#What are the 7 stages of idea generation?
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the-child-of-fandoms · 2 days ago
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1000 ending options. All the pros and cons of the ending of the 3rd season of The Squid Game.
Attention! Lots of text and lots of spoilers!
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Let's start with the factors that influenced the outcome of the game (and prevented Gi-hun's final from being happy):
1. The appearance of 222's child
2. The deaths of 222, 149, 120, and 222's distrust of 333
3. The frontman's proposal to kill the sleeping players (which was rejected) > Gi-hun's principles
4. Discussions during the final game
5. Gi-hun's refusal to use «takeaway food»
6. Killing all players except 222, 333, and 456 in the second stage of the final game
7. Killing 333 before the third round of the final game begins
8. Contingency. There were many possibilities on the towers. 333 could have taken a child with him when he fell. What would have happened then? The round hadn't started, but Gi-hun would have been left alone.
9. The question of the firmness of the rules of the game. First, there are outcomes that were not previously discussed (for example, point 8). Second, Gi-hun already knows who is behind the Frontman mask, and he understands that even though this person has done many terrible things, they have offered Ki-hun help and tried to protect him. Could he have allowed 456 and the child to live after the time limit? Why not?
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As you can see, there were many possible outcomes! All you have to do is change one item, and 456 will win the game again. But the writers chose to kill him. Why is that? Let's analyze it from a symbolic perspective.
1. After winning the 2020 games, Seong Gi-hun took home a huge cash prize. Did it make him happy? No, Gi-hun had been doing nothing but searching for the island for three years. He was probably even more unhappy than before he won.
2. The first time 456 goes into the game with the goal of «winning», and the second time with the goal of «stopping the game». He takes a calculated risk, knowing that the chances of surviving again are slim. Moreover, later, after the rebellion fails, he tries to kill himself, seeing no point in living anymore.
3. Gi-hun remains true to his principles until the very end. As a director, did I believe that he was COMPLETELY incapable of killing his opponents to protect not only himself but also child with 100% certainty? Not entirely. The creators did not think it through. If it were solely about him, it could be accepted as it is. But since there is a child, his choice is not entirely justified.
4. Gi-hun dies, stopping the games in Korea. But the games continue in other countries around the world. If 456 had lived, the main idea would not have been so tragic. No matter how moral you are, you are nothing in the fight against the system.
The creators clearly wanted to put a beautiful and emotional point in the history of the Korean Squid Game. The death of the main character in this case is a very simple trick. But the way they eventually beat this trick leaves one in awe. The explosion of the island in Gi-hun's eyes, Frontman's gaze on the dead body, as if saying «you should have listened to me», and other visual effects are all beautiful, of course.
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And at the end, let's ask ourselves this question: what would Gi-hun have done when he saw the recruiter from the American Squid Game? If he had won, he would have visited his daughter, just like In-ho did. In-ho realized the futility of 456's death, but what would 456 have done? Nothing? That doesn't seem like him. Would he have participated in the game again? The creators wouldn't have allowed another season like the previous one.
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In general, if we're talking about symbolism and important thoughts, then the ending is definitely good. However, there are still some questions that need to be addressed. Perhaps the ending, where 456 once again emerges victorious, could have been just as powerful. «Everyone loses their humanity in the games», «everyone loses faith in people», «he wanted to end the game for the benefit of people who didn't need it, but in the end, he won». There is a place for Gi-hun's disappointment and his ongoing struggle against the system. Is it strong? Yes. Could the creators logically write such a result into the story? Yes.
But we have what we have. After all, who are we to fight this system?..
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beloveds-embrace · 9 months ago
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masterpost || MDNI
Hi! You can call me Noona! I write whatever comes to my mind and atm, I am very much obsessed with CoD and Genshin/Capitano. I am very much open to hearing ideas and just yapping in general, but I also can’t promise that I will write every request.
What I don’t write: fully explicit smut, suicide
Masterlist has not been updated fully. Use the tag noona.writes to see everything I’ve written!
Masterlist:
POLY 141 X READER:
Goddess!reader x poly 141
2. Baker Reader x poly 141
part 1 + part 2
3. Sick!Reader x 141
4. Bunny Owner Reader x Poly 141: Matchmaking Buns
part 1 + part 2
5. Chubby Reader x Firefighters 141
6. Expiration Date Concept
7. Stage Manager Reader x Magic Mike 141
8. Chubby Reader x Monster 141
part one + part two
9. Lavender Marriage AU
part one + part two
10. Abused Reader x Poly 141
part one + part two
11. Dark Romance Reader
12. Haunted House Shenanigans
13. john catches you making out with one of his men
14. spoiling them when they return from missions
15. False Accusations Concept
16. going to them for safety + guard dogs
17. kittens named after their titles
18. Poly 141 x Farmer Reader
20. Poly 141 x Neighbor reader
21. Clubs and Oiled men
22. Vampire 141 x Blood Donor Reader
23. Bodyguards 141 x Sick Reader
24. Poly 141 x Protective Reader
25. Shared-Wife trope
26. food: no1 source of comfort
27. anasthasia
28. Dragon John Collecting Chubby Reader into His Hoard:
p1 + p2 + p3
29. arranged marriage
30. harpy 141 grooming harpy reader
31. Chubby Burlesque Reader x 141
32. Reader with a Terrible Past
33. Self-Sacrificial Reader
34. Vampire Poly 141 x Reader: Late Night Hunger
35. yandere 141: bro-zone edition
36. 141 x big, tall fem reader they mistake for a man at first
37. 141 x Hacker Reader
38. Scuba Divers 141 x Mermaid Reader + super lovely art by @grombs-blog <333
39. mafia 141 x singer reader
40. 141 x recluse reader
41. 141 x Protective Reader:
p1 + p2 + p3
42. Guards 141 x Princess Reader
OTHERS:
Bite kink with Soap
Yandere Capitano + part two
Bundad Simon
harpy Gaz x wingless reader concept + oneshot + more
moose Konig
rugby player simon x ballerina reader
divorced but obsessed simon x reader
Ghoap angst concept
simon x family traditions
Horrible konig concept
john price x single mom reader
simon and a certain someone grieving your loss
from simon's girl to his missus
johnny's supportive nature
you came/you called
lipstick testing
Big eater simon riley
house-trained Simon Riley + p2
bear price x chubby reader, winter day
Simon Riley x reader: non-sexual smell kink
Raven Hybrids Simon x Reader
"As beautiful as the day I lost you"
John Price x Soldier Reader who wants to be wife-d up
Dukedom 141 Masterlist
CoD Omegaverse
Roommate au masterlist
Until the Last Loop
Here Comes the Sun + p2
Witch of the Woods
Bakery/Coffee Shop au
Fae Duke(King)dom au \\ different take
ANONS
WIPS
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hauntedtrait · 11 days ago
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Drama In The Family: A Legacy Challenge
by yours truly, and my friend @greglunvik
For a little bit of a preamble, if you'll allow me... About a year ago, Fae and I were talking about wanting legacies with more drama, so one thing led to another and we started writing our own. As the title suggests, the focus of the legacy challenge is on drama within families. We put a lot of thought and love into this, so I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
The DITF legacy challenge currently has 7 generations, with a lot of pack integration. We might, in the future, add more gens as new packs come out or we have more ideas, but for now, we've got these seven.
The guidelines + first generation will be under the cut, but the rest you'll be able to see by going to:
THE GOOGLE DOCS
Guidelines
Firstly and most importantly: have fun! The challenge guidelines are just that, they are not a strict rule set you absolutely must follow no matter what, feel free to change things around as you see fit. If it works for you, then it’s right. 
This challenge was created with all packs and some mods in mind to enhance gameplay, but do not let that stop you, adapt as needed.
Wanna cheat, feel free to cheat, who are we to stop you! (That said you miiight have more fun if you don’t — unless you absolutely need to) 
Some gens are meant to be played immediately after the one listed above it, but the overall order isn’t absolute and you’re welcome to change it around. The only hard rule is that the White Picket Fence MUST be the founding generation.
For each generation multiple traits, skills, careers and aspiration options will be presented to you. We recommend picking 2 or 3 of the suggested traits, and the third (or more, if you use the 5 traits mod) is up to you, and 3 or more skills. It’s also up to you which aspiration(s) you complete, as long as you complete at least one from the list! 
Reaching career level 10 is not required unless specified.
Each gen starts at the young adult life stage. 
Suggestions
Medium and long lifespans will offer more time and opportunities to fully experience all aspects of this legacy challenge, but if you prefer to play on short you are more than welcome to.
Utilize gameplay from L&D and Growing Together if you have them to give each generation more depth, like Wills, Bucket List, Heirlooms and Keepsake boxes.
If you have the Businesses & Hobbies expansion and like that kind of gameplay, you could use a Small Business in place of the career option to make it more immersive (ie. if the career is lawyer, you could make a law firm small business)
Generation One: White Picket Fence
You come from a very traditional household and always imagined yourself following the same path as your parents: marrying your high school sweetheart, having three kids together and living in the perfect white picket fence home. Unfortunately, things have not turned out that way so far – there was no childhood sweetheart and your apartment is far from perfect.  You start university, but you find yourself struggling to stay on track. You work odd jobs and part time to make ends meet while you try to figure it out. At this point in your life, you’re actually not sure if everything you’ve always dreamed of having is what you really wanted.
Career: Any 
Aspirations: Any
Traits (Pick 2-3): Hates Children, Self-Absorbed, Romantically Reserved (or Unflirty if you do not have the Lovestruck pack), Non-Committal, Lazy. 
Skills (Pick 3 or more): Charisma, Logic, Writing, Knitting, Pottery, 
Goals
Start in a small apartment or still living with your family. Cheat or use SNB bank mod to give your sim 2000 simoleons or less. 
Work odd jobs or part time until you get pregnant/get someone pregnant from a one night stand or short relationship.
Shotgun wedding! Marry the first sim you get pregnant with during the pregnancy. Bonus points: your spouse must have a conflicting trait with one or more of yours.
Once married, move into a fixer upper home and renovate as family funds grow, doing the nursery first of course. 
Start your career, you can’t keep up a family of three and a house on gig work after all.
At some point, have an affair with a coworker. 
Situations
College Cram: Finals are almost here and… you’re not prepared at all. Truth is, you’re beyond stressed and unsure if you’re cut out for this kind of thing.
Option A: You decide it’s worth pushing through and getting this done. You’re nearing the finish line, just one more semester, you can make it work, so you pull some all-nighters and ignore the looming dread, successfully getting your degree.
Option B: The struggle is too real and you can’t deny it anymore: college isn’t for you. Your parents are disappointed and you’re not sure what you’ll do about career prospects, but you just had to get out. You drop out of college and try a different path in life than the one you chose when you were 18.
The Affair: You’ve been seeing your coworker for some time now… and your spouse finds out.
Option A: Despite your mistake, your partner forgives you, and you both promise to work to mend this relationship, after all, the kids don’t deserve the difficulties of a divorce. Unfortunately, you remain unable to stay away from your coworker… so you get better at hiding it.
Option B: This is it, the end of the line. Your partner will never see past what you’ve done. Divorce is filed, it is not amicable, but it is fair, each one gets half, and custody is split evenly, with the kids spending equal time with each parent.
Extras/Optional
Live and bicker with a roommate while living in the apartment. 
Despite what the description implies, you don’t HAVE to go to uni and work at the same time. 
Also feel free to cheat for university if you’re not a fan of that kind of gameplay. 
Your spouse must have a conflicting trait with one or more of yours.
Your coworker must have great compatibility with you.  
Make your sims parents and siblings, if they’re still alive!
Have more than one kid, maybe even one with your lover?
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im-not-a-ghost · 9 months ago
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Who's your next boo?
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Group 1
General info | Death, The Moon, page of swords, Queen of pentacles, 5 of cups, 3 of pentacles
This person is an introvert, a lone wolf, someone that doesn't share a lot of information about them. They have a rather juvenile yet mysterious vibe. They give me Wednesday Addams vibes. This is someone that is very intense, serious, they don't joke with connections. If they let you in their circle, that means that they trust you and that isn't an easy thing for them to do so you should feel lucky, kind of feeling. This is someone that feels very unlucky in love and relationships overall but is extremely effective when it comes to their job and studies. We have someone who's witty, snarky, productive. A workaholic. Someone that works well in teams, especially when they feel encouraged and valuated. This person is a major stalker. When you think you got them figured out you discover a new layer of their personality that puts everything in question. They, however, have figured you out right from the start. This is someone that is extremely observant. They could be into occultism, mythology, horror movies, documentaries about history or science, dark fantasy movies and novels, and so on. They have a very deep personality and can be very giving, generous, kind. However, they appear extremely cold and ruthless towards others, especially when you don't know them. This person is known to have a shitty personality and a lot of people may bad mouth them. But the reality is that they know nothing about your person. And they want it to stay this way. Your person doesn't care about what other people think. They are fine with being alone if it means protecting themselves from harm. They've been through a lot so they are extremely wary around people. But once you get past their shell, you will discover a true diamond. In terms of zodiac signs, I'm getting major Scorpio vibes, as well as Cancer and Taurus. When it comes to their physical appearance, I'm picturing someone rather small with a very bold look. They could wear a lot of black, but it doesn't have to be. Even if their clothes are colorful, the way they dress gives a very strict and dangerous kind of vibe. They could wear a lot of leather, boots, baggy clothes, bombers and so on. I think their skin is rather fair, but again that doesn't have to be the case for everyone. However, there is definitely something about their eyes, especially if their chart is heavily influenced by Scorpio. And their face can sometimes look expressionless or rigid, a bit like a porcelain doll. In certain situations that can be kind of creepy.
