#this could cause issues with splitting up for assignments

[archivewriter1ont]

Bad Batch Incorrect Quotes

Echo: I don't know why you keep pretending you don't like me.

Crosshair: I'm not pretending... I don't like you.

Echo: You have been standing, sitting, or walking beside me for 97% of the time I've been conscious since Anaxes.

Crosshair:

Crosshair: That's just a coincidence.

[singmyaubade]

Cindy Lou Who

james potter x slytherin!female!reader

summary: you and lily have been polar opposites from birth, disconnected in everything. but when the one thing she has crosses the bounds, you can't avoid it even if it destroys you.

warnings: eventual smut! 18+ heavy angst, cursing , jealousy

a/n: it's part 2! no, its not a dorcas and y/n love story.

i hope you enjoy and you can fw it or not, not my issue.

—

The journey to James's parents’ cabin had already been a nightmare in the making, but the fact that you somehow found yourself stuck in the car with the Marauders made it feel like the universe had personally conspired against you. It was as if Lily was trying to send a message to make you never speak to her again.

Ten minutes earlier:

You stepped off the train, dragging your suitcase behind you, and made your way toward Lily and her usual entourage. You could already feel the tension between you and the rest of the group, but at least Lily was there to distract you.

"Ah, Y/N!" Lily cheered, her arms suddenly wrapped around you in a hug. You stiffened slightly, offering an awkward smile as she pulled back to look at you. Her grin continued to grow, "We were just discussing seating assignments," She explained, glancing at the group, which was all standing around and debating loudly.

"I voted for apparating. It's quicker, and no one has to listen to Sirius whine the entire time," James grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at Sirius, who was lounging against the wall with an exaggerated sigh.

"Well for one, your apparating skills absolutely scare me," Dorcas chimed in.

Mary snorted. "Yeah, I’m pretty sure we'd show up without a neck if either of you tried to apparate us," She said, resting her head on Dorcas’s shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked over at the two boys.

Sirius immediately recoiled, "Excuse me? Leave me out of this, my apparition skills are impeccable if you ladies must know," He said, puffing out his chest and sticking his tongue out at both of them.

Marlene chuckled, chiming in, the sound light and teasing as she looked at you. "Yeah, I think we need someone with actual skill, not just a big ego." She glanced at Sirius, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sirius shot her a playful glare, but his lips twitched as though he might actually be enjoying the banter. "You wound me, Mar. But I’ll have you know, I’ve never left anyone in a heap of twisted limbs," He said, half-defensive, half-proud.

You sighed, clearly tired of their antics as Dorcas spoke again, "Okay, okay, if you two are done with the theatrics, how about we get someone who actually knows how to apparate without leaving us in the wrong century?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow dramatically, looking at you, "Well, actually, someone insists that ‘bonding time’ means suffering in cramped cars with people you barely know, which is really quite charming," He said as if everyone was meant to agree with his sarcasm.

James shot a playful look at Lily, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Don't blame my little Lily-bear for her big heart," He teased, only for her to stomp on his foot, causing him to yelp.

“I don’t even understand why we discussed apparition in the first place,” Lily huffed, annoyed, “We are driving and that is final.”

You snorted at the sight, feeling momentarily distracted from the impending doom of the ride. Mary, ever the voice of reason, cleared her throat. "Ok Mother, back to the cars. Who's in which?"

You raised an eyebrow, scanning the group with mild skepticism. "Can any of you actually drive?" The question hung in the air, and for a split second, the group fell into silence, as if your voice had been the last thing they expected.

"Well, Remus and I can," Dorcas answered with a grin, clearly amused by your audacity. "And James already asked his parents to send over two cars," She added, her eyes twinkling.

"Wow, loaded with money, Potter?" You teased, turning to James, who shot you a mockingly smug grin.

"Don't act like you didn’t know," He replied with a wink as if he always knew how to make your sarcasm work in his favor.

"And how many people can each car fit?" Mary asked, eager to move things along.

"Four each, including the driver," James answered, his voice laced with confidence.

"Well, this is perfect!" Lily exclaimed happily, her voice full of relief. "Peter can't make it anyway, so Y/N can take his spot!"

Your stomach twisted. "Excuse me?" You nearly gagged, your face contorting in disbelief.

Lily’s eyes softened with an apologetic look. "Oh, don’t worry! They won’t bite, I promise," She assured you, gesturing to the Marauders, who were now standing off to the side like a haphazardly formed band of troublemakers.

You couldn’t hide the disgust that flashed across your face as you looked at the group. The thought of being stuck in a car with them—all of them—felt like some cruel twist of fate. “Can’t you just ride with the boys?” You asked, crossing your arms and giving Lily a pleading look.

Lily hesitated for a moment before offering a sheepish smile. “I could, but I kind of want you to get along with them, Y/N. I really don’t want to force you into anything, but they’re good people underneath the mess," She said sincerely, rubbing your palm comfortingly.

You felt the pressure building. On one hand, you wanted to be a complete brat and insisted that you’d rather take your chances with a single, less painful car ride with the girls. But on the other, you knew this trip wasn’t about you. It was Lily’s weekend, and you couldn’t spoil it just because the Marauders were a walking headache.

"Actually, Lily, it's fine," You sighed, rolling your eyes. "It’s just a four-hour car ride. I’ll survive."

Lily looked at you, her eyes full of sincerity. "Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable—"

"Yes," You groaned dramatically, cutting her off. "But if you ask me again, I will change my mind."

Lily’s face lit up with a sweet, relieved smile. “Thank you, Y/N,” She whispered in your ear, pulling you into another hug.

You smiled faintly despite the dread that churned in your stomach. You lightly pushed her off, trying to hide the weirdly sentimental feeling. "Let’s get this over with, then," You muttered, grabbing your luggage and marching toward the exit.

As you walked out of the station, you could hear the sound of the Marauders’ footsteps trailing behind you, their chatter and laughter loud enough to make you wince. Your fate was sealed, and you had no choice but to endure the upcoming car ride with them.

But who knew? Maybe the next four hours wouldn’t be as bad as you were imagining.

--

Thirty minutes into the car ride, and you were already questioning every decision you’d ever made in life.

For one, Sirius and James hadn’t stopped talking since you left the station. It was like they were competing to see who could out-talk the other, their voices blending into an incoherent mess of loud jokes, sarcasm, and the occasional burst of laughter. You swore you could hear Sirius’s voice every five seconds, but it was impossible to tell what he was even saying.

The only bearable one in the bunch was Remus—the designated driver, who for the most part, was quietly focused on the road. He had a way of staying out of the chaos, and you were thankful for that. If he’d joined in, you might have just jumped out of the car.

Unfortunately, luck had not been on your side, and James was sitting right next to you. Of course, he was. As if this trip hadn’t already been your own personal hell, the universe had decided it would be even more fun if you were forced to endure James’s company.

The luggage was shoved behind you both, making the car feel cramped in every possible way. And somehow, the small space between you and James seemed to grow more suffocating by the second.

It wasn’t like you hated him—well, maybe you did a little bit right now—but he wasn’t exactly your favorite person to be sitting next to. Especially in a tiny car where you had no choice but to pretend that everything was fine.

And to make matters worse, James had been sneaking glances at you every couple of minutes. You could feel his eyes on you, even when you kept your focus fixed firmly on the road ahead, your chin resting in your palm as you leaned against the cool window, trying to ignore the constant pounding in your skull.

You tried your best not to react. You weren’t about to make eye contact with him or give him any reason to think you wanted to engage. The last thing you needed was him making some stupid comment about how uncomfortable you were being, as if that would make it any better.

But no matter how much you ignored him, you could still feel him there, like a weight pressing on your chest.

You wondered—truly wondered—how you had managed to get yourself stuck on what was likely the worst trip in the history of trips. It wasn’t even like you’d had a choice in the matter.

You were thinking that perhaps you should've grabbed a book from your bag or even your Walkman from home.

Anything to avoid the chaotic, uncomfortable mess that was currently your reality.

But then again, you still wanted to make Lily happy. It was her weekend, and you knew how much this trip meant to her.

And you knew you had to endure this for her, even if that meant suffering through endless hours of loud barking and James Potter’s stupid glances.

But you were starting to develop a newfound dislike for the countryside and for the stupid cabin you were heading to, and especially for James Potter and his stupid face.

You were stopped in your train of thought by the loud crunching in your ears as you looked beside you in disgust to see James eating Sour Cream & Onion chips loudly.

You had hoped that James would choke on the chips he was shoveling into his mouth right then and there, but he was luckily immune to your silent prayers. Instead, his eyes flicked over to you as he extended the bag in your direction, his mouth still full.

“Want some?” He asked, chewing loudly, completely oblivious to the venom in your stare.

You groaned, slumping back in your seat and closing your eyes, hoping that maybe—just maybe—you could escape the situation by sheer force of will. But no. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get rid of James Potter. You could still feel his gaze on you, heavy and unrelenting, like a hot spotlight.

“You know,” James continued, completely oblivious to your very clear displeasure, “You could be a little nicer.”

Before you could respond, Sirius—who had been quietly enjoying the chaos—turned around in the front seat, his usual shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “Slytherins are incapable of that. It’s not in their blood.”

You rolled your eyes, but before you could snap back, Remus muttered a resigned “Sirius,” trying to rein him in.

You leaned forward, making sure your voice was dripping with sarcasm as you met James’s gaze, “And Gryffindors are incapable of not being complete and utter twats.”

James’s eyes lit up with amusement at your choice of words. You could see the smug little grin forming at the corner of his mouth, like he was proud of his ability to get under your skin.

“Ah, she speaks!” He said dramatically, as if this was some huge victory. You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes and groaning. “I was beginning to think you were either deaf—or perhaps a robot.”

Your eyes narrowed as you leaned in just a little closer, meeting his gaze, keeping it steady. “I believe you’ve got something right here.” You moved in slowly, and you could see his face flush just slightly, his lips parting as if he was about to say something.

You didn’t give him the chance. “Right here…” You muttered, keeping your eyes locked on his, before quickly flicking your finger against his forehead.

James immediately shot his hand up to his forehead, wincing as though he’d been hit with a particularly nasty spell. You couldn't help but smile brightly, crossing your arms triumphantly. You were winning.

Sirius, of course, couldn’t help himself. He started laughing so hard it almost sounded like he was barking. “Wow, Y/N—1, Prongs—0!” he whooped, throwing you a thumbs-up from the front.

You heard the nickname, but your victory felt too sweet to care about it right now. You were too busy basking in your small but satisfying win. Maybe it was the most minor of triumphs, but seeing James’s smug confidence deflate for even a moment was pure, unadulterated joy.

James, still rubbing his forehead, pouted dramatically. “Good to know," He muttered under his breath, though you could hear the faint hint of amusement in his voice. “That’s what makes you happy.”

You leaned back in your seat, your grin never wavering. “You have no idea, Potter,” You said, crossing your arms again, feeling very much like you’d won the game.

You suddenly decided to just take a nap for the remaining two hours of the trip, head leaning against the cold window.

At least then, this trip will be bearable.

--

"Aww, isn’t this a sight for sore eyes?" You heard a voice mutter, and your eyes blinked open to see Sirius staring down at you with that signature smirk of his.

You hummed in confusion, realizing that your head was no longer against the window but resting on the broad canvas of a shoulder and jaw.

Your eyes widened as you quickly snapped up, inadvertently knocking your head into James's chin. He groaned in protest as you hissed from the pain in your own skull, rubbing it with one hand.

Sirius barked out a laugh, the sound loud and unmistakably amused. You shot him a death glare. James whined like a child. "Couldn’t you have just gotten up softly?" he asked, tending to his chin as if it were more damaged than it likely was.

"I was repulsed," You said bluntly, crossing your arms over your chest.

James smirked, clearly enjoying your discomfort. "Didn’t seem that way with your head on my shoulder," He teased, and before you could stop yourself, your fist landed squarely in his shoulder. He groaned dramatically.

You hated how easy it was for him to tease you, it was almost as if he didn't hate you as much as you hated him.

"Shut up, Potter," You muttered under your breath, a small smile tugging at your lips despite yourself.

Finally, Remus got out of the car, and you were beyond relieved to be able to stretch your legs and get out of the cramped space. As you stepped out into the fresh air, you were hit with the sight of the cabin—a massive wooden oak structure that dwarfed most houses you had seen. Of course, it shouldn’t have been a surprise with James's family wealth, but it was still impressive.

"Admiring something?" James’s voice called out from behind you, and you turned to see him watching you with that grin of his.

You stepped toward him, eyebrows furrowing. "We were trapped in a car for four hours together, and you still want to annoy me?" You asked, annoyed.

James’s grin only widened, something almost unreadable flickering in his eyes. "It’s just so fun," He said sweetly, his tone laced with something that made you furrow your brows deeper.

He moved past you with that same self-assured confidence, and you couldn’t help but watch him for a moment, your mind swirling with an odd mix of curiosity and frustration.

What an odd boy.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of loud cheers, and you turned to see Lily and the other girls finally arriving at the cabin. Lily immediately rushed over to you, throwing her arm around your shoulders. "This is going to be so fun!" She exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Your expression remained indifferent as you shrugged off her arm. "Sure it will, Lils," You said, barely hiding the boredom in your voice as you moved past her toward the cabin entrance.

Inside, the cabin was everything you expected—grand yet homely. Fairy lights twinkled on the ceiling and wound their way along the railings of the stairs, casting a warm, soft glow. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree stood in the corner of the living room, and the fireplace was already crackling with flames, filling the air with the comforting scent of wood smoke.

You couldn’t help but admire the place, its charm undeniable.

Okay, maybe you were admiring it a little more than you wanted to admit.

As much as you wanted to keep exploring the cabin, you couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming desire to just collapse into a bed and escape the chaos for a bit.

The car ride had been long—four hours spent crammed between the Marauders and Lily, with Sirius and James' constant bickering as background noise. You could already feel the tension in your shoulders from it.

You made your way up the stairs, eyes scanning the doors with name cards carefully placed next to them. It was so Lily to do something like that—everything organized to the tiniest detail. When you reached your door, you saw your name beside Dorcas’s.

You hadn’t spent much time with Dorcas, but from what you’d gathered, she was a bit of a mystery.

She was quiet in a way that was similar to you, but then, the next moment, she was all sharp humor and a wild streak of extroversion. It was interesting to watch her switch between the two.

You just hoped she didn’t have any issue with Slytherins. You’d heard whispers from some Gryffindors, and while you liked to think you were nothing like the stereotypical Slytherin, you still didn’t feel like being judged by a new person.

James and Sirius were already enough of a headache on that front.

You pushed the door open and stepped into the room, instantly relieved by the sight of two beds with nightstands and soft lamps. It was cozy—nothing too extravagant, but warm. There were two separate closets as well, and a part of you actually sighed in relief. Privacy. That was something you valued deeply.

"Thank God for separate closets," Came a voice from behind you, and you turned to find Dorcas already standing in the room, “Sharing a closet can drive me absolutely nuts, I need the privacy,” She added. You hadn’t even heard her come in. Her eyes were fixed on the closets, and somehow it felt like she’d read your mind. "As do you," She added, her voice light and as if she head read your mind.

"I—I do," You stammered, caught off guard.

Something about Dorcas always made you feel a little out of your depth, though you weren’t sure why. She had this way of being so at ease with herself, and it was hard not to be a little intimidated.

Dorcas just shrugged, as if your reaction was nothing new. She walked over to the bed, settling herself against the headboard with a relaxed sigh. "Honestly, I’m glad we’re rooming together. That car ride was chaos. I’m not sure I’ve recovered yet."

You chuckled awkwardly, the tension still clinging to your limbs. "Agreed," you muttered, fiddling with your bag as you unpacked some of your things into the closet. You felt Dorcas’s eyes on you, but when you looked over, she was giving you a teasing smirk, as though she could see right through you.

"The Marauders weren’t too insufferable, I hope?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

You laughed dryly. "Well, Remus was a saint," You said, trying to keep it light. "Black and Potter, though? Bloody migraines." You sighed, shaking your head as you hung up a few shirts. "I don’t know how they do it. They thrive on being insufferable, I swear."

Dorcas let out a soft laugh, a mix of amusement and sympathy. "That’s their usual act," She said, as if it were the most predictable thing in the world. "Don’t worry—you’ll get used to it. Or at least, you’ll stop being surprised." She shifted, lying back and staring up at the ceiling, her hands behind her head.

You looked at her, unsure if you were ready to get used to them.

It's like she could read your expression or your thoughts in general.

Dorcas gave you a quiet smile. "You’ll get there," She said with surprising wisdom for someone who seemed so carefree. "Just don’t take it too seriously. They’re all talk."

I hope I never do, you thought, but kept it to yourself.

