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yuesya · 14 days ago

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“You need to eat me.”

The white-haired girl in front of him blinks, “That’s an odd way to start a conversation.”

Eligius briefly chokes at that uncaring, blasé response. “… I’m being serious here.”

“So you are.” Even so, the girl’s voice remains unperturbed, and her expression does not change. “Would your strange request have anything to do with the visitors who passed through recently?”

… That is a remarkably understated way of referring to the most recent Sarkaz travelers who’d visited Arkos. Travelers who’d come specifically in search of Miss Salome, too. From the heavy robes and tight wrappings that consisted their attire, from the necrosis-type Arts that they commanded, it had been obvious that they were Nachzehrers.

Nachzehrers –beings who were the very personification of war; gruesome, relentless warriors known to be devoted to the battlefield, who reveled in the slaughter.

But the standing policy of Arkos is that all visitors are welcome. Save for those who threaten the stability and wellbeing of the settlement itself, or commit crimes within its borders.

And so the Nachzehrers had been allowed to enter Arkos, just as so many others had been allowed before them, and no doubt far more would be allowed after in the future.

Eligius had regarded their Nachzehrer visitors with wariness and curiosity in the beginning. Which swiftly morphed into shock and outright alarm, when they had accosted Salome on one of her routine patrols around the mountains.

“You’re Herleva’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“My name is Naftali, a soldier who once served under Commander Herleva of the Withering Court. I apologize that it took so long for us to find you –I’ve come to bring you home.”

…

Salome had refused to leave with them.

… Much to the relief of many, Eligius included. Though their numbers were steadily increasing, it was undeniable that Salome was the heart of Arkos, and if she left, then in all likelihood they would end up scattering across the land once more. Misfits and travelers and wanderers with no place to belong, and no place to rest.

(No place to call home.)

…

Eligius had known that Salome was Sarkaz for a long time now, but he hadn’t realized that she was Nachzehrer Sarkaz. She certainly didn’t look the part; Nachzehrers were said to possess bodies that easily withered and rotted away like the necrosis Arts that they commanded, and Salome did not display any of those traits. She had a pair of distinctive Sarkaz horns sitting on her head, and that was it. Were it not for those curved horns, she probably could’ve passed as a Pythian girl with her pointed ears and long, snake-like tail covered in glittering white scales–

Or so Eligius had thought.

Because he’d seen it, the other day. Salome usually wore clothing that covered most of her skin, including a veil across her face, but he’d glimpsed her taking off her gloves –only to reveal blackened fingertips, eerily reminiscent of necrotic rot, which caused Eligius’ blood to run cold.

Was it because of her Nachzehrer blood? Was she –was she somehow rotting away? Was her Pythian blood not enough to offset the horrifying effects of her inheritance?

Wracking his brains and ruminating over what he’d overheard from the Nachzehrer visitors, there was only one potential solution that Eligius could think of. Through devouring the dead, Nachzehrers were able to add the strength of the fallen to their own, so–

“You need to eat me,” he repeats. Because if she doesn’t, if her situation worsens, then…

Salome arches an eyebrow. “Do you want to be eaten?”

…

… No. Of course not.

The day that Eligius had left Kazimierz, a broken husk of a knight who had failed his family and could no longer even properly swing a blade anymore… Eligius had thought that there no longer remained anything left for him to protect. Not that he even possessed the strength to protect anything, not as a disgraced, crippled knight driven out of his homeland.

Fate had led him to Arkos, eventually. He’d aimlessly followed a merchant caravan as a cheap hired hand, and somehow ended up staying in Arkos when a Sarkaz girl killed the head of the caravan. The man had a sexual proclivity aimed towards children, and had acted on those urges in Arkos –Salome had sliced the despicable merchant into bloody pieces for it.

Eligius had thought of his days as a knight in Kazimierz, of all the harsh training he’d undergone… only to be helpless in face of injustice and wrongdoing all the same. A knight must be honorable above all else. But what worth was there in honor when it was something that could be traded and bought by the monolithic corporations that ruled Kazimierz?

Arkos… is not perfect. The buildings are shabby and run-down, and the rooftops have a tendency to leak when it rains. There is no particular schedule for when merchants are passing through, and resources are always running tight. Sometimes, brash mercenaries end up causing trouble, even with the threat of Salome hanging over their heads.

But at some point, Arkos had grown to be precious to Eligius. The tenacity of the people that lived here, with all their storied pasts, and the young leader who never allowed the opinions of others to prevent her from doing what must be done.

Eligius is no longer a knight. With a body had been ravaged by vicious poisoning and missing his dominant sword arm, his days as a knight of glorious Kazimierz are long over.

But even so, there must be a way that he could still protect what was important to him. Even if he wasn’t the one holding the sword himself.

Eligius squares his shoulders and looks towards Salome determinedly. He knows that he is not the only one who is willing to become her strength through being devoured by her, but it’s better that a useless cripple like him becomes the first to die, so that the others–

“You don’t look like you want to die,” Salome says. Then, turns around to pick up a… shovel? From behind her? “Here.”

Eligius falters, automatically accepting the dull shovel with his sole remaining hand, “What is this?”

“A shovel,” Salome responds. Fair, but that’s not what Eligius meant– “Seeing as you have enough time on your hands to be thinking about useless things, you can go work with the others on developing the terraced gardens first.”

Eligius gives a small start, “But you–”

“I’m not interested in cannibalism. Let me know once you’ve figured out how to grow potatoes properly here.”

With that said, Salome turns and walks away.

Leaving Eligius standing in the street by himself, holding a shovel.

…

… It’s nothing but a rusty shovel, given to him haphazardly by a girl who doesn’t even bother to toss a second glance back towards him as she departs. But for some reason, the shovel rests in his hand with a greater weight than the sword he’d once held during his knighthood ceremony, and there is a strange emotion welling up within his chest–

Eligius tightens his grip on the shovel, exhaling slowly.

#writing #zenith of stars au #sarkaz au #shiki in terra #the hazardous arknights-verse #second discord snippet #MATCHA

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yan-lorkai · 1 month ago

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((Idk why my device wearly doesn't let me add the coma thingy)) For the Halloween event could i request yandere ghost Jade who was once a very rich....duke- yeah totally noble and didn't do illegal things 👀...reader enters this abandoned and destroyed manor with a cat in hands reassuring them due to the storm outside...reader and their cat don't have a home in fact they also como from another world like Yuu the difference is that reader didn't have the luck to end up in a school and they got there with their cat which reader calls their daughter one thing leads to another and reader decides they could stay there after all no one was there just some creaky and weird sounds sometimes but nah must be their cat oh was that a scream? nyeh it probably was the cat or some hallucination for the lack of sleep besides their cat doesn't seem too bothered neither...reader cleans the house thoroughly and creatively fixes some things with their own hands maybe temporary solutions but they will do...they find wild plants and fungi they can eat and make some fires outside to cook them for them and their cat or eat the ones that you can eat raw raw, when they find a shiny or pretty thing they bring it back to the manor and put it somewhere on the house or on the main dorm where once seemed to inhabitate a man, reader find some of his clothes and a picture of him both seemingly wore down and from centuries ago nevertheless they clean the picture and hope them a good rest on heaven and also commenting out loud that they're sorry for invading this place but that it was the only safe place for them and their cat, they later get the dust off the clothes but don't wash them in a sign of respect since idk washing them = disrespecting the memory of their owner, they only get the dust off of them and the closet and put them in the sun for a bit so they don't get worse before returning them to the closet and checking on it once in a while to the misfortune or maybe fortune...? of reader these signs of respect (and airheadness) made a certain ghost very curious and amused... Too long i'm sorry i tend to ramble

.⁠｡��*⁠♡ Day twenty three: Ghost!Jade and darling living on his manor

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/n: Lowkey loved to write this ♡♡♡

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Tagging: @kiraiyugen

The manor was a shadowy silhouette against the stormy sky, its once-grand architecture crumbling under the weight of centuries. Thick vines crawled up the walls, weaving through shattered windows, and the roof had long since lost its battle with time, leaving gaping holes that allowed the rain to pour in freely. The place felt like it had been forgotten by the world, abandoned and left to rot. But tonight, the manor had a visitor.