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Context | 3 of cups, 2 of cups, King of pentacles, 5 of cups, 7 of wands
You may meet them in a working context or because of your work in an indirect way. I'm picking up on someone being dissatisfied with how things are going in their career. At some point, that person decides to act on it and try to tip the scales in their favor. For some reason, that person ends up at some sort of a gathering. Somewhere entertaining, where people are having fun. It can be a club, a bar, a concert, a convention, a family reunion, a celebration held by a company to wish someone well. You get my drift. In such context, both of you meet when you least expected it. I feel like on both ends, going to this gathering wasn't part of your initial plan. But you both felt like you had to go. For some of you, this meeting may already have happened. However, your connection with this person is in it's beginning stages. I get a feeling of someone competing to get the other's attention. People just mindlessly having fun and trying to forget about their issues. Feeling relieved and optimistic about life again after a long period of self doubt and struggles. It's like this meeting is happening at the right place and the right time but both had no idea they needed each other so badly until they crossed paths.
Signs to look for | The Lovers, The Sun, Death, Wheel of Fortune
When a major shift is happening in your life and you feel like you're going through a rebirth in all areas of your life, that may be a sign that this person is coming into your life. When you are starting to feel positive about love and relationships again, when you feel like you're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After an important decision that changes the game for you, whether it's in your career, in your studies or on a personal level.
-> Other possible signs : apples, clouds, doves, snakes, Gemini season, May, June, numbers 6/19/13/10, Leo season, July, August, skeletons, sandtimer, Scorpio season, October, November, crowns, sphinx, egyptian mythology, fixed signs, wheels
Group 2
General info | 7 of cups, 2 of pentacles, Temperance, The Lovers, Judgement, 9 of swords
In terms of Zodiac signs, we have Libra, Gemini, Sagittarius, in other words mainly mutable signs. This is someone that could be described as "wishy washy" by others. They may be the type of person that struggles to make decisions, that often times feels indecisive when faced with many options. Someone that may have a hard time focusing on one thing at a time, and that may include people. We have someone that likes to remain in their comfort zone because it reassures them. We have someone that also lives a very balanced life. They always do the same things over and over again without getting bored. They are rather optimistic about life, even if they tend to overthink and may struggle with depression at times. This is someone that is shy around strangers and tends to keep things surface level with people in general. They can seem a bit naive and dreamy, a bit of a perfectionist sometimes. They are sociable to some extent and wish to get closer to people but they have a hard time opeining up for fear of rejection. This is someone that is curious and enjoys trying various hobbies, they may enjoy traveling and meeting up with people from various cultures. In terms of their physical appearance, I'm picturing someone rather slim, tall. That has a very casual vibe to them. Someone that people barely notice on the street because of how shy they are. This may be someone that walks silently and doesn't engage in conversations unless they've been invited to. Outside, they are the type to keep their headphones in their ears and come back home as fast as they can. They may have a fear of crowds and stutter sometimes. They could have wavy hair or long bangs that hide their eyes. They could wear a lot of hats or caps. They give me Tyler Galpin vibes. They're sweet and kind, they don't cause much trouble but they don't know how to act around people. They may have a hard time processing their own feelings, let alone that of others. They tend to have social anxiety.
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Context | 3 of wands, 4 of swords, 3 of swords, 7 of cups, 6 of wands
For this group I am picking up on health and travel related causes of meeting. I'm picking up on someone deciding to take a break from something in their life that has really exhausted them. That break ends up being a travel of some sort. It could be a short term travel or a really big one, it depends on your situation. That person is really hurt and needs to take time for themselves to overcome whatever pain they are going through. It could be because of a break up, because of a burn out, because they've lost a loved one or because they are struggling with important health issues. Anyways, this person chooses to cut ties with whatever has been weighing on their mind and get back to a more cheerful spirit. Both of you may be going through a similar experience and this could be the reason why you bond very quickly. This connection could start as a friendship. For some reason, I'm picking up on a race. Maybe both of you decide to do a marathon or something sports related to take care of your respective health and have an activity that can help you take your mind off of your worries. That could be running, swimming, hiking, anything really. I get a feeling of you two celebrating a victory of some sort and this bringing you closer. This happy event could be the trigger that turns this friendship into a romantic connection.
Signs to look for | 4 of wands, The Lovers, 9 of pentacles, Death
When someone around you is getting married or engaged in some type of way, when you are choosing to remain single and start anew instead of building a relationship with a partner, when you are cutting ties with someone from your family/close circle thus choosing your well-being over people pleasing. When you feel like you are doing good on your own and don't need anyone to feel valuable and worthy of love. When you are prioritizing your needs and happiness over that of others. Those are all signs that this person is near.
-> Other signs : mannor, forest, celebrations (marriages, birthday parties, winning a sports event...), clouds, snakes, apples, doves, Gemini season, May, June, numbers 4/6/9/13 , a public garden, an important domain, an iron gate, skeletons, crows, sandtimer, Scorpio season, October, November
Group 3
General info | 10 of wands, The Moon, The Star, page of swords, 7 of wands, 3 of pentacles
This may be someone that is an influencer, a celebrity of some sort or at least someone that uses social media a lot in the context of their work. This is also someone that is very busy and currently single. This is a person that feels burdened and exhausted by the important amount of responsibilities that they have to deal with on a daily basis. This is someone that is very secretive, hard working, a fast learner, someone curious, chatty when they feel like it, with a strong mind and a combattive spirit. This person likes competition. They strive to be the number one in everything they do. They could be studying on the side, when they're not working to improve their skills and sharpen their mind. In terms of zodiac signs, we have Cancer, Leo, Aquarius mostly. When it comes to their appearance, this is someone that is conventionally attractive. They have a bit of a trendy nerd aesthetic or overworked light academia vibe. They're quite classy when it comes to the way they dress. It's not exhuberant but you definitely feel that they have the money. This is someone that is sociable but tends to be alone because of how busy they are and how much of a workaholic they can be. They may have a bit of a mischievous look. What I am mostly picking up on is someone with a strong jaw, that tends to frown their eyebrows and looks tense. They may wear glasses from time to time. They give me Xavier Thorpe vibes. This is the type of person that hides their kindness behind a cocky brawler attitude. They may sometimes be voluntarily arrogant to keep certain types of people away from them. They don't like to be messed with and appreciate their tranquility. Despite that, most people still admire them and they may be very popular among their peers, especially if they hold an important position.
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Context | 6 of cups, 5 of swords, Judgement, page of cups, ace of cups
You may be going back to your childhood home. If not, you are recontacting old friends or acquaintances. I feel like someone here is trying to make peace with their past to be able to move on romantically speaking. So maybe you decide to contact your ex partner to have a discussion about what went on between you and close that chapter. Or you contact one of your old friends to catch up on what's been going on in their life because you miss them and you feel like you haven't been fair to them. Maybe this is a group thing. Anyways, that initiative leads you to meeting this person. The connection is instant. You're quick to judge this person and know that you like them, that you're interested in them. They may reciprocate the feeling. Whether you or they make the move first I feel like this connection is going to evolve rather quickly. Within the night for some or a few days later, you are going to be kissing and asking each other out. For both of you, this may be a rebound connection. It may be quick for you to be with this person and just as quick to seperate ways. But I feel like you'll have a good time with them and keep good memories of them. They may remain your friend even if you break up. For some of you, this person may be one of your exes. If you weren't in a relationship with this person in the past, you at least were interested by them to some extent but this may not have lead to anything when you first met them. But now that times has passed and both of you have evolved, you may be in a better disposition to be together.
Signs to look for | ace of swords, 9 of cups, 7 of cups, 4 of pentacles
You may be dreaming of this person before you meet them. You may receive an unexpected message, either from them or someone you both have in common. You may be saving money for a dream of yours, if that is your case, that may be a sign this person is near. You may also receive positive news, unexpected news about a project that is dear to your heart. You didn't talk about this project to your loved ones. This is something that was a secret. You may hear a surprising rumour.
-> other signs : snakes, daggers, crowns, feathers, piglets, roman architecture, old roman temples, numbers 1/9/7/4 , water sign seasons, taurus season, greek mythology
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usergif · 2 months ago
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Hello! I got an ask [x] for a tutorial for one of my recent gifsets for tgcf [x], so here it is, split into three parts:
Drawing a Curve
Template - optional: if you want the curve to flow throughout your entire gifset
Colouring - optional: specific to that particular gifset I did
Progressions
PART 1: DRAWING A CURVE
Trying this out as a screen recording for the first time since it's easier to show 🤡
PART 2: TEMPLATE
This part is optional and only applies if you want your curve to flow throughout all the gifs in your gifset. Of course, you can do your curves individually per gif, but it's generally better to have a template for how the entire curve will flow first so that the joining lines between each gif flow smoothly.
Create a new document for your template. For the height, calculate the height of the entire gifset, including the buffer areas between each gif (4px). E.g. for a gifset of 4 gifs, each of which are 540px in height, the total height would be 540px x4 gifs + 4px x3 buffers = 2172px
In your new document, go to View > Guide > New Guide Layout and change the number of rows to the number of gifs. Make sure Gutter is 4px.
In my case, for this gifset, I skipped step 2 and manually created the template for each gif instead, since every other gif has a different height.
Put in a single frame of each scene in your template (see image below).
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5. Club the layers according to which gif they will be in, apply the corresponding layer masks for each gif, and draw your curve that will flow through all 5 gifs (see image below). The reason for doing this (having the previews of the scenes in at this stage) is so that as you're drawing your curve, you have a better idea of where it will flow.
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6. Duplicate the curve such that each group (i.e. gif of your gifset) has one such curve layer.
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7. When you're ready to edit your actual gif, import your scene into Photoshop and duplicate the layers for that particular gif to your imported document. You may need to shift your duplicated layers or crop your file to the right size.
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PART 3: COLOURING
The colouring for this gifset is pretty straightforward since everything is in black and white.
1. Import all your scenes and position them accordingly. Add a mask on your curve layer so that you can mask out the parts of the curve you want to be "hidden under" your scene - so that your curve looks like it's interacting with your scenes.
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2. These are the usual adjustment layers I use for black and white colouring, but it's up to you to use what you prefer or are familiar with. Play around with the numbers for each adjustment layer to see what works best for the particular scene.
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3. Slap on a crumpled paper texture for an added grunge effect.
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4. Colour the remaining scenes and done!
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PART 4: OTHER GIFS THAT ALSO WORK THIS WAY
Progression 1: curves flowing to organic shapes
set: [x]
Using the same Curvature Pen Tool, but this time with the fill on, to create shapes first. Then, link up the shapes with lines.
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Progression 2: flickering curves and organic shapes
set: [x]
On top of Progression 1, draw 2-3 variations of your curves and shapes and lay them out chronologically on timeline so that you get this flickering effect.
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elexuscal · 3 months ago
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Want to be a better writer? Read
Read Widely
An oft-repeated bit of advice for writers is "you gotta read". That said, I pretty often see people confused about what this means-- or arguing about a narrow set of what "counts" as reading for that advice.
This is my attempt to wrangle with my own perspective on how to execute on that advice, according to my own attempts over the last few years to live up to that. (And indeed, while this is primarily aimed at fiction writers, this'll probably be broadly applicable to writers across a wide variety of genres, formats, and even mediums. just move things a little to the left if they don't apply)
If you want to get better at writing, what should you read? More or less, everything. But to give some guidelines:
1. Read Widely Within Your Genre
Genres are more or less conversations composed of stories. They are built upon break out hits, popular tropes, emerging trends, current concerns, stylistic flourishes. You can't be part of the conversation if you don't know what's already been discussed. You don't want to bumble your way into a genre you barely know, talk a big game about "revolutionizing it", and end up writing a trite replication of a 50-year-old pillar of the genre.
2. Read Widely OUTSIDE Your Genre
At their best, genres are conversations. At their worst, they are the bland copying of other peoples' homework. You need to bring new conversational partners in (or, to mix metaphors, new DNA) to keep things fresh. I'm a spec fic person first and foremost, but I make sure I mix that diet up with other genres, from "literary" fiction, mysteries, romance, etc, because they'll teach you the elements your own preferred genre(s) might be missing.
3. Read Non-Fiction
Non-fiction are stories too, just stories about true facts. (Some of those stories are truer than others; some are more convincing; the two aren't necessarily the same). Learning how those narratives are built is vital. Not to mention, the information itself can inspire you— real life science, history, sociology, economics, etc, are fertile beds for world-building, characterization, and plot.
4. Read From Other Backgrounds and Cultures Besides Your Own
I'm hardly the first person to say that the publishing industry, like so many industries, primarily elevates certain voices— white, western, male, often privileged— over others. This is gonna give you a bit of a narrow perspective of how the world works. It is also likely to give you a narrow perspective of how stories are constructed. There are a LOT of pieces of writing advice that's treated like universal (the Three Act structure, the Hero's Journey, etc) that are really just extremely common in Western literature, and looking at pieces from outside it will expand your ideas of how to create stories.
5. Read From Other Time Periods
Honestly, this is sort of just a different take on the last one ('The Past Is A Different Country', or so they say), but it's different enough that I want to clarify it. Tropes and trends and story convention change over time. Read stories from 50 years ago; 200; 500; 2000. Plays, fairy tales, ballads, poems. Seriously, ancient mythological epics are SO cool to read because you truly feel connected to a storytelling tradition stretching back generations.
6. Read Books for Kids and Youth
The best kids books have stunning clarity of purpose. They have to be REALLY good at communicating their information. Learn from that.
7. Consume Other Mediums
I wish we had a better word for this, because 'consumption' does bring to mind someone just ploughing through food endlessly without thought or discernment, but we don't have another word for the breadth of ways we enjoy media. Watch television and movies and short films (and consider how those formats differ). Listen to podcasts and radio plays. Watch stage plays. Read the scripts of all the above. Read comics and graphic novels. Play video games. Watch the news. Listen to music. Go to art museums and galleries of all stripes. All of these have different strengths and weaknesses, different pacing, different styles. Learn from them.
8. Pay Attention to the Media You Might Not Even Think About As Media
Yes, we're taking the last one even further. I'm talking about the media often overlooked, either because it's often denigrated by society, or because frankly, it just blends in the background. In the first category, that's stuff like reality TV and social media posts and graffiti. In the second we have things like Facebook Marketplace posts or the backs of cereal boxes or the technical manual for your new air conditioner. (Advertisements live somewhere in the Venn diagram overlap between the two.) These all also have their own structure, styles, and merits.
