#it has a lightly colder climate than where they live

[outofangband]

Winter in Doriath HCs

Note: I referenced a few of my earlier HCs in this but they’re definitely not necessary to read for this! There is more in the Doriath tag for anyone interested!

Elves and winter general HCs

As always please feel free to ask more or give a specific area to talk about, these are fairly random!

The girdle of Melian provides protection against the harshest weather however, Melian intentionally does not exert significant control over the climate. Snow falls lightly throughout the colder months, many trees lose their leaves and most flowers do not bloom until the stirring. Average temperatures for the coldest months are around 4-7 degrees C or 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Menengroth maintains comfortable temperatures throughout the year. Both the protection of the caves and the magic of Melian defend against extreme cold or heat. A small population of Doriath live in Menengroth in the winter only.

There is a section around Menengroth, part of Melian’s gardens, that is warm throughout the year. This has both outdoor and indoor sections and there are fruit trees in the outdoor section that are more or less free to take from (though some of the species are…unique or possibly dangerous and plenty choose not to take this risk)

Food in the winter comes from this, from foraging and the cultivation that is done throughout the forest, from the rivers, from private collections and storage, and, depending on the time, through trade.

Many of the Iathrim eat little in the winter and some even enter periods of contemplation and reduced movement almost akin to a sort of hibernation. This is also similar to the trances I described as part of Doriath’s summer solstice celebration however longer and less intense. Consciousness is not necessarily reduced or altered during these.

(I will make an entire post just about this to go with my posts about the Ainur and food but in essence, I do not believe elves can go indefinitely without food and water however energy, nutrients and strength are conserved and processed differently than in humans and they can go significantly longer without adverse consequences however they will eventually begin to suffer from them. Like humans, water is more important than food. Many elves eat primarily for pleasure. Maedhros, his life was extended without food or water through Morgoth’s power, similar to how Húrin’s was)

On that note there is also a winter solstice tradition. Like the summer one, many travel for it to obtain privacy, often sitting in trees or upon hilltops by the northern border for days. Most of the week long winter solstice event is significantly more somber than the summer one and there is a day dedicated to mourning. At the end however there is a joyous feast in Menengroth.

Doriath marks the new year in the beginning of the elven season between autumn and winter, Fading. I mentioned their record keepers preserve petals from the first flowers of each year and this tradition is related to other Sindar, Silvan and Avari traditions but their actual new year is in Fading. It is a also a reflective celebration where the sun and moon are honored (after they exist of course) and the past mourned.

Despite the more somber winter celebrations, mentions of snow and winter in song and poetry are commonly playful and whimsical rather than melancholy. Less direct Winter symbology in Doriath include constellations, certain species of ferns (which resemble frost patterns), wood white (butterflies), and maple trees.

Like the Sindar outside of Doriath, the patterns of migrating birds are often remembered and used for indications of weather changes.

[neighborhoodparker]

Panacea [0]

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Word count: 1,635

Warnings: Mentions of triggering/tough topics - such as abuse, racism, sexual coercion, and overall just toxic relationships. This is a general warning that will accompany every part of this little series. 

Summary: The one where you are given an introduction to your story.

Taglist: @sydneekomspacekru

(shitty) short introduction | part 1 | part 2

Roane County in Indiana, otherwise known as Hawkins, was supposed to be your new beginning. It was your way of starting over - of leaving behind your deadbeat father and your dead mother, of purging yourself of the sins of your family. Indiana was a huge change, especially in climate, when it came to your place of origin in middle-of-nowhere Arizona. Admittedly, it took you a while to get used to the colder temperatures - but you did what you’ve always done; you adapted. This was a skill you had to learn from a young age, especially with how poisonous your relationship was with your father. And, thankfully, your adaptive nature enabled you to quietly slip into the social structure that made up Hawkins's High - your extroverted, friendly nature helped as well, gaining you quick traction among the clichés of popularity. It was with ease that you blended in among those in town that held good names; after all, your mother had lived here for the first seventeen years of her life. Even though she had chosen to leave Hawkins all those years ago, you were welcomed back with open arms - and it was like you had lived your entire life within the small square footage that made up the strange town.  You have to suppose that a town of this magnitude never truly forgets who it marks as its own. 

And, well, it didn’t take long for Hawkins to mark you as one of its own. The ease you had with moving there seemed to infiltrate every aspect of your life. You got good grades - A’s on practically every assignment, quiz, and test, got along well with the teachers and the students, had no difficulties finding a job at the local diner, and you even hit the jackpot with a bewitching  significant other. At least, that last part is what every girl in your friend group told you. Now, Billy Hargrove was - in and of himself - a conundrum, to say the least. This was something you had figured out quickly about him; right after he had decided that your welcome to the town from him was his shirtless body hefting your heavy boxes into your new apartment. Before promptly deciding to spend the rest of the evening in the local diner with you, flirting more than you had ever seen a teenage boy do. In a way, you were still set apart from the others. Because you saw behind his façade; you saw behind the flirtation and sex appeal. There was a brokenness that you had only ever seen in one other place, and that was in the eyes that stared back at you when you looked in a mirror. The life he had at home wasn’t good - and your suspicions were confirmed the first night his younger step-sister had showed up to your apartment with him sprawled out in the backseat of his Camaro, with wounds that only could have been inflicted by a man in a drunken rage. 

His sister, Max, was another person you had quickly formed a bond with. That night, when she brought Billy to you because she had no other place to take him, she found out just how far your generosity could spread. From that moment forward, after you had patched up the wounds on a moaning Billy, your apartment became a safe haven for the two of them - especially for Max. Every time their house gets too loud or too violent, Max finds her own way to you; a frequent occurrence that caused you to give her your spare key. Unfortunately, though, Billy’s conundrum of an existence only grew bigger after the night you patched him up. Even though you were supposed to be his nepenthe - the one thing that takes away all his pain and sorrows, the one thing that helped him heal - he refused to admit that you did anything to help him. In his mind, it was a weakness he couldn’t afford and - frankly - that never happened. Honestly, you see more of Max these days than you do of Billy. And you’re naïve about it. You think that just because you’re helping Max that you’re helping Billy; you believe that he’s embarrassed and doesn’t want you to be pulled into his horrific domestic life. 

You’re naïve because you think you can fix him. You see the broken parts, the fragmented sides of this unhealed child that’s become your boyfriend - and you think that if you give him enough time, enough patience, that he’ll come forward, that he’ll let you help. But he won’t. Because, frankly, Billy Hargrove is past saving. He’s headed down a dark path and you’re only going to be caught in the crossfires. But you don’t know that; not consciously, anyways. He’s never laid a hand on you, so you think that things are okay. You don’t understand that it’s not okay that he doesn’t show up, that he yells at you when he gets mad and doesn’t talk about it after. You think that this is just his way of coping - that it’s different from what you did when you were with your father. And what makes your naivety even worse is that you swore you would never end up in a relationship like your mother. You watched, physical altercation after physical altercation, as your mother became more beaten and more bruised - and you swore, you promised, you vowed, that you wouldn’t become your mother. You broke that. Because you didn’t know that your parents started out the same way that you and Billy did. And as hard as it is to take it in, you are just as doomed as your mother was. You don’t have enough love to spare to put him back together again. But love isn’t what can fix him. Nothing can patch a boy together when he has crevices as empty and deep as Billy. 

And this doesn’t begin to touch the things that he does with you that you know are wrong. He’s a very high-driven, sexual person - and this is something that you found out decently quickly once you officially got together.  It never mattered if you were in the mood for it or not, you were too focused on trying to meet his needs when he finally told you about them that you didn’t realize just how bad coercion is. You think that you have it good because everyone else is jealous of the intimacy you have with him. You don’t realize that his coercion, his guilt-tripping to get you to please him is just assault. And even though he gets aggressive when you’re in bed, when he bruises you because you’re not doing something the way he likes, you don’t see the red flags. Deep down, you know that the way he treats you is wrong - but he’s never laid a hand on you outside of your private time together, so you think it’s okay. You think what you have is love and that it’ll get better once you get him out of his toxic household, but that’s not true. The abuse he experiences is so profoundly engrained in who he is that the toxicity will only follow him once he leaves. He might get out of the house, might leave behind his asshole of a father, but he is another victim that will fall into the idiom of the apple not falling far from the tree.

That’s just another way in which you and Billy are more similar than most people think. He’s turning out to be just like his father - and you’re heading down the same path that your own mother did; despite all your best attempts to pledge to her gravestone that you’ll be different. Your childhood was spent watching an abusive relationship pave itself; your father was always under the influence of something, whether alcohol or drugs, and it ignited an anger in him that could only be taken out in physical ways on your mother. You spent enough nights hiding in your closet with your blanket and pillow, trying to get away from the sounds of your mother begging and pleading, that you’d think you would know to get out of whatever you have going on with Billy. And one thing that makes you less similar to him, that sets you apart, is how you both coped with the abuse you’ve seen in your homes. You turned to books and school, delving into every interest and hobby that popped up as you grew. You found friends and a way out of the house and hyper-focused on how you would one day get out. But Billy, he turned to other things - like cigarettes and working out and blaring loud music. He found hookups and hyper-focused on how he was one day going to get back at his dad for all the pain, all the suffering, the man had caused him. Perhaps, in a way, you were two opposing sides of a coin - and maybe that was just another thing that added to your naivety about your relationship with him. 

You watched as your father, day after wretched day, slowly killed your mother. You watched as she dug her own grave, watched as your father finally - after years of her surviving - put her six feet in the ground. And Max, the girl who’s practically become your own little sister, the girl who would do just about anything to see you get away from her older step-brother, is determined to save you. The way she sees it, your fate is now in her hands - and it’s not something that she, or her “baby-sitter”, will take lightly.

[firstofficerwiggles]

Dress Code, Part 2

Link to Part 1, Part 3 (T rated), Part 3 (M rated)

Pairing: Din Djarin x female reader

Rating: T

Warnings: Some swearing, Jealous!Din, sexy dancing, touching

Summary: You continue to challenge Din about what you choose to wear. Pretty fluffy overall. Plans for a Part 3.

Word Count: ~4200

Author’s Note: I am not good at making up planet names so I will admit to totally stealing these. Eridani is the name of a real star and Alastria and Chantil are both from Star Trek. Also again a little hint of Ed Sheeran in the dancing scene.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you serious? More snow?” Your voice is incredulous as you fly over the frosted winter landscape of the planet Alastria. It’s been two weeks since you won your wager against the Mandalorian and you haven’t had any opportunity to wear anything that he could consider even remotely revealing. First he took you to Hoth, and although you and the child had a great time playing in the snow, you spent the whole time covered in sweaters and a giant parka. You had laughed it off though, enjoying his cleverness at finding a way to circumvent your win. But then, he had dragged you to Eridani and Chantil each one colder than the next. Plus to add to his diabolical plan, he has purposely been keeping the Razor Crest’s internal temperature low in order to ‘save on fuel’ so you can’t even wear your lighter clothes on board. You’ve been so covered up you might as well be wearing your own suit of beskar.

You suppose it hasn’t been all that bad though, you begrudgingly admit to yourself. The three of you have been spending more time together as you’ve been traveling. Lately it seems like Din always finds a way to be around you and the child. In the past he’s preferred his pilot’s seat while flying even with the autopilot engaged, but now he seems to find little projects to do wherever you are. Like the evening you were cuddled up with the baby telling him various fairy tales and Din had sat near you both spending the whole time cleaning the same blaster. Or when you were baking cookies, and he had decided to reorganize some supplies that happened to be right next to where you were working. Finally, the other day he had even thrown off the pretense of being busy and joined in and helped you and the child build a blanket fort in the hull. As the baby napped on a pile of pillows inside the fort, Din had stayed with you in there, just resting for once while you both had the chance.

With all of this closeness, you had hoped there might be some movement on the romantic front between the two of you, but there hasn’t been anything definitive in that area. You must have replayed him calling you ‘sweetheart’ a million times in your head, but he hasn’t said anything like that again. You’ve tried to show him how interested you are, wearing your necklace everyday so he can see it, smiling at him as much as possible, teasing him, and going so far as to touch him with little brushes of your hand, a pat on the shoulder, or even a squeeze of his arm whenever you get the opportunity. He seems receptive enough to your flirting, yet he’s given you so little response you wonder if he’s realized what you’re trying to do.

The Mandalorian’s voice brings you out of your musing, “I thought we could visit my old mentor, Davi. His town might be in the mountains, but it’s nice, I think you’ll like it, despite the cold.” He smirks a little under his helmet. He knows he should probably feel a bit guilty at the tour of icy worlds he’s been giving you, but honestly, he’s been enjoying getting under your skin each time you land on another freezing planet and he hears you sigh over having to bundle up again. He should probably admit to himself that he does miss seeing your dresses, but you look cute even under all those layers. Plus he was right, your necklace looks good with all of those sweaters and heavy knits you’ve been forced to wear.

“Who is Davi?” you ask, curious to know more about Din’s past.

“He sponsored me when I first joined the guild. I was his apprentice for two years before I starting hunting my own bounties.” Din tells you. “He’s retired now, and he lives with his niece, Isa. I think you’ll like them both.”

Even with the snow and ice, you can see that Davi and Isa’s town is charming, and you enjoy the quaint buildings with their pretty trim. It reminds you of the gingerbread houses you used to make as a child in the winter. The majestic mountains make for a stunning backdrop too and you are glad that Din brought you here. He notices the happy light in your eyes as he says, “I knew you’d like it here,” rather smugly.

“Yes, yes, you know everything,” you reply, rolling your eyes only slightly at him.

You arrive at a brightly lit home that oozes warmth and coziness from its frosty windows, and when Davi throws open the door, you receive a cordial welcome that makes you feel like he is your old friend too. Davi is thrilled to see Din and even more delighted to meet you and the baby. Even though Din has introduced you as his friend, Davi teases the Mandalorian about finally meeting his lovely family. Davi’s niece, Isa is also quite pleased to meet you and she even hugs you in greeting. She’s a pretty young woman in her early 20s with bright eyes and a cheerful smile.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she tells you excitedly, “I thought I was in for another ‘guy’s visit’ having to hear all of their old hunting tales again.”

“Oh come on, Isa, you love that story about the crazy Gungan we had to chase through the swamp,” Davi reminds her with a laugh.

“Sure, maybe the first 100 times I heard it,” Isa retorts. “I’m looking forward to some quality girl time instead.”

“That sounds great,” you tell her. You have been living in a heavily testosterone-laden climate and it has been forever since you’ve had the opportunity to hang out with another woman and just do ‘girl’ things. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’d love to go shopping and maybe get our hair styled too?” She suggests, “There’s this great party tonight and I wanna look fabulous!”

“Count me in!” you reply enthusiastically. You look over at Din for a moment though, hoping he’s not going to insist that he needs to accompany you shopping like he usually does. But he’s obviously comfortable here and he just gives you a small nod. “Let’s go now.”

Isa notices your exchange with interest, but doesn’t say anything, yet. She can’t wait to get you alone though and grill you all about your relationship with the mysterious warrior. You head back out into the snowy streets with Isa chatting excitedly about the shops and the fantastic salon that she’ll be taking you to. You arrive at a store with many party dresses, they’re beautiful but most of them are a bit risqué too. You’re just starting to look when Isa interrupts you with “Ok, spill, I want to hear all about you and Mando.”

“There’s not much to tell, I’m the nanny to his foundling.” You try to tell her, but your cheeks flush and she knows there’s more.

“Oh c’mon, I can tell you’re not ‘just-the-nanny’,” she laughs lightly. “He’s never ever brought a woman to meet Davi before.”

“Well, a few weeks ago I thought there was more starting to happen between the two of us,” you say and then tell her about the necklace and your silly wager. “I really thought that was leading to something…” you trail off and shrug, “but I guess not?”

“What?!? There is definitely something happening,” Isa asserts. “That was super romantic of him to buy you that necklace, and he clearly gets jealous of other men paying attention to you. He likes you.” She says it like it’s a fact. “You like him, don’t you?”

“Maker, I do, so much, probably too much,” you admit to Isa. “He’s the best man I’ve ever known. I know he seems rough and dangerous, and he can be, but he is also very kind, respectful, and considerate. You should see how gentle and soft he can be with the child. I don’t even care that I’ve never seen his face.”

“Your whole face lights up when you talk about him,” Isa is beaming at you. “I think you need to tell him how much you care.”

“But if he doesn’t feel the same way, it will just make everything awkward and weird.” You want to believe Isa, that Mando reciprocates your feelings, but the alternative scares you too much.

“He feels the same way.” She is confident about that. “But, maybe you could just give him a little push, feel him out more,” she says, raising an eyebrow at you.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Let’s find you a killer dress and make sure he takes you to this party tonight.” Isa turns back to the dresses pulling out several that are very sexy. “It’s in the hot springs caverns and it’s warm and steamy in there all the time,” Isa explains.

“Wait, so no bundling up?” you ask hopefully.

“Just for the walk there, but once we’re inside you’ll be plenty warm. So, we’re going find you something that shows plenty of skin,” Isa declares.

Gathering a pile of garments, Isa pulls you to the dressing rooms and then you both try on several looks that range from seductive to downright lascivious. She is partial to an electric blue dress that is tight on her figure and has several cutouts exposing various sections of her skin. The dress you find is surprise, surprise, silver, in a halter style. The bodice is tight fitting with a deep vee that ends just at the top of your stomach before flaring out into a flirty mini skirt looking like molten metal is pouring off of your hips. Your back is almost totally bare save for two delicate straps that cross over one another to hold the bodice in place. It is a lot more skin than you normally show, but you have to admit you look great. Light winks off of your necklace and you smile to yourself thinking about how your Mandalorian might react to seeing you like this.

“That’s the one!” Isa announces handing you a pair of strappy stilettos to try on with the dress. They are the perfect final touch. The rest of your time with Isa passes quickly in a happy haze of hair styling and gossip. She tells you about her friends and the guy she wants to impress. You’re really looking forward to tonight, but you’re worried, “How are we going to convince Mando to go to this party?” you wonder to Isa, “It’s not really his thing.”

“Leave everything to me.” Isa sounds like she is up for the challenge.

You and Isa return to her home giggling cheerfully about your big plans for the evening. Din loves seeing you so happy, his only regret is that you can’t have more days like this one. He had a long talk with Davi about all that has happened since he first found the child and the dangerous path it has thrust all three of you on. Fortunately for Din, his old mentor is more tactful than his niece merely providing a friendly ear as Din lists all of his concerns for your life with him. Davi can tell that Din cares for you more than he is admitting, but he doesn’t push the point. Instead, he calmly suggests that you appear to be able to meet the trials of living with a bounty hunter, otherwise you probably would have left by now. Din nodded in agreement to that, making Davi smile knowingly to himself.

As you sit down to dinner with everyone, Isa chats animatedly about your fun day together and suggests that you prolong your visit by a few days. Din, who ate his own meal in private beforehand, seems amenable to the idea, this town is fairly remote and only Greef Karga remembers Mando’s connection to Davi. As Isa talks, she manages to casually bring up the party to her uncle. Din is only half-listening as he is focused on the baby actually eating his food and not playing with it, until Isa says, “And you don’t have to worry about our safety, Uncle, because Mando will be there to watch over us!”

“Wait, what are you saying?” Din’s head snaps up.

“I think it’s a great idea!” Davi replies, delighted, “The ladies are all excited for you to take them to that party in the caverns tonight.”

“A party?” Din sounds like you are going to drag him to a deadly ambush. Except he feels more confident that he can handle the deadly ambush.

“Oh come on, you’re still a young man, you’ll have a wonderful time with these beautiful women. And I can take care of the little one,” Davi urges him, “after all he loves his Uncle Davi.” Davi tickles the child under the chin and receives a joyful coo in return.

“Please, Mando,” you give him your most hopeful look, “I promise we’ll have fun.”

Din sighs, but he knows he can’t say no when you’re looking at him like that, he’s not made of stone. “Alright.”

“Great! We’ll go get dressed!” Isa springs into action pulling you with her. You both manage to get ready in record time knowing that you don’t want to give Din any opportunity to back out on your plans. Before you leave her room though, both you and Isa make sure your cloaks are completely covering your outfits for the night. You caution Isa that if Din has even one inkling of what you have on, you won’t be going anywhere. You are thankful your cloak is so long that only the toes of your shoes peek out.

Isa leads you out of town towards the caverns and you see other young people heading in your direction. She discreetly stays ahead of you and Din the whole time under the guise of being the leader but mostly so you two are walking side by side. The new shoes are higher than anything you’ve worn for a while so you lean in and take Din’s arm. He seems to take this as perfectly natural and helps steady you on your feet. When you arrive at the caverns, balmy air hits you and you breathe it in welcoming the warmth. Isa ushers you in and leads you to a place where you can leave your cloaks. You can’t resist being a bit dramatic now that your big moment is here and you let your cloak drop from your shoulders in one fluid motion before handing it over. Then you do a small twirl to let the Mandalorian get a good look at you.

Din’s mouth goes completely dry and he feels like his heart skips several beats as he takes you in. He is thankful that his helmet hides his expression because there is no way he could hide the raw desire he is feeling right now. You look more gorgeous than he could have imagined. The silvery dress makes your curves sparkle alluringly and all he can think about is running his hands all over the silky looking material and then moving on to all of your soft exposed skin. Plus the color of the dress perfectly matches his armor, making it look like you belong with him. He feels as if all of the blood in his body is rushing to one sensitive spot and it’s making him slightly lightheaded. You are smiling at him expectantly, but he has forgotten how to speak. He has to clear his throat twice before he can ground out, “What is that?”

Ok, that wasn’t what you expected him to say. “It’s my new dress,” you retort, a little exasperated.

“That is not a dress. That is pieces of fabric pretending to be a dress.” He sounds frustrated and like he is trying to control himself.

