#well i assume keeps telling them. knowing collections i doubt they had to be told more than once Dx

[nohj3]

The phone rings with a known number, a debt collector, trying once again to convince me to pick up the debts of my ex-spouse. I lay, listening to its ringing as it goes. Irritating. Frustrating. And I'm already so upset. Upset at... Myself... Mostly...

In a move I, at the time called stupidity, but later learned was intended as an Implicitively ignorable form of self harm, I answered the call.

"Hello?", the voice said, wavering with a tone of uncertainty, reflecting it's owner's confusion at the vacuous space that their expectations would usually assume another voice to be in.

I'm already in this now. The social conventions of answering a call clearly implicate a consent to conversation that my new temporary partner in telecommunications has done no faux pas, to allow me to safely unlock the cage that is societal expectation.

"Hello," I state. Simple and efficient. With no attempt at conveying information the greedy vultures shouldn't have. My voice, upon registering the need for polite but stern tones, slipped quickly into its work uniform. High pitched. Firm. Tight throat. The way i talk around strangers who don't need to know about my nonstandard gender. "Whom is this I'm speaking to?"

"Oh! I'm srry ma'am!" The voice continues, both more comfortable in It's locating of a designated dance partner, and less comfortable in hearing whom they didn't expect. "Srry to bother you, I'm looking for a man named [deadname]. Do you know where he might be?"

The revelation that my voice unintentionally deceitfully removed from it's oppositional voice's owner's mind the very idea I could be the one that they sought, filled me with such joy. My voice passes! That's incredible! I've worked so hard for this! The joy is quickly used as a foundation to motivate me into a mindset capable of navigating such a conversation.

"You still haven't answered me. Whom am i speaking to?" I state, with a confidence in my voice, i thought myself previously incapable.

"Oh uh... We work for [redacted], i uh... Legally Can't say anymore than that unless i know I'm speaking to [deadname]. Do you know where he is?"

"I can certainly give them a message. What would you like me to say?"

"Oh uh... I mean.. That won't be necessary.." The voice stammers as it's possessor processes the pressure prevalent in pursuing a position possessing the potential to procreate payment from the pocket of a person permeating privacy. "If you could just tell us how to reach him?"

"Oh, I'm sure they would have no qualms being the one contacting you." I state, poorly hiding my sadistic pleasure in my social domineering, a trait i, despite my growing confidence in my personal tendencies, still define as a necessary tool not to be enjoyed like a toy. "But they're not devoid of busy. I mean, if they were they'd be easier to contact. No?"

"I-i suppose bu-" they're cut off as i continue.

"So if we want them to have you in possession of a higher slot in the callback list, you simply must give me some information they would deem worthwhile to pursue. I apologize that your hands are metaphorically tied by legal rope, but, to be quite frank, that's not my problem? As it stands all [deadname] will hear is that [redacted] called, but didn't bother to say why. Now that doesn't seem very urgent now does it? Also, dare i say, lacks quite the professionalism on your part." My tone sharp but soft edged. A mix of caring and uncaring, like a sadist playfully tearing down their prey's will.

"W-well that's fair. I um... Uh... You can tell him um...." The sweet soft tones of the struggle the voice conveys fill me with a pleasure i deem too hedonistic to savor. As i push back down my instinctual self in favor of a version less hopelessly addicted to inciting such delicious sounds from those consenting to be prey, I tune back into the stammering The voice fails to hide. "You can tell him... That uh... We called... And we'll call again. Later. When he's less busy. Um... S-srry again to bother you ma'am."

"Oh no trouble at all," i speak, with an almost sultry, but certainly not lacking in control, tone. "It's been such a pleasure talking to you."

"Y-yeah? I-i mean. I'll call later. Bye!!!" They hang up quickly. Failing to hold even a crumb of professionalism by the end. Cute.

I'm still laying. The surge of confidence and self actualization must be far more affected by the unexpected method of its own arrival than i originally anticipated, as it's done nothing to affect the physicality of my body. I sit up. I'm going to be ok. A thought i, mere a few minutes prior, thought my brain to be vacant of. I'm going to be ok. My spouse is gone now. They can't hurt me. The constant chains reminding me of their presence all of a sudden feel to be made of weaker metal as i successfully evaded the vultures looking to devour my liver.

These are but threads tying me to them. They can no longer hurt me. I'm going to be ok.

[rius-cave]

Most of the headcanons I've seen about Adamsapple in Eden were portraying them having a good relationship, like Lucifer being sweet and kind to Adam, overly interested in him, liking him etc. while Adam being way more innocent back then and of course very curious. While I like the idea of them being in love even back then and having this cute relationship between them, I also like to play with the thought that Lucifer didn't always like Adam (and vice versa). What I mean is, Lilith and Adam never really got along well, they had their constant conflicts and such, mainly rooting from their different personalities, as in I imagine Adam being this kinda obnoxious person who's full of himself, stubborn and doesn't like when things don't go as he wants (not exactly in a toxic way, like I don't think of him as an actual bad person, rather like a big child lol). While I see Lilith as a way more mature and collected person who's had enough of Adam's "childish bullshit". (I know it sounds kinda stereotypical but my goal isn't that lol I can just genuinely see it, also canon!Adam is a walking stereotype so it's hard to ignore it haha)

So, assuming that both of them were created at the same time, when Lucifer started visiting the garden he warmed up to Lilith first, they started spending time together. Lilith regularly complained about Adam, how he acted so childish/talked too much about insignificant things/followed her etc. (again, I don't think she was cruel, she was literally the first woman, had so much to learn and expressed how she couldn't get along with Adam). Lucifer listening to her all the time, and also being fond of her, involuntarily started to develop doubtful feelings about Adam. Of course Lucifer was sweet and kind, he didn't hate the man, but all of Lilith's talk had an effect on him, and Adam's behavior when they interacted just deepened it further (although Lucifer himself didn't exactly find him annoying, Lilith's talk just caused him to focus on Adam's "problematic" behavior more and he subconsciously confirmed Lilith's words).

Meanwhile Adam obviously noticed that Lucifer was spending way more time with Lilith and didn't seem to feel too pleasant about him, he was kinda offended about that and started to dislike Lucifer.

However, I can imagine them interacting at one point, cause like, Adam obviously felt bad about feeling excluded and that neither of them liked him, so once when it was just the two of them with Luci, he kinda snapped and confronted him about it. (I can't really imagine him as a person who keeps it in, I rather see it as he was offended which led to him becoming frustrated and telling it straight into Lucifer's face angrily.) So he told him that he doesn't understand why they both dislike him but it's not fair and he's so much better than them anyway yada yada but it was clear that he was upset and hurt. That would be the point when Lucifer realizes the situation and it would become a turning point in their relationship??

It got kinda long lol sorry

My dear friend, this? This is what I strive for.

I'll be the first person to admit that my characterization of their Eden personas is allllll over the fucking place. My apologies, I try to be better 😂 but I agree with you almost a 100%

I love depicting them as friends in Eden, but if I had to be realistic? In canon he probably didn't care much for him LOL or at least not as much as the fandom likes to believe. I also want to see more of this scenario with an adamsapple endgame, I'd like to do it myself, but to be truthful I wouldn't really be sure how to do it.

I like to think of Eden!Adam as, yes, more innocent, but he was still a bit of a shit, sarcastic and sassy (not an outright asshole, but his personality had a bit of a spice to it ya know?) I try to let this part of him show as much as I can in my newer depictions of Eden, but well I'm not sure if I've succeeded lol

I think that, if he's a brat now, he'd be even MORE SO in Eden. Basically, exactly what you said that he'd be obnoxious, full of himself and childish, just more out of a place of immaturity rather than malice.

I also really like this characterization of early Lilith. Yes, I absolutely see her as more mature and independent, more thoughtful and observant than Adam ever was, and of course those personalities clashed.

I absolutely love the idea of Lilith planting seeds of doubt in other people. In fact, that's a personal theory I have about the current Lilith and why Charlie's and Lucifer's relationship is so stranded. I think there must have been a lot of miscommunication and Lilith, whether on purpose or not, fed a lot of ideas about Lucifer to Charlie. She isolated her and fed her ideas about who her father was and what he thought of her, creating this wall between them that is now only starting to crumble down. So, the idea of her doing the same thing between Adam and Lucifer? Fuck yes. I want Lilith to be a manipulative bitch, whether she's doing that with malice or not LOL.

Adam immediately going head first into confrontation sounds very likely to me too! I'd absolutely agree, except I don't think this would make Lucifer actually realize the situation. Depending on how bad the argument was, I could see Lucifer thinking that oh Adam really is just that toxic or whatever other misunderstanding comes up. They're both idiots and unless Adam expresses his feelings with something other than anger, I think Lucifer would be more prone to bite back, or just simply not understand the deeper issues.

Overall I'm in LOVE with this description though!

[lulublack90]

Prompt 15 - Posion

@jegulus-microfic February 15 Word count 991

Previous part First part

“Kreacher!” He called out as he entered Grimmauld Place. The house elf appeared at his side with a crack and bent low in a bow. 

“Yes, Master?” 

“Where are my parents?” He asked, praying they weren’t in the house. 

“They at the country Manor, Master.” The elf answered. 

“Good,” Regulus nodded. “Keep them there as long as you can. And if they try to return, tell them I have said I need the house.”

“Yes, Master.” Kreacher bowed again before disapparating. 

Regulus stumbled to the kitchen. He needed a drink. The fire had parched him. He summoned a bottle of butterbeer, removed the cork and took a swig. He immediately spat it out, coating the table in sticky spray. It tasted like poison. Gingerly, he sniffed the contents of the bottle. Yep, that wasn’t butterbeer. He poured it down the sink and got water instead. 

He wouldn’t have long before he was summoned, so he tried to collect himself. He’d have liked to find Evan and Barty and check on them, but he wouldn’t have time to track them down. He assumed Evan had taken Barty to his house rather than back to Barty Sr. 

He dropped his glass when his left forearm suddenly shot through with burning pain. He was being summoned to Malfoy Manor. 

He cleared away the mess he’d made and left the house to apparate. 

Voldemort was in a rage when he arrived. He was storming around the formal dining room with the ginormous mahogany table. 

“We have a spy! Someone has tipped them off about our plan!” He spun when Regulus entered. “Come here, Master Black.” Regulus didn’t hesitate and strode straight to Voldemort’s side. Clawed hands shot up and dug into his face as Voldemort drove into his head for the second time that day. 

This time, he pulled Regulus’s mind apart slower, still painful, maybe more painful than before, but he lingered in each memory, looking for any signs that Regulus had told the Order something. Regulus had those memories well hidden, and because of his mother’s relentless drills when he was younger, he was always on guard for legimency attacks.

“My Lord,” Lucius Malfoy spoke, unexpectedly coming to Regulus’s defence. “It is doubtful that he could have told anyone when the attack was happening. We were with him when he found out we were going today, and it was you yourself that put the charms on Grimmauld Place, stopping owls and patronuses from leaving or entering the property.” Voldemort dropped Regulus’s face.

“Yessss, I suppose you do have a point.” He hissed. “I want whoever revealed our plans to the Order found, Lucius.” 

“Of course, my Lord.” Lucius bowed deeply, reminding Regulus of Kreacher. Lucius wrapped an arm around Regulus’s shoulder and steered him away towards Narcissa. 

Narcissa fussed over him, straightening his robes and smoothing his shirt collar before he batted her away. 

“Leave him be, Narcissa.” Lucius hissed through his teeth at his wife. Regulus ignored them, looking around the room as he silently counted how many death eaters returned and which important names were left. A lot were missing. 

Bellatrix came smashing through the door, throwing a fit, Rabastan following close behind. Evidently, Rodolphus had been captured. 

She stormed towards Voldemort. 

“My Lord! They have Rodolphus!” Voldemort stopped any further words from escaping Bella’s mouth by flicking his hand out and wrapping it around her throat. 

“I do not care about your husband. I want to know who betrayed me!” Bellatrix clawed at his hand as he squeezed tighter, his face twisting into a sneer. Nobody helped her lest they incur Voldemort’s wrath themselves. When she stopped struggling, he tossed her onto the floor, where she gasped, trying to force air into her bruised throat. 

Regulus felt the mirror in his pocket heat as James tried to contact him. He had insisted they add this charm to the mirror rather than have the caller’s voice call out. This would be a dead giveaway if, like now, whoever had the other mirror tried to get in contact. He had to ignore the caller, even though his fingers itched to open the small compact. 

When it was clear that no more death eaters would be coming, Voldemort began digging through all their brains, looking for the traitor. He found nothing, which only incensed him more. 

“Where are Rosier and Crouch? I don’t recall them being in the later part of the attack.” Regulus stepped forward, putting on his best aristocratic mask. 

“Forgive me, my Lord, but Bartemius was injured, and I told Evan to get him away from the battle.”

“And what gives you the authority to give those orders, young master Black?” Voldemort’s red eyes seemed to glow as he questioned Regulus.

“You yourself told us that Bartemius was useful to our cause, and I determined that you would prefer that his father not found out he was there.” Voldemort’s face split into an approximation of a smile. 

“And that is why we have missed you greatly since you have been away, dear Regulus.” He turned to the rest of his congregation. “You see, Regulus here sees the bigger picture. We may have lost this battle, but we shall still win this war.” Cheers erupted once Voldemort had finished his speech. “You may leave me. I require time to plan our next move.” The death eaters hurried from the room, whispering amongst themselves, trying to guess who the traitor could be. 

Regulus positioned himself amongst the exiting death eaters and left quickly. 

As soon as he was locked in his bedroom and had cast silencing charms, he pulled out the small silver mirror and whispered. 

“James?” James’s image immediately showed in the mirror, replacing his own. 

“Reg! Reg, are you alright? You didn’t answer!” He sounded panicked, his eyes overly bright. Regulus felt a tightening in his chest as the need to be in James’s arms took over. 

“Can we meet?”  

Next part

[tinathemanoilla]

So- replaying rdr2 and am at the end of chap 2. Right when Dutch finally made the move to get the gang to a different camp.. saying Micha suggested dewberry creek.

The place is wide open and indefensible. Maybe people have said this before but, my theory is that this was Michas plan all along. Wanting in on the Van Der Linde Gang to get to Dutch because that bounty of his head is irresistible to not take. And Black water was his first try of getting Dutch either killed or arrested by the Law. But it failed, having underestimated Dutch and his Gang. So he uses this chance of failure to get closer to Dutch. I’m assuming Dutch has always had a feral and psychotic side to him. I’m guessing Dutch is aware of the killer inside of himself however actively chooses against it. I think that he was a genuinely good man trying to keep his inner monster quiet but with Micha by his side, that monsters urges are woken. And I believe that Micha has gotten aware of that too. Dutches only mistake was giving Micha the benefit of the doubt which allowed Micha to manipulate his way into Dutch’s mind.

So now after Strawberry and Robbing that stagecoach Micha had time to think of a new plan to fuck the gang over and collect the bounty on Dutch. Having drilled his words into Dutches head he suggests Dewberry Creek. Having probably been there before he noticed people camping at the spot already.. these need to go. With the money from the O’Driscoll stagecoach robbery he hires guns and tells them to do what ever just get rid of them so the spot is ready for the Gang. Having tipped them off that people will be coming to check the place out first. Why do I think so? Well because my German fellow told Arthur and Charles right away that it’s a Trap.

How can this be a trap when we assume that this is just coincidence? They’ve been tipped off by Micha.

After that things go as planned again for Micha, able to lead the Pinkerton to Clemens point and then the big Bank Robbery in Saint Denis. (He’s even wearing a different suit than the gang)

What wasn’t part of his plan is Guarma. However this again is another opportunity to finally get into Dutches mind and play him like a marionette. Dutch’s mind spiraling after hoseas death, the starvation on Guarma, the sun blasting down on them all this was too much and Dutch lost it. You can see how visibly shaken up he is after Guarma. He’s a shell.

I think that Micha got frustrated that all his plans to lead Dutch into a trap failed that he went to the Pinkertons himself and told them everything. Now able to control Dutch, Arthur’s sickness, the members beginning to leave it all plays into his cards.

As Dutch said; for somebody this all is going exactly to plan.

Thank you for coming to my TED-Talk..

Leave your opinions, please! I’d love to know what yall think about this!

[niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian]

Thank you, Mom

Summary: After spending the last eight months taking care of a alien child with Tom, Maddie never doubted that she was basically becoming a mother-like figure to Sonic the moment he first started to live with them. Now she’s taking care of THREE kids and never felt that feeling more than she has now…and to be honest, it’s quite amazing.

Characters: Maddie Wachowski, Sonic Wachowski, Tails Wachowski, Knuckles Wachowski

Word count: 5.5k

A/N: Inspired by the longing idea of seeing Maddie’s POV at the sudden shift that has happened unexpectedly after the events of Sonic 2 and not only learning to live through it, but end up loving it in the process. Also including this one prompt that I had hidden DEEP away in my docs and found it recently. (Prompt #4 “She sat in the chair, staring into space while the kids charged around above her, yelling at the tops of their voices.” Maddie contemplates how her life has changed in the past year)

==

Dear Mom,

The warmth of her hug, the care in her smile.

The encouragement to keep growing.

The energy to keep learning.

A sunflower does not bloom without sunlight.

A root does not grow without water.

A seed does not sprout without soil.

A mother's love is the air to the poppies standing tall in the field.

The nourishment to blossom and thrive every day.

Thank you Mom. You allowed me to flourish.

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

“Geez, could they be any louder up there?”

Maddie could hear frustration pouring out from her husband’s voice as she sat by him in the chair next to their bed, pausing her writing in her journal and looking over to see him glaring up at the ceiling.

Tom’s face was etched with a desire to simply close his eyes and let sleep come to him, but the muffled voices and timed noises and bumps coming from the ceiling above was making it rather difficult to say the least.

She gave Tom a shrug and went back to writing. “Well, you were the one that told them that Saturday was a ‘fun day with no rest’ and egged them on all afternoon.”

“Yeah, I did that to tire them out.” He emphasized, motioning his arms upwards. “If anything it made them even more hyper than earlier.”

“Hmm, I don’t know what to tell you babe.” Maddie answered, pretending to be uninterested. She could see from the corner of her eye Tom raising his head and stared at her with a perplexed expression that caused her to break her facade in seconds.

“I’m sorry,” she laughed, closing her journal. “You’re acting like you can’t just go up there and tell them to wrap it up for the night.”

Tom pulled himself up so he could see her properly. “Normally I would if it was just Sonic, even then he would just barely listen to me. But now they outnumber me three to one, I’m not risking my safety over the idea of being taken down by kids half my size after knowing what they are capable of.”

Maddie couldn’t help but laugh at Tom’s statement. She watched as he dragged his feet from under the covers, slipped on his slippers and headed towards the door. “If I don't make it back in 5 minutes, tell Wade he can have my limited edition Star Trek dvd collection.”

“Oh hush it, better get going before they become too powerful for you to handle.” She made a face at him as he left the room, closing the door behind him and could hear the ladder to the attic being pulled down.

