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magicalqueennightmare · 1 year

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Sins & Amends Chapter 2

(Gif by @banditthewriter)

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary: You meet the infamous Billy Russo

Frank introduced you to Curtis not long after him and Maria got married. He not only figured the two of you would hit it off good but considering you were a paramedic and Curtis a navy corpsman he figured the two of you had that as a starting point for a friendship.

Curtis had the best heart out of anyone you'd ever met. He was constantly on the look out for how he could help others and just all around a really good guy. It didn't take long before he'd fallen into the same category as Frank but while Frank was the overly protective bear of a brother figure Curt was the calmer head's prosper version. You'd found a new family to fall into a routine with. The Castles, Curt and your partner and friends at the station house helped you to really gain your footing in the life you wanted.

The day you met Billy you weren't sure what to expect . You'd talked to Frank and Curt both enough while they were deployed to know of him. He was pretty much like you, a stray that Frank had found and decided to keep just as Maria had decided to keep you. You'd seen a few photos of him alongside Frank and Curt and honestly? He was gorgeous in your opinion. He was around Frank's height with thick brown hair, eyes that looked nearly black they were so dark in color and a smile that even in a photo could grab your attention.

Apparently from Maria's description though while she did say he was a good guy and a sweetheart she didn't smooth over the fact that he was a player "The fellas call him Billy the beaut. Just as a forewarning if he tries turning the charm on please don't fall for it. He really does fit into this family well and I'd hate to have to cut his balls off." you hadn't even tried to hold back the laughter that the mental image of Maria's five foot four self assaulting a decorated marine had caused. "Yes ma'am" you agreed as you took in behind Lisa trying to catch her so you could change her into the outfit Maria had chosen for the airport trip to meet Frank.

You had the day off and had originally showed up to the Castle household wearing shorts and a short sleeve blouse but when Frank Jr had decided he didn't like his lunch and that it looked better on your shirt than in his stomach Maria had dug one of Frank's old marine shirts from bootcamp out and handed it to you "He won't mind and besides Frank Jr did pretty much cover your other shirt"

On your way out of her bathroom from changing you spotted one of Frank's ballcaps on top the dresser so you grabbed it and pulled your ponytail through the hole figuring why not? At least it lowered the chances of Lisa finding your hair to play with while you waited in the crowd that always accompanied the homecomings.

"Aunt Y/N do you have any food?" Lisa asked swinging from your arm with a giggle as you scanned the crowd looking for Frank. "No sweetie I'm sorry but as soon as we get your daddy we'll get you some lunch ok?" "Ok" she agreed with a grin that highlighted her missing front tooth that had come out a week before.

"Do you see them yet?" Maria asked and you were about to shake your head when you spotted Frank working his way through the crowd "I see Frank!" you said and waved your arm so he would see you. He locked eyes with you and smiled then leaned back in the crowd and you could tell he was talking to someone and that was when you spotted Billy at his side "and he's got Russo with him" you added earning a cheeky grin from Maria at the use of Billy's last name.

Frank made it to your small group first and pulled Maria into a kiss then hugged Lisa and Frank Jr close to his chest. After he let them go he grinned at you "C'mon kid you're getting a hug too" you let him pull you into his arms and laughed against his chest when he said "By the way are you wearing my shirt and my hat?" You pulled back with a guilty expression and tilted your head towards Maria "Boss lady said I could"

"Smart woman to listen to her" you heard someone say and turned to see Billy's eyes were glued to you. "Well the infamous Billy Russo. It's nice to finally meet you" you offered your hand with a smile. A glint of a mixture of amusement and maybe a little bit of cockyness flashed through his eyes before a smirk slowly worked its way onto his face and he shook your hand "And you must be Y/N. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Frankie" you could tell he was turning on the charm and had you not been warned? Oh hell yes it would've worked but instead you simply replied "I've heard a lot about you too. Now let's see what out of that is true or not"

You missed the look he gave Frank when you turned around to pick Lisa up which was clearly "Where did you find her?" Billy had his fair share of women but none that ever really peaked his interest until you. There was something about you that had him watching your every move or until Maria arched an eyebrow at him and Frank's earlier warning of "Bill Y/N is a pretty girl but she's like a sister to Maria and has been there for her and the kids more than I have meaning she's family and that Maria will cut your balls off should you even attempt your usual methods"

He raised his hands defensively and hoisted his bag on his shoulder to walk out the airport with all of you. You glanced back and smiled at him "So Billy I hear you're uncle as much as I'm aunt?" He nodded "Yea why?" and laughed when you held Lisa out to him "Carry her to the car for Maria. I'm grabbing a cab to go on a food run and will meet all of you at the house" "Yes ma'am" he smirked and gave you a salute so in return you rolled your eyes but didn't try to fight the smile that had worked it's way onto your face "At ease lieutenant"

You winked at Maria and said "I am going after Frankie's favorite and am getting my niece some lunch, anything else needed?" "Beer" Frank offered and you tilted your head towards him "Of course" then walked the opposite way of them to hail a cab while they headed for the parking lot.

