#surface inspection market

[insightfulblogz]

Surface Inspection Market Dynamics, Driving Factors, and Applications by 2032

Market Scope & Overview

The market research report includes company and product introductions, market status and development trends by type and applications, pricing and profit status, marketing status, market growth factors and challenges, industry forecasts, worldwide major players/suppliers, and regional market share. The purpose of this research is to look at both potential revenue streams and the present market position. The entire market ecology is investigated, including technological advancements, applications and end users, product offers, governmental frameworks, and predicted market growth.

The Surface Inspection Market research report began with definitions, classifications, applications, and market overviews before progressing to product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, and raw materials. Following that, the Surface Inspection market study examined the current condition of the major global markets, including product price, profit, production, supply, demand, market growth rate, and projections, among other things.

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Market Segmentation Analysis

The global Surface Inspection market is divided into segments based on market participants, geographic regions, application kinds, and other criteria. Custom research can be incorporated to meet specific needs of yours. Finally, the report's conclusion section includes remarks from industry experts. A SWOT analysis of the market is included in the research study.

BY COMPONENT:

Frame Grabbers

Lighting Equipment

Software

Cameras

Optics

Processors

Other

BY SYSTEM

Camera-based system

Computer-based system

BY SURFACE TYPE

2D

3D

BY VERTICAL

Semiconductor

Electrical & Electronics

Food & Packaging

Plastic & Rubber

Automotive

Glass & Metal

Healthcare

Printing

Regional Outlook

The Surface Inspection market research study focuses on the world's key regions and countries while extensively examining the most important regional market circumstances. The examination included a SWOT analysis of a new project, an assessment of an investment's viability, and an analysis of the investment return.

Competitive Analysis

The research report provides an in-depth analysis of the Surface Inspection market, as well as information on a variety of industry participants and the competitive landscape, potential threats, and future development prospects. This research study thoroughly examines each company's profile. This area of research covers topics like as capacity, production, revenue, cost, gross margin, sales revenue, consumption, growth rate, supply, future strategies, and technological improvements. The analysis examines market participants, raw material and equipment suppliers, end users, traders, distributors, and other key players.

Major players in the surface inspection market are Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Allied Vision Technologies, Basler, Cognex Corporation, Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Matrox Electronic Systems, ISRA Vision, Keyence Corporation

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Key Reasons to Buy Surface Inspection Market Report

Investigate the marketing strategies used by the most successful businesses in your field.

Determine the sector's primary motivators and constraints, as well as their impact on the worldwide market.

To comprehend the most significant industry-specific driving and restraining forces, as well as their global ramifications.

Conclusion

Through in-depth market analysis, you will gain a complete understanding of the global market and its commercial landscape. Following a detailed market analysis, the reader will have a firm grasp of the worldwide Surface Inspection market and its business environment.

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[bommagoni]

Surface Inspection Market Size, Growth Insight 2024 to 2030

[imrreport]

Surface Inspection Region Global Analysis and Forecast, 2022- 2028

Surface inspection systems are used for consistent inspection and monitoring of inspection and surface applications. Surface inspection reveals cracks, holes, joints, dents, structures and scratches that occur during the manufacturing process and cross-border transportation. Automated visual inspection systems are designed for a variety of components and can be used for packaging, engineering, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, production sorting and other automated and robotic applications. Surface vision and inspection systems help manufacturing companies improve process accuracy, productivity and save costs.

Read More: https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/reports/surface-inspection-market/ 

[marksmithimarc]

The global surface vision and inspection market is driven by several key factors. The increasing demand for quality control and automation in manufacturing processes is significantly boosting the adoption of surface vision and inspection systems.

[marketresearchtrendsandinsights]

Surface Vision and Inspection Market trends growth & Analysis

https://www.researchnester.com/reports/surface-vision-and-inspection-market/5539

[cameronspecial]

Helping rafe to use a fleshlight🫦

Helping Hand

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: SMUT and Sex Toys

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 1.0K

A/N: I did research for this and an info video for a fleshlight had me giggling. Like, tell me why it has erectile dysfunction aid.

Masterlist

Rafe wasn’t a prude. He liked to fuck just as much as the next guy; however, before Y/N, he had never used sex toys. His arrogance made him think that only guys who couldn’t get it up would use them. 

She, on the other hand, loves the tools that can help heighten the pleasure for both of them. So she has been working toward getting him to bring the toys into their sex lives. It began with having him watch her use a vibrator. She used it to stimulate her clit, but when it came to penetration, Rafe stopped her and brought her to her release himself. The next step was being able to use a dildo to penetrate herself. It took everything in him not to take it out of her and throw it out the window. As she used the imitation dick, he got turned on by the sight. Maybe, letting her use the toys wasn’t so bad. 

Rafe’s upcoming business trip has her scanning an adult toy website she can use while she is away. Her eyes land on a particular object and it catches her interest. This could be the perfect next step in her plan. 

———

The night before his trip, he is folding clothes to pack. She tip-toes into the room in her purple silk nightgown that he leaves and her hands are behind her back. Déjà vu comes over him. He is familiar with this view. He rests the pants in the suitcase with a sigh, “What am I going to watch you fuck now? Is it one of those full dummy things? Please tell me it’s not that, they freak me out.” She giggles with a shake of her head. Her hair falls over her shoulders as she does. “Nope. Actually… it’s something for you,” she confesses, raising her hands to reveal the toy. His eyes narrow at the object. 

It’s a black cone-shaped object. One end is rounded and the other is flatter with a bump as well as a red scoop-shaped thing attached to it. “What is that?” he questions. She steps forward with a bashful smile, spinning it around so he can clearly see the end with the scoop. “This is a fleshlight. One of the best on the market, Baby.” She hands it over to him so he can inspect it. He identifies the bump as an imposter labia and clit. In between, folds is a hole and looking inside of it shows tiny bumps. He moves on to the red scoop, which also has the same bumpy surface as the inside. “It’s a fleshlight,” she says, wrapping her arms around his neck to place a kiss on his lips to butter him up. His eyes widen and he throws it onto the bed. “No, no way. I’m not using that.” She pouts and plays at the hair at the base of his neck. “Aww, come on. I bought it just for you, with my own money. Are you telling me you aren’t going to use my gift to you, Baby?” she whines. She looks up at him through her eyelashes and bats them in the way she knows gets him to do anything for her. 

His bottom lip nestles between his teeth and he surrenders. “Fine. I’ll try it out.” She jumps up with small claps of her hand, “Yay! I promise you’ll love it. It will make phone sex so much better.” He doesn’t say anything and just strips down. He settles onto the bed with his back against the headboard. His head tilts to the corner of the bed across from him and she hops on. She rests her feet under her bum, spreading her legs so he can see her pantie-less pussy. “I wanna watch you use it.” 

He obeys. His hand grabs the toy and he spits into his hand to help with the friction. After he rubs the saliva over his shaft, he replaces his hand with the toy. The silicone feels strange against him, unlike the warmth and wetness he is used to. It doesn’t feel pleasant, yet it doesn’t feel amazing either. He pumps himself a few times while staring right at her. He quickly gives up and throws the toy to the side. “There I tried it and I don’t like it. So, can you come here to take care of this,” he whines. She plays along, crawling over to him and throwing her legs over his hips. When he reaches down to line himself up, she leans over to his bedside table and pulls something out. She straightens up and shows him the bottle of lube and a remote control. “That’s because I was hiding one final piece of the puzzle.” She pours the liquid on his length, cupping it to spread it all over. Then, she guides the fleshlight onto him. He moans at the re-entry. She reaches between them and places his balls onto the red silicone.

She shifts so she is straddling one of his thighs and presses a button on the remote. It begins to vibrate. The intensity near his balls and tip has him thrusting slowly upward. She smirks at the motion. This is working. His eyes flick to her vagina and she begins to ride his thigh. Her moans add to his enjoyment and he doesn’t bother to hide his anymore. His hips speed up, causing her to giggle. “If you think this is good, wait until you feel what happens when I press this button,” she teases. Her finger hovers over it before applying pressure. The trinket works on its own to suck him into its grasp and the bristles brush against him. “Oh,” he lets out, grabbing onto her waist to give him something to do. She lets him help her move, “See, you like this.” 

The muscles in the Adonis belt spasm and she knows what that means. She presses the button three more times, speeding up the pace of the toy. His thumb falls to her bud and he circles it at the same speed. She collapses onto him with her forehead against his shoulder as they are both brought over the edge. They both pant in silence while they come down from their highs. She leans back to look at him with a grin, “So, what do you think?” 

“I think that maybe it doesn’t hurt to have a helping hand.”

Taglist: @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @thepatriarchykeychain @drewsmusee @starkowswife @maybankslover @forstarkey @loving-and-dreaming @magicalyoura @rubixgsworld

[hunny-pp]

PENACONY 2.1 SPOILERS /

[basically a more elaborate version of my twt thread on this]

I don't think I'm the first or only person to say this, but I do think Gallagher is v likely a memory zone meme

EDIT: heres pt 1.2 with additional evidence

Sunday deduces that Gallagher is an amalgamation of fifty-one Family members, who he's inherited physical traits from to create the appearance he has now.

Gallagher alludes in his own story that he may not be human

In short, Memory Zone Memes are amalgamations of multiple fragments of the Memory Zone, all have reflections of different memories, cognitions and emotions.

A meme in definition is when something, usually ideas, culture or behaviour is passed to another person through imitation or non-genetic means.

