#own terms do much better much faster than people give them credit for

[badgirlcoven-official]

"Willow is a bad character because she's a mary sue" me when I missed the entire point of the show

[littleshysheep-at-da]

Want a bunch of unsolicited Persona Opinions?

A decent amount of this is less Opinion but more Description of you were to explain these Games to someone who hasn’t Played this (yes this is my Autistic Hobby) but my Opinion is delightfully sprinkled throughout.

In this order under the cut: SMT vs Persona and my Preference, Game Rating vs Player Age, Lots of People Involved in the Making Off, Self-Insert Blank Slate Protagonist vs Silent Protagonist, Good vs Bad Genderbends, Female Protagonist, Dating Sim Unfortunate Truths, and Romance Routes.

SMT vs Persona and my Preference

I think Shin Megami Tensei Main Line Games have a very big focus on world building where the Persona Series is more focused on characters.

I tend to get most attached to characters in a story which is probably why I love Persona so much.

Game Rating vs Player Age

The Persona Series is rated M for Mature. However a lot of younger teens have played these Games (myself included) and I will argue that’s it’s because despite definitely having a lot of dark and mature themed plots they do not show this content very graphically.

Lots of People Involved in the Making Off

The thing about Big Companies like Atlus is there are a lot of people involved on each Project. Think of it this way the Credits are usually 7 Minutes long scroll faster than is Readable and Multiple things are Credited to a Team instead of Listing each Name Involved. This means that sometimes the Narrative can feel a bit Disjointed. Now Persona has very strong Theming in Terms of Art Direction and Music Direction (which can be Credited to having one Very Incredible Lead Artist and Music Director on the Project) and though each Game definitely has a Narrative Theme it follows there are definitely individual Character Moments that clash strongly. There will be some very Out Of Character Moments where we need a Character to act that way to move along the Story despite it making no sense for them to act that way. The best way to Describe this is that the Person who Conceptualized that Character and Wrote them probably didn’t Write the Scene where they are Out Of Character. It’s one of the biggest issues of Massive Game Companies in particular of there being not quite enough Communication between Writers to have a Consistent Intent of who they want things Portrayed. It is very hard to make sure a Team that big is all on the same page, but that is the Director's Job that maybe they could’ve done better maybe not. There Definitely is also some Decisions made for “Marketing” that clash with what the Writers/Artist actually intended but they have no choice but to go with what the Director makes them.

Self-Insert Blank Slate Protagonist vs Silent Protagonist

-In the Persona Series the Protagonist is pretty much always what’s known as a Silent Protagonist. However I will argue that’s different from a Self-Insert or Blank Slate Protagonist. In Persona you’re not intended to write the player character as you and give them whatever look or personality you want. Despite being a Silent Protagonist all the Persona Protags have something of their own personality. Their personality comes through from their body language, self talk, and dialogue option choices (the last one sort of gives you the range of their personality).

-Basically anything narrated in first person means there will be flavor text in how they choose to describe things. When you interact with things (and the character describes what they’re looking at is how it’s done in Video Games) or the situation is described by the protagonist that gives us their personality.

-Personally I have a very strong Pet Peeve for people who take a Silent Protagonist or the character being the Player Character meaning they’re supposed to be Self-Insert. Because neither of those things inherently mean they are supposed to be a Self-Insert.

-Old Gen Examples: the fact that in Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: External Punishment Tatsuya and Maya switch between being the Silent Protagonist and the one who is not is STILL a fully fledged character.

-Main Line Examples: There’s a point where Minato (P3mc) and Souji (P4mc) hear the same song (Tanaka’s Commodities) and Minato (P3mc) describes it as annoying while Souji (P4mc) describes it as happy. Or how both Akira (P5mc) and Souji (P4mc) constantly suggest that they could Crossdress. Souji (P4mc) constantly suggest that they could Crossdress. How about when Hamuko (P3femc) is asked if she got any photos of Mitsuru in a swimsuit she offers to sell them. Or how the only quest that Souji (P4mc) gives himself (is not requested by someone else) is to pet every cat in Inaba.

-Extra Examples: when the Protagonist is not the Main Player Character in Spin Off Game they are a fully fledged character with their own Personality. In Persona 4 Dancing and Persona 4 Arena we see Souji (P4mc) give a full Narration from his perspective with his opinions. In Persona Q and Persona Q2 which ever Protagonist you don’t play as (in PQ the one you didn’t choose and in PQ2 Souji (P4mc) and Minato (P3mc)) is their own character despite the fact they still don’t talk a ton compared to others.

-To add other Series Examples for an extra layer of Bitterness (people thinking Main Characters are supposed to be Self-Inserts when they aren’t is a Pet Peeve of mine I will admit): Link from Legend Of Zelda is a completely silent Protagonist but no one thinks of him of as a Self-Insert Character. I could see people arguing that Link does not have Dialogue Options, but then there are loads of Visual Novel Style Games where you pick Dialogue Options but it’s not intended to be Self-Insert. Shiro Emiya from Fate Stay Night is a Character I wouldn’t say is intended to be a Self-Insert but the Gameplay is picking his Dialogue Options. Shiro, like the Persona Protagonists, still has his own Narration or Comments that make him his own person.

-For the most Bitterness I hate when people use making a Character a Self-Insert to stroke their own ego undeservingly. Inherently Power Fantasies are not bad but when people dumb down a Story that has ups and downs plus Narrative Nuances into a Bland Power Fantasy I find it annoying. If you want to make an AU in your head as you Play where the Protagonist is your Self-Insert that is totally fine and harmless but, when you talk to others and ignore their experiences with the Game because it does not line up with your Power Fantasy where you’re the best and everyone is in love with you, it infuriates me.

Good vs Bad Genderbends

-Of NewGen Persona 3 is the only Game to have the option of Playing as a Female Protagonist. Because of this a lot of people really wanted Persona 4 and Persona 5 to also have an option for a Female Protagonist. And though I think it’s a cool idea I think people are greatly misunderstanding just how much Gender has Barring on Identity.

-I will fully admit to just not being a Fan of Genderbends, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them but I’m not a Fan. A big reason I dislike Genderbends is simply because there are a lot of bad ones. When people Genderbend they don’t often think about the reasons behind the Character Design, they just give them longer hair and a skirt for a girl and shorter hair and pants for a boy.

-The fastest and easiest example I can give is actually YuGiOh (my Sister’s Favorite Series). Yugi is wearing a Punked-Out version of the Boy’s School Uniform, so if he was a girl it would be a Punked-Out version of the Girl’s School Uniform thus his jacket would be pink not blue. That’s what I mean with “Reasons Behind Character Design” to keep it as the same personality. There are different things that are equivalent for each gender.

-A slightly more complicated example is from the Twitter Manga Trapped In A BL World where an extra shows what the Characters would look like as Women. The Main Character in this Series is purposely trying to be a Background Character is what you need to know for this. The Character explains he would have a different type of stylized eyes because though his eyes on a Man make him look like a Background Character as a Women that would make him look like a Main Character.

-Persona 3 actually does Genderbending really well with Minato (P3mc) and Hamuko (P3femc). A lot of people don’t realize it but they are the male and female equivalent of each other. Minato (P3mc) had a slightly scene hair cut, Hamuko (P3femc) has the girl version of that same haircut (shorter bangs longer back but same cut). Minato (P3mc) is somewhat depressed and awkward at relationships but doesn’t stand out, the thing is on a girl visibly being a loner would make you stand out so for Hamuko (P3mc) the girl equivalent of not standing out while not letting people know you’re struggling is being slightly bubbly and superficial in conversation. People just think Minato (P3mc) is in an edgy teen phase and people just think Hamuko (P3femc) in an Airhead teen phase.

Female Protagonist

-Of NewGen Persona 3 is the only Game to have the option of Playing as a Female Protagonist. Because of this a lot of people really wanted Persona 4 and Persona 5 to also have an option for a Female Protagonist. And though I think it’s a cool idea I think people are greatly misunderstanding just how much Gender has Barring on Identity.

-A Female Protagonist works in Persona 3 because you are not the main driving force behind Plot Points. You are joining a pre-existing Organization so even though your Gender chances Personal Relationships it does not change the trajectory of the Overarching Plot because you are simply never the one in charge of that.

-See in Persona 4 and Persona 5 you being the leader of your Team and being responsible for forming your friend group means that you being a different Gender would change how the others first react to you.

-For example in Persona 4; if you were a girl Yukiko and Chie would probably open up to you faster while Yosuke would be more awkward this could change who goes into the TV World with you first and maybe even who gets a Palace. Yosuke would be more Romantic/Flirty towards you (and not have a Sexuality Crisis) and Rise would probably be the one who has a Sexuality Crisis and Cut Romance Route. Kanji would be way more awkward with you and wouldn’t open up nearly as fast while Naota (seeing you are a woman in a position of Power which is what they are struggling with) would probably be way more willing to open up. And so on.

-For example in Persona 5; if you a girl would probably not be painted as an aggressive delinquent but a slut who tried to hit on Shido. Sojiro might be nicer to you off the bat and Ann might be nicer to you too since you would basically be in a very similar situation to her (I don’t actually think Ryuji would change too much, it's just who he is). Kamoshida would not threaten you with physical violence but probably sexually harass you. Quite frankly because Persona 5 deals with abuse as a main Plot Point there are A LOT of time where being a girl means it wouldn’t just be physical but sexual as well (the whole Kaneshiro thing becomes drastically less safe for a Female Protagonist, unfortunately it just often is less safe being a woman because of misogyny). And so on.

-In Persona 3 it’s not that Characters don’t react very differently to you with a different Gender (Yukari being the biggest example) it’s just the Social Aspect with you in particular is not what drives most Plot Points. You are not so much a catalyst for change as just another member.

-And it’s not to say 2 entirely very different Game Routes would be a bad thing. From a Game Player point of view that would be very cool. From a Game Designer point of view that sounds awful. Most Games with drastically different Plot for each Route are Visual Novels as they take way less assets to do so. Case in point Persona 3 Portable was changed to be mostly a Visual Novel (mostly for size restrictions to my knowledge).

Dating Sim Unfortunate Truths

NewGen Persona is Particularly a Social/Dating Sim, the real reason behind that aspect is most likely Marketing to appeal to a wider Audience. I do feel that unfortunately the Romance Route/Dating Sim Element takes away from the rest of the Game and Attracts some Unsavory Fans. The Fact that you can Romance every Main Female Character Unfortunately Attracts “DudeBros” people who; Feel Entitled To Women’s Bodies, Have No Reading Comprehension, and therefore look at the Game as a Harem Sim ignoring; literally every other Plot Point, any Agency the Female Characters have outside of their Relationship with the Main Character, and any Personality the Main Character has outside of being a Self Insert Wish Fulfillment. Maybe that is incredibly harsh sounding, there are definitely people who enjoy the Romance Routes and Self Insert Aspects but can appreciate and Comprehend the Story outside of it. But I have unfortunately seen too many “DudeBros” to ignore how Marketing in a way, that not specifically to appeal to them but does appeal to them, really takes away from the Narrative as a whole. I will say the only acceptation for me is Aigis, as I feel she is worked into the Narrative well.

Romance Routes

-In Persona there are Romance Routes for the Social-Links/Confidants, this is part of Persona sort-of being a Social Sim and at Times A BIT of a Self-Insert Game. However none of the Romance Routes in NewGen are Truly Canon, some people will argue some of them are though. A decent amount of the Romance Routes are supposed to be more for the Player/Self-Insert and Fanservice than they are Shipping the Protagonist as their own Character. When you Date someone there will be certain Events where you can take your Partner on a Date (like Valentines, White Day, and Christmas).

-Except for Persona 2 they’re aren’t any real Gay Romances (P3P being a bit of an Exception with Elizabeth and Aigis but both of those are a bit weird with never truly stating that you’re Dating). Persona 4 almost had one (Yosuke) but it was cut at the very last minute. I think it’s very strange that Games with Themes of “Being Your True Self” despite what people think and “Rebelling Against Society” and its norms does not have Gay Romance Options. However unfortunately big name Games cutting LGBTA+ or Progressive Content to be more “Marketable” is pretty common, it is usually the Directors Decision and not the Artists/Writers too.

-A Character having a bit of a Crush on the Main Character DOES NOT make her the “Canon Love Insert” because a Crush is One Sided. Except for Persona 2 where the Creators EXPLICITLY state the Game was written with the intent of Tatsuya and Jun being Romantic, there ARE NO CANON ROMANCES WITH THE PROTAGONIST. I say this (very annoyed) because people will argue that (in Persona 4) Rise, Marie, (in Persona 5) Makoto, or Kasumi are “Canon” because of certain Scenes pushing them together. Romantic Social Links are Non-Canon, there are many Writers on the team for NewGen so one adding a Scene to Cater to a certain audience, and just adding focus on a new Character does not mean it’s Reciprocated Romantic Intent.

-Just my Opinion:

-I will fully admit my Opinion on all Romance Routes (in NewGen so not including Persona 2’s) fall into one of two Categories. The First Category being: there’s nothing inherently wrong with the Romance Route but it feels incredibly Mundane (especially in terms of what actual Dating Games have for Drama btw) and clashes with the Tone of the overall Narrative, feeling way too Casual/Weak in comparison to the ride or die Relationships you have as Teammates. The Second Category being: crossing a line and feeling VERY creepy, whether that is Groomer-ish (not a Word I EVER say lightly but unfortunately does fit) or incredibly Emotionally Manipulative. So I either think the Romance Route is fine but kinda boring or creepy and abusive. The Majority are fine but kinda boring, only a select handful cross the creepy and abusive line (which are some of the stand out Weakest Writing Moments in all of Persona).

-The creepy ones to me are as follows. In Persona 3 it’s Ken. In Persona 4 it’s Naota. And in Persona 5 it’s Futaba, Kawakami, Tae, Ohya, and Chihiya.

-Overall the Romances Routes feel more Generic and give the Characters less Character. They’re very Domestic and even cute but lack a lot of Personality that we do get in the Friend Route. Best Example of this is in Persona 5 the Giri-Chocolate Scenes have much more Character verse the Dates are cute but kinda Generic.

-Also with how it’s Written I feel the Friendzone Social Links actually come off stronger Narrative Wise. I feel the Friendzone Route gives each individual Character more Agency and a better completion to their individual Character Arcs.

-Particularly in Persona 5 a lot of the Dialogue Choices that decide the Romance feel kinda bad for the Character. Like the one that starts the Romance is very much “Rely On Me” where the one that keeps it Friends is more “You Got I This I Support You” which I feel is better for the Character’s Arch.

-I will say I think in Persona 3 Aigis and Ryoji are probably the Exceptions for me as I think they actually fit into the Narrative.

-In Persona 2 you can Romance:

-(3) Jun, Lisa, and Maya.

-Unlike NewGen in Persona 2 it is intended that Jun is the Canon Romance. The Story is Written with the intention of Tatsuya and Jun being Romantic. Tatsuya is Implied to be Bisexual while Jun is implied to be Gay. The Writers have stated this indirectly.

-In Persona 3 you can Romance:

-As Male: (7)

Elizabeth, Aigis, Yukari, Mitsuru, Fuuka, Yuuko, and Chihiro.

-This hasn’t been Updated for Persona 3 Reload and is for the previous 3 Versions (Original, Persona 3 FES, and Persona 3 Portable) of Persona 3. But in Reload the Dialogue is pretty much the same but now you can Friendzone the Girls so you can do multiple Social-Links without having to Cheat. You can still Reverse the Social-Links if you are mean or unsupportive.

-There is no way to Friendzone anyway so if you do a Girls Social-Link she will consider you Dating even though the Narrative hasn’t gotten there yet. So they will consider it Cheating if they do another Girls Social-Link at the same time. The Details are something like if you talk to another Girl and don’t talk to her for 3 Days. This will Reverse the Social-Link and you will Lose their Bonus. However if Max the Social-Link to Level 10 and then do another Girls they won’t care.

-The Romance Routes that are not Teammates (Yuuko and Chihiro) feel a bit strange in tone compared to the rest of the Game (just because of how detached from the Main Plot they are) but on their own are decently Written.

-As Female: (7)

Elizabeth, Theo, Aigis, Akihiko, Shinjiro, Ken, and Ryoji.

-Even as a Female Player Elizabeth and Aigis Social-Links do not change, making it implied that Hamuko (P3femc), Elizabeth, and Aigis are Bisexual.

-There is no way to Friendzone anyone still, but unlike Minato (P3mc) there are no consequences to Hamuko (P3femc) doing Multiple Romances at one time. They’re will be dialogue of them being angry at each other and you might miss a Day to Advance the Social-Link (though they get over it pretty fast) but they do not Reverse.

-The Ken route is frankly quite odd. The age gap, though not criminal, is still weird. The fact that he says you remind him of his Mother also just does not seem like a healthy Romance. The entire team sort of takes a guiding Older Sibling Role (though never directly stated) towards Ken so the Romance is an Odd Choice. While I wouldn’t say it gives off “Groomer Vibes” (because you are not Directly or Solely Responsible for him in anyway and he is the one that brings some of the Romance Up but then it is still your responsibility/you should turn him down) it’s still kinda creepy.

-In Persona 4 you can Romance:

-(8) Marie, Chie, Yukiko, Naoto, Rise, Ai, Yume, and Ayane.

-You can now Friendzone people, so you can Complete their Social-Link without Romancing them. With some Characters you have to make the first move and others will bring it up themselves. The Game will prompt you that You're Making An Important Decision and Should Choose Your Words Carefully. You can Cheat and Romance Multiple Characters at once but there will be Dialogue of Souji (P4mc) having Soul Crushing Guilt over Cheating.

-The Romance Routes that are not Teammates (Ai, Yume, and Ayane) feel a bit strange in tone compared to the rest of the Game (just because of how detached from the Main Plot they are) but on their own are decently Written.

-Though not nearly as nefarious as any of the other Romance Routes I dislike in Persona, Naota’s Romance just feels odd and a little out of Character. A little uncomfortably pushy on acting a certain way despite the Game being about embracing yourself?

-In Persona 5 you can Romance:

-(10) Ann, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Kasumi, Hifumi, Kawakami, Tae, Ohya, and Chifuya.

-You can Friendzone people, and it works exactly the same as in P4. So you can Complete their Confidant without Romancing them. With some Characters you have to make the first move and others will bring it up themselves. The Game will prompt you that You're Making An Important Decision and Should Choose Your Words Carefully. You can Cheat but on Valentine’s Day if you have Multiple Girlfriends there is a Cutscene where they run into each other, realize you are Cheating, get mad, and beat you up.

-Also if you don't Date anyone you will spend Romantic Holidays or Scenes hanging out with the Boys instead (if you buy Flowers on White Day you can give them to Sojiro as a thank you). Plus you Max Level 10 the Girls Confidant but don’t Romance them they will give you Giri-Chocolate (Friend Chocolate) on White Day.

