#Din finally writes

[elliewillicms]

“You and your boy could have a good life. He could be a child for a while. Wouldn't that be nice?”

[shirozora-draws]

New weekend twofer scribbles while I continue the merch design grind. Was going to be nice and cram the images next to each other to save space but decided these are too nice and I will instead hog space on your dash. You're welcome.

First one came to my sleep-deprived brain during one of my 10-hr days at the office earlier this week. Forever obsessed with dinluke + intimacy I can't help it.

Second one came at me like a hurricane after seeing this post and arguing with myself because it unlocked something fucking feral in my sleep-deprived brain. Yes, we love all the Darksaber stuff but hand-to-hand combat? Learning how to make, take, and roll with the punches? Bodying each other into the nearest solid surface? Hells yeah.

In conclusion,

[stealingpotatoes]

just watched mando s3 it’s great that we TOTALLY had a whole season about din coming to grips with being mand’alor & life without grogu and about dueteragonist bo-katan coming to realise she was only trying to lead mand’alor bc of her sister not bc she thought she was the best leader. and the whole season centred around the theme of accepting who you really are even if you’re certain you’re something else and was about how heroes and leaders can come from anywhere, they don’t have to come from a special bloodline (a sorta thesis against the skywalker saga) and about the uniting power of grief and oppression. isn’t it great we had that instead of a season with no plot 

isn’t it great that there were no mando cameos in tbobf and mando season 3 started with him on a bounty, cringefailing at using the darksaber and stabbing himself but he did the job and got paid in a nubian starfighter (he wanted a razor crest but he’s injured so he doesnt argue much) which he then used to find his covert on the canyon planet. then he revealed to the armorer and paz that he had the darksaber which after some time leads to paz duelling din for the saber (without telling the others bc they dont know din has it) and din wins but its revealed he took his helmet off. he’s made apostate IN FRONT OF EVERYONE (EVERYONE!!) with only one IMPOSSIBLE chance of redemption (nobody can go to mandalore anymore!!) and has to leave and now has nothing — no child, no clan. so he does the only thing he can think to and goes to a green planet we’ve never seen before. he lands safely but still injured from his fight with Paz and not fully healed from the original injury he passes out. and the episode ends with a kid running over and telling another kid to call master skywalker

and sure episode 2 was the fanservice episode but its disney! we have to expect a marketable plushie cameo episode — except of course that didn’t mean it wasn’t plot relevant! din wakes up and we realise he’s at luke’s jedi academy and this is great n stuff we finally get to see luke in his prime teaching a whole bunch of students! and we get to see grogu happy and having fun with his kind (which makes din happy but miss his own covert). luke notices din has a saber himself (despite it being well-hidden — luke can sense it) and din admits he can’t use it and that he doesnt think it even belongs to him while luke shows him saber forms (but pretends its for his own training and not din’s bc din refuses to learn). they have a discussion and din reveals he came here bc he got kicked out and has no way to redeem himself bc there are no mines left and even then the planet’s poisonous. luke spouts some jedi stuff asking din if he’s certain and says blind certainty is the enemies of hope and progress or whatever (setting up the larger theme of identity certainty in the season). luke also points out that if they imps r there then they have to have some way of getting around the environment they caused. inspired and knowing grogu is safe here, din is ready to go redeem himself on mandalore. he says he’ll come to see grogu again and luke makes it clear that while attachments can’t get in front of duty, din is always welcome here <3 

episode 3 of course had din go to the ruins of mandalore to redeem himself, inspired by luke’s words about certainty he goes to the ruins of sundari, where he knows there was once living waters (the other option is the one surviving and imperial-controlled city, but he’s not that dumb). also bc the imps only hang around the cities so that must be where it's survivable. there’s some imperials about the edge of the city (not many) and he does have to subtly fight them but he gets spotted. he wins but he’s panicking bc during the fight his breathing system got hit but then he notices a plant growing. and he realises he’s not dying — the air isn’t poisonous anymore or whatever! so he turns off his failing life support and goes to the city. he explores the city and finds many remnants of mandalorian culture there in the small parts that survived. ash-covered murals, mostly-burnt toys, something that could have once been a palace. he finds a memorial to a duchess satine kryze and thinks huh like bo katan? (because of course the show wouldn’t ignore bo’s motivations) anyway after some slow but meaningful exploring (its quietness eerie, unlike the quietness of the previous stealth section) he manages to make his way below the city. he finds the mines, reads the inscription and then goes in. except of course its no longer shallow and he falls and he falls and he realises well fuck he’s gonna die. his life support got hit earlier and he doesnt have his jetpack he’s going to sink. but then in the darkness, a great looming eye opens and before din knows it, SOMETHING is throwing him out that sinking water. it had to have been a freak current right? he was hallucinating. surely a MYTHOSAUR didn’t just save him… those are all dead, only to return with a new age of mandalore! he shakes his head, ignores it, and collects the water with something new to bring to his people

episode 4 reintroduced us to old fan favourite bo katan in her depression girl era bc din shows up to her empty palace ready to help her take back mandalore… only to find her in a depression pit and— oh my god is she drunk??! she drops that her ppl left her bc she didn’t have the darksaber and din’s looking at the depression pit like. right. bc of the darksaber. he briefly tries to convince her to fight him for it but she’s like no you’ll throw the fight it won’t be true comba— oh no! explosion nearby bc looks like din wasn’t as careful as he thought and the imperials followed him to bo’s place so both of them have to fucking skeet outta there and bo’s home’s destroyed so din’s like hey come on let’s go to my people we can take back mandalore with them or smthn. so they head back to the covert, din reveals he’s no longer apostate and that mandalore isnt cursed it’s breathable + you can successfully walk on the surface now. this is however interrupted by a beast showing up and trying to kill some ppl. it almost kills paz’s son but din kills the beast first in his starfighter. anyway back to the conversation (now within the cave) and din’s trying to convince his clan that they can take back mandalore (with bo as leader) but none of them want to follow her or risk what few numbers they have left. dejected, din and bo make to leave again, but paz follows them out and is like ?? din you literally have the darksaber why didn’t you use it to get at least SOME of them to follow you and din’s like i don’t want people to follow me bc of a legend, if they follow me it has to be bc they want to and paz and bo r internally like wow damn. anyway paz then says he’ll always fight w din if needed bc he saved his son but if he wants the people to follow him they should try get some of the other clans to help so it looks less dangerous. so bo and din leave on their quest. also throughout this episode, we’re introduced to some random civilian in the reintegration program. its implied they worked with gideon and that they’re preparing for something, but we don’t get much more than that. 

