#sharing strange ideas and unusual ships

[na1su]

GUYS I 🎓

[itsaship-literally]

𝘽𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙚𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙨: 𝘼 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮

Reposted

There are many names for the ship and friendship of the dynamic duo known simply by their names: Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz.

In the beginning, they were considered a horror-comedy icon. She is strange and unusual. She wants to die and be part of the land of the recently deceased. He is wild. A pure chaos machine who lives up to his side of the deal. He knows the ins and outs of the hereafter and wants to get the fuck out. For good.

Lo and behold! The trope of a quid pro quo marriage. He gets out. Her friends are saved from an unknown doom.

Then marketing took over. Merchandise! Toys! And ultimately a cartoon. Who would be the star of Beetlejuice: The Animated Series.

Well, Beetlejuice, of course. And why not make it friendly to the kid's world by taking the youngest character and making her more vulnerable and spooktacular? They could have carried the show without a Lydia but they chose not to do this.

They chose the one girl in the movie he tried to marry: deal or no deal. The girl was in a wedding dress and instead of making them enemies... They make them friends. Friends who share and anniversary, terms of endearments, and blatant flirtations.

Thus, the first shippers were born—a bunch of kids who saw two chaotic characters who were perfectly balanced with each other. We grew up, and so OUR IDEA of Lydia grew with us. Granted, a few of us are freaky and wanna jump the ghost, but rarely will you see a shipper want to split up the duo.

Now for the names; Beetlejuice x Lydia, Beetlyds, Beetz and Deetz, Beetz, Beej and Lyds, Beetle and Babes and now, unintentionally, Beetlebabes.

Ironically this was not the intended name for the ship. We (as in my friends and I) called ourselves Beetle Babes. As in We are the Babes. Fans, mostly ladies, who love to obsess over a ghost from an old 80’s franchise.

The second meaning came naturally because, Didn't BJ call Lydia ”Babes”? Yes, he did in almost every episode. Lyds, Babes, Lydia. Three names he uses for her his best friend.

So Beetlebabes became an easy identifyer for the crew. And it became a standard name for shippers when the new fans came in, but I bet you didn't know that some OG Beetlebabes only Friend-Ship them? And some Relation-Shippers don't like smut or sexual content of any kind.

Beetlebabes are Kids, Teens, and Adults. They are students, parents, CSA survivors, therapists, cooks, homemakers, artists, animators, and filmmakers. They are strangers on the street who don’t even know the musical came to be and only remember the deadly duo through fond memories of two close pals who, for all we knew, were living out their impromptu wedding in the only way they know how.

Now, as I update this, we have a new movie in which Beetlejuice and Lydia are once again affianced. BJ refers to her as the love of his life, bringing more shippers into the fold.

So here we are, The Beetlebabes. We ship the gal who wants death and the ghost who wants life. The balance. The dichotomy. The polar opposites.

This has been the revisit of the history of Beetlebabes. I hope you all are enjoying your time in the fandom and you all have my best wishes to stay happy, healthy, and creative.

Keep being awesome, Babes! 🖤

[butterfly-lies-chase-them-away]

Hi! Hope you're doing well! If requests are still open, could I request a reader pairing for Alfie Solomons please?

A basic outline idea is that reader and Alfie meet at different moments in their lives, just crossing paths (they even meet during the war) but it's always as passing ships. They don't entirely come together until they both end up in Camden, some time after the war and it just seems as if the universe was finally ready to have them come into contact with the other. And when they do, it's like they've lived a thousand lifetimes with the other already. My apologies if none of this makes sense 😅. Basically, Alfie and reader have almost meetings, they run in similar situations throughout their lives but have never come close enough to actually come into contact with the other properly. Even during the war, it would be passing glances but time would seem to stand still, and both would feel as if they'd missed something important but could never place what it was. Then a fateful day they finally properly meet/see eachother.

Thank you and no pressure!

- 🥀

Destiny - Alfie Solomons x GN!Reader

Pairing: Alfie Solomons x GN!Reader

Word Count: 2792

Warnings: mention of war injuries (minor injuries)

Summary: the request

A/N: Thank you so much for the request, whenever I see your 🥀, it really does make me smile. I really hope I did your request justice because it sounded so fucking cute! 💚

On a rare sunny day in the heart of London, a golden warmth bathed the city, casting an unfamiliar but welcome glow over its bustling streets. Seizing the opportunity to revel in this unusual weather, Y/n found themselves at a pub with their family. The pub exuded a comforting charm, its walls steeped in the echoes of shared laughter and the clinking of glasses. The ambience mingled with the gentle hum of animated conversations, creating a backdrop for the familial celebration.

Around a rustic wooden table, Y/n's family gathered, their smiles illuminated by the soft sunlight streaming through the pub's windows. The clatter of cutlery and the rich aroma of hearty pub fare filled the air as they shared stories, laughter, and the joyous spirit of the day. 

As the calm atmosphere of the pub was momentarily disrupted by the boisterous entrance of a group of men, their laughter echoing through the space, an undeniable ripple of disturbance coursed through the patrons. The men, seemingly impervious to the annoance they stirred, found their way to a booth in the back, claiming it with an air of careless possession. The ambient noise level rose, but the pub's occupants, though mildly irked, continued with their conversations and revelry, determined not to let the intrusion dampen the celebratory mood.

Y/n's gaze was strangely drawn to the rowdy group, and in particular, to one man who stood out amidst the chaos. It wasn't until he glanced up that Y/n found themselves ensnared in a trance. His eyes, pools of indescribable beauty, held a captivating allure that defied explanation. The man felt oddly familiar, but Y/n knew they had never met before. The connection was visceral, mutual even, as if the currents of destiny had momentarily aligned. The pub's commotion faded into the background, and in that suspended moment, neither Y/n nor the mysterious man seemed willing to break the enchantment. 

Y/n's immersion in the captivating gaze was abruptly interrupted by a gentle nudge from their mother, a subtle reminder that life outside the spellbinding moment carried on. Reluctantly tearing their eyes away, Y/n found the mysterious man looking elsewhere as well, as if the enchantment had been momentarily broken. The air between them hung with a charged tension, the unspoken connection lingering even as they both redirected their attention to the surroundings.

Throughout the night, stolen glances and shared glimmers of curiosity went back and forth. Y/n couldn't resist stealing moments to look in the man's direction, finding him reciprocating the silent exchange. The pub buzzed with life around them, yet in their mutual acknowledgment, a subtle understanding seemed to blossom. Each stolen glance held the promise of a conversation left unspoken, a connection suspended in the uncharted territory of the unsaid.

Despite the magnetic pull drawing them together, neither Y/n nor the mysterious man took the initiative to bridge the gap that separated them physically. The unspoken language of glances painted an intricate picture of shared curiosity and intrigue, leaving the possibility of interaction hanging in the air like an unresolved chord, waiting for the right moment to resonate. 

Leaving the pub with the echoes of laughter and clinking glasses behind them, Y/n couldn't resist stealing one last glance back at the mysterious man. To their surprise, his eyes were fixed on Y/n, an unmistakable connection sparking once again. It felt as if the moment hung in suspended animation, teetering on the brink of something unspoken. The man, seemingly on the verge of standing, was sidetracked by a friend handing him a drink. The mutual yearning lingered in the air, leaving both parties with a sense of unfulfilled potential. As Y/n and their family ventured into the London night, the unexplored possibilities of that chance encounter reverberated, a silent promise awaiting the right chapter to unfold in the tapestry of their lives.

-

Prior to the outbreak of the war, Y/n was acquainted with the sight of blood and the severity of injuries, yet nothing could prepare them for the overwhelming influx that ensued. As the conflict raged on, hospital ships became both a haven and a battlefield, with wounded soldiers arriving in escalating numbers each day. Y/n, undeterred by the relentless tide, navigated the crowded rooms with unwavering determination.

Their days were a blur of urgent activity, swiftly moving from one patient to the next, frantically gathering the necessary equipment to staunch the wounds and offer solace to the men in their care. The wartime hospital became both a crucible of suffering and a testament to Y/n's unyielding commitment to alleviating the agony of those who had sacrificed so much on the front lines.

In the midst of the chaotic triage, Y/n found themself attending to an unconscious soldier, their hands swift and sure as they worked to staunch an open wound on his thigh. Amidst the urgency, another nurse hurried over, seeking an assessment of the wounded man's condition. "How is he looking?" the nurse inquired anxiously.

"Fine, who's asking?" Y/n responded, their focus unwavering as they continued to tend to the injured soldier's wounds.

"A captain," the nurse replied, her voice betraying a sense of urgency and concern. "He's asking as a friend. He's sitting over there, a minor gunshot wound," she added, gesturing towards a nearby bed.

Y/n's gaze followed the nurse's gesture, landing on a man with a captain's insignia, his stomach wrapped in the telltale bandages that marked the aftermath of battle. The captain's steely stare met Y/n's, and an unspoken connection seemed to crackle between them. Neither could look away, caught in a momentary trance that transcended the cacophony of the hospital around them. The gravity of war and the shared intensity of their gaze created a bond that lingered, casting an unexpected spell amidst the relentless turmoil of the medical bay.

The captivating intensity of the captain's gaze held Y/n in a trance, an allure that seemed to echo with familiarity, as if the threads of destiny were weaving them together. Y/n hesitated to tear their eyes away, drawn into the magnetic pull. With an almost reluctant detachment, Y/n finally shifted their attention back to the unconscious soldier, continuing to wrap up his wounded leg. Tending to the injured man served as a grounding force, a brief respite from the magnetic connection with the captain.

"You can tell the man he's fine," Y/n spoke to the nurse, their voice carrying a subtle hint of distraction. "Only a small wound, passed out from shock more than anything."

The nurse nodded in acknowledgment and retraced her steps towards the captain. Y/n observed from the periphery as the nurse relayed the reassuring news, yet the captain's gaze remained unwaveringly fixed on them. It was as if an invisible force bound them together, an unspoken understanding that transcended the chaos of war and the confines of their roles in the medical bay. 

-

It had been a year since the war ended, and Y/n found themselves settling into a life that bore the marks of both resilience and recovery. The echoes of the battlefield had gradually faded, replaced by a newfound sense of normalcy. Y/n's days were no longer punctuated by the urgent chaos of wartime nursing; instead, they had transitioned into a semblance of tranquility.

Life, now, seemed to unfold in a gentle rhythm, allowing space for personal growth and the pursuit of newfound joys. The city around them had also transformed, shedding the somber shadows of war for the vibrant hues of a world that was rebuilding. Yet, even in this period of respite, a subtle restlessness lingered in Y/n's heart, as if an unspoken chapter awaited them, destined to be written.

Settling into Camden town after the war, Y/n discovered that the post-war reality was a maze of both opportunities and challenges. The once-booming demand for military nurses had dwindled, leaving Y/n in the throes of a job market that offered little solace. The skills acquired on the battlefield, while invaluable in the context of wartime, now seemed displaced in a society that was seeking a different kind of healing.

Today, Y/n was trying their chances at a secretary job their cousin had told them about. Y/n knew the work was dodgy, but didn’t have many options at this point. Y/n knew little about the job they were potentially applying for but was more than willing to try anything.

Walking into what they believed to be a bakery, Y/n was taken aback by the unexpected scent of alcohol that permeated the air. Led through the establishment by their cousin James, they were stopped outside what seemed to be an office by a tall, slender man. James, with an air of familiarity, introduced Y/n to the man.

"Hello, Ollie. This is my cousin, and they're interested in applying as a secretary," James stated, prompting Ollie to cast a discerning glance at Y/n.

"Previous jobs?" Ollie asked.

"I served as a nurse in the war, but I'm quite good in typing and desperately need a job," Y/n replied, their eagerness to transition evident.

Ollie paused, looking them up and down for a moment before nodding thoughtfully and gesturing for them to step forward. The office door swung open, revealing another man inside.

"Someone's just come in for the secretary job, Alfie," Ollie informed the man at the desk, introducing Y/n.

The man, Alfie, looked up from the files in front of him, his gaze meeting Y/n's. And like that, the world stopped. This time, they knew they’ve met before, or at least seen one another. It was a gaze neither could forget. Alfie stood from his seat immediately, not believing what he was seeing. It had to be destiny. God had truly blessed them. 

"Fuck off, Ollie," Alfie dismissed his employee, his attention undiverted from Y/n, who stood in the doorway.

Ollie, sensing an unexpected tension in the air, made a swift exit, leaving Y/n alone with Alfie. The atmosphere in the room crackled with unspoken energy, and Alfie's gaze held a familiarity that defied the boundaries of a typical job interview.

In that moment, Y/n struggled to understand the depth of their connection. It felt as though they had known Alfie longer than the years they had lived. It was a sensation that transcended mere memories; it was an inexplicable understanding that time had woven their stories together in a tapestry that stretched across lifetimes. The air in the room seemed to hold the echoes of their shared history, and the serendipity of their reunion resonated with a familiarity that defied logic.

As Y/n looked at Alfie, it became clear that their paths had been intricately entwined long before they found themselves in the present moment. The laughter, the glances, the missed opportunities—all of it seemed like chapters in a story that had been unfolding over the course of lifetimes, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal itself. The ordinary office, with its scent of alcohol and the weight of job interviews, now felt like a stage where the drama of their shared history was about to unfold in unexpected and extraordinary ways.

"You... I know you," Alfie finally spoke, his voice carrying a mixture of recognition and intrigue.

"You were a captain in the war," Y/n acknowledged, the shared history connecting them now laid bare.

"And you were a nurse.." Alfie completed the sentence, the weight of the past settling in the room like a silent revelation. 

The air hung heavy with the unspoken, as if the universe had conspired once again to bring them together, this time not as passing ships but as two souls navigating the currents of post-war Camden.

"Fuck me," Alfie laughed, the realization dawning on him. "You were the one at the pub too."

"Excuse me?" Y/n questioned, a mix of confusion and surprise crossing their face.

"It was about... fuck, bit over 10 years ago, I can't fucking remember. But I ain't never forgot that face," Alfie admitted, the years falling away as the memory resurfaced.

The air in the room seemed to hold its breath, charged with the revelation that their paths had crossed long before this unexpected reunion. The threads of fate, intricately woven through time and chance, now bound them together once more. The shared moment at the pub, the stolen glances, and the unspoken connection had left an indelible mark, waiting for the chapters of their lives to unfold and intertwine in ways they could have never anticipated. In the midst of the mundane—amidst job interviews and bakery offices—the echoes of the past whispered their shared history, breathing life into a story that had taken years to unfold.

"Well, it's nice to finally fucking meet you," Alfie exclaimed, the laughter still lingering in his eyes.

"You too," Y/n replied, a genuine smile breaking across their face. The room, once filled with the tension of the unexpected reunion, now seemed to exhale, as if the universe itself was acknowledging the significance of this meeting.

The weight of years and unspoken moments hung in the air, creating a bridge between two souls who had circled each other in the dance of fate. It was more than a job interview; it was a cosmic rendezvous, a meeting that had been written in the stars long before they found themselves in this office. 

