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wangxianficfinder · 7 months ago

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Fic Finder

June 30th

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1. Ok this might be a shot in the dark. But do you know of a fic where basically it’s an arranged marriage (kind of) between lan zhan and trans (ftm) wei ying. It believe it is based on a reddit thread of a gay guy who got into an arranged marriage with a woman, but they actually are a trans man. Anyways…the reddit posts are deleted by now. But I remember reading this fic a couple years back and I can’t find it anywhere. Either it’s been deleted or hopefully someone else is able to find it 😭

FOUND? Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach by Khashana (T, 8k, WangXian, Modern, Arranged Marriage, Marriage of Convenience, fake married, Sort Of, Rule 63, Trans Woman WWX, Partial Cisswap, implied background/societal homo/transphobia, But nothing overt, background LXC/Qin Su also in a marriage of convenience way, gender euphoria, the mortifying ordeal of falling in love with your spouse, based on that one reddit post, Light Angst, Light Pining, this fic is soft mostly) I think #1 might be this one, although wwx is a trans woman in it (it's a wlw wangxian AU) rather than a trans man

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2. Hi!! I cant remember if I already sent this or just thought really hard about it 😪 Im looking for a modern AU fic where WWX is dx'd ADHD and he and LWJ slowly start a relationship. The scene I remember most clearly is there being fireworks and it send LWJ into a meltdown. Ether just before or after the meltdown he found out LXC and LQR have been trying to get him diagnosed with Autism.

Xiao Xingchen is an adult psych who specalizes in neurodivergence iirc, and WWX helps make LWJ feel more okay w possibly being neurodiverse by talking about his experience w ADHD and Xiao Xingchen.

🙇‍♀️ thank you! @la-voce-to-me

FOUND! together, we're just enough by lulu_kitty (E, 134k, WangXian, Modern AU, Bartender LWJ, single dad wwx, Kid fic (sort of), Excessive Fluff, Yearning, neurodivergent wangxian, canonical parental issues, lwj in jewelry, accidental sugar gege wwx, Bottom LWJ, Service Top WWX, Bisexual WWX, Rich WWX, a-yuan is a wei but still also a wen, wwx is a-yuan's biological baba, Older WWX, Younger LWJ, Slow-ish burn, Light Dom/sub, Brief LWJ/Others, Past WWX/Other(s)) sounds a lot like the happenings in chapter 8!

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3. hey admins! i'm looking for a fic where wwx is from the modern world back and somehow goes back in time to the cloud recesses and spends some time there, and towards the end of the fic lwj goes back to the modern with wwx. (i also remember that wwx and lwj goes back and forth often visiting each others home) thanks! <3

FOUND? Wrong Turn, Right Place by diamondbruise (E, 71k, WangXian, Time Travel, kind of, it’s more reality travel but there’s modern wwx and cultivator lwj, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jealousy, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Misunderstandings, Cultural Differences)

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4. This for fic finder. Its an old fic. Modern au focused on junior quartet. I dont know if the fic is several fic or in one fic. Junior quartet is in a club where they make a magazine (sorry i forgot the word both in my language and in english). They have an access to a school forum. LJY found an old forum talking about wangxian. Like the people in that forum failed to make wangxian happen in the past. If i remember correctly, they tried to matchmake wangxian. They ask LWJ to accompany them to yunmeng. In yunmeng, there are big festival happened there and they meet the jiang family in second floor of the restaurant to watch the festival from there. I think the jiangs is a respectable family that many people know them. So long story short, they manage to matchmake wangxian. I dont know if LJY release the news to that old forum or someone did. Just that LJY have an inkling the account that helped them is NHS. I dont know if this is important but LJY username has connection to chicken. I think thats all. Thank you @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

FOUND! Operation Old Men by Chiharu (Not Rated, 37k, WangXIan, JL & LSZ & LJY, JYL/JZX, Modern, Boarding School, Single Parents, Everyone Is Alive, Matchmaking, Family Dynamics, Hospitals, Meet the Family, Family Vacation, Weddings, School Reunion, Happy Ending)

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5. this for ficfinder! i need help looking for a time travel fic wherein established wangxian travel back to their teen years. iirc wwx and lwj writes to each other in secret and wwx invents talismans to give to the jiang sect so that he can repay his debts and leave the clan when he is at a certain age. lwj also leaves (??). i think they become rogue cultivators tgt. im pretty sure i have this downloaded but i cant find it from hundreds of fics bc i cant rmbr the name 😭

FOUND! Trials of Time by Muggle_Diary (E, 32k, wangxian, major character death, underage, time travel, not jiang friendly, not YZY friendly, not JC friendly, butterfly effect)

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6. Hello!! So i think the fic got deleted but all i can remember was wangxian had mythical creature eggs? Like they had a dragon,tiger,snake&turqoise and phoenix and they can talk telepathically at first then they can shift to humans later on!Thank you again so much!!!!

FOUND? For #6 with telepathic creatures, I haven't read the fic, but could it be that magical marriage ribbons series?

FOUND? #6 is My Immortal. I can't do the link on I'm my phone. It has the mythical beasts.

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7. Hii, I'm looking for a fic in which lan zhan goes to a party with lan xichen and then keeps going to the same house where the party is at many times and hangs out with wei ying on the basement sofa

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8. hii!! i recently read a fanfic where wei wuxian can't sleep because he gets horrible nightmares, there's one particular scene where the juniors are practically dragging him into cloud recesses, and he's falling asleep whilst walking and they meet with Lan wangji. if you could help me find it, that would be super great !! @spaaarkie

FOUND? hunters seeking solid ground by Attila (E, 23k, wangxian, Canon Compliant, discussion of canon character death, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, bed sharing, Getting Together, Yearning, Literal Sleeping Together, Really Excessive Amounts of Hurt/Comfort)

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9. I thought I had subscribed to this fic but I guess not... Looking for a WIP in which WWX is ambushed in Yiling, but he has A-Yuan with him so he's extra desperate in trying to fight the attackers off. There might be fire involved? Either the title, the description or the tags have some reference to "hysterical strength" (maybe! not 100% sure about that one!). Thank you. 🖤❤️ @linderel

FOUND! Hysterical Strength by covalentbonds (Not rated, 3k, WangXian, WIP, Canon Divergence, Inspired by a Bollywood movie scene, Everyone Lives/Nobody dies, Parent WWX)

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10. hi!! i'm looking for a fic i read about a year ago(?) on ao3, where during the cloud recesses study arc (i think?) lqr and the other teachers notice that wwx's basic education is lacking and wwx says it's because yzy doesn't let him join jc's lessons because wwx is supposed to be a right hand man and his education is therefore less important, so the lan elders and scholars all team up to give him remedial lessons; i think there's also a part where they build a case against the jiang sect because the sect scholars failed their responsibility to teach their disciples equally. the fic holding shreds by barisan reminds me of it a little bit, but instead of yzy's physical abuse of wwx the one i'm looking for is all about the emotional abuse and education inequality

FOUND?🔒💖 Hoards and treasures by apathyinreverie (T, 21k, WangXian, Siblings, Family, not particularly Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing, slightly darker Gusu Lans, LXC being the best brother, Some manipulation, But with the best of intentions, and not between wangxian, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX, Smitten LWJ, Fluff, perfect happiness, adorable WWX, Romance, Some worldbuilding, courting) in this one, Xichen is speculating that WWXs education was stunted, especially in sect etiquette, deliberately by mme yu.

FOUND?🔒 in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie (cl410) (T, 56k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, cloud recesses, NHS & LWJ friendship, developing relationship, LWJ pov, minor injuries, autistic LWJ, implied/referenced child abuse, aka YZY warning, genius WWX, light angst, hurt/comfort, WWX protection squad) in this one the lan sect does the scholar case thing where they accuse jiang sect of failing their duties by neglecting to educate wei ying.

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11. hi, i'm looking for a fic which i found on twitter but im sure links to AO3 — basically everyone in the universe is some sort of animal (wwx is a fox, lwj is a dragon?) and they're classified by their mating cycles (whether they mate for life or seasonally). wwx and lwj gets engaged but lwj calls it off as wwx is a fox and therefore mates seasonally vs his for-life situation. wwx gets sad about it and then they find out wwx actually can mate for life! i used to find it easily before but for some reason no matter what i search, it just won't come up and i don't think i was logged into ao3 at the time i read it either. hope someone remembers it as well, thanks!

FOUND? what you have tamed by lianhua_lianzi, Senforza (E, 94k, WangXian, Animal Traits, misunderstandings, Courting Rituals, Pining, Lan family dynamics, Drama, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Arranged Marriage, Wangxian break up but get back together, Eventual Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Unresolved Sexual Tension, unintentional and eventually resolved “gaslighting”, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX)

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12. Hi I’m trying to find a fic where jiang Cheng is being forced to get married/find an heir. I remember that a member of YunmengJiang approached him with a list of members of the sect that would leave if he didn’t get an heir. I think it was mentioned that people were okay with him not having getting married since they assumed Jin Ling would inherit and Jin Guangyao would have another child but once his crimes were revealed they started to pressure him.

I know it wasn’t a Jiang cheng/lan Xichen or jiang cheng/nie Huaisang

FOUND? Karma by such_stuff_as_dreams_are_made_on (Not Rated, 2k, JC & OCs, Post-Canon, Arranged Marriage, Light Angst, Minor WangXian, Not JC Friendly)

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13. I’m trying to find this fic where Wei Ying is looking for spouse for some reason and he starts asking everyone in Cloud Recesses but Lan Zhan even ask LXC to be his partner right in front of LWJ

If you have an idea about what I’m talking about thank you!!

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14. so theres this fic in which jiang cheng and wei wuxian sit in a boat in jiang cheng's memories and wei wuxian sings a song that he altered slightly. im pretty sure it was a reconcilliation fic but im not sure but jc was a bit emotional. i can't find it, please help!

related to the previous ask, what i described is also only a scene from that fic and probably not what the entire fic is about. i only remember that one scene. @theartisticdoofus

FOUND? sing to the clouds in summerby stiltonbasket (G, 28k, JC & WWX, JC & JL, wangxian, JL & LSZ & LJY & OYZZ, 13k words of JC figuring out that LSZ is his nephew, ft. LXC and NHS the overprotective uncles, and LWJ giving JC death glares, Family Secrets, Reconciliation, Sad JC, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Podfic Available) the song is in chapter 4

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15. Dear FicFinder Team, here I am again with only vibes and one scene. It was a WIP CQL post-canon fic, set during WWX's wanderings. At some point he exorcises a ghost in a tower (not one of the watchtower fics tho) and the last scene was WWX on his way back, kneeling in the grass to make offerings to his shijie and finally letting himself cry about her death. Maybe there were food descriptions too, I read this very early on and cannot find it in my history. It was exquisitely written too. @kinoumenthe

FOUND! the earth remembered me by remux (T, 30k, WIP, WangXian, POV WWX, Post-Canon, Emotional Edging, Letters, emotional support strangers, Original Character(s), lwj's quiet devotion)

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16. Do you know the name for a fic where WWX is invisible (for some reason) and is in LWJ room (for some reason) and WWX watches LWJ hump a pillow but then LWJ notices that someone is in the room with him yada yada they have sex i forget when it gets revealed that it’s WWX

NOT FOUND! Mak Siccar by therealandraste (E, 20k, WangXian, Case Fic, Post-Canon, Misunderstandings, Pining, Happy Ending, Paperman smut - only god can judge me, Original Character Death(s)) the details don't exactly fit but

FOUND! Clinomania by malkinmalkout (E, 6k, WangXian, Voyeurism, Masturbation, Somnophilia, misuse of talismans, PWP, Riding, Oral Sex, binding, Happy Ending, canon typical non-con)

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17. hello I'm looking for this twitter threadfic written by cerbykerby where wwx is a mermaid captured and brought in for studying by scientist lwj and others, and they eventually become mates. i've tried looking through their account for it but the fic is old and the search is way too far down, and i can't find the full fic. pls help out thanks!

FOUND? this is the unrolled threadfic by cerbykerby, I think

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18. Hi! First time requesting something like this, but I really need help finding this one fanfic. It’s a incomplete wangxian fanfic and the summary of what I remember was that when WWX wakes up in MXY’s body after thirteen years, people are actually praising YL WWX because somehow (I cant remember how) the truth behind his actions and why he did what he did in the first place. JC faces some hate from the cultivation world, JL doesn’t hate WWX, and LWJ is extremely protective of WWX. Hope all this information helps!!! @nikki-g-m

Could #18 be that fic where a painter/theater guy did an interview with drunk wwx during the burial mounds arc and then it got published after his death so that when he resurrects its's all settled already (?). I dont remember the name either but maybe someone else will

FOUND? 💖 The Ballad of Hanguang-Jun and The Yiling Patriarch by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 40k, WangXian, ChengQing, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Burial Mounds Arc, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Humor, musical theater?, Misunderstandings, POV Outsider, Crack treated seriously) The commenter on 18 was thinking of The ballad of Hanguang-jun and the Yiling Patriarch, though idk if this is the fic OP wants

FOUND? i think its deleted? Have You Heard Of The Yiling Patriach by R_PONTS

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19. literally just reading a random wangxian fic when I I remembered this one fic I read a while ago. I can’t really remember a lot of details but from what I remember Wei ying is the cloud recess for whatever reason and he get the silencing spell out on him and he panicked and starts scratching and clawing at his throat and everybody’s watching horrified like please y’all help me remember 😭 @saintzx

FOUND?🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 56k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad) The clawing is because he's desperate to defend JC against LQR's (rightful) admonishing, after JYL told him he should've tried harder after being silenced on a previous occasion defending JC

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20. Hello

Love your blog!

A) I'm looking for a fic where wwx was raised by WRH, but it is introduced with him being the one to raze Cloud Recess and starting ti flirt with a prisoner LWJ who's very much " bro, wtf" in his inner monologue.

He's bff w Xye Yang and at one point thinks of doing lwj favors

B) Modern au where wwx and lwj had been married, adopted LSZ and then divorced due to someone either framing wwx or LWJs fam pressuring him to it. Wwx still has visitation rights and all, and at one point lwj buys them a house as an apology, but wwx is less than cash money above it, bcs lwj didn't truly fix the mistrust or whatever the reason for their breakup was @midnightlighthowlite

20B)

FOUND? 🔒 Life as a House by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (T, 55k, WangXian, Modern AU, Corporate Espionage, Post-Divorce, Father-Son Relationship, Reconciliation, Therapy)

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21. Hello there, I’m not sure if this is a fic finder or an in the mood for, because I’m looking for a fic and more like that.

So you know how theres this TikTok Sound of someone called Nick who asks for the WLAN Password and its I Love You Nick and Nick is in a lot of denial about being lovers even though their anniversary is coming up?

I found a fic that was basically WY and LZ in a relationship, and WY/LZ (but more likely WY) didn’t realise that they were anything more than friends, and it was very funny.

More comedic than anything else. But I cannot for the life of me find it, and everytime I try and search for it, only the sad version shows up.

Please send help, I need to read this fluff….I crave it. @desperation-is-my-middle-name

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#wangxian #wangxianficfinder #mdzs #the untamed #long post #wangxian fic finder

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transmutationisms · 5 months ago

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yeah fuck that anon but their second question is legit do you know how to check for other fundraisers??? I know the one you’re promoting is legit but what about others?? Is there like a database or something?? Sorry if its a dumb question Im just concerned bc I got scammed once by a friend of a friends alleged medical issues :/

i actually have a whole tag where i've been collecting posts about the legitimacy of palestinian fundraisers, how to boost and promote them, and details on the vetting process.

here on tumblr, the most centralised part of the verification process has been this spreadsheet of fundraisers that are checked (details on that process in my tag above) by palestinian users. formerly these users included @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi; currently the vetting is being done by @/mohameddd, who is in gaza. there is more info on this in el-shab-hussein's pinned post, and he is slowly shifting fundraiser posts over to @gaza-evacuation-funds, so that's a great blog to follow for vetted campaigns.

not all verified campaigns are on the spreadsheet. click on the notes of a fundraising post or search their url on tumblr; look for posts or comments from palestinian users who have checked and vouched for them. @/90-ghost is probably the most well-known; he has had to take a step back from tumblr recently, but there are still lots of people fundraising whose campaigns he's shared or vouched for. @/bilal-salah0 is another palestinian who has verified and vouched for people he knows personally or has reached out to. many users who get their own campaigns verified will later vouch for their friends or family members. if you trust the first person's verification, you can also take their word about other people they know.

off tumblr, there are several grassroots organisations that have their own verification processes. this post (also in the tag i linked above) lists the ones i know of currently. victoria of Pali.pals on instagram has also recently established a tumblr presence @/victoriawhimsey. she shares campaigns that she has vetted through mutual friends, contacts in gaza, video calls, etc. you can reach out to her if you have other questions about her process.

if a fundraiser has not yet been verified at all (this happens especially for new campaigns), some people may share it with a note about whether it seems provisionally legitimate. sometimes the person fundraising will link to their other social media accounts, which can help you determine whether they're likely legitimate. some people also try checking by reverse-image searching, although that's a very imperfect test (details on that in my tag above). for a full verification it's generally important that someone who (at the very least) speaks palestinian arabic, and/or is in gaza, is involved. however, this process takes time, and can be harder for people with more internet connectivity issues.

it's always a good idea to do due diligence when someone asks you for money, but to be clear, the vast majority of palestinian fundraisers i have seen on here have verification from the spreadsheet, other verification orgs, palestinian bloggers, or a combination of the above. at the very least, always check the notes of a fundraiser post or search the url; most of the time you will turn up verification info this way.

if you're not sure about someone's legitimacy, just move on and put your effort into other fundraisers.