episode 5 is the bo episode, this is where we explore her character, have her arc, and ya know really cover her motivations (bc disney would NEVER make it so her motivation is invisible unless you’d seen two other tv shows). din and bo head to where her clan is. they just want to see the clan but they end up being dragged into a b-plot about helping the local pacifist duchess (& duke). din tries to say no but bo-katan says smthn abt diplomacy. this quest initially doesn’t seem plot relevant but throughout bo opens up about her own pacifist duchess sister and she comes to realise how much of this quest has been about trying to live up to satine and not bc she thinks herself the best mand’alor. the thing she said abt diplomacy earlier, she reveals, is just a quote from her sister. anyway they’re finally able to go to bo’s old clan and she, now reinvigorated in accepting and knowing who she is and what she wants (no longer depression girl) challenges axe for leadership of the clan. she wins and in a speech is like we’re gonna retake unpoisonous mandalore by uniting the clans!! most agree but theyre like HOW are we supposed to convince the other clans? and it descends into insane yelling UNTIL a low hum and a black-white light falls over the group. silence falls. everyone looks on. high above his head, din is holding the darksaber (proudly!!) and he’s like we’ll unite them with this. but axe has to constantly be chatting shit and getting up from the floor where he got his ass whipped he’s like really???? you wanna follow him???? he doesn’t even have any mandalorian blood in him!!! and bo makes a great speech about blood doesn’t make a good leader what makes a good leader is knowing when to use your power. and then she’s like he is my mand’alor amen and kneels before him. everyone else follows and din awkwardly stands there still not fully accepting his role 

episode 6 was the great prep episode. we start with din and bo helping and getting a new tribe on their side and heading back to Concordia we realise they’ve got this HUGEEEE war camp of mandalorians!! there are so many clans with them now (except one, which din is really missing)!!!!! this episode mostly focuses on mandalorian culture and them training/ planning and din and bo trying to keep the clans from biting each other’s heads off. but this is interrupted when a small group of imperials try to pre-attack them (like they did w bo’s palace) but the mandos all manage to fight back and take them down, which then leads to a whole speech from din and bo about how mandalorians are all fighting but theyre united now in their grief and with this they can fight the empire. the b-plot of the episode comes back to that random civilian from episode 4 and whoomp turns out their plan was to BREAK MOFF GIDEON OUT OF JAIL!! shitttt!!!! oh no!! he’s back now, that’s gonna make their very decent plan to take back mandalore harder but they dont knowww (irony!)

episodes 7 and 8 were the battle of mandalore, woo! it had to be two episodes because it’s a taking whole occupied planet and not a single base, a pretty damn difficult task that definitely can’t be done by two single clans in like 40 minutes! there’s all those mini tiny bases scattered throughout the planet on the ruins (like din encountered in episode 3) AND more importantly there’s the one domed city that the imperials kept alive as their main base — which means they have to be careful, bc they can’t do any sort of aerial assault or great deal of damage to the imperials without also destroying the one surviving place for them to live. so the plan is smaller strike teams to go the bases plopped around the planet as a distraction and to stop reinforcements to the city while the main force surround the city and take it. the first city team (with din and bo) has to open up all the ports and stuff to allow the HUGE armies to get in. unfortunately this is in the main imp base in the centre of the city so they have to get there. (they’d prefer 2 strike teams but they can only spare 1) MOST of the mini-bases r meanwhile being successfully captured. the strike team gets to the centre to de-activate the port shielding n stuff and GASP! IT’S GIDEON!! FROM JAIL!! and he’s surrounded by fucking MANDO STORMTROOPERS and IN BESKAR ARMOUR oh no!! ambush!! he knew they’d have to go here to allow a full-scale assault! the small strike team at sundari also gets captured bc there were some mandotroopers there (they increased security post episode 3). episode 7 ends on a cliffhanger bc all seems lost and the strike team’s surrounded 

episode 8 starts straight off the cliffhanger and oh no they’re all gonna die gasp WHEN BAM fighting noises elsewhere, everyone’s confused, when paz’s voice crackles over din’s comm like hey bro! BC DIN’S CLAN FINALLY SHOWED UP TO HELP AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT SECOND STRIKE TEAM and in the confusion din & bo’s team take out the mandotroopers, gideon gets away. din and paz and the armorer come face to face and paz calls him mand’alor or smthn bc he’s also accepted it and they’re like woo let’s go now we can fight fr!! din heads to help lead the battle ig but bo’s like nah i have to end gideon for what he did to our planet. and din’s like well he’s wearing beskar armour so you’ll need this and gives her his beskar spear WHICH IS SYMBOLIC BC he’s finally giving up his other weapon and is going to solely use the darksaber!! he’s accepted who he is and is going to lead their ppl!! so yeah instead of having din fight gideon, who he already beat once, bo fights him and its incredibly cathartic. at sundari that strike team who got captured is also not looking great but MYTHOSAUR EX MACHINA COMES AND FUCKS UP THE IMPERIALS THERE (its returned!!). so big battle and gideon’s down and the darksaber DOESN’T get destroyed yay! afterwards they all vibe and they go to the forge and the armorer relights it and they proclaim din mand’alor fr and he accepts it and throne. sure he's still a BIT uneasy (mand'alor the reluctant anyone?) but he's not saying NOO now loll. yayyy!! AND THEN final scene is din returns to the jedi academy like hii thanks for ur advice u were right being blindly certain abt stuff is meh and leaves no room for hope. uh could i show grogu mandalore i promise i’ll bring him right back and it ends on din showing grogu the planet finally bc thats cute and fanservice

anyway isn’t it great this is exactly what happened, it’s all canon and definitely not the stealingpotatoes sequels canon continuity rewrite! 

