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stardusthuntress · 2 months ago

Text

Fanboy

Rex x femaleMandoMedic!reader

Word Count: ~5.7k (I cannot write shorter fics than that anymore, so have a long one)

Special thanks to @mybrainislostinagalaxyfarfaraway for the inspiration for this one! Link to original post idea, below (but the original idea post and the tumble of the person who posted it seem to have vanished - if you can, please help me find them and tag them and repair my tags and links)! FYI, I did modify the original prompt slightly, but OP approved of the change before I even wrote it, so we are all good! Sorry it took me so long!

Summary: He’s a fan of your erotica work - he has no idea you write it, and you have no idea he reads it, and yet you work side by side every day! This part ends before the smut so other writers can dream up their own scenarios with details relevant to their works!

TW: reader writes smutty fics while living onboard the Resolute. Reader has own room (no roomies). Reader has okay relations with family, but not great ones, prefers distance from them.

Mando’a: Ner = my Mesh’la = beautiful Verd = warrior Shebs = butt/ass

Other SW Terms: Kark/kriff = both common expletives used in place of “shit” or “fuck” or “damn” Dank ferrik = commom expletive used in place of “oh shit” or “damn it”

*************************************************

Slowly, the harmless acronyms of your secret writing world began to permeate your everyday war-focused acronyms.

Memos telling your troopers to keep things G-rated around children became “and remember, anything NSFW that isn’t a part of your standard kit stays on the ship, today’s mission is protecting a large town with lots of families so keep it clean for the kiddos, please!”

the typical “IP” note to Captain Rex turned into “WIP” when you were tired. He never questioned it, so you assumed it must be commonplace for others to use too.

Rex never told you where he learned it. He couldn’t! It wasn’t the sort of thing a Captain, of all people, went and told everyone. Ranking officers had a reputation to uphold. Their men looked up to them, especially bright-eyed young shinies who’d yet to be introduced to galactic nightlife.

And yet, somehow, it was the thing that kept him sane while fighting a war. The thing that reminded him that not everyone in the galaxy was out to get them. The thing that reminded him that the galaxy was worth saving because it was filled with beautiful moments and not just the pain of war.

The horrors of war had long since left a deep scar in the Captain’s mind, but it was a price he was willing to accept to protect the galaxy. And no matter how hard the worst days became, he would always go back to reading stories about the most beautiful aspect of the people he fought so hard to protect: the way they made love. Besides, reading about making love instead of war every night was the only thing that let him find his way to sleep. War was beyond brutal.

Rex had long since accepted that very few people would be willing to be partners with a man who did not know if he would live to see the next sunrise. He himself spent every day facing the fact that each battlefield could be his last. And even if it wasn’t, the loss and heart-wrenching difficulties of war had a tendency to leave him as a different man at the end of each one. So, if he couldn’t have a partner in real life with which to share the difficulties, and do all the small, mundane, domestic things, just like the rest of the galaxy, and share the joys of sensual love, then no one could stop him from dreaming about it. And that gave him hope. And hope was an essential part of continuing on in war.

But he had decided long ago, when he became a Captain, that he would never tell a soul about this. It was his little secret thing. Besides, if his troopers ever did find out, he’d never hear the end of it.

If Fives ever found out… Rex didn’t want to think about it. This was Rex’s special, secret. And he loved it.

He always did everything in his power to keep it out of his troopers' hands, and far away from the battlefield.

And now, now that the post-battle reports were almost done, he could start to let himself think about it a little bit.

*************************************************

Tonight your goal had been to finish the last WIP you’d started months ago when inspiration had hit between grueling battles. And tonight, you’d succeeded. You proofed the polished piece one last time, took a deep breath, and tapped “post”.

As you sat back in your seat, a call from Rex came in on your comm, making you nervous you’d posted it somewhere the rest of the ship could see it.

“Lieutenant, can I get the list of the soldiers your shift deemed medically cleared for duty from you? I’m wrapping up reports, and that’s the last piece of data I need.” Rex’s voice showed no hint of anything other than the same post-battle paperwork as usual, and you loosed a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding.

Beside him, his personal datapad beeped and lit up, a banner across the screen notified him that his favorite author had just posted a new work! Rex couldn’t wait to get to it when these last few reports were done.

“Sure thing, Captain! I take it Kix forgot to send it again.” The normalcy in your voice surprised even yourself.

“You know Kix, but he keeps everyone on their feet, so I don’t mind having to ask for them. Besides, it’s handy to have you onboard. You have all the same medical clearances he does, and you’re much more fun to talk to.” Rex finished. The exhaustion and potential to read a NSFW story tonight seemed to be making Rex bold, even to his inner dialog. Where normally he’d be all business, tonight he was opening up a little, dare he even consider it flirtatious?

The voice on the other end of the phone laughed. “That’s sweet of you! But don’t tell Kix you said that, Captain!”

Rex laughed, “Oh, don’t worry, I think they all know. Everyone enjoys your company in a sea full of identical faces.”

“Haha, well I hope being one of the few different faces isn’t the only thing I have going for me!”

“Certainly not! Like I said, you’re fun to talk to, Sweetheart.” Rex felt the heat rising in his neck, he didn’t usually let himself call you Sweetheart so openly like that… what had become of his filter tonight?

Rex’s work datapad beeped with a new notification, both of which were audible over the comms, but he didn’t know that. “Thanks for the reports! Talk more tomorrow,” Rex yawned.

You snickered, suppressing a yawn of your own, and wished him goodnight.

Rex glanced over the list of names, clicked approve, attached it to his last report and submitted it.

Finally, Rex had time for himself, time to read his favorite author’s new piece!

Rex wondered who the mystery author was, no one used their actual names on this site, that’s what made Rex comfortable with using it. There was no way to trace it back to him, except through his personal datapad, so he felt comfortable using it on a republic ship. Besides, he knew there were much weirder things getting pulled up on republic ships, war was rough after all, and he wasn’t about to judge anyone for however they decided to cope with it.

So, Rex settled in for the night, your cheerful voice on his mind, and decided he needed to picture this new scenario in your voice, with you attached. No matter how risqué that seemed, something about it filled a need for him. There had always been something about you that attracted Rex, though he couldn’t put his finger on what specifically. But that didn’t exactly matter. What did matter was that he finally had someone real who made him feel like he wanted the scenarios he always read about. You!

The comm next to him beeped again. Rex sighed and looked at it. Speaking of, it was you, again!

Rex got nervous. “Everything ok, Sweetheart?” He asked hesitantly, and didn’t even notice he had once again used his internal pet name for you.

Suddenly you were glad you were just on comms and he couldn’t see you, it was hard not to smile when he called you that, and he always did it after particularly grueling battles, like this one. And this was the second time this evening!

“I can’t find my blaster cleaning kit. Did I leave it with you earlier when I dropped off the General’s saber after the battle?”

Rex silently breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the room.

Sure enough, there it was!

“Yup, I have it right here. Want me to bring it to you this time?” he asked.

“Na, I need to get up and stretch a bit anyways, been sitting at my desk too long. I’ll be by in a minute… if that’s okay?”

“Sure thing, see you in a minute!” Rex took a deep breath and looked around the room. He could feel the warmth rising in his face. Why had he just agreed to that? He was all disheveled from a post-battle shower, his personal datapad was still right there with the new fic he was starting to read pulled up, and he had nothing to do until you came by. Not to mention that he’d just been thinking about you… sexually… he knew you couldn’t read his mind, but he still felt guilty about it.

A quiet knock on his door pulled him out of his reverie. Kark! That was fast! Rex shoved his personal datapad under the pillow of the makeshift bunk he sometimes used for a nap in this closet of a space Skywalker and Kenobi had set aside for him. Then he straightened his blacks, scooped up the item you had asked about, and opened the door.

“Hi, thanks, Rex! Sorry, I hope I didn’t interrupt anything!”

Rex found himself a little extra flustered when he opened the door to find you standing in your nightclothes - a slightly too large shirt you’d cut the neck out of, and shorts. Probably more of you than he’d ever seen exposed before. He hoped he was the only man who’d see you like this tonight… or any night for that matter.

“Na, you’re fine I was just…. Uh… reading… before I turn in for the night.” His flustered brain was doing anything except being useful, of course. The one thing he’d been trying to avoid talking about was what he’d just been reading, why did he have to say that?

“Ooo! I like to read! May I ask what you were reading?”

“Uh…” Rex couldn’t say no, so he tried to think fast, “Just something new from my favorite author.”

“Oh! What author?”

Kriff! He hadn’t thought about that question coming next, but in hindsight, he should have. It’s the obvious follow-up question.

“Oh, not books, just, uh… short stories!” Rex was proud of himself, this was going OK! Which is to say: better than he’d expected. Was that too low of a bar to set for himself, or too high?

“Ah, cool! Well, I love to read, but I don’t often have much time anymore either, if you find any good short stories, let me know! I’m curious to know what a strong leader like you likes to read in his downtime!”

Aaaaaand there went his good luck. The bar was indeed too high. Rex felt the warning lights going off in his own mind, warning him of an imminent crash if this conversation continued. Much to his dismay, he did like talking with you.

Rex laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, eyes drifting to the floor. “Sure thing!” He lied, and faked a yawn, “but for tonight, I think it’s time for bed for us both! It was a long day, I’ll see you in the morning, Lieutenant.”

You smiled, nodded, and headed off down the hallway, back to your quarters.

Rex closed the door and sighed. That was close. Too close. He hoped he hadn’t given anything away. Maybe he should start to think up excuses for when you inevitably ask about what he was reading… but for tonight, there was still a whole fic waiting to be read!

*************************************************

The next morning, Rex made a point to check in on the medbay patients while you’re on shift.

He hadn’t told you, or anyone really, but he always planned it that way. He liked to drop by the medbay when you were around. So far, he’d managed to keep it off his brother’s radar and make it appear somewhat random. He just hoped he could keep that up for a while longer.