-I hate the Futaba and Akira (P5mc) Romance because they specifically mention that they’re like Siblings so transitioning to a Romance is very awful. Also the way Futaba is emotionally stunted and Akira (P5mc) being the one guiding her in learning social norms makes it feel Groomer-ish to me (and I NEVER use that Word lightly (even if it’s technically the wrong term here)).

-I can forgive the Adult Confidant Romance (Kawakami, Tae, Ohya, and Chifuya) SOMEWHAT. Because it doesn't feel like it’s supposed to be Akira (P5mc) as his own Character with the Confidant but more intended as a Self-Insert for the Player who (due to the time gap between P4 and P5) are probably Adults themselves if they’re Fans from previous Games. I still think they shouldn’t really be there (especially when some of them empathize how you’re a Kid and they’re an Adult. because Akira (P5mc) is 16 and all these Women are Adults (Women can also be Pedophillas yknow)), but I can slightly understand what they were trying to do.

-Though with the Adult Confidant Romance both Kawakami and Tae’s are very creepy with how much the Student-Teacher and Doctor-Patient is supposed to be the allure of the Relationship.

[athene-mykitologos]

I’m interested in your WIP. What about it made it seem like Fantasy, and how is it actually Sci Fi? <3

So..... This ended up being really long lol, but in order to give you a faithful answer, I felt I needed to define my terms.

If you've been on Tumblr for any length of time, you've probably see the "Fantasy is when you use 'coin', and SciFi is when you use 'credit' lol!!" or "Fantasy is when you're set in the past, and SciFi is When you're set in the future!" posts. Some of them are probably meant to be funny, a handful are tongue-in-cheek, but still others are dead serious in that belief, which is doing a massive disservice to the definitions of genres and the subtleties thereof. 

The disservice comes from the fact that "Fantasy" an "Science Fiction" are more than just their settings, they differ based on the themes utilized and the concepts explored. (This is not to say that these genres are mutually exclusive but I'll discuss that in a bit.)

For example, there's the classic debate over which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek. When it really comes down to it tho, they're not actually comparable. Star Wars is a Fantasy, Star Trek is Science Fiction.

While they both exist is space with fantastic ships, weapons, and cybernetics, they explore vastly different themes. At its heart, Star Wars is about religion. They may have justified things by creating a "scientific" explanation with the midi-chlorians, but the Force that flows through all living things and allows sensitive people to manipulate and use it, is very much the "mystical energy field" that Han Solo calls it. The story requires belief in that higher power as it's characters explore their role in the universe and their own personal beliefs in that power. 

Star Wars also follows the "Hero's Journey" format, a format that is classically Fantasy. This was done intentionally; Lucas has said "...it came to me that there really was no modern use of mythology... so that's when I started doing more strenuous research on fairy tales, folklore, and mythology, and I started reading Joe's books. ... It was very eerie because in reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces I began to realize that my first draft of Star Wars was following classical motifs".

The end result of all this is that you can take the story of Star Wars and place it in almost any setting and it will still tell the same story. You could write it now about a kid from Montana; or in Ancient China; or somewhere in Medieval Europe. The themes, including belief in a power greater than you that you can't necessarily see; and the basic root story, The Hero's Journey; are not going to change. Star Wars isn't SciFi, it's Fantasy. 

Star Trek, on the other hand, is very much Science Fiction. Isaac Asimov famously said, "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with the reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology." And that's what Star Trek does, if generally in a positive light. 

Star Trek ticks a wide range of the "elements of Science Fiction" boxes: predictive and speculative theories on technology, biology, evolution, and medicine. Exploration of more theoretical concepts including time travel, teleportation, alternate realities, and both communication & physical travel that are faster than the speed of light. They even touch on mind reading and control, telepathy, and telekinesis.

It's not just the elements that make Star Trek science fiction, it's the themes. Some people use the terms "elements" and "themes" interchangeably, but I disagree. The elements are the tools available, the themes are how they are used.

The confusion between the two is somewhat understandable, I suppose. Time travel is a tool, a vehicle by which we explore the theoretical actions of characters and the potential results thereof. Perhaps one author uses time travel in their story to depict how the behaviors of a person or group may have vast consequences for them and others. But another author may use time travel to say that the actions of the individual do not affect things on a massive scale, a flap of butterfly wings does not create a hurricane. Both stories use time travel, but time travel is not the theme.  

Perhaps the grandest, most overarching theme of Science Fiction is that "man should not play God". This particular theme is seen at the very beginning of the creation of the genre in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and shows up time and time and time again. To some degree it also shares a theme with the time travel examples: men's behaviors have consequences.

Star Trek is replete with examples of this theme. You see them in multiple episodes of the Original Series. The movies The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home, are excellent examples through the development of the Genesis device and its subsequent use. In some ways you might even be able to call The Voyage Home a rebuttal: perhaps man should not take on the god-like role of creation, but using the tools and skills he already has, he can change the future anyway. There are still more examples in the other series and media. (We'll touch on DS9 in a moment.)

In the end, if we removed Star Trek from the future setting in which is usually takes place (there's a lot of time travel after all), and place it in other time periods like we suggested earlier with Star Wars, it would still be Science Fiction. It would still have all the speculative and predictive elements, the need for exploration, the Themes that are so identifiable to SciFii. Those would each look a little (or a lot) different from how they are portrayed in a utopian future with unlimited resources, but the underlying values and traits would still be there.

I've been rather definitive with these divisions, but the truth is, stories are very rarely 100% Fantasy, or 100% Science Fiction, or 100% any other genre. Genres are human constructs, just as much as the stories they're used to describe. And, as with many human constructs, they don't fit comfortably into any one box. They're not a hard science, and there's usually a lot of bleeding. 

You see this the Star Trek where you have "Vulcan Mysticism" at many points in the story and even more so in the Deep Space Nine franchise where "The Prophets", despite being referred to as "wormhole aliens" display powers that are unexplained and often work as a Deus ex Machina. And that's not even mentioning the writers' and producers' decision to make one of the characters a god at the end of the show. And there are always the Q...

You see the same thing in the opposite direction in Star Wars. As the franchise has grown more and more "science" has been added to explain things. Or because it's cool (also valid). And in all fairness, while Lucas adamantly referred to his movies as a "Fantasy film" he also called them a "space opera".

In the end we come to two different media properties: one that is Science Fiction with some Fantasy in the mix; and another that is Fantasy with some SciFi for flavor. And, after that long winded explanation of terms, I can tell you that the second descriptor is essentially what happened to my story. 

When I first started writing it (I think I was 14? 15?) it was very much a Fantasy. It had what we refer to as a "typical Fantasy setting". It wasn't completely a Hero's Journey, but it certainly had some of those plot devices. It had ancient beings who weren't quite the same as normal humans, and it had a strong religious aspect. Very much a need to trust in a higher power you can't necessarily see.

I set my story on a shelf for several years. It was always in the back of my head, but in the meantime I went to college, got a full time job, gained some real world experience. When I finally came back to it, about a year ago, I had lots of answers to questions about plot and character development that I didn't have when I was younger. 

And it's been as I've reworked the story to fit those new developments that I've discovered that what I'm writing does not wholly fit in the box labeled "Fantasy". 

There's magic, but it's freely available to everyone. Anyone can learn to use it in their lives, and there's not a lot of mysticism surrounding that magic. This arguably makes it more like an energy reserve, or a utility, or a tool, which are SciFi-like angles. 

How the magic works is something I can't divulge because it's very plot relevant, but it's not ambiguous. There are quantifiable laws and principles, and it's based on organisms that exist in the real world. While I call it magic, every bit of world building takes me further and further from the amorphous thing that is supernatural magic in a lot of Fantasy stories. 

Perhaps the biggest point towards my story being SciFi, is that I too have begun to heavily include the theme that man should not play god. It is not the only theme, and there are plenty of moments planned when characters use their access to power for the greater good. But that theme also cannot be ignored. 

Returning to the original juxtaposition, there are many who argue that Star Trek and Star Wars are both Science Fantasies. The added elements of the supernatural, and the soft, rather than hard, science of Star Trek are part of the evidence. That Star Wars happens in space and the added soft science elements that have been mixed in with the growth of the property, bear witness in the same way. Despite what I said at the beginning, in some ways, these two stories are actually comparable. 

Personally, I think that more stories probably belong in this hybrid genre. The term was first coined in 1935 and has seen a variety of uses since then, but nothing widespread. Rod Serling said that science fiction was "the improbable made possible" and Fantasy "the impossible made probable". With our conventions and tools, both the improbable and the impossible are often needed to write the stories we want to tell. 

And all this is to say that my story is a Science Fantasy, it has elements and themes of both the Fantasy and SciFi genres. But when I set out to write it, I had no idea that's what it would be. 

[ashadowofburnedoutstardust]

Additional thoughts on this ancient astronaut stuff:

(and after finishing typing out this stream of thought post a few other things apparently 😂)

I firmly don't believe in Aliens, not the little green men kind anyway 👽

I could buy that the human civilization prior to the cataclysmic flood was more advanced before we were nearly wiped out and a more advanced surviving group went around looking for other surviving settlements and taught them how to rebuild society, but you won't catch me actually giving credence to the idea of extra terrestrials having intervened

The way that technology is suppressed via patent lawsuits etc like the 3D printer originally being invented in the 1970's - not released to the general public until someone figured out how to make a decent profit because other things became more "affordable" - makes me wonder if other types of technology that has been heavily funded via military funding and research has simply appropriated myths and legends as well as popular culture as a cover in order to hide it development

Say the military had some type of test aircraft crash during a period of secrecy due to an ongoing war, they wouldn't exactly want word of it getting out so to have a ridiculous story get out about it that they can also discredit is useful 🛸

To be clear, I believe it's still being used as a PR cover, but then the colonial appropriation of other cultures beliefs used in warfare against them isn't exactly a new tactic either

Which brings me to my actual point:

I was having a discussion with my brother today where I told him I firmly don't believe in aliens, he on the other hand does due to the genetic changes in the Hominid species 🐒

Unfortunately while he has a curious mind he does not possess any concept of how genetics work in terms of evolution

A friend of mine (PhD in Biology) 👨🏻‍🔬 explained this to me in the best simple terms he could manage

You see it a lot in smaller species with shorter lifespans 🐌🐁🐇- genetic mutations are more frequent - if the mutation is favourable to a species survival or it gives them an advantage then it's more likely to spread among the population and continues on

Way back in earlier human development 🧬 our life spans were much shorter and due to being gatherers instead of organisers - and having to potentially risk our own survival while hunting - the changes likely occurred more quickly due to both our longevity and frequency of the generations being produced

Back then, age 30 would be our version of our current age 80 👴🏻 When people think of lifespans in general when it comes to our ancestors I think some forget that they did not live as long as we do now that we have an ample supply of food

If anything the average human is only becoming more intelligent because it lives longer than it used to and the general population is finally able to live long enough to both see the average societal patterns repeat more frequently because of the system we live in and watch it happen faster due to access to information and the ability to record it 🎥

Additional thoughts:

It also explains the number of revolutions occurring among the middle and working class ⚔️

The ruling class's intention to have us live longer so they can squeeze more working hours out of us and essentially hand us personalised tracking devices to keep an eye on us has backfired, which is kind of a hilarious version of Pandora's box......🧰

In order to make us better workers they educated us; in order to keep us occupied and distracted from what they were doing when we couldn't watch what they were doing on our phones they provided entertainment and charged us admission; then they used the stories we wrote to try and trick us into believing it was all a Covfefe fable

The average person is much smarter than the ruling class give them credit for, and they have themselves and their own greed to thank for it 👏

[shieldslingera]

"You didn't have to--your face said it all." Which probably made no sense to anyone else, considering the face in question was hidden by an emotionless steel plate with little more than soft blue lights for eyes. But to Steve, that might as well not even exist--he could see Tony's face, the arch to his brow and the thin line of his lips--just as if he were wearing no mask whatsoever. Which was somehow even more annoying, truth be told.

Steve sighed as his hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know. I let myself get riled up after a few questions." His original plan had just been to give a brief overview of what had happened before reverting to his usual rounds of 'no comment.' But someone had asked just the right question, in just the right cajoling sneer, and off he'd went, before even really thinking about the damage that kind of answer could have. His hand dropped from his face. This was why he wasn't supposed to be the one giving interviews--knowing his luck, he already had calls waiting for him based off of whatever sound bite was being broadcast.

As Steve fell into step beside Tony, he continued. "I'm done waiting to act. I know this could put us--put our family--in a very bad position, but we're also one of the few that can make this stand, push back, and have people listen." People still believed in Captain America, and whether Tony shared the sentiment, there was more trust in Iron Man than he gave it credit for. The two of them were one of the few superheroes that had been there since day one and had continued to show up, time and time again--and that meant something. The people knew that. They trusted Captain America and Iron Man and listened when they spoke.

Steve put his hand on Tony's shoulder, his glove sliding a bit against the smooth metal until he squeezed, stopping their walk so he could look at Tony. "You know how I feel. I'm not against oversight. I'm not against responsibility. But government sponsored teams are only as good and just as the government they serve. And that changes far too often for this to end well." Luke was in charge for now, and he trusted Luke and his judgement. But who was going to be mayor when Luke was through with this job and moved on? What would they do with the Thunderbolts? Who would run the team then, and how would they interpret and follow the laws?

"I trust Luke and Clint--and America and Monica. But it's a short term solution to a long term problem that will only get worse. The Avengers were formed to take on problems bigger than one hero could fight themselves--the teams since then have been balanced on that principle, on a physical, emotional, and moral level. I can't say I see the same happening with the Thunderbolts, and I know Luke knows better." Steve's brow had furrowed, his lips turning into a frown as his jaw tightened. He was worried. The Thunderbolts could pull together as a team, he was sure--but that would take time. Clint had been on enough teams to know what he was doing when he picked out members. Though... that PR spin on the Thunderbolts that he'd seen plastered all over the mayoral webpages seemed... awfully convenient. But in the superhero world, time was a rare luxury, even among teams carefully chosen for their balance and organic chemistry. A team of partial newbies, unknowns, and publicly known experienced heroes was going to be a tough balancing act.

Which meant that people like Steve and Tony--a team of two, yes, but a team in their own right--that had operated in all kinds of circumstances and worked together like a well-oiled machine could react far faster with much less warning and far fewer casualties than a new team trying to get the hang of it. In his eyes, it'd be negligent to stand by and let someone else handle it.

"Bottom line: I'm not moving out of my home, and I'm not putting down the mantle."

"I didn't say anything." Though he supposed as well as Steve could generally read his body language, even in the suit, he hadn't needed to; the way he was standing, hands on his hips and head tilted ever so slightly probably said plenty. He dropped the pose, moving to fall into step next to Steve, as they moved away from the reporters still shouting questions at Steve's retreating back, and hummed a moment, a noise that was a tuneless buzz through the modulator of the helmet, until they were out of earshot.

"But you did go a little off the cuff there, Winghead." Surprising, but not completely unheard of; it was simply that usually all Captain America typically had to offer newshounds looking for a salacious bit of something to print was a terse no comment. Again, not unheard of, just unusual, and it had been a topic they themselves had revisited many times in conversations that walked in circles, weighing pros and cons of continuing to operate in the city, despite the fact that they were, essentially, vigilantes now, with no clearance - not even the cursory nod from the powers that be. What it would mean should it become another situation where superheroes acting in good faith started to get tossed into jail again. Devising plan after plan, debating if one of them should stay in the wind if the other managed to get caught - if it came to that again - so at least Halley had one of them with her.

"You sure that's a good idea? I mean, you know I agree with you, it's not a question of whether or not it's the right stance to take." It wasn't a question of whether they could stand idly by and do nothing while people were in need; it was, in a darkly humorous turn of events, the other side of the coin for him, from the last time they were faced with this conundrum. The law that was in place, outlawing them from acting as superheroes in the city had been repealed, but not revoked, and they were, technically, still under the authority of it, being told it took time to enact a rescinding of standing orders, but from where they'd been sitting, it looked like there had been a lot of dragging of feet, a lot of giving them the runaround for a timeline. And this was basically Steve telling them, and the rest of the city, as far as he was concerned, they could come at him or get out of the way. Classic Steve, really, one of the golden oldies from his (genuinely held) bag of tricks, but that put them at loggerheads with old friends - again - and there was the question to consider of how far things could be pushed before they found themselves embroiled in another friend against friend situation. "Clint's leading the Thunderbolts and they're the only group with the authority to act legally, and I'm not so sure we're going to get a pass if he decides we're getting in the way."

Then again, Luke had put Clint in charge, hadn't he, and it seemed like the mayor's pr department was working overtime, trying to paint the Thunderbolts as a viable alternative to the Avengers despite the disasters that had been well-publicized in the media. Maybe Luke was on the up and up - he typically was - but Tony couldn't say everything about the group actually managing the Thunderbolts themselves sat right with him.

[obsidiancreates]

-petpet- Hope you’re getting good rest and feeling a bit better today! 😴👍

Descendants of the Trio AU:

For your comical entertainment, consider if the sibling squad (Space, Illinois, Heist, Date + Yancy) ried to prepare an elegant dinner at the Manor. Together. It could’ve been for a holiday or just something done on the fly. “Brotherly bonding.”

Oh, how about for Eric’s birthday? If anyone could unite for a cause, it would be for Eric.

Picture Heist and Illinois competitively cooking but getting nowhere in putting anything on the table. They often forget about the food, because they’re too busy criticizing and critiquing the other’s technique. (Heist did make a pretty decent breakfast in HWM, but Illinois exploring the world may have made him feel a bit educated in terms of cuisine. On Illy’s own, he feels like a Kraft Mac ‘N Cheese kinda guy, but you can’t tell me that the man doesn’t know fine spices from all the mummy tombs he’s explored.)—Everything’s debated: Salt-pepper ratios, what to season your pan with, which ingredients are acceptable in a dish, etc. 

Space has to take charge by giving Heist and Illinois a recipe book of various things (per Eric’s preferences) to stop their bickering if they were to get anything done.

Date is in charge of decor. Maybe that ability to make romantic items appear becomes useful…Maybe it doesn’t. If he has to go to the store, it’ll be with borrowed money. Of course. (I wonder if Dark gave the boys specialized ‘Markiplier Inc.’ credit cards in case of an emergency.)

Yancy inherits Wilford’s ability and fondness for baking, so he’s got it covered for the birthday cake and desserts. Something about the  camaraderie makes him feel nostalgic for doing these sorts of things for his prison fam, so he’s having a blast! (I like to picture Yancy would always be a little awed to work with /actual/ fresh ingredients—like fruit.) Just hopefully, he’s well-versed with /modern/ kitchen appliances, you know? I’d think he’d be more comfortable with gasoline stoves and ovens than the electric ones.