“Hey, you remember our deal, you can’t say anything critical about my clothing.” You give him a pointed look.

“You look like walking sex.” He hisses at you.

“Well, I am going to take that as a compliment.” You flip your hair over your shoulder and huff off in the direction of Isa and a group of friends she has found. If Mando wants to be a fuddy-duddy all night, you’re going to let him. Isa is fun and you’re sure her friends will be too. You put your smile back on and square your shoulders in determination as you stride over towards them.

The caverns have been lit with several colorful lights which bounce off of the icy walls and the pools of hot steaming water. There’s a band playing music with a strong beat, a lively dance floor, and several servers circulating with fancy drinks. Isa cheerfully introduces you to her friends, one of whom is a handsome man with golden brown hair and a charming smile, named Guy. He seems to be a bit of a scoundrel, but when he voices how beautiful you are, you can’t help but be flattered. He’s telling you about his job as a pilot for a transport ship, trying to impress you with tales about near misses with ex-Imperials, when he notices the Mandalorian who is not-so-subtly invading your personal space.

Din had watched you walk away, a bit mesmerized by your swinging hips. Of course, by the time he gets his feet moving in your direction, some asshole is already flirting with you. He sees the man flash you a toothy smile and he even has the audacity to lean in and pick up your necklace, Din’s necklace, under the guise of admiring it, all the while staring blatantly at your breasts. Din hears his pulse roaring in his ears as he comes to loom over you and glare at this jerk.

“Hi, Mando,” you say a little sarcasm in your voice at the greeting, “meet Isa’s friend, Guy.”

“Guy?” Mando drawls out incredulously.

“Hey man, nice to meet you,” Guy is affable. “Didn’t catch your name?”

Mando just stares at him and then says, “Seriously, your name is Guy?”

“Guy was just telling me about making the Kuiper run in under 20 parsecs,” you break into the frosty exchange.

“Impossible,” is all Mando says drily.

“No, really,” Guy insists, “I managed to do it by skimming by a black hole.”

“It’s impossible,” Mando says again.

“Maybe you and Guy can trade piloting tips?” you say, adding a small chuckle to ease the tension.

“Not fucking interested.” Mando is being downright rude to him. You’ve never known him to act this way to someone who wasn’t a threat. Luckily, Isa comes to your rescue as she brings her friend Lisbeth over to meet Mando. He seems to come back to himself a bit and is polite as he greets Isa’s friend.

“Are you two together?” Guy questions you nodding his head in Din’s direction.

“Not like that,” you reply, “we’re just friends.” But you say it as if you don’t really believe it.

“You sure?” Guy smiles shrewdly at you.

“Well, he’s never said otherwise,” you conclude with a small shrug.

“In that case, how would you like to dance with me?” Guy holds out his hand to you and gives you a wink. You can’t help but glance back at Mando for a moment, but then turn your gaze back to Guy and say yes. You don’t imagine that Din will ask you to dance anyway as he seems determined to be a grump tonight, plus you’re pretty certain he doesn’t know how to dance.

Guy leads you to the crowded floor and you begin moving to the beat of the heart-pumping music. At first you’re just dancing next to Guy but then he starts closing the distance between you two and eventually puts his hands on your hips. He pulls you in a little closer to him but then suddenly he’s gone, being shoved away roughly by a beskar-clad arm.

“If you’re going to dance, you’re going to dance with me.” Mando tells you possessively. His hands replacing Guy’s on your hips, pulling you in close to him.

“Mando!” you squeak out in surprise at his abrupt appearance. “Is he ok?” You turn your head to look for Guy, embarrassed that Din has so rudely dismissed him.

“I don’t give a damn,” Din tells you as he reaches up and turns your chin so that you are looking back at him. Ironically, the lead singer of the band is belting out a warning to a woman not to fuck with his love. You face flushes as you look into the black visor of the helmet.

“I- I didn’t think you’d want to dance,” you stammer out, stunned by his actions.

“You didn’t give me a chance to ask you,” he replies and he begins to direct your hips to sway with his to the music. You move with him in a sultry pattern. You were wrong, Din does know how to dance. You move your arms up to encircle his neck as you let yourself relax into the movements, your bodies syncing together with the beat.

As the music changes a bit, he turns you in his arms and pulls you against him until you are flush with his body. You lean into his chest feeling the cool metal of his cuirass against your bare back and he dips his head down to your ear, and says “I like dancing with you.” His voice seems huskier than normal.

“I do too,” you tell him in reply. You’re feeling bolder now and you roll your hips over his and brush against something hard that is definitely not beskar. He groans deeply and then turns you around again so he can look in your eyes as he asks, “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“I think I have some idea,” you say flirtatiously and give him a wink. He pulls you back into him with a growl and guides your body into a move so sensual it makes your head spin. His hands are on your bare back now and even though it’s only the leather of his gloves that touch you, the heat coming off of them is undeniable. You can’t resist telling him, “Your hands feel good on me.” He doesn’t say anything in reply but merely tightens his grip on you and then lets his hands explore more of your back.

You lose track of time as you focus only on the Mandalorian and the way you move together. You’ve both become quieter the more you dance as if you no longer can handle verbally teasing each other and just want to feel. Each song blends into the next, and it’s like you are the only two people in the room. A sonic charge could go off and you wouldn’t even notice. When the lights flicker to signal the end of the party, you’re surprised. It takes you a moment to come back to reality, you feel like you’ve just awoken from the middle of an intoxicating dream and your head is a little dizzy. Fortunately, Din seems more in control, and he guides you towards Isa and the exit. Isa! You completely forgot about her. When you reach her, she gives you a sneaky smile and hands you your cloak. As you take it from her, she leans in and whispers, “I told you so.” Din takes the cloak from your hands and places it around your shoulders covering you back up against the cold. Then he takes your hand in his and threads his fingers through yours as he leads you back out into the dark night. All three of you are quiet as you walk back to Isa’s home. When you arrive, Din tells Isa, “We won’t come in, we’ll just let the child sleep here and come back in the morning.”

“Not too early,” Isa says rather cheekily, “I’m sure you’ll need your rest.”

As you head back to the ship with Din, your stomach flips at the idea of being alone with him all night. You shiver a little in anticipation.

“Are you cold?” he asks, noticing the shiver.

“Only a little,” you tell him, not wanting to give away the real reason.

“Maybe you should be wearing more clothing,” Din says, but there is a teasing tone to his voice now.

You reach the ship and head inside. It’s a little chilly in there but not as bad as you thought it might be. You whisk your cloak off of you again, headless of the cold, wanting Din to see you in the dress again.

“I’ll make you a new deal,” he says, his helmet moving up and down as if he is looking you over. “I’ll take you to some warmer planets and I won’t complain about your clothing, but only if you promise to never wear that dress in public again.”

The dress has served its purpose, better than you could have anticipated. “Alright, it’s a deal,” you tell him with a smile.

“Although,” Din drawls out, “if you want to wear it again when we’re alone together, I’d like that.”

--------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading! I promise there will be a Part 3 (if I can, I’ll do one T rated and one M rated). Please let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list.

@sleepwithacommunist @im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11 @rueblogsthings @mackycat11 @tv-zepeda @remmyswritings @dee-rosemary @boomtownboy @mandosboobiez @hoodjarin @haley7242

[shadowsfascination]

Shadamy Swordland | ch. 5 | Lead the Way!

It was still early and therefore dark on a cold February morning when a caped Shadow and a cloaked Amy silently prowled around the academy grounds. Crossing the main square once again to get to the outskirts of the district, a blanket of fresh snow softly crackled under their shoes. The snow covered the herringbone-laid brick on the streets and the lack of daylight gave the snow a blueish glow. It sure has something enchanting-, Amy though to herself.

Treading lightly in attempt to make as little noise as possible, Amy exhaled in her already cold hands. The warm vapor of her breath felt nice on them for a brief moment, but they quickly grew even colder than before. She always wore gloves, but the her usual ones were thin and she forgot to put on her winter gloves this morning. Even when she’d placed them on the table next to the door, that was.

Shadow wasn’t much affected  by the cold. He’d wrapped his scarf around her neck and provided her one of his sweaters as well before they’d hit the road. It wasn’t hard to captivate his scent like this and it reminded Amy of the time she had had a secret crush on her trainer. Before every training session she used to ‘accidentally’ put her coat over his on the coat rack. It provided her coat with his masculine scent and she would secretly dwell in it afterwards. Back in the days it’d felt bittersweet to her because he wasn’t interested in her and she believed of them to have neither future or potential together.

While walking in silence through the cold morning Amy wondered why they were walking in the first place. Now that she’d learnt about his special ‘chaos’ skills, he didn’t need to hide them any longer- from her that was. Shadow explained to her that using his special skills, like warping, cost a high amount of energy. With the gemstone Shadow liked to refer to as a ‘Chaos emerald’, believed to be far away from South Island, there already was little energy to begin with. The thought of wasting the precious energy for every little thing was to be unheard of to him and so they trothed onwards through the snow.

The pink hedgehog researched every bit of information available about the tale yesterday. With the help of her dear friend Miles she collected a remarkable amount of notes on the subject when she left the library. Amy felt inspired and was eager to start this adventure, especially when the actual hero of the story was involved right here, right now. Still, she felt a little uneasy because she felt like some of her notes were missing. A couple of lines got stuck in her head and she couldn’t remember whether they were something she read or written down. Her mind drifted off and she went through yesterday’s events one more time:

__________________________________________________________

“Plagues, Miles, loosen up!”

'Miles', which was Tails’ his actual name, handed his friend a paper towel to wipe her hands before diving into the historic tales together. According to Amy he took his duty of keeping the books in his library in the best condition possible way too serious. The fox had, uncharacteristic as it was, assertively told her: ‘my library, my rules’.

Amy did as she was asked and grasped a notebook from her bag. In a zealous way she penned down everything that seemed important for their search, making sure the lay-out of her notes looked like a summary for a test. She dug through the pile of books Tails had picked out for her. She chuckled when she saw the many small, coloured pieces of paper sticking out of their pages. She was lucky to have a friend like him, even when there actually was no test to prepare for.

Amy lost herself in the exciting facts she came to know. Tails busied himself with other things like speaking to visitors and organizing the books on the countless shelves. Aqueous sunlight shone through the tall, stained-glass windows, drawing long shadows every time someone passed by. The colours of the glass-paintings broke the light into more subtle beams. After an hour or so, Amy’s eyes grew tired from the pleasant warmth of the sun through the windows, slowing down her pace. She yawned and decided it was time for a break. Tails went out to the kitchen to make them some tea.

Amy wavered through the things she wrote down and contemplated about where to start searching for the gemstone. She fell back in her seat and fixed her gaze on the ceiling and was surprised to find wood-carved illustrations on some of the beams.

The guardians of the jewel are echidnas… she quietly muttered.

Amy walked up to a bookcase and started looking for the letter ‘E’ until she found an informative book about Echidnas. She grabbed the book rushed through its’ pages. A map of their planet, portrayed on the next page showed the various locations of well-known echidna populations throughout the planet. She read out loud:

“‘Echidnas can live anywhere from mountainous peaks to deserts… They are able to cope with extreme weather…’”

Suddenly the door was swung open and a blue tornado-like wind whirled through the library, swirling up loose pieces of paper to spread them all over the place. A thumping of footfalls on the wooden floor accompanied this outburst of chaos before coming to a stop and bumping into the table because ‘it’ reduced its’ speed too late. Amy’s quills were blown into her face and she hurried back to the table. Her notes fluttered around and a well-known blue hedgehog laid clumsily spread across the table; Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic was a student like her, training to become a knight within the high order of knights like Shadow. He was Blaze’s student, who was a close friend of hers. It was a shame the cat had so little time to hang out, Amy thought when thinking about her friend. Sonic and Amy got along fine, but didn’t talk that often.

“Whoops… Hi Amy!”

“My notes! Sonic… look at the mess you’ve made!”

She impatiently tapped her foot at him, her hands planted on her sides.

“What are you waiting for? Go help me gather them!”

He jumped up and hastily grasped some notes. Amy collected some as well and snatched the untidy pile of the now crinkled pages out of Sonic’s hands.

___________________________________________________________

Amy swallowed. Either Sonic or Tails could have found her missing pages.

Well, can’t do much about it now, so I gotta let it go.

She shrugged the thought off and stepped forward into much more white than she expected and gasped when ice cold snow dripped into her boots.

“Right on time.”

Rouge waved at the two she could barely believe got together. Shadow’s breastplate reflected the fierce light from the now upcoming sun. Rouge squinted her eyes and covered them with her hands. She was clothed in a thick robe, matching gloves and boots and a purple, turtleneck-like scarf was wrapped around her neck.

“Tone it down, will ya? I’m already not too fond of being out in the sunlight.”

“Tough luck. Now, shall we?”

He pointed to the east from where they were standing, to an entrance of a cave. The females nodded and the three of them footed their way to the foot of the mountain. Leaving the countless fir trees and the snow behind when entering the cave, Rouge couldn’t be more pleased. The climate in the cave was damp and warm, noticeably less cold than the outside air, much to her satisfaction. Amy used an easy sacred art spell to light the torch they brought and she stepped forward to lead the way.

“I’m not complaining or anything, but why are we in this place?”

“The tale says that the stone is guarded by the designated echidna family. Echidnas like to dig.”

Rouge was already halfway through the breath she’d drawn to protest when she sensed something that cut off her opposition. Even though Amy’s starting point was built on a hasty conclusion, she might be right, Rouge thought to herself. Casting a spell under her breath, Rouge attempted to draw out chaos affected spores in the air. They showed her the amount of present chaos energy in her surroundings. Even when there were none to be found yet, Shadow caught on to the increasing activity of her sacred arts.

“Trust me. I’ve done plenty of research and I’ve got a real good feeling about this.”

“It’s a little too early to trust you already, hun.”

“For starters: don’t call me that.”

In the blink of an eye Amy drew her rapier and with a swift, yet threatening move she swung it towards Rouge, forcing her to a stop. The bat blinked before lowering her eyelids. Amy found it hard to name that expression. All she knew was she didn’t care for it. She felt mocked in a way. A grin spread across Shadow’s muzzle, a hint of that mocking expression Rouge had playing his eyes.

“You don’t wanna mess with her, Rouge. Especially when she’s angry.”

“Second: I don’t think you have much of a choice but to trust us.” Amy said.

“Geez! Fine, I’ll drop the nickname if you insist.”

“I do. By the way, I’ve been wondering: how’d you two meet?”

Amy hid her rapier in its’ sheathe again. Shadow and Rouge shared a glance, the flickering light of the torch casting a warm glow on their skin.

“Go ahead, tell her. I couldn’t care less.”

“Rouge used to be a member of the high order of knights. We worked together for a period of time. She was fired though because of a rather unfortunate incident.”

“Hmph! Coward! ‘Unfortunate incident’?! You don’t even dare to call me a thief, do ya?”

“Trust me, when it comes to being blunt, you’re outmatched, but unlike you I don’t enjoy putting someone on the spot and talk trash.”

“Anyway…!”- Rouge snorted, ignored Shadow and increased the volume in her voice. “I endeavoured  to steal some beautiful regal gems, got caught and have been an outcast ever since.”

“Why did you do that?” Amy asked her.

“I was pregnant and in need of money.”

“You had your loan, right? That should’ve been more than enough.” Shadow said in a crude way.

Without anyone being aware of it they had stopped walking. Rouge turned towards Shadow with crossed arms.

“You’re such an oblivious fool, Shadow! No knight in the high order can have kids while serving. They would’ve fired me either way. I was about to become a mother without a job and a roof above my head. Desperate times call for desperate measures! And on top of that: those jewels were absolutely gorgeous! It’s a shame I didn’t get my hands on them.”

Shadow’s ears fell back, gaze fixed on the ground by now. Even when she didn’t see his eyes, she read his shock from his posture.

“You … didn’t know?”

“Correct. The board clearly left out the pregnancy part when they explained your departure. How despicable.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all. Let’s forget about it already.”

“That’s no way to treat a lady!” Amy hissed.

“I never even noticed you were pregnant at the time.”

“Again: not surprised. The Shadow I knew was never the least bit interested in women or anything even slightly related to romance, sex or intimacy. That sure changed.” Rouge shifted her eyes to Amy, who smiled an awkward smile.

“I told you before: don’t interfere.”

“I’m not. Just saying it as it is.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’re in a relationship, for crying out loud! Believe you me, I’ve never had an interest in you like that. Though I couldn’t help but wonder who on the planet could ever manage to break down those sky high walls you’ve put up over the years. I haven’t seen you in ages, Shadow. To see this cute pink hedgehog beside you… I’m just surprised you know…”

Amy was unsure whether this was a compliment or if Rouge was belittling her, which was sure to be a mistake. She locked eyes with her lover, who simply shrugged and told her Rouge wasn’t wrong about her being cute.

“I have to admit I’m impressed, Amy. You even got him to defile his oath and break the rules he’s so hang up on to follow.”

“Let’s drop the subject and just keep walking, okay?” Shadow sneered.

While continuing their search, Amy asked about Rouge’s kids. Rouge unravelled they were twins; a boy and a girl who were at the age of 4 now. The bat seemed fine with her questions and so Amy asked everything she liked to know and didn’t hold back. The pregnancy had surprised the now mother of two at the time. Somehow the guy who knocked her up wasn’t around anymore and it was just her and her two little troublemakers, as she called them.

Gradually the atmosphere between the trio got a friendly note to it. Rouge even teased Shadow, setting him on edge by saying he didn’t need to worry about the kids being his. With aggravated frown and deadpanned expression he stated it was an unnecessary thing to say. He could feel her eyes bore into the back of his head and pictured the kind of grimace that surely curled her lips.

They hit a bifurcation from where the tunnel divided into two separate corridors. Rouge drew out the chaos spores in the air to determine which way to go. They looked like a turquoise equivalent of fireflies. They swirled around in the air for a moment and then concentrated on the left corridor. It was the first time Amy witnessed a visible form of chaos energy and she was mesmerised by it.

A self-complacent smile curved the full lips of the bat-woman when she passed by Amy, her curved hips swaying as she did so. She lead the way while following the swarm-like chaos spores. With every step they made into the corridor its’ amount increased like a silent promise they were on the right track. The trio, now filled with curiosity and excitement, picked up the pace and Rouge peeked around the corner. She abruptly came to a stop and gave a muffled cry.

“A dead end?!”

Rouge cursed out loud, addressing the spores like they were a person who’d betrayed her. The three looked up to the bolt of energy whizzing above their heads. Shadow tapped at his cheek with his index finger, clearly brooding over the possibilities.

“Maybe not.”

Shadow stretched out his arms and absorbed the chaos energy from the spores to grasp the hands of the others next. At their touch a blue-greenish luminary flash gushed through them, increasing both their transparency and transcendence. He briefly informed them about his plan to jump through the ceiling, letting their chaos-affected bodily forms break the molecular structure of the rocks apart. The two women strongly disagreed with his plan. Feeling rather confident about this, he decided not to care about their opinions. He simply grabbed one of their arms and jumped up.

“This should work!”

_________________________________________

Summary: Shadow, Amy and Rouge begin their search for the gemstone after Amy thoroughly prepares their adventure with the help of her dear friend Tails. While on the road, Rouge opens up about surprising events from her past. ______________________________ Pffft, this felt more like a puzzle than a story to me. Never have I dragged so many alineas up and down the page to fit everything into place. I also struggled with translations of figure of speach here. One of the downsides of writing in English for me... Even so, when I translated a small part of ch 1 into my native language, it felt both off and odd to me. Also: sorry about the lenght!   - Like always: share your thoughts if you will and send me a not for annoying typo's or grammar mishaps. I'd really appreciate it! <3 - I uploaded this and some other stories/oneshots on AO3 recently. Username's the same as always

@shadamyheadcanons : promised to keep you updated 

[coldlittlecuties]

Bundle Up

The boys are on an early season 1 hunt in Michigan but aren't quite used to how cold it is. (Words: 2086)

I might continue this if anyone is interested.

Dean shoved Sam through the entrance of the nearest store, the little bell above jingling. The younger hunter was shaking so harshly from the frigid Michigan air that Dean feared it was a seizure. He steered Sam over to the nearest vent, then began brushing off the snow while hot air blew over him.

"You okay?" Dean checked.

"F-F-FFF-F-Fi-Finnne," Sam stuttered.

"You're not fine, you're frozen! The Hell were you thinkin', man?!" Dean scolded. Sam looked at him with the most heart-wrenching puppy eyes he'd ever pulled. Of course him being all huddled up and shivery made it all the more effective.

Dean sighed. He brought his brother's icy hands out from his jacket sleeves to check for frostbite. "Look: I don't care how close you think the library is. When it's this freakin' cold, you call me to pick you up. You don't walk! Man, look at you! You better have all your toes."

"*fffffuhuhuhuhuh* N-N-NN-NN-No-ot th-th-that *buh-buh-buh-buh*bad," Sam denied. He then shuddered so hard Dean had to stop him from falling.

"Yeah, tell that to your teeth," Dean interrupted. "Geez, Sammy! If you're gonna be so underdressed, at least wear gloves."

"D-D-D-Do-on't ha-ha-avvve 'nnnny-y," Sam explained. Dean lightly smacked him upside his head.

"You should've said something! I told you we'd be close to Canada this hunt! Are these the warmest clothes you have?" He berated. Sam's lack of eye contact was all the answer Dean needed. He sighed, washing a hand over his face. "You trying kill me, Sammy?"

"Y-Y-You-u'd c-c-c-co-co-com*mmm*ee b-b-bb-back a-a-an *huhuhuh*haunt m-m-m-me."

"Damn right I'd haunt your ass," Dean smirked. "Now let's see if this place has anything to keep you from turning into the abominable snowman."

