#very mundane in some ways but also something that is going to legit make a big difference for some kids/families | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stitchthesewords · 2 years ago

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HI I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I ACTUALLY READ THESE CHAPTERS SEVERAL DAYS AGO BEFORE STITCH MADE MAJOR CHANGES TO THEM AND OH MY GOD SHE MADE THEM SO MUCH WORSE THE BOYS JHJKSJKFSJKKJ I AM RATTLING AT MY BARS-

ANYWAY. This was so much better than what I imagined but oh my god. The funny cute banter between Scar and Mumbo that is like barely inches from flirting. The teasing. The little jokes. Scar's fascination with "human stories." His excitement over the most mundane of memories, the minecart ride and the discoveries AND THEN WHAM, HURT!! ANGST!! NO COMFORT!! "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" AND THE RUNNING AND THE SHEER PANIC OF IT ALL OHHFDSHHAH-

Okay. Okay lemme back it up. Man the cute domesticness at the start, the little signs of Mumbo warming up to Grian (my dear readers that scene originally went very different and as good as the original was I am delighted by the change). I still can't get over the mental imagine of "Scar! :D And Grian :|" but he's warming up and he's becoming fond of the bird boy and aaaaaa I love them and they love each other <3 Helping Mumbo do something as boring and domestic as make item frames and just mmmm <3

"We have guns" YEAH WELL GUESS WHAT SCAR THAT'S NOT GONNA FUCKING HELP-

The minecart ride.... you should totally post the whole thing as an aside on tumblr or something, the long 700-ish word version was very fun :) But you summarized it very nicely here <3 I just love Scar tripping as he gets out and Mumbo ZOOMING over to help him, like honey I think you cut some of Grian's hair there LMAO

Just the whole arguing about the chorus fruit. "I'll go first, no I'LL go first you could get hurt, no ME-" Then Grian just fucking peaces out and immediately injures himself SORRY that SENT me I love them so much. I wonder how Mumbo and Scar react to that. "No I'll go first you're accidEEEGRIAN-"

Grian batting Mumbo away from the flame with his wings and Scar floating his staff away LMAO. Mumbo just Causing Problems On Purpose. Grian and Scar fighting to keep him Away From The Torch and him just being like having no self preservation cares BUT THEN TWO SECONDS LATER JUMPING AWAY WHEN THE TORCH GETS TOO CLOSE ON ACCIDENT LMAO. I'm sorry I love him so much, turns out a wet cat is still a cat indeed-

And Grian getting lost in his memories. Like he was in two places at once, in his head and physically (that is such a mood ngl, me every time I walk across my grandmother's farm jkgfdkj). The concern Mumbo and Scar have about him getting lost in thought and Scar's excitement over him getting a little flash of a mundane little memory aaaaa <3

THE ONES WHO CAME BEFORE I LOVE IT. I mean you know me you know I love a good ancestors and city ruins plot. AN ANCIENT MOB FARM KJFJKSJKFSJK at least they get the idea to dig around it. My god Mumbo's immediate "No you are not building a bridge here" and trying to be Intimidating™ and Firm™ and Scar just looking him dead in the eyes and lighting the torch to send him scuttling back like the wet cat he is under his vampirism HJKFSJLFKJSL I LOVE THEM SO FUCKING MUCH also the "I'm not as flammable as Scar says I am" WHY DO I GET THE FEELING YOU ARE LYING MR. JUMBO HUH?? HUH????

Anyway Grian just SEEING the purple light in the distance and knowing it's the Rift and immediately being mesmerized by it, drawn forward. God I want to see that scene from Scar and Mumbo's pov, Grian just running past them and flying and just jkfgkjdkj. AND THEN. THEN THE RIFT????? PUTS HIM IN A MEMORY???? I legit thought for a moment that Grian was remembering his home falling apart and then it just turned out to be an accident and then Mumbo and Scar's voices and words just melded with the memory?? dream?? and he had no idea what was really happening AND ALMOST WALKED STRAIGHT INTO THE RIFT I AM SOOO JKDSJKFJKS

AND SCAR SCREAMING. SCAR REALIZING WHAT'S HAPPENING AND SCREAMING AND GRABBING GRIAN IN POSSIBLY THE MOST PAINFUL WAY SO HE CAN DRAG HIM BACK WHILE THE RIFY TRIES TO EAT GRIAN?!?!?! THE RIFT REACHING OUT FOR THEM AND INJURING THEM??? OR ONE OF THEM IDK HOW MUCH I CAN SAY BC GRIAN IS DISASSOCIATING AND THE FEAR AS HE REALIZES WHAT'S HAPPENED AND THAT THE RIFT LURED HIM IN AND EVERYONE SCREAMING WONDERING WHAT'S HAPPENING AND SCAR YELLING AT MUMBO TO STAY AWAY FROM IT AS HE BODILY DRAGS GRIAN AWAY AND THEY RUN AND DON'T STOP AND THEY JUST RUN AND RUN BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GET AWAY (ARE THEY BEING CHASED TOO??? IF SO BY WHAT SCAR SCRAMBLED AWAY FROM THE HOLE AND MUMBO SEALED IT IMMEDIATELY JKSLK) AND OH MY GOD THEY HAVE CHOSEN THE WORST POSSIBLE OPLACE TO PUT A VAULT-

BUT. The first time, when Grian went through the first time it showed him grassy fields........ it didn't lure him in with a memory/dream IT TEMPTED HIM IN. BUT IT DIDN'T CONSUME HIM THEN. WHAT'S HAPPENING. But god imagine seeing grass and sunlight only to walk through INTO A FUCKING CAVERN. AND THE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS BEING CHASED I AM WONDERING NOW AND I AM. SO FEARFUL. STITCH. S T I T C H. WHAT IS HAPPENIIING EVERY TIME I THINK I KNOW YOU THROW A WRENCH IN IT HHJSDJHJKFSKJ

Anyway so obviously if you could not tell by my unhinged screaming this chapter was amazing and I am DYING holy shit. Thankyou for this it's wonderful <3

HI I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN THREATENED WITH THAT MIDNIGHT UPDATE FOR WEEKS AND IT WAS DESERVED. RATTLE YOUR BARS, YOU CANNOT STOP ME

I am clapping from my glass lil box of emotions though bc have the two of us in our dms last night while we freaked out about each other stories was the most fun I’ve had w writing in ages and genuinely so much joy in my heart. Could not have been a better night. AND YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES I ‘m glad the panic got across. I was typing, VERY fast.

That scene did originally go. Very different. Actually here hold on-

“Well. You don’t have to show us anything then. It’s our vault, and we know you used a chorus fruit to get in. So, we can just do that,” Mumbo said. His tone was a bit colder now and Grian swallowed.

😊 I much much much prefer ‘Grian [neutral]’ I think but man there is something about Mumbo slamming his metaphorical door shut in the original scene too. But also yes the domesticity of storage organization. They’re all so married already its sort of insane.

ITS FINE THEY WERE FINE EVERYTHING’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE

I should post the whole minecart scene actually. Not here, I’ll do it later. Shout at me if I don’t do it later klghsdhs But I really love it. I’m like a kid in a candy shop w the redstone mechanics and the minecarts in MC I just. Love. Them. So much. AND YES SCAR TRIPPING which was inspired by the fact that getting into and out of rollercoasters for myself is a fucking time and a half tbh. I love Mumbo using his Vampire powers for like, mundane everyday things like helping scar I am soFT ABOUT IT

Fun fact what you DIDN’T see was the original where Mumbo bit into it – the only reason I changed it is because it was weird having the non-POV character teleport away. The tension of the scene got muddled. Also peacing out w a chorus fruit in the middle of an argument about who should actually use the damn thing seemed like either a very Grian or Scar thing to do anyway sooooo. BUT YES HE JUST. IMMEDIATELY CAREENS ONTO HIS CHIN. Bless his hollow boned ass. They’re all such wet cats.

I picture mumbo as one of those tuxedo cats who just always looks like they are Up To Something. Slinking around. Making a lot of ruckus but then always sitting politely when you go to check on them. Batting at everything and anything. You get the drift. He is. SUCH a wet cat

[Grian would be an orange tabby and Scar would be a tortie, for the record. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.]

One of my favorite like. Bad??? Things?? [Well. Not necessarily always – disassociation and getting lost in your memories can be good for you in certain places for sure] the human brain does is go “Mmm hey there’s this Thing That Happened but instead of thinking about it directly we’re going to make you spiral around it like a bathtub draining and THEN let you remember what it was.” You know? Idk I think it’s a really interesting aspect to like, healing from trauma/how the brain deals with difficult memories. It helps, too, that there’s definitely Weird Magic Things at play too, which is a really interesting way to examine it. IDK one of my favorite aspects of fiction is how we can explode the human condition outwards to utterly ridiculous lengths in order to really peel back the layers of our own experiences and study them and learn from them/how to deal with them. And then the fact that not only is Scar Concerned and Excited but Grian has even attracted Mumbo’s Concern like. Mumbo Jumbo you are not living down the ‘Actually Cares About The Bird’ allegations.

FUN FACT ‘THE ONES WHO CAME BEFORE’ IS SOMETHING I STOLE FROM MY NOVEL- That’s what the people who live in the ‘modern day’ call Human Ancestors [Like, neandertals and homo erectus]. I DO know you love a good ancestor city ruins plot 👀👀👀. I do in fact know this about you. Eyes the recent midnight update. ALSO YEAH ANCIENT MOB FARM DLKGADFG They used to be so much easier to build I miss it. I should go back to alpha for funsies. Also I love mr Wet Cat Jumbo he’s so Scary tm and then he’s not at all in the slightest actually. It’s so funny. Scar has put up with him for so long. TBF He has put up with scar also for so long.

IN HIS DEFENSE, WHICH ONE OF THEM IS LYING TBH. THEY BOTH WOULD CATCH FIRE LIKE MATCHSTICKS LKADFG but also 😊

A little bit of excited to see it again a little bit of lured in. Excited /neg. I guess. Also I too want to see that scene from their POVs so. Uh. We probably will. Rift AU IS self-indulgent first and foremost after all 😊 AND Y E A H I wanted the Rift to get to play with Memories and Dreams in a really funky way for Reasons Revealed Later. I LOOOOOOVE How confusing it turned out to be honest. It is meant to be read as disorienting and not clear when is why is how. BUT THAT SCENE OF HIM ALMOST WALKING IN – I HAVE HAD THAT PLANNED BASICALLY SINCE I STARTED THIS AHHHH

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE PANIC Okay like I didn’t do a lot of description of the room the Rift is in because Grian has got Bigger Fish To Fry and taking time away to describe this MASSIVE PURPLE RIFT IN THE CAVE WALL felt out of place but. Imagine you are Scar. And the Avian you’ve grown fond of who occasionally does work for your lowkey criminal empire is walking towards it and not responding to you screaming his name and you have seconds to act and you GRAB HIM BY HIS WING which is a thing that’s already been shown to be a little bit sensitive [a lotta bit sensitive] and you feel the feathers pull out under your hand but you have to pull him away and as you do TENTACLES OF LIGHT BURST FORTH FROM THE RIFT, REACHING FOR HIM, SEARCHING FOR HIM [their POV is gonna be. Fuked.] AND ITS ALL YOU CAN DO TO GET AWAY BUT THE DAMN THING GRABS ONTO YOU AND YOU CAN FEEL THE SKIN OF YOUR ARM BRUISING AND TEARING AS YOU PULL YOURSELF AND GRIAN AWAY FROM IT I CANNOT BE NORMAL ABOUT THIS SCENE, OKAY? OKAY. AND THEN YOUR BEST FRIEND ALMOST LOVER ISS WATCHING AND ABSOLUTELY TRYING TO GET CLOSER TO HELP BECAUSE, I MEAN, HELLO, AND YOU CANT LET HIM get any closer, you can’t let whatever the hell this is touch him, hurt him, so you start just screaming. And running. Aaaaaugh. AND THE TWO OF YOU ARE RUNNING AND you’ve GOT GRIAN IN YOUR ARMS AND GRIAN IS FUCKING GONE HE’S SOBBING INTO YOUR CHEST AND NECK AND SHOULDER AND YOUR LEGS ALREADY HURT BUT YOU CANT STOP RUNNING AND-- 😊I cannot be normal about this scene okay I CANNOT.

WHAT IS HAPPENING INDEED, MY DEAR BELOVED FRIEND ATHERIX, WHAT IS HAPPENING INDEED.

Thank you for screaming it was a DELIGHT I cannot wait to write the next chapter I am practically vibrating out of my skin about it.

#Asks #Mutuals #Atherix #Rift Asks #Rift AU #Hermitshipping #Mumscarian #<- Implied/Future so I figured I would tag it #G O D I WANNA WRITE CH 3 #BUT I NEED TO GET SOME WORK DONE ON MY EXCHANGE FIC TOO???#REPLY TO ALL MY COMMENTS ON AO3???#AH

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becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys · 10 months ago

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You may be right. Though funnily enough, I actually think a lot of the acceptance of the Mari Lwyd in recent years is actually because of her being seen as Weird and Other, in counterpoint to your last point - that's why people like her. And like... sure, she is weird, I guess. But in a very mundane "now let's get drunk" kind of way.

I think it possibly varies by case - for example, as I say, I actually do love a lot of the Mari-Lwyd-as-cryptid art, I recognise that it's an evocative image, and it's fun to explore. One of my favourite pieces is this one:

Here's one from Shoggoth.net, where she is literally a cryptid:

And this is a fairly common motif:

And to be clear - I love all of these! These are great!

But equally, each of these is part of this overall make-her-a-cryptid trend. She's a creature in her own right; she's sinister; she represents the creep of untameable nature, the dead come to life, something that wants to get in. She has antlers in that last one, something horses do not have, but they feel... idk, correct? This is evocative of the Old God imagery, so she gets antlers. I have seen many antlered Mari Lwyd pieces at this point. It's a semi-common theme.

And if you google Mari Lwyd images, or even if you look in the Tumblr tag, this is the kind of artwork you get. Ancient, wild, untameable, sinister, thing-that-wants-to-come-in. It's fun! I do enjoy many of them!

But

There's a Welsh artist, Clive Hicks-Jenkins, and he has produced some amazing Mari Lwyd art over the years. Some of that is sort of cryptid-like, too. But he grew up as a child afraid of his dad doing the Mari and having nightmares about it, so is coming at it from an insider perspective, and I think you can tell. Most of his pieces make the human component clear:

And I think even the more nightmarish and abstract ones still, at their core, retain the idea that this isn't a magical creature from the woods of Annwfn but something constructed out of an actual horse and actual people:

Compare that to most of the Mari Lwyd art on Tumblr, and it's all "dark and wild creature representing the Old Gods"; because that's increasingly how she's known and seen.

And like. It's a hedonistic pageant figure who wants cheese and fun. She's not here to eat your children. She's here for fun and also fermented produce to get her bladdered. She is supposed to be silly. Her attendants - never mentioned, by the way, that's another thing - are fucking Punch and Judy characters. The pwnco isn't high art, it's not a faerie spinning riddles - those insults become "So's your FACE" type insults. It's supposed to be ridiculous, and stupid, and fun.

So it gets weird to me when people present her as a Dark Christmas alternative. Not appropriation necessarily? But certainly projection; she looks like an Old God kind of figure because she has a skull for a head, and she sings to come in, and if you phrase it like that, it can sound sinister and therefore like a very familiar type of aesthetic. I suppose it's then easy to project that aesthetic on, without even realising it. Plus, I think a lot of people like to try to reject the trappings of Christian culture including the iconography - things like Krampus and Mari Lwyd seem to run counter to them, so they get gleefully seized upon as anti-Christmas icons.

That said I would legit be much happier with all of the Sinister Old God shit if every artist who did it wrote the words "Wel dyma ni'n diwad gyfeillion diniwad, i ofyn am gennad..." in the air around their cryptid to include the Welsh. Like, that would genuinely go a long way to help the issue. Still weird! But much more respectful.

This is getting away from me! I shall finish by showing you all the absolute best Mari-Lwyd-as-cryptid art I have seen recently on Tumblr, though, which is this one:

Sillay.

The thing with the Mari Lwyd, though, is that it's being... I don't know, 'appropriated' is the wrong word, but certainly turned into something it isn't.

Thing is, this is a folk tradition in the Welsh language, and that's the most important aspect of it. I feel partly responsible for this, because I accidentally became a bit of an expert on the topic of the Mari Lwyd in a post that escaped Tumblr containment, and I clearly didn't stress it strongly enough there (in my defence, I wrote that post for ten likes and some attention); but this is a Welsh language tradition, conducted in Welsh, using Welsh language poetic forms that are older than the entire English language, and also a very specific sung melody (with a very specific first verse; that's Cân y Fari). It is not actually a 'rap battle'. It's not a recited poem. It is not any old rhyme scheme however you want.

It is not in English.

Given the extensive and frankly ongoing attempts by England to wipe out Welsh, and its attendant cultural traditions, the Mari is being revived across Wales as an act of linguistic-cultural defiance. She's a symbol of Welsh language culture, specifically; an icon to remind that we are a distinct people, with our own culture and traditions, and in spite of everyone and everything, we're still here. Separating her from that by removing the Welsh is, to put it mildly, wildly disrespectful.

...but it IS what I'm increasingly seeing, both online and in real world Mari Lwyd festivals. She's gained enormous pop-culture popularity in recent years, which is fantastic; but she's also been reduced from the tradition to just an aesthetic now.

So many people are talking/drawing about her as though she's a cryptid or a mythological figure, rather than the folk practice of shoving a skull on a stick and pretending to be a naughty horse for cheese and drunken larks. And I get it! It's an intriguing visual! Some of the artwork is great! But this is not what she is. She's not a Krampus equivalent for your Dark Christmas aesthetic.

I see people writing their own version of the pwnco (though never called the pwnco; almost always called some variant on 'Mari Lwyd rap battle'), and as fun as these are, they are never even written in the meter and poetic rules of Cân y Fari, much less in Welsh, and they never conclude with the promise to behave before letting the Mari into the house. The pwnco is the central part to the tradition; this is the Welsh language part, the bit that's important and matters.

Mari Lwyd festivals are increasingly just English wassail festivals with a Mari or two present. The Swansea one last weekend didn't even include a Mari trying to break into a building (insert Shrek meme); there was no pwnco at all. Even in the Chepstow ones, they didn't do actual Cân y Fari; just a couple of recited verses. Instead, the Maris are just an aesthetic, a way to make it look a bit more Welsh, without having to commit to the unfashionable inconvenience of actually including Welsh.

And I don't really know what the answers are to these. I can tell you what I'd like - I'd like art to include the Welsh somewhere, maybe incorporating the first line of Cân y Fari like this one did, to keep it connected to the actual Welsh tradition (or other Welsh, if other phrases are preferred). I'd like people who want to write their version of the pwnco to respect the actual tradition of it by using Cân y Fari's meter and rhyme scheme, finishing with the promise to behave, and actually calling it the pwnco rather than a rap battle (and preferably in Welsh, though I do understand that's not always possible lol). I'd like to see the festivals actually observe the tradition, and include a link on the booking website to an audio clip of Cân y Fari and the words to the first verse, so attendees who want to can learn it ahead of time. I don't know how feasible any of that is, of course! But that's what I'd like to see.

I don't know. This is rambly. But it's something I've been thinking about - and increasingly nettled by - for a while. There's was something so affirming and wonderful at first about seeing the Mari's climb into international recognition, but it's very much turned to dismay by now, because she's important to my endangered culture and yet that's the part that everyone apparently wants to drop for being too awkward and ruining the aesthetic. It's very frustrating.

#wales!#closed for cleaning on mondays #long post

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lijinggg · 2 years ago

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"Then perhaps we can do something about that."

