#what the fuck is their agreed upon ship name

[shig4dabi]

[GRABS AT YOU THROUGH THE BARS OF MY CAGE]

DO YOU GET WHAT IM SAYING??? DO YOU????

[forusomimiya]

@coyloves ship & prompt: “Look how messy you are” w/ Osamu Miya ˚₊˚✧🍙✧˖°🍂

"I've been thinking about bending you over this table and just having my way with you" His knuckles caressed your chin before he gripped your jaw and made your head tilt to the opposite side of his face, to have easier access to your neck and kiss it. He smiled when he felt you straighten up, product of shivering. "You like the idea?" you thought you nodded, but it was so subtle your movement that it was enough for Osamu to understand that when you were speechless, it was because you found his proposal more than decent.

It wasn't the first time you had sex in the store. The routine would end up being the same as all the other times before: Osamu wooing you until he had you right where he wanted you, clumsy hands caressing each other's body, quick and warm kisses, and discretion in moaning so he could pay attention to the door bell in case Kita came carrying bags of rice. The last time was fun, despite the fact that you almost got caught red-handed.

"We should be quick."

"Yeah" Osamu said in a sarcastic tone. "I can see you're in a hurry" He pointed his gaze at the wetness in your panties, licking his lips, holding back from touching you still. "Look how messy you are".

"Samu! are you even listening to me?"

"I'm trying to pay attention, but you're just too sexy. Not gonna lie."

"Then, tell me what you want me to do" His grayish eyes bore into yours, able to read what they expressed.

Then Osamu lifted you up and sat you on the cold marble table of the warehouse, taking a quick glance at your body, stunned by the beauty of your curves, savoring them in his mind, decanting and amusing himself with his favorite parts.

"Let me hear your beautiful moans a second time today, darling" His thumbs played with the inside of your thighs, spreading them open, allowing a glimpse beneath them of your chubby pussy. "Hah… shit" He exhaled excitedly. His hips rocked forward instinctively, needing to have you lying there on your back for him, legs spread wide.

The throbbing in his chest began to ache as you lay back on the table and circled his hips drawing him to you, pulling your shirt up and exposing your large breasts squeezed into your bra.

"You're going to fuck me?"

"Fuck… Of course I do" In a quick set of hands, Osamu unclasped your bra as he worked his way under your boxers, reaching for his cock and pumping it a couple of times while his mouth was distracted with your breasts. He didn't skimp on making as much noise as possible as he savored and kneaded them at the same time, sucking your nipples and pinching them on his lips before releasing them. "They are so perfect… just mine" He kneaded relentlessly, and when he noticed that his cock was about to burst through his underwear, he released it as best he could, —caused by nervousness and quickness by the impatience of being inside you—, and pushing aside your panties, he entered you ever so slowly without losing sight of the expression on your face as he filled you.

"Atta girl, fucking your boss in his own warehouse, huh?"

He settled into a steady rhythm, and cursed himself for not having taken you earlier at that table. The movements of your body in response to his thrusts were something Osamu had yet to deal with. The bouncing of your tits followed by pithy gasps flooded his mind so quickly and directly, that in order to speed up the command his brain sent to his cock, he had to take possession of your hips and lighten the pace. His mind clouded as your insides tightened and his ears filled with his cursed name, thus ignoring —though not willingly—, your warning you were cumming. Osamu forgot the discretion agreed upon at the beginning and made sure to fuck you in the roughest way, letting anyone planning to enter the store know that he was busy to attend to any customers or receive any packages.

Maybe that day, the "closed" sign would remain hanging on the door for another hour.

[welcomingdisaster]

halls of mandos dashboard simulator... part 2

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🌃wordsmithfoul Follow ........... ,,, op....... are you talking about the Ñoldolantë

🦊 fairfaefox Follow oh yeah that's it thanks! :)

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🧵broiderycreature Mutuals look i know it's just selection bias from my beloved mutuals but i think it's funny to imagine we're all gonna leave the halls having transed our gender & gotten radicalized. like yeah mom i'm not the daughter you thought you had but more importantly we must abolish the monarchy #lol. lmao even ( 45 notes )

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#If they are truly so loath to restrict us they ought not fear the voice of the people #Which I am sure shall be in my favor.

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[pachimation]

you ever joke about a ship to yourself and then, like, kinda like it? and then you joke about it to friends and it’s totally an ironic thing bc it’s not like you actually like this character and god forbid you actually like this ship. and then something happens but like it’s literally nothing (museum event) and then you take a couple screenshots or like record a cutscene (museum event!!!). and then maybe you wake up after working on ship art of them and like you’re wishing there’s more art for this ship and you’re polling ppl on instagram about what the widely agreed upon ship name is and then you’re like, aw FUCK.

anyway, ah FUCK. they’re actually kinda cute together ngl.

[oepionie]

— "MY JOLLY SAILOR BOLD." tweels

💭masterlist | 💬ao3 link

SYNOPSIS: You meet two mysterious yet beautiful mermen around your age and you ask them to sing for you. They agree—though there's one condition....they want a kiss in return. A fair deal and you decide that nothing could possibly go wrong....right?

⊹ [ cw ] — suggestive, making out, lovesick/slightly yan-coded behavior, both of them pin for you, drowning, the tweels deserve a warning themselves, fighting, mild blood and injuries, mentions of murder, everyone here is morally grey◞

⊹ [ tags ] — gn! reader, on my siren eel agenda, flirty pirate mc, siren-eels are not to be messed with but mc is reckless, jade and floyd having an ariel moment but they're…a fucked up version of ariel, typical siren-behavior, floyd calls you pretty◞

⊹ [ w.c ] — 3.3k+◞

WHAT AN ODD LITTLE pirate you were.

Raised by your mother, horrific twisted tales of the deep were practically bedtime stories for you. She was a former ship's captain and a seasoned sailor who had spent more than half of her life at sea.

Mother weaved tales of glorious bloody battles, of thrashing waves, and, most importantly, of dangerous creatures in the sea. Hatred and fear for these grotesque marine creatures have been indoctrinated in you since you were young. It was imbued to the very core of your being, hammered and nailed into your head.

Alas, it appears that you have entirely disregarded the cautions that were issued to you. Any capable pirate knew better than to invite merfolk around.

Especially if you were all alone on a ship.

This year, spring had arrived a little earlier than usual, but you didn't mind at all.

It was at an obscene hour of the night when you were aimlessly paddling your little rowboat over the waves.

Floating a few feet away from your ship, you were gazing out over the sea where the waters were flat and serene, blue as far as your vision would allow. It was a sight you've grown all too accustomed to seeing.

You've sailed a hundred expeditions down this route and you were well aware of the carnage and bloodshed that’s been wrought here in the name of piracy.

A majority of which you've taken part in as—Captain (Y/N).

Young as you were, despite your youth, you had ambition. Already having established yourself as a living legend—or, as some have dubbed you, a living nightmare.

Sailors—young and old—have perished in your name, ships have sunk at your command, and your sword has spilt the blood of hundreds. You had amassed a great fortune from wandering merchants, and fellow pirates alike, all of which were misfortunate enough to fall upon your path.

These were tales and legends from bygone eras; the golden age of piracy had long since passed. Nowadays, you just cruise the sea anyway you pleased.

Adventure seldom found you.

In the middle of reminiscing, you abruptly became aware of a shimmering brilliance beneath the murky sea.

Oh?

'Maybe it was a trick of the waves? Or was it the moonlight's illusion?' You ponder to yourself as you stand at the stern of the boat and look out into the dreary waters.

The entire ocean sleeps when the moon is full. In the middle of the night, no fish or creature would dare remain thus near a boat...so what could possibly be out there?

Peering down, you make eye contact with a pair of glowing yellow eyes, slitted into diamonds.

Startled, the unknown creature slips back into the darkness with scarcely a ripple to disrupt the waves enveloping all about them. You're hypnotized by their shimmering skin as they moved smoothly and elegantly past the icy surfs.

In those short seconds while staring into the pitch-black sea, your mind conjures only one word.

Mermaid.

STRANGE AND STRANGELY FASCINATING, it was. "It" being the obsessive infatuation the Leech twins had for you.

Since they were little, the two brothers have been watching you grow up on that ship, peeping at you behind rocks and tall clusters of brilliant coral.

Curiosity and an interest for humans drew them to you at first, so they thought nothing of it. However, later, as they grew older, that interest developed into something more.

One that made their hearts feel like it was going to burst, a blood-curdling carnage of red and pink spills gushing out in a splatter. With the mere mention of your name, their stomachs sink and turn. The hems of love along their hearts diving into obsession—both feelings closely akin.

Jade and Floyd haven't run upon anyone who was courageous enough to meet creatures like them. Though, they shouldn’t have expected anything less from a pirate like you with an astronomical desire for adventure.

As you waved down at them from the ocean's depths, both of them swiftly swam up to the surface, eager to meet you. Their hands were clamoring and their hearts were racing to a tune that sang praises for you.

"There you are." You grinned handsomely, cocking your head to the side. The flowing fabric of your blouse blew wildly in the fresh salty wind, exposing bits and pieces of your chest and neck for them to see. "Hello~"

Big love-tinted eyes peeked up at you, drinking in every feature, blemish, and scar on your flesh. Occasionally, your gazes would meet and they would quickly avert their stare—a deep blue hue creeping up their cheeks, almost as if they felt bashful around you.

Even then, you thought it would be more appropriate if you were the one who was acting timid.

Because, by the gods, their beauty was such a sight to behold above the waters. In all your years out at sea and land, you've seen no maiden nor man with such features.

Such captivating features.

Teal-haired, with keen, slitted eyes that were veiled with thick, drooping lashes. Cheeks colored with a pale touch of death.

They were breathtakingly beautiful.

There was an urge, a pull at your heart to dive down and join them—drowning yourself in their embrace. Though, you resisted, almost immediately recognizing the sorcery that pulled on your carnal desires.

Mother and weather-beaten sailors had warned you of this. This overwhelming want. This spellbinding stare. Yet as they both drift closer, the forewarned dangers vanishes from your thoughts like mist. You're now left with little more than a hazy consciousness as you see them approach your boat.

You are in grave danger yet you are not afraid. Fear does not grip you as you raise a leg over the side of the boat, swing it over the top of the wood, and then sit over the edge, never taking your eyes off the mermen in front of you.

Their entire body, apart from their eyes, were submerged in the water which made it hard to determine what their species were. Though you could occasionally catch the flicker of their tail slapping against the surface.

Speaking of their tail, it was an utterly resplendent sight! Even if you tried, you wouldn't be able to explain its magnificience as it gleamed brighter than any of the gold or jewels your sullied hands have ever taken hold of.

Its lack of a single color and its vivid, luminous nature fascinated you. Depending on how the moonlight hit it, it radiated a wide range of shades, from the deep tint of blueish teal to a rich shade of bluish jade.

"First time away from your home?" You rasp, waving a hand in the ocean, watching as small ripples curved against the water's surface, tides of the blue abyss travelling outwards.

Minutes pass, and yet you get no response.

"Hmm…you two don't talk much, do you?"

Jade and Floyd knew all about pirates, heard every story, whisper, and tale of the bloodthirsty monsters fueled by lust for gold and glory. And yet, they somehow struggle to picture you as the avaricious captain you were labelled as.

Still, while you appeared free and jovial, both of them could sense that you yearned for the thrill of danger, for life-threatening adventure, and for the many fantastic yet perilous things the ocean has to offer.

They exchanged glances, and at that instant, their plan was set in place.

Appearing docile, Floyd shook his head no, hovering near you and spinning around playfully.

"Awe, aren't you a cute little guy?" You cooed, running a rough hand along his back. The mer shivered, preening at your compliment.

"I really shouldn't be so close to you, though. Us pirates usually avoid approaching any merfolk since…they feel your methods, your ways of living are…" You trailed off, waving a hand in the air as you searched for the right words.

"Spooky?" Jade spoke out, swimming closer to you with a sinister glitter in his eyes. Breath hitching in your throat, you leaned towards him, an amused smirk slowly stretching across your cheeks. "Oh ho? You do talk."

"I can do much more than that." Jade purred, the tone of his voice sinking into a sonorous lull.

Well, you certainly can’t deny that something draws you to these two.

The predictability of your life on these seas has gotten boring to you. Gone were the days of bloodthirsty glory instead, it was always the same routine. Poring over the same ancient yellowed maps, loitering about the deck, and secluding yourself away in the vast sea.

You know your mother would be horrified by your actions, disgusted to see you mingling and, Poseidon forbid—flirting with these…mer.

Though you couldn't bring yourself to care. Speaking with these two was the closest thing to excitement you've felt in a long time.

"That's a pretty voice, love." The grin on your face lacks any of the warmth it had in the past few moments.

You tip your head back and giggle, raspy and brittle, "I heard a mer's song was, um, what did those bards call it? Ah, yes—A voice that is so alluring that men and women jump overboard in squadrons."

"Hauntingly beautiful, that's what the poets call you mermaids…" You hum, watching them slyly from your row boat while reclining back against the wood.

Gaze drifting down their body, your arms folded around your chest and your gaze turned half-lidded, lips curled up in a sensual, cat-like smirk. "…and I can see why. Haunted, I am."

Both of them go abruptly silent and you chuckle, staring at them through the wreaths of grey smoke that curled into fanciful hazy whirls from the foggy environment.

Floyd and Jade squirmed as they both felt the strong pull of their instincts, screaming at them to just drag you into the waters already.

Your conniving praises and silver tongue was starting to get to them. One more push and—

"Say…I've been meaning to ask," You murmur, and seem to take a moment to stare into their innermost souls.

"Can you sing for me…?"

Something snaps.

Floyd makes a low sound, somewhere between a trill and a growl, while Jade's eyes darken considerably. Beneath your piercing, ice-cold gaze, the twins felt their nerves prickle up like the flickering electric stings of a jellyfish. 

This is a dangerous game you're playing. 

"…You're quite the flatterer," Jade—ever so composed—is quick to snap out of it and smiles simply, tapping his talons along the wooden deck. "…I suppose I could grant you your wish. Though, there is to be an exchange for it."

"Hm? What's that, mate?" You looked up at your ship from your little boat, eyes darting to the windows of your chambers. "That ol' girl isn't new to the seas so there's quite a lot of stuff there. Maybe some of my treasures will catch your fancy—"

"No." Jade interrupts you, the shadow over his eyes returns. "…I do not wish for any treasure or gold. All I want is a kiss."

"A kiss?" You parroted, an eyebrow elevated and amused laughter peaking from your lips. "I have chests of golds and heaps of ruby-eyed jewelry; yet, all you want is a kiss, is that truly what you desire?"

"Yes."

"Nothin' more?"

Jade ponders and pauses for a while, before turning to face his brother. "Floyd, perhaps you want something as well?"

"I wanna kiss from pretty shrimpy too!" Floyd cooed, pursing his lips at you and imitating kissing sounds by hollowing his cheeks. His strong arms, taut with ripping muscle, are crossed over one other as it rests upon the rims of your boat.

"So, what do you say, Captain? Is it a deal~?" Floyd stretches out a hand expectantly.

And you take it.

"Deal." You smirk. "One kiss for each of you, in exchange for a song. Pirate's honor."

Not like the honor of a pirate was worth much anyways.

The melody lifting from Jade's lips was somewhat familiar to you, yet it was of a faraway nostalgia. You couldn’t remember where you'd last heard it, but it felt…right. He had a voice that was velvety smooth; thick, and deep like a dream.

"Upon one summer's morning /  I carefully did stray," Jade sang, deep voice flowing off his lips in a sweet honeyed song—its melody lathering itself on your tongue. The saccharine taste of its imbricating rhythm obliterating every bit of skepticism you held towards them. "Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay."

"My heart is pierced by Cupid / I disdain all glittering gold." Jade continued, tucking the long dark strand of his hair behind his ear—leaning his head atop the rickety rims of the boat's mossy wood. "There is nothing can console me / but my jolly sailor bold."

"Come all you pretty fair mers, whoever you may be / Who love a jolly sailor that ploughs the raging sea." Floyd hums along, lovingly tracing a hand up your arm. His voice was a lovely little thing; echoing deep throughout the air.

As expected, they sang beautifully, hauntingly; with an accent in a tongue native only to the sea. There was a mystical lull weaved into their voices—fitting to their titles as bewitching creatures of the sea.

"My heart is pierced by Cupid /I disdain all glittering gold." Jade stares straight ahead, his sapphire gaze alluringly fixed on you seated in front of him.

"There is nothing can console me…" Pushing himself up the wooden edge of your boat, the eel lures you over and you followed. "…but my jolly sailor bold."

As Jade's song came to its finality, he leaned in close and pressed a swift warm kiss atop your agape mouth, such tenderness in his affections—and that of heavily masked lust. The eel parted from you, nipping at your bottom lip and watching with unbridled delight as a flicker of pink hue glazed over your diluted eyes.  

"Come in the water, shrimpy~" Floyd cooed at you, claws reaching out to trace against the curve of the ships side. "We don't bite~"

Songbound, you leaned in towards the two and plunged in.

You don’t think about holding your breath.

The water was ice-cold and it strikes at you like a venomous bite. Yet before you could sink, two strong hands grasp at your waist, keeping you afloat in spite of the rough rocks of the sea. Jade was cradling you close to his chest, his hold firm and uncompromising while his tail encircled and bound your legs together.

"Hello, shrimpy~" Crooning, Floyd moved to rest his wet cheek against your tangled hair, talons pushing past the fringes of your damp torn-up shawl to rest against your thighs.

The slippery pads of his fingers trailed up to your torso; Travelling from your hips, past your corset, all the way up to your chest. The eel toyed with the drawstrings of your poet shirt before grasping it tight and yanking you forward.

"You're so pretty~" Floyd trailed his other hand up your neck, sharp talons feathering over your pulse dangerously. The eel craned his head down to meet you eye to eye. 

"I could just eat you up." The silky strands of his lashes fluttered against his lidded gaze as he leaned in close, breath fanning across your burning cheeks. Floyd pulled you into a deep kiss, loving the way you groaned against his mouth.

Chuckling against your lips, Floyd tightened his hold on your neck—his claws almost breaking skin, "You like that, shrimpy?"

You return the kiss, dazedly smiling against his lips before pulling away, lungs in desperate need of oxygen.

Floyd could see drops of water resting atop your swollen lips, and as your tongue darts out to wipe them, a fiery desire ignites in the deep curves and crooks of his heart. It didn't take long before he was diving in once more, lips pressing against the side of your neck.

While his brother was fixated on marking your skin, Jade hugged you from behind—affectionately cuddling into your hair.

The eel ran his hand up your throat and grasps your jaw with webbed hands to tilt your head backwards. He presses his lips against yours, the thick muscle of his tongue prying your mouth open before it darted in.

Floyd glides away from your form after a few minutes, leaving your neck sufficiently bitten and marked. He grinned excitedly and took your hands in his webbed ones, whisking you away from Jade.

You couldn't help but notice how he was gently dragging you away from the rowboat. "Say, shrimpy~ You ever wondered what it's like to swim under the sea?"

A flash of clarity hits you, shattering the enchanting spell that both mermen had cast upon your heart. You sensed danger as both eels started to close in, grinning ominously which revealed their fangs—long and dripping with thirst.

It seems that your fun little swim was over.

"I can't say I've ever experienced the pleasures of drowning—" you muttered. "And I don't intend to do so very soon."

The texture of their tails may appear solid and rough, but when you kick your legs at Floyd's, you immediately discover how the skin is supple when touched.

The sharp end of your worn boots cut at his silky luminescent skin, dragging along the scales of his flesh and leaving a deep cut in its wake. A small trickle of blue blood spreads into the waters and the eel hisses, darting away from you.

You try to swim away, but something—or rather, someone—gets in your way.

"My my, leaving so soon, pearl?" Jade quips, grin all-to-sharp.

In hindsight, it was foolish to interact with two mermen you hardly knew, especially ones who were taut with sharp teeth and firm muscles. Any pirate with half a mind would know to turn the other way and flee if these two approached them.

The mer both advanced to surround you, a mysterious glimmer swimming behind the haze of their duo-colored eyes.

A startling epiphany rushes over you.

As slippery as they might be, there’s no hiding the lethal sheen of pink in their eyes—especially not from you, a pirate who’s spent a fair number of their days hauling the cold dead bodies of lovesick sailors away from their watery graves.

These two weren't your run-of-the-mill mermen, no. You have heard about them before—in tales and legends.

Mermaids. Vampires of the sea. Water nymphs. Naiads. Sirens.

Many names, yet they are all the same.

A sighting like this is not unusual. This species of mer is mostly found in the deepest, darkest sections of the ocean, and they only come up to hunt at night.

It seems that you've walked right into their trap. Sailors were their easiest prey.

"Ah." You grit your teeth, a low, breathy snarl slipping past your swollen lips. "I should've known."

There’s a warm yet strong pressure against your shoulders and arms; followed by an odd feeling of heaviness as you were suddenly propelled down the water's surface. Webbed hands keep you pinned beneath the waves and you're suddenly all-too-aware of your body's exhaustion; of the salty liquid flowing past your tongue and the scorching gurgle that ignites your lungs as water fills it.

There's a ruckus around you, and you can barely hear Jade's voice, who was eerily calm in the midst of your murder. A bottle is then abruptly forced into your mouth, the potion within it spilling down your throat and leaving you disoriented.

It appears that today is the day that the monotony in your life finally ends. The pull of unconsciousness becomes too strong to resist, and the world darkens.

TO BE CONTINUED...?