You stepped through the creaking, heavy doors, holding your cat close to your chest. Her little head poked out from your coat, ears twitching nervously at the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. “It’s okay, sweetie,” you murmured softly, stroking her fur to calm her. “We’ll be safe in here until the storm passes.”

Your cat, whom you affectionately called your daughter, seemed to relax a little at your touch. You glanced around the dark, eerie foyer, noting the way the dim light filtered through the broken windows, casting long, jagged shadows across the dust-covered floor. The place was eerie, sure, but there was a strange kind of peace in it, like the remnants of a life that had once been.

It seemed to be calling you. Whispering your name, convincing you to enter it.

“Well… it’s not exactly a palace, but it’ll do,” you said, mostly to yourself, though your cat meowed in agreement.

The rain was pouring outside, the wind howling as it whipped through the trees. You shivered, but not just from the cold — there was something about the manor that felt off, like it was watching you, waiting.

You pushed the thought aside. “Better than being out in that storm, huh?”

You wandered further in, your shoes leaving faint prints in the dust as you explored. The place was massive, with winding hallways that seemed to stretch on forever, and rooms filled with decaying furniture that hinted at a past life of luxury. Every so often, a strange creak or groan would echo through the halls, making you jump.

'Must be the wind,' you reassured yourself whenever that happened, though you didn’t sound all that convincing.

At one point, you thought you heard a soft, distant scream, but when your cat didn’t react, you brushed it off as your imagination. “Maybe I’m just tired,” you said with a sigh. “Or hallucinating from the lack of sleep. We've been searching for a place to rest for a long time, havent we dear?”

It didn’t take long for you to decide that you could make this place a temporary home. You had nowhere else to go, and the manor, as eerie as it was, at least offered some shelter and warmth. So, over the next few days, you set to work cleaning it up.

You swept the dust from the floors, wiped down the windows, and even managed to fix some of the broken furniture with makeshift repairs. They were temporary solutions, but they would do for now. Your cat followed you around, sometimes hopping onto counters or curling up in old armchairs, watching as you brought a bit of life back to the place.

As you explored the grounds, you found wild fruits and fungi growing nearby, enough to cook a simple meal. You made small fires outside, cooking what you could, and even tried some of the edible ones raw. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing, and you made sure to share everything with your cat.

“We’re like a couple of foraging nomads,” you joked, scratching her head as she ate beside you.

One day, as you were cleaning one of the rooms that seemed to have once been a study, you found a small, ornate picture frame buried under a pile of dusty books. You carefully picked it up, brushing the dirt away to reveal a faded photograph of a man. His clothes were elegant, the kind you’d imagine a duke or some other noble would wear, and there was a certain grace in his posture. But the photo was worn, almost like it was a memory trying to fade away.

You looked at it for a long moment, feeling an odd sense of connection to the man in the picture, his beautifuleyes staring right back at you, almost as if he could see you now.

“I hope you found peace wherever you are,” you said quietly, placing the frame back on the desk. “And… sorry for invading your home like this. I promise I’ll take care of it.”

After that, you couldn’t help but feel a strange obligation to maintain the place, almost as if you were caring for the memory of the man whose portrait you had found. You even discovered some old clothes in a wardrobe, finely tailored but dusty, and decided to clean them off. You didn’t wash them, though — it felt like that would be crossing a line, disrespecting the memory of their owner. It was such a silly thought, really, but whenever you thought about it, you just simply couldn't.

Instead, you brushed off the dust and laid them out in the sun for a while, hoping to preserve them as best you could. Every now and then, you’d check on the clothes, making sure they were still neatly arranged in the wardrobe, as if their owner would return to wear them again in the near future.

Unbeknownst to you, your actions hadn’t gone unnoticed. The manor had its secrets, and one of them was the spirit of the very man whose belongings you were now caring for. Jade Leech had been many things in life — a duke, a man of wealth and influence, and yes, he had dabbled in some less-than-legal affairs, not that it matters.

But now, he was simply a ghost, bound to the manor that had once been his pride. Bound by a curse or so he'd tell you if you asked him; the truth was only for him to know.

Jade had seen many people come and go over the years, but none had stayed. Most would leave after hearing a whisper in the dark or seeing a shadow move where no shadow should be. But you… you were different. You didn’t run. Instead, you cleaned, you fixed things, and you spoke to him — even if you didn’t realize it. Every time you’d make a quiet comment about the manor or talk to your cat, Jade would listen, an amused smile playing on his lips.

It was your respect for his belongings that intrigued him the most. The way you had carefully cleaned the picture frame, or the gentle way you had treated his clothes, it made him feel… noticed. Remembered. And that was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a very, very long time.

Jade began to watch you more closely, following you as you explored the manor, listening as you talked to your cat. He found your presence soothing, your airhead nature endearing. It was as if, after so many years of silence and solitude, life had returned to the manor — and he wasn’t sure he wanted it to leave.

His mother, his father, his brother... they all have left him.

And misses them.

He didn't want to get attached to someone, and then have you left him too.

One evening, after you had spent the day fixing a broken chair leg and foraging for more food, you were in the main hall, admiring how much you had managed to clean up. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, casting a warm light across the room, and your cat was curled up on your lap, purring contentedly.

“I think we’ve done a good job, don’t you?” you said, scratching behind your daughter's furry ears. “It almost feels… cozy.”

You didn’t notice the figure standing just a few feet away, a ghostly smile on his face. “Yes,” Jade said, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet clear enough to send a chill down your spine. “It does.”

Your heart skipped a beat, and you looked up, your eyes widening as you saw him. There, standing by the fireplace, was the man from the photograph, dressed in the same elegant clothes you had so carefully dusted off.

His pale face was framed by dark, wavy hair, and his eyes — sharp, intelligent, and heterochromatic — were fixed on you, shining with an otherworldly light. He didn't looked dead at all.

He looked very much alive.

For a moment, you thought you were dreaming; the absence of having another person to talk to catching up to you. But the smile on his lips was so real, so warm, it was hard to believe he was just a figment of your imagination.

“You… you’re…” you stammered, not sure how to finish the sentence.

Jade tilted his head slightly, his smile widening. “I am Jade Leech, the owner of this mansion. But you know that.” he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “And I must say, I’ve been quite charmed by your company.”

You blinked, struggling to find your voice. “Y-you’ve been watching me?”

“For a while now, yes,” he admitted, taking a step closer. “You’ve done such a lovely job caring for my manor, and for that, I am grateful. It’s been… entertaining, to say the least. And you're quite skilled singing.”

You swallowed, your mind racing. You should have felt afraid, but there was something about the way he spoke, the way he looked at you, that made it hard to think straight. “I-I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” you said quickly. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Nonsense,” Jade interrupted, his tone smooth and reassuring. “If anything, I should be thanking you. You’ve brought life back to this place, and for that, I am in your debt.” He paused, his gaze softening. “But more than that… I find myself rather fond of you.”

