#he's got a little muscle definition but is far from the ripped warrior he was before his daily workout routine

[official-english-major]

Not really an artist (this is my first attempt at digital art) but I was not seeing nearly enough fanart of Odysseus on Calypso's island

[noneatnonedotcom]

Dark rwby smut:

Raven has Yang and Weiss hostage and won’t release them. It’s up to Jaune to challenge the bandit leader for the sake of his friend’s freedom.

A knight strode into a bandit camp with purpose.

It sounds like the start of a grand story, some fairytale you’d tell children before bed.

The truth was very different. Jaune Arc had long since abandoned the ideals of heroism. But there was one idea he held onto even now.

An Arc always kept his word.

That’s why he was doing this, he’d sworn to help his friends no matter what and by the gods if he had to take on the most dangerous bandit tribe in fucking Minstral then he would do so. An Arc NEVER went back on his word.

He ignored the squelching mud under his new boots. Or the way his armor sat a little heavier on him than he’d like. The new gauntlets were closer to a robotic hand than the armor most people thought of. A side effect of telling ruby that he was off to save her sister. He’d only just avoided muscle armor. Still, there were worse things than having a suit of armor tailor-made for you by the best blacksmith this side of the afterlife.

It at least let him look the part.

Still, he’d stalled long enough, time to deal with reality.

Raven stood before him.

“You’re a long way from home, boy,” she said, not looking up from the drink she was enjoying. The scantily clad Weiss poured for her. Both her and Yang were chained around the neck.

“I’m here for them”

“Then you have the ransom?” she asked with a raised brow

“Yeah, I'll just be giving it to you in steel rather than gold,” he said, working hard to keep his voice calm as he drew his blade. He didn’t deploy the shield; he'd need the element of surprise if he wanted any chance of surviving this.

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Raven was worried, she’d heard about the arc family, hell she’d gone to school with the boy's father. There was a good reason why the area around the arc ancestral lands was so safe. Everyone who crossed the family died, or worse.

And his mother was definitely worse. A tribal just like her she’d fought Arc to prove a point, now thirty years later she was still a breeding sow for the family. Her warrior stock probably only made them more powerful. And now here he was ready to take her daughter and the Schnee.

If she had it her way she’d just give the boy both and be done with it. They weren’t worth her head. But that wasn’t an option. No, instead she’ll just have to offer something better than the satisfaction of her death.

“Very well boy, I'll take your steel. And if you manage to beat me I’ll even give you my body as well”

She only prayed that the Arc would accept it

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Jaune wasn’t sure what to do, frankly, he wanted nothing to do with a woman who abandoned her daughter but if he didn’t take the deal then he’d likely be jumped by her entire tribe, who had begun forming a circle around the last patch of dry grass that hadn’t been turned to mud from them walking through it.

“Fine,” he said, annoyance in his voice, he just wanted Yang and Weiss back home with the team where they belonged now he’d have to deal with this too.

He took his place across from her, taking his sword in a two-handed grip that his father had tried teaching him when he was a boy. It was Pyrrha who taught him how to fight with a shield. Who taught him to protect others but jaune wasn’t looking to protect here. Only to slay.

There was no signal, Raven just rushed him. Normally he wouldn’t have been able to react to the speed. But months with Nora had taught him to use her peripheral vision. The added context to the attack that was about to hit him prevented panic and allowed him to dodge the blow as an ear-splitting screech tore through the air as dust-enhanced steel met angled armor. It was only sheer luck that let his pommel slam into her chin.

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The boy was strong, Raven had a habit of toying with those weaker than her but for strong opponents, she tried to end it in a single strike. Using her aura to launch herself like a rocket at her enemy then causing another boost of aura to swing her blade fast enough to make a sonic boom like a bullet.

Not only had this jaune blocked it, but in the same fluid motion, he’d counterattacked. And now he was coming at her.

Gods’ why didn’t she just give him the girls?!

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Jaune stumbled forward catching himself just in time to almost run but not quite. Still, he was out of time bracing his shoulder he jumped forward slamming into her gut just as her sword would have split his head.

He’d told ruby he needed a helmet!

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Raven was knocked on her ass and fear began to take hold, she couldn’t die here, this boy, this man was too strong and

NO!

She would defeat him, rolling to her feet she charged as much aura as she could into her blade and swung down, she’d be exhausted but the monster would be dead. Off to the side, she noticed that her daughter had freed herself and the Schnee. That would be a problem but it was too late for her to save her little boy toy.

Just as her daughter screamed the world went white

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Jaune felt more aura coursing through him than ever before. And down there in front of him, on her back trying to crawl away in fear was raven.

“I give up!” she screamed as jaune lifted his sword, “please just take them and go!”

Jaune glared at the woman “I’d love nothing more than to leave your weak tribe and be fucking done with this” he said honestly. The longer he stayed here the more likely it was these guys would jump him. And even if he got lucky with raven he doubted he could take all of them “but unfortunately I made you a promise”

With that, he began to unarmor himself. Taking a step toward the retreating woman with each thunk of the heavy armor falling away until as he stripped his pants and showed off his cock to the world he once more sighed pulling raven back by her legs to him. He hoped yang and Weiss weren’t watching, he was pretty average and didn’t have much to show off. Then again, he didn’t have much to compare him with.

All the guys at beacon refused to shower with him in the locker room

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OF COURSE THE BOY WAS A MONSTER, HE WAS A FUCKING ARC!

He was carrying around a foot of cock and it was surely gonna ruin her. But as Raven tried to crawl away, her own aura utterly depleted she felt him drag her back in front of him by her ankle. Her hands pulling up tufts of grass in vane as she tried to avoid her fate

“Just hurry the fuck up and strip raven, I have better shit to do!” came the annoyed voice of the monster behind her

What?

She froze and jaune growled in frustration ripping her clothes apart and lining himself up with her snatch

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She was tight, that was about all Jaune could say on the subject as Raven squirmed and struggled underneath him. He really wasn’t enjoying this. She was too shallow, too unused to him and SHE KEPT FUCKING CRAWLING AWAY!

Like, he got it, it was probably annoying to have to deal with him shoving himself into her, but damn it this wasn’t his fucking idea. And an Arc always keeps their word, so here he was trying to hold this whining bitch down so he could finish up and be done the entire fucking thing.

Finally getting tired of her bullshit jaune wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled her back into him. She screamed louder as he hammered into her, probably pissed that he was touching her hair like yang would be. Damn it he was starting to lose his boner! Think about Ruby Jaune! Think about that big, bubbly, Rubooty!

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Raven was going to die, she was sure of it, his massive cock was sticking out of her stomach and she could feel her body struggling to accommodate him as he shoved that fucking pillar deep into her. Having already gone as far as her womb.

Then he told her he was halfway in! The fuking idiot didn’t seem to get that there was NO MORE FUCKING ROOM FOR HIM.

She screamed as her body was flooded with pleasure as he pulled her hair. Bringing her back into him as he fucked her like a common whore. Her daughter was watching with her friend and… oh gods he just got bigger!

He must have seen Yang masterbating to this.

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He smacked Raven’s ass, disappointed it didn’t jiggle like Ruby’s when she ran, and struggled to maintain the fantasy. With a grunt, he pushed in deeper and held her there as his first orgasm finally came.

Thank the Gods’

Only two more holes to go.

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Raven thought it was over when she felt herself fill with cum, groaning in relief as jaune pulled out of her now leaking cunt. Ruined for all the world to see. But then she felt herself being pulled up by her hair. And suddenly she was being throat fucked, her vision filled by a sneering Jaune.

She felt herself cum again as he used her

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It was official, raven sucked at this. It was a fucking blow job! How hard could it be? Nora had given him plenty when she was bored on the road and Ren couldn’t keep up with her anymore. Let alone when he imagined Ruby to be able to do it. No, that wasn’t fair. Maybe she was just out of practice. After all, it's not like many guys around here would give her the time of day.

Okay Jaune just lay close your eyes and imagine Ruby, you can do this

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He was thinking about someone else, Raven was sure of it now, the way he kept his eyes closed. The way he tried to force her deeper. Was it Yang? Was that why he was here to save her? She didn’t know she didn’t care. Right now that massive dick was being used for her, it was hers!

Her nose filled with his scent, her tongue slipping out from her mouth to lap at his balls. Oh gods what a man. To take her so utterly. To ruin her and have her be just another of his conquests. She wept with joy as she felt him cum down her throat.

She couldn’t give this up

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Jaune stared down at the clearly delirious Raven, he was a little worried that he’d gone too far as he had forgotten to let her breathe. Normally he’d just wait for the tap on his thigh but she obviously didn’t know about that.

Oh well, just anal left and he could head home with yang and Weiss. He hoped they weren’t too bored.

“Turn around slut,” he said, trying to sound authoritative. He’d heard girls like that, and he was willing to try with Raven since it didn’t really matter if she didn’t like it. Not like he was ever gonna see her again

He was pleasantly surprised to find he was right as he watched Raven squeal in glee before she put herself face down into the grass. Huh… good to know, maybe Ruby would like it if he used his leader’s voice?

Lining up with the older woman’s ass Jaune decided it was about time to wrap this up so he wasn’t gonna go with the slow and steady pace he had before

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Raven’s world was one of sensations alone as she felt her master slam his cock into her ass. Her eyes swam with colors and her body twitched as she felt orgasm after orgasm. Pain and pleasure mixing in a delirious cocktail that her brain drowned in. and her hands, no longer being used to hold her up, Rubbed along the imprint his cock made in her. Trying to give him the same pleasure she felt

Every breath was praise for him.

This was heaven.

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Raven was annoying as hell.

“iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyouILOVEYOU!”

“Please just shut the fuck up Raven!” Jaune screamed back as he tried to finish himself off. Groaning in relief as he felt another set of mouths on his balls. Turning around he saw Yang and Weiss doing their best to help him through this chore. They were great friends and jaune owed them for this.

What they lacked in skill they made up for in enthusiasm. And Jaune soon found himself about to cum slamming home in the bandit queen jaune moaned in relief as he flooded raven’s body with his seed. Slowly pulling the still hard cock out of the twitching mess of a woman and letting Yang and Weiss try to clean him up.

Oh yeah, he owed these two a lot. Though he did come to save them in the first place. But that was only to help his friends so yeah, he’d still owe them.

Nodding in agreement with his train of logic, he said out loud “welp time to go home” to his surprise the Raven opened a portal to …. Qrow?

OH HEY, THERE WAS RUBY!

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Ruby was a very happy girl, her sister was safe, as was her bestie Weiss. And Raven had even learned the error of her ways. Yeah, today was great.

It was also great because she was slamming her nice thicc ass back on Jaune’s dick like nature intended. Honestly, what was Raven thinking trying to take a dick this amazing with an ass like that? At least Yang had the common sense to use her tits to get jaune off. And Weiss…. Weiss was willing to help however she could.

So that’s why she let her sister and friend join in on her fun with her boyfriend.

Slamming her ass down on his dick faster, Ruby relished the attention that was on her as Raven whimpered in the corner.

Yeah, Yang and Weiss got to help, but Raven had to study hard if she wanted to be a good slut. That’s why she was being forced to watch her and Jaune go at it for hours on end.

It totally wasn’t because ruby liked putting the snobby bitch in her place. Ruby would never do that.

Moaning in pure pleasure as she arched her back and Jaune came inside her. Ruby smiled before resuming her work with a kiss from Jaune.

And they all lived happily ever after

[schrijverr]

The Heart Is Also a Muscle

5 times Sypha and Alucard got distracted by Trevor’s warrior physique + 1 time he noticed and yet completely misunderstands.

Trevor is hot and once Sypha and Alucard have noticed it is hard not to notice. Now they just have to figure out how to confess, before it gets incredibly awkward because he catches on. When he does however, his insecurities completely misconstrue their intentions.

On AO3.