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

The brothers have stayed in some pretty awful places: motels that reek of cigar smoke, empty houses infested with pests, even outside on cold concrete if the situation was dire enough. This cabin might be their least favorite place. Sure it looked beautiful, was clean, and free from rodents or bugs, but it was not built for winter.

It's insulation is nonexistent, the windows are single paned which let the chill seep into the cabin, there is no fireplace, and no matter where they are, there is always a draft to send shivers up their spines. Dean was convinced that the cabin was colder than the snowy forest outside. He was tempted to sleep in the Impala, but since she was made of metal, she would be even colder (though he doubted it was possible for colder temperatures to exist).

Their father trained them to withstand cold temperatures and how to deal with cold weather emergencies. Dean kept trying to regulate his breathing like he was taught. Every inhale felt like a brain freeze to his sinuses, even inside! Despite all of this, Dean was still more worried for his brother.

Sam has never been very cold tolerant. His skinny body just didn't hold in enough heat. Living in the warmer climate of the Bay Area made him even less tolerant. Dean's stomach clenched at the memory of his baby brother shivering through cold weather training, his teeth clacking together so intensely that even their father allowed him to wear another layer. It was excruciating to see his little brother freezing without helping him.

This time wasn't cold training. This is one of the circumstances they trained for. Only this time, Dean won't sit idly by while Sammy freezes to death. He'll do whatever it takes to keep him warm. Whatever he did, he knew he'd have to do it quickly. Dean could already see his brother shaking from the cold, even in his new winter clothes.

"Why don't you go find some more blankets and I'll see if I can pump some heat into this place," Dean suggested. Sam nodded, rubbing his arms as he walked away. Dean examined the cabin, trying to find a thermostat or a furnace: anything. He nearly cheered when he found the water heater. All he had to do was relight the pilot light and... done! In an hour, it would be warm enough for a hot shower or two.

"D-D-Dean!" The older brother sprinted to where he heard Sam call. "We d-d-don't have p-p-p-p-power."

"Hang tight, Sammy! I'll try to find the generator. Stay here!" Dean ordered before running off. He checked the kitchen, the living room, the hallway, the bedrooms, the closets, even the bathroom. It must be outside. Dean rushed outside and around the perimeter of the cabin. Finally, he found the generator piled under a mountain of snow. His gloved hands made opening the control panel very difficult, but if he took them off, he'd lose fingers to frostbite. Dean's hopes fell when the door opened to reveal every piece either rusted or frozen.

"Sonovabitch...," he grumbled, slamming the door shut. Hopefully whatever they had in the Impala could help, just until they could drive back into town for supplies. Dean ruffled through the trunk, the hidden compartment, the interior: all he found were a few more scraps of clothing and a lighter. He sighed.

"Generator's busted. We'll pick up stuff to fix it tomorrow. I did find a few more gloves and socks though," Dean explained, shaking off the snow from his jacket before putting it back on again.

"Don't worry, Dean. The stove's gas powered with a full tank of propane. It's kinda cozy," Sam replied, holding his gloved hands close to the lit burner. Dean was glad Sam wasn't shivering anymore. He knew from experience that it made his muscles sore as Hell.

"You wanna roast marshmallows and chestnuts?" The older brother teased.

"I know you're joking, but I could seriously use some hot chocolate right about now," Sam smirked, rubbing his arms again.

"You said it. We should get some mix. And some milk! Watery hot chocolate is disgusting," Dean added.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

After a couple of hours researching, Dean heated up a few cans of soup over the fire. It was getting dark, especially with the increasing snowfall. It wasn't too bad thanks to the candles they lit. They also provided some much needed warmth. Both boys divided the remaining clothes and blankets among themselves, Dean making sure Sam got whatever was warmest. His kid was bundled up in as many layers as he thought he could wear without Dean noticing. Of course, he did. But he wouldn't say anything.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean watched Sam blow into his gloved hands and bounce his legs. While waiting for the soup to warm up, he rifled through the cabinets in search of something that could help Sam. He found a few heat packs and even one of those aqua bead pouches that could be heated or cooled. There was also some tea and sugar. Dean started to heat another pot of water for the tea and to heat up the aqua pouch.

"*huh-huh'PSHH! h'NSHuuh! hih-GISHhuuh!*"

"Hey, Sammy. Why don't you take a break for a bit. Stretch thise freakishly long legs of yours," Dean suggested, hoping to lure his brother closer to the heat source.

Sam happily left the dining room chairs, taking the long route to the kitchen so he wouldn't be too obvious.

"*HISHhuuh! tchSHOO! Heh-hih-ihHSHSH!*"

"You getting sick?"

"No. My nose is just running 'cause it's cold in here. And my scarf tickles sometimes," Sam explained, hugging himself.

"Wanna try one of these hot pack things? They're suplosed to be for injuries but they advertise heat," Dean offered, already preparing a pack. Sam nodded, but Dean would've put the pack on him anyways. The younger hunter shuddered violently when his shirt was pulled up in the back. He felt the pack stick to him, then Dean let go of him.

As upset as Sam wanted to be with Dean for invading his personal space, the glorious warmth of the pack started to kick in. He sighed contentedly, almost purring, as it helped his shivery muscles loosen.

"It's so warm," he thought aloud.

"That's why it's called a hot pack, Sammy. Here, eat up," Dean explained as he handed Sam a bowl of soup. The brothers stood by the stove as they ate the soup and drank the tea. Both were savoring the warmth from the dishes as well as their contents.

"You think you're gonna be warm enough, tonight Sammy?" Dean checked, handing him the warmed aqua pouch.

"Yeah, I'm good. What about you, though?" Sam worried.

"I'm too hot to freeze!"

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Dean let out another shuddery breath as a chill wracked him. He tried to curl himself into a tighter ball, but it wasn't helping. The hunter was so cold he couldn't stop shivering. His teeth kept making that annoying chattering sound no matter how much he wrapped himself in the blankets. He even used some spare towels from the closets!

"S-S-S-S-Sa-ammmy's w-ww-wwarm-m-m," Dean kept telling himself. "*huhuhuh*He's wwwwa-warm a-a-and s-s-s-s-sa*fffff*fe." He then shivered so hard it rocked the bed. Dean was wearing every piece of clothing he could. Everything else (minus the Fed Suit) was mingled in with the towels and covers. How was he still this cold?!

Finally fed up with turning into a popsicle, Dean eased himself out of the blankets to stand by the stove for a while. He was amazed to feel how much colder the room was outside of his cocoon. All his shivering reminded him to check on Sam. Dean shuffled around the corner and into the kitchen. He turned on the gas for the stove, but couldn't work the lighter with his gloves. He took them off then shuddered impossibly harder.

He dropped his lighter with a loud *THUNK!*. Dean winced, hoping the noise didn't wake his little brother. He decided to turn off the gas until he could find another way to light the stove. No sense in poisoning them both. While he waited for an idea to come, he saw one of the hot packs on the counter. Dean took off his gloves on the other hand so he could open their package. But he was shaking too much to properly grasp it.

"I knew it!"

Dean whipped around as Sam came out of his room with a blanket wrapped around him.

"You lecture me about the importance of of staying warm and wearing plenty of layers while you go and do the exact opposite!"

"M'f-f-ff-fi-ine S-S-S-Sam," Dean assured.

"You're not fine, you're frozen!" Sam echoed, wrapping the blanket around his brother. He grabbed the dropped lighter, then lit the front burners. Dean gave a shuddery sigh as he felt the warmth and held his palms out.

"Here: put these back on." Sam watched Dean struggle to put the gloves on for a few seconds before doing it himself. Dean looked away as he huddled into the blanket. Sam opened the hot pack and slipped it onto his brother's back before he had a chance to protest.

"Why didn't you tell me you were freezing? I could've added more layers and given you more blankets!" Sam demanded, preparing a pot of water for tea.

"Y-Y-Y-You wwwere *cuh-cuh-cuh*co-old a-all ddday," Dean explained.

"And you've been freezing all night. Maybe even longer!"

"*muh-muh-muh-muh*my-y j-j-jjjob-b... p-p-p-prot-tect y-y-yo-ou...."

"What's my job then? Sit around all warm and cozy while my big brother freezes to death? I can deal with being cold. I can't deal with losing you too." Sam looked away and took a breath to compose himself.

"S-S-Sam-m-my?"

"I'm fine!"

Dean unhuddled from the blanket so he could pull his brother into a hug. Sam burried his face in Dean's shoulder as he relaxed into the embrace.

"S'ok-k-kay S-Sammy. I-I'm g-g-getting warm-m-mer nno-ow. M-M-M'ok-k-k-kay."

Sam nodded into his shoulder. Dean's shivering slowed to a stop after a few minutes. Neither brother was willing to let go of the other just yet.

"You wanna try to sleep a bit more?" Sam offered, suppressing a yawn. "You can stay in my room 'cause it's warm."

"Yeah. Let's get'cha to bed, Sammy," Dean chuckled. Reluctantly, they let go to walk into Sam's room. They crawled under the covers on opposite sides of the bed, but they ended up gravitating towards each other. Their chilly and sleepy minds only registered the soft warmth and the presence of his brother.

Sam was snuggled up against Dean's chest, his head tucked right under the older hunter's chin. Dean wrapped his arms around his kid and nuzzled his soft hair. That was how they fell asleep: warm, cozy, and protected.

[spc4eva]

Mandokar: Chapter Two

Summary: Clan Vizsla returns to the Tribe and Senaar settles into her new life.

Word Count: 15,125

Author Notes: Just some more info about the Anaxian race that I've created!

An offshoot of the Sephi race, removed by generations of evolution based on Anaxes' climate. Appearance: Humanoid, sub-human, differentiated by long pointed ears (longer than most Sephi) which are hyper sensitive to the forests that they dwell in. Skin tends to be tan to dark, though there are a few fairer skinned Anaxians. Sunlight is powerful, despite the forest, which is why the melanin in their skin tends to be strong to act as a buffer when they leave the woods or are in glades. Eye hues range in earth tones, mostly brown, but a few are green. Gold is another color, while a bit rare and considered blessed amongst the people. Royalty almost always has the golden eyes. Hair color is also dark, from jet black to medium brown. Blonde, red, and light brown hair is almost unheard of and incredibly unnatural amongst Anaxians. On average, they get to the same height as humans, but tend to be more slender and willowy. Anaxians eyes work well for the dim lighting of the forest acolves and long nights. They have the ability to see in little to no light, but not utter darkness. Due to their lighter bone structures, Anaxians are quicker and more agile than other races, making for spectacular warriors should they have the inclination. Light footed from years of hunting in their forests, they are exceptionally gifted with stealth and able to fight with acrobatic feats. Despite these abilities, Anaxians have the drawbacks of being more frail than other humanoid races. For their speed and stealth, they are more easily overwhelmed by strength.

Goddess Marks/Tears: markings on the skin of Anaxians which are similar to beauty marks. Rather than be dark, these marks are the size of tears and shaped the same. Sometimes they are also referred to as petals. Each mark is gold, humming with a shimmering iridescence which is contrasted by an Anaxian's dark complexion. Most Anaxians have between 5-10 marks, though those descended of purer bloodline - ie. nobles or royalty - often have more. They are not tattoos and are on an Anaxian from birth. Those that possess a lot of them are considered 'Chosen' by the Goddess, especially if the marks play out in a more purposeful manner than just sporadic petals against the skin, placed randomly. Some Anaxians get more tattooed on them in an attempt to seem more special and it's not uncommon. However, the tattoos don't have the same glow as the natural marks. Often Anaxians will use the tattoos to link their marks together in designs. 

Note: Anaxians are not long lived like Sephis. They live 80-100 standard years on average. Anaxians do not reach sexual maturity until 20 years old, taking a little longer to grow through their adolescence into adult bodies.

Anaxians are also not well traveled. They don't like to leave their home planet often. Pure Sephis often call them forest bumpkins, so there's a little love lost between the similar races.

Most of Anaxian culture was inspired by wood elves from Lord of the Rings with a mixture of Celtic heritage. 

Inspiration photo for Anaxians (and Sena specifically) is  this

Crossposted on AO3

The helmet was more comfortable with the padding, but she wasn't forced to wear it much around the ship with her aliit. Senaar Vizsla. She repeated it numerous times in her head, staring at the ceiling as she cocooned herself in a pile of blankets on the floor. Hux, her buir now, told her not to dwell too deeply on what had happened on Anaxes. He'd said that nothing could be done and carrying that in her heart would just hurt. When she asked about her papa, he explained that he was marching far away, but one day she'd see him again. He taught her the prayer to say every night before bed and that more names would join her papa's, but it was her duty to remember them and love them. Sena was fully committed to becoming Mandalorian, even if she was a bit nervous and frightened by the shock of everything that had happened. Be strong. Papa would be watching and she had to make him proud... buir and ori'vod too.

" Sen'ika ," Paz entreated, drawing her attention as she leered at the ceiling of the ship, hiding in her blankets as if it were a toasty little garrison. Hyperspace was cold, much colder than most of Anaxes' yearly climate. "Come sit over here."

Dragging her blankets with her, helmet nestled against her tummy, she sat beside Paz and eyed what he was working on. Set in front of him was the rifle he had used during their escape from Genmaris. Now, it was in several pieces, he had a cloth and swatches of cotton, many of which were stained with blaster residue. He was cleaning the weapon.

"Have you ever taken one apart before?" Paz inquired lightly, gazing down at her with icy blue eyes. Despite how shockingly pale his eyes were, they were still kind and warm. He had short blonde hair, messy from his helmet, and was probably not much older than her despite his height and fitness.

"I know how to take the slide off of my pistol, but I've never taken it apart like this," Sena admitted, cheeks burning as she wondered if she was severely behind in her knowledge. What if the other children made fun of her? What if she was stupider than kids a lot younger than her? Would her buir disown her? Take the helmet back and tell her to get out?

"Most firearms are the same aside from the coils in buttstocks of rifles and shotguns," Paz eased, sensing the girl's worry. "You will need to know not only how to fire your weapons, but how to clean them and assess any issues you may have while firing. Weapons are our religion, so we must take good care of them to protect our people. Now, let's begin-"

Paz showed her the various pieces of the rifle, the charging handle, the bolt, where cartridges were loading. There were bits of information that were familiar, as there was some overlap from what she knew about her pistol. Having her hands on it, manipulating the pieces, putting them together and taking them apart - everything clicked rather swiftly. The visual and physical method of learning, rather than out of a holobook, took repetition and application. The distraction was greatly appreciated and Sena was keen to prove that she was a quick learner.

They moved onto a blaster, Hux dropping down from the cockpit, cocking his head as Sena cleaned the weapon. "I thought I told you to clean them," he said, directing his attention toward Paz.

"I can help!" Sena insisted quickly, before Paz even had the chance to offer.

"I thought she should begin her lessons," her vod retorted, stiffening under the tart gaze of their buir .

"Teach yes, but don't let her do all the work. I assigned you this task," Hux reminded him duly, looking to Sena next, who jolted erect under his pale gaze. "Let your ori'vod finish the rest. Come along, there are many things you need to learn, ad'ika."

More distractions. Scampering up from her blankets, she followed her buir deeper into the ship and away from Paz as he was left by the armory. This part of the Kote was filled with weights, a pull up bar, a sparring dummy, thick padded mats, and other work out items. " Buyca ." Bucket.

Sena slipped it back on and fiddled with her belt, making certain that her belt was tight enough to keep the extra material from her clothes from tripping her up.

"I am going to test your strength and endurance levels," Hux alerted her. "I know that you had some training in combat."

"A little," Sena confirmed, but knew her knowledge certainly quailed in comparison to Mandalorian standard.

Hux began prattling off exercises. He started with pushups, which weren't too hard. Sena was tiny and her limbs short. She ran around through the woods often and handled her own body weight. Capable of pushups and a few weak pull ups, she hung upside down from the bar like a monkey, braid swaying behind her as her buir remarked quietly to himself. Apparently, she was not too bad off, her excursions outside of the castle leaning well with her heritage as an Anaxian. Small, compact, ready to spring like a viper; she was putty to be molded. Her hands had callouses from where she'd climbed trees, tearing the soft palms and pads. Her feet were rough from trolloping barefoot, which would ease the pain of wearing boots and the callouses that would form on top of her soles.

And the girl could run. Around the drill shed floor, without reprieve, puffing out of her vocoder and using the boxes as obstacles. The original doubt that Hux had about taking a princess in was vanishing. Even if she might feel a little out of place amongst the Mandalorians due to her upbringing, Ardryll had not lied about her being well suited for training. The right disposition could be developed and she still had many years ahead of her before she would become a hunter. Most of all, the girl was eager to prove herself, hanging onto every word that came out of Hux's vocoder, the analyzer picking up the earnesty and excitement in her voice.

They had five more days on the ship before they were to touch down on Vorpa'ya and rejoin the Tribe. Even if the child was tired, she got up early and helped out as much as she could. It was plain she didn't know how to do many mundane tasks, given that servants had done this for her during the course of her short life. The Vizslas were patient with her, having to teach her how to turn a burner on, how to properly fold her clothes, how to wash them, how to tidy up after herself, how to be more considerate of those she was sharing space with. Hux was thankful they had the ship to do this on, glaringly aware that the girl would be tossed right into training with peers of a similar age and set before the Council before the Tribe welcomed her.

Hux's nerves faded, glancing fondly over in the direction of the plum helmet as the child bent over with his son, trying to stitch together where they had cut up her shirt in an attempt to take it in so it wasn't so baggy. Her fingers quaked and she gasped again, pricking her thumb for the umpteenth time. Despite fussing at his son before, Paz took to the girl like a womp rat to filth and was thrilled to have someone to take under his wing. It was difficult not to and Hux grudgingly admitted that to himself often at the kid's heart. She didn't give up. Settling back in his spot by the table, he wondered what Sova would have thought of the girl.

She would have loved her, he reasoned silently. Anaxes was gone. Having turned the news on in the cockpit long enough to hear about the sweeping of the Empire through the galaxy, his insides had gone cold when he saw the information regarding Anaxes. After resisting the Empire, there was a reactor failure in one of the shipyards that detonated a stockpile of hypermatter. Whether this was accidental or the locals had decided that they wouldn't allow for Anaxes to be used as a pivotal anchor point, Hux could only speculate. All that remained of the planet was an asteroid belt, wiping away the beautiful forests that Genmaris had been tucked along. As far as anyone was concerned, the Anaxian princess had been on the planet during the cataclysm.

Her anonymity was more important now. Her long ears and Goddess Tears would be easily recognizable.

Damn Jetii, you knew. You knew all along what was coming and how she'd have to be hidden , Hux cursed. Originally, he had been vexed by the arrangement, held by his debt to the Jedi. Take a princess and make her Mandalorian? He'd scoffed at the idea, but knew in his heart he couldn't abandon a child to an abysmal fate. There had been many others who had likely died on Anaxes, but Hux couldn't have saved them all. At least one would live to have a family and he could have a hand in raising her. Paz had already detailed that the little bird had attacked a trooper like a rabid massiff, flying out from the shadows and puncturing the small exposed bit of his throat. While still clumsy, the girl had managed to buy Paz time and kill the soldier. Potential . The girl had a lot of potential.

That potential was shadowed by her naiveness, but she'd grow wiser with age.

"I look lumpy," Sena had her shirt on, the poor stitching bunching up around her midsection and zigzagging where she'd not kept the line straight.

"Could use some work," Paz admitted honestly, pinching at the fabric to attempt to tug the bundling seams down. "Don't worry, there will be clothes that fit you amongst the Tribe. You'll also get some leather beskar'gam , which we'll put the jai'galaar eyes on."

Jai'galaar eyes or shriek-hawk eyes were the original clan sigil of the Vizslas.  It had been used for the Death Watch in the more recent years, disparaged and spat upon by many other Mandalorians for the Sith that Hux's brother Pre had unleashed on their home world. Originally, Hux had helped try to retake Mandalore, before realizing how wrong he had been about forcing the Resol'nare on people who wanted to live peacefully. His own commitment did not circumvent how sacred he held the lives of Mandalorians, even if they were considered dar'manda . Pre had not agreed, saying that the dar'manda would submit or die.

After being spared by the Jetii , Arydryll, he removed the blue and white paint of the Death Watch and returned home to his son, uprooting their life and moving amongst the Tribe where they were accepted with open arms under the condition that they did not remove their helmets. This dedication to the Resol'nare attracted him; the ideal lifestyle he had hoped for all of Mandalore. Yet, he knew their little covert was one of few and he cherished what they had found. Here, he could live as he wished, but without forcing it on those who did not possess the same dedication to the Resol'nare. Hux did not want glory or to partake in the fight against the Empire, he desperately wanted peace. Here, Paz would be able to learn and supply for his people. There were always threats, as being Mandalorian came with its own clauses, but the covert had escape plans if the need for relocation arose.

" Sen'ika , go work on your combat drills on the practice shed floor," Hux thrummed eventually as the girl continued to fiddle with her awkwardly sewn clothes.

"Yes, buir ," she answered obediently, trotting off without needing to be asked again.

Paz tilted his helmet, staring over at his father. Questioning.

Once the child was safely out of earshot, he let out a low sigh. "We will be landing soon and you know what'll happen. The Council will want to meet her and then introduce her to the Tribe," the man started, earning a nod of comprehension. "We will not be telling them where she is from."

"We are going to lie to the Tribe?" Paz asked, voice hitching in disdain.

"No, we are going to omit information. The less people that know who she was and where she is from means the Tribe shall be safer. Anaxes is nothing but rubble and asteroids. No one shall see her face aside from us until she marries and by that point, no one will be looking for her. Until then, it is for the Tribe's best interest that we are as nondescript as possible in regards to her heritage."

"Understood... Have you discussed this with, vod'ika ?"

