#daybreak episode 1

[shinnith]

This show is so fucking stupid I love it😅

#daybreak #Netflix Canada #Netflix #canadian content #canadian shows #colin ford #matthew broderick #shows #daybreak season 1 #daybreak episode 1 #edit #lgbtqiia+ #lgbtqia #queer community

[thenerdygirlexp]

Yellowstone Daybreak S1Ep1Preview via @stacyamiller85 @CBS #YellowstoneTV

Watch Yellowstone from the beginning starting September 17, 2023 on CBS . Continue reading Untitled

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#Daybreak Season 1 Episode 1 #Yellowstone Season 1

[landofanimes]

Spy x Family

Season 1 Episode Posters (2nd Cour)

Mission 13: Project Apple

Mission 14: Disarm The Time Bomb

Mission 15: A New Family Member

Mission 16: Yor's Kitchen / The Informant's Great Romance Plan

Mission 17: Carry out the Griffin Plan / Fullmetal Lady / Omelet Rice ♡

Mission 18: Uncle The Private Tutor / Daybreak

Mission 19: A Revenge Plot Against Desmond / Mama Becomes the Wind

Mission 20: Ivestigate the General Hospital / Decipher the Perplexing Code

Mission 21: Nightfall / First Fit of Jealousy

Mission 22: The Underground Tennis Tournament: The Campbelldon

Mission 23: The Unwavering Path

Mission 24: The Role of a Mother and Wife / Shopping with Friends

Mission 25: First Contact

#spy x family #Loid Forger #Anya Forger #Yor Forger #Bond Forger #Fiona Frost #Becky Blackbell #Damian Desmond #Sylvia Sherwood #Donovan Desmond #Yuri Briar #sxf poster #Yor Briar #sxf nightfall #sxf daybreak

[comicaurora]

Hello! Not really an “ask” just something I noticed that I’m not sure anyone else has pointed out. So Aurora chapters are usually around 32 pages, but Daybreak is 63! And Daybreak is the last chapter of Arc 1, in other words… you ended the first season on a special double length episode.

#asks #aurora

[episodeoftv]

Prelims, Vote 1 of 8

The top 4 finales will move on to be included in the main bracket

Propaganda is under the cut, may include spoilers

Agent Carter - 2.10 Hollywood Ending

Just as Peggysous became canon, just as Jack is about to start his redemption arc, they cancelled the show and left all of us on a massive cliffhanger for, let's see, almost 8 years at this point. We need ANSWERS.

Daybreak - 1.10 FWASH-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

It was written as a cliffhanger for a second season that would never come, but it just felt flat. The one objective that our leading lad (Josh) had been chasing (saving Sam) was rendered pointless, because the moment the big bad was defeated she effectively declared herself the new big bad and everyone who wasn't a major character went 'hmmm, okay!' And accepted it! They didn't even address this all that well, just ended with a shot of the MCs looking shocked.

Doctor Who - 12.10 The Timeless Children

this finale is shit!! absolute ass! nothing happens in it for it to justify having such a cool name. the master captures the doctor, shows her a slideshow that amounts to ‘‘you’re adopted!! :)" doctor breaks out of her matrix prison thing by overloading it with memories when the matrix is The Supercomputer and it’s used to hold all memories of all time lords ever? you know, the species whove been doing their thing for a billion years and live up to 10,000 years? the doctors new memories should either already be there or make nary a dent in it. the doctor’s like ‘‘why would they do that! why would they lie?’’ girl they have been lying to you since forever. they killed you once. theyve tried to kill you so many times. they turned you into a fucked up anti time monster that one time. one of the doctors past past selves even told her it doesnt really matter!! what was even the point

Loki - 1.06 For All Time. Always.

The series was going downhill past Episode 3 tbh, but it really just was a load of crap only interested in setting up the multiverse

Tales of Arcadia - Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans

This finale undoes everything the show worked for. In order to give itself stakes it kills off a few characters, but in a way that only indirectly impacts the MCs (such as Jim's Mom's fiancé getting killed). Then, at the end of the special, the main character uses time travel to go back to the start of S1E01 and changed history so he never becomes the trollhunter. Instead he makes his next friend the trollhunter instead. In terms of anticipation it was not at all what anyone was anticipating. (I had assumed he'd go to the start of the special and defeat the titans without any casualties). Having undone time only he remembers the previous timestream and he makes no effort to engage with it outside of accepting his changeling principal far sooner.

Ted Lasso - 3.12 So Long, Farewell

This trash ass finale undid three seasons of character development for every single person involved (except Nate!). A long-distance parent returned "home" despite having no attachments besides his child and leaving behind his entire found family, an abused and neglected woman was left behind by the person who taught her she didn't deserve abuse and neglect, and two characters who spent the whole show learning to cooperate and care for each other got into a fistfight over the girl they both dated.

Torchwood - 3.05 Day Five

No propaganda submitted

#prelim #wfprelim #wfpoll #poll #polls #agent carter #daybreak #doctor who #loki #tales of arcadia #ted lasso #torchwood

[ladyduellist]

Epistles of Saints & Sinners

Chapter Summary:

Astarion and Tav spar one another. When flirting starts to take hold, things get heated in more ways than one.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Story Summary:

When Astarion meets the humble bard, Tav, he soon finds out he's the only one between them that knows they are bound as soulmates through their marks. Deciding it's more trouble than its worth, he refuses to tell her along the course of their journey across Faerûn.

But, unbeknownst to him and their companions, Tav is harboring a gruesome secret that she only thought was nothing more than a traumatized period in her life.

As they both come to face to face with their pasts and presents, will they choose to move forward or let it consume them?

Healing isn’t linear—after all.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Chapter 15: Boundaries

Ao3

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

Main Page & Chapter List

Word count: 4.2k

Pairing: Astarion x female bard Tav

CW: Sexual Language, Violence, Tension, Act 1 Spoilers

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

I have come to know many lover’s secrets as they confided them to me while I stole their moans with my cock. But, Tavelle confided in me for other reasons. Frightened and scorned, she knew no chapel would truly redeem her. I told her we could compare our scars, and the laugh she composed, I found myself chasing after in my trance that night.

— Astarion Ancunín, journal entry 2

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Astarion did not miss the conciliatory presence of Tav since she ended their companionship.

He did not grieve the spooling of his argent hair filaments around her bobbined fingertips, yet he lusted after her crimson essence warming his veins—making his cock weep. The absence left behind of the Amen her thighs shuddered closing around his hips like hands in mid prayer, did not fill him with a yearning materialized by Pothos: winged god of desire.

What he missed was the perceived solution to his troubles that had accumulated in the unremarkable epoch of his life, that he now began to feel in the creak of his bones each daybreak. His real appetency only to be satiated by his viable survival; he would sooner die than once again become a whore underneath Cazador.

Perhaps it had been foolhardy to rely entirely on what he knew instead of focusing more to sharpen the skills he did not—namely faking an annoyingly long standing union with the bard—yet, how was he to know these episodes would suddenly appear, bringing him to ruin. As if being one of his Lord’s spawns wasn’t enough, a final departing gift bestowed to Astarion were traumatic illusions distorting his stimuli. Skewed sensations that he was at a loss on how to deal with as they continued to fuck up his manipulative ploys.

Though, it bewildered the pale vamp why Tav had not asked him to leave their entourage indefinitely. She certainly had every right to do so. In the past week, he watched her peep beneath her stays to check on the wound his knifed cuspids left on her skin like lost shadows. Her breath uneven with each glance. A caged vision where her soul mark sat, now tainted by his hallucinations.

And, why hadn’t she confided in someone about the incident? He noticed she purposely refused to seek aid from any of their cohorts; nor had she gobbled down a single drop of a healing potion immediately after he bit her. Instead, she opted to watch the puncture slowly mend itself, day after day, as if it were a potent reminder of the creature she had entangled herself with.

Or could her intentional omission from their friends be her way of still protecting him?