[liathejedi]

ik I’ve already shared many star wars thoughts today and this may be an unpopular opinion but like ... I kinda hope we don’t get din being paired off with a love interest at any point in the series. I know that we’ve already had canonical romantically inclined moments between him and omera and obviously I’m very much a dinluke and dincobb shipper but in terms of actual canon I much prefer the prospect of din just never needing to be placed in a romantic relationship? maybe it’s just me being aroace on main but there’s something quite gratifying about having a character whose story doesn’t have to involve romance to be ‘interesting’ or whatever and having relationships with other characters that are equally as - if not more - compelling than romantic ones. I think it’s refreshing to have stories in media that aren’t saturated with romance and instead with these more familial bonds and platonic friendships that work so much better than having characters be thrown together into a romance that just feels inauthentic. and personally I think that giving din a love interest would ultimately subtract from the character growth and development arcs he’s already currently going through and the familial relationship he has with grogu. like here’s a man who is grappling with religion, fatherhood and the unexpected responsibility of leading a culture still reeling from the effects of genocide and throwing a romance arc in there just doesn’t make a lot of sense (plus media does not always have a good track record in regard to prioritising romance above all else). listen I just think we have a perfect opportunity here for a character to just ... not be expected to fall into a romantic relationship (and who could maybe even be aroace) and I don’t want favroni and lucasfilm to fuck it up by throwing him into a conventional romance arc alright.

[mandadlorianstuff]

Din and Grogu settle comfortably in their Nevarro home. Every once in a while, Bo drops by for a visit. R5 always greets her when her ship lands, and Grogu always shows her a frog he has caught while playing in the pond out front. Din leans in the doorway.

I like what you've done with the place, she tells him coyly. He smiles behind the helmet.

It's good to see you, he says. Let's have a drink.

They sit at the table facing the large window and watch Grogu play while R5 whirs and beeps around him.

Din pulls the cork from the tall bottle of Coruscant wine and pours them each a glass. How are things on Mandalore? He asks.

Going well. Construction on the capital building has begun.

That's good.

She takes a sip from her glass. The wine tastes like cinnamon and sweet rain on grass.

Din.

He tips his helmet just enough to take a sip, then looks back at her.

I'm here because... She trails off, glancing down sheepishly.

His gloved hands tighten around his glass.

They sit in silence for a long while. Then he stands.

The suns are about to set, he says.

They walk outside, where Grogu is now napping on the front steps and R5 is recharging. Din motions for Bo to sit on the bench under a canopy, and joins her. Together, they watch the red suns descend on the horizon.

She does not need to say she wants to stay. He does not need to ask.

[short-wooloo]

The Mandalorian should have ended at season 2, the darksaber should have been just handed off to Bo-Katan instead of inventing a dumb never mentioned before rule that you have to win it, Din and Grogu's stories should have concluded there with their final fates left ambiguous, maybe some guest appearances in other people's stories, but otherwise left open ended

[vvitchering]

I don’t actually have it in me to review today’s episode so I will simply post an image that conveys my feelings the best

[kurlyfrasier]

Silent Cargo (part 4)

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader

Synopsis: What’s a Mand’alor to do when you’ll talk to everybody but him? OR Reader fears for Mando's life.

Word Count: 1100ish

Warnings: panic attack

A/N: Sorry it's been FOREVER. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Mandalorian/Star Wars anything. I find all Mando’a translations and pronunciations at mandoa.org. Although, I don't believe there is any Mando'a in this one.

You stared after Mando, deflated, understanding he wasn’t free to have a shadow, no matter how much you wished to stay in his presence at all times.

“Should we follow him?” Dah’la whispered conspiratorially, mischief gleaming in her eyes. You wondered how long you had been staring at the closed doors Mando left through to not have noticed her sitting across the table, helmet staring at your tea as she rested her head on it like a pillow with only her vambraces for cushion.

“He seems busy,” your voice was naturally quiet and raspy from disuse, even while the tea soothed its ache.

Dah’la’s head lifted. “Doesn’t matter,” she shrugged. “He’s always busy.”

Your heart sunk at that.

“Plus,” she continued. “It’s technically my job to follow him around all day,” Dah’la stood and slipped her helmet on in one smooth motion. “C’mon. You can leave your cup. Someone will get it for you.”

Years of servitude had you itching to find a place to wash your cup, head snapping to the window clearly meant for dirty dishes to be brought. “But-” 

“You are our special guest,” your name slipped off her tongue so naturally you barely noticed she voiced it. “A fellow vod won’t mind cleaning one cup, I promise.” You could hear the smile even through the modulator. Still, it felt wrong to leave it there, so you quickly made your way to the dish window before following Dah’la outside.

A cool breeze made you shiver, but it was nothing you couldn’t handle as you trudged behind Dah’la. Around you, Mandalorians stared, tilting their heads; those with and without helmets on. The kids weaved around the adults, shouting and screeching in fun. A tug on your arm kept you from ramming into a fully armored Mandalorian who watched as you walked by. You apologized, head bowing in submission and kept it there even as Dah’la dropped her hold. Not wanting a repeat, or worse, you hid closely behind Dah’la. She, who was quickly becoming another safe haven, didn’t say a word about your lack of attention to your surroundings.

The crowd became thick the further along you went, flaring your curiosity. Still, you kept your gaze down, only allowing your curiosity to go as far as your peripheral vision would allow. When the sounds of the busy streets died down and a strange silence fell around you, finally, you allowed yourself to look up and around Dah’la’s shoulder. 