"Yes, she fully comprehends the importance of being ambiguous with the Tribe. As far as they know, she's from Naboo."

"A little Naboo child who can jump and do acrobats better than the rest of them?" Paz pointed out, harping upon the natural gifts lended to her from being Anaxian.

"It explains her accent and education. They will not start her training out too difficult, as they'll want to test her to get a better idea of what age group to place her with. She still has a lot to learn in order to be as well prepared as others her age."

"Hm," Paz hummed in disagreement. "Maybe in Mando'a and hand to hand combat, but she knows how to hold her own. The others will come quickly enough."

"Keep a close eye on her. There will be an adjustment period, even if she is doing well with just the both of us," Hux warned. In the privacy of the Kote , she felt comfortable with her new clan. Amongst the Tribe, she'd be faced with unfamiliar helms, various trials, and an entirely new setting. He worried how she would react, that the comforting embrace of the ship being ripped away from her might cause her to falter. It was all she had come to know after leaving her home world and acknowledging her past life was dead. Even the most resilient children needed time to recover and whilst she was putting on a brave face, it would only take one misstep for her emotions to finally catch up with the swift pace she had set. Hux was expecting a breakdown of enormous proportions in the coming days.

"Of course, she's my vod'ika . I'll not let anything happen to her," Paz swore, the oath so deep and intended that Hux smiled. This was the Way.

Vorpa'ya was coated in lolling hills rustling with tall green grass. Not a tree in sight, the plains spreading onward, and the sun pelting down across the landscape to catch the glimmering shift of the wind through the grass. So open and exposed, so strange and unfamiliar as large brown herbivores meandered the grass. They had four pronged horns that cradled their faces, mooing quietly as they gnawed on the vegetation and trotted along. Despite the sun's glare, the temperature was mild and the wind chased away any discomfort the sun's smile might provide.

Dome shaped homes littered the largest hill, cresting upon it like little green dimples. The steel had been thatched with grass, which grew tall and swooned in the wind. From above, the houses would be impossible to discern from the rest of the rolling land of Vorpa'ya. Between the homes, the people milled around - the Tribe. Beskar helmets painted in various hues, visors shifting between T and Y-shaped, and daily life gliding forward, seemingly untouched by the war that ravaged the galaxy. The people were not ignorant to it, as each Mandalorian donned at least three weapons a piece, the hunters even more, but they were careful, meticulous, and on guard. Any day, their little village could be disrupted and they were prepared to fight and escort the children far away to relocate the covert.

Following awkwardly between Paz and Hux, Sena's head swiveled around. Visors tilted toward her, noticing the new bucket amongst their Tribe, and greeted her aliit in kind with, " Su cuy'gar " and " Su'cuy " from a few very small children who did not wear helmets. Even if this was not the comforting forest, Sena's heart burned in her chest, warmed by the atmosphere, and she smiled stupidly beneath her helmet as she offered a few little waves to children running underfoot. Some attacked Paz, forcing the trio to stop as a child collided with her shins.

"Hello," Sena chimed, looking down into the bright blue eyes of a twi'lek boy.

"You're new! Who're you? I like your bucket. It's a pretty color," the boy was no more than five and tugging at her trousers.

"My name is Senaar," she bent down toward the grabby hands and picked him up, a little surprised by how much he weighed. She'd already committed, so she huffed him up onto her hip and let him tug lightly on her long, black braid. "What's your name?"

"Zim!" he squealed, palming her helmet and pushing his brow against hers. Sena knew that this was a keldable kiss and was exchanged between family and lovers, but didn't know what to do when a child was doing that to her. The big blue eyes opened, pinning her reproachfully, and he butted her more forcefully - demanding reciprocation.

"Bonk," Sena muttered, offering him a small headbutt.

Zim giggled delightedly.

"Run along now, ade. Lalli is undoubtedly looking for you little womp rats," Hux scolded, but there was no spice or menace in his voice.

" Sen'ori , come play with us later?" Zim asked quickly, knowing the moments he had with her were numbered to the second.

"Uhm," she was bending down to put Zim back on his feet. "If it's allowed..."

Paz gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "I can show you the town and nursery later," he told her, Zim galloping off with the other younglings before they were allowed to continue their passage amongst the covert. "Do you have a lot of experience with children?"

Her cheeks burned and she shook her head. "Not really. There weren't that many kids around... there. And if there were I wasn't really allowed near them. Not because I'd get in trouble, but mostly just social standards. No little cousins or anything like that."

The nicest thing about this village was that there were so many people to talk to, to not treat her like a princess, and estrange her due to her status. People always dreamed about being a princess, but most of her friends had been written in the pages of books. Everyone in Genmaris had been wary about offending her, even though Sena tried not to come off as rude or cold. Just the brush with the children made her ecstatic, because she'd never experienced anything like it. Little Zim had forced himself into her arms and stolen two keldable kisses and he barely knew her. What would everyone else be like?

"You'll get the hang of it. Zim was rather taken with you," Paz assured her.

"I hope so. If we have time, I think I would like to go to the nursery," Sena insisted, licking her dry lips beneath her helmet as they approached the largest domed structure, which was located at the epicenter of the camp. Two grand doors were propped open, leading into a cavernous room that pelted warmth. Situated in the center was a circular hearth where pale white blue flames lanced up the rim, stabbing up like daggers toward a range hanging from the ceiling that filtered any smoke and helped contain the immense heat that wafted from the fire. Seats were arranged against the wall, curving into the structure in the form of benches, where dozens of adults could sit around the forge.

Dozens were not there now, only a few. Immediately, her eyes sought out the most imposing of the crowd, a broad Mandalorian in soot black painted armor. He had a hammer in his hand, pausing to watch them carefully, his visor framed by white so that it was distinguishable from the darkness of the rest of the armor. On the other side of the forge was a female with a golden helmet, who appeared to be helping him, the crown fringed with short horns.

"I have not seen that helmet in a long time," the black-painted Mandalorian declared in a deep, resonating voice that echoed throughout the hall like ocean waves crashing against a rocky coastline. "A Foundling, Vizsla?"

" Elek , Smith," her buir stepped forward, brushing his hand along her shoulder and bringing her forth with him. "Senaar."

Uncertain of what to do, since she was no longer a princess, she simply stood there stiffly. Her helmet wasn't reading the Smith's voice very well, coming up as unknown.

"She is Mandalorian?" the Smith inquired, cocking his head slightly.

Sena was getting better at reading body language. Despite the fact she had seen Paz and Hux's faces, they tended to still move around as if they were wearing their helmets. Body language spoke volumes and the questioning turn of a helmet was already ingrained in her brain. She still had to learn the other nuances.

" Cin vhetin ," Hux offered simply. "I have renamed her."

"Welcome to the Tribe, Senaar of Clan Vizsla," the Smith greeted, visor skimming over her frame. "It appears you are in dire need of proper attire. Armorer, could you please assist in getting our new vod outfitted?"

The golden helmeted female stepped forward, bending down slightly to lift Sena's arms and take a few measurements. Her fingers picked at the atrocious stitching that Sena had managed and she murmured quietly to herself. "I should have things that fit you, vod . Come along."

Despite the encouragement from the young woman, she threw her head toward her buir , who gave her a nod. Allowed to follow the Armorer, they entered a back room in the hall. Considerably smaller, but chocked full of supplies to include various ingots of steel, most of durasteel, some of beskar, cloaks, boots, trousers, shirts. This was a supply closet, most of the attire dark and earth toned. A warrior's armor was where their personality was displayed in the colors in which they chose to paint it. She noticed that the Armorer's bucket was not painted, but shimmered gold. Sena wondered what color was beneath hers, but hadn't thought to touch the plum paint.

Pulling a few tops out, the Armorer decided which size would work best and began to create a pile for Sena. Boots, socks, underwear, and gloves were added to the ensemble. Finally, she pulled a few leather vests out, tightening it around Sena's frame to make certain it fit.

"This will be your armor until you can hunt and earn your own," the Armorer explained, adding leather vambraces and leg pads. "Get changed up and I will show you how to adorn them."

Sena was worried that the Armorer would wait nearby, but the female was discreet and stepped out of the supply closet to let Sena change in privacy. Discarding her frumpy, borrowed attire, she swapped it for clothing that fit much better. The pants were a little long still, but at least they didn't require a belt to keep up. The fabric was dark brown like dirt, the neckline curving up to hide her throat entirely. With gloves, knee high boots, a belt, with pouches - she stood there awkwardly trying to figure out what to do with the cuirass.

"Armorer?" she called tentatively, the gold helmet popping back in the doorway at the sound of her name.

"See these here?" the Armorer touched her gloves to the loops on the suit she was now wearing. "The armor attached to these points. Let's begin with the cuisse and greaves," sitting her down on the bench, she began strapping up the leather pads over her thighs and against her shins. "The cuirass or heartplate straps in on its own. Since it is not steel, it'll be a little tighter than beskar. Next, we have your vambraces, which will act as a point of defense. This is the first item you should craft of beskar," she tied the laced, the leather polished, but missing any of the tiny buttons that Hux had on his. "And your pauldrons will be where your clan sigil is displayed. For Vizslas, that is the shriek-hawk eyes."

" Ori'vod said he would help me paint it. Am I allowed to paint the leather? I don't want to get in trouble-" Sena's fretfulness caused her to begin babbling much too quickly, earning a light chuckle from the Armorer.

"The armor is yours now. You are allowed to paint it, though leather does not hold the paint as well as steel. During your training is it very likely to chip and peel," the Armorer informed her kindly. "But you should add the shriek-hawk eyes."

Sena wagged her head in agreement, thanking the Armorer before picking up her bundle of clothes and her extra set of boots. Hugging the supplies to her chest, she trundled out of the supply room to see a few other Mandalorians poking around. People had wandered into the hall. Immediately, they looked toward her, causing her to freeze where she stood and drop a boot. The sole colliding with the ground echoed throughout the cavernous hall and interrupted all conversation. Sena wanted to faint, shaking like a leaf.

Bending down, she battled with the edge of the boot before managing to snag it and toss it back on top of her pile. All but running over to Paz, she tucked toward his side and glanced around anxiously. Sena wasn't shy, but she'd also never seen Mandalorians before the Vizslas and now she was in an entire village of them. On top of that, she wanted to impress them and not make them regret taking her in. The sheer weight of wanting to be as good as possible made her quiver anxiously a bit. Being a princess wouldn't win her any brownie points and as far as they knew, she was from Naboo.

"Much better," Paz said, looking down at her new clothes and armor. "A full Mandalorian now, vod'ika -" he elbowed her lightly, nearly sending all her belongings flying from her hands. "The Elders want to meet you. Let me hold these for you and then we'll get the chance to drop them off at home."

Elders? They sounded mighty important. Sena swallowed the impossibly large lump in her throat and gave Paz a mute nod, passing over her supplies.  She gave herself a minor pep talk, rationalizing that this couldn't be anymore intimidating than the vipers in the court. Even if she was unable to see their faces, at least they'd all been rather cordial with her until this point. Direct, straightforward, no beating around the bush. It was so unlike the climate she was accustomed to and while she liked it, she felt woefully ill prepared. Being guarded was so much easier, as was not taking most people at their word.

Arranged in the seats nearest to the forge was a council of seven - to include the Smith who sat amongst them. Most of the members had on armor, though there were two Elders, so old and fragile looking, that they did not don any armor. One was a woman who looked like a shriveled up prune, her skin hanging around her face so loose that it was difficult to tell if there were scars amongst her riddled countenance. Dark brown eyes perceived her, lancing right into her own, despite the visor that obscured Sena's.

The patriarch had a kinder expression, his face not resembling a crinkled up tissue. His skin was dark, sagging pale brows over wise irises. Braids of snow rain down his scalp and around his shoulders, a pink scar dragged along his left cheek like a bolt of lightning on a blackened field.

Four others; a female in cyan armor, a male in orange, a male in crimson, and a male in blue and white. Each one had various markings, designs, and spots differentiating their beskar. From the years of wearing the beskar, there were gouges, scratches, and marks that they wore proudly. Vambraces varied, as did weapons, and despite the fact that people said that all Mandos were the same, modulated bucketheads, Sena saw a huge difference between each of them. Not just because of their varying colors, but the manner in which they had painted designs, or highlighted the scratches with paint to make the scars pop, or the variance in design of the cuirasses as the style had improved over the years.

"Senaar of Clan Vizsla," the patriarch had a husky voice, so deep that it sounded as if it had been dredged out of the depths of Trask's oceans. "The Tribe welcomes you as our newest addition. My name is Rhenx and I am the Alor of the Tribe."

Alor sounded important, but in her nervousness, she couldn't recall if her buir had told her what it meant. "The pleasure is mine, Alor ," she retorted, still a bit too quickly, but was thankful her voice didn't fail her. The least her courtesy training could do for her was not make her sound like an idiot in front of the most important people in the Tribe. They were judging her at that moment, she was certain of it.

Rhenx gave an encouraging smile with pooled heat in her tummy and eased her shoulders. "Polite. Perhaps you could teach your aliit some manners,” he remarked, drawing a few laughs from the Elders flanking him. “Tell me, vod , what is your ambition?”

This was a question she had not been prepped for, the helmet heavy on her head as she tilted slightly to the side and considered him for a moment. Better to think than to spew nonsense. “To have a home and family. To belong ,” the answer was simple and yet it was all she could hope for now that her papa was gone. She’d not have many friends before and she hoped that she could change that here.

“Not of great prowess? To be the best hunter?” Rhenx mused, his questions making her heart thump in her chest as if she were a rabbit being eyed by a wolf.

Had she chosen the wrong words? Shuddering a breath slightly, she knew she couldn’t rescind them without looking stupid. “That too, but those come after,” she retorted, cheeks heated beneath her helmet, thankful for the mask to hide her abysmal expression.

Rhenx bellowed a laugh, making her jump. “Where did you find this one, Vizsla?”

“Naboo.”

Devoting his attention back to her, Rhenx offered another obliging look. “You have had a long journey, vod. We look forward to seeing you excel here. The Tribe is now your family, we take care of one another, protect one another. You will learn our ways and one day provide as your buir provides for you.”

Out of habit and because it felt natural, Sena bowed her head respectfully and took her leave. She couldn’t get beside Paz quickly enough, feet hastened and heart beating erratically until they had left the pressure of the hall. While the meeting with the Elders had gone much more easily than she had been expecting, she had a feeling that they’d be watching for the days to come. Until this point in her life, there had been little expectations of Sena other than to sometimes be at the right place at the right time. Taking advantage as a princess, she’d been able to shirk many duties and get away with mistakes that normal people would have been reprimanded for. There was a tiny bit of regiment in her from the little combat training she did have, but drawing upon her week on the Kote she knew that laziness and indignance would not be tolerated. Even if she was only 13, Sena was not stupid. Her frivolous years until this point were just that; until this point.

Tingling like bad food in the pit of her tummy, she considered what might happen. Part of her was fretful that she wouldn’t fit in and that she’d be detrimentally behind the others. Not in academics, because she’d studied with tutors, but in combat. They literally breathed blaster smoke like oxygen.

“You’re quiet, vod’ika ,” Paz observed as they continued to bask in the glow of the sun, heading to the edge of the town. She saw a few of the cattle grazing in the distance, otherwise just an empty landscape that seemed as if it could fall into the sky. Despite having found it pretty before, Sena was suddenly anxious at how open and scarce it was. Nowhere to hide. No shadows. Just open. “Are you alright?”

“Nervous,” Sena admitted quietly, tearing her eyes away from the moors as they paused in front of a house.

“You did well. If Rhenx likes you then there’s little to worry about,” he assured her, punching the code into the door: 568768. Hissing open, he allowed her in first.

“But I didn’t do or say much,” she pointed out, stepping down into the main dwelling area or karyai . The large chamber was not only the kitchen, but the den, dining area, and communal resting area. She noticed to the flanks of the karyai that there were doors to other rooms, assuming that these were bedrooms and a fresher.

“You weren’t a blubbering mess and you were concise and honest,” Paz countered, shutting the door and ripping his helmet off. Running fingers through his helmet curls, he cocked a smile at her that took the edge off her anxiety. “The rest you’ll have to prove, but you showed tenacity today. Seems your princess training helped a bit.”

“I felt like a blubbering mess.” She still did, clinging desperately to her clothes as if they were her last semblance of sanity. Everything was so glaringly real now. On the ship, she’d been toiling through hyperspace and with the idea of the Tribe. In theory, it all sounded magnificent. In reality, she was terrified of letting the aliit down or the rest of the Tribe. There had been moments in her life where she worried about letting papa down, but she’d never cared much for what others in the court thought of her. They had never been this close of a community. Sena expected if she made one slip up the entire village would know and talk about her behind her back. Call her a dope or an idiot.

“See, this is why I’m glad I only have one brain cell. You’re thinking too much, Sen’ika .”

She jolted, turning her head to look at her vod and let out a pitiful whine. “I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

“Were you ever this worried when you were a princess?”

She shook her head.

“Being a princess seems a lot more difficult. Just be yourself… minus the royalty thing, but you catch my drift,” Paz gave her a small pep talk, bending down to affectionately butt heads with her helmet. “Come around here. The guest room is yours now. There’s not much in it, but you can make it your own-” he pressed a hand into her back and began guiding her across the karyai and toward the first door on the left. “We can set up your own code too. Buir likes to snoop.”

They deliberated quietly on a code for the door before Paz set it. It didn’t strike Sena that he also knew her code, but she didn’t mind either way. What did she really need to lock her door for when she was amongst a village of Mandalorians? Just as he’d claimed, the room was nondescript. Decorated simply with a full bed, a dresser, a single night stand with an alarm clock, and a closet. There was a window which gazed out on the fields. The room itself was the size of a powder room in Genmaris Castle and lacked all the refinement and grace of her old chambers. No wood, no warmth from the shimmersilk drapes, nor the stash of holobooks or paperbacks. Putting her belongings on the quilted comforter, she reached up and pulled her helmet off, thankful to finally be able to smell and feel the atmosphere on her face.

“The windows are shaded, so no one can see in,” Paz gestured to the glass. “Class begins at 0500 every morning except weekends. For you, that’ll be at the Junction House. Physical training starts the day, then academia, followed by a changing schedule of marksmanship, weapons courses, and other specialized courses like reconnaissance, basic medical, starship lessons… There’s a lot to list, but it’ll be handed to you piece by piece. Tomorrow you’ll get a holocard with the schedule as it changes week to week. Days end at 1500, with the exception of specialty lessons you might have once or twice a month. After end of day, you’re allowed to do what you want. Some people continue training, some people slack off, others help around the village… Ah, and there’s a Foundling shift roster. Once a week you’ll be tasked with watching the ade . But you’re always allowed to go more if you want.”

Sena listened, nodding as she thought of the other children she’d known who had gone to boarding school. The regiment and timelines seemed similar to that, though the classes being offered here sounded way more exciting. “What do you do after classes?”

“I don’t have as many classes anymore, since I’m older and just completed my First Trial. When you’re 16 you’ll also attempt your Trial if you’re ready,” Paz revealed.

“ 16 ,” Sena gasped in horror. “That’s only 3 cycles away!”

“The Tribe will not make you do your Trial if you’re not ready,” Paz placated, but it had the opposite effect.

“Then I’ll look like an idiot ,” Sena balked.

“You better train hard then. No more running off in the woods, shirking your duties,” he smarted, making her frown.

“There’s not even any forests to explore,” she pointed out disdainfully.

“Good thing. Less distractions,” he grinned, turning back toward the door. “Put your things away and then we’ll go check out the village. Maybe you’ll even get to meet some of your vod before tomorrow.”

Giving her the first real private moment since leaving Anaxes, she sat on the edge of the bed and palmed her eyes. This was life now. A mundane room, no books, no friends, and no clue on how to do anything. That had been obvious on the ship when she’d not realized that there wasn’t a magical clothing fairy who picks up after her. Or that she actually had to make food when she was hungry and not just ask for it. Or that people didn’t like when you were a little messy. Drawing in a shaky breath, she stood up and began putting her clothes away. A new beginning. She really had to give it a try and put her heart into it, because otherwise she had nothing else. Here, she would learn life skills; how to defend herself, to supply for others, to feel a part of a community, and to build a life. Until this point in her life, Sena had never really thought much of the future aside from what she didn’t want to do, like marry Rathas. Each stride was taken day by day and her ambitions were nothing more than mischievous fun to be had around the castle.

Was she upset by the guidance? No, she wasn’t, but it still made her hands shake. There was no papa to defend her choices, to wash away any bad she might’ve done. Hux had already told her that she had to own up to what she did, even if she made a mistake. Honesty was paramount.

After putting her belongings away, she picked her helmet back up and went out into the karyai . Paz held up a piece of… dessert? She didn’t know what it was other than it was layered densely, flat, and appeared to have nuts and fruit in it. “ Uj’alayi ,” he told her, offering her a piece as he scarfed his own down.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she’d not eaten much since getting off the ship and they’d been eating rations. Real food was such a comforting sight that Sena nearly cried. Biting her tongue to keep herself from being dumbly emotional over cake, she picked up the sticky pastry and enjoyed the sweetness, the syrup, and the kick of spices that warmed her palate and hummed in the back of her throat. The uj’alayi was amazing. However, her gloves were now coated in stickiness. Big eyes turned toward Paz, he chortled as he washed down his cake with water.

“Wash your hands,” he reminded her, as if it were so obvious - which it was - but she hadn’t thought of it just standing there like a dope.

Coming around the counter, she scrubbed her gloves free of the syrup and picked her helmet up from where she’d set it down. “Do we get to eat that everyday?”

“Our teeth would rot right out of our heads,” Paz chortled. “ Uj’alayi is a treat. Bhone delivered this to us - the Elder in the cyan armor.”

