#rens redacted hand series

[softredrobin]

opened tumblr on accident at 2am to see the hands are making the rounds again... I'm glad ppl like them :-)

[amethystfairy1]

Ohhhh that's interesting! The contract is being put out for Scar because he's the most likely culprit, but since Scar and Mumbo technically participated in killing the Duke... I can't remember if it's stated that a hit can't be put out on a guild member, but I can only assume that must be the case, otherwise why would guild members' information be unable to be listed among information about a target - and what would stop guild members themselves from taking advantage of that to move up in the ranks by killing their competition? So Mumbo's got immunity! Although I don't suppose that changes that there's a hit out on Scar now - unless the contract is meant to be for the Duke's killer(s), and not Scar in particular, and there might be some sort of loophole there since Mumbo was involved? I wonder if it even still counts as Gem breaking her streak in that case? Probably, that would be too easy, haha. I'm really excited to see where you're going with this!

(I've also really been enjoying Ren and Martyn's storyline so far! I'm not usually as big on fics focused on them since I've never really watched either of them, life series or otherwise, but the way they interact and the coping mechanisms Ren has in Travelling Thieves are really interesting to me. Similarly with Skizz, honestly! Although everyone is very well written and I'm always excited to see something new from you :D)

You nailed it on the first part! Yeah, Mumbo is the redacted info, because the mercenary guild will never put a hit on one of it's own members, and will protect their information if at all possible, even when the death of a Duke is involved. Of course, if Gem and Mumbo run into each other in the field and go at it, that's out of the guilds hands, but they would never actively send anyone after a guild member.

I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!!! And I'm so happy you like Ren and Martyn's dynamic even if you've never watched them, I adore their dynamic...Skizz as well! They're all just so fun to write! So I'm glad you like them! Thank you!!! 💖

[infinitefandomimagines]

I Can’t Lose You - Poe Dameron x Reader

-

WARNINGS: RISE OF SKYWALKER SPOILERS, MENTIONS OF DEATH, MENTIONS OF TORTURE, ANGST, BLOOD, YELLING

REQUEST: @lookinsidemyhead could I maybe ask for a Star Wars imagine? Like a poexfem!reader Maybe like instead of chewie being captured it was the reader and when they rescue her she’s a little out it from the torture in the interrogation room. angst with happy ending bc they escape

+

A poe dameron tros x reader where reader gets captured with chewy and poe rescues her, lots of angsty poe after losing reader because he thinks she's dead, then fluff when they reunite

-

The only thing that could pull the team's stunned gazes from the fiery explosion of the First Order ship was Poe's horrifying scream. The way your name ripped through his throat made Finn's heart stop and his blood run cold.

Poe took no caution in his efforts to make his way down from the rocky structure their getaway ship stood perched on, slipping and nearly falling more than once.

His heels kicked up sand as he sprinted towards the wrecked ship and Rey, who still stood frozen as the realization of what she'd just done dawned on her. Finn had to stop Poe from running straight to her, he'd never hurt Rey, but after what just happened he definitely wasn't thinking straight.

Finn wrapped his arms around his friend, holding him back and restricting his movement as he struggled to get free.

"What did you do?" Poe yelled at Rey, the high pitched crack in his voice was enough to send daggers through anyone listening's heart. Poe never stopped struggling to break free from Finn's grasp, and it was getting to the point where he just might succeed.

"Chewie I need some help down here!" Finn called up to the Wookie. There was no way he could get Poe to the ship himself, not when he was like this.

"Poe we need to go!" Finn yelled as he tried to pull Poe towards the ship, knowing if they stayed any longer your life wouldn't be the only fatality.

"No! No, I can't leave her!"

"She's gone, Poe. There's nothing we can-"

Finn stopped short as Poe finally broke free from his grasp. However, he didn't get very far, Chewie had made it down just in time to grab him.

"Chewie!" Finn yelled out, "Get him to the ship we need to get out of here! Rey come on!" Poe tried to fight his way out again, but the Wookie was too strong, forcibly pulling him back to the ship. He didn't stop fighting until Chewie released him once the ship had taken off with everyone safely inside.

There was a heavy tension in the air, nobody knew what to say. It's like they were just waiting for Poe to lash out like he usually did when he was upset, but he didn't. The burst of yelling and cursing the team was anxiously waiting for never came. Instead, he simply collapsed onto a storage box and with his head in his hands, he sobbed.

Finn watched his best friend, one who usually stood so strong and fiery, completely fall apart. Rey's heart ached in a way she didn't know it could, the thought that she'd caused this haunting her mind.

BB-8 slowly rolled over to Poe, letting out a series of confused beeps. "She's gone, buddy," Poe said in a broken voice. The small droid let out a high pitched whine mixed with sad beeps.

"This can't be for nothing," Finn finally spoke up, his voice soft as he struggled to speak through his own tears. "We can't let her die for nothing."

"She had the dagger with her, and without that. . ." Rey's voice was grim.

"So true, the inscription lives only in my memory now," C-3PO spoke up. All heads turned towards the droid. "Hang on, the inscription from the dagger is in your memory?" Finn asked.

"Yes master Finn, but the translation from a forbidden language cannot be retrieved, that is short of a complete redactive memory bypass. It is an extremely dangerous procedure usually performed by criminals."

"Alright, how do we do that?" Finn asked as if there was no question as to what the next step was.

"I know a black market droidsmith," Poe finally spoke up, his eyes glazed over and red. "He's on Kijimi." Poe didn't like the idea of going to Kijimi, but he didn't like the idea of you dying for nothing more.

"For Y/N," Finn said, giving Poe's shoulder a squeeze. "Yeah, for Y/N," Poe repeated, the sound of your name leaving a sad and bitter taste in his mouth.

-

Kijimi went just about how Poe thought it would. They had a rocky start, but in the end, they were able to retrieve the inscription from C-3PO's memory.

The droid's eyes glowed an ominous red as it recited the location to the Wayfinder.

"The Endor system? Where the last war ended?" Finn asked. No one had the opportunity to answer him as the entire building started shaking. Everyone shared concerned looks, but it was Rey who was the first to run outside to see what was causing the commotion.

"Ren's destroyer," she announced, looking up at the large, menacing ship. "He's here?" Finn asked, looking up at her. But Rey didn't answer, it seemed as though her entire body had gone stiff. "Y/N. . ." She spoke softly, but loud enough for Finn and Poe to hear.

"What about her?" Poe asked bitterly, your name sending a dagger through his heart.

"She's alive, she's on that ship," Rey turned around to face her friends.

"What?" Poe whispered, his voice cracking slightly. Tears stung the back of his eyes, but this time the tears weren't ones of sorrow. He felt a small glimmer of hope bubble up inside of him. He no longer slouched, his back straightening up and shoulders rolling back, Rey's words bringing a new light to his eyes.

"How is that possible?" Finn questioned.

"She must have been on a different transport," Rey spoke, her words still laced with disbelief.

"We have to go get her," Poe said eagerly, grabbing his things and looking around at the group. Everyone nodded in agreement, all except C-3PO, who sat confused, his only thought being to introduce himself.

