#the wizards name is Forlorn if your curious

[grimbiliah]

I don’t remember if it was NADDPOD or some other piece of media that put the idea in my mind that the circles of hell represented the deadly sins, but I was thinking about it recently for a dnd campaign I’m running and realized it dnd make sense because there are 7 sins and 9 circles.

The main reason I was thinking about this was because in said campaign the players have a necklace with a big gemstone on it in which lived an evil wizard who can’t leave. He’s been in there for a while, and some things have changed while he’s been trapped.

So after I had this realization about the circles and the sins I thought it would be really funny if the wizard remembers their being 7 circles for the 7 sins and is baffled by the fact that their are 9 circles now.

“What, did they add 2 sins? Is murder and larceny bad now?”

I don’t actually know what the two extra sins would be, so lmk if you have a funny idea.

[prolix-yuy]

Soft Fires

Pairing: Din Djarin x F!Reader

Summary: You’ve learned much about the Mandalorian, but his tiny green companion is still a mystery.

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: Explicit, 18+ MINORS DNI, descriptions of male and female bodies, fingering (f receiving), fingers in mouths, semi-unprotected PiV sex (don’t be a fool, wrap your tool, even if you have space birth control), the Creed gets in the way, Mando hops on the struggle bus for a second, FEELINGS.

Notes: FINALLY. Finally. That’s all I’m going to say about this. I was planning to post this as a two shot but screw it, I’ve been sitting on it long enough. It’s time. 

I cannot take credit for the idea of teaching Grogu Tusken Sign Language. The inspiration came from this post and I just love it so much it’s becoming canon in this universe.

Takes place over about three weeks, after the events of Both Sides of the Door.

Cross-posted on AO3

I Think of You Series Masterlist

So the kid is great - cute, energetic, curious, kind (when he’s not too cranky), sassy (which brings much joy to your day, especially when it’s directed at Mando), and all-around better company than most children you’ve met.

He’s got some quirks too, many of which you learn on the fly. First of all being his age.

“He’s fifty?” you say when Mando brings it up, the child sitting on the floor of the Crest and looking up at you with unconcerned eyes. Mando chuckles at the incredulity in your voice as you crouch down to look your favorite gremlin in the face. “I guess I can kinda see it, what with the white hair and all. You do look like a little old man.” The child coos curiously as you stick your tongue out at him. That always gets a giggle.

“His kind ages differently. At least I assume they do,” Mando says.

“Well now there’s no question as to who had seniority on the ship,” you say in a sing-song voice, sitting down on the floor with a thump. Mando’s head whips around as you wink at him.

“How do you know I’m not older than fifty?” he says back, an edge of teasing eked out through the vocoder.

(he’s surprisingly funny when he gets the chance)

“Oh Maker, you’re right, better compare birthdays,” you huff out, this playful ribbing growing since you’d found a place in each other’s lives. It makes the child brighten, watching you enjoy each other’s company.

Then there’s the wizard magic that scared the shit out of you one day. You were prepping some fish stew in the ration-storage-now-kitchen, stirring the pot on the nanowave stove mindlessly. A clang echoed in your ears, followed by a baby wail that made you abandon the soup and rush to the hold.

Upon inspection, you found the child looking into an open electrical panel on the wall, ears drooping in a forlorn manner. You peered over his head, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“What’s wrong Bean?” you asked, putting a hand on his back. He chirped a couple times and pointed into the space crammed with wires, his face contorting. “Sorry buddy, I’m not sure what’s going on here. Care to suddenly learn Basic? Or Huttese? I know a couple of hand signals in Tusken.” You paused mid-thought at this. Teaching the child Tusken sign language to communicate could be useful. You don’t know a ton, but maybe Mando could get you a book or holovid next time you land.

(then you could learn his name, his past, what he wants and thinks)

(you could talk to him and know he understands)

Wrapped up in your train of thought, you didn’t notice the kid’s face scrunch up, eyes closing as he practically vibrated. When you did see it, worry cracked through your chest.

“Hey Bean, what’s going on?” You tried to snap him out of it but whatever was happening had his full focus. Suddenly something flew out of the panel’s guts and thwapped into his hands, knocking him over and onto your feet.

“Dank farrik!” you swore, grabbing the child and inspecting him all over for damage. On the periphery of earshot the thunks of footsteps approached.

(no no no no no what did the kid do?)

“What happened?” Mando's voice boomed in the space, whipping you around. Hands dropping to the child, he inspected him just as you did.

“I have no idea, he was making a face and shaking and then something…” Your words fell off as you both find a dirty metal nut in his hands, him turning it over with delight, if not a little sleepily. You looked at the child, then at Mando trying to piece together what just happened.

“Kid, that’s…that’s not a toy,” Mando sighed, but didn't attempt to pull it away. He patted the child a couple times before the visor landed on your confused face. “There’s…something you should know about him.”

Almost an hour later with several backtracks, questions and exasperated moments on either side, Mando finished recounting the tale of his history with the child, and the mission that brought him to Tatooine, to the Lively Bantha, and to you. You absorbed everything as best as you can, not familiar with the Jedi beyond how their influence shaped the world around you. Seeing the Force used by a child still felt like magic, and when you asked if he had any control over it Mando shrugged.

“I’m supposed to find a teacher for him, another Jedi to help him train.”

You hummed at this, looking at the oblivious child that was more the center of your world than you imagined. A holy mission fraught with dead ends and, from the hint of resentment you catch, one Din might like to fail.