Did a major review of my perspectives about this project experience and expect this can help sort out my feelings to figure out some plan.

Evaluations stated, but there are also several points I hope to make clear for someone or at least anyone. So just in case there is no enough proper chance:

1. Passive aggressive in person. Towards not teammates or leaders but clients wow haha.

2. May complain a lot but actually enjoy many things and people, otherwise would not say anything but just leave.

3. Used to feel no ownership and wonder what is the point of doing all this, what is the takeaway for myself.

4. Stay to see the change without saying or hesitating.

5. Covering many things without getting any explanation or report to me. No meaning to push, hate aggressiveness, simply want some answer.

6. Never thank specifically for understanding my difficulty, especially several times mentioning how to confront with bu which is supposed to be my concern.

7. Management not there in place to improve the team structure. Show me how this team deserves it.

8. People all have more or less opinion or problem with everyone. No chance to like everyone, not to say full.

9. RI side contributing access, not all but some quite controlled only by RI.

10. Get into troubles with leads throwing things too directly to other team.

11. Used to be very critical, but quite agreeing and compromising, when keeping oneself running with no context.

12. Actually only want to talk to limited persons. Never want to waste a single second with wrong people.

13. Quite hard partnering with not strong enough nets when pjm pdm do not equally share the responsibility to intervene.

14. Can handle all these better if having the legit position to point out and solve things.

15. Tried of thinking of better ways to do things and asking partners to do.

16. Both sides do things quite randomly. That makes things quite hard to bargain.

17. Have to say to keep going, to move on, but actually do not want to act like everything is to be fine.

18. Would like to work with proper background info and big picture, need to more ownership! To legitimately step up more and fill in more gaps and manage things better for the team. (Maybe client facing is not my focus?)

19. Great honor to have shared so much with each other. (Wishful thinking, working together is only a trigger, real reason is that we share true thoughts, so why does that have to end.) Very accustomed to and comfortable with this company, really really never want to put an end to it. If it is myself that is not good enough, I only can and will remember everything, everything includes everything.

20. Weirdly murmuring and spending many mundane stuff, thanks for the patience. There could be some wrong expressions and sometimes mistakenly said the opposite meaning, thanks for always understanding and never getting negative, and always wanting to talk.

21. Very criticising, serious, but now no chance to wonder too much or stay at one point. Only want ownership.

22. Jealous. About the fact that engineers have the power to control things and work on things, principles to stick to, standards to defend, chances to take oneself to great career path and great places. Jealous to work with these mates.

23. Not so high client facing spirit. Need to mutually deserve it. Free and self-managed.

24. Stress from thinking about tasks. Relieved from actually working on it. Regardless of working time, ownership matters.

25. May fail to cover everything well enough. But step up to manage a lot.

These are all supposed to be chatting but turned into long text, just in case anything is missing and ends up never being conveyed.

What is to think when saying that “then perhaps we can do something about that.”?

What is the true experience of being the important engineer to support here and there, and step up when expecting no one else to fill in?

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astrobydalia · 3 years ago

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Observations pt 12

Masterlist

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Work by astrobydalia

Venus in the 4th house come from wealthy families, I’ve met people with this placement whose families owned lands, businesses, etc.

Being a Virgo is NEVER being permanently satisfied with something you have done 😭🤡 Even when you are proud of your work eventually you look back at it and realize how shitty it is and then feel embarrassed for ever being proud of it like bruh. yes im ranting

Pisces placements (12th housers too) really are specially fond of either music or poetry/literature, they either love listening/reading it or they’ve felt at some point drawn to making it

Out of all water placements, I’ve noticed Cancer placements are the most artistic, the ones who MAKE their own art. I believe this is due to their cardinal nature, moreover I already mentioned in a past post that Cancer and Aries are the most common sun signs I've found in painters.

I’ve noticed Pisces placements are creative but they are more about enjoying art than making art, while Scorpio placements usually feel more drawn to the occult than art. (Again this is just a GENERAL observation, any sign can be artistic it depends on the chart)

Natives with mostly easy aspects in their chart (specially grand trine) and little to no tense aspects are the definition of wasted potential

Gemini and Pisces risings are the ultimate copycats…

Natives with Neptune harshly aspecting Mars or ASC really believe a fairy god mother is just going to come knocking at their door and fix their life... I'm sorry but I constantly see these natives making excuses to not get up and get their shit together it's frustrating to watch.

^^^Also unless chart says otherwise these natives tend to have submissive personalities

Ruler of the 4th house in the 1st house indicates the native is either an only child or they were the child with the most protagonism among their siblings

Natives with Mars influence in their moon (Aries moon, Scorpio Moon or Moon aspecting Mars) are to some extent emotionally unstable and attitudes like mood swings, extreme reactions or hypersensitivity are very common.

I’ve noticed natives with ASC ruler in the 12th house are extremely melancholic and have a very melancholic outlook towards life

Virgo moon/Jupiter are some of the most pessimistic people I’ve ever seen honestly. They're the type to shatter others' and their own dreams in the name of being "realistic", they just focus on the obstacles and the reasons they shouldn't or can't (lacking mentality). It's like they low-key don't believe things can’t be better so they conform to mundane reality and they HATE change

Your Sun sign and house is actually VERY telling of the type of profession/work enviroment that is best suited for you (Sun = where and how you thrive/shine and therefore become successful). It can also tell you HOW you can succeed at your job

I've been binge watching crime documentaries for a while now and is it just me or all criminals are Aquarius Suns? lol it's just what I've seen take it with a grain of salt

For natives who have their chart ruler retrograde, it takes extra time and experience for them to learn all their life lessons, they’re the ceos of getting trapped in their own ways and evolving seems to be hard for them

^^^Also they’re the type of people who struggle to follow in situations where people would normally catch up immediately but at the same time they are good at picking up on bizarre things and can be very insightful people

Aries and Gemini placements really thrive in pop culture

End Game by Taylor Swift can easily be the anthem of every Scorpio mars out there

Unless they have Cancer placements or other 4th house placements, you will never hear someone who has Pluto in the 4th house talk about their past or their backstory or their family. Like legit these people hardly even mention their relatives not even casually and they don't want other people talking about them either

I’ve noticed Capricorn venus natives hate lazy days. Self-care for them means to have their shit together and to be productive

Aquarius moons will tell you about their most painful trauma in detail with a completely straight face... like, bruh

Fixed moons hate being wrong

Mutable moons hate not knowing something

Cardinal moons hate not getting what they want

Mars in the 12th house/Mars in Pisces are the CEOs of being underestimated. They are as powerful as Scorpio mars imo but in a way that’s very subtle so people often overlook them (in comparison Scorpio mars’ power is intense and palpable to others)

Aries placements always try SO hard to be edgy like they're the type of person who wants to always portray themselves as "real”. This is usually not an act tho they are genuinely like but they always try so hard to make it known… (the reason is because aries is all about affirming individuality)

As a water moon I find other water moons to be incredibly draining tbh, let me know if you relate

I have mostly seen Scorpio, Aries and Sagittarius moons being obsessed with rock/hard-rock at some point of their life

Virgos always use themselves as examples of how things should be done

I've noticed men with Venus in Capricorn are pretty sexist? I mean, they are impeccably respectful of women but a lot of times they can have a condescending/patronizing attitude towards women... also they low-key believe in gender roles, but again this is just my experience

Women with venus in Capricorn on the other hand have sugar mommy/milf energy

Men with fixed sun/moon (specially moon) have a BIG ego! Like I know god complex is a fixed sign thing we all know that but this is so obvious in men, like most of them are pretty cool and well liked tbh but also so smug and entitled

Work by astrobydalia

#astrology #astro #astro notes #astro observations #zodiac #ascendant #birth chart #gemini #moon signs #capricorn

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serenheist · 4 years ago

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What Taehyung is like in a relationship/ Taehyung as a boyfriend Tarot reading

How long does it take him to get into a relationship? & Does he prefer long or short term relationships 8 of cups, queen of swords, 10 of pentacles 9 of pentacles reversed, 4 of cups

Ffs the queen of swords always pops up. Anyway yeah I don’t see him getting into anything quickly. He could’ve in the past but I think past relationships left him drained af and feeling alienated. I think he has a shit ton of walls up and is a lot more no nonsense now. It’s probably intimidating and more blunt to others because he wants to get to the heart of why someone is trying to get with him since so many people try to pull the same shit and fuck around with him like he’s dumb. He does not settle for anything other than what he wants. If he can’t find “the one” then he legit just rather be alone. It looks like he’s now more focused on building a Legacy though and something serious and long term so he has no desire to just jump into something with anyone. He basically would wait it out and get to know them long before deciding he trusts them enough and feels comfortable enough to show his emotions and not be so aloof.

I feel like he’d be the type to not show much interest at first because he really needs to scope the person out. So the person probably wouldn’t even know he actually likes them. Actually he could be a little too jaded and bored to the point of turning away everyone even though he does want a relationship. But in his mind there’s too many people being carbon copies and trying to swindle him for his money bruh for real all of bts are having this problem like damn it keeps reoccurring. Idk why it seems like there’s people also trying to use money to get with him like they’re rich and they think he’ll just want someone loaded. Like dude he’s already rich so that doesn’t work and to him them having a ton of money means Jack shit when they have the personality of a damn rock.

Past & present love life 10 of swords, 2 of pentacles present: the hermit, 5 of wands

Past love life: welp. Do I really need to explain the 10 of swords. I think actually that he had all this past trauma and shit from relationships and even other shit he still hasn’t dealt with but there was no time to even process that because he had to get back to work and act like he was fine. I think he’s the type of person that buries himself in his career when he experiences traumatic stuff that he doesn’t want to deal with. And of course it’s easier when you’re busy 24/7 anyway. This relationship betrayed him in every way tbh but maybe it was a catalyst for better things to come though he still might not see this right now. Present: I don’t see him in a relationship now currently cause the hermit but also being a major arcana it’s like he’s really in a life stage right now where he just wants to be alone because there’s so much conflict going on and he’s feeling anxious and having all these negative pessimistic thoughts that he just needs time to himself. I don’t think he very optimistic about his love life right now he’s lost a lot of hope. Things are too chaotic elsewhere to focus on romance.

What is he like in a relationship? the chariot, ace of cup, Unicorn, fae 61, solus 13, vanth, the sun reversed, anger and chains 29, justice, 2 of swords reversed, 3 of cups reversed, avenoir 1, princess of pentacles,ta’om the poet 29, ace of swords, Thanatos

What is he like in a relationship? When he’s in a relationship he really puts all his focus on that person and will go above and beyond for them. There’s a kind of masculine and feminine balance in him in the sense that he’s ready to be the go getter and take charge but there’s also a vulnerable energy and overflowing emotions. He works hard to take care of his person and make the relationship work . The only downside is he could possibly be too smothering to his partner or come on too strongly because of past shit and maybe too clingy for some people since in a relationship he really shows his softer side and he’s not as aloof as he is to others. He loves to have little house parties with his partner and have friends and family over with a ton of food and music.

For date ideas he’s down for anything but especially something “magical” maybe literally some place like Disneyland or pagan festival like beltane? That’s specific af but there’s a medieval type of energy and nature spirits and shit, he wants to do stuff he hasn’t done before and that might even be outside his comfort zone since G. Hobyah card is all about imaginary fears and getting past them. The best qualities he has in a relationship is the ability to help his partner stand on their own 2 feet but also recognizes that you can’t do everything on your own so he’s the type of person who would go above and beyond and connect you to the right people or situations. He’s always there when his partner really needs them and will make sure to put time aside.

His worst quality is that I don’t think he knows how to express his anger in a healthy way. I think with the sun reversed next to anger and chains it’s more like he doesn’t know how to fully show it it’s kinda repressed but his emotions under the exterior are a hot mess and there’s a big need for stability. It’s like being too stubborn to admit when you mess up and petty shit cause it hurts his ego. But I don’t think it’s super bad considering the justice card I used to represent his communication style. I feel that even if he gets mad af he gets over things really quickly and one minute he’s be angry and 10 minutes later he’ll be asking you what you want for dinner like wtf.

When he likes someone he’s not going to jump in and immediately go approach them. I see him instead watching them intently from afar lol he’s very cautious and like gathering everything he can on that person. Dude’s a 1st class stalker. Jk But the thing is the person wont even know he is interested in them because he keeps a serious face as a kind of mask but on the inside he’s like a giddy kid. Ta’om is known for looking serious and thoughtful but is actually very playful and slightly mischievous. I think Taehyung is definitely one to start off as friends and slowly get to know someone rather than just start dating because he really wants to know that person well to see how real they are and if they’re just putting up a front.

He’s not attracted to new shiny things that are perfect he’s able to see the beauty in all things even in difficulty. After he’s been friends with them for awhile and knows if that person like him back, that’s when he’d actually make a move. He finds a lot of satisfaction in doing services for others until they’re completed so it makes me think his love language (giving) is acts of service but with the ace of swords is pretty obvious his Receiving love language is words of affirmation but moreso he appreciates when someone is blunt and honest and not just saying stuff to make him feel better cause then it’s just insincere.

What is his ideal type? the ageless, the star, the singer of healing 10, el shaddai, protection 26, ram, the maestro, fae 41, the sage 19, king of cups reversed, himself 17, danu, death reversed, obsession

His type: this person seems to have had some messed up stuff happen to them in their past. Even when others were horrible to them they still kept their dignity and chose to still give to others instead of give in to bitterness and despair. It’s like the Phoenix where no matter how many times they metaphorically die, they can still rise up even better than before. I think they’re able to help heal others because they’ve been through the trauma themselves but they know how to be honest and blunt without being overly mean about it. They have a kid of tough exterior though I think from years of negativity from people that’s made them strong but also a little distant from people and they need a lot of time to themselves to recharge and get away from peoples bs. Honestly this seems a lot like Taehyung too lol I think he wants someone who’s been through similar traumas.

The ram keeps calling out to me that I think this persons way of showing love is a little aggressive but that’s what Taehyung likes in someone tbh. It’s not like actually showing love it’s hard to explain. It’s more so you know when someone tries to act like sarcastic and shit to hide the fact that they like someone? Idk why it reminds me of toph from avatar the last airbender where she just punches people to show affection it’s kinda like that. Cause they’re not good at being really vulnerable. They put on this brave face and are pretty good at it to the point where you won’t notice that they’re jealous seeing you hang out with someone else. But this person is really independent like I’m not joking lmao and a go getter they don’t rely on anyone really. And don’t give a fuck who you are.

There’s 2 healing cards and honestly why is this person so similar to Taehyung lol this person is great at helping or healing others but again has to realize it’s okay to also get help for yourself. They think maybe that they’re fine on their own and they don’t like relying on others for help because people disappoint you and it’s easier to just do it yourself. But they’re really good at giving advice and are lot nicer than their exterior let’s on. Bruh the star card makes my mind keep playing that I’m gonna be a star song by twice lmao stop. I think this person actually is a star or is working up to it cause they have huge plans. This isn’t someone just wanting a mundane job I think they’re gonna go big.

Especially paired with the ram talking about they go for big dreams and huge successes. This person won’t stop until they accomplish their dreams they really don’t care what others say and will go to the extremes to get there. I see they have a lot of talents anyway but some people were like saying negative shit that their dreams are impossible but they’re learning to set boundaries with other people and it’s more of a just move in silence energy. Also usually I don’t say zodiac signs but since it’s a major arcana it might play some significance but Aquarius might be prominent in their chart (nvm I just remembered Taehyung has venus in Aquarius so duh you dumbass it wouldn’t be that out there to think he’d be drawn to Aquarius qualities).

I wonder if this person is into astrology though given all the glyphs. I think this is someone Taehyung has been trying to manifest and call in too like wishing on a star for a looooong time and maybe thought it wouldn’t come but boy does the universe have a surprise for you. They really are future oriented thinkers and know a lot about spirituality I think that a big part of who they are I really don’t think they’d be completely atheist or not care about spiritual topics. They give a lot without much thought in return and can talk about anything with openness and honesty. With Taehyung they’d teach him everything under the sun. He likes when he can share all this knowledge especially about weirder topics with someone who isn’t going to dismiss him. I see them really encouraging him to try new things and show him things he never knew were possible. They treat him like he finally belongs somewhere in the world.

This shit is kinda spooky because both the maestro guy and illbe the retriever are holding orbs/a little white ball close to them and they speak of the same thing. This person really protects Taehyungs hopes and dreams. Also they themselves obviously represent a dream that Taehyung thought was long gone and impossible. I think it can be taken literally too lol to mean that when Taehyung is being forgetful af. This person is that type of person who has your keys already when you think you lost them. They’re really the more responsible one in the relationship lmao helping him to be more organized and get his life together. The next set of cards I used to represent what his biggest turn ons are. This isn’t in a sexual way though lmao I meant the qualities he likes the most in his ideal type. Already I noticed how all the cards are facing straight ahead and looking right at you so it makes me think this person has some intense ass eye contact and looks intimidating and they got a rbf.

With the king of cups reversed I don’t think they’re actually these heartless cold bitches and that Taehyung is turned on by that because the sage card is upright and talks about the same shit but this is a person definitely who looks colder but is actually kind on the inside. He kinda likes people who look cold like that but are actually sweethearts. This person is not one of those super lovey-dovey people or uses pet names and babytalk like “my sweet baby Taehyung” whatever I think they find it very cringe. They have some trauma from when they were kids where they felt as if they aren’t allowed to act very emotional because people will think they’re weak and take advantage of them (this is just their beliefs about themselves) they instead act very macho or tough again lol like Toph from ATLA idk why I keep thinking of her but there’s like a kinda tomboy energy but they’re really not heartless they just need the right person to feel comfortable around and need to work on opening up emotionally.

There’s so much masculine and yang energy but then at the end you see this motherhood figure so it again really makes me think it’s a front and this person is so nurturing and that’s what really draw Taehyung to them. He loves the most that this person knows so much about the most random things and esoteric topics. They value tradition and stability but they also understand the need for growth and change they’re the perfect balance. Communication is really a big thing for Taehyung it’s a reoccurring theme in this. Someone who is very good at communicating and are action oriented. They say what they mean and mean what they say. It’s very important that they are their own unique individual self and have their own goals and skills and hobbies.

This person is probably a powerful manifester too and sets their intentions and goes after them. They have so much power and confidence also with the himself card they could be a dancer or love dance since he’s a dancer faerie they’re very much into creative shit. They seem very natural and not the type who got work done or wears too much makeup idk there’s like a wild energy lol like this bitch is from the damn forest. If someone attacked Taehyung this person would literally drop kick someone even if the person was bigger than them. Danu card is always protective and nurturing but ferocious if you mess with their person. Like “idc what you do to me but if you touch my guy I’ll end you”.

Now onto what Taehyung’s biggest turn offs in general are: death reversed and obsessed card lol oh god bro I am fucking done. His biggest turn off is when someone makes him the center of their universe. I mean this in the extreme way like “omg you’re my one and only we’re meant to be I think about you 5000 times a day and have an entire closet with all your pictures and I document your entire life” 👀 and he’s like uhh can you get a damn hobby? (That doesn’t involve me) Cause imagine someone’s entire life revolves around you. It’s sweet at first I guess? Lmaoo then it’s just creepy and like they have no life or personality without you. Death reversed is like something is plaguing you and following you around, pestering and annoying you. He must’ve experienced this shit irl lmao if it’s this strong with a major arcana to come up as a turn off. Cause major arcana are big ass life lessons. Like they thought he wouldn’t know they were secretly obsessed with his ass and used other people like his friends to get closer to him but I’m telling you Taehyungs intuition is something else and he always knows when people are some obsessed crazies. This is exactly why he’s so cautious now because of bs like that he can’t trust anyone. Like please stop acting like Jodi Arias and have some self respect.