#au billy russo #billy russo x y/n #billy russo au #billy russo x you #billy russo fanfic #billy russo x reader #sins and amends masterlist

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slashy-ashy · 2 years

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I'll say it once again if DC focused more on Dick and Barbara’s friendship I would start reading the new Nightwing, if the story followed an interesting plotline I would read the new Nightwing, if King truly did listen to the fans/the fans concerns and started treating this series with some forethought and respect I would pick up the series, but all of what I said isn't happening and at this point, I'm not interested in DC’s takes on what they think should happen next in his run because they don't know themselves

They’re so many wonderful plotlines that have just been dropped for no reason, the writing is just to cater to the fans, I'm over Dickbabs as a couple already, the relationship between them isn't appealing to me because as always this ties to the Ric Grayson arc in which everyone I mean everyone from Bruce down to his siblings just shown that they don't care about him truly and this is thanks to the writing of that issue too. Ric Grayson would be a fantastic arc if it was handled correctly, we should see or should have seen IN PANEL Bruce coming to visit his son, Alfred visiting his grandson, Jason stopping by to see how his brother is doing, Tim stopping by just to stop by, Damian possibly stopping by but I sincerely doubt it because it hurts to know that di-Gra-RIC won't remember him won't remember them, Barbara coming down to check up on Ric just to chat about what's happening in Bludhaven, etc. Long story short we deserve to see a story in which Ric’s autonomy and decisions matter truly and are respected instead of just having to imagine that Bruce was watching Ric from the shadows because the writer tweeted that tidbit of information, it isn't fair to see Bruce get treated with the utmost respect and still see him get treated as if he's still human but he's just forgetting some things over Ric getting harassed by his family because Ric NEEDS to remember his past while with Bruce they were tiptoeing around him and yet still giving Bruce the space and respect that frankly, anyone deserves in that situation. I am at the point that if I don't see it in the panel then it didn't happen point-blank, I'm tired of writers just going to Twitter to add in more tidbits of information into the story, that isn't how you write a story and it's lazy storytelling if it wasn't already added/thought to be added to the story to begin with, then they tie it towards the second book/ whatever by going to Twitter of all places, that's like if I sent in my google doc for school but then I forgot to add something to my work so I just tell my teacher or whomever that I meant to close my third paragraph in my essay and begin talking about my new topic in the fourth paragraph, like that would not work and I would have got my assignment back to me with the appropriate marks.

I think if we were to fix the issues from Ric’s run then Nightwings new run would be smoother and more interesting because right now I'm not interested in the adventures of Dick Grayson and his girlfriend Barbara Gordon! The most interesting thing to come out of this run for me personally would be his dog, Haley. We have yet to see Dick be on his own since Grayson and it's driving me up a wall that DC doesn't just allow him to be by himself in HIS OWN RUN! AS IF HE IS NOT A LEGACY MEMBER HIMSELF

If we were to quote-unquote tie him down to someone then I prefer either Bea or Kori because I enjoy their relationship, and it had a lot more room to flourish if the writers took the time to properly write it out instead of having Barbara rudely dismiss Bea and then proceed to never pick up her character again or again end their relationship because Dick and Barbara slept with each other even though both parties knew that Dick was with someone else and was even on his way to get married to that someone else too. If they need drama then do some hurt/comfort instead of now having these two characters be canonical cheaters and yes both Barbara and Dick are cheaters because of the above-mentioned incident which could have been avoided if they just talked to each other like the adults they are instead of some weirdo who just thought that this would spice things up like... You just single-handedly ruined this story by having these two sleep with each other because you thought that this would drive sales? The sales were already secured when they brought Dick and Kori together as a couple, Dick and Bea had again in my opinion, more chemistry than say...Dick and Shawn, and sorry to any Dick/Shawn shippers, but when they pulled the pregnancy scare they lost me as a fan because whew I think my heart dropped so far into my shoes it wasn't even funny. Seeing as this is Dick’s solo run after Grayson and after Ric, I was excited about his run but as of right now I will most definitely pass on this story and I haven't even brought up his new sister and the heartless villain (whom I'm pretty sure has yet to come up yet and what even happened to Zucco or am I just forgetting things?) I don't know I'm just tired of the inconsistency of this run and the previous runs and again this is just my opinion but whatever.

#dick grayson #ric grayson #bruce wayne #nightwing #batman #tom king #Ric/Bea was a wonderful ship anyone who says otherwise is lying #Bea #Ric Grayson was great the story line just needs a lot of clean up #Ric Grayson deserves better #Ric and Bea’s relationship was wonderful and Barbra still had no right to dismiss Bea like that #not Barbra Gordon slander but she has overstepped her boundaries too many times #tim drake #jason todd

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iiratix · 2 years

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Aaa another tog blog :3 hear me out (an imagine not a request). You know the story of Pinnochio, the doll who turned into a real boy ? Imagine fem great warrior reader somehow escaping her friends because Jahad accused her husband of treason, and he had him killed. So reader decided to create her own "daughter", basically a puppet who has both her features and her husband's features and traits. She raised her daughter and loved her. Imagine that "daughter" meeting any family head though.

Creativity is boundless, is it not?

May I have your attention please? Yes, yes, now that I have certainly caught your attention, behold to what I'm about to show you. A definition of a masterpiece has finally appeared. Now, I won't lie, this certainly... Peek my interest as a writer. As someone who's suffering mentally and physically a writer blog (sadly enough) this is something I cannot pass to immediately think off in my head.

This is quite an interesting concept of a story. After reading through it, I could certainly image the entire plot after suffering the typical usual writer illness. Now, let's us summarize the entire plot all together while added other things.

Imagine if the reader are a closed friend to Arlene, the two stick together as if they're an inseparable twin. To the point if you want to find one of them, just find the other person. They have a close relationship in a familial way, hence, they share each other trouble with one another.

As Jahad ascend toward the throne, the two of them live a happy life with their own significant other, while he remain there, high and mighty, ruling the tower. The interesting part is Jahad accusation isn't entirely false. Considering how much of a tyrant he is, let's think the possibility both of reader and Arlene join force together to stop Jahad possesion against the throne, just like how it mentioned by the canon story.

Which led for her husband, to be on the front line alongside the others. But alas, their enemy itself was their own friend, the great 10 family that did not bother to take their side. On the final fight where they're cornered, reader husband was killed I'm front of her, at the same time it was his attempt to keep her safe. Seeing such a gruesome sight bring furry inside of her, anger boiling like a lava, ready to explode. Yet, his final words for her is to run away, just like Arlene and V.