#gaza fundraising info

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zedleaked · 1 year ago

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[APPARENTLY PEOPLE HERE WANTED TO KNOW THE HUMAN AXIS LORE SO IM JUST GOING TO COPY MY TWITTER POST HERE…] BASIC GIST IS THAT THIS IS JUST A GENERAL HUMAN AU. MONSTERS AND HUMANS SWAPPED. WOWIE!

ANYWAYS READ MORE FOR AXIS

AXIS ORIGIN IS STILL A BIT FUZZY. HERE HE'S LIKE CHUJIN'S ADOPTED SON [GENDER NEUTRAL],, CATGIRLTRICKSTER ON TWITTER SUGGESTED CHUJIN JUST FINDING YOUNG AXIS IN A PIPE OR SOMETHING AND I THINK THATS REALLY FUNNY... THOUGH HIS ORIGINS WOULD BE VAGUE. IF ASKED HE'D SAY HE DOESN'T REMEMBER.

ALSO NOTE BEFORE I FORGET. AXIS WAS JUST BORN WITH ONE LEG. THERE IS NO LORE REASON TO WHY ITS MISSING, IT IS JUST THE WAY HE IS. CHUJIN MAKES HIM A ROBOTIC LEG SO HE CAN HAVE AN EASIER TIME.

SURE I COULD GIVE A FUCKED REASON AS TO WHY HE DOESNT HAVE IT BUT I DONT FEEL LIKE IT.

AXIS WOULD BE AN APPRENTICE UNDER CHUJIN SIMILAR TO MARTLET [I NEEDA DRAW MARTLET EVENTUALLY] PLUS IN GAME THERE'S FLAVOR TEXT ABOUT HIM FLIPPING THROUGH THE ROYAL GUARD HANDBOOK IN HIS MIND. HONESTLY. MARTLET AND AXIS BEING FRIENDS THROUGH SHARING THE SAME INTEREST IS SILLY...

HE'D WANT TO TRAIN HIMSELF TO BECOME A ROYAL GUARD OR AT LEAST A PROTECTOR TO PAYBACK CHUJIN FOR TAKING HIM IN. HE'S GOING TO PROTECT HIS FATHER AND HUMANKIND. IT'S HIS BIGGEST GOAL IN LIFE.

STEAMWORKS STILL EXISTS. ITS JUST CHUJIN HADNT BUILT THE AXIS MODELS IN THIS AU BECAUSE. YOU KNOW.

MAYBE HE SAW POTENTIAL IN HUMAN AXIS, SEEING HOW DETERMINED HE IS TO GROW STRONGER AND PROTECT PEOPLE. CHUJIN WOULD WANT HIM TO HONE HIS SKILLS TO BECOME SOMETHING... BIG.

IN A WAY. AXIS WAS A PEEK INTO WHAT HUMANS COULD BECOME AND WHAT THAT COULD DO FOR HUMAN SOCIETY UNDERGROUND.

MEANWHILE AXIS IS ENAMORED BY STEAMWORKS AND JUST CHUJIN'S WORK IN GENERAL. HE REALLY ADMIRES ROBOTS, HE THINKS ABOUT WHAT ITS LIKE IF HE HAD ROBOTIC MODIFICATIONS.

AND LESS LORE RELEVANT BUT HE ALSO HAS CONNECTIONS TO KANAKO TOO! THEY ARE THE SIBLINGS EVER. THOUGH IVE BEEN WONDERING HOW CEROBA NOT KNOWING AXIS IN STEAMWORKS WOULD WORK. IT'D BE KINDA WEIRD FOR CHUJIN TO KEEP A WHOLE ASS CHILD SECRET FROM HER.

THEYVE PROBABLY SEEN EACH OTHER AND NEVER HAD MUCH SIGNIFICANT

INTERACTIONS FOR THEM TO FULLY REMEMBER EACH OTHER. AXIS SPENDS A MAJORITY OF HIS TIME AT STEAMWORKS OR DOING ROYAL GUARD SHIT, AND WHEN HES NOT DOING THAT HES PROBABLY PLAYING WITH KANAKO [WHEN CEROBA ISNT AROUND]

AND WELL. WE HAD TO GET TO THIS PART EVENTUALLY. ONE DAY A MONSTER MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE UNDERGROUND AND STARTED KILLING PEOPLE. DALV [WHO I ALSO NEED TO DRAW] GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE FRAY WHILE PLAYING WITH KANAKO [AND AXIS TOO]. UPON SEEING HIS FRIENDS GET HURT. SOMETHING CLICKS.

AXIS HAD TRAINED UP TO THIS POINT. THIS WAS HIS MOMENT. HE HAD TO SAVE THE PEOPLE FROM THE THREAT IN FRONT OF THEM. INSTINCTS KICK IN AND HE GOES IN TO FIGHT THE MONSTER WHILE DALV TAKES KANAKO TO SAFETY.

THIS MONSTER WAS TOUGH. HE WAS ALMOST KILLED. BUT HE HAD TO PERSEVERE.

SOMETHING JUST ACTIVATED IN HIS SOUL.

HE FELT A SURGE OF POWER. THE ONLY THING HE KNEW IN THAT MOMENT WAS TO.

GET. RID. OF. THE. THREAT.

IN FRONT OF HIM WAS JUST. A HEADLESS BODY THAT SLOWLY FADED INTO DUST.

THAT... HE DIDNT MEAN TO GO THAT FAR.

SIMILAR TO CLOVER IN GENOCIDE, AXIS HAD RAPIDLY LEVELED UP AND SHOT A POWERFUL ATTACK AT THE MONSTER IN RESPONSE TO ALMOST DYING. HE NEEDED TO KEEP GOING NO MATTER WHAT.

STILL. THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS LAID HEAVY ON HIM.

HE HAD KILLED A LIVING, BREATHING THING.

SOON AFTER CHUJIN WALKED IN ON THE SCENE COMPLETELY HORRIFIED. AXIS, ASHAMED OF WHAT HE HAD DONE RAN TOWARD STEAMWORKS TO ISOLATE HIMSELF, SIMILAR TO DALV.

SURE, HE HAD SAVED PEOPLE FROM THAT MONSTER BUT DID HE HAVE TO BE SO GRUESOME?

CHUJIN RAN AFTER HIM, TRYING TO GET HIM BACK

CHUJIN FINDS HIM AT STEAMWORKS, WALLOWING IN JUST. EVERY EMOTION.

HE TRIES TO COMFORT HIM THOUGH AXIS IS STILL INSISTENT ON NOT GOING OUT.

THE TWO REACHED THE COMPROMISE THAT: AXIS WOULD GUARD AND PROTECT STEAMWORKS AND THAT CHUJIN WOULD CHECK UP ON HIM EVERY NOW AND THEN.

SO THATS WHAT HE DID. HE STAYED AT STEAMWORKS, WATCHING OVER THE PLACE AND ITS ROBOTS FOR….. AGES.

EVENTUALLY CHUJIN'S CHECK UPS GET MORE SPARSE UNTIL JUST. NOTHING.

AXIS NOTICES TOO THAT LESS AND LESS SCIENTISTS ARE PRESENT AT STEAMWORKS. UNTIL THERE IS NO ONE THERE.

WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE

TOO HE SAID

"NO. MY FATHER AND I HAD REACHED THE AGREEMENT THAT I WOULD STAY AND PATROL THIS AREA, AND THAT I WILL DO." THERE WAS NO CONVINCING HIM TO LEAVE. SO THE OTHERS RELUCTANTLY LEFT HIM BE.

DAY BY DAY HE WATCHES STEAMWORKS FLOOD AND DECAY. WHILE HE STAYS THERE TRYING TO KEEP UP THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN HIS FATHER AND HIMSELF.

NO ONE HAD TOLD HIM.

ONE DAY THOUGH HE FINDS THAT STEAMWORKS SUDDENLY ACTIVATES RIGHT BEFORE SEEING A MONSTER ONCE AGAIN.

OH HE REMEMBERS THE PAST WELL. IN THIS AU IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO GET HIS MEMORY ERASED.

WHILE THE EVENTS PLAY OUT MOSTLY THE SAME COMPARED TO NORMAL UTY.

AXIS SEEMS MORE HESITANT THAN USUAL. AND PROBABLY MONOLOGUING A LITTLE SIMILAR TO WHAT DALV DOES

BEING A HUMAN. HE POSES LESS OF A THREAT ON HIS OWN. HOWEVER. MY GUY SETS UP HOME ALONE TYPE TRAPS N SHIT TO TRY AND CATCH CLOVER INSTEAD [PART OF HIS ROYAL GUARD TRAINING!!.

ONLY RESORTING TO USING "ROBOTIC MODIFICATIONS" HE HAD FOUND WHEN CLOVER REALLY [ticks] HIM OFF.

AND YES. HE STILL GETS A ROBOT SPOUSE IF A PACIFIST PLAYTHROUGH HAPPENS. HUMAN AXIS IS OBJECTUM. ITS REAL.

SO YEAH THAT IS ALL THE THINGS I THINK.

HOLY SHIT THIS THREAD IS LONG. FEW PEOPLE WILL READ THIS I THINK BUT I STILL WANTED TO GET STUPID AU THOUGHTS OUT. UH. YEAH HOPE THAT IS GOOD OR SMTH.. FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS 🥺

#undertale yellow #undertale yellow spoilera #uty #axis #axis 014 #axis undertale yellow #axis uty #gijinka #Zed’s art

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pepprs · 2 months ago

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hi, everyone. i hope you all are doing well. i’ve been meaning and wanting to check in here for many months but i have also been too afraid to. but i want to do it now because im potentially at a turning point and i want you all (especially close friends and mutuals who i haven’t talked to in a long time) to know what’s going on because unfortunately i do not have the strength to reach out individually right now, as much as i desperately want to.

when i left this place a year ago my depression was extremely bad. i didn’t know how long i was going to be gone or whether i was leaving for good, but i knew i needed to make some changes in my life before i could be here healthily again. well… 2024 has been a year of IMMENSE change for me! a lot of it has been for the good. i made some progress in my life by moving out, and i’ve had a lot of joy and healing in (very slowly) building a home for myself and figuring out what kind of life i want to live and how i want to live it. (im learning how to drive! i have string lights and stuffed animals and a wii! i am capable of solo travel!)

but… a lot of the changes that have happened this year have been for the worse. in almost every respect 2024 has been one of the most difficult and painful years of my life (and that is saying something!). this year a couple of traumatic things have happened to me and around me, and it has been extremely hard to live my life despite and beyond them. i have been dealing with physical and mental health issues that have greatly impacted my quality of life and make it unbearably difficult for me to get through every day. i am constantly running on negative spoons. one of the most damaging outcomes of this is that i have almost completely withdrawn from society both online and off and that is not an exaggeration. ive stopped talking to all of my friends and family except for people i see every day at work. i impulsively isolate myself when im in pain / distress despite knowing both emotionally and logically that it makes literally everything worse and i don’t know how to (and often can’t muster the mental strength to) work through the shame and grief and anxiety to seek connection and support. and im struggling to take care of myself including physically and its having severe consequences in every aspect of my life and in the lives of people who care about me. i live alone and i still think that was the good and right choice for me to make, but i am profoundly and agonizingly lonely. my depression was extremely bad when i left here, but i think despite everything it might be even worse now.

all of this is to say: this week i finally decided i can’t suffer like this anymore, and i began the process of seeking a formal diagnosis for my depression and other mental health issues and exploring additional treatment beyond talk therapy (most likely meds but there may be other things too / instead; still at the very beginning stages of figuring it all out). i am extremely anxious about many dimensions of this but also hopeful that it will help me hurt less because when i tell you at this point my brain and heart physically ache from depression like 85% of every day…. lol. im really hoping that once i get my mental / emotional pain under control i’ll be able to start tending to the parts of my life that have withered while ive suffered and repair the damage of my neglect as best i can. (which is to say… if you’re my friend and you’re reading this please know i love you and i miss you terribly and i am so sorry we haven’t spoken and i am so sorry im telling you this in a tumblr post you may not even read instead of a reply or a call back. i still love you and i want you to know it is not you specifically i am ghosting, its everyone. i am trying to build the strength and im scared i can’t but i hope i can.)

that said… i have decided i am not going to be coming back to this blog. i miss this place and the community i felt connected to here, but the way i was using this website as a public diary was extremely unhealthy, and as much as i miss it and still crave the instant comfort/validation i see clearly now with months of distance how damaging it was. (i truly cannot believe i was oversharing like that lol i am so private now (yes due largely to mental illness but still!)) i am so grateful to everyone who reassured me when i was struggling and celebrated my successes. this was the first place, online or off, where i (misguidedly but it’s true!) could actually be honest and candid about things happening in my life and my reactions to them instead of communicating it all through metaphors in my art and poetry, and it truly mattered that i had that experience here so that i could seek out more spaces like it in my offline life. i know i already said thank you in a previous update but really… thank you. 💗🫂

im not planning on deleting this blog. i may come back here and share updates like this one from time to time, but otherwise i will leave it as it is. but… i do want to get back to using a few of my fandom-centered sideblogs because looking at and compiling art of things i like is a low-energy thing that makes me happy! so you may see activity there every once in a while (tbh during this hiatus i have opened tumblr from time to time to look at art and save a bunch of posts that i wanted to reblog eventually lol). but… if i notice myself slipping back into bad habits i may private the sideblogs or abandon them completely.

i don’t know how to end this post. actually wait yes i do. one of my all time favorite artists is anna-laura sullivan (@/annalaura_art on instagram) and this is one of my all time favorite drawings of hers (so much so that i made it my lock screen so i can look at it every day!). this saying has brought me a lot of comfort and i hope it (and her other art) will bring you comfort too if you’re also in a dark place.

one more thing: not to be kind of a freak but in writing this post i discovered a longer version of my goodbye post from last year in my drafts. i don’t remember why i didn’t post it and obviously it’s outdated now but i want to share the draft because i went into more detail about tumblr having been helpful for me specifically when it comes to my mutuals + info / disclaimers about how to reach me and i want you guys to hear that in my past self’s voice lol! i put it under the cut if you want to read it!

2023 tess said it best: i hope you know how much it’s meant to me to be in your company. thank you for sharing and thank you for listening. i love you. happy [almost] new year. be well. good luck. shine bright. until we meet again ☕️🐈🫂💗

#purrs

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writingtraumaforever · 1 month ago

Text

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 30

Notes: Sorry if this sucks and isn’t my best but my brain is going brrr right now because IM SEEING THE MOVIE TOMORROW AHH—

Summary: Shadow receives one too many alerts for his liking..

UC Masterpost!

Link to my AO3!

Start:

“Did you hear that??”

“I absolutely did.”

Shadow eyes are wide on his wrist, slowly lifting his wrist to pull his glove up just enough to reveal the watch underneath.

The ‘no signal’ symbol at the top has changed to one bar. From red to green. His lips part with a small gasp, immediately holding the watch to his face and pressing the button on the side to speak.

“Tails??? Tails, do you copy???”

More static.

The Tails from this world perks up at the sound of his name, turning his attention from Knuckles and the others back to Shadow and Rouge who are staring at Shadow’s watch..

“You say something, Shadow??”

Shadow ignores him, trying again to press down the button and speak, “Tails??? Tails, come in, this is Shadow!”

Releases the button. More static..

He frowns and tries to swipe his finger along the screen of the watch for other options. He turns on his distress signal, hoping to have his location somehow locked on— but the watch informs him of an ‘error’ and doesn’t connect. Instead, he switches over to vitals. All Amy, Knuckle, Tails and Sonic are connected. They must all be together, he assumes—

Until Sonic’s vitals suddenly go high and a distress signal alerts across the screen.

Shadow’s heart drops.

Switching back to the communicator, he presses the button down and tries again, “Tails!! Tails! Answer me! Where’s Sonic?!”

“I’m right here!” Sonic answers with a curious quirk of his brow as he waltzes over to Shads; Amy, Knuckles and Tails following behind with equal amounts of confusion in their eyes, “Dude, you good??”

