#not perfection but completeness

[ergomaria]

Miles To Go Before I Sleep - Epilogue

Several months after cleansing the Telos Academy, Meetra Surik and her loved ones reflect on all that has happened and what the future holds. Once broken and blind to the Force, she now sees herself as an individual who holds endless potential. Vann has finally accepted his past as Revan and embraces that identity as he forges his new place in the galaxy. Alek, who caused the Republic so much pain now walks the slow road to redemption. And through it all, their friends and allies help them pave the path to a better, and Lighter, new day.

"Speaking of Atris…"

Glaring venomously at Alek, Vann hissed, "Can we… not?"

But the former Supreme Commander ignored his friend as he mused, "I'm a bit surprised she didn't end up here with the rest of us. I'm also shocked that the Council has been so forgiving of her transgressions. After all, she's the reason Master Lestin was killed…"

A wave of anger roiled around both men and Meetra was suddenly reminded of how close they were to the Twi'lek Master during their time as Padawans. There was nothing she could say to ease the pain of that loss other than to explain what little she knew. "Atris always viewed herself as a Jedi, even after her fall. For now, she'd rather beg forgiveness from the remaining Council, though… I'm not sure if she'll find the absolution she's looking for."

"So, you do think she'll end up here?"

"No. At least, not anytime soon." Smiling wistfully, Meetra glanced knowingly at Alek. "But there's a whole galaxy out there where she can finally find the answers she needs."

"For now, the Council continues to be cowards who'd rather keep Atris around as a probationary Jedi than go through the trouble of training a new archivist. I'm glad some things never change." Snorting in disgust at the Jedi's continuing weakness, Vann seemed content to leave them behind. But then he noted the former Consular's lingering sadness. "Well, at least Kavar finally seems to have learned real compassion and forgiveness thanks to you."

"I hope they all have… for the Order's sake."

Alek nodded, even as he dismissively snorted, "Well, if they kark-up again, at least there's another academy where Force-sensitive sentients can seek training for generations to come."

Phrasing it like that suddenly made the importance of Telos's academy feel impossibly monumental. Swallowing to hide her discomfort, Meeta hastily asked, "Speaking of generations… how's Dustil? He and Carth seem to be getting along lately."

"They are! Dustil is old enough to see his dad as a real person and not a looming parental figure he needs to rebel against on principle." Humming thoughtfully, Vann admitted, "The fact that Carth spends half of his time on Coruscant with me also helps their relationship. 'Absence makes you less likely to Force-choke your father', or whatever the old saying is."

"And how does Onasi like being a politician's husband?"

"I already told you, I'm not a politician! Thank the Force, because Carth can't stand Coruscant. The traffic alone is enough to give him a migraine. He's looking forward to these negotiations finally ending so that he can put in a transfer to be moved to Telos full-time. I keep telling him to retire from the Navy and join the… wait." The moment that Vann's mind caught up to the rest of the conversation was only made funnier by his flustered indignation. "What did you call him?! We're not…! He's not…!"

"I can guarantee that Onasi has been considering the prospect for months now, even if he hasn't said anything out loud. I can also guarantee that you would have found some way to ruin whatever plans he has in mind, likely in the most dramatic way possible." Fixing his gaze on his still-sputtering friend, Alek told the other man, "Consider this a warning to sit back and let someone else strategize this aspect of your life."

"You…!"

"Relax. I'm sure that whatever Carth has planned will be very sweet." Meetra nodded to the reformed Sith, confirming that they shared suspicions regarding Carth's impending proposal and Vann's inexplicable ability to kriff up his personal life. "So, please do your best to not ruin it."

"I…!"

Sighing as panic overtook the prodigy, Alek chose to talk around him rather than fight the growing wave of anxiety. "I assume that your previous comment was going to reference the Telos Restoration Project." He turned to Meetra. "One of your students is currently heading the efforts, correct?"

"Yes!" Another flush of pride filled the former Consular's presence. "Bao-Dur is back to working with the Ithorians to terraform the landscape in the wake of the fires. He's actually using the Force to connect with the native flora and fauna to better understand the needs of the planet. It's really beautiful."

"I admittedly didn't know that was possible."