9. Read Bad (and Simply Mediocre) Media
Recommendation lists will usually be filled with examples of good stories, because, well, they're good. But if you're reading in part to learn how to write, there's a lot to be gleamed by pieces that just... miss the mark. Whether it's clocks or cars or electronics, when things break you can gleam insights into how they're supposed to work; much is the same with the not-so-great media.
10. Read Indie Stuff
Pretty much every medium's industry has formal publishers who help distribute art, and in theory, vet for quality. They are, broadly, successful at that... but as I've discussed before, those same publishers can often act as gatekeepers, with an overly narrow view of what counts as "quality". Across mediums, the indie space is often where you'll find the most unique, experimental, and boundary-pushing art. It can be harder to navigate, but oh, is it worth it.
11. Read Fanfic
I'm sharing this on Tumblr, so I suspect I'm mostly preaching to the choir here, but nonetheless. In addition to the aforementioned benefits of indie media, fanfiction is capable of teaching you how to write transformative works. I'd argue transformative works have always been the bedrock of human storytelling, and that has not changed at all in the modern day. Mainstream media is choc-a-block with remakes, reboots, and adaptations, most of it bad. Why? Because they don't know what makes for a good transformative work. So open up AO3, my children, and read!
12. Read Other Writers' Thoughts About The Writing Process
Well, since you've gotten to the twelfth point, you've succeeded there.
Okay, but seriously, I put this so low on the list because I do think it can sometimes be overstated; it is very easy to get lost in the weeds of theory over simply just writing. But it is good to process and reflect on all the things you've been reading, and this is a good way to do so.
And above all else, as you explore the wide wealth of pieces people throughout time and cultures have created, to paraphrase my friend Artemis: be curious about it. Curiosity is where the cool things happen.
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killertoons · 9 months ago
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I've got ideas and a theory for the recent welcome home updates (10/18/2024)
Walk with me-
So that short story alone already showed pulling ideas from Edgar Allen Poe with the tell-tale heart and the cast of amontillado
(I wouldnt be shocked if they reference other Edgar Allen poes works like the raven soon but that's me cheating to peek at clowns kofi and I won't speak further on that-)
Basically Sally is doing a rendition of the tell-tale heart and poppy got cast....only she doesn't want to be involved. It's a scary tale, and for those who didn't take advanced English
The story of the tell-tale hearts about a man so absolutely freaked out by this old man's eyes to quote
'I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it.'
So the man sets out to kill him, does so by lurking in the dark for 7 straight nights till finally the 8th night he finally does so, dismembered him and hide the pieces under the floorboards!
But when police came to investigate...he could hear both but a beating heart under the floors and from his guilt he admitted to the murder and ended the tale with
'"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed!- tear up the planks!-here, here!- it is the beating of his hideous heart!"
So already Sally doing a rendition of this tale is wild already as I imagine it's been changed to be more family friendly for the neighborhood, but poppy isn't up for it.
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And Sally's sad about it! And of course the neighbors all know why poppy actually didn't wanna do it. And Sally trying to be a good friend realized the play scares her so they gotta do something to let poppy have her cozy state of mind away from anxiety
So they form their plan-
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To cask of amontillado her into her house, brick by brick.
Another famous story by Edgar Allen Poe, that one is about a guy luring someone he had a dispute over into a cellar and bricking him up down there to rot.
It's a revenge story, one we have no details other than a man was wronged (we never learn the reason) his anger and vengeance taking center stage.
Through the entire story time, the neighbors are supposed to be following a book along as a read aloud story but they keep breaking into separate lil conversations or making quips to each other... Till the end where audio is lost on the rest of the story after poppy was bricked away.
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However...
Because we have the secret website we can check there and what's found was....worse
Poppy in the dark of her barn and something is lurking with her in the dark.
By the end someone gets her out but the sounds of the people aren't named... although they sound familiar to us
I could say what we were all thinking and state the obvious "oh those must be the puppeteers! That was poppy's puppeteer having a freak out moment-"
Which I personally agree but there's more to it.
Do y'all know how big birds puppet works?
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It's one person in there, with a screen to tell you where to go and a script taped inside while they maneuver around like this!
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I imagine poppy is the same way since she's based design wise off big bird
Now with this in mind, add how hard it is to move or see or perceive where you are in general in that suit. How clasterphobic your gonna be if you can't get out!
I get clasterphobic trying to get out of a dress that fits too tight at the store, I can't imagine how scary this would be especially if your on your own in the dark room as well!
with only your lantern to read your lines and something to occupy yourself- maybe knitting as it's a hobby you picked up-
When you hear breathing that's not yours. From within the suit. A suit that's JUST big enough for you, mind you.
So it be impossible for anyone else to be breathing...only you forgot someone.
The puppet suit itself...is breathing.
And there's scratching at the door, something else is lurking in the dark with you but you can't see it. You can't get out, the suit can't leave but your mind is stuck the doors open but in another world it's closed and sealed-
But I'm getting ahead of myself
What is said is...what if that IS poppy reacting in the dark to something...but also it's the puppeteers reaction to poppy as well. They share a mind and A space for a moment in the dark where their fear matches them and it doesn't break till the door opens and the puppeteers talk..
I think the horror is going higher as both sides are gonna start interacting more and more with each other..
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pokemonheritageposts · 4 months ago
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I wrote Roggenrola's name wrong in my donation.
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what are you talking about, you spelled it perfectly
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honestly i figured when gen 5 came out that gigalith was gonna be one of the faces of the generation, one of the most enduring and popular mons unova had to offer. i have no idea why this didn't happen. gigalith is so goddamn underrated.
which is to say WHY THE FUCK DOES THIS ENTIRE THREE STAGE LINE THAT'S 5 GENERATIONS OLD ONLY HAVE 18 CARDS TOTAL???
pokemon company. i demand more. and also maybe like a mega or a regional form.
FULL TCG RANKINGS MASTERPOST
10. Roggenrola (illus. Kagemaru Himeno, Black & White - Emerging Powers 49/98)
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9. Boldore (illus. Kouki Saitou, Black & White - Emerging Powers 51/98)
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8. Roggenrola (illus. Kyoko Umemoto, Black & White - Dragons Exalted 65/124)
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7. Gigalith (illus. Mitsuhiro Arita, Black & White - Noble Victories 61/101)
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6. Roggenrola (illus. Kanako Eo, Sun & Moon 69/149)
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5. Boldore (illus. otumami, Sword & Shield - Evolving Skies 87/203)
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4. Gigalith (illus. Akira Komayama, XY Phantom Forces 50/119)
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3. Gigalith (illus. Eske Yoshinob, Sun & Moon 71/149)
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2. Gigalith (illus. Masakazu Fukuda, Sword & Shield - Evolving Skies 88/203)
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1. Roggenrola (illus. Tomokazu Komiya, Sword & Shield - Evolving Skies 86/203)
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multifamdomfan · 3 months ago
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Holy Ground
AU: Rockstar Crowley / Manager Aziraphale
Rating: Soft, pining, slow burn, romantic tension
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---
Crowley wasn’t subtle.
Not when he performed shirtless on stage, hair wild and eyes glittering like sin.
Not when he flirted shamelessly with the audience.
And definitely not when he stared at Aziraphale from the stage like he was the only one in the crowd that mattered.
Which, to Crowley, he was.
Aziraphale, ever the professional, refused to entertain the idea. He wore crisp suits, kept his schedule tighter than Heaven’s HR department, and always responded to Crowley’s antics with a tight-lipped sigh and a “Really, Crowley.”
But Crowley noticed things.
Like how Aziraphale always made sure he had lemon-ginger tea after shows because “you strain your voice when you growl like a bloody wolf.”
Or how he refused to let any interviewer twist Crowley’s words.
Or how he never missed a performance, even if he insisted it was “purely business.”
Crowley had been in love with him for years.
So, he wrote a song.
He didn’t tell anyone what it was about. Not the band. Not the press. Not even Aziraphale.
Especially not Aziraphale.
It was a soft one—rare for him. No screaming guitars. Just a haunting piano, a slow, pulsing rhythm, and his voice, rough with honesty.
“He don’t know he’s holy,
Don’t see the light he leaves behind,
But I’ve knelt in cathedrals less sacred
Than the space where our fingers brushed that time…”
He played it for the first time in London. Full crowd. Sold out. He didn’t introduce it. Just sat on the stool, adjusted the mic, and let it out.
Backstage, Aziraphale stood frozen, heart hammering. He recognized the lyrics. Recognized the melody. Recognized the soft way Crowley sang the word “angel.”
And he knew.
He knew.
After the show, Crowley came backstage, trying to act casual.
“So… what’d you think?” he asked, pretending to be nonchalant as he peeled off his jacket, but his voice cracked on the last word.
Aziraphale didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he stepped forward, eyes impossibly wide and glassy. And then, very quietly, he said:
“…Was that for me?”
Crowley shrugged. “Maybe. I mean. It could be about anyone, really. Very generic. Could be about a priest. Or a ghost. Or a very dramatic pigeon—”
Aziraphale kissed him.
It was soft. Careful. Like Aziraphale had been holding back for years, and now, with one verse and a chorus, the dam had cracked.
When they pulled apart, Aziraphale whispered, “I know you’re not subtle. But I had to be sure.”
Crowley’s grin was so wide it nearly split his face.
“Guess I’ll have to write a sequel.”
---
The next album was called Divine Intervention.
Track 2: “Holy Ground (For A.Z.)”
Track 7: “Miracle”
Track 11: “Yes, Angel, It’s About You (Stop Asking)”
And Aziraphale still made him drink the lemon tea.
Even if it was now with a kiss on the cheek and a blush.
---
Here's the full lyrics
"Holy Ground"
Written by A. J. Crowley (aka “The Serpent”)
For A.Z.
[Verse 1]
He walks like heaven never left him,
Like mercy draped in linen white,
He speaks and I forget I’m burning—
One word and I forget the night.
He don’t see the way he saves me,
Doesn’t know he calms the storm,
I’m a devil in a leather jacket,
But he’s the fire that keeps me warm.
[Chorus]
He don’t know he’s holy,
Don’t see the light he leaves behind,
But I’ve knelt in cathedrals less sacred
Than the space where our fingers brushed that time.
And I would fall, I would drown,
If I could stay where he’s around—
‘Cause when I’m near him, I swear it now:
I’m standing on holy ground.
[Verse 2]
He reads old books like they’re people,
Makes tea like it’s an art divine,
Keeps my chaos in his pocket
And still pretends everything’s fine.
He won’t let himself be worshipped,
Thinks love’s a thing he has to earn,
But I would sing a thousand lifetimes
Just to feel his quiet return.
[Chorus]
He don’t know he’s holy,
Don’t see the light he leaves behind,
But I’ve knelt in cathedrals less sacred
Than the space where our fingers brushed that time.
And I would fall, I would drown,
If I could stay where he’s around—
‘Cause when I’m near him, I swear it now:
I’m standing on holy ground.
[Bridge]
I’m no saint, never claimed to be,
Wrote my name in ash and sin—
But he calls me “dear” and suddenly
I’m someone worth letting in.
[Final Chorus]
He don’t know he’s holy,
He don’t see the light he gives,
But if angels walk among us,
Then he’s proof that mercy lives.
And I would fall, I would bow,
I’d burn it all just to allow
One look from him, one whispered sound—
I’m standing on holy ground.
[Outro]
He don’t know he’s holy…
But I do.
And I always will.
---
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zuppizup · 6 months ago
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Rayllum, 10 babies and Xadian family planning
I’m trying to post the next chapter of Dark Alternative, but AO3 is very wonky, so you’re going to be subjected to my rambling thoughts on my new WIP for Work in Progress Wednesday.
So, over my vacation, I’ve been plagued by post-season 7 fanfic ideas. Short fics, obviously. No more than three chapters, as usual.
What’s got me intrigued right now, is how the continent of Xadia, or at least, a select group of people, will manage with living with the knowledge that Aaravos, in some form, is coming back in seven years. How would that affect politics and society, as well as the individual characters and the choices they make knowing that?
The regular folks would struggle to miss that whole eternal darkness and dead creatures thing that happened, but what do they know about exactly what went down?
And what do they know about what’s to come?
You know me, I’m a Rayllum person, so pretty much any fic of mine is a Rayllum fic, and this current idea is focused on how this particular threat affects the next stage of their lives.
Without a doubt, when we last saw Rayllum they were totally committed to each other and are fully ride or die… but how would that devotion relate to their future, in particular, the subject of children?
Now, I’m an angster in my deep dark heart, so while I’m sure many people could conceive of a fic where Rayllum are secure in their ability to defeat Aaravos come round two, that ain’t where my brain was ever going to go.
Rayllum are in love and clearly want a future together. Callum was openly planning a quaint little one in the Silvergrove before they were rudely interrupted by the whole end of the world dealio.
So, where does that leave them now (in my angsty reality anyway)?
In their youth, they both leaned into their more paranoid natures (Rayla leaving without Callum in TTM and Callum getting physical with Soren in season 4), and while they’ve both grown and matured since then, would such a threat as the world ending be enough to bring that paranoia right on back?
Which leaves me with my current fic planning conundrum.
Assuming Rayllum decided to forego the whole having kids thing until Aaravos is imprisoned again, how likely is it that they could plan when to have a family.
I’ve seen people say that the world of The Dragon Prince is in a medieval setting, and so people had children younger then, which, aside from not being the entire story, doesn’t feel like it really applies to a world with magic and dragons, a world that lacks the sexism and gender roles that are also associated with medieval times or other more grounded works set then.
Additionally, looking at canon, I think it could be reasonably argued that some form of birth control is readily available in the setting. In fact, I think it’s likely multiple forms of birth control exist in the world of The Dragon Prince.