“Not you!” Shadow snaps out of panic, staring at the one green signal bar at the top of the tiny screen, “Sonic—my Sonic!”

“Huh???” Sonic’s eyes widen, it finally clicking what’s happening, “You’re communicating with them???”

“No exactly,” shadow mutters a bit hurriedly, tapping on his screen to switch back to vitals and look at Sonic’s again— still high. Still distressed. Why is he the only one distressed?? Is no one else with him??? Just as he thinks it, Amy’s heart rate starts to pick up on the screen..

His communicator beeps for an incoming message, Shadow instantly switching back to the comms screen.

“Shadow?? Shadow, can you hear me??”

“Is he able to— *krrrrch* —it??”

There’s two voices now. Shadow recognizes them as Tails and Knuckles immediately.

“*Krrrsh* —don’t know. It says he’s receivi— *krrrrch* —ou can hear us, send us a sign— *krrrshh*”

Shadow feels panicked. Rushed. Worried. His mind blanks, only able to think about his Sonic’s distress signal and not much else as he turns to the others with desperate eyes, “Help me send them a signal!”

“On it!” Tails jumps into action, moving to grab some tools from his workbench, “We don’t have a chaos emerald to power this thing enough to traverse time and space and communicate properly,” the kit explains, the others looming over him to watch as he works.

Sonic’s hand reaches without thought to rest on Shadow’s back, Shadow not taking notice but Sonic’s eyes are watching him. How scared he looks. How worried. It’s like nothing else in the world exists anymore, Shads’ full focus being on that watch.

“But maybe I can put enough juice in it to send them a signal of some sort—“

“We have a locations setting,” Shadow quickly offers, already taking his watch off to hand over to Tails, “Perhaps we can send them a quick enough signal to let them see it turn on then off??”

“That could work,” Tails nods, already opening the back of the watch with a tiny screwdriver. Tails is immediately intrigued by how similar yet different the schematics of the watch are on the inside, becoming temporarily overwhelmed. His need to dig and investigate and study takes over for only a moment before he takes a deep breath and gathers himself.

Not now. Nerd out later.

Locking back onto the task at hand, he reaches for a couple of tiny wires in his toolbox and begins attaching them to the inside of the watch, “We need a power source.”

“Will this work???” Shadow asks, pulling the fake emerald from his quills.

“That’s what got us into this mess!” Knuckles argues immediately as though the very thought of using the gem again is outrageous.

Tails grabs it without a second thought—

“Yup.”

“What!?”

Tails ignores Knuckles’ protesting, hooking the gem up immediately by attaching the wires with little sticky pads of some sort—

“Alright, let’s light this candle,” Tails says, passing the open watch carefully back to Shadow. Shadow nods and swipes back to the locator screen. He taps the ‘send location’ button. Error. He tries again. Another error.

“It’s not working,” Shadow growls out in frustration.

“Keep trying, it might take a second,” Tails replies, brows knitting as he watches Shadow repeatedly receive the error sign on the watch.

Shadow’s brows are knit tight, eyes panicked and mind racing with what could be happening. Why is Sonic’s distress signal being sent out??? Is no one with him?? He assumes Amy is since her own vitals are going up, but why is Sonic the one hurt??? That dumb idiot better not have gotten himself hurt pulling the sacrifice card—

The watch flashes green, locations turned on for a split moment and sending to all retrieving devices. And then it shuts off, losing signal again.

Shadow’s eyes widen, hoping it was enough for Tails to see and realize it’s him trying to contact them.

Switching back to the comms, he hears Knuckles speaking in the background of the staticky message,

“Did you see that?? His— *krrrch*”

“Hold on, Knuckles! I can only deal with one thing at a— *krrrch*”

“—deal with Sonic. You focus on getting that signal strong— *krrrch*”

The mention of ‘dealing with Sonic’ makes Shadow’s chest ache uncomfortably. Makes bile rise in his throat, burning when he swallows it down hard and holds the communicator up to speak again, “Tails! Tails, I’m here! Can you hear me???”

More static.

Shadow groans in frustration, his eyes shimmering red at the annoyance and anxiety all this is causing him.

“Damnit!” he yells, slamming his fist on the table when the signal reads red again and the green bars go away..

Everyone watches him in silence, unsure of how to comfort him or respond to what the heck just happened..

“…Shadow?” Sonic’s voice comes behind him, quiet and gentle as a gloved hand rests on his shoulder.

Shadow doesn’t respond. Just stares at the watch with gritted teeth, newfound determination rising inside him as he takes a breath and closes his eyes. He needs to control his emotions.. he can’t lose control now. Not here..

When he opens them again, the red glow is gone. He turns to look to Tails now, handing him the watch, “We need emeralds.”

“Yes,” Tails confirms with a hesitant nod, slowly taking the watch from him.

“Then let’s not waste anymore time,” he grunts, turning towards the others, “Tails, stay here get that signal back up..”

Sonic’s brows are knitted up, watching Shadow with concern and empathy clear on his face. But Shadow doesn’t look at him. He won’t look at him, Sonic notices. His eyes go right over him as if to avoid him, in fact. It makes something inside him burn, something worried and pained. Like loss.

“Rouge and I can go to Eggman’s Lair to retrieve any information we can find on the Time Eater and how Eggman managed to use its powers to hop through time and space. Knuckles, Sonic and Amy?? Find the emeralds. I don’t care how, just do it.”

“We can use the chaos energy reader??” Amy suggests, not questioning Shadow’s wishes a single time. And Sonic notices how she moves to rest a reassuring hand on Shadow’s arm. Like she knows something..

“Tails, you have two at the ready, right??”

“Yeah, if you count the one attached to the Tornado,” the fox says with a rub to the back of his neck.

“I can fly it,” Sonic assures, “I may be a little rusty, but I can do it.”

“You’re sure??” Tails frowns, eyeing his brother a bit nervously.

“I was flying that thing when you were still in diapers, pal,” Sonic smirks with a thumbs up, “I’ll figure it out.”

Tails hums a moment, seeming a bit reluctant to let Sonic take his baby like that before he eventually nods since he doesn’t have much of a choice, “Alright. You and Amy take the Tornado. She’s a good co-pilot,” Tails assures, looking to Amy who nods in response. She’s learned a lot sitting in the backseat on their adventures. He trusts her more than most with his plane at this point.

“I’ll take the handheld reader and search the zones,” Knuckles adds, “Between that and being able to naturally sense the chaos energy, I should be able to pick up on something.”

“Good,” Shadow nods, looking at the echidna before looking at the others— except Sonic. He once again lets his gaze jump right over Sonic.

Sonic sighs a bit at this, glancing to Amy who is still holding onto Shadow’s arm. Shadow is even leaning into her a little now.

Oh yeah. He’s gonna interrogate the shit out of her on this flight.

“Alright, gang,” Sonic throws on his signature confident smirk, amplifying the positivity and spirit of the group with that alone. Faking his happy-go-lucky attitude or not, it works. They all look to him for hope, and he never fails to give it,

“Let’s show this Shadow how Mobius 1.0 gets things done!”

“Yeah!” They all cheer in unison and oh man it’s so nice to have everyone together again..

Tails grabs the handheld reader for Knuckles, making sure it’s working properly before handing it off to him. Knuckles leaves immediately for his search, only pausing to take Rouge by her elbow and have her look him in the eye with a very intimate “Be safe” to which she smirked and replied “Too boring.” He just smirked right back and headed out.

Amy and Sonic load up in the Tornado, Sonic taking a few minutes to re-familiarize himself with the controls but after looking it all over, he’s confident he’s got this no problem. It’s his plane he built after all. New tech or not, the mechanics are still the same for the most part.

Shadow walks to Rouge, about to run over some infiltration plans with the bat only for her to pause him with a hand on his chest.

“Hold up there, Hot Topic.”

Shadow quirks a brow at her, “We don’t have time to hold up—“

“But you have time to tell him bye,” Rouge says simply, her eyes looking at Shadow’s knowingly..

Shadow’s brows knit a bit at this..

She knows..

“…You may not be my Shadow, but you’re still Shadow,” she smirks with a shrug, “And I know when you care for someone..”

Shadow sighs a bit at this, glancing over to Sonic who is letting Amy explain how the chaos energy reader works..

After a moment, he approaches the two, walking up to the ladder to the plane and climbing up two steps before leaning against the side of it and looking at Sonic.

Sonic’s eyes shift to his.

Finally, he thinks..

What he sees throws him off. How vulnerable Shadow looks. How shaken up..

He knows this Shadow has a very much different and closer relationship with his Sonic than his own Shadow does with him, but to see it all firsthand..? To see how triggered Shadow has gotten over his Sonic potentially being in danger..? It’s.. jolting, honestly.

“…Be careful,” Shadow says quiet but stern, “I’ve already got one Sonic to be worrying about, I don’t need two.”

Sonic smiles a bit at this, “You got it, buddy. Not a single quill on my precious head will be out of place by the time I get back.”

Shadow smirks slightly at this, but the worry in his eyes is still very present..

Sonic sighs a bit at this and offers, “He’s gonna be okay.. I’m sure he just ran into some trouble. But he’ll be fine. Any version of myself can handle anything life throws at him..”

Shadow chuckles breathily at this, “…You have no idea.”

“I think I do, actually,” Sonic smirks with a wink, Shadow smiling a bit more at that.

“…Yeah, you do, don’t you..”

They share a silent and knowing look for a few more moments before Shadow begins climbing back down with a ‘hmph’.

“Just be careful.”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks mom,” Sonic teases to which Shadow rolls his eyes.

He better be safe..

Or Shadow will just have to kill him.

#shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #sonadow #fanfiction #my writing #my fanfiction #sonadow fanfiction #uc series #uncontrolled chaos #Amy rose #knuckles the echidna #tails the fox #tails prower #miles tails prower #slight knuxouge #rouge the bat #ao3 #ao3 writer

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castiwls · 10 months ago

Text

out of the woods - p.d

Pairing; poe dameron x fem!reader

Synopsis; based on the song 'out of the woods' by taylor swift

Prompt; 'remember when we couldn't take the heat, i walked out said im setting you free.'

Notes; I've never written for poe so i apologise if this is ooc

masterlist | taylor swift masterlist

“So you're breaking up with me?” Poe frowned from his place behind you. He crossed his arms over his chest letting out a sigh of disbelief.

“No. I’m not breaking up with you. I’m trying to keep you safe!” You snapped turning to face him. “I can’t lose you, and I refuse to be the reason you die, Poe!” You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment, pushing back the tears which threatened to spill.

Poe shook his head taking a step towards you. He reached out to gently grasp your arm before running a hand up it. “What happened with Ren wasn’t your fault.”

“Really?” You let out a breath. “Cause it certainly feels like it!” Part of you knew that Poe was right. That Ren would have tortured him anyway to get the map but another part of you knew that he only upped that torture when he found Poe’s connection to you.

At one point Ben Solo was someone who you’d class as a friend, you’d trained together for years before fallen to the dark. From what you knew, you were the sole survivor of the temple and that placed a large bounty on your head, and in turn Poe’s head.

“It’s safer this way,” You dropped your voice to a whisper moving to place a hand on his cheek. You felt him lean into your touch, his eyes closing slightly. “Doesn’t mean I like it.” He said taking a breath.

You nodded gently tracing your thumb over his cheek. “Promise me, when this is all over,” He gestured around him pulling back from your hand. “When we’ve won. You’ll come back to me.” He held your hands in his pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

“I promise.”

༉‧₊˚✧

Taking a breath you slowly began to walk down the ramp of the ship. Celebrations rang out all around you as more and more ships landed at the base. You’d done it. You’d actually won this war. The First order was gone for good and it seemed that peace may actually stay this time.

As you reached the bottom of the ramp you could feel people clapping you over the shoulder with congratulations as you passed. You continued to walk until you reached a clearing at the end of the base.

You stood silently for a moment, watching the sun slowly begin to set over the planet.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were hiding from me.” A voice called out behind you causing a smile to slowly form on your lips. “Not hiding…just waiting.” You turned to face him your smile growing.

Poe grinned brightly back at you. Besides a few cuts, he seemed relatively unscathed, much to your relief. “We won.” You slowly stepped closer to him, watching as he shrugged his shoulders. “You won. We just helped.” He pointed a finger to your chest. “You're the one who went face to face with a Sith and won.”

Letting out a quiet laugh you shook your head. “Yes, well. You were the one who took down the First Order,” You shrugged tilting your head. “I think we are both equal.”

Nodding he smiled. You both grew quiet for a moment before you felt him place a hand on your cheek. Rubbing your cheek with his thumb he stared at you for a moment. “If I recall, we had an agreement,” Poe whispered leaning down slightly. You tilted your head slightly, looking up at him. “I believe we did.”

A pit of butterflies began to swarm in your stomach as you felt him pull you closer with his other hand. Poe stared down at you a moment longer before leaning forward to connect your lips.

Letting out a small gasp you melted into his hold. Every worry you’d had over the last few years seemed to melt away as you stood in his arms. You knew you still had a long road ahead of you in terms of fixing everything the First Order had broken, but in that moment none of that mattered.

All that mattered was that you’d won.

#poe dameron #poe dameron x you #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagine #poe dameron fanfiction #star wars #poe dameron fic #Poe Dameron Drabble #star wars imagine #star wars fanfiction #star wars sequel trilogy #star wars fandom #.mine #.starwars #.poedameron

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cowboygenesis · 7 days ago

Text

5: the armory | din djarin x reader

part 5 of the "brown eyes" series: masterlist and spotify playlist.

pairing: din djarin x reader

chapter warnings: none.

word count: 12.2k

series summary: din settles on the distant planet of lazure prime while seeking a safe-haven for his son. unbeknownst to him, the choice leads him to unforeseen threats—and a deeper connection he never thought possible.

notes: 12k words is just ridiculous. i feel like most of this is just a build-up for WHAT IS TO COME-- eckhem-- im slowly entering finals season so updates might slow down again which is SUCH bad timing with how badly im itching to start a smutty kylo fic. anyway, enjoy some domestic goodness and please let me know what you think of the series so far!

Din didn’t complain much when you asked to make a quick stop at your cottage.

You invited him in, finally said hi to Grogu, and poured both of them a hefty glass of sweet brew. They sat at the same table you had eaten at a week prior, as you excused yourself to your bedroom to find an appropriate outfit for work.

It didn’t take you long. Hidden in the depths of one drawer sat a stack of loose, linen pants that tightened at your ankles. They weren’t exactly meant for strenuous work, but they’d have to do for today. You had discarded most of your old clothes when you moved to Terrine, and the planet’s traditional wardrobe mostly consisted of folksy, warm layers that were perfect for farming and the like, but less so for the gritty, grimy chores of a mechanic.

You fix up your hair, wash your face, and finally exit. Your two companions look at you with curiosity, and you can only smile when you see both of their empty glasses on the table.

Din’s helmet tilts down as he surveys you before his gaze lands back on your coy, pleasantly glowing face. He stays silent, but with a glance at your new bottoms, he finally seems to understand why you had requested that stop in the first place. The last time you had worked the Crest in a skirt, the hem frayed beyond repair.

“Ready to go?” you announce through a confident grin, suddenly excited by the prospect of spending some more time in your new triad.

You watch Grogu chirp happily as he attempts to reach out to you, making Din tuck him into his metal crib. The man looks at you and nods, standing up and shutting the sphere with a click of a button on his gauntlet. You hear Grogu’s whines of protest, and frown a little as you fasten your cloak around your neck.

“Do you have to keep him in there?” you question with genuine curiosity as the Mandalorian stands to his full height. You watch him grasp the empty glasses by the rim and carefully bring them to the sink. The sight makes you bite your lip to catch a grin from forming. So polite.

“I told you he’s unpredictable,” the man explains as the two of you approach the foyer. You put your boots back on and make sure the windows are closed, not so much for safety as it is for the fear of a thunderstorm brewing while you’re away.

“Still, I feel like he’s missing out on the view,” you shrug as you finish up your laces.

“He’ll be fine,” Din retorts in a low rumble, and you almost want to laugh at how poorly he reacts to your parenting advice.

“Hey, you’re his dad,” you chuckle, opening the door to let the two through. Once they step on the deck, you exit behind them and lock the door. “Who am I to tell you what’s good for your child?”

Din doesn’t reply, but you sense he’s oddly pleased with your answer. You omit to him the fact you were trying to be sarcastic.

The walk to the Razor Crest is unsurprisingly pleasant. You pass by the rolling fields, wave to a few mildly confused neighbors, and eventually end up at the edge of the forest.

It’s still pretty early, so navigating should be simple. That’s, of course, until you see Din playing around with his gauntlet again as he leads the way.

“What are you doing?” you ask, trying to glance over his shoulder as he taps away.

“Tracking the Crest,” he replies as a small satnav screen appears to you on his forearm. You see the nearby area mapped out over a grid, with two points pinned in red.