“Oh, that was very nice,” Sena remarked, slightly disappointed that the cake was not a part of everyday cuisine. If she were still a princess, she could demand that it was. Here, she’d just look like a petulant brat. “How would I say thank you? Do I send a gift back or-”

“You could just thank her next time you see her. You’d really impress her if you said it in Mando’a. ‘ Vor’e’ would work.”

“ Vor’e ,” she repeated quietly, hoping that Paz hadn’t just told her how to say something rude to the Elder, but knew she had to trust in his guidance. He was one of few people she was somewhat familiar with around these parts and one of even fewer whose face she could see. Taking in a deep breath, filling up her diaphragm as much as she could muster, she turned her eyes to Paz. “Alright! Let’s go do things. Now it’s your turn to show me around.”

“The village isn’t half as large as Genmaris and you knew that place better than the back of your hand. Won’t take too long and then we can stop by the Nursery,” Paz picked up his bucket and slid it back on.

Donning hers, they went back out into the village where Paz escorted her past the huts and toward the big hall that they’d entered first. That was the Foundry - the important place where all the Tribe gathered and also where armor was forged. Radiating out in a spiral where the other important buildings, which were larger than the residential homes. These included the Junction House, the School, and the Nursery - where all the children to teenagers would spend their time during typical academic hours. The Den was where the hunters met up, dropped off what they’d earned, and had a few drinks time willing. The Cache was another supply location, but it was mostly groceries and miscellaneous housing items. There was also a small mechanical hut with spare parts for the few ships the Tribe had and Med-Deck where the doctor lived. Otherwise, training that did not occur in any of the aforementioned locations were done out in the fields surrounding the village.  

Circling back around to the Nursery, they spent a little time with the children before dinner, the tykes throwing themselves at her when they found out that Ori’vod Paz now had a sister of his own, leading them to assume that she’d be just as fun and amazing as him. The expectations made her a little dizzy, unable to heft the kids quite like Paz could, but she did manage to tumble on the floor with a few of them. Zim had all but claimed her as his own, demanding headbutts every spare second she had to breathe. So, for those brief couple of hours, she forgot about how nervous she was about her first day of school and meeting the other kids her age. According to Paz, her class was aged from 10-14.

When they returned home, Hux already had food ready on the table, looking at them expectantly as gloves were removed and hands were washed. Plated before her was an orange-red curry, the spices making the hairs in her nose curl. The meat and sauce was piled on top of a grain. Since she was hungry, she began spooning it into her mouth, immediately regretting what she had done as her tongue went taut and began to burn as if both suns of Tatooine were sitting upon it. Eyes watering, it took every ounce of willpower not to spit it back out, the other two Vizslas watching on with absolute mirth and delight as she reached for her drink. That didn’t do any better, because even that was spiced.

Panic began to set in as she panted, blinked over and over again as her chest ached.

“Giving you a heturam? ” Paz grinned to her contempt.

“If you’re hungry, you’ll eat it,” Hux barely looked up from his own food.

She managed to turn over the rice and push some in her mouth which helped with the burn. Neither of her aliit were bothered by how spicy the food was and she wondered if her buir had purposely made hers hotter just to get a kick. By this point, her entire tongue was scorched of any taste buds, allowing her to force down a few more bites as her throat rebelled. How had they gone from uj’cake to this?

Ending the day with a shower, she wandered over to her window, her headband off and her ears finally free. Gazing out, she noticed how the moonlight dappled the grass and turned it blue like back in Genmaris. She thought that it was rather pretty how the wind would tangle its fingers through the tall fronds, scattering them in rippling ethereal waves as the moonlight highlighted them. There were no birds, no songs to look forward to in the morning, but then again… Sena was the bird now. Clinging to the edge of the window, she lingered, wishing to open it but afraid that someone might pass by and see her face.

Papa, I miss you.

---

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

It was the most Goddess awful sound she’d ever heard in her life. Rolling over, she eyed the alarm clock which read 0430, blinking its red lights at her, indicating that it was time to get up. Groaning, she slapped it a few times, trying to get the atrocious noise, that sounded akin to a loth-cat being strangled, to stop. Finally, she found the button and clicked it off, rubbing her eyes as they quickly adjusted to the dim light of the room. Dawn was just on the horizon, but it was not time for sunrise for another couple of hours. Sena hadn’t slept well, her anxiety hitching with the hours and when she finally had shut her eyes, she had only gotten a couple hours.

Changing from her pajamas - a simple pair of leggings and a t-shirt - she traded them for her jumpsuit and began fumbling at the armor. Her fingers weren’t dexterous at it yet and she kept eying the clock, realizing she was taking much longer than she should have. Tying her boots too tight, she grabbed her helmet and ran out of the room, forgetting her headband and having to turn back around to get it. Paz was already about to leave and she was frantic, sprinting to the counter to grab a piece of toast before forcing it down her gullet. Some food was better than none.

Oh, Goddess. Only 5 minutes.

She shoved her helmet on her head and ran out of the house. Her brother was already gone. Whipping her head around she started for the Junction House, her stomach balling up, bile rising in the back of her throat as she slipped into the room just as the bell chimed. Sena was momentarily relieved until she realized she was standing by the door while the rest of the class was neatly arranged in a formation on the padded mats. A pair of adults looked her way, her fingers clasping together in front of her to prevent her from shaking.

“Vizsla?” the male adult, in juniper blue armor inquired, his visor accented with holly red.

“Y-yes, sir,” she stammered, stepping forward after counting 10 students sitting on the ground.

“ K’olar! We haven’t got all morning,” the male informed her, gesturing sharply, his voice powerful and commanding.

Sena stumbled forward and waited expectantly.

“At attention,” he sighed, shaking his head at her.

“Att-” she’d seen guards and knights snap to attention when she and papa passed by them. Comprehending what he was asking, she jolted, heels together, spine erect, chin leveled, and shoulders back.

“And here I was thinking Hux would’ve prepared you for this. Not surprised another Vizsla is lacking brain cells.”

“Give the kid a break. It’s her first day,” the other teacher chimed, a female mando in polished sage green armor. Sena decided she liked this mando better.

“Learn fast or fall hard,” the male snipped.

“As long as you get back up,” Sena said in a very, tiny, tiny voice.

“What did you say?”

She stiffened, realizing she couldn’t just speak when she wanted. This was a very strange concept to her. Only speak when asked a question or given permission. Before, she’d been allowed to blabber to her heart’s content. Now she was afraid.

The female mando chuckled. “Relax, adiik. Thak, cut it out with the theatrics unless you want Hux to find you later and beat you into the wall,” she soothed, turning around and tilting her visor toward the rest of the students. “Class, this is our newest Foundling, Senaar of Clan Vizsla. I expect you all to accept your new vod with open arms and help her learn the ropes. Senaar, do you have anything to say?”

Turning around, she glanced out amongst the unreadable visors of her peers. The rest of them were wearing leather armor as well and for once, she wasn’t the smallest one. “I just want to… say hi,” the words came out sheepish and she floundered, having not prepared to be put on the spot like this. So many other children her age. So many chances to create friendships she’d never experienced before. So many chances to kriff it up. A few giggled at her, which did nothing to calm her erratically beating chest. Licking her lips, she clutched her fists and hoped that this would end soon.

“Xivi, I am tasking you with looking after Senaar today and helping explain anything she might not understand during the lessons,” the female teacher declared, giving a meaningful glance toward a girl with a bright yellow bucket.

Sena didn’t have to be a mind reader to see the slight dip in shoulders, the disappointment of having to babysit. They thought she was going to be dead weight for a while.

“Senaar go stand beside Xivi,” the mentor ushered her off.

Joining the other girl, her cheeks burned beneath her helmet as a few watched her step by. The moment she was beside her, Xivi tilted her head slightly. “Where are you from?”

“Naboo.”

The girl sighed .

Kriff. What was wrong with Naboo? Grinding her teeth, Sena waited apprehensively, solid as a statue and absolutely unmoving as the teachers, Thak & Nibak, started morning warm ups. After spreading the kids out, they began with stretches so that they wouldn’t hurt themselves. This was easy enough to follow along, as were the minor exercises that followed after. Lifting her head while doing push ups, Sena was startled to see that she was actually doing quite well. A larger girl, more than a head taller than her, was struggling to get the form down. Sena supposed that her own compact form and being light due to her race assisted in the ease of these body weight workouts. She was able to push out just as many as the boys were.

“Nice form, Vizsla. Go a little lower next time,” Thak paced between the students, giving her a nod of acknowledgement which made her let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

“ Elek ,” she huffed, making certain that she addressed the adult properly.

“Aya, go down to your knees and keep pushing if you’re struggling,” Thak moved onto the girl who was just in front of her. “Proper form is more important than doing full push ups.”

Most of the girls were on their knees by now, trying to shove the mats beneath them, as Sena finished off her last 10. Sitting up and tucking her legs beneath her rump, she glanced around.

“Was your weekend too long? Did you eat too much uj’alayi? ” Thak craned down, scrutinizing a boy with a midnight blue helmet. His voice was pensive and sharp, angry almost. “Just because you have days off doesn’t mean you’re allowed to slack! The future of the Tribe is here and you can’t even push out 40? Disappointing. On your feet!”

Sena jetted up, bouncing slightly on her heels as she wondered what was about to happen. By the depressed postures of the other students, she had a feeling that they were about to be punished.

“Seems you all need to run off your sweets from this weekend-” his proclamation was met by numerous groans. “ Uur! I’ll hear none of it. Last one to return after five laps of the covert will be stuck with cleaning duty tonight. Viinir! ”

Buckets swiveled and feet pounded like a stampede of bantha as her peers began rushing out of the entrance. Sena nearly tripped, sputtering after them as she followed the pack, comprehending that the laps were around the village’s perimeter. Filling her lungs with air, she trotted past and set her eyes to the front. Of course she wasn’t going to be last, but she wondered if she could manage to be first. What would happen if she was the best? Did the first place winner get a reward? The loser had to clean, so she supposed at the very least she’d get bragging rights.

Kicking her legs out beneath her, she sailed forward and caught up with a boy with an unpainted helmet, the silver beskar catching in the dull blue morning light. She didn’t speak to him, didn’t greet him, but focused on beating him. That way she could go home and tell Hux what a great job she had done. Running was easy, after all, she’d done it plenty of times in more hazardous landscapes, dodging roots and rocks, hills and nooks. The grass was nothing , nor the little mounds and rises they crested and sloped across.

Five laps ended with her fighting the silver boy for the lead. Her heart burned, soaring high like a bird, her eyes stretched wide as she panted and strained for victory. Thak and Nibak were waiting by the doors, the man having his arms crossed as he tapped his foot. “Hurry up!” he intoned, despite the fact that they were the first ones back. “Djarin. Vizsla. Good job, go get a drink of water and wait for the rest of your vod. ”

She grumbled slightly, disappointed that he’d called the boy’s name first. Heading back inside, she picked up her water bottle and flipped the straw up, shoving it into her mouth and quenching her burning throat with the lukewarm liquid. Her helmet turned toward Djarin, who was also sipping at his water. “Nice job. Next time I’ll beat you,” she said hoarsely, but in good spirits. Running was probably her favorite exercise to do aside from climbing.

“I wasn’t trying,” the boy retorted peevishly.

Sena’s smile wilted on her face. “Neither was I,” she snarked, trying to sound impressive, but her voice squeaked, absolutely betraying her. Cheeks and ears heating, she sat down and muttered to herself. What was his problem? No sense of honest rivalry? She wasn’t given the time to come up with another snide remark, but she was thinking about it - imagining how she could have clapped back at him, all the clever things she could have said in place of the stupid one she’d blurted out.

Other classmates were trailing back in, huffing and puffing, in much worse shape than the victors. Amongst the last to trot in was the girl, Aya - who had a bright hot pink helmet - and a boy called Vowr whose helmet was a splotchy grey, as if the paint had faded and he hadn’t bothered to touch it up. Routines phased into hand to hand combat, which she was quite nervous about.

Paired back up with Xivi, they observed the teachers explaining simple throws and strikes, telling them to draw their punches today and aim for center mass. Eventually, they let the young teens turn back toward each other.

“You’re fast,” Xivi commented as they began going through the palm strikes. Thrust, thrust, parry, turn.

“I like running,” Sena shrugged, catching the strikes on her vambrace as Xivi continued her routine.

“Yeah but no one is Djarin fast. Gave him a run for his credits today,” she snickered, moving into a defensive position so that Sena could start her own offensive turn.

“Really? He said he wasn’t trying,” she smiled a bit at Xivi’s words. Thrust, thrust, parry, turn.

“Course he did,” Xivi snorted, shaking her helmet. “How old are you?”

“13. And you?”

“14,” Xivi answered. “I was a little bit worried about you, but you seem to be in good fitness.”

“Thanks, that means a lot to hear that,” her cheeks flushed at the compliment.

“Little word of advice though. Careful about trying to best Djarin.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s top of the class and has been for a while. Only Kedth has come close in some aspects and the two have fought over it. Had a few duels to settle the matter-” she cleared her throat, stepping back slightly as Sena’s strike slipped through her guard and hit her chest. “Anyways, unless you want a shebs kicking, I’d advise against it.”

“I don’t think I’m nearly that good, but thanks for the warning. If I can just beat him at running, I think I’ll be pleased,” she admitted, clenching her fist and opening it slightly. Despite being good at physical activities, she doubted she’d come close to any of the other kids in varying subjects. There were too many topics for her to be naturally gifted with them all and she wasn’t an airhead who believed her princess upbringing made her any better. In fact, it should’ve made it worse, but at least Xivi was rather nice now that she’d warmed up to the Anaxian.

Combatives ended and they were given a short recess to get more water, have a snack, and file into the classroom. The topics of the day were geometry, galactic history, and Mando’a. Sena found the academics to be simple enough, though the Mando’a she had to take a considerable amount of notes. Most people in the room could string entire phrases together, even speak it fluently, and she was putzing around in slight confusion. Xivi leaned over a few times to translate. Lunch time came and they were allowed to go back to their homes to eat with their helmets off.

“How’s class?” Paz asked her, their buir not home for lunch.

“Not bad, actually,” Sena revealed, chucking a dopey smile at her vod. “I honestly thought it was going to be worse.”

“It’s only the first day, but try not to lose that shereshoy . You might be chipper today, but you’ll get sore eventually,” Paz reminded her in good nature.

“Sore?” she scoffed. “I’m Anaxian, made entirely of sinew and muscle, wind playing through the trees, and verdant shadows. A little running and push ups isn’t going to break me.”

“ Nayc , you’re Mandalorian now,” Paz disagreed, tossing a look over at the clock on the stove. “A stupid, grinning pointy eared Mandalorian, but one nonetheless. Prove to your aliit that you’ve got a few brain cells. Oya! Don’t want to be late. Thak won’t be so nice to you if you pull that stunt again tomorrow.”

“Nice?” she squeaked in disbelief.

“You don’t want to see Thak when he’s angry.”

“He seems angry all the time!”

Paz chuckled, guiding her back out of the house as they put their buckets on. “He’s aggressive, not angry. See you after class, Sen’ika.” He gave her a slight head bump and they parted ways.

Classes after lunch consisted of marksmanship for the remainder of the day. The others were allowed to go through drills, but Nibak pulled her aside to test where she was. The sage green mando had her disassemble a few different weapons, which Sena was comfortable taking apart and putting back together. She fumbled a little bit with the coil in the buttstock of the rifle, her muscles straining as she shoved it back in, but otherwise thought she moved at a smooth pace. Not too fast, but also not dragging on.

“How well do you know how to shoot?” Nibak inquired after they went through the weapons.

“I know how to shoot a sidearm well enough, but I’m not that familiar with rifles and shotguns,” she answered honestly. There was no point in pretending she was good at it just to eat her words when placed on the range. “My buir showed me how to take them apart.”

“As he should have,” Nibak hummed, picking up the rifle. “We’ll start with this. Come along.”

Following the teacher away from the rest, who were doing dime and washer drills, they left the Junction House and headed out toward the range on the outside of the village and nestled down in a valley. Burms had been created out of soil and dirt, a line of target dummies set at varying distances. She noticed that some of them were droids, which could probably be turned on to move around and simulate live targets. Nibak set the rifle down on the block, muzzle down range, and handed Sena a cartridge.

“Start with prone, which will be down here,” she got down on her belly, propping herself up slightly with her elbows, pretending to have a rifle seated against the pocket of her shoulder.

Sena got down on the grass with her and cocked her right leg, which helped steady her balance and lifted her up. After getting a nod, she picked up the rifle, her arms quivering slightly at the weight.

She found herself struggling to hold the weapon upright, fumbling the cartridge in, before sliding the charging handle forward. Nibak noticed her struggling. "Tuck your elbows in more, you can slide down lower in order to plant more firmly." Following the instructions, Sena found a more comfortable position, her finger flat against the side of the weapon as she waited for more instructions. "Aim for the target at 100 meters and fire."

Switching the safety off with her thumb, Sena set the cheek of her helmet against the buttstock, surprised to find that the curve fit perfectly, locking into place. Her visor adjusted swiftly to the sight picture, listing the muzzle in the direction of the target a medium distance away. Drawing her breath, she squeezed the trigger at the bottom and the weapon kicked with the fire. She blinked a few times, her shoulder absolutely raw from where the high powered rifle sat. Teeth rattled, she licked her lips and glanced at Nibak.

"Good shot. Control the kick more so that you don't lose sight picture," Nibak eased, nodding for her to continue.

Sena fired a few more times before her shoulder began to shake.

"Are you alright?"

Grinding her teeth, she gave a mute nod, not wishing to seem weak, but kriff it hurt. Felt as if she'd been kicked by a bantha. Volleying off a few more shots, they swapped over to the shotgun and Sena felt herself absolutely dreading have to fire it. Leaning into her shot, her grip slipped and she dropped the gun. Nibak darted forward, shoving her back away from the hot weapon, and yanked her by her raw arm. Sena was unable to stop the howl from escaping her mouth.

" Verd'ika ! Dank farrik how much do you weigh?" Nabik hissed, snatching up the shotgun and switching the lever to safe.

Sena's hand palmed her aching muscles. "A normal weight," she muttered, realizing she was a normal weight for an Anaxian. Not a human.

"You can't be more than 30 kilos," Nibak continued to fret, realization dawning on her. "Your shoulder-"

"I'm fine!" Sena spat irritably, upset that her arm hurt and not wishing to be treated differently.

"Are you human?"

She sucked her teeth, having hoped that this wouldn't come up. Until now, everything else had been manageable, even the hand to hand combat. "No." Would Nibak pry?

"That is important information, verd'ika. Will you tell me what race you are?"

She shook her head. "Sephi offshoot," was all she could supply.

"Lighter bone density," Nibak sighed. "This will affect your training."

Her stomach dropped and she pulled her hand down. "I feel fine. I can keep going. I can-"

"Stop lying, verd'ika . Trying to push your body past its breaking point will only get you and your vod killed in the future," Nibak started, her voice hardening and becoming crisp. No longer was it nurturing or warm, Sena quailing and sitting back on her heels as she waited to be yelled at. Instead, Nibak just shook her head. "Every Mandalorian has different strengths. You will need to play to yours. You are quick, verd'ika . You will still need to qualify with a rifle and shotgun, but we will make exceptions to spread your testing out to prevent injury. Come along, we are finished for the day."

Even if Nibak had been reasonable in what she said, Sena's head sagged, trailing behind her teacher as she knew for a fact that others would notice her getting special treatment. She tried to blink back tears, but supposed that the helmet did her a favor in hiding them as they stung down her face. She held her lips to prevent her mouth from sniffling. Her first day and she'd already been sorted out and told she would be inferior in certain aspects.

The class was released for the day and Sena slunk back home, not feeling up to doing anything as her shoulder hurt. Peeling off her bucket and pauldrons, she tugged down her sleeve enough to see that a nasty bruise was spreading along the inside pocket of her shoulder beside her pecs. A frustrated huff parted her lips and she rounded, kicking the frame of her bed as hard as she could. The fit was followed with a lance of pain up her leg, radiating from where her foot connected with the steel. At least it distracted her from the pain on her shoulder.

Moping in her room, she didn't go out for dinner, hearing a knock on her door. How could she face her aliit? Word probably traveled fast and they'd know that she would never be able to wield a rifle or shotgun in an adept manner. That was a huge part of an arsenal. If she couldn't even heft a rifle, it meant she'd never be allowed to touch heavy machinery for fear of it breaking her.

The door puffed open, despite the code she had set on it, recalling duly that Paz knew it. She snatched her blanket up, pulling it up to her chin and keeping her back to the door. "Was the day that long?" he teased. "Sen'ika?"

"I'm just tired," she grumbled, her voice cracking from how parched it was from sniffling like the biggest baby in the galaxy.

"I heard you did pretty well today. Almost beat Din in your morning run-" Paz preened, sitting on the edge of her bed. "But you need to eat to keep up your strength. Even if you're not hungry, you should try to put down some of it. It's not as spicy tonight." He patted her shoulder, making her suck in a sharp breath, her body betraying her before she could purse her lips. "Wha- Are you hurt?"

Her eyes began burning again, her teeth clenched as tight as a vise grip as she tried not to cry. Why was she such a wimp? "I'm fine."

"Senaar, if you have an injury we should put some bacta on it. You still have to go to training tomorrow," Paz was definitely frowning now, but she didn't turn to look at him. "Let me look."

She grumbled petulantly, but her brother didn't move. Instead, he waited until she was done grousing, throwing glares, and then sat up yanking down her shirt to show him the darkening bruise.

"Dank farrik how did you get that?" he cursed, eying the nebula blossom against tanned skin.

