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#so hearing other people talk and be nerds gives me that same feeling

romeavecryst · 4 months

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˖ ࣪⊹ She

K. BAKUGO x Fem!reader ˖ ࣪⊹

Sum: you mean everything to him.

Warnings: angst, Cursing reader is ment to have a water qurik(like katara from ATLAB).

.˚₊‧ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ‧₊˚.

He could look at you for hours, the way you helped the people around you. You were a kind nature that Katsuki didn’t mind, how your hands held him as you healed his wounds the liquid surrounding wounds.

Your smile was intoxicating his face always softening as you offered him a smile, how you said his name greeting him.

He remembers the first time you hugged him, right after the villain attack when he was kidnapped. He remembers the smell of your perfume the floral scent lingering on your body. Your arms wrapped around his neck so securely as if he was going to be taken from your grasp any second. The soft sounds of your worried cries and you spoke to him, his arms wrapping around you.

With you he was comfortable. With you he felt safe.

The sound of your laughter was alway his favorite, the way you threw you head back as you laughed the brightest of your smile becoming obnoxious. But he loved it. He loved that you laughed at the things he said and that you talked to him like a normal person. Not like he was someone helpless, egotistical, or even weak.

He’d never give up the chance to talk to you, your voice was so calming to his ears. The things you told him to never say a word he promised the two of your pinkies linking your lips and touching your hand as if it was to lock the secret forever as he did the same.

He thought he’d be okay if one day your started laughing with someone else, but he wasn’t. Especially when it was with him. When it was with Midoriya.

He heard less and less of your voice, the gorgeous sound of your laughter. He hated that Izuku was now the one that got to hear it. How that fucking nerd came in and took you from him.

It hurt, fuck it hurt so bad when you told him. “Izuku asked me out! Oh my god can you believe it kats!” You smiled enthusiastically, your hands covered your face as you squealed in excitement.

He could only sit there and smile as his heart broke. You weren’t going to be his forever. Just because he was too much of a pussy to tell you how he felt.

He sat on your bed as you tried in different outfits and you looked beautiful in every single one, the look of nervousness was displayed on your face as you rambled to him about how would end up doing something stupid and that Deku might never look at you again.

Taking a deep breath he stood up and approaching you, the smell of your perfume was the same it gave him a headache knowing that he would get to be this close to you.

Your eyes met his your body facing him slumped, “what if I mess it up Suki..” you mumbled.

His fans held your face making you look at him “You’re stupid if you think you’re gonna mess anything up, if anything it’s gonna be that nerd that dose. And he’s a fucking idiot if Deku doesn’t look at you, you’re gonna be fine y/n. You look amazing.” His words were sincere, his voice soft as he spoke to you.

You smiled, why do you do this to him? He wanted to cry, his arms wrapped around you as you hugged him his hold tightening. “Everything gonna work out for you.” He whispered.

Even with his heart heavy he could never let that get in the way of how your smile affected him, even with your hand interlinked with Midoriyas.

Now he waould admire you from afar, he’d have to listen about your new boyfriend. Because he was your best friend. Because even when you were next to him he couldn’t feel more far apart from you.

He knows that he’ll never be the only one to know you better, Izuku would. That you would tell your secrets to Izuku not him. That your smile and laughter would be because of Izuku, not him.

To him you smelle like lavender and rain, you tastes like coffee and apples. Now he would see the two of you together in Polaroid pictures you have together that were hung on his wall with other pictures and posters.

To him you mean everything to him.

Yes you mean the fucking world to Him Katsuki Bakugo. And if you ever needed him again he would be right there for you because you were all he wanted.

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kneelingshadowsalome · 3 months

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Was Minotaur!Konig the one to say "I love you" first? Or did he only say it after hearing his beloved say it first? My first thought was that he would say it super fast because he's so straightforward and always says what's on his mind...but then I thought about how she might have had to say it first if his insecurities made him afraid to say it despite his typical frankness, out of fear that she wouldn't say it back... but then I thought about how whipped he is for her and how he has never been shy about what he feels for her... and THEN I thought about how he night not say it first because he's literally never heard those 3 words together before because of the cruel household he grew up in + his time isolated in the labyrinth and how he might not even know that's something people say to each other....and THEN I thought-(cuts self off before I ramble in your inbox any further)

Idk! Your Minotaur!Konig is so fascinating that I keep going back and forth, so I humbly come to you for the answer 🤓

Love your work! I get excited every time I see a new post :)

This is so cute gahh! I'm sorry for being super annoying about this but the history nerd in me started to actually think about this, and... I'm not sure if either of these pookies would say "I love you" because romantic, erotic, platonic, and/or other forms of love didn’t exist in the language the same way they do in our times? Like, if someone knows more about this please correct me, but I’m under the impression that these people would express their love and dedication in other ways.

He might say “I would kill Hades himself to get you back from the dead,” for example, or “I would suffer years of famine if only I could suffer it with you” etc. And even then our poor big Minotaur would have to possess socialized norms & knowledge of these things, what to say to a woman to let her know he absolutely worships her. And “love” between a man and a woman wasn’t considered quite as ideal as love and companionship between men, so these two will receive odd stares wherever they go for being so open about their affection and dedication to each other. Like, have the gods cursed these two with soft heads? 🤨 Why are they acting like children?

König of course, the social outcast as he is, doesn’t give a fuck about what other people think. He will follow her like a barely tamed animal instead of the stoic head of the household he’s supposed to be, compliments and praises her until she has to shut his mouth with food, says “I am your slave” and thinks it’s perfectly normal to talk like that.

So yeah, I don’t see them handing out love confessions after copulating exceptionally softly one night, but Minotaur!König will give a speech about how he will hang her image in the stars so that she’ll never die, mocks the gods in order to show that he values her (*gasp* a mortal woman!) above them. She will try to shush and scold him for bringing bad luck on them for speaking such things, then calls him her silly bull and kisses him until his toes curl ❤️✨️

#minotaur!könig #these two need to get a room

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kittyamore0 · 1 year

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Ethan Landry x Dewey and Gales kid reader??

A/N: Dewey and Gale! Dewey and Gale! ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜

𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕

˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ 𓆰•ᴗ•𓆪˗ ˎ

✧ - FANDOM/GENRE: Horror, dark romance, scream 6, Ghostface, Ethan Landry

✧ - TAGS: @kittiescrownedsoul, @zspen, @h34rtsformilli ✧ - PAIRING: Ethan Landry x GN! Reader

✧ - RATING: SFW

✧ - WRITING STYLE: One-shot

✧ - POV: 2nd person

✧ - REMINDER: Do NOT transfer, translate, copy, modify, OR steal my ideas! ✧ - CW: Mentions of killing, knife usage, deaths, guns, setting people on fire, deaths, wounds, slitting throats

At first, Ethan hated you, and you hated him. You were related to Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley. The same very people who tried to stop Richie and Amber from their genus plans, and managed to do so.

Dewey tried to help, and he died. Deserved, is what Ethan would like to think, but Gale, Gale was much harder to shake. A fighter, per-say. She was the one to hold Amber at gunpoint and set her on fire.

Sam Crap-enter, and Tara Carpenter. Oh, how much he hated Sam for slitting Richie's throat. Tara? She wasn't as bad, but still bad.

You? Hated you for your parents, but was all...he couldn't find any other reasons to hate you. You were just...perfect? Kind, funny, smart. All of the above. It infuriated him. God, he couldn't stand to see your perfect face, the same face that made his heart jump up and down, cheeks flushed an words caught in his throat.

Why did you hate him? Well...you happened to catch him talking to Quinn, about Richie being their brother. The same Richie that attacked your friends, parents, and you. Although, you didn't stay long enough to hear them talk about some...Ghostface matters.

But just like Ethan, you grown warm, nice, but overwhelming feelings for you. The shy, dorky, fun, funny, kind, nerd. You two always hung out, despite hating each other. It went from distant, to practically sharing food with the same forks!

The more closer and comfortable you two got, the more you both realized what the feelings you held for each other were. Now, it did infact make it more difficult to not give out any weird signs to each other.

Quinn hated the way her brother swooned for you. You were their next victim, not Ethans next lover. She'd always slap the back of Ethans head when he day dreamed about you. "Ow! goddamit...the hell is your problem Quinn?" Quinn sighed. "Stop thinking about your love duck and focus on the plan!" Ethan rolled his eyes.

You were the first to confess. You were drunk at the Halloween party and Ethan? Somewhat sober.

⚬˶♡˶⚬⚬˶♡˶⚬⚬˶♡˶⚬⚬˶♡˶⚬

"Etahn, I've be been look for you!" You giggled, as your body collided with Ethans. "Woah, you okay?" You nodded and nuzzled in his chest. "Now that you're here..." His cheeks flushed bright pink. "How much had you have to drink?" You shrugged. "3...no, wait...5...?" Ethan 'ohh-ed' before gently pulling you closer.

"You're drunk..." He whispered. "Wait...who are you again?" His smile dropped. "Im Eth " You chuckled and grabbed his shirt. "You look just like Ethan!" His eyebrows furrowed, but he smiled, deciding to play your little game. "Really?" You nodded quickly. "Mhm, yea!"

You hugged him. "Hes really cute, and handsome. Hes so nice to me. I like him a lot. I want him to be my boyfriend!" Ethans eyes widened and he stared at you in shock. "What...? "

You put your index finger on Ethans lips. "But shhh! Dont tell him. I dont know if he likes me back..." You murmured sadly. He gently smiled. "Tell you what, Im a friend of Ethans...and and he tells me how much he likes you. How pretty/handsome you are, funny, kind..." You blushed and averted your eyes away from his.

"Guess what?" You looked back at him. "What?" You spoke quietly. "Im the Ethan you're talking about..." A smirk played his lips. "What? No way!" You softly hit his chest. "Yes way!" You replayed in your mind about what he said. "Does...does that mean you like me too?" He nodded. "Want you to be my lover..." He sighed into you and placed his chin on your head.

"Will you...?" His eyes shined in the blue lights. "Yes." You closed the gape between you two.

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aurorabyler · 2 years

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CRITICAL MUSICAL SYMBOLISM IN STRANGER THINGS ACROSS 3 SEASONS SETTING UP FOR ST5

Will’s First Lie & First I Love You

STRANGER THINGS NATION, BYLER NATION, WATCH, LISTEN, AND READ THIS WHOLE POST VERY CAREFULLY. NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS SO PLEASE SPREAD

this is one of my favourite details in stranger things and i love how it connects the different relationships in the show. i’ve thought this melody had a lot of narrative significance ever since season 3, but now that all of season 4 is out, i’m even more amazed by how this soundtrack ties everything together—especially with byler.

my nerd brain picked up on the similarities between these three songs—The First Lie, The First I love You, and Being Different, from seasons 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

The First Lie is played during the scene where Jonathan and Nancy hook up in season 2 following Murray’s encouragement. It’s a reference to Nancy not being truthful about her feelings towards Steve and could have a few double meanings, including the LIE literally being Nancy and Jonathan sleeping together (hence, LYING together), as well as Jonathan’s trust issues that Murray talks about.

The First I love You plays during Robin’s coming out and also El saying I love you to Mike (that Mike appears confused by in season 3). My favourite detail here is that the word “love” in the song is not capitalized. This may seem insignificant, but when you look at the ENTIRE stranger things soundtrack pre season 4, no other words have been in lowercase. This was intentional, both for Mike/El’s awkward kiss, and Steve/Robin’s love for each other, which is not romantic, since Robin is a lesbian. It starts out as one-sided for Steve and then we obviously see their amazing friendship.

Here’s where the symbolism gets super interesting. There’s no way this is not intentional. In season 4 vol 2 when Will gives Mike the painting, he confesses to Mike but covers it up with El’s name. He then turns away from Mike and cries, muffling the sound with his hand. It’s been emphasized throughout the show that Will is unable to lie to Mike. Literally season 1, episode 1: “it was a seven. The demogorgon, it got me.” Lucas encourages Will to not say anything to Mike since he didn’t see the roll, but Will physically cannot lie to him. This theme is seen with byler again and again throughout the show. Will never lies to Mike. EXCEPT, in this scene in season 4.

Will covers up his feelings. It’s a weird halfway point. He lies to Mike for the first time, and he can’t bear it, combined with all his other feelings for him. THE SONG THAT PLAYS DURING THIS SCENE, BEING DIFFERENT, has the exact same melody as BOTH THE FIRST LIE AND THE FIRST I LOVE YOU.

Are you guys hearing this??

It’s both the first time Will lies to Mike in the show AND the first time he somewhat confesses the truth, that he loves Mike. The melody of First Lie/First I love You ONLY STARTS once Will finishes up his monologue and turns away to cry, realizing what’s just happened.

This is literally insane musical symbolism.

I compiled a video with Will’s scene at the end for you guys to see how similar the songs are.

Let me know what you think of this!

#byler #stranger things 4 #the first lie #the first i love you #being different #musical symbolism #subtext #stranger things #stranger things theory #st4 #byler is endgame

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sixosix · 2 years

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𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈 & 𝐈𝐙𝐔𝐊𝐔: 𝐈𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒

blurb little au where a third changes everything and katsuki and izuku stayed friends—only because katsuki refuses to have you alone with izuku.

# fem!reader, 1-A shenanigans, fluff and humor, childhood bffs are something else, says 1-A student, NO ROMANCE? BUT YES PINING

the order goes like this: katsuki, izuku, then you.

katsuki leads first—he always does, izuku exclaims happily—while izuku likes to follow after him, happy to be in the middle of his best friends, and you trail after izuku, comfortable with getting to watch the way his hair bounces every step. it reminds you of a bunny, you explained once.

what some notice except for you three, is that katsuki likes to follow after you. it’s instinct sometimes, to have katsuki lingering around you as you interact with people outside of your small group.

mitsuki gushed about how hilarious it was that you three sometimes end up in metaphorical circles with how katsuki trails after you like a lost puppy.

inko wonders if it is normal for her child to have hearts for eyes, gushing over you about the littlest of things.

“this is so dumb!” you exclaim, glaring hard with all your might. “i hate this! izuku was right about you!”

katsuki and izuku watch as you continue to glower at your untied shoes with such fierceness that it almost makes katsuki wonder if you got it from him.

“it’s just a damn shoelace,” katsuki grunts. “you're so dramatic.” he nudges the boy beside him with a sharp elbow. “she got it from you, definitely. your dummy-ness rubbed off on her.”

“ah, sorry, kacchan!” izuku doesn't look sorry; he looks seconds away from bursting into a fit of giggles as you fail over and over again to tie your shoelaces. but his hands keep twitching as if he wants to help.

“oh my fucking god, give that to me.”

katsuki knocks your hands away and twirls the shoelaces around his fingers, eyeing you while giving a demonstration. izuku holds you up by the small of your back when you lose balance, smiling widely.

“fuckin’ watch this, alright? you fold it like this, put them like this, and then insert this one—and just like that.”

it goes like this:

“so cool, kacchan!” izuku squeals. katsuki grunts, because that’s the 27th time izuku has said that today. “are you okay, y/n-chan?”

“thank you, katsuki,” you mutter shyly, a little too quiet because you have an ego. “yes i am, izuku. thank you.”

“whatever, fuck off,” katsuki says, pleased either way because it feels good hearing it from you. “shitty nerds.”

izuku beams, hugging your head.

even now, in UA.

you thought katsuki would be a little ashamed to be friends with someone from the support course, but never has he shown that he was bothered. he just looks at you with the same, sharp blood red eyes, and looks at others with hostility in them.

izuku, of course, is far from ashamed. in fact, he’s delighted that you're in UA with them. his eyes sparkle every time his eyes slide over to you and he sees you in the uniform. he is so cute.

1-A watches as the door slides open and immediately katsuki and izuku are fretting over you; and you, unfazed, as they talk over each other. katsuki thwacks izuku’s head and you coo over izuku and katsuki throws a tantrum when izuku blushes.

“wow, that's the first time i've seen blasty not-hostile around someone,” mina squeals, “and she's a girl! could this be!?”

woah.

“this is the first time i've seen deku-kun act so smoothly around a girl, too,” uraraka adds, smiling eagerly, thirsty for drama.

double woah.

“chill,” jirou says, but she’s also observing the strange sight, “what if she’s, like, the sister of one of them?”

“probably bakugo’s then.”

“yeah. he barely tolerates midoriya.”

