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#and all the things abt social interactions like. i CAN meet people and i am good at it but thats bc ive LEARNED what makes ppl comfortable
charlieism · 2 years
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literally all i want is to go in for an autism diagnosis or something
#every like. test ive taken online is always like yeahhh probably? but not super strongly right#but i fundamentally am bad at filling in those kinda things bc idk what the threshold for answers like strongly agree agree etc is#and i dont always agree fully w one part of the question but i will strongly agree with half of it so like what then#and all the things abt social interactions like. i CAN meet people and i am good at it but thats bc ive LEARNED what makes ppl comfortable#its like putting on a little character. im still me im just acting more confident and extroverted bc that makes everyone happier. LEARNT IT#honestly tho like even if i went in and they like nah u just a bit weird. itd be good. bc then at least id know for sure yknow#i let go of this a while ago but i had a MASSIVE conversation w my sister yesterday abt all these fucking traits and things we've done our#whole lives some of them overlapping but just like. a lot of internal things. that we dont think are normal neurotypical behaviour. we got#v in depth abt it but most of that stuff isnt on the questionnaires obviously i guess lol. like idk if itd be autism or whay#but i stg its something and she swears on her life she thinks so too and wanted us diagnosed when we were younger but mum wouldnt hear it.#but at the same time like is it masking or am i actually just introverted and an actor. is me never looking ppl in the faces unless we're#alrdy friends which leads to completely not recognising ppl i should know neurodivergent or just me. is the way i remix words and say them#aloud to myself vocal stimming or just weird. my constant need to fidget w rings and hair? not that weird. my little routines while driving#like tapping my foot when we pass a driveway? who knows.#ID LIKE TO KNOWWWW i want some conclusive results lmao#jay rambles
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vlovers19 · 1 year
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long rant ahead (this is addressed to those doubters (?) and to the last anon that you replied) sorry for the bad grammar since english is not my first language. i just want to rant on how i am so fed up with people belittling vm’s friendship like they know th and jm themselves or as if they are part of their friendship. yes, bts shares a lot on social media BUT what we see on social media (this includes bangtan bombs) is still a small percentage of what we truly know about them. with that in mind, we do not have to know every single thing about them. they are HUMANS! they are not some type of fictional characters. they deserve all the privacy they can get because idols are going through a lot and we owe that part of their lives to them. whatever goes on their private lives are for them and them ALONE. i am not diminishing what they show us on sm because i truly appreciate it but not everything is in black and white. when one does not post abt their friend on sm = they love each other less? if you think of friendship that way then i pity you. as someone who only posts publicly on sm when it’s about my responsibilities, i prefer to congratulate my close and best friends through personal messages and they know that about me and are ok with so they do the same thing to me. that does not mean whenever someone publicily posts about me i get irritated. no, i appreciate both ways equally. also if my closest friends posted on public i also appreciate it. if i do not like it then i would ask them to delete and they gladly will do it. not everyone has the same friendship dynamic. vm’s dynamic with each other is only for them to know and only they know what makes them comfortable for each other. yes, other members can post about their support for jm but that does not mean th did not support jm privately. i know they are in good terms. why? jm mentioned th during his album promo (e.g. vlive, leemujin) and th literally commented he was excited for jm (why are people ignoring this? NZJSJ). and IF they are talking less that does not mean they do not like each other. like sometimes i do not talk with my best friends or see that much of each other because we live far away from each other and we have our own responsibilities. but when we meet or interact with each other, our friendship is still the same if not, stronger. what more when it comes to idols with their jam packed schedule, especially with jm. jm goes straight home to rest after a solo sched bc ofc he should because he worked so hard. and now, jm just finished his promo for his album and they can catch up with one another and at the SAME TIME they still remain close. anyway, if you still belittle their friendship then i suggest re-evaluating yourself on why you are an army because bts’ bond is the core on what makes bts, bts. lastly, do not forget to stream face, d-day, and friends (a reminder of vm’s love for each other) ;)
Yes, tell them. People have to stop expecting so much from their idols.
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xshimaeraxx · 2 months
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being cupioromantic sucks dick, and here’s why (says i, a cupioromantic)
Before ya’ll shout at me in the tags n shit: i am, myself, cupioromantic. I am saying this bc this is how i, personally feel abt being cupioromantic, and why its so goddamned depressing (at least for me).
Being cupioromantic, for me, is like a constant battle of wills, almost. It contradicts itself, over and over and over, even though i know- logically, that being cupioromantic isnt a contradiction. It just sucks ass.
for anyone who doesnt know: cupioromantic is (quoting google here btw) “describ[ing] a person who wants a romantic relationship, but does not feel romantic attraction”. Which, um, FUCKING SUCKS.
bc i aint never gonna have a partner. The fact im aegosexual (or js ace or acespec in more simple terms) js makes that harder, bc i aint never gonna have sex, least not voluntarily. So i cant feel for my partner romantically, which is what like 80% of the world is looking for in a partner, and i cant have sex either, bc i js dont feel that way for ppl. And i never will. (Refering to both sexual attraction & romantic attraction here btw).
so that takes out all my options. Bc i can love people, yes, but not in the way that (most, nearly all) ppl want. But i dont wanna be alone til the end of my days, so where does that leave me?
bc, sure, ill have friends & family & hopefully a cat or two bc, yes, i am a crazy cat person. I actually currently have a cat rn, actually. (His names Bear, hes a black cat & i love him w/ all my heart, but still, my point stands). But i want a partner.
i want someone to kiss, and cuddle, and hug, and love. But bc of what i am, a afab human-person thing whos only social life & interaction other then my parents is via online spaces bc due to my lifestyle i js dont have any other options, an aroace who cant like-like some1 like that and who doesnt want to have sex and doesnt feel sexually for irl people and who never will
i js. I cant have it. Unless i luck out & meet a fellow aro, or ace, or aroace out in the wild, which is- extremely unlikely, tbqh, i wont ever have it. And thats not even the worst part, bc being cupioromantic is, believe it or not, a double-fucking-edged sword.
The few times ive tried to explain to my online friends what i want in a partner, ive constantly felt like im invalidating myself, and it fucking sucks. Bc what aro wants to kiss, and hug, and cuddle and what proper aro wants a romantic relationship??
i dont know how to explain it in words, tbqh, so ill do it via example.
so, fun fact! I only recently found out that im cupioromantic. Oh, i knew i was aro, certainly, but not cupioromantic bc i didnt know it was a thing. That like. Actually existed. (And by recently i mean last-fucking-night)
previously i hadnt thought abt it much tbqh. Then, my friend brought up the subject of love. I said, “i mean realistically no one will ever love me”. My friend responded w/ a gif that flashed the word “lie!” (LMFAO).
to summarise, what happened was i tried (and failed) to properly explain what i wanted in a partner w/o invalidating myself (and failed, im pretty sure). Then, my friend said “so cupioromantic?”
I looked it up, andddd went “oh. Oh fuck dear lord this is me. Well, im fucked.” Now i didnt say that, of course, but, yea, u get the gist of it lmao.
basically, the whole point of this example is that being cupioromantic and not invalidating urself bc u js dont think ur vaild is. Hard. Very very hard.
Now, i am in no way saying cupioromantic is not a vaild identity/romantic orientation, bc it completely is. This whole post is js me trying to deal w/ the fact i dont think im vaild when i know, logically that i am. My brain is js- having a hard time accepting that, ig.
ANYGAYS imma end this whole rant thingy now b4 this ends up being 2x longer then it already is. Gn ya’ll! (Yes i do know it is 7:35 am as i am writing this shut-)
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piduai · 1 year
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back in 2021 when i was studying to get into college i would stalk your acc everyday i kinda developed a parasocial relationship with fr sorry girl i just enjoyed your strong opinions and ur sense of humour anyway a year later i actually got into college i am doing what i wanted and all and for some reason i thought it somehow would fix all of my lonely problems but it didnt. ive always been weird but more than ever i dont think i can hide it anymore, i try being normal sooo hard but i feel like everyone can see through my act and they get weirdedout, like they can see that i am trying so hard when to them is so natural and the only girl i kinda made acquaitance with is thinking abt leaving so idk what to do. i truly envy normal people, i take no pride in being different i would trade all of my "uniquiness" to be able to fit in this world fr. sorry for venting, i remember you had a post kind of giving tips on how to ""survive" college but i cant seem to be able to find it. anyway thanks queen keep your head up.
congrats on getting into college, especially if it's something you like doing! i hope your academic career is going smoothly.
if you're in your second year of college you're what, early 20s? being 21 is as bad as being 14 but now you can legally take out a loan. being a weird loner at 21 is ^2 that. i think a lot of lonely teenagers have this college fantasy where they'll finally become social butterflies once they get their psych 101 schedule, but it's rarely the case; people don't change overnight. what i'm trying to say is that it's normal and fine even to feel that way - the disappointment, the frustration, the feeling of something lacking and of losing out. you're in a transactional period, not fully grown into your brain, so it's rather normal to feel bottomless despair in your situation. a lot of your problems will pass with age.
i can relate to your "i wish i was normal" bit so bad. a lot of boring losers on here who haven't stepped a toe out of normalcy their entire lives will talk about being proud weirdos because they play dungeons and dragons and have a porn addiction. god's #real strongest warriors know that there's nothing worse than deviating from the norm, a life of alienation you feel down to the bones. even if you mask exceptionally well and manage to blend in it doesn't go away, you know that you're abnormal and are the odd one out, and struggling with things that come naturally to the majority is downright humiliating. when i was younger i used to resent all of this, i resented not being like other people, resented being unable to be like everyone else, resented having to invest excruciating effort to not stand out like a sore thumb. but eventually you just have to come to terms with it, accept that there's something wrong with you, something that makes you different from most people you'll meet casually, and live with it. once you don't hate yourself for it anymore all you have to do is remember the scripts to follow during regular meaningless interactions and you're peachy. weird people have always existed, you're not the first or the last one, and they lived somehow so we can manage too.
and i know that the self-consciousness makes you think that everyone can sniff you out like a hound but the truth is that most people don't really care about you, they have their own lives to worry about. and it's a good thing, great in fact! if you just exist quietly but try to blend in (as in, don't behave in erratic or abnormal ways and don't create trouble) THE meanest thing people will passingly may think of you is "oh she's a bit awkward/shy/unfriendly" like i promise you those around you don't secretly look at you and go like... wtf.... look at that FREAK walking here..... gross..... because they simply don't care. like i think that strangers are much more benevolently indifferent than we're giving them credit for.
as for practical advice you never asked for, the good old "go to a place many times and you'll meet someone" method typically works. actually the best would be to join some sport of your liking, it doesn't have to be like, competitive or anything, swimming or badminton are good. but if you're bad at that maybe try chiller hobbies, like maybe your uni has some kind of clubs? anime/manga clubs, reading clubs, whatever you like. usually the people you meet at those particular clubs suck, but it kind of works like lesbian dating - they can introduce you to their friends, which can be nice encounters. there's also the option of frequently volunteering at events or getting a part-time job, stuff like bartending can introduce you to a lot of young people, especially if you're in a student town, but barista/waitressing can work too.
the problem with all of the above is that it does require you to be proactive, which is i think a difficult feature if your sense of self is fluctuating and you're being eaten alive by shame/self-doubt/self-hatred/insecurity. it's very hard to live that way. first and foremost you need to stand solid on who you are, to learn to accept your own quirks, to accept that you have to put up with hardships others will never know, and to respect yourself. different doesn't mean worse, or even bad. you're not a bad person. bad people don't have this kind of thoughts, they live life guilt free while demeaning and stomping on others. so even if you're a bit unusual you're still a decent person, you're deserving of dignity and respect and kindness, of good things, of connection, of love. meaningful encounters are rare, but they happen! keep searching, there is no other way. there are other people like you. i wish you the best of luck!