It makes sense for Gallagher, as he mimicked the physical traits of Family members without taking them or that trait away - these NPCs are very much fine and you can interact with them. It's more like a copy-paste onto himself.

Other little details include: -This could change in the future depending on if we get any fire units, but for Gallagher specifically, he takes the Raging Heart materials - which is harvested from a Memory Zone Meme-type enemy. This one's a bit of a stretch but it fits nonetheless

-His signature colour is magenta - shown in his clothing, his marketing materials and in the VFX of his attacks, his claw and his brew. This colour is specifically his and not something he had inherited from someone else.

Memory Zone Memes, especially "Something Upon Death" have stark magenta/purple/pink eyes and cores. When seen from afar or at least in a general sense, the shades are similar enough

-The writing style of Gallagher's stories feel strange, like different aspects of Gallagher's personality and life are on the outside looking in. Akin to a reflective surface giving off different reflections from different angles of the same subject. It adds to the idea that there are multiple aspects and fragments within Gallagher all looking within each other.

Mixology and The Dreamjolt Hostelry:

Gallagher's main interest outside of work is mixology. Like any culinary craft, there's an inherent science behind it, and it takes a lot of work and knowledge to craft well constructed cocktails and drinks. Symbolically, mixology complements Gallagher, as he himself is a combination of a diverse range of people. When you view these inherited traits isolated, you know they come from someone real - but when put together, they form One Complete Gallagher - cohesive and seamless.

While you can say the same for different branches of culinary arts, mixology in particular symbolically represents Gallagher the most. This is just from a layman's perspective but when I view the same with cocktails - from a general inspection it's one cohesive drink even if from taste or watching the process, I know it's all made with different components.

Notably, when Gallagher talks about mixing drinks, he describes it as akin to combining different emotions, experiences and memories into a singular cocktail and it's reflective of both customer and bartender's own current state of being.

His philosophy on mixology links back to the concept of Memory Zone Memes, manifestations of fragmented memories, emotions and cognitions nestled into a vessel.

The reason why I bring up the Dreamjolt Hostelry is because of the Vignettes in a Cup event (spoilers for it). It's not explicit in his stories or voicelines, but going by the Trailblaze quest, it's implied that the Dreamjolt Hostelry is the lounge/bar he regulars for a drink or to hone his craft as he's v friendly and familiar to Siobhan and is seen in the 2.1 trailer to be serving a Dreamjolt Domescreen (whether it's Lady or not doesn't matter).

Dreamjolt Hostelry is in the sealed off dreamscape Reverie, where the corrupted Dreamjolt Troupe monsters and Memory Zone Memes reside. Notably, where you encounter Something Unto Death in key moments of the story.

I'd like to believe Gallagher is very comfortable with the company of monsters, going by the fact that he himself is non-human.

In Vignettes in a Cup, Siobhan explains that the reason why she mixes drinks for the Dreamjolt Troupe monsters is that it helps regulate their emotions - since the dreamscape is falling apart and in turn they have become unstable.

Gallagher himself in one of his idle animations drinks an unknown concoction from his hipflask once his scar starts acting up - in which it settles back down. It's hard to discern in this point in time how long this has been going for, but as a non-human entity (meme or not), the dreamscape's decay is also likely affecting Gallagher and thus he has to regulate himself.

Why Do The Heathen Rage?: In the mission "Why Do The Heathen Rage?" we learn a lot of the Watchmaker's secret history as well as a general run through of Gallagher's own personal story.

First off, a lot of Penacony's trailblaze mission titles are references to songs, literature and media relevant to the themes of Penacony and/or by American classical authors or poets (ie Heaven is a Place on Earth, Cat Among Pigeons, The Tell-Tale Heart).

Why Do The Heathen Rage is both based on Psalm 2.1 Old Testament, but also it's a fragment of an unfinished novel by Flannery O'Connor. Fragment of a novel -> Gallagher is made of fragments of different people -> Memory Zone Memes are fragments of (I'm booed off the stage for being a broken record).

The story tells of a man called Walter Tilman who lives on his family's farm. There he starts to write letters to different people - particularly to Oona Gibbs, a black civil rights activist. However, he writes to her under the guise of a black man, and writes with the intention of testing the commitment and integrity of her beliefs.

Going with what we know in hindsight, Gallagher is masquerading around as a human, likely as a Memory Zone Meme as we've realised hopefully by now that they're the monsters most likely to pull something of Gallagher's calibre off.

This is all I'm gonna talk about from "Why Do The Heathen Rage" mainly because my additional theories are based off leaks and are more speculative.

Bonus section: "Something Unto Death" When it comes to Gallagher's connection to the Memory Zone Meme "Something Unto Death", a lot comes from his many symbols of death. This is just a bit of a bonus since we're talking about Gallagher likely being a Memory Zone Meme, we might as well address the elephant in the room as well.

For brevity, we'll call the little guy "Death Meme". Death Meme is a Memory Zone Meme created from the Dreamscape's fear of death and murder as "death" shouldn't be something that can happen in the dreamscape.

Gallagher has a FUCK ton of symbolism and nods to death. The most striking is that Gallagher's iconic "I'm Thirteen", which is the number for the Major Arcana "Death". (For additional reference I also think Thirteen could be the amount of Amber Eras he's lived in, or that he's at least 1300 years old. Also since he has a lot of dog theming, 13 dog years in human years is around 60-80 depending on the dog's size).

Additionally, thirteen is a common number to represent bad omens and misfortune - namely the well known Friday the 13th superstition, amongst other things.

When Gallagher makes you a drink, no matter what choices you make - the cocktail will have a memento mori/death/morbidly themed name and he will accompany most of them with a sardonic toast.

Gallagher's eidolons are names of different cocktails which fit his mixology theme. However, Corpse Reviver, Last Word, Death in the Afternoon and Blood and Sand are all death centric names, as if he couldn't get edgier enough.

There's also the call into question his playstyle, where he's a much more aggressive battle healer than the likes of Luocha and is the first abundance character to provide debuffs on the enemy, and derives healing through damaging opponents.

Conclusion: If you've read this far then I'm assuming you're as normal about Gallagher as I am. But yeah, there is so much to him I haven't touched on, his connections to the Enigmata, my continuation on this theory based on leaks and his shared past with Mikhail, what I think he'll do in the plot moving forward. This patch and its characters are themed around hiding secrets and that there's more than meets the eye. Gallagher in particular has proved to be the most mysterious of the trio, as while we've gotten a clear enough picture of both Acheron and Aventurine but there's still enough intrigue to keep them going, Gallagher's just given me more questions than answers man.

[lesinquietes]

You visit Doctor!Kai’s office at 9 am on Monday for your next session with him. You look like you haven’t eaten or slept right in days. He asks you what’s been going on. In a hollow, broken voice, you mumble, I’m worried about what you found. Behind his medical mask, he smirks. Ah. The fear-mongering worked. You’re such a vulnerable little lamb in his grasp right now.

“You’ll be okay, so long as you heed my advice,” he reassures you with a warm tone, accompanying his lie with a fake smile. “I’m here to help you, (f/n).”

He imagines, for a brief moment, that he’s lecturing you as your husband. So long as you obey me, I’ll protect you. That speech will come later, though. It’s enough that you look reassured.

He steps out of the room as you change into your medical gown and lie down on the examination table. He’s almost ashamed of how eager he enters when you give him the go ahead. Thankfully, you’re too nervous to notice. Cute little thing. You seem to trust him with your life. Did he make that good of an impression on you?

He situates himself at your feet and asks if you’re ready. You bob your head, fixated on the ceiling. He slips the gown above your knees and marvels at your puffy pussy. He’s never wanted to worship one before. He craves to bury his face between your folds and taste your engorged bud. He pines for the sensation of your juicy thighs against the sides of his face as you claw at the metal surface, desperate at the height of pleasure. But he won’t indulge. Those are the kinds of things husbands do to their submissive, doting wives — the women who prove they deserve it. You haven’t earned that type of attention from him yet. When he finally tastes his first clit, it’ll be when you’re legally his.

He grabs an instrument from the desk next to him. You catch at glimpse of it. Your heart drops when you piece together that it’s a dildo. He tells you it’s to stretch your tight cunt enough for him to inspect you more closely. You don’t want him to miss anything, do you? No, absolutely not.

He lathers the toy in lubricant and twists it into your hole. He’s impressed when it slips snugly into your moist cavern. He keeps it lodged there, intent on studying your expressions. You like this, don’t you? He thought he would have to use the arousal gel he bought on the black market — the kind that don’t wear off for days. He’s glad you’re in the spirit to be a good girl for him. Anything to ensure your health and survival, right? And perhaps you’re a little lonely on that big farm of yours.

He straps your ankles into the stirrups. You can’t get away now. You’re even more helpless like this. It’s difficult for him to contain a devious cackle that threatens to spill from his lips. He pinches your clit gently between his thumb and index finger. You gasp. His eyes narrow. He reminds you that this is strictly procedure. You apologize adorably, orbs downcast and cheeks hot from embarrassment. He didn’t realize how much joy he would take from shaming you for your body’s natural reactions.

He dips his fingers back down to play with your nub, rubbing and flicking it with gloved digits. Your pupils roll to the back of your skull. You can’t help it. He’s stroking you intimately — in a manner only you’ve graced yourself with before. You’re able to hold on until he decides to remove the dildo. The movement of the toy and his dexterous fingers tips you into an orgasm. It surprises you both. Your toes curl and your throat closes up. Your back arches and your jaw unscrews, preparing to release a cry. You cover your mouth to prevent the loudest mown of your life from rattling the neighborhood.

