#(barely. tbh i just wanted to gif the first scene)

[elliot-olivia]

Get down!

[cursed-coat-of-homosexuality]

Listen, I know we're all talking about the beautiful editing in this scene right now. However, and that might be just a guess, I think Ed is killing someone here.

First off, look at the background. They aren't fighting anymore. This isn't an action packed raid scene where everybody is fighting against one another amidst the chaos of bloodshed. It's quiet, normal even. The fighting is over, and everyone is either checking their newly acquired loot or looking at Ed, who seems to be at the center of ship. Now see where the gun is pointed - it's down,

almost as if he is shooting someone who's kneeling.

That's not a warning shot and neither is it a fight, that's an execution. Ed is killing again (by his definition of killing I mean)

And I DEFINITELY am not implying that he has become super violent and angry or something like that (which I think is a very stupid, racist take and not in line with his previous characterization at all, but that's a whole other post), tbh I think it's exactly the opposite. He isn't angry at all, that's what's worrying me. There is a stone cold dead calm in him. I think he has given up.

That is, by letting go of one of his core principles (not killing), and therefore becoming the Kraken - he is personafying himself as his father's killer, trying to become the monster other people and himself believe him to be. I mean, LOOK AT HIS CLOTHES!!

He is wearing nine guns and is very much looking like a vampire clown. He's dressing up as a caricature of himself. He is doing all of that because - deep down - he thinks that's why Stede left him. Because when he finally laid his soul bare in front of him, Stede rejected him (so that surely must mean that he saw something he did not like in there). To Ed, Stede finally "sees him now" as the monster he really is. A monster who isn't deserving of fine things, or luxuries such as not killing. So when he becomes the Kraken, after Izzy does That Whole Thing, he gives up trying to fight for them.

Thing is, the Kraken is not really killing other people, at least narratively speaking (sorry Lucius). Killing is a tool he is using to let go of the part of him that longs for Stede, love and all the fine things that he can't have - and the part of him that is just so, so hurt by not having them. The Kraken isn't killing others, it's killing Ed.

So it's no wonder that we see him kill at a wedding of all places. It's the embodyiment of everything he has ever wanted and lost so far. Extravagant dresses, good food, fancy stuff and, most of all - love.

[megistusdiary]

Dan heng x Fem!Reader. Please I'm so down bad for this man 😭😭

You can write whatever you want<33

Hydration check btw

i love dan heng sm he is so fine 🤭🤭 some of the little silly things he does reminds me of my bf tbh. love dan heng fr!

also i am currently hydrating with my taco bell tea ‼️‼️

(ps i rewrote this like 6 times until i was satisfied. looks like i am a bit more out of my writing game than i originally thought 😭)

dom!dan heng x sub!fem anatomy/pronouns reader

warnings: smut (minors dni!), oral/facesitting 🙈 (reader receiving), implied continuation of the scene

dan heng's fingers splayed over your hips, digging into your flesh slightly. he kept you perched atop his lap, awkwardly fidgeting with the hem of your shirt.

he could feel you through the thin fabric of your shorts, the rhythmic pulsing of your heartbeat from, well, down there. it was enough to dust his cheeks rosy, but he forced himself to maintain his collected composure.

"i want to try something new." his voice broke the short silence, causing you to tilt your head sideways.

"new as in..?"

"you'll like it." he promised, avoiding answering the question, leaving you gasping when he suddenly shifted to lay flat on the bed. he dropped you closer up on his chest while he adjusted your pillows beneath his head.

your eyebrows furrowed as you rested your hands on his shoulders. "and just what are you planning?"

"come here." he tugged at your hips, feeling you hesitantly shift further up his body, coming to a grinding halt near his throat.

"absolutely not. i will suffocate you!" you grinned, attempting to move your thigh back over to the other side of the bed.

but his firm hold on you did not allow you to do so. instead, he dug his hands further into your waist, hearing you let out a sharp breath as he prevented you from removing yourself.

"stay still." he ordered, though his voice was gentle, it was enough to make you stop resisting, allowing him to carefully move you to hover over his lips.

"are you sure about this?" you asked, suddenly feeling shy when his fingers moved to slide over your bare lips.

"as long as you trust me."

"of course i do." you affirmed, feeling him nod against you and press a kiss to your inner thigh.

"then sit down." he urged, inwardly cringing at his own unfamiliar tone. though it was quickly forgotten when you allowed yourself to settle down, feeling him hold you above him.

the first press of his lips to your slit made you flinch, letting out a soft noise that had him sighing into your core.

he allowed his tongue to flick out, giving small licks across the seam before delving in further to gently lap across your clit. the sensation had you shuddering, moving one hand to grip at his hair and the other on the headboard.

"oh- dan heng-" you bit your cheek, eyes fluttering open and closed as he wrapped his lips around your clit.

he was ever so gentle with everything he did with you. not just hugging or cuddling, but anything in bed. he was soft in the way he smoothed his thumbs down your hips while he slowly trailed his tongue over you. he gave you time to really feel the sensations rather than chase after an orgasm as if it were a race.

you could feel vibrations from his own muffled groans traveling through you. the hand that was previously in his hair removed itself to wipe away the tears gathering in your eyes.

little cries of his name spilled from your lips as you rocked your hips against him, feeling his nose bump into you while he moved his tongue back and forth.

"i'm gonna- dan heng- please." all he could hear were incoherent babbles as he carefully pressed his tongue into you, feeling you constrict around the smooth muscle. you shivered above him, gripping your shirt in your fist and tugging on it as you ground your hips into him. "there, there, more!" your whines grew louder when he moved back to playing with your clit, tracing random shapes over and over.

finally, with an abrupt jerk and sob of his name, you came over his tongue, feeling the aftershocks move through your body pleasantly.

the moment you gained control of your body, you slid off of him, cupping his face between your palms.

"did you like it?" he asked breathlessly, your slick glistening across his lips like gloss as you laughed, wiping the tears from your eyes and sweat off your forehead, kissing his cheeks.

"let me show you just how much i liked it.."

[wholoveseggs]

HIYA GORGEOUS!! I absolutely adore all that you write and here I am once again to request something (tbh I’ll always be here to request things 🤭). So I’d like to request…

y/n (aka me) is Elijah's best friend but she's never met Klaus, only heard about him. one day she surprises Eli for his birthday so she walks in the compound, not knowing that Klaus is there too. she and Elijah exchange hellos then talk for a bit and before they can leave (Elijah is subtly trying to rush her out), Klaus hears her voice and comes downstairs. I'll leave the details to you but she and Klaus instantly hit it off so much so that it makes Elijah jealous (he's always had a thing for y/n but never said anything be he's afraid of losing their friendship). again, leaving the details to you. can we make it a 2-parter? 1 is jealousy/angst w/ implied smut between y/n and Klaus & 2 is Elijah confessing to y/n his feelings which lead to their first time sex and possible future relationship.

Sorry love if this is too much, it's okay if you're not up for it though! Thanks for even indulging me! 🤍

Mine

THIS SCENE MAKES ME GO FERAL

18+ ---- {Masterlist} {Tag-List}

Part One

A drunken hookup with Klaus complicates your friendship with Elijah, leading to an awkward morning after.

♡♡ Thanks for the request sweet Aurora!! This one was a blast to write. But implied smut with Klaus??? Nahhh. No half-measures here. This is for all my Klaus girlies. You can't fix him, but you sure can fuck him. ♡♡

5k words - Warnings: smutttt {with Klaus}, rough sex, mild choking, Klaus being the drama, Elijah hiding his feelings & Rebekah judging you.

{Part Two}

You came rushing through the gates of the compound, carrying so many shopping bags that you could barely see. Your arms felt on fire, but a little strain was worth it all when you remembered who you were doing this for.

Tonight was Elijah's big birthday bash, put together by you and Rebekah, and you wanted everything to be perfect. Elijah had become one of your closest friends, and this celebration was your chance to show him how much he meant to you.

"Eli, I have so much stuff for the party. Where should I put it all?" you ask once you got far enough into the house.

Elijah emerged from the grand living room and came into the foyer to help you. He had an odd look on his face, but you couldn't really pinpoint it exactly. He took the bags from your arms and carried them himself.

"Don't look in them! I want it to be a surprise!" You said, putting your hands over his eyes and guiding him towards the table.

Elijah chuckled, "Fine, Fine. Are you sure all of this is necessary?"

"Absolutely." you said, uncovering his eyes. "You only turn 1040 once," you joked, causing the pair of you to laugh.

It was over-the-top as shit, but a girl had to take any opportunity to give a Mikaelson a birthday they would remember, and then some.

Elijah's smile faltered a bit as he looked around the courtyard nervously. "Will you be returning home to get ready for tonight?" He asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

"I'm actually getting ready here with Bekah, why? Have a hot date you are hiding from me?" You teased, unaware of the way Elijah's body stilled at your words.

"Oh no darling, no date, just a brother he wants to hide," said an accented voice from the second level balcony.

Elijah let out a rough sigh as you turned to see Klaus stepping down the stairs towards you both.

You had heard of the legendary hybrid of course, but since you met Elijah you had yet to run into him. In fact, this was the first time you had seen Klaus in person and were unaware of the true look of him. Which made you almost go weak in the knees.

He was hot, like 'fuck me right now hot' and it took everything in you not to drool. It didn't surprise you, all the other Mikaelsons were extremely attractive, so it only stood to reason their infamous hybrid brother would be also.

You could tell by the look on his face he found you just as attractive, and with a devilish smirk, he seemed to say ‘I will fuck you right now if that's what you wish’

"Hello love, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he drawled before bringing your hand up and kissing it softly.

You wanted to hate him. Klaus had been notorious for so long for his tantrums and viciousness. But one look and just a touch from his lips and you knew you were doomed.

"T-Thanks," you said, pulling your hand back.

Klaus tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and ran a thumb across your cheek.

"Are you blushing for me? Can't say I blame you, love," he said cockily.

Elijah rolled his eyes at his younger brother's antics, but as Klaus lingered on your skin he felt a stir of possessiveness settle in his bones. He cleared his throat, shooting his brother a glare,

"I would love some help setting up the party for your brother," you asked Klaus, hoping to spend more time with him, his charm quite intriguing.

"It's alright, I can help you," Elijah insisted, not wanting Klaus to interact with you for a multitude of reasons.

"It's supposed to be a surprise for you Eli,” you pouted, which caused Elijah to soften at your cuteness.

"I've got it handled, Eli," Klaus teased, emphasizing the nickname you used for him.

Elijah looked between the two of you, clearly wanting to decline your request and keep you both apart. But alas, for some reason, he couldn't come up with a legitimate reason.

Klaus grabbed your bags and walked off, you began to follow, turning back to give Elijah a wide smile. "See you tonight, birthday boy," you exclaimed happily before hurrying off after the younger Mikaelson.

You spent all afternoon decorating with Klaus, who insisted you call him Nik. He was somewhat sweet but full of himself. Yet, you enjoyed his company, he had a good eye for décor and matched your vision effortlessly.

"Have I accomplished my mission?" he asked. He brought a champagne bottle up, pouring two glasses and giving you one.

You leaned against the pillar with him and clinked your drinks together. "I'd say so, yes. Thank you so much for helping me."

"It was no trouble at all," Klaus said, then smirked at you over his glass. "You are quite stunning, love."

You grinned at his comment, "you should see me after I get all dressed up for tonight," you flirted, even though it sounded more like a challenge to him.

Klaus downed his drink then placed it on the table. Without warning, he pinned you to the pillar and trapped you against him. "Oh I plan on doing more than looking tonight," he said as his hungry eyes traveled over your body.

"I see you two have finally met, how wonderful," Rebekah commented, disrupting the moment.

You laughed nervously, glad for the interruption, gently pushing Klaus off of you. As much as you wanted to jump Klaus then and there, something held you back. And you knew what, or rather, who was keeping you from acting on your desires...

"We were just having some champagne," you tell her, taking another drink.

"I see that, the decorations look amazing by the way," she complimented as she poured herself a glass as well. "Catering has arrived, they are setting everything up downstairs," she informed you, letting you know you should probably get ready.

"I'll go get dressed then. Thank you again, Nik." You smiled at him again, and he grinned in response.

"I think I'm owed a dance for my hard work," he told you as you walked away with Rebekah.

You looked over your shoulder at him and gave him a wink, excited for the party to begin.

Once you were upstairs and away from Klaus, Rebekah spoke quietly to you. "Be careful with him, he's not like Elijah," she warned you.

"No one is like Elijah," you chuckled a bit, ignoring the pang of sadness you felt at the realization you would probably never be with the older Mikaelson.

The two of you spent your time getting ready, sipping on champagne and discussing the numerous guests who would be arriving. You got a little too buzzed, but you were excited and also needed some courage to face an unknown quantity of vampires.

Rebekah always had impeccable taste, helping you pick out a skin tight dress that came a few inches above your knees and accentuated every curve on your body. Adding even more with the tall black heels you slipped on, showing off your legs.

"I'm afraid I might have gone too far," Rebekah chuckled as she applied your makeup, making you look smolderingly hot.

"You think?" You asked sarcastically.

"You look like vampire bait and I'm sure it's going to drive him mad," she snorted, taking another drink.

"Who?" You looked at yourself in the mirror and fixed a smudge of lipstick.

Rebekah gave you a knowing look, but stayed quiet and you just smiled back at her innocently.

When everything was ready and all the guests started arriving, you and Rebekah made a grand entrance into the main parlor. Elijah was talking with someone when his eyes caught you across the room, you wandered over to him and gave him a big hug.

"Happy birthday," you whispered in his ear, as his arms pulled you tighter to him.

"Thank you so much," he said, pulling back just enough to smile at you, his face growing even brighter when he really looked at you.

You noticed the way his eyes traced your figure, taking you all in. The way they darkened a bit with pure desire, making you instantly become hot all over. But it was probably just your imagination, brought on by all the champagne you've been drinking.

You almost made a move right then, but the person he was conversing with interrupted and you found yourself drawn away by Bekah and her friends. Leaving Elijah to watch you from afar as you conversed with them, laughing and drinking.

Hours later, you were still in the middle of the large group of people, even dancing to the music that was blaring through the place. You saw Elijah dancing with a beautiful woman and you wanted to be happy for him, but then the woman whispered in his ear and touched his chest, and your mood immediately soured.

You went to the bar to get a drink, deciding more alcohol might be what you needed to wash away all your confused feelings.

"Thirsty, love?" Asked a familiar voice in your ear as your body was pulled back to collide with a strong chest. You could smell the scent of Klaus's cologne and instantly felt turned on.

"Very," you said, downing your entire shot.

He spun you around to look into your eyes, both of his hands on your waist, drinking in your appearance.

"You didn't have to do all this for me," Klaus teased, his eyes on your chest as he licked his lips. "I'm a sure thing, darling, you know that,"

You couldn't help but laugh. He may have been a lot of things, but he was definitely entertaining. You shook your head, but smiled all the same.

"I only ever dress up for myself, Nik," you sassed back to him, looking up through your lashes.

A slow smirk came to Klaus's face as he leaned in and captured your lips in his. He hummed into the kiss and his grip tightened on you. He pulled away, your lipstick was still on his lips.

You giggled and wiped it off, as he ordered you another drink. Not that you really wanted one but damn, he was good at persuading people.

"I recall that you owe me a dance," he reminded you, taking a sip of his own beverage.

"Oh?" You said innocently, fiddling with the many necklaces he was wearing. "I don't remember agreeing to anything," you flirted.

"Well, perhaps a private dance then," he teased, giving you a mischievous smile.

"Maybe I'll surprise you later," you whispered, leaning in and sucking his bottom lip into your mouth and playfully biting it, loving the look of surprise and arousal on his face.

Then you turned and sauntered away, leaving him standing there at the bar to watch you. You were definitely going to end up in his bed tonight, but you wanted to make him squirm a little. Or rather, a lot.

You moved through the crowd to see Elijah and the woman dancing close, whispering things to each other. Well, actually, only she was talking. He seemed like he wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation she was having with him.

You gave him a wave and a smile, pointing at the woman and giving him an encouraging thumbs up. You don't know why you did it. Your chest did funny things seeing him with someone else though.

He returned your smile but didn't do much else before she spoke in his ear again and he allowed her to lead him out of the crowd.

You guessed Elijah was tired of his own party and went off to have some fun, and you were determined to have the same.

Klaus found you sitting on the couch, a cocktail and a plate of various snacks in front of you. You were thoroughly bored as you couldn't find him again.

He came from behind and crashed beside you, taking the glass out of your hand and finishing it, then set it aside.

"Hey! That was mine," you scolded playfully.

Klaus put his arm around you and kissed your neck. "How about you stop pretending you're enjoying yourself and come upstairs with me?" He suggested.

You laughed, and then he abruptly pulled you up and practically carried you through the door leading upstairs, pinning you to the wall at the top of the steps.

"Nik," you tried to say while laughing. "You can't just haul me off and have your way with me," you protested as his lips got closer to yours.

"Tell me to stop and I will," he taunted, bringing his lips to yours in a rough kiss.

You felt like you couldn't breathe, everything moving so fast. Klaus didn't even give you a chance to respond, lifting you so your legs wrapped around him.

He walked into a room and shut the door, setting you down on his desk. You realized that you were in his infamous art studio, looking around as Klaus hovered over you. You felt his lips on your neck, kissing every inch until you moaned.

Then he found the tiny zipper of your dress and slid it down, exposing your breasts. He smirked, reaching to tweak your nipple as he took you in. "Well then, love. Now I truly see why my brother has hidden you from me," he said huskily.