“You mentioned that you were up late working on something when we spoke last night,” Rex commented, somewhat worried about you. “I thought you’d finished all your reports and sent them in already, hours before. I hadn’t seen any more come through the pipeline that late in the evening, nor this morning. Did I miss anything, Lieutenant?”

“Oh! No, you didn’t miss anything. It was just, uh… some personal things. That’s all! Nothing to worry about, Captain!” Your cheeks felt warm. Hopefully, Rex wouldn’t figure out that he was the cause of your suddenly shy demeanor! There was no way he knew he was on your mind when you were writing last night, could he? Wait, how could he, he didn’t even know you wrote things like that! Probably for the best, you didn’t want to imagine how sorry he’d feel for you to know that was how you were satisfying your cravings for lust these days. Then again, this was war. Maybe it wasn’t so unusual on a ship packed full of men with no relief, no break, no love in sight for weeks, months, years even sometimes. But something told you there were only 2 potential reactions to him finding that out about you: awkward curiosity or disappointment, and you didn’t know which was worse.

“Well, if you need time off to focus on family or friends, I want to make sure you don’t feel bad asking for it. You know I’d grant it. You’re a civilian. I know you need breaks to attend to things at home.” Rex assured you.

“Thanks, but I don’t need time off. I’m actually grateful to have time away from them. Family is family, but being around them wasn’t helping me figure out who I am. I like being farther away from them, if I’m being honest. Allows me to just be…” your voice trails off for a moment, but your mind returns to his comment. “I was just working on some of the things I enjoy in my downtime. It’s nice to have time for those sorts of things, don’t you think?”

“Couldn’t agree more. But now I’m curious,” Rex smirks, intrigued but doing his best to keep the comments light and appropriate for a medbay check-in, “What sorts of fun things occupy your time when these rowdy troopers aren’t flirting with you all day?” he gestures to the men in the bunks lining the walls as he refers to them. “What does your mind need to do to slow down and relax after a grueling battle?” Rex’s eyes are beginning to hint at something on the edge of flirtation, but it couldn’t be… could it? Rex isn’t the type to break his Captain’s demeanor to flirt. Your mind races away into the star-streaked black of hyperspace, too many thoughts flashing by for you to grasp at any one at a time.

Rex nudges you with his shoulder, a raised eyebrow bringing you back to reality.

“Uh, not that different from you, actually, it seems. Reading, writing, music, a good holofilm. An escape from war. Though the company of this war is better than I’d expected,” you teased.

“Did you say you write?” Rex zeroed in on the one thing you hadn’t mean to let slip.

“Uh, not that I have much time to write, haven’t really done it in a while, to be honest,” you babbled, lying through your teeth, trying to detract from his interest.

“That’s too bad,” Rex’s comment paused your ramblings, “I was hoping I’d get a chance to learn more about you, by reading what you write about when you need a break from war.”

You stared at him for a moment. He was flirting with you… right? Or was he just trying to be nice and befriend the civies on his ship so they would feel comfortable amongst his troops like any good Captain would? It must be the latter, right? Rex didn’t seem the type to flirt this openly…

“Lieutenant,” Kix called, “I need 50 cc’s of pain reliever, please”

“Oh, sorry Captain, I have to, uh,” you pointed to Kix, already moving to the supply cabinet for the pain meds.

Rex just nodded and continued walking around the room, checking in with his men as they recovered. Unknowingly, giving you the chance to steal glances at him as you continued your work healing his men. Meanwhile, he did the same thing from across the room, pretending he was simply keeping an eye out behind him like any good officer would, but anyone who knew him could tell his gaze lingered just a little too long on a certain medic…

*************************************************

One evening finds you just sitting with Rex, chatting around a campfire for the first watch of the night after a long battle and hearty meal. It’s just the two of you on watch, for this quadrant of troops, soft snores from nearby tents telling how draining this battle was.

“Rex, when you said you’d like to read what I write…” you find yourself poking around with a stick in the dirt when you say it, watching him out of the corner of your eye.

Rex sits up a little straighter, nodding encouragingly.

“Did you mean, whatever I wrote? Like… anything at all? Even if it’s a little… unusual? Or strange compared to a normal book or story?”

“I don’t just read adventure stories, if that’s what you’re getting at?” He asks, head tilted, curiosity piqued.

There’s no going back now.

“Well, what if it was… kind of… uh………” of all the times to struggle with words, this sure wasn’t a great moment for that to plague you.

“Kind of…” you stalled, mentally shuffling through his previous statements about what he liked to read for hints of words you could borrow, trying to avoid the words you didn’t want to say that were the only things actually populating your mind, like vulgar or lewd. “Wait, are you implying the stoic Captain reads romances and poetry in his spare time?”

“Well…” Rex suddenly can’t hold eye contact with you as he answers, his shyness peaking through, “On occasion, though, I admit it’s not something I read often.”

“So what does the fearless Captain read in his spare time, then?”

Now it was Rex’s turn to search for stall tactics. “Uh, well, I don’t often have time to read.”

“But you were reading just the other night,” you pressed, glad you weren’t the one under scrutiny again, even though it had been your own comment that put you there, you’d gotten too shy to be able to fess up to a man with as strong of a reputation as Rex, even though you knew his kind side.

“Like I said, short stories,” he filled in, knowing it wouldn't be enough, “adventure, strategy, and I guess some romances too.” He hoped that would be enough. So he turned the table back on you, “But you brought up the topic about things you write. What sort of… unusual?” he quoted your own words back at you.

Kark, you were in it now. Damn the dark of night for giving you courage to say something in the first place. Though you knew you could just tell Rex you weren’t ready to talk about it after all and he’d let it go, and act like nothing had happened if that was what you wanted. But, if there was anyone who wouldn’t hate you for it, nor treat you like a piece of meat ready for the taking because of it, it was Rex. On the other hand though, if Rex hadn’t really meant that he’d be comfortable reading anything, if he’d meant that he had limits and that was beyond what he normally read, he’d never be able to look you in the eye or sit at the same table or campfire anymore. You weren’t sure you could take that.

Apparently you stalled too long, and Rex jumped in, words coming out a bit rushed like he was nervous. “You don’t have to tell me anything, if you don’t want to. I hope I didn’t make you feel like you should tell me anything. I won’t pry. You seem a bit nervous. I won’t ask any more questions about it, I know how it feels to be stuck trying to figure something out. Let’s give it some time so you can think, yeah? If you want someone to read something, never feel bad asking. I want to be there for you in any way that I can. You are welcome to decline that, or accept it, or pretend it never happened if you like. I just want to encourage you if you need it, or be there for you if you need me.”

“Thanks, Rex,” you smile at the campfire, tucking your hair behind your ear.

*************************************************

Days pass, battles take their toll, and once again you find yourself needing to write something… especially after another moment with Rex leaves you a little, well… distracted. So you sit down to write one night, and what comes out surprises even you!

You write a fic heavily inspired by something that actually happened in battle, without revealing too many details… or so you think…

The fic depicts a simple damsel saves the knight scenario in a woodland, setting the two characters facing off with a wild animal. All in all, a common trope… and after prepping the fic with all the necessary warnings and notes, you click “post”.

On the other side of the ship, unbeknownst to you, someone’s personal datapad lights up with a notification of a new post from his favorite author. Having finished his work for the evening and searching for a way to fall asleep in his bunk in his tiny little office space, Rex picks up his datapad and starts to read.

But something about this fic strikes him as oddly familiar. The Deja vu only growing stronger as he reads on, until Rex’s own past takes the reigns and he’s whisked away into his memories…

Attempting to sneak up on an enemy outpost, alone, during a critical battle, Rex finds himself alone and face-to-face with an unusually large Nexu.

He’s pretty sure he’s lunch and this is how it ends.

Until a jetpack-powered shove from his favorite Mandalorian saves his ass and drops the Nexu down a short cliff that curves away and forces it away from the battleground.

“Never thought I’d see the day the tough Captain of the legendary boys in blue became the damsel in distress…” you laugh, touching down a few feet away, surprisingly lightly considering your heavy armor kit.

He chuckles, taking the hand you offer to pull him to his feet. “As great as it was to see a badass woman save my shebs [ass], we still have a battle to win.”

She can practically hear the smirk he wears beneath his helmet as he nudges her playfully with his arm.

“Then I’m glad you weren’t some wild animal’s lunch. We’re gonna need you to get through this one, Cap.”

“Then let’s take this tower offline, ner mesh’la verd [my beautiful warrior]!” As soon as it was out of his mouth he realized his mistake. That nickname for you was something he only ever said in his head, he hadn’t intended to say it out loud to you… or ever, really… so, to cover his mistake, he turned and ran off back into the heat of the battle, both blasters drawn. And you follow. Soon, Rex finds himself in one of his favorite spots, taking down droids, back to back with his favorite Mandalorian warrior…

That was how the real scenario went.

Rex knew. He was there! He was the one whose shebs you saved, and the one that slipped and called you ‘his beautiful warrior’! Just like the character in this fic did when a strong beautiful woman saved his ass from a similar creature…

And it would seem that 1) you wrote this fic, 2) you had not only caught that Rex had called you that, but remembered it all these weeks later, and 3) perhaps were a little aroused by it… considering that you used it in a fic?

But that had been many, many battles ago! And by the way that things had gone back to normal since then, you still fought every battle you could at his side, he had thought you hadn’t noticed his slip-up!

Rex scrolls down a ways, skipping ahead to see if this was going in the direction he hoped it was. And sure enough, this scenario was only the beginning, feeding life into the love depicted a few paragraphs down.

Kriff, if you were gonna write a fic this steamy about a moment like that staying on your mind… maybe he could think about it in that way too?

Very quickly, this day turns into the best night in a long while as he imagines you and him in place of the lead characters in your fic, learning about your mind and all the things that one little moment makes you want to do with him! Or, at least, given that you chose a moment with him to inspire this fic, he can only hope you want to finish the scenario with him too!

As he attempts to drift off to sleep, Rex finds himself ecstatic that you are his favorite author.

