I know, another post by me. If you're going "oh my god not again just stfu Billie" I absolutely will not and I am not sorry so anyone who doesn't want spoilers, just skip over this, otherwise enjoy my 3/5 A.M episode 7 thoughts/theory.
I know, another post by me. If you're going "oh my god just stfu Billie" I'm not sorry so anyone who doesn't want spoilers or to hear my dumbass 3 A.M thoughts on who it could be just skip over this, otherwise enjoy. Or suffer. Whichever you prefer.
I know a lot of people have their eyes set on The Armorer, but I'm not completely sold on her being the one who sold everyone out. I could see The Armorer wanting Bo out of the picture so that she can go back to having a tight lead on her cult again and didn't plan on Din or even Paz getting hurt, but it's still a leap of faith to trust someone like Gideon to keep up his end of any bargain. One I can't see The Armorer risking. She's not dumb. But in terms of not wanting to get people hurt, I honestly wouldn't put it past her that she doesn't care. I know people may get offended over that but after 35+ years with Din, she was willing to toss him out the moment he admitted he had gone helmetless and that was all I needed to know that her loyalty ends the moment you stop following her standard of the Creed. Even her reaction to being at the forge surrounded by the empty helmets of following Mandos in Season 1 felt empty, like she's able to disconnect from loss like that and she either has experienced it enough to where it's water off her shoulders or she just doesn't care.
It IS suspicious as hell that Gideon's goons had Beskar armor, but she would have had to sneak away from the covert enough times to not be detected and I have a hard time believing no one would notice her constantly coming and going at all hours. Even if she came up with an excuse to go off world, it just feels contrived that no one would pick up on odd or questionable behavior like that. We're assuming one must be trained to forge the Beskar armor and isn't something anyone can just pick up and do, but someone from the Survivors on Mandalore or even Bo's fleet could easily have been Armorers before the Purge.
The other thing that tripped me up at first and I know many others is why she changed her mind so quickly to make Bo out to be this person of prophecy after dismissing her Mythosaur claim when she warned Din in BOBF that:
"Bo-Katan is a cautionary tale. She once laid claim to rule Mandalore based purely on blood and the sword you now possess. But it was gifted to her and not won by Creed. Bo-Katan Kryze was born of a mighty house, but they lost sight of the way. Her rule ended in tragedy. They lost their way, and we lost our world."
At first, I had a hard time believing The Armorer would willingly follow someone who she knows was the reason for Mandalore's downfall. But after re-thinking it, I realized The Armorer never went into detail as to how Bo was a cautionary tale outside of being a tragic leader victim of circumstance when the Armorer only mentioned "they" and not "she." Pair this with how she told the Mandalorian Survivors that
I realized The Armorer may not have any idea that Bo is the reason for Mandalore's current state nor does she realize that Bo had been a member of the very terrorist group she mentioned. The Armorer said she was from the Moon just like Din was, and it's possible that everything she heard was second hand information because she genuinely didn't seem to know that Bo has a crime rep sheet as long as she is tall.
Bo, throughout this season, has been made out to be a broken leader who lost her way and Bo has been playing into that. This is probably the first time she's had a semi-clean slate. And if the Armorer knew about Bo's past and is just fucking with her... I guess we'll find out but I genuinely do think that The Armorer wouldn't follow someone like that if she knew they were part of their people's/planet's downfall and is doing this purely out of a change of heart for Bo, but we'll see.
I know others are guessing Axe, but between him and the Armorer it feels way too obvious. We already know Axe's loyalty starts and ends with whoever he thinks is worthy of owning the darkaber, and we already know even then there's no true loyalty to Bo or anyone else from him, so I honestly wonder if the spy/whistleblower would be Koska and not Axe. Koska's loyalty to Bo is much like Axe's despite the fact that Bo treats her like a close friend/confident. When sitting together on the survivors' ship and Bo barely scratched the surface as to what she had done and her involvement in Mandalore's current state, Koska opened her mouth as if to spill the beans and Bo just waved her off like
Koska clearly knows of Bo's tragic past to some extent, probably the most out of any of the other Nite Owls, and would be the last Bo and Axel would expect to be a spy. However, I just can't think of a good motive for her to side with Gideon. But it's hard to rule her out when, as I mentioned, the whole fleet and even Din's cult behind Bo aren't there because she's a worthy leader to follow, but is someone that Din has put his faith in and is the current "owner" of the darksaber." Loyalty to Bo, outside of Din's naivety, doesn't exist. At least, not without major conditions. And this leads me back to...
Do I think Bo is the spy/traitor? No. At least not intentionally.
If you've seen Bo in CW and Rebels, there's two things that have always been consistent about her character: Bo will do anything to achieve her goals regardless of who or what gets hurt and she never learns her lesson. In the past, she worked under both Maul and Count Dooku until both betrayed her. Her loyalty starts and ends with who best benefits her goals, and that has remained the same even in Mando. When she mentioned:
“In exchange for submitting to the Empire and disarming, all remaining cities and Mandalorian lives were to be spared. It was the only chance I had to save our people.”
I couldn't put my finger on why that confession bothered me the way it did. And it clicked: that doesn't sound like Bo. This is Bo-Katan Kryze, the woman who joined a terrorist group because she disagreed with her sister's pacifist ways. This is the woman who burned down a village and enslaved the people there for fun. This is the woman who trusted TWO Sith lords to help her and her fellow terrorists to achieve their goals and only fought against them the moment they were betrayed and not because "Siths are bad." This is the self serving woman who will do anything to get what she wants, including hiding the Mythosaur from Din after gaslighting him that it doesn't exist, and I have a very hard time believing what she said is true when she's never done anything like that in her history as a SW character because it requires the type of sacrifice that Bo wouldn't do willingly. So her comment made me wonder if that was a white lie pertaining their current predicament.
I could see Bo originally planning on sacrificing Din and his cult to Gideon in exchange for them to leave Mandalore alone and the darksaber so she can rebuild the planet just as she's been saying she's wanted to for decades. It's the only reason I can think of (other than bad writing) to explain why she openly lived in a castle in the same sector as Mandalore despite knowing an Imperial presence was present. It would explain why she felt so confident walking around Mandalore despite knowing the true threats were Imperial and not the Troll species or angry robots. It would explain why TIE fighters chose to blow up her home only AFTER Din was in her presence and wasn't too bothered by it. And it explains why she hide the Mythosaur from Din. Bo losing her home means now having a reason to be welcomed into Din's cult and earning their trust to push them into Gideon's trap, but I don't think Bo expect to end up experiencing what it's like to actually like to have people around you who are there because of honor and loyalty and not because you're waving around an ancient, glowy sword that people need to listen to.
Bo witnessed first hand, finally, how respected Din is within his covert and even the people of Nevarro. She saw how much foundlings meant to them, and how far they'd go to ensure the safety of their people that didn't come with strings attached. She witnessed Din's selfless acts and how he gave her unfair credit for a lot they got accomplished and, even if all of that was part of her initial plan, I don't think Bo realized how good it felt to be seen and welcomed as a hero for once and not a terrorist. Although she made a weak attempt at admitting out loud how she may have had a part in Mandalore's current state, she still hid the truth from everyone to have control over the siege because she knew people would back out of helping her. Because until Din volunteered himself and Grogu
No one was willing to volunteer. As I said: no one here willingly follows or trusts Bo. She hasn't earned that trust between her history and her "onward!" and not "follow me" leadership tactic. So with Din not only volunteering but saying this to Bo:
Bo, for the first time, experienced someone believing in her and willingly following her as a leader and not as a resented leader who people only follow because she had the planet's royal talking stick in hand.