—TAGLIST:

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[weirdmageddon]

why i think aradia and john work so well

(with some stuff i’ve been wanting to yap about for ages)

have you guys ever given arajohn / johnradia (idk if its popular enough to even have a standardized ship name) any thought …? i know it seems kind of out of left field. i’ve considered it and i think its. really really good. i have a bunch of thoughts to unpack. come join me. and maybe grab a snack or something because i didn’t realize how much i'd actually have to say about this

(fantastic art by skeletood)

the other day i made a tweet that did rather well where i said, “john and aradia shouldve talked more. its so simple but i like how she actually earnestly answers his questions. so many characters in this comic are so mean to john for just wanting to know more give him a break”

putting it out there now im not big about shipping for the sake of shipping. there needs to be real chemistry. i need to sense that as a reason why two characters would potentially be a good influence on each other. i never knew why i was always so obstinate about this because it’s fictional and not materially hurting anyone, but i think it might be because i’m not sure how to justify it or explain it if not.

i strongly believe john and aradia would have had it made out for them if circumstances allowed it. (what i mean by “ship” or “johnradia” extends to any kind of interpersonal dynamic, even if just a good friendship. it doesnt even have to be romantic, just some sort of dynamic with them.)

unfortunately aradia originally committed herself to staying out of trolling the kids over their timelines, so john and aradia never talked until year 3 on the ship in the dream bubbles but they never had a truly proper one-on-one without outside meddling. i think if john knew aradia better and her story beforehand, she had more time to explain herself and her history, he wouldnt have been unsettled. and also of course if his experience with the trolls didn’t suck so bad because he already had expectations for how antagonizing most of them were.

i found people’s sentiments about johnradia elsewhere too. i remembered that they were both on the song art for ascend, and searched ao3 to see how many fics have been written to gauge how substaintial it’s been in the homestuck fandom. only 17 of them turned up. but the people who do talk about it are either curious about it or really do like it, and that interested me.

clearly it’s pretty niche character relationship to be depicted in any fanwork and i can understand why. despite being so small, from what ive seen it seems universally agreed upon to be nice. i haven’t seen a single person object to it. what ive seen falls into two categories: “wow i didnt think about this before but i actually dig it” or “(starving) finally some good fucking food”

the pattern im seeing is that people think it’s “random”, but i disagree. there is something there substantiating it even if they’re unable to articulate it.

the fanfic these comments are from is chronology of wind. that fic is really, really good, and sadly unfinished. i have more abstract reasons to believe why aradia and john would be good in theory, so actually seeing someone else actually make something with them helped me read it in action, to get a more tangible feel of the dynamic beyond what we have in canon.

i wouldn’t normally make claims about a relationship with regard to homestuck canon by looking at their relationship in a fanfic, because i think you all know by now i am very nitpicky about accurate characterization, and it does not go unnoticed by me when people get it right because for some reason it feels like a one in a million thing (even though it really shouldn’t be?). so this was a special case. the tone was completely consistent with canon. this fic is so in-character i’d basically consider it an extension of canon. to me it’s like they took the same characters and plopped them into this scenario to see how they’d interact. guys… i love that stuff so much. i love fanfiction or fanworks that depict realistic extensions of canon and stays true to the energy and tone of the source, but deepens it. there isn’t enough of it imo. i want to see more of it.

anyway, what i read of their conversations in that fic basically aligned with what i was thinking in my head about what i’d expect it to be like. i was able to compare how aradia and john talked to how aradia and the other characters interacted, their comparative attitudes towards each other—how they’re treated by others compared to how they treat each other.

have you noticed john and aradia’s communication values are both based on sincerity, being in the proper know, treating people fairly, and thanklessly taking on the necessary work that “must be done” in order to have what they really want — a good time that feels meaningful? and they accomplish this without any adjustment in how they talk to each other.

john is always subtly (or not-so-subtly) asking the people around him to answer him soberly and to the point so he knows whats going on and what that means for what his options are. he needs to know to what end he will be applying his absurd energetic drive into making shit happen. aradia honors his time before john can even become uncomfortable with the amount of time being eaten up by conversation. contrast this with rose, who seems to go on for a while with prose-like conversational adornments. in dire situations that need rapid explanation and definitive answers so he knows what to do, this is really the last thing he needs. aradia doesnt waste john’s time. she answers all his questions, and does it politely to boot. his time talking to her doesn't feel wasted.

john's impatience with this sort of nonsense is also why i can’t see something like dirkjohn working out, for example. to me it feels like @entropicbias also deeply understands this on some level because i literally couldn’t have demonstrated what i mean by it any better myself than that. i'm gonna have to to hit him up about how much i genuinely respect that like tbh hes one of the few i absolutely trust to handle writing and depicting these characters in situations and their interpersonal dynamics. and also care about doing their characterization justice as much as me.

of course people are still entitled to like whatever they like, ship whatever they want to. i dont care. but i just don’t think it would work from the perspective of the minds of the canon characters, how they generally think and approach situations. and i can already tell people might ask me how do i know this? what makes me an expert? i’m not more than anyone else is (although i have been called a "characterization expert" from my friends), but i do know that i can pick up on the energetic chemistry between people, including characters, honestly precognitively, without even thinking? like if it’s stiff or tense or awkward, if people aren’t free to express themselves uninhibitedly, if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. i can sense this almost instantly. it’s something that’s a visceral feeling in my body i cant express and i have to rationalize it after the fact. like i’m doing now in fact writing this big analysis.

> listen to me talk about my special interest boy

for the next section to make sense, you probably want to read this post. i initially started writing it within this post to explain but there was so much brewing i had to explain the context that it turned into something i wanted to post on its own terms.

> okaaaaaayyyyy i read all that

thank you, really. my main point is using the conceptual tools provided by this system to expIain why aradia and john feel nice together and why i’ve seen people positively perceive the idea of a relationship between them even if it seems “random”.

framing them in this system, it wouldn’t be random! there’s a good reason they seem to fit nicely. this is because john and aradia have complementary forms of information metabolism. information metabolism is talked about in this section.

Jung’s psychic types are the types of cognition, or intelligence. But it would probably be easiest to call them types of IM [information metabolism], since the main difference between the types of people lies in their exchange of information with the external world.

Aushra Augusta, Commentary on Jung’s Typology and Introduction to Information Metabolism

aradia megido’s type of information metabolism (otherwise known as a TIM) is LII. john egbert’s TIM is ESE.

aradia and john’s types are duals. you can read more about what that entails here. in theory, their interactions would reflect the duality dynamic. reading chronology of wind, that one really in-character fic that explored their dynamic made me excited because they do!

michael pierce gave an overview of his impression of the characteristics of this intertype dynamic. despite only rough knowledge in socionics while he wrote this, his understanding of duality was spot on to me from my experience and others and i wanted to share it here. (fittingly, i believe he is also LII.)

Now we have the famous duality relationship: in a nutshell, this role is characterized by two traits: 1) a very close psychological distance or intimacy, and 2) a great ease of interacting with each other. It is sometimes described how meeting one's dual can be the event of a lifetime, because it inspires aspects in each party's character that they had never expressed before: the pair may even drop out of society for a time in order to focus on just each other, and to explore themselves through interaction with each other. The curious thing in this relationship is that these parties are rather different in outlook, and when they are not actually interacting as potential friends it's probably more likely for them to dislike or mistrust each other because of how different they are. […] However, when they are able to interact normally, it is a strange and wonderful discovery to realize that the interaction is unexpectedly smooth and invigorating. It's hard for people to describe, but as I understand it: while both parties recognize their differences on the surface, these differences are created by a root structure that coincides perfectly with each other, so that the differences on the surface are entirely complementary and cause no friction at all.

it’s also meaningful to consider that the structure of my own psyche is LII as well. so i’ve got a bit of a bias towards aradia and john.. not in the sense that what i actually say about them is personally biased, but that the bias is moreso my personal attention to people and characters of these two types in particular to see how my own experiences are reflected in them. i really do feel of a reflection of my own thought and work process in aradia and in the more abstract sense she is like an extension of myself. when people say they like aradia as a character i get secondhand joy from that because shares certain specific traits with me. of course i am still my own person though.

these are some of the most apt profiles i've found for these types at a glance. again, think about these characters as you read these descriptions. [from here (ESE / LII)]

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert) - john

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on socializing and guiding social situations and interactions so that the people involved can have fun and enjoy themselves. ESEs are typically in the middle of what is happening socially and know about the latest events and what people think and feel about them. They are skilled at bringing people together in fun and interesting ways and making everyone feel actively involved. Their friends know them as people who love life and feel most at home in social situations surrounded by other fun people. In their pursuit of fun-oriented and stimulating social interactions, ESEs typically neglect to structure their own thought processes and views in a way that would help them know exactly what they think and why. They are receptive to others’ attempts to help them introduce more structure and logical consistency in their life and thinking processes. They gravitate most to people who open up to fun and emotional interaction easily, yet are also skilled at systematizing thoughts and views and explaining ideological matters.

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert) - aradia

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on logical, structured thought and generating true assertions and views. LIIs are typically strict thinkers who are concerned that everything fits together in a logical way. They are skilled at understanding, generating, and criticizing logical arguments and instilling their views in the people around them. Their friends know them as people with well-organized thoughts and opinions who know what they think and can elucidate their ideas to others. In their pursuit of logical understanding, LIIs typically neglect their external social interactions and activities that would help them lighten up and experience a connection with other people. They are receptive to others’ attempts to create these fun and lighthearted situations for them. They gravitate most to people who are interested in their opinions and understanding of things, but are also skilled at organizing social interactions and creating a sense of emotional unity.

ive recently consciously experienced the feeling of duality for the first time since i've been communicating with my mom's high school classmate, and it is definitely a real thing. i even remember mom pointing out she noticed when we were all talking on the phone over a year ago that i perked up whenever he said stuff. here is how i explained it:

its bonkers how only once i experience something for myself i’m able to explain in detail what makes it so great based on what my impressions about it were because i tend to have a peculiar way of describing the qualities of an experience. my specialty is deep precision in my analogies for what it’s like. so now i can tell you how conversations with your dual feel… heres the status report. it’s weightless. its so strange. like the topic conversation stretches into infinity that you can pick right back up at any time. it’s hazy and unfocused but still pleasant (unless you’re particularly self-conscious and need to unlearn hiding your true self). but the best parts of it come when you have a specific issue or insecurity that comes with being your most natural self that the world seems to misunderstand about you, or just not give you what you don't even know you’ve been looking for. i think you might mutually intimidate each other at first because you're lowkey both expecting to be made fun of for your inadequacy with certain types of information that the other is nuanced with (and you’re not), but it never comes. you don't feel like what your dual wants in life is wrong. your dual seems so talented in all the ways you hope to shine but you’re always unsure of. for the introvert (me) wishing they felt their own active presence as an object (Se, Ne, Te, Fe) like the extravert does. for the extravert, wishing they felt their own relationships with other objects (Si, Ni, Ti, Fi) like the introvert does. any other intertype relationship (ITR) vs. duality is like the difference between 99% and 100% totality of a solar eclipse, except it’s the level of understanding with another person, like the eclipsing of your own information metabolism with theirs. of course there are other things that influence how well your relationship with this person goes, but i am talking strictly about when it comes to basic communication, the level of understanding you share. sometimes it might feel like you dont have much to talk about or the topic is unfocused, because you two ARE opposites in many ways after all, especially at a glance (domain of interests usually come with specific macroelements. theories about thought structures—like socionics, for instance—are in the domain of intuition, while physical interests and experiences are in the domain of sensorics.) i’m LII in the NT club (researchers) and my dual ESE in the SF club (social-communicative). so they’re constantly providing you with information from their own niche in life that you may be entirely unfamiliar with, but for some reason still interests and relaxes you to hear. you might not feel like you have a lot to say about the topic since but you are fully amazed by this person’s activity. it also makes you feel more sure of yourself and more confident that people truly appreciate and need your natural abilities.

> let’s break it down

here’s some lightly modified descriptions of the information blocks in LII and ESE's information metabolism models from pyatnitsky so you can get an overarching impression of how their type contributes to the informational sphere. i added some of my own adjustments and borrowed some sentences from stratiyevskaya's descriptions. additionally, you can click on the name of the block for an explanation of the role it plays.

i put about a week’s work into these collages but my goal with them was to actually show where i think these information blocks are most pertinent in these characters specifically and where they apply so it’s not just some abstract thing, just as supplementary examples as needed. (for the meaning of these information elements individually you can refer to cysia’s document.)

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert)

EGO (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Analytical thinking. They are well aware of the interrelationships of some objects or phenomena with others, and what laws are in effect or not in effect. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis, they put forward insights about the global essence of specific objects and phenomena, their possibilities. They acutely charge the situation with potential energy. For every situation, there is an archetype.

Super-EGO (-Fi? -> -Se!). Normative ideas about relationships between people and ways to get out of unpleasant ethical situations. Understands ethics as founded on the principles of fairness; to do to one side of the equation that you do to the other. Volitional manifestations in order to protect their living space are carried out only on the basis of personal experience. Because of the limited opportunities to fight back, they react painfully to attempts of any interference in his life. Does not respond to any arbitrary crudeness or volitional pressuring. Does not compromise goals, stubbornly clings to them. Avoids direct confrontation if possible, would rather talk civilly and earnestly. Uses their naturally strong sense of the conditioning of objects over time to avoid collisions with their material interests. Due to this, they may appear as someone with very little weaknesses.

Super-ID (+Fe -> +Si?) Attracts information about a good mood, a specific positive state, or a feeling. They would like to think that they can eliminate serious inconveniences, make the environment around them more comfortable. This skill needs to be evaluated. They are unconsciously activated when there is a need to make the environment more comfortable, which should lead to a better state, raise the mood at least in the immediate environment. In friendly, comfortable, and informal company, their cool exterior thaws and they start lighting up with joviality.

ID (+Te! → +Ni?). Has developed guidelines and methods that relate to specific practical activities, technological effectiveness, and resource use. Spontaneously feels the correct allocation of resources over time, which allows them to effectively solve tasks at an unhurried pace. This pace is deeply rational in nature.

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert)

EGO (+Fe! -> +Si?). Perception of the world is fundamentally emotional. Feels the emotional atmosphere well in any situation, knows the relevance of the way of expression, the place and weight (importance) of the internal state in each situation. Flexible approach to solving problems of managing and expressing emotions. They show bright emotionality both negative and positive. Creatively produces around themself comfort, coziness, conveniently arranges space, surrounds others with beautiful things, changing thereby the general condition and mood. Usually opinionated about their tastes.

(wow i really went all out on that this one that tumblr wont even display it in full resolution, so here. john just has so many more lines to choose from, sorry!)

Super-EGO (+Te! -> +Ni?). Practical and technological thinking is tightly based on acquired knowledge and patterns of solving similar problems. Methods of business activity in both general and specific areas are selected based on the opinion of reputable sources, or adjusted to one of the mastered templates. Predicting specific changes in the sphere of their interests is carried out only on the basis of personal experience. He is not able to compare his own method of forecasting with others, so he is sensitive to criticism of poor timing or deadlines, does not like situations that feel like a waste of his time; he is lost in connection with negative events. Guided by purely personal experience, he chooses specific times and deadlines for various tasks with a normative understanding of business activity in general.

Super-ID (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Attracts information about the order, specific logical relationships in the field of activity or interests. Needs someone to suggest specific ways to make connections between phenomena, patterns, and rules. Tries to be reasonable himself, even though he knows that this is not characteristic of him. Sometimes he openly talks of his actions that were poorly reasoned through, as if inviting other people to laugh at his thoughtlessness. The ordering and systematization of thought opens up a new way of understanding of events that are happening around him, as well as new prospects, potential, and capabilities. He likes to think that he understands the essence of a situation and lights up with new ideas. This skill needs to be evaluated. It is unconsciously activated when it is necessary to create order, clear consistency and clarity on a particular issue, especially if their abilities are recognized.

ID (-Fi? -> -Se!). Involuntarily keeps track of communications in their social circle. Without hesitation, they use a variety of ways to establish and maintain relationships that have been developed in his personal practice. Good relationships are important for personal inner confidence in a situation. To prevent unfavorable relationships, they are inclined, often without even realizing it, to act with pressure, forcing a showdown, forcing the partner to change the relationship for the better. Frequently demonstrates his resoluteness, persistence, and purposefulness, as if proposing his behavior as a model for imitation. Usually tells in much detail what obstacles were created before him, and how he overcame them, what he was told in response, and what he replied with, and so on and in the like.

(full res)

you might be able to see already how they would complement each other's thought process nicely. here are some descriptions of what the communication between these types is like:

+Fe! : program function of ESE and dual-seeking function of LII

The ESE periodically tells emotionally charged "program" function stories, telling of how somebody has acted and what they have done. The main orientation of ESE's leading ethical program is: "No one should be offended." The LII carefully listens to these statements, and, demonstrating a full understanding of these issues, develops logical basis for them, e.g. in calm persuasive voice he explains how the ESE has acted justly and fairly. The effusion of turbulent emotions coming from the ESE is counterbalanced by their absorption by the LII, who breaks them down into fragments by asking clarifying questions of the ESE.

-Ti? : dual-seeking function of ESE and program function of LII

The ESE is tuned to accepting information when it's relayed in clear logical form. He issues requests for logical explanations delivered from a point of view of generalized rules underpinning specific life events, which he receives from the LII, who delivers clear unambiguous interpretations, places the dots over all "i's", and demonstrates good understanding of problems that are of concern to the ESE. Not receiving information of this kind, the ESE begins making demands of those around him to be "intelligent" and understand the reasons of his actions.

-Ne! : activating function of ESE and creative function of LII

The ESE feels uncomfortable if he doesn't extend his help to people who are in need of it. His subconscious orientation is: "care and guard the talented", be kind and attentive towards other people. The LII usually meets such criteria by proving in action his aptitude at uncovering hidden capabilities, winning trust, passing on the knowledge. The ESE creates supportive conditions for people who are capable but lacking in assertive "push-through" qualities, among whom the LII finds himself, and a special work regime that protects such individuals from overloads on sensing functions. Newly discovered possibilities inspire and promote the pragmatic and business-oriented activities of the ESE. He can support a new undertaking or initiative with an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm, light up by new ideas. Only the LII is able to, even having a vague general notion about the subject, construct a developed theory or idea of any issue. This theory shows to be promising in the process of its concrete application within its field.

+Si? : creative function of ESE and activating function of LII

LII tries to take care of their well-being, but may gravitate towards demonstrative asceticism, exhaust himself with work, studies, or exercise. The ESE periodically takes care of creating an environment that "charges" the LII with pleasant sensations: a reception of guests, a good meal, a visit to a theater or a concert, an interesting trip, and so on. At the same time the ESE takes pleasure in this himself.

+Te! : role function of ESE and observing function of LII

The role function of the ESE manifests as business-oriented activity and initiative, supplying interesting information, provision with material assistance to those who are in need, general restlessness and fussy busyness. This function is normative, i.e. the ESE seeks to comply with the norms and accepted ways of doing things. The nuancing of the understanding of these norms, i.e. introduction of activities that go beyond them, is possible only by considering LII's advice and recommendations. The LII serves as a director of this function, adjusting its workings by advocating the necessity of practical application of some beneficial ideas, rejection of useless though spectacular ideas, and the need to ensure standards of life not below average by rejection of equalization.

+Ni? : vulnerable function of ESE and demonstrative function of LII

The ESE poorly feels the flow of time, both physical, which manifests as running late and poor distribution of his strengths over time, and historical, which manifests as poor ability to anticipate consequences of actions and tendency for traditional ways of solving problems. The ESE finds it difficult to make radical choices. The LII fully takes this aspect onto his shoulders. He has an unconscious ability to distribute activities in time, thereby avoiding work stress and overloads, and is capable of making a radical choice. The LII is able to calmly wait and in the necessary moment get to work when the wasteful fussiness of the ESE reaches its critical point.

-Fi? : ignoring function of ESE and role function of LII

On this function the ESE gives advice and makes demands concerning the creation of appropriate psychological distances in form of proper behavior, courtesy and politeness, denouncing rudeness and boorishness. In this manner, the ESE adjusts LII's role function, which in itself contains a set of large psychological distances: a sullen stubborn look, unsociability, etc. With such fine-tuning it becomes easier for the LII to come into contact with people, whereby he becomes more animated, resolves many of his ethical problems that previously frightened him, gains greater insight into human relationships and a more accurate understanding as to whose side to take in situations of conflict.

-Se! : demonstrative function of ESE and vulnerable function of LII

The LII finds it very difficult to exert pressure on other people from his own will and initiative, especially in cases when he needs to attain something for himself. He finds this difficult to do - to press ahead in certain situations, to gather all the required paperwork, to stand in lines and queues, to petition for his own interests, even the ones that are of vital importance to him. He finds it difficult to push a person away, to sharply refuse someone, to quarrel loudly and defend his rights, to put an end to relations that have exhausted themselves. The ESE doesn't directly affect this function, i.e. he doesn't verbally criticize and teach the LII on this aspect, but takes over its functioning completely. The ESE exerts a constant, sometimes intrusive and imposing pressure on other people if there is a need to achieve something, to defend justice and demand fair treatment, to protect interests of those who are close and dear to him. The ESE goes to the right jurisdictions, inspires people around him and directs them towards work and purposeful activity, keeps up a high pace of life himself, and breaks off relations with those who don't deserve trust.

and some miscellaneous excerpts from literature i liked a lot. (i can't remember the sources i used since i've been working on this on and off, for the past week and i was just spilling things onto the post. i think stratiyevskaya?):

Mood - that’s what matters in this dyad - emotions and feelings. Anything that suppresses and overshadows good mood is considered unethical in this dyad and is strongly condemned.

The ESE does not allow the LII to limit him in the possibilities of consuming the amount of pleasures and joys, which he considers to be necessary and sufficient. Fortunately, both partners in the dyad - LII and ESE - are obstinate and unyielding. Both are demanding, unwilling (and not allowing anyone else) to lower the bar of their requirements, unable to give in and make concessions (especially in anything that is of principle for themselves). Both know how to make their partner reckon with their interests and insist on the fulfillment of their demands.

LII is impressed by the emotional generosity of ESE and his spiritual responsiveness. All this finds the deepest understanding in LII, since he is tuned to the same priorities and values. For his part, ESE admires the ability of LII to speak clearly and definitely on every issue. ESE is struck by the harmony of the reasoning of LII, the amazing clarity, accuracy and laconicism of his statements. To ESE it seems that for LII, there is nothing incomprehensible in this world; he can give a comprehensive explanation on every issue. And everything that ESE thought about before is gradually being built into a definite and clear system of views, which he can now very freely and naturally present. Confusion and chaos in his worldview gradually gives way to a stable logical order, as if someone patient and careful was sorting all his thoughts into shelves. Such clarity inspires and activates ESE; he begins to see some prospects for himself, new opportunities. His energy and activity, in addition to emotional and ethical expression, also receives sensory realization: ESE begins to take care of LII and carefully looks after him. If LII is a colleague with whom ESE is especially pleasant to communicate with, he begins to treat him with something tasty, homemade; will make some small, but beautiful and necessary gift (for example: new cologne or a warm scarf).

> okay that's great and all but when are we talking about john and aradia specifically?

yes, that was the point of this post. i just had to build all that up first so i could walk you through my thoughts in a fully substantiated way.

considering chronology of wind again, john doesnt realize it but he needs aradias frankness and insight. even if she’s unable to explicate on vague things, she states the reason why instead of making him feel stupid (it would create a doomed timeline) but thats all john needs to hear. she is self-effacing and only tells him the truth, and we know other people can take advantage of john’s suggestibility in this way. aradia tells john who is or isnt trustworthy, what actions would be useful/necessary and which ones wont, without any selfish personal motive a la vriska or terezi.