Ships: trephacard

Warnings: insecurities

~~~~~~~~~~

Despite Trevor’s many years on the road, keeping up a less than stellar training regime, he was still a warrior at heart and in body. He had still fought all those years and his frame was bulky to accommodate the muscle needed for that.

Something that was hard to miss.

And Alucard and Sypha didn’t miss it at all. In fact they noticed it a bit too often for their own comfort, now that they were cleaning up Dracula’s castle after their victory over the old vampire.

1.

It wasn’t that Sypha hadn’t noticed that Trevor was fit while they traveled, it was more that they were so many other things to think about, to worry about to keep oneself alive that she hadn’t noticed that sort of stuff. So, it still took her by surprise when she did.

They were clearing out the rubble of one of the many rooms covered by it. It was slow going work, even with Alucard’s supernatural strength. One upside was that Sypha was getting really good at levitation spells.

She took a small break and wiped her forehead. Alucard had just moved a big stone and Trevor was now trying to lift a bigger stone than he had done.

For a moment she rolled her eyes at the childish display, but as she looked she noticed the shirt clinging to his sweaty body as he arms bulged under the effort. His brow was furrowed and his tongue was poking out slightly.

He was a piece of art.

Fuck.

Why hadn’t she noticed before that Trevor was completely ripped? Maybe she had noticed, but never connected that to him being nice to look at. Now, she couldn't look away as he struggled with the too big stone.

No sane human should be able to carry it and she didn’t know why he even tried (well, she did, but she thought it stupid). Until, the asshole actually managed to lift it, proud grin sweeping over his face as he did.

Slowly, he started to walk, careful steps to balance the stone and keep himself upright. Every time he almost lost balance, he flexed his legs, which was equally distracting and Sypha really wanted to know why she had to notice this, because she knew that from that moment on, she wouldn’t stop noticing it.

“Sypha?” the smooth voice next to her made her jump, she hadn’t even realized Alucard had arrived next to her. “Something the matter?” he asked.

She debated with herself if she would admit to Alucard what had distracted her so. It was embarrassing for sure, but she had also seen the fondness in the dhampirs eyes whenever Trevor talked to him, so she might find an ally in her suffering here.

With a decision made she gestured to Trevor, who was taking the final steps to the right pile of stones for rebuilding, before he squatted down to put down the stone. His back muscles rippled and his ass was practically on display.

Beside her, Alucard made a choked off noise.

At that Trevor turned around, somehow an adorable confused pout on his face that should look ridiculous on his large frame, but didn’t. “You both okay?”

“Yeah, just thought we’d wait for you to break your back carrying something too heavy before we laughed at you,” Alucard shot back, saving both their asses from embarrassment as Trevor rolled his eyes and flipped him off, claiming that it wasn’t that heavy anyway.

2.

They were rebuilding some of the pathways in the Belmont Hold. Trevor had insisted on cleaning up most of the castle first, claiming that it was the most livable place out of the two and he wanted a bed, but both had seen the saddened look on his face when faced with what remained of his childhood home in ruins.

So, the moment they had made the kitchen and a few bedrooms presentable, they started on a few passageways across.

However, ever since Sypha had pointed out Trevor’s muscles in a different light to him, he now was ruined forevermore and she was to blame. He couldn't do anything normally anymore. Somehow each activity turned into a distraction with Trevor around.

Right now being an example of how much of a distraction Trevor was.

He was hauling up a beam that Sypha was directing above them, while Alucard was supposed to be sorting the pile of books that were in the language only he could read.

Supposed to, because he most definitely wasn’t.

No, because how could one read when Trevor was coiling a rope around his forearms as he pulled on said thick rope, muscles straining against it as he panted and dug in his heals.

The beam was pretty big and it was frankly short of a miracle that he hadn’t let it drop yet, but then again, he was incredibly muscled as Alucard had found out. So, slowly the beam rose under Trevor’s labor.

Faintly Alucard wondered how Sypha was holding out up there, being forced to watch Trevor so that she could jump in to help when necessary. He found her eyes and saw her bite her lip, face completely red.

Then the beam dropped a few feet as Trevor fumbled with the rope for a moment. It was an interesting tug-a-war. Trevor vs. gravity. Even as he won, regaining his footing and putting in some extra work, both Alucard and Sypha had gasped when it happened.

“Do you need assistance?” Alucard found himself calling out, despite knowing better.

“I am fine, Fangs,” Trevor grunted and that noise wasn’t good for Alucard’s blood pressure. “Just do your job and I’ll do mine.”

Wit spite as final motivator, Trevor pulled the beam the final distance, groaning with relief when Sypha had guided it into place. Before he could turn to see Alucard look, the dhampir turned back to his pile of books.

He had things to do.

3.

Alucard and Sypha had gotten used to Trevor’s muscular frame that truly shone whenever they needed to do construction.

Well, used to was a strong word.

Trevor was still completely distracting, so much that they had started a little talk club in the library in the mornings when Trevor was sleeping in. But they could function almost normally and do their tasks while they worked.

But this? This now, right there? That was different. It was just unfair actually. Unfair and mean, but also very blessed.

Rewinding to that afternoon, when they had decided that they weren’t in the mood for reconstructing the castle or the hold. So, they had lunch, talked a bit, Sypha picked up a book, Alucard as well, while Trevor seemed content to sit by the fire with them, whittling away at a piece of wood.

Then it had happened. Trevor had reached for a bit of firewood, before realizing they were almost out. Throwing the last logs onto the fire, he got up and stretched as he said: “I’m going to chop some more fire wood.”

And then he left and they were alone. For a few moments they both just blinked at the empty space that had just been Trevor, before his words caught up to them.

Sypha moved first. She got up with her book and walked to the seat that had been built in next to the window that looked out over the fields below. They weren’t high up in the castle and had a good view.

“Might I inquire about the sudden move?” Alucard asked after a moment.

She grinned at him mischievously and nodded to something on the other side of the window, before she said: “Why don’t you come here and find out? Promise it’s worth it.”

Alucard didn’t know when he had forgotten she was cruel in her kindness, but looking down to see Trevor chop wood with a big ax was definitely cruel, still he was so very grateful for her that she had invited him to the view.

Because it truly was a view. Trevor was soaking through his shirt as he effortlessly swung the giant ax downwards onto the waiting wood, always splitting it in one or two swings.

“Oh God,” he choked out.

“Hmmhm, I know,” Sypha agreed.

“He just-”

“Jup.”

“Wow.”

It wasn’t the classiest conversation they’d had, but by far not the least classiest conversation about Trevor’s muscle’s they’d had. Still, they could hardly be blamed when the person in question was right in front of them being hot, instead of far away and sleeping.

As they watched they could see the outlines of Trevor’s muscles appear in sweat. Naturally the armpits were first, but then they appeared under his pecs and between his shoulders as well.

Alucard swallowed heavily, Sypha beside him followed suit.

They stood there for a while, just admiring Trevor as the pile next to him grew with chopped up wood. It was a nice spring day and the sun was doing wonder’s for the sweat coating his muscles. Trevor was now only in a tunic, nothing covering his arms. It was a very good look on him.

Then it happened. They were unassuming and powerless when Trevor lifted his tunic to wipe the sweat on his brow, only to pull back and grimace when he found it already soaked. Before they could prepare themselves he had tugged the tunic over his head, continuing his task completely bare-chested.

“Oh,” Sypha moaned miserably, “I don’t know if I want to thank whoever is out there or curse them right now.”

If he could have formed words at that moment, he would have agreed with her. Alas, he was incapacitated by the shirtless sweaty and sexy Trevor below them.

After they had started at the hunter for a few moments – imprinting the view, getting their wits together again, that sort of stuff – Sypha said: “This is truly pathetic. Look at us. This is so sad.” Trevor chopped again, it was a big log and it went down in one swing. “But totally deserved sadness if I get to see this.”

“Do you think he knows what he’s doing?” Alucard asked as Trevor stretched borderline pornographically.

“Oh absolutely not,” replied Sypha. “He’s as oblivious as a brick and I’m torn between calling it cute and frustrating.”

“We should probably say something to him at one point,” Alucard pointed out.

“Yeah, we probably should,” Sypha agreed, taking Alucard’s hand and leaning into him as they enjoyed the view together. They had made a deal not to do anything until they’d gotten Trevor’s rejection or until he was on board. Right now, she would do anything for a kiss though.

She didn’t try. She knew that Alucard cared about doing things proper and she wanted that too. She just also happened to be watching Trevor be hot while knowing that any move would have him running from the hills due to the emotional repressing he had made his personality.

So, she sighed and looked back out, only to see Trevor put the ax away and gather an arm full of newly chopped wood, still no shirt.

Cursing she pulled Alucard back to the chairs they had sat in and turned the book so that it was right side up, before she hissed to Alucard that he had to act natural.

Alucard had just turned back to his book, the look of apathy he had perfected on his face, when Trevor came in and dropped off the firewood, before greeting them and turning to bring another load.

Once he had left the room and would be out of hearing range, Alucard leaned over to her and whispered: “We need to come up with a plan at some point.”

“Yes, I know, okay,” Sypha agreed.

“He’s getting on my nerves both in a good and bad way and I might snap if we don’t do something soon and that’ll make things worse.”

“This is getting ridiculous,” she sighed, “I’m working on it.”

“What are you two gossiping about?” Trevor asked with a grin, as he returned with more wood in his arms. “You could be two old ladies in a market square.”

“Nothing really,” said Alucard, right as Sypha answered: “About how much you stink. Sweat isn’t a good look on you,” the lie came out.

Trevor huffed, but it was good-naturedly, as he rolled his eyes. “I’ll put away the rest of the wood and go bathe, your majesties.” Then he swept out of the room, leaving them without his shirtless pecs to view.

4.

After the wood chopping incident, working together with Trevor had become harder again, so the cleaning of the general grossness that came with an army of night creatures had been divided to be done separately.

To Trevor they had claimed efficiency, and while he had looked suspicious, he had also accepted it without any complaints.

But even that did not save them from him. While there were no bulging muscles soaking in sweat, just general grossness and tiredness when they met up again with each other, it seemed that Trevor was full of surprises, oblivious as he was to them.

Alucard and Sypha had bothcollapsed on the floor in one of the main halls when Trevor joined them, stretching his arms above his head, flexing his muscles slightly.

He sat down with them and groaned: “I don’t think my back will ever recover from this, I don’t get paid enough for this.”

“You do not get paid at all,” said Alucard in confusion.

“Exactly,” Trevor told him, before stretching and groaning again. Then he stretched his legs out in front of him and just dropped his head down onto his knees, bending himself in half as he semi-moaned when his back cracked.

Sypha watched him slack jawed and Alucard didn’t think he looked much better as he ogled the hunter as well. Trevor was not just flexing muscles, but flexible as well. He would become the death of them that was certain.

It took them a few more moments to snap out of their daze, then a few more to realize Trevor had fallen asleep.

He had fallen asleep with his nose between his knees as if he was a pretzel, because apparently the position was so comfortable for him that he could fall asleep.

Fuck.

5.

After the flexible incident, as Sypha was calling it, they had been scrambling for a plan to get Trevor to agree to date them, because seeing that display only to have to deal with the cute sleepy Trevor that came after had been too much for their hearts.

Naturally it couldn't be that way. They had a vague plan about maybe tying Trevor to a chair if he wanted to run away, but nothing concrete yet.

She was currently in the Belmont Hold, looking through their books, hoping that one would spark a plan or maybe just give her something to talk about with the other’s over dinner. A book caught her eye, it was green with golden letters that read: Herbs against poison, for healing and relaxation

But when she reached for it, her arm fell short and not even by a bit. She was even pretty sure Alucard couldn't reach it like that. She would need a ladder, but the ladder system for this part had been destroyed.

A part of her was aware that she was pouting, but she still frowned when Trevor asked: “What are you pouting about?”

“I wasn’t pouting,” she told him instead of answering.

“Okay then, why was your bottom lip protruding in displeasure?” he asked her with a shit-eating grin that was both adorable and annoying.

She gave up with that and gestured to the book as she explained: “I can’t reach it.”

Trevor tried, but he too couldn't reach it, but she appreciated how he stretched out in an attempt to reach it, the flexibility coming to mind again. It truly was a pity they hadn’t been able to come up with anything to exploit that part yet.

Sypha was about to call for Alucard to see if he could when she felt two big hands on her waist before she was effortlessly lifted into the air. She squeaked loudly and floundered for a moment.

“Grab your book, Sypha,” she heard the laughter in Trevor’s voice, but she couldn't find it within herself to be annoyed when Trevor had just lifted her of the ground like it was nothing.

Sure, she wasn’t the heaviest or biggest person around, but she had a lot of muscle for her frame and she wouldn’t describe herself as light. God, what she wouldn’t give to have that strength at her mercy.

No, don’t focus on that now, grab the book. She quickly clutched the book and hoped her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.

“Hey, you okay?” Trevor was now frowning in that stupidly concerned way that made her heart clench and she deducted that her cheeks must have been as red as she’d feared. “I’m fine,” she squeaked, hoping it would be enough.

Alucard came to her rescue, sort of. He landed gracefully and asked: “What happened? I heard Sypha squeak.”

“Oh, yeah, nothing to worry about. I think I startled her when I lifted her,” Trevor explained casually, “We couldn't reach a book she wanted. So, teamwork.”

“You. You just lifted her up?” Alucard repeated dumbly and Sypha knew that it was the fact that it was hot and he missed it that made him say it like that.

Sadly, Trevor interpreted it differently. “What? You think I couldn't lift her. No offense, Sypha, but you’re hardly a challenge. I mean, I could lift you, you bloodsucking prick. Sure, no super strength, but you don’t have to be a dick about it.”

“That’s not-” before Alucard could ruin everything, Sypha interrupted: “Really?” she tried to sound disbelieving, “I mean, you’re strong, but Alucard? He’s tall and muscled. I don’t think you can.”

“I so can, this is ridiculous,” now it was Trevor, who was pouting and she took a bit of joy out of her manipulation.

“Prove it.”

Trevor looked taken aback by that and glanced at Alucard, who gladly had caught on and send him a cocky raised brow paired with a smirk.

Determination settled on Trevor’s face and he crossed his arms, before saying: “Okay, sure, I will,” before walking to Alucard and hoisting him over his shoulder’s like he was a somewhat heavy sack of potatoes. “See?”

“Okay, yeah, but that wasn’t how you carried me,” Sypha pointed out.

“Well, then maybe I can’t do that, but lifting someone by the waist is the hardest way to lift someone,” Trevor protested as he let Alucard down. “I feel like that was still pretty impressive. He’s heavy despite the delicate bone structure.”

Sypha was pretty sure Alucard was out of the running now with that comment, but she wanted to sedate her own curiosity. “I’ll give you the hard lifting part, but I don’t know about impressive. Maybe bridal carry and I’ll be impressed.”

He looked at her inscrutably and for a second she feared he would call her bluff and point out her real motivations. That moment never came, he sighed then set his shoulders– his broad, nice shoulders – stubbornly, before literally swooping Alucard off his feet.

He gave her a look that screamed ‘What now, eh? Didn’t think I’d do it, but I did, so suck it’ and she loved it. She loved that he had done what she told him to do while also showing off those muscles. A win on every front.

His arms, neck and shoulder strained under the weight of the tall, muscled dhampir, but he held out as he gently lowered Alucard back onto his feet. Sypha didn’t know if it was the lifting or the gentleness that made Alucard bashful, but he murmured something inaudible, before hurrying back to what he had bee doing before the interruption.

“Rude,” Trevor noted. “I didn’t even get to bask in my superiority.”

“You can bask to me, it’s okay,” she comforted him. “I am suitably impressed by your dhampir lifting skills, Trevor.”

“Thank you,” he said with extra emphasis to make it into a tease. “You know, as a true hero, both for being epic and awesome as well as getting your book, I feel like I should be rewarded.”

“Oh?” she was curious to see where this went.

“Yeah, I want to borrow the bath soap you’re so protective over after the next time we attempt to clean the goop dungeon,” he made his demand.

She was glad that, with running warm water, they had convinced him that baths were actually nice and she didn’t mind the thought of him smelling like her. Still, she put up a front of indulgence, yet being annoyed as she said: “Fine.”

“Heck yeah,” he cheered before ambling off.

+1.

Trevor wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but over the past few days he had noticed that both Alucard and Sypha were acting weird. Well, weirder than usual, it was pretty hard to define weird when you lived in Dracula’s old castle near the Belmont Hold with a dhampir and a Speaker, but you get the idea.

The thing was, Trevor had no idea why they were being weird and what had caused it, but he knew they were only weird to him.

It made his chest tighten uncomfortably as he tried to think of something he’d done wrong.

Nothing came to mind, but that just made him question if he really knew them if he couldn't even spot the thing he had done to upset them both. It was all a frustrating mess and Trevor was half waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

He hated feeling like this, feeling like he’d done something wrong and couldn't apologize. It tore him apart in a way he couldn't describe. He just hoped that they wouldn’t kick him to the curb, because that would extra suck. He already liked them too much as it was, getting his heart broken over something he didn’t understand would only make it worse.

So, he kept an eye on them, trying to figure out what they were thinking when they stared at him or whispered among themselves.

He was soon to find out.

It was a decidedly normal day, Trevor was mildly stressed, the weather was nice and they were finally moving the rubble they hadn’t been able to reuse out of the castle. They were making a pile out of it that they would later use to make an obstacle course or something, Trevor wasn’t sure it was mostly Alucard and Sypha doing the planning. Maybe that was it? Maybe the stress of the whole castle thing was catching up with them as well and it wasn’t anything Trevor had done.

They had assigned him to carry rubble, which made him roll his eyes. Alucard had supernatural strength and Sypha had magic, yet here he was carrying the bulk while Sypha ordered him around on where to go while Alucard switched between helping him and rearranging the rubble.

His muscles were straining under the amount of exercise, but it didn’t bother Trevor that much. It was good to keep in shape and he could handle it.

He came back from his umpteenth trip, groaning as he set down his load as he cracked his back by putting his hands on his back and pushing. He looked around and saw Alucard and Sypha on top of one of the piles that Alucard found “artistic.”

With a grin on his face he quickly hopped up the pile to see what they were talking about. They had watching him walk over and smiled at him, before turning to talk among themselves. He was about to call out a greeting and announce his presence when he heard Sypha said: “There must be more chores where we can make him carry stuff.”

Hm, he thought, that was obviously about him, thoughhe had no clue why that of all things would be a conversation topic.

Before he could ask, Alucard replied: “I mean, there are still those chains in the dungeons that we could make him clear out, but I feel that would be bad for us.” This was just making him more confused.

Sypha made a small noise, before agreeing: “Oh, yeah, Trevor with chains will totally be bad for us.”

Trevor choked on his spit.

Two heads whipped around to him, with two pairs of eyes as big as dinner plates, filled with the guilt of being caught saying something they shouldn’t have been saying. They were completely silent, neither explaining or defending themselves.

In the silence Trevor tried to wrap his head around it. How was him carrying stuff bad for them? And why were they thinking up reasons for him to carry stuff anyway? What did they have to gain by watching him carry stuff? It wasn’t as if he was eye candy and-

“Oh my god!” he exclaimed. He was eye candy. They were watching him carry stuff, because they liked it and holy shit did he not know how to even deal with that.

He felt the blood rushing to his head and knew he must look like a fucking beet, but he didn’t care, his mind was a bit preoccupied. He had known that some would classify him as handsome, but he had long since given up on either of them thinking that. They had seen him do too many embarrassing things to even consider him attractive and they had each other. Even dense little him could put that one together. Yet here they were.

Unless, of course, this was some sort of sick joke to them, a little voice in his mind whispered. The dhampir hearing of Alucard could have picked up his footfalls easily and they could have conspired to fuck with him, just for the sake of fucking with him. A cold feeling washed over him and his chest seemed to collapse in on itself at the realization.

God, fucking shit, they had probably caught on to his pathetic feelings for them and had decided to toy with him before telling him to scram for being a fucking weirdo. All the looks made so much more sense now.

It just fucking hurt that they would toy with him like that. That they would be that mean to him instead of just telling him when they’d figured it out.

Much to his embarrassment, he felt tears welling up in his eyes. He swallowed hard and tried to force them down as he choked out: “Well, fuck you too,” before turning away to stomp off and grab his stuff to get out of there.

He didn’t get far.

Alucard appeared in front of him with his stupid dhampir speed that Trevor found very attractive no matter how much he hated it rightnow. The other reached out to him, but stilled his hand before they touched.

Fuck, how badly did he fuck up that they didn’t even want to touch him. And why were they even coming after him. He was doing what they wanted.

“Trevor,” Alucard said and it didn’t sound like someone relieved that the person, who had been crushing after him and his girlfriend was finally going, it sounded like someone, who was very upset.

It stilled Trevor long enough for Sypha to catch up with them too. As she laid her hand on his shoulder. However, he shrugged her off and tried to walk on again, getting stopped by Alucard, who found it within himself to touch the grossness of Trevor.

“Wait, Trevor, hold on,” Sypha called out. “I swear it’s not what you think.”

“Really?” he truly didn’t mean to sound so bitter. He was happy that they had each other, they deserved each other. It just hurt that he wasn’t in their they and that they thought that stupid joke would land well.

“Yes, okay,” she told him. “We’re really sorry about springing it on you like that, but-”

“Yeah, why the fuck did you think that was okay?” he hissed at her, trying not to feel the pangs in his heart at her little flinch. “I don’t care that you’re fucking happy together, but pulling that sick stunt on me is not cool. You can just kick me to the curb like a normal person. You fucking fuckers just had to crush me in the process too? Getting someone’s hope up and then- then… That’s just- just mean!”

He knew he was crying now, he totally was and his voice broke over the last few words, but he couldn't stop it. He had spend the last few weeks pining over them, while knowing he didn’t have a chance, perking up with a slight hope every time they smiled at him. So for them to give him that hope again only to stomp on it, had just been the last straw that broke him. Sue him.

“W- what?” Alucard asked, making him turn around to see absolute confusion written over his face along with hurt.

“Oh, Trevor,” he heard Sypha behind him with that pitying voice he didn’t need from her as he turned around to see hurting compassion written over her entire face. Yeah, now she felt guilty, not when she actually did it.

Still, when she reached for his face and gently cupped his cheek, he couldn't help but lean in to the little bit of comfort that was provided.

She wiped away his tears gently and softly said: “We’re not kicking you to the curb. Never, okay, never, Trevor. I swear. You’ve completely misunderstood. It wasn’t a joke, okay. It never was. We meant it, undignified as our lordship over there might find it.”

Trevor chuckled wetly at that, still not entirely sure if he believed her, but so willing to give in, even if it was a lie. For the lie was so much sweeter.

Alucard appeared behind him and he swayed slightly, the exhaustion of all the emotions in the last couple of minutes catching up to him. He tried to pull away when he accidentally hit Alucard’s chest, but the dhampir just pulled him close, nuzzling his hair as he whispered: “You’re such an idiot.”

That was probably true, both Alucard and Sypha were smarter than him and he was generally an idiot, but his mind wasn’t fully wrapping around where he had misunderstood it all and ruined everything.

The tears that had stopped started up again and he didn’t know how after years of repressing all his emotions this was the thing that broke all his walls. Still, he whimpered: “I’m sorry, for- for fucking it all- all up ag- again.”

“No, no,” Sypha shushed him as she hugged him, “you didn’t fuck up anything.”

He was now completely sandwiched between Sypha and Alucard with no clue how him taking a small break from clearing rubble had ended up like this. Yet here he was and he was going to soak up the attention and care while he had it, so he didn’t protest them holding him silently, just let himself melt softly.

Seconds or eternities could have passed without Trevor’s knowledge until Sypha broke the silence: “I don’t know how you got to the conclusion that our horny conspiring was a joke, but as embarrassing at it is, it most certainly isn’t, Trevor.”

Trevor had half choked, half laughed at the phrase ‘horny conspiring’ as it caught up to him what that meant. Hesitantly, he asked: “So- so you had me carry stuff just to watch me?”

It sounded ridiculous in his own head, because why on earth would anyone look at him when they could look at Alucard and Sypha, but they both tensed slightly around him, before nodding. Alucard going as far as to say: “You have nice muscles.”

Under other circumstances Trevor would totally and completely ruin Alucard by tearing him apart with teases at that remark, but there weren’t other circumstances and right now Trevor felt raw and vulnerable, so he just breathed: “Yeah?” in an unsure voice that he hated immediately.

“Yeah,” Sypha firmly agreed. “I don’t know how to tell you this without never hearing the end of it, but you’re really fucking hot. You literally made me into a person who says fuck just so I could tell you that you’re fucking hot.”

He actually snorted at that, because it was easier to snort at it then to admit that the complement felt nice and made him blush.

“We’ve actually been trying very hard to figure out how to tell you without you running away,” she went on, snorting miserably, “but I guess we messed that up. You are just so bad at accepting nice things for yourself that us telling you that we love you seemed almost impossible.”

“Y- you? You love me?” He was getting really fucking sick of that small weak voice

“Yes,” that was Alucard behind him. “We love you, just like we love each other. We hope you feel the same, but we understand if you don’t.”

“It would be really fucking stupid of me not to love the two most amazing people in the entire world, Alucard. Yes, sadly I am disappointing my entire bloodline by including you in that statement, but it’s true.” Admitting it like this felt better than being touch-y feel-y, he didn’t do touch-y feel-y well.

Luckily it was the right thing to say, because both of them relaxed around him as they snorted before chuckling and a bit of pride coursed through him at making them laugh.

“I’m so lucky you’re our idiot,” Sypha told him, before pulling him into a kiss.

Her lips were soft but firm and completely enticing. He kissed her back and stopped caring about oxygen as a necessity, it was completely overrated in comparison to kissing Sypha. When she finally let him up for air, he was dizzy. Faintly he heard her say something to Alucard about making her wait for so long, but it was lost to him as he tried to refind himself as a human being.

He became aware of Alucard and Sypha kissing each other over his shoulder once he had managed and watched mesmerized for a moment. Fuck, he could definitely get used to this. Still, he whined: “I’m feeling a bit left out here,” without meaning it.

Both their eyes fell on him and swallowing became a challenge. Then Alucard surged his lips and kissed him thoroughly. It was less gentle, while more careful than Sypha’s kiss as Alucard watched out for his fangs to Trevor’s disappointment. Yet, it was equally mind blowing.

Once he had resurfaced again, it took him a moment once more. He was still being wrapped up in both of them and his heart felt so much lighter than it had before.

“I know we should probably talk way more about this, but I do want to note that I have excellent stamina to back up my muscles.”

Both of them groaned and he grinned to his little victory.

Yeah, he could get used to this.

~~

A/N:

Fun fact, my sister once fell asleep with her nose between her knees, because she is slightly insane, I feel personally. So, actually based in fact, lmao

Also, I swear this was supposed to be lighthearted, but then I was writing the last part from Trevor’s POV, because I thought it would be funny and he just wouldn’t allow himself nice things no matter how I tried to push him. So angst it is, very in character, sadly.

Btw, im really proud of that title ngl

[radabadabing-bing]

Childe’s Search for Satisfaction

so like what if i made a genshin wg fanfic haha

like as a joke haha

a joke

like ‘haha funny joke!’

so here it is

Childe was frustrated. It wasn’t necessarily because he couldn’t find a fight- There were always plenty of monsters out on in the wilderness of Liyue -But not one of them was satisfying. The various hilichurls and slimes were jokes against his power. Every Ruin Guard he had run past, in anticipation that it would awaken and give him a chance to fight, had turned out to be broken and nonfunctioning. He had run across a single Lawachurl, the brutish beast proving somewhat difficult, but it still fell like all the rest.

And as he impaled his latest victim on his watery blades, he still felt immensely dissatisfied. The monster in particular was a Whopperflower, an oversized plant that happened to be immensely territorial. Unfortunately, it too was weak against Childe’s power.

