home world at all. There was no familiar valley. In the Dune Sea everything looked the same. Sometimes she noticed bones or wreckage parts sticking out of the sand, like the desert decided who lived and who died traveling through it. The longer she was exposed to the heat, the more unbearable it became. Even someone like her, who'd lived almost all her life in a desert world, had problems with Tatooine.

Suddenly a strange feeling made itself known in her gut. The dewback became quite nervous and pulled on the bridle. Elora could sense its fear of something. That's when their connection broke off and the creature came to a halt, only to lay down in the shadow of a tall dune.

“What is it, my friend?” She got out of the saddle and climbed up the dune to take a look around. A low rumbling sound in the distance caught her ear. When she reached the dune's peak, she noticed a gigantic cloud of sand coming their way. The wind already blew a fair amount of sand in her face. She stumbled back down to the dewback. Now she understood. The creature wasn't scared of the nearing sandstorm, but for her safety. It gingerly pulled on Elora's leg, yet strong enough for her to lose her balance. The dewback pulled her under its belly and relaxed. Elora just knew everything would be alright. She pulled off her face cover, closed her eyes and waited under the creature’s belly for the storm to be over.

Something wet and sticky tickled her cheek, waking her up.

“Mando... Mmm... Mando, that tickles... EW!” She looked up to the dewback who waited next to her, sticky saliva dripping down on her face. The storm had passed and the binary sunset gave the sky a purple hue. She sat up and wiped her face. Surprised, she noticed the dune that'd protected them from the storm was now almost completely gone. Those winds were what changed the Dune Sea, turning it into a maze of death for those unfamiliar with it. Fortunately Elora was used to the dry climate and knew how to survive for days without any civilization in sight. The storm had cost her several hours, she knew there was no time to catch a break if she wanted to be back in time. She climbed back into the saddle and the dewback began to move in a slow trot in the opposite direction of the beautiful sunset.

“Without you the sand would have buried me alive. We saved each other's lives today. I guess we're even.”

Night had fallen hours ago. After having eaten a ration bar dryer than the desert itself, Elora wrapped herself tightly into her grey Jawa robe turned cloak which had always protected her from the cold air during countless desert nights. It almost felt like home to her. But every time she looked at the starry skies above, she was reminded that she was nowhere near close to home. Foreign constellations of stars and planets were shining down on the sands of Tatooine. To her they were like a foreign map she had never learned to read, contrary to the loyal beast on whose back she rode, who seemed to know exactly where it was going.

A sandcrawler appeared as a black silhouette on a dune ridge. This one was much bigger than the one Elora called her home. When the Jawas noticed their mutual on the dewback arriving, they halted the sandcrawler and let down the hatch.

Elora got off the dewback and patted its scaly neck. “Thanks for the ride, my friend.” She took off the saddle and bridle. “You may go. Roam the dunes like you used to before they caught you.”

The gentle creature turned its head and licked her with its sticky tongue one last time before slowly trotting away. She turned towards the hatch where she was welcomed by the tribe’s chief.

“Welcome, offworld friend. What leads you back here to our world of origin?”  he asked.

  “I’m looking for something. A diatium power cell, a power regulation chamber and a power conversion cone. I have several starship parts and tools in my pockets to trade.”

The Jawas who had gathered around their leader screeched at Elora’s human voice, despite her speaking Jawa Trade like a native.

  “How many Jawas did you kill to wear our robes?!”

“My tribe’s chief Bako adopted me. Jawa lives are precious and must be protected at all costs.”  she recited.

The Jawas fell silent at her words as only tribe members usually knew about the Jawa codex.

  “We do not recognize humans as one of us, adopted or not. Yet I grant you the permission to be our guest.”

So that’s why nobody’s ever heard of Jawas adopting foundlings, because they don’t , Elora thought. It made her wonder why her family had decided to adopt her. Was it just because of her Force sensitivity? No, they had taught her the Jawa way of life and had always treated her as one of their own. If it had been for their own personal gain they would have treated her like one of the droids in the sandcrawler storage unit.

It felt good to reconnect with her culture after traveling through space for so long. Being able to speak her language and be understood made her homesickness subside a little. They offered her water, rations and a blanket while listening when she talked about her tribe, her homeworld and their apparent cultural differences, like adopting a foundling.

After they were done exchanging stories they went straight to business.

  “I bring you small starship parts and some tools to trade for the parts I require.”

She took the items she offered and put them on the table in front of her.

  “You said you’re looking for a power regulation chamber and a power conversion cone, correct? We can offer both, but the only power cells we have are not made from diatium as the material is rare, even more so on Tatooine.”

  “The power cell I need must be made from diatium, I’m afraid. But I’ll gladly take the regulation chamber and conversion cone off your hands.”

They shook hands and the deal was complete. The Jawas took most of the stolen tools and starship parts.

All of a sudden a wild scream came from the upper levels of the sandcrawler.