Astarion realized that despite having a keen eye to Tav’s compassionate heart—as she wore it so dangerously on her sleeve—there was much he still didn’t understand about the woman. He caught himself on numerous occasions thinking about these afflictions that seemed to dull his thoughts in the way opium derived from arresting poppy flowers clouded the mind.

Even now, while she tied her brown waves back into a low ponytail at the base of her neck in preparation to spar with him, he wondered about the hieroglyphs painted inside the shell of her skull he nearly wanted to crack open and decipher.

“Have you finished dawdling? We’re starting to lose light and I promised myself to a rather savory hunt for the evening.”

Tugging a set of dark leather gloves up her artful hands, the songstress briefly paused. “We don’t need to do this, especially if it’s keeping you from a meal. Besides, I’m not even sure why you suggested we spar in the first place.”

“Isn’t it quite obvious?” He goaded with a tilt of his chin. “Our regular means to relieve stress have been halted by your ruling, not to mention, we can hardly agree on your compulsory pursuits. So, all we have left are our blades to steer the conversation instead of our bodies.”

“Or,” he continued with a suggestive smirk, twirling a set of twin daggers in his hands. “Could it really be that I wanted to see just how much I manage to excite you—even to your own oversight.”

Tav flushed, her vision wandering to the rapier at her side. Judging by the battering of her heartbeats, Astarion surmised she was equally vexed and embarrassed at his frankness. His smirk grew wider as he watched the redness spread to her ears. No amount of fighting with the bard could ever snuff out the enjoyment of watching her squirm with a roused state when he stirred her with his coquettish disposition.

It was almost impious teasing her in this way. Taking advantage of the purity in her coy glances. Basking in the trophies of her rhythmic pulses—

CLANG!

Without due warning, she had managed to smoothly unsheath her blade and feint it agilely towards his pale chest. Had his senses not been attuned as they were, a gaping hole could possibly exist where the tip of her weapon now met the side of his dagger.

“Ah, there she is! I do so ever admire this gusto in you,” he growled, pushing his dagger back against her steel.

“Speaking of oversights: you should never leave your vitals open like this,” she pointed out.

Astarion darkly chuckled. “Are you going to teach me how to properly use my blade?”

Her eyes fluttered mischievously, presenting him with her best innocent smile. “Now, why would I need to do that? I think you’ve proven that you’re very proficient with your thrusts already.”

A double entendre? Oh, she certainly didn’t disappoint in placating his amusements.

Forcefully, he shoved her away, allowing him to flip backwards to gain better footing for their next attack.

“If you wanted to turn this spar into a contest of flirting, all you had to do was ask.”

Tav swished her rapier through the air several times before deciding on stocatta lunga stance. “But Astarion, what is sparring if not the ultimate form of flirting?”

Suddenly, she pushed off of her rear shank, providing momentum to her front leg for a direct thrust towards his belly. Quick. Unfettered. Elegant in her movement.

“Touché darling,” the spawn complimented, using both knives to knock the end of her blade off to the side.

Being on the receiving end of her blade, Astarion understood how complementary their light-weighted weapons were to one another. The rapier and the dagger. Enemies and lovers. One prolonging mercy; the other granting it immediately. Both capable of a piercing death.

They danced; they lanced their chests.

Blades aglow, hardened hearts.

Rites performed, faith unseen.

In the name of the steel, the hilt, and the devout thrusts.

Should have brought a short sword, he thought when she countered with a redoublement from a vertical angle. He parried the edge of the weapon, short-stepping out of the way with a balance on the ball of his right foot, narrowly missing contact.

He lifted a brow, marveling at her precision. Gods, she was good. Really good.

This was unlike scrapping around with Lae’zel. While the gith preceded her talent at swinging her sword at a decent speed, Astarion had been capable enough to get within her personal space to demonstrate an icepick thrust at several intervals. He could easily switch between offensive and defensive motions at no cost to his dexterous caliber.

But, he was not prepared for the agile footwork Tav worked to push and push and push him further out into the carpet of wheat stalks. His only ally would be to defend against her passes.

Time to switch tactics.

The vampire brought one of his weapons up in the air at a 45 degree angle, whilst holding the other pointing out towards her at chin level. He crossed one foot over the other, slowly circling around her.

“Tav,” he started in feigned concern, sweat runlets now rolling down his naked torso in a race to his defined abdominal muscles.

The bard retracted into a slip pose, disengaging enough to stall her blitz. “Yes?”

An opening.

Catching her off guard, he falsified an attack, causing her to lift her blade into a shielding position with an audible gasp.

Upon his shifting feet, like airy strides transitioning from one cumulus cloud to the other, Astarion emerged behind her. He wrapped a single arm around her hips into an impenetrable hold, during which the edge of a knife found casual repose at her silken throat.

The bard theatrically laughed, the muscles in her neck contracting against the cool metal. “Like the first time we met. How nostalgic of you.”

She was exceptionally cheeky today. Wordy. Taunting. As if it had instead been her that invited him to a soirée of abandoned gods. Leaving them isolated in a garden. Tempting their playful demons to unleash.

He squeezed her tighter, aligning her kindling rear into his narrow hips. Provoking lips found their way to gravelly reply near her lobe. “I’m a man that favors the classics, what can I say?”

Remaining stationary, her blade arm tarried vertically to her left flank. She carefully turned her head, almost nicking ivory flesh with the sharp temper of his dagger. The apple of her cheek brushed along the tip of his nose as she adjusted the angle of her neck. Part of her intense malcontent with him, evident in the light pink splotches on the top heap of her bosom like stamps of dainty animal paws.

Tav’s heated lips partially opened into a sultry cadence, muted eyes half-lidded. “Having fun?”

Having fun.

It was such a simple question that held more weight to him than she knew. He couldn’t recall a time when he was allowed to have fun at his own leisure. No commands. No conquests. No sex. Thrilling adrenaline reminding him vaguely of who he used to be: man; son; magistrate; human.

He thought back to the past couple of hours out in the rocky field. The rush of avoiding Lae’zel’s gluttonous pendulates with her longsword. Then, the rapt thrill of being kept constantly on his feet by Tav’s slender steel as they both seemed to perform a bourrée dance with their weapons quick successions.

Yes, he was thoroughly and genuinely having a good time.

Within these bounds, he inferred that this must be part of what it was like being treated as an equal. Actually, hadn’t that been true since he joined up with the group? And hadn’t that been largely because of Tav’s influence?

To think, she had initially been selected by him to be part of the key intended to eke together his body and soul back under his own control anew!

She had been the only figure to encourage everyone’s voice to be heard since the beginning. That their individual presence be required when making decisions—even over frivolous matters. Incessantly, she infuriated him and somehow with his knife now capriciously at her throat, he found himself feeling a bout of guilt.

Still, his aspirations to use whatever means necessary to cling to this unripened salvation and murder Baldur’s Gate only vampire lord, took precedence. No amount of regretful twinges rumbling in the occupied borderlands in the casket of his deadened organs—where unsettled thoughts frequently went to be repressed—over swaying her emotions for his personal benefit, would change his due course.

“It’s hard not to with you,” he teasingly whispered.

The undeath draft he exhaled into her skin, caused an invasive shiver down the architecture of her body. The engine behind her living ribs heated the stagnant liquid in its ventricles. Pumping, pumping, pumping to boil fervidly through cylindrical valves.

Astarion’s eyes flickered down to the effervescent aria humming through the sequences of her quivering neck veins. A savage groan balling in the pits of his diaphragm.

Oh, how he continued to crave her blood like an immature young man that had barely gotten his cock wet. Intoxicating murals painted the walls in his mind. Teeth: forming latticework along the untamed heaven across her skin. Rutting perversely into her as his fangs sank in, just so he could again taste forbidden sunlight on his tongue that only arose when she came.

He closed his lids, inhaling her scent deeply. Floral wood and fresh with perspiration. Lost in the boughs of his gluttonous predation. Drowning in memories of his stomach reeling and drunk with her life nectar.