The trick is figuring out how to tell you that he loves your work and would like to make your dreams come true… without seeming like a creepy stalker…

But, if the little moments between the two lead characters continue to be inspired by little moments with Rex, then he needs to tell you the feeling is mutual, or he will lose his chance with you.

Since he seems to be inspiring several of your fics, the odds must be in his favor. He just has to make a move. Easier said than done…

So… how does he tell you he’s your biggest fan without making it awkward and weird?

Maybe if he starts slow? With little things to make sure he’s reading into it correctly (pun intended).

So, he tries to replicate a look you described as a focused, methodical soldier, who can see right into your soul, because you mentioned that the look, made you shiver because no one had seen you as clearly as he seemed to in that moment.

When he tries it in real life, your eyes widen slightly and you barely suppress a shiver. You have to look away and clear your throat before answering his question.

He acts like he didn’t spot your reaction (his men don’t need to know).

And a few days later, during a moment alone with you, he calls you ‘my beautiful warrior’ in Mando’a again, and smiles when you melt into shyness and look pointedly at the floor, trying not to smile.

But that’s all he gets a chance to say and do before another few particularly rough battles steal your attention from each other back to the life and death of the galaxy you live in.

*************************************************

It’s a few weeks before you find yourself sitting across another campfire from Rex as the two of you sit on watch for the night, the post-battle rhythm settling back in, and the need for distraction from the last few battles has both your minds drifting towards the sultry and suggestive.

After you each share a few flirty remarks and laughs as your watch draws on, he decides it’s time he just went for it.

“Ya know, I’ve been thinking. You asked me what I read in my spare time… and if it’s romance…” Rex picks at a twig on the log he sits on.

Your gaze moves straight to him, an eager look in your eye.

Now it’s his turn to get a little shy as he scratches the back of his neck.

“And to share it with ya if I’d read any good stories, lately…” He tries his hardest to meet your eyes, even just for a few seconds at a time.

“Yeah?” You prompt him, careful not to tease, but to encourage, though you couldn’t help but sit up straighter, focusing all your attention on him.

Before Rex can answer, the sound of approaching boots and laughing troopers draws your attention. You glance at your chrono and realize your shift is over, and it’s time for Fives and Echo to take over the watch.

Rex offers to walk you back to your tent, and you let him. Echo and Fives are too engrossed in their own discussion to notice that you two both seem a little cozy and flustered.

Once out of earshot of the duo with a nose for trouble, Rex offers to show you his favorite short story he’d found recently.

It’s hard not to smile when you invite him into your tent while telling him you’d love to read it.

In the safety of your tent, with the light dim and high above your head so no one can see your shadows, sitting next to you on your cot, he has no reservations about using his personal datapad to access his little secret site.

And then he hands it to you so you can see his url and that he’s looking at your fic - the one where you save his ass from getting eaten, and it’s clearly him.

You stare in awe.

The url he’s using… you know that url! You’ve seen it in your notifications! He usually only reblogs them, rarely ever commenting, and now that you know the man behind it you know why. He’s shy and reserved!

And that’s when the fact that he’s just handed you your fic actually settles in.

You cover your mouth with your free hand as your eyebrows shoot upwards, stunned into silence for a few moments, struggling to find something to say like a fish out of water.

Rex is watching with rapture as you process it all.

And not only is this your fic, but it’s the one that you finally let it be totally inspired by clearly identifiable, real life moments that had happened with him, of all people!

Kark… so thinking no one will know in real life when you’d finally had 20 seconds of courage to post it might have been totally out of line, in hindsight, but dank ferrik, now he knew and it has become his favorite fic?

“But I —this… my… you’re [jaigB51]? Of course that’s you!” You finally manage, clutching the datapad tightly.

“That’s me…” Rex is getting shy, so he tries to push past it, “—and [url] is you, right?” He asks, heat rising in his cheeks.

“Yeah,” you mutter, still stunned, still staring at the little letters at the top of the page, in disbelief that this is really happening.

You look up at him, lost and awed.

He only smiles and tugs the datapad from your hands.

“I’ve noticed that several moments from real life have made it into your fics. Several moments that were just… us… did you mean that you are attracted to me, or just the moments that we shared? Because if it’s not me, I’ll back off and we can pretend this never happened, if you want, if you didn’t mean it like that?” He covers, fiddling with his own fingers as he asks, suddenly struggling to look at your face.

You scoot closer and take a deep breath, preparing to say it.

“I like you, Rex. I did it because I like you, not just the moments we shared.”

Relief washes over Rex as his eyes meet yours again, “I like you too, ner Mesh’la Verd… a lot, if I’m being honest…”

He opens his arms to you and you throw yours around him.

This moment has been a long time coming for Rex. He’d figured it out months ago when you’d posted the fic, but he hadn’t had the courage to say anything for weeks. Now that he finally has, and it’s gone so well, all he can do is hold you close and enjoy the warmth of your arms and the feel of your heartbeat against his own.

”Oh, Rex!” You whisper into his shoulder as you nuzzle in.

He chuckles faintly, the comforting grip of his arms, unrelenting. “Would I be correct if I guessed that those scenarios were things you wanted to do together then? …like a wishlist of sorts?” He whispers into your temple, hesitantly asking the question that’s been on his mind since he first read the fic.

You look up at him with excitement. “Yes,” you whisper as though you’re still not sure this is real.

Rex decides to prove to you it is real, slowly dipping his head to meet your lips. Giving you plenty of time to move away if you wanted, but you don’t. You hold fast, and let him approach, even closing your eyes and tilting your head back to give him a better angle, as the distance closes.

And when he lets his lips touch yours, your hand slips into his buzz cut and he groans against you.

Finally getting to kiss you was heaven. Rex couldn’t get enough. He kept going back for just one more.

“Let me make your dreams come true, ner mesh’la verd!” His voice is hushed as he whispers it against your skin, his arms secure and strong as he holds you tightly.

”Yes, please!” You pant, trying to keep your voice low, aware you are in a tent surrounded by Rex’s brothers who need to look up to their commander without teasing him endlessly about it in the morning.

”I wish we didn’t have to keep quiet,” he winks at you, well aware you like it when you both make a bit of noise.

You pause for a moment, “Well, when we were on watch, you did say there was a shuttle full of spare parts and equipment that needed a pilot to bring it back up to the ship. Does it still need a pilot or two? I think my quarters are undamaged, we could slip aboard the ship and have practically the whole thing to ourselves?”

Rex chuckles against your cheek, checking the ship status on his datapad. “It does still need a pilot. I’ll let Cody know the men on the ground are all his,” he wraps his arms around your waist to scoop up the datapad he’d tossed aside and type out a message as quickly as he can, clicking send without even caring if autocorrect changed anything. “Let’s go, ner Mesh’la Verd!”

*******************************************

The two of you race over to the temporary shipyard, and inform the night guard you and Rex are going to go ahead and bring the shuttle of damaged equipment back to the ship so it’s ready to go in the morning. And off the two of you go, alone in the shuttle as it rises from the planet’s surface and heads into orbit.

Rex turns to you and pulls you into his lap.

You giggle, and kiss his cheek.

”So,” you ask, intentionally suggestively, “I know you said that one was your favorite, but do you have a favorite scenario from my fics that you want to try first?” You can barely believe this is real and you’re actually getting to ask the man you’ve pictured far too many of your fics with the question you’ve always wanted an answer to.

Rex smirks, “I like the shower scenarios…” his eyes continue to monitor the ships progress as he maneuvers it towards the Resolute, but his mind is racing with a thousand dirty thoughts.

“Do I have permission to picture you and I in every one of the stories you’ve written, Sweetheart?” He asks, fervently.

“Yes!” You answer.

He is interrupted by the shuttle bay manager checking in as he maneuvers the ship into the hold.

There is little time to answer as you two disembark the shuttle, exchange nonchalant nods with the hangar bay crew, and make your way through the halls to your personal quarters.

Finally in your room, Rex smiles, “But I think my favorite of the scenarios you’ve written…” his voice darkens a bit as he steps up to you, his eyes finally reflecting his hunger for you as he begins to remove your armor. “Hmm…” Rex playfully debates which of your fics he’d like to recreate first, letting the anticipation make you a little feisty.

You lend a hand, removing his armor as he works on yours.

“I liked the one where you had me kissing up your wrist and arm to your lips, down your neck to your breasts, and then down to your legs and thighs and back up… I admit I reread that one most often… ” He asks, scooping you off your feet, effortlessly.

As he lifts you with one arm behind your back and one hand raising your thigh to his hip, your legs automatically wrap around his hips. Rex pauses and closes his eyes, swallowing hard, and clutching you to him.

“Oh?” You tease.

Rex takes a moment to just try to figure out how to breathe normally again before answering. “What’s your favorite, so far?” He tosses the question back at you, though the rise and fall of his chest is far less collected than his voice. Trying to use his Captain’s skill at hiding any emotion in his voice as a cover when he is actually unraveling quickly.

You laugh lightly as he reaches the bed, tossing the covers back and climbing in with you still wrapped tightly around him. “I think it’s that one too, actually.”

Rex smirks and his eyes gleam in the low light of the room, “May I, then?”

“Why would I ever say no to that?” You laugh, though it fades on your lips as his connect with yours quickly in his hunger.

“I love knowing what you want already, I have a long list of all the items I want to do with you tonight, ner Mesh’la Verd!” Rex pants against your skin.

“But… I don’t know what you like, Rex,” Your concern for his own pleasure fills his heart with warmth. If he didn’t already love you, he certainly does now.

Your legs squeeze more tightly around his waist as his lips trail down your body.

Rex groans, gripping your thigh.

“I like…” he pants, “the way your legs grip me.” He licks a stripe across one breast and then the other.

“I love the way your back arches and you cling to me.” He lightly nips at your abdomen as he moves southward, soothing it with a sensual kiss.

