#just attaching it to my bag i guess XD;

[miss-floral-thief]

ourple kuromi :3

@cream---cheese

[star-going-supernova]

I’m not really sure how to word this? Here’s a prompt for you I guess? Gregory would 100% take a photo in front of his missing poster smiling with a peace sign. Also I think he’s just the type of gremlin to take one of them for himself much to everyone’s exasperation.

Tumblr generated prompt number 4, here we go! Gregory and Cassie are both in their late teens here, in their first year of college. This is pretty slice-of-life-y with no clear connection to any AU other than a generally happy one.

title is a play on the saying “not all who wander are lost”

Not All Who Have Missing Posters are Lost

Gregory pulled out his phone and opened the camera app. Leaning against the telephone pole, he threw up a peace sign and grinned. Satisfied with the picture, he sent it to the group chat. 

Gregory

image_attachment.87265032 lol good times :) 

He stowed his phone in his pocket, mentally counting down until it started blowing up with messages. Then he carefully tore the missing poster bearing his face—albeit his much younger face—off the pole and tucked it into his laptop bag. 

He walked the rest of the way to the bus stop, letting his phone vibrate every few seconds, and only once he’d sat down did he pull it back out, snickering as he read through the small backlog. 

Cassie

XD you’re still finding those?? 

Vanessa 

oh my gosh pull it down pull it down we do NOT need a repeat of two years ago

Roxy 

who was even looking for you, lol

Freddy

Roxy! Do not be rude! 

Cassie

you look so young. so innocent.

Roxy

yeah but we know better ah dang it, i can feel fazbear’s disapproval from across the plex 

Bonnie

You were such a cute kid! Look at those cheeks!

Vanessa

seriously, though, what part of town is that? if there’s one, there might be more

Chica

Oooh! Congrats on adding another to your collection :)

Monty 

lol nice

Freddy

Are you on your way home, superstar? 

Roxy 

wee woo, dad alert! you know the rules, no sappiness in the group chat, fazbear

Freddy

What was sappy about that?

Cassie

if nicknames count, Roxy, you’ll have to start calling me by my name now 

Roxy 

… fiiiine, i take it back 

Gregory 

XD yes, Ness, I tore it down, and it was on Reed St, but it looked like some other posters had been taken off recently, exposing this one, so i don’t think it’s a widespread issue yes, Dad, I’m on my way back. just got on the bus, should be there in 10 mins 

He stayed on his phone for the rest of the ride, confirming their plans for dinner later. Cassie had finished her final exams the day before, so she’d already been by the pizzaplex to say hi to everyone. 

The bus dropped him off just down the street from the pizzaplex, and though early December was chilly, he enjoyed the bite in the air. There’d be snow soon, he was sure, and he was looking forward to some lazy days with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm blanket. 

Gregory’s first semester of college had been awesome, but he was happy to be home, and even happier to find Freddy waiting inside the side entrance that Gregory favored. He stepped forward into his adoptive dad’s arms, marveling yet again that he was taller than Freddy’s shoulders these days. 

“Welcome home, Gregory,” Freddy said softly. 

“I missed you,” Gregory told him, holding on tight. He sighed contentedly, the remaining stress from exams draining away. 

“Your winter break lasts a month and a half, correct?” 

“Mhm. And I plan on staying here for all of it.” 

“Good. The others have been looking forward to your return.” 

Gregory pulled back and unzipped his coat. “Just the others?” he teased. 

Freddy cleared his throat, which was as good a sign as any of his sheepishness (he’d probably been beside himself with excitement), and followed after Gregory as they descended into the basement, where Gregory had commandeered several rooms for his own use years ago. Vanessa had offered him a room in her house, but he’d politely declined, though he’d slept over there many times over the years. He was just too attached to the pizzaplex and its inhabitants, and also his independence. 

After popping into his bedroom to drop off his bags and coat, he quickly went into his workroom. It held his desk and bookshelves and the different personal projects he’d tinkered with over the years, and it also held his wall of missing posters. 

Freddy chuckled from the doorway as Gregory used sticky-tack to affix it into an empty space. It was almost like wallpaper, over two dozen posters with slight variations plastered edge to edge. Some were black and white, some were in color, and there was a variety of childhood pictures used among them. His favorite was one that misspelled his name as Gegory. That one was carefully framed. His second favorite, also framed, was a homemade wanted poster that Cassie given him for his fourteenth birthday. 

Gregory stepped back and surveyed his wall with his hands on his hips. “Perfect,” he said, pleased. 

“If you are satisfied,” Freddy said, “then we should go meet the others. Bonnie and Chica are relentlessly spamming me with frowny faces because I am ‘hogging you.’” 

“Tell them it’s your dad rights,” Gregory said, even as he bounded from the room, eager to reunite with the rest of his family. “Is Vanessa around? Is she still the junior location manager, or did they promote her again?” 

“She has been fending off a promotion for two weeks now. They reached a stalemate yesterday when she threatened to quit.” 

“They always fall for that,” Gregory snickered. “As if this is the time she’s gonna pack her bags, psh.” 

“They have been getting faster about calling her bluff,” Freddy mused wryly. 

They got in an elevator, and as they went up, they listened to the awful elevator music that hadn’t changed since Gregory was ten years old and running around the pizzaplex for the first time. 

“I am glad you are back,” Freddy said after a few moments. “I know you need to go and experience the world, and I would never want to hold you back from that. But I hope you know you will always have a home here, with us.” 

Gregory shuffled sideways to be tucked into Freddy’s side. “Aw, Dad. No matter how far I go or how long I’m gone, I promise—I’ll always come back. No one’s gonna need missing posters for me again.”

[rontra]

i'm a day late! it was constitution day yesterday! gratulerer med dagen!

well here's my annual bunad art. i did not feel like drawing any of the details so it's vaguely scribbled embroidery this year. oh well 😉

i guess if you want to see how it actually is meant to look i'll put some image links in the Outfit Lore 👇

it's ørskog for summer just because i like the red stockings for her xD with a cape of course.

brightly colored stockings are so novel to me but i think it's because its a no-no for my region so i never see it in person. but with this one you can have red... it's cool...

i gave her a belt with silver bc i was gonna draw a joke about them but never did <3 silver studs on a belt are usually for married women but they're very expensive, so a lot of women receive them 2 at a time as gifts for special occasions until the belt is full all the way around. a lot of the time, ørskog doesn't have a belt like that (but i think it May If You Like!)... the apron attaches around the waist so you don't really need one. it's pretty cool in the back

for raven i chose vest-telemark. i think the embroidered shirt sleeves are really cute, especially when you get the jacket on top...the shirt sleeves are so long! i thought raven would look cool in a jacket that's really the whole reason. MDHBFGG

i think tying the belt so the tassels hang in the center is standard. but i saw 1(one) image where they were tied on the side for some reason and i thought it was interesting, so that's what i drew. probably not up to code! it's a nice balance with the bag though

in addition to the whole "primarily black and red" thing i gave them both boots because i thought it would be cute if they matched. MDHFJGBG

[umunschaas]

it's been awhile since you said you wanted asks but whatever-

i love the vampire/demon morzatorix au sm it stems from my deep love of au's (i love to put the blorbos in situations) i think it was because the first fandom i was ever in was like 90 percent aus (the source work was pretty bad okay but we loved the characters) (and im not saying which fandom its to embarrassing) im kind of to scared to write aus tho, my characterization needs some work...

anyways this isn't rly an ask i didn't ask a single question, but yk whatever i love to yap

oh wait question actually you got any tips on characterization?

Asks are always open, dw about that :D

Thank you so much! I consider it one of my sillier AUs... except for the Snorzan one maybe xD I mostly like AUs because it allows more people to survive and to generally have a better fate :'D (even if I still set them on fire and traumatize them a bit ehem). New chapter of the vampire/demon thing is at 3389 words with two scenes by now. One of them is Selena needling Morzan. She's just great. No little Murtagh yet though.

That's the nice thing about AUs though; characterization can be a bit more loose, since a character is shaped by experiences too. Of course not everything, basic characteristics stay.

Ask me about tips about characterization when I've only been writing for a year and don't take my writing that seriously xD But uuuh... hmmmm.. I'll try :'D

I'm not even sure if I got anything helpful in general; I mostly just work off of a ton of headcanons I have, or things that are possible to be read out of canon and be built on. The obvious I guess; don't make the character an angel nor make them cartoonishly evil, or make them either overpowered and/or the world's punching bag. Think about why characters are like that and how it influences them in other situations (Morzan bullying Brom implies insecurities, which should technically contradict his ego but they are still there). If it's a long fic; allow them to change and be shaped by stuff that happens to them (Galbatorix, proud father of two) as far as they can change (he still doesn't like other kids). Give them habits, small rituals and fav food. Let their actions and experiences have consequences and that not only in the most practical times. And let the character do their thing, even if it's not in the story notes. [Like, the whole thing in Dragonwing-effect where Galbatorix starts sobbing about Jarnunvösk after the 'wedding' was not in my notes. I had a different talk in there. But buddy had to air out his suppressed grief I guess and in hindsight it would have been strange if he hadn't reacted to Morzan asking about the scale. The original topic simply came up a chapter later.]

One thing that is most important for IC fics to me; to not treat dragons like 'animals' or simply talking methods of transport. But also to not make them fact-spitting oracles who also always support their rider in everything. They have their own individual character, even if they are tightly attached to their partner. In Dragonwing-effect I tried to at least let their riders mention what Shruikan or Cruor were doing, if Galbatorix and/or Morzan were 'alone' in the chapter. Basically, with riders, one is always writing two characters automatically... if that makes sense. The dragon-rider bond isn't comparable to anything else.

[undertale-writing-times]

Ayyyyyyyy I got an Ask for Spooks and Spirit! What if a human died (lets say and around the age of 14-15) and joined the group, and became really attached to the two brothers cause they remind them of their older brothers? (They dont really remember much, but they do remember a little bit about their brothers) So, basically they get another sibing or sumthin? (and they also like puns xd)

man... oh man if I could draw, you would soooo be getting a comic here.

Okay this starts off a little sad, for some reason? Like... shockingly proud of that???

When they passed, and became a ghost, they would feel a unbearable tug on their body, it was like they were being called and tugged towards somewhere that they knew that they should go to.

A place for them.

...somewhere safe.

When they got there, it would be empty at first, just a dusty ghost town, until slowly noises would tear through the silence. Starting off like a whisper before turning into the chatter of spirits, people long forgotten.

Children running around, having fun, and the lights were all on! Even the trees were alive again...

They were able to see through the eyes of a ghost, seeing what the past has forgotten.

They would most likely meet Spirit first, who perks up looking at them, and smiles, floating over "Well hey there bud, welcome to our spook-tacular place. You new? I've never seen someone like you before. That is how it ghost, I guess... names Spirit, Spirit the ghost."

Spirit was a strange looking man. Messy white hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in forever, did he die with messy hair and it just wouldn't be fixed? Pale skin, bags under his eyes which were blue, one paler than the other, and his clothing seemed old too.

He looked to be around... 24-26?

Talking to him, explaining that they didn't remember almost anything from before they were a ghost, Spirit would nod "Yeah, that's pretty common. Come on" he starts to walk, waving his hand "You can meet my bro. Spooks. I named him myself, do you remember yours?"

They would most likely tell him their name, something that they luckily remembered, making him smile "Hey, that's un-boo-lievably awesome that you remember, boo"

How many ghost puns did this guy have? Y/n thought to themselves, following the ghost guy. Spirit, was his name?

Y/n asked him why he was trying to help them, and how they knew that they could trust him? He pauses then laughs, tilting his head to the side "Come on, you know I'm not lying. You could see right through me if I was" and with that, they went to talk to Spooky.

Over the time that Y/n was there, they forgot more and more stuff about their past, sometimes even forgetting their name until someone spoke to them again. It was normal for ghosts to forget about their past, sometimes they didn't and... those were the dangerous ones.

Spooks and Spirit started to remember their pasts but they both kept it secrets, they didn't want to talk about it. Spirit would sometimes cover his chest with his hand, with a distant look. Spooky had a lighter part on his neck that you could only sometimes see if his scarf was out of the way.

Every ghost had a hint of how they died.

None of them liked to talk about the ways that they died... why would they?

Y/n seemed awfully attached to the two brothers, and sometimes when they weren't thinking, they would call the two brothers by the wrong names. The two brothers never mentioned it knowing just how that would... most likely make someone feel.

They welcomed a new sibling into their little family after a few weeks, both very happy.

They were all the people who died and lost their families but now, they had a new family and... you know... they were all pretty happy.

[kazuchii]

Could i have some fluffy headcanons with Diluc, Zhongli, and Albedo who have an s/o with really dark eyebags? Like they sleep fine at night but the eyebags just...won't go away

GN!Reader with Eyebags w/ Genshin Boys

A/N: Thank you for requesting! This request was actually really easy for me since I too, struggle with eyebags that just won’t go away XD Sorry this took a bit! I've been a little busy. Hope you enjoy it!

Synopsis: The Genshin boys are a little worried about your eyebags, thinking you're not sleeping at night.

Characters: Albedo, Diluc, Zhongli

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: N/A

Masterlist

Albedo didn’t seem worried at first when it came to your eyebags. He just assumed you weren’t sleeping very well.

Honestly, I doubt Albedo gets well rested at night. He probably stays up late doing alchemy stuff after all. He always advised you to go to bed ahead of him for you to get the best sleep possible.

Whenever he would come to bed, you’d always be passed out under the bedsheets.

So when Albedo noticed your dark eyebags, he was puzzled.

You seemed to be sleeping like a log at night. You were always passed out and dreaming away whenever he arrived home to your shared bed.

The only hypothesis to this he could speculate was that you were indeed staying up late at night. Were you possibly staying up late at night waiting for him?

This only made Albedo more concerned. He told you that there was no reason for you to stay up late waiting for him. But you went and did it anyway, resulting in you passing out at night waiting every night.

The guilt Albedo felt made him mess up a couple of times the following day. Items would slip out of his grasp the moment he let the guilt surface.

He confided to Sucrose about the issue, his head in his hands.

“Well Mister Albedo, shouldn’t you just…be honest with them about your concerns?”

So that night, you were getting prepared for bed. Just as you sat on the bed, the door slammed open.

You jumped a little, swinging your head to the maniac that decided to scare you just as you were about to head to bed for the night.

Albedo stood there, a serious expression planted on his facial features.

“Albedo?”

“Stop staying up late for me.”

An awkward smile crept up onto your face, cocking your head off to the side.

“What do you mean?”

“Your eyebags. I’ve noticed them. You need to get more sleep.”

“But Albedo-“

He wasn’t listening to you though. His face morphed into a more sincere, worried one as he moved towards the bed.

“I want what's best for your health. Please stop staying up late waiting f-”

“Bedo, I don't stay up late for you.”

