#in lost ship of the sky. it obscures his other eye enough without completely blocking it out stylistically (like how its mostly done)

[aria0fgold]

Normal bout Kaito(u KID) hours again. Rewatching movies and episodes later where Kaitou KID appears just to know the difference in the glass of his monocle in each appearance. So far I've noticed that in Last Wizard of the Century, his monocle had a clear glass. While in Magician of the Silver Sky, his monocle had a light white tint to it. Then in Private Eyes' Requiem, his monocle had a light grey tint. And in Lost Ship of the Sky, his monocle had a bluish grey tint.

[masterjedilenawrites]

Golden Linings: Chapter 1

Cal Kestis x reader

Series Summary: You and several of your friends have been captured for unknown reasons. After being rescued by a rag-tag trio on the hunt for Force-sensitives, you all strike a deal to aid in their quest while searching for a way back home... though your own priorities threaten to shift as you grow ever-closer to the sweet redhead Jedi called Cal.

Chapter Content: Some fighting and creepers being creeps

AO3 Link (In case you like it better over there, it’s okay, no judgement)

A/N: I don't really know where this story will go but I've been wanting to write a multi-chapter fic again (don't worry, I'm still working on my Thrawn & Eli one too!) and I wanted to do something with our precious Jedi cinnamon roll, especially after writing this post, which may or may not be woven in later, we'll see. I'm striving for a gender-neutral reader but may update to fem! since this is very self-indulgent I'm so sorry, sometimes you gotta write for yourself ya know?

Chapter 1: Fight and Flight

You were scared.

Terrified.

There almost seemed to be a disconnect between your body and your mind. The one was on auto-pilot, unable to stay still, taking you through street after street as if it actually knew where it was going. The other was shutting down, incapable of processing anything around you in a clear or productive way. Your eyes scanned buildings and faces and signs, but not a single one registered to you.

You were lost.

Scared.

Alone.

It had been a normal day at the start, the kind of normal that wouldn't have planted itself in your memory had it remained a normal day. It would've been indistinguishable from all the other normal days you'd had just like it in your life, and you would've continued on to live even more of them without a single care about it. That's how it should have been.

But now, now that you had been unexpectedly ripped from that sense of normalcy, thrown into this strange place with no options or even an explanation as to how any of this could have been possible, you were forced to accept your life was not as it should be, and that you had to do something about it.

Your feet halted at the thought. You had to do something. All this walking and wandering wasn't doing something... if anything, it was only a distraction, a way to postpone the inevitable acceptance of the situation for what it truly was. A scary, terrifying situation you wanted nothing to do with but had absolutely no choice. A lonely and confusing situation that was going to challenge your strength in a way you wished you didn't have to face, but secretly suspected you needed to. That's why bad things happened to good people, right? To test just how good they really were?

You had stopped at a street corner, one of the quieter intersections in this new town. Instinctually, you'd been trying to get away from the overwhelming hustle and bustle you'd initially found yourself in. Though, now that you were finally letting yourself process your surroundings, you realized that instinct, while good in intention, had actually led you to a not-so-great part of town that was starting to make your skin crawl.

There was litter in the gutters and grease on the walls of the buildings around you. A burst pipe was spewing from somewhere close by, and though it was open daylight, the amount of shadows seemed to have grown. You gulped nervously, not sure if you'd be able to come up with a plan here, or if you'd fare better back to the crowded parts you'd came from.

A whistle came from behind and your spine tingled unpleasantly. You knew what it meant but whirled to face it anyway. A couple of hunkered, wrinkly creatures seemed to be sliding toward you, their humanoid eyes narrowed but openly scanning your body.

"Lost, pretty thing?" one of them almost seemed to hiss.

You responded the way you'd done earlier, when you'd woken up in that dungeon of a room and realized your day had changed from normal to scary... you ran.

Your feet pounded the ground beneath you, sending jolts of pressure painfully up through your tired body. You didn't dare look behind to see if you were being pursued. You didn't hear anything, no further taunts or laughter, but that didn't mean you were completely free. And now you were running deeper into the more desolate parts of this unknown city. If you stopped, you may just find even worse threats waiting. That's what your stressed mind reasoned, anyway.

On and on you ran, one foot in front of the other, until your chest felt on the brink of bursting. You didn't want to, but you let yourself slow back to a stop, and as soon as you did, your legs immediately gave out beneath you. Your knees slammed on the ground and you'd probably feel the sting in them for a while, but you didn't care. Not when you couldn't catch your breath and that nagging sense you were being watched from the shadows sat uncomfortably in your thoughts.

The buildings were taller here, towering so high they blocked out most of the sky and gave the impression it was much later in the evening than you knew it to be. But everything was boarded up. Not a soul was in sight. What even was this place? Was it truly abandoned, or only made to seem so?

You were right to be suspicious. Your paranoia bubbled within you like a sixth sense, turning your head in the proper direction before you were aware of what you were doing. Just on the other side of the street before you stood a tall, glowering man dressed all in blank, flanked by IG droids. The man you didn't recognize, but there had been IG droids guarding that room you'd escaped from. You knew they weren't a common model of droid, so what were the odds they weren't the same as the ones you'd slipped past earlier?

"There you are," the man growled, confirming your suspicion. But what surprised you next was the glowing red light that suddenly jutted out from an object in his hand. It hummed menacingly, threateningly. You knew there was a word for it but couldn't quite call it to mind at the moment. All you knew was it was a weapon, and if you could summon back your breath, you should definitely start running again.

A blaster shot fired out of nowhere and you saw the man raise his stick of light up to block himself from it. How had he known to do that? You didn't have time to fathom it, instead watching as a couple additional figures rushed out of the shadows and toward the man and his droids. One of them hung slightly back, a blaster raised and firing at the droids. The second went straight for the man, producing a beam of light of his own, and clashing enthusiastically against his opponent.