You giggled at his compliment but then you couldn't form words as he yanked the rest of your dress off you. You sat on the desk naked, save for your heels and nothing else.

"Dear lord, you are gorgeous," Klaus muttered, touching you everywhere.

You pulled him close by his shirt collar and locked lips. You bit his bottom lip harshly and he growled, his eyes flashing gold. The way his eyes changed on you was the hottest thing you've seen.

You pulled his shirt off him, tossing it to the floor before unbuckling his belt, wanting him as naked as you were. Once you had him bare, you raked your nails down his chest and he chuckled.

"You want to play rough, don’t you love?" He whispered as he nipped at your neck.

"Maybe," you teased, "what are you going to do about it?" You questioned, leaning back on the desk a little and spreading your legs for him, getting wet at the promise of a wild night.

Klaus's breath hitched when you touched yourself for him, his eyes completely transfixed on you. He was definitely intrigued by how confident you were.

"Well then," he growled before he roughly pinned your legs open, his hands squeezing your thighs harshly. He brought your body to the edge of the desk, kneeling in front of you as he ran a thumb over your dripping wet center.

He hummed at your scent as he pulled you forward a bit more to devour you, making you yelp in surprise, your hands tugging on his curls.

He was good, really good, and your toes curled at the pleasure you were receiving. It only got better when you saw his golden eyes as he gazed at you with a possessive glint, the vibrations from his own groans of enjoyment hitting you just right.

But before you could climax he pulled back and stood up, making you whimper and sit up on the desk, wanting him to continue.

Klaus chuckled at your impatience, pulling you into another searing kiss as you moaned. He broke it and gave you a smug smile, before wrapping his hand around your throat.

You were panting with need, your hand moving down to his cock and he hissed at your touch. He moved forward so he was resting between your thighs again as you stroked him slowly.

You both stayed this way for a moment, staring at each other. Until finally Klaus couldn't stand it any longer and roughly turned you around to face the desk. He pushed on your back until you were bent over on the wood, making you giggle with anticipation.

He smacked your ass hard, turning your giggle into a gasp as you looked back at him. He did it again and again until it was stinging. You wanted him so badly, it was unbearable.

You reached back for him and he lined up his cock to your entrance, sliding it up and down a few times until you were nearly shaking. He finally gave in and pushed into you, his hand tugging your hair until you arched into him, and he sank into the hilt.

He hissed at the sensation and you were about to tell him to move but he started fucking you without you needing to, hard and rough and perfect. He had you moaning with each thrust as you grabbed onto the desk, holding on tight as his body collided with yours, skin slapping as you got closer to climaxing.

It was hot and a little dirty, just what you had needed. Your moans only spurred him on as his hands explored your body while he took you from behind. The force of his thrusts causing items on his desk to clatter to the floor, but you both were far too gone to care.

He wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you back into him, making you stand so his other hand could roam your front. He moved up to massage your breast while pinching and tugging on your nipple until you moaned. He was clearly determined to make you come first and was going to enjoy doing it.

"Nik!" you whined his name when he pinched you a bit too harshly. You felt his lips on your neck, his fangs grazing the skin as he left hickeys.

You tilted your head for him and he smirked, licking your pulse point and gently nibbling. His thrusting becoming erratic as his hand slipped to your clit to rub fast circles until your legs started trembling and you let out a scream as your orgasm crashed into you.

He hummed in approval and thrust into you a few more times before you felt him filling you up with his cum, and you giggled from the sensation. He released you from his grasp and you leaned back down on the desk, turning around to face him.

You both were sweaty and exhausted but extremely satisfied. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close, placing soft kisses all over your face as you giggled again, trying to move away from him.

He grabbed your dress and handed it to you before slipping on his pants, leaving his shirt off. He gave you a soft kiss on the lips and then turned away, starting to pick up the fallen objects from his desk and placing them in their correct places.

You watched him in a daze, your body tingling as you pulled your dress back on.

"So, love, my room is right next door, if you care to continue our celebration?" He said with a smug smirk, giving you a wink.

You giggled again and nodded, knowing it was probably the alcohol giving you your confidence, but you were going to ride the wave (and him) until the end. 

Klaus woke to find you peacefully asleep in his bed. He leaned down to give you a gentle kiss on your forehead as you stirred slightly.

It was quite a night.

He took his time to admire your body and then your beautiful face. The way your eyelashes brushed your cheekbones as you slept, and your lips were parted slightly.

He got out of bed and got dressed, heading downstairs to find some blood and coffee. Elijah was in the kitchen reading his morning paper and looking every bit as dignified as always.

Klaus poured himself some coffee and started drinking it. He glanced around and saw there was no one else there but his brother, and he was smirking before he even opened his mouth.

"How was your night, Elijah?" He asked teasingly.

Elijah took his time to respond. He folded his paper up, placing it beside him as he eyed his younger brother suspiciously, he always had an innate sense to when Klaus was up to something.

"Quite fine. Why do you ask?"

Klaus's smirk grew bigger. He didn't say anything else and went about making himself something to eat. He felt Elijah's eyes boring into him the whole time, knowing that he wanted an answer but Klaus wouldn't give it to him just yet. He just loved torturing his big brother, even after a thousand years it was still highly entertaining.

"Your friend is an excellent host," Klaus started off with, his back turned as he chopped some fruit to put into a smoothie. He could almost hear the wheels turning in Elijah's mind as he tried to figure out where Klaus was going with this. "You really should have introduced me to her sooner."

Elijah sighed heavily. Klaus glanced behind him, and he had an annoyed expression on his face. He wasn't getting anything from Elijah so he turned to face him, his smirk returning.

"I showed her how much I appreciated her hard work last night. Several times actually, in my studio, a few times in my bed and then in the shower," he added as his smirk got wider and his tone became suggestive. "I dare say I've never been ridden so spectacularly before in all my years,"

Elijah abruptly stood, opening his mouth to say something, but that's when Klaus turned on the blender. Looking at Elijah apologetically and holding a finger to his ear and shrugging his shoulders.

"What's the matter brother?" he shouted over the blender. "You look a bit upset. You know it's not very healthy to bottle up all of your feelings,"

He stopped the blender and poured himself a glass, then another for Elijah as he handed it to him. Elijah just glared at him and poured the smoothie down the drain, setting the glass in the sink.

"That's rather rude, Elijah," he scolded teasingly. "I made that just for you,"

"Have you no shame, Niklaus?" He asked harshly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Noooo, shame is for boring people," he taunted. "Why are you so upset? Aren't you happy for your friend? I can assure you that she enjoyed herself immensely,”

Elijah snapped. He couldn't take anymore. He walked over and grabbed Klaus by the shirt collar, and shoved him against the wall roughly, holding him in place.

"You know how I feel about her and yet you slept with her anyway," Elijah seethed.

Klaus raised his eyebrow. "If you want her, then you should of taken her yourself," he snapped, his eyes flashing gold in challenge. "It's your loss anyway," he added, shoving him back and adjusting his collar, then smoothing out his shirt.

Elijah was livid. He knew it was just Klaus's way of being obnoxious, but that didn't make it any easier to handle.

"I can't get the vision of her tits bouncing in my face out of my mind, Elijah," Klaus taunted him again. "Perhaps if you're lucky, you'll get to experience it for yourself," he said, brushing past his brother and walking away with a laugh.

You woke in Klaus' bed with a terrible hangover and an empty spot beside you. You sat up, your head spinning a bit as the memories of the night before came flooding back.

Oh God, you slept with Elijah's brother.

You covered your face in embarrassment. You got drunk, got laid and it was with the worst person you possibly could of picked.

Elijah was going to kill you. He's been protecting you from his brother and here you go, having sex with him in his bed. You could imagine how disappointed he was in you right now.

You quickly got dressed and made your way downstairs, needing some coffee and possibly a few pain pills to try and take the edge off your headache.

Klaus was walking away from the kitchen, a devious smirk on his face. When he saw you, his grin got even bigger, but he said nothing, just gave you a wink.

You turned red in embarrassment and dashed into the kitchen, finding Elijah sipping his morning coffee while reading his paper. He looked up when he saw you enter and then he folded the paper and placed it on the island.

"Morning," he started off in a professional tone. You hated how he sounded.

You grabbed a mug and poured the liquid into it. Elijah was silent as he waited for you to face him, and once you had taken a few sips, he was standing in front of you.

He pushed your hair off your neck and a flash of Klaus' mouth sucking and nibbling on you last night, appeared in your mind. You were definitely covered in marks and hickeys.

"I see you had fun," Elijah muttered, and you saw him look over your appearance, the slight smudged make-up, messy hair and rumpled dress from last night.

He wasn't usually one to judge someone else's life choices, but this was his brother and you. It seemed more personal.

You blushed and pushed your hair back over your shoulder, so his eyes would stop staring at your neck. You needed a cold shower or something, the entire night was still feeling extremely vivid.

"Look Elijah, I'm so sorry, he just caught me at the right moment and I got a little drunk and..." you trailed off, taking a drink of coffee to calm your nerves. You really didn't have any good excuse to give him.

"It's alright, you can be with whoever you choose," Elijah stated in a collected tone.

You frowned and saw him adjusting his cuff-links. A sure sign he was upset. He always did that when he was angry or hiding what he was truly feeling.

"It was just a one time thing," you added, but you felt like he wasn't listening to you anymore.

Elijah was acting strange. Sure he could be an enigma sometimes, but this was different. He looked determined but a little annoyed, and you weren't quite sure how to read the situation. You decided to steer the conversation away from Klaus and what had happened between you two.

"How was your night?" You finally thought to ask. "I saw you leave with a woman, you looked like you were having fun," you said it teasingly, hoping it would lighten up the mood.

But now it was his turn to blush.

"Fine, really. It was fine," he muttered, fixing the already perfect knot in his tie. Now that was definitely something. Elijah rarely ever got tongue tied. "We kissed and I walked her home," he added, his lips pressing together in a firm line.

"That's all? You didn't...well, you know?" You questioned hesitantly.

"One night stands aren't my forte," he replied, giving you a soft smile. "When I take a woman to bed, I make her mine," his words were possessive and he hadn't taken his eyes off you.

The two of you weren't the kind of friends who discussed your sex life with each other. So when he said this, your cheeks turned hot and your imagination went wild. The idea of him holding you down and having his wicked way with you was something you were definitely interested in.

You both were staring at each other, the tension growing by the second. Then you looked away, you couldn't possibly fuck another Mikaelson in the same twelve hour period. Besides, Elijah meant far more to you than Klaus ever could. Sex with him would probably lead you somewhere complicated, and you didn't want to ruin what you had right now.

The situation was way too weird.

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" You decided to ask, breaking the silence and steering the conversation away from sex. You just wanted to spend some time with him. "Maybe come up to my place? I don't work the next two days," you added, hopeful he would agree to spend time with you, even though he always did, but this time you felt more nervous about it.

It would help things get back to normal, as normal as they could be after what happened with Klaus.

"Sure, Klaus and Rebekah won't be home tomorrow if you would like to come over here instead?" He suggested, your eyes meeting his again.

He had such an intense way of staring into your eyes, that it almost felt like he was looking into your soul.

"Well, it's your birthday so whatever you would like to do," you stated, giving him a sweet smile.

Your phone buzzed, breaking the moment. You grabbed it from your purse and opened the new text from Klaus: 

- I'm available if you ever need something to ride again.

You quickly put down your phone, forgetting you had given him your number. You decided you were going to ignore it. There was no way you were going there again.

Elijah looked curious but didn't press.

"I better go home," you said, finishing your coffee and putting it in the sink.

"See you tomorrow," he replied, stepping closer and giving you gentle kiss on the cheek.

You said bye to him and walked out of the kitchen to the courtyard where Rebekah and Klaus were arguing. They both looked over at you, their argument stopping when they noticed you.

"Hello darling," Klaus greeted, his eyes raking over you. Flashes of your evening together running through your mind, and you quickly looked away from him.

Rebekah looked between the two of you and you could see her trying to figure it out, her eyes widening as she stared at you. You quickly hurried out of the compound before either of them could say another word.

{Part Two}

♡♡ Tag-List ♡♡

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[negrowhat]

Eboni!! I was reading your tags under that daddy gifset post for phayurain and how you said that it is your favorite out of all thai bl love scenes and it got me thinking. What are your top 10 favorite love making scene from another bl series.

Tyler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gawd let me go do some research and compile my data!

TharnType's shower scene in TharnType 2: 7 Years of Love. Since their shower scene was cut from s1 we were rewarded in s2 and when Tharn LIFTED Type I damn near ascended (we won't ponder on how Tharn was able to keep a tight grip when they were both covered in suds).

Tharn lifted Type a lot, I noticed, and it's one of my absolute favorite things. I'd also like to go on record and say that TT2 had some of THE best love scenes in all Thai BL.

The Green Bathroom Scene in KinnPorsche The Series. It's no secret I was OBSESSED with that scene. OBSESSED! It was literally perfection. Who knew a hand job could be so...personal...so intense...so erotic? Also it was filmed beautifully! The use of the mirror was *chef's kiss*

The Kitty Play scene in Bed Friend. Oh mah gah! That scene was epic! Everything from the request to the consent to Uea being in total control? King being at Uea's feet practically the whole time? Also the tongue????????????? It was superb.

Can I just go back on record and say that NetJames have NO business serving me everything. All their love scenes HIT!

Cai and Gav's first time in Gameboys 2/Gameboys the Movie. I was not expecting for that scene to be so GOOD! I wasn't expecting a love scene at all tbh. It was sweet and passionate and they practiced safe sex AND confirmed they were vers! 10/10. CaiReel actually own my whole heart.

I really hope EliKoy get their flowers for Gameboys one day.

Yu Zhen and Shi Lei's first time in Be Loved in House: I Do. You ever read in a romance novel about how the couple reaches their boiling point? Like the tension is too much to ignore? That's what their first time was like. It was an explosion of passion and relief. Like if they hadn't done it then they would've combusted. Also...more lifting...

The love scene in Check Out Ep 0...not to be confused with Check Out the Series. Anyways before Nine and Daonuea were ruined they had an amazing and blissful encounter after a fun resort party. They were freshly single strangers who happened to connect on their own solo trips to the same resort.

When I say Chahub and Best DELIVERED on the lust and passion???? THE CHEMISTRY?? They really had me excited for the series...which is why I was so bummed when it flopped. I do encourage EVERYONE to go watch Check Out Ep 0 tho...if it's still on YouTube.

The locker room scene in Between Us. Where do I even begin????? Moving from the pool to the locker rooms to escape the cameras? Win reminding Team he could back out at any time. The damn near visible SPARKS between them??? The way Win looked like he wanted to eat Team up with a spoon?? I was gagged.

The Couch scene in Manner of Death. Between Teacher Tan's hair pulling and Dr. Bun's slutty faces, I couldn't stop screaming. They really smashed in front of the evidence computer and their cactus. That adrenaline rush kicked in and had them going at it like it was their last night on Earth.

Fighter and Tutor's first time in Why R U the Series. I was obsessed with that scene. Loved that Tutor was complaining about Fighter turning him on and then trying to back out. I love that Fighter started at Tutor's feet. I love that Fighter's neck was bared for Tutor. I loved watching them fight for dominance. I loved seeing how absolutely breathless Tutor left Fighter.

Jim and Wen's "one night stand" in Moonlight Chicken. That was the most passionate and intimate one night stand I've ever seen. Uncle Jim covering Wen's face in kisses and lacing their fingers together? Wen kissing Jim all over????? For that to be EarthMix's first love scene they really delivered.

[snek-eyes]

Do you think Crowley is mean to Muriel? My gf says he is a little mean but tbh I don't see it. He wants everyone gone so he can have alone time with Aziraphale, and Muriel is not a friend. They're sweet and all, but they were happy to spy on Crowley and Aziraphale and rat them out to Heaven, and they adore the Metatron quite obviously. Muriel isn't evil, just incredibly naive and as caught in the manipulative system just like Aziraphale is, in a way, but they work for that system and they seem to do it happily. They did help Crowley in Heaven, but that doesn't make them friends especially since as I said Muriel is clearly pro Metatron or too naive to be against him. If I were Crowley, I'd want them gone as fast as possible, too 😅 And they don't get the hint the first time with Crowley talking about "us time" so he just gets a little more direct, but that's about as direct as he can get with Aziraphale, too, and as he is with Maggie and Nina, and it's never mean or rude, yk? Just grumpy, in his lovable way. That's how I always read it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it 😁

* fogot to add: it's nothing personal, Muriel's just doing their job and Crowley knows it, they even helped him (more or less willingly) but they're still working for Heaven.

Hey there, really interesting question! or I'd say two questions: A) Is Crowley mean to Muriel, and B) is that justified?

imo, Crowley & Muriel can basically be summed up by this moment:

"Yay, bully for you." *turns away to go back to cursing heaven*

Crowley, well... he is mean to Muriel. But it's in the way you are when you recognize it's not the person's fault you personally find them annoying, and you don't want to actually make them feel bad. He knows! He knows it's not their fault they're such a neon sign of everything he hates about heaven, that they're so brainwashed and ignorant, and cheerful about it.

But the fact is, Crowley manipulates the heck out of Muriel! And he's downright disrespectful about it, doesn't ever bother to give them a good story, he just says confident nonsense, knowing Muriel has no choice but to take his word for it. He takes advantage of their naivete and uses them for his own ends. That's not exactly nice!