After a moment, she leaned forward in anticipation and could hear Tom’s muffled voice above followed by a higher, younger voice which she could assume was Sonic since he was quite a chatterbox even at this time of night. The two voices were going back and forth in what she hoped was a civil manner, followed by a more deeper voice, that one was definitely Knuckles and heard the quiet takeover once more.

She leaned back into the chair and began to idly trace a finger around the design of the soft, heart-shaped embroidery covering the journal, smiling softly as she fully felt the embedded weight of the pages that were added during the previous months alone.

After almost a year, you would have thought that something like this would have never happened to the both of them in this little plain life they’ve been living. It was even more ironic that this took place when they were planning to move to San Francisco to start anew with Tom’s new job.

Next thing she knew, her husband brought home an alien from another world, who helped save the town from an insane scientist and was welcomed into their little family.

And to think that in almost nine months that seem to pass by in a flash, after leaving to be at her sister’s wedding for the weekend, that same crazy man would come back and bring another red space alien, who she later found out was a echidna and not a red hedgehog like she originally thought, with him to try and take over the world.

Sonic would then meet another yellow alien, who definitely looked like a fox that could fly with his two tails which was still a sight to see, that would help him save the world, gaining an alliance with the echidna and fight for the safety of the entire world.

That’s not to mention all the crazy stuff with the whole “master emerald is the ultimate weapon for power” stuff and witnessing Sonic become something of a god for a few minutes and thought he was lost to said power forever until he showed that he was alright and taking in his new friends into their home afterwards.

A crazy year for sure, but nothing could ever possibly beat those 2 days of utter unpredictability, these kids were just the beginning of whatever’s coming next.

Continue to read on Ao3

[chickensarentcheap]

A flashback! A little cross-over of sorts. Esme and The Adjudicator

@youflickedtooharddamnit @secretaryunpaid @munstysmind @themaradwrites @mrsmungus @tragiclyhip @theesirenteller @thebejeweledwatercat @kmc1989 @karimac @asirensrage @residentdormouse @ninjasawakenedmystar @alisbackalleybbq

BELOW THE CUT

“Esme Drummond. It wasn’t easy. Finding you. One of the harder challenges I’ve faced. When you ran away, you certainly ran as far as you possibly could.”

She fights to control the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Nervousness. Fear. Forcing herself to remain calm, cool and collected; recalling those days she’d come face to face with evil and had lived to tell about it.

"I never ran away. I had no reason to. I was spared. Given a second chance. And I took it. This is just where it led me to.”

“A second chance you didn’t earn or deserve. A grand injustice occurred. And I’m here to fix it. I’m an adjudicator. Sent by the High Table. I…”

“I know who you are.”

“Then I assume you know why I’m here.”

“I was cut loose. Excommunicated. I haven’t been back to The Continental, I haven’t done any work for anyone associated with them. I’ve kept my distance. Like I was told to. I found other employment. I never…”

“I’m not here because of something you did or didn’t do. I’m here because you never deserved the second chance you were given.”

“I went before the High Table. I defended my case. I had people speak on my behalf. John Wick and Winston…”

“Never should have been allowed their time before the High Table in the first place. It was an erroneous decision. Allowing them to come to your defence. Many others have broken High Table rules and have paid the price. They weren’t given the same treatment you were. It is a stain on the High Table. One they are desperate to wipe out.”

“It’s been three years. Why…?”

“We had a lot of seats open up. Meaning we have many new members. Powerful ones. Who aren’t as understanding or forgiving as their predecessors. And with new faces comes new business.”

“And that has to do with me because…?"

“One of the first orders of business was to review prior decisions. Regarding those who had broken High Table rules. People who had been given reprieve instead of punishment. And your file just happened to be on the list. Although to be honest, you likely would have continued to fly under the radar. Had you not resurfaced…quite spectacularly…in Dhaka.”

Esme frowns. “Dhaka? What does Dhaka have to do with this? What…?”

“Word gets around. Especially in our circle. The defeat of someone like Amir Asif is something to be praised. Celebrated, even. And it wasn’t exactly subdued was it? The way everything went down. It certainly was an attention grabber.”

“Admittedly, things didn’t go exactly as planned. They got a little…messy.”

“To say the least. You practically shot up and burned the entire city down.”

“To be fair, I had help. And I didn’t really do the dirty work.”

“That’s right. You had a partner. An accomplice. Someone watching over you. Keeping you safe. That means you were, what? Aiding and abetting? You can take the girl out of the criminal underworld but you can’t…”

“Do we really have to take a trip down memory lane? It’s not exactly my favourite thing to relive. Dhaka isn’t going to be on any highlight reel of mine.”

“It really wasn’t ALL bad, was it? Those stories have been passed around as well. About you and the mercenary. You were never known as someone who mixed business with pleasure. All part of ‘turning over a new leaf’, I presume? Unless…”

Her eyes narrow. “Unless WHAT?”

“Unless it was part of the game. Maybe you knew latching onto him would be the only way you’d get out of there alive. You had to find a way to guarantee safe passage out of Dhaka, so you decided to do whatever it took. Even if it meant keeping his body AND his bed warm. It’s clever. You’re even more devious than I originally thought. I admire it.”

“That’s not what happened. Not even close.”

“I highly doubt that your behaviour was genuine. That it was love at first sight. You knew the danger you were going into and you knew you had to do whatever it took to secure your survival. Isn’t that what you do? Con people? Have them believe everything you say is true? For your own benefit?”

“It’s what I DID,” she stresses. “I’m not in that life anymore. I gave it up. Back on that bridge. I left the old Esme behind. I’m not her anymore.”

“So you’re admitting it. You used him. Fooled him. In the same way you did so many others.”

“What happened between Tyler and I was real. Everything I felt, everything I said, everything I did, was genuine. There was no pretending. No lying. No manipulating. It was all real. And I don’t care what you or anyone thinks.”

“You do realize that Dhaka was a mess for many reasons, don’t you? You killed one of ours. Someone who was in very good standing with the High Table. Who had made allegiances with the likes of Amir Asif in order to benefit everyone involved. And things were going so smoothly until you showed up there. And stuck your nose where it didn’t belong.”

It suddenly makes so much sense. Nik’s reluctance to call Gaspar; arguing with Tyler that it wasn’t a good idea that they call his old friend and colleague for help. “Gaspar was in the circle? I thought he retired. Walked away from the game. I thought…”

“He walked away from the private sector. Got into something more lucrative. And then you came along and put a few bullets into him. You just can’t keep out of trouble when it comes to us, can you?”

“I didn’t kill him. I didn’t pull the trigger.”

“So the mercenary did.”

“I never said that.”

“Well considering there were only two of you capable of pulling off such a feat….” The adjudicator’s eyes widen; a smirk tugging at their lips. “Unless it was the boy.”

“What happened that night has no bearing on what’s going on right now. I’m not telling you a thing. Not about what went down at Gaspar’s house. Not about Dhaka in general. I know what happened. WHY it happened. In the same way I know that everything that I felt for Tyler…everything we talked about and experienced together…was real. You can’t take that away from me. No matter how hard you try. No one can.”

“While Gaspar’s untimely and bloody demise may not play a direct part in why I’m here, it holds relevance. You were there when it happened, you did nothing to stop it, and you refuse to say who was directly responsible. Therefore, it adds to the reasons you should be punished. And you will be. Punished.”

“And you came all the way here to tell me this? It couldn’t have been handled through a phone call? An email even?”

Their face hardens. Eyes darkening. “Believe me when I tell you that when it comes to this matter, snark is not in your best interest.”

[uptoolateart]

How the Heart Learns to Beat Again

Chapter 2 Preview:

Emilie flung open the wardrobe doors. There was the loud sound of someone opening a suitcase and ploughing through it. She shut the door, a hairbrush in hand, and pulled up a chair at the table. Seated beside Nathalie, she began brushing out her wet hair. The movement of her arm was mesmeric. Gabriel poured her a glass of wine, then sat with them.

‘I don’t suppose you’ve told her why we’re here,’ Emilie said.

Gabriel shook his head and handed her the glass. ‘I thought you’d want to do it together.’

‘I do.’ She took a long sip of the wine, then leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes a moment before opening them and pinning that green stare on their guest. ‘I suppose you’re wondering why a pair like us travelled all the way from Paris just to hunt you down.’

‘It…had crossed my mind,’ Nathalie said. ‘I assume this is some sort of fetish job. A wealthy couple who can get anything they want – sights set on some rare artefact to keep in your personal collection and insure for more than most people would spend in an entire lifetime.’

Another look was exchanged, telling her she was wrong. Whatever they wanted, it wasn’t about the money. She thought back to what Emilie had said about a phone call. In this weather, there was no mobile reception. The only phone in the hotel was an old-fashioned payphone downstairs, outside the entrance. You had to be desperate to use it at a time like this.

Who is Adrien?

Emilie’s gaze was lazy and…seductive? Was that the right word for it? It wasn’t that Nathalie wanted to sleep with her, but there was something persuasive about that look. Something that made her want to give into whatever Emilie suggested.

She glanced back at the girdle, still on the table.

‘We don’t seek more riches,’ Emilie said. ‘We’re not interested in fame or notoriety, either. And this isn’t thrill-seeking. We also don’t wish to become gods, so please, I beg of you: put all such preconceptions out of your mind when I explain what we’re looking for.’

She caressed the rim of her wine glass, eyeing Nathalie under her long, thick eyelashes. As dominating as Gabriel was, Emilie seemed to hold the power here.

‘…okay,’ said Nathalie, hypnotised by the motion of the woman’s finger. ‘What do you seek?’

‘Initially? Immortality – but not for us.’

Nathalie stifled back a laugh. ‘That’s it? Immortality?’

‘But not for us,’ Emilie repeated. ‘Failing that…the power to overcome death. And failing that…the power to undo death.’

‘Oh, of course. Because no human has ever tried for any of that and failed in the most morbid way imaginable.’

‘But we won’t fail,’ Emilie said. There was not the slightest trace of doubt in her voice, not a tremor or pause. She held herself with such poise, as well, her chin up high. Her confidence was a magnetic field reaching out and grabbing Nathalie until she believed they would succeed. If anyone could, it would be them and only them.

‘Who’s dying? Is it Adrien?’ she asked, satisfied when she heard Gabriel’s sharp intake of breath.

But Emilie never wavered. ‘I knew we couldn’t pull one over on you.’ She rewarded Nathalie with a smile, and hell, if that didn’t make something in Nathalie’s chest open, as though she had never known how to breathe until now. ‘You are correct. Adrien – our son – has been diagnosed with a rare blood disease. The doctors say we only have a handful of months left with him.’

‘And you’re spending them here with me, instead of savouring every precious moment you have left with your child?’

It was Gabriel who replied – snapped, more like, his blue eyes suddenly like ice, freezing her on the spot. ‘We are not abandoning our child, if that’s what you mean. Until you have sat at your child’s bedside, watching him waste away a little more each day, powerless in the face of biology, you know nothing of what we have gone through. We are not wasting time. We were wasting time by remaining with him and doing nothing.’

He was breathing hard, his chest heaving and hands trembling around his glass, which he now set down, perhaps worried he might throw it across the room and smash it against a wall – or maybe throw it at her. His stare remained on her, locking her in her chair and sealing her throat from bringing up any words of reply.

And yet, he was beautiful in his rage. Somewhere in the world, her father may still be out there, feeling nothing of what Gabriel felt for his child. Once, she’d had a mother who felt none of this, either.

Keep reading at Ao3

After years of adventuring, recovering lost mythical treasures from every ancient culture ever known, Nathalie meets the man and woman who will change her life forever. A backstory covering the recovery of the miraculous, Adrien’s creation, Emilie’s passing, and Nathalie’s point of view on the events of the show.

[slasherhaven]

Hello! I adore your blog so much! Just a quick question, are you planning on doing part2 of 'Disruptive', Thomas x reader hc? Maybe reader finds out what happend to Ian and Cecilia (those were the names, right?)

Thomas Hewitt X Reader

Part 1 HERE

Disruptive Part 2:

Luda May had tried to shield you from the fate of your friends but you knew what was happening as soon as you heard Hoyt's gun go off. She held you as you cried, both from the feelings of betrayal and from the violence taking place outside.

She had continued to comfort you during the days following their deaths, shushing you and reassuring you. She had tried to get Thomas to see you, to take her role in comforting you, but he had refused each time. He was sure that you wouldn't ever want to look at him again, never mind be comforted by him. So, he took to avoiding you, assuming Luda May would bring you more comfort than anything else could.

Everything had happened so fast but you had managed to wrap your head around the main points and come to terms with them. Ian and Cecilia were dead, the family that you were now living with had killed them.

It was scary at first but the family never seemed to wish you any harm, Luda May always assured you of that. Even Hoyt refrained from threatening you or scaring you, apparently he hadn't been fond of your friends but had no real problem with you since you had been the polite one. Still, neither he or Monty went out of their way to make you feel particularly welcome.

In the end, you couldn't say you mourned your ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend all that much, considering the betrayal they had committed. More than anything, you had been afraid about what your time in the house would mean for you. But...it had never meant you any harm, and you believed they would continue to welcome you in their home.

Luda May had apologised for your loss, apologised for what the family did but assured you that you were safe here. She had also asked you not to blame Tommy.

Some time passed and the family trusted you to move freely around the residence. You were still polite and undeservingly kind to the family, helping with chores and assimilating with the family relatively easily. You were a welcomed addition in everyone's eyes.

Still, Thomas was avoiding you and you had become highly aware of it. Now that everything had calmed down, you could notice the lack of the large man in every room you walked into. At first you thought it was a coincidence, now you were certain he was avoiding you on purpose.

Despite wishing that Thomas wouldn't keep avoiding you, you hadn't had much chance to confront him about it. At least, until today.

The house was pretty quiet and you were in the kitchen, having just finished some chores when you glanced out of the window. From your position at the window, you could see Thomas outside by the collection of cars. Hoyt must have asked him to strip down the newest car, the car you had arrived in.

You smiled to yourself, determined to take the chance to speak with him. Grabbing a chilled glass from the tray, you hurried outside and skipped down the steps.

It reminded you of a graveyard, cars in various states of distress lined up in the field. Some stripped down to their frames, others barely touched but parts rusting away.

"Thomas" you spoke as you approached him, getting his attention since his back was to you. You bit back a small laugh when he jumped and turned to face you, clearly surprised by your presence.

"It's hot, I thought you would like a drink" you offered as you held out the glass of freshly made iced lemonade.

He looked a little suspicious of your offer at first but his face soon softened before he took the glass from you.

He tensed some more when he realised what he had been doing as you approached. He glanced back at the before, looking nervously at you before hanging his head.

Even though he didn't say anything, it was like you could read his mind. He was worried that you would be upset about him stripping your car for parts.

"Don't worry. It was Ian's car, you can do whatever you want with it" you assured him with a small shrug, lazily kicking the flat tyre as if to further your point.

Thomas nodded, relaxing slightly, before drinking from the glass that you had so generously provided him.

You rocked back and forth on your feet for a moment as it fell silence, feeling a little awkward and sensing the tension in the air.

"Have you been avoiding me?" you finally asked, deciding there was no point dancing around the subject.

Thomas just shifted his weight, unsure of how to answer. He could be honest and say 'yes', but he knew that would sound rude, and surely you wanted him to avoid you. Or he could lie and say 'no', but he didn't want to lie to you and he knew you already knew the truth.

"It's alright if you have, I get it" you reassured him, not wanting him to feel guilty for it. "Just stop, okay?...I'm not mad at you and...and I miss you" you confessed, noticing how his eyes widened slightly at your words.

How could you miss him? You had only known him for a day before he started avoiding you. He supposed the only real company you had now was Luda May, so maybe...that was why you 'missed' him. He couldn't wrap his head around you having forgiven him and wanting to have him around.

"I have to get back before Luda May finds me gone but stop avoiding me, okay?" you spoke again when he didn't really respond.

This time, Thomas nodded, making you smile before running back towards the house. Thomas smiled to himself as he watched you run back into the house, hoping that you really had meant it and he wouldn't have to avoid you any more.

Thomas was true to his word and stopped avoiding you. Conversations should have been a little awkward but you found any silences comfortable and you kept the conversation flowing. He didn't talk, you had learnt that for sure now, but he listened intently and always responded in what ways he could.

Now, you spent more time with him that any other Hewitt. Now, he did the opposite of avoiding you. He was always around, seeking you out just for your friendly company.

You were thankful for those developments but a new concern was worming its way into your mind. Even when he wasn't around, you were thinking about him, you couldn't wait until you saw him again. Whenever he was around, you would smile, practically giddy to be around him again.

Could you be developing feelings for Thomas?

From the first day you met him, defending him behind the gas station, you had thought he was sweet. You had also found him attractive, tall with broad shoulders and strong arms. God, you wondered what those arms would feel like wrapped around you.

You could never make out all of his facial features because of his mask but you could see his eyes. Oh, how you adored his eyes. They were expressive and beautiful. You wanted to tell him that whenever you could see him doubting himself.

You wondered if he would ever take his mask off around you, if he would ever let you see his face. You had heard from Luda May that he had some sort of skin condition and that was what he was hiding, but you didn't care. You just wanted to see him...maybe he would even let you k-

"I'm so glad you and Thomas are talking again" Luda May's voice brought you out of your thoughts, reminding you of where you were. You were in the kitchen, helping cook supper, but had completely zoned out with thoughts of Thomas.

"He's a good boy and he likes you, he's just a little shy" she smiled to herself. She obviously loved Thomas and it did make you smile, it was sweet.

You sighed and you collected yourself, practically deflating as you pushed away the thoughts about Thomas. Yes, you could be honest with yourself, you had developed a crush on Thomas but it surely didn't matter. You doubted he returned your feelings, even despite how highly Luda May claimed he thought of you.

"It's alright, he was just worried about everything that happened..." you cleared your throat, hoping she hadn't seen the change in expression on your face. You didn't feel like being questioned about it right now. "Do you want me to come to the gas station with you tomorrow?" you asked, changing the subject. You didn't like the idea of her walking down there on her own.

"No, that's alright, dear. Hoyt is going to drive me up" Luda May assured you and you nodded. "I'll ask Tommy to help you out with some chores tomorrow, I'm sure he won't mind helping" she offered.

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle it" you shook your head, able to handle some clean up on your own.

"Trust me, dear, Tommy will be happy to help" she insisted, giving you a knowing look.

You were sure she knew something you didn't, but you couldn't question her about it because Thomas had walked into the room, making you both look back at him.

"Hey Tommy, we're almost done with supper" you told him with a smile.

"Would you help Y/n clean up after breakfast tomorrow?" Luda May asked and Thomas nodded without hesitation.

"Thank you, Tommy" you smiled at him. You tried to hide it but Luda caught the light blush on your cheeks as you turned back to the task at hand.

The next morning, Thomas kept his promise. Hoyt was taking Luda May to the gas station, Monty was passed out in front of the television, and Thomas had come to help you clean up in the kitchen. Well, he was supposed to be helping but he was basically doing it all, not letting you help when you tried.

He had been working in a comfortable silence for a while, as your mind ran while. You watched him work, watching the muscles of his back moving under his shirt, smiling at him whenever he glanced over his shoulder at you.