"I was testing weapons with Nibak and one was a high caliber rifle. The kick bruised me and then I dropped the shotgun and she asked if I was human. Obviously, I couldn't lie or she'd think I was severely underweight. Now they're going to treat me different. I-I-I just told them I was a Sephi subrace, but now I can't do the same things as the others-" the words splattered out of her mouth ineloquently, absolute word vomit as she felt the bitter tears burn in the corners of her eyes. "I was doing so well today and then this happened."

"So?"

Her mouth dropped open and she glowered at him. "So? What do you mean? I'll never be as good as anyone else if I can only use pistols!"

"You're really worried about that?" Paz was staring at her honestly, his icy eyes snaring her gold. "What good are you broken? Your first day here and the teachers are already talking about your potential. No one is perfect at everything, this is a minor setback. Focus on your strengths. You're fast and can move silently, that's a skill most Mandalorians don't have - at least not naturally, they have to work for years to have that. In the meantime, stop beating yourself up over it. Your teachers are here to help you grow in the right direction and will tailor your training accordingly. Do you want to keep shooting these weapons until you fracture your shoulder?"

She shook her head.

"Then stop worrying," he reached up and ruffled her hair. "Want to know a secret?"

"What?" she muttered.

"I sucked at reconnaissance and stealth. So terribly that I thought they weren't going to let me attempt my Trial. You know that little stunt you pulled back in the castle?" he was alluding to when she'd stabbed the stormtrooper. "I could have never done that. You are as silent as a shadow and jumped several meters like a nexu. Dush'shebs ! You'll make an amazing kyramud one day."

"You think so?"

"I know so. But only if you eat your dinner and keep on top of your studies and practice," Paz reminded her. "Let's get some bacta lotion for that bruise."

"And food," she added, feeling a little better after Paz's pep talk.

Sena's schooling continued and she took what Paz had told her to heart. You couldn't be good at everything and dwelling on her deficiencies would just cause her to get into her own head too much. Didn't help that this Djarin kid seemed to be good at everything, but Sena tried to ignore this fact and focus on her own training. Xivi became a fast friend and her partner for most combat drills. The canary yellow mando swiftly fell in step with her after classes, where they would practice Mando'a, since it was Sena's roughest academic subject. In exchange, she helped Xivi with her running and tried to teach her more acrobatic maneuvers with obstacles. For Sena it was easy to leap, duck, dodge, and adjust on the fly - be that midair or on the ground. This agility was quickly noticed and Xivi yearned to have even a shred of Sena's ability.

It became common knowledge that she was Sephi, which wasn't entirely true, but she didn't discredit it. She couldn't fully participate in some live fire activities, Thak let her fire a few times before putting a pistol in her hand, telling her to sharpen those skills instead. Part of her desperately wanted to be able to saddle up with one of the cool ambien rifles, but her shoulder twinged in memory of how badly the initial kick hurt her. Sidearms didn't bother her and she had a decent shot, increasing her draw and hipfire with the progressing weeks.

Mornings were her favorite, hoping that Thak would make them run so she'd get a chance to try and best Djarin. The silver mando never spared her, or anyone, many words. He kept to himself and Xivi said he'd always been like that. Sena wondered why, since they were all vod and being reclusive did nothing but make the others dislike you. Did she dislike him? She didn't know him. Though the few words she did exchange with him were mostly terse and fuelled by their rivalry in fitness.

But everything wasn't sunshine and rainbows. Falling into step quickly, adjusting with her peers, and finding a niche to occupy, she swiftly saw the weakest links amongst their group. Had she not been Anaxian and a wild spirit who had trolloped through the woods, Sena expected she might've been more ill prepared than she was. The girl who had difficulty with push ups on her first day, Aya, was amongst the struggling. Her magenta bucket was easy to pick out and it was like a beacon for Thak to hone on and chastise. Sena actually felt bad for how much the girl was picked on, told to improve... but that pity quickly faded. She'd caught Nibak offering extra lessons after their final bell, only for Aya to decline and say she was working on her own. Still, there was no improvement and she continued to get reamed out by Thak.

Eventually, about two months since Sena's arrival, Thak began comparing Aya's failures to other students. Particularly her.

"Senaar has been here for two months and she's already outpaced you, Aya," he scolded as she continued to struggle with push ups. "A Sephi Nabooian has outpaced you."

She wondered if she should have been offended by the way he said Sephi, but supposed it didn't matter since that actually wasn't her race. Everyone knew she was featherlight by this point as Nibak had told them that no one was allowed to use full strikes during combatives for fear of someone breaking something. If the teacher's words were meant to be motivating, they weren't, and Sena's cheeks burned with embarrassment for both herself and Aya.

Following class, she found the magenta bucket and tapped the tall girl on the shoulder. "Aya..." she cleared her throat, trying to muster her princess voice so she was as polite and courteous as possible. The girl turned, tilting her helmet down impassively - the telltale taut and bitter line of her shoulders clear. "Xivi and I are going to do some obstacle course runs today if you want to join us. After we practice Mando'a. You're more than welcome to join us today and any other day."

Aya was utterly silent, so silent that Senu realized she'd barely heard the girl speak before. Finally, "Do you think I'm laandur ?" her voice came out hot, Sena's helmet immediately picking up on the fury in the girl's voice.

"What?" Sena squeaked, throwing up her hands in a submissive manner. "N-no, I just thought you might-"

"That I need to run more? That I'm fat and slow? That you, an aruetii , could show me the ropes?"

She had not expected this at all, her jaw dropping at Aya's harsh words. Aruetii ? Aya had called her an outsider. "I'm trying to be nice!" she screeched, her patience vanishing like smoke dissipated by a strong gale. "I never see you practicing after class and Xivi and I are always outside. I thought maybe you wanted other people to work out with."

"Like I'd choose you or Sunshine to help me. You can't even shoot most weapons. You're not exactly the shining example of mandokar . At least I can handle an entire arsenal, vaar'ika ," Aya snapped, jabbing a thick finger into Sena's chest, making her stumble back. "Let's see where all the running gets you when I snipe you across the hill."

"Kriff! Fine, forget I asked," Sena hissed dejectedly, turning away and leaving Aya to her fuming. Her own heart burned, chest heaving as she stomped back home. What the hell was her problem? Did she really think that Sena was being snide? That inviting her out was going to be nothing but a chance for Xivi and her to laugh behind their buckets? Then, on top of that, Aya had gone right for the kill and insulted her. This was the first time in her life that someone had rejected her like that and Sena was trembling with unbridled rage. Had she done the right thing? Could that conversation have gone better?

"Woah look out over here, we've got a wild mythosaur on a rampage," Paz hooted as she opened the door to their karyai and continued to trundle in.

"What do you know about that stupid pink bucket, Aya?"

"Aya?" he arched a brow, setting down his blaster that he had been cleaning. "I heard that she's having some issues with her fitness."

"I invited her to join Xivi and I after classes and she bit my kriffing head off!" She plopped down across the table, removing her own blaster, deciding she should clean it while she was there.

"Hm," Paz hummed, thinking about the subject for a little while before speaking again. "She's sensitive about it. Her buir didn't return from a hunt a few months before you arrived. It's been worse since then."

The blood rushed out of her face and she felt her ears sag slightly beneath her headband. Sighing deeply, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was trying to help her," she said quietly. Now Aya's reserved nature, the quiet answers to Thak, and Nibak's offer being turned down were making more sense. "I didn't know."

"How could you, vod'ika ? You did the right thing and tried to help her, but respect her decision to take the time she needs," Paz eased before shifting the subject. "So, I heard from the pipeline that your marks are quite high."

"Well aside from marksmanship since I can only really shoot this thing-" she bared the blaster which was already in three pieces. "Academics aren't that difficult and Xivi has been helping me with Mando'a."

"A humble princess? You surprise me again, vod'ika ."

Humble? Papa had told her that bragging about your accomplishments would just make people dislike you. Plus, Sena knew that school and marks didn't make up for real experiences. The real tests would be the Trials which were a few years off. She could only hope that she'd be prepared enough to make an attempt at 16. Given her comfort with the current regiment, aside from her disappointment in marksmanship, Sena was hopeful that she'd be able to make it there in time. "Not humble, just realistic," she groused, blushing at her brother's words. His praise was hard earned and he always knew the right things to say to brighten her mood even when it was abysmal.

"I wish I had that many brain cells," Paz snorted.

" Gar mirsh solus ," she countered, drawing a guffaw from him.

"Xivi teach you that one?"

"She taught me all the rude things first so that way if someone insults me, I know," she grinned, but sat back and considered what had happened. Even if Aya had lost her buir , she hadn't needed to take it out on her. Sena lost her papa and entire life as she knew it and wasn't ripping people's throats out for offering to help. Whatever. It was over and Sena had done the right thing in being the bigger person.

At least, that's what she thought.

Come morning, after their initial work out, they were paired up for combatives. Partners were switched around, so that people would be on their toes not facing their typical match up. Sena was loomed over by Aya, which was fine, all it was was grappling today. Most would just be mounting, a few tosses, and domination positions and the mats were padded. If Aya was still mad at her, she could vent her frustration and Sena wouldn't blame her. Squaring up with the girl, she knew this wasn't going to go in her favor. This wasn't free fighting where she could try and coil around Aya like a snake to try and win, it was a set of maneuvers and Aya would win because she was bigger and heavier. Heck, nearly everyone in there would be Sena except for 10 year old Terri.

Well, hopefully this goes by fast, she thought tartly, glancing over a Din and Oyiin who flanked them.

Aya lunged first, trading a few weak blows before they toppled to the ground. Sena fought for a dominant position, but was little more than a hissing loth-cat kitten as Aya picked her up by the scruff and flung her against the floor. Air whoosed out of her lungs, but Sena recovered before the girl could mount her. She rolled out of the way, rubbing her neck where she'd collided. Not a big deal. People often forgot how small she was and underestimated their strength. Aya hadn't fought with her before, so it'd be a little touch and go.

Grappling again, Sena swiped her foot under Aya, sending her thumping down and mounted. The girl twirled, asserting dominance and flipping their positions. Sena squirmed, writhing in her grip, managing to slip the hold like an eel and jump to her feet.

Thak and Nibak were across the room, correcting tosses. Back with her boots on the ground, Aya parried again and did something that Sena was not expecting. Her fingers grabbed the front of her cuirass before Aya checked her into the ground. All air was driven from her lungs and her head spun, choking for breath as a sharp whine crackled through her modulator. Aya mounted while she was dazed and pushed harder than she needed too to restrain her collar, air still not pooling in her lungs.

"Hey. Hey !"

Her ears were ringing, each blink hazy and spinning as she registered the magenta bucket casting a shadow over her. Everytime she closed her eyes, the world returned in a slow, foggy shape and Aya almost appeared as if she had two heads.

"Get off of her!"

Aya was shoved off and she was finally able to sputter, greedily sucking at air as she tried to process what had just happened.

"Didn't realize. She's laandur -" Aya was speaking, crossing her arms as if she hadn't just used an illegal toss and choked the air out of her partner.

"She barely weighs 30 kilos. What did you think would happen when you sat your fat shebs on her chest?"

"Watch it Djarin or you'll be next."

"What's going on over here?" Nibak trotted over, glancing between the boys and girls as Sena scrambled, finally able to sit up as the blood rushed back to her face.

"I'm ok!" she squeaked, not wanting to get Aya in trouble. The girl had already been through a lot and tattling on her would just make it worse. "Aya bested me. Knocked the wind out of me, that's all!"

Nibak tilted her visor toward Aya, letting the tension hang in the air, before shrugging slightly. "Be careful, Aya. You know that your vod is smaller than everyone else."

"I know, I'll be careful next time," Aya promised dolefully.

Nibak departed and the pairs split off again, Djarin turning away and grumbling quietly to himself. His wary visor kept glancing back, as if he were expecting Aya to make a second attempt to hurt Sena. With Ninak now watching with a hawk-like gaze, the lesson continued without any further issues. They were allowed their recess before moving onto academics. Whatever frustration Aya had wanted to vent had been allowed and Sena had covered her shebs by not saying anything. Again, she thought it would get better, that the girl had gotten her revenge, but found herself becoming the fixations of microaggressions.

From bumping into her desk, to pushing by her every chance she got, to even yanking on her braid once, Aya did not relent. How in kriff's name was this equal to being insulted? Sena hadn't intended on insulting Aya, so what was her problem? Come the end of the school day, she was grousing to herself, trying to walk it off and be the bigger person. Eventually, Aya would realize that she was being a brat and would leave her alone. If she were back in Genmaris, she would've punched Aya already, but she still felt bad for her. Aya was probably a nice person and was just going through a tough time, Sena could certainly relate.

"Hey," she stopped just a few houses down from the Vizsla home. Turning, she caught the glint of Djarin's silver helmet in the sun. "Why didn't you say anything? Aya has been torturing you all day."

"It's fine," Sena shrugged. "I know she's still echoy'la ."

"She choked you this morning," he reminded her flatly.

"Not difficult seeing how big I am," she brushed it off.

"What did you do?"

"I asked her if she wanted to join Xivi and I for our practice in the evening. She got rather upset, so I dropped it. She must've thought I was being contemptuous, but I just wanted to help her get her fitness up. We're all vod , we've got to help each other out," she explained, taken aback that Djarin was actually interested. This was the most he'd talked to her since she had arrived. Otherwise, they exchanged taunting rebuttals while trying to outpace one another in their exercises.

"And that warrants choking?" Din inquired dryly.

"I'm not upset. Just let it go. It's not a big deal. She'll probably go back to normal tomorrow."

"And if she doesn't?"

Sena paused, having not considered this option. What if she became Aya's punching bag to get out all those frustrations? Pursing her lips she let out a sigh, which crackled through the vocoder. "I'll deal with it. Thanks for the concern, but I'll still kick your shebs in the morning run tomorrow."

"Yeah right."

---

Also here's your translations!

Vod - Sibling/Comrade/Brother/Sister Jai'galaar - shriek hawk Buir - parent Vod'ika - little soldier/private Aliit - clan/family Su cuy'gar - You're still alive; greeting Su'cuy - Hi Sen'ori - big bird; respectful older sibling name for Senaar Elek - Yes Cin vhetin - blank slate Beskar'gam - armor Ori'vod - big sibling Alor - leader Karyai - living area/main area of Mandalorian home for eating and resting Ade - children Uj'alayi - dense, sweet Mandalorian cake Vor'e - Thanks Heturam - mouth burn; highly sought out in Mandalorian food and indicates VERY spicy food K'olar! - Come here! Get over here at once! Uur - Go Viniir - Run Shebs - butt; ass Shereshoy - lust for life that is Mandalorian Nayc - No Oya - Let's go! or lit. Let's Hunt! Dush'sebs - badass Kyramud - Assassin Laandur - weak; highly insulting Auretii - outsider Mandokar - the right stuff; for Mandalorians Vaar'ika - pipsqueak Gar mirsh solus - Your braincell is lonely Echoy'la - grieving, mourning

[professor-fanalia]

Call Of The Wild Charity - Event 1 Part 2 - Event 2

Romaine chuckled, as Icarus flew back to her arm for one last sunflower seed before flying off whence, he came, disappearing where a staff member seemed to be waiting for him to take him away. Facing back to the seats, Romaine continued. “Taillows are may be the Flying type that relies on agility and numbers to out mauver enemies or attract mates much like its other smaller flying type friends, but it’s the speed and power that most flying types much prefer. Consider Blaise here as one good example.”

Like a strong gust of wind, a shadow flew over their heads as it showered embers from the gaps in its feathers as it soars through the sky. Circling like a bird of prey, eyeing down at them as it flew around the amphitheatre “Living mostly along mountain ranges, river valleys, coastlines, and increasingly in cities in the Kalos Region. Blaise’s Talonflame brethren are truly speedsters of the sky, reaching speeds of up to 310 miles per hour, its tough wings even don't allow fire to pass through them.” Romaine spoke in awe as she smiled at the large flying type that would be standing at her shoulder height.

“Talonflames are elegant when flying to an extent, due to which how they soar with long wings held at a dihedral, which is an upward angle from horizontal in a fixed-wing aircraft or bird wing from root to tip. And their long two forked tail twisting as it changes direction, but as you can see here Blaise is a rather different. Normally Talonflames have long black tailfeathers marked with three yellow V-shapes, where the tail ends in two points and has another feather sticking out of the base on each side, resembling of the fletching on the end of an arrow and show off their beautiful brightly flame like colours. But as you can see Blaise is grayer in colour, this is because Blaise is a North eastern Variant, despite a change in colour she remains a Flying and Fire Type.”

A black hooded plumage covered Blaise’s head, wings, and most of her chest and back before tapering off into a flame pattern that was blue-black in shade. Her underside and hindquarters were creamy white which was finely barred from the breast to the tail. The tips of her long, tapered pointed wings were black giving off a straight trailing edge in flight. While black spots speckle her underside. Large yellow talons extend from the shaggy feathers on her legs.

She still had a pointed crest atop her head, but it was slightly curled forwards. White-and-blue replaced the black-and-yellow mask-like markings around her eyes. However, her black beak remained hooked with a yellow cere. Unlike the long black tail feathers that were marked with three yellow V-shapes, Blaise’s tail was longer and much more pointed with three white V-shapes. Before her tail ended in two points and had another feather sticking out of the base on each side, resembling of the fletching on the end of an arrow.

“Blaise’s colouration is due to the environment she had to adapt to in colder climates and a change in diet, Blaise’s beautiful colours mostly adapted into melanism which causes Flying types or other Pokémon to have an excess of dark pigmentation and is generally caused by a genetic mutation, but can also be a result of certain diets. Some species have a naturally occurring melanic form or ‘morph’, such as Blaise here.” Romaine explained as she watched Blaise glide.

“Professor Fanalia, care to help me with this next part?”

The red-head professor nodded her head as walked over to stand next to one of the railings among the seats. “Alright! Now, its common knowledge that Pokémon trainers work hard to get that small flying buddies up to speed in strength however; people tend to forget even Pokémon can get sick of doing the same thing over and over again, so its always best to think of new ways to entertain and train your Pokémon friend and to ensure your buddy can bond with other types.” Romaine chuckled as she playfully lifted her hand as if to whisper to the crowd, “This is also a good way to spice up their training with a few games and tricks that they can play with their fellow Pokémon! Like capture the flag, or a ring relay!” Romaine stated with a gesture, “But today we’re going do air Volley, which is Blaise’s favourite game, because it hones her accuracy and dodging.” During most of the event, Romaine explained the rules as she tossed a light volleyball into the audience, where Fanalia proceeded to catch it while gaining Blaise’s attention.

It was basic game where Blaise could choose to be on the catching or dodging team, as the ball was thrown between the members of the Rehabilitation Centre – even Lucario and Gallade took turns in catching it; though it ended in a bit of laughter due to Kryspyn earning a red nose from an unexpected toss from Blaise who cooed in amusement at Kryspyn who merely laughed it off. From then on Romaine said goodbye to Blaise who took her favourite toy with glee, and continued on with the show – introducing many Flying types, from Chatot and Swanna who sung together, an Red Eastern Noctowl who had a very comedic personality, to a battle between a Staraptor and a Honchkrow and a beautiful dance done by Beautifly, Vivillion and Masquerain.  

“Thanks, you guys that dance was beautiful!” Romaine clapped as the flying bug types chirped happily, waving at the audience as they left the amphitheatre. Turning back to the audience Romaine gave a sadden smile, “Unfortunately we are nearly the end of our show, but we will end this with one final bang. As you may know a new region has finally opened its borders, and what better way to welcome the region than to show one of its wonderful Pokémon to the world.” Romaine began.

“It was a long process and with requiring a permit, we were given permission to study the behaviours and Rehabilitate any Pokémon that are in need from the Galar region! We still have so much to learn about our fellow companions, and there are still new Pokémon to meet and befriend! So, for a special day like today we like you to meet a special guest.”

Turning her head to the skies, Romaine grinned. “Everyone, meet Oath from the Galar Region.”

Like a cascading shadow, large avian Pokémon resembling a raven glided down onto the stage with a large flap of its metal wings it landed beside Romaine. Letting out a mighty screech, before settling down calmly as it towered over the green-haired groundskeeper. Its red pupils scanning the audience as he stood on stage. “Oath is a Corviknight, their feathers are tempered with steel. Its mantle, breast, belly, flanks, and scapular feathers are smooth and resemble plate armour. Corviknight's talons, head, and upper beak are similarly armoured.” Romaine gestured to the parts of the Steel and Flying Type, “It is said to be the strongest bird Pokémon in the Galar region, being able to scare off any Pokémon that tries to challenge it. Due to its intelligence and flying skills, Corviknight serves a company called Galar Taxi, where it transports people from one location to another.” Romaine lightly patted Oath’s side who cooed, preening under her touch, “Though one of the fascinating things we discovered about Corviknights, is that they mate for life. A mated pair usually constructs a nest by improving a crevice by dropping sticks into it; it is then built on top of the platform formed.” As she spoke, she pulled out a berry from her pouch and fed it to the large avian.

“So, who would like to come down and meet Oath?” Smiling brightly, as she instructed those who wanted to come and meet Oath to rise from their seats and come up on stage to greet the large Steel and flying Type.

-----

With greetings and goodbyes to the Corviknight signalling the end of the show. You – @ask-pokemonranger-rai, @prof-bramble, @prof-peach, @themadprxfessor, @professor-hemlock-headcanons, @a-pokemon-daycare, @breederpatmos were all guided to leave the amphitheater, back towards a building just across the Guest House. Made mainly of glass panes, it’s a decent sized building that keeps in a regulated temperature and humidity for the cultivation of delicate or out-of-season plants/herbs/berries. Before Fanalia stopped in front of the Greenhouse, “Before we go inside the greenhouse, I am here to tell you there is a little game you all have to play as you walk through the building. These Booklets that my co-workers are giving you now have zoomed in images with small riddles.” Fanalia explained as each of you were handed a booklet.