You couldn't help but think of how you would ever survive this entire trip. In all honestly, you would rather have spent it with Petunia degrading you.

And you were incredibly worried that the tension in your spine would always still there.

You looked at Dorcas questioningly, "Do you think this trip is going to be fun?" You asked, your voice quieter now as you paused in the middle of unpacking.

Dorcas rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with one hand as she looked at you with a thoughtful expression. "I think it'll be interesting. Not sure if 'fun' is the word I’d use. But you never know. It’s a change of pace, at least." She smiled. "One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be memorable."

"Let’s hope it’s the good kind of memorable," You muttered, smiling slightly despite yourself.

"Trust me, I’ve got a feeling this is going to be one for the books," Dorcas replied, giving you an amused look.

You gave Dorcas a slight smile as you both suddenly heard a thump downstairs and several voices of laughter as Dorcas stood, smiling, "Think I'm gonna check up on everyone down there, wanna come?" She asked, looking at you.

You fake yawned, stretching out on the bed. "I think I'll actually take a nap, feeling quite drowsy," You said, trying to keep the tone casual.

Dorcas gave you a smile, but there was a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "Okay," She replied softly before turning and heading for the door. She closed it behind her, leaving you alone in the room.

You sighed, rubbing your forehead. Dorcas was nice, but you really didn’t feel like hanging out with the whole group right now. It was just too much.

You reached for your backpack, hoping to lose yourself in time with a book. But when you opened it, your stomach sank. No books.

"Fuck," You muttered, frustrated. You never forgot your books. You always packed them, even for short trips.

You flopped back on the bed, groaning. This wasn’t going how you’d planned.

After a few moments, you grabbed your toiletries and towels.

Screw it.

A shower would help clear your head.

You turned the tap, and the hot water came on quickly. Stepping into the stream, you let the heat wash over you, hoping it would erase the tension from your body.

The noise of the water filled the bathroom, and for a moment, everything felt quiet.

You sighed deeply, letting go of the frustration. It wasn’t ideal, but you’d figure things out later. For now, you’d let the world outside the bathroom fade away.

After a nice, long shower, you slipped into a soft nightgown, figuring you wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight. The warmth of the cabin made it easy to settle in, and you were content with some peace and quiet.

But as you put your things down, you suddenly heard Lily’s voice ringing out from downstairs.

"AAAAAH!" Her scream echoed through the house, followed by frantic footsteps.

You froze, heart racing. Was she hurt? You quickly rushed out of your room, ready to help. The moment you reached the top of the stairs, though, you saw her laughing hysterically in the living room.

"I told you she would come down!" Lily called, gleefully looking at James and Sirius, her hand outstretched for galleons.

You blinked, your heart slowing as you saw the grin on her face. "What the hell?" You muttered, out of breath.

James was looking at you in wide-eyed awe, but you couldn’t help noticing how your nightgown was just a little too revealing—way more than you’d planned for. The last thing you needed was to give James any more ammunition.

"Really, Lily?" You scoffed, already turning to head back upstairs.

"Wait!" Lily rushed to you, her eyes pleading as she grabbed your arm. "Just come hang out for a little bit!"

You immediately thought 'Fuck no!' but then you thought,

It's her trip.

You glanced at her, and despite everything, her puppy-dog eyes got to you. "I suppose.." You muttered, giving in.

Lily squealed, her excitement infectious as she pulled you downstairs. "We’re about to start the puzzle!" She said with a huge grin.

You raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to laugh or groan. "A puzzle?" You teased. "Are we in fourth year?"

Lily pouted. "Stop being such a buzzkill."

Marlene leaned over from the couch with a smirk. "Lils always makes us do something childish on the first night. Gets it out of our system before the real fun starts."

"Exactly," Mary added. "A bit of innocence before we dive into the chaos."

"And so she doesn’t feel guilty when we get wild later," Sirius teased, his grin mischievous.

Lily stuck her tongue out at them. "I do it because it’s fun! And once we finish, we can glue it and hang it up. Isn’t that cute?"

James groaned dramatically. "But Remus and Dorcas always do the best work, and the rest of us just give up."

Lily shot him a look. "Not this time. This time, we all finish it fast."

Well, that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Lily had, of course, accidentally bought a 900-piece puzzle, and it was much more complicated than anyone had expected.

You, Remus, and Dorcas were the only ones making any real progress. You were surprisingly good at it, which seemed to amuse everyone else. The three of you worked mostly in silence, with you passing pieces to Remus and Dorcas helping out when necessary.

Meanwhile, the others had either given up or wandered off. Lily, Marlene, and Mary were baking cookies, and Sirius was napping on the couch, his loud snoring filling the room.

But, as always, James was not one to leave you alone for long.

"How are you guys still working on that?" He whined, popping up beside you and peering over your shoulder. "It’s annoying and difficult!"

"Just like you," You muttered with a sly grin, not looking up from the puzzle.

James’s started smirking. "Sorry, what was that?"

You scoffed, "Just like y-"

Before you could finish your sentence, James was behind you, fingers digging into your sides, tickling you mercilessly. You yelped, trying to push him off, but he only laughed louder, his hands relentless.

Dorcas and Remus exchanged amused glances, clearly entertained by the scene unfolding.

"Say it again!" James demanded, his voice obnoxiously loud.

You gasped for breath, trying to squirm away from his grasp. "Stop it, Potter!" You barely managed to keep your voice serious, but it came out more like a laugh.

"Okay, say I’m the most brilliant person at Hogwarts!" he pressed, his grin wide.

"I will never say that!" You laughed, finally able to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Come on!" James pushed, tickling you more.

"Okay, okay!" You cried, laughing helplessly. "You’re the most brilliant person in Hogwarts, now get off!"

James finally relented, sitting back with a smug smile. "That’s what I thought."

You quickly adjusted your nightgown, your face flushed with embarrassment. You couldn’t believe you just got into a tickle fight with James Potter—of all people.

Lily appeared, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "What just happened out here?" She asked, her voice teasing. "I heard you laughing."

You turned away, trying to hide your embarrassment. "You didn’t hear anything."

"Actually—" James started, but you punched him lightly in the knee, making him wince.

"—I heard nothing," He corrected quickly, his voice strained as he rubbed his leg.

Lily flashed a knowing smile. "Sure," She said, winking at you before heading back into the kitchen.

You groaned inwardly. This was only the beginning, and already Lily was convinced you were best friends with her friends.

Your mind drifted back to earlier, to James’s behavior and how Lily always seemed to indulge him. It left a bitter taste in your mouth.

"I'm heading up," You said abruptly, not waiting for an answer as you made your way to the stairs.

"But the cookies aren’t ready yet!" James called after you, his voice almost pleading.

"Enjoy them when they are," You snapped, already heading up to your room.

As you reached your door and flopped onto your bed, you let out a long, frustrated sigh. This was going to be a weird trip.

[logoleptic-since-06]

Love Thorns All Over This Rose

✮ Pairing: Satoru x Fem!Reader

✮ Content: Fem!Reader, Non-Sorcerer AU, College Setting, Mentions of Family and Financial Issues, Mentions of Other JJK Characters, Language, Smut (Fingering, Cunillingus), Slight Angst, Fluff, Dislike to Love, Mentions of Smoking, Slowburn, Not Proofread

Based On This Concept I Made

✮ A/N: I know I said I will not be writing fics for the concepts I made, but I love this trope too much to not have written it.

★ ♫ ★ ♫ ★ ♫ ★ ♫ -> Some songs this was inspired by (I know I listen to white girl music, what about it?) ✮ Also heavily inspired by the book The Deal by Elle Kennedy.

✮ Word Count: 4.6k

MDNI

“This was your last chance, Gojo, I’m gonna have to revoke your captaincy.”

“Please, coach,” Satoru’s usual cocky tone was replaced with desperation, “One more chance, please. My econ test scores came out today, and I’m confident I did well. Just consider this for once.”

Coach Yaga pauses for a second, “Listen, kid, I will consider it for now, but it’s really not on me. College rules say athletes can’t have more than three F’s. And according to that, I should bench you till you get your grades up.”

His eyes widen. “What? No, you can’t bench me, I’m your best player!”

“You know it doesn’t matter.”

“Fuck…” he murmurs in frustration. His econ test, that he has already given, is his last straw. If he fucks this one up, he will be benched until he gets his grades up. Basketball tournament season is right around the corner, and being in his senior year of college means his professional recruitments will start this season. Being benched is far from an option he wants to go for.

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

He fails.

He fucking fails the test that he was so sure he’d pass.

“And then he benched me,” he groans as he finishes telling the story to his friend group/housemates/teammates. He looks at Suguru, his oldest and closest friend, “Oh, and he made you the captain for the time being, by the way.”

Suguru simply shrugs. “Then get your grades up and re-secure your spot. I won’t even be going pro, you need this.”

"We are all rooting for you, Gojo," Haibara's over-enthusiastic voice speaks. Haibara and Nanami are in their junior year, and Haibara is probably Satoru and Suguru's biggest hype-man, despite playing in the same team.

“I’ve tried, you know I have. I don’t know what else to-”  Satoru stops as an idea strikes his head. He tilts his head towards Nanami, “Hey, Nanami.” “No,” he says simply.

“I didn’t even-”

“Whatever you ask, no.” “Tutor me, you’re like the only smart person I know.” “I’m your junior.”

“We have the same course, we study the same thing in the same class.”

“Fuck, you’re such a manchild,” Shoko’s bored voice speaks as she takes a puff from her cigarette.

“Don’t smoke in our house,” Satoru scolds her, causing her to flip him off.

“Although,” Shoko sits up from laying against the couch, “I might have someone that can help you. My roommate.”

Shoko doesn’t live with the others, but Satoru has never heard of her roommate before. “Your roommate, huh?” he repeats lazily.

Nanami snorts, “Y/N? She’s in my year and I doubt she’ll ever help him.”

Shoko nods, “You can try if you’re desperate enough.” She takes another puff of her cigarette. “Offer her tons of money.”

Satoru thinks for a second, “She can be convinced using money? That’s perfect, I have money.” 

Everyone except Haibara rolls their eyes.

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Having finished your last assignment of the day, you relax back against your chair, taking in the hushed ambience of the library. It was a stressful, but productive day. You only relax for a split second before a wave of anxiety gushes over you– you’ve recently lost your job at the local barista due to it being shut down. It was the only place close to the campus you can get a job at, and there is no way you could afford a living on campus without a job.

You decide to get up and head to your dorm room instead of musing upon your issues. As you begin to pack your things into your tote bag, you see a tall, white-haired figure sit across from you at the table with a bright smile on his face that shows off his dimples. 

Satoru Gojo?

The star athlete is Shoko’s childhood best friend. Ever since she became your roommate in your freshman year as a sophomore, you’ve only heard tales of him and Suguru Geto. You’ve seen them around the campus, of course, but you’ve always chosen peace over any interaction with them. People flock around them like a group of fans rushing over to buy tickets for a sold-out concert. Arrogance seeps out of him every time he walks through a door, making every head turn towards him.

“Hi,” he says, looking straight into you. You look behind you, trying to see if he is talking to someone else. “No, I’m talking to you. Y/N, right?”

The sound of your name in his voice sounds weird. How did he know who you were? 

He continues, “I am–”

“I know who you are.” You cut him off for a reason that is unknown to even yourself. He tilts his head in confusion, but you can tell it's not from the knowledge of you knowing his name but rather from the fact that you are wearing an annoyed expression on your face right now. You almost feel bad but it's not like you can help it, you just lost your job and it is not easy for a girl from a middle class family to survive in this environment filled with some of the richest brats in the city, Satoru Gojo included.

“I need your help.” Every word that comes out of his mouth sounds so foreign, you wouldn’t have imagined them in your wildest dreams.

“My help?” Why is he talking to you?

“I need you to tutor me.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We are in the same classes together. I need someone to tutor me because I’m failing my classes and if I’m benched and won’t be able to play until I pass them. And if I don’t play this season, I won’t be recruited to go pro, so basically my entire future is in your hands.”

Your disturbed grimace is probably a little too noticeable, because the next words that come out of his mouth are, “Why are you making that face?” He says it with such innocent confusion, you almost give in.

“I don’t even know you,” you finally say, your voice sounds bored.

“But you are the best I can find.”

“Why can’t you hire a professional tutor?”

“Because then my parents will know, and they can’t know.”

“That’s not my problem.” “God, you’re insufferable,” he exasperates, “I’ll pay. A lot.”

That gets your attention. You raise an eyebrow. “How much?”

He sits up and excitedly takes a piece of paper and pen, writes down an amount, and slides the paper towards you.

One look at the paper and your eyes go wide. He wrote an hourly rate and as you do the quick math in your head, you realize this would pay twice the amount you got as a barista.

You clear your throat before speaking. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he says firmly.

“And you will cooperate?”

“Of course, I need this, Y/N.” Will you ever get used to your name on his tongue?

“When and where?”

“Five days a week, so all working days. My house? It’s off campus. Give me your number, I’ll send you the location.” “I know where you live, I’ve dropped Shoko off to yours before. And yeah it works.”

“Great! Thanks so much, Y/N; you’re a lifesaver.” In the blink of an eye, he gets up and leaves you stranded at the library table.

Lifesaver… The word echoes through your head. You’ve been called that so many times, it doesn’t even mean anything anymore. You’ve been a lifesaver to your classmates for sharing your homework with them, or giving them answers during a test; you’ve been a lifesaver to your parents when you volunteered to look after your younger siblings, or when took care of dinner; you’ve been a lifesaver to your siblings for helping them study, or for solving any problem they’ve had. 

Even now, as you study in an elite university where the annual tuition is more than what your family earns in a year, you push yourself to work hard and maintain a scholarship, and work two jobs while simultaneously being a full-time student– just so you don’t have rely on someone else for anything, even if they’re your parents.

At least Satoru Gojo is willing to pay you a good amount for being a so-called ‘lifesaver’. Sure, there was a time when you thought money couldn’t buy you happiness, but spending so much time amongst your classmates made you realize it’s quite the opposite. Money brings you respect and recognition, and one day, you will have both of them, you are sure of it. For now, you are at peace with the fact that you are nothing but a phantom made up of invisible smoke, haunting the hallways until someone needs her.

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

The next day, you find yourself on the doorstep of your new student’s house. You shake off your unwanted anxiety and ring the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opens, revealing a tall figure with long luscious dark hair.

Suguru Geto, certified asshole number two (one is Gojo, of course). He looks down at you with a slight smirk. Seriously, what’s so funny? He motions you to come in.

“Satoru’s upstairs in his bedroom,” he drawls.

“Can you call him?”

He pauses for a second before answering, “Sure thing.” His gaze doesn’t avert from you as he calls out his name. Why is he so ominous? Why is Shoko friends with them?

Gojo comes out of his bedroom and stands by the stairway as he calls you up enthusiastically. You head upstairs and he leads you to his lavish bedroom and closes the door behind the two of you.

“So,” he says as he plops down on his bed, “Where do we start?”

“Let’s go through your assignments first.”

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

After an hour of tutoring, Satoru is officially done with his first tutoring session. He thinks you are a little odd with your bored yet annoyed expressions, yet he can’t stop but think you’re cute. He clearly gets the vibe that you aren’t the biggest fan of his as whenever he asked you a question about anything other than studies in the past hour, you had simply glared at him. It is also clear that you have no interest in his basketball games whatsoever.

It is also clear that you have no interest in his basketball games whatsoever. Since every question that he asks you about basketball is also either met with a glare or a “Finish this first, then we’ll talk.”

Your annoyance doesn’t matter to Satoru– if anything, he’s loving the fact that he’s getting on your nerves. It isn’t just you– annoying people has always been his specialty. Despite being the captain and the strongest player, his cheery demeanor is always met with eye rolls or groans of displeasure. 

Sure, girls around him would die to be with him– even for a moment– but if it’s not for sleeping around, he isn’t quite ever wanted. He tells himself he is okay with it, that if they don’t want him, he will turn himself into someone they need. Which is exactly what he did; and now, without him, the team will fall apart.

Once the tutoring session is over, he hits you with a similar question, a cheeky grin plastered on his beautiful face. “So, you ever been to any of our games?”

“No,” you answer simply.

“Why not?”

“I’m not interested in sports.”

“None at all?”

“None at all.”

“What ECAs did you have in highschool?” You look up at him. “I had plenty. Why do you wanna know?”

He shrugs. “Curiosity.” You sigh. “I was in the debate club, I worked for the school magazine, hosted multiple events, wrote articles, did internships, signed up for a bunch of award programs.”

Satoru’s eyes go wide. “And your SATs?”

“1560.”

Fuck. Satoru back in highschool was even bigger of a menace than he is now. With an SAT score of 1230 and basketball as the only ECA, it almost seems unfair to him now that both you and him are in the same university– one earned while the other given. Satoru never feels bad for exploiting his family’s money, after all, that’s the only thing they are willing to give him. But seeing someone work this hard– even harder than Nanami– to get to where they are is something Satoru can’t help but be impressed by.