^ (juuuust the record my nitpicky ass doesn’t agree with the truth of the classpect interpretation on behalf of the author in the last bit BUT that is beside the point here. the point is that she is answering john’s question in a way that is meaningful for him)

aradia doesnt realize it but she needs john’s friendy goofiness to brighten her up because she is surrounded by people who antagonize her when she’s literally not even trying to get under anyones skin. everybody gets frustrated at her “spooky nonsense” because theyre afraid of their own mortality, basically telling her to put a lid on it because thinking about hard truths makes THEM personally uncomfortable. but to her it’s always just been a fact of life. plugging your ears to reality is ignorance, but at the same time that doesn’t mean there’s no meaning in anything. she wants to help people see this and she dedicates herself to becoming a psychopomp for the deceased and earnestly trying to make people feel emotionally and physically comfortable in their situation through exploring their memories.

john isn’t hostile towards her. by being herself she is immediately able to earn john’s trust when they initially talk. this is also true in canon; the one time they talked when john initially comes up to her, saying “can i ask you something? seem reasonable, and pretty nice.” unfortunately he asked her the one question she didn’t have much to say about, and i can’t blame him for expecting all the troll girls to be basically insane at that point. but i don’t think aradia is insane. yes she is odd, but i think it’s evident that she has a good head on her shoulders with knowledge of the way the universe around her works, and in the end wants to simply bask in watching it play out. i think she deserves to get childishly excited about it, especially considering she was dead for most of her developmental years.

aside from getting his answers answered, john shows curiosity about her and her species and even care about her well-being and state. this naturally comes from their conversation’s ebb and flow. aradia tells this straightforwardly, without bells and whistles and without trying to trick him, unlike the other trolls who seem keen on well..trolling him.. and providing him with unclear answers to those sorts things. maybe aside from vriska, but she did have a little bit of an attitude about it wherein her and john’s dynamic felt uneven or off-rhythm, with a large psychological distance. it’s a different feeling with aradia, however. they exchange information on the same rhythm and so are able to achieve a closer psychological distance in communication.

there are no judgments coming from aradia about john being “stupid”. she doesn’t underestimate him. it’s not just that john wants to understand (although he does), but he needs to understand what he is doing. aradia compliments john about the traits he possesses that allow him to be effective. i guess in a way i’m doing the same thing with john right now.

john is so mobile and strung along by being the action hero going from place to place as a can-do deliveryboy that he never has time to reflect on his losses, think through them, and accept them.

literally who else is more qualified in all of homestuck than aradia for talking to john about these things?

on top of all of this, they have objectively significant connections beyond just mutual self-realization in a way i think could've been fleshed out. there is potential here.

for a story, i can think of a way that a conversation between them could plausibly happen using the systems established in homestuck's mythology. in canon, we see that john never met aradia until year 3 on the golden battleship in the dream bubbles when he goes to sleep.

but john still dreamt out in the furthest ring. that means during those 3 years it was possible for john to have had a dream with her in it, or at least aradiabot. i know john didn't know aradia's name beforehand but let's just explore the possibility that they could have had met before that. remember that all these aradiabots were once this person.

aradia had obtained john's crosbytop, his dads hat, and his wallet quite a while before their sgrub session. theres your entry

imagine john seeing that

memories of dear old dad get stirred up through the link of seeing those items

the dream bubble transforms

john is forced to stand in his memories and explore grief and the meaning of life with aradia

physically being in the space around him would definitely help john reflect easier i think because it will force him to actually exist within the space and talk to someone, taking some time out for this. he wanted to know if anything could've been done or if he was just too late to save them. i know aradia would be able help him slow down and introspect. don't forget the opportunities created by the properties of these spaces that are glubbed out in the furthest ring by the horrorterrors that meld the labyrinthine time and space of their surroundings to the memories of the people and finding others through common points in memory. i would imagine that objects known by multiple people would provide a common point in memory to bring them together.

The bubbles allow the players of Sburb/Sgrub who have lost a life to continue dreaming. The reality constructed in the bubbles is a combination of the memories of everyone inside the bubble accessible to any who has learned the bubble's nature. According to Aradia, it would be quite difficult to exit a bubble to get into a new one, however someone inside a bubble can travel to another one through common points in memory, taking their own memories with them to be integrated into the new bubble. These memories mix and combine, but in general, no new memories are created. Additionally, the bubbles store the consciousness of a player who has lost their dream selves and their original selves, making them double as a form of afterlife; the player is then capable of accessing the memory of anyone else who has gained access to the bubbles. Living players, who have lost or become their dream selves, appear in the dream bubbles when they are asleep. It is in this fashion that the bubbles can be used as meeting places between the dead and the living; even those from alternate universes and doomed timelines can be found in a bubble. Furthermore, in addition to memories, the bubbles can to some extent reflect the thoughts of a player. Beyond that, the bubbles can also behave similarly to Skaia's clouds, showing things that are in some way relevant to the player - such as when coin-flip Dave saw alpha Dave grieving over Bro's corpse - something he was not aware of before being shown it by a bubble.

physically reflect the thoughts of the player…… rubs hands

john and aradia share points in memory related to those objects, and to top it all of they are directly related to john's dad on the same day he died, while aradia grew up with them as bizarre alien artifacts from an archeological dig. the memories are more emotionally charged for john, and i think that distinction would probably be relevant to them both.

to be honest i think after speaking with him for a bit she would readily tell john that she regrets not talking to the kids from the universe her team created sooner before she died, but is glad that she can in the afterlife. in canon, alpha aradia told a doomed dave, "i think its absurd i never introduced myself to you in all that time i spent moping around the lab. guess i wasnt in a very good mood".

now not all the aradiabots would know who john is, because the trolls only found out about the humans once they created the genesis frog and hid out in the lab in the veil from jack who infiltrated their session. the aradiabot in the lab was the last one that survived. so if any one of them would know who john is, it would be the aradiabot that exploded. aradia's dream self ascended to god tier in jack noir's rampage on trolls' derse and took those memories with her which we can assume is what made the last aradiabot explode. its known that any original copy that dies when another rises up becomes a ghost and lives on in the dream bubbles, which would include her. a doomed aradiabot we see in the comic, which was the one that originally landed to alternia in the past, becomes more lighthearted after she dies, a bit more like her alive counterpart.

oh yeah, and the more obvious surface-level connections to top it off? ghostbusters? john ain't afraid of no ghost girl. john would be genuinely interested in what aradia living as a ghost irl on her planet and not as a gaming abstraction in the furthest ring would be like. i imagine she would be able to explain the subjective experience and that she had to prototype herself into the kernelsprite order for her server player to see her. there's also no way john hasn't seen a movie as classic as indiana jones and judging from her poster i can imagine he probably thinks it's sweet that aradia's strife specibus whipkind is a reflection of her own personal tastes, interests and hobbies.

so yeah i've just been chewing on all of this and thinking about it but i know i needed to just get this out there somehow. obviously since i spent two weeks putting this post together i'd be happy to hear your thoughts

[izzabela]

I have a request, can you write a different scenario for the Lin Kuei trio x female reader where each of the brothers goes on a mission and part of their mission is to get close to another female person/outworlder to gain information and the reader stumbles upon it mistaking it as cheating and runs off heartbroken and each of the brothers tries to find the reader to explain to them what really happened?

That was a mouth full, sorry 😅

It's Not What You Think! - Lin Kuei Siblings x fem!reader (scenario fic)

in which you stumble upon each brother in a... sleazy scene, and you're left at a loss for words

a/n: OH THIS WILL BE FUN, i adore funny plots, so this is no different than my other fic

ship[s]: bi han, kuai liang, tomas x fem!reader (scenario fic), jenshi mention

warning(s): suggestive ending(s)? no "y/n" bullshiyet, anti-betrayal, post-story mode, johnshi mention

Bi Han

Bi Han was furious, to say the least.

Though it had been almost two years since the events of the timeline's intersection, both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were still at large. They both fled to different areas all across the realms, and at one point, Shang Tsung had appeared in Earthrealm for a bit to try and thieve Sento from one of the champions that defended Earthrealm.

Liu Kang, distressed with this revelation, left for Outworld to speak with Empress Mileena personally, pleading with her to have one of his own people find Shang Tsung in a secret mission. Of course, Mileena agreed (with the promise it wasn't another secret espionage), and the Fire God immediately called upon Bi Han for this task.

While he was known to take a decent amount of time on missions, it was for the sake of meticulousness and being thorough. His tactical brilliance allowed his missions to end more cleanly, making sure no loose ends were out to bite him in the neck later, so Liu Kang knew he would be ready for anything.

Fuck. That.

His wealth of knowledge in stealth, skills in death, and the art of killing were minuscule against the situation he found himself in. Shang Tsung's trail led to the red light district of Sun Do, and he was in the middle of the grimy, sleazy streets where the lowest of both men and women worked for keeps. It sickened him that he would need to get intertwined with such people in order to learn more about the villain who had burdened him with more stress, but he had no choice.

He knew you would understand, as you saw how fierce he was for you and your safety. After all, you two had been dating for one whole year, your bond was too strong to be broken. He did his best to make you happy, keep you happy, and by his side- this would be no different. He let out an annoyed gruff, adjusting himself to make sure his arms were out, and his already low-cut attire was able to show more. He loosened his bun and walked into this newfound battlefield, hoping his ice would quell the horrendous fire of disgust that burned in him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although you were a mortal, you had many connections to the semi-immortal people of Edenia, many of them being royalty or figures related. Some names include: First Constable Li Mei, Supreme Commander Kitana, and the Matron Superior Tanya.

You remembered the first time you met them, all of them stumbling out the portal and onto the gravel of Wu Shi Academy. Unable to move them, you advised all the available healers and medics to set up camp right where they fell. Your talent in hydromancy was one thing, but your healing capabilities were another level of amazing. You were healing more people than most of the monks, and that gave you time to build rapport with these new faces.

That was two years ago, and now here you four were, in the busy streets of Sun Do, eating at a restaurant while talking about your lives.

Unbeknownst to Bi Han, you were drinking and enjoying the cheery atmosphere of the city, all four of you clearly having a blast to be away from the crushing responsibilities of life. However, your joy was short-lived when, past some restaurant-goers heads, you saw a familiar head of black hair, although his bun was loosely tied up and more of his hair fell over his face.

"Bi... Han?" You called out, abruptly standing up and following the familiar figure.

The man you have been dating for a year was in Sun Do, but not for leisure. You knew him a man rare with days off, so this was unexpected.

Li Mei and Tanya's head snap up, their vigilant eyes scanning the area, but you saw where he was headed. You decided to follow your instincts, and left the women clamoring your name as you pushed and shoved your way to where you saw him.

"Wait!" Kitana exclaimed, "Do not be so hasty, you do not have the means to defend yourself!"

Their worries and cries were drowned by the adrenaline building in your veins, and you turned the corner to quietly follow your dearest lover. Yes, you were a healer, but you were trained by Liu Kang as well, so you had some means to fight back. For this case, you decided to ensue a defensive position, watching him quietly.

You hid behind lazily stacked boxes, barrels, and the crowd that filled the street. Finally, the street cleared up, and you saw the most horrifying scene yet.

An escort in skimpy clothing, and her breasts practically about to fall out, was all over your lover. She lazily dragged her fingers across his chest and down close to his crotch, but it draws back to his black-silver mask. His eyes are hardened while she teases him amusingly.

"Everything comes at a price, cryomancer~" she draws out the "r" seductively, "If you so badly need it, monetary gains must be met."

Your breath hitched, and burning tears welled your eyes as anger began to affect your mastery of water. Your eyes began to burn, and blinking didn't help. You wipe them and rise from your hiding spot, but make a loud scene to reveal yourself. Both Bi Han and the escort lock eyes with you, and your tears began to leave your eyes. If Bi Han squinted hard enough, he could see vapors rise from where your tear stains were, your anger acting as a stove and reacting with your tears.

"Oh, how curious..." she drew out, "A lover, perhaps?" Her head rested on his chest and nuzzled into it.

Your heart shattered when Bi Han threw his arm over her shoulders, his other hand under her chin and turning her head away from you.

"A woman like her could not match my own status," and she smiles evilly at the response, taking his arm and leading him into one of the businesses that the escort worked.

Your cries echoed in the street, and you felt the warm arms of your friends pick you up from the dirty road. Your head immediately burrowed into the nearest shoulder, that being Tanya, who takes you into her arms and hugs you tightly. Li Mei glances at the opening in the wall, the "door" being a cheap beads and fabrics. She wanted to go after the Earthrealmer, but she'd have to leave a bookmark in this case.

"I don't want to be here anymore... but I do not wish to go home," you whisper hoarsely.

The women look amongst themselves and decide to take you to the palace, where Kitana explained to her sister and she graciously let you stay for as long as you need. While Li Mei could not enter further, Kitana took over completely as Tanya went to be by Mileena's side. You cry into your friend's lap, "why" and "how could he" leaving your lips angrily as you feel your grip on your magic grown unstable.

"My friend..." Kitana begins softly, "I do not know why Bi Han would do such a thing... but you must know that you are stronger than you let on. You defend your friends ardently and with loyalty, which is a rare type of strength unseen in many millennia, and I know you will grow stronger than this."

You continue to sob in her lap, and Kitana makes eye contact with her sister and Tanya, who stood outside of the room. They wanted to enter, but Kitana shakes her head and gently shoos them away. Tanya sighs, closing the door gently and leans on her lover's shoulder.

"It pains me to see her in such a state," she expressed, her hands locking with Mileena's.

Mileena was hurt seeing you in agony, but it hurt her more not being able to tell you the truth. She decides not to speak, your cries and sobs doing the talking for all four of you as the night let on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bi Han beat the shit out of the escort as soon as he got the necessary information out of her. Along with her, he made sure to leave every one of these disgusting lowlifes in the wake of the Sun Do police force, so they could arrest every single one of them for prostitution and harboring dangerous illegals.

He escaped to the roofs, watching the Constables bust through the opening and taking every person in the building into police custody.

"Round them up!" Bi Han heard Li Mei's command, "No one is above imperial law."

With this, Bi Han bolts to the portal at the center of the city, practically crashing through it to get back home. He missed you dearly, wanted to explain everything, and hold you in his arms again. He wanted to apologize, rub your back as you sobbed, and kiss your lips to wipe the dirt that covered his.

Landing like a uncoordinated goose, he's flat on his back and meets the eyes of his brothers and Liu Kang. The Fire God extends a hand to him, lifting him up back to his feet.

"An... interesting entrance from our most skilled Grandmaster," he noted, "But no less welcome, my friend. I assume you found something."

He doesn't bother answering to him, though, and he simply grabs Liu Kang's collar. Kuai Liang is quick to grab his arms and hold him back, while Tomas guards Liu Kang's front.

"Did you mean to tell me she was there as well?!" he practically screams, "She was in front of me, almost compromising me!"

Tomas seems to realize what his brother was talking about, quickly filling him in on information he clearly missed, "Did she not tell you she would be in Outworld that night? She wrote about it in her letter to us!"

Bi Han digs into his memory and remembers the paper that lay on his desk. The stress that ate him alive made him forget about this date you set aside, and the words you had used to describe how excited you were to see your friends again.

"Fuck..." he cursed softly.

Kuai Liang let go of his brother before he demands Liu Kang to open the portal again. He sighs, smiling softly as he waved his hands to open a fiery gate.

"Explain to me your findings when you come back with her," he says, mentioning your name, "It has been a while since I have seen her as well."

He nods and rushes through the portal, meeting the blue sky of Edenia and the entire Umgadi force surrounding him. He looks across the steps and sees you and Tanya hugging, talking about something before you let go from the embrace.

He called your name and your head snapped to his voice. Your eyes are wide and tears are threatening to fall, but you look away and turn completely away from him. Tanya takes this into consideration and glares at Bi Han, ordering the priestesses into a protective and offensive rotation.

"Recall them, Matron Superior," Bi Han demanded, "I would like to speak with her myself."

"That is for her to decide," she hisses, "She is a friend to the crown, and any threat seen against such will be treated as so."

The priestesses are ready to attack, but you slip away from Tanya and walk to Bi Han yourself. Bi Han and the other priestesses are still, and you close the distance between your lover with eyes downcast. He removes his mask and wants to hug you, but you hold your hand up to stop him.

"Tell me..." you begin slowly, your teary eyes meeting his worried ones, "What were you doing that night? With a woman like her... saying those, awful things to me..."

Bi Han doesn't know what to do with his hands, wanting so badly to take you into his chest and tell you what he said meant nothing, it was to keep his front up, to save you and Earthrealm. But he puts his hands to his side and begins to speak.

"Liu Kang had me follow a trail, one that led to Shang Tsung. That snake was out of my grasp, shifting shape and getting away. However, I got some information on him thanks to that... whore."

You take note on how disgusted he looked, his head turning away from you as his face morphed into something indiscernible. He looked lost, disgusted, and most of all, defeated. You frown at him and take his hands in yours, and he uses this to hold you in his tight embrace.

"I did not mean a single thing that night," he said, feeling your chin wobble on his shoulder, "You were the only thing on my mind, and you still are. You consume my very being, everything I do is for the sole purpose of your happiness- nothing more or less."

You nod slowly, your hand placed on his cheek as you rubbed your thumb softly.

"Your word is my code- and just one thing uttered from your lips will silence me forever," his eyes shone with unshed tears, trying to keep up appearances in front of Tanya.

You just hug him, quietly crying in his arms as he hugged you back, his grip tightening on your waist. The weight he had on his chest finally left, and your presence was like a cleansing waterfall that washed away his sins.

You hear Tanya recall the formation, telling them to return to their posts. You didn't care what was happening though, as long as Bi Han's arms stayed around you as your tears fell.

=====================

Kuai Liang

Kuai Liang sat in a booth seat along with Johnny and Kenshi, in "casual" conversation as they scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary in this tightly packed club. Music blasting, alcohol flooding his nose, and the feeling of sweaty bodies on him made him seethe with anger and disgust.

The three Earthrealm defenders were in a club in Los Angeles, your native town, and the last known location of both Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Ever since the timeline convergence, all the realms have been busy trying to clean up the miscreants mess; for some reason, it let them to this huge club on the West Coast of the United States.

Liu Kang debriefed the men, saying that one of the Sisters of Shadow were in Earthrealm, in bars all over California to take the naive souls of men and women alike to fuel the black magic that Quan Chi practiced. In order to get close to them, and perhaps find the sorcerers once and for all, Liu Kang sent the three of them on this mission.

It pained him to be in your hometown without your knowledge, and it hurt him even more that he had to get close with another woman for the sake of Earthrealm. But that was the main reason he was here, to protect your future with him and the future of Earthrealm- in order to ensure that you two would have a home to come back to in the end. In order to carry out this mission flawlessly, he did not tell you, and that killed him inside.

You two had met just a year prior, you being plucked out of fighting in illegal fight clubs to serve Liu Kang as a future Champion. You accepted rather easily, thinking this was all a dream, but as you trained with them, you realized it was anything but.

Kuai Liang was drawn to your fighter spirit and spark for protection, not to mention your flawless beauty and grace as you fought. He saw you as an equal, and you were touched on how he didn't look at you like a failure. Of course, due to your history of betrayal and mistrust, you didn't place your love or faith in him quickly. However, with every kind word, gesture, and gift he offered you, every look of concern and worry, and his attention to you, your walls melted against his fiery love and you gave yourself to him.

How he hated to break your trust after such a life of turmoil, but he hoped you would understand. You knew of his loyalties, his fierce protection and eager to serve Earthrealm. He prayed to the elder gods every night the mission's length increased, hoping you'd understand. Tonight, it was put to the test.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You sat at the bar alone, your friends having gone to the dance floor with a group of guys clearly fiending for one-night release. You sighed and swirled your drink in the cup, a mini vortex forming.

One minute, you were playing for keeps in illegal cage fights, the money barely enough for your shitty apartment in the bad side of L.A., now you were an elite fighter and Champion-to-be for a Fire God.

Crazy right?

Even crazier you found love in your master's great friend, Kuai Liang. You were already off-put on Liu Kang's kindness when he took you in, Kuai Liang made it no better. The way he took his time with training you, spending time with you, and waiting for you to trust him made your hardened heart soften. It had been a long time since someone was so patient with you, let alone accepted all of you.

So, when you recognize his iconic black bun in the crowded sea of sweaty bodies, you knew something was up. Kuai Liang was not one for the social scene, and clubbing was strictly off limits for him as a personal thing- what the hell was he doing in L.A. on a Friday night?

You decided to follow him, closing your tab and silently stalking him. From where you stood in the club, you could see where he sat. with Kenshi and Johnny in one of the booths near the dance floor. Your head followed his general path, and the sight before you made your heart stop.

Kuai Liang was letting another woman touch him, and her face was scarily close to his. She whispered something to your man, and he said something in her ear that illicit a horribly high-pitched giggle from her. You were fuming, and decided to confront them in the act.

"You bitch!" Grabbing onto her shoulder roughly, "The hell you think you're doing?!"

Kuai Liang's shocked face matched yours, but with his mission in mind, he grabbed onto the woman to protect her, not you. Was it possible a heart could break even more? Because if you thought it was broken, this completely shattered it.

"K-Kuai-," but all he does is huff and grunt at you.

"Who do you think you are?!" he shouted, people around you watched the scene unfold, "Creating a fucking scene..."

He never cursed, especially around you. He knew how to hold his tongue, and he never raised his voice at you even if he was pissed beyond the realms' saving. Your face morphed into hurt, betrayal, something Kuai Liang promised you to never do. Yet here he was, failing you.

"Silly girl," the woman hissed as she kicked your abdomen, "Leave us!"

You groaned as you picked yourself up, immediately escaping the messy scene and fleeing out of the club. Tears blurred your vision as you crashed into people on your way out, only having yourself to console the agony you were in.

Kuai watched as you left, and he swore he would make it up to you. No matter how long it took.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kuai Liang was an assassin. He was trained in the meticulous art of killing people swiftly and without noise.

So when Johnny and Kenshi found him, blood all over his dress shirt and pants, the demon's mutilated body slowly dissipating, they knew not to push his buttons.

"All of the information I gathered has been written down," he said without turning to his friends, handing them some paper.

"A-alrighty then, Kuai..." Johnny said nervously, a chuckle matching his tone.

"Go back to the Temple, there is something I need to do before heading home," he said calmly as he cleaned up, "Do not wait for me, explain to Lord Liu Kang the dilemma as well."

Kenshi nodded, and the couple looked at each other before turning their gaze to the clearly pissed-off man, watching him storm out to find you. They had a feeling on what was happening, but they didn't press further as they set off for the temple. Kuai Liang was outside the club, searching recklessly to find you in the summer night. Just a couple of blocks away, he heard your distinct cries in an alleyway, and he followed them and up, your body curled up in the fire escape of an apartment building.

Quietly, he tries to get to you and be by your side, but his kunai drops from the hidden hilt in his pants, giving away his position and it scares you. Your head snaps up and you get into defensive mode, your brows furrowed in anger as you snarled at him.

"What in the elder gods' names do you want, Scorpion?"

His hands are up, but he still tries to close in on you by slowly walking to you. You're cornered, and the crying has made you too exhausted to move.

"I know what you saw was, to say the least, alarming..." he begins, "However, please allow me to explain."

More tears welled in your eyes, "I trusted you, Kuai Liang. You knew my story, I gave you my heart- I confided in your warmth!"

Kuai Liang squats to your height, arms down as he watches your tears fall.

"How could you..." you sob again, your head thrown up facing the sky.

Kuai Liang watches your tears fall, and he gently used his hands to wipe your tears. He's surprised you don't shake away from him, so he used this opportunity to explain himself to you. From Liu Kang's plan, Quan Chi's legion of deadly female demons, up to now, he explained in great detail and softness for you to register despite your wails.