“or maybe she's midoriya’s sister and bakugou has a crush on her?”

triple woah.

as if sensing that the class is whispering about them, bakugou and midoriya spin around to meet the eyes of their classmates, one glaring and one shy.

then, midoriya whispers something to your ear, to which you excitedly nod at.

1-A watches in awe as you wave, eyes bright at the sight of hero students. “hello! my name is l/n y/n, it's nice to meet you.” added with a polite bow.

mina makes a noise of awe. “wow, you're so pretty! you're cute!”

you seem to be flustered, but the gentle smile that follows means you know how to handle compliments. probably because you’re best friends with midoriya izuku. “ah… thank you. you’re also pretty…”

kaminari grins to himself, about to open his mouth but unfortunately, bakugou is faster.

“quit it,” bakugo snarls, stepping forward in front of you, “leave her alone, you fucking extras.”

but before any of his classmates can protest, you nudge bakugou with a sly grin. “don’t worry, kacchan, i think you’re also pretty.”

“s— shut the fuck up, stupid! that’s not what i fucking meant!”

midoriya snorts and then laughs loudly; they’ve never heard that from him before. “kacchan! did you just stutter?”

“awh, katsuki,” you coo, pinching his red cheeks and magically didn’t get blown off the face of the earth. midoriya stifles his giggles and you smile softly at the freckled boy’s delighted face.

maybe it’s a love triangle, except both boys are truly, madly, deeply in love with the same girl.

class 1-A sees you the second time when it’s 8 pm and everyone is preparing to go to bed.

the couch across the television is occupied, with a familiar mop of green curls and a shock of pale blond—but there’s also someone in the middle.

“is that l/n-san?” uraraka whispers to her classmates nearby, eyeing the three figures with surprise.

katsuki is on the far corner, resting his cheek on his palm (that would hurt when he wakes up) with his other around your waist, while you’re laying on his chest, your hand resting on midoriya’s head as the boy sleeps soundly on your lap, mouth hanging open and soft snores coming off his mouth.

both the boys are still asleep, but you’re wide awake, smiling contentedly. you meet the curious eyes of 1-A and raise your finger in a shh motion.

(everyone stays silent when you fall asleep a few minutes later as midoriya and bakugou blink awake. bakugou moves to carry you back to your dorm, while midoriya clings to you like a koala bear. they glare at each other. they end up staying on the couch for the entire night, protective limbs wrapped around you.)

“young bakugou and young midoriya… do they not like each other?”

aizawa turns to all might lazily, eyeing the frail man with narrowed eyes. “not like that. they see each other as rivals.”

all might brightens. “ah! in the hero rankings? they’re both fit for number one.”

“mm, maybe more than the rankings.”

both teachers watch as bakugou and midoriya jump around the training area, palms lit up and arms smothered in lightning green. push and pull. feral grins. aizawa takes a glance at another student watching the boys from the sidelines, notebook and pen in hand but too entranced to write anything.

all might follows his gaze. “that’s young l/n, yes? the support course student young bakugou and midoriya always want nearby.” he laughs. “those boys only work together perfectly when it comes to l/n.”

aizawa smiles under his scarf so no one else would catch a glimpse of it. “the three of them together…they’re formidable. but if you take l/n out, you might as well be a dead man to both of them.”

even now, as official pro heroes.

it goes like this: katsuki blasting his way to the top but never too far, izuku always somehow one step ahead of everyone but always somehow waiting for his best friends, and you, pushed forward by two pairs of hands.

the wonder trio. the big three. always together, but out of reach from anyone else.

everyone always wonders if you like one of them more than the other.

a/n. yes it ends there LOOOOOL!11 this fic focuses more on friendship bc i loooove friendship, but if anyones interested i might make fics with a route for each of them as endgame hmmmm

#606:BNHA #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha fluff #mha fluff #bnha imagines #mha imagines #bnha drabbles #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki x you #bakugou katsuki x reader #midoriya izuku x reader #midoriya izuku x you #izuku midoria x reader

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stellanix · 2 months

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something i saw once that has stuck with me ever since was a comment on a post about some scientific discovery made by the mars rover perseverance that said "why are we wasting time looking at rocks when we should be preparing for colonization?

another comment was on a post about the environmental issues surrounding the spacex launch site in southern texas, which said "human expansion to mars delayed to protect some turtles"

and comments like these perplexed me. space is a subject of science, and people interested in space are always talking about the wonders of the unknown, and how many fascinating and beautiful things are out there. so how could people interested in space be so fundamentally uncaring and incurious not only about the places they're supposedly interested in, but about nature in general?

it's not just random people in twitter replies who are like this. elon musk once posted this picture:

thing is, that's not mars, that's the moon during a lunar eclipse (when sunlight tinted red after passing through earth's atmosphere lights up the moon in earth's shadow). you'd think that someone known for wanting to bring people, himself included, to mars would care enough about mars to at least know what it looks like, but apparently not

he also rather infamously says he wants to nuke the ice caps of mars to warm the planet up. the ice caps of mars look like this, by the way (image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/Aster Cowart):

they are beautiful places, that hold an irreplaceable scientific record of the geologically recent martian climate, and are shaped by unique processes. there's no other place quite like them in our solar system. but elon musk thinks we should nuke them. again, no care, no curiosity

nothing has made me feel jaded and cynical about the entire enterprise of spaceflight quite like learning that the people ultimately in charge of it and funding it don't give a shit about space. it's not just elon musk. space nerds love quoting kennedy's "we choose to go the moon" speech as inspiration, but kennedy is also on record saying "I'm not that interested in space" in a conversation where he was arguing to the nasa administrator that they should prioritize beating the soviets to the moon over space science. no curiosity, only a desire for geopolitical showmanship and maintaining hegemony. it's the same thing when many modern politicians only seem to care about space exploration as a way of keeping a technological lead over china

this leaves the people who do genuinely love and care about space in an awkward position. they basically have two choices: A) become jaded and give up on space exploration, or at least parts of it (abandoning human spaceflight but maintaining interest in robotic science missions, for example) or B) give in. work with military contractors. spout the jingoistic rhetoric that the politicians writing the checks want to hear, even if you don't believe it. go along with the colonialist ideology, the hypercapitalism, and the extractivism. sell your soul for pictures of mars and let your passions be exploited for the ends of powerful people who don't care

the sad reality is that our society only values those things deemed useful or profitable. we hear it all the time. the idea that schools should only teach things useful for jobs, that people who try to make a living in fields like art, the humanities, or philosophy are all getting useless degrees and will inevitably end up stuck working retail, and of course, the idea that space exploration is a waste of time and money

space nerds are often deeply insecure about their greatest passion, because it's true, space exploration offers no immediate practical benefit. but they still love space and want to explore it

so they believe the lies. they repeat the colonialist ideology. they say there's money in mining asteroids, that we can terraform planets and let number go up forever. they let themselves be exploited by companies and governments that see everything in the universe and all the people in it as things to be used, and that will ultimately chew them up and spit them out if it's expedient to do so. and those who reject the ideology and keep their love for the cosmos pure often find themselves with no place in the project of space exploration

i don't know how to fix this, but i do hope that i will live to see the day when our curiosity and interest and love for the wider universe is valued for its own sake, and no longer shackled by colonialism, capitalism, and political ambitions

#space

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findafight · 11 months

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Jonathan’s line about Steve in vol 2 was so…. I don’t know. I mean yeah it straight up confirms that Nancy and Jonathan make fun of Steve behind his back, and like I get that I have never been in Nancy’s situation so obviously it seems more mortifying to me, but I would have felt so guilty in her place. I can’t imagine not shutting Jonathan up if he started shit talking about Steve. Like Steve would have been straight up unmentionable if I was Nancy. Idk.

I get that Duffers don’t treat their characters emotional lives seriously, but like. That’s why Robin being kind to Nancy in s5 despite Nancy’s uh.. well frankly appalling attitude towards Robin, makes zero sense to me. I really wanted Nancy to struggle being in Steve’s group. Not in the “she deserves it bhahaha” way, but like… Steve dumped his friends for her (which was good for him), and her expecting to get the same treatment and meeting Robin instead? Who actively dislikes her and for a good reason? Who is smart and cool and kind? That’s way more interesting than people kissing Nancy’s ass the whole season, while she is actively putting Max’s life in danger. Like, yeah in high school she is the chief editor of the newspaper, and at home she is the eldest sister, and with Jon she makes fun of Steve, and now none of these people are here, but Steve is here and so is his bestie. And Steve is as kind as always, but Robin dislikes her, and it is not just prejudice

Nancy Wheeler you wild girl! She has no guilt lmao She's like yeah steve was dumb and annoying and didn't enable my investigation, and jon goes yep, what an idiot. All while Steve is just like. bumpin around making friends with little nerds haha. Minding his own business blaming himself for the end of their relationship. You're right, it's kinda bonkers because even if we take the stance that Nancy didn't cheat (which I believe she did) like. she still had him as her second choice and as soon as he pushed back a bit and didn't give her the kind of support she wasn't telling him she needed (until talking about exposing the lab in the library where anyone could hear) she jumped ship and ran to Jonathan. Why would she want to talk about Steve? Why wouldn't she want to try to forget he ever existed as anything other than Mike's friend Dustin's older friend? Is that not weird for her?

(i think you might mean s4? but i can work with s5 too haha) It's so much more compelling to me to have Nancy and Robin at odds with each other because Robin is like a little guard chihuahua holding a grudge for Steve. She holds grudges so well let her do it more!! like jesus give him someone in his corner! And also for herself! She got so nervous and tried to explain and defend herself, and Nancy only really started to listen once they got into the hospital. Nancy has a not great plan that puts one of the kids in danger, one of the kids Steve is close to. (Max wrote him a letter!!) I think Robin would really see Steve's people as her people, even if she wasn't personally close to them she'd still feel comfortable around the younger teens because Steve is? Let robin be critical of this plan. Let her call it out or something. Give Nancy someone to push against, it's no fun if there's no resistance! I want Nancy to be the one wanting friendship with Robin, and Robin not being receptive to it. Nancy not having a relationship handed to her would be refreshing and I want to see how she'd try to win Robin's friendship.

Let Robin not want to work with Nancy because she's heard the rumours about how her and Steve ended, even though he only mentioned that he wasn't a good boyfriend ans wasn't what she needed so it didn't work out. Robin saw that one week Steve and Nancy had a fight, and a day later she was ditching with Jonathan? yeah something is fishy there to even the most socially oblivious person. Let Robin know Steve well enough that she knew he at least thought he was telling the truth but that there must have been more. Let Robin decide she was going to do the most cliche best friend thing and not be very nice to the ex that broke her bestie's heart.

ooooh anon what you're saying is so interesting because, yeah. Steve dumped Tommy and Carol for Nancy, and that was good for him, and then Nancy got with Jonathan who doesn't really have any friends in Hawkins. So she's always been her boyfriend's main person of similar age they're close to. But now Steve's got Robin. Who is funny and kind and weird and loyal and smart and sarcastic. Who is obsessed with Steve and who Steve is also obsessed with. And that, from a s5 stancy pov, is so interesting because now Nancy is now competing (in her mind) for her boyfriend/potential bf's attention with his best friend. Like Jonathan was focused on his family, obviously (and this caused strain for them too) but it's not the same socially as a best friend taking priority. Steve would still hold those relationships, because they're good for him and good for the others, and there's zero reason for him to abandon them this time.

I think Nancy would hate it. Like Steve would obviously give her tonnes of attention, but with him having actual close friendships not just with Robin but Dustin and Max (at least) too, she'd still feel like she was bartering for time with him. That is suuuuch a fun potential dynamic between nancy and steve and also nancy and steve's friends.

#findaanswers #Anonymous #I think an interesting thing about Nancy is she absolutely HATES when her romo partner doesn't back up her crazy schemes #we see it in s2 and s3 it's so interesting to me but I don't really see it talked about.#Nancy wheeler I wanna study you like a bug #stranger things #stranger things meta #nancy wheeler #steve harrington #robin buckley #stobin #sorta? yeah I talk about them enough it counts #stancy #I guess. more fail stancy than not but also just potential dynamic #finda's rambles

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serial-serializednovelreader · 14 days

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Nova’s Notes - DD - May 9 & 11

I’m combining both of these entries into one since I have similar thoughts about both!

First off, yay we get our first time meeting Mina and Lucy!!!!!!!! And may I just say it’s great to see these girls being besties and chatting? You can tell just by the way they write that they have known each other a long time. Bram actually did a good job writing these women talking to each other. It feels natural and organic. Finally a “men writing women” moment where I don’t want to gag. I will still never get over the adaptations pitting these two lovely ladies against each other!! Why do we still feel the need to make them “compete.” Ugh :(

Mina’s Letter - I love how she starts right away with “forgive me for not writing you.” She already KNOWS Lucy is going to get on her for that, lol. Also her gushing about Jonathan is adorable and I love how she talks about writing to him in code. Those two nerds, they’re going to end me with their cuteness. Also, studying lady journalists to help with your journalism? What a queen doing that research. As she should! Again, it’s the bare minimum, but Stoker really did a good job with this one I must say. Seeing her be hopeful about Jonathan’s trip to Transylvania and the subsequent promise of seeing places like that together is a bit sobering. :( that is, until we reach her PS!

“You have not told me anything for a long time.” This line makes me want to laugh for some reason and I’m not quite sure why? Maybe it’s because I can hear a slightly scolding tone when she says it, or maybe because I can totally see me telling one of my friends this, especially to goad them into telling me the tea. Either way, it’s great.

“I hear rumours, and especially of a tall, handsome, curly-haired man???”

I’m convinced Stoker read my texts or something because LOL that’s literally how I type! The idea of her writing “???” is adorable and I love it so much. Also by “rumors” does she mean Lucy’s mom? I’m pretty sure she means Lucy’s mom. I think it’s funny the first really descriptive thing we really hear of Arthur is his curly hair!

We can get a good glimpse of Mina’s personality just by this letter. We can already tell she’s genuinely excited to be married to Jonathan and help with his work. She is also very methodical, as she is thinking of several different ways she can practice her stenography and shorthand to help assist him. Like Jonathan, she does her research by reading up on how women in similar fields conduct their craft. She is obviously hopeful and in love with him, as she dreams of seeing new places with him after they are married.

However, she does not neglect Lucy in her missive! While her letter is mostly about Jonathan (which I assume is likely due to to Lucy asking after him and most engaged people do tend to talk about their fiancé — just look at Jonathan), she does take time at the beginning and ending of the letter to a) assure Lucy she misses her and b) tell her the latest news ASAP!! This shows that she deeply cares about her friend, even with her impending nuptials.

Lucy’s Letter - “I must say you tax me very unfairly with being a bad correspondent. I wrote to you twice since we parted, and your last letter was only your second.”

Yep, sure enough, Lucy gets on Mina for not writing to both of her letters (I do wonder if Mina answered everything that was in both letters…). Of course, it’s in a good-natured way and it gives me the same vibes as Rarity from MLP:FIM fainting into a couch or something and I am HERE FOR IT (for those who don’t watch the show, I genuinely mean this as a compliment. I love Rarity -- also I could probably make a whole post about Dracula characters as MLP characters, hmm…).

“Besides, I have nothing to tell you. There is really nothing to interest you.”

*Proceeds to list the hottest gossip* I love this girl so much. She has my whole heart.

“Some one has evidently been telling tales.”

Yep, definitely Lucy’s mom! I would love to see the letters between Mina and Lucy’s mom tbh.

Also when talking about Arthur, it’s so adorable because you can tell at first she only tries to sprinkle in a little bit about him, like “oh he’s just someone I met” and then it quickly morphs into “we met this guy who would be great for you” (Seward mention!!!! Can’t wait to meet everyone’s favorite pathetic wet cat /pos) to “I’m already picking up his slang and using his first name and did I mention IM IN LOVE WITH HIM????”

You can already learn so much about Lucy from this first letter. She’s sweet and caring to the people around her, lively about everything and a bit unsure about love (since she doesn’t quite know if Arthur loves her back). I looked up her age (idk if that counts as spoilers but I’ll tag this as such just in case) and she’s 19!!! This is exactly the kind of letter I would expect a 19-year-old to write to her best friend. I just love how excited she sounds, as she should!!! She’s a young girl in love, perhaps for the first time, and wants her best friend to know. I do love how she tells Mina “write back to me IMMEDIATELY with your thoughts.” Same, Lucy, same.