(he’s taken well to being a father)

(and when you stop lying to yourself, you do kind of enjoy being his other caretaker)

Big surprises aside, you’ve adapted to having a child ever-present during your days. It’s not a life you thought you'd be living, but neither is being on a bounty hunter’s ship hurtling through the galaxy. You’re getting better at taking things in stride. And the child’s decently predictable now that you have him on a schedule. Mando had tilted his helmet at you when you asked about meal times and sleep.

“He eats when he eats and sleeps when he sleeps,” was his answer, to which you rolled your eyes.

“Maker, no wonder why he’s wired half the night. You gotta keep him on a schedule, he’s not a bounty hunter.”

“Could be if I taught him how to use a blaster.”

The silence stretched before you burst into laughter, bent in half at the idea of the kid holding an IB-94 as big as him, Mando leaning against the wall as his shoulders shook and static crackled out. The child looked nonplussed at the exchange, maybe happy as his eyes passed between the two of you.

The only thing that annoys you, that makes you want to whack your forehead against the wall and scream out the airlock, is that you have little to no privacy with the little bogwing. He sleeps with you or Mando, is up with him when he wakes early. He’s present for all meals, awake until late in the evening, and when Mando has to leave it's just the two of you constantly. It’s not that you dislike the little guy’s company.

The real problem stems from how badly you want to bang his dad.

(like SO KARKING BADLY)

You still feel the heft of his cock pressing between your thighs, how close you came to having him inside you again. Mando’s become more tactile with you since Nevarro, and you fear that you’re going to melt through your clothing with how aroused you are all the time. A hand against your lower back when you’re cooking and he needs something. Fingers rubbing grease or dirt or nothing at all from your skin. His new act of placing a hand on your knee as he passes you in the jump seat, hot thick fingers pushing gently into the flesh.

(and a few times when he put his hands on you just to see you react, a smug hum following.)

The child is your last (small) obstacle, one you maybe use as an excuse more than you should. You still have some light trepidation about that final step, mostly overwhelmed by the need growing between you. If you could just get the child to rest for an hour or so in the afternoon you could climb into the cockpit, straddle Mando with his hands on your hips, and ride him until you’re both spent and sated. You could finally take that step to land you back where you started all those years ago. But whenever you think of the child’s big black orbs catching you in the act it makes you want to gag.

(please don’t make me scar the kid for life)

So you wait for some of your gentle (sexually frustrated) coaching to sink in so that the (kriffing cock-blocking) child can start building up the habit. Until then your moments alone are filled with frantic fingers in the ‘fresher shower or grids against the heel of your hand so you can think straight for the next few hours.

(it will all be worth it to take your time with Mando)

You hold your breath, trying to remain calm and bored as you watch the child’s eyes blink heavily.

(holy shit this might actually be it)

You’d worked and suffered through tantrums and fussing and stubbornness over three days while Mando brought back his latest bounty. Practically crying twice when he called over the comms to check in, his voice soothed you when you felt your last nerve tear.

(I will never tease him for his patience ever again)

But the hard work is paying off. No more late night wakeups that demanded stimulation, no more unpredictable meals, you think you might have cracked it. Sometimes it's a fake-out, which dangles you over the edge of sanity, but this would be the second instance of the child napping without argument and staying down. The last time it was for a blissful hour, which you spent monitoring him as you made a resupply list resplendent with his favorite things. He could have an army of amphibians to torture if it meant you succeeded at your task.

The telltale signs are there: the drooping eyes, the ears relaxing, the settling into the curve of the hammock. You wait a long few minutes for his breathing to even out before closing the cot door.

Heart hammering, you stand up and wipe your sweaty palms on your pants. Kriff, you hadn’t thought ahead to what you would do next. Mando’s been back from his last hunt for a full day, rested and clean. This is the best chance you’re going to get to be alone with him.

(fuck, are you wet already?)

You ascend the ladder into the cockpit, nerves making your hands shake as Mando’s frame glimmers the cockpit.

(Maker, he’s still so beautiful)

Your cunt throbs at the possibilities as you move to stand beside him.

“Everything okay?” he asks. You hum, the energy in your body threatening to make your voice shake. Mando turns his head to you, tipping it slightly.

“The kid?” he asks, and you let out a louder breath than you intend.

“Sleeping.”

Mando’s visor traces your face, and you meet the darkness of it.

“You got him to sleep? During the day?”

A lopsided smile tugs at the corners of your mouth.

“Finally.”

Mando turns in the chair, knees knocking against yours as he frames you with them. He reaches for your hands, thumbs firm in your palms.

“How long will he sleep?” Mando’s voice drops lower, a thrum of build-up coming to a high point.

“Last time it was an hour.”

His hands are on your waist, pushing you back as he crowds you up against the console. You dig your teeth into your bottom lip to keep from crying out at his touch.

(Maker, I might shatter if he breathes on me)

Mando lifts you to sit on the edge of the console, pulling himself up flush between your legs. His hands go to your face, cradling you with a tenderness that contrasts the neediness he just displayed.

“I want to fuck you at least twice if we have the time,” he says, and your eyes roll back into your head.

“Stars Mando, I could cum just hearing you talk about it,” you moan, keeping your voice low. You were not going to ruin this moment for anything.

“Me too, Mesh’la,” he murmurs in your ear, hands at your waist and unbuttoning your pants. You run your fingers over every part of him you can touch, favoring the spaces between the beskar where blood pumps and muscles flex.

He shucks your pants and underwear down your legs, tugging off your shoes and socks all in one messy bundle. The helmet locks on the vision of you he has on his knees, hands stroking your thighs in slow patterns.