“Sheesh,” you mutter under your breath as you enter the thicket. You see Din’s helmet tilt at your reaction, and you shrug with a soft, albeit coy smile.

“We’re a little old-fashioned around here,” you explain tightly while ducking under a particularly low branch blocking the road. “I haven’t gotten a tech update in… half a decade, at least. It’s still a little shocking to me when I visit the city once in a while— makes me feel like I’ve aged at twice the speed.”

He ponders your words, and as the path narrows, you’re forced to walk in a tight line. Without thinking, you finally jump to the front, letting Din and the crib follow just behind.

“Five years you’ve been here?” he questions through the modulator as you skip a pebble with your foot. The breeze rustling your pinned hair is pleasantly chilly, nipping at your cheeks and sending a satisfying shiver down the base of your neck.

“More or less,” you reply, “I… didn’t think to count since day one, so it’s all just approximations at this point.”

“Why?” he questions, and you furrow an eyebrow despite knowing he won’t be capable of catching your expression with the way you’re walking ahead.

“Why what?”

“Why didn’t you count?”

The query makes you walk a little slower, your shoulders dropping with the soft swing of your arms. You don’t have a proper answer for him.

“…I was too busy thinking about other things,” you finally shrug, thankful he can’t see the scowl forming on your wind-tinted face. ��Like how I’d make a living in this new place, where I’d settle, how I could find people to trust again.”

You worry about a follow-up, but to your great relief, he seems to sense your discomfort. Din skips commenting this time, instead letting the two of you enjoy the woods’ nature in peace.

The air is fresh here, and you make a point of taking deep breaths every other step. You’re still smack in the middle of the windiest season, which shows as a strong current blows through the foliage above. You tilt your head to look, and marvel at the dancing leaves as soft beams of light spill through the small gaps.

“Hey, look at the sunlight,” you comment, raising a hand to point at the bright streaks trickling toward the ground. The awe in your face must be apparent when your voice tightens through the smile.

Can he even tell colors apart through that dim visor? You think that something as serious as a Mandalorian’s helmet would be smelted with practicality in mind, not aesthetic beauty. But it’s a shame, really.

You don’t turn around to check his reaction, but still silently hope that Din is looking to the treeline with you, admiring the gentle cascade from within the safety of his armor. You think you’re proven right when you hear the soft ‘woosh’ of metal, followed by a familiar bubbling of your little green buddy.

You turn around with a smile, letting yourself walk backward so you can watch Grogu without losing precious time and progress.

His big eyes glimmer with wonder as he surveys the sight above. You hear him coo softly, and almost envy the fact he gets to experience this beautiful view from the comfort of his padded crib. You almost want to ask his dad if they made these in your size.

You glance over at Din, giving him a self-satisfied, foxy smile. You imagine he quirks an eyebrow at your mein, unappreciative of your sudden cockiness.

“There’s nobody around,” he explains flatly, and you can’t help but tilt your head in amusement.

“I didn’t say anything,” you shrug, and Din huffs at you. “Just look at him. Who knew babies had such an appreciation for natural beauty?”

He watches you for a moment, just moments from answering, and just as you’re about to quip back, you watch his hand rise towards you.

“Carefu—”

But your boot hits an elevation in the ground before you can heed his warning. You lose balance, and before you can gasp or yell, you’re already plummeting to the ground below.

But the impact never comes. Your eyes are shut tight preparing your body for collision, but what comes instead is a firm, steady pressure around your waist.

Your eyes flutter open slowly, and what you see almost makes you feel like faceplanting would’ve been the better option after all.

Your wide eyes meet his visor, close enough that you could probably see his annoyed expression if you squinted hard enough. His front collides with yours, the plates lining his muscles digging into the skin of your décolletage.

You don’t dare look down, but you find you don’t need to— the grip at your midriff is inarguably the presence of his strong, steady arm keeping you pressed safely against him as you stand awkwardly, mid-fall, your hands resting awkwardly on his chest plate.

“Careful,” he repeats with an edge of sternness, and the proximity makes you feel his low baritone rumbling in your heaving chest as he reprimands you so carefully. You’re at a loss for words. You’re not sure if you should feel embarrassed, thankful, or entirely hot at his intervention.

It turns out to be an unfortunate mixture of all three, brewing in your gut as you notice your own hands are now gripping tightly at his shoulders. You realize you’ve never touched him like that. It’s probably the closest thing to a hug you’ll ever get from him, so weirdly, you want to linger in place for a while.

And apparently, that doesn’t bother him. Maybe it’s the shock of the moment or your stupidly confused brain, but Din seems to keep you pressed against him for a little longer than is probably prudent in this minuscule rescue scenario. His breath isn’t heavy like yours, but you still catch his shoulder rise and fall with a little more force than you’d think usual for someone of his stoicism.

Absentmindedly, or perhaps through the haze of lingering shock, you let your left hand glide along his shoulder. The movements are slow, gentle, and calculated, and you watch his reaction closely for any sign to back off— but there’s nothing. He stands there in silence, helmet perfectly still, but you can’t quite imagine what he’s looking at now: your dazed eyes or the fingers that keep inching towards his helmet.

Once you move past the pauldron, you feel the soft material of his cloak as it bunches at the collarbone. Your breath hitches with every crinkle and fold.

Still, there’s no reaction. Din, shockingly, seems to entertain your curiosity. His grip around your waist tightens, but you know that if he wanted to, he could easily stop you from advancing— he’s definitely strong (and fast) enough to overpower you had he felt uncomfortable. Your lip catches between your teeth at the realization that he doesn’t even try.

So you move further, letting your fingers slip past the cloak and towards his neck. You finger at the cowl there, and in that moment, as the cascading warmth of his pulse point heats your hand, you crave more— to slip deeper, touch skin, feel the humanity, if there is any.

Maker, what are you doing?

Maybe it’s common sense or just a brush with survival, but you feel like going just an inch higher will change your life. Forever. It’s a dreadful, all-encompassing pit that swells in your chest, threatening to spill out dare you continue your delicate assault at his identity.

You feel a radiating heat creeping onto your face, and take it as a final sign to back off.

Your fingers quiver as you withdraw from Din, eventually finding your bearings with a little shimmy against him.

“Uh,” you mutter as he steadies you, holding both hands on either side of your waist as you feel out the ground beneath you. Your legs threaten to give out between you. “Thanks.”

He nods, and there’s just a single, fleeting spark between you before he finally pulls away himself. You nod back at him with a ditzy smile before turning to the pathway again. You hear Grogu chirping in his crib, and you’re unsure if he’s laughing at your mishap or cheering you on.

Maker. Seriously, you might be something of a klutz, but that was just unnecessary.

You continue through the forest with your lip caught in your teeth, before the awkward silence surrounding you slowly morphs back into one of comfort. The steady rise and fall of his chest is still fresh on your mind, but you manage to put it in the sidelines. For now.

Grogu’s soft whines and giggles paint a smile on your face, and you occasionally catch a glimpse of Din looking at his satnav with not a hint of stress. You guess that whatever that was didn’t affect him too much, which quite frustratingly makes you scowl at the ground below your moving feet. It’s definitely for the better, and you’re just being dramatic.

But then, his hand comes up to rest atop your shoulder blade, gently maneuvering you left.

The contact is chaste, but it still makes your heart jump. It’s just so… unnecessary. If he wanted you to go left, he could have just told you: ‘Go lef—

“We’re here,” he proclaims, and as you exit your chaotic headspace, your eyes meet with the familiar, looming hull of the Razor Crest. It sits just beyond a downward slope, greeting you with a brilliant shine as the sunlight illuminates the freshly graffiti-less surface.

“She looks so much happier,” you comment through a smile, entering the clearing with your two companions on either side. “You got the graffiti off.”

Din nods as the three of you approach the ramp. With a quick press to his forearm, the extendable metal plates lower with a whoosh. You wonder how much more he can do with just that one gauntlet.

Din leads you into the hull, stopping Grogu’s crib near a wall and swiftly withdrawing the boy with a sweep of his arm. The baby coos as the man reaches for a mounted handle, pulling at it to reveal a hidden compartment.

You gaze inside curiously, quickly realizing it’s a makeshift bed hidden in the wall of the hull. There’s a thin mattress lining a metal plate, with some blankets tossed about. Hanging above sits a large net, fastened to the walls with small bolts.

You watch as Din places Grogu inside, letting the boy flop into the basket with a sweet chirp. You giggle at his antics, trying not to eye this ‘bedroom’ for too long— it feels almost too intimate, like you’re breaking his creed just by peeking in.

“You sleep here?” you question, moving your attention to the rest of the ship’s interior. You don’t spot anything out of the ordinary besides a few crates lying around, following down to an unlit sector of the hull. You can’t see into the darkness even as you squint your eyes,

“Sometimes,” he replies, and the curious tilt of your head is enough to make him elaborate. “When I’m not busy.”

“Busy?” you question, though you already understand what he means by that. You’ve never even spoken to a mercenary before meeting Din, but the line of work is infamous enough for you to recognize its hardships and irregular schedule, if you could even call it that.

“Sleep is a luxury,” Din adds in a murmur, not turning to you.

You chew the inside of your cheek at his words, pondering the short but surprisingly profound statement. At home, you let yourself sleep in late, often disregarding the privilege of being able to do so on a regular.

But him? You imagine the countless sleepless nights around a fire on alien planets, catching bounties, taking care of the kid, piloting the Crest… you figure the best he gets is a few minutes in the cockpit, his head lolling slightly in the helmet as starlight streaks across the windows.

He moves towards the wall-bolted ladder, and you take a glance at Grogu. The little ball’s eyes glimmer as he coos at you from the netting, extending his arms as if asking for a pick-up.

“Wait,” you call out to Din, and he stops in his tracks to look at you. Your eyes skim to his helmet, then to the needy baby. “Can’t he come?”

The Mandalorian sighs, moving his foot off the ladder to face you. “He’ll just distract you.”

You raise an eyebrow, looking at the pleading child. “Distract me?” you echo, picking Grogu up and cradling him against your chest. He coos in delight, tiny fingers reaching for the collar of your linen shirt. “I think you’re underestimating him a little.”

Din crosses his arms, the slight tilt of his helmet betraying his most apparent skepticism. “Helpful? He’ll try to eat the tools.”

“Not if we keep an eye on him,” you counter, shifting Grogu to your hip. He gazes up at Din, ears twitching, as if sensing the conversation is about him. “Besides, I think he wants to see what we’re up to. He’s been trapped in that metal ball for long enough, I want him to enjoy the fresh air for a while.”

Din sighs, glancing between the two of you before shaking his head. “Fine. But if he gets in the way, it’s on you.”

You grin, victorious, and nuzzle Grogu’s head lightly. “You hear that, bud? I just proved your case.”

Grogu babbles in response, seemingly in thanks.

Din mutters something under his breath as he heads up the ladder. You follow carefully, Grogu nestled securely in your arm.

Once you make your way up, you catch the Mandalorian already leaning over the control panel, keeping his posture steady with arms planted firmly against the metal edge. You spot the same tool kit you used to fix the hull ready for you by the wall, and you keep a note of it for later.

You hum as you settle into the pilot’s chair, squinting at the flickering lights on the control panel and trying really hard to keep your mind from drifting to the last time you sat here. Grogu proves quite useful in distracting you, as he chirps softly in your lap as you get to work.

Din is still leaning against the bulkhead, watching your nimble fingers hovering the interface.

“Alright, let’s see what your dad’s been whining about,” you snort under your breath, tapping a sequence of buttons to pull up the diagnostics. A series of warnings flash in red and orange across the small screen ahead, and you sigh. “Okay, so… our faulty thruster is port side. Surprise, surprise.”

Din straightens slightly. “You said it can be fixed?”

You swivel in the chair to face him, raising an eyebrow as your hands wrap around Grogu. You’re suddenly feeling a little giddy; you think it might be the lingering buzz he ignited within you when he so heroically saved your ass from faceplanting earlier. The memory suddenly fills you with enough gut to test your developing camaraderie.

“I mean, I could just leave it and see what happens next time you try to take off,” you shrug, but the grin on your face is evident. “Could be fun.”

He looks at you with what you imagine to be annoyance, a soft sigh escaping through the modulator and making you chuckle.

“Noted,” he replies dryly, tilting his helmet towards the console.

Still smiling, you turn back to the screen, running a more detailed scan. The readout pinpoints the issue to the power coupler and some wiring near the base of the thruster. “Yep, it’s not getting proper power. Probably a burnt conduit or a loose connection, but nothing we can’t fix with these.” Your head nods to the toolbox sitting on the floor.

He nods, and you swiftly pass him the child before pushing off the chair. He doesn’t hesitate, cradling the little ball as you grab Din’s tools from the corner of the cockpit. “Alright, let’s go take a look.”

The man nods again, pulling up the smooth sphere so he can settle Grogu inside. He shows you to another ladder at the back of the cockpit, leading to the roof of the ship.

He ascends first, and you hand him the toolbox before clamoring up yourself. Grogu’s orb hums as it smoothly ascends through the air just behind you. Again, you feel a little jealous. Must be nice.

Din glances over at your head as it pops up from the hull. “Keep him out of the panels. It’s dangerous.”

“I know, I know,” you click your tongue, eyeing the child’s crib as you climb the last step.

As you stand atop the Crest, you realize just how massive the ship feels from this perspective. You’re almost level with the treeline now, and looking in any direction gives you a neat outlook on the horizon. A soft breeze whirls through the clearing, catching your tied-back hair.

Din sets the toolbox down with a soft clunk, snapping you out of your brief reverie. He stands a few paces away, his helmet tilting as he looks back at you. “Enjoying the view?”

You nod, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Can you blame me? I didn’t realize the Crest could double as a scenic lookout.”

He lets out a quiet, amused huff before gesturing toward the thruster. “Scenery’s not going to fix the thruster.”

“Fair,” you concede with a huff, moving to join him near the flap. The port-side thruster is even more battered up close, the wear and tear of use evident in the scorched metal and scratched panels. Seems like the ship was due for a cleaning.

Crouching, you run a hand along the edge of the panel, searching for the release mechanism. Din kneels next to you, pointing silently to a small latch you missed. You shrug as you flick it open, the panel hissing as it releases, revealing a tangle of wiring and colorful components beneath.

“Definitely a power issue,” you mutter under your breath, inspecting the cluster of cables. A faint smell of burnt plastic lingers in the cavity, confirming your earlier suspicions. “Damn, this conduit’s fried. You still think some kids did this?”

Din leaves you without an answer, and instead, you see his gloved hand appear in your peripheral vision, holding a replacement conduit from the toolbox. You glance up at him, a bit surprised.

“Well, aren’t you prepared?” you tease, taking the part with your dominant hand.

“Had a feeling,” he replies simply, watching you get to work.

You grin, settling into the task. Working on the open thruster isn’t easy—some of the wires are tangled, and the flickering sunlight makes it hard to see inside the dark gap below. You hold a hand up to shield your eyes, squinting.

“Hold this,” you say, passing the conduit to Din as you adjust some stray wires.

He obliges, watching as you carefully untangle the damaged strings and disconnect the faulty part. A stray spark jumps when you pull it free, and you flinch slightly.

“Careful,” Din warns, leaning a bit closer.

“I’m fine,” you assure him, though your heart jumps a little at the proximity. He’s peering just over your shoulder, and you can hear the soft breaths coming through his modulator as you reach for the toolbox. “You’re distracting me.”

“It’s my ship,” he replies, handing the replacement back to you.

You sigh, sliding the new conduit into place despite the intrusion and securing it with the hydrospanner from the toolbox. As you work, Grogu’s faint coos drift up from the crib, and you glance at it briefly to see him staring up at you, his ears twitching.

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” you call while elbows-deep in the wirey cavern. “Your ride will be good as new once I’m done here.”

Din straightens slightly, glancing down at Grogu before looking back at you. “You talk to him like he understands.”

“You think he doesn’t?” you reply with a smirk, tightening the last bolt with your tongue peeking out. “He’s smarter than both of us combined.”

The Mandalorian only huffs, and you can’t help but smile into the wires at having made him chuckle. It feels like a bit of a reward every time.

You work like that for a while, leaning into the open panel as Din hovers behind you, occasionally commenting on the damage. You’re quick with your responses, your cheeks pink with the fleeting breeze as your heart fills with satisfaction at the smooth process. You still got it, after so long.

Finally, you run a quick diagnostic with the handheld scanner Din hands you from the toolbox, watching the screen light up green. Your eyes squint as you survey the information flowing across the small interface, humming to yourself once you’re satisfied with the lack of errors.

“Done,” you announce, leaning back and wiping your hands on your pants with a self-satisfied smile. Changing proved to be a fantastic choice, after all. Maybe it was finally time to update your wardrobe?

Din nods, standing and offering you a gloved hand to pull you up. “Good work.”