She expected Din to reject her as a leader after her weak admission to her sins and that look she gives him after he walks away isn't because she's fallen for him (I won't piss on people who want to see it as such), she's looking at him with awed guilt. She's touched that she finally has someone who respects her as a person and not as the Heiress and that makes her feel guilty if it is revealed that she had planned on sacrificing him and his covert to Gideon all for a chance to rule again and awed that maybe, just maybe, she could be something other than a selfish jinx to their people. Her expression is very bitter sweet.
So where I think, if my theory is right, that her intensions had originally been malicious, I think her experiences with Din's cult inspired her to try to turn the tables on Gideon. That would explain why he wasn't surprised to see her but was surprised to see her fleet working with Din's cult. I don't think Bo knew or expected there to be a full on base built right under her nose like that nor did she expect Imperial soldiers to have Beskar armor. I have no doubt her reaction to Din being kidnapped and Paz potentially killed was genuine, along with her trembling in panic not just from losing her two best fighters, but also from the grief of once again setting history up to repeat itself. I think she'll try to use the darksaber to get people to help her save Din and Paz but will be met with silence because she's not the person they followed and believed in in the first place. I can see her trying a last ditch attempt at winning everyone over by finding and riding the Mythosaur but will be unable to find it. I'd put money on Din, Grogu, or even Boba being able to ride it before Bo does. And I know some people may be upset by this, but I also wouldn't be surprised if she dies doing the first selfless thing with her people in mind in her decades long journey. When Din mentioned Bo's song was not yet written without realizing that it's been told three times over, it was a perfect set up for Bo's death to be a "Swan Song." It would honestly be a beautiful way for Bo to go and giving the saber and title to Din before going out with a bang, recognizing that he's the one that the galaxy and strangers on the internet trying to figure out how to get to him through their TV would follow and be the peace bringer the galaxy has longed for. But like I said: we'll see.
I know some of you may be wondering why I didn't mention the surviving Mandalorians they run into, which is fair, but I think they'd be too obvious to be the spies. I am surprised Bo and Din's respected people didn't suspect them of anything and trusted them right off the bat on top of them somehow not knowing that the Empire built a whole base without their knowledge and somehow either forgot or choose to forgive Bo for being the reason they're even like that in the first place, but I would put money on that being bad writing cause it would be really out of character for Din and his people at the very least to not suspect these strangers of any malicious intent. They're so distrusting it wouldn't be logical for them to be blindsided by the most obvious choice. So in the end, the other option is no one is the spy. No one set anyone up to be betrayed and it was an unfortunate circumstance cause by poor planning and strategy and now everyone's paying for it. But we'll see tonight/tomorrow!
I meant to post this earlier this week but I've had a bad chronic flare up from a food allergen. I'm fine, but I'm exhausted and in a lot of discomfort waiting for the flare to pass. Until it does, I'm curious to hear all of your thoughts and I'll see you on the other side.
Continuing off of my last post, one line in this episode really bothered me. Din and Grogu’s relationship hasn’t been a factor hardly at all the whole season. It’s really nice to see it again here, but that ending could have been so much more emotional if we actually were reminded throughout of their growing bond instead of mostly relying on how the relationship was shown in the first two seasons. Sigh. But whatever, it still makes me happy to have protective Mando back.
Now, here’s what upset me. When Grogu stops Paz and Axe from fighting and Bo-Katan compliments him as a teacher, Din says something along the lines of “I didn’t teach him that.”
And I’m sorry, HUH??
The way they wrote it made it seem like it’s not just an instant of Din being humble (because let’s face it that would be too much character and not enough straight forward exposition for these writers lmao). Instead it actually implies that he didn’t learn it from Din, I don’t know whether it was meant to be referencing his training with Luke or the leadership Bo has been doing, but I absolutely hate either option.
That’s utter garbage, Din throughout the entire first two seasons has solved multiple conflicts by being a good peacekeeper, Chapter 9 was literally all about him being the one to bring together the Tuskens and Cobb’s village. If anyone has taught Grogu this, it IS Din. But if we are suppose to take that line literally, it means it’s another instance of the writing ignoring all the traits and skills Din showed up until this season to make someone else look better. Like I know it’s just one line, but that bothers me. It bothers me nothing is being given or even accredited to your main character after you had him do so much and display so many good qualities, because this story just wants you to laser focus on Bo-Katan. Din isn’t just a babysitter to Grogu who keeps him alive anymore. In the beginning of the season he was literally teaching and guiding him! I wanted that to have significance character wise and not just as a plot device for when Din got captured.
I liked getting more moments between them, I really do, but stuff like this after a season where their relationship hardly mattered just kinda makes it bittersweet honestly.
In lieu of a Black Friday sale, I’m instead donating 30% of all shop sales between now and Monday, November 28, 2022 to the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project which aims to reclaim and teach the Wampanoag language to return language fluency to the Wampanoag Nation.
I just added some new stickers, including:
raccoon
mourning cloak butterfly
mallard
And the remaining stock of two patron-exclusive stickers from last year
ruddy duck
snep bleps (snow leopard)
Shop Here!
Also if you’re a patron of any level, you just received a 30% discount code you can use on ANYTHING in my shop, grab that here.
God I'm so attracted to this woman, she's one of the only people on my list who could make me genuinely blush and faint from how gorgeous she is holy fuck what a woman.
Things You’d Only Know if You Were Hannah Waddingham | TZR
More details I found looking at his page: He works as a cnc designer professionally for biomedical and aerospace industries and he designed and manufactured this himself. None of the eyes he’s made (he’s made MANY!) are 3D printed, they’re machined, medical grade titanium so they don’t get hot from the LED and are safe to use as a prosthetic. He wants to make them for other people at some point, but says he has a lot of research and development to do before that can happen.
I'm a private instructor for kids between 6 and 18 with most of my small kids being middle schoolers. I'm the person you send your kids to when they just aren't quite getting it any other way.
I've been teaching small classes for summer school/tutoring all summer and today during a break I opened up some pop-tarts to snack on and my 4th grader just screamed: "IS THAT A BURRITO???"
Another kid chimed in with "Um, that's clearly a flatbread pizza??"
Long story short we ended up having a healthy discussion about it and decided that a pop-tart, is in fact, a ravioli.
Thank you for coming to our TEDTalk.
I don't know if anyone's done this yet cause I'm not in the PP fandom, I haven't seen it, but since watching SNL I can't unsee this whenever I get the ad for it so suffer with me.
I made this in 5 minutes while I made mac n cheese don't @ me over quality just enjoy.
Post The Mandalorian season 2, Pre-Book of Boba Fett: Din Djarin x Reader
Summary: The universe had a habit of pushing you and the Mandalorian together and tearing you apart at inconvenient times. With the Crest and Grogu gone and how expensive a new ship is, the universe forces the both of you to take on jobs that require you both to be away from each one other for long periods of time. To keep the love you have for one another strong in lonely stretches of space travel and planet-hopping, a compromise is made that tests your relationship.
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Open relationships, smut, rough sex, romantic sex, F/F/M threesome (sort of), hook-ups, make-up sex, porn with plot, angst and fluff and smut, porn with feelings, unsafe sex, brief Din/OFC and reader/OMC. If I miss anything let me know!