Sometimes you thought he might return some of your feelings but then your newfound insecurities would show their ugly faces. You used to be so confident in yourself, able to take rejection with understanding, it wouldn't shake you. But now you doubted yourself, now you couldn't stand the idea of Thomas not thinking you were enough.

You sat on the kitchen table, where Thomas had placed you and silently ordered you to stay making you laugh, and anxiously picked at the wood with your nails.

"Thomas?" you finally spoke, making him look at you. "Do I talk too much?" you asked. Ian had believed you were too much, too chatty at times, too eager, just too much and yet not enough all at the same time.

Thomas instantly shook his head. He honestly liked how much you talked, that you even wanted to talk to him in the first place. Your face would light up as you rambled about something that had happened that day, and it made his chest feel warm. He couldn't help it but smile whenever you talked so happily, even about the most mundane things.

You almost smiled but not quite. He seemed to be being honest, you didn't talk too much. He didn't think like Ian had...but that didn't help much.

"...do you think I'm attractive?" you asked quietly after a short moment of silence. You never thought you were the most attractive person in the world but you had been comfortable in your own skin, at least until you found out your boyfriend had been fucking your best friend for months. There had to be a reason for Ian to betray you like that, you must have done something wrong.

Thomas paused at your question, his eyes widening.

Surely this was a trick question, how was he supposed to answer that? Of course he did! Of course he thought you were attractive, but would you think it was weird if he said that?

Thomas had thought you were attractive from the first moment he saw you. He thought you were the kindest and bravest person he had met since you took that punch for him, and still smiled up at him like he was worth it. Ever since your first encounter with each other, he was smitten with you. And those feelings had only grown as he spent more time with you. He absolutely adored you. God, he wished he could tell you all of that...

You took his silence as a negative response. He didn't answer because he didn't want to hurt you...

"Sorry, you don't have to answer that..." you hung your head, looking down at your lap. You shouldn't have put him in that position, you shouldn't have asked.

Thomas panicked a little, the last thing he wanted to do was make you feel bad. He just hadn't wanted to make you uncomfortable. He took a breath, trying to build up his confidence, before walking over to you.

You looked down at where your hand lay on the table when you felt Thomas' much larger one rest over yours. You teared your gaze away and looked up at him. He just nodded once you were finally looking at him again.

"Thanks, Tommy" you smiled. "I think you're attractive too" you confessed.

He pulled his hand away then, looking down at his feet. You were just being kind, saying what you were meant to say, or just straight up making fun of him.

"Hey" you frowned, quickly catching his hands in both of yours. "I mean it" you promised him as he met your gaze again, still looking unsure. "You doubt yourself too much, think too lowly of yourself" he tensed when you released on of his hands, bringing your hand up to his mask. "I don't know exactly why you wear this but I promise, whenever you feel like you can take it off around me, I will still think you're attractive" you promised, tugging on his hand to pull him closer.

Thomas let you pull him closer, swallowing the lump in his throat as he came to stand between your legs, hand still in yours. He had to do something, he had to savour the moment. Could you really be being honest with him?

He lifted his free hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, making you smile softly up at him. He still didn't talk but you knew what he was saying. You too. You shouldn't doubt yourself, you were everything he could ever want, and he did want you.

Since you didn't pull away, Thomas' confidence began to grow. The hand he had hovering around your face gently cupped your cheek and he swore his heart skipped a beat when you nuzzled your face into his large palm.

Thomas wasn't Ian. Thomas clearly cared deeply about you, he wouldn't betray you, he wouldn't hurt you like Ian had.

You placed your hand over the only he held against your cheek, turning your head to press a kiss to his palm. Thomas just looked at you in complete awe.

It made him think back to the man you had arrived with, your boyfriend, Ian. How could Ian ever betray you like he did. Thomas had met your friend, Cecilia, and sure she was pretty but nothing when compared to you. And she wasn't even half as kind. Thomas would never hurt you like that, he couldn't even fathom it.

Here you were, tenderly kissing his palm and looking at him...lovingly, if he didn't know any better.

The sound of the front door slamming closed made you both jump, Thomas' hand falling from your face and landing instinctively on you thigh as you both turned towards the door of the kitchen.

"What the fu-" Hoyt began but cut himself off with a sigh and a shake of his head. "Y'know what, I don't wanna know. Just not in the fucking kitchen" he snarled before grabbing a beer from the fridge and leaving the room.

Both you and Thomas blushed at the implications of what Hoyt had thought you'd been doing, Thomas stepping away from you with an almost apologetic look.

"It's alright, Tommy" you smiled as you hopped down from the table. "Let finish up cleaning, okay?" you asked and he just nodded, assuming you were about to just ignore whatever the moment was that you both shared.

You smiled up at him again, taking your hand in his and lacing your fingers through his, before guiding him back across the kitchen.

[huggybug]

can you do a blurb about them finding out it’s 5 babies instead of one?

very short kinda intro to this blurb collection bahahh. send blurb reqs in!!!

“I seriously think something’s wrong Luke” You said as you looked at your body in the mirror.

“I’m sure everything’s fine. Just ask the doctor to do like a full check up or whatever” Luke’s voice crackled through your phone speaker. It was scary enough that you felt like something was up but without him even in the country while you had to go to your first doctors appointment, it was sending you down a spiral.

You found out you were pregnant last week, luckily Luke was in town that time. The symptoms had been happening for a week so on his way home from practice one day, Luke stopped to grab a pregnancy test and you two sat on the cold bathroom tile together as you waited for it to process.

It was a surprise but you weren’t unhappy about it. You and Luke discussed before that it was a good time to start trying and whatever happens will happen, however you ended up getting pregnant a lot faster than expected.

“I wish you could be here” You sighed, running a hand over the bump that had already started to show a little.

“Me too babe, send me updates, okay?” You agreed and Luke said he had to go, wishing you good luck and reminding you again to text him as soon as you knew.

…

“Let’s see if we can get a heartbeat…” You took a deep breath as your doctor spread the cold gel across your stomach. “Hm…” Your heart rate spiked when she looked closer at the ultrasound machine.

“Is everything okay?” You ask.

“Yeah, there’s just… do you have a history of twins or triplets in your family?”

“No…”

“Well I definitely found the heartbeat” She smiled while turning the screen to face you. You squinted, trying to understand what you were looking at as five circles appeared. “There’s multiple heartbeats”

“Five?” You ask, assuming that the circled blobs are the babies and she nods, causing a wave of nausea to wash over your body.

Your mom was the first person you called.

“FIVE?” She yelled through the phone and you winced, pulling it away from your ear.

“Yeah…” You weren’t sure what to say, you had been at a loss for words ever since your doctor told you that it was quintuplets. That’s five babies, just roaming around in your uterus.

“Oh ma poupette… what are you going to do?” You pale at the french nickname from your childhood slipping out, something that only happens when your mother is seriously worried.

“I have to tell Luke” You say with wide eyes. It had just occurred to you that Luke was still across the country, not due home until tomorrow night and you absolutely did not want to tell him this over the phone.

“Wait until he’s home mon ange, do you want me to come stay with you?”

“I’ll be fine, he’s back tomorrow”

“Okay, call me if you need anything, I’ll be on the next flight out” Your parents lives in Michigan, actually not too far from Luke’s family but you had no doubt that your mom would come up to New Jersey at the first ring of her phone.

“Thank you, I’ll talk to you later” Now, you just had to figure out what to tell Luke.

You decided on texting him, letting him know everything was okay but that you were tired and we’re heading to bed. Since he had a game tonight, you figured the schedules and time difference would make it hard enough that you wouldn’t even get the chance to call him until he got home the next day.

…

“Babe?” Your heart jumped when Luke entered your house. You had been waiting for him, knowing his flight touched down about an hour ago, an hour which you spent trying to talk yourself up to get the confidence to tell him.

“Hey Lu, I’m in here” You heard his footsteps coming closer and then he appeared, smiling widely when he saw you. “How was your flight?” You tried to keep your breathing steady as you listened to him talk about the chaos Jack and Ty made on the plane.

“… but enough about that, tell me about the doctor”

“So…” You took a deep breath, “When she did the ultrasound, she found more than one heartbeat”

“No way. Twins?” Luke asked enthusiastically and you chuckled awkwardly.

“Um… no there’s… five” Luke laughed. He started laughing so hard tears came to his eyes and you just stared at him, completely frozen, unsure of what to do.

“You’re joking right?” Luke asked once he calmed down, concern flickering through his eyes when he noticed how serious you were being. You shook your head and you could feel hot tears stinging your eyes. “Oh baby…” Luke pulled you into his arms gently and held you close as you cried. You weren’t sure if it was from the hormones or because you were overwhelmed but you couldn’t stop.

“I- I don’t know what we’re going to do” You sniffled as you caught your breath. “I can’t do this alone”

“What do you mean? I’m gonna be here babe” Luke said, confused as to how you thought that he wouldn’t be there to help.

“You’re gone half the time Luke” The only upside right now was that the babies due date was in May so he’d be home for the first part but you knew that you’d need more than just four months of another set of hands.

“We’ll figure it out, don’t worry”

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Slumbering Hearts (Alcina Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 2

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for language Warnings: None Summary: In a wicked twist of fate, you find out your soulmate is none other than your employer, Lady Dimitrescu. To your misery, she (at first) seems equally displeased, her heart already belonging to another. But in time, the two of you find yourselves wondering… could the universe be right, after all? Soulmate AU in which every person has a unique “soul mark”, which they share with their soulmate. Notes: Reader gets a bit of a backstory here, with just enough concrete details to serve the plot in future chapters. Hopefully enough is kept vague for people to enjoy it. Now... Time to meet your new kids-in-law/the gremlins :) Previous Chapters: 1: In The Shadow Of Giants

2: Uncertain Destinations

“You already know my name, as well as my fate, and I have neither threats nor demands to make of you. I am at your mercy, regrettably, with nothing more to say. Shall we consider ourselves ‘introduced’? Or is there more you wish to ask of me?” You wonder, eying ‘Alcina’ with a bored expression. It felt odd to refer to her that way, even within the confines of your mind. She had been ‘Lady Dimitrescu’ for as long as you could remember; starting with your years in the village, and continuing through your months here at the castle. One day, perhaps, you would grow used to calling her by her first name. For now, you simply hoped to focus on other matters.

“Tell me of yourself, your past. Who were you before you came here?” Alcina asks, surprising you. What did it matter, now that you were stuck here? At first you shrug, avoiding eye contact, not wanting to open yourself up to her. But before long she’s placed a hand on your shoulder, applying just enough pressure to encourage you to speak. You win this round, you think.

“Somehow I doubt you’ll find it terribly interesting. I was born in the outskirts of the village, on a small farm, just like any other. I had a pet dog, went to ‘school’ with my neighbors, and spent my weekends volunteering with the church. The only thing you might not expect is that I lived outside the village for about a decade. Traveled for a while, never really staying anywhere for terribly long. Eventually, I got tired, and so I came back to help my parents with what little property they had left,” you explain, quietly. Being vague had been intentional, considering the nature of a few details. Did she need to know why you had left? Or that you had once revered Mother Miranda?... No, because if she learned that, it would not be long before she learned that you had changed your mind years ago. Something told you that she wouldn’t appreciate your lack of faith in her mistress. “That was six months ago, roughly. Barely got to spend time with my parents before I was ‘donated’ to the staff here.”

“Not many ever leave the village. Those that do rarely, if ever, return. How particular,” Alcina replies, giving a soft hum. There’s something in her expression that tells you she’ll eventually ask you to elaborate. For now, however, she seems content to move on. Internally you sigh in relief. “I suppose this is sufficient to sate my curiosity, for the time being. Now come with me, I’d like to introduce you to my daughters, to ensure that they understand you are… off limits.” With that said she stands, once more reminding you just how small and fragile you are in comparison, before heading towards the exit. You’re nearly forced to jog in order to keep up with her long strides. As she leads you through hallways, down a flight of stairs, and past several nervous looking maidens, she slows down the slightest bit, having eventually noticed your struggle. Admittedly, that’s more kindness than you would have anticipated. Perhaps she was used to adjusting her pace for her daughters?

Whatever the reason, you do appreciate it. Still, by the time you arrive at your destination, the castle’s library, your legs are feeling the smallest bit sore. Brushing off the ache, you follow Alcina inside. Then you’re taking in the sights, having not been here before, admiring the impressive collection. Glad I’m not responsible for cleaning this place, you think as you pass by dozens of filled shelves. Before long you encounter the three daughters. They’re sitting in a semi-circle, each with their own book, though they’re quick to sit up once they spy their mother. One by one they’re smiling up at her, not even sparing you a moment’s glance. Admittedly you’re glad for that. What good could come from their attention, especially when they don’t yet know who you ‘truly’ are?

“I’m glad to see you’re all in one place, my darlings. There has been a… development, of sorts,” Alcina says, speaking in the same tone one might use to address a faculty meeting. In a less intimidating household, it would have been much harder to hold in a laugh. Was this always how she spoke to her children? For their sake, you hoped not (though the concept was amusing). Regardless, it is at this point that the daughters notice you, with one of them looking intrigued enough to send a shiver down your spine. You’re pretty sure her name is Daniela, being the only one you haven’t met before today. A toothy grin spreads on her lips, and once you make eye contact you swear that she winks at you. This literally could not be any worse, you think, unable to stop yourself from frowning.

“Does it have to do with this little thing?” Daniela purrs, taking a step towards you. Instantly both Alcina and yourself are tensing up. While your soulmate shifts in front of you, an incredibly faint rosy tint to her cheeks, all you can do is pinch the bridge of your nose between two fingers.

“This ‘little thing’ is not your newest playtoy, Daniela. Rather, they are my-” she hesitates, disliking the way the word feels in her mouth- “soulmate. I expect the three of you to behave, understood? At the very most, you are allowed to prevent them from leaving the premises, but even then I expect you to remain gentle. Have I made myself clear?” Alcina asks. Now she’s not the only one blushing, as Daniela looks so embarrassed that you wonder if she’ll pass out. Maybe now you’ll think twice about flirting with everyone you meet, you think, remembering the various rumors you’ve heard about her. For a moment, part of you imagines what your relationship with her would look like, were you to continue ‘courting’ her mother. Could this be a moment you could torment her with for life? Get some cheeky revenge for all the maidens who couldn’t risk it? A lovely thought, though one soon interrupted.

“Of course, mother. We will not lay a single finger on them, unless we have no other choice. Right, sisters?” Bela replies, turning to her siblings with an expectant look. Neither of them seem terribly pleased, but they nod, each giving their own verbal affirmations. All three spend a few moments glancing you over, reevaluating you now that they know who you are, appraising your worth. It’s not hard to imagine that they all find you lacking- at least in comparison to their mother. “Are introductions in order? We’ve met before, but I hardly know anything about them. It would be… nice to properly meet the newest edition to our family.” The way Bela says the words makes you nervous, and the way Cassandra grins only worsens the feeling.

“If you desire such, I see no reason to forgo such a thing. Perhaps the three of you could give them a tour? I must return to my duties, and I doubt they have seen much of the castle, given their… former occupation,” Alcina admits, softly. Was this a confirmation that you’d no longer have to spend every day working yourself to the bone? On one hand you were somewhat relieved, but you also regretted the possible loss of your preferred coping method. Worse, were you really going to spend who knows how long with the dreaded Dimitrescu daughters? They were going to rip you to shreds, at least verbally, you were sure of it. How could you ever meet their expectations? If they were anything like their mother, you would never be enough to satisfy them. Or at least that is what you assumed.

“I’ve seen a fair bit,” you interject, awkwardly, hating the way it brings everyone’s gaze back to you. Alcina’s lips twitch, as she fights back a frown. Evidently she didn’t appreciate you countering her suggestion.

“Please, we insist,” Bela fires back, a pleasant tone covering her thinly-veiled animosity. “I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time getting to know each other. You do want to learn more about your soulmate’s children, don’t you?” Something about the way she speaks makes you want to laugh. When you smile back at her, it’s without a hint of any placating intentions, rather a dewdrop of mischief. Bold of her to assume that you wanted to make her mother happy. After all, it was clear from her phrasing that this was a ‘test’, a ruse to ‘reveal your true colors’ to Alcina. But you were as uneasy about your part in this as Bela was, neither of you finding yourself a suitable match for Alcina. Despite the way she narrows her eyes at you, her mother is smiling again, glad that she had a way to keep you occupied for the time being.

“It’s settled then,” she says, moving to give each of her daughters a kiss on top of their heads. They giggle at the affection, looking rather proud of themselves. Then she turns to you, hesitating, clearly having the instinct to give you a kiss as well. Half of you wants to stand on your tippy-toes, expectantly, wondering if she’d do it (and how flustered it would make her). Instead, you pretend not to notice, accepting the awkward shoulder pat she ends up giving you. “I will see you this evening, for dinner. Do try to enjoy yourself. But don’t forget-” she leans in until her mouth is right next to your ear, breath tickling your neck- “behave yourself. I will not tolerate any tomfoolery, understood?” Alcina does not pull away until you’ve nodded, and you do not relax until the library door has shut behind her.

Except now you’re alone with her daughters. Wonderful.

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

Dealing with finances was not, to put it simply, Alcina’s ‘favorite’ activity. Although she employed someone to handle the majority of the paperwork, she made sure to go over it herself to ensure accuracy. There were many aspects to her business, being both legitimate and illegitimate, technically. One could never be too careful about their records. After all, failing to file tax returns had taken down Al Capone, of all people. Who was to say that such a mistake, or one in a similar vein, could not damage House Dimitrescu? Certainly it wouldn’t be enough to ruin them entirely, but it could lead to certain ‘nuisances’ bothering the village. At the end of the day, Alcina cared more about the impact it would have on Mother Miranda than anything else, even the possible decline of her household.

A nasty habit, really. Few knew the extent of her self-entitled devotion to the cult leader. The only bond that ran deeper was that she had with her daughters, who meant more to her than she could ever vocalize. Even then, she viewed them as a gift from Miranda, which in turn strengthened her love for the woman. Now that love leaked into everything she did. With a flourish of her pen, she signed away some of this month’s earnings. So what if she already ‘donated’ a large portion of her income to the village and its leader? Certainly this was a way to show the level of her devotion? Certainly Miranda would take notice, eventually? Praise her for it? Take Alcina’s hand in her own, thumb caressing her skin, eyes filled with a long-sought affection?...

The sound of passing footsteps brings her back into the moment, and Alcina stares down at the mountain of paperwork she’d yet to approve. With a deep sigh she readjusts her reading glasses, sets the finished document aside, then gets back to work. A part of her mind soon starts to drift to other subjects. To you, primarily. Would your affection be easier to gain? Steadier?... But could it, in any way, compare to Miranda’s? No matter how she tries to brush the thoughts away, they nip at her heels, circling her head like vultures. Only time would give her the relief she so desperately sought.

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

“So, don’t tell me you really think you’re my mother’s soulmate, right?” Cassandra says, somewhat grumbling, as you trail behind Bela. It’s less than five minutes into the tour, with the siblings having behaved so far, focused on actually showing you around. At her words, both her sisters started walking slower. Their gazes were still locked ahead of themselves. The way they positioned themselves, however, made it clear that they were listening. “Is it some elaborate scheme, hmm? Did you spend a dozen hours with the other servants, noting every last detail about her soul mark, before copying it? Do you really think that you’ll get away with this?” Well, ‘twas good to know who the most paranoid of the three were.