“You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” Mando says, the words falling from his mouth like he couldn’t bear to keep them in. You whine, fingers digging into the fabric of his cowl, pleading for his touch. “I’ve got you Mesh’la,” he says, standing up to his full height. He strips his gloves, glorious tan thick-fingered hands taking hold of your body. One goes to your mouth, dipping two fingers in and stroking them gently against your tongue. You close your lips around him, pressing hot and wet as he lets out a broken moan. Withdrawing them, he strokes your clit in slick circles before sliding down achingly slow and burying two fingers inside you. The process is so smooth, aided by your heavy arousal, that he’s halfway inside before you can moan around him.

“That’s it, perfect girl. Fuck, you feel so good. I’m sorry Mesh’la, I’m going to have to fuck you hard and fast and cum once before I can give you what you deserve.” His diatribe is tearing whimpers and gasps from your throat as he opens you up, thumb swiping across your clit to keep your arousal high. It shudders to a stop when Mando pulls his fingers out of you, both hands curling around your waist.

“Fuck, can’t wait Mesh’la, can I fuck you now? Please,” he begs, and you wrap your legs around him to urge him on. He’s tearing his pants open, his cock painfully hard and deeply flushed. You sigh at the sight, still as thick and heavy and gorgeous as you remember. Maybe even more so, now that you can have it. He slicks his cock with your arousal, lining himself up with a shaking hand.

(Maker, the number of times I made myself cum thinking of that cock)

“Yes, Mando, please, please,” you whisper as he pushes into your tight heat. The moan he holds as he enters you starts low and quiet and builds to a desperate groan as he seats himself fully. He’s a heady stretch, forcing you to widen your thighs around him, but you’re already settling into his thickness as you tilt to pull him deeper.

“Kriff, Maker, I’m not going to…” Mando stutters as he pulls out just enough to swiftly push back into you. He hits the perfect spot at this angle, deep inside you, and the friction of the curls at the base of his cock teases your sensitive clit. You’re already trembling on the edge of your orgasm as Mando slides halfway out just to slam home again, gasping behind the helmet.

It only takes two more precise and powerful strokes for you to cum around his cock, the build up of so many weeks making you bury your face in Mando’s shoulder, shouting as your cunt grips him impossibly tight. He grunts in surprise as he falls over the edge with you, ripping his cock out and splattering his cum on the floor as you hold each other and gasp.

“Fuck, Mesh’la, I’m sorry, I should have put a seal on, I’m…” Mando is panting heavily so you cup the back of his neck, barely back from your own trip to the end of the galaxy.

“Implant,” is all you can manage, but it eases the tension in his shoulders. He strokes your hair, his softening cock slick with you against the inside of your leg. You huff out a little laugh.

“Guess we both were a little pent up.”

Mando hums with a chuckle at the end, bare hands wandering up the back of your shirt and across the outside of your thighs. You move to unwrap yourself but Mando stops you with two firm hands under your knees.

“That wasn’t good enough for you. I’m going to fuck you one more time,” he says, and there is no room for doubt in his voice. You nod, tongue swiping over your lower lip. “Don’t have the same stamina as I used to, but I can definitely get it up twice.” You’re sure he’s smirking behind the helmet. His fingers return to your cunt and drag slowly through the remains of your slick, exploring your folds with soft even touches. You run your fingers down his arms, resting on the cool metal vambraces wrapped around his forearms.

(hard and cold and practical)

“Could you take these off?” you ask, and his hand stills, helmet turning to look down at the gauntlets. “Want to feel you,” you add playfully, a finger teasing along the edge where the metal meets the fabric and flesh of the man underneath. When he doesn’t respond you look up to find Mando frozen like you asked him to remove his arm.

“I can’t,” he says, and there’s a pain in his voice that knocks the wind out of you. Alarm bells blare in your mind.

(mistake mistake mistake)

“I thought it was only the helmet…”

“I can’t,” Mando says again, and there’s more grit this time, teeth clenched as the words drag through. He’s starting to step away and your hands shoot out to grab his shoulders.

“Hey, hey, shhhh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” you coo, his muscles tense and ready to flee beneath your hands. “I’m sorry, I didn't realize…I don’t know much about this,” you nod at him, all that he is and encompasses, “your Creed. We can stop, I’m sorry, we can stop.”

Mando stands his ground, your hands fisting his cowl and eyes imploring the black T that hides so much from you.

(please don’t shut me out again)

He takes a deep breath and plants his bare hands on either side of your thighs, head coming down to rest on your shoulder. Stroking your palms down his back, you treat flesh and metal as the same beneath your fingers.

(You care for everything that makes him your Mandalorian)

You both sit there in silence, your hands slowing as you let Mando take his time. He finally lifts his head and steps back into the V of your legs, hand coming up to wrap around the back of your neck. You cover his with your own, his fingers twitching below yours, as you put every ounce of empathy into your eyes, the curve of your mouth, the bend of your brows.

“When I took my vow as a Mandalorian, I swore to never remove my helmet in front of another, or to let it be removed.” He speaks like praying, his voice reverent and low. You let it wash over you, trying to convert your desires to his rules.

“A Mandalorian is supposed to be faceless, nameless. A symbol more than a man. Our Creed proves our devotion.” You nod up at the shining helmet.

(How can anyone see it and not think of glory?)

“I have allowed myself some concessions - my hands, my cock - to keep me sharp so I can provide. I’ve never removed the armor for another person.” This is almost whispered, a confession to your altar. You stroke your thumb across his knuckles and the way he responds to that small touch makes you confident.

(This is all you need)

“We don’t have to do anything Mando, nothing beyond what you're comfortable doing. I don’t want your body.” You interject when he tilts his head, a saucy smile tugging at your lips, “Well, not only your body. I want you, Mando, however I can have you. And if that means the armor stays on, then the armor stays on. I just want you.”