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ratgingi · 1 year
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[weakly crawls in] can . can you spare a bit of Mr Jackson Coxx lore and information. I am obsessed with his repressed dumbass in a "beee who you are for yourrrr prideeee" manner
ofc....... im glad his swagless demeanor has captivated u . jackson momence under cut
1. his name is an incredibly obvious pun . his middle name makes it funnier but if you ask him what it is he'll just tell you its jackson again. the only person who knows what his true middle name is is exie but she also has an embarrassing relationship with her name and is taking it to her grave. if you do not accept his double jackson answer and insist on finding out what it is he will probably cry
2. hes very cring yes but he IS actually decently strong, he can carry things much heavier than him for extended amounts of time and of my ocs the only person who can lift more than him is juniper (and it isnt by much, its like maybe 2 pounds more or smth and she cannot do it consistently like he can but she holds it over his head) with lillith being a close second to him
3. he has a mother who lives out of town that he writes letters to. moved to dialtown for a fresh start in a new place n' all that. michy has personally delivered a few of the letters for him
4. all of his Issues (tm) are very internalized. he hasnt nor will he ever project them onto another person, nd this would actually be a thing thtd be touched on in his route a little
5. hed have two bad ends, one where you fuck him up worse and the shit yourself and die end where you end up getting looney-toons flattened by weights in the gym after a failed bet from juniper
6. hes not very good at sticking up for people (himself or otherwise) and crumbles easy under pressure. he relies a lot on being tall and looking strong in the hopes people leave him be
7. he and jerry are acquainted from a few times where he'd been hired to move heavy equipment in the funfair
8. he has an insanely unhealthy diet but would never admit it, he insists that he is incredibly healthy and fit
9. the only other routes he would appear in are margos (during a scene between the player and juniper) and randys (as someone you could approach and ask if he'd seen randy around, to which hed say he didn't really know the guy but hadn't seen him at the park and would wish you luck finding him)
10. hes got a good bit of practical intelligence. he can adapt to situations pretty well. however do not ask him to do complex brain things if its for something important because he Will answer incorrectly and do so with complete confidence that hes right
11. he cant read roman numerals and thats why his watch has a digital display
12. along with michy and outis, hes one of my more 'social' ocs, which basically just means hes aware of a number of the others rather than just sticking to his set little group. the only people he actively considers friends / acquaintances though are michy, exie, and juniper
13. in chapter 3 when you meet him, he would have a sprite showing that his gym bag has a small pride flag pin on it. he'd mention that while hes not totally past his problem hes been trying to do more active interacting with the community and learning abt/becoming more comfortable with himself. baby steps :-]
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alllovegoddess · 2 years
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hey do kyotas :)
OUGH YOU GOT IT BUDDY
describe their canon relationship/dynamic
kid with too many issues to go into for this ask fashions himself into his concept of an Ideal Hero. a villain who wants social reform through any means necessary gets fascinated with him. the hero, self-destructive by nature, falls into the villain's hands, because the villain is the first person to see through the facade he's put together and see the Real Him. even after their eventual separation, the hero never truly stops caring for the villain, and the villain never stops caring for the hero, even though the hero tries to deny both of these things because he's The Hero, and the villain is The Villain.
but he can never escape the fact that no one will ever understand him the way the villain does!
your ideal/headcanon version of it? how does it differ from how it is in canon & why is this your favorite version? any other alternate versions of it you enjoy?
literally just that after the 23 year timeskip into ace era that they're married and living together. if x ep 58 hadn't basically gone "yeah tasuku still understands kyoya so well that they can communicate to one another without words, and he still has his innate faith in kyoya no matter what too btw" then this answer would be different but like come ON. come ON.
also the fact that kyoya is using purg knights when he's pushing 40? that's married person behavior
what do you like about their relationship, why is it interesting or enjoyable to you?
jjust. everything. everythhing about it. ultimately it is the story of two extremely broken kids finding someone UNDERSTANDS someone who GETS IT and never being able to let go of that. kyoya is less screwed up than tasuku despite being the villain and because of this understanding they share is also literally the only possible chance tasuku has of getting better
what about the individual characters involved? what does this relationship mean to them, what makes it unique among their relationships?
tasuku's literally everything is so twisted up and convoluted bc he's operating on some insane levels of circular logic based off of trauma and having no support system and instead people encouraging his unhealthy coping methods. so for him, after the end of s1, he's constantly trying to deny that he feels anything for kyoya because he's The Hero and kyoya is The Villain and yet inevitably whenever kyoya gets brought up he's like an eager puppy about it. basically, he's stupid
kyoya on the other hand is incredibly straightforward about how he feels abt tasuku. he's been interested in tasuku since literally the very beginning, and has pretty consistently shown that he's stayed interested in tasuku.
the fact that kyoya decided to make tasuku the first person he told that he wants to change and be better, and in such a way that the only way tasuku would understand that was what he meant if was if tasuku still felt the same for him, and tasuku Does Understand, is really just. the whole explanation of their relationship right there
noticing i am a real fan of relationships that boil down to "for whatever reason only the one person is capable of understanding me and i'll never fall out of love with them because of that"
favorite interaction they have in canon
FREAKING. DESPITE EVERYTHING THEY MEAN TO EACH OTHER THEY DON'T ACTUALLY INTERACT TOGETHER MUCH IN CANON? the scene in the game where it's revealed that tasuku still has kyoya's number and can be like "hey can you meet me at [location] alone" and kyoya's like "wow tasuku... inviting me out here all alone... together... people will talk" is literally so funny though
favorite interaction they have in your head/a situation you want to put them in
i want to put them in every situation. just every single one.
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ctrlemis · 2 years
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emi dy have tips on making moots? like how did u meet ur 1st mutuals
hi nonnie!! well tbh i actually made my first unofficial moot by asking for a cover for my fic,, but we didnt become like moots moots till a lil later so i would say it was when i made a post abt wanting moots but being shy and one of my moots commented and asked if i wanted to be moots and bam!! i know it may seem crazy that i was shy abt it and whatnot bc i am usually social and supportive but it was super hard for me at first!! so some tips:
1. interact with people!! it definitely can be hard when your shy but i promise, majority of the time they're just as nervous as you and they arent rude or mean at all <3
2. be open abt your interests!! whether you write or simply read, talk abt the things you like!! people who also like those things will be inclined to interact with you
3. be yourself!! at the end of the day truly be you,, dont lie abt your age or race or height,, just be open. and you dont have to tell them your life story,, but honest,, or just say you aren't comfortable going into it
4. circling back to number one: interact. comment, reblog, like, send asks. dont be overbearing but make tourself known!! be supportive and interactive and in turn people will interact with you!!
5. all in all,, it's not as scary as it seems. there are ups and downs,, but its all worth it!! i
and thats all i have anon,, but i hope it helps!! <333
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peppermintbuttlemon · 3 months
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As much as i would rather choke than ever give a man the benefit of the doubt - i would probably send a vom emoji abt it too if i were him 😭 i know i did just from being at one of them
i’m sorry but the majority of this fandom is insane (as we’ve seen) and i wouldn’t want to meet most of them either but like we said $$$$. when he said “im kinda scared of you” i don’t blame him LOL (not you lemmie <3) & the one anon saying about the blue haired unshowered folk, i couldnt agree more 💀💀 I can only imagine the para socialling on some of these ppl at him and him being like “uh ok! 🧍🏻‍♀️”
The parasocial attitude, the touchiness, the stench. i unfortunately get him i felt this way when i was a lil 1d stannie back in the day
So this is a common thing at cons then? Fandoms have been this way since the beginning? I’m assuming his team told him about the ins and outs? I’m assuming before money was moved that his team or other actors or the con told him what to expect. And then they gave him a boat load of money. He CHOSE to do the con. Knowing full well what it was asking of him. Knowing full well what fandom is like. Me? I would absolutely never. I am not built for that kind of interaction.
Now I get it gets tiring and the people aren’t your posh friends and they all wanna hug you and maybe they smell (wtf is wrong w yall?? Wear deodorant) BUT there is just something so SHITTY about a vomit emoji.
Cuz I’ve had extremely filthy homeless people come up to me asking for cash or food or whatnot, and I have NEVER had the urge to describe them or our interaction with a vomit emoji. Now I’m not americas sweetheart, but I don’t treat people like that. And now imagine that homeless gentleman was actually a fan of mine. And gave ME money instead. Nah. A vomit emoji is crazy.
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onlyseokmins · 11 months
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i am READY for the sleepover - matching pj set worn, hair in two braids done, retainers in, stuffed animal in hand. i'm here to ask for advice. i'm sooo nervous being the new person at my workplace next school year (first year teacher). wondering if you have any stories about getting to know colleagues or getting settled in a job!
Sleepover time w/ aeris sounds like a party, come join me in my stuffed animal kingdom! I'll clear space for u! ❤️
Omg and congrats on ur new job bby 🫶🏼 that's saur exciting!! But it's def intimidating ahhaa as ur local introvert I dread interacting with people but I would def suggest going to whatever networking/social events are going on that you feel comfortable attending. Even if it's not w/ ur immediate peers, it's always a good way to meet other people and learn what they do - you never know when you might need their assistance when you least expect it! But also respect your inner gut and if you don't like the crowd and/or don't feel/want to do smth, don't do it.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. You will never look stupid. Where I work, even the smallest of action requires like 5 peer reviews and 10 signatures to complete so it's p natural for me to pester people relentlessly. But I think there's a lot of respect gained taking the plunge to ask others instead of holding back out of fear and not moving forward. Plus you get the answers you need - and it might open up discussion for improvement in the area that caused confusion and prevent others from being confused as well. Chances are, someone was just waiting for the question to be asked! Plus, if nobody can figure it out, maybe you can make that breakthrough! How cool is that?
Latch onto your seniors if you can! If you're not assigned a mentor or someone to guide you through your new hire position, find someone that will be willing to show you the ropes. It always feels better to have someone in your corner that you feel safe asking questions and understanding how things work. Likewise, don't be afraid to provide the same kind of help to fellow or later on, other new hires. You know what they went through and they'll appreciate your guidance.
Don't be afraid to shine! No one likes a show off but there's no reason to hold yourself back out of fear of standing out. I think professionally doing the best where you excel is really important to show how you shine and if you're proud of your accomplishments and work, the only people that are jealous and rude are the ones that didn't take that leap to do what you're doing.
Haha sorry this got long but a major piece of advice I have truly is make sure you're comfortable in your job. Not everything will be sunshine and roses and ofc it's easier said than done in leaving places that make you unhappy, but at the v least - make sure your rights, pay, and benefits are being honored. I had to fight HR quite a bit for mine and finally got them but don't be afraid to secure yourself. It's what you're deserved to earn for your hard work.
And lastly - enjoy yourself! There's nothing better than being satisfied with yourself, your work, and your job. Wishing you all the luck, aeries - you'll have to tell me all abt it! When do you start? August?
💤 Sleepover Weekend
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stillfruit · 2 years
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i need someone to punch me or run me over with a car or something i don’t care just anything i’m sick and tired
#i'm not functioning at all i hate this what am i even trying for#or i mean i'm functioning in the sense that my apartment is clean i get exercise i cook my own meals etc i can go through the motions blind#but the instance i have to Do Something uni related i just shut down nothings working and like in general as well i just don't care anymore#i have so many opportunities to meet my friends and ppl from uni but i just can't be bothered it's tiring and i don't care#yesterday i finished my meetings in the ed clinic and the doctor asked about the psychologist thing for other things#but i was like eh idk if it's gonna do anything and i know it's a dumb attitude to have but i can't help it i've lived like this for so long#like truly i just know there's something wrong with me and i'm a bad person but i also already know that i have to take initiative to fix it#but i'm just too tired and there's no point#like usually i'm fueled by spite or panic or something but i just don't feel things now#i have no braincells left anymore none#and now with my new gut issues which might stem from the ed or be genetic i'm just. even more tired than before with less time to use#because i spend hours in the bathroom#i should book an appointment for a doctor abt that but i'm just. very doubtful since it took my sister years to find out even a part of her#issues which might not be the same as mine but still#i'm too tired for social interactions and will never form meaningful connections with other people i will never get a job i will be in pain#and i don't have anything on a grand scale that i would want and all of that makes this seem so useless what am i being alive for#i'm being dramatic right now and i know things can get better and things change etc etc but also. i'm not having fun#i know i'm very privileged in many ways and incredibly thankless and insufferable and childish and so on but idc i'm tired#why the fuck did i have to burn out before i finished my bachelor's thesis and why the fuck did i choose my major when it's 10000#times more demanding than the one my friends went to#in those courses i just throw shit together for easy 5s and in my major i'll get hanged if i don't include the doi part in citations#i mean i still have time so not all is lost but time just keeps happening and i'm not experiencing any of it#shit talking
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darthmaulification · 2 years
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hey!! just saw you are taking requests YAY🤍 i love how you write in general but specifically for maul so this will be about him🥴 i was thinking about maul getting insecure and jealous because of an interaction that the reader(f or gn i don’t mind) had with sb(i’ll let that to u heheh) so starting off with an angry maul, pretty angsty, and then all ✨smutty✨ naturally lmao, finishing off with reassurance and fluff bc i’m a sensitive bitch😗✌🏻. also, i imagine this with maul and reader not being in an established relationship but crushing on/having feelings for each other but if you choose to change that that’s fine hahah and yeah, that’s it!! hope you like the idea and if you’re not convinced feel free to ignore this, i’d love anything you write anyways😬🤍
A/N: lol apologies for the delay lolololol 🤪 life is... sehr interessant atm 💀
BUT! i finally finished this!! and am proud that i did!!! 😊💕
i hope this makes up for the wait, anon, i really do. thank you for your patience! 🥺🤲💞
(btdubs, i know the character i chose to be reader’s past flame kinda sorta really doesn’t work AT ALL in the context of canon, so let’s all agree to not read far into that lmao.)
hope you enjoy! kiitos! 💗
content: a mixed bag, afab!reader (no pronouns or gendered terms used tho), jealous maul (because when is he not smh 🙄), pining, pre/new relationship, arguments and fighting, two idiots not knowing how to talk abt theys feels, making up, heart to heart chats y’know, and then fucking, making out, very very slight public embarrassment (like hardly any), marking/biting, oral sex (f receiving), p in v sex (unprotected), cum
word count: 9,570
The Sundari Palace has never been this lively, and that you can say with certainty.
