#ayantiel

[copperbadge]

ADHD & Resources

ayantiel

I can absolutely recommend watching "the neuroanatomy of ADHD" by Russel Barkley, you can find the entire thing on youtube and I found it very informative in both explaining common issues and where they come from, and also giving direction in how to address those or where to start looking for coping mechanisms

Oh, thanks for the recc! Readers, part one is here. I’ll check it out! (Probably while doing something else with my hands. :D)

froofie

I do not have ADHD, but you mentioning needing something MENTAL to do when focusing on like meetings, etc...reminded me that I have ALWAYS, AUTOMATICALLY done the person speaking's hair in my head. I have zero interest in becoming a hairdresser. But my brain will brush hair or straighten hair or shave someone's face. It's very soothing actually.  This isn't to suggest that you do this, but I am reminded that it's something I just....do.

It’s a fun idea though. A lot of times if I don’t have to be on video I’ll do cross-stitch or assemble very simple "microblock” toys (my parents gave me this set as a gift a while ago). If I have to be on video usually I’m either leading the meeting or taking notes, and taking notes does a pretty good job of keeping me paying attention. I’m never sure if I’m supposed to allow as much digression as I do when I’m leading a meeting, but usually the meeting is like me and three people at work I really like, so. A five minute digression into childrearing (they all have kids at different ages so it’s helpful for them to compare notes) isn’t gonna kill anyone. 

wandererriha

Mood. I have employed about all the life hacks I can manage. I refer to it as “stacking dominos” in that I am setting things up for Future!Riha to knock down later. This includes things like a laundry triage system that takes place at the hamper, packing lunch and prepping breakfast the night before, to making my own diy blister pack of supplements for the week.

Oh, I do the laundry triage and the make-your-own-pill pack too! I use a pillbox -- it’s hard to find a bit because it’s Japanese, but the Container Store makes a similar one that I’m loving for travel.

I never thought about meal prep as an ADHD thing but I suppose the massive stack of identically-sized tupperwares that used to populate my fridge when I worked outside the house should have been a clue. 

shamelesslymkp

hey! my dad also got diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and I'm not sure if he'd already started doing this or started later, but what he does in meetings etc. is origami, which is kind of a mix between a body and brain fidget. the reason I bring it up - I know you do origami! - is because of the reactions he's gotten - if you doodle in meetings, people get annoyed. because he does origami and gives them to people, everyone thinks it's just a super cool quirk!

Oh that’s a good one! I used to do origami in part because I was a receptionist and it was something to do when nobody needed me (which was often). I’ve only got two or three “figures” memorized but if I memorized a few more I bet that would work pretty well.  

froggybangbang

Dunno if she's been recced to you but catieosaurus has good stuff about papers on adhd on youtube.

Oh good to know! I’ll check her out. Though I do find it a bit funny that ADHD makes watching youtube rather difficult and yet that seems to be where all the resources are. At least they’re not instructional.... 

I do absolutely understand why so much is on YouTube, because talking to a camera is significantly easier than writing up a document with diagrams and such, but good lord I hate video instructionals. 

killerzebras

Could you link to the resources people suggested, or maybe point to the posts where the suggestions were made? I don't have my shit together anywhere near as well as you do and I'm always looking for things that might help.

I’ve added links to a couple of new reccs above, and also I was recommended “How To ADHD” (specifically I was watching this one about Target). I was recommended a number of books but most of them I can’t find in a quick jaunt through my history, so The Smart But Scattered Guide To Success is the only one I can link. I haven’t read it because it looked like it answered a question I already answered for myself a while ago but it comes highly recommended. 

If you have the time/ability, I’d look through comments and reblogs-with-notes on my posts in the “Sam Has ADHD” tag. There are definitely other resources recommended there in various places but also just the comments in general may be helpful. GOOD LUCK! 

[sofscribbles]

I was tagged by BOTH @godtier1 and @staranon95 for this fic game! Thank you friends!

Rules: In a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or however many you like).

Cobb swallowed down his conflicted feelings, and they landed in his belly like stones. He turned to his old friend, and nodded. “Take me to Issa-Or.”

Yeah, I'm not playing fully by the rules, there's more than one line! This is from part 2 of my Star Wars DinCobb epic Stack the Deck, which I am actively working on right now.

Tagging @intricatecakes @ayantiel @lemonsofjune

[moronphiliac]

Tag 5 people you want to get to know better

Tagged by the dearest @ayantiel ❤️

Relationship status: very ace, much aro at the disco

Favourite colour: ochre yellow

Favourite food: right now? It has to be pizza

Song stuck in my head: W.I.T.C.H., Devon Cole

Last thing I googled: something about local electrical issues, I was hours without power D:

Current Time: 8am, and I'm too sleepy to be awake

Dream trip: I want to know Ireland! Greece, because I didn't study Classic Philology for nothing! and take my mom to Venice

tagging: @asexualdindjarin @manofbeskar @dancinghannigram @sunsyfish @mother-of-spidey

Feel free to ignore if you don't feel like playing ❤️

[hamartia-grander]

I posted 5,267 times in 2022

That's 3,322 more posts than 2021!

546 posts created (10%)

4,721 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@elytrians

@corinthussy

@anonymous428315516723114213

@ayantiel

lmfao my lovely mutuals and then james

I tagged 4,183 of my posts in 2022

Only 21% of my posts had no tags

#dbh - 1,171 posts

#incorrect dbh - 503 posts

#detroit become human - 430 posts

#dbh connor - 360 posts

#dbh gavin - 332 posts

#dbh nines - 277 posts

#star wars - 264 posts

#reed900 - 256 posts

#gavin reed - 238 posts

#dbh markus - 212 posts

the fact that connor is #4. time to kms. Truly embarrassing

Longest Tag: 138 characters

"#me when star wars fans see vader using others' perceptions of anakin to manipulate them and go 'omg it's actually anakin in this scene!'🙄" <- also embarrassing

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Rose: the recipe says to beat three eggs.