“Hmm. Just like that minor ordeal when you refused to see reason with Gale’s Netherese orb. Were you having fun then?”

“Your loyalty to your convictions is astounding,” Astarion snidely snorted. He drew back the blade from the curve of her neck, only to nestle the point mischievously in the hollow of her throat. “Gale should have long been a blip on the horizon. The man’s more accident prone than a drunk patriar trying to compete in a ribbon pole dance.”

Tav sharply took in a breath, arching her back further into the brisk planes of his chest. “That may be, but he is a good man. Well-mannered and devoted to whatever he puts his mind to. He has been an asset to our team. If you all want to continue on without him, then you’ll have to do so without me as well.”

With newfound freedom to better move, she slanted her neck in such a way that he was able to visibly notice a single bead of sweat trailing down the stem of her head, disappearing underneath the collar of her shirt. “...and my blood,” she added.

Astarion swallowed thickly, his tongue tickling the roof of his mouth as he imagined worrying that sweat drop back up the length of her taut flesh, discovering readied blood vessels along the way.

His bruising fingertips slid from her hip to the thick strap of her leather belt, tracing to the front buckle at a slow pace. “Have you perchance developed a crush on our bumbling wizard? Fancy yourself being lost in the weave alongside him? How romantic.”

Rolling her eyes in frustration, she grumbled through pursed lips. “How silly of me to forget how I’ve longed to be in his arms since the first time he boiled a kettle of water! And being nothing but another tart to you, has finally made me realize who I truly should have bedded this entire time.”

Gods, was she ever bitter!

Though, he wondered if he could lasso back her tender affections for him that were still jutting out of her heart like shards of glass. Tie the finest thread around her body, intending to stitch the distance between them, knowing sometimes desire—her desires—can make people do things they professed to never repeat.

The Knight of Cups arrives reversed, A warning to heed actions that bind a curse. Hallelujah passes their lips as they sup, For only their cracked walls can fill the cup.

By the scent of her torrent arousal, Astarion decided to test the waters.

He placed the faintest touch of his lips upon the moderately faded bite marks inches below her ear lobe, eliciting a shallow catch of air in her mouth. “Oh? At least you haven’t forgotten that I did have you first,” he countered with a smokey pitch.

Elbow in the air, she reached around to the back of his head with her usable hand and lazily slid it through his curls resting peacefully at his nape. “You didn’t have all of me,” she rasped, with a gentle tug at his tendrils.

Finger pads coursed from her hip strap up to her underbust corset belt, examining the sewn edging that sat just below her bust. “Are you offering for me to take more of you, songbird?”

Tav melted in his arms, now firmly gripping the back of his neck to steady her cobbling legs. “I don’t know if we should…”

Astarion glided his digits under the curvature of her breasts, outlining the band of her bra through her shirt. “Shall I make the decision for you?”

“What about Lae’zel?”

Now which answer would she wish to hear, he questioned inwardly. Relying on his devil’s tongue to prolong her want for him through accustomed seduction, did have its advantages. However, telling the truth could give her instant reassurance and would be what she probably preferred.

Though the outcome was uncertain, he decided to drop his mask with her to demonstrate a rare moment of honesty.

“What about her? I told her my interests had only been held by one woman,” he breathed into the pointed shell of her ear. “And if I changed my mind for a more exotic taste, I would find her.”

Well, it was somewhat the truth. He just decided to forego the clause mentioning how he really felt about the bard.

Tav lifted her head to stare straight ahead. Unable to read her expression, Astarion surmised by the saliva clearing in her pharynx and the sudden warmth that shot down her back, he made the correct choice.

“And what about our duel? Giving up already?”

“It would seem I ran into a distraction,” the vampire cooed, reaching up to cup her chin gently, prodding her to keep her eyes forward.

The rapier dropped to the ground, landing with muffled thuds. She placed her hand directly on top of the one that had begun dragging the knife vertically down her sternum, gooseflesh raising to meet their creator.

Voice a rough timbre, he spoke in elvish. ”Kerradun salen seharan, evael’dil?”

”Astarion,” Tav panted out.

He trailed the dagger down a zealous pathway of her pale skin to the lacings of her shirt, slowly pulling the cord out of the first eyelets with the very tip. Kerradun hinual salen lahr?

Nehel thro sal kerradun nehel. Sen kar nehel kerradun?”

Another row of lacings were tugged out. ”Kerradun tel’quiet?”

”Hinual tel’quiet sen nehel kerradun,” she bid him quietly. Her gloved hand moved from his spindly fingers closed around the blade hilt, down to clasp his wrist. Thumb rubbing a lulling circle into the pellicle over his inner wrist veins.

Ignoring her inquiry, he peppered compelling dabs into the juncture of her neck and shoulder. The spawn told himself she didn’t want to know what he truly wanted. No, what she most likely wanted to hear was if he wanted her. If he would affix her name in blood to the inside of his mouth, so that whenever he stirred the cant of his tongue, a piece of her was there to contest his lips.

”Astarion. Neshanas…”

The dagger turned, flipping out the final bit of cording. With the edge, he gradually folded back the deep v-cut of her blouse, revealing an eyeful of cleavage nestled in her brassiere.

Almost there. A bit more divergence from her meandering grievances. A subtle lick. A feathered touch. Soon she would rip off her halo and pray for him to—

”Neshanas! Stop,” she cried out, pulling the weapon away from her and nudging him backwards with the force of her hips.

Astarion stumbled, a quick yowl from the rash jerk. He threw his blade straight into the ground, viewing her with dissatisfied red orbits. “Urgh. What’s wrong?”

“Stop pretending you don’t know,’ she angrily announced, pacing before him. “Gods, I really thought for a split moment that I had been wrong about asking us to quash our relations. I’m sorry, but this was a mistake.” The bard mitigated her route, turning to face him. “You don’t really want this—or me—and you haven’t since the beginning.”

“I never said that…”

“And that’s just it; you didn’t need to! A lack of a candid reply to someone’s worries, is a reply by its own volition,” Tav seethed like a mustang galloping through torrid climates. “I want to know what’s going on with you. Please.”

He stood up straight, flouncing his hand at her. “Darling, I have no idea what you’re referring to.”

Wasting no time, she paraded up to him, collar torn out of the way to show him the imprinted teeth marks fencing in her soul mark. Unwrapped and on display.

“Fine. Out of all the places you could have chosen, why did you choose to bite me there?”

Astarion tried to sheepishly look away. “Don’t—“

She softened her penetrating gaze. “What was going through your head at the time? You can talk about this with me. I want to listen—“

Acknowledging the wound, meant acknowledging the hold Cazador still had over him. Recollections surfacing of shaking bones as his tongue licked the floor for leftover rat’s blood. The weakness that no compassionate word could help him fight.

“I said DON’T,” he harshly interjected, blurred movements firmly gripping her wrists and pinning them to the small of her back.

The woman conceded to him without so much as a lone jolt of fear. Her dutiful blue eyes searched his own, picking out the shifting red shades his emotions relayed. A fabled story she sifted through to understand the narrative of his tragic life.

“If you’re unwilling to answer, then until you—we—figure this out, I think it’s best you don’t feed from me in private anymore,” she calmly decided.

The truth nipped at his tongue like frostbite. He felt like he was being choked, detached from airflow. To acknowledge the living manifesto of his master he still carried within each nerve ending in his brain.

And Tav: his soulmate; his victim. All unbeknownst to her. The one whose light he didn’t want bleeding all over his darkness.

“You mean to put on a show in front of the whole camp? I’d prefer it if we continued to use a more secluded place,” Astarion disputed.

“Let me repeat myself: I said we shouldn’t do it in private anymore.”

He narrowed his eyes at her skeptically. “So, you don’t believe in my honor anymore?”

“It isn’t that. I don’t feel comfortable in case…something happens again,” Tav remarked, viewing him cautiously. “I do trust you are not trying to intentionally harm me, but Astarion, your episodes are powerful enough to where you currently lack control over them.”