Space is busy making sure the Manor doesn’t burn down and ensures everything is put together in time. He hadn’t felt this much urge to have his fire extinguisher ready in a very, very long time. Definitely feeling the stress of his father to keep the boys on task without property damage.

No, Dark doesn’t know a thing about anything of this. So, when he enters the Manor with Eric—It’s a bit of a surprise for him too.

—Melody anon

*bumps head into the pets like a cat* :D Thank you! I do feel better, got a little sleep last night this time XD

THIS IS SUCH A CUTE IDEAAAAAAA

I think Ego Manor has older appliances honestly, because half the people there still struggle with what a Flip-phone is sometimes. So Yancy should be very comfortable!

Date's ability helps a little bit, probably. Eric likes flowers, so those are easy, and he can probably get tablecloths and napkins folded into animals and stuff like that. But for streamer and such, has to go to the store (he does indeed have a Family Credit Card, most of the money comes from Bim's shows and The Googles getting money in in various ways, from Stock Market to straight-up hacking banks)

Space has a new respect for The Captain after this XD He had already respected them anyway but now it's tripled.

Heist and Illinois for sure burn everything before Space takes over XD Burn or undercooked trying to get done faster than the other. Probably they both somehow curse a dish by accident too. Stop playing with mysterious ancient items, boys!

Dark doesn't know how to react at first, and then hears Space organized it all and the next day gives Space a pair of his old cufflinks from when he was mayor. "I noticed you needed them when you wore that suit last night," is all he says about it.

He's very proud.

[darthwheezely]

dating fred weasley and being a ravenclaw

wow i am a SIMP for this man! this ain’t new info but! he is truly such a divine man and like…yeah i had to- also this might be longer because Fred has a lot more things to cover in terms of this and his own issues sksksjjs

warnings: light smut, angst at parts, wicked hot men named frederick gideon weasley, mentions of sexual degrading and not the hot or kinky kind :/ basically dudes being scumbags

people that might like this (?): @whiz-bangs78 @wand3ringr0s3 @gcdric @thatdumbbitchxx @pansydaisy​@vogueweasley @slytherinsunrise @thehufflepuffwife @theweasleyslut dm me to be on the twins taglist or for requests for blurbs/ships/one shots :)

fred thinks you’re an actual literal on god 111% angel sent by god

i swear-

he basically runs into (…literally) when escaping from filch, and knocks into you coming out of transfiguration

and i shit you not, he catches you by the waist like mid dip

oh my GOD please I’m in love with him

Fred Weasley, professional jackass, looked down at you hand still on your waist. He grinned at you and winked and you swore to god you heard the sparkle sound effect. “Hullo, gorgeous.” He heard filch scream “WEASLEY!” and broke away from you, pulling you up and pushing you off of him, leading a running filch to slip in the middle of the hallway, the hall erupting in laughter: including you. Fred inhaled harshly, heart pounding at you laughing at something he managed to pull off. “I’ll…I’ll see you again, yeah?” You froze smiling in place. “Um…yeah…yeah you will?” “Yeah?” He grinned. “Yeah.” With another wink he sped off down the hall…

he couldn’t stop thinking about the wicked hot girl in the hall

god what house was she he thought?

oh shit she had blue on fuck she’s a ravenclaw he thinks. why does he think like that?

she’s outta my goddamn league, he thought before he could stop himself

“Freddie, I know you’re not giving up on the idea of this girl this easy.” George shook his head smirking in the Hall.

“I’m not giving up on anything - she’s just…too good for me.”

“Mate, you know nothing about her except how her eyes ‘sparkled like the stars’ or some whack Tolstoy shit like that…besides, you always did love a challenge, yeah?” At that Fred grinned.

“Georgie, I was thinking exactly the same thing…”

frederick gideon weasley knew what he had to do

FUCKING RUN AROUND THE CASTLE AND LOOK FOR YOU DUH

i swear he probably skipped like a half a day of classes just running from classroom to classroom tryna find your gorgeous self

he also probably was like “anyone seen a literal angel around” and everyone was just like ~please shoot this kid he cannot be deadass~

anyway, he’s starting to run out of breath guys, pobrecito is about to give up for the day and throw in the towel but then

then, fellas and foals-

he sees you

sitting in the center of the quidditch pitch

reading a book and writing in your notebook

and god when i tell you he physically had his ass floored

i mean, Jesus Christ, it’s the way you were just serenely sitting in HIS favorite place in hogwarts, not even in the stands, just absorbing life in the ACTUAL PITCH just

just being there

“What are you doing here, love?” You look up and see Fred, chest heaving, rosy cheeked and fucking glorious. He looked otherworldly with the sun at his back, seemingly glowing. “Knitting a sweater.” You said coolly, and gave a small smile. He bit his lip and made his way over to you and sat down in front of you.

“I’d like that sweater somewhere else, gorgeous.”

“Where, in your mum’s dirty laundry?” He scoffed

“No silly, on me but I’ll take that option too ;)”

You scoffed back and rolled your eyes. “On you? Please, this is made to fit an actual person with a body, Fred.”

“And I don’t have a good enough body for it?”

You bit your lip, gathering courage to look straight back at him. “I wouldn’t know I haven’t seen it.”

and that alone has Fred Weasley garnering a massive tent in his pants

He gulped. “Whats your name, darling?”

“Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N.”

He grinned, blushing wildly. “Y/N, you’re never getting rid of me now”

that, my dear, was the truth at its finest

for the first time, he’d found a woman that matched his energy

his banter his intellectual mind was finally satisfied by this beautiful, honest, blunt girl that made him

HIM, THE MAN THAT CAN NEVER SHUT THE FUCK UP, be still.

be quiet. be at peace

“freddie, don’t fucking prank first years you’re better than that”

“Fred, please don’t be a bully. You’re not an unkind person so don’t act that way, okay? Come on”

it’s about three to five days of just non stop flirting

constantly leaving him breathless and without a rebuttal, again something no one has ever been able to do

after this period, he’s eating in the great hall, not having talked to you today and bouncing his knees violently

and he sees you get up and leave the hall

this prompts him to get up and run after you

“Y/N!” You turn to see him running full speed behind you, and you smile widely, blushing a fair ton as he stops in front of you, chest heaving. Your smile falters as he doesn’t say anything “Fred, w-what’s wrong?” He then bites his lip “I’m sorry but I have to” and presses his mouth to yours. You kiss back immediately, wrapping your arms around his neck as he backs you up against the wall. The kiss is hungry, passionate, and after a few moments he pulls off you and leans his forehead to yours. “I need you.” He says hoarsely. “And I need YOU, Freddie.” He smiles and you wrap your legs around his waist…

from that moment, you two are inseparable

we are talking handsy too

oh fuck this about to get fluffy as hell

freddie basically waits until you’re out of class and then will pin you against the wall and kiss you like he hasn’t seen you in years

“My angel, it’s been far too long.” He says breathlessly, smiling wide before giving you a kiss attack, sending ammunition of kisses all around your face, making you giggle uncontrollably. “My love, it’s only been an hour,” you say in between full body laughter. He then stops, looking at you very seriously. “Darling, that simply will not do,” he clucks and then throws you over his shoulder, sending you into fits of laughter again as he takes you to your next class.

you and fred have so much sex

empty classrooms

in his dorm

in your dorm

in the locker rooms

in the library

“Freddie, harder baby, please” you gasp out as he’s thrusting inside of you at a rhythmic pace, him slipping into you like hot oil, skin slapping as he has you in the shower. “How much do you need me, angel? Cmon love I wanna hear your words...” “yes, yes I need you please” you moan as he hits a new angle “That’s my princess, taking me so well, do you love it when I fill you up? Fuck you so good you can’t walk?” You nod and throw your head back. “Freddie, I’m gonna come” “Good girl, princess, come all over my cock” He growls setting a faster and harder pace, as he chants your name like a hymnal, his hips and movements getting sloppier as he finally releases into you, chest heaving and presses his lips to your forehead.

“Where should we try next, gorgeous, hmm? I think snape’s office should do it, he won’t even know us from the grease stains from his nose” this earns him a smack on the arm

fred marks you up constantly too

wants everyone to see how much his “good little princess” really feels

anything that says “I choose/belong to fred weasley” he’ll make you do

and you adore it and think it’s hot as fuck

he’s also marked his name onto your thighs and boobs before

george basically accepts the fact that you’re his new baby sister too, and when fred isn’t there will protect you like it ashsajdsahjsa

by this i mean fred has employed him to (but mainly george just does it because he loves you too)

but basically

during potions, draco slides in next to you and propositions you:

“How about we strike a deal, Y/L/N?” He looks at you smugly. You roll your jaw. “Yeah I agree, you shut the fuck up and let me pass our project, and I get all the credit without you destroying my handiwork?” He flares red and grabs your wrist. “I know Weaselbee the fourth probably tastes like the rest of his family - trash - but how I about I let you try something different, hmm?” You immediately pull away from him when he releases and make an attempt to focus back on your book. 

fred obviously hears about this because some slytherin guys in the hallway are talking about how much Y/N wants to suck Malfoy’s dick

he’s not stupid, he knows you get sexualized by that dumbass constantly, even before y’all started dating

basically he finds draco in the boys bathroom, corners him, and beats the fuck out of him 

“if you ever get near my girlfriend again, i swear to godric i won’t be so nice next time - don’t wanna get your balls cut off before 17 do you?” 

oh and he’s stupid hot when he’s mad btw but we all been knew

he finds you where he always finds you once you start dating, in his dorm stop his bed

He swallows thickly at the sight of you clearly upset, watching you sit up immediately tears welling in your throat as you begin to apologize. “Freddie, love, I didn’t do anything I promise I didn’t want him to come onto me-“ “Y/N, it’s never your fault. You have to trust me with that I...I hate seeing people hurt you love.” He pulls your body into him whne he reaches the bed, touching you like you’re porcelain, careful not to break you. “I know I get violent and angry or pouty when guys do that to you because I feel like you’ll either choose someone else or I can’t protect you and...you mean everything to me, my angel.” He whispers into your hair, tears stealing on his cheeks. “I promise no one will hurt you anymore because I love you and loving someone means you do anything for them.” He babbles like a small boy, convincing himself of everything until he realizes he’s said it and he inhales. “Y/N y-you don’t have to say it ba-“ “I want to say it back. Remember? I love you and I need you, Fred.” You look up at him softly, chin on his chest and he smiles through tears on his face. “And I love you and I need YOU, my love.”

fred knows you love him and choose him over everyone but again

he gets insecure

in the way George is scared people won’t see him as Fred

fred is afraid you’ll find someone better

someone more stable and less quick tempered

you guys have fights sometimes that end in frustration or angry sex

but fred is always there an hour later sitting outside your dorm door praying to god you forgive him for his mistake

he’s never abusive or malicious

he just gets impulsive with pranks or doesn’t consider feelings sometimes

ON TO THE BURROW!!!!

molly is so thankful for you and hugs you immediately as you walk through the door whispering

“Thank you for making my son feel how he deserves” and your eyes water lightly murmuring a thank you

you instantly catch bill’s attention as he notices the way fred is so much calmer and confident with you around

he seems more sure of himself, and not as angry

his temper too is calmer with your presence, as if the very essence of you is soothing to all youre around

he is, so so in love with you

and yes he can be brash

and yes he can be insecure

and yes he can be impulsive

but yes he would do anything for you

but yes he sees you like no one else can

but yes he knows you struggle and he wants to be there

fred weasley is absolutely incandescently in love with you

and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[aka-ashi-keiji]

Hi love ! Here is my Shouto Todoroki OS request, quite simple, yet deep: in your opinion, what would it take for Shouto to actually comprehend, then acknowledge his feelings for reader ? Like, I love Slow burns and I think Todoroki's character is perfect for this kind of development. But I wonder how many time it would take him to realize what has been growing in his heart for who knows how long, in a canon way?

Or, to put it in a simple way: How long does it take to Todoroki to come to terms with his feelings, and what does he do about it ? How ?

Here it is, you're absolutely free in this request (But please give us a happy ending with lot of Fluff eidkdud). Thank you so much in advance, ILY ❤💖

Love Made of Broken Iron

Shoto Todoroki

Understanding love, best friends to lovers

One shot, soft angst to fluff

tw: mentions of child abuse.

a/n: this is for one of the kindest mutuals i have! @luluwiie i hope you love this, it was challenging but so so so much fun. hopefully this fulfills your gorgeous request. i love you!

You waited patiently on the porch as your uniform skirt moved with the early morning wind. The cherry blossom trees had just started to bloom and that fact alone was enough to warm the tips of your frozen fingers as your smile crept to your face. But nonetheless, you were freezing and it seemed as though your companion was running slightly behind schedule. You checked the time on your phone and just like you suspected, Shoto was running 5 minutes late to meet you outside his house.

“God shoto, how long does it take you to slip on a uniform?” You huffed out as you placed your phone back in your pocket and turned to knock on the front door. However, before you even got the chance to, it swung open and duel chromatic eyes stared back into yours.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, I made us sandwiches for lunch.” He greeted you in his usual calm but hard front demeanor. Instead of commenting about how cold you were and that he should’ve made lunch faster, you simply took it and placed it in your bag. With that, you both started your commute.

You and Shoto have known each other since you were young, but due to his own family issues you both had just recently become friends. As a child, you always admired his splitone features and the way his eyes lit up in two separate ways when he was excited. At age five, you thought he was cool. But now at age seventeen, you can’t help but think he’s absolutely and utterly gorgeous.

Shoto had accepted your companionship your first year of highschool. Both of you always seemed to keep to your desk and shy away from the large groups, that similarity between you two caused you to naturally gravitate towards him. Asking for his number and inviting him to get coffee with you after school was single handedly the scariest but best idea you have ever committed to. Because if you hadn’t done that, if you had just let that day during your first year continue as always and gone to get coffee by yourself, you wouldn’t be where you are right now.

Currently, Shoto is walking on your right, he always insisted on doing so, just so that he could put some distance between you and the street. Your hands wrapped themselves securely around his forearm closest to you, trying to draw from his warmth. Well, that’s what you told yourself. But, in all honesty you just wanted an excuse to be close to him, to connect to him.

It was embarrassingly obvious how in love with Shoto you were, everyone seemed to notice except for him. And you weren’t the only one to take notice of his beauty and fall for his contrasting features. However, with you it was different, you knew that your romantic feelings couldn’t be grouped together with all of his other admirers. You didn’t fall in love with Shoto just because he was beautiful, but because you were able to connect to him and see past that iron wall he fights so hard to keep up.

Slowly, over the past three years at UA, you found yourself becoming immersed with your own feelings, not entirely sure how to deal with them. Your first year wasn’t too bad, you felt the normal butterflies when he would pat your shoulder when you did something well, one of his only signs of affection. And your cheeks still dusted rose as he would greet you in the morning and compliment something about your hair or the way you wore your uniform. But your second year was drastically different. You had a mere teenage crush on Shoto during your first year, but the amount of time you spent with him the summer after allowed for your feelings to expand to new points you didn’t know your heart was capable of feeling.

The intensity of your love spread like wildfire with every passing day you spent with him in the summer air. You’d find yourself growing overly excited about study sessions you would normally dread due to you thinking summer was your time for a break. And you personally hated silent reading with people around, the silence was uncomfortable. But sitting next to Shoto in your own home, you both on the couch with your legs over his lap, the books you read in silence on those days, that silence was comfortable then.

And if your legs weren’t over his lap, your head found its way to his shoulder or his would fall to yours. His peppermint hair sweeping to the side and tickling the nape of your neck and also covering his observant eyes. But no matter how subtle the touches were, no matter how brief the physical connection, the fire within your heart only blazed warmer.

Shoto was notorious for keeping his distance, but he let you get close. He allowed for you to take part in his interests and he took time to explain to you what he feels and why these things bring him so much joy. He let down his iron wall with you, even if it was just a little. But eventually, you learned what that iron wall was hiding. You come to understand why he’s afraid of boiling water and why he flinches so hard when you hug him without warning. You learned the heart-wrenching story of the scar that covers his sapphire eye, and the damage that it caused and still tolls on him today. You now understood why he always insisted on hanging out with you and anywhere outside of his home. And knowing you could provide that sanction for him ignited your heart’s flames all over once more.

Deep down you wanted so badly to expand your connection to him beyond just friends, but something stopped you. This ‘something’ was so definite, it felt nearly physical. It was as if an iron wall stood between you two.

Shoto had never shown any romantic interests in you, but then again he never took notice of anyone in that sort of way. No matter how many girls threw themselves his way, or when countless guys tried to catch a sliver of his attention, he barely even glanced in their direction. And it wasn’t because he was trying to be rude or blow them off. He genuinely just couldn’t tell when someone was trying to flatter him, his social skills still not up to speed. Shoto was capable of feeling, he just wasn’t sure if he should feel.

You knew this first hand, all the hints you dropped about the flames in your chest never were picked up. He simply believed you were platonically complimenting him, that iron wall still plastered around his heart. And no matter how rapid your feelings grew, the fear of rejection always halted your confessions. You loved Shoto so deeply, but you cared for the strength of your guys’ friendship to a much more powerful extent.

One night during finals week of your second year, you and Sho had been studying nearly all day. It was a Saturday and it was around 10:30 at night. You personally were hungry and Shoto himself said he could go for a snack. A late night soba vender had just opened up down the street, seemed like the perfect spot. So you both threw on sweaters over the sweatpants you had sat in all day, texted your parents since they had already gone to bed, and just like that you and shoto were walking down the dimly lit street through the quantum hours of the night sky.

The stars were scattered abundantly that night, the chill that went through your spine with every gust of wind went merely unnoticed due to the night’s beauty. Your hand clutched Shoto’s bicep, he insisted on it as a precaution. It made you feel safer as well, knowing abductions had been more frequent and took place mainly at night. But along with the security it provided, it also warmed you from the inside. The manifestation of love in your heart turned to flames, and the flames seemed to ignite your senses and tint your cheeks pink. By your luck, Shoto didn’t notice any of this, he never noticed how flustered you became when you shared these small touches that seemed to break that iron wall. But, maybe that was for the better.

You guys had ended your commute to the soba vendor, seating yourselves at the counter and ordering respectively. Shoto had insisted on paying since he somehow managed to swipe his father’s credit card, but if it was Enji’s money, you really couldn’t mind. By the time you each had finished up your meal, the time was nearly 11:45. Your walk home was slightly more eventful than the first time around, you decided to take a detour through a park near a quiet pond.