Back to Seward. It’s so funny to me that he wants to make a psychological study of her while staring straight into her soul and she seems to be chill with it!! Like she still loves Arthur, but she’s also not put off by Jack, either. He’s just got that neurodivergent urge to study her under a microscope and honestly, who can blame him? I can also see why Lucy would ship Seward and Mina together; obviously, I’m a diehard Jonmina shipper (and I’m pretty sure Lucy is too, she just likes chaos), but I feel like Mina and Seward would totally bond over train schedules and other nerd stuff.

So, to sum it up, I love both of these girls and their friendship so much and I can’t wait to see more of them!!! Eeeee

#dracula daily #dracula #mina murray #lucy westenra #novas notes #may 9th #may 11th #dracula spoilers #dracula daily spoilers #again #tagging as spoilers just in case

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demonslayedher · 4 months

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Not-very-spoilery thoughts on the movie release of Pillar Training (+SSV conclusion)

Behind a cut anyway just in case!

--Very nice to hear familiar background music brought back--Yuukaku themes when Uzui & his wives appear, Mitsuri's "Koi Kogare" BGM when she has a good batch of lines, Giyuu's BGM as he's like, "bye"

--I am very happy with the new OP, both sound and imagery-wise.

--One very short clip in particular made me, a fanfic writer, very very happy, but then there was more gratuitous focus that reminded me of another one of my best fanfics. The rewards of writing fic as closely based on canon as I could get them gives me the satisfaction of feel liking like canon-based imagery honors my fics by extension.

--Speaking of imagery in general, Ufotable is finding lots of ways to try to harp on the idea that everyone's wishes to destroy demons find their accumulation in Tanjiro, the Sun Breath user and first person in centuries to unlock the Mark. It is perhaps a little clumsy at times, but hey, that's a theme I like in this series.

--I was sad that Suma sounded so different, and had to look up afterward if she still had the same seiyuu. She does, but I think they might have given her totally different vocal direction so that she wouldn't sound too similar to Mitsuri

--Japanese crowds tend to be very quiet at movie theaters, but people could not contain their giggles at many of Mitsuri's lines

--I had the honor of sitting next to a huuuuuuuge fangirl who before the moving was saying stuff to her friends like, "(Hanae) Natsuki-san was at USJ the other day, and since it's a VR ride, you know, you have to wear the goggles, and I think, what if I wear the pair that he wore??? You know?? Our faces??? Would be so close?????" and then at the review of previous seasons at the beginning of the show, she started crying the instant the Mugen Ressha part started. Not loud crying, but crying.

--You can tell everyone was waiting for the "welcome back" scene, and although I thought Zenitsu would steal the show in that scene, it was indeed Nezuko. In the seiyuu greeting that was broadcast across all Japanese theaters on the opening day, Shimono-san noted that he thinks the audio was turned down on his performance of that scene. I think it was probably was too.

--So much happy daily life in this episode. If you have any friends who complained about last year's theater showing being a let-down because it was just regular anime episodes instead of a Mugen Train style movie, please tell them to just sit this one out and spare us their complaints. Most of this showing was just Tanjiro having a nice time after having a panic attack over Nezuko (oh, and like, killing Upper Moon Four, that too).

--Shinobu's hair seems distinctly longer. Giyuu's hair seems distinctly fluffier.

--Ufotable has put a lot of touches into humanizing Amane

--I wish Ufotable would stop trying to drive the "Zenitsu thinks Aoi is happy to see him (just because Aoi is a girl)" point. First off, yes, Zenitsu being a creep to girls is played up a bit in the anime. Second, the first fanbook states that the only kind of girl who is not so much his type is the Aoi-type.

--Also, on the promo art, I like the design they gave Shinobu's sword, but that's ignoring the fact that the four engraved kanji characters are on either side. Go ahead, Ufotable, hire me as your canon double-checker. EDIT: Oh wait, that is its sheath. Lovely, carry on.

--That said, the original filler they gave us? Gold star. Excellent. So happy with it. One... well, two tiny nitpicks that don't bother me much but stating it here would spoil it.

--One more non-spoilery thing to say about that filler: the people at Ufotable were probably like, "our fans are nerds. We already give them this, this, this, and that to nerd over. You know what else they are probably nerds for? Yeah. Let's give them that." Thank you, Ufotable. This nerd accepts and loved it.

--Tiny Nezuko filler as they set the stage talking about Muzan is probably looking for her? LOVE THAT TOUCH, at every level.

--Shinobu does have multiple goldfish, but they look a bit different?

--Genya's makes the best face in this whole episode

--Speaking of Genya, in the seiyuu greeting they had actors in big chibi costumes of the Kamaboko gang come out... PLUS GENYA. Giant chibi grumpy Genya was so, so, so, so freaking cute. Also, his seiyuu Okamoto got to join the stage with everybody and was talking about how he always used to scroll through his social media seeing the other seiyuu at KnY events and he was like, "sigh... sure looks like everyone is having fun..."

--Hanae Natsuki and his wife are big Genya fans, though, it seems

--Okamoto had a lot of trouble performing young Genya in the flashback, especially the emotional screaming. The desperation Genya always displays as he fights? That was Okamoto. --Meanwhile, Matsuoka always looks very overwhelmed at these things. I think having to embody the spirit of Inosuke terrifies him.

--IT WAS SO GOOD TO HEAR INOSUKE AGAIN

--Those actors in chibi costumes? The Zenitsu and Inosuke ones embodied them SO WELL. I don't usually care for those giant mascot character costumes, but these were legit so much fun to watch, like with Inosuke going right up into the cameras and Zenitsu trying to pull him back and then the two of them pushing and shoving. Zenitsu acting like he is being bullied and Inosuke showing off his muscles. I loved them. I am very sad that I will not be in town when they travel across Japan and come to my area.

--Also, the baritone voice of Oyakata-sama's personal crow? LOVED IT.

--Himejima at the the Pillar Meeting is such a statement. The new promotional material has a tag line that prominently uses one of the kanji in his name ("cry out"), and I feel like this is set-up for him to have a lot of impact later on in this season. Here's hoping!

--I am probably gonna go watch it again in a couple weeks, ufufufu

--Which is worth it for that KIZUNA NO KISEKI REMIX WHICH SOUNDED SO COOL IN SURROUND SOUND, OH MY GOSH

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wonusite · 1 year

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okay but jealours cheerleader!reader for once who just edges and teases sub nerd!shua 🫡🫡🫡

hi whoever sent this in, your thot is just *chefs kiss*

You’re not a jealous person. Really, you’re not.

So why the fuck are you so irritated?

Josh isn’t the type to easily charm someone with his abrasive personality and blunt way of speaking, but clearly the new girl in his organic chemistry class doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seems all too happy to be talking to your boyfriend.

“Woah. Who’s that?”

You want to tell Mingyu to shut the fuck up and get lost, but as embarrassing as it is, you sort of want to hear what he thinks about the scene in front of you.

“Some girl in his chemistry class.” You say with a scowl.

Mingyu lets out a low whistle, knowing exactly how to make you more irritated than you already are. He’s enjoying the situation a little too much, mostly because he never thought he’d see the day where you got jealous over a guy. It makes him wonder how it’s possible for Joshua Hong to have such a hold over you. To be fair, you have the exact same one on him even if your idiot friend doesn’t realize it.

“They seem close.” Mingyu hums. “Like really close.”

There’s a slight tick in your jaw, but then a smirk takes over your face as you finally take your eyes off the infuriating sight in front of you. “Not closer than your girlfriend and a certain point guard.”

Satisfaction temporarily dulls the annoyance you’re feeling when a scowl forms on your friend’s face. He always claimed that he no longer felt jealous about the relationship between his pretty little heiress and Seungcheol, but you know he’s not completely over it. Luckily for you, it still bothered him enough for you to ruin his mood like yours was.

“They’ve been friends since birth.” He mumbles bitterly. “But you can’t say the same for that girl and your boyfriend over there.”

Mingyu expects some more repartee from you, but instead you walk over to the two nerds who are still talking about something that seems as boring as they are. He can only smirk, knowing Josh will have to deal with the wrath of your infamous temper.

“Shua.” You say with a tired sigh. “I’m gonna go now. Text me later?”

The smile slips right off your boyfriend’s face when you don’t give him a chance to say anything and walk off. It’s hard not to feel extremely good when he practically trips over himself to follow you, not even saying goodbye to the girl in his haste. “Baby, wait!”

Josh is one of the smartest people you know, but he can be so obliviously stupid sometimes. Like now that he’s a whimpering mess under you, still not understanding why you’re being so unforgivingly cruel.

“Fuck!” Josh cries out as you glide your wet pussy over his aching cock.

He feels like he can cry. After giving him the suck of his life and not letting him come, you’re teasing him by rubbing your hot cunt over his dick slowly. It’s sweet torture, but he still can’t figure out why you’re being so mean when you usually like it the other way around.

“Baby, please!”

It’d be a lie to say you’re not enjoying this to a sickening extent. The way he’s flushed and mewling under you reminds you of the day you took his virginity. Such a cute little nerd, and you were going to wreck him just like you did on that night.

“You look so pretty when you beg.” You coo, slowing down your movements even more. “But I think you can do a better job, my little nerd.”

Josh feels his cock twitch and throb with need, and it doesn’t help that you’re staring down at him with a devious smirk that’s so sexy to him.

“Please let me feel you!” Josh cries out, not sure how much more teasing he can handle. “I’ll do anything!”

You ponder his words, cunt throbbing with need. It makes you want to give in and bounce on his cock, but then you think back to that girl and change your mind. His face when you stop moving your hips altogether almost makes you feel bad. A bigger part of you feels even more aroused at the sight.

“Fine.” You tell him with a deceivingly sweet smile. “But be a good boy and stay still until I come.”

You start to slowly slide up and down Josh’s aching cock, and the moans and cries he lets out are like music to your ears. His leaking tip still manages to hit the deepest part inside you even with your slow strokes. All you can do is keep your mewls of pleasure to a minimum so you can fully enjoy teasing and edging your boyfriend.

“You’re so mean.” Josh says through a groan when you slam back down on him a bit harder than before.

His petulant whine makes you giggle a bit before you start to swivel your hips slowly and sensually, not letting him get the relief he’s craving. “Don’t act like you don’t love it, baby. Your dick keeps throbbing inside of me like it’s about to explode.”

Josh is about to refute your (true) statement, but then you start bouncing on his cock like you normally do. He feels delirious as your hot cunt starts tightening around him like it’s never planning on letting him go. Your arousal drips down to his balls, and all he can really hear is the sound of skin slapping together as he’s reaching his orgasm.

But being the cruel girl you are, you hop off his cock in the next second, leaving it to slap against his lower abdomen still twitching and aching more than before. The cry of protest he lets out is adorable. It almost makes you want to let him come. Almost.

“You said you’d do anything.” You remind him as you crawl up the bed and swing a leg over his head so your wet pussy is hovering right above his face.

Joshua is momentarily distracted from the pain he feels in his needy cock when your pretty pussy is suddenly right in front of him. He licks his lips, ready for you to use his face as a seat. “I will, pretty girl. Fuck, I’ll do what you want. Just let me have a taste.”

His great desire for you sends a thrill of arousal straight to your cunt. It makes you feel good that Josh only gets this needy and desperate for you. Even so, you’re still not done punishing him.

Josh groans loudly when you finally ease down on his face, large hands immediately gripping your ass to grind your cunt into his mouth. His tongue licked between your soaking folds, licking and sucking every inch of you until he successfully laps up every last bit of your sweet juices. This time, you can’t hold back your moans, feeling like you’ve fallen into the pit of euphoria with the way Josh is fucking you with his tongue.

You fall forward, hand finding its way to his throbbing dick. Josh groans into your cunt when you slowly glide your hand up and down his cock, edging him once again. It’s only when he latches his mouth on your throbbing clit and sucks eagerly that you decide to reward him.

Josh feels like he can come the second he feels your soft tongue on him, licking up the sweet juices you left behind on his cock. You’re slow with your movements, still wanting to get him close to the edge without actually letting him come.

“Fucking love your cock.” You say before you fully take him into your mouth.

His dick twitches upon hearing your words, and all Josh can do is eat you out with more vigor. His tongue is circling your clit, gently massaging it before he sucks it back into his mouth. That’s all it takes for you to moan around your boyfriend’s cock and come all over his face.

Your thighs are trembling and shaking, but Josh sees no reason to stop his movements. In fact, the pleasure is prolonged when he decides to keep fucking you with his tongue.

Because your boyfriend was so good and kept his word, you decide to keep yours. Joshua moans and groans against your cunt when you speed up your movements and start to massage his heavy balls. It takes a whole second for him to shoot his cum in your mouth with a loud groan. You happily swallow every drop he gives you, not stopping until he’s sensitive and overstimulated like you are.

“Fuck, baby. You’re so hot.”

You place a gentle kiss on his cock before rolling off of him with a dazed smile on your face. “You’re even hotter. My cute little nerd.”

Your tone at the end makes him sit up with a smirk. Joshua gently pulls you up until your laying on top of him, face right above his.

“That’s right. Only yours.”

You shove your face in the crook of his neck, smiling impishly. “Prove it to me.”

In the next second you find yourself on your back with Josh’s cock already shoved back inside you. The gleam in his eye makes you clench down on him because you know now it’s his turn to have his way with you.

#this did things to me #whoever sent this in i’m sending you a big phat kiss #down bad doesn’t begin to cover it #as you can all tell #nonny #nalani.thotz

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stevenose · 10 months

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this must be the place

steve x reader

contains: gender unspecified reader; mainly fluff, some kissin’!; friends to lovers; idiots in love; self doubt/body image issues; two dumbasses realizing they’re obsessed with each other; sfw!

authors note: this is a gift to @unbetaedimagines for donating to my kofi! if you donate i am happy to write you a drabble for our angel baby steve as a thank you - link in bio :) thank you for all of your support, jasmine!

“I’m so over it.”

“Over what?”

Steve’s throwing Nerd Clusters up into the air and catching them in his mouth, laying down on the cushions of your couch. You lay on the loveseat beside him, curled in on yourself, a movie playing on the television.

“Being like this.”

He misses his Nerd Cluster and turns to face you, propped up on his elbow. “Being like what?”

“Just me.”

Steve figures this is sparked by the movie. A romance, one he absolutely should not have brought from work. Not when he’s laying adjacent to you and yearning to touch you, feel you, hold you. Physically five feet apart, metaphorically a universe away. He throws a cluster at you now, frowning when you don’t even glare at him.

“Hey,” he says, sliding off the couch and crawling to sit in front of you. “What do you think’s wrong with you, huh?”

You close your eyes. Something as gorgeous as Steve shouldn’t be so close to you. His chocolate irises melting into yours. So soft and sweet. “Where do I start?”

He pouts. “There’s nothing wrong with you. What makes you think that?”

“Nothing in particular. I just - ugh. You don’t need to know. I’m being dramatic because it’s fun.”

“I want to know.” He rubs a circle onto your wrist. “What’s the problem?”

You sigh. “I just haven’t even been able to look at myself in the mirror lately. I have - I have to shower with the lights off because even a glimpse at my reflection… it makes me sick. And then -“ and you laugh a little, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ve got someone as pretty as you sitting in my living room, choosing to spend time with me, and I guess I just don’t get it. How I’m lucky in that regard and no where else.”

Steve doesn’t answer quickly, which worries you. You peek an eye open and he looks hurt. You panic, sitting up. “No, Steve, you aren’t doing anything wrong, I just -“

“How could you think that?”

“Think what?”

“That you’re not beautiful?”

You squint at him now, a little suspicious. “What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know,” he sighs. “I don’t get it either. I don’t understand how not-pretty you feel. You’re the prettiest person anywhere we go. People stop to stare at you-“

You scoff. “You can comfort me without lying to me.”

“What are you talking about? It’s true - just because you don’t notice it doesn’t mean I don’t.”

You scoff again. “Why would you notice?”

His lips pull into a line. You stare at each other. You don’t understand what he’s trying to say.

“Because I don’t like them looking at you.”

“Well I don’t, either -“

“No! No, not like - just, give me a second, okay?”

You furrow your brows and shake tour head. “Steve, what the -“

His lips are on yours. You hardly process it before you pull back, shoving at his chest, making him topple over onto his ass. “Okay, asshole,” you grit. “Not fucking funny.”