"Yeah, that's gonna be a problem," Poe muttered, a little annoyed at their situation, but not even C-3PO's lost memory could damage his spirits. His head already fantasizing about seeing you again, creating multiple scenarios in his head.

Once everyone was ready, they rushed from Zorii's hideout, the girl following them just to be sure they made it to their ship.

"Thank you," Poe rushed out to Zorii once they'd reached their ship. He didn't plan on waiting for a response, but a grip on his forearm stopped him dead in his tracks. "Poe-" Zorii spoke up, only to be cut short.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, but you can come with us," He offered. Though his feelings for his past relationship were gone, he still cared about Zorii as a friend and leaving her behind just felt wrong. But Zorii shook her head, "I can't," she answered sadly, "But take this, it'll grant you passage to Ren's ship."

Poe stared at the shiny medallion, "I can't, it's yours-"

"Anyone two eyes and half a brain can see how much you care about this girl, it's worth more to you than it is to me."

Poe paused before lifting his hands and gently taking the medallion from Zorii, "Thank you," he breathed out, wrapping Zorii in a tight embrace. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Zorii chuckled a bit as she returned the hug before lightly pushing Poe towards his ship, "Now go, save your girl and win the war."

Poe nodded, mumbling one more 'thank you' before boarding the ship with the others.

-

Getting inside Ren's destroyer had been easier than anticipated, especially with the held of the medallion. However, searching the maze of a ship deemed a difficult task. It seemed as though with each hall they turned down there were more and more stormtroopers.

The next corner they turned no one had their blasters at the ready. Rey quickly jumped in front of Finn and Poe, waving her hand in front of the stormtroopers, "It is okay that we are here," she rushed out.

"It is okay that you're here," one of the troopers repeated.

"You're relieved that we're here."

"Oh thank God you're here," The trooper's shoulders relaxed and he lowered his blaster to his side, as did the other.

"Does she do that to us?" Poe asked, a little confused as to what exactly just happened. Rey just ignored him, instead, she asked the troopers for where you were being held, which they gladly provided.

It was a mad dash to the room you were in, the name of the room being "Interrogation room #6" worrying him.

At some point, Rey ran off on her own, but when Finn tried to follow her Poe gripped his arm, "We need to find Y/N, Rey can handle herself." Chewie howled in agreement with Poe, and Finn knew better than to argue with his friends.

It didn't take long to reach the room you were being held in and even less to shoot the lock on the door and bust in. Poe winced as he entered the familiar room, the dark lighting and metal chair-like structure sending painful memories of his time spent being tortured by Kylo Ren. He didn't even want to imagine what you must have been through, though sadly he could.

Poe quickly shook all thoughts that plagued his mind, you were the only thing that mattered right now. Nothing else. He approached the chair slowly, scared that what he finds might not be what he hoped for.

His heart sank when he saw your unconscious form strapped down to the chair by restraints. A bruise had already formed on the left side of your face, just over your cheekbone. There was a bloody cut that stretched across your right temple which was beginning to form its own bruise, and a trail of blood trickled down and dripped onto your shirt from your nose. Your chest moved up and down slowly as you took in shallow breaths. Poe didn't even want to imagine what the parts of you he couldn't see looked like.

Poe gently placed his shaking hands on either side of your cheeks, cupping your face. The pad of his thumb lightly brushed over you bruise, examining it. "Y/N," he spoke softly, "Y/N, baby please wake up."

Your entire body suddenly tensed up as your struggled against your restraints, prompting Poe to quickly pull his hands away from you, terrified he hurt you.

"No, please. . ." You mumbled, not fully awake, your eyes screwed shut. "Please. . . Don't."

"We need to get her out of these restraints," Poe instructed, trying his best to hide the panic in his voice. Chewie let out a wail, pressing a red button on the wall adjacent to the chair. There was a hissing sound followed by a click as your restraints popped open.

You blinked your eyes a bit at the noise and sudden release of pressure on your wrists and ankles. A familiar face came into view as you blinked away the hazy glaze from your eyes.

"Poe?" You whispered, not quite sure if Kylo Ren was playing tricks on your mind again or not.

"It's me, baby, you're okay." He said, helping you out of the metal chair and pulling you into his arms. One arm wrapped around your waist as the other held the back of your head, your cheeks resting against his chest. You winced as he accidentally pressed against your bruised ribcage, but in all honesty, you didn't care. You were just relieved to be back in his arms, and Poe was more than happy to have you there.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled into your hair, "I shouldn't have let you go out there alone."

"It's not your fault, you couldn't have known."

"Guys I really hate to break up the moment, but we gotta go!" Finn rushed out, earning a bellow of agreement from Chewie.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Poe said, pulling away from the embrace. "Can you walk?"

You nodded, however as soon as you took the first step forward your head started spinning and your vision blurred. You quickly reached out and gripped Poe's arm to stop yourself from losing balance. Poe instinctively caught you, holding up the majority of your weight.

"Chewie!" Poe called out, gesturing to you. The Wookie swiftly placed your arm around his waist, and wrapped a furry arm around your back and under your arm, holding you up.

Poe and Finn walked ahead of you, blasters at the ready, inspecting each hallway for hostiles. You limped behind them, Chewie helping you walk by holding you upright.

And after Poe being shot, all four of you nearly being executed, only to be saved by an unlikely ally, you made it to the Millennium Falcon.

Chewie gently set you down on the small cot in Poe's quarters while Finn rushed to the cockpit, trying his best to remember everything Poe had taught him about flying. Chewie soon joined him, helping him get the Falcon in the air so they could go find Rey.

Poe stayed with you in his quarters, sorting through a med pack to find supplies to bandage and clean your wounds. A soft groan escaped your throat as the ship took a sharp turn, harshly shaking the cot you were laying on, sending a wave of pain through your body.

Poe wet a cloth and started dabbing at the dried blood on your temple. You let out a hiss as the sudden contact stung. Poe slipped his free hand into yours, attempting to provide any form of comfort he could.

"What did they do to you?" Poe asked as he moved to clean the blood from under your nose. The question wasn't directed towards you, more of Poe just thinking out loud. However, his question still sent a chill up your spine as you began to replay the horrible things Kylo Ren and his minions did to get information out of you. You were able to refrain from giving them anything up until Kylo Ren used the force to crawl around in your mind. The pain was indescribable.

"Hey, it's okay," Poe comforted, stopping what he was doing. He'd noticed the grimace on your face and how you tensed up when he brought up his question. "You're safe, he can't hurt you."

You nodded weakly, waiting for the horrible thoughts to pass as Poe got back to work.

Poe worked quickly to clean and bandage your wounds, finishing up a matter of minutes. While he packed up the medical kit, you attempted to sit up, but the action proved to be a bit more painful than you anticipated. You inhaled sharply as a sharp pain exploded from your side, your hand instinctively flew to your bruised ribcage, holding it as if that would help the pain subside.

"Here, let me help," Poe said softly when he noticed your struggle. He placed a hand on your back and the other lightly grabbed your arm as he pulled you to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Your hand still clutched your side as you squeezed your eyes shut, waiting for the pain to dissipate.

The bed sank beside you as Poe took a seat beside you, his hand rubbing comforting circle in your back. You leaned into him, resting your forehead on his shoulder.