Heisenberg: at what? Hand-to-hand combat?

Ethan: must be. Mia banned firearms in the kitchen, remember?

1,061 notes - Posted May 8, 2022

#4

so many people mentioning how Rose is so much like her dad because she’s stubborn, not enough people mentioning how Rose is so much like her dad because she also takes the time to draw silly little sketches in every entry of her journal

1,198 notes - Posted October 31, 2022

#3

Ethan: welcome to Applebee's! Would you like the apples or the bees?

Chris: the bees?

Rose: HE PICKED THE BEES.

Heisenberg: *angrily shakes jar of bees*

1,247 notes - Posted April 22, 2022

#2

It's fine to be disappointed about not seeing the Lords, but dear God stop shitting on the DLC because of it. Just because you wanted to see them doesn't mean it was gonna happen. This DLC isn't about the Lords, and it never was. It's about Rose. It's about her journey to accepting her powers, accepting that she's a little weird but it's worth it because she can do cool things and she has the best dad ever. Overcoming her insecurities, learning to care for herself and know she's worth love because Ethan loves her so fucking much. It's about Rose learning more about herself. It's about Rose getting to talk to her dad, just once. Getting to hear him say "I love you". It's about Rose learning more about the events that led to her father sacrificing himself to save her, which she was apparently never told. It's about Rose gaining confidence in herself, in her abilities. It's about Rose finding a passion to fight back, to survive, to not conform. It was never about the Lords.

1,284 notes - Posted October 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I made a new meme format, whaddya think (part 2/2) 

I did two this time for the androids and humans because this is funny to me

Blank and Image ID below the line

[Image ID: 2 three-by-three sqaure chart meme formats, the top row from left to right is labelled “Did something wrong”, “Did nothing wrong”, “Has no idea what the thing is”. Side row from top to bottom is labelled “Apologises”, “Never apologises”, “Apologises as a manipulation tactic”. Each square of the first chart contains an android character from Detroit: Become Human; top row from left to right is Markus, Simon, and Chloe; middle row from right to left is Kara, Jerry, and North; bottom row from left to right is Connor, Josh, and Amanda.  Each square of the first chart contains a human character from Detroit: Become Human; top row from left to right is Chris Miller, Rose Chapman, and Carl Manfred; middle row from right to left is Gavin Reed, Captain Fowler, and Captain Allen; bottom row from left to right is Elijah Kamski, Tina Chen, and Hank Anderson. End ID.]  

See the full post

9,269 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

crazyyyyy

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[r0b0tb0y]

Tag 5 people you want to get to know better

tagged by @eisoj5. I'm gonna answer with some silly jraphic image formats

Relationship status:

Favourite colour:

Favourite food:

Song stuck in my head: well now it's Coldplay but before I started here is the song itself because they are too obscure for gifs

Last thing I Googled: 

Current time:

Dream trip:

tagging: @rav3nsta9 @ayantiel @beetle-stans @sparkofthevoid @bisexualsilver

[hexedmaiden]

Writing Pattern Game

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns! (from most recent to least recent, starting from the top)

Thank you to my love @themarshalstale for tagging me <3

Hunger - "I used to think about this," Will says as he presses the button to vacuum seal the raw meat Hannibal hands to him.

Faithful Hound - Val hooks a finger under the collar around Eve’s neck and jerks the naked paladin closer to her. 

Like Whiskey - West knew that he should have quit while he was ahead, but he got greedy.

Trick or Treat - "Darlin, do you know where Grogu’s gloves are?" Cobb's voice calls from the living room where he's getting their son ready for trick or treating.

That's All I Need - Cobb was sweating, to say the least.

Lace -  47 looks at himself in the mirror.

Need A Ride? - Kelly leans back against the vinyl seat of the booth as he takes a draw from his cigar before exhaling.

Don't You Weep pretty Baby - Cobb wakes to the sound of Din’s hushed whispering as the morning sun finds its way into their bedroom.

Until I Found You - Din presses his foot on the gas.

You're So Pretty When You Go Down On Me - There’s a pounding on his door, just a little on the side of desperation.

I'm either giving you some descriptive action in the opening sentence, or its so short you have to read the second sentence to figure out wtf is happening. No in-between.

I'm tagging; @astrangebird, @ayantiel, @thesilverqueenlady, & anyone else who wants to :3

[erandir]

something written by a diplomat who has stayed at Skyhold for Idhren

My Dearest Celeste,

I must say I have been pleasantly surprised so far during my visit to Skyhold. You know that I was terribly concerned that such a remote location would be sorely lacking in modern conveniences and comforts. And the weather. Well, you know that I have no tolerance for the cold. So it was with welcome relief that I found the keep itself quite mild, and even furnished with a quite pleasant garden. How they have managed such a thing in the mountains I am sure I haven't the faintest idea, although I was made aware upon my arrival that there are a significant number of mages in residence. At first I was quite concerned by this news, but if it allows them to grow roses in the mountains then perhaps I should consider taking on a mage as a gardener myself.