Packed like sardines in a tin, people of all species mingle in the throne room, all of them high ranking officials, diplomats, and a select few... underground higher-ups you recognize from Crimson Dawn meetings. It’s beyond rare that you’ve had such an opportunity to socialize, and it’s even rarer that today isn’t for any of Maul’s Mandalore related business nor his side hustle. In fact, today’s technically all about you.
The birthday celebrations haven’t commenced quite yet, but the amount of well-wishes and gifts you’ve received makes you wonder just how big a party was planned for you. The thought is somewhat peculiar, considering you’re only one of Maul’s advisors (not that he even utilizes your advice all that often).
Speaking of the crimson-skinned Zabrak, your eyes scan the noisy, crowded room until you catch sight of him at the opposite side. Maul is conversing with two towering Trandoshans, probably business partners of the illicit sort, his hands clasped behind his back. Though he usually opts to go completely shirtless (for whatever reason) tonight he wears inky black robes and a floor length, maroon velvet cloak.
The colors suit, shades of red and black that make him appear equal parts dangerous and charming. A dark prince, he looks like desire itself.
Deep inside you, something twinges, and you want to run over to him and tell Maul how gorgeous he is. You want him to know how badly you’ve ached for him, and how appreciative you are for him, and everything else good and holy in the galaxy... but you can’t.
He’s your employer— your Lord. It would be inappropriate at the least and insubordination at its worst for you to approach the Mand’alor in such a way.
Maul makes it hard though, seeing that he treats you as well as he does his brother, that you needn't ask for a thing. He gave you a room in the Palace, an awfully exorbitant pay for your rather miniscule data job, and has left you with more fleeting touches than you can count.
A brush of his hand on your back, words whispered close to your ear during Crimson Dawn debriefs, smoldering glances, his fingers tucking your hair behind your ear...
It's hard not to feel something for Maul when all he's ever done is a gift.
You wonder what you mean to him, because surely it's something more- you want it to be something more. But doubt always rears its head every time you catch a nameless fling stagger from his personal quarters late at night, looking disheveled, all while Maul looks on, immensely satisfied.
The twinge grows stronger, and you look away to force it back down into the deepest part of your heart. As you shuffle to the table where platters of food promise you some emotional relief, you work hard at squashing your feelings. It doesn’t work, not even when a passing waiter droid offers you a glass of champagne which you down in one gulp.
“Maker.” You grumble to yourself, picking up a strange-looking pink cube off a platter and bringing it to your lips. Before taking a bite, the distinct impression that you’re being watched starts to creep up on you, making it feel like you’re tingly all over. You lower the cube, and turn.
“By the Stars!” A voice from afar exclaims, a voice that makes your mind buzz with recognition. Your head turns in the direction from which it came, and when you see the tall figure approaching you, your jaw drops in shock. A very familiar Nautolan, one with the brightest, most wonderful smile plastered on his bright, wonderful face.
“Kit!” You cry, a grin blooming across your face as you open your arms (accidentally dropping the sweet) and run straight into his. He laughs— that same, beautiful laugh exactly how you remember!— and pulls you close. As you dig your face into his chest, you inhale deeply and almost weep, because he even smells the same— a curious mix of sea salt, pine, and something sharp, like mint. It’s all uniquely him.
“Starfish.” Kit sighs the pet name into your hair, and it almost has you shivering at the memories attached. You haven’t been called that name in years, not since Kit... 
“I thought you perished on Coruscant.” You murmur into the soft satin shirt he’s wearing, hugging him tighter to stave off the ache of the thought. Kit stiffens slightly, pulling back so that you’re able to look up at him, and the grin on his face slips into a small, melancholic frown. A distant look overtakes his eyes, a stillness in their inky depths that is so unnatural to him.
“Yes, I... It was...” He goes quiet then shakes his head, long tendrils trembling as he forces himself back to the sunny disposition you remember. The switch ignites deep empathy and curiosity within you, but the pain in his eyes stops you from pressing any further. “A conversation for another time”, is the sentiment left unsaid.
“Well... it is so so wonderful to see you again, Kit.” You say softly, cupping his cheek with your hand, his chartreuse skin cool and semi-damp beneath your palm. It reminds you of a time before, distant memories that your mind had hidden under lock and key. In all honesty, after Coruscant, after... everything that happened, you had honestly tried your best to forget your past lover.
It wasn’t that you wanted to, but when the mind seeks self-preservation, and the soul seeks solace, yours acted no different.
“It’s wonderful to see you too.” Kit replies, his voice quiet and tentative, his pitch black eyes downcast, only briefly. When he looks up again, the beaming sunshine smile is back full force, and the haunted expression on his face has been drowned out by its light. 
“How have you been? I had no idea that you’d gone to Mandalore— I always thought your dream destination was Canto Bight?” Kit teases, dodging your elbow when you try to land it into his side. You knew he knew your absolute displeasure at that deplorable city, especially with it’s treatment of children. 
“Dirty liar! No, it is not!” You laugh, attempting to slap him lightly on the shoulder, but once again Kit dodges your half-hearted assault, chuckling himself. This time though, he grabs your hand, encasing your fingers with his. The tender touch honestly has the apples of your cheeks heating up, and you stare at his long, green fingers. They look the same, claws and all, but this time you do spot newer scars on his knuckles.
You want to kiss them better, as you had always done before, but this isn’t the past anymore.
“Kit...” You try not to sound overly exasperated, or disappointed, but the second his name passes your lips like that, Kit releases your hand, falling silent. His drop to his sides, then he shifts and clasps them behind his back. The mood immediately changes, the joviality dissipating to a dispirited awkwardness.
“I... apologize. We, um, we don’t—” Kit shakes his head in embarrassment, tendrils swaying, cheeks darkening slightly. Wanting to salvage the moment, you force a wide smile on your face and wave a hand nonchalantly. It’s hard, harder than you’d ever anticipated.
“Kit, believe me, it’s fine.” You insist, doing your best to keep your tone cheery, “What brings you to Mandalore?”
The pivot in subject is hardly subtle, but if Kit notices he doesn’t say, probably for his sake and yours. Though when the question processes, you’re intrigued to see Kit go a bit sheepish.
“Uhh... For business?” He glances everywhere but you, the terrible actor he is, and you raise an eyebrow. Crossing your arms over your chest, you take a step and Kit takes one back. It must look positively amusing, a human such as yourself making a towering Nautolan look small.
“Kit Fisto.” You warn, though there’s really no bite to it, but you are curious. Kit meets your gaze, all owlish and meek, and does that thing where his lip quivers when he wants to say something so badly, but is forcing himself not to. You’ve got him locked in the stare, and you know he wouldn’t be able to look away even if he tried. His mouth opens to speak.
“I’m—”
“Who is this?” Both you and Kit jump, heads simultaneously whipping to the side to see Maul standing at your sides. A glower is on his face, more so directed at Kit, and his hands are hidden behind him, underneath his ornate cloak. Jumping into action, and gathering yourself all the same, you clear your throat and gesture to Kit.
“O-Oh! My Lord, this is—” You get interrupted when Kit takes a step, somewhat jutting out in front of you. 
“Kit Fisto, Lord Maul.” He says smoothly, putting on the voice he once used for Senators on Coruscant, all chivalry and semi-forced politeness. Interestingly enough, his tone also sounds a bit challenging, and you can’t imagine why. Your brow furrows, especially upon watching Maul’s eyes ignite at the provocation, his sneer deepening.
“Yes... Kit Fisto... I do think I know that name.” Maul hums, Kit’s name rolling off his tongue as slickly as honey but as bitter as poison. The antagonism isn’t something you miss, nor does Kit, given how the tall Nautolan seems to puff up, shoulders setting. He and Maul glare at one another, fiery gold clashing with inky black. Maul’s hands drop to his sides, and the tension swells.
You catch sight of silver glinting at his hip.
“Really? Have you both met before?” You ask before someone decides to take the next step, haphazardly placing yourself semi-between Maul and Kit. It’s then you notice Kit also has a hilt on his belt, his hand awfully close to it. The tension breaks somewhat, but it still simmers in the air. Kit turns his attention to you and goes to say something, but Maul beats him to it.
“A mutual friend, so to speak.” The Zabrak replies evenly, straightening his posture and lifting his chin, the epitome of dignified class. You nod, not really buying it, but the alternative of questioning might bring more problems than it’d solve. How Maul and Kit once knew each other gives you the impression that it wasn’t in good terms, based on the hostility between them. A mystery to solve for another time, you decide.
“Well!” Kit booms suddenly, clapping his hands together once, and causing you to jump. His sunny grin returns, as does the otherwise lighthearted and jovial Kit you’re used to, although it seems a tad strained. The green Nautolan turns to you, and his smile drops a bit as he takes your hands in his.
Maul glares daggers.
“I must be going, unfortunately.” Kit says quietly, and a twinge of sadness pricks at your heart, your lips dropping into a frown. You want to protest— He’s only just reappeared after all— but whatever matters that seemed to have brought your beloved Kit back to you will pull him away all the same. 
“Must you?” You whisper, eyes glossy, and you search Kit’s face for any answer except the one you’re dreading to hear. He looks pained, and won’t meet your eye, his gaze cast down at his hands holding yours. He rubs small circles on your knuckles, only twice, then stops.
“I...” Kit trails off, glancing at you then to Maul, who sneers, then back to you, “Yes. I can’t stay in many places for long.”
You bite your lip, and the plead to make him stay, and nod nonetheless. Kit finally meets your eyes, and his eyes— above all else, in spite of everything— are kind.
“We’ll meet again, starfish, I’m sure of it.” And with that Kit brings your knuckles to his lips, where he places a soft kiss upon them, his touch cool like sea breeze. You smile, and Kit does too, like he did all those years ago when you had first parted ways— The small, sad one that holds so much hurt that Kit doesn’t want you to see, but what his innate optimism can’t hide.
History is doomed to repeat itself, you suppose as you watch your fingers slip from Kit’s hand, the loss all too familiar.
“Mand’alor.” Kit dips his head to Maul, and the two imperceptibly size one another up again as the Nautolan passes him. It takes a lot to pull your eyes away from Kit’s retreating form, but you do, because you have to, and drag your attention back to Maul.
“I see you and him are far more acquainted than I initially realized.” Maul snaps, turning his withering glare to you, catching you completely off guard. He pivots harshly on his heel, practically stomping his way towards a discreet balcony and shoulder-checking a guest on the way. You frown, the anger that rises in you driving you to follow.
Maul weaves through the swathes of people, and you do too, almost losing him a couple times with all the sharp turns he takes. Finally, after you’ve burst out from the middle of a group of Twi’lek dancers, you catch sight of Maul at the edge of the balcony, alone.
He’s shrouded with the night’s shadows, his dark robes and sweeping cloak making him appear phantomic. His back is to you, one of his hands on the balcony’s silver railing, the other behind his back in a fist. Even from a distance you can tell his shoulders are tense, hackles raised, and the anger rolls off of him in waves. Like a cobra coiled to strike— volatile.
“Maul—” You start as you approach, but the Zabrak slams his crimson and black hand on the railing, cutting you off with a hefty thunk. The loud noise makes you jump, and pause in your tracks, though only briefly. Stomping up to him and just as you get close, Maul whirls around, his cloak billowing in the sudden breeze. The blistering flames of his eyes catch your attention first, their raging fury, then does the pain laced in them.
“What is with you?” You confront, arms flying up in exasperation, then falling down to your sides in defeat. Gaze searching Maul’s face for any type of answer, you watch his lips part then close to a tight line. He frowns and his brow furrows, curling in his midnight tattoos tight. 
“Nothing of your concern!” Maul snaps in reply, and he turns his head from you and you almost have it in you to laugh when you see his lower lip jutting out like a child’s. He’s pouting, your esteemed leader and Lord is pouting.
“Obviously, it is of my concern considering this how you act with me.” You snort, rolling your eyes and crossing your arms over your chest. Honestly, the Zabrak could be the most stubborn person you know— as absolutely, utterly stubborn as a sleeping bantha. 