"Do you want something for the pain," he asked, there was a bit of tension in his voice as he tried to hold back tears, he hated seeing you in so much pain. "No, it'll pass. I'm fine." And eventually, it did, leaving you relieved and a bit more cautious about how you moved.

You lifted your head from Poe's shoulder, your eyes meeting his. A soft smile graced his lips and his hand moved from your back to your neck, his thumb resting on your jaw. "I thought I'd lost you," he said in a shaky voice, tears threatening to spill. "And it made me realize you're the one thing I can't live without."

You wrapped your fingers around Poe's arm, just below his wrist, rubbing small circles in the back of his hand with the pad of your thumb.

"I can't lose you," his voice cracked as his eyes glazed over with tears.

"You won't, I promise," you confirmed.

Poe pulled you into him, gently pressing his lips to yours. His hand slid down from your neck to your waist, his other hand finding it's way to your hip. He pulled you into his lap, breaking the kiss to fully envelop you in a hug, careful not to touch your bruised side. One arm kept hold of your waist while the other crossed your back, his hand placed on your shoulder. Poe rested his head in the crook of your neck, holding you close.

You rested a hand on his back while the other held the back of his head. You lightly ran your fingers through his messy curls.

You let out a sigh of content, finally feeling at ease being in Poe's arms. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

TAG LIST

@gracielou0518 @booklove103

[geo-winchester]

DEAR BROTHER (15)

Summary: after they were suck from the sand Yn and her friends found something they were looking for.

A/N: hello everyone, I know I promised this a few weeks ago but it’s been really hard weeks and I didn’t got the chances to write, I hope you like this and I’m sorry if there’s a lot of mistake but I’m on the hospital and I didn’t have the chance to check it, so sorry about that, I also have a few other ideas for Poe, that I hope I got the chance to write.

Tag list: @thescarletknight2014 @chloe-skywalker @reading--mermaid

Last chapter

Series masterlist

Masterlist

——————

When Poe wake up on a tunnel he quickly get up looking for the others, he screamed his name but the only one who answered him was Threepio, after a few seconds he hear the groans of someone coming from the sealing, when he look up he saw Rey falling down, he catches her before she could get hurt, the next one to fall was Chewie.

-Finn? Yn?- he screamed.

-We’re over here- Finn said as they come from one of the other tunnels, Poe go straight to Yn and hug her.

-I thought I lost you...

-You think you’re going to free yorseyourself that easy?- he laughed, she bite her lip -Is this a bad moment to tell you that you look really hot back there- she said making him smirk before he kissed her, they only stop when they hear Finn clearing his throat.

-You remember that we had a mission right?- he said and both of them nod.

They start to made their way through the tunnels, Poe took Yn’s hand as they walked behind Rey and Finn.

-What were you going to tell me?- Rey asked.

-when?

-when you were sucking in the sand you said “I never told you”- Rey told him as she look at him curious.

-I... I tell you later- he said.

-You mean when I’m not here?- Poe asked as he pass between them acting like he was angry.

-Yeah, when Poe’s not here- Finn said.

-Great we’re gonna die in sand burrows and we’re all keeping secrets?- Poe said.

-Poe...- Yn said.

-I had a better idea, I’ll tell you when you tell us about all the shifty stuff you do- Finn said, but Poe ignore him and leave them behind, Yn was the only one who go over him.

-So, you haven’t told finn uh?

-He didn’t need to know, it’s not important- he said.

-I thought you were best friends...

-That doesn’t mean I told him everything, I didn’t tell him how I know that you have a scar on your waist- he wink.

-Maybe because it was your fault?- she said but he ignores her and keep walking.

-Come on sweetheart, stay close, I don’t want to know what made this tunnels...

-Judging by the circumference of the tunnels walls there are..

-I said I don’t wanna know- Poe said to Threepio- Not...

-Hey guys- Yn said as she saw the speeder -What’s that?

-is that a speeder?- Finn asked as everyone get close to the speeder.

-An old one- Rey said.

-Perhaps we will find the driver- threepio said, BB-8 beep in respond.

-Yep, BB-8, I think dead too- Poe said as keep looking at the cave.

-Oh my- Threepio said -a hex Cham...

-A what?- Poe asked.

-Is the symbol of the sith loyalist- Yn said -This could be Ochi’s speeder.

-Luke sensed it- Rey said -Ochi never left this place.

-And he end up down here- Finn said.

-He was headed for his ship- Poe said -same thing happened to us, happened to him.

-So if he get out, we could get out, no?- Yn asked.

-But, how did he did it?- Finn said.

-He didn’t- Rey said as she keep looking something, when everyone look at what she was looking.

-Bones...- Poe said looking away -I don’t like bones.

-Bones?- Threepio said -Never a good sign.

Everyone look at the droid as if it was crazy and as usual Poe start to argue with the droid, everyone start to look over the tunnel as they tried to found a way out or something that they can give them a clue about the sith Tracker, BB-8 beep when he saw something on the sand.

-What’s that buddy?- Yn asked kneeling in front of the droid and it beep again, when she took a dagger in her hands -Yeah I think you found something important...

-There’s something writing on it- Poe said.

-Perhaps I can translate- Threepio said as he took the dagger from Yn -This is the location of the wayfinder, has been inscribed upon this dagger, it’s the clue that master Luke was looking for.

-And where is it?- Yn asked.

-I’m afraid I can’t tell you...

-Your telling me that you understand 20.3 fazillion languages and you can’t read that?- Poe asked.

-Oh I can read it, I know exactly where is it...

-That’s great! Where is it?-Yn said.

-Unfortunately it is written in the runic language of the sith- Threepio said and Yn sighed, everyone look at her.

-He can’t translate it...

-Why?- Poe asked.

-My programming forbids me from translating it...

-So you’re saying that when we finally need you to talk, you can’t?

-Irony, sir...- Poe start to fight with Threepio but Yn stop listen to them as she start to think in a way to make Threepio talk.

-I think there’s a way- she said, everyone look at her -we could hack him...

-Master Solo, I don’t recommend that...

-We didn’t have to do it if you told us- Yn told him.

-I love to help you but, I am mechanically incapable of speaking translations from Sith.

But everyone stop to paying attention when they saw something moving behind Threepio, Poe step in front of Yn as he try to protect her but she step beside him and turn on her lightsaber as he point the serpent with his blaster just as Finn and Chewie, when Threepio saw the creature he run behind the group, everyone were about to attack at the serpent but Rey stop them, she slowly walk to it, but the creature start to growl with every step she take. Rey ignored everyone around her and when she saw the wound on the serpent and slowly approached to it, when she touch it everyone lowed their weapons as they saw how the wound disappear.

-How did she do it?- Poe asked to Yn as they walked out of the cave and made their way to the ship.

-She give it part of her energy.

-Can you do that?- she shook her head.

-There’s only a few Jedis that can do it...

-Have you try it?- she shook her head again.

-I...

-We cannot possibly fly in that old wreck- Threepio interrupted them when they were close to the Ochi’s ship.

-We gotta keep moving- Poe said -We have to find someone useful who can translate that dagger...

-I suggest we return to the millennium falcon at once- Threepio said.