But I'm certain you are far more curious to hear of the Inquisitor himself than his lands and gardens. An elf savage, why I half expected him to show up to greet me barefoot and with leaves in his hair. But he was quite properly dressed, I assure you, if not entirely in fashion. And those tattoos that savages decorate their faces with are quite shocking. Even Andraste cannot bless one with perfect taste it seems. His manner was equally proper, which surprised me all the more. After all, the keep is full of proper folk and anyone can dress up a servant in their old finery, but manners are much harder to impress into the lower classes. The Inquisitor, despite his low birth and wild upbringing, composed himself with a poise that I dare say would put some of your less savory cousins to shame. Either his advisors have done an impeccable job in instructing him, or we have given the elves too little credit. More likely I suspect the truth lies somewhere betwixt the two.

In all, I found our meeting to be quite pleasant. The Inquisitor is an excellent conversationalist and exceptionally polite. I think you would be equally pleased by a visit to Skyhold. Favor with the Inquisition can only benefit your family at the moment, and you shouldn't want to delay a pilgrimage too long. Imagine being the only person not to have seen Andraste's Herald in person.

I do believe I shall stay here some weeks. Pleasant as the keep itself is, the road here was long and unpleasant and I am not eager to repeat the trip. And there is, of course, ever so much gossip to be found here.

I shall, of course, share with you whatever I hear of interest.

Best wishes and blessings, Lauretta

- A letter written by Lady Lauretta Rodin of Montfort, 9:41 Dragon

[archivist-apnea]

6 and 16 for the D&D asks?

(ahhh thank!)

 6. What is your favorite class?

Bards dude all the way. I’ve been playing a sorcerer for a while now, but bards were my first and they’re so good

i’ve made 6

16. What is your favorite spell?

Blink

100% 

it just so fucking useful - my sweet glass cannon Mage won a battle royal style thing vs a bunch of fighters and tanky guys using this spell - I could chill out in another dimension, pop back in for some fire damage, and pop back out

i thankfully have the lucky feat too so there’s less fear of fucking that roll (tho i could probably cast the spell about 20 times ((sorcerers man))

[theangelsandthephonebox]

Krem, aka @ayantiel’s ‘hansome asshole’, from Dragon age I really hope you like it 

[stitchcasual]

for the fanfic trope thing, if you're still doing those; crossover?

I aaaaaam ^_^ Thank you!

Likelihood to write: A Mass Effect/Dragon Age crossover could be pretty cool! It sounds like a really big project (at least the way I’m thinking of it), so the likelihood is probably 60/40 against, but oh maaaan it could be so fun....

I’m blaming you if this gets written. So you know.Pairing: It would probably involve my OTPs, because if I’m gonna do a big project, I’d need them there. So, Fenhawke and Shrios, with a smattering of side pairings (likely to include Warden/Zevran and Inquisitor/Josephine), tbd if this ever gets written

[catalystcrisis]

Solas - Elvhenan Edition!

All credit for the quotes go to the talented @serial-chillr! 

This is basically a fancy WIP for WIP Wednesday since this is a crop from a much larger canvas that I’m working on. It will include the uh... things that may dominate your focus.

Thank you for the tags, @coffeebirby and @pinkfadespirit! Tags below the cut!

@ayantiel @aaronoodle @amberneonlights @ammocharis @asaara-writes @ashalle-art @blarfkey @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold @charlatron @curiousthimble @dirthenera @varghaxa @coffeebirby @enigmalea @erandir @fanartsy-art @thefoxinboots @jarino @jentrevellan @kemvee @merrcur-e @mint-and-matcha @paganstars @pinkfadespirit @xqueen0fhellx @resjade @schoute @savbakk @scharoux @serial-chillr @serphena @silversynthesis @storybookhawke @tevivinter @artevalentinapaz @zeladanial @zuendwinkel @lethendralis-paints

[jupio]

and also these as my holiday exchange art for @ayantiel !!!!!!!!!

[hollyand-writes]

Six Sentence Sunday Monday 

I was tagged this weekend by the lovely @a-shakespearean-in-paris, @aria-i-adagio, @noire-pandora, @morganlefaye79, and @pinkfadespirit (thanks so much, guys! ❤️ ) but I was really busy yesterday and therefore mostly offline, so I’m doing Six Sentence Monday instead -- where I combine Six Sentence Sunday with Last Line Monday (or Last Six Lines Monday, in this case) 😆 

So! Have a (spoiler-free) six sentences from the Regency AU Carver/Merrill longfic A Chance Engagement, since that made up some of what I was working on during NaNoWriMo (no pairings in this snippet): 

Merrill, who was trying again not to squirm in her seat, was grateful that Mahariel kindly spared her from needing to contribute to the Hawke sisters’ conversation about Sir Carver. ‘I suppose Babette and Fifi de Launcet implored your mother to write to your brother and beg him to return to Kirkwall?’ Mahariel asked.   ‘Even worse,’ Bethany giggled. ‘Poor Carver. The Comtesse de Launcet told Mother her daughters were made so anxious by his absence that they wrote to him in Lothering, asking him to come back soon so that they could secure a wedding from him. Apparently, he never replied.’

I tag the people who tagged me yesterday (in case you want to do Last Line Monday), as well as: @dismalzelenka​, @pikapeppa​, @gothkimmyschmidt​, @mikkeneko​, @amarmeme​, @cleverblackcat​, @ser-thirst-a-lot​, @lesetoilesfous​, @rakshadow​, @hobo-apostate​, @ayantiel​, @illusivesoul​, @visceralcoma​ and anyone else who wants to do this -- consider yourselves tagged! ❤️

[dincobb-big-bang]

it's time for.... DINCOBB BIG BANG 2021 POSTING INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!!

under the cut bc we've got lots to share with u <3

BEFORE POSTING: Please confer with your artist/author to make sure you agree on how your works will be presented!!! <3

As always, if you have questions, you can ask us here or over on discord :)

AUTHORS:

Fics should be posted to AO3 and added to the collection (you can add a work to the collection directly from this link OR you can type the collection name into the "This work is part of a collection" part of the Post A New Work page)

Do not post your fics before October 30th!!! The collection is currently open and unrevealed, so if u post beforehand the fics will appear as mystery fics and get pushed down the front page of the tag :(

On that topic btw if you are posting from a draft you made before your posting date, make sure to change the posting date to the current date. go to your draft, Edit, and under Associations, choose "Set a different publication date" and change it to the day's date!