Mando’s forehead drops to yours, and he presses it to your skin. You smile at the secret kiss, hoping it’s enough for him to feel at ease again.

“But that’s the problem, Mesh’la,” Mando says, and now it’s sin in his voice, a dirty secret he needs to atone for, a true confession. “I want to take it off.”

Your mouth dries out.

(wants you wants you wants to break rules with you)

“I want to know what it feels like,” he says, and he wraps his arms around your back. “Even though I shouldn’t.” You hear a series of clicks, then a metallic thud. More clicks, followed by another. Then silence.

You hold your breath, waiting for Mando’s next step. You don’t want to rush him, don’t want him to regret making this choice in this moment, moments after being buried in each other’s bodies on the cockpit console. It’s not the most romantic setting, but to be vulnerable under the dome of stars feels more like an offering to the galaxy.

(let his trust in you be rewarded)

Mando’s bare hands come to lay on the tops of your thighs as he takes a half step back. You hold your eyes on his visor, feeling the calluses of his fingers scrape along your skin.

“What would you like me to do?” you ask. Mando’s helmet wanders over your body before it settles on your lap. Looking down you find large golden hands splayed wide, the sharp cut of his sleeves at the wrist, then darkness creeping up thick forearms to the dip at his elbow. His arms aren’t as bulky without the vambraces, but the bulge of muscle is still clear beneath the fabric. Strong hands, capable hands.

(he’s placing himself in your hands)

“Touch me,” he whispers, “please.”

You circle his wrist with your hand, feeling the heat and smoothness of the more delicate skin there. Mando’s breathing picks up as you let him acclimate to the sensation, the visor glued to the path you’re taking.

Carefully, you hook both thumbs under his sleeve, letting your fingers lay lightly on his forearms. Looking up at him, the visor snapping to your face, you ask silent permission. He nods, and you begin inching the edge of his sleeve up his arms.

Mouthwatering skin and a smattering of dark hair is revealed as you slowly push the fabric up to his elbow. The vista is textured with the indentations of the vambraces, few scars but an abundance of sensitivity. You begin dragging your palms back down his arm, the thick cords of muscle jumping at your touch. He's so much softer here than his hands, and you want to put your mouth on him, kiss him in a place where no one has before.

(no one has kissed his mouth either)

Mando’s breath is stuttery as you lift his hand to press against your cheek, fingers stroking along the inside of his arm.

“Thank you for trusting me,” you say, and you place a light kiss on the inside of his wrist. A rough noise comes from behind the vocoder and Mando grips the side of your head. He brings his forehead against yours and you smile, stroking the newly-revealed skin as his fingers burrow into your hair, around your neck, holding you.

“I trust you,” he breathes out, and brings his other hand to your mouth to press his thumb against your lips (every way he can show he cares).

He takes his hands off you and rolls the other sleeve up quickly, folding and scrunching the fabric so it sits comfortably at his elbows. He’s still so thick and filled out even without the armor gracing his arms, the swath of skin contrasting sharply against the darkness and shine. Your hands go to the hem of your shirt and with a moment of debate you pull it over your head, naked but for your breast band. Mando’s attention returns to you and you see his half-hard cock thicken at the sight.

“Mesh’la,” he says, and words bubble unbidden from your lips.

(It’s a time for revelations, what’s one more?)

“What does it mean?” you ask, hands gripping the edge of the console as the cool air pebbles your skin and raises your nipples. Mando settles back between your legs, and you watch how the muscles in his arm move under his skin, the twist of the finer bones in his wrist as he jerks his cock to full hardness. Lining himself up to enter you again, he slides warm palms around your back and embraces you.

This is more skin than you’ve ever had of Mando’s against your own. The glide of his arms as he feels you underneath him is strong and euphoric. It’s the softest caress you’ve ever experienced, wrapped in half of a myth and all of a man.

“Beautiful,” Mando murmurs, the helmet pressed against your temple. You can almost feel the warmth of his breath, impossible as it may be, as you put meaning to a word you held in your heart for so long. “You are beautiful…” Mando says more forcefully as he slides you onto his cock, your fingers scrabbling along his back at the sensual entrance. You can’t move, have to just take the achingly slow pace Mando is setting as his skin presses yours. “...in every sense of the word, even more.” He bottoms out, one arm pressed up your spine with a hand on the back of your head, the other wrapped around your lower back. Your legs hook behind his thighs, trying to get leverage to roll against him as he sighs into your shoulder.

"Mesh'la,” Mando moans with a strong roll of his hips. You bury your cry in his neck, bringing your hips down to meet his thrust. “You didn’t know I was saying it? All this time?” You shake your head in the cowl (too afraid to feel that desire and that pain) as he begins to snap his hips into you at a slow and powerful pace.

“I thought you knew, must have known,” Mando grunts, every plow of his cock into you long and smooth and strong. It’s more intimate, more passionate than you can bear.

“Mando…” you whine, and you feel your throat clench and your eyes water. It’s so much in such a small space, accepting his body and his words and the weight of it all. Mando pulls his head back to press against your forehead again, his hand spanning the back of your skull.

“Mesh’la, beautiful,” he says, the words punctuated with heavy breaths as he angles his hips up and into you. His pubic bone hits your clit with every thrust, the head of his cock dragging over a spot inside you that makes your body shake. Every moment is laced with pleasure, unable to pause to recover.

“Kotyc, strong,” he says, and your bleary mind grasps another Mando’a word and translation.

“Mirdala, clever.”

“Cyar'ika-”

“Mando, please, don’t…” you moan, but he won’t stop giving you everything he can.