“Thanks,” You take it, surprised by how effortlessly he managed to set you on your feet. “Let’s just hope this holds up longer than the last one.”

“Depends on how rough things get,” he says, and you look at him with a quirked brow. You can’t tell if he’s being funny or genuinely pondering the safety of this forest after the events that had caused the error in the first place.

“Have you thought of relocating?” you question, leaning down to shut the toolbox. “Whoever did this can find you again now that they know where you’re settled.”

“It’s a convenient spot,” he quickly retorts, “And if people can track the Crest to here, they could likely track it elsewhere, too. It’s a hassle to move around so frequently, and fuel here isn’t exactly available or cheap.”

You nod, mulling over his words. You’ve never ventured the forest beyond this clearing, as the trunks grew thick there and obscured most natural light. You think that by ‘inconvenient’ Din means to say it’d be too hard to access civilization. “I guess so.”

You make sure to secure the latch of the thruster before the three of you descend to the cockpit. Once there, you leave the toolbox in its original spot and walk down to the open hull.

There, you find yourself stretching again. Your arms extend as you sigh a breath of relief and satisfaction— you haven’t greased your elbows in a solid moment, long enough to make you forget how good it feels to fix up a faulty mechanism, even without the promise of credits or a superior’s praise.

You turn to Grogu as Din checks something on his gauntlet again. You smile at the little ball, and he seems to sniff out your lingering attention when his big eyes turn to you.

There’s a strained silence as his eyes squint, before he… wails. It’s a sound you’ve not heard him make before, like a powerful, high-pitched shrieking that makes you clutch your chest.

“B-Buddy?” you exclaim, lunging towards him with worry.

Din happens to be a few steps ahead of you already. His arms duck into the crib as he withdraws the snotty baby with a low sigh.

He studies him, and your furrowed brows make your forehead crease.

“He’s hungry,” The Mandalorian explains, his tone betraying his otherwise stoic mein. He’s not exactly in the mood to deal with his son’s whining right now, and so much is quite clear.

“Did you feed him today?” you question, inching forward with your arms outstretched.

Din quickly pivots, moving Grogu away. Your worry fades into sympathy as you drop your arms, stepping away to avoid escalating the tension. This kind of parental pressure is probably not the kind Din is used to.

“Not enough, apparently,” the man mutters as he surveys the bundle in his arms. Grogu’s eyes are still filling with hot tears, but he’s quieted down enough in his dad’s embrace for you to admire them in peace.

It’s quite a sweet sight, albeit tugging at your funny bone. You’ve never been too good with kids, but the natural urge to protect the cute, little creature couldn’t be lost on you— or Din, for that matter. Your lip flips into a small smirk as you finally approach, just in arm’s reach of the pair.

You look at Din with somewhat pleading eyes, your lip caught between your teeth when he looks at you curiously. “Can I feed him?”

He tilts his head at you, lingering there for a beat before turning his attention to the babbling toddler again.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he replies sternly, but you’re not discouraged one bit. You understand his worry for the baby, and if he told you to, you’d gladly back away.

Still, this time you attempt to push just a little further. You’ve grown pretty fond of the kid, and feeding him seems like a good way to pursue this bond you have further. Plus, you’re a little curious to see what that looks like.

“I’ll be gentle,” you speak, close enough now to pet the kid’s comically large ear. He leans into your touch, looking at you with those big, wet eyes of his. “Besides…”

Din looks up at you in question as you poke the inside of your cheek with your tongue. You look up at him with a knowing look, tilting your head to match his posture.

“When was the last time you ate?” you question, almost sternly. You don’t mean to school this grown man on how he should live his life, but you’re genuinely curious about his habits now that he told you about his chaotic sleeping schedule.

“I’m fine,” he replies, holding your gaze as you continue caressing the kid’s ears.

He’s not fine. The delay in his reply is enough for you to know he probably hasn’t eaten since morning, if not longer. You give him a skeptical smile, hoping he’ll elaborate.

“I had a meal two days ago,” he adds, and your jaw drops.

“Two days ago!?” you exclaim, eyebrows rising up your forehead. It’s so much worse than you thought. “Are you even human under all that junk, Mando?”

He just shakes his head with annoyance at your whining. “I’m human.”

You don’t tell him the question was rhetorical, and instead slowly withdraw the crying kid from his arms. He hesitates for a second, but eventually lets you take over. You cradle the baby with both your arms, rocking him gently.

Your eyes move back to Din’s visor, and you sigh sympathetically.

“Din,” you say softly, “I get it—it’s been difficult settling in. but… you can’t forget your own needs.”

He stiffens slightly, the subtle shift in his posture telling you that your words hit something within.

“I manage,” he replies, his voice a little quieter now.

“Well yeah, I can see that,” you say with a small smile, almost teasingly as you glance down at Grogu. He begins to settle in your arms, tiny fingers curling around a strand of your sleeve. “But managing is not thriving.”

Din doesn’t respond immediately. His visor is fixed on the two of you, the baby nestled comfortably against your chest. For a moment, you wonder what expression he’s hiding under that helmet.

“Let me do this,” you continue, rocking Grogu gently. “You can take five, eat something, or just sit for all I care.”

Din sighs. “He’s particular. He might not… take to it.”

Jackpot. You grin, a spark of confidence lighting up your face with a grin. “Guess we’ll find out, right?”

Din watches you silently, and before he can argue any further, your bright expression seems to convince him otherwise. He sighs heavily, like the idea of taking a break was actually a hassle.

“Fine,” he replies, nodding towards a compartment near the open ramp. “There’s the food supply.”

You move on cue, smiling wide as you approach the small compartment. You move Grogu to one of your arms, letting the other hand tug at the metal handle of the storage.

The inside is… pretty much what you’d expect it to be. A few shelves lined with a variety of cans and bottles, some probably expired judging from the thin layer of dust covering the labels.

You reach for one of the smaller cans, squinting to read the packaging. It’s written in Rodian— yours is pretty rusty, but after a moment of concentrating you decipher the letters to read something like ‘Meat Blend’. Yum.

“Does he like this?” you call out to Din, raising your hand to show him the label.

“He’ll eat anything,” the man replies shortly, moving to the edge of the ramp. “There’s a fire pit near the ship. I’ll stoke it for you.”

You nod, pocketing the can into your duffle bag as Din begins descending the stairs.

You watch him stop halfway down, his body slowly moving to face you. You quirk an eyebrow in question, wondering if he might ask for something.

“Have you eaten?” he questions, and the simple question makes your heart thrum in your chest. His voice is stern, yes, but the implication of his query makes you feel like he’s not indifferent to your state.

You blink at him. “Me? Uh—” You fumble, suddenly hyper-aware of how long it’s been since your last meal. “I had some fruit this morning?” you add hastily, though you realize how pitiful that sounds the way the statement morphs into a question.

Din doesn’t respond immediately, but the slight tilt of his helmet suggests he’s not impressed by your answer.

“That’s not enough,” he says simply, and before you can protest, he’s nodding towards the compartment again. “Take something for yourself.”

You stare at him, momentarily stunned by his sudden concern. You reason that it might just be subtle payback for fixing his ship and offering to feed his kid. Maybe it’s not exactly kindness as it is being a good, hospitable host.

“Alright,” you mutter, grabbing another can at random. The label is colorful, and you figure all canned food tastes just about the same, anyway. “But don’t expect me to be as easy to please as Grogu. He doesn’t even have taste buds yet.”

Din turns without another word, but as he disappears out of view, you hear a melodic sound coming from his modulator. You smile, grateful to know that you are the one who caused him to laugh like that. Again.

Before you follow, you quickly pick out two more cans and stuff them in your bag. If he won’t cook for himself, you figure there’s no harm in making something yourself; might as well, right?

By the time you step outside, the flames are already crackling in the pit. The sun sits high above the tree line, casting warm, golden hues across the clearing as you approach the makeshift log-bench. Din crouches by the fire, his helmet catching the glow as he adjusts the flames with a metal skewer. Grogu’s empty crib hums quietly by his hip, in the case you need to relocate the baby.

You plop down on the trunk as Grogu squirms in your lap, his wide eyes glued to the cans you set in a neat pile beside you. You dig into your duffel bag again, biting your lip as you finally withdraw a small, compact multi-tool. It’s worn, and most of the mini-tools within are dulled with use, but you figure it’ll do for opening the mystery meats.

You watch Din stand up, looking at the kid as he coos in your lap. You reach for a small stack of metal bowl-plates, some tongs, and a ladle near the pit, placing them on the ground near your boots.

You put your tool down, smiling down at Grogu as you swiftly place him in his crib as you prepare his lunch.

Your hands get to work, grabbing Grogu’s designated can and flipping a small knife out of the multi-tool. You perforate the upper lid with a dull ‘pop’ before looking up at Din. “Come sit.”

“I’m fine,” he says almost immediately, watching as you carefully release the can’s pressure. Inside you find a light-pink, almost gelatinous mass.

“Suit yourself,” you reply, focusing back on the can. Once the top is off, you reach over the fire and place the can upright inside a makeshift metal pot held up by two rods. You haven’t gone camping in so long, you forgot how fun and interactive the whole thing was.

“You’re good with him,” he says after a moment, his voice softer than usual.

You glance up at him, smiling sympathetically. “He’s easy to love,” you reply, looking down at the baby with a fond smile as the gloop begins bubbling within the pot.

The Mandalorian watches as the food cooks, surveying your interactions with the baby. Once he seems satisfied, you see him turn towards the ramp wordlessly.

You turn to watch him leave but abstain from speaking. As much as you’d like to enjoy a meal together, you know it’s not possible for him.

You turn back to Grogu with an encouraging grin, picking up the metal rod Din left behind and stoking the fire yourself.

“You hungry, bub?” you smile, turning to the crib. His tears have dried completely as he watches you cook, his eyes reflecting the soft flames as he coos.

“So am I,” you chuckle, standing up to gently withdraw the can with your tongs in one hand and a bowl in the other. You grab the can by its edge and pour the kid a hefty, steaming portion.

Your eyebrows furrow as you scan for utensils.

“Minimalistic, isn’t he?” you jest towards Grogu, and he babbles as you reach a free hand into your bag again. After some digging around, you finally ‘Ah-ha!’ as you withdraw a plastic, star-speckled spoon.

You swirl the spoon in the bowl, cooling the pinkish mixture with slow, deliberate movements. Grogu watches with rapt attention, his tiny hands reaching out and grasping at the air as if to hurry you along.

“Hold your horses,” you say with a laugh, scooting closer to the crib and bringing the spoon to his lips. His big ears wiggle in delight as he tastes the first bite, a satisfied coo escaping him. “Oh? Don’t tell me you’ve acquired a taste for ‘Meat Blend’, kid.”

You get your answer as you shovel another spoonful of the goop to his lips. He eats with fervor, quickly finishing the entire bowl.

You put down the empty bowl, and when the kid belches, you can’t help but snort. “Woah, buddy. How about some manners?”

He only giggles at you, his mood drastically improved after getting to fill his belly. You giggle in return before taking a look at the remaining cans. These, too, are Rodian, reading ‘Paff Stew’ on the scratched label.

Your gaze shifts towards the Crest’s open ramp, and you can’t help but look for Din in the darkness within. Stubborn, he says. The irony.

You turn back to Grogu, presenting him the unopened cans with a sneaky grin. “So, what’s it gonna be, kid? Should we feed your dad, too?”

Grogu chirps happily, reaching his hand towards you— or the cans, rather.

“Are you sure, though? I don’t know if he deserves it after calling you a womp rat so many times,” you bargain, and Grogu seems to mull your words over with how quiet he gets. You chuckle, reaching for your tool again.

“I’m kidding,” you mutter through a grin, working at the tops of the remaining cans. “He’s a good guy.”

Grogu replies in another chirp, and you nod in faux understanding as you opt to pour each can into the pot. “Good point.”

By the time the stew is ready, you’re already preparing two bowls; one for you, one for Din. You place the ladle in the hot mixture, swirling a little to check the contents. It looks tasty enough, with a deep-orange base and some unidentified vegetables floating about in the vortex you’ve created.

You ladle a portion for yourself and double-up the one meant for Din. You hope it’s enough, and if not, there’s still plenty left over the fire.

“Ready to roll?” you ask Grogu, and he chirps in enthusiasm. A bowl in each hand, you walk towards the ramp of the Crest, noticing how the metallic orb follows suit on its own.

You walk up the ramp, suddenly feeling queasy. What if he’s… sans helmet? You’re not exactly sneaky, but the idea of walking on him in such a vulnerable state makes your throat dry up. He’s made it quite clear how important privacy is to him.

You clear your throat and call out gently.

“Din?” you step past the threshold, “I’m coming in.”

There’s a pause before his voice echoes back from within the previously unlit part of the hull. You see now that the darkness hid a brown curtain which was partially shut for privacy. “In the armory.”

The armory? The words send a chill down your spine, but you’re not exactly fearful. What did you expect? He’s a mercenary, of course he’d have a ship loaded with guns and ammo. You shake the unease off and press forward, bowls carefully balanced in your hands as you move past the curtain.

You walk down the dimly lit hull and finally reach an open compartment. It’s the size and shape of a weird, metal closet, and you catch Din sitting on a stool between the two extendable plates.

You peek inside, and the sight hits you harder than you expected.

The three walls are lined with blasters, rifles, and all sorts of artillery, meticulously arranged in a cacophony of unspoken violence. You’d seen plenty of heavy weaponry in your life, sure, but nothing so concentrated.

Din has his back to you as you approach, a small, sleek blaster in his hand. He grips a microfibre cloth, wiping down the metal surface. You recognize it to be the same weapon he usually carries at his hip.

When he turns to you, you’re already frowning at the heavy atmosphere.

“Nice collection,” you break the silence, trying to inject a bit of levity amidst the tension, “Good thing I’m terrible with blasters, or you’d have some serious competition.”

Din turns his head slightly, and you catch a glint of amusement in the tilt of his helmet. “You and the kid both,” he replies dryly.

You take a tentative step forward, holding out the heavier bowl to him. “I, uh… brought you dinner. The cans are a little weird-looking, but I promise it’s good. The kid loved it, at least.”

“That’s not saying much,” he retorts with a snort, and you can’t help but smile a little.

He sets down the blaster and cloth and takes the bowl from you, his gloved hand brushing yours briefly. “Thanks,” he says.

You nod, glancing around the armory again before forcing yourself to meet his visor again.

“I’ll leave you to it,” you say gently, pivoting to the curtain again.

He gives a small nod, and your eyes linger on his back as you leave.

The tension in your shoulders eases as you step back into the main hull. Grogu chirps from his crib, and you glance down at him with a soft smile. “You knew he was hiding all that?” you murmur, and the kid whines. You assume that to be a ‘yes’.

You settle yourself at the entrance of the ship, sitting cross-legged with Grogu’s crib by your side. The cool evening air brushes against your skin as the forest comes alive for the night. The sun shines just beyond, but when you glance up at the sky you witness the first stars appearing where night collides with day.

You hold your bowl with two hands, bringing it up to your lips and taking a languid sip. It’s still piping hot, filling your nose with herbs and umami.

“Not bad for a can,” you shrug, letting the warmth envelop your worn body.

Sip by sip, you start to gain a second wind. The horizon paints the Crest in beautiful, vibrant colors ranging from oranges to pinks, making you marvel at the sight.

Maker, you really need to get out more instead of staying cooped up inside your cottage most days. HoloDramas are nice and all, but it’s easy to forget the entertainment that lies just beyond the thicket. You think that Din and Grogu are a good influence on you that way, getting you moving on days you’d rather be lazy.

You finish your stew with a sigh, placing the empty bowl at your side. You lean back on your arms, and enjoy the satisfying feeling of a full belly as you glance at the wind-swept treeline beyond.

“Do you like it here, bub?” you mutter to the child, turning to see him sitting cozy under a blanket. He tilts his head at you, and lets out a little blip of noise.

“Yeah, I guess you’re not used to the peace, huh?” you chuckle, pretending to understand the chirps he emits in response. The nice thing about talking to babies is that they’ll never judge you—it’s all fair in love and war. You sometimes wish people your age were more like that; understanding.

Grogu watches you with those wide, curious eyes, his little hand peeking out from under the blanket. You smile softly, brushing a hand through his ear.

“Maybe this is what you needed,” you say quietly, as much to yourself as to him. “Somewhere quiet, away from all the violence and chaos.”

The kid lets out a soft coo. You glance at the horizon again, where the last rays of light stretch over the trees, casting long shadows on the ground. A gentle breeze carries the scent of the forest—pine, moss, soil, and something faintly floral.

“I felt the same,” you finally confess into the evening air, giving Grogu a somber smile. “I mean, before I came here. Everything I faced was just so… much. So overwhelming. In a galaxy so large, you sometimes feel like just an insignificant speck, you know?”

You untangle your legs, letting them flop against the ramp. “And at one, very specific moment in time, I realised that it’s all I am. A speck amidst the hurricane. Nothing I’ll do will matter one way or another, so why not live a life I actually want for myself?”