Fics should also be linked on Tumblr and tagged #dincobb big bang 2021 and @dincobb-big-bang so we don't miss it! <3

If you have agreed with your artist to have the art included in the fic on AO3, please see below for instructions on how to embed images into a fic!!

Include all potential trigger tags!!

Need help on posting chapters? Check out the guide here :)

ARTISTS:

Art should be posted to Tumblr at minimum by the artist with a link to the accompanying fic, and should have the same tags as the fic post. Alternatively, the author can post both art and fic to tumblr.

Art can be posted on AO3 and added to the collection as its own work or embedded in the fic itself (see this post)

Remember to include all potential trigger tags but other tags are optional

If You Need an AO3 Invite: Let us know!!! We will get u one <3

and a reminder... here is your posting Schedule!!!!

October 30th —

ady // Rocky

staranon // sunfishstick

Kaijuscientists // Red

Mickey // Victoria

hexedmaiden // sof_gigante

Cillian (Andraem) // Allie (godtier1)

cakes // olives

Kappa // Ayantiel

Dutch/Bronzeinferno // retrojupiter

Shelb // QED221.art

wordscavenger // bird

Lin // ani (toothcowboy)

November 4th —

Rocky // Mickey

November 5th —

Nunu // Aredes

Lotus // Sissy

November 6th —

Jane // Jamie

November 8th —

Sophie // staranon

musicmillennia // bird

November 10th —

Allie // Suppie

kit // Dani

November 11th —

wolfhalls // Dio

November 12th —

Kerri // Calo

retrojupiter // Mish

November 13th —

Alice // Cillian

Fox // cakes

[captainkappa]

Fanfic:: Hunter and Prey

To be a Mandalorian pirate is to be both hunter and prey. This, Din understood after being taken into their care as a child.

Now he is hunting a Mandalorian artifact to deliver his charge to the aquatic sorcerers in order to teach him how to handle his magic. His quest brings him to a sandy stretch of shore, Mos Pelgo.

Link to AO3

For Day 4 of @dincobbweek aka AU day!

The prophecy as foretold; I have a hyperfixation, therefore I must write a pirate AU. And oh my god, I loved writing this fic so so much.

Huge shout out to @staranon95 for betaing and @ayantiel for providing the needed inspiration to get this thing going!

-=-=-=-

Mayfeld took in a deep breath, letting the salty air fill his lungs. There was a lot riding on today, his reputation, Ran’s reputation, but with the Empire’s finest knelt at his feet, all of their note-worthy possessions, he thought he was doing pretty well.

“No one makes any dumb decisions and you all will get to live,” he called out, voice carrying over the wind so even the poor bastards at the end would be able to hear. “We’re just here for what’s ours and then we’ll leave you be. You’ll never have seen us.”

Xi’an was getting her brother from the prisoners down below and Burg was raiding the captain’s office. Sure, the objective was to get Xi’an’s brother before he made it to the Empire’s colonies, but this was an Imperial vessel. The three of them would have to be stupid not to rob the Imps blind when they had the opportunity.  Plus, their informant assured them that not only was this a prisoner’s vessel, it was a transport vessel, moving a map that led to a whole lot of Mandalorian gold.

It was the perfect plan; do a job for Ran, undermine Ran, get filthy rich, and live the rest of their days on an island in the Outer Isles.

And everything was going great, when Burg burst through the captain’s doors, startling everyone on board. Everyone jumped, bar Mayfeld. Burg cut an intimidating figure, a mountain of a man, horns poking through holes he made in his hat so he had to crouch to get into most places. His sudden presence didn’t startle Migs. What was a surprise was the concern on his face.

“Migs! The captain is dead!”

He rolled his eyes. “And? Do you want me to pay you back for the ammo it took to do that?”

“No, he was already dead! And the map’s gone too!”

His blood ran cold. He gave up the act and ran into the room, grabbing onto his hat so it wouldn’t fly away. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. He couldn’t tell if there had been a scuffle or it had been Burg who had torn up the room. Drawers were half open, hanging out, papers scattered, a blood-spatter, maybe, but there was so little Migs couldn’t tell if it was recent.

And in the center of it all, the captain, dead in his chair. His body was cool, so Burg wasn’t bluffing in saying someone had shot him before. There had been a lot of commotion when they had first boarded the ship, could the thief have entered then?

“You swear he was like this when you got in?”

Burg nodded.

“And he wasn’t holding a pistol?”

Burg nodded again and the evidence confirmed it. There was only one pistol in the room, halfway across the floor. That didn’t happen when someone tried to off themself for fear of the pirates coming on board.

Migs pushed the body to the floor, getting on his knees to root through the drawers, hoping to find the map, to be able to smack Burg upside the head, but there was nothing. He ripped them out of the desk, holding them upside down and shaking them, but still nothing. Just useless documentation with Imperial seals splayed everywhere.

He slammed the top of the desk as he stood up.

“Did you check everywhere?! Every possible drawer, false drawer, any of that bullshit?”

“Yeah! But it ain’t here!”

Migs pulled off his hat, balling up the rim in fist before throwing it back on.

Ran would tell him not to get greedy. There was an unknown element at play now, so focus on getting Qin out and run. With the group back to what it was before Mando sold them out, they could rob big ships again, but who the fuck cared about that. If Ran knew about the map, he would’ve said to hell with Qin, focus on the pay-out.