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tumblingxelian · 5 months ago

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OK finally have time, not sure how much of a response I can offer as there's a lot of interesting stuff here but it also rather speaks for itself.

Anyway thanks glad you think so!

Mhm, I could see that working well, whether its happened to the person before or not, once the connection is broken they just stay that way, maybe slightly more chill with Hawk Moth not ranting in their ear or maybe significantly less chill cos he's no longer providing structure or a barrier between the Imago and person as they are becoming one.

Also gosh yeah so many methods, we have a specific post outlining them somewhere right?

Also yeah, figuring out the origin for the name is tricky, but that'd make sense in any given story. Though I guess Hawk Moth could just proclaim it but he likely doesn't want people to know what's up.

Oooh also that outline is really cool cos like... Seeing someone mundane with no means of even trying to get the magical people's attention save desperately sending messages to a blog that may not think they are legit.

Let's be real here, ALya probably has to filter so much bullshit.

And then actually seeing it all come to head, YIKES. Excellent for horror vibes.

Also them being infested afterwards, oof, but it makes sense, if we go by Ivan's Akuma those suckers want to multiple.

I'm a big an of tainted veins, though I think they'd be reserved for either an Imago very swiftly taking over its host as they fail to resist like in that Lila video. Or be the result of the long term struggle for dominance as the bodies partial conversion and stress catch up to it and start manifesting in odd ways.

Hmm, some very interesting stuff here, though how long do you imagine them being isolated that they can still casually turn up for work?

Oooh hostage situation, I like that, definitely feels like the effects of trying to fight it off slowly unhinging their mind and also their desire for people to notice something is wrong and help them influenced the Imago, leading to the 'bombastic' reveal.

Haunting imagery at the end there.

Just imagining Gabriel watching like with a subtly shocked expression cos he was not expecting the experiment to manifest like this exactly, before being pleased that its clearly working... Then disconcerted when he realizes he can't actually control the resulting creature at all.

Gabriel: Tell me, Nathalie, how many infested items did I distribute to the public? Nathalie: The control group is only ten sir, and barring the first early manifestation, they're all under observation, why? Gabriel (Shows her his tablet) This one isn't in the control group.

Both turn to look out the window as the realization slowly dawns on them that they may have just turned the key on Pandora's box.

So, I found an amazing artiston Insta and while they have some very uplifting stuff, they also have some stuff that 100% fits Cortical Cocoon and is also deeply fascinating, be prepared for wolves:

1 A lamb in a Wolf's head, or basically "No U" personified: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZXp6qwtdhV/?img_index=1

2 Tri wolf maws, https://www.instagram.com/p/CGDock7Jn0B/?img_index=1

3 Imago growth, https://www.instagram.com/p/CGa3Fu7JVgS/?img_index=1

4, more growth https://www.instagram.com/p/CdbfOBltjLa/?img_index=1

5, Devour your host, https://www.instagram.com/p/CGLX1vjJITp/?img_index=2

6 Who is the monster here? https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbvCjWJFui/

7, Resistance is not futile, https://www.instagram.com/p/CfcZTl7NGLq/?img_index=1

8, Hey bud what's going on in your head? https://www.instagram.com/p/Cet1XcCNZli/?img_index=5

9, Talked into self destruction, oof , https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl68SR6NEft/?img_index=1

10, Relief at last? https://www.instagram.com/p/CZiYmSptPzc/?img_index=1

11, A shell, https://www.instagram.com/p/CQT9AvnJqcR/?img_index=1

Okay, going to address these one by one and the connection I found with Cortical Cocoon.

The Lamb in a Wolf's Head - A symbol of how despite all the menace of the Imago, they are all still victims of Hawkmoth. That doesn't mean they don't have teeth, though.

Three heads, one mask - Represents a sort of bleeding identity between the host, the Akuma, and the resulting Imago.

As Above, So Below - The dichotomy between the two halves of an Imago.

Parasitic Paranoia - The host feels something is wrong but their own frantic attempts to find it only further fuel the Akuma slowly assimilating them.

Uncontested - The Host doesn't even have the will to resist the encroaching infestation.

Two In One - When one fell, the other followed suit.

Despite everything, it's still you - The host, while changed, still remained themselves as they became an Imago.

Someone Sees - They tried their best to hide what was going on, but someone noticed eventually.

Forceful Takeover - In their darkest moment, the Akuma took the opportunity to fully subsume them.

Blissfully Breaking - When the Imago finally emerged, they were happy to simply see the suffering end.

Shell of the Self - By the time Lila even realized what was happening, she felt that her head had gone hollow.

#cortical cocoon au

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i-mybrunettelady · 2 years ago

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Sending hugs and good vibes your way!

If you don't mind me asking, could you perhaps describe Nyra's place among the Vigil? Like... the more mundane things, how she interacted with her role and the people around her. Was she recognized as a Noble by other human members? Anything of that sort. (But no pressure!)

Of course I don't mind!! TYSM anon!! I am grateful for both the vibes and question!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

But yeah, her place in the Vigil. She currently holds the title of Warmaster and is one of the heroes of the Order, naturally, though she has yet to train a recruit. They respect her and defer to her authority when she takes it. She's known for the discipline Forgal had instilled in her back when she was a recruit, so if she says you're doing a good job, you are doing a good job. Nobody really blames her for Almorra's death, they knew how much she admired Almorra and how broken she was at Almorra's funeral, so that didn't tarnish much, even if Nyra herself is having a harder time wrestling with that guilt of being too late.

But babymander Nyra is a whole other story. She had a bit of a rep in DR as someone who was difficult to deal with sometimes (still does let's be honest), a rascal who young people flocked towards and every noble knew of her for one reason or another. She was also Logan's protégée, so that's a thing. So she joins the Vigil with Logan promising she's something else, Almorra places her with Forgal who has a rep of demanding very high discipline from his recruits.

Legit, some of them did pity her. Especially after they saw how hard he was drilling her some days. Some days were just, wake up, go die with Forgal, go back to bed. And she sometimes argued with him too and they saw how hard he slapped her when she said something about Almorra being a charr (this is Nyra who's still shaking off her Ascalonian upbringing in many ways.)

But on days she wasn't dead from training, she sat with fellow recruits and talked and had fun. She stood out, as she tends to do, as a leader amongst them, entertained with stories how she saved Shaemoor from the centaurs. She was recognised by some of the noble-born members, if only for her surname if they're older (where they all had to ask if she's Eldon's granddaughter and how much she looks like him to which she would go :VV) and if they're younger they tease her about the gossip that goes around the capital about her.

And even with all the good-natured teasing, she has sowed the seeds of respect that would come later. Don't take this to mean that nobody disliked her, far from it. She can come off as arrogant at times and it can rub some people the wrong way, especially combined with her confident attitude. She also tends to domineer social situations sometimes because of those same qualities and that isn't always good. But she's one of those people you need to have an opinion on, you feel drawn to and this is a thing that really got to shine when she matured a bit, she makes you feel heard and noticed.

Vigil was a place where she honed the skills she would later use as Commander and as Champion and though she is less involved than she used to be, she is still a very strong presence in her order.

#gw2 #nero's random thoughts #alysannyra #so i got a bit rambly #i hope this makes sense #but the question was excellent!!#very good!!#and once again thank you #I love questions like these #and i appreciate the good vibes

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stillness-in-green · 3 years ago

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(Sees the Katana Adviser being in the crowd shot of the first attack) Be swift my son! Don't let your screentime be for nothing!...Also, he's working with the Sludge Villain. Wasn't expecting that sort of duo in the same shot, but not complaining.

Can’t wait to have to redo all my headcanons for him the second he gets any actual attention!

(Stillness, ready to get jossed tonight.)

Do your best, Brand! Try not to get one-shotted like so many of your advisor brethren!

As to the Sludge Villain, I’m not going to get my hopes up that his presence will distract enough main character attention from Business Shark that the latter might actually walk away from the now-inevitable clash with 1-A/Bakugou, but it certainly is an interesting inclusion.

Like, yeah, I suppose Bakugou’s due a rematch to account for all those rematches Deku’s been getting, but I was just rereading some of the early chapters last night, and I noticed something very interesting that’s never, ever been discussed further by the text: the intimation that the Sludge Villain may be unable to properly control his quirk. Here’s the relevant panel crop:

Legit, I have no idea what to make of this panel. The Sludge Villain always came off as perfectly in control of what he uses his fluid mass to do—rob convenience stores; cram himself into more solid bodies to take them over from within, probably killing the victim in the process—but given the implication of Chapter 341 that he’s a heteromorph, not someone with a transformation quirk, are we going to suddenly get a Sad Backstory for one of our very first villains??

I’m not averse, certainly, but I do have to wonder how much Bakugou is going to care. Also, I know Skeptic and the PLF remnants are coordinating this and all, but it does seem rather odd to play up how Spinner is supposed to give this sign to “the common rioters,” as specifically distinguished from the PLF remnants and the escaped convicts…only to immediately cut to a PLF remnant and an escaped convict standing at the back of a crowd of heteromorphs.

Oddness aside, though, one interesting possibility occurs to me wrt to Katana Advisor, and it ties to Skeptic's lines also. The first translation I saw of his first line in 341 ran, “You know how much percentage of the crimes committed by villains are attributed to heteromorphs.”

Attributed to. Not committed by. It suggested very plainly that there is some wonkiness going on with those numbers; it leaves open the possibility that heteromorphs are being blamed for crimes they didn’t commit. Neither of the scanlations picked up on that wording, but Caleb Cook did. The official release gives, “I’m pretty sure you know what proportion of villain-designated criminals are heteromorphs.”

That’s not quite the same thing as “attributed to,” but it leaves open a similar ambiguity: in this case, that Skeptic is specifying villain-designated criminals, as opposed to just all criminals generally. What this tells us is that the percentage of criminals who get the villain designation who are heteromorphs is in some way notable compared to the percentage of criminals who are not villain-designated who are heteromorphs.

And that tracks! Of course it does! Heteromorphs wear their quirks on their skin, after all; they can’t turn it off. By simply existing in public, they are, in a sense, breaking the law against “unlicensed public quirk use.” Of course if they get caught up in crimes they’re more likely to get the villain label!

I mean, look at Spinner himself, as Skeptic highlights with, “I’m sure you know.” Spinner’s a designated villain, but we never saw him using the only part of his quirk he can choose not to employ—the wall-climbing—until Deika. Up until that point, all his criminal acts were committed the mundane way, by threatening people with swords. Sure, he’s a member of a group calling themselves The League of Villains, so he’s claiming the label, but legally speaking, given that the wall-climbing is being done in self-defense, I’m not sure he’s actually done anything that would class him as a Villain instead of just a criminal.

But he’s a heteromorph doing crimes, and, I suspect, that’s all it really takes.

And I wonder if Pinstripe Greninja, who also very noticeably carries a sword, is going to call that out at all?

Another possibility is that the numbers discrepancy is more about the number of heteromorphs that get the villain designation compared to non-heteromorphs that do, but that either goes to the same kind of reasoning as above, or perhaps to something I mentioned back in the PLF Mass Arrest essay, about how, often, people who commit a crime in Japan are let off pretty lightly if it's their first-time offense and the crime's not too bad. I wonder if it's the case that, if two people commit the same crime (let's say purse-snatching, in honor of the other Chapter 1 villain) but one has an emitter quirk and one a heteromorphic quirk, the emitter is more likely to be let off, while the heteromorph is more likely to be classed as a villain?

Well, in any case, thanks as always for the ask, @shockersalvage! Let’s hope we get some more good villain content tonight!

#bnha #plf advisors #iguchi shuuichi #sludge villain #shockersalvage #stillness answers #sliding this post in just in time to get disappointed

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lackingspace · 4 years ago

Text

Null Moon (Marko x Reader)

Rating: SFW

Word Count:5.5k

Summary: Due to some mad bogus circumstances your hand was forced into relocating to the Santa Carla witch coven. Not exactly where you saw yourself, but beggars cant be choosers or however that saying goes. New coven, new community, no idea how this was going to play out, what could go wrong?

Warnings: Nothing really. Just 80s slang, some suggestive themes, trigger warning for witchcraft I guess, vampire boys doing stalky vampire things, and expanding the magical community at large. Throw in psychic fliting too. The only real warning here is that I wax soliloquy, stopping me is impossible.

So I watched Lost Boys again and Marko just too pretty and wouldn’t stop, so I had to write about it. I’m dedicated to worldbuilding because it pleases me, so no smut yet, but don’t worry, its comin. Enjoy the 80s slang sprinkled everywhere. Out of no where I know, but I hope you all like it ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

Part 2: Blood Moon ✧･ﾟ:

Salt was something you’d found yourself trying to quickly get accustomed to. Don’t get it twisted, you weren’t mental and liked it in your food just fine, but it was in everything here. It was bogus, really. None of your new sisters warned you about the mundane annoyances when relocating to their beachfront town.

It was almost insidious how it could worm its way into just about anywhere and everything. Even on days you were a shut-in, your hair still had a salty ocean breeze scent and you swore you’d find grains of sand in the oddest of places. It wasn’t that big of a deal, just another thing out of your control-- one you’d never be able to change.

The atmosphere answered to no one. Maybe this was the ocean’s way of welcoming you into the fold? Taking it as a sign that the gods were pleased with your departure from the Louisiana coven helped soothe the bitter ache.

You had other things to occupy your thoughts, anyway. Nothing exciting, just the very normal, very stressful situations that came with moving. Having a not so smooth departure made your integration into this coven rocky. Trying to smooth that out while accommodating for the new energy and dynamic of the community made things difficult. Stressful? Definitely. Normal? Unfortunately. Hectic? Totally, but still necessary to process.

Getting to know your new coven sisters was also proving tedious, certain views not quite matching up. At least you were kept too busy to really worry over it. Keeping your mind occupied made everything easier. Even if they didn’t know why you’d really been looking to transfer, it was no secret on their end why they’d been so eager to accept you. They’d had a very specific position that none of the current members were willing to entertain.

A major part of the job was the operation of the coven owned metaphysical shop on the boardwalk, night shift specifically. That had a swirl of mixed emotions bristle your senses- excitement just edging out over apprehension. Your old coven hadn't been open to the human public in any way, shape, or form. The practice was sacred and you were taught to keep it that way.

The only non-paranormal individuals allowed within the walls were partners of the community. A werewolf's mate, for instance, maybe suffering an energetic imbalance would be brought in. So dealing with the stuffy clueless human populace nightly? Well, the idea was less than stellar...but survival required adaptation, and you could be flexible. Still, predicting the havoc it’d play on your nerves was easy. Good thing wine existed because having a glass a day was majorly on the agenda.

Oh well, every job had to have something and each place had slightly different energetic needs, different spiritual practices, and don’t even get you started on the nuances of rituals- everyone and their mom have their own twist. Baton Rouge had been a prime example of that- a hotbed for the magical community, it was embedded in the culture. Overflowing with a little something for everyone and then some. Different ailments, practices, people, and best of all different magics.

On the other hand, all that variety came at the cost of a massive headache in interspecies politics. Witches and vampires, weres and goblins, selkies and sirens, demons and wendigos, elementals and everyone, keeping up with who was at who's throat was exhausting. It gave you a gnarly stomach ache frankly, but if that was the price of learning your craft, well, it wasn't that steep.

Headache, stomach pains, whatever- it was a price you'd gladly pay- had paid. Plus, you had loved the community there. Once you got past the politics there was a wealth of knowledge and power just floating around, free for grabs- even when it wasn’t free, there were ways to get what you’d wanted.

Admitting that your departure had left hella bitter resentment towards your previous sisters was something you actively denied. Your new high priestess hadn’t wanted any hexes sent their way following her acceptance of you. Assuring her it was a mutual departure had been easy, they were extremely desperate and hadn’t really gone through all the hoops to look into it. Besides, it was technically true, there wouldn’t be hexes, just bad blood. There wasn’t really a need to let them know they’d be black listed from the area communals. You’d been to enough of them in the past, they weren’t that special anyway.

Here, alone in the dark with your thoughts, you could sit with the discontent. The choice to leave hadn’t been yours, but you could admit it was for the best. When faced with exile you were willing to sacrifice. Resentment notwithstanding, growth rarely happened if you stayed stagnant for too long. This could actually be a blessing in disguise, even with the perpetual gallons of salt. So here you were; New city, new coven, new people, new rules.

A sigh escaped you at the thought as you put on a nice balancing act for anyone watching. The rules were certainly different here.

Less in some ways, more in others- some very curious agreements. Carefully trying, and trying being the keyword, to descend some questionable-looking stairs while carrying delicate cargo. It being pitch black didn't exactly help either, but at twelve am with no flashlight, the darkness was expected.

Not like you could carry one right now anyway and you’d be caught dead before you put on one of those gaudy forehead lights. A distant bonfire, presumably with partygoers, a few miles off was the only source of light outside of the odd shop still lighting up the boardwalk in the distance.

Neither were a help to you here, but the darkness didn't bother you much, it was more the feeling of the wood against your feet that had you on edge. Foregoing shoes had seemed like the smarter choice knowing you'd be walking in the loose sugary sand, but with the way it mixed against the rough wood to scratch against the arch of your foot? Regret was front and center which only exacerbating your already agitated mind.

Catching your toe on an uneven patch in the wood had you hissing in pain. Someone was def getting cursed if you got a splinter. Actually, you'd be surprised if you made it out without one. These steps were legit grody, they barely even qualified as stairs honestly.

Just some half termite eaten planks, driftwood more likely, definitely nothing professional, all nailed together and stuck into the side of a steep sand dune. Falling on your ass at some point was almost guaranteed- You were always a major klutz in these situations.

Shrugging your shoulder and regripping the box, at least the sand would give you a semi-soft landing whenever it happened.

You should thank whatever beachrat made these stairs though, adjusting your grip on the box again had the jars inside clanking together, water sloshing- good thing you'd tightened the lids before leaving the shop. Thanks to these little stairs you didn’t have to miserably fail at trying your luck in midnight sand surfing. If this was midday you’d have trouble with it still- trying sand surfing now? That'd be so warped. Ugh, just imagine having to make your way back up? Now that'd be a real treat- psych.

When both feet planted safely, and surprisingly splinter-free, in the soft sand you shook yourself into focus. No more letting your thoughts drive you, way too much negativity to unpack and you didn't need that energy seeping into your work here. Moon-water wasn’t usually the most influenceable, but you could, and with your attitude the way it was? You’d totally choke if you didn’t check yourself. No need to mess up your first job, right?

Breathing deeply you set about focusing your mind; grounding, feeling yourself coming back to a controlled center was the first step of your job here tonight. Tightening your grip and breathing in had the scent of the ocean hit you full force. With practiced ease, focusing inward had your eyes naturally drifting shut and calm settle over you. It was incredible how soothing grounding- ritual in general really, could be.

Your next inhale highlighted the subtle undertones of the boardwalk overlaid in the breeze, an amalgamation that fused into a scent uniquely Santa Carla. Letting your energy sink deep within you, then lower down still, dropping into the earth, feeling the vibrations of your surroundings- naturally letting it mix with the energies surrounding you. The ocean was a powerful tool, you'd be a ditz to ignore its embrace. There was an unusual magnetic pull in the air, a buzz that licked against your senses.

The full moon was calling, and like the ocean, you were here to answer.

Centered and ready to work you made your way down to the shore. Funny thing about this new coven, part of the new rules was night rituals were restricted to a single practitioner. That restriction had seemed mental to you, and frankly? You still thought they were a bit out there to bend to such restrictions, but once you learned there was a surprisingly sizable vampire pack in the area it had made more sense. Having just one practitioner was easier for accountability and all that, but like, it was still twisted.