“Ah, yes, it’s all a great, horrible ruse. You’ve caught me red-handed, I’m afraid,” you chime, sarcastically. A hand goes to your forehead as you fake faintness. “I’m just so desperate to be scrutinized by yourself and your mother, to have my every movement watched, to somehow be less free than I already was. I simply… cannot… believe… that you saw through my bluff.” With that you give a dramatic sigh, pausing in the hallway to give Cassandra a judgemental look. If not for Alcina’s instructions to keep you safe, you’re certain she would have beheaded you on the spot. “I’m not claiming to understand the universe’s decision. But I’m also not giving up immediately, no matter how much the three of you scare me.” At that, Bela stops in her tracks, slowly turning to you. Instinctively you go to take a step backwards, only for Cassandra to catch you, holding you in place. Next thing you know, the oldest daughter is grabbing your head, staring you right in the eyes.

“Answer one question, and maybe I’ll make sure you don’t fall victim to some tragic, unfortunate accident. Can you see yourself loving my mother?” Bela asks, more intense than you’ve ever seen her before. Despite that, you don’t tremble, swallowing your fear long enough to reply.

“Honestly? I don’t know. She’s terrifying… and beautiful. Cruel to some of the maidens I’ve met… and loving to you three. I… I don’t know if I can love her,” you admit, gulping. “But isn’t that part of the point of trying? To find out? I am going to try, for both my sake and hers, to love her. To cherish her. What more would you ask of me? I cannot tell you how the days to come will go, whether or not your mother will enjoy them, or even whether she could love me. This is not a situation you can threaten into resolving the way you want it to. So let me go, finish the tour, and give me a chance. You owe your mother that much, do you not?” Soon enough the hands keeping you in place loosen their grip, and Bela turns away with a scoff. Honestly, you can hardly believe that your little speech worked. You aren’t given much time to celebrate, however, as the sisters quickly resume their walking. Before long, Daniela is speaking up between giggles.

“I like this one already.”

[thewritingstar]

Everything Changes

Super excited to post another fic for the Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2022 for @ftguildevents 

Please go check out the super cool art that @wolfcry77 made. Im in awe at the absolute talent that went into the piece and I hope that I did the artwork justice.

Artwork Here  Go check it out :) 

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy some Nalu :) 

Pairing: Nalu 

TW: Mentions of blood, fighting, losing an arm 

---

The mission was going horribly wrong.

It had been a grueling ten days of non stop searching and putting together clues as if they were some type of murder mystery.

“Come on Natsu, pay attention.” Lucy scolded him for the tenth time today.

He was beyond exhausted and he could tell from the amount of yawns she was trying to hide, she was getting there too.

“Luce. We have been at this for hours, can’t we just take a break or have one of your spirits solve it?” Natus complained…again.

The blonde rolled her eyes and shut her book. “I can’t just make my spirits do our dirty work.”

“They battle for you.” He smirked and dodged a book being tossed towards him.

“That's different! This-” She gestured to the books and maps. “This is what we are being paid to do. If we find out where their base is then we can find them. Simple.”

“It’s not simple, we haven't figured it out yet.”

“No, I haven't figured it out yet. You’ve been drooling on a cookbook for almost an hour.”

“See! Even the books say we should eat.” He tried.

Lucy exhaled and shifted through some more papers. “Why don’t you go grab lunch and then bring some back for me. I’m not really hungry right now and I feel like a breakthrough is going to happen.”

Natsu stood and shrugged. “Fine but if you don’t find anything in an hour, you are taking a break.”

“Whatever.” She replied and continued to read.

He found his way out of the library and towards a row of shops they haven't gotten a chance to explore yet. Not only was this mission boring and taking too long, something else had started to irritate him.

He was told that this would be the time that symptoms of his problem would surface. As long as he stayed calm and collected, he would have no trouble keeping whatever was lurking in his body at bay. That would have been easier for someone who could stay calm but his eagerness and tendencies to jump the gun on things wasn’t helping him much.

What also wasn’t helping was going on a solo mission with Lucy. Happy was called to help Carla and PantherLily on another mission and while he had no doubt that Lucy could hold her own, having a flying cat with them was always reassuring.

Natsu chose a random deli from the shops and grabbed whatever was the most appetizing while getting Lucy something of her own. He picked up a few dessert items knowing that she had a bit of a sweet tooth and since she had been working non-stop reading and searching for answers, he was sure a brownie or cupcake would put her in a better mood.

The sun was high in the sky and beating down on him by the time he reached the library again. A strange twinge in his hand caused him to look down and he almost panicked when he saw that his nails looked much longer and much sharper to his dismay.

“Shit.” He said to himself and dropped the bag of food next to Lucy before shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Natsu you’re never going to believe this! I found their base! Or well, clues to it. I am assuming that this location is where they are hiding and if we leave now, we can make it there by sundown for a surprise ambush.” She pointed to one of the maps that had a dense forest area and certain rocky formations.

“These mages focus their magic on nature and their ability to change the layout of the areas around them. They have been known for smuggling expensive cargo and stealing from wandering guilds. They can get away with this because they can alter the pathways of the trees and cause it to become like a maze.” Lucy continued.

“Great so now we get to go get lost in a bunch of trees.” Natsu jokes.

Lucy patted him on the back. “Well if worse comes to worse you can start a forest fire.”

“Fine by me.” He shrugged.

“That was a joke, please don't burn down any trees. I don’t think our planet can handle it.”

“I am making no promises babe.” He winked, causing her to smile.

—

By the time they reach the edge of their location, the sun has started to set. A mix of oranges and reds fill the sky and he knew that if they weren't here for business, Lucy would beg him to take him to the tallest hill so they could watch it together.

Natsu follows Lucy as they try to memorize their surroundings. He was starting to get antsy and his head washed over with the same twinge as before.

“You okay?” Lucy called from behind as she heard him grunt.

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut trying to ignore the way his stomach curled as if he were on a train.

“Do not think of trains right now.” He scolded himself.

Slowly he raised his hand to the top of his head and pulled back quickly. “Uh Luce you go on ahead, I’m going to, uh, the bathroom?”

“Alright but don’t take too long.” She said not bothering to turn around as she was busy drawing her own map.

Quickly he ran behind a tree and put his hand up to the top of his head. Two small bumps were emerging from his scalp.

“Horns?” He whispered with concern. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He didn’t feel as if they were that big yet so he fluffed up his hair and hoped that his height advantage over the blonde would be able to conceal them. Quickly he caught up to Lucy as they found a clearing in the middle.

“I don’t remember this on the map?” Lucy said.

“Maybe we missed it.” He suggested.

“Or maybe, they know we are here.”

The forest floor rumbled and all of a sudden they heard a group of voices.

Five men approached them, each staring the pair down with an evil hunger in their eyes.

“Looks like we have some fresh meat here.” One says.

The feeling of a good fight didn’t sink in with Natsu as it usually does. He needs to stay in control and not let his new powers take over. They are clearly outmatched by numbers but they don’t seem that big of a threat. It wasn’t long until they began, all clearly on the same page that one team will win while the other will lose.

The battle starts the way it always had. A small stand off. Natsu and Lucy on one-side, determination coursing through their veins while the ones they were trying to defeat looked down on them like they were some kind of bugs. Usually it was Natsu who ran head first into battle. He could claim the first strike and set the tone for the entire team, but not today.

He was silent and still. His fists that were usually up and ready to blast an inferno of flames, were at his side waiting. Just waiting. Lucy's side glance made him shiver but he couldn’t meet her eyes. No not now.

Lucy turned to ask him something but he refuses to even let her get closer than she already is. His feet take off and now he’s letting a ring of fire do the talking.

He can hear her voice call out to her gates. Feel the way she commands power and respect with every attack. And he can smell her intoxicating scent more than he used to.

“Ignore it.” He whispers to himself.

“Let me play.” Something inside of him stirs and he chokes down a cough.

It can’t happen again. Not now. Not ever.

But it's been harder and harder to keep whatever hellscape inside him at bay.

His thoughts disappeared as he looked at the scene. Out of the five dark mages, four had been taken down and Lucy was up against the last on her own. He should help her. He should keep his distance though.

“She's strong, she can do it.” He says to himself as he takes a step back. Maybe he can get a grip and control the beast before it gets any worse.

“Open Gate of the-”

Natsu froze in his tracks as a scream rips through the forest. The sound turned his blood into a boil.

He turns to face the dark mage, to see Lucy kicking his ass, but the scream came from her. His eyes shoot wide open as he stares at the scene before him.

Lucy’s face twisted in pain and a hand around her neck stopping the scream. Lying on the ground with blood dripping is her left arm. That man just ripped Lucy’s arm right off.

And suddenly he can’t breathe.

He watches as Lucy's body hits the ground. Her scream belts from her lips and something within him snaps.

No amount of breathing or trying to relax could help the beast take over. He feels the small horns spike up and his skull rings with a thunderous pain. His nails turn to full claws and he knows that his normal pointed smile has sharpened tremendously.

It’s as if the world had faded to black and all he can see is red. There's no time for thinking as he lets out a roar of his own and an inferno of flames surrounds him.

“I’m going to kill him.” Natsu yells, his voice significantly deeper. And all control he thought he had is now lost.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

That's all he can hear as he grabs Lucy in his arms and places her safely down.

“Natsu-” She calls but he doesn’t have time to listen.

Instead he charges towards the man. He wants him dead with his blood on his hands. He grabs the man by the shirt and throws him into the air with his new found strength. Using his flames, he blasts into the air to meet him and then throws the man down towards the earth.

“FIRE DRAGON ROAR!” He screams with everything in his lungs. The flames are a mix of bright reds and yellows as they cover the man and some of the trees.

He grabs the man who is slightly burnt and punches him with everything he has. The man cries and pleads but he wouldn’t hear it.

“Can you fix her arm?” Natsu questions the man as he holds him up towards the sky by his neck.

The man chokes out a response that doesn’t satisfy him.

“So you rip off her arm and expect mercy from me? Is that what I’m getting at?” Natsu tightens his grip. “I don’t even think hell is enough for you.” He spats and drops him, not giving the body a second glance.

He walks over to Lucy staring at her shaking figure and lost arm. Natsu lowers himself to her and wraps her shoulder with his scarf.

“Natsu, the blood. It will ruin-”

“Don’t.” He pleads and tries not to have tears form in his eyes. “That doesn’t matter right now. We need to get you to a hospital.”

“I-okay.” She doesn’t try to fight him.

Instead he picks her up and begins to walk to the city. Her head rests against his shoulder and she's trying to stay awake.

“Stay with me Luce.” He whispers and he can feel his horns and claws shrink back down.

“Natsu.” She hums.

“Yeah?”

“Are we going to talk about what just happened?” She asks.

“I think we just need to focus on getting you the care you need.”

“That's not what I asked.” Her voice slurs.

Natsu sighs. “I know. Maybe later though.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

–

It had been three days since Lucy was admitted into the hospital. There was no sign that magic could replace or fix her arm and he had left it in the woods anyways.

The entire time she was in the hospital, Natsu was outside waiting for her. His leg would bounce with anxiety and he could feel his horns pop out slightly before retreating back in. everything he could say to her about what happened was playing in his mind. He wasn;t sure what to say or how to go about it.

What girl wants to know that her boyfriend could turn into a psych demon thing at any given moment? The last thing she needed was to worry about the freakshow he was becoming. He just hoped that the transformation wasn’t permanent.

It was night time now and he found a bench in front of the lake behind the hospital. He wasn’t sure what to do when she got out and he knew that she would be let out soon but he couldn’t face her just yet.

He needed to clear his head. The water felt cold against his skin as he made his way into it, ditching his pants and shirt at the shore. It was a small city and he was sure no one was around and he couldn’t care either.

Even in the moonlight, he could see his reflection. It was his normal self. Wild pink hair with fairly sharp teeth but normal enough that it didn’t worry him. His guild mark was the only marking on his body and a sigh of relief left him as he stared at the water.

He closed his eyes for a moment and felt a pulsing feeling run through him. When he opened his eyes again, the reflection was the same. Normal Natsu. However, his nails had sharpened and he felt the horns appear again, this time the pain wasn’t as bad.

He didn’t know what to do.

He wanted to go back to the guild. He wanted a signal or a sign that he was alright. He just wanted peace and most importantly he wanted Lucy to be okay.

“Natsu?” He heard her voice behind him.

Quickly he turned to see Lucy standing there. She was out of the hospital gown and in her normal clothes. She waved at him with a smile.

But he couldn’t smile back. Anxiety rose up inside of him as he realized that he was still in his demon form.

“Natsu.” Lucy called him. She had a relaxed expression on her face. “Don’t make me come in there.”

He felt like a dog that had just gotten scolded as he walked out of the water and to her. He felt her eyes travel around his body and he didn’t want to hear what she had to say. He didn’t think he could take it.

“Relax.” She tells him. “It’s only me.”

He meets her eyes and realizes that what she said is true. Lucy was one of the few people he trusted his life with. A person whose entire heart, soul and being he wanted to share with her.

“I can’t explain why it happens, it just does.” He says.

“Could be because you were raised by a dragon.” She points out.

“I haven’t gotten a chance to ask but maybe.”

Lucy stared at his horns. “Do they hurt?”

“At first but I think the more they appear, the less they hurt.” He then looks towards her side where her arm is missing. Guilt flooded his body and he could feel tears rising.

She follows his eyes to her side and bites her lip. “I’m trying not to dwell on it right now. I could have died.” She says as tears form in her eyes.

In a second, his arms are around her pulling her to his chest. “I’m sorry Lucy. I should have protected you, I should have-”

“I don’t blame you Natsu. Never have, never will. You didn’t do this to me and it's not the end of the world. After all, I’ve always been an adaptable person.” She smiles into his chest. Lucy pulls away to look up at him. “Your horns are gone.”

He notices her fingers are back to normal too. “I think you just calm me.”

Lucy places her palm against his cheek. “You could never scare me, Natsu. No matter what this new look part of you is, I love it just the same as before. Nothing could change that. I won’t look at you differently.”

Her confession made his heart warm and he felt more relaxed than he had in days. “I don’t deserve you. How did I get so lucky?”

She kisses his cheek. “I think you have good taste is all. Now I don’t know about you, but I am craving anything but that hospital food.”

“Then we better get you something good.” He says and holds out his hand.

They intertwine their fingers hoping to find a restaurant still open during the night. As a child the thought of this moment terrified him. A new form of power that he couldn't automatically control was not something he desired. However, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world to have Lucy by his side to not only be there for him, but to love him all the same.

Perhaps a missing arm and some horns was all it took to make them realize that the most important thing to each of them is each other. No matter the battles they faced, everything would be worth it as long as they were together through it all.

--

I hope you enjoyed :) 

[marvellouslymadmim]

Calanthe Knew.

Alright, this is gonna get wordy. So hang with me. I'll go into full detail below the cut, but for the half-interested scroller:

Calanthe already knew most (if not everything) about Duny and certainly knew about the pregnancy before the banquet. Let's expand on that. (Spoilers for season one of Netflix Witcher, and spoilers for season two, I guess?)

Ok, first, the basics that are in canon:

Roegner promised young Duny to be repaid via the Law of Surprise. Now he did not reveal this until just before his death, so Calanthe was oblivious for a few years. Common sense dictates that he told Calanthe the man's name, so that Calanthe didn't just give up their daughter and their country to any rando claiming to have aided the king.

Calanthe is known and touted as being well-informed and well-connected. She is a tactician who plans for every eventuality.

When Pavetta throws up at the wedding, Calanthe's first question, in both book and show canon is "Are you [pregnant]?"

Second, let's expand upon that.

You really think her hubby dropped a bomb like that and Calanthe didn't IMMEDIATELY seek out as much information on this Duny dude as possible? You think she didn't have spies who went out, realized this dude just popped up OUT OF NOWHERE right around the time of the Usurper's overthrow of Nilfgaard (maybe she didn't put those two together, I'll grant you that)? You think she didn't know about him being a DAMN HEDGEHOG? You think she didn't go "hmm, ok, monster. Lemme find a good witcher to handle this shit"? I think we can all agree that Geralt did not arrive in Cintra by any measure of accident. And Calanthe was not surprised by his arrival in the least. She arranged for the most celebrated witcher to be in attendance, knowing Hedgie Boi would most likely show his monstrous face that night. I think the books say so outright, but it's been a hot minute since I've read them and I'm lazy.

Let us remember a very vital part of being a royal, particularly a princess: You. Do. Not. Do. Your. Own. Laundry. This means a pretty sizeable amount of people know about your "proper functioning" as the film Elizabeth put it. (y'all. someone was collecting her period underwear and sheets, multiple other people were washing them, etc, is what I'm trying to say). And someone noticed that...it had been awhile. You really think anyone wanting to keep their head didn't fucking relay that information to the fucking queen?? You think there weren't people immediately tasked with keeping track of that, from jump?

Which brings us to Cal asking Pavetta if she's pregnant. Bc very rarely does someone see a person throw up once (and at like...midnight-ish? definitely not during the traditional "morning" time attributed to morning sickness) and immediately assume it's pregnancy related UNLESS THEY HAVE SUSPICIONS ALREADY. Do you think Calanthe being like "yep, let's throw a feast for her birthday and IMMEDIATELY marry her off ASAP" was like...on a sheer whim? Homegirl was trying to get her baby onto a "respectable" timeline (aka a miraculously healthy baby born "a few months early", and only 6-7 months after the wedding itself, a tale as old as time). Pavetta's birthday must have been the closest event that seemed plausible without being *too obvious* as a rush job. Calanthe is also aware that Pavetta has someone else in her affections--she all but outright tells her daughter that she can continue seeing her secret lover, as soon as she's got a respectable beard (Crach) to step up as the unborn child's father and keep everything "legitimate". She's genuinely trying to clean up this teenage hormonal mess. And perhaps, up until Pavetta confirms it, Calanthe convinces herself that it isn't really happening. After all, Pavetta literally just turned fifteen. Young girls can have hella unpredictable cycles. Calanthe is an avoidant attachment style to a muthafucking Tee, so I doubt she ever directly confronted Pavetta about it, though she probably hinted that she knew. But once Geralt claims the Law of Surprise, Calanthe's fear runs rampant and she can't help but know the truth.

The one thing Calanthe didn't know (and the one thing that counts the most) is that DUNY is Pavetta's secret lover and the father of her unborn child.

So when all of this is revealed, why doesn't she just accept it and rejoice that everything worked out so perfectly?

Well. Calanthe would also know by now that Duny is SEVENTEEN* FUCKING YEARS OLDER THAN HER DAUGHTER and the power imbalance would be astronomical, giving Pavetta very little real chance to cultivate, much less hold, her own power as a queen. This is a worry Calanthe obviously has, and one she has outright stated earlier in the evening. Calanthe knows what it's like to be a young impressionable teenager thrown into the role of supreme monarch, and she's trying to help Pavetta from repeating her own mistakes.