Your breath hitched as his words sank in, and you felt a shiver run down your spine. “Fond…?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper as he leaned closer, his eyes locking onto yours. “And I think it’s only fair that I repay your kindness… by making sure you never have to leave this manor again.”

The realization hit you like a wave, and you felt your heart begin to race. “W-what do you mean?”

Jade’s smile widened, and there was a glint of something possessive in his eyes. “You will stay here, with me,” he said softly, his tone as gentle as it was final. “As my guest… and perhaps, something more. After all, you're mine now."

#jade leech x reader #jade x mc #yandere jade x mc #yandere jade x yuu #yandere jade x reader #jade x reader #jade x yuu #yandere jade leech x reader #twst jade leech #yandere jade leech #jade leech #yandere twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #tw yandere

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ruified · 11 months ago

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I realyyyy love angst :D

There's a oneshot or a scenario that i've been thinking about that's been rotting all over my head where what if reader / s/o is in their deathbed and about to die soon to a uncurable illness and (character) (i guess chuuya or sigma? idm) who thinks of reader as someone special to them is watching over them until their very last breath

WHAT WILL THWY DO AND HOW WILL THEY REACT BEFORE AND AFTER DEATH!?!?

Haha my silly little idea is getting the best of me i just wanted to share this idea because i want my feelings to get hurt

❝ until your last 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 ˎˊ˗

warnings: death . characters: dazai osamu, atsushi nakajima, sigma, fyodor dostoevsky, chuuya nakahara . synopsis: their s/o is on their deathbed, they all have their own ways of coping with it . a/n: sorry this took me so long to get to, i was thinking very hard! i hope this is to your liking and you don’t mind little ideas like this instead of a scenario ^^;

DAZAI —

— Dazai doesn’t know what to exactly make of the whole situation, you are so incredibly important to him and now he’s going to lose you? It’s sending him into a downward spiral.

— He refuses to touch you anymore, he just can’t do it

— He wants to make the most out of what little time you have left together but he also has an urge to cut ties with you and make it easier on both of you

— He eventually decides that he can hold your hand at least while you lay in that hospital bed

— After you pass, he tries his best to take care of himself because he knows that’s what you’d want, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard

— He visits your grave frequently at first, then it dies down to your birthday, anniversaries, and holidays

ATSUSHI —

— He has been keeping a close eye on you since he first noticed you were sick, and he’s been taking great care of you ever since! However, that doesn’t stop the inevitable

— When he heard the news, tears welled in his eyes and he had to excuse himself, he didn’t want to cry in front of you

— He kept you company as much as he could

— On days where he had a lot of work, he’d ask someone else like Kyouka to go check on you

— He would prepare little lunch boxes for you every day and bring them to you

— He brings a lunch box to your grave for you

SIGMA —

— He paced around a lot in the hospital room, especially after he heard the news

— He tried so hard to think of a solution but nothing realistic came to mind

— He had you come stay in a room at the casino so he could at least still be close to you even when he had work

— Your room was kept away from any other visitors and was close to his office, making it easy for him to check on you

— He asked his staff members to change your glass of water frequently and give you a new warm blanket when you needed it

— He kept himself busy with work to try and keep away the dread of your passing

FYODOR —

— After hearing the news, he decided it would be best to care for you at home instead of being kept in such a dreary hospital

— He would read books to you to keep you entertained

— He’d bring his laptop into your room sometimes so that he could at least keep you company even while he worked

— He’d cook soup for you frequently, sometimes even feeding it to you

— He asks you if you have any wishes before you go, he doesn’t want you leaving with any regrets, and he does whatever he can to make it all come true

— He attends to any possible unfinished business you may have before your passing so that you can go without worry

CHUUYA —

— He really doesn’t believe it at first

— He contacts Mori and asks him to look over the medical records and tell him the truth; Mori tells him that it is in fact all real

— He’ll often sit next to you and squeeze your hand, refusing to let go

— He’ll fall asleep with you in your hospital room, draped over you in your bed

— He sits next to you and cuts your apple slices into bunnies, or sometimes other, more intricate shapes

— He asks you often if there’s anything you need him to do for you, also wanting to fulfill any last wishes you may have

— He makes sure you have a proper funeral, he’s tired of those he cares about not getting one.

#ෆ┊¡ penned by val #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd x reader #bsd dazai #dazai osamu #dazai x reader #bsd atsushi #atsushi nakajima #atsushi x reader #bsd sigma #sigma x reader #bsd fyodor #fyodor dostoevsky #fyodor x reader #bsd chuuya #chuuya x reader #chuuya nakahara

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7ndipity · 10 months ago

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Soulmate AU Scenarios

Jin x Reader, Jungkook x Reader

Warnings: only partially edited, not proofread

A/N: These have been sitting in my drafts for soo long, I don’t even remember when I wrote them tbh, but I figured since I didn’t have anything else ready for today, I’d share these with the class!

(Note, these are part of my Non-Linear series, which means they’re unfinished and ask motivated, see m.list for details)

Masterlist Non-Linear m.list

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

J: (Feeling a shock when you touch your SM)

Jin braced himself as he wove through the crowded streets, trying to avoid bumping into anyone as the static air began to make his hair bristle.

Everywhere he went, tiny zaps of electricity would hit him, sometimes from just the slightest of touches. It was like wearing a wool sweater all the time, and it made him tense and anxious every time he left the house.

He had gone to multiple doctors and specialists to try and figure out what was going on, but all they could ever come up with was he was just hypersensitive to his type of soulmark, feeling things too intensely.

He had hoped that they would be able to help him find some sort of treatment or solution to his problem, but all they had basically told him was to try wearing extra layers to lessen the sensation and to just ignore it as best he could.

He made his way slowly down the crowded sidewalk, trying to avoid getting too close to anyone, but it was almost impossible to avoid bumping into a few people. By the time he made it to crosswalk, he could hardly stand the static buzz around him anymore, more than ready to just go home

Suddenly, he heard a small curse as someone behind him stumbled, falling against him.

“Yi-aish!” Lightning shot up his arm, sending him flying back in shock and pain. Heart pounding from the sudden jolt of electricity, he looked up to see you sitting on the ground, gripping your shoulder in pain from the shock.

Realization hit him as he stared down at you, his fingers still tingling from the intensity of the shock.

“A-are you okay?” He asked, hesitating for a moment before offering you his hand.

Glancing between it and his face, you cautiously accepted it, your expression mirroring his curiosity and concern.

This time, when your palms touch, neither of you felt a painful jolt, but rather a soothing warmth that spread up your arm, like sunlight in your veins.

He smiled shyly at you. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

Jungkook:(sharing a very specific mark with your SM, SM’s tattoos/scars appear on your skin)

For the nth time today, you tugged down the sleeve of your sweater to cover your right hand, hiding the writing and designs that decorated your skin.

Having the same tattoos and scars as your soulmate would be enough to make anyone feel a bit self conscious at times on its own, no matter how beautiful you might think they are, but when your soulmate was someone famous, having such a visible marker of who you were bound to made you a target for all kinds of attention, some of which could even be potentially dangerous.

So many people tried to copy tattoos, trying to pass themselves off as the real deal, the only way to know for sure was to get some kind of test to know if it was regular ink or a ‘soul mark’ as they were sometimes called.

When the marks first started showing up, you were in complete denial, but the collection of designs had quickly grown beyond the point of denying, so you had switched to ignoring/hiding them. Lots of people chose to ignore their marks and make their own lives, and you knew enough about your soulmate to know there wasn’t a real possibility to be together.

Until your manager came by to tell you that you would be giving a tour of the venue/museum/historical site/smth where you worked to some very important visitors.