You turn to the crib, and can’t help but sigh contently when you see Grogu’s eyes closed shut, snoring softly amidst the soft padding.

“You’ll understand when you’re older,” you whisper through a smile, leaning to tuck the baby in.

You sit like this for a while, letting the chilly air flow in and out of your lungs. Eventually, the white noise soothes you enough to close your eyes and enjoy the natural symphony without distractions.

That’s until you feel a looming presence by your side, followed by a quiet ‘hey’.

Your brows lift in surprise, but you say nothing as your eyes flutter open. You need to crane your neck when you see Din’s armored legs, chest, and finally focus on the helmet he dips down to meet your gaze.

“Hey,” you croak back quietly, watching as the man bends to sit down next to you. He keeps a comfortable distance, but stays close enough that the warmth radiating from his armor cuts through the cooling air around you.

For a moment, he says nothing, his helmet tilted up to the sky you’ve been watching alone the past hour he was gone.

“The stew was good,” he finally says, and you can’t help but look over at him with a quirked eyebrow.

Your lips curve into a small, satisfied smile. “You tried it?” Your breath almost halts as you realise he must have taken his helmet off to eat. So vulnerable, and yet so dangerously close to being discovered had you picked the wrong moment. The thought is almost invigorating.

“Had to see if it was safe,” he comments, nodding towards the occupied crib. “For him.”

You chuckle softly, shaking your head. “Right, because I’m just dying to poison the little guy.”

Din doesn’t reply, but there’s something almost playful in the way he shifts, as though he might be suppressing a laugh. You enjoy the mental image of a smile painted beneath that helmet of his, and eventually, the two of you fall into a comfortable silence, watching the cascading sunset.

But you’ve had your fill already. Instead, as his helmet tilts away from you, you take the opportunity to study him closer. It’s not often you’re afforded such a small distance between you, not counting the few times he saved your ass or reprimanded you for something silly.

Your gaze tracks the sleek silhouette of the helmet, down to the dip of his neck. You recall placing fingers there, and the warmth of that memory makes you shudder. On his pauldron, you spot that beast again— a strange, horned animal you’re unfamiliar with.

“What’s that?” you question softly, careful not to startle him, though you doubt someone of his profession can be startled.

He turns to you slowly, then dips his chin to look at the insignia you’re referencing.

“A mudhorn,” Din replies as you lean in to take a closer look.

Your brow furrows as you glance between him and the insignia. “A mudhorn?”

“An animal from Arvala-7,” he explains simply, pausing as if deciding how much to share. “Strong and territorial. Dangerous without proper training.”

“Charming,” you remark, the sarcasm in your tone drawing a quiet huff from him—his version of a dry laugh, you think. “Why a mudhorn?”

“Killed one,” he says, and your eyes widen slightly. There’s no boast in his tone, like he’s saying something so simple and matter-of-fact. Killing isn’t beyond him.

“Not alone,” he adds after a moment. “Grogu helped. We… earned it. Together.”

You glance at the sleeping child, who snores happily as though dreaming something sweet. A smile tugs at your lips as you turn back to Din. “So, it’s… a crest?”

“In a way,” he admits. “For a clan of two.”

The warmth in his words catches you off guard, and you feel your chest tighten at the thought.

“So, you’re like a team, huh? Taking on the galaxy together, catching bounties, and turning them in for credits?”

He huffs again, shaking his head slowly. “Something like that.”

You nod, taking in the colors reflecting off his armor. They look even more brilliant on the surface, making a soft, effervescent canvas of his body.

“Is that beskar?” you ask, recalling your friend’s words from the market. and Din moves to look at the sky again.

“Yes,” he replies, rapping his knuckles around the edge of the hull entrance. “It’s impenetrable.”

You huff in silent admiration. You wonder if it’s really as strong as he says, but decide to let your speculations reside within for now.

“Must be nice,” you comment quietly, tracing a pattern on your thigh, “It’s like you’re untouchable with that thing on.”

He takes a quick, subtle glance at you before returning to his default position.

“It has its limits,” he says, and the words send a shiver down your spine. You imagine he says so from experience, and not sheer speculation.

“I doubt anyone’s gotten close enough to find out,” you chuckle softly, trying to ease the tension that abruptly settles over the two of you.

Din glances at the child, then back at you. His gaze lingers there for a moment, and you feel like the act alone knocks the air from your lungs in moments like this.

“You’d be surprised.”

His words hang in the air, and all you can do is nod sympathetically as your skin glazes over with shivers.

“Beskar is a tradition,” Din continues, and you’re almost surprised at how easily you managed to get all of this out of him. “It’s a reminder of what our clan stands for.”

You tilt your head, intrigued. “And what do you stand for?”

He pauses, his visor fixed on you as a stray ray of sunlight passes down his helmet. “Honor, loyalty…” he trails, looking at Grogu. The little one is fast asleep, gurgling softly as the two of you watch over him.

“…Family,” Din finally adds, quieter this time. The word makes you bite your lip, mulling it all over as his gaze fixes on your fidgeting fingers.

There’s something in the way he speaks of his creed that tugs at your heartstrings. Unbeknownst to anything you could have hoped for, your new companion opened up to you more than you had to him. You wonder if you can match him.

“It must be a heavy burden to carry,” you murmur under your breath. “Standing for such values yet never being able to fully expose yourself to another person.”

“It’s who we are,” he replies simply, as if that alone is explanation enough. You don’t understand, but honor it anyway with a nod. Identity isn’t just a face, it’s your moral standing, your values, your creed. Still, as your gaze meets his visor, you can’t help but imagine the color of his eyes.

There’s a smile that lingers on your lips as your hand edges towards his. Briefly, your fingers brush, and your heart thrums when he doesn’t pull away immediately.

“A clan of two,” you comment through a smile as a wind sweeps through the hull.

“This is The Way.”

His thumb moves over your wrist for the briefest moment, and you can’t help but gasp softly at the contact before he finally pulls away. You don’t blame him.

You linger like that for a while, keeping minimal distance as the day comes to an end. With Grogu’s bubbling and your own soft breaths, it feels like something within you has stirred ever so slightly.

“And you?” he suddenly asks, making you turn to face him.

“What about me?” you chuckle nervously, shifting to one arm as you face him fully while perching on one buttock.

“What’s your story?”

You pause as you search for the right words. It’s been a while since anyone had asked you that, as the last time it happened, it almost got you killed.

“My story?” you echo softly. The evening light filters through the trees, casting golden streaks on the hull and over the both of you. “It’s… not as honorable as yours, I’ll say that much.”

Din remains silent, waiting. You sigh.

“I grew up in a quiet place. Just like here: peaceful and serene, with kind people and plenty of food to avoid us a war. It was wonderful, seriously, a real paradise— until it got boring, of course,” You let out a soft chuckle, but it doesn’t reach your eyes. “Things happened, people I cared for left… and I guess I thought I had to do the same. Follow that same path.”

“You left,” he repeats, and you nod.

“Yeah. Went out looking for a purpose, like most of us do— something that made me feel… whole. Like there was something out there, waiting for me to find it,” You glance at him, almost embarrassed to admit it. “I’m still looking, I guess.”

Din tilts his helmet slightly. “And you think you’ll find it here?”

“I don’t know,” you admit with a shrug, a small smile tugging at your lips. “It sure is a hell lot better than what I tried doing before, you know, when shit hit the fan.”

He looks into you, but you refuse to elaborate on the last part. For the first time in forever, you think back to your hometown. Quaint, amiable, and green— just like Lazure Prime. The memories make you want to talk, but you know that doing so will result in revelations you’d rather keep buried deep, away from anything and anyone.

“You’re stronger than you think,” he says after a moment, and you blink at him.

“Strong?” you chuckle sadly, tilting your head to give him a forced grin. You appreciate his words, but they can’t seem to reach you where it matters most. “I told you, Mando, I can’t even shoot a kriffin’ blaster to save my life. Where’s the strength in that?”

“You know what I mean,” Din shifts, his helmet glinting faintly in the light. “Strength isn’t just about firing a blaster.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” you mutter, lowering your gaze to the ground. “You’ve got your expensive beskar, a big ship, and a Creed to guide you. Me? I’ve got…” You trail off, gesturing vaguely at yourself and the rustling forest around you. “A cottage and a knack for boiling canned stew.”

He huffs softly— it’s that soft laughter you’ve grown to love. “You’re a good mechanic,” he counters, “And the kid likes you. That’s not nothing.”

You pause, and your smile drops. You feel your stomach twist with bitterness, but also sympathy— for him, and strangely, for yourself.

“Yeah, well, he likes frogs, too,” you joke, looking up at Din who laughs again. This time, it’s a clear sound— warm and hefty as his head shakes at your silly mein.

“Strange girl,” he says in a tight lilt, and you can’t help but shoot him a challenging glare.

“Oh, shut up with that, will you?” you counter, but your voice is threaded with the laughter that brews in your throat. “If I’m strange, what does that make you?”

“Efficient,” he replies, tone dry. You just can’t get a break, can you?

“Efficient my ass,” you roll your eyes, turning to lean on your side. He follows suit, moving to face you more fully. “What’s efficient about all that armor?”

Din tilts his helmet, the metal catching the soft light of the evening. “It’s practical,” he replies simply, but there’s a hint of quiet amusement in his tone.

You cross your arms, the smirk tugging at your lips betraying your feigned offense. “Practical? Please. If I tripped and fell wearing all that, I’d never get back up.”

There’s a brief pause before he speaks, and for a moment you feel like he’s holding back a harsher insult. “That’s why you practice,” he says, the corner of his voice tinged with mirth. “You should try it sometime.”

“Oh, so now I’m lazy and strange?” you quip, leaning back with mock indignation.

“Didn’t say that,” he counters smoothly, shifting slightly as he settles more comfortably. “But if the boots fit…”

You gasp, feigning shock, but the laughter that leaves your throat seconds later is real—soft, genuine, and filling the space between you with such ease you can’t help the tears glazing your eyes. For just a moment, the weight of the galaxy feels lighter, like maybe you’re more than just a speck amidst it all after all.

You look away from him when the tears threaten to fall, inhaling sharply as you watch the sun finally disappear beyond the treeline. You feel Din’s gaze linger on you for a second longer, but eventually, he joins you in marveling at the beauty ahead.

“I could teach you,” he suddenly murmurs, and you need to shake your head to make sure you heard right.

“What?”

Din looks at you, cocking his head. “I could teach you how to use a blaster.”

You blink in surprise, but before you can form a response, Din continues.

“Consider it payback for fixing the ship,” he replies curtly before looking at Grogu. “…And feeding the kid.”

Your eyes widen in realization, and a smile tugs at your lips. You can’t hide the fact you’re excited by the prospect of being taught by a kriffin’ Mandalorian of all people.

"Mando, you really don’t ha—"

“I know I don’t,” he interrupts, tilting his helmet. “That’s why I want to.”

There it goes again, a bright, uninhibited grin that makes your cheeks ache at its sheer intensity.

“Fine,” you nod, shooting him a playful glare, “But you seriously need to stop stealing my lines. I might need to start asking for royalties.”

Din lets out a soft snort, shaking his head as he leans back slightly, resting his gloved hands on his knees. "I don’t think I could afford your rates," he quips.

You smirk, crossing your arms. “That’s probably true. I charge extra for babysitting.”

“Good thing you babysit him willingly,” he counters, voice almost playful through the modulator.

For a moment, you just stare at him, dumb smile and all. You could get used to this side of him—the faint humor, the little quips. It feels natural, like he’s always meant to be this easygoing.

“Alright,” he continues, slapping his knees before effortlessly standing to his full height. His arm extends to yours, dwarfing your comfortably seated body. “Get up.”

Your eyes widen, smile dropping in confusion. “What?”

“Get up,” he repeats, fluttering his fingers like he’s letting you know his offer is about to expire. “There’s plenty of trees around— you can shoot at those.”

“Wh— what? Mando, I don—” you choke out, batting the air with your hands in refusal before his firm grip tugs at your wrist. You stop in your tracks, forced into silence as he looks you down.

“What are you scared of?” he questions lowly, making your gaze drop to your boots.

“I’m not!” you counter tightly, but the chuckle that follows is joyless when he withdraws the sleek blaster and holds it by the barrel.

You’re not scared of the weapon— just the damage it can and has done. When you saw Mando’s armory, you felt that unforgiving cold pinching at your throat, threatening to spill out the memories you tried so damn hard to bury deep; sleek, black tiles, the distant thrum of space, and a piercing scream echoing in your mind as hot tears spilled down your battered face, mixed with blood that you knew wasn’t your own. You’ll never come back to that, you’ll never let anyone—

He says your name. You must have been unresponsive for a while, as when you come to, Din is sitting by your side, grasping your shoulders in his firm grip. You shake your head, breathing heavily against the tightness in your chest as he tracks your face.

You look at him and fake your best smile, placing a hand on his forearm and squeezing. “I’m fine.”

“You started hyperventilating,” he counters firmly, almost frustrated with your lie.

You sigh, letting your faux expression of comfort dissolve. What is left is the semblance of shock in your eyes and a defeated frown. “It’s fine. I— I don’t want to talk about it.”

He drops his arms, instead opting to grip at your wrists. It’s steady but not unkind, his gloved thumbs brushing over your pulse in soft strokes.

“You don’t have to,” he says quietly, his voice softer, though the frustration still lingers at the edges. “But don’t tell me it’s fine when it’s not.”

You close your eyes, grounding yourself with a series of deep breaths. You hear Grogu’s soft bubbles from the crib, which makes you calm slightly before you finally speak.

“It’s just…” You trail off, swallowing hard as that sharp cold hovers over your skin again. “I don’t like weapons. I—” You nod toward his blaster, then glance away, ashamed of your own dramatic reaction.

His hands don’t leave your wrists. “I can put it away,” he offers, and your eyes widen when warmth spreads to your cheeks.

“No,” you counter firmly, grabbing at his forearm when you see it retracting. He lets you stop him, and the blaster he holds between his fingers seems to challenge you silently. “No.”

Din tilts his helmet slightly, waiting, patient. You’re at a loss for words.

“The… the last time I held one of these, someone I cared for—” you squeeze your eyes tight, biting your tongue. The man holding your wrist is patient, letting you exhale slowly as you gather your composure.

But the words never come. Instead, your face shifts into a look of pure pity, sorrow, and the unwavering regret that has followed you through life since the dawn of your grand escape from the planet that took everything from you. You hope your tragic frown is enough to make Din understand, make him see the blaster through your tear-slicked eyes and the pain that shoots through your heart like icicles.

And he does. You know it when his hand rises to your jawline and gloved fingers meet heated skin, smoothing against your flushed cheek. The touch is soft, chaste— affectionate—the touch of a man capable of hurting, killing, but loving just as passionately. You lean into it without question, without regrets.

“Din,” you croak out through your tightened throat, and at this, you feel his thumb caress your cheek. His visor stares through your very soul, reaching beneath the silver lining you’ve been hiding behind for years.

He doesn’t speak. You think he knows the sight of blood, but draws the line at the hot tears of a soft-hearted woman. You hate that soft heart. You hate the harm it’s capable of doing.

Wordlessly, your eyes flicker to the blaster lying by his side. It’s unholstered, placed there when your sudden reaction startled him. Again, the silver looks back at you with the soft, pink hues of the evening sky. It feels like a challenge.

Something red-hot bubbles within your gut. You white-knuckle your work pants, eyebrows tightening into a point on your forehead as the mocking weapon beckons you closer.

In that moment, as the Mandalorian’s hand caresses your face, you utter a silent promise to yourself.

“Teach me,” you whisper before common sense can stop you. Din dips his helmet, making sure he heard right.

“What?” he retorts, the touch of his palm slowly withdrawing as he studies your face.

“To shoot,” you repeat in a frustrated mutter, reaching to wipe a tear into your forearm. You’re missing his touch already. “I want to learn.”

He’s hesitant when he picks up the blaster again, eyeing it briefly before looking at you again. With a sharp exhale and a kick of your boots, you’re standing up again, reaching out your hand for him to take.

“Will you do it?” you ask, fluttering your fingers like he did before. “Will you teach me?”

He looks up at you with a tilt of his helmet, studying your face in the approaching dusk. The blaster in his grip gleams softly again, and your nostrils flare.

His hand meets yours with a snap. You feel his gloved fingers secure in yours as the Mandalorian rises to his full height before your very eyes. You can’t help but grin at him, and this time, it finally reaches your eyes.

“I’ll show you how to use it,” Din finally speaks, and his voice is a soothing balm to the brewing anger within you.

You nod through a long exhale, and with a bittersweet smile, you reach for the blaster in his hand.

“—Not tonight,” he stops you with that same firm grip on your wrist, but this time, it leaves your skin almost immediately. “You’re tired. You’re angry—”

“I’m fine,” you shake your head, but your furrowed eyebrows betray your words. “I can start now.”