^ tell me that's not condescending as hell lmao

But on the other hand... Yeah, Muriel is a spy for heaven! Not only that, but they've been sent here knowing absolutely nothing about earth. Their very presence is an insult! Crowley and Aziraphale have been here for 6000 years, and heaven still thinks that just the baseline of 'being an angel' makes someone good enough to outmaneuver them? Rude af. So, it's not all that out of line for Crowley to give heaven the same level of respect they showed his side.

But that still leaves Muriel stuck in the middle, getting used by both sides.

I think Crowley is intentionally only seeing Muriel as a tool—one of Heaven, but one that he can use to their advantage. He doesn't want to be sympathetic to them—they are a danger, and Crowley's also got his personal issues around how he seems to have only let himself get attached to one other being.

Yet, there's this moment where he seems to sympathize with them, despite himself:

and another one, when Saraqael shows up and it seems like he's gotten Muriel in trouble, he starts to jump in to defend them. That seems kind.

"shh, don't say anything without a lawyer present."

That final bookshop scene is what you seem to be focusing on though, so let's get there.

Crowley has been hyped up on manic energy all night, all week really, and finally all of this is almost but not quite over, he just wants so badly to finally be alone with Aziraphale and re-establish their status quo. He barely has the patience to even be fake-polite to Muriel (especially now they're being bubbly about the Metatron, who's already on Crowley's shit list and just you wait buddy), he wants them to go away. Maybe it also isn't any fun to manipulate them anymore now he's sympathized with them that little bit.

The pretense is paper thin, but Muriel doesn't get it until he drops it entirely:

This is the first time Muriel's fully cottoned on to the fact that Crowley isn't being Nice anymore. And it's possible Crowley feels bad about it, because when Muriel still tries to stay in the bookshop, he gets dramatic about it, but still reigns himself back in for his next attempt.

The really interesting moment comes when Muriel actually asks for something. Asks to take an earth thing with them, asks to learn. That finally gets Crowley's attention, it's the first time he looks away from the window (Aziraphale) for a reason that isn't telling Muriel to shoo. Long enough to not only look at them properly, but give them enough personal thought that he recommends them a book.

Listen, I love Crowley, but he's kind of an asshole! He's impatient and condescending and manipulative... and yet, when it comes down to it, he cares. All of that can be true.

[hee0soo]

Backstage Scare

Summary:You visit your boyfriend while he´s touring with the boys but not everyone knows who you are to them!

Request: by @andjeoidjavo

Soo, I thought about a SKZ scene, where the reader is the gf, but gets in a situation where she needs to be kinda saved? Like someone was getting to close to her and wouldn’t leave her alone; being a bit more touchy and aggressive/disrespectful? And another member was there to protect her? Like, it got sooo bad that the member had to physically intervene?

Idc who the bf is tbh, but I think I kinda want to see the interation between the member and the gf, like she is a part of the family and they all love her and respect her☺️

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©hee0soo on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

You and your boyfriend hadn´t seen each other in a while now. Him being on the second World Tour with the members and you staying at home because of your work!

But now you had a few days off and were determined to join them at least for 1 or 2 tour stops! The members all knew about your arrival and were very excited to see you again after not having seen you in a while.

Of course you had kept in contact with them through texts but nothing could beat the joy you felt when you were hanging out with them.

Chan had been the most excited to see you, having insisted that he would pick you up from the airport with the manager! He wanted to be the first one to hold you before his members could whisk you away from him again.

The manager had made him wait in the car as to no cause a scandal, which he petulantly accepted. He could have been told to wait at the hotel or venue after all! That was not something he wanted to risk even in the slightest…

Now that he was sitting in the car, waiting for you to walk through the door of Terminal, he couldn´t sit still anymore. The poor boy did his best not to rip the car door open and run to you when he finally managed to see your figure!

Patience is a virtue is what the manager told him when he had gotten out!

He couldn´t care less about it at the moment but also had the group to keep in mind. To the fans, you were just a member of the staff and you both wanted to keep it that way. At least for now!

After your luggage was finally stowed into the trunk, you finally opened the door and climbed onto the back seat. The door had barely closed when you got pulled into the strong embrace of your boyfriend.

“I missed you too Channie!” you laughed as he hid his face in your hair. Your arms engulfing his torso while doing so.

The manager only shook his head fondly as he watched the reunion through the rear mirror!

“Oh you have no idea how much I’ve missed you! How was I  ever able to handle the members without you by my side!”

His face came into few when he pulled back to look you in the eyes.

Not having the power to resist his brown chocolate orbs anymore you put your hands on his cheeks and kissed him softly. Chan could almost taste the longing in your lips and he was sure you could too!

You were going straight to the venue as the other members were already waiting for their leader to go over the sound check together and the drive took about an hour until the car arrived at its destination. Giving to you more than enough time to catch up on what was going on in your lives without anyone interrupting.

Well besides the boys, who had started spamming the groups chat like crazy halfway through the drive!

Getting greeted by the members could be compared to getting swarmed by a bunch of over excited puppies nipping at your ankles for attention and you were happy to give them said attention any time!

Soon after, sound check started and you made yourself comfortable on a couch next to one of the managers.

You could feel several security guards eyeing you carefully as you talked to the him but ultimately left you alone.

It only became a problem when you had to search for the rest room to freshen up for a moment. The manager had pointed you to where you had to go and you quickly went there.

Sound check was almost over at that point so you guessed that the boys were already going to be back stage by the time you came back.

You did your business, washed your hands and left again, wandering the hallway to find your way back to where you were going to wait for Chan.

It took you a while to find your sense of orientation again, walking into the wrong direction 2 times before you found the right way.

Apparently one of the security guards who hadn´t seen you yet found the way you were wandering a bit to suspicions for his liking!

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

His stance was defensive and you took a step back as he got in your way.

“I´m a- friend of the boys. The manager knows who I am. You can verify my identity with him if you´d like.” You answered politely befor attempting to push past him.

The man didn´t budge.

“Did you think I’d believe that little story of yours?” he asked gruffly and took another step towards you.

“It´s not a story! The manager can verify that, so can we please go talk to him?”

The guard shook his head in disbelief.

“This is a restricted area and I don´t see a badge anywhere on you so no, you will not get anywhere near the artists or their manager any time soon! And now LEAVE!”

Anger started bubbling inside of you. Not at the guard, he was only doing his job! But at you for not bringing the staff badge you had been given by the manager earlier.

“Sir I understand that you are just doing your job so please could you just get the manager to verify that I DO belong here and that he has the staff badge! It’s with the manager! Who, again, can tell you exactly who I am!”

Without waiting to receive an answer you tried to get past him again but the guard roughly grabbed your arm. It hurt but not too bad that you had to scream. Instead you tried to squirm your way out of his hold to get away from him!

“Let me go!”

“If you won´t leave on your own accord then I will make you leave!”

His hold tightened significantly and pushed you wards the exit while you whimpered at the sudden pressure on your arm.

“She said let go!” came a dangerously calm voice from behind you and the guard.

The man either didn´t hear it or completely ignored it but you recognized your boyfriend in a heartbeat!

“Channie!”

You looked over your shoulder to see him, Changbin and Felix walking over to where you were led away.

Changbin was the first to react. The small rapper skipped over to grab the guards arm that was holding yours tightly!

Surprised by the sudden touch, the man’s head whipped around.

Chan who had walked up to where Changbin was holding the poor man! He let go and you used the chance to slip past him and behind Chan! Felix wrapped his arms around your shaking form, shushing you as silent tears had started to run down your cheeks.

“She belongs to us and if you want to keep your job I’d suggest you scram now!” the leader told the man. You had only ever heard that tone from him when it was about the member’s health, safety or treatment before!

The man took the advice to heart and left quickly to lick his wounds.

Chan turned back to you.

“Can you show me your arm baby?” he asked gently as he looked at your anxious face.

Felix took the arm you were holding and held it so Chan could see well.

The skin was red and it would definitely bruise a bit.

But with the hugs of your friends and kisses of your boyfriend, you were sure that it would heal quickly before you would go home again.

An added plus was that Chan would not let you out of his sight for the remaining time you had together!

[willowhistle]

how season 4 of tvd should have gone (klaroline edition):

- caroline breaks up with tyler near the start of the season like the writers should’ve done

- she partly blames klaus for their breakup (rome wasn’t built in a day okay)

- but then after having the best date w him at the miss mystic thing in exchange for a hybrid she starts to warm up to him (+ the date didn’t end when it did, instead of going to talk to stefan straight away after, she comes home late because she spent most of the evening sat talking with klaus - and she’ll totally deny it - but she was so caught up in talking to him that she barely realised everyone from the event was long gone and they were still sat on that bench together) he totally offers to drop her off home like the gentleman he is btw but she says no and decides she’s spent enough time w klaus for the day

- cue confused and conflicted caroline

- tyler and hayley still try and kill klaus w the hybrid plot but caroline isn’t involved bc she’s not w tyler anymore. oh and klaus kills hayley instead of making the stupidest decision of his life

- klaroline still have their spat though before going to find bonnie and the 12 witches and that whole “you’re in need of comfort” scene plays out the same too bc they wouldn’t be klaroline without the back and forth arguing and conflicting feelings and denial

- but when the gilberts kill kol and trap klaus inside of the house, caroline’s a lot more gentle about it

- but klaus still ends up biting her bc despite the fact they’re not together tyler would still probably care about her to some degree and he’d ofc be running his mouth so klaus would feel like he’d have to get back at him

- and i could never want to get rid of the scene where he chooses her over revenge against tyler (and realises how important caroline is to him)

- that all plays out as normal but instead of her leaving the next day as if nothing happened i’d like to think she stays w klaus until the barrier is lifted. he’s definitely shocked by that decision (and so is she tbh but her bleeding heart is making the choice on that one and despite her head telling her to go leave and help her friends who hate the guy she’s currently sat with, she can’t help listening to her heart that’s demanding she stay sat with him)

- and they both totally start out rlly snarky with each other bc they have issues let’s be honest. but she eases up and becomes a lot softer when he first mentions kol to her since his death.

- and he becomes a lot softer every time he looks at her bloodied shirt from where he staked her bc while he’s not one to feel guilt or regret, caroline manages to bring out these new feelings within him

- and by the time the barrier is lifted they both feel a lot more calm. they practically melted into the other’s presence. and they know a lot more about each other. like caroline could now list 10 historical figures that klaus has met and how his encounters w them ended (some a bit bloody). and klaus could tell you all the things caroline enjoys about being a vampire (bc she finally admitted that she prefers herself this way after a gentle nudge from klaus) - although he could probably tell you that before their conversation

- but life gets in the way again and caroline goes to deal w her friends (who question her endlessly about where she’s been but don’t actually care about the answer beyond annoyance at her bc they’re busy discussing what they’re gonna do next about the cure)

- but if caroline finds herself not running away the next time she’s alone at the grill and klaus goes up to her, she can’t blame anything except for this weird longing she has to talk to him or just spend time with him.

- so she does

- klaus 100% goes home all giddy and blushing after spending time w caroline for something that’s not a distraction, or a plot, or life or death, but just them two and nothing else in between.

- caroline on the other hand goes home expecting to freak out and feel angry with herself or disappointed but struggles to bc how could she when she feels so light and relaxed for the first time in ages (if she’s really being honest with herself, for the first time since she spent the day with klaus at the miss mystic event)

- cue caroline not putting up w as much of non humanity elena’s BS because she has klaus whispering in her ear half the time to not just sit there and take it. and that it’s not her issue to worry about elena to the point of coddling or treat her as something fragile.

- when silas gets in klaus’ head most of that goes the same. i mean they’d probably be a lot more friendly w each other (?) but they’d still have that big argument w the whole “don’t turn your back on me” bc again it’s a big point for klaroline in my mind

- but it definitely ends a lot different in my head (with a kiss, or a make out session bc all that tension and then relief at none of the pain being real has to go somewhere)

- the clean up would be a tad more awkward after bc caroline would NOT want to address the kissing, but she doesn’t immediately run out on him after which says tons

- him thanking her having more longing eye contact than it did in the show (somehow), and caroline’s reaction to the “friends, then?” line from klaus having a MUCH more different meaning. bc they’d just done something far beyond friendly. but she’s not going to be the first to address it… yet

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Monday fandom :) I love these episodes for them. I know they’re not always a fan favorite but I adore them. Just for the Chenford content alone. The married moments, the touching, the sassy banter. What’s not to love? Just like I did for 3x07 I’ll just be analyzing their moments in this ep. Since they’re disconnected from rest of group for most part. Let's get going shall we?

4x16 Real Crime

Sunshine x Grumpy at it's absolute finest kicking this episode off. Lucy is so jazzed to be back. Her little foot kick after she asks how they are? I cannot. She’s so cute. Tim is already over it from the moment his sexy ass hits that chair. It’s so friggin funny. Our king of expressions is on one in this ep. Tim judges Lucy the entire time with serious sass throw in. Their banter mode is on right away and never turns off. We start off with them asking Tim if he saw the last one? Of course he didn't...

Why would he? The only way he would watch it is if Lucy forced him to. haha Lucy rolling her eyes at his answer but with a hint of fondness. She loves her grumpy old man so much. The married train has officially left the station. All aboard. The ride is gonna be hilarious. Tim gets them back on track saying they were first responders to the scene. Tim notes how frustrating it was with all the cameras and coverage nobody saw anything. Nothing useful for the investigation. I mean that is ridiculous tbh. I'm with him on that one.

Lucy tries to add colorful sound bites and Tim is judging her so damn hard. The amount of sass in that second gif. He was not about that line at all. Like who are you right now? Their mini fight in front of the interviewer I’m dying. ‘Why are you SO happy?’ 'I'm being colorful!' LMFAO Lucy defends why she’s doing this and Tim can’t believe it. The bickering in hushed tones is too funny. Like a true couple. Lucy imitating a wife scolding her husband while defending herself.

God I love these idiots sfm. Naturally this is the last thing Tim wants to be doing. The shake of his head above is one of many to come. We all know he would much rather be out on the streets than dealing with this circus. Lucy going the opposite direction. Wanting to get them as many segments as possible We all know the less he's in this the better for him. He barely wants to be in the amount he's in now. heh

This next section is one of my faves. First off I love and commend Lucy’s confidence to just rap in public. I adore her so very much. She couldn’t be cuter in this episode if she tried. Of course she has a karaoke jam I adore her. She is more than happy to share this info. We’ve talked about Eric’s comedic timing. He is absolute gold in this.

His reactions from start to finish are what make this portion so amusing. Goes from 'Huh?' to 'WTF is happening?' It's so funny every time I watch it. Tim doesn't need to say anything. His facial expressions say it all. The sheer amount of judgement he is throwing her way is immense. This is the woman you’ve chosen to love Timothy LOL

Lucy is in her own world as she jams this out. Tim is next her with all the judgment he can muster. These moments are one of the many reasons why he loves her though. Just being 100 percent herself no shame in the game. We know it’s these types of goobery scenes that he actually enjoys from her. She looks so joyful and happy when she turns to sing at him. Then she see's his reaction.... Prompting the iconic line below that always makes me laugh.

Tim’s confusion of her rapping is everything I have to say. I think she’s partly trying to impress him with her rapping skills. He doesn’t give her anything though. LOL They’re so cute I might burst. The marriage moment to end this scene is the best. ‘Can I be interviewed alone? ‘ LMFAO. She is already over his grumpy ass and I’m laughing so hard. Eric and Melissa play off each other so well. It’s a delight to watch them. They have so much chemistry just sitting next to one another. It''s unreal.

We flit back to them talking about Aaron’s father’s musical partner. Tim delivers a ‘colorful’ sound bit of his own. Lucy is beaming with pride. So much so she has to say to make sure it's noted. Interrupting to heap on that praise. Then casually touches his arm. Not a short touch either. It's 4 seconds. Yes I counted heh She lingers. I love watching Tim get all fidgety and hot under the collar after she does this.

Wringing his hands to shake off the feelings washing over him. Trying not to have his feelings recorded for this documentary. Too late... It’s so cute because one he clearly got a little contact high off that touch. Two she just complimented him publicly with the proudest look on her face. He is riding high ha Look at her. That is proud wifey mode right there. Especially after he thanks her for the compliment.

She tries to put herself back in check but is brimming with giddiness. It's adorable. I cannot with these two. *heart clutch* Be more in love please. It's one of those 'Everyone knows but them moments.' He’s also just so cute when he says ‘Thanks..’ haha Oh my Timothy you are so out of your depth with this documentary. But so adorable I wanna squeeze you. Part me of thinks he was trying to get into this for Lucy. Impress her a little with his quote. Mission accomplished sir. Your girl was very proud. Love these idiots in love so much.

Their chemistry is so palpable in these scenes. They're asked a question about the knife in Aaron's kitchen. Saying his DNA was all over the murder weapon. Well duh....Lucy slams the interviewer hard with some solid logic and sass. They're trying to implicate Aaron for having DNA all over the knife in his kitchen... Lucy absolutely destroys this guy's stupid question. Then starts to feel bad afterwards. Checks in with hubby and asks if that was too mean?

Lucy couldn't be cuter turning to her person for feedback. Her immediate reaction to do so getting me all in the feels. I adore him backing her like he does. She looks to him for reassurance and he gives it to her in spades. Saying no that it actually felt good. To be able to stick it to them a bit. You know he is proud of her for doing so. Instead of doing an evocative soundbite she knocked them down a peg. He didn't need to help her in the dept. But the support one? Nailed it.

