#but I've poured to much oil into this fire

[timelorddarthswagger]

These bad book adaptations have thrown me so far of my center. Uprooting the rage in me has been a year long process. I need to get back to reading. Far too long have feared a new foray into the literary world. I made small offering by way of new editions into ongoing series.

But even that was a preventative measure to avoid spoilers. The fear of reading something new. Immersing my self in that world as a form of detaching from reality to soothe my mind. Only to be thrust back into the chaos of a bad adaptation is crushing. I'd rather not read a book at all then to be disappointed with an inevitable adaptation. I'll avoid both. And we'll each be poorer for it.

One bad egg doesn't ruin it for the whole class. This is a mold that sits among the strawberries. I know how quickly it spreads.

[overwhelmed-overweight]

I often feel invisible on here with BED.

I don't restrict calories below 1,200. I don't fast for days on end. I don't replace meals with an energy drink. I don't cardio myself into the ground.

That's not to say, of course, that I haven't done those things. I've struggled with this shit since before some people on this side of Tumblr could walk. But I've accepted that these things lead me to binge hard. I still binge regardless, but not like I did with those restrictions in place.

Applying ana habits to BED is like pouring water on an oil fire. That shit will explode in your fucking face.

Back when I started showing symptoms over 10 years ago it wasn't even recognized as its own disorder, just lumped in with EDNOS, so even medical/psychiatric professionals are just now getting around to diagnosing it instead of giving the usual "hurr durr put the fork down" advice and billing my insurance $300. But I felt invisible back then and I still feel invisible now because that stigma does still hang on.

To my other BED friends who feel like they can't fit in with the ED crowd on Tumblr, I know how you feel. It's hard to romanticize stuffing your face until you're throwing up blood and stomach acid with vintage typewriter text over black & white filtered T-spo. But we have a much, much different disorder and need to allow ourselves the grace to approach it differently.

You still have a disorder whether you eat 500 or 1500 calories. You still have a disorder whether you lift heavy weights or run for miles on end or are sedentary. You're not alone, your disorder is 100% real and valid, and I see you.

[muneca-lemon-steppa]

Interviews for New Beginnings: Part 7

Alfie Solomons x Fem! Reader, 3.7k words, WARNINGS: mentions of blood, injury, stitches, cursing, violence

Guys... is it weird that I'm crying a little? This is the first series that I've ever done. This is from the first post i ever made on this blog, and I feel like I've met so many amazing people from this series. I did spend a good amount of time thinking of a good way to close this series, and I can only hope that I made it good enough for you guys. My heart breaks leaving these two behind, but I don't think this is the end for them. I do see myself writing some one shots or other things for these two. But regardless... I love you guys so much. I hope you enjoy this final installment. Sending all of my love always. - Mo

---

Any soldier worth his salt knows what getting shot feels like. Either through their own experience or staying beside their brother. They all say the same thing.

A hard punch.

The immediate all encompassing burn.

Your body feels like you’ve been run over by a train.

Your body on fire.

Air sliding through your lungs like glass shards.

Alfred Solomons has been shot five times.

Six counting this one. The first time was when he was 14, and he was caught snatching sweets from the corner store, and the old store owner with the bad eyes shot at Alfie, grazing his left thigh. The other four times were in the war. Foot and shoulder and once in the lower back, which is still troubling him to this day. All of those were the same. Rage inducing. The bloodlust burning brighter than the flame of the pain. In hours he was fixed up. Rusty scalpels and pliers pulling out the shrapnel as he numbed the cuts by drowning in drink and breaking metal bars with his teeth.

This one was different. The burn and hit was memorable. As memorable as a betrayal. But the bloodlust that got him through that burn wasn’t present. Like warm oil being poured over his mind and body he felt the exhaustion of the tears settle over him. And look. An angel has come to take him to stay with the forefathers. Wow… what a mercy… the angel looks so much like you. Sounds and smells just like you. Like lavender. Like spilled ink and fresh paper. So soft and tender. What a mercy God has given him. That the angel to walk him to the other side would look like the only woman he has ever truly loved.

Tommy and Ollie rush over, as John pulls you away from Alfie's body. You screamed and kicked, trying to get free from John's grasp. "It's alright love it's alright. They're going to fix him up I promise love! He's gonna be ok!" John tried to calm you but you were inconsolable as you saw Alfie's lifeless body being carried out. It takes four men to life his large and hardened body off the ground, a pool of garnet the only sign of the King of Camden’s presence.

John’s attempts at soothing and assurance are met with deaf ears. What point is there for calm and rationalization when Alfie might be leaving you. What point was there to breathe, if breathing meant prolonging a life on Earth that may not have Alfie. Your mind was blank. And you body could do the only rational thing it could do. Wail and preparation for the certain mourning to come.

With a hard smack across your face you suddenly cease, as you see Polly's face in front of you, "Enough! This is not the time for screaming!"

Your lip quivered, never had you been smacked like that before. With a wave, Polly dismissed John to assist Ollie and Tommy, and took you to a chair to sit. Polly wiped your tears, "I am sorry for slapping you, usually I don't smack friends till we are at least 3 months acquainted, but I felt you needed it and I'm sure our friendship will survive. But you need to pull it together darling."

You nodded. It was needed. Even if your ego was now bruised. Polly sighed, "I know you're scared. We all have been in your shoes. But you cannot lose yourself. We need to be there for our men. Yes?"

You nodded. Your man. Your Alfie. Polly stroked your face, "He will live.”

“How can you be sure?”

Polly gives you an embarrassed look, attempting to push up the corner of her mouth, “They always do darling. Try as they might to die, they somehow always make it out. I think God may think these episodes are more of a punishment than Hell.”

A defeated chuckle pushes out of your chest. Alfie would say something as dark as that. And for some reason that makes you feel better. Makes you feel more centered. Polly grabs a bottle from the ground and takes a long swig before passing it to you. You take a longer one, pushing to suppress the sick face you make. Polly’s eyes are glassy, looking at your young face. Thinking and considering how you would handle this. Handle this life. Because if her intuition was right, and it always was, this wouldn’t be the last time you experienced this. This wouldn’t deter you from being next to Alfie. As if Alfie would ever let you go.

Polly stood up suddenly, looking in the gilded mirror on the wall nearest to her, smoothing her dress and repinning those loose curls that fell out in the fray. She holds out a regal hand to you, “C’mon dear. I know where they’d be taking him. He’ll want you near I wager.”

You nod and stand up, not making anymore to wipe the blood or tears off your face. Though it doesn’t stop Polly from straightening out your slip and placing your hair more akin to how you came in. As you begin walking to the door, you see a familiar glint in the shadows and wet of the floor.

Alfie’s signet ring. Small. Small for Alfie at least. You knew him to wear it on his left pinky amongst the rest of his rings. Pure gold, with a royal S engraved onto its front with ivy and thorns. You pause to pick it up and hold it in your hand. It must have slipped off in the scuffle and removal of his body. Polly looked behind herself to see what had made you stop, and marveled at how you had even caught it, “How did you even see that?”

“I suppose I’m just good at looking for his things.”

Polly smiled softly, a familiar ache in her chest reappearing. “Well make sure you don’t drop it hmm? I’m sure he’ll want it back.”

You nod, immediately slipping it onto your left ring finger. You knew innately it wouldn’t budge. It was a perfect fit.

The Shelby family had a trusted physician who routinely dealt with these sort of things. Stand. Cuts. Gunshots. The occasional childhood scrape or concussion when the children needed a good scolding and scare to not be stupid. Dr. Hendricks had been the Shelby physician for many many years. So when he was called for ‘a slight emergency’ he knew that he needed to make immediate preparations.

The Shelby boys and Ollie bashed in the ornate door of Dr. Hendricks’ door, and were immediately met with Mrs. Hendricks pushing the men into the dining room. Already prepped and cold with sterile air Dr. Hendricks directed further with a low and booming voice, “Right here Mr. Shelby, hurry, can’t risk anymore blood loss.”

Alfie was pale, but was still breathing and choking out small groans. Mrs. Hendricks worked diligently alongside the Doctor, who asked questions and made conversation with the men, trying to bring down the tension. “Mr. Solomons boys? Why the sudden fit of charity.”

Mrs. Hendricks hushed him and his sore mouth. But his cheek was what made him so beloved by the Shelbys. Even in what seemed like dire moments, the good Doctor was never one to shy away from a joke or jab. Suddenly Alfie groaned under the crowd. Tommy looked down, shocked Alfie was awake now. Alfie, through the pain and blood, groaned and moaned your name through his teeth. Tommy grabbed Alfie’s arm, “Alright Alfie alright. She’s coming. Took a little bit of a hit didn’t ya old man? You stay awake now for her yeah? Can’t let the girl see ya like this.”

The pain was a hell of a drug, and Alfie could only slur out, “She ok? That little viper make it out ok?”

Tommy could only smile. Even with all the blood loss he was still himself. “Yeah Alfie. Yeah she’s alright. A right harpy screaming out for ya. Now you gotta get fixed up for when she comes back alright?”

Alfie nodded, slipping in and out as the final fragments were being removed, “As soon as im stitched up… I’m killing every Sabini I see. Then I’m fuckin marrying her… you hear me?”

Tommy smiled as Dr. Hendricks scoffed, “I hear you Alfie. I know you will.”

Alfie passed back out on the table. Dr. Hendricks nodded at Tommy and Ollie, “He’ll be alright. Nearly hit some vital organs but it’s alright. Have a nasty scar though, I’m sure he won’t mind. He’ll probably sleep for the rest of the night and into the morning. You all stay here, let’s keep an eye on him yeah? Mrs. Hendricks? Would you call the kitchen to make some supper for the gentlemen here and ladies to come?”

Mrs. Hendricks and the kitchen must have indeed been witches in a past life, or in the present. because there was no logical reason that such a warm and delectable feast could have been prepared so quickly. Soup and bread and cold chicken brought up with strong tea and coffee. When John Shelby asked for gin, his head was swiftly smacked by the effervescent Mrs. Hendricks, who quickly reminded him that she knew where all his sore spots were.

Polly and you arrived soon enough, and were embraced by the Doctor and his wife. The Shelby men stood up quickly, nodding to you in respect. Ollie shucked off his coat to drape over you. It was warm in the house. But your shivering wasn’t for cold.

Before you could look to Dr. Hendricks, he gruffed out from behind his thick salt and pepper beard, “No need to fret Miss. He was a model surgical patient. Nearly slept through the entire thing. In fact that stomach of his is a model for good stitchin’ would you like to see?”

Before Dr. Hendricks could pull back the clean and crisp cotton laid over Alfie’s bare torso to show you his no doubt fantastic work, Mrs. Hendricks stopped with a cherub like hand on his thick arm, “My dear, I don’t think the lady would feel keen on seeing her darling cut and stitched. Maybe some other time yes? Why don’t we let her have time alone with Mr. Solomons? It’s late. I think we should all retire yes?”

With a look around the room everyone nodded, giving their best to you and expressing incredible thank to the Doctor and Mrs. Hendricks. The Shelby boys tipped their hats to you as they filed out. Ollie nodded to you, assuring you that he’d alert your family of your whereabouts. Polly gave you a motherly hug, kissing the tip of your head, “Chin up dear. Must be strong when he wakes up. I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

As soon as you came in, you were left alone. With the soft voice of Mrs. Hendricks pulling out of your numb trance. “Let’s get you cleaned up dear. Get you in something a little more comfortable. My daughter was about your size, and I have some of her clothes in her old room.”

Like a child who just woke out of a long slumber, you were lead down the short hallways littered with photos and paintings and certificates to the now guest room of the Hendricks home. Once she realized you had gone nearly despondent, Mrs. Hendricks helped you out of your stained dress, and into a soft cream colored night gown, with pink ribbon threaded through the top. She called one of the maids bring up hot water to wash the makeup, dirt, and dried crusted blood off your face and arms. Your dress was taken to be washed, and Mrs. Hendricks un-pinned your hair, getting it loose and out of your face. She sat you back in the make shift hospital room once she assured your were comfortable and clean. She poured tea for you. Something strong. Something hot. Your thumb rubbed across the delicate ridges on the cup, incredibly interested in the greenery hand painted on the china. Unable to face the near stillness of Alfie on a table.

“You love him don’t you?”

You feel those tears welling up in your eyes. Unable to speak any louder than a whisper, you confess, “Very much.”

She smiled softly, placing her thick soft hands on your knee, “He called for you.”

You looked up, “Did he?”

A soft chuckle left her, and she sounded so much like your mother, “He did. That’s the thing about these military gangster men yeah? Big and strong and tough. Till they get hurt. Then they cry for their women. I think we are the only things that help.”

You nodded, a pained smile sneaking on your lips, hands gingerly slipping into his rough hands. So much gentler now in sleep. Your eyes never leave his hands as you ask, “How do you stand it? How does any woman stand it?”

Mrs. Hendricks just sighs. Remembering the old days with her dear husband James. Back when he running with the Lee boys. When the medical practice wasn’t just a medical practice. There was a reason he was so good at stitching people up. Mrs. Hendricks leaned back in the chair, “By trusting them. By scolding them. Telling them off when they’re being outrageous. By standing by them. Because we know even a little bit of time with them is better than a life without them.”

Mrs. Hendricks then stands up, “It’s nearly 2 sweetie. Why don’t you take Jeanine’s old room? He’ll be there when you wake up.”

You shake your head vehemently, “No. Thank you Mrs. Hendricks. Thank you very much for your hospitality. But I want to be here when he wakes. I just… I don’t want to leave him here alone.”

She softly smiles, a tear slipping by, “Alright sweetie. That’s fine. I’ll bring you a couple blankets then. And a pillow just in case. Feel free to walk around the house if you need. Kitchen is all yours.”

You’re not sure how long you stayed awake after the gifts of the blankets were delivered. But you never laid down. You sat on one of the chairs placed on the dining room table where Alfie laid. You brushed the hair out of his face and ran your fingers over his beard and scars. You rattled off the notes you had for the gaming club. You whispered to him about the set up, the prices, and how he should really be more affable with the customers. But mostly you whispered how much you loved him. How much you wished you had told him sooner. How much he scared you doing that. You chastised him for putting himself in such grave danger. And for every insult and admonishment you kissed a knuckle and scar. Every kiss an oath that you would not leave him. Not willingly. Not before death.

It was mid morning when Alfie’s gruff voice woke you, “Well ain’t you a picture.”

You gasped and sat up straight, hand clutching Alfie’s warm hand. His hand squeezed back tiredly, “Now I know I’m damned… but this sure don’t look like hell… too nice ain’t it. And I know the devil wouldn’t let an angel like you in hell with me.”

“Oh shut up you wretched old man please.”

You crashed your lips into his, relishing even in his slightly chapped lips as he chuckled into you. You feel him move under you, “Now now sweetheart easy on the old man. Don’t go popping my stitches now. Oh treacle why are you crying my dove? I’m here ain’t I? Old Alfie’s alright.”

You couldn’t help the tears falling, “I… Alfie I… you nearly died.”

He sneered, “Nah. The bastard barely nicked me. What about you eh? No bumps or bruises on you?”

You shook your head and sniffled. You knew you looked pathetic but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Not when Alfie was alive. Not when you got to see him in the morning light like this. Alfie groaned as he pushed himself off the table. You moved to help him as he motioned you to settle. He got up, limped to another chair to sit down. The stitches held and he looked good. Still a bit pale but good. “Do you need water Alfie? Tea? I can call for breakfast.”

He shook his head, “No not yet love thank you… but come here.”

The wood floors were cold on your bare feet as you softly walked over to him. He stared up at you, as he tugged on your nightgown, signaling you to sit. Carefully… oh so carefully you sat on his lap, legs swinging over the side, wrapping your arms around his neck. Alfie leaned back with a sigh, bringing you closer, “This is all I need treacle. Just need you near.”