This is the most romantic, filthiest thing I've ever written and probably not the most romantic filthiest thing I'm capable of writing, so enjoy the ride! The ending is worth it I promise!
Word Count: 7,197
The complication of the present is that there’s always an after. And where there’s an After, there’s a Before. A Before time, a Before moment, a Before person. Before choices affecting the After in ways one couldn’t begin to comprehend, and a cycle that tends to repeat itself.
Before there was Grogu, there was you. You, who took on more odd jobs than Din even knew existed. You, who went into every opportunity and job with enthusiasm that made Din’s reckless choices look like logical plans. You, who grated on his nerves when it was always you who could provide him with what he needed when no one else could. It was like the universe had created your very existence just to be his personal annoyance and greatest confidant.
It wasn’t until After Grogu that Din was able to truly appreciate your spirit and tenacity. What he once believed to be a nuisance to his very existence was now as comforting as a child’s blanket. Over the years, just like the jobs in your life, things just fell into place not when he wanted them to, but when he needed them to. As if the universe and you were conspiring together to make him miserable and happy all at once.
It was Before the Razor Crest was destroyed and Grogu had been taken by Moff Gideon when the line between friend and partner started to blend with lover. Underneath dark skies with the vast amount of stars twinkling down on them. Underneath the canopy of trees protecting you from the rain of whichever planet you met up. Underneath galaxies and supernovas and unforgiving suns on desert planets.
The best job that fell into place after all that time wasn’t working as a translator for some noble or speech writer for a corrupt politician. It was being his missing piece, the very thing that filled the black hole in his heart right next to the one that Grogu filled. He thought when he got the kid back, the After would be you and him and the green bean finding a new ship and traveling off into the great, wide void, happily ever after. Wherever the universe took them, they’d go willingly.
He hadn’t expected such a different After.
Din hadn’t expected Grogu to be taken from him the moment he got him back. Din hadn’t expected to inherit a dead planet. Din hadn’t expected to be broke with no son and no covert to go back to and no Creed. If the universe worked so hard and for so long for his clan of three to be together, then why was it working so hard to keep them apart again?
That’s how you went back to the original Before. The Before where you took on more odd jobs than Din knew existed. The Before where he was nothing but a cold bounty hunter, married to his Creed. The Before where the universe was cruel and annoyed him and put everything it possibly could in his path to make him absolutely miserable.
But it wasn’t as bad as the original Before. Sort of. He still had you.
After Grogu was reunited with the Jedi, after Din inherited a dead planet, after the Crest was blown up and everything he knew crumbled in his hands; he begrudgingly agreed to buy a small property on whatever planet you both could afford. It would serve as a home base while you found work and saved enough to buy a ship and finally have that After you both originally thought you'd have. The After you both deserved.
Din reinstated his membership with the Guild and you hustled for whatever job landed in front of you, regardless if it was dangerous or demeaning. It was what started your first major fight, when he found out you had pimped out your body to some rich senator while finishing a different job in Coruscant for enough credits to both feed you for a month and also make a dent in your ship funds.
Din knew you hadn’t slept with the man out of infidelity, he just wished you had at least talked to him about that option before acting on it. But he also knew it was your body and your choice and he respected it. But that didn’t stop the hurt from taking root in his chest. Or the damage his pride took, knowing that you had to resort to that when he could barely afford public transportation to and from the Guild with a quarry.
Din knew he was being irrational and cruel. But with the pain from everything the universe had thrown at him in the Aftermath of losing it all, Din took up a job through the guild that would pay almost as much as pimping yourself out had but would also keep him away from you for a number of months. Something he had agreed not to do, the both of you coming to the conclusion that no amount of money was worth being too far from one another for too long.
But the Aftermath left him hurt and hollow and prideful, and with very little communication, he took off one morning while you were still asleep for the bounty that would keep him away from you for a few months.
He watched Jakku, the only fucking planet he could afford to even buy you a house on, grew smaller and smaller and his heart ached worse and worse with every mile wedged between you two. Din regretted the way he left instantly, knowing you’d wake up cold in your shared bed to an empty house with half the armory gone. No goodbye, no lingering hugs or Keldabe kisses…
When the first month crept around the corner, Din was miserable. He missed you so much. He missed your gentle touches and laughter and the way you made the morning caf better than him. He missed the Crest and his son and his independence. He hated every transport ship he had to take, but he’d remember how you sold your body and the hurt and anger had him suck up the discomfort and pain and the yearning he had for you.
That was what might’ve led him to nearly make a horrible mistake.
He had finally caught the quarry after two months of playing cat and mouse. Din had cut off the man’s head, as he had done with other quarries, and stuffed it in a burlap bag. His adrenaline was high, chest heaving from the kill, and that was when he ran into her.
She was a random woman on some random planet but god, she looked so much like you. Same hair length and color, same face shape and lips… but the eyes were all wrong. They didn't have the same comfort and soul yours did, regardless if the color was close.
She had come on to him and Din had been so close to bending her over and fucking her on a crate in an alleyway at the transportation hub waiting for his ship to Nevarro. He had his hand on her back, pressing her into the crate, other hand going for his zipper.
Din had abruptly left like a phantom before he could go any further, shame washing over him. The trip to the Guild felt like it was mocking him with how slow it was, almost as if it purposefully was making him have to think about how badly he almost fucked up and how badly he had fucked up leaving you behind without saying goodbye and only checking in here and there. And it was equally slow going home.
Getting off the transport ship when he got back to Jakku was a blur. A blur of racing off the ship before everyone else and grabbing his weapons from the cargo hold and racing home as the sun was setting.
You had been folding laundry when Din more or less kicked the door open. You promptly dropped the clothes, hand going to the blaster you keep at your hip at all times, but he was there before you could touch the weapon.
Din crushed you to him, all the pain being replaced with a yearning he only had for you.
He didn’t bother waiting. He took you right there, pressed against the wall. Then he had you bent over the couch, on top of the table, in the shower with the lights off, and in your shared bed. Din couldn’t get enough of you, your smell, your taste. He fucked and whispered his apologies into your body all night long, your gasps and moans your only response.
He was finally home in every sense of the word, but the guilt sat heavily on his shoulder.
“I almost made a horrible mistake,” he whispered into the night, flat on his back with you curled under his arm and splayed over his bare chest. Din blankly stared up at the ceiling, fruitless with the pitch darkness of the room. You drew circles into his skin with your fingers, quietly waiting for him to elaborate.
Din swallowed the lump in his throat and told you about his trip, his frustrations, how sorry he was for leaving the way he had. That he understood now you did what you had to do for both of your well beings. He told you about the quarry and the adrenaline rush and how it almost lead to his infidelity.
Your hand stopped its movement and Din could’ve cried. He wanted to snatch your hand as you drew it away and place it on his heart instead and keep it there forever. But he let you retract your hand and felt you sit up in the darkness.
The years Before and After let him know that you were looking at him, even if you couldn’t see him, and he with you. But he didn’t feel judgment nor pain, just empathy and melancholy. Din felt you straddle his waist and his hands immediately rested on the dips in your hips, stroking the naked skin there.
It was then, in the After of his mistake and your fight, you proposed a proposition. One he never thought you or he would ever consider, especially not with a shaky voice.
“I think we need to reconsider the long distant jobs. I know we don’t want to be apart, but with the money you brought in and how much more we could if we both did…”
Now it was Din’s turn to trace circles into your skin, listening with a patience he didn’t know he had.