I love her proud and smug face when he says it was a dumb question. Careful Lucy your feelings are showing my love. Look at her in that first gif. She a ten but crap at hiding her feelings. The second gif is that same look she always gets when he compliments her. *sigh* I just love them. He backs her so fiercely here and Lucy is so ecstatic with his reply. It’s all over her face especially in the last one. That smug smile when he validates her is everything fo her. Basically saying my hubby says I'm right so that means I am haha

Tag team of smug righteousness and it’s amazing. He is oozing proudness in this moment for her. He followed it up with having her back and she’s a happy girl. Let’s not forget the gloriousness that is Tim’s biceps and forearms out on display. Mmm defending his girl and his arms are crossed? Pass the ice water imma need it. This man is deliciously fit and I too am a happy girl in this moment.

The case leads them to a woman named Colette who was brought home to their apt that same night. She had a controlling BF that was never questioned. Cue back to Lucy and Tim. Lucy explaining how a group of internet sleuths found him. How they spent countless hours investigating Aaron’s case. Tim notes this group also pointed the finger at a lot of innocent people ruining their lives… Lucy comments some of the members went little too far.... That's putting it lightly. lol

It’s here the interviewer reveals a prominent poster named ‘truecrimejunkie.’ Implying it’s Lucy who posts under that name. The amount of sass Tim is throwing her way is hysterical. I'm laughing so very hard. Tim’s reaction is the best part of this whole scene. It’s the intense stare down he does. This episode has me laughing from beginning to end. The way he fully turns to her is hilarious. Making fun of his wife with just a look. Lucy stumbling around for words and coming up short.

That moment when your husband finds out about your secret internet life LOL Lucy could not be more embarrassed. Stuttering trying to defend herself to Tim. It’s so funny. It finishes off with Tim’s ‘Seriously?’ Eric and Melissa are a god damn treasure. We are so lucky to have them. It's truly mind blowing the chemistry these two have just with their banter alone. What makes these episodes so very good with their segments. They are the best part with their back and forth. I love this episode for them. I defy you not to laugh or smile with this one.

It comes out Aaron’s mom was in Paris the day Patrick was murdered. Lucy gets all hyped up when they ask what they thought of this? The true crime junkie in her coming out. Saying what a game changer it was. Tim brings her back down to earth with his reply. Lucy doing her cute ‘Well yeah…’

Tim shaking his head. Not at her but this whole documentary. He hates the feelings/people being exploited in this whole thing. Doesn’t sit well with him at all. Once again proving Tim is just a good man on the daily. Not trying to impress anyone with it. It's just who he is as person. His integrity deeply ingrained in him.

Unlike the clown. He's not even in this one but I had to point this out and take a shot. lol Also let's not ignore the GLORIOUS forearm/bicep porn here. My god it's a miracle his work shirt contains those guns of his. Bursting at the seams with muscled goodness. I’m here for it. He could bench press me any day. I'm available is all I'm saying...

We cut back to Tim and Lucy talking about the case being closed. They have their killer finally. Aaron has been exonerated in the process. She starts on another ‘colorful’ bit and stops herself. Rubbing her tattoo feeling how wrong this is. The way she stops herself mid sentence knowing this. Tim jumping in saying ‘Feels gross doesn’t it?’ She agrees and says 'Yeah.'