It shattered her pride to pieces, but he knows what best for her, and commits one last transportation for her sake, a device that was kept in case of emergency. With that, she was wrapped elsewhere, away from any harm. The lost of her dear husband itself is devastating, but there's nothing she can do. She prompted to return where she came from, the outside, where everything begun.

And she for sure, will start another chapter. But not for her, but for someone else. And that's the beginning of her daughter life. At first, thinking through the possibility of creating a puppet, may on similar case with Enryu, and it is said even Urek one of the top Ranker cannot create a life out of shinsu. So, let's make it a bit more complex than Enryu case.

Reader was lonely, which is quite obvious. She left behind everyone that she knew of, even the place she called home. So, she decided to carve a human sort of puppet by the wood. ( Yes, yes we're following the Pinnochio with a mix ) Afterwards, she tried to do an experiment with it, she tried to infuse her shinsu inside of that puppet. It was many kind of fail attempt to another failure. She's losing hope until one day, her shinsu overburst that led for a blinding light appeared, with a gust of wind that spread across the entire ground, bringing down everything that stand on its way.

Long story short, that overwhelming power ended up creating a life that similar to a human. Due to the shinsu, some of their body parts turn into a flesh slowly. But the unique part of her daughter, is the fact alone she did not have a heartbeat, any organs to eat or even a blood. It makes sense since she... She's a puppet, a complex version of Enryu puppet ( no offense, please refrain from red rain me)

Nevertheless, this is where everything start, where a new chapter she seeks will start. A new book, a new ending, much more delightful and happy, with certain traumatizing start and begining. Ahem, either way, the daughter become curious of this said tower after living for so long outside the tower. And on one faithful day, she sneak away to participate this bloody tower, her mother had said. Certainly, the troublemaker side and curiosity came from the husband, to the point it felt as if reader herself had a doting daughter.

Although, she certainly did not escaped her mother pry eyes. Because, how are you going to sneak away from a great warrior that had sneak away from the tower? Complicated kind of question, I'm well aware.

On the fun part, the daughter stumble upon Baam and his gang, following after them all especially the brunette himself. She cannot tell for sure, but there's a certain attachment toward him. No, it's not romantically. No, it's not a friends to lover troupe. Yes, it's a normal platonic relationship that both of their parents have.

Here's the plot twist... Rachel is aware of reader daughter existence, just like how she did to Baam. Shocking? Certainly, because this one, is chasing after her as well. But, we could leave the guarding to Khun and Rak. Or maybe just Khun, especially when Rak has a certain... Eh, well you understand.

Heading toward the Traumerei part, let's add another twist, because Iiratix is a well-known angst lover and plot twist added. What if Traumerei once love reader, but it's an unrequited love as the reader fall for her husband instead? Well, that will leave a lasting wound of heartbreak. Thus, when he sees a familiar figure, much to his dismay, he cannot help but be cruel and mean, pointing out the fact that she has already aware of.

"It does not matter whether I'm a puppet or not, I'm my mother's pride and joy, the one who'll take revenge on behalf of my father's death."

Was all she said with a determined expression and a smile. Well, someone seems to be taken the personality of her mother that was courageous. Her runaway is an exceptional, since it was what her husband want, so there's nothing she can do of it. Either way, it was a nice time to imagine this plot.

#conversation #tower of god #kami no tou #tower of god x reader #khun aguero agnis #khun #25th baam #baam #𝙸𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚡™

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tilltheendwilliwrite · 3 years

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Star-Crossed: Bound by Blood

Chapter One

Master List

Pairing: Mando/Din Djarin x OFC Baast’Mal

Warnings: I'm making this up as a go, Canon divergent from the series during chapter 13, mild violence

A/N: I make this stuff up as I go along, if I screw something Star Wars-y up, apologies in advance, I didn't do it on purpose, but I'm new to this Fandom. I will be cross posting this story between AO3 and Tumblr except the smutty bits. Those chapters will only be available to registered users on AO3. (I'm trying something new for people who want to read here on Tumblr, but to also avoid the smut for minors controversy. We'll see how it goes.)

*I do not have a tag list* Please follow the story on AO3 if you want email updates, or follow @tilltheendwilliwrite-library where I post the new/latest chapters of all my stories.

***

In the sweltering heat of the jungle, Din Djarin crouched to better scan for tracks in the rotting foliage at the base of the tall trees. Pools of light made it difficult to adjust correctly for the shadowy depths; add in the thermal activity of the plants and animals in this stinking sewer of a planet, and he was having a hard time tracking his quarry.

When he'd accepted the puck, he hadn't known what he was getting into as her chain code was surprisingly sparse. The only additional information he had was her name - Taa Marel - her last known location and face.

And what a face. Even on a holo, she was stunning, not that the Mandalorian would let that sway him one way or the other.

He'd tracked the stolen ship from Bogano, where she'd initially been hiding out to this skug hole of a world that was made to torment men in beskar, causing them to swelter in their helmet.

The kid, however, loved the place.

Constantly cooing, riding in his pouch, he touched everything he could get his chubby green fingers on. Leaves, flowers, bugs; those, of course, went straight in his mouth. By this point, Mando accepted the womp rat could and would eat just about anything.

Upon arrival, they'd found the ship nose down, destroyed, and abandoned, but the crash landing had created just enough space for Mando to set the Razor Crest down. Then the hunt began.

After three hours of slogging through the heat, he was ready to kill her. After four, he decided death was too good for someone who made him sweat this hard. After five, he was determined to make her suffer. But they were closing in. He could feel it like an ache in his bones.

Tracks led forward, but something didn't sit right with that. They were too obvious. After hours of following such a well-covered trail, this was an insult to his skills. Footprints led straight down a game trail like a beacon meant to lure him astray.