Meetra grinned at Alek as she declared, "Neither did I! Either way, it's incredible and I'm so happy for him. This project is finally letting him heal after the Mass Shadow Generator."

"And how are you… healing?"

Noting her friend's concern, the blonde attempted to shrug off the question. The truth was that she would never return to the person she was before Malachor, something she'd finally accepted. "I am what I am. Some may sense a void, but I prefer to see my own potential."

"That's… a good way to view things." Alek's sorrow was fading, replaced by a sense of hope that he hadn't carried for a long time. His expression remained somber as he warned, "You'll need that type of optimism as this academy grows. While it's not surprising that most of your students are older than the average Initiate, it certainly makes for a more… rambunctious population."

It seemed that Vann had finally found his voice again, his tone growing thoughtful. "With a lot more older students and none of the Jedi's objections to romantic attachment, it wouldn't be surprising if you see some younglings born here. And, if they turn out to be Force-sensitive, their parents will probably want them trained as well."

The possibility hadn't occurred to Meetra and she suddenly felt light-headed at the idea. "That would certainly lower the average age of the student population…"

"It's an event worth preparing for even if nobody is planning to be in that situation any time soon."

Meeting Alek's contemplative expression with a scowl, Vann snapped, "Don't look at me! Dustil is the closest thing I'll ever have to a child of my own. Need I remind you of some very specific biological reasons why Carth and I can't reproduce together?"

"There are ways around that." Waving away her friend's excuses, Meetra assured him, "But don't feel like you need to have children just because you agreed to train generations of Force users. At this point, the two of us have practically adopted an entire orphanage and I'm sure someone you know will have plenty of younglings for you to train."

"On that note, you and Rand have significantly fewer obstacles than Vann and Carth."

"Technically true, but that doesn't matter." Offering Alek a soft smile, Meetra admitted, "I think we're both a little too scarred by the war and everything that came after to make good parents. But who knows? Ask us again in five years."

"Can I add that it's deeply unfair that you're purposely excluding yourself from this kriffing conversation?"

Alek was unmoved by Vann's disapproval. "I understand your criticism but will continue to recuse myself from the subject."

But the prodigy wasn't willing to accept that answer. For an instant his gaze grew distant, a sure sign of returning memories, only for his focus to sharpen into an accusatory glare. "Hey, you're the only one here who ever wanted children! Or, at least you had strong feelings about the Jedi's non-attachment policies. You once told me that the children of Jedi are often strong with the Force, so the Order should be practical about the whole thing."

Turning bright red, Alek muttered, "And you always find the worst moment to remember these things!"

"It's alright, we understand." Meetra placed a comforting hand on her friend's arm even as she noted Vann's continued amusement. "You were twelve when you lost your entire family to the Mandalorians and it makes sense that you would want to reclaim some aspect of that life. And you can have it, at least when you feel ready."

"I doubt it." Tapping his prosthetic, Alek told the blonde, "You're not the only one scarred by war."

"Well, what a delightfully depressing conversation! I guess the best we can hope for is that one of our adopted students decides to make us the fun aunt and uncles."

That idea honestly warmed Meetra's heart, dragging her from her emotional slump. As images of her friends' potential children filled her mind, round-faced and calling her 'Auntie Meetra', she couldn't help but blurt, "My credits are on Bastila."

"It would be fitting if the Republic had to deal with generations of Shans influencing major events for the next several generations."

Nodding to Alek, the former Consular raised a mock toast. "May they all share her conviction and fortitude."

"Perhaps with less sass."

Vann could only snort at the notion, declaring, "I think the sass might be a genetic trait."

Read the whole chapter on FF.net or AO3!

[aurumacadicus]

I don't have the words for this but. Art and science are always hand in hand.

The perfectionism of artists has them researching stuff in a way that only scientists can compare. Some artists become experts in biology or anatomy. Other special interests have them going down rabbit holes to make them better at their art.

Disney animators said "we are perfecting the code for this snow if it kills us" and researched and invented code until it acted like real snow in Frozen and snow scientists were like hey. Did we just fucking solve the Dyatlov Pass mystery. And the animators answered no. We made snow. YOU applied the knowledge and did the experiments to solve what could have happened at Dyatlov Pass.

And it was a team effort because of course it was. You can't have art without science. And you can't have science without art.