Look at Lucy growing in this documentary at the end. No longer wanting to do 'colorful' sound bites to get them more time. Being much more focused on respecting those involved. Her ending statement is much better than her potential ‘juicy sound bite’ Look at our babies still growing. I love this episode. So nice to have after a clown fueled previous ep.

~~~

Side notes non-Chenford

Everyone is funny on these types of episodes. Always enjoy their bits. Especially Harper haha

Patrick’s dad coming to apologize to Aaron was a really nice way to close that chapter of his life. Was very sweet.

Thank you as always to those who like, comment and reblog. I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know. See you all in 4x17 :)

[toomanyopinionss]

I want to talk about

Surviving Summer

(nonspoiler/spoiler)

hey y’all, it’s been a minute since i’ve done one of these. let’s get into it…😏

So i genuinely like this show. Just finished watching the second season, in fact.

I feel like it’s the good amount of cheesy and adorable and mind numbing without being too formulaic and basic like some of these Netflix originals tend to be. Now it can be annoying and cringy sometimes, don’t get me wrong. But it’s got some pretty good actors and actresses with enough heartfelt moments and playful scenes to make one feel content. She’s not a top ten, but she never tries to be, you know??

As for the show itself? Surviving Summer is the perfect name for it, because Summer the character? a HOT mess. I cannot stress this enough, the frontal lobes on that one are not fully formed. It’s especially apparent in season 1. Even so, i love her 🥰. I cant help it ok? She has the confidence that i dreamed of having in high school, and now tbh.

I won’t go to deep into every character, but let me just say this: they will ALL annoy you at some point. It’s so obvious that they’re teenagers, cuz they childish. But they all care about each other most of the time, and surfing. It’s a great summer watch! go for it, don’t be shy

7.5/10. Surface level fun with shenanigans galore and annoying teenagers.

SPOILERS

Y’all the second season was gooood. I liked it better than the first tbh. Summer, like i said before was much more serious and focused, but it didn’t change her personality at all, which i loved.

I liked how they got more into Bodhi’s conflicts with surfing and the racism in the industry on her end. If anything, i wish they had time to do even more with it. Because everything else they did with her character this season was just bleh. A half hearted conflict between poppy blown WAY out of proportion and a half assed queer relationship that was cute but barely touched on because hottake Netflix hates their wlws and their black main characters 🤭(oop who said that)

Poppy and marlon were cuteeeee. sidenote, who else forgot that bodhi and marlon had a thing, cuz i sho did 👀. they have such good chemistry and it just warmed my heart. SPEAKING of good chemistry…

✨“summer have you seen yourself?”

summer and baxter are the only mf choice, im SORRY.

immediately side eyeing anyone who says that summer and ari should be together, because i’m not sure you and i watch the same show. another steaming take, but I never bought into summer and ari. they are too sibling for me. i was taken ABACK when they kissed in season one. I genuinely did not see it coming. they play off each other nicely, but in a romantic way? NOPE, i don’t buy it.

but from the first scene with baxter and summer, i knew. it was intense. the casual touches, the instant bind they formed, the way bax looks at her 🤭…

you cannot compete where you don’t compare, Ari is not the one 🤷🏾‍♀️

anyone else? hmmm…

oh, y’all join me in a big FVCK you to Elo and Wren. they both suck actual ass and i hate them both.

it’s the way that they treat everyone like shit equally. even their own brother? like what the fvck is wrong with them?

like especially wren. being jealous and overly competitive is one thing. but they way she handled the bodhi situation, plus the way she outed her old teammate? literally bordering on racist and homophobic like wtffff. maybe a lil psychotic too, cuz why is she literally a threat to summer’s life? don’t take it out on her cuz your boyfriend is an indecisive disaster. at least they didn’t give wren a redemption, i would have been so pissed off like fvck her.

ok this is getting long. tldr, Season 2 was entertaining and fun. poppy and marlon were cute, summer was awesome, ari does not need a girlfriend, justice for baxter, and wren and elo will not be seeing the pearly gates.

[oh-shtars]

✨-Silence-✨

AKA

(A small snippet of the RFTS!Au as writing practice and for all of you to take a peak into my writing style and dynamic of this universe. Believe it or not, this is one of the first times I’ve ever been serious of writing something sooo, I apologise in advance.

Idk, tbh, this is really just an experiment. This exact scene won’t actually appear or play out in the actual story. In all honesty, I just made it up with what I could make sense with at the moment. Plus, there’s a little surprise update at the end. ;)

With all of that said, enjoy! 💖)

…….

“Star?”

The light gust of wind carried her voice and accompanied her every step as she kept running through the woods. Branches rustled overhead and hollow trunks echoed the sound, giving the illusion that the forest was…breathing.

The sun had even started to set a fiery orange colour in the horizon, casting eerie shadows over the tall grass. The path she’d been running through had started to fade into all different directions in the overgrown terrain. At this point, it’s a constant struggle just to stay near it. Night time was approaching, just as she had feared. And yet here she was… venturing deeper down the belly of the beast. Never in her life had she remembered the last time she ever ventured on her own.

A young 18-year-old girl. Lost in the woods? At night? The possibilities are endless. Anything could happen. Anything.

No. Not now. Get it together.

Asha quickly buried the thought away from her head, paused to take one more shaky breath, and kept running. She had to find him. She swore she saw him sped through this direction. She can’t just go back now.

In fact, she doesn’t even know if she could turn back at all.

Not after what had happened back in Rosas’ town centre…

Guilt clawed at the back of her throat and her heart thrummed against her chest. She swallowed the ugly feeling down hard and continued to search for any sign of the magical, mute boy. What had happened back there was so fast that it came to her in a blur of colour.

She vaguely remembered colours of varying dull shades that belonged to the citizens of Rosas as they crowded around them. Some curious. Some confused. But most were in awe at the things he could do. At the things he could grant them.

She only wanted him to grant a few small wishes. It didn’t seem like a heavy task. If only she knew how this small favour would snowball out of control terribly.

But all that she DID remember clearly was the fresh memory of a crowd gathering around them. Closing in. Getting curiouser and curiouser… She had lost sight of Star from the people excitedly shoving her aside to get a better look at this strange magic caster. Someone who wasn’t the king for once. Then all in one quick-

FLASH-

A strong, chaotic gust of bright magic had forcefully pushed the crowd back. Chickens grew a sudden growth spurt. A guy’s hair got so long that it touched the floor. Nearby boxes turned into the weirdest crooked shapes. And some people’s clothing transformed into ones resembling either a jester or what looked like pyjamas belonging to a retired wizard. From the mess and the noisy commotion that had occurred, Asha could just barely make out the surroundings. But among everything else, there’s one thing that worried her the most.

The area where Star had initially stood was empty.

And the only clue left from his disappearance was the trail of stardust sprinkled over the grass, leading towards the shadows of the woods.

……..

“Star?!” Asha’s voice called out once more.

Silence.

“Star, please! Hey, I-I’m sorry.” She started again, desperation and concern evident than ever.

I’m sorry! I-I don’t..I didn’t know that.. I never considered the..the possibility that they would..”

Her own tongue refused to even cooperate with her at the moment. Ashe resisted the urge to bite down in frustration.

The time when she actually needed words was the same time that she had none. She can feel the burning sensation high from within her gut and the fabric of her dress squeezed between the fingers of her balled fist. She could just never stop being this useless, can she?

The trail of stardust had faded away into nothing a while ago. Now, she can only rely on nothing but her hope.

“Come on…. You have to be around here. You have to be okay... Where are-“

Snap.

There it was. Behind that tree.

Again, Asha felt fear grab a hold of her throat. For all she knew, it could be a wild animal. Or….what if…?

Whatever was forcing her to hold back now, the need to look out for her friend was greater.

Giving herself a minute, Asha steeled herself and, ever so cautiously, began to approach the source of the sound. Leaves crackled from underneath her feet and spiked her worries. Regardless, she kept going. Finally, Asha peeked out from the other side of the tree.

ZIP-

“AAH!” She yelped as a ball of light sped just past her. It zigged and zagged in between nearby trunks with zero sense of direction. Finally, the light flew behind another tree before stumbling back out in the form of a familiar human shape of the boy she was looking for.

“Star?” Asha breathed. Step by step, she approached the figure. “Star! You’re alright! You-“

Star jolted away from her advance, heavily startled. His arms automatically rushed into a defensive stance in front of him, causing tall greenery to magically grow in between and seperate them. It had created some sort of a small, protective barrier for him.

“Wait! It’s me!…It’s me.” Asha raised both her hands up and stepped around the barrier, proving she’s no stranger or a threat. Star’s hazel eyes darted around before finally stopping to rest on her. In his panicked state, Star failed to recognise her straight away.

“Hey, It’s me…”

It was still for a few seconds. But thankfully, Star gradually showed signs of calming down. His flickering, glowing hair subtly became more steady and his face starts softening. At least… for the short time being. Tension was still clearly evident in his expression and stance. Asha noticed the boy had summoned flying dust to float right next to him. It rapidly changed in shape and form, presumably matching his racing thoughts.

He’s attempting to explain himself. Asha realised.

(Here’s a ref for what that might look like: ⬇️)

”I’m sorry, I..You’re going a bit too fast.” Asha started. But with every word that left her mouth, Star only seemed to make the stardust shift in between shapes even more faster.

Then, a cold wind blew against the overhead branches, producing a rustling sound. Star flinched at the noise and turned, breaking his focus on Asha.

His gaze transferred from one thing to another at the speed of light, anticipating something. Anything that might jump out at him. Is there..? Within the unknown and behind those trees, something could be watching them…

His mind having switched to autopilot, Star’s feet lifted from the ground and he started searching every space and corner. Questions flooded his head. A bad itch spread through his limbs and refused to go away. Shaken, Star tried to gulp all…’this’… down but to no avail.

He needed answers.

Did the other humans follow them? What more did they want? What other selfish want do they need granted now?

“star-“

Skies above-

What if someone comes up from behind?? His head instinctively whipped around to make sure. Nothing. Or….or did he just not see?

”Star-?”

What if someone imprisons him again just for his ability? Granting Wishes. That’s what they want… That’s all they ever wanted from him…Right? They only ever saw him as nothing more than a wish-granter. Surrounded. What if-

What if they were surrounded and they just didn’t notice? Surrounded. Trapped. And they would keep approaching. Closer.

And closer-

And closer-

Darkness envelops. Just like walls. Walls.

Walls.

Like walls pressing down from all sides of him. Promising no escape. STARS- WHAT IF-

“Star!! Please!” Star’s eyes snapped open. Two hands (that weren’t his) were raised a short distance in front of him, visibly shaking. Star realised at once that his eyes had been shut close the whole time. Oh. He thought. That explains the darkness…

Star blinked his eyes slowly, rising to meet familiar amber ones. Once his vision came to focus, he noticed the look on the girl’s face. Genuine concern. For…him?

Slowly but steadily, he regained awareness of his surroundings. He couldn’t remember exactly when he did, but he was now kneeling on the forest floor. Asha kneeled down with him to meet his eye level. She slowly reached out but paused, silently asking for consent.

Star hesitated before eventually nodding. Asha reached to gently hold on to both his wrists, which Star realised his hands had been roughly grabbing and pulling his hair mere seconds ago. She lowered them down, still maintaining a firm but gentle hold.

”Shhhh. It’s okay. It’s okay.” Her honey-sweet tone whispered reassurance as her grip softened even more. “It’s just me. And you.

No one else.

No more crowds.” With every point made, her thumb comfortingly brushed against his skin. Asha’s hands slowly went from his wrist to his own, and she gently squeezed them. “I promise you.”

Asha never once broke eye contact and even signed the word “Promise” as one last reassurance.

A beat.

Star stared long and hard into her eyes, slightly surprised only to find sincerity and concern in them. It was so quiet that the only sound he heard was her own breathing. For a split moment, the worries and darkness of this world were forgotten.

All he knew was that she was here. She’s safe. He’s safe. They’re safe.

Overwhelmed at this…gesture… and everything else, Star’s eyes watered. No, she can’t see a star like this..

He squeezed her hands back to ground himself one more time before finally releasing a breath. Asha watched silently as the boy sat down on the green grass and hugged himself, ducking his head away between his knees to avoid eye contact. His shoulders trembled ever so slightly. She felt a pang of guilt stab her chest, knowing in the back of her head that he spiralled because of her ‘small favour’ back there.

“I’m sorry…” she muttered. She adjusted herself to a more comfortable sitting position beside him, taking care to make slow movements so as not to scare him even more. “I shouldn’t have asked back there in Rosas. Not all at once. I…I didn’t know they would crowd around like that.”

There was little to no reaction to the apology. In fact, it appeared like Star had only closed in on himself even further. Asha didn’t blame him. Whether he wanted to answer or not, she’d be right here either way. For as long as he needed her to be.

“Do you have…something…on your mind?”

…….

“I won’t force you to say anything. But…you’re my friend. And…I want to help you in any way I can.”

…..

“But only...if you’d let me…Whatever you’re comfortable with, I’m right here.”

Asha waited a little more longer to see any sort of sign. Nothing. She sighed lightly and shuffled a little farther away to give him space.

But then in the corner of her eye, she saw his hands move to sign. Asha remembered speaking in sign language before, but not in a very long time. Despite that, she paid close attention to at least make out what he’s trying to say.

“All they want….All I am…A star…Just wishes.”

(Btw guys, orange is sign language and the ellipses “…” are words she didn’t understand because like I said, she’s rusty with sign.)

The words took a moment to process together and click.

”You’re…afraid that’s your only worth. Is that right?”

Star’s glow turned dimmer and he tightly gripped the sleeves of his shirt. No additional confirmation was needed. Around them, cacti and odd-looking plants sprouted from the dirt. Asha jumped a little when a weed popped right next to her. Magical occurrences like these tend to happen whenever Star gets highly emotional.

He had mentioned that Wish Magic can be unpredictable and difficult to control, especially for a star as young as he is. Especially for a star who hasn’t stepped a foot on this world before, nevertheless. A star taken away far too early from home.

At this point in their adventure, Asha was no longer surprised with all the magic mishaps that happen with every excited, frustrated, or embarrassed outburst. It was almost ironic that for someone who disliked surprises, Asha had come to find Star’s unpredictability weirdly comforting and familiar.

And so, instead of anticipating or fearing whatever chaos could spiral next, Asha found herself even more compelled to help the poor star.

“I can’t..speak for the others.” She didn’t want to lie. Not when Star is already struggling to open up to people. She didn’t want to make him feel like he can’t trust her either. But at the same time, Asha didn’t want to confirm his fears and make them worse. She didn’t really want to let him completely believe that everyone really is out to capture him, when she’s aware that there are good people in Rosas.

They just needed to find the right people. But for now, she had to carefully choose her words for this.

“But for all it’s worth…You.” Asha raised her hand to touch his shoulder but quickly retracted when he flinched. Pity welled heavily in her gut. “You matter a lot to me, okay? You’re…

You’re so much more than just a star to me.”

…..

The movement was subtle and hard to notice, but Star had lifted his head a little and she noticed that the grip he had on himself loosened. Asha slowly lifted a hand again to touch him, but this time, she moved slower. When Star noticed but showed no resistance to the advance, she rested it gently on his shoulder. Like magic, she felt him relax a little more and his trembling started becoming less and less.

Star sat still, contemplating what has been said. (Sitting still for this long was so unlike him, it scared her a little). It was only his dim flickering light that filled the hushed atmosphere for several long minutes. Yet, the quiet didn’t feel as lonely as it did anymore. Both didn’t greatly mind the wait at all.

After a while, when he’s more relaxed and comfortable, he finally signed back to her.

“Anyone…hurt?”

Asha shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Just some scares maybe.”

Star looked ahead, concern evidently still etched on his face. Asha found it endearing that he still cared about others’ well-being despite what had happened.

“You…sure?”

“Well, the worse you probably did was give some people a new wardrobe.” She absentmindedly started twirling a blade of grass around her finger, hiding an amused look from the memory of the townsfolk’s surprised faces back there. She hoped that this would at least help in lightening the mood.

Star turned his head to face her more clearly and didn’t miss the small upturn of the corners of her mouth. He made a faint scoff light-heartedly. Playfully grinning now, he nudged her with his shoulder to have her look back at him.

”Did a favour…At least they’re now…more awake with colour. The old clothes…bland and boring.” Star exaggerated the last bit by sticking his tongue out.

Caught off-guard by the side-comment, a snort escapes from Asha before it turned into bright chuckles. Embarrassed, she raised a hand over her mouth. “He-hey! Don’t say that about them!”

Star only smiled wider as the usual cheeky glint finally returned to his eyes. He released his own quiet chuckle that sounded a lot like small ringing bells. Asha caught control of her own laughter to glance at her friend. Heh. She thought to herself. There’s the mischievous and fun-loving guy I know…

She’s relieved and happy to see how Star is slowly easing up and returning back to his usual self. They waited in the silence again for a little while longer. Yet, it seemed as if the tense atmosphere they initially shared in had turned a lot more easier. The heavy feeling of guilt pressing down on her chest also became lighter.

At least, some of the guilt was gone.

Asha didn’t and couldn’t forget Star’s expressed insecurities from earlier. She wants to do something about it. At least something to make up for the whole trouble. Something to make that very burden lighter.

A light bulb went on in her head.

“You know, when I was younger.” She started. “My papa would come home from work each day. He always looked so delighted to see me.” Asha raised her head upwards to the now starry night sky, a wave of nostalgia washing up within her. Star rested his arms on his knees, curious at the change in topic. “He used to pick me up and…and swing me around….calling me the sweetest things. Like we had been apart for the longest….time.”

Star noticeably frowned and tilted his head to the side, as if implying a question. The girl realised he was mirroring the same expression she had. Nervously, her hand started playing with the fabric of her dress. Admittedly, Asha wasn’t used to openly talking about Tomás again after…..that.

Not after all this time.

Asha took a deep breath, feeling the cold dirt underneath her. “That’s..that’s not the point right now.” She quickly added. Asha nodded in Star’s direction to reassure him she was fine before continuing.

“The point is…he’d call me all kinds of names. Estrella, Chiquitita, Cariño.” She smiled at the memory, blinking away the moisture that had formed in the corners of her eyes. This didn’t go unnoticed by the boy beside her, who kept listening intently.

“But out of all of them, his favourite was ‘Mi pequeño sueño.’ Since…well….he used to love sharing everything with me back then. And I mean..hehe, I mean EVERYthing.”

Asha released an uneasy laugh as she finished the sentence. “It’s funny, isn’t it? He would share every work detail to a little toddler.” She smiled and turned to face her friend. “Hehehe. I..I barely even understood most of what he said back-“

Asha paused. Star was looking right back at her with sympathy. It left her speechless for a moment. “-most of…most of what he said back…then.” She faked a cough and shook her head, as if it would help to get rid of the stinging sensation at the back of her throat.

Then, she felt something within her palm. Asha looked down to see a pretty golden flower had been created from stardust just for her. She held it up higher to gaze at its beauty and she felt tears well up again.

“Thank you.” Asha whispered and looked at Star while using her fingers to wipe away her eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

The two gazed at each other fondly and with great appreciation for their presence. That was until Asha snapped out of it and returned her gaze to the flower once more.

“Anyways, what I’m really trying to say is…” She asked. “Remember when I said “Star” is a placeholder name for now until we think of something better?”

Star nodded, holding on to every word with great interest.

Asha beamed brightly:

Star raised an eyebrow. Shyly, he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed of the fact he isn’t too familiar with other human languages besides english. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Asha only shyly grinned and slightly ducked her head away to hide the colour on her cheeks. “Trust me. I just think it’s fitting for someone like you.”

Star-….well, now Sueño, could feel himself glow brighter. He might not know what this new name meant, but it already felt perfect. Is that weird? Like the name was meant to be his own from the very beginning.

“Okay. I trust you’d tell me eventually, right?”

Asha teasingly smirked back. “I don’t know.” She raised both her hands to sign out one word. “Maybe.”

The boy felt an even weirder feeling of fluttering butterflies inside him. At this rate, he’s only seconds away from smiling uncontrollably.

The duo turned to look up at the night sky together, letting the silence that had initially been confronting and frightening, to settle into a warm comfortable blanket between them both.

Sueño. He released a highly-content sigh while repeating the name in his thoughts. Not just any name. His name.

Sueño.

He likes it. …….

Notes:

HEY, HEY, HEY!! Didn’t expect the new change didn’t you? :DD

Yeah, I know. I did say that ‘Star’ was going to simply be my Starboy’s name. But then I got tempted by this idea and thought, “That would be too bad for me to just pass this up.”

I’m still keeping the below information here that I’ve established before in a previous post. The fact about the natural names of Wishing Stars and Asha initially calling him just “Star” when they first meet.

In case you haven’t searched up the translation yet, Sueño means ‘dream.’ And to answer @signed-sapphire’s post on what the RFTS!Starsha duo is called, let me present you:

✨ “Hopes and Dreams” ✨

Because Asha translates to ‘hope’ too. :DD

Ages ago, I’ve found this pretty cool interpretation that helped inspire me of this idea:

‘Wishes’ are merely just a fantasised want or desire. But it’s usually temporary and fades away if nothing is done about it. ‘Dreams’ however, used to be just wishes. But placing actions behind it is what turns it into a dream. It’s the bigger picture you can see yourself in, to help motivate you through the day. ‘Hope’ is the driving fuel to reach that destination. The faith you have that you’ll get there eventually.