Doctor!Kai retracts his hand and glares at the mess you made on his glove. His nose wrinkles. He normally doesn’t like bodily fluids… but perhaps he can’t view this as proof of a massive victory. He made you cum.

He removes the gloves and tosses them into the trash, replacing them with a new pair. All the while, you stay in place. Your chest is heaving wildly, and you’re gazing up at the ceiling vacantly. He wonders if he broke you. Maybe you’re nothing more than a brainless toy, at his disposal.

Then, you jerk up from the examination table. You seem feral, at first. He half expects you to wrestle your way out of the stirrups and run away. He doesn’t want to chase you, but he will if he make him. Thankfully, you stay put.

Both of you wait in limbo; incredibly connected through sexual and emotional energy. You don’t blink, lost in this ever present bond. He watches you with hawk-like eyes, a predator stalking weak prey. He feels the shift, too. You’re cracking.

At last, you crane your neck around to stare at him. Your lower lip is trembling, as though you’re able to cry. He thinks, for a fraction of a second, that he’s shattered your pretty mind. Suddenly, you jut your face forward, clumsily pressing your lips against his mask-laden mouth.

His eyes widen. He stiffens from head to toe. The mighty doctor — one of Shie Hassaikai’s most esteemed members — is rendered useless for a moment by a mere kiss. Well, a mere kiss to everyone else. A mere kiss to your exes, who didn’t appreciate the time they shared with you, or the love your graciously offered. A mere kiss to those who dismissed you as nothing but flesh, adamant to conquer your temple and tarnish it with their filth. But to him? To him, it was more. To him, it resounded what he already knew: that you were meant to be his wife.

He snaps out of his paralysis and wraps an arm around you, pressing you more passionately against him. He wants to take you. His cock rouses hungrily in his trousers, prompting him to accept what’s his. You want him to take you, as well. He wishes he could.

He pulls back. You don’t stop him. You simply gaze in his direction curiously. It’s enough to draw a curt chuckle from his closed lips. You’re incredibly beautiful. Gently, he collects your chin in his grasp. He hasn’t broken you, but he’s knocked a few of your screws loose. What sane woman comes into her physician?

“I’m going to change the frequency of our sessions together,” he murmurs. “Twice per week.”

You nod silently, transfixed.

“9 am Mondays and 7 pm Fridays. We’ll extend treatment into the weekend, if I deem it necessary.”

You concede again.

He hums with approval. That schedule is ideal. You start and finish your week with him. On Friday evenings, he can take you home with him. The streets will be quiet enough, given that the clinic closes at 5 pm. No one will be around to see him escort you into his vehicle. He’ll have you all to himself for the weekend, and into Monday.

“Make arrangements for your animals and crops to be cared for over the weekend.” He instructs. “And don’t tell them where you’re going… unless you want to be embarrassed.”

He knows that’s the last thing you want. This community is too small. Rumors are spread quickly. If you tell someone you have a medical condition involving your womanhood, you’ll be viewed differently by others.

“One last thing.” He tilts his chin higher, gazing down at you with ravenous passion. “Are you pure?”

Purity isn’t common amongst adults in their twenties. He doesn’t anticipate that your flower was left untouched. He holds his breath, unknowingly, until you bob your head shyly. Your mouth runs dry. Yes. Yes. You’re a virgin. You’re clean.

“Was that your first orgasm?”

Once more, you confirm his suspicion. No wonder you reacted to him with such fire after you recovered from the energy you spent. He’s heard that women tend to attach after they’re intimate with a man.

“Good.” He praises, voice husky with lust. “I’ll be the sole one to mold you.”

At the end of your visit, he steps out of the examination room to let you change back into your clothes. He does it out of courtesy. Sure, he’s already seen it all, but his years in the yakuza taught him to also be a gentleman. Besides, he’ll be seeing much more of you soon enough.

Previous l Next

𝔉𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔲

[mydearestbeloved]

Chapter 9 [Draft]

Sung Jinwoo/Trial Player!Reader

CW:

Inspired by @circeyoru ‘s “Future Power Couple”

[Masterlist🦋✨️]

Jinwoo had been mulling over a simple, yet increasingly puzzling question: How does one even contact you?

Despite weeks of fighting together, not once had he taken the initiative to reach out. The strange thing? You two hadn’t even exchanged numbers. You either planned your next raid before parting ways, or—more recently—you would simply show up because of your own schedule, or a butterfly of yours would come to him first.

The answer came to him, in a way that felt both obvious and absurd. Your butterflies.

Jinwoo wasn’t one to wait idly for answers, so he decided to test his theory. Concentrating on the familiar presence of your aura, he extended his hand, replicating that feeling in his mind. Moments later, one of your butterflies—the one that often remained hidden nearby, perhaps acting as your eyes—fluttered into view, landing lightly on his open palm.

Its wings faltered slightly, as if in acknowledgment.

This might actually work.

Closing his eyes, Jinwoo focused on the connection he had felt before, the distinct feeling of the red butterfly communicating with him.

Take me to her.

He didn’t know if it would respond, but soon enough, the butterfly took off, guiding him through the city.

---

He found you in the Hunter’s Market, haggling with a merchant. You were engaged in a rather intense back-and-forth, and judging by the merchant’s begrudging look, you were winning. In your hands, Jinwoo caught sight of what looked like a dormant magic beast egg, likely the reason for the negotiation.

"You're late."

You greeted him without even turning around, continuing to inspect the wares. Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. Not even a flicker of surprise from you. It was becoming clear that not much could catch you off guard.

By now, he was getting used to your way of doing things. "I need to talk to you."

There was an unspoken understanding between you that this wasn’t a conversation for public ears.

As you continued to browse the market, you hummed in acknowledgment. "I need to talk to you about some things too. Let’s continue this conversation in my domain. I’ll be done here in a few."

Jinwoo froze, staring at your back in confusion.

“Domain?"

"Dungeon," you corrected nonchalantly, still focused on the items displayed before you, your words casual as if you were discussing the weather.

Jinwoo’s brain paused for a moment.

"You own a dungeon?"

At that, you paused, a beat of silence passing before you turned toward him with a curious tilt of your head. "Did I never mention it before?"

"..."

"Ah."

For a split second, Jinwoo had the very distinct and rare urge to pinch your cheek. But instead, he just stared, half-amused, half-incredulous. You owned a dungeon, and you were mentioning it in the most off-handed way possible.

Of course, you would be the kind of person to forget to bring up owning something like that.

And just like that, another piece of the puzzle that was you fell into place, though Jinwoo knew he had only barely scratched the surface.

---

Jinwoo couldn't help but feel a rising sense of disbelief as he followed you into the alley. He had barely come to terms with the revelation that you owned a dungeon. Even now, he had to force himself to stop asking questions before they overwhelmed him.

He kept telling himself, Stay calm. Just get to a private place. Ask your questions there.

But, of course, fate had other plans.

As if summoned by his very thoughts, a glowing portal materialized in front of them with a soft hum. Jinwoo froze mid-step, his eyes widening. The gate was far smaller than the typical ones he had encountered, just big enough to fit a full-grown adult comfortably—yet there was no mistaking it for anything but a dungeon gate. The shimmering silver-white wisps that surrounded it were unlike any other, almost blending with rainbow-like accents at the edges. It looked... strange, subdued compared to the usual ethereal blues and reds, but somehow still powerful.

It was just his luck.

Jinwoo had been trying to push the thousand and one questions flooding his mind to the back of his thoughts, but now, they came rushing back in full force. He glanced at you, but you didn’t even seem phased by the sudden appearance of the portal. Instead, you waved him forward, as if portals and dungeons appeared in alleyways every day.

He hesitated for a split second but, deciding it was better to follow your lead than be left behind in confusion, he stepped forward, his senses alert. The instant he crossed the threshold of the gate, everything seemed to shift. The world around him blurred for a second before stabilizing again, and he found himself standing in a vast open temple-like structure.

It was nothing like the harsh, ominous dungeons he’d been to before.

The structure was grand, with high ceilings and pillars that seemed to stretch endlessly upwards. The atmosphere had an air of serenity to it, something so starkly different from what he expected when entering a dungeon. But it didn’t end there. As he followed you forward, stepping through what looked like the entrance of a colossal, ancient temple, Jinwoo’s gaze was drawn outward.

The view beyond the floating temple was breathtaking.

The sight was nothing short of a dreamscape. Lush forests and vast gardens stretched far beyond what the eye could see. Gentle rivers meandered through valleys, their sparkling waters catching the sunlight. Towering, misty mountains loomed in the distance, and there were labyrinthine paths that seemed to lead into hidden areas, mysterious domed structures rising proudly in the distance. The land appeared to have been untouched by time, ancient and majestic in its quiet beauty.

It felt more like a paradise than any dungeon Jinwoo had ever seen.

This is a dungeon?

"I know, right?" you spoke, breaking his thoughts, your voice playful. "Trust me, the first time I got here, I thought I was dead and that this was paradise."

Jinwoo’s eyes flicked to you in surprise.

But you continued walking calmly ahead without a glance back, seeming completely at ease, at home.

This place, this dungeon, was a paradox. It was both beautiful and dangerous, serene and lethal. As you moved forward, he couldn’t help but make comparisons. It reminded him of the butterflies—so ethereal, so delicate, yet with a deadly bite.

Like you, Jinwoo realized.

As if sensing his thoughts, you shot him a brief glance over your shoulder. Your eyes caught his for a moment before you turned back ahead, leading him forward through the landscape. Jinwoo shook his head, his thoughts momentarily swirling. But something made him froze in his steps.