Albedo froze on the spot, blinking as his brain shut off.

“I go to bed on time each night. Who said I ever stay up late for you? Bedo, I love you, but I’d rather sleep than wait for you for hours.”

He was almost offended by that statement.

“But...your eyebags.”

“Oh, yeah they won't leave no matter what I do. Probably payback for staying up late years earlier. I should probably try some sort of cream to get rid of them.”

As you blabbered on and on about your eyebags, Albedo was still trying to restart his brain. Sure he was the one who had originally told you your health was more important, but why did that statement hurt so much-

For the past few days, you’ve hardly been able to get a single glimpse of Diluc. He’s been so preoccupied with his work that you never see him, you only hear him bid you goodbye early every morning.

The only people to keep you company was the maids working at his mansion. They would take care of you by making any meals and just cleaning throughout the building.

Meanwhile, you just did whatever you pleased.

I mean, this was your home as well so there wasn’t really anyone stopping you. You’d just do whatever you felt like doing at the moment.

But you got to a point where you were bored. You missed the feeling of Diluc and the warmth he always had radiating from him. You craved the feeling to be wrapped up in his arms.

You wanted to feel loved

So since absolutely nothing was stopping you from doing whatever you pleased, you decided to go on a little adventure.

And by adventure, I mean taking a little trip to Mondstadt and stopping by Angel’s Share.

Diluc never exactly said you couldn’t visit while he worked, but I don’t think he ever thought you would so he never said anything.

It was late into the evening when you finally reached the gates of Mondstadt. The exhausted guards greeted you with a lazy wave as you passed by them.

It didn’t take too long to find Angels Share.

Creaking open the door to Angel’s Share, you peeked your head in. The bar was completely deserted besides a single man residing behind the counter; Diluc.

“Diluc!”

Diluc’s head perked up instantaneously.

“(Y/N)?”

He rushed out from behind the counter to come to greet you at the entrance.

“Love, what are you doing here? You should be back home getting ready for bed.”

“I missed you, so I wanted to come to see you. We haven’t been spending much time together after all.”

Diluc could feel the heat rising up to his face. How could you say that without being embarrassed in the slightest?

The smile on your face wasn’t helping his situation whatsoever. But soon enough, his eyes caught something off about your appearance.

“Love, have you been sleeping well at night?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You’ve got dark eyebags underneath your eyes.”

Oh yeah, you forgot those were there. You were so used to them being there that you forgot all about them.

“Oh, yeah. So, they refuse to leave no matter what I do. I get at least a solid eight hours of sleep every night, but they just don’t seem to want to leave.”

“Have you tried different treatments?”

“I have tried all the possible ones here in Mondstadt, but nothing seems to be working.”

“Perhaps something to help you could be located in Liyue…”

“You don’t have to do that for me!”

But Diluc wasn’t having any of that. He lifted his gloved hand, cupping your cheek, and gazed towards you lovingly.

“Love, I hope you realize the things I’d do to make you smile.”

Zhongli never expected him to fall for a mortal. When you came into his life, at first he was a little concerned. After all, you were just a human with a limited life span. If he were to get attached, he would be forced with leaving you behind. He would be forced with watching you age and eventually pass on.

So, when he first felt the bubbly feeling inside his chest whenever he would spend time with you, he was wary. He tried to distance himself from you, but in the end, it didn't go as planned.

He still became attached, it was just something he couldn't prevent.

Now he finds himself with you whenever he can. He'd rather spend time making memories with you than worrying about your fate.

Although, whenever the two of you would go out, you were the one who always ended up paying.

"My love, I don't have any mora."

"Expected. But luckily, I brought some with us."

He was always grateful for having you at his side. When he told you that he was actually the Geo Archon, he expected you to not believe him and find him weird.

But strangely enough, you believed every word he told you

This man has been a puppy following you around ever since. He adores it whenever you hold his hand in public; it always brings a smile to his face.

He also worries about your health constantly. After all, you're mortal.

So when you met with him after his work was completed for a little date in Liyue, his eyes were wide with concern.

"My love, have you not been getting enough sleep at night?"

"Yup! I've been sleeping perfectly fine."

Zhongli was suspicious of that statement.

"Are you positive?"

"I'm 100% positive, Zhongli. Trust me, if I was having issues sleep I would tell you immediately."

"Then why do you have such dark eyebags underneath your eyes?"

"Not really sure. They don't seem to want to go away. I get a solid eight hours every night, too. I guess I'm just stuck with them."

"Do they bother you at all?"

"I mean, the only issue is when people look at me funny because of them. Otherwise, I forget they exist."

Zhongli didn't like that one bit. He didn't mind that you had the eye bags, but what he did mind was that people would give you looks due to them.

"I"ll find something."

"Huh?"

"I'll find something that'll help fix your eyebags. I'd rather not have people giving you looks because of them."

"You don't have to do that! It's perfectly fine."

But Zhongli wasn't listening to a word you were saying.

"I'll find Childe. I'm sure he'd be happy to pay for anything I'll need-"

"Wait!"

[books-and-catears]

HERE WE GO AGAIN GHOST MCS JAJAJAJA

One of which- mc is tied to a small tombstone and can only be awoken by a certain song (ITS THE TEN RABBITS WHICH IS A DARK NURSERY RHYME BUT ITS SO GOOD AADBDKAGAJAAAAAAA HU TAO SINGS IT IT SOUNDS SO NICE AND GHOSTY), after you wake them up they just stay around you and sometimes cause chaos since they get protective, like per say someone was being mean, they would then take their most precious item, destroy their things, etc, protective ghost......

The other is basically, ghost mc is a very shy ghost unless there's music playing (like time adventure) they start to dance around and have a great time- they're the one who takes care of said garden, immediately flees upon the sight of others — imagine if other demons destroyed the garden and they're just,, lightly sobbing because all of their hard work is destroyed

We have feral and shy ghost mcs woowooo

I apologise profusely, now I shall mail myself to mars

With the amount of Ghost MCs I'm writing about I should officially start a whole ass Ghost MC page XD. Right so I shall have to write this in two parts.

I love these asks so much. Kindly donot mail yourself to Mars, I donot like losing my friends on random planets and if I have to drag you back I will lecture you all the way home, Satan+Lucifer style.

Shy Garden Ghost! MC

(This gives me such cottagecore vibes I frigging love it)

Lucifer

Is obviously annoyed when he can never find MC in their room. Where do they keep running off to?

Eventually finds out its the garden. Fine then if they like it so much, all the gardening chores are theirs.

MC is delighted at the offer. Spends their time pruning and watering and nurturing plants.

Doesn't talk to anyone much, just smile at everyone and go about their day. However they couldn't resist music.

Lucifer learnt that when he played one of his records and looked out the window. MC was dancing about happily, their laughter ringing through the wind.

Their feet never touched the grass once they started dancing, always floating a good few inches above ground. It only added to their grace.

He knows how shy they were so he just stands there sipping tea, watching them dance from behind his curtains. It's the favorite part of his day.

Mammon

MC is a WHAT? A GHOST? And they live in the garden?!

At first he's strangely scared even before seeing MC. But after he's told he has to take care of MC, he ventures into the garden. MC was smiling to themself, pruning some tall trees. It was strangely calming.

Great now the Garden is where he hides from Lucifer.

He gets to attached MC and also asks for more gardening chores. MC cannot possibly cut all the grass by themself!

He sees how MC loves planting flowers and herbs and takes care of them.

He often buys new seeds of fruits and flowers he thinks MC might like.

One day he comes home to find MC crying in the middle of a completely destroyed garden. A heavy storm ruined all their hard work.

Mammon just wordlessly gets to work, trying to fix everything by himself. He doesn't like seeing MC like this.

Leviathan

MC loves gardening that much? Great! They are now his partner in all the foraging games.

Levi is often impressed by how MC guesses exactly which components to combine to create the strongest items.

Both of them being shy, often blush in silence sitting next to each other. Sometimes their hands intertwine and noone says a thing. MC's were always deathly cold, but Levi loved that.

MC is the only thing that can make Levi go out of his room for fresh air. He was hesitant at first, but now he loves visiting the garden.

Sometimes he takes note of what plants MC uses in real life.

It's quiet and it's just MC doing their thing, smiling at him often. He secretly takes so many pictures.

In appreciation, he made a virtual garden identical to the one they made.

Satan

Satan is instantly impressed by MC's skills and knowledge about gardening. He is a lover of nature too after all. Especially flowers.

MC used to scutter away when first approached them in the garden. He chuckled to himself, thinking their shyness is adorable.

But he used to come to the garden so often, MC finally got used to it. Satan would sit in the grass asking or telling MC about the flowers or shrubs they'd just planted.

Sometimes they would sneak out in the middle of breaks, taking a walk and checking on the plants.

One day as they walked in hand-in-hand, MC screamed and fell down in horror. Someone had uprooted all the freshly planted plants spitefully.

Satan was gone for the whole day. He returned at night, with blood spatters on his clothes and a strange duffel bag.

He went straight to the garden to fix everything with you. He'd said that demon remains had potential to be a good fertilizer.

Asmodeus

A soft ghost MC with a flowercore aesthetic? Asmo was instantly intrigued.

But MC is so shy they hide the moment Asmo steps foot in the garden. Asmo catches them peering up at him, hiding in the middle of a bunch of flowers.

My, my, was his beauty that intimidating to you? Don't worry MC, you're just a gorgeous as he is. There is an odd charm about your slightly transculent skin.

One day he found their secret. The fact that they cannot help but dance if they hear music.

So he goes walking in the garden, singing in his gorgeous voice. How can anyone resist that voice?

MC emerges from the shadow of the trees and dances to the sound of his voice. Floating higher and higher with a smile on their face.

Asmo watches them in awe, bringing out his wings. He joins them in the sky. MC is startled at first but takes the hand that he offers. MC is too enamored by his voice.

Asmo feels like he's in a movie and loves that feeling. Just two beautiful beings dancing in the dead of the night.

Beelzebub

Beel noticed an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables after MC showed up. He is even more thankful, when he sees MC sets aside a lot of extras for him.

He notices how MC works super hard in the garden to grow the vegetables. Especially the heavy lifting.

He doesn't waste a single second - all the heavy handed jobs are his now. He doesn't care that MC is strong enough he's here to help.

MC got over their shyness quicker around him because that's how much a calming presence he was. He helped soften the soil and also helped pluck out the bigger vegetables when it was all good.

Although he did end up eating a lot of them, MC laughed and patted his head. After all his hard work he deserved that much atleast.

One day he MC and him discovered the garden had been destroyed. Someone left behind a note "Disappear like you're supposed to, you stupid ghost".

Beel was already hugging MC and bringing them back inside when MC started crying. Later that night he said he was too full to eat. A whole demon takes time to digest.

Belphegor

Belphie's a little brat. Seeing how shy MC was - he was set to embarrass them even more.

He'd take his pillow in the garden and fall asleep exactly near the plants that MC was currently working on.

MC would squeal and skitter away at first but then got used to his presence. After all all he does is sleep.

Once as a prank, MC built a little flower crown and placed it on Belphie's sleepy head. Belphie woke up to his brothers taking pictures of him and laughing about how cute he looked.

Oh now he had more plans to annoy MC. He'd brought his DDD along and played music, hiding in some tall shrubs. And while MC danced happily, a skip and hop in their step.

He was going to send it in the group to his brothers but he was so enamored by the dancing he kept staring till he fell asleep watching it. Like a good dream.

He woke up to MC snuggled into him. They were no longer shy. Belphie put his arms around them and went back to sleep.

[saemi-the-writer]

Just wished to share some templates and memes for my Arcana OCs, so I’m starting with Niamh^^. And yes, I am indulging myself with everyone being on good terms/friends XD (let me dream!)

Note: opinions “what do they think of X so far?” below is her opinion at the end of the prologue!

1. Name? Surname?

Niamh Griffin

2. Any family?

2 aunts: Lucina and Izumi, a twin brother: Réamann and a cousin: Erwin. Parents (deceased): Gaia Scribonius and Bith Griffin.

3. Any familiar?

No (not yet).

4. Asra, Nadia or Julian?

Asra. Otherwise: Portia!

5. Best strength in magic?

“Domestic”/cooking magic, she has a special talent in offering these little things of daily life that just makes you happy. She also can easily changes the size and strenghten any object she grabs, which is really handy when she packs for traveling (think of Mary Poppins’ bag), a pin or a needle can become a weapon when she enlarges it, but her favourite is the frying pan! (classical but efficient!! xD )

6. Favourite colour?

Pink and turquoise.

7. Favourite number?

8

8. Sexuality?

Bi/pansexual

9. Weird hobby?

Collecting various items, sometimes recycling them.

10. Favourite season?

Spring!

11. Favourite weather?

Sunny days and misty days.

12. Favourite place in Vesuvia?

The Market Place.

13. How their laughter sounds like?

Gleeful, quite loud.

14. How do they look like when they cry?

Niamh tends to cover her mouth when she cries (to drown her voice) and her face becomes red.

15. What do they like to wear?

Pants! Not that she hates dresses or skirts, far from it, but she’s more comfortable and looks more elegant wearing pants. She likes to associate “comfy and pretty” or “sober and elegant”. Also: celtic style/embroideries! After meeting Asra and going to the Palace, she comes to love Prakra fashion too, loving the bright and vibrant colours.

16. What are their fears?

o   Isolation, loneliness

o   Her close ones’ death

o   Of never being enough

17. What do they like to do Friday night?

Wrap in a blanket and sit on the bed with a mug of steaming hot tea to discuss or read a book.

18. Do they use makeup?

Occasionally, on special occasions. A bit of red lipstick or foundation when she feels like it on casual days, otherwise she stays natural.

19. Favourite food?

Spicy roasted potatoes, with some herbs.

20. Favourite drink?

Tea, her two favourites are jasmine tea and assam with cinnamon.

21. Zodiac sign?

Taurus.

22. Day of birth?

May 15th

23. Favourite play?

“A Midsummer Night's Dream”

24. Favourite music?

Celtic folk, ballads, bard songs.

25. Favourite song?

“Tir Na Nog”

26. What are their aesthetics?

27. What is their style?

Cute, preppy, celtic, roman.

28. Any mental health issues?

Her crisis are due to her resurrection, she needs time to recover and adjust. But she might suffer of some PTSD.

29. Any health issues in general?

She gets sensitive to the cold and is prone to headaches.

30. Are they human?

Yes.

31. Favourite book?

“The Little Prince”.

32. Favourite book genre?

Fantasy Romance and adventure.

33. Favourite time of the day?

Dawn.

34. If they weren’t magician, who would they be?

She would be either an herbalist or a cook.

35. Do they believe in ghosts?

Yes, but not the common myth/folklore.

36. Do they believe in demons?

Of course! (they are real after all…)

37. Do they like sport?

Yes.

38. How do they look like?

drawing by @greyhands​, thank you!!