Stroking the scar on his jaw you whispered, “I was so scared Alfie… I thought we’d lost you.”

With half lidded eyes Alfie stared at you. Your sweet lips and teary eyes. A picture of beauty and serenity. The rough callouses on his hands caressed up and down your bare arms, “You’re never going to lose me dearie. I’ll always be here. No matter what. You know why?”

The way his eyes become like fire makes your heart beat faster, “Why?”

He brings your hand to his heart. His own hand dwarfing yours as you feel the strong and steady heartbeat in his chest, “Because this sweetheart… this belongs to you… No matter what happens… in this life the next one and every other fuckin one… I belong to you. You ain’t ever got to worry about what might happen because I’m with you. You got it?”

You smile, nodding, feeling as though your heart is going to burst, “My heart belongs to you Alfie.”

“You don’t have to say it back treacle.”

“I do if it’s the truth.”

A blush rose in his cheeks, barely concealed by his beard and the smile that broke out on his face. “Well… treacle… if that’s the case… I wanted to ask you in a more romantic way…”

“Alfred Solomons…”

“But this seems like a good time…”

“I swear if you dare ask me…”

“And we never know what’s to happen next…”

“Alfred Solomons I am in a night gown!”

“Woman if you do not be quiet I am trying to ask you to be my wife!!”

Your hand flies to your mouth in utter shock. Alfie’s brows are furrowed but he’s trying to keep the smile off his face, “Marry me sweetheart. Be my wife please. I can’t promise that I’ll suddenly be a tame boy but I can promise you that I love you more than any other man ever could love a woman. You can scold me all you want and I’ll never be cross with you.”

He watches you bite your lip and think, and he thinks he’s died and gone to heaven for real this time. You cheekily smile, “I do like it when you’re cross though.”

A dark glint flashes in his eyes as he pulls you in for a bruising kiss, which you all too willingly return. When you come up for air he asks you again, “Is that a yes? You going to be my wife?”

You laugh, “Yes Alfie. Always yes.”

Laughs escaped out of you in a stampede as he presses a million prickly kisses to your cheeks. He mumbles out onto your face, "I need to get you a ring. We'll go to the shop yeah? You pick out any ring you like, I'll resize whatever I need to. Fuck we'll design it for ya yeah?"

You push him back from his assault on your face and hold up your left hand, The one holding his signet, "One could say I have one already. You dropped it on the way over."

Alfie grabbed your wrist to inspect your hand. When he finally recognized the ring and noticed his own was missing, his laughter roared out, "Fuck me you are always so prepared. Always two steps ahead of me ain't ya? Well alright treacle. There's your engagement ring for now. But on our wedding day, I'm giving you a dazzling rock you hear me?"

You laugh again as he rants and raves for his idea of a ring for you. Knowing inside that it didn't matter what he gave you. If he gave you a ring at all. All that mattered was that he was here. He was yours. And you are is.

6 Months Later

The slow sea air dances in through the open window, sending the gossamer curtains floating around you. The radio scratches out something slow and tantalizing from America, the notes sending shivers down your spine. You're dizzy from the night you've had. The butterflies and bubbly drinks and spinning along the floor. You can't believe it happened. You can't believe your wedding day arrived. You feel as though you're amongst the clouds. The only thing keeping you anchored to the Earth is Alfie's grip on your white satin slip as you sway against him to the music.

Late at night. Early morning. Too much work to tell. But it was the first time in a week that you've been able to be alone with Alfie. Your husband.

"What're you thinking about my love?"

You press your face against his chest, shirt long discarded, "I'm just so happy. I didn't think I'd have this. That we'd have this.'

He hums as he presses his lips to your hair, smelling the perfume that had been brushed through your hair. "But we have it now. This is the greatest gift I've ever received. This is the life I've always dreamed of sweet."

You continue to dance with your husband until your bodies couldn't take it anymore. Soon enough he carried you to bed, quickly drifting off into deep sleep in Alfie's arms. In the morning you would wake not as a secretary. Not as a scared girl. Not as someone who felt as she didn't belong. But as Alfie's wife. Alfie's partner. A confidant. A capable woman running a business alongside her best friend. Tomorrow you would wake up excited for this next part of your life. Waking up to a new beginning.

Tag List:

@jokersqueenofchaos @hoodeddreams13 @satur9-saturnalia @autumnleaves1991-blog @mysteriouslydeafeningwerewolf @character---obsessed @solomons-finest-rum @cookiez56-blog , @teapartydreams , @sciencewithottsnpotts , @6asm0ne , @purrrrfect, @bluejellyfiish @jassiefayee , @galactict3a , @il0vebeingdelulu @enretrogue @j23r23 @mulletmcghee @afuckingdisasterreally @graceisinloveagain

[penvisions]

of beskar and kyber {chapter 13}

Pairing: Din Djarin x Force Sensitive! Reader (the Mandalorian x Force Sensitive! Reader)

Summary: Shadows and light play across your mind and feelings as you reveal more about your past to Din. Propositions made and discussions about what to do next as things back on Nevarro spiral as a result of Din's defiance of an organization he took part in for years prompt you both to evaluate everything you've become to each other.

Word Count: 12.6k (!!!)

Warnings: canon typical violence, canon typical language, language, mentions of past trauma, mentions of past sa trauma (non-descriptive), anxiety, confessions, illusions to the pull of the force, allusions to past violent tendencies of both reader and din, brief mentions of death, allusions to order 66, reader has a lot on internal monologues in this one, nightmares, bad dreams, anxiety, outbursts, emotional turmoil, readers shares more of her violent past with din, sexual content, sexual intimacy, body worship, fingering, sexual themes, argumentative language

A/N: returning to this fic with a beast of a chapter that traverses so much. it's the longest one i've written yet and i am so excited to share it with y'all. i sincerely hope y'all like everything i poured into this. please let me know what you think?

ao3 link || series masterlist || main masterlist || ko-fi

Water gently splashed against the side of the tub, bubbles sticking to the porcelain, small waves created by the movement of Din’s hand as it trailed down your navel. Fingers eliciting tingles of pleasure as they smoothed over soft skin slick with the oils added to the water not even a few moments ago. You gasped, head thudding back against his broad, bare shoulder as the tips of them brushed over course hair before slipping between your folds.

Your nails dug into the skin of his thighs, mindful of the healing wound there, his bronze knees bent up and cresting over the water, caging in your wriggling form nestled back into him. Your hips bucked as his fingertips ghosted over that exciting bundle of nerves to stroke down toward your fluttering entrance. Water sloshing at the sudden disturbance. He groaned, deep and gravely right into your ear, the helmet hiding little of his arousal as he carefully rubbed around it. You clenched, body feeling how close he was and needing to be satisfied.

His index finger hovered over you, a silent question and you whined out a needy sound. Not caring if it was desperate, your fingers gripped him tight, and you bucked your hips to get him closer. He circled your entrance, once, twice, three times. Pleasure rocked through you, a fire blooming to life in your core.

“Din, please,” You panted, unable to catch your breath between the heat of his body, the heat of the water and steam surrounding you both, the heat he was stoking in your very nerves. A hand shot out of the water and scrabbled at the back of his helmet; fingers slippery with bubbles.

His thick finger slid in easily, between the water and the slick that was surely tainting the water you were both partially submerged in. The hand he had curled around your middle was reaching up to cup a breast covered only in sweet, scented bubbles and you moaned. Low and guttural, the stretch so unlike anything you felt before. Almost sweet in a way that it had never felt before.

He crooked his finger, nudging it deeper inside and grazed against a soft spot that had white sparking across your vision. A keening whine sprouted from you, loud in the marbled room. He stilled for a second, reveling in the way you felt around him, clenching him tightly. There was no discomfort, with you feeling so completely safe and protected.

“That’s a good sound, mesh’la.” His raspy voice was close, the bottom of his helmet hooked over your shoulder. He carefully pumped his finger into you, trying to go slow in case it was a stretch that overwhelmed you. But you huffed as you moved against him, the palm of his wide palm rubbing at you in a way that stoked the fire licking at your nerves.

“M-more, please. Linibar or'atu, copad at aalar or'atu be gar.”

Need more, want to feel more of you.

Your words were a quiet plea on shaking breath, a heavy exhale as he gave you what you wanted, slipping a second finger in alongside the first on his next plunge into the silky, wet heat of your core.

Back arching, pressing you impossibly closer to him, feeling the hot line of him as it nudged at you from behind. You whined out as his fingers stilted and he flexed them, stretching you out to see what felt good, what lit you up even more. They crooked inside of you and brushed against something that had you crying out, that same spot from earlier, he rubbed at it deliberately. Stomach lurching, the flames that had been slowly smoldering sparked across the entire expanse of your body.

“Ha-ah, Din, gedet'ye vaabir ibac tug'yc!”

Please do that again!

Your hips bucked into his hand, urging him desperately as you felt a tightening form low in your stomach. He remained still save for the crooking of his fingers once more and you moved against him. The water licking up the sides of the tub at your rushed movements, bubbles inching higher up both your overheated bodies.

His fingertips hit that spot on each thrust as he pumped his fingers in a steady rhythm, arms muscles tensing as he wrapped himself around you completely. The fire crackled and you cried out as pleasure tingled all the way to the tips of your fingers, heart beating hard in your chest. Your vision was blanketed in white sparks, and you clenched them shut and tried to catch your breath. Din’s hand worked you through the aftershocks, his palm hot against your skin where it brushed against you.

“Clenched so tight around me, mesh’la.” He rumbled into your ear, his hand gently moving away from you. He rested it low on your stomach, taking in the way your muscles jumped underneath his touch as your fingers around the back of his helmet pulled him closer. Your lips pressed to the column of his neck, tongue darting out to taste the exposed skin there.

He moaned a guttural sound at the feel of you marking him for your own, the hot swipe of your tongue giving way to a gentle nip of teeth. You felt him twitch against your backside and you shimmied back to press against him, loving the velvet softness of the hot line he made against your skin.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” He said softly, despite the thrumming in his own body, the sinful sounds falling from your lips, because of him, for him, having worked him up.

“Need to touch you now, it’s your turn.” You slipped away from him with a hush of the water, turning in his grip. The tub was only so big and you nudged at his knees, still cresting up over the water’s surface to lay flat where your body had just been. You held tight to the curve of his shoulders, moving to straddle the width of his hips. You could hear the crackling of him sucking in a deep breath through the modulator as you settled over him, hovering.

“San…”

“I know I don’t have to, cyar’ika.” You leaned your naked chest to his, the soft hair decorating his chest tingling against your hardened nipples and you tossed your head back. Chin jutted up, it exposed your throat to the man so close, his hands loose around your waist tightening and pulling you flush against him. A strangled noise fell from your open mouth as his cock bobbed up and nudged at your core hovering so close to him.

“Din,” You panted, fingers splayed on his neck, reaching up towards the bottom of the helmet. He paused, his fingers so tight around your hips, and you realized how he read that. The desperate plea of his name coated by the velvet caress of your voice. The sultry glaze to your eyes as you stared directly into the dark visor that covered his own.

“I don’t want you to remove it, just..just want to feel, but…but I understand if that’s a line you need to draw. I respect you, I respect your Creed. I’ll keep my hands to myself if you aren’t comfortable.”

His hands snapped up to grip yours tightly, bringing them up to the underside of his helmet, the seal deactivating as he moved a thumb to press something along the space beneath his chin. A hiss filled the air and your fingers twitched in his as he guided them to press against the skin just below the cool beskar. Your fingers reached toward his jaw, where the stubble of his facial hair was peeking out from underneath. It was rougher than the hair on his chest, similar to the coarse hair that was a dark shadow beneath the water. You settled over him fully just as your fingers splayed over his jaw, feeling both patches at the same time and letting out a low whine as the silken skin of his cock settled against your slippery folds.

You felt the groan that fell from him in your bones, so close to you, impossibly close.

“Dank ferrick, mesh’la.” Din growled as he slumped back into the wall of the tub, his hips bucking up suddenly. You had no fear of him breaching your comfortability, of crossing a line that had been talked over. You trusted him, you felt so safe with him. And it felt like nothing you’d ever known before, so enraptured by someone and comforted in their presence. It felt like the ocean inside you that had been choppy for as long as you could remember was beginning to settle.

Din’s hands were tight around your hips, helping you to move against him, guiding your motions as he thrusted up to slide against you. Your soft, slick folds nestled over the length of him, creating a channel of friction that was too much for the man. His breathing hitching as he chases his own high, another one flaring quickly in your middle to match him.

He didn’t last long, the drawn out groan of his peak rumbling through you, the modulator no longer hiding the deep baritone of his voice in a veil of mechanics, but unfiltered for only your ears to hear. He bucked up, body twitching as you felt him throb between your legs. The water turning murky from his spend around you both. As he canted his hips to keep you close, you felt the head of his cock nudge at your fluttering entrance and pleasure ripped through you. Keening, the waves crested in a delicious feeling that took over your body.

It was a few moments before you came back to yourself, body limp as you leaned all of your weight against the temptation of Din below you. Forehead nuzzled into his heaving chest. Letting your body move along with the way his own moved as he came down from his own pleasure. His arms were now wrapped around your back, holding you to him, his head knocked back against the tile lined around the tub.

All you could whimper was his name, a small sound more breath than voice.

“I’ve got you, mesh’la,” He spoke softly, voice back to that modulated mockery of what you knew his deep, velvety voice actually sounded like now. “Fuck, mesh’la, you did so good for me.”

“W-wanted to.” You placed a kiss to where you could feel how fast his heart was beating. A delirious giggle sprouting from deep within you.

The room was soft, from the carpet plush at your feet to the bedding atop the large bed, to the blanket thrown over the back of the couch and the one in the crib that had been delivered to the room right before your arrival. It was quiet, the faint neon lights of the city blurred behind drawn curtains in the middle of the night.

Din was asleep beside you, safe inside the covers while you struggled to catch your breath as you had been jarred into consciousness from a bad dream. Silently, you slipped from the bed, leaving the warmth of him behind. Silent tears were cascading down your face, the fear and loss of the dream too much for you to handle and your mind had decided to pluck you from the pain of it just as the figure of your guardian had fallen in front of you once again.

Feeling raw and exposed, you slipped on your cloak that had been draped over the back of the couch in the living room. The door to the bedroom left cracked behind you as you walked over to the crib to find ad’ika staring up at you with big eyes. He quietly cooed as he reached out for you, his little claws gripping you tight as you lifted him up and cradled him close to your chest.

Settling into a corner of the couch, you dragged a blanket over both you and just sat there, not bothering to turn on a light lest it wake the resting man who was snoring slightly.  You hadn’t seen him so relaxed since meeting him, something about the comforts of the booked room easing his anxieties and paranoia of always having to look over his back, always be on alert. Even if the reason you insisted on getting the room was to throw off a tail. You wondered when the last time he slept so soundly had been, when the last time you had been before your mind decided to remind you of why it was such a rare occurrence.

A small hiccup sounded and you looked down to see ad’ika clutching to you tightly, his own little mind playing tricks on him and bringing up things from the past. You let him curl a claw around a few of your fingers and brought it up to place a gentle kiss atop it. Emotions and energy flowed between you both, flashes of harsh light and the echoes of blaster bolts and the hum of swinging lightsabers sounding in your mind. He had been just a child too, when it all happened. When the only life you both had known had been ripped out from underneath you.

You thought back to the way Akiz would hold you in a similar way, to help ease your mind when nightmares plagued you. And for all the bad that occurred in your life, for all the things you had to endure, you were glad to be here in this moment to mirror his behavior for the small being cradled close to your chest. His other claw was laid flat on your chest, over where your heart was hurting. Trying to calm your breathing, you tightened the crossing of your legs beneath you both and closed your eyes.