Shoto’s feet dragged after yours all while you tugged his arm as you nearly skipped to the water's edge. You had a slightly more pep in your step than he himself, but that was nearly symbolic of you and Shoto. You two were nearly identical in the way you always held a calm expression, your short but precise remarks, and even in the demeanor you both present when you become even the slightest bit irritated. These similarities manifested from the tough love in which you were raised with, Shoto’s father being mainly all tough and no love. Your parents drilled it into your mind that anything less of perfection was utter failure. But the love he lacked, you still received to some extent as a child. and that’s what set you apart. You had the ability to skip through the night and feel the joy of the starlight reflecting off your eyes, Shoto simply watching and observing your ecstasy. Not entirely processing a feeling he sees now, but has never felt for himself.

Both you and Shoto came to a standstill at the edge of the water, barely any words had been exchanged since you left the soba vendor. The shoes you both wore began to sink into the sand of the bay. You leaned over the edge, Shoto mimicking your actions. Your reflections on the water surface rippled by the Koi fish that swam beneath. The light the stars cast onto their scales bounced back and onto Shoto’s eyes. His focus connected to the fish as it swam down stream and your reflections became whole once more. While his gaze never shifted, you found yours following the change of his features. You watched through the mirror of water as his eyebrows relaxed, the corners of his mouth weren’t pulled tight, but instead they tugged upward in the most subtle of ways. The flames erupted once more, rising from the ashes like wings of a phoenix, the feeling of love you forced yourself to keep inside was fighting back against your will. You averted your gaze in hopes the heat rising in your chest and your face would subside, but even though you stood at Shoto’s right hand, that wasn;t enough to cool the flames. He noticed your sudden change of focus through the movement reflected on the water, and that's when his focus shifted, shifted to meet yours.

When your eyes connected to the brown and blue of his, you couldn’t help but take notice of just how beautiful he truly was. The way his scar emphasized the brightness of his left eye, the way of how they sparkled just as the stars did against the pond you currently stood near. Your mind had become so utterly consumed by your admiration, his words of concern passed right through you.

“Y/n? Are you okay?” He spoke softly, the time of night affecting his tone. He waved his hand slightly in front of your eyes, breaking the trance you were trapped inside. His pupils were blown out a slight bit more, his eyebrows furrowed together like they tend to be. You nodded your head, bringing yourself back to reality. Shoto brought his hand down to your elbow, slowly ushering you back to the sidewalk. What happened in the following ten seconds seemed to span for eons. Shoto turned to walk back, still keeping his grip on your arm, gentle but stern. Before you could stop yourself your hand pulled on his shoulder lightly, his attention back to you. Your hand found its way to his chin and his grip on your arm tightened in the smallest bit.

“Wha-”

Your lips cut off his protest of confusion, your eyes squeezed shut as his eyes flew open wider than ever before. You hand caressed his jaw gently as his grip on your arm fell entirely. This connection and such deep affection that was poured into that single kiss was nearly three years of confined emotions, the crave and depth of your love finally sprung free from your soul. But as you enjoyed the brief moment, your senses began to override your heart. You suddenly remembered that what was between you and Shoto was nothing more or less of a close and two way friendship. You were the first to pull away, although the look on Shoto’s face when you finally came back down from your high, he looked as if he had pulled away first.

“Sho, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happ- I shouldn't have done that please-” You rambled on as you took a step back, shame replacing the flames that were there just seconds before.

“Let’s go home, it’s late.” He cut in, his voice possessing an edge it wouldn’t normally.

“Sho please-” you pleaded, but were cut off once more.

“Y/n, please.”

The way he said your name, the motion of his back turned to you waiting for you to follow, it was enough for you to realize this was territory that shouldn’t be touched. And so instead of trying to explain yourself or make sense of what the hell just happened, you both made your way back to your house in complete and utter silence. The street lights and stars your only guide through the wordless lack of warmth. For the first time ever within your connection to Shoto, the silence couldn’t even be described as uncomfortable. It was absolutely unbearable.

Shoto had made sure you made it inside your house before walking down two blocks to his own. The usual goodnight text you received, the reminder to actually sleep, never danced across your phone screen. The conversation labeled with his name remained silent and only held the traces of the goodnight text from the night before. You couldn’t recall crying or ever falling asleep, but you remembered feeling the dampness of your pillow as you woke up the morning after.

Monday soon rolled around and you were in the middle of gathering your things for school. You couldn’t deny you were nervous to repeat your normal routine of walking to school with Shoto, but you decided the least you could do was try. You packed an extra snack for him just in case, just as he did for you on days where you were particularly struggling. You were in the middle of slipping on your shoes when a knock was heard on the door. Your parents left for work before you even woke and so that left you to answer. You expected it to be your neighbor or a local vendor, but there he stood. His uniform nicely pressed, his tie nice and straight, and his hair perfectly parted down the middle, not a single strand of white mixing with red.

“Sho! We don’t have to start walking for another half hour what are-”

“Let’s take a walk. We should talk.” He stated quite plainly, turning and walking down the steps of your porch and waiting quietly on the sidewalk.

You quickly regained your bearings and your bag and made your way to his side as your steps fell in time with his. He began to lead you through a left turn when you two would usually turn right. This is the long way to school, you thought. Maybe he really did finally have something to say. You weren;t sure if you actually were ready to hear it. it all depended on how he felt about your affections. Your fear of rejection still failed to waver even after the act of courage you displayed two days before.

Without knowing, you were walking on Shoto’s right side that day, closest to the street. Shoto only noticed as you accidentally bumped his side as you moved away from a speeding car. Without a word, he placed his hands on your biceps and moved you to his left, putting distance between you and the street. Your breath caught in your throat as he did this, the action that was so natural in any other circumstance. But in this moment in time, it showed that the connection between you two was still there and it held through the tense air that filled the space between.

Suddenly, Shoto stopped. His movements stopped entirely just a few strides in front of you. You as well came to standstill, your gaze connecting to the back of his school blazer. Then, as if the world had suddenly started to move in slow motion, Shoto turned and faced you. His hands flew to the sides of your jaw, his fingers placed behind your ears and at the curve where your jaw meets the start of your neck. His lips crashed into yours, the force behind them angry but warm, much more force than yours had conveyed. He didn’t back away, his eyes were shut as his lips explored yours. The electric that ran through his fingertips and danced across your shoulders and down your arms, spurring into your fingertips. Your hands came up to grip the front of his blazer, trying to ground yourself and not disassociate from this moment. But as quickly as it started, his lips left yours, Shoto pulling away first this time. Both of you heaved, your chests falling and rising rapidly. Saliva glistened across your lips, your own pupils blown out along with his. He brushed his bangs from his vision, focusing his hazed eyes back to you. His silence was broken as he breathed out something similar to a confession and an explanation.

“Y/n I’m gonna talk. And let me say it all before I forget please.” You nodded your head and the intensity your eyes held was enough of an indication that you were ready to hear it all. Shoto was ready to let down his iron wall completely, and welcome you into his heart that was so sheltered it didn’t know what it was necessarily welcoming.

“Look, I’m so sorry for blowing you off and dismissing the kiss that night. I should’ve at least said something, anything. But please understand that rash acts of affection is something I don’t know how to process. You know me and you know how I grew up. The last time I was ever shown any sort of physical love was from my mother, and I was five when she was taken away. I had been feeling a certain way whenever I would spend time with you. My chest would tighten and it seemed as if my heart was going to leap out on my throat. I could feel the heat of my left side intensify, it spreading to my right whenever you smiled at me. I have never felt this way, I never have felt anything close to this. I don’t even know what it is, but it draws me to you. It’s as if I’m being pulled by an unknown force that surrounds you. And it scared me, I was terrified to indulge in this feeling because it was so strange to me. A knot was constantly tightening in my stomach, and when you kissed me it snapped. And it shocked me, the feeling shocked my common sense entirely. I don’t understand this and I don’t know why. I feel these things for you but my body isn;t capable of processing it. And I could see that hurt you, and I’m sorry. I- I just need time. I still don’t know what this is. I can;t say it’s love because I’ve never loved anyone. But I’m trying to understand it because I know one thing. I care about you and I want to always be there to care about you. I feel for you beyond the feelings of a friendship. Maybe this could be love that I feel, but I’m still trying to figure that out. What I’m trying to say is that I want to love you. I’ll teach myself how to do that. But please be patient with me, let me understand these feelings.”

As his voice trailed off, your mind held onto one specific detail he spoke about. It all made sense now. His reaction made so much sense and you cursed yourself for not realizing it before. Shoto wasn;t shown the same love you were as a child, therefore his heart and mind aren’t equipped to process such strong acts of affection. You were, you were shown that extent of love, even if it was just a little. His heart was completely overwhelmed, and his entire ability to reciprocate that affection was held back by those iron walls. Something you failed to realize was that those iron walls don’t only keep feelings out, they also keep his own emotions in. And that kiss that night broke the walls and those pent up emotions flooded his body, rendering him unable to explain his bluntness. It all finally made sense.

“I’ll wait Shoto. I get it, I should’ve known. But I’ll be here to help you understand those feelings. I’ll be as patient for as long as you need because I’m able to understand my own emotions. And from that I know that I love you.” You spoke gently, cupping his hand between yours, silietly promising to be there to help his iron walls come down.

And with that, you pulled him to your chest and wrapped your arms around his waist, his gripping around your shoulders. As you embraced, Shoto vowed that he would work to understand, work to tear down the iron walls around his heart, he would do this all until he could say he loved you too.

Back to present day, nearly a year later. You and Shoto had made your way to the UA campus, about to split to different ends of the hall. His arm was wrapped snugly around your waist as he pulled you closer. His lips connected to your temple as he mumbled something about remembering to eat the sandwich he had given you that morning. You simply nodded and hugged around his waist before he pulled away. You waved him off as he began to walk his own route to class. And before you started to walk your own way, you called out to him just as his back turned.

“I love you sho.” You said loud enough for him to hear, but not so much for everyone in the halls with you two to turn their heads. He turned back around, his bangs hanging low over his two toned eyes, his scar peeking out from behind as he smiled faintly at you.

Shoto waved to you subtly as he mouthed back, “I love you too.”

There it was. You could almost hear the crash of his iron walls fall.

He holsted his bag once more and disappeared into the crowd of your fellow peers. You also began your commute as you smiled extremely brightly to yourself. His iron walls had finally come down, and his heart accepted this emotion now as something it knew. Shoto only knew the feeling of true love because he knew you, and your heart expanded because you knew him. And you now also knew everything hidden behind the walls of his mind and heart. Your guys’ love entirely constructed from the broken fragments of iron that Shoto broke down piece by piece.

>>>>>>

a/n pt. two: gonna take the time to explain why i struggled with this piece. it wasn’t because i didn’t like the prompt or i didn’t have inspiration from it. it was solely based on the fact that i’m terrible at writing love stories! also todoroki is such a complex character and i haven’t completely analyzed him like i have with bakugou and deku and kirishima. that’s why this piece was a little rougher than ones i’ve written for bakugou. nonetheless, i love this story and id love to see shoto smile again :,)

[jaskierswolf]

Fuck Indeed - 1 of 4

Rating: E

Chapter WC: 2720

Summary: Jaskier scrolled through the terms and conditions of the website he was planning on selling his soul to. It seemed simple enough, and he really needed the money. His music career hadn’t exactly gotten off to a flying start and he was tired of sponging off his friends and they were, quite frankly, tired of him. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be allowed to sofa surf and he really needed his own space.

So, he was starting an OnlyFans account. - On AO3

CW (for whole story): 18+ only, anal sex, masturbation, exhibition kink, sex work, rimming, sex toys, talks of blow jobs, Geralt bottoms but it’s mentioned they switch, biting (but no blood), Jaskier wearing lingerie and makeup.

Jaskier scrolled through the terms and conditions of the website he was planning on selling his soul to. It seemed simple enough, and he really needed the money. His music career hadn’t exactly gotten off to a flying start and he was tired of sponging off his friends and they were, quite frankly, tired of him. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be allowed to sofa surf and he really needed his own space. 

So, he was starting an OnlyFans account. 

The only thing he was good at outside of his music and poetry was sex. So why not make some money off of it. He’d already done a shit ton of research on stats, marketing, and the types of audiences he was looking to attract… and yes that potentially meant that he’d spent more money than he could afford on subscriptions to porn but, well, it was an investment. 

He was going to be good at this, nay, he was going to be fucking brilliant; pun intended. 

He smirked as he clicked to register his account. 

Phase one complete. 

Phase two… commencing. 

He quickly adjusted his photograph to the incredibly alluring photo he’d picked out. Essi had helped him stage a photoshoot after he’d promised to only film his videos when he was staying with Priscilla or Valdo. The photo showed him sitting backwards on a chair, stockings pulled up to his thighs and attached by turquoise lace garters. He was wearing a gorgeous matching lingerie set that was barely visible from behind the chair, a tease for the sort of content he would be putting out. He was also wearing a pair of killer heels. 

Heels he absolutely couldn’t walk in yet, but they’d been so pretty and he’d always wanted to learn so he’d bought them on a whim, again more money that he didn’t have…. thank fuck for credit cards. 

He wasn’t looking at the camera, his fringe covering his eyes, but he was clearly laughing at something, blood red lipstick staining his lips. 

He was rather impressed with how it had turned out. 

Now he just needed to get up some content. He glanced at the clock, he had probably missed the best time to post a video today, but he had a few photos from his shoot with Essi. He flicked through his camera roll until he found his second favourite, one where he was looking up just past the camera, eyes catching the light perfectly so they shone a sparkling bright blue. 

Not to be narcissistic, but he looked fucking gorgeous. 

He grinned and typed out a teasing caption to introduce himself, then hit post. Afterwards, he locked his phone and threw it across the room, not wanting to think about the comments and reactions. 

He stared at it as it bounced on the mattress. 

The only sounds were his breath and his heartbeat in his ears. 

“Bollocks,” he muttered after what felt like a lifetime, and scrambled after his phone, unlocking it quickly with a few nimble taps of his finger. 

If he spent the next two hours refreshing his page to see what people thought then… well, no one needed to know. It wasn’t an instant hit, but he was new and it was expected, and he was thrilled at the couple of messages he received and he already had a couple of subscribers. 

He could do this, the fluttering anxiety in his stomach beginning to settle slightly as he repeated the words aloud a few times. He sighed heavily and decided to be productive. He still needed to set up his Twitter page and link it, perhaps an Instagram account as well, one that his parents didn’t have to know about, and fuck he needed to sleep. 

His clock, glowing in the now dark of his room, was telling him more time had passed than he’d realised. 

“Fuck,” he groaned. 

He still needed to get to the studio early this morning. He’d practically begged the owner to let him record a demo, promising that it would be worth it, that he was good.  Luckily for him, there had been a short break very early in the morning before any decent musician worth a damn was awake. He plugged his phone in to charge and made sure he put it down out of reach from the bed. He’d just wake up in the middle of the night and check it otherwise. He just needed to know he wasn’t terrible, was that really so bad?

“Come on, Jask,” he mumbled “you can check after you record your demo. It’s not that long.”

It felt like fucking forever. 

Geralt was busy working at the garage when Yennefer messaged him. He huffed and pocketed his phone, giving his customer an apologetic hum before gesturing for them to continue. Yennefer hadn’t started the text with “Ciri!” so he could ignore it for now, that was their deal. He’d only check his texts from Yennefer at work if there was a problem with their daughter, but that never stopped her from trying. Yennefer got bored easily at work. Her mind was too brilliant and even working in a top law firm wasn’t enough to keep her mind from wondering, the monotony of paperwork getting the better of her. 

It didn’t help that she had assistants to take care of the worst shit for her. Geralt wasn’t exactly sure what Yennefer did all day. He was pretty sure she just organised her minions and planned to take over the world, in between bothering him at work, of course. 

He shook his head with a fond smile, as he watched the young blonde leave her precious Volkswagen Beetle behind. It was an old banged up thing, and she’d clearly bought it for the looks rather than practicality, and the engine had given out after only a month of her buying it. 

“Kids,” he scoffed. 

Business was business though, it brought in sorely needed cash.

Not as much as his other job… but that was a more lucrative role, one that only Yennefer knew about. He was careful to keep his face hidden, but so far he’d been lucky. No one else in his physical life knew about his OnlyFans account, probably because he was still just starting out. He’d only been at it a couple of months and he was, admittedly, not the best at having an online presence, which was why he’d begrudgingly asked Yennefer for her help. 

- New kid on the block, he’s just your type.

Yennefer’s message read, blunt as ever. He rolled his eyes and clicked the link. Sure enough there was a photograph of a young brunet straddling a chair, wearing fucking lingerie. He swallowed, staring at the photograph just a little too long. 

He growled and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. He should have known better than to open the link at work. 

But that smile haunted him for the rest of the day, making every second drag, the world turning to a haze and every movement felt like he was wading through mud. He wanted to get home. 

He wanted to know more about this Dandelion. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, pressing his fingers to his forehead, hoping it would push the thoughts of the man from his mind. 

It didn’t. 

By the time he got back to his house he felt like he was on fire, his skin crawling, restless, burning. He showered as quickly as he could, just about managing to wash all the conditioner from his hair before stalking back to his room and firing up his laptop. He groaned as he finally had a chance to stalk Dandelion’s page. 

The second photograph was even better than the first, bright blue eyes searing into his mind, and the smile of a fucking angel. He looked young, mid-twenties, only a few years younger than Geralt probably, and he was exactly the sort of man he would do well on this goddamn site. He looked charismatic, easy on the eye, definitely flirty judging by the cheeky grin on his face, and he was probably excellent at the marketing side of things. 

Geralt glanced at his subscribers and cursed. Dandelion hadn’t even uploaded a video yet but his follower count was crawling up faster than Geralt’s ever had. 

And that made him… angry?

Jealous perhaps, but there was a bitterness growing in his heart now. 

He had to do better. He couldn’t allow this man to overtake him. He just couldn’t. 

He growled and shut his laptop with a snap, pulling out his phone with more force than necessary. Yennefer would know what to do. She was good at this sort of thing. He just hoped that he didn’t need to explain himself. It was pathetic and irrational but… he wanted to win. 

Jaskier stumbled upon the White Wolf’s page purely by accident. He’d been looking for inspiration before filming his first video. He knew what he wanted to film but he was tired and wasn’t really sure he was in the mood for it, so he began to scroll. He’d unsubscribed from a lot of accounts to save money but the silver-haired Adonis had caught his attention. 

The leather strapped around his otherwise bare torso helped. Jaskier was weak for a man in leather. 

Before he knew what he was doing, Jaskier was putting in his details to subscribe, sending off a silent apology to his bank account.

The White Wolf was the silent brooding type, never quite revealing his face, but that wasn’t uncommon. His long hair fell down past the man’s pecs, curling at the ends just above the black leather straps. Chest hairs trailed down the man’s torso, the photo cropped before revealing anything else. Jaskier let out a low whimper at the thought of what might be revealed. 

He groaned and scrambled for his bottle of lube before letting out a curse. 

He had a video to shoot. 