[little-pup-pip]

Cosy day in!!

[vaxxildamn]

finally…… the legendary Level 20 Scissor Gal-adin

[gale-force-storm]

Thinking about the fact that, to pull Gale from the stone and get him in the game at all, you have to decide to try to touch an extremely dangerous looking swirling mass of unstable magic. Something that is, objectively, a terrible idea

Like, the options it gives you are to either touch the sigil or leave, and if you leave you just... don't get Gale in the party

You have to take the risk. You have to let your curiosity override your common sense. You have to look at this unstable, possibly dangerous malfunctioning magic sigil and go "...Ok, but what if I poke it?"

In short, to get Gale in your party, you have to do exactly what he would in that situation, and indulge in a moment of reckless curiosity. And I just think that's delightful

[imaginariumwanderer]

Them kitties be up to no good

[doctorsiren]

Day 19 of Sirentober / Doctober

Cracked / Parallel

creature of habit

Available as a print on my Etsy Shop

[xamag-draws]

[Perfect Blue] "who are you..?"

[saturdaysky]

we'll be alright, love. we'll make it through, you'll see.

just a doodle of my gnome tav, mayhew, and gale sometime in the long, dark night of the soul that is act 2

line version:

used a photo ref for the general pose. refs are amazing ✌

[ergomaria]

Miles To Go Before I Sleep - Ch. 13

The Sith Emperor has finally been banished, at least for now, leaving Vann with one final task to ensure the safety of the Republic that he fought so hard to protect. He must train a new generation of Force users and prepare them for the inevitable moment when the Emperor returns, something that might not happen for centuries. But he is not alone and the task ahead is far from impossible. For the first time in decades, the Revanchist's future is bright, something that's almost overwhelming as he struggles to finally make peace with his past.

"I… I think that I'm done running off to save the Republic for a while. Or I'm at least done saving it from the Emperor. He'll be back, I'm sure of it, but it won't be for a long, long time. Not in my lifetime, anyway. Which, I guess means that it's finally over. Kriff. It's over…" The stunning reality of admitting this out loud caused Vann's voice to catch in his throat and he gasped, his entire body going limp as a warm rush of relief swept through him. He tried to say something, to crack a joke or make a flippant comment, but the only thing that came out was a thin, strangled sob.

Wetness spilled from the former mercenary's eyes and he burrowed his head into his partner's shoulder partially to hide his tears, but mostly because he needed someone else to physically support him as he finally accepted that yes, this entire ordeal was finally over. Even without the Force Carth seemed to sense this and he tightened his hold on the other man, pressing feather-light kisses against his temple while rubbing circles into his back.

"Hey, it's alright. Let it out." At this point, the captain was the only thing keeping Vann on his feet. "It is over. You won against that son of a kath hound and saved the rest of us in the process. I honestly can't begin to imagine what you're feeling right now, but I'm hoping that you can finally find the peace that you deserve."

Already flushed and sniffly, Vann hiccuped, "Do I really deserve it? After everything I've done?"

"Yes, undoubtedly so." A brilliant cascade of reassurance flowed through the Force bond, glowing brighter as Bastila embraced her mentor while also providing another body to lean on. Resting her head against his shoulder, she murmured, "In fact, I dare say that you're allowed to be happy."

"If I'm supposed to be so happy then why can't I stop crying?!"

"Because you're relieved, overwhelmed, and probably still in some pain." Laughing gently, Carth cupped his partner's cheek as he gazed down with pure affection, "You've spent over a decade working to save the Republic from a threat that nobody else knew how to confront or even sense and, after all that time and sacrifice, you finally succeeded. The Republic is safe thanks to you. You're a hero three times over."

Resisting the urge to wipe his nose with the back of his hand, Vann muttered, "I don't feel like a hero."

Bastila remained close, the bond still shimmering with her unwavering support. "I think that's the best sign that you truly are one."

"And as a hero, you've earned a rest. I know that you made some type of promise to train your students to guard the Republic for generations to come but…" Carth's tone was pleading. "I'd really like to see you take a break."