“It’s okay, ad’ika. I’ve got you, I swear it.” You whispered to him as you tried to concentrate, meditating second nature. After a few moments, he looked up at you, his own breathing had calmed to copy yours, feeling the deep inhales and exhales of your body he pressed up to. He seemed to work himself up again, thoughts plaguing him, pushing memories of his own into your mind that were coated in fear, hitching your breath as they hit you at full force. The faint images in your mind’s eye as he had experienced the very same thing you had, a new perspective to the traumatic occurrence. Little brow furrowed and deep wrinkles in the green skin there, you chuckled lightly as you tried to smooth them out. “We’re safe, we got out. We made it out, ad’ika.”

He cried out softly, tensing in your hold. Trying to gather yourself enough for him through the haze of emotions and memories he was flooding you with, you gently rocked him. Hushing him quietly to ease his worries. His breathing evened out from the fast staccato it had taken on and the clenching of his eyes relaxed as you focused on sharing the feeling of warm water, the soft noise of cresting waves, the feeling of gliding through water on a board that you had crafted with our own small hands so long ago. Good memories from your childhood, the things you missed from it that felt like another lifetime.

A coo pressed into your neck and then a small giggle as you shared with him a memory of feeling so completely free, swiftly moving through a tunneling wave. The colors of the water illuminated by a blinding sun dulled to emulate the lights that surrounded the ship during hyperspace travel. All soft blues, tinged greens, soft white.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” You whispered, trying to keep the calm murmuring low as he relaxed under your attention. You nuzzled your forehead against his smaller one, letting him feel the calming thoughts you were pushing through the connection, hoping it was doing more good than just blanketing the harsh reality of your lives. “Let’s breath and focus, okay? We’re okay. We’re going to be okay.”

You didn’t hear the soft steps that moved across the plush carpet of the room or catch the glint of the dulled city lights reflected in the beskar that peeked through the opening of the door behind you.

“Mesh’la, I’ve drawn a bath for you.” Din’s voice was low, baritone close to you and you startled from where you were still cuddled into the corner of the couch. Slumber dissipated like a leak from your mind as your thoughts got staticky with anxiety at being caught unaware as you sucked in a deep breath through your nose. Ad’ika was asleep in your arms, eyes cracking open at the sound of the armored man’s voice. He jostled with the force of your jumping nerves as you flew from the couch, skin alight with the instinct to push up and away until you realized that you weren’t in any actual danger.

“Kriff!” You settled the small form in your arms down on the couch, still wrapped up tight in his blanket.

Leaning down to do so, you could feel the pull of your back muscles for your choice in sleeping arrangements. Din has stepped back calmly, not showing the fast beating of his heart or the guilt he felt at scaring you. You dotted on ad’ika, making sure he was okay and not at all alarmed by the rather abrupt awakening you both just had. Din’s hands came to grip your own, his gloves gone.

“I’ve got him, you’ve been up with him all night. I set fresh caf and one of the books from your bag out for you.”

Moments later, you were submerged in a perfect imitation of the bath you had drawn the night before.

Thoughts swirling like the cream you had poured into the cup of caf resting on a board spanning over the tub, securely nestled around the lips of it. Taking a sip, you leaned back onto the waterproof cushion fastened to the end of the tub, back muscles relaxing as the liquid warmed you from the inside out while steam wafted up from the hot water surrounding you. True to his word, Din didn’t disturb you, giving you a moment to yourself.

Warm arousal sparking through you as your body recalled the sensations from the night before. The feel of his strong body pressed against yours. The way he had curled his arms around you, the way he had thrusted up against you, dragging his hard cock through your folds, head stroking that bundle of nerves, pulling a second release from your worked up body while he chased his own. Hands recalling the feel of his thick curls tight in your fingers as you pulled on them, the feel of his jaw underneath them, the softest brushing against his lips before he had softly asked you to stop.

Guilt flared up at the pushing of his boundaries, at the closeness you both shared between bare bodies, but the recollection of how soundly you had both slept right after, curled into each other far outweighed it and you found peace within yourself. It hadn’t been uncomfortable, it had been…it had been euphoric to feel so safe with him in that way.

You hummed into the ceramic of the mug, taking another delicious sip. Leaning forward you placed the drink back on the board and took the moment for what it was. An easy morning with the two beings who meant so much to you in the other room, setting up breakfast before the day started.

The ship was silent as Din guided it through the space around the planet, preparing to jump into hyperspace. A relatively small planet he had picked out for the next stop, unsure of an overreaching plan but knowing that it was best to move. Especially now, having gained a tail in the marketplace. You had both spent a good amount of time going over the interior and exterior of the ship to ensure that no tracking beacons had been fastened to the aircraft. Even if the display on the man’s cuff hadn’t told him of the doors opening while away.

Just to be safe, to be cautious.

On alert and on guard for a majority of both your lives coalescing into an easy routine of ensuring complete safety when returning to where it was deemed home for the time being. Because that’s what the ship was to the man seated in front of you, his broad form filling out the pilot’s chair. And it was quickly developing into that for you as well, the bond between you both allowing for you to feel like you could share in his sentiments even more concretely.

The toggle he switched didn’t yield any change on the screen and you could hear the resounding sigh from the man but it didn’t sound as an alert for a message popped up. You prepared to leave the control room, knowing that some aspects of Din’s life were still unknown to you, not wanting to breach his privacy even if it was a simple message sent to his ship. But it was intended for him and him alone. It could be personal, it could be professional, but either way: you wanted to show respect for him in any way you could.

He must’ve clocked your movement, because his shoulders stilled from maneuvering his hands over the control panel and he turned in the chair to glance at you.

You offered him a tired smile, picking up the bundle that was a fast asleep ad’ika in some blankets in the third chair. The marketplace stop for supplies before returning to the ship had tired him out after his sporadic sleep the night before.

“Going to lay him down in my bed, let him sprawl out and he’ll wake to the lights.”

“Messages to me are messages to you. Unless they contain information on where the covert has relocated. But even then, I believe you’re entitled to that should you want to know. You have history and a connection with the Mandalorian culture and people.”

“But I am not Mandalorian myself, Din.” You reached out a hand to rest over the pauldron atop his shoulder. “It’s not a problem, I’ll leave you to it. Going to organize and see what supplies we have and make a list.”

You were about to cross the threshold when the voice of a man Din had last encountered back on Nevarro. The very one that had run him off world with the concentrated efforts of the entire Guild he had once been employed by. His helmet lifted slowly from where he was focused on the panel in front of him toward the hologram message as it displayed itself from another panel.

“My friend, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive.”

Anger and frustration boiled in your stomach, filling you with negative and ill intentions as you turned on your heel in the threshold of the door. The figure of the man who had shot at you, who had wounded you, who had caused such a huge fight to erupt in the face of a personal vendetta he held against Din’s actions to save ad’ika formed to play the transmission. People had died, people had fled, the city had taken damage and destruction not only physically and so many individuals had been affected by the very man’s choice to move against Din in an orchestrated attack.

“You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we could call it even.”

You couldn’t help the snarl of your lips as you took in the smug way the man’s displayed form settled his hands over his hips, seemingly unnerved by the way he had fired at you. Nearly taken your life and gotten Din caught. Nearly caused all three of you to be taken captive.

“A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild.”

“He should’ve thought of that before he even let them set foot there.” You growled, voice low and threatening as you felt your emotions spike. Din’s visor turned to you fully, taking in the way the ends of your loose strands had begun to float, harnessed by the lack of control you were exhibiting in your worked up state. The visage you created, standing there in the semi-darkness of his control room with a bundled up child in your grip and a hard look decorating your features was formidable. Someone he would have to track and observe before moving against. Someone who would fight until they couldn’t anymore, until someone was dead and the conflict was no more. Your eyes flashed with the brightness of the transmission playing out, making him pause as he thought he caught something else in your eyes for the barest hint of a second. He turned back to view the transmission your eyes were glued on.

“We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out.”

“He’s going to ask for your help.” You strutted forward and pushed the pause button on the panel without asking. The displayed figure frozen in a stance with his arms crossed and a hard look about his own features. “He’s going to ask you to risk yourself after attacking you and causing the covert to lose members and relocate.”

“He can do whatever he wants. That doesn’t mean-“

“You’re going to help him, I know you. I know you feel at fault for what happened, feel the need to right the wrongs that have sprung up because of your decisions. You worked with him, with the Guild for years, you feel an obligation to help them. Especially if they ask for it.”

“You don’t think I should.”

“No.” That same glint shone in your eyes despite the transmission no longer playing and it made the man seated beside you pause. Your entire demeanor so unlike your normal one. He had seen you be harsh in fleeting instances, more in response to something he had harshly said or done when first meeting you, in the way you had interacted with Xi’an and Mayfeld. The way in which you had cut down that thug back of Sorgan, the scratches you had left on Callican’s neck. Hints of an attitude and allusions to violence you were capable of that he had yet to see fully unleashed. It didn’t worry him, nor make him afraid, but it did make him pause. Cara had been right when she had seen your weapon for the first time: you were strong. Capable of doing so much damage with a simple twitch of your wrist. The ability to harness such a power as the Force and wield a weapon that could cut through anything made you dangerous. Even if he knew you wouldn’t use it against him or ad’ika.

“I’ve lived my life hiding and running, because taking them on and truly eradicating the threat was too much of a challenge.”

All he could do was nod, letting you know that he heard you and would take your words into account before he allowed the rest of the transmission to play out.

“If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize. Both of their prizes.”

You roughly pushed the pause button again, heart thudding in your chest.

“Din…” You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, only guessing at what the man on display was about to reveal. Something you weren’t ready for anyone to know, a part of your past you tried to forget and shove down to never be thought of again. You could feel the weight of his gaze on you, feel the black visor trained on you so directly that it nearly branded your skin. “He has my file, he has the ability to find out anything and everything about me if he’s the leader of the Guild. He- he knows who I really am.”

“And who are you?” His voice didn’t hold any accusations of malice, it was even in tone, telling you he was willing to listen to what you had to say. That he wanted to hear what you were willing to share with him.

“Someone who had trained with their top forces in order to infiltrate their ranks and get intimate details of how they operated until they were found out.” You exhaled heavily, aware of how tightly you were holding onto the blankets that were swaddled around ad’ika’s form. Your fingers going numb with the force of your desperate attempt at keeping your mood from spiking anymore. “Someone who did it to save the only person who ever looked out for them.”

“Akiz.”

“He had been injured beyond general medical procedures at the time, but the Empire…they had the means and equipment that could save him. I was offered an ultimatum, and I took it. I did it for him, I turned to them for him, bid my time and learned everything I could while he recovered.”

“You said he died protecting you.” Not an argument but a statement, a recollection of what you had told him of your beloved guardian through teary eyes.

“He did.”

A moment passed with no response before Din pressed play on the control panel, giving you both a moment to grapple with the truths you just revealed.

“You are in possession of one of the most sought-after bounties they’ve commissioned for. And a person of their ranks who betrayed them and destroyed an entire fleet of ships in her attempts to flee found alongside it. I had no idea when I handed you that last puck, commissioned by her mother. The officials here found it and her name was given to me to say to you, the truth about her revealed to me to allow me to understand the severity of the issue here. Return to Nevarro. Bring the child and woman as bait. I will arrange an exchange and provide loyal Guild members as protection.”

You watched the stoic expression of the man as he delved out the information and his idea of a plan so plainly.

“Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep the child and the woman. I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism.”

A heavy silence followed the end of the transmission, Din’s visor trained on you holding the child tight in your grip. It followed you as you finally made an exit to lay ad’ika down in bed, roving over your back in a way that made you feel utterly and completely exposed.

You were in the hammock that was strung up in the hold space, the remainder of the day spent traveling somewhere that Din had chosen to guide the ship towards. He had left you and ad’ika to your own devices, opting to stay secluded in the cockpit for the day. No doubt going over everything from the transmission and dissecting your admission. You hadn’t eaten but had made sure the small being in your care had been fed and washed before laying him down for the night.

Din would come down eventually and you didn’t want to impose yourself on him. You should’ve told him before, but he had assured you to take your time with sharing things about yourself. Understanding all too well that certain parts of both of your pasts were harder to share than some. Not borne from unwillingness but of shame and fear of how it would reflect the decisions each made once upon a time.

His steps were nearly silent, but you could hear the hush of his cape as he moved about. Your breath puffed out as you turned in the hammock, facing the wall and adjusted the blanket over you to cover you completely. A possible interaction lighting up your body with an anxious hum. He had been so quiet after your confession. You knew what the Empire did to his people, how they manipulated the very trajectory of his life. How, years later, they did the exact same thing again. Endless attacks on innocent people and powerful cultures alike in their path to controlling the galaxy how they saw fit. And to find out that you had served them? That had to have hurt him.

It had hurt you to admit it. To reveal that part about yourself that brought you nothing but shame and regret, even if it was done with good intentions to save the life of someone important to you. And they had lost their life in the end regardless. A mistake that would haunt you every time your emotions flared, and the pull of the Force took hold of you.

Din’s presence was close, having descended the ladder. You could feel the way he moved about the space busying himself with making a meal before bed. The domestic sounds lulling you into a half- conscious state.

A hand encompassed your own with a gentle tug, but you only mumbled out something incoherent.

“Mesh’la, let’s go to bed.”

“’M comfy.” Was your rather muffled reply as your face was pressed heavily into the pillow beneath you.

The silence allowed for you to slip deeper into your slumber, the figure of Din not disturbing you in the slightest. But he must’ve felt differently, his mind heavy as he tried to decide what to do, what would be the best course of action. His words were quiet, though his tone held an honest admission.

“I don’t fault you or judge you for the things you did. For the choices you made…I wanted to thank you for telling me.”

“Wanted to.” You mumbled back, brain moving slow.

A squeeze to your hand was the last touch of him before he retired to his quarters, letting you sleep where you lay.

Sorgan was a beautiful sight once again as Din directed the ship toward the planet. Telling you of his plans to pick up Cara in hopes of her wanting to and being able to help with the ask from the transmission. It had been a long conversation in the early morning, you waking to the darkness of the hold and moving to the cot alongside the resting man. He had told you of his plan, of his worries about the task. But it was a mutual agreement to take it on.

He had assured you that you would remain unharmed and by his side. That he was doing it to ensure a safer future for you and ad’ika. You brought up the argument that this may not be the only surviving ranks that still operated, but that it was likely ad’ika’s life was known about only by those that sought after him. But it was the move to make, you had agreed with him on that. Promising him that you would make sure they were both safe, that they would be your top priority in the face of conflict.

You hadn’t gone into town with Din, opting to stay behind and stick close to the ship. A trek in the trees to help keep your head level and your emotions in check. Basking in the plush atmosphere and abundance of greenery that you loved so much, had always loved so much. Ever since your first time seeing such a landscape when you were younger and on the cusp of beginning your journey to who you were now.

The pull of your lips was a genuine one as you recalled the memory of a wider smile, a gloved hand holding yours and leading you off of a ship, murmured words of comfort from a man who you trusted with your life. One who trusted you enough to take back to his home planet and show you the ways of his people once yours had been threatened and attacked. It had been a difficult conversation for you, him telling you that it was dangerous to return to your own planet. Serenity flowed through your veins as you felt close to the man who had saved you in countless ways, even when you couldn’t save yourself.

The feeling and memories of him in the trees you brushed your hand out to feel the leaves against your palms. Comforted by the way they all felt the same even if they were scattered on different planets, a part of you that you sought after even after banished yourself to a desert planet as a punishment for the things you had done, the choices you had made.