This time, it’s his turn to scoff, and Maul shakes of his head as he turns away from you. He starts to head in some direction away from you, but you reach out and grab his bicep before he can storm off.
“Maul—!” He shakes off your grip, but you hastily grab at him again. Maul whips his head around, eyes blazing as he snarls, “What?”
For a second you recoil, eyes blowing wide, but you hastily regroup yourself. Hand still on his arm, you take a step towards him and gently rest your other hand on his closest to you. Your fingers drape over the fist his hand is clenched into, the black leather taut under your touch. Nearly imperceptibly, his hand is quivering— from rage or sorrow, you aren’t exactly sure.
“Please. What’s wrong?” You ask softly, taking a risk and stepping closer, trying to smother the apprehension building inside you at getting so... close to Maul. You definitely are invading his personal space, but he doesn’t move, nor does he say anything up it. In fact, you’re so close to him you can smell the cologne he uses— a heady scent that reminds you of the heat of flames, spice, and the tang of turmeric.
A long stretch of near-silence ensues, the background noise of the party only a handful yards away making the contemplative look on Maul’s face all the more potent. He sighs, low and almost silent through his nose, and his other hand rises to run down his face. When it passes, the look in his eyes has hardened, and the elegant stoicism has returned full force.
“Nothing.” He replies, his tone clipped and overly neutral in the way that he once told you, on an equally warm, equally starry night as this one, that he had been forcibly trained to use for when he obeyed the commands of his former Master. It reminds you of that night, when you both sat on a bench, and exchanged secrets and trust.
It was also the night Maul told you, “You have a kind heart”. He hasn’t told you that since.
“... Is it Kit Fisto?” You ask the obvious, knowing that the answer is Yes, but at the same time you don’t want to assume while simultaneously wanting Maul to say it himself. He dips his head and his eyelids fall heavy over his eyes, and it’s then you notice how they glow in the shadows.
Maul and you... your relationship is strange, to say the least. It’s no secret he favors you compared to many others— Gar, Almec, no other holds your status— and it’s no secret that both of you have noticed. You’ve tried to decode what it all means, every gentle touch and kind word that Maul has delivered to you, but there’s always something missing, something left unsaid or undone that unravels it all.
It’s a dance, a strange, confusing dance.
“It is.” And the confession passes his lips in a whisper, and you nod, pursing your lips. Inhaling shakily, and wanting to salvage whatever you may have had with Maul, you begin to explain,
“Kit and I were once a... thing, but that time has passed.” You start, and all the memories of Kit and yours stupid, reckless, young, amazing love make you equal parts happy and sad, “But we aren’t anymore. We agreed a long time ago that our futures didn’t align.”
Even after so many years, the words still choke you despite the break-up being mutual and amicable. Yes, you loved Kit once, and he loved you, but love also has the tendency to be fleeting, and while it was strong between you and Kit for a little while, it left when it was meant to... when it was safe to. Despite yourself and your better judgment, tears sting the backs of your eyeballs, and you blink rapidly to hold them at bay.
“But I still sense the ache in your heart. Why?” Maul asks, his golden stare meets yours, pointed and accusing. You can’t help but frown, and the sorrowful anger that starts to simmer in your chest makes your tears evaporate. Though it doesn’t even get close to boiling over, and instead hums beside your heart.
“It’s hard to admit when love dies, my Lord.” You reply, and you hope you didn’t spit it out as bitterly as you thought you may have, but the tone of your voice seems to be less than a concern for Maul. Surprisingly, he doesn’t seem offended, nor does he seem angered, and instead the crimson Lord has the maturity to dip his head respectfully.
“I... understand. I should not have behaved myself as I did previously.” He finally admits after a long stretch of silence, glancing to the party he stormed out of and then to the dent his fist left on the durasteel railing. The admittance does actually soothe you somewhat, though your heart still bristles at your past relationship being scrutinized and judged.
"No, you shouldn't have. I should never feel the need to defend who I’ve loved, and why I loved them." You reply, arms crossed tight over your chest defensively. Maul frowns, 
"I know, I was-" Maul pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs harshly, "I was just jealous."
He admits it through grit teeth, looking and sounding as though the confession brought him physical pain.
"Why?" You breathe, thinking of all those men, women, and everyone else in between that have, presumably, found themselves in Maul's bed before you. And now you feel jealous yourself, catching him with some arm candy time and time again has worn you down. Anger that had been simmering inside you begins to boil, making your face feel hot.
But guilt does too, because hadn’t you just had to justify your love life to him? Maul shouldn’t have to do the same with you. It’s a nasty mix of too many human emotions that broil inside you and eat at your heart. It feels vindictive.
"You are... important to me." Maul replies, and this time your anger doesn't evaporate the tears behind your eyes, because this time they fall past your lashes before you can stop them. Hastily wiping them away as they fall, you glare at Maul.
"In what way? In a business way? In a friend way? How, Maul?" With each frantic question your voice rises in octave, and the tears keep falling. It’s at this moment, tears streaking down your cheeks, that you realize you’ve never cried in front of Maul like this— let alone anyone. Shame forces you to turn around, fixing your blurry stare on the distant horizon.
Behind you, Maul says your name and it carries in the wind. In your mind, you watch it manifest on the cool night breeze and be carried far away from the Sundari Palace, floating by each skyscraper in its path before being plunged to the ground. After a few long seconds, Maul says your name again and this time something in his voice changes and this time you catch your name in your palms.
“I don’t know who I am to you, Maul.” You say softly, lifting your fingers to your cheeks and wiping away tears and streaks of mascara, “And it hurts because I want to be your—”
A very specific word rests on your tongue, but it’s a word that feels too powerful to say, too much. You swallow it, and instead say, “Because I want to be someone to you.”
“I...” Maul trails off, the begins again, “I am sorry. Truly.”
Footfalls approach you, but you don’t turn around— not even when the heat of Maul’s presence is directly behind you. He sighs, low through his nose, and whispers your name.
“My life holds nothing but danger.” Maul states, and you agree, but don’t when he adds, “If you were in it... There is too much risk. For you.”
“Aren’t I already in it?” You ask in reply, and you know he knows that whatever sense of preservation he has for you has already been compromised by the proximity you have to him. For nearly three years you’ve stood by his side, the excuse of potential enemies getting to him through you is null. Maul sighs again, and this time you can practically see him pinch the bridge of his nose.
“Yes, but...” Maul trails off as you finally turn to face him, and you see his eyes dart to your dewy eyes and the tear streaks on your cheeks. Regret shadows his expression, and a part of you aches and wants to cup his cheek and caress that emotion away. The other part keeps your hands pressed to your sides, unmoving.
“But it would be unsafe for you if I held you any closer.” Maul says, a bitterly wistful tone in his voice, as if he’s cast out an unattainable wish on dandelion seeds thrown to the wind. Your feet draw you closer to him, only a few steps, but it feels like wading through clouds of smoke.
“What if I don’t care?” Your whisper seems to pull Maul to you, as if the question were a fishing line with a hook, reeling him in step by step until he stands before you. He looks down at you, cast in shadow but his face is lit by the lights from inside— A spotlight for two handsome honey eyes and thin lips pulled into a frown.
You can’t pry your eyes away from those lips— their crimson and black plush flesh beckon like red wine and blackberries. They grow nearer when you lean in, and Maul doesn’t pull away— No, he dips his chin, gets closer.
“You should.” Maul’s lips are perilously close to yours, and you so desperately want close that little distance. He breathes, and his exhale is warm on your face. You can’t look away from his gorgeous eyes, and he can’t do the same with you. It’s then you notice he has speckles of hazel in his irises, and that his pupils are ringed in red. Wildfire eyes.
“Mm... I can afford to live on the edge if it’s with you.” Barely following your murmur, Maul smashes his lips to yours, molding his working red and black mouth to your pliant one. He slips his tongue in the second you drop your jaw, and when you gasp, he swallows it. Eyelids fluttering, you brace a hand on his chest, grounding yourself, as Maul slithers a muscled arm around your waist and pulls you in.
Flush against his hot body, his lips and tongue furiously overtaking yours, Maul tastes like the roaring heat of flames and black cherries. The arm he has locked around you squeezes tighter, pulls you in deeper, and you wish that you could simply fall into him. Your knees shake, so Maul plants his feet beside yours and holds you up with all of his body. The low of your back presses against the railing behind you.
“My darling.” Maul murmurs above your lips when the kiss breaks naturally, leaving you both panting for air that you share. The air feels as though it tingles around you, a type of serendipity that warms you to the bone and leaves you feeling as though you’re floating. Maul’s glazed honey irises sparkle with tease that blooms on the lopsided grin that he cracks.
“You taste like starlight and all that is good.” He says, his hand coming to cup your jaw, fingertips brushing your hairline. A smile splits across your face, and you tilt your head into his touch, playfully kissing his thumb that rests near the corner of your lips. Maul watches, hawk-eyed, as you do.
“You taste like warmth and desire.” You purr in reply, purposefully not acknowledging how Maul’s one hand has splayed itself over your hip, how he has shifted closer, his core to yours. His grin turns more boyish, and he tilts his head appraisingly.
“Is that so?” He begins, dipping his face to your neck and placing kisses along your skin, “Would you like to know just how much desire I have for you?”
A shiver goes down your spine at both his words and how his lips stop just beneath your earlobe, where his tongue licks your skin. Trembling, you slide both of your arms around his shoulders, holding him close. Maul kisses down to your collar and then bites the soft part. You let out a squeal that is much more high pitched than you anticipated, and much louder, so Maul hastily presses his mouth to yours.
His low chuckles reverberate in your mouth, stifling the gasping moans you were about to release. Your lips move in tandem, jaws working and teeth nearly gnashing together with the force of the kiss. Maul growls when your fingers curl, pulling at his cloak and robes. When you part, you can barely keep your eyes focused from all the dewy, lusty daze that’s taken you over.
“I’d want you to show me.” You reply, voice husky and teasing, and you grin into the heated kiss that Maul pulls you into. It’s as furious as the one before— desperate, needy— all slick-tongue and swapping spit. You swallow the low growls that Maul let's out, and in turn he devours you— your scent, your kiss swollen lips, each gasp that sounds almost like his name.
The kiss parts ways again, Maul and you catching your breaths, and the second Maul does he licks his lips and smirks.
"Shall we find someplace less open, or would you prefer I ravish you here?" The crimson Zabrak angles his crown of horns to the noisy party just inside, where the light that's cast from the open doors narrowly reaches you and Maul in the shadows. As much as the risk is exciting, your mind is more focused on Maul's bed, where you'd let him do anything and everything to you.
"Your room, please." You say breathily, heart pounding in your chest, accepting with a soft smile the tender kiss Maul sets on your cheek in reply. He straightens up and pulls away from you, setting his shoulders to fix his rustled cloak. You do the same, hastily wiping at your smudged makeup and tidying your skirts.
"Come, my love, let us have a very long night." Maul offers you his hand, and the second your fingers are entwined with his, he sets off. You laugh, needing to smother it once you pass the threshold back into the palace, and do your best to hide your excitement behind a neutral expression. It's more to prevent the gossips, but one glance Maul and yours way would tip off anyone. Especially since Maul keeps sending smoldering looks over his shoulder, squeezing your hand when he does.
It’ll have to be a problem for tomorrow— a fairly impactful problem— but for tomorrow nonetheless. You’re too caught up in the moment and Maul to care.
Your Zabrak Lord guides you through swathes of people, and once he gets to the hallway exit at the other end of the room, Maul offers Savage a nod. The towering yellow Zabrak, who had been standing near the doorway, lifts a brow, then offers a small smirk back. Honestly, you hadn't even known that Maul's brother had attended, considering Savage's immense dislike of large crowds.
“Have fun.” Is Savage’s wry deadpan before his attention is stolen by a gaggle of buzzed Twi’leks who suddenly found themselves latched to his arms. Maul glares in response, and is about to say something snide back, but Savage is all but dragged away by one of the Twi’leks on his arm, her glossy lips pulled into a laugh. Savage sends Maul and you a look that says “Please help”.
Maul turns, and ignores him. Before Maul pulls you out into the hall, you mouth “I’m so sorry” to Savage, just as a turquoise Twi’lek launches himself into Savage’s arms. The yellow Zabrak only stares.
Once in the hall, the relative quiet eats away at the buzz left from the crowd, your racing heartbeat evening itself out. The dim lighting is also a large contrast to inside the room, and the shadows douse you and Maul in muted darkness. Though before you can calm down too much and focus on catching your breath, Maul is all over you once again, his eyes glowing.