“What?!” he asks, pulling himself back up. “I’m not trying to be funny, I’m - I’m trying to show you because I’m ass-backwards at words-“

“Show me what?”

“That I like you! That you’re beautiful! That - that hanging out with you is one of the only times I feel comfortable, ever. That hearing you laugh is what I chase every day of my life. That -“

“Huh?” you interrupt, shocked. “You’ve never shown any interest.”

He laughs humorlessly. “Again. Just because you don’t notice doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. You’ve been so caught up in how you feel that you haven’t been able to understand no one else feels the same about you. I don’t feel the same.”

You stare at him, trying to comprehend. “Steve, people like you don’t like me.”

He gets up on his knees, getting close to you again, cautiously like you might bite. “Wanna bet?”

When his lips are on yours again, you let yourself feel it. You try to swallow all of the doubt, the urge to run, and just feel his lips. He’s moving slow and gentle and tender. A warm palm cradling your cheek. You lean into it, letting yourself be overtaken by it, the warmth and comfort. If he didn’t like you - if this was a bad joke - he wouldn’t be kissing you like this. Or looking at you like how he was. Or wasting his time. And Steve isn’t a liar. The realization of it catches you all at once and you gasp a little bit, letting Steve slip his tongue between your lips for just a moment. It’s dizzying, you want to chase it -

You’re suddenly falling off of the couch, crashing into his lap. He grunts as he falls back, catching you, both of you caught off guard.

“Are you okay?” he asks, voice laced with worry.

You start laughing, because he’s so sweet, even though you’ve totally embarrassed yourself and he’s still holding you like you’re a precious gemstone. He follows you, giggling, eyes all scrunched up and handsome smile showing teeth.

“Do you mean it?” you breathe.

“Of course I mean it,” he promises softly. He leans forward again, eyes flicking down to your lips. “I can keep showin’ you, if you want.”

With his mouth back on yours, you feel at home.

#stevenose posts #steve x reader

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ateezreactionsandscenarios · 2 years

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Kinktober Day 15 - Public Sex

Pairing: Jung Wooyoung x Reader

Genre: Smut

CW: Public sex, fingering (F receiving), very slight degrading.

Word Count: 2965

Summary: You agree to help tutor the popular jock in your math class but it doesn’t seem like math is the subject he wants to focus on.

Prompt List MasterList Kintktober 2022 Buy me a Coffee

“Pst.” The sudden sound so close to your ear made you jump out of your skin, turning to the source of the sound you see a rather surprised Wooyoung sat next to you, who else did you expect it to be he was your desk mate. “Wow, sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” He whispered while shooting you his signature grin. “I just wanted to ask you something.” You nod at him as you focused on getting your heart rate down to a normal level while waiting for him to ask his question. “I was wondering if you could maybe...tutor me for this class, I understand if you can’t you’ve probably got enough on your plate as it is but I’m really struggling with this and you’ve got some of the best grades in our year so...” You put a hand lightly on his upper arm to stop his rambling, despite not knowing him very well and only talking to him briefly in math class you couldn’t help but think how cute he was when he rambled. “It’s okay, I’ll be happy to tutor you.” You smile which made him sink lower into his chair in relief. “Thank you so much.” He sighs. “When are you free for tutoring, I’m pretty much free any time?”

“Same here, we could start today if that’s not too short notice for you.” You nod your head in response. You felt a little foolish for the thoughts flooding your brain, you’d always found Wooyoung attractive and you’d always wanted to get closer to him but it never happened, you always had your nose in a book or studying whenever you could while he was off hanging out with the rest of his jock friends. You always told yourself you were stupid to think he’d give you the light of day outside of class, he had so many friends as it was and so many girls at his feet willing to bend over backwards for him so why did he need to add one more to the mix, but you couldn’t help how you felt, there was a charm about him and you fully understood why all the other girls acted the way they did around him.

The bell rang signalling the end of class and you started to pack your things away before Wooyoung turned to you again. “Is lunch okay with you for tutoring? The library is usually free then.” Wooyoung’s eyes looked a little worried as he asked, it was like he felt bad for asking you to help him but you were honestly more than happy to help. “Sure that’s good with me I usually spend my lunch there anyway so it’s no difference to me.” The worry melted off his face and turned into his usual smile, that same smile that brought girls to their knees including you. “Thank you again, really.” Gently patting the side of your arm as he spoke before slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking out. “Y/n, get a grip.” You hiss to yourself as you finish packing your things away. “You’re only tutoring him that’s it and that’s all it’ll ever be. He’s a jock and you’re just some nerd with a book addiction, you’ll tutor him and when it’s done it’ll all go back to how it was.” You let out a sigh once you finish lecturing yourself, saying it all out loud should you how absurd you were really being but it helped to ground you, it strengthened you to not expect what wasn’t going to happen and ultimately get your feeling hurt or heart broken.

“There you are.” You hear Wooyoung say as he turned the corner of the bookcase next to you making you look up from the textbook you were flicking through. “I’ve been looking all over the place for you, why are you hiding in the back?”

“I usually sit here and I thought it would be a good spot for tutoring, away from other people.” Wooyoung raises an eyebrow at your reason obviously taking it a different way than what you originally intended. “No offence Wooyoung, you have the attention span of a flea.” You laugh watching his face turn from cocky to lightly offended. “I do not, I’ll have you know my attention span is...Oh!” And just like that his trail of thought left him as his eye caught the poster advertising the upcoming game he was taking part in. “My point is proven.” You laugh trying to usher him back to the table, he had no choice but to shrug his shoulder in agreement, him and his attention span had been caught red handed. “I was thinking we could start with algebra if that’s okay, seeing as it’s what were working on right now.” He nodded a yes to you as he pulled his notebook from his bag and sat beside you.

You should be used to sitting next to Wooyoung, you’d been desk mates for over a year so this should be nothing new to you, but this time it’s outside of math, in your own time, time he’d decided to spend with you as you help him with math instead of hanging out with his friends. You felt your face heat up with the way he leaned in closer to look at the textbook. You scribble down explanations for Wooyoung, trying your best to shrug off your flustered state, you were just hoping he didn’t notice.

“See so you take that away from that and that gives you the answer to x.” You explain, pencil dancing across the page as you point out the steps. You’re surprised to see Wooyoung nodding along to what you were saying, his eyes fixed on the paper which you were hoping meant he was taking it in. “Do you want to try one?” This was the first test to see if he had actually been paying attention. You write down one equation for him to get started with and slide the book over to him, watching as he fiddled with his pen, brows furrowed in concentration as he went over what you said in his head. “Add this to this?” He asks wide eyed pointing to where he was and smiling with victory as you nodded to him.

It didn’t take long for Wooyoung to get the hang of it and it made you a little bit suspicious, either you were a really good tutor or he was surprisingly good at algebra, which made you wonder as to why he’d want tutoring in the first place. “You’ve gotten the hang of this now.” You cheer as you looked over his work seeing all right answers those of which he needed no help with. “Yeah, I think it just clicked in the end.” A wave of pride washed over you, it really did seem like you made a good tutor. You took a moment to flick through the text book again in an attempt to find a new challenge for him but nothing was jumping out at you, nothing looked challenging enough for him to need your help. Wooyoung looked to be in his own world as he waited for your instruction, he started to fiddle with his fingers under the desk but then his mind trailed off into it’s own fantasy land, the fiddling stopped and he seemed to forget for a second where he was, fully relaxing he set his hands down at either side of him but jumped back to reality when he felt you jump. Your face heated up again, you glance down and see his hand placed on your thigh, following your eyes he looks to where you were looking and realises what he’s done. “Shit, sorry.” He says quickly pulling his hand away putting it back in his own lap. “I was in my own world, I didn’t realise.” There he went again rambling which actually helped the tension you could feel building. You shrugged it off acting like you weren’t bothered all the while you tried your hardest to stop your face matching the shade of a tomato. “I um...” You cleared your throat before speaking again. “I’m gonna go find a trigonometry textbook, well start that next.” You hurriedly got up from your seat and disappeared behind a bookcase.

Wooyoung didn’t feel right just sitting there waiting for you, not after what he did, so he went looking for you. It would have taken him longer to discover your whereabouts if it wasn’t for the small noise he could hear you making on the other side of the bookcase. Turning the corner his eyes were met with you straining on your tip toes trying to reach the textbook you needed but to no avail, your fingertips only lightly grazing the spine. You huff out in defeat as you look up at the book that was so close yet so far, you go to reach for it again but a hand on your waist stops you from moving, freezing you on the spot as you feel your skin prickle at the contact, it only gets worse when you feel something press against your back. You look up slightly to see Wooyoung’s arm reaching up for the book and bringing it down to you as he lightly chuckled in your ear. That sound, it was enough to make you melt, your breathing picked up a little but hopefully not enough to catch his attention. “Here you go.” Wooyoung chimes placing the book in your hands, it was like the close proximity was normal to him, the way he had his hand on your waist and the whole front half of his body pressed against your back, none of it bothered him. After giving you the book he made no attempt to move away from you, if anything it felt like he was trying to hold you closer than you already were. “T...Thanks.” You stutter trying to come back to reality. “So trig.” You say looking for an excuse to move but his hand tightening on you waist stopped you from going anywhere. “I think we both know I didn’t need tutoring.” Wooyoung whispered in your ear sending shivers down your spine, but that wasn’t where your attention was as stupid, as it was you were more interested in what he said. “What?”

“Y/n I asked you to tutor me because I wanted to spend time with you...alone. This was the only way I could think to do it.” You turn to face him, the space between you staying the same which made you crane your neck slightly to look at him. “I thought you got the hang of it a bit quick.” You tried to make your tone come off as less shaky despite the fact you were ready to explode after the closeness and the confession. Wooyoung leaned down to look over your face, your cheeks a little pink but the shade surely growing darker the closer he got. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how flustered you’ve been this whole time.” He smirks as your eyes widen knowing you’d been caught. “I do so much as glance your way and your squirming in your seat and my hand on your thigh was the icing on the cake.” This was all part of his plan and as much as you wanted to be mad at yourself for not seeing it sooner you couldn’t, there was no way of you knowing, like you said to yourself earlier, he’s a jock and you’re a bookworm the odds of him giving you this type of attention was excruciatingly thin.

The lack of response from you was spurring him on, he could see you were getting more flustered by the second so he decided to put you out of your misery. Closing the gap he captured your lips in a kiss, but contrary to what you’d imagined a kiss with Wooyoung would be like this was far from sweet, the kiss was flowing with what you could only guess was pent up feelings? Frustration? You didn’t go with it straight away, the way his lips were suddenly on yours made your brain short circuit but once you came around you returned his action with the same energy. You knew this way Wooyoung probably being your typical jock, only looking to get his dick wet, but honestly you couldn’t give a shit right now, that was something future you had to worry about, present you was going to enjoy herself.

Wooyoung’s grip on your waist shifted to your hips as he backed you against the bookcase, hips lightly grinding against you making you whimper into the kiss. That was a green light to Wooyoung, his hand trailing its way up the inside of your thigh and under your skirt playing with the hem of your underwear. “Wooyoung.” You pull away from the kiss panting. The look in his eye made you want to drop the whole thing and let him carry on but you owed it to yourself to at least say what you needed to say. “We’re in public, someone could see us.” the danger of getting caught was turning him on even more, a smirk plastering his face as he looked at you. “Then I’ll be quick.” And with that his lips were back on yours, you made no attempt to stop him, his finger ghosting over your clothed slit making you give in even more. There was no doubt you were soaked through already and with the way Wooyoung smirked against your lips you could tell he’d noticed.

Nudging the side of your feet with his foot you opened your legs a little wider for him, giving him enough access to move your underwear to the side. Your breath hitched when you felt his finger move along your slit, gathering your wetness almost like he was playing. “You’re soaked for me.” His words went straight to your core and made your stomach do flips. Wooyoung pulled away from the kiss slowly while at the same time applying pressure to your clit with his finger, he wanted to see how you reacted to his touch and he wasn’t disappointed, the moment he applied pleasure you bit your lip in an attempt to hold back any sound threatening to escape and your eyes fluttered shut as you took in every small movement he made.

Keeping quiet soon became the most difficult thing you had to do once Wooyoung started drawing circles over your clit, with each shudder or whimper you made he’d pick up the pace, it was like he was trying to break you, break you to the point you cry out and let everyone in the library know what he was doing to you. You tangle your fingers in Wooyoung’s hair as he leans down placing wet kisses along your neck, nipping every now and again enjoying the way your body tenses with each small bite.

His fingers working quickly on your clit you could feel the knot start to build. Your legs started to lose their strength and you were thankful Wooyoung had you pinned to the bookcase which was stopping you from dropping to the floor. Dipping two fingers into you, you let out a sudden gasp which you tried to cover with your hand but it was too late. “Shh, you’ll have to keep quiet if you don’t want us to get caught.” The thrill of it all made the knot grow tighter and your walls flutter around his fingers, as much as you’d hate to admit it, knowing you might get caught excited you in ways you never could have imagined. “Dirty girl.” Wooyoung smirks against your neck. “The thought of getting caught is turning you on that much huh? Want everyone to know how much of a mess you've become only from my fingers " A moan leaves you, muffled by your hand as your knees start to give way underneath you, the knot in your stomach was so close to snapping it left you shaking in his hold.

Wooyoung curled his fingers with each thrust, making sure to hit the spot that made you see stars and from there you knew you were done. It only took a few more thrusts like that and you came undone, grabbing Wooyoung by his hair pulling him into a kiss so he could swallow the moans that were leaving you uncontrollably and by no means was Wooyoung fighting back, he savoured every moment he had left, the way your body trembled as he worked you through your high, the way your walls clenched around his finger, the way you desperately held his face to yours in an attempt to stay as quiet as possible, all of it was something he could get addicted to and he was pretty sure he was there already.

Pulling out from your heat, he took a second to admire the mess you'd left coating his hand before cleaning himself off with his tongue as you watched awestruck. "Taste so good." He hummed wrapping his lips around a finger sucking it clean. If your legs weren't so weak you'd have jumped on him there and then. The bell rang again, lunch was over, you fix yourself up, getting ready to grab your things when you felt Wooyoung’s hand wrap around your wrist. "I think I need more tutoring, do you think you could help me." Wooyoung winked shooting you a smirk you knew meant trouble. "And what type of tutoring would that be?" A cocky tone taking over you as you decided to play along with him liking where this might be leading. "Well it won't be math that's for sure."

Tag list: @kpopcrossworlds @kpopjust4u @whatudowhennooneseesyou @8tinytings @jenotation @grim-adventures58 @owjohny @ker1 @hellomingi @ate-ez @steponmesannie @azeret98 @queenwiinks @wubbster @eternalhongshine

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thefrogdalorian · 4 months

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The Best of Both Worlds - Chapter Five

Din Djarin x Female Reader Modern!AU

❁ Series Masterlist ❁ My Masterlist ❁ Read on AO3 ❁

Word Count: 13,028 (!!) Rating: General Summary: Being back in the real world and returning to work after an incredible weekend at the convention where you had so many fun experiences is taking its toll on you. The thought of collapsing on your couch in front of The Mandalorian is the only thing keeping you going. However, the universe has other plans for you. News of an out-of-hours tour for a private client that you are asked to lead almost sends you over the edge, but when you finally meet the man, he is the opposite of what you were expecting. Weirdly, he seems familiar... Content Warnings: Reader deals with some depressing thoughts and has a panic attack. Past sexual harassment of reader is mentioned but not specified or described in detail. Also I got a bit political with this one in terms of being a British Museum hater, but not sure that should be a warning when it's a pretty logical train of thought. Author's Note: Wow. This was an absolute MONSTER of a chapter and now over a third of the total word count so far! I have to give massive thanks to my beta @suresnips for making it through such a long chapter. My brain had melted after editing it and your feedback helped so much! As you read, you'll understand why it was so long. I knew it was going to be long when I came to edit it yesterday as it was already approx. 6k. Well, I more than doubled that, ha. I don't know if it's obvious but I'm a HUGE history nerd. However, I've only been to the British Museum once (for like an hour), and I was so disappointed with it. It truly is just full of things we looted and it did not me feel an ounce of patriotism, I was pretty disgusted. So I used reader as a mouthpiece for me! Also not sure if anyone remembers the absolute legend(s) who stole things from the museum but perhaps in this universe, it was our dear reader [for legal reasons this is a joke]. All the exhibits mentioned are real things in the collection and I'll link some information about them if anyone is curious: The Sutton Hoo helmet, Dürer's Rhinoceros, Lewis chessmen, Rosetta Stone Well, that's enough nerdiness for one A/N. Really hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reading and for all the kind words so far, it means the world to meeeeeee!! If you're enjoying it, please don't be shy! I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

5. He's So Tall (And Handsome As Hell) [Reader's POV]

The first few days back in your routine after the convention had ended and Ria had gone home had been so desolate and depressing that it was difficult to make it through the day without bursting into tears. Real life could not compare to how incredible ForceCon had been. It was as though, for that long weekend, you had left the real world and inhabited the Star Wars galaxy. You wanted to stay there forever. Until you had been forced back down to earth with a devastating thud once the Dockside Convention Centre’s doors had closed for the final time on Monday afternoon.