He watched you from behind, the soft fluttering of butterflies surrounding you, some of them trailing closely behind, others flitting about aimlessly.

One butterfly, the familiar red one, fluttered close to you and landed delicately on your finger. You brought it up to your lips and kissed it gently, a soft, quiet action that felt impossibly tender.

Divine.

Jinwoo couldn’t help but wonder again, and for some reason, his pulse quickened. But, before he could dwell too much on his absurd thoughts, he shook his head and hurried to catch up with you.

---

The two of you continued walking until you reached a beautiful outdoor gazebo. The serene atmosphere of the garden, complete with a quiet pond surrounded by vibrant flowers, made it feel just like the rest of this space shouldn’t had been, a paradise. The soft trickle of water from nearby waterfalls added to the peaceful ambiance. On the table in front of the gazebo, there was tea and snacks laid out, ready for the conversation he knew he had to have with you.

Jinwoo sat down across from you, his mind buzzing with questions. He had so many things he wanted to know, and yet, he wasn’t sure where to start.

You, on the other hand, took a sip of your tea, completely at ease, before setting it down. You studied him quietly for a moment, perhaps waiting for him to speak first.

It took a moment, but Jinwoo finally asked, "This place... this dungeon. How did you come to own it?"

You sighed, leaning back in your chair, looking out over the garden for a moment as if gathering your thoughts. "Ah, yes. The story of how I got this place. It’s not simple, but I suppose I owe you an explanation."

You paused, seeming to gather yourself. "The truth is, this dungeon was here long before I ever arrived. In fact, I... was lost here when I was a child."

Jinwoo blinked, surprised. You—lost?

You continued, seemingly unfazed by his reaction. "I was barely a teen when I stumbled into it. The Trial System... it didn’t exactly help me, if you know what I mean. But it gave me a challenge I couldn’t ignore. To leave this place, I had to defeat the dungeon’s guardians."

Guardians? Bosses? Multiple?

You caught his gaze, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if that was a question. Jinwoo didn’t say anything, but his mind whirled. It was clear that this place wasn’t like any other dungeon he’d ever encountered.

"So, how did you own it?" he asked, his voice quieter now, as if trying to make sense of this all.

“The Trial System gave it to me as a... reward, I guess,” you said, a faint smile playing on your lips. "It’s mine now, in every sense of the word. And because I own it, I can summon it whenever I need to. I can open a portal to it and leave at will." You looked at him, eyes gleaming. "That’s how I was able to summon that gate earlier. It’s a... special gift."

Jinwoo absorbed the information, slowly piecing it together. "So, you can teleport anywhere?”

“Not exactly, I need to have a clear picture of where I want to go." You shrugged nonchalantly.

Jinwoo exhaled sharply, his thoughts swirling. As much as he wanted to ask more—wanted to demand answers—he felt something within him pull him back. This was your secret to reveal, in your own time.

So, instead of questioning you further, he allowed himself a moment of quiet contemplation. You seemed to know what he was thinking. With a soft smile, you raised your cup again and said, "I don’t mind sharing more, Jinwoo. But just know, some things are better left unsaid.”

Jinwoo nodded, his gaze lingering on you. He would get the answers he was looking for, one way or another. But for now, he would have to trust you—because there was no other choice.

---

Jinwoo stared at you, completely flabbergasted, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You have to what now?"

You sighed, sinking a bit deeper into the seat of the gazebo, as if this whole conversation were some kind of exhausting memory you'd rather not dig up. "I have to level up my skills manually. Yes. Manually."

You could almost see the gears turning in his head as he tried to wrap his mind around it. "Wait, so… no shortcuts? No automatic leveling?"

"None." You let out a dramatic groan, leaning back and stretching your arms out. "The system basically made me work my way up through blood, sweat, and endless labor. You’d think the trial version would offer at least some quality-of-life updates, but nope. If I wanted to get better at farming, I had to actually go out and till the fields. If I wanted to improve cooking… yeah, let’s just say that was a nightmare."

Jinwoo blinked, half in shock, half in amusement. "Wait… so, all those skills that the system grants—crafting, mining, cooking—you had to actually do all those things?"

"Yep," you replied, with a roll of your eyes. "No instant boosts for me. While you get to succeed or fail with crafting based on your intelligence stat, I actually had to sit down and grind every skill point myself. And, of course, I started off just as badly as you’d expect.”

He tried to picture it and stifled a laugh. "So you’re telling me… you burned a boiled egg?”

"Listen," you huffed, giving him an exasperated look. "It was the lowest-level cooking skill, okay? Apparently, it was so low that I couldn't even be trusted to make something as simple as a boiled egg. Somehow, it just… burned." You buried your face in your hands, grumbling, "It’s still a mystery to me how boiling water and an egg turned into charcoal. But that was my life. Trial version for the win."

Jinwoo couldn’t hold back his laugh anymore, and the sound of it filled the air, rich and full of genuine amusement. "You? Burning an egg? You?"

"Hey, don’t laugh! It’s not funny," you protested and pouted at him. "Let’s just say I made my fair share of… tragic cooking attempts before my skill level got high enough to handle basic meals without a disaster."

You watched him try to stifle his laughter, but your own lips twitched, betraying a smile as well. "And it wasn’t just cooking," you added. "Farming was another story. I didn’t even know the basics—soil preparation, crop rotation, pest control. Do you have any idea how long it took me to produce anything that wasn't... wilted? Even mining was brutal. There I was, chipping away with an old pickaxe for hours just to get a sliver of ore."

He shook his head, still grinning. "Looks like you went through your own personal training arc as well."

"Of course I do." you agreed with a snort. "If the system hadn’t taken feedback from me eventually, you’d be the one cursing it out every time you tried to do something simple. But yeah, thankfully, the system decided to cut you a break. Guess my suffering counted for something, after all."

You straightened in your seat and took a sip of your tea, a satisfied smirk crossing your face. "But at least, once I got a skill to a decent level, it stayed there. Permanent. I don’t have to touch a frying pan for years, and the skill level’s still as good as ever. And the skills I invested in heavily—those have even broader effects."

Jinwoo’s brow furrowed, curious now. "Broader effects?"

You nodded, glancing up thoughtfully as if reliving memories. "Take my language skill, for example. I leveled it up while studying Monster Tongue, which was excruciating at first. But once I maxed out that skill, learning other languages was a breeze. The system gave me a boost, kind of like an automatic enhancement for anything similar. If I tried learning another language now, it’d be easy compared to when I first started out.”

He gave a low whistle. "So basically, the more you leveled up, the easier it became to learn things related to that skill?"

"Exactly." You placed your cup back on the saucer with a gentle clink. "Though there’s a catch. Back then, whenever the system went through an update, some skills would get expanded. The cap would get set higher, and I’d have to grind all over again to max them out."

You gave him a look of exasperation. "Imagine maxing out a skill only for the system to update and say, 'Hey, you can go up to Level 50 now instead of 30!' That happened so many times, I lost count."

Jinwoo leaned back, his expression growing more serious. "So… what happens now? Are you stuck with your current stats forever?"

You took a slow breath, letting the question sink in before nodding. "That’s exactly it. Since the trial stage ended when you became the player, there haven’t been any more updates. My levels, skills, and stats… they’re frozen as they are. I can’t adjust my stats, I can’t level anything up, that’s why I don’t get EXP anymore. It’s like I’m in a kind of… stasis."

He was silent for a moment, digesting the weight of that statement. It was strange to think that someone with as much knowledge and power as you would be… limited.

"I still have everything I gained during the trial, of course," you continued, your tone turning thoughtful as you gazed out over the garden. "But it’s a strange feeling, knowing that I’ll never improve again. All my stats, skills, and levels are frozen in time. There’s no ‘growth’ anymore—not like what you have."

Jinwoo frowned. "And that doesn’t bother you?"

You shrugged, meeting his eyes again. "It did, at first. But after a while, I came to terms with it. I put in the effort back then, and I reaped the rewards. Sure, I miss the feeling of progress, of leveling up. But the fact that you’re the player now means the system’s finished with me." You managed a smile, though it was a bit bittersweet.

He looked at you, quiet for a moment, perhaps feeling a hint of the sacrifice you'd made just for the sake of his journey.

"So now," you said, breaking the silence with a brighter tone, "I’m basically a living relic of the trial version, here to help you navigate the system’s quirks."

Jinwoo smirked at that. "The legendary burnt-egg chef, my official guide through the system."

You snorted, rolling your eyes. "That title better not stick." Then, with a playful nudge of your cup in his direction, you raised an eyebrow. "And hey, if I’m going to help you, maybe you could use a few pointers. Starting with, oh, I don’t know… naming tips? You’re downright horrible at that."

The two of you shared a look, both of you smiling. And despite the strange circumstances, Jinwoo knew he was glad to have you by his side, guiding him, burnt eggs and all.

[Oh, he’ll not let that go, will he?]

“And whose fault do you think that is?”

---

"The meals with healing properties, the intricate mana stones, and how your butterflies can affect my daggers' stats... So that's why..." Jinwoo trailed off, connecting the dots.

You nodded, munching on a biscuit. "Mhm, pretty much. Since I have to actually *learn* the fundamentals of each skill, I can manipulate and craft related items more easily. It makes altering, replicating, or even making things from scratch a lot more natural."

You paused, reflecting for a moment before continuing, "It’s a blessing that the last system update allowed me to max out certain skills to the point where I can do these things in reality without relying solely on the system."