“My cousin got bitten by Jundland fleas yesterday. The venom makes him hallucinate.”  the chief explained. Another scream followed, together with what sounded like scrap metal being thrown around.

  “I- I should leave. My companion will be waiting for me by the time I’ll be back.”

That’s when it hit her. She had sent the dewback off. Unless it was still nearby and she was able to find it, she would have to walk all the way back.

  Stupid, stupid me!

She offered the remaining starship parts and tools to rent one of the tribe’s speeder bikes, but apparently it wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t be able to bring it back once she was back in Mos Eisley. She knew Mando well enough by now that he would want to leave the planet as soon as his job was done. So there was no deal.

She stepped out of the sandcrawler and took a look around. The dewback was gone.

“Dank farrik!” she cussed. The sandcrawler was slowly beginning to move.

“Dank farrik!” a loud Jawa voice yelled.

Elora noticed a Jawa looking out of an open hatch at the upper levels.

  Probably the chief’s sick cousin.

Then all of a sudden he started throwing scrap metal and droid parts at her.

“Hey! Stop it!” she yelled and tried to avoid getting hit with junk. What she didn’t expect was the Jawa taking it one step further. She sensed the mass of the object in the Force milliseconds before it was about to crash on her. She jumped aside and landed in the sand, just like the object the hallucinating Jawa had thrown at her.

The sandcrawler was moving fast enough into the opposite direction now and somebody had pulled the sick tribe member back in, Elora realized with a sigh of relief.

She got up and wiped the sand off her clothing when a troubled whistling sound came from the object in the sand right next to her.

Elora frowned and dug the object out only to find it was a very distraught astromech droid.

“Hey, hold on! Let me pull you out!” Its cone shaped head was still stuck in the sand.

It was heavier than it looked, but Elora was used to getting droids out of unfortunate circumstances.

Bounty hunters and mercenaries who’d gotten killed by the Niktos on Arvala-7 had left enough droids behind in the past couple months.

The droid shuddered at her touch. “I’m not gonna hurt you, I’m pulling in one… two… three!”

She pulled him out using her entire physical strength, then plopped down on the sand, out of breath. In the early light of dawn she could make out the droid’s cone shaped head of worn yellow color.

“You’re an R4 unit! Do you have a restraining bolt?” She got back up and pulled the droid on its wheels. The restraining bolt was adjusted right on its front side.

“I'll remove this, but no funny business, ok.”

The droid beeped in agreement.

She pulled the restraining bolt off and wiped some coarse sand off the R4 unit who told her in droidspeak that he was used to getting called Arfour or, more officially, R4-A1.

“Finders keepers. That’s how the saying goes, right? It’s unfortunate that I happen to travel with a very stubborn person who strongly dislikes droids at the moment. But I’ll find a good home for you, I promise.” She looked to where the twin suns would be rising in about thirty minutes. She had learned very early on how to find her way home by looking at the sun and the stars. Finding back to Mos Eisley wouldn’t be a problem, it would just take much longer than in the saddle of a dewback.  At least I’m not all alone. The jittery droid followed her, keeping a little distance. If droids were able to have trust issues, this one sure seemed to have them.

  However he ended up here, his story cannot be good.

As the suns rose, the cool night air warmed up unsurprisingly quickly. Around noon Elora noticed she had hardly any water left. She felt as if there were more beads of sweat running down her body than drops of water in her bottle.

Exhaustion gnawed on her bones. Her feet hurt and walking for so long on uneven terrain was taking a toll on her. Arvala-7's rocky surface couldn't have prepared her for the hot and seemingly endless maze of sand that was Tatooine.

A sudden feeling of several hostile presences made itself known in her gut.

She took a look around. Arfour and her were the only beings in this part of the Dune Sea at least that's what she’d thought. A mistake on her behalf.

A wild battle cry sounded from behind her. On the ridge of a dune three beings had appeared, they were wielding strange looking sticks and looked like they were part of the landscape itself. From the stories she’d been told they had to be Tusken Raiders.

“Sorry for trespassing on your land. Really, I mean no harm, I-”

More raiders appeared on the ridges of the surrounding dunes. She was trapped. After taking a deep breath she pulled out her blasters in the matter of a second and began stunning the Tuskens. They were defending their land, killing them would be wrong as they had every right to do what they did. She was the intruder and therefore an enemy in their eyes. Using the Force was too much of a risk as she didn't want to accidentally end the lives of simple people who tried to protect their land.

The Tuskens came running towards her, gaffi sticks ready to strike. She couldn’t react fast enough and stun all of them before they hit her. Before she knew it, one of the sticks struck her hand, knocking the blaster out of it. She clenched her jaw in pain and attempted to smack her other blaster in a Tusken’s face.. But before she could do so she sensed a sudden pain on the back of her skull. Her vision went black and a scream of the R4 unit was the last thing she heard before she lost consciousness.