You took the opportunity to put some distance between yourself and whatever this fight was about. You crawled down the street, pushing your back up against a wall you deemed safe enough, though on what criteria you weren't really sure. At least it provided a sense of stability in this otherwise chaotic situation. You didn't know who any of these people were; who the man was and why he was after you, who your rescuers were and whether they were actually friendly or merely enemies of an enemy. Heck, you were still trying to figure out who had captured you earlier that day and why. This fight of lights and lasers was mesmerizing, but incredibly overwhelming.

"So eager to prove yourself," you caught the man growling out. His red light had paused in its assault against the blue one, in favor of taunting the boy who held it instead.

"Oh, this is just good practice," the boy said, matching the man's pacing with his own.

His comment earned a gravely laugh. "Your eagerness makes you sloppy, and your over-confidence makes you weak. This is what happens to students without masters."

It was odd, but though the boy was several feet away from you, half-obscured in shadow and definitely hard to discern through your labored breathing and confused state of mind, you could still somehow tell the man's words upset him. But maybe you were just projecting. You'd be pretty pissed if someone called you weak, too.

Whether the boy would've snapped and resumed the fight or not, you'd never know. What little sliver of sky still remained above was then blocked out by the mass of a ship. It lowered itself as far into the narrow street as it could and sent bursts of wind of hurtling down, your hair whipping about in protest. You braced a hand in front of your eyes, peering through your fingers to see a ramp had been lowered, waiting.

The other figure, who'd made short work of the IG droids, was running toward you now. The man with the red light was temporarily stunned by the sudden arrival of the ship but quickly recovered. He swung his light at the boy and their fight recommenced. Your observation of it was interrupted, though, by the arrival of the woman who'd now reached you.

"Come on, dear, we gotta get out of here!"

She grabbed hold of your shoulder, prepared to help you stand, but you immediately flinched and tried to crawl away. You didn't know her, you didn't know anybody out here. How could you possibly decide whether you should follow her or not?

"Please," she implored, not chasing after you, but holding out her hand and urging you to take it. "We don't have much time. We can get you to safety."

You glanced over at the boy who continued to hold his own against the man who'd been after you, despite having been labeled as sloppy and weak. Surely these people were good, right? At the least, the blue color of his weapon seemed kinder than the red of the other.

The woman was right, there wasn't much time. And you didn't have much choice. You shook yourself, as if trying to physically dispel your own doubt, and stood. You took hold of the woman's hand and let her lead you toward the ship's ramp.

"Cal!" she called back toward her friend as the two of you ran.

If the boy heard he didn't seem to mind, continuing his fight with a determination you still weren't sure how you could detect from such a distance.

The woman jumped effortlessly onto the ramp and turned to hold her hand back out to you. You jumped as you reached for it, but your frazzled nerves must have gotten the better of your strength, as you weren't quite able to hold on for long. You teetered dangerously on the ledge of the ramp where your feet had only barely connected but couldn't quite get enough traction. One part of your mind was bracing itself for the impact of your inevitable tumble backward; the other part had the gumption to ignore the fear and think only of how embarrassing this would be.

And then something warm and solid pressed into your back, and an arm was wrapping around your middle, practically sweeping you away from the edge and up the ramp. You only barely registered a streak of ginger hair next to you as you allowed yourself to be helped into the ship. The ramp closed behind, sealing out the harsh sounds beyond and all the dangers it represented. Your ears seemed to ring from the sudden cut off, but you could hardly shake yourself free of it while you fought to stay balanced as the ship maneuvered itself upward and onward. It was a fleeting fight; you immediately stumbled toward the floor and slid back against the ship wall.

You were safe now. At least that's what you told yourself as you surrendered to your slouched position on the floor of this strange ship, and finally let yourself breathe.

[azwriting]

Off the Grid (Two Sides of the Same Coin, Din Djarin x Fem!Reader) - Chapter One

A/N: I’m back bitches!!! Okay this took longer than necessary to write, but I had some serious writers block. This is a slow start but it will start picking up soon, so without further ado, here is chapter one! Enjoy and if you want to be added to the Taglist, let me know! :)

Summary: While traveling to evade the Guild, the Mandalorian meets the Reaper, the hooded figure with a deeply buried past.

Warning(s): Canon typical violence, me finishing this at 2 in the morning,

Word Count: 5062

Through the thick visor of his helmet, Mando shot one glance back to the small quiet village, eyes searching for the tiny green body amongst the crowd of joyful children. The child stood before the group of children who all gawked at him in amazement, no one had ever seen such a creature let alone something so… delightful. He would never dare to admit it out loud but the child’s small cooes had his heart wrenching each and every time. The Mandalorian could not help but hope that after this raiders problem was handled that him and the boy could find peace here, at least for awhile. Turning away from the village surrounded by spiked barricades, Mando focused on following Cara’s foot strides. The sun would set soon, enfolding Sorgan in a blanket of dark skies and bright stars. When they would return to the small Krill farm the raiders would be hot on their tail, but before they could provoke the ruthless thieves, Cara insisted on making a stop first.

The two were silent as they trudged through the forest, eyes locked straight ahead in search of something. The Mandalorian was unsure what they were looking for, Cara choosing to be extremely vague as to what this imperative detour was for. The only clue he had was Cara’s drifting eyes, the way she would glance down at her comlink and then to the swirling orange of the sky that seeped in through the tree coverage. A small smirk worked its way onto the woman’s face as her comlink beeped with a new message, the trees brustling as a shadow of a ship flew over head. Mando’s lips parted underneath the mask, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the sight. Who was arriving? Before he could voice his puzzlement, Cara looked back over her shoulder. “Have you heard of the Reaper?” Mando scoffed at her question, the voice modulator deepening the sound. He was mildly offended by her uncertainty, everyone in the Outer Rim had heard of the Reaper…

The hooded figure, who since the fall of the Empire had been materializing on different systems across the galaxy, aiding the people. No one was positive as to why they had been deemed “The Reaper”, some whispered stories spoke of how they reaped havoc and death onto the remaining ex-Imperials, while others spoke of how wherever they went prosperity followed, life blossoming once again like a ripe harvest. The story of the Reaper had spread across the outer systems like wildfire, igniting hope in the downtrodden and dread into the scattered Imps. Some saw the figure as an angel sent from the Maker, a guardian who brought rebirth to previously controlled planets, while others found them to be just a story told to fuel the New Republic. Mando did not fall into either category, but he had seen enough horrors to know there were no such things as angels. Remarkably though, during his hunts he had never stumbled upon the hooded guardian, not yet at least.