39. What is their biggest motivation to solve Lucio’s killer mystery?

To seek, find and reveal the truth, so everyone can get a closure to this sordid tale.

40. What do they think of Lucio so far?

A man whose shadow won’t leave Vesuvia. She doesn’t know what to think of him (yet), but her cousin Erwin seemed very attached to him so she guesses he must have had some good in him.

41. What do they think of Nadia so far?

A proud woman who suffers of a similar condition. She admires her determination and desire to refurbish the city, but she also thinks Nadia can be a bit arrogant and difficult.

42. What do they think of Asra so far?

Asra is both her master and the man she loves. She just wishes he would talk to her and stop leaving so often.

43. What do they think of Julian so far?

An elusive man. She is not certain of his guilt, he really didn’t strike her as a murderer, but she doesn’t know what to think either. And he is Portia’s brother…

44. What do they think of Portia so far?

CUTIE! She is very happy Portia befriended her so fast and loves sneaking around with her in the Palace. Bonus for sharing some gossips between giggles.

45. What do they think of Muriel so far?

Mysterious giant?? Seriously, she has no idea who this man is! (yet)

46. Do they like animals?

Heck yeah!

47. Are they allergic to anything?

Viciousness?

48. Do they have any talents (except magic)?

Cooking (without magic). When she doesn’t know how to express herself with speech, she has a way with writing (not poetry though) or dancing and singing to express herself.

49. Do they get drunken easily?

Yes! This girl can’t hold her liquor!

50. What is their personality type?

ENFJ

51. What is their worst negative quality?

Touchy, stubborn, overly idealistic.

52. What is their best positive quality?

Altruistic, creative, courageous.

53. What is their position to fall asleep?

Lying sideways on the bed. On the right side most of times.

54. The most uncomfortable moment they ever experienced?

Before death: when she realized her “friend” was toxic and yet she felt like she was worthless.

After resurrection: the first time she saw Réamann again, she blacked out and Asra ended up crying in her arms while she had no idea what was going on.

55. Their happiest memory?

When she was surrounded by all the people she loved again, at last.

56. Do they blush?

Yes.

57. Are they clumsy?

No.

58. Do they like jokes?

She likes to do some pranks!

59. How do they flirt?

Either very corny or blunt. She’s better at flirting back.

60. Favorite fruit?

Apples and raspberries.

61. Favorite flower?

Yarrow.

[bloo-the-dragon]

Monty from fanf for fandom thing

Oh now this is an interesting one!

First impression:

Honestly i didn’t really have much of an impression of him at first (same with Roxy) xD i was more focused on Freddy and Chica since they were the two i recognised. Though i had noticed his name was eerily similar to ‘Bonnie’ whom i also noticed was missing, but didn’t think too much on it at the time.

So i guess i didn’t really have much of an opinion on him at first other than ‘oh a crocodile thats cool’

Impression now:

Mixed. Very. VERY. Mixed.

Ok so Monty for me is a very mixed bag of things xD At first the more i watched the playthroughs i noticed Monty was clearly intended to be the ‘more brawn less brains’ one of the group, and the fact you can hear him going hog wild in his room when going through the vents, and comments he makes like ‘you can hide, but you cannot hide’ seem to push this lol.

I thought ok that’s interesting, but then... THEN i learned of the logs that strongly hint that Monty was responsible for Bonnie’s disappearence/potential turning to scrap.

And... well my view on him instantly shifted xD

I’ve never been much attached to the fnaf characters before, as i never got invested enough in the games for a hyperfixiation to form (and admittedly the fandom scared me LOL) but even so i’ve always kind of liked Bonnie (he and Foxy were the closest to ‘faves’ as could get considering i wasn’t overly attached to any of them before lol) so yeah as a result i started to dislike Monty a bit. xD

AND THEN of course the hyperfixiation starts (mainly due to papa bear and two certain jester animatronics) and as a result i start poking around the fandom! In my searches i started to find some funny and wholesome art of Monty that made me think, ‘oh maybe he’s not so bad i think i could learn to like him more’

Yeah that was wishful thinking LOL but don’t get me wrong, i don’t outright dislike him anymore, but when the ships started popping up in my face (like glittergolf, that one especially just seemed to pop up on every new fnaf blog i considered following :’D i mean absolutely no offence to people who like it tho, but i find the ship very offputting xD)  which unfortunately only made me shy away from Monty even more. :’D

As of right now though, i guess i’m kind of neutral toward him? I’ve been reading a fanfic lately though that has improved my view on him, even though he’s not a main character i do love how he’s written even as a side character.

So yeah i guess my current view on Monty is, he’s not exactly a preference and he’s far from being a fave, but i do hope to warm up to him some more in the future, granted i find enough good content with him in it. :)

Favorite moment:

*thinks of the funny edit from Markipliers video*

Probably his part in the opening sequence.

Idea for a story:

None atm but maybe one day i’ll do a short drabble or something on him with Sun and Moon because i’d like to see some more platonic content with them three for a change. xD

Unpopular opinion:

I don’t think he’s as dumb as he lets on tbh, like idk why maybe it’s the Bonnie thing but a part of me just likes the idea he might be sharper than he lets on and that’s why he reacts so violently to the afton virus taking over him because i think he is literally trying to fight it but in the process only causes destruction around him as the virus drives him mad as it does the others (Freddy and mostly Sun excluded)

Favorite relationship:

Hmmmm hard to say... havn’t really seen much content with him with the others that isn’t ship art or ship teasing, so i havn’t really formed any as of yet. I do like the idea he gets on well with Freddy, and has a friendly rivalry with Roxy though!

Favorite headcanon:

HMMMMMM again hard to say... the fact he was responsible for Bonnie’s disposal is very intriguing to me though, despite how it made me feel in the beginning xD i feel there was more to be said on that whole ordeal that never made it into the final game which was a real shame (unless it’s being saved for a sequel though it’s unlikely)

[foxghost]

Read: Don’t Pick Up Boyfriends from the Trash Bin

by Qi Jing Nan Qu (gone south on the back of a whale)

FINISHED IT. 1.36 million words + all of the extras (13 of them). It took me around 12 days.

The continuous read thread is over here, but overall, I enjoyed it. The later cases were a bit of a stretch (it is meta commented on by the characters themselves) and it quickly went from "saving the shou" to "saving the world". You know that book on abuse "why does he do that"? This is like the fictionalised manual of abusive relationships, and then we're immediately presented with the fix-ti (sometimes the fix it is literally KILL THE ASSHOLE). That's the appeal — some people suck, but if we have control of the matrix, boy can we get a whole lot of revenge!

=_=|||

Ok the rest got kind of long because this was a fun, good book, but it could have been a fun, and much better book.

The major problem of Trashcan is that if it was a video game, it'd be one where you start at level 20 with access to the command line and every high level item available in the game granted that you have enough points. That makes Chi Xiaochi WAY overpowered — to begin with. Then 061 (system, in this case basically personal guardian angel) spends his own energy in tiny amounts on Chi Xiaochi all the time without him having to spend any points, and he conveniently acts as a BAG OF HOLDING. Chi Xiaochi can give 061 anything and he can digitise it, store it in a warehouse, and take it out later, and this storage works ACROSS WORLDS and MISSIONS, and everything that is placed into this space is frozen in time.

See? WAY OVERPOWERED.

Your "Mantrash" can accumulate two kinds of points, "favour" points for how much he likes MC, and "regret" for how much he regrets what he did to MC, which Chi Xiaochi figures out that "regret" can be for anything, including "regret ever meeting MC". Which means Chi Xiaochi's first intuition of "what if I just hit the mantrash with a car?" is a perfectly legitimate way to solve the problem, since trash WILL very much regret meeting MC right before he dies if Mc just ... hits him with a car. XD When "regret" hits 100, his missions is complete and he can transfer to the next world/mission, but since regret is worth more than favour for buying cards/powers, Chi Xiaochi figured out that the most efficient way to buy everything in the store is:

begin torturing the mantrash in some way and let regret rise

don't let regret hit 100

buy as many CARDS(limited time power boosts) from the store as possible

(essentially turning mantrash into ATM)

buy as many physical items from the store as possible and a fresh crate of strawberries then have 061 digitise them

when the warehouse is full, let regret hit 100

...then later on in the book, because Chi Xiaochi is a completionist, ask 061 to get him a 2nd warehouse

So yes, Chi Xiaochi figured out how to cheat early, and therefore he cheated often. Here's a list of powers that I can remember just off the top of my head:

hypnosis (in 5, 30, and 7 hour increments i think?)

lucid dream (can send lucid dream, 3 minutes for what feels like YEARS if need be) that the dreamer will remember like it happened

shared lucid dream (in which Chi Xiaochi has all the power) that the dreamer will remember as if it happened in real life

recording in shared lucid dream (061 does this for free)

recording anywhere (061 also does this for free)

teleportation

memory wipe (short term, for the past 5 minutes)

super strength (side-effect: super weak for the next hour)

super ability (x2 current ability)

halo effect (x2 attractiveness)

soul trap bottle (takes one soul, soul is released when bottle broken)

speed up time (turning a 2 year mission into a 2 month mission, but it still feels like 2 years)

change the magnetic field within the distance of ... a thousand miles? (061 did this for free)

oh also 061 can spy on anyone in the world at anytime anywhere, and he does this for free

There's absolutely no mystery at all that they're going to win every single NG+. The missions are rated from A-C and then S, with "S" mean "you have to save the world too I guess" but even when they're in an S level world the MC is also S level. For instance, in the A/B/O world, Ji Zuoshan (MC) is the most powerful alpha of them all, can send his soul through dimensions with the help of a resonating metal, can make you fall over if he so much as stands in front of you, and he just ... chose not to.

The entire series went kind of like this: original MC got bad ending, then Chi Xiaochi starts the game in NEW GAME PLUS taking over MC's body instead, and with the power of 20/20 hindsight and the ability to temporarily control the matrix, cheats like no tomorrow, get good ending, making sure to turn mantrash into ATM and buy as many things as possible before letting the points get to 100.

Thankfully the worlds are varied enough to keep me entertained, even if they're very much derivative of other web novels I've read before (I'm 100% sure QJNQ has read all the Priest, as the ABO world gives me a Can Ci Pin feeling and the Ancient Imperial world reminds me of Qi Ye). What kept me scrolling for 1.36 million words though was the Chi Xiaochi / 061 ship and the underlying system, in which they CANNOT CHEAT. In which things are difficult and there are actual problems to overcome and pain to suffer and massive consequences for getting things wrong.

The framing story has weight that the internal missions don't. And it got me attached to 023 and 089, and I nearly cried over 009 in the end ;-;

The missions themselves are just fun, impossible revenge fantasies, and I think that's the biggest flaw with this book. It goes in a direction of "things could have been different if MC had chosen differently" but ends up being "things could have been different with hindsight and MAGIC". The alternate universe, "better" (for me) version of this book would have had less magical powers in it, and more of using each MC host's innate ability to overcome their obstacles. In that case, the ice skating mission #3 was the best one of them all.

Overall, I liked it. It's full of minor plot holes and the worldbuilding doesn't stand up to any detailed analysis, and I'll forget most of it by next week, but the characters are all very well rounded out and distinct. For now my heart is still so full of Chi Xiaochi and Lou Ying that even reading 13 extras doesn't feel like enough.

10/10 will recommend for light reading =3=

[theriverpersonshadow]

Lamia Drama Part 8

WELL THAT GOT LONGER THAN I INTENDED. But I guess that’s what happens when you have a majority of the people in one place XD

I hope this chapter went well... It felt kinda rambly, but it was fun seeing people play off each other. It was hard to get the same level of depth with characters as previous chapters with so many, but hey, interactions are fun too! Hope you guys enjoy.

As always, the species of lamia in this fic belong to @vex-bittys

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           Keith and the rest found Alex pretty easily. And a few other lamia that were either allowed free roam or had just slipped out. She didn’t seem to notice the onlookers, more caught up in petting Oozy… who wasn’t technically in his hammock. Maybe it’s best he didn’t make that bet with Hux earlier. Sure, Oozy’s close to the hammock, but Hux would absolutely rules lawyer him and demand snacks because he’s not in the hammock. Hux was a rule stickler… when and only when it helped him in some way. Eh, Keith could roll with it though (even if his dice sometimes couldn’t, but that’s what a DM screen is for).

           Keith was hesitant to break up the cute moment between the two – Oozy was apparently having the time of his life, and Alex seemed pretty wrapped up in it herself, humming some tune or another while stroking him. Keith listened, trying to place it, but…

           She was repeating it, huh? Was that the only part of the song she knew? Then again, it seemed like the good part, whatever it was. Easy enough to pick up too. Keith started humming along.

Hux rolled his eyes, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like “great, two of them” and slithered over, “Yo. Girl person. Ya coming or what?”

Alex looked up, “I mean, yeah, I think? Coming where?”

“nooooooooo…” Oozy said, taking her hand and putting it back on his head. “Sorry guys. I’m stealing her. She’s my personal petter now. That’s the rules.”

“Since when?!” Hux said.

Oozy looked a moment, then licked her hand. “I licked her, she’s mine.”

Keith stared at him in shock, not sure whether to laugh or slap him. “Dude.”

Nikolai gave a heavy sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Don’t lick party members. Or people in general.”

           “How does that work anyways? You’re a skeleton,” Alex said.

           “Maaaagic,” Keith said, wiggling his fingers in emphasis. “In other words, uh… Monster biology is weird. Or half monster biology. Whatever the fuck we are.”

           Nikolai nodded, “More or less, yes. I can explain it in more detail later, if you’d prefer.” He started coming forward and Alex inched away. Keith hissed before he could catch himself, but Nikolai didn’t seem offended. Instead, he lowered himself in a bow, “And I’d like to apologize for how I acted earlier… I’ll admit I, erm… Overreacted. But we’ve had issues in the past of people coming in to steal babies or eggs, one of the fools tried to snag a mamba egg and got himself killed. I just get a bit jumpy about strangers around them.”

           Alex nodded, relaxing a little, but still staring off at a clock instead of Nikolai. Her hand continued to run across Oozy as she said, “I get it. They’re just little dudes, too freaking small. And some are venomous. Not like you knew me.”

           “Still, I should’ve given you more of a chance or at least asked you politely to leave before turning to threat displays,” Nikolai said.

           “Eh… It was my fault,” Keith said. “I should’ve warned ya I was bringing someone in. Anyways, let’s try this again. Alex, this is Nikolai. He could probably fuck you up, but he’s everyone’s mom.”

           Nikolai made no move to deny it.

           “Hux here is the grumpy snake. He’ll warm up to ya.”

           “No I won’t.”

           Keith rolled his eyes, “He’s just a grump.”

           Hux mumbled to himself.

           “I think you’ve met Oozy pretty well by now.”

           “Sup,” Oozy said, making absolutely zero movement.