“I’m sorry I hurt you by selling myself. I didn’t think… I didn’t…”
Din sat up and captured you in a kiss that he hoped conveyed just how much he loved and forgave you. When he pulled away, he gently placed his forehead against yours as your voice drops to a whisper.
“I think we should consider taking on longer jobs. Just until we can save up for maybe a small ship, then a bigger one. Just work our way up. What we have now isn’t working as fast as we want and I don’t want that to hurt us... our relationship... our future..."
You splayed your hand on his chest, basking in the warmth of his breath tickling your face.
“And…I think until we can have the same stability we had on the Crest… and as long as you’re comfortable with it... maybe it might be best for us to have an open relationship?”
You had waited for his response and Din let the idea buzz around in his head in silence. He didn’t really want anyone else, just you. But the months away and the loneliness of the job and space… He thought back to the woman who looked like you but wasn’t you and imagined himself fucking her with no guilt. It made him hard thinking about it and he felt you giggle and wiggle around in his lap. Din slapped your ass to keep you still.
Din didn’t want anyone but you, but if he could have guilt free relief when he needed it, he would be okay with it. But the idea of you with another man made his blood boil. And as if sensing that, you pulled him into a long kiss and grinned into his lap.
“It doesn’t have to be forever, just for now. Until we get a ship, until we can settle somewhere else without worrying about money... just for now, okay?”
“Okay, but I think we should establish some rules.”
“Agreed.”
The rules were simple: Don’t fuck friends and don’t fuck people the both of you know. Check in regularly regardless if either of you take on a partner, and whoever warms your bed comes second to your relationship. If anything changes, everything needs to be put on hold until a conversation could be held, and always have implants checked and yourselves tested for STDs if going in raw. Unplanned pregnancies or health issues will be dealt with accordingly, together, regardless of the outcome.
It was easy enough, but Din knew he only wanted you. That anyone he bedded would never replace you, and he knew you felt the same way.
It wasn’t long before you both took on jobs that kept you away from each other for about a month, then two months. Din had been good, not really feeling the need to have a partner.
But a new rule was added when he got home and found out in those two months you had bedded a partner and his jealousy got the better of him: don’t talk about your partners without being prompted. It wasn’t your fault, you were excited to show Din a new thing you had learned in the bedroom, but his jealousy spoiled the first evening home you two had together in months and he regretted it. The self-loathing alone kept him up all night, "sleeping" on the couch.
The tension was still there when you both left for your next jobs, and he held onto the guilt when he found a partner himself after being gone again for two months. He made it up to you with the new oral technique his fling had taught him, you not asking where he learned it, but taking the knowledge better than he would've. Better than he had reacted previously.
That’s how you found yourself eight months after the original agreement, four months into your own job with two more months to go, squeezed into a tiny corner of an alleyway in broad daylight with an absolutely gorgeous Mirialan fucking into you like you’re the last lay he’ll have in his lifetime. With only his fly open and your pants pulled down enough for him to get the job done, but otherwise fully clothed.
The man was technically your employer, but you couldn’t find it in you to care. Was it ethical? No, but you couldn't care less. He had hired you on as a bookkeeper for the historic collection he was transporting from one planet's museum to the next in the same galaxy. You had maybe three more planets to hop on your trip, and lately, all you could think of was Din. You were lonely, horny, and wanted your tin can man. But after the first month, and noticing the Mirialan show interest in you, you risked it all to hop into bed with him.
You had just talked to Din that morning, the both of you catching up on your regular weekly calls. A month ago Peli had called with the promise of a ship for cheap. It hadn’t been a Razor Crest like Din had hoped when he went to check it out without you, but it was something. And after a long talk, it was agreed upon that the N1 Starfire was a good enough ship for either of you to use when the other can take a transport ship.
It would bring in more credits and opportunities, things you couldn’t afford to lose out on. Especially when you were so close to being able to get the fuck off of Jakku and sell your house for something hopefully far better on a planet that wasn't riddled with thieves and scum. And you wouldn’t have to worry about being apart any longer. The After you both craved and wanted. But before you could achieve that, the Mirialan's cock ramming into you reminded you that you’re still in the Before part of that plan.
A shift behind you had Fas’s large cock hit a more vulnerable spot within you and you couldn’t stop the gasp and moan from escaping your lips. Fas put his hand over your mouth, bending both of your knees farther as he fucked up into you relentlessly. You tried your hardest to keep standing, knees weak, but grateful that the Mirialan had one hand on your hip and the other on your left breast. You clung to his arms, the only anchors keeping you from completely collapsing.
You wished he had bent you over something or let you lean against the wall, but there was something extremely erotic about being fucked standing doggy style and your guts rearranged in a position you couldn’t do with Din due to his height. Not this easily, at least. And especially not standing up.
Fas groaned himself as your walls tightened around him and you were dunked into an intense orgasm that made your vision go white. As if he felt your body give, Fas wrapped his arms around you in a tight embrace as he pistons into you for another minute then grunts, slapping his hips one last time against you as his hot seed filled you. The warm thickness from it triggered a weaker orgasm that you groaned out, grinding back against him, letting the haze of it drift through you. Mirialan's cum, for whatever reason, was far thicker and hotter than a human's cum. You learned that the first time you slept with him, and the shock of it made you go right into a second intense orgasm that had your limbs trembling for half an hour after.
“Fuck.”
Fas hissed as he pulled out from you and immediately spread your ass cheeks to get a full view of your pussy. His thumb circled your asshole while he patiently waited for the thickness of his species' cum to reach your entrance and threaten to spill out of you. When he sees the hint of white at your entrance, he sighs and tucks himself back into his pants before he pulls your own back up, gently. He kisses your shoulder, patting you on the bottom, then cupping your clothed cunt as if willing his cum to stay inside of you.
“I won’t lie, I’ll miss your humor, skills, and this sweet pussy.” He rubbed the fabric over your mound and your body jolted from overstimulation, his grin only widening upon seeing and feeling your pants gain a new wet spot.
You roll your eyes and turn around to face him, leaning against the wall for support. When you had explained to Fas your arrangement with Din the first month you considered sleeping with him, Fas had been hesitant in a way that made you swoon at how much of a gentleman the man was to everyone. He reluctantly caved and that’s how you ended up fucking like rabbits whenever the chance arose and loneliness hit, whether it was in the showers of the ship or in an Employees Only portion of the museum, or in a brightly lit corner of an alleyway barely hidden by boxes and a sheet.
“I still can’t believe your Mandalorian is okay with this,” he mumbles to himself as he traces the shape of your cheek, unable to hide the yearning he had for you from his blue eyes. You give him a small smile.
“Unless you want your arm broken, I wouldn't tell him you’re one of my hookups.” Your smile widens at his chuckle, thankful you found someone so charming to shackle up with when the itch needed to be scratched. But it just made you long for Din even more.
“You really miss him, don’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?”
When Fas took your hand, at first you assumed he wanted another round, but instead he slipped a bag of credits into your hand. It was the rest of what you were owed for the next two months. You stared at him in bafflement and it was his turn to grin at you.
“I’ve accidentally overheard a few of your calls with him," he shrugged. "And never not talk about him, regardless if we’re working or fucking.” His words make you blush. “I’ve got the next two planets, you should be with your Mando.”
“Are you sure?” the shock tightened your chest, filling it with concern and excitable yearning. You reached to give the bag back, but Fas just pushed it back towards you.