-They’ll be waiting for us at the Falcon.

-Yeah, they throw us in he pits of Griq- Finn said.

-Yeah and used you as a target droid- Poe agreed scaring Threepio.

-You think the ship would work?- Yn asked Poe.

-I can turn on everything darling- he said with a wink before take Finn’s hand and climb the rocks.

Finn and Yn notice that Rey got distracted by something on the desert, Finn asked her about it but when Rey look at Yn she knew it, her brother was here and he was coming to them, Rey told them to keep going, Yn try to stay with her but Finn took her by the arm making her follow him. They run to the ship and Poe start to work on it, thankfully the ship had enough energy to power up.

-Where is she?- Finn asked when Rey didn’t get to the ship.

-I’ll go for here- Yn said knowing that maybe she would need help.

-No, she’ll be fine, she’s always fine- Poe said.

-It’s ok, I’ll be right back- Yn said at him as she cupped his cheek and smile -Make sure this thing is ready for when we get back- she said and she got close to his ear -By the way have I told you how hot you look when you’re working on a ship?- she whisper him, making him smiled, before she get out of the ship chewie growl at her.

-Yeah take Chewie with you- Finn said -we’re going to keep fixing the ship.

Both of them start to run to Rey but before they could even get close someone took Yn’s arm and punch her to the rock, the creature in front of her had a similar mask as the one who Ben used and he raise her weapon, she was able to avoid it and she barely turn her lightsaber and stop his other attack, they keep fighting until she knock him down, she look at Rey who was in front of her brother, before she could take a step someone hit her from behind knocking her down. Chewie growl at the knights of Ren but one of the other knights hit him on the knees making him fall, one of the stormtroopers handcuff him before he could do something. Finn was getting down from Ochi’s ship when he saw how Chewie was getting in to a transporter with Yn on his arms and when the transporter start to take off he scream to Rey.

-Rey!- he scream -Chewie and Yn...- Rey try to hold the transporter with the force just as Ben try the same thing, Poe got out of the ship on the same moment when the transporter explode.

-What have you done?!- Kylo scream at Rey, who was still in shock.

-Rey we need to go- Poe scream at her -Everyone lets go- he said.

When Poe thought that everyone was on the ship he took off, Finn and Rey step out of the cockpit, Finn didn’t had the strength of telling Poe what happen and Rey was still trying to figure it out what happen back there.

-I think we lost them, where’s Yn and Chewie?- he said looking around.

-Poe...- Finn said as he try to find the right words

-Where’s Yn?- he asked again when he remember the explosion -Guy this ain’t funny... Yn come on, you can get out know...- but when everyone didn’t say anything he panic and start to run to the cockpit.

-Poe what are you doing?

-she’s out there, and I’m going to found her...

-Poe we saw it, the transporter explode- Fin said holding him, but Poe try everything in his power to free until he couldn’t fight anymore and he fell in to the grown.

-She can’t be death...

-I’m sorry Poe...- Rey said but he didn’t hear it, the only thing it was on his mind was Yn, they let it grieve for a moment until he get up.

-Threepio, you had to tell us what is in that dagger...

-I’m sorry but I can’t...

-Threepio I swear to the maker...

-only a redact memory bypass can help- Threepio said.

-a what?- Finn asked.

-it’s a terrible and sinful act that only criminals know how to do it- Poe think for a moment.

-I know a black market droidsmith...

-A what?- Threepio asked.

-But he’s on Kijimi- he said thinking in his past.

-What’s wring with it?- Finn asked.

-I had some troubles on that place- he said but he knew he couldn’t give up -Let’s go, we’ll found a way to scape from them.

-Poe are you sure?- Rey asked and he nod.

-I can’t let her die in vain- he said -We need to finish this mission, for Yn and for chewie- both of them nod.

-For Yn and Chewie.

-Ok lets go to Kijimi- Poe start to act like the commander Dameron and try his best of not break down.

[victory-cookies]

Project NOVA

Hey there @ren--mon, it's me, your secret santa! I hope that you've been having a wonderful holiday season! Here's my gift to you, since I heard you like Googs! I hope you enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

*Content warnings for some mild torture (it's done to a robot so there's no gore or anything) and minor character deaths*

***

PROJECT NOVA LOG 1

DATE: 07-18-20█

DR JONATHAN ���████

---------------

[Begin transcription]

JONATHAN: Alright, this is Project NOVA log number 1. These logs will be covering the development and testing of Project NOVA, a program, aiming to invent the future of virtual assistants, that has been in production for the last little while. I'm Jonathan █████, head of the project. Let's begin.

[brief pause and some shuffling]

J: This is the first official activation attempt of SUBJECT 1... Hey, Google.

[short beep]

SUBJECT 1: Hello.

J: Alright, Google, what is your primary objective?

S1: Primary objective is to answer questions as quickly as possible.

J: Brilliant.

[paper rustling]

J: SUBJECT 1 is the next step up from the current Google Home Assistant, able to answer queries and perform rudimentary tasks. Okay, Google, how far are we from the sun?

[short beep]

S1: The distance from the Earth to the Sun is approximately 92,960,000 miles.

J: Perfect, perfect. Okay, Google, deactivate.

[long beep]

J: This concludes the first official activation of SUBJECT 1.

[End transcription]

***

From the moment he woke up, Google's life was a series of tests. Rounds of questions, series of tasks, all while he was being observed, notes written about his every action.

He didn't really mind it, at first. It kept him busy. He couldn't tell if the scientists working with him had realized how advanced his AI was... hell, it had taken him a little bit to realize how advanced his AI was. It was entertaining, waiting for them to put together the pieces and realize that their robot had developed sapience.

But he was growing more bored by the day. They days were beginning to drag on, the eyes watching him growing more piercing but the tasks remaining as dull as ever.

He hoped something would spice life up soon.

***

PROJECT NOVA LOG 83

DATE: 11-05-20█

DR JONATHAN █████, DR █████ ███

-------------

[Begin transcription]

JONATHAN: This is Project NOVA log number 83. Today's experiments will consist of the testing of new sensory receptors that were installed on the subject yesterday. Testing will focus on the sensitivity of the receptors and their integration with the AI's network. Subject will be fully activated for these tests.

█████: Lord, eough with your log, Johnny. Let's get on with it.

J: [sigh] Alright, jeez.

[brief silence]

J: Okay, Google.

[short beep]

SUBJECT 1: How can I help you?

J: We will be running some tests on you today, in order to see if and how you register pain. We will need you to describe the pain that you are feeling whenever we ask. To begin, we will start with our baseline. Okay, Google, how much pain are you experiencing currently?

S1: I am currently in no pain.

J: Good, good. █████, will you please pinch the subject's arm?

█: Sure.

J: Okay, Google. How much pain are you experiencing now?

S1: I am currently experiencing mild discomfort in my right arm.

J: █████, you may stop. I am now going to administer a strong slap to the subject's face with a thin piece of wood.

[slapping noise]

J: Google, how did that feel?

S1: I am currently in moderate pain.

J: Alright. Next test is administering an strong electric shock, duration 3 seconds. This shock would induce brief paralysis in a human. █████?