He didn’t have time to jerk off to this god’s account. He grumbled and got changed into the turquoise lingerie from the photoshoot. He had decided to use the photos as a teaser for his first video, creating some continuity and helping to create a brand that he could build on. He hummed happily as he pulled up the stockings, they felt soft against his skin, bringing a fragility to his otherwise muscular frame. 

Not quite as muscular as Wolf’s. 

What wouldn’t he give to lick the lines of those abs?

Once he was dressed, he pulled out his makeup bag. He wasn’t quite as skilled with eyeliner as Essi yet so he settle for a smudged black look before adding the red to his lips. He gave himself a once over in the mirror, flashing a smile. It wasn’t perfect but it was only his first video. He’d get more practice as he worked. After one final check of the lighting in his room – well, his temporary room thanks to darling Priscilla – he made sure he had lube nearby. With shaking hands, he set up the camera and clicked record. He would edit both the start and the end of the video later. 

He sighed and then let a seductive smile grace his lips as he winked at the camera, kneeling on the bed.

“Hello darling,” he purred in a low voice “I am so happy you could join me.”

He pictured the chiseled torso of his Wolf, mind filling in the blanks of his face, square jaw, soft warm brown eyes, perhaps stubble on his cheek. He felt the warmth of arousal pool in his core at that thought, his cock filling out in the lacy underwear. Definitely stubble then. He wanted to feel the scratch against his cheek, his neck… his arse. 

His fingers had drifted down his chest and were toying with the hem of his panties without him even realising it. His eyes fluttered open as he remembered his audience. 

“Oops,” he breathed “forgot where I was for a moment there, sweetheart. You don’t mind, do you?”

He paused. 

It felt right. 

God, he had no idea that he was doing, but the idea of people on the other end of that camera, watching him. Fuck, he hadn’t known he’d be into that. He palmed himself through the thin fabric, letting out a slightly exaggerated moan so the camera would pick it up. 

He wondered if Wolf would see this, would he get hard watching Jaskier touching himself… would he touch his own cock? 

Jaskier’s breath hitched and he bit his lip. He locked eyes with the camera as he let out a sigh. “I’ve just been feeling so lonely, it won’t take much tonight, just the thought of you.”

The words felt awkward, stunted but it was only his first video and blood was flowing away from his brain right now, making improv difficult. He’d need a script for next time. 

“It’s my first video so I wanted to get dressed up, do you like it?” a pause “It feels so soft against my skin.”

His other hand reached up to stroke his nipples through the lace. He tilted his head back and rolled his hips forward to his cock brushed against his own hand, another moan escaping his lips, playing it up for the camera. “Shall I keep them on?” he asked the camera, voice huskier than he was expecting. Fuck this was affecting him more than he imagined. 

He swallowed, and licked his lips, fingers pulling down his panties to reveal the tip of his cock already leaking onto the brightly coloured lace. “I might ruin them… but I think you’d like that…”

Would Wolf like that… watching Jaskier cum all over the pretty panties. 

Jaskier whined, smearing the precum over his hand and then down the length of his cock under the lace. The touch sent waves of pleasure through his whole body, and he let out a low curse. His eyes fell shut as he slowly stroked himself, taking his time, teasing himself. He pictured his Wolf pulling the straps of his bra down off his shoulders, pressing kisses into his neck, biting on his shoulders as he touched him. God he really needed to watch his videos, if he could pull such vivid images of the man from just one photograph. 

“Fuck, that feels so good…” he gasped, struggling to keep his movements slow. He forced his eyes open to look at the camera. He could only imagine how he looked right now, eyes dark, cheeks flushed, lips red from where he’d been biting them, one hand working on his cock, the other pinching at his nipples through sinfully see-through fabric. 

“I want you to touch me so bad,” he gasped “would you fuck me, if I ask?” 

He swallowed, imagining Wolf’s hands on his hips, pressing bruises into his skin… spreading his cheeks apart… fingers dripping with lube, ready to stretch him. He bit his lip again, almost hard enough to draw blood. He hadn’t noticed he was fucking into his own hand, thighs burning as he knelt on the fresh silk sheets. He was close, too close… not what he’d meant for this video but it was too late now… he couldn’t hold back.

He gripped his cock harder, stroking faster, the underwear pushed down by his efforts. 

“I. I can’t…” he stammered through the haze “I need, please…”

He almost sobbed, begging his unseen audience. “Please.”

He pinched roughly on his nipple, the sharp pain tipping him over the edge, and he came all over his hand with a wordless cry. 

He struggled not to collapse onto the bed, but he did rest back on his ankles as he gasped for breath. “Fuck,” he whispered hoarsely… surprised by the intensity of his orgasm. He glanced up at the camera with a smirk, flicking his tongue out to lick his lips. “Until next time, darling.” 

He winked at the camera and then crawled forward so he could turn it off. Once that was done, he fell back on the bed with a contented sigh before remembering the state of his pants. He grimaced and reluctantly got up to go shower, the thought of the White Wolf still lingering in his mind.

________

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[bakugoukatsuki-rising]

I've seen bkdk called a lot of things - soulmates, rivals, wonder duo, twin star... They're obviously connected very deeply and honestly will prob be next to each other the rest of their lives. I was hoping you could give some examples (as many as you'd like) on how they're similar, different, and how they complete each other/balance each other out. Example, bakugou does x where izu would do y. Baku sees x as y while izu sees x as z. Idk, I just like talking about them being 2 sides of 1 coin.

Alright anon so this ask made me have to recruit friends to get manga caps for you, and I still won't be able to fit them all in here thanks to tumblrs pic limit. I'll do my best to give you what you're asking for.

In terms of being the same, there is quite a few. I think many people tend to see Bakugou and Deku as like...polar opposites, and it's not really true. They're much more similar than people give them credit for.

Look at this I already used 3 image spaces lmao.

Look at their facial expressions. Identical. They're fucking twins. It's honestly the cutest thing I've ever seen, and then, THEN WE HAVE THEIR FUCKING TELEPATHY. If they weren't on same wavelength, there is no way they would be able to do this. Now, obviously this scene is meant more to be them whispering to each other but then there is THIS

Same brain. Same panic response. I just...sometimes they're too similar and it's fucking hilarious. I love them so much. And obviously Hori made it a point to have them BOTH included in these scenes. He could have just had Deku, since he was more aware of Todoroki's situation, but he included Bakugou because they share the same brain.

Then we have Deku, and some little things about his views relating to Kacchan.

It's Kacchan first. Always.

If Bakugou is involved, he comes first in Deku's head. KACCHAN.....and everyone else!! I know there are people out there that want to dismiss this as shippers being wishful in their thinking but I mean...just look at the panels above. That seems pretty obvious to me. We even have one in the newer chapter when Deku is in the Dreamscape. His first thought is immediately Kacchan! And the rest!

Also, we get that last panel where, without skipping a beat, Deku completely agrees that Bakugou would have mastered OfA by now if he had it. He is OPENLY FAWNING OVER THAT IDEA. It's unbelievably cute how much he admires Bakugou's strength.

This is what trips me up about people who think Deku hates Bakugou because uh...hello!!?!?!? Do you see this? Do you see how his mind is completely and totally filled with Kacchan almost constantly????? It isn't a shipping lense and it isn't wishful thinking, it's 100% completely canon and if people read with their eyes open, they would see that.

Now for Bakugou, and I'll have to finish with this because I only have two image slots left. After that it'll be me talking a bunch because I have so many feelings about these two assholes.

So of course I had to include the infamous "Keep your eyes on me, Deku!" because no post about their relationship would be complete without it.

Just as Deku's eyes have only been on Bakugou, the same is said for the other. The intensity of that line alone is so telling to me when it comes to Bakugou, and how he views Deku. He wants Deku to watch him, he wants him to see the progress he's made and he wants it to fuel Deku's own drive to do better and get stronger. Shortly after this we have their confrontation where Bakugou points out he's moving faster than Deku can catch up, and Deku's immediate response is,

"No, I'll surpass you!" And his eyes are shining so fucking bright I think I'll go blind every time I read it. That kind of power to influence someone else is unbelievable. And while they both influence everyone in 1A, the influence they have on each other in undoubtedly stronger than for anyone else.

Then we come to that last panel, which ultimately leads us to Bakugou's big sacrifice in 285.

Deku wasn't necessarily near Bakugou when notice of Shigaraki hunting for OfA came through the radio, but Bakugou was obviously watching, because the moment he saw Deku turn to go off on his own, he was by his side. Now, Bakugou attempts to push off his joining Deku as just wanting to get revenge on Shigaraki himself, but 284 and 285 completely disprove that.

Bakugou followed Deku. Bakugou went after Deku because he knew better than anyone what Deku would end up doing, which was attempting to sacrifice himself for the people he was trying to save. Bakugou understood that before and better than anyone else ever could, so he chased after him to fight with him and protect him.

Then we get 285, where we see Bakugou jump in to save Deku, this kid who he swore he hated his entire life. But why would he let Deku continue to call him Kacchan if he hated him so much?(a name I might add, that is actually a form of endearment by Japanese language standards) Why would he continue to butt heads with Deku and force his way into Deku's line of sight time and time again if he hated him? Why would he stubbornly insist on needing to surpass someone he always saw as less than if he still felt that way?

Their relationship is so complex on so many levels and I could go on for hours about different things I've noticed and continue to notice, but I don't wanna drag on too long.

Just know that these panels aren't even a quarter of the extent their relationship goes, and I wish I could have stretched this on and on with panel after panel of their canon dynamic and how obvious it is that they care, inspire, encourage, and fuel the other.

This relationship is one for the books, and I hope more people come to appreciate it.

[tarithenurse]

Spark - 24

Fandom: Enn Enn no Shōbōtai / Fire Force. Pairing: Shinmon Benimaru x fem!reader. Content: Lack of proper terms for clothes (I think). Fluff. Feels. Lots of angst. A/N: Here ya go, darlings! Feel free to ASK (or reblog) for tag – in fact: always reblog. Thanks to those who have already <3

24. From the ashes

…   Reader   …

Something hard and jagged prevents you from resting. It’s digging into your thigh and what first was pure numbness is growing into an unyielding pain. Finally admitting defeat, you open your eyes to see what’s causing the offending sensation, but it’s forgotten the moment you notice the shimmery light.

At first, it seems to be far away and only the visible simple due to the magnitude. But then you blink. Woah. Funky. In reality, the glow is from a small beetle which seems oddly familiar about a hand from your nose.

And then everything comes roaring back, filling your brain with images that you wish only belonged in nightmares rather than memories. People, children and adults alike, swallowed by flames that twist their skulls and stretch their limbs; the echoing shrieks twisting from pain to despair to hunger. Somewhere in between it all, there’s an intermezzo where fire fills everything, blocking out any other sensation than fear.

A fear that’s still roiling in your guts and clawing its way up your throat until only a fraction of it lands on the beetle that’s waving its antennae towards you. It clicks as if offended (though more likely disgusted) and tries to free the legs one by one to get away.

If it escapes...

Benimaru (and others) have called you stubborn. You’ve learned not to give up because giving up meant allowing yourself to get caught and you weren’t naïve enough to think that the only punishment for that was to see your parents’ faces and sorrow over the little sister you had lost. No. It would’ve meant landing yourself in this exact situation – even if it was nothing but a fearful conspiracy at first.

Now, you know better and realize that the stubbornness has changed.

Now, you twist on the jagged ground, pulling yourself forward by hands and elbows to drag your leg free from a slab of concrete. The dead weight threatens to hold your hostage, squeezing onto your foot with cruel determination. It would be easy to give in to it – to lie down and claim the rest your body is screaming for – but the beetle is moving faster than you are, having spent the time wisely while you fought with gravity, mass, and your own mind.

It can’t be called a scream, the sound that begins deep in your chest and works its way up and out as the strain of muscles constrict around your lungs. You don’t feel the way the nails scrape and break against the sooty floor, just like the muted pop from a strained joint goes ignored save for the tears of relief the moment the ruins let go.

The thud of your palm slamming down doesn’t conceal the satisfying crunch of an exoskeleton being crushed. Shards of concrete dig into your skin and you’ve never welcomed them as much as now.

“Got you, fucker,” you swear, voice hoarse but seething with a new sensation: revenge.

One down. Time to find the rest.

...  Joker  ...

There’s no reason to talk. Not yet, at least. All the men can do for now is to search through the rubble methodically, each covering a half of the space ahead of them while pretending that the odds aren’t stacked against them. He must have realized. But even the lanky man doesn’t have it in him to give up yet, wishing instead to extend the blind hope for just a bit longer. She’s stronger than we give her credit for, but...

“[Y/N]!” Benimaru’s deep voice fills the darkness, briefly fooling his friend in need to think the search is over. “[Y/N]! [Y/N]!” the captain yells, a crackle of desperation breaking through.

Dust and small debris falls from the ceiling as if startled by the sound. It’s a miracle the place hasn’t caved in already and Joker’s about to shut up the normally quiet man when he hears it. Or...? No...it must’ve been an echo.

But then it’s there again: something more akin to a cough has come from the farthest side of the new cavern.

“-maru?”

As if they had planned it, the men each let lose a roaring blaze, licking against the uneven surface above and cast deep, jagged shadows that dance in the white-hot air. Dust is fanned by the invisible wave, split into streams as obstacles loom in the path only to be caught against nothing a few feet from a mess of a woman.

Arm raised as if holding a shield, [Y/N] is leaning against the remains of a wall. Apparently she’s just clambered over it, but how she has managed is a mystery. She’s barely standing! Swaying dangerously, blood seeping from the nose and countless cuts and scrapes, not even the dirt and bruises can hide the fact that the usual lustre of her skin is gone. The only parts of the woman that seems somewhat alive are her eyes glow with a deep crimson a few seconds longer before that too disappears with a blink.

Not a blink.

Benimaru moves faster than Joker can think, suddenly skidding to a halt right before the supposed damsel in distress, catching her effortlessly as her legs give out and she tumbles towards the ground.

...  Benimaru  ...

“I’ve got you,” he whispers.

It’s impossible to tell if [Y/N] has heard him, her body limp against the captain’s. There’s no time to worry about decency as Benimaru quickly inspects her for serious injuries – a task that’s all too easy, though, as the once-faded-now-flambéed jumpsuit has been torn to the extend that it barely can hold on to her frame. Finding nothing too obvious (health wise), Benimaru shrugs off the dark-blue kimono shirt to wrap around her.

“We’re gonna get you out of here.”

A slow groan precedes the answer. “Wh- not yet...” [Y/N] can barely keep her eyes open. “Imma k-ki-ick their...asses.”

It’s Joker’s startled laugh that breaks the silence, earning him a confused frown from the dazed woman until he explains. “There’s no one left here.”

“He’s right, [Y/N],” Benimaru agrees, suddenly reconsidering what might have caused all the destruction, “so let’s get you fit for fight before round two.” His entire world consists of this woman as she looks up at him with a tiny smile, asking if they’re going home. “Haï. Home to Konro and the twins. Home to Asakusa.”

“Just give...give me five minutes to rest,” she demands, eliciting a new laugh, “then I’ll be on my feet.”

Not with that leg, you won’t. “Will you let me carry you until you’re okay to walk?” It’s the closest he can get to arguing with her stubbornness right now. “It’d be good to get out of here before the whole thing collapses.”

The chagrin is obvious in her face although it’s softened by fatigue. “Fine.”

With a bit of help from Joker, [Y/N] gets settled for a piggyback ride, her chin resting on her would-have-been rescuer’s shoulder with a content sigh.

“For the record,” she mumbles as the last of her energy has been used, “you don’t have to knock me out this time.”

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 136

This chapter was a chance to explore some more science-based tropes that I absolutely love in stories.  The truth is, when I’m working at my day job, I love listening to documentaries on Curiosity and YouTube channels like Answers with Joe or Kurzgesagt. My love of science fiction actually comes from my love of space and astronomy, not the other way around.

In no way, shape, or form, does this chapter cover any of the concepts in question in full. It’s just a quick convo between Sophia and a good friend ;)

My thanks, as always, go to @baelpenrose, @the-raven-fae, @charlylimph-blog, and @anotherusrname. Plus all of YOU!

Even as my mind wandered, I couldn’t help but grin a bit as I took my weekly stroll through the corridors of the Ark with Miys in tow.  For several years now, we had a standing appointment on my calendar that both Alistair and Tyche treated as sacrosanct - just some time for me to spend with our host, my friend, and learn more about each other.  When I had originally arrived on the Ark, any time I was seen walking with them, other humans would give me odd looks, but never approach.  Now, people would recognize me, smile, and wave, but still never interrupted the strolls.

It was nice. Like my weekly family dinners, it was a routine, pleasant part of my life. Especially days like today, when we were entering the dawn-cycle and each day became a little brighter. It made me wonder about other civilizations, ones that would have evolved in conditions like the ones we were adapting ourselves for. How did it affect them? How would it affect us as generations passed? Future generations were certainly going to be shorter, due to the high gravity. Would it change our technological advances as well - 

“Wisdom, why are you thinking so hard about Gestrcht Clusters?” Miys interrupted my thoughts.

“Hm?” I asked absently. “What’s a Jestrick Cluster?”

“Gestrcht,” they corrected mildly. “Gestrcht clusters are a type of civilization that has adapted to live in artificial platforms surrounding their sun, in order to better harness the solar energy, radiation, or heat needed.”

“You mean a Dyson swarm?” I tried to clarify, confused.

“All of the galaxy calls them Gestrcht clusters, therefore I think that is what you mean.”

“Alright, alright,” I laughed, holding my hands up in defeat. “The reason I was thinking about Gestruck clusters - “

“Gestrcht”

“I will work on it. The reason I was thinking about those is… I was wondering how living on Von will change our priorities. In our history, those constructions were something that fascinated both imagination and science - something several people thought was our launching pad to a Kardashev Type II civilization, or the singularity point. Maybe both.”

“Kardashev…” they hummed for a moment, thinking. “Only humanity would create goals of technological advancement that required destruction on a multi-planetary scale.”

I desperately wanted to object, but strongly suspected they were right. “So we were wrong, again? There are no civilizations out there that would fit what we imagined for a Kardashev I or II race?”

“I will concede to the existence of species that you would consider both. However, it is not how you believe it to be - humanity would never have been able to accomplish it without greater sacrifice than they have ever known.”

Oh boy. “Tell me? I want to understand why other species could do it, but we could not.” My curiosity needed to know.

They held up one of their liw, rocking it back and forth in imitation of a human head tilt. “Species that have managed to harness all of the energy produced by their planet, and not destroy their environments, have historically been those who had very little power to harness to begin with. These civilizations come from either very harsh, or very gentle worlds - never anything in between. Abundant wind energy scouring a planetary desert can greatly benefit a species who can harness that wind to temper it and create a paradise. A planet with no atmosphere, but incredible amounts of geothermal energy runs little risk in being able to direct all of that volcanic activity to its benefit. But Earth?”