“I love your little noises. And I’m dying to feel you around my fingers, tongue, and cock. And I like the way your writing describes me as protective when I’m on top like this. And I love being able to read about exactly what you want. And I like the feel of your breasts in my hands and mouth. Kark, I could suck on your breasts all day! And I’d make sure to keep it evenly distributed between both breasts,” he teases, moving up to nip at your ear when he says it.

“So you noticed that, huh?” You blush, shyly. You weren’t expecting to ever have a partner that had read your fics before. You hadn’t thought about what was usually contained only in your mind and never said out loud when you had been writing.

He chuckles, “Hard not to notice.” He winks up at you. “Why, is that something you wouldn’t have told me otherwise?” His eyes and tone reflect that teasing, fun side he rarely lets show.

“Maybe…” you admit as he clutches you tightly to him, pressing every inch of skin that he can against every inch of yours.

“Then I’m glad I read your fics. I like already knowing what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours as I make love to you.” Rex’s breath is hot on your neck as he begins his open mouthed kisses down your shoulder towards your wrist.

A shudder racks your body as you realise this might be a long night ahead of you, but it will also be one of the most fun nights in a long time, and with a man worth every second of it all!

Please don’t steal my work! I pour my heart into these so if you like it please reblog to share instead of reposting it! And NO dropping it into an AI to finish it for me! That’s stealing my work and feeding it to an AI without my consent. It is not okay to give an AI something you didn’t write yourself!

Taglist: @cw80831

#captain rex x reader #rex x reader #tcw rex x reader #oh captain my captain #zenith writes

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voidcrystalline · 2 months ago

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Itzy Profiles

Writer's Note: Don't forget, people. There's a sexual themes tag on this for a reason. You opted IN to see shit like this, so calm yourself. It's not like this is real or even feasible. I don't want to hear about it. Unless you're going to ask me something dirty or make suggestions about who should be next. That, I do want to hear.

Subject Name: Chaeryeong

Acquisition: Upon JYP's unexpected dissolution, the Itzy members were first to be offered. All five were acquired simultaneously. Subject attempted escape, but her sight was hindered by tears and she ran directly into personnel.

Containment: Subject has not attempted escape since acquisition. During psych evaluations, she has expressed a belief that there is no point in trying, and has refused to so much as move for hours at a time when presented with extremely easy escape options. No special containment procedures necessary.

Features: Uncommonly strong lower body, exceptional physical dexterity and agility, quiet demeanor

Modifications: Standard preservative modifications made post-acquisition, medication for pre-existing condition (requires yearly renewal, free of charge in-office), mild bulking, very mild glute and thigh augmentation, no designer modifications

Specialties: Humiliation, hotdogging

Designer Comments: While we don't normally disclose this, it is critical to note that this subject’s medication is a powerful antidepressant. If not properly renewed, she will become vegetative and nearly impossible to care for over the course of roughly two weeks. Properly maintained, subject is an excellent, low maintenance, and unerringly obedient slave with a rather unique figure. She will perform all tasks commanded of her to a high degree of skill, even under extreme duress (a state she is quite prone to experiencing). Subject is especially adept when it comes to physically demanding sexual activity, which is quite the entertaining contrast to her bashful nature. Subject has a sister who has worked in the idol industry as well and whose company has recently advised they will be seeking a buyer for her in the near future. Any buyer of this subject will be notified of relevant updates to that situation.

☆☆☆

Subject Name: Yuna

Acquisition: Upon JYP's unexpected dissolution, the Itzy members were first to be offered. All five were acquired simultaneously. Subject attempted to seduce two separate personnel and requested assistance with escape from them. The attempts were unsuccessful.

Containment: Subject does not seem to possess the capacity for scheming to escape. Simple locks should suffice if standard containment is desired, but subject's escape attempts when guarded only by personnel have proven quite amusing and good for morale.

Features: Highly uncommon waist to hip ratio, noted exhibitionist tendencies

Modifications: Standard preservative modifications made post-acquisition, very mild glute augmentation, nerve wiring for oral pleasure, slightly increased lung capacity

Specialties: All forms oral sex, self-humiliation

Designer Comments: It is exceptionally rare for our slaves to present a desire for escape but then actively participate in their own containment and slave training. This has, to the great entertainment of Workshop personnel, been the case with this subject. Subject seems to believe that she is far more clever than she truly is, and that, given enough time, she will be able to escape containment using her sexual wiles. She is actually quite skilled at oral sex—her primary seduction method—and practices it regularly on provided sex toys, as well as by suggesting it to any personnel she can isolate (or sometimes in groups). Unfortunately for the subject, this is not enough. For added security, the subject's nerves have been modified, such that she experiences intense sexual pleasure in her tongue, lips, soft palate, cheeks, and throat, and has not been explicitly made aware of this modification. Subject has achieved such powerful orgasms during blowjobs as to lose bodily control, thus making escape significantly more difficult. She has also developed curious, physical eating habits as a result, which personnel have found exceptionally entertaining.

☆☆☆

Subject Name: Lia

Acquisition: Upon JYP's unexpected dissolution, the Itzy members were first to be offered. All five were acquired simultaneously. Subject presented minimal resistance during the start of the acquisition, but upon observing the reactions of her group-mates, ceased resistance and encouraged the same from the others.

Containment: No special containment procedures necessary. Recommended to allow freedom into spaces with other slaves.

Features: Multilingual, noted nurturing tendencies

Modifications: Standard preservative modifications made post-acquisition, mild bulking, no designer modifications

Specialties: Slave pacification, potentially breeding

Designer Comments: Subject is a model slave, and the Workshop designer team agrees unanimously that she would be an ideal candidate for breeding. This is quite uncommon among former idol slaves. An addendum will be provided with the rest of the team's testimonials. Subject is caring and encouraging, but knows when it’s best to give others space. Potential buyers will be screened.

☆☆☆

Subject Name: Yeji

Acquisition: Upon JYP's unexpected dissolution, the Itzy members were first to be offered. All five were acquired simultaneously. Subject offered some resistance to acquisition, but ceased upon threat of physical violence from personnel (personnel in question has been reprimanded for this unnecessary behavior and given further training).

Containment: No special containment procedures necessary. Simple locks should suffice.

Features: Uncommonly firm breasts, sharp facial features

Modifications: Standard preservative modifications made post-acquisition

Specialties: Multiple penetration, same-sex interaction

Designer Comments: Subject is a physically unique and interesting specimen. Quite adept at a wide array of skills, she has proven to be a favorite of training staff, who have made numerous unusual requests for time with the subject outside of regular hours. Subject has displayed hesitations, but nonetheless continues to participate in these extracurriculars willingly. Though I have not personally supervised these, training staff have advised that her already admirable abilities are even more impressive in the informal environment. As for my own observations, I have noted that the subject is especially adept at sexually pleasing the same sex. Though I suspect such encounters may have been a regular occurrence pre-acquisition, her skill with the opposite sex has caused me to reconsider. If her buyer would be so inclined, I would be quite curious to see how this plays out over a greater period of time, and whether or not a clear pattern of preference emerges.

☆☆☆

Subject Name: Ryujin

Acquisition: Upon JYP's unexpected dissolution, the Itzy members were first to be offered. All five were acquired simultaneously. Subject was highly resistant to acquisition and both caused and received mild injuries. Subject was calmed by her former group-mate, Lia, and acquisition continued without further incident.

Containment: Subject’s escape attempts are infrequent, but quite complex in nature when they occur. Advanced electronic locking mechanisms on all containment openings recommended. Highly skilled personnel recommended for rotating guard duty.

Features: Uncommonly strong lower body, tomboyish demeanor

Modifications: Standard preservative modifications made post-acquisition, mild bulking, very mild glute augmentation, elasticity increase, natural lubrication increase

Specialties: No notable sexual specialties. Subject continues to refuse active participation.

Designer Comments: Subject is a difficult slave with high resistance to authority. Though this resistance is not violent in nature, it has proven to be quite frustrating. Subject will refuse basic labor at random intervals, as well as all sexual commands, choosing most often to lie flat and not acknowledge the sexual activity at all, even when forced upon her. She will actively resist if caused pain or discomfort, so her vagina has been modified for extra elasticity and lubrication specifically to reduce this likelihood. Of course, if a more punishing sexual encounter is preferred, the subject's anus has not been afforded the same modification. Caution should be exercised when utilizing the subject's mouth. She has not actively attempted biting, but the possibility seems to be high.

☆☆☆

Breeding recommendation addendum:

The Workshop has a set of criteria which must be met for our designer team to make a recommendation for a slave to be bred. While, of course, the decision is ultimately up to the buyer, we pride ourselves on making the recommendation sparingly, and only in the most ideal scenarios.

A candidate for breeding must meet the following criteria.

Submission: The subject must not exhibit any defiant tendencies whatsoever post-acquisition.

Affection: The subject must express desire for affection for their potential buyers, sight unseen.

Health: The subject must be checked, physically and mentally, and given a clean bill of health (including for fertility) by no fewer than three medical professionals.

Willingness: To avoid danger of self-harm or attempted pregnancy termination, the subject must have at least displayed willingness to produce offspring.

Many clients have indicated that appearance should be accounted for in a breeding candidate, but at the Workshop, we do not presume to know the tastes of our clients in advance. We can advise on matters of appearance if asked directly, but only after a preference questionnaire has been provided.

Regarding Subject Lia's candidacy for breeding, excepting confirmations of the above criteria, here are some of our other designers’ comments, transcribed from audio:

“She's wonderful! Her smile warms the heart! She’s even offered me assistance with my duties on several occasions without prompting! Lovely, lovely girl, this one.” - Dsgn. Flame

“I cannot recommend her any more highly. She is very sweet, and I just hope she finds a good home.” - Dsgn. Stone

“For quite some time, I watched the subject closely, suspecting that she was trying to fool [my colleagues] into complacency in order to escape. But I orchestrated an escape myself, and once she was off-grounds, the subject injured herself in the attempt to break free and to run back to the facility. Never in my career have I seen such behavior. I can say with certainty that Lia will be exceptionally dedicated.” - Dsgn. Deep

#kpop #kpop smut #itzy #itzy smut #yuna #itzy yuna #chaeryeong #itzy chaeryeong #yeji #itzy yeji #ryujin #itzy ryujin #choi jisu #itzy lia #kpopworkshopcatalog

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lijoue · 1 year ago

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Tutorial: How to Make a CAS Background With Functional Mirror

Overview

This is something that has been highly requested so I hope this tutorial will be helpful for the sims 4 cc community!