Vampires were picky. They claimed a territory and stuck to it. Any other lucky supernatural creature was subject to their "authority". Barf me out with that attitude. If they weren't solitary, it was usually a duo, anything more than a trio was especially rare. Vampires could be mega volatile in general, but especially towards one another. The fact that there were at least four confirmed vamps in the area? Now, that piqued your interest. Their bonds had to be radically tight to stay together with any type of calm.

Unfortunately, vampires and witches? Typically not such a hot mix.

Vampires and magic didn't always mesh well and historically that meant witches and vampires couldn't play nice together. Funnily enough, this coven didn't go against status quo- every sister you'd met so far vehemently detested vamps. Too bad they were smackdab in the middle of fang city.

The location being legit brill had something to do with how docile the coven acted. It said something when witches were willing to take shit and obey in order to practice. Energetically potent, magically powerful, Santa Carla was a delightful nexus. Not to mention scenic too.

The coven was desperate for someone to be the designated night ritualist, working the stores night shift was just a caveat. The timing had worked out because you were just as desperate. You thought the whole vampire witch feud thing was lame, but it’d saved you from ex-communication, so you'd keep that tidbit to yourself.

Vampires didn't bother you really. Well, they could, but not because the vampy bit, just the entitled attitude. Anyone could be a barf bag regardless of what they were. You'd met just as many ditzy witches as narbo vamps. You were more concerned that you'd most definitely have human tourists bombarding you every night.

What got you though was the craziest part of the deal. When within a 15 mile radius of the boardwalk there was a restriction to strictly restorative work. Even being a nexus, you weren’t sure this place was worth neutering yourself energetically for. Sure, vampire's had their reasons, severe sensitivity to magic yada-yada, not to mention if their bond was as tight as you assumed, they probably felt active magic like nails on a chalkboard, but damn.

You couldn’t believe the high priestess would agree to it. It really seemed the witches got the short end of the stick here. You weren’t seeing a lot of benefits for yourself. So far your opinion on the coven was….well, at this point you were half-convinced you’d joined a gaggle of ditzes.

Having taken stock of the ingredients they had on hand a quick glance had made replenishing the monthly moon water a top priority. It was such a simple thing, very useful, super versatile, and no one in the coven had been willing to make a large batch of it. Ugh, imagine letting prejudice get in the way of making such a staple ingredient. There wasn't anything fancy that went into it. A cool head, even temper, patience, and a little prep was all that it needed.

That’s what you were here for now, though. They could keep their dislike and eat their cake too. Still, you weren’t completely obstinate and took their warning to heart, it wasn't just the vampires that made the area witches refuse the night shift.

Santa Carla wasn’t exactly Disneyland. Murder was a thing and it happened here daily. Nexus’s tended to have a magnetic draw. Pulling in powerful things, good things, weak things, bad things- the sheer unpredictability wasn’t a friend in this case.

A random human could decide tonight was beach shanking night and you’d be the lucky victim. You’d like to see them try at least. Maybe one of the vampire pack would break the agreement if they were feeling a bit nippy? Doubtful if they didn’t want a war on their hands, but possible. A stray wendigo attracted to your energy feeling a midnight snack seemed more likely. Could even be a banshee needing a quick meal. Never can tell how things were going to work out.

Knowing yourself though, you’d probably just trip up those hella grimy stairs and break your neck.

You weren’t too worried about being attacked though, honestly. You had wards in place and if it got past that, well, you'd deal with whatever it was then. No use worrying about it now. You were more than happy to take on the privilege to essentially moon bathe on the beach while funneling the energy to the water. It was good on all levels.

Walking to the area you’d scouted during the day set your mind back into focus. Setting the box down, the jars jostling while you grabbed the blanket hanging off the side of the box. Spreading it out and setting up your area had everything falling in place. The jars spread just along the outside of your circular blanket, with that done you sat yourself down in the center.

Determined to do this right you brought back that focused rooted energy. Using this as an opportunity to release some built-up tension would be a good idea too. Let the ocean wash away your bitterness with the tide and allow the moon to shift you into clarity for whatever was to come. Even if you did think your new sisters were idiots, they were to be your idiots and you had to embrace it.

As you laid there working the energy and letting it shift, you noticed a curious sensation at the edge of your perception.

A slight tickling at the fringe of your awareness; soft, so extremely soft and subtle that if you’d just gone about your business and hadn’t been so introspective focused you’d totally have passed it over.

Watched.

The subtle sensation wasn’t threatening as of yet, but you were definitely being watched. By what? You weren’t sure. Getting a firm reading on it was difficult. The more you focused on the energy the further it pulled back. Pursuing it only had whoever it was slyly staying just out of your grasp.

Definitely not human. Wouldn’t be a witch or a medium either, they’d just answer your psychic questioning. Could be a were, you’d heard they’d been in the area recently. The next brush sent a shiver down your spine and had you crossing weres off. It was definitely too silky to be one, they always felt gruffer to you, wilder. Possibly a demon, they had that shade of sensuality and always liked to follow you around in new territory. A quick flash of tightly-wound sharp control coated in a mischievous air finally spit out the answer; Vampire.

Satisfied, you dropped the pursuit and turned your attention back to the sea. Subtle brushes returning, but this time not trying to hide itself or their interest. So one of the new overlords had decided to drop in on their new subject? That was just fine as long as they stayed watching and didn’t interfere.

You’d give it to whichever vamp this was. They had wicked nice energy. Like, once you got a read on that was. Playful, cheeky almost to a fae’s degree, brimming with an elusive danger, while still having a quiet peace underneath. That quiet calm resonated inside your own field and was exactly what you needed to settle back into your space. You didn’t hate the idea of their company so much.

You’d expected a run-in at some point, but right away? They were some go-getters to the max.

Nothing came of it though, the watcher had just been that. A watcher. When three am came, went, and passed, you’d decided to pack things up. You felt their vigilant gaze the entire time. Even after you got in your car and motored on home, it was still with you. It was only after you entered your home did their light press on your awareness leave.

The rest of your week played out much the same. Feeling that attentive gaze in every outside ritual from start to well after the finish. Even while you were working the shop they’d pop in and out of your awareness only to settle when you were locking up for the night.

You’d tried to catch a glimpse of who your designated monitor was, but it proved an impossible task. Stealth was a vampire’s friend and this one was incredibly apt. They stayed just far enough away during ritual and on the boardwalk you were too busy entertaining space cadet humans or dealing with an actual client to seek them out.

On that note, there was a surprising number of shapeshifters in the area, changelings especially had been a nice treat. They weren’t exactly common in Louisiana and working with them was always interesting. They required a delicate eye and full attention when diagnosing their condition.

A shapeshifter’s physicality was entirely based on energy manipulation, so one wrong push or pull and you could injure them more than help. Pinpointing where your attentive observer was out in the crowd became annoyingly out of the question.

They’d turn up eventually. Until then, however, you’d just have to sit tight. Lucky for you changelings had a penchant for gossiping. They’d been kind enough to give you a rundown on the pack and their opinion of them. Changelings weren’t known to have easily won loyalty, so the popular opinion on them being pretty rad, was surprising.

They were apparently chill on the authority, which was shocking enough, but they said the pack leader, David, could be hella genial. Vampires weren’t usually described that way. Not outside of the anyone they were glamouring anyway. Maybe the coven weren’t such spazes to reside here.

Friday saw your week coming to a close. You’d woken up ready to put your first week behind you and spend the weekend really exploring the area. There was a nice hiking trail not too far away that you’d really wanted to spend some time at. A few brownies had spirited into the shop and mentioned it as a great area for herbs and ritual during conversation.

Brewing a second cup of tea, calming herbs this time- regular humans really did get on your nerves with their incessant brainless questions and barf bag attitude. There were a few mediums that'd dropped in who you didn't mind, actually really liked, but the rest of the human race made you want to gag. Lumping witches and poor mediums into the same category didn’t seem fair.

The night was steadily cruising along. The humans came in bursts, sporadic, but manageable. Client-wise, nothing too dramatic either, the most interesting case was a few sprites suffering a nasty goblin hex. It was an easy enough fix, orders on how to use the herbs, and a cautionary chastising to leave the gobbies alone unless invited. They giggled their departure as you shook your head, sprites never learned.

The night's energy had you listless. Only a few hours left before you could close down shop and you were antsy. No pressing ceremonies to perform tonight for the coven either, so heading straight home to open that bottle of wine you'd acquired before your arrival was on the top of the to-do list.

Curiously, your nightly specter hadn't visited once. It was surprising how fast you'd gotten used to a vampire’s energy body. If you were honest with yourself, you'd even come to look forward to having it- him, the changelings had listed only male vampires, being a steady sensation on the outer edges of your senses.

The absence of the strange new routine left you with an unsettled itch. Something was off, you could tell, your antsiness screamed of something about to happen, you just weren't sure what.

The answer came not too long after that. With a lull of what you assumed to be the last customers of the night, you’d busied yourself restocking and starting to close down. High on the shelf ladder reorganizing the herb wall. It got so messy with the daily run-through of customers’ grubby hands all over it. Turning a jar forward as the bell above the door sounded.

"Welcome! I'll be-" the energy that zapped your senses had you cut off the greeting with a sharp inhale. Thank the gods you hadn't been holding one of the glass jars, it'd be smithereens otherwise.

The shift had hit you instantly, an electric buzz that lapped against your mental self. Giving you a clear idea of what just walked in. Four of them. They'd all come. Shifting through the sensation, trying to grasp each of their unique patterns had you stopping short when you felt your chaperone's energy reach out to you.

It wasn't just a soft prodding like usual, instead, it was like a full-body caress. More like a lick if you were honest.

Skin tingling, electric sparks sent down your spine settling somewhere you'd rather not question right now, and if your nipples had tightened from it? Well, that was nobody's business. Beneath the shameless lick was an urge of reassurance.

The unspoken highly nuanced language assuring you of safety. Thank the goddess you were fluent. It was odd, really, a vampire reassuring a witch of their safety? You weren't prey, not if they wanted the coven to stay placid. Even if they’d decided to attack you weren’t helpless. The kiddie gloves would come off quicker than lightning and then they’d see what was up.

They’d definitely break you, but you’d do some damage. So there wasn't any rhyme or reason to make you feel safe or calmed. Nothing you could think of except for your own peace of mind. It had a giggle bubbling up, but you clamped down before it could escape.

You appreciate the sentiment regardless and dragged your energy against his in return, showing your mirth, and if he was apt enough to recognize the instant anxiety their entrance caused, he'd feel the praise underneath.

Taking a deep inhale before steeling yourself. You'd anticipated that it was only a matter of time before a meeting. The high priestess had said it’d come at some point when they felt ready, so you were decidedly not going to freak out and treat them like any other customer. Even if one of them had already made your nipples pebble.

You were also so ready to end the mystery of what your babysitter looked like. Putting a face to, well not a name, but an energetic signature rather. Stepping down from the ladder you made your way towards the front counter.

They were milling about between aisle shelving so getting a clear look wasn’t working. You could see bits of hair, flashes of leather, and hear their banter- typical dudes messing with each other. You were right, hearing how affable they were with each other solidified that they def have a legit bond.

Waiting another minute behind that counter still hadn’t made them come to you. Sighing before you decided to speak up, "What can I help you with tonight?" That had the laughter in the back trickle off before a rumbling voice spoke out, "Many things, maybe nothing. Depends on what you're offering." He hadn’t needed to emerge from the aisle for you to feel the leer paired with that statement. Ah, so David was the edgy type. You could work with that.

What you might stumble over though, was just how pretty they all were.

Don't get it wrong, Vampires were supposed to be attractive, it was part of their thing. A magnetic and alluring shift happened to them all when they were turned, but this? This was on another level.

The vague memory of lessons from your old covens compendium on vampiric lore came to mind. It’d stated the first vampire came into existence born by way of an incubus mingling in a maenads rites with a medium. Their resulting child the first vampire.

Who knew how accurate those stories were, the compendium was specific to each coven; an enduring collection of their line of knowledge, but authenticity was always questionable.

Looking at them all as they emerged- really made you believe there was some weighted truth to the legend. Incubus certainly seemed like it was mingled up in them. You’d been gifted by a few incubi once upon a time and the similarities between them and these boys? Striking. Between their movements, their magnetic presences, and the brazen way they gazed at you.

The vampires in Louisiana were all charming, but it was all a subtle compulsion. It didn’t help that they typically had a bad attitude mixed with antiquated style. They just never appealed to you.

This pack, however, seems like they’d had no problem keeping up with pop culture. Embracing it wholeheartedly, one of them looked like he moonlighted in poison for crying out loud. Maybe they were young, but you got a vibe that hinted otherwise. More like they were adaptable.

Trying to keep a straight face, professionalism and all that, was difficult, but doable. At least you thought it was, but once you locked eyes with a pair of soulful hazel- there was no doubt that they all felt the psychic warble you let slip accidentally.

He’d been the elusive watcher this week. There wasn’t a question about it, a perfect face to match his auric self. The breath you’d been holding choked out when he broke into an impish grin followed by what was essentially another playful full-body kiss.

You swore you could hear a purr resound in your mind. The three subordinates chuckled when you drew in a sharp intake.

“Marko.” David's tenor was soft, but firm. Marko? Cute. Without breaking eye contact, his smile widened mischievously while he raised both hands in surrender. The undivided attention was unsettling in all the right ways.

Sparking a heat that undulated throughout you. Tabling that information to the back of your mind, you broke the gaze. Needed to if you were going to have any kind of brain function for conversation.

Turning to the de facto leader you sized him up. Or tried to. Definitely threatening, actively making it hard to read him. On the surface he felt like a cold blade; sharp, decisive, piercing.

Good qualities for a leader you supposed, but like, damn, that didn’t sate your curiosity. If he wasn’t going to work with you then that only left the boring way, “David, I presume?”

He raised a brow with a pleased look, “Good. The little crone knows who matters around here.” Bo-guuus, edgy with an attitude. Those changelings either lied or were talking about someone different because genial? You weren’t seeing it. Aiming an unimpressed look paired with a, “Mmhmm” brought a chuckle of his own.

Waiting for him to speak again seemed like the best option, you weren’t very good at small talk, and Marko was still so very distracting. After David’s chiding, he really hadn’t let up much. He might not be doing that lick thing with the delightful heat, but what he was doing wasn’t far off.

Going out of his way to make sure a large portion of your attention was still focused on him by continually baiting you; almost like energetic petting. If you weren’t trying to have a serious conversation you’d bask in the new attention. You weren’t a cat, but you imagined this is what they must have felt like. Psychic flirting was always fun, but his attention had it quickly becoming your favorite.

With him doing it in front of his pack though? Any sensible person, witch especially should be uncomfortable. Totally pissed if not outraged- it was definitely a claim, unnervingly possessive, and you shouldn’t like the blatant territorial display, but for some reason, it stroked something deep in your harebrain that majorly worked for you.

Before you could drop down that rabbit hole further David brought you back, “You’ve been a busy little witch this past week.” Annoyance fluttered in, what’d he expect? There hadn’t been a night ritualist for over a year. There was a lot of work to do, some things just couldn’t be done during the day.

You shrugged “Ha, massive understatement. New coven, new clients, way too many neglected things to catch up on. Seems like you should thank me for taking over.”

The look he gave you was piercing and indiscernible. You weren’t really sure where you stood with him. You hadn’t done anything to step out of the bounds they’d placed on you, but somehow with the look he was leveling at you begged the question, had you?

Mentally retracing your week yielded nothing. Hadn’t even tried to hex anyone, even that human who’d cut you off on your drive in Wednesday night, now that’d been difficult. Was this why you’d had such heavy surveillance? Not that you’d minded, but here you thought it was just your shining personality.

“Keep it up. The community needs a witch with some spine.” Maybe you’d spoke too soon, he might not be so bad.

“I wasn’t so sure about you. Word on the street and all.” That had you freeze. Not even Marko’s continued attention phased you. There was no way he knew anything. That was impossible. Your new coven didn’t know, your old coven wouldn't dare let anything slip- it wouldn’t just be you who lost face.

There was no way anyone knew anything about you or why you’d moved. It had to be a bluff, a well aimed taunt. It was common knowledge that witches rarely transferred covens, it happened for a multitude of reasons- good, bad, ugly. He was just being a dickhead, a nosy dickhead.

Forcing a calm mask even though you were sure they could all hear your rapid heartbeat, trying not to play into his bait, “Oh? Word on the street? I have a rep already? Bitchin’.”

Anxiety was a mega issue for you, so not having a cow and playing it as chill as you did? A total moment for you. clammy hands, rapid heartbeat, clenched jaw and all. That pulled a laugh out of Marko and the hair band look-alike while David and the clydesdale in the back wore smirks.

“Word is the new witch isn’t from the clique. Never can tell what you little hags are planning, bringing in new blood?” He leaned forward across the counter catching you with his piercing blues, “That has trouble written all over it.”

You were slow to process what he’d actually said, too caught up in how the light glinted off his pretty eyes. There was no denying it, so you didn’t try, “For sure,” but on second thought you didn’t want to make it sound like you were here to start shit, “but change isn’t always bad.”

He tapped the glass of the counter before he pushed off, “We’ll see about that, little hag”. That must have been the signal to leave because he’d started walking towards the door with the silent type in his shadow.

Marko hadn’t moved, hadn’t dropped his attention and you were nervous to return it. Too likely to get caught up in something now that they were all leaving. You liked it, but it was still like mega nerve-racking.

Before you could work up the confidence to engage with whatever that was, the taller blonde slapped his shoulder, “I like this chick! She’s got some spunk!”

He made to push away from the vampire still comfortably leaning against the counter, but something had caught your eye. Without thinking, your hand shot out like a viper to grip his wrist before he could walk any further away, “Wait up!” Marko’s purr, or whatever that buzz he was coating you in suddenly sputtered out.

With everyone’s attention returning, you dropped the skin contact and made your way around the counter. Standing in front of him while quickly giving him a psychic once over. His tallness made it very inconvenient to look for the physical indicator of what you suspected. With a yank to his shoulder you spoke before you really thought how it’d be taken, “Bend down and show me your teeth.”

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all-my-love-for-harry · 4 years ago

Text

Celebrate you.

summary: Slowly, step by step, harry is becoming a dad.

word count: 1.9k

based on these requests:

“i legit am obsessed with your single mum series! can you do one where they all have a movie night? i think that would be sooo cute”

and

“Awwww now I’m thinking about Harry’s first Father’s Day with artimis. Thy make him his favorite food and gives harry the card he made for him 😭😭😭😭😭”

and

“for my shy little boy, what would harry’s first fathers day be like”

and

“Father’s Day gift for Harry from Artemis”

and

“Artemis celebrating Father’s Day with Harry”

a/n: had so many father’s day requests, sorry i took so long but here it is! send me some concepts revolving the pregnancy pls, i feel like we haven’t touched that subject!

you can find more of my shy little boy here

*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･:

June, 2019.

It could be raining, there could be a storm, hell, the sky could be falling apart but Harry would always make it to Y/N’s house on Saturday, with his hands full of takeout and an overnight bag to spend the night with them.

Staying in on the weekend was never something Harry used to do before. However, now the thing he looked forward the most was quiet, relaxing quality time with his girlfriend and her son. For him, it was the domesticity of it all. It was the feeling of craving something all week around that when the time comes, you can’t get enough of it. To Harry, the thing he couldn’t get enough of was the little life he’s been building with Artemis and Y/N for the past year and so.

Nothing was able to wipe the smile off of his face as he drove to the Y/L/N’s household after a long, exhausting week of working on his new album. Harry has missed the last movie night due scheduled meetings he had in LA that he couldn’t cancel, so he was very excited to finally them again in real life, and not only through a screen.

“Harry, Harry, you’re here!” Artemis was the one who opened the door, chanting his name while hugging his longs legs.

“Artemis, I’ve told you to now open the door without me there.”

“It was Harry, mum. I saw him through the window.”