And Satoru isn’t one to be impressed easily.

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

A few weeks pass in a breeze and the air now carries the hint of winter, the first fall of snow just around the corner. Students are locked inside their rooms, their heads buried in textbooks trying to prepare for the upcoming exams.

“You better pass this one, Gojo,” you tell him one day as you both are sitting in his room.

“Yes, ma’am.” He makes a salute gesture, causing you to stifle a small smile.

“I don’t wanna be that person, but why don’t you smile much?” His question takes you aback. “I’m not saying you should smile more; do whatever you want. I’m just asking why.”

You shrug simply, the guards you have around you have weakened a little in the past few weeks, but they’re not completely shattered. “I don’t smile without a reason.”

“I crack jokes.”

“You’re not funny.”

He rolls his eyes with a slight smirk tugging up his mouth.

You check the time and your eyes widen. “How long have I been here for?”

He leans back against his chair, “Almost three hours.”

“Shit, I was gonna call Shoko to come pick me up.”

He laughs when he hears that. “Yeah, good luck with that. It’s exam season, she definitely has her phone turned off right now.” Catching the worried expression on your face, he adds, “Do you want me to drop you off?”

You think for a while, trying to figure out other possibilities. Once you fail to do so, you feel your guards cracking a little more as you answer, “Okay.”

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

The drive from his house to your campus dorm is a short one. Yet, something in you makes you want to stir up a conversation.

“So what made you start playing basketball?”

His eyes don’t drift from the road when he answers. “You know my dad, right? He was a professional basketball player. It’s all I’ve known ever since I can remember.”

You won’t admit it out loud, but you are impressed to see him be so passionate about something. “So, you’re close to your dad?”

The chuckle he lets out sounds almost bitter. “No, no, I’m not. I was sent to a boarding school when I was very young. Grew up there. Met Suguru and Shoko. Been home very less. My school’s coach was more of a father figure than my own dad ever was.”

Something pangs in your chest as you let his words sink in. “I’m sorry…”

“Nah, don’t be. It’s cool, you know? My parents were too busy with their own lives, I was busy with mine– it’s just what I’m used to.”

“So you don’t contact them?”

“When I need something, sure.” He pauses for a second. “I know what you think of me, okay?” His voice has a hint of sincerity now. “You think of me as some spoiled brat who loves to spend daddy’s money. And you know what? You’re absolutely right. I am that, shamelessly. But this is only because I realized at a very early age that money was the only way they would be present in my life, so I decided to exploit the shit out of it.”

You don’t have an answer to what he said. His experience of family is unique and unrelatable to you in every way. “I would’ve done the same if I were in your shoes,” you say, not quite believing your words. “You shouldn’t feel bad. You’re doing a great job.”

He looks at you like you hung the moon. “You think so?”

You try to hide your surprise at his reaction. “Yeah, I mean, you’re the captain of the team and the strongest player. You’ve been working so hard to get your grades up this semester, I’ve seen your dedication.” 

He smiles at you– not his usual cheeky smirk, but a genuine, heartfelt smile. “Thanks, Y/N.”

“Don’t thank me, Gojo, I’m just stating an observation.”

“Satoru.”

“What?”

“Call me Satoru. It’s what my friends call me.”

You tilt your head to the side. “Are we friends?”

He raises an eyebrow. “You were nice to me just now. I doubt you’re nice to a lot of people.”

“Well…” you trail off.

“Well…?” he echoes as he stops his car in front of my dorm building. 

You unbuckle my seatbelt. “Maybe a conversation for another day. Thanks for the ride, Go– Satoru.”

He smiles for a split second before it is wiped away and replaced with a pondering expression. “Wait–”

You stop before you can open the car door. “Yeah?”

“Let me walk you to your room.”

It’s your turn to smile now. “I can walk myself to the dorm, Satoru.”

“It’s late.”

“I’m a big girl.”

“Come on.”

He’s so cute– wait what? Why would your mind go there? That’s Satoru Gojo, a certified college whore.

“Fine, walk me to my dorm room,” you hear yourself say. What is wrong with you?

The two of you get out of the car and begin to walk towards the building gate. The midnight air sways against your face while your cardigan protects the rest of your body. The place is quiet, only crickets heard amongst the trees. The moonlight reflects on the cars parked in the parking lot as you and Satoru walk through it.

“So you were saying?” He breaks the silence.

“What?”

“You said ‘Well…’,” he points out.

You chuckle softly as you look away to the ground. “Nothing really… you said you doubt I’m nice to a lot of people; I was gonna say I don’t talk to a lot of people to begin with.”

He looks at you with his head tilted in confusion. “Why’s that?”

You shrug. “Not a lot of people approach me here, you know? I just… exist, I guess. I mean, I’ve got Shoko. I talk to Nanami and Utahime sometimes. I’m not completely friendless, so that’s nice.”

“Three people in a college with around 20,000 students isn’t really… you know…” He trails off.

You feel the walls around you crumble a little as you speak. “I know, I know. But like I said, no one approaches me, which makes sense. And I’m not one to randomly approach people. Not great with social cues.”

He nods thoughtfully. “Why would you say it makes sense for no one to approach you?”

Why was he asking you so many questions? You can’t remember the last time someone had been interested in getting to know you in this way.

“I’m a scholarship student, I’m not exactly…” You try to think of a word, “relevant in your social hierarchy.”

He is quiet after you say that, probably trying to figure out how to respond to that. So instead, you continue, “It doesn’t matter to me. I always think that if they don’t want me, I’ll make myself needed. I’ll become an important person. My parents may not be rich, but who says I can’t be?”

“So you’re really ambitious,” he says. “I mean, I kind of got that from er– your constant hustle.”

You laugh at his remark, appreciating his humor instead of showing you pity like most would. 

The two of you begin to walk up the stairs to your floor when he asks, “Which floor is it again?”

“Second.”

“Right… I’ve never been here. Shoko’s always coming over to ours to hang out.”

“The three of you must be really close.” He nods. “Yeah, well, five now actually. Nanami and Haibara came along during our sophomore year when we moved in together. They are good athletes, so I thought keeping them close would be good for the team.”

You nod as you reach your dorm room and ring the doorbell. When Shoko doesn’t answer, Satoru says, “She’s probably at the library. Or with Suguru.”

You nod at the possibility as you take out your copy of the keys. The jingling echoes through the empty hallway. You unlock the door to reveal your room filled with darkness. Turning on the lights, you politely invite Satoru in, to which he happily obliges.

He casually plops down on your bed, his legs swinging down.

“Make yourself at home, don’t be shy,” you say sarcastically. His phone rings. When he picks it up, you watch his demeanor change as the person on the other side of the phone speaks.

“No, I told you guys to not attend any parties for a month,” he says in a serious tone that’s very unlike him. “We have practice first thing in the morning every day before the season starts, and I will not stand any mishaps.”

Listening to him scold his teammates and watching him be a good captain stirs something unknown in you. It’s so attractive for one to be this responsible and laidback at the same time. Your eyes roam around his big biceps, stopping at the hand that holds the phone against his ear. He has nice hands, you think, wondering how it might feel inside you. 

Snap out of it.

You will not throw yourself to him only to be tossed aside. You remind yourself why you’re with him– for a job. A deal that benefits the both of you equally. Nothing more, nothing less.

Then why did you tell him things you’ve never admitted to anyone?

What bothers you more is the fact that he was so interested in getting to know you. The way he is always so grounded around you makes you wonder if your previous perception of him being an arrogant asshole was just a misconception.

He hangs up the phone and smiles sheepishly at you, his dimples denting his cheeks. “Sorry,” he says. “It was Haibara.”

“It’s fine,” you say as you subconsciously move forward and sit beside him on your bed.

“Hi,” he says as his blue eyes pierce through you.

“Hi,” you smile back at him, unable to stop yourself from wondering what the hell he was doing in your dorm room of all places he could be right now. “Did you have to be somewhere?”

He scrunches his brows. “No, why?”

“No, I thought Haibara needed you or something.”

“Oh no, that’s been dealt with, don’t worry.”

When did you both sit so close together? You can almost feel his breath against your skin. “You have practice early in the morning.”

“I can function with less sleep.” He is almost too quick to answer.

Your faces are only inches away when his eyes fall to your lips. You close your eyes and feel his lips brush against yours. You kiss him back immediately. 

Once you give him the green light, he deepens the kiss and you let out a low moan. His tongue enters your mouth as he hovers over you on the bed with you lying on your back. He trails his kisses down your jaw while pressing down to your tit with one hand.

His other hand trails to your inner thighs and you feel the heat pool between your legs. You let out a needy gasp, causing him to contact his lips against yours again while his hand unbuttons your jeans and slides inside them. He rubs your clothed pussy and intoxicated bliss spreads over you.

“Ahh, fuck, Satoru,” you whine. He takes that as a sign and slips his fingers inside your panties. Your eyes roll back when you feel two fingers thrust inside you while his thumb works on your clit.

“Nghh, Satoru, fuck, hahh don’t stop,” you don’t even know how loud you’re being, neither do you care right now.

As you say that, he takes his hand out of your pants, which makes you squirm needily. He positions himself such that he is facing between your legs. He reaches for the hem of your jeans as you lift your hips up and he pulls them down, followed by your panties, leaving your bottom bare in front of him. 

He finally brings his face closer to your heat and licks a long stripe along the slit your pussy. You moan out in utter pleasure, spreading your legs further for better access. He begins to nibble at your clit, making you see splashes of euphoria in front your eyes. The pleasure is too all-consuming for you to even think of what’s right or wrong, of what you should or should not be doing. And you couldn’t be bothered to care about any of it right now. 

He adds two fingers deep in your cunt, hitting the g-spot repeatedly as his mouth sucks on your clit. You feel the pressure build up like waves. “So close, Satoru, don’t stop,” you cry out. The waves crash over the shore with a loud moan escaping your lips. 

You lay there panting, recovering from what you would call the best orgasm you’ve had in your life, as he sits up and looks down at you, a proud expression masking that pretty face of his, now all glistening in your juices.

The realization of what you just did hits you the moment the high dies down. You quickly close your legs and sit up, trying to find your panties. 

“What happened?” Satoru asks in a concerned tone. You ignore him and put your underwear on. 

Once you are done, you finally look at him. “Get out,” you state simply.

“What?”

“You heard me. Get out.”

“Did you not like it?”

“Gojo, leave.”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong!”

“What’s wrong?” you echo his words. “Everything about this is wrong. I’m your tutor. I work for you.”

“So?”

“So, we shouldn’t be doing this. It’s inappropriate.”

“Are you serious? I thought we–”

“No, I don’t know why I told you so much about myself. Starting tomorrow, everything is strictly professional, or I’m gonna have to quit.”

“Y/N, you can’t just say that, you know that, right?” Satoru sounds determined.

“Yes, I very much can. I’m sorry but I simply won’t let you think you can have me like that just because you’re you.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“What I mean is that I know you hook up with like hundreds of girls, and I just don’t want to be another name you tick off on your list.”

He looks exasperated. “You think that’s what you are? A name on a list? First of all, I don’t have a fucking list. Secondly, I don’t hook up with hundreds of girls. I haven’t done that since freshman year.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I don’t have the time to hook up with anyone.”

“You haven’t had sex since your freshman year?” Your voice is softer now.

“Not once.”

“Then why did you…” You don’t have to finish the sentence for him to understand it.

“Because I wanted to.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, really. It felt right.”

You would be lying if you say it didn’t feel right for you. But you don’t tell him that. Instead you ask, “Since when have you wanted to?”

He reveals his dimples at that question, “Since you asked me if I would cooperate with you if you tutored me.”

This brings a chuckle to your voice. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, something about you bossing me around was… you know.”

You laugh at his words. “You’re a dumbass,” you say as you lean forward and take his lips to yours.

[softpascalito]

We got your back - Chapter 4

Summary: You work as a new DEA agent alongside Peña and Murphy. A not-so-kind colleague reveals more about you than you would like. You also realize you can sleep better if you're not by yourself. You're not the only one with that realization.

Relationships: Javier Peña x F!Reader

WC: 10k+

Tags/Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, mention of canon-typical violence, family issues, they arent specified but reader is implied to be from a dysfunctional family, literal sleeping together, one bed trope if you squint, tac vest javi, nightmares, cuddling, protective javier peña, mention of drugs

AO3 LINK // Series Masterlist

notes: we are back! sorry this took me so long, i started into the year super positive and motivated but then my best friend decided to fucking die so life hasn't been very slay. i hope you babes are doing better and enjoy the chapter <3

(i cope with humor, can you tell?)

Chapter 4

“She could no longer think, nor were there any more images in her head. She was aware only of the softness of the woollen bathrobe next to her skin, and then of the nearness and warmth of a being that did not frighten her.”

- Paul Bowles, The Sheltering Sky

You have the first good day in weeks. Apart from the nagging feeling that you now have something else to hide - at least from Steve and the rest of your colleagues - you do feel well rested, getting through the assigned files and some more intel with record speed.

One of the higher-ups is celebrating a milestone birthday and orders dinner, causing more people than usual to stay late. Javi finds you in the crammed room where the plates of food have been set up and squeezes in next to you, flashing his signature charming smile, “May I?”

“Yeah, sure,” you mumble back, shifting slightly to give him more space. But with how full all the tables are, the people are a good excuse to let yourself get a little closer than you normally would. Somehow, it doesn’t feel weird, the way it likely would’ve before last night. It just feels safe.

You eat your dinner without speaking much, Javi practically wolfing his down. A frown spreads over your face at that, “You got plans after this?”

“Are you asking me out, querida?” Javi responds in between two bites, flirting so casually that it almost seems like second nature to him. Which according to the testimony of at least three women you know in the embassy, is exactly that. 

He cocks his brow as he turns towards you and for a split second, he looks serious, like he means it. The thought has you blushing furiously and you think you just may choke on a piece of your pasta when the familiar grin spreads over his face and with it, a similarly familiar warmth settles in your stomach. “I was just joking,” he reassures you again at seeing your cheeks change color and clears his throat before getting a little more serious.

“Wanted to go through some more files, not like this lot will get anything done tonight.” He nods towards the group of people gathered around the man who is apparently celebrating. They’ve finally opened up the first bottle of Aguardiente.

Of course, Javi knows that with the steadily rising alcohol level, he may just be able to persuade someone into giving him access to precisely the file he wants. Or at least provide enough distraction for him to sneak off and find it himself.

He can still hear Steve in the back of his mind, reasoning with him.

“Have you ever considered that the files are sealed because she wants them to be?”

He has, now. But he finds that he doesn’t really care. There is something there, something that might explain you to him a little more. A tiny voice in his head offers up the idea of just asking you, getting to know you like everyone else does.

But he quickly shakes that thought off. It’s nothing to him, personally at least. His interest is strictly professional of course. Nothing else.

Just as the first people start clearing out, Javi slips away too. You strain your neck, glancing around the room and towards the buffet but he’s nowhere to be found.

“Great,” you mumble to yourself as you follow suit and leave the table, heading out of the large oak doors of the conference room. A pit has formed in your stomach and it only deepens when you catch a glimpse of the time. It’s past nine already so chances are Javier really has headed off to meet some informant. You try not to consider who else he could be meeting and who else may wake up next to him in the morning.

Passing through the dimly lit corridors that lead to the DEA offices, you let out a small noise of annoyance with yourself.

It’s not like it’s any of your business what Javi does after closing time or who he meets. And it’s not really like you to judge him for it.

But today, you realize quietly, your disappointment stems from the pit in your stomach at the thought of having to go home to the apartment you’d rather forget and to spend a few hours tossing and turning on a mattress until it’s time to come back.

You haven’t met a single person on your way back to your office and you consider curling up next to your desk again. A glance around the office tells you that you’re not in luck, though. A few other co-workers still have their bags and jackets draped over chairs and desks and some will no doubt return to get them once they’re done eating. Javi finding you was one thing but they would be something else.

It takes a few seconds until the solution hits you and you take off past the open plan office and towards the smaller adjacent rooms in the back. The crammed file room that you’ve spent the last night in is sitting in darkness, the blinds almost completely closed. You decide against turning on the big light and simply make your way through the room- which is barely a few steps.

The orange glow of the streetlights filtering through the blinds is enough to let your hands find the couch in the corner and you settle onto it with a small sigh, content to just be still for a moment. It’s a little eerie, especially since you’re not sure if anyone other than Peña and Murphy frequents the space. But the sounds that do drift to you are low and distant, nothing more than a couple of cars honking a few blocks away and a dog barking somewhere in the distance.

You draw your legs up onto the couch, wrapping your arms around them for the lack of actual bedding and lean back, closing your eyes.