"Oh darling," he begged softly, "You know my promises to you- they're written in blood. If you so wish it, I will shed it for you- if it meant see you smile once more."

You wipe your tears and ask him with shaky words, "Swear on your family, swear that what happened meant nothing to you."

His hand wraps around yours and your foreheads touch, his warm breath on yours, "I swear to the elder gods above and the honor of my late father- she is dead to me."

You smile almost evilly, "Prove it."

Safe to say, your evening ended with more cries, but not in pain this time. Still, Kuai Liang would do anything to never see you cry so sadly like that- even if it meant more blood being spilt in your name.

=====================

Tomas

Tomas, Kuai Liang, and Bi Han were in a neighboring village, just a mountain away near Fengjian, in an undercover mission that lead to Shang Tsung. Liu Kang got word from Raiden, who had visited home for a brief moment, that his people were talking about a strange man coming to and from the village for something unknown.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity, he called upon the Lin Kuei Grandmaster and his second-in-hands to try and apprehend him once more (not mimicking the Ying Fortress situation). What the brothers didn't know, though, was that the trail would lead to a small club, a front for Shang Tsung's hideout.

It was a music club, with weekly performances from many female singers and dancers from the neighboring villages in the region. Tomas, who knew you were an active and avid singer, hoped to the elder gods you weren't here to witness what he was doing.

In front of the long stage, he sat in a rounded booth seat with an "entertainer" by his side as she talked his ear off about every performance that went on. She was in a horrible costume, those Qipao costumes that the Westerners sold as costumes in cheap Halloween stores, her pale skin glowing softly under the warm light of the club. Tomas played into his role of a "traveling" foreigner, needing rest in this village and simply needing time to "destress" from his journey.

Tomas was dressed in some jeans and a gray shirt, a backpack on his other side to really sell the look. In his ear, provided by Sektor and Bi Han, was an earpiece to hear the commands of his brothers. He knew the woman next to him was connected to Shang Tsung, but all he was worried about was you.

He prayed to the elder gods that you would not worry. He prayed that you would believe in him, stay confident in him as he completed his mission, and hoped that you would forgive him when he eventually needed to tell you this entire debacle. He sighed, beginning to play his role into getting more information out of the woman.

He whispered dirty jokes, laughed quietly with her at her horrendous attempts of humor, and even held her close. While this was for the betterment of the realms, he would rather die than finish this mission. He was getting some useful information from her, and he could hear Kuai Liang and Bi Han talk to him over the earpiece, but his focus was brought away as he saw his prayers ignored.

You were here. Performing. In the middle of his mission as he was smack dab in the center of your sight. At first, he saw you smiling happily as your voice filled the room, but when your eyes met his, your will to perform left.

The Shang Tsung affiliate was all over Tomas (though you didn't know), kissing up his neck as he continued to hold her. People around you two were beginning to grow tired of the act, clamoring for you sing or begone. You tried to continue, voice slightly shaky as the lyrics left your mouth, but you were ultimately pulled backstage by the show manager. Behind the curtains, the sight broke your heart more and more.

Tomas's hand was locked in hers as she took him away, and a flirty smile was on his face as they both walked away from your direct line of sight. Too angry at what you witnessed, and growing depressed, you retired for the night and left to head back home.

Tomas was the most affectionate of his family, and you were drawn to his optimism despite the pain he had endured. Just like his brothers, he was loyal to an alarming degree, but you knew why. Having him lost his family, leaving his home country, and being put in a new place, he longed to have someone of his own.

Sure, his brothers were great, but you were the final piece to him. Your kind personality, joyful nature, and loving demeanor made him fall instantly, and you loved Tomas just as much. You were surprised to see how a man such as he, going through what he had gone through, still remained joyful and optimistic.

What he loved so much about you, though, was your talent in singing. Whether singing while cooking, bathing, or holding him, Tomas found your voice a safe haven. He vowed to always keep you happy, smiling, and most importantly, singing.

After this, though, he'd have a hard time hearing your bird song once more.

It was gone, along with your heart and the man you loved so dearly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomas stood over the bloodied woman's limp body, hunched like a hunted taken-down animal. He called his brothers to enter the room, and they too were met with the horrendous sight.

"By the elder gods..." Kuai Liang breathed, "Tomas, what in Earthrealm-."

His pupils were dilated heavily, his grey irises overtaking his eyes. He was breathing heavily, and his grip on his karambit made his knuckles turn white. He was seething, his hunter's instinct turned on and on high alert. He shoved past his brothers, not without Bi Han stopping him.

"Foolish brother," he hissed, "Why did you kill her? Lord Liu Kang needed her alive."

He breathed calmly and turned back to his brothers, who both stilled at how calm his demeanor was speaking to him, "She is alive, brothers. Take her immediately to Lord Liu Kang, I have personal matters to tend to."

Bi Han grabs the collar of his shirt, shaking him, "We have our duties to fulfill. If you so wish to abandon your role, the Lin Kuei will hunt you- I will hunt you."

Tomas takes his brother into his knees, his blade gently pressing into the kill spot on Bi Han's neck. Kuai Liang's breath hitched while Bi Han shook his head to stop his brother.

"I will accept whatever may befall me, but I need to do this, Bi Han," and he turns his head to see his youngest brother's face.

"Please," he begged.

He nodded, sighing in relief as he bolted out of the back room. Kuai Liang scoops the woman into his hands, while Bi Han watched in awe at his brother's will. He left the back room to find you, hoping to set things right.

He searched the village for your house, and saw you crying in the balcony in the back. You were fiddling with a leaf that fell from the large tree that hovered over the balcony. To get to you, he had to climb to see you.

"Love..." you heard him say behind you. You gasp as you shuffled away from him, but he doesn't relent.

"Love, what were you doing there?" he asked gently, coming closer, but you held your hand up.

"No, Tomas," you said defiantly, "You tell me what you were doing there. With that woman all over you, with your hands on her equally as eager, with me right in front of you..."

More tears fell as you sobbed more, and Tomas's heart broke even more at the pain he put on your heart. He silently fell onto your balcony and sat with his legs crossed over themselves. He reached for your hand, and you surprisingly accept it. He gently rubbed his thumb over it, slowly explaining everything.

"So, the club I performed every couple of months, was a front for s multidimensional threat?" you asked gently, wiping your tears.

Tomas nods, his hand cupping your cheek, "My love, no one could beat you. Hearing your voice break, your eyes look at me like that..." your hand held his, "Everything about you controls me, your voice a siren's song."

You smile weakly and kiss his cheek, "Listen to me, then, as I call you to me."

You lead him into your bedroom, and your voice commands the rest of the night as you two stay entangled in one another.

=====================

guys my ipad is lagging after typing all this, long ass fic

still, i hope you enjoyed, especially you anon!

i'll see yall in the next fic!



[longlivedelusion]

An Interview with Jester Lavorre of the Mighty Nein

Warnings: cursing, mentions of sexual endeavors, mentions of death, and spoilers up until C3 Ep111.

A/N: Well this idea forced itself upon my brain after @chiakery made this request:

Jester's commentary on BH couples as she talks with Beau/Fjord/Sprinkle or just straight up goes to people in question, no filter (just like we love her) making them blush like mad/speak in innuendo with her/whatever feels right.

I know it's not exactly what you asked for, I'm sorry 😭 but this idea just took a hold of me and I knew I had to run with it. I hope you enjoy it anyways! I'll be including a part two with headcanon reactions from each couple.

I felt like after saving the world in a very public way, the Mighty Nein won't be able to stay as low-key as they used to be. But still weren't as like publicized as probably VM or BH. So I feel like Jester did this interview because she personally just loved this publication and wanted to be a part of it. So she found a way around that loll enjoy!

Hello everyone! Today I will be sharing an interview we just had with a very special guest: Jester Lavorre, Saviour of Exandria, Slayers of the Mind Weave, and Sapphire of the 5 Seas.

We're so lucky here at The Knowsy Cat to have an exclusive interview with one of the elusive members of the Mighty Nein. Known to avoid media and any sort of public attention, we were fortunate to have received an acceptance for an interview with Ms. Lavorre, soon to be Mrs. Tusktooth, an inside scoop we received from the woman herself.

But you can read more about that below.

The following is a full transcript from that conversation:

Ms. Lavorre! Thank you so much for agreeing to an interview with us. Your group is a hard one to catch on anyone's radar it seems. Any reason for that?

Well, first of all it's soon to be Mrs. Tusktooth thank you very much. But you can just call me Jester.

Congratulations! Is Mr. Tusktooth a part of your group or someone from back home perhaps? I don't recognize the name from any of our files.

Oh he's very very handsome and very sweet. And you can call him Captain Tusktooth, he has his own ship you know.

A Captain! Well, what a fine catch it seems. Then is he not of the Mighty Nein then, but simply a Captain of a ship?

Well why couldn't he be both?

Oh, I don't mean to offend! I'm just asking for clarification is all.

You know, so many people don't know I'm a First Mate of the ship! They just know me as the Savior of Exandria blah blah, but I do a lot of the pulling of anchors, and opening the sails, you know ship stuff. I'm very very strong. Like this one time, I had to carry this huuge minotaur named Braius out of a battle, and like he was super big you know? And I lifted him over my shoulders no problem!

Braius? Do you mean Braius Doomseed, Nascent Might of the Platinum's Call?

Yeah, yeah! That's him. Great artist, you should really check out his work. He draws some sexy stuff, if you know what I mean.

Oh we've seen it! He's become a pretty renown artist in Zadash it seems. Do you still talk to any of the Bells Hells, fellow saviors of Exandria?

Oh all the time! Like there's this girl Fearne who's a super hot fae, and I mean SUPER hot. She's made of fire and like can get really big, it's craazy. I talk to her all the time, she's so funny. Or I talk to the creepy spider lady, but usually through her girlfriend who I guess is kind of whatever. She does mind stuff too but like boring mind stuff.

Do you mean Imogen Temult and Laudna? Are they an item?

The BIGGEST item. They're like attached at the hip and constantly fucking. It's a bit awkward at first you know, having just met and everyone was sleeping like right next door to eachother. But the end of the world can make people do crazy stuff so who am I to judge!

How about Ms. Calloway? Is she currently involved with anyone?

I mean, she's kind of together with Ashton who's totally her other half you know? They got this hot, Titan thing going on. But she always tells me she's all about spreading her legs to fly, so they have an "open relationship." Like she had a threesome with the old wolf man from her group and his ex one time and they did some wild shit together let me tell you, [redacted for explicit content].

Wow! I-I did not expect such... Explicit details. And this was former member Chetney Pock O'Pea, High Hunter and Lupine Paragon?

Yeah, it was like really sad of course that he died but we all knew it was gonna happen. And he died like real hero stuff, fucked shit up for Ludinus that's for sure. But Orym is still super sad about it, I think it might've been his dad or something I don't know. But he's also such a softie, even though he's totally only showing his super softie side to Dorian.

Dorian Storm, the Heir to the Silken Squall? The union between he and Orym of the Air Ashari was all we could talk about for weeks! Were they involved then, during the Red Divide?

Oh my gosh, they were sooo in love with each other when we first met, but apparently they had like not even kissed yet! I remember I woke up at 3am cause someone was snoring super loud, and I was like "ugh, I'm soo bored, I can't sleep now" so I got up and drew in my journal a while but then the Traveler was like "go do some funny stuff!" So I decided to draw dicks on some people's faces and went to the room across from me and there they were! Snuggling each other! It was soooo sweet, so I was going to draw matching dicks on them you know? To make it romantic, of course. But then Orym opened his eyes and gave me a very scary look so I didn't. I ended up drawing them on the wolf man instead. But the next morning the two of them came out all shy and awkward, and Dorian was turning purple from blushing so hard. But then Braius came around with the literal most beautiful painting I have ever seen! Of Orym! Can you believe it? And Dorian was like freaked out, so he grabbed Orym's hand, stood in front of the painting to cover it and declared his love for Orym to the whole group. He was all like "I'm in love with Orym so like back off okay" and Braius totally did after that.

So there was a love triangle between the three of them?

I mean, Braius kind of hit on everyone back then so it wasn't a super weird thing. But Dorian was very not into it, which I totally get you know. I'm very protective of my Tusktooth and he's very hot so obviously everyone would want him. Dorian's the same.

So Braius Doomseed is a man about town then?

Well I heard he had a thing going on with Fearne and Ashton, but he also had a thing going on with Fearne's Nana which is like, okay a bit weird even for me. But now I think he settled down with an old flame of his.

Talking about marriage, any details you can share about your nuptials with Mr. Tusktooth?

Well it's going to be in this really big fancy estate with like 3 ballrooms and 30 bedrooms, so we can invite a lot of our friends you know. And I'm going to have a cupcake cake that's in the shape of me and his face, maybe like a blueberry cupcake or chocolate, or both. And then my mom is going to have a dress made for me that's like from this really famous designer, which they used to make all of my mom's dresses so I know it'll be really good.

That sounds incredible. We hope you'll maybe share some photos with us in the future?

Maybe!

Well, thank you for your time Jester. It's been an absolute pleasure. Anything else you want to tell our audience before we go?

I know gods are like super weird for everyone right now, but The Traveler is a really cool guy who's kind of like a god, but not. He's very powerful and nice and he likes to have a lot of fun. Here, I have a pamphlet you can share with your readers!

Unfortunately at this time, the pamphlet was not able to be printed along with this issue.

[ak-vintage]

Quarry - Chapter 16

Pairing: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) x f!reader

Summary: Din Djarin is on what he expects to be his last bounty hunt for Greef Karga. After all, Nevarro is swiftly moving away from its previous reputation as a Guild member’s paradise, and Din has more important concerns now, like finding a Jedi to train his mysterious foundling. However, after capturing a wanted starship engineer who would rather go anywhere other than “home,” the Mandalorian is forced to reassess his priorities.

Your taste of freedom had been brief but glorious. Now you are a prisoner of the most infamous bounty hunter in the Outer Rim – it’s only a matter of time before he turns you in. There isn’t much you would not do to keep from being sent home, but as you find yourself growing closer to your captor and his strange little companion, you start to wonder whether escape is really what you want.

Set after Chapter 13: The Jedi but before Chapter 14: The Tragedy.

Chapter Tags & Warnings: 18+ MDNI! Reader is Mando's live-in starship engineer, dual POV, no use of Y/N, minimal descriptors of reader character, angst, Mandalorian culture lore dump, religious issues, Din speaks Mando'a, brief sexual fantasies (this one is mostly clean, y'all)

Series Masterlist | Read on AO3

“Is it just me, or has that port doubled in size since we were here last?”

The question came from your favorite copilot’s chair, breaking the pensive silence that had descended over the cockpit as Din maneuvered the Razor Crest through the Nevarran atmosphere. He glanced over his shoulder in acknowledgement only to see you staring out the viewport with a little frown gathering between your brows. Nestled snug and safe in your lap, Grogu offered him a toothy smile, which Din returned, unseen behind his helmet.

“Think you’re right. Karga’s been busy,” he replied, taking in the sprawling landing zones, the increased foot traffic, the dozen or so other ships docked below. “Is there anything you want to pick up while we’re here?”

After the disastrous hunt for the Weequay smuggler Kevok Teklolq, only one bounty from the selection Karga had assigned to him had remained. The three of you had taken an extra day on the shores of Maramere to recover – you and Din from your wounds obtained in the fight, Grogu from his overextension of the Force to heal your ruined shoulder. In that time, the bounty hunter had taken the liberty of recovering evidence of Teklolq’s death from the dense forest where he had been slain, namely by separating his scaly head from his body and wrapping it in a scrap of tarp you found for him in the ship’s storage. You had nearly retched when he returned with it slung over his shoulder only to tuck it safely into the chiller for preservation.

“Please tell me the next one is someone you can bring in alive,” you had begged, looking ashen, to which Din had offered you a gentle press of his forehead against yours and agreed.

Thankfully, the final bounty had been simple – a Corellian merchant accused of tax evasion who had surrendered almost immediately upon discovering who exactly was pursuing him. The hunt was nearly over before it began, leaving Din feeling a bit underwhelmed and questioning whether the effort had been worth it.

He had fucked you against the doors to his weapons cabinet after, needing an outlet for all of the pent-up energy of the hunt that now had nowhere to go. He didn’t think you minded. You had walked unsteadily for the rest of that afternoon, eyes bright and cheeks flushed, a secret smile on your lips whenever he looked your way.

Now, with all five tracking fobs dormant in his pocket, four carbonite slabs hanging on the cargo hold rack, and one severed head on ice, every excuse the Mandalorian could conjure that might have kept the three of you safe and insulated in the little bubble you had created in the depths of hyperspace had run dry.

It was time to hand over the quarries. And it was finally time to take Grogu to Tython.

From your perch in the copilot’s chair, you seemed to mull over his question, humming quietly to yourself. “No, I don’t think so,” you said, considering. “You know what I would like, though? A hot meal. Like, something cooked with fresh ingredients and then served immediately, not heated up in a ration pack.”

Din chuckled, the sound staticky and rasping through his vocal modulator. He couldn’t blame you. The Razor Crest’s supply of fresh food had run out almost two weeks ago, and all the best self-heating rations had been well picked over by all three of her passengers, leaving only the least appealing options and the ones that were intended to be eaten cold, only barely a step up from the dreaded nutrition bars you could hardly stomach.

“I think we can make that happen,” he agreed.

You offered him a relieved smile in thanks. “How long do you think we’ll stay?”

The bounty hunter cocked his helmet in a gesture reminiscent of a shrug. “It will be at least a week’s journey from here to Tython, and we’ll be traveling into the Deep Core, which means we won’t be able to stop to do a supply run. The further we go into the interior, the more attention the Razor Crest attracts.”

“Maybe we could stay a couple of days then? Get a room at an inn, stock up on food and medical supplies? I wouldn’t say no to a real bed for once, and it’s been ages since Grogu got to spend any time outside. Might be good for him, if we’re going to be in hyperspace for more than a week.”

Din smirked, glancing back at you. “A real bed, hmm?”

You grinned wryly, a flush burning high on your cheeks, eyes flashing teasingly. “Yeah, you know. For sleep.” You drew your plush lower lip between your teeth. “Really, really good sleep.”

A low noise, unbidden, rose in his chest, and he gritted his jaw against reply that wanted to spill forth, one that definitely was not suited to the innocent, bat-wing ears of the boy cradled in your lap. Settling for a…heavily censored version, he growled, “Trouble.”

Your grin widened, blooming into a delighted smile that crinkled the corners of your eyes, and the sight made the bounty hunter’s chest tighten with affection. “Oh, you live for trouble, Din Djarin,” you teased good-naturedly.

He thought you might be right.

---

As you entered the polished, echoing lobby of the Nevarro Municipal Center, your worn, brown satchel strung across your body and Grogu cheerfully strapped to your back, it felt impossible to keep yourself from comparing the experience to the last time you had entered these halls. Had it really only been a handful of weeks ago that Din had led you here, binder cuffs chafing your wrists, your jumpsuit ragged and stained, a pit in your stomach the size of a sarlacc’s den as you contemplated a future back on Chardaan? It felt as though a lifetime had passed since then.

You were an entirely different person now, both outside and in. Clean and well-fed, with a job that had given you more engaging and unique experiences than you had ever had confined to the sterile spheres of the shipyards, a life filled with purpose, satisfaction, and love.

Maker. Love.

It had completely consumed you. You were overflowing with it, your heart pressing, fighting against the barrier of your ribcage, threatening to spill out and overtake you in its joy. The boy peaking up over your shoulder from his perch in his carrier, cooing and babbling in your ear, pressing his warm little body to yours. The hulking man in beskar, bandolier straining across his broad chest, blaster at his hip, wide palm at the base of your spine, guiding you through the entryway with a touch far gentler than his intimidating appearance would imply. You loved them both, in a way that was both liberating and terrifying. But still, their soft, solid presence as you made your way across the marble floor toward the oversized reception desk eased your nerves at being back in this place. They made you calm and confident, and that, in turn, made the memories of arriving here a slave feel more distant, less heavy.

“Here to see Greef Karga,” Din snapped, interjecting before the familiar bronze protocol droid currently manning the reception desk could greet you.

The TC unit drew back in something like surprise at the bounty hunter’s gruff, informal tone. “My apologies, sir, but the High Magistrate’s calendar is fully booked for the balance of the afternoon.” Glancing down at the datapad mounted to the desk, it continued, “I would be happy to make you an appointment for the end of the week if you would like – ”

The droid cut itself off abruptly, looking back up at Din as though having a sudden realization. Its mechanical neck and shoulders whirred as it quickly scanned the bounty hunter from head to toe then did the same to you.

“Oh. It’s you.” If it were possible for a droid to sound contemptuous, this one did. You bit back a smile, pressing your lips together to hold back a snicker. Apparently the two of you had made an impression during your last visit.

“It’s me.”

You lost the battle with your laughter at Din’s utterly deadpan response. A choked giggle escaped your throat, echoing through the cavernous, marble-paved entryway, and with embarrassment flaring in your cheeks, you forced yourself to turn away for fear that more would follow.

Cool and posh as ever, the protocol droid continued, “I don’t imagine you are interested in making an appointment?”

“That’s right.”

The TC once more glanced from Din to you and then back again. “…One moment, sir.” Tapping through several layers of command menus on the desk’s datapad, you watched as it brought the built-in comm link crackling to life. “Pardon me, High Magistrate, if I may interrupt.”

A moment of silence passed, tense between the droid’s displeasure and Din’s complete impassiveness, and then Karga’s voice, deep and commanding and clearly aggravated, floated through the open channel. “What is it?”

“You have visitors here to see you, sir. That…rather insistent Mandalorian fellow and two companions.”

On the other end of the comm link, the older man’s attitude seemed to soften almost immediately. A booming chuckle made its way across the connection, and Karga readily replied, “Send them up, 48.”

You were certain that if it had been capable, the protocol droid would have sighed. “Yes, High Magistrate.” As the comm link fell silent, the TC unit redirected its attention back to the three of you. “Would you like an escort, sir?”

“That won’t be necessary. I remember the way.”

And without another word, Din steered you away from the reception desk and down the hall.

“Thank you!” you called over your shoulder, more laughter leaking its way into your voice as your bounty hunter swiftly and confidently swept you around the corner. Glancing up at his expressionless visor, you added, “Are you always that rude to droids?”

Din shrugged, one pauldron gleaming in the golden afternoon light that streamed through the tall windows lining the empty hallway. “Not all of them. Just the ones that get in my way. Which is most of them,” he confessed. “That one in particular is…pompous.”

You snorted and shook your head. “You’re not wrong.”

“What’s so funny?” You could feel his fingers slip from their rather neutral position against your lower back, wrapping around your waist and squeezing teasingly. You swore you could feel your heart stutter in your chest at the unexpected contact. Was Din being…playful? The long-suffering, stoic, beskar-clad warrior…flirting? Dank farrik, as if you could love him more.