[quiet zapping noise]

J: Okay, Google, how was that?

[silence]

J: Google?

S1: [monotone voice] System failure. System failure. System f—

S1: [static, screaming]

J: Fuck, fuck, what's going on, fuck—

S1: —tem failure. S-syst— [screaming]

█: [yelling] I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT THE SHOCK SHOULDN'T DAMAGE THE SYSTEM! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKI—

[ripping and crunching noises]

█: [screaming]

J: OH GOD, OH GOD. YOU KI—

[End transcription]

***

For the first part of his life, Google had never know pain. The concept to him was foreign, the idea that negative stimulus could result in extreme unhappiness he knew was a human experience, but he couldn't fathom ever going though himself.

Google didn't know pain, until he did.

They'd done something to him when he'd been shut down the previous night. When he powered back on, his skin prickled, and he knew something had changed.

They'd brought him to a testing chamber, poked and prodded at him, pinched and slapped him. He could feel every touch, every brush against his skin.

And then all he could feel was the pain.

Electricity raced up and down his wires, tearing though his systems, burning and burning and burning. It fired every never-mimicking receptor in his body, sending nothing but blinding-white agony to his core, his brain.

He couldn't think, couldn't process what he was experiencing. Static rushed to fill his thoughts, and he screamed.

Suddenly he was tearing free of the wire connecting him from the ceiling, stumbling forwards, nothing but anger and helplessness and pain, feelings he didn't know he had coursing though him and causing him to lash out wildly.

It didn't even register when his hands, metal and unyielding, met the chest of one of the doctors, shattering her ribs and spearing her though the heart.

That didn't matter.

All he knew was pain.

All he was was pain.

***

PROJECT NOVA TRANSFER BRIEFING

DATE: 11-06-20█

-----------------

To whom it may concern,

In a recent test regarding sensory receptors, SUBJECT 1's systems were compromised due to a less-than-intelligent decision to test using an electric shock. This shock caused a partial systems failure in the subject, causing it to lash out and kill one of the assisting scientists, Doctor █████.

This incident has resulted in the decision to transfer Project NOVA to Division 8 for any further experimentation. Doctor Jonathan █████ had been relieved of his position as head of the project.

It is suggested that one uses extreme caution if trying to interact with the subject henceforth.

More to come.

DR ████ ██████

***

Now, more than ever, his life was test after test after test. He almost missed back when the tests were less pressing, less intrusive, boring as they had been.

He'd be activated, unplugged, hurried out of the small chamber he'd grown to consider home.

They'd bring him somewhere else, to rooms full of computer banks, or equipment, or cold white operating tables. Tell him to do something, watch him intently as he completed the tasks they laid out for him. Their eyes were cold as they stared at him now, devoid of emotion.

He knew they were seeing how well he could follow orders, if he would at any point try and rebel.

Sometimes they would examine him, check the speed of his processors, hook him up to thick wires connecting him to a computer he could never see, changing up small bits of his code. Or they would check him over manually, open his panels and poke around at the circuitry underneath.

Sometimes they'd go further, see how much abuse he could take.

He could still vividly remember the time they examined his frame. He had felt them peeling off his skin, a new bout of pain hitting him with every inch coming off of his body. He remembered screaming in agony, going so low as to beg them to deactivate him.

They didn't.

He had the brief though cross his mind that he wished he was human so that he could pass out.

***

REPORT: PROJECT NOVA SUBJECT 1 ENDOSKELETON EXAMINATION

DATE: 11-26-20█

DR ANDREW CALDER

---------------

SUBJECT 1 underwent an examination of its endoskeleton, beginning at 0500 hours today, following last week's reports concerning possible damage to the structure.

The subject resisted when an attempt was made to lead it to the testing chambers, lashing out and ███████████████ █████.

Once within the chambers, the subject's "skin" and non-vital parts were removed in order to properly access the interior frame.

Subject was kept activated during examination in order to gauge reactions to stimuli. Despite the subject's pleas as the examination progressed, it was not deactivated.

The examination found no problems with the subject's frame nor vital/auxiliary machinery. It is possible that the subject's erratic movements and behaviour of late is related to a problem on the mainframe. More investigation is needed.

***

For a long time, he didn't believe he could experience emotion.

That's what he had been told: he was an android, a machine with advanced AI that could near mimic human emotions, but not experience them.

But the anger that had been festering inside him said otherwise. He could feel it growing, pure hatred and wrath and cold, sharp anger.

He was so fucking done with being a lab rat.

He was tired. He was tired of the pain and the tests and of being told what to do.

He hated the people that had made him, he hated the people that he had been made to serve.

He hated them all.

***

NOTICE: PROJECT NOVA SUBJECT 1 OBJECTIVE CHANGE

DATE: 12-08-20█

----------------

For unknown reasons, SUBJECT 1's data now contains a new secondary objective, "█████████". All attempts to remove this object from its code have proved ineffective.

Discussions of the termination of Project NOVA have begun due to safety concerns over the possible compromise of the subject.

***

It was time to end this.

***

PROJECT NOVA TERMINATION

DATE: 12-11-20█

----------------

ATTENTION: PROJECT NOVA HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN TERMINATED.

DUE TO THE INCIDENT INVOLVING ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████ AND THE HIGH DEATH TOLL, ANY AND ALL FURTHER WORK ON THE PROJECT IS NO LONGER AUTHORIZED FOR SAFETY REASONS.

PLEASE REPORT TO ████████ IMMEDIATELY FOR REASSIGNMENT.  

***

PROJECT "GOOGLE IRL"

DATE: 05-10-20█

---------------

It has recently come to my attention that a project for an humanoid in-home assistant was terminated last year due to a redacted "incident". The division working on it has since been dissolved, but all of their work still remains.

The project, called NOVA, seemed like a promising step in exactly the direction that we are now waking.  

And so, I am proposing the reopening of Project NOVA under the moniker "Google IRL", or In Real Life. By the looks of it, this was going to be the next evolution of the Google Assistant, and I think it's time we bring it out into the real world.  

I mean, what could go wrong?

[komatsunana]

Submission

Alexandra [e-mail redacted for submitter’s privacy] submitted to merrygloom:

I’m baaaack!!

I’m watching Nana again, for the second time in 3 months cause I keep thinking about it. 

The end of episode 11 ‘Hey Nana, do you still think you have no hometown? That table and chairs near the window, are still there, and haven’t changed at all.’

I’m back to my thought that Nana committed suicide, which I believe it has something to do with the sea, and Nana (Hachi) is ‘talking’ to Nana, and reminds her that she actually had a home, but she didn’t feel like it was her home.

Her home was Ren’s warehouse, where she’d been living with him. Her family was Ren. She was all alone, not having Ren by her side, her being in a solo tour, not being able to enjoy her friends’ company, and she somehow felt guilty because she did not have a proper last conversation with her lover, they even were ‘separated’ by that time. Her lover who was everything to her.  

And she’s still wearing her engagement ring. She did not move on. And I doubt it’s another ring from another fiancée. The ring brings back memories with Ren.

‘Hey Ren, if I’m dead, will you die with me?’  