“You can’t be serious,” he agitatedly huffed.

Listless breaths filled her lungs, then released ghostly currents that fanned along the framework of his pectorals. Her persistence in setting a boundary, could capture the tide of any moon.

“Okay, so you are serious. Why do you insist on playing dumb? You already know why,” he whispered when she didn’t respond.

And she did know. Though he would not deny the sexual lust that attached itself to the act, the intimacy shared in private when he drank from her, made her poor heart nearly bleed out. He could hear each sacred ode humming to him as he held in his arms to indulge his ache. It was an experience Astarion did not share with anyone else. Tav had been chosen solely alone to feed him: the only person his fangs were not used as a weapon on.

She squared her shoulders, raising her head confidently. “I just want both of us to be safe. I know what events like that can do to a person. What it’s like to go through trauma. What it’s like to experience the aftermath of it all. We don’t get a choice in that regard.”

Blinks corroded his surveillance of her. He released his hold, allowing her to roll her wrists around to soothe the stiffness.

“Come now, you’ve never been through hardships like I have. How would you know?” He openly mocked, avoiding eye contact.

“What makes you think that?”

“Look at you! Had you experienced even a fraction of horror, there is no way you’d still be able to carry on with this big heart of yours,” Astarion exclaimed. “Your kindness would have dulled and expired.”

The bard scrunched her brows. A breeze cascaded her bangs to the side of her forehead, unveiling a hallmark glare that he thought resembled subdued ire.

“We’ve only slept together twice. Do not presume to know me,” Tav murmured.

The vampire watched as she crossed her arms defiantly.

“I don’t know everything there is to know about you, no, but I have learned enough,” he tried to establish, combing fingers through his long white strands.

Poking deeper into their already opened contusions, she extended her advancement to gain clarity. “What does ‘enough’ mean, ‘Starion? Tell me something about myself that you’ve learned—by interest alone. I’ll even take feigned interest at this point.”

Sighing, he pinched the skin between his brows. “I’m not going to continue fighting with you, Tavelle.”

“You can’t even answer, can you?” She challenged. Lip bitten. Gape unwavering.

Astarion seized the length of her jaw, thumb landing on her bottom vermillion, parting the bow of her lips.

“Alright, let me paint a picture for you: When have you ever offered up something about yourself to me that digs under that reticent surface you want everyone else to see? A part of you that’s viscerally raw,” he gruffly asserted.“I’ve told you about my past, the vile acts Cazador inflicted on me, and while I haven’t divulged everything, I haven’t shied away from them either.”

Hoisting her face up towards him, he leaned down, mouth inches from hers. “Nothing is holding you hostage except yourself, Tav.”

Her heartbeat paused. And then he heard it beat again.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Notes:

Here is a rough outline of the elvish dialogue Astarion and Tav were saying to one another.

Astarion: ”Kerradun salen seharan, evael’dil?” = Do you miss/want my touch, lover?

Astarion: “Kerradun hinual salen lahr? = Do you miss/want to sing my name?”

Tav: “Nehel thro sal kerradun nehel. Sen kar nehel kerradun?” = You know I miss you. What do you want?

Astarion: ”Kerradun tel’quiet?” = Do you want me?

Tav: ”Hinual tel’quiet sen nehel kerradun.” = Tell me what you want.

Tav: Neshanas. = Stop

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 astarion #astarion x tav #astarion #baldurs gate tav #bg3 tav #tav #epistles of saints & sinners #smut #slow burn #astarion fanfic #astarion acunin #bg3 spoilers #bg3 fanfic #bard tav #spawn astarion #bg3 smut #bg3 soulmates #soulmates #soulmate marks #female tav #fem!tav

[verosvault]

🚨SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 6🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 6 "Party Politics"

Timestamp: 00:15:49

Video Length: 4min. & 58sec.

The Bad Kids meet Buddy Dawn (Pt. 1 | ‣Pt. 2)

Buddy says that's not how being a "chosen one" works. 🥲🥲🥲

When Kristen left the church, they lost their chosen one. 🥲🥲🥲🥲

Buddy asks how things are working out with Kristen's new god though 😭✋

Adaine and Fabian lie and say that things are going so great with Kristen and her new god! 😭😭✋✋ Fully backing her up as they should! 😭✋👏❤️🫶👌

Fabian mentions Craig! 😂🤣💀

Adaine says that Helio chose Kristen but Kristen chose Cassandra! 😭✋

Kristen is invisibly crying 😭✋

Buddy asks if Kristen is around somewhere other than right in front of him! 😭 *Points to Fig disguised as Kristen* 😭✋

Fig forgot they were there! 😭✋

Fig disguised as Kristen wants to go do another shrimp jump! 😂🤣💀

Buddy: "It can't possibly be as good as the first!" 😭✋

Buddy tries to rile up everyone that they're about to see another shrimp jump! 😭✋

Fabian says to rack 'em up! 😭✋

Fig asks the Hangman to destroy the ramp and he does it in Hellhound form! 😭✋

Buddy calls the Hangman Hellhound "A servant of the devil"! 😂😂💀💀

Gorgug says it smells good from the inside because of all of that butter!! 😂😂🤣🤣💀💀😭😭

Fabian and Riz wonder where Buddy's friends are at....his adventuring party.

Buddy says that Kipperlilly is so bright and that she's a blessing and a gift! 😭✋

Buddy says that Ruben is very talented.

Adaine asks Buddy what his thoughts are on Ruben's song 😂🤣💀

Kristen does an insight check on his positivity and wants to know if it's authentic 😭✋

Brennan: "I think you recognize it from growing up in the church and growing up amongst the Harvestman. On first glance, the fact that Buddy is here fraternizing, unless there's some secret nefarious reason that he's here to do this, right, would put him in a different category from the Harvestman or Coach Daybreak, right? Coach Daybreak would not be able to be here and not be aggressive and hostile to people, right? But it doesn't mean that all of Buddy's positivity is sincere. I think you would read it in a more nuanced way. Buddy's positivity is partially coming from a genuine place. That genuine place is deeply judgemental, but maybe some part of him wants what's best for other people, but that wanting what's best for other people, is cloaked in a really myopic sort of Manichaean worldview. So it's the mix of- it's all the good and bad stuff that you would-

Ally: It's extremely recognizable

Brennan: "Extremely recognizable"

Brennan: "I don't think Kristen would clock it as positive, but that doesn't mean it's not genuine, right? It has all the problems you associate..."

Brennan: "You WERE this kid, so it's like, whatever you didn't like about your old self you feel like, oh, it's present in this kid who's also drinking water out of a beer can, and is here being like, 'I genuinely love everyone at this party, and I wanna keep you from doing the choices that are wrong that you're making. You know, that vibe, right?"

Adaine asks Buddy why he joined the rat grinders

Adaine and Fig asked if he replaced somebody and Buddy said that he got requested specifically by them. 🥲

Riz asks him if something happened to somebody on their team. 🥲

Riz asks if he knows if the rat grinders had any former members.

#dimension 20 #dimension20 #blog #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #party politics #fantasy high party politics #fantasy high junior year episode 6 #fhjy ep 6 #fantasy high scene #fantasy high junior year scene #dimension20 scene #queue #buddy dawn #Helio #kristen #kristen applebees #ally beardsley #the bad kids #bad kids #the intrepid heroes #intrepid heroes #fabian aramais seacaster #lou wilson #adaine abernant #adaine o'shaughnessey #siobhan thompson #brennan lee mulligan #the hangman #hangman

[iwannabejustlikethewind]

Nobody asked but here are my top 5 fav Webtoon of all time. Yes they range a lot.

5. Spicy Mint- ONGOING- It’s a gay college slowburnwith a super cool artstyle. Amazing supporting cast, cute main couple, overall lovely. No spoilers but it gets pretty dark at times, and handles sensitive topics, so be sure to check the TWs.