When you walked out and saw him standing there, it was like the world stopped. Everything seemed to slow for a fraction of a second, your breath hanging in the air as your eyes met.

But then, painfully, the world kept going. Everyone kept talking, your manager introduced you to everyone and left you to show him and his members around.

Pushing your initial shock aside, you focused on leading them around on the tour, answering any questions they had and chatting easily. You actually found yourself having a really nice time with them, almost forgetting your earlier nerves, until you noticed Jungkook's eyes on you, or more specifically, your hand.

As you had been pointing out something, he caught sight of the dark patterning over your knuckles, just barely peeking out of your oversized sleeves.

You tried to tuck your hand out of sight, but he was too quick, stepping forward and catching your arm, tugging your sleeve up to reveal the numerous, interweaving tattoos that covered your skin.

You locked your eyes on the floor, afraid of what he would say.

“Finally.” He breathed, making you look up in surprise.

He smiled down at you in disbelief. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan @feminympho @a-gayish-unicorn

#seokjin scenarios #seokjin fluff #seokjin x reader #seokjin x y/n #seokjin soulmate au #jungkook scenarios #jungkook fluff #jungkook x y/n #jungkook x reader #jungkook soulmate au #bts scenarios #bts reaction #bts x y/n #bts x reader #bts soulmate au #7ndipity

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tereotechsolution · 2 years ago

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The Importance of Secure Gate Pass Management in Modern Businesses

Gate pass management software is an essential aspect of security for modern businesses. By implementing a gate pass management system, you can help to keep your business secure and ensure that your business is compliant with regulations and laws.

#gate pass management software #gate pass management system #inventory management system #visitor management system india #digital workplace solutions companies #expense reimbursement solution

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studentbyday · 2 months ago

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so the week is half over and i'm kind of feeling low on energy and needing lots of sleep, which is the perfect opportunity to (sort of) try out einstein's daily routine (which is tbh the most personally palatable daily routine of a famous person i've ever chanced across)! i've been waking up at nearly 9 anyway since lately my head spins and i feel sick if i don't sleep like 9-10 hours.

So yeah, wake up at 9.

Between 9 and 10, eat breakfast and read the newspapers fiction

I know after breakfast he was said to often walk to Princeton and arrive by 10:30 or smth but (a) I don't go to Princeton, and (b) these days I study at home, so instead I'm just going to do some form of exercise.

~10:30 to 1pm: work study

have lunch (i read somewhere that he spends 1.5h on lunch and tea? i wish i could have a lunch and tea that leisurely but i do not have the time. so i won't.)

afternoons: receive visitors and work study

also afternoons: naps if needed (tho thankfully i seem to have enough energy to last me through the day if i get 9-10h of sleep... also i just don't think i'll have much time for naps. 🙁)

~6:30pm: have dinner [and clean up]

after dinner: more work study if needed (most likely needed)

sleeeeeeeepppppppp [be ready for or in bed by 9 or 10]

i'll update this post later to let you know how it goesss~

i hope you're feeling better than i am this week 💗🤒

~the aforementioned update~

ahahaha i don't think i did a very good job of following any routine this week. on wednesday i slept a little later than usual and ended up waking up at 10am (i didn't set an alarm for some reason). on thursday i set my alarm for 7 and then 8 and then 10 because i had to finish reviewing the last of the microbiology for the midterm and actually woke up at 9:30. and on friday i want to actually wake up somewhere within the hour of 7am so i can hopefullyyyy finish all my schoolwork for this week?? despite the seeming slowness of einstein's routine, i always feel like i'm rushing when i wake up when the sun is already up and most everyone else i live with is already awake, so i'm going to try this again over reading week but change the wake-up time and stick to it dammit— 😤

also i feel like if i'm gonna be posting on tumblr again, i should post my screen time stats for accountability because for some reason whenever i start making stuff for social media, my screen time goes through the roof bc i get so distracted and like oh wait there was this thing i want to add no wait where was i— (as i got lost in a scroll.) and this happens multiple times. but sometimes i do feel very much like yapping and when i'm in this mood, i could yap for days on end so i gotta find a solution...

just LOOK at this horrendousness!!!

also. there was so much material to cover for the microbio midterm it was insane. i feel like i need to follow the 80/20 rule. like...just prioritize the big topics, don't care so much about the extraneous, minor details so i only expend energy for and fill my brain with what i really need to know. and i'm not sure how good flashcards are for that because it just seems kinda random, the order in which cards are thrown at you in anki, and i'm the kind of person who, at least during the first pass, compulsively desires to cover everything, and so what do you think happens? i end up with a massive “stack” of flashcards, including cards about minor/extraneous details. every. single. time. i'm not entirely sure how i want to navigate this yet, but i'm definitely gonna try that 80/20 rule...bc this was just too stressful 🥲

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dawnbreaker-mylove · 1 month ago

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𝑨𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒂𝒘𝒏

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction of the game Love and Deepspace. Some characters are from the game, and some are original characters. The rituals and traditions aren't from any specific religion. If there are any similarities to real people, it's purely coincidental.

Warnings: Human sacrifice. Not a lot is happening yet. Enjoy o(^o^)o

‘You are being offered to the gods!’

Your father had passed not long ago, leaving you with the responsibility of the crops before winter's cold breath overtakes the land. Since his passing, you’ve struggled to make ends meet, relying on your skills as a healer to bring in a meager income.

"Thank you, my dearest," the elderly woman you’ve been treating for weeks pressed your hand gently. She handed you a few copper coins, smiling in apology. "Please, take this. It’s all I have left." You smiled, though your heart ached for her. "This is more than enough." You placed half of the coins back into her hand. Her brows furrowed, but before she could protest, you shook your head. "You have your granddaughter to worry about. Keep it."

Her smile returned, and she kissed the back of your hand, a gesture of deep gratitude. "May the gods bless you, child."

You simply nodded, concealing the thoughts that crossed your mind. You hoped they would, but the weight of your troubles was heavy. "You should head back home now," you advised softly. "Your granddaughter will worry. Remember to take the medicine as I’ve instructed."

After she departed, a sigh of exhaustion escaped your lips. You walked back to your small workbench, surveying the scant collection of herbs you had left. Barely enough for even a small vial of cough syrup. With autumn approaching, the plants were dying, and you knew winter would bring with it a host of illnesses. Where would you find the resources to treat your patients?

Frustration bubbled within as you ran a hand through your hair, massaging your temples. Every solution you considered was met with even more problems.

"Why did you leave me, Father?" you chuckled bitterly, casting a glance at the bed where you had found his lifeless body. He had looked peaceful then, though his absence left a gaping wound in your heart. Swallowing the rising emotion, you stared at the ceiling, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I’ve never been a believer in the gods," you whispered, "but if you can hear me, I could use a miracle now. Anything."

At some point, weariness overtook you, and you didn’t realize you’d fallen asleep until sunlight filtered through the cracks in the bamboo walls of your home. You blinked groggily, stretching your stiff limbs. The parchment beneath your hand was ruined, smeared with ink and tears from the night before. After cleaning up your workspace, you headed out to tend to the fields. The cold had already stunted most of the crops, but you gathered what little remained—potatoes, cabbages, carrots. It wasn’t much, but enough for a simple stew. Perhaps you could spare a bit of coin for meat at the market, though you doubted you had enough left for such a luxury.

As you set the vegetables on the table and began to wash the potatoes at the water pump, a knock sounded at the door. You rarely received visitors, except the taxman that pesters you despite already paying. Frowning, you glanced through the wooden slats of the door, startled to find three men standing outside. Their long robes already gave you a clue to who they were and you weren't at all thrilled to see priests by your home.