He huffs quietly, watching your expression before slowly withdrawing the blaster to the safety of his holster. “No.”

His refusal stings. It’s firm, decisive, and exactly what you remember the Mandalorian like the first time he stepped foot in your quaint town— your quaint life. You watch as he steps back, his broad frame silhouetted against the ever-darkening sky.

You open your mouth to argue, but the exhaustion weighs down on you like a stone. He’s right, though admitting it feels like another wound. Waking near dawn, fixing the ship, sharing your innermost worries… you’re nearing exhaustion.

“You’ve done enough today,” Din continues, his tone softer. “Rest. When your head’s clear, we’ll start.”

With a reluctant nod, you let your shoulders slump.

“Alright,” you murmur, almost to yourself. “It’s a deal?”

“It’s a deal,” he nods without a beat, tapping the silver gleaming at his hip.

It’s strange to you when a gentle simmer settles down in the pits of your gut. It’s not red this time, but bright and effervescent, like a gentle dawn or the last rays of sunlight you catch as it finally disappears beyond the trees. You’re almost… happy.

“It’s getting late,” you announce half-heartedly, feeling your eyelids get heavy. You move to look at Grogu, and sure enough, he slept soundly through the entire fiasco. He snores away within the softness of his crib, blubbering gently as you smile. “Someone should tuck the kid in.”

The Mandalorian eyes the green child for a moment before turning to you again. “I’ll take care of it.”

“What, just like you took care of the thruster?” you say, and the tease is heavy on your tongue. You’re close to forgetting the fear you felt just mere moments ago.

He tilts his head at you in amusement, before taking a small step forward. “You’re teasing again.”

“Not at all,” you shrug with faux nonchalance, but the way you stare up at him begs to differ. The man stand silently, hovering above your figure and bathing you in shadow. You could stay here, you think— in this odd tranquility he provides you, under his watchful gaze that you wish you could read.

You exhale softly, hesitantly breaking away from your gaze to look down at the crib. Then, smiling, you reach your hand to softly pet the child’s wrinkled head. What’s his story, you wonder? Would Din offer tell you, had you asked?

There’s a simmering satisfaction in your belly as your gaze slowly meets the T-shaped visor, just as you spot the stars rising like a brilliant blanket overhead. His hand hovers inches over his hip as if he were fighting back words.

You beat him to it.

“Goodnight,” you utter through a smile, walking a few steps down the ramp. You feel his gaze linger on your form, so still and longing.

“I’ll walk you,” he calls out sternly, but it’s rounded near the edges as you turn back to look at him.

“Din,” you shake your head through an airy laugh, shaking your hands at him to keep his feet standing in place. “I’ll manage.”

“You fixed the thruster.”

“You helped,” you counter, and your gut flips when his arm extends.

“I passed you tools, you did everyth—”

“You listened.” you finally counter, your tone firm as his arm drops to his side again.

His posture shifts slightly, as if caught off guard. For a moment, the air between you fills with static. You see his head tilt just a fraction, and you imagine his brows furrowing beneath the sharp visor.

“I listened,” he echoes, testing the words on his tongue.

“Yes,” you acknowledge softly, grin bright despite the swell of your lungs pressing against your ribs. “Really, truly listened. And turns out, that’s a lot harder to do than passing tools.”

There’s a solemn moment of quiet, a pause so heavy it feels like the stars have stilled overhead.

Then, he exhales through his modulator and shrugs. “You’re hard to argue with.”

Your heart leaps, though you do well to hide it beneath a teasing smile painting your lips. “You’ll get used to it,” you reply as you step further down the ramp.

He doesn’t move, standing there like a statue of pure silver, but his head follows your every shaken step. It’s not until you’re near the edge of the clearing that you finally decide to turn around.

“Hey, Mando?” you call out, and the lilt of your voice carries through the clearing between you. From where you stand, it feels like a canyon.

He nods at you to continue, and despite the squeeze in your chest, you give him a wide, foxy smile.

“Tomorrow’s the weekend,” you trail, making your companion tilt his helmet in amusement. He tries to gauge your riddle, but quickly fails as his words fall through.

“And?”

Your smile shifts into an effortless grin. “And I better see you at the cantina.”

He exhales audibly, the sound crackling through the modulator. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”

“Not a chance,” you reply, folding your arms as you take a half-step closer despite the obscuring darkness behind you. “You promised.”

“I didn’t promise,” he counters, his tone almost defensive. Damn his good memory, trying to trick him is pointless.

“Fair enough,” you giggle, but the self-satisfied glint in your eyes perseveres. “But I’ll be there. Just so you know.”

He nods, watching your lax posture as your cloak sways in the soft, nightly breeze. You hope he’s mulling over the question, even as his words come to punctuate your conversation. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Din,” you finally nod, waving him goodbye as you slowly move through the thicket. The last thing he hears of you as your cloaked form disappears in the darkness is the echoing bellow of your giggle.

Din remains rooted at the edge of the ramp, staring into the gloaming cavern long after you’ve gone. The silence around him fills with the hum of the Crest and the ribbiting of nearby creatures as they settle in for the night. Unbeknownst to you, as the silvery moon rises above the tree line and his gloved palms squeeze tight, he finally makes his choice.

And as the stars shimmer above, he wishes you had stayed to see.

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pluviophiles · 5 months ago

Text

umbrella academy season 4 ending - rewritten (PART 1)

since we were absolutely robbed this season, i felt the need to publish my own little version of the tua s4 ending. im sure it's riddled with plot holes, but it does give me a bit of satisfaction after watching whatever the tom fuckery happened in the last season.

warnings : tua s4 spoilers, wordbuilding, unpolished writing

... as luther, diego, allison, klaus, five, viktor, and lila are slowly engulfed by the monstrous blob, there is a blinding flash of gold. the scene cuts to black. [after a short pause] hard cut to BEN sitting on the subway - the very same scene we saw in s3 post-credits. it plays out the same way we've seen before, yet continues even after ben looks up from the book in hand. the train slowly comes to a stop, presumably having arrived at a station. cut to the subway door, which slowly opens. enter KLAUS, and then DAVE. the two of them converse, cheerily, hand-in-hand. klaus walks straight past ben, and the audience realizes that, in this timeline, the umbrella siblings are complete strangers. the two of them sit down several feet away from ben. as klaus reaches for dave, the audience can see a newly-inked tattoo on his forearm - a marigold. the camera pans back to ben, zoomed further in. now, the audience can see that, on the side of his glasses, there is a small, bedazzled marigold design. a flash of recognition can be seen in ben's eyes. he scrunches his eyebrows together, as if trying to piece together two foreign pieces of information. the camera pans again, revealing JENNIFER in the seat across from ben. JENNIFER ben… is everything alright? ben shakes his head slightly, unsure of himself. BEN it's nothing. [he clears his throat, and with more conviction, repeats, ] it's nothing. jennifer is clearly unconvinced, but decides to drop the subject for now. cut to the subway door once more, and the rest of the umbrellas file in, one-by-one. first, ALLISON, with CLAIRE and RAY. the three of them sit down in one far corner of the car; a happy family. as the light shifts, allison's necklace glints and shimmers. (design? a marigold.) then, DIEGO and LILA with their three kids. as they sit down, GRACE shyly pulls out a marigold flower, handing it to her parents. GRACE [incoherent] ...for you. diego takes it with a huge grin on his face and tucks it behind lila's ear. the latter bends down to plant a kiss on her daughter's forehead. after them came LUTHER. he was by his lonesome, but sat down near a beautiful woman - SLOANE. clumsily, he brushes up against her, and quickly offers awkward apologies. they fall into a comfortable conversation. the audience can see that here, he has a watch similar to the one reginald originally gifted him, with a marigold in its center. VIKTOR comes in, trailing behind SISSY and HARLAN. the two of them are now married, with matching stones set on their fingers. viktor is donning dark blue jean jacket, an embroidered marigold at the top. the last one to the party is FIVE. however, here, he is no longer a teenager. instead, he has gotten to live his life like the rest of his family, and is now at the ripe age of 35. he sits down with his partner, who the audience recognizes as DELORES. hazily, he wraps his arm around her. he's wearing a suit as per usual, with the addition of a marigold brooch. each of the seven siblings seem to be in their own bubbles, suggesting that they finally reached contentment. still, they are connected together by the marigold, even if it is no longer inside of them. in this timeline, the umbrellas were almost the opposite of dysfunctional. perhaps the problem was never them, but reginald. for, here, the seven of them flourished.

(PART 2 SOON TO COME)

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differentpostrebel · 5 months ago

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Lost and Found: A Pirates Promise

This gif cause it was way to funny Lmfaoo

Chapter 25: The Colosseum Countdown

A/N: And we are back at it again with a new chapter! So we finally learned of Sam’s true identity. We will be getting more POVs, and we are getting a flashback sequence. Thank you guys so much! For liking, following, reblogging, and commenting/interacting! I have Chapter 26 also done, might drop that one as a special surprise since im currently working on 27 and 28. I will be going back to some of the previous chapters to add onto the new ones, but without further ado, let's get to it!

Word Count: 5.1

Sanji x Reader, Sanji X Y/N, One Piece X Reader,

Sabo POV…

I watched as Y/N ran towards the colosseum, my smile never faltering. The truth was, I was still deeply in love with the girl I met two years ago, and that feeling only intensified. I never imagined falling for someone, let alone someone who washed ashore on the all-male island. But everything about Y/N drew me in—the fire in her eyes, her infectious laugh, the way she cared about others, that light she carried, and of course, her feisty spirit. I chuckled to myself as I made my way back to the home, taking in the aftermath of our earlier encounter. The sheets were a mess, flower petals scattered everywhere, and the candles had burned down halfway. But it was worth it. I hadn't expected to see her face again, but when I saw her in danger from those men, I had to act quickly.

Telling Y/N the truth—my real truth—wasn't easy. She had known me as Sam, but that was a facade. My real name was Sabo. But when we shared that passionate kiss, it felt like the first time all over again.

Flashback:

The sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the sandy beach. Y/N was training with a fierce determination, though her movements were growing slower and more labored with each passing moment. I watched from behind a cluster of trees, admiring her persistence. Her hair, left long and wild, was sticking to her sweaty face.

“Ughhh, I can’t seem to get this move right!” she shouted, her frustration evident as she threw the two small blades into the sand.

I stepped out from my hiding spot, walking towards her with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Y/N, you’ll get it!”

She turned to me, her face a mixture of exhaustion and irritation. “Easy for you to say, Sam. You’re not the one who’s been training all day!”

I stopped a few feet away, trying to offer some encouragement. “I know it’s hard, but you’ve got this. Just take a moment to breathe and refocus.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a heavy sigh. “I know, but it feels like I’m just not making any progress.”

I walked closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re making more progress than you realize. Sometimes, you need to step back and see how far you’ve come.”

Our eyes locked, and for a moment, everything else seemed to blur. I reached out and gently cupped her cheek, my thumb brushing against her skin. “You’ve always pushed yourself so hard, Y/N. It’s one of the things I admire most about you.”

She looked up at me, her expression softening. “Thank you, Sam.”

There was a charged silence between us, filled with unspoken words. Slowly, I leaned in, and she mirrored my movement. Our lips met in a gentle kiss, full of the emotions and connections we had both been holding back. It was a kiss that spoke of hope, affection, and the undeniable bond we shared.

As we pulled away, our foreheads touching, I whispered, “I’ve wanted to do that for some time.”

Y/N smiled, her eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite describe. “I’m glad you did.”

End of Flashback…

I shook my head, pulling myself back to the present. The memory of that first kiss was still vivid and warm in my mind. The shrill sound of my transponder snail broke the silence, pulling me out of my reverie.

“Hello?” I answered, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Sabo, where are you? You’re supposed to be at the colosseum already,” Koala’s voice crackled with worry on the other end.

I scratched my head, a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, I kind of, sort of... lost track of time.”

There was a pause on the other end before Koala spoke again. “Wait, did you find her?” She knew about Y/N and how much I’d been longing for the right moment to tell her the truth.

“Yeah, I did,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips.

“I knew it! You guys had a moment, didn’t you?” Koala teased, her tone light and playful.

I chuckled, feeling a bit flustered. “Maybe. I’m on my way to the colosseum now. Keep me informed if anything changes.”

With that, I hung up the transponder snail. I closed the door behind me and stepped into the bustling streets. The weight of the day’s events settled on my shoulders, but my resolve was clear. I needed to get to the colosseum and see this through. As I navigated through the lively business streets, I couldn’t help but replay the moments with Y/N in my mind, each memory fueling my determination to make things right.

Sanji POV…

I must have died and gone to heaven because Violet, the enchanting dancer, had yet to leave my side. The adrenaline from the chase still buzzed in my veins, but every time I glanced at her, my heart skipped a beat. The way she looked at me, with those captivating eyes and a faint blush on her cheeks, made me feel like the luckiest man alive.

We dashed through the winding alleys, our footsteps echoing against the walls. The police had been hot on our heels, but we managed to lose them. As we slowed to catch our breath, Violet squeezed my hand, and the touch felt electrifying. It was as if we were two fugitive lovers, united against the world, running from anyone who dared to stop us.

“Ohh, I can’t believe this,” I murmured, my voice a mix of awe and delight. I felt like I was dreaming. Here I was, side by side with Violet, our escape from the police almost like a scene from a romantic adventure.

Violet turned to me, her blush deepening as she looked up at me with a shy smile. “Let’s go together,” she said softly, her hand still holding mine. The way she spoke, her voice laced with both urgency and tenderness, made my heart race even faster.

I nodded, unable to hide my own smile. “Lead the way,” I said, trying to match her hopeful gaze with one of determination. As we began to walk together, my thoughts momentarily drifted from the chaotic situation we had just escaped. Instead, they centered on this extraordinary woman beside me and the unexpected connection we were forming.

Despite the chaos and danger, there was a sense of exhilaration and possibility in the air. For a moment, it felt like nothing else mattered but the path we were taking together.

Y/N POV…

I had been running for what felt like an eternity, my breaths coming in ragged gasps as I tried to navigate the labyrinth of streets and alleys. The colosseum was proving to be elusive, and frustration mounted with every passing second. “I wish I had asked Sabo for directions,” I muttered to myself, the words coming out more like a desperate plea than a complaint.

My thoughts kept circling back to that intimate moment with Sabo. The revelation that Sam was actually Sabo had rocked my world. The memories of our time together on the island—his playful teasing, him tending to my injuries, our shared laughter, and that first, unforgettable kiss—seemed to replay in my mind like a haunting melody. How did I not see the truth before? I felt a pang of regret and confusion, but there was no time for that now.

As I continued my frantic search for the Colosseum, my lungs started to burn from the exertion. Despite having my weapons on me, I couldn’t afford to risk exposure, not with Doflamingo keeping a close watch on me. The danger was all too real, and I needed to stay hidden.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the chaos, laced with a mixture of determination and irritation. “You’re not getting away from me, you thieving fairy!”

That voice sounded unmistakably like Zoro’s. I glanced to my left and, to my relief, spotted him running after his sword. “Zoro, wait!” I shouted, hoping to catch his attention. My feet pounded against the ground as I sprinted toward him, weaving through the crowd.

Sanji POV…

Walking arm in arm with Violet felt like a dream come true. The warmth of her presence beside me was more comforting than I could have imagined. “Violet, my dear?” I said, my voice dripping with affection.

“Yes?” she responded, her cheeks flushed with a delicate blush.

“Nothing, I just wanted to say your name,” I said, letting my admiration seep into every word.

Violet’s giggle was like music to my ears. “Sanji?” she said, her voice soft and playful.

“Yes?” I replied, gazing at her with adoration.

“Nothing, I just wanted to say your name,” she echoed, her eyes twinkling.

I swooned, feeling as though I could die of ecstasy. The moment was so perfect, it almost felt unreal. Just then, a dangerous presence caught my attention. Without hesitation, I used Skywalk to propel myself upward, my leg snapping out to kick a sniper from a nearby tower. The sniper fell, and I landed gracefully on the ground beside Violet.

She looked at me with wide eyes, clearly impressed. “My goodness, you are strong! Oh, my hero!” she exclaimed, nuzzling closer to me.

“We are safe now!” I declared, a satisfied smile on my face as I stood tall, enjoying the rush of adrenaline and the warmth of Violet’s closeness.

In my mind, I couldn’t help but think of my beloved crewmates, especially Nami, Robin, and Y/N. “My dearest Nami, and Robin, my beloved Y/N,” I thought, “I hope the weather is treating you nicely. As for me, well... I’ve been struck by love!”

The thought made me smile even wider, as I reveled in the bliss of the moment.

Laws POV…

The moment we stepped onto the bridge, the tension was palpable. Usopp and Caesar were already on edge, and I could hear the faint sounds of splashing water growing louder.