“Savage is going to be so mad at us tomorrow.” You say through giggles, letting Maul pull you into his body, in spite of all the eyes potentially watching. He gropes at your soft waist and hips, hands roaming and quick, kneading at your flesh and pulling soft gasps from you, You’re hardly able to keep walking, especially with how Maul has slid a sneaky gloved hand beneath your skirts, rough leather gliding up your thigh, pushing your dress up—
“Maul!” You reprimand, though there’s no bite to it, wriggling in his grasp so that he drops your skirt and gets his fingers away from the hem of your underwear. An Aqualish couple passes by the open doors, and you make very unfortunate eye contact with one of them just as Maul’s gloved hand returns to your hip. They chitter amongst themselves, and you send Maul a withering glare, face hot.
“My apologies.” Maul replies smoothly, absolutely not apologetic, and stealing a kiss as he does. You go to say something else, but Maul unexpectedly doesn’t pull away and inside dips his face to the junction of your neck and shoulder, kissing your skin as he walks you back against the wall. Your bare shoulders touch the cool metal and goosebumps pucker your skin, combined with Maul’s pleasantly hot mouth working a mark on your neck. Hands flying to his chest, you weakly push at him, attempting to pause his advances though he only looms over you further.
“To your room, please.” You whimper, back arching when Maul finishes off sucking at your neck with a small bite. His canines graze your aching skin as he pulls away, the touch having a pleasant sting to it. Maul parts, crimson and black lips brushing against yours as he does.
“My darling.” He repeats that same endearment from earlier, and as before it has you floating amongst clouds, a type of inner tranquility that makes your fingertips tingle and knees quiver. You press close to his warmth— all hard muscle and fine silken robes— hyperfixating on his hand that slides across the low of your back, locking you in place with his arm.
“I’ve never felt this way for someone before.” Maul’s voice barely reaches your ears, as lost in sensations as you are, but they do and you meet his golden eyes to see them filled with something vulnerable. Lifting a hand to caress his cheek, you smile— small, tender, there— and whisper in reply, “I’m so happy to be feeling this with you.”
Maul then grins, the fiery, wolfish one, and squeezes you tighter, then steals your breath away with another ravaged kiss. After a few moments of pure passion, he pulls away and your lips smack.
“I am going to fuck you so hard, you won’t be able to walk.” Maul growls, the vulgar words so unlike him, but fitting all the same. The blush beneath your skin spreads to your neck and shoulders, making you feel hot all over. The desire plunges in your core, and you stifle an anticipatory moan by biting your bottom lip.
“Let us retire for the night, hm?” Maul teases, quite aware of the effect he’s had on you— all dewy-eyed and flushed under your skin. You nod and hum in reply, craning your head and kissing the underside of Maul’s jaw, the black skin hot, leaving behind kisses with your wet lips. He growls in the back of his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing when he groans. He begins walking, still tethered to you by hands and mouth.
“Oh, I think we’ll be doing anything but retiring.” You say back, stealing kisses between words, attempting to keep step with Maul at the same time. Somehow, the two of you manage to stumble to the hall where Maul’s room is, on one of the higher levels of the Sundari Palace. He has his arm tight around you, hand groping your ass, and lips locked with yours and somehow Maul manages to open the door.
He pushes you through the threshold, walking you back step by step until the back of your knees hits his bed. Maul wastes no time in hooking an arm under one of your thighs, bringing your knee up to his hip, all while leaning you back to rest on his silken black sheets. You sigh when your spine hits the bed, the soft mattress dipping under your weight. Maul looms over you, his molten gaze appraising as he takes in your disheveled appearance; your hair tussled, lipstick smudged, dress loose at its ties and pushed up your thighs.
“My dear...” Maul purrs, and your breath hitches when his free hand raises, and the straps that hold your dress up go lax by some unseen actor. The Force pours over your body as it pulls at the ties, the bows coming undone, and rolling the top of your dress down past your collar bones. You arch your back just as the fabric stops, brushing your nipples and nearly revealing them.
“Maul, please.” You gasp, squirming before the crimson Zabrak lowers your leg and both his hands glide up your sides to cup your tits from below. His gloved thumbs roll circles on your nipples and the touch hardens them to stiff points, pulling airy breaths from your lips. Maul isn’t gentle with it, not tender, his hands are rough— hurried, almost desperate— and each roll of your nipple or squeeze of your tits promises his burning desire for you.
“Delectable, exquisite.” Maul groans, roughly tugging your dress past your boobs and rumpling it at your waist. He unintentionally breaks the zipper, the small rip catching your ear, but you have no mind to scold him— not as he leans in and sucks at your chest. You cry out as his mouth works a dark mark on your left breast, arching beneath him. Maul growls, climbs on the bed with one knee next to your body and switches to the right breast, nipping a trail on your skin.
He reaches your right nipple, taking it in between his black and red lips and grazing it with his teeth. Maul is rough, but the pleasure in you soars, not even the accidental graze of his sharp canines on your pert nipple phases you. The heat swirls in your belly, like a growing hurricane, and you rub your thighs together to try and relieve the throbbing of your pussy. Maul, even with his ministrations, notices and shifts to place his knee between your legs. Using his thigh and the Force, he pushes your thighs apart and you whine.
“Oh, no no no... none of that, my darling.” Maul tsks, glaring at you beneath heavy eyelids, his stare teasing. He climbs fully onto the bed, one knee keeping your legs spread, the other next to you, hovering above you like a crimson incubus would to the mortal he’s about to ravish. And, oh does Maul look ravishing— his dark cloak falling around his shoulders like a wine-dark wall of shadow, his chest heaving under his robes, and not to mention the swell of his erection pushing against the fabric of his pants.
“I need you, Maul.” You whisper, eyes darting lackadaisically from his fiery stare to the bulge in his trousers that throbs, tempting and mouth-watering. You want to see his swelled cock, want to feel him deep inside you to quell the aching of your core. He seems to hear that train of thought, or at least senses it, because he anchors himself horizontal above you with one hand, and with the other he unzips his fly, a smirk on his lips.
“In due time.” Maul replies, dipping his head to press wet kisses on your sternum, his hand a fist next to your shoulder. You sigh, reveling in his hot touch and the heat that radiates off him in waves, too deliciously pleasant to try and hurry his advances. Maul kisses down your torso, nipping at the pliant flesh of your belly, then to the softness of your hips. You squirm again, gasping, but Maul pays no heed and only bites at the junction of your hip and thigh, hard.
“Maul!” You yelp his name, the pinch of his teeth sharp enough to jolt you, but not too hard that it’s overly painful. He hums a laugh and licks your irritated skin, kissing it in apology before trailing down your thigh with his tongue. Your body trembles when he reaches the smooth curve of your inner thigh, nose pressed against the bulge of your sex. Maul tilts his head, the horn on his temple poking your leg, and inhales deep through his nose.
“Fuck, you smell nectarean.” Maul growls before licking his tongue in a long, languid stripe through your folds. You cry out, his mouth latching onto your labia, his tongue lapping at your wetness, pulling groans from his throat that vibrate your weeping pussy. Maul offhandedly shimmies his shoulder beneath your thigh, diving in deeper as he does. He tongues your wet, pulsing slit, toying with the sensitive opening.
“I’ve dreamt of this— Of you— for far too long.” He murmurs between frenzied, open-mouth sucks and kisses on your cunt— your mind almost too gone to cognize what he’s saying. But the words register, and as Maul lifts your other thigh over his shoulder, your calves straddling his back, you ask breathily, “How long?”
Maul looks up at you from, a very pensive look suddenly written across his face. Your heart pangs when he turns his head to press his nose against your inner thigh, where he sighs onto your skin.
“A coward’s eternity.” The self-deprecating jab is juxtaposed by the apologetic, soft kiss he leaves on your leg and the heat of his body so near yours. It’s then you realize that he has nothing to apologize for, and that you would’ve waited for all of time, just for him.
“I see no cowards here,” You begin, voice a low whisper before you allow a broad smile to blossom across your face, “But I do see a very handsome Zabrak lord between my legs.”
Maul grins, his teeth grazing your thigh’s skin, and he nips at your flesh. It causes you to jerk and giggle, doing so again when he continues to nip and bite, very lightly, at your inner thighs. 
You continue, a laugh in your throat, “A Zabrak lord who is also unimaginably bull-headed, so that’s why he took so long—!”
Unexpectedly, Maul bites a bit harder and you yelp, knee twitching as Maul holds his teeth on your skin and sucks. The hickey he leaves is dark and near-pulsing on your skin, and while it’s sore, the pain doesn’t phase you. If anything, the slight sting and Maul’s hungry eyes do the exact opposite. Your lips curl into a seductive smirk.
“Show me how much you’ve wanted this.” And with that, you tilt your hips, pushing your wet cunt up, like your some wanton Loth cat in heat. Maul all but snarls with a type of ferocity that he usually levels at those dare cross him. But here, in his bed between your soft thighs, the challenge is seeing just how loud he can make you scream for him.
“Gladly.” He hisses, and then his mouth his back on your throbbing pussy with a fervor, his tongue swirling your clit. You arch your back with a low moan, choking on air when Maul latches his lips around your sensitive bud and sucks, his contented hums reaching your ears. His tongue dips, teases your slit, then licks through your folds, then repeats.
"Ma—aul!" You weep his name, hands fumbling until your fingers lace between his horns. He breathes a laugh when you pull his face closer to your dripping core, hastening his ministrations when you cry out again. Maul places one of his hands on your thigh to hold you open, for him, his delectable meal unmatched.
Your chest is heaving, the feel of Maul's lips and tongues nearly too much to bear over the tight coil building up in your belly. Maul angles his jaw and the sloppy, open mouth kisses, akin to a hound lapping up its meal, have your thighs quivering. You squeeze your eyes shut so tight you see stars, eyebrows furrowed, your pussy throbbing and throbbing...
"I'm gonna—" You pant, airy and high-pitched, "I'm gonna... cum!"
You wail, Maul's fingers squeezing your thigh muscle hard, and come like you've never had before. Even though your eyes are closed, it's like all you see is a blinding light, each of your senses gone into hyperdrive. Wetness gushes from your cunt and soaks Maul's working mouth. He growls again, grinding his raging boner to the mattress as your thighs squeeze around his head as you ride out your orgasm, hips bucking unconsciously.
It’s as the last of the stars behind your eyes fade do you realize Maul has taken to licking up every last drop of your release. Your legs are shaking, inner thighs and sex glossy and sticky, and Maul is in the midst of it all, purring with satisfaction. Weakly, you lift your head to gaze down at him, bleary-eyed, and he offers you a cheeky grin, a dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth.
“I must say, my dear, you taste quite good.” He says, planting a kiss on your hot, still pulsing pussy lips, causing you to whimper. The Zabrak kisses your clit and you gasp, and he continues with utmost pride, “And I must say that I am quite proud of myself for attaining such a dessert.”
That pulls a laugh from your throat, one that Maul smothers after he’s kissed up your body and locked his lips with yours. It’s scandalous, the way that you taste the tang of yourself on his tongue, how you moan when you notice it. Maul hums into your mouth, a low rumble that you feel in his chest, where your hands fall to tug at his clothes.
“And why are you still wearing all your heavy robes hm?” You tease, kissing Maul’s chin, then the sharp edge of his jaw, all while you unclip one of the clasps of his cloak. He meets your stare and undoes the other, unceremoniously tossing the cloak to the floor. You watch with bated breath as he rises above you and slowly pulls off his robes, revealing his beautiful skin and muscle.
Maul’s bare chest is no stranger to you, but the rest of his torso is often covered by his wide belts. Now, you somewhat understand why— a jagged, gruesome scar travels from his right side to his navel, a line of swollen red flesh that mars his midnight tattoos. You’ve heard snippets of what happened to him from Savage, but looking at what the damage had caused, Maul’s injury is worse than anything you had ever imagined.
“Does it disgust you?” Maul asks quietly, and you jolt, embarrassment flooding you when you realize that you’ve been staring for much too long. There’s an emotion you can’t read on his face, one halfway between sadness and shame. Shaking your head, you hastily sit up so that you’re level with Maul, placing an apologetic kiss to his sternum.
“No! Never.” You insist, shuffling close, your hands gliding down to Maul’s tapered waist, then to his belly. He stiffens when your fingers reach the scar, and out of the corner of your eye you see his hand twitch, as if it was going to snatch your wrists and stop you. They don’t, and your palms come to rest on his scar, one of your pinky fingers brushing his belly button.
“Nothing about you disgusts me.” You say in earnest, leaning down and kissing the marred skin between your hands. Maul sucks in a sharp breath, and with your head so close to his body you can hear his hearts pound in his chest, powerful like two steady drums. You smile against his skin, taking this moment to kiss the scar again, then below it, then another below the last. Before long, you’ve followed the V point of his Adonis belt to just above his waistband.