Shooting that bastard had been the only option. Nobody threatens the kid and lives! It had been a close call. Of course, it hadn’t been the first time somebody had betrayed him. What changed was that he now was responsible for this kid, and Elora as well, at least as long as she was a guest aboard his ship. It was afternoon and Mando waited in the shadow of Peli’s workshop, expecting Elora to show up any moment…

He waited for hours. Meanwhile Peli was spoiling the child, completely enraptured by him. Mando was ok with it, as long as those pit droids stayed far away from the kid.

In the late afternoon Mando commed Elora, wondering where she was. He wanted to get off Tatooine as soon as possible after this mission had gone wrong. Staying in one place too long wasn’t ideal, especially not when you're wanted by the Bounty Hunter Guild and the Empire.

When Elora didn’t answer the comm, Mando became somewhat nervous. He paced around the hangar. Something didn’t feel right.

“You’re making the droids nervous, Mando. What is it? I assume your friend hasn’t returned yet?”

“She doesn’t answer the comm.” He shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this. Something must have gone wrong. She told me she would call me in case it would take longer.”

“Well, you told me enough about her. What if she just decided to stay with those she regards as her kind?”

Mando considered her words for a moment, but he remembered Elora’s steadfastness and stubborn attitude when it came to finding her relatives. No way she would just leave her dreams and aspirations behind to stay with a tribe of strangers. She wouldn’t leave just like that, especially not without telling him, that was unlike her.

“Dank farrik, I hope these Jawas aren’t holding her captive for being human. I- I promised to take her to a world with a higher population density where she can start the search for her family. I’m bound to keep the promises I make. I need to go find her. Would you mind looking after the kid for a little longer?”

“Go and find your friend, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you… and she’s not my friend.”

Mando left the hangar and used the speeder which had belonged to Toro Calican to make his way out into the Dune Sea. He needed to find this Jawa tribe despite his disdain towards these creatures. There was a long way ahead of him...

        “Wake up. Elora, you must wake up! You're in danger!”

Eventually her vision became less blurry. She looked around what she assumed was a tent. Her body had been tied to a post with a thick rope and her satchel was gone.

“Dank kriffing farrik! Let me go!” she screamed - to no avail.

A sad whistle came from her left. Arfour, who was held in place with another restraining bolt, tried to get her attention.

First thing she felt was a throbbing headache. Her eyelids fluttered open, her surroundings a blur. All she felt was that she wasn’t wearing her face cover anymore and there was something around her wrists. She looked down and noticed a somewhat blurry pair of handcuffs. She tried to reach out though the Force to determine her surroundings, but there was nothing. To her it felt as if something had cut her connection to the Force. The cuffs? And what was that voice she’d heard before she had regained consciousness? It sounded clear and warm, almost inviting.  How strange...

“You should be more optimistic. If they’d wanted to kill me, don’t you think they would have already done so? The real question is, why am I still alive? Ugh, I wonder how long I was knocked out.”

Arfour beeped in response.

"32 hours?! You gotta be kidding! I need to get back to Mando!" Her voice was raspy and her throat as dry as the planet itself. She struggled against the thick rope that kept her from moving.

Why couldn't she reach out to the Force? Were it the cuffs? That could only mean one thing: Her captors knew about her Force sensitivity.

Panic rose in her chest. What would the Tuskens do with her?

Her attempt to twist her wrists out of the handcuffs only resulted in raw and partially bloody skin. She hissed in pain.

Damnit, somebody really wants to make sure I can't escape.

It was like her thoughts had betrayed her when she heard footsteps approaching the tent.

  Should I pretend I'm still unconscious and defend myself when they least expect it?  

Her choice was taken from her when a small figure entered the tent - a Tusken child who held a bowl of water in their hands. They cocked their head when they noticed Elora had woken up, as if they were eyeing her curiously under their face mask.

"I mean no harm, kid." Elora rasped.

They walked up to her warily, eyed her once more before kneeling down in front of her and pressing the bowl of water against her lips.

Elora drank greedily, gulping the water down as if her life depended on it - because it did.

She drank up and let her head fall back against the post in relief. If the Tuskens wanted her dead they wouldn't send one of their children to bring her water.

"Th-thank you."

Outside an adult Tusken yelled, causing the child to avert their gaze from her and run out of the tent, forgetting the now empty bowl.

"What in the name of the Maker was that?"

Arfour whistled and trembled.

"Wow, I've never met a droid with anxiety issues before. Let me guess, you have no idea how we could get out of here either, huh buddy?"

He bleeped sadly.

"I wish I could use my senses. These kriffing… argh… handcuffs." She bit back tears at the pain where the metal met her raw skin. Would Mando become suspicious? Would he come looking for her? Or perhaps he assumed she would stay with her people in the Dune Sea and leave Tatooine without her? More often than not he’d said that he would much rather leave her behind on some asteroid than keep her on his ship any longer.  He's probably glad to be rid of me.