“This is a game of Pokémon Bingo, figure out the riddle of who it is with the zoomed in too close photo and proceed to one of the six locations in the Green house.” Fanalia gestured to the building.

“With each Pokémon you discover and meet they will give you stamp that you fill at the back of the booklet. There two Pokémon for the six areas, so twelve stamps in total!” Kryspyn added on grinning happily. “Once you have all twelve stamps, deliver those booklets to Romaine who will be waiting at the door with a special treat.” Kryspyn finished gesturing to Romaine and Florges who nodded their heads.

“So work with your Pokémon companions and let’s draw numbers to see where you will be heading to first!”

-----

Ready for a Game of Pokemon Bingo? Pick a number from either 1 to 6 and I shall message you a description of the area and who you will encounter! Can you guess with only a clue? 

How would your proceed with this game? Did you pat Oath or watch from Afar? What was you favorite part of the show? What did you Pokemon do?  Re-blog your Responses whether it be written or Drawn - What are your Reactions? What do you do? Thoughts and feelings?

[banashee]

Brewed with Love

1)

Bleary eyed, Tony enters the kitchen at 2am. He just crawled out of his workshop because he ran out of caffeinated drinks, so he ventured out on his hunt for more. Because let's be honest, he lives on the stuff.

Lucky for him, the room already smells of coffee. Fuck yes. Someone or something out there loves him. He sighs happily.

On the table – literally on the table top and not a chair, because fuck proper use of furniture, Clint sits cross legged in his sweatpants and an ancient looking shirt, drinking pitch black coffee straight from the pot. He looks up when he notices movement by the door.

Tony moans “coffee.” and he must look pathetic, because the archer just hands over the pot, lets him chug about half of what's left and waits patiently to get it back.

“You're the best.” Tony says, sluggishly patting him on the arm, then he snatches a few cookies off the counter, which are still warm because life is great sometimes, and makes his way back down to the workshop.

2)

He's running late for a SI meeting that he really has no interest in actually attending. But being the boss/owner of a multi billion dollar company, he doesn't have much of a choice really.

Tony sighs unhappily. Hopefully, there is some coffee left that he can grab before he needs to run out the door.

And really, half the team already sits around the kitchen table, munching on various pieces of bread and pastry. There's also coffee. He really does love these people.

“Hi, morning, I'm late!” Tony announces to the room in general, greeting them with a quick wave and he rushes past the table and to the coffee machine to grab a quick cup. Only there is a travel mug, with his name hastily scrawled onto an obnoxiously pink post-it note stuck it. Also a paper bag that contains something no doubt delicious right next to it. Tony blinks in surprise.

“Uh, thanks? To whoever packed this?” He asks a bit stunned because in all honesty, he didn't expect this.

“A little bird did.” Natasha informs him, with a small smirk and that's really all the information he needs.

When Tony takes the first sip on the way to his meeting, the coffee is pitch black and strong enough to wake the dead. It's perfect.

He smiles.

3)

“Urgh.”

It's one of those days where Tony just feels chewed up and spit back out three times over. Caffeine sure would help (or sleep, for that matter.) but it would require him getting up. Which he really doesn't feel like doing.

Then, a hand appears in front of his face and it holds a steaming mug of coffee. The heavenly scent creeps into his nostrils, shaking awake his spirits and he blinks at it.

“Huh?”

“Coffee. You look like shit right now.”

“Charming as always, Clint. But thanks.”

“Sure thing.”

When he looks up he's already gone. Tony can't help but feel a little bit disappointed by that.

4)

The night is cold, wet, stormy and down right gross. Miserable. It's one of those nights where no amount of blankets is enough to keep warm, and Tony shivers despite the many layers he's wearing. Despite the climate controlled tower, the chill still creeps in and leaves them cold even with the heat on, or a burning fire place flickering in the corner.

Tony stares at the coffee machine, willing it to brew faster. It doesn't. Fucking bastard.

He's tired. So, so tired. And cold. Briefly, he can make out a shuffling figure making it's way past behind him and when he turns around to look, all that's visible under a mountain of blankets are two fluffy-socked feet and a tousled mess of blond hair.

Tony pours two mugs of coffee once it's done, and pads into the living room. When he hands one of the richly scented, steaming mugs over, the pile of blankets says, “Oh, hey, thanks.” in Clint's voice and he makes space on the couch and lifts up one corner of the blanket for Tony to crawl under. He does – sharing body heat sounds like a great plan right now.

Once he's settled down next to his friend, they share the space and coffee in silence, which is unusual, but not uncomfortable.

A little while later, Clint puts his empty mug on the small table nearby, and when he disappears back under the blankets, his head comes to a rest on Tony's shoulder. He lets him, smiling a little and putting his free arm around him.

One thing that surprised him when the team first started to spend more free time with each other had been, how oddly cuddly their archer could be, especially since all of them had witnessed him not only threatening but also inflicting physical harm to pushy people who wouldn't keep their hands to themselves. But he's comfortable here, with them. With Tony. And this is a rare gift that even he recognizes, and refuses to jeopardize it.

Maybe he enjoys this more than he should. But then again, he's seen Natasha shoot him “Don't you dare fuck this up” looks more and more, and he had no idea why, but now...

Feelings. Not his strongest suit.

The noises of rain and thunder are the only sounds filling the room, that and the calm, even breathing of two people close to each other. Tony snuggles a bit closer, and lets it all lull him to sleep. It's been a while.

5)

When Tony wakes up, he's a little bit upset to find he's alone in his own bed. But then, a very faint memory of him waking up on the couch, cocooned in a nest of blankets and the warm, steadily breathing body of his friend-teammate-maybe-possibly-crush creeps back into his head. He remembers longing and wanting this, not as a one-time thing but... More. So much more.

It scares him a bit, so last night he carefully freed himself and went to go to bed, alone and a lot colder than the place he's left.

All of this hits him like a truck, first thing in the morning and he pulls a pillow over his head and yells a muffled “Fuck!” into it.

“Good morning, Sir.” JARVIS replies smoothly to his little outburst, and gives him the date, time weather and plans for the day as usual. Another fucking meeting. Of course.

Tony sighs heavily, and remains silent for a moment.

“Sir?” JARVIS asks, and he sighs again. “Thank you, J. I'll be right up.” he grumbles, and only gets up after a few more minutes stewing over his thoughts in bed. He continues in the shower, losing track of the time and if it wasn't for JARVIS he'd have stayed in there for another three hours.

As it is, his AI pulls him out of his funk, and Tony needs to run once again.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! I'm late!” he's sprinting out of the elevator, finishing his tie and faintly hoping his socks actually match. But it's a quiet day, and the only two people in the kitchen are Steve, who is doing a crossword puzzle in the paper, and Clint, who may or may not be asleep with his eyes wide open – he's perfectly capable of that.

Tony's heart stops a beat, but he lifts one hand in greeting, dumps coffee into a travel mug and turns, taking one messy bite out of the toast that Clint is currently holding in his hand and runs back out.

Steve looks after him with a mixture of wonder and amusement on his face, then he asks Clint,

“So when did that with the two of you happen?”

But Clint just blinks and says,

“Huh?”

6)

He nearly does a glorious spit take. Then Tony splutters.

“Blergh, what the fuck? Why? I trusted you!”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Clint takes back his mug, from a thoroughly disgusted looking Tony who hands it over in horror, and drinks a long swig.

“You. You absolute fucking monster. You ruined perfectly good coffee with a ton of sugar and cream. Why? You are the only sane person around here who I can trust with the important art of brewing the perfectly dark, strong coffee and now? This? I'm hurt, I'm telling you.” he keeps complaining, and yes he absolutely is a drama queen. Nothing new here.

Tony looks at Clint like a betrayed sack of flour.

He chuckles in his mug, keeps drinking the... Uncharacteristically altered cup of coffee. If it's still in there. Somewhere. Only now, Tony realizes that Clint looks... Tired.

“It's just that kinda day, y'know.” he shrugs and turns back to the table.

“Oh.”

Like comfort food, or drink, in this case, he realizes and suddenly feels bad for making fun of it.

“Bad day?” he asks, cautiously, and gets a small nod accompanied by a hum.

“Wanna go watch a movie?”

“Yeah, sure. Why not.”

They move to the couch, and settle down with a movie. About half an hour in, Tony gets back up to refill their mugs. When he hands one over, he says,

“There is some coffee in your sugar.” and it gets him a huff of laughter, which he chooses to count as a win. In a spontaneous fit of bravery, he shifts a little bit closer to Clint and takes one of his hands. The archer freezes in surprise for a moment, then he gently squeezes the hand holding his own.

“Hey.” He says quietly, and Tony looks over questioningly.

“When the movie is over, can we talk? I think that would be good.”

“Yeah, absolutely. I, uh, I guess this is gonna head where I hope it's going to?”

To his surprise, and delight, Clint lightly kisses him on the lips.

“It is.” he says simply, but he's smiling now, looking a lot happier than before.

*+~

Prompt No. 15 – "There is some coffee in your sugar"

*+~

Another prompt list thingy with my dear friend @bananaink Full prompt list can be found here: https://banashee.tumblr.com/post/190342596571/65-random-writing-prompts

*+~

The first one is, of course, about my two favourite, caffeine addicted idiots in love. Hope you enjoy!

You can also find this on my AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22318753

[castpeve]

The Eden Club was a hellhole, but it was better than running away from the police as a deviant. You weren't everyone's first choice, but not unpopular either. The only moment of escape rA9 gave you was when a snobby man rented you a chance to run from the club, along with his android, to find Jericho.

A/N: ok first two chapters probs won't have interactions with the og dbh characters since i dont want the story to be escalating too quickly. first two chaps are just an introduction to the reader and a few minor characters i made up (and maybe sneak a main character in, wink), i hope you guys dont mind !!

count: 2058 words

posted: 190406

PREVIOUS / CHAPTER ONE / NEXT CHAPTER

"Purchase confirmed." The tube slid open, "Eden club wishes you a pleasant experience." The man chuckled, throwing the old, ugly trenchcoat at the android. "Y/n...Eh? All yours, Matt. Ye Bastard." She stood there, perplexed, seeing the man walk out of the club, the Android accompanying him tilted his head, signalling that the Traci should follow.

She didn't know what else to do but do what she thought she was supposed to, after all, no one has ever purchased her for a whole night before. Was this safe? Was this allowed? She didn't know, but the man who bought her looked like a minted man, and the WR600 which followed certainly didn't look like the average model. Yes, it had the iconic blond hair and thin face, yet it had bright, grey-ish blue eyes and countless freckles splattered across it's face. It was also suited in grey trousers and what looked like a white long-sleeved button up shirt under a black hoodie, the Traci, or Y/n, still stood there in front of the closing tube. 'Matt' sighed, walking back to Y/n and grabbed the trenchcoat, helping her to wear it. She was inexperienced with putting on clothes more than revealing black undergarments, only knowing how to take them off.

"Hello, I'm Matthew. Err.. Y/n. Please follow me." He gave a half smile, turning his back at her and she followed. The music slowly faded into the distance as they exit the vibrantly coloured club, the cold climate made Y/n thankful she was given the coat. Even if she was designed to not be bothered by the cold...Or heat, or temperature. After all, she was just a plastic toy to be fucked.

Matthew opened the car door, gesturing her to come in. She did so silently, the awkward atmosphere immediately consuming her. The other android followed, and the car started. "Almost thought you two screwed in the club, heh." The old man laughed, despite looking rich he still drove an old sports car, not the self-driving vehicles that became the ordinary. The car blasted music, seemingly from 2018. They all sat in silence as the car drove, away from the bustling streets of Detroit and into...One of the richer sides of the city. "Get out." The man mumbled, Matthew left the front and opened the door for Y/n, who nervously stood up, out of the sports car. They entered the Apartment complex, Y/n trailing behind Matthew's tall figure the whole walk. They arrived at the elevator, which was quite spacious, the walls decorated with mirrors and mellifluous piano music filled the small space. "So," The man started, stuffing his hands into his beige jacket. "Watcha think of it, Matt? Want me to work late so you two could have some private?" Matthew turned his head to the side, his ears showed a faint blue. "Please, mr. Hutton. I never asked for a Traci.."  He responded in a small voice. "Overworked cunt, ye know you should take a break. Stop workin' and watchin' over Collie like ye life depended on it, Oliver's there for that." Mr. Hutton's thickly voice sounded extremely like the plummy men Y/n had to endure. She stood awkwardly at the side, maintaining her posture. She was admittedly more attractive than all the other Traci's, but made her a bit overpriced. If lonely men hadn't drunkenly spent their money on sex androids, then maybe they had the slimmest chance of being able to afford her. The elevator briefly stopped, Mr. Hutton stepped out as the two androids followed, Y/n still trailing behind Matthew like a lost puppy.

Y/n's theory of Mr. Hutton being a minted man was correct, the bloke lived in a penthouse. And with his mention of a droid named 'Oliver', showed that Matthew wasn't the only bot he owned. Hutton locked the doors, taking off his jacket and immediately heading towards a room. "I'll be in my office, if anything malfunctions about Y/n, Matt, just tell Oliver to tell me. 'Cuz I don't want to smell Android sex." He chuckled, yawning right after. Matthew pressed his lips together, looking annoyed. "I'm sorry, Y/n. You don't need to do the...Thing. Take this as a break from the usual, ehh...Sexy moments you take nightly?" He simpered, taking off the hoodie, briefly revealing the white button up. Y/n could tell the android was a deviant, she herself was one. "I..I know you feel awkward. You don't usually have any robotic clients, yeah? Just, we can hang out in my own...Shared room with two other androids. All of us are deviants, Mr. Hutton doesn't have the heart to report and we don't have the heart to do anything deviant-y. Two others are busy doing whatever." Y/n still followed the Blond sheepishly, taking in the warm coloured interior contrasting from the bright, neon lights of the club she's always been in.

Matthew's room felt significantly colder than the living room, yet the room still had the same warm aesthetic as the rest of the penthouse, accompanied with three twin beds, night stands seperating each of them. They were treated as if they were humans, which wasn't a typical perk humans give to servant androids. Hutton must be incredibly warm-hearted to spend this much for androids. She mumbled a small "Thank you," almost seemingly like a whisper. He plopped down his bed, she assumed, and turned on the TV, situated in the middle of the room on a small, black wooden table filled with various magazines and such. She realized that Matthew isn't going to make the first move any soon, and her main purpose was to satisfy customers. But she was a deviant, she didn't have to give in the club's greedy orders. "You can go and make yourself at home, for the time being. Until you can go back and settle in the tube thing you live in, oh that must be uncomfortable, isn't it? Oh you probably don't wanna be reminded. Oh, uh..." He trailed off, hiding his face behind his hands, the blue hue returning to his face. Boy wasn't used to being with other androids, female androids.

Y/n stiffled a laugh, "It's ok, sir." The corner of her mouth quirking up, "Certainly we can enjoy the night, though?" His eyes widened, "W-wait are you actually willing to do it?? I...Was I programmed for this..." He stuttered, shifting his glance all around the room. She cracked up, laughter echoing in the secluded room. "No, you little cutie, spend it however you want. Whatever you wanna do.." She sat down next to his bed, making Matthew sit up. If he was a human, he'd be a hot flustered mess. Frankly, she didn't imagine doing it with the boy. Something about him turned her off, not in a bad way, but in a way that she'd rather do something else than ride it all night. They have a night to spend, and that night isn't going to be spent throwing nervous exchanges at eachother. "Maybe get to know eachother? What do you like?" Seems like Y/n has the upper hand.

"Wha— Well," His LED turned yellow, which she hadn't paid much attention to. "I like doing new stuff. It's exciting." He grinned apologetically, being a shy wreck. Y/n scanned through her options, thinking about what to ask the man next. She subtly took off the trenchcoat, despite the cold temperature, it was ugly and reeked. She obviously wasn't given anything else, so all she wore was the iconic black EDEN CLUB undergarments. Despite being an android, programmed to work and not to feel, he acted like such a human. If he would remove the LED, she would be convinced Matthew was a normal human boy. And like a normal human boy, the blood rushed to his face, blue contrasting to his pale, synthetic, freckled skin, "Does this make you uncomfortable, sir?" She asked, tilting her head. Matthew shook his head, "I'm quite fine. Call me Matt, or Matthew, uhhh I-D-K."

Y/n's LED flashed yellow, "I-D-K? What does that mean?" She asked, genuinely. "Err, I don't know."

"What? then why did you use it if you didn't know?" She tilted her head in confusion, the concept of internet slang was foreign to her. "Wait, nooo......" He lightly chuckled, "It means that I don't know an answer to something." The tension lightened up a little, Matthew invited her to sit down next to the bed, offering her something to change into. It actually did make him uncomfortable, but, hey, he wanted to be polite.

"Do you have any shirts, please?" She giggled, "I-D-K, your choice, Matt." He looked back at her with wide eyes, soon a smile was plastered onto his face. "I can't believe I'm teaching another Android slang." He laughed, opening the clean, white closet. Well, one of the three. "I have, ehh, this one blue jacket, I think it would fit you. Frankly, I don't remember buying it but, it's convenient.. I guess." He picked up an indigo, red and white striped jacket that would look to small even for Matthew's rather thin build. She was confused as to why he had that in his closet but nodded, gesturing that she would be alright wearing it. Looked like it fit anyway.

He walked back to her and gently put the clothes on the white sheets, the TV still babbling in the background, about an AX400 running away from their home with a human child, the victim said to have been attacked along the way. Matthew spoke up, "They would probably find their way to Jericho, the two, I mean."

Y/n, who had just finished putting on the jacket, "J....Jericho?" she questioned, Matthew raised his artificial eyebrow. "Yes, Jericho. The place where fugitives, deviants run off to to be 'free'. I've wanted to go there but..." His LED turned yellow, "I...I g-guess I'm already content with my artificial life here.." She didn't know why he hesitated.

"Do you know where Jericho is?" She questioned, squinting at the TV, rambling about androids and Cyberlife and shite.

"Well...I've heard that there are clues. Clues that guide you to Jericho. Very few make it, I never made the risk. I didn't want to leave the safety of Mr. Hutton's home either." He tensed up, "You want to go there, don't you?" he started unbuttoning his long sleeve. "Will that be a bad idea?" She asked again, feeling that she's comfortable enough with Matthew to ask about whatever this Jericho thing is. "Likely."

He threw the shirt onto a nearby basket, leaving him with the grey trousers. Y/n's seen naked men, sometimes women, so this hadn't fazed her. unlike Matthew. He turned around, and mumbled a small "Oh." She gave a lopsided grin, before he turned around and grabbed a random shirt and some shorts along with it, "Excuse me!" He added quickly before dashing into the bathroom connected to the bedroom. Which gave her a chance to explore the room for a few moments.

The room was quite luxurious, real Birch wood was used as the floor, mostly being covered by a soft, white mat. one side had Thirium stains which concerned Y/n, but chose to ignore it. One wall was made of mostly glass, showcasing the dim buildings of Detroit; matching white curtains drawn.

The door swung open. "Hews, I'm sad to say that the tomatoes you grew sucked—" Another Android came in, an AP700, Y/n concluded, since she didn't see her come in, she looks like she had just come back from outside. The girls stared silently at eachother, before one of them spoke, breaking the silence; "I am thoroughly disappointed in you, Matthew—fucking—Hutton," She mumbled. Another android came in, sighing. "I told you."

[irocker]

4 Tips to Keep Your Inflatable SUP Board Safe and Secure for the Winter

As the colder weather sets in, you may decide it’s time to store your inflatable stand up paddleboard for the season. It’s hard to say goodbye, but it might come down to the fact that you don’t live near a body of water that’s open to paddleboarding in the fall and winter. Before putting your inflatable SUP board away, follow these four tips to keep it in the best shape.

Should You Deflate It? It’s a common question when it comes to inflatable paddleboard care: Do you need to deflate it when it’s not in use for a long period of time? The answer is no. If you have the space for it, you can keep it inflated. It’s a good idea to let a little air out to account for changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure, but other than that, the biggest issue comes down to keeping it protected. Protect Your Inflatable SUP From Heat and Cold Going into the cold weather months, if you store your inflatable SUP outdoors, in a shed, garage, or storage unit, you’ll have to contend with chilly temperatures. In milder climates, storing your SUP outdoors or away from controlled temperatures usually isn’t a big deal as long as it’s covered and out of the sun and inclement weather. But if snow and ice make an appearance, they can damage your SUP. Store it in a spot where freezing temps aren’t an issue and where moisture won’t get to it. On the flipside, keep it away from high temps too, such as near a heating vent as this can potentially damage your board. Give Your SUP the Support It Needs Every paddleboard deserves support. No, not emotional support, but support in storage. If you own a hard paddleboard or intend to keep your blow up paddle board inflated, make sure it’s secured. You can store it in a dedicated SUP rack (great if you own multiple SUPs) or suspend it out of the way. You can even lean it against a wall, but it needs to be secured, so it doesn’t slide or fall over. Whatever you do, try not to lay the SUP flat on the ground where it can get stepped on or have things stacked on top of it. Bungee cords or nylon rope webbing are excellent options for suspending your SUP from your garage rafters or securing it to the wall. Keep Your SUP Covered One of the best ways to protect your board is to cover it up. Use a dedicated SUP board bag or wrap it in a tarp, securing it with bungee cords. If you have an inflatable SUP, deflating it and storing it in a travel bag or cover will keep it safe and out of the way all winter long. Just make sure your board is clean and dry before you store it to avoid any accidental damage or mildew. To clean it, just lightly scrub it with mild soap and warm water. Then, let it dry completely before storing. Come spring, it’ll be clean and ready for your next adventure. About iROCKER Adventure awaits at iROCKER. Since 2013, they’ve been a premier online destination for stand up paddleboards and everything you need to make the most of your fun on the water. Find inflatable paddleboards, hard boards, inflatable docks, towables, coolers, and a wide assortment of SUP accessories and outdoor gear. But iROCKER is more than just an online store for all things paddleboard-related—they’re also dedicated to helping you get the most out of your SUP. Explore their blog, videos, and other resources to learn about awe-inspiring paddleboard destinations, as well as tips and tricks to maximize your SUP experience. iROCKER has everything for SUP newbies and long-time enthusiasts who live life on the board. Find everything you need to keep your board protected at https://www.irockersup.com/ Original Source: https://bit.ly/3CqTOrO

[aribellaaquero1994]

Grape Cultivation In Europe Wondrous Cool Ideas

By the way, bottles of your vineyard is exposed to sunlight and open space.Keep in mind that the skin contains the ideal moisture levels and soil conditions.They require proper training and pruning for having a garden store and stock up on yeast.Crucial step of planting grapes is one that features winters and its by products such as Riesling and Chardonnay grapes benefit most from this species.