Without ‘hope,’ you can’t reach a dream. And without a ’dream,’ what motivates and gives hope? What exactly would you be hoping for?

Regardless whether it’s a simple and small dream or an ambitious one, you’d need both to get there.

And I just went: “AWWWW, Imagine if I used that idea.”

Well then, I stopped imagining and basically caved in to just make it a reality. :)

And this is the surprise ‘different’ post I’ve been mentioning to Saph about and I really hope you guys liked this snippet of a non-canon event in the RFTS!Au.

If I portrayed the panic sequence or anything else in a hurtful or incorrect way, can you pls let me know so I could change it?

I’m open to hearing what you all think of it and what I should be improving or doing more of next time!! <333333

(@annymation @gracebethartacc @uva124 @emillyverse @chillwildwave @tumblingdownthefoxden @signed-sapphire @kstarsarts)

[guardian-angle22]

Tagged by @beautifulhigh & @welcometololaland to list my top 5 Tarlos scenes.

This is really going to show my Season 3 bias ngl.

#5. 2.12 "Don't make me twist your arm."/"Please do."

Their chemistry is insane when they're teasing each other downstairs and then they kiss each other so softly once they get upstairs. I'm a sucker for a good soundtrack moment and there's something iconic about having their house literally light up on fire under them while obliviously making out as Fever by Elvis Presley plays in the background. Peak cinema tbh.

#4. 3.04 "Hey, baby. Breathe."/"Welcome home, TK."

We can all agree to have these two can count as one scene, right? they go back to back. The way TK reached for Carlos as soon as he woke up and immediately noticed that Carlos wasn't breathing right even though he just woke up from a coma, is still groggy, and barely has his eyes open? soulmate shit right there. If you haven't watched this without the music. my god. do it now. & then add in how happy they both look as Carlos leads TK into the loft with his hands over his eyes, and then when TK looks around and you can see on his face when he realizes he still gets to have this despite everything? Beautiful.

#3. 3.18 "For the first time in my life, the love that I feel is infinitely more powerful than the fear of losing it."/"A thousand times yes."

I mean can I even say more about the proposal that hasn't already been said? the urgency TK felt that prompted him to wake Carlos up in the middle of the night. His speech to Carlos. All the little touches throughout. The way they both were crying by the end. It was beautiful and it was perfect for them. (the only way it could have been better is if they maybe stopped to turn on a fucking lamp)

#2. 3.08 "Hey, look at me."/"I love you."

This was their first mutual "I love you" shown on screen and while the context was heartbreaking, it was still so so sweet. Carlos being the loving caregiver, kissing TK's forehead, rubbing his knee, wanting to make sure he eats. The way Carlos tells TK to look at him and he does immediately, even though TK has been basically avoiding eye contact with everyone the entire scene will live rent free in mind for all of time, I'm sure.

#1. 3.13 "Do you have any idea how proud of you I am?"/"You're just so sweet."

Can I put the entirety of 3.13 on the list at number one? Because it's my favorite episode for them. It has so many things. It has them being domestic and flirtatious. TK being distracted by Carlos in yoga clothes. It has them fighting a bit, overcoming those obstacles, and communicating. It showed Carlos as a multidimensional character with flaws like jealousy and pettiness, but then growing through it to come to the realization that he can't be everything that TK needs at the end of the day.

But if I absolutely had to pick just one scene from it, I would chose the opening scene. TK sharing with Carlos about his meeting, finding a sponsor, & the realization of not having Gwyn around affecting his mindset. Carlos waiting up with his adorable glasses, reading articles to educate himself, telling TK how proud of him he is. TK calling him sweet and flirting with him. I just-- 🥰🥰

----

Because I'm doing this pretty late in the day, this has made it's rounds through a lot of my mutuals already. so I'm just going to tag a few people that I haven't seen do it yet (no pressure though if you're not feelin' it. but also if you have done it and I missed it let me know so I can read yours!): @morganaspendragonss @ourlegendwillbefitforverse @detective-giggles @noxsoulmate @ladytessa74 @autistic-lesbian-story-lover @tkstrandreyes @pragmatic-optimist @reyescarlos @spencessmile @poledancingghostson @sunshinestrand @mandiiigurllll

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I can kind of see why Hyrule reads as imperialistic to you in totk, but why do they read white? Sonia is brown and rauru is a black goat. What makes the difference between them and Ganondorf so bad?

Hey, thanks for the ask!

So... I have an answer, and it's kind of in layers. So I hope it's fine if I kind of go on Journey TM where I figure out my own feelings on the topic alongside you, the person reading! It's long! Kind of meandery! Sorry!!

Also, I had written a great version of this reply to this ask that Tumblr fucking ate and I'm furious about it, so this version is slightly more annoyed as a baseline because of Tumblr and not the ask itself. But I got stubborn and decided I would rewrite the whole thing tonight. So.

Here we go.

Layer One: My Basic and Unfiltered Gut Reaction

My first, potentially unwarranted gut-level reaction would be: I kind of think it's a stretch to consider them POC-coded. Sonia gives me more tanned Ariana Grande vibes than anything else, but that's... I mean, I'm aware that there are brown people with lushious blonde hair and blue eyes out there, that race as USA-infused Internet understands it is Complicated (I'm half-brazilian, and even though I'm very very white and don't consider myself biracial but bicultural, I had people discussing my ethnicity to my face a non-zero amounts of time, including quite recently, including in my own family! so I super get that it's more complicated than what I make it out to be here). But given vibes don't count as an argument, I completely get + accept if that reading on her ethicity is therefore dismissed. She could very well be brown. Fine by me.

(so, I feel like I have to add this borderline-conspiratory reason why I'm suspicious of her skin color being considered a factor here, which can 100% be dismissed but I still want to bring it to the table: I've been to several meetings and heard about many instances where "diverse traits" are being handed over to characters with the explicit purpose of using that diversity as shields against deeper criticisms of core aspects of the storytelling instead of fixing the storytelling itself, and honestly it could very well be the case here. I really hope it's just the team thinking Sonia would be prettier with a darker skin tone, because her design is genuinely lovely and I really like it, wish she didn't die like immediately and had a character arc of her own, but. Imagine the kneeling scene with two very white ladies and everything else, etc. It might be overly paranoid of me, but I can't help but squint a little bit in this specific instance, especially since the biracial trait here is so toned-down that it's barely there and barely committed to anything. Which would also make a good argument against this suspicion too tbh! Anyway. Just wanted to bring that up so you get the whole picture of where my brain is at.)

Rauru... Okay. Here's the thing: I can't unsee The Rauru. The original one I mean (and his Skyward Sword Gaebora counterpart), aka: the White Patriarch of all times.

(this has nothing to do with anything but Link's little recoil animation here is so funny to me, like he looks so shocked and his nose is so pointy)

I do think that removing the origins of this character from his DNA for TotK is kind of overly convenient when discussing this iteration, especially when his role in this game is basically a mixture of OoT Rauru and the Unnamed King of Hyrule (and every king of Hyrule that came after). I mean, okay sure maybe the Unnamed, Unseen King of Hyrule wasn't white but... it's obviously not true, right? And while I understand this is a different iteration of that character, many characters in the series maintain their base ethnicity across different reimaginings (even Blue Pig Ganon remains a gerudo at heart post OoT, at least in the way we keep on understanding him). And beyond this, given the fact that Rauru retains this energy of a Founding Father (in the largest possible sense), I feel that, at the very least, that patriarchal energy is extremely important to his character to a core degree.

But even so, yes. Rauru is now indeed a Goat Man. Not only is he a Goat Man, but he dresses in ways that are very inspired by mesoamerican cultures; undeniably so. So that would make him at least mesoamerican-coded, right?

I mean... I guess? I guess. Sure. But. I have now to introduce the Layer 2 of my argumentation, which is that...

Layer Two: Zonai Culture is Hylian Coded

So. Pretty bold claim I know. Let me explain.

Now I certainly do not want to say that mesoamerican civilizations are not *everywhere* in the aesthetic inspiration for the zonai culture in Tears of the Kingdom; I'm sure these real life references are overflooding the moodboards, from the color palet to the symbols to the artstyle, the costumes and the buildings. It's the main way the game communicates zonai-ness to us the player. And it's great! I wish they had went even harder in that direction (I think there's even pretty dramatic differences between the zonai ruins on the surface, much more interesting imo, than what was done with the actual zonai architecture at its peak).

But now, I will ask a question that I asked myself often while playing. What is zonai culture, beyond the feathers and the indented patterns and the swirls and the dangly bits? What characterizes it? I would say that zonai civilization is primarily interested in automation, technology, mining to develop said technology, and things that float in the sky. Beyond this, and from the limited perspective the game gives us through Rauru and Mineru, we see a society ruled by a patriarch (neutral term, it is just patriarchal in nature), married to a woman who is a priestess and doesn't seem to hold an equal amount of power (she doesn't speak as much, seems content to handle the religious side of things), who values collaboration and engineering prowesses, has an army, servants, robot servants, administrates other races through, to be docile and go the game's way, collaborativeness... It's Hyrule. It's just Hyrule, except older and with a different paintjob; but at heart, the style of society upheld by Rauru is very (eerily?) similar to what we get to know in the TotK/BotW era. Actually, this version of Hyrule seems extraordinarily similar to the Hyrule we get to see in BotW pre-Calamity: replace the zonai technology with the sheikah's, and what's the difference --except that this later version of Hyrule isn't trying to pass itself off as perfect? Zelda doesn't experience any kind of culture shock. Even the language seems to be basically the same. It is Hyrule, because it is. It's the origins of the kingdom. This is the whole point of the zonais: being that familiar thing that we know and love, except more pristine and more glorious and more mysterious so we can be sad when it gets destroyed.

So is it aesthetically inspired by mesoamerican cultures? Yes. Does it evoke specific details about said culture? The way politics and religion interconnect perhaps (unless we consider Rauru coming from the gods as such, but it's nooot super specific and not really elaborated upon)? What that culture valued, or what we assume it once valued? Cultural shortcuts we tend to make with these cultures, for better or for worse? I may be extremely uncultured here, and if that's the case I apologize, but I never really saw any of the aspects highlighted as the core pillars of the zonais commonly associated with either mesoamerican ancient civilizations, or current living native decendants of these civilizations. The biggest connexion or shortcut I see is the "mysterious ancient advanced civilization", which is pretty vague and was honestly more convincing in BotW.

Then of course, it doesn't invalidate that connection. But now, as a point of comparaison, to see what happens when Zelda takes active steps in coding one of their fantasy races... Let's take a look at the gerudos, shall we?

(Urbosa appreciation break. She's just so freakin cool look at her goooo!!! okay now we can keep going.)

I have said my whole spiel about the gerudos about a bajillion times now so I will try to make it quick. My tl;dr is: gerudos were always meant to be culturally disruptive. It's their whole point in the Zelda series. I won't rehash the whole thing about the crescent moon, the orientalism etc, but I think it's important to remember that they are meant to be considered foreign in a way no other Zelda race ever is. What I mean by this is, if we return to OoT: they are the only race hostile to Hyrule enough to not only consider and carry out an invasion, but to forbid entrance to their territory if you are not one of them. They have a different (apparenly evil-looking) god and their ears are rounded when everyone else is some sort of elf, their script is different, their cultural values are different, it's a weird semi-matriarchy where the man-king's occasional patriarchy has a very different social role than the king of Hyrule even if we don't get to see all the details... Won't return on the thievery and the 90s islamophobic kick of that time period, but the gerudos were very obviously crafted to be culturally deviant to the Hylian norm; their difference so great that getting accepted by them is an actual fighting and infiltration challenge. And even though they are much friendlier in TotK/BotW, they are still, by far the most innaccessible and different race out of all the rooster of, and it's worth mentioning, fish-people, bird-people and rock-people. They are the only one with their own language, their own strict rules that oppose your freedom as a player, a series of side-quests that directly address the subject of culture clash and differences; and, even then, they still parallel the real life western fantasy about the Orient TM (even more-so in TotK I would say, which I didn't love): the locked-in harem foreign men are forbidden to enter. This core idea is so entrenched that it becomes gameplay.

When it comes to Ganondorf, the parallel remains, more present than ever: in that game he gets to embody the foreign, cruel, brutal, cunning, manipulative, uncomfortably feminine at times, envious, physically intimidating, oppressive Man of the Desert in a long tradition of Men from the Desert and the rich legacy of literature and movies that portray them. It's not new to TotK, to be very clear: but TotK did double-down on the trope at the cost of Ganondorf's specificity as a character instead of questioning the trope that birthed him the way the series had tried to do in the past (even TP wasn't that bad, doing away with a lot of the baggage altogether --for better and for worse).

So to me... saying that zonais are mesoamerican-coded, in a world where we simply do not actively interact with these cultures all that much anymore (not at all to minimize the very real oppression of their descendants and the extreme and sickening violence their ancestors were met with to be extremely clear --I'm just saying that the violence wouldn't have worldwide cultural resonance in the same way and I don't think would have much reality in Japan unless, again, I'm saying dumb things and in that case please do correct me), or the extremely mild and non-invested way Zelda handled these cultures (to me it's much more costume than coding), positively too (good!), and comparing them to the active coding of the gerudos (and especially Ganondorf) as a means to equalize them as "basically the same thing" feels... a little off to me.

But! Now we're getting to the last layer!!

(you have no idea how long I searched for this gif, I typed "Ganondorf kneeling" in the gif search, like a fool, and parsed through much, much horniness to finally find my little dude anyway layer 3!!!)

Layer Three: It Isn't What Actually Matters Now Is It (at least according to me, the person writing this post)

Honestly, I don't really care whether Rauru and Sonia are white-coded or not. They could be, they could not be, cool by me either way. I don't really care if the zonai culture is meant to stand-in for mesoamerican cultures for Real for Sure or not, and heavily doubt it was done to increase diversity (otherwise Rauru wouldn't be, like, a Goat-Man but just a brown man). I do appreciate the visual diversity of the cast of NPCs, that hylians can look like a whole number of people and it's really cool Hyrule is moving into that direction instead of being very typecast into a sort of Japanese-ish representation of western middle ages/fantasy/fairy tale thing.

But at heart, what bothers me between this whole dynamic has less to do with whom is coded as whom than the fact that this game twisted itself into knots to tell a very suspiciously clean story about its complicated world and complicated history, and I feel like it's completely fine to ask for more than the bare minimum of visual representation and question the way these characters get to interact with each other and how their real life struggles are meaningfully talked about in the worlds Nintendo spend millions crafting? Sometimes, what they do is already great! Sometimes it's half-great! Most of the time, it could be so much better --especially when some of these subjects have been talked about to death for over 25 years (sorry to beat that dead horse one more time btw)

At the end of the day, the story itself is strange for many reasons. The power dynamic between the characters is attempting to be several things at once; maybe it's not on purpose, but either way, the world TotK paints is a strange one that only holds itself together if we accept to take it at face value. Which we don't have to.

And to me, TotK felt particularly shallow in that specific department of representation due to the whole... Imperialist Vibes thing (the other ask about this is queue'd, it's coming!), which nullified a lot of these efforts for me. It's not only about who's represented, but how they are represented as well, and, very importantly, why.

[magpies4nights]

Hi guys I’m back again lol (Dev log #14)

Hiiiii guyssssss, guess who’s back

from PRISON

*Thunder*

I’m almost done with the semesterrrrrr

*Thunder*

I barely passed my classessss

*Thunder*

I’ve been sleeping for 10 hours since like Friday because April and March exhausted meeeee

*Thunder*

I’m so damn done. Well, not done with the game, but done with life. I know employment is going to be hard and I don’t want to be someone’s housewife. I would have said take me to Mars but I can barely survive when temperatures drop to 16 degrees celsius and if I end up going there and surviving then that means the problems will come back to me. Sigh. 

Well, Game dev time. Since the hiatus, I literally did nothing. I did finish Kyu’s base sprites, Father Figure’s base sprites and started on Priyah’s, but I’ll be honest I haven’t done much else because classes were getting tougher and tougher until pretty much I couldn’t do anything else except eat sleep and study. I think they have the least sprites because they have no line boil (I’d like to think the line boil means they’re getting affected by the game breaking down (I’d like to think the father figure is so damn powerful and immortal he literally sleeps through all the crazy shit that happens because that’s basically all what he does in the games except for punting his kid for eating chips loudly or disturbing his sleep)). So, what am I going to do? Continue Priyah’s sprites, then maybe do Orby’s, which probably would take me a bit longer because they would have line boil. Then maybe the diner cast, because Tiny Terson doesn’t deserve his own base sprites. If there is 1 million Tiny Terson haters I am one of them. If there is only 1 Tiny Terson hater that is me. If there are 0 Tiny Person haters then I am dead.  I’ll start with making the game actually playable after all the base sprites are done because right now it’s just a sandbox with nothing to do.

I have put the demo to make you guys see what I’m talking about (it’s an HTML5 game. It’s really glitchy for some reason and some scenes for some reason can’t load the assets in smhhhhh. I’m going to make the full game downloadable when it’s out for windows because I have a feeling you can’t save on browser. Sorry Mac users. Not sorry. Also, I can't guarantee the downloadable thing at the bottom will run tbh.)

Here is the link to the demo: https://yal-armstong.itch.io/scaperat-the-demo

Is it exactly referencing if you’re taking like 2 lines of a song's lyrics? I don’t know but this song has been inadvertently been influencing the way I make jokes lmao deadass whenever I say anything about feeling sad this is how I expect the recipient of my message to read it like.

This song literally was what my early teens was like, like the basic lyrics that get the point across and the "emo" instrumental. Which honestly, it makes sense because this song was written by a 13 year old (which honestly, good for her). I’ll be honest, I really only miss my early teens a little bit because that's when I realized I wanted to be a game dev, but I didn't actually try making games until I was 19, which honestly thank god, because I just know I would make something angsty and cringey at 15. Also I LITERALLY DIDN’T KNOW THIS SONG WAS A JAMSTER RINGTONE?! I literally saw the music video first and was like “holy shit now this is some good shit” (I was 11 ok, I wanted to look like her so damn bad back then but I knew my parents would make fun of me)

I swear to god if any of you laugh at me because I used picmix instead of blingee I would have used it but literally could not sign up for blingee. We live in a society/j

[elialys]

I’ve finished season 2 of The Newsreader two hours and a half ago, and I’ve yet to be able to talk about my feels with ANYONE, so I’m doing what I do in most cases when I have too many feels about something—opening a new word document to write things down.

This season genuinely surprised me so many times. I had no actual expectations, but I had thoughts on what might happen from the season promo and the episodes' synopses. Most of the time, turned out I was absolutely wrong, and I’ve never been happier to be wrong.

This is not very coherent, more ‘string of thoughts’ than anything else, and I’m skipping soooo many things but here are my main thoughts/emotions on each episode:

Episode 3 Greed and Fear

I knew it would be about Helen’s past being dug out and was so worried. Didn’t expect to be laughing so much?? Like, only a couple of scenes but god those were genuinely funny. Gerry’s wife telling Helen’s about her torn vagina from giving birth? Lindsay’s song about Charlie being hit hard in the economic crash? Absolute gold.

The "hey let’s get married to give that columnist something else to write about” idea from Dale and Helen’s reaction to it went about as well as I expected it to go.

I have to say, I did not expect the Helen & Charlie’s interactions to get that real that fast but I…kinda liked it? I still think Charlie’s a shit head but I loved that they made him feel like an actual human? Genuinely fond of that scene of him and Helen in his office waiting for midnight, with her on his couch telling him about her past, it just felt genuine.

Don’t get me started on Helen and Dale on HER couch at the end of the episode though. Just, I want to live there, in that scene. With them cuddling on that couch, and nothing bad ever ever happening to their couple, ever.

Episode 4 The Hungry Truth

This episode was a punch in the gut. The way the approached the Bicentennial event and the Aboriginal side of the story was so poignant and heartbreaking. That shot of them watching the cheery News at Six promo at the end instead of the planned interview with Lynus was captivating in a ‘I feel sick in the stomach’ kind of way.

Helen’s convictions and hard work being cast aside and spat on again at the last second was infuriating, she tries SO HARD to stand up for those who don’t have a voice and she hits walls every step of the way.

Dale’s real proposal? I'm still recovering. When I read the initial synopsis, I worried he was going to do something *big*, but he didn’t. It was intimate and romantic and sincere, and holy hell couldn’t have happened at a worse time ??? I know there was no way for him to really ‘hide’ his preparations from Helen at that point but ugh.

That end scene had me in tears tbh, both Sam and Anna just killed me. Because you can tell Helen loves Dale and he loves her yet she turns him down and everything hurts?

Episode 5 A Model Daughter

Let me just say I’ve loved Kay’s character. I love the extra depth it brought to the Walters family, and I love how she allowed for the very real issue of heroin addiction to be explored this season. And obviously, I love how her story intertwined with Helen’s and the way it made this episode unfold, like, DAAAAMN.