You were grieving so many different aspects of the entire experience. You missed everything. Primarily, of course, you missed your best friend who was now a continent away, separated from you by an entire ocean. But you also missed the electric atmosphere that came with knowing everyone, no matter their age or where they came from, was there for one reason and had been united by their passion for the same thing as you. It was an incredibly special feeling to know that you were ultimately united with everyone you interacted with through your shared love of Star Wars. You felt as though you had taken for granted the amazing talks and stalls, just hearing people discuss their passions had been enthralling. And of course, you missed the cosplays. Not walking past multiple incredible Mandos every day was taking some getting used to. Being back in the real world was disappointing, uninspiring and lonely, and you were thoroughly miserable.

Things were not getting any easier as each day this week had seemed harder than the last. Mercifully, though, it was finally Friday and you only had a few more hours to keep it together at work before you would have an entire weekend to yourself that would consist of just you, your comfiest clothes and endless episodes of The Mandalorian. You had already rewatched it twice through this week, the series you so adored had once again been a crutch in your most desperate hour of need. Watching Mando traverse the galaxy had once again helped you to present to the world as a functioning human being, despite how awful you had felt every day.

Usually, you at least made it back home first before you completely fell apart and the weight of your emotions became too much for you to bear. Today, however, you had been unsuccessful in managing to keep a lid on your emotions and had practically sprinted to your favoured hiding spot – a bathroom in a back corner of the third floor – to finally fall apart. You felt slightly pathetic as you sat on the toilet and stared at the lockscreen of your phone, feeling the hot tears scorch your cheeks. It was the photo you had taken with the incredibly realistic Mandalorian cosplayer that you were sure was the same one from the panel. He had been incredibly kind, offering to take another photo with you, despite how flustered you were. You felt like you had embarrassed yourself in front of him, babbling about a cosplay competition that he was likely fully aware of, given how incredible his costume was. You were stunned when he stopped you from walking away so that he could pose properly and Ria could snap an even better photo of you. It was an incredibly kind gesture from a stranger and was something you could have imagined Mando himself doing in the show. As well as how realistic the cosplay was and the way he had moved that sent your pulse racing, the man had even sounded like Mando. The resemblance was truly uncanny.

As you sat there, clutching your phone, you were contemplating texting Ria. You knew that she would always have a comforting word of advice for you. But you also knew she was thousands of miles away, dealing with returning to work herself and overcoming jet lag. You didn’t want to bother her, so you took deep breaths and squeezed your eyes shut as you attempted to regain your composure so that you were in a position to face the world again. You thought back to the sequence of events that explained how you found yourself locked in a deserted toilet in the back corner of the offices of the museum, attempting to compose yourself before you faced the world once again.

It had been an awful day and you briefly wondered if you were in fact cursed. The weather had been miserable and rainy that morning, you were greeted with grey skies as you stepped out of your flat. You had learnt from your mishap the previous week though, and actually remembered to wear a coat. But that was where things stopped going right for you. Your tube line had been slightly delayed, resulting in it being even more crowded than usual when one arrived and you eventually boarded. The walk to work had been uneventful, aside from being slightly frustrated by the miserable British weather, but at least you had remembered your headphones so the soothing sounds of the Mando soundtrack could transport you to a distant galaxy.

You arrived at work, grumbling as you removed your headphones and were forced to face the real world. Ever since you walked through the ornate doors into the beautiful old building that you worked in, it felt as though everyone you encountered there had been conspiring against you to make your day as hellish as possible. It was one thing after another and before you knew it, you were at breaking point.

It seemed that today, everything had gone poorly. Your coworker, Tom, whom you had always had pleasant – if a little one-dimensional – chats about The Mandalorian with, was being a little off about your attendance at the con. When you arrived at the office, he approached your desk and asked you questions about the con and the jacket you had made, having seen it on your Instagram. At first, he had seemed genuinely interested but before long they veered into the condescending and that, in addition to the smug smirk on his face, made you feel intensely self-conscious. It reminded you of when the popular kids at High School would pick on the uncool kids, like you, for their enjoyment. As though your increasing uncomfortableness was a game to them. Tom's behaviour transported you back through the years to emotions that you never wanted to visit. Luckily, unlike in High School, this time you had somewhat stood up for yourself and asked him to leave you alone so that you could focus on your work.

After successfully getting Tom to leave you alone, there were various tasks to be completed. You had taken two days of vacation time for the con and despite how little you had missed, it still meant there was inevitably a backlog to catch up on. It meant communicating with annoying co-workers. After a weekend surrounded by people who just got you in the way people at the con had, it was incredibly frustrating to be back amongst ‘normal,’ people.

Unsurprisingly, you had found that you were able to hold more conversations with people when you were all there for a common reason. It was less daunting somehow, if the conversation fizzled out you had Star Wars to lean back on. Now, though, there was none of that. You had to make small talk with real people. Deal with their needs. Day after day. Working in a museum had been your dream job throughout High School and University. You had lofty dreams of curating your own exhibitions. An ambition that was, as yet, to be realised. Though you would not give up.

Instead of designing exhibitions, you had found yourself giving the occasional tours to school children and manning the information desk for any visitor questions. It was a more people-facing job than you had intended. Which was a shame because you loved the collection, but you hated people. You could stand for hours and talk about the intricacies of an Anglo-Saxon helmet, but making small talk with visitors was beyond you.

Which is why you found the thought of delivering an intimate guided tour to a rich asshole tonight deeply upsetting, despite the brave face you had attempted to put on when your manager had delivered the distressing news.

“We need you to stay late tonight. A client has booked an after-hours visit.” Julie, your manager informed you when you were taking your first break of the day in the staff canteen.

“Who are they? Rich? Famous? Single?” you replied jokingly. It had been a humorous reflex, designed to hide your true feelings about the situation. You were proud of yourself, despite the buzzing that you suddenly felt rising in your head.

Julie just rolled her eyes and smiled. She was well used to your sense of humour by now, she knew you weren’t seriously going to attempt to start anything inappropriate with the visitor. Besides, most of the time you hated them and reverted to insulting them in ways too subtle for them to grasp.

“Very funny,” Julie deadpanned. “You can leave to get some food and have a break after your shift, but be back here and ready to meet him at six.”

“Okay,” You sighed and nodded slightly. There was no point in getting mad at Julie, you knew these kinds of things were not her decision but came from the museum higher-ups who scheduled such tours and requested certain employees. You knew you should see it as a compliment that you were frequently requested, but instead, you saw it as a burden and something to be resented rather than celebrated.

Then Julie gave you a name – it was Dan or something? You couldn’t even remember – but your head was spinning with too many thoughts and trying to process the news, to be in a position to absorb any of the information your manager was telling you.

After Julie had finished speaking, you promptly excused yourself from the canteen and ran to your preferred hiding place when the world got too much – an old, enormous single toilet tucked away behind a staircase on the third floor, where no one ever bothered to go. There were far more conveniently situated toilets throughout the building than this particular one, with its heavy wooden black door, complete with brass handle, and plumbing that did not appear to have been updated since the Victorian Era.

But for you, it was a haven. A perfect place to deal with your emotions towards the whole situation. You were more than a little frustrated at the news, which was how you had probably come across to Julie. In fact, as you sat there in the toilet fighting back tears, you would say that you were devastated. It was so cruel; the one thing that had been keeping you going, the thought of comfortable clothes and Mando, something so simple, had almost been in your grasp. You could almost feel the soft blankets that you would burrow yourself underneath on your sofa, only to hear that for reasons beyond your control, you were going to have to wait even longer. It all felt so unfair.

All you had wanted to do after such a difficult week was return home, change into comfortable pyjamas and sloth out on the couch in front of an episode of The Mandalorian. Instead, you had to babysit some rich asshole who was inconsiderate enough to hire out an entire museum like this, without any care whatsoever for the workers’ wellbeing. I mean, if it was Beyoncé or someone, you would understand their need for privacy. But some random guy you had never heard of, an absolute Z-lister? Well, you hadn’t met him yet, but you already thought that he was pathetic and selfish.

The whole system was inherently unjust. These private visits forced museum staff, who were barely on a salary above minimum wage, to stay behind after hours just to accommodate their whims. It sickened you to think about the sums of money that would be exchanged. Dan Nobody – or whatever his name was – was throwing tens of thousands of pounds at the museum to accommodate his enormous ego, all the while you would never see a penny of. It boiled your blood with how unfair it all was.

With your desolation now replaced with defiance, you made your way back to your office to continue the work that you desperately needed to catch up on. You sighed as your footsteps echoed through the wide corridors of the stunning old building. It was an absolute honour to work in such a beautiful place where history surrounded you and you knew how fortunate you were in that sense. But it would be a lie to say that you were completely happy with the realities of working for such an institution. As much as excitement had fuelled your first few months working here… now, disillusionment lingered around every corner. Gone was the bright-eyed, enthusiastic girl who had strolled in here straight out of University, feeling as though the world was at her feet because she had just prevailed during a tough application process and would now have the opportunity to work with the largest permanent collection of any museum in the entire world. Instead, she had been replaced with a more cynical woman who felt disenchanted by the surroundings which had once excited her so deeply.

After returning to your office, you spent the rest of your day busy catching up with your work, albeit with a knot of dread in your stomach about the prospect of having to put on a smile and greet yet another out-of-touch, obscenely wealthy man. You really hoped he wasn’t another creep. Unfortunately, you had encountered more than enough of them for one lifetime. Inevitably, every few months, some minor royal or businessman with more money than sense would book out your museum and due to your knowledge and enthusiasm, you were usually selected to be their guide. You had long suspected it was certain other traits which made you a desirable tour guide, though. For instance, you thought it strange that your colleague Tom never got chosen for the tours despite the fact the two of you had started at the museum at a similar time, so had a similar position and level of experience. But Tom was never selected, and neither were pretty much any of your male colleagues. No, it always seemed to be the younger female workers who were chosen to show the wealthy men around the museum.

You loathed every single last one of them. You had never met a single one who you didn’t want to throttle within approximately five seconds of meeting them. You knew whenever you walked up to them what you were in store for, as they leered at you with their toothy grins and always pulled you in for a hug and kiss on both cheeks. It made you feel like just another exhibit for them to gawk at, not the intensely knowledgeable human being that you were. They always dressed the same way too, in ghastly chinos and loafers. They selected the kinds of outfits that made sure any onlooker could tell just by how they dressed, the extent of their personal fortunes. You hated every single last one of them.

It felt so wrong to you that these people – who probably had some connection, not too far back in their family tree, to the atrocities that led to the museum possessing such an extensive collection in the first place – could pay obscene amounts of money to close off an entire museum that was usually free to enter. That money would be much better spent in other places. And every single last one of them had always treated the young female staff as though they were a package deal. They seemed to have the impression that the money they had spent entitled them to sexually harass the staff. So, you weren’t exactly looking forward to when six o’clock rolled around and you would have to endure another creep.

For the rest of the day, you were somewhat grateful that you had things to catch up on. Oh sure, it was dull archival work with difficult colleagues, but it was better than having too much time to think about the horrors that awaited you in the form of a golden pinky-ring-wearing asshole at the end of the day. Plus, it gave you a chance to charge your social battery in preparation for the tour that night.

But the end of your shift at five finally rolled around and you had an hour to grab some food after the museum shut and eat before you had to meet the client at six. You thought, bitterly, as you marched down the steps that at the same time you would have to be entertaining a rich creep, you could have been well on your way home to sprawl out on the sofa in front of The Mandalorian. Unfortunately, the universe was really out to get you today. Mando would have to wait.

As you stood inside the noodle shop around the corner from the museum, waiting for your order to be freshly cooked by the friendly owner who knew your order off by heart by now – such was the frequency of your trips here – you took your phone out of your pocket to message Ria. You hadn’t heard from her all day and you just wanted to vent to her, not expecting her to reply immediately as although it was early afternoon for her and you were sure she’d be awake, she would still be adjusting to jet lag after flying over to London for the convention and probably working herself.

[ilovemando] 17:16 ugh ria i have to work late tonight. some rich asshole has booked out the museum for a private tour

Fortunately, the ellipses popped up to indicate that Ria was typing an immediate reply. You breathed a sigh of relief, absolutely thrilled that you had some virtual company in your hour of need.

[thisistheslay] 17:17: Nooooo bestie I’m so sorry! Do you get paid overtime?

[ilovemando] 17:18: yeah but that’s not the point. i just want to go home and watch my comfort episode on the couch. post-con depression is hitting hard :(

[thisistheslay] 17:18: Don’t worry, The Foundlings will still be waiting for you when you get back! I’m sure seeing Mando protecting those kids will cheer you up, even if it’s the thousandth time you’ve seen it!

You began to tap out a reply, but your order number was called before you could send the message. After grabbing your bag of noodles, you tapped out a one-handed reply:

[ilovemando] 17:26: soz was collecting my noodles lmao. but ur right i guess. i just want to watch it NOW. i wanna see my man kicking butt to protect a class of Mandalorian kids, not deal with some old creepy rich guy who thinks renting out the museum also entitles him to sexually harass me. ugh. Mando wouldn’t treat me like that!! sorry for the rant. hope ur jet lag is getting better. miss u :(((

[thisistheslay] 17:29: Awww that sounds awful. I wish I could be there for you and give you a big hug. Let me know how it goes, yeah? You can call me when you’re done on the way home if you want to rant. I’ll be thinking of you. I love you, you got this! <3

[ilovemando] 17:21: thanks ria. love you too <3

After reading and replying to Ria’s soothing message, you put your phone away as you walked back to the museum. You wanted some peace and quiet and sought out one of the break rooms to eat your food in and mentally prepare for the evening ahead. Fortunately, the museum had almost entirely cleared out of both visitors and staff by the time you made it back and you were able to enjoy your food in peace.

Ria’s words had definitely comforted you, but your heart ached at how much you missed her. You knew that you were incredibly lucky to have a friendship like the one you shared, even if it meant that you couldn’t always be physically close to her. Remembering how you had sobbed on the platform before you put her on the tube to the airport as you were forced to say goodbye almost made you cry again. Then, Ria hit you with a lovely quote: “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” It had made you cry harder, but when she revealed it was borrowed from Winnie the Pooh, your tears had turned to full-on laughter. Trust Ria to pull that one out at that moment!

You smiled at that memory. At her sense of humour and how she always seemed to know the right words to say to you at precisely the right time. She was always there to build you up when you were feeling down, and boost your confidence when you needed it and in happier times, she was there to share in them too. All that, despite the distance. You missed her terribly. In some ways, you felt as though it might have been easier if your online friendship did not translate to the real world and things could have just fizzled out instead. Then again, you couldn’t imagine your life without Ria in it. Despite the distance, at least you could keep in regular contact thanks to the power of the internet. You were so grateful that she had been there to help talk you through the nervousness you felt about the upcoming guided tour.

You mindlessly scrolled through various social media apps on your phone as you watched the minutes tick by towards six p.m., looking at various pictures of Mando in an attempt to steady your nerves. You looked through all the messages that you had missed in the group chat, too. Although the second season of The Mandalorian had only finished airing in January, it appeared from various rumours that the third season was already in production. The details were always scant and anyone with any meaningful involvement in it was surely sworn to secrecy on account of the need to hide Mando’s identity. But a source had seemingly confirmed that production was beginning at The Volume, the studios that lay just a few miles outside of London.