And another unfortunate thing…Childe was tired. He had pushed himself too hard in every battle, excitement getting the better of him. The Harbinger grunted in frustration as his weapon dematerialized. “Damn. Absolutely nothing.” Wiping sweat from his brow, he did notice something curious leaking from one of the beastial plant’s stamens- A shimmering liquid, gold in sheen. He reached out to touch it, the substance sticky on his glove.

“Huh…Oh, right.” He had heard of this stuff. Childe had seen it before too. It was a thick nectar, rich with energy. The flower fed off of it, and it also served as a useful alchemical ingredient. Usually Childe wouldn’t concern himself with such a substance- He was no biologist or researcher, after all -But an idea wormed its way into his head.

He licked some of the nectar off his glove. Sweet in taste, maybe even too saccharine for him- But that wasn’t the important bit. What was important was that his sore muscles began to relax, feel reinvigorated. Not a whole lot, but it was noticeable. And if even that tiny amount felt so good to indulge in, well, Childe couldn’t resist. He grabbed a stamen, crushing it in his hand. More of the sticky honey bursting, coating his glove.

The Harbinger did realize this was a bit gross to do, but as he looked around…What no one knew wouldn’t hurt them. Without a hint of shame, he began thoroughly cleaning every last bit off the stamen and his hand. Before long, it was like the nectar had never been there. And Childe felt reinvigorated. “Heh, that’s better.” He said, stretching out, before immediately charging towards a small Hilichurl encampment in the distance.

However, as said, Childe was no biologist or alchemist. He was blissfully unaware of the fact that you were not supposed to consume the nectar in such a pure and undiluted form, nor in the amounts he had indulged in. It was safe at this point, sure, but the effects were already slightly showing on his waistline. A bit of pudge on his belly, his decently fitting pants tightening around his lower half. Not that he noticed, still riding the high of his apparent ingenious plan.

While the boost was able to push him onwards for a few more battles, blasting away the beasts he encountered with torrents of water, flurries of arrows. More and more fell to the strength of Childe, but it still was utterly unsatisfying. Worse yet, he was feeling tired once more- Though he didn’t need to wait long to spot another Whopperflower.

Sights set on the unwitting plant, it felt the Harbinger’s presence…a few moments before a volley of arrows pierced it, short work made of it. Childe quickly claimed his prize, plucking off a stamen from it’s desecrated corpse. Greedily eating out the nectar, feeling revitalized, oblivious to his wardrobe beginning to strain. 

This cycle would repeat- He’d exhaust himself on pointless encounters, desperately trying to sate his lust for combat. Thoroughly unamused, he’d seek out a Whopperflower, slay it for it’s nectar, and move on- Again and again.

Soon enough, it wasn’t exactly something unnoticeable. Childe was significantly plumper, his outfit clearly undersized at this point. His shirt had already been loose fitting, letting his belly spill over his belt unhampered. His legs looked like tubed sausage, stuffed into pants that could barely contain them. Unhelped by the belt he had tied around his left leg, which was about the only thing Childe immediately noticed wrong.

“When did this thing get so tight…” He complained, as he tried to adjust it. The belt promptly snapped off, the rest of his thigh jiggling as it was released. “Huh. Must’ve gotten worn out.” He was still rather oblivious to his gains, even as his love handles and ass spilled out the top of his pants.

He had noticed his travels had brought him to an especially arid place. The faint smell of smoke in the air, charred grass, scorched rock. That was when he recalled what lay deep within the cavern before him- What any Whopperflower would become over its lifespan, the overgrown Regisvine.

And if the Whopperflower already had a lot of nectar, how much would it’s larger variant have? Childe was already chomping at the bit to find out. Speeding off from his last victim, he could hardly notice how his new bulk slowed him. Or rather, he was keeping the same speed as he had before, just tiring himself out faster. It made a rather vicious cycle, draining his own energy faster, needing more nectar to keep him going…

The universe perhaps wanted to give Childe another sign after he had missed what the smaller belt popping off meant. It did so with a loud rip as he rushed down the corridor. The seat of his pants had split open. “Damn, did I snag it on something?” That was the amount of observation Childe could give. He thought it was embarrassing, sure, but he also didn’t think that it was size causing it. “Guess I’ll just say it happened in battle…”

With the signs and warnings falling on the battle hungry Harbinger’s deaf ears, he still confidently approached the Regisvine, dormant in it’s lair. Though it unfurled as it detected the portly warrior, ready to defend it’s territory. Flames flickered about it’s form as the Regisvine towered over Childe, a red hot core lighting at it’s base…

Though even the mighty Regisvine was conquered under Childe’s power. Chubby or not, he was still an absolute force to be reckoned with. Volley after volley of arrows struck at the monstrous plant, as it too returned with it’s own attacks of fierce fire. Though it met the same fate as every other foe of Childe on that day- Utter defeat.

As he stabbed a blade of water through it’s corolla of a head, it slumped down, it’s flames flickering away, smoldering as it’s sentience faded. “Heh. Better luck next time.” He told the fading flower, rather satisfied with the fight it gave him. “Phew. Some people would quit while they’re ahead…” Childe could quit right now. He did get his fight. But Childe was Childe. “…But maybe I could run all the way to Mondstadt and fight that icy one too!”

He pulled the blade from the corolla, and proceeded to slice open the dead Regisvine’s bud- A sigh of warm air wafting out with it, carrying the scent of the delectable and energizing nectar. A sly grin spread out on the Harbinger’s slightly pudgy face, as the rich golden honey oozed from the now wide open plant.

His smug smile only got wider as he realized that this plant had far more nectar than the others he had slain. Practically pumping out the nectar, perhaps as a last attempt to get the vine to live once more. Though this was pointless, as Childe had already begun his feast.

There was some civility to it at first- Some, as he was still scooping it up and eating it with his hands, but that was better than him just nixing the scooping and eating it out of the stem.

His pants were already put to their limits- Unsurprisingly, they were first to go. Tearing down the sides with a resonant ripping sound. In another unsurprisingly turn of events, Childe was completely and utterly unaware as he grew at a much faster pace than before. His gut fell over the edge of his belt, straining to an incredible degree, until pop! Off went the belt, off went the rest of his pants. Giving way to blubbery thighs and bountiful buttocks, indented by his boxers. Boxers that were already too small, trace elasticity keeping them together.

Childe’s ignorance was honestly impressive at this point. He was lost in the idea of battles to be, already plotting out a course for his inevitable warpath. A warpath that he wouldn’t be able to pursue at his current size, much less the size he’d ultimately reach.

His coat and undershirt were kept loose already, but even loose articles of clothing would eventually give way. Buckles breaking, straps snapping. Once refined pecs were losing definition as they became flabby and heavy, sitting upon a significant midsection. His boots pulled apart as his weight continued to mount. And mount it did, as he swelled fatter, and fatter…

Soon enough, the once arena was now a graveyard for the warrior’s outfit. And said warrior was just finishing up. “Phew!” Wiping his mouth, licking up a few last dribbles of nectar. “With that, I should be able to-” Childe didn’t get to finish his sentence. He slightly leaned back as he was speaking, enough to immediately throw off his balance. With a thud, he landed on his oversized rump.

He was genuinely surprised by this development. “Huh?! Where did all this…” He grabbed at himself, almost entirely naked. His scarf loosely wrapped around his neck, said neck sporting a trio of chins now. He also felt his boxers on, though he could not see them in any capacity. Just able to feel how tight they were. And the still growing holes in them. “When did this happen?!”

The hefty Harbinger tried moving, though achieved little. His feet weren’t even on the ground now. And his attempts to move did actually tire him out, as he took in beleaguered breaths. For all the energy the nectar held, there came a point where it was beyond helping him. “…It was pretty fun up until now, at least…” He lamented. Becoming a blob of fat obviously wasn’t on the itinerary, but he did find a decent opponent or two. So the day wasn’t a total wash. 

He just had to hope someone was planning on hunting a Regisvine soon, or that his fellow Fatui went out looking for him- Because he was definitely immobile, and wasn’t gonna be mobile without some serious help.

[cloudy-leonhart]

AOT veterans with a Filipino S/O!!

[author note: did I write this as soon as I posted the first part?? yes. I like writing for this, it’s so fun lolol up next, Marleyan Warriors!!]

Summary: not much, just the AOT vets with their filipino S/O.

Gender Neutral Reader.

Recommended Song: Buwan - Juan Karlos.

Theme: Fluff, Modern AU.

TW: Swearing.

Characters: Hange, Levi, Miche, Erwin, Moblit, Nanaba.

Hange Zöe

Honestly they fully immersed themselves in your culture, as you know Hange LOVES learning about new things, discovering about your culture, they probably forced you to go the Philippines with them.

They started asking people for directions in english?? You had to step in translate for them, in which they responded to ask to teach them the language.

Yes they keep a small notebook of words they think are interesting. Yes even swear words are in there, not to mention they absolutely just butcher the way you say it.

One time when you both came back, Hange told Erwin that Bakla was a word for a good man, and they laughed their asses off watching Erwin tell people he was Bakla LMFAO.

They actually visited your province, they met your family and was surprised at the fact that they owned a whole farm, they tried to learn with your siblings on how to harvest rice, they nailed it btw.

they named your carabao, Sawney, and your chicken, Bean.

And respectfully so, your family started to call their animals by the name Hange gave them.

They started to cry about the fact that you guys had to go back, and like every time, your mom and dad encouraged y’all to bring filipino snacks back home, in which you did, because you knew that you’d probably miss it when you flew back home.

You guys have a tradition of going to the Philippines for your guys’ anniversary.

THEY SUPRISINGLY LISTENS TO FILIPINO MUSIC

They were the one to suggest Aegis to Levi but they prefer someone like Jireh Lim.

Favourite song is probably, Buko. They love the guitar in it.

Levi Ackerman

He first found out you were Filipino when he caught you packing a balikbayan box for your family back home, (for those who don’t know, balikbayan box is a box full of your country’s snacks to send back to the PH for your family to try.)

He had asked you what it was, and you answered that it was for your family back in the Philippines, in which he responded with helping you, and mainly scolding you about the way you packed it.

“Idiot, pack it like this, so you have more space to place stuff.”

When he first went to the Philippines, he first noticed the cleanliness of the hotels, he looked at you with a ‘is this why you’re so good at cleaning?’ look. 

God when I say your parents loved him, YOUR PARENTS ABSOLUTELY ADORED HIM. He would clean for your mom, and not only that, your mom approved of his cleaning technique, yes she told you to marry him that second.

And that you did, you had your first wedding with you family in the Philippines, and another in where you guys currently lived.

Bye, he absolutely looks AMAZING in a Barong. Your dad helped him slick his hair back.

Your mom and him, bonded of cleaning, sometimes when your mom needs help removing rust on her pans, she calls Levi.

like Hange he and you go to the Philippines for y’alls anniversary. 

Please save this man from the streets, I’m not saying it to be mean but this man almost gave his wallet to a bunch of kids who were hungry.

You gave money instead because you didn’t want your man to be broke lmfao.

He loves seeing you so happy while you’re in the Philippines, he just thinks it’s adorable when you speak your language.

Aegis listener, absolutely no discussion, mans listens to them while cleaning, he listens to “Sayang Na Sayang” religiously.

when Aegis plays in the house, you know it’s a cleaning day lmao.

Erwin Smith

Please, remember when I said Hange told him bakla was a word for a good man, yes, that’s how he found out you were Filipino, you literally was so dumbfounded, you waited for him in the living room, your friend’s laughing over the phone, man thought he did something wrong until..

“Erwin, can you tell me why you’ve been telling your friends you’re fucking gay??”

Yeah he’s got trust issues now. But he wasn’t that shocked to find out you were filipino, he just thinks it’s neat, he butchers pronouncing shit, he tries to learn filipino jokes??? It’s really bad, like you need to stop him from telling your family to save HIM from embarrassment.

He knows how to cook barbecue lmfao, he sits at your family’s barbecue spot and cooks for them, your dad appreciates the help so much lmao, also he loves drinking the gulaman whenever he’s there, your dad gives it to him for free because, he basically considers Erwin his son now. His awkward, barbecue-cooking, son.

You guys go on hiking in Mt. Butalao, yes you sneak peeks when he’s climbing because his muscles flex, and he sweats. You guys go on a double hiking date with Miche and his S/O all the time.

He was kind of fearful when you went to a province to get in touch with your grandparents, he watched you help their carabao back into their pens, he’s scared of carabaos, don’t blame him-

Surprisingly he’s as good as your dad in basketball, bye I just know the women of your community comes to watch him, he’s ripped, you’re jealous but you don’t say it lmao.

He’s got those jeep keychains lmfao, the fact that he kinda looked like a lost puppy when you’re traveling, like so many people, so little space-

please educate him, he’s confused on everything-

he probably listens to Eraserheads, Huwag Mo Nang Itanong. Yes his ultimate song. 

Miche Zacharias

probably the only veteran that knows what to do?? Beside Moblit?? He knows how to bless, he knows to call your parents nanay and tatay. He also loves going to where there’s a lot of Filipino street food because he loves the smell, he prefers the smell of bananaque over anything, hotcakes are a close second.

mf was scared when your mom suddenly said, “Oh yeah, I kept your childhood spider.”

YOU OWNED A MF SPIDER?? You were all like ‘omg i miss him’ he was a little scared bitch omg.

You had to explain that you would buy them from the local toy store and you and your friends would make them fight each other to the death.

HE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE SMALL- IT’S A WHOLE MF TARANTULA BYE

you know those dyed chicks you get from winning a game, yeah, he was attached to one you guys won, but as always, they weren’t going to live long, I think he sulked for a whole 2 days. He named the chick Richard AHAHA.

ah yes, absolute unit in basketball, yes you and Erwin’s S/O would watch them play basketball together with your guys’ dads. Yes y’all gossiped about how hot they were in tagalog.

Just saying, Miche got some that night. 

He doesn’t fit in tricycles- neither does he fit in jeepneys lmfao- he kinda has to sit on the ground if you force him to fit, in which he has to awkwardly crawl to get out lmfao.

He literally looks godly while hiking, you guys don’t go to your parents’ house when you first arrive, you guys hike.

You guys go whenever y’all feel like it honestly.

“hey hey, reader, Mahal Kita.”

He listens to anything in filipino honestly, he likes chill filipino songs like Tell Me Where It Hurts by MYMP.

Moblit Berner

He’s a researcher, he makes sure he doesn’t disrespect the culture.

he knows to bless and all that jazz like Miche.

Wait but your family loved him as soon as you told them he was a doctor lmfao?? He’s in nursing.

He’s basically already apart of the family, all your little siblings call him kuya Moblit, he absolutely thinks it’s adorable.

when you guys are sending a balikbayan box, he places toys he bought for your little siblings in the box, with a note written and translated by you for them.

Moblit also knows about poverty in the Philippines, he’s apart of an organization where they give to those who can’t afford real food, even when he’s back home with you, he donates from abroad, everyone knows him as the generous kuya.

honestly I can see him as someone who’s also known by your community, people call him kuya Moblit or tito Moblit, it’s very wholesome when a kid asks him to carry them.

This man looks so nice and kind on the outside but when you guys are at your tita’s bday party and there’s a whole mf buffet, he’s a whole beast.

You know when your uncles have like, food stacked on their plate, and like a cup of buko pandan at the side?? yes, him. definitely.

He’s kinda like sasha in this au, he loves the food so much, he probably finished a filipino dish by himself (it’s the palabok)

he’s also a god at making ice candy?? like he’s so good at filling up the plastic with the liquid lmao.

you guys adopted a stray dog in the community and his name was Moblit, your family takes care of him while you guys are back home.

genuinely, it’s mostly wholesome with him, he doesn’t really do anything wrong besides butchering pronounciation.

Moblit probably watches boxing with your dad though, it’s just too accurate not to be true.

More of a movie watcher than a song listener, his favourite movie so far is Four Sisters and A Wedding.

he cries every filipino movie, them do it to you.

Seven Sundays, he cried for days straight.

Nanaba

Nanaba found a filipino flag from your collage years in a box, asked you about it, then encouraged you to visit the Philippines because she wanted to meet your family. 

Okay but your family thought she was a guy because of her hair?? 

your siblings can’t say Nanaba, so they call her Ate Nana.

She was kind of jealous of your bond with your family, she knows she shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t help it since her and her father’s relationship absolutely sucked.

And you know this, you had talked with her about it too, it was kinda like a, “are you okay?” and “it’s nothing.”

You had to drag her out to family events, eventually, she started to feel like she was apart of the family, she went swimming with the fam, did karaoke nights, she was basically in the family now.

She felt really happy that you decided to help her educate herself in your culture, and that your family openly accepted her into your family.

when you and her married, she wore a baro’t saya for the wedding reception and she looked absolutely gorgeous in them. She took your last name.

Your mom taught her to do the tinikling dance, and she mastered it easily, you of course danced with her.

she kinda had a guilty pleasure of going to McDonalds in the Philippines, SOLELY FOR THE ROOT BEER FLOAT, that stuff be bussin.

she forces you to go to McD’s whenever’s there’s a new flavour released.

Nanaba loves going on the jeepney, she likes the fact that you ring a bell when you have to get off and she does it every time you guys use a jeep for transportation.

Nanaba knows one word in filipino and that’s Mahal, she uses it so weirdly though, but she’s adorable so you let it pass.

“Reader..erm, I mahal?? you?..” 

she’s both a listener and a movie watcher, she listens to more modern filipino singers, like Patch Quiwa.

Favourite movie is when Vice Ganda’s in it, she just thinks all his movies are funny.

[whatifxwereyou]

Firestorm Part 7: Tipping Point

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021 Liu Kang x Reader

You train with Kung Lao. This might be the final straw.

A/N: Next chapter is from Liu Kang's point of view. Also there will be a hilarious shopping chapter with Kung Lao and Chen at a reader's request. Hope everyone is doing well <3 Don't worry, there will be more fluff soon too.

Start From the Beginning << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

The rain had dried up while you were eating and conversation had quickly become less awkward. You had managed to separate what had happened with Liu Kang from your friendship with Kung Lao mentally. You cared about them so much. Somewhere along the line you’d decided that your friendship with them was the most important thing to have. No matter who you chose, you wanted to maintain those friendships.

Though you were pretty sure of what your heart wanted at this point. You’d been sure of it for some time. Since that night in the rain when Liu had wrapped his arms around you, as a matter of fact. It had felt like home. Nothing had ever felt like that before. You knew that no matter what happened next, things would be okay between you.

You also knew that what was happening to you was extraordinarily complicated and dangerous. That was your biggest hang up through all of this. When it came down to it, that was the true dilemma. Because whatever happened with Kung Lao and Liu Kang? That was something you could fix, something you could work on. You were all just people making human decisions. This thing with your arcana, however? That was beyond your control.

You didn’t want to hurt them. You didn’t want to hurt anyone. You would gladly lock yourself away if it meant keeping everyone safe.

Things between you and Lao relaxed once you’d mentally coached yourself on the reality of the situation. You felt sobered by your own thoughts. It was something that you attributed to Liu Kang. Perhaps it was because of how frequently he’d helped you find your calm or maybe it was just that his calming presence had rubbed off on you.

This would pass.

All things did.

Kung Lao had agreed, with very little convincing, to go with you tomorrow to the nearest city to get your ‘lady things’. He’d hated you using that term which was precisely why you’d used it. It would keep him from asking questions. He’d asked you about lady problems the other day with disdain so you figured it would be the best excuse. Then after breakfast you made your way to the fight pit.

“We’ll start with your shoulder. But afterwards we’re working on your arcana.”

“Why? Because the shoulder thing is boring?”

“Yes, obviously.” Kung Lao teased. He seemed relieved that you had shaken your weird mood. You were relieved too. That brief moment of panic had threatened to send you into a spiral. But it had passed and you were rather proud of yourself for it. “And because you’ve been avoiding it.”

“I know, I know. I psyched myself out for a bit there. No more avoiding it. I promise.” You’d changed into a gi to prepare for training. You would do your best to try and keep from overdoing it but if Kung Lao could help you get a hold of your arcana than it would be worth the strain. He was watching you skeptically as he kicked up sand in the fight pit. “I mean it. I want to get back to where I was before this. At least. I want to be able to give you and Liu a run for your money again.”

“It’s nice to hear you sounding more like yourself.” Kung Lao turned away from you but you could see the smile on his face before he did. It was like he wanted to hide it. Why? It didn’t much matter.

After that you spent some time working on your shoulder. He really did have a few exercises to help stretch the muscles and strengthen them. It’d hurt but it had been worth it. He also taught you a few strategies to avoid putting strain on it in combat when you needed to. It was nice that your styles of Kung Fu weren’t too terribly different. Kung Lao understood which stances would put strain where and you picked up the modifications easily. For the first time in a long time you felt competent and strong.

Even with your shoulder the way that it was after the incident with Raiden you had managed to find your footing. And you understood your limits. You moved with confidence. Kung Lao went easy on you after that even if he denied it when you confronted him for doing it. You imagined that it had been traumatizing for him to watch his childhood friend struggle for weeks on end. you considered that you both needed therapy.

“Now your arcana.” He dusted his hands off and then wiped them on his pants. With that familiar tug of the strap beneath his chin, he removed his hat and sliced with it through the air before crouching low and back into his stance.

“Was that necessary or… were you just showing off?”

“I’m going to show you how I use mine.” He flipped the hat in his grasp and then slipped it back on his head with a polite bow afterward.

“So, showing off. Got it.” You muttered but caught the smirk on his face.

“Arcana has an energy all its own. With time you learn to recognize it.” Kung Lao tossed the hat into the air and it spun around the perimeter of the arena, twisting through the air. He didn’t so much as look at it, it just did as he commanded it to. Kung Lao walked toward you and without looking, he reached out and the hat flew into his hand. He placed it again atop his head. “It’s a part of you. You have to treat it like it is. Another limb if you will.”

“I’m fairly confident that you’re just showing off.” You smiled. He chuckled beneath his breath then tossed his hat again. It flew behind you and with a twist, he disappeared into the ground in a white light and then reappeared behind you, hat landing perfectly atop his head. Then, arms folded behind his back, he leaned over your shoulder with a smirk.

“Now I’m showing off.” He clicked his tongue and then walked in front of you. “But I’m also making a point. I’ve been using my arcana far longer than you have. To me it’s second nature. We need it to be that way for you too. Sometimes that means getting in control of part of you that seems beyond it.”

“…kind of like when learning martial arts.”

“Exactly. Learning how to use parts of you as a weapon or a shield. Your arcana is no different except that without the dragon marking, you wouldn’t have it.”

“It’s like those exercises you made me do early on, right? It’s about control.” You had understood that to an extent but putting it into terms you understood, like martial arts, had helped considerably. You hadn’t felt in control of much of anything for a long time. In fact, the last few times you’d even tried to use your arcana it was as though the control had been ripped away from you. If you could become more in tune with your arcana then maybe when whoever it was that was manipulating you with this curse nonsense showed up again, they wouldn’t be able to use you as easily.

“I don’t think the sorts of exercises that Liu used are going to be helpful for what you do. Your arcana is different. His was dangerous at first too, just in a different way. I think that most arcana, by nature, will be dangerous.” Kung Lao smiled fondly, as though the idea delighted him. “My hat was obviously dangerous too. It’s not like zapping around like I do is exactly safe. Or easy.”

“The implications of that are awful, Lao.”

“All I’m saying is that there’s a learning curve to everything. Even for warriors like me and Liu.”

“Is this your way of trying to make me feel better about my arcana? You know that you can just be encouraging. That works just fine.”

“What I’m trying to say is that this is difficult in the beginning for everyone. You get the hang of it, like anything else. Your circumstances are definitely abnormal Y/N, but not that much so. I know that the past few weeks have been difficult for you.”

“Kung Lao, you don’t need to reassure me. I’m okay. Really.”

“No, I do, Y/N.” Kung Lao frowned, brow furrowed with compassion, with worry. Who were you to argue with him? “I can be hard on you but only because I know what you’re capable of. But the truth is that we understand this isn’t easy for you. Even just having the mark and learning to control your arcana is a difficult task. But these circumstances have made it that much more complicated. You’re doing a wonderful job, Y/N. It’s why Liu and I are so understanding. We’ve been there before.”

“I appreciate that, Kung Lao, really…”

“Raiden understands too. I know he can come off as harsh but I don’t want you to think that he…”

“No, okay, stop.” You laughed and took a step closer, resting a hand on his shoulder. He bowed his head apologetically. Serious Kung Lao made you uncomfortable. It was just such a rare thing. What had brought this on? You struggled to picture him having moments of self-reflection but you supposed that he must have. Not enough to tell you about the best that he’d made with Liu, but still. “Do you think that this has me upset? Unhappy?”

“Um… yes.”

“There are parts of it that I struggle with, of course. This curse thing sucks. The inability to get back on my feet sucks. Feeling like a ticking time bomb? Not in love with it. But overall? I’m grateful to be here.”

“Even after Raiden…” He mimicked the action of shocking you and you laughed, then patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“He did what was necessary. I’m not holding it against him. And I’m grateful to have come to Raiden’s Temple, Kung Lao. Yes, it was kind of traumatizing and is a little scary but also… I got my best friend back. I never thought in a million years there was even a chance of that. I know that things are different for us now but I’m also so grateful that it was you that found me that day. Grateful that it was you that came into my shop all those times. Whatever brought you back there, Lao, I’m just so damn grateful. And I’m grateful to have met Liu Kang. He’s a wonderful friend. I’m even grateful for the crazy gossipy monks down in the infirmary. And grateful for Raiden. He’s kind of fatherly, isn’t he? In a weird way?”

“He can be. And he seems fond of you. He isn’t usually so nice.” Kung Lao smirked but you could see the relief behind his eyes. Apparently, he’d been the one who had really needed reassuring. You were happy to provide it.

“Well, it’s hard to be mean to someone you almost killed.” You joked and Kung Lao laughed. “We got super off topic here. We need to focus.”

“Yes, that’s what we were talking about. Focus. And control.”

“We are terrible at this.”

“We need to decide what works for you.” Kung Lao took a step back. “Can you summon your arcana for me? Your sword, perhaps?”

“Sure.” You stepped back and focused. He was right. There was energy around you and it wasn’t the first time you’d felt it and recognized it as your arcana. It was about focus and control. You could do that. In fact, you had excelled at both of those things. Being a teacher, you’d needed to be focused and controlled. You could do this. Especially today.

You had plenty of focus and control.

Without so much as a wave of your hand, you summoned your jian in a swell of ink. It dripped down your hand and formed the hilt and then the blade. It didn’t drain you and you smiled. It felt natural to do, like the sword was an extension of you. You flipped the hilt in your palm and then back again. Then you dropped into your stance and used your other hand to beckon Kung Lao to come at you for a fight. But he didn’t. Instead he clapped in a slow and unimpressed way.

“Now do more.”

“Excuse you? You said to summon my sword. I did that.”

“I want you to try and recreate me again.” He looked rather excited about that and your cheeks flushed.

“I don’t know how I did that, Kung Lao. I needed help and you weren’t there and I was worried that you’d been hurt too badly and then suddenly… ink you to the rescue.”

“I was your hero then, huh?”

“Don’t read into it, Lao.”

“You were worried about me too? Wow, a lot to unpack here, Y/N.” Kung Lao was trying not to look terribly smug and doing a terrible job at it.

“I mean, you are human, Kung Lao! Being thrown through a door and then a wall and then a door… that takes a toll on a man, I would imagine.”

“I’m still pretty bruised up, honestly.”

“I would imagine.”

“Well, I want you to try that again but without being in peril. You can’t rely on something like that in a panic. You need to be able to control it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I have a few ideas I can try. I don’t know if they’ll work but I’ll try.”