“Fuck, Mesh’la,” Mando punches out of his lungs as he pulls you down against him, “Take it, take it all, you can do it.” He drags a hand up to your breast and thumbs your nipple, hard circles sending the final sparks to ignite. You cum suddenly at his words, limbs locking around Mando as he chants, “Yes, Mesh’la, fuck, yes, keep cumming, keep cumming, fuck, fuck.” Your head tips back and when you open your eyes they are full of stars as Mando drags himself out of you, fisting his cock to spill on the floor a second time. You clutch at one another, breath catching on the height of your gasps.

“Fuck, I need…hold…” Mando mumbles and you feel him sway in your arms. You hold him closer, slipping an arm around his side to put a grounding hand against his back. He hums into your shoulder, the curve of the helmet warming as he presses it into your skin. His hands and forearms are smoothing over you again, savoring the feeling of skin on skin.

(what a sin)

You wait until your breathing has slowed and Mando seems to be steadier on his feet, though he’s still savoring you with his fingertips.

“Thank you,” you choke out, and Mando reluctantly peels himself off your front. He brings a hand to your face and you press your lips into it over and over. His other hand drifts to yours and laces your fingers together, tightening when you sigh into his palm.

“I meant it,” Mando finally says, cupping your chin and tilting your face to him. You meet the visor’s darkness and for a moment imagine eyes staring back at you, hardened by time but still soft around the edges. “I still do. I call you Mesh’la because you are beautiful in more ways than Basic can convey.”

You smile and take a watery breath, fanning it against his pulse.

“Careful, Mando, or I might fall in love with you.”

(fuck)

You’re so blissed out and loose with your orgasm that you let those words tumble from your lips. You hold your breath, skin hot with embarrassment.

(no no no you just got everything you wanted and you’re going to fuck it up with your dumbass mouth)

Mando’s fingers stroke against your jaw, the helmet tilting at the hard switch in your demeanor. He reaches over and grabs your shirt, bunching it in his fists so he can guide it over your head. You break eye contact with him, slipping your arms through the loops before you hear his voice, so quiet through the helmet as if he hopes the whisper will hide his desires from his Creed.

“Would that be…a bad thing?”

Like home on a cold day, or a smile from the child, a full-body warmth travels from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. You take the helmet in both hands, Mando flinching instinctively for a moment before relaxing.

“No, it would not.”

There may have been more words to say, but at that moment you hear a thump and a cry from the hold and you and Mando switch back to the roles you have on the Crest. Mando helps you hop off the console, careful of the mess he’s made on the floor (he’s on cleanup later) and handing you the rest of your clothes. You both redress, him reattaching the vambraces. You wonder if he’ll remove them more now, but you also know that his Creed is a comfort and a habit that doesn’t change in the course of an hour (no matter how good of an hour it was).

With a press of his forehead against yours again, he descends the ladder to tend to the child. You follow to tend to some tasks and plan your evening. You’ll teach the kid a new game, maybe see if he’ll show off his weird powers again. Then when you tuck him in to sleep (on a good schedule now thank the Maker), you’ll join Mando in the cockpit.

Maybe he will tell you more of his Creed, the importance it has in his life and how it’s shaped him.

Or maybe you’ll speak about the mission to find a Jedi for the child. It seems to pull at Mando, and you suspect there is something waiting at its completion that will test his faith. You hope you’ll be there for that, whenever it may be.

But even if you both sit in silence, letting the emotion and events of the day settle into your bones, you know it will be enough.

END

“in the afterglow of an evening rain

I lay down in the grass and think of you

my body aches like an after-kiss

breaking in soft fires and wildflowers

my dear, I will always be this tender for you.”

- Sanober Khan

Episode 9 of the I Think of You Series

The story continues in Episode 10: If the Moon Walks Out

[olivertreespirit-blog]

battle princess ~

** the conclusion of the elven chronicles trilogy ~ **

book i : beyond the stars

chapter i : battle princess ~

space sucks you can't smoke there

i guess i should start by explaining why we're in space; and of course by we i mean me and my brother, shade

my name's pixie not pixie, princess of forlorn, the death princess; but pixie the ii, her daughter

battle princess

we're in space so we can confirm or placate a theory put forward by the royal council that there could be other civilizations other kinds of life forms on the outer moons of acemia; after all some of them have their own orbitting planets

and after all there are all kinds of life on acemia; elves, fae, humans, dragons ..

speaking of dragons, the only person on our ship i haven't introduced you to is my pet enchanted baby dragon gargoyle, knoll; he was my moms our "dad" made him for her

i say "dad" weird

we are enchanted children

our father was damian warlock, the avatar of forlorn, who left forlorn when at last it knew peace to find his long-lost love in the stars, a constellation named lyra we were hoping (supposed in fact) to meet him

knoll was actually playing with shade right meow

"sup wizard?! ~ " i greeted him cheerily ~

"shade put three kinds of fruit in the fruit boogler and it made pretty colors!!!!!" knoll screamed indeed they had, and the room of our spaceship i had just walked into was filled with fractal swirling rainbow colors like a water droplet

"why didn't he put the lid on? .." i answered instinctively, though i was laughing at myself for even asking as well as at my brother

"-that- was knoll's idea!!!" shade insisted "sure it was," i teased back grinning

"are we any closer to a destination port? did you check just now or .. ?"