           “And, erm… Nikolai, you’ve got Trousle, right.”

           “Hello human! I’m Trousle! Please let me say hi.” Said Trousle’s little speaker. He was poking out from Nikolai’s sleeve, apparently wrapped around his arm.

           “He’s mute, but he’s pretty fast at typing. Got his own phone and everything,” Keith said, watching this girl intently. Apparent soulmate or not, if she was dick about Trousle, she was out of here. She might’ve earned Oozy’s enthusiastic (well… enthusiastic by his standards, dude looked like a kid in a candy store, but the world’s laziest kid) approval, but he wasn’t going to let an asshole mess with the little dude. Hux would warm up, that was more him being a bit of an ass than her, but he’d get over it… probably.

           “Oh that’s cool! Do you have a phone number? Honestly I think my fingers work better than my mouth sometimes, but I guess talking out loud doesn’t really have a backspace key? But yeah! C’mere… Wait, I can hold him, right? Snakes are just, like, noodle puppies.” She paused, looking at everyone in the room. “I’d offer to hold you guys, but I am literally the second smallest person in here. I mean, guess we can try, but I don’t think it’ll go well?”

           Keith snorted. Gosh, she was something, huh? A little awkward, but who wouldn’t be super awkward in this situation?

           Nikolai brought Trousle over and she draped him around her neck. He nuzzled her cheek, giving her little scratches behind the ear.

           … should someone tell him that she’s not a dog?

           …

           Naaaaaaaaaah. She didn’t seem to mind anyways,

           Hux made a fake-gagging gesture at the two and Keith rolled his eyes, whispering at them, “Oh let’em have this. It’s cute.”

           “I’m getting diabetes. Like, right now. They’re just beaming diabetes across the room.”

           “Be nice,” Nikolai said, “It’s not going to kill you to have to actually smile at a human once in a while.”

           “Yes it will. It’s, like, a terminal thing. If I smile at a human, I will instantly turn to dust.”

           No such condition had ever existed and likely never would.

           Keith’s first instinct was to back up Nikolai, but it was almost an in-joke that he’d at least try to defend Hux no matter how clearly in the wrong the guy was. Admittedly, it was as often as not either due to boredom or just feeling bad for the guy…

           It’s not like Hux didn’t have a point – a point that he had iterated in frustrated, sometimes tear-filled tirades at least a few dozen times. He didn’t want to be treated like a pet, he’s allowed to not want to be a pet. Sure, not every adopter is like that. Some might’ve been looking for pets, yeah, but just as many want a kid or a friend, especially with full sized lamia. It could be more or less just like adopting any other monster, save for needing a good deal more raw meat. But Hux didn’t see it that way… Not that Keith ever blamed him. There wasn’t a huge market for full-sized Corals, their reputation as being stubborn, a bit lazy, and tsundere as hell was cute in something you could pick up and snuggle as it chirped indignantly and secretly enjoyed it – like an extra intelligent, reptilian cat – but less so when it was just as big as you and probably stronger. Everyone wanted a housecat, no one wanted a mountain lion. Or those that did need something to growl and hiss would probably pick Kings or Mambas.

           Nikolai gave a long-suffering sigh, “You will not turn to dust if you’re forced to be nice every now and then.”

           “Yeah I will. It’ll, like, strangle my soul or some shit. Keith, back me up here. Tell ‘im.”

           Nikolai had the distinct impression of a haggard mom trying to reason with an unruly kid. He just looked so done. Dude could handle customers, angry mamba moms, being a jungle gym for babies, and training employees who may or may not have believed he knew he what he was doing, but Hux was his breaking point.

           Keith stifled a chuckle, stuffing his hands in his pockets as his mind worked over what to do… He didn’t want to just abandon Hux – Nikolai would know it was just him being a loyal bro – but Alex wouldn’t. She might not’ve been looking at them, but he caught the way she kept glancing over…

           “Welp, ya heard him. He’s sick. I prescribe ten CC’s of coffee with extra sugar and bribery with shiny objects.”

           Hux’s head popped up, body at attention. “I’m listening… How many shiny objects are we talking.”

           “… we’re not bribing him.”

           “I’ve got extra dice?” Alex said hesitantly. Trousle was looking at her in concern, patting her face. She said, “I mean, I kinda like having all my dice, but I guess I don’t need seven sets… I’m keeping the black ones though, they’re good for fight scenes. And the orange ones, they were my first set ever and are not for sale. Also, the green and purple ones are just a fae vibe, I’m keeping them. They’re just average, but I like them.” Pause. “And the lesbian dice are mine. They won’t like you anyways, you’re a boy.”

           All of them nodded understandingly. You could only play DnD so long and not get irrationally attached to the colorful little click clack rocks of fate.

           “That counts as one shiny object,” Hux said.

           “There are seven in each set!” Pause. “Well, more or less. I’ve lost some over the years.”

           “You’ve got a point… More dice for the dice dragon! Mwahahahah!” Hux said, hamming it up.

           Keith’s mouth twitched into a grin as he shook his head at the goof. How was he this cute? Just… goober. His friend is a total goof sometimes.

           “Can I try the lesbian dice?” Trousle asked, holding himself at an awkward position to type.

           “I… I guess? Just give them back after…” Alex said. She ran a finger across Trousle’s head, smiling as he let out little breathy attempts to “Nyeh.”

           “Why are they lesbians anyways? Do they only work for girls?” Nikolai said.

           “Here, lemme show you.” She unzipped one of the pouches on her bag and brought out a baggy full of dice that were lesbian flag colored. “My friend got them for me for Christmas.”

           “That’s amazing. I want twelve,” Keith said.

           “You’re not a lesbian… or a girl! I think… I mean, if there’s something you want to tell us, that’s fine, but I was under the impression you weren’t even interested in relationships,” Nikolai said.

           “Maybe I could get, like… Dice that are for people who are just no.”

           “Ace and aro. Probably,” Alex said.

           “Oh cool. Words for it. Nice!”

           “Give me words for friends with everyone! I want a flag too!”

           “I… I don’t know if there’s a flag for that? Maybe we could put a dog on a flag? It’d be hard to make dice with dogs on them though,” Alex said.

           “Ya could put a little dog face on every side and interpret the roll based on how much they’re a Good Boy,” Keith said.

           “That would only roll Nat 20’s,” Alex said, deadpan.

           “… good point. It could be the luckiest dice,” Keith said, grinning.

           “I AM THE GOODEST BOY. Give me dog dice.” Trousle said, tucking the phone away to throw his little fists in the air, a gleam in his eye as he sat on Alex’s head.

           Keith laughed. “Oh my gosh. I mean, that sounds adorable, but, uh… I think that miiiiight be a little too game breaking, even for me.”

           “Give me dog dice.” He slithered back down to around Alex’s neck, holding himself out towards Keith the best he could and giving some mix between a glare and a pout.

           “Trousle no.”

           “Trousle YES,” Alex said.

           Troulse nodded enthusiastically, bouncing in place so hard that he fell off and Alex yelped as she caught him.

“Are you alright?!”

           Trousle gave a thumbs up, coiling around her arm.

           Oozy had apparently fallen asleep on the floor, so Hux poked him with a stick, making Oozy whine. “Soooooo… Are we gonna get Glitterass, or are we just shadow banning him from this? I mean, I wouldn’t say no if we are…”

           “We should probably go get him, yeah,” Keith said. “Ya ready Alex? Liam’s a mamba, and one of his eyes don’t work. Try to stay on his good side, literally. Metaphorically too if you want, but he doesn’t like having people where he can’t see or hear them well.” Not that anyone would like that, just courtesy really, but maybe not something you’d think of immediately.

           Alex nodded, “Alright, let’s go!”

[fireflyhwufanficwriter]

My thoughts on Dr. Stone’s S02E01 (”Stone Wars Beginning”)

My thoughts after watching Season Two, Episode One:

01. With Senku telling only Gen to get back to work, the children got the same message without being embarrassed. Very diplomatic of Senku! Of course, Gen listened for, like, a second before going right back to distracting everybody 😆

02. Science is Senku’s big thing, but the flashbacks made me think of how brave Senku is, too. There he was, alone on a beach with a tall, intimidating, muscular guy who’s so strong that he can punch stone statues and not even get a scratch, and Senku actually reaches out, puts his hand on Tsukasa’s shoulder, and tries to stop the him and says outright that he disagrees with him. The angle of that shot… Tsukasa was like a mountain just bearing down on him 😲

03. What was that bag? Was it made out of bamboo fiber or something? Why did they focus on it? I know they used it for the ramen, but why? Couldn’t they have just done all that in bamboo tubes? Or did they use those bags because need something more… breatheable… (for lack of a better word) than bamboo tubes to do the drying part?

04. Kokuyou’s really cool. He doesn’t get things intuitively like Chrome does, but he still takes the information he has (heavy rocks / space food) and tries to think of ways (rock/ramen projectiles) they would be useful for Senku’s plans. He’s jumped to the same conclusion both times, but he’s willing to listen and learn and join the discussion. He’s an authority figure and older than most of the main cast, but he’s not afraid to risk losing face when he’s wrong, which is admirable.

05. I guess space ramen < waterwheel, because Kaseki didn’t cause a mini-earthquake and wreck their hydro-electric power plant 😆

06. Kohaku can cook ramen! Which means +1 point to her future domestic bliss with Senku! 😁

07. I love how Senku isn’t carrying anything as they’re walking, but Suika is, implying that she’s stronger than him XD Then again, we already knew that from their video game stats from Season One 😆

08. I’m just like Gen. I knew freeze-drying was a thing, and that it was a thing that involved freezing and drying, but I had no idea how it was done until I watched it. Thanks, Senku!

09. That ramen presentation shot was very similar to its counterpart in Season One! 😊

10. Poor Chrome, wanting to be excited… 😆

11. Haven’t the villagers frozen food before? Did they assume things were the same in summer and winter (eat food immediately or else it’ll spoil)?

12. Kohaku hugging Suika while Chrome was blowing on his ramen!! 😁

13. Why did this ramen’s broth look red when it didn't before? Different ingredients from the Season One ramen?

14. Gen holding a tube of space ramen in his hand and happily drinking his cola while surrounded by other happy people… 😊

15. When they said in Season One that Byakuya’s space ramen was from his and Senku’s favorite ramen restaurant, I figured that the restaurant sent it to the people managing the space mission. It never occurred to me that Byakuya and Senku would have worked on it themselves, but it’s so like them! 😁

16. Ruri’s comfortable enough to express her fears, and Senku acknowledges them and cares enough to explain why she shouldn’t be worried. I really like their moments together in the anime and manga! 😁

17. Ginro and Senku are so in-tune with each other that Senku sees exactly what Ginro is imagining in his mind about what Yuzuriha and Taiju look like? Hahaha! 😆

18. Very nice of Chrome to play the record for the kids 😊 And he looks so happy when he’s asleep!

19. The blacked-out eye thing works better in the manga, I think. In the anime, it looks like an injury or something!

20. Gen considers Kokuyou pure-hearted? Aww! (Maybe it was because he suggested they would weaponize hot ramen 😆)

21. I wish that plank of wood had kept going down while Senku hammered it. It did in the first shot, but not in the second one.

22. Panicked Tsukasa looks adorable 😆

23. It’s true that they’ll recognize Senku as he is, but honestly, if he just uses some kind of moss or something as hair gel as part of a disguise, nobody would realize it was him 😆

24. It’s touching that Tsukasa brushed the snow off that girl’s hair… but less so when you know he’s likely the reason why there’s no body attached to the adult hand the girl is holding…

25. Kohaku’s eyesight is really powerful… 😲

26. Anime is a really good medium when it comes to scenes where several people are talking. The camera just changes focus from one character to the next, instead of having everything in one big frame. They did this in Season One, too, when they were talking about the cotton candy machine.

27. Aww, curious bunny!! 😊 And it even popped up beside Senku and Ginro when they were getting ready to set off the sound bombs! So cute!! 😃

28. Very nice of Senku to let Ginro do the honors. Ginro sure had a… blast! 😋

29. As a manga reader, there were things in this episode that I hadn’t expected, but the additions made sense, in order to fill up the episode to be able to have the nighttime conversation as the final scene. And there wasn’t enough of Kohaku for me in this episode, but there’s always the rest of the season! Happy Season Two, everybody! We're finally here! 😁

Edit:

30. So that there aren’t any contradictions with what they said in Season One about where the ramen came from, maybe Byakuya and Senku came up with the idea and figured out portion sizes and stuff for the packets, and then coordinated with their ramen place so that it’s the restaurant’s own sauce and noodles that were in the space version 😊

https://firefly-hwufanficwriterrrrr.tumblr.com/MyDrStoneEpisodeMangaThoughts

[psychosistr]

Meet Me Halfway- Chapter 4

Summary:  With his only friend gone after his defeat at the hands of the city's protector, Bushroot takes a walk through town to clear his head. On his walk, though, a certain lawn-ornament catches his eye.

Notes:  I probably found certain parts of this chapter funnier than others will, but I couldn't resist writing them, anyway x3

-First Chapter-

The heatwave finally started to break a few days after Liquidator’s defeat. With nothing better to do and in desperate need of fresh air that didn’t feel stale or suffocating, Bushroot spent the evening walking aimlessly through town.

Bushroot had gone back to the greenhouse every day since the “hard water crisis” (the term the media was using to describe the event wasn’t very imaginative), often staying until at least midnight in the hopes that Liquidator would show up just like before and they could go back to their afternoon routine of tending to the plants and talking about everything and nothing at all. Yet, every day, he left with the same disappointment of not seeing his friend.

It was strange, really: He’d spent so many years feeling lonely and unwanted. It was part of his everyday life- get up alone, go to work and have some minor social interactions that never really went anywhere, tend to his plants alone, then go home and spend the rest of his evening alone before getting up to do it all again in the morning. Then, out of the blue, a random supervillain breaks into his life and after only knowing him for two weeks Bushroot has trouble coping with the prospect of never seeing him again?

Maybe he really should see a shrink like his family always told him- there had to be something wrong with him to get that attached so quickly to someone so violent, so cruel, so conniving, so…

So charming…

So polite…

So eager to actually listen to him for a change…

Oh, who was he kidding? Even with his supervillainy ways, Liquidator was still one of the only people in Bushroot’s life who actually gave him some decent compassion and respect. Of course he’d miss the guy- he was one of Bushroot’s only friends since……actually, he was Bushroot’s ONLY friend since college, maybe even since high school now that he really thought about it. Gosh, he was so lonely…

With a heavy sigh, Bushroot kicked a pebble on the sidewalk and watched it roll across the street. He’d taken this walk to get some fresh air and try to get his mind off of how lonely he was, but all it did was serve to make him feel even more lonely and miserable than before. It didn’t help that he thought about his friend so often that literally everything was reminding him of the canine. That sprinkler spraying water over the lawn, those zinnias that were blooming like the ones in his greenhouse that he helped him water, that weird looking fountain statue shaped like Liquidator, that tree that-

Wait, WHAT?!