You brushed the crumbs from your fingers and leaned back, satisfied. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to tell you. Now, what is it you wanted to say?"

Jinwoo took a deep breath, locking eyes with you. "Join me for a week."

"...Eh?"

Without a word, he held up an item—a key.

<Castle Door Key>.

It was the entry to the Demon Castle, the S-rank dungeon created by the system itself.

"There’s no rule saying I can’t bring someone with me. You don’t gain any more experience, so there’s nothing for me to lose. But you might get materials you won’t find anywhere else, not even in the hunter's market—"

"I refuse."

Jinwoo blinked, surprised. "What?"

You looked away, your mind racing. The offer was tempting—you had several experiments in mind, but there was too much at stake. There were bigger forces at play—the plot, the system's interference, and Jinwoo's crucial development. You couldn’t afford to be too involved in this one. You needed a good excuse, something he would believe.

"Jinwoo," you began, "you’re aware of my powers' limitations, right?"

"What does that have to do with—"

"Listen." Your voice, suddenly sharp, cut through the air, and Jinwoo froze.

For the first time, Jinwoo felt uneasy, confused, like he had said something wrong. He didn’t like the shift in your demeanor, especially when it was directed at him.

"'Demon' Castle," you continued, your tone softer but firm, "just by the name alone, we can assume the majority, if not half, of enemies there will be undead."

"..."

"My powers thrive off life. In an essentially ‘dead’ land, I’ll be at a severe disadvantage—"

"I'll protect you."

"And that’s exactly the problem. I’ll be a deadweight."

"Just focus on supporting me and my shadows."

You stared at him, the determination in his eyes unwavering. He was serious—dead serious.

You rubbed your temples, feeling a headache coming on. "You’re really persistent."

"I know," he replied, not once backing down.

You exhaled, resigned. Deep down, you knew that continuing to refuse him would lead to something far more troublesome. There was no winning against Jinwoo when he was this determined. "Alright," you finally said, "I’ll join you. But if things go south, you have to trust me to pull back. Understood?"

As if you could leave him, the nagging thought echoed in your mind.

Jinwoo’s gaze softened slightly, and a small, rare smile crept onto his lips. "Understood."

You only hoped that the system wouldn’t interfere or cause any unexpected complications this time. But one question remained: why was Jinwoo so insistent on bringing you along, despite the risks?

Unbeknownst to you, Jinwoo was asking himself the same thing. But it was something he wasn’t quite ready to admit—not to you, and perhaps not even to himself.

End Note:

Unedited Draft of [023/10/2024] -

The middle part of this, the convo between Jinwoo and (Name) feels a bit weird, so I apologize for the OOC-ness. I'll come back to this later.

[peachesofteal]

Farmer’s Market

This is the same pairing as Double Espresso, but you don't necessarily need to read it to read this.

Simon Riley/reader (hint of Soap/Ghost) 1.4k words Warnings-tags: inferred trauma, PTSD. Pining. Simon sees you again. This is another ramble that I wrote without editing, mind the mistakes.

Simon doesn’t know how to hold a fragile thing. He doesn’t have the stomach for love, or tenderness, or being held himself. He doesn’t know how to make his touch something of affection, and not anguish, and hasn’t known for a very long time.

Soap tried to teach him, once. Tried to hold him together and keep him from ripping apart. Tried to touch him beyond the surface, beneath his skin, to where his soul is rotted and festering, where dark scars of pain are embedded deeper than the memories that have infected his brain. 

It didn’t work. Simon knows it frustrated Johnny, but they both try not to dwell on it. It brings him shame, and he tries to push it from his mind like Johnny tried to push past the roadblock but in the end, they both failed. Johnny believes everything is okay regardless. He does not judge Simon. 

Simon is not convinced everything is okay. 

It’s not Johnny’s fault that Simon is this broken thing. Something worse than broken, actually. Something wrong. Unnatural. Like he’s died a million times over and come back worse and worse, each rebirth a fresh brand of wickedness upon his body.  He’s made his peace with it. 

At least, he thought he did. Until that day he saw you in the café. When he went running like he was still a scared child. 

Now, he’s dreaming about you. He’s dreaming about your voice, about the way the light reflects in your irises like a kaleidoscope, dreaming about the way your fingers turned the pages of the book, delicate and slow. He’s even dreaming about how those fingers might feel against in his skin, and instead of feeling horrified, he feels safe. Loved. Cherished. The dreams don’t turn to nightmares, no dark creatures crawl from the corners of his mind to gnaw on him, they don’t try to tear him apart like he’s used to. 

It's confusing and frightening. 

Maybe you were magic. Maybe you were magic, and you cast some sort of spell on him. And that’s why he keeps seeing you in his dreams, your body lit like up like a star, a heavenly glow spilling from your skin and bathing him in a gauzy cocoon of hope. 

It makes him uncomfortable. 

So, he puts you out of his mind. He saw you a single time, why is he dreaming about you? Why is the image of your face, the sound of your voice flitting through his brain at all hours of the day and night? He feels infected. 

He takes an extra-long assignment. And then another one. And then before he knows it, three months have passed, and he believes he’s been nearly successful in wiping you from his mind and memories, losing his grasp on the melody of your voice, forgetting the magic he felt when he first saw your face. He mourns it, privately. Mourns the impossible dreams and fantasies of something he knows he’ll never have, something he would never be deserving of. 

He believed he had cured himself of you. 

But, he was wrong. 

The farmer’s market felt like a dream. 

He watched you, unable to move, frozen to the spot as you leaned forward to inspect a group of vegetables, bright orange carrots with sprouts of green at their tops, eyes searching carefully for your selection, head nodding along to whatever the farmer behind the table was saying to you. Simon’s heart thundered in his chest while you exchanged money with the man and deposited your bunch of carrots in your canvas bag with a smile, carefree and easy in the warmth of the summer sun. Was he dreaming? He hadn’t been sure. He remembered needing to go the market to pick up some produce, something to last him the next week or so before he left for the next op, but suddenly, he had forgotten how he arrived here. He had forgotten what he had already purchased. He had forgotten almost everything, except for the shadow of a memory that was pushing him closer and closer to where you slowly walked in front of stalls, scanning the offerings and nodding hello to everyone you passed. 

You come to a stop in front of a flower table. He watches you trace your fingertips over the petals, longing flickering across your face, bottom lip tugging between your teeth. You seem indecisive and he wonders if you’re considering them for a lover, or a friend, someone in your life that you buy nice things for. Does anyone give you lovely things in return?

Your fingers wrap around the stems carefully, and you place the bouquet in your bag slowly, treating the blooms like they’re glass, cautious with them and ensuring they’re settled where they won’t bruise or break. Your care for their state makes his pulse flutter beneath his skin. 

You’re good with fragile things. 

He’s just about to slink away when you turn, everything slowing to a snail’s pace as you catch sight of him from the corner of your eye, recognition dawning on your face when you realize who he is. 

And then to his complete horror, your feet begin to move. You start to walk towards him, a hand extended as if to say wait. Wait, don’t go. 

“Hi.” You say. Hi. Somewhere in the back of his too thick skull he knows he’s supposed to say hi back, say hello, apologize for being a bloody creep, but his lungs feel frozen, and his throat feels tight. You wait, head tilted just so, enough to expose the satin skin on the underside of your jaw, and to his utter shock, he finds himself wondering for a moment, what that skin might taste like. What noises you might make if he put his lips there. He blinks when he realizes you’re speaking again, brain cycling to catch up to your words. “- a few months ago, right?” The café. You’re referencing the café. 

SAY SOMETHING. ANYTHING. SPEAK. He’s screaming inside. Pleading with himself. 

But still, he says nothing, and then watches your sweet face melt into something confused, something wary before it shifts into an emotion he cannot name and-

You say your name. You say it slowly, moving your lips in an exaggerated fashion, like you think he can’t understand you. Your pointer finger jabs into your own chest, to reference yourself. You gave him your name. Why would you do that? He scolds you silently. He could be anyone, a sick man who wants to harm you, who wants to take things from you, things you would never give him. He could be a killer, for all you know. Why would you give a stranger your name? 

He is a killer. 

When he doesn’t say anything back, you chew on your lip and kick the toe of your leather boot into the ground, bobbing your head. Bloody hell. He’s embarrassed you. Shame scalds the back of his neck, and he averts his eyes, flicking them downwards to your bag, where the colorful group of flowers sit against your hip. You follow his gaze. 

“Here.” you rush the word out from your mouth, and pluck a stem free, pulling a brilliantly shaded orange dahlia from the bag and holding it out to him. “For you.” Your face is hopeful, wistful, like you actually want him to have the flower. This must be a dream. 

This cannot be real. 

He reaches for it. He cannot stop himself, even if he tried. Even if he wanted to, which he does not. In this moment, he really, really wants that flower. Wants to take it home, press it between a too thick book and then slip it between two pieces of glass so he can keep it forever. 

His fingers touch the stem. 

The tips of yours just barely graze his skin and he holds his breath, waiting for the nausea, for the panic to come bubbling up his throat. 

They don’t. 

Instead, something else happens. His stomach flips, but not in a sour way. His body tenses, but not in a fight or flight way. His heart, the thing that has been trembling inside his chest this entire time, skips a beat. 

This must be a dream. 

You’re three meters away when he rockets back into consciousness, mouth blurting the only thing it can manage in that moment. 

“Simon.” He calls to your back, and you stop in your tracks to face him, tiny smile tugging at your lips. 