“When we’re finished, if you’re still worried about me then I’ll happily let you check me out.” He grinned and walked further away from you. You flushed but held your tongue. He was baiting you. Kung Lao enjoyed bickering with you. You knew that already and now wasn’t the time to give in. You were so terrible at staying on topic today. You had to focus! You were feeling so good about your strength and your arcana. You wanted to take advantage of that. Besides, flirting with Kung Lao was on a list of things that were difficult to deal with.

You focused on the ink, remembering how it had coated your fingertips in direr moments. You willed it to do just that and were pleased when it obeyed. It spread up to your shoulders. Your arms and fingers were stained black. Then you used your index finger to draw another sword and it materialized with your will. Slow, bored applause from Kung Lao again. It was like a pen. That was your true weapon, you’d decided. That gave you another idea.

What about words? Would words have power? You spelled the first thing that came to mind.

Fire.

Just like that, the word floated before you and then burst into flame. Kung Lao laughed, eyes wide with delight.

“What? No! Do it again.”

“Uh, okay…” You laughed and spelled ‘hat’, visualizing Kung Lao’s hat as you did. It materialized and clattered to the ground. Kung Lao made his way back to you and picked up the hat. It stained his fingertips, but he was able to toss it. It splattered against the wall but the ink didn’t stain the stone. Instead it decayed into a frail gray substance, like ash, before disappearing on the wind.

“You could create anything with that.” Kung Lao seemed to mentally be rattling through the possibilities. You were sure that it had limitations. Even as you considered what to make next, you could feel that it had drained you. Maybe that was your limitation. The ink would exhaust you before you created anything too catastrophic. That was a fair trade off. You could find a way to manage the weariness that went with your arcana.

He wanted to see that drawing of him again.

So you wrote his name and you could feel the excitement radiating off of him.

Kung Lao.

He stepped into his stance, face blocked out by his hat and ready for a fight. You focused your energy into his name and then the words spread out into a dome and created his hat. From the hat came the image of Kung Lao in a great leap. You gasped and covered your mouth. The ink was shaky so you focused harder.

The drawing of Kung Lao ducked into the same stance as Kung Lao. Then you had the drawing rush at him and feint left before attacking. Kung Lao blocked the attack and you maneuvered the ink duplicate, trying to remember the way that your father fought, the way that you knew Kung Lao fought. But the ink duplicate moved on instinct. You didn’t have to control it like it had strings. It had your knowledge of him.

That was until it stopped attacking Kung Lao and turned toward you. You willed it to turn back around but it didn’t obey you. What the hell? It approached you aggressively, using its hat as a blade with a spin.

“Whoa, hey, what gives, Y/N?” Kung Lao walked around the image of himself but then ducked out of the way as it sliced toward him. “Hey! Cut it out!”

“I’m not doing it!” You stepped back nervously as the drawing continued toward you. You stumbled in the sand and sunk your feet to get your balance but instead, you dropped through the ground into darkness.

You knew that hadn’t really happened. This was a feeling you recognized now.

You were having a vision.

Well, this was terrible timing.

You stood in a frozen wasteland. Everything around you was coated in a thick layer of ice. It looked like it had been a warehouse once. But then you caught sight of training equipment. A gym. You’d seen big gyms like this in the city but you had no idea where it was. Everything was so coated in ice that you couldn’t make out any of the signs. You were freezing.

In the distance, there was the sound of combat but it was muted, like you had cotton in your ears. You tried to get closer to the sound but had no real control over anything. Whatever this vision wanted to show you, it would show you whether you liked it or not. It was like you were on rails. It was cruel. To have felt like you had regained so much control only to have it stripped away from you. It was like something was playing an awful game with you where you always lost.

You refused to let it crush you.

Whatever your ink was doing outside of your vision you had faith that Kung Lao could handle it.

Two men fought, both masked and unnatural. This was beyond your understanding. One man was made of fire and the other was made of ice, holding a blade of the same ice. They were armored. They fought so quickly that you could barely make out what they were doing. Their movements were blurred in streams of ink. The fiery warrior sliced with a blade but the man made of ice blocked every blow. He then twisted the fiery man and threw him into a wall of ice that shattered. You ducked out of fear of the ice but again, you had no body, really. You weren’t actually there.

Their fluid fighting was a terrifying dance. They were both so threatening. These two men, whoever they were, were the most skilled martial artists that you had ever seen. There was a crashing sound behind you but when you turned to find the source, the world melted into a haze. You didn’t know what anything meant anymore. Sometimes the visions were so vague and blurry that they were barely visions at all. Maybe that thing in your head didn’t want you to see this particular vision.

When you opened your eyes again, you were staring into darkness. You could move again and you were awake but where were you? It was so damn dark. There was sand beneath where you laid. You were still in the fight pit! Distantly, you could hear Kung Lao fighting but there was a spinning wall of darkness between you and him. What the hell?

There was a vortex of ink swirling all around you, thick and slow moving. It muted all other sounds with a roar. Your heart was pounding out of your chest but you focused like Kung Lao had taught you. But no matter how you focused, the ink didn’t budge. You had no control over any of it even if you could feel that it was your arcana. It drained you just existing.

You touched the vortex in hopes that you could run through it to the other side but it sliced at your fingertips as though the vortex was made of ink needles. Was it protecting you? And if so, from what?

“Kung Lao!” You shouted but you couldn’t hear anything but the muted chaos of combat beyond. What had you done? What had you summoned? “Kung Lao!” You screamed to him but there was nothing. He probably couldn’t hear you.

Okay. Deep breaths.

You focused on your arcana. It spread up your hands and over your arms. You would draw a way out if you had to! As you made to draw a door, the ink was swept away from your arms and the tornado consumed it and roared threateningly, as if you had fed it. Maybe it wasn’t protecting you. Maybe it was imprisoning you. Your heart was slamming with panic in your chest. This couldn’t be happening! It couldn’t! You had to get this under control.

But you were panicking.

Maybe you were better off without the mark. Maybe you should be locked away so you couldn’t put anyone else in danger!

Then there was a horrible, loud ringing in your head.

You held your hands over your ears to try and escape it but it was in your head so there was no escape. It was so loud that it was making you feel sick. Your legs wobbled so you shrunk down into a crouch and tried to breathe through the painful sound. It reminded you of the dolorous ringing of the bell. The bell that had cracked along with your shoulder. That was it. It was the bell. Your shoulder was aching so much so that you could have collapsed. But you refused to fall.

This wouldn’t take you again.

It wouldn’t hurt you again!

“Who are you?” You yelled in frustration. Because that was what was happening. There was someone else there, something else there, that horrible demonic thing was destroying you, using you. “Who is doing this? Face me, coward!” You taunted in hopes of drawing it out. You didn’t think it would work but the ringing stopped. You managed to stand up but your legs were trembling beneath you. “Who’s doing this?” You shouted again but suddenly you weren’t alone. You expected the demon to walk right out of the ink.

But it wasn’t the demon.

Instead the icy warrior from your vision stepped out of the ink of the vortex, made of the same ink that formed it. He was dripping with it but you could see the details of his outfit his armor, his mask imprinted in the ink. The air became frigid within the vortex. You knew now that he had been the one that had coated that whole gym in ice. How powerful was he that he could do that? And who was he?

Panic shot through you but you stepped back, careful not to back into the vortex. How? How did whoever was manipulating you have such a hold on you? What kind of curse could do this? Who had this kind of power? It was too dangerous for you to have arcana. Too dangerous for you to be in Raiden’s Temple. Too dangerous for you to have the mark. You were dangerous.

You summoned your sword. The vortex tried to consume the ink, as if hungry, but you refused to allow it. It took nearly all your strength and the aching in your shoulder spread into your chest but you refused to give in. You yelled in frustration and charged at the man who stood threateningly before you. He summoned a blade of shadow and ice and stabbed toward you with a graceful twist. You blocked but barely. His icy blade left shards of ice on your sword and it spread toward your hand. You tried to shake it off but the jian shattered and you let go of the hilt. The vortex devoured the remains of your sword.

You summoned another but the panic was making you shake.

You had to stop it. Something had to stop it.

If you had to then you would do something drastic. You wouldn’t let your arcana destroy everything.

[thickenmyblood]

I’ll confess my sins. When I skipped the first chapters of Capri I got stuck on Laurent’s description as spoiled and similar to overripe fruit. So i was like ah. Royal Dudley Dursley with a blonde curly wig. Sounds about right. I finally saw some fan art and was like??? Who is this anemic Victorian vampire legolas persona?? Honestly tho in an alternate universe where Auguste doesn’t die and Laurent still dislikes sports but enjoys Veres sweet meats and his metabolism is only the slightest bit slower Laurent is absolutely getting chubby. And Damen. Smh he manages to be shadiest bitch while also being appreciating. Would he insult an overweight courtier who never touched a sword? Absolutely. Would he respect a meaty sumo ringer able to throw Damen around like a rag doll? Absolutely. He seems to appreciate multiple types of bodies just fine (muscled gladiators, frail slaves, sturdy vaskian women) so I feel like he’d also appreciate curvier partners as long as they. Well know how to use their body yk. Oh and what about chubby jokaste? We don’t know enough about akielon beauty standards at all. Sure slaves are probably mostly slender and frail to add to the submissive aesthetic (tho I do remember damens fixation on his female slaves big boobs, dude is far from subtle as always). But if it’s Ancient Greek inspired beauty standards jokaste most definitely rocks some tummy rolls. Either that or she’s got super toned abs from the Pilates classes she visits with the other trophy concubines. and akielon man are properly ripped but is it king-Leonidas-washboard-abs ripped?? Or more chunky functional muscle mass ripped? Perhaps akielon noble women are even trained like Spartan women and egeria was the one with the washboard abs. Also there absolutely was a time in Vere where the chubbier the pet = the wealthier it’s owner. Im so so sorry for rambling but your post got me t h i n k i n g

This is not only hilarious but also one of the best takes I’ve ever read. There is so much to unpack here that I truly don’t know where to start.

You mentioned Dudley, whose weight and fat (derogatory) tendencies are accentuated throughout the entire Harry Potter saga. I think—and this is my personal belief, it is not something anyone else has to agree with—that part of what makes Laurent interesting and redeemable to many readers has to do with the fact that he’s beautiful*. I don’t think many people would be willing to admit that, but Laurent’s pretty privilege as a fictional character is similar to Draco Malfoy’s (in fanon) or other morally grey villains/characters’. Ugly characters are harder to forgive, for some reason.

This got me thinking that had Pacat written Laurent as canonically fat, there would be a lot of stuff going on in Damen’s head that I don’t think we’d be able to excuse as easily as we excuse other (quite horrible) thoughts of his. But also, like I mentioned above, I think Laurent would have a harder time proving to some readers that he’s not Dudley, that he’s not just a stereotype of selfishness and greed and other things fatness is associated with (like childishness or an inability to take accountability for one’s actions). This would happen not because he’s fat, but rather because we see the world through Damen’s eyes. And Damen is. . . Quite opinionated.

You mentioned Damen would be judgmental of someone’s weight based on their ability to fight. So, like you pointed out, he’d make fun of a useless in battle courtier but not of a Sumo wrestler. I think in Book 1 Damen would make fun of anything and everyone, but I do understand where you’re coming from with that statement. It makes me wonder what Damen would think of people with a mobility/physical disability. Or even with learning difficulties. Or just about anyone that, according to him, doesn’t contribute to society. If you can’t be a warrior or a bed slave, and if you’re not in a condition to be a peasant and plow fields, and if you don’t have royal blood in your veins. . . I have a hard time picturing Damen being sympathetic.

Chubby Jokaste. . . I think I’ve always thought of her as a muscled woman, given the fact that Laurent can pose as her in Book 3. There’s been a lot of discourse lately on whether Laurent is muscled or a twigly twink, which I will not get into because I. . . do not know enough about gender and/or gender expression to add anything to any argument. I am also not a gay man, so I don’t know what could be considered offensive. I am also very stupid. I also do not know what the word 'twink' means anymore.

Your ask has made me think a lot about many things I’m usually not interested in. I think it would be interesting to see a chubby Laurent who still knows how to fight, who trains, who does things other than eat and hate. Canon Laurent is slender, and yet he never manages to beat Damen in combat, so I don’t think his ability to fight would suffer much from gaining some pounds. It would be interesting to see chubby Jokaste too, even though I don’t particularly enjoy the parallels between her and Laurent in canon. It would also be interesting to see. . . different types of bodies. You mentioned the Vaskian ladies, which I like a lot, but I don’t think I’ve read or come across any fics that focus on them. I think Vannes’ pet is also described as muscular and big, but I’m afraid I don’t remember the quote and I don’t own the books, so I can’t be sure.

What I liked the most was the ending of your ask, where you went on to add little worldbuilding details. Like I said yesterday, I wish canon was more detailed so we could maybe have something to hold onto when we make certain claims. It’s hard to say which parts of Damen’s thought process are entirely his (as a prince with a lot of privilege) and which ones have to do with his culture. Pacat has pointed out some to us, like the fact that Akielons don’t enjoy certain “spectacles” of the body, like pet rings or public sex, but they do enjoy staring at bodies when they’re wrestling or performing physical activities unrelated to sex. Other things remain little mysteries, in my opinion. Do all bed slaves have the same body type? Do women wrestle? How does marriage work in Akielos? What is everyone else’s opinion on fat people? I’m sure not everyone is like Damen, who we speculate cares about having a healthy body so he can fight and. . . stuff.

I am not saying Damen is the only character who, in the historic period where Captive Prince is set, would have fatphobic thoughts. If Damen was fat, Laurent would be the first one to use that against him, especially in Book 1. I just think Damen fits the fatphobic mold better because he’s described as this hypermasculine character, very into war (I think the blurb of the book calls him a warrior prince?) and manly things. Which is not to say war is inherently manly. Which is not to say Laurent isn’t manly. Which is not to say. . . whatever.

Captive Prince is a fantasy trilogy, set in. . . the past. Concepts such as fatphobia or toxic masculinity are not exactly applicable, but I think it’s fun to explore Damen’s character through his flaws. Laurent has a lot of flaws, but Damen’s are sometimes confused with virtues. In my opinion, they’re at their best when they’re being disgustingly horrible to each other.

I’m sorry for writing you a 90 paragraph response.

* He's almost universally beautiful in the Captive Prince world. Damen finds him pretty, and Torveld, and Jord (we've read that 'cute' quote where he describes Laurent at 15 to Aimeric). Not saying fat = ugly. I'm saying it seems like the 'hegemonic' body type for pretty is Laurent's, otherwise. . . why would everyone he comes in contact with comment on his pretty looks?

[emf005]

More Expresso Means Less Depresso

Peter Parker x Stark! Reader

Warnings:Whole bunch of cussing because, I mean, why not? And Peter Parker

 being the Fluffiest Puppy ever. 

Being Tony Stark's daughter came with a lot of pluses. The brains, the looks, the sarcastic comments, not knowing who your mother is until the results came back from the lab. But more than that, you had the ability to ask for permission and then do whatever the fuck you wanted to do anyhow. Like two years ago when you made yourself the Iron Warrior suit. Ha ha ha… Lord was he PISSED at you. Also, your horrible habits of not taking care of yourself when you wanted something. Like tonight. 

You refilled your mug for what seemed like the thousandth time since Monday (it was Friday) and took a long sip. By long, I mean looooooong sip of the scolding black liquid. It felt good. The caffeine. Thank Christ for Coffee and caffeine. You would have been long dead if it weren’t a thing. 

You had been working on school work and personal projects all this week, never getting a chance to sleep. Finals were coming up, a huge mission was too and you needed to work out the kinks in your suit. It had gotten damaged during the last one and while you were fixing it you had the great idea to update it. Ha ha ha ha. Not a great idea. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Steve Rogers and his fucking huge arms the size of your head said. Wait. Did his muscles talk? Was that what happened?” When was the last time you slept?” Nope, not the muscles, just the echo in your head. You took another sip of the scolding liquid before pouring yourself another mug. You hummed in though. 

“I don’t know. A while?” You shrugged and put the coffee the what's it mcbob (To tired, words no come to brain) back in the maker to start another batch of it. Who knew how long you’d be here. You definitely needed to make sure you had enough to last you. 

“Maybe you should get some rest. You don’t look so good,” you could tell he was worried. But it didn't take much to make the flag covered man worried. 

“No can do, Mr. America. I have too much on my plate.” He didn’t roll his eyes like he normally did at your nickname.

“Kid, I really-”

“Well nice way wasn’t working,” you set your mug down and leaned towards him with murder written all over your face. You hadn;t slept in a wee, was it really a smart idea to tell you what to do right now? “Listen here, Rogers, if you attempt to drag me away from this machine or my work I will personally rip your head off and shove it so far up your perfect ass that it’ll pop up right back on top without even touching my suit. Got that?” He swallowed and backed up a bit at the murderous look you were giving him that was thirty times more dangerous than your father’s. “Good.” You poked his chest, grabbed your mug and turned around on your heels, back to your work. 

You skipped your coffee that was now mixed with Red bull when your father walked in. 

“Dad! Dad dad dad dad dad!” He walked over to you.  

“What’s up?” He asked, not saying anything about the state you were in. He knew he should've but, as you had pointed out one time, that would consider him a hypocrite. 

“Ok ok ok ok ok ok. So, there's this thing that goes burr in my suit and it won’t go bop bop bop any more! And then for my essay, how many plays did Shakespeare actually perform himself? Also for chemistry-” He put a hand over your mouth and held up a red bull can. You thought you hid those better. 

“First off, I can’t understand you, you're talking so fast. Second off, I thought we agreed that if it came to mixing Red bull and Coffee it was time to stop.”

“I know I know I know I know. But we have that mission coming up. And finals are right around the corner. And I have this essay due. And this chemistry is for enhancing Peter’s webs so that they are forty percent stronger and sticker. Plus, they’ll dissolve in water, too!” He sighed and set the can down. 

“No getting you to stop, huh?”

“No. Now out, I’ll figure it out. I wasted too much time listening to your pointless lecture.” He was about to reprimand you, but remembered you were his daughter and that would only make you sass back more. He ruffled your hair and left to leave you to your work.

You had completely lost it by Sunday evening. You were running around the lab incircles muttering things when Peter came in, all happy and chipper to see his crush/best friend. But he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the state of disarray everything was in. You heard the doors shut and looked up at him with wide red crazy eyes. 

“Peter! Hi! What's up?” You went back to reading whatever it was while running to your computer to type in a few commands for your suit upgrade, forgetting he was here already. 

He noticed the forty empty cans of Red bull on the table and all the large cups of old expressos. He saw you headed to the coffee machine and intercepted your path, he wouldn’t be able to stop you if you had more espresso or red bull, he wasn’t even sure if he would be able to stop you now. 

“Hey, Y/N. I was hoping we could watch a movie!” You looked up from your notes, completely disoriented. He had seen you like this too many times to count. You got worse than Tony did. And while Pepper was the only who could stop him, he was the only one who could stop you... most of the time

“Movie? Is it about the chemical reactions of toothpaste and hggyuagd-” whatever you tried to say mashed together so much that no one, not even you, could make it out. 

“Uh. No. How about Star Wars?” You shook your head and buried it back in your notebook. 

“Sorry, Peter. Can’t. I’m too busy here. Can I get to the coffee machine? More espresso means less depresso” You felt the energy leaving you. He could see it too and was ready to catch you when you fell.

“Uh, no.”

“Why?”

“Because-”

“Of you are trying to stop me from working, Peter, I swear I-”

“I wanted to ask you out.” He blurted out. 

You two went silent, staring at each other. The energy was practically out of you and your brain was short circuiting from hormones and lack of sleep and proper nutrition. Had you just heard him correctly? Peter Parker. The Spider Man. Him. This adorable puppy with large brown eyes in front of you. Wanted to ask you, the definition of a human disaster, out? 

You opened your mouth to say something but collapsed into his arms before you could get a word out. He caught you and tossed you over his shoulder.

“That was smooth, Peter,” he muttered to himself. He carried you out of the lab and up the stairs, waving at the others who looked relieved to see you in his arms, to your room. He could have easily taken the stairs, but he just wanted to hold you for a bit longer. Call it his crush on you that was growing bigger by the second, but he liked knowing that some part of you depended on him. 

He set you down in your bed and sighed gratefully that you didn't wake up. He turned to leave but you grabbed his arm, your eyes cracked open a bit. 

“Hey, go back to sleep. Ok? You can kill me when you're properly rested,” he whispered with a smile as he squatted down to your eye level on the bed. 

“Peter,”

“Yeah?”

“Can you stay? Please?” Your eyes were drifting closed again and he could have easily left without you knowing. But… 

He looked at your face which fell into a comfortable sleep again, completely relaxed and your lips parted a bit. Some of your Y/H/C falling into your face. He smiled and pushed it behind your ear, letting his hand linger near your cheek. 

“Sure, dork. I’ll stay.” You smiled in your sleep and his heart skipped a beat at the up turn of your pink lips. He slipped off his shoes and slipped into the other side of your bed. 

It wasn’t unnatural to find you two like this. Ever since you two had started going to the same high school, per your demand when you father asked about schooling, you two had been best friends. Joined at the hip it seemed. 

You shifted in your sleep so your head was on his chest and he held your shoulders. He watched you sleep for a few seconds before sleep over took him too.

He woke up to the feeling of someone watching him. His eyes fluttered open and he looked down to see a pair of Y/E/C looking back at him. He smiled and stretched. 

“Hi.” He mumbled. 

“Hi,” you mumbled back, your eyes not leaving his face. He looked back down at you. 

“What?”

“Did you mean it?” His heart stopped beating. Did you remember what he told you before you passed out? “Did you really wanna ask me out?” He stared at you for a moment. You still looked half asleep. Most likely you woke up from the thought of him asking you out making its way into your sub conscience. 

Ok, just lie. It’ll be fine. Just say you did-

“Yes. I did.”

You stupid little-

“Y/N, I really really like you. If I’m being honest,” he searched your eyes. “I have for a while now. I- uh- well you see I-mmph?” your put your lips on his before he could say another word. It wasn’t quick or long It was the perfect amount of time. You pulled away with a smile on your lips as you watched his face become more red. 

“I like you too, Dork. Next time don’t wait so damn long to tell me.” He smiled brightly. 

“So you’ll go on a date with me?” You returned around so you were on your knees. Laughing, you shook your head. 

“Yes, Spider Dork. I’ll go on a date with you!” He smiled and kissed you, you responded immediately. Giddy that the Spider man had finally asked you on a date after what seemed like years of having a crush on you. Yes, you knew he liked you. The boy was so obvious and adorable it was hard not to tell. You just wanted him to be the one to make the first move. 

End          

[twstwonderlandstuff]

Octo Love! (Reader x Azul!)

Original song

My cover 

In which [Name] gets a little too tired and goes on a sporadic singing journey.

It always feels like you’ve exhausted yourself to the max limit. Every day, you trudge back to Ramshackle, muscles and back sore from the work Crowley forces upon you, that damned bird. Every day, you collapse into the soft cushions in Ramshackle and fall asleep in 3 seconds, and after an hour-long ‘nap’, you wake up to see Grim sprawled on top of you, snoozing away (you’re always grateful for the ghosts you take their time to spread a blanket on top of both of you). 

But today… today was different. 

No, you’re still exhausted (come ON now, this is school and when does one catch a break from school?), eyebags visible, but this time, you don’t get the chance to go to Ramshackle. 

No-no-no. See, you’re broke. Very, very, broke, and you have to work, and what better place to get models, than working in Monstro Lounge, right?

Well, it depends. 

On good days, working there can be its sort of fun, with Floyd’s unstable mood swings, the business of the place, Azul (with his mafia-like nature) running the place to perfection, and Jade’s butler act, but on other days were simply dealing with that is too much. 

You lose all sense of logic and fear- throw that shit out of the window, dawg, it doesn’t matter.

Say it with me, loud in clear! LOGIC AND FEAR DOESN’T MATTER! Again! LOGIC AND FEAR-

“Shrimpy~?” Floyd asks, and you gasp in alarm, gripping onto whatever you were doing. What were you doing?

Ah, yes, cleaning Monstro Lounge after dark, right, right…

“Yo, Floyd…” You give him a weak grin, tiredly pushing the mop against the tiles. “I’m so… sleepy.”

“But you’re always sleepy.” Floyd points out, lighting up. “Ah, wait here, Shrimpy. I got something for you~” He quickly leaves, leaving you looking like a deer in spotlights. 

“Ehh… ah, whatever…” You mumble, going back to your duties. Oh god, the floor’s beginning to look like something entirely different….

“[Name]? Are you alright?” This time it’s Jade asking, his calm and soothing voice forcing you to rub out the sleepiness from your eyes. You know he’s not that concerned, but the verbalization is appreciated. 

“No, not really. Fuck, I just want-” You don’t get the chance to finish your complaint as Floyd bursts in, holding a sheet of music and a mic in hand. 

“Shrimpy~! You know when you sang that weird song?” Your eyes snap open for the first time, and your cheeks redden. Ahh…

It’s a song from your middle-school years, how embarrassing. You were talking with Floyd- well, to be precise, he was spinning and squeezing you about- and as he was spinning you, you began to hum a little tune. The eel picked up on it, and insistently asked what you were singing about, so you gave him the entire rundown of the song.

He giggled, saying how weird it sounded, but his grin contradicted his statement and before you could realize it, he dropped you on the ground and ran away, doing who knows what- and it seems that he’s…

“You… wrote the entire note-chorus- thing?! Based on what I said?!” You shout, skimming over the notes he’s written down messily. 

“Floyd, this is amazing, holy shit!” You gasp in amazement. “That’s so cool!”

“Hehe, sea otter helped me out! Sea otter’s too nice, it’s kinda annoying.” Floyd pouts, going to sling his arm around Jade. “Whatcha think, Ja-de?”

The twin smoothly takes the paper out of your hands and reads the notes, looking amazed. “Ah.. this truly is spectacular, Floyd. Good job.” He pats Floyd on the head, and Floyd grins at the praise. 

“What’s going on here?” Ah, the man of the hour, the head of the fish mafia himself, Azul Ashengrotto.

You might or might not harbor a tiny, insignificant crush on him. No, you don’t have secret doodles of him and you in the corners of your notebook, of course not! That very notion revokes the idea of logic!

But then again, didn’t you say ‘FUCK LOGIC!’ just a while ago? You did, didn’t you?

…

Well, maybe the crush is bigger than that. There might be a chance that it’s 0.1% bigger than that.

…

No, you most definitely harbor an obvious crush on the silver-haired bloke, and EVERYONE KNOWS, except the bloke himself!

“A-Azul, hey!” He waves you aside, used to the way you stutter when you speak to him.

 “Floyd, I believe I told you to check on [Name], not needlessly wave around a piece of paper,” Azul says, adjusting his glasses.

“But A~zul~ take a look! I, Sea Otter, and Shrimpy made this, you know! And I don’t wanna work anymore! I wanna play the piano~” Without giving Azul a chance to protest, he grabs you (and throws you over his back like a sack of potatoes) and the paper, and runs to the piano Monstro has, leaving Jade to deal with Azul. 

“Jade, set me down at once-” Azul complains as he’s handled similarly to you, looking undignified. 

“My apologies, Azul, but it wouldn’t do good to displease Floyd.” Jade chuckles.  “Besides, don’t you want [Name] to rest? It seems that you were quite worried about their health, fufu.”

Azul stiffens, a light blush adorning his ears. “I haven’t the slightest idea of what you’re talking about.”

“Ah, I must have misunderstood. My apologies.” Jade snickers, setting Azul down on one of the tables in Monstro Lounge, sitting next to him. 

You and Floyd are too far away to hear this conversation, with Floyd getting the piano up excitedly and handing you the mic. 

“Wait, are we going to play a concert? In the middle of the night?” You mutter, taking the mic dumbly. 

“Duh~ you’re pretty dim, Shrimpy!” Floyd snickers darkly, setting the music sheet in front of him and stretching. “What did Goldfish say…? Oh yeah, this spell!” 

After the spell was cast, the piano began to play a tune to what you’re familiar with. 

“Holy shit. It’s playing by itself?!” Floyd pays no heed to your words and began dancing. 

“Come on, Shrimpy, sing!” He encourages you, clearly having fun. 

Well, what’s the harm? You turn the mic on, and begin singing, moving your body for a bit.

“Ooo, we break the laws of attraction

Like you’re sent from above

Got a case of octo love”

Azul glares at the oddly fitting words but begins to slowly bop his head. Jade is smiling, stiffly dancing in his seat. 

“Ooo, we’re like a chemical reaction