4. Daybreak- ONGOING- completely adorable gay love story. Again, amazing art. It’s super chill and wholesome to read cuz there’s a pretty loose plot. Only complaint is that there’s some characters that are introduced and get forgotten about lol

3- Surviving Romance- COMPLETE- This girl is transported into a romance novel as the main character, lives here life for a while, but the day the main love interest is meant to confess his feelings everything goes horribly wrong. A great psychological horror/action(?) that has really intriguing things that tie in with the world being a huge novel. Will say, the end was a bit eh… but the major portion of the book is good.

2- Omniscient Reader- ONGOING - This online novel that the main guy was obsessed with comes to life, and he uses his expansive knowledge to survive the “scenarios” and manipulate the rules of the game. Just a super cool action drama, and I love how it feels so much like a video game. Perfect for oc creation, if you like that. Also, the story is apparently extremely long, so it’s going to take at least a year or two for the story to be completed 😭

1- Handjumper- ONGOING/ON HIATUS- Amazing superhero/action/thriller where high schoolers are tested for powers and sent to these programs to train them to work for the government, and they’re looked down upon a lot. The Webtoon has super good world building, dynamic characters, STUNNING art, and an impeccable protagonist. I can’t say too much else without spoilers, but there are so many mysteries that need to be solved and I NEED more content for it. Only problem is that there haven’t been any updates on when the next episode is coming out for… half a year.. so…

Also reminder that there is a global strike for Gaza occurring from January 21-28. Don’t go to school or work if you can. If you must, don’t buy anything. Don’t carry on business as normal. Also don’t say a word about how I’m bringing down the mood of my post and how this is irrelevant.

#webtoon #spicy mints #daybreak #surviving romance #omniscient reader's viewpoint #hand jumper

[thisisnotthenerd]

first up is fantasy high:

quick episode descriptions:

clash of the corn cuties: the first fight. the corn blob and respective goblin size butthole. corn cuties. jumping on tables. beating a woman to death with her own ladle. getting episode 2'd

rumble road: fighting johnny spells and the tiefling greasers on the road. casting sleep on the driver of a moving vehicle. meeting the cubbys. getting the hangman.

brawl at the black pit: fighting the undead at the black pit. dj brainzz. adaine almost becoming a werewolf. chasing zayn darkshadow out of the club.

havoc on the half-pipe: torek railgrinder & the dwarf skaters. jumping off of the golem. the vulture. goblin or nay, that's tight as hell. fig breaking gorthalax out of the gem with a drum solo.

battle of the bloodrush brethren: fighting daybreak & the harvestmen on the bloodrush field. fight me in the sky. closing the hell mouth. the owlbear. shooting a man point blank. telling ragh he shit his pants.

the sisterly showdown: aelwyn & the elementals at ostentatia's party. gorgug might be his own dad. casting web to catch aelwyn. spirit guardians in the pool. stealing aguefort's watch. riz in the toilet. suplexing an elemental. adaine punching aelwyn.

arcade ambush: fighting biz in the arcade. the failed perception checks. getting sucked in and out of the games. riz in the palimpsest. beating a nat 20 in the box of doom. shooting off biz's fingers on the count of three.

family in flames: bill seacaster might be gorgug's dad. getting out of jail with the help of bud cubby. making the choice to save family or have full hp. the thistlesprings' tank. fig and sandra lynn. asking sklonda to prom. fabian losing an eye, killing bill and getting hallariel out of the egg.

prompocalypse: finale part 1. coming off of family in flames. tackling the prom queen. kristen with fly. murdering dayne blayde. killing penelope. fig & goldenhoard. adaine & jawbone. freeing gorthalax. can i roll a nat 20 and be alive.

prompocalypse part 2: the result of the nat 20. arthur aguefort in heaven, having knocked out sol. the greatest magic is chronomancy. taking a long rest mid fight. i'm going to eat you. gorgug finding his dad gorbag. casting revivify on goldenhoard for the seven to kill him.

#dimension 20 #battle episode of all time #fantasy high #d20 poll #dimension 20 spoilers #d20 spoilers #feel free to add your reasoning/propaganda as you like

[froggos-are-superior]

The duality of Daybreak will never cease to amaze me. I mean, on one hand, the whole show is basically just a giant shit post. But on the other hand, it touches on some really deep and personal topics. The kind of show that has you crying laughing, if you will.

They'll have this scene with Josh where he's like

I GOTTA CUT OFF MY FINGER MAN I DONT WANNA BE A ZOMBIE

And then Angelica walks in and is like

WHAT THE FUCK MAN THIS ISNT THE WALKING DEAD, THE ZOMBIE BITES DO NOTHING

And Josh is just staring at his severed finger like man oh man.

Topics

The entire show is filled with scenes like that but it also addresses things such as

Bullying

Morality

Complex parent relationships

The struggle to fit in

Mental illness

Homophobia

Loneliness

Grief

Sacrifice

A breakdown of the manic pixie dream girl trope

Realizing that maybe you aren't a good person

Having to choose the lesser of two evils

Having to choose between being true to yourself and being the person everyone wants from you

And one of the best parts is that, yes, they do fuck up. A character makes a decision and maybe it was the wrong one. Maybe actions do have consequences. Sometimes they learn from those mistakes. Sometimes they don't. I like this. It makes it feel like an accurate depiction of a human being.

They show everyone as fucking idiots, but every episode has a different character's backstory, narrated by themselves. It makes you realize that even if you think someone's a dick, sometimes there are things going on in their lives that you just can't know about.

Episodes

(Some of who narrates each episode for context):

Josh- Josh vs. the Apocalypse Part 1, Schmuck Bait!, Post Mates

One of the things most apparent from Josh's perspective, is that he loves Samaira Dean. All we ever see are good things about her. But as the plot drags on, it starts to become apparent that maybe Josh's narration is unreliable, warped.

Angelica- The Slime Queenpin of Glendale, CA

Angelica's story is a bit funny, bordering on concerning. It's clear however, that she didn't have the best childhood and all she really wants is a friend, or someone who won't leave her behind.

Wesley- Homecoming Redux or My So Called Stunt Double Life

I could go on forever about Wesley's episode, but the main dilemma is that Wesley needs to pick between two people he loves. Sam advises him to ignore both options- to pick himself instead. It really makes you think that he did too. But in the end, he made a decision and now has to live with the guilt of what he did. Present-day, he's faced with a similar situation once again, and he doesn't know how to make the right decision.

Ms. Crumble- Canta Tu Vida

Ms. Crumble was a tragic character. Her backstory reflected that as well. She had so much character growth as the series went on and I was in tears during the finale.

I honestly have no idea what I was originally going for here but at this point it's pretty much just a Daybreak themed mess. Bon appetit.

#daybreak netflix #daybreak #josh wheeler #sam dean #samaira dean #ms crumble #principal burr #turbo brojock #jaden hoyles #angelica green #wesley fists

[mediamatinees]

Daybreak: A Romantic Breath of Fresh Air

Minor Spoilers for Daybreak episodes 1-35 ahead! Note: Sorry for the shorter (and late) post today. My routine for this month got disrupted, but hopefully things will go back to normal afterwards. There are times when I get myself into a particularly bad reading slump, even with the help of audiobooks. I’ll be thinking about other books I recently finished that either pissed me off or that I…

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#daybreak #friends to lovers #moosopp #romance #romantic comedy #teen romance #webcomics #Webtoons #YA #young adult romance

[eggsaladstain]

i genuinely love daybreak so much

Source: Spy x Family, Season 1 Episode 18

#spy x family #sxf #spy x family anime #sxf anime #twilight #loid forger

[pugs-cats-bb-8]

Persona 5-The Daybreakers

This has never been dubbed into English, it is subbed through. Just letting people know.

I love Morgana 🤣🤣

They have to go down to the train station to access Mementos? I thought they entered from above. So they just disappear into thin air?

So this takes place sometime after Yusuke.

Why does Ren look pissed and disinterested?

I love the shot of them getting in.

Ren drives like I do. 🤣🤣

I can drive the cat. No, I can't.