Bushroot had to do a double take to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. Across the street, in the yard the pebble had landed in, was a lawn sprinkler system with a distinctive centerpiece- a concrete statue that looked EXACTLY like the liquid villain.

Everything about it was correct from the face to his usual body-proportions when he wasn’t connected to a larger mass of water. Not to mention there was the odd position the statue was in- angled as it was, it just looked like an art piece, but, if he imagined it being more level with the ground, it looked like the concrete had dried while the figure was walking. Its face even had a look of surprise on it!

It was too accurate to be just a statue.

“Liqui..?” The duck asked in a quiet whisper as he stared at the statue. Just as he was about to go across the street to examine it more closely, the front door of the house that the front yard belonged to opened and he quickly ducked down into some bushes to hide. “!!”

“Come on, dad!” A red-haired duckling yelled as she ran out into the yard with a duffel bag on her shoulder and a hockey stick in her hand. “We’re gonna be late for the new-players party!”

“Not if SOMEBODY stops eating brownies for five minutes and gets out here!” An older duck who looked to be about the same age as Bushroot said while walking out of the house as well and helping the girl load her stuff into the car parked in their driveway, pausing only briefly to turn off the water in his sprinkler system. “Launchpad, let’s GO!!” He yelled back towards the house.

“Comin’, DW!” A slightly younger and much larger duck shouted while running out of the house. He shoved a brownie into his mouth while quickly closing the door behind him, soon getting into the driver’s seat of the car and starting it up. “Don’t worry, Gos- we’ll be there in no-time flat!”

“We’d better!” The duckling said while grinning wickedly. “No newbies are allowed on MY team until they’ve survived their first Gosalyn Mallard surprise practice drill!”

“Can you at least wait until AFTER they get their gear on this time? I’d like to get to the first game of the season WITHOUT getting yelled at by some kid’s angry PTA-mom in the hospital..” The oldest duck said with a shake of his head and an eye roll that spoke of many hospital trips and apology letters.

Once the small group was buckled in, the car drove off down the street at a speed that was honestly frightening to watch.

Bushroot looked at the house after the car was out of sight- there were no lights on, so everyone who lived there was probably already gone…

It was getting late, so everyone else in the neighborhood was already gone or just sitting down to dinner, meaning there was no one else around…

He could probably-

No, no, that would be wrong! It would be stealing!

……

Wait, would it really be stealing since it was a living person? Wouldn’t that make it more like kidnapping? Also, was it really kidnapping if you were taking someone from a place they most likely didn’t actually WANT to be and freeing them? Wasn’t that more like RESCUING??

Okay, maybe THAT part wasn’t so bad, but, even still, it’s not like he had a way to carry a solid concrete statue all the way back to his apartment-

And then the flat-bed tow-truck pulled up in front of one of the houses next to the property that Bushroot was hiding on. The driver got out, so distracted with trying to open his lunchbox and get out some donuts that he didn’t even notice he’d dropped the keys on the sidewalk on his way into the house.

……

So, this was really happening, huh?

……

The universe just conveniently gave him everything he needed to grab the statue and get out of there?

……………

Well, who was he to argue with the universe?

Acting quickly, Bushroot exited his leafy camouflage and grabbed the keys. It took some time to adjust the driver’s seat, get the truck pulled around to the other side of the road, and figure out how to work the levers enough to lower the flat-bed close enough to the ground that he wouldn’t have to lift the statue to get it on the truck.

Once he had the truck’s bed low enough, he grabbed the chains connected to the winch and tied them off around Liquidator’s stone body- hoping that he wouldn’t accidentally break anything vital. (Then again, he WAS made of water, so he should be fine, right?)

Bushroot hesitated for a moment with his hand on the winch’s lever.

Once he did this, there’d be no going back: He’d have to steal the truck to get Liquidator back to his apartment. If he got caught, he’d be charged with grand-theft auto at best and aiding a known criminal at worst. In either scenario, he’d be serving some major jail time.

Could he really go through with this..?

“……” He almost took his hand off of the lever, but, when he looked back over to Liquidator’s face frozen in a look of surprise and shock, he felt something stab him in the heart. “Don’t worry, Liqui- I’ll get you out of here.” Bushroot said quietly to himself more than to the statue before activating the winch.

It made a lot of noise as it pulled on the statue and began to separate it from its base and the pipes that had been run up into it. It lasted for a few agonizingly long moments until, with a final loud “clang”, the statue was freed from its moorings and pulled up onto the bed of the truck.

The noise, unfortunately, caused many of the neighbors to finally notice what was going on and start gathering at the windows and doors to see what was happening- including the actual owner of the truck who was NOT too happy to see his vehicle being used by someone else.

Bushroot practically dove into the driver’s seat, scrambling to get the door closed and locked behind him before speeding off down the street. He kept his head down as low as possible until he was far away from the neighborhood and certain that no one had followed him.

As he drove to his apartment, Bushroot swallowed down the guilt he felt over stealing the truck and damaging someone else’s property (though it HAD been a person who was essentially being held against his will), and focused on forming a plan to separate Liquidator from his concrete prison. He’d figure everything out eventually once his heart stopped pounding so loudly that he couldn’t hear himself think.

Strangely enough, the beating of his heart didn’t feel like it was entirely from panic. He briefly wondered if he should be worried about that…

<-Previous Chapter Next Chapter->

End Notes:  One plot-hole I don't see addressed that often is how Darkwing just left Liquidator's statue ON HIS LAWN. Logically, someone should've recognized it or Liquidator would have an idea of where Darkwing lived/who he was connected to since he was kept there for so long. Oh well, guess it's the sort of thing that helps fic writers out later xD

[ah-kasuna]

Puppetry in a Nutshell // ♥ I ♥

Pairing: SasoDei

AU: Art School

THIS IS THE 1ST PART AND MY VERY 1ST TRANSLATION ;_; I ain’t native speaker, so there will be mistakes I think, so please let me know about them, so I could fix em! Tbh it feels like doin it with the blindfold on, so XD Yeah, forgive me anyway. 

I hope you’ll like it!♥ Let me know what you think please! Love ya!

AND I DEDICATE IT TO @deidaraakasuna, U KNOW WHY♥♥♥

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Geidai.

The world-famous Fine Arts Academy, located in one of the most charming corners of Tokyo. 

A place that growing artists dream about, perceiving it as a mystical land of inspiration and creativity (until they see sculpture students playing with their own Pony ponies). 

The university to get to is a high-class feat, usually drenched in liters of alcohol and liters of tears in a later hangover. After all, who wouldn't get drunk on this occasion? 

I smiled at the vague memories as I unpacked my breakfast and shook my head fondly. Basically, this sentimental feeling of being an old woman with a bunch of grandchildren has accompanied me since the beginning of my sophomore year, when I watched the freshmen roaming the corridors in sweet ignorance of their fate. Fortunately or not, this intoxicating state faded into non-existent at the end of the first semester as the session approached. And it just so happened that it was just approaching, breaking the will to fight along the way and magically depriving the students of creative inspiration, the one necessary - as you can easily guess - to pass half a year at a group of charming leaders.

My gloomy eyes followed the classroom. Outside the corridor window, visible through the open door, a bird chirped merrily. The weather was beautiful - a typical Japanese spring. The cherries were blooming, scattering fragrant white-pink petals around, and I was rotting at the epicenter of All Evil, like a condemned man aware of what was about to happen. And which happened cyclically twice a week, because my goddamn ambition pushed me to apply for this equally damned university. And so I redeemed my sins before I died, regretting abandoning the idea of ​​self-improvement in the privacy of my modest (but equipped with a kettle and toaster!) Apartment. What more could you want?

I shoved a huge piece of bread in my mouth, which I chewed for five minutes before he graciously wanted to squeeze through my esophagus. A dry mouth like this meant only one thing: my brain finally picked up the information that puppetry classes were about to begin. For my despairing amusement, everyone was rushing to their seats, with shaking hands shoving paints, chisels, and the rest of the necessary utensils out of their bags, as if someone's life depended on the speed of their perfect arrangement on the table. I felt a sudden urge to laugh out loud.

If asked about the reason why the very thought of puppetry gave the vast majority of students sudden symptoms of delirium and depression, the answer would be simple, concise, and more eloquent than the potency pill ads: Hell Cerberus aka Sasori Akasuna. Officially - a lecturer in a terribly heavy and hated subject; in fact - the walking essence of the deepest pits of hell. What was it about him that wherever he went - everyone immediately cut off discussions and silly games? Well, the puppetry professor not only carefully nurtured the art of being laconic, cynical and ruthless. He was devilishly intelligent, even more talented and vindictive and possesive a tons of sophisticated sarcasm, which he liked to apply with the greatest pleasure to me. 

The bell rang. Everyone but me jumped up immediately and Akasuna entered the classroom. As always: in a perfectly matched shirt, elegant pants, a perfectly knotted tie and an equally perfect boredom on the face.

I reluctantly swallowed the rest of my bun, limiting myself to lazily lifting my ass off the chair and making a painful expression. Anyway, I was a loser at the outset, so I saw no point in putting on a similar play as the others, which only maked him sastisfied more. I clenched my fists automatically. Not this time, man!

The professor walked slowly towards the cathedral by stairs, giving the impression of a man who  scrupulously and deeply don't care for this worldly place and time. And perhaps I would even fall for his 'dun-give-a-shit' play, if I had not been marked by his hatred from the very first class. And yet, it's not like I did something to him, oh no. I was simply not susceptible to his mental puppet strings, so I stubbornly disagreed with him on the essence of the art. For him, the highest dimension of beauty were - horror of horrors - goofy make-uped puppets; for me, the art was much less crude carving in plastic materials, where every little movement could fix or spoil everything. And the wood? It was too patient, too tough, hard to work with, unresponsive to the tender touch of trained hands, and it had splinters ...

Everything happened according to the established order. Akasuna checked the attendance, gave an excruciatingly boring spiel about our laziness and talentlessness (noting that exams were coming up), and then had everyone make an individual puppet design. I groaned woefully like the rest of them, reluctantly reaching into my bag for a sketchbook and a set of pencils.

I loved nothing so much as wasting my time gouging dolls. To my left, a class idiot Tobi, wrapped in an orange and black scarf almost under his nose, looked at me as if I was a revelation of heavens.

"Don't even try," I said, feeling what was happening." We'll be kicked out both."

The guy made cat eyes, but said nothing more, and I went to work. I was drawing the lines in concentration, letting my mind wander along the definitely nice tracks, and in the end I turned off mind for good. And I would have been drawing in peace so I'd probably have finished this stupid task if that black-haired moron at the desk next to mine had not disturbed me with his grunts accompanying his neck stretching towards my work. 

It was the end of my composure. I lifted my head from the project and cursed him to the next five generation, supporting my words with a discreet but well-hit kick. There was a muffled groan.

"Kawamoto, shall you explain me what are you doing?" I immediately heard the distinctive, bored tone of his voice and stiffened on my chair. 

The professor was standing a few steps away from me, eyebrows raised and hands folded across his chest.

"Should I take you to the playground?"

"I'm trying to work, professor," I grunted, holding back the appropriate retort and wondering how the heck did he materialized at my desk.

"Good choice of words, indeed." The corner of his mouth curled up in a cynical smile. "Then be that kind and continue your trials in peace, unless you prefer to try at another university."

I felt my blood flooding. Tobi inhaled loudly, knowing what awaited him at the break, and Akasuna leisurely returned to the cathedral, occasionally glancing at me with hideous satisfaction.

I hated him. I hated him most sincerely and most earnestly, with particular emphasis on his physicality, which, despite the sadistic nature, made most of the female students' knees soften and their tongues tangled. Because exactly! He wasn't just a psychopath. He was a disgustingly handsome psychopath who was well aware of this fact and was not embarrassed to make use of it.

Unfortunately, it happened that he accidentaly found out about my moderate interest in the opposite sex, and from that moment he enjoyed torturing me with himself, perfectly guessing my preferences and weaknesses.

"May you rot in these shavings," I drawled under my breath, sticking a pencil on a blank sheet of paper and tracing a busty doll in a ballerina costume on it, with revenge paints 'Miss Sasori' on her exposed ass. And I would probably enjoy this piece of finest art until the end of the class, if I hadn't realized what my "blank sheet" was and why I just sentenced myself to death. I scribbled a porn image of the puppetry professor on the outline.

The bell rang.

"I would like to remind you that today we have the deadline for submitting the presentation plans to pass," his voice occurred to me as if through a fog.

Did I really hoped it would end well? With my heart pounding in the chest, I tore the rubber band out of my pocket, trying to erase the traces of my crime, as I caught above me the distinctive smell of his perfume.

"It was especially to you, Kawamoto," he announced icily, slipping the battered paper out from under my hands with a nimble movement. 

He attached it to the stack of papers he held, without even glaring at it, and left me sitting at the desk with a silent scream of terror on my face.

[theonceoverthinker]

A Good Night’s Sleeping Snag (Fair Game Week Day 2)

Summary: Clover and Qrow are sent off on a mission that pits them against both ferocious Grimm and the very worst of the elements that Atlas has to offer. When the latter of Qrow’s battles is compromised, he and Clover decide to work together to stay safe through some rather...intimate means.

AO3

A/N: So, apparently this is happening now. I’m making fics out of some of my favorite HC’s, and this was my first pick! I’ll admit that it doesn’t connect to today’s theme that tightly, but I’d argue that as Huntsmen, a mission like this can be kind of normal, and thus does hold some inherent domesticity, so there you go! (...I also realized I had to justify that more to myself than anyone because I am pedantic with no one more than myself! XD ) Also, tagging @fair-game-week !

Before we begin, I want to give a big ole’ thanks to my beta @whipped4qrow. Toko, I’ve been fortunate to have some great betas in the past, and enjoy the pun, but TOKO-ing out all of our thoughts on this fic has provided me with some of my favorite times working with one ever. Your advice and pickups were too helpful for words, and I can’t thank you enough!

-------

Grimm are the easiest part of Qrow’s incredibly complicated life and at the same time, the most annoying pests this side of Remnant. 

The trouble is, despite his and his fellow Huntsmen’s best efforts, they’re always around.

Of all the things to stick around across humanity’s two lifespans...why did it have to be them?

Well, at least their existence means a living for him.

Less than an hour after Qrow’s first cup of coffee, a report comes in. There’s a small pack of Grimm making their way towards the communication’s tower. They’re as ferocious as Grimm tend to come, but it’s apparently not a job that will require more than two skilled Huntsmen to get it done.

That’s where he and Clover come in, according to Ironwood’s soldiers. 