“Oh, so you were waiting for me?” Harry playfully pinched one of his cheeks, making him blush. “Hi, love. I missed ya.” The green eyed man smiled sweetly at the woman in front of him. She looked beautiful although she was just dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a shirt that was probably his. Her hair was up in a messy, high ponytail and the makeup she had on earlier was already wiped off. He looked down at the little blonde boy and saw he was in his pajamas already. “I bought Chinese this time, that okay?”

Y/N nodded, taking the takeout bags from him to bring them to the kitchen, not without giving Harry a little kiss on the lips before doing so. “It’s perfect. I missed you too.”

Once she was out of sight, Harry felt how someone pulled from his pants and when he looked down, Artemis was already looking at him with big, doe hazel eyes. “Can I get a hug?”

Harry’s heart melted. “Course you can. Always.” He took him in his arms and held him close to his chest, breathing in the vanilla essence of his shampoo. Hugging Artemis has become one of his favorite things in the whole world, and one of the things he wanted to do all the time. Harry walked towards the living room with Artemis still in his arms. “What are we watching tonight?”

“Can we watch Trollhunters?” He asked excitedly.

The older man chuckled, having already expected that answer. They binged watched the entire series a couple times and Artemis absolutely loved it every time, and who was Harry to say no to that adorable face?

“Harry?! Can you help me with these?” Y/N’s voice was heard from the kitchen. Harry got up from his seat and told Artemis to wait for them to bring the food so they could start with their movie night.

When the three of them were finally on the couch, Artemis being in the middle of both adults, they pressed play on the TV. Harry had his plane on his lap and was also holding Artemis’, the little boy being too busy on watching the television Harry had to grab his fork and feed him bites of the fried rice he knew he liked. Y/N just observed from the other side of the couch, a smile forming on her face. The two boys looked completely absorbed in their own little world and Harry looked like a pro feeding a five year old with one hand an eating his own food in the other.

Harry sensed Y/N’s stare and looked at her, he wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her giggle quietly. I love you, he mouthed before sighing contently. This was what he has been wanting to do all week. A night with no worries, no stress, something as mundane as watching television has become his favorite thing just because it was something he did with the two of them.

*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･:

The weekend passed by and soon Monday rolled in, which meant it was time to go back on their normal routines. To Y/N, her routine was wake up and make breakfast, then wake her boy up and make sure he was ready on time for her to drop him off at school then drive to work. She needed to make sure she left her office at the same time every day so she could go pick Artemis up from school in time.

What happened afterwards was variable. If Y/N had to give any conferences in her home office, she’d drop Artemis at her moms’ and go pick him up after she finished or if she was free for the day, they’d just chill at home.

This Monday wasn’t any different from any other. Y/N held Artemis’ hand as they walked down the hall of his school to get to her car and drive home. Artemis was telling her about his day as she strapped him on his car seat. “My teacher said this Sunday’s the day they celebrate daddies.”

To Y/N, it didn’t go unnoticed the way he said ‘they’ instead of ‘we’, and she felt how her heart fell to his stomach. The truth was, Artemis has never celebrated Father’s day, simply because there wasn’t no one he could celebrate with. Usually he wouldn’t mind, but Y/N knew it will as he grew older. She sighed, humming a response to him as she got in the driver’s seat.

“Can we do something that day?” He asked, Y/N looked at him through the rearview, trying to read his thoughts.

“What do you want to do, baby?” She said, hoping and praying it was something she was actually able to give him.

“Something for Harry.” At her boy’s words, Y/N almost crashed the damn car out of pure shock. It wasn’t a secret at all how much Artemis looked up to Harry, or how much the man adored her child, but perhaps it was a little soon to celebrate Father’s day with him.

Does Harry deserve it? Damn straight. He’s done more for Artemis than his biological father would ever do. Doctor appointments, nightmares, late night grocery shopping because the boy craved a candy it was only sold in the store in the other side of London, you name it. However, they haven’t been in that stage of their relationship yet, and Y/N was afraid it would overwhelm Harry.

The case was, Harry did deserve to be celebrated, not just the third Sunday of June every year, but all year around. The things he do, the love he held for Artemis… it was something worth to be celebrated. So Y/N sucked up her fears and insecurities and promised they would surprise Harry that Sunday.

*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･:

Y/N hasn’t done anything like this before. She has searched for ideas on Pinterest so they could make something special, but she still had no experience whatsoever. Usually, when in school children had to do a craft work for Father’s day, Artemis’ teacher would just put Y/N’s name on it. However, this year she had asked to put Harry’s name on it.

“Not daddy, not dad, not father. Just Harry.” The teacher verified, writing down on her notebook before looking up at Y/N.

She nervously played with her hands as she answered. “Just Harry, please.”

Turns out this year they made the kids make cards for their daddies, asking them to draw what they loved the most about them. Artemis didn’t let his mum see what he did back in his classroom, claiming Harry should be the first one to see it and Y/N was more than happy to obey.

Besides the card, Y/N has picked out a few other things for Harry, and also made sure to have all the ingredients to make his favorite food in her kitchen. Harry had stayed over, as usual. Artemis was so excited he almost blurted their plans to him twice, but Y/N was able to stop him.

On Sunday morning, Y/N woke up extra early and went out of bed trying to be as quiet as possible then walked down the hall to get her son, who was already awake and ready to run to her room where Harry was to wake him up.

“We have to make breakfast first, honey.” She told him before picking him up to take him to the kitchen. “We have to be quiet.” Artemis nodded rapidly from his seat on the island. “You’ll give him your card first then the others gifts we have, okay?”

Y/N cooked breakfast as fast as she could, knowing Harry would be awake and looking for them in no time. She placed the waffles with blueberries on top next to the plate with an omelet made with all the ingredients Harry liked such as dried tomatoes and mint. She could barely put the orange juice in a glass when Harry entered the kitchen still half asleep.

“Surprise!” Both Y/N and Artemis exclaimed with a big smile.

Harry opened his eyes in surprise, seeing the kitchen full of his favorite food, plus a couple of green balloons and gifts set on the counter. “What’s all of this?”

“It’s for you, Harry.” Artemis said, hopping off the kitchen island with the help of his mum. “I made this for you.”

Harry looked up at Y/N, who gave him an encouraging smile. He sat on one of the high chairs and pulled the small boy on his lap before opening the card he had in his hands.

“My teacher asked me to draw what I love about you. This is you with a rainbow suit because you like color, and you’re giving one of your concerts like the one mummy and I went to see one time.” Artemis explained, pointing out all the details of the card from his place on Harry’s lap.

Perhaps Artemis has drawn Harry with circles and sticks, and the ‘stage’ he was supposed to be standing on looked more like a square in the middle of the paper, but to Harry it was the most beautiful thing he has ever since in his entire life, and it brought tears to his eyes knowing Artemis has made this for him. His lip started trembling when he saw the little ‘I love you, Harry ☺❤’ at the bottom of the card. It was a messy handwrite, proper for a five year old, and it was that what made it so damn perfect.

“Today we’re celebrating you, Harry.” Y/N stepped in, wrapping her hands around his shoulders from behind and kissed his cheek. “We love you.”

“We love you, Harry!” Artemis said, joining the hug excitedly.

With a couple of tears rolling down his eyes and a heart that was ready to explode out of love and adoration for the two people that were standing there with him, he managed to let out a sincere, soft ‘I love you so much more’.

☁☁☁☁☁☁☁☁☁☁☁☁

taglist!!

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#harry styles imagine #harry styles #harry styles imagines #harry styles one shot #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles x reader #harry styles fluff fic #harry styles fluffy imagine #harry styles fluff #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #dad!harry #stepdad!harry #harry styles au

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dreamingsnowflake2013 · 4 years ago

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Tharn and Type discussing in detail financial issues like paying for bills and the division of household chores - some of the most mundane and unromantic but also the most important and complex aspects of every relationship, which are rarely touched upon in dramas for that very reason, makes the OTP acutely authentic and relatable. Because it’s precisely these realities of everyday life which are often the most poignant. Most dramas don’t touch upon them for the very same reasons: most viewers want their OTPs’ relatinships to be “healthy, fluffy, sweet and unproblematic” therefore arguments, the mention of money and who is paying for the happily ever after make them uncomfortable and offend their sensibilities.

One of the reasons why arguments are so messy is not only because both parties believe they are right, but because each parties often is at least partially legit as with TharnType’s argument about the laundry which comes from a very real and relatable place.

To understand what leads to it one needs to look at their respective professional lives. That’s why the writer spends so much time on exposition in episode 1. After graduating with his Bachelor degree, Tharn found a job and have been working for over 2 years now. He has a friendly working environment and he’s well-settled in it. On the other hand, Type went on to study a Master degree programme so he could stay with Tharn in Bangkok (his father had wanted him to come back home after finishing his Bachelor studies). Studying medical school is always hard, making it difficult to have a part-time job, so this is Type’s first working experience. The transition between school and work is always demanding: physically, mentally, socially, but also financially because fresh employees get a much lower pay. It’s already difficult enought, but Type has to deal with the added stress of a superior who makes his life a hell. Type is strong, smart, hard-working and very good at what he does and he knows it which makes it so much more frustrating for him that no matter how hard he works, his boss keeps bullying him and demeaning him. The worst thing for Type is that he can’t defend himself and punch his boss in the face like his former self woufl have done. He needs to last and keep the job a whole year to get the necessary working experience for his CV and find a better job with better pay and boss. Therefore Tharn and Type are in a very different place in their careers and it translates into their private lives, as well. As a result, Tharn bears most of the costs and has been doing it for several years, now.

He knows Type’s been struggling and doing his best so they can be together, that’s why he supports Type in any way he can, including comforting him, driving him to work and paying for the bills, to help him overcome this challenging period. Tharn does it gladly because Type needs him. And that’s also one of the reason why their relationship feels like real marriage - they are married in every sense of the word, with the exception of a marriage certificate and a wedding ceremony.

Type sees all of it and loves Tharn even more for it, happy that he isn’t in this alone and has someone to depend on. He’s mature enough to rely on Tharn and realize that right now, there isn’t much he can do and help. He needs to survive another 6 months with his hellish boss. And he really does it all for Tharn, so they can spend their lives together as they’ve promised each other. That’s the reason why he’s been controlling his temper, putting up with the bullying and why he haven’t told his boss to go fuck himself - he wants to be a worthy partner for Tharn, his equal, help him pay the bills, not a useless person who beats other people and Tharn has to be ashamed of. Type accepts this reality but wants to express gratitude and appreciation to Tharn in his own unique way because with Type, actions always speak louder than words.

So when Type says that everything he does, he does it for Tharn, he means it in every sense of the word - controlling his temper, putting up with the exhausting job and terrible boss, studying a Masters degree programme,... - just like he did 7 years ago with Lhong, curbing his temper in front of Jeed, introducing Tharn to his family and friends,...

Type decides to iron Tharn’s clothes to repay him for always being there for him and to show him how much he cares. He actually feels happy doing it, giddy to do something for Tharn, so when Tharn tells him he shouldn’t have, it feels like Tharn just stabbed him into the heart, leaving Type literally struck dumb for a moment, eyes filled with sheer pain which immediately turns into irritation and anger as Tharn digs his grave even deeper. Tharn’s words sting even more because when Type told Tharn that he’s ironing the clothes, seemingly annoyed, he’s actually expecting Tharn to praise him, in his adorably cheesy way that Type secretly loves so much, that Type’s such a good wifey who always takes care of him but none of it comes.

It’s not only Type’s heart that is hurt, but also his pride. Type always felt confident in his studies and abilities, but he struggles now in his first job, while Tharn is successful, satisfied and well-adjusted in his. This disparity drives a certain wedge between them.

Type misunderstands Tharn’s attempt to ease his workload as a rejection of himself and his love for Tharn. Type knows that right now, he can’t do much for Tharn so Tharn’s words break his heart. It makes him feel that he is not good enough, useless. Back in episodes 8 and 9, Type learned that if he only kept receiving from Tharn without giving anything back in return, it would make their relationship eventually break and he’s been trying ever since to become a good boyfriend to Tharn, someone who would make Tharn happy and not hurt him.

And at this moment, due to his issues at work, he must feel like he doesn’t give Tharn as much as he should in certain aspects of their relationship.

So when he thinks Tharn is rejecting even the little he can give, Type feels useless, disregarded and rejected. So he lashes out because that’s his defense mechanism and no amount of growing up is going to change that because that’s simply who Type is, lashing out his claws like a feral kitten when he feels threatened and hurt.

Tharn is usually so good at understanding and interpreting Type’s actions, but his mindreading ability can only do so much. More importantly, he is very drunk, which is a very important factor, and that is muddling his brain and, after 7 years, Type’s become much better at communicating his emotions with words so Tharn doesn’t need to read all of Type’s hidden intention because he’s grown used to the fact that Type tells him and shows his love more openly. He also feels secure in the relationship so he is much more unfiltered, not minding his words so much, no longer fearing that Type might get angry if he told him about his dislikes. Ironically, the argument occurs because they both mean well and are being considerate of each other, trying to show their love and care, but it backfires on them because they have different personalities and use different methods to show them so they clash. Therefore the argument comes from a very common and real place.

When Type throws the clothes at him and leaves, Tharn is compeletely baffled what has just happened. However, after he sobers up a little, it dawns at him that he must have hurt Type and hurries to apologize, desperate to make amends and clear the misunderstanding before it grows into something serious.

He is nervously fidgeting with his fingers the whole time, so insecure and vulnerable, and with his sad puppy eyes and the way he nuzzles against Type’s body he looks so miserable and needy, Type has a hard time not to forgive him right away.

It’s such a joy to watch two adults having an honest, unfiltered conversation about the realities and demands of everyday life. There is nothing romantic about it but it makes TharnType’s love story feel palpably real and authentic. It means so much when Type actually voices and openly communicates his insecurites about their relationship being unequal because Tharn has been the main breadwinner.

It’s undeniable how much Tharn understands his boyfriend. When he gently begs him not to think too much, you can tell that Tharn can feel that Type's struggles at work are weighting down on him, making him to overthink things. And Tharn assures him that none of those things matter to him. It reminds me of the time when Tharn told Type that he doesn’t have to push himself into accepting that he’s dating a man because Tharn would wait for him no matter how much time it would take. And now it’s similar. It doesn’t matter how long it takes Type to settle in his work or how much he struggles because Tharn will always be there for him.

Finally, it makes so much sense that Tharnk seeks reassurance that he’s been forgiven with cuddles because intimacy and physical closeness has always been such an important and integral part of their relationship. In the very beginning, they used to be the only reciprocation he got from Type since even when Type denied his feelings for him, Type’s body never lied to him and always wanted Tharn.

#tharntype #mew suppasit #tharntype 2: 7 years of love #mewgulf #gulf kanawut #analysis

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joel-millerr · 4 years ago

Text

Kijimi

Chapter One of We Are One When Together (formerly A Mandalorian and a Smuggler)

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 8.5K

Warnings: Reader cauterizes a wound, so read with caution if that makes you uncomfortable

Summary: You've become quite a good spice smuggler. You always managed to evade capture, and now the New Republic is getting desperate. After meeting a friend on Kijimi, you planned to get the hell off that planet quietly, but you've never had to deal with someone like The Mandalorian. // This chapter establishes the reader and is more of an introduction than plot driven tbh

A/N: I’ve never written a second person POV before so pls be gentle. Also, this story takes place after Chapter 12.

You're sitting in a booth at the back of the cantina. Periodically, you take the time to scan your surroundings. There’s a steady flow of individuals coming in and out, therefore it’s hard to keep track of everyone, but you try to monitor their movements anyway. Being in such a crowded area is risky right now, but when Tye asked you to meet him on Kijimi, you couldn’t pass up the opportunity to catch up. Besides, you’re currently on a work hiatus, and now seemed like the perfect time to get back into the spice smuggling game.

It’s not that you wouldn’t have been able to do anything else. You’re quite skillful with your hands because you used to help your father fix ships back on Tatooine. Theoretically, you could have kept doing that for the rest of your days, but there was always a part of you deep down that made you believe you were meant for more important things. Granted, this isn’t exactly what you had in mind, but it is considerably more exhilarating than just cleaning and fixing ships.

It was Tye who first mentioned this “job”. You were busy fixing a T-14 hyperdrive generator that had been destroyed during a dumb gambling game of chicken. Why people would purposely charge at each other in space, you’ll never understand.

Anyway, he knew you were starting to get tired of the same routine every day. He could see it in the way your shoulders slumped while you were working, and how your voice grew tired of talking about re-wiring, and the maintenance of spaceships.

Ever since you were a child, your father had taken you with him to work and you loved it. You loved being able to spend time with your father and also learn the ins and outs of any spaceship. You could probably take a whole ship apart and put it back together in less than a week, but ever since your parents died, the work became mundane and repetitive. You no longer enjoyed doing the work. You did it just to get by.

“It’s a fairly easy job,” He started to say. You were sitting with your legs crossed, hyperdrive in your lap, rewiring the chunk of metal. “We meet the manufacturer on Kijmi and then come back to Tatooine and bring it to the client.”

“I don’t know, Tye,” You craved adventure, but your friend had a bad habit of getting into trouble. Unlike you, he didn’t have a steady job. Instead, he took whatever was offered to him, no matter how legit it was. You were usually the voice of reason and tried your best to get him on a straight path, but his spirit always craved danger, and while you fantasized about going on epic adventures, you tried to keep it on the legal sides of things.

Tye laid a hand on your shoulder, and in turn you looked up at him. His eyes were gentle, inviting and trusting. More often than not, you attempted your best to avoid his gaze whenever he tried to reel you into something because you knew as soon as you’d look at him, your walls would come crumbling down and whatever he asked you to do would get done. You crossed your left arm over your torso, placed your hand over his, and let a deep breath escape your lips.

“What are we transporting?” You asked, rising to your feet to look at him properly.

He hesitated to answer. Biting down on his bottom lip, his eyes broke contact and shifted down to his feet.

“Tye?” You inquired, leaning down to try to catch his eyes again.

“Uh…” His hand began rubbing the nape of his neck. You came to the conclusion by his behavior that this job wasn’t going to be something along the lines of transporting pieces of scrap metal and he knew you very rarely took on an illegal job. You had done maybe one or two over the years but if you could avoid it, you tried to keep your employment on the side that wouldn’t get your ass thrown in a cell.

“What’s the transport, Tye?” Your voice was more stern this time. This seemed to snap his mind back into reality and he finally met your eyes.

“Spice,” His voice was barely above a whisper and if you weren’t entirely focusing on his tone, you wouldn’t have heard him at all. Your muscles went rigid and you swallowed the lump in your throat you didn’t know was there. Once the empire fell, the New Republic had the impossible task of trying to keep the peace as well as police the entire galaxy, and wherever they were unable to properly govern, spice runners thrived. You had heard stories about spice runners. How every single one was a highly wanted criminal but were almost impossible to find. They worked quietly and discreetly and were able to smuggle spice on pretty much every corner of the galaxy.

“It’s foolproof. They supply the ship and give the location. All we have to do is meet the supplier on Kijimi and then bring the product back here. It’s simple enough,”

You began shaking your head immediately. The risk of getting caught was too high, and spice running was a hard limit for you.

“No, I can’t. What you’re asking is insane, Tye. Spice running?” You emphasized the last two words to make sure you heard him clearly.

“I wouldn’t have offered it to you unless I was absolutely sure nothing bad would happen.” Tye reached out and gently pressed his palm to your elbow, begging you to hear him out. “I can see you don’t love doing this anymore. Ever since your parents passed, I could see the passion disappear. It’s completely drained out of you. We do this one job and then you can go back to fixing hyperdrives in this kriffing hangar.” He waved his arms around the store. “Don’t you want to see what else is out there?”