This tutorial will have 2 parts for creating 2 different types of CAS "room" backgrounds. Part 1 (The Easy Way) uses a template I created for you to use your own 2D images/screenshots with a simple rectangular mirror. Part 2 (The 3D Room) will result in a better quality background, but it’s not a beginner friendly project so I don’t recommend trying it if you’ve never made any cc before. I will not cover the basics of cc making here, only what’s relevant to making a CAS bg using my template specifically. The Sims 4 Studio forum has a ton of great tutorials for everything else.

In my own research & experimentation, I noticed that (as far as I can tell) EVERY other CAS room with a functional mirror seems to be derived originally from LittleDica's CAS room [link] I want to acknowledge credit to LittleDica for their CAS background which I studied as a reference. But to be clear this tutorial and my templates are NOT derived from another creators' work; I created mine from scratch and it took a lot of time and effort. My version is much more simple and more compatible with Sims 4 Studio because there are no extra mesh groups or diffuse maps. I also made a great effort to make the reflection in the mirror more realistic for the size of the room. I hope you will be able to use this resource to create your own beautiful CAS backgrounds! ♥

Also in case you missed it, you can download my CAS background used in the preview [here] (it is slightly different from the template package.)

Requirements:

Sims 4 studio

Image editor (Ideally photoshop)

my templates (attached below)

—————

Part 01: The Easy Way

The easiest way to create a CAS background with mirror is to use my attached templates.

The PSD template is the best option, but for those of you that don’t have Photoshop, there is a PNG version as well.

You will need 2 images; one for the main background, and one that will be reflected in the mirror. The large top area is the main background, and the smaller rectangle at the bottom is what will be reflected in the mirror behind your sim.

In the image editor, paste your images and resize them to fit into the outlined areas.

For framing your screenshots, it’s important to understand that the mirror is actually just floating in space in front of a flat background. That means you’ll have to fake the perspective a bit and that may require some trial and error to get right. I recommend taking multiple screenshots at a variety of angles so you have options to work with. Use the model sim as a guide to help you with placing your background image. (Don’t forget to hide the model sim and UV layout when you’re done!)

Save as .PNG or .DDS and import it into the template package in Sims 4 Studio.

That’s it! My goal was to make it super easy for you. Remember to only use one CAS background in your mods folder at a time since it's an override. Also note that it is not compatible with 'cas blob remover' since the instance for the dropshadow is now used as the mirror.

TOU — PLEASE READ:

I give permission to the Sims community to use my template files and modify them as needed to create your own CAS backgrounds. This took months of work, researching and experimenting, so please respect the effort I put into creating this resource by agreeing to these simple terms:

Don’t re-upload my files. Don’t claim my work as your own. If you use my templates for your cc, please share credit with my username (Lijoue) and link to my Patreon page. If you make any money from cc created with my templates, please consider making a donation via my Patreon. It is greatly appreciated.

download template files here

Part 02: The 3D Room

to be continued…

This part will take more time to finish because there’s a lot more steps involved in creating a 3D CAS room. In the meantime, the template should be enough of a starting point for those of you that already know how to make cc objects, since I already handled the hardest parts. Just understand that the mirror reflection is not automatically calculated, meaning that if you move the mirror in the mesh, you will need to change the Mirror Plane Normal and Mirror Plane Offset in S4Studio Warehouse to match the new angle or position. Otherwise it may look unrealistic or worse, it could reflect the eerie wasteland world that the CAS room is set in. (pictured below)

#sims 4 creator #sims 4 tutorial #the sims cc #ts4 maxis cc #maxis match cc #sims 4 maxis match #ts4 tutorial #sims 4 studio #ts4 custom content #ts4 cc #cas backgrounds #sims 4 cas

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put-me-out-of-my-destiny · 8 days ago

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Going by a Google search, no one on the internet seems to have speculated about how much Lady can lift. No relevant results, and even the AI couldn't shit out something that looks relevant.

I did find a comment in a Reddit thread speculating that Kalina Ann is a heavily modified M20, with a micro-missile pad, grappling wire, and bayonet added.

According to Wikipedia, the earlier version of the M20 weighs 6.5 kg/14.3 lbs when unloaded, and the missile weighs an additional 4 kg/9 lbs. So before adding in the missile pad, the grappling wire, and the bayonet, Kalina Ann weighs 10.5 kg, or 23.3 lbs. For context, a bowling ball is only about 15 lbs. 4 bricks gets only slightly higher at 25.6 pounds. A perfectly liftable weight for an adult human, but it would probably take a lot of endurance to carry it for a long time, let alone to jump and roll the way Lady can.

To make things easy on myself, my headcanon is that the bayonet and the missile pad weigh roughly the same, to ensure that the weapon is balanced. I've obviously never used a rocket launcher, but in my limited experience with guns, if anything they tend to be heavier in the barrel than the stock. I suppose a more balanced weapon would make it easier for Lady to be as nimble as a devil hunter needs to be (it's one thing for a weapon to be heavy, but another for its weight distribution to feel awkward).

Let's look at a visual reference:

The micro-missile doesn't look much smaller than the standard missile, but it is much less powerful. To try and be reasonable, I'm going to say that it weighs 0.5 kg/1.1 lbs. Since the missile pad seems to contain nine micro-missiles, the weight of the loaded pad must be greater than 4.5 kg/9.9 lbs. Assuming that the bayonet plus the grappling wire weigh about the same, that brings our total weight up to...

... 19.5 kilograms, or 43 pounds.

For reference, the average gallon bucket of paint weighs 11 pounds, or about 1/4 as much. Going by my headcanon, Kalina Ann's weight is equivalent to sticking four cans of paint, gluing them together, and slinging them over your shoulder. And although it probably helps that Kalina Ann is longer and slimmer than four cans of paint, that Lady carries the weapon so easily is a testament to her strength and endurance.

#devil may cry #headcanon #lady dmc #quen speaking #why do i want to know how much lady can lift? don't worry about it

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titanomancy · 11 months ago

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Since the OG resin Mechanicum models haven't been delisted yet, I thought it would be of particular historical relevance to post some side-by-sides of the old models and their newly announced plastic counterparts before they're memory holed forever.

In the case of the Tech-Thralls, it looks like the new kit may only contain las-locks - now modified to more closely resemble a standard lasgun than the previous neutron laser-inspired design.

The new design looks less bulky - the shoulders, particularly, have been slimmed down - and many of the poses present a staggering gait that feels more thematically consistent with the bionic zombies they're meant to be. Great stuff.

The Thallax, meanwhile, give the appearance of being slightly more bulky than their resin counterparts. This may just be an artifact of the photography, although the inclusion of additional armored head options does give those examples a somewhat more tanky profile.

Some superficial changes to their weapons as well - all are still clearly recognizable, with the most obvious change being to elongate the multi-melta to separate the foregrip from the barrel shroud.

Similarly superficial, the Castellax look to be very nearly 1:1 with their resin counterparts. It's tough to turn up any significant variances even on a close inspection, although I'm sure that the switch to plastic will significantly improve the assembly.

The Thanatar definitely benefits from the switch to plastic, showcased by the wide open magnetic containment ring around the muzzle of its plasma mortar. In its original resin incarnation, this assembly is cast as a single, solid ring which sits over the end of the gun. I imagine that it's meant to articulate while firing, opening up to release the containment field as the plasma discharges.

What I find most interesting is the sheer number of modifications to the Triaros Armoured Conveyor. The silhouette is unchanged, but any particular detail you care to hone in on is noticeably different; from the venting on the shock ram to the gimbles of its point defense weapons, to the coils of its flare shield projectors and the suspension of its return rollers.

I'll definitely be curious to see how they approach the rest of the Mechanicum range. We can already infer that the Termite Assault Drill is coming, since it's got an 8mm Legions Imperialis counterpart on the way, and the tooling for the Triaros makes the lightning locked and rad missile loaded Karacnos Assault Tank a lot more likely.

I wouldn't mind seeing a plastic Krios Battle Tank, either, but there's less reason to believe that's imminent at the minute.

#games workshop #citadel miniatures #warhammer 40k #warhammer 30k #horus heresy #age of darkness #adeptus mechanicus #martian mechanicum #mechanicum taghmata #tech-thrall covenant #thallax cohort #castellax battle-automata #thantar siege automata #triaros armoured conveyor #warhammer community #warhammer preview

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neon-sunsets · 2 months ago

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having watched the lovely response @iamthemaestro has received from his mutuals, I have decided it is time for me to start posting about my half of our mutual OCs. as Maestro says in his post, we started writing this in 2022, made it through a 500 page draft, and then started the whole thing over with a significantly modified plot and far more complicated lore. there are four protagonists and four POVs through which the story is told: Percy, Sydney, Esther, and Atarah. Maestro came up with Percy and Sydney and writes their POVs, and I came up with Esther and Atarah and write their POVs. I'll let her do the talking about Percy and Sydney who have a uh ... toxic yaoi doesn't even begin to cover it really ... sort of thing going on. I love them, they're very dear to me, and I enjoy making them miserable for sport.