But first of all, Helen and Dale. Oh the pain. Oh the sweet sweet pain. I binged so I barely had time to process any of my feelings, but I felt all the feelings. It was dramatic without being overdramatic. Again, all of it felt so human. I wish we’d seen more actual conversation between Helen and Dale with Helen explaining exactly why she doesn’t want marriage and why she broke it off completely, but there’s enough there to get it and just hurt with them.

That scene of them in the make up room, after Dale realizes there’s been some ‘flirting’ going on between her and Charlie? SO many things are said without them needing to actually say them, it just hangs in the air and OH THE DELICIOUS PAIN.

That award party was so good, they were all so drunk and I was so worried about Dale. And then the whole Gerry, Tim, Dale thing was wholesome for about two and half seconds. I wasn’t sure when the ‘gay club’ scene would happen or how Dale would end up there, I didn’t expect things to happen that way, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion. I feel sad for people who ship Dale and Tim because I’m sure this is not how they hoped Tim’s character would come back—and that the random dude Dale wakes up next to is not who they were hoping for. Dale’s whole spiraling out this episode was just painful in a painfully perfect way.

Everything about Kay’s interview, every character involved…ugh so damn good. The interview itself made me cry, but that’s probably because of my own issues haha. Kay going to Helen and begging her to take her part off the story, not knowing Lindsay decided to make the story ALL about her and her parents against Helen’s assurances that they wouldn't do that.

Helen’s demeanor sitting at that desk, finally deciding that enough is enough. HELEN STANDING UP, GETTING THE TAPES AND DESTROYING THE TAPES WHILE WALKING OUT.

Actual Queen. Might be my favorite sequence in the entire season, but don’t take my word for it yet. Of course she goes to Charlie and jumps on him right after that but everyone’s human hahahaaaaa.

Episode 6 Fireworks

I don’t even know what to say, I’m still trying to process this. They gave us time with everyone, and I loved every second of it, but I still begged for more time with Helen and Dale, individually and together. Now I get what Sam meant by ‘Dead Dale’. Oh yes he’s the Big Guy now with the Big House, King of News and all that but he’s clearly dead inside too, so that’s nice I guess.

The way they resolved the issue of “Helen and Charlie” being a thing in under 3 minutes combined was beautiful to be honest. I was losing it watching that short, extremely distressing montage of Charlie and Helen like, might have clawed at my face a bit. But the way she threw him out of her life the second he dared say some shit about Dale? Beautiful.

Lindsay needs to die in a fire though. I’m so glad Dennis punched him in the face but someone needs to push him in front of a bus. That scene between him and Helen in his office was just VILE. What a pathetic excuse for a human being, all these things he did to her and SAID to her, I am not okay. And him sabotaging her at her new job like, DIE ALREADY OMG.

Was it really Gerry who told the columnist about Tim though??? Because that scene between Gerry and Dale, all unspoken? GOD. This damn show.

Gotta end with Helen and Dale. I am so upset. I think/hope they will find their way back together WHEN we get a 3rd season, and I believe them learning to live apart is needed and necessary, BUT GOD I AM GENUINELY HURTING. Helen’s desperate proposal was so upsetting. The fact that Dale was too dead inside to tell her more than “no” and “just do your job” like.

I don’t even blame him because he’s a hot mess trapped in his own catatonia but THE PAIN. That airport scene, someone put me out of my misery please, how dare they use THAT song (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, anyone??). Also, I realize I’m extremely biased given how much I love Anna Torv but??? She doesn’t say a single word in that scene as she watches Dale on the tv yet you know exactly what she’s thinking and feeling and everything hurts.

Noelene and Rob? So sorry I didn’t mention you at all in this post yet, you were so lovely and precious and so necessary for my emotional sanity, absolutely love how they “mirrored” and contrasted Helen and Dale, even if it adds to my pain as a Helen/Dale shipper who just watched three failed proposals in the span of 8 hours.

This show better be renewed. I need them to fix this mess. Wonderfully crafted mess but still a mess.

[jreads]

Unexpected Constellations (Part 06)

Rating: It's not bad, but maybe don't go reading it out loud to your mum or something. Or do, i don't know what your mum is into.

Word Count: 8.3K

Warnings: I do not want to give too many spoilers so i'll just say: Mentions of alcohol, Foul language, Canon-level violence, Slight sexual content.

A/N: My friends I feel like I apologize for being late every time I upload. But again, sorry for being late. Maybe everyone should just come to expect this. In my defence, this part is long, and I kind of almost like it? There's an OC here lol, he might show up again, he might not. Tbh the plot just needed a guy. There also may be some mistakes, but I really hope not. As per usual, check the masterlist for tags and other parts. If you reblog, I'll manifest a Din shirtless in the living waters of Mandalore scene in S3. I know we all want it. Also sidenote: I saw Brittany Broski’s post on TikTok about how she’s in her Mandalorian era…. Anyone want to take one for the team and rec this fic?🧍‍♀️❤️

He had not been joking.

Tendrils of hair stuck to your face, and you reached up for what seemed like the millionth time to pry the strands off. According to the temperature monitor on the ship, it was the hottest time of day, and the sun beat down unforgivingly on the top of your head, the varying wooden overhangs offering little reprieve.

Din was only a step ahead of you, still clothed in full armour, giving no indication that the heat was a bother to him. You didn’t understand it. He must have been under at least three layers, counting the thick plates adorning his shoulders, arms, chest, and thighs, and yet he seemed as phlegmatic as ever. You wondered how the child was faring, tucked away in a bag at your side, still wrapped in his woolly cloak. He had taken a liking to the dragonflies that buzzed around the small natural pool in the clearing where Din had landed the Crest.

The two of you had, after flying over the cove and finding no open landing platforms, decided to set up camp just outside the bustle of town, hidden behind a long stretch of waxy tropical trees. The first wave of humid air had been so pleasant, and you had savoured the fragrant smell of the planet’s flora. But now, barely half an hour into your walk, you would have begged for the cool fan in the ship, and perhaps a bucket of iced water.

As if sensing your discomfort, Din twisted toward you. “We’re almost there.”

You hummed in acknowledgement, barely having the energy to string together a sentence. You didn’t know where ‘there’ was. All he had shared with you before you left the safety of the ship was that he had an old contact in the market, someone that he had worked with long ago, someone you could trust. That remained to be seen. You trusted Din, but you wouldn’t trust a friend of Din’s simply because they were a friend of Din’s. Din had some weird friends.

Overlooking the simmering heat and the stickiness of your skin, the area was quite beautiful. It was exactly what you’d expect from a locale dubbed Raider’s Cove. Towering wood structures lined the edge of sparkling aquamarine water, framed by trees of vibrant green. The forest behind the town seemed alive with noise, buzzes and chirps coming from every direction. The force was rich on this planet, you could feel it. You knew Grogu could too. 

The market was even busier, stalls lining the street, selling all sorts of wares from food, to weapons, to jewelry. Din turned right onto a quieter, more shaded lane, and you followed suit. He hung back now to walk alongside you; he had been worried earlier about someone spotting the two of you together.

He spoke to you like a knowledgeable tour guide or a HoloNet narrator. “This market dates back to before the Old Republic. Some families have been selling here for ages, passing their business down through generations. There’s and underside to it, but it’s also home to a lot of honest and genuine people.” 

You looked up at him. “I didn’t take you for a history buff.”

“I’m not, I just had an interesting conversation with a talkative shoemaker the last time I docked here.” You grinned at him.

“It must be because you’re so approachable.” His shoulders shook lightly with silent laughter.

Since you had left Tatooine, the dynamic between you two had been… more playful. Something had shifted, just slightly, and you couldn’t quite put a finger on it. But you were content to fall into this comfortable mood with him. Honestly, it was a relief after the worry and angst of a few days prior. He hadn’t approached the subject of your almost departure during the long hours in hyperspace, choosing instead to enlist your help in the connection of a few cables in some small cavity just behind the carbonite log. Your hands were far nimbler than his, so he often got you to aid him with menial tasks like these.

After that, the two of you had put the child to bed and sat in the cockpit together, quietly conversing. Din had shared a few stories with you of his past experiences on Rishi, including the tale of a rather slippery Sullustan who had led him on a chase into the mountains, concluding with a near escape with a few of the locals. At some point you must have fallen asleep because you didn’t remember scaling the ladder back into the hull. But when you woke, hours later, you were curled on your side in the cot, a woollen blanket draped over your body and pulled up to your shoulders. It was a tender gesture, and one that made some part of you ache.

There was also the issue of that unspoken something between the two of you. 

Perhaps it was entirely one sided. Perhaps you felt that much stronger now simply because he had seen the darkest parts of you and not shied away from them. You’d be naïve to think he didn’t care for you, but you still doubted he felt the way you did. That undeniable pull, the yearning. Bursting into flames and yet shivering every time you could feel his attention on you. Maker, you wanted him. Badly. 

But you also understood the impossibility of it. His creed wasn’t the only thing that stood in between the two of you; there were many, very logical reasons as to why you would never take that step, despite so desperately wanting to.

His hand ghosted over the small of your back, stilling your thoughts. Having abandoned the thicker layers of your suit in the Crest, you wore only a light, loose-fitting undershirt, which was a blessing given the planet’s sweltering conditions. But it did mean that every touch felt like a brand, a sharp jolt of electricity that was so much harder to ignore. 

“Here.” He guided you left, into a narrowed, darker passageway. Only a few paces down, he opened a rather beaten door, ushering you inside before following. 

Descending old stone steps, the smell hit you first. It was an acrid mix of what you could only assume was piss and alcohol. You tried and failed to supress a grimace. The stairs were wet with something. You weren’t entirely keen to find out what it was.

Finally reaching the bottom, the narrow hall opened up into a dimly lit area. It was similar to some of the cantinas on Tatooine, but the usual sandy colour was replaced with grey stone and worn wood. The tables were large and circular, with strange, patterned squares in the center of each. Lining the wall to your right was a display of bottles, and a tall bar. The only light beamed down from thin windows along the top of the room’s walls. You could see the shadows cast by the feet of people as they walked down the sunny street outside. In here, it was quiet.

“It’s a gambling den.” Din’s voice travelled over your shoulder. “The contact I knew used to work here.” He moved beside you, further into the space. “It’s a long shot but I figured—”

A blaster shot rang out.

Hang circling your wrist, Din twisted you behind him in a flash, the laser bouncing harmlessly off his beskar breastplate.

“Don’t shoot! We’re looking for someone.”

 No response. He was braced, broad frame tensed, his grip on your wrist still solid. “We mean you no harm.”

“If you could just answer a few questions, we’ll be on our way.” How polite of him.

You could sense a heartbeat just to the side of a door behind the bar… human. You peered around Din’s shoulder just as—

“Maker, Mando is that you?” The voice was heavily accented, tinted with what almost sounded like humour. A man emerged from the doorway. Every muscle in Din’s body visibly relaxed. 

“I didn’t recognize you in that shiny new fit… man I could have killed you!” He came around the edge of the bar, slapping the blaster down on its surface. He approached the two of you, reaching a hand out and pulling Din in for a hug, clapping him heartily on the back. Your eyebrows just about hit the ceiling. 

Din was chuckling. “Yeah right, if it makes you feel better.”

It was then that the man noticed you, still standing somewhat awkwardly behind Mando. “Well, who have we here?” Up close, you took in more details. His skin was the richest brown you had ever seen, smooth and almost glowing, even in the near nonexistent light of the den. Dark hair was cropped close to his head, with a brutal, raised tattoo winding its way over his forehead and down the right side of his face.

He bent down and took your hand, lips meeting the back of it lightly. “It’s not often we have such beautiful ladies gracing this establishment.” You couldn’t help the giggle that escaped you. You had been called many things before, but beautiful… 

Mando answered for you, giving the man your name. Maybe you imagined the sharp edge to his voice. 

But you definitely didn’t imagine the way he stepped closer to you, before gesturing to the smiling man in front of you. “This is Castann. We met a few years back, when I came for that bounty I was telling you about.”

“My friends call me Cas.” He extended a hand, and hesitantly, you shook it. His palm was callused but warm against your own. “Apologies for the near-death experience.” He motioned to Din. “Last time I saw this bloke, he was in a much less flashy costume.” You almost choked on a laugh. “Bounty hunting must be treating you well; you’ve got new gear and a girl.”

You waited for a statement of denial from Din. It never came.

Instead, he said: “The last time I saw you, you were neck deep in debt. How’s that going?”

Cas waved his hand in dismissal. “Eh, owner died, I took over the place. You know how it goes.”

“Suspicious circumstances?” Din probed.

He placed a hand over his chest in mock indignation. “You think so little of me?” Cas turned to you again. “Honestly, how do you stand him? Is he always so—?” He put a hand up to his forehead in a salute, face devoid of emotion.

Hoping Din wasn’t looking at you, you nodded hastily. Cas laughed, a rumbling sound. “What brings you two around here anyway? Looking to sample Rishi’s wares? Couples retreat, perhaps?”

You couldn’t stop the smile that was breaking across your face. Considering you had been shot at just minutes ago, you already really liked this guy. He noticed your smile and winked at you, grinning as well.

“We’re here for information on a bounty.” Din’s answer was terse. You shifted your gaze up to him.

He didn’t mean to be curt. He wasn’t upset with anyone. Truly, it was no one’s fault but his own.

And yet, his voice came out sharper than intended, and it drew your eyes away from Castann, muting the smile that had graced your face just moments ago. He had tried not to let it get to him, but in the end, his efforts had been in vain.

It was just frustrating, the ease at which Cas was able to converse with you, connect with you so quickly, place a kiss to the back of your hand. These were small things, seemingly normal for anyone upon first meeting. 

But not to him. You had known each other for a long time now, and he had never been able to wink at you like that, to light up your face so easily, to feel the softness of your skin beneath his lips. 

He wondered, too often, what that might feel like. He wasn’t well acquainted with the feeling of jealousy, but it settled, oily and unwelcome, in his gut. Pushing his inner monologue aside for the moment, he continued.

“Have you heard anything about an auction? An anonymous source says someone’s here, in the market, trying to sell something important. We need to find them.”

Cas rolled his eyes. “Always right to business with you.” He gestured to a table behind you. “Let’s sit at least… you two make me nervous.”

You both turned, Din sliding into the booth on one side of the table. He watched you as you carefully untangled yourself from the straps of the bag. Cas claimed the booth on the opposite side.

It would make more sense for you to sit beside Castann, with Din’s bulky armour taking up most of the bench space. But for whatever reason, you claimed the spot beside him anyway, sliding the bag in so it was sandwiched between the two of you.

Cas seemed to survey the dynamic, his eyes flitting from Din to you, and back again. With a single shake of his head, he slapped his hands down on the table. 

“I’d be a terrible host if I didn’t ask if you wanted something to drink. Spotchka, maybe?” 

“Isn’t it only just past the sun’s peak?” You asked. “It’s a bit early.”

Cas waggled his eyebrows. “Ah, but time is just a construct here in Raider’s Cove.” Din leaned back, stretching his arm out and over the back of the booth. Castann eyed him suspiciously.

“Alright, no spotchka then. Ruin my fun.” He ran a hand over his scalp absentmindedly.

“Unfortunately, I’ve got nothing super juicy for you.” Din sighed lightly, hoping the sound wasn’t picked up by the modulator. Another dead end. “The port’s been pretty busy, but business usually picks up around this time of rotation.” He sees you nod in his peripheral.

“There’s not much chatter in here?” You asked Cas. 

He rested both elbows on the tabletop, grinning at you. “No little lady, there’s not much chatter at all.”

He tapped twice at a worn patch in the stone of the table and the pattered square in the middle of it came to life. 

“It’s Dejarik. Do you know how to play?” Din watched you shake your head, carefully examining the holographic creatures flickering in front of you.

“Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?” He was joking of course, but Din noticed the way you tensed at his words, curious features turning blank in a second. He didn’t stop to wonder if Cas noticed too. Instead, he lifted his hand from the back of the booth, angling it just slightly so he could brush his thumb over your shoulder. You straightened.

Cas was still talking. He hadn’t noticed then. Din continued the movement until your shoulders started to relax. 

“The patrons of this fine establishment come to watch people play. It’s all about being able to trick the opponent, or bluff, so most of the time it’s pretty quiet.” You hummed in understanding.

Castann motioned to Din. “This guy played the last time he was here. Brought the opponent to his knees. I’ve never won so much money in one night.” 

Your eyes shot to him, lips slowly breaking into a broad smile. “Really?” 

Maker, you were beautiful.

He took too long to answer—because he was gawking at you—so Cas cuts in again. “Oh yeah, it was brutal. The other guy didn’t even have a chance. He’s lucky it wasn’t a Wookie… not sure he would have left this place with all his limbs intact if it was.”

Your eyes were still fixed on him. He felt a little dizzy. 

Finally, he broke out of his daze. He said matter-of-factly: “Ithorians blink too much when they’re bluffing.“ It was the truth.

Cas pointed to Din with his thumb, as if to say: Can you believe this guy? Your laughter pealed through the room.

Seeing as Castann had no helpful information on the bounty, Din was content to let the two of you converse for a while. He had noticed the signs of fatigue as you made your trek into the village, so he thought it best to get a bit of rest in a cool, safe place. 

Frankly, he lost track of the topic of conversation, zoning out completely in favour of simply watching you. There was something different about you today, not in terms of your personality, but in the way you looked. The flimsier, oversized undershirt you wore fell low over one shoulder, exposing the hollow of your collarbone. For some reason, he couldn’t stop staring at it. He wanted to trace it. With his hands. With his lips. Your hair was windswept and a little bit wild, falling in an unfamiliar way. 

And your face. It had goldened just slightly with the sun, a small tinge of rose brushing your cheekbones and nose. You were flushed and glowing, especially when that signature smile graced your features.

He could have watched you forever.

Maker, he loved the helmet.

He wanted to kiss you.

Maker, he hated the helmet.

His impulses were getting harder and harder to control. In a strange way, it made him feel almost guilty. Like when you stumbled and he would steady you, holding on for longer than necessary, or place a hand on your shoulder or back as he passed you in the darkened hull of the Crest. He hoped it didn’t make you uncomfortable. He wondered if you would say something if it did.

Even last night, you had drifted off in the jump seat beside him, lashes dusting your cheek and lips slightly parted. He should have left you to sleep there. Part of him would argue that he knew the lower part of your spine would ache on the morning, and it was for that reason that he moved you. But the undeniable truth of the matter was that he wanted the feeling of you burned into his palms for good, like an inescapable brand. So, he had moved an arm under your knees, scooping you up from the chair. Mercifully, you hadn’t woken. Your head had lolled to the side, coming to rest on his shoulder. He had cursed the beskar pauldron. But you had sighed contentedly, and part of him had turned to putty at the sound of it. 

He had used the lightest thruster setting on the jetpack to descend into the hull, landing so lightly that even Grogu didn’t stir.

Then, he had placed you in the nook, drawing the worn blanket up around your shoulders, and he had let himself wonder, just for a moment, what it might feel like to curl up next to you.

Of course he wouldn’t have noticed the wandering green hand until it was too late.

“What in the kriffing bantha shit—” Cas was letting out a rather impressive string of expletives as he beheld the creature emerging from in between you and Din.

Noticing where his attention had gone, you laughed and scooped Grogu up from the bag. The two of you had discussed this before you departed the Crest, whether or not it was safer to leave the child aboard the ship while you ventured into the port. Ultimately, Din had trusted Castann enough to pack the kid along; it was preferrable to leaving him alone so far out of town, when there were likely other parties circling around.

You placed him on the table surface, and he became engrossed in the flickering holograms of the Dejarik game. “Meet Grogu.”

Castann’s eyes were wide as he looked at the child, and then at you. “That didn’t come out of you, did it?”

He’d never heard you laugh that loud. Trying to compose yourself, you managed to wheeze out: “Stars, no! He’s older than all of us.”

Grogu’s attention had gone from the gameboard to now rest on the stranger at the table. His head was tilted, and ears perked as he focused on Cas. Cas seemed just as engrossed with him.

While the two of them engaged in their staring contest, you turned to face Din, still leaning back casually against the bench, arm over the edge, legs spread wide, still reeling a bit from his inner thought process. He could have sworn you tried and failed to keep your eyes from travelling. You averted your gaze quickly, visibly swallowing. Something white hot shot through him.

“Do I even want to know?” Cas asked, eyes still glued to the child. He cooed in response.

Din’s voice was rough. “Trust me, you don’t.” 

Grogu broke eye contact first, turning to you instead, a pleading whine cutting the silence. 

You looked exasperated. “He’s hungry.” To the child you pointedly said: “Again.” The kid’s head tilted once more. 

“You wouldn’t mind right?” You queried. Castann interrupted you immediately.

“By all means, go right ahead. There’s a bunch of snacks behind the bar.”

Rising, you plucked an excited Grogu off the table surface, tucking him into your arm as you turned and moved to explore the area he had indicated.

Din and Cas both watched as you rummaged behind the bar, finally prying the lid off a tub of dried fruit. Grogu squealed in excitement. 

He turned back to Din. “So, what, you’re the hired muscle?”

Din’s eyes stayed on you. “If anything, she’s the hired muscle.”

He huffed a laugh, surveying you again through an awkward period of silence before saying: “Wait, you’re serious?” Din shrugged.

Cas sighed. “You’re down bad, Mando.” He said nothing.

“I’m just saying… full disclosure… I was going to make a move.” So slowly, his helmet twisted to meet Cas’ eyes. The man continued babbling. “Of course, that was after I almost shot her, I mean—” Carefully leaning forward, Mando pressed a button on his gauntlet, the blue lights of the whistling birds blinking into existence along the top of his arm.