They make Akechi even prettier 🥰🥰Also his eyes look more red here.

This dude looks like Wonder.

I know that beer brand 🤣🤣

Pink chalk?

Yusuke's friend looks like a wet puppy.

Does the game ever ask "Why don't they go to the police"? Like I know it's established pretty early on that the police aren't going to do anything (the game's words, not mine) and that's basically why the Phantom Thieves exist.

Ren is pretty 😍😍 And basically stalking that dude. Way to take tips from your boyfriend🤣🤣

I've never seen Ren wear a cross-body bag. Minus that uh, fashion disaster (IMHO) of a collab with a tourism thingy.

Damn, he really pissed... and hot.

Ren looked normal for a frame. Is this an AU? Like Ren's harder than usual.

Why does he react like he forgot Morgana was there? 🤣🤣

My man is risking his ass using Leblanc. Like I remember reading about this on the Wikia but really. I like how they weren't concerned about using Leblanc. Like really, especially cause Ren could get kicked out, property could be damaged, Morgana could get hurt, Sojiro could get hurt if he walks in. Not to mention it's just plain rude to be that careless. Ren has balls.

Where'd the panic light come from? They don't have Futaba yet. Iwai!?

If it wasn't Makigami? then who was it?

It was his brother, Yusuke's wet puppy friend. 😲😲

He's the leader? I thought he was the lackey😲😲 I thought the older dude was the leader.

That transformation was uh...

Where'd the bloody Oni come from? I thought we were fighting Mitras.

Add in the onion bird.

Ren is badass 😍😍🥵🥵

If Arsene's gonna get more lines. I would love it if it got dubbed. That's part of the reason I kept him. 😋😋😋😋

I like how they do baton pass all athletic and dramatic.

Long legs 😍😍

What I wouldn't give to be his position. 😍😍

"The arrogance in your heart. I stole it". (I accidentally flipped it although I think it works better the other way). It reminds me of a line from dancing. "Did you enjoy the show? Well, until next time". 🥵😍

Although, it sounds like intil to me. Same thing happened with Ippon Datara. I thought it was Ippon Tatara. In my defense, I had to learn what his voice sounded like.

Wait, this dude is a Mementos Mission. He's a combo of 2MM. 6/18 you get The Phantom Thieves vs. Burglary Ring. The story matches up halfway and the dude's name is Makigami but it never mentions him having a brother. It's even the same shadow. Fake-Man Show in 3rd sem has a brother that he abused and he says the same thing as his shadow disappears.

Morgana's dopey face. Maybe because I have it paused? 🤣🤣

Pretty girl in the crowd.

Just hear a random cat and find a key and a note 🤣🤣. That's how we got some of our cats. Minus the key and note.

He's kinda cute. Why does he look like a mix of Akechi and Natsume? But add in wet puppy.

😍😍😍🥵 Fuckin' gorgeous shot. Reminds me of when Morgana's floating away at the end/near the end of 5.

They went straight into Kaneshiro, without Makoto? I wish the game did that. 🤣🤣 Maybe it was near Kanoshiro to begin with.

So, that was a test run? I don't know how to word it. It makes sense, given that Ren's not that confident when he starts. It does provide insight on what thiefy lengths Ren is capable of.

A-1 (Steak Sauce🤭) animated this? It looks amazing. What happened between episode 0 and 1? Come to think of it they did the opening for Radiant Historia too. Which also looks great and it's on the 3DS. I think they also did a couple of P3 movies too. So, why does the anime look like it does?

#ren amamiya #persona 5 #The Daybreakers #long post #Youtube

[jade-lop]

Riders started to suffer since...

Aruto: Daybreak incident, 12 years prior to episode 1.

Touma: losing Luna, 10 years prior to episode 1.

Ikki: quit soccer due to guilt, forgot how many year prior to episode 1.

Ukiyo: after his mother left him, 2000 years prior to episode 1.

#random musing #kamen rider zero one #kamen rider saber #kamen rider revice #kamen rider geats #kamen rider

[episodeoftv]

Round 1 of 8, Group 4 of 8

propaganda and summaries are under the cut (May include spoilers)

Demon Slayer: 3.11 A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light

there is some debate on whether this is season 3 or 4. most people consider it season 3 but season 2 had two separate arcs and some people consider them different seasons just fyi. for clarity this is episode 11 of the swordsmith village arc

Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko chase the real body of Upper Moon 4. Tanjiro soon realizes, that the difficult choices are the toughest to make, especially ones with emotion.

Star Trek: Voyager: 2.15 Threshold

tw body horror

Tom's attempt to cross the time warp threshold and make a name for himself results in rapid physical mutation.

The anniversary of the episode airing has become a bit of a holiday for the Tumblr Trek community. It's an episode that either you are super confused, you love it, or you hate it. I've never seen anyone be indifferent if they've seen it.

Man drives too fast, turns into a lizard, and fucks his boss

#demon slayer #star trek #star trek voyager #poll #polls #round1 #r1g4

[dilf-din]

When All the Ash Settles: Chapter 1

A Rogue One Story

Pairing: Jyn x Cassian

WC: 4160

Warnings: canon typical violence, depictions of PTSD, nightmares, and panic attacks followed by all the fluff and healing

A/N: I’ve wanted to write something for the Rogue One universe for so long, so here’s chapter one of a little fix it fic my brain dreamed up. I don’t have explicit plans for length of this series, but expect at least a few more chapters. Enjoy, my chicken pot pies 🥧🫶🏼💖

Years had passed since Scarif, decades since she was a child on Vallt, but still, Jyn woke with nightmares sometimes, ones she could recite by memory. Always the same ending, always things she couldn’t change being dangled in front of her while her legs sat heavy like cement bricks forcing her to look on as her friends fell, as she lost her mother, as the empire picked at what was left of her like a vulture, pulling the meat from her bones piece by piece, leaving her limping and bleeding. Tonight it was her mother, shot down in cold blood while she took a stand to protect her child, the same rebel spirit that ran in her veins. Jyn saw herself running, darting through the countryside while her mother lay limp on the ground.

She jumped awake, sweat coating her skin and heart pounding. She looked around the dimly lit room and realized it was barely daybreak. Filtered green light cast eerie shadows onto dark floorboards while the sound of rain swept the house into its own private sanctuary. She carefully slid out from under the thick, green comforter and made her way into the workshop. In the center of the back wall sat a round window almost spanning from floor to ceiling. It overlooked the verdant forest below. Jyn curled up in the seat built into the bottom of the frame, a roughly hewn bench with a thick cushion on top. She pulled the blanket she kept there over her legs and leaned her cheek against the glass, hoping to cool down from her episode. The steady rainfall lulled her heartbeat back into a reasonable pattern within a few minutes. This early in the morning, there was no competing noise, no frogs humming on the nearby lake, no lantern birds singing to wake their young. Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to steal a few more moments of rest.

“Jyn?”

The gentle call of her name pulled her from her sleep. She heard Cassian’s feet padding towards her, thick socks against the smooth wood.

“My dove, another nightmare?” he had crossed the expanse of the wide room, smoothing his hand through her hair. She nodded and leaned into his chest.

He sighed softly, “You know you can always wake me, there’s nothing in this lifetime you should ever have to face alone,” he planted a kiss to the crown of her head.

She craned her neck to meet his eyes. The bags beneath were deeper, but they were still the same rich brown she had grown to love.

“Wake you? You still look tired after a full night’s sleep. Maker knows you’ve got a lifetime to catch up on,” her mouth quirked into a small smile.

He sighed again, this time returning the smile. Leaning down to give her a proper good morning kiss, she smiled into his lips.

“I’m going to get started on breakfast.”

“I’ll be down in a minute,” she replied, watching him retreat through the wide doorframe.

They had built a nice life for themselves on Endor, Cassian doing most of the heavy lifting, quite literally. He had built them a cabin a few clicks outside of one of the only human settlements on the small moon. He spent his days there scavenging and setting up a trading ring, bringing in enough credits for them to live comfortably. He stripped old imperial ships and wreckage for parts, often selling to people just passing through the system, although he did have a regular clientele. He had made enough to purchase a speeder for them to take on trips through the forest and drag back nets full of parts. Some mornings, Jyn would ride it out to the market to stock up on food and other supplies.