You opened your mouth to protest but the words never came. He was right. Since you were a child, you dreamed of leaving Tatooine. You were tired of the sand, of the heat, of the kriffing dryness that was always eating at your skin. You dreamed of worlds where lush green ran rampant. Trees that grew so high you couldn’t make out the top. Grass that would tickle your hips as you travelled through it. Clean, fresh oxygen instead of the dry, dirty air you had grown accustomed to here. You had heard stories from travelers whose ships you’d fix about waterfalls, lakes, beaches. A large body of water? All these things you couldn’t even fathom. How beautiful must it be to live on a planet where water wasn’t fucking scarce. What did an actual shower feel like? Not some sonic shower that merely got you sterile enough to do about your daily business, but an actual shower, with water.

So yeah, you wanted to get the fuck off of Tatooine, but was this really the only option you had?

Tye could sense your apprehensiveness, but he knew the idea was tempting. Closing the gap between you, he wrapped his arms around your body. He was much larger than you, and you almost disappeared in his embrace. Taking a deep breath in his chest, you let yourself imagine a better life.

A life where you got to visit new worlds, encounter people from different walks of life, an existence where you truly got to experience the greatest things the galaxy had to offer. As a child, you’d lie in your cot and wish for an extraordinary life. One you could recount to your kids with awe, not wasting your years away on a desert planet that no longer had anything to give you. When your family passed away, you worked yourself to the bone, trying to lose yourself in repairing ships. You wished someone; anyone, would help you escape off this godforsaken wasteland one day.

You’d regret not taking the risk, you thought to yourself.

Before you knew the words had slipped from your lips, you were agreeing to the job.

You’ve been a spice runner ever since, and you were pretty damn good at your job too. Since your frame was relatively small, it was easy for you to slip in and out of towns without ever being seen, and because you had been working on crafts your whole life, you had become pretty good at flying them too. You had made an impressive name for yourself. Even if you had someone on your tail, you were always able to lose them once you left the port. Your movements were sharp as a tack and was always thinking one step ahead. It enabled you to outrun any hunter or whatever sad, inexperienced New Republic officer that tried to snag you. When you first joined, all your runs were with Tye, but soon after getting accustomed to how runs operated, you were able to go solo. After realizing how much quicker the job went by without having to rely on another person, you became a strict lone wolf. On your own, you could take higher risks, and that made the thrill of the job even more exhilarating. You had become quite the adrenaline junkie, taking some chances even your fellow smugglers would find questionable.

On one job, you were purposely sloppy and let some officers tail you right up to the moment you fought them off in your ship just because of the way the blood in your veins fired through your body. The threat of being caught ignited every nerve-ending in your body, and you constantly chased that feeling.

You were staying on a quiet, uneventful planet when you had gotten a hologram from Tye asking to meet you on Kijimi. “For old time’s sake” he said. Since you had no other run lined up, you figured it was a good time to meet him. It had been a couple months since you last saw him, and now seemed like the perfect time to catch up. Maybe he had a job in mind, too.

The life of a spice runner typically wasn’t very long. It was a physically exhausting profession, and often times a spice runner would get captured by either a bounty hunter or an officer of the New Republic, or die at the hands of a rival smuggler. You knew your days as a runner was limited, so you made sure to have the time of your life while you had the opportunity.

Lately though, a lot of your peers were getting caught by some highly skilled hunter. Whoever it was had managed to trap four of your closest counterparts and you were on high alert. No one had ever been able to snatch that many smugglers in such a short period of time, and your particular crew was starting to get anxious. The runs were beginning to get more sporadic, and spending more time underground, only going out when absolutely necessary, hence the reason you were camping out on lightly populated planet. Technically, you shouldn’t even be in this cantina right now. You should be laying low, waiting for the right moment to jump back into action, but because you now have a taste for the wilder things in life, you take the chance anyway. Plus, if Tye is still walking around then it couldn’t be that bad. He had become a lot more cautious than you, so you’re not all that worried.

You continue to keep your head down, only peering up whenever you hear the door opening. From the corner of your eye, you catch the glimpse of a dark maroon shape coming through the door. Tye. He preferred to wear dark colors, as not to draw any attention to himself. Tonight, he’s wearing a dark maroon jumpsuit, a long-ranged rifle strapped around his back. You—on the other hand, believed hiding in plain sight. You tended to wear neutral, earthy colors. It permitted you to blend in with your surroundings. Every run, you’d switch your uniform according to the conditions of the planet. White for cold environments, dark clothes for desolate, bleak planets, and so on.

He stands in the doorway of the cantina, taking a scan of the bar. He knows you usually like to sit in the back so that you have eyes on everyone that comes and goes, and it doesn’t take long for him to spot you. He walks over to your booth with a kind of swagger you’ve grown to love about him. He’s a pretty confident man, without being cocky. The way he carries himself has always fascinated you. His shoulders are always back, arms swaying at his sides, never looking down. He takes long strides as he saunters over to where you’re sitting. As you both have grown, he also has become a pretty well-respected member of your crew and he exudes that in his every step.

You scoot out of your booth to meet him as he gets closer to your table. Big toothy smiles are exchanged between the two of you and he just about runs to close the space between you. His large arms quickly pull you to his chest and all the air nearly punches right out of your lungs. He actually lifts you a couple inches off the ground in your embrace.

“Tye! I have a reputation over here. You can’t just pick me up like that,” However, you’re unable to hide the joy in your tone. You’ve missed him more than you realized. Yeah, you prefer doing jobs alone, but sometimes the solitude can get the best of you. Having someone to banter with, play sabacc with—you miss it, but you both have very different ways of transporting the product, so you know the days of you working together are long gone.

Tye finally lets you down and you both slide into the booth, sitting opposite of each other. You still have a clear view of the door.

“You couldn’t have picked a better shithole to meet?” You remark.

It’s not that Kijimi was a total shithole, it’s just that it was the biggest shithole of a planet you could ever set foot on. The weather was brutal, the people even more so. The New Republic wasn’t able to control the crime here, so criminal activity ran rampant here. Luckily, the main interest in the city was spice smuggling so you had the respect of most of the local spice lords, but there was always the threat of some travelers who couldn’t care less who you were or how important you were to come after you; to kill without mercy and take your corpse to the New Republic. Therefore, you tried to limit your visits unless they were absolutely necessary.

“I figured since we haven’t been together on Kijimi in a while, it might be worth the visit,” Tye answers honestly. Lifting a hand to the bartender behind the bar, they rushed over holding an empty cup in one hand a jug of bright blue liquid in the other. They place the jug between the both of you. Tye reaches into his pockets and places come credits on the table, giving the tender a small nod before they excuse themselves, grabbing the credits and stuffing them in a small bag that was tied to their waist.

“How nostalgic of you,” You mock, lighthearted enough for it to make him chuckle.

Despite trying to keep your mind focused on Tye, part of you is still observing the door behind him. In the short time you’ve been smuggling, not only had your reputation amongst other smugglers grown, but so had the price on your head. The last few jobs had been particularly difficult. Not only were you trying to fight off New Republic officers, but several bounty hunters had been tracking you. Apparently, you had become a huge pain in the ass. Unfortunately for them, that just made the game way more interesting, and honestly it really fueled your ego.

“Any news on the next run?” You inquire. It had been a few weeks since you last had a contract, and the itch for adventure was starting to get under your skin.

Tye’s eyebrows furrow. He looks at you quizzically. “I didn’t ask you to meet you to tell you about another run. I just wanted to see my best friend.”

“Oh come on. There’s always another job. Always someone who needs spice and someone who wants to get rid of it.”

He looks at you like he doesn’t know you. Leaning back in his seat, he begins shaking his head in disbelief.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” You can feel beads of anger building deep inside you. He was the one that got you into this, and now he has the audacity to look at you like he doesn’t know you?

“You’ve changed.”

You scoff and let out a laugh, a laugh that drips with irritation. “Of course I’ve changed, Tye. Did you really think I was going to stay the doe-eyed girl you met on Tatooine?”

Tye reaches over and pours spotchka in both cups before taking his and throwing his head back to swallow every bit of it. “No,” He begins to say, using the back of his tunic to wipe his mouth clean. “I think those two young kids who grew up on Tatooine are long gone.”

Your lips form into a firm line, not entirely sure how to respond without sounding too cynical.

“I’ve heard stories, you know.”

“Oh have you, now?” Your eyebrow raises, and elbows firmly plant on the tabletop. The joy seems to drain from his face. Smile disappearing, and his eyes begin wandering, looking everywhere but into yours. Curiosity is starting to get the best of you, your eyes squinting and burning into him. Testing to see how he reacts; you push him again. “And what have you heard, Tye?”

Green eyes still refusing to meet yours, he’s busy eyeing his fingers that are fidgeting on the piece of wood that separates you. “That you’re becoming too reckless,” His voice is steady, but much lower than his usual tone. “You’re taking too many risks and causing problems where there doesn’t have to be.”

Your hard expression scorches into him. He starts squirming in his seat. Back on Tatooine, it would have been the other way around: you succumbing to his will, but now you’re the one with authority.

“Look,” He says, leaning in towards you. “I’m not gonna sit here and tell you how to do the job. I know you’re good at it.” There’s regret in his voice. It hasn’t gone unnoticed how he looks at you occasionally, almost like he’s ashamed of what he’s done to you. If it wasn’t for that day, you wouldn’t have turned out the way you have. You think he wants to take it all back. Wishing that you stayed some nobody who lived their life fixing and repairing shit.

“But I’m told you have a high bounty on your head. Maybe it’s best if you continue to lay low for a while. Just until the heat cools down.”

You chew on your bottom lip, and your body relaxes into the booth behind you. Deep down you know he’s right. He just wants for you to be safe and admittedly, the way you’ve been acting lately is as if you think you’re invincible. You chase the thrill and the danger but it’s just making everyday life so much harder. Some merchants are too scared to sell to you, locals steer clear of you, and those who aren’t scared get too confident and try to pick fights with you. Despite your size, you’re able to carry your own surprisingly well during a fight. You don’t quite understand it yourself. Each time you’ve had to defend yourself, there was an energy you conjured that came from deep inside you that helped you manipulate your opponent. This energy allowed you to levitate objects or people in mid-air, assisted you to kill them without ever touching them, or even influence them to say and do what you wanted them to.

It was after a late night of sabacc. You were on your way back to your ship when three male figures blocked your path in a nearby alley. Three blasters pointed directly at you.

“Can’t let you pass, sweetheart.” One of them sneered.

Bounty hunters.

One hand slowly glided to the blaster strapped to your upper thigh, the other extending in front of you. “Okay, fellas. I’m sure we can make a deal here.”

“Don’t try that shit with us. You couldn’t possibly come close to the price the Republic is offering.” The man in the middle—a Twi’ you realize, warned.

“The bounty asks to bring you in alive, so let’s not compromise that, okay sweetheart?”

Adrenaline and wrath were starting to seep into your muscles. If there’s one thing you hated, it was chauvinistic men calling you ‘sweetheart’.

“Call me sweetheart again, and it’ll be the last thing you ever say.”

All three men’s cackle echoed through the stone walls.

“I’d hate to ruin a pretty hair on that head, but if you’re going to act like a little bitch then maybe—”

Cutting him off, one of their blasters wiggled out of their reach and smacked the first hunter right in the face before he could finish his threat, blood spraying from his mouth. Your blaster found its way into your hand, raising it to strike him straight in the chest. Simultaneously, your left hand targeted the second assailant’s throat, your hands violently gripping around the pressure of his neck. The hunter attempted to scream, his hands wrapping around his throat as your grip tightened. Fire consumed you, and as your grip on the man’s throat intensified, his body started to lift off the ground. The Twi’ eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets; horror plastered on his face.

“What the fuck are you?!” The Twi’s voice bellowed, spitting as he charged at you, a vibroblade in each hand. Your eyes shifted to him coming right at you with pure fury in his eyes.

“Come here, you little bitch!” He roared.

You let your hold of his partner relax slightly, then your arm swung to the right, forcing the hunter to lift completely off the ground. Once he became jelly in your grasp, you launch him towards the Twi. Both men slammed into the concrete wall next to them. You heard the sound of skull making contact with the cement, then watched them fall to the ground hard. The Twi cried out, “Please don’t!” but you blasted him right between the eyes before he could say anything else.

You stood there, chest heaving. Your eyes examined the men in front of you, not fully understanding how you were able to fight them off. You were outnumbered and they were much larger than you were. Holding out your hands, you stared down at your palms. Squeezing your eyes shut, you tried to focus on the power that expelled from your fingertips. Where did it come from? How do you control it? What was happening to you?

You had never felt such power before. For a moment, you were no longer in control of your movements. In that split second where you gave into that rage, it bended you to its will, driving you to do cause more harm than necessary. This voice inside of you wanted them to hurt, for them to suffer, and you couldn’t resist it.

Tye repeatedly calling you brings you back to the present. “You okay?”

Shaking your head, the corner of your mouth curls into a smile. “Fine.”

The rest of the evening is much more lighthearted. After the initial awkward tension between the two of you, you’re able to enjoy a couple drinks of spotchka and reminisce about old times. You’ve definitely missed his company. Tye is the closest thing you have to family and you cherish him deeply. Your energies mesh together so well, and you have to admit, sometimes you daydream about settling down together, living on a quiet planet and drinking spotchka for the rest of your days until you’re finally arrested. Those are quickly replaced by reality, because the reality is, it’s just not attainable anymore.

The cantina never empties, no matter what time of day it is, and given that there aren’t any windows, you have no clue as to what time it is anymore. You came in just as the sun was setting—what little sun is even offered on Kijimi. It’s easily been a couple hours since then, and you begin to feel the fatigue creeping up on you.

“Where are you staying?” You ask, stretching your arms and your back as much as you can in the booth.

“I have a place not too far from here. It’s tiny, but it’s not like I spend enough time on this planet to need anything bigger. You can stay with me for the night, if you want?”

“That’s okay,” You start to say, shaking your head. “I’m probably going to leave first thing in the morning anyway. I don’t like to linger.”

Tye’s head bobs a few times. “Sure. I have a couple things I need to take care of here before I can leave.”

You cock your head to the left. What could he possibly have to do? You don’t ask though. It’s a common thing for smugglers not to ask questions. Staying in the dark about your crew’s whereabouts and jobs make it easy not to catch too many folks in the same squad. It’s how smugglers have been able to evade capture. If one person is snatched in a team, it’s almost impossible to catch another because chances are, they have no idea what anyone else is up to.

“I should probably head back to my ship then,”

After announcing your leave, you both shimmy out of the booth and rise to your feet. Tye is the first to move into your body and wrap his biceps around your entire torso. Quickly, your arms find their way around his back and you allow yourself to sink into his body. You’ve missed the warmth of another person. For a second, you allow yourself to be vulnerable and really appreciate the physical intimacy. Tye’s the one who finally breaks the embrace, but he keeps you at arm’s length, both hands squeezing your shoulders. Yours drop at your sides and you can’t stop the grin that forms on your lips.

“Sometimes I can hardly believe we used to be a bunch of nobodies on Tatooine,” He says. Before you can come up with a snarky remark, he leans in and presses a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Bye, kiddo.” Slapping some credits on the table, he turns on his heel and heads to the door. “You’re not even a year older!” You shout, and you’re not entirely sure he hears you given the amount of noise in the cantina, but you see his shoulders bounce, so you assume he heard you. You linger for a couple minutes, finishing off the remaining spotchka on the table. Once you’ve downed the final drop, you thank the bartender for their kind service, toss them some coins and head out the door.

It’s in the late hours when the cold Kijimi winds hit your face. The freezing air is a drastic change from the heat of the cantina and the cold immediately sends chills down your spine. Pulling your hood over your head, you cross your arms across your chest, trying to conserve a little bit of heat. The streets are dimly lit and dirty with mud and snow. It’s a long, dangerous trek back to your ship, so you keep your head down but still keeping an eye out for any potential mercenary or hunter who might want that pretty bounty on your head. Keeping your hand close to the blaster strapped to your thigh, you dart through stone made arches, and small huts. Instead of taking the straight route, you opt to zig-zag through the city, knowing it would be more difficult to track your footsteps this way. It takes more time, but you know this is the safer way to go.

The cold is starting to really get to you, now. Despite wearing gloves, the tips of your fingers are starting to go numb and you thank the Maker once you catch a glimpse of your ship not too far into the distance. You fight the urge to walk straight towards it, instead listening to your gut. You come to an alley, lit only by a small streetlight that’s flickering slowly.

“I can’t wait to get off this shithole of a planet,” You whisper to yourself.

Just as you turn the corner of the alley, you suddenly feel a presence behind you. The adrenaline pumps through your veins, causing your heart to pulse quicker than you’ve felt in a long time. Any sound person would be afraid, knowing they were in for a bout, but not you. No, you chase this feeling on your runs. This is when you thrive.

You stand tall, straightening your shoulders and slowly turn to where you assume the figure is behind you. At the end of the alley, you see the shape of a man—what you think is a man, anyway. The light bounces off the blob in front of you, and realize they’re covered almost head-to-toe in shiny armor. A droid?

“Can I help you?” You question. Your hand rests directly over your blaster, slowly flicking the safety off.

The mystery man/droid doesn’t say anything. He stands completely still, and for the first time in a long time, panic prods at you. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you take a deep breath, hoping it’ll calm the nerves in your stomach.

“Can I help you?” You say through gritted teeth.

Again, you hear nothing.

You stand your ground, refusing to run from the figure. You’ve never been one to run from a fight, and you’re not about to start now. “I’m going to give you one more chance to tell me who the hell you are before I blast you on your ass.” Your voice is stern, now becoming more annoyed with the fact that they haven’t said anything. What the hell is this thing’s problem?

The figured dressed in armor takes a small step forward and finally speaks. “I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold,” His voice comes out low, but is nothing short of terrifying.

You suddenly realize who stands fifteen feet in front of you. It’s him. The hunter who’s created quite the name for himself. The bounty hunter who almost every smuggler has grown to fear. The one who never lets a bounty get away.

The Mandalorian.

As much as you are terrified right now, you can’t help but let a little bit of pride consume you. For the New Republic to have him come after you, it means they’ve gotten desperate. It also means they see you as a threat, and that makes you feel good. So good in fact, that you accidentally let a chuckle escape you.

“How much are they paying you?”

No answer.

You know he’s going to blast you any moment, and you’re trying to buy yourself some time.

“Oh come on. If I’m gonna go down, I should at least know how much I’m worth, don’t you think?”

Your ship is a quick sprint away (if you go straight ahead) but you’re not stupid enough to do that. He’s probably none the wiser and thinks you would, so you have that advantage. Instead, you know running to your left is the safer option. Even though there’s no actual street to your left, you did notice a split in the foundation just big enough for your body to slide through and make it to the next adjacent path, but you’ll need to do it quick. You gauge your assailant’s body language. He’s standing with his legs shoulder-width apart and you think you see his hand resting on his blaster, but you can’t be sure. You do catch the shadow of a rifle strapped to his back, and you know that that armor looks expensive which means it’s probably beskar, which unfortunately for you is basically indestructible. No amount of blasts will penetrate that armor.

Thinking impulsively, you grab the blaster out of your holster and shoot the light, hoping he’ll struggle to find your shape in the dark and praying to the Maker that it’ll give you enough time to wiggle through the stone walls. You sprint for the wall and see blaster fire shoot passed your head. Fuck, he must have night-vision with that helmet.

You manage to squeeze through the crack and end up on the other side. Most likely he’d come by the right, so you avoid that side entirely. Breaking into a sprint, you run down the cobblestoned road. It’s horribly uneven and you trip a few times, but always manage to recover without actually falling. The air cuts at your face and makes it harder to breathe but you persevere. If you were to stop, even for a moment, you risk getting caught. Your mind is running a million miles a minute, trying not to look back but also trying to imagine the more tactical way to capture you. Before you can think of your next move, the door to a hut opens and someone seizes your left arm and pulls you into the house with such force, it almost feels like your arm was ripped right out of its socket. The door shuts behind you immediately but before you can make a sound, Tye’s hand comes to cover your mind.