It wasn't right, too easy by far, and the skin on his nape crawled.

He looked up, straight into the eyes of the woman he was hunting. Even through the distorted colour of heat vision, he could see they were a vibrant green.

He moved on instinct, whipcord shooting out, wrapping around her shoulders, and dragging her out of the tree.

She screamed the battle cry of a hunting cat, an inhuman sound before she twisted mid-air and landed lightly, crouched but on her feet.

"Taa Marel, I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold," he warned her, hand hovering over his blaster.

"That is not my name. And I choose option three."

Her voice kicked him in the groin and made his dick twitch. Stunned, he could only watch as her hands came up and nails like talons shredded his whipcord.

Someone had left a few things out of her chain code.

"Put the child down."

Mando blinked. "Why would I do that?"

What did she want with his foundling? Had she heard about him? Would she attempt to take him?

"I intend to kick your ass, Mandalorian, but I do not hurt children. Put him down."

Surprised, Mando reached for the strap across his chest instead of his blaster. "You're not going to run?"

She lifted a proud chin. "You will continue to hunt me. I would rather die than return to that hell hole, but I will not go easy. I will fight."

She was beginning to impress him with more than just her face.

Din lifted the strap over his head, his eyes fixed on the target, studying her outside of the holo he'd memorized.

She stood with her chin raised, body slightly turned in a stance that bespoke proper training. If one could call it that, her green tunic had no sleeves, crossed over her breasts, tied just beneath them, and ended a few inches thereafter, baring the wealth of sun-darkened skin over tightly packed muscles. Pants hugged slim hips, billowed at her thighs, and tied tight to her calves thanks to the soft, short boots that went to her knee.

Sweat gave her a sheen that made her glow, her vibrant eyes shadowed behind thick, long lashes. Her face was a treasure trove of sculpted brows, sharp nose, and high cheekbones over lips that looked like ripe fruit, begging for teeth.

A mass of hair, the colour of sand, fell in heavy waves to her hips. It began to darken toward the tips until it was as black as the deepest corner of space.

As he moved the kid, she untied a thin cord from her wrist and slowly began to bind her hair in a low tail.

He'd never met a woman like her, a bounty like her, ever. This one - fugitive or not - had honour in her.

The kid cooed and waved. Her lips twitched into a smile as she winked and waved back.

"Fear not, Mandalorian. Should I kill you today, I will raise your foundling as my own."

Din's blood ran cold. "You won't get the chance."

He hung the child's satchel on a low tree knot and drew the beskar spear from his back in the same motion. Though he'd won the spear from magistrate Morgan Elsbeth on Corvus and helped the Jedi Ahsoka Tano defeat her forces, the Jedi held no answers when it came to the kid. Though, Din wondered if that had more to do with him than the little green monster. She'd told him to seek another Jedi, someone with more training than she, but had given him no direction in which to search.

"He is rather cute," she smirked. "But his kind age so slowly. You will be long dead before he is grown."

Mando paused. "You know of his kind?"

She arched a brow. "You do not?"

He lowered the spear and held up his off-hand. "I am tasked with returning him to his people."

Her posture never changed, but her eyes filled with sorrow. "He has no more people. The last of his kind, or what was thought to be the last, died some years ago. Master Yoda was his name."

"I'm to help him find the Jedi," Mando murmured.

Her eyes lost their sadness. "I cannot help you."

"Will not."

"They are one and the same," she whispered.

Lightning fast, she rushed him. Mando barely blocked the first swipe of her claws before the second clanged off his pauldron. He used the spear's shaft to knock her back, even as she kicked him in the ribs, bypassing the beskar.

"Do you know the life you condemn me to, Mandalorian, if you return me to that horrible place?" she asked, crouched once again, a few feet away.

"You're a bounty. I don't make deals," he stated, watching his quarry while keeping his body between her and the kid. His ribs smarted, but he'd had worse.

"No. You just work for the people who Purged your planet!" she spat, leaping and clawing.

She was fast, damn fast. Barely able to keep up, it was all Mando could do not to lose ground until he saw an opening and swept the butt of the spear at her leg.

She jumped back, breath coming hard.

"I didn't ask who the bounty was for." Greef Karga offered him the chance for a big payday, and right now, they could use it.

"You work for the Empire," she sneered. "Returning me to torture and experimentation. Do you think I was always like this!?" She stood and held out her arms, flexing fingers tipped in dark claws. She bared her teeth, revealing wicked-looking canines, then lifted a portion of hair to reveal a sharply pointed ear.

Again he paused, a thing unheard of, to ask, "What are you?" Her chain code said human, but she was certainly not that.

Her proud chin lifted in defiance. "Do you know what a Zentari is, Mandalorian?"

Din inhaled sharply. "That's not possible. They were wiped out."

"All but one. I am Baast'mal, last of the Zentari. The Empire took me as a child and used my gift to ruin me. They bound my blood to the Corellian Sand Panther and Manka Cat. They have so thoroughly defiled my biorhythms that if the constellations were kind enough to cross my path with that of my mate, I do not know if I could bond with him." Pain flickered across her features. "I am sullied, broken. I am a monster," she whispered before shaking herself free of the melancholia and raising that proud chin once more. "So kill me if you can, Mandalorian, for I will not go willingly."

The beskar spear fell from his fingers as Din dropped to a knee and bowed his head. "I am a Child of the Watch. I must offer aid, Zentari. This is the Way."

"The Way?" She took a step back. "The Mandalorians no longer follow the Old Ways. They no longer conceal their face from all but their riduur and ad. The creed is long dead."

He shook his head. "My Tribe is one of zealots. We hold to the old ways of Mandalore. I only recently learned of this as I was raised with them in hiding. The Purge took much, but the ways of the Zentari are remembered in the covert."