He nodded curtly, “Yes, why do you ask?” Cara only offered him a small smirk, nodding her head for him to continue following. Mando sighed, slinking after her unsure as to where this was going, even more unsure if he liked where it was going.

 “There’s only two of us and a bunch of barely trained farmers, I figured we could use some extra muscle.” Cara explained, both coming to a halt in a clearing where a beat up light freighter had landed. Instinctively Mando’s hand fell to rest on top of his blaster that was holstered to his hip, curious as to who the help was that Cara had called in. She approached the left side of the belly of the ship, the Mandalorian cautiously stepping forward to stand beside the former shocktrooper.

“Who are they?” His voice was rough, even to him, as his eyes stayed locked on the closed ramp. Cara eyes drifted over catching sight of the hand hovering above his blaster, a snicker escaping her sly smile. 

“Relax, we can trust them.” Although her voice and demeanor showcased no sign as to why he should not believe her, skepticism still rolled off of the beskar steel in crashing waves. Mando tilted his head over at her, “That doesn’t answer my question.” With a loud sigh and the roll of her eyes, Cara crossed her arms turning to face him.

 “I don’t know much, we met in Rebellion.” An eyebrow rose beneath the helmet, another shocktrooper? “After Endor, instead of sticking around to enforce peace she left, went to enforce her own.” Mando nodded once absorbing the vague information. The Reaper was a former Rebel, he should have figured. “That’s all you got?”

“Yeah… well, she’s got an older brother. Both were refugees from the Clone Wars before they joined the Rebellion.” A refugee from the Clone Wars, he swallowed thickly recalling all the other planets the droids had laid waste to. Mando hummed in acknowledgement, turning back to face the freighter. He supposed that was enough, he knew even less of Cara and trusted her to help. And if this woman really was the Reaper, the guardian angel, than they would be in good hands.

The ramp of the ship hissed to life and lowered down. His hand still hovered above his blaster though, visor examining the soft smile Cara wore. “I got to say Dune, this doesn’t sound like early retirement to me.” He heard the taunting voice call before the ramp had completely lowered and Cara laughed stepping closer to the edge. Mando first saw mud caked boots, then a black belt with a blaster holstered on each hip, black armor secured around a torso, and then finally a black hood obscuring the face of the Reaper. Her head tilted in his direction, but all he could see was the shadow of a face, no clear outline of any distinct features. For all he knew she was not even looking at him, but as he inhaled slowly, her body seemed to stiffen. Her head remained tilted in his direction, the rest of her still, and Mando could feel her eyes observing him. Fingerless gloves drifted down to graze across the handle of her blaster, exposing the first real piece of her skin to him.

“Hanging out with Mandalorians now?” The woman’s voice was softer than he expected as she addressed Cara, her hidden face never straying from his. The former shocktrooper eyed the two, both in a silent stand-off, hands ready to whip out their blasters in a matter of seconds. 

A snort of amusement sounded from Cara, “I knew you two would get along.” The Reaper finally released Mando from her stare, wandering over to Cara’s side. The hood creeped back a few inches revealing a large smile as the two women clasped hands. “How are you? Still getting yourself into trouble?” 

A chuckle escaped the hood, her hand tightening around Cara’s, “Please, I thrive in trouble.” Mando studied the interaction from the security of his helmet, perplexed by the bond on display before him. The story of the Reaper had always seemed so distant, like the whispers of a dream, it never occurred to him that she existed, let alone had a past. The whistle of the wind as it flowed through the surrounding trees brought the Mandalorian out of his thoughts. He looked to the sky, the evening dusk beginning to fade. They had to move and now.

Mando cleared his throat, the vibrations emitting from his throat rattled his helmet slightly. The two women broke apart from their reunion and pivoted to look at him. He could sense the tension emanating from the Reaper and in return he only rolled his shoulders, a silent challenge being proposed between the two. If she wanted to come at him, she could try all she wanted to. “Hey,” A hand grasped the faded white fabric enclosed around the woman’s arm, “He’s a friend.” The hood glanced back over to Cara and let out a loud defeated sigh. Yanking her arm free from Cara, the hood silently trudged over to Mando. He watched her cautiously as her dominant hand shot out, empty. 

“(Y/N).” He could see the faintest shadow of her lips moving as she uttered her name. The Reaper had a name, a name other than the mantle she adopted, unlike him. He still had a name, but it was another thing hidden, no longer spoken. It was a part of the creed, he was no longer that scared boy, he was a Mandalorian.

(Y/N) watched through the cover of her hood as the helmet nodded once in acceptance, before silently shaking her hand. The worn leather was rough against her bare fingertips, but the detail was lost in the overall overpowering sight of the quiet Mandalorian standing rigid before her. She had never met one before during her travels, but she had heard stories of them since her youth. Stories of the great warriors who waged wars against old orders during the Old Republic. In more recent times she knew of the Siege of Mandalore and how the people had been purged and forced into hiding. It made (Y/N) shudder from the familiarity. She could not stop the thought that arose in the back of her mind, just how similar the two were, a fact no one else beside her would ever know. Despite the heroic stories, the helmet was still unnerving, bringing back memories she desperately tried to suppress. Although (Y/N) was aware that if she attempted to bury everything, the more likely it was to resurface, but she could not fight it. Old habits die hard.

They released each other’s hands, but their heads stayed locked straight ahead, neither one truly sure if the other was staring as intently behind their respective masks. They were. “Got yourself a real talker here, don’t you Dune?” (Y/N) joked, maneuvering to the side to see both of the fighters. 

“Yeah you could say that.” Cara shrugged moving closer and she had to bite back a smirk. 