I will do a little bit of soliloquizing about the world first, so bear with me. as Maestro says it is "a lot like ours but slightly to the left," essentially meaning that there are different countries and locations (most of which correspond to some sort of real world equivalent -- we have the British navy at home, you get the gist). the other main difference is that there are a lot of Weird Animals.

basically, instead of whales, the oceans in the story are populated by the Giant Eel.

when I say giant, I mean Giant. these bad boys range from fifteen to forty-five feet in length (and sometimes more). they have stinger barbs and impressively large teeth, and they're smart enough that you could train one if you were reckless and determined enough (I promise this is relevant to the plot). the Giant Eel has significantly shaped the culture of this world. the various parts of the eel's body are used for medicines and food, the fat is used for fuel, and the teeth and bones are used in a similar way to ivory. killing one is really hard to do, and sailors often brag of having killed one when that's not actually the case. I've always been a big eel fan so I'm quite pleased to be writing a story where they're an important motif.

putting Esther and Atarah's bios under a readmore so those of you who hate when lesbians get divorced without ever having been romantically involved can skip reading about them.

many know the Eel Queen, the navy's second most wanted pirate captain and the Guinness World Record holder for Most Giant Eels Killed By A Single Person (or she would be, if that existed in her world). few people - Sydney, her mother, a few members of her crew, Esther, and eventually Percy - know that her real name is Atarah, and fewer people actually call her by it.

(art by @iamthemaestro )

the important thing to know about Atarah is that she fundamentally believes herself to be evil. this means she has an unfortunate penchant for running away, leaving things behind, faking her death, and otherwise trying to remove herself from the lives of those around her. other notable traits: she's gay, gender non-conforming, a rapier purist (she will NOT use a cutlass, she knows it's less practical, don't even ask), and in another life she would have been a doctor. she's even Jewish (or the in-universe equivalent). for close to fifteen years she's loved Esther, and for close to fifteen years she's believed that Esther could never love her back. contributing to this perception is an event that occurred ten years prior to the events of the story, an incident that Atarah refuses to discuss.

Atarah captains the Steel Ace (a ship she cobbled together by cashing in a number of very high-value favors after she wrecked her previous one) and is well-liked and respected by her crew. any pirate who could have reasonably posed a threat to her has either died, retired out of shame after she beat them repeatedly at cards, or gone to work for the navy's most wanted pirate captain. she's been quite successful in pushing people away, actually. yay! except that means she's incredibly, indescribably lonely.

Atarah and Sydney are, for all intents and purposes, siblings - she took him in when he was fourteen and taught him everything she knew about piracy and the world. she's saved him from a number of incredibly foolish and ill-advised plots, near-death situations, and silly shenanigans. she'd go to the ends of the earth for him.

but their relationship is rocky, in large part due to Atarah's mother who, for plot reasons, I cannot tell you anything about beyond the fact that she was a truly awful parent. (and Sydney, as you can see in Maestro's post, isn't exactly well-adjusted.) as a result of her mother's parenting Atarah believes that everyone in her life is better off without her, including the brother who loves her more than anything and the woman she left behind.

Esther Cardozo is many things: armorer, trade guild representative, sometimes revolutionary; former captain of the Wayfarer, a civilian merchant vessel; Jewish; professional hater, particularly of the navy; unbeatable at the weird not-poker card game we came up with; autistic; butch. ten years ago, she lost the part of her leg below her right knee in an incident that she barely remembers (due to the fact that she passed out from blood loss partway through), so she uses a prosthetic leg and cane. though she won't talk about what happened next, whatever it was ruined her and Atarah's relationship, and they haven't seen each other since.

(art by @/satturn, commissioned as a lovely gift for me by Maestro)

when she was eight or so, Esther's parents were murdered. she was adopted by a very prominent naval officer named Admiral John Barnett, who taught her armory and the rules of the nobility, forced her to leave her culture behind, and gave her a new name and a new identity as his daughter. when Essie Barnett was eighteen, both she and her doting father were killed in a senseless act of violence by a passing drunkard.

at least, that's what the navy told the world. Essie Barnett died, but Esther survived, joining up with the crew of a merchant ship and being mentored by the ship's cook. that, combined with the skills John Barnett taught her, meant that eventually she sort of just ... inherited the Wayfarer from its previous captain.

it was during her tenure as captain that she met Atarah. a chance encounter between them ended with a curious bargain, wherein Atarah promised not to target Esther's ship or crew in exchange for some goods (a fine dagger, several bolts of silk, and approximately three crates of oranges). this professional alliance evolved into a close friendship, and despite everyone in their lives assuming they'd end up together, neither Esther nor Atarah ever took that leap. in the ten years since the incident that drove them apart, Esther has managed to convince herself that she hates Atarah. whether or not this is true is another question entirely, but Esther is nothing if not good at denial.

when we meet Esther she's a full-time armorer, part-time revolutionary pretending she doesn't miss the ocean or any pirates who might be sailing it. unfortunately for her, things are about to boil over in the navy's largest and most rebellious colony, and her involvement with the revolutionaries has put a very precise target on her back. the navy wants Essie Barnett back, and they don't care what they have to do to get their hands on her.

(and, more than that - it would seem that no matter how much Esther and Atarah try to move on from each other, something keeps pulling them back into orbit.)

of course, that's only half the story. Percy and Sydney have their own insane gay journey happening; their POVs, as well as the friendships and dynamics between all four characters, are incredibly important and a lot of fun to write.

this story is so important to me; it's been a lifeline through some very difficult health problems, an experience that has sort of found its way into Esther's character. go check out Maestro's post if you haven't already - he has a lot of art of Percy and Sydney on her blog!

thanks for reading! stay tuned for more about these tortured weirdos ...

#home sheet home #esther tag #atarah tag #sydney tag #percy tag

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abboudlawfirm-omaha · 3 months ago

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What is Comparative Fault in a Personal Injury Case?

One critical factor to understand is comparative fault when involved in a personal injury case. This principle can influence the outcome of your claim and directly affect the amount of compensation you may be entitled to receive. In this article, we’ll explore what comparative fault means, how it functions in personal injury law, and why enlisting the help of a qualified personal injury attorney can make a meaningful difference in your case.

What Is Comparative Fault?

Comparative fault, or comparative negligence, is a legal framework used to determine how responsibility for an accident is divided among the parties involved. The principle recognizes that multiple parties may share some degree of blame for an incident, and it assigns percentages of fault accordingly.

The key purpose of comparative fault is to ensure fairness by adjusting compensation based on each party's responsibility for the accident. This system contrasts with older legal doctrines that might have entirely barred recovery for an injured party who was even slightly at fault.

How Comparative Fault Works

Determining Fault: After an accident, evidence is gathered to establish the circumstances of the incident. This includes witness statements, police reports, accident scene photographs, and other relevant documentation. All of this helps determine who was responsible and to what extent.

Assigning Percentages: Once fault is established, a percentage of responsibility is assigned to each party. For example, if one driver is determined to be 75% at fault for a collision and the other is 25% responsible, the compensation awarded will reflect this division.

Calculating Compensation: Under the comparative fault system, the injured party’s damages are reduced by their percentage of fault. For instance, if your total damages amount to $50,000 and you are found to be 20% at fault, you would be eligible to recover $40,000 (80% of the total damages).

Types of Comparative Fault Systems

Pure Comparative Fault: In jurisdictions with a pure comparative fault system, an injured party can recover damages regardless of their percentage of fault, even if they are more at fault than the other party.

Modified Comparative Fault: Many states use a modified system, which bars recovery if the injured party is found to be 50% or 51% at fault, depending on the jurisdiction. This threshold ensures those primarily responsible for their injuries cannot recover compensation.

The Impact of Comparative Fault on Personal Injury Cases

The comparative fault system can create challenges for personal injury claims. Here’s how it might affect your case:

Negotiating with Insurance Companies: Insurance companies often attempt to assign a higher percentage of fault to injured parties to reduce their payout obligations. This tactic underscores the importance of having strong legal representation to counter these arguments and present compelling evidence.

Proving Fault: Successfully navigating a case involving comparative fault requires thorough preparation. Collecting accident reports, medical records, expert testimony, and other evidence can strengthen your position.

Understanding Legal Nuances: Each jurisdiction has unique laws governing comparative fault, and understanding these nuances is vital to ensuring your rights are protected.

Why Work with a Personal Injury Attorney?

Personal injury cases involving comparative fault can be legally and emotionally complex. Partnering with a skilled personal injury attorney offers several advantages:

Expert Guidance: Attorneys with expertise in personal injury law understand how to interpret evidence and apply legal principles effectively.

Maximizing Compensation: A knowledgeable attorney will work to minimize your assigned fault percentage and argue for the maximum compensation you deserve.

Reducing Stress: Handling legal proceedings while recovering from an injury can be overwhelming. An attorney can manage your case, allowing you to focus on healing.

Effective Negotiation: Attorneys are well-versed in dealing with insurance companies and can advocate for a fair settlement on your behalf.

Protect Your Rights and Understand Your Options

Navigating the complexities of comparative fault in personal injury cases requires legal knowledge and a strategic approach. With the right attorney, you can build a strong case, uphold your rights, and pursue the compensation you need to recover.

Whether negotiating with insurance companies or presenting your case in court, having experienced legal representation can be a game-changer. Don’t face the legal process alone—consider seeking professional guidance to ensure the best possible outcome for your case.

#personal injury attorney #abboud law firm #personal injury #law

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kit-williams · 1 year ago

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Nap Together

Male Lead: 91-Yrac Female Lead: H3X Universe/AU: Warhammer 40k/Yandere Space Marine Canon Status: Yes this is after H3X gets some flesh crafted leggies

Yrac cocked his head to the side as this agriworld was not very much relevant to what he needed nor anyone else needed but it's what his little sweet spark needed. He could see her stimming, her hands shaking as she made a low noise from her throat as a bit of spittle ran down her chin. She was excited... elevated heart level and other vitals ran by him.

Her frame had to be modified to handle her mass as that is what her replaced legs were doing but just a bit of a modification and some load bearing adjustments and he watched her touch her legs again as a spider like contraption bore most of her weight until she was ready to give up her legs again.

"Are you excited?" Yrac said wrapping his mechadendrites around one of her own. Watching her nod as she pulled off her boots hissing and whining as she wanted to do it all on her own. Today has been far too exciting for her... seeing equines as well... it's why he chose this planet... they had suitable skull structures that pleased her.