"Fuck, you're beautiful," Alfie blurted out, the words slipping from his lips before he could censor them. 

Y/n, caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, felt a warm blush creeping up their cheeks.

"Uh... sorry 'bout that," Alfie mumbled, his gaze shifting downward in embarrassment. 

"Well... why don't we introduce ourselves properly then," Y/n suggested, a warm smile playing on their lips as they approached Alfie's desk.

As Y/n extended their hand, Alfie mirrored the gesture, their hands meeting in a handshake that felt like a connection stretching across time. In that simple touch, a cascade of images flooded their minds—snapshots of shared moments, fleeting glances, and a history that seemed to have unfolded in a different lifetime.

"I... I don't know how to explain this," Y/n confessed, their eyes searching Alfie's for understanding. "But I feel as if I've known you forever."

"Fuck, you felt that too?" Alfie responded, his eyebrows lifting in a mixture of surprise and recognition. 

As the pieces of their intertwined past began to fall into place, Y/n and Alfie found themselves standing at the nexus of something extraordinary, a connection that defied the boundaries of time and space.

"I suppose this is fate or something," Y/n mused, their eyes reflecting the wonder of a cosmic connection.

"Whatever it is, I'm fucking grateful for it," Alfie laughed, the sincerity in his words resonating with the inexplicable bond they shared.

Y/n returned his smile, a mixture of gratitude and anticipation playing on their lips.

"So... about that job?" Y/n asked, shifting the conversation back to the immediate present.

"Nah, you don't need no fucking job. You're with me now, yeah? I'll keep you living well," Alfie declared, his tone carrying a sense of unwavering determination.

"Oh, I can't let you do that for me," Y/n responded, a flicker of hesitation in their voice.

Alfie waved his hands dismissively. "Don't want to hear it," he said with a grin, cutting off any protest before it could fully form. 

"At least let me help you around here," Y/n suggested, not wanting to feel completely useless.

"Fine, how about you make us a nice cup of tea and tell me about yourself, hmm?" Alfie proposed, a playful glint in his eye.

Y/n's smile widened. "Of course."

As Y/n set about preparing the tea, Alfie leaned against a nearby surface, watching with a mixture of amusement and admiration. As the aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the room, Y/n joined Alfie with two steaming cups in hand. The exchange of glances between them held a silent promise of shared stories. 

In that office in Camden, the two souls realigned, as if destiny had guided them to this pivotal intersection. The gentle clinking of teacups became a melody marking the beginning of an unwritten chapter. As Y/n and Alfie exchanged sips of warmth and told tales from their past, an unspoken understanding settled between them, an unbreakable bond forged in the shared moments of laughter and revelation. In the quiet rhythm of their conversation, an implicit promise took root. Nothing could ever sever the ties that had come to bind them together. - A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this one because it just loved writing it. These babes are desperate for one another and they don't even know why, they are so cute! It's a bit shorter than I hoped for but family got me caught up and all sorts of shit, so finding the time wasn't the easiest but I'm glad I wrote it because it was truly fun for me. Thank you for reading and I look forward to more requests :) 💚

[chipmunkfanno1love]

Cliva Theories

I thought I’d write my personal thoughts on the Cliva ship and how I imagine it playing out if it possibly does head down the romantic path. I also want to give my comparison if they stick to the platonic route. 

-

Thoughts on the ship generally:

When I learned that Viva was related to Poppy and later found out that she's actually her long-lost older sister, the thought of her falling in love with one of Branch's brothers sounded like such an adorable idea to me. Considering that she and Clay rule over the Putt Putt Trolls together, the pair already have an established relationship in the platonic and professional sense. The two seem to have a lot of respect for each other (which I'm sure Clay appreciates as he wasn't taken seriously by his brothers during his teen years) and seem to be the best of friends.  

Viva appears to look up to Clay as her rock and confidant when it comes to her strongest fears and insecurities (something she struggled to open up with even Poppy). The fact that she’s been so open with him and trusts him with the responsibility of being her right hand man shows that Clay has proven himself as trustworthy and that he’s very important to Viva. She was obviously devastated by his betrayal in the movie, but doesn’t appear to hold a grudge due to her focus on freeing Clay from his diamond prison while Branch and Poppy were working on freeing Floyd. Obviously Clay is very important to her, not just as a right-hand man but also as a friend. 

Despite trying too hard to be serious, Clay isn’t afraid to have fun and be silly around Viva, which shows he feels comfortable around her and she helps him embrace the fun side of himself while also acknowledging his desire to be taken seriously. Clay may also lean on Viva when it comes to handling his insecurities and frustrations (specifically regarding his issues with his brothers). I’m sure he appreciates someone as fun-loving and energetic as her taking over the responsibility of being “the fun one” and I’m sure he actually has fun with Viva due to not feeling the pressure of living up to his past boy band image. These two truly seem to empathise and understand each other as trolls. 

I definitely believe that Clay and Viva have a shared love of dancing. Clay was obviously in charge of choreography for Brozone back in their youth, plus he’s famous for his Rusty Robot and later the Well-Oiled Robot dance moves. Viva is obviously a talented and enthusiastic dancer herself with lots of energy for crazy moves like flips and cartwheels. I personally would love to see more of these two dancing together, whether it be as two friends dancing together or possibly as a romantic dance fast and/or slow. 

I think it's only natural that possible romantic sparks could grow between them as they re-adjust back into the lives of their long-lost family members and also accept that Bergans are no longer out to eat them. They obviously have a strong and special connection which they already built up even before they learned that their respective younger siblings are dating, so the possibility of them falling in love themselves does not seem that strange. 

I have heard some people say that it's wrong and even incestuous for Branch's older brother and Poppy's older sister to start a romantic relationship because when Broppy gets married it will make them in-laws. While I do acknowledge for some people it may be weird for one romantic partner's brother to date and/or marry their romantic partner's sister I will say in the ship's defence that it is neither morally wrong nor incestuous for a husband/boyfriend's brother to date and/or marry his wife/girlfriend's sister. They are not related by blood or legal siblings themselves, so there are no reasons why they can't date or marry (with Poppy, Branch's and King Peppy's blessing). It's not that unusual for a couple's siblings to fall in love and eventually marry in real life and fiction (e.g. The Chipmunks and their Chipette counterparts in the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise are some examples). Either way, let's try to respect each other's thoughts and opinions without judgement or harsh criticism. 

I’m certainly open to this ship from a compatibility standpoint, but from a chemistry standpoint I think I’ll need a little more convincing as their limited interactions seemed more platonic in nature than romantic. I personally felt that Clay calling Viva “girl” sounded more like how a male would greet his female friend than how he would a potential lover. Although I have heard from some people’s translation of some non-English dubs of Trolls Band Together that Clay calls Viva “babe” which sounds slightly promising on the romantic side. Still you could easily say that was simply how the international production people personally translated the dub rather than it being the original writer's intention. Still, I’m certainly open-minded with this interpretation. 

I definitely think like Branch, Viva will need some time to reconnect with her family and readjust to the outside world again, including learning to overcome her fear of the Bergans and coping with her trauma and abandonment issues. While well-meaning in her desire to protect her sister and fellow Putt Putt Trolls, I found her holding Poppy and to an extent the other Trolls hostage in order to “keep them safe” to be quite frightening and unhealthy. I only hope that to some extent Clay stayed with Viva out of genuine loyalty and care for her and not because he was basically held hostage by her. It would not be healthy for them to build any type of relationship out of fear and possessiveness. 

Just like Poppy and Viva are adjusting to their newfound sisterly relationship, I think both Clay and Viva would also need to make some adjustments in their relationship as it changes with them being back with their families and learning to trust the Bergans. I’m curious how they’ll lead the Putt Putt Trolls now, whether they return to Pop Trolls Village or continue to run the Putt Putt Village together as they always have, but this time make it more welcoming and friendly to Bergans and give themselves and the Putt Putt Trolls more freedom to explore outside their home. I believe it will not only be good for Viva’s mental health, but will also help their own relationship to grow as Viva learns to be less codependent and becomes a little more interdependent with Clay. Plus, I trust that Viva doesn’t hold any hard feelings against Clay for his betrayal, knowing that he was only trying to save his brother. I’m sure she can empathise and understand him on that over knowing the pain of losing and parting ways with family.

-

Here are two plausible directions I could see the ship taking:

Romance option 

Perhaps over time, Clay and Viva begin to notice that their relationship has grown and changed as they've settled back with their families. They start to realise that their feelings for each other may be more than platonic and their partnership may be based on more than a purely professional connection. I imagine that they both may struggle to open up about their feelings for each other at first. Clay's brothers (namely John Dory) may tease him over his crush on Viva but are overall supportive of the relationship. 

Clay’s brother’s teasing him over having feelings for Viva (new lower quality video). I imagine  Chandler as Clay, Rachel as Bruce, Phoebe as Branch, Ross as Floyd, Monica as John Dory and maybe Gunther as King Peppy: 

Branch in particular empathises with Clay's struggle with getting out of the friend zone and being in love with an overly energetic royal. He and Bruce may offer Clay courting and dating advice as they are currently the only two brothers to be in happily committed romantic relationships. 

Poppy is incredibly supportive of Clay and Viva becoming a couple and even offers to help them get together. She gets excited at the possibility of the pair going on double dates with her and Branch. Despite some hurdles along the way, the two eventually get the courage to confess their feelings for each other and eventually become a couple.

Before that happens, I could see a little ship teasing happening between them in this form. Perhaps Poppy and Branch have just gotten engaged or maybe it’s their wedding day and the two can’t help but get into a touching yet very awkward discussion similar to that of Ross and Rachel from Friends as they watch the happy young couple.

Viva and Clay ship tease example (0:05 to 0:34) (*Warning*: Sexually suggestive adult content)

I could see the conversation playing out like this:

Viva: “Look at them, they make such a Fantastamazing couple, don’t they!” 

Clay: “My baby brother and your little sister are in love and getting married. I never would have believed it.”

Viva: “Yeah, kind of ironic…what with you being my right-hand man and all. I guess it shows they were really meant to be.”

Clay: (chuckles a little) “Yeah, it is a pretty big coincidence, huh?”

After a few moments of silence, Viva finally speaks up again.

Viva: “Hey, Clay?” 

Clay: “Yeah, Veevs?” 

Viva: “Do you ever think…we’ll have what they have?”

Clay: (becomes noticeably nervous but yet also hopeful) “Uh, we, as in…”you, me, us: together”

Viva: “Oh nonono, not us (gesturing between the two of them) together (laughs nervously). I mean like, you with someone and me with someone. 

Clay: “Oh, whew. (fakes wiping his brow) You kinda scared me there.” 

Viva: “No probs, Clay. Just shake it off!” 

Clay: “Right, shake it off.” (Clay shakes himself rapidly like a dog and Viva lets out a little laugh to which Clay follows after her)

Viva: “You make me laugh.”

Clay: “Hey, I’m the former Fun Guy of Brozone and your current right-hand man. It’s what I do.”

Viva: (chuckles, though she’s still smiling it looks somewhat strained) “Yeah…i-it would make things kinda weird if we became a couple wouldn’t it?” 

Clay: (smiling but his eyes look visibly saddened) “Y-yeah, real weird.” 

The two share a heartfelt but very awkward moment, hinting that maybe the idea of them being a couple isn’t so weird to them. They may even be visibly disappointed at the thought of the other thinking it’s weird. 

-

In terms of romance comparison to other fictional characters' relationships I would imagine a romantic relationship developing in a similar fashion to these character’s relationships:

Melman and Gloria:

Perhaps like Melman, maybe either Clay or Viva have had feelings for their friend for a long time but have always been too shy to admit their feelings, while like Gloria the other expresses interest in dating, completely oblivious that their friend is in love with them. Maybe it’s only when one of them starts dating someone else who later turns out to be wrong for them (not that they have to be a bad person) do they start to realise the strong extent of their feelings and they get the boldness to finally confess. Overall, in the end the oblivious friend soon realises that their best friend is actually the one for them and the two eventually become a couple.

Melman and Gloria moments:

Melma and Gloria love confession: 

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable:

Viva and Clay share a lot of similarities to Kim and Ron in that they aren’t just best friends (Kim and Ron have been friends since Pre-K, while we’ve yet to learn what age Viva and Clay were when they first met) but are also professional partners, e.g. Ron Stoppable is Kim Possible’s crime-fighting sidekick while Clay is Viva’s right-hand man in the leadership of the Putt Putt Trolls. 

Kim and Ron as a couple:

Unlike Melman and Gloria in which one was simply too shy to confess their feelings and the other is oblivious to their friends feelings for them, it’s hinted a lot throughout the Kim Possible series that Kim and Ron share mutual feelings for each other but neither of them confess out of fear ruining their friendship. It was certainly confirmed to be the case from Ron’s side of things, while it’s merely hinted at from Kim’s side.

Proof that Kim and Ron had feelings for each other:

I could see either Clay or Viva being reluctant to admit their feelings for each other out of fear of their friendship being ruined as a result of their feelings being unrequited or their relationship doesn’t work out and they break up. I could see this storyline working well as their excuse in future Trolls shorts and/or films. 

There’s a possibility that they may have even not confessed their feelings due to it interrupting their professional relationship, e.g. Clay was too focused on being taken seriously in his job as Viva’s right-hand man while Viva let her fear of the Bergans returning stop her from considering a romantic relationship with Clay, possibly out of fear of losing him too or she was too focused on her job as leader to consider what her feelings for Clay truly were. 

With time for them both to reconnect with their families and time to readjust to the real world again, perhaps they both consider the possibility of romance in their lives, which possibly opens them up to dating other trolls but realising that they don’t have the same connection with their dates as they have with each other, leading to them realising that their feelings for each other may be more than platonic. 

Chandler and Monica:

Perhaps they may go down a similar route as Chandler and Monica from Friends where perhaps they begin a relationship off-screen and try their best to hide it from their siblings, either because they don’t feel ready to tell their family and/or they’re worried about how they will react to them being a couple. Though when they finally do confess their relationship, I’m sure their whole family is very supportive of the two as a couple.  

Monica and Chandler Love Story (*Warning* - Contains sexually suggestive adult content and possibly triggering fat jokes)

One thing all these couples have in common is that they were all friends first before eventually becoming a couple. The female character is generally depicted as a bold and beautiful woman (seemingly out of the guy’s league) who while she’s generally strong and independent does occasionally struggle with insecurities (with maybe the exception of Gloria perhaps), while the male character is generally depicted as more comical and goofy but overall very supportive of their female friend and vise-versa. Perhaps they date other trolls or other creatures, but ultimately realise that they’re each other’s true love. 

As we all picked up, they are quite similar to Branch and Poppy’s dynamic as well, only their roles are reversed somewhat with Viva being the more emotionally traumatised one and Clay being the more stable one who is there to emotionally support his friend/lover. Though Viva still has Poppy’s energy and enthusiasm while Clay is a little more cynical and organised like Branch.