“This is the one you trained a whole village of farmers to take on raiders with? Interesting to say the least.” (Y/N) quipped back and Cara punched her padded shoulder lightly, eyes lifting to the darkening sky. It was almost time. (Y/N) read the serious shift in her friend, hidden eyes flickering between Cara and the bounty hunter. “So what’s the plan?”

Night had swallowed Sorgan whole as the three warriors converged around the raiders camp. Cara and the Mandalorian made quick work of taking out the two raiders posted out by a fire on the side of the tent, while (Y/N) quietly approached the side entrance. Inside were multiple crates filled with a glowing blue liquid, some still containing the small blue krill swimming around. She had never tried Spotchka but this certainly did not make her want to. She was disgusted by the fact that these raiders had been stealing this village’s only source of income to use and profit for themselves. In her own vengeance, her sole driving force, she often forgot there were other beings capable of causing pain in this galaxy, besides the Imps. (Y/N) had dedicated her life to bringing the Empire crumbling down, and the last five years destroying any remnants of the Empire, something the New Republic seemed to turn a blind eye to. If it was not affecting the core systems, they seemed to not care. Their ignorance or blatant lack of consideration had covered (Y/N)’s hands in blood. She felt no sense of guilt though, not for ex-Imperials, not after what they had done to the galaxy, to her people.

Cara and the Mandalorian slipped into the tent, blasters drawn and raised in defense until they caught sight of just her. “Nice of you to join.” (Y/N) whispered as the holstered their blasters. Cara only rolled her eyes as she peered over and into one of the crates filled with Spotchka while Mando stuck an explosive to one of the support beams. As the circle lit depicting that it was armed, he turned to the two women and nodded. The three stepped towards the exit when (Y/N) felt her nerves prick beneath her attire, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her arm shot out, gently grazing across the cold beskar steel of the man’s armor. Through the veil of her hood, she looked to her side where the hunter had stopped, observing her.

 “What?” He hissed, voice low and modulated. It was the first time she had heard him speak and if they were not in the situation they currently were, she would have dwelled on the fact. Especially that his voice sounded… nice.

(Y/N) nodded her towards the exit where incoming voices were heard, her hand dropping from the bitter cold of the armor. He let out a barely audible sigh and stepped into a fighting stance, while Cara moved to hide by the side of the entrance. Two raiders strolled in unassumingly and before they comprehend the sight of a Mandalorian and a black hooded figure standing in front of them, Cara striked. She plowed her fist through the first raiders face, kicking the second one back. Mando sprung quick, taking the second one, while more raiders piled in hearing the commotion. 

Two of them charged towards (Y/N) but she ducked, spinning around to kick one down, knocking his head against the edge of a crate. She jabbed her elbow into the remaining one, but he was bigger than the other one and he retaliated faster than she could process, earning her a fist to the face. (Y/N) stumbled back tasting the familiar tang of blood on her tongue, no doubt coming from her lips, eyes narrowing at the raider before her. 

“Big mistake.” She mumbled, grabbing fists full of his tunic. She slammed her head against his, dismissing the pain radiating from her own head, before she launched herself over his body. As she landed behind him, her arm secured tightly around his neck, (Y/N) yanked him to the ground. With a loud slam, he was knocked unconscious.

A groan from her side did not allow her to dwell too long on the fact. The bounty hunter was being attacked by another raider, who had gotten him down to the ground. Instinct took over and before she could fully think it through, (Y/N) rushed over and tackled the raider down to the ground. Her knuckles collided against his face a couple times before he fell unconscious beneath her. With a heavy exhale, (Y/N) stood up and her eyes automatically fell to the helmet beside her. “I had that.” His deep voice was broken up by the deep breaths he was taking. She studied the dark visor that was turned in her direction, unsure if he was angry with her for helping. 

“I know.” She answered, because she did. Of course a Mandalorian could handle their own in a fight, but she was programmed to help, it was in her nature. Before Mando could answer, a red blast flew past them.

They flung themselves down to the ground, hiding behind boxes of supplies, Cara doing the same across from them. She watched as his leather gloves plucked his blaster from his side and raised it to the guards. Another shot sped past them, damaging the wall behind them. Mando perked at that, helmet turning back to the wall, then to Cara, and lastly to her. (Y/N) nodded and despite both of their faces obscured to the standard eye, they both understood.

 He fired a few blasts into the wall and looked over to Cara, “Come on, I’ll cover you!” The ex-shocktrooper nodded and booked across the small space, bursting through the damaged wall. (Y/N) was hot on her trail and the Mandalorian on hers. The tent exploded behind them, erupting into thick hot flames as the trio tumbled out onto the ground.

Heaving in gulps of air, the tree looked back to the destroyed tent. “I hope the plan worked.” (Y/N) chuckled lightly at Cara’s words, trying to push herself off the ground, but bright red lights caught her attention. Hidden in the bushes just beyond them, was an old AT-ST rising with its red eyes glaring down at them.

 “Go. Go!” Mando shouted, everyone staggering to their feet. (Y/N) spun on her heel and ran, her feet barely touching the ground before lifting again. She was faster than the other two, but they pushed on trying to keep up. 

“You didn’t mention anything about an AT-ST!” She shouted over her shoulder, lungs burning as they raced back towards the village. How had these simple minded raiders even acquired Imperial equipment? Most who found old Imperial wreckage just scavenged them for parts to sell.

 “Surprise!” Cara called back over the sound of a blast. (Y/N) could only smirk, despite the circumstances she had grown to feel more alive when in the middle of a shoot out. Especially when it came to helping those who could not fend for themselves.

Running down a narrow strip of marshy land, (Y/N) slid down behind the barricade surrounding the small village. As she pressed her back against the barricade and removed her blaster from her hip, she could feel multiple eyes trained on her, even a blaster or two. “Don’t worry, she’s here to help.” Mando’s voice carried across the barrier. She could hear a few relieved sighs and felt eyes lifting back to the forest edge. Her eyes found the Beskar steel once again, the moonlight casting a glow onto it. He was perched down beside her and (Y/N) could only nod in gratitude. He did the same before hidden eyes focused back on the trees, where red eyes seeped through.