Or a code you can’t debug

Got a case of octo love”

“She’s always turning to violence-” Floyd laughs particularly hard at this, and swings you around, leading you to giggle halfway through the song. 

“…’s so determined she’s timeless

And I’m so nervous I’m silent.”

Floyds leaves you be, and you pause in time with the music. 

“What if she finds out I’m lying?

What if she sends me home crying?

Why can’t I just be kawaii?”

“Isn’t that a term Idia-shii often uses…?” Azul mutters. Floyd comes closer to Jade and Azul, picking the latter up. 

“Wait wait wait-!” 

“Too late, Azul~” He plonks Azul, next to you, and you give him a grin. 

“Baby, baby, baby, you’re so fine-” You scream into the mic, clutching it like a madman. 

Mew mew kissy cutie, you’ll be mine-

Crushing, crushing, crushing, on AZUL-” 

The octopus freezes in shock, as you continue with the very, very fitting lyrics. Floyd’s going absolutely ham, doing some sort of ska dance with his twin as he laughs at your mistake. (RIP all the other members of Octavinelle). 

“Oh, did I say that out-”

No, did I say that out loud?!” You, being dramatic, clutches Azul’s hands and shake them, seemingly unaware of what you’ve said. 

The octopus face reddens almost immediately when you swing his arms as children do.

“Ooo, we break the laws of attraction

Like you’re sent from up above

Got a case of octo love”

The poor dorm leader would like to hide under his octopod forever now, thank you very much. 

“Ooo, we’re like an improper fraction

Hope this ship gets safe to shore

Though I’m quite unsure”

“Come on shrimpy, join us!” Floyd grabs you and Azul, and together, the 4 of you began dancing in a circle as the Dance Break ensues, your and Azul’s hands holding each other. Azul just repeatedly wants to die of shame and embarrassment. 

“She’s always turning to violence

I’m always turning to science

She’s so determined she’s timeless 

And I’m so nervous I’m silent.”

You lot stop spinning, dizzy, and out of breath as Floyd takes the mic and sings into it, surprisingly melodious (well, maybe it’s not THAT much of a surprise. He IS from the sea, after all.)

“What if she finds out I’m lying?

What if she sends me home crying?

Why can’t I just be kawaii?

And then I’m like…”

Jade takes the microphone, seemingly knowing the lyrics, and sings into it, making you cheer as you press close to him. 

“Baby, baby, baby, you’re so fine

Mew mew kissy cutie, you’ll be mine-”

You grab the mic back, spinning in place. 

Crushing, crushing, crushing on Azul-”

You point towards the dorm leader, who’s taken to sitting on the floor of Monstro Lounge and hiding most of his face with his hands, excluding his eyes, and come near him, getting your face a little too close to his liking. 

“And so I shout it out!” 

And so I shout it out loud!”

You grab Azul by the hand and drag him towards you, skillfully keeping him balanced. He can’t help but wonder, Where was this energy when you were working?

You began to do a sort of impromptu couple dance, your exhausted giggles and laughs slipping in and Azul sighs at the silliness of it all, but… he smiles genuinely. 

You look so plaintively happy here that he can’t help it, you know?

“Ooo, we’re like a warrior in action

Fit together like a glove-”

You shove the mic into his face, and he, in a low voice, murmurs. 

“Got a case of octo love…”

You gasp dramatically, looking like you didn’t notice him. 

“OOOOH MY GOD HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING THERE?!”

“I’ve been right here the whole time…” He mutters, a little confused. Is this part of the song, or something?

“Ok, now I want to die.” You say, deadpan. The twins, who were back to their own ska dance thing, grabs the mic from you and pulls you and Azul by the arms (again). The four of you began to sing in harmony (as harmonious as you can get, anyway). 

“Ooo, we break the laws of attraction-”

You eagerly grab the mic back.  “A duet will maybe do... cuz I invited Floyd and Jade too!”

“Hehe, of course, you did, Shrimpy~”

“Smooshed together like a bug!!”

“Got a case of Octo love~”

You let out a huge laugh, giggling and snickering as Jade sets you down, catching your breath. 

“That was… fun…! But now, I...holy shit… I’m tired…” You gasp in exhaustion, falling flat onto one of the couches and quickly began to fall asleep, but-

“Ne, Shrimpy?”

With the last bit of your strength, you open your eyes just a tiny bit. “Wha..?”

“D’ya realize what ya said?” Floyd’s grin is wide like he was about to tease the SHIT out of you or use you in some way. He flops on the floor and leans onto your leg. 

“The song, yeah?”

“Hihihi, Shrimpy~,” The twin says. “You’ll see tomorrow~ goodnight.” He says quietly, a quick change of mood. 

“Sleep tight.” Jade laughs, sitting down next to you and putting his head back. 

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Azul finishes, sitting a bit further away from the 3 of you. 

“G’night.” Not a second later, and you are asleep, breathing softly.

*

“Ne, ne, Azul~? Watcha think of Shrimpy’s confession?”

“Th-that wasn’t a confession! It was a slip of the tongue.”

“Eh. You’re still gonna deny that. That’s cowardly, Azul~ Even Shrimpy knows better than that.”

“I must agree. Honestly, to think that you were beaten to confessing. And most oddly, too.”

“I...um…”

*The Leech twins grin widely at Azul’s clamming up. 

“Hmm~?”

“J-just leave me be!”

*With a face as red as tomatoes, Azul leaves, assuming to hide in his octo pot. 

[Thanks v much for reading! This is a better version of what I put out yesterday because god damn, that was disgraceful.]

[yoditorian]

lacuna- part 4

din/reader

i put our favourite idiots through the absolute wringer in this one and i refuse to apologise. it’s nECESSARY i swear.

MASTERLIST

word count: 3.4k

warnings: swears, graphic violence and injury, some naughty thoughts from our favourite buckethead so for that reason 18+ no babies thanks

The distant, rhythmic clanging echoes off of the stone staircase as he descends into the tunnels. 

They’re empty, devoid of the usual flurrying activity, save for the guards that stand tall either side of the entryway. He doesn’t ask where everyone is, he doesn’t need to, the noise is enough to know where he’s going. Winding tunnel after winding tunnel, Din comes to a sharp stop after rounding a corner.

Armoured bodies spill out of the entrance to the forge, kids in and out of helmets clamouring to watch the action in the gaps between their buirs’ legs. He remembers being that small, trying desperately to see what was going on during gatherings. But he’d never seen anything quite like this.

Din shoulders his way through the crowd, watching out for the little ones under his feet, towards where Paz stands a head above everybody else. A pale, willowy man sits hunched over on his knees in the centre of the forge beside a set of armour carefully laid out on a bench. Is he a thief? The Armourer stands tall above him, ceremonial furs wrapped around her shoulders in place of the shorter, more practical ones. There’s so much sound, so many angry bodies packed into the small space, he can’t decipher exactly what it is they’re all doing there. 

“What is this?” He nudges Paz, unable to take his eyes off of the man on the ground. 

“He has dishonoured the creed.”

Din offers nothing in return, hoping his confused silence is mistaken for acceptance. A thousand possibilities run through his mind at breakneck speed. There are so many rules, so many afterthoughts and double meanings, he knows the newly-sworn kids struggle to remember everything from time to time. But this is a grown man, an adult who sits so shamefully in the centre of their most sacred setting. Did he kill a vod? Did he intentionally harm the ade? Did he question the Armourer? Paz, unsurprisingly, senses the question that hangs in the air between them.

“He removed his helmet, vod.”

No. 

No.

But how would- how would anybody know? How would something like that ever get back to the covert? Din doesn’t ask. He only nods, and returns his gaze to the man in the circle, while he silently prays to every deity he can think of. 

The crowd around him gets louder, hurling insults and clanging their arms together in anger. Din understands the gravity of what this man has done, what he has done, but there has to be a reason. Surely, there’s an explanation. A loophole, somewhere. Their secrecy is their survival and their survival is their strength, but at what cost? The cost of your touch, of you? The cost of knowing and being known so intimately isn’t something he’d known he’d be so unwilling to pay back when he swore the creed. Din Djarin would be a lesser man had he not shed his helmet and armour for you, he is as sure of that as his creed. The creed he has broken, more than once. What would become of him, if anybody here found out? 

The Armourer moves, worn metal of her tools colliding like a thunderclap, and the covert falls silent.

“Cork Gyll, you have been charged with the gravest of crimes against the creed: the removal of your helmet.”

Din can’t help but flinch as Cork does when the crowd roars again, anger and betrayal cracking in the air. He doesn’t know Cork, but his spiraling thoughts are way ahead of the game. Filling his mind with images of himself in Cork’s place, stripped of his armour and everything he knows himself to be. The taunting of his covert, of his family, echoing in his ears as though it’s meant for him. Din feels sick.

Memories of every time he’s shed his helmet for you. Every time he’s pressed his lips to yours, to every inch of you he could find purchase on. Is that why it always felt so good? An almost religious experience, the permission you give him to touch you is one he holds in the highest regard. Nothing comes close. But is that why? The thrill of breaking the code he’s lived by for a lifetime? No, he knows that’s not it. He knows it’s you that makes him feel that way, more than any rule breaking. He hates the warmth that spreads through him at the phantom taste of you on his tongue. 

“Do you deny?” The Armourer speaks again, and the noise ceases.

“No, Alor.” Cork does not raise his eyes from the dust in front of him. 

Anger replaces Din’s fear. At himself, at his creed, at the galaxy for being so cruel as to hold you just out of reach and deny him the only real, tangible connection he’s had since he was taken in by these people. He craves you, and everything you are, but you’re not allowed. Part of him feels like a petulant child, one of the ade denied a sweet before dinnertime. How could he be so stupid? So reckless? He should be caught. He should be exiled. He deserves it, he deserves nothing but loneliness. 

“Is there reason that you should not be stripped of your armour and exiled?”

“No, Alor.”

“You will be Dar’manda. This is the way.”

“This is the way.” The words echo in chorus around the forge, as they always do. It doesn’t escape Din’s notice that Cork remains silent in the centre, head hanging low.

The clanging from before begins again, in unison this time. The younger warriors follow the elders’ lead, rhythmically hitting their vambraces together until the sound reverberates through the ground. It’s loud enough that nobody notices that Din’s own wrists barely make contact. The Armourer lifts the tray of shed armour over the forge in front of Cork, the sparks of the flames reflect harshly in the gold of her helmet. The condemned man still does not raise his eyes from the dirt.

Paz and another heavy infantry soldier step out of the crowd to haul Cork to his feet, and people start to dissipate. The show’s over, now all that remains is to serve his sentence. A life in exile. Dar’manda. Din doesn’t stick around long enough to find out what they do with him next.

He goes straight to his room, unaware of the path he treads. He can’t remember in all his time as a Mando seeing somebody actually get exiled, actually be stripped of the creed and sent away. He was half sure it was just a story told to get the ade to take the creed seriously. The guilt only digs it’s cold claws into his heart once he’s alone. 

Door secure, Din all but rips the helmet off of his head. Breathe, in and out. Just like you taught him. Oh, you. Your face swimming in his memory only makes his guilt grip tighter, twisting itself in his guts until he can’t remember what he feels like without it. You’re a traitor, Djarin. He can’t tell if the grotesque voice in his head is talking about the creed or the way he’s treated you. He’s not sure it matters. Because even after all this, after everything he’s just seen, he thinks about where you might be. Whatever you’re up to, he only hopes you’re safe.

“Oh, fuck.”

Shara’s too far into the armoury to hear you call out when the guards descend. 

Only a handful of them, faces all concealed by crude looking helmets, but they waste no time in splitting up to take you on. Three of them against you, they’re not the best odds you’ve ever faced. Then again, they’re definitely not the worst. You take a moment, let them try to predict your first move, until one of them gets impatient. He swings for your legs with the long barrel of his blaster, which you evade with so much ease you’re almost embarrassed for the guy. It’s less of a fight and more of a standoff. You’re cornered at the end of this dark hallway, nowhere to go. The sounds of Shara struggling against her own adversaries echo off the metal walls, and you strike. 

You hit the middle guard square in the chest, splintering the weak armour, and you take the momentary panic from the others to make a break for it over his body. You don’t get far. Shara’s pained cry from the armoury stills your heart in your chest at the same moment that a stun bolt digs in between your shoulders, voltage way too high for something as delicate as human flesh. You’re out before you even hit the floor.

Your legs aren’t working like they should, muscles still jerking as the electricity works its way out of your system. A pair of guards unshackle you from the post and you hit the floor before they can catch you. Of all the ways they’ve hurt you, it’s the boss’s cackle at your weakness that makes you cringe. You’d held out for so long, stayed quiet for what feels like days, until they pulled out whatever it was that turned your blood to lightning. You’re dragged up out of the dust and back down the narrow hallway to the cell. It’s too dark in there to even see an inch in front of your face. But at least you can hear Shara through the wall.

“We’re getting out, I know it.” She’s optimistic, you’ll give her that. But you know that if you do ever make it out, it’ll be on your own. The Rebellion just doesn’t have the numbers to spare on a rescue mission for a couple of pilots who got a little too big for their boots.

“Well I’m not dying until I beat your track time, so we better.”

Shara laughs from the cell beside yours, loud and familiar, if maybe a little forced. It’s easier to join in her amusement when you don’t focus on the blood dripping down under your collar.

It’s a suspiciously easy bounty, something he’d normally pass up on. But there’d been an odd tug in his chest at the low-level puck and Din had negotiated it into his assignments from the Guild before he even really knew what he’d done. Some wannabe crime lord on a planet he didn’t care to learn the name of had set a bounty on an ex-guard, wanted him hand delivered. A deserter, he’d called him. Din pretended like that didn’t tug at his chest too. 

He finds the man, oddly enough, digging up vegetables in a garden. Presumably it’s the quarry’s family home, nestled between the trees on a riverbank, and something about the way the man regards him feels extremely final. He doesn’t run, he doesn’t plead or try to fight, he simply places the bundle of freshly harvested vegetables on the doorstep and walks slowly back up the path. The bounty doesn’t say a word as his wrists are bound, nor as they start the trek through the wood towards the gang’s base. 

A helmeted guard meets them at the doorway, gesturing into the dark hall, and Din only hesitates for a moment before nudging the quarry ahead of him. They barely make it into the main meeting room when a blaster shot hits the bounty right between the eyes. He crumples where he stands, Din has enough control not to flinch in surprise, and the man holding the smoking blaster splits a slimey grin. The boss, then. He points at the body, talking pointedly to his guards about loyalty and vows. It’s enough to leave a bad taste in Din’s mouth. He catches the pouch of credits thrown his way, and is ready to leave this whole mess behind him when the boss turns his attention onto the hunter.

“You have to stay for the show, Mando.”

“Show?” Was that not enough of a show?

“We found a couple of rats digging around in our armoury a few days ago, thought we’d have a little fun before they meet the same fate as our dear deserter.”

He leads Din to a small room with staggered seating above a lit area like a crude stage, clearly made for a larger audience than the six of them. There’s a single post in the middle with a woman in a dirty orange flight suit cuffed to it, blood on her face. An interrogation droid, he suppresses a shudder, is zapping her every few seconds to keep her from blacking out.

“We had the bantha-prod on the other one yesterday. Oh, the screaming.” 

Unable to take his eyes off of the woman, he can’t stop himself seeing you in her place. He doesn’t even think before he’s unloaded a plasma cartridge into the boss and the four remaining guards. Din swings his pulse rifle around his body, aiming carefully, and disintegrates the droid before it can shock the woman again.

“Get your friend and get gone.” Din huffs out as he swipes the keys off of the boss and jumps down into the pit to unshackle the pilot. Her legs give out underneath her, dropping like dead weight, and for a second he’s not sure she’ll get back up. But she does, gritting her teeth the whole way. 

“You think we were planning on sticking around?” She’s shaky, a little out of it for a moment before she steels herself and looks him in the eyes. Right in the eyes. It’s the same determination and strength Din always sees in you, and he knows she’ll be okay. 

He leaves before the little voice in his head, the one that sounds like you, makes him do something stupid. Like stay and help the pilots, offer to take them back to their base, get sucked into a war he doesn’t have the cause to care about. Aside from one, glaringly obvious, you-shaped reason.

Shara wastes no time in ducking down the hall to the cells and getting to you. Her fingers shake when she flips through the chain to find the right chip, but the tension leaves her a little once the door slides back to reveal you curled in a dank corner. The light is harsh, after who knows how many hours sitting in complete darkness, and you’re only vaguely aware of her telling you somebody killed your captors. 

“-Swooped in like a fucking knight in shining armour,” Shara laughs as she fumbles with the key to your binders, “It was crazy.”

She’s pulling you out of the cell and down the hall before you can really get your feet under you, knocking elbows and knees against the walls of the narrow space. But the logic of a pilot, a scrapper pilot, kicks in once you’ve adjusted to the movement.

“Dead guys don’t need guns, right? Might as well get what we came for.”

It takes Shara a moment to realise what you’re saying, but then she’s dragging you after her along the dim corridor. The wrong way. You have to tug on her hand to get her to slow, to point her in what you know is the right way to the armoury. You’re not sure exactly how you can be so certain, just that you know. You’ve always had a better sense of direction than her so she, at least, takes you at your word and barely stumbles in her haste. 

There’s no welcoming party waiting on the landing pad for you, only a very tired looking command officer and a couple of medics, and the floodlights threaten to blind you as you and Shara lean on each other down the loading ramp. Tired, you’re both so tired.

“They’re in the cargo hold.” You manage between breaths, nodding your head towards the netting keeping the liberated armoury in place. The officer releases you to the medics at the same moment Shara loses consciousness and falls dead weight against your shoulder. The adrenaline starts to wear off as they catch her before she can hit the ground, you don’t argue when they sit you on the trolley beside her. 

“What did they hit you with, Lieutenant?” A doctor you don’t recognise is in your face before you even register that you’re in the medbay. 

“Forgive me if I was a little too preoccupied to ask.” 

It hurts. The torn material of your flight suit is matted into your wounds, and you feel every little pull right down to your bones when she moves to lead you up and off of the trolley towards an empty bed. Even the lightest touch of her fingers around the singed edges threatens a wave of nausea. You bite it back with a grimace. If standing is this agonising, you really don’t want to find out what heaving feels like. 

“Bantha-prod, looks like. Nasty burns.”

Another pair of hands guides you to lean forwards and brace your arms on the bed, and you try to remember to keep breathing while the doctor begins peeling your charred flight suit out of the half-healed burns on your back. More scars. Spots dance in your vision, blurring the world around you, and you lock your jaw up so tight to keep from screaming that you swear you crack a tooth. Even through this, this pain that seems to lick at every inch of your body, your only thought is that you want him. There’s a sharp scratch on your neck and a low groan that you think might have come from you, before the pain finally pulls you under. 

Din finds no solace in the dusty tunnels of the covert, not the way he normally does. The image of Cork kneeling in the forge, enduring insults and anger and the loss of his creed without so much as a whimper. The quarry, walking from his family’s home to his death with no complaint. He’s not sure he could be that strong, that unaffected, if his treachery ever comes to light. He wonders what you would look like in the orange flight suit of rebel pilots. Maybe you knew the ones he freed, maybe he’d unknowingly saved a friend of yours. It might be the only honourable action he’s taken for years. 

His lingering thought, as he finds his way to his quarters and collapses on the bed in a pile of armour and exhaustion, is how much more comfortable he is when you’re tucked into his side. Where you should be, he’s sure of it. 

You plague his dreams that night, just like every night. Din sees nothing but your eyes, hears nothing but your laugh, feels nothing but your smile against his skin. He dreams about being somewhere far away with you, the way he wishes he could be. No rebels or creeds or empires, just you and him lying somewhere in soft grass watching clouds roll by. You’re wearing that old red sweater he took off of you the first night he touched you, and his armour is nowhere to be seen. He likes it that way. He can feel the warmth of you beside him like this.

But the pink-streaked sky morphs and suddenly he’s encompassed in darkness, the feeling of you surrounding him. He’s not afraid, not like when other dreams fade to black before he wakes. He knows you in this darkness, he knows himself. The sounds you make when you’re together in the dark, the heat of your mouth on him, sliding his cock past your lips. He wants this, you, for as long as you’ll let him have it. Everything you are, the smiles, the jokes, the sex, the exhaustion. The fire you get in your eyes stokes the one in his, he’s not sure who he would be without it. He could love you, one day, if that’s what you wanted. If he’s what you want. But nothing lasts, the Armourer’s voice breaks through your heady moans to condemn him as Dar’manda and you’re gone. Just like that. 

Din wakes with a start. Hard in his flight suit and an even worse ache in his back. He can never see you again, a decision that leaves a pain so deep in his bones far worse than a wet dream or falling asleep in his armour ever could.

The comm buzzes late one night, weeks later. 

“I’ve got a job on Akiva, if you’re anywhere near there.” 

He leaves it unanswered.

TAGLIST (lmk if you want on or off the list):

@brothersdrxke​ @remmysbounty​ @aq-vetina​ @1800-fight-me​ @mandos-co​ @kesskirata​ @sarahjkl82-blog​ @firstofficerwiggles​ @keeper0fthestars​ @wille-zarr​ @rebloogggs​ @plants-are-better-than-humans @schreibsuchtis (tag machine broke again)

[brokenbeskar]

Babysitter

Chapter Two of Memories Reforged ( Din Djarin x F!Reader )

Word Count: 7.8k

Summary: Instead of landing to collect your bounty’s reward like you had expected, the mysterious mandalorian you’re traveling with leaves you to babysit his wrinkly green child-- a job you definitely don’t feel cut out for.  

Warnings: no real warnings in this one! let me know if there's something I missed!

A/N: I hope you all like it! as always let me know if you see any mistakes or anything! I know nothing crazy happens in this chapter but I hope it’s still entertaining and fun! afterall who can resist Grogu shenanigans? Also there may be some more hints about your past in this one so 👀

You hum lightly as you adjust in your seat, slowly blinking your eyes open as you gain consciousness, only to jolt upright at the unfamiliar scene of the cockpit around you. You had completely forgotten yesterday’s events in your sleep, so when you woke up initially you were expecting to be back in your old ship. Maker, you hurt all over. You don’t even remember falling asleep, the last thing you remember was the discussion you had with that stranger mandalorian. You quickly look to the pilot's seat next to you, suddenly remembering the armored man you were hitching a ride from. It's empty. He must have set the ship to autopilot while you snoozed away. How embarrassing. You usually wouldn't let yourself fall asleep in front of a stranger so readily, but after the events of yesterday--you must have been more exhausted than you thought. You stretch your shoulders back with a grimace, being sure to keep a hand on the helmet in your lap so it doesn’t fall. Kriff, you feel like you got swallowed up by a sarlacc pit and spit back out. The soreness from the crash yesterday has set in completely. You can feel the bruises lining your entire body, and all your muscles ache at even the slightest movement--not to mention your pounding headache. 

You’re pressing the base of one of your palms to your forehead to try and relieve some of the pressure when the cockpit door slides open. The mandalorian you met yesterday striding in, the babbling green baby in his arms. 

“Good, you’re awake. We’ll be landing on Corellia soon.” He explains as he sets the baby in the seat opposite to yours, buckling him in as he coos sleepily. 

“Corellia? Your guild outpost is on Corellia?” You squint up at him questioningly, palm still pressed to your head. Marker, the stars reflecting off his armor is making your head hurt worse. 

“No.” He doesn’t bother to look at you as he settles into the pilot’s seat. “No? What do you mean ‘no’? Why the kriff are we landing on Corellia then?” You lower your palm only a little off your head, as you continue to squint at him, growing irritated with him already. Can one person be any more frustrating? Maybe you're just in a bad mood because you're sore and tired…

“I have another bounty to collect.” 

“You--you what?!” oh no, your pounding headache has nothing to do with this. What the fuck does he mean, another bounty? This wasn’t part of the deal. 

“I have four pucks, I need four bodies. We’ll head to Nevarro after.” He tilts his helmet in your direction without looking at you while he explains. 

“You didn’t think to mention this before?” You’re glaring daggers into the side of his helmet, you couldn’t be more pissed off at this guy--

“You didn’t ask.” Nope. You were wrong, you could definitely be more pissed, and that response alone has almost sent you over the edge. “You’re more than welcome to find your own ship and meet me there if it’s a problem.” What an asshole. What an absolute fucking asshole. Maker, you hate him. He’s not even worth responding to. Turning back to stare out the cockpit window angrily, just absolutely seething as you sit there. 

The two of you don’t exchange another word as you drop out of hyperspace and descend into Corellia’s atmosphere. The mandalorian lands you in a remote forest area. You’ve taken more than your fair share of bounties on Corellia before. Honestly the planet is a shithole. Riddled with crime, and polluted to all hell. When you notice the mandalorian getting up to leave, you sigh and stand up yourself. You're sliding your helmet on, when he stops to  turn to you, “What are you doing?” You tilt your helmet at him confused, “What do you mean? Aren’t we leaving?” your voice comes out through the modulator of your helmet in a higher frequency than your natural voice, distorting it, making it sound tinny and strange. It always takes a minute to get used to it when you first put it back on.

“We?” He tilts his helmet back at you. 

“Uh? Yeah...didn’t you say you had one more bounty?” 

“Yes, but I don’t ever remember saying I needed your help. I need you to stay on the ship, watch the kid.” He notions over to Grogu still buckled in his seat, watching your conversation intently. 

“What? Ohhhh no! No way! I’m a bounty hunter not a fucking babysitter! You can’t surprise me with a pit stop, then expect me to watch your kid while you fuck off to do whatever. Give me your puck, I’ll go get the quarry, and you can watch your own child.” You hold out your hand expectantly for his bounty puck, but he doesn’t move. 

“You’re not doing my job for me. I’m not splitting anymore bounties with you. Watch the kid, make sure he stays safe.” He leans down and unbuckles the child, handing him to you, but you don't take him.

“We’ll get this over with faster if we both go, I don’t want to be on this shithole longer than we need to. He’ll be okay by himself for a little while, won't he? That’s what you would have done if I wasn't here isn't it?”  You cross your arms over your armored chest. How dare he? Make a surprise pitstop so he can run errands and just expect you to watch his kid for him without even asking you first. He’s still holding out the baby for you to take, like an idiot. 

“This planet isn’t safe and this quarry is dangerous. He’s an escaped convict and has been evading hunters for far too long. I’m not risking it. Stay on the ship, watch the child, or you can find your own ride.” he takes a step forward pushing the child into your arms, and this time you reluctantly take him. Not that you have much of a choice in the matter. Oh but the child is thrilled, babbling happily and reaching up to pap the edges of your helmet.

“Whatever asshole,” you hiss out, “just make it quick.” And with a nod, he turns and heads out. Maker, he is absolutely insufferable. Maybe you should just steal his ship and head off to Nevarro without him. Cash in his bounties, and leave him stranded. You chuckle to yourself at the thought of that shiny dumbass returning to find his ship is gone. You imagine he would panic, what an idiot he would feel like realizing you got the best of him. You’re snapped out of your daydream by the kid squealing at you excitedly as he lightly taps your helmet with his tiny hands. You can’t help but smile down at him under your helmet and offer your finger for him to hold. 

You realize, suddenly, what an actual dumbass that shiny wall of metal actually is. You 100% could steal his ship, and his quarries, but also his son. He’s trusting you with his child, after only having just met you the day before. You’re a bounty hunter, that fact alone makes you inherently untrustworthy. Let alone the fact that you’re wearing beskar armor. Armor which according to him belongs more to him than it does to you. What in the galaxy was he thinking? You look down at sweet little Grogu in your arms. If this was your child, you would rip apart the whole galaxy to find him if he ever went missing. You would reign war on anyone who dared touch him. There's no way you would dare to ever bring harm to any child--let alone this one. What an idiot...he got lucky this time. 

“Alright you little bean,” you move the child to your hip and make your way out of the cockpit to the ship's hull, “What should we do while we wait for your idiot dad to get back, hmm?” You boop his little nose gently with your finger and he giggles at you, grabbing onto your hand with his tiny fingers. “Lets see…,” you look around the hull for some toys or something--anything remotely looking like it belongs to the kid, but...there's nothing. In fact, if it weren’t for the child cooing on your hip, you wouldn’t know a baby lived on this ship at all. 

“Weird...where are you toys, little bug?” You cock your helmet at him, then decide to set him down on the ground. Maybe he knows where they are, and will help himself. When you set him down though, he just stands there at your feet, staring up at you with the biggest smile on his face, his little hand holding onto the side of your boot. Kriff, this kid is cute. “Alright buddy, we can look together. Lets go!” 