If they do become a couple like Poppy and Branch I could see it happening in a slow burn manner with little romantic hints here and there. Though hopefully there are enough differences in their pairing that they don’t play out exactly like their younger siblings do and therefore their own relationship is still its own. 

Platonic option 

Of course, there's also the possibility that these two may just remain really good friends and later close in-laws when Branch and Poppy eventually get married. They may even support the other in their romantic relationships with other trolls/creatures. 

In terms of other fictional friendships and professional partnerships I can definitely see similarities between Princess Fiona and Brogan’s shared leadership of the Ogre Resistance in Shrek Forever After to Viva and Clay’s shared leadership of the Putt Putt Trolls. 

They may also have similarities in their relationship to General Amaya and Commander Gren from The Dragon Prince series who have a very close friendship as well as a professional partnership much like Viva and Clay themselves. I feel if either one or both of them eventually fall in love with someone else I could see either of them supporting their friend’s romance as Gren supports Amaya’s relationship with Queen Jenai. Perhaps if Clay is one to fall in love with someone else (such as perhaps a girl from his Sad Book Club) maybe Viva would feel a little jealous at the thought of losing her best friend and confidant, but only when Clay reassures her that he’ll always be there for her as a friend does she eventually accept his new relationship and gives the couple her blessing. 

Whichever direction Cliva goes, whether it remains platonic or heads in a more romantic direction, I am keen to see more of these two interacting with each other and seeing how they met and became partners in leadership. I hope their relationship grows with the changes to their situation and environment and continues to flourish. 

I'm just glad that Broppy has become canon as their romantic chemistry was so obvious and I'm just grateful that the ship has sailed nicely. Whatever happens with their older siblings is up for debate. 

[dailynyarinder]

wakey wakey

Is someone home?

HI GUYS MOD HERE IM SO SORRY

Another quick Daily Nyarinder coming soon! Plus… a challenge? 👀

An explanation for my absence + details on an upcoming Daily Nyarinder event under the cut!!

So kinda personal bt my therapist left her practice unexpectedly so I got off my adhd and depresso meds at the same time as I was moving to another house and I just… really lost steam and haven’t had the energy to work on this project orz

i love cotl with all my heart! But my main fandom is svsss (shout out to kamkamquats on twt, this blog was inspired by their dailybingpup!! 💖) and trying to move all my shit over from twitter to bluesky so it doesn’t feed Elon Musk’s ai has also taken a lot of energy that would have been spent drawing for both cotl and svsss.

Additionally, last time I checked this blog I got some anon asks trying to pull me into fandom wank. The admin of this account is a grown adult with a spouse, a house, community protests to organize/attend, cosplays to make, a startup business to take care of; online fandoms are my comfort place and have been since I was 13, and as such I resolved years ago to stay away from fandom drama and just do what makes me happy. I’m really used to how chill and sweet svsss fandom is, so it was kinda startling to remember that younger fandoms are very drama-prone. I deleted those messages, but it still left a sour taste in my mouth whenever I came back to this blog.

As such, I’ve been on a break. And I probably will continue this hiatus until things settle on bluesky and I can spend more time on my friend’s cotl discord server to get my motivation back.

-

THAT SAID, I hope to do a little daily nyarinder art challenge for anyone who still follows this blog! Instructions and rules will be posted separately later today, but the idea is thus:

“YOU, dear reader, are just as wonderful, creative, and capable an artist as any cultist here. What do YOU want to see in Daily Nyarinder’s escapades? Pick up a craft and get creating! Use whatever you’ve got—whether it’s a fancy tablet, ibispaint on a touchscreen phone (that’s how dailynyarinder has been made so far 👀), a pen and the back of a receipt, needle and thread, hook and yarn, scrapbooking paper and scissors, a word doc and a keyboard, a camera, etc etc etc. Whatever medium brings you joy and renews your belief in our benevolent God of Death, this humble Narinder blog calls upon you to make and share a Daily Nyarinder post of your own!

Skill level doesn’t matter in the face of creativity. Whether you’re a renowned oil painter, a fanfic author, a newbie artist, or a kid who just really likes cats, all offerings are encouraged and welcome!

As for content rules, the Nyarinderverse is full of strange and unusual things; anything goes! HOWEVER, since this is a sfw blog and is followed by lots of minors, I’ll ask that if anyone participating decides to draw nsfw content, please make sure it is appropriately tagged and locked behind some sort of link—whether it’s a link to twitter, privatter, or elsewise. Any NSFW that isn’t hidden from immediate view will not be reblogged on this blog. If and when I reblog potential nsfw content, it will be tagged “NSFW” BY ME BY AS WELL so that my followers can filter it out if they need.

Any characters, ships, potential squicks or triggers, etc should be tagged appropriately.

Please know that this blog will never, EVER harass or condone/encourage harassment based on what you make, but as the mod I retain the right to not reblog works that squick me out personally. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them; it just means they might not all appear here.

Works may be posted separately under the hashtag #DailyNyarinderChallenge or submitted to this blog!

Finally, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!”

^^^ the challenge text will be reposted with some promotional artwork later, but does this sound like it would be a fun event? Let me know what you think.

Look forward to the resolution of the current daily nyarinder arc this week! But then I’ll likely go back on break again until things settle. 💖🐈‍⬛

[burnwater13]

Boba Fett listening to Krrsantan speak near the exit to Garsa Fwip's Sanctuary. Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1, Episode 4, The Gathering Storm.

Conversations

Grogu always wondered what other people talked about. Was Krrsantan apologizing? Was the Daimyo asking him to account for himself? Or were they sharing the latest recipe for roast scurrier? Maybe they were discussing the weather? That seemed likely, if a bit dull.

“Hot today.”

“Hot yesterday.”

“Hot tomorrow.”

That’s right, Tatooine was hot. Two suns tended to create situations like that. Of course you had to be just in the perfectly correct orbit. Too close and they had choices: burn you up or tear you apart with their gravity. Too far away and part of the planet was just warm while the other bits were too cold. It was just lucky that Tatooine was in that sweet zone of hot and dry. Grogu liked hot and dry. It beat hot and wet by a klick. 

Sure, other people thought hot and wet was wonderful. Opens your pores. Helps crops grow. That sort of thing. But how open did your pores need to be? And the crops that liked hot and wet also were the sorts of things that supported huge critters that found small green boys delicious. Things like rathtars and Ice-gators. 

Okay, ice-gators also liked ice, which most hot, wet planets didn’t have a lot of, but they didn’t only like ice. They also liked hot and wet and Grogu had read about them during a course on ‘Unusual creatures and where in the galaxy you could find them’. As he recalled from the course they were from Dalna and it was close to no other planet of any interest what so ever. Strange the things you learned when you least expected to learn anything at all. 

Despite that, the ice-gators reminded him of the turtasaur that the Mandalorian Tribe had lucked into when they selected the location for their new covert. Grogu understood why other people hadn’t gone there. He had just been surprised that the Mandalorians from the Tribe hadn’t seen giant aquatic critters as a bug and not a feature of the planet. Beskar might not taste good (it was awful, don’t ask how he knew), but he didn’t think that turtasaur cared about that, even a little tiny bit. Hot or cold, wet or dry, that critter was more than a little scary and Grogu had to wonder about the conversations the Mandalorians must have had with each other when they found that place. 

“No outposts. No landing zones. No signs of inhabitants.”

“What about fauna? Anything like shriek hawks, trinitaurs, mythosaurs, reptavians?”

“Negative. Lots of little islands in the ocean, but we won’t be anywhere near there.”

“Great. Let’s land this thing.”

Of course, they had been wrong about most of that. Not just about the turtasaur not being an island. They were also wrong about there being an absence of shriek hawks. Apparently the sensors on their ship blanked out critters that had been listed as extinct in the general field database. Grogu had no idea if that had been updated, but he hoped someone remembered to do that. He’d really thought shriek hawks were much, much smaller critters.

Now, that was something he wished had been included in the course ‘Unusual creatures and where in the galaxy you could find them’ when he’d been at the Jedi Temple. He could have warned his dad. Or the Armorer. Or anyone who felt like listening to him. At least he could have pointed to the information on his data pad. Maybe one of them would have at least looked at the entry and realized that they made a mistake selecting a place simply because it was hot and dry, despite all the water that seemed to be everywhere on that planet. He could just imagine having that conversation with his dad.

“Huh.”

“That’s right Grogu, the other boys are beginning their training as Mandalorian warriors.”

“Eh.”

“Yes, you’ll be learning these same things. Hey, anyone have a spare pair of vambrace trainers?”

“Meh.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as it seems.”

“Uff.”

“You should put that datapad away. You don’t want it to get damaged during the battle training.”

Uff. That’s exactly what those conversations had been like with his dad. It was too bad that Grogu really disliked Gal Basic. He supposed it would be easier to talk about the weather if he at least used words like, hot, danger, and critter. Well, they were Mandalorians. They’d figure it out somehow.

[charliedawn]

Defective Good part 3:

Enjoy. I put my heart in my writings. 😉

"JR-6025 ! Are you listening to me ?!" TN-3872 snapped JR-6025 out of her momentary daze and she nodded before walking past her.

"What ?" JR-6025 asked—clearly unfocused. The other stormtrooper only sighed, knowing all about her partner’s strange antics by now, before telling her with a slight shake of her head of disapproval.

"JR-6025, we've already talked about this...Stay focused." JR-6025 remained silent. It wasn’t the first time TN-3872 had caught her daydreaming. TN-3872 sighed again before turning around and walking forward, not willing to stop and try to hear something she knew she wouldn't understand—even if she tried.

"Come on. We’re going back to the Finalizer. Captain Phasma won’t be waiting for us…And I wanna get off Jakku once and for all."

JR-6025 nodded before following her towards the ship to get off Jakku. Once they were on board, Captain Phasma sat next to JR-6025 and seemed nervous—which was highly unusual for the captain. JR-6025 was tempted to ask if everything was alright, but decided otherwise.

She looked straight ahead while Captain Phasma was staring at the data pas in her hands. Once arrived, Captain Phasma was about to walk away when an officer approached and asked her to follow him. She tsskd dismissively. She had a report to give to General Hux. But, the officer insisted that it was related to the upcoming assault on Takodana and she had to be there.

Captain Phasma looked around and her eyes settled on JR-6025.

"You. Come here." She commanded and JR-6025 gulped loudly before stepping forward. Once she was close enough, Captain Phasma gave her the data pad.

"You will give this to General Hux. Tell him I couldn’t deliver it myself."

JR-6025 nodded promptly and Captain Phasma didn’t even wait for an answer before following the officer away. JR-6025 was left with the data pad in her hands and no idea how to find General Hux. She looked at TN-3872 who laughed and shook her head.

"Ah ah. Nope. You’re on your own on this one. She said you."

JR-6025 rolled her eyes.

"Come on. Please. At least tell me where his office is ?"

TN-3872 sighed loudly before groaning and grabbing JR-6025 by the arm and dragging her towards General Hux’s office. Once there, JR-6025 turned towards TN-3872 to thank her, but she was already gone…

JR-6025 took a deep breath. Well, looks like she was alone on this one. She summoned all her courage to knock.

Inside:

General Hux was in his office, looking at the last statistics on the recent assaults on the last free planets…They had just received word that Captain Phasma's sanitation of the outer rim was nearly complete. All that remained was mopping up a few pockets of resistance on Jakku and Takodana. Kylo Ren seemed set on going on Takodona to retrieve some scavenger girl and Armitage felt tempted to send him on his own but he couldn't, even though he knew it would be a waste of time and ressources. As General Hux pondered sending the necessary troops with the reckless man, he heard a knock at the door. He told the person on the other side to come in and the door slid open. He looked up, expecting another status report from one of his officers. Instead, a lone stormtrooper stood at attention.

"At ease, trooper. What is your designation ?" He said, his eyes scanning the soldier up and down curiously.

"JR-6025, sir." She held out a datapad and General Hux frowned a little, as the designation sounded familiar to him. It didn’t take long for him to recognise the stormtrooper he had shared a conversation with a few days earlier.

"Ah. Yes. The sun catcher." He recalled with a light mocking smirk. "And what are you doing here, trooper ?"

JR-6025 was surprised he even remembered their last conversation. It was weeks ago and she had hoped that General Hux would have forgotten all about their meeting.

"I come bearing a message from Captain Phasma, sir." She replied and the general walked towards her and took the data pad to look at it curiously. "The Captain is usually direct with her communications. Why send a messenger ?"

He glanced up at JR-6025 with narrowed eyes, but she didn’t flinch.

"The Captain is busy with the upcoming assault on Takodana. She asked me to give you a personal update on the situation."

Raising an intrigued brow, General Hux scanned the content of the data pad. Phasma's mission was proceeding ahead of schedule. She had just succeeded in taking over Jakku and capture some of the rebels residing there. Impressive, if expected from his top enforcer. But between the lines, an undercurrent emerged that hinted at something more. They hadn’t been able to capture the scavenger girl. General Hux sighed. Ren would be on his back once more, like the pest that he was…

He slowly lowered the datapad. "You were there, on the ground. Anything else to report, JR-6025 ?"

The trooper straightened. "Only that the Captain's methods are...most effective."

Hux smiled thinly. "And your opinion on effectiveness, trooper ?"

For a beat, silence. Then, "It gets the job done."

General Hux stepped closer. "Walk with me, JR-6025. Tell me more of what you witnessed down there."

JR-6025 fell in step beside General Hux as they walked along the dimly lit corridors of the Finalizer. The trooper hesitated for a moment, collecting her thoughts before speaking.

"I witnessed the Captain's determination, sir," JR-6025 began. "She led us with unwavering resolve, instilling fear in the hearts of our enemies. Her presence alone was enough to quell any doubts or hesitations among our ranks."

Hux listened intently, his curiosity piqued. He had always respected Captain Phasma's unwavering loyalty and formidable combat skills, but he hadn't expected such high praise from one of his own troopers.

"And what about the resistance we encountered ?" Hux inquired, his tone tinged with a hint of skepticism.

JR-6025 paused briefly, searching for the right words. "The resistance fought valiantly, sir, but they were no match for Captain Phasma's strategic brilliance. She anticipated their every move, exploiting their weaknesses and turning the tide of battle in our favor. Her tactics were ruthless, efficient, and effective. And we will soon be able to reach Takodana, as planned."

Hux's lips curled into a subtle smile. He was beginning to see the value in JR-6025's firsthand account. While he had always valued results above all else, he had rarely considered the perspective of those on the ground.

"Tell me, trooper," Hux pressed, his voice softer now. "Did you witness any…collateral damage ? Any unnecessary losses ?"

JR-6025 hesitated, their expression momentarily clouded with a mixture of emotions. "There were casualties, sir," they admitted solemnly. "But Captain Phasma's priority was always the mission. She made difficult choices, sacrifices, to ensure our victory. Lives were lost, but the objective was achieved."

The general absorbed JR-6025's words, contemplating the sacrifices made in the pursuit of their goals. He had always been a pragmatist, willing to do whatever it took to secure the First Order's dominance. But hearing it from the perspective of a trooper who had witnessed it firsthand made the reality of war more tangible.