She hissed and jerked her foot back up having stepped on a bramble as she plucks it out and giggles seeing her foot bleed, "It hurt!" She says with tears in her eyes.

"Yes isn't that what you wanted?" Yrac says cocking his head to the other side of him as the imposing towering man follows behind the small woman. His eye brightly glowing as he watches her closely.

She skitters over and puts her new legs with her new toes... into the soft slightly damp grass. Yrac's servo skull watches for combatants behind him but otherwise he is fully focused on his sweet spark. Again she makes her excited closed mouth noise, slapping the ground with not only both of her hands but all her mechadendrites as she stims. He lets her do that till he just watches her hold her head as she's gone and over excited herself.

He moves quickly pulling her off the grass and wrapping her in one of his mecadendrites. "Alright H3X I think we've done a lot today. Wouldn't you agree?"

He watches her nod as he puts her boots back on and leads her to a waiting flyer. This planet really isn't for him it's far more for her.

-----

His fingers drummed on the side of the throne as he was looking over reports his eye dull at the sight of reports but when he turns his head to see his dear sweet spark standing there is suddenly shines brightly, "H3X what is it sweet spark?"

She doesn't ordain to tell him as all she does is crawl into his lap and shove her head under his chin. He feels his pacemaker sputter for a moment before it continues on its rhythm. "H3X? What is-"

"I'm tired and want nap." She says with a pout in her voice.

"Ahhh I see." He plugs his mechadendrite in and reroutes his calls and queries and ways to run the ship from his quarters. "Come on up." He listens to her whine as his own hydraulics whine as he picks her up before she moves on her own. "I know a better spot to nap."

His hands run through her hair as his living eye is closed while he continue to run the ship from the comfort of his bed. Slightly luxurious in its materials but still able to hold up the weight of two tech adepts. Her head on his chest as she fell asleep listening to his processes working inside of his chest. His crew under strict orders to not disturb him lest pain of death and/or slow servitor conversion. The mechanical parts of his brain are running suboptimal as he is in a resting phase and letting it do automated tasks... when was the last time he allowed himself to... nap?

H3X on the other mechadendrite loved to nap as he had ensure there were spots suitable for her to nap in throughout the ship and this was the first time she sought a joint nap. Yrac wouldn't complain about this development hoping that she would request him for more naps. As he holds her close and she holds him.

Fluffuary Taglist: @bispecsual @the-californicationist @egrets-not-regrets @libraryshadow @bleedingichorhearts @liar-anubiass-blog

#warhammer 40k #fluffuary #fluffuary2024 #yandere #adeptus mechanicus #yandere mechanicus #yandere dark mechanicus #dark mechanicum

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isobug · 1 year ago

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Dichotomyless / Non-Dichotomy

A representative flag for those who are totally outside of dichotomy categorization of any kind ( Dichotomyless ) and / or not conforming to the orientation / gender / etc. dichotomy in any way ( Non-Dichotomy. )

These terms were not coined by me, but were defined by Anon via my inbox. This was requested as Anon wanted something more specific than Absrose.

The symbol on the flag is "≅". I believe this is a great symbol to represent being Dichotomyless / Non-Dichotomy as it means "approximately equal to" in mathematics. The antonyms of "Dichotomy" are "equality, similarity, harmony, and agreement". This represents those concepts, but avoids exact sameness.

( I want to avoid the creation of a new dichotomy of "similar vs. dissimilar" via the modifier "approximate", which means "close but not exactly the same" aka both and also neither. This can be conceptually similar to or the same as Recursion if you find that useful to describe your experience! )

The symbol itself can also represent the experience of being one who is Dichotomyless / Non-Dichotomy, with the tilde representing the individual(s) in question being literally above or removed from any or a Dichotomy ( represented by the two parallel lines ), but also not totally removed ( again, to avoid another dichotomy of "removed vs. attached". )

I've also chosen "≅" because it's already easily available / accessible as a text symbol, so one could easily put it in their bio, their icon, or recreate it irl for handmade pride accessories and the like.

The flag itself has the blue and purple-pink stripes at the top / bottom to represent any relevant dichotomy or all dichotomies. These colors are often used to show "opposites". The orange-yellow stripe is a color intentionally removed from blue/pink/purple and is "above" the dichotomy stripes, but still slightly overlapping with both ( as well as neither / the rest of the flag. )

The grey expanse is meant to show the "grey area" of every dichotomy, people often think in "black and white" when I've found that every established dichotomy has it's grey areas or those who are literally unable to be fit into "either/or" systems. It is both removed from the other stripes but touching all of them, again representing a lack of dichotomy.

The teal stripe/circle holding the symbol is above but overlapping with the orange-yellow stripe to represent how, even if one were to try and make any Dichotomyless / Non-Dichotomy experience / identity into a Dichotomy ( via "label crunching" and the like ), one would still be Dichotomyless / Non-Dichotomy even in relation to that newly created dichotomy. ( Again, you may related this to the concept of recursion if you'd like. )

I'm sorry if this is a little high-concept or if i've repeated myself somewhat here. These are intentionally broad terms and I want to make sure I'm properly explaining all of my thoughts and reasonings. I'm happy to tweak any language if something isn't totally clear! ( I may have made a few typos, this was a lot to type. )

Taglist - @radiomogai, @revenant-coining

#mogai coining #liom coining #mogai friendly #liom friendly #mogai pride #liom pride #mogai flag #liom flag #mogai #liom #mogai community #liom community #mogaisafe #liomsafe

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pixel7777 · 16 days ago

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Threefold Returns - Chapter 5/16

The naughty version of the beautiful artwork commissioned from the incredible misfitlunatic (https://x.com/misfit_lunatik or https://bsky.app/profile/misfitlunatik.bsky.social) can be seen in all its glory here.

See Ch. 1 for work summary and content tags. Read this chapter below the break here or on AO3!

Zelara

Zel drummed her fingers on the table, staring at the door Gale had fled through. "Well, that went about as expected."

"Did it?" Astarion raised an eyebrow.

"Eh." She drained her tea, which was all the tower was allowing her since it was apparently only taking orders from Astarion at the moment.

When the Tower didn't alert them to any crashes, magical explosions, or general catastrophes, Zel exchanged a look with Astarion. "Library?"

"Library."

They found Gale already there, methodically pulling books from different shelves. He didn't look up when they entered, but his shoulders tensed slightly.

"So—" Zel started.

"Not yet." Gale's voice was steady, if clipped. "I heard what you both said. I'm processing it. But right now my mind is clearer than it's been in weeks, and I'd like to use that clarity productively."

Zel bit back her immediate urge to push. He had a point—his eyes were focused, his movements precise. Whatever emotional revelation they'd triggered, it had knocked something loose in Mystra's hold on him. "Fair enough. About that memory she's trying to suppress—"

"I can't access it." Gale's hands stilled on the spine of a book. "Even now, when I can think clearly enough to know it exists, it's like trying to grab smoke. The harder I reach for it, the more it dissipates."

"But you know it's important?"

"I know it terrified her." He finally looked at them. "And I know that's why you're both here, even if you didn't realize it when you arrived."

Zel studied the books Gale was pulling, recognizing several treatises on memory and magical theory. But something wasn't adding up.

"If it's that explosive, it won't be in any book," she said. "Mystra would have destroyed anything containing information she wanted suppressed."

"Agreed." Gale set down the tome he'd been holding. "But I need to prepare for what happens when—if—I remember. Having a plan of action ready could make the difference."

Astarion leaned against a shelf, arms crossed. "If she's this desperate to keep it locked in your head, then we need to get it out as quickly as possible once you access it."

"Exactly." Gale's eyes lit with that familiar academic fire that made her chest ache. "That's what I'm trying to determine. How to disseminate the information so widely and quickly that she can't possibly suppress it all."

Now this was the kind of problem Zel could sink her teeth into. "Mass communication spell? Modified Message or Sending?"

"Perhaps." Gale pulled another book. "But it would need to be instantaneous. She's a goddess—she could interrupt anything that takes more than a few seconds."

"I can help with that." Zel cracked her knuckles. "Between your theoretical knowledge and my practical applications, we might cobble something together that works."

Gale hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Yes. Please."

The simple acceptance, without qualification or deflection, told her more about his state of mind than any conversation could have. Whatever they'd shaken loose in him, it had given him enough clarity to recognize the stakes.

Zel lost track of time as she and Gale fell into their old research rhythm. Papers spread across tables, diagrams sketched in the air with magical light, theoretical frameworks debated and discarded. The Tower helped, offering relevant books and clearing space when needed.

Speaking of the Tower... She glanced up as another door opened unprompted for Astarion, who practically preened at the attention.

"Are you actually flirting with a magical building?" she asked.

"It has excellent taste." Astarion ran his fingers along a wall that definitely glowed under his touch. "Unlike some people who keep their noses buried in dusty books all day."

"These dusty books might save our lives," Gale muttered, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

They broke briefly for lunch—blood wine for Astarion, actual food for Gale at Zel's insistence, and more tea. Then back to work, dividing their most promising ideas between them.

Zel focused on exploring the possibility of using rapport spores—while Gale explored magical theory about mass consciousness transfer. She couldn't help noticing how the Tower kept arranging things just so for Astarion, who wandered between them offering occasionally useful suggestions when he wasn't busy being pampered by architecture.

"That's actually quite sweet," she decided, watching a chair scoot itself into perfect position as Astarion approached.

"What is?" Astarion settled into the perfectly positioned seat.

"You and the Tower. It's like—"

A knocking at the door cut her off. The Tower's warm atmosphere instantly chilled.

Zel's fingers tightened on her potion belt as Elminster's distinctive voice carried from below. "Gale, my boy, a moment of your time?"

Gale's shoulders tensed, but he moved to open the door. "Master Elminster. What an... unexpected visit."

"Indeed." The archmage swept in, all dramatic robes and carefully cultivated mystique. His eyes landed on Zel and Astarion. "Ah. I see you have guests."