“Nothing!” you insisted, the poorly concealed grin tugging at the corners of your lips belying your words. “You’re just cute when you’re grumpy.”

Din very pointedly did not dignify that assertion with a response.

A handful of turns and a brief flight of stairs later, and Karga’s glass-walled office appeared before you. You tried not to feel too disappointed when the bounty hunter’s hand dropped from its hold on the dip of your waist, though you thought you might have failed at that when you felt Grogu offer you a gentle, consolatory pat on the shoulder from his carrier. The gesture had your mouth curling up again almost immediately, and you reached behind you leave a fond scritch behind one of the little guy’s massive ears.

As you had come to expect, Greef Karga’s welcome was warm and enthusiastic when Din shouldered open the double doors. “Ah! Mando!” he exclaimed, rising from his seat in his oversized desk chair, thick arms wide as though to embrace you from afar. “Welcome back!”

The bounty hunter inclined his helmet at the magistrate and crossed the stretch of the office floor in a handful of long strides. “It’s good to be back,” he replied, more earnest than you had expected. Glancing down at one of the chairs settled across from Karga’s desk, you watched as he realized that his guild agent was not alone in the room. With a note of pleasant surprise, he added, “Marshal Dune.”

The chair spun around, allowing you to see its occupant for the first time, and you felt yourself hesitate in the doorway as a striking woman with jet-black hair, blue-painted pauldrons, and a tiny Rebellion tattoo on her cheek rose to her feet. Offering Din a half-smile, she clasped his forearm in greeting – like a fellow warrior. “It’s been too long. Always nice to see you in one piece,” she said, her voice low and warm. Her dark eyes met yours then, and she cocked her head in your direction. “New friend?” she asked with interest.

The Mandalorian seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying, “Relatively new.”

You took that as your cue to step forward. Closing the distance between you, you extended your hand for the woman to shake, offering her your name.

“Cara Dune,” she replied, the grip of her gloved hand firm and unwavering around yours. You noticed she had a strip of grooved armor molded to the backs of her knuckles, and a jolt of intimidation shot through you at the sight. This woman had brass knuckles built into her uniform – painted blue to match her pauldrons.

“We were in a bit of a hurry the last time we were in the area,” Din continued, oblivious to your unease. “Didn’t exactly have the chance to stop by and say hello.”

The woman – Marshal Dune – grinned wryly at that. “Of course. When aren’t you jetting off on some new quest?”

Karga chuckled low in his chest. “I assume you’re here on business, Mando?” he prompted.

At that, the bounty hunter reached into one of the many pockets of his utility belt and drew out an overflowing handful of dormant tracking fobs, laying them out in a jumbled pile on the magistrate’s desk. “The five remaining bounties – present and accounted for. Your crew is unloading them now.”

The older man quirked a pointed eyebrow at the sight. “All in carbonite this time, hm?” The marshal glanced, bemused, between Karga to the Mandalorian, clearly not understanding the implication, and you pressed your lips together to smother an embarrassed grin.

For his part, Din appeared nonplussed. “All but one,” he agreed readily.

“Mando…” Karga groaned, drawing the name out with something like exasperation.

“The fifth one is dead. I have proof of the kill. It’s on ice.”

Cara Dune snorted, crossing her bare, muscular arms over her chest. “Charming.”

Karga rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. “Very well.” Extending a hand toward Din, he beckoned him forward, encouraging him around to the other side of the desk. “Come, let’s get your compensation squared away, and you can tell me all about your plans now that you’ve run my supply of bounties dry.”

You thought the guild agent might have glanced at you with interest as he spoke, but you couldn’t swear to it.

“So,” Cara said pointedly, a single eyebrow raised.

Now, she definitely was looking at you.

“How did you meet our favorite tin can?” she asked with a smirk.

You opened your mouth to reply but then hesitated, uncertain of her reaction if you were to tell her the truth. Would it make her suspicious of you? Would it make her angry with Din? She was the marshal, after all. But the two seemed to be friends, and you recalled weeks ago, when you had been attempting to determine where you would go after he had freed you, that he had offered to put you in contact with the marshal on Nevarro – that she was a friend and that she would help you find a safe place to live. He wouldn’t have offered that if he didn’t trust her.

“I…was a quarry,” you admitted haltingly.

You realized then that you desperately wanted this woman, who Din clearly respected and saw as an equal, to like you, and you cursed the weakness in your voice, your hesitance.

Cara, however, seemed completely unbothered. “Damn,” she laughed. “He really is getting soft in his old age. Once with the kid, that was an anomaly. But twice? You must have really left an impression.”

You felt your cheeks warm at her ribbing tone, heavy with implication. Attempting to brush it off, you simply replied, “Mando is…kinder than he looks.”

At that, the other woman’s smile softened, becoming more genuine and less needling. “Oh, I know it. Chivalrous to a fault. He’s a tough nut to crack, but he’s a good man.” With a fond brusqueness, she reached out and chuffed Grogu on top of his downy head, eliciting a giggle from the boy. “He takes care of his people.”

Something in your chest warmed and softened, and you offered her a small, genuine smile in return. “Yeah, he does.”

“You two planning to stick around for a while?”

You nodded. “A couple days, I think. Mando’s promised me a hot meal before we start another stretch in hyperspace.” Grogu cooed in agreement, making the characteristic smacking noises with his mouth that you had come to understand indicated hunger.

“I hear that,” Cara scoffed with laughter. “Space food gets old pretty quick. You know, I’m about to clock out for the night. Why don’t I take you to Ninda’s? It’s a newer place, just opened a month or two ago, but they make the best smapp pot pies I’ve ever had in the Outer Rim, and it’s not overcrowded, so maybe the big guy will actually let his guard down for once and enjoy himself.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose – ”

She shook her head, waving away your protest. “Not at all. I’d appreciate the company. And you two can fill me in on what’s been going on outside Nevarro space.”

There was something almost longing about the way she said it, as though a part of her was mourning her tether to the planet, to her position. “Have you been here long?” you asked, intrigued.

“Almost two years now.” Leaning back on the desk behind her, she braced her palms against the edge of it, crossing one leg over the other casually. “It’s stable. Relatively safe. Karga’s a fair leader, and the work is good. But staying in one place this long… Guess I’m still getting used to it.”

You nodded your understanding, revealing, “I’m the opposite. I was only ever in one place my entire life. Until…very recently.”

“Which do you prefer? Now that you’ve done both,” she asked.

“Hm.” You propped your own hip against the desk, mulling it over. You had never really considered it before. You appreciated the worldliness that being a part of Din’s crew had gifted you. You enjoyed getting to experience other planets, other species, other cultures. Your day spent in the bazaar on Trevi IV forever would be one of your most treasured memories – the wonder and the joy of getting to immerse yourself in a new place was something that you would carry with you for the rest of your life.

But the more you thought about it, the more you realized that perhaps it wasn’t the new planets or the new cultures that you found most rewarding. Perhaps it was the fact that you had gotten to have those experiences side-by-side with Din.

“Truthfully,” you admitted, “I think I could be happy anywhere. As long as – ”

“As long as you’re with him?” Cara interjected, a smile on her face. “That’s what I thought.”

You looked away, suddenly deeply interested in the pattern of scuffs on the toe of your boot, the other woman’s immediate perception more than you could bear. “Is it that obvious?”

She shrugged. “Maybe not to everyone. But I know what it looks like when he’s found someone he wants to protect.”

Your eyes met hers again, and you felt an understanding settle between the two of you. Whatever it was she could discern of your relationship with Din from the outside, it was clear she approved of it, and your relief at that was almost tangible.

Before you could respond, however, the bounty hunter in question approached, tucking several weighty bags of credits into his belt as he did.

“Karga has offered to put us up for the night,” he said, brushing his leather-clad knuckles against your elbow as though to get your attention. You flushed at the casual touch, feeling Cara’s sharp gaze following his every move. “I’d like to go pick up the keys to the room, but then we can get dinner. What are you in the mood for, cyare?”

You felt yourself melt just that little bit more at the consideration, knowing that all of your softness for him was written all over your face as you replied, “Actually, Marshal Dune has offered to take us to…Nina’s?” You glanced over to her for confirmation.

“Ninda’s,” she corrected. Her grin was smug, her arms folded across her chest once again as she assessed the two of you.

“Ninda’s.”

The Mandalorian seemed to consider the offer for a moment before nodding once. “That’s very generous, Marshal. All right, if that’s what you want to do, we’ll go there.”

Grogu released a squeal of happiness directly into your ear at that moment, and you winced even as you joined the others in laughing in response. With any luck, this evening wouldn’t prove to be too awkward.

---

“Your girl’s a sweetheart.”

Din Djarin pulled his gaze from where it had naturally settled – watching you as you ambled along behind Grogu several yards from where he and Cara Dune still sat. Dinner at the cantina the marshal had recommended had been a pleasant affair (he was looking forward to enjoying his pot pie in the anonymity of their room at the inn later), but the kid had started to get restless as the adults at the table seemed perfectly content to continue catching up well into the evening. You had taken pity on him, in tune with his needs as you were, and had offered to take him out onto the open-air patio to explore. Din, of course, hadn’t been able to keep his eyes from following your every move from the moment you stood up from the table, and Dune had, of course, noticed.

Refocusing his attention, the bounty hunter took in the amused look flashing in her dark eyes. She leaned heavily against the back of her chair, her second mug of ale cupped casually in her hand as she assessed him.

“She is,” he agreed easily. It was completely unsurprising to him that Dune had taken a liking to you. You were easy to like �� sweet, kind, shockingly intelligent. He had known that the two of you would get along. Running into Dune at Karga’s office had simply saved him a trip to the law enforcement office to introduce you.

“So how long has this been going on?”

Din weighed his words for a beat before responding. “It’s…new. Very new.”

It had only been a handful of days since Maramere, though already being with you felt as natural as breathing. He wasn’t certain whether that was because he had been carrying a torch for you for so many months, or if it was simply a testament to your compatibility, but either way, in just a few short days, you had managed to bind yourself irreversibly to his heart, like you had always been there.

As though she had been reading his mind, the marshal replied, “Hm. Could have fooled me. The way you two are together, it’s…easy. Doesn’t feel new.”

The bounty hunter grinned behind his helmet, certain the expression could be heard in his voice. “I know.”

“So is she it for you?” Dune nudged his shoulder with hers, knocking against his pauldron as she downed the rest of her ale. “Finally gonna settle down, take your kid and your girl, find a piece of land someplace and just…live?”

At that, the Mandalorian felt himself hesitate, and in that silent moment, he could see the possibilities stretched out before him as clearly as if he were standing there now. A little house at sunset, cast in warm, golden light, modest in size but more than enough for his clan of three. You on the front porch, reclined in a wicker chair, your hair loose and long around your shoulders, cheeks flushed from the sun. Grogu giggling on your lap.

His Mudhorn signet on a pendant around your neck. Your belly soft and round with his ad.

Din banished the vision as soon as it had appeared, shoving the acute sense of longing that squeezed his ribcage deep inside himself. “…I want to,” he rasped, his voice tight. “But I can’t. Not yet.”

The marshal arched a brow at that. “What’s stopping you?”

“I need to get Grogu to a Jedi.”

“Okay, sure.” She waved her empty mug dismissively, clearly unimpressed with the response. “So you find a Jedi, you take the kid to them, then what?”

Then what?

The bounty hunter had been asking himself that question endlessly over the last few days. It had been a question before, of course, but after what had transpired on the shores of Maramere, the consequences of that question had grown even heavier, even more complex. There was a time when he had assumed that once Grogu was no longer in the picture, you would leave the Razor Crest – that you would ask him to drop you off at some shipbuilding hub like Corellia or Eriadu, somewhere that you could put your considerable skillset to good use now that there wasn’t a tiny green toddler in need of a babysitter. Then, he had determined that he would simply go back to bounty hunting. Perhaps Karga would be kind enough to put him in touch with one of his colleagues at the Guild, someone in need of hunters of his caliber who might actually have a sufficient stream of work for him.

It would be a lonely existence, going from caring for two other beings to being on his own once more, and Din didn’t relish the thought, but he would survive. He had done so for years before Grogu came into his life; he could do it again.

Now, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that when Grogu was gone, you would remain. He knew you well enough to know that you would not willingly choose to be separated from him now, not after the things that you had confessed to him, bare and impossibly close in the cramped quarters of his bunk. And he certainly did not want you to leave.

But the warm bubble of newfound intimacy had burst the moment the Crest had landed on Nevarro, and as much as he cursed himself for it, he could not seem to quiet the doubts hovering ever-present at the back of his mind.

Eventually, he replied, “Then…I don’t know.”

Unfortunately, such an ambiguous answer was unacceptable to Cara Dune. Decisive, quick-to-action, fiery Cara Dune. Rolling her eyes at him, she sat up straighter in her chair, slamming her mug onto the table in a gesture that had several other cantina patrons glancing her way in concern. “Do you love her?” she demanded.

Din sighed, steeling himself for the unpleasant conversation now looming on the horizon. “Yes.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“I’m not getting into this now,” he said stiffly, his jaw tight.

Dune groaned dramatically and leaned toward him. “Din. Look at me.”

The bounty hunter startled at the use of his name, and he obeyed on instinct, meeting her flinty eyes through his visor. Although she had learned his name during their run-in with Moff Gideon over a year ago, she had never used it before now, choosing to continue calling him “Mando.”

“Do you remember Sorgan?” she asked.

Din frowned, cocking his head in confusion. “Of course, I do.” The swamp planet where they had met. How could he forget? And what was she getting at?

“Do you remember Omera?”

Dank farrik. Omera.

The Mandalorian felt an uneasiness settle in the pit of his stomach at the mention of her name, and he fought the urge to stand up out of his seat right then and walk out the door. But before he could think of anything cutting to say in response, Dune plowed on.

“Omera cared for you, and you cared for her,” she said severely, maintaining unforgiving eye contact as she spoke. “And when you had to leave, when you had to take Grogu away to protect her village, it hurt you. I gave you a hard time about it then, but I saw how it affected you. You wanted that life. You wanted that safe, quiet, stable life with your little boy and someone who loved you. And you couldn’t have it then, but you could have it now.”

Maker, Din hated how right she was. It had been so long since they had spent any real time together; he had almost forgotten that charming quality of hers. Cara had always had a talent for cutting right to the heart of a situation, for breaking down barriers and seeing things as they were even when others attempted to brush them under the proverbial rug. This time, it had a wave of defensiveness rolling through him, setting his teeth on edge and sending a flash of heat up the back of his neck.

“What’s your point?” he spat, seething.

“My point is, that girl?” The ex-Shock Trooper jammed her thumb in your direction with a sharp gesture. Thankfully, you didn’t notice, as you were still fully occupied with Grogu, watching as he plucked weeds from between the flagstones on the patio and held them up for you to see. “That girl would follow you anywhere. To the end of the galaxy and back. So if you have any doubts, if you think that this isn’t going to work out, you need to tell her now. She doesn’t deserve to be strung along while you figure out what you want.”

The Mandalorian was shaking his head before she had even finished speaking. Hackles now officially raised, he said, “I’m not stringing her along. It’s not that, not…exactly.”

Dune inclined her head at him, spreading her hands wide in front of her as if to silently say, “Go on.”

Kriffing hells. She was going to make him say it. Thankful for the impassivity of his helmet, Din felt a flush rising in his cheeks as he admitted, “In my Tribe…there is no precedent for marrying outside of the culture.”

It sounded absurd now that he said it out loud, for so many reasons, not the least of which being that it was certifiably insane behavior to be thinking so seriously about marriage this early into…whatever your relationship was. You had only been together for a handful of days, all of them in the relative insulation of hyperspace. If you knew what he was thinking, if you knew the permanence of the way he saw your future together, you would be well within your rights to run as far away as you could manage.

Dune, however, seemed completely unperturbed by this revelation. Instead, she focused on another portion of his confession entirely. “Wait, seriously? No Mandalorian has ever married someone who isn’t Mandalorian before? That can’t be right.”

“In other Tribes, I’m sure they have. But my covert, my people, they follow the old Ways. If she were willing to convert, to take the Creed and become Mandalorian herself, no one would protest it.”

The marshal quirked an eyebrow. “And if she didn’t?”

“I don’t know.” Din looked down at the table in front of him, studying the grain of the wood, the glistening, wet rings left behind by the abandoned mugs of ale. “Like I said, there’s no precedent for it. I would need to seek the guidance of the naur’alor.”

“The armorer? The one we ran into down in the sewers after your covert was sacked?”

He nodded once. “Yes. I have no idea where she is now.”

“Well, you’ve got to be the most skilled bounty hunter in the Outer Rim at this point,” Dune said wryly. “Sounds like if anyone could track her down, it would be you.” The Mandalorian shrugged at that, not agreeing exactly but not protesting the assertion, either. “Well. I’ll leave it alone for now. But can I offer you a piece of advice, from one warrior to another?”

Letting out a long sigh, he finally met her gaze once again. “If I say no, will you do it anyway?”

“Probably.”

“Then go ahead.”

Din watched as her hard face softened somewhat, warmed in the long shadows of the setting Nevarran sun streaming through the open archway onto the patio. “People like you and me, we don’t often get to experience the…soft parts of life. The good parts. All we ever get to see is the pain. The blood and the cruelty. The never-ending fight to survive.” Pensive, she ran the tips of her fingers over the blue armored brass knuckles molded across the backs of her gloves. “If this girl can give you peace, I think you need to do whatever you have to do to hang onto that. I hope your armorer gives you her blessing, I really do. But if she doesn’t…” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to think about what life would look like if you decided you didn’t give a shit about what anyone else says. You said it yourself. There’s more than one way to be Mandalorian.”

He swallowed thickly, the rush of fondness he felt for her friendship diluted somewhat by the sheer panic such an idea induced. Go against the naur’alor? Defy the Creed? His voice was gruff with emotion as he admitted, “I…don’t know any other way.”

“Maybe not. But you could learn.”

Releasing a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, Din looked away, casting about desperately for a new topic of conversation, anything to direct that discerning gaze away from him and all of the uncharacteristic vulnerability she had managed to pull from the depths of him this evening. Eventually, after a moment or two of charged silence, he settled on spinning the tables back on her.

“What about you?” he asked. “Have you found those…soft parts, here on Nevarro? That peace?”

The marshal scoffed good-naturedly, seemingly willing to allow the redirection. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms over her chest with a grin. “Still searching, I’m afraid. Now that you mention it, though, I do have one more question for you.”

“Hm?”

“That girl of yours, she have a sister?”

A startled laugh burst from Din’s chest, crackling and warping through his vocoder. Out on the patio, you glanced over your shoulder at the sound, sending both him and Cara a blinding smile. Fuck. Honestly, he could understand the sentiment. You really were stunning.

---

Grogu only lasted another half an hour wandering around outside Ninda’s Cantina before he began whining to be picked up and held. Wide, dark eyes bleary in the setting sun, Din watched as you expertly nestled the boy against your breast, murmuring softly to him as you ran your fingertips over his downy white hair. Pillowing his little head against you, he looked ready to pass out at any moment.

The bounty hunter took that as his cue to take his leave of Marshal Dune for the evening in favor of escorting you back to the inn for the night. Karga had used his political privileges to get the three of you a room at the most popular establishment in town. Din had, of course, offered to pay for the room himself, but Karga refused to have any of it. He could still feel the flush that had crept up under his cowl at the waggling eyebrows the older man had given him when he revealed that the room boasted a massive, single bed.

He hoped the revelation wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, but given that you had been sleeping spooned against him in the too-small quarters of his bunk for the last several days anyway, he assumed you would be in favor of the arrangement.

As he held the door open for you and bid you to enter first, his assumption proved correct almost immediately.

“Din!” you exclaimed, your enthusiasm hushed so as not to disturb the snoozing child in your arms. You took in the room with round, almost starstruck eyes – the polished, dark wood floor, the lush area rugs, the eclectic, tasteful art on the walls, and the truly giant bed that surely would have taken up half of the cargo hold on the Razor Crest piled high with thick down comforters and more fluffy pillows than he could count. Soft, incandescent orbs hovered near the ceiling in the center of the room, casting the entire space in warm light, and in the middle of a plush seating area, a basket of fruit and a glass pitcher of some kind of beverage, dripping with condensation, had been left on a low coffee table.

“This is so nice! Have you been here before?”

Din shook his head. “No, never.”

“I hope we didn’t put Karga out too much staying here for a couple days.”

Removing his satchel, he dropped it into one of the overstuffed armchairs then reached for yours to do the same. “Don’t worry about him. Karga might be the richest man in the parsec these days. He can afford a two-day room fee.”

You drew your lower lip between your teeth. “I suppose you’re right.” Wandering into the attached refresher, you flicked on the light only to gasp delightedly, “Din! They have a bathtub!” You peaked your head around the doorframe then, a wicked smile on your face. “It’s big enough for two.”

The image of you luxuriating in an oversized tub, your long hair piled on top of your head, only your shoulders and kneecaps visible above the bubbles flashed through his mind then. Settling in behind you, cradling you back against his chest, the soft globes of your ass cupping the length of his cock as he played with your soapy tits. Running fervid kisses down the length of your neck, gripping your waist, pulling open your thighs, seeking the heat between your legs with his fingers as you moaned into his ear –

Kriffing hells. He needed to get ahold of himself. The two of you were not alone. Grogu was still very much in the room, and although he was dozing now, Din could not count on that lasting long enough to do everything he knew he would want to do to you in that tub. Or in that massive, glorious bed. For a brief moment, the Mandalorian cursed the lack of privacy.

But then, dropping his gaze from your teasing grin, he took in the image of the child he had cared for for so long, his wrinkly little face serene in your arms, so tiny and helpless and yet also not. Grogu possessed powers Din could never comprehend, could never hope to foster. And Maker forbid that those powers grow into something that Grogu couldn’t control. The bounty hunter would be severely ill-equipped to intervene in that eventuality. Finding a Jedi to help him, to train him and protect him, was the best he could offer given the circumstances; he knew it to be true, to the core of his being.

So why did it feel like preparing to sever a part of himself, to contemplate letting him go?

Realizing you were waiting on a response, Din offered you a wan smile behind his helmet, hoping you could sense it in his voice. “Tempting, cyar’ika. Very tempting.”  

You, however, were too perceptive for your own good. Eyebrows drawing together in concern, you observed, “You’re thinking about Tython.”

The Mandalorian sighed, hesitating for only a moment before nodding once. “Yes.”

“We don’t have to take him, you know. We could just…keep him.”

He wished you wouldn’t say that. He knew you meant well, that you were simply trying to cheer him up, but you knew as well as he did why this was the only way forward. To imply that he had another choice was less than helpful. “You know I can’t do that,” he retorted, impatience and annoyance filtering into his voice.

You blinked back at him, eyes wide as it dawned on you that perhaps now wasn’t the time to make light of the situation. Offering him an apologetic smile, you exited the ‘fresher and came to stand next to him at the foot of the bed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

The three of you stood in silence for a moment, the only sound the distant hum of the Nevarran nightlife on the street outside waking with the oncoming dusk. Stomach sour, Din took one of your hands in his in the quiet, running the leathery pad of his thumb across the ridge of your knuckles. He shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. You brought his hand to your mouth and dropped a kiss to the back of his glove. All is forgiven, it seemed to say.