"Thank you, trooper," Hux said, his voice laced with a newfound appreciation. "Your insights have been invaluable. You may return to your post."

JR-6025 nodded, grateful for the general's acknowledgement. General Hux entered his office and sat down at his desk.

"Dismissed." He said absentmindedly—expecting the stormtrooper to leave.

But, JR-6025 stayed put and tilted her head as she stared at General Hux for a few seconds. Such a man held so much power. He had annihilated Hosnian Prime and even though JR-6025 couldn't get the moment out of her mind, he seemed to have moved on. Even when there had been rebels on Jakku, the level of brutality and death was not as cold and merciless as the complete annihilation of millions of billions of life, including civilians. She knew she was probably going to regret it later, but she had to ask.

"How does it feel ?"

General Hux looked up at JR-6025 with a slight frown of confusion.

"How does what feel, stormtrooper ?"

There was a little pause before JR-6025 clarified.

"…How does it feel to have ended 155 billion lives, sir ?"

General Hux’s eyes slightly widened at the question—He clearly wasn’t expecting it—before he looked up at the stormtrooper. He remained quiet for a few moments before looking back down at his data pad and shrugging—unbothered. Truth was ? He hadn’t really thought about it since then.

"It was a necessary sacrifice. We destroyed a few planets to bring back order to the Galaxy. They needed a demonstration of the First Order’s power. I didn’t take pleasure from it but it had to be done."

JR-6025 tilted her head.

"I saw you at the execution. You seemed proud."

General Hux glanced up at her and his brows furrowed a little. He seemed suspicious of those comments and sighed. He then took a deep breath before leaning back into his chair, his focus now being entirely on the stormtrooper.

"You see too much." He answered shortly and his eyes narrowed a little before he tapped the table with his fingertip rhythmically. JR-6025 noticed and realized it must have sounded like an accusation of some kind. She quickly retorted.

"I see what everyone else can see, sir."

General Hux clenched his jaw as he added.

"Do you doubt my loyalty to the First Order, stormtrooper JR-6025 ?"

JR-6025 shook her head negatively. If there was something to trust, it was that General Hux was very loyal towards the First Order.

"No, sir." She quickly said and General Hux narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.

"And I am effective, correct ?" He asked and JR-6025 nodded.

"Without a doubt, sir. The most pro-efficient soldier the First Order has ever seen." She agreed.

"Then why do you question me ?" He asked coldly, his fingers crossed and his eyes covered a certain hostility, a silent warning…

"I would never question you, sir." JR-6025 quickly responded and added. "I simply observe and cannot help but be fascinated by you."

He raised a quizzical eyebrow at her. As Hux tapped his fingers in thought, JR-6025 spoke again. "I meant no disrespect, General. Merely an observation from an outsider's view."

Hux regarded her coolly. "Outsiders see only what they wish. Or what their programming dictates." Yet beneath the skepticism, curiosity remained. This trooper saw deeper than most, and he found himself wanting to understand why.

"Your fascination intrigues me as well, JR-6025. Few have ever admitted to admire me," he said dryly. "What is it you find so compelling about my leadership ?"

JR-6025 met his gaze calmly. "You pursue the Order's goals without hesitation or doubt. Your single-minded focus is...admirable, General."

Hux considered her answer. There was truth beneath the flattery, as with all of JR-6025's words. He leant back, studying the stormtrooper thoughtfully. "And what of my methods ? Do they disturb that objective view of yours ?"

A pause, as JR-6025 chose her response with care. "All means serve the ends, as you see it. I merely seek to understand."

Hux smiled thinly. "I see."

"You are…the perfect First Order conception." She added and General Hux seemed almost amused by her answer. He leant forward and tilted his head to peer at her.

"You’ve piqued my interest. Tell me more."

She understood that General Hux was amused by her comments and that she had to keep flattering him in order not to make him suspicious of her.

"You only see the goal of the First Order. All other things or people do not exist to you. You only live for the First Order. And that…that is truly fascinating to me." The stormtrooper confessed and General Hux seemed genuinely surprised by her words. He tilted his head to look at her and laid the side of his head against his fist as he looked the stormtrooper up and down. It was the first time a stormtrooper had ever stated any admiration towards him in his presence. It almost felt like a compliment. She was talking almost as if she wasn’t willing to surrender everything for the First Order. General Hux knew firsthand about the dangers of dissent thoughts and of feelings. It made him question her loyalty after she had questioned his…

"Tell me, trooper. What would you sacrifice to serve the First Order ?" He asked, wondering what JR-6025 might think. It was…odd. General Hux knew he ought to stop this conversation with the stormtrooper. But, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued. She had a flawless record and her loyalty towards the First Order was unquestionable. She had fought and killed for the First Order. But even so, her thoughts were different from the others. It almost seemed as if she truly fought with her heart rather than by command. Even the way she had described Captain Phasma’s leadership was unusual…

JR-6025 thought about it for a second before replying honestly.

"I have nothing left to sacrifice but my life. And even that has been deemed as something to never even question in my programming."

He smiled. At least she was aware of her own insignificance.

"And yet that is precisely what makes you perfect. You’ll follow any order, no matter how cruel."

She shivered at the thought. Perfect. No one had ever called her perfect before…

"I’d follow what the First Order dictates." She agreed and tilted her head to the right as she stared at the general. "Even if it meant killing anyone deemed a threat."

General Hux seemed satisfied with the answer as he gave them a side smile. "Even Kylo Ren ?"

He thought she would at least hesitate, but was surprised when the trooper replied confidently. "Even you."

He hummed pensively before looking up at her visor—trying to find her eyes in the soulless dark plastic protecting her true thoughts from him.

"…You would execute me if you were given the order ?" He repeated—stunned by her words. To say it to a general’s face was either proof of great bravery or stupidity. He didn’t know where to stand considering the trooper.

"As you would execute me if you were given the order." She replied without hesitation and General Hux thought about it before nodding.

"That is true. And without pause, without question." He confirmed.

"Without pause, without question." She repeated in agreement and nodded back. Her heart clenched a little though. She had known General Hux ever since the beginning of her career as a stormtrooper. It had never really seemed to her an option for General Hux to become a traitor. He was strong and had fought hard to be where he was…

He seemed to read her mind.

"Even knowing how much I have done for the First Order. You would still do it ?" He asked curiously and JR-6025 hesitated for a second before nodding again.

"…Without hesitation. Why would I hesitate ? Isn’t it…what would be best for the First Order ?" She replied and was genuinely surprised when General Hux nodded in agreement.

"It would be. And you would not have any regrets, would you ?" He asked with a small smile and JR-6025 answered—mechanically.

"Why would I have any ?"

There was a moment of silence until General Hux hummed and tilted his head to look at her body language. She was stiff and General Hux could feel the tension and uncertainty in her whole being. She was a very bad liar…

He decided to insist.

"Even knowing that you would be killing one of the genuine officers who serve the First Order with absolute loyalty and not a trace of self-interest ?" General Hux seemed genuinely interested in JR-6025’s answer. She seemed to ponder on it for a second before she replied.

"If I was ordered to kill you, then that would make you an enemy of the First Order. Hence, I would have to kill you."

"What if I asked you not to ?"

"What of it ?" She asked and seemed puzzled.

"And if I pleaded ?" He continued.

"Millions have pleaded before you." She retorted.

"They’re not me." He advanced and seemed to be amused by her relentlessness.

"All enemies of the First Order are to be considered as one and the same." She recited the code of the stormtrooper like a mantra and General Hux almost huffed a laugh.

"I see. Even if I begged on my knees and told you that the First Order would suffer without me ?" He was curious as to how she would answer. Her honesty was quite amusing and refreshing. She knew that many would have already faltered and tried to please him with their words, but she didn’t seem to care.

"The First Order would survive. No one is irreplaceable."

His eyes widened a little in surprise.

"Not even me ?"

"Not even you." JR-6025 confirmed before adding in a whisper. "And most certainly not me."

"…You would not falter at all ?" There was a certain skeptic tone to his question and JR-6025 tilted her head to look curiously at General Hux.

"Would you want me to, sir ?"

He was speechless for a few seconds before finally speaking, his tone almost playful.

"And if I begged like a spineless fool, begging for his life, if I whooped and screamed and cried like a child. If I begged on my knees. Would you still do it ?"

JR-6025 stayed silent for a while before they shook their head negatively.

"I do not think you would, sir."

"But if I did ?" He insisted.

She shrugged.

"It wouldn’t change anything, sir."

"…How so ?" A small smile played on his lips. "Wouldn’t that humanize me in your eyes ?"

"It would." She agreed. "But, it wouldn’t change your fate.”

"But I would be humanized. No longer seen as this unfeeling, cold monster. An actual living, breathing individual. A person in your eyes." He was trying to make her admit to her own flaws and treacherous thoughts, but it seemed the stormtrooper was smarter than she seemed.

"A person ? Sir. We annihilated 155 billion people not two days ago. A person is nothing to the First Order." She said and he smiled—almost amused by her answers. Last time they had talked, they were talking about the stars. Now, JR-6025 was acting as the perfect stormtrooper. Maybe had she learned something after all ?

"Yet I am a person, am I not ? I have thoughts and feelings. I feel emotion. And if I can be seen as a person to someone, doesn’t it mean something ?" Another tactic to bring out JR-6025’s treacherous behaviour, but the stormtrooper didn’t seem to react as expected as she tilted their head and replied with a question of her own.

"Do you see me as a person ?"

That gave him pause. He thought for a moment before finally replying in a much quieter voice.

"No." He confessed and his eyes lowered back on his data pad. He had to admit having never as much as tried to see the stormtroopers as anything else than valuable assets.

"Right. Because stormtroopers are not people in the eyes of the First Order. And your eyes—sir—are a reflection of what the First Order sees." JR-6025 said before continuing. "This is the reason I admire you. Do you want to know what I saw when you were doing your great speech before you gave the order to use the Starkiller Base ? I didn’t see General Hux. I didn’t see a man. I saw…the First Order. Standing proud in front of its own destruction.”

He smiled.

"Was it glorious ?"

"It really was." She nodded, even though JR-6025 felt a pit in her stomach at the thought. She just wanted the war to be over. She didn’t care who won, as long as the war ended. She was…tired of fighting.

"And that’s all I am to you. A symbol of the First Order. Not a person." He tried to clarify and JR-6025 nodded in confirmation.

"…Does it upset you ?" She asked and General Hux had an unexpected reaction. He laughed and shook his head.

"I am the general of the entire army of the First Order. The leader of thousands upon thousands of soldiers and ships. I wouldn’t take offence to the words of a mere stormtrooper. And yet, you have provided with some valuable insight. You do not even look at me as a person. Not even beneath the surface. Not even deep down." He smiled, even though his fingers clenched. There was something about the trooper’s words that made him feel proud, but also a little disappointed.

"You never did. Why would I ? We are the First Order. Isn’t that what we are ? We live to serve the First Order." JR-6025 replied nonchalantly and she did her best not to shiver as the general was staring straight at her—observing her.

It was no revelation for him, but he still had a little doubt of the stormtrooper’s intentions. But for now, JR-6025 didn’t show any sign of weakness or anything that would signify a disloyalty towards the First Order.

"I see. I suppose that is understandable." He hummed and looked away. She was a little perplexed by his reaction and clasped her hands behind her back.

"…Sir ?"

He turned back his eyes towards her.

"…Yes ?"

"With all due respect, I am nothing but a stormtrooper. I am as disposable as you, or even more. My death won’t be remembered by anyone. If I were to die tomorrow, I would only be another lost name tag in the First Order." He frowned a little at her words before JR-6025 finally came to a conclusion. "I wouldn’t be remembered, but you would. You have a name. A face. You have already accomplished a lot. And I believe that the First Order will remember you for it."

There was a moment of silence. General Hux was stunned by the unexpected praise and seemed to think about it. In a way, she was right. He had already reached higher than most believed he would ever reach.

He had become a general.

He had become important.

He had…raised himself above the rest.

He smiled.

He couldn’t believe a stormtrooper had had to remind him of that…

"You’re wrong." He said confidently and JR-6025 seemed surprised by his sudden change in demeanour. She had never seen the general smile like that before…"If you died tomorrow, I would remember you."

She remained silent before she replied.

"Would you ?"

He nodded.

"Without a doubt."

She frowned a little in confusion.

"Why ?"

"You’ve piqued my interest." He shrugged.

"How so ?" She was genuinely curious. She didn’t want to stand out. She had done her best not to say anything that would be considered outside of the ordinary. So why ?

"You’ve spoken to me. You see the First Order differently from the other soldiers. You seem…more intelligent. More ambitious. More…" He stopped as he was about to say humane and sighed. "You are not the kind of troublemaker who would undermine me or question my orders. You are the kind of troublemaker who would do her work exceedingly well to impress me. And you do your work extremely well. I would say the only flaw of yours is that you care too much. It makes you too human. It makes you…vulnerable."

He sat there, contemplating his own words for a few moments before finally speaking. "You know…if you were anyone else, I would have you executed for your weakness."

She shivered at the word ‘executed’.

"I never sought anything else than to serve the First Order." She answered and tried to hold back her tears. She wouldn’t beg for him to let her live, but she still wanted to see another day.

His voice dropped to a quieter tone.

"I believe you. But I must confess that I find it troubling. Your compassion. Your sensitivity to loss. You seem to care about those 155 billion people we destroyed the other day. You have empathy." He said that last word with such a strong distaste that his features seemed to tighten and his mouth turned sour.

"Empathy ? What does it mean ?" She asked—curious.

"It means that you feel for people. It means that those 155 billion lives matter to you. It means that you have not been programmed in the correct way." General Hux narrowed his eyes at her before standing up. JR-6025 involuntarily flinched as he approached and turned around her like a shark turning around its prey—waiting for the right moment to attack.

"…Does it mean you are going to send me to reprogramming ?" She seemed terrified at the thought. Stormtroopers usually never came back from reprogramming all the same. A dark look crossed his face, but he quickly hid it.

"If it were any other stormtrooper, I would. But for you…I think I have a different solution for your issue."

JR-6025 grabbed her wrist behind her back and tried to remain calm as her worries grew.

"Which is ?" She was afraid of the answer and General Hux suddenly stopped right in front of her.

"I will send you to the front lines in Takodana. You will fight alongside Captain Phasma that you seem to revere so much. It will harden you to the world. It will remove your emotions, your fear, your…weakness. You’ll be a much more efficient soldier than you already are."

She dug her fingertips in her wrist.

"…I do not understand. I am but a standard stormtrooper. I have not been trained to be a combat trooper specifically. I would…"

I would die.

The thought alone made her shiver. She didn’t want to die.

"That will not be your role anymore. I will ask Captain Phasma to personally supervise you on the battlefield." General Hux returned to his desk and sat down. He was calm and seemed to not realise the situation he had put JR-6025 in. He signed forms and in a matter of seconds, JR-6025 was transferred to combat training. She was crushed.