“Nice to meet you, Simon.” 

[meshla-cyarika]

The Blonde Prince

Pairing: Prince!Rex x Mermaid!reader

Word count: 3,226

Tags/warnings: none

Summary: You're the princess of the seven seas and you've become obsessed with humans. Unfortunately, your mother, the queen, has long since forbidden mers to go up to the surface. Rex is a prince of Mandalore and today it's his birthday. His brothers thought it would be fun to plan a trip across the seas. You're both brought together when the royal ship passes above your kingdom.

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

"We aren't supposed to be this far from the palace."

You don't pay the young mermaid beside you much thought, as you inspect yet another odd human object. It's a long stick with glass either end, one end is narrow and the other is larger.

"Relax, Omega." You stare down the narrow end of the peculiar device and watch in awe, as it makes your surroundings seem closer than what they are. "Woah! How does that work?"

"Please!" Omega whines, clearly scared of being further away from the palace than usual. "My aunt will kill me, if she finds out!"

You roll your eyes at the mention of Nala Se, as you put the thing into your bag. Nala Se means well, but she's very strict on young Omega. The mer is only eight summers old and, for some reason, has imprinted on you since you first visited Nala Se's stall at the market.

"Who says she's going to find out?" You give her a mischievous grin, before swimming further out. Omega huffs from behind you and you smirk, as you catch a glimpse of her purple tail swimming towards you.

"Princess!" A voice calls out, making you halt and turn around. You find your royal bodyguard swimming up to you.

"Must you always spoil my fun?" You roll your eyes.

"Your mother has had the royal gaurd looking everywhere for you. You missed the ceremony." Your bodyguard, Corrin, tells you and you blanche at the news.

"I lost track of time." The ceremony is where all your relatives come together from across the seven seas to spend seven sunrises at the palace. It's partly a celebration of the royal family and partly just for the adults to discuss what's been happening across the seas.

"You have to come back, now, princess." Corrin tells you, but it's more like a plea for you to prevent your mother from punishing the gaurds.

"I guess, I don't have much of a choice." You sigh and Corrin gives you a sympathetic look. Your entire life is controlled by your mother. Just because she's the queen of the seven seas, she thinks she has the right to act like your life is her own. Omega and yourself wordlessly follow Corrin through the depths of the ocean.

+++

When you enter the palace hall, you're greeted by the sight of your entire family enjoying a feast at the long table. The gaurds stationed at the entrance announce your presence and everyone looks up at the sight of you. Most give you warm and welcoming smiles, while your mother gives you a pointed glare that she quickly covers up with a forced smile.

"My daughter, where have you been." Queen Satine innocently asks, knowing full well where you've been.

"I apologise for my absence. There was an incident with the royal gaurd that I wanted to see to myself." You lie easily, just to please your family.

"How noble." Your mother smiles, condescendingly. "Please, join us." She gestures to the long table and you take your place by your cousins. They soon indulge you in their conversations about the latest news, while eating bits and pieces of the mass of food that could feed the entire kingdom. Fish and other creatures have been brought from all across the seven seas, as gifts for everyone attending.

Your mind drifts slightly, while Myra, one of your cousins, starts talking about the pod of orcas her and her family had encountered on the way here. You do love your cousins. They're kind to you and always invite you to be involved in whatever they're doing. It's nice to have people around your age that live in the same conditions as you and complain about the same things. Since you're the only child of the queen, you don't get to express how you feel most of time and, admittedly, don't have alot of close friends.

The feast soon draws to a close and your extended family are finally allowed to do whatever they please, but most opt to go to their palace alcoves and rest. The mothers and fathers stay behind in the royal hall to discuss business.

You're one of the ones that decide to go to your alcove. You push a large stone infront of the entrance to give yourself privacy, before slumping down on a smooth large rock on the floor of your alcove. The bioluminescent coral and planets you have been growing bask the area in a light blue glow.

Your mother will make you stay at the palace for the next seven sunrises, just so she doesn't seem like an irresponsible mother by having you swim off to who knows where. You huff out a sigh and tuck your tail up to your chest, absentmindedly fidgeting with your fin. You always found your apperance to be a little odd. The human-like anatomy part of your body is perfectly ordinary among mers, but it's the colour of your scales and shape of your tail that you find to be a little abnormal.

Your mother's colours are gold and shimmer in the sunlight and her tail is built to be more regal and majestic, showing her beauty and her power. Mer that are royal by blood tend to have more sophisticated colours and tails, but yours are less so.

Your tail doesn't have the frilly embellishments of a creature like koi fish, it's more lean and your tail fin is sturdy and strong, unlike your mothers. Your scales are a pattern of white and dark blue, which do complement your features well, but it's a very ordinary combination of colours, in comparison to most royal scales. Then again, you have never met your father and your mother never wants to talk about him. Maybe your appearance is purely from him.

There's an old myth that dates back to the first ever mers that says the tail and scales of a mer are linked to their soulmate. The belief of soulmates has fizzled out through time among your people, but some of you still believe that there is a person made for everyone. You don't know what you think of the concept, but you'd like to believe that some day you'll find someone that clicks with you like the last piece of a puzzle.

You furrow your eyebrows, when you hear a dull thudding coming from outside. It's very distant and you doubt most would be able to hear it, but it's definitely there. The noise happens in random bursts that sometimes overlap each other. You swim over to the rock at the entrance to your cave and push it away, before quietly sneaking through the palace. You leave unnoticed and venture through the ocean, which is illuminating from some sort of lights from above.

You look up at the surface and see something huge cast a shadow over the area. The noise gets louder and louder, as you swim further and further upwards. Once you break through the water, you startle as the noise becomes incredibly loud and bits and pieces of something falls from the sky. It's hot, the polar opposite of the ocean. You watch as things sore up into the sky, before bursting apart into a million different pieces that are on fire. You force your gaze away from the scary, yet beautiful, sight and look forward at the massive ship sailing before you. Humans!

+++

"Having fun, Rex?" A man slings his arm over his brother's shoulders, a bottle of whiskey in his other hand.

"Sure, Cody." The brother sips his bottle of beer. The pair are both dressed in royal suits, with a cape handing from one shoulder and off the shoulder sashes to match. Rex's cape is royal blue, while Cody's is orange. Even when they are celebrating, they have to do everything by the book. Although, Cody's suit has began to crinkle and slant in some place from him throwing his weight about. If he wasn't wearing what he is, you probably wouldn't even think he's a prince.

"Oh, come on, Rex! It's your birthday!" Wolffe comes up behind the both of them, his plain grey cape sweeping below him, and pats Rex's shoulder with alot more force than necessary, nearly making the blonde stumble over.

Before Rex can say anything in response, the three brothers become distracted by the sight of the crew suddenly singing an old sea shanty. Cody quickly joins in and walks over to where the crew have congregated, nearly loud enough to drown out the last few fireworks going off and Rex shakes his head, with a fond smile. The blonde arches a brow, when Wolffe, the brother known to be the most stern and stoic, starts singing aswell, which causes a few to laugh.

Wolffe drags Rex over to the rest of the crew and nudges his shoulder. Rex rolls his eyes, before joining in, unable to conceal his smile. "To boost the moral of the crew." Rex tells himself. Although, he's sure alot of them don't need any more boosts, as Fives', Jesse's and Hardcase's voices drown out everyone else.

+++

The odd things flying up into the air have just stopped and you're trying to pull yourself up into one of the smaller boats on the side of the ship. Your mother would kill you, if she saw you now. For as long as you can remember, humans have been seen as dangerous beasts in your kingdom. No one is allowed to go up to the surface, by order of your mother. She thinks that just because there's one awful human it means they're all like that. Not all mer are horrible, so why should humans be? She doesn't understand. No one does.

You finally manage to pull your body into the small boat and peak inbetween the small holes in the hand railing on the side of the ship. You've never been this close to humans before. A few of them are using odd devices that make pleasant sounds, while others move around in rhythmic movements and some of them sing. Unlike mer singing, it's frankly terrible and out of tune, but they don't seem to care. They seem to find it amusing.

You observe the crowd. Most of them are wearing pretty shabby clothes that are well worn, but there are three men dressed in something more glamorous and regal. You tilt your head, as you observe the three laughing men. They share many identical features, so you assume that they are related in some way and their clothes indicate a higher rank of importance, maybe even royalty.

You startle, as a creature suddenly appears infront of you and you fall back into the bottom of the boat, with a dull thud. You tilt your head at the creature. It has a seemingly unnecessary amount of fur, it stands on four legs and has a thin long tail. It's face is mostly covered by the amount of fur, but it kind of reminds you of a seal.

You hesitantly reach and place your hand on the creatures head, surprised to find it soft. You jump back, when you hear the thudding sound of footsteps getting closer to your hiding spot. Someone grabs the creature and guides it back to the middle of the ship.

"Can't believe Waxer and Boil stowed away that damm dog."

Your breath catches in your throat, as the blonde man in the regal clothes leans over the railing. If he were to look down, he'd instantly see you hiding in the boat. You push yourself agaisnt the bottom of the boat as much as you can, in an attempt to try and hide yourself in the shadows.

You can't help but observe what you can see of the man. His hair is buzzed and his skinned is naturally tanned. He has a strong jawline and dark brown eyes. He's beautiful. For a human anyway...

You flinch, as some kind of liquid lands on your cheek. Then, slowly water starts falling the sky in small droplets. You notice the blonde looking upwards and an uneasy expression takes over his features. Within seconds, tons of water is crashing down and there's the distant sound of thunder drawing closer.