Elora waited, but nobody else came looking after her. The water the child had brought her hadn't been enough to quench her thirst, and her stomach was making sounds she’d rather not hear, not to mention the sand that was making her skin itch.

  Kriff! I hate this place!

It was dark when Elora opened her eyes. She didn't notice when she'd been drifting off to sleep. Her throbbing headache had gotten worse while she had been out and her neck was stiff from sitting in an unhealthy position for way too long.

She groaned, trying to reach Arfour with her cuffed hands to remove the restraining bolt.

If her arms were only four centimeters longer she would have succeeded.

"Kriffing hell!" she yelled, in the hope somebody would come and tell her why she was here, and why they didn't kill her in the first place. "Need to get back to Mos Eisley..." With each word she struggled against the rope.

Finally she heard footsteps approaching the tent, and by the sound of it, they belonged to an adult.

A dark silhouette pushed the fabric aside and entered the tent.

"What do you want with me? I was on my way to Mos Eisley. Please, I don’t want any trouble."

She expected the grunts of a Tusken Raider, but instead the dark figure responded in a rough human voice.

"Easy there, little one."

"You're human? Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here."

She noticed he held her satchel in his hand.

"That belongs to me! Give it back or-"

"Or what? I know what you are. The question is what is someone like you doing on Tatooine?"

"You don't know shit about me!" Elora snapped, struggling against her restraints.

He stepped out of the shadows, revealing a scarred face and eyes with a depth unlike she had ever seen. He looked intimidating, but she glared back at him, unfazed.

"If I were you I'd watch that smart mouth of yours."

"Yeah? Well, I don't like people who keep me tied up to a post on this hot dustball of a planet! As soon as I'm out of here I'd watch your back if I were you."

"Careful princess, I don't take kindly to threats."

He had noticed her raspy voice and went to get a canister of water that was hidden in a crate under the cover of several bantha furs.

"Here, drink." he put the canister in her lap.

She grabbed it despite her raw cuffed wrists, gulping the water down. There was nothing more satisfying to her than the cool water running down her dry throat.

"Thank you. Now, how about you untie me?"

"First I demand answers to my questions. I looked inside that satchel of yours and found lightsaber parts. What is a  Jetii  doing on Tatooine? And why did you dress up as a Jawa?"

"I don't owe you an explanation! The Tuskens kidnapped me and you're in possession of my stuff, which happens to be none of your business, stranger!"

"We can do this the easy way…" he took the gaffi stick he carried on his back and lifted her chin with its tip so she was forced to look him in the eyes. "...or the hard way."

"Untie me and I’ll answer your questions. Bring me some food and I'll answer half of them."

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to untie a Jedi just so you can Force choke me to death?"

"Force choke?"

The stranger cocked his head. "You don't know what I'm talking about?"

"I'm still learning ok."

The stranger sighed and left the tent, leaving Elora behind, who then, again, tried reaching for Arfours restraining bolt.

"Just a little closer. Are you sure you can't move or lean forward?" The droid let out a sound that resembled a mechanical whine. "C'mon!"

She breathed heavily. Exhausted, she let her arms sink.

"You are a persistent lady, I’ll give you that." The stranger had returned without her realizing.

"You! Don't sneak up on me like that again! Karking cuffs…! Keeping me from feeling my surroundings! How do you live like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like basically being completely blind to your surroundings. You're able to see and hear, yet you can't… feel anything. The world just feels lifeless when you can’t feel the Force. It's like an important part of me is missing."

The stranger considered her answer and held out a bowl to her, which contained dried chunks of meat

"Eat. You'll need your strength on your way back to Mos Eisley."

She looked up at him, slightly confused, while wolfing down the meat, ignoring the few grains of sand it contained.

"You- you let me go?" she asked in between bites.

He shrugged. "You're young. You're nothing like the Jedi back in the days of the Old Republic. There's nothing I can blame you for. Still, I don't like you and you better not cross my path again."

"I don't like you either. Now that we got this straight, how about you untie me? I'm gonna leave this dustball and will not disturb the Tuskens again."

"Don't make me regret this." He pulled a vibroblade out of his robe to cut through the ropes, then removed her Force restraining handcuffs. The feeling of the Force crashed down on her, it was almost overwhelming. She felt like herself again. Like a temporarily blind person being able to see again. The village and its inhabitants, the banthas roaming the southern dunes, tiny lizards searching for food under the cover of night - Elora felt all of it. The desert may looked lifeless, but in fact it was buzzing with life, sentient and non sentient. And then there was the stranger in front of her whose mind felt like an impenetrable wall. She was able to sense his presence in the Force, and that was it. Despite her powers she wasn't able to sense his emotions, or his thoughts. She'd never met someone like him and she wasn't sure if this should scare her.

"Why did you hold me captive anyway? You're letting me go, just like that?" she asked, trying not to let her mixed feelings show.