"You cannot refuse." He finally said and leant back in his chair. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying using these cruel, manipulative methods with an underling whom he had no respect for. He smirked. "You’ll do it because you have to. You are a stormtrooper and you will be my stormtrooper from now on. And you will complete any order I give. You will report to me and take orders only from me. You will not interact with anyone else. Not the other commanders, not other stormtroopers. The only other people you will interact with would be the people I instruct you to speak with."

She shivered. So much for fitting in…General Hux had crushed her dreams to bits.

"Yes, sir." She had no choice but to comply.

"Excellent. Your new orders will be given shortly. In the meantime, return to your station. You are dismissed."

There was no discussion to be had and JR-6025 walked out of the room with a heavy heart.

She should have kept her mouth shut.

Two days later:

General Hux sent her a message on her data pad and she sighed.

You will be participating in a raid on the planet Takodana in two days. No prisoners. I want results that demonstrate no trace of mercy or doubt. Captain Phasma will be directly reporting to me. Do not fail.

JR-6025 understood his orders but inwardly hesitated. She didn’t want to be on the front lines. Chances of survival were slim and she knew that most stormtroopers sent first were the ones the First Order wanted them to prove themselves…Disobeying was not an option.

JR-6025 left with a sinking feeling, dreading the darkness down this path. Her humanity would need to die, if she was to survive.

On Takodana :

"Be careful ! Those damn rebels are everywhere !", a static voice shouted in JR-6025's ear piece and she winced.

"Where are the others ?! Are we the only ones left ?!", another buzz shouted in her ear before a loud boom sounded not far from their location.

"Where is Master Kylo Ren ?! We need him..AAAAHHH !" Her helmet was full of sounds of blasters, yells and echoes of the dying screams of her comrades and JR-6025's eyes were nearly blinded by dust and dry blood. This was a disaster. They obviously weren’t prepared to face such a resistance. They had only been told that it would be a hard job, not a suicidal one ! Captain Phasma was fighting beside JR-6025 and TN-3872, she was yelling orders at some nearby stormtroopers to retreat and seemed as exhausted as they all were. She was head of JR-6025’s division and she could see that Captain Phasma was trying her hardest to remain calm, even though the enemy was everywhere. She stood tall within the chaos and kept fighting and shooting while the buildings crumbled and dust and smoke billowed up in the dark sky.

"This is a nightmare. Even when I shoot one, they come back up ! Are they even human ?!"

TN-3872 screamed above the sound of blasters and fire. JR-6025 was almost completely out of ammo and the number of rebels only seemed to be growing by the minute. They could feel them close on them—trapping them and the rest of the division which were being taken down one by one—until it was only JR-6025, TN-3872 and Captain Phasma left.

However, a familiar voice suddenly raised up amongst the chaos, a voice that made the blood in JR-6025's veins run cold.

"Stop shooting !" She heard the familiar voice say from behind them and both Captain Phasma and JR-6025 recognized the voice instantly. 

"FN-2187." JR-6025 whispered and she could feel the anger radiating from Captain Phasma beside them. Phasma stood up and raised her gun towards him, rage overcoming all other emotion or survival instinct. 

"Traitor !" She yelled angrily and didn’t even hesitate before shooting, but JR-6025 couldn’t seem to find the strength to do the same, even after his betrayal. FN-2187 jumped out of Captain Phasma's range of fire, but she continued to fire nonetheless, consumed by rage because of his betrayal. Both JR-6025 and TN-3872 knew he had deserted, but they didn’t know he had actually joined the enemy’s ranks ! When Captain Phasma was definitely out of ammo, FN-2187 stood back up and raised his hands in the air. 

"Please ! Listen to me ! You don’t have to do this !", he implored them and JR-6025's hand was shaking, as she hesitated to actually shoot him. He used to be their teammate afterall...JR-6025 could feel Captain Phasma’s unbridled rage beside them as she panted loudly and tightened her knuckles into fists and JR-6025's hold on the gun steadied.

'If I do not shoot, Captain Phasma will become suspicious and report me to General Hux…', She thought. As JR-6025 was about to open fire, he screamed.

"JR-6025 ! TN-3872 ! We are friends ! You know that the First Order is not our home ! Please ! Come with me !" Captain Phasma was about to shout to shoot him dead when she was suddenly hit and fell backwards, injured. JR-6025 froze in fear as both her and TN-3872 saw Captain Phasma on the ground. This was truly a disaster...FN-2187 extended his hand forward and JR-6025 hesitated. But, TN-3872 yelled.

"Were ! Before you decided to leave the First Order behind ! You really thought the division didn't feel sad, or even angry when RY-5042 died ?! You think we didn't ?! We were as attached to him as you were, but we didn't betray the First Order ! We stayed while you ran—like a coward !" 

He looked at TN-3872 with tears in his eyes and was about to answer her, but couldn’t find the words. He wanted to say he was sorry, that he didn’t even know if his plan would actually work ? That he would have taken them both with him if given the choice…Suddenly, one of the rebels pushed him out of the way to shoot at JR-6025, but she dodged successfully by ducking out of the way just in time. JR-6025 glared at FN-1287 before both her and TN-3872 started dragging Captain Phasma further inside the forest to hide and wait for backup. FN-2187 looked apologetically at his old comrades as they ran away and the rest of the rebels chased after them. JR-6025 stopped behind a dead tree to catch her breath and report their status to headquarters.

However, a message coming from the mothership interrupted the call.

"Soldiers ! Is there anyone who can hear me ?! Retreat ! I repeat ! Retreat !"

JR-6025 heard the familiar voice of General Hux echo in her helmet and decided to respond, as there weren’t a lot of their division left—if any...

"General Hux. This is JR-6025 speaking. I am with TN-3872 and Captain Phasma who is injured at the head and unresponsive. We are the last survivors of the 608th division. We cannot come back. I repeat, we cannot come back. The rebels have surrounded us and we are running low on ammunition. There is no escape possible and I…" JR-6025 raised her face towards TN-3872 who seemed to understand what her next request would be. They were being surrounded. No possible exit. And Captain Phasma couldn't be captured. There was only one ending possible now and TN-3872 seemed to understand as she nodded in confirmation. There was no way they would get out of here and they wouldn’t let the rebels take them alive. JR-6025 took a deep breath before finally uttering her request in a weak voice, as if the request in itself was shameful.

"…We demand the authorisation to use protocol 45-2, sir."

A heavy silence followed on the other end of the line, one even the sound of blasters couldn't seem to break. Protocol 45-2 consisted in the release of toxic gaz situated in a secret compartment in a soldier's helmet which would only be opened with the authorisation of a superior, or a high command officer. The toxin in itself could easily kill every living being in a six-mile radius in mere seconds. It was the only reason it was rarely used, but the only thing within a six-mile radius right now was the Rebellion and themselves.

JR-6025 felt tears in her eyes as she realised that general Hux could condemn the three of them right here and right now. She didn't want to die. She wanted to see the sun, the sun of a new day.

"I am sorry, General. We failed. This is my last transmission so..." JR-6025 closed her eyes and sighed. She held back tears as she added. "Long live the First Order..."

JR-6025 took a shaky breath and waited for the authorisation or the toxin to fill the air and suffocate the three of them. TN-3872 was silent by her side. They had no more ammo, the enemy was everywhere and Captain Phasma couldn't fight any longer, not with her injuries. Both stormtroopers looked at each other. JR-6025 extended her hand towards TN-3872.

"It was an honour."

TN-3872 shook her hand.

"Likewise."

They both nodded at each other in acknowledgement and waited for the order. But, the order never came.

"JR-6025. Tell me your coordinates." JR-6025 opened her eyes wide in surprise when she heard General Hux's voice and quickly looked at their coordinates.

"40*E 10*N 70*W 38*S" She responded and then heard General Hux scream something at his subordinates on the ship. She was about to ask if by some miraculous reason they would be rescued, when the communication was interrupted by voices who seemed to dangerously be approaching their location. Both JR-6025 and TN-3872 looked at each other, understanding there was still a chance they would both get out of this alive, and they hid. JR-6025 was shaking and put a finger at the level of her mouth to tell TN-3872 to remain silent. She nodded understandingly while their ears perceived faint footsteps. 

​​​​​​"Are they all dead ?" Someone asked.

"I don't know ! Those damn stormtroopers are persistent..." Another voice responded.

Both stormtroopers closed their eyes tightly, trying not to make a sound. The stormtroopers who were retreating, or who had tried to flee had been killed mercilessly by the rebels and they both didn't want to end up with the same fate. They held onto each other and hoped they would walk past them, but luck seemed to have run out as one of the rebels found them.

"Looks like it's my lucky day, two heads for the price of one." He aimed his gun at both stormtroopers and they closed their eyes, holding onto each other tighter than ever. But then, the rebel was sent flying through the air against a big rock—his skull instantly crushed with a sickening squelching sound by an invisible force. Both stormtroopers then heard loud screams, deafening blasts and gurgling sounds of people being strangled to death. A moment of silence went by before they heard a pair of footsteps coming towards them.

Was it safe for them to show themselves now ? They shakily stood up, only to see Supreme Lord Kylo Ren who was holding a girl in his arms. JR-6025 had never been so happy to see him than at this exact moment.

(JR-6025 and TN-3872 standing in the background 😂)

However, his eyes seemed to bore into JR-6025's as she stood out and she couldn’t help but shiver in fear. Did he recognize her ?

"You..." He was about to say something when some of the other rebels arrived and started shooting at them. Kylo Ren groaned loudly in annoyance before using his powers once more. A spaceship then landed just a few feet away and both JR-6025 and TN-3872 almost cried out in relief at the sight. However, their brief moment of joy was interrupted by the dark and authorative voice of Kylo Ren.

"You two. Get Captain Phasma out of here. Now !" He ordered while deflecting the enemy’s firing and they both nodded in agreement before carrying Captain Phasma inside rapidly. JR-6025 didn’t even dare thank him for saving their lives on the way back. As soon as they were back, Captain Phasma was taken by a medical team and general Hux greeted both stormtroopers with a highly displeased expression. They both stood up straight, afraid that even slouching a little in front of the general would worsen the punishment they knew was coming.

He didn’t waste any time before voicing his disappointment out loud.

"You both embarrassed me greatly by letting that traitor FN-2187 escape and making Lord Kylo Ren come to your rescue. You were both lucky enough that your coordinates matched with Captain Phasma and Lord Ren or you would have both been as good as gone. You’ll both be in intensive training with Captain Phasma the moment she is deemed able of returning to work. Dismissed."

They both lowered their head in submission and stood back to leave in a hurry. They weren’t going to even let out a peep of protest—but JR-6025 then heard General Hux add.

"JR-6025. Wait for me outside."

JR-6025 sighed and looked at TN-3872 who marched on without her. It seemed that was the end of their brief personal connection…However, JR-6025 had to admit that she was quite curious herself as to know why lord Ren had brought back the scavenger girl with him ? She looked at the girl still in Kylo Ren's arms..She wasn’t wearing any expensive clothes, or jewellery ? So, no kidnapped princess or valuable hostage. According to her rather small stature and thin waist, she hadn’t grown up in a wealthy family either. She was pretty enough but, JR-6025 doubted lord Ren had kidnapped the girl just for her good looks.

JR-6025 then remembered that lord Ren had retrieved something from her..a long cylindrical object which seemed so familiar to her. When had JR-6025 last seen a lightsaber ? Probably before even being recruited by the First Order. They were scarce these days and if the girl had one ? It surely meant that she was a...

Suddenly, general Hux’s voice interrupted her train of thought.

"Lord Kylo Ren ! Why did you ask for our troops to land and fight on this insignificant planet ?! Furthermore, for no result ! Supreme Leader Snoke will not be happy about this and..!"

He sounded mad, and who could blame him ? He had probably lost a lot of soldiers today. But, lord Ren didn't answer, he didn't even wait for general Hux to finish. The door suddenly opened wide and JR-6025 straightened up, afraid of what either of them would do if they caught her eavesdropping. Thankfully, both of them walked past her and didn’t seem to mind her. They were as composed as ever and nobody would have even thought they were arguing just a few seconds ago, if they hadn’t been listening to whatever they were saying. But she had, and could still feel the tension in the air as Kylo answered him coldly.

"General Hux, when I will need your opinion ? I will be sure to ask for it. Your troops are here to obey me and they will fight when I give them the order to fight, understood ?"

General Hux glared silently at Kylo Ren and JR-6025 could see his jaw visibly twitch in disagreement, but he was still forced to agree. 

​​​​​​"Yes, Lord Ren. But, you must understand that I lost many of my men because of that precious side mission of yours and that we need as many soldiers as we can have to win this war."

Lord Kylo Ren seemed to calm down as he understood to a certain extent the ginger’s worries, and he then explained.

​​​​​​"We have everything we need with the scavenger girl, she has seen what we were searching for and will soon reveal the map leading to Luke Skywalker..."

JR-6025's breath stopped at the mention of the name and—most of all—at the minimum concern in general Hux's voice concerning the troops. She knew he probably meant that it was a waste of ressources, but it still felt nice to think that they were not totally worth nothing in his eyes. Hux really served as a good leader for stormtroopers, even if intransigeant, he was fair. She had to give him that. He had his moments and a complete faith in the First Order that one could only admire.

However, she quickly got back to what Kylo Ren said that had caught her attention. The girl had a map leading to Luke Skywalker ? Interesting...She was so deep in thought, she failed to hear General Hux calling for her as he started walking away. JR-6025 didn’t notice that lord Ren was staring rather intensely at her. A map to Skywalker—could it be true ? They'd been searching for the legendary Jedi for so long. JR-6025 finally marched briskly to catch up with General Hux. Her mind raced with questions, but she knew better than to pry.

"Sir, I heard mention of the scavenger girl possessing a map. Word is Luke Skywalker vanished years ago. If she knows his location..."

Hux shot her a sidelong glance. "Precisely. Lord Ren believes with...persuasion, she can be made to divulge its secrets. If Skywalker lives, he remains a threat to the Order."

JR-6025 nodded slowly. Finding the last Jedi could change everything. But she sensed hidden depths to Ren's interest that went beyond mere strategy. Her musing was cut short by Lord Ren who suddenly grabbed her arm. JR-6025 was caught off guard as she found herself in front of the dark sith.

"You. You are coming with me."

JR-6025’s eyes widened in shock as she proceeded to be dragged away.

"Lord Ren !" General Hux called after him, but Kylo didn’t listen to him and once they were both in the interrogation room, Kylo Ren proceeded to lock him out.

JR-6025 was scared.

Kylo Ren slowly turned back towards her.

"You are the stormtrooper who has been advising General Hux all this time. The stormtrooper who dared point a weapon at me and complain about my lack of self-control."

JR-6025 gulped. Was he going to kill her ? Should she lie ? Should she draw out her blaster ? Should she…?

"Your perceptions are...valuable." He finally concluded and stood before her with his hands behind his back—staring directly at her. He was tall and JR-6025 had to crane up her head to look at him as he then ordered. "Observe closely, and tell me everything you see."