"Storm coming in fast! All hands on deck!" The blonde marches over to his crew and they quickly stand to attention. You take this as your signal to leave and dive back into the sea below.

+++

The men instantly sober up and race around the ship to tie down the sails, while rain continues to batter down and thunder and lightning draw closer. Within seconds, everyone is soaked to the bone. Fierce waves wash over the deck.

Rex notices that no one is at the wheel and, while his brothers are yelling orders, he races up the stairs to grab on to it. The wheel fights agaisnt him, as the current throws the ship in all sorts of directions, but the prince manages to keep it relatively still.

The ship lurches upwards, with the movement of a particularly tall wave, before crashing back downwards. Rex's eyes widen at the sight of jagged rocks spiking out the water. He spins the wheel to the side, as fast as he can, but it's no use. They inevitably collide with the rocks and the ship tips sideways. The crew yell, as they cling onto whatever they can to prevent being thrown into the dark water. Eventually, the ship evens back out and is longer tipped sideways, but the front of the ship is still embedded in the spiked rocks.

A lantern must have smashed onto the floor, because the ship is soon engulfed in flames. Rex races back to the main deck.

"Life boats! Abandon ship!" The blonde hollers over the sound of the harsh rain.

"Abandon ship!" Wolffe and Cody repeat his words. The crew barely hesitate to leap over the railing and into the depths below. They quickly loosen the ropes that are holding the life boats on the side of the ship and they splash into the water. They help each other out of the freezing water and into the boats.

The three princes wait to make sure everyone is off the ship, before going to jump out aswell. Suddenly, there's the sound of barking from the other side of the ship. That damn dog.

"Rex!" Cody urges his brother to jump.

"Go! I'm right behind you!" Rex shouts back, before running off through the flames. Wolffe and Cody don't get a chance to protest, as a particularly strong wave knocks them off their balance and over the side of the ship.

The blonde flinches back, when the fire on the stairs roars and grows. He shakes his head to try and tries to give himself confidence, before swiftly running up the stairs, wincing as the flames burn his clothes.

"I'm never letting Waxer and Boil on a ship again." Rex mutters to himself, while he picks up the dog and drops him over the side.

+++

You feel so useless, watching the events play out before you from the shadows, not being able to help. You observe the blonde man chuck the creature over the side of the ship and you swiftly submerge yourself back into the water. The creature isn't able to swim well with the current and you sneak underneath to guide the creature to one of the boats, where it's quickly pulled on board by the humans.

"Rex!" Both of the men in regal clothes yell and you turn back to face the ship, watching how the blonde goes to jump, but the ship suddenly lurches onto it's opposite side, flinging the man across the deck and presumably into the depths below.

You swim underneath the ship and scan the area for any sign of the blonde. Then, a flash of blue catches your eye and you see the human sinking lower and lower. You race downwards and wraps your arms securely across his chest, before swimming back up to the surface. You have it so his head is resting on your shoulder, to keep him from being completely submerged. His body remains lax, but you can vaguely hear the sound of his breathing and the puffs of air agaisnt your face.

He's alive.

You just saved a human's life and you pray to the sea Gods that your mother never finds out.

+++

It's been a long night. The storm eventually settled out and the sea became tame once again. Swimming while carrying another being that can't breath under water proved to be immensely difficult, but you couldn't just let him drown. You swam for hours in the direction that is known to have a human kingdom.

You drag the body of the human across the beach and settle him on the sand. The burning feeling of the hot sand combined with the sun rays themselves is almost unbearable, but you grit your teeth and try to ignore it. You blanche at the sight of the human's chest no longer rising up and down. When was the last time you heard him breathing?

You lay your head agaisnt his chest and hear a very faint beating. You raise your hands to his chest and shake him, hoping to do something. Your worries continue to grow, until the blonde coughs up some of the sea water from his lungs. You sigh in relief and have to resist from resting agaisnt him. You haven't slept at all.

You tilt your head, as you observe the man. Humans are so different, yet so similar at the same time. A pained expression takes over his features and you place your hand on the side of his face. You think back to how your nanny had soothed you as child. She used to sing this song that always seemed to make you feel safe. So, that's exactly what you do. You sing.

Mer voices are naturally more beautiful than that of humans. Mers even have the abilities to reach notes that humans can't. Music and singing is a big part of mer culture, but humans twisted this into to some terrible myth about mers leading sailors to their death through their captivating voices. In reality, humans were probably just bad at sailing at that time.

Your voice wavers, when you see the blonde's eyes slowly flicker open. You stop singing all together, as you hear yelling coming from the distant cliffs at the far end of the beach. Your head perks up and you barely make out the sight of a pack of humans running down the cliffs. You pull away from the human and make quick work of gliding back out into the sea.

+++

"Rex!" Cody and Wolffe run towards the body of their brother and sit down next to him.

"You're going to be alright, Rex." Wolffe assures the blonde, after noticing he's conscious.

Rex isn't paying attention to any of them. Instead, his mind drifts to the vague image of a beautiful woman leaning over him and singing a tune he's never heard the likes of before. It feels like the song has cast some sort of spell over him.

"The woman..." Rex doesn't get to dwell on it much longer, since he falls into a deep slumber...

[hapalopus]

Tips for figure collectors:

Don't be a completionist. It will drain the fun out of your hobby. You will be forced to look at expensive figures that you don't even like, just because they happen to be part of a set

Buy figures because you actually like them. Buy them because you like looking at them, because they're fun to display, and because they bring you joy

When you get the urge to buy, don't immediately give in. Try spending some time maintaining the figures you already have. Fix their hair, if the have any, dust them off, and rearrange them

Don't buy the figure you want first chance you get. They always get relisted eventually. Take note of the prices and wait until there's a decent offer up. If you just buy it first chance you get, you may scam yourself out of a lot of money

Supply and demand affect prices, but "rarity" is a useless term used to price gouge

Never use figures as an investment. Figure markets are volatile as hell, and you're likely to just lose money on it

Rinse your figures if you get them used. Just give them a quick scrub in soapy water. You have no idea where they've been

Please please please dust off your figures every once in a while, even if you keep them in a cabinet. It's better to dust them off regularly than allow the dust to cement itself onto their surface

A NIB figure is not a maintenance-free figure. Please inspect the box regularly, check that the figure isn't suffering from plasticizer leakage, water damage, bugs, dried-up rubber bands, or any other pests. If possible, remove the figure from its packaging and inspect it every once in a while.

Make the hobby your own. If you want to customize a rare figure or remove a it from its box, do it. Even if other collectors tell you not to do it. Especially if other collectors tell you not to do it. This is YOUR hobby and YOUR collection!

[marksmithimarc]

The global surface vision and inspection market is driven by several key factors. The increasing demand for quality control and automation in manufacturing processes is significantly boosting the adoption of surface vision and inspection systems.

[weixuldo]

Allow Me// Ch 2

Vader x F!Reader

A/N: Hiiii! I am back and sorry again for the wait! A friend from out of town was in and I spent the week with her. But from now on, the updates should be more frequent! I also just wanted to say thank you all for the overwhelming support on the last chapter! I truly did not think that It was going to get so much love haha

You must be the unluckiest person in the Galaxy

Warnings: cannon-typicaal violence, weapons, cursing, death, harassment

_________________

You cowered under your bed sheets as you felt the demanding presence of Darth Vader approaching your door. Your heart raced with every whirr of his breath; you knew he could sense your fear.

All he had to do was open the door…

You waited for what seemed like hours for the man on the other side to come bursting in, but to your surprise- he never did, instead he stood dormant at your door for a while until you heard him walk away.

What did he want to do? Intimidate you? If he was going to kill you, why didn’t he do that? 

Thoughts raced through your tired mind as you slowly lowered the covers from your head and tried to calm down.

As much as you tried you couldn’t seem to find sleep for the rest of the night.

Begrudgingly, the morning shift system dinged, notioning for you to go to your station for the day. You pulled yourself out of your bed and put on your uniform, yawning the whole way to your post. 

As much as the events of last night disturbed you, you were too exhausted to be fully comprehensive; so when you bumped into a supply cart coming down the corridor you could barely make out the annoyed shouts of the worker. 

“My apologies” you offered, continuing down the hall as the cart worker shouted some distasteful insults your way.

Once you entered the station your supervisor handed you a holopad and gave you your assignment for the day. You were to check some of the machines on the bridge and then report back to your boss. 

Sadly for you the bridge was on the totally opposite end of the executor, but at least today’s assignment was fairly short; before you knew it you would be able to go back to your quarters and fall asleep.

The promise of sleep motivated you to hurry down to your assigned station for the day, thinking of nothing but fantasies of your soft pillows. In the midst of your daydreams you ran into a trooper who was heading down the intersecting hall. The impact made you fall back onto your ass and you looked up at the trooper with a scowl.

“What are you looking at? You’re the one who ran into me!” he barked before continuing on, but not before cursing you under his breath.

You shook your head and grabbed the holopad that landed beside you.

Fuck.

There was a large crack all the way down the small tablet’s surface, great… another expense that’ll come out of your already small paycheck. This has truly been the best week, what next universe? 

You finally entered the bridge with the sliding of the doors and observed the glossy obsidian color of the bustling room. Officers and troops bustled on the platform and in the pits to the sides of the main bridge.

You made your way to the lower deck of the bridge and set your bag down beside the machine you were to be inspecting. The generals in the stations surrounding you seemed to be pretty lax with their jobs; leaning back in their chairs, talking about the newest blasters on the market rather than actually paying attention to their screens. 