She hesitated, eyes wary. "I have faced Mandalorians before. They knew not the Way."

Din stripped his gloves from his hands and held them out, palms up as if catching water. He raised them above his head and brought them down over his helmet, appearing to another as if he washed with air. "Zentari of the Bright Star, may the constellations bless this warrior with a treasure greater than beskar that they would be mine. Cyar'ika. Ka'rta. Riduur."

She inhaled sharply. He watched her fight tears, lip trembling before she closed the distance between them and knelt. She dipped her fingers into his cupped palms as if they held water, brought them to her brow and stroked them down over her eyes and out along her cheeks.

Her hands shook as she lifted them toward his helmet and laid her palms lightly on the sides of the beskar.

His hands gently grasped her wrists, her skin warm and soft beneath his fingers. She wouldn't remove it, that he was sure of, but it was an instinct he couldn't deny when someone touched his helmet.

Her voice was whisper soft when she spoke. "Mandalorian, Holder of the Creed, blessed of the constellations. May you raise warriors strong in the Way and find your riduur. Your cyar'ika. Your ka'rta."

"This is the Way," he murmured, shaken by the encounter.

"This is the Way," she agreed as she drew him forward until his helmet lightly kissed her brow.

The shudder that raced through her raced through him with equal intensity. The Zentari race was a myth, a legend, a beautiful dream. They were so lost to time Din felt like his heart would burst with joy.

"Have you ever removed your helmet, Mando?" she asked softly.

The shortened form of address made his heart skip. "Not before any living thing." The Droid on Nevarro didn't count, and no matter what Bo'Katan said, the creed was his way. He would never show his face to any besides his wife or children.

Let Koska scoff as she liked at his traditions. She had not found a Zentari. She likely wouldn't know what to do with the Zentari if she did.

Din rocked back on his toes and pushed to his feet, surprised when she followed him with equal grace. "Zentari, we should return to my ship. The Alor will want to meet you. The covert will rejoice."

"Baast."

He froze as her hands landed lightly on his beskar covered chest. "What?"

"To you, I am Baast." She stared into his visor as if able to see his eyes.

"Baast," he murmured, wishing he could speak her name without the modulator.

"Yes, Din Djarin," she smiled.

He still held her wrists, and his hands became her shackles. "How do you know that name?" he demanded.

Long lashes swept her cheeks, a coy smile curling her lips. "Grogu told me."

His grip tightened more. "Who is Grogu?"

She tilted her head to look past him at the kid cooing at them. "He is Grogu."

"You can understand him?" Din asked, his shock registering even through the modulator.

"Not in words, but he speaks to those who can listen. Images. Impressions. The Force is strong in him," she smiled at Grogu. "He loves you."

"He's okay." Mando was grateful for the helmet that hid his foolish grin.

"You fool no one," Baast chuckled. She gently twisted her wrists, reminding him of her bondage.

He let her go and stepped back to pick up the spear.

"You are a man blessed of beskar," she murmured. "You must be a great hunter."

"Something like that," he murmured. It still shamed him how he'd acquired his armour, but if he hadn't turned in the kid - Grogu - he wouldn't have been as well-equipped to get him back and keep him safe as they ran from the Empire.

Baast headed for Grogu, her smile growing as she lifted down his carrier and situated the baby against her chest. Grogu giggled and babbled something Mando didn't understand.

"Oh, I see," Baast chuckled, casting a side-eye his direction.

"What?" Mando muttered.

"Clan of the Mudhorn. A clan of two." She flicked her claws over his sigil. "I wondered. Grogu explained."

Mando glared at the kid- Grogu. "Don't tell her all my secrets."

Grogu cooed. Baast cuddled him and smiled slyly. By that look, he was pretty sure it was too late for his secrets.

He turned to go, heading back the way he'd come. It would take hours to return to the Razor Crest, and it was already getting dark.

***

They didn't make it back to the ship before nightfall, but he found a hollow tree in which to spend the dark hours. Creeper vines had choked the life out of the behemoth, leaving them in a cage of vines and dry, dead bark with a wealth of firewood to choose from.

The fire burned brightly, drafting well, casting shadows across Baast's face and keeping the larger predators at bay. She slept curled around Grogu, lips gently parted. The air had finally cooled at sundown, but now he could see the shivers and goosebumps developing on her flesh.

Slowly, he leaned forward to remove the cape from his back. Then, just as quietly, he rose, rounded the fire, and draped it over her and Grogu. She stirred but didn't wake, and Din returned to his watch on the far side of the fire.

A Zentari. He could scarce believe it.

She was a myth made flesh—a beautiful dream. Once, when Mandalore still followed the old ways, Zentarus was where many warriors sought their mates, their most cherished riduur.

A Zentari was always fast and strong and incredibly rare. They grew quickly but aged slowly, their years stretching out into eternity, some said. Fine in face and form, when they met their match, they bonded, taking on traits of the other and giving a few as well.

A Mandalorian could live a very long time with a Zentari mate.

But most Mandalorians came home empty-handed as a bond with a Zentari could not be forced, but those who the stars smiled upon, those most blessed with a cherished mate, bonded in ways that grew legends. It was said their children were the most incredible of warriors.

Baast'mal was everything he imagined when told stories of Zentari as a child new to the Tribe. It didn't hurt that she was the most mesh'la female he'd ever seen. Fast. Strong. Deadly. He wondered at what the Empire had done to her, how they could force the blood bonds on Sand Panthers and Manka cats, and just what other mutations they'd caused.

He also wondered at her Force sensitivity. What she felt or even what she could do had not been discussed, but Mando knew there was more to her than he had yet discovered.

But it was the ache in him, the growing need to once again touch her skin that concerned him.

It was primal. Feral. It clawed at him. It had him itching to be closer - much closer - to her. He wanted to show her his face and hope she found him as pleasing as he did her.