There was a crowd ahead, strangely quiet. You followed Dah’la around the throng and through a gate that automatically opened for her and into a field. Looking over at the crowd now on the other side of the fence, you noticed their gazes were glued to the opposite side of the field. Following their gaze you saw Mando - your Mando - in a wide, sturdy stance, a spear in his hands, sunlight reflecting off the tip of his weapon, matching his armor. Opposite him was a much bulkier, dark blue version of him - a darkness to his light - who held two smaller spears, one in each hand. 

Your newest nightmare was becoming true. Your heart thundered in your chest. The man you came to know as your safe harbor was about to die. Cold sweat soaked your brow. The Dark Man would hurt him. Would beat him down to a pulp. A copper scent filled the air. How could he not? His size spoke volumes. 

Where you came from- Who Mando saved you from was the largest being you had ever seen and this is what he did. He hurt those smaller than him just because he could. Just because he wanted to. What Mando did to deserve this punishment, you didn’t know, but you had to stop it. There were others, flashing before your eyes, that you couldn’t save. You tried, Maker knows you tried, but he still hit them, kicked them, cut them until the light in their eyes died. Until they became just like the others. Complicit to his every word and deed. You couldn’t let Mando become like the others. You couldn’t let the Dark Man hurt him. You couldn-

“Whoa, there!” A strong hand grabbed your arm, stopping you in your tracks. Tears pricked at your eyes, stinging- burning- raging. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Another strong hand held your other arm, holding you back. Keeping you from saving the one person who was there when you needed him most. You struggled, twisting and turning every which way, but you weren’t strong enough. You were never strong enough. You friend, your one light in the darkness would be snuffed out, just like that night-