“Well, hey there, cyar’ika.” Cara’s voice greeted you as you left the protection of the trees and walked into the clearing where Din had landed the ship. She was beside Din, ad’ika choosing to move toward you while they both waited for the ramp to open and settle to board the ship. Her smile was dazzling as she took in the easy way you moved about, no longer worried about upsetting or triggering Din’s instincts to chase. No longer closed in on yourself and only a shadow of a person. You walked as his true equal now and it was a world of difference. “Don’t you look well rested.”

“Hello to you too,” You returned her greeting with a nod of your head and leaned down to scoop of adi’ka, his grabby hands too much of a cute display to ignore his silent request to be picked up. He must be tired from the walk, his legs so much smaller than Din’s, his gait less of a strut and more of a waddle. You nuzzled your nose against his tiny one in greeting. Aware of her eyes watching you, taking in the simple outfit of form fitting pants to the cape you wore over your shoulders, hair braided and pulled back out of your face as it looped behind your head and was pinned securely in place.

“Did burc’ya make you walk the whole way there and back?” You cooed, relishing in images he was pushing into your mind of his visit into town. Proud of him for picking up the skill you had been sharing with him, to make it easier to understand the things happening about him and for you to know what he was asking after less of a guessing game. You laughed as he pushed the feeling of excitement he had felt at watching Cara fight with another patron in what had to be a bet. “He’s a big ole meanie, isn’t he?”

“Don’t listen to whatever he’s telling you, he wanted to walk the whole way. Fussed when I tried to pick him up.” Din defended, though there was no harsh tinge to his words. If you could guess, you would say the man was smirking beneath his helmet, enjoying in the teasing banter.

“Is that right, wanted to show Cara here that you were big and strong, huh?”

You sidled up beside them both, following them up the ramp and into the ship.

Cara’s voice carried down from the control room to the hold, where you were tidying things up and ensuring that nothing was out of place to make the ship feel cramped with more than two average sized people aboard. You did leave out the current piece of chainmail you were working on though, not wanting to disrupt the pattern you had decided to try your hand at.

“He alright up there alone?” The woman asked as she followed Din as he made his way down the ladder, the cabinet that he stored his weapons in opening with the press of a button on his vambrace. His easy answer had you shaking your head, knowing he was about to eat his words. Ad’ika was anything if not mischievous, finding things to get into at a moment notice.

“Pick one.” Din instructed her, wanting the woman to be as prepared as you and him both for the upcoming conflict.

“Do you trust the contact?” She picked up and weighed the feel of a few pieces, her eyes finding your own at the table where you were working on hammering rings of metal together with concentration.

“Not particularly. He and I had a run-in last time I was there on some Guild business.”

“Not too fond of how he fired an actual bullet at me.” You muttered as you leaned in close to make sure the closures were secure before moving onto the next line of your work. The memories of that injury stirring in your body, phantom aches sprouting forth. It had been harsh, the recovery from such a wound, but if it hadn’t been for Din, you wouldn’t even have made it up from the floor of the ship. You felt the weight of Din’s visor on you and looked up to share a look with him. A silent confirmation that you were still okay with the decision to face the threat head on, with following his lead.

“So then why are we going?”

“I don’t have a choice.” You wanted to interject, but let the man speak plainly. Knowing why he was choosing to do what he thought was necessary. What was for the best, should it all play out according to plan. “You saw what happened on Sorgan. We had a tail on the last planet before we came to you. They’ll keep sending hunters. The kid will never be safe until the Imp is dead.”

“And you’re okay with bringing him back there?”

“Not really.” His voice lilted, his emotions obvious as he revealed how hesitant he was to take both you and ad’ika so close to danger, too close to those who were actively hunting after you. “That’s why I’m bringing you.”

Anymore of the conversation was cut short as the ship began to roughly jostle. Alarms sounding from the cockpit where they had left ad’ika alone. You easily looped the last ring on the row you had begun a few moments ago and set it in the crate designated for your work and tools. Clasping it shut from your seated position didn’t work as your hands couldn’t find a steady hold. Your hands scrabbled against it as the ship continued to warble in its course, no doubt the culprit of ad’ika messing with the steering.

“We need someone to help watch that thing.” Cara’s voice was stern, worry evident.

“San tries her best, but he is a handful. Especially if we’re going into enemy territory.”

“You got anyone you can trust?”

You were just entering the cock pit to let them know you were going to lay down for a moment, when you spied the coordinates Din was punching in.

“Arvala-7?” You turned from the control panel displaying the route of travel that Din had programmed into the system. There was a never-ending replacement of the plush, rich landscape that brought you so much comfort with that of harsh winds and gritty sand that spanned for miles and miles. So unforgiving in the way that the land simply was, no thought for nourishment or refuge to visitors. A far cry from where you felt you belonged but always found yourself returning to. A darkness shadowing over every beam of sunlight that you tried to bathe yourself in.

“Yes, but…”

“No.”

“You won’t have to disembark.”

“Burc’ya n-no, please don’t take me back there.”

“I’m not taking you back, I made sure that compound was destroyed. We’re just going to see if he’ll be willing to help.”

Ad’ika was whining, uncomfortable with the heightened emotions in the small room. He could pick them up from you and Din both, the confusion of Cara making the scene into something he didn’t like. 

“I don’t- what’s going on?” Cara seemed surprised to see you openly upset, still getting used to you speaking unprompted, of moving about as comfortably as you did about the ship. She had spied the room behind the cockpit, done up with a cot and a trunk for storage of personal possessions. Your bag set atop it along with a pile of neatly folded clothing. Though the bed was made and untouched save for a smaller blanket thrown over the top. Suspiciously the perfect size for ad’ika’s little form.

The touch of your presence was noticeable all over the ship, from the hammock in the corner of the hold, to two pillows atop the second cot nestled into a small space that was undoubtedly Din’s personal quarters, to the open crate of metal working tools and pieces of chain mail in variant states of completion. You had folded yourself into the space, his space, and the two of you seemed to be on equal terms compared to when she last interacted with you both.

It could be noted that you both didn’t stray too far from each other, you from either him or the small creature of the child. A soft-spoken name for one and a comfortable, easy-going rapport with the other.

“The person who helped me last with him is on the same planet I found San.” Din spared a glance over as Cara, not willing to take his eyes off of you completely, you were so tense he worried for the soreness that would follow if he could get you to relax.

“We need him, you know this. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“What’s a bunch of sand and red rock gonna do to you, cyar’ika? C’mon, you got me and Mando to watch out for you, no one is going to take you. I’m pretty sure the tin can over there would fire on someone if they so much as looked at you.”

“Would you want to go back to the place where you were drugged, tortured and taken advantage of? Used as a plaything for anyone and everyone?” You couldn’t help but snap, emotions jumbled and intertwined so tightly underneath your skin. Too overwhelming and difficult to separate in order to think properly. The mess of them prompting you to reveal in plain words what you normally would only allude to when asked. Din’s motions of going through the contents behind a panel below the controls halted, a crackling sounding from the modulator as your words settled in the air. Cara, similarly, dropped into your normal perch behind the pilot’s chair. At a loss for words, knowing whatever they chose to say would be the wrong thing.

You didn’t wait for their attempts at a response, instead crossing the small space and entered your quarters. Overly sensitive in the wake of memories of your past guardian found in the soothing embrace of the forest.

This was a bad idea, this was a monumentally bad idea. It didn’t matter how much faith and confidence you had in everyone’s abilities. Going back to the place that you had experienced such negative emotions was potentially triggering. You could already feel the pull of the Force when just seeing Greef Karga again, and that had only been a hologram transmission. Not even the real, physical form of the man who had shot you and nearly killed you for not reason other than simply being abord the Razor Crest.

Fear overriding everything else, self-preservation in the most selfish of ways rooted deep in your very being since you had last run from the very same people commanded you to be handed over now. You would apologize later, for your harsh words, but right now you needed to be alone. You needed to meditate and concentrate, push back the pull you felt so strongly inside of you.

Faint sounds of the pair of them could be heard as they moved about, Din rustling in the crate of errant machinery and parts he kept aboard the ship. You wondered what he was looking for, what he was doing but you felt too raw to face either of them. Their voices a soft murmur as you sit in the middle of the small space and try to focus on the push and pull of the Force all around you.

“So…”

“Don’t start.” Was Din’s simple response, knowing he was about to get an earful from the smirking woman sat across from him at the makeshift table. He had a spare bin placed atop most of the surface, tools and other parts surrounding it while he worked on a making a crude impression of the pod that ad’ika had been found in. While he knew you had only been teasing, you had been right In your observation of the small child being tired from his trip into town to fetch Cara. He was too small to be without transportation aid and the protection it would allow him.

“She seems like a completely different person. It looks good on her.” Cara lifted the mug in her hands to take a sip of the steaming caf she had made. The set up looking extremely well kept and stocked, everything neatly labeled in clean script. She hadn’t been able to read any of the words, Mandalorian, but had known that Din wouldn’t choose to spend his time with such a small thing as organization. It had to have been you who took the time to do it. “You did the right thing, not finishing her job.”

“She’s an admirable travel companion.”

“Is that all she is?”

The armored man didn’t respond, knowing what the ship looked like, what is allowed for other people to read into. He had no shame about the nature of his relationship with you, but he wasn’t sure if you would take kindly to him speaking about it plainly with the woman across from him. While he was comfortable in her presence and they were more than acquaintances at this point, he had firsthand experience with seeing how you interacted with people who seemed to know more about you than you cared for them to. He wasn’t about to break your trust, just as he wished for you to not break his own with you.

“Now I know why that lovely widow wasn’t an option.” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder to where the door to his quarters was open a crack, allowing her a view of the two pillows atop the cot only big enough for one person.

“Cara.”

“San is a gorgeous woman, Mando.” Din’t hands froze as he recalled the way your face bloomed when overwhelmed with pleasure. He shifted his hips, feigning reaching for a tool just out of his immediate grasp, adjusting himself as he felt a jolt of heat between his legs. “It looks like she’s really adjusted to life here on the ship. With you. Takes care of things.”

“She fights and does her far share of the hard labor, though she doesn’t know a kriffing thing about flying or anything beyond basic mechanics.”

“And you find that endearing, don’t you?”

“She has other skills.” He stated, a slight defensive. It was easy for people to take a glance at you and see only what you allowed them to, he had done so himself when first meeting you, taking you as a quarry all those weeks ago. But Cara had seen you fight, for a moment, surely she hadn’t forgotten that so easily. He did know why he felt the need to remind her that you were more. Perhaps it was a protective manner, to rekindle the knowledge that you were skilled, that you should be treated with respect, though he knew logically that the woman across from him did and you were both on good terms with each other.

“I’m sure she does, it takes a lot to survive on your own. Especially if she was on the run for as long as her puck had described. Her own trauma would’ve been enough to take a normal person down, but she’s strong. And the way she took down that raider? It was as easy and breathing for her, even in recovery. She makes armor too?” A hand reached out to inspect the contents of your haphazardly shut crate. A nearly finished piece of chainmail in the form of a shirt was folded over the lip of it and she carefully extracted it. An impressed hum fell from her lips as she took in the care and attention your gave to the piece, the rings closely knit and fastened tightly together. “Good quality armor.”

“Family business, it’s how she’s been helping to contribute. Sold a few pieces for a few thousand each.”

Cara let out a low whistle, eliciting a giggle from ad’ika as he swung in the hammock in the corner.

Placing the piece back into the crate, she spied the open notebook you used to scribble in. The pages were folded and bent, most likely as a result of it not being clasped and she could make out the drawing you had done of a masculine figure. Keeping quiet so as to not garner Din’s attention, she reached for it and took in the broad frame that took up the page entirely. Notes and measurements in a language that wasn’t Basic nor the Mandalorian she was beginning to recognize.

“Any idea what she’s written down here next to what is obviously a drawing of you?” She turned the notebook in her hands to face Din, the black of the visor whipping up as he realized what she held in her hands.

“Put that away, I don’t think she knows it’s out here.”

“I wonder how she knows what you look like underneath all that armor.” A knowing smirk lifted the corners of her lips as he turned the book back toward her. It wasn’t a graphic sketch, by any means. Din’s form clothed in light attire, though he was without his armor in it. Ruffling through the pages, she discovered it was more of a workbook than anything else. More notations and sketches for pieces you had worked on or wished to create. She closed the notebook with a snap, winding the string around it to secure it closed and placed it back into the crate. Contemplative in her silence.

“She’s worried about the Imps.”

“It’s not my information to share.”

“We’ve all had run ins with them, even after they were ‘defeated’,” She used air quotes around the word, knowing full well that there were pockets of them still operating as if nothing had changed. Case and point with what was happening on Nevarro. Such an expansive and all powerful crusade didn’t just fizzle out, too many factions and people of power who knew how to lay low and bide their time to show their hands. “But she seems…extra cautious.”

“You’ll have to talk with her.” Din continued to work on the project laid out before him.

True to his word, Din hadn’t pushed you to disembark from the ship when they landed on the barren, desert planet. A simple announcement to let you know that they were going to close the ramp after themselves that you hadn’t responded to. They were gone for a long while, no doubt laying out the situation to Kuiil and allowing him time to ask questions and make his decision with as much information as they could provide to him.

When the ramp lowered, hours later, you emerged from your quarters. There was a lot of stuff set out at the bottom of the ramp, supplies and a very still Din. Cara was the first to begin moving items aboard and you looked around the general landscape that was visible to you before you moved to help her. A nod shared with Din was all you could manage, though you were sure it was obvious you had been crying.

“You’ve grown, flourished into something admirable.” Kuiil’s voice called to you as he fastened a harness around a few of the blurrgs he had corralled into a small pen. He looked over to the armored man, an unreadable expression that prompted you to follow his gaze. “You didn’t turn her in, you made space aboard your ship for her to live her life. As an equal.”

“I did.” Like it hadn’t been one of the most life changing things could provide for you. Heat bloomed in your chest as you slowly made your way down the ramp. A deep breath in and heavy exhale before your boot settled in the sand beyond the metal.

“Do you have experience with such creatures?”

“No. sir, but other herd species that have been domesticated in much the same way.” You reached out a hand for one of the blurrgs to inspect. The breath hot on the exposed skin of your fingers, the force of it ruffling the cape that covered your body.

“It took this one a few days to learn how to mount, do you know how to ride?” Kuiil nodded over toward Din, a soft smile adorning your lips as you tried to picture the easily annoyed man try to tame the creatures enough to allow him permission to mount. He must’ve been thrown off a few times, creatures like them picking up on emotions as easily as breathing.

“Yes.”

“We will be using them for travel, we should see if they are easier for you.”

“Do they have names?”

“They do not, but they are all very understanding in nature if you aren’t hiding from them.”

“Hmm, will be you a good girl and let me try?” You cooed at the creature, willing to try but not wanting to be thrown off in much the same fashion you were imagining they had done with Din. Carefully entering the pen, with the Ugnaught close on your heels, you approached the creature with steady hands.

It took a few moments of the creature backing away from you and then coming back before they allowed for you to grip a hand around their harness. Once you did, you pulled yourself up and planted your backside firmly in the seat atop their back. She quickly took off, racing around the pen with jumps and hops that you weren’t sure was an attempt to buck you off but to see how well you could handle riding.

Keeping your balance was easy, despite the creature’s efforts to truly test a new rider, your grip tight on the reigns in your hand. Focused on allowing your body to roll with their movements, cape billowing out with every move. After a good while, the creature deemed you okay and began to simple trot around the enclosure.

With a wide smile, you clicked your tongue and guided them back to the post where Kuiil fastened her back up. Your heart stuttered as you realized Din had leaned up against one of the posts with his arms crossed over his broad chest to watch, the glint of the setting suns playing off of his beautiful armor.

Kuiil remained close by the creatures, offering them soft murmurs of comfort as the ship traveled. Surely, they hadn’t ever been aboard such a craft if their anxious rustling was any indication. But they were behaving for the most part, taking to it well with the help of their beloved handler.