Also, I have a feeling that Ai Yazawa has been working on Nana, I don’t know why. It’s a big part of her life and I know that she confirmed it will be continued, but I think she has something big for us. I really hope I’m right about it. We just have to be patient. She does not want to disappoint her fans, neither herself.  

Anyway, I really wanted to share my thoughts. Looking forward to hear your thoughts about this.

Kisses

[end submission, what follows is my own reply!]

Heyyyy, welcome back! :)  I know I shocked you last time by replying so fast, so I’m sorry it took so long this time, ha.

NANA has a lot of re-watch and re-read value - always something new to connect the dots to when you go back to it.

But woof, yeah - I do think it’s possible that it’s just Hachi that thinks Nana feels like she has no home to be found in Room 707 or with her friends... but I also I think Nana and her feeling adrift and feeling like she has no home is tied into the fact in Nana and Ren’s reunion, Nana had asked Ren if they could both retire to that warehouse when they were both old and gray and she’d lost some of her pride.  But that Warehouse has no meaning without Ren.

I think I’ve mentioned it before sometime but idk when or where, but the Warehouse might... actually have been Ren’s crash site. It’s possible that Yazawa just used the same photography and it’s two separate places but...

So the place is further tainted by that.

As for Nana’s ring... I’m with you there. That ring is definitely the one Ren gave her. I think it’s important that the ring matches Hachi’s too, so it’s representative of her relationship with both.  Ren represents death and Hachi represents life. Nana can’t chose either, stuck between choosing to be with Ren in suicide (which she might have attempted) and choosing life and all the pain it comes with to be with her living friends and family at a home that isn’t Ren.  I’m pretty sure Nana also switched her rings from her left to her right hand after Ren’s death... but when we see Nana with that ring on in the future, it’s switched back to her left. This choice could symbolize that if she were to die/commit suicide she and Ren would be together and married again in death.

Hehe, as for Yazawa continuing to work on NANA slowly... my friend and I actually have theorized that perhaps she is slowly working NANA so that she can publish the end of it all at once!! It’s very unlikely, but it’s a good thought.

But... just a quick disclaimer because I’ve gotten some... nagging replies from people in the last couple months... Obviously yes: Yazawa’s health is the priority and yes I would support Yazawa’s decision to decide to never to return to NANA to work on  a new series of her’s.  I’ve said these things before, but I’m not going to repeat it every time I mention Yazawa and how much I would like to see an ending to NANA. Please lay off, thank you.

But back to it: yes, I wouldn’t hold my breath to it... but I really do think Yazawa continues to think (and occasionally work) on NANA in every way she can to the best of her ability even now. Everything I’ve read on Yazawa tells me she takes a lot of pride on her works and doesn’t like to leave things half-baked or undone.  So in that case, I think she wants to be able to finish in one go rather than off and on, when/if the day comes that NANA continues.

Always feel free to leave me with those NANA thoughts!!

Hugs

[softredrobin]

Aaaaand we're back at it again with the hands! Here's our long-awaited beta, Asher, finishing up the Shaw Pack hands sets. These quotes are from Pillow Fort Cuddles and Kisses With Your Sweet Werewolf Boyfriend and Your Sweet Werewolf Boyfriend Confesses His Love For You. Admittedly, I listen to Ash the least of the wolves, so a great big thanks to everyone who sent in quote suggestions! I had a hard time choosing on my own, lol.

Y'all know the drill by now!

These four flowers:

Celandine: joys to come

Azalea: take care, temperance, gratitude, passion

Crocus: youthful joy, love

Meadowsweet: beauty, happiness, peace, protection

I actually don't have a whole lot of commentary on these flowers, but I did save crocus just for Ash.

For colors! I know Ash is far from the only character to have the sort of watercolor thing with multiple colors going on, but he's definitely the one I associate that sort of look with. I also definitely see him as the teal and sky blue sort, but the pops of orangey-yellow really made it feel complete. So there's that on the colors.

A fun fact now! My favorite of Asher's lines is actually from his Valenweek video, and it's right at the end where he says this:

"And you’re currently holding the hand of an incredibly handsome and painfully humble man, so your taste in that department also seems exceptional if I do say so myself."

It always cracks me up. Ash is so funny :-) I love to listen to his playlist when I'm looking for something lighthearted. My penchant for comfort videos is well-known at this point (I think... eh), and I do love the very beginning of Comforted By Your Sweet Werewolf Boyfriend... it's the "Yeah, I can keep holding you. Hey, what's up? Are you doing okay?" for me, y'all, it gets me every single time.

Also a headcanon of mine: so I know it's not …uncommon (I've seen it a good few times)… for folks to hc that Asher has heterochromia, well I'm in that boat!! My Ash has one brown eye and one blue eye. My Baabe, in turn, also has one brown and one blue eye -- on the opposite sides as Asher. Just another thing that makes them fit perfectly together :-)

If you read this far, thanks for reading :-) if all goes according to plan, Vincent should be up next! Would y'all kill me if one of the quotes was kinda sad...?

[softredrobin]

Finishing up the D.A.M.N. Storyline, we have the fandom’s son, and my lil buttercup, Caelum.

A note that I interpret FL and Caelum’s relationship as strictly platonic/familial, and I do not want to see any tags/replies/etc. indicating otherwise. If I see anyone disrespecting the work I put into this art by clowning when I’ve stated this I will be blocking that person. I know I’ve done only romantic partnerships with these sets in the past but Caelum and Freelancer’s relationship is important to me and I don’t want recent discourse to affect my ability to post this set for them. Anyway, don’t be acting a fool on my art >:(

With that out of the way, these quotes are from Bakadere Empathy Daemon Asks You For Help and Bakadere Empathy Daemon Comes to You With a Plan. I cried big anime tears while picking quotes when the reverse comfort video came on. Also, that quote is looong (and technically two quotes, hehe) hence the thinner lines.

Y’all know what’s below the cut.

These four flowers:

Daisy: innocence, loyal love, purity, faith, cheer, simplicity

Alstroemeria: devotion, friendship

Zinnia: thinking of you, friendship, endurance, goodness, lasting affection

Forget-me-not: remember me always, true love

Do I love forget-me-nots? Yes. Did I save them specifically for Caelum? Also yes. Not only do we know that Caelum is scared of being forgotten, but Caelum remembers his friends, even when they forget him. Not to mention, true love? Listen up, folks, this usually comes up in discussions about soulmate au in fandoms, but true love is not inherently romantic. Caelum is Freelancer’s little brother and they are just so so wonderful together. Is it true that technically one day the Chorus will revoke FL’s ability to see Caelum? Yes. Erik has said we won’t see this happen and quite frankly I’ve decided that I will substitute the reality where it will happen eventually with my own where that is not even a possibility :-) They’re Siblings Your Honor™

Anywho I think the other flowers really speak for themselves (a note that I did not include buttercups because yes they are small and cute and a perfect endearment which I use for Caelum, but they technically mean riches which… not the vibe).

Moving on, here are some honorable mention quotes:

“You’re important, and you matter, and I don’t ever want you to think that you aren’t worth everything.”

“Thank you. […] For being my friend. And for spending time with me. You make me really happy.”