Din had nothing to go by in comparison. He'd seen his reflection before, of course, but he had no way of knowing if a woman would think him handsome. He'd had encounters before, ones in which everyone walked away satisfied, some paid for, others freely offered, but the helmet and the beskar never came off.

With her, he wanted to be bare, stripped off all trappings. Din wanted to feel his naked skin against hers. He wanted to taste it.

"You are a very loud thinker," she mumbled, bright eyes glowing softly beyond the fire.

Mortification filled him. "I'm sorry, I-"

"I do not know your thoughts, Mando," she clarified, "just feel a gentle buzzing from the beskar. It restricts what I pick up from you."

Relief almost had him sagging. Baast closed her eyes, but he was loath to let the conversation end.

"How old are you?" She looked young, maybe twenty-five.

Her brow twitched, amusement in her smile. "It is rude to ask."

"I wondered how long the Empire had you," he explained.

Shadows darkened her eyes. "Forty years."

"But they've only been around for thirty," he frowned.

She gave a hollow laugh and sat up. "They have been around much, much longer. I remember the day they came for us. They slaughtered all who fought, men and women. Every child they could catch was rounded up and taken away." She looked away, down at dark claws. "I was the only Zentari to survive the experiments."

"I'm sorry." He was. "I know what it's like to lose everything."

She tilted her head. "You were a foundling."

It wasn't a question, and Din didn't answer her.

"They began experimenting with my blood almost immediately. I was ten when they bound traits of the Manka to me. I was fifteen when they brought in the Panther."

"How? Why?"

Her eyes burned into his. "Because they could." She flexed her fingers. "Because they are depraved. Because they are monsters, who turn others into abominations."

"You're not."

She looked at him in surprise.

Din shifted until he stood and made his way around to her side, where he offered his hand. Baast took it and joined him in the shadows as he led her a few steps away from Grogu. He stripped his gloves from his hands, the need to touch her no longer under his control.

Slowly, he reached up to caress her cheek. He pushed her hair back, revealing the pointed tip of her ear. Her eyes gleamed from behind heavy lids when he stroked his fingers down her tricep and finally cupped her elbow.

He closed his opposite hand around her nape; his thumb pressed to her spiking pulse. "You are no monster."

"My blood is sullied."

"Perhaps. But you remain unbroken," he murmured. "You lived. You escaped. Mesh'la, you are a beacon of shining hope to my Tribe. If there is one Zentari, perhaps there are others."

She closed her eyes. "There is not."

"How do you know?"

A tear trickled down her cheek. "I felt the last die three years ago. It was what gave me the strength to escape."

"Mishuk gotal'u meshuroke, pako kyore," he murmured, rubbing his thumb on her pulse.

"Pressure makes gems; ease makes decay?" A small smile twitched her lips. "Am I a gem, Mando?"

"No."

She arched an amused brow.

"You are something more precious than any gem," he murmured.

Colour dusted her cheeks. "A Mandalorian who has a way with words? I truly have seen it all," she teased.

He sighed and made sure it echoed through the modulator. "Get some rest." He attempted to move away, but she grabbed him by the belt.

"Stay."

"Baast?"

"Stay." She took his hand, led him closer to Grogu, encouraged him to sit against a fallen chunk of tree, and then curled up beside him, tucking herself under his arm.

"The beskar is too hard," he worried.

"No harder than a prison cell, and you are much warmer. I have not known the comfort of another since I was seven," she admitted.

He sighed again but gave in, curling his arm around her.

"Thank you for your cape."

"Hm."

Her chuckle was more of a low purr. When it rippled through him, Din swore he felt something inside him purr back.

Next Chapter

#Star-Crossed #mandalorian #Mandalorian fanfiction

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franniebanana · 3 years

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CQL Rewatch - Ep 22

It feels so good to see these two together, talking about old times, and most importantly, not arguing. It's as if this was the conversation that was meant to happen back in Yiling, but it didn't because emotions were too high. I guess it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Wei Wuxian has time to think about and come to the understanding that Lan Wangji isn't fighting him, but instead showing concern. And Lan Wangji gets to hear Wei Wuxian's side of the story, about what he did those three months in the Burial Grounds. It's so refreshing to have this release after so much tension had built up, where the two of them are just open and honest with each other. And you can see how Wei Wuxian's relationship with Lan Wangji is different from his relationship to everyone else. While we get to see him being vulnerable with Jiang Yanli, he won't tell her everything; we see him connecting with Jiang Cheng again, but as is his temperament, Jiang Cheng is often flippant and dismissive, and only really cares that Wei Wuxian is back within the Jiang Clan fold. Lan Wangji really cannot be satisfied until he knows what's been going on; he wants to be reassured that Wei Wuxian is okay in both mind and body, he wants to know that he's not gone to the dark side per se.

And this moment is so pivotal here. Now that they've finally talked and gotten everything out that they've both been ruminating on over the past however long (idk timelines lol), Wei Wuxian is in a place where he can say he'll accept Lan Wangji's help. Wei Wuxian doesn't agree to it begrudgingly, but I think it's a hopeless agreement. Unless you know about his lack of a Golden Core, his response seems odd--maybe you think he's tired, maybe you think he's just doing it to appease Lan Wangji, but is being dishonest. With the knowledge of the transfer, you can see that he is agreeing to appease Lan Wangji, but not in a lazy or dishonest way: he knows that he can never learn the sword again, but he allows Lan Wangji to at least help him with his temperament. I don't think it's him agreeing to get Lan Wangji off his back, I think instead he's letting Lan Wangji know how important he is to Wei Wuxian--he's special.