Taking over the entire makeshift table, Din and Cara were interlocked in a game of arm wrestling, a cheeky comment from the former shock trooper resulting in the challenge. They were in a stalemate, small grunts of exertion puffing from both of them the longer they tried to overpower the other.

“I got you, Mando.”

“Care to double the bet?”

Suddenly, Cara was gasping, soft grunts waning out as she could no longer seem to take in a breath. Your head shot up, looking over to where ad’ika was secure in a newly constructed replacement for his pod. A small claw lifted up and his eyes clenched shut in concentration was all you needed to know as you quickly pushed up from your seat and moved toward him.

“Nayc, ad’ika! Nayc!”

He didn’t seem to hear you, as Cara let go of the hold she had on Din and her fingers scrambled at her throat. Din’s attention shifted from her, mind recalling the similar way that you had done something similar with Xi’an, to the child. He jumped up, closer to him than you were. He lifted him up from within his makeshift pod, words quick.

“No! No, no! Stop!” Concentration broken, the child gladly accepted Din’s hold and fastened his claws around the man’s arms. “We’re friends, we’re friends. Cara is my friend!”

“That is not okay!”

“I’m so sorry, cyar’ika! He must’ve been trying to imitate me, I didn’t know he was able to concentrate in order to do that!” You were crouched beside her, hands gently caressing her arms as she sucked in deep breaths and tried to fight off the dizziness that had taken over.

“Very curious.” The Ugnaught approached the child with a stoic face, taking in the events with reverence.

“Curious? It almost killed me!” Cara shouted out, understandably upset and worked up.

“He doesn’t realize how strong he is, he’s still learning how to wield it.” You tried to placate her, knowing it wasn’t much.

“The story you told me of the mudhorn now makes more sense. Though what it is, I don’t know. But what it does, what you both do. This…this I’ve heard rumors of.”

“What? When you worked for the Empire?” The accusation was harsh as it flew through the air.

“When I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude.”

“Yet somehow you walk free.”

“Hey! We all need to calm down. Yes, he walks free and so do I. Working with the Empire doesn’t make us horrible people.” Items in the cabin began to float, the panels on the walls shaking with the emotions you were feeling, crates jostling in their secure holds against the walls. The agitation of immediate judgement from someone who had been wronged just as much as you had by the very people you had been forced to submit to. She had only been so lucky they didn’t have anything to hold over her and force her to turn to them. Loss was loss, but manipulation was easy for those who had obvious weaknesses to exploit. All of it cruel, no comparison worse than the other, only more heartbreaking.

Silence fell at your loud words; voice elevated to try and take control over the situation. Both Cara and Kuiil turned to you with shock playing across their features, your words revealing more about yourself than you cared to admit. But in order to corral the situation, you had decided to defend the Ugnaught by voicing your own similar experience. Letting him know that he wasn’t alone in the suffering he had endured.

Cara tore her arm out of your light hold, though you had stood up when she had in the heat of the moment. It stung, her rejection in wake of your words, but you understood and moved to give her some space.

“I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes.” As he spoke, voice strict and leaving no room for argument, IG-!! Approached from where the droid had been standing guard by the creatures secured in the back of the space. “Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am nor whom I shall serve.”

Breathe held, you worried for another round of accusations to fly, but Din took control of the situation, not wanting the conflict on his ship among people he recruited for a job that required working smoothly alongside each other.

“Tell you what. I could really use your craft work right now.” Din settled ad’ika back into his makeshift pod, admitting that he had thrown it together quickly, that it wasn’t the best work but what he could manage with what supplies and parts were available. The child cooed and gurgled, seemingly unaware of the tension he had caused with his protective move against Cara. “Can you pad this container so the child can sleep better?”

“I shall fabricate a better one.” Kuiil turned to point an accusing finger toward a still seething Cara across the space. “Then perhaps this Dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one’s hands.”

The moment passed, tension easing a bit as the Ugnaught began to move about the space to collect things for a new pod. You opted to stay down in the hold with him and ad’ika, giving Cara some space after everything.

“I didn’t know they had taken you prisoner.” Cara’s voice was soft, almost hesitant as she approached where you were seated at the makeshift table with one hand wrapped around a steaming mug, the other reaching into the new pod where the child gripped it tight with his tiny claw. “You only mentioned your mother holding you.”

“It’s not something I generally broadcast.”

“I didn’t mean to yell so loudly, it’s just that- that power really unnerves me.” She sighed as she settled into the same chair she had been in earlier, before everything had become complicated and personalities had clashed.

“It unnerves me too, the only surviving rumors and stories are all steeped in the shadow of the Empire. I know the truth of those powers, the origin stories and the people who used to wield them for the good of the galaxy. I’m one of the very few alive, even now after so long. But none of that matters when they’ve been wiped out and their stories erased in favor of those to instill fear. It doesn’t matter that the Empire has been eliminated down to sparse bases of operations and high ranks clinging to the echoes of power they once had themselves. They destroyed so much, they still do.  

I was given an ultimatum, much like Kuiil. And I don’t regret taking the easier road, even it if did land me in the midst of the very people who took everything from me before they fell.” You wiggled your hand from ad’ik’a, his grip loose in his sleeping state.

She whispered your name, unsure of what else to say in wake of such an admission.

“But it’s okay, because it got to me where I am now. Aboard this ship as a free woman. With this little guy to look after so the same things don’t befall him. With…with ner kar’ta.”

You both sat in a comfortable silence, the conflict of earlier not forgotten but mended over. Sharing stories of what had happened during your time apart over a simple meal. IG-11 helping you to prepare enough for everyone and ensuring you they would clean up afterwords while everyone indulged. She had offered to take Kuill a plate while you took one up to Din. Both of you reaching out to bring everyone back together in the effortless way that food was capable of.

Hours later, you retired for the night. The day having been a long one. Another of travel ahead. You had offered Cara your own quarters, should she wish for a bit of privacy to rest. She had taken up your offer with a smug look tossed over to Din as he made his way to his own, though she didn’t make a comment other than to thank you for your kindness.

“Thank you.” You mumbled into the crook of his neck, nose pressing into the warmth of his skin. He was fully dressed but he had removed the cowl about his neck to rest easier atop the bed. Hesitant to undress further with two other passengers aboard the ship, despite his trust in them. Similarly, you had stayed in your outfit, only removing your boots and gloves in order to lay down for the last bit of travel toward Nevarro. “I was…afraid earlier. There are some things that- trigger me in a way and I would rather not face those things if I can help it.”

“Triggering.” One of his arms rested over you, bringing you flush against him. The armor wasn’t the most comfortable to rest against, but the feeling of him breathing beneath it helped to ease your mind all the same.

“Din, my sabers, they’re white.” You whispered into the shared darkness.

“Mesh’la, I’m trying to follow you, but I don’t – I don’t know much about your culture whereas you know so much about mine.”

“I’ve only heard of one other person who carries white sabers.” You took a deep breath, your heart thudding as you tried to calm yourself. He needed to know, you needed to share with him something to help him understand what exactly was at stake with this conflict. “White sabers have been purified. It means that the person who wielded them went to great lengths to find balance within themselves.”

“Because they were not always so.”

“Exactly…”

He didn’t ask you what color they used to be.

And you didn’t tell him that they used to glow as red as the ones in your nightmares.

Gearing up and getting the blurrgs ready for when the ship landed took a collected effort. Between you, Kuiil, Cara, and the IG unit, it was easier but still took some time. The four blurrgs aboard the ship were ready to stretch their legs, restless after having been cramped up for nearly three days of travel through hyperspace. You had calibrated your vambrace to connect with Kuiil’s handheld comm link. The pod he constructed for ad’ika complete and able to be controlled with either yours or Din’s cuffs.

The blurrgs steps clanged as the creatures made their way down the ramp, lining up in a loose formation in front of the man who had reached out to ask for aid.

Greef Karga was a tall man, his clothing neat and put together. Save for the damage done by Din’s blaster over the left breast of his leather coat. You held a hand to your lowest rib on the left side of your own body, feeling the phantom pain of a since healed injury at the man’s hand. There were three Guild members collected behind him, all sporting their own preparations.

“Sorry for the remote rendezvous, Mando. But things have gotten complicated since you were last here.”

“It appears that introductions are in order.” The man looked over the line the blurrgs created in front of them. Cara and Din flanking the closed and secured pod. Kuill beside the armored man and you on to the right of him. “It seems we’ve both provided a security detail.”

The man’s eyes roved over you all, taking in the way you were simply listening and letting him ramble on in his greeting.

“I recommend the shock trooper guards the ship. These lava fields are lousy with Jawas.”

“She’s coming with me.”

“But the town is now run by ex-Empire.” Karga made an imposing figure with his hands rested on his hips. “If a Rebel Dropper is with us, they’ll all get their hackles up.”

“She’s coming.” Din insisted simply.

“At least cover your tattoo. No need to flaunt it.” He acquiesced. His attention turned to you, the gazes of those behind him following as well. “I see you’ve brought this lovely lady back here, you are looking wonderful in your healed state. That was a nasty business the last time we met, I can only offer my apologies for firing upon you.”

“Apologies not accepted.” You frowned, not liking how he was talking with such disregard for the seriousness of the situation. As if it was all some game or show he was fronting for, not truly concerned with. He balked at your dismissal, his own frown marring his features.

“Surely you must understand that I was merely doing my job as leader of the Guild, Mando here was running off with a quarry he had already handed over. Possibly two, because we both know he had no true intentions of handing you over either. You were simply in the vicinity of such a misguided act.”

“Surely you must understand that not everyone buys into your overly straightforward and charismatic act. It’s simply something that people have the right to be cautious of.” You head crooked to one side, words falling and hitting the man right in his chest. Your eyes locked with his. Behind him, the other bounty hunters reached for their weapons, hands hovering over them as they looked you over. Not outwardly threatening but your words hinting at more than a pretty face or simple quarry sought after by her mother. You had no doubts that Karga had either told them of your involvement with the Empire so they were to keep an eye on you or he hadn’t and kept it simple to avoid any complications with the plan.

“Ooh, Mando, I do like her. Not afraid to speak her mind now that she’s got you to protect her, huh?”

“I’d be more wary of what she’s capable of, I’ll shoot but she’ll make sure you aren’t breathing.” Din spoke up, wanting to hurry this along. But he knew the man standing before him, how he liked to draw things out. Read what he could from long interactions with people. Choosing to ignore the rather heated comments from you both, the man opened his arms in exasperation.

“Now, where is the little one?”

Everyone watched as Din controlled the pod to move out of the line, up toward Karga. As it opened, revealing ad’ika inside and wide awake, your hands twitched around the reigns in your grip just as Din moved a hand to hover over the blaster holstered to his thigh.

“So this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about.” You watched with untethered focus for any signs of discomfort or ill intent as Karga lifted ad’ika with gentle hands from within the pod. “What a precious little creature. I can see why you didn’t want to harm a hair on its wrinkled little head.”

He gently placed the child back into the pod, but your grip remained tight on the reigns, tension taut in your body. You didn’t trust him, you didn’t trust the men behind him, you didn’t trust this entire situation. But it was Din’s call and you would follow his lead.  

“Well, I’m glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all.”

With the pod safely between Din and Cara once again, you exhaled a heavy breath.

“The sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell, camp out at the riverbank, then make our way into town at first light.”

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taglist: @clevergirl74 @strawberri-blonde @js-favnanadoongi @littlemisspascal @moonknight-s-cumdump @bookloverkat @golden-mando @beskarandblasters @feral-ferrule @bearsbeetsbeskar @76bookworm76 @anoverwhelmingdin @sarap-77 @picassopedro @sawymredfox @jessthebaker

dividers by the lovely @saradika-graphics

[ilovechuuy4]

˙∘ "Ah, what a lovely cake, babe!~" ∘˙

✰Osamu Dazai X GN!Reader✰

A/N; quite literally nobody asked for a dazai x reader but I've noticed since I've made my master list I don't have just a dazai fic along with just a chuuya fic BUT there is A LOT of chuuya x reader in my drafts so those will come soon!! I'm pretty sure this is the longest fic I made

→ Description; you and dazai decided to bake cakes! A quite messy and laced one at that.

Warnings; alcohol use (sneaking alcohol in the cake) and drinking wine

➥ Headcanons ⏤͟͟͞͞✰

→ Dazai is the one to sneak alcoholic drinks in to the cake/pastries/sweets y'all make.

→ Dazai is the one to take the frosting, dip his finger into it and smear the frosting on your nose like Rodolfo's nose.

→ He will make a mess no matter what, it's always possible and you can't avoid it, ingredients everywhere

→ Dazai is a literal child, he wants to lick the cake batter spoon, he doesn't care if there is raw eggs or not

→ When the cake is baking he's going to be OVERLY annoying because he has no patience whatsoever

→ This man is the most stupidest yet silliest known to kind, when decorating (his own cake) he's going to make little penises or inappropriate drawings on it

→ “Decorate appropriately" yea no, it's like yelling a kid to sit still and be quiet

→ The cake decorating is a contest for him for sure, he's going to sabotage you the best he can without ruining your cake, taking your frosting colors, candies that you're using, etc.

→ Christmas gal all the way, Christmas carols/music/dances/outfits/movies whatever, he loves it

Scenario!! ᯓ٭꙳˙∘

It was the middle of the day on a cool November day, there was a fire crackling in the living room, dazai and yourself in the kitchen with ingredients to bake a cake. Y'all had decided to to be creative and work on y'all’s culinary skills sense dazai was off work for holidays 'nd bored.

Soft hums were coming out the slim man’s mouth, who had an apron tied tightly around his waist, a cheeky smile on his face, his hands resting on his hips. “Alright! Let’s get this show on the rode!” You heard the brunette say excitedly, it was silly seeing him so happy over something like baking but also lovely.

Before this, Dazai had a bit too much wine so he wasn’t exactly sober. You had already grabbed the wet ingredients for the cakes, and dazai had grabbed the dry, store bought, cake mixes, all lied out on the counter top.

“Sure, sure. Let’s go this show on the rode” You mock with a soft smile, pouring the boxed cake batter into the metal bowl. You then crack the three eggs, but in this cake 6, since there is being to cakes made with the two boxes of cake mix y'all bought.

You then turn away to get a measuring up and get 2 cups of water. You heard a snicker from the brunette as you did. You weren't sure why nor did you see him pouring Lord knows how much whiskey into the cake.

You turn back and pour the two cups of water in, and then ⅓ vegetable oil. "What were you snickers about over here?" You say while giggling as well. "Oh nothing, babe. Don't worry!~" Dazai said with a cheeky smile, you knew he was up to something and it was obvious.

Y'all had already preheated the oven prior to this, 'nd now y'all have to mix, pour into pans, and then wait until it's done, let cool and ice! You take the whisk and start sturing the cake ingredients, while doing so, Dazai was getting into the frosting like a child.

Dazai had opened the white frosting, dipping his CLEAN fingertip in as it gets coated with the white, creamy icing. He sticks out his tongue, licking off the icing. "You know, this is OVERLY sweet" The brunette says, his gaze averting from the icing container, his deep brown eyes were looking into your e/c eyes.

"Ah, well that's the only kind they had, and isn't icing supposed to be overly sweet?" You had said, cocking and eyebrow as you continue mixing the cake batter. "Mhm, I suppose." He simply says as he dips his finger back in. "Honey, baby, babe, look at me!" He ugered, he really wanted you to look, even for a second.

You look over once more but before you could speak, you see Dazai reaching his icing covered finger tip towards your nose and smearing the icing on it. "Haha! Now you're Rodolfo but with a white nose!" He says his hands going back to his hips as a proud smile washes on his face, you couldn't help but smile.