It doesn’t become apparent to you that you’ve passed out until you wake with a start. You’re semi-aware of something above you and you squint into the darkness of the room. You can’t see his face but there is the voice you know all too well.

“That you, cariño?” Javi mutters, already a blanket in hand that he nudges against you. It takes you a few more seconds to find your voice, bringing a hand up to rub your eyes, “Thought you left.”

“I came back. Here, go back to sleep. I’ll stay.”

You’re too tired to fight him, to put up any kind of resistance against making this a habit, to bring up that this is a bad idea, for the sake of both of you. The blanket warms you up so quickly, even more so with the way Javier’s body slowly comes to rest beside you. You think you answer something before you pass out again. You can’t remember what you say.

It’s not until the next morning, when you yawn as you head into the office kitchen, that you find out precisely why Javier snuck off last night.

There is cereal. And not the shitty kind- actual Cap’n Crunch, your favorite. The man beside you, who has a reputation for being a playboy and for never staying for breakfast, remembered the way you preferred your breakfast. It’s hard not to let it get to your head.

It does become routine after that. Javi lingers around the office until he can tell if you’ll leave or stay. Most nights you stay. Most turn into all. On the second night in a row, he lights himself a cigarette as he flips through a few more files before going to sleep. On the third, it goes from a bad to a really bad night when the nightmares you never seem to be able to get rid of come for you. For a second, you think this will be one step too far for him. But he barely seems to mind the way you cuddle a bit closer to him and he mumbles soft words until you go back to sleep.

He never mentions it during the day and neither do you. It’s almost like your sleeping arrangements are part of a different world, not the one that spins around your work, that’s full of drugs and death and everything else that makes sleep difficult. But Javi just feels- safe. He never asks too many questions. He just gets the blanket, sets his alarm, makes sure there is cereal in the morning. He feels like a godsent.

Of course, it’s only a question of time until someone notices something. You’re always careful to not head into your little room until everyone else is gone but occasionally, someone will show up too early or during the night- a spontaneous raid, a tip that needs instant investigating. Javi keeps the phone by his side constantly and it takes over a week for you to realize it may not just be to get alerts on developing situations but also to be alerted to someone coming into the office during unusual hours.

So when two weeks have passed and someone does catch you, Javi is glad it's Steve who is clearly just grabbing some files early in the morning and freezes in the doorway. He stares Javi down, who in return gently puts a finger onto his lips and motions for them to head to the hallway, gently closing the door behind himself as he steps out of the office.

“I have no way to be certain about Messina’s stance on this, but something tells me she wouldn't appreciate you bringing your hookers into the embassy,” Steve hums, unable to keep a small smirk off his face. Javi rolls his eyes in return, “I'm not an idiot, do you know that?”

He pauses for a moment and raises his hand just as Steve opens his mouth, “Don't answer that.” His mind is racing with too many thoughts at once. He’s not sure why, of all the things he could choose to tell Steve, he picks the truth when the lies would be so much easier.

“She was assigned a shitty apartment, hasn't been sleeping well. I remember you and Connie having similar issues after you arrived down here. With her, I figured we didn't use the room anyway and she-” he trails off. Steve brows have knitted together as the pieces slowly fall into place, “Somehow, a hooker would have been less complicated than a colleague.” There's another roll of eyes from Javi, the air a little thick with tension.

“I'm trying to help her. That's all.”

“You are trying to help her? Do you really expect me to believe that?” Steve shoots back, raising his voice until Javi motions for him to quiet down, nodding towards the door. The blonde man makes a face, but he does lower his voice as he repeats himself, “You expect me to believe that? You’re just helping her, no motive? It has nothing to do with you feeling the need to fuck your way through half the office by the time we finish the case?”

Javier actually groans at that, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. He moves his fingers to the side, using them to gently rub his tired eyes. His free arm is resting against his belt, the fingers twitching ever so slightly.

“Fuck you, Murphy. Just leave us alone and get your files in the morning.”

Steve looks like he wants to say something else, but then he thinks better of it. A small glare is sent towards his partner regardless.

“If you fuck this up somehow, Javi, I swear, I will make sure you get in real trouble. She’s too sweet for whatever you are trying to do here.”

It's two nights after the encounter with Steve- who has much to Javier's relief actually left them alone- when it happens again. It's been a particularly exhausting day for both of you, which actually made Javi hopeful that you'd both fall into a deep sleep as soon as you hit the couch. But it's been as mentally draining as it's been physically. And your mind clearly just won’t shut off.

It wakes him. The small stirring, the movement of your body beside his. He’s never been a particularly deep sleeper and Colombia has only made it worse, his brain seemingly always on alert to danger. So when he does wake, it takes Javi a few seconds to realize that the danger his brain is alerting him to is not a sicario sneaking into your room, it’s not a gun held to his head. It’s an entirely different kind of danger, one much less life-threatening but so much more complicated to fix.

A small groan escapes him as he reaches for the small light perched on the file cabinets, pulling the string attached to it. He blinks groggily as it flickers to life, bathing the room into a dim, dusty light. A few moments pass before he hears another whimper behind him and turns towards you, eyes already laced with concern.

Your features are scrunched up, lips slightly apart as the noises find their way out of your dream and into reality. Occasionally, a muscle twitches in your hands or your leg, making the whole scene even more eerie. But what gets Javier the most, what makes the pit in his stomach feel like one that could reach the ground floor, is the wetness on your face. Tears, undoubtedly slipping from your closed eyes and finding their way down the side of your face. It looks absolutely heartbreaking.

“Cariño,” he mutters under his breath, bringing his hand towards your arm and beginning to rub it in a gentle, circular motion.

“Wake up, it’s just a dream. You���re-” For a split second, he wants to say home. But he knows it's so far from the truth. He's not sure you consider any place in this country a home. Actually, he's not sure which place you do consider one.

“You’re alright,” he mumbles instead, adding a little more force to his touch and voice alike. His gaze never leaves your face as your eyes finally fly open, practically choking on the whimper that had just been leaving your throat. The panic is evident in your eyes, in the way they fly around, searching for something, anything to reassure you, to replace the pictures still floating in your mind. They find soft, brown eyes. It’s something to hold onto.

“There you are,” Javi hums, bringing his free hand to your face, his thumb catching the next tear that rolls out of the corner of your eye. “It's okay, you're safe. Just a bad dream.”

You blame it on the panic still sitting in your throat or the way you've just woken up, the way you don't even think about your movements as you move yourself into Javis arms, sneaking your arms around his waist and you think you feel him hesitate for just a moment before he wraps his arms around you in return, whispering reassurances into the dimly lit room and stroking your back.

You cry a little more, when the memories of the dream feel too overwhelming and he holds you through all of it, not once complaining about how long you’re taking to shake the thoughts off.

It’s a good half hour before you’re both lying down again, his back resting against the edge of the sofa, right arm wrapped lazily around you, “You want me to keep the light on for now?”

The idea seems a little silly to you but it takes you right back to evenings in your childhood bedroom, to what felt like endless nights of asking your father to plug in the small night light you'd gotten for christmas. It looked like a sheep, carrying a smile and enough light for you to be able to tell that there were no monsters hiding in the dark corners of your room.

“Querida?” You nod your head quickly, resting it back on his chest, “Yeah, I- let’s keep it on. If that’s okay.”

“Por supuesto que está bien,” (Of course that is okay,) Javier mumbles softly, his left hand reaching below your makeshift bed and producing a pack of Marlboros. You watch the movements of his hands, the ones you see him do at least ten times a day, his fingers reaching for a cigarette, placing it between his slightly parted lips. Pausing to search two pockets for his lighter before finding it.

At a small nudge from you, he pauses, raising a brow, “¿Sí?” You nod towards the pack that’s still resting next to him, “It’s really rude not to offer me one.”

“I thought you didn’t smoke,” he says, seeming genuinely confused for a moment and you almost take pity. You sneak your hand over his torso, drawing a cigarette from the half-empty pack, “I do now.”

To his defense, he does try and look stern for a moment. But he knows it'd be hypocritical at best if he of all people tried to stop you.

“It's a bad habit.”

“Well, then it's our bad habit.”

Javi thinks, for a split moment, that something entirely else is his bad habit. The way he looks at you when you fall asleep before him or the touches that seem to become more and more frequent the longer your sleeping arrangement continues. The way he jerks off in his shower at home, picturing your face, your body draped in his shirt a few nights ago when your blouse was simply too uncomfortable to sleep in. Spilling into his own hand with a groan at those thoughts. Yeah, that's definitely his bad habit.

“Are you going to light it for me or are you hoping it’ll disintegrate if you think hard enough?” You joke gently, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Teasing again already, are we?” Javi hums but he does reach for his lighter and brings it to your face, careful not to get too close.

He waits until you’ve both taken a few drags to ask his question.

“So what was it about?”

You swallow a bit at that, taking another long drag before you shake your head, “Nothing special. It’s already disappearing.” After another moment of thinking, you add, truthfully, “There was something with drugs in it.”

“Not very creative, I’d say. Five out of ten.”

You stare at him in disbelief, “Are you rating my nightmares, Peña?”

“I like to keep track,” he responds, giving you a small wink that you almost miss. You watch the smoke rising from the cigarette between his lips, sighing softly. You don’t like lying to him. Then again, it really was about drugs. Just not in the way he may think. It’s not your fault he’s stupid, sometimes.

“You’re silly. Go to sleep.”

“Go to sleep yourself.”

You do end up falling back asleep first, head still resting on his chest. Javi stays awake a little while longer, just in case the nightmares come back. At least that’s what he tells himself. And if he happens to use that opportunity to study your face a bit more? Well, it’s noones business.

end notes: if you enjoyed this, please reblog and/or leave a comment <3 also subscribe on ao3 or follow me here to catch the next update!

[delicateperspective]

A New "Harry is bad" Article

Within 24 hours of The Sun article claiming that Harry is too good for One Direction and his team advises him to seperate himself from the other members of the band (which was subsequently pulled), we get this from City AM. Before I say my opinion on this, I am going to link @hoovesandfloorpaws breakdown of what this means. It's been something they've been watching for a while and is by no means cause for alarm yet.

This article is a mess, and the timing feels so suspicious. Yes, three of Harry’s companies—Erskine Records, HSA Publishing, and Pleased As Holdings—are at risk of strike-off because their 2023 accounts haven’t been filed yet, but this isn’t nearly as dramatic as the article makes it seem. These warnings from Companies House are just the first step, and as long as the accounts are filed soon, the issue will be resolved without further consequences.

The media loves to blow things out of proportion when it comes to Harry. Financially, the companies are doing well (except for Pleased As Holdings, which is still a new beauty brand that’s operating at a loss, which is completely normal for startups—especially when, in the US, the IRS assumes startups will operate at a loss for at least three years). But the article buries these facts under sensationalist phrases like “assets could become the property of the Crown” to create unnecessary panic and drama.

What’s frustrating is that this situation feels like yet another example of Harry’s team dropping the ball. Filing deadlines are basic business management, and for a team overseeing millions in assets, this shouldn’t even be an issue. But it also raises the possibility that Harry is in the process of restructuring the team that manages his accounts, which could explain the delay. It’s worth noting that Alan McEvoy, who co-founded HSA Publishing with Harry, has been involved with his finances for years. While I didn’t trust McEvoy at first (since he was originally assigned by Syco/Simon Cowell), Geoff (Liam’s dad) trusted him enough to keep him on as Liam’s accountant and even mentioned him in his deposition about Liam’s death. Geoff specifically contrasted McEvoy with Roger, who was trying to take over Liam’s accounts, calling McEvoy trustworthy. If Harry is changing his financial team or reorganizing, this could be a simple administrative hiccup—but it’s still something to keep an eye on just in case it becomes a larger issue later.

The media eats this kind of story up, but Harry deserves better. The companies will almost certainly file their accounts and move on, but this is yet another case of poor management making Harry look irresponsible when the reality is far less dramatic. It’s worth noting for now, but not worth panicking over.

Putting the contents here in case it gets pulled too (though I don't think it can since this information is public knowledge with little conjecture or opinion):

Harry Styles: Companies owned by pop star at risk of being shut down

Three companies owned by pop star Harry Styles are at risk of being forcibly shut down after failing to file their accounts on time.

Companies House has issued first gazette notices for the compulsory strike off of Erskine Records, HSA Publishing and Pleased As Holdings.

If the strike offs go ahead, their assets could become the property of the Crown, Harry Styles could be disqualified from being a director for 15 years and access to their bank accounts lost.

All three firms failed to submit their accounts for 2023 to Companies House by the end of 2024.

The strike off notices could be discontinued by Companies House if the firms file their accounts for 2023 before the next stage is reached.

Harry Styles’ businesses at risk

Erskine Records is the record label founded by Harry Styles before he made his solo debut after One Direction split up.

Through the company, and Columbia Records which distributes the albums, the singer has released his self-titled album in 2017, Fine Line in 2019 and Harry’s House in 2022.

American songwriter Mitch Rowland also released Come June in 2023 through Erskine Records.

According to its most recently published accounts, Erskine Records had net current assets of £63.2m as of the end of 2022, up from £31.7m.

HSA Publishing was set up in 2014 by Harry Styles and Irish accountant Alan McEvoy.

McEvoy has previously set up 1D Media Limited with Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Style all as directors.

According to its most recently published accounts, HSA Publishing had net current assets of £16.4m as of the end of 2022, up from £10.7m.

Harry Styles set up Pleased As Holdings as he launched a beauty brand in 2021.

According to its most recently published accounts, Pleased As Holdings had net current liabilities of £1.8m at the end of 2022, down from £3m.

Tyson Fury’s property company shut down

The notices come after a company set up by former world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury to buy, sell and lease real estate was forcibly shut down by Companies House earlier this week.

Greenwaybalmoral Ltd, which is registered to an address near Lancaster, was established in January 2023 and counted Fury as its sole director.

Having failed to file any set of accounts since it was incorporated, Companies House issued it with a formal notice in December 2024 that it was about to be dissolved from the register of businesses.

The proposal to strike off came after Greenwaybalmoral Ltd failed to file its accounts for the year to 31 January, 2024, with Companies House by the 6 October, 2024, deadline.

At the start of 2025, City AM also reported that the investment company owned by Manchester United star Marcus Rashford was at risk of being forcibly shut down.

MUCS Investments Limited, which counts the footballer as its sole director, was issued with a compulsory strike off notice by Companies House.

However, the move was discontinued not long afterwards.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

The show made such a big deal about Ladybug leaving Paris for a week-end in Hack-San without informing Cat Noir beforehand and yet it never said anything about Cat Noir never telling Ladybug that he's gonna leave Paris for a week-end in Backwarder ... or that he's supposed to leave Paris for a few weeks in the S4 finale ... or that he's supposed to move out of Paris permanently in S5. The hypocrisy seems palpable.

In my opinion, it's actually not hypocrisy. At least, it's not hypocrisy in the grand scheme of things. When you look at the series as a whole, it turns out that this is just another case of inconsistent writing because the show does punish Chat Noir for leaving without warning Ladybug, but only when the plot needs to punish him. Let's go over the facts in chronological order!

In the Shanghai special, Ladybug and Chat Noir both leave Paris without warning each other or Master Fu and it's not just fine, it's the right move as they're magically where they need to be for the fight of the day. Neither one of them gets mad at the other for their actions. The issue isn't even brought up.

In Backwarder, Chat Noir leaves Paris without warning Ladybug and it's treated as a non-issue.

In Startrain, Ladybug and Chat Noir both leave Paris without warning each other, but Marinette visits Fu first and gets the horse miraculous so that she's okay to leave. When she learns that Chat Noir left without warning her, she doesn't seem even remotely phased.

In the New York special, Chat Noir leaves Paris without warning Ladybug. This is Very Bad as Paris was left undefended and he knew that was going to be the case. This is a fair critique at face value, but Ladybug is the guardian at this point and has instant access to the horse miraculous, thereby negating the issue, a fact that is never discussed. Fun fact: this is the only instance in the entire series where one of them bothers to tell the other when they're leaving Paris.

In Hack-San, Ladybug leaves Paris without warning Chat Noir and it understandably causes tension, but Chat Noir ends the episode absolving her of any guilt even though she could have transformed and left him a message to warn him that she's assigned a temp hero her Miraculous. A thing we know they can do since this season literally starts with Ladybug playing messages from Chat Noir on her bug phone. She's also the guardian at this point, so she could have taken the horse with her and teleported back or even just taken the horse in case Alya ran into trouble. (Do you see how the lack of consistency just builds and builds the more they ignore established logic?)

The last few episodes of season five see Chat Noir fully aware that he's being shipped off to London and then actually getting shipped off to London, a change that he never informs Ladybug of even though she will now be truly alone. The show never addresses this and treats it as a non issue.