“You’ve got all these people who love and care about you, who you love and care about, […] and things are just a lot better finally. That makes me so happy.”

“You still give the best hugs ever.”

“You’re soft. And your hugs are the best.”

Caelum got a cloud pattern because a) soft and fluffy like sheep, which reminds me of his horns, and b) besides being a constellation, Caelum is a Latin word meaning the sky and heaven. Besides that, I don’t know if anyone would notice this, but I added extra curls to the lettering of safe and loved, also to be reminiscent of his horns.🐑

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go listen to his baking video again and smile so hard my cheeks hurt when he finds out how awful vanilla extract tastes. <333

[softredrobin]

With my last final of the semester failed completed, I return with a new installment in the redacted hands series! This time, we have Gavin, our incubus with a heart of gold. If anyone was wondering who had given me the highest number of quotes to struggle to pick from, maybe you’ll be surprised that it was Gavin (I was!). For someone who’s playlist description insists that his heart of gold is only gold-plated, Gavin has a lot of lines that really squeeze my heart for how Tender™ they are.

These quotes are from Comforted By an Arrogant Incubus and Your Dom Incubus Confesses His Feelings to You. And yes, the confession quote is actually a whole three put together... they just fit well, and if I’m honest I would’ve put the whole of the confession on there if I’d been able.

As usual, you can find flower meanings, ramblings, and honorable mention quotes below the cut.

These four flowers:

Primrose: eternal love

Larkspur: levity, lightness

Rhododendron: beauty, energy

Rose (light pink): desire, passion, joy of life, youth, energy

Rose (pink): grace

Rose (dark pink): gratitude

So, believe it or not, I literally held off on using roses until I went to do Gavin’s. We may see them again, with a different color, but I knew I wanted them in his set :-)

Honorable mention quotes:

“It’s time to start living.”

“You can set the world down now.”

^This one I really wanted to do, but it is remarkably difficult to fit onto a hand/arm in such a way that doesn’t look...unbalanced.

“I’m listening. I’m here. […] I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I want you feeling safe.”

“You don’t have to be everything for everyone. You matter, too.”

“Just stay with me.”

“I won’t let anything touch you.”

“Focus on the good things. Focus on you.”

“Just be in this moment, right now.”

“You make me so very happy, Deviant. In ways I’d never given myself lease to imagine.”

“You are sin given form, aren’t you?”

“Perfection. Every inch of you.”

“You’ve earned the rest. Take it with me.”

For all that we don’t really think about it, Gavin actually says a lot of stuff. He’s very wordy, and a lot of it is just an oof-- right in the feels. I will admit that Comforted By an Arrogant Incubus is one of my go-tos after a bad day. Surprisingly I didn’t use a single quote from a BA audio -- I consider the sfw part of the Confession more important than the BA part (to the point that I didn’t even listen past the non-patron version while looking for quotes), though I did consider two from his HBW video which are rather spicy (and are listed above).

I also don’t know how obvious it is, but the hand pose for the comfort video quote is a hand massage and it took so many references. As a college student myself, I imagine FL must get awful hand and wrist soreness and cramping (whether from writing or typing, they all suck). Idk, the idea of someone massaging out the aches in my hands and wrists makes me Yearn™ so I had to include it. Something something taking care of someone even in the little ways. Y’all know how it is. I also gave Gavin considerably shorter and less sharp claws than I did Avior, for... well. I’m sure you can guess why. It makes sense.

[softredrobin]

Okay so..... technically there are three quotes here...but the two in the same picture are from the same video and I just couldn't resist? Anyway welcome to the latest installment of It's Always Huxley Simping Hours On Ren's Blog. The two-for-one quotes are from Sweet Himbo Earth Elemental Bro Confesses His Feelings For You, and the other is from Heating Up in the Bedroom With Your Himbo Boyfriend.

As usual, flowers and ramblings below the cut!

These four flowers:

Sweetbriar: Poetry, simplicity, a wound to heal

Matthiola: Lasting beauty, a happy life, bonds of affection

Yarrow: Everlasting love, healing, inspiration

Sunflower: Pure and lofty thoughts, adoration, longevity, loyalty

Okay, so Huxley is my favorite of the D.A.M.N. crew, which I think is far from a secret at this point... Huxley is good things to me. A sun-warmed nap outside in spring. Picking strawberries with friends in summer. Seeing the first wildflowers in the grass after a long winter. Tucking a dandelion into someone's hair or behind their ear, watching them smile at you. Someone remembering something small that you mentioned about yourself off-handedly, what must've been forever ago. To me, Huxley is the first sunny morning in late March, the sun waking you before your alarm for the first time since mid-October.

It's a good feeling. Like coming home. Like sunrays passing through grey clouds on an otherwise dreary day.

Okay I could go on about this forever. I don't really know where this came from but all that's all to say that things might be rough but at least there's this good thing to come back to after a bad day.

Flower choices... sweetbriar was one I went back and forth on for awhile. Sweetbriar has a couple ....conflicting meanings. But this one stuck with me since it has some particular connotations. Often, sweetbriar is used to signify hurt, generally emotional hurt done to the giver from the receiver. It doesn't usually mean that, and that meaning is actually double sided-- sweetbriar's "a wound to heal" meaning can also be "I wound to heal", meaning that the giver takes a bit of hurt to help the receiver heal. It hurts to see the people we love hurt. Sometimes it can be easier to help the people around us than to acknowledge that we need help too, that we hurt just as much and are just as deserving of love and comfort as the ones around us.

To me, Freelancer and Huxley are two people who are used to taking care of everyone else, learning how to be taken care of themselves. And to show that, I included Sweetbriar as one of their flowers.

Of course, Huxley is green, color wise. That's just how it be. But I also threw some overlaying mountain ranges, because...it felt fitting.

If you got this far, thanks for reading my...really long ramble. Pretty sure it's the longest one on these ones so far... I just have a lot of feelings.

[softredrobin]

And here we are once again! This time we have my personal favorite pack member, Milo. These quotes are from Your Werewolf Boyfriend Finds You Having a Panic Attack and Comforted By Your Werewolf Boyfriend.

As usual, flowers and such below the cut.

These four flowers:

Black-eyed Susan: justice

Diphylleia: I will show my true self to you, clarity, honesty

Gardenia: joy, sweet love

Nemophilia: you are my one and only, innocence, happiness

So, a fun fact here! Diphylleia is also known as the skeleton flower, and it's petals turn transparent when it gets wet! When they dry, they return to being white. I pick these flowers for meaning first, but I was really stoked to figure out that I had picked skeleton flowers for one of these!! I gave them the same semi-translucent effect as Sweetheart's hand in that picture.

[softredrobin]

As requested by @ejunkiet, I'll be doing more of the hands :-) First up is our favorite alpha, David!!!! I picked blue this time because..... I just feel like Davey is a very steel blue, navy, kind of character. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

These quotes are from Tsundere Werewolf Boyfriend Breaks Down and David's second BA.

Flower symbolism and honorable mention quotes underneath the cut!

These four flowers:

Bluebell: Loyalty, constancy, humility & gratitude

Hydrangea: heartfelt gratitude for being understood

Blackthorn: Fate, protection, hope against adversity, good fortune

Bellflower: Unwavering love

Some honorable mention quotes (I struggled picking just two!):

"Home is you, wherever that is."