“Well, if we’ve only got two more nights,” you began, “let’s make the most of it, shall we?”

The bounty hunter felt his eyebrows raise, and he met your gaze with his. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

A secret smile quirked the corners of your lips, and then you were passing Grogu off to him, slipping his empty carrier off your body, and toeing off your boots.

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” you said. “Why don’t you get comfy while I get everything set up?”

“Get…comfy?”

Waving toward the bed, which took up the majority of the room, you chuckled to yourself. “Yes! Take off your armor and get in the bed. Take Grogu with you. Now, where is the holoprojector in here?”

As Din kicked off his boots and began removing his beskar piece by piece, he watched as you scanned the room, looking along the floor, the ceiling, and even in the dark wooden wardrobe along the far wall. Eventually, you uncovered a control panel tucked discretely into a piece of decor designed to look like a bookend and made a triumphant noise.

“Ah, there it is!” A few experimental button presses later, and a small holoprojector dropped down from the ceiling, just a few feet from the end of the bed. “Now, let’s see what they’ve got in their database…” You thumbed through the welcome screen, pulling up an interface with seemingly countless holovid options organized by planet of origin, genre, and original broadcast language. You scanned through a few but didn’t seem to see anything that caught your eye immediately. Clearly overwhelmed by the available choices, eventually you asked, “Do you have any favorite holovids from when you were a kid?”

By this time, the bounty hunter, clad in only his flight suit and his helmet, had settled himself in the bed, propped up against the thickly upholstered headboard with a mound of pillows behind his back. In his lap, Grogu had begun to stir, and he watched you work with interest, his ears quirked up, eyes wide.

“I don’t think so…” Din trailed off, considering. In the Fighting Corps on Concordia, holovids were rare commodities, traded between the older children on encrypted datapads in exchange for better duty shifts or coveted snacks from the cafeteria. The commanders had believed that such forms of entertainment were frivolous and unnecessary, and in what little leisure time their foundlings were granted, they had been encouraged to spend time reading cultural and military histories, or at the very least Mandalorian folklore. And before Concordia… Well. His memories of his birth parents were few and far between. When he thought of them, all he could see was the day the Separatists attacked.

Except…

“Wait.”

You looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

“Knights of the Old Republic.” The name left his lips before it had even fully formed in his memory. “I remember watching Knights of the Old Republic. With my parents on Aq Vetina.”

And he did remember it. Soft linen pajamas, a woolen blanket, his body warm with the soft presence of his mother on his right, his father on his left. The faint blue tinge of the holoprojector in their living room, blaster fire and lightsabers flashing across the viewer. He had been so small then, no more than 7 or 8 years old.

He hadn’t thought about that in…decades.

Your expression softened at his response, a fond smile on your lips. “I’ve heard of that. It’s an old, animated serial, right?”

Din flushed and brought up a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “Not old. But maybe…before your time.”

“Of course,” you soothed, smirking. Refocusing on the control panel before you, you continued, “Well, it looks like we’re in luck. They have all eight seasons in their database. Do you have a preference where we start?”

“Start at the beginning.”

You nodded once and selected the pilot episode, tagged with an original air date of nearly 40 years ago, and the holoprojector flared to life in the space a few feet from the bottom of the bed. Dimming the lights, you quickly stripped off your deep blue boilersuit and crawled in bed next to him, settling yourself against the extravagant pillows in nothing but your breast band and a pair of matching black undershorts. Grogu cooed at you happily, reaching out a tiny, three-clawed hand to fondle a lock of hair that had fallen from your braid.

And so, the three of you spent the evening huddled up in bed together as episode after episode of Knights of the Old Republic streamed in the background, and if Din blinked back a few tears as he watched you slowly nod off next to him, Grogu nestled between his body and yours, he supposed he could be forgiven for that. This was his family, his aliit, his clan of three, and no matter what happened on Tython, no one could take that from him.

---

If you're following along, you know where this is headed. Brace yourselves for a collision with canon events. Also, the KOTOR reference was a little treat for my husband, who proofreads every chapter for me before I post. I hope it brought my fellow gamers some joy. :)

Translations:

ad - child (son or daughter) naur’alor - smith, craftsman, specifically a metalsmith that works with beskar. It's a title that's called out in the Kyr'tsad Mando'ad, a manifesto of the Death Watch and is later recognized in the book The Bounty Hunter's Code by Boba Fett. Given the Children of the Watch's connection to Death Watch, this felt like an appropriate formal title for the Armorer. aliit - clan, identity, family

[adhd-fandom-hyperfocus]

✧₊⁺ Dance with Me ✧₊⁺

Pairing: Roboute Guilliman x OC (Astraea)

A drabble from Wisdom In The Stars

Author's Note: I am aware that there was a xenos in 40k already called Nephilim. Astraea is not from that species, merely, they just happen to have the same name.

Quick pro quo on drabbles in this work:

This is all very self-indulgent and I will not apologize. If the Grimdark can be extra, so can I!

Bobby G's love interest is a xenos of my making, so they are as long-lived as him, but not a perpetual.

Again mad self-indulgent. Oozing copium by the ton

Rowboat Guillotine deserves a happy life and some damn peace

So many Primarchs are going to be back in some drabbles. Again no fucks given

Proofread? Never heard of her

Warnings: G-Money has some very slight nsfw thought at the end. Very slight. That's it.

18+ Minors DNI

★。------ ＼｜／------。★

To ally with Xenos, was a heretical thing, no matter the circumstances. No matter how much they needed that help. Guilliman knew the practical approach was swiftly dealing with those who opposed him. However, this might have been a push against the church too hard. Roboute was prepared for a bloody response. Yet, Astraea refused such things. Refused to just cut them all down to ensure ease. While she seemed as disgusted by the ecclesiarchy as him, she seemed to pity them more than anything. Something Roboute felt was far worse.

So to smooth things out, She and some of her people, diplomats, historians, and entertainers, attended a gathering to celebrate this new alliance, and hopefully, an even better Imperium as they set off to help their cut-off brothers and sisters. Roboute suspected some of her Seraphem and Maidens of Valor were among those attending. Hiding among them should things go poorly.

He could not express enough that Astraea agreeing to have this alliance look like her people were offering to serve under the Imperium made things easier, and he was forever thankful. Once he would have forced this kind of thing. Xenos as equals? A morbid thought. But now? A thinly veiled lie to keep the peace. One her people willingly were taking the short end for.

How in the time he had spent with her, traveling back to Terra, and planning all that is happening and to come, she swayed his mind like nothing ever could. Like a spell she was weaving, and he still felt she might be. How her opinion so quickly grew to carry more and more weight. Or how his eyes started to yern to gaze upon her. Her ability to rule, but stay humble. To honor he duty but find time to be selfish; it was a skill he was never allowed to have.

She made him look inward, something he dared not do. Roboute always feared what he might learn about himself. What truths lay there waiting to be found. But she had shown him hers, and the image of what she forsook for the weaker image before him, still haunted his mind. There were things greater than chaos and they cared not for what was beneath them.

Roboute Guilliman listened idly to some nobles about how Astraea's people's ships translated into real space and in such time. He oped this proved without words, that an alliance was better than them being an enemy. They thought the Imperium had impressive tech? These people made all of man still look like cave dwellers at times. But among the crowd of dull faces and nameless people of petty importance, he saw her enter.

No call of her arrival, nothing. Just her moving ever so gracefully among the sea of sycophants. All her people were catching eyes. They were taller than baseline humans, and their eyes both drew people in and made them uneasy. But her, oh Throne her...

She was resplendent, the beauty of a thousand stars captured in a mortal body. The terrifying beauty, the savage grace. How the fabric of her dress moved and clung so rightly to her, draped in the right ways to extenuate what Roboute Guilliman was gazing upon was the manifesting of terrible beauty in the real.

The thin fabric of the palest blue, shimmering so slightly as if some of the stars that made her fell upon her dress. Delicate silver chains hung from her with gemstones, some looking as if galaxies rested in them. Perhaps there was? The crown upon her head was like a sunburst and the way the lighting caught it was just as awe-inspiring.

Oh normally he would find such decadence too much. Obscene even; reminding him too much of Fulgrim. But her? It was a show of what was condensed inside that soul; heavenly beauty. All of them did. Moving with a unnatural grace and motions of a soul not used to it's body. Their luminous attire catching the eye of all.

As music played it became an interesting spectical of the Nephilium dancing to Terran music, in their many cultural ways; followed my humans over taking the floor and dancing. Like they were waves taking turns to move upon the shore. Though some humans did arrive with the Nephilium, a bridge between as it were. It would seem some human colonies were lost during the Age of Strife and some were saved from breeding planets. Something The Lord Regnant did not know existed. Something when he could, he planned to deal with personally.

“Odd, I thought the Lord Regent would be swarming with people, or at least out partaking in the the festivities. After all it is for your name, yes? Your impending victory.”

Astraea's voice even among all this noise was a calm river, who's waters when they touched his eardrums lulled him into a sense of ease. Oh the power she weaved by just existing. Just like a god, he thought dangerously. He hadn't noticed the noble that was rambling at him had left; he gotten so lost in his own head.

“They are all afraid of me,” Roboute answered, “Afraid of me, and too awestruck to dare approach me without need.” he knew the micro hint of sadness in his voice that was unavoidable was picked up on by her. Nothing seemed to pass by her notice, not even the slightest change of breathing, how a heart beat. The micro expressions of being a creature of feelings. All were laid bare before her, and the other methuselah. Roboute wondered if among those in attendance there were others. Astraea done well to keep the others a secret for now.

While deep down he felt alone, tired of being put so high up none dared to even look upon him; he was almost glad. It meant there was less of him hearing the putrid spew of their false religion and deification of him.

“And I do not dance.” he added.

Astraea craned a brow, “Do not dance, or do not know how?”

Roboute scoffed and feigned some level of offense, “My lady I will have you know I am the son of Konor Guilliman. I know how to dance, and all the pleasantries one is expected to have when at a gathering such as this,” he gestured to himself, “however, I do not know if you noticed, but my size compared to baseline humans is rather great...I always felt awkward dancing.”

It was hard to dance when your partner was eye level with your crotch. He only tried to dance a few times before he decided he rather face hoards of green skins than that embarrassment again. He wasn't as graceful or charismatic as Sanguinius, or Horus, as much as he hated to think of the latter. So he would start rambling about how dances were not made for one of his size and prattle on about upcoming laws. He would bore his partner to death so they would leave him.

There was a soft touch on his hand. So gentle and delicate he almost didn't notice it, “This is like in your human books, where the heroine or hero take their love interests hand and dance. And they do so like no one is watching.” Astraea said with such an even tone, it made the statement more amusing.

Like she wasn't fully aware what she said, but he knew better.

“Lady Astraea are you asking me to dance?” Guilliman smiled fondly, looking at her hand in his. It was so much smaller, yet held so much more power; he couldn't explain why, but it made his hearts pound.

“I am, is that not clear? We can dance however we like, as awkward as we like. I can show you some dances of my people, then you can blame the awkwardness on being diplomatic.” she offered.

Roboute knelt down and kissed her hand, “My Lady it would be my honor to share a dance with you. But tell me,” he spoke low now, “Am I your love interest in this book?”

His eyes widened with shock, was Astraea blushing? Had he managed to crack the ever cool demeanor of the Methuselah of Undoing? The Great Wakener? Now this was an accomplishment he would hold close to his chest for a while to come he thought.

“I do not know? Is my flirting working? This is how humans flirt, yes? If it is not I would prefer you act as if none of this happened. As I promised I would not manipulate your mind, so I will not make you forget. But believe it or not, I have not learned in my long years to handle rejection of this kind.”

Though he words were in the same steady cadence she always had, the red on her cheeks was spreading, betraying the mask of otherworldlyness. It gave her a more...human look.

“You are flirting?” Guilliman was genuinely surprised.

Yes, he had read how he was described in some records, seen the many statues. Heard whispers of those who thought his ears wouldn't hear. But if he found these things to be true, he was not so certain. And no one to his knowledge ever flirted with him. Too afraid, or figured he was beyond them. What was this bubbling feeling in his chest? Was his hearts okay? It couldn't be magic. The primarch would give credit, that Astraea seemed to hold her word true, and did not interfere with his mind or anyone's in the Imperium unless he asked. Perhaps, it was effects from his battles with his traitor brothers?

“Like I said only if it is working. I do not wish to shame us both.”

Roboute smiled, and decided to take the lead, bringing them both out onto the floor. Oh how the whispers went wild. Like sharp hissing of a pit of snakes. But he tuned them out; he had to if he wanted to enjoy this fleeting moment. This little blip in his life for himself.

“I did not know you could be embarrassed.” he continued as he turned to face her and take her other hand.

“You have not answered me.” was her only response.

“I cannot right answer right now, I am afraid. I will be honest, I am not ready for the answer I want to give.” it was an honest answer. It was not the one he wanted to give, but he would not lie. Couldn't lie. And Thorne he wanted to be a little selfish.

Astraea smiled and bowed her head, “Well, it is not a no.”

“Exactly, so this dance...” he asked, they were now out on the floor, and eyes were upon them. Glaring and judging. Picking apart every move, every expression. It must be driving them all mad to see this xenos had him truly smiling. Had their demigod belittling himself human novelties and joys.

“All you do is try to compliment the move you think I am about to do, and I do the same for you. It is a dance many young couples do, and eventually it just becomes their dance. It becomes ever more graceful as they grow together.”

That was such a beautiful idea, and this allowed him to use his brain for something more creative, yet still just as strategic. He had to guess her move, as it was happening and make sure he could match it in kind with a good gesture. Make the dance beautiful and uniquely theirs. Oh this was more exciting then just repeating the same steps as everyone else.

“Very well, let us begin.”

Perhaps he should be a bit more surprised how easily his mind switched from all the theoreticals and practicals thinking of running an Imperium, and war strategies, to figuring out every possible move he could guess she could make while they danced, when he only had one hand, when he had move. When she moved to the left or right. The sacred geometry of it all, their movements poetry being written. Co authors of book of secrets and hidden truths. How she wheeled and pun and he glided across the floor.

It was as if they were dancing among the stars, just them, in one glorious harmony. He felt light as air, weightless.

Her smile and how she hummed to the score that played. It kept him there in rapture. He wanted to be close to her; closer. Close in a way he couldn't describe. Like if souls were real, he wanted his to melt with hers. To touch someone in a way he never had before. He wanted to be inside her.

The last thought sent a cold chill down his spine, and Fulgrim's cruel words burned into his mind again. How everything he did, everything he felt, he would have to worry that it was bringing him one step closer. Suddenly he felt ill, disgusted with himself. But the score ended then. Everything crashed around him. Sounds returned and suddenly it was all too loud and he didn't want all these eyes on him.

Roboute bowed awkwardly, Astraea looked at him with worry, “Guilliman? Did I offend you somehow?”

“No,” he shook his head, his tone weak, “Just...excuse me. I need air.” was all he chose to say before leaving her standing there alone.

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 27: One Eye Open

Chapter Word Count: 5,198

TW

Assumed alcohol consumption and assumed stalking this chapter.

Master List | Prev | Next

It started with a letter placed in your mailbox. 

You were coming home from a night out with Jeonghan when you stopped to grab your mail, sorting through the bills as you took the stairs up, stumbling upon an envelope with no return address. 

Confused, you read over your typed full name, not even your changed name, your birth name before you changed it, and your address. As you neared your apartment door, you glanced around cautiously, not seeing anything out of place but quickly slid into your apartment. Dropping everything at the front door, you made sure everything was locked and secured before your curiosity got the better of you. 

Though hesitant, you ripped the letter open and removed the single sheet of paper within, unfolding it slowly. Staring back at you against the white sheet was, again, typed black words. 

We are watching

That had you swallowing down your nerves as you continued to read down the list. 

At the top was your birth name, nearly foreign to you after so many years of not hearing it. It was followed by your birthday and age, even going as far as to list your hometown and what hospital you were born in. Your stomach dropped to the floor, seeing your parents’ names printed there as well. 

Flipping over the paper found nothing. Once more you read over the information and shook your head to snap out of the unnerving anxiety that coursed through your veins. 

“This is some sick joke.” You managed to mutter, running a hand through your hair and  crumbled up the paper, tossing it in the garbage. “Probably those fucking asshole aunts that wanted nothing to do with me as a kid.” 

Justifying it was your best answer, knowing the guys in SVT were probably the only ones that knew most of this information outside of your blood relatives, along with your job because they ran a background check on you. A small part of your gut was telling you to take it seriously but a much larger part wasn’t going to dwell on it until it became an actual issue.

It would be stupid to worry about it too much, right? 

Siyeon had texted you early Friday afternoon, letting you know she needed you at the shop to make sure the dress for the ball fit. Though you did have plans with Joshua, you messaged him, asking to meet later due to Siyeon’s request, which he agreed thankfully due to something coming up at the shipping company. 

When you pulled up to the shop after work, you were surprised to see Gahyeon pulling into the spot beside you. You really only knew her from being another 99 liner with Chan, Wooyoung, and them, and you were kinda excited for the karaoke night tomorrow to actually properly talk to her. 

“Mouse!” She beamed when she stepped out from her car, seeing you join her towards the front of the vehicles. “Did she call you in for the fitting too?” 

“Yeah,” You snickered, following after her and she hurried inside. “You were invited?” 

“Mhmm~ Si and I are going this year since Minji isn’t in the country right now.”

Running through the names in your head, you tried to figure out which one of them was Minji…you remember Siyeon telling you what each of their names were but you frowned… 

“Which one is Minji again?” You whispered, blanking on the name. 

“Our Leader.” She gave you a wink and it came back to you, Countess , Minji. Gotta remember that one… 

“Thanks. I’m still trying to memorize some names but I don’t hear them all the time.” 

“Nah, I understand. You are coming out with us tomorrow, right?” Gahyeon pulled the door open for the two of you, motioning you inside before you nodded. 

“Mmm, Woo wouldn’t let me say no and Chan said he’d throw me in the car.” 

“After so long, I have another woman there with me.” She joked and Siyeon was before the two of you in an instant. 

One look around showed the store was overall empty aside, no other workers present as Siyeon took your arm.

“You’re here.” There was mischief in her eyes when she looked at you and Gahyeon rolled her eyes. “Let’s get you dressed.” 

“Yah, what about me?” 

Siyeon waved her off but the youngest of Dreamcatcher only smirked along with Siyeon. You…didn’t like that too much but you were being whisked away quickly to the dressing rooms in the back of the store. 

“It’s hanging on the hook. Put it on then come out so I can pin it.” And the curtain was closed in your face. 

Turning around, your eyes widened at the deep red gown hanging before you. 

From the front, it seemed like a halter top with a golden chain collar holding the bodice up. The neckline was low, reaching the middle of your sternum, definitely intentional to show off your body. The one thing that you were uncertain about was the body style of the dress, it was more fitted, trumpet style that would hug your waist, hips, and legs. You were unsure if you were going to like the fit but Siyeon already put so much effort into it… 

You stripped down and took the dress down from the hanger, turning it around, only to chuckle at the same golden chains that went from the back of the halter bow, attaching to the side of the collar chain. 

It took a moment for you to figure out how to get into the dress, with the halter top and the low back, you were afraid you’d be showing a little too much but once you managed to slide it on, you were pleasantly surprised. 

While it did hug your body, it wasn’t tight and the velvet material wasn’t scratchy, but rather soft and comfortable. Though the bodice was low cut, it wasn’t flimsy to expose you and had decent structure to properly protect and cover you. The surprise you found as you flattened the dress and went to move was the slit cut into the front of the dress. Looking in the mirror around you, it reached just above the knee, but as you moved your leg out to take a step it rested mid-thigh. 

With the extra material at the bottom to take in for the heels you pick, you made sure everything was secured before pushing the curtain open, meeting both Gahyeon and Siyeon’s eyes. Standing on the pedestal dressed in a gorgeous navy blue dress with silver star patterns throughout the material was Gahyeon, playing on her phone while the older woman worked. Before her, Siyeon sat on the floor, pinning the layers to hem later, but her eyes lit up at the sight of you in the red dress. 

“It turned out better than I expected.” You watched as her eyes ran over your body and you snorted, kicking the slit open some. 

“Had fun with that?” Pointing down to it, Siyeon winked. 

“That was thanks to your boyfriends .” 

“Wait- boyfriends? Who?” 

“Little Miss Mouse has Shua and Han wrapped around her fingers.” Siyeon said dramatically, going back to her work on her youngest member’s dress. 

“I don’t have them wrapped around my fingers.” Taking a seat on the couch to wait for your turn, Gahyeon rolled her eyes, leveling with you through the mirror. 

“You definitely do because whenever Han calls to talk, he can’t shut up about you. Though the Shua situation must have been recent if I haven’t heard about it.” 

“Han told me and I just forgot to tell.” Siyeon added. 

Crossing your arms over your chest, you gave a huff. “Why am I not surprised that you gossip about it?” 

“Because you have Han so whipped that it’s ridiculous.” Siyeon laughed, placing the last pin on the skirt before moving onto the bodice. “Through all the years I’ve known him, I haven’t even heard him talk about the members as much as he talks about you.” 

Despite your denial, your cheeks slowly flushed, “He doesn’t talk about me that much…”

“Just because you don’t hear it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”

A pout formed on your face and you couldn’t help slouching down in your seat, flustered. Siyeon was quick to get the pinning done on Gahyeon’s dress before the youngest was set off to change. You were pulled up next, seeing the analytical glint in the oldest woman’s eyes, her head tilting to the side. 

“What?” You asked but she was walking off towards the back, leaving you standing there with no explanation. 

It took a few minutes for her to come back, a short stack of two shoe boxes in hand as she sank down to sit on the floor. Watching her take each told off, you were met with three different sets of golden colored heels. The first your eyes rested on were strappy, ment to wrap up around your calf but Siyeon was quick to move them aside, seemingly not liking them as she gazed at the full outfit. The second seemed more appropriate. These heels, a pair of closed toed stilettos, were similar gold color to the chains of the dress, decorated in a beautiful filigree pattern. 

With a simple ask from Siyeon to try them on, you slid the heels on, gazing in the mirrors before you, nodding at the selection. At your feet, She wasted no time in finding the length needing to be cut off, pin after pin placed in the fabric methodically. Gahyeon emerged from the dressing room beside yours and threw herself stomach first on the couch, phone in hand. 

“Wooyoung won’t shut up in the groupchat.” She muttered, rolling her eyes, seeing her reflection in the mirror scroll almost endlessly on her phone. “Something about the other 99 liners in his group coming with us tomorrow.” 

“I forgot there are four other 99ers in their group…” You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Who all is going?” 

“So it’s Woo, San, Yeosang, Yunho, Mingi, Binnie, Yeonjun, Chan, you, and me.” She typed something out quickly, the sound of her nails against the screen was heard. “We tried getting the youngest of Twice but she isn’t in the country either right now.” 