You opened the door slightly, enough to see their faces but no more. "How may I help you?" you asked, forcing a polite smile.

The men exchanged glances, clearly nervous. "Good morning, Miss," one of them greeted with a bow. "We do not intrude, I hope?"

"I have no pressing matters," you replied, though inwardly you wished you did. "What is it you need?"

"We come with an offer," said another, his tone bright. "One that could change your life."

You chuckled softly, waving them off. "I have no interest in joining the priesthood if that’s your intent."

"Wait!" the first priest stepped forward, a hand raised. "It’s not that. Please hear us out." He hesitated, sensing your annoyance. "We knew your father, may his soul rest in the afterlife. He was a man of great devotion, and we wish to honor his memory."

"How so?" you asked, tilting your head slightly, curiosity piqued despite yourself.

"We offer you a place to live, a life at the temple," the third priest chimed in.

"You want me to leave the only home I’ve ever known?" You raised an eyebrow.

"Not just leave, Miss," the first priest smiled warmly now. "We ask that you join us as our healer. A position of great respect."

Your eyes narrowed, though you opened the door a little more, intrigued. "And... you will compensate me for this?"

"Indeed, six gold coins each week," the third priest spoke, cutting in with a broad grin.

Six gold coins? Your breath caught in your throat. That amount could feed a family for weeks. Could they truly offer that much? Your skepticism must have shown, but the men only smiled, bowing deeply.

"We understand if you need time to consider," one of them said. "We will await your answer."

As they turned and left, you slowly closed the door, your heart racing in your chest. Six gold coins each week. You could be free of all your burdens. No more scraping by, no more worrying about the next meal. It seemed almost too good to be true.

Your gaze fell upon a crumpled sheet of parchment—an old drawing your father had made of you as a child. You smiled wistfully, remembering how he would mix herbs and flowers to create colors for his art.

"You’d want this, wouldn’t you, Father?" you whispered, clutching the paper to your chest. "You wouldn’t want me to stay here forever.”

The next morning, you tread through the village paths, dust rising from the worn roads beneath your sandals. The air smells of smoke from the cooking fires, and the bustle of townsfolk fills the narrow streets. As you pass the market, a tug on your sleeve pulls you to a halt. You glance down to see a woman sitting on the ground, her face streaked with soot and her clothes tattered. In her arms, a frail infant whimpers softly, its face ashen.

"Please," she says, her voice trembling, "spare a coin for my child."

Your heart aches at the sight. You hesitate, but your purse is light, and your own needs are many. "I am sorry," you whisper, offering a brief nod before stepping past her. As you continue walking, her voice rises behind you, sharp with bitterness. "Selfish wretch!" she spits. "May the gods curse your soul!"

The sting of her words follows you, but you push forward, quickening your steps. You reach the familiar herb stall and the scent of dried roots and fresh leaves greets you. The stall keeper looks up as you approach, her weathered face breaking into a kind smile.

"Good morning," she says, wiping her hands on her apron. You return the smile, though weariness etched in your face. "Do you have any ephedra left?" you ask.

The stall keeper's face falls slightly, and she shakes her head. "I’m afraid the last bundle was sold just yesterday."

"What?!" Your voice rises despite yourself, the exhaustion of sleepless nights gnawing at your patience. "There must be some left."

She glances at you with sympathy but remains firm. "Ephedra has been scarce, especially with the colder seasons approaching. What little we have is costly... two silvers for a bundle."

Your jaw tightens. "Two silvers?!" You grip the small leather pouch at your waist, feeling the few coins inside. "That’s absurd!"

The stall keeper raises her hands, her voice softening. "It is not my doing, Miss. The land is unforgiving, and the costs rise with the hardships."

You close your eyes for a moment, frustration throbbing in your temples. You know it is not her fault, yet the weight of the past weeks presses heavily on your spirit. She watches you with a look of pity, sighing under her breath. After a moment, she glances around, making sure no one else is watching.

"Here," she whispers, slipping a small bundle of ephedra from beneath her counter. "Take this. You needn't pay today."

Your breath catches, and you stare at her in surprise. "But—"

She waves a hand, silencing your protest. "You’ve been a loyal customer for many years. Consider it a kindness, just this once."

Humbled, you lower your head in gratitude. "I am in your debt."

She smiles softly. "No debt, child. We all need help sometimes.”

You leave the stall, wandering through the village aimlessly. The dull hum of life surrounds you—merchants haggling over prices, children chasing each other through the streets, and the faint sound of temple bells ringing in the distance. The acolytes must be drawing the morning prayers to a close. As the bells echo through the air, you remember the priests from the day before and their generous offer.

The thought weighs on you. It was your pride that kept you from rushing to their gates yesterday, the last thread of dignity preventing you from accepting so easily. But today, hunger gnaws at your stomach, and your exhaustion hangs heavy. There is no room for pride now.

With a resigned sigh, you gather what remains of your resolve and begin the slow walk toward the temple.

When you reach the entrance, the temple courtyard is alive with movement. Monks in simple robes and priestesses with flowing garments move gracefully through the courtyard, their serene faces untouched by the weariness that clings to you. The elegance of the priestesses catches your eye, their poise and beauty a stark contrast to your own worn cloak. Instinctively, you brush the dust from your clothes, though you know it will do little to change your appearance.

As you stand there, feeling out of place, one of the priests approaches. His face brightens with recognition, and he offers you a deep bow.

"Ah, you’re here," he says, his voice calm and respectful. "Have you given thought to our humble offer, Miss healer?"

You return his bow with a slight nod, a faint smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "That is why I am here," you reply, a hint of sarcasm lingers in your words.

The priest does not seem to notice or, more likely, chooses to ignore it. "The temple is honored by your presence. Come, let us discuss the terms in greater detail."

As he motions for you to follow, you cast one last glance around the courtyard. For all its beauty, this place feels like the beginning of something unknown.

Your footsteps echoed softly along the stone corridor of the temple, the quietness unsettling despite the sunlight filtering through the windows. Acolytes passed by with serene smiles, their movements graceful, yet the stillness clung to the air, making your skin prickle.

At the far end of the hallway, a towering hanging scroll caught your eye. It portrayed a mighty dragon, its scales glistening like emeralds, its eyes a molten gold that seemed to burn with life. The more you looked, the more alive the creature seemed, as if its gaze was not just painted but truly watching, its eyes locked onto yours. It felt as though it were measuring you, silently judging your worth.

"Wait here," the priest said, his voice low, before disappearing into a nearby room. Left alone under the dragon's relentless stare, you shifted uncomfortably, rubbing your arm as unease crept over you.

Your thoughts drifted to the old stories, the ones you had heard growing up—the Four Great Dragons, gods that ruled over these vast lands. The god of light, the god of the underworld, the god of the sea, and the god of the mountains.

You had heard their names whispered in reverence and fear, their legends woven into every corner of life. Now, in the presence of the dragon’s piercing gaze, those stories felt more tangible than ever. There was something powerful in the ink and silk, as if the gods themselves could see you through the dragon’s eyes.

You swallowed the discomfort and took a steadying breath, standing in the stillness of the temple hall, waiting for the priest’s return, but never quite able to shake the feeling that you were not alone.

“You seem intrigued,” came a calm voice from behind. You startled, nearly losing your composure, having been too absorbed in the painting to notice anyone in the halls. Turning swiftly, you were met with a handsome face. He was tall, with an air of quiet authority. His eyes, a mix of green and gold, gleamed with intelligence and something you couldn't quite place.