Cassian took the role of provider very seriously which frustrated her greatly. Jyn Erso was not the kind of person who knew how to sit back and let life happen around her. She had been on her own almost half her life, part of the reason Cassian urged her to take it easy now that the war was over.

She contributed by foraging, taking advantage of the unique mushrooms and other plants that grew in their home’s rich soil. She also had taken the time to learn to paint, making small scenes of the local fauna, mostly the bright blue butterflies that often rested on the reddish orange bark of the trees. She sold her paintings in the market and, sometimes, to Cassian’s contacts when they came to pick up refurbished machinery.

She glanced at the multiple tables spanning the workshop, each piled high with metal of all shades. He had spent the better part of the last month disassembling a fallen AT-ST. He had been setting up a deal with one of his regular customers to sell the weapons system. He had spent many late nights carefully testing the wires and polishing each small piece to ready it for his buyer. Jyn stretched out her stiff arms and legs and trudged down the small staircase at the back of their home.

Jyn had made a joke one day while holding the boards for the steps in place for Cassian to secure them, “What happens when the day comes that I’m too old to make it up these stairs?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“When that day comes, I will carry you to bed my love,” he said matter of factly, used to the defense mechanisms she still employed even years in, ever the patient one when she tried to resist the love he so willingly gave.

Jyn found him in the kitchen, cracking some small brown eggs into their frying pan. She took a deep inhale of the air that smelled of caf and rain. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder, nuzzling it lightly with her nose.

“Anything on your agenda for today?”

Cassian shook his head, not taking his eyes off the pan, “Not today. Too wet to get anything done in the woods. I figured I’d tinker with that AT-ST for while, but, mostly, I just want to rest.”

Jyn smiled, she loved any time spent with Cassian. They’d traveled all around the galaxy together, fought side by side, waited hopefully while the other was away, but her favorite thing to do with him was curl up on a rainy day. They didn’t exchange many words, rather they just relished the other’s presence, the rhythm of their breath, their smell. Cassian always smelled so rugged, like pine needles and oil, the intersection of organic life and machine, but he was all flesh and bone. It’s true, he could drop a field of troopers without a second thought, but he was warm, he was kind. His words could be calculated when necessary, but, mostly, he was loving, encouraging. He had drawn Jyn out of her shell so steadily, never retreating when she lashed out, for he figured, that’s when she needed love the most.

After everything they went through on Scarif to get the plans to the rebellion, the pair had been inseparable. They hobbled down the communication tower and crumbled on the beach just in time for the last remaining resistance ship to pick them up and retreat from the surface. Strong arms pulled them up the ramp, both of their ears ringing from the shockwaves engulfing the base. Jyn felt their bodies start to be separated, and snapped her head to Cassian with panic in her eyes. He reached out and clasped her hand in his own, shaking his head when questioned about the blaster burn searing through his shoulder. Jyn crossed the cold floor back into the heat of his embrace, chests still heaving and skin heavy with sweat and grime. Through a tiny window at the back of the ship, they watched the ominous, golden cloud engulf the land their feet had rested on mere moments ago, claiming the bodies of allies and enemies alike. Jyn buried her head in the crook of Cassian’s neck, squeezing her eyes shut and willing for the things she saw that day to not become permanently etched into her mind, carving new canyons in the pink of her brain, inseparable from who she was. Cassian pressed his cheek into the top of her head and let out a shaky breath. Even though his shoulder was on fire, the rest of his body was heavy with exhaustion. His bones feeling like lead allowed sleep to soon overtake him. The weight of Jyn against his chest became a welcome pressure in the chaos they had found themselves in the midst of. The feel of her body against his own grounded him even as they were suspended in hyperspace.

They were shaken awake some time later when the ship had landed safely back at the base. The shuffle started back up again instantly. Cassian was pulled away to the med bay while Jyn was taken in another direction, presumably to debrief with Mon Mothma, but everyone’s words came out like hot static in her ears. She could barely make out Cassian calling after her as they were hauled in different directions. Jyn’s feet carried her blindly down the maze of halls, she didn’t even bother memorizing the turns to plot an escape. She had left every ounce of her fight back on that beach. She knew the war was far from over. No, it had only just begun. But she was tired, and the thought of being flung into another mission made her head feel feather light.

She was back in the same room as before, when she had begged for assistance in their mission. She wondered if they had arrived with the cavalry at their backs if things would have gone sour as quickly, if Baze and Chirrut and Bodhi would be more than piles of ash scattered in the wind. She stared blankly at the cool metal table in front of her, her small frame slumped forward in the chair that had been provided. A blur of faces and voices filtered into the room. It became evident to her that they were speaking to her, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out, just a small, dry croak. Another barrage of voices and a cup of water was in front of her. She drank it greedily, then another, and another. Her eyes met Mon’s in thanks, still unable to produce any words. Mon gave her a sympathetic look and waved away the sea of people who had gathered in every corner of the room. Pulling up a chair on the opposite side of the table, she sat in front of the shaken girl and took her hands into her own. They were warm and soft. The touch was almost enough to ground Jyn. Her eyes met Mon’s searching for any sort of answer or comfort or reason.

“It’s okay,” she could make out by the shape and movement of her lips. Her slender figure leaned forward over the table, steady breaths rising in her chest. Jyn closed her eyes and willed tears not to fall. Trying to match the rhythm of the woman’s lungs, praying her heartbeat would come back down from the elevated pace it had been at for almost a full day’s time.

They sat there in silence, just the two of them. Jyn didn’t even realize that tears had crawled down her cheeks, leaving trails of her pale skin beneath the thick layer of grime from the smoke. Her green eyes seemingly tinged grey from the day’s events. Another pair of boots rushed into the room, and only when she heard Cassian’s voice calling her name did she come back down into her body. The sound returned to her ears, her racing heart steadied, and she found the strength to turn and face him. He smelled of a shower, his skin missing the black film that he had when she last saw him.

“Jyn,” he said softly, taking her now empty hands into his own.

“She hasn’t said a word,” Mon Mothma said quietly.

“Jyn, can you hear me?” he crouched to be eye level with her, his brown eyes earnestly searching for any trace of her that rang true, any part of her soul that wasn’t rended that day.

“Yes,” her voice came out small, but it was hers.

A relieved smile danced across his lips. He brushed a lock of hair off of her cheek. It was heavy with blood, probably his own.

“Jyn, we have to tell them what happened down there,” he said softly.

Jyn shook her head, eyes drawing shut again. She began to retreat into herself once more. “I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey. I’m here, okay?” he tilted her chin with his thumb and forefinger to lift her eyes to his. “I’ll be right by you the whole way, yeah?” his eyebrows raised, searching for an answer.

She nodded, not breaking eye contact.

Someone brought another chair up behind them and he took the seat next to her, never letting go of her hand. His thumb brushed over hers gently where they sat clasped below the table out of view. The crowd from before filed back into the room as they launched right into a long, heavy discussion. There wasn’t enough flowery language in anyone’s lexicon to make the bitter reality more palatable, so they didn’t even try. It was blunt and bloody, even though it ended on a hopeful note.

Cassian took the lead when it came to breaking down what happened from the ground. He and the remaining admirals who directed the fight from above pieced the story together minute by minute. Jyn nodded in agreement or shook her head to protest, keeping her words to herself. Not yet ready for the reality to fall off her tongue. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to open her lips and re-taste that day, the smoke filling her lungs, the dirt and blood caked under her nails. All she wanted was to shower. And then she would shower again. And again and again, until she had scrubbed away every cell of hers that had touched the gritty beaches of Scarif. Her mind started to wander towards the end. It wasn’t until her stomach let out a lengthy growl that they agreed to stop for the night. Mon Mothma excused the room and everyone filed out talking amongst themselves.