The stranger nodded. "The Tuskens showed me your satchel. I recognized the lightsaber parts, and I asked the Tuskens to keep you alive. I needed answers. First I thought you would be a Jedi from the Old Republic. When I saw you I changed my mind. Like I said, there's nothing I can blame you for. You're free to leave."

He handed her the satchel.

"You knew that these parts belong to a lightsaber. Now I have questions. Are you a Jedi? Or do you know someone who is?"

He huffed. "Your assumptions are insulting. The  Jetiise  are my enemies. I just learned a lot about them in order to defeat them."

"Do- do you know where I can find a Jedi?"

The stranger sighed. "Last time I encountered a Jedi was five years ago. I don't wanna talk about this day."

"Why? Did they kick your ass?"

"No. Enough questions. I don't know where to find this Jedi. If he's still alive, I assume you and he are the last remaining Jedi in the Galaxy. Their kind is extinct… Well, almost."

There were so many things she wanted to ask, but the night would soon be over. As much as she wanted to sit by a campfire and ask him all the questions burning on her tongue, she knew she should get going. The unforgiving heat of the suns would make the way back much more arduous. She took her face cover from her satchel and put it back on.

It was time for her and the mysterious stranger to say their goodbyes. Relieved to have gotten away with her life, she left the Tusken village with Arfour on her heels.

  I never want to set foot on this planet again.

Mando had his issues with the Jawas. Although the tribe he'd found in the Dune Sea after a long search and asking two Tuskens for directions wasn't the same one who scrapped his beloved  Razor Crest , he couldn't help but be completely tense. Neither Elora nor Kuiil were there to help him talk to these people.

His Jawa Trade was limited to a few words. He'd never had any actual business with their kind until Arvala-7, so the need to learn some basics had never arisen. Elora wasn't on the sandcrawler, at least he assumed she wasn't.

When he mentioned her name though, the Jawa he spoke to, who he guessed was their chief, became excited and pointed towards the horizon outside. That could only mean one thing. She'd been there and was on her way back. It shouldn't have taken her so long, so he came to the conclusion that something must have gone wrong.

He promised her a safe passage to a world with a higher population density. There was nothing safe about getting lost in the Dune Sea. He had to find her. Though he hated to admit it to himself, his honor depended on it.

He left the sandcrawler in a haste when a Jawa started yelling what he guessed were expletives at him. The chief had to hold the hysterically screeching tribe member back, and shoved him out of view into a closet.

The chief bowed to apologize for the incident.

Mando sighed at the Jawas' antics. He jumped out of the fortress, watching the sandcrawler disappear behind a large dune. He was all alone again, and at this moment it didn't feel right. Due to his line of work he was used to solitude - and he liked it. But his honor was at stake and his foundling was waiting for him in Mos Eisley.

  I never should have let her go alone.

He got back on his speeder bike and was about to rev the engine when suddenly his comlink beeped. His heart skipped a beat.

  It has to be her.

He accepted the comm and…

"Mando? Hello, can you hear me?"

He sighed in relief when he heard her thick accent.

"Yes. What happened? Are you alright?"

"Tuskens happened. They let me go. I'm fine. Sorry if I'm late. I know you prefer not staying in one place for too long in our current situation."

"No need to apologize. You sound out of breath. Where are you?"

"Near Mos Eisley. Are you waiting at the hangar?"

"No, actually I went looking for you. Figured something must have gone wrong."

There was a long silence at the other end of the comm. Elora took a deep breath and swallowed down some tears. He cared. Her sworn enemy cared. The only people who would have done the same for her were her family. He cared with no superior motives. She wondered if there were other Mandalorians like him.

"Meet me at the hangar. Let's get off this shithole!"

"The  Crest  is repaired and refueled. I'll make good on my promise."

His promise… That meant they would go separate paths sooner than expected.

She felt bad for the child. They had built a connection. She was able to understand him in ways Mando couldn't. What would become of him when she wasn't around anymore?

"See you later, Mando." She ended the comm and tried to suppress her emotions.

Arfour whistled sadly at the few sniffles that escaped her.

"I'm fine, really. Just got some grains of sand in my eye, that's all."

The droid didn't believe her, but decided to remain silent on the matter. He was no protocol droid and his ability to comfort his sad new master was very limited. That didn't keep him from moving a bit closer to her, reminding her of his company and that she wasn't alone.

Elora was sleeping on a bench at Peli's hangar when Mando returned. She looked exhausted and he instantly noticed the marks on her wrists.

Peli came out of her workshop, the babbling child in her arms, when her pit droids got all nervous, which was always the case when the Mandalorian was around.

"You're back! Looks like she never got lost out there. She told me about her unfortunate encounter with the sand people."

"I'm sure if the encounter would have been unfortunate, she wouldn't be here with only a few scratches. Did he behave?" Mando took the child from her arms and checked on him.