From humans to elves, we don’t see large families normally associated with the inability to plan a family via the use of effective birth control. The “largest” family we see are the Sunfire monarchs, with three children. Viren and Lissa had two children only. Sarai may well have had more children had she lived, but Rayla’s parents spent multiple years at the Storm Spire and she remained an only child.
I can’t imagine there’s much in the way of entertainment at the Storm Spire either. Sure, they could abstain or get creative, but oof, hasn’t enough been asked of them?
Even looking at prior generations, we do not see large families. Given the closeness in ages of the siblings we know of, it also seems unlikely to me that children were lost in childbirth or to childhood illnesses.
To me, it seems far more likely that family planning is active in Xadia and would be a tool Callum and Rayla could exercise.
Clearly, no birth control is infallible (or I guess it can be, magic and all) and I assume Miyana’s twins were unplanned.
Personally, I head canon Rayla herself was an oopsie baby in order to further explain the complications of her parents being called away to join the Dragon Guard.
Where am I going with this? I don’t even know anymore.
I suppose, to me, it’s not a foregone conclusion that in seven years Rayllum would have a kid (or indeed multiple). The setting of the world doesn’t imply that it’s particularly difficult to prevent pregnancy. In fact, the small families imply to me that family planning is a cultural norm among elves and humans.
Faced with the imminent threat of Aaravos’ return, would Rayllum plan to start a family? Certainly, people put off having children for far lesser reasons.
We also don’t know how using dark magic, even in that limited capacity, has affected Callum and the potential for him to get possessed again. It was clearly enough to physically mark him, but does that go deeper?
Would imprisoning Aaravos once again result in an inevitable possession?
Not great when Dad gets taken over and abandons the family.
Or worse, Mum has to take him out.
Angsty though!
As usual, I’ll be doing my own thing in my fics, but I’m interested to see where Arc 3 goes with this (optimistically assuming we get it). There are a lot of factors at play to explain why we might see a lot of the characters in a state of stasis. Seven years isn’t that long when you’re facing the world ending, after all. Particularly when you’re likely to play a very active part in trying to stop that returning apocalypse.
So, which way to go? I see the angst potential in both.
On one hand, you’ve got the pain and desperation of protecting your kid from a returned Aaravos, or perhaps worse, a possessed Dad.
But on the other, you’ve got two people who likely want to take the next steps in their lives, but feel the pressure of a ticking bomb haunting them and potentially preventing them from moving forward.
Either way, bring on the pain.
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psilliguykai · 3 months ago
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And now I present to you…. The power hour OC absolutely nobody asked for…. Chonny Superstar !!
[general + character info under the cut]
I’ve been completely hyperfixated on Jesus Christ Superstar for the past few days [I think I’ve looped the album like . 7 times by now ??] BUT !! still got my CJ fixation going on in the background too so here’s the product of that lol.
Chonny Superstar is his name for now because honestly I’m not great at naming characters and have no other great ideas 😭 if anybody has suggestions feel free to put them in the comments :3
Info !! [putting it in the post rather than the sheet so I can change it later if I need to 👍] [WARNING: long. Also very mild mentions of death I guess??]
Character/story-related notes:
- Chonny Superstar
- He/Him [Bi, cis man]
- 28
- Hair is messy and greasy. Probably hasn’t been washed in months lol.
- Partially based on Tim Minchin’s Judas from the 2012 UK Arena tour [both in design and personality]
- I hate this guy so much /aff
- Very independent/sticking to his personal mission [whatever that is in the moment] but overall well intentioned and a good person in the end. He wants the best and is sometimes just shitty about it 👍 somewhat social, but mostly when he has a purpose (which could just be that he hasn’t talked to anyone in a while or wants to make some he knows happy !! Just doesn’t really like . Hang around people). also a cunt. Very important
- Doesn’t actually play a particular role in JCS, nor do I have a solid story for him at the moment. I’ve got this loose idea that he just kind of lives in an endlessly looping production of JCS which has gone on for so long that the people involved switch and meld roles with each loop or smth ?? But I might change this later we’ll see …
- Some thought was put into the order, but there really isn’t that much rhyme or reason to the tracklist apart from “I like it” and “it fits his vibe”. That said I want to make it known that “Hosanna” and “Gethsemane” would both be the 2000 movie lyrics and not the original concept album - as much as I love the originals “hey JC, JC, won’t you DIE for me?” and “thy will is hard, but you hold every card” hit hard imo [and fit Chonny Superstar better]
- Would probably never meet the other canon jashlings but would totally either get along very well or have massive beef with Ego [bc Tim Minchin and all that]. He’d get on fairly well with Devil [they share the “fuck you all” and “society is messed up” energies]. Jouse/Mori would probably freak him out but I could see him chilling with CJPH.
- lives/is from the sorta vague anachronistic time period most productions of JCS take place in. No phones for him.
- Has never heard a song apart from the ones in JCS and would probably be really freaked out by anything else lol
- Has probably died multiple times and will die many more 👍
Design-related notes:
- Scarf patterns can be inconsistent and aren’t required. Based on the thing Minchin wears in his performance 👍
- He can and does take the scarf off, just not during musical numbers since it’s a little awkward to deal with on stage lol
- Heavy eyeliner + some eyeshadow
- Crop top and netted shirt are from the Laplaces’s Angel video
- Jacket and jeans are based on the ones CJ wears as “Green” in TFFTT.
- Temperature-confused apparel. What are you wearing a crop top and netted shirt with a massive coat for?? Are you cold or not boy tell me???? /silly
- clothes are worn but not super dirty apart from mild food/drink stains. The result of living on a stage in a time loop 👍
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thegreymarveljedi · 6 months ago
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He’ll Be Home Soon
(Echo x reader)
This idea came to me while at a family gathering. I was just daydreaming and whatever and I thought of this idea and ran with it. This is probably one of the first fics in a while that I’m actually very proud of. It took a few weeks but it feels good to get my motivation back and with a few extra ideas from others on how to keep my works from getting deleted again (thank you @techhasmjolnir , @isthereanechoinhere96 @inkstainedhandswithrings ) I’m back for the new year with a few good stories coming out!
This story takes place starting just before Star Wars the clone wars Season 3 Episode 18 (I am so so sorry lol). I hope you all enjoy this!
(Also, last minute add but divider is done by @stars-n-spice )
Warnings: ANGSTTT, major character ‘death’, ‘5’ stages of grief, mentions of blood, concussion, denial, delusions, mentions of anxiety, hurt/ eventual comfort, tears from many people, fluff, mentions of loneliness/ introvert, insecure Echo, happy ending
Words: 10.6k (Way more than I thought lol)
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(Y/N) stood with Echo at the front door of their apartment, watching as he fixed the rest of his armour. She helped where she could, passing him pieces and fixing others that were crooked. He smiled at her as he finished fixing his armour, grabbing his helmet and securing it under his arm.
“I’ll be home before you know it mesh’la. We’re only ment to be gone for 7 rotations minimum and 10 rotations maximum. In and out is what the job is,” he said, looking down at (Y/N) with eyes that conveyed so much confidence and love. Even with his confidence she couldn’t shake her worry, the war weighing on her in so many ways. She was worried for his life more than her own and she wanted so much to join the mission, to ensure he came home to her but she knew it was impossible to convince the council of it.
“I know Echo. But I have a really bad feeling about this mission,” (Y/N) said, placing one of her hands on his chest and the other finding it’s way to his cheek, the stubble on his cheeks tickling her palm, “Just stick close to Fives please? And don’t take any unnecessary risks okay?” She pleaded even while knowing full well that it was futile. She knew Echo would be careful but she also knew that he was a soldier who would do whatever it took to complete the mission.
“With General Skywalker, there’s always risks,” he chuckled, though the face (Y/N) gave him must have made him rethink his joking manner.
“I know that,” she replied, rolling her eyes at the mention of her best friend in the order. (Y/N) had worked with the 501st many times and she knew that Anakin could be reckless with his actions. But she also knew how much he cared for his men, even if he took unnecessary risks. Echo looked at her with a soft smile, his gloved hand coming up to take hold of her own that still rested on his cheek.
“I’m serious Echo. Don’t do anything you shouldn’t do. I need you to come home to me.” Her voice cracked as she spoke those word’s, her emotions spilling over. As a Jedi, attachments were forbidden, a path to the dark side as master Yoda always said. But (Y/N) liked to think that her relationship with Echo was different. She didn’t feel any darkest in her heart or anger when he was gone, all she felt for him was love and the occasional worry. But I guess that worry turned to fear in this case and she knew that master Yoda would frown upon this revelation.
“I will cyar’ika, I promise.” Echo snapped her out of her thoughts, his words touching her heart and easing her mind even if only a little. (Y/N) stared at her handsome arc trooper, his hazel eyes deep pools of wonder that she could admire for hours, his lips so kissable and soft, pulled into an affectionate smile that she wished would never leave. His hair was cut in accordance with regulations but still as soft and fluffy as his heart, the very soft waves tempting her to run her fingers through them. She refrained however, instead choosing to kiss his nose and tilt his head forward toward her own, resting their foreheads together.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” (Y/N) spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly at the thought of letting him go. She knew it was war times and that they had a fight to win, but that didn’t mean she liked it. It didn’t make parting with him any easier.
“I’d expect nothing less from you my dear,” Echo chuckled, his helmet falling from his hands as he wrapped her in his arms one last time. (Y/N) returned the embrace, determined to hold his warmth against her body for as long as she could before he really had to leave.
“Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum ner kar’ta,” Echo whispered, his face buried in her neck as he breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of (Y/N)’s body soap. His hands found her hips, running his gloved palms up and down her sides as her arms remained locked around his neck. The press of his armour against her torso was painful but worth every moment, as long as he was in her arms.
“I love you too Echo. So so much. I always will,” (Y/N) replied just as quietly, not wanting to break the serenity of the moment. After another minute of holding one another his comm went off, the beeping of the device signalling that it was time for him to go.
She gave her beloved trooper one final squeeze, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes as she begrudgingly let him go. Echo smiled sadly at (Y/N) as she leaned down and retrieved his helmet, tucking it under his arm once again before bidding her a final goodbye. As the door opened to allow him to leave, he turned back to face his cyare once more and blew her a kiss, one that she caught and returned, her hands trembling slightly as she watched him leave.
“I’ll be home soon ner sarad. I promise,” he spoke one final time to her, his smile never leaving his face and the warm affection in his eyes conveying his love. She nodded as the door closed, cutting her off from the love of her life temporarily.
(Y/N) tried her best to hold the tears at bay, her emotions bubbling up and threatening to burst out in full force. She took some deep breathes, composing herself before she looked around the apartment, suddenly feeling so small and alone in the space meant for two. She cracked her neck and sighed, trying to think of everything else besides the handsome trooper who had just left her presence.
“It’s only 7 rotations at minimum. We’ve gone longer without each other. What’s the worst that could happen?”
~Time Skip~
Being on a meditative retreat was relaxing, time away from the fighting and the politics, not having to think about much of anything. It was peaceful, like it should be, even if (Y/N) was still a little worried about Echo. But once he returned, they could disappear off world together for the last week of the retreat, head to Naboo and just relax for a few days.
She smiled at the thought of it, thinking about how relaxing it would be to spend time with her love after he came home. It was 8 rotations ago that Echo and the others had left on their mission, the details of which were still classified to almost all besides the council and a few other veteran Jedi. All she knew was that Anakin and Obi-wan were leading a team to rescue Master Piell.
(Y/N) was snapped out of her thoughts when there was a knock at the door, the sounds firm and stern. She smiled giddily, thinking that it was her trooper coming home and wanting to surprise her. She smoothed out her robes and fixed her hair, ready to greet Echo after a long mission away. She walked over to the door and pressed the panel to open it, her large smile falling as she gazed upon two troopers she hadn’t expected to see.
“Rex, Fives what are you guys doing here? And where’s…” (Y/N)’s eyes went wide and her heart stopped immediately when she noticed that Echo was nowhere to be found next to Fives. Her eyes darted between the two troopers, fear gripping her heart like vice, a cloud of darkness forming around her in the force.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Fives said, his helmet tucked under his arm which allowed her to see his face, eyes bloodshot and tear streaks staining his cheeks. (Y/N) laughed and shook her head, giving Fives a punch to his chest and gesturing for them both to come inside.
“N-no. Stop messing with me. This is another one of your stupid pranks right?” She laughed again, a very unpleasant sounding laugh leaving her lips as her eyes continued to dart between the Arc trooper and the clone captain who had yet to utter a word. The glare Fives sent (Y/N)’s way sent a shiver down her spine, his gaze intense and full of anger.
“I would never joke about this,” Fives hissed, taking a menacing step forward as tears began to gather in his eyes once more. Rex placed a firm hand on Fives’ chest, giving him a small push back and glaring at him. He shook his head, knowing that Fives was hurting but also knowing that (Y/N) had lost the love of her life. Fives realized his mistake and looked over Rex’s shoulder to the woman, eyes finding her horrified expression at the realization that they were telling the truth.
“Bu-but he can’t be. H-he promised me he’d come home.” She shook her head as the words fell from her lips, in disbelief at the prospect that her beloved Arc trooper had fallen in battle. Her knees felt weak, like they couldn’t support her weight any longer. (Y/N) eyes continued to dart between the men as she took a few steps back into her apartment, the space suddenly feeling even smaller than it did when Echo left.
“I’m- I’m so sorry (Y/N). But he’s gone,” Rex said, his voice that of a defeated captain who had just lost another brother. Her head continued to shake as Rex and Fives slowly walked into the apartment, the doors sliding shut behind them.
The men knew they were welcome in her home, having hosted them for many nights after a successful mission. This however, was a different monster entirely. Echo was gone and they were in mourning, (Y/N)’s own mind having an impossible time coming to terms with these revelations. She could feel the cloud of sadness growing, gripping her heart and taking over her senses.
Their eyes looked sad and genuine as they told (Y/N) what happened to her soldier, how bravely he fought and how tragic the mission was as a whole. She felt her heart crack as they continued to retell it, wanting them stop but knowing that, deep down, she needed to know. She felt like her legs would give out, the trembling getting more and more violent as their recounting of the mission went on. Fives had deposited himself at the dinning room table, his helmet long forgot by the front door as Rex stayed standing.