"Ha, okay you Christmas obsesser" you scoff, and Dazai being the overly dramatic man he is, he jaw drops as he slaps a hand to his mouth, gasping obnoxiously as he does so. "Obsesser?! I am not obsessed!" He says with the most sassiest look on his face, holding back his giggles that were slowly tearing through the look of sassiness. "Cmon! Everyone knows you're obsessed on the holidays, Osamu! It's so easy to tell!" You start to laugh as Dazai turns away scoffing playfully.

Dazai huffs and the speaks, "Maybe a little, obsessed." He admits while turning to the Amazon Alexa y'all had placed in the kitchen for reasons like these. (cooking together) He walks over to it and whispers something as he turns up the Echo Dot to its max volume and soon, the entire kitchen is filled with Christmas music, specifically, All I Want For Christmas is You, by Maria Carey. You couldn't help but surpres laughs and giggles as you see our lover dancing and singing to the music.

"All I want for Christmassss~ isssssss~ youuuuuu!!" Dazai "sings" loudly, it was such good material to record but you didn't have your phone so it was a bit disappointing you couldnt record. You softly hum along to the song as you pour the cake batter into the cake pans. "Oo! Ooo!! Give me the spoon! I want to lick the batter spoon!" Your lover's eyes are like stars as you hand him the batter spoon.

Dazai starts licking the soon as he watches you put the cakes in the hot oven. "How long will it take?" He asks, still licking the spoon clean. "About 20-30 minutes? It just depends on the size of the pan if I'm honest with you, Honey, but since it's two 9 rounds maybe 22-27 minutes?" This wasn't a wild guess, but more of a precise guess. "Ughh, that's so long!" Dazai complained, nothing new though.

"Oh calm down, you listen to your Maria Carey and lick your batter spoon and before you know it, they will be done" You scoff softly, this makes Dazai huff and cross his arms as he finishes off licking the spoon. "Fine! But I think I'll annoy you instead" He says, smiling as he hugs you tightly, his arms around your waist and holds you close.

This goes on for a bit, dazai was poking, kissing, biting doing whatever to try to annoy you, but at the end of the day he wasn't sober so, you were fine with it. And soon, the timer for the cakes went off, you grab the oven mit and put it on, taking the cakes out from the oven, placing them on the stove top. A few minutes go by, Dazai was back to the casually bugging until y'all were able to frost the cakes.

"Okay okay, the cakes are ready to frost, you get one I get one, okay?" Dazai hums in response, looking extremely excited as he takes his icing bag and starts to work on his cake, you take yours as well and work on your own. You were glancing back and forth between your cake and Dazais face, humming softly to the Christmas music playing in the kitchen. You use your a smaller frosting tip to do more fine line details in the very detailed cake while dazai, seems to be doing something more since he is chucking up a storm.

You were making you and Dazai holding hands and dazai, well who knows? Because you didn't. You continue frosting your cake making everything the best it could be. "Done!" Dazai blurts with a smile, still snickering happily. You glance over and down at Dazais cake were there is a HIGHLY detailed cock, not a chicken, a cock, as in the male reproduction organ. Why was it so detailed? You didn't know but you just snicker a bit as you continue to work on your own.

"It's very, er, detailed?" You say, holding back a fit of laughter. "Yep! Based it off my own!~" He seemed so confident that it was funny, you put a hand over your mouth holding back your fits of laughter "O,oh yeah, really?" You choke out, it was hard to contain your giggles and snorts as they just fall out as you start to have a unbearable fit of laughter, which made Dazai start laughing too. A bit of tears from the uncontrollable fit start to form in your eyes as you catch your breath.

"Ha, Okay I'm done I'm done" you let out a sigh of relief as you quickly finish up your cake. Dazai comes up behind you, wrapping his arms around you. "Ah, What a lovely cake, babe~" He said, smiling happily as he saw the very detailed cake of the two of you holding hands.

He plants a soft kiss on your neck, and then your jawline moving up to your lips. Capturing your lips in a slow and loving kiss, you could taste the sweetness of the frosting and cake batter from earlier as you kissed back slowly. Dazai pulls back, smiling, "I love you babe"

[sameschmidtdiffname]

Something I think about a lot in the hunger games movies is the way younger Peeta's hair is brunette.

You know, the scene where he throws Katniss the bread? Why is his hair brown?

Does he bleach it? And if so, why?? He went through the trauma of the hunger games and came home like "hold up lemme touch up my roots"??

Or did younger Peeta just dye his brown?? Or am I insane and his hair was just supposed to be, like, wet or something and that's why it was dark?

Anyways please give me your thoughts on bottle blonde Peeta it's driving me crazy thanks 🙏

Anon I have incredible news about my thoughts on Bottle Blonde Peeta™️

I actually somehow forgot to bring this point up though because you're right. I don't- how-

Like, listen. I'm a dirty blonde naturally and if an iota of oil gets on that shit it looks like the blackest brown I've ever seen. But my god, he ain't even wet! (RIP Josh Hutcherson, you got did done so fucking dirty that entire series and you were so nice about it. You would've loved wigs. Good on you for getting one in that end scene.)

No but honestly, I like- okay. I love the idea that after Peeta gets out of the first Hunger Games, finds out Katniss was lying about her feelings and just storms to the town beautyshop like "I need brows and lowlights, fucking stat." Because his 'Catching Fire' was was scrumptitiyumyum in the most Bottle Blonde Peeta™️ sense imaginable. I literally was talking about this series with my bestie who's a hairdresser yesterday and according to her, Peeta's untoned, noodle poodle hate crime ass with the dark as my demon soul at 9 o'clock on a Sunday morning ass roots is a punishment from the Capitol for his bullshit and a lack of care on the part of District 13.

But circling back to 'Catching Fire,' it is canon in my heart and soul that Peeta poured his heart out to Delly about his latest traumas in his sparkling new bomb ass bathroom while she dyed his roots and tinted his brows to show he's an independent man who ain't need no Katniss. (While sobbing to Taylor Swift about how much he wants Katniss.) Which lead to him just having the worst dye job for the rest of the series until he finally stops fucking with it after he marries Katniss. (He would be such a hair guy, I'm sorry.)

(I also adore the idea that Peeta eventually stops tinting his brows one time because he feels like he's too old for that shit only to recieve a bottle of Just For Men in the mail that is clearly from Haymitch. He could've just walked over here and given it to him that way, but that would've required seeing Browless Peeta™️ and he's had enough trauma for one life.)

[wolffyluna]

Help, I've accidentally sold myself on Karlach/Lae'zel.

They have surprisingly similar views on things, for all that Karlach is much less... ruthless? than Lae'zel. (I'm not sure what's quite the best way to pithily phrase Lae'zel 'might makes right' + laser focus.) And I'm only partway through the game, so I'm not sure how like. things with the Creche and Vlaakith are going to go down. But seeing Karlach's history in Avernus--

Karlach: I know exactly how we're dealing with that heinous, up her own arse, bitch--

Lae'zel: You're going to suggest we cut her into small pieces with bladed weapons.

Karlach: I was also going to suggest pouring oil on her and then setting it on fire.

Lae'zel: ...I can't say I disapprove of this plan.

[nsomniacsdream]

Story time. My wife got a job that's way better than her current one, but we have to move to Washington (from oregon). We were looking into buying a house there, but the bank says "come back when you have washington paystubs, ya fucks" so I bought an rv for us to stay in for *in my head six months max* in Washington so she could get to her new job and I could find something to start getting those Washington paychecks to look for a house. Now, the brakes were kinda shitty on the rv, so I've spent about a month calling every mechanic in town, in the county even. None of them works on rvs, except one. Who is booked out til end of August. So a coworker told me about a place in the next county over. She's friends with the owner, rave reviews, a 4.7 rating on Google, been in business like 40 years. Everything seems good. I call and make an appointment to drop it off, I clench my jaw and drive a ton of steel 60 miles with basically no ability to stop to drop it off. I ask them to call me when they have an estimate. Never hear anything. So I call them about three days later "oh yeah we just pulled it in, I'll ask one of the guys working on it to give you a call when he knows what it's gonna cost" never calls. I call back thr next day. "Yeah, your gear oil in your rear axle looks like ahit, we recommend flushing it and replacing the seals" "what is that gonna run?" "Oh not much" "we will call you back when we have an idea on parts" never called back. I called back the next day and they were like "oh yeah it's done" "can you tell me the total?" "Lemme call you back while I get all the receipts for parts together" I call back 4 hours later "oh yeah, 900. Ish. I'll have an exact total when you get here" whatever. I pick it up, give them 900, make it half way home, when the caliper locks! The back tires on side side don't spin, so I call and they send someone out "now I saw him take that caliper off and test it, it was perfect" whatever. 800 dollars more. Roadside service. I finish the drive home and my wife *driving behind me* says "it's smoking" so I pull over. The drivers side back tires are on fire. I've got a couple extinguishers in the rv, I empty one under there, the fire is out, but fluid is pouring out of it. Looks like gear oil honestly. Here's how I see it went. They flushed the gear oil, replaced the seal(poorly), refilled with gear oil. The seal failed, gear oil (which is just a kind of motor oil) pours straight onto the brake pads, and as soon as I hit the brakes, sparks and flames. I had to have pissed off a witch or something.

[ketamachine]

Stupid Shit I've Done

-drank straight chili oil because it said "dry gin" on the bottle (it was very much alcoholic, but also spicy)

-forgot said chili oil was in my cup and accidentally drank it again

-gotten stuck in a hole in a chainlink fence like it was a bad porno

-eaten a bag of sour skittles I found open on the ground of a park

-attempted to candy an orange by peeling it and putting it in a pan full of melted cough drops

-failed at making instant ramen

-asked the principal of my middle school if we could do karaoke instead of math (he said yes)

-asked a kid's consent before punching him (he also said yes)

-almost set my house on fire pouring water on a grease fire

-escaped out the back stairs of my then partner's house to avoid their mom like a shitty romcom

-gotten stuck in a laundry basket

There's probably more but these are a few that stand out lmao

[dinosaurwithablog]

Yes, I'm still streaming Hell's Kitchen. I've learned that a lot of people, even professional chefs, don't know what to do if their pan catches on fire. They blow on it and get frustrated when that doesn't work. It's simple. First of all, never pick up a pan that is on fire so that you don't get burned. Fire needs oxygen to burn so cut off the oxygen supply by putting a cover or an inverted pan on top of the pan that is on fire. If the fire is caused by spilling oil or grease, pour flour or baking soda on it to suffocate the fire. Never use water because that'll make the fire spread because oil and grease float on top of water. I thought that everyone who's ever cooked in a kitchen knew this, but most of the people on Hell's Kitchen do not seem to know this. It's useful knowledge and it can save your kitchen from burning down. 🔥 I love cooking, and I want people to enjoy it as much as I do. Mistakes happen so I hope these thoughts will help to prevent disaster. I think that most home cooks know this, but it can't hurt to put it out there. Cooking is love. Food brings us together. Check out it, if you don't already do it. It's a lot of fun!!! 😊😍😋

[yumikattodl]

Diabolik lovers more blood blood bloued Dark no 4.

Diabolik lovers more blood blood bloued Dark no 4.

༺ ❦ People. They usually don't notice what they have and then regret that they lost something.... Emotions consume them and they don't notice what they have they still don't have enough they want more, and more all the time.

❦༺𓆩 And then, they are left with hope which is mostly unfulfilled and it too dies slowly, and at the very end there is emptiness.... With nothing then there is nothing left to lose, and that is the worst....

𓆪✰⋆｡:ﾟ･*☽:ﾟ･⋆｡✰⋆｡:ﾟ･*☽:ﾟ･⋆｡✰⋆｡:ﾟ･*☽

- Then come on kitten! - shouted Kou to her and pulled her along. She wasn't surprised by this, she was afraid he wanted to do something to her again because why would he take her with him.

Really, she didn't want to pretend this relationship, but she must have always thought that she would be in a relationship with someone for love.

That, she once hoped, was wrong. In the end, she found out that love, is not there and they are cruel to her even though she was not at fault in anything with them. She sighed and set off with Kou, she didn't know where the blonde was leading her too much because even though she had been going to this school for 2 weeks she didn't yet know the arrangement of the classrooms by heart.They entered some room it was a bit gloomy in the room there were things for cooking! It must be the kitchen definitely.

- Kou - kun, why did we come to the kitchen? - She asked looking at the blond man. The blond man, at this he smiled slyly, to the dark blue-haired girl took her hands and put them on his own. Her, hands compared to his.

They were warm even though she was terribly pale she was so warm, a pleasant warmth radiated from her. And him, he was cold, even though he seemed nice and friendly it was just a mask. Kou - kun, he was never nice to anyone always pretended to be.

-Don't you know kitten? ~~- he looked at her and squinted his eyes.

- we came to eat treats prepared by other students! For example, the sweets that are lying there!

- smiled Yumi, looking at the candy. Pomegranate-haired, she loved sweets she loved them.

- No, we came here for the sweets.

- The blonde, shook his head at them. And he laughed at her account because she saddened at these words.

- He wants" Spaghetti alle Vongole " And you kitten will do it for me!

- Said the unloaded vampire bristling his fangs.

- I'm sorry, kou - kun but I'm really poor at cooking," she said to the vampire looking at him.

From the smile, anger immediately appeared on his face he squeezed Yumi's hands tightly at which she firmly closed her eyes in pain.

- Are you kidding me?  wants spaghetti alle Vongole! - shouted the kou.

- You think for free I've been so nice to you since the morning I didn't even drink your blood! - said the kou threateningly at which the girl choked.

"She could have expected this from him after all he was selfish and she thought he was nice to her from the heart.... "

- Here's the recipe, and you are to make me " spaghetti alle Vongole ".

- He growled, at her angry blonde, even though she knew it would end badly she took to work trying to make it for him.

- What is going on here? - Suddenly ruki and yuma appeared next to them.

She knew from ruki's words that she was screwed.

- I told the kitten, make spaghetti alle Vongole for me! One thing didn't work out for her but she's making another one for me!

- Smiled the kou proudly.

- Idiot, it's on fire! You need to put out the fire! Both of you have triggered the fire alarm!

- he shouted, annoyed ruki with what they both did. It did not pass, more than half an hour and the pan began to burn with fire. She didn't even pour oil into the pan but added water and vinegar to it. She burned it while the kou, sat and waited and finally it started to burn.

And on top of that, it started, sounding the alarm against the poseurs at school because of their exploits in the kitchen. She didn't put out the fire just tried to add more noodles to make a dish for kou, it came out but the fire only got bigger.

- You really are hopeless you don't know how to make my beloved dish make another one here you have another pan!

- kou shouted and handed her another pan and they set the burning one on the gas. The fire spread more the blonde ignored it told her to make his favorite food.

- Ruki! The second pan started to burn! - said yuma to his older brother.

- I wonder if it hurts...- smiled, azusa who appeared.

- Azusa no! - shouted yuma at his brother who set fire to his bandages on his hands. And the bandages, quickly caught fire and began to burn.

- That hurts! - Delighted azusa and smiled at yumi

- Thank you Yumi- San, for this pain," he said to the dark blue-haired girl. The girl didn't know how to react when yuma tried to pull azusa away from the fire.

- The need for water! - Give water! Quickly! - shouted ruki - Or maybe the peppers are still seasoning for spaghetti alle Vongole! They are still going!

- said the kou.

- No, enough kou! Give water! Yumi make yourself useful for something and give water! - growled ruki, upset by the situation. Pomegranate-haired, filled a glass with water but instead of pouring the water on the pans it slipped about her own feet and poured the water on yume.

The vampire, was not happy with this turn of events.

- I said, about water to put out the fire and not! Water the yume! I'll take care of it myself you are up to no good!

- said ruki. And he took on, to put out the fire himself. The dark blue-haired took a few moments and put out the fire.

- It is I who will set fire to...everything...again! - smiled azusa, satisfied.