"Yes, he seems worried about your companion though. When she fell asleep he refused to leave her side at first. I had to bribe him with some dried lizards."

Mando went to Elora's sleeping figure, pushing the droid in his way roughly aside.

Arfour became jittery, yet he reached out to where armor didn't cover Mando's body and sent a strong electric shock through him.

Mando grunted at the pain. In a matter of seconds he raised his blaster at the white and yellow R4 unit.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Peli interrupted. "She brought this droid here and not once has he left her side. Even refused an oil bath."

"I don't care, I don't want it near her!"

Elora woke up slowly when she heard familiar voices. When she saw a blaster pointed at Arfour she jumped up and grabbed Mando's arm tightly.

"Don't you dare!"

"Let go of my arm!" Mando tried to pull his arm out of her tight grip - to no avail.

"Drop the blaster first!"

He sighed and did as she told him. She let go and kicked the blaster away from him.

"Let me explain! This droid needs a good home. I promised to care for him until I found one. In the Dune Sea we looked out for each other. Please. You're gonna drop me off at the next stop anyway, so you don't have to be around him for long."

"I have a strict no droid policy for my ship. Either you travel with me without the droid, or you stay here with him."

Elora huffed. "You're kidding, right?"

Mando stepped closer to her. "Do I look like I am?"

"Hard to tell with that bucket on your head. You told me you want to make good on your promise. Keeping a promise means a lot to you, I figured that out."

They glared at each other until Peli cleared her throat.

"I don't know about your issues with droids, Mando, but I can assure you R4 astromechs are harmless and do a better job than this R5 unit of mine."

"Why don't you keep it then?"

"I'm currently in no need for another droid."

The child reached out with his little hands, wanting to touch the flat top of Arfours cone shaped head.

"I get it, you're all conspiring against me behind my back." he huffed. "If this droid causes any destruction or becomes a threat to the kid I'm gonna-"

"He won't, Mando! You will behave, right?"

Arfour beeped in agreement.

Mando hated the idea of a droid aboard the  Razor Crest . To him all droids were soulless tin skeletons. He hated them all, no matter which function they had or how much they spoke like sentient lifeforms.

  Calm down, it's just an astromech, no battle droid.

They thanked Peli for the repairs, the babysitting and overall hospitality.

Elora rushed up the hatch, Arfour on her heels. She couldn't wait to get off this planet and hoped she would never have to see it again. It may have been her people's homeworld, but the conditions had been a bit too harsh, even for her.

Her thoughts drifted to the mysterious stranger. She didn't understand how a mind could have such a strong resistance to the Force. Also what he'd told her about the Jedi on Tatooine from all those years ago. If he was still around she was sure she would have sensed it. But the news alone that there was at least one other person out there with the same powers she and the child possessed made her very happy for some reason.

Mando ascended to the cockpit. Again he shoved Arfour out of his way. This time the droid knew better than to electroshock him and remained idly by Elora's side.

Mando chose the next destination on the nav computer.

"You said you remember a city in the clouds. I'm taking you to Bespin. Cloud City has access to intergalactic archives. If you were born there, it's probably documented somewhere."

Elora nodded and watched how the  Crest  broke out of Tatooine's atmosphere. Billions of stars welcomed them back in space.

So this was it. Her last ride on the old  Razor Crest . She'd gotten used to the ancient ship. The thought of wandering around on a foreign planet in a city full of foreign people of strange species scared her.  At least Arfour will be by my side. She knew she had to start looking for her relatives, if she had any, somewhere. Searching for her family was what she wanted and there was no going back now. Perhaps she would find a diatium power cell and finally be able to build her lightsaber.

The child sensed her worries and sent reassuring feelings her way she felt coming at her in waves.

If he would only know that our paths will separate soon.

← previous chapter   next chapter →

She would miss them both. The child which she had let into her heart, and the Mandalorian who made this journey possible for her. She was grateful for them as they had both taught her so much she would never have learned at home with her tribe. This goodbye would hurt. The trip to Bespin would take almost an entire day. With 22 hours of quality time left to be exact, and she didn't plan on wasting a single minute of it.

[tjada-works-the-nightshift]

Hey @alicethewannabepolyglot these are a few songs that aren't typically on any german playlists but most Germans will know for the @langblrsecretsanta Hope you like it! (I translated a few passages as well, tell me what you think!)