"You guys hear that?" Usopp asked, his voice trembling.

"Better yet, look at that!" Caesar pointed ahead, and in the distance, several massive fighting fish were speeding toward us, their teeth bared, ready to tear through anything in their path.

I kept calm. "They’re just fish. Handle it."

Usopp turned to me, eyes wide. "What do you mean, handle it? You’re the Warlord! You do something!"

"Like I said," I replied coolly, "there’s a time and place for me to fight. This isn’t it."

The fish crashed against the bridge's protective bars, the entire structure shaking. Robin was already on the move, using her powers to fend off the creatures, while Usopp scrambled to keep up.

"You better unlock Caesar," I instructed, glancing at Usopp. "He’ll be helping."

"What? No way! He’ll escape the second we do that!" Usopp shouted, not even considering it for a moment.

I held up Caesar’s heart, smirking slightly. "He knows better than to try. Isn’t that right, Caesar?"

"Y-Yes, yes!" Caesar stammered, sweat forming on his forehead. "I won’t go anywhere, I swear!"

Usopp looked unconvinced, but there was no time for debate. I tossed him the key, and he reluctantly unlocked Caesar’s chains.

Caesar rubbed his wrists, glaring at me before he grumbled, "You’ll all pay for this... especially the princess—"

I clutched his heart with force, lowering my voice dangerously. "You will not touch her. If you even think about it, I’ll make sure your heart never beats again."

Caesar’s face turned pale as he gulped. "It was just a joke! Really, just a joke! I'll focus on the fish!"

"Good," I said, turning my attention back to the fighting fish. "Then stop wasting time and prove your worth."

Caesar muttered curses under his breath but obeyed, using his gas powers to help fend off the fish. The battle raged on, with Robin and Usopp taking down the ones that got too close, while I kept an eye on the rest of the bridge. As we ran, it became apparent that the situation was getting worse—the bridge was collapsing in sections behind us, and there was a thick fog forming, making it harder to see.

Just as one of the fighting fish lunged toward us, it suddenly stopped mid-air and collapsed, lifeless.

"We caught it! There’s a fight happening, so we gotta conserve our strength!" voices called out from the mist, hauling the dead fighting fish away as if it was just another day's work.

"Great, more surprises," Usopp muttered under his breath, already exhausted from the constant threats.

I looked ahead at the collapsing bridge and the fog obscuring the way. "Looks like we’ll have to figure out another way across."

I turned to Caesar, who was already sulking. "Caesar, fly us over."

He protested immediately, throwing his hands up in frustration. "What am I, your personal transport? You can’t just order me—"

"Now," I interrupted, giving him a sharp look.

Grumbling and still muttering curses, Caesar used his gas powers to lift us into the air and carry us over the gap in the bridge. We flew through the mist, which only made Usopp more nervous.

Once we landed on the other side, the sight in front of us wasn’t any better. The entire area was covered with massive shipwrecks, some half-buried in the sand, and towering, unfamiliar giant plants, their leaves swaying ominously in the breeze.

"You don’t expect us to go in there, do you?" Usopp asked, his voice cracking with fear as he took in the unsettling scene.

I glanced back at him. "If you want to stay out here with the fish, be my guest."

Robin gave a small smile, trying to reassure Usopp. "It’ll be fine. We’ve handled worse."

Usopp sighed in resignation as we stepped forward, venturing deeper into Greenbit. The eerie landscape seemed to close in on us with every step.

Sanji POV..

I finally made it to the nearby town with Violet by my side. Her grip on my arm loosened, and she suddenly pulled away, a strange look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

"Sanji, this was a terrible idea," she muttered, her voice shaky. "Just walk away. You shouldn’t get tangled up with someone like me. Asking you to do this... it was a mistake."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and I felt my heart twist painfully at the sight. I took a slow drag of my cigarette, trying to remain calm.

"If something were to happen to you, I—"

"Don’t worry," I interrupted gently, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "So, this lowlife thug is in here, huh?" I pointed toward the warehouse in front of us. "Wait here, Violet."

"Aren’t you going to ask me why?" she suddenly blurted, her voice a mixture of despair and hurt. "Why I asked you to do this?"

I paused, glancing at her over my shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"You never questioned me. You just... did what I asked, without hesitation. Why?" Her tears spilled over, her voice trembling.

"I don’t need to question you," I said softly, looking into her tear-filled eyes. "Your tears are more than enough."

She bit her lip, trying to stop the sobs from escaping, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.

"My sweet Sanji," Violet whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

"This will only take a minute," I reassured her, my tone light and confident. "Leave everything to your faithful bodyguard."

I kicked the door open with a forceful strike, the wooden frame splintering as I strode into the warehouse. "Alright, where’s the lowlife scumbag who’s been causing my sweet Violet trouble?" I growled, scanning the room.

"Who the hell are you?" a man sneered, stepping forward from the shadows.

"Looking at you, I can tell you’re the one who’s been hurting my angel," I replied calmly. "And just so you know, her name is Violet."

"Oh, so she put you up to this, huh?" one of the men spat, laughing.

I didn’t bother to answer. Instead, I let my legs do the talking. In an instant, I dispatched each of his goons with swift, precise kicks, sending them crashing into the walls around us. They didn’t even have time to react before they hit the ground, unconscious.

But then, my heart skipped a beat. I turned just in time to see the thug holding Violet at gunpoint, his arm wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Sanji..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Violet, my love!" I called out, my mind racing.

"I’ve had enough of you!" the thug growled, pressing the gun closer to her.

I clenched my fists, my anger boiling over. "I’m only going to say this once: unhand her, or else."

Without waiting for him to make a move, I activated Diable Jambe. My leg ignited with fiery intensity, and I launched a spinning kick, sending the thug flying across the room with a single strike. His weapon clattered uselessly to the floor as he crashed into the wall, unconscious.

"When you stand in the way of love, I put my foot down," I said confidently, extinguishing the flames on my leg.

Violet rushed to me, throwing her arms around my neck. "Sanji, can you do one more favor for me?" she whispered, her voice soft but urgent.

"Just one?" I swooned, feeling my heart race at her touch. "I thought you’d have learned by now that I’d do anything for you."

But before I could process what was happening, Violet suddenly stepped back, locking cold, heavy chains around my wrists and ankles. I looked down in shock as the metal clicked into place.

"Here’s my last request," she said, her voice taking on a chilling tone. "You must give your life to me, every last drop."

"Wait... what are you saying?" I stammered, confusion and disbelief swirling in my mind.

Her expression changed, the sweetness in her eyes replaced by something darker. Her true intentions had finally come to light.

"Violet... What are you doing?" I asked, my voice faltering, trying to grasp the situation.

Y/N POV…

"Roronoa, I swear to god, when I get my hands on you, I’m going to..." I muttered, still trying to catch my breath. "How the hell can he run so fast, yet can’t follow simple directions?" I grumbled, frustration gnawing at me as I hurried down the streets of Dressrosa, dodging townsfolk and merchants.

I passed by a mirror hanging outside one of the shops and caught a glimpse of my reflection. My hair was a mess, my clothes were ruffled, and I looked like I’d been running for hours—which, to be fair, I had.

"Jeez, I look like a mess," I sighed, quickly pulling my hair out of its loose bun and letting it fall around my shoulders. I ran my fingers through it, styling it enough to look somewhat presentable. "That’s a bit better."

I paused for a moment, considering my next move. "I should just use my power," I thought aloud. "Maybe then I could find Zoro faster. But knowing Doflamingo, he’ll have a watchful eye on me from the sky. If I use my speed, it’ll make me an even bigger target."

I continued to jog forward, weighing my options. "I need to find that Colosseum," I muttered under my breath. "Really should've asked Sabo for directions."

My mind wandered as I ran, thoughts drifting back to the moment I shared with Sabo earlier. My body still tingled from it, my heart racing as a vivid memory crept into my mind...

Flashback…

Night had fallen on the island, and the air was cool, the ocean’s gentle waves lapping against the shore. Sam had returned with food, and we sat near the fire he built, the warmth of the flames licking at the night air.

"This is delicious," I said, savoring the flavors of the meal.

Sam (who I now know is Sabo) grinned, his eyes reflecting the firelight. "I’m glad you liked it, Y/N."

Just then, I noticed him pulling out a basket from behind a nearby rock. Inside was a blanket, two glasses, and a bottle of wine. He glanced at me with a playful smirk.

I raised an eyebrow and leaned in teasingly. "You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was a date."

Sabo chuckled, his voice smooth and calm. "Well, I guess you could say that."

He poured us both a glass of wine, the fire crackling softly in the background, the night stars twinkling above us. Sabo then unwrapped the blanket and spread it out beside the fire.

"Cheers," he said, raising his glass. "To a memorable night."

I giggled softly, clinking my glass against his. "Cheers."

After a few sips of wine, I leaned against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer. His touch was gentle yet comforting, and the warmth of the fire combined with the cool night air created a peaceful, intimate atmosphere.

"I never knew you were the romantic type," I teased again, glancing up at him with a playful smile.

He smirked, running his hand slowly down my back. "There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me," he said quietly.

As the night wore on, I found myself drifting off to sleep on his chest, lulled by the sound of the ocean and the gentle pressure of his hand as he absentmindedly drew circles on my back. It was soothing, his touch making me feel safe and secure.

I stirred slightly, feeling the soft press of his lips on my forehead. A tender kiss, warm and fleeting, but enough to make my heart flutter. Even in my half-asleep state, I smiled to myself, feeling completely at peace.

End of Flashback

I snapped back to reality, blinking up at the sky as the memory faded. My heart still ached from the warmth of that moment, but now wasn’t the time to get lost in it. I shook my head, refocusing on the task at hand.

"Right. Gotta find Zoro," I muttered to myself as I picked up the pace, weaving through the crowded streets.

Suddenly, I heard a shout. "Hey, look, it's the girl!"

My heart sank. "Crap, they found me!" I glanced over my shoulder and saw a group of men closing in, their eyes locked on me with malicious intent. I had no choice.

Clenching my left hand into a fist and raising my left leg, I activated my speed power. A surge of velocity coursed through me, my surroundings blurring as I pushed myself faster. "Don't let her get away!" the men yelled, their voices fading behind me.

I smirked, feeling the familiar thrill of speed. "Too slow!" I shouted back, my voice a fleeting echo as I dashed away from the pursuing men. The city’s buildings and people were mere streaks of color as I zipped through the streets.

"Oh, how I missed this," I thought, the wind whipping past me. "Okay, now to find Zoro and head to the Colosseum!"

With newfound urgency, I continued my rapid search, dodging obstacles and maintaining my focus. The streets of Dressrosa seemed to stretch endlessly before me, but I was determined. I had to find Zoro and make it to the Colosseum before it was too late.

Sanji POV…

I groaned as Violet and her men continued their assault, blood spilling from my mouth. "Violet... but why?" I struggled to ask, confusion and pain blending in my voice. "You're a failure, Black Leg. I knew you had a soft spot for women, so I exploited that," she said coldly.

"Violet, please!" I gasped, my voice faltering as I tried to reason with her. "This isn't like you!"

She laughed bitterly. "What do you know about me? I ate the Glare Glare Fruit, so I can see right through anything. You men are all the same! Always thinking you can use your charm to get what you want."

"Violet, you're not thinking clearly," I said, trying to catch my breath. "My intentions were always pure. Your tears were more than enough for me to tell the truth."

Violet's eyes widened as she activated her powers, searching through my thoughts and memories. Her expression shifted from anger to shock, and she took a step back, her face pale. "What are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

I looked at her, trying to stay upright despite my exhaustion. "I told you. My intentions were genuine. I wanted to protect you, not hurt you."

Violet's resolve seemed to crack, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at me.

The men taunted me, "This guy must think he's in a romance novel. You've got to face reality—she pulled one over on you."

Violet stood up, her expression fierce as she faced her men. Their laughter echoed as they pulled out their blades, marching towards me with deadly intent. Just then, Violet's eyes blazed with determination. She unleashed her Hierro Lagrimas, striking them with a powerful force that sent them crashing to the ground. The once menacing warehouse was now filled with destruction.

I watched in astonishment as Violet freed me from the chains binding my hands and feet. "Violet, what—"

"You were forced to work for Doflamingo."

I shook my head, trying to process everything. "Go, Black Leg. From the moment your crew came with Caesar, your fate was sealed. Everything is following Doflamingo’s plan. Gaze into my mind and you'll know what truly is happening."

As she spoke, I focused on her eyes, diving into her memories from today. Shock and dread filled me as I saw the trap we had walked into. "He's also after the girl," Violet said, her voice trembling. "He’s been keeping a watchful eye on her."

"What?!" I exclaimed, my heart racing. "I need to warn Law, and I have to find Y/N! Come on, Violet. I'm not leaving here without you."

With determination, Violet and I made our way out of the warehouse. The urgency of our mission drove us forward. We raced through the streets, navigating our way to find the rest of the crew. My mind was focused on reaching Law and making sure Y/N was safe. Violet, despite her earlier betrayal, was now my ally in this desperate fight against Doflamingo's plans.

"Stay close," I instructed, my voice firm. "We have to get to them before it's too late."

Laws POV…

Only two more minutes until we handed Caesar over to Doflamingo. The tension in the air was palpable as we approached the designated meeting point. My transponder snail began to ring, and I answered it, expecting routine updates. Instead, Sanji’s urgent voice cut through the static.

"Law, you need to get out of there! It's a trap!" Sanji's voice was strained and filled with panic. "Doflamingo set the whole thing up; he never resigned! We walked right into his trap."

I froze, my heart sinking as Sanji's words registered. "The marines are in on it too! You guys have to get out of there!" Sanji continued. His voice was laced with desperation.

"What about Y/N?! Is she safe?" I demanded, my mind racing.

Sanji went silent for a moment. "I lost track of her," he finally admitted.

"What?!" I roared, fury boiling over. "How could you lose track of her?"

Sanji's voice crackled with urgency. "Listen, we’ve got bigger issues. Doflamingo has been keeping an eye on her whereabouts; he wants her! I’m going to go find her!"

Before I could respond, the call ended abruptly. I slammed the transponder snail shut, frustration and fear overwhelming me. The reality of the situation hit hard—we were walking straight into Doflamingo's trap, and now Y/N's safety was at risk.

"Damn it!" I shouted, my rage echoing through the empty beach of Greenbit, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding around me. “What the hell do I do?” I muttered under my breath, every second ticking by like a countdown to disaster.

Just then, a familiar voice cut through my thoughts. “Law.”

I spun around to see Robin’s form emerging from the sands, though I quickly realized it wasn’t really her. "Nico! Is that—”

“No, this is just a clone of my body," Robin said calmly. "Was that Sanji you were talking to just now?”

I didn’t have time for this. “First, where’s your real body? Second, if what Blackleg says is true, the deal with Doflamingo is off,” I said, my voice tense with urgency.

“What do you mean the deal is off?!” Caesar shrieked from behind me. “What about you handing me over?”

“There’s not going to be any handover,” I shot back coldly. “Nico, find the nose, and we have to get out of here!”

Robin’s clone folded her arms, remaining composed. “We’ve hit a bit of trouble since we’re underground.”

“You’re what?” I hissed in disbelief.

“Go without us. We’ll reunite soon,” Robin’s clone said, her voice calm but firm.

I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of the situation crushing down on me. “Okay, got it.”

As the clone vanished, I was left alone with my racing thoughts. “Where’s Y/N? Is she okay?” The questions swirled in my mind, guilt gnawing at me. I knew I shouldn’t have let her go with Luffy's team. Now Doflamingo was after her, and I had no idea where she was.

Just then, the sound of footsteps alerted me to another problem. The navy was closing in.

“I presume one of you goes by the name Trafalgar Law?” a deep voice asked. I looked up, recognizing the man in front of me—the new admiral, Fujitora.

“And here you are,” I muttered under my breath. Doflamingo’s shadowy figure appeared behind the admiral, his smirk twisting into something sinister.

“Joker!” Caesar gasped, his voice trembling.

The clock struck 3:00, and Doflamingo sauntered forward, his grin widening. “Hey, Law. I hate to admit it, but you managed to impress me. Must have taken a lot to get an actual navy admiral here, huh? And since I’m still a Warlord, well, I’m shaking in my boots.”

“You’re a damn liar!” I yelled, anger burning through me. His lies, his manipulations—it was all part of his twisted game.

Doflamingo chuckled, enjoying the chaos he had created. “By the way, where’s the princess? I would have assumed you’d have her under your protection by now, but it appears she’s... missing.” His smirk grew darker. “My men have already spotted her, you know. Quite the little troublemaker, that one. Fast too. Makes me wonder how long she can keep running.”

The blood drained from my face as his words sank in. Y/N—he had eyes on her, and she was out there, alone, running for her life.

Doflamingo laughed softly. “Better hurry, Law. She won’t last much longer.”

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