After Wei Wuxian agrees to letting Lan Wangji help, he walks away smiling. He doesn't let Lan Wangji see it either. I feel that he's indescribably happy that with so many changes in his life, he has his relationship with Lan Wangji back--he has his best friend, he has someone who he can trust. And remember, he's not concerned about his temperament being overwhelmed--Wei Wuxian has always considered himself a prodigy, so while this is challenging, he believes that what he learned from the Gusu Lan Clan is enough. Lan Wangji, on the other hand, is still very concerned, and he devotes all of his free time to figuring out ways to help Wei Wuxian, to steady his mind and temperament.

So, while I'm watching this filler, I'm imagining a terrible scenario they could have done. When you're adapting a book or a play or really anything, it's not uncommon to add scenes, right? CQL has plenty of added scenes for context and padding, plus shit they just made up. Okay, so this would fall into the latter category. Imagine if they had had Lan Wangji get turned into a puppet/Urukai, and then there's some big, dramatic way that Wei Wuxian has to save him and turn him back, and it only brings them closer together as brothers in arms/whatever bs they were trying to sell us without making it romantic. Sounds like a terrible idea, right? Aren't you glad the writers had enough integrity and respect for the novel that they didn't do that? I complain about things that were added or changed as well, but if they had given me an actual explicit acknowledgment of wangxian love, I would have been happy. Of course, censorship is a bitch, so that's a no go. The point of this is that it could have been a lot worse.

Oh, god. Soup drama. Thank you to that person who posted the soup drama in Lan Wangji's POV. You are amazing, and that post always makes me cackle.

Ah, but this is canon to the novel if I remember correctly. It's totally valid and is actually kind of sad for Yanli, but I still think it's hilarious the way Wei Wuxian just takes off like a shot without knowing what's going on. The thing is, Jiang Yanli is just embarrassed about the whole thing and wants to leave, but of course Wei Wuxian wants revenge. He still harbors no love for Jin Zixuan, and any chance he gets to put the peacock in his place, he'll take.

Yanli is tugging on him with both hands, and Wei Wuxian doesn't move. He is just standing there, glaring at Jin Zixuan. There are two people in the world who Wei Wuxian will defend forever: Jiang Yanli and Lan Wangji--and Jin Zixuan has just offended one of them. Wei Wuxian is beyond pissed. And now couple that with how he was trapped in a sunless graveyard for three months, has been doing nothing but fighting since he's been out, and is using his spiritual power in a dangerous and unstable method. His mood, my friends, is not great right now.

I love how Lan Wangji looks inside the tent, and then proceeds to immediately nope out of there. I blame that soup drama post for everything that I see now, because it really does look like he's just thinking, "Ugh, soup drama again." But in all seriousness, I think this is just Lan Wangji feeling awkward again. I think he came out of genuine concern for Jiang Yanli, because remember Wei Wuxian took off without even hearing what was going on, but when he sees that it's clearly a matter between her and Jin Zixuan, he leaves. This isn't his business, and it also involves romance, because of course he remembers how they were betrothed until the fight broke out in Cloud Recesses. Regardless of how Lan Wangji carries himself and how he's so respected as a cultivator, he's still a young man, who still feels awkward about the idea of love and doesn't really want to be around any of it--lovers' quarrels and whatnot.

The other thing is, they don't pan over to Lan Wangji for no reason. Perhaps he's still remembering the conversation he had with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng back in Yiling: this is a Jiang Clan affair. And this time, he's choosing to bow out when he realizes it isn't his business. However, he doesn't want to go far, because he knows how dangerous Wei Wuxian really is, especially if he loses his cool.

Honestly, Jin Zixuan is such a dick here. Every time I think he's made progress, he takes a step backward. Jiang Yanli is the sweetest person, and is just giving him soup every day to provide him with some comfort. We're to understand that she is a good cook and her soup is The Best, so she wants to do something nice for him, perhaps bring him the comfort of home in the place that is farthest from home, and he practically throws it back in her face. It's a total misunderstanding, but my heart breaks for her. And after this moment, Jin Zixuan starts to try harder. I think he finally sees who she is, what kind of person she is, and understands how genuine and loving she has always been. He finally opens his eyes and gets to know her as a person, not as the girl he's engaged to, not as the girl he was engaged to, not as the girl his parents want him to marry--but as the girl who he's interested in.

Not a lot to talk about this episode. I swear, half of it is just fighting. But let's take a moment to appreciate Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fighting together. I am a sucker for this sort of thing, so I love seeing Lan Wangji swoop in and knock a baddie's sword out of the way to protect Wei Wuxian. It feels good seeing that and seeing them on the same side, fighting together.

Wei Wuxian tried it their way. He tried to fight without using Chenqing, but the fight was impossible. As stated before, the puppets are unkillable, so there was no way to win just by fighting them, and obviously what Nie Mingjue was doing wasn't helping. The only way to survive at this point was to try and control the puppets into working against Wen Ruohan. There's a shot of Lan Wangji before this, where he looks concerned, but I think he even knows that they had no other choice.

This was a short one, sorry! But really, I'm not going to babble about nothing. So much fighting and not a lot of dialogue or other things really happened. We're just getting through major plot points right now to be honest.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Or just check out the #CQL Rewatch hashtag

#wangxian #lan wangji #wei wuxian #cql #the untamed #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #ep 22 #cql rewatch

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cxtronica · 5 years

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League of Extremely Weird Non-Canons and Short Stories 1: Ashe, Queen of the Frostmites

Ever since that fateful day, Ashe was never the same.

Even with a steady win streak, the Freljordian did not hold a smile for long as she passed by the champions, summoners, and spirits that greeted her. She looked begrudgingly at her left hand, which glowed an eerie blue.

As she entered her room, she saw her husband Trynd, who was pruning a few Freljordian plants. A number of blue flying insects that looked like the cross of an ant, a bee, and a termite were bumbling about on the flowers, spreading pollen to each one of them. He held a calm demeanour as he approached his wife, wrapping her in his hug. The young warmother reluctantly accepted the hug. Anxiety and gloom clouded her thoughts as she put the frost bow on the table beneath the flowers.