Crach is still also older, but only by a few years (in fact, if I remember correctly, it's the same age difference that existed between Calanthe and Roegner, which would certainly feel more comfortable to Cal than say...the fact that Duny is literally only 2 years younger than her, Pavetta's own mother).

So even when Pavetta announces her love for Duny and admits to seeing him in secret FOR (at least) A YEAR (y'all....this means a thirty year old man was "reading poetry" to a thirteen year old girl. just...let that sink in, mkay?), Calanthe just sees it for what it is: this dude groomed her daughter and is using her as a fast-track to power. Law of Surprise be fucking damned, bro. She'll kill him just for being a hebephile and seducing her still-very-much-a-child daughter.

In the end, Cal doesn't accept the marriage (or Duny) because of the Law of Surprise, or because she "sees reason" (real shitty patriarchal reason, to be exact). She sees that Pavetta, with her newly found power, can hold her own against anything and anyone. Her greatest fear (Pavetta being reduced to a figurehead, a captive in her own life) is put to rest by the fact that her baby girl can vocally hurl people fifty feet into the air like fucking ragdolls.

She still keeps an eye on Duny, though. She may not know everything about him, but she knows enough.

And if she does know everything...it explains every ounce of why she behaves the way she does, prior to the fall of Cintra. She's playing chess against a man who took her only child from her, first emotionally and then physically, and who has no compunction about doing literally whatever it takes to have power. She loses, but she still denies him as much victory as she can.

Because she knows. She's known who he truly is, at least on a moral standing, even if not in actual identity, from the first night they met.

{*So the show itself ages up Eist, Calanthe, and Ciri by 3 years, versus the events of the book. However, certain key events, such as Calanthe's age at Pavetta's birth (19) and Pavetta's age at Ciri's birth (15) are kept the same. Duny's birth, according to the books, is c.1220. This puts him either two years young than Cal (book timeline) or five years younger (show timeline). Either way, he is at least 14 years older than Pavetta, and does meet her either just before or just after she turns fourteen. Give or take a few years...still gross, even by medieval standards, even if it was a common practice for nobility.}

[heejojo]

Mr Hollywood

summary: Sim Jaeyun had made it, he had finally fulfilled his dream of being an artist but he had to leave the place he called he called home promising he would come back when everything was okay. He’s back now but are you sure it’s the same Jake you once knew?

genre: fluff, minor angst, childhood lovers turned exes to lovers again

pairing: Celebrity Sim Jaeyun x non-celebrity reader (with enhypen and treasure appearances)

warning: none

word count: 4.1k

a/n: although it has been proofread, I cannot guarantee no errors so please let me know if you see any! please let me know what you think. likes and reblogs are appreciated and I hope you have a good day.

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send an ask or fill out this form to be part of the taglist!

taglist (open): @enhyphun @jungwoniics @penny-quinn @ncthpen @fylithia @taecup-ontrack @renee1414@studioreader

“And the Artist Of The Year Award goes to none other than...” the announcer said, keeping you all at the edge of your seats. Everyone here had voted for Jake so many times so that he would win. The announcer looked at the folded card in his hand before smiling and saying.

“Jake Sim!” The screams of everyone in the beer parlour with you watching the award ceremony were probably louder than those in the venue itself. You all watched in pride as the look of shock was evident on his face and he shakily walked to the podium to collect the award. You smiled at how good he looked, he had come so far from the boy you once knew here.

Five years ago, Jake had left his hometown, where he grew up for 18 years to pursue his dream. Granted, not everyone is supposed to stay for the rest of their lives but he thought he was going to stay but he made up his mind to leave for his passion. You all supported him even if you weren’t able to talk to him because of his busy schedule. Being able to cheer him from the sidelines was what you were content with. He was the pride of the town and people did not hesitate to show him off.

He gave the announcer a bow and collected the award. You could see the way his hands shook as he collected the award as if it felt unreal that he won.

“I would like to thank God for the ability to get to this point today and to thank my parents for always teaching me the right way and having the courage to let their child pursue his dreams even if it meant that I would be very far away; almost out of reach even. I love you. To all those that have continuously supported me and listened to my music, thank you. To the staff that have worked so hard and everyone I've had the pleasure of meeting, a big thank you to you" he said and walked off.

The excitement of the crowd reduced and everyone eventually retired to their homes while chatting amongst themselves. You think about the award one more time, feeling happy for him and move on. After all, the same way Sim has a life to live is the same way you do also.

The next day, when you wake up you feel a shift in the atmosphere. The birds are still chirping, yes but something feels unusual. You brush off the paranoia you feel and decide to do your usual morning duties and carry on with your day. While other people your age wanted to have prestigious jobs(not like there was anything wrong with that), you wanted something simple and had decided on being either a cafe owner or a florist.

Sadly, the cafe owner agenda wasn't able to work out because everyone in the vicinity was now aware of the way you burned down a cafe trying to bake and collectively decided that you should not be allowed to make food for people. Flowers were better than running a cafe shop. You stayed with your flowers and you were able to give

someone a flower when they needed it.

Need a flower for your mother? You got it, a daylily was exactly what they needed. Wanted to attend a funeral? Take a bouquet of lilies. It was easy to understand and you didn't directly put anyone in harm’s way. Although your shop was hardly ever full, you were content with everything.

That's why you're shocked when you find a line of people waiting to be let into your shop at 9 am. You raised an eyebrow in confusion but you opened the door nevertheless. At the end of the day, you were the one earning the money. You had things to buy, didn't you?

You take your place at the counter and start attending to the customers. They didn't tell you to pick out one for them and just chose it themselves. The crowd slowly reduced till there was only one person left. When there remained a few people, you quietly moved to one person to ask for the reason why they were so cheerful today.

"Jungwon, do you know why everyone is so happy today? My shop was full today!"

"Are you complaining about it?" He asks. Jungwon was the son of the cafe shop owner. He came to your shop frequently when he was on his break and you would talk to each other.

“Of course, I’m not. I just want to know what’s making everyone come here all of a sudden. Even old man Jay came here and you know that man never leaves his house. He bought a red carnation and I’m confused because who does he have affection for that he’s getting them flowers”

“He has a wife you know”

“Please, the last time they had a conversation with each other was when he asked for a divorce” you deadpanned.

“Look Y/N, who’s the one person in this town anyone would do anything for?”

“Kim Junkyu?”

“Close but not him, I wouldn’t do anything for him” Jungwon stated making you roll your eyes.

“The only person left is Sim Jaeyun and we know it’s not possible”

“Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner”

You give him a shaky smile before asking him, “You’re joking right?”

“I’m not,” he says sincerely. You nod your head and go sit on the nearest stool. Placing a hand on your throat as you begin to scratch at it (something you did when you were nervous) and just sit in silence while Jungwon continues talking.

“After the award ceremony, his management released a statement on his Instagram saying that he would be going on hiatus for two months to visit his family. So we townsmen decided to get flowers to pave the road with because he would be coming back. We would have used gold leaves but it’s too expensive”

He continued talking and talking while you were still trying to process the fact that Jake would be coming back. Physically he was still going to be the same Jake you had a crush on before he left but personality-wise? You doubted that. You heard stories of the way fame had changed people; the love from others would get to their heads and make them overly egotistical. A part of you knew that he wouldn’t change but the other part was unsure. Before he left, you made him promise to not change and while you knew promises could be broken, you knew he wouldn’t break them.

“Jungwon, I want to close the shop for today. I’m not feeling too well and want to rest a bit”

“No problem Y/N! If you want, I can stay here and do business for you”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve made enough money today to last me for next month” you say and shoo him away.

At home, you just sit and think for some time before getting up to make some tea and reminiscing about your high school memories. You hardly had feelings for people so when you did, you let them know immediately. When you told Jake that you liked him, he told you that he felt the same. You ignored him for a week after that because you didn’t think that far. After that, you met up with him and explained the reason why you avoided him. You went out with each other for less than 2 weeks and during that period, he had told you about his dreams of becoming an artist and you supported him wholeheartedly.

He would carry your books from school and you both would walk home together every day. He'd play the violin for you because he was good. You'd both pet stray cats and run when they started chasing you. All good things came to an end when he told you that he had to leave to pursue his dream. You both knew you were too young to even attempt a long-distance relationship so you let each other go even though it hurt. You’d watch his music videos and support his activities even though there was a possibility he would never return. Now that he was going to be here, how were you going to cope knowing that your feelings for him were still the same while his feelings could have gone, especially with all the beautiful people in the industry?

That night, while everyone was outside welcoming Mr Hollywood, you stayed in your house dreading the days that would come. The town was small so there was no way that you wouldn’t bump into him. The voices were loud when you tried to sleep. Seems like everyone was ecstatic that Jake had come back. The noise wasn’t able to let you sleep but deep down you knew it was because you were nervous.

You decide to bake cookies to reduce the stress you are currently feeling. You had learnt from your mistakes and no longer burnt kitchens (your kitchen being valid proof of that), but Jungwon’s dad still wouldn’t lift his ban. You baked cookies till 2 am before you were really tired enough to sleep. You had baked almost a hundred cookies that night.

The next morning, you made sure to wake up early so you wouldn’t run into anyone. Thankfully, the townspeople didn’t want to buy flowers that morning and got started on the orders that people out of town had placed. You brought cookies for Jungwon so he could test them. You were trying to fix the counter when someone walked in, making the bell jingle. Assuming it was Jungwon, you say, “Jungwon the cookies are on the counter. Test them and tell me what you think, don’t eat them and run away”

“I’m not a Jungwon but can I talk to Y/N?” You’re startled but you freeze, instantly recognizing the voice. Jake Sim.

“Hello, what would you like?” you asked with a forced smile. You were way too close, the proximity was making you uneasy. He looked a bit disappointed with the way you answered him but what did he expect to come to? It had been five years.

“I just wanted to tal-” he is cut off by Jungwon bursting through the door.

“Y/N, you will not believe who I saw. I saw Jake Sim with my very own two eyes. He looks so much hotter in real life. Do you think he’d sign my back if I asked-” he stopped instantly when he saw the person that was in the flower shop.

He looked like a fish out of water with the way his mouth was agape. Looking at you, then at Jake and then you again. He brought his hand to his head and he hit it hard making you startled.

“Sorry I will leave now,” Jungwon said.

“To cry” he murmured, making you chuckle. Jungwon was someone that cried when he did something embarrassing.

“Jungwon wait,” you say and walk to give him the cookies you had packed for him with a little note.

“Eat them and get back to me when you’re less you know...embarrassed” He snatches them from your hands and makes a run for the door. You giggle then you remember that Jake was still present. Turning to face him, you ask if he wants anything. “I want to talk to you”

You motion him to sit on the spare chair you had and he obliges. Before you even ask him a question, he begins, “Was that your boyfriend?”

“No, not that it concerns you though”

“Where you last night? I saw everyone but you. The Johnny kid said you were feeling ill. I doubt that wasn’t true as you made cookies. The last time I remembered, you were really bad at anything relating to the kitchen”

“Times change and people change, Jaeyun. It’s been 5 years since we last had a conversation with each other. I’m not the same and I’m sure you’re not the same either”

“Let’s get to know each other again. Do things the old fashioned way. Go on dates, paint, and bake with each other. Do some of the things we could have done 5 years ago.”

“And then when you have to leave and have no contact with each other again”

“I won’t do that, I promise. Never again.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Let me prove it to you-”

He’s cut off by the entrance of another customer and stands up to leave but you don’t miss the longing look in his eyes. You hope he can see the same look in yours that’s covered by hurt and waiting for someone to return.

You were not expecting Jake to be at your store first thing on a Friday morning. He was even earlier than you and you're the boss.

“What are you doing here?” you ask. He was bouncing on his feet and looking cherry when you hadn’t even gotten enough sleep.

“I’m here to take you out. Do it like the old times where I’d wait for you so we could go to school together”

“I have work to do today and I’m going to be booked so another time”

“I have come to offer my assistance so tomorrow we can go out together”

“Don’t you have things to do?”

“I’m on a hiatus, I’m free for almost two months and if you want I can be free for more. Imagine all the things we could do in that time” he trails off, fantasizing when you hadn’t even told him that you still liked him. Meanwhile, you had opened the door and walked in.

"Aren't you going to come in and stop thinking of cute stuff?" you ask him and he quickly runs in, flustered.

He takes a look around and puts on a determined face and gets a broom and starts cleaning. For someone that's supposed to be a celebrity, he was cleaning like an employee. You take a rag and wipe all the surfaces and take care of the flowers. After an hour, the shop is ready to open. Customers come rolling in once they see a new help. Although they're surprised, they don't question it.

During your break, Jake picks up a chrysanthemum and hands it to you. "It's for you because you're beautiful," he says

"Hate to rain on your parade but if you gave me this in Italy, it means you wish I were dead" and with that, he takes back the flower instantly and brings a single red rose. You receive it with a small laugh, finding it funny when he doesn't want you misinterpreting him. You were having a sweet moment with him until Jungwon came in again.

"I'm getting tired of seeing you here Mr Sim. As much as I adore you, I need to meet my friend" he states and pulls you to the back. "Care to explain why Jake Sim is in your store again!?"

"Nope" you respond, popping the p. He brought his hand to his forehead and tried to relax his muscles because according to him, he doesn't want to look forty-five when he's thirty years old.

"Look, it's weird coming here and seeing you have company. I'm not against you having company seeing as you've been lonely the entire time I've known you but, I can't stay in his presence! Why must a man Look so gorgeous!? He's ruining my already broken esteem. Everybody saw him in real life and was wondering how a man could look that good."

"They saw him when he was seventeen years old," you tell him.

"And he's twenty-three now! He doesn't look the same and I don't even need to have known him then to know now"

"Jungwon, I want you to get to the point," you tell him, basically pleading at that point because your break would soon be over.

"I'll see you when I have enough confidence to meet him," he says and leaves the store. You shake your head at his overdramatic behaviour and continue with your day. Jake proves to be amazing assistance and you got things done quicker and even closed earlier.

"Thank you for offering help, you can go home now. See you tomorrow" you say in an attempt to shoo him out.

"I want to walk you home" he announces and goes with you home.

"Do you hate me for not talking to you?" he asks.

"I don't hate you. To be honest, I think we both did the right thing by not talking to each other. It was good we had each other in mind but I would have caused too much of a distraction for you. It was great you focused on your career and achieved your goals. I did well too"

"Johnny boy said you were lonely though," he said.

"Number one, I know you know his name is Jungwon but you're just being petty. Two, why were you eavesdropping on our conversation and three, I still had a bit of hope that one day you'd return. I didn't think that you'd come" you say truthfully. The night was making you vulnerable when answering his questions.

"I always asked my mum how you were doing when I called her, you know? I wanted to check up on you without doing so myself. I'd ask her to give you a pop tart because I knew they were your favourite"

Even though he was still far away, he still had kept you in his mind the same way you did for him.

You got home and stayed at the door before you took him by the shoulder and said, "Let's go out together and have fun". He gives you a soft smile and watches you go in before he retires to his own home.

The following day, you're waiting for him to come. You had tried to dress up for the date but didn't want to underdress or overdress since he hadn't told you where you were going. So you decided to wear a simple sundress and made yourself look nice. He arrived wearing something as casual as you in a car.

"Is this your dad's?" you questioned.

"Yup, I borrowed it to take you out,” he says and winks at you. You shake your head laughing and get in the passenger seat and he drives.

“Where are we going?” you ask, curious.

“You’ll see when we get there” you don’t respond but wind down the window and feel the wind on your face which makes you smile.

You catch Jake glancing at you while he’s driving and he doesn’t even try to hide it. “At least try to pretend you’re not starting”

“I can’t help it, you’re so pretty” This kid, he was making it too easy for you to fall for him.

“Do you still like me, Jaeyun?” you inquire.

“I do,” he said with certainty. Has he always been this bold? You don’t say anything and continue to look out so he reaches over and takes one of your hands in his while he uses his other one to drive. You look at him but just continue doing what you’re doing.

“You might not believe me but I mean it,” he says, lightly squeezing your hand as a form of reassurance.

He stops the car at an aquarium and you both come out. You have a wonderful time and although people recognize him and are surprised to see him with you, they don't say anything and leave you alone. You smiled that day more than you had ever smiled before.

"The fishes look good to eat" you whisper in his ear and he playfully smacks your arm and jokes.

"You monster! How can you say that!?" to which you jokingly shrug.

After the aquarium, he takes you to a flower field. "I did my research this time so I don't give you a wrong flower." He picked up a primrose and says, "I know this one means love is eternal so I'm giving it to you because no matter the distance between us, our love will be forever"

You feel warm this time and know that even if he were to leave again, the distance wouldn't matter because together, you both could overcome anything.

"You're all I need" you manage to say.

"When did you get all sentimental?" he teases and you chase after him in the flower field. When you get tired, you lie down on the grass and he lays next to you. Your hands find his hands amid all the grass and you squeeze it. Unknowingly, you fall asleep next to him.

The next weeks that follow include you two bonding and Jake having fun and being relaxed. He was able to write a song but wouldn't let you see the lyrics, saying it wasn't something he wants you to see yet. You met his parents and thanked his mum for taking care of you indirectly and conversed with his dad too. You could tell that he hadn't forgotten any of the values his parents had thought him. He grew up surrounded by a lot of love so he had more than enough to give.

He also met your parents and he was nervous even though you had tried to reassure him that they wouldn't do anything to him. Your father tried to act scary but deep down you knew he had a soft spot for him. Your mom was showering with more affection than she gave you and Jungwon tried stylishly asking him for his celebrity crush numbers.

"Jake, since you're dating my friend can you link me up with Han Sohee? You've worked with her before, help a friend out"

"I'll ask her but no promises" Jungwon was so happy the entire day.

A few days before Jake had to go back because his hiatus was over, you both were talking about how things would be while baking muffins.

"Y/N don't think I won’t talk to you when I go because I can already see the gears turning in your head."

"Pass me the butter Jaeyun"

"Are we back to the first-name basis? Call me the sweet names" he whined.

"Just pass the butter babe" and he passes it instantly.

"Now back to what you were saying, I know you won't forget me obviously and if you try I I can always take a flight to get to you." You tell him. You weren't going to wait around for him anymore. If you missed him, you'd go see him if he was unable to come to see you.

"Better, I was already worried," he says and gives you a back hug.

The day he left was bittersweet and you shed a few tears. It took a lot of willpower to not cry in front of him. You didn't want him to leave but you knew that he had a job to get to and you couldn't be in the way of that.

You both regularly kept in touch, calling each other at least twice a week to catch up on what had happened during each other's week. He hadn't told you that he released a new song and you found out through his fanboy Jungwon who was now the self-acclaimed president of his fan club.

"Y/N, have you heard Jake's new solo? I cried to it for an hour straight" You didn't have any time to check what was going on because someone had ordered flowers for their wedding and you had to get them done quickly.

"New solo?" you ask and Jungwon sits you down and plays the song for you. Truth be told, you cried as well. It felt like he was there with you telling you that he'd never change.

You watched the interview and when he was asked about the meaning or person behind the song, he said, "There's someone that I love and I wanted to let her know that no matter how famous I get, I won't ever change and she shouldn't change either". He looked directly at the camera then continued, "You're stuck with me forever".