“How about we get a bite to eat?” Cassian asked with a squeeze to her hand.

Jyn nodded eagerly. Neither could recall the last time they had any nourishment. Cassian helped her out of her seat and began to wind down the halls, careful to not let his long stride leave her behind. It wasn’t until they found themselves at the mouth of a large mess hall that Jyn realized her hand was still clinging to his.

She withdrew it quickly, muttering a, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said with a small smile. He let his hand hang down, pinky brushing hers in a silent invitation to reach back out when she needed.

The two of them piled trays high with bowls of warm stew, fresh bread, and some diced fruit. Settling at a table on the edge of the room, Jyn looked around to take in the half empty room. Part of it could be due to the late hour, but she knew in her heart the reason for the vacant seats. She swallowed thickly and picked up her spoon with a shaking hand. This was the best meal she had had since she was a child. She ate quickly and eagerly, hoping it would cling to her bones, making up for the long years of eating cold rations and scraps.

Cassian smiled at her over his own bowl. He ate at a slower pace, but didn’t judge her for the rate at which she downed the soft rolls. He knew they had broken her out of prison to get her there. He admired the way she was completely unassuming. Barely coming up to his shoulder, but filled with more fire than ten men double her size. She had been forged by the hands of war and desperation, but beneath that, he could see a softness and a side that longed for tranquility. He had resolved to himself to see that break through one day.

“You don’t have to babysit me, you know?” Jyn said curtly, mouth full of bread.

Cassian chuckled, “I’m not babysitting, but I can leave you on your own once we get to our rooms. I understand if you need time and space to..process,” he lowered his head to finish his stew.

Jyn finished the last of her food, resisting the urge to lick her plate clean. Cassian finished soon after and directed her to their sleeping quarters.

“The room next to mine is empty,” he explained, swiping a badge so the narrow door slid open. “There’s not much in here aside from the necessities. I’ll make sure you have some clean clothes. Let me know if you need anything else, yeah?”

Jyn nodded, “Yeah, yes of course.”

Cassian hesitated before making his way towards the door.

“Cassian?”

He turned to face her.

“Thank you.”

Just two words, but they spoke hundreds. Thank you for trusting my word. Thank you for backing me up. Thank you for following me into certain death. Thank you for holding me steady when my legs were ready to give out. Thank you for your patience, your kindness, for welcoming me into your world. She had so much she wanted to say.

Cassian’s expression softened even more than she thought possible, for he knew the weight those words carried coming from her.

“You’re welcome, Jyn.”

They exchanged small smiles before he excused himself to hunt her down a few sets of clean clothes.

The room was simple. A bed and night table sat to the right of the short entryway. A dresser and small closet occupying the wall space directly across from the bed. On the far wall catty corner to the bed sat a desk with a small chair under a wide window. Moonlight trickled in, the only familiar comfort in this foreign space. She crossed the room to unlace her boots at the desk. Directly across from the entry was the door to the ‘fresher. She walked over on stiff feet to find clean towels and a thin robe. In the corner was tucked a small clothes washing unit that she would shove her tattered clothes into tomorrow. Tonight, she just wanted to shower and sleep.

She almost cried at the sensation of hot water on her skin, another luxury she had spent most of her life without. She stood under the stream for far longer than she would normally be able to justify, but she wasn’t willing to compromise on feeling clean, not after the week she just had. The soap smelled clinical and uniform, but it got the job done.

After she had scrubbed her skin raw and dried it with the rough, grey towels provided for her, she exited the ‘fresher back into her new quarters. She found an impressive assortment of clothes on her bed waiting for her. She figured Cassian must’ve pulled some strings or bargained with someone to get her so much. She pulled the light blue pair of pajamas off of her pillow, and, to her delight, there was a plush pair of slippers laying beneath them. She pulled on the cool layers and wrapped her arms around herself in pure joy. Pajamas, slippers, hot water, all things that felt like excess to her survivor’s heart, but all readily available for her here. She folded the remaining clothes and placed them on the desk chair, content to put them away in the morning. On her desk, sat a small pastry dusted with sugar laying on a cloth napkin. She smiled and brought it with her back to her bed. She ate it slowly, enjoying each layer and sugar crystal that passed her lips.

After milling around the room for a few minutes, her tired feet led her back to the edge of her bed. She kicked off the slippers and crawled under the covers. Truth be told, she was scared to close her eyes, doing everything she could to prolong her day before facing the inevitable nightmares that awaited her on the other side of consciousness. Everything about the room she was in had her nervous system on high alert. Unfamiliar sounds and shadows, muffled voices coming from other quarters. She wasn’t exactly positive that the likelihood of someone sneaking in to kill her in the night was zero. A sad smile traced her lips as she wished for K2’s presence, as he would surely know the odds of that.

After agonizing for some time, she kicked off her covers and searched for her slippers in the dark. She was normally too proud to ask for any sort of help, but Cassian had extended a very gracious hand, and she had nowhere else to go. She exited her room and turned to face an identical grey door to the left of hers. She drew a deep breath before knocking lightly. She waited a beat before whispering his name across the metal threshold.

“Cassian?” her voice came out small. It did that a lot lately.

She had almost decided to retreat back into her room when the door in front of her parted. A very sleep dazed Cassian stood in front of her, complete with bedhead and heavy eyelids.

“Jyn? Is everything alright?”

She looked down at her feet, suddenly self conscious.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, extending a hand to hold her forearm lightly.

“It’s just this place. I can’t sleep well in new places. I just think it would be easier if I wasn’t alone. I can sleep on the floor,” she said quickly.

“You’re not sleeping on the floor,” Cassian mumbled sleepily. Using the slight grip he had on her arm, he tugged her through the door with him. His room was much bigger than her own, including a lounge area with a couch and a double bed instead of a single like hers. Perks of being a captain, she thought.

“Left or right?” Cassian asked.

Jyn furrowed her brow.

“Which side of the bed do you prefer?”

“I’ve never, uh. I’m just happy to have a bed,” she stumbled out.

Cassian smiled wryly, feeling like it was an insensitive question in hindsight. He climbed into his normal side and patted the spare pillow, another invitation for proximity.

“Right, well,” Jyn hesitated before climbing under the covers and curling up on herself. She shifted a few times, trying to find the best position to drift off in. Barely a foot from her, Cassian turned as well. He nestled his forearm up against her back, not wanting to overstep, but wanting to provide what little comfort he could offer. The pressure of another body touching hers, even lightly, was enough for her brain and body to finally wind down.

“This might become an every night thing,” she murmured.

Cassian stiffened beside her.

“Don’t get in your head about it, your mattress is just way nicer than mine,” she said teasingly.

Cassian let out a small chuckle, “Good night, Jyn.”

And it did become an every night thing. The only surviving members of the Rogue One crew were bonded by blood and loss and memory. Wherever Jyn went, Cassian was sure to follow. The pair always side by side in their shared quarters, on countless missions, at dinner tables, on other planets, and here, on their brown sofa in the home he had built for them on Endor. Jyn readjusted slightly to rest her cheek fully on Cassian’s chest. His left arm was perched above her reading some old book about imperial droids and their wiring. His left hand was slowly dragging up the skin of her arm, the light touch sending goosebumps down her body.

“Oh, I got a transmission from Shara. Their little boy is about to turn four.”

“Wow, already?” he mused, peeking down from his book to meet her eyes.

“Says he wants to be a pilot like his mum,” she smiled.

“Wouldn’t that be something,” he smiled back.

Jyn settled back against him, content to listen to the beat of his heart and the drizzle of the rain. Every day she spent safe and warm was not one she took for granted. They had fought long and hard to be where they were in this moment. That wasn’t something she would ever take lightly. She knew the possibility of them getting called back into action wasn’t completely tabled, but for now, she was content just to be with the man she loved.

#rogue one #rogue one fic #rogue one fanfiction #jyn x cassian #cassian x jyn #rebelcaptain #when all the ash settles