In the distance, you heard a scream.

~~~~~~~~~~

“...she woken up?” A voice said in the darkness, sounding familiar, but clearer than you remember.

“I don’t know, sir,” another familiar voice, Dah’la, you thought, feeling safer already.

“Tell me again, what happened,” it wasn’t a question, but a demand with barely contained fury.

You stayed silent, keeping your eyes closed, afraid the man was angry with you. The thought sent a pang to your heart as your mind searched for his name.

“Has she ever seen you fight?” Came Dah’la’s answer, calm and steady. A balm to his storm.

“No,” came the curt reply as a gentle, feather-light touch covered your hand and stayed. A warmth spread up your arm like sunshine peaking through a cloudy day. “She was always so close. I didn’t want her in any danger,” his voice was low and rumbled, laced with a fear you didn’t recognize. “And yet, it seems I brought it to her.”

“Mand’alor,” Dah’la hesitated, boots shuffled and armor quietly clinked.

Ah, you thought, that’s why he sounds familiar. It’s Mando. He’s safe. The urge to sit up and hug him was fought with a determination you hadn’t used since before he found you as a palpable relief filled your soul, settling comfortably into your heart.

“I think she feared for your life. She doesn’t know you can hold your own. I think it triggered something. She was so pale, even as she tried to run for you.”

A sigh, deep and heavily burdened, filled the room. The weight on your hand squeezed before letting go, leaving a chill behind. The click of a secured helmet, heavy footsteps moving away. Your breaths became shallow, still you didn’t move.

“Mand’alor?” It was the quietest you had ever heard Dah’la speak. 

The footfalls stopped. “Let me know when she wakes,” the familiar, modulated voice said as his steps moved further away. Your eyes opened of their own accord, unable to keep yourself from seeing a glance of Mando, even if it was just the flutter of his cape as the door closed behind him.

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

Taglist: @spideysimpossiblegirl @readingfan @sgt-morgan

THANKS FOR READING!!! :D

[cobbssecondbelt]

Reflections

[astralisbelle]

Dead Man's Hand 2 - What's The Catch?

Dead Man's Hand Masterlist tags: tags: engineer!reader, gambler!reader, loose canon timeline, eventual smut, fluff, action, casino aesthetics, touch starved reader, touch starved din, reader and din get on each other’s nerves, also they’re idiots, defrosting ice king din, cinderella vibes, everybody loves grogu

chapter summary: Mando learns of a sabacc tournament with a lucrative prize... and a costly catch.

note: no reader in this chapter, but we're setting the story up!

gif by starsallhavenames

The Mandalorian tosses the three pucks onto the white marble desk before him. “Just delivered the bounties to your men,” he says.

He addresses the wealthy man sitting behind the desk, older but well kept. His gray hair is neatly combed back, his fingernails have nary a speck of dust, and the gold robes that wrap around his shoulders and body are perfectly fitted.

The casino owner flashes a practiced smile, cold and purely for ceremony. “You work fast, Mando,” he says, snapping his fingers. “Bring the Mandalorian his money. And a small bonus, as a treat!” The butler at his side bows and excuses himself from the room. “While you’re waiting, Mando, I was hoping to tempt you to stay for a couple of days.”

“Another job?”

“No, not exactly.”

“Not interested.” The butler returns with the small chest of credits, handing it to Din. Just before he can turn and leave, the owner raises his hand to make him wait.

“Hear me out, friend.” Din bites on his tongue to keep himself from saying anything, but he is ready to reject the owner again. “I’m holding a sabacc tournament here in a few days. The buy-in is exactly the amount of your bonus.”

Din sighs, hoping the modulator masks the irritation in his voice. “I don’t gamble for credits. I hunt.”

The owner laughs. “And that’s where it gets interesting. The grand prize isn’t credits.” He fans his fingers together, making a bed for his chin as he leans forward, that empty smile turning into a sinister smirk. “Five ingots of beskar steel.”

That turns Din’s head and makes his heart start. One ingot of beskar was already something of a small fortune, but five? He hadn’t seen that much since he met Grogu. Imagine the armor he could make for Grogu, or donate for the foundlings. He had to get it; this is the Way. “How much?”

“I’m sorry?”

“For the beskar. How much? Or what’s the job?”

The owner bursts into laughter, sitting back in his chair. “Sorry, Mando. Not for sale. If you want that beskar, you’re gonna have to win it. Oh, and… one more thing about that. If you do decide to enter the game, you won’t be able to wear your helmet. That would be cheating.”

Din is thankful in this moment that the casino owner cannot see the look of pure vile that colors his expression. His muscles tense and his fist curls, tightening the leather around it. For a few moments, he weighs his options. Even if he was willing to remove his helmet… he unfortunately knows that he’s garbage at sabacc. Perhaps he could steal it, but robbing a Canto Bight casino would require a whole team that he trusted and more planning than he had time to put together.

He needs time to think. Without another word, he takes the credits that he’s owed and turns on his heel, walking away. The casino owner says goodbye, but Din ignores him.

What to do…

When he settles back into the pilot seat of the Razor Crest, he looks over at Grogu sitting tight and waiting for take-off. “You know how to play cards, kid?” he asks. Thankfully, at this point, Grogu is used to his sarcasm and respond merely with a wide stare. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Though, he supposed finding a stand-in for him wouldn’t be the worst idea, if he found someone he could trust.

---

“You know how to play sabacc?” Din asks Greef.

Sitting across from him, the High Magistrate strokes his chin in thought. “I’m decent,” he says. “I can win a couple hundred credits on a good day.”

“How would you feel about entering a tournament in Canto Bight?”

Greef pauses for a moment, blinking in disbelief. Then, he tosses his head back and cackles, causing Grogu to tilt his head in confusion. When Greef notices that Din isn’t laughing with him, his smile drops. “You’re serious?”

Din wishes that he could massage his temple right now. “The grand prize is five ingots of beskar. But I need someone that isn’t me to win it.”

“Why’s that?”

“No helmets are allowed.” He pauses. “...And I’m lousy at sabacc.”

Greef clicks his tongue. “I’d be wiped out clean in a few turns at a tournament like that.” He sits up. “I might know a few people who could potentially help you.”

“Do you trust them with your life?” he asks point-blank. Quite the confrontation, he knows, but obtaining the beskar is a matter of life or death for him. Greef makes a thin line with his lips, hesitating.

“No.”

Din stands up with a tired sigh. “Then it’s fine. Sorry for taking up your time.”

There just has to be someone else. He knows that he isn’t the most popular man around, but there has to be one person that he trusts and is good at sabacc. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be enough overlap in those two. Maybe, he could let the tournament play out and then steal it from the winner? No, too risky.

Then, it hits him.

[wantonlywindswept]

Good Dad Paz pt 4

one | two | three

wherein good dad paz has some bad dad trauma to work through, and dumb dad din tries to play devil’s advocate against himself

hoping the backstory comes through in a way that makes sense? feel free to lmk if not.

adding ‘vod’ (sibling, comrade) to the untranslated mando’a list b/c i needed ‘brother’ for other things. may or may not go back to change previous versions

---

Of the many issues Paz knew Din had, he'd never expected self-worth to be one of them.

In retrospect, he probably should have.