You start searching through the crates scattered about the hull. There's a lot of...junk? Some of it is important: Spare parts, tools, that kind of thing. You can’t even tell what some of this stuff is though, why the hell did he have so much junk on this ship? And better yet, why was there nothing for the baby? You search through everything, the child happily running around while you toss things around to search. There's nothing. A pit forms in your stomach, did this child really have no toys? What on earth was that mandalorian thinking? You’ll have to bring it up with him when he gets back. If it weren’t for the fact you were on kriffing Corellia, you would have taken the child to a market yourself and gotten him anything he wanted. 

You realize it's probably not on purpose. He was a mandalorian after all. If what the mandalorian you once knew told you was true, then the stranger mandalorian you met yesterday probably didn't have much of a childhood of his own. Mandalorians aren’t raised as children, they're raised as warriors. As if they came out of the womb with daggers for teeth. They're raised to be fierce and aggressive, for the whole galaxy to fear. You look down to the child happily clanking away with some tools on the floor, he’s so precious. He deserves more than that. This child is no mandalorian, in the same way you aren’t. You’ll definitely have a discussion with his father about it, nothing can change your mind now. 

You scoop him up in your arms and swing him up, lifting him into the air, and he squeals loudly at the sudden movement. His squealing turns into bursts of uncontrollable laughter while you swing him down and back up again, making a dramatic “Woosh!” through your helmet. He fails his arms up like he's on a rollercoaster, and you can't help but let out a chuckle and squeeze him back into your chest. Maker, he's so precious. You plant him on your hip and begin dancing with him, holding his little hand with yours, opposite to the one holding him on your hip as you waltz around the hull dramatically. His laughter is absolutely contagious, the both of you giggling while spinning around the hull like fools. You get carried away, and get a bit dizzy, having completely forgotten about your head injury. You trip over your own heels and fall unceremoniously straight onto your ass with an ‘oof’. You had made sure to fall in a way that wouldn't hurt the baby, but you immediately check on him first to make sure he’s uninjured.

“Oh shit, little bug, are you alright?” You hold him out in front of you, to get a better look. He seems surprised at first, but then breaks out into the biggest, most heart melting grin, and starts squealing and giggling happily like you falling was the best thing he has ever seen. His smile makes your heart swell warmly in your chest. It almost hurts how cute he is. You chuckle out lightly back at him, then collapse the rest of the way on the floor, Grogu sitting happily on your chest.

He crawls up and peers deep into your visor, while your head is resting on the floor. His little hands resting on the hollows of your helmet’s cheeks. You smile at him. You completely forgot you had it on. You lift your head slightly, and gently pull it off for him, setting it next to the both of you. His smile only grows wider, something you didn't think was possible, and he presses his hands to your now exposed cheeks. He must find you fascinating, the way his tiny hands explore every part of your face. He touches your lips and your eyes, seeming to love how you squeeze them tight with his uncomfortable pokes, he touches your eyebrows and the hair falling around your face, he grabs onto your nose, and you gasp dramatically, just to get a reaction out of him, before you're both giggling again. 

This child deserves nothing but the best, you think to yourself as he nuzzles into your neck. You bring a hand up to gently stroke the top of his fuzzy head, your other coming up to tweak those big ol’ ears. His little body is so warm, you can feel his tiny heart beat against yours as your snuggles into you. You don’t yet know how the mandalorian came upon this child, but you understand why he took him in. How could anyone resist those big bug eyes, or his expressive ears, or his wrinkly green skin, soft as a peach. You’re kind of glad you got stuck as the babysitter today. 

You turn to look at the helmet resting next to you on the floor, and you feel an ache in your chest when it hits you. This is the most you’ve smiled since he left you. You can’t even remember the last time you laughed, a real laugh, since he left you, alone. You’ve been nonstop on the move trying to distract yourself after he passed. Taking bounty after bounty never stopping to rest. The baby squirms a bit in your arms, and you pull him closer to you, squeezing him ever so lightly. You push away your sad thoughts as you press your face to the top of his fuzzy head and take a deep breath. Savoring the moment with this precious child. 

------------------------------

You should have appreciated that moment more while it was happening. You had no idea how much of an actual nightmare this child could be. He was running you ragged, you couldn’t keep your eyes off him for two seconds without him trying to either break out of the ship, or getting into trouble somewhere on it. At one point he even snuck behind the control panel and was hiding in the wires, poking at things he definitely shouldn’t be. It took you a full hour to coax him out of there, terrified the whole time he was going to electrocute himself, and you would have to explain yourself to his beskar adorning father. Whatever precious being you thought he was earlier? Long gone. Grogu was a monster, a demon in disguise. The most terrifying creature in the galaxy.

“What do you have?” you call out to him, when you notice he has something he probably shouldn't in his hands. He breaks into a full on sprint, running to hide from you, popping whatever it was into his mouth. “NO!” You yell so loud as you launch yourself at him and tackle him reaching in his little mouth to grab a piece of--you don’t even know what--and take it away. He struggles against your grip and takes off again hiding somewhere in the hull. You spend the next 30 minutes, at least, looking for him. The worst game of hide and seek imaginable.

Now, he's wailing, screaming out in a shrill, terrible cry in your arms. Maker, if you didn't know any better you would think he was dying. As much as you were judging the mandalorian’s parenting earlier, you admit, you have no clue what you're doing. You’re a bounty hunter, you don’t know how to care for a child--a baby! You’re bouncing him helplessly in your arms, shushing him lightly, “It’s okay little bean, everything is okay shh...it's alright…” but it's not working. If anything he's crying even harder now in your arms. Maker, you're at your wits end. You’re exhausted, and so sore. You thought you hurt when you first woke up? Oh boy, nothing could have prepared you for how you feel now after running around after this child all day. His screeching is only making your head pound harder than it already was. You sigh raggedly and slump to the floor in the corner of the hull next to where your things are still laying, Grogu still wailing in your arms. 

You tiredly turn your head to look in the direction of your bags. What could you possibly want? What can you do to help him? Maybe you just have to wait it out...wait a minute--wait! He's probably hungry! Oh maker, how did you not realize it sooner? Neither of you have eaten all day. You quickly start digging through your things with one arm, Grogu sobbing helplessly in your other. You’re a fool, you could have saved you both so much suffering. You find what you brought of your rations as quickly as you can. The baby’s crying immediately settles down to a couple weak hiccups and sniffles when he hears the wrapper of a ration bar in your hand. 

You settle him down gentle in your lap, facing him forward so he can lean back against you. He reaches his little hands out impatiently while you unwrap the ration bar for him, “hang on little bug, it’s coming. I'm sorry you're probably so hungry…” you finish unwrapping it and break off a piece to give to him, and he swallows the whole piece immediately. “Whoa little guy, don’t eat too fast, take it easy.” you let out a laugh as you break off another, smaller, piece and feed it to him. You take a bite for yourself too. You don’t have much of an appetite to be honest. You’re not sure if it's because you're so sore from the crash or what, but you make sure you eat anyway. 

He eats 2 whole ration bars himself, it's pretty impressive. As soon as he was done eating, he turned around facing you and reached up with his little grabby hands to be held. When you held him in your arms, he almost immediately fell asleep. Nap time, thank the maker. You stand ever so carefully as to not wake him, and head to the little alcove on the other side of the hull. You assume this is where the mandalorian sleeps, you wouldn’t think it's big enough for a man of his size, but the pillows and blankets lining it tell you otherwise. There's a hammock on the inside, you assume that's for the baby, it's perfectly his size. You set him in it and wrap him tightly in his blanket. You let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him sleeping peacefully, instead of reigning anymore terror on you and the ship. He was probably acting up because he missed his dad. You stroke his little head gently a couple times with your thumb, he's back to being the most precious creature in the universe. You press a button on the wall besides the alcove and a metal door slides down enclosing the peacefully sleeping baby so he won’t be disturbed. 

You stretch your arms over your head, then twist your waist to let out some of the tension. You feel like you got absolutely steam rolled. You decide to head to the fresher, just to splash some water on your face, something, anything to help with the utter exhaustion your feeling. When you step in, you’re surprised just how small it is. It's cramped in here for sure. You sigh as you lean over the sink, your arms barely managing to support your weight as you lean into it. When you look in the mirror you're shocked at your own reflection staring back at you. You’re a mess. You have a huge bruise across the left side of your face, which must have been from when you hit your head on the console yesterday. You didn’t even realize how tender it was because of how much pain you're in altogether. Your fingers brush over your swollen cheek. Maker, your hair was a mess too. You pull it out of your ponytail and smooth it down the best you can. 

You glance at the miniscule shower next to you. The mandalorian wouldn’t mind right? Y'know what? Who gives a kriff! He's the one who made you babysit his child without warning, he owes you this shower. You leave the fresher momentarily to grab some fresh clothes, before returning and starting the water, filling the tiny fresher with steam. You begin the tedious task of removing all your armor. You’ve gotten much quicker at it, and with each piece of beskar you remove, you instantly feel relief, your body no longer having to support all that weight. 

You think back to the first couple times you put the armor on. You had the hardest time with it, all of the different fasteners and magnetic pieces, you couldn't figure out what went where. Not to mention everything was way too big on you, so you had to figure out a way to layer underneath it so it would fit. You looked so awkward the first few times while you went through trial and error, figuring out what worked for you and what didn’t. And taking it off? You don’t want to be reminded.

You’ve come so far since then, easily stripping down all your layers, your beskar now a pile on the fresher floor. You look back to yourself in the mirror, seeing all the dark purple and blue bruises lining your whole body. A clear ‘X’ across your chest from your seatbelt in the crash. You definitely took quite the beating. No wonder you were so sore. Stepping into the hot water was instant relief against your aching muscles, and you savored every minute of it. Nothing beats the feeling of hot water running through your hair. Maker, a shower has never felt so good. 

You make a point to get out quickly, in case the baby gets up. You definitely didn't want to, but you had to be practical. You dry off and change into new under clothes, before armorning back up fully, and exiting the fresher. You check on the baby, he's still sleeping soundly, so you close the door to the alcove again to allow him to finish napping. You grab your helmet off the floor where you left it and climb up to the cockpit, settling down in your respective seat. You hum as you lean back, you feel so much better. You’re tempted to get a nap in yourself, but you can’t. Not until the mandalorian comes back and you leave the surface of this planet. He was right when he said it wasn’t safe. Corellia was absolutely crime ridden, polluted, and dangerous. You dreaded coming here every time, but you know you’ll always have bounties to grab that will bring you back here. 

You really hope he doesn’t take too long grabbing this quarry. You’re not sure how long you can handle watching this child. Grogu was adorable, but after today you’re dreading the thought of being alone with him again for much longer. You groan remembering you chased a bounty for two weeks once--and how he mentioned this bounty was an expert evader. You shudder at the thought of being alone with this child for two weeks. No way, you wouldn't be able to handle it, you would be taking more from his cut of your bounty, it's not worth the 50/50 split at that point. Suddenly it dawns on you, you're paying this asshole five thousand credits to watch his kid for him! He should be paying you! 

“Asshole!” Your voice rings out through the cockpit, with no one but you to hear it. You’re glaring out the front window when you notice movement, you sit up straighter and peer out more intensely hoping for that shiny beskar to reveal itself through the trees, but it’s not him.

----

Oh the relief he feels when he sees your seemingly abandoned ship in the woods. “Thank the maker…” He breathes out to himself, then hurries up to it. He’s been stranded on Corellia far too long, he ended up here on complete accident and had no way off. He felt extremely lucky the underground gang rings on this planet were keeping the bounty hunters busy. 

He walks up and is surprised to find the ramp to the ship is already lowered, “hah, morons!” he chuckles to himself as he happily boards the mysterious and worn down ship. It's old, but as long as it can get him off this planet, he doesn't care. Should be easy enough to hotwire at least. A quick look around and he can see just how much junk is in here. Crates everywhere. “Jackpot…” he knows he can find some idiot to sell all of it to, and he’ll be walking away with not only a new ship, but a pocket full of credits too! 

Lost in his daydream of what he’s going to spend his future credits on, he heads up to the cockpit and sits in the pilot's seat, “alrighty...let’s see...how do I---” he’s cut off suddenly by the feeling of cold metal to the side of his head. He gulps audibly as the sound of your safety flicking off echoes through the cockpit. “l-listen--I….I don't want any trouble okay? I’m just--just trying to get a ride out of here...”

“Oh, you’ll be getting a ride out of here alright.” Your voice modulated and tinny as it runs through the highpass filter of your helmet. “You picked the wrong ship to board my friend…” Your voice lowers to a threatening level, “who are you?” 

“C-cadan Vamma...please...I’ll leave right now, no trouble! Like I wasn’t even here!” He turns his head slightly to look at you, his hands held up in surrender, and you allow it. The gasp he lets out at the sight of your visor fills you with satisfaction. He starts rambling in his panic, “L-look! I...I dont---I dont know how much they’re offering you--but--but I can...I-I can double it!” 

Suddenly you have an idea of what's going on here, was this the big bad bounty the mandalorian was hunting? The one he said was so dangerous? You want to laugh, but not with the quarry himself in front of you. “Get up.” You snap out at him and nudge him with your blaster. He immediately shoots up without hesitation, hands still out in front of him in surrender. 

You nudge him towards the exit to the cockpit, towards the hull, “move it!” You press your blaster into his back to encourage him forward, and he complies, easily. There's no way--nooo way this was the bounty the mandalorian was talking about earlier. This guy is a joke, trembling as he moves to the hull of the ship. You force him to make his way to the middle, right in front of the ramp. 

“Sit.” You command, blaster still at his back. He complies without any hesitation, it makes you smile under your helmet. This was easy, you could do this anyday. You stand next to him and stare down at him, squaring your shoulders to try and seem as imposing as you can. He stares into your visor, absolute fear written all over his face. You don't even have to try, you almost feel bad for him. You grab a pair of cuffs from your belt and toss them down at his feet, “put those on.” You can’t help but smile under your helmet as he does. His trembling hands struggling to do so. You take a seat across from him, not moving your visor off him for a second. Simply to mess with him. You know he won’t run, but you’re having fun making him squirm under your stare. 

“Uh...what--uhh...so what now?” He has no idea what your plan is, why you haven't thrown him in carbonite yet is an absolute mystery to him. 

“Shut it.” 

“O-okay no problem.” 

You both sit there in absolute silence. You don’t move the gaze of your visor off him, and he’s trying to look anywhere but. Lets see how long it takes that moron of a mandalorian to get back here.

“Can I use the fresher? I haven’t gone since earlier today and let me tell you--” “I said,” you tilt your helmet and point your blaster back at him, “Shut it.” 

You both hear footsteps come up the ramp, then halt suddenly right at the entrance, and you see Cadan’s eyes widen in horror. You finally break your gaze from the quarry, “ahh finally you made it back.” you quip at the armored man towering at the entrance. You see the shiny mandalorian just staring at the quarry, sitting in the middle of his ship, cuffed, and you can tell he's confused. His visor snaps to you, and you nod to confirm. That's the bounty he's been looking for all day, waiting for him at his ship. You almost wish he could see the shit eating grin on your face right now. This whole scene is hilarious. 

“Guess I didn’t have to come with you after all!” You shrug 

Cadan finally shakes from his horror, “They sent not one, but TWO mandalorians after me? For some petty property theft? Is this a joke?” 

You lean back from where you’re sitting on the floor, relaxing your whole stance. Oh this just keeps getting better. “Oh man, property theft huh? One hell of a criminal.” You’re not even looking at Cadan, instead you’re tilting your helmet mockingly at the mandalorian in the doorway with your words. He just stares back at you in silence. Oh he's mad, you realize. Doesn’t like being mocked in front of his bounty apparently. You can't help the light chuckle that escapes you for just a second. 

The quarry snaps his gaze to you when he hears you, “Are you--are you laughing at me?!” He seems beyond offended, and that makes you want to laugh more. The mandalorian suddenly strides over to the quarry and lifts him roughly by the collar. “H-hey! Hey! Okay come on now--you don't gotta be like that--we can work out a deal or something?” The armored man says nothing as he walks Cadan to the carbonite chamber.

“I don’t bargain with quarry.”  He spits out finally through the modulator of his helmet as he hits the button, filling the carbonite chamber with gas, freezing Cadan Vamma in a permanent state of fear. Now you laugh, like really laugh. You can’t help it. 

“So that was your super dangerous bounty? The one you’ve been hunting all day for? The one who just wandered onto the ship like a moron?” 

“Where's the kid?” He’s clearly not finding this as hilarious as you are, which only makes it better. 

“He's sleeping.” You nod towards the alcove, “Don’t wake him, he's been a nightmare.”

“Figured he would be.” and with that he's making his way up to the cockpit, closing the ramp behind him. You decide to follow him up after a moment, you have to relish in this a little longer. 

By the time you make it up he's already sitting in his seat, and you bounce over to sit next to him. Oh you are in a fantastic mood now. You pull off your helmet and take a deep breath in, you turn to look at him only to find he's already looking at you. 

“What? Sorry, did I embarrass you too much in front of the bounty?” you tease lightly, but he just looks away from you and back to the control panel in front of him, already starting up the engine, saying nothing in return. 

“Aww,” your tone only growing in its mocking nature, “Got nothing to say big guy?” 

“Nope.” 

“Ooo...,” You pretend to wince at his short response, “I must have really embarrassed you then,” and you can't help but laugh a loud hearty laugh. What a fool you made of him back there. “Escaped convict,” you continue to chuckle to yourself, “Evading hunters for for too long,” you mock and continue to snicker. 

“You done?” He finally turns his visor to you, and you can’t help the shit eating grin still smack dab across your face. 

“Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud, shiny!” He deserves to be kicked down a couple pegs, it's what he gets for being such an asshole earlier. He just shakes his head with a distorted, modulated sigh, and continues takeoff. 

The two of you sit in silence while you break through the atmosphere and into the familiar darkness of space. He sets the autopilot, punching the coordinates for Nevarro into the nav comp, before standing and making his way out of the cockpit. You take the moment alone to get comfortable, slouching in your seat, pulling your knees up and resting them against the dashboard. You pull your helmet in close to your chest and take a deep breath in, gazing out at all the stars. The sight still takes your breath away. 

You thought by now you would be used to it, but you couldn’t have been more wrong. Everytime you see the beauty of starlight surrounding you, you fall more and more in love with the sight of it. And now, the stars hold a whole new meaning for you, every single one of them, the sight of them clustered and beautifly scattered around, the sight of them blurring past you in hyperspace, no matter where or how they looked, they all remind you of him. You let your mind drift off to a memory, the first time he whisked you off in his ship and through the atmosphere of your home planet.

*** You squeezed your hands to the arm rests of your seat as you ascended through the atmosphere, clenching your jaw tight. Maker, you were absolutely terrified. You hear his laugh cut through the roaring engine of the ship as he catches sight of just how scared you are. You want to yell at him, be angry with him, how could he be laughing at you right now? But you can't, Your stomach is in knots, and your grip tightens on the seat. You’re too scared right now to form any sort of retaliation at him. The rattling of the ship is so forien to you as it rushes to break through the planet's gravitational pull and into space.

“Relax, sweetheart!” He looks back to you for just a second, touching his hand to yours, which is still desperately gripping the armrest for dear life. “Don’t you trust me?” 

“Not really!” You admit, your voice coming out as just a squeak through your tight lungs. You swear you haven’t breathed since the ship left the surface. He lets out another hearty laugh at your honesty, turning his attention back to his flying. 

You get the feeling he can definitely fly smoother than this, he must be showing off, trying to impress you. It’s not working. You clamp your eyes shut, not being able to keep them open while the ship rushes into space.

Suddenly though, the whole ship settles, relaxes, and everything is calm, you can barely feel the ship moving anymore. The engine beneath you now reduced down to a low hum. You open your eyes and--

“Maker!” You gasp out, lifting out of your seat as much as you can with your seatbelt on. The sight that hits your eyes through the cockpit window is unlike anything you have ever seen. The faint twinkling of thousands of stars stretching over and painting the darkness of space in front of you. You’ve never seen anything more beautiful, it swells in your chest, and you feel tears begin to well up behind your eyes. You’re barely breathing, but for a whole different reason now. 

“You like it?” His voice is so soft, barely above a murmur, as he stares longingly at you. The way you’re totally mesmerized by it fills his heart in such a special way, a way he doesn't quite have a word for yet. You can’t even respond, you’re so blown away by the beauty in front of you, unable to find words to describe the stunning sight in front of you. He turns completely towards you and carefully takes your hand in his.

“This is-- I…” You reluctantly take your eyes off the view from the cockpit window, and into his visor, “I’ve never-- It’s...it’s beautiful…” You wistfully stare back out the window unable to focus on anything else. You want to soak it all in, commit every single star to memory, and store it away so you can dream of them every night. 

“Not nearly as beautiful as you, cyar’ika…” He squeezes your hand lightly, taking in every detail of you, in the same way you are the stars. You can’t help but break your gaze to look back at him again. Hearing the endearing term in his mother tongue never fails to make your heart race. He just continues to stare at you, visor tilted, while he gingerly runs his thumb over your knuckles. 

“Pick one.” He nods out to the sea of stars before you.

“Huh?” You once again look to the stars, “What do you mean, pick one?” 

“Any one of them,” he scoots to the edge of his seat and grabs your other hand in his free one, leaning closer to you, “Just point, point to any of them, and that's where I’ll take you.” There's a sort of excitement in his voice, some kind of...something you can’t quite place.

“I...What are you saying?” You can't help but laugh lightly at how ridiculous he’s being. Suddenly he stands from his seat, unbuckles your seatbelt and pulls you up with him. He walks you up so the both of you are pressed against the control panel, as close to the front of the ship as you can possibly be. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you in close, squeezing you to his chest, and turning to the side so you can still admire the view with him. 

“Come with me, mesh’la.” He leans forward resting the front of his helmet to the top of your head. You look up at him, surprised, not quite understanding. “Come with me, and I will take you anywhere you want to go.” He rests a finger under your chin to pull your gaze even farther into his, “Come with me, and these stars will be yours to look at every single day. Let me take you to see every single one of them, until you can’t bear to look at another star ever again.” He pauses to take a deep breath, spilling his heart out to you is making him breathless, “I want to show you every planet, every moon, I want to show you the most beautiful things this galaxy has to offer…I want to travel the galaxy with you by my side, mesh’la. No one else.” He slides a hand up to cup your cheek, stroking his thumb gently over it. 

You feel like you’re shaking, your tears are threatening to spill out any second at the beautiful confession laid out before you. Your words are stuck in your throat, you can’t respond. You just stare wide eyed into his visor, your heart practically beating out of your chest. You can’t say anything, your words caught in your throat. “Will you come with me?” His voice is so quiet, so caring, so genuine. He tilts his helmet slightly and touches it gently to your forehead, and you close your eyes at the gesture, wanting to soak it all in.

You pull away from him just enough that you can turn back towards the window of the cockpit in front of you. He’s confused, his hands holding onto your waist as you take a moment to stare out at the vast amount of stars in front of you. You can feel him nervously grip you the longer you stare out without saying anything, worried you might reject him, but then you shoot your arm out and point out the window, taking him by surprise, “That one.” It’s truly all you can manage, and you hope he understands. You know he does, when he steps behind you and leans his helmet to your level, right next to your ear.

“That one? Are you sure?” His voice is barely above a whisper at this point, but you can still hear the smile in his voice.

“I’m sure,” You turn your head to smile at him, “that's the one.” 

***

You’re suddenly sucked back to the present when you hear the mandalorian make his way up the ladder of the cockpit, Grugo tucked in the bend of one of his arms. You lower your knees and sit up in your seat, as he lowers into his, setting the sleepy baby in his lap. 

“You woke him?” You question. Doesn’t he realize what hell you went through to get him to sleep? “He was fussing when I got out of the fresher.” He gently strokes Grogu’s wrinkly green skin with his thumb and you can’t help but smile. “He missed you.” You tilt your head and boop the baby gently in the nose. He’s so sleepy he barely reacts. Back to being the most precious creature in the galaxy. “Oh yeah, that reminds me!” The mandalorian turns his attention to you, so you continue, “Please tell me I just wasn’t looking hard enough and you have some toys for this child.” You give a firm glare to the visor. 

The armored man just reaches out and unscrews a metal ball from the top of a lever on the control panel, “He likes this.” The baby immediately coos and sleepily reaches out for it as the mandalorian drops it into his tiny hands. He...he can’t be serious? 

“I...you’re joking right? That's not a toy! That's a hunk of metal!” you groan exasperatedly and run a hand through your hair, trying to keep your cool. For someone so shiny, he was pretty damn dim in the head. “As soon as we get to Nevarro, I’m getting this kid some toys, and it’s coming out of your half of the cut!” You point at him sternly. “Stars, you really don’t know what you're doing do you? He’s a baby! He probably wouldn't act out so much if he had something to do!” The mandalorian doesn't say anything, just watches the baby in his arms while he sleepily plays with the smooth metal ball in his hands. You aren’t sure why you were expecting more of an argument from him, but maybe you were right. You get the feeling this mandalorian truly had no idea what he was doing at all, just trying his best to take care of the baby, alone, the best he could, while turning in just enough bounties to get by. It must be hard for him. It was hard enough for you all alone, you can only imagine how much harder it is with a child to care for. 

“How’d you find him?” Your tone has softened significantly. As much as you don’t like this guy, you feel for his situation.

“He was my bounty.” He only lifts his gaze to you when you audibly choke on air, nearly shooting out of your seat. 

“He what?!” You don’t mean to shout that loud, but that was definitely not the answer you were expecting. 

“I turned him in, but I had to go back for him. Didn’t feel right. We had the whole guild after us for a while. I couldn’t let them bring any harm to him.” There's a certain softness in his voice that you haven't heard from him before. “So I took him in, a foundling, just as I once was, until I can get him back to his kind.” 

“You’re a foundling?” The question came out quicker than you meant it to. You aren’t super familiar with mandalorian culture, but you know some, and the concept of a foundling was one you knew. Mandalorians that are adopted, rather than born into the culture. Orphans, picked up and adopted by mandalorians and raised as their own. The shiny wall of beskar next to you only nods before returning his attention to the child. The baby is barely able to keep his head up, using all of his remaining willpower to clutch the metal ball between his hands as he nods off. 

“Looks like it's time for someone to go back to bed,” you reach out gently stroking the child's cheek with the back of your finger. The mandalorian slowly stands, careful not to disturb him, and starts to make his way out of the cockpit. 

“We have a ways to go before we make it to Nevarro. You should get some rest.” He calls out to you before descending the ladder to the hull.

“You too, shiny!” You return, but don’t get a response. You shift in your seat to get comfortable, resting your head on your shoulder as you bring your knees back up to where they were earlier. You hold your helmet on your hands and peer into the visor, letting the familiar gaze comfort you with old memories, until you drift to sleep.

*** Previous - MASTER - Next 

[shyvioletcat]

Alright. We have a firefight au, @westofmoon has the police au covered, I feel like you should write an emt au/er au. Except Aelin is the medical professional and Rowan has all these suspicious injuries. Except they’re not suspicious, he’s just a klutz. Or something

Ok ok I think I got something *excited noises*