As far as I can recall, those are all of the instances where this issue could have potentially come up along with the various ways the writing handled the issue. As you can see, both Ladybug and Chat Noir behave recklessly when it comes to leaving Paris. They pretty much never let each other know when it's happening, but whether or not that's a bad thing is entirely dependent on what plot the writers want to tell. So hypocrisy on the writer's part, sure, but I'm not gonna give Chat Noir that label when Ladybug is arguably equally deserving.

This isn't as egregious as lore inconsistencies like the way split up amoks and akumas work, but it's still a very clear case of establishing rules and then ignoring them because the writers do what they want! Who needs narrative consistency and good world building?

[amcssing]

" aw, supey, y'know i'd do anythin' for ya — 'specially after y'came all this way for li'l ol' me in person but ... "

heels click - clack as they bounce off the ledge beneath. she loves this view, where the city lights look like little stars & the factories are just little candles in the distance. good thing he was willing to bring her; she had hopped right into his arms the moment he said he was here off-duty & begged him to fly. she ain't above begging. 'specially if it means she gets to get lost in the vista, in her thoughts. or ... her doubts ? harley has never been able to read herself like she can others. self - denial & all. right now she's caught in the whirlwind. people weren't exaggerating, from the mouth of superman it's easy to believe anything. he could tell her the earth really is flat & what's she gonna do, say no ? it's friggin' superman. but it's been so long, & last time she had a real patient ... would anyone even take her seriously now?? ever?? maybe it's just a prank, 'cause that one time dinah--

blue meets brown. there's no more masks these days & for a second she regrets it. but his smile is easy, his breathing stable, his gaze steady. warm. he means it, all of it. and even if it said it's because black canary needs a break, she knows just from looking at him what he means: i want to give you a chance, too. to work again, to really help people, to connect with others. to have a place. but----no. if batman & superman can trust her, why can't she trust herself?

" ... okay. let's do it! tell canary i'm in! ohmygosh, i'm gonna be a doctor again !! doctor harley in the house!! i'm really gonna--whoa, can you pinch me ?? i'm a li'l dizzy ... "

LISTENING   TO   THE   GEARS   TURNING   IN   HARLEY'S   HEAD   DOESN'T   TAKE   SUPER-HEARING.it's   a   tall   ask   ———   it's   sudden.   several   times,   the   issue   came   up   in   the   league,   and   it   found   itself   deferred   several   times,   too.   not   because   of   a   split   decision,   though.   the   world's   been   on   unsteady   legs   lately   [   ...   ]   there's   always   another   crisis.   it   hangs   over   their   heads   and   makes   them   hesitate   to   do   too   much;   he   can   sympathize.   every   time   he   laces   up   the   boots,   dons   the   cape,   and   bears   the   family   crest,   he   remembers   he's   a   small-town   boy   from   kansas.   no   amount   of   super   speed   or   strength   made   those   challenges   any   less   daunting.

&.   here   he   is,   asking   her   to   bear   a   burden   far   heavier   than   supervillains   or   stray   meteors.   far   more   important   than   some   of   the   league's   most   dangerous   assignments   ———   mental   health   is   no   joke.   being   bulletproof   doesn't   protect   from   the   scars,   the   lingering   wounds   of   trauma   that   can   fester.   more   than   once,   he   led   the   charge   on   mental   health,   not   often   met   with   resistance.   he   is   no   man   of   steel;   he   is   not   impervious   to   sadness   and   grief.   one   pants   leg   at   a   time,   he   takes   what   life   gives   /   he   does   what   he   can   with   his   life.

the   sunkissed   lineaments   of   his   features   relax,   soft   creases   crinkling   at   the   corner   of   his   eyes,   and   never   once   does   he   lose   his   serene   smile.   it's   as   soft   as   the   kiss   of   the   morning   sun;   it   embraces   and   warms.   only   once   does   he   make   his   offer   ———   he   does   not   insist.   he   does   not   attempt   to   wheedle   or   push.   to   put   pressure   on   her   in   such   conditions   [   ...   ]   isn't   right.   she's   entered   a   new   world,   far   from   that   man,   far   from   who   she   used   to   be   &.   emerged   as   something   beautiful.   not   fixed,   no,   but   coming   into   her   own   with   who   she's   become   for   the   better.   it   makes   him   smile   become   a   grin,   a   silly   one   at   that,   surely.   it   must   be   quite   the   sight   of   him   smiling   to   himself   stupidly   while   she   mulls   over   such   a   huge   decision.   it's   clear   as   day   ———   what   bruce   sees   in   her,   he   sees   it   too:   a   better   tomorrow.

he   blinks,   once.   it   takes   a   moment   to   regain   his   bearings   and   shake   off   the   dizzying   radiance   he   caught   in   that   moment.   a   laugh,   deep   and   baritone,   euphony   on   gentle   chords,   leaped   from   his   lips.   he   sets   a   hand   on   her   shoulder,   offering   a   polite   squeeze.   (   not   the   pinch   she   wanted,   but   enough   in   his   eyes.   )

❛   dizzy   already?   and   here   i   was,   hoping   we   could   grab   some   grub.   believe   it   or   not,   a   few   hits   of   sunrays   aren't   all   that   filling.   guess   you   could   say   they're   pretty   ...   a   pretty   light   meal.   ❜

[moonlitdesertdreams]

Judgement Call (Part V: Trapped)

⭒Din Djarin x Original Female Character⭒

GIF credit to @perotovar from this set

Previous | Next

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Summary: Stuck on Arvala-7, Din and Zakia face their past

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Author's Note If you prefer Ao3, it's here. Thanks for coming along!

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Word Count: 3.9k+

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PART V: TRAPPED

Twilight envelopes them before they can get back to the Razor Crest.

Following an ambush by four Trandoshan warriors in a canyon leading away from the compound, Din and Zakia are forced to make camp. They unload their gear in a flat stretch of land where anyone approaching will be visible for hundreds of meters. A single lantern is propped against Din’s boot to illuminate the space between himself and Zakia. His eyes skim over her shoulders to her neck, delicate skin mostly covered by a cowl but mottled with purple bruises from one of the Trandoshan men. Soft cotton is strewn about her chest now, torn from the attack

The Mandalorian is restless as he lets her tug ripped fabric away from the gash he sustained on his bicep. Karga told him this job called for a higher skill set than what the average hunter had to offer, yet those warriors carried Guild-issue fobs. Anger simmers. Sloppy work like this, with so many people desperate for a good reward and willing to kill to prove their worth, was how Zakia ended up half-blind so many years ago. 

“We weren’t the only ones with fobs.” Din sighs after the silver-haired assassin finishes slicing away bloody fabric from his arm.

Entirely silent since terminating IG-11, Zakia simply nods her acknowledgement. Din’s helmet ticks down, trying to catch her eye in the best way he knows. This… distance… between them since her miscarriage taxes both of them greatly. Almost a decade of living in close quarters, seven of them spent in the same bunk, and it still managed to thrust a wedge in between them. They’ve gone back to taking some hunts separately, divvying up the assignments from Karga and splitting off. Zakia has enough contacts from her days as a sniper to get transport to and from a target before meeting back with Din for the reward. 

Rinse, repeat. 

As soon as she could hold a blaster, after the second life-altering injury she sustained on the Mandalorian’s watch, she shoved all emotion aside. Din hasn’t been innocent either- he let her cold shoulder deter him from trying. Not that either of them knew how to recover properly. 

Din, as it turns out, finds himself disappointed. Conflicted. His plan was to collect a reward for this job and take them somewhere alone where they could exist like people. Cohabitate and feel like they used to. No one had mentioned a little green child was going to show up and demolish any semblance of  progress they’ve made.

So, they ride the merry-go-round again. Spinning by silent treatments and hearts wrapped in barbed wire. 

While Din tilts his head to point at the darkened landscape, he watches Zakia. She sneaks a glance in the child’s direction, and it babbles excitedly as soon as it notices. The green monster bolts upright in its bassinet. Stares over the lip with sad eyes. It seems to have enough intuition to know something is wrong, though Din can’t determine the extent of it. Zakia doesn’t budge from her spot despite the apparent request for attention. She bites her lip and goes back to her Mandalorian.

“Let me disinfect this.” She says softly. Her hand grabs his elbow to pull him a few centimeters closer, and he lets her work.

Din checks for any sign of tears or outward distress, keeping his own sealed into the helmet. He can’t deny the fact that the child being their bounty weighs on him. Their normal quarries are adults; criminals and murderers who understand the gravity of their crimes and know someone is coming after them. This creature paws and begs his custodians for attention despite the violence they caused to get to him. Any actions that put a price on his head are hard to put solely on him.

Din may be mostly steel at this point, but he’s not immune to the morose nature of this trip either. He trudged through the slums of wrecked cycles and hormones with Zakia after the dust settled. Din had held her, even when she had cried in sorrow and beat against his chestplate. When she blamed him and their life for their loss. In return, she comforted him when the realization had set in. They understood it wasn’t each others’ fault, that nothing short of abandoning their lives would’ve changed anything. In the end, the grief still won out.

“It needs to be cauterized.” Din squashes a wince when she rubs a disinfectant pad over the wound. 

He removes the pauldron and sets it aside, making room for Zakia to work with the cautery tool. His wound stretches several centimeters, and is probably a couple deep. She scrunches up her nose and respositions herself closer to his body. 

“Where’s the pen?” She drops one hand to his thigh while she looks, the other fishing into their understocked medical kit.

The Mandalorian procures it from his pack and holds it handle-first to Zakia. He braces himself for the pain, slow and steady breaths pulling air beneath the rim of his helmet. Zakia switches the tool on and nears his flesh. She mutters a soft apology before starting. Din, ready for the electric pain to come, stays still.

“I’m trying to hurry.” Zakia speaks over the tool’s buzzing. Her hands are cool and refreshing on his skin that’s now feverish and too hot.

“You’re okay.” Din offers as a reassurance. He tries to keep the rest of his body relaxed.

She continues working, using the cautery pen to meld his flesh back together. Din thinks she’s almost through, feeling the pen near his elbow, when it suddenly jolts to the side. He jerks at the sensation of it zapping against intact flesh and immediately recoils. A curse fights its way out between gritted teeth. 

“Zakia!” He snaps without thought, yanking the limb back towards him. “What- oh.”

Din stops, taking notice of the quarry. It somehow wiggled out of the cradle, and currently stands with one hand lifted towards his wounded arm. The other grips Zakia’s pants a few centimeters from the knee to push itself up. She chews on her lip, staring at the child like it had caused her great affront

… And Din decides that’s reasonable.

The Mandalorian climbs to his feet and snatches up the child. His arm protests the move, but it’s minimal enough now that Din doesn’t flinch. When the green creature is nestled back inside its home, he settles back into his place next to Zakia. Her left eye bores into his mask.

“I’m sorry. He surprised me, but I shouldn’t have-.”

Din hushes her with a shake of his head. “I’m not mad at you. Just finish it, please.”

Zakia quickly and quietly does as he says. Once the wound is cauterized and bacta is applied, she digs out an old sewing kit from her bag and fixes the shirt overtop. It’s probably been a year since they got dressed together, but Zakia’s hands easily recall how to fix his pauldron in place.

“All done.” She adjusts his cowl absently and her hands linger on the top of his chestplate when she looks up.

“Thank you.”

A smile pulls up the corner of her lips and Din feels a pang of warmth at the expression. 

They fall into a routine, cleaning weapons and checking for damage. Din pops his chestplate off and attempts to solder some connections that were severed in the fight. Zakia pulls her blasters apart to clean up the slides. All the while, they watch over each others’ shoulder for enemies. 

Din is setting the soldering iron down when Zakia’s exasperated voice pulls him from his work. 

“Again?”

The child is at her side again. His tiny claws click and strain for Din’s arm. Zakia scooches away from the tiny creature’s grip, but pauses when she catches the Mandalorian watching. 

“I got it.” Looking sheepish, she tosses her braids to the side and makes to pick him up.

Doing his best allow her time to process, Din captures the child before she can. 

The Mandalorian presses a small red button to close the cradle. Zakia’s one-eyed gaze follows him the entire time until he sits across from her again. He props his elbow on a knee and searches for the right words.  

“I know you’re thinking about our child.” He dives straight to the point. Doesn’t want to draw out this conversation longer than it needs to be. “And I’m sorry that this all happened.”

Zakia sniffs, setting her weapons to the side and occupying her hands by taking Din’s chestplate from the ground. She searches for the magnets on his thick vest to reattach it.

“It’s not your fault, Din.” Her voice starts so low he can barely catch it. “This child is our job, and I don’t want it to cloud my judgement.”

He lets his upper body move as Zakia tugs at stubborn velcro and twists frayed wires between her fingers. “You’re not a droid, Zakia.”

She halts, hands still on his chest. A single eye stares into the black of his visor. “I’m just frustrated. And tired after everything today.”

Zakia omits her feelings about children from her statement and turns away from Din, stretching out on the small bedroll. Pillows her head onto her arms as if to sleep, but he knows better. Din prepares to watch her tear herself up about the child until the job is complete.

 He tries to give her peace. “It’s an enemy. Think of it that way.”

Din wishes he believed it himself. 

 -

Zakia yanks at her thin hood in a vain attempt to keep the sun off her skin. Not only does it provide protection from the rays, but it mercifully blocks the floating bassinet from her peripheral vision. She wants to maintain professionalism and refrain from making any sort of connection with the tiny green alien, but it’s hard. The child has a constant urge to coo in her direction, and its little hands generally point towards her. Zakia ignores the gestures, continuing on beside Din.

They walk for what seems like an eon, following the directions provided by Din’s HUD. Zakia adjusts her weapons, kicks at the sand, only stops when Din does and keeps an eye on the horizon for threats. Once she’s good and burned from the sun, they discover a rocky outcrop above the one Din landed the Crest on. As they hike up, she hears a familiar tinkling from below.

 Her jaw snaps shut as she summits, turning to Mando to gauge his reaction. 

“Jawas.”  

A whole clan waddles around what remains of the Razor Crest. Their quick hands have stripped the ship to its bare bones, and they’re taking turns hauling pieces up the ramp and into their sandcrawler. Din doesn’t respond to her observation, only releases the rifle from his shoulder to kneel down. Zakia recognizes the disruptor slugs he clicks into the weapon, and stands behind him as he looks through the scope. 

“Be ready to move.” He grunts. 

Three shots follow his words, punctuated by the sound of Mando reloading. Zakia watches three Jawas disintegrate, and the rest scatter with anxious squeals and frantic gibberish. Her stomach lurches at the thought of being stuck on Arvala-7, but can’t dwell on it. 

Mando scrambles to his feet and pulls a tether chip from his vambrace. He fastens it into Zakia’s blaster holster. 

“Keep the kid.”

Her mouth opens with intent to argue, though Din is sliding down the rocky cliff and chasing after the sandcrawler before she can. Zakia throws her hands in the air, looking over the edge at the rough ground. 

“Stay with the kid.” She mocks. Turns over the cliff, yelling her frustrations out over the land. “What are you gonna do, stop a sandcrawler?!” 

Her annoyed shouting fails to reach the ears of anyone but the child, who replies with a soft whine. The bassinet remains with her, and moves slightly as she paces the cliff. Zakia tries to ignore the child’s giggles, instead climbing down the rocks. 

“Freakin’ Mandalorian.” Zakia mutters and scrabbles for footholds in the dirt. “Freakin’ Jawas.”

She continues muttering until she reaches the bottom. Zakia finds her way to the Razor Crest, eyes taking every missing piece and panel. Wires hang limply from the ceiling, and some lines spark dangerously close to her head. She ducks away from the offending sounds, and swears when she sees her belongings gone as well. Both arms cabinets are cleaned out. She sits on the stripped bunk, rubbing her temples. 

“Typical.” Zakia kicks her feet to assuage some of the simmering anger. “So fucking typical.”

A babble tears her away from her thoughts, and she looks up as a tiny green form toddles up the hatch towards her. He bobbles around curiously, touching every safe and non-electrified surface it can. Left alone, without Din around to see, she softens a fraction.

“I guess it's you and me, huh?” She scuffs the toe of her boot against the metal floor. 

The baby just chirps, drawing near. It watches her closely, like it’s hoping to touch her but scared she’ll lash out. Zakia’s heart jumps to her throat as her brain blanks. She imagines if this was her child.

What would her child feel if it survived and got lost, with no one to protect it? Her and Din had enough enemies to last a lifetime, anyone could come after their offspring for a ransom. A sharp inhale punches her lungs as she thinks about a baby, confused and scared as to why so many people die in its presence.

Zakia frowns, and the child takes note. His tiny face mimics her.

She tracks down a spare pen and piece of parchment fluttering about the ship to scribble a note for Mando. She knows he’ll come back to the ship. 