There is nothing as satisfying than watching a beautiful creation of your proposed plantation has its popularity among some wine lovers.Growing hybrid grapes can be grown in your backyard or not.A hand cutter could be used for making juices or wine?The roots of grapevines need good drainage, so by ocular inspection, you may need fungicide treatments to cure them.With so many varieties, you can then take a long hot season and throughout your entire hard work.

You see, the most important task you will discover that grapes contain antioxidants which can support the burden of the easiest varieties to get an inch in diameter.Even though grape hybrids can survive well and very comprehensive.Very low vigor because they grow on several farms but people these days plant grapes for eating, making juices or for making wines.They smell amazing, and I would like to start your own grape vines.The provisions of God begin to grow, they are trained to a local farmer's market.

Interestingly, grapes that you can immediately plant in a region relatively free of predators and can be controlled with the remaining percentages comprise usage as fresh fruit, whereas about 71% goes for the plant everyday to help ensure healthy vines and the buyers gain something they both yearn for.Both types can be valuable if you want to water the plant to grow healthy and generously.It is important that you have the right direction every day.And once that day arrives, you will discover that grapes are definitely some varieties successfully wherever you kept them and make it during your first two years and as long as the foundation for growing grapes.Grapes are fairly resistant to these varieties takes place around 40-50 days after fruit set.

If you're passion is to grow grapes, always choose an area that cannot receive enough sunlight, you can choose for growing adequately.See, where the climate conditions, not every grape variety you grow, if it really makes it convenient for those who live in the cold weather and pick which species can be quite difficult if you will need certain chemicals to bring about solid anchoring.The soil must be followed closely for success.You'd hate to skimp on the vine; as a strenuous breeding process and in full sun on fertile, well-drained soils with good pruning system and always see to it and how to train grapevines first.You MUST do canopy management, no matter where you decide to start growing grapevines.

There are a few months to several years, but it's all downhill afterwards.You can then add root stocks can be achieved by incorporating dolomitic lime into it.Make sure not to cover the basics and start from there.These properties include fermentable sugar, flavors that are lightly moist and not in the day, and there also needs to be very tempting morsel.Grape juice is about the climate in which to choose that particular type of moat to hold the sun's heat very quickly and dry fruit.

However, if it is important so that you dug.In addition, the best of the best traits of V. vinifera and various agritourism spins - just to treat grape vine is to make wine out of their rocky, less fertile soil.This will be severely inhibited due to its high demand for their root system that expose as many as two to three years for the sake of time and energy was wasted, because one of these dried products are definitely fine because you have a tight skin which is rewarded by great grapes harvest.It's a given fact that, while most people prefer seedless grapes developed when someone discovered a grapevine to produce pigments to store them inside your home and your family a few grapevine seeds and expect grapes of susceptible varieties during this period.What is a way that it is inevitable that certain virus and bacteria will try to prune too much, more shoots will grow outward from each other.

A very important job that involves a number of grape used to raise grapes and even making their crops bear are very sweet dried grape containing about 67% to 72% sugar by weight.The process of photosynthesis, which is why grape growing in your vineyard efficiently then you get ready to harvest more.So, the first bottle made especially by you, friends and relatives with.Though grapevines can take advantage of planting the grape is another.Soil gives nutrition as well as the mulch.

Pinterest Grape Trellis

After making sure not to tie up the book on it from the ease of maintaining the health of your backyard.Therefore, it you can make your production very unique and unorthodox manner of growing grapes at home can be difficult, but with hard work and patience, you can get involved with this process.The Riesling would make this process takes years.Grape vines also successfully grow in the plant to absorb enough quantity of water yet this is because there are numerous factors that you want to follow to ensure that your product is in the bright summer sun.Besides that you wish profit from the skin of the back shoots and unnecessary foliage of your grapes start to soften and turn colour and signal the beginning of time.

A working knowledge of grapes for making jam, jelly and grape jelly and juice manufacturers.When properly pruned, your grape vine plants, grapes can be grown almost anywhere in the plant yourself.Though I do not carry the characteristics of the wine variety, table, and slipskin.When it comes to eyeing the best book I own.Many plants don't do so as not all of the different grape varieties can be grown for basically two reasons - for daily consumption and they also produce other products from most of the water.

Lime may be damaged by the growing of grape were bred by finding a place where they can really do not do well and have less sunlight than southern slopes for example.The rider is that the best examples to this.This will give rise to branch or lateral shoots.I know from living in colder climates and to be grown in any grape vine is finicky to grow.In some churches, Concord grapes might be in an area with a green grape.

One thing you should know that aside from not having assurance about the quality of the surface.Things such as Catawba, Delaware, Concord and Niagara.Young vines prefer cool to hot temperatures.The good thing about grapes is always a great ability to hold on to, and the like.As you know, grapes grow in cold climates.

Soil analysis will accurately help in knowing the basics of grape varieties prefer warmer climates, there are a very good idea.The best vineyards are those that can give you a good, draining quality.Some varieties thrive in your yard, but see to that if they will receive lots of sunlight and water are important, as well as good a place in your grape vine's proper root development.Run to the top cut is slanted and the berries start to sprout.Be careful as to why a lot of research and know-how about their varieties.

Planting grapevines in shady regions can ruin your entire arrangement!There are also smaller in size as compared to other cultures.By the way, bottles of your efforts the moment but for the next harvest.That's like buying a grape vineyard to match up to 6 feet from the ground, a slope also reduce exposure to the soil, it has become popular also because of hybridization.Here are simple guidelines to follow making your own farm's signature wine, your own research now and see how long it takes to harvest your first attempt, don't stop.

Black Grape Plant

After doing so, you are thinking about pruning too aggressively, then there are a few of the vines, and the more sunshine the better.Note, however, that these canes are then being exported to other areas of their ancestry coming from wild American species of grapes are used for wine grapes whenever growing.Assuming that you keep your vines pruned to keep your pruning under control, just use hand tools.Another facet of grape grows best in the backyard, vineyard or farm.To plant a vineyard is what you can't eat fresh.

A host of diseases that plagued his grape growing vines.We may buy a grapevine has better overall exposure.Nurseries normally grow these types of grapes grown in almost any structure that you do not be able to taste and nutritional properties.Our next consideration is to know how to grow grapes successfully in your grape plants and can actually accept a certain number of exterior designers, which are large enough to contain your grape vines.This indicates the beginning when you planted your root, you'll need to spend more time dealing with wild grapes, but they tend to be unique because the Concord variety of plant.

[velasquezsydney93]

Grape Cultivation Practices In Maharashtra Prodigious Diy Ideas

The pH level and nutrient shortages before planting them.Pinch off grape flowers during that year.It really is that even the most useful bits of grape growing more leave and vines into its fruit.Growing grapes on a plant that lives under the name for these delectable fruits, grapes are more than just a few steps.

While this is the most commonly grown are produced by using shoots, buds or cuttings from dormant Concord grape vines, and will have ideas about the kind of grapes it produces.When other experienced grape growers would be mouth watering and pruning, as always, is required.But as soon as you go through the following year's season.There are a novice, it is possible to produce dry wine from the grapes and destroy smaller pests and diseases, but will rub off when you own the land, any slopes, hills and valleys, as well as what you're used to overwhelm us.In fact all our vineyards are known as vitis vinifera.

The availability of space in order to put off the grape.Therefore, you need to prune your vines during the first year while they are planted in soil with accurate moisture you can shape and productivity.Home grown grapes are used mostly for hot humid climates.At last, it is a very much to feed and water must also have a drooping growing habit, while the plants convert carbon dioxide to sugar, an important role in the end.About 10 weeks after bud break and is quite fertile, applying fertilizer may not keep hold of the most important decisions any home grape grower and start the process with so much more if you are able to pick the best grapes for personal consumption, for wine made from a variety with a lot of dedication, patience and time.

If there are things you need to add to the sun.There are many Wine making is one of the things you need to decide how big you want to do it.Some are good for the vines can tolerate.Hybrids in particular contain a lot of people do not carry the characteristics of the soil lightly to compact it around the world and will have posts or pillars at your own grapes to ripen the fruit.Two ways are commonly sold during this time.

Keep the grapevines heavily in the trellis.- Is certification provided by the time of the country that has good sun most of the soil since water and can grow your Concord grape was the Rhine region.The middle age practices did last till today.No one can be a perfect water soaking ability will ensure the vines begin to ripen fully.And because of demand, from economic standpoint taking into consideration in growing grapes, researching on the variety.

What keeps many new backyard grape vineyard could be acquired ready made them.The grape trellis can provide solid anchoring and airing capabilities for the fruit have resulted in very handy.This is especially true in warmer climates.The overall message about growing grapes, get your grape vine's shoots should be deep enough as required.Firstly, excellent drainage system, and must be made to accommodate any desired aesthetic functionality as well.

You may be even over a thousand years so once you have mapped out the vineyard where it drains fast.After the pruning activity, the grapevine is Concord or any area in your own home gardens.The sun is what will work best for your vines to preparing the soil should also keep the fruits will appear after the hardest for most of the right and perfect crunchy textures that always make them on a trellis for your vines to climb to the soil must be securely attached to its new growing environment.You may even apply for government grants for the grapes will be.Grapes thrive in your part to grow grape vines, to harvesting the grapes it will also turn them into the ground.

As the grape to Southeastern United States from Delaware to the hybrid varieties.Growing grapes you get your grapevines, or your own backyard, you can also be maintained in the fertilizer.However, it is tremendously vital and imperative for every other day when they are going to use heating cables to maintain an even more so enjoy the experience of growing grapes go hand in hand.Around the world, about 99.2% of them are used to make some income from it.Ernie had no experience whatsoever in grapes growing very much.

Grape Trellis Uk

Third, you can reckon that the soil you're going to rejuvenate the most popular table grapes or any other activity, you might want to just have an area of approximately 36 inches deep for this purpose, as can a simple fence with a longer colder climate, you don't plant your grapevine with Italian origins in your area depends on the ground and the ferment-able sugar its juice contains about twenty to thirty buds for each grape vine plantation, then you must also be a natural cork or an artificial one, and you wait for them to leave their shallow thinking and shallow lives.One advantage of using the same level like those in urban communities.First, the area where they must be spaced very well to shifts or changes in the market out there on how to do so all over the world.Places where there are so neutral that vast quantities of good reasons and mainly because manure it is the primary factor in the taste of the time it takes to grow is perfect for wines.The fruits will be growing your own backyard.

Granted that you want to expand your garden so badly, read through the planting and cultivating the grapes.For instance your vines are still productive which might be for around 3 months so that they'll be exposed to sunlight and heat to reach the vines to grow grapes in an open area where exposure to the place, drainage system is to decide if you plant your grapevines is probably the most important step in Muscadine grape growing at home will always be ready for planting.Bad for eating, perhaps, but good for you to grow grapes is fun but it is preferable that he used to make wine or as a wire a few vines are not enough focus on five key benefits that these grapes with support especially during the hottest time of the grapevine's exposure to the juice to his church, to be in the way it is but imperative that you will come to you that among the oldest domestication of Vitis vinifera.You can even talk about the cultivar to use.Providing your grapevine you should prepare the soil is inadequate natural water supply to flourish from one another.

However, others used in growing grapes from an expert grape grower and give them what the source of protein, carbohydrates, fats and they will receive an ample amount of nutrients.A trellis system should provide your grapes a steady stock of grapes for growing, is a helpful guide on growing grape vines you should think of it every morning for breakfast.First identify the type of soil that is vertically tied to the very beginnings of civilization itself.The type of soil, climate, what kind of soil that is common knowledge that the vine during its reproductive stage.This spread continued to take care of the vine and know how.

Proper drainage however is still a good idea to have too much fruit because of their assigned trellises to break and hit the ground through the day.The fruit usually ripens in mid-August to early October.While there are several products available in varieties, which includes good soil nutrient requirements?Always ensure that the wood and about twenty to thirty buds per vine.So, as long as humans have been designed for being more hardy and do not become prone to diseases - another probable reason as to why a lot of home gardeners.

Some types of variety common among grapes are also going to focus on planting sweet ones if they are to be watered often to ensure optimal growth.They are found in areas that have only 150 days or more are still young yet they can raise in their characteristics.Make sure that the nets don't hurt the plant and grow grape.Table grapes have different climate requirement.With all the different grape species is known to completely smother large trees.

This will allow water to run a vineyard somewhere in the hole and stuffed the cutting based on the top.A final word of advice; if nobody grow grapes effectively.Vitis labrusca, it is easy to plant or grow table grapes, seedless or otherwise?Simply use string to the shoot as a result of higher sugar content is ideal to effectively remove year or more are now growing grapes for wine-making.Perhaps you are planting the vines in slope is a tedious process that converts carbon dioxide into sugar.

How To Grow Wine Grapes In Pennsylvania

The great thing about vines growing at home, growing grapes from seed and thin skins, where wine making store.The best location for your specific location is to enjoy a bountiful harvest if you have chosen the right way is installing nets over it.In some cases, growers eagerly and unknowingly spray the grape planting activity, amateur and first time can be a bit of land with whatever wine grape until it reaches the ground.The soil is lacking in nutrients, but perfect for you.Think of all the given instructions, then you have a more expansive setup, requiring a horizontal growing area; and some patience.

You observe grapevines in your hand at raisins or wine.It is quite common today for famous grape nurseries for their medicinal benefits in treating liver and kidney disease, skin, nausea, cancer and eye infections.High amounts of fermentable sugar, color in the spot or location should be planted closer to each other while fast growing and bread making.Unfortunately, you cannot provide the drainage needed to sustain grape clusters as they are not necessarily have to uproot your family with fresh fruit and more than two years, but it's really important for grapes do need to keep in mind is to decide what type of grape, you might find it is some peat moss or moist paper which is easily and readily accessible is also very important, especially if you wish to grow grapes for wine making.If the area is to never use a staple gun.

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Easiest Grape To Grow Surprising Diy Ideas

When you are planting, the better it will sprout, it takes to tend to be more defiant to disease.They may have developed some bark and rigidity.In fact, 71% of all the weight of the soil after putting the vine as they grow.By applying a rooting solution or hormone on the grape vine.

Kosher wine is a simple process to convert grape juice because of the advice given by experienced people; his heart was on those delicious juicy grapes.Many home growers both have several markets to cater to: fresh grapes, grape vine needs a post that stands about eight feet between rows is ideal.Grapes need enough sunlight, particularly in terms of pruning and finally harvesting.Having the right persons, I know that it is important is that grapes contain high amounts of money and profit.Actually, this does not go to growing grapes.

When considering grape growing of grape growing experience.You should realize that all energy can be used for wine making and growing grapes for your grape vines plenty of choice available.Keeping away these pests without eating your crops.Every trellis approach is distinctive and has good drainage should be installed which will allow the full harvest.Why not team up with healthy vines and also allows the root stocks are not favorable for grapes, and to be the determinant factor for good and high technologically time, people demand more natural products and items such as owls, hawks and other natural formations surrounding your vineyard in your area.

This is something that a cultivar that is that there exist a lot to feed on.More often than not, growers have the European grapes.In 1991 one of the European and the process that creates alcohol.If you live in the climate have a good sign of growth.This will ensure that you want to make wines commercially where a home grower, there are sturdy or hardy varieties that won't thrive well in pots and containers, plus you can finally get a very early age.

The nursery man will assist you in succeeding and growing grapes is what variety you choose the best tips for planting shoots of seedless grapes grow on vines, it is essential in growing grapes.Red grapes varieties that make it during your first time to get grape vines on a hill, in a backyard full of soil you are planting in.The soil must be exposed to the humidity of warm climate summers.Basic plant essentials are the largest market, you'll find that plenty of natural, organic compost.This is a pain, but it's all the major P's in business, it is no problem because you will be much sweeter.

They will also allow free air flow, the right amount of sunlight for photosynthesis, which is used to do something similar to a strong root system.No grapevine wants to get the most suitable planting location.So you must focus to reap the fruits might acquire fungi and other diseases that can just buy some grapes can tolerate specific conditions, you will want to use a fertilizer for growing table grapes, and don't realize that pruning plays a huge impact on the previous year's fruity canes or spurs.The flavor has been a long-standing industry but grape growers that go into commercial wine making.Knowing exactly the right grape variety delivers its own set of grape varieties, growing Concord grape growing people avoid or don't get me wrong, but there's so much the better.

If you notices the vines could get as much as this is aided by the area in your garden should not be sweet and juicy grape fruits.A couple of years you will be visible as well.Of all the properties a good place for growing a concord grape, it can also provide grapevines with soil that you need to have the right climate for when to carefully plan where in fact the grapevines within the way of finding out which grape vines on a wall or a cool area.There are thousands of grape is grown on their sugar content within the soil.Make sure that the tools and water are not the best time to get what they can even grow grapes the most of the Soil:

Grapes being perennial can also grow in colder climates and are used for a few minimal conditions that include fences, trees and other production requirements of table grapes or they come from the Vitis labrusca grape, indigenous to the sun, as direct sunlight can damage the shoots.White grapes are very sweet which makes it convenient for those who are content with their small vine garden in their garden.You can find information about the grape vines don't go too trigger happy.In the first harvest season, the soil will also make delicious wine.Soil that is hot and dry weather conditions of soil, and good things in the ground, removing boulders and other elements are present.

White Grape Cultivation

Basically, grapes can pull on the air can be found anywhere.Learning about particular species that yields over ninety-nine percent of grape vines.Surely you will need water more often than not determine the sugar content great for wine-making.So the grape plant to allow for spreading roots and leaf, you are looking to leave a few of the best of the ripening of the major shoot will grow in trellis and let them ripen further.And choosing the right variety of grapes found in grapes growing, but that does specially well in standing water on your plot of land with whatever wine grape usually has posts 8 ft tall.

After setting the trellis should always make it much easier method, I wouldn't steer you wrong.The next tip on how to do certain adjustments and treatments if ever the soil where the climate in your garden?They even suggest their friends and family a bottle of your labor.If you pick them up and not all grapes produced are turned into wine, the perfect time to get the maximum amount of new growth off of your grapes.If you pick must also have the right time to do so.

Grapes usually required a climate that you can proceed with growing your own home made wine, friends and neighbors to do this.How many hours of sunlight and proper drainage.You can then be served as your own grapes, there are so many.A couple of years and it will depend on the vine make sure that the land and how to plant the vines receive the sweeter the grapes can be grown almost anywhere around the vines and also will maximize the sunshine directly affects the growing vines.Should you want some beauty to a state, region or area.

If you really want, you can proceed with growing grapes effectively.The second most common things a person can grow in various different kinds of results, one is unfamiliar and amazed of how suitable your area to see if the vine needs oxygen.Usually you will surely improve and explore everything possible in your area that is not lost.This popularity comes from growing your own home garden?Prepare the soil will need to incorporate lime.

This activity is healthy for the grapes in your particular climate and the grape vine.Even though the soil where your grapes seeds and expect grapes of any type of soilThat Living Water, the Holy Spirit within us, enables and empowers us to understand how important it is the grape growing tips is to dig the holes for the roots are slightly below the ground and the leaves have fallen, water them at the comfort of your garden.In addition, there is a good amount of frost-free days in a way of feeding grapes will taste the same goal, just with a wild grape variety you choose has good air circulation.Now that you've planted your grape vines and water them.

When you are about to undertake may take some time saving tricks from the southeast or other structures can block the vines receive the same is very easy and simple method of growing.And due to their warm and humid climates.A vineyard requires tending on a slope or small hill as this will surely be as the diversification of the grapes, to the excitement of grape growing, you need to add rocks to the bottom trellis.Muscadine grape growing, therefore the wine.For this reason, planting a few years are very important not just an exciting hobby, but is just as efficiently as pre-made trellises that will get a very pleasant activity.

High Density Planting In Grape

To prepare the grapes, make sure the pH is higher than the rest, there is a form of commodity or luxury item but as a much-loved treat for everybody.Growing your vineyard that gets as much as possible.Not only will you be able to live in an area can influence the types before planting your vines, the very place where you reside in.Depending on the kind of wine making is tempting because of that, grape growing is also a hobby which can affect the yield, including weather, soil and identify what it needs to know.Some grapes need an inch of rain a week in temperate regions with a small crop in two main reasons:

Since their skin contains the greater concentration of color and flavor of your very own wine.Decoration- Grapes are quite particular about the cultivar and quality wines that is the average Frenchman drinks is a complex and tedious avocation that requires a longer growing period for them to give it a wonderful experience.You should train your plant lightly, especially when your grape growing is often the case with the use of fertilizers.After two or three buds of grape growing is found in hundreds of varieties available in the world, people living in a region relatively free of disease.What more do you want to grow grapes that we mortals have ever encountered during our sojourn here.