"My original task was to bring Grogu to his people," Din said, after sitting back by the fire and recounting his journeys since the massacre on Nevarro. They'd never had a chance to talk about it on Glavis; Paz had been too bitter to try. "I knew that I couldn't keep him. It was...easier, to remain unattached."

Paz looked down at the child. Grogu was leaning against apparently-not-his-father's thigh, cooing contentedly, little hands still wrapped around the now empty cup. Din's hand rested atop his head in a seemingly unconscious gesture, thumb absently smoothing down one ridiculously long ear.

Paz was pretty sure Din became attached to that kid within less than an hour of meeting him.

"You are no longer unattached," he pointed out, "And the Jedi are no longer his people. We are."

Din inhaled a sharp breath, stilling. 

Had he truly not considered that?

Paz studied him for a few more moments, taking in his protective posture, his hunched shoulders. The way he occasionally looked down at Grogu like he still wasn't sure why the kid was there; like he thought that at any moment, the child might change his mind and leave.

Ah. 

This, Paz understood.

"You think you would make a bad father," he concluded.

Din tensed, but didn't reply. Paz tilted his head in understanding.

After all, he knew the feeling.

Paz leaned back against the wall, tapping his fingers idly against one of his cuisses. A slow beat, calming: one of the old remembrance songs turned into a simple rhythm.

"We," he said, "Are not kind men."

Din did not object. Paz didn't expect him to.

"You have hunted bounties with no thought given to if they deserve it. I have killed beings whose only crime was wandering too near the covert. We chose to follow a Creed that put our people over all else. This is the Way."

"This is the Way," Din murmured. The words sounded flat on his tongue, hesitant, as if wondering if he had the right to speak them.

"We chose to be Mandalorian. And every day, Ragnar continues to choose to be my child. Every day, I am humbled by his choice. No matter what I think of myself or who I may be, he is the one who decided that I am a father worthy of him."

"Grogu is too young to choose," Din said flatly. 

Paz snorted. 

"To swear the Creed, maybe. But if he could choose between staying with the Jedi or being with you, he can choose to become your son. It sounds like he already has."

"He doesn't have to be," Din argued. "We are all raised together; he could be part of the covert without tying himself to me. I don't need to be his father."

Din had a very punchable face. Paz forgot that, sometimes. But he'd already taken off his gloves, and he wasn't in the mood to break his knuckles against that empty beskar skull.

The two of them tended to solve most of their disagreements with their fists: they were, after all, Mandalorian, and shouting matches were harder with broken ribs. It had been that way since they were children, squabbling over who got the last slice of uj'alayi, or who did better in training. The fights got longer and more bitter as they got older, but there was always a sense of catharsis afterward, no matter who won.

It was, frankly, better than the alternative.

Paz studied his vod, his friend, and remembered a shellshocked young face beneath a mop of brown curls. He remembered a quiet boy learning the Way and never once questioning his place in the covert--even when perhaps he should have.

"I never thought," Paz said slowly, deliberately, "That you would be so cruel to deny a child a Clan, as you were."

He'd heard Din make less agonized sounds from being stabbed. 

"No," Din choked out. His grip tightened on Grogu, enough to make the little one squeak in concern. "No, that's not what-- I would never--"

"You treat him as your own," Paz continued ruthlessly. "You have fought and bled for him, cared for him when no one else did. You broke the Creed to put his safety above all else. Are those not the actions of a parent?"

"But--"

Paz stood, frustration and real fury caught behind his teeth as he glared down at his stupid, ignorant almost-brother.

Din always knew best how to make him angry.

"He left safety with the Jedi and crossed the galaxy to return to you, and you would sit here and deny him a place at your side?" he demanded. "Would you have him also follow after you on his knees, hoping for a family that he will never be granted?"

"Paz--"

Paz wouldn't do this again. He wouldn't stand by and watch as another child was crushed by disappointment, strung along with promises of belonging to a Clan: pushing themselves to their limits to prove their worthiness, only to fail, because there was never the possibility of winning in the first place. Because love couldn't--shouldn't--be earned, and family wasn't something that should be used as a reward.

He wouldn't allow it. Not now, not when he actually had the ability to prevent it, now that he wasn't a fucking coward--

"Maybe," Paz snarled, "You really should have been a Vizsla."

Din's fist collided with his face. 

He hadn't removed his gloves.

Copper blossomed across Paz's tongue as his head snapped to the side. He immediately retaliated, kicking Din savagely in the gut just below his beskar. Din stumbled back with a gasping wheeze, and while Paz didn't delude himself about his normal chances against him--Din won their bouts seventy percent of the time--he, unlike apparently Din himself, was aware that one of them was still injured.

Grogu scurried over to Din, who was doubled over in pain. The child fixed Paz with what was unmistakably a glare, one tiny green hand resting on the top of Din's boot.

The accusatory expression on such a young face chased the rage from Paz's throat. He sighed, shoulders slumping, fists loosening into open hands.

He really did prefer fights where they could just hit each other. Those always hurt less.

"Din," he said, "That kid is already your son. So what kind of father are you going to be?"

[shirozora-draws]

It's WHAT day today!? Not me already feeling weird about working on two sketches to post the same weekend as that sketch I posted for the first time in months only to find out that Today is the Two Year Anniversary of The Day Dinluke Took Over My Brain.

(It's not 12AM yet, this still counts as a 12/18 post)

Anyway.

Been dying to do some nice proper "the staircase fic is firmly on my mind" sketches. This version of Luke actually shows up later in the fic and the shape/cut/color of his robes are also influenced by Padme's wardrobe. Din's look has appeared on this blog before and is super duper influenced by what we saw of Aq Vetina's residents in the flashback scenes. The, uh, holocron plays a smaller part than it looks but I bought a holocron at Disneyland and wanted to have fun with my new reference.

Have I posted about the staircase fic on the art blog? It is live and currently posting as Gravity Well on AO3.

[biluata]

… I may or may not write Dinbo fanfic after the semester is over…

[thejediandthemandalorian]

🐎 bobadin

Sorry these are taking longer, but I am struggling to get something else done. Anyways, this one got so out of control that you're actually getting just a small bit and you'll be able to find the rest on ao3! As you can tell I keep getting too excited while writing these.

"Don't you ever take that thing off?" Shand asked, tone bored as she poured herself a cup of the coffee Din had made. 

That comment got her an elbow in the side from Fett to which she simply rolled her eyes. 

"You don't have to answer that, mate." Boba Fett reassured as he removed his own hat and mascara. 

Din, on instinct, found himself averting his gaze, knowing the Fett's had been long time members of the Mandalorian community. It was through Fett, however, that he found out that not all sects of the Mandalorian community held to rules as strict as Din's own. 

They preferred to remain anonymous in their lives and their work, and keep to themselves. The hacienda del Fett had made themselves far more well known. 

Boba Fett was the youngest son, so Din had been told by him when they first met. He was the one in charge of the family rancho, and in fact through his own hard work owned a very large portion of the town of Mos Eisley. 