"no, i didn't think to, sorry; i was making sure we still had enough charge set aside for the elexa if we see damian .." "good thinking .."

with that, we both sort of just stared off into .. well, space

knoll was passionately slurping all of the boogled fruit juice out of the air, flying and bobbing around in dizzying circles which we were both a bit used to after so long in space

"shade? .." "yeah? .." "do you think we'll find him? damian? .."

shade seemed to think for a second

"of course we will .." he finally answered me "good guys always win" "that's right," he made me smile, "good guys always win .."

it had been our motto since we were growing up together in acemia ~

chapter ii : shade ~

pixie seemed quite .. wistful, as she had most of this trip

we were both quite eager and .. curious to meet our enchanted father, damian warlock, the man who had according to legend guided acemia from behind the scenes until the days of change

knoll's giddy exuberant air barrage upon my dissipated fruit smoothy had settled down into a decidedly full and happy bob that trailed across the room to land on a throw pillow on the spacecouch

"what do you think he's like? .." she asked, with the wide eyed expression my sister got when she was thinking beyond what normal humans had the thoughts to think, the way enchanted children do

"crazy .." i answered, smiling "he's like us i'd imagine .." "yeah .." she smiled

with that, i decided i really did want to know if we were any closer to well .. anything

space travel is not the super exciting

i honestly think we should enchant artificial creatures to do it .. like knoll, only maybe without a personality that would be just as bored as we were

not that a spaceship isn't the coolest thing in the world

or space rather

so i got up to check while pixie resolvedly joined knoll in lazing on the space couch

"pixie? .." i called back to her, when i'd had a chance to look at the light screen forecaster

"mhmglorp? .. ~ "

"do you know what this pink light is near alphastarus aiphax? .."

"no .. ?" she answered slowly

"hmmm .."

with that, the nearbye celestial body indicator i'd noticed started blinking

"what does it mean if it's blinking? .."

"we've never had a spaceship before dear .."

"no, i don't suppose we have .."

and nobody bothered to give us any proper training? you might ask but that was not the way space travel works

there's no telling what you'll have to prepare for until you're no longer terrabound

so damian had left acemia with an enchanted ship that could foresee things the way he could

right now it was foreseeing something quite near us .. something that was blinking

"should we .. man the stations? .."

"we should probably just follow our instincts .." she answered wisely

"yuppers .." i responded in similar wisdom

chapter iii : strangers

we had never had a blinking celestial body indicator before

for that matter, we'd never had a celestial body indicator it was our first

could this be another life form new and strange to acemia? .. i decided to ready the elexa

when i did, the voice that came through almost all too soon was indeed expectedly alien, and for an instant i felt what it must have felt like when humans first met elves or fae .. but then the enchanted translators built into the elexa kicked on and the voice was decidedly human, only in a toungue that .. was not native to acemia

"shade? .. come here .." he did

"blarglblurbleyeegwobrepeat you are tresspassing, and if you do not turn around and return to your native planet we will destroy you with all the destruction destructively!!!"

well .. maybe it was human

i instinctively did the talking so shade could think extra for both of us

and because i hoped a female voice might calm this .. person

"i'm sorry if we are tresspassing near your skies .. we are an exploratory ship .."

"tresspassing, tresspassing, tresspassing!!!" the all too human voice repeated insisting

"we will destroy you with all the destructive destruction!!! you shall be destroyed for tresspassing!!!"

"we are not trespassing .." shade couldn't help himself "we intend to fly past your planet without landing, .." he decided for us

"you are trespassing!!! you will be destroyed with all the destruction of destruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

okay so .. these were obviously humans, but .. unless they were under some kind of mindless incantation ..

it seemed that we had stumbled upon a forgotten warlike colony of acemia

"with all the destuctive destruction!!!" the voice continued insisting "we are the most destructive!!!!!!!!!!!"

at this point i wasn't sure if they actually were planning on destroying us or perhaps just our ship so they could conduct some sort of strange and primitive experiments on us, as if we weren't in fact human ..

i was scared

"we don't want any trouble .." shade pleaded

"you are trouble!!! strangers are trouble!!! you are trouble!!!!!!!"

i secretly resolved no matter what anyone said to never try to colonize anywhere

especially space

"fine, please just let us turn around .." shade finally gave in, and his voice mirrored my own disparagement that we might not get to see damian after all all too perfectly

"it's too late for that!!!! we are the most destructive!!!!!!!!!"

with that, the voice erupted in what i could only describe as a primitive warcry

"shade? .." his face mirrored mine in an instant of despair, followed by the resolution of power

"they didn't send normal folk, .." he answered me

"no, they didn't .." i answered back

"they sent the warlock and battle princess of acemia"

chapter iv : battle

in an instant there was a resounding crash that would've been as bad as it sounded if our spaceship hadn't been properly enchanted, and pixie and i knew we were about to be boarded by space humans

the unspoken communication passed between us

"what do we do? .. not get boarded"

pixie grabbed her usual weapon of choice, an enchanted epicsword and slung her longshooter over her shoulder

i grabbed the chubby and comotose knoll and my shooter strap

pixie hit the button that .. uhm .. ejected us into space

it was the moment of truth

not even the legendary damian warlock could survive in the cold lifelessness of outer space without enchantments that not even he could cast himself

but we were (somewhat something like) his kids

also we got lucky and just wound up blasting through the hull of the bordering space human ship into a full battlezone

knoll was actually the first to spring into action, with his trademark canonball move

i swear it wasn't because i panicked and threw the little booger

pixie's approach was a bit more finessed .. she glided through the air like an elven dancer, epicsword clutched above her head, ready to come down with a force of magic on whoever struck at her first

the creature she in fact obliterated headfirst turned out to not be a space human, but in fact the very thing i had been thinking of earlier .. an enchanted soldier sculpture

these space humans however barbaric then must not be truly inhuman .. they had magic

that we were about to destroy uhm with all the destructiveness

pixie landed feet first like a cat without slowing down and pivoted on her momentum, beheading three more stone soldiers in a swinging arc of the epicsword and elbowing a fourth's head into small pebbles

failing another pet enchanted baby gargoyle dragon to throw, i drew my twin spaceshooters

stone soldier heads exploded as bright searing neon lazers straffed the small spaceship cabin

pixie, having made herself a clearing to crouch in, followed my lead and used my cover fire to draw her longshooter and take out a door at the end of the hull