As Ashe headed for the walk in closet, Tryndamere locked the front door.

"Is it the hand, dear?" he asked calmly, putting the gardening gloves and the shears inside the drawer. The blue insects followed the warmother swiftly.

"It's okay. The door's locked. You can change now," Tryndamere added.

With a few winces, Ashe transformed. Once she stepped out, she was something different. She still retained her upper half, except her skin had a good cyan tone. Below the waist, she was a frostmite queen:

her blue antlike thorax starting from the waist and extending a good four feet to the back

her six eight foot termite legs extending from the sides of her thorax

her elongated, large termite queen rear (which was 20 feet long, 8 feet high and 8 feet wide) attached at the back end of her thorax

and her six wings, a set of queen bee, queen ant, and queen termite, all attached to her human back.

She was wearing a white shirt with Doublelift's caricature in the center.

Ashe covered her face with her hands, and then Tryndamere went over to hug her upper half.

"It's okay, dear," Tryndamere replied, "Look up."

Ashe slowly looked up, her cyan eyes meeting his brown eyes.

"Pufferfish?" Trydamere asked. Ashe puffed up her cheeks with air. Then, the Barbarian king slowly pinched them, releasing the air. From his view, Ashe did look like a fish blubbing in the water. Then she smiled.

"Never fails to cheer me up, hub," she spoke as she lay on the bed, curling up her rear abdomen so that she could fit.

Tryndamere discreetly took a picture with his phone and uploaded it to Riotgram with this caption.

definitely.not.marc A happy wifey curling up in bed in her new form. Ever since that frostmite alate bit her, it's done some good to the tribe. Frostmites apparently contain True Water in their system, which makes Freljordian plants grow well.

Then he smiled as he climbed onto the bed. Tryndamere was invested in making sure Ashe gets comfortable no matter what form she is in. So, ever since the day she found out about her new form, he began taking candid pictures of her in her more 'regal' form, as he calls it, and uploads them on social media with uplifting descriptions. It was already three weeks into the project, and he felt that it was time to tell her.

"You know, hon," he said as he wrapped his left arm around her upper half, "I was doing something for you over the last three weeks on Riotgram. I've been secretly taking pics of you in your new form and uploading them on RG."

Instantly, Ashe stared at him coldly. In a voice equally cold, she asked, "You did what?"

"Yeah, I took pics of you and uploaded them on RG," Tryndamere replied sheepishly, "I was hoping others would appreciate your new form."

Furious, Ashe stormed over to get her phone and opened her RG account. She searched with fury for the photos, but none of them appeared.

"Where are they, Tryndamere?!" Ashe exclaimed.

"Follow my other private account, definitely.not.marc," Tryndamere replied.

"You better accept it!" Ashe replied. Her frostmites carried her bow over to her.

zee.frost.archer started following you.

Tryndamere accepted her request on his account, and kept a smile as she scanned through the pictures. There were pictures of them in their little home in the mountain cooking and cleaning and doing the household chores. There were also pictures of them snuggling in bed. But most of the pictures involved Ashe doing (or at least trying to do) the things she loved doing when she would still be fully human, and in all of those pictures, she was smiling.

One of those pictures was of her making a six winged snow angel in the Freljordian snow at its coldest, and the only thing she wore was a plain white T-Shirt. It held this caption:

definitely.not.marc Snow angels! My angel in the process of making a bigger snow angel. Did you know that frostmites developed a natural affinity / immunity to the harsh, unforgiving temperatures of Freljord? I guess my angel also has that too!

There was also another picture of Ashe, in her new form, cheering for Evelynn on the Summoner's Rift with the captions:

definitely.not.marc Go, Evie, go! Evelynn is one of her biggest idols in and out of the Rift. For that reason, Ashe has been playing "POP/STARS" and "I Won't Let You Go Away" non-stop.

evies.embrace AAAAAAAAAA JSKDIRIJRFNSJIFM Is that Ashe? She thicc AF!

Finally, there was a picture of her sleeping on her curled rear end on the bedroom carpet which is softer than the bed. It had this caption.

definitely.not.marc Snug as a bug in a rug! Waifu likes sleeping on what she calls her "butt-pillow". A few frostmites sleep around her, forming a cute little ring around their 'queen'.

This one had a little comment thread. So she opened it and read.

ava.ava.rose Is this what happened to my little warmother? Damn, she also make a fine BROODmother. #thicc #proudicebornrighthere #signalhereisgoodsomightaswelluseit

ryldasel BOOO!!!! Lame joke alert!

ava.ava.rose What? Can't I flaunt my tribe's own warmother having a new form, sis? Or is yours going out of shape?

ice.cold.L155 OOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! *fire emoji*

SEJofthenorth I'm still buff, u idiots. Anyway, nice ass Ashe! Irelia will be jealous.

ryldasel Out of all the body parts, u choose to critique her butt.

SEJofthenorth CAN'T U ALL RESPECT MY PREFERENCES.

ava.ava.rose Dudettes, chill!

ice.cold.L155 Lame joke alert.

Ashe burst into laughter right after reading the thread. Then, she turned to Tryndamere, and instantly understood what he was actually doing. He was making her love herself and her own skin.

With a wink, she gave the man her phone and asked her to take a full body shot. After that, Tryndamere climbed in bed with her and then, both of them took a selfie. The Queen of Freljord then uploaded the pictures on RG with this caption.

zee.frost.archer Hi! Long time no see. It's me. This is my new form. Hubba says he likes it. He's been sharing candid photos of me everyday for you guys, just to show me that I should love myself more. He loves me no matter what. Thanks, @the.real.tryndamere xoxo

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