That night, you called him and cried on the phone to him telling him about how you saw the interview.

"Y/N, you know I care about you" you sobbed even harder.

"I care about you too, forever"

"Forever baby, regardless of the distance"

[wheelsup]

the taming of the shrew | one

he is more a shrew than she

penelope reveals her plan to get you and spencer together. unfortunately, her plan has a few hitches. 

A/N: again, big thanks to @homoose for being my helpful beta reader, and to YOU for reading it now. 

category: fluff, spencer reid x fem!reader, series

wc: 4.1k

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Penelope came back to your place the following night, bearing a new bottle of wine and a collection of materials she mentioned were integral to executing the plan.

Very quickly into Penelope’s explanation of this Genius Plan –– her words, not yours –– you remembered what it was she did for work. Officially, she was some sort of technical computer-y person for the Federal Bureau. As you knew her, she’s a danger to society and anyone with a traceable digital presence.

She managed to construct a comprehensive list of every place in D.C. and Virginia that her friend liked going to, along with the approximate times in which you were most likely to find him there. Approximate meaning, exactly which days he visits and the roughly time of day, down to a mere one hour margin of error.

You scanned the list over, shocked at its detail. Where he cut his hair, got his coffee, bought his books. His favorite restaurants, the chess clubs he’s a member of, his local hospital.

His local hospital?!

“I’m not going to need to know that, am I?” you paused.

“Probably not, but it comes in handy with this job,” she shrugged with a nonchalance that was rather alarming.

There had to be a dozen more places on the sheet –– ranked, in order of his (assumed) preference for them. Penelope calculated it based on the frequency of his visits, their average duration per session, and how often he’d mentioned about the place.

“What?” she tossed her palms up, taking offense when you asked her if she had evil plans to take over the tristate area. “Hang out with him long enough, you tell me if you pick up a knack for researching or not.”

Researching. Mining private data through questionable methods. It’s a small difference to Penelope.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side, Penelope,” you muttered under your breath, flipping the sheet back and forth. “You could ruin my whole life with ten minutes on a computer.”

“I wanted to be thorough,” she defended, shrugging. “And I’d only need five.”

You laughed through your nose, giving the paper one last scan. “You left out one important thing, though.”

“No, I put his home address on there,” her brows wrinkled together as she pointed it out on the sheet with one hot pink polished finger.

“His name,” you berated. “Jesus, you think I’m going to show up at his home?!”

“Again! I’m thorough,” she cried at your accusatory tone. “His name’s Spencer. You’ll like him when you meet him.” 

_

You didn’t doubt that Penelope’s friend was a likeable guy, but you weren’t exactly dying to go out of your way to meet him. You told her that you’d get around to it when you had a chance and left it at that.

And two weeks later, you found yourself in need of a caffeine fix that your tea kettle wasn’t strong enough to satisfy. You started on a new piece late the previous night, and midnight rolled into four in the morning, which pushed you into the arms of seven o’clock. Reinforcements were needed.

Throwing on a large sweater to cover up your messy clothes and grabbing the closest pair of shoes you could find, you originally planned on heading to your usual spot just around your street corner. Just as you were leaving, the list, still sitting untouched in the exact spot that Penelope left it in, caught your eye.

It’d been a while since you told Penelope you’d help her out. Enough time had passed that you now felt like there was an invisible deadline over your head.

Maybe it won’t hurt to try something new?

Besides, meeting someone at a coffee shop seemed like an easy, foolproof way to go about this. From all the movies and romance novels, you knew that cafes are the pinnacle of meet-cute situations. Or, in your case, a meet-forced.

Regardless, it should’ve been simple enough, and it would’ve gotten the favor off your shoulder.

You scanned the sheet for the cafe Spencer would be at on a Thursday at 8 a.m., and got there with barely five minutes to spare before he was expected to show.

It was just your luck that he had to pick a cafe practically as far from your home as he could get, and the transfer train had to have a delay that made you walk the last three-quarters of a mile there. Call it crazy, but you didn’t expect to actually have to put in work for this. You expected it better be worth the hassle.

You took a seat in the back of the cafe to catch your breath as you waited for him to show up. Sitting in the booth, with your head down so you coudn’t be seen, the plan started to feel stupid all over again. You were running around the city, spying on this stranger, and for what?

The silver bell hung over the door frame interrupted before your thoughts could travel down that path of questioning. It rang each time a new patron enters, and within the next twenty minutes it rang only eight or nine times. None of them appeared to be Spencer.

You were prepared to call this one a failure and leave, when you realized your colossal mistake. You only had his name, and no idea what he looks like. So unless he happened to wear a name tag around you could’ve already missed him. You realized then that there were more than a few flaws in this plan.

Keeping an eye on the door, you dialed Penelope’s contact as a swarm of new patrons flooded in.

“How am I supposed to know what he looks like?” you whispered into the phone, failing to cover it with a hand cupped over the speaker. Penelope was confused for only a second by the apparent lack of context.

“Oh! He’s tall, has mousy brown hair but he cut it recently. It’s like… missing on the sides, but it’s all there in the front!” she explained.

What the hell does she mean missing?

“Pen, brunette? That’s like all the guys in here…” You took a look around the full cafe; various men typing on computers, taking calls. All of them looked the same, from their brown hair to their khakis and puffer coats. “You’re going to have to give me a little more than brown hair.”

Penelope struggled to explain and with each new feature she gave you, your mental picture of him got more clouded. “He’s skinny! Dresses like a vintage teddy bear!”

“Does he have kind of like… a hot English teacher vibe?” you quirked your head, spying a man approaching from the sidewalk and drinking him in with your eyes. Tall, brunette, clad in corduroy head to toe with a plaid sweater vest underneath. Vintage Teddy Bear F/W 1978 collection.

“Yes! He teaches sometimes! And you think he’s hot?”

Your mouth gaped even though she couldn’t see you. “No, I - I didn’t say that. I said he had the vibes of a hot teacher.”

“And how different is that from saying he’s––”

“Pen, I gotta go. Your guy’s walking in.” You put the phone away before she could pick apart what you said.

The bell on the front door rang as he came in and you stared intently at his face. If this was like the movies, he’d turn his head right then, at the perfect time, and make eye contact. He’d fall madly in love from the first look, and your work would be done. You sat at the edge of your seat, burning holes into his skull, waiting for that moment.

But alas, he never looked up from the linoleum flooring as he walked up to the counter. With a groan, you slid out of your booth and quickly hopped into the line before anyone else could claim the spot behind him.

New plan: eavesdrop, order the same coffee as him, and pretend to go for the cup at the same time. Laugh about the coincidence, how if you share the same coffee order you must certainly have a lot in common, and have him fall in love with you.

But you overheard him rattle off his order and were absolutely horrified. Black coffee, extra sugar. Like, extra, extra sugar.

You were going to need a second change of plans.

You eyed him up and down, searching for something you could approach him about. He was donning black converse under a fitted pair of dark brown corduroy trousers, with a blazer to match, and a deep green plaid vest underneath. On paper, this outfit shouldn’t work. In practice, it… really did.

A little too well, given how good he looks in it. More fashionable than a federal agent ought to be as required by dress codes, right?

“Can I help you?” you heard, and it poked the bubble of your thoughts. Your head shot up to meet his for the first time, eyes wide as heat crawled up your face.

“Uh. No ––” Shit. You didn’t even realize how long you were staring at his legs. Long, long legs. And shit, why did you say no? That was your opening to talk to him.

The man –– Spencer –– nodded his head slowly, uncomfortably, and turned away with a forced grin. He grabbed the coffee cup placed on the counter and you thought now was the time to say something. But by the time you thought of it, he’d already picked up his cup and made his way to the door.

The stupid silver bell mocked you as he left.

__

The first attempt left you slightly jilted, but a few days later you found yourself in need of a few grocery items. You just happened to be in his neighborhood that day, and though it was very much out of the way of your own, you didn’t plan on it being a problem. He’d never see where you lived anyways, and he’d never need to know how unlikely this chance encounter really was.

You had Penelope text you the address of his regular grocery store, and upon arrival, felt immediate concern. It was not a grocery store. It was a convenience mart slash liquor store at the corner of the street, below a building of worn apartments.

As you walked through the aisles, the only things you found were a large assortment of wines that took up half the small store space, an aisle of candy packets and chips, a section for household supplies, and one measly aisle for canned and boxed foods.

Cereal, instant noodles, soup cans, pancake mix… nothing very fresh.

Spencer seemed like a pretty scrawny guy. You now believed it might’ve been from the fact that his food choices were so off-putting that he simply didn’t eat. It wasn’t your place to be concerned, but you decided that if you ever ended up taking him out, a farmer’s market might be good for him.

You loitered around for perhaps longer than necessary. The inquisitive shop attendant asked if you need help –– as in, why are you still here, get out of my store –– and you told her you were just really conflicted on which detergent brand you needed. Finally, the man you were after arrived at the scene.

“Hi, Dolores,” he greete with a small wave. The attendant, Dolores, greets back with a positivity that she sorely lacked when talking to you. Dolores has favorites, apparently.

An unexpected panic settled in your stomach and you quickly turned back to your selection of fabric softeners. You weren’t hiding, you just didn’t want him to catch you staring again. You picked up your two props, pretending to read the labels on the back and compare the chemical formulas on each of them, when you saw him out of the corner of your eyes.

He went into the aisle in front of yours, and over the short shelves you saw the back of his head sweeping over the modest food section. He turned around to inspect the other side of the aisle, and you ducked your head even lower. It was in vain. He spotted you anyway.

You fixed your eyes even harder onto the bottles, afraid to look anywhere else. He shuffled out of his aisle and turned the corner into yours. You started sweating a little.

“Uhm. Excuse me,” he said.

“Yeah?” You looked up from your bottles, putting on your best caught-off-guard face. Like you were a girl in a movie, reading a book on the beach (not detergent labels in a liquor store) and your romantic interest just noticed how beautiful you looked doing it, deciding he had to introduce himself.

“Can you… can you move…” he asked, gesturing to the section of cleaners that you’re blocking.

Never mind.

“Oh! Yeah, sorry.” You burned up, moving out of his way. He reached for what he needed and you peeked down to inspect the contents of his basket. Organic whole wheat bread, cream of mushroom soup, and somehow, he’d managed to find the only two apples this place must carry. At least there was light at the end of the dark, dark tunnel.

He tossed a bottle of Snuggle fabric softener and you raised your brows. Given that he was “grocery shopping’’ in a three-piece suit –– a good one, too, black trousers, vest and blazer with an eggplant purple shirt and lavender tie –– you would’ve expected him to simply send his clothes out for dry cleaning.

“Snuggle, huh?” you said. He gave you a confused look. “Oh, uh. I was looking at these. Couldn’t pick between the two.” You raised your two bottles of softener; Snuggle and Tide.

You needed him to know you weren’t just saying Snuggle to insinuate that you would like to do that to him. You remembered Penelope telling you he had a degree in chemistry or some sort of science field, and asked, “Is… is that one like, more organic? I was trying to read the formulas but I don’t… I don’t recognize the chemicals,” you trailed off. You could see yourself losing his interest the more you spoke. He barely looked at you as he grabbed whatever else he needed.

“I don’t know… I just like it,” he bristled. You looked down at the bottle and flipped it over to the front. It had a drawing of a teddy bear on it. How fitting.

You go to comment on it but yet again he’d made an escape, already at the checkout counter and unloading his basket by the time you looked up again. You rolled your eyes, wondering if it’s even worth it to follow him into line and see if he sparks up a conversation this time.

You could tell that he wouldn’t. So you gave him the space to buy his items and leave.

You didn’t really need the detergent, but Dolores gave you a pointed look before you could even think about putting it back on the shelf. You ended up buying the detergent, a loaf of bread, and two packets of sweets out of guilt.

As you took the train home, digging into your packet of sour peach rings, you began to doubt if you can carry out Penelope’s request.

_

After two failed attempts, you were prepared to tell Penelope that this just wasn’t going to work out. You didn’t expect it to be this difficult to talk to Spencer nor did you see yourself getting closer to him anytime soon. It would be best if she just found someone else to do it.

You caught her in the hallway, leaving her apartment just as you came home from the store. It seemed like as good of a time as any to let her know how unsuccessful your escapades were going. With your tail between your legs, you approached her with the intention of breaking the plan off.

But the second she saw you, it was like she could read through you. She clocked what you were about to say and before you could, she gave you a warm hug. It was the first one you’d ever received from her, actually. And she thanked you for trying.

It didn’t make you feel guilty, per se, but it definitely made you feel weird about telling her the news. So you bit back on telling her what you were really going to say. She didn’t need to know the details of your failure, or the fact that you were seconds away from giving up on her friend.

Maybe you didn’t need to give up right away.

After all, you did only talk to the guy twice. Don’t they always say the third time’s the charm?

You left the conversation at just that –– letting her know that you’re happy to do this for her, even if you aren’t really –– and slinked back into your apartment. The list, buried under the magazines and paint tubes and half-full cups of cold coffee on your table, called for you.

If by any stroke of luck you happened to share one interest with this guy, you promised yourself to give it one more try.

According to the list, that overlapping interest was the wonderful world of Gatsby Books –– a small, locally owned bookstore residing in the heart of D.C. ’s arts district. That neighborhood was smack in the middle of your’s and Spencer’s, and it was where the gallery you showcase at was.

You’d been meaning to get down there for a while now, anyways. It really was the cutest bookstore in the world; inside it lived a white, bushy-furred cat named Gatsby, and he was always there. After all, it was his bookstore.

It wasn’t such a burden to make your visit fit Spencer’s schedule, really. And it would make Penelope happy if you did. So on Saturday afternoon, you took a lovely walk through the sunny arts district of D.C., a smile on your face and a tote in hand for all the books you were planning on hauling back.

The smell of paper and coffee greeted your nose at the door, and you practically fell into a trance, letting it lead you through the aisles of the store without much thought of where you wandered. Not that it mattered, you could’ve roamed the shelves aimlessly all day long.

In the mystery and thrillers section, you found Gatsby. He jumped down from his perch on a step stool and weaved between your legs, greeting one of his long-time regulars. He was such a good shop owner.

“Hi, Mr. Gatsby.” You smiled and bent down to give him a little head scratch when he started running off in the other direction, taunting you into following him.

He rounded the corner and came to a stop at a pair of boot-clad feet; your eyes moved up to find your favorite employee (after Gatsby, of course) restocking the shelves.

“Miles!” you whispered, but he still jumped out of his skin. He turned around, hand still over his chest, and sighed when he realized it was just you. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” you laughed.

“Hey, long time, no see. Back for some more recommendations?” You ‘ooh’ed at his offer.

“I was just gonna say, the ones you gave me last time were so good. I finished them in, like, a week.”

“Really?” He smiled, brows happily up his forehead. You nodded in assent. “Okay, well I’ll give you more this time, see if the list’ll last you a little longer than that.”

You grinned eagerly, following him to the shop counter where he pulled out a stack of bright green post-its and a pen.

“I’ve actually been waiting for you to come in, I already had these in mind for you,” he mumbled, scrawling across the paper quickly. He handed the note over, and it took a moment to decipher the chicken scratches.

“Okay, first you gave me Al-Shayk and Bradbury. Now you’re giving me Chaucer, Dickens, and Doyle,” you recited the note, giving him a teasing look. “Are we just going through the alphabet, Miles?” you joked.

“Honest mistake. But I’d be happy to give you all the other twenty-two letters of the alphabet if needed.”

“I might hold you to that.” You nodded, folding the post-it in your palm to prevent the sticky backing from gunking up. It’d make quite the good bookmark for later. “Thanks for these!”

“No problem, just a part of the job.”

Nonetheless, you thanked him again before disappearing back into the aisles. You found Miles’ books as well as a few of your own and nearly lost yourself in the rows of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, until you made a turn. Standing in the middle of the next aisle was Spencer.

A week ago, he was the whole point of coming to the store. That day, you completely forgot about it, and it stopped you in your tracks to see him there. He was just standing in the middle of the walkway, staring blankly at the shelf in front of him.

“Excuse me,” you grinned, “Could you move?”

You thought it was a cute reference back to the laundry detergent fiasco, a chance for you to turn the tables, but he had no reaction to it whatsoever. His face was straight as he merely pivoted his shoulder out of your way as you reached for the book you needed; The Narrative of John Smith.

His eyes narrowed at you and his nostrils flared, and you wondered if it was called for because you grabbed the last copy they had in stock.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want this?” you asked, waving the book in his face. He was just standing there for so long, you didn’t think he actually wanted anything since he never picked it up.

“No,” he said coldly.

Contrary to Penelope’s review, he didn’t actually seem that warm of a person. But you smiled tightly at him, letting a forced laugh fill the stale air.

“I… I swear I’m not stalking you,” you laughed, rubbing the back of your neck. Technically it was a bit of a lie, but he didn’t need to know. It’s just something people say when they have the happy coincidence of running into a stranger so often.

“What did you say to me?” he bit. His tone was sharper than you felt like this conversation deserves.

“I mean, I’ve just been seeing you around a lot… it was, like, a joke? Like, ‘ahh watch out, I’m stalking you!’ you know?” With each second he stared you down, you felt your throat dry out, getting more flustered as you felt the need to over explain yourself.

“Maybe you should work on your comedy routine,” he barked, his voice just faintly cracking. He shoulder-checked you as he rushed out of the store in long strides and a brisk pace.

What in the absolute fuck.

You couldn’t stay in the shop for another minute. You dropped your stack of books at the counter with Miles, giving him a rushed apology for leaving them behind as you stormed out of the shop and headed in the opposite direction of where Spencer ran off to.

The air outside was now frosty as the sun disappeared behind the horizon; the wind nipped at your hot cheeks as you charged home. There weren’t enough words to quantify the anger you felt. Your mind ran rampant with how much you now hated this man.

Not only did he bite your head off for no good reason, but he publicly embarrassed you at your favorite place and had gone so far as to bruise your shoulder to make a point. And you know what? If he really wanted you out of his way, you were more than happy to leave him the hell alone for the rest of your life.

You reached into your jacket pocket for your phone and dialed Penelope.

“Hey! How are––” she cheered.

“It’s off.”

“What?”

“It’s off. I’m not dating your fucking friend.”

“What happened? I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding––” she started in a panic. She pleaded that you overlook whatever went wrong and promised that she’d have a talk with Spencer about it. She’d try to encourage him into the direction that you need.

None of that registered in your brain, hot blood filling your ears instead of her words.

“He’s a fucking ass,” you spat. “The more I see of him, the less I like him, and… I’m pretty sure we’d rather kill each other than date at this point. So yeah, I’m done.”

☆

☆

☆

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[fangirlsmood]

Tomioka Giyuu x reader - inferiority complex

Summary : Noticing how Giyuu doesn't know his own worth, you try to remedy his inferiority complex.

Warnings : Spoilers about Giyuu’s past.

author notes : Seeing our little Giyuu blame and put himself down breaks my heart, it's time for someone to comfort him and tell him what an amazing person he is.

_ Tomioka-san ! 

Hearing your voice, Giyuu stopped in his walk and turned to you, nodding his head to greet you. You noticed that he was holding a bunch of papers, probably a mission report he had to return to Oyakata-sama.