The timing of the news really could not have come at a better moment for you. It was something to focus on and to look forward to. Although this tour would inevitably be as awful as those that had gone before, it would soon be over and you would be able to join in with all the excitement and theorising with your group of friends over what lay in store for Mando in season three.

So, with a mixture of emotions, you left the break room and made your way through the lofty halls of the museum towards the entrance. You were both bursting with excitement at the knowledge that somewhere – only a few miles from here – the next season of your favourite show was currently being filmed and filled with and trepidation for the ghastly man that you were certain you were about to encounter, You braced yourself for the awful man you were sure you would be tasked with showing around the museum. You were trying your best to stay calm but you were absolutely dreading the tour. You were not in any mood to engage with people, let alone a complete stranger, today.

As you neared the front entrance, you cast your mind back to the previous Saturday. Particularly, to the way you had stood up so passionately to defend Mando at the awful panel at ForceCon. See, you could do things, even in the face of idiots. You were a capable person. You would survive this.

But when you entered the entrance hall of the museum, you found that the man you were to give a tour to was unlike anything you had been expecting. Firstly, you noticed that he was not in the standard chinos and loafer uniform of the aristocracy. In fact, he was dressed rather casually, although still smart, in a high-necked brown jumper with dark brown trousers that almost matched the turtleneck sweater in shade. You noticed that he had brown boots on, too. The guy must really have a thing for brown. Then you noticed how uncomfortable the man seemed. He had not seen you yet, but he was standing there, glancing around the hall somewhat nervously, his fist clenching and unclenching at his side. But there was something else about him that you found intriguing… because the man you were to give a tour to had a child at his feet.

You were surprised to see such a young child; he couldn’t have been more than two or three years old, clinging to the man’s leg. Even though he had initially seemed different from all the others, now you found that the sight of such a small child brought out feelings of resentment from inside you. You thought about what a waste of money it was, to book out an entire museum for just him and a child that would never remember it. But you were still intrigued at what his story was and in particular, why he seemed so anxious.

You were so transfixed by the sight of the man you were to give the tour to, that you almost didn’t even notice the fact that he was standing next to one of your friends. Mo was one of the few people you actually liked at the museum and the two of you always had conversations whenever your paths crossed. You shared similar interests and humour. Mo was about your age and was always open to your rants about the museum, given his background as the son of immigrants from Pakistan. You found him a breath of fresh air, even if he still hadn’t watched Mando, despite you repeatedly nagging him to.

As you had closed the last few steps between you, though, the man did something you found rather odd. He gave you a strange look, almost a scowl, before rapidly looking away and focusing on anything else in the museum other than your impending presence next to him.

“Hi, Mo,” you smiled at him cheerfully, in an attempt to diffuse whatever tension the sight of you had evoked for the man. Suddenly, you felt immensely grateful that he would be somewhere in the vicinity during your tour. Mo nodded at you as you stepped forward and introduced yourself. “Hello, nice to meet you. I’ll be your tour guide around the museum tonight. Dan, was it?”

But the man did not say a word. He just stood there gawping at you, eyes wide and mouth opened slightly as his brown eyes remained fixed on your face. You were a little unnerved, not least because of the strange look he had given you as you approached. For a brief moment, a look of recognition flashed across his features. But you were certain that you had never seen this man before in your entire life. You would remember if you had, you were sure of that. He was incredibly handsome, probably at least ten years older than you and presumably married, judging by the baby he had with him. Bizarrely, you felt as though the pressure was off, even though it wasn’t like a simple museum tour was going to be the start of a great love story or anything. Besides, regardless of how attractive you found him, this man was strictly off-limits; it would be completely improper to start anything having met at work like this.

The man finally seemed to shake himself out of whatever stupor he appeared to have fallen into and finally introduced himself.

“Oh! Uh, hi. No, not Dan. My name is Din… Din Djarin,” Din explained as he offered his hand to you, which you took and shook slowly.

The warmth of Din’s enormous hand as it engulfed yours, dwarfing your smaller hand as your fingers touched his palm and felt the rough calluses there sent a chill down your spine. There was an unmistakable shock of something there, caused by the feeling of his skin against yours. You tilted your chin up to look at his face as your joined hands hovered in mid-air.

You were first taken in by how brown Din’s eyes were as they gazed at you as your hands slowly stopped moving together. They were deep and warm, the colour of the wood panelling in some of the oldest rooms here in the museum. His prominent nose was perhaps his most striking feature. It was aquiline and achingly beautiful, it reminded you of some of the sculptures the museum had of Roman Emperors. Din unquestionably had movie-star good looks, but without being unapproachable in his attractiveness. Yet, you were still absolutely captivated and intimidated by him. As your eyes continued to traverse his face, you noticed too that he had a neatly trimmed moustache underneath his stunning nose. There was slightly patchy stubble dotted along his defined jawline and high cheekbones, too. But the moustache was captivating, sat as it was atop his plush lips… lips that looked so soft and inviting…

Woah! You were going too far. You dropped Din’s hand abruptly and cleared your throat as you mentally berated yourself for staring at the lips of a guy you didn’t even know – a visitor, no less! A visitor who you were about to give a tour of the museum to, a visitor who had brought his young son. It was beyond inappropriate.

“Pleasure to meet you Mr Djarin. I’m looking forward to showing you around all of the wonderful exhibitions we are so lucky to have here,” you smiled, attempting to ignore both the heat you felt on your cheeks and the confused expression on Mo’s face.

Upon hearing your voice again, Din looked slightly taken aback and that look that you had momentarily witnessed flash across his features, as though he remembered you from somewhere, returned. But just as quickly as it had appeared, the recognition was gone from his face, replaced with a stern scowl. His brows pointed firmly downwards, along with his lips that were oh, so plush. A little wrinkle in the centre of his browline above his nose suddenly became prominent, which showed his age. You thought it was cute and ached to smooth it out with your fingertips.

For heaven’s sake! You really needed to get a grip, it was ridiculous to be pining like a little lost puppy over a man you had just met. Especially one who seemed to have an aversion to you on the scale that Din clearly did.

You stood there, heart pounding as the scowl did not fade from his features as quickly as you hoped it might. Whatever problem Din had with your presence was lingering. Great, he doesn’t like me, you thought. How had you already messed it up? Usually, you at least managed to hold it together for a few minutes before the mask slipped and your disdain for the rich assholes became obvious. But this was a new record, even for you. The two of you had barely spoken. And you actually didn’t hate this guy, you were more intrigued by him than disgusted, even if he was behaving a little strangely in your presence.

You were just about to offer to get Din a different tour guide and apologise profusely for whatever it was about your existence that was so off-putting when he finally opened his mouth and spoke.

“Please, you don’t have to call me Mr Djarin. Just Din is fine,” Din said, brown eyes widening as he suddenly snapped out of whatever trance he had been in. Then, he nodded his head – causing a few brown curls to fall over his eyes – and added: “This is my son, Grogu. I don’t know if you were expecting him and I hope he isn’t too young for the tour, but wherever I go, he goes.”

“Aww, he’s adorable!” you exclaimed, unable to help yourself despite your usual disdain for children. You crouched down so you were eye-level with Grogu to greet him properly too. “Hello there, Grogu,” you whispered softly.

The little boy was dressed in a green onesie and his dark curly hair peeked out from underneath the matching green hood. You noticed too, now that you were closer, that he was fiddling with a shiny metallic ball, clutched tightly in his hand. It was a pretty unusual outfit for a museum tour, but you did not judge either of them. You noticed that Grogu seemed a little nervous, as he stood there, unmoving with a blank expression and contemplated you. The biggest brown eyes that you had ever seen in your entire life were staring right back at you, traversing their way across your face.

With his impossibly large eyes and deep bronze skin, even you who ordinarily disliked children had to admit that Grogu was a little charmer. Perhaps it was the fact that you had never really been surrounded by that many children which explained why you had never been particularly fond of them. Either way, even you had to admit: that Grogu was completely adorable. Even if he did not seem keen to acknowledge your existence in any meaningful way.

“He doesn’t always take kindly to strangers…” Din explained as you knelt there, waiting for a response that never came.

“Well, that’s fine!” you smiled at Grogu before you stood up straight. “As long as he takes kindly to museums, I’m sure we’ll have a great time together.”

“Thank you,” Din nodded and swallowed thickly, his voice full of an emotion that you could not quite place.

“How old is Grogu?” you asked, attempting to make some more small talk to put the pair of them at ease.

“He’s thirty-eight months,” Din said quietly as he looked down towards his son, who was still clutching onto Din’s calf with the hand that wasn’t grasping the metallic ball.

You usually found it obnoxious, the way parents measured their babies’ ages in months – just say he’s three! But there was something about the way Din looked at Grogu, the pride you saw there in those warm brown eyes, that stopped you from getting frustrated with him.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to have you both here. There’s no minimum or maximum age for loving history!” you said enthusiastically and then internally cringed. You had perhaps said that a little too enthusiastically to remain authentic to yourself. But part of being a good tour guide was giving your guests a little bit of a show and despite their somewhat mystifying reactions to your existence, you were eager to impress Din and Grogu. “Are there any areas that you are particularly interested in seeing? Unfortunately, the collection is so vast that we won’t have time to see it all, but if there are any specific areas of history that you are especially interested in, I’ll make sure that we see them!”

“To be honest, I don’t know that much about uhh… your history,” Din said, reaching to touch the back of his neck with his hand in a soothing motion.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn!” you said reassuringly.

The man before you seemed somewhat embarrassed about his lack of knowledge, but you loved it when people came here as a blank canvas and you got to tell them about things they had never heard of before. It was one of the most satisfying parts of the job.

Ironically too, when Din had said he did not know much about your history, the man clearly had no idea that most of this museum did not even show British history. It was an inescapable fact that you had become increasingly sickened by during your time working here. The reality of just how much of the collection had been accumulated due to violent pillaging and plundering of other nations' resources had led to you becoming increasingly disillusioned by the institution as a whole. Although the museum boasted an extensive, impressive collection… so much of it was stolen treasures from the rest of the world.

You tried not to shy away from the fact, even though management would have been furious if they ever discovered you had brought such a truth up. So, you had to be tactful in your methods. After all, you were a firm believer that change came from within. Despite how tempted you had been to quit your job when you had first realised how little of Britain's history was here, and how the colonial past was gushed over, you had stayed, fearing that perhaps your replacement would have been ignorant to such a fact. You also remained, hoping that you could one day leave the museum in a better condition than the one you found it in.

“Enjoy the tour,” Mo nodded at Din. Then, he approached you and whispered for only you to hear: “Already gave him the stern, don’t-be-a-creep and don’t steal anything talk. Call me if you need anything,” Mo finished and handed you a walkie-talkie.

You placed the device in your pocket and smiled as Mo left, grateful that you had a good friend who would look out for you. Although it seemed that it would be unnecessary, given just how guarded your little tour party seemed.

“Right!” you exclaimed and clapped your hands together, unofficially marking the start of the tour. “If it’s okay with the pair of you, I would love to show you to the exhibition which contains the Lewis chessmen. It’s the oldest surviving chess set from the British Isles and it’s one of the most famous pieces in our collection.”

“Sounds good to me,” Din nodded with a smile as he leaned down to pick Grogu up. Then, he indicated for you to lead the way with his hand.

You kept your distance as you headed in the direction of the infamous chess set. Sometimes you would hang back and engage the guests in small talk or point out various features of the museum. But there was an unmistakable anxiousness present in both Din and Grogu, so you decided to give them space as they adjusted to their new surroundings.

You had intended to take them directly to the chess set, but then an idea struck you for how to get Grogu more engaged. Although you weren’t the biggest fan of children, the feeling did not appear to be mutual as the kids who visited the museum on school trips usually warmed to you surprisingly quickly. Grogu was proving to be somewhat more of a challenge though, but you dreamt up an idea to hopefully engage him a little more.

You stopped and turned around to face Din, who was carrying Grogu tightly in his arms so that the little boy’s chin was resting on one of his broad shoulders. Din came to a stop and glanced at you curiously.

“I know I promised I would take you to the chess set and we can still go there, but I was thinking first that we could pass through the wing which houses our Ancient Egypt collection?” you suggested. “I’m a guide for most of the school trips that visit us and it always seems to be the area that the kids most enjoy.”

“Oh. That’s very… kind of you,” Din rasped. “Thank you.”

You nodded and began walking ahead of your guests again, grateful that Din would not see the effect he was having on your ordinarily calm, composed demeanour. Although he appeared to be a man of few words, every time Din did speak, you felt the way your knees weakened. His voice was so low and gravelly, it was deep and rich. With a voice like that, you thought that it was a crime that he did not speak more often. Though you supposed, it was a good thing after all. His voice was so attractive that it was almost distracting.

Eventually, you made it to the Egyptian section of the museum. You really hoped that it would have the intended impact on Grogu, who was still utterly silent in Din’s arms. You knew that kids usually loved this exhibition most of all. There were sarcophaguses and all kinds of intricate patterns that all the school trips who visited the museum made it a priority to see.

As you walked through the room, you gave a brief history of this wing of the museum and drew Din and Grogu’s attention to the most notable exhibit: The Rosetta Stone. Afterwards, you told them to let you know if they needed any help. Then, you kept your distance as you wanted to give Din and Grogu some privacy to explore the collection and hopefully become a bit more accustomed to their surroundings. You sensed that Din was not particularly used to museums and it was perhaps making him a little uneasy to be in one. Which made you all the more curious as to why he had organised a private tour.

You maintained your distance but still stood close enough so that you could help them if they needed it. But as you stood back to observe Din Djarin moving between the cases which housed so many ancient treasures, you were struck by the way he somehow seemed oddly familiar. Just as there had been a small flash of recognition on his face when he first saw you, you felt as though you had seen him somewhere before yourself.

You wondered whether he was actually more famous than he was letting on. After all, he was handsome enough to be an actor or a model. Perhaps you had seen him onscreen somewhere before, even if it was only a minor role. At that moment, Din placed Grogu on the ground and the little boy began to toddle his own path through the exhibits. You observed the way Din followed him around, noticing that there was a certain swagger to the way that he moved and the way his arms swung by his sides that felt familiar. It was his gait, the way he held his arms, something about him gave you the strangest sense of déjà vu.

But try as you might, you just could not put it all together, even though it felt like you were missing something frustratingly obvious. You felt like you were continually chasing something that was just out of reach. Finally, you felt as though you were about to piece everything together and had almost figured out just where you knew him from when Din called your name and waved you closer. It was a stark reminder that you had a job to do, after all. Din was your visitor, your guest… you needed to get a grip on your emotions.

You approached the case Din was standing in front of, he turned to you with his mouth open, he clearly wanted you to ask you about something. You had expected him to question you on the collection of ornately carved, wooden cat mummies that he was currently standing in front of. But surprisingly, despite the treasures that lay just the other side of the glass, Din’s mind was seemingly elsewhere.

“Are you working overtime just for us?” Din said quietly, staring straight ahead at the display while Grogu toddled around at your feet.

You were utterly astounded by his audacity. You knew the rich and famous were out of touch but, holy shit! This guy was on a different level. Of course, you were working overtime! If it wasn’t for him, you would be back at home with nothing but you, Mando and lots of peace and quiet. But no, Din fucking Djarin over here had to get in the way of you and your comfort bounty hunter.

“I am,” you replied curtly.

“I hope you’re well paid for it,” Din offered, sympathetically. You were about to bite back with a sarcastic comment, but his next comment stopped you in your tracks: “This wasn’t my idea, by the way. I’m over here in London for work which means I have to spend a lot of time away from my home. It’s just my son and I,” Din continued and you noticed the way he clenched and unclenched his hands that hung by his sides into fists as he spoke. “So, my bosses like to book little excursions like this every so often to stop us from going crazy out of boredom. I just wanted you to know that. To be honest, this kind of thing sort of embarrasses me. I don’t feel good about all the trouble you’ve clearly had to go to, about you staying late and… stuff.”

“Oh…” you breathed. All the bitterness and simmering hatred that you felt for this man had completely disappeared. He was just a lonely single dad, staying far away from home. You wondered what Din’s story was and how Grogu came to be featured in it. There was blatantly a strong bond between them that went beyond words. Indeed, you had not heard the little boy utter a single word, even after being let loose in the Egyptian exhibition. You also, perhaps more selfishly, wondered whether Grogu’s mother was in the picture and whether he was adopted. But that was incredibly invasive, it was not for you to know such personal details. You were just here to show them around the museum and ensure that they had as enjoyable a time as possible.