"Who are not leaving," Zel said flatly. She remembered all too clearly the last time this man had shown up with 'advice' from Mystra. The audacity of suggesting Gale kill himself still made her blood boil.

"Tea?" Gale offered with rigid politeness.

"If you would be so kind."

The next twenty minutes dragged like hours as Elminster meandered through pleasantries and small talk. He commented on the Tower's decor, reminisced about old adventures, and generally acted like this was a social call.

Zel caught Astarion's eye. His expression mirrored her irritation, but they both knew better than to rush this. Elminster would say what he came to say in his own time, and pushing would only make him more insufferable.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of watching him sip tea, Elminster set down his cup. "I come bearing a message from Our Lady of Mysteries."

"How generous of her to send you," Gale said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"She offers you a chance to return to her good graces. Again." Elminster's gaze swept over Zel and Astarion. "And suggests your... friends... stop meddling in matters beyond their understanding."

Zel snorted. "Beyond our understanding? That's rich coming from someone who's been her puppet for so long he's forgotten what strings feel like."

"My dear girl—"

"I'm older than I look," Zel cut him off, "and I'm not your anything."

Zel barely managed to hide her grin as Astarion surged to his feet, all pretense of lounging forgotten. Finally. She had started to worry he'd gotten too reasonable lately.

"Do you realize that your presence here is entirely redundant?" His voice dripped acid. "No? Elminster, your message isn't merely redundant—it's offensively late. While you were busy crafting the perfect diplomatic approach, your goddess has been tormenting him for weeks."

Elminster's carefully maintained expression cracked. "I beg your pardon?"

"We found him yesterday, trapped in his own tower, barely eating, unable to sleep." Astarion's fangs flashed. "Where were you then? Where was anyone from your precious Mystran order while she flooded his mind with visions and whispers?"

The archmage's face paled. "That's not possible. Lady Mystra would never—"

"Never what?" Astarion prowled closer. "Never torture someone who rejected her? Never try to break his mind to keep her secrets? Tell me, oh wise one, did you even check on him once in the past month?"

Elminster's silence was damning.

"That's what I thought." Astarion's laugh was sharp and cruel. "Some mentor you are. Some faithful servant of a benevolent goddess."

Zel watched with savage satisfaction as Elminster struggled to process this information. His carefully prepared speech lay in tatters around him, and for once, the ancient wizard seemed at a loss for words.

"I—" Elminster cleared his throat. "I was not aware of any direct contact from Our Lady."

"Clearly," Astarion spat. "Now, would you like to leave on your own, or shall we help you out? I'm sure the Tower would be delighted to assist."

As if on cue, the temperature dropped another few degrees. The door swung open with decisive force.

Zel watched Elminster draw himself up, adjusting his robes with wounded dignity.

"Now see here—if Lady Mystra felt compelled to send me after speaking to him directly, it can only mean he refused to listen to sense."

"Sense?" Zel barked out a laugh as Astarion snarled, both of them launching into simultaneous tirades.

"Oh yes, such sensible suggestions—"

"The audacity of you standing there—"

"—like 'kill yourself for the greater good'—"

"—enabling centuries of abuse—"

"—or 'give up your autonomy'—"

"—turning a blind eye while she breaks him—"

"—or my personal favorite, 'trust the goddess who tried to murder you'—"

"—just like every other sycophant who worships power—"

"—because that's totally reasonable and not at all the behavior of an abusive ex!"

"—while pretending not to see the bodies she leaves behind!"

They might have continued, but Zel caught sight of Gale. He stood absolutely still, watching them defend him with an expression she couldn't quite read. Something between wonder and terror, like he'd never seen anything quite like them before.

The sight stopped her cold. Astarion must have noticed too, because he fell silent mid-rant. Zel watched Gale straighten, his posture shifting from defensive to something more dignified.

"Master Elminster." Gale's voice was soft but clear. "You taught me so much over the years. The foundations of magical theory, yes, but more importantly, you showed me what it meant to be a proper wizard. To approach magic with reverence and responsibility."

Elminster's expression softened slightly. "My boy—"

"Please." Gale held up a hand. "Let me finish. Your guidance shaped who I am, and I will always be grateful. But involving you further in this situation would put you in an impossible position. It would force you to choose between your goddess and your conscience. I care about you too much to do that to you."

Zel caught the slight tremor in Gale's hands, though his voice remained steady.

"Whatever happens next, it needs to happen without you. For your safety, and because your presence can't help me now." Gale gestured to the door. "So please, go. Remember me as I was—your eager student, not... whatever I must become to survive this."

The ancient wizard stood frozen for a long moment. Then he nodded, just once, and walked to the door. He paused at the threshold, not looking back. "Take care, my boy."

The Tower shut the door behind him with surprising gentleness.

The moment the door closed, Zel launched herself at Gale, wrapping her arms around him fiercely. The familiar scent of his robes—parchment and ozone—filled her nose as she pressed her face against his chest. Gods, how had she forgotten what he was? Even diminished, even struggling, he remained the most magnificent man she'd ever known besides Astarion.

"That was incredible," she mumbled into his shirt. "You just—you were so—fuck, I'm sorry I've been such an ass. You didn't need my attitude on top of everything else."

His arms came around her hesitantly. "Zel—"

"No, shut up, I'm having a moment here." She squeezed tighter. "You just dismissed the mighty Elminster himself. And you did it with such grace and compassion, while I was over here calling him a puppet."

"To be fair, he rather deserved that."

"Still." She pulled back enough to look up at him. "Thank you for trusting us enough to let us stay when you're sending away someone that powerful. Though I suppose we're a bit less threatening than the mighty Elminster."

His lips twitched. "I wouldn't say that."

"Was that a joke?" She grinned. "Did you just make a joke?"

"I have been known to, on occasion."

She hugged him again, overwhelmed by the simple fact that he was here, solid and real and fighting back. "I've missed you so much, you impossible man."

Gale's arms tightened around her, and Zel's breath caught at the familiar comfort of it. Gods, she had missed this—missed him. The solid warmth of his chest, the way he always smelled faintly of magic and ink. They had been so close once, sharing ideas and discoveries late into the night. She wanted that back desperately, wanted all of it back, wanted—

She cut the thought off sharply. Selfish. He needed support right now, not her wanting things he might not be ready to give.

Movement caught her eye, and she glanced over to see Astarion looking utterly wrecked. The Tower, apparently deciding he needed comfort, materialized a tissue box on the nearest table. He ignored it, but his voice was raw when he spoke.

"The worst part wasn't just Cazador." His fingers clenched against his thigh. "It was all the patriars who knew. Who saw what he did to me, to others, and looked away. Or worse—helped him maintain his façade of respectability."

Zel wanted to go to him, but Gale's arms were still around her.

"You were kinder to Elminster than I could have managed," Astarion continued. "Though I suppose there's a difference. Elminster likely truly doesn't know what Mystra does. Cazador's supporters knew exactly what they were enabling."

The tissue box scooted closer to Astarion's elbow. He finally grabbed one, though he didn't actually cry. Just twisted it between his fingers as he collected himself.

Zel reluctantly pulled away from Gale as Astarion's expression shifted from vulnerable to calculating.

"We should discuss security," he said. "Elminster won't be the last well-meaning fool to show up at your door."

Shit. She hadn't thought of that. "The whole Mystran order."

"Precisely." Astarion's fingers drummed against the table. "When direct intervention fails, and their most respected member can't convince you, she'll send others. Probably in increasing numbers."

"The Tower has excellent defenses," Gale said, but he didn't sound entirely confident.

Zel glanced at the walls. "Against other wizards, though? People who understand how it works?"

"More importantly," Astarion added, "against people you might hesitate to harm. Former students, colleagues, friends..."

The Tower's temperature dropped again, and Zel felt the air crackle with protective energy.

"At least someone's ready for a fight." She patted the nearest wall. "But we need to work faster than planned. Get whatever's in your head out before they can organize a proper intervention."

"Or worse," Astarion said, "before they realize what we're attempting and try to stop us permanently."

Gale sank into a chair. "You think they'd—"

"Kill you to protect her secrets?" Astarion's laugh was bitter. "Darling, that's exactly what religious fanatics do."

The Tower rumbled ominously, and Zel felt the first stirrings of real fear. They weren't ready. Their plans for mass communication were still theoretical, and they had no idea what might happen when Gale actually remembered whatever Mystra wanted buried.

Gale's sudden laughter startled Zel so badly she nearly knocked over her tea. The sound rang through the Tower, bright and unexpected—and gods, when was the last time she had heard him laugh like that?

"Well." He wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "Perhaps it's time to skip the careful preparations and move straight to irresponsible, reckless experimentation." His eyes landed on Zel. "Pity I don't know anyone with experience in that particular field."

She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. Who was she kidding? Her entire career consisted of doing things other alchemists considered too dangerous or unstable to attempt. Half her breakthroughs came from mixing things that technically shouldn't be mixed.

"You know what?" She pulled her notebook closer. "Fuck it. You're absolutely right. The spores are ready—I've been working with them for months. We've got the theory. We've got the base components." She started rifling through her bag. "And most importantly, we've got nothing to lose by trying now versus trying later, except maybe our lives, and when has that ever stopped us?"

The Tower helpfully slid her equipment case closer. She patted the wall in thanks, already cataloging what she'd need. The rapport spores were stable enough—she'd tested them extensively. The real trick would be modifying them to spread rapidly and communicate the intended message unambiguously. Rapport spores tended to be better with touchy feely stuff.

"Just to be clear," Astarion drawled, "we're all accepting that our solution to 'religious fanatics might kill us' is 'let's do the dangerous experiment immediately'?"

"Obviously." Zel pulled out her alchemist's kit. "Now help me set up the circle. And Gale?" She grinned at him. "Try to keep your head clear enough to tell us if we're about to blow ourselves up."

#bg3 #astarion #bg3 fanart #bg3 fanfic #gale of waterdeep #bloodweave #myfic

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