“N-no. Nonono.” (Y/N)’s words seemed so distant even to her own ears, stumbling over her feet as she continued to step back, trying her best to back away from the reality of this situation. She knew she was in denial, Rex and Fives’ presence telling her all she needed but it didn’t feel real. It felt like someone was pulling the world right out from under her feet, reaching into her chest and tearing a piece of her heart away. There was ringing, so loud and annoying, like an alarm in her ears that didn’t seem to stop.
“I’m deeply sorry vod’ika. He fought like a hero and died a hero,” whoever said that, their voice was distant to (Y/N)’s ears, the ringing intensifying tenfold her heart crumbled in her chest. She began hyperventilating, as if she was falling down a dark hole with no visible way out. She blindly reached for the counter in the kitchen, trying to find some kind of solid surface to keep her grounded.
“I-I-” words seemed to fail her, the world around her growing darker and darker as her knees began to give out. She couldn’t feel her lower half or even her fingers, her body failing her just as the words did.
“(Y/N)?” Rex asked, Fives perking up at the concern in the captains voice. He turned to look at (Y/N) and his eyes went wide, seeing her shake and stumble. He was on his feet and walking over to where she stood immediately, knowing that Echo would come back from the grave and shoot him if he let anything happen to his cyare.
“I-I can’t fe-feel my legs…” (Y/N) said, so quietly that both men almost missed what she said. Her vision went black, eyes rolling into the back of her head as the ground seemed to swallow her. Her consciousness came crashing down, the force around her swirling a deep purple. Her subconscious mind could feel her falling, fingers on the counter slipping off as her body came hurtling toward the hard surface of the floor.
“(Y/N)!” Fives yelped, catching her before she could hit the ground, but not before her head slammed into the counter, a loud thunk reverberating through the apartment. Rex was by her side in an instant as well, helping Fives to slowly bring her to the ground. Rex turned her over slowly to check on the spot where she hit her head, blood oozing from the wound.
He cursed and stood up, moving to grab the first aid kit from under the sink as Fives quickly sent a message to Kix. Rex came back with the kit and a damp cloth, holding it against (Y/N)’s head to try and stop the bleeding.
“Let’s move her to the couch, carefully,” Rex said and Fives nodded, feeling quite guilty that they hadn’t told (Y/N) to sit down before they told her the tragic news. His mind went to his fallen twin, seeing his helmet lying there on the durasteel of the citadel landing pad. It was burnt, fried to a crisp from the explosion, but he had begged Ahsoka to use the force and bring it to them, needing to take the last part of his twin home.
“Comm Kix now.” Rex snapped Fives out of his thoughts, his voice somehow calm even with the current situation as they brought (Y/N) over to the couch to lay her down. Rex quickly placed down a few extra clean towels to stop the blood from seeping into the couch, not wanting to make (Y/N)’s apartment feel any more chilling.
“He’s already on his way,” Fives replied, his eyes downcast as he held (Y/N)’s hand. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for him to do so, (Y/N) accepting the small gesture of platonic affection whenever the boys came over after a mission. He held it gently, as if trying to ground them both and come to terms with the reality that his twin was gone. It was so hard to grasp, Fives struggling to understand how much this had effect (Y/N).
“Should we have waited to tell her?” The words fell from his lip before he could stop them, voice soft yet defeated. Rex took a moment to mull over Fives words, knowing that they were all grieving. But he hadn’t wanted to keep (Y/N) in the dark about this, especially when he knew she’d hear that they were home. It wasn’t right to keep this from her no matter how much he wanted to.
“No. It needed to be done now,” he said firmly, though his words lacked their usual confident conviction. He stared down at (Y/N), someone who had been a second in command to him many times, saved his and his brothers lives more times than he could count and always welcomed them into her home with open arms.
“But why?” Fives said quietly, looking to Rex with such sadness and despair written across his features.
“Because I don’t feel right lying to her. She doesn’t deserve that,” Rex said, his eyes turning to look at Fives before turning back to look at (Y/N). Her unconscious expression was unreadable, her face neutral even if the rest of her body was tense. Her skin had drained of some of its colour, once vibrant but now dimmed and dull. Rex turned back to Fives, watching the emotions pass along the Arc trooper’s face as he started at his twin’s cyare.
“I know you just lost your twin, Fives. But this is his Cyar’ika. Even if it hurts to shatter her world, she deserved to know that he went out like a hero,” Rex said, placing a hand on Fives shoulder to try and convey his thoughts to his Vod. Fives only nodded, not wanting to be reminded of such a tragic event. It was still fresh in his mind, that much was true, but for as long as he could, he wanted to just pretend it wasn’t real.
“I know Rex. It just…hurts. A lot,” Fives said, his voice cracking as the tears returned, the emotions no longer wanting to stay hidden behind the mask he had managed to put on. He removed his gloves, putting them down on the Caf table along with his chest plate and gauntlets.
“I know Fives. I know,” Rex said with a sigh, moving to do the same as Fives. They removed their armour silently, placing it neatly in piles by the door as they waited for Kix to arrive.
“Should we have given her the holo instead,” Fives said as he removed his belt and pulled the small device from one of the compartments. He remembered the moment that Echo had given him the holo tape, telling him that…
“If something happens to me, I need you to give this to (Y/N). She needs to hear what is on this and I need her to know that I love her.”
“I don’t know,” Rex’s shoulders sagged as he thought about it all, loosing one of the troopers he had trained since shiny, one of the 501st brothers he was closest too, “This way at least, we can stay with her and help her through this.” Rex had seen the holo before, having been close by to Echo when he had reordered it. He knew what it said and had even teared up a little at how sentimental it was.
“Will we ever give it to her?” This time it was Fives to break the temporary silence that had fallen over the apartment, looking at (Y/N) with sad eyes.
“I don’t know,” Rex said. Before he could utter another word, there was a firm and slightly frantic knocking at the door. It slid open to reveal Kix with his med pack and Hardcase and Jesse behind him, both sporting grim expressions. They quickly walked into the apartment and closed the door, Jesse initiating the lock as soon as they were all in.
~
“There isn’t much we can do right now but I suggest we tell general Skywalker,” Kix said as he put his stethoscope away, standing up and depositing his med pack next to the front door along with the rest of the boys armour.
“We can’t. What will he do?” Jesse asked curiously, knowing that yes, Anakin and (Y/N) were best friends, but was this really something that he could help her with. He and the others knew that attachments for Jedi were forbidden but they had chosen to stand by their Vod and his cyar’ika. None of them knew what their general would say though.
“He might be able to help,” Hardcase replied, his voice low and timid which was a bit of a shock to the others considering Hardcase was always so loud and boisterous. Hardcase cast his eyes to (Y/N), watching as she lay there unconscious. He knew that this was going to affect her greatly but he wanted to help in any way he could. They all did.
“How?” Jesse snapped without thinking about his tone, his own emotions over the situation much more uncontrollable.
“I don’t know okay! But we can’t just leave her alone to wallow in her grief. Echo wouldn’t want that,” Hardcase snapped back, his usual volume returning though his words only held sadness and despair. A silence befell the room at that moment. The five men thinking over what they could do to help their other general, their sister. It was another few moments of silence before Rex went to speak up, his words being interrupted by a groan and coughing. The men all turned their heads to look at (Y/N), all equally concerned for her wellbeing after what happened.
“Vod’ika are you okay?” Fives asked quietly, his hand giving (Y/N)’s a gentle squeeze as she slowly and carefully turned her head left and right. She could feel the dull throbbing pain of where she hit her head, the bacta patch on the wound helping to sooth the spot.
She spoke no words as she took in the state of the apartment, not many things out of place but enough that she began to make a plan in her head of how to clean them up. She took another survey of the space, noting that there were now five troopers present rather than two. She didn’t mind the extra company, though right now she felt as if she wanted to be left alone. She tried to sit up, her body feeling heavy, as though her heart had been ripped in two. Her head felt foggy, like there was a missing piece of the puzzle though that was definitely the concussion, she deduced.
“General?” Kix asked tentatively, helping (Y/N) to sit up with the help of Rex and Fives. They sat her up against the back rest of the couch, making sure to place pillows around to help her sit comfortably. She gave a short nod in thanks, feeling like there was so much more to say but no words to articulate how she was feeling.
“This is all just a bad dream,” she said, smoothing one of her hands down her face. This had to be a bad dream, there was no way he was gone. The pieces of her heart were scatter, the fog of her mind still swirling with thoughts that Echo would be home soon.
“I wish it were (Y/N). But it’s not. I’m sorry,” Rex said, hanging his head in shame that he couldn’t bring his younger brother home. The others in the room mimicked Rex, all of them feeling awful for what happened, especially Fives. The guilt of the incident weighted on him most of all, not having done enough to prevent Echo from pushing for the shuttle prematurely.
“I should clean up, he’ll be home soon,” (Y/N) said slightly dazed, as if on autopilot and not fully present in her own body. She went to stand up, a little too fast as she stumbled, being caught by Kix, Rex and Fives. They all looked at her confused, not fully understanding what she meant with her words.
“Who?” Hardcase asked tentatively, slightly fearful of the answer her would receive. Kix and Rex steadied (Y/N) on her feet, making sure that she was physically stable before letting go, even then their hands weren’t too far away. (Y/N) looked at Hardcase with an innocent smile, one too innocent for a grieving woman who just found out that she had lost the love of her life.
“Echo. He’ll be home soon so I need to clean this place up,” (Y/N) said moving away from the couch and towards to the kitchen where there was a very small pile of dishes and a warm meal prepared. She would offer some to the guys but it was Echo’s favourite and she didn’t want him to have any less when he came home.
“(Y/N),” Jesse spoke, his tone one of disbelief. Had she not heard anything they had said to her for the last hour? Or was this the denial stage of grief. He looked over to Rex and Kix who were already looking at each other, both not knowing how to go about this situation.
“You guys should go, before Anakin starts wondering where you all are,” she said, picking up the sponge on the side of the counter and beginning to scrub what dishes were in the sink. She surveyed the counter looking for anymore before her eyes landed on the spot where she hit her head, the counter covered in a little bit of blood.
“But-“ Kix began but was cut off very abruptly.
“I have to clean up.” (Y/N)’s words were sharp, cutting through the tension of the room like a lightsaber. She sighed and reached under the counter for the bleach, pulling on gloves and pouring some bleach onto a clean cloth. She wiped the spot down until it sparkled, going over it with a damp cloth with water and soap.
“We can help you.”
“Thank you Fives. But I’ve got this. I want to make everything look just right for when he comes home,” (Y/N) replied and used the force to throw the bleached towel into the washing machine and turn it on.
“Vod’ika,” Fives said, him voice quiet as he tried to move towards (Y/N), only being stopped by Kix’s hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at his older brother who shook his head, not want to escalate the situation to a point where they couldn’t come back from. Fives hung his head in defeat, feeling even more helpless than before. He was watching as someone who he considered to be his sister, denied that the love of her life was gone.
“He promised me he’d come home,” (Y/N) whispered to herself, a smile on her face and her brain still foggy. Echo was going to come home to her, she knew it. Fives, again, went to approach her but this time with the holotape in his hands. However this time he was stopped by Jesse and Hardcase, both shaking their heads just as Kix did. Fives huffed in annoyance, shrugging both his brother’s hands off his shoulders and making his way to the front door, throwing on his armour quickly before leaving, tears streaming down his face as he left.
Rex watched Fives walk out, the knowledge of how frustrated the arc trooper was weighing in him like a gunship. Rex turned back face (Y/N) watching as she continued to cleanse the kitchen, going over surfaces that had already been cleaned.
“He’s not coming back (Y/N). He’s gone,” Rex said, desperation in his voice at not being able to get through to her. He went to step forward just as Fives did but was also stopped by Kix, his vod’ika giving him a pitiful look.
“He’ll be home soon,” (Y/N) repeated, the force around her drowning out their voices. She was determined to get the place clean before Echo came home, wanting everything to be spotless for his return. Kix watched as (Y/N) was in severe denial, the concussion and head wound she sustained doing nothing to help her subconscious delusions.
“Rex, let her mourn. She’ll come to terms with it eventually. Let’s leave her be.” he gave Rex’s shoulder a squeeze, signalling to Hardcase and Jesse to kit up, wanting to let (Y/N) mourn in peace. Jesse and Hardcase both cast one more glance at their captain who nodded in agreement with Kix’s words, begrudgingly agreeing to let (Y/N) have some space. Kix however walked up to (Y/N) and placed a hand on her shoulder, placing a bottle of pain pills on the counter next to her.
“Take one of these before you go to sleep at night and one when you wake up general, they’ll help with the migraines from the concussion,” Kix said, only receiving a very small nod from (Y/N). He turned back to the others who were now kitted up, following suit before ushering Hardcase and Jesse out, both wishing (Y/N) the best.
Rex was more reluctant to leave, not wanting to leave (Y/N) but knowing that she needed time right now, “if you need us at all, you know how to reach us (Y/N).”
There was no reply from the women and Rex sighed, kitting up and tucking his helmet under his arm. He opened the door and cast one last empathetic glance at (Y/N) before the door closed behind him, leaving her alone in her apartment.
~ Time Skip~
It had been another two weeks since the incident and (Y/N) was still in denial, her subconscious mind pushing forth memories of their time together to make it appear as though Echo was still alive. She smiled as she washed her hands in the kitchen, just having finished making lunch when there was a knock at the door. She used the force to open it, her eyes lighting up as she spotted Anakin standing there.
“Hey (Y/N),” he greeted a sympathetic smile on his lips as he walked into her apartment.
“Hi Anakin!” she said cheerfully, coming over to hug her best friend. She gave him a squeeze before pulling away, giving him a once over to check for any injuries but found none. Her cheery disposition caught Anakin off guard, making him tilt his head slightly but he said nothing.