"let's move!"

i checked behind us briefly to make sure knoll was in fact awake and flying

chapter v : the space humans

shade was about as good in a fight as a very lazy uhm .. genius wizard

i swear i just knew in my heart he got that from our dad

but he had it where it counted, and his cover fire allowed me to get down the corridor we had stumbled into and up to another door

we had it in common .. we never missed

"get ready! .." i called to him "i dunno what's in here .." with that, longshooter braced, i pressed the button that opened the door to the next chamber

so these people, however frightening then, must not be truly inhuman .. they had buttons

in fact, it was the space humans, and not their stone soldiers, who greeted us in the next chamber

we could tell they hadn't expected us to make it to them

one way we could tell was that they weren't armed

so you know ..

we didn't kill them right away

before what must have been the chief space human had a chance to call in more stone soldiers, shade spoke instinctively

"stop!!!" he screamed "stop!!! stop!!! stop!!!"

the space humans froze, and .. seemed to react with .. respect

the thought hit both of us at the same time .. we almost smiled at each other

"why are you here?!? why are you here?!?!?!?!" the chief space human chanted

"we were just looking for neighbors!!!" "we were just looking for neighbors!!!" i echoed him

now they were really impressed

"we don't like unnannounced visitors," the space human shook its poor dejected head "we don't like unnannounced visitors..."

he went on .. as if thinking to himself

"we are a proud people... we are a proud people. we are a proud people!!!" he seemed not to know where to go from there

"we're proud of you .." shade seemed to know what to answer him

well we both did but he spoke it "we're proud of you!!"

the space humans again showed a look of surprised impressedment

"you are? you are?!?!?"

"you did make space travel before we did .." i inspired "you did make space travel before we did!"

"yes we did," the space human realized "yes we did!!"

"it's not our fault we wound up here .." shade shook his head explainingly "it's not our fault we wound up here!!"

i nodded agreeing with him

"but, are you friendly to us?" for once the space human actually seemed relatable .. just scared to be in a place it didn't understand, like we were "but, are. you. friendly. to. us?" ..

"if you're friendly to us!!" shade screamed at him "if you're friendly to us!!!!" we both reprimanded the very universe for allowing something like our exploding stone soldier battle to transpire

and with that, the space human showed something that proved it was in fact quite human indeed .. nobility

"see, that's how we feel. see, that's how we feel!!!"

"so we can be friends then? .." "so we can be friends then? .."

again sensibility flashed across the face of the once terrifying creature that seemed to be evolving in front of us

"you can stay if you want, you're cool," the space human gestured i guess he assumed toward the debris we'd left of his uhm .. cliff foot soldiers? .. i'll think of something good later but really around him at the powerful and wonderful universe "you're cool!!!"

book ii : as without so within

chapter vi : on to more space

in fact .. we didn't want to stay we were on a space mission

but we were sure that the space advanced space people would be more welcoming toward visitors, guests, even by their words anyone who wanted to stay on ..

we didn't know what their planet had been called

"pixie? .." "hm? .." "what should we call rock people and space people planet? .." i laughed

she laughed with me and seemed to think

"i was trying to think of a good name for the rock people earlier .."

"hmm .."

"planet of the stone soldiers"

"that's good .." the phrase spoke depths and seeming worlds meanings that we hoped the space people had come to see

"i love stoned soldiers!!!" knoll chanted "we're stone buddies!!!"

"where the hell have you been?!?! .." as the speed of battle passed us we exploded with laughter at the timely reappearance of our pet baby gargoyle dragon

"took a nap!!!" the poor dear griped "shade woke me up and threw me into somebody!!!" "sorry!!"

he seemed either to accept or not care that i was and flew back to the exact same throw pillow he'd been stonedly napping on earlier

pixie and i slung our weapons across the room and into but not onto the spacecouch so they sprawled on the floor around it along with our various knapsacks talismans and whatnots with the precision of true warriors

chapter vii : space face

we had the thought at the same time i suppose, as we often did ..

we should probably leave the elexa on so we could contact other intelligent life rather than just running into it

so we did

it was anywhere from minutes to hours .. absolutely fluk time in space absolutely fluk time in space

but then the second voice in space came through

"ppphhhhhbbblleeeeglorploblorphello? hello? hello hello?"

"hello!?" we exclaimed "who is this!?!?!" ..

"we are of your outer edge,," the creature answered ..

"you are peaceful ??"

"yes" we answered in unison .. there was no question about it

"acemia has know peace then ?? ??"

it was clear at this point that whatever we were speaking to was either of another intelligent species or .. at the very least quite different from the space humans we had encountered

"yes .. acemia knows peace .." it had been true since the times of change

"very very good !!" the alien answered

it was dawning on shade and i that we didn't feel scared like we had when we were talking to the space humans, even though they were so close to us .. this felt .. different

good

but the conversation had already trailed off

finally the silence seemed worth breaking

"can you communicate with minds ??"

shade and i looked at each other

if we had elven blood we could .. our "father" was a mystery

the voice that came through as the elexa returned to the peaceful silence of space was fluking clear as crystal

"peace and love"

"peace and love" we answered in our hearts

for a moment it seemed almost as if in our thoughts so .. conversational we could see a face

floating in outer space all around us, smiling

a space face

book iii : the way home

chapter viii : the outer edges

"i'm not unintelligent,," were the first words out of shade's mouth oh wait i'm shade

no .. pixie was shade

that wasn't right either

somewhere .. somehow somewhere in time no

it was true .. i believed

we had occured to us together that we had drifted outward past where the outer edges were

the alien had said that

"pixie? .." pixie called out to me

"i'm pixie .. no .. you're pixie !!"