Migs stormed out of the quarters and back onto the deck. It was too sunny to see, but that didn’t stop his furious walk back to the line of Imperials on the ship. He grabbed the one in the fanciest looking clothing, who he could only assume was the quartermaster or second mate, and hauled him to his feet by his collar.

The man made a choking sound and face-to-face, looked at Migs with terror.

“Where the fuck is it?”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-?”

“The fucking map! Lost Mandalorian treasure? I need it, and if you don’t, Burg here will make sure you meet those fucking dead ass Mandalorians that hid it in the first place.”

Something must’ve gotten the man brave, because he said, “I thought Mandalorians were extinct, like you pirates are going to be.”

And as if signing his death wish, he spat on the floorboards near his feet.

Well, Migs wanted a nice clean run, but he had a reputation to uphold.

He threw the man back down to the floor and before he could get his arms out from under him, Migs pulled out his flintlock pistol and aimed it at him.

He was a second away from painting the floor with this asshole, when Xi’an ran out from under the deck, her brother trailing behind.

“Captain! It’s Mando!”

That made Migs whip his head up. “Mando? Here?”

She nodded. “We saw him climbing down. Port side, now!”

The four of them raced to the railing, watching as the small craft sped away, faster than any ship could hope to move. She flew familiar colors, the flag of someone who had sold Qin out in the first place.

Migs thought today couldn’t get any worse.

Then the flare went out, bright and brilliant even in the daytime sky. An Imperial flare, that would’ve had to have come from the captain’s quarters, that they wouldn’t have been able to spot in the chaos of the room, that was absolutely going to call every Imperial ship in a hundred miles radius.

Fuck.

Fucker didn’t even have the decency to flip them off as he sailed away.

-=-

Din keeps his eyes low to the ground, brim of his hat pulled low over his head, scarf pulled round his face as he weaves in the crowd. It’s Nevarro, so he knows he blends in with the rest of the criminals that inhabit the port town, but he finds himself more cautious these days.

Especially with the small cargo at his side.

It’s only when he takes a corner into a dark alley, down a set of stairs just off the tavern, into the gloom, does he look at the bag at his side.

As they passed a torch on the wall, the Child looked up at him and beamed, his pointy teeth just coming in, ears unfurling as he lifted the flap.

“You doing ok?”

The child babbled in reply.

“Good, we’ll be there soon.”

For what was basically an underground network for a bunch of criminals, it was surprisingly clean. There were puddles of brackish water that Din stepped around to avoid, along with passing others, but it wasn’t as piss-soaked as Nevarro was up top.

Hiding a whole community under a criminal network didn’t seem like the smartest idea at first, but the thing about criminals is they can either be paid off or disappeared with little problem. As he stepped around a pair of running children, he hoped there would be one day Mandalorians wouldn’t have to hide. He had no idea how that would happen, but no one had ever died on hope.

They finally arrived at their destination, a door on the far side of the hallway. He knocked on the door and opened it when he heard the familiar voice say, “Enter.”

She was already sitting at a table, a bottle of rum in front of her, a candle burning, doing its best to light up the space. Her hat was beside her, feathers drooping so they touched the brim. He made a mental note to pick up more on his next supply run.

He took off his hat as he shut the door behind him, keeping his bandana firmly in place.

“How was your trip?” the Quartermaster asked coolly, picking up the bottle to pour him a drink. It had been years since she had manned a ship, but the title still carries in their community.

He pulled out both the kid and treasure from the bag, setting the kid down on the ground to run around the space before sitting across from her.

“Successful.”

He spread out the map in front of the Quartermaster. He heard those fools talking about Mandalorian gold, and it wasn’t entirely true. It was a map to a compass that would reveal what the holder most desired, which for some might be Mandalorian pirate gold or power or love.

Or the location of the aquatic sorcerers the child needed.

The child wasn’t fully human. He needed to spend a lot of time in water in order to spend time on land, which meant a lot of time spent swimming alongside the Razor Crest. He could also shoot water up out of the ocean, a gift Din was well acquainted with, it being one of the child’s favorite games to play.

Since he had failed to fully deliver the child to the Empire, he had had privateers and other pirates on their tail for months. This map was their last hope to make sure the child got back with his people and then…

And then Din would go back to what he did best; providing for a people now scattered by his actions.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the Quartermaster’s chair scraping back. She stood up, only to bow over again, her back parallel to the table. She moved her scarf to the side so her lips could ghost over the map as she spoke words of power into the paper.

She stood back up fully as the ink on the map shifted and moved. Waves rolled in place, sea serpents dipped in and out of the surface, all the while the path moved like an eel, slippery and changing, until everything at last was at rest and the ink seeped back into the page.

All three bowed their heads over the map. The starting point of the path was now the tiny cluster of islands of Nevarro and the end point was…

“Tatooine?” he asked out loud. “They’re basically land locked. What would a Mandalorian be doing there?”

Tatooine was a coastal stretch of land, surrounded by jagged rocks and ship-wrecks on one side and impassable mountains on the other, with desert in the valley.

She raised her head, scarf now back in place. “I suspect you’ll find out when you go there.”

He nodded and the child cooed. Din looked over at the child grabbing at the map, hands scratching at the lines like he could pick them back up.

“Come on, little one. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

-=-

Din sailed into Mos Pelgo, following the instructions Peli had given him.

“You have to arrive at low tide, that’s the only way you’ll see all the shit you have to get through. If you haven’t decided to turn tail and leave, you have to keep to the south. If you go north, you’re dead. Last I heard, there’s a pile of sticks they call a dock if you keep going south.”