“I just made lunch, would you like any?” She offered, moving back to the kitchen and taking down a bowl and two glasses from the cabinet.
“I’m okay for now (Y/N/N) but thanks for the offer,” Anakin declined politely though accepting the cup of water that she offered him.
“How’re you doing?” He asked as she sat down, a bowl of stew in her hand and her legs tucked up under her body. Anakin took a sip of his water as she answered his question though her answer sent a shock through his spine making him choke on his water.
“I’m doing good. I’ve got a clean place and it’s ready for when Echo comes home.”
“What?”
“My apartment. I cleaned it up so that way when Echo comes home he can just relax.”
“D-did Fives and Rex not-“ Anakin stutter over his words, placing his glass down on the caf table and staring at (Y/N) as if she had turned to the dark side. She continued talking however, as if trying to drown out what Anakin was saying.
“And then I’m going to make his favourite dinner and make sure th-“
“(Y/N/N).”
“Yeah?”
“Echo’s gone. He died at the Citadel,” Anakin said, standing up and kneeling down in front of where (Y/N) was sitting on the couch. She refused to meet his eyes, finishing off her stew and standing up, navigating around Anakin before moving to the kitchen.
“N-no he didn’t. He’s just-“ she stuttered out, dropping her bowl in the sink and running the water over it.
“(Y/N)-“ Anakin started but was cut off again.
“He’ll be home soon. I know he will be,” (Y/N) said, turning to give Anakin a quick glare before moving toward her bedroom.
“(Y/N) wait,” Anakin said quickly, jumping over the couch and chasing after her, gently taking hold of her wrist to stop her from walking away. (Y/N) stood still for a moment, thinking over what Anakin had told her, thinking back to when Rex and the others were her.
“I should get going. I need to shower and meditate before he comes home,” she said quietly with a sigh, shaking free from Anakin’s grip and heading down the hall, “you can see yourself out,” she said as the door to her room opened and closed, leaving Anakin alone on the boarder of the living room and hallway.
He sighed as he looked around the apartment, taking in the spotless mess of everything and how nothing was out of place. His eyes landed on the side table next to the couch where there was a holophoto of (Y/N) with him, Rex, Fives, Echo and the rest of Torrent company. Next to that was a holophoto of her and Echo, holding each other and smiling. Anakin picked up the captured moment, looking at the happy couple that reminded him so much of himself and Padme. He felt awful for not being able to bring Echo home, his helmet the only thing coming home with them.
Anakin made his way to the door, sighing once more as it opened and closed behind him as he left (Y/N)’s apartment, thinking over what he could do to help her.
~
“I’m worried about (Y/N), Master,” Anakin said as he stood against the wall in Obi-wan’s office. He had come to his master after visiting (Y/N), needing some advice at how to help her out.
“Why’s that?” Obi-wan said as he continued to type up a report for the council on his datapad.
“She’s in denial about Echo’s death, She still thinks that he’s alive,” Anakin said, shaking his head as he gave Obi-wan the run down. Obi-wan nodded along, listening to Anakin as he spoke. He knew of (Y/N)’s relationship with the arc trooper, even if they had tried their best to hide their relationship. Obi-wan had chosen to show his silent support, turning his head and letting (Y/N) be happy. He knew what it felt like to give up that kind of connection in favour of being a Jedi and there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t feel some kind of regret.
“But didn’t Rex and Fives-“ Obi-wan started, looking up at Anakin as his apprentice cut him off.
“They did. And so did I but she responded with ‘he’ll be home soon’ and won’t hear anything else about it,” Anakin said, coming over and sitting down at the chair in front of Obi-wan’s desk this time.
“I see. That’s not good then,” his master replied as he looked over to Anakin, placing his datapad away from himself and giving Anakin his full attention.
“He left her a recording but Rex and Fives didn’t feel right giving it to her,” Anakin explained, placing the holorecorder down on Obi-wan’s desk as emphasis along with Echo’s helmet that he brought as well. It had been a battle to get Fives to part with it but Anakin had said to him that he needed it to help (Y/N) through this.
“Why not?” Obi-wan said, somewhat flabbergasted that they hadn’t given (Y/N) something that was intended for her. He looked at Echo’s damaged helmet next, putting a hand against it and closing his eyes, allowing the force to guide him through Echo’s last moments. He felt anguish, anger but mostly sorrow for leaving (Y/N) behind.
I love you (Y/N). I’ll see you again someday.
“Because they didn’t want her to be alone when she found out,” Anakin said, watching as Obi-wan continued what he was doing. He knew his master was focused on his task, connecting with Echo’s last conscious thought.
“I understand that but they should’ve given it to her,” Obi-wan said as he opened his eyes and removed his hand from Echo’s helmet. He had found the closure that he himself had been looking for and he hoped that (Y/N) could find the same. He looked to his student, a defeated look present in his face.
“I know. I understand the denial but how do we get her to snap out of it?” Anakin said, desperation present in his voice.
“I’m not sure but we need to find a way, before the council catches wind of this.”
“I know but how? She won’t listen to anyone about it.”
They sat silently for a moment before Obi-wan spoke up, “Maybe I can help. Give me the holo,” Obi-wan said, taking the holo and pocketing it before using the force to grab a bag big enough to hold Echo’s helmet. He pulled the bag over his shoulder and made his way to the door, leaving Anakin sitting down.
“What are you going to do Obi-wan?” Anakin asked quickly but there was no response from his master as he walked out, power walking to where Anakin knew (Y/N) would be.
~
“(Y/N)?” Obi-wan called out catching (Y/N) as she was about to enter into one of the private training room. The woman turned at the sound of her name, eyes lighting up and lips turning into a smile as she saw Obi-wan.
“Master Kenobi! How can I help you?” She said with a smile and invited him into the room she was entering, closing and locking the sliding doors to give them a chance to talk.
“Actually, I was hoping I could help you,” obi-wan said making (Y/N) tilt her head in fake confusion. She had a feeling that Anakin had gone to his former mentor for advice and support and she had a sneaking suspicion that Obi-wan would be the next to talk to her about the situation. He had been there after all, the mission had been one that he led.
“Oh? I-I don’t need any help Obi-wan but thank you for the sentiment,” (Y/N) said, walking further into the training room and discarding her robe onto one of the bench’s against the wall.
“(Y/N), look at me,” Obi-wan said, walking over to where (Y/N) was, “You deserve to be happy you know that right?” He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. (Y/N) reluctantly nodded, knowing where this was going. She was over it at this point, everyone trying to convince her that Echo was gone.
“Haha very funny. Has everyone else got you in on this prank to?” She said with a forced fake laugh, moving away from Obi-wan to sit down in the ground. She readied herself into a meditative position, hoping that Obi-wan would get the hint to leave her alone.
“It’s not a prank my darling,” Obi-wan said, turning to (Y/N) and following her to her meditation spot. He sat across from her and placed the bag with Echo’s helmet next to him, waiting for the right moment to bring it out.
“Yeah yeah, tell Anakin to knock it off. I have to make sure I’m alert and ready for when Echo comes home-“
“(Y/N).”
“Obi-wan.”
“I’m telling you the truth,” he said, trying to get through to her about how this was not a trick. There was a sigh hanging by thread on his lips, the frustration of (Y/N)’s denial making Obi-wan question if he should just rip the bacta patch off.
“Well I don’t believe you,” she said, closing her eyes to try and tune out Obi-wan and his words. She knew that Echo was somewhere out there and no one could dissuade her from that thought.
“When have I ever lied to you?” She heard Obi-wan say, the question striking a cord inside her mind and her chest.
“Today is the first,” she replied after a brief pause of thought. Obi-wan sighed again, watching as (Y/N) sat in denial. Her eyes remained closed so Obi-wan figured that now was the only time he could pull out his cards. He pulled Echos damaged helmet out of the bag he brought, placing it on the ground in front of (Y/N) before pulling out the holorecording and pressing play.
“Cyar’ika.” (Y/N)’s eyes flew open at the sound of that voice, the hope in her chest bubbling up before she realized that it was just a recording. She looked at the holo of her Arc trooper, watching as his eyes seemed to light up as if he was talking directly to her and not addressing her through a camera. She took another moment and looked down, tears gathering in her waterline as she laid eyes on Echo’s helmet, charred and damaged beyond repair.
“If you’re hearing this then… there’s no easy way to tell you but…I’m gone. I’ve had this recorded since I met you because I knew there was always a possibility that I wouldn’t come back.” His words hit her like a turbo tank, making her fragmented heart shatter even more. Her eyes temporarily met Obi-wan’s before they focused back on the holo of her lover.
“I gave it to Fives because I knew he would be the one to deliver it if something ever happened and unfortunately it did.” She picked up his helmet, the tears now spilling over her cheeks as she finally came to grips with the fact that Echo was really gone for good. She ran her thumbs over the visor of his helmet, holding it in her lap as she continued to listen to the message that was left for her.
“I just want you to know (Y/N), I will always love you no matter where I am. I will always be with you even when we’re miles apart. Ner mesh’la Sarad, move on and live happily, I know you can. Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum.” His final words broke her, a strangled sob leaving her lips as she clutched his helmet closer to her chest. She placed her forehead against that of his helmet, feeling Echo’s last moments before the memories faded.
“I’m so sorry (Y/N),” Obi-wan said, watching as (Y/N) broke down over the message Echo had left her, having to wipe a few stray tears away from his own eyes. This whole situation reminded him so much of how he had almost lost Satine when they were younger. He felt horrible that he had to do this but it needed to be done before the council caught on. He couldn’t keep covering for her even if he wanted to, wanting to help her as much as he could.
“Let’s get you to bed,” Obi-wan said, standing up and gently maneuvering (Y/N) to stand up. She was pliant and didn’t resist Obi-wan much, still trying to grapple with the message that she had just seen. Obi-wan slowly and carefully took Echo’s helmet and placed it back in the bag so that no one would be none the wiser. He handed the bag back to (Y/N) and placed the holorecording inside it alongside the helmet.
He took (Y/N)’s hand softly and guided her out of the training room, being careful to avoid as many Jedi as he could in the halls of the temple. (Y/N) remained quiet, holding tightly onto the bag that now housed Echo’s helmet and the last message she received. She felt as though she had skipped the second and third stages of grief, no amount of anger or bargaining able to bring him back.
Next thing she knew they had made it to her room in the temple, the door opening and closing behind them. Obi-wan guided (Y/N) to her bed, coaxing her to lay down and allow him to take off her boots. He felt like a father comforting his daughter after a heartbreak. He was pulling off her boots when she finally spoke.
“He’s really gone?” (Y/N) said, her voice distant and haunted, not able to meet Obi-wan eyes. Her eyes instead moved to where Echo’s helmet lay in a bag on the floor of her room, the visor poking out and allowing her a glimpse of his beautiful hazel eyes one last time.
“Unfortunately he is,” Obi-wan said sympathetically, following her eyes to his helmet before he sighed again, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No. Thank you Obi-wan. I’ll be okay,” (Y/N) said as she gently forced Echo’s helmet and the holorecording into her hands. She needed to be alone to process everything and she just wanted to try and sleep.
“If there is anything that can be done, please allow me or Anakin to help,” Obi-wan said softly, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving them a fatherly squeeze before he turned around and left the room, but not before she said to him,
“I will,” (Y/N) said before the door to her room fully closed behind Obi-wan, leaving her alone once more. She stared at Echo’s helmet, the plastiod charred and damaged, the blue paint scuffed and faded. She closed her eyes again, following the force as it led her back to the happy memories she shared with Echo. The words of his holorecording played over and over in her head as she stripped out of her robes and into her night clothes, haunting yet comforting to her.
She lay there in bed for another while, Echo’s helmet clutched to her chest like a tooka doll. She had made up her mind a while ago but now she knew for certain what she needed to do.
~
“What do you mean she left?!” Anakin snapped at Obi-wan as his master told him the news. (Y/N) had requested a private council meeting yesterday and had informed her masters and mentors that she would be resigning from the Jedi order effective immediately. It had come as a shock to most of the Jedi on the council though Master Yoda seemed to understand why. She had apologized profusely, but Master Yoda just bowed his head and wished her well.
“I’m not happy about it either but she resigned of her own volition. There was nothing that could have been done,” Obi-wan said, trying to quell the anger of his apprentice. He knew that Anakin would take the news hard, but he also knew that there was nothing he or Anakin could’ve done to change (Y/N)’s mind. She needed her time and space and they were going to give it to her whether they agreed with her decision or not.
“How am I going to break it to the boys?” Anakin said, dragging his mechanical hand down his face in defeat. The 501st loved (Y/N), always the life of the party and sharing her compassion for them wherever she went. She was their unofficial sister, their vod’ika as they liked to call her.
“I don’t know Anakin. But you’ll have to find a way,” Obi-wan said, mulling over in his head if there was any way that he could help Anakin break the news to his troopers.
“I know.”
“Maybe this will help her Anakin. She was grieving and she was beginning to get reckless on assignments.”
“But that’s not her fault!”
“It was. That’s why the Jedi are not meant to form attachments,” Obi-wan said, giving his padawan a look that told him not to argue but he knew Anakin was to stubborn to let this go.
“But you and Satine-“ Anakin started but Obi-wan cut him off very quickly.
“Satine and I were different. And I did not let me feelings get in the way of my duty,” Obi-wan snapped, not wanting to have the same argument with Anakin that they have had multiple times already. He had made his decision a long time ago, even if he still regrets it in some ways. Anakin sigh in defeat before sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Obi-Wan‘s desk again, bowing his head.
“I hope wherever she goes, she finds peace,” Anakin said, Obi-wan nodding along as well and wishing through the force that (Y/N) find what she needs.
~Time Skip~
“The island is beautiful Phee,” Hunter said as she led the Batch down the island towards where they would be staying for a little.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s our own little slice of heaven in this crazy galaxy. We have a lot of refugees here and it’s a place for them to find peace,” Phee explained as they came to a stop outside the island inn.