"Besides, your goal of training others should be quite attainable considering that you have at least one student willing to help you achieve it." Smiling gently, the former Sentinel murmured, "You've imparted a great deal of knowledge on me over the years and it would be my pleasure to share it with others. What you've decided to do isn't a burden, it's a gift to the galaxy. There are many more Force users out there who will benefit from your guidance and the wisdom that comes from your breadth of experience."

"But for kriff sake, don't think that you have to wake up tomorrow and throw everything you have into teaching. You can do other things, too. Preferably things that don't involve running off and picking a fight with an immortal Sith, or searching for an ancient weapon left by a lost empire, or rediscovering a forgotten dark side academy…"

Hastily interrupting the pilot, Bastila clarified, "I think what Carth is trying to say is that, for perhaps the first time in your life, you can choose whatever comes next."

That concept was almost too enormous for Vann to consider, especially given how physically and emotionally exhausted he was. Throughout his existence, there had always been a larger mission for him to complete or some greater goal for him to achieve. The Jedi, the war, his mercenary work, the Star Forge, the Sith… his responsibilities had been endless. But now the only thing before him was a single, long-term plan that was easily attainable with just a little help from his many friends. It wouldn't consume all of his waking moments, nor did he want it to. He had plenty of time to do whatever he pleased, which was an idea so staggering that he couldn't think about it without the possibilities overwhelming him.

But the immediate future was easy to envision. Breathing through the last of his sobs, Vann grinned weakly at Carth. "Right now I just want a hot bath. And maybe a nap in our bed with you next to me."

The pilot nodded approvingly. "Both good choices."

A sly idea entered the former mercenary's mind. "After that, I want to finish repairing H-Kay. I know one of you did something with the control cluster that I need to get him working again. Don't deny it!"

The cold buzz of guilt breezing through the Force was all the proof that Vann needed, even before the bond slammed shut on Bastila's end. Staring accusingly as his Padawan cautiously backed away, he was about to demand exactly what she'd done with the missing part when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his shoulders and carefully but purposefully pulled him away from Bastila. Despite the cracked ribs Carth had suffered during the crash, he was still more than capable of physically steering his partner through the hangar with surprisingly little effort.

Clearly determined to distract the other man, the captain cheerfully chirped, "So, how about that bath?"

Vann could easily escape the hold but the effort required was more energy than he felt like expending. So, he allowed himself to be half guided and half dragged towards the hangar exit all while continuing to glare at his apprentice over his shoulder. The effect was probably less ominous than he intended, though that didn't stop him from shouting, "I'm going to get my kriffing droid back. You both know that you can't stop me!"

Both Carth and Bastila sighed at this announcement, though they didn't deny its truth. By now even the Sith Emperor knew that there wasn't a sentient in the galaxy who could stop the Revanchist once he set his mind to something.

Read the whole chapter on AO3 or FF.net

[pidgydraws]

IMO

i make a lot of very fluffy, sentimental, art~ but i need everyone to know just how much i fucking hate these two (adoringly. with all my heart.)

[maareyas]

I was planning on waiting until I finish the whole thing, but these illustrations kinda came out too nice to not post so soon ✨ especially the 2nd one. I really like how all the blues came out

infinite's mask gave me so much trouble that I actually just went and traced it from a screencap

[mischievous-thunder]

Bonus:

[egophiliac]

hiii im sure you’ve answered this before but in regards to your twst x Pokémon, how do you choose which Pokémon go give to the cast?? really curious since your choices are unique :O

unique in a good way, I hope? 😅 (jk jk I haven't come across too many pokemon AUs, so I was going in without preconceptions, I guess!) I was sorta aiming somewhere between doing, like, a full AU with internal consistency and everything, and just picking entirely based on theme/character, so maybe that's why! basically I just set some arbitrary rules (no legendaries/no repeats/evo stages based on year) and then went on ~vibes~. a couple were also suggestions (thank you guys!) and last-minute decisions, so it was a bit of a delightful mess of ideas!

my one regret is that I should have given Riddle a Togedemaru after all. ...you know what, he can have one now, why not

[proxythe]

sorry im really obsessed with this pair … 🧚 u guys must understand… i have a rare pair addiction …

[magicicephoenix]

can you really be sure when you’ll never see him again?

inspired by @vypridae’s macabre maltreatment au, where the boys used to be separate but were shoved in the same body and don’t take to it very well :)