“I can tell you miss him, and you’ve been a great asset on the team the last four months, but I've got this. I’m twice divorced and I’d give anything to have someone like you in my life. But I know your heart belongs to this mysterious warrior and I can’t find it in me to keep you apart.” He shrugs, sheepishly. “And I'll admit if you stick out your employment I may find it harder and harder to let you go. So it’s best for you to find your way back to your Mando and let a man wish he had found you first before the warrior had.”
You couldn’t help dragging him into a hug, pouring your gratitude into your squeeze. Before he or you could change your mind, you let him go and ran back to the ship you had called home the last few months to collect your things. And before you could blink, you were on the next flight back to Jakku, giddy knowing you’d be surprising your Mandalorian with your presence for the first time in three months.
And that’s how you found yourself walking in on Din balls deep in an absolutely stunning Pantoran. Her indigo skin shone in the dim lighting, head yanked back as Din gripped her lavender hair tightly in his fist. She was still mostly clothed, pants shoved down enough to get the job done, shirt pushed up and bra band down to expose perk breasts that bounced with each hard thrust Din gave her.
He took her from behind like a wild animal, pressing her into the wall in front of them, the rhythmic wet slaps of their bodies connecting honestly impressive. Din hadn’t noticed you come in, his head thrown back, completely lost in the pleasure the Pantoran’s pussy gave him. The high-pitched breathy noises caught in her throat made you wet and you couldn't help clench your thighs together at the sight and sounds.
Din tilted his head a fraction, barely noticeable to anyone else, and froze mid-thrust when the darkness of his visor lands on you. His head fully snaps in your direction and you could’ve laughed at the image before you: a moment of passion frozen in time like a high-quality porno.
The Pantoran caught her breath and did her best to look in your direction with how tightly Din still held her hair, and you could feel both of their nerves radiating off of them from your presence. It wasn’t like you caught him cheating, this was part of the arrangement, but it also had been a rule to not meet those you slept with while away. But for whatever reason, that broken rule and the scene before you didn’t bother you as much as you thought it would. You could almost sense Din torn on continuing or pulling out of her and ending his affair right then and there, so you made the choice for them.
You closed the door behind you to keep out peeping eyes, despite the fact that you and Din lived on the outskirts of whatever civilization Jakku claimed to have. You let your eyes drag over them hungrily, licking your lips.
“Well, Din? Don’t stop on my account, you promised this pretty thing a good time and I hope you intend to keep that.”
Without breaking eye contact with his visor, you slipped off each clothing item you had as you sultrily sauntered over to the couch, until you were just in your panties. Din’s helmet followed your movements and only stopped when you plopped down on the couch. You widened your legs and placed one foot on the chest you use as a makeshift coffee table to reveal the wet patch forming in your underwear.
“And when you’re done, I want you to fuck me. Understood?”
Din let out a guttural moan, hips involuntarily jerking, causing the Pantoran to moan as well. As if he had never stopped, Din immediately went back to pistoning his hips into her, harder than he had before, causing her to let out a shriek.
You spread your other leg still rooted to the floor, wetting your fingers and dragging them down your body until they land on your clit. Din might be railing this woman three ways to next week, but his helmet was glued to you. He groaned at the sight and reached around to roughly grasp the woman’s breasts, each movement precise and graceful as if he was putting on a show just for you. And maybe he was? The idea of it was hot as is, let alone seeing it unfold.
Din pulled the woman away from the wall and, while still inside of her, guided her to put her hands on the crate you'd been using as an accent table. Din knocked the lamp to the ground, not bothered when it smashed in pieces as it hit the ground. His choice had given you a better view of the show and the woman could now see your own actions. When her honey-glazed eyes rested on you as you fingered your sex, they rolled back in her head as she let out a whine.
Din’s hips stuttered and he swore, grasping her hips and spreading his legs to slap into her at a different angle.
“Her pussy clenched watching you play with yourself, cyare.”
“Good. Finish her Din, I’m waiting.”
Din shoved the girl’s feet together and widened his own stance, ramming into her even harder and faster than he had before. Her voice was caught in her throat, tears streaming down her cheeks and she finally came, hard and spazzing on Din’s cock. Her knees gave out and Din gently laid her on the floor, never taking his gaze off of you. When she was fully on the ground and comfortable, Din pointed a gloved finger at you.
“Get on your hands and fucking knees,” he growled in a tone you hadn’t heard before. A voice that made you drip and immediately flip over with your knees on the chest and hands on the couch, looking at him over your shoulder in a sultry manner.
He was behind you before you could blink and shoved his cock into you with urgency, still glistening and pearly white from the Pantoran’s hot pussy. The dirtiness of that fact alone made you groan and clench around him, sweat beading at your brow.
Din immediately jackhammered into you, hands cupping your tits, body curling around yours. He fucked you like a loth cat in heat, shoving himself into you as if he couldn’t be any closer. His dick glided against your walls, the speed causing the heaviness of his balls to slap against your clit with little to no mercy with how he’s putting his full weight into each thrust. The wetness from your own arousal and the Pantoran’s caused a lewd wet slapping sound as his balls found a rhythm against your pussy and the both of your and the Pantoran's slick drenched whatever exposed skin Din had displayed.
Din muttered filthy words into your ear loud enough for his fling to hear, but only muttered words of love and affection and how happy he was to have you home quietly enough for only you to hear. It was the missing ingredient needed for you to groan and cum, your whole body growing tight then spasming with Din’s continued relentless pace.
The Mandalorian, without stopping, placed one boot on the chest next to your hands and, like the Pantoran, gripped your hair and pulled it tightly as he fucked into you, finding his own high.
You glanced over your shoulder to find the Pantoran was watching intently, fingering herself, and just like it had been enough for her to orgasm from when you touched yourself, it was all you needed to have one more surprise orgasm that milked one out of Din.
He slammed his hips into yours, grinding into your pelvis, and filled you with spurt after spurt of hot cum with nothing but a satisfied grunt and tight limbs. When he was done, Din sighed and held you to him, flipping you over to sit on his lap on the chest, his cock still nestled in you.
“God, I missed you.”
Din ran his hands over your body, your face, and nuzzled your cheek with his helmet. As much you wanted to melt into his embrace and never let go, you couldn't conveniently forget about the woman he had brought home that was still propped up against your wall.
Din whined as you slipped off of his softening cock and slid on your panties before his spend could drip down your thighs. You pulled on your shirt and reluctantly tugged on your pants as well before wandering into the fresher, wetting a clean washcloth, and coming to the Pantoran’s side. You gently opened her legs and washed away the evidence of her and Din’s affair, then helped her back onto her wobbly feet.
Pulling her pants up the rest of the way and buttoning them for her, you then took her hand and lead her to the front door. She glanced back at Din and awkwardly waved, but he just nodded at her in stoic acknowledgment that made you chuckle. As if he hadn’t just given the poor thing arguably the best lay of her life.
The walk down the path from your home to the road was slow, but not awkward. The Pantoran rang her fingers together, glancing at you shyly as you walked her out.
“Thank you for keeping him company.”
The Pantoran gave you a shy smile, fiddling with her hair. Now that you have better light and aren't distracted by their coupling, you realized the Pantoran was around the same height as you with a similar build and hair length. It was almost like looking at yourself if you hadn’t been born human.
“He and I ran into each other when we both arrived to Jakku. I’m only in town visiting my brother for a few days, and we ran into each other when I was heading home from the cantina. He told me about your arrangement and at first I wasn’t sure if he was just saying that to get into my pants guilt free for the both of us, but figured if Mandalorians are an honorable people, he had to be telling the truth.”