“I can see why,” Echo said as he took in the laughter the island had to offer. It was a gorgeous place with a diverse community and a kindness that hadn’t been present in the galaxy for a long while. He surveyed the area around them before Phee lead them inside the inn, momentarily catching a glimpse of someone he thought was familiar. He shook his head though, believing he was imagining it, after all it had been three years now.
“I hope you guys can find the same kind of peace here. Away from Cid, away from the Empire, away from the fighting,” Phee explained as she turned to the inn keeper to ask about rooms where they could occupy for a while.
“Believe me, I think we could use it,” Wrecker said, holding Omega on his shoulder as the younger girl nodded in response.
“I know you could. There have been a lot of people who have passed through here to get away from the fighting. And because we’re not a resource heavy planet, the empire just kind of leaves us alone,” Phee explained as she received the keys to one of the larger guest houses on island and turned to hand them to Hunter.
“Here you go Hunter, I can take you to the house if you want? Or let you guys wonder and find it yourself,” she said, smiling at the Batch looked at one another.
“We should be okay Phee. Thank you, for all your help,” Hunter said with a smile. The others agreed with him and thanked Phee for all she had done for them.
“Don’t forget, dinner at Shep’s tonight.”
She reminded them before she bid them a goodbye and head off to her own homestead, giving Tech a cheeky kiss on the cheek on her way out. The genius clone blushed and followed Phee with his eyes, a shy smile on his face.
Echo smiled at the scene, thinking back to before the citadel mission when he and his cyar’ika used to be so happy. His smile faded as he thought about it, about the war and how when the bad Batch had rescued him from Skako Minor she was gone. Anakin and Rex had filled him in on what went down after the mission, (Y/N)’s denial, Obi-wan giving her the message and his helmet, (Y/N) leaving the order. It broke his heart to hear how much his supposed death had impacted her, he just hope she was happy, where ever she was.
“Echo?” Echo was snapped out his thoughts by a tug on his human hand, turning his eyes to see Omega trying to get his attention.
“You okay? Wrecker called your name twice,” she said, Echo’s head turning to look at his larger brother before realizing that the others were looking at him as well.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just….memories,” he said quietly.
“About what?” Wrecker asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
“About (Y/N)?” Tech said, making Echo’s head shoot up to look at his genius brother. Tech just shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing, “I over heard General Skywalker and Rex speaking to you about it when we rescued you. I am assuming the public display of affection by Phee must have triggered repressed memories.”
Echo just sighed and grumbled about ease dropping, not wanting to justify Tech with a response. Hunter had also heard the conversation but hadn’t thought it relevant to bring up, knowing that if Echo wanted to talk about it he would when he was ready.
“Yes, I was thinking about (Y/N),” he said and felt Omega give his hand a reassuring squeeze.
“What happened to her?” She asked, her childlike curiosity seeping out. Echo sighed and turned to the door of the inn, moving to step outside. The others followed him out, beginning to walk to where their temporary house was.
“She resigned from the war effort after I…” Echo spoke, though the words died on his tongue quite quickly. He didn’t like thinking about the citadel or how (Y/N) must have felt.
“After you blew up?” Wrecker said, ripping off the invisible bacta patch that those thoughts brought along. Echo and the others glared at their larger brother, Hunter giving him a smack over the head.
“Tact Wrecker, we’ve talked about this,” Hunter scolded him like a child. Wrecker looked down and apologized to Echo knowing that he may have just undone some of Echo’s personal healing.
The ex-arc trooper sighed and turned around, walking fast to leave the Bad Batch where they stood. They called after him but he ignored their calls, needing to be left alone for now. Echo knew that yes, (Y/N) had resigned after his accident but he didn’t like to dwell on those thoughts. The message that he left to her was still fresh in his mind as if he had recorded it yesterday, telling her to move on and live happy. He hoped that she was happy wherever she was.
~
(Y/N) sat in her secluded house on the island, reading a book and drinking a cup of tea. It had been three years since she resigned from the order and now she kept to herself, going out only when she needed to, speaking to very few people. Shep had been very welcoming to her when she first stumbled upon the beautiful island that Pabu was, a peaceful, secluded place where she could escape.
When she first arrived, she shut herself out from the force, wanting to start a new life even if she had become an introvert. She had found peace and quiet, her new life away from the war and the death was something she was content with, though there was no true happiness. Her happiness had died with Echo and she hadn’t been able to find someone new. There were a few people who had hit on her at bars before she found Pabu but she always turned them down as politely as she could, talking them that her Arc trooper would be there soon.
(Y/N) was coaxed out of her thoughts at the sound of chirping, a blue bird landing on the windowsill of her home. She smiled at the little creature, one that seemed to visit her home frequently.
“Hello little fellow. How’re you today?” She asked the little bird, knowing that she wouldn’t get a response back at all. It was something she did every time the little guys came around, trying to strike up a conversation even if it was one sided.
However, for some reason this encounter felt different, the little blue bird staying on her windowsill a little longer than normal. (Y/N) titled her head slightly as she observed the little creature, the bird staring back at her just the same. She shook her head and went back to her book, reading a few more words before there was another chirp from her little blue friend. This time when (Y/N) looked up, she was shocked to see the blue bird had made its way inside her home, resting on the caf table infront of her.
“Hey little guy. You’ve never done this before,” she said curiously and lowered her book, continuing to observe the small creature as it looked back at her. It flapped its wings slightly adjusting its position before it took off, flying further into (Y/N) house.
“Hey!” She said and stood up, quickly tossing the book on the caf table as she follow the bird to her room. When she rounded the corner to the open door of her bedroom, there was the blue Bird, sitting on top of Echo’s helmet. (Y/N) stared at the little creature in wonder as it rested on the damaged helmet of her deceased beloved, staring right back at her with big black eyes.
“W-what are you doing their little guy?” She asked, her voice cracking a little at the bird continued to stare at her. This had never happened before and she had done well not to dwell on Echo’s helmet no matter how hard it was not to look at it. She had placed the helmet and holorecording on her bedside table a little while after she settled on pabu, her own way of having Echo home with her even if she didn’t like looking at his helmet.
(Y/N) watched as the little bird did a 360 turn on the helmet, it’s eyes meeting (Y/N)’s once more as it completed it’s rotation. The curious little creature then flapped it’s wings and flew the little distance down to be on the surface of the side table, looking at (Y/N) again once he landed. She stared back at the little blue bird, her heart racing as she felt a tug in the back of her mind.
The little blue bird looked at (Y/N) unmoving and unblinking for a moment before he picked up the holorecording and took flight, flying out the open window of her bedroom. (Y/N) shrieked and raced to the window, watching as the blue bird flew away with the holorecording.
“No! Bring it back, please!” (Y/N) pleadingly yelled, running to the front door and throwing on shoes before swinging the door open and running after the little blue bird. She needed that recording. It was one of the last things she had of Echo, the only one where she could still hear his voice. She ran like her life depended on it, trying her best to catch up with her little friend. She bumped into a few people on her way along the island path, apologizing profusely as she passed a few men in armour and a young girl. She had no time to stop as she chased the bird further up the island, needing to catch it before it got too far.
“Come back little birdie please! That’s too important for me to lose!” (Y/N) called out, speeding up her pace.
“Was that…?” Hunter asked as his eyes followed the women who had just run into them.
“I think it may have been,” Tech said, quickly typing away at his datapad before pulling up a picture of (Y/N) from the Republic’s database.
Echo found himself in the square, wandering around aimlessly, while looking at the vendor stands around him. There wasn’t much that caught his eye until he spotted a little blue bird flying through the air. He smiled at the little bird, something about it reminding him of simpler times. Echo held out his human hand out, hoping to coax the bird into landing on his palm. He felt as though he was on autopilot, never having done anything like this before.
To his complete surprise, the little blue bird flew down and landed on his outstretched palm, looking up at him with big black eyes.
“Hey there little fella. Whatcha got there?” Echo asked as the blue bird released the holorecorder from its beak, looking back up at Echo. The former Arc trooper looked curiously down at the device before his eyes went wide, recognizing the recorder as his.
“Where did you get this?” Echo asked the blue bird quietly, not expecting an answer. Rex and Anakin had told him that Obi-wan gave the recording to (Y/N) before she resigned, the message on the device one that he had struggled to record. He didn’t like thinking about the possibility that one day he wouldn’t come back from a mission, but he knew that the message needed to be heard. He stared down at the bluebird in the palm of his hand, his eyes welling with tears as he thought about what this could all mean.
“Blue bird! Where’d you go?” Echo heard a voice call out, eyes closing as he instantly recognized the angelic tone of who it belonged too. His heart beat quickened and his breathing picked up, suddenly feeling self conscious with himself. A lot had changed since the last time he had seen her and he had no idea what would happen when she finally saw…
“Echo?”
He exhaled a breathe he hadn’t realized had been trapped in his throat, tears threatening to stream down his face as he opened his eyes again to look back at the little blue bird in his hand. The little creature just looked back up at him before fluttering its wings and taking off once more, leaving him alone again.
“Echo is that you?”
Echo’s mind was racing a million parsecs a minute, so many things going on but all he wanted to do wasn’t turn around and confirm that she was really here. Slowly Echo did turn around and the sight that greeted him made him want to crumble.
There stood his beloved, tears prickling her eyes as she stared wide eyed at him, her mouth forming an ‘O’ shape as she seemed to grapple with the shock of the moment. They stood there and stared at one another for a moment, neither having the courage to move forward before Echo spoke up.
“Cyar’ika?” His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper as he watched the woman he loved breakdown even further. She went to walk towards him but Echo took a small step back, feeling even more self conscious about himself now that he had confirmed it was really her. However Echo regretted his movement the second after he made it as he watched (Y/N)’s face crumble, the hope in her eyes dying ever so slightly.
“Echo,” she pleaded, her voice trembling as she spoke his name out loud for a third time. It was really him, he was alive, even if he looked different to the man she knew. It was still her Echo.
“I-I’m not the same a-as I used to cyare. I-I’ve changed.”
“I don’t care.”
“Really?”
“I don’t care about what has changed physically about you. You’re still my Echo,” she said, her voice cracking as she made her declaration. Echo couldn’t help the smile that graced his face as he opened his arms for her.
“I told you I’d be home soon Mesh’la,” he said and that was all (Y/N) needed to run into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around his slim waist. His arms found their home around her shoulders, holding her close to his chest as his own tears began to fall.
“I thought I lost you Echo,” she managed to choke out between sobs, Echo’s grip tightening as she spoke.
“I thought I was too ner sarad, but I’m okay now,” he said and felt her nod into his chest. They stayed there for a while, just holding one another as they grappled with this new, almost perfect reality. Echo pulled away slightly from the hug, tilting (Y/N)’s chin up and not waiting a second more before he planted a firm yet gentle kiss to her lips.
(Y/N) tensed briefly before relaxing again, reciprocating the kiss with just as much passion and love. It had been so long since they had seen each other and she knew there was much to discuss but for now, both Echo and (Y/N) were content to be in each others arms again.
He finally came home!
—————
I hope you all enjoyed this! There will be many more stories to come!
Part 2 anyone?
(Fully Edited January 22nd, 2025)
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se-sissy-lina04 · 2 months ago
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Sissy’s Masterlist
Clothing & Fashion in the Clone-Wars-Post-AU: Part 1
Disclaimer: the general idea behind this is NOT mine. I’ve seen this somewhere as a post, but I can’t find the post anymore to give them credit. If you know the person, who initially came up with the idea or find the post, please tell me. I want to give them credit. I simply added my own thoughts to this topic.
The clones have worn armor their whole lives— so what will happen when they all of sudden get access to fashion, freedom, individuality?
Chaos. Beautiful, heartfelt, fashionably questionable chaos, but who can blame them? They have been wearing the same outfit for years and their only proper role model would be their generals, who wear jedi robes all day. This can only lead to chaos.
1. Fives only wears tank tops at first.
The louder, the better. One has a "I survived Kamino and all I got was this shirt" print. He wears it on every occasion – even to official events. Kix is desperate.
2. Rex has a complete wardrobe in beige tones.
Because he doesn't want to make any mistakes. Everything is beige. Shirt? Beige. Pants? Beige.
"Why are you wearing that, Rex?" – "Because it's neutral." Ahsoka: "YOU are not neutral, you are Commander Beige."
3. Cody wears only sweatpants for weeks.
He calls them tactical pants. They give him freedom of movement. Obi-Wan is horrified when Cody shows up to the council meeting in "tactical pants, sandals, and a T-shirt with a wolf on it."
4. Wolffe has discovered the "Space-Biker" look.
Leather jacket, boots, gloves – all black. No one knows if it's meant seriously.
Boost whispers: "He just feels cool. Let him be.” Plo Koon simply says: "An excellent expression of character."
5. Dogma walks around in a full suit for months.
Because he thinks "civilian clothing" has to be formal. Shirt, tie, vest, shoes. At the picnic. In the rain. On the beach. Tup and Fives are staging an intervention.
6. Hardcase wants to do it right, so he wears everything at once.
Cape? Check. Scarf? Yes. Belt over the shirt? Why not? Three different patterns? Of course. The 501st has a secret vote: "Who will tell him?" No one does it. He is so proud.
7. Jesse is completely devoted to the "vintage core."
He collects old pilot jackets, shirts with epaulettes, and hat styles that were fashionable before the war. Kix calls him the "Retro Rebel." Jesse calls it style. (He's right.)
8. Tup just wears everything from Fives.
Because he doesn't know what to wear. Fives thinks it's great—until Tup suddenly looks better in Fives' shirts than he does. Revenge is a shirt with Ahsoka's face on it and the text "Snips Approved."
And the best part:
They laugh while doing it. They learn to make mistakes – not under fire, but while combining shirts.
They discover favorite colors. Wear floral patterns. Buy their own shoes.
They live
Part 2
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howlsofbloodhounds · 8 months ago
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hello howl! do you have any favorite hcs of killer that you or someone else created? do yap if there's a lot, my brain is deprived of killer🥺
Alright, this are mostly about Stage 2 because he’s on my mind. Feel free to add on with yalls own killer hcs.