(Y/N)’s hand closed around her blaster, removing it from the holster, and readying it for the inevitable. This was not her first shoot out and it would certainly not be her last, but her blasters never sat comfortably in her hands. No she would prefer another weapon. The AT-ST came to a stop at the edge of the ponds, flashing its bright white light as it scanned the area instead. Everyone ducked and (Y/N) could feel the apprehension in the air. These people were frightened, they were simply just farmers who focused on their harvests, but in desperate times they had chosen to rise and defend their land. It was very amarable of them, she noted.

A small hut exploded behind her and (Y/N) jumped back to the present, raising her blaster in defense. Emerging from the fog beneath the AT-ST were more raiders, charging towards the small civilization. She wasted no time aiming her blaster at any of the raiders she could find, taking down quite a few. Her focus was broken when out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) saw Cara rush down the narrow strip of land towards the raiders, carrying an Amban rifle, the Mandalorians. What was she doing? Her attention was broken away as a raider jumped over the barricade and crashed into her.

(Y/N) sat up with alarm, eyes falling onto the growling raider in front of her, hands frantically searching for her blaster. Her dominant hand clasped tightly around the first thing she found, staggering slightly as she stood up. She quickly looked over to find a piece of wood that had been sharpened into a spear. (Y/N) almost laughed, now this she could use. Twirling the spear in her hand, she lunged forward before the raider could even attack, driving the sharpened edge straight through his sternum. He groaned in protest before falling slack to the dirt as she removed the spear. Behind her, more of the villagers had converged on the other side of the barrier attacking the other raiders. (Y/N) smirked slightly, before sprinting out to join them, spear in hand.

As the AT-ST fell into the deepened pond, the remaining raiders, with no more cover, retreated back into the woods. The villagers all collectively let out a sigh of relief and began cheering for their victory. (Y/N) sighed, smiling to herself in the security of her hood as she trudged down the narrow strip of land, attempting to regain her breath. “Need a hand?” She questioned, looking down at Cara and Mando who were partially submerged in a krill pond. Cara chuckled and extended a hand out which (Y/N) grabbed. As she pulled her friend from the water, Mando made his own way out. 

“You good?” Cara asked observing her as the bounty hunter stood watching. 

“Oh yeah, but it seems like I missed out on the real fun.” She noted eyeing the water dripping from their clothes. They both groaned and (Y/N) watched as the bounty hunter rung the water out of his cloak. Her head turned back to Cara and she let a small smile make its way into her exposed lips, “Well I think my job here is done.” 

“You’re leaving already?” Cara questioned eyebrows furrowing. (Y/N) nodded slowly, she never liked to dwell too long on a planet after helping, there were always more places that needed help across the galaxy. She never wanted to become comfortable and settle, not yet at least.

Cara shook her head, “No stay for the night, you can leave in the morning. No one needs help for the night.” (Y/N) sighed, handing the ex-shocktrooper the spear she had been using, eyes discreetly drifting over the still Mandalorian.

 “I think it’s best if I do. They’ve got enough on their hands here, they don’t need to take in anyone else.” 

The spear was shoved back into her hands, “It’s one night.”

“Please stay.” Another voice called. (Y/N) and Cara’s heads turned to find one of the native woman observing them from the other end of the ponds. Her lips parted but she could not find the words to insist that she must go. “Please you helped us, and we’ve heard the stories of how you help others. Let us help you.” The woman smiled warmly and (Y/N) groaned lowly to herself, before nodding in resignation. One night would not hurt. As she followed the woman towards the barn, Cara and the Mando silently following, (Y/N) perked as a feeling overcame her. As she drew nearer to the village, the feeling intensified, causing her to release a low gulp. It was familiar and yet foreign, something she had not felt in a long time, not at this magnitude. Passing the celebrating and drained farmers, her eyes could not help but survey them all, confusion etched onto her hidden face.

Warm sunlight and children’s laughter greeted (Y/N) as her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes squinted up to the blue sky, thankful for the black veil shielding her eyes. “Good Morning.” A voice chortled from her side. (Y/N) turned in the stiff chair to find Cara sitting in another chair on the opposite side of the barn, drinking a cup of Spotchka, the Mandalorian standing right above her. She hummed half heartedly in acknowledgement, sitting up in the chair, tired eyes falling to the group of smiling children playing just beyond the barn. She absorbed the sweet innocence of the children as they danced around and laughed, their carefree attitude infectious just from watching. A part of her wanted to miss that blissful ignorance but it had not been a part of her life for long, making it difficult to do so. She continued to watch the local children as she fully awoke, but something caught her eye. It was as if the children were circling around something, something small. (Y/N)’s eyes fell onto the middle of the circle and nearly bugged beneath her hood. Before she could form a coherent thought, she rose from her seat and stumbled down the steps and towards the group of children.

Mando stiffened as he watched (Y/N) approach the group of children, fear rising in his chest. He did not think twice before following after her, unsure what her intentions were. After the events that took place last night he was unsure what to think of the Reaper. He knew she was an ally, she helped people not hurt them, but there was an odd cloud that hung around her. She was agile, all quick reflexes, faster than he’d seen anyone move before. He had seen a brief glimpse of it inside the raiders camp and then again as she fought off the raiders outside of the village. Her fighting style was unique unlike anything he’d seen, especially from a Rebel. Cara was all heavy blows and tackles, going from the obvious, while (Y/N) was... evasive. She was light as a feather dancing around the battlefield, waiting for the opportune time to strike. He tried to approach Cara about the subject in the early hours of dawn, but the former Rebel only knew so much, “Everyone has their secrets, Mando.”

The local children seemed to scatter at the incoming black hood, the sight more frightening than his helmet. All but one seemed to run away, in fact it seemed like the child with his big eyes wandered towards her. (Y/N) stopped in her tracks and looked down at the small green creature before kneeling down. The child cooed softly, his head tilting as he inspected the black hood. Mando hovered over the two of them but they both seemed to ignore his presence, too enthralled in each other. The child’s small arms reached out for her and (Y/N) carefully lifted him and brought him into her embrace. Mando fidgeted above them, confused by what was happening. Why was the boy so curious? A little green claw lifted to grasp the black fabric that hid her face and (Y/N)’s hand rose to meet his, pushing back the hood. Mando sprung to life at that, his leather gloved hand enclosing around hers and the boy’s. “Stop, you don’t have to.” He was unsure why she wore the hood in the first place, but he imagined she did not want others to see her. It was better to be faceless when creating enemies with Imps or the Guild.