“Minx.” He growls, grabbing you somewhat roughly by your chin and halting your advances. You pout, his swelled erection beneath his pants taunting you— so close, yet so far. Maul swipes his thumb across your bottom lip, humming.
“I want to suck you off, Maul.” You whimper, Maul’s hand gripping your jaw tighter, angling your head up. His eyes are pools of liquid magma, a fire so bright within that it almost hurts to look directly at them— like staring into the twin suns of Tatooine, but you can’t help but bask in their light. His black-tipped fingers are warm on your skin like coals.
“... How kind.” Maul purrs after a stretch of quiet, caressing your cheek, “But tonight I ravish you.”
An invisible force suddenly pulls you flat on your back and flush against the mattress, a yelp escaping you. It holds you firm and unmoving on the bed, an intangible aura trapping your wrists above your head. Maul licks his lips, smirking at how you quiver under the Force’s hold, all due to him.
“My darling,” He continues, leaning in and placing kisses to your heaving chest as he’d done before, “This is all for you— I am all for you.”
A whine passes your kiss-swollen lips when Maul sucks another dark mark onto your skin, all while he climbs atop you. As he does, Maul shimmies out from his pants until the black fabric falls to his knees— revealing his length in all its glory.
Of course he hadn’t worn underwear, instead opting for the more breathable— and wicked— alternative of forgoing them. Your body practically quakes with the anticipatory excitement that floods you when you see Maul’s cock. A perfect shaft, the length of it swollen and tattooed like the rest of him, uncut and rosy at it’s tip. A gift from his Zabrak biology, Maul’s erection has three visible ridges, each wider than the last until the base of it. Dribbles of precum slide down the slit in a way that makes you whimper.
“Maul.” You almost sob his name, moaning when you see his heavy balls between his legs, “Please.”
Maul groans at your needy, desperate plea— restraining himself from going all in and ending the session too quickly. One of his arms slithers beneath your waist while the other hand anchors itself next to your shoulder. In his grasp, your overheated body is nothing compared to his hotness, like the Zabrak before you is the physical embodiment of the sun.
“All for you.” Maul repeats through grit teeth and a low groan, his hips pressing closer, the tip of his cock hot and heavy at your weeping pussy. You cry out when he thrusts in— only the tip— your slit accommodating to his size. The stretch is neither painful nor too much— Maul is a perfect fit and there’s nothing that couldn’t pass your dripping entrance. You angle your hips, and his cock slips in past the first ridge and you moan at the exquisite stretch.
A bead of sweat at his brow from holding in for so long, Maul’s lips pull into a snarl and he takes your eagerness and lack of pain as a go ahead. In one thrust of his pelvis, he spears you on his cock and knocks the wind from your lungs. You scream, fully engrossed in how your walls flutter around his erection, especially at how each ridge practically caresses the most sensitive parts of you.
Maul roars himself, the throaty growl tapering out into a near-pitiful moan of your name, and then he pulls his hips back, and thrusts back in with a fervor. The wet squelch is heard even over your airy moans, and as Maul picks up speed, his concentration falters and your wrists are freed from their invisible shackles. As Maul’s face falls to the side of your neck, your hands grasp at his head.
Fingers wringing his horns, an overwhelming ecstasy overtaking you, a harmonic rhythm is reached— Maul’s hips smack against yours wetly, his cock splitting you open and you, pussy throbbing and clenching around his pistoning length. You tug at his horns, eyes lolled up, begging him silently Kiss me, Maul, kiss me.
You Zabrak acknowledges, and his lips find yours— sloppy, no sense of decorum— all until you’re breathing the air he exhales, and tasting what he tastes of. Bodies rocking in time, the coil in your belly returns quickly, growing tighter and tighter with each sin push and wicked pull of his cock in your core. He groans when you clench around him, squeezing his aching length like a vice and stoking the fire in his belly as well.
“Maul.” You manage to gasp his name between kisses, tears of pleasure pricking your eyes, “Maul!”
“Yours.” He pants to the skin of your cheek, his breath hot and damp, all before he croaks a groan as if its been ripped from his throat and his rhythm stutters. You squeak, toes curling, your peak quickly approaching as you drag one hand down to clasp tight over the back of his neck. The muscle and tendons are taut under your fingers.
It’s then that Maul brings his hand out from under you, fingers sliding over your sweaty, overheated skin, all to reach your pulsing, swollen clit. His thumb finds the bundle of nerves and rubs circles, and you scream his name— eyes flying wide, body jerking— and the heat in your belly soars. Maul smashes his lips to yours again in a searing kiss as he thrusts harder, faster, rolls your clit under his thumb as if his life depends on it.
The harmonic rhythm breaks into something erratic, frantic— wild like two beasts in the wilderness, or two frenzied people chasing their heart’s desires. His mouth breaks away from yours, his pelvis snaps against you, just as the spring inside you snaps, and you come with a silent scream that breaks into a hoarse squeal.
It’s a better orgasm than the first— a gush of wetness between your thighs and coating Maul’s cock, vision going black until the stars of midnight show, muscles tensing and shaking with the force of it—
“Ungh!” Maul chokes when your pussy clenches so tight around his dick that it actually stops his undulating hips and pushes him to orgasm, pulling his full balls up tight to his body. Still high in the clouds, you whimper when you feel Maul’s fire-hot cum shoot into you with a hard spurt, coating your inner sex in liquid gold. One, two, three more ropes of cum enter you, each brought by a hard snap of Maul’s hips to yours, until his testicles are drained and his pistoning hips slow to a shallow grind.
In the midst of your foggy mind, you have it in you to rub your hands up and down Maul’s tense back, gently massaging each muscle. The action grounds the both of you, the rhythmic glides and smoothness of your hands pulling you both back from your highs. As your orgasm fades and your vision refocuses, you meet Maul’s stare.
His eyes are dewy, as if he’s just woken up, but you can recognize that deep, pleasant satisfaction from anywhere. You smile, a big, dopey one as if you’ve taken too much spice, and Maul does the same— the wide one, dimples and all. Your hands stop to rest on the backs of his shoulders, thumbs absentmindedly rubbing circles on his slightly sweaty skin.
“Oh, my darling.” Maul’s voice is surprisingly gentle, warm, and he swoops in for another breathless kiss, “I am yours forever.”
This kiss is soft, gentle on your overworked and achy lips, but so tender in its nature you practically preen at the attention. Maul reaches up to brush strands of hair from your face, ones that stuck to your damp temples, and you kiss him in thanks. His cock, still nestled within you, twitches.
“I’m so happy with you, Maul. No words can describe it.” You murmur, head lolling to the side as the crimson Zabrak kisses the side of your neck, as well as each mark he left on your skin. He hums in reply, kissing beneath your earlobe as his chest begins to rumble with purrs.
“I feel the same.” Maul says, and he shifts his body, his cock dragging against your hypersensitive walls and causing you to gasp in pleasure. Your grip on his shoulder tighten, and Maul laughs low in his throat. His blistering gaze meets yours, suddenly looking very much as he had earlier.
“May we continue our... bonding experience?” He teases, rocking his body once just to gage how you react to his swelling erection. You gasp and throw your head back into the inky sheets below you, legs drawing up to your body until your thighs find a home on Maul’s waist.
He must have no refractory period, but the way his warm, hard body and the sinful way you feel his seed leak from you makes you buzz with energy. From your head to your toes, you desire Maul like no other. You lift your head off the mattress, and grin coquettishly. 
“The night has just begun.” You say cockily, and before you can even take your next breath, Maul has smothered your lips with his. Muffled giggles, soft moans, and the shuffles of sheets and clothes fill the room— carrying out to the night sky through the open windows, on the breeze that the floor-length blinds shiver in— like two bodies tethered with one another.
Indeed, the night is very long.
And it is immensely hard to walk the next day.
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Text
Treasure Hunter AU
I binged watch the Mummy trilogy while i had no wifi/internet for a while and I had an idea for a treasure hunter Mari with Daminette.
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Damian was bored.(age: 22-28 years old.)
At a gala party.
Meets Marinette who was equally bored.(abt the same age as D)
He finds out she was the finder of this famous artifact on display.
-----
Damian tugged at his collar, scanning the crowd. His father needed a plus one to show up with and everyone else were busy.
He grabbed a champagne flute and made his way to the edge of the room.
He found a woman in a black evening gown, looking as bored as he felt. short dark hair. Blue eyes.( I suck at describing people after the third time doing it. It feels overrated)
"Hello, stranger. You bored with mingling in with the assholes on their high horses?"
"Should I be offended?"
"We will see. Depends on you."
"How about you? A beautiful lady like you not kissing up their asses to climb the social ladder. That is strange."
She made a face. "Trust me. I don't want to be here but my friend wanted family time so I came in his place. What about you? Why are you here?"
"I am pretty sure my father wanted someone to get him out if the vultures came too close."
"Vultures, adept descriptions. I am glad no one realized who I am yet or i would be in their claws."
"Who are you representing, anyways?"
"Myself but Adrien or Kagami usually comes in my place but tonight, they have their son's play to go to."
"Adrien and Kagami. Aren't they the Agreste-Tsrungi?"
"Yep."
"You are the Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Globe trotting Treasure hunter and also world-class designer, MDC."
"Now you know. What's your name, handsome stranger?"
"You don't know?"
"Hey. Like you said globetrotting treasure hunter. I am not up-to-date on the news front. And when I am in Paris to do designer stuff, i am too busy to look at the news."
He gave her his hand, "Damian Wayne. Son of Bruce Wayne who is a billionaire and owns Wayne Enterprise."
She shook it.
"Pleased to meet you."
She stills design but like sent her designs to Adrien at least once every month, who had rebranded Gabriel to Miraculous Designs.
Some ppl thinks he did it to spite his father, who is in jail. Adrien and Mari has a partnership thing.
Mari also makes clothes but for a few months. And the rest of the time is spent travelling.
Exclusive designs from MDC are rare but the designs hand made by her are rarer so they are like a really big deal. They have the most amazing details. Really expensive and limited edition.
The rest of the time Mari spends finding Miraculouses (Miraculi ?) lost in the world so if she happens to find a few priceless artifacts that aren't the Miraculous. She donates it.
Alix helps and sometimes go find them with her.
She has Tikki and Plagg and maybe Wyazz all the time to look for curses and counter it.
She has also met John Constantine. They have an arrangement of sorts. A few magical artifacts that doesn't have to Miraculous business are given to him in exchange for any miraculous stuff he has or found.
Adrien funds her trips.
He is married to Kagami.
Kagami goes with Mari and Alix for a few months sometimes. Adrien likes being a stay at home dad.
Their kid is named Marin/Martin because it was Mari who got them together.
The few trips Mari dragged him on was enough to make him stay behind and run the business.
(Back to the story) Damian fangirled a little because Mari had been doing stuff like this since she was 18.
It was an amazing reputation she has.
She invites him to her next trip after questioning his skill sets.
------
"Are you good with heights, dark scary places and adventuring into the unknown?"
"Yes"
"You any good with guns, swords, knives, booby traps and keeping calm under pressure?"
"Yes. I have many experiences with them."
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes. Why are you asking me this?"
"Wanna join me on my next trip to the jungle of China? There are myths about some hidden temple."
------
Damian was a little conflicted.
He hadn't have the chance to explore the world much. He had been somewhere else for a mission (for the League of Shadows or JL business) but never for pleasure.
Being a vigilante by night and working at Wayne Enterprise by day gets a little boring after some years.
His brothers had a chance to travel the world on their own for a while. Sure, for reasons other than sight-seeing and looking for something to break out of the rut he was in. But still.
This was an exciting opportunity but a tad suspicious.
-----
"Why me?"
She looked surprised at that.
"Oh. Well, my friends enjoy coming with me on my adventures, treasure hunting and all that every now and then except Adrien but they have other things in their life to come with me all the time. I can mostly survive on my own most of the time but it gets lonely travelling on my own and it's nice if someone is there to watch my back. I understand if you don't want to come. It's just that I enjoy your company and you aren't like those assholes on their high horses. My gut feeling says I can trust you. You are not after the treasure or see it as one big game. You are looking for an escape. You would definitely catch me if I fall. As you know from my choice of friends, i have a bad habit of pulling rich kids from their stuffy lifestyle and take them on potentially life-threatening adventures." She joked. Then she lowered her voice, "Besides, it might be handy having a former assassin around."
She said in Arabic.
His hand went to his hidden knife and found it not there.
"Looking for this?" She said, holding it.
"How much do you know?" He hissed back in the same language.
"Relax," she gave back the knife, "my mother was one and I have accidentally came across a few in my adventures. I know one when i see one. I took a stab in the dark with your middle-eastern background. Speaking of, you know Talia Al Ghul by any chance."