This mission has probably the most pre-departure preparation he’s ever received before a Grimm fight. He’s even given a large backpack of camping essentials to work with. Clover tells him the reason for that. Apparently, the part of the tundra these Grimm are making their way through is prone to strong wind storms and blizzards alike. These conditions are said to be too severe for a transport to get all the way through, and despite the dangers posed by letting even trained Huntsmen whether them, it’s still better to take the Grimm out now than to wait for them to get any closer to the tower -- something about the tower’s wiring. 

Clover says that their mission is expected to run into the next day, and Qrow’s uncertain how he feels about that. 

Qrow’s done overnight missions before, tons of them.

But he’s never done one with Clover before.

Sleep is...it’s personal in a way most things aren’t. He can control how he acts when he’s awake and what he divulges to the world. When he sleeps, who knows what can be told about him? Even to have someone sort of near him while he’s sleeping makes Qrow feel far too vulnerable for comfort.

And now, he and Clover are going to be sleeping in the same vicinity.

It bothers Qrow, both because of that sense of vulnerability, but also because even that threat of subconscious vulnerability doesn’t scare him where Clover is concerned.

Clover’s odd, but he’s someone Qrow likes having around. He makes missions interesting, if nothing else, and he even finds himself opening up to Clover every now and then, too.

Qrow guesses that just makes them both oddballs. Go figure.

But being oddballs along with someone else has proven to not always be a bad thing.

So really, who knows what this mission will bring?

They depart early the next day. Qrow’s decked out in a long thick-ish, black winter coat, and he can barely believe his eyes when he sees Clover enter the transport wearing the exact same thing.

Who knew Clover Ebi would ever be caught dead wearing something with actual sleeves?

Clover’s clearly aware of how much the change of clothes sticks out, shooting Qrow a not-too-serious, yet all the same present warning look while entering the transport, as if daring him to laugh.

Qrow laughs. 

He laughs a lot.

He’s in stitches, though he’s certain the look Clover’s giving him is more to blame for that than anything.

It’s not that Clover looks bad in it -- quite the opposite, really. The coat fits him well, and while Qrow likes it about as much as he likes Clover in his standard uniform -- if not, a little less -- the different clothes are a nice change of pace all the same.

And Qrow -- never a monster -- doesn’t rag on him too much for it, even going so far as to compliment it after he’s gotten a good couple of quips in. Clover’s frown dissolves into a grateful smirk, and their usual banter proceeds as it always has as the transport takes off.

Still, gratefulness for the compliment aside, it’s apparently not enough to stop Clover from hastily removing the coat as soon as the automated transport gets far enough away from their other coworkers at the base to do so without scolding, prompting even more laughter from Qrow. 

The trip between the base and the dropoff point is three hours. Clover tells Qrow they should sleep before they begin their trek, and Qrow honestly tries to, but he finds that he just can’t.

So Clover stays up with him. Qrow tells him he doesn’t have to, but he quickly learns that Clover Ebi may as well have his picture glued next to the dictionary’s definition of ‘persistence.’

If it wasn’t one of the kindest things done for him in recent memory, if not, ever, Qrow might be tempted to gag from the corniness of it all.

 They fill the time with cards, exchanging interests and stories, and rifling through their camping bags. The Atlas military clearly likes to be prepared. They each have a few rations of disgusting-looking food, a steel canteen, an emergency flare, a flashlight, matches, some kindling for a small fire, and a sleeping bag, all adorned with the symbol of Atlas. Qrow teases Clover about it, but with a smirk, he just attributes the abundance of symbols to pride in their country.

Loud clunks grow in frequency and volume, signaling that they’re closing in on their location. Their transport isn’t equipped with a window, so all the two of them have to go off of to get any idea of what’s outside of it are Clover’s past experiences of the relentless frigid air and snow. 

Those experiences turn out to be rather accurate. A harsh gust of wind that nearly blows an unprepared Qrow to the back of the transport greets the two of them once the doors separating them between themselves and the tundra open. 

Qrow revises his stance and footing as to best handle the new expectations of his body. He puts more of his weight onto his feet, stepping harshly. Clover does the same, and within five minutes, they’re well off on their journey into the tundra.

()()()()()()()()()

Hours pass, but unlike previously, they’re impossible to fill with each other’s company. It’s all Qrow’s efforts to safely move step-by-step, and he knows while Clover would never admit it -- and to be fair, he wouldn’t either -- it’s the case for him too. It would be too much to focus on talking while keeping the snow out of their mouths as well, so silence rules them. 

Even still though, there’s something at least a bit reassuring that Clover’s there, even if only his physical presence serves as an indicator of it. Maybe Clover feels the same way about him. He wouldn’t be surprised. 

In fact, scratch that -- he wouldn’t even doubt it for a second.

The sky grows dark as they come upon a small cave that forms a half dome over the tiny piece of the landscape that it covers. They approach, but just as they near the entrance, Qrow feels the ground shake. Then, as if only to stop the question of whether or not that movement was just in Qrow’s head before it is even asked, howl after howl pierces through the winds.

Looks like they’ve finally found those Grimm. 

Qrow grabs Harbinger, and he hears Kingfisher’s string whip as Clover pulls it out.

They take two slow steps towards the Grimm.

The Grimm take three quick steps towards them.

And then the battle begins.

Clover attaches Kingfisher to the top of the cave, swinging into one of the Grimm with a powerful kick. Just like that, it goes down.

Wasn’t this supposed to be hard?

But before Qrow can celebrate Clover’s victory, he’s forced to deal with a battle of his own. 

Harbinger becomes a scythe and slashes two Grimm’s faces with the first swing alone. The second one does both of them in with a transparent slice. 

It’s only as they disappear into nothingness that Qrow realizes that there’s one more left.

He turns and halts his scythe’s momentum mid-swing, but while he does get the Grimm, the Grimm gets its revenge just before it leaves the mortal coil.

Instantly, Qrow feels himself dropping weight by the pounds. 

The only thing is though that he’s not injured. 

With his free hand, Qrow feels for his backpack, only to find torn fabric and air instead. He turns in the opposite direction just in time to see the contents of his backpack flow in the tundra just before disappearing from sight.

Qrow looks behind him, and upon seeing no more Grimm, immediately takes off his backpack, which is now about as light as air.

Almost everything is gone. His canteen and a single ration remain, only bound to the pieces of fabric on his backpack still left intact by pure chance.

But everything else?

The flare, his matches, his flashlight...his sleeping bag?

They’re not just gone -- they may as well not even exist now for all the chance Qrow has of getting them back.

Just his luck.

And speaking of…

Clover approaches, telling him that the Grimm are gone. He gives Qrow a puzzling look upon seeing him standing so forlornly, but it only seems to take a moment for him to connect the dots. His mouth forms an ‘o’ shape, but he doesn’t say anything, simply signaling that they should enter the cave. Despite his frustration, Qrow appreciates it. What honestly could he say? Clover’s the problem solving type, but some problems don’t have solutions. 

Most of his bag is gone now, and unless there’s a crazy twist of fate that not even Clover’s luck could manage, none of it is coming back. There really isn’t much to say there, much less solve.

So they go inside the cave, just as the darkness of the cloud-filled night grows deeper. 

Clover uses the matches and kindling in his own bag to light a fire, and he and Qrow sit across from each other.

Qrow wraps his arms around himself, feeling tatters in his jacket and feathers flying off into the tundra, just as most of his supplies did.

Grimm really are the worst pests this hellhole they call Remnant have to offer.

Crap. He’s freezing, and the night’s only getting darker and colder.

Though Qrow takes pride in his strength and endurance, a night in freezing temperatures like this would give anyone a case of frostbite they’d never forget. 

For God’s sake! Even Clover’s unashamedly clinging to his own jacket!

If that isn’t telling of the direness of their situation, nothing is.

Qrow knows Clover’s going to offer him his sleeping bag, but he’s not comfortable at all with taking it. It likely wouldn’t even keep him warm enough, and there’d be no point in both of them freezing to death out here. 

Speaking of, his sleeping blanket is the next thing Clover pulls out of his bag. It’s large and when it’s removed from his bag, it deflates like a balloon.

Clover begins to unravel the sleeping bag from its bindings, and Qrow can tell he’s just about to offer it to him, but as he unravels it, it begins to show that it’s far larger than expected. Surprised, Qrow and Clover look at it in disbelief, then at each other, and then back to the sleeping bag. 

Now, out of room to safely spread it out, Clover drags the sleeping bag further from the fire and continues opening it. When it’s finally fully unraveled, they see that it is indeed rather large.

In fact, it might even be large enough to fit two people in it. 

They’re both housing the same thought, and Qrow silently nods at the proposal Clover gives him with only his eyes.

There’s no room for debate – the cave provides shelter, but it’s minimal. If Qrow isn’t given more protection against the winds, who knows what will happen to him?

Qrow’s got too much to live for to refuse whatever will keep him alive. 

Maybe one of those things is the very man he’ll be sharing a sleeping bag with tonight. 

It doesn’t make the idea of sharing one feel any less awkward than it is. 

But neither speak of that very awkwardness that this arrangement brings, least of all Clover. He’s as casual about it as he ever is about anything. Qrow’s sure Clover knows by now how much of a comfort that is for him. He can’t state enough how much he appreciates Clover for not making a big deal out of it. 

There’s not much of a preamble before it’s time to get in the sleeping bag. They share a quick meal, consisting of one of the rations they have each and a few swigs of the water in their canteens. The entire time, Qrow feels his head practically buzzing, but pushes back against the sensation -- just enough to keep it at bay, at least.

When it’s finally time to get into the bag, with a wave of his hand, Clover offers Qrow the chance to enter first and get settled in. Qrow nods and crawls inside. Instantly, two feelings hit him: warmth and disappointment in the lack of warmth relative to his expectations. It’s fine, but he imagined the sleeping bag would make him feel just a bit toastier. 

Of course, there’s no doubt they’ll both survive the night in its confines, but he has to wonder just how much of the chill will make its way through the flimsier-than-he-hoped bag.

But any further questions Qrow has about their resistance to the elements dies in his throat as Clover makes his way into the sleeping bag beside him. 

Fuck, he’s warm.

He’s so, so warm.

It’s literally the difference between night and day, as if Clover’s sheer presence teleports them from the frigid hellhole that is Atlas to the sweltering heat of Vacuo. 

And now, rather than worrying about freezing solid, Qrow’s more worried about melting into the ground, because if Clover Ebi provides him with so much as another degree of heat, he gives himself about a 50% chance of turning into magma.

Because of the strength of the winds and still-piling snow, the weather all but dictates for them to face each other as they sleep. Though there’s some space between their bodies, Clover’s arms can’t help but make casual contact with his own as they settle into their position. Clover tries to apologize for this, but Qrow casually dismisses the concerns.

How Qrow manages to do that would impress no one who has ever known him more than it does himself.

The distance between them, or rather, lack thereof, deprives Qrow of breath for a good ten seconds.

Physically speaking, they’re closer than they’ve ever been before. If they were to both push back as far as they could, they would probably have nearly a foot between them.

But neither of them do this, so they’re at most six inches away from each other.

There’s no hyperbole in saying that it takes each and every survival instinct Qrow has to will his blush away and resume normal breathing.

Qrow thanks Clover for sharing the sleeping bag, space for him or not. To this, Clover grins and drops a charming line like he always does, a line that prompts Qrow to give one of his own. For the next few minutes, they repeat the process, banter flowing between them like it has dozens of times by now. 

It’s nice.

Eventually, their quips relax and they wish each other a ‘good night.’ Not long after that, Clover falls asleep.

Qrow’s anxious. He’s almost too anxious for words. 

He supposes that’s a good thing, since he can’t say any of them with Clover so close to him.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Qrow was just barely getting used to the idea of sleeping in the same close vicinity as Clover. 

And now they’re sharing a sleeping bag.

How does someone who barely feels like he can sleep in the same room as another person now do so while sharing a sleeping bag with one?

For God’s sake, Qrow can feel Clover’s hot breath on his even hotter face.

Everything feels intense. It’s like everything he imagined he was going to feel has been accentuated, but new emotions are now added to the pile. It’s not just worrying over what vulnerabilities he can unintentionally reveal to Clover in his sleep, it’s a more profound fear over how Clover will receive those vulnerabilities now that they’ll be literally shoved in his face, and how their relationship will change as a result of that, for worse...or possibly for better...

That fear releases an acknowledgement of blossoming feelings of every kind that Qrow’s not sure he’s ready to confront, not just yet.

But it doesn’t change the fact that they’re there nonetheless.

Why can’t this just go slow? 

And why does part of him not want it to?

Damnit, he’s overthinking things, clearly an effect of his exhaustion. 

Qrow forces himself to calm down. He hasn’t slept since before they departed, and he needs to start now. Otherwise, their return to the transport tomorrow will be impossible, no matter what he does in his sleep.

Slow, deep breaths paint Qrow’s nose with Clover’s scent -- strong, hot, largely composed of sweat but still uniquely Clover-smelling, and omnipresent due to their circumstances.

All the same, it’s good. 

It shouldn’t be good. 

It utterly bewilders Qrow that it’s good.

But it is, in fact, good, good enough that it helps Qrow settle down so that he can at last start to welcome sleep to his tired, tired eyes.

And what little Clover’s scent can’t accomplish in sending him off to sleep, Clover’s body heat wraps up with a neat little bow. Laying beside Clover, even in the tundra, is like laying beside a fireplace. If not for the now scarcely present view of the snow he still has, Qrow could imagine that they were anywhere while in this sleeping bag together.

So, lulled by the symphonic mixture of the harsh, abrasive winds and Clover’s loud, yet gentle snores, Qrow at last falls asleep.

()()()()()()()()

While quite a few sounds sing Qrow to sleep, neither are present as his crimson eyes make contact with daybreak.

Qrow doesn’t know how long he slept for when he wakes up, but it was clearly quite a long amount of time. A bright yellow hue from the sun sparkles against the snowy walls of the cave and any smoke from last night’s fire is long gone. 

Clover’s awake. Without even turning to look at his sleepmate, Qrow knows this to be true. There’s a tension Qrow feels in Clover’s back that’s indicative of his regular posture. 

He’s about to tilt his head and talk to Clover, but is stopped in his tracks. 

How is he able to feel muscles in Clover’s back? 

A stark realization hits Qrow. He hasn’t paid mind to his hands nor arms yet since waking up, but he has a worryingly strong suspicion as to where they are.

With all the lightness of a feather as to not clue Clover into what he’s doing, Qrow softly wiggles a finger on his left hand and a finger on his right. 

Both touch a very familiar piece of fabric, one Qrow knows he’s also currently wearing on his person.

But unlike his coat, the coat his fingers feel is in an untarnished state, still just that little bit poofy.

He can feel his elbows and palms form gentle curves around places that make a lot of sense to form curves around.

His arms are folded atop Clover’s backside and his hands are perched upon the upper edges of his torso.

And now that Qrow notices this, he also notices that Clover’s belly and his own are ever-so-gently pressed together.