"that's what i was wondering !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

             ..

"damian? .. how long have we been .. like this .. ??"

i couldn't remember

but you just called me damian

oh wait

"you just called me damian .." "yeah" "you're shade"

"no, you're!! shade!!"

" .. i know that .. "

"but how long have we been .. like this ??"

"do you know??"

"no .. maybe knoll knows ...oh my gods where is knoll?!?!? .."

"i'm here!~" knoll managed to chirp, and seemed to have appeared out of nowhere above my head just in time to collide with it and take us both down

it didn't help me clear my thoughts

or maybe it did

"pixie .. no .. shade .. listen .. to pixie .."

"knoll??" i mumbled, rolling across the floor over something rocky

"no, pixie .."

"right. i love you pixie,"

"i love you too mage"

"i love you too damian"

"damian .."  the words seemed to freeze on her lips

her .. that was right, of course, i was talking to my sister pixie

had been talking to her in this way for .. hours ? days ? "

wait i wasn't talking to myself ..

"shaaaaaaaaaaaaade,,,,,," she managed again

"whaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttt""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"we're drifting past the outer edges"

"yes .."

in that moment, it seemed to silently pass between us what had happened to us

or was happening

it was hard to tell

"we .. have .. to .. " pixie trailed off "i'm .. no .. noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!"

"yeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" i answered on instinct as if for the sake of argument of course

you understood that

"pixiee .. knoll .. " were all i could manage

"damian .."

we were both convinced it was a hallucination brought on by whatever we'd uhm .. something

but a man in jet black with long hair that hung in front of his eyes appeared in front of us

in front .. wasn't right

the spaceship ..

it wasn't important

"hey, you made it .." the strange yet familiar toadstool greeted us

"you made it past the outer edges"

chapter ix : past the outer edges

the man who stood before us was undoubtedly my father damian warlock of forlorn

everything else at this time was very doubtedly

very doubtedly

very doubtedly

we'd been flying in space pchooooooooo

why am i talking to you?!?!

damian was here

"you made it past the outer edges ,," he said to us together, as if we'd heard the words somewhere before

"i'm sorry ??" i didn't understand what he had said

it didn't matter at all because the look in his eyes seemed to say that he understood

i saw it in shade's eyes

his name was shade .. my brother .. that was right

and my name was pixie

damian must have wanted to give us the coolest names he could think of

right ??

"right" damian answered me

but i hadn't said that out lowwed .. .. or had i ??

did you know ??

maybe it didn't matter

"you named us just for space didn't you ,," my brother managed, or maybe it was knoll

when i thought about it really ,, really ,, really hard .. it was my brother impersonating knoll

that made the least sense of anything that was eeeeeeeehhhhyyyyeeeeeeehhhh happenning ..

or the most sense ..

but i kept remembering that it didn't matter anymore

shade kept remembering that it didn't matter anymore

i didn't know how i knew that when i didn't know anything else

damian looked .. sad

oh gods .. damian was who we were looking for .. he was .. my .. father .. "

we ran toward him

running in space is more like flailing and falling and rolling across the floor

no wait that shouldn't be right

it didn't matter anymore

we ran toward him together

chapter x : home ~

we were all in a room together

in space

all three of us

and we were talking

pixie, shade, and i

in space

space was cold and unforgiving company

and cold and unforgiving company could leave one ..

addleheaded

i just hoped they knew that i would never have wanted anything like this for them, even though we had just met

it seemed as if they understood

the room we were in had been enchanted by a grey mage

that was what we called outers

its healing properties were starting to take effect on mage and elexa .. no .. damian .. ogglblorn .. pixie and shade ,,

i could still feel their confusion

it hurt because i knew it so well

a wizard could wear it like a hat

but space travel left .. a scar .. in the mind

but nothing is forever

i would never even wish the life of a wizard on these children who seemed somehow in some strange and mystical way to be my age, but then, time didn't pass in space .. it went in circles ..

until somebody brought you home

like i had managed to do for them

i hoped deep down that it meant something .. because i truthfully had no idea what was happening on acemia right meow

i hadn't known or cared to know in what i guess must have amounted to lifetimes

call me crazy

it wasn't true of course ; ; i'd left forlorn in peace after a lifetime of fighting evil with magic

and no one could travel in space

but we were all three of us magical

we were all three of us witches and wizards of acemia ~

pixie was just beginning to look at me as if she recognized me .. it was a look i had seen in my own eyes once and searched for in the stars

the look of home

shade, too, was seeming to shake himself out of it in a way that was all too familiar

"who's the little dragon? .. ~ " i asked, smiling, at a time when they had both managed

to smile at me

"its name's knoll,," shade answered me, as if being a wizard i didn't know

"knoll the pet enchanted dragon,," i smiled "yeah" he smiled at me

they both did

acemia was far beyond the stars now ,, to say nothing of forlorn

but we were home

we had a lot of catching up to do

something caught my eyes in pixie's that was indeed quite familiar indeed

"good guys always win ,," she smiled, and shade smiled with her

so even did knoll ,, who was at last flying again

"that's right ,," i answered her "good guys always win"

we all knew ~