_ You’re already back ! After filing your report, would you accept ...

_ No.

_ But...

You've been begging him for a while to train you. He had saved you a few months ago from a demon and since then you had only one wish: to become like him. You were infinitely grateful to him and you were so admiring. Not really knowing how to fight but wanting to be useful you had started to help at the Butturfly estate. However you wanted to do more, you wanted to save people before they could get hurt like Giyuu had done for you.

_ Ask another person.

_ Kocho-san is already taking care of Kanao, Rengoku of his little brother ... Everyone else is too busy to spend time with me. I want you to train me... please.

He looked you straight in the eye for a moment then sighed, unable to resist your perseverence :

_ Fine. I will train you but don't expect me to be a good teacher.

Since that day Giyuu trained you every time he return from a mission. You couldn't be happier. The training was difficult, tiring and sometimes painful but for you it was an honor. Even if he didn’t said it Giyuu was proud to see your progress. Besides, it was nice for him to have company. 

•••••••••••

One day, at the end of a hashira meeting, Rengoku came to approach him.

_ Tomioka ! We don't see much anymore (Y/n) at the Butterfly estate. I heard that you train her.

 He nodded, Rengoku let out one of his loud laughs :

_ It's surprising ! I had offered to train her but she had refused. Is she doing well?

_ She’s not bad.

It was surprising indeed. You told him that no one was available to train you and he learned it was a lie. Why had you been lying to him? He didn't understand what you could gain from it.

••••••••••

That night he found you serving dinner for both of you like you did almost every day since you had become his student. 

_ Welcome home ! How was the meeting ?

_ Good.

His gaze immediately made you uncomfortable. Usually he always gave you a warm look, while now he was looking at you coldly, as if he had difficulty recognizing you. He took a seat in front of you and began to eat. After a heavy silence which weighed on him as well as on you, he decided to speak :

_ Why did you lie to me ?

You did not remember having committed such an act against him. Seeing your confused stare he developed his point :

_ Rengoku told me he offered to train you. Why did you tell me that no one has time for you ?

You didn't think he would find out someday. Nothing in his attitude or his voice let show anger but you knew he was necessarily upset. Giyuu was a man of his word and honor, for him a lie was a lack of respect. You were terribly ashamed, however, you manage to stammer an explanation :

_ Oh ! It’s not what you think ! In fact it is but... I mean I didn’t really thought about it... Believe me it was far from my intentions to disrespect you, I would have never offended you on purpose ! I just... I just wanted to be trained by you.

_ Rengoku is a really good and strong man. You should have accepted his proposal. 

He marked a pause.

_ Go back to him, if you ask him I think his offer still stands.

Was Giyuu denying you? Did he no longer want you as a student? He got up and turned his back to you as if to end this discussion but you got up in turn, you wanted to stay by his side: 

_ I don’t want anyone else to train me ! 

_ It would be better for you.  He will be able to take care of you and make you evolve. 

Suddenly you realized what was going on. Giyuu thought Rengoku was a better hashira than him. Didn't he know how strong he was too? You stood in front of him so you could look him in the eye, so he would know you weren't lying :

_ You’re strong too. And you’re a good professor. 

_ You don’t know what you’re talking about. I am stronger than you that’s all. 

_ You’re a hashira ! You’re one of the strongest !

He lowered his head you saw in his eyes, him who was usually so impassive, a hint of sadness.

_ I don't deserve this title. I shouldn't be there.

_ What do you mean ? 

You noticed that his hands tightened on his haori.The words struggled out of his throat, as if part of him wanted to hold them back while another wanted to get them out :

_  Those who owned the two parts of this haorie should be there, they should be alive. Them, not me.

It was the first time Giyuu had talked about his past. You kept silent, you didn't want to rush him. You just wanted to understand him, reassure him, make him feel surrounded. 

_ (Y/n)... I know you admire me and it's nice to have someone so dedicated by my side but you don't know everything. You idealize me. I am not a strong. I am not a good person.

One of his hand clenched the red part of his haorie :

_ I wasn’t strong enough to protect my sister...

His other hand clenched on the other part :

_ I shouldn't have passed the Demon Slayer exam ... Sabito should have, he was much stronger, much better in everything, but he protected me and it cost him his life.

You were speechless. Knowing that Giyuu, who was so generous, strong and usually impassive, had suffered so much broke your heart. You wanted to cry for him but you knew it would only cause drama. You will cry another day, now you needed to cheer up your beloved master.

_ Rengoku will know how to protect you, you will be safe with him. 

••••••••••

The next morning Giyuu couldn't find you anywhere. He assumed you had chosen to join Rengoku. He was sure it was the best option and it suited him for the moment. He felt ridiculous for confiding in you last night, and was too embarrassed to see you again. Nevertheless he had become so used to your presence that he already missed you. Part of him regretted telling you to leave. 

Fortunately you came back little less than a month after your departure and with a surprise. You ran to him yelling a "tomioka-san" as a greeting before handing him a package. A little taken aback he examined it for a moment. Impatient you pressed him a little : 

_   It's a gift for you! Open it !

He followed your instructions and found a nice little bundle of papers taht were of different sizes and different colors. The writings and the ink used were also diverse. You started to explain nervously :

_ I wanted you to know how amazing you are, so I asked the hashira, your old master and a few of the people you saved to write down what they liked about you or what you had did good for them ... Oyakata-sama and Gyomei-san could’nt write but they dictated to me and I transcribed everything ... I didn't think it would take so long to contact everyone, sorry ... 

He had already started to read. Everyone had written something even Obanai, Sanemi and Shinobu had found a few nice things to say. Shinobu had recounted a mission accomplished with Giyuu and admitted that without him it would have been a failure while Obanai and Sanemi were content to write a single sentence where they said that Giyuu was not "that bad" and that "some of these techniques were quite impressive". Urokodaki gently reprimand him so that he would stop always blaming himself and telling him that he was proud of him. 

And finally there was your letter. It was the longest and as he read it he wanted to cry with joy. He wondered what he had done to deserve so much praise, he wanted to deny all these compliments but you had written a real reasoning full of examples to support your words that he was obliged to recognize his qualities. 

He felt his heart melt. it must have taken so much effort from you to collect all these little words, it was a real treasure that you had just offered him. You watched him silently in his reading which lasted a long time and since he didn't say anything you wondered if it was really a good idea :

_ Erm... Do you like it ? It's okay if you don't, but keep them anyway. That way you could always reread them when you needed to ... you know ... know how amazing you are.

A smile covered his face and you noticed that his eyes were bright like a child who discovers the world. His smile was so faint you might not have noticed though it was the sweetest you've ever seen. 

_ Thank you. It's the nicest thing anyone's done for me. It must have taken a lot of effort from you to convince Obanai, Sanemi and Kocho and put it all together.

_ You deserve all the effort in the world.

You gave him a huge smile and he believed you. He felt all the weight he had on his heart, all his guilt shut up in the face of all these kind words. For the first time Giyuu told himself not only that he was lucky to have you by his side but also that he deserved to be happy. Every time he read one of the letters he said to himself, although it was still hard for him not to doubt it, that he was worthy. More than feeling worthy, he felt loved.

••••••••••

Navigation

[djarinsbeskar]

PREQUEL ARC: PART 3 - THE BOUNTY

A/N: Part 3 of Stitches has arrived! This chapter was difficult to write, I'll be honest. And I'd really appreciate any feedback if it doesn't read as well as the first two chapters or doesn't make sense or is boring etc. etc.

This is the penultimate prologue chapter, with the story very much shifting to surround the dynamic and growth of the readers relationship with Din so if you can hold out for me just a bit longer, I promise, I'll make it worth the wait. You know what I'm talking about friends.

Pairing: Din Djarin/Fem!Reader

Word Count: 7k

Rating: 18+ (NO Minors)

Warnings: None

Summary: You encounter Mando suffering one misfortune after another.

AO3 | Stitches Masterlist | Main Masterlist

9 ABY, on the Hydian Way.

Din prided himself on the strength of his principles. An unwavering certainty in everything he did that gave him a modicum of peace as he wandered throughout the galaxy amidst wars, rebellions and the chaos that ensued in their aftermath.

He was certain when he took the Creed, when he sacrificed a future for himself in service of the covert; something he had never regretted to this day. He had never regretted any bounty taken; unmoved by pleas, promises or threats. Neither tears nor anger could sway his resolve.

Truly, he could count on one hand the things he regretted in life; the job on Alzoc III, challenging a fully grown Mandalorian to a fight while still a hot blooded, angry teenager, and not trying to pull his parents into the bunker where they had hidden him from Separatist droids as Aq Vertina was invaded.

In his line of work, there was seldom room for self-doubt. Inner conflict led to hesitation, which could be a death sentence for a bounty hunter.

And yet, as he came out of hyperspace, that unfamiliar gnawing presence in the pit of his stomach began to rear its’ head again. The job he had accepted was… dubious, to say the least.

Din snorted in self-deprecation; most of his jobs were dubious in nature.

What brought on this unnatural doubt, however, was that this was a job for Imperial remnants. Din wasn’t a fool; he knew half the jobs he had taken in the past could have been traced to the Imps if he cared enough to look, but taking a job from them personally… well, he didn’t know how to feel about that just yet.

He pondered the feeling in his stomach again and frowned. Was it doubt… or instinct? Instinct was his most trusted companion as he travelled through space alone. A tickle at the back of his neck, a wary step forward, even a flash of electricity down his spine; those were only some of the ways that instinct spoke to him. And he always listened.

An uncomfortable feeling in his stomach though? Never that.

If it was instinct, then he was going against his very nature in ignoring it. If it was doubt, based on some misguided sense of morality in dealing with the empire… that he could deal with. He could smother doubt with control and consistency; going through the motions of a job brought security and familiarity. Sooner or later, that doubt would make way for a stoic acceptance, a state that had gotten Din through some of his roughest years.

His eyes were drawn to his shoulder, where the glint of newly crafted beskar shone in the gentle lights of the cockpit.

A down-payment…

“Makers Helmet…” he groaned, running a gloved thumb and forefinger across his tired eyes to pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on as the pressure at the back of his skull increased due to the loop his thoughts were going in.

A job was a job. He circled back to his original thought that had led him to accept the clients offer. A job with a bounty greater than anything he could have ever hoped to receive in his lifetime, let alone in one go. It was mere sentimentality and conscience getting in the way of good business. That beskar could not only provide him with armor to reaffirm his loyalty to the covert, but assistance and support to the foundlings and those who raised them.

His resolved steeled. He had never regretted putting the covert before himself, and he wasn’t about to start now.

Turning his attention back to the navicomputer, he scanned the co-ordinates that his most recent lead had pointed to. He had hunted the trail of his latest bounty to the general direction of a vast area of space that straddled the outer reaches of the Outer Rim and halted as it reached Wild Space. There was nothing to stop the bounty from being in those unexplored parts of the galaxy, and if the tracking beacon led him that far, he would have to be ready. With no spaceport on any of the planets he had seen dotting the area on the navicomputer, he thought it wise to refuel and gather provisions should he be there for any prolonged period.

As he lazily assessed which planet to land on, his eyes were drawn to a familiar name. A memory brushed against his thoughts. Not necessarily a pleasant one, but not entirely unpleasant either. For the sake of fairness, Din scanned the planets surrounding the one he pondered; some were equally as well equipped for his needs but the majority he had not been on in years if ever. Somewhere he knew, even briefly, gave him more comfort than the unknown.

At least, that was what Din told himself as he punched in the co-ordinates of Dandoran, the flicker of warmth the memory brought him was something equally as unnatural as the doubt coiled in his stomach.

Bantha balls, maybe he had been poisoned again...

Din tossed a few credits to the human female who received the Razor Crest into the hanger she was managing.

“She needs to be refueled.” Was all he said as he made his way out of the hanger and into the not unfamiliar streets of Mynock. It didn’t look like much had changed in the several months since he was here last; the place was still crawling with a mixture of criminals, bounty hunters and people who just didn’t want to be found. All in all, a good example of most Outer Rim cities.

Mynock had two main pedestrian streets that ran for over two klicks and intersected at the middle. From what he could tell, all legitimate business ran from those two streets, the further into the alleyways and twisted lanes that branched off those two streets one ventured, the seedier the business.

From what he knew, the practice you worked at was on one of these main streets. He paused, causing a few disgruntled pedestrians to have to jerk to a halt and make their way around his imposing frame. He was not here socially. He was never anywhere socially. He shook his head; between self-doubt and sentimentality, the tight leash he usually kept himself on was looser than he remembered and he had no idea just when it had started to slack.

That could not continue. But being aware of a problem allowed him to deal with it. So, with a greater sense of fortitude, he mentally choked any distracting feelings beyond the determination to collect this bounty. That included the somewhat interesting possibility of seeing you again.

Thankfully, Din only needed to stick to the main streets. The road was flanked by stall upon stall of foodstuffs, clothing, trinkets, ammunition and what looked to be a husbandry of Massiff dogs. The large, reflective eyes turned to the Mandalorian; all bared fangs and hostile snarls. An understandable response by most non-sentients when a Mandalorian had no real physical cues they could read, being as covered as they were. Until he lifted his hand for the one closest to sniff, they could only assume he was a threat.

A sniff was usually all it took however, before the snarling stopped. Din brushed a hand over the scaly head as he continued on his way to collect what he came here for.

An hour later, and Din was feeling much more at ease as he picked up the last of the supplies he thought he may need; ration packs, bactapads, generic ammunition that he liked to keep well stocked on the ship and so on. He was once more mentally compiling the information he had gathered on the location of the bounty, running through various routes in his mind that would cover the most planets in the parsec in the shortest amount of time.

He nodded his thanks at the change the Rhodian merchant returned to him and began to make his way back to the Razor Crest. If it hadn’t been for the long flick of your hair in the tie you kept it up in when you turned your head to look at someone at a stall across the central walkway of the street, Din was certain he’d have walked on none the wiser. But alas, that same higher power that had gifted him with a keep perception of his surroundings cursed him in the same fell swoop as the movement attracted his attention.

He came up short, running a mental check on himself immediately. No, no injuries. His shoulder still ached on occasion from being dislocated six months earlier, but it was a phantom pain at most these days. He was fit as a mythosaur and he wasn’t about to have that good streak ruined by getting injured in your presence… again.

Din wondered if he could escape to his ship without you noticing; he didn’t want to tempt fate anymore than he already had. Plus, awkward interactions that left him feeling frustrated both mentally and physically were not high on the list of things he enjoyed, thank you very much.

As a Mandalorian, Din expected attention wherever he went. It was just something he chalked down to being a necessary evil to live by his Creed but he had never wanted to be more invisible than he did in that moment, thinking that at any moment he would be trip into a sarlacc pit or something equally unpleasant.

But you hadn’t seen him, thankfully; much more invested in the choices at the fishmonger’s stall.

Despite his better judgement however, he paused from slipping back to his ship silently.

He was taken by the slight pink flush that rose to your cheeks at something the woman behind the stall said, intrigued by the color and what caused it. Din tilted his head slightly. He had noticed you getting flushed in frustration or annoyance both times you had treated him. It was fascinating to see your cheeks flush for a reason other than irritation and anger.

That particular thought touched a dangerous part of Din’s mind, a part that made him wander into the realm of curiosity to ponder what else might make you blush like that.

Oh, but it was a delightful color on you, and he watched longer than he ought to, a small quirk lifting the corner of his lips. The image of domesticity as you adjusted the parcels of food already in your arms to accept the fish was so foreign to his eyes and certainly not one he ever associated with you until now. It spoke to a part of him that still slumbered but began to fidget in its sleep, on the verge of consciousness.

That tentative smile that he had unwittingly been giving into as he indulged his senses by watching you, dropped the moment three males approached you. The Twi’lek was standing too close for you to be comfortable and by the rigidity of your spine, he knew you were not.

You had taken a step away from the men easily, your body language read cautious but not fearful and he knew better than to underestimate your abilities to wrangle men into whatever position you wanted them in. He had first-hand experience in that department and honestly, it wasn’t nearly as fun as it sounded in his head.

Din relaxed the grip he had unknowingly tightened on the blaster at his hip when you made to leave the stall, away from the three. He shook his head at himself; you had lived here for years. You knew how to handle yourself perfectly fine.

Letting out a breath, he was about to continue back to the ship when that same cursed perception caught the Twi’leks arm shoot out to grip your upper arm tightly, preventing your exit.

Din was behind you before he even realized he had moved.

You examined the range of fish on offer, eyes skeptically crossing off anything that looked like it had been sitting out too long or anything with more than four eyes. You weren’t squeamish by nature, but the fewer dead eyes that were staring at you while you prepared dinner, the better.

One of the few perks of Mynock, was its proximity to the Great Basin of Dandoran that opened out to one of the many oceans to cover the planet. Fresh seafood was a staple in the city and after years of ration packs between the Rebellion and Klatooine, eating fresh was a luxury you would never take for granted again. Your own home planet was mostly covered in water too; the greater population spread over countless clusters of islands where seafood was also the meal of choice for most. It was a tenuous connection but being able to cook dishes somewhat like the ones your mother made when you and your brothers were younger made it feel like you weren’t so far away.

You smiled to yourself at the thought as you pointed to the light blue colored Berbersian crabs, knowing the trawlers had come in only this morning that carried them. The claws were meaty with the slightest sweetness to their flavor that complimented most dishes. Not to mention that when cooked, they turned the most vibrant blue that their shells alone could be used for decoration and craft.

You chatted aimlessly with the fishmonger as she cleaned and prepared the translucent peachy pink fish you had also chosen for good measure.

“Busy at Biran’s?”

“When are we not busy?”

“It’s all them fights between the gangs. Folk say since the Hutts were chased out that things are better but it’s even more dangerous with the others tryin’ to take their place.”

You only gave a non-committal hum to that; you didn’t get involved in politics of any kind. Gang or otherwise.

The mindless chatter continued on nonetheless to more safe topics.

“Did I tell ye, Drea had her baby not three days ago. Another girl.”

“Poor Nej will have his hands full when they all get older.”

“I’m sure they’re dying for a boy at this point. Great excuse to keep sowin’ the crops though, ain’t it?”

“I’m sure they don’t need any excu—”

“Ever think of havin’ any of yer own? Yer well into that time of yer life, I’d say no?”

You blinked, nearly missing the bag of produce as she handed it across the stall to you. You could feel your face heat up at the direction this conversation had turned, and you definitely never thought you would be discussing your biological clock with a fishmonger over Berbersian crab.

“Well I---”

Movement from the corner of your eye stole your attention from that progressively awkward conversation and the no doubt insufficient answer you would have given as three males came to stand at the same stall, facing you. Your eyes scanned the trio sideways, not prepared to give them your attention unless it became unavoidable. There were two humans and a Twi’lek and given the way the humans flanked the large blue male; you had a fair idea about who was in charge as he sneered at you in what you assumed was meant to be a disarming smile.