The dock was a simple thing, as she’d said. Rotten wood, with just one post tall enough to hold the rope to the ship. Din was half tempted to jump straight into the water and swim to shore rather than test the strength of the wood, but resisted the urge with the Child in his bag.

He could see the town in the distance and set off on the beach, letting the Child out to stomp around on the beach.

The town was small, a couple of shacks on stilts for the stormy season. Few people were out, and those that were openly stared at the two of them. Din paid them no mind, one goal in his head.

He walked into the cantina, knowing if there ever was a way to learn about a town, it was going to their cantina first.

And not half a minute of talking with the Weequay bartender, the “Captain” walked in. The man wasn’t a Mandalorian, his face was bare, showing off white hair, sun-freckled pale skin, and a well-trimmed beard. His coat was sturdy, but patched to high heaven, with a bright red scarf around his neck. He wore the compass on his belt like he was flaunting it. It made Din’s blood boil. If Din were a younger man, he would’ve shot him right there for it.

But he tried talking. The compass should be in the hands of a Mandalorian. The Captain swore up and down he had gotten it fairly and therefore it should be his.

“I’ve given you an easy out already. Take it off,” Din said, “Or I will.”

“We gonna do this in front of the kid?”

“He’s seen worse.”

The Captain stood, fingers already itching for the flintlock on his hip, no doubt preloaded like Din’s were. They were interrupted by cries from outside. The Captain holds up a hand before smoothly exiting the cantina. Din follows, but stops in the doorframe to take it all in.

There were several broken fishing boats being led through the rocky shores, dragged onto the sands, people shouting, people carrying others. The Captain was in the middle of it all, shouting orders, trying to bring organization to the chaos.

In the distance, was the unmistakable view of a large tentacle slipping beneath the waves.

Din didn’t want to get in the way of this organized chaos, but then a twi’lek with scarred lekku was shoving bandages into his arms and gesturing over to a house across the way. Din wasn’t going to say no to that.

The house was quieter than outside, only pained whimpers and soft, hushed voices. A collection of wooden splinters already piled beside the bed as the doctor continued to take tweezers to one of the people who came in. Din placed the bandages by their side before stepping back, nearly colliding with the Captain.

He looked at the scene with a pensive expression. Immediately, Din could see that his care for his people went further than words. There was corded energy in those shoulders, anger that wanted to be released at the creature that did this to his people.

The Captain ushered him out of the room.

As they walked back to the cantina, the Captain said, “How about this; you help me with the kraken, I give you back your compass.”

“Deal.”                                                                                                          

-=-

The Captain led him past the edge of town to the cliff’s edge. On the journey he told his name was Cobb Vanth; Din held off on his own introduction.

“None of us are much for traveling,” Cobb said, “but the kraken planted itself right where we normally fish. Even when I send people to fish in a different spot, the damn thing follows after. We’ll be starved out sooner rather than later.”

They crested over the hill and the expanse of ocean fell before them. The kraken was visible from the cliffs, a dark mark under the waters, swimming languidly around the coast.

Din did a mental inventory of what he had on the Razor Crest; a handful of spears, a harpoon, some rope. Cobb had shown him the town’s stores before they left. It wasn’t going to be enough.

He stepped back from the ledge, back where Cobb is. “Is there a Tusken encampment nearby?”

Cobb raised an eyebrow. “The Tuskens? But they’re-”

“They know the coast and water better than anyone. We can’t kill it with just the two of us.”

“If they know the area then won’t they want to… I don’t know, not kill it?”

“Then, we’ll just have to ask.”

“Ask? You don’t ask a Tusken anything.”

He could, in fact, ask a Tusken for things. Din was thankful for the cloth in front of his face, masking most of his pride as he watched Cobb’s jaw drop as he asked the Tuskens for their help. It turned out, they did want help in defeating the kraken. Its sudden appearance had also affected their fishing.

They had to travel further to where the kraken had made his home. Din stayed in the back with Cobb, where he seemed more comfortable.

Cobb also apparently liked to talk when he’s nervous.

“So, you spend your days on the ocean? All the time?”

“Mhm. Do you spend all your days on land?”

“Mostly. I used to be on a ship, but not like you. I was a galley slave on an Imperial ship, but before then I had dreams of being as free as you, traveling the waters on a boat with a crew of my own.” His face fell. “Haven’t thought about that dream… for a while.”

To have something that should have meant freedom be taken away from you, Din couldn’t imagine.

“But you escaped?”

“Kriff, yes. Raised a mutiny, sunk those fuckers to the bottom of the sea. I found the compass in the captain’s drawers and it pointed us here. Few more people joined, some left, but it’s as home as we can get.”

Din could only nod. He found himself surprised with the thought that he was glad that Cobb got the compass. He had no idea what the Empire was doing with a Mandalorian artifact, but it was definitely put to better use finding people a home.

They made camp up in the dunes. Din had to waste a bullet, firing into the air to disrupt the startings of a fight between Cobb and the Tuskens. Planning was slightly easier after that.

He took off his coat, bundling it up into a nest for the child to sit in. He rolled up his sleeves to free up his arms as he continued translating. He noticed Cobb looking at the tattoos that traveled up his arms. He doesn’t comment on it.

-=-

Small boats littered the coastline the next day. The plan was for people from both the Tusken band and Mos Pelgo would distract the kraken long enough for a boat of explosives to be set up and ignited close enough to kill it but not the people.

It doesn’t go great.

There were enough boats in the water to pick up people who capsized in the wake of the monster’s waves, the thing lashing out as folks took pot shots with pistols and arrows. They managed to set the boat laden with explosives off in its direction, but when the time came to ignite, the explosion happened, but it just managed to scratch the beast.