“Is a deathworld,” I pointed out. “You said so yourself.”

“This is true, but it is not a deathworld in the way So’Kn is, for example. Preeyar and So’kn are planets that are lethal for very singular reasons: So’Kn is a frozen waste of permanent night and eternal wind. It is so harsh that only So’Knor can truly survive there with without significant technological assistance. Preeyar only has atmosphere in its valleys, and that is thinner than most species can survive, much less the fact that there are no liquids on Preeyar. None. The air pressure is too low to allow it for any chemicals that are naturally occurring, and the atmosphere violently reacts with any elements that could exist in liquid form. It is, in fact, believed that the rift valleys were caused by simply an icy meteor impacting the planet.”

“Ho-lee shit,” I whispered.

“I doubt many cultures would find it holy at all,” they joked drily. “Whereas Earth… There is no one singular quality about Earth that classifies it as a deathworld. Instead, there are several, each stemming from the abundant forms of energy offered by your home world.”

“Seriously!?”

“Indeed. And the combinations thereof. The length of natural disasters that are possible, alone, is unique to Earth. Tornadoes and earthquakes. Flooding and wildfires. Volcanoes and hurricanes. Methane just rising from your lakes to kill large swathes of people. Lakes below your oceans, Wisdom! Volcanoes below your oceans! It is insanity to the entirety of the Galaxy, and yet humans consider that just a normal aspect of existence.”

“And… what exactly does that have to do with being able to harness all the energy of our planet, exactly?” To say I was confused was an understatement.

To their credit, Miys only reached with one vomu to make a ‘nose pinching’ gesture against its head. “Earth, somehow, is only habitable and so abundant in life because everything exists in a precarious balance. Surely, the last two centuries of your own history demonstrated that. Attempting to harness all of the admittedly prodigious energy of your planet would have ended up destroying that balance beyond compare.”

I tried to comprehend it. I really did. Focusing on what little I knew, I thought about dams. Those were familiar to me - I had grown up in an area that dammed every river and creek possible for everything from grain mills and fruit presses, to artificial fish ponds, to electricity. “Starting there…” it was faster not to explain out loud when I knew Miys was following along with the home game, “Damming a river creates a lake. That floods an area that already has a habitat, and dries out another area that already has an aquatic habitat.”

“And prevents floods that fertilize fields and redistribute minerals from erosion, yes.”

“Right. Times every river, creek, and faint trickle on Earth…” I stopped myself. Every river. The Amazon. The Nile. “And we just washed out what’s left of the largest rainforest on Earth.”

“Leaving more carbon in the air…” they encouraged.

“And increasing the greenhouse effect, increasing heat on the surface, melting more ice, which - hey, more wind, amirite? - but changing planetary albedo, more water, wetter Sahara, no dust to fertilize… South America? Dammit, are we back to killing the Amazon again?”

“That is just one form of energy, Wisdom. But I feel you are understanding the issue.”

“Yeahhhh…” I trailed off. “Okay, so. Kardashev I is no bueno tacos for Earth. What if we skipped straight to Kardashev II slash singularity?” I made a point to focus on the concept of technological singularity very hard, so there would be less need for research on their part. You know, spare myself half a minute or so. “The Gestrkt clusters.”

“Closer,” they admitted, although I was suspicious they meant my pronunciation and not the idea that humanity would ever get there. “Humanity is not… suited, for Gestrcht clusters.”

“Wait, what?”

“Humanity is too curious, too social, and too exploratory. Your fiction abounds with every variation of different worlds and strange universes you could possibly conceive of. And it constantly expanded - your oldest texts involve travelling to your moon, and when you actually reached it, you looked further out - other systems, other galaxies, other dimensions. Gestrcht clusters require such substantial resources and maintenance, there is little left over for exploration.”

“There are humans who would be perfectly content living in such a structure,” I argued, although my heart wasn’t in it. I wouldn’t have been, knowing that other worlds were out there.

“Not enough to sustain it, unfortunately. Not even in what you call the Before.” Lightly resting one vomu on my shoulder, they squeezed gently. “Wisdom, humanity has always wanted to see other worlds. Gestrcht clusters are all or nothing.”

“And singularity?” I asked, barely managing a hoarse whisper.

“It is true that there have been some singleton species that have achieved what you term singularity with technology. Fewer have been successful.” When I glanced at them, all six upper appendages were held up in defense. “Hive minds are uniquely suited to it, and even some of us,” they waved those same six appendages at their torso, “would never accept it. I could never imagine not having the chance to travel the galaxy, to be with other races as they experience it. Add to that, humanity is somehow both individual and social. Removing that line, that choice? I doubt your kind would thrive. Postulate this: Derek, in a hive mind.”

“Absolutely not,” came my unhesitating response, disgust and violence trembling in every limb before I calmed myself. “And I see your point. Integrating technology in our lives, into how we function…” I tapped my head for emphasis, “that’s one thing. It makes our lives better, by making sure that Derek, and others, can have their personal space protected.” The more I thought about it… I never considered the idea in reference to ‘now’, only ‘eventually’. What if we did it now, and I was one of the people - suddenly never alone, always connected to every thought of strangers via technology. What if Tyche was? Or Maverick? Hell, Charly? “I think I need a shower, now,” I admitted, skin crawling.

“Humanity could achieve both,” Miys confirmed, although it didn’t feel as reassuring as I had hoped it would at the beginning of our conversation. “But I don’t think humanity would truly want to live in Gestrcht clusters or singularity, given any other choice but extinction.”

Laughing, I wiped a tear from one eye.  It was a bitter truth, but still true. “I think you’re right.”

“I may be wrong,” they countered. “As I said, there are singleton species who have made those transitions and the entire galaxy is better for it.”

“Some hope that we weren’t entirely wrong would be nice right about now,” I mumbled as I scuffed my shoe at the floor. There wasn’t anything to kick except Else-puffs, and that was just mean as fuck.

“Most species that made a transition to Gestrcht clusters early in their development are belligerent, insular species. The fact that they must focus all their efforts and resources on maintaining their platforms prevents them from becoming actively warlike. As far as ‘singularity’... singleton species who thrive in that transition are often species who cannot thrive on a galactic scale otherwise.”

Huh? I craned my neck to try to look up at them in the perpetual-dawn light. “What do you mean?”

Miys flicked a datapad open - one I know they only wore for our sakes, seeing as they could not actually see anything on the purely-optical screen, I had learned. They could only navigate it if interacting with a human, so they could ‘see’ what they needed to tap out.

Needless to say, Charly and Grey had been working for years on one that responded to sonic commands.

Eventually, a seven-fingered flick caused my own databand to chirp. I flicked it open to see the file. “They… Noah, this looks like sentient pollen… or feathers…” Realistically, any description I tried to create fell devastatingly short. The being on my datapad moved as though it was floating on wind, with tens of thousands of filament-fine tendrils swaying and navigating. The sound it created reminded me of the sound of snowfall, if snowflakes could sing opera. “They’re beautiful,” I sniffed, driving back tears at knowing something so breathtaking existed.

“They also cannot survive off their planet, unfortunately. Even the transition out of their atmosphere is lethal to them.”

My heart shattered into a million pieces. “What is their name?”

“No one knows for certain. But they have achieved a sort of singularity - once they have matured and reproduced, they upload themselves at the end of their very brief lifecycles. In the Galactic Community, they are known as Odvub.”

“Odvub…” I whispered, holding out my fingers like I could actually touch the screen.

“Outside of a Hujylsogox rescue ship, it is nearly impossible to avoid encountering Odvub. Most believe they are some sort of galactic artificial intelligence, and they prefer to allow that belief.”

“Why are you telling me this, then?”

“They have permitted it, when these sort of questions are asked. To show what desperation is required for a singleton species to thrive in singularity.”

I sniffed, desperately trying not to cry at their situation. “Do they know about humans?”

“They may be the only species who could not avoid knowing about it. But Odvub believes your people are hearty, and adaptable, and should never suffer their fate. They advised, in the event that your people ever ask about singularity, to do this…” Miys gently cupped my cheek in one liw and patted it, “and tell you that you will never need to resort to what they had to do, and that they look forward to meeting your people one day.”

“Obviously not face to face,” I admitted quietly. “I have allergens that are more substantial than they are.”

“It is considered a great honor in the Galactic Community for this icon to display when  you interact with Odvub.” Miys gestured at the vicinity of the image on my datapad. “Only those who know why, know why it is an honor.”

“We’ll take it,” I laughed, tears streaming down my cheeks. “All of humanity may never know why, but we’ll take it. If I may tell Arthur, we probably will know why.” He would see to it. Loudly, angrily, derisive of anyone who mocked it. “Regardless, we’ll take it, all the same.”

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[daddywanken0bi]

Armor

word count: 1.7k

author: Allie

warnings: female reader, but none other than that. it’s fluffy :)

a/n: oh my gosh it’s been so long. Jess and I have been working like crazy this semester, but we’re finally on break. And this one, for some reason, took forever to write. I still don’t think it’s perfect, but I don’t want to keep y’all waiting any longer. 

Obi Wan x Mandalorian!reader

requested by @the-mandalorian-clone-lover​

Armor

Your armor didn’t used to feel this heavy.

It was designed to be light weight, flexible and silent in combat. It was precisely tailored to your body with chrome plating and acute edges. It used to be something you relied on and trusted to protect your most vital organs. But now, as the red paint chipped to reveal the true blue underneath, it only felt like a burden, a customized reminder of a distantly past life. You probably offended someone wearing it still, but you didn’t really care at this point. The menacing helmet was enough to prevent people from approaching you - that was the last thing you needed.

So you kept it, wore it with some sort of false pride that was more akin to stubbornness than anything else. If you were honest with yourself, you’d acknowledge the comfort it provided - a shield that prevented you from facing the Galaxy and coming to terms with your past. But life as a bounty hunter was far from honest, and you were good at your job.

Your armor hung especially low on your shoulders as you landed back on Coruscant. The target you’d been hunting for a week slipped through your fingers again. Every time you thought you had them, the bastard squirmed out of your grasp. And to add insult to injury, a colleague (to put it politely) captured the shmuck just as you were about to close in. Dejected and bitter, you returned to the city planet with very little of your pride intact.

However, as soon your boots hit the pavement, all of the tension released from your shoulders. You exhaled and tilted your gaze to the magnificent temple piercing the horizon. Beneath your chest plate, your heart reached for your lover that resided there. It wouldn’t be long until he found you, you knew, as the Force drew him to you like a moth to a flame. You shook your head, and beneath your helmet, a smile tugged at your lips.

The thought of reuniting with his sapphire eyes kept your shoulders square as you traipsed through the muddy streets. You surveyed its inhabitants, noting how any of them could be your next target. On your left, an elderly man played the ommni box, his hat on the ground for credits. On some strange level, you empathized with him: you both resorted to your talents to make a living. To your right, a couple stumbled out of a bar, giggling and collapsing on top of one another. Acidic jealousy bubbled in your stomach as you watched, but shame quickly suppressed it. It was unfair of you to be envious. Loving a Jedi was difficult, but you knew you were just as difficult to love, if not more.  

You shook your head and his eyes flashed in your mind once more. You smiled again at the reminder, and  the old man and the couple disintegrated back into the hustle and bustle. You kept your head high for the final few blocks that separated you from your building, but as soon as the elevator doors sealed behind you, you slumped against the wall. You sighed as you peeled off your helmet, grateful to release some of the weight. The hum of the lift was lulling and you hardly fought the closing of your eyelids. But the hiss of the lift doors opening reminded you that you weren’t at your apartment yet, so you heaved yourself off the wall. You could barely keep your eyes open as you made your way down the hallway. All you could think about was how wonderful your bed would feel as soon as you got the door open...if only you could get the door open.

“Are you having trouble with your key code, dear one?”

Your eyes few wide.

You swung your head, and sure enough, your lover stood, propped against the wall with his arms crossed deliciously over his chest. A smiled played on his beautiful lips a you registered him there - just as you predicted.

“Obi Wan,” You crossed to him in two steps and all but collapsed into his arms. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, not too long.” He whispered into your dirty hair, his smile evident in his voice. You released him, eager to see that smile with your own eyes. He nearly took your breath away. Wow, was he remarkable.

You returned to your door, finally energized enough to tap in the (correct) code. You reached for him with your free hand (your helmet tucked under the other), a silent gesture for him to follow you inside. He did, and he watched as you discarded your helmet and made a b-line for the kitchen. You reached for the kettle.

“It’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” Obi Wan said as he leaned against the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest, restrained excitement bubbling in his eyes. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t posses the same look. You focused back in the kettle.

“I nearly had him, you know.”

“I believe you.”

“If only that stupid patron didn’t spill their drink and make an entire scene-“

“You must be exhausted,” You hadn’t noticed his proximity until he slipped his hand under yours, taking it off the stove ignition. You peered up him.

“No more than usual,” You chuckled.

“Lets get this armor off you.”

“Obi Wan-“

“Come.”

You knew better than to argue with him. So you followed as he lead you out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into your bedroom. He dropped your hand and crossed to pull fresh clothes from your dresser. You took to opportunity to start loosening the clasps on your chest plate.

“Please,” Obi Wan took your hands again as soon as he noticed. “Let me.”

Resigning, you let your hands fall to your sides. He resumed your previous chore, gentle and patient as ever. He unbuckled the last clasp and mumbled a small “up,” urging you to lift your arms so he could pull the armor over your head. He then moved to the metal on your arms, unhinging their grasp on your biceps and forearms. He finished with your gloves - he placed a soft kiss to each palm as they were revealed.

“Sit.” He nodded towards the bed and you did as he asked. He knelt before you and began unlacing your boots. He pulled each one off, massaging your toes before removing your socks. He worked next on your shin guards, then pulled you up to stand once they were shed. He remained kneeling, peeling the last bits of armor protecting your legs to the floor. You stepped out of them, and Obi Wan gathered the discarded pieces and placed them into the drawers of your dresser.

You just admired him, joy radiating from your bones as he moved so gracefully around your room.

“Do you need help changing your clothes, too?” He teased. “I thought you would be capable of doing that yourself?” You giggled.

“I’m just so tired, Obi Wan. Would you please assist me?” You feigned, biting back a grin. His eyes rolled to the side, but his laugh gave him away.

“You’re lucky you’re beautiful.” He reached for zipper down the front of your bodysuit.

“That’s the only reason you love me-” As he pulled it down your shoulders, “-my appearance.” He pursed his lips.

“Oh no, darling.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek, “I love your wit,” a kiss to your jaw, “Your humor,” to your shoulder, “Your no-nonsense attitude,” your collar bone, “Your strength,” the center of your chest, “Your flaws,” your chin…

“You,” He hovered just above your lips, “in entirety.”

You gazed at him, pure adoration in his eyes. You traced his cheekbone with your fingertips and kissed him with all the love you had to give. For he was the only thing in the galaxy that gave you purpose anymore, the least you could do was love him in return.

You drew away from him for breath, he rested his forehead on yours. You forgot for a moment that you were half dressed, until a draft shivered up your arms. Obi Wan noticed, and reached for the clean shirt he pulled out earlier. He pulled it over your head, blissful smiles permanent on both of your faces. You peeled the rest of your body suit off your legs, and replaced it with fresh lounge pants.

“There.” Obi Wan sighed, content, “Better?”

“Much.” You smiled. “Now it’s your turn, Master General.”

“Sweetheart, I’m alri-“

“It’s simply unfair that I stand so unprotected in front of you.” You placed your hands on his shoulder pads. You raised your eyebrow, and repeated the same phrase , “Let me?”

He didn’t protest, he only chuckled and nodded encouragingly. You mirrored his previous actions - drawing his chest plate over his head, unclasping his arm guards, and pulling his gloves. However, you placed a kiss to his knuckles instead of his palm. He wore significantly less armor than you, so you were done much faster than he was, but you wanted to savor the moment as he did. You caressed the linen hugging his chest, grateful to feel him near you again. You ghosted your lips at the crest of his collar bone, the small glimpse of him his robes provided.

Obi Wan lifted your chin with his finger, an endearing gesture that always sent butterflies to your stomach - this he knew. You melted into him, closed your eyes, rendered yourself completely vulnerable.

“So beautiful…” He murmured, barely audible. You leaned closer to him, expecting to feel the weight of his lips on yours-

A scream rang through the apartment. You relaxed after you realized it was only the obnoxious screech of the kettle echoing from the kitchen. The moment with your love now absolutely butchered, your head fell onto his chest, laughs and giggles spilling from both of your lips. Your head tilted back up at him.

“Care for a cup of tea?”

He grabbed your cheeks and smacked a sloppy, playful kiss to your lips.

“Absolutely!”

Wiping the kiss from your mouth and stumbling with laughter, you followed Obi Wan out of the bed room, your lost bounty forgotten with your discarded armor.

[mizunetzu]

hey mark uhhh suck my dick that’s the request

no HAHAHA but I’m sure Iida will do it innnn *drum roll*

——————

Iida x reader - Iida Tenya’s Imaginary Boyfriend (pt.2)

⚠️warnings - none

Pronouns - male, he/him

Part one can be found here! 

The true ending can be found here! (Pt.3)

——————

“Alright,” Kaitekina flipped open her sketchbook, setting it back down on the easel. “Who’s going to describe something to me?”

Everyone gestured at Iida.

“I apologize once more,” Iida scrunched up his fists in his lap. “I do not wish to-“

“C’mon, Iida!” Uraraka grasped onto the sleeve of Iida’s school blazer. “You’ve been sulking for a month about this ‘(L/n)-kun’ guy! You need some sort of comfort! Or better yet-closure!”

“I am completely fine! In fact, I see him every night, and that is enough for me! Now, I do not wish to be here, and I have nothing to describe!”

Everyone fell silent. Uraraka voice was barely above a whisper. “Every night..?”

Iida sat back down, bowing slightly in apology for yelling. He said nothing. Todoroki looked down, before looking at Iida.

“If you do this one thing, we’ll let you go and we’ll never speak about it again. Just this once and we’ll leave it at that.”

Iida thought for a moment. He absentmindedly picked at the metal frame of his watch with his thumb and forefinger. Just this once couldn’t hurt. How accurate can a drawing be?

“Fine.” Iida visibly relaxed. “Just this once.”

———

“So, are you describing a boy or a girl today?”

Kaitekina’s voice was smooth like butter. Her eyes, once a chocolate brown, delved pink, bright and demanding. It was probably a side effect to her quirk activating.

Iida’s lips turned up into the faintest of smiles. A sheepish one. “I’m describing my boyfriend...”

Uraraka and Midoryia choked back a shocked gasp, while Todoroki simply raised his eyebrows. Nonetheless, they gawked at Iida like he was crazy.