“He was,” you confirmed with a soft smile, grateful that you and Din had both found at least one good person to sleep with that were kind and genuine. It made your heart flutter. “One of our rules was to not meet or talk about our flings, so I'm sorry if I almost ruined that for you. And I’m sorry I didn’t ask for consent before jumping in, I should have. I got caught up in the heat of the moment.”
You bit your lip when you realized how badly that could have turned out if the Pantoran hadn’t been okay with your choice to stay and watch let alone participate. She stopped in her tracks as you arrived at your property's gate and spun around, eyes wide.
“Are you kidding me? That was really fucking hot! But I appreciate that sentiment, you’re a good woman. I get why he loves you so much.”
You could feel your face burn, caught off guard with the confession.
“What do you mean?”
The Pantoran sighed wistfully, leaning against the fence and staring off into space. “He talked about you briefly when we first ran into each other at the transport hub, then outside of the cantina, and even before he absolutely fucked my brains out. He wouldn’t stop talking about you. Wouldn't shut up about how much he missed you and even apologized that this couldn’t be anything reoccurring or serious. He just talked about you like he couldn’t stop himself from letting the world know you existed. It’s how I knew he wasn’t sleeping with me to cheat or be disloyal, a man with that much yearning doesn’t talk about his partner like that and then goes behind their backs and cheats on them." She shrugs. “At least I hope not.” She sighs wistfully again. “But you’re so lucky to have a man like that. Does he have a brother?” she joked.
You laughed, unable to stop the grin from spreading across your face and you leaned against the fence next to her. “Not that I’m aware of, but thank you for telling me that. It’s been really hard being away from him for so long, and knowing he feels that way makes me feel… strangely better about our situation? I guess I was worried that one of us may drift apart or find someone else with how unideal this arrangement has been work-wise.”
The Pantoran put her hand on your shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Look, I may be just a random hook-up, but even I can tell this only brought you guys closer together. And I’m really happy for the both of you.” She opened the gate and let herself out, closing it behind her. She turned to face you with a grin that matches your own. “Thank you for being a good host, and I am sorry again you walked in on us either way. I’m glad it ended the way it did, it gives me something to look forward to one day knowing that someone out there who can give me the same love and sex you two have is out there waiting for me.”
You shrug and lean closer, your grin turning sultry. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be on Jakku for, but next time you’re in town and we're still around, feel free to give us a knock.” You winked and her indigo skin flushed purple, honey eyes drowned out by the blacks of her blown-out pupils. She gives you a shy smile regardless.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She blew you a kiss and turned on her heels to leave. You watched her walk down the street until you couldn’t see her anymore, the sun setting and casting long shadows. You took a deep breath in, savoring the love blooming in your chest with this newfound knowledge, then turned to return to the love of your life waiting for you on the other side.
You barely had the front door shut and locked before Din was on you, smothering you in his now armorless embrace. He had darkened the room while you were gone and his lips kissed any part of you he could reach while crushing you to his body with the desperation of a man trapped in a desert and had just found an oasis.
You didn’t complain when he stripped the both of you down, swatting your hands away from taking your own clothes off. You didn’t complain when he lead you to your room and made love to you for hours into the night, hours After the Pantoran had left.
Where the raw desperation that had been there earlier was now replaced with deep but slow thrusts and grinding that left you panting and sweating and moaning into his mouth. Din rested his weight on top of you, not leaving an inch of you untouched. His mouth consistently stayed hovering over your mouth and sucked hickies into your skin as if he was afraid you’d disappear again.
In the After, you basked in each other’s presence. Chest to chest, legs entangled, lips grazing, and noses lightly bumping lazily into each other.
“God I missed you so much,” he mumbled into your lips. “I’m sorry you had to come home to that, if I had known-“
You kissed him and he sighed, leaning into the action. You pulled away and pecked his nose. “Don’t, I wanted to surprise you. Fas realized how much I missed you and gave me the rest of my pay. Told me to go home.”
Din paused at this and abruptly sat up. Even in the darkness, you could tell he was looking at you.
“Are you serious?” his shocked excitement made you grin. “Runi, that’s fantastic! I’m so proud of you, that was really generous of him.” Din’s hand found your stomach and gave it a gentle rub, thick fingers grazing the underside of your breasts.
Despite the happiness in his tone, you could sense hesitation in the slight tremble of his fingers. You placed your hands on top of his, your own digits rubbing into his skin.
“Din, what’s wrong?”
You allowed the silence to linger, content with the feeling of his skin on yours. Finally, he laid back down and draped his arm over your waist, nuzzling his face back into the crook of your neck.
“The bounty ended up being worth way more than was promised alive. The man who put the bounty on the quarry hadn’t expected him in any way other than dead.”
You furrowed your brows, not sure where this was going. “Din, isn’t that a good thing?”
Din took a deep breath and exhaled your name. “It means not only can we sell the house, but we can go elsewhere and not worry about money. At least not for a little while.”
You opened your mouth, a million questions running through your mind. But Din propped himself up on his other arm and cradled your face, his touch distracting you.
“Cyar’ika, you deserve better than Jakku. If you’re okay with it, I was thinking we could settle on Nevarro. Karga and Cara have turned it into a paradise since we last visited, wee wouldn’t have to worry about either of us needing to sleep with a blaster under our pillows or wonder if someone will steal our things while we're away on a job.”
Din swallowed, hands trembling. “We’d have the protection of the Guild right in town and be able to afford a nice place. I could work nearby with Karga which doesn’t require me to be away for more than a few hours most at a time, maybe a week if something is needed off planet. A house on Nevarro means we might not be able to get a ship just yet, but I figured it was a start. More credits, less time away from each other, and we'd be surrounded by people who we can trust. People we call friends. What do you think?”
Your shocked silence filled the room but it wasn’t long before you flew into Din’s arms like he had before and he held you close, nose buried in your neck.
“When can we move?”
Din chuckled, rubbing your back. “In a month? Is that okay? We still need to find a place and transfer everything over. One of us will need to fly the N1, but I’m sure Cara or Karga can give the other a lift to Nevarro.”
“What, you have a problem with public transport, Mr. Djarin??” He laughed and pinched your hip.
“No, but why make one of us wait to be together any longer than we have to?”
You rested your chin on his shoulder, his body a furnace, but a welcome heat despite the scorching warmth the planet radiated being suffocating as is.
“And our arrangement?” you whispered, unsure of where that would stand. You felt Din sigh.
“Honestly, as much as it had its moments of being fun, I just want you. You’re the person I want to take home, the person I want to wake up to, the person whose body I want to get lost in. I know Nevarro may not offer long-term jobs to keep you as close as I’d like, and until we get a proper ship, I’m aware you may still need to travel to bring in credits. So I’m okay if you need to scratch any itch you get while you’re gone, but once we settle in on Nevarro, I was hoping we could go back to it just being us. Like before. But I understand if it’s not what you want.”
“Din, like you said, as much as this has been fun, you’re all I want. I appreciate you wanting me to be fulfilled in every way possible if you can't do it yourself, so I’ll need to think about it. But I’m absolutely okay with things going back to just us when we're ready.”
You pulled away reluctantly, his grip tight around you but gave you enough room to cup his face in your hands.
“I love you, Din Djarin. And no matter what the universe throws at us, I’ll always find my way home to you. I hope you know that.” The deep kiss he pulled you into told you he felt the same, and the hardness of his cock pocking your thigh solidified that fact.