“I really am sorry that you had to stay extra late for us. Perhaps I can speak to my bosses and the museum and make sure that all of you, the cleaners, security and the like are fairly compensated.” Din said earnestly as he turned to look at you. His words and face were full of sincerity and you found yourself almost lost in the big brown eyes that had been slowly worming their way into your heart since the first time you had stared into them in the entrance hall.

You were stunned, not only by how physically appealing you found him – if a man could be beautiful, you would deem Din Djarin worthy of such a description – but you were also floored by the beauty of his words. You were stunned by what a humble man he appeared to be, despite the enormous wealth that was seemingly available to him. Surely, if his bosses were so exceedingly rich, then Din himself must be, too? It was hard to believe that because, despite his affluence, Din seemingly still retained his humanity and cared about ordinary people. You were absolutely bowled over by this man. He was nothing like what you had been expecting.

“Thank you for apologising but really, it’s fine. Just one of those things that I have to do. You’re uh, actually the first ever person on one of these visits who has ever acknowledged that. So, thank you, Din. It means a lot,” you smiled at him, feeling your stomach flip at the way he was staring at you. “It’s not like you’ve interrupted much anyway tonight, to be honest. Usually, I just go straight home after work. I’d be lying on the couch in front of the TV by now. But you and Grogu have been a pleasure to show around thus far,” you admitted. You were unsure why you had told Din such a thing, usually feeling embarrassed about your preference for solitude. But there was just something about that man, with his earnest brown eyes, that made you want to tell him everything about yourself.

“I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for being such a great guide,” Din said appreciatively. And you knew he meant it. Din wasn’t speaking with the fake sincerity that so many of the other obnoxious rich clients that you were so accustomed to showing around the museum, either. It was genuine. You could tell that from the look in his eyes and how solemn his voice was that he meant every word.

“You’re welcome. If you’re ready, we can head to the next area that I'm going to show you to. It contains a stunning artefact known as the Sutton Hoo helmet and it’s perhaps the most famous artefact here that was not stolen from another country,” you observed, dryly.

Din raised his eyebrows at your statement and your heart dropped for a second, fearing that you had perhaps pushed things a step too far. After all, you knew nothing about this man’s background. Perhaps he was one of them. Before you could worry for much longer, though, he burst out laughing at your observation. You let out a sigh of relief and found yourself laughing along with him, too. His joy was infectious and the way the wrinkles showed around his eyes as they half-shut in mirth made your heart soar.

“I did notice that when I was reading the descriptions in this section,” Din nodded. “I don’t think Giza is in the UK. But it never says how the artefacts ended up here. They just act as though everything here magically appeared in London one day.”

“Yeah, of course. It was just raining artefacts in the Victorian Era,” you rolled your eyes. “But uhh… can I just ask that if you get asked for any feedback about the tour at all… please, please don’t tell my boss I said that. We’re really not supposed to acknowledge that part of the museum’s history,” you pleaded, despite how much you felt as though you inherently trusted Din.

“Of course I won’t,” Din promised as he shook his head, “I think it’s important to talk about it and it’s a shame if you cannot speak openly.”

“Exactly. I always think how can you not mention it, when it’s staring you right in the face? So I try to slip it in where possible whenever I give tours. I’ve made references to it in front of royalty before now, but they were too dense to notice. Didn’t get taught about what their ancestors did at their posh schools, it seems,” you admitted with a shrug, your blood boiling at the memory of how condescending the minor royals that you had never even heard of had been throughout your tour. “So that’s why I always try to talk about it, especially in future exhibitions I plan to curate. This is probably why none of my proposals have ever been selected, come to think of it. Colonialists don’t like it when you point out how many things you’ve stolen, it transpires.” you said with a wry smile

“No, they don't,” Din said, one corner of his mouth curling into a smirk as he regarded you.

For a few moments, all thoughts of where the tour was headed left your head. You felt immobilised by the way Din was staring at you. Gone was the scowl of earlier, you felt as though he was staring at you as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not in a patronising way that you were well used to, though. He was staring at you in the same way you had witnessed so many visitors stare at the assortment of wonders in the museum: in complete awe.

“Anyway, the helmet is this way.” you said, shaking your head as you stepped out of his gaze and turned to leave the room.

Once again, you walked a few paces ahead of Din and Grogu. You didn’t trust yourself to face him at that moment because of the way that he had just looked at you. It was difficult to remain professional after that. Having someone look at you like that was something you were incredibly unused to. Perhaps you were delusional, but you were certain that Din had just gazed at you as though he was mesmerised by you, taking you in and considering you slowly.

You suddenly felt a bit shaky after it, feeling the unmistakable thundering of your heart in your chest. Din had regarded you as if you were a beautiful artwork of some kind, rather than just the lowly museum worker that you were. It was enthralling to have someone look at you like that. You were not used to it… it had been years since your last proper relationship. But when you thought back to how your ex looked at you, you were certain you had seen that same admiration in Din’s eyes. But surely, that was ridiculous. Din was a few years older than you, possibly even married, given the child he had with him. You were probably just projecting your hopes onto a situation that was not there. It was a little bit desperate.

Mercifully, the helmet was not too far away from where you currently were in the museum and you made it there quickly enough that you did not have to dwell on the way Din looked at you for an uncomfortably long time. All you knew for certain was that the thought of him looking at you like that again was simultaneously the thing you wanted most in the world and a deeply terrifying and mortifying prospect. But there was no time for you to dwell on it or even really talk to him. There was, instead, an old helmet for you to look at and explain the history of to your visitors.

You showed Din to the glass case it was displayed in as your heart rate somewhat returned to its normal rate. Talking about Anglo-Saxon antiques was sure to help you in getting a handle on your emotions. Fortunately, your feelings towards the Sutton Hoo helmet had never lessened, despite any more general disillusionment you felt towards the entire institution. Indeed, it was a photograph of this very helmet which had captured your imagination many years ago and sent you down a path that culminated in you working here at the museum. There was something about it that captured your imagination every time you saw it, no matter how many times you had observed it up close. Just knowing that people many centuries ago had created it and gazed upon it with their own eyes somehow made you feel closer and further away from the past than ever.

The helmet was mainly faded to a brown colour now but despite its age, it was remarkably complete. It had a cap, cheek-pieces, mask and neck-guard. The nose detail and eye holes meant one could visualise where the warrior had once placed his head. The two strips of metal that hung around and down the face piece on either side always reminded you of the tusks of an elephant. The gold strip that went from near the top of the helmet towards the nose was an indication of how ornate the helmet had once been. You, Din and Grogu – who was nestled in his father’s arms – stood there for a few quiet moments, regarding the helmet quietly.

“Incredible craftsmanship. Remarkable too, how it has survived for so long. How old is it?” Din asked.

“We think it was made somewhere between the late sixth and early seventh centuries. So it’s well over one thousand years old, whichever way you look at it,” you explained, delighted that Din wanted you to share your expertise. “It’s a mixture of iron and tinned copper alloy. Some of the patterns have been lost but you can just make out some animals and warrior motifs. The nose and mouth-piece were cast as one and they have a silver inlay with some engraved details. It’s really a fine work and incredible to think about how old it is.”

“Fascinating, thank you,” Din said, before he leaned down and whispered proudly to his son: “See, Grogu, they didn’t make them the same way that we do.”

You thought it was a bizarre comment, but you had no right to press Din for details, given that he had probably not intended for you to hear such a thing. Perhaps Din was involved in manufacturing military equipment, or something. You did not doubt that there was a lot of money in that line of work, enough money that would allow bosses to rent out the British Museum.

Despite your longstanding admiration for the Sutton Hoo helmet, you found that every time you looked at it now, your mind was reminded of another helmet: the one that your favourite character wore. Since first watching the show, you found that every time you were here in the presence of the Anglo-Saxon artefact, you always thought of Mando. You marvelled each time at how people who lived so long ago possessed the technology to create such an intricate piece of art. Although much of the detailing had sadly been lost to time, it was nonetheless an incredible feat. It also made you wonder if, in the Star Wars galaxy, Mandalorian helmets were on display like this in museums just like the one you worked at. Or was the warrior race too secretive? Had anyone ever captured a Mandalorian to examine their craftsmanship?

You were so caught up in that thought, musing over the possibility of there being an equivalent to the Sutton Hoo helmet in the Star Wars universe, that you failed to notice that at some point, while you had been explaining the helmet’s history and quietly admiring it with Din, his son had toddled off. Neither of you noticed that anything was amiss until you heard the unmistakable sound of someone rapping on the glass of one of the displays. You spun around in shock, confused and disorientated, wondering what the noise was; but Din was on it right away.

“Grogu! No!” Din exclaimed as he ran towards his son.

The sound of the metallic ball clutched in Grogu’s chubby little hands went tap tap tap as it collided with the glass case which housed one of the most significant carvings in European history.

You turned around and smiled at the sight – you couldn’t help yourself, despite the fact you probably should have been delivering a stern reprimand – as Din scooped Grogu up and held him to his chest. At some point, while you had been explaining the Sutton Hoo helmet to Din, Grogu had got seemingly bored by your lecture and wandered off to explore something he found far more interesting.

“I’m so sorry,” Din said apologetically as you came to stand next to him.

“Oh, don’t worry. Those cases are designed to protect against chemical warfare, bullets, fires… anything you can think of,” you smiled, looking down at Grogu who seemed blissfully unaware of the panic he had just elicited in the pair of you. “An excitable toddler is no match. It isn’t like the movies, no red lasers are going to shoot out of the ceiling, I assure you.”

However, just as you were explaining you heard the unmistakable sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor outside, which probably belonged to a member of the museum’s security team as they sprinted to check what the commotion was. Grogu had probably unknowingly activated some kind of security system. The mystery security guard shouted your name and you realised it was Mo, who was clearly sizing the situation up and whether he needed to storm in, guns blazing.

“It’s fine, Mo!” You shouted in reply. “Just a little excited kiddo here, absolutely nothing to worry about.”

“Okay! Just checking!” Mo replied as his footsteps stopped. When they resumed, they grew more distant as he disappeared elsewhere in the museum.

“Thank you,” Din said appreciatively. He exhaled and turned to look at you, a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude on his face that you hadn’t made this into a big deal.

“It’s fine,” you shrugged. “You know, we don’t have too much art here in this museum. I’m surprised he was so drawn to this, I wouldn’t expect a child to like it as it's pretty much just a technical drawing and there are no colours. The art we do have is great though, although it’s nothing like the National Gallery, their collection is amazing,” you mused.

“No, but it’s still a beautiful piece. I think he just likes the look of the armour. I really am sorry about all the commotion,” Din reiterated his apology.

“Oh, really, Mr. Djarin. It’s fine,” you said reassuringly, hoping that your choice not to refer to Din by his first name would place some distance between the two of you. “The security guys just get a little jumpy after hours, that’s all.”

“Please, I absolutely insist that you call me Din. Mr. Djarin makes me sound like an old man!” Din joked.

“Okay Din,” you giggled, but were desperate to change the subject. “You know, if Grogu is interested in art, there’s also the National Gallery, another museum here. It gets quite busy at peak times, as all museums do. The crowds particularly gather around Van Gogh’s sunflowers. I mean, I get it. He’s my favourite painter and I love that piece. But there’s so much other art that gets neglected, lonely at its expense. People just walk up to the sunflowers, snap their pictures and leave. The whole thing is very impersonal… they don’t take a second to appreciate the hours that the artist spent agonising over every little detail, you know?”

“It is a shame… that people cannot stop to appreciate beautiful things when they’re standing right in front of them…” Din’s voice had dropped to barely above a whisper as his brown eyes focused on you, smiling at you thoughtfully.

You cleared your throat and looked down, feeling the familiar warmth that came with embarrassment creep up your neck and onto your face. Your cheeks were suddenly burning. The look Din had given you when he said beautiful had made you feel slightly dizzy. You weren’t sure whether he was referring to the art or you. It made you feel slightly lightheaded. You had almost forgotten what it felt like to be spoken to like that, it had been so long since anyone had seen you in that way.

It was somewhat alarming to you, too, how quickly you felt comfortable around Din. Perhaps it was watching his interactions with Grogu but, despite his broad shoulders and muscular frame, there was an undeniable gentleness to him. It had been a long time since you had opened up to anyone as easily as you had to Din. Oh sure, you were only explaining that you sometimes enjoyed looking at art at a certain gallery and that you liked to lounge around in front of the TV. They weren’t your deepest, most intimate secrets or anything. But for someone who took so long to feel comfortable around others, it said something about how at ease you felt with Din that you were able to tell him these little things about yourself so soon after meeting him.

“Yes… it’s a shame,” you eventually agreed. “Anyway, sorry for going on a rant about selfish gallery-goers. Would you like me to tell you more about the artwork?” you asked, remembering what you were being paid for and attempting to steer the conversation back towards something that you were infinitely more comfortable with – historical artefacts.

“That would be great, thank you,” Din nodded as he placed Grogu down.

“The piece that captured Grogu’s imagination, as it transpires, is one of the most important carvings in European history. It’s a woodcut of a rhinoceros created by a German painter called Albrecht Dürer in 1515, who never even saw the beast. He carved it based on a description from an Indian writer,” You explained as you launched into a passionate lecture about the history of Dürer’s rhino, the two pairs of big brown eyes that belonged Din and Grogu watching you intently. “Clearly, the carving is not wholly accurate, as the rhinoceros looks as though it has plates of armour on its body, rather than the skin anyone from modern times knows that rhinos actually possess. But it was the best they could do. I always find it astonishing that people from such a long time ago were able to create such intricate pieces of art,” you marvelled, hoping to fill Din and Grogu with the same sense of wonderment that you felt when you thought about the past.

Sometimes, you felt embarrassed about the extensive knowledge that you possessed, that you could always launch into such detailed lectures at a moment’s notice. There were so many people in your past who had viewed your knowledge as patronising arrogance on your part, distorted by their inadequacies to believe that you were showing off somehow and attempting to make them feel inferior. But you were not, you were just passionate and enthusiastic about the world that surrounded you, particularly the past. You enjoyed sharing that passion and knowledge with other people. It was never born out of a desire to make them feel bad for what they did not know, but to help them to learn something new and perhaps open their minds.

But you felt none of that embarrassment as you concluded your lecture, still being watched intently by Din and Grogu: “As you can imagine, this would influence perceptions of rhinoceros for centuries, even though it was not accurate. Would be pretty cool if rhinos wore armour though, wouldn’t it, Grogu?” You finished, smiling at the little boy who had listened to you so patiently.

“Thank you for that. I’m sure Grogu would agree, he likes…. Uh… armour,” Din said, reaching up to squeeze the back of his neck again, just as he had done shortly after you met in the entrance hall.

You smiled and nodded, appreciating the praise. But Din’s comment about the armour stood out to you, especially when you considered what he had said to Grogu about the Sutton Hoo helmet earlier. You were beginning to feel more certain now that Din probably had something to do with weapons, somehow. Perhaps it was his main line of work, or perhaps he was one of those enthusiasts who reenacted battles in his spare time… now that was a funny image.

But Din continued speaking before you could dwell on the comment any longer: “Grogu really likes animals too. I think he likes them more than the art and history aspect, as interesting as they were,” Din remarked.

“Oh, there’s a zoo here in London, you know? I think it has some rhinos, but if he likes animals perhaps it would be a nice day out for the two of you. I haven’t been for a while, usually, it’s full of tourists, but if I get a day off and it’s not the summer, I do like hanging out there,” you admitted.

“I would love to visit sometime, hopefully, Grogu and I can find the time while we’re over here,” Din said, touching his chin as if he were deep in thought.

“Yes, it’s definitely worth a visit. A lot of people seem surprised that London has such an impressive zoo with animals from all around the world. It often gets overlooked in favour of all the more touristy sights. You know, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and shopping on Oxford Street. And don’t get me wrong, I do love going to those places from time to time. It never ceases to amaze me that I live in the capital city, you know. But I think there is just as much value to be gained from getting out in nature and exploring the natural beauty our world has to offer,” you said, thoughtfully.

“Me too. A lot of nature can be so… beautiful.” Din breathed, that look was back again as he used that word once more.