“Shh,” he warns, pressing a finger from his free hand to his lips.

You nod and he releases the grip he had over your mouth.

Tye crouches near the window by the door, checking to see if the hunter is out there.

“I can’t see him,” He says, turning his gaze towards you. You move from the doorway and crouch next to him by the window. Both of you continue to scan the street, looking for any sign of the attacker.

After a few minutes of looking with no luck, you conclude that he’s lost you. You retreat from the window to examine the room. It’s tiny, the bed almost immediately to your left and you wonder how anyone could possibly sleep there. The door is just a few feet away and you can assume the cold penetrates the door easily enough. Sleeping there must be miserable. The only source of light emanates from a few candles scattered throughout the room.

“This is my place,” Tye explains before you can ask. “It’s not much but it’s better than sleeping in one of the taverns.” He passes you and lowers himself in an armchair, rubbing the palms of his hands against his face.

“How did you know?”

“Call it intuition.”

The adrenaline is slowly wearing off and now you feel an ache in your bicep. You look down and notice a section of your coat has been ripped right off. Then you notice blood, a lot of it.

“Maker!” Tye all but jumps right out of his seat and rushes to your side. Gently grabbing your elbow, he inspects your wound. It’s pretty deep and will need to be cauterized.

Realizing it at the same time, your eyes meet. “Just do it.” You whisper to break the silence.

“I can use bacta spray instead. It’ll hurt less,” He says, before turning towards the cupboards, rummaging through the shelves and tossing whatever he can find, on the ground. You carefully remove your coat without touching the gash on your arm.

“Bacta spray will hard to find at this hour,” Your voice is barely above a whisper. The pain is starting to disorient you, and you manage to sit down on the bed before collapsing. “Just do it, Tye.”

Your friend stops searching for the spray, and he’s quickly by your side again with a clean cloth. He begins wiping the blood away. It stings and you swear under your breath.

“If you think this hurts…” His voice trails off. Yeah, you both know cauterizing it will hurt even more.

Trying to lighten the tension, you force a laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m a big girl, I can handle it.”

It’s true. You’ve broken bones and you’ve been hit a lot worse. If you ever manage to successfully make a run without injuring yourself, it’s a miracle. This is nothing new.

Tye leaves your side to warm up his vibroblade on one of the candles nearby. Once the blade is steaming, he returns to you. He holds out the blade, and you take it from his hand. Releasing a deep breath, you hold the blade to your arm and press it into your flesh. It sizzles and smells awful. Tye squeezes his eyes shut, like he thinks it’ll stop the whole ordeal. You stifle down the scream that desperately tries to come to the surface, and groan instead. Pressing the blade to your skin in short bursts, the blood slowly stops spewing and the pain from the actual blast begins to subside. Once the sting begins to slow, you drop the blade on the ground. Tye’s eyebrows relax as he inspects your skin.

“You should still put some bacta spray on that, to avoid getting it infected.”

Nodding slowly, you let out another deep breath through your lips. “I have some on my ship. I’ll head out in the morning and hopefully get to it before metal man out there can get me.” You try to be lighthearted with a joke. Tye either doesn’t catch it or think it’s funny because he’s shaking his head at you. He meets your eyes and whispers your name. “Having a Mandalorian after you is serious business. Those guys don’t fuck around.”

You sit up straight and look at his defensively. “Yeah, I know Tye.”

“Do you? Because you’re still making jokes. Do you know that Mandalorians are like the best killers in the galaxy?”

That sends daggers through your entire body. You rise to your feet, slowly until you’re almost towering over him. “I’m well aware of their abilities, Tye.”

“Why do I get the feeling that this is just a giant ego boost for you?”

That you actually scoff at. “Kriff…” Taking a step away from him, your hands rest on your hips. “Am I a little proud that they had to get a Mandalorian to arrest me? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to act reckless and change my tacti-“

“But you are reckless!” Tye pushes against his knees to stand eye level with you. “You always do this. This is why no one wants to work with you!”

Your eyes widen, mouth dropping. “I don’t want to work with anyone because they slow me down!”

Immediately, your friend’s shaking his head. “No, that’s not why. Everyone’s deemed you too dangerous to actually work with. It’s a miracle you haven’t been caught yet.”

You try to interject but Tye holds a hand up to stop you. “I’m not done. Yeah, you’re good at smuggling, probably one of the best, but at what cost? Where’s the girl that was gentle, kind? Where’s that girl who would fix ships with her dad and play in the sand dunes with me? That girl who nursed an injured womp rat back to health because you saw some stupid kids shoot at it? Where did my best friend go?”

The laugh that erupts in the room is anything but joyful. It’s resentful, it’s anger. Your best friend stands inches away from your face, insulting who you are. Who he essentially created.

“She grew up, Tye! My parents died and left me all alone on a planet that shouldn’t even exist. I had no choice. You think a ‘gentle, kind’ girl can survive in this galaxy?”

Tye’s fists ball up at his sides. “I miss that girl. Who you are now, it’s not who I remember. This job has tainted you.”

“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you dragged me into this world five years ago!”

“Don’t do that…” His shoulders drop, his head hanging in defeat.

“I love you Tye, but I can take care of myself. I’m not scared of some Mandalorian. I’m not afraid of anything.” A lie, but you refuse to look weak.

“I know…” He admits, his head still looking at the ground. “That’s the problem.”

A few moments pass in silence. Neither of you try to break the apprehension in the air. You can sense that Tye’s been waiting a long time to admit that. That he doesn’t like what you’ve become, and maybe he’s right. Maybe you do act impulsively, maybe you do put yourself at risk unnecessarily just to fill this void inside of you. A void that’s been eating at you since you were a child, but it’s not something you want to hear right now, or maybe ever.

“I’m heading to my ship.” Grabbing your coat off the cot, you slip into it, groaning as the material slides against your sensitive flesh.

That appears to snap Tye out of his thoughts because he looks right into your eyes.

“Please don’t. He’s probably still out there.”

“Well it’s like you said,” Usually, your voice is soft. You’ve never spoken to Tye with such anger before, but something inside of you now sees him in a different light. You resent him. “I’m too reckless.” You growl.

Tye mouth is agape and it almost looks like tears are forming in the corners of his eyes. He takes a step back like he’s been stabbed, which I guess is true. Your tone said it all.

You both realize at the same time that this is probably the last time you’ll see each other.

Turning on your heel, you head towards the door. “Take care, Tye.” You say over your shoulder before pressing the button to open the entrance. It lifts off the ground and you step out, not even looking at your surroundings before throwing the hood back over your head and heading straight for your ship.

If you want me, come get me, Mandalorian.

You’re not careful about the walk to the ship. You’re not careful passing corners or getting to the port. You’re behaving stupidly on purpose. You want to fight him; you want to prove to everyone and yourself that not even a Mandalorian can catch you. It’s extremely naïve but your blood’s boiling and its currently clouding your judgement. You spot your ship and march towards it, without a damn care in the world. Clicking the button on your bracelet, the ramp opens, and you begin to walk towards the slope. Once your foot touches the metal, you catch a glimpse of something shiny at the very top of the ramp. A sly smile creeps on your lips.

“You know, it’s rude to hijack someone’s ship.” You peer up at him.

The Mandalorian’s tense, with his hand hovering over the blaster strapped to his right thigh. Legs once again spread shoulder width apart, he oozes authority. The metal—beskar, glistening against the moonlight. You fight the submissiveness that begins to creep up on you. You refuse to show him weakness. If you’re gonna get caught, you’re gonna make sure you put up a fight.

Your strides up the ramp get smaller and smaller. Adrenaline fully pumping now through your entire body. You wonder how close he’ll let you get to him before blasting you right off your feet.

“I do have to admit, getting caught by a mandalorian is pretty admirable.” You taunt.

His hand gets closer to the blaster and you think this is your moment. Just as he rips the blaster from its holster and fires at you, your right hand comes up, catching the blast mid-air and deflecting it. It hits one of the cargo boxes and explodes. Before he can fire another shot, the blaster is ripped right out of his hand and goes flying into your palm. As soon as you get both blasters in your hands, a grappling line exits his vambrace and wraps tightly around your ankles, causing you to slightly lose your balance. He pulls hard on the rope and it sends you flying backwards. Your head hits the metal hard, and for a second your vision begins to fog. You blink repeatedly, trying to get your damn vision to clear, but before you can even begin to push yourself to the ground, the Mandalorian is hovering over your body. One leg on each side of your thighs, he leans down and grasps both your wrists with one hand and straps some binds around them. You give it one last ditch effort and try to kick up at him, but his reflexes are surprisingly quick and catches your calf with his free hand.

“Maybe if you stayed with your friend, you might’ve gotten away without me catching you.” He says through the helmet. The baritone of his voice immediately causes your breathing to hitch. Your heart is pounding in your chest and heat begins to form in your stomach.

“Then again,” He begins to say, pulling you to your feet. “because you’re so careless, I’d find you again.”

In any other circumstance, you’d have a sly comment, but right now you can’t even remember how to speak. Once on your feet, you notice just how big he actually is. Sure, the armor might add to his demeanor, but you can’t help but be intimidated now. He towers over you, and you have to strain your neck just to look at him. You try to see his eyes through the ‘T’ of his visor, but it’s too tinted. He loops his forearm around your bound arms and guides you down the ramp.

“I can walk on my own, you know?”

The Mandalorian doesn’t answer. He simply continues to drag you whichever way he wants. As you make your way to his ship, your heart is still hammering in your chest. The way he carries himself, you’ve never seen anything like it. He’s definitely intense, but nothing short of fucking mesmerizing. Most of the hunters you’ve encountered were cruel and mouthy. But the Mandalorian? He barely spoke to you; he didn’t let his any emotion come through. You can outtalk any hunter, but you couldn’t do that with him. He was one step ahead of you, which you have to admit has never happened before.

Once you reach what you assume is his ship, you can’t help but be taken aback by it.

“Whoa, is that a pre-Empire ship? I didn’t think those things still existed.”

He says nothing, as per usual. In the very short time you’ve known the Mandalorian, you noticed he’s a man of few words.

You’ve spent your whole life around ships, but you’ve never seen one quite like this. It’s pretty dated and looks in pretty shit condition, honestly. Several panels are completely dented, and whatever isn’t dented is scratched up badly. You can tell it’s been in a good number of shootouts. It’s a miracle this ship is still operational.

He presses a button on his vambrace, and the ramp opens up, creaking as it lowers to the ground. The Mandalorian lets go of the grip he had on you, and gently pushes you in front of him, instructing you to walk ahead of him. You head up the ship, turning back to look over your shoulder one more time. In that moment, reality hits you. You’ve been caught. You’re going to live the rest of your days in a cell. Actually, with your reputation, you’d be lucky if you get a cell. The New Republic will probably have you sentenced to death. While you didn’t expect to live to an old age, you didn’t think you’d die this young, but it comes with the job description. Everyone’s gonna get it sooner or later, and unfortunately for you, it seems like the former.

You take notice of the three other quarries in carbonite to your right. Heating beating so fast, you’re sure it’ll burst out of your chest, you start babbling.

“Please don’t put me in carbonite,” You plead, turning around to face your captor. He’s already closed the ramp and is busy removing the rifle off his back, placing it back on the wall of the ship. “You already have me in binds, I can’t go anywhere. I won’t cause any more trouble. Just please, no carbonite.”

At first, he doesn’t bother to look at you. He lingers there for a few seconds, probably arguing with himself on the best way to handle you. Your eyes burn into his helmet, praying to the Maker that he’ll give into you. You’re chewing down on your bottom lip so hard, you’re sure you’ll break skin. Eventually, he turns to face you and begins a slow, tantalizing walk towards you. Panic overwhelms you, and you begin to shake your head frantically. Since when did you become such a submissive? Under any other circumstance, you’d be throwing insults, trying to get under his skin, manipulating words in an effort to aggravate them. You might even try to manipulate him into doing what you ask but your brain is shut off. You can barely form a coherent thought. Therefore, you resort to begging and pleading with the Mandalorian.

You can’t stop your body from trembling, and as he reaches to grab your wrist, you shudder at his touch. You swear his glove is on fire because how the hell is it possible that his touch burns into your skin? You keep your head down, not having the strength to meet his visor. You’re crumbling under him, letting him take absolute control of you.

“Up,” is all he says, as he gestures you to the ladder that goes up to the cockpit. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you nod and let him guide you to the ladder. It’s hard to climb with your hands bound but you do your best.

Once you reach the top, you wait for him to catch up. Putting a hand on your lower back, your breathing hitches when he touches you. His hand nearly cover your entire waist and you can’t help but imagine that thick hand wrapped around your throat.

Maker this shouldn’t be turning you on. He captured you.

He guides you into the seat that’s to the right of the pilot, and then sits himself in the pilot’s seat. He begins the take-off sequence, and the ship’s thrusters roar to life. As the ship lifts off the ground, it creaks and makes you shift in your seat. You take one last look at Kijimi as his ship climbs higher and higher into the air, realizing that for the first time ever, you lost.

#the mandalorian x reader #mando x reader #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian fanfiction #the mandalorian #din djarin #Star Wars #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #mando x you #we are one when together #fics

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cuthian · 4 years ago

Text

Universal Language

“Vic,” Benji frowned, “These guys are a big deal, okay? They managed to get a record deal at seventeen and they’ve been openly LGBT the entire time, and when their old record label dumped them and tried to poach their rhythm guitarist, they found a new lead singer and reinvented themselves.” Benji glanced back towards the stage before he added, “They’re living every teen musician’s dream.”

—Love Victor & Julie and the Phantoms crossover

... I have no idea what this is.

Please blame the JatP discord server, I have absolutely no clue where this came from 😅 This is unbeta'd, and I hope no one is horribly out of character, but if they are... oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Enjoy!

Love Annaelle

Universal Language

“Music is the universal language of humankind.” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Victor smiled lightly as Benji bounced up and down beside him, fidgeting with his bracelet as he eyed the stage hard, like if he visualized them hard enough, the opening band for the Battle of the Bands would just appear out of thin air. “Relax,” Victor told him, tentatively reaching out to slot their hands together—he’d only been out for a little while and they’d only been officially dating for a little over a month and Victor wasn’t quite used to being allowed to hold Benji’s hand in public.

Victor chuckled and squeezed his fingers around his boyfriend’s. “I know, Benj, you’ve told me—”

“Us,” Lake interrupted as she popped up beside them, Felix not far behind her, “You’ve told us this all before—it’s all you’ve been able to talk about since they announced they’d be hosting the Battle of the Bands this year.” Lake laced her arm with Felix’s and smiled up at Victor and Benji. “Their manager agreed to let me take a few pictures and ask them a couple of questions for Creek Secrets later too.”

“Really?” Benji very nearly squeaked and Victor’s chest went warm and tight with affection, because he remembered not so long ago, thinking that Benji was so incredibly effortlessly cool—and he was—but he was also a massive dork and Victor adored him.

“Yes, really,” Lake grinned. “If you’re good, I’ll even introduce you.”

Victor laughed when Benji made a tiny noise of excitement. “I wonder if they’re going to perform their old songs or their new songs,” he wondered aloud, eyes straying back towards the stage. “For smaller venues they’ve been known to use Sunset Curve songs rather than Julie and the Phantoms ones, but—”

“Whatever songs they use,” Victor grinned, tugging Benji closer, “I’m sure you’ll love it anyway.”

Benji hummed in agreement, and though he seemed a little distracted still, he still set his hands on Victor’s waist and pulled him close, tilting his head up to press a chaste kiss to the corner of Victor’s lips.

Victor felt his cheeks flush and he had to stop himself from glancing over his shoulder to check no one was watching them because he knew people were probably still watching—coming out and subsequently starting to date Benji (officially) only a month after he and Mia had broken up had fueled the Creekwood gossip mill for days, and at first, people had even tried to come into Brasstown just to sneak pictures of him and Benji doing something as mundane as working together.

Of course, back then, Victor had just been relieved that he and Benji were working together again at all.

“So,” he said quietly when Benji pulled back, sliding his hands down Benji’s back until they rested on his boyfriend’s waist, “Go ahead. Talk about the band, I know you want to.”

Benji grinned up at him, biting down on his lower lip before he said, “Their bassist can play… a truly absurd amount of instruments, apparently, and he loves country music.” He wrinkled his nose and added, “I saw an interview with him and the lead singer once, and they mentioned that he’s always slipping country songs into everyone’s notebooks and pockets—it’s a running gag at this point.”

He glanced at the stage again and bounced on his toes, “Also, no one knows which of the band members are dating. Like,” he clarified when Victor frowned in confusion, “There’s pictures all over the internet of literally every single one of them on dates with each other, and they’re super affectionate on stage and in interviews, and I’m pretty sure I heard they all live together as well.”

“Huh,” Victor frowned. “I guess that’s pretty rare, right? Them being able to keep their private lives somewhat secret?” He couldn’t imagine having to live like that, with a spotlight constantly on him—although he guessed that he did in a way. Being openly gay, even in a fairly liberal town and a very supportive school, kind of felt like living under a spotlight too.

Benji shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, everyone kind of knows that the lead singer and the drummer used to date, but that’s just because they were dating when they signed their original label. I don’t think they’re still dating, I’m pretty sure the drummer’s dating this international skateboarding champion now.”

Victor nodded slowly. “Like Tony Hawk?”

Benji laughed. “Yeah, just like that, but you know—younger. I think he’s just a couple of years older than we are. Closer to Bram and Simon’s age. Super hot too.”

“Really?” Victor chortled. “Should I be worried here?”

Benji laughed, spinning around and wrapping his arms around Victor’s neck. “Oh no,” he grinned. “No, Vic, don’t worry. I’ve only got eyes for one tall, handsome brunet.”

“Okay, good,” Victor leaned in to press a short, hard kiss to Benji’s lips, relishing in the fact that he could.

“Hey you two,” someone crowed from behind them, “Stop being so damn cute, you’ll rot my teeth.” Victor pouted as Benji pulled away and stepped back, waving at Mia and Andrew as they approached them and Lake and Felix. Victor managed an awkward little smile Mia—things weren’t exactly back to normal between them, and Victor and Benji had held off on making their relationship official for over a month to give Mia some time to adjust, some time to deal with the mess Victor had made of their relationship.

He’d apologized, of course, had apologized until he was blue in the face and had given her whatever she needed to process everything. She’d forgiven him, had forgiven them, but things were still a little awkward between them, even though she was dating Andrew now and claimed to be over Victor.

Andrew had been surprisingly supportive when Victor came out, had had his back with the rest of the basketball team, had stood up for him when people tried to be shits in the hallways or in the cafeteria, and had made the whole experience of coming out and being open about his relationship with Benji ten times more bearable, especially in the light of his parents’ utter refusal to discuss his sexuality at all.

Victor had to admit the other guy probably wasn’t so bad at all.

“Fine, fine,” Benji replied playfully, leaning in to hug Mia briefly. ��But only because you asked so nicely.”

That had been the most surprising thing about this whole thing. Mia and Benji had bonded, were actual legit friends now, had more inside jokes than Victor and Felix did, and liked to joke about how much of an idiot Victor was on a daily basis. Victor didn’t mind, really, although he wasn’t sure how to feel about his ex-girlfriend and his boyfriend getting on this well.

“You excited for the show?” Mia asked Benji, grinning up at him brightly.

“Yeah,” Benji nodded eagerly, going off on another hilariously detailed rant about the band and the songs that they were most likely going to play, and Victor couldn’t help but smile, because Benji’s enthusiasm for the band and his own impending performance was infectious and he was so damn adorable.