JR-6025 studied the sleeping girl intently. She finally understood what he wanted. He wanted her to watch, and learn, and steer him if possible to swifter answers. She sighed and nodded. JR-6025 knew defiance was futile before this enigmatic dark force user. She steadied her nerves and focused her analytical mind, as it had served her well in serving the General.

"She's endured much, this scavenger," JR-6025 observed.

Kylo Ren said nothing, eyes flashing beneath his mask as he absorbed her words. She took a breath and continued. "Fear will not break her, nor simple pain. To find the answers swiftly, a defter approach may be needed."

His mask tilted slightly. "Oh ? And what approach might that be, trooper ?"

JR hesitated. Manipulation went against her instincts. But lives were at stake, and time was short. "Compassion has its uses, where force fails. A kindness shown, when least expected, can stir confidences where threats breed only resistance."

Kylo Ren was silent for a long moment. At last, "You speak wisdom, for a soldier. We shall see if your wisdom bears fruit." He turned back towards the girl, who was still asleep and JR-6025 could only hope her insight helped guide him to the answers they needed.

Lord Ren's attention lingered thoughtfully on the sleeping scavenger. At last he turned back to JR-6025. "You offer an alternative approach, yet compassion comes neither easily nor by command. Why suggest it, if force is your nature and duty ?"

JR-6025 met his masked gaze evenly. "Force alone will not serve your goal, Master Ren. As a soldier, my role is ensuring the mission succeeds by whatever means prove most effective. This one's spirit seems a resource worth preserving, if the map can be gained without breaking it."

Ren studied her a moment more. "You speak with care and wisdom beyond your station, stormtrooper. Your mind would serve me well. Remain here and observe—I will try this approach, and we shall see what secrets may emerge."

He waved a gloved hand over the girl's brow. Slowly her eyes fluttered open, awareness returning. Ren spoke softly. "You've endured much, scavenger. But the night is long, and I am in no haste."

Suspicion lingered in her gaze, but confusion too—for this was not the treatment she expected. Answers were close, she felt—if trust could blossom, where fear had taken root before. JR-6025 knew that the answers the scavenger girl would provide would determine the fate of all the people in the room, and JR-6025 could only hope that it would work…

Only time would tell. That, and whatever the scavenger girl would be willing to share.

[kannedia]

22/6 [Heavensward] - An Exchange

Asel visits the Skysteel Manufactory in hopes of buying parts to replace Leofard's ship.

Asel opened her mouth, considered for a moment what she wanted to say, and then slowly closed it again.

She couldn't say she wasn't flattered by Stephanien's attention. Or uninterested for that matter in the aspect of furthering her studies of smithing. If Asel was lucky she could learn some of the basics of Magitek. That would be incredible.

Wait. Asel sighed internally. That wasn't what she had come to the Manufactory for.

She squared her shoulders, looked up at his face, and started her pitch. "My apologies Sir Stephanien."

And then she stopped as a strange expression flashed across his face.

"You can just call me Stephanien, Asel." He noted.

"Erm... right." She started again, brow raised. This wasn't exactly unusual for Ishgard, though it was rare in her experience. If one had a title here, they typically wanted you to use it. "My apologies Stephanien, but that's not what I came here for?"

"No? How odd. I was certain my prospectometer had detected a high level of interest." He trailed off before gently detaching a small device from his belt and looking it over.

"I'm interested." Asel corrected, drawing his gaze back to her. "Just not in Machinistry. I wanted to ask how much Manacutter parts cost."

"Hmmm?"

"Not for me, I should note. A friend of mine had an accident recently." Asel explained before Stephanien could continue. This only seemed to strengthen his curiosity.

"Hmm... This friend of yours-" He paused chin in hand and, a thoughtful look on his face. This lasted for but a moment before his eyes started to near gleam. "Asel?"

"Yes."

"I must confess, you are not the first to come into this shop asking about that," Stephanien admitted with a grin. "Also, There is a peculiar rumor going around the Jeweled Crozier. Are you familiar with the Redbills?"

Asel didn't speak. The only response she gave was a wary smile.

"Ah, pray do not worry Asel. I have a good deal of respect for Mistress Utata's work." He assured her. "Though I do have an idea. Would you be interested in telling me of the interesting mechanisms and technology you encountered on this ghost ship?"

"This will cover some of the cost of the parts, I hope?" Asel countered.

"Aye."

"I see. Fine. I'll share what I know with you." She agreed. It shouldn't be that hard. She just had to try and explain things without worrying him with the antics of voidsent. Or the near end of the world.

"Splendid! Come, we can discuss this over tea."

[ghostchasersmagazine]

Femslash February 2024 - Mystery

Fandom: Hanna-Barbera (Speed Buggy/Scooby Doo crossover) Ship: Debbie/Velma Summary: Debbie finds something to investigate and tries to impress Velma along the way. Word count: 2,414

Velma was stirred awake by the sound of the door creaking open. She lifted her head to see what she could make out without having to get up.

Across from her, Daphne was still asleep in her bed, so it wasn't her moving around. Scanning the rest of the room, Velma couldn't spot any unusual shapes until she made it to the door. Standing in the doorway was a figure, the hall light bright enough to outline what looked like a human shape.

Then it started towards her.

The sudden movement jolted Velma upward and had her reaching for her glasses. But not to try and escape from the room like she normally would in this kind of situation, just to see who or what was approaching her.

She slipped on her glasses to see it was in fact a who that was now at the end of her bed, a who that would have been a pleasure to see even in regular circumstances.

"Velma!" Debbie greeted in a whisper-shout. "Good, you're awake. Come on, I have to show you something."

"What is it?" Velma asked, already sliding off the bed and into her slippers.

"I have to show you!" Debbie grabbed Velma's arm and began dragging her out of the room. "It's at the end of the hall."

As she was being led away Velma took the opportunity to shut the door behind her. "You know, it's a nice change of pace to get pulled from my room in the middle of the night by someone who isn't plotting my demise."

Debbie was planning something else instead. At the end of the hall, she let go of Velma and confidently pointed at the window. "See?"

Velma took a moment to collect herself and then peered out the window. It didn't take long to spot what Debbie was talking about. "The light is on down the road. Didn't the owner of this place say that house was abandoned?"

"He did, but I saw that light on as I was headed to bed and knew I had to get you." Debbie left out the part where she checked to see if the light was still on multiple times before doing so. "I think it's suspicious and we should investigate."

Velma nodded. "That is strange. Let's go wake the others and-."

"Hold on," Debbie interjected, placing her hands on Velma's shoulders. "I said we should investigate it. We don't need to get anyone else."

"Why not? It would be unwise for us to leave without letting someone know."

"Because..."

Debbie looked away, trying to come up with a decent excuse.

"... what if the light goes out while we're getting everyone? The light could be on some sort of timer, you know. We need to hurry!"

Velma gently took Debbie's hands off her shoulders. "I suppose that's a possibility."

Debbie wrung her hands. The lack of overwhelming agreement from Velma was making her second-guess herself. "Well, do you wanna go or not?"

Velma observed Debbie before responding. She noted how Debbie had faltered when lightly questioned, but also how she had gone to her specifically to share what she had seen, and her seeming eagerness to get physically close to her.

It didn't take long to deduce that Debbie had other things on her mind besides the mysterious light. But Velma found herself not minding; she wasn't one to turn down an investigation, and if someone like Debbie wanted to participate, then all the better.

"I do think it would be a good idea to see what's up with that light," Velma said. She held out a hand before Debbie could get too excited. "But I do insist that we tell someone we're leaving first."

That insistence is how they ended up in the garage.

"Speedy," Debbie whispered, tapping on his hood. "Speedy, I need to tell you something."

Speed Buggy partially opened his eyes, not awake enough to look up at her. "W-what is it?"

"If anyone asks, Velma and I are investigating the house down the road. But only tell them if they ask first."

"If we find out anything you'll be the first to know," Velma felt the need to add.

Speed Buggy closed his eyes again, too drowsy to care. "S-sure thing girls. Whatever you say."

Debbie nodded in satisfaction. "Thanks, Speedy. Now we can head out."

She was the first out the door. It was dark, cold, and quiet, all the hallmarks of a spooky evening. She assumed that was perfect mystery solving weather.

Debbie then jumped at the sound of the door closing behind her, and after confirming it was just Velma, instinctively leaned on her for warmth. "Chilly out here."

"Indeed." Velma let her eyes adjust to the darkness. With only the light in the window as a target and a little bit of moonlight to help illuminate the path, it wasn't going to be the easiest to get there, but it was doable. She linked her and Debbie's arms together so they wouldn't get separated during the walk over. "We should be fine as long as we follow the street." She started pulling Debbie along with her.

Debbie took the opportunity to wrap her free arm around Velma's linked one to further her warmth huddle.

It was quiet as the two of them traveled down the road, and the further they went, the more it was starting to get to Debbie. She glanced over at Velma to see how she was reacting.

She thought Velma looked unfazed by it all, keeping right on towards the house. She was determined, but also considerate in the way she kept a hold of her without grabbing too tight. She liked that about Velma.

Still a little unnerved but wanting to match Velma's stride, Debbie decided to fill the silence.

"So, Velma. When doing these investigations, what do you think the best first step is?"

"Bringing a flashlight."

"Of course, very practical." Debbie paused for a second. "What about the best second step?"

"Realizing when you've found somewhere to investigate." Velma stopped in her tracks, still holding onto Debbie to prevent her from stumbling over.

All things considered it was a very average house they had arrived at. Two stories, little damage to the outside, not even any foliage covering the walls. Besides the unknown light in the window, there was no real reason to look at it.

But looking at it is why they were there. Velma unlinked her arm from Debbie's and went up the porch steps, Debbie close behind her.

She tried the doorknob. "Locked. Funny, you'd think that if this house was abandoned as quickly as the story says, the owner wouldn't have bothered locking the door."

"So, our culprit is someone who would have access to the house," Debbie said, trying to think of a conclusion to jump to. She wanted to show off her investigative skills right away. "Obviously our first suspect should be the town locksmith."

Velma disagreed but didn't get a chance to voice that opinion.

"No, too obvious. She could never get away with it." Debbie pondered again. "Let's see... maybe it's the guy who owns the house we're staying at. If he was a friendly neighbor, he could have gotten a spare key for emergencies. Or maybe the sheriff? If the townsfolk trusted anyone in town with their spare keys it would be him, right?"

Velma still disagreed. She knew that if one was to draw conclusions about motive solely based on the technical ability to access the possible crime scene, the obvious suspect would be the banker who owned near all the property in the town. Yet, she didn't feel the desire to voice that opinion.

She liked listening to Debbie's deductions. Her conclusions were charming, and her voice matched the enthusiasm of her movements, it bouncing as she tapped her finger to her chin.

Not wanting to risk ruining her mood, Velma decided to switch topics instead. "We need to find a way into the building before we accuse anyone of anything. Let's look for another entrance."

Being spoken to pulled Debbie out of her head. "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Good thinking, Velma."

With that Velma took Debbie's hand - it was still dark after all - and led her off the porch and into the yard.

Debbie again took the chance to huddle close to Velma.

There wasn't much luck in terms of alternate entrances. The back door to the house was locked, the first story windows were all locked, and there wasn't even a cellar door to pry open. The only option they really had was the second story window that got their attention in the first place, the one the light was coming from and the only one that was open.

"Whoever turned on the light up there must have had the same problem we did," Velma said. She let go of Debbie's hand and began to look around. "You don't suppose there's a ladder around here, do you?"

But Debbie didn't answer. She was too busy thinking about how her plan to impress Velma with her detective skills wasn't working. She needed to come up with something else.

She had a vision in her head of how the next few minutes could play out. If there was no ladder, then she would need to help Velma crawl through the window - no, even better, she would go through the window first and pull Velma up behind her. Surely her bravery in being willing to go into the creepy abandoned house first would woo her, just like how her bravery in wanting to investigate it had convinced Velma to come with her in the first place.

"No luck with a ladder," Velma reported back. "One of us will have to get up on the other's shoulders and get to the window that way." She looked at the window and frowned. She didn't mind crawling through a window when she needed to, but the idea of scaling a wall in her slippers was unappealing. "I'll give you a boost, Debbie."

Debbie grinned to herself. "Sure thing, Velma!"

It was a shaky start, but soon enough Debbie was on Velma's shoulders and reaching for the bottom windowsill. She could touch her fingertips to the sill but couldn't get a grasp on it. She stopped for a second to consider a way to get just a little more height. She then ruled out jumping and had to come up with a second idea.

Velma was staring straight at the wall instead of up at Debbie during this, suddenly bashful. It wasn't until she felt the weight disappear from one of her shoulders that she looked up.

Debbie had placed one of her feet on the wall for balance and then launched herself upwards. That was just enough momentum for her to grab the bottom sill and pull herself up onto it. Straddling the sill and holding onto it with one hand for stability, she leaned down and outstretched her other arm to Velma.

Even when up on her tiptoes though, Velma couldn't quite reach Debbie's hand. She gave a small huff at the predicament before following Debbie's lead by placing a foot on the wall to push herself upward.

As she was able to grab Debbie's hand, she felt her feet slipping from underneath her, causing her to grasp onto Debbie's arm with her other hand as she tried to rebalance herself.

Debbie then panicked and tried to pull Velma up immediately, letting go of the windowsill so she could hold onto her with both hands. "I got you!"

But that lack of extra steadiness proved to be troublesome, as the moment she was able to get Velma onto the windowsill with her, the extra weight became too to handle, and she fell backwards into the room.

This forced Velma to catch herself and crawl through the window after her.

"Are you all right, Debbie?" she asked, helping her into an upright position.

Debbie held the side of her head and sniffled. "I'm fine." She looked away from Velma so she couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. So much for bravery.

Velma gingerly removed Debbie's hand to check for any obvious injuries, not seeing any. "We better wrap up this investigation before anything else happens." She continued to hold onto Debbie’s hand as she glanced around the room.  "At least we can see now."

Debbie nodded. Despite feeling defeated, she still wanted to find out the source of the light she saw.

As Velma got up to investigate the interior of the room, Debbie decided to stay on the ground and look around the walls. She was expecting to find a cord, and then to follow that cord and find ... something. Something that was worth investigating. But as she went around the room she couldn't even find an electrical outlet.

"How can there be this much light without electricity?" She whined.

"With candles," Velma answered back. On the table across from the window were multiple burning candles. She picked one up to further examine it.

"Candles?" Debbie really wanted to cry. She stood up and trudged her way over to Velma, what was left of her previous excitement gone. She sighed and leaned against her. "What do candles tell us about the mystery?"

"A lot, actually." Velma gave Debbie a sympathetic pat on the back, then wrapped her arm around her waist in a more affectionate manner. "To start, it means that the person who lit them isn't paying any electric bills. These candles look recently lit, which would explain why we didn't see the light earlier in the day. They also look like the candles we saw at the general store-."