Din reached for the harpoons he brought as backup. He and Cobb try firing at the kraken, but they skim off its skin.

The Tuskens were still firing their weapons at the creature. Mos Pelgans took turns firing guns and reloading in turn. All it did was keep the creature at bay, which wouldn’t last long at all. He needed to think of something to kill the creature or everyone here would die.

He furtively scanned around the deck for something, anything. His gaze landed on the extra explosives they had kept on hand. The monster’s skin was too thick for the explosions to take but elsewhere…

Din doesn’t think, he just moves. He grabbed as many sticks of dynamite as he could, stuffing them in the pockets of his coat. There was a coil of rope tied off to the railing, which he took and wrapped around his waist. Even after years of living on ships, his hands shook as he tried to tie it. Suddenly, Cobb was in front of him, taking the rope from his hands and tying it tight around his midsection.

He pulled it hard, once, twice, and it wasn’t going anywhere.

“What are you gonna do?” Cobb asked.

“I’m not sure,” Din said, pulling the rope tighter around his waist.

“Then what should I do?”

Din looked at him, really looked at this man who was willing to do so much for his community in light of so much hardship in his own life. He looked back at the dark shape in the water racing for their boats

He took off his hat and tossed it at Cobb. “Take care of the Child.”

And before Cobb could do anything beyond catch the hat, Din leaped off the side of the ship. He couldn’t tell if Cobb shouted anything after him as the kraken burst from the water. He forced himself to keep his eyes open as he fell straight into the kraken’s maw.

-=-

It was nothing but darkness inside the beast. Even with the scarf over his nose, the scent of salt water and death was everywhere. He dug himself in the mouth of the beast, boots scraping against bony protuberances in the things throat. He emptied his pockets as fast as he could while holding on for dear life as the monster bucked and screamed.

He hoped the kraken was out of range of the boat.

When he was left with one explosive left, he fished around in his pockets for his matchbook. He struck the match and lit the explosive before chucking it down with all the others like it.

He turned and clawed at the kraken’s beak, heart pounding in his chest. If he doesn’t get out of here before the explosion goes off-

Suddenly, a roaring filled his ears and a mass of hot air flung him out of the monster. His scarf twists around his head and he can’t see anything as he flails. He landed hard in the water and then it was silent as the dark water pulled him down.

He wasn’t sure how long he drifted. The shock of cold water and the heaviness of his coat made movement impossible.

He didn’t regret asking Cobb to take care of the child, he’d be in good hands.

Something wrapped around his waist and pulled. Din tried to resist, not sure if he was being dragged toward air or to his death, but his arms were useless, heavy and leaden. He had no strength and so he let it happen.

And then they broke through the surface of the water, a cool wind icing his skin instantly. He took a shuddering breath and nearly choked on water and his sopping wet scarf. Hands came up and pulled the scarf off his face. He coughed, chest shuddering with each intake of breath. He realized he’s being held, arms around his waist, and it isn’t until he can take a full breath did he finally bother to wipe salt water from his eyes and look at who was holding him.

It was Cobb. His hat and coat were off, red shirt darkened to maroon with all the water. He was searching his face for… something.

Din took a breath, resisting the urge to cough again. “I thought I said- you need to take care of the kid!”

“I am!” Cobb said, holding his head up to avoid a passing wave. “By making sure his daddy lives!”

Cobb maneuvers his arms so he’s gripping a floating piece of rowboat. It’s thankfully big enough that when Din leans his whole weight on it, he doesn’t sink back into the ocean.

“Everyone okay?”

Cobb gave him a look that Din thinks means he’s stupid. “Yes, thanks to you, partner.”

They only have to tread water for a couple of minutes before a rowboat headed by the twi’lek Issa-Or arrives. Cobb makes sure Din is pulled aboard before climbing in himself.

-=-

They stayed the night. Din isn’t in any position to argue with Cobb’s hospitality. He didn’t think he’d be able to turn the wheel on the Razor Crest let alone sail it out of harbor.

Cobb opened his house to them. It was a small abode, raised off the ground like the others. Its small size made it even more obvious the telescope and sextant were on display on the only table in the main room.

Din wanted to pass out then and there, but Cobb firmly set him in one of the wooden chairs before disappearing behind the one door in the house. He returned with a roll of bandages and water. He thought it was to drink, until Cobb started peeling back the wet layers of Din’s clothes to reveal burns and scratches he hadn’t even felt. Cobb dips a rag into the freshwater, rinsing out the salt and detritus from the wounds.

He worked in silence, both too exhausted from the day to say much. They could hear the sounds of the party outside, Tusken and Mos Pelgan alike celebrating the death of the beast.

A drunken group walked past and the two of them can hear the butchered shanty they sing. They glanced to the window then to each other, sharing hidden smiles.

All patched up, Cobb gave him the bed and set something up for the child. Din knew he should be aware of his host, should know where his host himself is sleeping the night, but he couldn’t bring himself to care with exhaustion tugging him into the bed.

Voices from the other room kept him up,  cracking one eye open to focus on the now familiar drawl.

“You know, in the past few days, whenever I looked at the compass for a sign of how to kill the kraken, it always pointed out to sea. I didn’t know what that meant, if I had to go sailing for a kraken expert or find a sunken treasure that would kill the kraken. I don’t know, I was getting desperate. But now… I’m thinking it might’ve been pointing to your dad.”

He heard the child’s burbles of delight and finally, finally, he slid into unconsciousness.

-=-

Din woke up to the sun shining in his eyes, light reflecting off the compass placed on the pillow that wasn’t there last night. Any lingering drowsiness left him when he realized what it is.

The Mandalorian compass.