Before there was Grogu, there was you. And After Grogu, here is where you’ll be.
After you sell the house on Jakku and make the move, things do fall into place just like the jobs you once had in the years you’ve known the Mandalorian. Din was given a well-paying job along Karga’s side that didn’t require him to hunt down bounties across the galaxy. And not once has he had to step on a public transport since.
After a few more months of accepting jobs that took you away from home for a few weeks at a time, you settled in yourself with a job at the local school as a language teacher. The house you bought with Din was bigger than anything you thought you’d ever be able to own, yet despite its size, it was still humble and homey. A place one could maybe grow a family one day.
When Din got the emergency message from Boba needing his help on Tattooine, you didn’t think twice and encouraged him to go. After all, you were here in the Before, and you’ll be here in the After, no matter what the universe throws at you.
I had come up with this idea a while back ago that was partially inspired by @thestrangestinthisstrangeland 's really hot fic "Can You Kiss Me More" and the destain I have for the lack of F/F/M fics in the Mando fandom. Or healthy portrayals of open relationships. Had to fix that fact.
I also came up with this fic to explore open relationships more. I consider myself to be queer leaning on the ace side, like not sex repulsed or anything, but the idea of having one partner is more than enough and the idea of dating overwhelms me. So I've been fascinated with how people can have open relationships or be in poly relationships with ease. It's really admirable.
The Mando fandom made me realize I may be a little bit of the jealous type and the idea of my partner sleeping with other people while I'm gone bothers me a little. But I think being able to write how Din and the reader both feel for each other is what helped me understand that my insecurity comes from not wanting to be cast aside for someone better. I don't think people realize how much trust goes into making open relationships and poly relationships work, and writing this fic made me appreciate that fact even more.
If you're polyamorous or in an open relationship and find this to not portray either or appropriately, please do let me know and I'll do my best to be as inclusive and correct as possible! All are welcome here and I want everyone to be able to feel at home in the reader inserts I've made available to them!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist | Cross-Published on AO3
Pairing: Sugar Daddy!Ezra (from the 2018 movie Prospect) x F!Reader
Summary: Returning from the Green Moon with more wealth than he could ever fathom, Ezra expected life to be as rich as his bank account now was. Instead, he and his adopted daughter, Cee, struggles with the crippling loneliness that comes with people only wanting to know you for your money.
Desperate to find a genuine place to call home, Ezra drags himself and Cee across the galaxy until they stumble upon a small planet and settle into a quaint seaside town that honors tradition and hard work in a way that feels almost primitive, but welcome after being suffocated by robotic tech.
Expecting the same monotony he had experienced on other planets, Ezra is shocked to find the town and its people have secrets as deep and dark as the sea and the cure to his loneliness may be found in the town's struggling bookshop owner.
Warnings: mild sexual content, mild violence.
Chapter Rating: T
Word count: 2,722
"Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear, Pack yourself a favorite blouse. Take a withdrawal slip, Take all of your savings out. 'Cause if we don't leave this town We might never make it out."
- Sleep on the Floor by The Lumineers
When they had returned from the Green with more Aurelac gems than they imagined possible, Ezra had expected a rich life filled with opportunities and comforts he had only ever read of in his stories. He could get a new arm, and he could buy a house for himself and Cee. Hell, he could send her to school if it was what she wished.
When they returned to The Pug and turned in their haul, Ezra had expected enough money to not have to worry about work for a good while. But he hadn’t expected the gems to gift them riches so deep he and Cee couldn’t see the bottom of their new prosperous well. Not only would he and Cee not have to work for a while, but they’d also never have to work or worry about anything ever again.
Bringing home one Auerlac was impressive, but bringing back as many as he and Cee had was unheard of. So he wasn’t surprised when word got out that the one armed man and his “daughter” struck it rich. He wasn’t expecting himself and Cee to be celebrated, perhaps a moment of intensity that would die out when the next soul brought back their own wealth and life would move on.
But he had been wrong.
Ezra should have picked up on something being wrong when he was fitted with the latest prosthetic to replace his arm. The nurses and technicians hadn’t been the warmest, but he had caught enough wandering side eyes and hushed whispers to feel unease. An unease that didn’t leave him even after he had left.
It was Cee who pointed out that they were often the center of attention wherever they went, regardless of what they were doing. It had been the same as it was when Ezra got his new arm, with side eyes watching their every move and vocal conversations suddenly hushing when they enter a room.
But unlike the techs and nurses, when Ezra lifted his head to catch the stares and stillness, the patrons would be back to focusing on the person their with or what they’re doing. It was only when he returned his focus to Cee or his food that he noticed the people around them going back to staring and whispering that he could only see in his peripherals, but never straight on.
Ezra did end up buying himself and Cee a house like he had originally planned. It was the nicest condo he had ever seen let alone lived in, and he spared no expense to get the best quality furniture for himself and the girl. They had a gorgeous view of the city with floor to ceiling windows and the best security they could buy. But that didn’t stop the harassment or the unbridled desire the public had out for them.
He had been thrilled when Cee had made friends, going out often as teenage girls do. And Ezra kept busy buying art he had always wanted but never could afford, along with finding and collecting the rarest books he never knew existed. And when he got lonely and Cee was unavailable for their family movie nights, Ezra went to the classiest bars and restaurants and indulged himself in the finest wine and whatever company caught his eye.
The first instance Ezra realized things hadn’t died down for him and Cee was when the girl came home crying one day. He had tried to get answers from her, but she only shook her head and locked herself in her room. She’d only come out to eat and join him for their family movie nights, but she kept to the other side of the couch, eyes sunken in as if she hadn’t slept properly in days.
The second instance was when Ezra made the mistake of bringing home a date after what he considered a wonderful night out. Dinner at the lake, dancing under the stars, sipping wine while listening to a live band play… It was only logical to bring an exquisite woman like her back for an appropriate finale.
Ezra had fucked her passionately, his tongue and teeth leaving no patch of skin left unloved. But he had woken up sometime in the night to find her rummaging through his things, unashamed of the mess she made while silently tearing apart his room for Kevva knows what.
Ezra had kicked her out with what she came with (and nothing more), but despite nipping the problem in the bud he still felt restless. As if sensing his unease, Cee left her room and they both in silence agreement sat on the couch to watch movies until the sun peeked over the horizon. He never said it out loud, and he knew he didn’t have to, but he was grateful for Cee’s 6th sense in knowing when he needed company.
What he thought was one bad date turned into numerous more. If his dates weren’t trying to pick his pockets while he slept after a passionate night, they would verbally degrade him for declining them every one of their whims whether it was bottles of the most expensive liquor or item on the menu.
It wasn’t that Ezra was cheap, he was happy to spend his money on the finest things available for the finest company, but he noticed a pattern where his dates and one night stands would only focus on the most expensive things available. Him declining was a test to their temperament and intentions. One that each and every one of them failed.
At first he hadn’t planned on telling Cee any of this, not wanting to worry her. But it became too much too soon and he realized this impacted her as well regardless if he liked it or not. He told her as much as he felt was appropriate, and it was then that Cee opened up about her own reclusive behaviors.
The girls she befriended had ended up like the people he dated and slept with. Warm and comforting until they didn’t get what they wanted. And when Cee explained to them that she was only sixteen and wasn’t comfortable with buying anything expensive without her “father’s” permission, they lashed out. They had isolated her and turned her into a modern day pariah, unable to go anywhere without being rejected by businesses or potential friendships.