Debbie didn't really care about the mystery anymore. She instead closed her eyes and focused on the real reason she was here. She listened to Velma's voice, its blend of steadiness and joy, and how it didn't falter even in disappointing situations like this. She found it soothing, and let it relax her before opening her eyes again to see Velma looking at her.

She opened her mouth to try something, but Velma interjected before she could.

"We could interview the store owner tomorrow about any candles she's sold recently," she seemingly repeated. "Just the two of us. Sound good?"

Debbie blinked as she processed the question. "I, uh... yeah, it does."

"Groovy."

[missjoolee]

20 questions writer meme!

Tagged by @onlygenxhere, Thank you!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 15 (I keep meaning to move tumblr fic over though)

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 62,690

3. What fandoms do you write for? Julie and the Phantoms like half Nancy Drew CW (it was a crossover)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A JatP Untitled Goose Fic 🦢⚠

I Hit Back a Little Louder

Oh My God, They Were Gymmates

A Kitty on My Foot and I Want to Touch It

Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Giddy-Up

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Ehhhhhh unreliably. I want to but get anxiety. I've been working on it and have done a lot better on more recent fic than older ones.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Me? Angst? Psh. girl please. i only tease the angst at friends via ps i love you au (😘) but like. maybe ch 2 of Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Giddy-Up or i've had some semi angst adjacent drabbles on tumblr. I guess. I'm not about that life.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? most are fairly open-ended but headed towards HEA. But i feel like maybe Live It Like It's Meow or Never because Reggie gets to be a cat and take a nap in the sun!

8. Do you get hate on fics? Nope.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do not. I'm just starting to get comfortable writing slightly heated kissing 😅 (comfortable she says! HA! she had a mini panic attack writing the kiss in Justice, Over Easy)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Remember that half Nancy Drew CW fandom i mentioned earlier? I did a JATPxND ficlet that went over surprisingly well.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? nope

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? nope. i currently have a hard enough time writing with myself lol

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? i'm assuming this means to write since it's a writers ask game. Juke, but if i bring alex into it much, willie is bound to follow (him anywhere)

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I had a really intense juke dream about a month ago... 2 months ago. that i started writing a scene from because honestly it was a pretty cool premise. but the further i get away from that night, the more other wips are being prioritized. maybe i will just share the morning text ramble of it i did in the group chat because i really do want to share something. I just don't think it will be a written out ficlet.

16. What are your writing strengths? IDEAS. I can see a thing happen and be like "BUT WHAT IF JUKE" for days on end. in apparently very strange places too. I feel like i have rather unusual premise for what i end up writing sometimes.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? despite knowing what a good narrative can look like, i immediately cannot recall it once writing. It's not like it's bad but i feel like it lacks a bit and reflects my short time since starting to write. Also, if i write it the simple dumb way to get it out of my brain. Chances are, it will take me 4 months to go from reading it and saying "well i wrote the thought out. it's there. it's done" unable to write it any different or better, to my editor brain kicking in and figuring out how to really say it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Um. If it's necessary within the realms of the plot and characters it's fine? I'm not multilingual so anything i did would be google translated or asking a friend that speaks it, so i don't really mess around with it. as a reader, if a fic on ao3 says it's in english, i normally don't want half a chapter to be in another language even if it is a native tongue to multiple characters since I don't know what they are saying without using a translator or scrolling to the bottom a/n so /shrug. take that as you will.

19. First fandom you wrote for? jatp. no other fandom i've been a part of has made me go quite this feral.

20. Favorite fic you've written? Picking a favorite is impossible. But I'd say i'm probably currently most proud of Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Giddy Up as it was the first (and only) chaptered fic that i've finished and i challenged myself with each chapter. But honestly, i add new elements to each fic i post, whether its learning new html, learning how skins work on ao3, making a gif/picture to go with it, or just challenging myself within the writing like getting more confident with intimacy.

I think I'm supposed to tag people so, @tangledstarlight @story-courty @writerownstory no pressure though!

[whimsyswastry]

Can I ask about the Hot Zone?

Of course!

The Hot Zone is a Mass Effect Andromeda fic that takes place sometime between High Noon and the end game.

Kallo takes a much needed vacation, leaving the tempest without a pilot when Tann requests they investigate unusual activity on the lava fields of Aya. As luck would have it, Reyes is handling business on the Nexus and agrees to Scott’s request for help.

After tracking the unusual activity on Aya, Scott and his crew find a research center that’s hiding almost as many secrets as Reyes. The stakes rise even higher when a biological mishap leaves them quarantined in the facility, waiting on backup from the Nexus.

It was heavily inspired by Containment (the CW show from 2016).

Snippet:

"So, Reyes, tell me what it's like being the Lord Ruler of Kadara." Peebee cast a quick glance at Scott but continued her line of questioning despite his glare.

”I don't know what you mean, I'm just a small-time smuggler," he smirked and then turned to look out the window, trying his best to politely communicate that this wasn't his idea of appropriate conversation.

"Bullshit—you know we all know."

His nostrils flared in an otherwise stoic expression. "I see,” he said, his tone clearly unhappy with how open Scott had been with the information.

"It's a small ship," Scott said weakly. "There's very little they don't know about anything."

"It's true. Like Kallo sings Elcor operas in the shower. And Liam says he doesn't eat sugar because it's bad for muscle definition, but he sneaks candy bars out of Vetra's room when everyone is asleep. And Scott—“

”I don't think Reyes is interested in what quirks you've discovered about me."

"Oh, you couldn't be more wrong, Scott. I am simply enthralled. Continue Peebee."

Scott wanted to wipe that inane smirk off Reyes' face with his fist.

"Scott was really shy at first. He kept himself to himself and didn't really share much with the group. But the key to getting to know Scott is finding him when he thinks he's alone with Pancake."

Scott’s stomach dropped to the floor of the NOMAD.

“Pancake?" Reyes asked.

“The pyjak," Drack grumbled. "I still say we should've eaten him. Grilled pyjak with a Tummy-Tingling Tuchanka dry rub is the most flavorful, succulent meat—“

“Pancake is friend, not food!” Scott shouted. "Besides,” he cleared his throat. “I don't know what you mean, Peebee. I never talk to Pancake."

Peebee snorted. "You told Pancake about the nightmares you've been having. You know, the one where you're giving a big speech in front of all the Kett, telling them how you're going to kick their collective ass. But then you look down and you’re wearing—“ Scott began to sing nonsensically as loudly as he could, but Peebee just yelled over him. "Wearing superman tighty whiteys!"

There are a few muffled giggles that Scott tried to ignore. “Yeah, well, at least I..." But he can't think of anything strange that Peebee does. She was a good listener and loved to tinker with anything technology-related, but aside from that, there isn't much he can say about her. There was that one time in the escape pod...but he didn't see how bringing that up would serve anybody. Peebee would probably just suggest that he and Reyes spend some time of their own in her escape pod.

Scott felt his cheeks heat up at the thought. Maybe she was on to something. If he and Reyes just had hate sex he might be able to move past the whole thing. He stole a glance at Reyes, who was still looking out the window, but his smile has turned fond. Scott made a point to not wonder why Reyes had turned so soft.

"I don't understand the embarrassment, Scott. I also speak to Pancake," Jaal said quietly. "In fact, if Pancake hadn't been in my room when I was trying to reconfigure the Carfalon to work with Angaran physiology, I never would've figured out that it was the neurochemical stimulant that was blocking access to the bioelectrical cortex.”

"Steak...cutlets...chopped liver...even deep-fried pyjak tail. There really isn't a part of the pyjak you can't eat."

"Drack!" Scott started to chide but changed tactics halfway through. Distraction would always work better with his crew than rules. "Okay, everyone. We have another ninety minutes before we get to the lab. Maybe we can talk about our plan of action instead of what type of glaze would go best with my pet."

"Raspberry ginger," Drack offered.

[brickcentral]

📢 “SURREAL” PHOTO CONTEST

Hello, community!

We traditionally start the year with a competition. In such cases, we always want to come up with something really interesting, unusual and with a minimum of restrictions. So we invite you to let your imagination run wild with surrealism!

Surrealism is primarily visual. It takes us on incredible journeys, immerses in unknown worlds, shows strange characters and always leaves the viewers the opportunity to figure out a lot by themselves. Show us your wildest ideas, mind-blowing stories and incredible visuals with the widest and most open interpretation possible. Create characters and situations that cannot be considered definitively, that pose unanswered questions, just like this description :)

And of course here’s some examples to give you inspiration: Somewhere on the edge of the forest, an elephant and a rabbit are playing with a helium air tank. Ripe apricots float in the air, and funny voices pierce the thick fog.

RULES

- New photos only (taken on January 1st, 2024 and newer)

- Brick built elements on your photos is necessary

- Share your work on our Discord server (#monthly-theme channel)

- Multiple entries are welcome

- AI-generated images are not allowed, it’s photography contest

The prizes for this contest are two LEGO Dreamzzz sets:

🏆 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship

🏆 71457 Pegasus Flying Horse

No more hashtagged entries on Instagram since they hide most of them anyway. We are looking for your entries only on our Discord server!

The activity will end on January 28th, at 23:59 CET

IMPORTANT FINE PRINT

- Must be 18+ (no proxies allowed)

- Shipping from LEGO is available to your country

- Prizes are subject to availability and can be changed

- Winners must respond within 48 hours

- Customs are the winner's responsibility

I wish you an endless inspiration! Have fun!

- @yuri-badiner, Community Manager

[dalliansss]

💖/🕊 Celebrimbor?

Unusual Headcanons Ask Game!

💖 - Romantic relationships or ships. (This could be as simple as sharing a rareship you enjoy, or an unusual interpretation of a popular/canon ship!)

Narvi - I headcanon that Narvi was actually the first partnership-relationship Tyelpe entered into, not that he wasn't aware that in Valinor and during the First Age he did attract the attention of people. He was just a workaholic and preferred to research, nerd and make things than turn his eyes and look for a potential romantic partner.

Tyelpe was also averse from romantic relationships for such a long time because he saw Curufin and Helwe's relationship deteriorate as he was growing up. Also, Tyelpe didn't quite like the idea of marrying someone, because he knows the burden of a marriage to Eldar, having seen his parents be trapped into an unhappy and loveless union and unable to free themselves from it.

Finrod - in my non-CuruFinrod verses, I also think of Tyelpe having a tremendous one-sided love for Finrod. This was a youthful thing though, developed during their stay at Nargothrond, simply because it's impossible not to like Finrod -- gold, beautiful, and kind. Tyelpe thinks he is being discreet with his very obvious preference for blondes (which will be detrimental for him later on), and Finrod does not act on it.

Annatar - oh, he loved that strange elf. He loved how their minds and spirits seemed to in sync, but you had to hand it to Tyelpe because even if he was so in love, he was still able to clearly perceive red flags in the relationship and was even strong enough to initiate the break-up, even if it cost him his life.

But out of all of these three, Tyelpe considers Annatar the would-have-been love of his life.

🕊️ - Platonic relationships (friends, enemies, etc).

He was particularly friendly and close to Idril and Orodreth growing up. They had some sort of 'gang wars' as children; Idril and her girl friends against him, Orodreth and their friends where they tried to ambush each group with paint balls at every weekend after school and lessons. They were oblivious to the building quarrels and tensions of the family when they were children and genuinely enjoyed each other's company. Idril turned to them to 'fathom how boys acted like so,' and in turn Idril was their source of knowledge on girls.

Tyelpe mourned the deterioration of their friendships when the family got estranged from each other. Tyelpe loved and craved close friendships as he was an only child.

[bookwyrminspiration]

Debate the pros and cons of the two ships Gigolas (Alternatively Gimleaf, Gimli x Legolas) and Aragolas (Alternatively Leragorn, Aragorn x Legolas). Compare and contrast the two ships. You have half an hour (From the moment you start writing this ask, leave it in your inbox for as long as you wish). Go.

OKAY! Warning I know very little and there is probably a lot wrong or missing here! So right of the bat I'm seeing we've got different species and power dynamics at play

Gimli and Legolas are dwarf4elf, so that may be worth mentioning. If I'm remembering right, Gimli is also the "and my axe!" fucker, and I know Legolas is the shooty mcshootinson bitch, so right away we've got the shared love of weaponry and fighting, though they very likely have incredibly different styles for more reasons than one. Dwarven and elven values and attitudes towards death and violence are likely different, but this is Tolkien so it's probably existence and I'm on limited time here.

Hang on. These are the "never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf" people. Okay so here we've got a clear display of their growth (since Gimli was originally distrustful of Legolas' intentions) and how the two characters developed emotionally to put aside their difference and unite, both in battle and emotionally. It's not unreasonable to say that they can take that another route and into relationship territory (not that one is better than the other, just another path to take). Despite their differences, they are, in canon, capable of the necessary growth to make a healthy relationship.

Okay I'm also seeing that they became friends when walking through the woods, and elves are very woodlands creatures, so perhaps we can find a bit of similarity between their interests there. How do the dwarves view nature? Scrap that question I just read in the wiki that he went into the Undying Lands and Tolkien said it was strange that any dwarf would be willing to leave Middle-Earth for any love. I don't have any fucking clue what that means but it feels important.

I'm a third of the way through my time let's look at Aragorn. GOD wiki please tell me what species he is this is ridiculous. Okay he's not an elf but is descended from them? So he's got an unusually long life span? Okay his character description says he's somber and grim, and that kind of outlook might mesh well with an elven one like Legolas'? I'm not actually sure. Something about the seriousness feels like it could match an elven look and help them work together.

His name is also mentioned a lot on Legolas' wiki page, multiple instances of the two of them going through things together (though Gimli is a notable third addition). Found a random site that mentions something about Aragorn's true identity and Legolas defending him to Boromir, which was either when they met or very early on in their meeting. That sets a strong foundation for future relationships and a clear feeling of protection and trust in it, which is beneficial. Listen I have no context for this scene I have no idea who knows what or how they feel about it, but potentially this hinting towards Legolas knowing his identity could've built a bond between them from the get go that forces them to be more careful with each other, and that can lead to interesting dynamics.

There's also the whole matter of similar backgrounds, or at least more similar than Legolas and Gimli. Even if Aragorn's got a whole complicated situation with his race he was raised by Elrond in Rivendell (i think?) so he's got some elven thinking. If Elrond is indeed an elf but I've got six minutes so I'm not checking. And Legolas is Legolas, raised however he was. He's pretty clearly and elf, but the one thing that trips me up here is that he was "unimpressed" when he came to Rivendell to see the council of Elrond, as it displays that perhaps these two elven backgrounds may be as different as Gimli and Legolas' differences.

My other thought is that when I was key word searching through all their profiles, more often than not all of their names were coming up together. They seem to be a trio for a lot of the story, so why try to decide between a pairing? Why not all three of them if they're bonded so and endured so much together? Legolas has two hands, after all. But then I'd also have to get into what Gimli and Aragorn's relationship is like to see if it would be a triangle sort of a pairing or if they were both dating Legolas but not each other.