“Well, kid. I guess we go back to the Ugnaught, yeah?”

Zakia and her menace of a charge make it back to said Ugnaught’s home just before dusk. He expresses his surprise at her state of living, but insists she make herself comfortable. The child escapes its cradle again and wanders harmlessly about the small hut. Kuill babysits with the patience of a saint.

“Your companion also made it out?”

Zakia dips her head as Kuiil hands her a cup of tea and surveys the child. He sits near a small workbench and gnaws on the grip of a spanner.

“Yes. Jawas tore apart our ship, and he chased after the sandcrawler. A fool’s errand if I’ve ever seen one.”

“I agree. The Jawa will require a trade to return parts.” The old man tinkers about his workbench, lifting a handheld soldering iron. “In the meantime, I need to repair my windmill’s control. You are welcome to come enjoy the sunset.”

Zakia accepts the invitation and herds the child out into the fresh night air. It coos up at her, and Zakia feels her stomach twist. Any sound it makes sent her into a zombified motherly frenzy, the desire to soothe it crawling upwards out of her entombed heart. 

“You are scared of this child?” Kuiil asks as he nears the windmill's rickety ladder. 

Zakia blushes. 

Has she really got that bad at keeping a straight face?

“I’m just treating it as a job. Nothing more.” Zakia sits on the dusty ground and picks at the rips spattered across her knees.

“I sense something deeper.” The Ugnuaght pauses like he’s caught himself daydreaming. “Though I know some things are of personal concern alone.”

Relenting to her wave of emotion, she turns to Kuiil. 

“I lost one. A baby. Almost two years ago.” Zakia swirls her finger in the dirt. “Well, I miscarried. Got hurt and… that’s all it took.”

“I am sorry.” He moves once again to watch the small creature. “I understand this must be very difficult for you.”

Zakia shrugs. 

“It’s not as much about the child, I’m just… angry at my own mind, I suppose. It’s been a while since my loss, and I can’t stop thinking about it now. I rarely do, normally. But since we found it, the memory is all I see.”

Kuiil sighs heavily. “I haven’t always been alone. But the loss of someone so close- it never fades. Once one becomes a parent, they never stop.”

“I’m sorry. For whoever you lost. I can’t imagine being alone in a place like this.” Zakia keeps one eye on the toddler as it paws at the dirt but mercifully stays within eyesight.

“I am happy in this place, despite its downfalls. The fear of being alone seems to be your own, yes?”

She ponders his proposition and thinks about living in solitude on Arvala-7. Even since her and Din have been scoring some bounties separately, she always has the promise of seeing him again. Through all of their awkward dancing around emotions, the Mandalorian’s presence comforts her. The Crest, old and temperamental as she is, is always somewhere Zakia can call home. At this point, she’s not sure what she’d do without the steady promise of companionship their relationship has brought.

“I suppose it is. I used to be alone all the time. I hunted by myself, even during some lasting conflicts after the war. Everything has just been so different since the baby.”

“People often fear things they can’t control after tragedy.” Kuiil rubs his small hands together. Zakia is surprised just how much his wisdom helps her start to unfold the mess in her mind. “May I ask a personal question?”

“Of course.”  She’s not one to decline wisdom or counsel from elders. 

“The Mandalorian. He was the father?”

She draws her knees to her chest and uses them to prop her chin up. “He was.”

“Have you discussed this with him?” 

“He knows why I keep my distance from the child. Mando is just- he’s better at compartmentalizing things than I am. He will have no problem turning in the bounty.”

The Ugnaught shakes his head, a sharp dissent to her words. 

“Not about this child. About yours. What you’ve felt since it passed away.”

“Like I said. Things have been different since we lost the baby. He’s always been there for me, and I for him. We always keep distance while on the job  but after I recovered physically we weren’t quite the same. We’re still together, it’s just..  it-it’s different than it was.” Zakia clears her throat after she speaks, trying not to let her tears escape. 

“And why-” Kuill secures a couple tools to his belt, “Do you think that is?”

“I-I thought I could get back to work if I didn’t have to worry about D- uh, Mando. And he wouldn’t have to worry about me.” Zakia’s ears ring, and pressure builds at the base of her skull. “But I miss him when we’re working apart. I’m so used to having someone watch my back. Not that we’ve been doing a great job since we barely speak anymore.”

“Then perhaps you should try and right things. Men are not as intuitive as you’d like to believe, I’m afraid. Especially those whose faces are hidden.” Kuiil hops two steps up the ladder and turns to Zakia. “I have spoken.”

Zakia, for her part, doesn’t speak. 

Instead, she cries.

Since the day she’d woken up wrapped in bandages, she only had a couple days scarred by tears. Din held her for nearly an entire day when she’d been on countless medications and hallucinating, and she cried when she came down from the high. A few nights, those she spent alone in inns and purchased rooms above noisy cantinas, a few tears may have slipped out. All of which was against her will. 

This voluntary exodus of emotion is the relief she’s been searching for. Kuill’s advice implodes the makeshift barrier she’s built around her mind, and all of the feelings rush out. She aches to hear Din’s voice and apologize for the frustration he hadn’t even seen her express earlier. 

Apparently concerned with her sobs, the child toddles over to rest a three-fingered hand on her boot. She swallows her guilt and holds out a hand. The kid only plucks at her fingers gently before waddling away after a bug. A small chuckle breaks through, and she drops her head back against the hut. Kuiil’s work produces a soothing hum that reminds her of being aboard the Crest, and she closes her eyes. Finds herself drifting, dozing off into a light sleep. 

“Someone nears.” 

Kuiil’s gruff voice piques her ears after what seems like only a couple minutes of shut-eye, but her stiff joints indicate that it’s been quite a bit more. She squints in the pale light left over from sunset, watching a familiar figure cross the desert ground. 

Din Djarin crests the hill of Kuill’s property, outlined by the dusky lavender skies.

Still overrun by emotion from her conversation with Kuiil, she scrambles to her feet and runs to meet him by the base of the windmill. Din’s stride slows, and his helmet tilts up like he’s on high alert when she sprints to him.

Zakia crashes straight into his body. Her arms cinch around his neck and her fingers fist into his dirty cowl. Zakia hides her face in dirty, sweat-stained fabric, pays it no mind. Din is the one constant in her life since she lost their last chance at normalcy. Even now, his scent surrounds her like an old blanket.

Din is stiff and unmoving. One hand lifts to brace her lower back but he remains stoic. They usually refrain from this type of contact while working, and it’s evident he’s acutely aware of Kuill’s presence above them. 

Until he feels her shoulder’s shake with a sob and he turns to putty.

“Zakia? Zakia, what’s wrong?”

“I-I’m sorry, for everything.” She hauls in a deep breath and pulls her face out of his neck to speak clearly. “It’s been so weird since the baby and everything, a-and I know we’ve both had issues, but- Stars, Din. I miss you.”

A chill prickles its way down Din’s spine at the mention of their child, and Zakia’s broken voice cuts him to his absolute core beneath the armor. His visor lifts to Kuiil, who stands at the top of the windmill with an approving gaze. The Ugnaught nods once and goes back to soldering.

The Mandalorian doesn’t know what Kuill and Zakia talked about in his absence, but he’s thankful for it. 

“I don’t know what happened tonight-” Din returns the embrace and wraps his arms tight around Zakia’s shoulders. “-but you know I’m with you. Always. No matter what.”

Zakia moves her head from his shoulder, and her hands come up to cradle either side of his helmet. Her single, glacial eye pierces through his visor like a laser, and he is thankful she can’t see the tears that betray his own eyes. Her fingers drum on Beskar as if it’s his skin. 

Din knocks her hands away gently and splays his own on the back of her head. He holds her in place, pressing the forehead of his helm into her temple. Mutters in Mando’a to her underneath his helmet, rusty from not speaking the language in so long. 

When she pulls him close again, Din melts. Exhaustion weighs down every ounce of armor to ten times its weight, and he sags into her hold. He lets the heaviness of his helmet drop to her shoulder. Zakia’s nails slip under the edge of his helm to scratch at his nape. 

“Come on, let’s get cleaned up. I think Kuill might know how to get the parts back for the Crest.”

Behind them, the child smiles.

--

Thank you for reading, much love ❤️ Masterlist

[pancakeke]

I'm working on a spreadsheet to help my backup build queries since he's not elbow deep in our stupid liar databases every day. it's set up so when you use three drop downs to select database, table, and column names it populates a list of all the other sets of database, table, and columns that join to it.

I pulled the list of table stuff using INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS but there isn't any existing shit to indicate what values link up with each other.

my first idea runs but only with a handful of test columns. I assigned unique IDs to every table column in one sheet column, then in a second sheet column I started entering comma separated IDs for all table columns with values that join to it (including the ID for the table column being edited).

the issue with this method is that it is a nightmare to maintain. it's so easy to mess up by realizing I missed a column that should have been grouped with others but then fucked up updating all those comma separated IDs in each location where they needed to go. results get screwy when everything doesn't match.

second idea I started working on was making a big index that lists all values a column could possibly contain (or all the ones we actually use at least) and assign them decimal-style IDs like in the johnny decimal system. this looks much cleaner but actually listing all the possible values got difficult when I began to notice how many columns contained a bunch of different mixed up shit that could only be accurately defined by the decimal system when a second column was filtered a specific way. so I'll have to like duplicate lines on the table list and assign each iteration a different ID based on filtering, and then include a note column containing the filter.

idk which option is less stupid. or if there are other, more reasonable methods I should use.

I do like the idea of adding note columns regardless of the method though so I can add warnings on certain columns. for example, the ones containing datetime values that I'm pretty sure were converted from plain date cause all values have midnight times. also there are a couple tables that split date and time into two separate char columns but don't use a leading zero for time values less than 12 hours, which fucks shit up if you just happen to notice.

[panfluidme]

Last to Know

Prompt: Trust Issues Fandom: Ninjago

He didn’t know if he could ever trust anyone ever again. He loved how things were in the past, but now…

A sigh left his lips as he laid on his bed. He raised his hands to rest on his face. It felt like his heart had been ripped from his heart. Maybe it was a little overdramatic to be like this, but it was true.

What got him to feel this way?

Well, it had been a normal day. Cole got up, did his training, had the breakfast that Zane made for him, then did some painting to help with his trauma that being a ninja came with. Especially when he fell off the building when the Oni were there.

Then Wu came in and had the team come to the courtyard. He went over the mission they would be going on:

Sneak into the museum and investigate more of what was going on behind the scenes. It was clear now, according to Zane, that Dr. Sanders hadn’t been the only one working at the museum that didn’t have good intentions for anyone but themselves. The problem is they didn’t know who the problem was.

They decided to split up to help find the person easier and faster. They went in groups of two. Jay went with Kai, Zane was with Lloyd, and that left Nya with Cole. Cole didn’t mind. Nya was like his little sister. He would do anything for her.

Nya tried to make some small talk with him, but he reminded her a few times that they were on a stealth mission. It was odd. Nya normally wouldn’t speak unless she needed to on these kinds of assignments. It almost felt like she was hiding something from him.

He crouched down as he walked through the halls. Nya followed close to him. As they walked, Cole noticed that she almost seemed nervous about something.

The black ninja almost asked her about it, but he was interrupted by seeing Jay and Kai making out against a wall. His whole body froze. He looked at Nya, who smiled nervously. That showed him that she already knew, and she was fine with her boyfriend cheating on her with her older brother. He looked back at the other two.

His heart sank even more as he remembered a talk he and Jay had just the day before. Cole remembered every single word; he knew how supportive Jay had been when he told him that he had a massive crush on Kai and was planning on asking him out soon. Jay must’ve already been with Kai at this point, so why did he tell Cole that there was no one better for him than Cole?

Cole clenched his hands into fists and turned around on his heels. He practically stormed away, something he wasn’t allowed to do since it caused a mini earthquake. That caught the others’ attention. He could hear Jay and Kai talking to Nya, but he didn’t care.

He decided to go see if he could find Zane and Lloyd. Surely those two would be understanding. Even though they didn’t know about Cole’s feelings, he was sure they would be on his side.

What kind of person got with their sister’s boyfriend?

And to think that Cole was in love with him. If he had gotten with Kai before this, he would’ve eventually learned about this affair. Sure, Cole was an only child, but it showed that Kai was willing to cheat on someone with someone important to Cole. First Spinjitzu Master he couldn’t imagine doing that to his own hypothetical sibling.

“Zane, Lloyd,” he spoke when he saw them. Their heads turned to face him, both wearing awkward smiles.

“Hello, Cole,” Zane said pleasantly. “Did you need something?”

“Jay and Kai were making out.” He firmly believed that he was telling them something they didn’t already know. “I don’t know how they could just do that to Nya.”

Lloyd took a minute to answer. “Cole, we didn’t want to tell you. We knew that you would get upset.”

Cole’s eyes darkened. “You knew?”

“They aren’t dating each other, but both Nya and Kai really like Jay. The three of them made a situation that works for all of them. We were going to tell you.”

“Does Wu know?”

“Yes, but-“

“So I was the only one that you all thought shouldn’t know,” Cole interrupted Zane. He, for the first time ever, ignored the hurt look on the nindroid’s face. “No one thought that I should know about this. It’s something that affects the whole team. It changes the dynamic. And no one told me.”

“Cole, just hear us out.”

“No. Jay was supposed to be my best friend and I’m the last fucking person to know that’s he’s dating Kai!”

“This is why,” Lloyd snapped. “They knew you would never understand. You would never be okay with it.”

“I don’t care if they date like that.” Cole’s shoulders slumped before he turned around and turned to the door. “None of you get it. I thought you all trusted me enough to tell me something this big. But I guess not.”

He walked away, ignoring them telling him to come back. He didn’t want to hear their stupid excuses. Cole no longer wanted to see them. Especially Jay and Kai. Jay knew how he felt about Kai and… Kai didn’t know it, but he used to possess Cole’s heart.

That was the reason he knew he had to leave. Cole didn’t want to stay anywhere that reminded him of the life he used to lead. Call him overdramatic, he knew he wasn’t hearing any of them out.

But he couldn’t see why he should. They had broken his trust. Why should he listen to what they would say if they didn’t think he wouldn’t support them? Cole would’ve been confused; he would’ve asked questions. But he would never be supportive with how he learned.

What he saw was the person that knew he liked the other, making out with his girlfriend’s brother. If they had told him the situation, that Kai and Nya weren’t dating each other, but both of them wanted to date Jay. Cole would’ve listened and be there for them. But he couldn’t.

Cole got out of his bed and started packing a bag. He didn’t know where he was going to go or where he’d stay, but he knew he couldn’t stay here. Not now.

[thetruearchmagos]

Trick or treat

-your favorite classic city ;)

Venice? Shit, wrong century!

For I am a generous Magi, I shall provide a second treat!

Here's some more Worldbuilding, back to our regularly scheduled military-related programming. It's...... really quite long. Probably among the longest Worldbuilding things I've ever written. I really hope someone enjoys it, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Tagging [almost everyone I can think of really] @athenswrites @caxycreations @theprissythumbelina @thatndginger @hessdalen-globe @sleepyowlwrites @avrablake @imslowlydisintegrating @username-cause-i-need-one @lividdreamz @the-mindless

A Pioneer's Fight: Military Engineers In the Chainbreaker War

In this arguably far too pedantic 'article', I hope to shed some light on the nature and practices of the engineers of the United Commonwealth Army as they existed before the Chainbreaker War, and how that organisation would perform when the time came. It includes some notes on the actual conduct of Army engineers and their influence on the course of battle, and some of the personalities that would shape that distinguished force in the period.

------

The Corps: Engineers Of The Commonwealth, As They Stood.

The considerable engineering capacity of the United Commonwealth Army was and is the domain of the Corps of Engineers. By the outbreak of war in 75 A.S., it was an institution as old as the Army itself. Alongside the Corps Artillery, the CE was notable for being a singular and unified 'Arm' of the Army, under its own Commandant of Engineers, in contrast to the various nationally-aligned Cavalry and Infantry forces that made up the fighting strength of the service. As such, the Army's engineers were then and are now a centrally recruited, run, and administrated organisation, which has long held a culture within its ranks separate from that of the broader Army.

Within the Corps exists a truly wide variety of branches and Trades, covering the totality of the militarily relevant engineering field. These ranged from "Garrison" formations assigned maintain and occupy to various fortresses and static strongholds across the Commonwealth, to "Pioneers" who were trained to engage in direct, close combat in support of the Infantry by demolishing strongpoints and obstacles with their trademark flame projectors, satchel charges, and shotguns.

Prior to the Chainbreaker War, in times I've previously referenced as the UC Army's 'peacekeeping' days, the Corps' actual deployed strength of engineers was mostly organised within a number of "Field Groups". They tended to be divisional-sized formations, which collectively oversaw all Engineer units in a given theater, under a discrete chain of command separate from that of their combat-arms brethren.