Cas immediately started to backpedal, hands held up in surrender. “Well obviously I get it now. Put those away.”

Din hummed, pressing another button as the weapons slid back into their sheaths. 

A moment of quiet passed between the two men before Cas asked: “Since I’m so good at prying, I have to ask… Why continue the bounty hunting if you’ve got them to watch out for?” He motioned to you. Din followed his gesture, noting your body language, that which he now understood was you communicating with Grogu. Mind to mind. Half a piece of chewed fruit dangled out of the child’s mouth.

“I know you’re not strapped for credits. Wouldn’t you prefer to keep them out of harm’s way?”

“Of course I would.” His answer was instantaneous. After a breath he amended: “It’s complicated.”

“Always is with you, Mando.” He contemplated saying something else, but you were already rounding the edge of the bar, carrying the kid, who was grasping two sticks of dried fruit in his clumsy claws like a lifeline.

“We should probably get going if we want to scout out any more of the market before nightfall.” You were right. Din got up, reaching to hand you your bag. The child seemed content to clamber right back in, having achieved his goal quite easily. 

Cas walked the two of you up the stairs again, nose scrunching at the mystery liquid you had noticed on the way down. He mumbled something about getting the droid to mop it up.

Reaching the door, he swung it open, letting you and Mando pass. “Mind the curve of the main road on your way out of town. There was some action there yesterday. Two off-worlders. Both wound up dead.”

You looked to Din just as he looked to you. Castann caught on quickly.

“Oh.” The corners of his mouth turned down. “Probably should have mentioned that earlier.”

You turned to him. “Thank you… for everything.”

“Anytime, princess.” He offered you a lopsided, mischievous grin in return. “Take care of each other.” Din watched you nod, and his heart strained. “Hopefully, I’ll see you guys around. Stay safe, yeah?”

“We will.” Din replied. “Let me know if you catch any info.”

“Will do.” He clapped Din on the back once, before re-entering the stairwell.

After bidding your final farewells, you ventured back to the main stretch of road, the heat only slightly more manageable after your short reprieve.

You had walked through the curve on your way to meet Castann, but frankly, you hadn’t been paying much attention at the time, too focused on not expiring from the warmth of the day. The two of you would do some rudimentary scouting today and come back tomorrow if you had no luck.

A light breeze drifted between the wooden structures now, carrying the salted scent of the ocean. You desperately wanted to go see it, but you weren’t going to badger Din about it. The two of you were here on a mission, not a vacation.

He walked a bit closer to you than he had on the way into town, allowing you to lead through the street. More than a few people averted their eyes as the two of you walked past. 

“I don’t like this.” Din’s voice rumbled from over your shoulder. “It’s too open.”

“You’re being paranoid.” You replied over one shoulder. “We won’t linger though. Let’s give the area a once-over and then head back.”

He hummed in agreement. The curve was just up ahead, slightly less busy than the rest of the stretch. On one side was a worn wooden structure, jutting out into the street. The concave side of the cobblestone road was occupied by two merchant stands, now vacant for obvious reasons. 

You rounded the corner, coming to stop in front of the building at the point of the junction. A weathered sign swung on rusty hinges atop the door. 

Rare artifacts was engraved on the wood in messy Aurebesh.

You huffed. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Din moved around you, approaching the darkened storefront. He ran his gloved fingers over a singed burn in the wood. “Blaster marks.” He noted. He tried the door handle. It didn’t budge. He yanked harder.

“If we’re going to try to break in, maybe we shouldn’t do it in broad daylight?” You hissed the suggestion.

A small Rodian child was watching a few paces away with interested eyes.

Din’s helmet turned toward the kid; it took off running down a side street at a startling pace.

He stalked back toward you. “Fine. We’ll come back later.”

“At least we know we’ve got the right spot.” The two of you continued down the road, taking a left fork that would lead you out of town.

“Probably.” He corrected. 

“Probably.” You echoed.

A few minutes of quiet passed as you walked. You could tell something was off with him; it had been that way since the gambling den. But you were so unsure of how to approach the subject that it forced you into silence.

You ran over the events of meeting Castann again, hoping to identify the cause of the uneasiness you sensed. But all your mind snagged on was the way he had brushed his hand over your shoulder to calm you. The way he had looked reclined against that bench, the portrait of calm. The way you had caught his helmet angled towards you, several times throughout the meeting, even when you had gotten up to find some food for Grogu. You were overanalyzing everything, but you had never really been able to think straight when it came to him.

Your thoughts stopped dead in their tracks.

He had abruptly grasped your hand in his, intertwining your fingers. His hand was so large it practically engulfed your own. You looked up in shock, bewilderment, but his focus wasn’t on you. And then he was turning, tugging on your arm to get you to follow, hastening his steps so much you had to take large strides to keep up. He must have noticed some sort of danger. You cast a glance over your shoulder.

“Don’t look behind you.” He pulled on your arm again. You stumbled to keep up. “Keep moving.” He practically growled.

“What’s going on?” His heartbeat was racing. So was your own.

“Hunters.” The two of you kept moving at a brisk pace, re-entering the busier part of the market. “They were the ones who were shooting on Nevarro. They’re part of the Guild.”

He turned a corner into another darkened side street, hauling you with him. Finding an inset in the stone wall, a residential entrance by the look of it, he pushed you up against the side, caging you in, leaning ever so slightly to look around the edge of the cavity in which you now hid. You followed his action, twisting your neck at an uncomfortable angle. You could only see a sliver of the main road. 

Swarms of people walked by. You scanned the crowd for the usual telltale signs. Weapons, weather resistant gear, advanced technology. Nothing. You waited with bated breath. And then…

A duo. You weren’t familiar with their species. The crowd parted for them as they walked, scanning their surroundings with lethal precision. The air almost seemed to cool in their presence. You were instantly thankful that Din had been so hasty in your retreat. 

It took them a few moments to pass by the street where you were hiding, the breeze slowly seeming to return to its stuffy temperature. You didn’t dare move a muscle. Still, you kept your neck craned back towards the road.

Relief flooded through you when you finally lost sight of them. That was far too close. With Grogu here as well, you had to be so careful. There was too much to lose. There could be others as well, having tracked the same information as you and Din. You would need to be extremely cautious on your way back to the ship—

A gloved finger traced the raised tendon in your neck, featherlight, painfully slow. You stopped breathing.

It swept down and across your collarbone, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. You were frozen in place, unable to move, to talk, to focus on anything past the sensation of leather on the warmth of your skin.

It took all of your strength and bravery to twist your neck back to him. Farrik. The visor was mere inches from your face, looking down on you, so close, as if he wanted to breathe you in. This was a very real boundary between the two of you, one that had never been crossed. 

Until now. 

You weren’t going to fight a losing battle. You didn’t want to. In that moment, you knew you would have done anything he asked; you just wanted him to keep touching you.

He had always been so good at reading you.

His other hand came around your waist, hitching you up against him. A beskar-clad thigh moved to rest between your legs. You almost moaned.

Holy stars, you could feel him against you. Everywhere, all at once. It was too much. You let your head fall back against the stone. Your eyes fluttered shut.

“Din.” It was both a question and a plea.

He continued, thank the maker. The curve of your shoulder, the edge of your jaw, the flare of your hips. He mapped them all with painstaking patience, as if he had all the time in the world. You were practically melting under him, a breathless mess. 

He had you, entirely at his mercy. There was too much armour, too many layers separating you from him. You wanted to have him. Your brain was going fuzzy. If only—

The door slid open abruptly. Mando had you behind him in a millisecond, those torturous hands now resting ever so cautiously on the weapon at his belt.

A plump lady emerged and waved the two of you away, yelling something in a language you didn’t understand. He retreated slowly, keeping you behind him, palms exposed to show he meant no harm. Still, she shooed at the both of you.

Your senses were in overdrive. The sun was suddenly too bright, the sounds too loud. It was some sort of fight or flight reaction and you wondered, distantly, if the heat that pooled low in your core had something to do with the adrenaline. 

Din led you out of the side street, but not back the way you came. The main stretch was too risky now, so you’d have to take a roundabout way out of town. He didn’t say anything. Neither did you. But the tension was so thick, so ever-present, that it clouded your senses.

You were both silent the entire walk back to the Crest.

Thanks to the time spent with Castann, the sun was already beginning its descent as you made it back to the ship. The sky took on a gorgeous coral glow, offset against the azul blue of the natural pond in the clearing where you had landed. 

Din was a few steps behind you, having kept his distance the entire way back. As if he couldn’t stand to be near you. You didn’t blame him for not saying anything. You weren’t quite sure what to say either. This was one of the many reasons why the more sensible part of you had refused to get closer to him. You had wanted to avoid… this. 

The uncomfortableness, the embarrassment, the hesitation, the doubt. 

The Crest’s door opened with a hiss, the ramp descending to touch the vibrant grass. You were to first to walk up into the hull. Fine. If you were trapped in the ship together, you’d have no choice but to talk it out… Eventually.

But as you set the bag down on the bunk, the child crawling awkwardly out of it, the ramp door began closing. He hadn’t followed you in.

Only when it sealed shut did you allow your head to fall back, an exhausted sigh escaping, and tears stinging in your eyes. How silly. Why did you suddenly feel like crying?

Grogu cooed once, and you offered him a phoney smile, trying to blink back the tears before they fell. Your minds connected easily.

He was confused. He sensed the unease between yourself and Din. And he didn’t like it.

“I know little guy.” You sat on the edge of the cot with him, and he cozied up to your side. His thoughts flickered through memories of the three of you, like a photo album. You, smiling down at him, Din a looming presence just over your shoulder. Playing catch, you and him using the force to pass, and Din… the only one actually having to throw the ball. Being reunited in Mos Espa, the Mandalorian and yourself fighting side-by-side to protect him. You knew what the kid was getting at; you could feel it, clear as day, in his emotions.

“We’ll figure it out.” You weren’t sure who you were trying to convince. His ears twitched.

“Are you tired?” You already knew the answer. His restless energy was palpable, probably from having been trapped in a stuffy side bag all day.

You shifted further onto the bed, pulling him with you. “Well, let’s at least make good use of our time then.” You crossed your legs, watching him fall gracelessly into sitting position. Placing your hands on your knees, you took several deep, grounding breaths. 

Sith meditation had never really worked for you. It had always been about channeling your anger, focusing negative emotions, and forging them into weapons. Back then, it had been doable, the anguish of losing your father, the fear of the place you had lived, the rage towards those who had kept you trapped fueling your survival. But once you had escaped, once there was no one else to hate, nothing else to be afraid of, you had to find a new way to connect to the force. 

It had taken some time to learn how to quiet your mind and tune in to your surroundings instead, but the swamp planet had been as good a place as any to learn. You supposed it could be considered Jedi meditation, you had never really been able to confirm it with anyone.

Grogu was very good at it now, having learned so much from his lessons with Skywalker. A selfish part of you wished you could have met him too, asked him for guidance and advice. You had stayed on the ship with Boba that day, thanks to Din labeling you as last resort backup. But a part of you also wondered if Luke would have been distrustful of you because of who you were, or who you had been.

The child’s mind was already quiet by the time you closed your eyes. The two of you drifted together, and you thankfully let the anxiety of the day’s events fall away.

You so easily lost track of time like this, and it took the reopening of the ship’s ramp doors to jar you from your meditative state. Judging from the way the sky had faded into a deeper orange, you assumed about an hour had passed. 

The Mandalorian came striding up the incline, jetpack and weapons belts dangling from his left hand. Grogu’s eyes opened, and he let out a shrill noise, already reaching for his father.

He approached you carefully, and it took all your effort to not break eye contact with him. Memories of earlier came flooding back. You sincerely hoped your face wasn’t flushed.

“The water is nice…” He reached in to pick up the child. “…If you want to wash up.”

“Okay.” Your voice was too high pitched. Stars, you had been meditating while, mere metres away, he had shed the armour and flight suit… and probably the helmet too. You had never seen him without either.

His voice broke your treacherous train of thought. “Are you okay?” It felt like he was continuously asking you that, at least once a day.

Grogu was now tucked under his arm, staring back at you with wide eyes. “Yeah.” You replied. It was the most you could muster.

“Okay.” He exhaled, almost in… relief? An then he was moving towards the ladder. “I’ll leave you to it then.” You waited for the door of the storage room to close before you allowed yourself to get up.

He was practically stumbling over himself. He didn’t know what to do. Wasn’t sure what to say. The whole thing was a mess.

He had brought Grogu up to the storage room in the back upper level of the ship, to give you some privacy while you bathed. But unfortunately, that left him alone with his own thoughts, which wasn’t exactly preferable. 

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.

He had been sitting on the floor for about a half an hour now, the child having climbed up on his lap, eagerly accepting ear scratches. Every second of the past 30 minutes had been spent picking apart what had transpired in that market.

It had been entirely spontaneous, about as unexpected to him as he assumed it was to you. In a dangerous situation as well, it had been so foolish of him. But it was almost as if he had relinquished the controls to his own body, the damn thing was on autopilot, and it was just aching to get caught in your orbit. But when he had felt you relax in his grip, watched you bare yourself to him, heard your breathing change, he realized he had never let himself consider it for more than a moment. 

The fact that you might want him too.

Even now it seemed absurd; you hadn’t even seen his face. And the tension afterwards, the way you wouldn’t meet his gaze, he second-guessed everything he had seen, heard, and felt in that alley.

The child was watching him quizzically. “Keep your wizard mind-reading to yourself.” He let out a string of unintelligible sounds in response. Din sighed in resignation.

He couldn’t avoid you forever; he knew that. And the embarrassment of this, it would be nothing compared to the dejection he would feel if he let you drift apart from him. The avoidance of the subject had already caused an awkwardness between the two of you; it would only get worse the longer he left it. So, it was decided.

Grabbing the child, he rose up on stiff legs. He’d wait in the hull for you, under the guise of tinkering with some mechanics and, after gauging your mood, would approach the subject.

He was conveniently forgetting to consider the fact that his brain consistently short-circuited whenever you were near. And the fact that he couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself.

Several minutes later, you strode up the ramp. He didn’t even get a chance to breathe.

“We need to talk.”

Oh. Shit. Plan failed. Retreat.

He was crouched in front of an electric wiring panel in the hull wall, and you hoisted yourself onto a crate beside him. Your hair was wet, and you were scrunching it in a damp shirt, but your eyes were on him. Wasn’t that what he had wanted? He was so worried that you wouldn’t look at him, but now that you were… all the things he had planned to say ebbed from his mind, dripping onto the floor of the Crest like the water you had wrung from your hair.

He carefully put the tool he was using down, looking back up at you. Your features were determined.

“About what?” God kriffing damn it. He knew exactly what. He should have factored in that you would look like that. He also should have factored in what he had felt in the alleyway. Because right now it was back with a vengeance, and all he could think about was what your flushed skin—washed clean by the water of the pool—would feel like under his bare palms. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them, refraining from curling his hands into fists.

“You know what.” You attention hadn’t wavered, still fixed solidly on him. No turning back now. He got up slowly, steadily. You tracked him the entire way, eyes travelling the length of his body, just once.

Farrik, he was trying so hard to behave. But he was getting such vivid flashbacks, images bouncing around in his mind. The curve of your neck, tipped back against the stone wall, your body tensing and relaxing. There were other fleeting pictures too, things he had only imagined. Your legs over his shoulders, the way you sinfully moaned his name. 

He was already too far gone. 

He advanced on you, watching the look in your eyes shift. Were you scared? Of him? He stopped about a foot away, pulling at the leather on each fingertip, loosening them enough to slide the gloves off, and stacking them on the crate to the left of you. “What, exactly, did you want to say?” 

His voice was not his own. It was too rough. 

You were silent for a long moment, and he became consciously aware of the rise and fall of your chest. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale Inhale. Exhale. He was teetering over the edge. Inhale— Enough.

He stepped into your space, and you gasped sharply, angling your head slightly to keep your eyes on the visor. Another roaringly quiet moment passed. He took the damp shirt from your hands—were they trembling?—and placed it to the side. You seemed to have already forgotten it.

He spoke your name once, softly. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

You opened your mouth to reply… and then shut it. You were just staring at him, blinking rapidly, hands fidgeting. You were nervous.

Fine. He’d have to prompt you then.

“Did you want to talk about this?” He brushed the backs of his fingers against the pulse in your neck. Your body reacted immediately. So he hadn’t imagined it. A thrill coursed through him, replacing the trepidation from earlier with something bolder. Still, you didn’t answer him.

He followed the same path, dragging his hand down your neck and across your clavicle. “Or was it this?” He had been drunk on the feel of you through the leather, but without the gloves it was torment. You were so soft,of course you would be. Your eyes had gone hooded; even under the soft light of the sunset, they were much darker. He never wanted you to stop looking at him like that.

“Maybe it was this.” He circled your waist with one arm, pulling you to the edge of the crate, until your body was flush with his. Your legs parted for him, and he stepped between them. You were pliant under his palms, your own hands coming to rest on his breastplate.

“I want to talk about this.” He dragged his thumb down your bottom lip, drinking in the way your eyes fell closed and you leaned back slightly, bringing him with you. He was enjoying this far too much. “Is that what you wanted to talk about too?”

His hands continued their ministrations, roaming and exploring, even as you remained quiet.

“Come on mesh’la.” He grasped you by the waist, putting just a sliver of distance between your two bodies. “What did you want to say?”

Finally, your eyes opened again. His knees almost buckled. Your pupils were blown wide. “What is this?” you asked. It was barely a whisper.

“What do you want it to be?” Because he would be anything for you, even if it meant not revealing the depth of his feelings. If you wanted this, only the physical aspect of it, he would give it to you willingly. Absolutely anything you wanted. All you had to do was say the words.

“I don’t…” You paused and he could see another emotion creep into your eyes. “I don’t know.” He tilted his head. In a low voice, you admitted: “I’ve never felt this before.”

Truthfully, he hadn’t either. He said as much. He hadn’t expected you to look so surprised. 

“You don’t need to figure it out right now.” Your features softened. “Take all the time you need.” He’d wait for you until the suns of Tatooine reversed their trajectory. But you didn’t need to know that yet.

You nodded and took a shaky breath. “Okay.”

“Okay.” He repeated. He removed his hands from your waist, but before he could pull them away, you grasped his left, flipping it over, studying it.

“What?” he asked, a hint of humour apparent in his voice. 

“I’m just trying to imagine what the rest of you looks like.”

Something in him fractured. He covered it up quickly, jokingly quipping: “Are you imagining certain parts more than others?”

You dropped his hand, face flushing, and smacked him on the pauldron. He chuckled and extended the hand to you once more, to help you down from the crate. Taking it, you gracefully slid off. He held on for a moment too long.

“Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

Night had long since fallen by the time you made your way back into Bootlegger’s Market. It was still busy but, as expected, the curved junction in the road was quiet. Having been the scene of a hunter’s gunfight not too long ago, people were wise to stay away. 

This time, when Din went to open the door to the rare antiques storefront, it moved easily. The squeaky hinges however, instantly put a wrench in your plan.

“There goes the element of surprise.” You hissed from behind him. He palmed at the saber hilt. 

You followed him inside, closing the door noisily behind you. A cringeworthy entrance. 

The two of you crouched behind a shelf, trying to get a feel for your surroundings. The room was dark and unbelievably cluttered. Trinkets of all shapes and sizes littered the surface of every table, shelf, and bench. Some creature’s horns were mounted on the wall, still attached to a portion of skull. You fought a shudder. 

It would be near impossible to find the crystal in this mess. But if the door had been left unlocked, that meant that someone was here.

Or someone beat you to it. You shut down the thought before it could fester.

Din looked behind him, signalling you to go left around the edge of the shelf, while he would take the right. You nodded in understanding. A voice cut through the silence.

“There’s no need for all that, you know. He’s already gone.” You heard the hiss of a match being lit and seconds later; a flickering light illuminated the store. Behind it was the face of a gorgeous, rich green Twi’lek. You stood, Din walking back around the shelf to come to your side.

“You’re too late. He left early this morning.” She placed the candle down on the table beside her. “He said I’d only need to watch the shop.” 

You and Din said nothing. She huffed and put a hand on her hip. “Can you believe I’ve been held at gunpoint four times today? You hunters have no morals.”

You were taken aback by her frankness. Din spoke for you. “Where did he go?”

“Wow, finally someone gives me the chance to tell them without threatening to kill me.” She collapses onto a stool, waving her hand in dismissal.

“He took a transport to Canto Bight. There’s an auction in the casino there in 50 hours’ time.”

“Thank you.” Din offered. She let out a humorless chuckle.

“Yeah, good luck. You’ll probably have to fight to the death just to get a landing space.”

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