“What’s up everybody?!”

Victor turned to the stage, finding it finally occupied by a tall, gorgeous dark-skinned young woman with thin, long box braids swept up into a playful ponytail. “Oooh, I love her outfit,” he heard Lake whisper audibly, and Mia’s affirmative mumble. Benji, on the other hand, was back to bouncing up and down on his toes excitedly, his fingers tight on Victor’s wrist.

“You guys are in for a treat,” the young woman grinned broadly. “Tonight, you’ll be getting a taste of the original Sunset Curve to open the Battle of the Bands! Our lead singer Julie is unfortunately down with a horrible cold and can’t sing, so we brought in an old fan favorite for a small reunion performance!”

“Oh my God,” Benji whispered. “Bobby’s here!”

Victor frowned in confusion, because he was pretty sure he’d heard Benji mention the name before, but then Benji had been talking about Sunset Curve and Julie and the Phantoms non-stop for the past three weeks and Victor had tried to keep up, tried to keep them all straight in his head, but much as he enjoyed their music, keeping up with the band members was more than a little confusing.

“Give it up for Sunset Curve!” The young woman cheered, and the crowd roared excitedly back at her as the band members filed onto the stage. Victor clapped, grinning at the way Benji was screaming in excitement beside him, the way Mia and Lake were both jumping up and down and Felix was clapping so hard his hands had to be hurting.

He returned his attention to the stage, to the band members that were taking up their places by the instruments and he realized another reason Benji was probably so enthralled by this band—they were all undeniably and stupidly attractive.

“Nothing to worry about, huh?” He asked playfully, nudging Benji in the side.

His boyfriend grinned back at him unrepentantly and winked. “Not a damn thing,” he chuckled, leaning up to press a kiss to Victor’s cheek. “But you gotta admit the eye candy is a great bonus.”

Victor just shook his head and laughed, just as the band’s lead singer bounced up to his microphone and greeted the crowd excitedly. “Hi everyone, I’m Luke, just for tonight, we’re Sunset Curve, and this is Now or Never.” The other band members began playing almost before he finished talking, the music loud and lively, stirring up the crowd of people.

As soon as the lead singer—Luke, Victor reminded himself—started singing, Benji sang along, as did a fair few other people in the crowd, and Victor saw why these guys had landed a record deal at seventeen. They sounded even better live than they did in their recorded songs, and Victor found himself bobbing his head to the beat, impressed by the way the band played together, the way they moved together, like a unit, like they knew exactly where everyone was going to be—

His breath caught a little when the bassist skipped across the stage to Luke and Luke moved naturally so they could share the mic between them, both of them pressed so close together there was hardly any space between them at all—they were a hair’s breadth from kissing and somehow Victor didn’t think either of them would mind if the mic, the only thing separating their lips, would disappear altogether.

“I get it,” he shouted at Benji. “Why they can’t figure out who’s dating who. They look like they’re a second away from jumping each other.”

Benji laughed and nodded. “Yeah, that’s part of it.”

The bassist skipped back to his own microphone with a massive grin for the chorus before jumping up onto the little platform with the drummer, who grinned at him with a bright, fond little grin before he jumped back off and they launched into the final chorus, and Benji started singing along again, ecstaticly shouting the lyrics back at the band.

As soon as the last note rang out, the crowd burst into raucous applause and Victor found himself cheering along with the others because he got the hype now. These guys were amazing and they were really entertaining to watch too.

“Thank you,” Luke shouted into the microphone, fingers still curled around the neck of his guitar, grinning wildly. “We’re Sunset Curve!”

“Tell your friends!” The bassist quipped with a cheeky smile, causing a smatter of laughter amongst those gathered there, even as the rest of the band laughed and rolled their eyes as they set their instruments down—or, in the drummer’s case, jumped down from his little platform to join the others.

“Right,” Luke said cheerfully, “I wanna thank Bobby here,” he dragged the tall, darkhaired young man closer with an impish grin, “for coming out of retirement at the ripe old age of twenty-one to join us tonight because Julie couldn’t make it.” Everyone cheered, and Victor clapped too, even as the singer continued, “And we want to welcome you to this edition of Battle of the Bands!”

The crowd cheered again, and Luke beamed. “We’ve got five really great bands lined up for you,” the bassist continued, and the drummer nodded beside him, smiling lightly as he looked out at the crowd, taking a clipboard from the dark-skinned woman who’d announced them.

“First up, there’s—” he glanced down at the clipboard and frowned, glancing towards Luke incredulously. “Dude, did you write this?”

Luke glanced over with a pout. “No.”

Victor glanced towards Benji, but he didn’t seem to understand the dynamic anymore than Victor did. Before either of them could comment though, the drummer snorted a laugh and said, “Can’t blame me for asking, man, when stuff is weirdly illegible, it’s usually you.”

Victor laughed at that, before the drummer said, “Anyway, first up is the Sticky Beaks!”

Benji gasped as the crowd applauded, swallowed thickly and turned to Victor with a nervous little smile. “Wish me luck,” he breathed, and Victor tried to smile encouragingly, leaning down to press a swift kiss to Benji’s lips, smiling against his boyfriend’s lips when Benji’s hands came up to clutch at the back of his neck for a long moment before he leaned back.

“You got this,” he told Benji, grinning back before his boyfriend bounced up to the stage with the rest of the band—minus Derek, who had quit the band after his and Benji’s break up.

“So,” Felix said as they watched Benji take the microphone from Luke, “You know what he’s playing?”

The other three pressed closer too, eager to hear Victor’s answer. “Some country song,” he replied, watching the band set up as the guys from Sunset Curve stood at the edge of the stage, chatting quietly amongst themselves. “I think he mentioned he chose it because it was uh—” he gestured towards the bassist, who was now tucked under the blond drummer’s arm.

“Reggie,” Mia supplied.

“Right,” Victor nodded. “Reggie’s favorite. He mentioned it in an interview or something.”

“Hah,” Andrew snorted. “Who knew your boyfriend was such a fanboy, Salazar?” Victor shook his head with a smile, because that was indeed quite the revelation—if not a very delightful one.

“It’s cute,” Mia said, smiling lightly as Benji began strumming the guitar, taking up his place at the microphone as the others set up next to and behind him. Victor remembered the first time he’d watched Benji play at one of these, when he’d still been desperately trying to convince himself he could be into Mia romantically, when Benji had sung ‘Call Me Maybe’.

He wondered if this time would be just as mesmerizing.

“Hi everyone,” Benji exclaimed happily. “We’re the Sticky Beaks, and since we aren’t allowed to do original songs this time, we prepared an old favorite of ours. Enjoy.”

When Benji started playing and singing, Victor noticed the darkhaired bassist—Reggie—perk up immediately, slapping excitedly at the drummer’s arm and tugging on Luke’s hand with an eager grin. Victor couldn’t help but grin, because not only did Benji and the band sound amazing, but it looked like his intention of getting Sunset Curve’s attention by using Reggie’s favorite song was working.

“I just need you to know,” Benji sang, eyes fastening on Victor, and Victor’s breath caught in his lungs for a second as his heartbeat sped up. “I love you more than a California sunset, more than a beer when you ain’t twenty-one yet—”

Victor remembered to breathe when Felix elbowed him in the side, smirking at him and wiggling his eyebrows playfully when Victor managed to look away from his boyfriend.

Victor blushed, biting down on his lip as he looked back toward Benji, who winked at him as he sang, “Yeah, I love you more than the feeling when the bass hits the hook, when the guy gets the guy at the end of the book—but, baby, this might be the last time I get to lay you down, 'cause I can't love you more than my hometown.”

Victor shuddered when Benji drew out the final note, and he was the first to burst into loud, raucous cheering when the music died down, and he noticed with some satisfaction that the Sunset Curve guys all looked really impressed too—Reggie was practically vibrating in excitement, held in place only by his bandmates hands on him.

“How about that?” Luke cheered as he strutted back onto stage, clapping Benji on the shoulder jovially. “That’s a tough act to follow,” he said as Benji very nearly floated off the stage, throwing his arms around Victor as soon as he was within reach.

Victor stopped paying attention to the next band almost immediately, focusing instead on his jubilant boyfriend. “Having you in the crowd is like a good luck charm,” Benji laughed, leaning in to press a more passionate, deeper kiss than they usually shared in public to his lips. “You have to always come to performances from now on,” Benji decreed as soon as they’d parted.

“Sure,” Victor chuckled. “If you can convince Sarah to give us time off on the same nights.”

Benji wrinkled his nose. “As long as I never have to go shopping with her again, I’ll do whatever it takes to convince her to let us have time off at the same time.”

Before Victor could say anything to that, the rest of their friends pounced on them and the rest of Benji’s band, congratulating them on a good performance and teasing Benji for his choice in songs. The band joined in teasing Benji mercilessly, bringing up the time Benji had asked them to learn ‘Call Me Maybe’ in less than a week—both Victor and Benji blushed hard at that—and Mia pointing out with a smirk that even she had thought there might be more to the way they looked at each other until Derek popped up.

“Dude!”

They spun around to find the Sunset Curve bassist—Reggie, Victor reminded himself—standing behind them with an absurdly excited expression, practically bouncing in place.

“Uh,” Benji said slowly, and Reggie grinned. “I can’t believe you played that—it was so good, where did you hear it first? Like, lots of people ignore country music as a whole at these things but you managed the sound so well I’d almost believe you were Wallen himself, but you know—” he waved a hand at Benji and Victor’s entwined hands. “—younger and gayer.”

“Uh,” Victor said, this time.

“Reg, baby,” the drummer strolled up behind him casually and slung an arm around the bassist. “Are you scaring the baby gays again?”

“No, ‘lex,” Reggie pouted up at the blond. “I was being nice.”

“He—he was,” Benji managed, although he still looked a little like he was about to faint. “He said he liked the song we played, he was just—asking us about it.”

The drummer nodded, keeping his arm around Reggie’s shoulders, and said, “That really was a great performance—we don’t get a lot of country at these. I think Reggie nearly expired with excitement when he recognized the song.”

He jostled the bassist playfully and Victor was fascinated by the interaction, because earlier he’d been convinced that Reggie had something going on with Luke, the lead singer—that chemistry when they’d shared a microphone was insane. Now, though, seeing him with the drummer, seeing that casual affection between them that he’d only seen with couples who’d been together forever, like Bram and Simon, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

He abruptly understood why no one knew which of these boys were dating.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Benji managed, a little flustered and bashful like he usually got when people gave him compliments. “That’s—that’s why we picked it.”

“Oh,” Reggie looked at them with wide eyes. “Really? That’s so cool though, how’d you know we—”

“He’s a fan, Reg,” the drummer pointed out. “You’ve mentioned it’s your favorite song in like ten interviews in the last year alone.” Reggie’s cheeks flushed with a splotchy blush and he looked down for a second with a pout—Victor hadn’t even said anything and he still felt like he’d kicked a puppy—before the drummer grumbled and shook his head.

“It’s not a bad thing, Reg,” he said, but before Reggie could say anything, Luke the lead singer popped up beside them, grinning excitedly.

“Hey man,” he told them, “Don’t tell anyone yet, but you guys were definitely the best ones so far.”

“Thanks,” Benji choked, and the band made similar appreciative noises behind them. “You guys are… so cool,” he then blurted, much to his own shock, it seemed. “I just—” he squeezed Victor’s hand hard, and Victor squeezed back just as tightly as Benji said, “Just—you guys coming out, being proud about who you were, especially you, Alex—” he gestured towards the drummer, “It helped. A lot.”

Reggie’s mouth had fallen open into a tiny ‘o’ and Alex’s expression looked complicated, but Victor got it too. The first time someone at school had cornered him and told him his coming out had made a difference for them, he’d been overwhelmed and shocked too.

“That’s—uh,” Alex stuttered, “I’m glad it made a difference.”

“Told you,” Luke grinned, patting Alex on the shoulder. “Making out on stage after our manager told us to pray the gay away is still the best thing we ever did.”

Victor snorted an ugly laugh at that, and when everyone turned to look at him, he winced, “Sorry, it’s not funny, it’s just—that’s exactly what my grandparents suggested I do when I told them I was gay and that I had a boyfriend. They even sent the priest to our house.”

Alex shook his head and Luke pouted. “My parents disowned me,” Alex said quietly, honestly. “Reggie’s tried to beat him up—Luke’s mom was the only one that accepted us.”

“Yeah, ‘cause she’s awesome,” Luke snorted, and then nudged Reggie before turning to Benji. “Wanna show us the chords to that song? I bet anything Reg’s been dying to ask you that since he first heard you play it.” Before Victor knew it, his boyfriend was whisked away, back to the instruments, chattering excitedly with Luke and Reggie, leaving him standing awkwardly with Alex, who was shaking his head fondly as he watched his bandmates.

“So, uh,” Victor tried, feeling desperately awkward and completely out of his depth but also deeply curious, “how’d you figure out you were gay?”

Alex blinked at him in surprise before chuckling and shaking his head. “You’ve seen my bandmates, right? I’ve known them since I was eight. Hard not to notice.” He deadpanned, gesturing towards Luke and Reggie. Victor glanced towards them too and flushed, eyes catching on Luke’s impressive biceps in that stupid shirt with the sleeves cut off, and the curve of Reggie’s lips.

“Yeah,” he agreed faintly, “Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”

Alex laughed, running his fingers through his blond hair. “They’re idiots,” he said, but he sounded fond as he said it, and Victor watched curiously as Alex glanced back towards Reggie and Luke, who were watching Benji attentive as he played something on his guitar and then mimicked it.

The smile on Alex’s face went soft and fond, and Victor vaguely wondered if he looked like that when he looked at Benji, wondered if Alex was looking at Luke or at Reggie and wondered about the skateboarding champion Benji had mentioned.

Whatever else, he was glad his own love life was—now—not nearly as complicated as Alex’s seemed to be.

“Does it get easier?” He asked quietly, so quietly that for a second he was sure—and glad—that Alex hadn’t heard him at all.

“Sometimes,” Alex replied suddenly, and Victor nearly jumped when the drummer patted his shoulder lightly. “Sometimes it’s easier—and then others it’s just as terrifying as the first time you have to say it out loud.” He bit his lip and shook his head lightly. “All I can really tell you to do is to find your people. Once you got those in your corner… I’m telling you, the world feels a lot less scary when you’ve got good people in your corner.”

He gestured towards Reggie, who was still talking animatedly with Benji, and Luke, who had apparently gotten bored and was bothering their fourth band member, hanging off his shoulder and chatting in his ear. “They’re idiots, but they’re my idiots. Find a couple of your own and there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Victor glanced over his shoulder at his friends, who were actually dancing to whatever band was on stage now, watched Felix try to spin Lake into an unneccessarily complicated spin and nearly trip all over himself while doing so and watched Mia and Andrew laugh at them before they switched partners and tried again—with mixed results—and found himself smiling.

“I think I already have,” he admitted.

When he looked back, Alex was smiling at him, patting his shoulder again. “Good on you, kid.”

“Alex!” Reggie was bouncing back towards them, dragging Benji behind him with a slightly manic grin. “Alex, tell him I’m not allowed to drive the truck, he won’t believe me when I tell him you hide the keys.”

Alex shook his head and gave Reggie an exasperated look before he turned back to Victor. “So much work, these idiots, no matter how much we love them.” He ignored Reggie’s indignant squawk and pulled him close, planting a kiss on Reggie’s lips before he shoved him back. “I hide the keys from you because the last three times we let you drive, you almost crashed the car because you got distracted by a cute dog, a cloud shaped like a hot dog and cows in a field. Not neccessarily in that order.”

Reggie pouted. “Cows are cool.”

Alex rolled his eyes again, yanked Reggie closer for another quick, hard kiss before he pushed him back, and said, “You’re so lucky you play bass.”

Benji chuckled and patted Reggie on the shoulder comfortingly before he sidled up next to Victor again. “It’s okay, man, Victor won’t let me drive anywhere either.” Victor rolled his eyes, because they’d had this conversation several times, and he was glad they could joke about it now, could laugh about it now that Benji had his license back, but he did remember the days that the subject had rendered his boyfriend sullen and withdrawn for days at a time.

“Last time you drove, you drove straight through a Wendy’s,” he deadpanned.

Benji pouted. “That was one time.”

Reggie huffed and grabbed Benji’s hand, dragging him back towards where Luke and Bobby were still talking. “Come on, Benji, let’s go somewhere we’re actually appreciated.”

Victor laughed a little as Reggie dragged Benji off, watching as the darkhaired bassist jumped into Luke’s arms as soon as he was within reach, planting a long kiss on Luke’s lips before slinging an arm around the shorter man’s shoulders and starting to talk with large, exaggerated gestures, making the three others laugh almost instantly.

Felix popped up beside him and immediately started talking a mile a minute, excited and enthusiastic and entirely unaware that Victor only caught about every four words of his long speech—it had something to do with food and a double date, but that was all he managed to glean from Felix’s speech before the other boy turned to Alex.

His eyes widened before he held out a hand and said, “Dude, you were so cool up there, with the whole—” he mimed beating the drums and Alex snorted a laugh as Felix continued, “And like, you were singing too, that’s some prime multitasking, man, I don’t think I could do it, I’d probably forget to drum half the time or forget the words I’m supposed to sing—”

Alex was staring at Felix with an expression that bordered between awed and mildly horrified, which was a pretty standard reaction after a first exposure to Felix’s… big personality, and Victor was a little impressed by how well Alex seemed to handle the abrupt changes in topics before his gaze drifted over to Reggie, who was still talking to Luke, Benji and Bobby and it suddenly clicked.

He glanced towards Alex and found Alex staring back at him with wide, horrified eyes, and Victor didn’t need to know him very well to know they were thinking the exact same thing.

“We can never let them meet,” Alex said decisively, as soon as Felix abandoned them to go dance with Lake again.

“Nope,” Victor shook his head. “The universe would implode.”

“It probably would, Christ,” Alex laughed, shaking his head. “It’s fine. I’ll go manage my village idiot—I’ll send your boyfriend back to you to help you handle yours.”

Victor huffed a laugh. “Thanks, man.”

Alex patted him on the shoulder one more time and added, “It was nice meeting you, Victor.” He walked off before Victor could reply, but Victor smiled anyway.

Benji turned to smile at him when Alex joined the group, slotting between Reggie and Luke like he belonged there—which he probably did—and Victor smiled back, his chest going all warm and tight again before he turned and went to join his friends.

Benji would probably be caught up with the band for a while, and Victor came to have fun.

He took Mia’s hand when she reached out and let her guide him into a simple spin before he settled into rhythm with the rest of the group, grinning wildly at his friends—his people—as they danced.

Things were going to be fine.

End Notes:

The song Benji sings is ‘More than my hometown’ by Morgan Wallen

Some HC’s that didn’t make it into the fic:

* Luke, Alex and Reggie have been dating since before they managed to get a record deal, but they figured it’d be easier to keep their romantic life private if they kept fans guessing.

* this was then helped when Alex met Willie and fell head over heels in love with him too. He’s cool with Alex’s relationship with Luke and Reggie.

*Luke and Julie dated for a while too, but they split up because they kept clashing over the stupidest things — they work better platonically. Julie and Flynn are now dating.

* Their original record label was run by a bunch of homophobic assholes that tried to convince Bobby, the band’s token straight, to sell out his friends. Instead he told them and they figured something out

* Bobby retired because he was done with showbizz and the other three met Julie and reinvented themselves before getting signed to a new label.

#love victor #Julie and the phantoms #jatp fanfic #venji #peterpatter #alexreggie #alexlukereggie #willex #Luke patterson #Alex mercer #reggie peters #victor salazar #benji campbell #my writing #Lisa writes

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