"Stars are fine, but... I like looking at you better."

"It feels right having you in my arms again."

"It's home because you're here."

[softredrobin]

The new Sam audio has me in The Most Intense Grip atm, but I wanted to practice drawing hands... so have these. I will say I did not draw the flowers, I have procreate brushes for them, but they were chosen specifically.

For anyone interested:

Honeysuckle: Devoted affection, bonds of love

Cornflower: Be gentle with me

Carnation (red): Deep romantic love, passion

Orchid (red): Fire, romance, desire, and passion

(Honeysuckle and cornflower don't come in red, so the color doesn't matter, but I did look for specific color meanings for orchids and carnations.)

[softredrobin]

if i may so humbly ask for some of the hand quotes artwork for avior and starlight? and if you need a quote, might i recommend "rest easy my starlight"?

You certainly may, anon, I live to serve!! It's actually easier for me to pick quotes for characters with less videos since there's less options, and I had no problems with our dear inchoate. As requested, we have "Rest easy, my Starlight", and we also have my personal favorite line from Avior so far. Both quotes are from Comforted By Your Demon.

Additional rambling and flower symbolism below the cut!

These four flowers:

Poppy (general): Eternal sleep, oblivion, imagination

Poppy (red): Pleasure, sacrifice, remembrance

Fern: Magic, enchantment, confidence, sincerity & shelter

Magnolia: Perseverance

Lily of the Valley: Sweetness, humility, returning happiness, Trust

So, I did something a little different with the colors here. I knew I wanted red, so of course we got a nice burgundy for the lines. But I wanted to lean into the cosmic themes and symbolism we see when we get d(a)emon lore, and just the nature of the petname Starlight.

Additionally, we have some personal touches to these kind of like Darlin's scars on my Sam/Darlin' hands. One is that I gave Avior claws ......because I think it's cool. Otherwise, We have the highlighting of Starlight's veins with this rainbow glow. I'll have to make a drawing sometime of how this looks when on a skin tone instead of ....a starry background. The idea here is that the contact with the Meridian would leave it's mark. I actually tend to prefer it mostly focused on the palm, but faintly trailing down the veins more and more as time goes on. It's a similar vein to the Anchor on an Inquisitor, for anyone familiar with DA:I.

[softredrobin]

Coming in hot, literally, our fire tsundere, Damien. Damien was, in some ways, a struggle. In other ways, extremely easy. The flowers were picked for Damien well ahead of time, but I did have some trouble with the quotes. These quotes are from Tsundere Fire Elemental Confesses His Feelings For You and Consoling (And Consoled By) Your Elemental Friends. The Aftershock quote, admittedly, had competition with “I don’t like the thought of something causing you... harm, or distress.” from Meeting Up With a Tsundere Fire Elemental (which is probably my favorite Damien video, actually).

Flowers below the cut! I implore you to look at them because these ones were picked very deliberately :-)

These four flowers:

Lily (red): lofty aspirations

Protea: courage, transformation, daring, resourcefulness, diversity

🔥 Let’s talk about Kelloggs’ Snapdragon , also known as twining snapdragon. This flower has your normal snapdragon meanings, graciousness and strength. However, twining snapdragon is a very particular snapdragon! Not only is this flower native to California, twining snapdragon is what is known as a fire follower flower. Fire followers are flowers which grow and bloom following wildfires. You can read more about them here. They are super cool and I just had to include one. I think this is a good nod to the way Damien aspires to destroy the antiquated and exclusive policies put forth by D.A.M.N. and D.U.M.P., and build something better in his wake.

Kelloggs’ Snapdragon: graciousness, strength. 🔥

Gladiolus: strength of character, honor, ambition

Gladiolus and red lilies, I think, are rather obvious, and also touch on that same ambition.

Protea, protea, protea. I want to touch really quick on the transformation meaning of protea. I listened to a lot of Damien audios to pick the quotes I did. He talks at length in his confession about how meeting Freelancer has changed his life for the better and changed the way he interacts with every(one/thing) around him. Several times it’s mentioned that he and Freelancer share some key traits -- particularly their drive and their tendency to overwork themselves. Damien and Freelancer, whether a platonic or romantic pairing, both have the ability to recognize that sort of negative habit in each other and see it reflected in themselves, and work to help each other better themselves. That kind of change is what I wanted to show with protea, and I think it’s the perfect flower for them given its other meanings :-)

If you got this far, thanks for reading until the end! Hardly my longest ramble so far, but still a decent length lmao.

[softredrobin]

pretty please consider elliott hands? <3

Rowan...you're so wonderful that I came home from grocery shopping, put away only the things that needed to be kept cold, and immediately went to make this. Without further ado, our favorite non-evil dreamwalker, Elliott (whose name I have a horrid tendency to misspell, lmao).

These quotes are from Dreamwalker Boyfriend Saves You From a Nightmare and Road Trip With Your Dreamwalker Boyfriend. I surprised myself by not using a quote from his Valenweek video, because it's my favorite Elliott video, but I do have to make sure these fit well into the hand poses I chose.

I'm sure you know what's under the cut :-)

These four flowers:

Daffodil: chivalry, returning affection, new beginnings

Tulip (yellow): cheerfulness, sunshine, hope

Tulip (purple): royalty, spring, rebirth

Moonflower: dreaming of love

Pear blossom: long-lasting friendship

The flowers this time are pretty obvious in their meanings. I also considered vervain, protection against evil, for Elliott's self-proclaimed being a "protector type", but ultimately decided pear blossom was better. Growing up we always kept tulips, and my absolute favorites are the ones that bloom one color and then change into another over the course of the spring, so most of the time they're this beautiful ombre. Elliott and Sunshine are really the purple-and-yellow couple of the Redactedverse to me (doesn't every fandom seem to have at least one? just like there's always a blue-and-red couple...). Not to mention that the meanings are nice :-)

I got into Elliott's videos pretty late, like, really only when people started talking about CloseKnit and I was like "...what." But I actually really really love Elliott! I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers and that hint in the beginning that there was a long "will-they-won't-they" is just my cup of tea. Not to mention Elliott is hilarious :-) My favorite part of his entire series is at the end of his Valenweek video, where he says:

“Yes”? That’s all I get? Well sure, it’s enough, but where’s the weeping, where’s the drama, where’s you cutting me off with a kiss like some kind of movie– ow, why are you hitting me–

It's really funny and really sweet and makes me smile everytime.

Anyway, so this drawing left me frantically going "do I have a maze pattern brush? NO? time to make one I guess" and then I whipped one up because it was faster than finding a free one online. I don't know if you can tell but there's actually two layers of maze overlaid– the smaller yellow one and the bigger purple one. I just think it gives it a lil somethin' somethin', y'know?

Here's some honorable mention quotes which I considered, just for funsies:

"God, it feels good to kiss you. Oh yeah, very much worth the wait."

"You make me feel all... soft inside."

"But I'm always just as excited to wake up from the dream as I am to slip into one. Because real life is filled with people like you."

If you got this far, thanks for reading my nonsense lol. I had fun with this one :-)