“I suppose you recognize the god?” he asked, gesturing with a graceful hand toward the dragon on the scroll.

Heat crept up your neck as you glanced back at the painting, searching your memory for any scrap of knowledge. “I do not,” you admitted, feeling a bit stupid. “Do you?”

A soft chuckle escaped him, and he crossed his arms, his gaze lingering fondly on the painting. “The Master of Fate,” he began, his tone reverent. “The god of the mountains and prophecy. A patron of healers, guiding those who treat the body and spirit.”

You raised your eyebrows slightly, recalling faint stories your father used to tell in the evenings. “Ah, yes,” you nodded slowly. “This temple is dedicated to him, is it not?”

“Indeed,” he replied. “Centuries ago, when man struggled to survive in these lands, it was he who helped them prosper. He watches over this region still.”

You nodded again, though your thoughts were less on the history of the gods and more on the man before you. His presence was magnetic, and despite the grbandeur of the temple, your attention kept drifting back to him. “Are you a priest, then?” you inquired, though he did not wear the robes of one.

A knowing smile tugged at his lips. “Merely a traveler,” he replied.

“Where have you traveled from then?”

“The mountains of the northeast,” he answered smoothly, his gaze steady on yours. “And you? Are you a priestess?”

You shook your head with a soft laugh, shrugging slightly. “No, and I do not wish to be.”

His laughter followed, rich and warm, filling the quiet hallway. “I should have known,” he said, covering his mouth as if to temper the sound. “A priestess would have known her god at once.”

You smiled, your amusement matching his. “I thought my clothes gave it away.”

He tilted his head slightly, his fingers brushing ever so lightly against your shoulder. “Your beauty was distracting,” he murmured, his voice lower now, laced with sincerity. “I could think of nothing else.”

Your breath caught for a moment, the casualness of his words somehow disarming. The priest returns, grabbing both yours and the stranger's attention. You were disappointed that you had to leave, but you smiled at him nonetheless. “I'll see you around then,” you said to him, bowing.

The man bows back, his gaze locked in yours. “I look forward to it.”

The man leaves, your disappointment only growing as he walks farther. You turned back to the priest and stepped inside the room. Your eyes widened as a line of acolytes and priestesses stood waiting, each holding trays laden with silk, gold, and delicate jewelry. Their faces were serene, as though this display of opulence was an everyday affair. Confusion swept over you, and you glanced toward the priest who had led you here.

Before the question could form on your lips, he spoke softly, “It is tradition to present gifts to new members of the temple.”

"Ah," you nodded slowly, though the gesture felt strange. Gifts? For you? You had expected a modest welcome, perhaps a meal or a bed to rest, not such lavish offerings. Before you could fully process the scene, the acolytes stepped forward with quiet precision, deftly stripping you of your worn clothes without hesitation.

A wave of vulnerability washed over you as you instinctively crossed your arms, attempting to shield yourself from the sudden exposure. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment, but none of them seemed to notice—or perhaps they simply did not care. The silk garments were placed upon you with practiced grace, the cool fabric gliding over your skin, while necklaces, bracelets, and hair ornaments were draped and fastened.

“This is unnecessary,” you murmured, glancing toward the priest, your voice edged with discomfort. But he said nothing, his gaze steady as he watched the transformation unfold, as though it were something he had witnessed many times before.

When at last you were fully adorned, the weight of the jewelry resting heavily on your arms and neck, anxiety bubbled up inside you. The rich fabric felt foreign, the gold cold against your skin. You had not asked for this, nor had you expected it. Your heart raced, uncertain of what would come next. What did all this mean?

The acolytes and priestesses stepped back, their duty complete, leaving you standing in the center of the room, feeling more like a relic on display than a healer.

“Drink this,” the priest said, offering a porcelain tea cup with an air of calm authority. The liquid inside was familiar, yet its name escaped you. You furrowed your brow, eyeing him warily. “What is in it?”

“Ah, do you now doubt the goodwill of a holy man?” His tone was smooth, yet there was a slight edge, almost mocking. “If I had ill intentions, would I have brought you here so openly?”

Your eyes narrowed, catching the subtle hint of condescension in his voice. Without a word, you took the cup, never breaking your gaze from his. The room seemed to hold its breath as you brought the cup to your lips, the silence thick between you. The liquid slid down your throat, bitter and foul, forcing you to swallow hard to keep it down. The taste lingered, making your stomach churn.

Almost immediately, a wave of heat surged through your body, and your vision began to blur. You staggered, feeling the strength drain from your limbs. “Shit...” you muttered, the world tilting dangerously around you. Your body collapsed to the ground, the cold stone floor meeting you as darkness began to creep in from the edges of your sight.

The last thing you saw were their figures—silent, watchful—standing over you as your vision slipped away into blackness.

Your eyelids fluttered open, and the icy grip of the night air sent a shiver through your body. The thin silk draped over you was no match for the sharp bite of the wind. You blinked against the harsh glow of nearby flames, your eyes adjusting to the flickering light of the hearth behind you. It took a moment for your senses to return, and when they did, you realized you were surrounded—priests, monks, acolytes, and priestesses all stood in solemn silence, their eyes fixed upon you.

Your breath quickened as you tried to sit up, but your wrists were bound tightly. Panic surged in your chest. “What is the meaning of this?!” you demanded, your voice cutting through the rhythmic chants that filled the courtyard. You gritted your teeth, struggling against the ropes that held you to no avail. The priest from earlier stepped forward, a shadow in the firelight, his expression unreadable as he helped you sit.

“Greetings, Miss healer,” he said, his voice disturbingly calm.

“You!” you spat, your contempt for him now bare and unrestrained. “You tricked me!”

The man only shrugged, a hint of indifference in his movement. “I merely obey the will of those above me.” The chants grew louder, their sound sending a chill down your spine. The air grew heavier, the weight of something unseen pressing down on you.

“Whose orders?” you snapped, though deep down, the answer already stirred uneasily within you.

He doesn't reply. Instead, he made a subtle gesture, and an acolyte stepped forward, carrying a tray. On it lay a silver dagger, gleaming ominously in the firelight, the blade catching and reflecting the flicker of flames. The sight of it sent your pulse racing, the air around you thick with foreboding. “Rejoice, Miss healer,” the priest said with a fervent gleam in his eyes as he thrust the hilt of the dagger into your hands, compelling you to grip it tightly. “You are to be offered to the gods.”

He turned away, his voice rising above the chants that enveloped the courtyard like a thick fog. “Tonight,” his voice reverberating against the stone walls, “we shall bear witness to a miracle! Tonight, the god of the mountains will descend once more, gracing us with his divine presence!”

With a swift motion, he raised your arms, positioning the dagger’s tip against your throat. A cruel smile curled upon his lips as he pressed the blade into your skin, the sharp edge biting deep enough to draw blood. Warm droplets trickled down your chest, and you gasped, your heart racing. It was then that a deep rumble echoed in the distance—thunder, or perhaps something else?

Before you could fully grasp the moment, everything spiraled into chaos. You felt a sudden, fierce grip wrap around your torso, lifting you from the ground. The flames of the hearth shrank away, growing distant with each passing heartbeat. The air grew thin, and dizziness washed over you, making it difficult to breathe. The chants swelled around you, now a cacophony of voices rising to the heavens, while you hung suspended in the grip of the unknown, your heart pounding a frantic rhythm against your ribcage.