It would be no surprise to him if Fett had noticed his looking away but didn't comment, he seemed to be a man of few words himself. 

"Are you sure you two want to take this trip with us for no pay?" Din finally spoke, his voice a little scratchy from all the dust and lack of use. 

"Well now that you mention it--" Shand started but received another elbow to the ribs. 

"It's the least we could do. You've helped me out so much with my ranch, and we did try to steal some of your steers." Fett poured himself a cup of coffee. 

"It's the least you could do. I for one don't mind a good pay day." Shand grumbled and sipped from her coffee. 

Din smirked a little when her face immediately scrunched up and she set her cup on the ground. 

"That bad?" Din's eyes followed her as she stood up and turned away from him. 

"Not bad, just not what I want to be drinking right now. I'm going to find the cook and see if he's got a hidden stash of the good stuff." She waved in their direction as she walked away. "Don't wait up for me."

Fett snickered a little and Din turned to get a better look at him. 

Fett wore a dark green shirt that looked to be made out of a comfortable material that had gold accents and buttons. On his chest he wore his family's crest, the same symbol that was branded onto his horse's backside. 

His face was easy on the eyes and he had a smile that could charm the chaps right off of anyone. He kept his hair shaved close to his head, but it appeared to have been a moment as he had some dark curly stubble growing in on his head. 

"I'm surprised you have Kryze on your team." He commented, staring into his cup before taking a sip. 

Almost as quickly as Shand's, his face scrunched up and he stuck his tongue out a bit. Din didn't make good coffee, ever. Usually he kept a bottle of some good bourbon with him, though, and added that to make the taste a little more bearable. 

Tonight he was out of bourbon. 

"Fennec wasn't lying. This isn't….all bad." Fett spoke, appearing to try to rid the taste from his mouth. 

Din found himself watching with rapt attention as Fett smacked his lips. He was more surprised when he grabbed a flask from his side and poured some in. 

After a small test sip and assessment, he seemed to deem it drinkable and took a larger drink from it. 

"Kryze is a wild card, but she's experienced in this and I needed all the help I can get." Din shifted a bit, leaning back to try and relax against the tree he'd perched himself against.

Find the rest on ao3

[pen-of-roses]

Whispers of the Grey (WIP sorta Re-Intro?)

The Grey are a bedtime story, a warning meant to scare reckless Casters who don't want to learn control over their power. If there were real cases, they were few and far between, meant to be swept away quickly. They weren't supposed to be real.

And Evashen wasn't meant to be remembered. Or found.

...

The Blytridj siblings are the darlings and terrors of The Wyvern Coven of Korryn, a prestigious research collective of Casters. Najdinel "Din" is a dedicated researcher, and her sibling Oren is a promising healer-in-training, both of which causes most to look the other way in regards to their mysterious history and perhaps less than legal means of getting by outside the spyre's walls.

It starts as a simple expedition to a crack in Korryn that reveals a seemingly unknown Shard with ruins that connect it to their deities. Then they trigger an old curse. Reports say that only a handful survived, with the rest presumed dead. And among the fallen is Din. But the curse isn't finished, as Casters start to lose control and the very Shard of Korryn itself begins to break apart, with creatures out of horror stories spilling out of the cracks.

And Oren starts to have visions of their sister still alive, and an ancient land and it's forgotten last leader.

Armed with these foreign memories, an heirloom of the Coven dating back to it's founding, and a companion claiming to be sent by the Veyrit themselves, they set out to save their sister, and their home if possible. But bringing light to the darkened history of Korryn and the Veyrit ruled kingdom before it might prove far worse than any realized.

Oren Blytridj: The healer turned knight.

Najdinel Blytridj: The researcher lost in the ruins of history.

Safirel: The last Prophet of Evashen.

Tag List: @concealeddarkness13

Let me know if you want to be added (but know I'm sometimes bad at using it)

[kurlyfrasier]

10) Beskar Kisses & Home (final)

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader Synopsis: You, Din, and Grogu land on Mandalore and you receive your gift.

To read from the beginning, or start something else entirely, click here.

A/N: Well, this ended better than I expected, not gonna lie.  Warnings: ...angst? fluff. no use of y/n, if you like that. Reader is nervous. DIn gives a gift  Inaccurate Mandalorian/Star Wars lore, and possible misuse of Mando’a. ENJOY! Disclaimer: I do not own Mandalorian/Star Wars anything. Word Count: 1731 Mando’a:

- Ibac’ner dala (EE-bahk-NAIR DAH-lah): That’s my girl (dala lit. woman)

- Su cuy’gar (Soo COO-ee-gar): Hello (lit. You’re alive)

Mando’a words and pronunciation found here.

(gif = mood)

The rest of the ride to Mandalore was mostly spent in contemplative silence. Even Grogu seemed to sense your racing thoughts.

Din basically said he can’t live without you. Did that mean he cared for you though? He loved you? You weren’t sure and the thought saddened you. Especially since you had grown to care for him in a more than…platonic way. He showed affection through the keldabe kisses - you smiled at the thought - but you still weren’t sure if they were equal to actual kisses, or more like hugging a good friend.

The urge to pull your hair out was overwhelming.

“Mand’alor,” you suddenly heard through the comms, jolting you from your reverie. “Welcome back.”

“Thank you,” Din said. “Good to be back.”

“So is it true?” A different voice crackled through. A quiet ‘shut up’ and thud following directly after.

Din sighed and you wondered if he knew what was to come next.

“Is what true,” he asked, sounding reluctant.

“Is Mand’alor’Kar’ta with you?” The voice became higher-pitched in excitement throughout the conversation.

That was you.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said before you could think too hard about it, shutting off the comms, stopping more queries from coming through.

Din easily maneuvered the ship into Mandalore’s port. You stood rigid by his now fully armored side as the ramp opened, Grogu excitedly babbling in the crook of his arm while a cold sweat dripped down your back. Blowing out a breath, you relaxed, noticing the only people in the port were mechanics working on ships. Nobody was headed your way to check their Mand’alor’s ship, which you thought a bit odd, but quietly thanked the Maker for it. The longer you weren’t the center of attention, the better.

Outside the port was a different story. The market, like most well-populated cities, was packed shoulder to shoulder. Normally the hustle and bustle of a large crowd didn’t bother you, but these people were all trained from a young age to be the best fighters in the galaxies; covered in armor and packed with their weapons of choice. Flashes of uncovered heads scattered throughout the space surprised you only a little, having met Bo-Katan and her crew. 

Your arm instinctively moved to grab onto Din’s cape, but you stopped yourself, bringing it back to your side, fist clenched. You would not show fear. Not in front of these warrior people. You would make DIn proud.

With a confidence you didn’t know you had, you stepped forward, standing directly next to Din, head held high, shoulders back, spine straight. 

“Ibac’ner dala,” he said, staring down at you, a smile in his voice and moved forward. Grogu giggled. You followed his lead, staying close to his side, pride blooming in your chest. You may not have known what he said, but you knew it was praise.