~~~~~

Aelin didn’t mind being the attending ER doctor, it kept the job interesting in the small country hospital she worked in. Not that there wasn’t a fair share of accidents, babies and other injuries, there were, although it was definitely quieter than it has been in Rifthold. Just after a messy break up a job had come up in Mistward, a small town bang smack on the border of Wendlyn and Doranelle, Aelin had given up her residency and taken it. She wanted out of the city and this was the perfect excuse.

What she hadn’t really factored in was the loneliness that crept in after the pain of the break up faded away. That’s why she liked to keep busy. If that meant working the ER almost continuously, she’d take it.

Especially when a certain local was quite a frequent visitor. His name was Rowan Whitethorn. She knew that from the amount of times she had to attend to him, the nurse handing her a clipboard with his information on it. Like she knew he had a slight aspirin allergy, his birthday was November 27th, he was 28 years old and was 6′4. He was also one of the hottest people Aelin had ever encountered in her life.

He owned a ranch a little ways out of town, and he had a penchant for taking in animals that no one else wanted. But that also ended up biting, kicking or mauling him a little.

So when Rowan walked in this evening with a bloody tea towel wrapped around his forearm the first thing Aelin asked was, “Who was it this time?”

Rowan gave her a half smile. “It was Reggie.”

Ah, Reggie the horse who delighted in ripping the flesh of humans.

Rowan sat on the gurney and peeled back the tea towel and Aelin let out an impressed sound.

“He really got you good this time,” Aelin said. “What did you do?”

“Change his water,” Rowan said as he winced.

“I think you’ll need a few stitches,” Aelin said as she looked the wound over.

“I know that’s why I came in.”

“It wasn’t to see my pretty face?” Aelin said as she started to disinfect the wound. Rowan swore as it stung and Aelin tisked. “Don’t be soft.”

Rowan chuckled. “I’m far from soft.”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Aelin said as she wiped the blood on his skin away. That was an outright lie. Truthfully there was was nothing soft about Rowan. He was made from solid muscle as far as she could tell from all the times she examined him. One time he’d fallen from from a ladder and grazed the back of his shoulder pretty badly. Her mouth had gone dry at the sight of his ridiculously toned and sculpted torso. She tried to clear her head of the image and she injected a mild anaesthetic near the wound so she could give the stitches.

“I’ll be right back,” Aelin said as she left to get what she needed.

It only took her a few moments then she was back, finding Rowan frowning at his arm. Aelin pulled over a table and a stool to keep both Rowan and herself steady.

“Maybe it’s time for Reggie to go somewhere where he won’t try to kill you,” Aelin mused before slipping the needle into his skin.

“He’s just misunderstood,” Rowan said.

Aelin suppressed her snort. There was no need to mess up her stitches, they were a work of art and thanks to that Rowan should have minimal scarring.

“It’s an added bonus,” Rowan said as Aelin started to wrap a bandage around to stitches to protect them.

“What is?” Aelin asked but Rowan didn’t answer until she looked up at him.