Das Land in dem ich leben will - Bodo Wartke

Denn im Land, in dem ich leben will, gehört jeder Mensch dazu Because in the land I want to live in, every person belongs

Egal, ob L oder G oder B oder T oder I oder Q Doesn't matter if L or G or B or T or I or Q

Wo weder Hautfarbe noch Herkunft über einen bestimmt Where neither skincolour nor origin dictate over you

Sondern einzig und allein, wie man sich benimmt But solely how you behave

Vom selben Stern - Ich + Ich

Wir alle sind aus Sternenstaub We're all made of stardust

In unsren Augen war mal Glanz There was a shine in our eyes once

Wir sind noch immer nicht zerbrochen We're still not broken

Wir sind ganz We're whole

Ich will keine Schokolade - Trude Herr

Ich will keine Schokolade I don't want chocolate

Ich will lieber einen Mann I'd rather have a man

Ich will einen, den ich küssen I want one I can kiss

Und um den Finger wickeln kann And wrap around my finger

Neue Männer braucht das Land - Ina Deter

Ich sprüh's auf jede Wand I spray it on every wall

Neue Männer braucht das Land This country needs new men

Ich bin Ich - Rosenstolz

Gehör ich hier denn noch dazu Do I still belong here

Oder bin ich längst schon draußen? Or am I already on the outside

Zeit nimmt sich den nächsten Flug Time takes the next flight

Hab versucht ihr nachzulaufen (I) tried running after it

Ich wollte wie Orpheus singen - Reinhard Mey

Meine Lieder, die klingen nach Wein My songs sound like wine

Und meine Stimme nach Rauch My voice like smoke

Mag mein Name nicht Orpheus sein My name may not be Orpheus

Mein Name, gefällt mir auch I like my name too

Meine Lieder sing' ich Dir My songs I sing to you

Von Liebe und Ewigkeit Of love and eternity

Und zum Dank teilst Du mit mir And as a thank you you share with me

Meine Mittelmäßigkeit My mediocrity

Kein Fels ist zu mir gekommen No rock came to me

Mich zu hören, kein Meer To listen to me, no sea

Aber ich hab' Dich gewonnen But I got you

Was will ich noch mehr? What more do I want?

Lieder - Adel Twail

Ich war am Ende der Straße angelangt I reached the end of the road

War ein Verlierer, Baby, doch dann Was a loser, Baby, but then

Hielt ich ein Cover in der Hand I held a cover in my hand

Darauf ein Mönch, der in Flammen stand On it a monk aflame

Kurt Cobain sagte mir, ich soll kommen wie ich bin Kurt Cobain told me I should come as I am

Jeanny - Falco

The entire chorus is already english :)

Wovon sollen wir träumen - Frida Gold

Wir könn' nicht mehr atmen und vergessen zu essen. We can't breathe and forget to eat

Wir trinken zu viel, es bleibt 'n Spiel ohne Ziel. We drink too much, it stays a game without a goal

Wann hört das auf? Wann komm' wir hier raus? When does that stop? When do we get out of here?

Wovon sollen wir träumen? What should we dream of?

Heute hier morgen dort - Hannes Wader

Manchmal träume ich schwer Sometimes I have heavy dreams

Und dann denk' ich es wär' And I think it would be

Zeit zu bleiben und nun Time to stay and now

Was ganz And'res zu tun To do something different

So vergeht Jahr um Jahr So years and years pass

Und es ist mir längst klar And I already realised

Dass nichts bleibt That nothing stays

Dass nichts bleibt, wie es war That nothing stays as it was

Bonus: Du bist schön- Alligatoah, Alles nur geklaut- die Prinzen, dem morgenrot entgegen - Hannes Wader, Die eine - die Firma, Major Tom- Peter Schilling

[surprise-sausage-party]

"Gee, I dunno. Never really thought on it." Fel said flatly.

"I've never eaten a child in my right mind." He paused to think on what he could remember whenever he went crazy.

"But I dunno, I guess it's like how humans eat baby animals. Like veal and lamb? The meat's soft and tender. I don't like thinking about what I've done in my less sane state. I have to eat them while they're alive, so when it's time to eat for me, they take me to a special room. I hang them upside down, so they last longer than normal. The screaming is unpleasant, but the last doctor was kind enough to give me things to sedate, or paralyze my food while I eat." The raven haired SCP sighs.

"It doesn't matter about anything else."

"Welcome To the Facility"

SCP au part 1!!

To with my most wonderful love @hes-a-rat-whisperer

This place, the monsters, the things that they keep locked away for the safety of the general public of the world. It was terrifying to think about that the place even exists, but it does. And that's where Felonious came in, he'd been captured, contained, and labeled SCP-3451-J. Because he was a wendigo, he was labeled into a class called Keter. At first, they tested him which ranged from unbearable to terrifying. And when finding that he was a cooperating individual, they were told to treat him better than they had been. Unfortunately, two of the doctors didn't listen, and decided to see what would happen if they starved him. Again. With these experiments new variables would come into play, although they all ended the same. Containment breach, and death. Mass damage. Of both personel, property and in some cases other SCPs.

That time, the last time, when Fel came to he was crunching on the bones of his assigned research team. He felt terrible, and thus became unresponsive. The facility put him in his own cell. They were accommodating and friendly, or perhaps afraid,enough to allow him books, and time in one of the garden areas. Which was where he'd met a euclid class called SCP-5679-X, a brunette named Ceban who they kept in the garden containment unit. He also found out they were curious as to what their interaction would be. It went better than expected, and because of this Felonious was permitted to see him again. Which he actually enjoyed. Ceban was another one They tried to keep calm and complacent, because of what he did when he was under stress. 