He narrowed his eyes.
"She's my mother. Why?"
"You look like her. Met her a few times. Nice lady but scary. Mine's Sabine Cheng, goes by the Blue Reaper." She said it so casually like their parents weren't dangerous deadly assassins and had normal jobs.
"You aren't normal, are you?"
"What gave it away?"
"That you willingly gave away blackmail material to me."
"Normal people don't have assassins for mothers. And you and me aren't exactly meeting the minimum standards for normal. Besides, I just told you a family secret that you would have found out anyways with a through background search and a little digging. So far all I know about you is that your parents are Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne-I wonder how an assassin got together with a billionaire-, you are a former League of Shadows assassin, you are great with weapons, keeping secrets and so far meeting the criteria for an adventure buddy. That's all I swear. And that you have some pets. A cat, maybe."
"How you know about my cat?!"
"Cat hair on your clothes." She was good. "If it will ease your mind about me, you can ask me 5 questions that I will truthfully answer. "
"So why are you doing this?"
"That's question 1. Well, I really want whatever this is between us to work. Partners, Friends, Companions, Comrades. Whatever you want to call it. Like I said, I get lonely sometimes and need some human interaction to at least keep myself sane. You looked like you want to be somewhere else and I thought this is perfect. I am not going to tell anyone about you or push you to join me. I swear on my mother's sword."
"Are we killing anybody?"
"Mostly I try to avoid that as much as possible. Sometimes I get into situations with no other alternative. " She looked away guiltily.
"Fair enough."
"Not judging me for that. That's a first for me."
"I am a former assassin and have killed before. I have no right to condemn you for your past."
"How much are you willing to tell me about this hidden temple?"
"That has to do with a secret. I would tell you more when there are less ears around. But this temple was said to hold a magic jewel that grants some powers and it is located really deep in the jungle. Getting there might take months."
"You forgot to mention that last one."
"Oh yeah. You think you can get away for some months. This kind of stuff usually takes a while. Like I said before, no pressure. Anyway, 2 questions left."
"What's my salary?"
"Aren't you a billionaire?"
"My father is. I have a trust fund and I get a salary for doing my job at the company. You are lucky that I just finished with most of my assigned projects so I might be able to come."
"I am so sorry about just assuming things about you. You can say no to the offer. The temple is said to hold some other treasures but I mainly want the jewel. We could auction off a few bits and pieces. I usually just donate them to museums and universities or sell them to those who really appreciate the history. I would also pay for the entire expenses for the trip."
"Can I think about this?"
"Sure. Here's my number. I leave on the 1st of next month. Gimme an answer a week before that so I can make the proper arrangements. It has been fun talking to you, Damian."
She walked away, going towards the buffet table.
------
Back in the car on the way home to the manor.
Bruce asked, "Who were you talking to for that long?"
"Who?"
"The one that gave you her number."
"Oh. MDC. She invited me to join her in China next month to find some hidden temple."
"She did?"
"Yes. Not only that she found out about mother and know what I did before I came here. She doesn't know about Batman, Robin or Crow. And she said she wasn't going to blackmail me but just wanted a companion to go with her. Ideally, it would be best to silence her before she digs any further into me but I trust her. I sincerely believe that she meant it when she said that she's not going to tell on me. And I am really tempted to take up on it."
"What do you want to do?"
"On one hand, i would be gone for months so there won't be Crow in Gotham for a while and I have a few projects I need to finish up. On the other hand. Father, I have been a vigilante for over 10 years now and I haven't really done much out besides that, school and now work. I have appreciated all you have done for me over the years. But I want to go with her. Do something that is not connected to Batman or Wayne or Al Ghul. Just a little something different for myself."
"You can go if you want. I am not going to stop you. I will make arrangements so the projects would be done by someone else. The others can cover your patrols. You are still young so it is understandable to want some fun every now and then."
"Thank you, Father."
Bruce put his hand on his shoulder.
"I am proud of you as Crow and as Damian Wayne. But if you want to go find some hidden temple in China just for a break from this life, to be just Damian, go for it. There are worse things you could do. Just tell me if you are going to go on any future trips like that." (I don't know DC much, sorry if that is a little OOC but I like good dad! Bruce.)
-------
Damian dialed the number on the card.
"Hello"
"I accept your offer, miss MDC."
"Damian? Right, text me your email address. I will sent you things you would need to pack and flight details. And can you come by to the Gotham Rose Hotel tomorrow? I will give more details on the temple."
-------
Damian comes by the hotel.
Marinette tells him of the kwamis and miraculous and makes him swear to not tell anyone unless they already know.
The hidden temple actually might have a miraculous.
Damian gets a little interested in the akuma situation she mentioned.
Mari doesn't say anything about it much.
When he got back, he goes to the Bat-computer and did some digging.
Ladybug looks a little familiar. Pulls up younger picture of Mari and look at that, she used to be a superhero.
Wonder Woman was kept informed of things and made sure no one goes to Paris without her knowing.
Zatanna helped capture the villain Hawkmoth and end his 2 year reign.
Fast forward, they are in Beijing now, sleeping off jetlag.
The next morning, They get out of the city somehow to the city limits and somewhere remote.
Mari uses Kalki and transports them to the jungle.
They set up camp. Cue Campfire stories.
-----
"I thought getting here would take months."
"No actually, finding the temple would. According to my research and the map I copied through less than legal means, it is somewhere in this general area. There used to a city around here too and the king or emperor pissed off some powerful priest or wizard, take your pick. There was a curse. The city crumbled down and the temple is the only thing standing because the king went there and prayed to the gods for protection. The one who answered his prayers and protected the temple in doing so the king was pressed into service of the god. The king did everything the god said for a while but later, he started to hate it and began disobeying the orders. The god cursed him for his disobedience. The temple he was protected in became his tomb and he was tasked to protect the chest inside the temple for the rest of eternity. Anyone who opens the chest would gain the ultimate power to rule the earth. Thankfully, we are not after the chest. Some powerful crack-head with a misused miraculous tried to find it and open the chest for more power. But he never returned. My theory is that the miraculous is still in the temple. As long as we don't wake up the king or go for the chest, we would be okay."
"What are the guns for? And How did you get them past security?"
"In case of emergencies, an army of undead was mentioned and guns are surprisingly good repellent. Well, most of the time. It's useless if there is a no weapons can kill 'it' rule. Then, it's just a stress reliever. I kept them in a pocket dimension. Makes it easier to get around."
Damian vowed to never let Marinette meet Jason. Judging by the pile of guns and occasional knives and other weapons she took out of the brown satchel which apparently holds a pocket dimension, Jason would adopt her. He wondered if that was all that was inside in.
-------
They packed up and started searching the jungle for hidden temple.
It was a month and a half before they found it.
They bonded a lot during that time.
They had a moment after drinking a little alcohol which Mari has in the pocket dimension. Or Drank a lot of alcohol and had sex.
It was awkward and they both agree to not talk about it again.
Soon after, they found the temple. But it is still a little far away.
But the temple is not the only thing they found. They also found a campsite with many people milling around. Some of them carried guns.
Somewhat rich bastard who overheard their conversation at the gala. Heard treasure and found out where Mari's next expedition is.
Had the help of some scholar who wants to be famous for the greatest find since King Tut.
They found the temple even though they had no magical help, they left 2 weeks before Mari did, so yeah.
Rich Bastard's name is 'Philip Anderson'(This sounds familiar to me for some reason and I can't find out why.) and Scholar is 'Harry Scott'
They have armed bodyguards and some 'hired' help to get the treasure.
Anderson is still rich but his company had been getting losses the past 2 years and this is a quick, easy get rich scheme.
Mari and Damian: "Rich asshole on his high horse."
Anderson doesn't know about the chest but Mari and Damian thinks he does and it was what he was after.
They set up camp a little further ahead of Anderson's
Unfortunately, they were found by Harry. Somehow.
-----
I am going to continue this when I am more awake.
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heysatori · 3 years
Note
Hey! I am new to your blog, but I binged everything, hehe, and I think you're amazing! Could you maybe do hcs with Bakusquad and todoroki with a s/o who is scared to let them meet their parents because they're the strict type who think that once you're in a relationship it basically means you intend to marry the person?
Bakusquad and Todoroki with an s/o who has strict parents
Genre: fluff  Pairings: Bakugou x reader, Kirishima x reader, Sero x reader, Kaminari x reader, Mina x reader, Jirou x reader, Shinsou x reader, Todoroki x reader a/n: this took me so long im so sorry but wow this took a lot of energy out of me JFJFSJKFA i hope i got what you wanted anon ! (─‿‿─)♡
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Bakugou Katsuki
you and katsuki have been dating for quite a while now 
he had already invited you to his house and you coincidentally met his parents ! 
he hadnt expected them to be there but they coddled u like there was no tomorrow !! (─‿‿─)♡
they asked u tons of question and u even cooked dinner with masaru ! 
it was a great bonding experience !
katsuki was ofc not happy with this becuz he only wanted u to himself ┌∩┐(◣_◢)┌∩┐
after dinner he hauled u to his room and demanded cuddles 
after that though, he lowkey expected that u would to introduce him to ur parents too 
just so things are fair and square
but after numerous hints u still havent gotten the clue ! so he just confronts u abt it 
but softly 
“so when am i gonna meet your parents?” 
you kinda turn to him a little hesitantly 
your parents are pretty strict 
they didnt even know you were dating bakugou at all 
all they knew was that you were doing very well at UA 
“uh do you want to meet them?”
“well its just, you met mine, so that means i can meet yours right?”
bakugou looks so tiny like that he justs pouting a little with his arms crossed over his chest
“i mean, theyre really strict baby, im not even allowed to be dating you right now”
bakubabes kinda shocked so he just asks u more questions 
“what do you mean??”
“well if i am to date someone, they want that person to be like my future spouse or something, so its either all or nothing for them”
“tch, me? marry you? in your dreams” 
u alrdy know bakugou is teasing but u hit him nonetheless 
lets just say you both agree to not bring him home for a while 
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Kirishima Eijirou
you had already met kirishima’s mothers a few weeks back during an impromptu outing the mall with his family 
there were lovely of course ! and kirishima is the living proof of all their hard work into making one of the nicest boys in the whole world 
after that though 
kiri had gotten a little hopeful that you’d introduce him to your parents as well 
soon enough he couldnt keep it in and it eventually came out in word vomit 
“huh, you want to meet my parents?” 
kiri just nodded meekly and settled down on your bed, patting the space next to him 
you plop down and pull him into a hug, cradling him against your chest 
“uh listen baby, my parents, theyre not like yours” 
“huh, what do you mean?”
“well theyre kinda strict, they dont even want me dating in the first place, plus if you do meet them, theyre expecting that you’ve already thought out how youre going to ask for my hand in marriage or something like that”
“i mean, i can marry you now if you want?”
you splutter over your words and push kirishima off your chest 
“whaaaaat im serious!!” 
after that you and kirishima have a thorough discussion on why he cant ask you to marry him just yet 
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Sero Hanta 
hes pretty chill about the idea of meeting your parents and you meeting his
he isnt really going to plan anything but if anything happens to happen then he’ll just go with the flow 
his parents had invited you over to dinner after they managed to spot you at a random shopping center
sero was FLUSHED !! but he let it happen, walking a little behind his parents so he could hold your hand 
after that though things are totally chill 
he doesnt really expect to meet your parents 
as he didnt plan you meeting his parents either 
but he does ask you what theyre like ! 
one day while you were cuddling he just looks up at you and asks you, “what are your parents like?”
“theyre pretty traditional”
“what kind of traditional?”
“the ‘are you prepared to marry my child and provide for them for the rest of your life?’ kind of traditional’
sero kinda just wheezes at your answer at your answer and leaves it alone for awhile
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Kaminari Denki
hes kinda insistent on meeting ur parents 
but only because he knows that its like the special bases of relationships 
plus he also wants to meet the wonderful people who created you 
he introduced you to his parents on your 5th month of dating 
cuz he just wants the people he loves the most to interact with each other 
plus with how much he talks about you home, they were also quite eager to meet you
so of course he is kinda gonna be insistent 
one day he runs up to your room and presents a fancy night with you, him, and your parents 
he pushes you in and explains it to you thoroughly !! 
you feel kinda bad to tell him that this might not happen 
“im sorry bug, but im not sure if we can do this with my parents” 
hes shocked ! he sits up a little for a moment but he ends up sagging in sadness after a while 
“but why” 
and hes pouting !! 
you feel so sad about hurting him about this 
“my parents are really strict, they might not approve of you baby, they’ll probably even ask you if youre gonna marry me or something”
“i will marry you though!!” 