The blasters at each of their hips and the emerald green coloring on the right sleeve of their jackets told you they belonged to one of the gangs the fishmonger had been complaining about not a few minutes earlier. This gang in particular, the Quai-Kisu or Emerald Dagger in Basic, were a faction that splintered off from the main Hutt crime syndicate once their influence in Dandoran lessened. Their trademark was spice smuggling but anyone with two braincells knew that they accepted the lesser charge to hide the true wealth of their criminal activity, flesh trafficking.

Suffice to say, you didn’t want anything to do with them and you most certainly didn’t want them to want anything to do with you.

“Can I help you?” You kept your eyes on them as you handed the fishmonger what you owed her when it was clear they weren’t going to leave; the woman wisely remaining quiet as she accepted the credits.

None of them responded immediately, and you wondered if this was a new scare tactic they were employing to make people anxious. The crimson hue of the Twi’leks eyes glinted as he contemplated you, running down your figure lazily before meeting your eyes again when you frowned,

“Ol’ man Biran available for a house call?” He rumbled, the sun catching the points of the filed canines as he spoke.

“I’m afraid Biran doesn’t make house calls anymore. Besides, he’s been under the weather for the last few days unfortunately.”

You reeled the lie off effortlessly, having learned over the years who Biran would tend to and who he would rather see succumb to whatever ailed them. It was a steep and difficult learning curve for you, your initial training taught you that you must do your utmost to save every life. Biran had laughed in derision, saying that that mindset wouldn’t serve you well out here. These were gangs, not the flyboys of Corellia. Saving one of their lives might condemn countless others. So while you struggled, you accepted that it was his practice and he made the rules and after over two years on Dandoran, you had seen enough victims of the gang warfare to not feel any pity when one of them suffered an injury.

“C’mon beautiful. One of our pals was injured in a… terrible, terrible accident.” The taller of the two human males, a lanky man with a neck that looked much too long and eyes that took way too much liberty in running over your body.

“There are other doctors in Mynock.” You replied steadily, “I’m sure one of them can help.”

To humor them any longer would be to encourage trouble, so you cut the conversation short and turned quite deliberately to make the point that the conversation was over, flashing the fishmonger a wan smile before turning back the way you came.

“We weren’t done talkin’ to you.”

Your eyes widened marginally when an iron grip closed around your upper arm, your free hand dropping the items in your arm immediately to click the safety off your blaster and lift it in the time it took for the Twi’lek to yank you into facing him again.

“Did I say you could lay a hand on me?” You hissed, the blaster pointing upward from where you held it close to your body towards the underside of the Twi’lek’s chin.

“Quite the little spitfire, ain’t she lads?” He crowed, amused by your action. His laughter was like shattered glass on your ears, making you want to wince, but you kept your hand steady even as your heart pounded. You received as much training as anyone when they joined the Rebellion, but your experience in actual combat beyond treating people on the front line was limited. You knew your own limitations, and that there was no way you would be able to take on all three of them.

The hand around your arm squeezed painfully and you clocked the blaster, lifting it closer to sit under the Twi’lek’s chin, “Release me. Now.”

And like most men of his ilk, he ignored you in favor of his own voice,

“From what we’ve seen, you work with the good doctor. Shouldn’t be a bother for you to fix him up. Nicer to look at too, eh fellas?” He tossed over his shoulder to the snickers of his lackeys.

“Then you can go back to target practice with your toy gun.” He chuckled darkly, leaning in where the pungent smell of his breath made you turn your head away in distaste, “That is, if we let you go at all.”

You swallowed thickly at the threat, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as your mind scrambled to come up with a solution, a way out, something. You felt the familiar sting of tears at the back of your eyes when each avenue came up blank. You couldn’t think of anything and suddenly, you felt so terribly alone in this shithole of a town on a faraway planet far from anyone who gave a bantha crap who would actually be able to help you.

Their laughter only grated on your already frayed nerves and pissed you off even more. You had fought too hard and suffered too much to let these assholes take the one thing you owned, your freedom. Your eyes flashed with anger and snapped back to the Twi’lek, ready to pull the trigger because if you were going out, it would be on your terms.

Their laughter suddenly ceased then, and you blinked. Had they copped that you planned to take at least one, maybe two of them out with you? Before you could figure it out, your arm was shoved away. You raised your now free hand to steady the blaster as you aimed it at them, but they were backing away, eyes averted.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” You growled, hiding the waver in your voice.

They said nothing in reply as the Twi’lek bared his teeth and made towards you again. One of the humans grabbed his arm and hissed something to him. You couldn’t make it all out, but you swore you heard a name you never thought you’d hear again.

Teff.

With one last growl and glare, the Twi’lek conceded to the advice of the humans and all three of them melted back into the crowds of Mynock leaving you to release a heavy breath as you lowered your weapon, replacing the safety with ease as your eyes continued to scan the street. You wanted to be certain they had really left.

“Huh, maybe they were smart after all.” You muttered to yourself, proud that you had dealt with the situation somewhat and holstered your blaster against your hip again, “Still got it girl.” You commended yourself as you stooped to pick up your dropped groceries.

A snorted, “I beg to differ” had you blinking up over your shoulder at the familiar, cocksure figure of the Mandalorian; a hand only grazing the blaster at his hip as he stood casually behind you, his head tilted down to look at you and a resounding sigh leaving his helmet when you smiled.

“Mando?”

An incline of his head was the only greeting you received before he crossed his arms across the wise expanse of his armored chest.

“One sec.”

You got back to your feet and, as if by instinct, ran your eyes over his body, “You didn’t poison yourself again, did you?” You teased lightly, realizing that you were seeing him uninjured for the first time. Well, the second time. But walking into a cantina to do battle with a Houk didn’t could in your estimation.

It gave you pause to notice things about him that you didn’t usually; the way he stood, leaning his weight back on his left foot that gave him an air of lazy arrogance that wouldn’t be misplaced in a loth-wolf relaxing in the winter sun. The strength of his thighs seems to be accentuated by the posture; one hand placed securely at his blaster. If you didn’t know any better, his stance was like an open challenge to every male around him; submit or suffer. But you did know him somewhat, and you knew that he didn’t need to lay down any challenge. He had already won the second he stepped off his ship. The wide breadth of space given to him by passers-by only highlighted that fact.

Even with every patch of skin covered, you could feel the raw power rolling off of him, or was it testosterone? Whatever it was, it tugged at a more primal instinct and ignited a slow, steady heat inside of you that made you both embarrassed and intrigued.

Okay, so you were attracted to the way the man stood. That was fine, that was acceptable. You were a warm-blooded woman in her prime who knew her desires and embraced them. Finding how a Mandalorian… stood, was just another interesting thing to add to your list of things you found attractive.

Along with a raspy baritone and penchant for trouble…

You know what, it was probably just a fantastic indication that you hadn’t been laid in a while, so you made a mental note to deal with that particular issue later.

“I never poisoned myself.” That same low, gruff voice rose to your bait so easily and you had to bite your lip not to laugh, his hand fisting at his side before he unclenched it. Probably thinking about strangling you, honestly. Now there was a thought, for later. Nope, it was definitely the recent dry spell that had you like this. And the sun. The sun always had a part to play in these delusions.

Mando seemed to figure out your game of teasing him however, when you couldn’t fully mask your smile and responded in kind,

“You’re welcome, by the way.” His voice rumbled and you were certain that if you were only a few inches closer, you would be able to feel the vibrations brush against you.

“For what?” You laughed in disbelief, “I had everything under control before you decided to strut into the fray.”

You tried to prevent the frown from creasing between your brows when you thought a little more on the situation. You had a blaster literally pointed to the neck of one of those thugs and they didn’t care. It didn’t even seem like Mando had drawn his weapon and all three had scarpered? Was there any fairness in the galaxy? Obviously not.

The unpainted helmet tilted, the impassive T-visor giving away nothing of its wearers feelings beyond the sigh that left him, “What did you plan to do? Shoot the son of a mudscuffer and have an entire gang out for blood in less than an hour? Yeah, that’s smart.” He snorted.

Your mouth fell open in incredulity, “Talk about the Jawa calling the Ewok short, you’d have done the exact same thing!” You cursed your short temper, especially when it came to the stubborn mule of a man in front of you. The fact that his voice never once rose frustrated you. It remained gravelly but soft, like the sound of pebbles and stones being pushed and pulled by the ocean you could hear from your bedroom as a child.

You were a mature person; you were proud of how you dealt with most things. But in this instance, you allowed your immature side to rear her head momentarily as you began to stalk back to the practice. A piss poor option since the Mandalorian scoffed and kept up with you easily, obviously not content with you having the last word.

“But I wouldn’t be so reckless to not think it through before shooting them.” He tipped his helmet back a little, as if he dared to look down his nose at you. Frustration simmered in your blood as your eyes narrowed at him sideways.

“I was wrong, you obviously are injured. A blow to the head this time was it, Mando? Must be hidden under that kettle you call a helmet” You let out an exasperated breath, shaking your head, “I’ve no cure for that unfortunately.”

You could have sworn you heard a soft noise that sounded remarkably like a chuckle, but it was so quiet and the streets so noisy that you were certain you were wrong.

When the door to the practice-come-living quarters for yourself and Biran came into view, you stopped short. How did you get back here so quickly? Looking over your shoulder, you realized you had led the Mandalorian on a merry chase to nowhere he needed to be. He didn’t look particularly fazed, but the small voice of guilt that sounded an awful lot like your mother had you opening your mouth before you could think twice,

“Do you want to come in?”

What possessed you to invite him in?

It was obvious from both the stilted way you asked and the drawn out, deeply awkward silence that followed. You were about to tuck tail and run inside, slam the door, and pretend you weren’t as mortified as you knew you were when he cocked his head. The movement made you pause in your escape, opening your mouth to tell him to forget about it before the words got lodged in your throat.

“Sure.” Was all he said, and that was how you found yourself staring at a fully armed Mandalorian taking up two thirds of the small settee in the living room to the back of the practice, his hands placed on each thigh as they spread a bit when he sat.

Biran, bless him, took up the last third of the same settee, unfazed by the type of man in his living room and chatting merrily about the last Mandalorian he had met over fifteen years ago.

“And that wasn’t you?”

“No.”

“Ah maybe someone you know then!”

“Maybe.”

Mando’s conversation skills were abysmal.

You didn’t have very high expectations in the first place, but watching it without being a participant, was downright comical. You hid your smile behind the glass of water you had fetched for yourself but the slight tilt of his helmet in your direction told you he had caught your amusement. For someone whose face you couldn’t see, you could practically feel his eyes narrow at you. It made the giddiness from being equal parts anxious and entertained from watching Mando try make nice with the elderly Mirialan rise again and you had to physically bite your lip to stop.

Mando wasn’t listening to Biran anymore, that much was obvious. He wasn’t even looking in his direction, more comfortable blatantly glaring at you instead. Biran was unfazed. Truly, the Mirialan didn’t need a response to have a conversation. A listening ear was sometimes all he wanted. It was a characteristic that endeared you to the him in the first place. The elderly were so often overlooked and written off, but when one only cared enough to listen, they would find themselves enriched with experiences no history book could ever compete with.

“…So how do you two know each other?”

Your attention was dragged back into the conversation so fast you might have given yourself whiplash. You blinked a few times as the Mirialan watched Mando with a clueless smile on his face, completely ignorant to the stiff body beside him.

“Coercive medical attention.” You choked a bit on the sip of water you had taken to buy yourself some time to think; coercive? That rotten---

“Ah, you were a difficult patient, were you?” Biran chuckled, knowing your methods well, “Sweet as pie if you do as your told, but the minute you resist she’ll go for you like a sand panther. I can’t imagine there was much room for bedside manners in the Rebellion, but thankfully that attitude works well in cities like Mynock.” You spluttered again, putting the glass down since it was out to get you too apparently.

Of all the treacherous--, why were you so nice to this old sod again? You would show him a sand panther when you ‘forget’ to buy his favorite tea next time you went shopping.

You seethed to yourself, leaning back in the armchair you had perched yourself on earlier, flyaway hairs from the breeze outside falling into your face which you blew away with a frustrated breath.

“Hm, a panther?” Your eyes rose as the low baritone filled the air after Biran had finished having his laugh at your expense. Mando cocked his head pensively to the side as he looked at you briefly, “More like a kitten, I’d say.” And with that, he looked away.

He didn’t bother saying anything else after that, content with letting Biran’s laughter fill the room and smother the tense silence the two of you were sitting in.

You could feel your cheeks heating up once more as you glared daggers at the tin can in front of you. Why did it feel like you were being simultaneously insulted and flirted with? You couldn’t make the distinction, so you didn’t know how to respond.

Instead, you decided to poke at a different part of the conversation.

“For someone who was coerced, you sure do find yourself on my table quick enough when you need treatment.” Your eyes ran up and down the length of his body candidly when he looked back at you, “and when you don’t need treatment, evidently.”

You smirked when the Mandalorian clenched a fist on his thigh, the third occupant in the room seemingly forgotten as Mando hissed,

“I never asked for your help.”

You scoffed and decided not to deign that with a response.

“Besides, I only stopped over for supplies and fuel.” He admitted and a treacherous part of you sunk a bit at the honesty in his voice. Seeing you was just a coincidence, like always. The unspoken words hung heavy in the air and you fought the twinge of sadness that chased you because of them.

Biran looked between the two of you before standing shakily and patting the Mandalorian on the shoulder with no hesitation, “Allow us to provide you with something extra for your travels then.” He turned his wrinkled face towards you with a smile, the deep groves of his crow’s feet increasing as he nodded to the bags of forgotten groceries, “I think our guest should try the crab. Knowing you, you bought too much as usual.”

You flushed at being caught out, were you really that predicable?

“There’s no need. I got what I came for so, I’ll be going now.” Mando stood fluidly despite his armor, and you were once again struck with how different it was seeing him injured as opposed to healthy. You felt you needed to get used to his presence all over again, with how much it filled the room.

“Thank you, for your hospitality.” He tipped his helmet towards Biran, his voice still rather gruff but laced with a polite softness uncharacteristic to him. Biran waved him off and started making his way back out to the practice when he heard the binary from his medi-droid welcoming a new patient.

That left the two of you standing in a room that suddenly felt much too small for the tension that hung around you both like a blanket. You moved into the kitchen to separate the food you would keep and the food you would give to Mando on one of the countertops, tying the bag tightly by the straps so that it stayed clean and fresh when you were done. You couldn’t hear him move, but you could feel the slight disturbance of the air when he leaned his shoulder casually against the doorframe, arms crossed enticingly once more as he watched you.

“So… what did he call you again? A sand… kitten, was it?”

“Oh, shut up.” You growled over your shoulder at him before turning and shoving the bag with two of the Berbersian crabs and some herbs you knew went well with them, into his hands.

“I don’t need these.” He held the bag out, straightening his stance as he pushed himself from the doorframe. You wisely ignored him.

“All you need is a pan. And water. And heat. Boil them and actually give your body some proper nutrients, would you?”

You explained as you began leading him out towards the private entrance of the residence, through the small kitchen and out into an alleyway that gave you an immediate sense of déjà vu the moment Mando stepped outside. The sun was still beating down and it glinted across the helmet that was becoming as recognizable as a face to you.

“In case you didn’t realize, I’m perfectly healthy.” He replied smoothly, getting his bearings as he examined the alleyway and noted the sounds from the nearby street as the direction he needed to go.

“That’d be a first.” You griped at him, but there was no venom in your words, and he knew it.

You knew he was about to leave, and the suddenness of his departure was as jarring as his arrival. You didn’t know why you felt the need to stall, and you pushed that urge down rapidly in the face of the warrior when he looked back at you from assessing the street not a few feet away.

You sighed and let out a chuckle, wondering again how this man constantly came barreling into your life, disrupting the precarious peace you had brokered while here. You might have said it was a nuisance, but deep down, you knew that he brought a breath of life back into yours every time he crossed your path, reinvigorated the aimless routine you found yourself in. It was unsettling, the way this man had wormed his way into being such a… significant presence in your life. Even after only meeting him three times and always under less than pleasant circumstances.

Part of you wanted to tell him he could stay longer if he wanted; but you knew he would refuse.

Part of you wanted to tell him to be safe; but you knew he wouldn’t be.

Part of you wanted to tell him that you would see him around; but you knew that you probably wouldn’t.

So you settled on a lackluster, “good luck on your hunt” with a small smile as a peace offering for the fraught bickering you always seemed to fall into with him. A peace offering, he seemed to accept as he lifted the bag silently and looked inside,

“Pan. Water. Heat. Right?” His own attempt made your smile grow as you chuckled and nodded,

“You got it, sunshine.”

He nodded once in affirmation while you moved around him back towards the door of the practice. For some reason, you didn’t want to watch him walk away this time. It was easier for you to leave instead. A rumble of your name from the Mandalorian had you looking over your shoulder at him questioningly, the blush that had risen to your cheeks at the sound of your name on his lips not lost on Mando. He had turned back towards you when you moved and after a beat, spoke again.

“See you next time.”

And just like that, your chest hollowed, and a warmth filled you. The weight of his words were like an embrace, a reassurance you didn’t know you needed. Had needed, for longer than you probably knew. It was something secure and encouraging in these times of change and uncertainty, and you felt yourself cling to those words like a lifeline.

The placid nod you offered him with a gentle smile was all he stuck around for. Spinning on his heels, he took off towards the streets of Mynock once more, disappearing in a flash of beskar and steel and for once, you didn’t ponder about possibly seeing him again. You knew you would.

Din settled back into the pilots’ chair of the Razor Crest twenty minutes later, running through the familiar process of flying the ship out of the atmosphere and into the comfort of space, eager to escape into hyperdrive as soon as he was clear enough from Dandoran.

See you next time?

He groaned leaned his head back against the chair, staring up at the ceiling of the cockpit, his brows drawn low over his eyes as he frowned. What possessed him to offer that promise, he didn’t know. Maybe it was the way your eyes had dimmed slightly when he was about to leave, or when you had wished him luck on a job he was still so uncertain about. Maybe it was the way you blushed when he said your name.

Or maybe it was just because he wanted to see you again too.

And that was the most troubling reason of all.

Din didn’t do friends, he had acquaintances and colleagues even if the term was tenuous. He had the covert and the foundlings, but he didn’t have people he actually wished to see. Never trusted anyone beyond what they could each offer one another. You hadn’t looked for anything from him, and it was unsettling. He didn’t know if he could trust you, years of training and experience told him otherwise. But from the old memories of you pressing Raquor’daan poison from his wound to the teasing friendship you displayed with the old Mirialan, his resolve softened a little.

His eyes flicked to the rapidly shrinking planet he was leaving.

Trust was too strong a word right now, but respect… he could admit that he respected you. And that alone put you on a very short list of people, one he was sure you would never truly understand the importance of.

And he was right.

You would never know the significance of being on that very short list of people, but in that moment, Din’s grudging respect for you set both of your lives on a very different course than either of you ever anticipated; one that revolved around a very special, very small, green child.

Once Dandoran had faded sufficiently behind the Razor Crest, he keyed in the co-ordinates to the far reaches of the Outer Rim and entered hyperspace and after several days of travel, he finally struck beskar when the tracking fob starting beeping as he coasted through space. He smirked behind his helmet as he changed direction and noted the closest planet on his navicomputer where his bounty was hidden.

Arvala-7.

Gotcha.

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