Kaitekina cooed. “D’aww...how long have you two been dating?”

“Almost 5 months now.” Iida seemed more calm than before. You could almost say he was happy finally talking about his baggage. He rubbed his thumb across the glass of his watch discreetly. Kaitekina looked away from her sketch to eye the dull red watch contained under Iida’s blazer.

“What’s that red thing you keep touching under your jacket? Is that a watch?”

Iida sat quiet for a moment, before pulling up his sleeve and raising his arm. There revealed a dirty, cheap red watch, cloudy but functional. He tugged at the strap, watching as it unraveled and tumbled down onto his lap.

“It was something my boyfriend wore everyday. He wore it everyday since the start of the school year. He said he’d always cherish it, so I’m...cherishing it for him.”

“This isn’t the original one he owned though, that one...disappeared. I bought this one to keep with me where ever I go.”

The woman hummed, taking note of something on a sticky note stuck to the edge of her easel. It was most likely details to add or emphasize in the portrait.

“Can you tell me like-the shape of his face?”

“Angelic.”

Iida didn’t say anything else after that. Kaitekina waited for him to go on.

“Oh-forgive me. Round face, and his hair was a (h/c)-ish shade. It was always kept rather short/long.”

“You keep saying ‘was’. Is he no longer with us?”

Iida narrowed his eyes. Uraraka, Midoryia, and Todoroki eagerly awaited his answer, not-so-subtly staring him down. “It’s...it’s difficult to explain. But in simpler terms, he isn’t here with me anymore. Or he never was. I cannot seem to tell anymore.”

Those last parts came out as a whisper. More like he was saying it to himself, rather than to the sketch artist infront of him.

“I’m...sorry.” Kaitekina stopped drawing for a second to offer her condolences. Iida shrugged.

“...I am too.”

“Um-can you describe his eyes for me?”

“It was a bright (e/c)-color.” Iida limply held up his arm, before letting it drop back down on his lap. “They were always kind of squinted, like he was always so carefree. It was one of the things I never understood about him. Beautiful, (e/c) eyes that would stare up at me like I was the world.”

She made a noise of acknowledgement, grabbing (h/c) and (e/c) pastels scattered across her desk. Scribbling down details with her hazey glowing eyes scanning the paper, she looked up again at Iida. “What about his smile-what did it look like when he was smiling?”

“I believe it was his default expression. His lips were on the thinner/thicker side, though he kept telling me he wanted them to be a bit thicker/thinner. And-they were always chapped. I always told him to put on chapstick.” Iida chuckled.

“If you had to choose one thing-and I know it’s hard, but what would you say you miss the most about him?”

Iida fell silent. He stared down at his fingers, halting temporarily. He opened his mouth numerous times to speak, but each time, no words came out.

“His ability to make me smile.”

He said nothing else. Kaitekina inhaled to speak, but let her mouth fall closed, focusing on her drawing once more.

“Can you tell me about him while I finish up?”

Iida nodded. Midoryia, Todoroki, and Uraraka turned towards him, waiting patiently. This was what they were waiting for.

Iida pushed his glasses up with his forefinger. “His name was (L/n)-kun. He went to our school, and actually sat next to me in class-but apparently no one...seemed to remember him. It’s like he disappeared. That, or my delusions delved to the point where I hallucinated a whole five-month relationship with a boy I see every night in my dreams. It’s made me look forward to going to bed. It’s the only thing I want to do these days.”

Iida thought for a moment, before continuing. “He was good friends with these 3 next to me. But they don’t seem to remember him either.”

“It’s alright, though. I’ve grown used to it. I’ll see him again tonight and I can live on with these memories alone.”

A heavy silence filled the small studio. Midoryia contemplated setting a hand on Iidas shoulder, but as he was about to, Kaitekina clasped her hands together.

“So, I believe I’m done. I hope I was able to capture at least a small part of this person you had such an amazing relationship with.” She picked up her sketchbook, walking around her desk towards the 4 kids seated on the couch. “Are you ready to see it?”

Part of Iida didn’t want to look at it. All of his logical beliefs told him people were giving this woman and her quirk too much credit. Besides, how could she possibly know what mountain of complexity (Y/n) held, and capture it into an unworthy piece of fine-tooth paper?

He nodded anyways. She flipped her book around, holding up the displayed page in the sunlight streaming through the window.

“This is what you described to me.”

There stood a charcoal sketch of a beautiful boy, smiling so gently and earnestly. His hand was resting again set his neck and shoulder, a dull red watch strapped tightly to his wrist. There were features Iida swore he never mentioned, like the crease near his left eye, or the dimple that lay just under his cheekbone.

What captured his attention most, was his eyes. It was only pastel, but it shone and demanded attention, even if his eyes were in his usual half-lidded stance. Bright, (e/c), gemstone eyes that Iida fell in love with. Honestly, he could gaze at this picture forever.

This was him. This was his (Y/n).

Uraraka gasped. “Ahhhh! Wow! It looks really good! Ne, is this accura...Iida? You alright..?” Midoryia and Todoroki tore their eyes off the illustration to check out what Uraraka was talking about.

Iida was staring, eyes slightly wide, at the drawing. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it; he didn’t want to. The drawing was more accurate than he’d like to admit. It was as if he was staring at (Y/n) himself.

He didn’t know tears were steaming down his face, until he felt small drops of water pelt down onto his lap. He removed his glasses shakily and wiped his eyes, doing his best not to take his eyes off the sketchbook.

“It’s-“ Iida’s voice cracked along with the seam of his heart. “It’s very accurate, you should be proud of the business you own, Miss.”

———

The stagnant air followed the UA students out of the building. Iida was stiffly walking straight ahead, doing his best not to look at the paper of (Y/n) folded in his pocket.

“Ne, Iida,” Iida hadn’t realized he was walking so far ahead until Uraraka had to jog up to him, followed by Midoryia and Todoroki. He hummed in acknowledgment.

“Do you feel better?”

There were two answers to this question. Yes and slowly but surely, yes. He was feeling better in the sense that he no longer had the urge to cry into his bedsheets, holding the piece of sketchbook paper firmly to his chest. He lost his dignity, and he found it again.

He was also feeling better in the sense that he finally got some sort of closure. Maybe this person isn’t real. And it’s ok. He has some sort of proof of his imaginary ‘friend’ that he can gaze at forever, instead of pitifully checking his wristwatch every 5 minutes, wishing it would go faster just so he wouldn’t accidentally forget how his face looked like.

It wasn’t healthy living day by day, waiting to fall asleep just so he could feel something again. A self imagined kiss on the cheek or just plain rest. He was willing to move on from that. It was time to start the ‘healing’ process. The drip finally stopped.

And he knew that if he got tired, if he was sad, or just needing some assistance, (Y/n) would be there waiting for him with open arms, welcoming him into his imaginary world again.

Though, he wasn’t sure if he really needed that right now.

He loosened the cheap red watch from his wrist, his head suddenly feeling empty and light.

“I’m feeling better. Thank you.”

——————

This is how this story really ends. Though, even I didn’t like it HAHAHA so I made a “true ending”. A sweeter ending without the bitter if u must LMAOO

[dannyphantom-rewrite]

Character ref for; Jack, Maddie and Jazz,

Art by @gally-hin / @gally-hin-phantom

Okay so first off; in terms of Actual redesign, I didn't change a whole lot. I'm actually very fond of Jack and Maddie's design's, my only real issue was with their proportions. Like...look as a lady person who is also thiCC I do not have a fucking wasp thin waist and I'm sure I'm not the only one, lmao. As for Jack? Godamnit he looked like a brick on toothpicks. Just Let him be a fucking Bara man! Anyway of course I asked Gally to do this one bc they're fucking great at drawing different body types

I also cannot and will not take credit for Jazz's outfit. I didn't have any issue with her canon clothes aside from them being a bit plain, so what she's wearing here was literally pulled straight off of her original concept art, which I will link here.

Anyway, getting to the Actual character lore now, let's start with

Maddie Fenton

-Full name is Madeline (I haven't decided on a maiden name yet)

-Born and raised on a farm in Arkansas, had a southern accent that she trained herself out of in college bc it was just one more reason for people not to take her seriously. Still sometimes uses "y'all" completely unironically bc old habits die hard.

-She has a really big family, and they're proud of her accomplishments but feel like she's wasting her talent studying ghosts, because really, up until the Fenton portal was up and running there wasn't even any solid proof they existed. Her sister Alicia is the one outlier there, and even if she doesn't understand, it she completely supports her.

-She majored in engineering and minored in psychology at Wisconsin EDU. Her, Jack and Vlad were all in the same engineering class, and that's where they met.

-Maddie is particularly interested in how ghosts think, analysing their behavior, their motives. Not only that, but they aren't just dead people with unfinished business, they've built an entire culture in the Ghost Zone that is completely seperate from humanity, and she wants to understand all of it.

-skilled marksman and 9th degree black belt, (which is. The highest fucking level there is holy shit? I looked it up after I saw it on her wiki page.)

Jack Fenton

-He's from Minnesota (Amity park is in Illinois and him and Maddie didn't move there until after they got married) 

-okay, "but why minnesota specifically" you ask? Because. I crave. Foot ball discourse. 

-minnesota vikings vs green bay packers guys do you UNDERSTAND WHERE IM GOING WITH THIS 

-The funny thing is that Jack only watches football casually while Vlad is a fucking die hard so when these two got together to see a game it was like....

-Jack: Here to chill and have a good time.

-Vlad: Primed and ready to start a fist fight at any given moment.

-I am never not going to be salty about how Canon Jack was portrayed like a complete moron 99% percent of the time. Like no...theres a difference between Actual Stupid and ADHD induced dumbass-ery.

-Am I saying Jack Fenton has ADHD? Yes. why? Because I also have ADHD and I have always vibed So Hard with his Character.

-Jack is loud and easily excited about things that interest him. He's impulsive and fidgety and yeah, a bit absent minded. He has a mouth that clearly runs so much faster than his head. His train of thought doesn't get derailed so much as it stops and takes several different detours on the way to it's final destination.

-and that's only the tip of the iceberg, really, I'd need an entire essay to get into this completely, but I just really relate.

-Jacks skill-set / interests regarding ghosts vary a bit from Maddie's, most notably in the sense that he doesn't believe that they're static entities already set in their ways, completely incapable of change.

-Jack majored in engineering and minored in Biology at Wisconsin EDU.

-Jack's work with tech is a bit hit or miss. He definitely HAS the engineering skills, but the intrest isn't always there and he's constantly jumping back and forth between different projects. He tends to focus on the concept work and schematics and leave most of the assembly to Maddie as a result. It's an arrangement that works well for them, and has drastically decreased the number of unintentional explosions in the lab.

-A lot of Jack's work tends to revolve around ghostly biology and Ectoplasm, figuring out how ghosts are made, what makes them tick, what the hell Ectoplasm Actually Is, how it's used as an energy source, ect.

-and yes, that does also mean he handles the dissections.

-See that facial scar? Yeah, that's not actually there at the start of the series rewrite but it's very important for plot reasons so I had to include it. Can't say much more on the subject because SPOILERs owo.

Jasmine Fenton

-Jazz is a 18 years old, and a senior at Casper high.

-Which means she prepping to go away to college and won't be around to keep an eye on Danny.

-Obviously that doesn't mean I'm just writing her out of the story, oh no. Know why? Because she's also gonna go to Wisconsin EDU. ya know who else is in Wisconsin? Fuckin' Vlad.

-Jazz is autistic, Although she passes for neurotypical in part due to symptoms being completely over looked in girls due to gender stereotyping and also the fact that she doesn't have any special interests that are considered " "too weird.""

- Her hyperfixation with psychology started at a young age in an effort to better understand people, and social/emotional cues and all that.

-Jazz is well liked at school but she's not popular or apart of any specific group or clique. She's very kind and compassionate to people, and just about everyone knows her, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who actually Considered her a friend. Except maybe Spike.

-I'm gonna have to give spike his own Character ref at some point, but he's this scary looking goth kid that's been held back twice. He's actually super sweet, just really fuckin' quiet and anxious. Him and jazz kinda ended up gravitating towards each other. She might do most of the talking, but they look out for each other.

-its not like jazz doesn't try to socialize, but it's difficult and she's found it much easier and less stressful to just. Keep to herself and let her interactions with her peers stay shallow and superficial. Sure, it's lonely sometimes but it's better than constantly worrying about saying the wrong thing or making some other misstep.

-One of Jazz's other special interests is football, and it's not so much the players or the game as it is the strategy of it? Started out as one of those things you do to bond with your dad, and she ended up getting really into it.

-She absolutley winds up getting into stupidly intense discussions with Vlad about it, too, lmao.

-Her and Danny probably bonded over SBNation bc that shit has both sentient satellites and ridiculously complex football mechanics.

-She's completely oblivious to the fact, but Dash has a massive crush on her bc holy shit this girl understands football (hey bud your toxic masculinity is showing put that shit away)

-I mentioned that Danny was in Cheer for a bit in middle school so it makes sense that she'd also be pushed into doing some kind of extracurricular activity.....so.....she was in a martial arts class for a bit thanks to Maddie and has a good grasp on self defense.

I think that's everything? I feel like I'm leaving things out tho? Idk if I did I'll come back and add on to this later and also pls don't hesitate to ask questions bc it really helps me flesh things out better.

[jennsmischievousmind]

Vhekadla

Vhekadla : Sandy 

Pairing: Mando x mirialan!reader 

Word count: 4.782

Warnings: Exile, reader not good with kids, mild swearing, slight angst, self-medication (needles (once)) 

Summary: Peli needs components for the failing vaporator in Hangar-2, you are meant to go the moisture farm to get them. But a renown bounty hunter lands in Hangar-3.  

A/N:  Some references to the OG trilogy and the following one. Can’t wait to see how many you find. Let me know. 

I tried not to use any gender for reader (I’m still learning about it) Text in italic = reader’s internal thoughts English is not my native language, I’m trying to get better at it, please be indulgent. 

It was fun to reconnect with the lovely Star Wars nerd in me. 

“A Mirialan would place a unique, often geometrically repeated tattoo on their face and hands to signify that they had completed a certain test or task, or achieved sufficient aptitude for a certain skill. The number of tattoos would thus often act as a good indicator of how mature and/or skilled a Mirialan was.”

You heard Peli calling out from the hangar, jumping down the reactor you were working on, you step on hangar 3′s threshold. Glancing through your fingers’ shielding the sun, as the pre-Imp beat up vessel lands in Hangar 3. You rolled down your sleeves as Peli look back at you.

“He doesn’t really like droids, so you’ll have to step-in.” stopping next to her you nodded, readjusting your tool belt.

Working for Peli you thought you'd seen everything in terms of species. Until the vessel's ramp lower down with a hiss, a shiny Mandalorian walking out.

Your eyes went to Peli and the approaching bounty hunter as she made her way to him grinning, awaiting for him to give her something. The tall, beskar clad individual gave a small green creature to Peli whom started to coo at it. Weird.

“Glad you decided to keep him.” She waved a finger your way giving you the go-to.

Treading to the gunship, the T shape visor of the Mandalorian followed your form, you didn’t pay much attention to it, hunters could be precious about their engines.

Plugging your datapad in the cargo bay panel you ran a quick diagnostic, looking around the ship while waiting, the hull was oddly neat you noted. The Datapad biped loudly, detailing the ships problems. This old thing was still flying, how, who knew.

“What’s with the Mirialan?"

“What can I tell? I’m going soft! Coz of your womp rat for sure.” He said nothing waiting for her to continue

“They needed the job, no questions ask. But don’t ask about the tattoos, they can be moody,”

“I heard that,” you strolled down the left telescopic gate, heading for the front repulsorlfits.

Why were they talking about you? Do they know each other much? Why a bounty hunter was carrying a child-like thing.

Stepping into the cockpit, you refrained on sitting on the pilot seat, you always felt that pilot seats were as intimate as beds. The Datapad ran a new diag, you eye the control panel, tilting your head seeing something was missing.

The Mandalorian stood tall before Peli “I have things to do!”

Peli waved him off “Yeaah go hunt, we’ll fix your ship in the meantime,”

After a few hours, drenched in sweat and sticky black goo on your hands you finally ease yourself in the cockpit “That should be good, punch it!” you yelled to the 3 pit-droids outside. After hearing the droids tripped on each other, they activated the engine, launching the hyperdrive for a last test.

The Mandalorian made his way back in the hangar just in time to see you hopping down the cargo ladder, sweeping your greasy hands on your overalls.

He couldn’t help but noticed the tattoos showing at your wrists as your sleeves had rolled up.

“This is not going to be a recurrent thing.” You heard the Mandalorian say, clearly annoyed. Approaching them, you could feel the Mandalorian was tense, Peli took the datapad you handed her, you tried your best no to stare at the broad shoulders at your right.

Finally noticing him, and his T-visor staring at your wrists, you swiftly turned around and brushed the sleeves back down; “She’s up to fly. The hyperdrive is as brain new, we made a few check-ups on the engines since they were coughing a bit,” you rounded a crate, looking back at him, your sleeves now attached to your fingers, “and the lights are back on!” you index pointed to the lamp on the ceiling.

_

“You’ll want a price cut, as I can see here,”

You glanced at the visor for a second, what did Peli ask him to do? “Fine,” he sighed.

“Go to the moisture farm and get my parts,” she patted at his pauldron, “you’ll be his guide.“ you were so engrossed in Peli’s friendliness with the bounty huinter that it didn’t click immediatly. Until it did. 

“Hold on, what?” voice rising a notch “I told you I’d go,.. alone!” you argued

“With all the recent things happening in this forsaken desert, I’d rather not send you alone.”

Stepping closer to Peli, your back to the Mandalorian, you stared at her, she stared back, not having it. She knew you could take down a Gamorrean if needed.

“Boss, …”

“For Force’s sake don’t argue with me,” She shooed you away, you knew she wouldn’t let go.

“You still have that speeder bike?” his modulated voice rang in your back as you made your way to the fresher to clean yourself up.

Peli snarled  “I’m gonna start renting it.” 

                                               **

Waiting near the speeder bike, Peli handed you the credits to pay for the binary brain unit and humidity sensor, she needed it for the vaporator in H-2. The moisture farm you were heading to had the parts since they owned the same vaporators.

“You can trust him,” she nudged her jaw to the approaching Mandalorian.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” 

“He’s like family, call him Mando,” you rolled your eyes at her teasing tone. Peli wouldn’t leave the city walls since the Empire fell, so obviously it became your task to get the parts or hardware from out of the walls. Before that she’d lost a few droids in the desert. 

The Mandalorian rounded the speeder, securing a bag on the right side, a green little head popped out of it.

“I don’t think ‘it’ should come, if we encounter any bandits or raiders.”

The thing looked at the his keeper “Don’t worry about that, he’s seen worse.”