The one closest to you kept tapping his foot against the machine you were trying to inspect which frustrated you immensely. 

“Excuse me, Would You mind moving your chair to the side a little, I need some more room to check up on the unit” You asked, as politely as you could, expecting an “ok”. Instead the man scowled and sat upright in his chair. 

“No, I will not. I need to stay here and do my duties- the duties of a general, mind you. I’m sure your…inspection work… is much less severe, so I think you can wait” the man said with a patronizing tone. 

What in the galaxy has gotten everyone so stiff today? The entitlement of these generals was crazy. You rolled your eyes as you inspected the equipment in front of you; you took the metal plating off and carefully laid out the screws in order to put them back on when you were finished. 

Before you could actually get to the inspection part of your job, you felt something hit the back of your head; it was a piece of garbage.

You shot your head towards the direction of the trash and saw the same general, snickering with some of the others in the row before one offered, “oops, sorry, I missed the trash”. 

How were these idiots, who obviously didn’t give a shit about their job, getting paid more and getting more recognition than you. You may not have been totally invested in the empire’s agenda, but you did care about the quality of your work. 

You took a magnifying utensil to inspect the crossed wires in the back of the unit; that's the problem, the wires were getting tangled with every tap the general dealt to the machine under the desk. 

You reached down into your bag and grabbed some pliers to untangle them, but before you could get started, you saw the screen above you blinking red.

You didn’t really know what exactly you were looking at, but it didn’t look good; it looked like there were a few fighter planes approaching the back side of the executor.

That was definitely not good; you looked at the rude general who was supposed to man the station, he was busy laughing it up with some co-workers on the other end of the deck. 

“Sir” you called, attempting to wave over the rogue general.

Nothing. 

“General!” you shouted a little louder. 

He whipped his head towards you with narrowed eyes until he saw the screen and all the color drained from his face. He ran over to his desk, frantically pressed a few buttons, flipped two red switches, and shouted some commands.

Soon you heard the muffled reverbs of the ship releasing tie-fighters into space. 

The man sat back in his chair and faced forward, he was sweating and you could see his legs trembling next to the unit you were almost done patching up. 

Before you knew it the whole bridge went silent, no more bustling, no more smiling, only silence and anxiety filled the room. What the fuck just happened?

Soon enough the doors of the bridge swished open and your silent questions were answered.

The dark figure of Darth Vader came in with a determined strut; he was not pleased. You lowered your head and finished up tightening the screws to close the machine so you could leave asap. He was the last person you wanted to see today, last night he literally stood outside of your door-probably debating whether to kill you or not.

“Someone in this room has allowed rebel ships to enter our flight deck. Of course we exterminated them, but that does not excuse the uncalculated mistake of someone in this room.”

Vader continued down the top deck; once he halted so did the entourage of troopers behind him. He slowly turned his head and surveyed the room trying to determine who’s blunder allowed rebels to get that close to the ship.

Though you know you did nothing wrong in this situation, your anxiety was through the roof. 

Swiftly, he turned towards your direction-

Fuck.

There is no way in the galaxy-

“Your fear betrays you, General” his mechanical voice stated. 

You exhaled a short breath, you were indeed not a General. But before you could completely relax the man beside you protested. 

“She was the one who failed to alert me, it was not my fault” the General exclaimed standing tall and pointing an accusing finger at you. 

What?! 

Vader already had it out for you, this was just gonna add to the problem. 

He slightly shifted his lenses towards you before turning back to the man.

“I recall the empire bestowed the title of General upon you, not her; am I correct?” Vader questioned in an even tone.

“Y-yes My lord” 

“In that case, You are responsible for your station, not her” 

The worried officer frantically looked around, before pushing past you to make a break for the exit. His forceful push made you tumble down the small steps from the desk areas to the actual floor, as well as your bag. You landed harshly and winced at one of your heavier tools landing on your arm.

Before you could get up, Lord Vader had a trooper blast the general through the chest and his limp body fell backwards beside you. 

“Someone get this garbage off of my bridge” Vader said with a flip of his cape as he headed for the exit. 

You began to lift yourself up from the floor, truly ready just to go back to your room; you didn't get any sleep, kept bumping into people, your holopad cracked, dealt with rude generals, got pushed down some stairs, and just had someone die beside you, just another stellar day in the empire. 

The bustling sound of the troopers halted making you look back up; Lord Vader was looking straight at you. 

“And bring that officer to a meeting room, I need to speak with them”

Just as you began to protest, two troopers secured your arms.

“Better shut your mouth little one” one snapped as the other just laughed.

Great.

_______________________________

The room was cool and dark, a blinking light in the corner of the room indicated that you were being surveilled. Thankfully you were unbound, but didn't dare to wonder about the room- he could enter at any moment.

But why were you here? Was it because of those troopers the other night? Did the sith lord think that you were spreading rumors about having “relations” with him? Was it because people you had bumped into were complaining about your seeming lack of spatial awareness? No, that’s just outlandish…but what if?

To be honest you were too exhausted to think straight, everything was seeming like a possibility, and you had the worst week, so at this point you didn’t really give a  fuck about what would happen to you.

Maybe if he killed you, you would actually find some peace. 

The cool air of the room was making you sleepy, your eyelids felt like weights and you couldn't stop them from closing. 

Whoosh

The sound of the door swooshing open awoke you from your light sleep, how long had it been? How-

Suddenly all traces of sleep shook from your body as you came face to face with the man in the dark mask. 

Sure, you said you wouldn’t mind dying, but now that death was staring you in the face, you felt inclined to plead for your life. 

“M-my Lord, I apologize I was”

“Resting… I see. Perhaps I took too long to make my way here” he said, sliding the door shut behind him. 

“No sir- um.. My Lord” you corrected as you nervously fiddled your fingers. 

“You may calm your anxieties, officer” the man in front of you said as he slowly made his way to the table you were seated at. 

His words didn’t do much to calm you but you did relax your posture a bit. He took a stand in front of you, making you eye level with his control panel.

He was so much larger than you remembered, probably since you were more wary of him since you were in his direct interest as of now.

“Am I to be punished for earlier?” you asked, avoiding eye contact with his lenses. 

“Not at the moment, is there something I should be made aware of?” 

“No, My lord. It’s just that the general who spoke out was not manning his station and I did not want his words to cloud what really happened” 

“I thought nothing of the sort, I know you would not allow for such a careless mistake”

He spoke with such a neutral tone that you couldn’t determine whether he was playing with your mind or if his words were truly sincere. 

“As of late I have observed your work and am pleased by your dedication to the Empire” he said.

“I appreciate your faith in my work, my lord; but may I ask why I was called here?” 

The Sith lord turned towards the camera in the corner of the room and back at you before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

“I wanted to thank you for your work on the executor, personally. I have noticed others on board have not treated you the best and yet you still provide quality service”

Your heart began to race even faster, was this a dream? Was Darth Vader himself really praising your work right now? And what baffled you even more is that he noticed how you had been treated throughout your posting on his ship. 

You really didn’t expect Vader to care that much about his employees, but maybe he was a bit softer than everyone thought…(unlikely).

Before you could respond he placed a holopad on the table that showed a nicely constructed grave stone with your mothers name, what was this? Your father couldn’t afford this.

You looked up at the man who filled the room with echoes of his mechanical breathing. 

“I-I don't understand-”

“As I mentioned earlier, I am regretful you were not able to attend your mother’s funeral procession, so I had the empire deliver your father funds for her memorial. It’s the least I could do” he said, clicking the projection off. 

You sat in the metal chair, bewildered; why in the galaxy would Darth Vader give your father money for your mother’s grave?

Your family was a bunch of nobody’s… Nothing attached to your name, but now your mother had a grave of high gentry. It didn't make sense.

As you pondered his motives, the sith lord rose from his seat and proceeded to walk to the side you were on. 

You were shaken from your thoughts when you felt a firm and heavy hand on your shoulder. It was a feeling that should have invoked fear, but instead you felt butterflies. 

Not many people had been nice to you in your life, so were you just being delusional and trying to make it seem that this sith lord really cared about you?

You knew you needed to be more cautious around him, but you couldn’t help but smile up at the dark figure looming behind you. 

“You are stronger than you know, officer, do not let anyone on this ship tell you otherwise” he said before patting you once more and leaving. 

______________________________

The cool sheets of your empire-grade bed felt nice after your warm shower. You settled into bed with a new sense of pride, someone important, no. one of the most important figures in the galaxy, recognized your skill and talent. He recognized your plights and struggles and gave you encouragement for better. 

As you slept your mind seemed to compile every snippet of time that you interacted with Vader into a long dream; not that you minded, but your brain was definitely not helping you suppress your delusions. At this rate you’d be dreaming of a future with the most feared man in the galaxy. 

It was stupid to think that was possible, but after all, it was just a dream,

no harm in that. 

Except for the fact that on the opposite end of the executor, a sleep deprived Vader couldn’t seem to clear his mind enough to meditate.

He was too busy envisioning the face of that beautiful officer he had been encountering more and more frequently. 

This was not a part of the Sith’s agenda, you were a distraction. You needed to be wiped from his mind, but he couldn’t seem to do it. Of course there was an obvious solution; get rid of you- whether it be a transfer or death-

just get rid of you.

But no matter how hard he tried to call for the orders, he couldn’t.

How could he when you had been the only thing that made him feel remotely human again? 

***

A/N: heheh tysm for waiting for this chapter and i hope this story is interesting u guys!!

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