(Y/N)’s face did not deter from the child’s as she spoke. “It’s okay, I haven’t sworn a creed like you.” Her voice was soft and low, as if she was whispering something while in a trance. Against his better judgment, he released her hand and returned to silently observing this odd phenomenon. Slowly, (Y/N)’s bare hand pulled back the black hood, letting it slide down and rest on her back. Mando swallowed thickly, helmet tilting to observe the face of the Reaper. Never had he stumbled upon a face that he could not see before, a face not hidden by a creed. He was not sure what to expect and he felt a bubble rise in his chest. Was this how others felt around him?

(Y/N) was young, her face smooth and bright, despite for the split bottom lip she adorned. Gentle eyes were brought out by white paint that had been carefully applied around her eyes, like a warrior. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, a tan strip of fabric woven into it. He was not sure what he had expected, but the sight below him was not it. He understood now why the Reaper had been deemed a guardian angel, but he had a feeling they had not seen her face when deciding that.

The child hummed in contentment, pressing both of his tiny claws to her cheeks. (Y/N) let a small giggle fall from her lips, eyes watering in the process. Still holding the child, her eyes drifted up to him and Mando clenched his jaw. He could see the tears that gathered in her eyes, threatening to spill over, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“Is he yours?” Mando nodded stiffly, watching as the child ogled at her, a smile on his face. The child was always happy, especially since being brought around the children of Sorgan, but he had never witnessed this amount of joy on the tiny green face. (Y/N) did not say anything but instead rose back to her feet, clutching the child close to her. Her expressive eyes fell back onto him and now that she was bare to the world, Mando discreetly had to remind himself that his helmet was still secured on. “When you leave here, I want to come with you.” 

Shock cause his mouth to fall open beneath the mask as he tried to process her sudden confession. He was puzzled by the sudden change. Last night she was desperate to leave and return to her “reaping”, but now she wanted to put it on hold?

 “Why?” The child made another soft sound and (Y/N)’s eyes flickered down smiling at him. It was a sight to see, the two forming a strange bond so quickly. 

“I’m a good fighter I could be of use hiding from the Guild and I could help with him.” The bounty hunter contemplated her request. Her overnight change had to be because of the child and he was not exactly put off by it. She was indeed a good fighter, that could prove to be of good use as he tried to protect the child from the Guild and the ex-Imperials who wanted him. And watching the child cling to her so suddenly, the dread he had felt when thinking about leaving here with him only seemed to shift now to the dread of leaving here with him, without her. 

“Fine.” He sighed watching her smile widen. He was starting to wish she would put the hood back on. (Y/N) shifted the child into her one arm, while the other one extended out to him. Arching an eyebrow, Mando accepted the handshake, silently pondering if he was going to regret this decision.

Taglist:

@emma-frxst

@silverlambcaptain

[peerless-soshi]

3 + 13 with hualian? owo gimma dat uwuw energy ; and yes i swear i messaged wrongly for sure

Rules: Send me two (2) tropes from this list + a ship and I’ll describe how I’d combine them in the same story.

Modern AU +  Detective AU

Whoever met Crimson Rain Sought Flower always claimed they’ve never seen him.

Xie Lian didn’t question it; there was an explanation for everything, after all. Maybe that man was so horrific that after meeting him you never stayed in a dark room alone again? Or he was a surrealistic beauty you refused to speak of, as if an image could be stripped of weight by plain words. Maybe he was looming unseen in the corners of the dark. Maybe. One thing was certain: he was a fugitive of many names

A mystery, a demon and a human.

No matter what others told him, Xie Lian couldn’t help but believe that disquieting air surging past Crimson Rain Sought Flower had its source in him acting against everybody — the bright world and the underground world. That was indeed an unspecified danger. When some were only speaking, sitting, fearing, he had a way of sneaking beside you on a crowded street. In the blink of an eye he was right next to you with a blade shining in his hand, wearing a mocking smile. And then he was vanishing in the night along with all his reasons. And truth.

Xie Lian finally understood what it meant to see Crimson Rain Sought Flower on a cold spring evening, when he wasn’t even on detective duty. He was walking around the park without a clear purpose, driven by the vague impression that trees showered in moonlight could shield him from rain as well as help comprehend the clues in a new way. Crimson Rain, according to his name, appeared only under the sky streaked with clouds. Still, it was cold as for March. Puddles were sobbing and swashing under Xie Lian’s feet, raindrops cloaked branches as if they were nothing but soggy watercolor picture.

All Xie Lian could think of was how he should had taken an umbrella.

He was wiping his eyes, staring at his worn wristwatch and planning to go back home, when he glanced at a streetlight and saw someone. A tall man was standing near in the shadow, his hair long and black, his face veiled by a red umbrella, making him a glowing red blot on a gray picture of ink.

Red.

Xie Lian stopped in his track. His heart dropped; a stone in cold water.

A red umbrella? Here, this night? Has he lost his mind from looking at the files? But he could swore he caught an echo of bloody drops seeping into the damp soil, and the sound of footstep, too silent for such a tall person.

A faceless man with a blood-colored umbrella. In other words? Crimson Rain Sought Flower.

Xie Lian turned back, putting his hand on a gun hidden deep in the cloak  —  a pocket safeguard, just in case — and coming up with a quick worst-case scenario. One, two, three. Rain slashed his face, obscuring the view, mud swathed the ground, impeding a run. The lonely streetlamp flashed a round grin.

The man disappeared.