I think my final conclusion is that I can understand the shipping either way, but I don't think either one is superior to the other. Gimli and Legolas seem fun for the dynamics and depth they bring, and Aragorn and Legolas sound entertaining for the subtlety and intrigue. But also this was just thirty minutes of frantic skimming articles and trying desperately to remember my limited lotr knowledge.

I would like to thank the orchestral version of all star by smash mouth for fueling this chaotic splurge of words. The years start coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop comin--

[22mzk03]

So, I once created a character for SU role since I really liked the show when I was little and I always wanted a character from this universe.

To empathize a little more with the oc I wrote a little one-shot of her (a peridot, because I loved peridot) and a Snowflake.

I thought of posting it since I'd like to have it somewhere, so here it is.

My first language is not English, so if something is misspelled please tell me.

__________

And then, out of nowhere, she began to be escorted by the biggest one.

It was subtle, smooth enough to pass unnoticed, though not enough for Peridot's expert eye. At first, she assumed it was mere coincidence, a simple area patrol, collection of materials, only work to be done on the same road she was on.

Until they began to meet at the arrival.

She is not quite sure how, but she always seemed to know when Peridot would arrive, and on which ship as well; or, at least, she expects that information to have been provided. The wild idea of having the builder waiting for her every day, standing by the access door, relying on Peridot to show up, makes her heartburn.

Then, once she lands on the planet, she is accompanied to the maintenance department by the biggest gem, every time.

“You know you don't have to do this all the time, right? “ she asks, on a rare night when the yellow lights in the sky became a little greener, making streaks and reflections on the acres.

The gem hums contemplatively, gazing at the horizon in front of her. “ Why wouldn't I? “

"I know my way to the maintenance room, you don't have to remind me" she says, without hesitation. Snowflakes should know this, evident knowledge, they've met so many times, traveled the same path for so long already, it would be strange if Peridot didn't know how to get there, illogical.

But Peridot decided not to question her a long time ago. Big gems can be lazy, clueless, incredibly focused on the task at hand. It would not be unusual that, within their culture, it is normal to remind each other where things were, how to get to them, how to properly cast the metal a more golden hue.

No, Peridot doesn't question it, but still perceives the attitude as unnecessary. It doesn't affect their productivity, not really, they're not even working, they're just, well, walking to work. But it wouldn't hurt to give her a reminder that Peridots have excellent memory.

"That's not what I do, though" she says, after a few minutes, as if the idea of escorting her because Peridot might get lost was as funny to her as it was for Peridot.

Snow shifts her weight, turns and leans toward her. Her hand tentatively rests on her back, there where her belt ends. She holds one of the buckles with her fingers, lifting the weight there a little. An almost absent contact that keeps making Peridot stagger, a brief pressure that invites her to keep walking, to keep being guided.

“It is not? "She questions, because if the biggest gem had a whole cultural and scientific reason behind it Peridot would like to know it, so she could put it in his report, more than anything else.

“No," she snorts softly, Peridot can see a small smile there, mocking and calm. She doesn't stop, but her pace becomes slower, careful. Dark eyes settle on her, deeply serious.

“I'm looking out for you.”

Peridot lifts her head, shares eye contact with some bewilderment. The hand on her back tenses, Snowflake swallows, forces herself to relax, and Peridot realizes that Snowflake is afraid of having offended her, of having said the worst thing imaginable for assuming that a Peridot, a technician, would need support.

Peridot on the other hand, is more dismayed as to why Snowflake would consider a peridot worthy of protection.

“I can defend myself on my own” she comments carefully, in case the biggest one occupies the reminder, in case, by any chance, she forgot that peridots can defend themselves, that Snowflakes are not guardians, not of peridots, anyway.

Whatever it is, Snowflake doesn't take it as expected, she keeps looking at her, and then; She lowers her head and turns away as if Peridot was made of fire, she walks away a few steps looking at the ground. “ I know, I'm sorry, I-”

“You didn't offend me” cuts Peridot, snowflake turns to look at her, with big and expressive eyes and Peridot is surprised by how sensitive and transparent these gems can be, even though they are so stoic. “I'm not angry Snowflake, it's just that you don't need to feel you have to protect me, I come prepared for this weather, I have my boots on, my gloves too” she points, stretches out her flat snowshoes and her gloves covering her gem, and Snowflake looks at them, then looks at her own hands.

“You see? I'm ready for the cold, I won't freeze out here”

Although Peridot feels she did a great job of bringing Snowflake down to earth about their mutual circumstances, Snow does not seem pleased, nor relieved, if anything, she seems rather distressed. Perhaps she is horrified at the amount of time she wasted escorting Peridot, when she was perfectly capable of getting there on her own.

"There are blizzards." That's what she says. "There are blizzards that have knocked out even the biggest of us, Peridot." She repeats and Peridot blinks, mouth open, as she realizes she's listening to a gem defend her point about why she should be protected. —Your boots wouldn't tie you to the ground in one of those, I would.

She takes two steps forward, cradling Peridot's arms in her hands, just to prove her point “You could sink in the sand.”

“I-”

"I know you could get out of there, stars, you probably have artificial heating in your gloves to protect your gem from the cold" she says, whispering in frustration and shaking her head "but even if that were the case, there are still beasts here, some of them, any of them, could take you by surprise. And I know, I know it's unlikely, impossible for that to happen, you peridots, you're always looking at everything, but still-"

Snowflake moves an inch closer, her head lowered, causing the snowflakes that were stuck in her mane to now fall on Peridot's head. She watches the little white specks fall and Peridot deliberately ignores the fact that she already knows what she is remembering the other gem, and where this conversation will go.

Not that it matters, really.

“That rock, on the first day," Peridot first supplied, because mentioning it now wouldn't make any difference.

Peridot had been distracted that day, focused on the tools in her hands fixing the golden sphere dented by one of the Winter Gems' experimental weapons. She forgot about her surroundings, about those around her, and, when she realized it, she was trapped, pinned to the ground between the arms of Snowflake who pulled her to the side, and watching the luminous ball of light, the electricity from one of her destabilizers, burst against the ground where she had been lying a few seconds ago.

"That rock could have killed you, shattered you." She breathes painfully. "If I hadn't been there, you would have been torn to shreds."

Peridot forces herself to stop shaking, to calm down and put the idea out of her head. She takes a deep breath and plants a soft smile on her mouth.

“What's with that?”

Somehow, she manages to sound even, confident, and calm, even though the possibility of having, well, died, isn't the least bit exciting to her.

Yet…

Yet, in the grand scheme of things, she is just a peridot.

“What - excuse me?”

“What would happen?"

Snowflake freezes in place, rigid, her expressions opening in a daze, then closing "If I had been torn to pieces, they would have sent another peridot, you would have gotten your locker and, everything would be the same."

Peridot is aware of how crude she sounds, how insensitive she must seem. But, if Snowflake keeps coming back because she feels that without Peridot, she would be out of a job, well, Peridot is prepared to argue otherwise.

But all she says is,

“But you are the only peridot I like.”

And well, Peridot has no more discussions for that.

Because if it is something Snow decided, even though she was aware of all the facts, then who is Peridot to take that away from her?

__________

Here is a visual representation of them.

[frostfloweragainlol-alias-juno]

This is my first attempt at a kind of fanfic i guess? Lol its a bit of a test

Lets see how it goes

This is part 1

Dex belongs to @leech-twinz

Warnings: cussing , light sickness (flu)

Ships present: Cain x Oc (Dex), Abel x Larry

5 am

Another morning at site 17. Another day at the foundation. Scp 073 reached out to the alarm, which’s annoying ringtone had woken him up, and turned it off. He yawned, questioning to himself how he could be more tired than when he went to bed, and got up. Cain walked up to the bathroom, turned the tap on and started washing his face with cold water, in the attempt to better wake up and hopefully shake off this strange feeling of fatigue and tiredness. He turned off the tap and grabbed a towel to his face, then looked up:“Man, I really should shave '' was his first thought upon seeing his reflection in the mirror , but something made him observe closely. Cain noticed that his face was unusually pale and the bags under his eyes were somehow blacker than normal . “Yes, maybe I should '' he mumbled. He decided to dismiss the entire situation to the fact that maybe he should sleep more. There was no way he was sick. He hasn’t been sick in 1000 years! Nope, he must've been just tired. Right ? He sighed and made his way to the door leading on the corridor, then proceeded straight walking past the site’s canteen. Usually he would have stopped for some breakfast, but this time, while well knowing it wasn’t that much of a good idea, he decided not to. He didn’t feel much like eating right now, and only the thought of food made him nauseous.

“Hey dumbass!”

073 looked up

“Good morning to you too, brother”

“Have you seen Frost by any chance? It’s at least 30 minutes that i look for her!”

“Abel you know very well that she is never up before 8 am”

“And?”

“It’s 5 am”

“Oh”

“You guys better not be talking behind my back” Frost walked towards her brothers with a smirk

“Huh, since when are you a morning person ?” Smiled Cain

“Oh I’m not. But Zack unfortunately is. And the ringtone of his alarm today was so loud that I heard it from my cell. And that’s why I’m awake” Frost yawned “Man, I hate waking up- ... early-“

Scp 9108 stopped “Dude you alright? You don’t look too good “

Abel immediately looked at Cain

“Hm? Oh! Yes I’m fine, just tired” 073 shrugged off “ Maybe I should sleep more “

Frost stayed silent for a moment. 076 instead didn’t break eye contact , not believing a word of what his brother just said

“Fine” she obliged “still, you probably should go back to bed. You are pale as fuck “

“Nah, I’m fine”

“Well, I was going to eat something. Would you guys like to come too?”

“Fuck yeah! I haven’t had breakfast yet!” exclaimed Abel

“Thanks but no. I’m not hungry “

Abel began to stare again at his older brother

“What?”

“Nothing. Why?“

“You were looking at me weird—“

“I wasn’t “ argued 076

“...ok?””Anyway , I have to go. I have to catalog some documents and Doctor Glass asked me for some help. If you need me I’ll be in his office”

“Ok! See you later brother”

As Cain walked away Frost and Abel shared a worried look

“That was wired -“ mumbled 9108

“...”

“Aby?”

“Hm?”

“Dude, were you even listening to me?”

“Yeah. Sorry I was just thinking”

“—-“ “Yes, I’m worried too”

“Never said I was”

“Hmh. Yeah. Sure-“

Abel shrugged

Of course he was worried. Why would his brother lie like that?

“Hi guys!“

“AAHH!” 9108 rapidly looked behind her

“ Oh shoot! I’m sorry“ started apologizing Dex upon seeing the reaction of his sister-in-law

“No prob “ Frost reassured him “I just didn’t expect that lol”

“SERIOUSLY what does ‘lol’ mean?!” Abel glanced at the both of them in anger

“Pff-“

“Oh come on!”

“Hahahaa!”

076 started mumbling swear words in Sumerian under his breath, thing he always did when he was pissed

“Heyyyy- language-“ 9108 joked

“FUCK. OFF.”

“Ok jeeze “

“Are we going to have breakfast or not? I don’t have all day “

“Fine mr grumpy” she rolled her eyes “ Dex would you like to join?”

Dex nodded happily “Ofc!”he then stopped a second and proceeded to look around “Where’s Cain?”

Silence

Abel and Frost stared at each other.

“He went to help Doctor Glass” Frost responded, and then hesitantly continued with “And- well - he was weird this morning”

Dex started at her confused

“I’ll explain everything, but in the meantime let’s head to the canteen” continued 9108

“Ok” he obliged a bit anxiously

~

“Ok, and with this we have finished with scp 4001’s documents ” Doctor Glass closed the file on his tablet “Which one is next? Was it 005 ? “

No response

“Cain?” Glass looked up from his tablet and at his friend, who was sitting at the other end of the desk.

Cain had his head on the table , buried in his arms. Did he fall asleep? Wait- is he shaking?

Simon stood up and approached 073. He then proceeded to gently shake him by the shoulder. Cain groaned, blinked several times until he was somewhat awake and then looked up. It took him 10 seconds to realize he had been asleep for all the cataloging of 4001’s files.

“Omg- I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that “ he then apologized, with a weak voice

Doctor Glass stared at him worried. Cain was sweating and shaking, and was clearly trying to keep his eyes open to avoid falling asleep again, though he barely managed to keep them only halfway open.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah , I’m fine”

‘-No you aren’t-‘ Thought the scientist

“Listen, we actually finished cataloging everything for today, and I thank you a lot for helping me. ” He said “But you don’t look well at all, you really should go and rest.”

Cain stared at the table for several seconds, and finally nodded. He was right. It was stupid to keep working while in that state. He proceeded to stand up and, after waving off Doctor Glass, he started heading back to his chamber.

~

Abel made his way in the corridor, trying to focus on the incoming mission, but still failed to shake off the feeling of worry. He kept on walking, trying not to think about it. Then he noticed a familiar face in the corridor, coming from the opposite direction.

Cain? He already finished cataloging ?

“Cain!”

073 raised his eyes

Abel approached him. He observed him for a second and then immediately asked

“Are you ok?”

Cain stayed quiet for a few minutes. He really did not want to worry his brother, but it was too obvious at that point that he indeed wasn’t fine.

He shook his head. No.

076 placed a hand on 073’s forehead for then commenting with “ Your burning up! How are you even standing up!?” and “I’m bringing you back to your chamber this instant!”

Cain didn’t say a word, he just nodded. He was too exhausted to do anything else other than that.

~

Upon entering the cell, Abel immediately placed his brother in bed. He then proceeded to find and hand him a thermometer.

“Well? Don’t just stare at it dumbass!” He said annoyed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Cain glanced at Abel “Calm down, sheesh”

“Just use it idiot “

A few seconds later the thermometer beeped and 073 it handed it back to 076

“104 °F? How in the FUCK are you even still conscious?!”

Abel sighed

“What made you think it was a good idea going to work like this?!” He then yelled

“ I don’t know “

“What do you mean you don’t know?!?!”

“I- don’t know, ok? Maybe I didn’t want to worry anybody or maybe it was for another reason. I just don’t know “

“Well you just fucking worsen things. Couldn’t you just use your brain and think about it for once?! Why tf are you so -“

“....I know...... you’re right ........I’m sorry”

He lowered his head, staring at his hands, that was now squeezing tightly into fists

-Aw shit - Abel sighed again

“Hey- I didn’t mea-“

“I know. Don’t worry “

“No really I’m sor- “

“No problem “

076 grabbed him by the shoulders

“ Cain please. I really didn’t mean to yell at you like that. I was just worried”

Cain looked up at his brother

“And sometimes you should take a break from work” Abel continued “You need some time to rest , you’re not a robot for God’s sake!”

Cain nodded

“Guess you’re r-“ his sentence was roughly interrupted by a series of coughing fits and a sneeze.

“Uh- I’ll get you some tissues. You’ll need them “ 076 stood up

073 sniffled “Thank you” he replied weakly

Abel got some tissues and some cough and fever medicine , then gave the tissues to Cain, just in time for him to sneeze into one. He also handed him the medication along with a spoon

“Don’t stain the sheets with that “ he slightly smirked

Cain nodded again, this time with a weak smile