You felt that familiar skin-warming sensation creep back up your neck again and gazed down at the floor, moving away from his penetrating gaze as you invited them to follow you to look at some more of the collection. You roamed around the exhibition with the two of them for a little bit longer after you felt that you had spent enough time looking at the carving of the rhinoceros.

Eventually, after quickly looking at some of the art from the Arab world that was in the collection, it was time for you to draw the tour to a close. You ushered Din and Grogu back down the grand stone staircase in the main, airy room that was still lit naturally despite the late hour. It was late June so the sun did not sit till late, though the sunlight that streamed down in the day had begun to dim now.

Din’s brown hair and eyes looked golden in the sunset light, his eyes were glowing almost the colour of honey. He was stunning. You couldn’t believe how much you found yourself enthralled by this man, even though you had just met him. Throughout the tour, you had both connected over history and your shared values. It was nothing too deep though and you were only operating in a professional capacity, but it was pathetic how much you already felt drawn to him. You needed to get over yourself.

Fortunately, you soon would as you were about to say goodbye. You knew in your heart of hearts that, much as you had enjoyed your time spent with him, once you said your goodbyes and he left through the door with Grogu, that would be the very last you would ever see of Din Djarin.

“Thank you for being such an incredible guide,” Din said, reaching out to shake your hand again. “Grogu and I had the best time.”

You could barely choke out a reply. You wondered whether Din had felt the same spark of electricity that you felt when he had taken his hand in yours. His skin was surprisingly smooth and warm; if you weren’t completely deluding yourself, you swore that his hand lingered on yours a beat longer than it had when you had introduced yourself to him. Even though you had both left your hands on each other for a near-uncomfortably long amount of time even then. Din looked directly into your eyes, the brown of his irises was now flecked with golden streaks. You wanted to lose yourself in those eyes. What a shame you had to part.

“It was my pleasure. I hope you learnt something new on the tour, something that you take with you always,” you smiled, still looking into his eyes. “Enjoy the remainder of your time here in the UK.”

Din thanked you one last time and even got Grogu to wave to you. Then he was gone, his footsteps echoing off the marble floors and tall ceilings. You were left there in his wake. This enigmatic man, with kind brown eyes and brown curly hair, had been so kind to you despite all your expectations to the contrary. You knew that you would never cross paths with him again and that thought pained you somewhere deep inside. You felt as though Din had brought something to your life that you had not realised you were missing. What a loss, a loss of a man that you barely even knew.

Still, you consoled yourself with the thought that at least you had your comfy couch and endless episodes of The Mandalorian to go back to. Your favourite show would always be there for you. Mando would never leave you standing there, pining for him. It was ridiculous! You shook your head, trying to pull yourself out of the trance that Din had just left you in. You needed to get home before it was too late.

You grabbed your belongings from the office and finally began to head for home, several hours later than you had been anticipating but still grateful that at least the tour had not been an utter disaster. Perhaps that would have been better, though, you mused. Rather than leaving you with such a twisted, tangled mess of feelings.

To distract yourself from the impossibly noisy drunken teenagers who were heading for a night out – suddenly making you feel ancient – you passed your time on the journey home with your nose buried into your phone, texting Ria about the man you had just given a tour to.

[ilovemando] 20:42 - RIAAAAA i just showed the hottest guy around the museum for a private tour. dreamy brown eyes, deep voice, tall, broad shoulders. he was older though and had a kid but i think he called me beautiful at one point? dgsdhgs maybe i’m delulu but wow he was fucking HOT i am yearning

You stared around the carriage absentmindedly, waiting for Ria to reply as you wished your noise-cancelling headphones could make everyone disappear, especially the drunk dickheads on your train. Fortunately, Ria was chronically online and you didn’t have to wait too long for her to reply.

[thisistheslay] 20:44 - Omg bestie!!! Did anything else happen, do you think you’ll see him again? A private tour though ugh. Eat the rich!!

[ilovemando] 20:47 - nahhh i cant see him again, didnt get his number. would’ve been unprofessional lmao. we just spoke quite a lot, i guess. it felt more relaxed than a lot of the tours i gave recently actually. he was really sweet. works a good job so thats how he got the tour… not rich arsehole vibes at all. fuck im crushing on a man i’ll never see again. pain

[thisistheslay] 20:49 - I mean, better than crushing on someone who doesn’t even exist?

You threw your head back and snorted. That was a low blow, but probably deserved.

[ilovemando] 20:50 - RIA??????? UNCALLED FOR!!

[thisistheslay] 20:51 - Sorry, sorry. I know Mando is real to you.

[ilovemando] 20:51 - ur damn right he is lmao. gonna watch the foundlings when i get back. if no one else got me, i know mando got me… can i get an amen

[thisistheslay] 20:53 - AMEN! The only man who deserves rights.

[ilovemando] 20:54 - so true bestie. anyway gonna put my phone away and stare out of the window for the rest of the journey and listen to the mando soundtrack while imagining we’re flying through space in the razor crest together…. im so mentally stable. ill live text u my mental breakdown when watching the foundlings when i get home :))))

[thisistheslay] 20:56 - Hahah you really are, very healthy behaviour. Please do, I’ll look forward to it, work is dragginggggg

You smiled and put your phone in your pocket, doing exactly as you said. As far above you, the dense city turned into lush suburbia, you were elsewhere. Not even on this earth as you daydreamed about Mando next to you.

You almost missed your stop, such was the vividness of your daydream. You wished you could escape to that fantasy world and stop pining for a man you hardly knew. The time you had spent with Din had been the happiest you had felt since the convention since Ria had left. But it had been fleeting, temporary and now you were heading back to reality which, for you, was lying on your couch on a Friday night, watching your comfort episode of Mando for the billionth time.

You sighed deeply as you lay there, watching the episode. It was unhealthy to compare a fictional character to reality and you knew that. But you just wished that more men could be like Mando. You adored the way he took such good care of the children. He was so empathetic, and protective; so sworn to his duty that he got himself into precarious situations multiple times throughout the episode to protect the foundlings, who were strangers to him. But Mando did it without hesitation, without anger. He was just a good man.

You couldn’t help but be reminded of the interactions you had seen between Din and Grogu. There you were, again! Caught up yearning for a much older man that you were never going to see again. This episode was meant to distract you from him and replace your newfound pining for a real, unattainable man with a familiar yearning for a fictional man who was even more unattainable because he wasn’t real. But instead, everything you saw of Mando was causing you to think of Din. It had not been the evening you had planned.

You had expected to watch more episodes, perhaps having a mini binge. You always intended to stop after one episode, of course. But the reality was quite different. You found yourself unable to stop, no matter how hard you tried as the story always gripped you. You always found Mando’s presence familiar and comforting and you had watched an entire season in one sitting before.

But tonight, you actually did stop after just one episode. You were too distracted to enjoy it properly so when the episode finished, you headed to your room. That night, you fell asleep underneath The Mandalorian poster above your bed, trying to replace thoughts of the brown eyes and brown curls of Din Djarin by thinking about Mando and the way he took care of those children. Trying to replace memories of the tall, broad-shouldered man you had shown around the museum with thoughts of a hulking tin can man with a confident strut who was prepared to give his all to make the galaxy a better place.

Little did you know whichever way you thought about it, you were fantasising about the same man.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @toxic-seduction @survivingandenduring

#my fics #tbobw #din djarin fanfic #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin fanfiction #mando x reader #mando x you #the mandalorian fanfiction #pedro pascal characters

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nerdynuala · 3 months

Note

Hi, love your hcs from last time! Could I make a hange request? I'm intrigued to think about random real life situations of her. Like, I feel like at least once is her life she was bullied, humiliated? Why do people do that with all nerds lol. how do you think she deals with those situations?

Also, (teenage or youth edition) about how is her relationship with her friends, what habits she has in her daily life, I don't know, I leave you free creativity space!

Hello please forgive me, I don't even know how long this has been sitting in my inbox T_T

I haven't been thinking or writing headcanons lately, but I'll give you my best try because heck you sent this so long ago I definitely owe you at least an attempt lol

Sorry again, I hope you can enjoy this anyway.

I've decided to focus on the prompt of Hange being bullied or humiliated more than anything else, but I threw in some things about childhood/youth friendships (truth is, I don't think Hange had many friends as a child or teen) and some veterans

Here we go:

- a classic, Hange wearing glasses since a very young age, she got called four-eyes ever since she started hanging out with other kids. Did it hurt her? Well, she never would admit it, but until the age of 12/13 she did wish her eyesight was better just so that kids would stop making her feel different, in a bad way. She used to laugh it off when people teased her, but in the privacy of her bathroom at home she would squint at her reflection in the mirror and wish she could walk around without her glasses.

- Being a very curious and somewhat savage kid, with a passion for every kind of bug, did not help her making friends. She was called a weirdo for collecting bugs, showing them to every kid, and knowing all the weird names of the insects. But it was her passion, in this case she really couldn't care less what other kids thought of her. She did befriend a boy who also loved bugs and they used to go looking for them in the forest.

- Hange used to get along better with boys. Girls talked behind her back and found Hange dirty and wild, they used to tell her she "should have been a boy". Hange did not care for "being a girl or a boy", she was "just Hange, take it or leave it". Boys did like Hange's company though, they could play more competitive and sporty games with her and she did enjoy every bit of pinecones and stones wars.

- When Hange grew up, as a teen she often wished she could fit in better with girls in her environment, but she caught some of them talking behind her back, saying Hange was not feminine and an intense nerdy weirdo and that no one, boy girl or wathever, would want to be with her. Hange was really independent at the time and was not looking forward to any relationship in particular, but it still hurt because she only wanted someone to be able to talk to and that would listen to her and talk to her with the same passion she put into things she liked. She stopped talking to the girls she overheard, but she never stopped smiling and waving at them when they crossed paths. Hange did not want them close in her life anymore, but that didn't mean she would stop being kind even though they had not been to her once. Hange understood she was kind of different and that these girls probably weren't open-minded enough to understand that not everyone has to be the same.

- What hurt Hange the most, however, happened in her early adult life. Being a scout, a Squad Leader, and most importantly a Titan Researcher, she once had to present her advances in Titan Research to a large crowd of Scouts and MPs, even higher ranks. She put much effort into it and she was sure that, this time, she had a lot of new information about Titans that would thrill and help everyone out. She did present and, in the middle of the presentation she heard some people giggling and making comments she couldn't hear. It bothered Hange because, heck this was a serious matter and it was important to her and to anyone interested in defeating the Titans. She was interrupted by someone from the Military Police who raised his hand to ask, quite literally, "who the dickhead that let her funds for this bullshit was". The dude even had the courage to say that the money would have been better spent for "hiring some sluts to lift the spirits of the Scouts". It was the first time that Hange was at a loss of words and couldn't bite back. She felt like crying from anger and feeling helpless. She normally dealt with people belittling or bullying her by biting back with some sarcastic remark, but her mind went blank. She couldn't finish the presentation like she had in mind and felt depressed for a whole month after that. Her job, her research and the passion she put into it was the most important thing to her. She could deal with people making fun of her for being weird, for being "not feminine", for wearing stupid glasses... But not with people thinking her work was worthless, she discovered.

After this episode, Levi offered Hange a lot of late night tea and even let her rant a lot. He even asked how she knew that titans don't poop.

Also, a few weeks after that, Hange heard rumors that the MP dude who interrupted her presentation was beaten up by a short guy who ended up being stronger than 5 men all together. They said the guy was probably raised in the underground, as he fought like a thug from down there.

Side note, Erwin subtly raised funds for Titan Research and provided her with a brand new laboratory and named Moblit her assistant, officially. Moblit helped her to find the spark she had lost after being humiliated, he gave her a collection of new Titan drawings that were bound together in a new book, which had a lot of blank pages to fill in with new research. Mike and Levi also promised, without sounding too grumpy, to capture a Titan so that they could study them better.

#headcanons #inbox #answered #better late than never #??#aot #snk #hange zoe #veterans #snk vets #levihan #if you squint #but hey this is a levihan blog so no need of squinting either

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cringepunk77 · 22 days

Note

Hey Chooms,

I want to address the situation surrounding my Nexusmods ban, and Rockergirlfriend/Zwei. I want to put rumors to rest and just be open and explain my side of things. I sincerely regret the way this incident played out and I take ownership of my mistakes. That said, there is some context to the situation that I feel is important. These are things I’ve never shared publicly because I’ve preferred to remain neutral and give people the benefit of the doubt.

Zwei reached out to me when I was new to modding and she came across genuine and eager to help me, however it soon became clear her “help” and “friendship” came with major strings attached. She consistently placed restrictions on what I could and couldn't do - mods and locations she "preferred" I refrain from using – because they were “important to her lore.” Soon it became other players in the community I wasn't allowed to talk to. It was like walking on eggshells to make my Cyberpunk content so as not to “upset” her and this was slowly sucking the joy out of creating. In addition, she would often spread rumors about others that I was expected to support, and she would even ask me to message people asking if they “copied her.” It made me so uncomfortable but since she seemed so powerful in the community I went along as best I could. I also often felt she made it a point to subtly put me down whenever possible and constantly complain to me when she felt she wasn't getting enough praise from devs or the community.

Zwei used "gifts" of "secret mods" to win my loyalty and insisted I also gatekeep and keep secrets from people. It was an incredibly manipulative relationship that mostly caused me stress and made me afraid to make the content I wanted to make.

On one occasion I made an image using a location in the game she felt she had ownership of and she instantly blocked me and deleted all of our Discord DMs. She later apologized for overreacting, and I forgave her.

During our friendship, I began hearing from friends, other players and even artists who had been treated the same way by her - in many cases way worse. In some cases they were even threatened financially, professionally (threats of legal action) or they were simply banned from Discord servers and other platforms based on rumors. Of course, some of these allegations are based on what I was told, others I’ve seen proof of, however there were many people who experienced almost identical incidents. All of this brought up old scars for me when I was bullied and manipulated by mean girls all through school and I hated how it made me feel inferior and powerless. I’m old enough now to know the long-term damage it can do and I did not want others to go through that, especially gamer-nerd-types (such as myself) who have historically found themselves ostracized by mainstream society and popular cliques. I’ve met so many wonderful people through this community and my intent has truly always been to spread love with other players and just enjoy the game and my new found passion for VP and cinematic making.

I finally had the courage to cut ties with Zwei last year but even when I tried to avoid her and her content all together I still saw that her terrible behavior had not changed and frankly it made me angry that others were continuing to be hurt by her and scared of her. This is when I took the frustration out in a petty fashion, probably after a few glasses of wine (sorry it's true) and I made some judgmental comments on Nexus using a throwaway account. I had also vented a lot to my partner who was also frustrated by how she had treated me, and another comment was made from his account. These instances happened a while ago and I had all but forgotten about it. Then earlier this week, after a long time away from playing I happened to open the Nexus mod main page for Cyberpunk and in real time I saw her and one of her friends attacking a new modder who made a vanilla preset that somewhat resembled her ZV OC. The bullying was so vile and public I felt particularly triggered by it. I assumed Nexus would take action this time if I reported it. I felt nervous about making a report from my main account – because as I have mentioned Zwei has a way of making people feel threatened and I was afraid of this. I thought it might be safer to submit the report from a throw-away account in case Nexus attached my name to the report. This proved to be my epic mistake. Instead of just deleting the report or sending me a warning, Nexus instantly made my privately submitted harassment report public, banned my main account, linked all the comments from the throwaway accounts and charged me with harassment (even though the bulk of my comments had just been an opinion on respecting actor’s likeness as CDPR had requested, and not using them for publicly posted explicit content). Nexus never warned my main account. They had issued one temporary warning to one of the other accounts but that was attached to my partner’s email which I never saw. I do think Nexus had a part in making all of this way bigger and worse than it ever needed to be, and even though I do take responsibility and I am apologetic for my part in it - I find their practice of public shaming to be dangerous and irresponsible.

Regardless, I stand by the report I made about Zwei and just hope this has taught some lessons all around and perhaps she will take some responsibility herself. I truly don’t hold grudges or hate toward her or anyone for that matter – but I do think that actions should have consequences. I’ll be taking some time away from everything for a while, but I will always continue to welcome new players and share my love of Cyberpunk2077.

-VS

She's known for doing that and everyone falls for it. We get where you're coming from Val and we hope you take some time to breathe and clear your head after that.

#cyberpunk 2077 #cyberpunk fandom

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