- There will be, pain.... - announced azusa. - Azusa! No! - stopped his brother, a red-haired vampire who was the tallest of them all like a giant.

- Kou! You were not supposed to make trouble," said Ruki, looking at Yumi and Kou.

- Yumi, at home you'll get hurt," he said, looking at the dark blue-haired Ruki. She wanted to defend herself that it wasn't her fault because Kou told her to, but decided not to speak up, after all, her opinion didn't matter to them.

Egoists.

༺❦☙ The definition says that a selfish person is a person who constantly thinks about himself. But what's wrong, is about taking care of one's own needs? After all, everyone, in part, is selfish and thinks about their own needs to some extent. Is a selfish person a bad person?   ❦☙༻

When, the whole incident was finally over Yumi went to class but she couldn't sit for the lesson she was really afraid of the punishment that awaits her at home. Now, this she would like to sink to the ground, if it was possible she would be the first to do it.At the break, the navy blue-haired woman was pacing a bit restlessly.

- Is something wrong? - He asked, someone speaking into her ear.

The girl, terrified, opened her eyes. In front of her stood a boy wearing a hat with red hair, smiling at her slyly his green eyes were like those of a snake.

- No nothing happened! - She replied to the boy standing next to her.

- You do not look happy bitch - chan and besides, I am laito! - smiled cheerfully at her boy putting, his hand on her skirt.

The navy blue-haired girl became abashed at the gesture and also blushed on her face.When the red-haired, he looked at the girl she reminded him of his childhood friend. But, it couldn't possibly be her.... But she smelled like her he will have to check it out.

- Laito, how many times do I have to tell you to keep your paws to yourself? In public places," said the boy, with Gray - hair wearing glasses.

- Oh, reji don't be so stive you can eat with that cute bitch - chan~~~- said the red-haired, to the gray-haired boy. Reji, looked at the girl resembled her. - Said the lady what is your name? - asked the gray-haired boy.

- My name is Yumi - introduced herself to the girlDefinitely, it was not a coincidence.... It must be her. Yumi katto, the girl from their childhood. Could it be that their father had finally let her go? What was he up to again? Trouble was definitely approaching.... Pomegranate-haired, she didn't recognize them.

- Nice to meet you guys I have to go to class! - She said to them then ran up to the lessons. And the two vampires looked at each other.

- Definitely, it was she returned my beloved bitch - chan, I have not seen her for so long. - smiled laito. He must tell about it, ayato and kanato.

Just what is their father up to? Recently came to them yui - san, which later turned out to have the heart of their mother cordela. Really, it was getting dangerous. Their father was unbalanced, so now anything could happen. They must be on guard.

＊*-̩̩͙✩-̩̩͙*˚ ˚*-̩̩͙✩-̩̩͙*˚＊

Ruki, drank tea and sat in the chair after he gave punishment to Yumi. She called the brothers had to announce something.

- Ruki. - Kun, is something wrong? - Asked azusa older brother.

- I think we found an eve, this is the one from sakamaki her name is yui.

- He said, to them ruki. To them ruki, he was never wrong always, he was right.

- At last we have succeeded," said the happy kou.- then we can go for it!

- threw Yuma - No, so fast for now we will observe. We need a plan to take her, for now we will eve, observe for a few days.

- Announced them ruki looking at his brothers - Oh, so much waiting," whined the kou.

- Don't whine, we found her at last! - threw yuma

- Eva. - said azusa. They couldn't let the attack go by without any rational and extensive plan. They had to wait a while....

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆.｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆.

Pomegranate-haired, she got up beaten out of bed. After what ruki did to her she must be more careful she doesn't want such painful punishments ever again.

- Yumi - San. - She heard a voice in the room, but no one was there when she looked around the room.

- Who are you? What do you want?

- she said from the point of view of a rational person, it might seem that Yumi was crazy to say that herself. But, after all, one can go crazy over these vampires.... Suddenly, a black figure appeared in front of the navy-blue-haired woman, and she felt her legs give way under her with fear.

- Yumi, my dearest," the figure spoke to her.

- Soon everything will be explained, find out who you really are don't forget what he did to you and about your history," said the figure. Pomegranate-haired, she understood nothing of this what was she to know about herself? What kind of Karl Heinz was he? What did he do to her she did not remember that he had ever done anything to her, after all she was grateful to him she did not understand it all. Her story and who he was she did not understand.

- Soon everything will become clear," said the figure touching her face, and disappeared.

Yumi, watched in horror for a moment in place. Then her head spun and she fainted. Who am I? I don't know anything about myself.After a couple of hours, Yumi woke up in her room, she couldn't distinguish whether this figure, she was dreaming or it was for real. Pomegranate-haired, she sighed a little and decided to take a walk in the garden where there were those delicious strawberries she didn't forget so easily this time she would eat those strawberries. She walked around the garden for a while when she finally reached her destination strawberries, delicious red ones directly asked her to taste them. She could not refuse, after all, they wanted it themselves ... She took 1....2...3...4...5...6...7...8....And then, the same quality flew Yumi I love strawberries she could eat them for days they were juicy delicious the way she loved them. Suddenly someone tugged on her arm, she looked to see who it was and saw a giant vampire yume.

- How dare you eat my strawberries you know how much work I put into it! - shouted the vampire at her- But, these strawberries asked me to come here by themselves! - she said to the vampire

- Do you know what it's like to put a lot of work and heart into something and someone destroys it and takes it away from you? - asked yuma definitely angry with the girl.

- Maybe, not complete but a little, I know. - she replied. The vampire just waved his hand for her to continue.

- Maybe, not complete but a little, I know.

- she replied. The vampire only waved his hand for her to continue.

- I am waiting, the day until Mr. Karl Heinz one day comes back for me. I know that someday that day will come sooner or later.

- She said, Yumi said. The vampire laughed at this. - Really, you are naive! You think He will come back for you someday is what you think.

People are already like that they promise and then abandon He won't come back for you. They never come back for their abandoned children they prefer to get rid of them, like some unnecessary object.

- He said, to the yuma girl and grabbed her hands tightly.

- He abandoned you and you think why did you end up here? Because surely, where you were they had enough of you!

- threw the red-haired, vampire. At these words, the girl wanted to cry Karl Heinz, had had enough of her. This could not be true. He would not abandon her. He, someday would come back for her did not want to admit that yuma - kun, he was right that in the world she had no one to return to.... Therefore, she lived in hope that someday someone would come back for her.... But she knew that some part of her acknowledged this.

Yuma pushed back her hair, and bit into her neck, the girl closed her eyes, at the pain that was preening her. Which, went through the flesh ofher body.

But if Karl Heinz loved her, he wouldn't have left her.... She didn't have anyone anymore, it finally dawned on her that everyone wanted to get rid of her.... That's why he left her here, he wanted her dead.... They told her she was hopeless and unfit for anything. She finally understood that.... Her hope had died....

There was nothing left to hold her. She had nothing...  She had nothing to lose becauseThere was nothing to lose ...

[overwhelmed-overweight]

hey, i really appreciated the post you made on BED. describing ana habits w bed as pouring oil over a fire is so accurate. do you have any more relevant tips to lose weight? or to break the cycle? im really struggling.

I'm glad (and sad tbh) so many people felt seen by that post!

Honestly I could write a book on how to lose weight, both from a scientific nutritional and psychological standpoint, but the reality is that I haven't even succeed in my own efforts yet lol. Any "proven"(?) tips I could give would be ones that y'all have probably read and heard hundreds of times over.

But I have a feeling this post is gonna get long, so the rest will be under the cut!

In my opinion, the difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it is meeting yourself where you are.

For example, lately I'm dealing with intense stress (family issues, getting ready to sell our house and move to a big city, financial issues, job hunting, a late period...) and it makes it hard to identify emotional eating triggers or fight off addictive tendencies and impulses as a result. It's taking everything in my power and more to not bully the shit out of myself.

As easy as it is to be hard on yourself when facing BED, it only makes things worse. If stress is one of the biggest triggers for BED and you place extra stress on yourself for binging, it ends up being counterproductive as fuuuuck. I know yall know, but it's worth reminding. I know I'm going to binge lately, so instead of fighting it for now I'm just doing damage control.

In terms of tips, I've got a couple that help me personally

Keep a lot of fresh produce and other "safe foods" prepped. I'm a slut for strawberries, air fried tempeh, frozen grapes, rice & gochujang with seaweed, stuff like that.

WATER. This might be an odd one, but before eating anything I'll drink some ice cold water because if I can feel the water hitting my stomach and making it noticeably and entirely cold inside, it means I'm not that full and should/can eat a little. If it's just a little cold, it means I'm mostly full. Preloading with water also keeps me from eating quite as much as I otherwise would.

(TW: sex) If you're so inclined, do something sexual. A lot of the time when I try to figure out what I'm really craving when I'm about to binge, I notice an itch for bold physical stimulation (usually flavor + chewing) and the calming effects that flood my body when that need is met. Masturbation helps me a lot tbh, sometimes I'll make it a whole thing and put on makeup and lingerie. It's not foolproof but it has helped me avoid binges before (especially if you have an enthusiastic partner like mine lmao)

I might edit this post as I think of things. I just want to make sure I'm putting healthy information out there :')

[puddingsdiary]

We dare!

I know it was very quiet here for a while now. But recently I talked on discord with @perhaps-in-anotherdream about a scenario like the following and the thought won't leave me alone. So I brought it to virtual paper. Maybe I can hire her as my Muse? 😁

Just kidding, but I hope you like it even a little bit.

Without further Ado, everyone have fun!

Still a week to go until their long awaited vacation and MC already finished most of her work but Victor was still very busy. During the last year those two were so busy that there wasn't much time for a vacation, a weekend here and there, sometimes even in combination with a business trip. Fatigue had piled up until two months ago MC had a small weakness attack on a film set. Afterwards both of them decided it was time for a long vacation. Next week it's finally time for their 3 week leave to start. Victor had made the itinerary this time, saying that this trip's purpose was to recharge and relax, so all MC knew was that they would go to Paris first. Nevertheless MC couldn't wait for this final week to be over.

With a cup of coffee she went to the study to see if he had finished for the day when she heard him talking.

"We're doing fine. Thanks. What about you and uncle?"

Obviously his Aunt Alice had called. So MC entered hoping she could also talk to Aunt Alice.

"MC is also here, wait I'll put you on speaker." Victor put his mobile on the desktop and turned on the speaker as soon as he saw MC entering.

"Hello, Aunt Alice."

"My dear, you haven't called in a while."

"Uhm, yeah. I was very busy, you know. Your nephew is a demanding boss." Sticking out her tongue at Victor's frowned face, MC could hear Aunt Alice chuckle over the phone.

"Since I can talk to both of you… We've been asking us for a while now, and I'm sure you know that already, but still, you two have been engaged for so long now. When will you finally marry?"

MC didn't know what exactly to answer since Alice wasn’t wrong. Searching for help she looked at Victor while fidgeting with her engagement ring.

Victor sighed, he put his hand on hers.

"Aunt, we'll take the next step when we see it fit."

Now it was Aunt Alice's place to sigh.

"Don't wait too long, you two. Your father is longingly waiting for a grandchild."

MC blushed at this comment.

"Being married is not necessarily a prerequisite for becoming parents. Plus, I highly doubt it's father who waits longingly."

As if pouring oil into the fire, at Victor's counter her face became beet red.

"I know…"

"Sorry, Aunt, I have another call incoming and it's important. We'll call you when we're back or better, why don't we come to visit at the end of our vacation."

"Don't think I don't know you're dodging the topic. But ok. I see you when you come. Have a nice trip!"

The call ended with his Aunt laughing and Victor looked at a brooding MC.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "No-Nothing."

"Are you bothered by her nagging?"

"That's not it."

"But?"

"Why are we still waiting? We've been through the rituals twice already but always just for show. Was this enough for you?"

"Dummy." Victor pulled MC onto his lap, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. "How could this ever be enough?" HIs voice became so soft, it nearly melted all her doubts.

"I don't know. We've been engaged for two years now. Yes, especially last year was hectic and very busy…" MC's voice became quiet further down the sentence, not sure how to actually word her feelings. Even without words he understood the girl perfectly. Victor brought his lips close to her ear.

"Then why don't we marry before heading to Paris?"

His breath tickled her skin, the low voice sending a pleasant shiver down the body. It took MC more than a second to realize what he actually said. Looking at Victor in disbelief MC asked for confirmation.

"You mean now?"

"Of course, you seem not really willing to wait any longer, not that I don't feel the same. Maybe I've just waited too long for you to be ready, not seeing that you are. You just said it, we’ve done all the rituals western as well as traditional. What’s left is signing the papers." It was obvious, Victor was dead serious.

"Simply signing some papers isn’t what I thought about my wedding… And what about your family? We'd want them to be there." MC was not yet totally convinced right now.

"Dummy, of course we're holding a ceremony when we're back. You can have everything you want for our wedding ceremony."

The idea of eloping and coming back married finally took form in her head and a grin spread across MC's face.

"Yes! Let's do it!" MC threw her arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his lips. Victor didn't intend to let her go easily and deepens the kiss. For an eternity there was only the touch of their lips against each other and tongues entwined in a sensual dance. The breath shared became thin and at the end they had to part to catch some air. While MC looked at Victor's slightly flushed face a thought crossed her mind.

"We have to tell your mum!"

"What?"

"Even if we don't tell anyone, we need to tell your mum. We should visit her beforehand and tell her. We can get married in Èze as well, right?"

Her words created a lump in Victor's throat. For a split second he was speechless. Warmth spread from his fast beating heart. MC once said that he was a grand miracle but Victor was convinced that the true miracle sat on his lap right now. To think of how precious his mother was and still is to him at this moment. If possible Victor loved MC even more now.

*Cough* "You're right. I'll make the necessary arrangements first thing in the morning."

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a nice sunny late spring day with a handful of small clouds sprinkling the sky. Victor strode towards his mother's grave. MC didn't speak, satisfied with walking next to him, her hand holding his. What they were going to do was very meaningful not only for Victor. She squeezed his hand lightly and he turned his gaze to her, the corners of his lips tugged up lightly.

As always when they were here, there was a hint of sadness deep down in his eyes, yet MC could clearly see how happy he was.

In front of his mother's grave Victor sat down, pulled MC onto his lap. His left arm was wrapped around her waist while the fingers of his right were entwined with hers. Just like he tended to do to calm MC down, her thumb drew circles slowly on Victor's skin.

"Hi, Mum." The voice was a bit hoarse and Victor cleared his throat before he spoke again.

"We're going to get married today and want you to be the first to know. It was quite the spontaneous idea to do it now, so please don't say anything to Dad. But don't worry. We'll celebrate with everyone when we're back home."

As if sending her blessing, the small cloud covering the sun for the last few minutes moved and the gras around the grave was bathed in sunlight.

"Look Victor! Your mum is telling you how happy she is for you." With a beaming smile MC looked up to him.

"Dummy, just coincidence that the cloud moved past the sun just now. But yes, Mum would be happy knowing you by my side." He placed a light kiss on her forehead and MC snuggled even closer, leaning her head on his shoulder. They stayed a little while talking about all the things that happened since their last visit.

Victor being efficient and very thorough was nothing new. Still MC questioned how he was able to make it happen, even in a rather small town like Èze you won't get a wedding date with the authorities within a week's notice.

After their visit at the cemetery Victor and MC returned to their hotel room. MC had one condition, even if not wearing a wedding dress at least she wanted to dress up nice and have a celebratory dinner afterwards.

“Are you ready?” Victor walked behind MC and looked at her in the mirror when she fixed the second earring to her ear, the pair he had gifted her the day of their first kiss.

"We need to go."