Xie Lian blinked, shaking off raindrops from his eyelashes. Nothing. An empty lawn surrounding an empty path, adding only shadows to accompany him. He swerved past a line of benches and streetlamps, his steps reflecting on the water’s edge. They were blurring — like the man’s outline. Looking for a trace, he felt more and more like a fool. A detective who lures Crimson Rain Sought Flower similar to a white flower attracting a silver butterfly, one colleague once had said it about him. Back then Xie Lian had taken it as a compliment. Now it was a warning. Maybe he needed vacation…  

But then — a few feet ahead — a stroke of color. Red. It was immediately swallowed by trees and dimness but this time Xie Lian clearly spotted a dark, slim figure with an umbrella. The man seemed rigid, vacillating, as if he was reaching out and escaping at the same time. Lightning struck, the sky shuddered. Xie Lian suddenly had a feeling the stranger would be both a killer and a victim; the silver blade hidden inside the umbrella would pierce the man’s own eye.

“Stop right now!” Xie Lian yelled, trying to outshout the rain.

He run through slippery mire, lower branches squeezing his arms and leaving scratches on his hands. If it was really Crimson Rain Sought Flower then here was fleeing the only chance to catch him; if it was an innocent person, Xie Lian needed to make sure they were all right. He picked up his pace as he approached the path behind the trees so he could take a closer look in the glow of cars, now shining through the bushes like fireflies.

As he neared, however, he knew it was pointless. And indeed, there was no sign of the man.

Silence.

Engines purred, wheels squeaked on the wet asphalt, but silence fell upon the night. Xie Lian could make out a rumbling of his pulse and a shiver; cold rain was running down his cold nape when an icy cold grip seized his arm.

By this time the presence was clear; it pierced the air like a lightning. But Xie Lian’s moves were faster and lighter. He reached back, his hand tightening on the other man’s arm — just in case. He was about to use his body weight and flip the stranger over his shoulder, when suddenly the man managed to grab him and turned Xie Lian around to face him.

“Who are you?!” Xie Lian shouted, wheeling around.

“Usually, you welcome me nicer.” It was a young voice, swathed in tenderness. And it sounded familiar.

Squinting in abundant rain, Xie Lian looked up. What he noticed was a relaxed face, though still unclear, as if behind a dewy glass: raised eyebrows, twitching corners of the mouth, slightly tangled braid. A completely ordinary umbrella.

“San Lang?”

“You could break my hand,” his boyfriend said in return.

Xie Lian closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “What are you doing here? You surprised me.”

“It started to rain and I guessed you left without an umbrella, as usually. I just came to pick you up,” Hua Cheng said and as gently as he could brushed hair from Xie Lian’s eyes, shielding him from the rain.

Xie Lian’s first impulse was to squeeze him tight. Reaching out for the umbrella he could see his fingers white and trembling from a too strong grip. The air was moist but his mouth stayed dry. All latent tension stepped aside and disappeared.

Hua Cheng must have also realized something was off because he brought him closer as his hand stopped on Xie Lian’s cheek.

“Did something happen, gege? Even now I can see how pale you are.”

He didn’t answer immediately.

They were walking calmly back to the park, hiding under one umbrella when rain twinkled around them like noise on an old black and white movie. The city sounds were becoming clearer. And then, flooded by reality of the main street, Xie Lian explained to Hua Cheng everything that had happened this evening.

Hua Cheng was not the slightest surprised, instead looking at Xie Lian as if his every word was true.

“If gege says Crimson Rain Sought Flower was there, it means he was there.”

Xie Lian smiled. “If that’s the case then why didn’t he attack me?”

“He had no reason to hurt you?” Hua Cheng said, shrugging slightly. Xie Lian felt it only because he was so close. “Probably he doesn’t hurt everyone, otherwise catching him wouldn’t be so hard. What if he wanted to see you?”

“Me?” Xie Lian was startled.

“If I was Crimson Rain Sought Flower, I’d like to know who is coming after me,” Hua Cheng said and laughed.

“Investigating his case is enough to target me.”

With a doubtful glance, Hua Cheng put his arm around him. Experiences of the evening were the only reason Xie Lian didn’t panic about this display of feelings in public.

“Others would replace you,” Hua Cheng said, “And gege is conscientious and fair. You didn’t accuse him of murders, did you?”

Xie Lian’s face fell a little. It was that feeling; he wanted to talk, to ask Hua Cheng for an opinion, but he couldn’t decide how much of his investigation he could reveal. In theory, nothing. Hua Cheng was making his unprofessional.

“It’s just a feeling,” Xie Lian finally said. “All deaths indicate suicide. However, witnesses saw a man with a red umbrella at almost every crime scene and that became the basis for looking for a murder. I feel there’s more to this than we know.”

His boyfriend smirked, folding the umbrella. They reached a block of flats where they lived.

“Nobody seeks the real truth. I bet Crimson Rain Sought Flower respects you for that.”

“And where does this thought come from, San Lang?”

“It’s just a feeling,” Hua Cheng answered, closing behind Xie Lian the door of their place.

He left the umbrella outside.  

[actual-lea]

Somewhere Among the Stars - Chapter 9

HEY remember when this thing used to update regularly? Me neither! (AO3)

(First chapter | Previous chapter)

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“Everybody okay back there?”

Jay opened his eyes, and slowly released his grip on R5, wincing a bit at the indents left on his hands. He realized gradually that his face was pressed to the floor, and, shaking a bit, he pushed himself up and gave himself a quick mental once-over. Nothing hurt any worse than it had before – not significantly worse, anyway – so it seemed that by some miracle, he was indeed okay.

He opened his mouth to declare as much when his eyes found the unconscious Jedi facedown on the floor a few feet away.

“Tim!”

Without another thought, Jay scrambled forward to roll him onto his back. Tim didn't stir at the movement, which only served to fuel the panic buzzing behind Jay's eyes. A different buzzing alerted him to R5's presence, hovering just above his head, and distantly, Jay noted that that meant they were back on solid ground.

The crash landing had been proof enough of that, though.

At the sound of footsteps behind him, Jay moved aside to let Jessica approach, keeping his eyes locked on Tim. Despite how still he remained, his chest rose and fell steadily, and Jay let out a relieved breath of his own.