He grabbed it and opened it up, thinking about Grogu and the teacher he needed. The arrow spun around, until stopping, hovering at a point out back toward the ocean.

A heading. He had a heading.

He fell back into the bed, just staring at the compass. It was embedded in a box made of dark wood, carvings all around the edges, Mando’a script, if he had to guess. It’s incomprehensible, chipped to the point of  being illegible.  

Something in the bed crinkled as he shifted. He turned and searched for the source and founda scrap of paper. It took a moment for him to parse, but it was just Cobb letting him know he had business to attend to and he would be back when Din left.

Right... they had to leave this town to continue their quest.

He reminded himself of that as he went out to find the child. The house sounded suspiciously quiet for all the mischief the child got into.

-=-

They got their affairs in order quicker than expected. Some people had spent the night alongside the Tuskens preparing the kraken meat to distribute to the rest of the town – and Din, apparently.

It seemed like the whole town had come out to see them off. They apparently had held off giving their thanks until they knew he was conscious. Din looked over the grateful townspeople’s heads to see Issa talking intently with Cobb. When Cobb glanced over his way, he ducked his head back down.

Normally he would sneak out of this kind of attention, but the kid was eating it up, beaming like he was the one who took down the beast, so Din went down the line, nodding respectfully at every given comment.

By the time he got to the end of the line, he was already ready to take a nap, but he raised a hand to bid them all good-bye and turned to walk out of town.

“Mando!”

Din turned around to see Cobb running after him, heel kicking up sand.

He stops in front of him. “Do you- do you need help on your quest?”

“Are you offering? Thought you had a town to look after.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Well, the kraken was our biggest threat, and with the peace brokered with the Tuskens, there’s not much for me here.”

Din tried to tamp down his excitement, not believing what he was hearing. “You still have your sea legs?”

“Long as you don’t lock me up below deck, I should get them just fine.”

“I’d never,” he said quickly. 

Cobb smiled. “Well then, permission to come aboard?”

Din hoped Cobb could tell he was smiling behind the bandana. “Granted.”

-=-

As they sailed out of port, Din kept glancing at Cobb, who was fidgeting up a storm. He kept tapping his fingers against the railing, glancing out at the disappearing coastline.

Finally, after even the Child was tapping on his pant leg to point out Cobb’s unease for him, he hatched a plan. He affixed the wheel so it wouldn’t turn on its own. Then he went about setting the sails and ropes for the same task, keeping them on course while Din took care of Cobb.

“We can still head back if you want to,” he said as he approached the other man.

Cobb turned over his shoulder. “No, I’m not having second thoughts. I’ve… My friends know I’m not exactly made for land.”

“Oh?”

Cobb flipped his scarf up to wipe at his head. “Before we made landfall at Mos Pelgo, we took out a few Imperial ports. Small things that we only noticed because of the ships with galley slaves, but… I ain’t felt that alive in a while.”

Din fished the compass out from his pocket, flicking it open. The arrow spun lazily, pointing back to Cobb for a second before spinning around in the direction they were sailing, the same direction it had pointed when he thought about what Grogu needed.

He snapped it shut, coming up to stand beside Cobb.

“I’m sure we’ll run into something along the way. Here, I’ve got something to show you.”

Cobb raised an eyebrow. “Alright, I’ll bite. What is it?”

Din bit his lip, glad for the bandana. “Do you trust me?”

Cobb chuckled. “I would have to be an idiot to sail out to who knows where with a man I didn’t trust.”

Din nodded. “Then let it be a surprise.”

Cobb acquiesced, letting himself be led to the middle of the deck. When they were under the main mast, Din grabbed the main line in one hand, pulling Cobb close with the other. He ignored how his cheeks flushed with the sudden closeness.

“Hold on tight,” he said.

“Wha-?” That’s all Cobb got out before Din flicked the switch with his foot and the two of them went rocketing up toward the crow’s nest. Cobb’s arms circled around him like a vice, his shouts lost in the wind.

Din made sure Cobb got in the basket before he did, especially when he realized his eyes were shut.

“Cobb, open your eyes.”

Cobb cracked one eye open and then both flew open as he realized what he was seeing. Glittering blue ocean, as far as the eye could see. There were two dots in the far distance, ships of some sort.

There was no better way to experience the vastness of it all, than looking at it from above.

He glanced at Cobb and saw his eyes tearing up a bit.

He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, letting Cobb take it all in. This was what being on the ocean was supposed to mean, freedom and possibility, beauty and wonder. Din didn’t expect to do much in laying a balm over Cobb’s past, but he hoped he could communicate with this view that he wanted to help when he could.

Cobb turned to face him and Din knew he understood.

“Thank you, Mando.”

“Din, my name is Din Djarin.”

“Then thank you, Din.” And to his surprise, he leaned over and kissed him just above where the scarf covered his face.

Neither of them acknowledged it, except for an exchange of eye contact. Neither could contain the mirth in the crinkles of their eyes.

“We should start plotting a course, shouldn’t we, Captain?” Cobb asked.

“Yes, Captain.”

[hexedmaiden]

six sentence sunday (tagged by my beloved @timothyolyphant ❤️)

A sneak peak at something finished but unpublished ;3c

“Did you miss me that much?” Cobb smirks as Din takes a step toward him.

“Yeah.” Din breathes out; he raises himself onto the balls of his feet to close the distance between them to kiss Cobb. The taller man grabs Din’s face to hold him in place, kissing him back. Din’s warm hands slide over his hips pulling Cobb closer to him. Cobb crowds Din against the sink moaning as Din’s hands slip into the back pockets of his jeans. 

tagging: @kaijuscientists , @godtier1, @ayantiel, & anyone else who wants to join in <333