1. That Killer has ADHD. Probably a stereotype born from fanon killer’s personality, but I like it if it’s done well. (Which i rarely see, but that has been changing recently!)
2. That killer is some degree of blind or in general has a hard time seeing. Makes me think his other senses would be a lot better than his sight—especially his vision worsens depending on what Stage he’s in.
3. That he and Chara did pinky wears and the pink swears were sacred—not capable of being broken or the other has the right to kill or torture the snitch however they want. (My HC.) (Alexa play secret)
4. That Chara gave Killer Asriel’s half of the heart locket/golden locket, the one that said “bffs forever.” Especially if Killer has come to associate it with control, and it’s the only way to gain control over a Killer who has been stuck in Stage 4.
5. That his SOUL is a record player of all his victims dying, fearful, hurt, painted, angry, hateful and frantic words. Or at least Killer thinks it is—as he constantly hears them in his head whenever he attempts to resist killing or hurting anyone in Stage 1, and the constant flood of internal degradation is overwhelming enough to trigger Stage 4. The last part seems be somewhat canon, but the record player isn’t.
6. Cannibal Killer, started by me, holds a little place in my heart.
7. Cathearted and Angelkin Killer. Love it. Angelkin was @justanidiotartist’s idea.
8. Princess Killer. As in there is a timeline where he and Chara overthrew Asgore’s rule and became the royals of the Underground for a time.
9. That a part of Killer’s conditioning and training was being taught royal etiquette by Chara. It was framed and hidden under the disguise of learning something new, and a game— a way to keep Killer entertained and avoid boredom, therefore keeping him stable while implementing further rules and structure—but of course it had its typical violence and the use of Resets was often if Killer ever made a mistake or forgot a single thing.
He was taught to hold himself and carry himself as “something more,” above the others in the Underground, but never above Chara and not as real as anyone else.
His spine is always straight, trying to maintain a composed demeanor even when leaning into his silly behavior and extroverted mask. He eats his food in a very specific practiced manner without conscious thought, using his hands and utensils in a specific way.
He only eats when the “Queen” (Chara, Nightmare) eats, and stops when they stop—regardless of if he’s finished or not. Sarcastic, overly exaggerated bowing and signs of deference towards Nightmare—“Your Majesty,” “Your Highness,” in a deadpan, sarcastic manner.
And this one’s a bit more canon, but he copies and mimics Chara’s ways of speaking in a formal manner— such as how he says “greetings” instead of “hello” or “hey.” Often more obvious when addressing those he views higher and above him, or when stressed.
Maintaining old habits of perfectionism and cleanliness despite appearing outwardly apathetic, as if he doesn’t really know why he does it, he just does. His spaces are to be ordered and clean, all gear and weapons done in a certain way, and it’s probably more than once he’s corrected the others gang members postures and manners of eating or speaking.
One thing Chara never managed to make him stop doing was putting his hands on the table. He did that then and he’ll keep doing it. (Somewhat canon. Bro always has his hands on the table.)
10. Killer has the same fascination with the number 9 that Chara does. My HC.
11. Killer with schizoid personality tendencies. My HC. (Bit more complicated than that.)
12. Killer is subconsciously drawn to heart imagery—especially upside down hearts. He will often absentmindedly trace them on his bones/carve them, or draw on paper. It calms down his body. Especially after having failed some type of mission—both when killing or refusing to kill.
13. He stims. They’re small and not noticeable if you aren’t looking, easily dismissed as something else, but he stims. My HC. (I like to think his whole clasping hands over the soul/chest in prayer gesture is a happy stim and a nervous one. And also finger guns.)
14. He is a romantic. But only in his own head and fantasies.
15. Golden flower tea..yum.
16. He treats his weapons and animals better than he treats actual people or himself.
17. Stage 2 will blatantly ignore you if you try to call him Sans. (Somewhat canon.)
18. Stage 2 is mostly apathetic and indifferent but also distrustful of children. My Hc.
19. Chara and Killer’s relationship has been through just about any type of dynamic you can think of. Creator/creation, parent/child (both have played this role), teacher/mentee, enemies, friends, partners. Anything but equals.
20. He is actually very good at knife tricks. Will only fail when he wants to cut himself on purpose, or wants to make someone laugh.
21. Actually a pretty good caretaker, at least physically. Mentally and emotionally tending to a patient needs some work.
22. GNC fashionita.
23. Believes having no needs will make him invulnerable and free.
24. That a more humanized Killer would have long black hair he styles in many different ways. Also that he has a hooked nose and still doesn’t look entirely human.
25. The idea that he gives himself something like tattoos that remind him of Color in his Good Ending. Gradient flaming heart rainbows like Jinx’s blue cloud tattoos. My HC.
26. Catlike behaviors. Yeah. Including being very petty and causing problems for no obvious reasons.
27. Various forms or presentations of pet or age regression depending on the Stage.
28. Hates feeling too exposed physically. ✨ body issues ✨
29. Would’ve thrown the comfort plushie Color gave to him for when he’s Stage 1 away if it the plushie didn’t have an excellent texture. (Is the reasoning he gives.)
30. Acts of service. Just come to him instinctively. Very parentified eldest daughter coded I think.
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delululand · 2 years ago
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enhypen ideal type (hyung line)
don't take it too seriously, these are just my observations based on analysis of their words, interviews and behavior in general
p.s. i lived in Korea for a few months and it gave me some impressions too
heeseung
i know it’s not popular opinion, but i think he is not what many people imagine him to be
being so flirty and sexy on stage is one thing, but acting like that in real life is something else entirely. if you look at different shows and interviews, he is a much calmer and more shy guy. of course he can flirt and all that, but not as much as people here and on tik tok imagine him (in most of the works here he is presented as a literally 24/7 flirting lecherous guy)
I think he would like a coquettish , extroverted girl who at first glance seemed shy. he himself is often embarrassed by compliments, but in many videos you can see HOW he looks when girls are embarrassed by his compliments…
in one interview he said that he is not very emotionally strong and needs attention and care, I think he needs someone who is naturally very caring and affectionate, who can understand these needs without asking out loud and show him how loved he is, without allowing him to feel feeling lonely
jay
idk it’s just so obvious hahaha
if speak about appearance i really think he like smt like typical feminine energy? like nice clothes (not necessarily dresses or skirts, but something that still looks feminine), good perfume and more soft (?) face it’s little difficult to explain, but of idols, I’d say jennie. not really herself, but energy like hers.
he looks pretty dominant (not in sexual meaning, but about it maybe next time…🤭) and i think he will good with a woman who will allow him to do everything for her, even basic things. (I immediately remember the moment with the big keyboard and sunghoon on one of the shows, when jay constantly wanted to press the buttons with him, but sunghoon shouted that he would do it himself and jay retreated, but his hands still constantly reached out to do it for sunghoon) + how he cares about jongwong
the boy says he's not a romantic but we all know HOW much romantic he is
i think he is little more traditional in that. not in bad way, just like be man and wanna protect his woman from everything bad that can happen
someone with whom he can talk openly about anything, a person who is a good listener
also we see that he is good with cooking and household chores, so I think he liked a girl who can also do it well. like this is not something obligatory and he’s no way gonna make you do it, but the very idea that you are a good at such things would impress him cause he look like literally husband and you both can do cooking date and all this stuff
go to luxury restaurants, travel staying in 5 stars hotel, go to shopping date and putting your wardrobe together, be “it couple” and after next years become like wife and husband, have a kids, go to family travel, even maybe with his family and once get old together
idk he really gives vibes like this😭
jake
hmmhm I don’t even know how to say this more correctly, but it seems to me that I’m still a little immature for something relatively serious?
i think his personality will change a little as he gets older, he is a very reasonable guy, just not in the matter of relationships as it seems to me
he looks like a natural flirt and because of this it is harder to understand his real preferences but he definitely likes girls with dark hair like latino girls
now he gives the vibes of that guy college crash au hahaha. I think he would have liked a more fun, but smart girl with whom they could discuss everything, he would happily explain all sorts of mathematical things to you and would be happy to listen to your story about anything
he's also very caring and tactile and he would really be perfect for the role of that college guy. like your first serious relationship, full of tenderness and love
someone with an adventurous soul who would be willing to try new things and almost everything with him and go along with them
sunghoon
okay, maybe somebody will disagree but i’m pretty sure he is korean korean
i mean more traditional korean, idk how explain it right but if you have been in korea and communicate with men here you understand hahaha
it’s just a type of guy who really traditionally in most cases and relationships too
actually in many situations he generally doesn’t interact very actively with girls in public but it seems to me that typical Korean beauty is closer to him?
I think he would like a cute girl with a slightly mysterious aura, little shy maybe, who he can endlessly tease but who could start a conversation with him first because he doesn't seem to initiate communication and maybe it's not very easy to get close to him.
but when he is in a relationship he is a very loyal and reliable partner, ready to do anything for his girlfriend. he doesn't show it, but I think he's on the more romantic side, the type who gives flowers and chocolate while saying something like “oh, this? I don’t know, I just saw it on the way home and take it.”
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hollowed-theory-hall · 4 days ago
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Do you think it’s possible that J. K. Rowling had a different plan for book 7 and then changed it ? The hallows just seemed to come out of nowhere and generally, she does set up things in advance. And the book just feels very weird pacing wise.
I agree regarding the pacing, and I talked about it more here.
As for why it happened, I can only speculate since I don't really know what she was thinking. And I think a lot of elements in book 7 were planned. What the horcruxes are and the horcruxes in general were set up already in HBP (and earlier to a degree), Regulus' story was planned, and I think some aspects of the Hallows were planned. I think she had the idea for them, but perhaps that idea was a little different from what came out on the page in the final version.
She has stated in interviews that a lot of the information about the Hallows was supposed to get to the gang, not via Xenophilius Lovegood, but by Florean Fortescue (ice cream parlor guy), fro example, who for some reason, was a more major character:
Florean is a descendant of Dexter, and I originally planned Florean to be the conduit for clues that I needed to give Harry during his quest for the Hallows, which is why I established an acquaintance fairly early on. At this stage, I imagined the historically-minded Florean might have a smattering of information on matters as diverse as the Elder Wand and the diadem of Ravenclaw, the information having been passed down in the Fortescue family from their august ancestor. As I worked my way nearer to the point where such information would become necessary, I caused Florean to be kidnapped, intending him to be found or rescued by Harry and his friends. The problem was that when I came to write the key parts of Deathly Hallows I decided that Phineas Nigellus Black was a much more satisfactory means of conveying clues. Florean’s information on the diadem also felt redundant, as I could give the reader everything he or she needed by interviewing the Grey Lady. All in all, I seemed to have had him kidnapped and killed for no reason. He is not the first wizard whom Voldemort murdered because he knew too much (or too little), but he is the only one I feel guilty about, because it was all my fault.
(Source)
So, the Hallows, I think, in concept were planned when she wrote book 6 or 5 maybe, but something about how she went about them changed along the way.
I think most of the camping trip wasn't planned, and I think she did, initially, plan the Horcrux Hunt to be more like what we see at the end of HBP (why else introduce the possibility?), but decided against it for reasons I do not know. The final battle, I think, was also changed from her original plan. I think a lot of the wand lore she made up around the Elder Wand was her realising she did an oopsie in the planning and didn't want Harry to actively kill Voldemort, and it was a good enough "out" so her main hero won't have to cast the Killing Curse (which the book almost leans into, Harry casts the Imperius, then a Cruciatus, only one Unforgivable remains after).
I also think she wasn't particularly interested in writing the war or Harry's story in general. I talked about this before, but DH feels to me like JKR was rushing to the finish line because she wanted to be done with it. She probably felt like she wanted to move on. And, as for the war, she doesn't write war, particularly well, especially in DH. I don't think she was very interested in the politics and war she introduced and tried to hand-wave them away because it's not what she wanted to write.
I think the books weren't meant, initially, to have as much magical politics as they do. I think she ended up writing herself into it by accident. And the camping trip in DH, the way it's written, almost feels like how she wrote herself out of writing Quidditch every other book (JKR is on record for saying she doesn’t like writing Quidditch and trying to excuse not writing it). So, like the Triwizard Tournament cancelling Quidditch, I think the Horcrux Hunt was a good way to not actually write the war and politics too much. She gives a taste of it, but not to the degree Neville, Luna, Ginny, or even Dean were experiencing. So, I think that's an element to it.
Now, do I think book 7 is the least consistent book in the series? Yes. But DH is in a unique spot where its lows are very low, but its highs are very high — so I can't help but love sections of it and ideas from it. I love the Deathly Hallows as a concept and wish it was just set up better (and not contradict the established wand lore). But, from the above quotes from her, I think it's clear book 7 has changed from her initial plans.
She also stated she killed Remus and Tonks since she left Arthur alive in book 5:
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(Source)
But she decided on that change in OotP.
We also know Dean Thomas had a whole scraped plot line:
Dean is from what he always thought was a pure Muggle background. He has been raised by his mother and his stepfather; his father walked out on the family when Dean was very young. He has a very happy home life, with a number of half-brothers and sisters. Naturally when the letter came from Hogwarts Dean's mother wondered whether his father might have been a wizard, but nobody has ever discovered the truth: that Dean's father, who had never told his wife what he was because he wanted to protect her, got himself killed by Death Eaters when he refused to join them. The projected story had Dean discovering all this during his school career. I suppose in some ways I sacrificed Dean's voyage of discovery for Neville's, which is more important to the central plot.
(Source)
This plot line was scrapped due to pacing in Chamber of Secrets (though she alluded to it with a line in DH).
So, we know her plans changed, but her plans changed throughout the whole book series, so it's hard to say if more or less changed in book 7 than any other book... I think DH's disjointed feel (besides being influenced by the movies) has more to do with the kind of changes she made and when she decided on them. I think book 7 was more her trying to rein the series back to where she originally envisioned it going after books 4-6 strayed from that initial plan to a degree. At least, that's my guess, since I'm not a mind reader.
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