Chapter 2

#lnds #l&ds #lads #zayne love and deepspace #lnd zayne #zayne l&ds #lnds sylus #love and deepspace sylus #l&ds sylus #xavier love and deepspace #love and deepspace zayne #love and deepspace #rafayel love and deepspace #lnds rafayel #l&ds rafayel #lnds fanfiction #at the break of dawn

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pip-n-chips · 1 year ago

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This line right here has had a choke hold on me for the last five minutes, sir, on god?

hnnnnfggshshjsk SIR

quick content warnings: pregnancy talk (PC used to be pregnant), Harper being a right fucking creep, kidnapping kinda??

If I remember correctly, IRL, there's a certain amount of time that has to pass before it's safe to have sex again after giving birth (seems like it ranges from 2 to 6 weeks), and Harper would be mindful of that before doing anything to you. (He doesn't want to damage to your pretty little hole!)

But here's the issue- Harper wants to be the FIRST one to fuck you postpartum. He's been thinking about knocking you up with your next kid ever since you got pregnant with the first one, and there's no way in hell he's going to let someone else get that chance before him. He's earned it, he thinks. He's been so helpful throughout your pregnancy; he's been there every step of the way. He deserves it, he knows. You owe him that.

His solution is to keep you somewhere safe, somewhere monitored, where he KNOWS you're safe. Maybe it's a private room in the hospital, locked behind a keycard swipe. You'll be allowed visitors, at first. He's not some monster; if your loved ones want to come see you, they may. But he doesn't like the way some of them look at you, and he hates the way you look at them back. So the visitor hours grow shorter and shorter, effectively cutting people off. (He's also very particular on which nurses come to treat you. This hospital is full of dangerous people, and, unfortunately, he doesn't have the authority to fire whoever he pleases.)

If people ask, he mentions something about irregular results. Uses a lot of buzzwords, says it's not safe for outside germs to come near you. That they need to be extra careful around you, so it's best to leave you be. To rest.

This moves onto the next part, he needs to keep you in his grasp long enough for it to be safe to fuck you again, to breed you again. (And yes, Harper could get you pregnant in other ways- he could insert his sperm via tube/syringe like he's done to many test subjects before, but his cock disagrees. He needs to feel himself inside of you. He's waited long enough. He can wait a little more, the prize'll be worth it.) He uses similar excuses explanations as to why he needs to keep you with him at the hospital longer. He needs to monitor your levels, your progress.

"Something seems wrong," he'd say, "best to keep you longer, for your health."

It's easier to handle when other people come to him for answers, looking to call him out on his bullshit. They have no power here, he doesn't even have to talk to them, if he really didn't want to. (But he's no coward, he can stand tall with a smile that'll make others shy away.) All it takes is a little manipulation to get them to turn around. He's the expert here. He knows what's best for you, not them. If they refuse, well, it's bad to cause a ruckus in a healing environment, yeah? They'll be kindly escorted out.

It's harder when it comes to you, though. It's not like he wasn't expecting it- he's prepared- but it's still disappointing when you start getting restless. You want to leave, he gets that. You want to go home, to be with your kid. And he understands that. But you can't go yet. Not yet. Not until he gets what he wants. Not until you're ready. But, unfortunately for him, your patience runs out before the timer does, and you're,,, less than happy. And he didn't want to do this (he did, he was just waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect excuse), but your behavior starts to get so erratic and upsetting, so he throws you in the asylum. (Poor thing. So distraught, you're a danger to yourself. He had to step in.) Somewhere even more isolated safe, and he keeps you there for as long as he needs.

When the time comes, after one of your examinations, Harper is shaking from restrained excitement. He almost forgets to hypnotize you, drug you, whatever- he's just so eager to be inside you and pump you full of his seed.

And when he does get to... oh boy, it's heavenly. The wait was worth it.

#cw pregnancy #was gonna write actual smut at the end but my brain stopped working when I tried sorry lmao #degrees of lewdity #dol #harper the doctor #dol harper #ask #unsure about tagging as scene sharing because that line looks like a default npc dialogue #still neat tho !#thirsty #pippywrites

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friendly-neighborhood-boricua · 3 months ago

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[7] Kindergarten Graduation

Summary: Liam graduates from kindergarten, and another thing changes in your life.

Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!single mom!reader.

A/N(18/8/2024): GUYS I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!!! ok maybe not really finished, I think I may continue to add to this au as I think of ideas and please please please send me ideas/requests if you have any and I'll do my best to write them :) thank you all so much for reading my silly little story, I really appreciate all the love and support you've given me, even when I take months and months to update (sorry) all my love to each and every one of you <3<3<3<3

Previous Part: You Get A Visitor in the ER This is the last one as of right now! Click here for the series masterlist

Alright it’s taken a hot second

But we’re here guys

The end of the year!! *jazz hands*

The school year, that is

Liam has been getting more and more excited for summer break as the weeks pass by

You promised him that you’d visit your dad, whom Liam hasn’t seen since he was two because he lives so far away

You and your dad aren’t exactly the closest but you get along well and your son thinks grandpa’s the funniest thing since sliced bread

And it’s about time that you visit him anyway

But first, Liam needs to get to the end of the school year

And he has! Yay!

The administration at Liam’s school likes to put on a little graduation ceremony for the kindergarteners and the departing fifth graders, and that ceremony happens to be today

And it’s as if your car knows that you have something important to do today

Because she’s just refusing to start up

The engine makes a horrid whining-grinding sound when you turn the key in the ignition, and it makes you a little nervous that the whole thing is gonna blow

So you’ve resigned yourself to finding a different way to get to Liam’s school

Side note: you have the misfortune of being very anxious to get to events quite early in an effort to make sure you aren’t late, and you’ve definitely imparted that worry onto your son

Which means you have a nervous six-year-old switching between pacing back and forth beside your useless car and wrapping his arms around your thigh in an anxious iron grip

At least you’d left your apartment early, so there’s still some time to figure out a solution

You run through the list in your head: the school is close enough to walk to but it would take too much time, Tonks and her parents are at her own high school graduation so that’s obviously not an option, Poppy is working today so she can’t pick you up, and you absolutely refuse to ask anything more of Ms. Hope since she already does so much for you with Liam

The idea dawns on you to take an Uber just as the front door to your apartment building opens

And of course, a solution on legs walks into the parking lot

(Even if you don’t like burdening him by asking for his help)

James smiles as soon as he sees you and Liam

Liam’s face also lights up like a Christmas tree as he waves enthusiastically from his spot attached to your leg

You shouldn’t be surprised when James saunters over to you both to say good morning

And you especially shouldn’t be surprised when he offers help with your car troubles

(You were terrified slightly worried when James had left the ER that you’d crossed a line when you kissed his bandaged palm, and maybe you did, but James didn’t let it change your dynamic—if anything, he was just more and more happy-looking to see you every morning, and it was hard not to let his happiness spread to you too)

You refuse James’ help at first under the guise that his hand was still healing from that cut, but he just laughed and reminded you that he’d cut himself a month ago and his hand is perfectly fine

Which is how you’ve ended up here

The hood of your car propped up, Liam peering eagerly at the engine, James in a very nice-fitting crewneck t-shirt and formal slacks poking around inside the car, and you holding the suit jacket he’s planning on wearing to shake his kids’ hands as they walk across the gymnasium floor and blushing furiously as you try not to stare at the way the short sleeves of James’ shirt fit so nicely around his biceps

You’re plenty familiar with human anatomy, being a nurse and all, but jesus christ—

After a minute or two, James hums in understanding and Liam replicates the sound, trying to look where James is looking

You do your best to school your face, and you succeed for the most part even if you can’t really get rid of your blush

James explains to you and Liam that the bearings in your alternator have broken down and you sigh deeply

He says he’d offer to fix it but—he laughs a little sheepishly—he’s not the best with cars