“Seeing your pretty face.”

~~~~~

Tags:

@fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @galyxsy // @tangledraysofsunshine // @highqueenofelfhame // @3am-reading // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @aelinfire-bringer // @nalgenewhore // @highladyofthesith // @http-itsrebecca // @sleep-and-books // @average-girl-at-best // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @sleeping-and-books // @ttakeitbacknoww // @armixers-unite // @mariamuses // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts // @princess-galathynius // @heroesofterrasen // @ladyofstoriesandmusic // @empire-of-wildfire // @camerooonchiu // @crackedship //  @lowhangingtreebranches // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows // @thesirenwashere // @tswaney17 // @impossiblescissorspeachpaper // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @flowerspringsea // @chaoticskyy // @the-regal-warrior // @fanfictrash3000 // @blueeyes425 // @starseternalnighttriumphant // @bamchickawowow // @thehuntressofmoon // @giorgia-the-trashpanda //

[modestlyabsurd]

Survival Pt. 3 (Loki x Reader)

So far, a few things have been discovered through your Asgardian-Jötun defense training: for one, Loki is literally a soldier. Well actually, a warrior. He's a goddamn fighting machine. For some odd reason that has never crossed your mind. With the privilege of guns and bows and knives, exactly how skilled he is in hand-to-hand combat has never really come into play.

The second thing you've learned is just how unskilled you are in hand-to-hand combat.

It's embarrassing when you think about it. Of course, thinking about it is what got you knocked down with a blade to your throat probably eight out of ten times. Oh yeah, Loki wasn't fucking around. He showed you a few things. Without any weapons, you're shit.

You shudder to think what you'd be without him. Dead? No, probably worse. In a lot of ways.

He lay, after finally giving in to slumber a few hours ago, under a pink mildewy comforter on the mattress. He'd trained you all night and well into the morning. Gone was the bright springy sun from yesterday, and in its place was a grayish blue sky covered in fish-scale clouds. That's always a sign of a cold front, but damn, how could it get any colder? Surely some sort of solar collapse would take place if it did. Regardless, that meant problems.

The physical training had not been the best thing for Loki to do. He won't admit it because he's as stubborn as a jackass. But he's hungry.

Despite feeling the effects of not sleeping much after taking the Advil, you got up at daybreak when the light came in the kitchen window and reviewed your stocks. You already know it's bad but that doesn't matter; Loki's gonna eat today even if you have to force feed him.

Not that you could possibly restrain him long enough to do so. Not that you could restrain him at all ... God, you're sore from training with a famished person. It was nice, though.

Loki had already replaced the food into your backpacks, but he left the notepad open on the counter with them. At first you struggle to read his ridiculously pretty, loopy cursive handwriting. It's prettier than your grandma's.

18.2.2020

x1 tinned pineapple

x2 tinned tuna fish (cat food)

x1 handisnacks cheese and crackers (what?)

x1 smashed cereal bar

a bit of peanut butter.

We MUST find more.

~L

"Well no shit, Sherlock," you mumble.

The logical option is obvious. You dig into your backpack and find the cans of tuna, as Loki begins to stir in his sleep. Green eyes shine from across the room and long arms emerge from the blanket like butterfly wings. You can't help but grin a little.

He groans upon seeing you. "Good morning."

"Morning. Nice hair."

"Mm, yes. The morning after look suits you nicely as well," he murmurs. Damn your burning face.

"You wish."

Loki sits upright and slowly stands up, looking around the heart of this small house. As if it didn't look bad enough, it became sparring grounds last night. Everything was fine - until he decided to reverse the roles and let you practice a bit. Scattered glass from broken artwork, a dented kitchen cabinet, and now one of the floor boards is bowing up. Loki smiles, remembering that last take-down of yours and feeling something come loose beneath him.

You'd thought you broke one of his bones, and he let you think it. His muscles cramping from laughter and nearly getting punched in the face established the end of your first training session.

The floors creak even louder now as he approaches you by the kitchen sink. He places a hand on your shoulder with pride. "You did well last night."

You scoff, "Tell that to my ass that got kicked."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," he encouraged, his voice not fully awake. "I'm no easy teacher. But you learn quickly. You just need a bit of patience, grasshopper." He booped your nose.

"Yeah, whatever," you try not to smile. "Oh, by the way, this is not cat food. It's real tuna and you're gonna eat it."

Loki visibly gets on the defense. "Are you ordering me?"

You notice the jab but remain composed. "Yeah, Mr. Prince of Asgard, I am."

"And if I refuse?"

"Don't worry, I have a plan."

He shrugs. "I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are! Would you stop lying?!" the slam of the can rings through the walls and makes Loki jump.

"I don't need - "

"What did we agree on?" you demand.

He purses his lips solemnly. "No lies. No lies between us."

"And you've been lying about this for a minute."

"I haven't!" he hisses. "I don't know what you're so worried about but it's senseless! I can take care of myself, my body is not the same as yours - I'm not human!" The harshness of his eyes, so literally and figuratively transparent, along with the gauntness of his cheeks unnerved a distant part of your mind.

"I think you're the one that's worried."

His slightly agape mouth sighs and his eyes blink in disbelief. The harshness melts away. He looks anywhere but in your face. You're so bloody perceptive. Normally it's quite helpful, and it's one of the things he likes about you. But not when you read him like a cheap, paperback novel.

"Loki, I don't wanna be mad. I don't want us to yell and scream at each other. Just ... be a good cat and eat the fucking tuna." You slide the can over to him, "For me."

He picks up the can with pale, deft fingers, looking it over deep in his thoughts. The only other person who knew him so well was Frigga. His hidden feelings. The right things to say. The code to crack his walls. How, especially in such a tumultuous world, does someone else know the same things? A human nonetheless. Of course, he knows if he thought about it too much he'd eventually figure out the answer.

He's not sure he wants to know the answer. At least for now. Maybe even for eternity.

Having gathered the will to look you in the eye, he notices your face painted with dirt. Your hair, growing over your eyes and nearing your shoulders. The rip at your jacket collar. The healing cut on your lip.

"It seems you possess patience already. What you lack is the ability to harness it."

Your eyes nearly pop out of your head. "Was this a test?!"

"It was," Loki chirps while opening the tuna can, "and you passed with excellence."

~

More training filled the rest of the morning easily. Amidst the physicality of sparring in life-and-death scenarios, Loki assessed your mentality as well. He sharpened your strengths, which grew the fastest in your fighting, and honed in on your weaknesses. Most, if not all, stemming from your emotions.

He went so far as to create illusions to test you. Only, you didn't realize they were illusions.

Whilst showing you one of the many ways to escape someone's grip without the help of a weapon, he mounted you with his knees pinning your shoulders. Your arms useless, your neck exposed to his silver dagger. The coldness of the blade was paralyzing.

"This feeling means you're not dead and you have time to act."

"Fuck, your breath reeks."

Loki nearly loses it all. "Focus, you sausage! You have to act fast!"

You try to move what little you can when suddenly the weight holding you down is thrown to the floor. A man has Loki down and connects with a few punches before you can launch to your feet. The dagger was dropped in the struggle so you grab it and drive it through the stranger's neck, only to lose balance and nearly fall. Your hand went through air.

The man was air?!

Someone seizes your mishap from behind and wraps their arms around your throat. You distantly hear Loki scream your name before the feeling of cold, hard metal presses against your skull.

"Whatever you've got, give it!"

Once your vision focuses you see Loki, his hands above his head, begging. "Let her go. Please."

"Now!"

"We don't have anything!"

"The backpacks! Get 'em! Empty everything out!"

Loki keeps looking at you, as if he's begging you to do something. Then you remember the dagger you're clutching in your hand.

You swing toward the stranger's head. Again, your arm goes through air, but at last you're free. Frantically you look around to find where the air people are coming in. Before you pass Loki, he haults you.

"Come on! We gotta stop them - "

"Easy, darling, easy," he coos, "it's alright. There's no one here."

"But they, they are! They were here ... "

"Shhh," he grips your shoulders down to your triceps, looking deeply into your eyes. Instantly calming you down. "It's alright, darling. It was all an illusion. We're safe."

"Wh... Illusion..?" you ask breathlessly. The house is quiet. The wind howls outside. Everything begins to play out in your head again; how your hand kept going through the robbers. They weren't real. In one hand, you want to melt into Loki's embrace due to the draining withdrawal from raw fear.

But in the other hand is the dagger.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" you swing wildly, not aiming at anything but definitely aiming for something. Loki disarms you before you poke an eye out.

Many, many obscenities later and you're sitting on the mattress together discussing your strengths and weaknesses while cleaning your weapons.

"Your reflexes are a bit slow, but they're improving. Just when the fear is about to consume you beyond return, you recover, and you recover well. Your strikes are deadly. But that bit of time when your emotions dare to take over ... it could be enough time for anything to happen."

"Yeah, yeah. What's my grade?" you wipe the barrel of your rifle.

Loki laughs. "You've graduated from grasshopper to novice. Well done."

You smile at him.

Then, you hear it.

Far off, but approaching.

Your eyes dart toward the sound, then drift back to Loki staring back at you.

A herd.

Loki frowns, his brows furrowing above sorrowful green eyes.

"We have to move."

~

i aint fuckin around no more y'all. this is a motherfuckin Last of Us AU

tag list: @sydneyss-worlddd @afinedilemma @fire-in-her-veinz @belladonnabarnes @drakesfiance @internetgremlin @dragon-chica @triggeredpossum @tarynkauai

[nessiancalore]

Nessian one-shot (again bc,why not)

it supposed to be when things are "already okay" once everything that's going to happen in ACOTAR4 happens basing the fact that they would still not be together (yes, my mind went far lol)

hope you don't mind if there's any grammatical errors, English is not my first language.

let's go.

-----------

Nesta

Nesta hated waking up so early. But even if she didn't have to, Cassian did. And he was not quiet when he made those gross breakfasts of his. Thankfully she learned one thing or two about cooking because relying on him to eat would be impossible.

They've been living in this house, rhysand's mother house, for quite a while, and things were better now.After all she faced this past few months, she was now in recovery, and that included training. That she learned to like.

Her and Cassian became friends, of course they still had a few arguments but they decided to try no to for their own sake so...friends. But if there's one thing she could not put aside is the fact that she is attracted to him and that this irritates her.

In her particular morning training,that she asked him for it about a two months ago, when he appears shirtless, and once or twice when she caught him leaving the bathroom with nothing but a towel, the taught of taking that towel away was not easy to avoid.

It felt ridiculous consider that 'a problem' after all the actual problems she (and them) faced but now since things are "normal" — as they could be considering she's fae with powers in a illyrian camp, and when Feyre asked her to go back to Velaris she said no — she couldn't stop thinking about him.

He was the person that never stopped fighting for her sake, and he's good and a buzzard sometimes but he can be very sweet.

And Nesta hated to admit that to herself.

He hasn't stopped being....well... himself. With the "sweetheart" and the suggestions to "easy her tension" that he always did but... That was just him being him. She saw him doing to Morrigan too...But they had that kiss and that moment in her room, but gods that was so long ago.

All that made her very confuse.

Of course she saw him looking at her body too, he's not blind, and Nesta it is very beautiful but that's what most men, males, do...

So, now, there she was, going to training with the guy she...likes.

Because that's what it was, like a ridiculous teenager, Nesta had a crush.

Yes, to consider all the things he means to her and all they've been through, it's WAY more than that, but, let's go easy on the thinking about it so "I really really REALLY like him as a friend and have a... thing... for the other part" that was the best she could do so far is...lying to herself.

Cassian was teaching her a few blows which made both very sweat and a lot of contact between their bodies and before her mind suggested something stupid the female stepped away.

"Tired already sweetheart?"

"I'm not a fight machine, dumbass"

"Alright, let's take...three" he gave a cocky grin.

As she went to get water her shirt was so soaked, she was waiting a fight brasier and the illyrian females did it all the time so, Nesta took out her shirt, leaving her with the top and her illyrian fighting pants, mother they were comfortable.

-----------

Cassian

Was she trying to kill him?

Before, when she had lost that weight, Nesta was still beautiful, of course, but she was sick, and that make him look at her differently once he actually understood what was happening, but right now, she won muscles. She was healthy, almost shinning.

That beautiful body was even more beautiful, if that was possible.

And she just decides to take her shirt like that?!

It was only fare, he did it too..To see how sometimes she would give him a side look, that Nesta thought he wasn't noting, or walking around the house in his towel but still..

He has been keeping away after everything because they've became friends and ruining that would kill him. She's fine, she's healing and beside what he feels, she needs a friend and not a bastard bothering her.

Even though she said herself that he's important to her, she could have meant as friend.

So those shirtless things where just to irritate her, and see how it goals........

"Feeling hot in there Archeon?"

"... Let's just go back to training"

And they did, until she showed him a new move that Laurel, the female illyrian captain, taught her.

Basically trapping your opponent's waist between your legs and involve his neck with your arm, face down.

She did while he stopped to arrange his stripes so he was caught by surprise, and there he has.

In that position.

With a almost bare waist and very sweat Nesta.

-----------

Nesta

She was trying not to think about his body over hers.

The movement was really hard and she wanted to try, so the fae barely tought about the consequences.

"Nice move Archeon"

"So general, how does is feel to be — she tighted her legs around him — beating down by a Fae?"

"Oh If is a female I definitely don't mind"

He could see he wasn't trying to leave but was on alert, waiting for the moment.

So she did the one thing he was probably not expecting, let his head off, but not his waist.

And there he was, staring at her.

"I need you to teach me how to leave from this, Laurel never did"

"Do you really want to?", with a bedroom voice.

And he could be just kidding, if he having gave her that look.

"Why wouldn't I?", barely a whisper.

"I don't know.Why your legs still around me?"

"Why don't you free yourself?"

"You haven't answer my first question. Are these other ones just a distraction?"

"What you think?"

"Another question"

And just like back then, she knew exactly how to answer him.

But this time her hand went to the back of his neck and they've got so close they were sharing a breath.

"I don't want to"

And thank the mother he didn't either.

The kiss started slow, as if he was waiting for her to back away, definitely not what she thought he would do, and even if her heart melted with the gesture, this wasn't the time for cute so se open her mouth to him, to show him what she wanted.

-----------

Cassian

And thank the mother she wanted.

He passed his hands around her and brought her up to his lap, not even bothering where they were, who could come in.

This was Nesta and him only.

He kissed her so strong, once she let him, he thought she might step away, but there she was, spreading that beautiful neck of hers to the male.

He went slow again, for the memory, but once she made a sound, a low one, like it was meat only for him to hear, the male went strong and vicious.After a few minutes he learned a spot that made her moan louder and look at him.

And when those beautiful hands got to his shirt he taught Nesta was going to take it out but no, she shredded, and started to kiss his torso, his neck,his tattoo and it was his turn to make a sound.

-----------

Nesta

He tasted,right.

Everything about him, she wanted, she needed.

He started to kiss her breasts once she was done with his neck and her head went back. It didn't took much to him notice her look at the balcony on the wall behind them, he got up with her let's still around him, almost falling down, making they both laugh a little bit. But the laugh was over again once he learned her against that wall pulled into her mouth again, his tongue was circling hers and she felt his male part growing between her legs, and mother, she wanted.

Once she got to his belt, the fae gave him a look, a question, and he just grabbed her behind — it felt like his hands were meant to be there — and that was answer enough.

Nesta had undone the bottom but they still kept kissing, and he pulled her hair a little bit and she grrined while cursing.

Oh I'll show him how to provoke.

It was going hot, and great, she was about to pull it out from the balcony so that she could...play. But..

"Wait wait " When he pulled her face out, holding her by the neck, she still leaned, but his eyes were closed.

"Is... — gods she was breathless— something wrong?"

"No...shit" he, still eyes closed, placed his fourhead on hers "Rhys is— he gave a deep breath— here"

He called him by mind then.

"..Oh"

Cassian opened his eyes and instead of looking at her mouth of her body, he was looking at her eyes.

"What?"

"I have to go"

"Then..go"

"I don't want to"

"... Me neither" and maybe it was suprise she saw in him but she held his hands and lowered them down interlacing their fingers and kissed him slightly.

They stood like that for a few seconds and then...they laughed.

Maybe is was the almost... you know but... she could see he was blushing.

"So..."

"Yeah.." still laughing she placed her head in his shoulder for a few seconds as he leaned his head in hers.

"I should..."

"You should.." pulling back.

"I'm sorry to ruin your fun", he lifted one eyebrow to her and point down with his eyes.

Cocky son of bitch.

-----------

Cassian

She pulled herself out of the balcony and placed in front of him, wicked look in those beautiful eyes, and ripped out the rest of his shirt off of him.Went for the water and spread some in his hair.Went for his belt to closed again, eyes still in his as those hands slightly, and purposely, touched his warrior. And once he thought she was done the woman, THAT woman licked the water that felt in his lips.

"Now you're good" she whispered

Cassian was a second away from grabbing her and, devour wasn't a enough word for to it, when rhys called him again and he just gave her another kiss before leaving.

-----------

Nesta

And then she smiled.

I kinda like writing, even though I don't I'm actually good yet, but I'll get somewhere soon, hope you guys enjoy some nessian content

bye xoxo.

[bubble-booty-valkyrie]

So Emerald, I heard that your plan to get Broly to fuck you is by annoying him till he snaps and takes all his frustrations out on your fat ass. How did that work out for you?

One thing was for certain, Emerald had never worked so hard to get a stud in her life, but could you really blame her when Nora had described every jaw dropping detail about how he fucked her unconscious in just an hour? Every slut in this damn school was trying to find a way into his pants!

But this chocolate slut had a plan, and it was fool proof! Every single day she would make sure to rub agains him in the halls so he could feel every one of her best assets, whenever she could she would ‘accidentally’ drop something right in front of the massive mountain of muscle, bending at the waist to oh so slowly let her mini skirt raise up passed the curve of her massive, jiggly, cocoa colored cheeks and thong, giving him the perfect view of her ass that she knew would drive him crazy~

It didn’t stop there either, she would make sure to follow him to the gym each morning to practice all of her best moves exactly in his line of sight~ From stretching, to squats, to yoga, and of course, blasting music through her earphones and twerking her fat ass like she was getting paid to do it~! Emerald knew when she was getting to someone, and he had all the tells of a man holding himself back, right down to some very sext growls under his breath, and always looking just a bit meaner when she pulled off something extra slutty for him.

What the bubble booty slut never really noticed, however, was the way his eyes would shine a soft gold whenever she really got on his nerves.

Everything was going as planned, but Emerald was never really a patient slut, a patient thief yes, but she couldn’t hold herself back if it meant she was gonna get fucked by such a handsome stud. So at lunch time, Emerald made her move.

Broly sat down at the cafeteria table with a silent scowl while eating his meal, the many plates of food filling the entire table just to feed the massive beast of a young man. He was really starting to get annoyed with all the scantily clad women constantly getting in the way of him and his training, the long nights of waking up to a knock at his dorm room door just to find some women practically drooling while dressed in nothing but lingerie was getting old.

Broly was a red blooded, young, sexually active man. He wasn’t stupid. He knew what they wanted. And one of them had been going above and beyond to put her body in his face every chance she got. She had dark skin and green hair, and she had a butt so big that he couldn’t help but wonder where she got pants to fit her. Though, considering she barely wears anything but shorts that look like thongs and skirts that definitely couldn’t hide her ass, maybe she didn’t find clothes that fit her.

It didn’t matter, not when the only thing on his mind for the last week had been that thicc, round, jiggly ass she had. And that annoyed him to no end. He couldn’t train when all he was doing was imagining using her slutty body like he did Nora on the first day, the sounds she’d make when he finally-

“You don’t mind if I sit here, right~?” Emerald cut off the warriors thought as she cooed into his ear, plopping her massive, squishy, warm, cushy ass right into his lap like she belonged there, leaning back into his torso with her legs crossed. She was small, very small compared to him, maybe not like Neo or Nora, but she barely reached the man’s perfect pecks. With a little wiggle of her ass, Emerald got comfortable, loving the masculine scent of the massive man all around her, feeling his muscle tense and move like steel wires all coiled together. “A big guy like you, I bet you can’t even feel little ol’ me~”

With a smug grin, the dark-skinned beauty reached forward and plucked a piece of bacon off the man’s plate and gave it a nibble, slowly, sensually, firmly grinding and rubbing her massive bubble butt side to side in his lap. And holy shit, it felt like she was sitting on a wooden log~! Squished right between her cheeks, so close to her needy holes was her prize, and it was fucking huge~! She could feel every single throb and vein through his pants as she slowly built a rhythm up, hotdogging the massive beastly man through his clothes as he sat ramrod straight.

Emerald knew she finally had the man where she wanted him, he didn’t make a single noise as his cock grew even harder, practically doubling in size from his half hard state, and the chocolate slut could feel her own panties getting wet as it felt like if he got any harder he would lift her off his lap with his cock alone~! Gods, he was so fucking huge~!!

“What’s the matter Broly~? What’s this giant thing poking my butt~?” Emerald teased, leaning forward against the table so he could look down at her absolutely juicy, thicc, plump ass wiggling in his lap around his clothes covered cock. Maybe he wasn’t as in control as Nora said, either way, she was gonna get this cock inside her ass, today~! Eagerly twerking her ass up and down in his lap to really drive home why she was sitting there. “Already so hard~? Am I too much for y-”

Emerald stopped the moment she looked over her shoulder at the massive, silent, seething stud, her grin falling from her face as the man looked at her with a cold anger that was both chilling and hot as fuck at the same time. She noticed that his eyes changed color, something she didn’t know was something he could do, and, uh, did he look bigger..?

As his hair slowly grew a little wilder, his shoulders broadening, his muscles growing more and more pronounced, Emerald realized that she never actually knew what the massive man’s semblance was, but from the looks of things, she was about to find out.

It was only the sound of the man’s chair straining to hold his new mass that Emerald realized that the clothes covered cock in his pants had kept growing passed what she thought Nora had described, his usually baggy pants now strained from the massive, thick, scary spire tenting his pants and pressing hard between her cheeks. Emerald loved when men got angry with her, but even she had to admit that a furious Broly was something a bit more frightening then she thought it’d be.

Suddenly Emerald felt a lot more small and vulnerable when the man had seemingly stopped growing, his deep, masculine grunts and breaths showing just how hard he was holding himself back, even if his golden eyes showed off his animalistic needs.

“U-Um, sorry, maybe I got a bit carried awa-AH!” Emerald was trying to remove herself from the clearly angry man’s lap when she suddenly found herself bent over the cafeteria table with a giant hand pushing her face down against the surface, the massive mitt grabbing the back of her head and forcing her face down and her massive jiggly ass up high. It all happened so suddenly, quicker then she thought such a huge guy could move, the way he got up so fast that his seat was sent flying to the ground behind him as he stood up to his new massive height, a full head and shoulders taller then the already absolutely massive man usually was. A height that Emerald realized wasn’t just taller, but bigger in every way, including the man’s hot, thick, steel hard cock. “O-Okay, I’m sorry, I was just trying to have some fun~!”

The stud only replied with a deep, animalistic snarl as he eyed her massive, round, twin globes of wobbly chocolate ass with searing golden eyes. If this fucking slut wanted to get fucked so bad, the slut that was known around school to even him as a pain loving anal whore, who was he to deny her such a request? With another snarl, Broly ripped the chocolate beauties panties and skirt off her body like tissue paper, throwing the ripped cloth in some random direction before reaching down to pull his own absolutely massive, throbbing, musky, veiny, wrist thick, actually steaming hot fuckstick free from his pants to slap it down against Emerald ass, laying across her juicy ass and halfway up her lower back, sawing that pillar of meat between her cheeks with a vicious grin.

“H-Hold on, w-will that even fit~?! M-Maybe you should w-wait until I can warm u-up a little~?” Emerald was well known around beacon as a painslut who never backed down from a challenge, but his cock was fucking massive!! It felt like he just laid a baseball bat between her asscheeks!

Lifting her up onto her hands and knees onto the table to get the perfect angle, Broly put that absolutely massive, fat, broad, battering-ram tip of his precum dripping cock against her far too tiny, pre-lubed, tight, clenched little pucker that clearly wasn’t big enough to fit the man without some substantial force.

But clearly, that’s all that Broly had, pressing the tip of his absolutely monolithic pillar of meat against her little asshole with a snarl while the chocolate buttslut wiggled, thrashed, and squealed in pleasure and pain from the feeling of being stretched beyond belief.

Clearly the two forgot that they were in public as a solid second of silence filled the room before a loud, slutty, desperate squeal of pleasure crashed thoughout the dining hall when Broly suddenly got tired of waiting and slammed his hips forward to stuff half his cock inside the tiny slut’s even tinier hole, grabbing her perfect breeding hips even for his size for even better leverage while he yanked and pushed her as deep into her as he could, grunting and gritting his teeth as he fought to fill the little buttslut’s chocolate booty.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH~!!!!!” Tears flowed down Emerald’s face as she broke out into the sluttiest, most broken expression the school had ever seen her in, her eyes crossed, her tongue hanging out, droll dripping down her chin. And Emerald only got louder as Broly FORCED the rest of his absolutely giant cock into her asshole, his hips smacking against her voluptuous, slutty, thicc, jiggly chocolate ass with a ripple and a clap, his heavy sack slapping against her femcum dripping pussy.

Broly didn’t care to let her get used to the feeling, too filled with rage and lust to care about anything else besides ruining the hole he stuffed his cock into as he yanked his slick cock out and slammed it back in just as fast, creating an absolutely blistering fast, brutal tempo that filled the whole hall with loud clapping of his hips against Emerald ass, only drowned out by her loud screams and squeals.

Every thrust made the entire hardwood table rock and bounce, sending glass and plates falling to the floor with a loud crash each time, a pool of femcum and precum forming underneath Emerald’s poor, abused asshole on the dining table. Phones and cameras were pulled out to record every second by the gathered crowd, every single second of Emerald brutal, fast, absolutely animalistic anal pounding by the absolutely MASSIVE man behind her.

Every single long, thick, hard, steaming hot, throbbing inch of Broly’s massive fuckstick scraped and pounded into Emerald’s favorite hole harder and farther then she’d ever been fucked before, his massive, rough, strong hands mauling and groping her massive globe of squishy bubble butt before giving it a nice harsh smack, making her squeal just a little louder for a second. Every second felt like an hour as the green haired buttslut clawed and gripped the hardwood table for dear life, her entire body rocking and shaking with every firm thrust from behind.

“D-Daddy~!! Yesh~!! F-Fuck me more, Daddy~!!” Emerald had never been fucked so hard in her life, her fat cheeks stretched and squished around the man’s shaft as it disappeared and claimed her asshole as his personal fuckhole~! Her world was rocking and she couldn’t even see straight, the loud banging of the table filling her ears before she was suddenly yanked off the man’s cock and thrown over onto her back, too weak to even lift her head as she stared straight up at the ceiling.

“W-Wha~?” She started, before her world was filled with nothing but the cut figure of the young man who still wanted to use her poor, tiny abused asshole. She could feel him grab her juicy thighs and lifting her knees up so her legs were next to her head before getting into position and SLAMMING his cock back into her hole, putting the little broken slut into the deepest, hardest, most brutal mating press she had ever had. 

The man slammed his hips up and down like a jackhammer, slamming his pillar down into her asshole over and over again with grunts and snarls that of a breeding animal, his muscles tensing as he used every ounce of strength he had to fuck the little chocolate slut into the table.

Emerald couldn’t even remember her name at this point, just licking and kissing the man’s muscles every time he slammed into her like she was madly in love with him, not caring in the slightest that she was nothing but a glorified fuck toy for the massive stud.

And apparently, Broly thought so too, lifting up the tiny women and flipping her around to hook his arms under her legs and really use her like a fleshlight, bouncing and jerking her body up and down his dick like a cocksleeve made just for his dick.

“AAAAAHHHH~!!! YESH~!!!” Emerald was seeing stars, barely able to keep herself from cumming over, and over, and over again, squirting all all over herself with every particularly hard thrust from the young man, the whole school could hear the absolute wrecking Emerald’s asshole was getting from the wanted stud.

This went on for hours, the young man constantly moving the chocolate beauty’s body into every slutty position he wanted, using her her for his own pleasure without a single care for her well being, and finally he put Emerald back to her first position on the tablewanting to see that fat ass jiggle and bounce in his lap again as he got ever closer to his finish. And he was close.

People had been staring on in shock for the solid hours he was using the women, skipping class to watch the absolutely obscene show that no one had ever witnessed before, recording and even self indulging as the women was used by the massive beast that was Broly. And he wasn’t done just yet as he grabbed a nice handful of the women’s green hair to yank back as he began fucking her even harder then before, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she screamed and squealed herself horse.

Grunting, snarling, and even shouting in pleasure and anger, Broly started slamming into her even faster before finally letting loose his practically boiling hot cum into Emerald asshole, his cum shooting out around his shaft as he let out a loud, masculine snarl of anger and pleasure. Each thick, stringy, gooey shot of cum shot deep into Emerald abused hole, making her already sore voice come out for a final time before she finally fell unconscious her body going limp on Broly’s cock as she passed out onto the broken table.

With a harsh tug, Broly yanked his cock free of her gaping hole, a fountain of cum pouring out onto the floor as he admired his work with an almost malicious grin. But with a sigh, he went back to his usual neutral expression, not even looking at the shocked crowd of people as he gathered his things and went on his way, wondering when combat class was starting now that he was late for everything else.

Emerald was still face down on the messy, broken table, unoncsious with her gaping asshole pouring out cum onto the floor, team Rwby and the other girls staring in shock with cold food on their plates, not sure if they should go take a shower together considering they all came in their panties a few times.

[bluespiderlilies]

Reincarnation | Hashibira Inosuke

chapter: one / “boar boy.”

chapter: two / “check.”

chapter: three / “in the shadows.”

chaper: four / “endure.” 

chapter: five / “in the clouds.”

chapter: six / “senses.”

❝be careful of that girl; there’s a fire burning behind her eyes—she makes kingdoms fall, and make monsters wish they’d never been born.❞ ── unknown

“Hello, dinner!”

Your breath hitched in your throat at the sight of six demons emerging from the shadows, a malicious grin on their lips; they all looked the same—with a large, overly-muscular build with gray, peeling skin; a mouth full of blood-stained razor sharp teeth akin to that of a shark with bits of flesh stuck in between its teeth, and pupiless red eyes with bulging veins.

It was just so fucking nasty.

It really looked like it came from a nightmare.

Your grip tightened on the katana, feeling Inosuke’s back muscles tense up as well. There were a lot of demons; however, you had faith in both of you and Inosuke’s abilities to kill them.

You pursed your lips, eyes scanning the demons in front of you. Since they were the same, then the demon could be using some sort of cloning blood art…

If that was the case, then where were the demons behind the village disappearing and the village border?

You furrowed your brows.

Shit, shit, shit. They’re hiding, aren’t they?

No longer having the time to think anymore, three of the clone demons charged towards you, jaws unhinged like a snake and nails sharp as a lion’s.

You cursed, quickly moving out of the way. Inosuke was fighting the other three demons as well; you fight three while he fights three.

“Don’t run away, princess! You’re only delaying your inevitable death!” One giggled, attempting to slash you with it’s nails.

You narrowly dodged, hissing at the stinging sensation on your cheek. He got a couple scratches there, blood ebbing out slowly, dribbling down your right cheek and onto the tip of your chin.

“Your blood smells so good!” Another one of the clone demons grinned, a high pitch giggling erupting from his throat.

“Seventh Style: Wave of the Shadows!” You yelled, deeply inhaling before exhaling as you jumped, twisting your body as both of your legs were lifted off the ground—keeping your torso as straight as possible while waves of ink-like mist flowed out of your sword, effectively beheading two out of the three demons.

The last remaining clone had wide eyes, looking at his disintegrating counterparts. He large out a ear-piercing roar, eyes glaring at your with such ferocity that it could even make the most seasoned warrior shake; however, you stood your ground.

You are a demon slayer.

You are like a mountain; you would not shake, nor would you tremble. Not even the most powerful demon on earth could move mountains. Not even the most powerful demon on earth would make you shake or tremble in fear. That was your philosophy.

Adrenaline pumped through your veins, heart beat quickening as you took in deep breaths. You needed to focus on your breathing. You needed to focus on your techniques.

You needed to focus on killing the demon.

However, what drew you out of your focus was a painful shout coming from Inosuke—your attention now on him, concern filling you.

That proved to be a mistake.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuuuuuck!

The demon had stabbed your forearm with two of its nails, just barely missing your neck—his loud chuckle ringing in your ears at the sight of your face contorting into pain.

The only good news? It wasn’t your dominant arm.

You took in a deep breath, trying to even out your breathing to slow down the breathing.

Don’t scream.

Ignore it.

You can do it.

You can endure the pain.

You can hold it in.

You quickly ripped off a piece of your haori sleeve, tying it around the wound quickly before he caught you off guard once again. You jumped back when he attacked once again, causing you to slide backwards on the sand.

You kneeled, placing a hand on the ground to prevent friction. You place your hands on the hilt of your sword, eyes dark as you kept your head down.

The demon in front of you inaudibly gulped, but clenched his fists and elongated his nails even more—turning into a tar black.

“Thirteenth Style…” You muttered, eyes closed as you slowly raised your head. “New Moon.”

Your eyes shot open, everything surrounding you and the demon going dark; only you could see what was in front of you and the opening thread.

You pushed forward, sand flying behind you as you flew towards the demon, a silver mixed with black light flowing out of your sword.

In less than a second, his head was off.

“N-no…!” He gurgled, the head falling onto the ground.

As the shadows disappeared, the glow of the moon shone upon you as you gazed at the tearful demon.

The only thing you heard from it was a faint ‘my daughter, Aiko, is that you?’ before he completely disintegrated.

You sighed, bowing your head in respect as you placed your hands together, crouching in front of the head that was once there.

“May you be reincarnated with your daughter in a peaceful world without demons.” You whispered, before getting up.

You hurried over to Inosuke’s hunched form, concern and worry filling you. Was he okay? Was he seriously injured?

“Inosuke—” You started, placing a gentle hand on his should as you bent down to meet his face—or, well, mask.

He slapped off your hand, glaring at you. “I’m fine! I don’t need you to look at me with those eyes!”

You frowned. “What are you talking about? I’m just worried.”

“I don’t want your worry! I’m fine! In fact, I can do this!” He reasoned, before stretching his body backwards and gripped his feet with his hands, head between his legs.

“Inosuke, I get it. You’re fine. But your shoulder is bleeding. Again.” You sighed out, pointing to his shoulder; thankfully, it wasn’t deep, but it was bleeding profusely. You didn’t want a repeat of the Final Selection.

“I am a god! I can endure it!” He yelled, cackling loudly as he placed his hands on his hips proudly.

“Even gods can bleed, Inosuke. Get injured. Need healing.” You responded, placing your sword back in its sheath.

“Argh! Fine. Do your shit.” He grumbled, crossing his arms as he sat on the ground cross-legged.

Swiftly, before the demons who you thought were responsible for the village border and the one who made the village ‘disappear’ arrive, you dabbed on some anti-septic (made of lavender and jasmine. It had a wonderful smell, really) before tightly wrapping the bandages around his shoulder to prevent anymore bleeding.

“Inosuke, can you feel anymore demons around here? Or can you locate them?” You asked, placing your roll of bandages back into your thigh pouch. “I think those demons weren’t the ones responsible for making the village sink, nor the one that killed anyone who stepped out of the village. I think they’re in hiding, or want to ambush us.”

He jumped up, causing you to stumble backwards up a bit out of surprise.

“Of course I can locate them! Watch me!” Though you couldn’t see his facial expression behind his boar mask, you could definitely tell that he had some sort of menacing grin.

He unsheathed both of his swords, spinning them in his hands before stabbing them into the ground.

“Seventh Fang: Spatial Awareness.”

He was kneeling on the ground, both arms out while he took in a deep breath. He slowly exhaled, focusing intently on his surroundings.

You held in your breath as you watched him, deciding to stand behind him in case anybody attacked him from there. Your hands gripped on the hilt of your sword, wincing slightly at the sharp, sizzling pain in your forearm.

“Haha! I found them!” He cackled, taking his katana and pointing towards the far side of the field. Just as he exposed their supposed hiding spots, the two demons emerged from the shadows.

“How disappointing,” One of the demons drawled; it was a woman who was extremely tall and voluptuous, her figuring showing through her form-fitting qipao. Her eyes here hidden by bangs, ink black hair stopping at her waist. Painted lips curled into a grin, showing off her incredibly sharp teeth. “Eitarou couldn’t even finish off these little kids.”

The demon beside her chuckled. He was large and muscular, towering over the she-demon beside him. He had snow-white skin and short, coal-black hair and piercing yellow cat-like eyes.

“He was weak. Especially to little girls who look like his daughter, Aiko.” He spat, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, quit your chit-chat! We’re here to fight you ugly demons!” Inosuke shouted angrily, pointing at them with his swords.

“How cute and vulgar!” The female demon giggled, clapping her hands excitedly. “I want you!”

You rolled your eyes, stance ready for any attack from the male demon beside her. If she ‘claimed’ Inosuke, then the male demon would surely go to you now.

The female demon charged at Inosuke, leaving him occupied while you had a stare-down with the male demon in front of you.

He grins, leaping forward as two more arms come out from his sides of his abdomen, nails sharp and ready to slice you into bits and pieces.

“Ninth Style: Shadow Absorption and Slice!” You muttered, your sword sucking the darkness of the shadows before you raised it, slicing off the demon’s four arms with a clean cut.

Not even with a moment to spare, the demon regenerates his arms, and looks over at you up and down skeptically.

“How sad. Were you even aiming for my neck?” He taunting, grin never leaving his lips.

You rolled your eyes, brushing off his insults. “How sad. Are you even trying with those childish insults of yours?” You retorted mockingly, holding your katana right in front of you as you prepared for another breath.

He growled. “Shut up, little girl. Take one step, and you’ll be cut in half. Chop chop.”

You clicked your tongue in annoyance. The last thing you needed was your movements to be hindered.

Luckily, you had your beautiful, beautiful bow.

You sheathed your sword, quickly taking off your bow from across your shoulder, taking out three arrows from your quiver.

The demon realized what you were doing and growled, quickly moving towards you.

Once you hit the anchor point, you released the arrows.

Two of them missed.

Only one hit the side of his neck.

Your eyes widened, hands beginning to tremble.

What—

How could I miss?!

Quickly, you took out two more arrows, but he managed to reach you already—and you quickly ducked and turned around, crouching down and hiding your face and neck.

He managed to scratch your back, tearing your clothes and the strap of the quiver—leaving behind a scratch-mark like tear on the back of your clothes, your back dripping with the crimson liquid, oozing out at a fast pace. You cursed, stumbling forward, eyes stinging as clenched your teeth to prevent you from screaming.

No.

You had to endure it.

You can endure the pain.

If you couldn’t, what sort of demon slayer are you?

You looked over at the demon, watching as the wisteria poison seeped throughout the insides of his body.

You just needed to shoot two more arrows to paralyze him—knowing that the amount of poison in the arrows wouldnʼt suffice. You would have to cut off his head to get him for good.

With a deep breath, you took two of your arrows and aimed it at him.

Once again, the arrows were at anchor point—exhaling, you released them, the white fletchings lightly grazing your cheek as they whizzed through the air.

“First Style: Arrows of Wisteria!”

Much to your relief, the arrows hit him—one right on his forehead, and another one at his neck. You watched as he began to choke and tremble, gurgling blood, not able to take a single step. He was successfully paralyzed.

Does that mean his demon art was disabled?

You bit your lip, looking around you with a cautious gaze. Earlier, you noted when you stepped into the village, that there was faint line of white that circled the village—the same faint white line you had just seen trapping you.

It was gone. So, did that mean you were safe?

Placing your toe outside of your ‘safe circle’ to test it out. Thankfully, it didn’t get sliced off.

Ignoring the pain from your forearm and back, you stumbled forward—but quickly shook it off and charged at the poisoned demon at full speed.

“Fourth Style: Tides of the Moon!” A stream of water flowed out of your sword as you jumped up, spinning rapidly as you cleanly sliced off the neck of the demon.

You wheezed, your sword slipping out of your grasp as you kneeled, both of your arms just barely holding you up. Sweat dripped down your face and trickled onto the sand, your vision going blurry.

Was the blood loss finally getting you? You supposed. It was about time, really.

As you faded in and out of consciousness, dots of black beginning to increase in your vision, you could hear the faint calling of your name before slipping into the deep, murky world of darkness.

∞

“Wrong!” was all you heard before you felt a sharp, hot pain on your hand, the stinging sensation causing your eyes to burn.

“You messed up the same note again! You’re so incompetent.” The male said, words sharp and tone harsh—the feeling of both his hit and his words felt like you had been stabbed in the heart mutiple times, leaving behind a dark, murky stickiness inside of you. The man straightened his back and held the whip behind his back as he resumed his pacing.

You bit your lip, sniffing. You couldn’t cry. You’re not allowed to. It was forbidden to cry you were in his presence.

You tried to control your trembling hands, adjusting the picks on your fingers before you proceeded to tune the yamatogoto, trying not to mess up under his watchful gaze.

You slowly began to play Oeda Nihonbashi, holding in your breath in case he would suddenly tell you to stop and whip your one of your hands.

Just as you moved your fingers to play the second note, the string broke off, causing the sound to go off-key.

You winced, closing your eyes to wait for your punishment.

“You…you…! You’re so awful at playing the damn instrument that it broke! Useless! You’re absolutely useless!” He yelled, grabbing you by the collar of your kosode.

You felt tears slowly coming down your cheeks, squeezing your eyes.

You cried.

Now your punishment is going to be ten times worse.

You dropped to the ground once he let go of your collar, arm raised as the whip in his hands was about to impact your face—

Your breath hitched, waking up with a jolt. You quickly regretted the sudden movement, however, since your back and forearm ached so damn much.

You sniffed, wiping any tears with your good arm that escaped your eyes whilst you slept.

Why did you get that dream?

Why?

You haven’t dreamt such things for so long, but they just had to come back.

“(Name)? Y-you’re awake?” A familiar voice stuttered out, before firm arms gently hugging your form.

You blinked, slowly returning the gesture to the person who was hugging you back. Your eyes furrowed, trying to match the voice of the person who had called your name.

“A-Akio?” You mumbled, unsure.

He broke the hug, examining your facial expression before nodding.

“Yeah, it’s me. (Name), I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Where am I?”

“At one of the Wisteria Family Households,” He smiled, making his way to the tray he placed on the ground when he saw you awake. He picked it up, approaching you and placing it at the table beside you. “This is a place where as long as you’re a demon slayer, we will offer you services in exchange for nothing.”

You frowned. “Huh? How come? You deserve money or something in exchange.”

Akio shook his head, lime green eyes focusing on the task at hand—which was redoing the bandages for your forearm. You didn’t mind, since you were too tired and in too much pain to resist. While yes, you were still upset from his words earlier, you just let him.

“A demon slayer saved our family from demons. So, because of that, we are indebted to them. We have lots of family members that have these in different villages and districts.”

You nodded, biting your lip as he dabbed on some sort of ointment on your wound. However, his hands gripped your arm gently, which you were grateful for.

“How’d I get here?” You asked after a moment of silence, watching him wrap the bandage.

“Uh…what was his name—ah! Hashibira Inosuke. Your partner. He carried you on his back into the village, and my grandmother was outside tending to the garden. She saw you both and quickly got you guys inside.”

Your lips curled upwards into a small smile. Inosuke really did that, huh? You should thank him when you got the opportunity.

Though it would probably inflate his ego a bit more, you didn’t mind. You genuinely appreciated his help.

“Oh, by the way, it’s time for dinner. Would you like to join us in the dinner room, or would you like me to bring it to you?” Akio said, placing the supplies he used back on the metal tray before getting up.

“Ah, I think I’ll join you guys. I need to stimulate my body a little.” You told him, slowly sitting up. While your back hurt and stung, you swallowed down the pain and carefully stepped onto the cold, wooden floor.

“Thanks, Akio. For you and your family’s help,” You started, stumbling a bit before carefully balancing yourself. You took a deep breath, taking slow and steady steps. “But, honestly, I…still don’t appreciate what you did when we first met.”

He sighed, grip on the tray tightening. “Yeah, I know…I’m sorry. After you scolded me like that, I realized my mistake and reflected. I’m not joking. I really did,” He scratched the back of his in a nervous manner. “I realize that my grandmother told me those things about my behavior multiple times, but…in a nicer, more subtle way, I suppose? But, I just brushed her off. I apologized to her, and, now…will you forgive me too?”

You hummed. You were happy that he actually took your words seriously, and decided to grow as a person. You were glad.

“Yeah, I do. I’m happy with your decision.”

Akio smiled. “Thank you, (Name). Though it’ll be hard to change my ways at first, I’ll work on them slow and steady.”

You nodded, reaching up to pat his shoulder. “Good job, Akio. I’m proud.”

His cheeks reddened, eyes wide from your actions. He puffed out his cheeks in a childish manner, bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

“Why are you talking to me like I’m a dog?”

“I mean…” You drawled, looking at your nails.

“Don’t answer that.” He groaned, rolling his eyes.

Akio stopped in front of a door, sliding it open. He placed the tray to the side before greeting what it seems like his grandmother, mother, and father.

You greeted his family with a bow, smiling shyly at them.

“Is Hashibira-san still sleeping?” His mother asked in a gentle voice, hooded amber eyes looking over at Akio.

“Yes,” Akio sighed, looking defeated. “I tried many times. He won’t budge.”

“I suppose I should go. We can’t start dinner without him.” His father said, running his hand through his long, strawberry blond locks.

“Ah, pardon me,” You spoke up, carefully getting up from your spot before the man in front you could. “I think I should go. I know how to wake him up, trust me. I had to learn how to during the Final Selection.”

Before anyone could object, however, you already slid open the door and made it towards his room. You remember Akio muttering about him staying in the room across from you.

You slid open the door, taking light steps towards his futon. Beside the table was his boar head and a glass of water that remained untouched.

With a smirk, you kneeled beside the futon and leaned down (much to your back’s horror), lips barely brushing against his ear before you whispered:

“Your food ready, Master Inosuke.”

He shot up from his futon, grin menacing as he laughed loudly.

“That’s right! I’m your master! Now where is my food?!” He yelled with a smug grin, pointing at you before jumping off his futon and dashing out of his room.

You chuckled quietly and shook your head, following after him.

Inosuke really knew how to make you laugh and feel amused.

You didn’t know, but…the more time you spent with him, the more you felt happy.

It was…sort of a first. But you liked it.

You liked what you were feeling.