Oh Gods...

He’s holding Clover.

Screw holding Clover -- he’s full-on cuddling Clover.

Even from within the shock of sharing a sleeping bag with Clover, Qrow developed some semblance of expectations last night. Vulnerabilities and bad habits are hard to mask when one can’t control their actions. Qrow was mentally preparing for that. Maybe he’d accidentally whack Clover in the event of the nightmares he more often than not had. Maybe he’d toss and turn a lot in his sleep. Hell, he’s been told by his nieces and former teammates that he has a tendency to drool from time to time, so that wasn’t entirely off the table. 

But of all the things he was willing to anticipate he’d do, at the very bottom of that list of expectations was to cuddle up to Clover.

That doesn’t change the truth though -- he did cuddle him all the same, and he still is.

Neither he nor Clover have consciously engaged with each other yet. Qrow begins to calculate how he can use that to his advantage. 

With a fake yawn and a “reflexive” stretch, he could free Clover from his grasp without inviting any further awkwardness. 

That’s what Qrow hopes, in any event, and it makes enough sense to be worth a try.

Qrow begins to shift a little in preparation of his plan, but is stopped in his tracks by something pressed up against his back -- two very muscular, and very familiar arms.

It only takes him half a beat to realize they and the hands attached to them are holding Qrow the same way Qrow is presently holding him.

Clover’s cuddling him too.

That realization is at once both a relief and a terror.

The discomfort he sought to escape with his plan is now simultaneously warded off and stronger than ever as his plan lies in ruins, and feelings he elected to ignore last night are just a little bit more insistent in their presence now.

Qrow quickly decides he’s only one man, and thus can only directly take on one of these Remnant-shattering revelations at a time. 

As the fact remains that he and Clover are awake, and neither have addressed the other about this yet, he elects to at last do so.

Whether it’s the right choice or not, especially when he and Clover have each other to themselves in such a way, is a topic to be handled another day.

But all the same, Qrow swallows his shocked features and turns to face Clover directly, finally crossing the threshold of avoidance between them.

Clover looks shocked to see him make the first move, but upon studying Qrow’s relaxed expression for a moment, however artificial it is, relaxes himself as well. 

There’s a certain sense of breathlessness between them in the seconds that follow, as if they’d both just climbed a mountain and not just woken up from an, all things considered, decent sleep. It all feels contradictory -- exhausting, and yet exuberant, calming, and yet vigilant. Mostly though, it all feels a bit awkward, and yet a bit comfortable too because they both feel that same awkwardness. 

And within those contradictions, there’s something nice, something Qrow can’t explain. Maybe, like those feelings that now massage his brain, he doesn’t want to explain it -- not today, anyways -- but he’s content enough just living and relaxing in whatever it is that he and Clover are sharing. 

After all, his worst case scenario just played out, and nothing bad happened between them. 

It could be nice just to kick back and enjoy things for the little time they have right now. 

A long moment passes before their wordless exchange is finally given voice, but it does happen. They do have a tundra to traverse today, after all, and they’ll get no closer to the transport home just lazing around.

Qrow would be lying if he said that he found prospect to be one all that awful.

But all the same, they greet each other for the new day, and he can tell that there’s just a twinge of reluctance in each of their eyes as they leave the sleeping bag. The chill from last night returns in the absence of Clover’s body heat, albeit less harshly now that the previous night’s storm has dispersed.

Looking ahead at today’s challenge, Qrow sees that the outskirts of the cave are bright with a blanket of shimmering snow that stretches as far as the eye can see. It’s beautiful, though the songs the winds sing expose the dangers hidden within that beauty.

It’s going to be a long day.

Still, he’s not alone with Clover by his side, and somehow, that fact makes all the difference.

After years of never even considering such a sentiment, it now permeates Qrow’s every step as he and Clover walk through the snow.

He could get used to a partnership like this.

[fanficsforheartandsoul]

The Bounty | [Fem!Twi’lek!Reader x Din Djarin] | The Mandalorian

Notes: This will get a 3rd part which will probably be the last one. It took a little longer since I had so many fanfics in my drafts and I just added stuff when I was in the mood but I still hope you enjoy it :) Also If you don’t play Star Wars: The Old Republic you might not have realized it in the first part, but Eli is a Miraluka. What this species can do will be revealed here or you just google it I guess xD

Fandom: Star Wars, The Mandalorian

Warnings: Swearing, Violence, Some Angst, Original Characters, Longing, Slight OOC

Summary: Din Djarin and Y/N, the smuggler meet again, but their circumstances do not benefit the relationship Din wishes they could have.

Word Count: 5534

Once again, the Reader is a Twi’Lek!

Part I

________

Months went by and their journey continued on. His and the child's. They traveled across the galaxy, landing on desert planets, hiding on moons, hunting a bounty here and there even though he wanted to stop, and more often than not they had to flee in a hurry.

It was the same old routine. The only thing that changed was that Din couldn't go to sleep right away. The occurrence wasn't rare at all but now he didn't stay up because of his insomnia, or bad memories which would haunt his dreams.

He laid awake in his cot, the child on his chest and all he could think about were those mesmerizing eyes. It felt like a joke. He had met her only once and the time they spent together had been less than 3 hours but he still got swept off his feet. He wouldn't admit it, he couldn't. If he told Cara that a random smuggler was able to catch his heart she would probably laugh out loud and say something like: "I knew you were a big softie."

But he couldn't stop thinking about Y/N. The way her eyes had lit up when she laughed, how she swayed slightly with her hips when she walked. The way her clothes complimented her figure. There was a burning in his heart, a longing, and Din felt shame for thinking about a woman he barely knew in such an intimate manner. He tried to tell himself that he only felt that way because he was starving for affection and body contact, and anybody would do but his heart told him otherwise.

He tried to busy himself, tried to forget her or that she ever existed and it seemed to work, at least a little until fate appeared like it wanted to torment him.

They met again. But as things seemed to always go wrong for him, she was his bounty. And he was supposed to bring her in cold.

-

“The fuck do you think you’re doing, Kecha?”

Y/N stabbed his hand with her knife. The Delphidian cried out in pain and tried to grab her wrist but she warned him with a glare. His bodyguards pointed their blasters at her, even so, the Twi’Lek didn’t react.

“I told you I won’t give you shit if you can’t pay the full price!” 

She twisted the knife in his wound and he groaned. His pitiful state satisfied her anger a little and she jerked her knife out of his hand. Kecha pulled his hand back and used his robe to stop the bleeding. Slowly, she sat down again and leaned back in her seat, her eyes not leaving his hunched figure. Since their boss didn’t say anything his gang members lowered their weapons.

“We had a bad month, Y/N, I can only pay the amount I have here...”, he stopped and pointed to the credits laying on the table, "but I can pay you in another currency."

The smuggler wiped her blade clean with a cold expression. 

"I'm not interested in slaves, you should know that." 

The pirate boss nodded, of course, he knew. She had almost split his skull once for offering her a male Twi'Lek slave. 

He hesitated and then waved one of his boys over. He whispered a few words in his ear while Y/N watched him with a wary look. The pirate left to get something and returned some seconds later with a bounty puck and a tracking fob. She narrowed her eyebrows. Somehow she had a bad feeling. 

"This puck was in the possession of a Duros we encountered a week ago." 

He didn't need to explain how their encounter ended, the green blood on the device told enough. He activated the puck and Y/N's expression darkened instantly when she recognized her own face with Wanted written in Basic underneath. Her right hand traveled to her hips where her blasters were located. 

“So what now? You wanna kill me?” 

The Delphidian shook his head and she relaxed slightly. Nonetheless, her hand rested on her gun.

“Of course not, you’re a valuable business partner.” 

Y/N snorted but her eyes looked unamused. She grabbed the tracking fob and activated it. The beeping was obnoxiously loud and fast. Well, its quarry was holding it after all. The thought of someone putting up a bounty for her worried her more than Kecha probably imagined. Her demeanor was unfazed but unease claimed her heart. 

“Anything else you found out?”

The pirate boss nodded and rubbed the sweat from his forehead, pain was clearly visible in his eyes. The fact that he didn’t lash out at her for injuring him showed their unusual bond. After all, they had been partners for years. She started to feel a little guilty for hurting him but she would never admit it. 

“They want you dead. 300′000 credits for your cold body.” 

His voice had a worried undertone and the Twi’Lek paused. So many credits for her? The amount was intimidating and she wondered who the rich stranger was, who wanted to pay so much for her death.

“Wait, why would they - whoever wants me dead - hire the bounty hunter’s guild for this? This sounds more like a job for an assassin.”

Kecha shrugged his shoulders. 

*I don’t know but if I were you I would lay low for a while.”

Y/N let out a small laugh. 

“You know I can’t do that. Business is everything and I can’t lose any customers.”

The Delphidian frowned but she couldn’t tell if it was because of his wound. He used his uninjured hand to push the credits on the table towards her then he leaned back and let one of his henchmen give him a cloth to wrap around his hurt hand.

She took the credits and put them in a bag attached to her hip. She also grabbed the puck and deactivated the tracking fob. The smuggler stood up and walked over to the spice containers she brought him. With quick fingers, she unlocked all of them and deactivated the lock feature. When she turned around to see if he was satisfied, she noticed Kecha’s troubled expression. Her eyes softened.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get killed that easily. I can defend myself just well.” 

He sighed and replied with an annoyed undertone:

“I know, you don’t have to remind me.” 

Y/N turned her lips into a grin and she grabbed something in her bag and then threw it to him when she turned around to leave. Kecha caught the bacta patch and smiled. 

“Thanks, Cap.”

She waved dismissively and left the room. No one followed her and she walked back to the Icarus. The moment the door closed behind her, the corner of her lips dropped. How would she get out of this mess? A bounty for her head? That was something new and Y/N she didn’t like it. 

-

If Din had known who exactly he had to find he wouldn’t have taken the tracking fob. But that was the problem; he didn’t know. He didn’t receive the bounty from the guild, obviously not, after all, he left them behind. He got the job from a fellow on Taris while staying there. They needed supplies but he realized that they were short on money. 

So he left the child on the Razor Crest - his heart clenched in worry but they needed food desperately and when he watched how the ramp of his ship closed, his child looked at him as if he understood. 

It hadn’t really been his plan to do a bounty, he wanted to leave the profession behind because he needed to care for a baby but it was the quickest way to get good money. 

Only once more, was his thought when he received the tracking fob. Neither did he know who put the bounty up nor who he had to hunt, but it was more than a guild traitor could ask for so he didn’t complain. He would get the money from his informant, he would make sure of that.

The beeping was slow and all he knew was the last location of his bounty and the fact that he should bring it in could but he didn’t let himself get discouraged. It had been the same with the baby and he found the little womp rat so he didn’t worry too much. Since he had one crucial information, the person he was about to hunt, was a notorious smuggler. Which meant he needed to be careful with his approach.

The first thing that went through his head when he heard that was, of course, Y/N. Stars, that woman stole his heart and he let her. Why was he so careless? With the cock of his blaster, he chased the beautiful Twi’Lek out of his mind and left the cantina.

He bought a rusty but still functioning speeder with the last of his credits and set off. He had no destination in mind, he just drove around to see where the tracking fob would start to beep louder. 

He saw the remains of a city void of any intelligent life, fragments of former wars and battles. Nature took back what once was hers and the beauty of how she did it, made him pause. Would he be able to settle down in a quiet place like this? 

It made him wonder why this was the first thing that crossed his mind but after seeing so much violence and death in his life, dying like a warrior seemed less desirable for him. 

Peace and quiet, a goddamn second for him to take a breather and an evening where the child could eat and sleep without any disturbance was a wish that resonated deep within his soul. Maybe he got old. But he wasn’t old enough yet to not hear how the fob’s beep turned louder. 

He stopped the speeder and jumped off. In a radius of 10 meters, he walked around it and listened to any change in the rhythm of the device. He needed to head north. The beep was not fast enough yet so he mounted the speeder again and continued to drive towards his bounty. What he didn’t realize, he wasn’t the only person who listened to his tracking fob.

-

“You sure it’s going to work out fine? You have a bounty on your head now...” 

Eli voiced his concerns and she sighed. Of course, she knew, but as she had already told Kecha, her customers weren’t waiting and business was important. She couldn’t stop now, not when she almost got enough money to save her.

“It’ll be alright. This will be the last deal for a few months, okay? We can lay low for a while after this.”

His expression showed how he wasn’t exactly pleased with her answer but she ignored it and once again checked her datapad. It was almost time for her customer to show up. 

She could understand his worry. Not only did the deal happen in a location where they would be presented on a silver tablet to any enemy, but they also didn’t have back-up like usual. But she had had no choice. The customer wanted it like that. And she wouldn’t dare anger a Hutt. Especially not him.

Y/N licked her lips and realized how dry her throat was. She decided to grab something to drink from her backpack, which laid in the shade next to the containers with the spice and their speeders. She had just drunk a few sips when a speeder approached. 

“That must be the announcer”, remarked Eli and his head turned to the direction from which the approaching person came. She laughed.

“Well, Taro always had a flair for the dramatics. Announcing your arrival, does he believe he’s royalty?”

Her mocking tone caused the Miraluka to smile and she raised her voice when the roar of the speeder engine came to a stop a few meters away. Eli shifted and gasped. Was the announcer so ugly? She grinned.

“What a nice day isn’t it?”, she turned on her heel, “For a deal with spi-”

Their eyes met. Actually no, her eyes and his T-shaped visor met. Her breath hitched. She recognized the armor immediately. It had some more scratches and traces of blaster shots but she had dreamed about it so many times that she just knew.  “It’s time for us to leave. Thank you for your hospitality.” The flutter in her chest from that day returned. What... What is he doing here?

Her eyes traveled to the thing in his hand that beeped obnoxiously. Oh.

Y/N raised her head and stared at his visor again. A bitter grimace crossed her face. Both of them exhaled slowly, almost painfully.

“Shit.”

-

Din’s mind was a mess. How was it possible that the person who stole his heart suddenly appeared before him like this? Oh, Mand’alor, how could fate be so cruel? His bounty was her companion?! How could he kill him, what was his name - Eli, who traveled with her and obviously meant much to Y/N? 

He felt slightly dizzy from the storm inside his head and all he could do was curse. When she said the same thing as him, his heart clenched and he almost let out a breathy laugh. This situation was the worst. 

“So we meet again.”

Y/N started talking first and her voice was as melodious he remembered. Her e/c eyes were filled with something that caused his heartbeat to quicken and he was once more thankful that she wasn’t able to see his face. This way she couldn’t see what she did to him. His cheeks and ears were burning and he prayed that his voice regulators weren’t sensitive enough to pick up his quick breathing. 

While he seemed to have completely forgotten what the tracking fob in his hand meant for both him and the other two, the Twi’lek continued to speak with an ugly grimace on her beautiful face.