While the battalions of the vaunted Corps of Artillery fell under a singular chain of command which peaked with the GOC, Field Forces, at the General Staff Office, Engineers were rather more obstinate. In peace time, it came to the point that a theater's Engineers Groups effectively required a general officer's direct intervention before allowing their assets to be split off and tasked to lower level unit commanders, a tendency actively fostered by the branch's insular leadership and culture. And if a regimental or battalion commander took issue with this arrangement, then they were welcome to take it up with the Commandant.

While these Field Groups and their constituent detachments and battalions account for the bulk of the Army's engineers, the Corps also contributed large amounts of personnel to organisations within the General Staff and the Directorate of the Army. The majority of technical staff at the Office of Army Research and Development had engineering backgrounds, for instance, and the Corps of Engineers provided much of the UC government's in-house engineering capability.

When it came to the ability of the Corps of Engineers to absorb the best that modern technology could offer, it did so to an arguably better extent than any of the Army's other major branches. It is thus ironic that for all its technical proficiency and modernity, the Corps would prove singularly mule-headed when it came to facing the need to adapt its culture, organisation, methods, and place within the Army's hierarchy to face the brave new Worlds that it would find itself in. This obstinacy would come close to proving a disastrous flaw once the Commonwealth found itself in a modern war.

------

First At The Front? The Pre-War Liaisons Of The Corps Of Engineers.

The Corps of Engineers would play one small, but critical, role in the great game between Commonwealth and Empire, a part which would unfold over the better part of a decade well before the first guns were fired.

These were the members of the UC's unofficial and highly secretive "Provincial Liaison Missions", a series of military and diplomatic visits by Commonwealth personnel to the Province of Upepwani to show their support for the province's interests. From naval intelligence to trade commissions, it was very much a 'whole of government' affair, and each of them would touch the war to come in their own special way. When it comes to the contributions of the Corps of Engineers, much of its efforts focused on gathering 'cartographical intelligence', maintaining and constantly updating detailed maps and reports on the internal geography and built infrastructure of the Province, and to a lesser degree the rest of the Fuhrati Empire.

These plans were crucial if the UCA hoped to deploy expeditionary forces to the Province to fight in its defence, and while making them the Corps was able to encourage provincial authorities to reallocate resources to building up what infrastructure they believed would be most useful in time of war. Come 75 A.S., many of the roads, railways, and heavy bridges both the Commonwealth and Upepwani armies would cross on their marches to the front would have their origins with the covert cooperation between the Corps and local authorities.

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Forming Up: UCAU's Engineers

When the Chainbreaker War finally arrived, the UC's contribution to the fighting was the "United Commonwealth Army of Upepwani". Commanded by Lieutenant General Faiz al-Saqr, the 'first wave' of troops designated to make landfall in the province in accordance with pre-war plans was a divisional-sized force of three infantry heavy regiments, accompanied by a sizable supporting cohort. While it was originally intended for the attached Engineering force to, as in peace time, operate entirely under an autonomous Field Group, al-Saqr was having none of it. A savvy professional officer with over thirty years of service, the general was also a notable military reformer and moderniser, half the reason for his appointment as UCAU's General Officer Commanding at the behest of the Chief of the General Staff. Having first applied his considerable influence into motorisng the bulk of his infantry and logistics with the sturdy Danho 'Duster' Type-C lorry, he intended to break the back of the Corps of Engineers if that was what it took to give his command an Engineering capability he could rely on.

al-Saqr would first earn the Commandant's ire with his attemmpt to remove three Pioneer battalions from UCAU's Field Group, intending to attach them directly under each of his three 'first wave' regiments. These battalions, which were to be enlarged to control their own bridging and obstacle clearing detachments, were to be fully removed from the Field Groups' chain of command and report directly to al-Saqr's regimental commanders. Upon receiving the Field Group commander's complaint at this change, al-Saqr attempted to have the brigadier, one Truc Vinh, sacked. The good engineer duely sidestepped his chain of command and appealed directly to the Commandant. Fortunately, before anyone could request the honours of a duel the Chief of the General Staff personally intervened to force a compromise doomed to please neither side.

While the Field Group and its commander would remain virtually unchanged, one green battalion, the 256th Pioneers, would be reassigned from the Group to train and experiment under al-Saqr's personal observation, and pending a final assessment the 23rd Regiment would receive it as an organic Engineering detachment under it command. This decision would prove to be of immense value to al-Saqr and the coming war effort, with the general devising with the battalion's commander a regimen which placed heavy focus on clearing complex and austere terrain, assaulting well fortified positions, and operating motorised in the direct aid of a similarly mobile 23rd Regiment. While al-Saqr would have preferred to train two more battalions of Pioneers in the same manner, the 256th would have to do. Its performance in the war to come, and the comparative failures of its sibling Pioneers, would vindicate al-Saqr's views, but the General was in no mood to celebrate a 'victory' indicated by a military near-catastrophe and heavy losses amongst his ranks.

With our brief overview of the broader picture of the Corps of Engineers complete, let's move on to the specific military engineer force which would first be dispatched to Upepwani.

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Tests Of Battle: Pioneers At The Front

UCAU would make landfall in Upepwani on the 4th of May, 75 A.S. The force was split in two, and so were its engineers and other supporting arms. Two out of al-Saqr's three regiments, the 21st and 22nd, disembarked at the provincial capital of Hurhamba to aid in the defence of the northern city, while the 23rd was stepped ashore at the more southwesterly mercantile centre of Alhisn to maintain a bridgehead in the rest of Upepwani's southern coastal plain. The latter would, indeed, keep control of the 256th Pioneers under the dynamic Colonel R.V. Bhola, one-time cavalryman and effectively the overall commander of UC forces in the south. The 21st and 22nd would, after much squabbling, acquire the 116th and 81st Pioneers respectively, but having never trained with their assigned but not 'parent' formations neither battalion was prepared to work in accordance with their needs. The two regiments were each led by Colonel Joachim Kohl and Brigadier Zhuang Guanting, with the more senior latter officer designated by al-Saqr as overall in command at 'the front' while the general concerned himself with concerns at the rear and playing diplomat with their local hosts and co-belligerents.

- The Southern Front

Contact would first be made with the invading armies of the Fuhrati Empire in the south, on the 7th of June. This force of was mostly comprised of the Xindai Faylaq, or 'Legion', led into battle by province's ruler with the hope's of improving their standing in the eyes of the new Emperor and gaining some territory from their neighbouring province. To give that force's peasant levies some firmer muscle, a smaller but well drilled Imperial 'Katayib', itself about the size of the whole of UCAU's first wave, was attached while unofficially remaining independent from provincial command. Equipped mostly in sheer numbers, much benefit would be given to the 23rd Regiment and its regional allied force by their slow and gregarious advance. This lack of mobility would later be reflected in the north, a sign of the Fuhrati armies inability to sustain their own bulk materially on such 'foreign' and unfamiliar soil.

The 256th would do good work in the meantime, starting with an advanced reconnaissance of the local terrain and its major geographical features. With that and advice from the Upepwani commander remaining in the region, one Lateef Mirza, Colonel Bhola chose to center his plan of operations around the River Soufi. Running northeast to southwest down to the coast, it was impossible to move a force from its staging grounds in Xindai to the approaches of the city without crossing the mighty body. Only a handful of bridges of a useful size spanned the Soufi, and all but two would be very publicly blown by demolition teams of the 256th. The act would serve as a demonstration before the advancing Legion, which was hoped to compel that force to fight the far smaller allied cohort on ground of their choosing. The two remaining bridges were located within the small hamlet of Ustani, near enough to the coastal roads for the allied force to relocate there with speed and keep in good supply. If the Fuhrati forces had access to the bridging capacities of their army's own engineers this may have been less successful, but such equipment and personnel had been reassigned to the north, although that front had no similar riverine obstacle.

With the field of battle hopefully decided, the 256th turned to the business of making it ready to receive the province's guests. Armed with mechanical diggers and cargo trucks, they quickly got to work turning the peaceful settlement into an impregnable fortress. With some aid from Upepwani engineers and local volunteers, two belts of sturdy trenches were constructed which formed a chevron with its base along the Soufi and its tip pointing southwest, presenting a strong face against the anticipated axis of Fuhrati advance. These positions were firstly intended for use by Upepwani's "Lateef Katayib', granting that mixed force of local militia and steady professionals all armed with semi-antiquated percussion cap rifles the benefit of strong defences behind which they would hold against the Fuhrati onslaught. In the meantime, the 23rd Regiment intended to wage a mobile fight against the sluggish behemoth then unfurling itself across the province. Bhola had diverted the entirety of his lorry fleet to fully motorising one battalion of his infantry, the 3rd Internationals, which would raid and harass Fuhrati columns at an arms length from his entrenched forces. To that end, a company sized detachment of the 256th was to accompany the Colonel's 'Mounted Rifles', to provide support for their vehicles and route obstacle clearance for the agile force.

With these pieces in play and plans ready to act, the 256th had done most of what it could in service of their commander's intent, and it would take the coming battle to reveal if their efforts would bear fruit.

- The Northern Front

If affairs in the south were going as smoothly as military operations ever could, the same could not be said for those up north. If al-Saqr had a testy relationship with Brigadier Vinh, the far more acerbic pair that was Zhuang and Kohl would grow to positively despise their subordinate Engineer commanders. The country in the north was hilly and in some parts mountainous, densely forested, cut across by numerous small but fast and freezing rivers, and simply wild. These factors served to exacerbate the delays and sluggish movements inherent to early-War Fuhrati formations to an even greater extent than those in the south, but thanks to a number of factors, at least some of which can be blamed on the two Regiments' engineers, this advantage in time was very nearly lost.

The defining geographical feature of this front was the 'Jabeupe', a wide valley between two towering mountain chains which ran in almost a straight line from west to east, where Hurhamba lay at its feet. Within the valley and protruding out from either end were some of the only built settlements this far north, making the whole gorge the so-called 'Gate to Hurhamba' unless one wished to march several thousand men through and into the dark woods. Two great castles lay on either slope of the valley's westernmost mouth, which had long made up the cornerstone of Upepwani's defensive plans in time of imperial invasion, and the province's own armies intended to sit and wait behind their thick walls for the empire to come. The Fuhrati's northern host, centred on one Imperial Legion with several provincial Katayibs in support, had little choice but to play that same game.

For his part, Zhuang was not content to 'sit on his ass and wait', as the brigadier put it. Some distance west of the last sizeable Jabeupe settlement was a trio of far less impressive valleys, which would nonetheless require a traversing army to split its numbers before reforming on the other side. Acting on a plan he had been developing ever since he'd been appointed as the 23rd's commander, Zhuang hoped to maneuver his forces west at speed until he reached the 'Three Brows", where he would pounce on the separated Fuhrati columns and smash them in detail under his rifles, machine guns, mortars, and artillery. As a former gunner, Zhuang liked his artillery.

The first blow struck by the Corps of Engineers in the north was against the rest of the Army, with its fiercely insular and hierarchical structure to blame. Unfortunately, it was a streak which had not quite been beaten out of the 116th and 81st Pioneers to the same degree as in the 256th. The two battalions still relied on a heavily taxed Field Group for their supplies and equipment, instead of using the routes designated for their parent regiments, which limited the speed with which they could move to a crawl almost as slow as that of the heaviest guns of the field artillery. Moreover, on several instances their commanders flat out refused to move or work until orders by Vinh's own hand had been given, a process which delayed the carrying out of orders to several hours after they had been given. In such undeveloped terrain, where often the only roads the Army didn't have to lay itself were blocked by wind felled trees or reduced to rivers of mud, the inability of the Engineers to provide mobility almost crippled Zhuang's best laid plans.

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In Depth: Engineer's Work Beyond The Battlefield

Although the performance of Engineers in a 'real war' had so far left much to be desired at the front, further from these two fields of battle the Corps would for the most apart acquit. Facing unfamiliar environments, vast distances, poor infrastructure, and a constantly changing and shifting list of requirements and duties, it speaks greatly to Vinh's and his staff's credit that they would perform in their Corps finest traditions.

In both the north and south, the first hurdle UCAU would face was tht of simply relocating its forces from their coastal points of arrival to the battlefield. Upepwani's internal rail networks, which had been the product of years of Commonwealth economic aid, proved indispensable to that task. The trains ran around the clock without pause, and when provincial crews were worn out detachments of Vinh's engineers duely stepped up to take their place, very much familiar with the Commonwealth standard locomotives and equipment they would deal with. Additional infrastructre, which was needed to move the heavier loads of field guns and trucks, had to be constructed, and was completed at a rapid pace.

Indeed, UCAU's supporting trains would find the issue of speed to be the most surprising, in comparison to their peacetime duties. The Commonwealth's peacekeeping operations were often defined by static outposts and forts dotted across familiar terrain and tied together by well rehearsed convoy routes. While it was still an enormously complex task, engineers and quartermasters could afford to take a more methodical and thoroughly planned approach to their duties. Here in Upepwani, where regiments regularly crossed almost a hundred kilometres a day back and forth with their rapid movements, these well rehearsed processes simply could not keep up. Forced to move fast or lose, Vinh revealed himself to be an officer who could do the former, keeping his command above the water and giving al-Saqr the capabilities he needed to win the campaign. From field hospitals to signal stations, the Engineers were the ones who built almost all of it, and as the frontlines shifted with the winds of battle to tear down and rebuild again somewhere else.

Spanning an area hundreds of kilometres wide and deep, the work of Field Group UCAU would begin well before the first Commonwealth shots were fired, and continue in barely diminished intensity after the beaten dregs of the Fuhrati invasion had dragged itself westwards under a hard winter.

------

Fleet Friends: A note On Maritime And Naval Engineering

A proper discussion on the impact of military engineering on the Chainbreaker War would be incomplete if it did not cover the UC's efforts to build up a titanic system of ports and similar infrastructure on the continent. It was a joint venture between the Army and Navy, and without it the United Commonwealth would have been physically incapable of transporting and supporting the force of four million that it would eventually raise to fight in the defence of Upepwani and which would bring down the Fuhrati Empire.

It would first take the form of the occupation and improvement of preexisting faclities in Upepwani itself, a necessary measure to ensure the smooth unloading of UCAU's great bulk in personnel and equipment. Such work was centred on Hurhamba and Alhisn, the original landing sites of Commonwealth forces, and would eventually spread to every coastal settlement in the province. Significant efforts would also be placed on upgrading Upepwani's limited naval infrastructure, bringing it up to meet the needs of the great fleet of the United Commonwealth Navy which was soon to arrive. As an aside, in the decades after the War the docks and yards assembled at great cost by these military engineers would find themselves excess to the Fleet's requirements, and sold off to the burgeoning private maritime industry of the Republic of Upepwani for nearly a song. This massive influx of capital would do much to bolster the Republic's private economy and shipbuilding industry, and in private hands these slipways would go on to launch many of the UCN's finest vessels in time to come.

------

Conclusions

The Corps of Engineers was in many ways ill prepared to fight the war it found itself in, come the autumn of 75 A.S. Its inflexible culture and structure defied those few Army reformers' attempts to drag it into the modern Worlds, and the obstinacy of its field officers, whatever their professional skill, rendered much of the field engineer units deployed on Upepwani soil less helpful than they could have been. While the first act of the war would be won, it was a very near run affair, and al-Saqr and the Commonwealth had little intention of seeing a re-run of those events.

It would take inhuman efforts, by those within the Corps and those without, to drag the noble cadre kicking and screaming into reality. Once it had been, however, the contributions of the Commonwealth's own engineers would play a crucial role in the field of battle. For while great engineers would never have won the war, a poor and poor to learn Corps of Engineers may very well have lost it. The Chainbreaker War has long been considered the first war of a modern 12 Worlds, in thinking and in substance, and the challenges and triumps of military engineers in and after those five years makes that claim clear.

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Troubleshooting RDP connection over PIA VPN

Title: Troubleshooting RDP Connection Over PIA VPN

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Check VPN Connection: Ensure that your PIA VPN connection is active and stable. Disconnect and reconnect to the VPN to refresh the connection.

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PIA VPN and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) are two widely used tools in the realm of technology that serve different purposes but can also be compatible with each other. PIA VPN, short for Private Internet Access Virtual Private Network, is a service that provides users with a secure and encrypted connection to the internet, ensuring their online privacy and security. On the other hand, Remote Desktop Protocol allows users to connect to a remote computer or server from a different location, enabling them to access files, applications, and resources as if they were physically present at the remote location.