The dark blue dress flowed around her curves and the delicate silver threads weaved into the fabric blinked like little stars at every move. Victor thought of her as breathtakingly beautiful and she belonged to him. He couldn't resist and placed a kiss on that one spot in the crook of MC's neck normally hidden by her hair.

"If you continue like that, Victor, we'll miss our appointment and all my hard work to look beautiful is going to waste."

Still looking at MC in the mirror Victor's eyes made a promise that this is not the end here, sending a shiver down her spine. Nevertheless, he picked up her coat and helped MC inside.

"You're wrong. You're always beautiful." With those last words, he pulled MC towards the door.

The deed itself was done very quickly. As requested the official kept the ceremony to the minimum. So after both said their "I do." and exchanged the rings they just signed the official papers. Not even half an hour after entering they left the building as Mr and Mrs Li.

~~~~~~~~~

The remaining vacation passed in the blink of an eye. As promised before returning home Victor and MC visited his family. In doing so, they killed two birds with one stone. Not only would they break the big news, they also pick up Pudding who was taken care of by Victor's father. For the big news Victor invited everyone for dinner at his father's.

Right after everyone had finished and they had moved over to the living room Victor ask for their attention. MC next to him, he pulled her even closer, on arm around her waist.

"We've an announcement to make."

Seeing the pair standing there like that his aunts got sparkles of expectations in their eyes.

"I won't say any names but a few people here were friendly nagging about a wedding date for some time now." Victor clearly looked at both of his aunts. Both women decided to play the innocent lamb.

"Well, I have to admit, we already got married. ... Three weeks ago in Èze."

All of the family sitting there looked at them speechless. Aunt Alice was the first one to recover somewhat.

"How dare you to not share this huge event with your family. Victor, I really thought better of you." Disappointment was clearly written on her face and Aunt Grace nodded in support.

"Aunt Alice, you've already witnessed our wedding a few years ago."

"That's impossible. I won't forget something like that."

"The rehearsal for your anniversary, where Victor and I were your stand-ins?" MC helped out.

"Ah! See as you said it was the rehearsal for our anniversary. How can it be your wedding. What nonsense are you talking about?"

Victor shook his head.

"Yes it was your anniversary but I meant every word I said." Saying this he looked at MC who answered his gaze.

"And while I didn't realize back then I also meant what I said." She turned her head to look at the others and grinned brightly. "So technically you witnessed everything. We just never signed the papers. That's what we fixed in France."

Aunt Alice came up close and poked both their chests.

"You cheeky little bastards." Then turned towards her brother in law. "Don't you have anything to say?" It looked like she had no arguments left for the moment.

"What should I say? My son always had his own head." Victor's father shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "But I was kinda looking forward to stand in for your father and hand you over to my son." Within his eyes disappointment was fighting with pride, that they pulled off something like this.

MC smiled at him, happy he was willing to do this.

"You'll get your chance, Dad, when we're holding a proper ceremony later this year. I can call you Dad now, right?"

Victor's father laughed and walked over hugging his now daughter in law.

"Of course, you could have called me this way earlier." Afterwards he pulled Victor in a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

Aunt Alice threw her hands in the air helplessly at the scene in front of her.

"What should I do with you?"

This time it was Victor who took the initiative and hugged his aunt.

"Accept it and be happy for us."

"I am. But don't think I'll let you off that easily. I expect a proper ceremony, just so you know! And don't dare to make me wait till New Year's Eve just because it's still *this year*!"

[tracing-rivers]

for the "not from the us" asks

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

11. favourite native writer/poet?

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

27. favourite national celebrity?

Merci pour cette ask ^^

10. Most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

Nothing like a good "putain" ("fuck", literally "whore") to punctuate a sentence.

And "sa mère" ("their mom"), short for "sa mère la pute" ("their mom the whore") which stands for "whoopsies" in my mouth. (Many of our slurs are sex work based, that's why it's called SWearing).

That said, I've also trained myself to "zut et flûte" ("dang and flute") mechanically now. Sounds more professional at work.

11. Favorite native writer/poet?

Pierre Corneille. Read Le Cid, putain, I'll never say it enough.

26. Does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? What do you think about the portrayal?

Y'all have a thing about frogs uh.

And you need to understand that France is not entirely Paris (specifically the cute little cobblestone streets of Paris). And Emily in Paris is not accurate btw it's so fucking stupid (besides the McDonald's at Saint-Lazare station is so much "fancier" than the one on the Champs Elysées if that's where you put your standards, get your facts right).

(Also, history time, there's a lot of stray bullets towards France as a whole in American media. The thing is, those jibes are a fairly recent thing, cause we used to be your liberty buddies. We free you from the British, you free us from the Germans, tit for tat. But then George Bush Jr wanted to invade Quwait for oil and our gov was like "excüse moi you can't juste blatantly invade a country for resources that's our thing" and Bush was like "aw but I want to" but the French vetoed him so, much like a 13 yo going "you're not even my real father!!1!1" after his dad wouldn't let him get a tattoo of Bart Simpson's ass, Bush mediatized a whole anti French propaganda campain. I assure you that all of the jokes against the French that you've seen on TV in the past 25 years are the result of this campain. So yeah, I don't really care about criticism that comes from the same place as freedom fries. (Which are Belgian btw. Fries are Belgian.) Everyone else gets a pass though.)

27. Favorite national celebrity?

Well that's extremely broad. We've got a lot of those but I don't really have strong parasocial feelings about anyone.

Okay, uh Philippe Poutou, for comitting to the bit of telling it like it is and barely being a politician as a result.

And I want to snuggle in front of a fire with Pierre Niney but who wouldn't. And nail entire cast of The Three Musketeers (2023).

And Joueur du Grenier on Youtube, look him up, a lot of his videos come with subs. He's got the Nostalgia Critic style, and he's the last of the big French Youtube Pioneers to still do quality stuff.

[astralartefact]

dawntrail fanfest thoughts (& prayers) Part II London

(Part I >> here)

Pour one out for Krile, I miss her.

My opinion hasn't really changed so far, still pretty optimistic over here. I didn't really get anything I really wanted (except for one thing, we'll get to it), but the things I didn't really like weren't catastrophic either, so... Let's just get into it.

Viper I don't know if I like this more or less than I would have liked Corsair (which I wouldn't have liked bc I think pirates are boring). I like the concept of the two combined swords and I think it could look very flashy, but from what I've seen so far I'm not particularly interested, the in-game job trailer really didn't do anything for me.

I guess it's because this job seems very very FF16 to me but in a bad way. Lore and Realism but with fantasy fire effects just doesn't really make for an iconic aesthetic imo... but hey, maybe they just hid the best parts from the job introduction video, they showed like two or three skills at most lol. But who knows.

But as long as I get my Green Mage/Pictomancer I'm not going to complain too much about this one. Good for the people who really love this! Love that for you!

My Green Mage/Pictomancer Hopes and Dreams Koji said "We should look to his [Yoshi-P's] hints from last fanfest" for the remaining job - so Pictomancer is still possible!!!!!! It's not over until it's over!!!

I once again realize that I shouldn't have gotten myself attached to something that might not actually be happening. If they don't do Green Mage/They do Green Mage wrong I will be so disappointed lol

It's just that I can see them do your average generic Druid instead because 'something something we need to cater to a western audience now bc FF16, Final Fantasy legacy stuff is cringe actually so we need to make everything generic western fantasy to be taken seriously' and I'm very much not here for that. Just give me a charming little Green Mage with a big staff or maybe with a judge's mallet - or maybe like one of those shogun war fans??? But I'll take whatever, even the weird ugly little gimmick you're bound to come up with.

The Limited Job Beastmaster and if it's not it better be something truly out there and not just some half-assed BS. Yoshi-P, you have to show the community you listen just a little bit, it's getting dire out here.

Eliminator Is it just me being desperate for Hamauzu-based Remixes or does this thing exude FF13 energy... Makes me wonder if the Tural-based Technology we've seen in that one dungeon art might be FF13 inspired? I just hope it isn't just Allagan again, make it another nation that lived around that time.

The Areas Kozama'uka looks really pretty... I love when fantasy background elements you can't even reach are "too big" (like FF7 Remake's Midgar Skyboxes) - so I guess Shaaloani still has a chance to win me over depending on whatever we find there. Speaking of which: Shaaloani is exactly what I pictured/dreaded a New World based expansion would look like and I do not particularly like it, I was hoping we would be save from bargain bin wild west stuff at least until we went to Northern Tural. I also hope that the pseudo-oil stuff is just lore and won't be a big part of the msq because good gravy Yoshi-P hire a diversity consultant already I'm dying over here.

The Graphics Update Now let's give it up for the real MVP of the day for all of us no graphic mod people (and to the graphic mod people that complain 'we already had that for years', quit your yappin, 85% of you don't have taste anyways.) The new lighting stuff looks amazing - especially what they did with the fog, it looks gorgeous, I'm so excited. The lighting updates on the character models look so good, too... I think you can really see the difference in that picture they showed of the femRoe scholar in the new AF gear. And the glow up on Midlander Face 1 is amazing. Is that even allowed?? This was slumbering under there all this time???

The Alliance Raid Let's just all pretend we never thought Sakaguchi was going to do them (even though he literally said he wouldn't want to do one) and never talk about it again.

Anyways. FF11. Leaving the best thing for last - this is the thing I was really happily surprised by.

I'm so happy for FF11 :) That game has it fcking rough. It's constantly the one Final Fantasy game that's just. Not even considered. Even what we would reasonably call "Real" FF fans always just leave it out of everything because "MMO" (of course ever since shb that became "the worse MMO" instead) and casual gamers - even ones that play certain FF games - probably don't even realize that nobody ever talks about 11.

But it has so many cool concepts that would warrant a treatment like Eden with FF8 - meanwhile FF14 is directly built on things 11 provided, so many of our base fundamentals, so many generic mob designs, so many of our job concepts, so many things we just take for granted come from FF11 but it still never really got the same attention as the other FFs. Yeah, Eureka and Bozja are kind of based on it, but the way it is referenced is just so different from how most of the other FFs are represented in the game - it's always just the other MMO and it deserves to be treated the same as the others: as the mainline Final Fantasy game that it is.

So I hope they give it the respect it deserves. I need these to be better than Ivalice, just so FF11 gets enshrined somewhere in some way. Their legacy is on the line, Yoshida, so don't fuck it up!!!!! And make sure to include Memoro de la Stono because I like it!!!

I do hope they don't just make one of the Reflections actual FF11 Vana'diel though, I think that would be kind of lazy, it only worked with Y:DA and even there I'm the only person who liked that because I think Kingdom Hearts Bullshit Timeline Shenanigans are fun. I hope this is a FF14 version of Vana'diel like how Ivalice is our Ivalice - with certain concepts reinterpreted through our lense while others reappear almost identically, similar to the FF12 summons.

Now, I haven't actually played 11, I'm just a passionate bystander in all of this, but the one recommendation on things 11 I can give is the Record Keeper version of Awakening - most Record Keeper arrangements are amazing (see FF13's Blinding Light) but this is definitely one of their best.

Anyways! I'm really excited for what they do with it! I don't have any particular fear they're going to fuck the raids up, from a pure spectacle standpoint (the only standpoint that matters) they generally only get better. (except for eulogia) (fuck eulogia) I do hope they make them a little more challenging again, but I also won't be mad if they don't. Just don't ruin your own lore again like with Eulogia (fuck eulogia)! Also, I would love to see the Ark Angels, especially their armors as raid drops kthxbye <3

[nobully]

[ cook ] !

🌙  *  ―     𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒 | [ 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐊 ] ― sender is drawn to the kitchen by receiver’s cooking

Slowly, carefully, Wang Yi measured out the ingredients he needed and poured them into the wok.

HISS!

The contents snarled; mindful of the sizzling oil, he leaned away from the pot, hand expertly stirring the contents so they fried evenly. Good thing he had a face mask on for this part, because the odors were intense—

Creak.

The front door opened. Too late, Wang Yi remembered that he told Zhilan he'd leave it unlocked, but the kitchen was wreathed in the scent of chili oil at the moment.

'Zhilan!' he tried to shout a warning, but the mix of spices in the air was already luring his friend into the epicenter of the culinary cookoff.

"Yes? I'm here. What are you making, Wang—cough, cough!"

'Step back!' Wang Yi was already waving Zhilan away with his spatula, but a spot of oil flew off its end and hit the corner of his eye. 'I'm not—gah, that burns!'

The wok hissed angrily behind him as the flames roared, heating up the simmering oil so much the contents of the wok caught on fire.

'Shit—one sec!' With one eye squeezed shut, Wang Yi rushed back to bring the ingredients under control.

"Should I, cough, get something, cough cough, for the pot—"

'Open more windows! And the front door! And get some water!'

"Cough, for the f-fire?!"

'No, for your throat!'

"All—cough, right, cough cough!"

Thankfully, Wang Yi's restaurant experience was enough to help him salvage the dish. Half an hour later saw both of them sitting at the kitchen table with the space freshly aired, each sporting runny eyes and sniffling noses but otherwise unharmed.

'...are you still okay to eat this?' Wang Yi couldn't help asking Zhilan as he blew his nose into a tissue.

"Don't worry," the other only smiled at him with watery eyes. "I've had worse when I first started trying Jueyun chilis! These Sichuan peppers smell the exact same way."

Wang Yi's brows stopped scrunching together, but he still looked abashed. 'Sorry, I should've warned you.'

"No, I should've realized it after I opened the door," Zhilan shook his head. "It's just, I wanted to see you cook..."

Wang Yi blinked, surprised. 'You saw me last time though?'

"Well, that was with the Jueyun chilis. I did some research on yours and thought they looked a little different, so I wanted to see how you'd make them this time...much to my detriment."

'Oh...' Wang Yi's chest tightened, but not in an unpleasant way. He laughed and suggested, 'Then next time I'll wait until you're here before I start cooking.'

"No no, it should be my turn next time!" Zhilan said hastily. "This is already the second time you've made something for us, I should return the favor!"

'Nah, I don't mind. It's been a while since I've cooked for anyone besides myself.' A dish for Sun there, and then for Zhilan here...that was nice. More interesting than just making Sao Ling fish every week, after all.

"Then...maybe we should try it for Game Night!" Zhilan suggested. "That way, Nicolette can have some of your cooking too. Oh, maybe we can all make something instead of ordering take-out for once!"

Can Nicolette cook? was the unspoken thought in Wang Yi's mind, but he smiled and nodded. 'Yeah, that sounds nice. You think she can handle spicy, though?'

"Hmm, we can ask."

'I don't know, might be nice to surprise her.' He kind of wanted to see her teary-eyed for once, and something like a group dinner...was a good and harmless excuse to do that, right?

Not that he had any reason besides curiosity, of course. Liar.

"Then we should make something non-spicy too, just in case," Zhilan replied diplomatically. "If she's not used to it, she'll go hungry!"

'Right, right...let's draw up our part of the menu after dinner, then.'

"All right! And Wang Yi?"

'Yeah?'

Zhilan took a mouthful of chicken with his chopsticks and ate it with gusto. "This is delicious!"

'Haha, you said that last time too.'

"I mean it this time as well!"

'Heh.'

'Thanks.'

Wang Yi's Star Trail Spicy Chicken

Description: A Spirale adaptation of a famous dry-fried dish known for its mouthwatering combination of spices that numb the tongue. The crunchy exterior of the chicken gives way to tender meat inside, while the garnish of scallions and white sesame add color and complexity to the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. A visual delight that pops for the eye and the palate, it's also great for pairing with alcohol. Effect: Increases all party members' ATK by 300 (350) and CRT rate by 15% (20%)* for 300s Type: ATK boosting dish Quality: ⭐⭐⭐ Proficiency: 15 Region: Chongqing, China *The bonus 50 ATK and 5% CRT rate values are only possible when Wang Yi and Nicolette are both present in the party.