He allowed himself to relax a bit more as Jessica checked Tim's pulse and turned his head to survey his injuries; her movements were quick and methodical, clinical almost, and Jay was comforted by the knowledge that at least one of them knew what they were doing.

Oddly, he wanted to hope that the spark of concern he could see in her eyes wasn't purely selfish, that she was worried for Tim not just because he was the object of her mission, but he shook off the thought as irrelevant.

“He'll be alright,” Jessica stated after a moment. She stood up and turned her attention to the ship's condition instead, with a heavy sigh. “What a mess.”

“The fire spread to the power core,” Jay said, fully aware that he was stating the obvious. “Started in the hyperdrive, but I'm guessing you knew that already.”

Jessica responded with an absent nod as she pried open the slightly charred casing of the hyperdrive in question.

“I've got some experience fixing Corellian ships, if you need any help.” Jay took a small step forward, wringing his hands, as R5 hummed softly in agreement. “Although I've... I've never seen the inside of a VCX model up close like this. Not in person, anyway. No one has them this far out, and anyone who does never sticks around for long.”

“Well, you're not missing much right now.” Jessica swept the hair out of her eyes with a frustrated exhale. “It's all fried.”

He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “We're stuck here, then?”

Jessica shook her head and brushed past Jay to frown at a flickering display on the wall behind him. “Getting the ship up and running again won't be hard. Everything that was damaged by the fire can be patched up, at least until we get to the base for actual repairs. We'll need a new power core, of course, but that won't be an issue, it's pretty generic. It's the regulator that's the issue.” She rubbed her temples with one hand. “Without a new one, we won't make it very far without running into the same overheating problem that brought us here.”

“So...what do we do?”

She took a deep breath and cast her eyes downward for a long moment. “Can I trust you to stay with the ship?” she asked by way of reply, and Jay could hear the unspoken question beneath the words. Can I trust you to keep him from leaving?

With a glance at the unconscious Jedi between them, he nodded once, twisting his face into an expression that he hoped resembled confidence.

Jessica didn't look wholly convinced, but accepted his answer nonetheless. “Shouldn't be too much to ask, anyway,” she said with a quick shrug as she disappeared around a corner. “The air here isn't what I would call breathable.”

Jay blinked and shared a quick glance with R5 before following. “Wait, uh...” He paused at the bottom of the ramp to the cargo deck; now that they weren't in a mad rush to take off, he had a chance to take in the sight more thoroughly. The bay was mostly empty, with only a few large crates stacked and fastened in place a bit haphazardly on the far side. Momentarily, he wondered whether Jessica had already left the ship, but the sound of rummaging behind one of the crates answered the question for him.

“Where exactly are we?” he asked as he approached, craning his neck in an unsuccessful attempt to see what she was doing.

“Ishanna V.” A smaller crate slid out from behind the one Jessica was digging through, along with a slowly growing pile of equipment, most of which Jay didn't recognize. “Not exactly the most civilized place in the galaxy, but in our case, that's probably a good thing. Empire's hard to hide from, even all the way out here,” she paused, then grumbled, “especially after all the theatrics on Saqqar.”

A strange guilt twisted in Jay's stomach at the mention of his home planet. He quickly shook it off; none of that fiasco had been his fault. If anything, his knowledge of the terrain had helped them escape, hadn't it?

Although, if it hadn't been for him, Tim would have been long gone before the Empire had closed in on him. Or the Resistance, for that matter.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, it took Jay several seconds to notice that Jessica was no longer in the cargo bay. In the same moment, he caught a glimpse of golden light flooding into the ship from the direction of the exit ramp.

“Stay on the ship,” Jessica ordered as he approached, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask now strapped to her face. And without another word, she punched a button to her right, sealing the airlock between them and blocking his view.

He had to fight the sudden, intense impulse to disobey, to open the airlock and follow, consequences be damned, if only for a momentary glance at the world outside, a planet that was completely new and alien and undoubtedly dangerous to him.

Instead, he scrambled back up the ramp to the cockpit, barely even noticing the curious trilling of R5 following closely behind him; he was too focused on what he could see as he approached the viewport, the view mostly obscured by a large formation of dark gray rocks several meters from the ship, until he got close enough to see the sky above.

“Whoa,” he breathed.

The golden rays of the sun – Ishanna, he assumed – poured into the cockpit from over the rocks, casting long shadows that were softened by the reflections bouncing off of all the inactive control panels. It felt solid, almost, too dense to be nothing more than light, like a liquid filling the space around Jay, heavy and blinding, and he let his eyes drift closed, drinking in the sensation.

And the warmth! He pressed a hand to the transparisteel; it was cool to the touch, still, likely a residual effect of space travel, and yet he could feel a hint of the heat that was pressing into the ship from the other side. The warmth was intoxicating; he let it spread up his arm and into his chest, like a cluster of glowing embers, radiating into his lungs and his veins, yet not setting him aflame.

The sound of footsteps pulled him out of the trance, and he turned to see a disgruntled Tim stumble into the cockpit next to him.

“Hey!” Jay exclaimed, too loud, ashamed suddenly of how easily he'd forgotten about the unconscious Jedi he was supposed to be looking after. “Are you alright?”

“Great,” Tim grunted. He squinted against the light streaming through the transparisteel, its mesmerizing effect apparently lost on him.

“We're on Ishanna V,” Jay said, to a quick beep of confirmation from R5. He fidgeted a bit as Tim took in the sight of the otherwise empty cockpit, then added, “Jessica went to get some parts for the ship.”

“Great.”

Jay glanced out the viewport, then back to Tim. “Apparently the air here isn't breathable,” he stated.

Tim let out an annoyed sigh. “Great.” He turned and walked away.

“Where are you going?” Jay called after him.

“Nowhere.” Tim disappeared into one of the cabins and slammed the door.

R5 beeped softly, and Jay nodded in agreement. “Yes, very grumpy.” He turned back toward the viewport and closed his eyes again, letting the warmth roll over him once more.

“He'll come around, though.”

(next chapter)