“This isn’t exactly how I imagined we’d meet again, Mando.” 

He realized how her hand landed on the blaster on her right hip. The gesture was like a bullet to his heart. Did she seriously believe he would do something to her friend? The thought didn’t cross him when the storm in his mind continued raging. Of course he was worrying about the child and the money but still. No way.

“I- It’s good to see you again, Y/N”, he replied lamely.

He wanted to tell her so many things but it looked like his brain had a short circuit. The woman’s grip tightened around her weapon but she didn’t point it at him. Her smile was still bitter and his heart seriously ached from seeing the frown.

“I don’t know if it’s really good. I see you’re here for the bounty. So what now?”

Her hostility was clearly audible in her voice and Eli stepped beside her as if he wanted to protect the smuggler. The way his hand touched her shoulder so casually made jealousy flare up in him. Were they together? This possibility struck him like lightning. He never even thought about it that the stunning woman could already have someone in her heart. 

Actually, he didn’t even know what he thought. All he ever daydreamed about was holding her close. Seeing her laugh, watching how her charming eyes light up because of something that he said. 

Okay, truthfully he had also had some rather... impure thoughts about her but that was when his mind wandered late at night when he wasn’t able to sleep at all and the snores of his child couldn’t help him to doze off. 

But that wasn’t the point. The point was that he never actually imagined meeting her again much less, what he would say to her. He groaned because of his own stupidity. On what cloud had he been floating?

“Y/N, this doesn’t seem to be a good time to discuss this...”

The brown-haired man tilted his head and the veil in front of his eyes swayed slightly. Din disagreed with him. 

“I’m not here to hurt you”, he tried to show his sincerity in holding up his hands with the tracking fob still in his grip.

“You sure about that, big guy?”

Seeing her antagonizing him with a fierce look in her eyes and a dark expression on her face, made Din think: Fuck, she’s hot. His brain clearly turned to mush after meeting her again. There was no other way to explain the lack of his reasoning and rationality. He could only nod, his stance was extremely stiff.

Y/N pursed her lips, and his heart skipped a beat - Mand’alor, in what kind of lovesick fool have I turned? She relaxed her hand slightly but her expression was still as cold. 

Unknown to Din, the Twi’lek’s mind had turned into a mess too. Delight, Anxiety, and Helplessness coursed through her veins all at the same time and she had troubles trying to figure out what she was supposed to do now. 

The man she had fed and protected and who had infatuated her a few months ago, suddenly showed up in front of her, right before she was about to wind up the last deal for her goal. She was filled with joy but at the same time with dread, since he was obviously here to kill her. Definitely not the reunion she had expected.

But the way he stood there, no intention for attacking visible from his body language gave her hope. Maybe they could talk this one out. 

“You know...”, his voice sounded emotionless through the regulators of his helmet but the way he hesitated showed his uncertainty, “I wanted to tell you something. After the child and I left your ship I...” 

She didn’t see his eyes but she knew they were focused on her. She could feel the burning of his stare. 

“Y/N, I wanted to tell you that I-”

A single gunshot ringed through the air and the smuggler staggered. A round burning hole appeared in her chest, her armor didn’t protect her at all.

At that moment Din realized that he had it all wrong. Eli wasn’t the bounty. It was Y/N. And somebody just fucking shot her.

A shout reached his ears and when he leaped forward to catch her, Din didn’t realize he was the one yelling. 

-

Eli caught her first. How the apparent blind man managed to do that, he didn’t know but at that moment he didn’t care. A noise in his ears was all he could hear when he pushed the other man and Y/N to the containers to take cover. 

He turned around, his rifle already in his hand, the tracking fob had been dropped to the floor mindlessly when he tried to catch her. 

His eyes found the shooter immediately. It was a human man with a sniper rifle. He wore a blue jacket with a red symbol Din had seen before. The man wasn’t far away, in fact in shocked him how close he was able to get. Had his senses become dull? Or was it because he was talking to the person he liked? Burning fury exploded in the Mandalorian’s chest.

While Eli cradled the Twi’Lek in his arms and spoke to her in a panicked manner, all he could see was red. His hands moved automatically and efficiently when he cocked his gun and he seemed deadly calm when he slowly raised his rifle. His outside appearance was completely the opposite of his inner turmoils but maybe his rage was able to get him to focus. 

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. KILL. KILL THAT BASTARD!!!

He shot once, then twice and he continued to shoot until he had to reload. His finger still pulled the trigger when his plasma gun didn’t have any ammunition left. But Din hadn’t shot the man fatally. His aim was slightly off because his hands had suddenly started shaking when Y/N’s friend called her name in a desperate attempt to stop her from fainting. Nevertheless, he had wounded the foolish bastard who dared to attack the person he loved. 

He was about to stomp over to the soon-to-be-dead fucker, who had tumbled to the mossy ground behind some trees when a painful grunt cut him short in his tracks.

“Sith, that hurt like a b... bitch...” 

Y/N’s breath was haggard and her grip on Eli’s arm was weak but she didn’t lose consciousness. At least not yet. The way her eyes had turned misty was a warning which made both men’s blood run cold. The Mandalorian’s wrath extinguished as fast as it ignited. All that was left was cold dread and the feeling of helplessness. He ignored the man who shot her thinking: That bastard will die of his wounds anyway.

Din walked to the fallen smuggler and her companion and fell to his knees. His distress was clearly audible through the regulators of his helmet. 

“I don’t have a b-bacta patch”, was all he could say through his gritted teeth. 

“Neither do we...”

Her tone was light but she couldn’t hide her pain. The Twi’Lek grabbed her companion who seemed to be in a daze. Her face showed a grave expression.

“Fuck... Eli, promise me you’ll free her... okay?”

Din had no idea what she was talking about but she was obviously talking as if she was about to die. Which could be because she was only lightly injured right? There was no way that the woman, who melted his already frozen heart, would just die here when they just met again. Right?! 

The blind man choked and his arms who held her trembled. The scars on his face wrinkled when he frowned and Din felt how ice-cold terror washed over him. No, no no, this can’t happen!!

He grabbed her hand without thinking and the fact that she wasn’t cold yet stopped his spiraling momentarily. Her e/c eyes found his visor and she tightened her grip as if to tell him that everything was going to be fine. Y/N smiled weakly and it was a wonder that he didn’t keel over right then and there.

“Don’t say that. I won’t do it. I’m not promising you shit, Cap!”

The brown-haired man exhaled slowly. 

“I’ll make sure you hear what that stupid Mandalorian wanted to say to you before you got shot like an idiot. I told you it was a dumb idea!”

He swallowed. What was Eli even talking about? They had no way to help her without a bacta patch! He held the Twi’lek’s hand like it was a lifeline. He felt like he was the one who was dying. And maybe he was. If Y/N left him here and now, he was sure he would never recover from the loss. The loss of never having something he wanted. The loss of never being able to tell her what he wished they were. The loss of a lover who never was one. 

“It... not... my fault...”, murmured Y/N, her face definitely paler than before. 

He wanted to say something to her, at least tell her how he felt when they had first met but no words escaped his lips. It was as if he lost his voice. He could only watch with burning eyes how Eli put his hand on the deadly wound. The man breathed out slowly and Din could see how his jaws clenched. 

“After this, you’ll need to pay me back with a kyber crystal”, growled Eli, his expression totally different from the harsh tone of his words. Once again he had no clue what the blind man meant.

It was as if the galaxy took a second to breathe and slowed time while doing so. Din could see how the eyes of Y/N widened slowly, her mouth turned into the shape of an ‘o’, wind ruffled the brown hair of the man and the blue veil lifted only for the Mandalorian to see that Eli had, in fact, no eyes at all. 

This revelation shocked Din more than it should. But what shocked him the most: Y/N sucked in a breath and when the man whose species he couldn’t name right now took his hand away, the wound was gone. He blinked. A memory crossed his mind.

His child did the same thing. A few months ago. He lifted his head to watch Eli closely and the man exhaled and started to smile. This person had just saved her from dying in his arms. 

“Still got it”, he whispered and Y/N whose expression had turned from pained to baffled laughed disbelievingly. Her chest heaved and even though her body was healed she still looked like she just survived a deadly injury. 

Her fingers gripped Din’s tighter and she turned her head slightly to face him. Maybe it was because the sun had already set but her eyes looked so beautiful right now it took his breath. The way she stared at him, stars. The relief that washed over him turned his whole body into jelly. He weakly fell on his ass and leaned back, his hand never leaving hers. 

His tone was stunned when he whispered: “Mand’alor, I thought that was the end of the beginning.”

He said it in a low voice but both of the others heard him.

“The beginning of what?”

Y/N’s eyes were full of innocence and Din was too shaken up to get embarrassed when Eli responded jokingly instead of him:

“Your relationship.”

But the reaction of the smuggler made his heart flutter. Her cheeks flushed and she stuttered wide-eyed:

“Wa-What? What are you saying, Eli?!”

She looked between the two men but both of them looked away. Din out of shock because of her strong reaction and the other because he felt a slight headache. 

Y/N realized immediately that something was wrong.

“You okay? I thought you said you wouldn’t use the force anymore?”

The Mandalorian perked up, while Eli waved his hand.

“I just saved your ass, might as well be grateful, don’t you think?”

His teasing undertone couldn’t hide his exhaustion but the Twi’lek didn’t seem like she wanted to point it out. She wanted to say something else but a voice interrupted her. 

“My, what do we have here? Captain L/N what happened?”

It was spoken in Huttese and Din turned around alarmed. On the hill behind the shooter stood a male Weequay. The newcomer looked surprised seeing the smuggler lying on the floor, two men hovering over her and holding her close to them. 

“We had run into some problem, but”, responded Eli and shot a glance to the trees where a stiff body laid, “we got rid of it.”

“Do you need medical attention?” 

Din guessed that this was a customer and the reason why Y/N and Eli were even here. The fact that the man seemed rather friendly surprised him quite a bit. 

“Thank you, but there is no need. When will Taro arrive?”

How the woman could just go into business-mode after almost getting killed, was a wonder to him, but it also raised her even higher in his eyes. Stars, what just happened?

-

After that, they had somehow wrapped up the deal with Taro and her eyes almost filled with tears of happiness when she received the credits who would buy the freedom of her little girl. 

The Mandalorian watched over her like a hawk during the talk and even though they really didn’t know each other at all, she didn’t mind at all. In fact, it felt natural. When she remembered his presence next to her, she smiled. 

Taro had left and they decided to ride back on their speeders. Eli insisted on her riding with Mando and even though she had glared at him, she silently praised him when she held onto the sturdy frame of the man. She had leaned her head on his back and she could sense how his heartbeat sped up, which caused her to crack a smile.

Their meeting had started shitty but it turned out well if you forget the fact that she had almost died. But who cared about that. If she pondered over every little thing or accident that happened in her life she would have already died from sadness. 

She remembered how it had all begun. How her thoughts were invaded by the Mandalorian. 

When they first met, she had looked at him longingly. The way he was able to hold his child while she couldn’t hold hers. It made her jealous. A reaction that was unreasonable but natural for her. Every parent she had met caused this feeling. But with him it was different. There was something else. 

An appeal she hadn’t been able to name. But when he had held her hand during her “time of dying” she realized what she felt. 

“You know... The thing you said before. It kinda sounded like a love confession wouldn’t you say?”, she told him when they dismounted the speeders at a landing bay where the Icarus stood and both men had turned around to face her.

He had stiffened and she noticed that she might really like to tease him. Eli rolled his eyes and walked past behind her to get to the ship. 

It was then that an invisible force caused her to lose her balance and she tumbled into Mando’s arms. She knew immediately who made this accident happen but she got distracted by the strong arms that caught her and held her close to the man’s chest. Damn, he really was hot. Her cheeks began to burn and she averted her eyes. 

“S-Sorry...”

He only grunted and put her back on her feet. Her hands lingered on his chest a little longer than intended but he didn’t comment on it.

“It’s fine.” Fine. Great. Absolutely perfect.

Din’s chest was feeling light and he felt a sudden urge to talk to his Ad’ika and tell him about what he encountered today.

“Oh.”

He remembered the child he had left on the Razor Crest and when he looked to the Horizon he saw the setting sun. Fuck.

“My boy”, was all he could say while he stood there frozen. 

“You forgot your child?”

Y/N didn’t hide her teasing undertone at all but her face showed a slightly worried expression. 

“He’s still on the ship, I didn’t want him to come with me on the bounty hun...”, he trailed off and his head turned to watch her. She tilted hers.

“So you really were chasing after me, huh?”

He ignored the ambiguous words and lowered his eyes. Guilt burned in his heart and he seriously worried that she would hold this against him.

“I didn’t know it was you. I apologize. I would’ve never accepted it if I had known it was you.”

The way he said you made her chest tingle and she raised an eyebrow and the corner of her lips. She stepped closer to him, sudden confidence coursing through her veins.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t chase me?”

She twisted his words in his mouth and he knew but damn, it attracted him even more to her. He also liked the way she smirked, it made her look alluring. 

“No, I’m saying that I would never chase you if it meant you have to die at the end of it.” 

The seriousness in his voice caused her e/c eyes to soften. They turned into crescents and in a swift motion, she grabbed his hand, stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his helmet.

“Well, then you better be happy that my best friend can use the force!”

He couldn’t even react, she already scurried inside the Icarus laughing.

Din stood there dumbfounded for a moment. Heat crept up his neck and his cheeks flushed. 

“Shit... What is that woman doing to me?”

He didn’t know if he was happier about the kiss or about the fact that Eli apparently was only a friend and she seemed to welcome his advances but one thing was clear: Today was a good day. 

The comlink inside his palm was proof. He clenched his fist in victory and stood there for a second before turning around to return to his child and tell him about that one woman.

What he didn’t know...

“So you gave him our channel?”

Y/N nodded, her whole face still hot but she grinned from ear to ear. 

“And you kissed him?”

“Not a real Mandalorian kiss, of course, but who knows what’s next.”

The smuggler winked at him and passed the Miraluka. Eli laughed and pressed the button to close the ship. With the force, he was able to see the dust that the Mandalorian’s speeder kicked up. 

“Who knows what’s next...”, he mumbled and when he turned around he reached out to the force connection and told the little boy that everything was fine with his father. He was on his way home and had many things to tell.

--------

End Note: Wohooo, second part finished yaaay :D Actually I feel like this one is a little rushed. For me it’s like the reader is suddenly shot, Din is like D: and then Eli swoops in to save the day but I was rewriting that part 3 times and in the end just left it like that xD Also, was it a plot twist that Y/N also has a child? I wanted for her to have a reason why she became a smuggler but this will be adressed in the last part. Also, also, there wasn’t that much “action” as in romantic stuff at all but I wanted to leave that for the last part, since these idiots seriously only met twice... But yeahhh, hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

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Part I, Part III [Coming soon]