The final straw was when someone tried to break into their condo.
It had been the middle of the night and the alarms had startled him out of a deep sleep. Ezra barely registered Cee running into his room and throwing herself into his bed, clinging to him with tears streaking down her face. The water leaking from her eyes and the panic on her face was enough to sober him into action.
The security protocol blared and then eerily shut off without Ezra turning it off himself. He had barely made it to the door to initiate the emergency locking system himself when he heard the sound of gunshots go off, ricocheting off the door. He had called the police and was shocked when they brushed him off. No one was sent out, and no one bothered to check in on them. Even when he told them he had a teenage daughter, even when he said he had a child. It wasn’t enough.
Ezra initiated the lock screens over the windows, bullet proof sheets that kept the city lights out. Even in the armored shell he put himself and Cee in, he still felt unsafe. And he felt like an absolute failure to not have nipped this in the bud sooner.
He and Cee rearranged the furniture and had the couch facing the front door. They sat on it, Ezra armed with his rifle, Cee tucked into his side and holding her knees to her chest. She had grabbed a knife from the kitchen and her knuckles turned white from gripping it so hard. But Ezra didn’t have it in him to take it away from her or tell her to ease up. He didn’t blame her.
They sat like that all night, unblinkingly staring at the door for a threat that never resurfaced. But they weren’t going to test their luck. The moment the morning light stretched across the sky, they were gone.
Ezra and Cee packed everything they could into their bags and left, unbothered with what they left behind. Ezra left the keys on the coffee table and the door wide open, an invitation to whoever wanted to live there could do so for free. Furniture and all.
When they made it to the docking port, the city started to stir awake and Ezra bought the first pod that was offered to them. A glorified space mini-van with enough room for the both of them without being smothered by the other’s presence, but small enough to go mostly unnoticed.
The moment the paperwork was signed and he was given the keys, Ezra and Cee took off to the stars and left the misery they experienced on The Pug behind. They had found their way to Central, close enough to fly to without a lot of stress or resources, but far enough to where their reputation and spoils couldn’t follow them.
But buying a condo on Central, furnishing it, and going about their lives as if what happened on The Pug never happened felt… not wrong, but not right, either. It was too familiar, a beautiful love letter to Deja Vu if Ezra ever read one.
It wasn’t too long after they had made themselves comfortable and dropped their guards did the horrors of The Pug begin to repeat themselves in their new home. Friendships gone sour, dates gone bad, side eyed stares turning into ogling unabashedly. Ezra didn’t fuck around, he bought the best security and the moment it was threatened he and Cee packed what they could, sold their old pod, bought another, and were gone before the sun peered over the horizon.
It was like that with The Ephrate, every habitable planet they landed on being as hostile as the last. They had stopped fully moving in to their abodes, sleeping on bare mattresses and living off of half assed furniture. There were many nights wide awake, waiting for the shoe to drop. Days and weeks dragged by where they anxiously waited to see if the spirits of their wealth would find them and continue to haunt them in their new homes.
After the 6th planet in less than a year, and with Cee nearly getting stabbed and robbed, Ezra was done. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. He had Cee pack one last time and they escaped into the night even before first light.
When they reached the port, Ezra stopped Cee from going to their pod and shook his head.
“Let it burn, Birdie. There’s nothing left for us there."
Cee didn’t fight it. They took what they could from the pod and then dropped the keys. Cee used a lipstick she had to write “FREE TO WHOEVER” along the side and as big as she physically could.
When she was done, Ezra snuck her through the port, blending in with the shadows until they stood before a small Long-Haul Space Freighter intended to carry supplies and very little crew.
Ezra checked a port monitor and was thankful that the ship was going to a planet he had never heard of, one so far it was almost in Wild Space. The shipments told him there was at least some sort of population, but as to how many people or the climate, Ezra could only guess. But it was their last hope to finally find the peace Ezra had longed for him and his adopted daughter after a year of absolute agony.
They made themselves comfortable in the hull and waited. They held their breath when they heard activity in the port and sighed in relief when the haul was shut tight and pressed into one another when the ship took off. Hands clasped together, Ezra’s head on Cee’s, they waited to see if the hull would pressurize with air or if they’d have little to no oxygen on their trip to the unknown. A sad but poetic end to the life they had briefly lived.
But the hull did pressurize and Ezra and Cee could finally collapse into themselves with relief, giddy to have escaped the horrors behind them, but equally unsure of what awaited them.
The trip took about two weeks, and Ezra and Cee lived off of their own rations until they had to steal from one of the boxes to survive. They took turns sleeping, and waited until the ship was in night mode before sneaking off to use the bathroom and freshen up. It reminded Ezra of the hardships they had endured on the Green, but more glamours with the food they found and the lack of suits needed to breathe.
When they felt the ship descend into the planet’s atmosphere, Ezra couldn’t deny the way his heart sped up. It was akin to the time he had his first crush, that hopeful excitement of something new. Something good. But something equally terrifying and unknown.
They didn’t bother to wait for the crew to unpack to sneak off the ship. They stood proudly at the entrance as the ramp descended to momentarily blind them with the planet’s sun. But when they blinked away the sensitivity forced upon their eyes, neither could stop themselves from staring with their mouths ajar.
The planet’s name was Ecyria, if Ezra remembered correctly. It was big enough to be considered a planet but small enough to be the wallpaper of planets, overlooked and under appreciated by those exploring Wild Space. And it was nothing they had ever seen before.
Before them was a never ending ocean where the horizon bled into the sea with a sunset made of vivid shades of reds, oranges, and pinks. The port was open air, small enough to have only a handful of mid-sized ships, if that.
There was only one path leading to and from the port and it snaked down over rolling green hills to a village made of stone and wood, surrounded by green trees and sat on top of a cliff overlooking the water’s edge where wooden docks could be seen for old sailing ships that looked straight from one of Ezra’s novels. The whole village did.
“Ez…” Cee breathed, unable to tear her eyes away.
“I know, Birdie. I know.” Ezra said with an equal amount of awe in his voice.
Without looking, they found each other’s hands and held them tightly, looking out at their new home as crew from the ship and crew from the planet worked around them, giving them odd looks. But not with the same hostility they grew accustomed used to.
This was a planet that embraced modern technology but cradled old traditions and way of life that felt so primitive compared to what Ezra and Cee had lived through all their lives. A way of life that felt forgotten, but was still greatly appreciated by the two space travelers and clearly those local to the planet.
Somewhere nearby, Cee could smell freshly baked pastries, and as the day died before them and night took its place, Ezra could hear the sound of live music followed by singing and laughter.
The village came to life, windows glowing warm and welcoming and old lamps turning a flame on by themselves with modern technology to light the path from the port to the village. The trees in the village sparkled to life and shimmered much like the infinite stars that shine down on them clear as day. Ezra could stare at the expanse of space for all eternity, caught up in supernovas and shooting stars and galaxies he didn’t know could be so beautiful.
But Cee, as usual, was his anchor. She tugged on his hand, bringing him back down from the stars, and he let her lead them to their new home with hope in their hearts for the first time. It was only a matter of time before they could know for sure if this would be a safe haven or just another nail in their coffins, but for now, live music and fresh food awaited them and for the first time in far too long, they were home.
Next Chapter: Coming soon!
Call me Billie | 30s | Pronouns: w/e is funnier (brother in Christ works) | AO3 Account | Hype List | Tag List
209 posts