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Mina Ashido
like denki she’s a little persistent
she’s just very enthusiastic about you and everything about you
so that includes your home life
she already introduced you to her parents long ago 
so shes pretty expectant 
she always kinda brings it up 
“so when can i meet your parents” is a common phrase you hear from her 
you kinda dismiss her questions and you change the topic after that 
but after a while she gets fed up and confront you about it 
and although you feel bad you still feel a little reluctant to tell her 
you didnt wanna ruin anything just cuz your parents are stupidly strict 
but you decide to tell her anyway 
you explain to her how strict your parents are but she doesnt really get the gist of it 
“what do you mean though?”
“well, they’ll probably ask you if youre ready to marry me or something” 
“of course i am!” 
you fluster at her words 
she cuddles up to u and doesnt let u leave her arms after that
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Jirou Kyouka
shes kinda shy about those things
so she usually just focuses on you and only you 
she never really thought about meeting your parents until the squad (mainly denki and mina) asked about it 
“what do you mean when am i gonna meet their parents?” 
“thats like!! the biggest step in a relationship!! if you dont meet their parents youre probably not gonna be long term!” 
jirou dismisses mina’s statement and leaves to find you 
although it does sound a little ridiculous, she is kinda nervous about that 
was she not enough for your parents?
she finds you in your room and beats around the bush for a while before getting straight to the point, kinda
“so uh you wanna exchange parents?’
“what”
“no, sorry, i mean, like, wanna meet my parents and ill meet yours?”
youve heard stories about kyouka’s parents and they sound pretty awesome so in your mind you agree immediately
but the thought of kyouka meeting your annoyingly traditional parents sounded like a nightmare 
“i dont think you’ll like my parents” 
she asks a simple way and you give her a simple answer 
shes totally cool with it cuz yeah she doesnt like overly traditional people 
so you both end up just laying down and cuddling together 
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Shinsou Hitoshi
i dont think he really cares about meeting your parents 
not that he doesnt care about your parents
no hes sure that they are lovely people 
its just that shinsou is a litlte anti social as it is and likes to keep meeting new people to a minimum 
but monoma kinda bugs him on it 
egging him on to take initiative in your relationship for once and make a big step for the both of you 
so one day, shinsou walks up to you begrudgingly with monoma hiding behind a wall nearby 
(this is exactly what it looked like when monoma forced shinsou to gain the courage to ask you out) 
“so, can i uh, meet your parents?” 
you kinda laugh at how he asked it so weirdly 
“where did this come from?”
“monoma said i need to man up and take initiative in our relationship and make a big step so that we can stay together forever” 
you laugh even harder but you cant help but have your heart melt at shinsou’s purpose taking to you now 
it may not seem like it but he really does want to have you around forever 
“theyre pretty strict and traditional baby, you sure you wanna meet them?” 
he turns around and monoma gives him a firm face and a thumbs up 
shinsou turns back around and nods firmly 
you cant help but laugh again at how adorable he looks 
moving to wrap your arms around his neck you give him a small peck on the cheek 
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Todoroki Shouto 
todoorki’s had his fair share of experience when it comes to parents 
so hes not entirely eager to meet your parents 
but he does think about it every now and then 
for sure not everyone is going to be like his father 
but hes got quite a foul mouth and no brain to mouth filter when he does speak 
but he knows respect 
just dont cross his line 
he doesnt really bring up meeting your parents for a while 
iida had asked about it once since it was a formal thing to do when gaining a significant other 
todoroki simply shrugged and said he’ll think about it 
and he did think about it 
later that day after training he approached you, pulling on your arm to bring you closer to him 
he soon pulled you to a stop by the side of the hallway, stepping rather close to you 
“can i meet your parents?”
“eh??” 
it was so sudden that you couldnt help your surprise 
neither of you talk much about your parents (except for Rei who you had met a while back) 
“well, I don’t think you’ll like them sweetie” 
“I’m sure they’re lovely” 
“Well, they’re just a tiny bit like your dad, not the abuse, but the uhm, in the traditional sense?” 
todoroki nods firmly and pulls you to stay under his arm as you resume walking back to the dorms 
“well, my mother will be your mother-in-law soon enough so you don’t need to worry”
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Text
Am i the only person with ADHD/ASD that likes online school???
Like, I don't have to do group work in a class full of people I don't know
I don't get yelled at for talking when i shouldn't or going on my phone
If i don't pay attention, i can go over the powerpoint later because they post it
I can regulate the temperature and wear what i want
I can wake up later !!
I can do my work for all my classes all at once so i get that good ol' hyperfocus/momentum
I don't have to move as much (i really hate having to get up and go to another class)
I can go and multitask (like scroll thru insta when the teacher is talkin)
I don't have to sit and space out when i'm done with my work/my teacher isn't saying anything i need to listen to (one thing i hated abt school was how much free time i had just being forced to stare into space) and i can go on my phone or do whatever i want!! My lil adhd brain finishes everything super fast
Long breaks between classes (theyre usually 1:30 but they only give us 1 hr on meet now because the 30 mins is work time but they never give us work)
Overall i can manage my time better in a comfortable enviroment where everything is efficient and i don't feel miserable because i have nothing to do while i have to sit and stare into space !!! and i don't have uncomfortable social interactions !!
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shyrose57 · 3 years
Note
Rlly love how nice u are abt this all!!! Also ur questions rlly got the cogs in my brain turnin for this au, so ty for that! :3 -🐻
To answer some of the serious questions:
Em primarily stays in his human form. Since he didn't like shifting out of his piglin form as a child he knows that no one knows yet that Michael is a hybrid, and so it's easier to hide his identity this way.
The only item of interest that he has on him is a book which he says is his journal/diary whenever anyone asks. It's labelled "DO NOT READ" in ender (bc like father like son), but he never lets anyone get a close enough look at the book for them to figure that out.
He never really tells anyone how old he is, but then again no one really asks, it's pretty obvious he's a teenager so everyone assumes he's in the same age range as the other minors, maybe a little younger.
No one's really suspicious about his sudden appearance, more curious if anything. Most don't really make a connection between his appearance and Dream's imprisonment, but why would they? Sure, it's a little odd some teenager appears after the server admin's imprisonment, but that's easily chalked up to coincidence. That being said, there are people suspicious for other reasons. Two of which are Quackity and Karl. Karl's only met Em a few times, but there's something familiar about him. But that can't be right, because he's never encountered Em before in the other times he's seen. He knows there's something up with Em, but with his memory deteriorating it's hard to put the pieces together. Quackity is suspicious because he thinks there's something off about Em. Call him crazy, but the way Em interacts with him is just so different compared to how he interacts with everyone else. He's colder with Quackity, and he doesn't understand why.
Em is pretty awkward when interacting with everyone on the server. Originally, he didn't want to interact with anyone much outside of small pleasantries, but it gets hard to do that when everyone is so pleasant and social with you. Besides, some of these people aren't around anymore in his time, so it's hard not to spend time with them.
Em steered clear of his parents in the start (which was actually pretty easy since they were busy doing their own thing and they hadn't actually married yet), but after they brought Michael to the Overworld they went to Em for advice on piglin stuff because "Hey! Em's a piglin hybrid, maybe there's stuff about piglins that he knows that could help us!" and while Em's hesitant at first, the fact that they care so much makes him really emotional so he agrees.
Em knows about Karl's timetraveling, because how else would he have found out about time traveling? He was never particularly close to Karl in his time, with how far his memory had deteriorated by then, but seeing Karl from this time with his memory being so much better still sorta hurts.
I still haven't figured out what exactly happened for Em to jump back, but I have figured out that before everything goes to shit, the Snowchester and Las Nevadas conflict escalates to the point that one day Tubbo and Ranboo just. Never come home. After that Tommy becomes Em's guardian, and while he never actually learns what happened to them, it's pretty easy to put the pieces together.
As for some of the less serious questions:
Whenever someone asks if Em is short for, he always gives different and increasingly ridiculous answers. (I'd give an example but I'm not clever enough for that)
Em occasionally babysits Michael (which is sorta weird at first and the weirdness never really goes away, but he gets used to it) and Michael just thinks he's really cool. Not as cool as Uncle Tommy, but still super cool.
Em is a hundred percent on for pranks and stuff, and once he gets comfortable in the time period, he starts doing quite a few.
He can definitely speak Piglin! While it's not as good as it could be, it's definitely pretty good. Especially since he had Tommy to help him from getting rusty (i am a firm believer of the "Tommy can speak piglin bc he was raised alongside Tehcno" hc). He can't speak Enderian, but he understands it. He also knows how to read and write in it.
He's not the best at fighting, but he can certainly hold his own in a fight. He tends to try and outsmart his way out of fights, though.
Happy to help!
Mkay, mkay. What's his human form look like? Scars, hair length/style? We got any braids in there? When does Michael originally shift-which is an option to expose Em, if somebody noticed the resemblance.
What are the adventures of this 'DO NOT READ' book, considering how much trouble Ranboo's own get into with such a title.
Does Karl have some sort of sense because of his time travel that makes Em odd to him? Or has he perhaps met him? Or will meet him? Or did some Doomed version of him? I'm not actually sure about that last one, do Karl's doomed/lost selves have any effect on him even? And Em's cold towards Quackity? Two out of three fiances find 'em suspicious huh? What did-or, what will Quackity do to warrant such behavior? Is there anyone else Em's a bit cold toward, or otherwise?
Pleasant and social? Why's that? Who exactly talks to him then? I imagine quite a few are less than, well. Pleasant and social, as you put it, considering recent events, so who exactly does he end up interacting with if he gets a warm welcome?
Oh? Do we get bonding then? If so, how so? What sort of advice does he give them?
Did Em learn about time travel from afar-like, see Karl do it and stick around to learn more, or was it like a whole distant/dying mentor thing in a short amount of time? Does he do anything to help Karl? Since Em learned about time travel from Karl in some way, is his memory similarly effected, or does he know some way to fight the effects of that? Has he had any experiences with the Inbetween and Other Side?
Oh no, that's really not good. Poor Em. So the conflict took his parents, huh? How does this effect things for him, once in the past-considering he's face to face with his parents' apparent killer? And since this would be soon after Dream's imprisonment, that means it's a bit before Las Nevadas is formed, right? How does Em feel about Foolish-considering he's part of Snowchester at the time? How does he feel about Snowchester's current residents What's his life like once his parents are gone?
-------
Emergency, Empirical, Empire, Chemistry, Emerald, Emma, Emergence, Semi, Email. Those are a few that could work.
How does babysitting go? Is Michael a good child, or is Em silently apologizing to his parents for being a gremlin when he was younger?
Who's the first to fall to his mischief? Is he ever discovered as the culprit, or does he get away with it?
Does Techno or Tommy ever decide to try and drag him into a talk, since he can? How does that go? Do the Bee Duo try and get him to translate for Michael? Since Em understands Ender, does he ever have any encounters with Enderboo? If so, how do those go?
Any favored weapons of his? Long range, mid-range, or short?
Also, is there anything you'd like me to tag this as so you can find it easier? 
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temeraire · 2 years
Note
Hello again I was the murderbot anon and I just finished rogue protocol which was also amazing!!! I have a huge soft spot for stories abt AI grappling with what it means to be a person and I am loving murderbot as a narrator so much!! Its difficulties with social interaction n overthinking n dry sarcasm r just too Real and I love how these aspects of its personality never rly change but its character development is much more nuanced, with how underneath all its pessimism and anxiety it rly does come to care abt all the humans n bots it meets?? And on that note, how the story rly shows the inherent tendency of people to care abt others, from dr mensah and the team in the first book to abene and miki in this one… ahhh I have so many thoughts but I just love the deeply compassionate view of humanity in this series!! Plus the action scenes are amazingly written!! I’m gonna start the fourth book now!! I rly like rogue protocol so far, which one is your favourite?
YES YES YES like!!!! it's all about what it is to be a Person vs a Thing. murderbot is a person on its own terms like it is so emphatically not a human but it's not a bot either; it's just. a Person. the way the development is done is so so wonderful like dealing with that depression and anxiety and trauma, and things being done on mb's own terms and highlighting the importance of its agency and how it comes to understand itself as a person and grow without it becoming "human" or "giving in" to what other people want from it. i also love how, like you say, the story emphasises that people Are capable of goodness and caring about each other and that cruelty and that devaluing of agency and violation of personhood is Not the default state of being.
i suck at picking favourites of anything but while i do really adore artificial condition (LOVE art so much, and i love art and mb's interactions and how much they reveal about each other!!) i think network effect is probably my favourite (i won't spoil you though!)
also! you can read fugitive telemetry (book 6) before network effect (book 5, the full-length novel) - FT takes place chronologically before NE and has no spoilers for NE :D i liked saving the full-length novel for last
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