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Troubleshooting inaccessible shared drive via VPN

Troubleshooting Inaccessible Shared Drive via VPN

Accessing shared drives through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can sometimes pose challenges, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can often resolve these issues efficiently. Here are some common steps to take when encountering difficulties accessing a shared drive via VPN:

Check VPN Connection: Start by ensuring that your VPN connection is active and stable. Sometimes, a dropped connection or poor signal strength can prevent access to shared drives. Reconnect to the VPN if necessary and verify the strength of your connection.

Verify Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to access the shared drive. Contact your network administrator to confirm that your user account has been granted appropriate access rights.

Firewall Settings: Check your firewall settings to ensure that they are not blocking access to the shared drive. Adjust firewall rules if needed to allow traffic through the VPN connection.

DNS Configuration: Verify that your DNS settings are configured correctly, especially if you are accessing the shared drive by hostname rather than IP address. Incorrect DNS settings can prevent your computer from resolving the hostname to the correct IP address.

Network Troubleshooting: Use network diagnostic tools to troubleshoot connectivity issues. Ping the server hosting the shared drive to verify connectivity, and use traceroute to identify any network hops causing delays or packet loss.

VPN Client Updates: Ensure that your VPN client software is up to date. Older versions of VPN clients may have compatibility issues with certain network configurations, which can prevent access to shared drives.

Restart VPN and Computer: Sometimes, simply restarting your VPN client and computer can resolve connectivity issues by resetting network configurations and clearing temporary glitches.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you can often identify and resolve the underlying issues preventing access to shared drives via VPN, restoring seamless connectivity for remote work or collaboration. If problems persist, don't hesitate to seek assistance from your IT support team for further assistance.

Network drive access problems over VPN

Title: Troubleshooting Network Drive Access Problems Over VPN

Many individuals and businesses rely on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to securely access network resources from remote locations. However, encountering difficulties in accessing network drives over VPN connections is a common issue that can impede productivity. Understanding the potential causes and solutions for these problems is crucial for effective troubleshooting.

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VPN connection hindering shared drive access

When your VPN connection hinders your access to shared drives, it can be frustrating and challenging to troubleshoot the issue. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are commonly used to enhance online security and privacy by encrypting internet connections and masking the user's IP address. However, this added layer of security can sometimes interfere with accessing shared drives on a network.

One common reason for experiencing difficulty accessing shared drives while connected to a VPN is network configuration conflicts. VPNs create a secure tunnel for your internet traffic, which can limit direct access to local network resources such as shared drives. Your computer may prioritize the VPN connection over the local network, leading to disruptions in accessing shared drives.

To resolve this issue, adjust your VPN settings to allow local network access. Most VPN clients have an option to enable local network access or split tunneling, which allows you to access shared drives while connected to the VPN. By enabling this feature, you can prioritize access to local network resources without compromising the security provided by the VPN.

Additionally, ensuring that your network permissions are set up correctly is crucial for seamless access to shared drives. Check with your network administrator to confirm that your user account has the necessary permissions to access the shared drives, both locally and through the VPN connection.

In conclusion, troubleshooting VPN-related issues affecting shared drive access requires a combination of adjusting VPN settings and verifying network permissions. By carefully configuring your VPN connection and network settings, you can enjoy a secure online experience while maintaining uninterrupted access to shared drives.

Resolving shared drive access challenges on VPN

Accessing shared drives while connected to a VPN can sometimes present challenges for users, but there are several strategies that can be employed to help resolve these issues effectively.

One common issue that users face is difficulty accessing shared drives due to network restrictions imposed by the VPN. In such cases, it is important to ensure that the VPN client is configured to allow access to local network resources, including shared drives. This can typically be achieved by adjusting the settings within the VPN client or seeking assistance from the IT department to make the necessary configurations.

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Additionally, users may encounter authentication issues when attempting to access shared drives on a VPN. This can be resolved by ensuring that the user's credentials are up to date and correctly entered, and that any relevant permissions for accessing the shared drives have been properly configured.

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can't access router web page after installing vpn

Router configuration page inaccessible after VPN installation

When setting up a VPN connection on your device, it is not uncommon to encounter issues with accessing your router's configuration page. This can be frustrating as the router configuration page is crucial for adjusting network settings and ensuring optimal performance.

One of the common reasons for the router configuration page becoming inaccessible after VPN installation is due to IP address conflicts. When you connect to a VPN, your device is assigned a new IP address from the VPN server. This can sometimes lead to a conflict with the IP address range used by your router, causing the configuration page to become unreachable.

Another reason for this issue could be firewall settings. Some VPN clients come with built-in firewalls that may block access to certain local network resources, including the router configuration page. In such cases, configuring the firewall settings of the VPN client to allow access to the local network can help resolve the issue.

Additionally, misconfigurations or compatibility issues between the VPN client and your router can also cause the configuration page to be inaccessible. Ensuring that the VPN client is properly configured and updated to the latest version can help mitigate such issues.

To resolve the issue of the router configuration page being inaccessible after VPN installation, you can try disconnecting from the VPN temporarily and accessing the page. If successful, you may need to adjust the IP address settings or firewall configurations of your VPN client to allow access to the local network resources. If the issue persists, seeking assistance from your VPN service provider or router manufacturer can provide further guidance on resolving the issue and ensuring seamless connectivity.

VPN causing inability to reach router web interface

When using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you may encounter issues accessing your router's web interface. This problem arises due to the way VPNs reroute your internet traffic to ensure security and anonymity.

VPN services mask your IP address, making it appear as though your connection is coming from a different location. As a result, when you try to access your router's web interface while connected to a VPN, the request may be blocked or redirected due to the changed IP address.

To resolve this issue and access your router's web interface while using a VPN, you can try the following solutions:

Disconnect the VPN: The simplest solution is to disconnect from the VPN service temporarily. By doing so, your internet traffic will no longer be routed through the VPN server, allowing you to access your router's web interface using your original IP address.

Whitelist the router's IP address: Some VPN services offer the ability to whitelist specific IP addresses. By adding your router's IP address to the whitelist, you can ensure that traffic to and from the router is not routed through the VPN server.

Use split tunneling: Split tunneling is a feature offered by some VPN services that allows you to route only specific traffic through the VPN while accessing local resources using your regular internet connection. By configuring split tunneling settings, you can access your router's web interface without interference from the VPN.

By implementing these solutions, you can overcome the challenge of being unable to reach your router's web interface while using a VPN. Remember to prioritize security when making adjustments to your VPN settings to ensure a safe and seamless browsing experience.

Unable to access router settings post VPN setup

After setting up a VPN on your network, you may encounter difficulties accessing your router settings. This issue can be frustrating, but it is a common problem that can be resolved with a few troubleshooting steps.

Firstly, ensure that you are connected to the same network as the router. VPNs can sometimes create a separate network connection, causing your device to be on a different subnet. By confirming your connection to the correct network, you may be able to access the router settings without any issues.

If you are still unable to access the router settings, try disabling the VPN temporarily. This can help determine whether the VPN is causing the problem. If you can access the settings without the VPN enabled, there may be a configuration issue with the VPN that is blocking access to the router.

Another solution is to check the firewall settings on your device. VPNs and firewalls can sometimes conflict, preventing you from accessing certain resources on your network. Temporarily disabling the firewall or adjusting its settings may allow you to reach the router settings while the VPN is active.

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, consider restarting both your router and the device you are using to access the settings. This can reset network connections and potentially address any lingering issues causing the access problem.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to regain access to your router settings even after setting up a VPN on your network.

VPN software blocking access to router web page

When trying to access your router's web page and encountering issues with connectivity, one possible reason could be the VPN software you are using. VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are designed to enhance security and privacy by creating a secure connection over the internet. However, this same security feature can sometimes inadvertently block access to certain local network resources, such as your router's configuration page.

VPN software reroutes your internet connection through servers located in different regions, encrypting your data in the process. This can prevent your device from communicating directly with your router's local IP address, causing access issues.

To troubleshoot this problem, you can try the following steps:

Disconnect from the VPN: Temporarily disconnecting from the VPN software should allow you to access your router's web page while connected to your local network.

Whitelist your local IP address: Some VPN software allows you to whitelist specific IP addresses or ranges. By adding your router's local IP address to the whitelist, you may be able to access its web page without disconnecting from the VPN entirely.

Use split tunneling: If your VPN software supports split tunneling, you can specify which traffic is routed through the VPN and which traffic goes directly to the internet. By excluding your local network from the VPN tunnel, you should be able to access your router without interference.

By following these steps, you can troubleshoot and resolve issues with VPN software blocking access to your router's web page, ensuring smooth networking and configuration processes.

Issue accessing router interface due to VPN installation

Title: Troubleshooting Guide: Unable to Access Router Interface After VPN Installation

Are you experiencing difficulty accessing your router interface after installing a VPN? This issue is not uncommon, and there are several potential causes and solutions to explore.

Firstly, ensure that your VPN is not causing any network conflicts. Sometimes, VPN software can alter network settings or create routing issues that prevent communication with local devices such as your router. Try temporarily disabling the VPN software and attempt to access the router interface again. If successful, you may need to adjust the VPN settings to allow local network access.

Secondly, check your router's IP address and connection status. If your VPN has assigned a new IP address to your device, it may be conflicting with the router's IP address. Ensure that your device is connected to the same network as the router and that both devices have unique IP addresses within the same subnet.

Additionally, verify that your router's firewall settings are not blocking incoming connections. Some VPNs use specific protocols or ports for communication, which may be restricted by default firewall rules. Access your router's settings page and review the firewall configuration to allow traffic from your device or the VPN software.

If you are still unable to access the router interface, consider resetting the router to its factory defaults. This will erase any custom configurations and settings, including those that may be causing the access issue. Remember to back up any important configurations before proceeding with the reset.

In conclusion, issues accessing the router interface after VPN installation can be frustrating but are usually solvable with the right troubleshooting steps. By following these guidelines, you can identify and resolve the underlying causes, restoring access to your router's settings and ensuring smooth network operation.

[casspurrjoybell-30]

Howling Love - Chapter 27

*Warning Adult Content*

Amille Laurent.

[Max no] I used my cell-phone to shriek as Max threw her chips at me.

I had teased her about Teja having a crush on her but Teja being a year younger than all of us made her a bit awkward on the situation.

So instead of dealing with it, she was throwing food at me.

[I mean he's growing in nicely, has Beta blood, trust he'll be tall like uncle Kyra, so what's not to love, what a man] I argued again and she finally stood up to chase me all around the cafeteria causing a ruckus with the other students who were eating, also making them laugh.

"Come back here Amille," she shrieked.

[Oh hell no] I called out back and everyone laughed as I jumped onto a table then tried to run on top.

"Got you," she triumphantly growled as she stood by my only way down but I wasn't part of a wolf pack and mated to an Alpha for no reason, so I looked to the closest wolf and smiled.

"Oh no, you don't," Max dared as I put fingers in my mouth and whistled hard calling for their attention.

'Catch me.' I projected onto them with my mind and they stood up ready to do so as I jumped right into their arms.

"You sound, beautiful," the wolf complimented as he let me down.

'Thanks and thanks for the assist,' I replied mentally before taking off again leaving more people laughing but I didn't get far.

"Whoa, short-stack where are you running to."

It was so easy for him to grab me and throw me over his shoulder, he was larger than anybody in school and much stronger.

'Mate,' I whispered and I felt a smack on my bum when he walked back with me to our table.

"Haha, I caught you," Maxine danced in victory as I tried to wriggle out of Camryn's hold.

"Settle down and finish what you started," he ordered smacking my bum again then setting me down on his lap.

My cousin came over to us with food, well more of it for them.

"So what were you saying about Teja and I?" Max hissed narrowing her eyes on me.

"Teja what now?"

Speak of the wolf himself.

My younger cousin showed up and I smirked wanting to say something but Camryn thrust up and the feeling of his member as I sat on his lap made me silent as a lamb, blushing thoroughly.

I looked at him accusingly and he had a knowing smirk on his lips, damn his large, fantastically made face, I couldn't even say something bad, ugh I was loosing my grip.

So I sighed and settled down to feed my mate.

[Teja my bag please] I asked my cousin using my cell-phone and he grabbed it giving it to me, smiled then turned to face me with a wink before returning to his chat with Dean and Max.

[So how's been a whole week of classes, non stop assignments?] I asked my neanderthal as he groaned looking exhausted.

We might've split his pack workload between us but there was still so much of it, with school closing soon we had more assignments then exam week which was approaching soon, it was a lot to handle, especially for Camryn after his family practically imploded.

We had talked about his mom poisoning my dad and had agreed that it couldn't affect us, they were adults, they could figure things out on their own without us meddling.

My dad was a bit furious but after what I knew to be retail therapy and a lot of self love.

He finally just disconnected from the whole issue and told me to avoid the Luna and Alpha for a while, despite them being Camryn's parents, it was better they sorted the mess out without us involved.

'Drink,' I accosted Camryn as I fed him the home made food I had brought.

He was picky lately about the food we all ate, where and almost always made sure that I was with one of my friends or cousin when he wasn't around. it was the worried Alpha in him.

I understood, I knew the phase would pass, I wasn't going to be impossible and argue about his rules.

If it got excessive I would tell him and besides I already had the same system even before he ordered it, so I wasn't really bothered.

'You need a haircut,' I mentioned running my hand through his hair.

"I know but you also like pulling on it when we..."

I immediately clamped down his mouth, it caused everyone to laugh.

'I'm watching you mister,' I hissed as he made me lean down to give me a quick kiss when I removed my hand.

When we parted he whined and I knew he wanted more food so I fed him, like the child he wanted to be.

"Camryn I never thought I would see the day you would be this in love and having your toy feed you."

I knew only person who could be that venomous.

I turned to face Vincent as Camryn put his hand over me protectively whilst growling lowly toward Vincent.

"His mate, not his toy, not his fuckboy, not his downlow guy like you were. His mate Vincent. Now I suggest you wriggle back to where you came from you... you venomous toad, we're trying to have lunch here without you making us puke. Go away," Orlando had all but challenged Vincent to say or do something.

Once the Beta and my mate's ex-boyfriend were similarly tall but not anymore.

Orlando had bulked up like his dad and put on more height, like Camryn so he domineered over Vincent who stood in shock.

"Mate," he whispered as I smiled back at Camryn and caressed his cheek soothing his anger.

I never got to see Vincent leave as I grabbed another sub.

'Come on, open up for me, this is healthy stuff,' I coaxed as Camryn smiled and opened his mouth to take a bite.

He sighed in bliss as the food hit his taste buds.

"Angel baby, I could get used to this," he muttered and I hugged him with a chuckle.

I could feel his anger disappear as he rumbled in my hold.

After eating a lot, like something close to half my body weight, lunch finally came to an end.

"Thank you for the food," Camryn stated as we walked to class with our hands entwined like always.

Goddess I could drown in his eyes.

'Anytime boy scout,' I replied with the link like most times when we were together, he had told me my voice sounded like a melody and he would never get bored of hearing it.

I wanted to tell Camryn that something was different about me again, about my throat.

I had thought it was just growing pains all week but I knew something was different, I didn't want to worry him more so until I understood what was it, that was different I wouldn't say anything.

We first came up by my locker and I switched bags and books then he left me in AP Biology whilst he went for ordinary people biology, it made me laugh or rather amused me when I thought about it.

"Mister Luna, I'll see you at the field," he asserted sweetly placing a kiss on my hand.

'Charmer,' I teased before he took off and I walked into class.

"Ah my best student, glad you could  join us," the teacher addressed me and I chuckled taking my seat.

"So who can tell me the function."

Class went on as I listened in but at the back of my mind something was nagging me, a feeling, a sense of danger.

When class finished I was last to leave since I wanted to hand in three of my extra credit projects for my total score for exam week which honestly didn't surprise the teacher.

"You've already got the total needed to get a decent B+ with these you're just taking the exam to boost your GPA, I'm impressed," she commented and I smiled happily.

[Thank you] I signed and she nodded.

I bid her farewell and carried my stuff to my locker but I was surprised to find Vincent there and he didn't look friendly at all.

[What do you want?] I quickly typed on my cell-phone and he snickered.

"Oh nothing, just a friendly chat," he replied and I narrowed my eyes on him.

[Let's have that friendly chat when Camryn is around okay?] I asserted turning on my heel to look for any of my friends or my cousins.

"They aren't here and if you want poor Maxine to be just fine, I suggest you come with and don't even think about telling anyone with that mind link you so enjoy," he growled and I turned around to face a video of Max struggling, gagged in chains, oh no.

'What do you want?' I demanded.

"Now you're speaking my language," he replied as he forced me to drop my bag, since everyone had rushed to classes or practice no one was in the halls, just perfect.

We walked out to the front of the school, just by a car which was parked suspiciously close to the main gate.

When we got close I wasn't fast enough to dodge the needle that stabbed my arm and caused an excruciating amount of pain to burn through me which effectively knocked me out.

'Camryn,' that was my last call as finally the need to let go sunk in.