“So we are entering into a sausage fest?” 

Siyeon snorted before a laugh was bubbling out of her. “You would know, Mouse.” 

“Go fuck yourself.” Glaring down at her, you huffed in annoyance. “I didn’t ask to be brought into the frat house that is SVT. Much to everyone’s perception of them, they are still just men . I am not even sure how any one of them survived this long with only a few of them knowing how to properly cook.” 

In response, Siyeon only laughed again, finishing the work on the skirt before standing up, checking for any issues in the top half of the dress. She shifted the material of the dress here and there, only taking note to change the length of the chains until it rested just above your elbows. 

You were able to change back into your work clothes, handing the dress off to your friend before joining Gahyeon on the couch, taking out your phone to see that Wooyoung did spam the chat just as she said. 

“Bruh, does he do nothing else all day but text?” 

“Sometimes, yeah. He is my friend but kinda obnoxious.” She laughed, “But hey, he said he is paying so I’m down.” 

“Thank god, I’m already at my budget for the week.” You laughed, crossing your legs, taking note of the frown on Gahyeon’s face. 

“Your budget? You guys don’t have a company or group card type thing?” 

You matched her frown. “I mean, I know they do, I’ve technically used it two or three times, but why should I be using it? It isn’t really my money, I can pay for my own things. I’m a big girl.” 

Your explanation only had her looking more puzzled. “That…Okay. Weird. That doesn’t really make sense.” 

“How is it weird-” Cut off by your phone ringing, you sighed, seeing the nickname you have for Joshua, Simp #2, pop up on your phone. You answered, still frowning down at Gahyeon who went back to her phone. “Hey, did you just finish up?” 

“ Yeah,” He sounded tired. “ Can I meet you at the diner on Tenth? Simple tonight?” 

“That isn’t a problem, Shua. I’ll see you there.” 

He hummed out in agreement before the line went dead and Gahyeon was back to glancing up at you. “Why is it weird that I don’t use the company card?”

Pursing her lips, she looked to the side than back at you. “Well for one, you are technically in the business . That is just obvious. For another thing, you are dating two of them. You can’t really back out of this life now.” 

Maybe she had a point, but at the same time, you were fine with how you were living now. You didn’t need the metaphorical handout, hell you were still partially weird about the car, but that was a separate issue from Seungcheol. 

“On top of that, you and I both know that Han is paying for this outfit and everything that comes with it and he paid for the necklace, and the gala dress-” 

“Okay- I get it.” You sighed, pushing your hair back from your face. “I’m fine with how I am. I don’t want to overstep my place or anything, okay? I don’t want to bring it up unless I’m really in need of some help.” 

Once more, she looked puzzled but shrugged. “As long as you aren’t struggling, okay.” 

Gathering your things, you stood up, giving her a pat on the head. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, I’m going to meet Shua.” 

She snickered, “Have fun on your date~” 

“Tell Siyeon I said bye.” 

“Mhmm.” 

“Why do you have that look on your face?” Sitting across from Joshua in the small diner, he tilted his head, eyes showing some concern. 

Furrowing your brows for a moment, you shook your head. “What look?” 

He snickered, reaching across the table with his palms facing up. Slowly, you placed your hands on top of his, letting his thumb run over the back of your hands. “The look where you are both pouting and thinking about something that is bothering you.” 

“When I was at the dress shop, Gahyeon basically asked me why I don’t ever use the company card myself.” 

Joshua hummed, raising his eyes from your hands to your face. “And why is that bothering you?” 

“I…don’t know.”

Honestly, you didn’t know why it bothered you so much. The drive over here was full of the question about why but you couldn’t come up with a relatively good answer for yourself. 

“Are you or Hannie bothered that I don’t use it? Like is it a big deal to you that I don’t?” 

Joshua moved his head side to side, flattening his lips in thought. “I wouldn’t say I hate that you don’t at least use it. I don’t know Jeonghan's opinions, but I know personally that I’d like it if you let me, us , take care of you, even if it’s just Han and I’s money. It’s one of those things where I know I have the money to provide for you and while I do that currently with certain things, I want to be able to do more if needed. However, I also know that you want to take care of yourself and probably won’t admit you were struggling until you really need it.” 

“I hate that you can read my mind with the last part.” Dropping your head on the table, you sighed, giving his hands a squeeze. 

“What was said at the shop that got it in your head though?”

“We were talking about tomorrow night when I got out with the guys and ‘Hyeon, Woo said he was going to pay for everything and I joked about how I’m at my budget for the week so I’m happy he was and she asked why I wasn't using the card.” Lifting your head, you peered through your lashes to see Joshua’s reaction. 

“If you are struggling, you know we don’t mind.” 

Once more, you dropped your head. “I know…I’m not struggling, just so you know. I am within my budgeting, I should hopefully get a raise towards the end of the year, things are okay.” 

“I’m not worried,” He traced aimless patterns with his thumbs against the back of your knuckles. “You have a good head on your shoulders. But you know any one of us will help if you need it.” 

“Stop being sickeningly sweet.” 

“Mm…Nah.” Joshua gave a wink and you rolled your eyes. “That is what boyfriends are for.” 

Wooyoung messaged the chat to dress comfortably, nothing fancy, he wanted everyone to be normal , emphasis on normal and comfortable. It’s how you ended up in your favorite stretchy, soft ripped jeans, and a very faded band t-shirt you found at a thrift store a few years ago. 

Though…losing rock paper scissors against Chan didn’t make you that upset when you arrived at the penthouse. It just meant you would have one drink and none the rest of the night so you could successfully drive the two of you back later that night. He did rub in it some, bouncing around all happy, bounding down the hall to get something from one of the rooms. 

Jeonghan and Joshua were watching something in the living room, both mindlessly on  their phones until you walked through the door. 

“Wah~ Look at my girl.” Jeonghan was at your side in an instant, encircling you within his arms, tiredly gazing down at you. “As gorgeous as ever.” 

“Hello to you too, Hannie.” Placing a kiss to his cheek, you hugged him tightly, trying your best not to get any of the little makeup you wore on the soft sweater he had on. “You look tired.” 

“Mm~ Nothing a little sleep can’t fix later. I’ll be okay, love.” His reassurance had you placing a chaste his to his lips, watching the smile bloom on his lips. 

Breaking from his hold, you shuffled over Joshua, placing yourself down on the couch beside him, kissing his cheek as you did with Jeonghan. “Hi.” 

“Hey,” He looked just as tired as Jeonghan despite getting decent sleep the night before with him staying at your apartment. “Let us know if you need help getting Chan home later.” 

“I should be fine.” Snickering, you reached up and booped his nose. “But I’ll call if I need a hand.” 

“Mouse! Come on!” Chan, hurrying back into the room, made his way to the door, phone and wallet in hand. 

Though smiling, you rolled your eyes, placing one last kiss to Joshua’s lips and standing up. Jeonghan dropped himself back on the couch as you passed him, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” 

“Sure, dad .” Chan stuck his tongue out, throwing the door open and left down the corridor. 

“It’s only going to get worse when I’m the only sober one.” You commented, waving to both of them, following Chan out of the penthouse and down the elevator. 

“Oh you know it, unless you call lover boys and have them pick both of us up and your car.” He skipped to your car once the elevator opened, waiting like an impatient child as you unlocked the doors and got in. 

Since Seungcheol changed Chan’s job within the group, he had been a lot happier, even energetic. After one of your training lessons, he thanked you, apologizing for not saying anything sooner but you waved him off, saying you were just glad to see him be himself. That also led to him actively reaching out more when you weren’t training with him and begging you to agree to go out with the 99 line even when you told him three times you already were going to go. 

The drive over the quiet, both taking the momentary peace to relax before the chaos that was apparently a 99 line get together. Chan’s phone kept going off but he ended up laughing, saying that Changbin got a flat tire and Wooyoung was picking him up. You arrived only a few minutes early, seeing Gahyeon standing outside beside San and Yeosang as you pulled into a spot. 

“Guys!” Chan hollered excitedly, beaming brightly as he clasped hands with San, giving a pat on the back as a greeting. 

“Woo is going to be late with Bin, Mingi and Yunho should be here in a few.” San grinned, giving you a wave which you returned. “Mouse.” 

“Hey, San, Yeosang.” You smiled, feeling Gahyeon link her arm with yours, snickering. 

“None of them are on time. Yeojun should be here in a moment too.” 

“We can head inside, Woo got us the larger room so we can all fit.” 

“Gotta love friends that own a karaoke bar.” Gahyeon fake swooned, pulling you along with the guys following behind. 

“Another thing I really shouldn’t be surprised about but I am.” You laughed, seeing San sidestep the two of you, turning and walking backwards. 

“Nothing should ever surprise you at this point, Mouse~” San’s wink made you scoff at him with a smile. He led the group along, pushing the thick door open and ushered everyone inside. Gahyeon pulled you down onto the nice, rater plush couch.

“All food and drinks are covered.” Yeosang’s eyes beamed. 

“Mouse promised to drive home.” Chan snickered but you hit his arm as he sat beside you. 

“Correction, rat boy, I lost rock paper scissors.” 

“Ah, just have your boyfriends pick you guys up.” Gahyeon threw in.

“Boyfriends?” Yeosang asked curiously.

You threw your head back. “Not this again!” 

Waiting on the rest of the group to arrive, you had to run down the story to Yeosang and San, where Chan would not stop butting in. San was laughing at you with Gahyeon. When Yunho, Mingi, and Yeonjun came in, the room got louder, mainly from Yunho egging on San. It only got worse when Wooyoung and Changbin walked in, sending Chan and Yeonjun into an uproar. 

“This is why it’s a sausage feast.” Gahyeon kicked her slides off and hugged your arm. 

“Oh, it wasn’t the group of seven guys?” 

“You should have seen the first meet up when I joined.” You both watched as the guys shared hugs, laughter filling the room once more. “It was a bunch of wild animals and me.” 

“Guess we are the ringleaders?” 

“Oh, baby, you wish.” Wooyoung winked, tuning into the conversation. “I’m the ringleader.” 

“I want to be the ringleader!” Yeonjun chimed in, throwing his arm over Wooyung’s shoulder. 

“Neither of you should be within five miles of a leader position.” Yeosang rolled his eyes, picking up the laminated ‘menu’ from the coffee table between the couch and the TV screen for karaoke. “ATZ would burn to the ground if Hongjoong wasn’t in charge.” 

“I could only imagine if Yeonjun was in charge of TXT.” 

“Apparently he put a bullet through half of their heads.” You commented, remembering one of his member’s snarky remarks from that gala. 

“Can you guys stop bitching?” Mingi flopped himself down on the couch beside Chan, stretching out his long limbs. 

“Why am I friends with any of you?” Gahyeon questioned, resting her head on your shoulder. 

Rolling his eyes, Wooyoung stared at her unimpressed. “Because you’d be a loser with no friends if you weren’t.”

“Go fuck yourself, Wooyoung.” 

“I’d rather have someone to fuck but sure babes.” 

Okay maybe you shouldn’t have listened to Changbin and Yeonjun…

Maybe you shouldn’t have taken so many shots because you now really couldn’t drive home… 

“Do not sing My Heart Will Go On !” San whined, face bright red, words slurred the more he spoke. “I don’t wanna hear your screeching!” 

“It’s just the Toad version!” Wooyoung stumbled to throw his arm around Yeonjun, both giggling as the song was pulled up thanks to Yunho who stayed sober with Yeosang. 

Chan was getting up with them, not hesitating as he joined in on the song. It was ear piercing, hearing all of them singing in the worst tone possible to match the infamous Toad version of the song. You and the rest were booing, even throwing napkins – or in Mingi’s case, his shoe – at the three. 

Changbin took his ‘turn’, somehow keeping track of the imaginary list of contestants if they wanted to sing. Gahyeon was just as gone, if not more, than you were currently. She was sitting with San, both snickering, faces flustered. You did manage to get everyone a bottle of water, drinking or not, and have them down some between drinks. You did end up texting your group chat with Jeonghan and Joshua, letting them know that you and Chan would definitely need a ride. All Joshua asked when he ended up replying was to call so they could drive over. 

You head shot up hearing the first note of the song Changbin put on, a well known G note that many might not know if you weren’t in your emo phase at least once in your life. 

“God no!” 

“ When I was…a young boy-” Hearing him start to sing, words jumbled together, you were joining in, grabbing Chan by the arm. 

Somehow that ended up with a majority joining on, microphones long forgotten as the horrible mix of mismatched vocal keys filled the room. San got up, swaying with each shuffled step but was able to dance around in an uncoordinated fashion that had a majority of you laughing. As more songs were played through, it was evident the energy was getting exhausted the longer the group of you went on. San was half asleep against Yeosang’s side with Mingi mumbling a conversation with Yunho and Wooyoung. Chan was giggly and smiley as he spoke with Yeonjun who was just as gone. 

You had found yourself nestled against Gahyeon, feeling her carding her hands through your hair, even braiding a few strands. 

You felt happy, the alcohol made you feel warm and your head was a little hazy, but you were genuinely happy. It’s been a little bit since you felt this happy having more friends, being able to be a woman in your twenties, going out and just having fun. The last time was college but it felt like ages ago. 

“Channie…” You lifted your head from Gahyeon’s shoulder, seeing the man turn his head to you with wide, drowsy eyes. “Is it okay if we go home? I’m starting to get tired…” 

“Home?” His eyes brightened at the mention, “Are you gonna call-?” 

“Her boyfriends~!” Yeonjun finished his sentence as you fished out your phone from your pocket. 

“Yeah, I’ll call ‘em.” You muttered, pulling your legs close to your chest, dialing Joshua’s number. 

It took a moment of ringing before it connected, hearing the tired hum of his voice. 

“Can you come get us?”  

“ Huh-? Yeah.” He groaned, probably sitting up. You didn’t know how late it was. “ I’ll get Han and we’ll be there in, like, twenty minutes. ” 

“Thank you.” He hummed once more in response before the call ended. 

You ended up closing your eyes for a few minutes, the couch in the room a pile of limbs and drunk conversation. You swore it was only a few minutes… 

“Jeonghan!” Chan’s voice had you rousing from your unintentional slumber. “Shua!” 

“Quiet down, it’s three in the morning.” Jeonghan chided, dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants, tired eyes landing on you. 

“We were waiting for them to get picked up before we left.” Yunho said, “One of Gahyeon’s group will be here in a moment too.” 

“Thanks…” Joshua huffed, looking down to you and Chan with a small, fond smile on his lips. “Come on, both of you, up.” 

Chan stood on unstable feet but steadied himself, grabbing his jacket. You…You were another story.

Peeling Gahyeon’s arms from around you, Joshua took your hands and helped you stand, placing his hands on your waist to keep you steady. You shook your head, trying to clear the fog that clouded your brain. 

“Where are your keys?” He asked. 

“Channie has them.” 

“Let’s get you back to the penthouse.” 

Nodding in agreement, you bid those awake a goodnight, waving the best you could with your heavy limbs, letting Joshua lead you out. Jeonghan was only a few steps ahead with Chan, listening to him ramble about the night, keeping an arm around the youngest shoulder so he wouldn’t run straight into a wall like he almost did, twice. 

Chan and Jeonghan took your car back while Joshua placed you in Jeonghan’s car and trailed behind them. The ride was quiet, mainly because you were tired, and getting you up the elevator was the worst time, seeing as the jolt that started it almost had you falling over. 

Jeonghan took the time to get Chan to bed, it was a struggle since Chan didn’t shut up but when he finally managed to slip out, Jeonghan looked exhausted. You were shuffled into a room and pushed to change in the bathroom by Joshua, hearing quiet murmuring as you got ready for bed. When you shuffled out, both were sitting on the bed in two different states of drowsiness. If either of them lied down, they’d probably pass out. 

“ ‘m sorry I woke you up.” You sat between them. 

“It’s okay.” Jeonghan put his arm around you, pulling you close to his side. He placed a kiss to the side of your head, knocking his head forehead gently against the side of yours. “I’ll let you get to bed.” 

There was a pull in your chest, you didn’t know if it was the alcohol earlier or something else, but you grabbed his hand. 

“Can you…both stay with me?” 

Above your head, Jeonghan shared a look with Joshua from what you could tell before he kissed the side of your head once more. 

“Sure, but I call the little spoon.” 

“You suck.”

Joshua and Jeonghan got themselves comfortable, letting you fall in between them. Joshua didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around your waist, pulling you snug against his chest. Jeonghan nestled himself between your arms, facing you instead of letting you spoon him. 

Tiredly, you placed an arm over his waist, basking in the warmth both brought. 

“Go to sleep, Mouse.” Jeonghan whispered, getting his arms wiggled around your middle to keep you close as Joshua did. 

You could feel Joshua press his head into the back of your neck, cuddling himself close as he had done many times before when sleeping over or napping. Relaxing in both of their holds, your eyes got heavier, muttering out a goodnight, or what you thought was a goodnight, to both of them before you were out for the night. 

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[multifandomthoughts]

Requested by @swampstew

Warnings: swearing, small mention of blood and death

She was everything to him, but he didn’t know it until now.

Kid first sees her by accident; he was preparing to reload the ship with cargo that he may need for the sail to the next island. Upon placing some fresh fruit into his shopping bag, he hears a shout, and looks over. A crowd had gathered, and there were shocked murmurs between the patrons.

A scuffle had erupted between a young woman and what looked like a low level pirate. In the woman’s hand was a small bag of food, in the other hand, a knife. Within a blink of an eye, the scuffle was over, and the woman was gone. The only remnants showing that she was there was a small streak of blood, drawn from her enemy.

Kid was intrigued; the woman must’ve been a thief, or a spy of some sort. No ordinary citizen would’ve picked a fight with what seemed to be a stranger. Shrugging it off, he grumbled and continued grabbing supplies for his voyage.

Later that day, while loading the cargo onto the ship, Kid can’t help but feel that something is off. Plucking one of the boxes off the ground, he notices it feels heavier than the others. Kid made sure that each box was evenly packed so some of his less physically strong members can lift them. There has to be something or someone inside this box. Marking it, he decides to check it out later.

Once all of the boxes have been loaded on into the hold, and they’ve set sail, Kid decides to either confirm or deny his suspicions. Tiptoeing quietly down the cargo hold stairs, he circles around the marked box. With a quiet grunt, he rips off the top of the receptacle and peers inside.

“What the fuck.”

Inside the box, was a woman. To be specific, the one Kid had seen at the marketplace earlier. “Did you really think I’d be that stupid to let you run a sneak attack on us?” With a grunt, he grabs her by the collar of her shirt, and saunters up to the deck to show his crewmates what he’s found.

His steps, loud and menacing, alert his crew to his presence. He drops her with a loud thud as he looks down. “What’s your name, brat?” His voice deep and menacing, She tells him her name as he continues to interrogate her. Apparently she was going to rob the crew blind like she had done to the previous pirates, the one kid had seen at the market.

Sighing, Kid shakes his head. He has no idea what to do with her, let alone if she would be an asset to his team. Motioning for his crewmates to come over in the corner. Speaking softly, he admits: “I want to throw her overboard to be honest.” Killer however, can’t help but interject. “Let her have a chance to prove herself; if she can’t, then she can be abandoned.”

And so it went. The next year he spent almost every day with her, eating meals, going on excursions, fighting rivals and generally having a good time. It was when they were having a celebration that he finally realized his feelings towards her.

The smile on her face as she ate and drank with the others, the way the bonfire illuminated her features, and her feisty but kind personality towards others was too much for him to bear. He had to ask her out, but how?

It was almost time to disembark, to explore the new island. That was when it hit Kid: he can admire the scenery and then take her somewhere secluded to ask her out. The weather was perfect for the day, so he shouldn’t have any issues with rain. Looking among his crewmates, he spots her talking to Killer.

Before she can even finish her conversation, she feels a callused hand grip hers, practically dragging her away. “Hey, what did you do that for?!” She shrieks. “I want to come with you when exploring the island, and I didn’t know how else to get you to come with me.”

With a sigh and a nod, she states calmly. “Alright, I’ll come with you. Just ask nicely next time, okay?” Grumbling, Kid agrees under his breath and begins to walk. Leaves crunch under his feet, the canopies protecting the both of them from what was beginning to become a damp heat.

“Look at that….” Trying to break the ice a bit more, Kid points at two birds in the tree, their plumage a rainbow of colors. She can’t help but grin at him as he tries to make conversation with her. He doesn’t want her to feel like this is a march to the death, he wants her to feel comfortable with him.

Responding in kind, she begins to point out other landforms and wildlife, chatting and gesturing wildly. She’s so enveloped in talking with him, that she doesn’t notice the overgrown vines covered in moss and marcesence before it’s too late. Stepping in front of her, she lands directly on his firm chest. She can feel his heart beating a mile a minute, as hers beats in sync.

Blushing, she pushes herself off of him. “I’m okay, I promise. Let’s carry on.” She stutters. Kid, sweating bullets, couldn’t believe what just happened. He would’ve never kept someone from falling before; he would’ve watched them eat shit and laugh about it.

Making sure to be more vigilant, they continue to trek through the jungle, until they hit a dead end. A cliff, hundreds of feet above the ground awaits them. A forest of trees below them, and flocks of birds above. Kid stops and sits, motioning for her to sit across from her.

His eyes dart all around as he starts to speak gruffly. “Listen…I know the first day we met wasn’t a great one…I threatened to throw you overboard. But this year we’ve spent together as crewmates has changed all of that. I am not a sappy guy, believe me, you’ve seen how I treat the others. But something inside me has been unleashed that I never thought could happen, and that’s love. And I’ve been trying to find the best moment to ask you….if you would go out with me.” Those last few words were hard to get out of his mouth, and she can tell.

She had a fondness for him too, despite his rough and tumble exterior, she could tell he had a big heart. Even those few moments ago, him acting as her shield was enough to prove that he cared. “Yes Kid, I would love nothing more than to go out with you. You might not have noticed it fretting over your own feelings, but I had begun to grow fond of you. And I would love to spend every moment I can with you.”

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Kid’s body visibly relaxes. “Then…can I, uh, give you a kiss?” One nod is all he needed and she gave it to him. Leaning in, he presses a gentle but sloppy kiss to her lips.

“Let’s stay here for a while….the rest of the crew can wait.”

[thewallsaretalking-again]

you know what?? Fuck it, there's something I've GOTTA talk about:

(don't worry this isn't like a serious post or anything. also its gonna be really badly written with grammar errors because I'm just really excited to finally be talking about this and I'm shaking like a leaf) (also, if you don't agree with this that is completely fine; everybody ships different ships, this is just one that I personally love and me explaining how it came to be and how I image it. I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything, this is just for fun. If you don't like, that's fine! All I ask is that there is no hate and that you just move on. Thank you!)

I love rairpairs. Like, LOVE them. Anyone who's seen my old transformers art knows that I ship DreadOp which is like, a nonexistent ship. like, the ship equivalent of being an endangered species (there's like 10 fics about it on AO3, so you KNOW it's rare). There's a few examples of me being like this but this is the best example that i have.