He was human once, as Fel had been, who came into contact with something he described as 'a sickly black ink' that changed him. It gave him claws, and many sharp teeth, as well as unnatural speed and agility. Really it just turned a timid man into what looked like a serious predator, and gave him more consequence bearing mood swings. The wendigo didn't mind at all, in fact, Ceban was pleasant. Kind. And in turn made Felonious a little kinder towards staff. He enjoyed his company. And then he was assigned a new researcher. A doctor who was being transported from the facility across the globe to this one. Great. New doctors meant going through new tests.

[shinypeachkitten]

New Life, Dean Winchester.

Dean x Reader.

You waited nervousy on the pregnancy test laying on the sink.

You and Dean weren't really together. You weren't friends eather. But Dean didn't want to put a label to it, scared to fuck things up.

You phone rang meaning the waiting time was over. You took a deep breath and pick up the test. It was very positive. Pregnant 4+.

´Fuuuck´ you panicked.. hard.. how the hell are you going to tell this to Dean? You heard a soft knock on the door. ´Is everything alright?´ You heard Sam's voice on the other side of the door. ´Uh yeah´ you lied. ´Okay, i made breakfast, are you coming? ´ he said and you let out a soft sigh. ´I'll be right there´ You heard Sam walked away and you looked in the mirror. ´Okay, if you can have sex with Dean, than you can say this to´ You told your reflection firmly. Who are you kidding? Dean is not really a father figure. He has been very lucky in the years before he knew you. He had so many one night stand that this isn't really a suprise. But on the otherside, you weren't just a one night stand. You shook your thoughts off and walked to the kitchen.

You sat down next to Sam and you looked at Dean who was eating his eggs and bacon. When he noticed you he winked at you and smiled. ´Aren't you going to eat?´ He said while you were playing with your eggs. ´ Not hungry´ . Dean and Sam looked at eachother and Dean shrugged. You felt them changing looks and took a deep breath. ´ Dean, I'm pregnant´ You heard Dean almost choking on his Bacon and Sam's mouth was so wide open, it almost fel on the floor.

´How?!´ Dean almost yelled and you swallowed. ´Well, what do you think..´ ´Yeah i know where babies come from, but you told me you were on the pill´ And at the moment, something snapped inside of you. ´You think i fucking lied about that?!´ You were about the throw the chair at him. ´Sweetheart, calm down a little´ Sam tried to calm you down. ´I'm not saying that!´ Dean growled and you felt tears coming up. ´You know what? I don't wanna talk with you anymore´ You yelled crying and you took off to your bedroom.

Sam looked worried at his brother who threw his chair trough the room. ´ I fucked up..´ He said while he sat on the other chair and put his head in his hands. ´No you don't. You can make the best out of this´ Sam said while putting his hand on his shoulder. ´I know you didn't plan to be a father, but who says you can't be?´ Dean looked at Sam. ´But how? I don't do relationsships and now i'm having a baby with someone´ Sam shook his head. ´Y/N isnt just some girl Dean, you care more about that girl then you think you do. I think she is the love of your life. And you can be a good father´ Dean looked at his brother and nod. ´ I need to think about this. I'm going for a ride´ Dean said to this brother and Sam nodds.

You dried your tears and you heard Dean took off.

You heard Sam knocking on your door. ´Can i come in?´ You opend the door and Sam opens his arms and hugged you tight. ´It's gonna be alright. He just need to calm down and think about it´ You felt comforted by Sam's hug and you nodded. ´I didn't find any strange cases so you can rest for a bit. I look again tomorrow. You and Dean are not in the mood for hunting. If anything appears, i will go together with Bobby´ he said with a smile and you nodd. ´Thanks Sam´ you kissed his cheeck before he left your room

You decided you take a relaxing bath. You slipped in the warm water and for a while your troubles went away. in fact it was so relaxing you fell a sleep. You blinked a few times before open your eyes and you looked at the time. You have slept for a hour. You washed your hair and body before you stepped out of the bath. You put your hair in a towel and your dried your body. Suddenly you heard the door open and Dean stepped in the bathroom. He walked towards you and helped you dry off. He puts his hand on your belly and looked at you. ´Sorry for yelling at you´ he said and you nod. ´Me too´ you said softly. ´We are going to keep this baby right?´ Dean looked in your eyes and puts his hands on your cheecks. ´I really want to´ You said while a tear fell from your eyes. Dean wiped them away and kissed you softly. ´It's gonna be alright. If we can hunt things together, we also can raise a baby together´ He smiled and you cried happy tears. ´We can do this´ you said and you hugged eachother tight.

Looks like it worked out after all.