The first shout to their Mand’alor had every Mandalorian facing your way, whispers of the word kar’ta spread like fire as they made a path seemingly all the way to the castle, watching as you walked by. For once, you were thankful you couldn’t see the eyes behind the visors.

“Mand’alor,” a gold-armored woman with a short, furred cape resting on her shoulders nodded to Din before doing the same in your direction. “Kar’ta,” she turned before you or Din could respond and led you both into the castle.

A double door opened into an empty, spacious room with paintings of mythosaur skulls all around. Drapes of the current Mand’alor’s mudhorn signet lined each wall that led to a large, decorated chair at the other end. You correctly assumed this to be the throne room. 

WIth weak legs and shaky hands, you continued your way down the room, following DIn’s lead until the woman you followed stopped in front of the throne and spun around.

“Su cuy’gar,” she stated, clasping Din’s arm. “You were missed, Mand’alor,” she turned her visor toward you. “I’ll be back with your gift, Kar’ta.” Her steps echoed back down the hall.

“She is my tribe’s Alor. The armorer,” Din explained, looking stiffer than usual and unwilling to meet your gaze.

“She seems,” you trailed off, head tilting to the side in contemplation, a small smile playing at your lips. “Strict.”

A short bark of laughter escaped through his modulator. “You could say that.”

You hummed, nodding as your gaze roamed the room, landing back on the large chair. “You don’t wanna sit on your throne,” you teased.

He shook his head, setting Grogu down, who had been strangely quiet up to that point, fussing to be let down. He immediately ran to the chair and hopped on it with an ease that had your eyes popping wide, still unused to him openly using the Force around you.

The throne room doors opened, catching your attention as two Mandalorians walked in. One carrying several pieces of armor, the other carrying a mannikin. The mannikin was set down and dressed with the armor held by the other with a gentleness unnecessary for the beskar. Once done, they stood on each side of the unclaimed armor in silence, hands behind their backs. Din nodded and they left the room.

You barely glanced at the armor, bouncing on your toes and waited with bated breath for someone else to enter the room, thinking this armor was for a young Mandalorian receiving the beskar after passing their Resol’nare. A test to prove they were worthy to be Mandalorian. Your heart raced, excited to be part of this possible tradition with their Mand’alor.

When none came, you gave Din a quizzical look, brows scrunched together in confusion.

“It’s for you,” he said, clearing his throat. “If you want it.”

“This,” you pointed at the beautifully made beskar, dumbfounded. “Is for me?” You swallowed the sudden lump in your throat, taking a tentative step toward the mannikin, really looking at the armor this time.

It was unpainted, like Din’s, except for the blood red surrounding the visor, creating what looked to be a sharply pointed heart if you looked hard enough. Your gaze lowered to the pauldrons that held a long, velvety cape of the same color, a mudhorn signet on the same side as Din’s, but this one was half surrounded by a streak of that same red, creating a half-heart from the tip of the horn. You lifted a still shaking hand to trace over the signet, awed by such a gift.

There was no way you could accept-

“It’s one hundred percent beskar, like mine,” his voice came out clear, causing you to face him, eyes proving he had taken his helmet off. In one determined stride, he placed himself in front of you, grasping your upper arm with one hand, the other on your cheek, thumb catching a tear you didn’t know had fallen.

“Din-”

“Say you’ll accept,” he said, eyes pleading.

“But I’m not-”

“You are Mand’alor’Kar’ta,” he audibly swallowed, grip tightening on your arm. “Ner Kar’ta.”

“I don’t-” you shook your head, trying to find the words, mouth dry. “I don’t understand. I’m just your cook- your babysitter-”

“No,” he pulled you closer. “You are my reason for living-”

“Because I brought your heartbeat back, I kno-”

“No,” he growled. “Because I would rather die than live without you.”

You stared up at him, stunned, mouth gaping.

“Do you understand,” he demanded, sounding more like a king than you had ever heard from him before. 

“But why the armor,” you whispered out, eyes unwilling to meet his penetrating gaze, afraid this was all a dream.

“My people want to keep you safe. Nothing is safer than beskar.”

“But I’m not one of them-” an arm pointed toward the door, sharp and to the point. “Not a warrior- not worthy-”

“You are worthy,” both hands now firmly cupped your face, forcing you to look up at him. “You are the first Kar’ta in centuries. You are a sacred myth brought to life, Mesh’la,” he chuckled darkly. “Your life is more precious than my own in their eyes,” he tucked a lock of hair behind your ear, swallowing, eyes of steel never leaving your own. “In my eyes.”

Your heart soared, hands moving to hold his arms, steadying yourself, the chill of beskar vambraces proving this was real.

“Even if you decide not to stay-”

“I’ll stay-”

“I want you to have the armor,” DIn continued as though you hadn’t said a word. “Mandalorians will likely follow you to keep you safe,” your eyes widened at that. “With or without my consent,” he smiled, gentle and kind. 

“O-okay-”

“If-” he breathed in deep, chest brushing against yours, head falling onto your own, eyes turning from stubborn determination to nervous fear. “If you decide to accept the armor and stay, I hope you will be with me, officially become part of my clan, and lead with me.”

“But I’m not a lea-”

“You can do anything you set your mind to, Ner Kar’ta. I’ve seen it,” he said, voice filled with conviction, gaze filled with pride. “You walked off my ship and through the market like a born queen in front of hundreds of Mandalorians. Most people would wet themselves just at the thought. But not you, my brave, beautiful Heart. No. You stood tall and proud as you faced the most feared warriors in the galaxies.”

Your eyes closed, breath shuddering, heart pounding loud in your ears. You squeezed his arms, finding him- this- to be real once again and nodded your head best you could against his. “Okay,” you breathed out.

“Okay?” His voice was rough, your eyes flying open when you felt his head move away from yours. You shivered when the hands that cupped your face moved to lightly grip your upper arms.

“Yes,” you said, voice loud and clear. 

“Yes,” he said, voice filled with hope.

“Yes,” an uncontrollable smile burst across your face. “I accept your gift, I accept you, my warrior king- my heart.”

“Yes,” he repeated back to you, sounding breathless, smiling brighter and bigger than the twin suns of Tatooine. Steadily, he leaned forward, eyes glistening, watching your every move until lips caressed against your own; soft until a hand grasped the back of your neck, the other wrapping low around your waist, pulling you ever closer, smashing you against every crevice of armor and skin, igniting your soul.

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

Mando’a:

- Ibac’ner dala (EE-bahk-NAIR DAH-lah): That’s my girl (dala lit. woman)

- Su cuy’gar (Soo COO-ee-gar): Hello (lit. You’re alive)

Mando’a words and pronunciation found here.

THANKS FOR READING!

A/N: Thank you to everyone for reading and liking and commenting and reblogging! This was only supposed to be a few one-shots of cute little things that happen between Mando and Reader, but became so much more than expected all thanks to you guys! I may write a few things related to this series in DIn’s POV, but don’t get your hopes up, people lol The idea is floating in my head with no idea of where it’s going at the moment, so if it does happen, it could be a while. Thank you again for all the love and appreciation, each and every like, comment, and reblog made my heart soar! (:

TAGLIST:  @againstacecilia​ @djarinslove​ @bxmxtx​ @takeyour-pants-off​