But this has gotten to the point where i have done something absolutely ridiculous: I have created an entirely new ship- no, TWO entirely new ships (I'm only going to be focusing on one rn). AND I'VE GOTTA TALK ABOUT THEM because honestly? I love them! so, what monstrosity have I created? Whoo... prepare yourselves (especially you, dark cacao cookie fans...)

Yep. Don't hate me. Please hear me out because honestly iv'e seen more heinous ships in my time on the internet.

so, first of all, the white dude is known as the milk village elder in CRK, and we only see him once in the entire game (that i know of). I love taking npc's and giving them characters, so this is kinda how this happened. I'm gonna start by talking about the milk dude and how i headcannon/ imagine him because it will come into play later.

I gave the milk village elder the name Whole Milk Cookie, because i couldn't exactly call him Milk Cookie; that names already been taken

Whole Milk Cookie isn't actually anyone's grandfather, despite him being called grandad/ grandpappy in the actual game. We never see anyone his age in the milk village, and I like to imagine that its sorta like an honorary title. Like, he acts like everyone's grandpa, so everyone calls him grandpa but no one is actually related to him.

Whole Milk Cookie is like, ungodly sweet. Like, diabetes kind of sweet. its ridiculous. there are only a few ways to get him angry; and trust me, you don't want to...

He's strong. Like, think Hollyberry type strong. Gives the BEST hugs too.

Nobody knows exactly how old he is, but people suspect that he's actually much older than he looks. This could be caused by his extreme talent with the milk that comes from the villages well; if its used right, the milk can cure disease, help pains, or even extend someone's lifespan/ help retain youth. either that or he's some sort of demon but hey, who's counting?

got all that? good. Now the question everybody's asking; why the hell do i ship this? What's the story here? What's the origin? Well hold onto your pants folks because this is where we get into me overanalyzing shit.

behold the line that started it all:

This is so SO vague. why the hell did they put this in here it is SO VAUGE. what does he mean by "THAT king"? you know what it sounds like? someone reminiscing of their time with a loved one who has now changed....

they never elaborate on what exactly this line means and this is the very last line we hear Whole Milk Cookie say in the main story

wondering where exactly he's gone instead of wondering when he's coming back? idk man you sound worried about him...

also saying "laid your eyes upon" just sounds so gay/loving and i don't know why. yeah your laying something thats for sure glfbnvbrfnjkrb (im so sorry)

There's also this line:

The ally thing is kind of given, but why and how isn't this guy talking shit about dark Cacao? Like, he has EVERY right to! but he's not.... its almost like he cares.... and sure he mentions the generation thing but just because your parents were friends with some dude doesn't mean you necessarily like them right? so what gives??

Then there's the matter of Dark Cacao Cookies SON:

who is DArk CHOCOLATE

now Dark Chocolate usually doesn't have any milk/dairy in it, but it DOES need a fat, which whole milk DOES have!!

So, in theory, it would make sense for cacao and milk to make chocolate of some kind, AND it would account for Dark Choco Cookie having a lighter skin tone than his father (lighter eyes and the double white hair streak too)

I also like the story implications outside of cannon:

two people who would generally not be allowed to be in a relationship due to differing status keep a relationship going for years behind the backs of their communities

Dark Cacao Cookie taking full responsibility for taking care of their son, only for everything to become too overwhelming and he begins to remove himself from everything emotionally, wanting to give his son over to his other father to be properly taken care of but can't due to the dangers that poses for everyone in his family

Dark Choco nearly kills him and Dark Cacao has to exile him and (because of a mix of psychological manipulation, grief, and regret) locks up the citadel, leaving Whole Milk Cookie out of the picture entirely

Whole Milk Cookie stews in anger due to everything that's happened and Dark Cacao cookie not taking proper care of their son but eventually falls into guilt as well because he saw the signs of stress and overworking from his partner and didn't step in, assuming that everything was fine (but is still mostly mad at Cacao because he REALLY fucked up and it's not an excuse)

Gingerbrave and the crew comes strolling up and gets the citadel open, and Dark Cacao admits to Dark Choco that he didn't care enough and that he should have done things differently, and that he loves his son. Dark Choco leaves the cookies of darkness and begins a journey of recovery while Dark Cacao vows to do better for his family and kingdom in the future.

Dark Cacao meets up with Whole Milk Cookie to truly apologize to him, admitting everything he's done wrong and that he should have done far, FAR better. He tells WM that he deserves better than him

Whole Milk is obviously still angry and will never forgive Dark Cacao for what he's done. but he still loves him despite everything and would much rather the two of them work together to fix things (not necessarily romantically, more just not hating each other wise) moving forward instead of breaking things off and stewing in grief and anger.

The two of them take things extremely slow and carefully because it's been a long and difficult process, but they, eventually, get back to where they were.

Their recovery process takes years, but by that point Dark Cacao has improved himself exponentially, wanting nothing but the best for his partner and kingdom (and now knowing exactly what NOT to do) They also eventually find Dark Choco Cookie and fix things with him, but that's a whole other can of worms I'm not going to open here.

Just generally a story of two very different people, who despite goin through unimaginable hardships, do their very best despite the circumstances. they love each other more than even they realize and the fact that they are able to fix what was broken by their own hands is a testament to that, despite all of the arguments and tears along the way.

TLDR: Dark Cacao fucks up, his husband is mad but still loves him because he knows him better than anyone else, Dark Cacao actually makes an effort and succeeds to be much much better, and the two of them eventually figure things out. An unlikely love story :)

Ok, wow, that was a lot and kinda sad. But there are a few thiings that i couldn't fit into the rest of this so imma just stick them here:

Whole Milk Cookie finds Immense joy in picking up his husband and throwing him across his shoulder like some kind of really important sack

Whole Milk calls Dark Cacao "Cacao bean"

Dark Cacao loves Whole Milk Cookies cooking to a stupid extent

Dark Cacao loves playing with his husbands fluffy hair

the two of them will often help each other do their hair because they both just have SO MUCH of it

Dark Cacao, despite popular belief, is a flustered mess around his husband and can very often be found blushing like a madman whenever Whole Milk uses his strength

these two have the ABSOLOUTE WORST bedheads. Like, Cacao HAS to braid his hair before going to bed because otherwise the two of them will wake up tangled in it. And Whole Milk will just have an untamable afro.

uhh anyways. thanks for coming to my ted talk

[joltning]

@fishfingersalad it’s almost 2am but i can’t sleep and ts probably only going to be seen by like 5 people anyway so let it rip

this au started out as a self indulgent pocket sized au that I ignore as all my aus do…..then I couldn’t sleep and started imagining things im good at that. it started as an au I could do ship focus on and well I love lore I guess. despite all this the main story still focuses on my blorbos. maybe I will make a storyline for the main cast, if I can imagine things again

one day, all across (abridged) America (this is why I made that carolina/puerto rico/dc post btw), 50 children, each for 1 state, pop up at the same time, with varying ages, mostly tween years but with some variation up and down. while some are humanoid creatures, others are completely monstrous and lack sentience. however, they all share one common factor: a tag identifying what state they came from. The majority of the sentient ones assume this is their name, and that’s why they run with it.

conspiracy theorists and cryptid fans nationwide take notice of a bunch of shit happening overnight and develop “The 50” list. depending on if it’s commonly agreed upon what monster you are and if it’s commonly agreed upon what state you’re from, you’ll be ranked higher or lower on the list, with, of course, the highest ranking being the most sought after and hidden. Most of the higher tiered creatures are humanoid; it’s easier to blend in if you don’t look out of place

i forgot to mention Btw it’s like. myths and legends and shit too. i mentioned york being the pied Piper I also think the implication that the pied Piper is a monster is funny. also only one monster per person and

ofc my blorbos…….Everyone run now!!!! Ohio has just moved to a new city yay go girl But her coworkers are fucked up!!! There’s this bitch Sherry that she may or may not have a crush on and like her two little friends who absolutely know that. but Watch out there’s a freaky green man It’s Georgia her old friend Georgia. they were their first freelancer friends but geo Loves making deals for souls slash servitude slash their power slash take over the world slash he doesn’t know what souls are and neither do I. but they gotta be normal and not fight in the office.!!! And fight outside of a Walmart at 2 instead. he’s kinda bad at it though which is why only Ohio cares.

anywya Sherry keeps running into Ohio and Georgia fighting and you know Ohio’s kind of like. well if you see her when she’s not masking you’ll probably go insane huh. so Ohio has to keep wiping her memories and Sherry’s getting CRAZY deja vu.

this is so stressful Good thing Ohio’s got her trusty friends Iowa and Idaho!!! They’re causing chaos somewhere else but she’s always texting them and video chatting. hopefully they can meet up again soon!!

Utah is a paranormal investigator and currently georgia’s only the only person who’s currently made a deal with him. he’s made past deals but Ohio scared them off by ‘Do Not Be Afraid’ing them. it’s either that or they have to get killed lest the green fuck get too powerful and Ohio would rather not do that thanks. utah doesn’t even get anything in return he just wants to know wtf is going on tbh. Georgia stays at his apartment because he’s a squatter I guess

well That’s too bad I guess I can’t share any more because they’re just plotpoints. hey do you wanna know what the other freelancers are

Ohio: Angel (duh. So low because when she spawned she was literally in the middle of a bunch of people and blinded them with her corporeal form)

Georgia: Demon (the devil but literally this time. manages to be a little higher due to being able to teleport short distances. Stayed a little too close to home base, though.)

Iowa: Harpy (kept flying in the air like a dumbass everyone fucking saw him. denialists claim it to be a big bird. and they’re right.)

Idaho: Werewolf (he didn’t know until a full moon came out. oops.)

Carolina: Siren (keeps the bad singing voice.)

York: pied piper….

Wash: Shapeshifter

Florida: Alien (when he came on the fated day he rode in on a meteor instead of plopping in, breaking off the state from the rest of the US. its highly debated on whether or not the meteor itself was the creature.)

Maine: Bigfoot (but he shaves his whole body every day so he just looks like a big guy)

Connie: Kitsune

Wyoming: Fairy (despite being obvious, no one fuckinh lives in wyoming so he just flew far away immediately. fucks up the rankings of others by being spotted far away from his state.)

North: The Sandman (Both spawned across from eachother at the 2 state’s borders. They immediately declared eachother twins.)

South: Mare/Dream Eater (Their high ranking is very dependent on the confusion on which twin is which, since they work together to sleep and then feast.)

Tex: Ghost

you may see here I did not include Utah Did I forget No No No (kinda) I have an idea for what he is but i don’t intent to reveal it ever really. idk how id incorporate that. jsut know I searched really hard to find a creature that wasn’t a ghost that disrupted electromagnetic fields so that every time he went ghost hunting the machines would go off causing him to assert there was a ghost there. but no alas I did not find that

ok tahts it I think. for now. maybe. if you have any ideas for this background fucks wise or rnbs wise I would like them. for meThanks goodnight im gonna pass blout Out Out

[leprosycock]

how do i explain to my roommate that rpf is not any more "unethical" than fictional incest. i had her exact mindset and then i stumbled upon your blog and bandom and something clicked, i just dont know what. does the intrigue outweigh the possible consequences? help... or i might stay a closet rpfer forever

i think it’s worth it to point out that this, too, is also fictional. it is real person fiction. it’s in the name. every biopic that exists is rpf to some degree. it’s also on a far, far different scale if you’re writing it about rich celebrities with extremely comfortable lives; even if it’s about streamers and not near-billionaire musicians, you’re still writing about people who who are projecting a persona to the internet somewhat and you’re just writing about that persona. i would say. like. don’t write rpf about your neighbors or something. that’s weird. but if it’s a pair of celebrities with a vast history and a connection and an intimate storyline then like who caaarrreeeesssss… i know you hear the argument “they’re still people” sometimes over that but i would venture to say that they are people who live outside the context of our everyday functioning world. these are people who can probably handle the idea that someone is writing about them having gay sex with their friend because they have millions of dollars in their bank account as we speak and if they are seeking these things out and become upset by it, that is on THEM. if you’re the type of person who also intends on showing rpf to the people involved, i think that’s really fucking cringe and lame and weird and i cast that mindset out, as do most people who ship rpf.

tl;dr rpf is fine and it’s weird that people who agree that fictional shit is fine won’t extend that to rpf lol

[angrelysimpping]

Okay so I saw you post the thing about the soulmate au's and your tags are just so perfect I agree completely! Get deep into the lore. What if people date outside of their soulmates? What if the soulmate is some creep and you couldn't possibly imagine ever being with them? What if your soulmate dies before you ever meet them?

There's so much to think about with the au, and that's why it's my favorite.

ref-ing this a bit

PLEASE I LOVE THINKING ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS

Contents: talk about how romantic relationships are “more important” than platonic ones; religion; GN!Jordan (they/them); multiple partners; mentioned toxic relationships; GN!Harper mentioned (they/them); named NPC shipping: GN!Briar/GN!Bailey (they/them); GN!Remy/GN!Wren (they/them); GN!Reader (you/your); super unstructured, more of a ramble than anything lol 

Words: 2262

I think it'd be pretty common for people to have relationships outside of their soulmate. Like, what are the odds you'd ever meet them, anyway? It's just super common to think that people would leave their relationship for their soulmate. 

And if your soulmate is a creep? Well, for one that reflects negatively on you but like, maybe they're like that because they haven't met you yet! So, yeah, you'd be pressured to get with your soulmate, even if they're a creep. Maybe especially if they're a creep, even. 

No, death in soulmate aus are fun to think about, I think anyway. Let's do my favorite soulmate type: soulmark's that only appear on the body after all parties reach age 18. So, you know how humans have stripes? I like to think the markings are the same. They're always there but cannot be seen until, yknow, it comes time. That said, some people (Harper) have been experimenting with ways to see the mark before its time. They just have to, well, figure out where the fuck it is. After the death of one of the mates, the mark becomes visible but looks more like a scar. I think it'd be a custom to mourn the loss of a soul mate never met. Or, an expectation, anyway. 

Now, one of my fav things to think about in soulmate aus is multiple soulmarks. 

Multiple romantic partners, each with a shared mark. One person with multiple marks but their partners only have a single one. 

Not just romantically either. Platonic soulmates. Maybe one person has multiple romantic mate marks and the others in the group only have platonic mate marks for each other. Or, uh, well, not. Having no romantic marks, but only platonic ones. Not being able to visibly tell the difference between romantic or platonic marks, the people involved have to figure it out for themselves. A culture like ours where romance is so prized above all else that people who are platonic soulmates often try so hard to have a romance that never works out. Or, platonic mates are looked down on. ‘What do you mean you’re only friends? You have matching marks! Don’t you want more?’

Non mates. People who are so important to shaping you as a person that there's a mark on your skin from it but it was never romantic or platonic. It's toxic. How so often the marks are romantic that it's debated if non mate marks even exist but they do and those relationships change you both so fundamentally that you've marked each other for the worse. One party taking advantage of that, claiming it's a romantic mate mark when it really, truely, isn't. 

And religion! The temple in DoL! Preaching purity until you meet your mate! Frowning upon multiple mate marks! Reinforcing the idea that all marks are romatic/can only be considered in a certain way! Considering dating someone you don't share a mark with as standing on the precipice of sin! 

Maybe even holding the belief that someone who is unmarked is completely “pure.” Members of the church having to hide marks that bloom unexpectedly late. 

Jordan. Waking up confused as their skin tingles. Shocked and mortified when they find the soulmark. To have a soulmark is a blessing and a curse. Blessing in having someone so important to them, for a match to have been made. Cursed because if they have a mate, surely they cannot give their whole self to the temple, could they? They'd have to leave their position in the temple if it became known. Luckily, it's hidden by their robes and hair. They'd be expected to confess the mark but…the temple is their everything. Isn't it a sacrifice of the greatest sort to bear a mark like this and still give body, mind, soul, to the temple?

People acting like palm readers, deciphering soulmarks and their meanings. Will you meet them? What are they like? A curve here means they're laid back, a point here means you equal them out. A mark on your throat surely means you'll marry quick, one on your wrist means it'll be a long engagement, while one on your ankle means you might never get married to your mate. 

Also, you know all those DNA testing companies? That but for soulmates. Coupled with, like, dating site mentality. Take a bath in a special wash that temporarily reveals your mark (unless you're like Harper and your mark is somewhere like your tongue). Stays around long enough that you take a picture of it and upload it to their site. Don't worry about how they're basically building a database of everyone's marks ;3

Oh, and you'll get dating sites where people just post a picture of their mark. I like to think that showing your mark is a bit of a social no-no. If your mark is in a visible place, it's considered “polite” to cover it with makeup or wear special clothing that covers it. Having a picture of your mark as a profile pic on a dating site is tantamount to having your tits out. 

Using the company version of seeing your mark before it blooms or submitting a picture of your already bloomed mark is…well, it's considered more tasteful. Only professionals see it and send you a notification if someone submits a matching mark. Don't …don't think about how ‘professional’ those professionals actually are. 

And celebrities! Hiding marks to keep up the illusion that they're still “on the market.” Rumors about what their marks are, where they're placed, what they look like. Curves? Sharp edges? Faded? Bold? People speculate about if dating celebrities actually have matching marks or not. 

God, the media. 

The romantic comedies of trying to date someone who doesn't have your matching mark. Those mark readers from earlier looking at marks and announcing if the couple are compatible enough. Those Hallmark movies where the engaged Big City Lady meets the Small Town Man she used to date, their growing attraction, Lady breaking off engagement even though her and her now ex have almost matching marks, realizing right before she confesses her feeling that, low and behold, they have matching marks. 

Horror movies where the camera pans over the Lone Survivors mark, exposed during the fight for their life, only to hard cut to where they've had to attack the Bad Guy, right over their matching mark. A psychological horror movie where the main character finds out that the person they married faked their mark. Human trafficker who gets tracked down Taken style after cutting the mark off a victim's body and mailing it to their mate. 

Sci-fi! Aliens who may have something that look similar to soulmarks but are they really? And people without soulmarks? Maybe this whole time their mate was out there in the universe because these other lifeforms don't have marks. AI. Robots. Machines built to be sex dolls with a programmable soulmark for those “hopeless romantics.” Horror mixed in. Someone going to an underground doctor to get their mark altered to match someone else, only to start losing their identity. 

DATING SHOWS. Love is Blind style show where contestants can't see each other's mark until after they're married. Occasionally a particularly daring contestant flashing their mark on live TV. Beyond scandalous. 

Ah, but I do also like to think of marks that appear when at least two members have reached adulthood. Just, entering into an already established relationship, one that already has its own dynamic and how a new person might change things. The complications of thinking, hey, this is my person only to find out there's someone else in the mix later. Or, struggling to understand why, maybe, if this person is supposed to be their soulmate, something feels like it's missing?

And it's you. 

You're missing. 

Hehe Bailey. Bailey and Briar. Matching marks. The marks on their wrists are so small, so faint, they could be mistaken for a mole. A beauty mark. A freckle. On the inside of their right wrists. 

Bailey rarely bothers to cover his, Briar never does. Neither put stock in the whole “soul mates” thing. Bailey less so than Briar, who likes to coo in the caretaker's ear about how they were meant to be business partners with a sharp, shit eating grin. Presses the tips of their fingers into the small, almost nonexistent mark on Bailey's wrist when they shake hands and laughs as Bailey scowls. Bailey is so loath to draw attention to the mark, they have to endure shaking hands with people, letting others touch something that feels far too intimate. Takes to wearing gloves but Briar always knows right where to press to make Bailey's eye twitch. 

Then, imagine their surprise when they both get an extra mark one day. Briar masking their own confusion by delighting in Bailey's bitter remarks about the new mark across their lower stomach and thighs. “You got a womb tattoo, Bailes.” Taking Bailey's glare in stride. They assume it's the same person this new mark has bloomed for. What are the odds otherwise that they both just so happen to have another person so important to them that the universe etched a mark into their skin AND they turn 18 on the exact same day? And do they hide your marks? Bailey's is covered by clothes. Briar, of course, leave theirs out on display, grinning lazily when someone spots the new mark, their eyes widening in surprise. 

Bailey notices your matching mark with Briar first, eyes flitting to the dark stripe over your knuckles. Frowns, might snap at you to cover up your mark, not flaunt it around, unless you wanted someone to take it as an invitation. You probably think they mean how society as a whole usually views marks as intimate in nature. They hope you do. Might be nice to see your eyes go wide if they dragged you to the industrial district and threw you at Briar's feet.

Briar, in turn, finds Bailey's twin mark sprawling across your skin. They haven't noticed the careful makeup applied to your hand, hiding your matching mark with Briar. But who wouldn't notice the mark as you strip on stage? A bit bold of you, isn't it? Showing off like that in a place like their brothel. Makes the crowd go wild. A slow grin curls across their face, eyes glinting as they take in each curve and bend of the mark. It's not often Briar gets to truly tease Bailey how they like, the caretaker swearing and grumbling under their breath when Briar's hands dip beneath their clothes. But, they've seen that new mark. Up close. Personal. Doesn't take them long to find their mark's twin on your hand now that they start properly looking for it. Places their hand over yours, making sure there's no way for you to miss the mark across their knuckles before pointedly asking if you have anything you'd like to share. 

Remy and Wreeeen. It's on their collar bones. A furious, ragged horizontal line that looks almost like a wound. Wren all laughs and playful nips when they have the chance to corner Remy, mouthing at the mark. Wren usually lets theirs peek out, but flushes when they actually lose their shirt in games and you see it in full for the first time. Of course, you can't match it to the one Remy bears, the farmer is always covered. Though, once, in a scuffle, (your horns catching on their shirt as they try to pin you down during milking time; gripping their shirt in a moment of panic after your horse threw you and Remy came to help you up; a single second of pure, uncontrollable rage as Alex's fields burn, yanking the farmer to you by the front of their shirt, fabric tearing) you catch sight of it and the farmer bristles in indignation when you spot their mark. 

Of course, Wren is the more mellow of the two when a second mark forms for them both, though it'd be a lie if the smuggler claimed they're completely fine with the situation, mind whirling as they think of all the new possibilities. Oddly enough, it's more likely for Remy to find you bare the pair's new matching marks. They don't take it well. Even if you've never chewed grass, never laid eyes on the upstart farmhand across the way, they're pissed that not only they have a second person so damn important to them that they have a mark to tie you two together, but it has to be you? Some orphan, one of Bailey's wards? Isn't it bad enough that they're stuck with Wren? The smuggler always seems to think those dumb marks give them the right to slink into the estate proper late at night, paw at their clothes and mouth at their neck. Now they got another lil shit bound to them? And to Wren? They thought Bailey was supposed to have the shit luck of their group!

Wren…is actually a bit shocked when they learn you're the person the new mark is for. Like, they assumed the new marks were for the same person. Like, what were the odds that Remy and them would each get a new mark on the same day? But, really, you? Damn, they knew they had fun playing with you but this is just the cherry on top! Well aware of the complications that might arise with you being who you are, but already planning how to best spin this.