You turned to Peli, eyes widenned and flailing hands. She shrugged her famous grin on. Head lolling back and squeezing your eyes shut you let out a sigh then swiveled to him. “I drive, you shoot?” you ask adjusting your scarf around your mouth and nose.

“What?” he genuinely asked. Shaking your head amused you nod your head to the main seat for him to take. It'll be easier to hold him than him hold you.

Straddling the speeder you felt tiny behind him, the beskar was cold even under the twins suns, a gurgle took your attention off the reflecting beskar in front of you. Wrinkled critter.

Keeping a grip on Mando’s side you check the Holo map as the speeder bike hovered at its fastest speed. Gesturing at Mando to indicate the path, the moisture farm would be visible in a few visvia. A glare caught your eye a second too late, you flew from the speeder, crashing hard against the burning sand. Between your grunts and those of the Mandalorian you heard Tusken Raiders' howls.

Groaning you hold your ribs rolling on your good side “Freaking dehydrated Raiders!” The little green being was confused a meter from you, sadly sat on the sand. “Mando, your .. kid,” his broad shadow came into view, soon scooping the child.

Finger at the trigger you look up at the cliffs “Thought you were friends with them!” 

The Mandalorian was trying to salvage the speeder bike while you looked at the map for a safer and faster path, still eyeing the cliffs now and then. “Don’t bother, engine’s burnt.” Greeny made a worried sound.  

“The tuskens, they are the shoot first, ask question later kind of people,” he posted himself on your right, you glanced at him stealthily. Even without seeing his face, his demeanour showed he was pissed off.

“You both have something in common,” you sheath your blaster in the small of the back holster.

“What?” you sensed it took it the wrong way, so quickly clarified “Showing skin is not allowed,”

“Just as your not allowed to show your tattoos!” he riled back.

Your head jerked back, you were not expecting the backlash. You stalked past him, “We should go, the farm ain’t far!” putting as much distance between you and the bounty hunter. 

The Mandalorian regretted his words as soon as they came out. He surely was the last one to have a say about others’ customs and beliefs. Your behavior somehow disarmed him, he didn't know how to act anymore.

                                            **

The suns were getting low in your back, you thank the maker your body was acclimated for dry lands. The hair at your nape rose in a instant, you looked back at the horizon standstill for a few seconds.

"We must take shelter," you whispered. The green critter tilted his head to you followed by his Mandalorian whom picked up your words through his enhanced helmet.

"Sandstorm!" you ran past him, heading for the rocks ahead.

Pulling your large scarf around your face, the Mandalorian was hot on your tail, you realized you wouldn’t like to be one of his bounty, his impressive broadness and the heavy beskar made you shivered. Sliding between two big rocks, you fumbled with your water jug, quickly wetting your scarf around your mouth. The Mandalorian soon joined you with a distorted groan, the baby oddly excitied about the run out was babbling.

"Here," you wet a rag you kept in your rucksack handing it to to him. "It’ll need it," taking the rag from your hand he gently folded it and wrapped the child’s mouth and pointy ears. A gust of hard wind and sand hit the rocks, the light disappearing instantly you found yourself enveloped in a dusty copper shadow. Clenching your eyes shut, your hands immediately went to the child's eyes. You felt his little hands holding onto yours. It’s not a game you thought. The sand was hard on the few uncovered patches of skin on your face, but it soon stopped. You could still hear the wind, the sand rattling the rocks but you couldn't feel it anymore. Opening your eyes carefully, your head jerked back. Beskar. The T visor of his helmet was staring at you. Looking up you saw his arm holding his cape around you three. Your hand unconsciously slowly slipped from the child's eyes. Your reflection was staring at you with wide eyes, its closeness made you uneasy yet not unwelcomed, as the kid was still holding your fingers, this one whined.

“It won’t take long,” Mando spoke, his head dropping to the green child. Adverting your eyes from his visor you scolded yourself, and your increasing heartbeat. 

His eyes were trained on your geometrical tattoos adorning your delicate face, he didn’t expect to lost himself in your eyes as you opened them. His gut twisted when you moved back with a start.

Few minutes later you were dusting sands from your hair and clothes “We should be at the farm in a bit,”

He nodded "I hope they have a speeder to lend us there,”

That yes, coz I won't make it back by walking. I'm no bantha

Both of you let out a relieved sigh when the farm appeared in the horizon. Bhindi Kayle welcomed you in the abode, the farm was practically empty, all the workers were home or in town, only an old man sat at the far end of a bench. Bhindi Kayle was an old aquaintance of Peli, he cut you off as soon as you started talking, he stood before you oddly trying to assert a sort of dominance, he’d never been like that. 

 "Yeah Peli send us a hologram earlier this week,” Mando's chest heaved as soon as the farmer interrupted you. “Didn't expect a Mandalorian to work for her,"

Aaah, a men’s ego.

The kid babbled a confused note, "I'm not working for Motto," Mando stated, galled.

"The Mandalorian is ... here for protection, somehow." The child looked at you from the satchel on Mando's hip. 

The old man rumbled from the corner, "A mirialan, a Mandalorian and a ... whatever that is ... roaming around Tatooine, what a sight." 

"Ah don't listen to him, he lost his mind since the Lars’ farm got burned down,” Bhindi leaned in whispering ”inhaled too much smoke while trying to raid the place."

Negotiating the parts’ price was not in the deal but knowing Peli wasn’t here, Bhindi tried. Yeah tried, not for nothing Peli Motto took you in, you were as stubborn as a falumpaset, gosh you missed Naboo.

"Do you have a speeder?” Mando asked his tone becoming a bit hesitant “Ours ... blown off on the way," your refrained a smirk.

 "Well, we have swoops but you'll be back to Peli in days at that speed." You followed him through the pit to the garage. Eyes skimming the messy place, looked like a junkyard, the green kid was touching everything, you lose your footing on a piece of scrap while looking at it, firm gloved hands propped you up by the shoulders without a word. Embarrassment filed you as Mando’s hands left your shoulders with hesitation.

"Are those... pieces of a Bantha-II cargo skiff?" You stepped onto the old railing, trying to distract yourself from the burning feel of his touch. "Where did you get that?"

 "That old rusty thing? We found it a few years back. The Hutts might have abandoned it, thankfully for us the Jawas were late on this one." Bhindi rummaged through a bunch of metal "We keep some engines we found for the parts, just in case. Ah!"

He proudly showed his finding. You heard the Mandalorian groaned behind you.

"Might be cramp on it with the two of you, but it can do."

Mando was not amused "A skimboard?" his hands reached his hips, he stood there staring at Bhindi. Stepping down the railing, a light smile spread on your lips. 

"I'm good with it," you grabbed the board "you fly, I use the skimboard," his bucket head turned to you, the heavy silence coming from the Beskar clad man had Bhindi lose his tough demeanour, but had you amused.

"Hum, I can probably find an old speeder bike," The Mandalorian nodded at the farmer. 

Inspecting the slick metal, your hand dusted off the sand of off it "How much for it?"

"25 alliance credits will do," he shrugged.  "Deal," Bhindi hurried away in the back of the garage.

“I’ll be back in a minute,”stepping out the junkyard, you head for the hydroponic garden. 

The sand had crawled under your layers, it soon became itchy and abrasive. Stripping down your top layers, you stayed in your dark undershirt. Vigorously dusting off your copper colored top and black hood, the dusts particles shining under the sun rays. Cupping water in your hands, your let the fresh water ran down your tattooed arms. Cold water on your face never felt so good, even after hours working on a spaceship it wasn’t as satisfying.

“Khayle found us a landspeeder” you gasped at his voice, holding your arms around you and turning your back to him; Mando became even more silent than usual. The tattoos on your arms and body were not to be seen by everyone, it wasn’t as strict as Mandalorian’s creed or the Tuskens but still, you were meant to choose the few who would see them. The one on your face were your achievement, your proudness, you could show them. But those on your body were more personal, promises to your species, and to yourself. Since the farm was empty you thought it would be safe to undress, apparently not.

Mando paused, he wasn’t expecting that, seeing the tattoos on your wrists earlier he thought that was it but seeing your inked arms and shoulders blades he felt pulled by curiosity but as soon as he saw you flinched and tried to hide your arms, he turned away. 

He walked out, not saying a word, thinking about what he said earlier. Peli did warn him. Feeling your rushed breathing haven out, and the thundering sound of your bloodstream into your ears fading you reached for your copper long sleeve top. As you tried to snatch it you felt a resistance, the child, coming to you his little claws up to touch your arms. Big dark eyes staring at you, oddly similar to the dark visor of his keeper. Feeling that pull deep inside, you frowned putting your hood on and grabbing the child, holding it bunglingly, he kept looking at you.

“You forgot something.” You gently shoved him the child, then rounded the landspeeder.

Bhindi casually leaned on the abode “You should stay for the night, Raiders thrive at night.”

Mando watched you sit at the driver’s seat, your hood hiding your expression. “We’ll be fine,” he answered not sparing a glance at Bhindi. The child fell asleep an hour after leaving the moisture farm that’s when Mando decided to talk. 

“If I’d known ...” you stayed silent “Did I endanger your faith or beliefs?” he asked seriously concerned.

“Mirialans, we …” you scoffed “I’ll be fine.”

Something in his tone changed “I’m sorry, it wasn’t done on purpose.” The child’s ears settled down in a snore; it was as he was feeling his keeper’s trouble even through his sleep.

“Something happened, when I was not even an idea.” you felt compelled to tell the story behind the tattoos since he saw most of them. “My ancestor was part of the Senate, she believed in a way of life, now long forgotten. She fought for it but soon realized it was wrong, she was never meant to fight, she was meant to keep the peace. Her loyalty faded, she did bad things ... I’m bond to her in some ways I can’t explain.”

The Mandalorian stayed silent, you were used to it at this point. 

“The old Galactic Senate banished her. No one remembers Bariss Offee now, she's been long gone. But I do.”

“The old Galactic Senate...” Mando clenched his fist “I heard about it,”

“Some of my tattoos are meant to heal her soul through me. After her fall, my family scattered, we were forbidden to talk about her, we were forced to strip ourselves from our knowledge. I was young, my parents flew us to another galaxy, there we live like humans. But my parents kept one of our custom, the tattoos.” you shrugged, even Peli didn’t know about all this, she knew about your exile but that’s all.

“I…I don’t know if I can say this and my apologize if it’s misplaced but you .. uhm” Mando asked himself why he was so stressed about telling you his honest feel about it “..they are ..pretty,” the repulsorlift the only sound perceptible. That wasn’t the reaction you were expecting, especially coming from the renown bounty hunter, eyes leaving the road you stared at him confused but somehow relieved, your hood flew back reveling your face to him.

 A tuskens battle cry made you break, standing up on your seat, immediately reaching for your blaster and glowrod. 

“Hold on,” he posed the sleeping child on your seat, getting down.

“Mando, they shoot us once, I’m not taking any chance,”

“I’ll talk to them,” he stated calmly “lower your blaster and stay close,”

You inhaled loudly, putting away your weapon. Emerging from the dark, tall figures soon surrounded you. The deep grunt coming out the helmet at your side startled you, his gestures and groans had the attention of the faceless Raiders. The silence on their part didn’t do much to ease your worry until they answered, though you couldn’t understand, the stance of your companion made you feel safe.

“They’re saying we should camp out, another tribe, the one who shot us is ahead of us,”

“Camp out, with them?” you whispered as if they could understand you “I heard things about them,”

“Not everything you hear is true,” Mando’s visor was trained on your hesitating features. Well you didn’t have much of a choice, you weren’t going to leave without him and the green thing.

“You take the first watch,” you gathered your backpack, he nodded at you, preceding you.

The kid now awaken, was nestled between his keeper’s feet, staring at the fire in front of him. It might have felt you staring because his little ears perked up and he soon waddled to you. The kid kept trying to hold you or touch your hand.

"Is it always like that? Clingy?" You poked the child’s forehead making him wobble back.

Mando tilted his head with a sigh, silently asking if your gesture was really necessary.

"Not really," He reached for the child but this latter whined, settling when he grabbed your index’ first phalanx.

"You were saying!?" You sighed as the kid looks like he was concentrating on your finger. As he kept doing that you felt that pull again, deep inside of you, an inner energy you usually only could feel during your ancestor’s vision. It scared you, snatching your finger from the kid, you look at the big eyes now staring at you. "What are you!"

“Easy,” Mando ushered the kid back to him “He has powers, I should have warned you,”

“What kind of power?”

“He can move things with his mind or something similar” your mind processed the news, “I’ve been quested to bring him back to his kind,"

The child climbed your feet to get closer, your lips turned down in an uneasy grimace, you weren't exactly gifted with children, if it was one though. Clingy beings, loud and stinky, not your thing.

The Mandalorian kept an eye on you without your knowledge, he'd never seen anyone be so hesitant with the child before.

Mando talked with the Tuskens while you ate, he sometimes translated for you in case you were interested in their conversation.

....

"You are missing a piece on the turbines’ launch lever by the way, want another one!?" You asked him sleepily, "That won't be necessary," he chuckled and it caught you off guard but you said nothing.

A young tusken handed you a fur cloth, hesitantly grabbing it you eyed Mando, he made a gesture to the raider. 

"I take the first watch," even with his vocoder you could hear the grin.

Waking up in a sweat you observed your surroundings. A bantha was snoring loudly next to a pack of sleeping tuskens. A soft snore not far from you got your attention. The child was tucked on Mando's side, his ears heaving with his breaths.

The fire reflecting on the beskar mesmerized you, it was like Mando's was made of fire. Was he sleeping? 

“You’re okay?”

“My ribs hurts, I’m cold, but I’m managing.” you stood up, stepping closer to the fire. “Take some rest, it’s my shift.” 

“Here,” you turned around just in time to caught the e-bacta shot, Mando closed his belt pocket and crossed his arms, leaning on a rucksack, ready to rest.  

“Thanks..” you stared at his calm composure, forgetting he could still be looking at you behind that visor. 

Your gaze on him got him agitated, he tried his best to rest his eyes but he couldn’t detached his from yours, somehow you always manage to made eye-contact, most people didn’t even dare look straight at him. He stayed alert as you went to the land speeder, lifting your top enough to reach your bruised flank, he saw you brace yourself for the shot. 

1,2 “Hmmm!!!” you muffled your groan in your elbow as the three needles deeped in your flesh, youknew that in a few minutes you’ll be alright but maker it hurt. 

The suns getting up, you were seated on the land speeder’s hood watching the twins made their entry, I’ll never get tired of this. 

“We’re good to go, the other tribe moved north,” Mando set the child on the hood next to you to thanks the Tuskens. 

The child lifted his head to you, silently staring, suddenly rushing to you head bumping your hip “ "Oof!” he angrily cuddled your side “Mando, what’s going on with it?” 

“Hey, hey kid, no!” he cradled him into his arms “what did you do?”

“Nothing!” you jumped down the hood “It slammed into me,”

“He never acts like that, there’s something with you,” Mando stated

“Oh maker come on Mando,” your voice tightened “I’m a nobody, an exile mirialan, I’m no Jedi like my ancestor!” you realised as soon as you said it, screwing your eyes shut. 

“Your ancestor was a Jedi?”he stepped forward, his demeanour now threatening but you stood your ground. “And you’re telling me now?”

“Mando I, ... I’m not sure about it, I don’t even understand the visions I have, that’s why I didn’t say anything.” 

“We should go!” he shut himself, the child whined against his keeper’s chest. 

The ride back to Peli was excruciating, Mando didn’t talk to you or ease the kid’s fuss. The three of you made it back to Peli without issues. 

She was about to make one of her famous punchline but she saw your concerned face as you passed by her deposing the vaporator’s pieces on her desk. 

Peli planted herself before him “What did you do?” he sighed.

Mando watched as the door hiss closed behind you. 

“How much do you know about them?” 

“What’d you do!?” Peli insisted before answering his question. As stubborn as you he thought. He related the conversation, he’d never seen Peli so mad.

The soft knock on your door told you it wasn't Peli. It opened on your command.

“We need to talk,” Mando stepped-in

“Oh now you want to talk!” you threw a wrench in your tool box “We had a full ride for that.” 

“You lied to me!” he pointed his finger to the ground 

“I didn’t LIE to you! I just ..didn’t tell you all of it. Jedis and Mandalorians are not exactly friends for all I know,”

“The child might be a Jedi and you didn’t care to tell me you knew about he’s people.” the tiny bedroom was crowded with his presence, deep inside behind the anger lied a fluttering feeling when he entered your space.

“My ancestor had that kind of power, but I don’t know shit about it, I told you if you were to even listen!” tears at the brim at your eyes remembering your parents’ tale about their exile, you inhaled trying to stay focused.

“I’ve listened,” he regained his neutral tone “if you are like your ancestor then maybe you have that power in you, that’s why the child is reaching out to you, he might feel it,” 

you scoffed “I’m a mecha not a Jedi,” the child made you jumped when he touched your hand, he had climbed the comforter hanging from your cot.

“Mando, I’d … never mean to hide things from you, I’m just..scared.” You let the child hold your finger “An unknown powerful energy in me, how would you react! Even if I’d want to know, I don’t even know where to start.”

He nodded leaving your cramped bedroom with the child. Few minutes later Peli called out, sighing you drag your feet to her desk.

“What is it that you want Motto?” you taunted but the teasing voice died seeing Mando on the other side of her seat. 

“I’ve been quested to bring him to the jedi.” his visor on you, knitted your brows you wait for his speech. “I could use a mecha on board, one that needs answer of some sorts,” his grave voice resonated in your ears, he faced Peli while saying it. She sighed knowingly; her face torned with doubts.

“I can’t, Peli you need me and I ..” 

“Kid, I’ve seen you distraught after your visions, it’s getting worse,” Peli sighed “Well, I’m not saying losing my best mecha is ideal,” you tried your best to keep the feelings at bay  “…but go if you have to, I’ll managed” she patted you shoulder, herself containing her sniffles.

“Take care of this piece of junk,” she snorted making you laugh.

“I’ll come back,”

“Don’t you dare, you're young, get out of this desolate place. Go get the galaxy,”

Smiling at her you hugged her tight “Oh come on, come on” she shooed you away, striding to your room to pack, you didn’t see her made eyed contact with Mando’s visor, a silent plead to keep you safe, he nodded. 

Stepping in the cockpit, you sat on the passenger seat at his right. The green being was on your right eyeing you, you suprised yourself smiling at him. Mando came in and the kid starts to shift in his pod, you watched Mando as he took something on the control panel and swivelled to the baby. Thlatter reached out, his keeper letting a shiny metal ball fall into his little claw.

“That’s…” you said out loud. Your eyes darted to the turbines launcher’s lever. Mando finally turned to you and shrugged tilting his helmet.

“A mirialan, a Mandalorian and a Jedi ... what a sight.”