Still, his friend Sirius, an administrative aide at Liam’s school, is pretty good at car mechanic stuff and James could probably ask him to do it

You aren’t super keen on agreeing (again with the asking for help thing) but either way, getting your alternator fixed right now isn’t a possibility because all three of us have a kindergarten graduation to get to, Mr. Potter

James’ eyes go wiiiiide lmao but you reassure him that you have enough time to get to the school just in time if you leave now

And of course he offers to drive you both there

You accept (not like you have much of a choice) and quickly find yourself on the way to Liam’s school with Liam in the back, sitting in James’ “emergency car seat”

(He explains that he keeps a kids’ car seat in his trunk in case he ever needs to drive a kid anywhere and that this is the car seat he used to drive Liam to and from school that one time)

(You feel alarmed and then thankful and then terribly guilty when you realize you’d never even thought about if Liam was sitting in a car seat that day)

After all that hassle, you, James, and Liam finally arrive at the school building and hurry to the gym, where the ceremony will be taking place

You send Liam down the hall with James with a kiss on the forehead (James thinks about asking for a kiss himself but thinks better of it) before going to sit in the rows of folding chairs set out for parents and family members

You sit with Molly and Arthur, the parents of Liam’s good friend Ron

Arthur is very jolly and cheery at all times and Molly, while occasionally judgemental, is usually quite kind

This graduation ceremony is very abbreviated just because six-year-olds can’t sit still for four hours like they would have to if this was a real graduation

The event starts with a few quick words from Principal McGonagall about how hard the kids have worked this year and how they deserve to enjoy their time off from school

Then it’s time for the kids to walk across the “stage”, which is really just a mobile raised platform

The principal calls a name, hands the child their very own kindergarten diploma, and sends them to have their photo taken with their respective teacher

James (now with his suit jacket back on) has a wide smile on his face as he stands with the other three kindergarten teachers

You cheer for Ron with Molly and Arthur as he walks across the stage to take a photo with his teacher, and when it’s Liam’s turn, Molly and Arthur (and Ron from the side of the stage) cheer with you

When the ceremony is over, Ron and Liam come running to you, Molly, and Arthur asking if they can go to the playground across the street to play for a while

Molly and Arthur agree to take Liam and Ron while you go let James know where you’re going and that you and Liam can walk home if he has somewhere he needs to be

It’s pretty clear from the look on James’ face that he thinks that even just the idea of leaving you and Liam without a ride is atrocious lmao

He just shakes his head like it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard and promises to meet you at the playground once he’s done dealing with Draco’s overbearing parents

You laugh and nod in agreement

The playground across from Liam’s school is really fancy

The city built it pretty recently, so it’s tall with a merry-go-round and a tire-swing and metal slides that you’re sure sear children’s skin off on hot days

Liam and Ron are having the time of their lives already, and you sit with Molly and Arthur on a nearby bench under a tree

It’s easy to talk with them because they ask the same questions whenever you talk

How are you? Oh I’m good. How’s Liam doing? He’s good too. Everything good at the hospital? As good as it can be, yeah.

They’re easy to talk to but it’s difficult to relate to them sometimes

Molly and Arthur are so old they could be your parents, and they have seven kids, the oldest of which is only a couple years younger than you

But at the same time, they’re really rather cute

They’ve been married for who knows how long and they’re still so in love (even when Molly threatens to decapitate her husband)

It’s sort of inspirational in a way

Liam and Ron call over to the three of you saying they’ve found a frog under one of the slides

You sigh and get up, knowing Molly doesn’t want to see any sort of amphibian and Arthur has some back problems so he probably couldn’t bend down to see the frog anyway

By the time you reach Ron and Liam, Ron’s got the poor frog cupped in his hands, and you tell him he may want to put it down since it’s scared

Ron understands and finds a puddle to release the frog into

Molly, Arthur, and Ron end up having to leave pretty quickly

Their oldest is graduating today too and they need to make it to his ceremony, so you and Liam bid them farewell and promise to make plans to hang out over the summer sometime

James sees you being dragged by Liam towards the swings as he crosses the street towards the park

Neither you nor Liam realizes he’s there until he sits in the swing next to you

But Liam’s flying into James’ gut with the tightest hug ever as soon as he sees him

You laugh and James hugs Liam back and thinks to himself that this is just the best thing ever

He couldn’t be happier in any other place with any other people

Liam tells James about the frog and that somehow evolves into thanking him for being "the best teacher ever, not the bestest because of grammar"

(James thanks Liam for being such a good student, and Liam has the biggest smile after that)

Watching Liam talk to James makes a warm fuzz rise up in your chest

They’re just so sweet with each other :(

James is so attentive with Liam and Liam talks to James like they’re both adults and it’s just the cutest sweetest nicest thing ever

Liam decides to go searching for more frogs in the wooded park near the playground, and you and James are left watching him from the swings

It’s quiet for a little while between you and James, and James suddenly becomes starkly aware that this is the first time you’ve been alone together in the month since his ER visit

Usually you have Liam or maybe Remus, Sirius, or Ms. Hope as a buffer, but now?

Now it’s just him and you

But if there’s one thing James is good at, it’s making people feel comfortable in sorta uncomfortable situations

So he makes some cheesy joke about you being the parent of a kindergarten graduate, and you laugh along and say you couldn’t be more proud of your little boy

And just like that you two are talking like best friends again

You thank him for the kind note he wrote about Liam’s performance in school that he included in the report card from the most recent parent-teacher conference

He recommends a new kind of breakfast cereal you’d seen him buy at the grocery store a couple weeks ago

You update him on the gossip and drama between Poppy and your CNO at work

He thanks you for the black-and-white cookies you made for him as a thank-you for the oatmeal raisin cookies several months ago

You tell him about a large black dog you’d seen waltzing about in Ms. Hope’s front yard once

He asks you to check on the very-much healed scar on his palm (just to be 100% sure it’s not infected, you know?)

You laugh at his jokes and he smiles at your laugh, and eventually, you fall into a silence more comfortable than the last

Eventually, James speaks up

“Hey, um …” He sighs, unsure of how he wants to go about this. I mean, it’s fine now, isn’t it? He’s no longer Liam’s teacher; you’re no longer his student’s mom because Liam isn’t his student anymore. So it’s fine. Right?

“You alright?” you ask, brows pulled just slightly together in concern. James takes a long look into your eyes before turning and setting his gaze on Liam. Your son is crouched under a wide tree, eyes trained on the dirt and mud underneath in search of frogs.

“I … yeah, I’m alright,” James says. “I, uh … I … god, this is so much more difficult than I thought it would be.” He laughs quietly at himself in a way that’s a little too self-deprecating for you to approve of, but he starts talking again before you can comment.

“Okay.” James is firm in his resolve, but he refuses to meet your eyes as he speaks. “I—I’m gonna say something, and I’m not one hundred percent sure how you’ll react, so if I say something wrong or make you uncomfortable in any way, please—please—just tell me and I’ll never bring it up again, but I wanted to tell you how—how I’ve been feeling these past couple months and I hope you feel the same way—I think you do, but maybe I’m just reading into things—but I just wanted to say that, you know, I started to think of you as my friend when we started talking in the mornings, but as soon as I saw you at parent-teacher conferences I knew you were just the kindest, most hard-working, most beautiful person I’d ever had the honor of meeting and—and over the past year, I’ve begun to have these feelings that—but it’s been so hard because I would never ever voice them while Liam is in my class because that would be terribly unprofessional and completely unfair to you, and I just—” James heaves a breath, suddenly sharply aware of the fact that he hadn’t been breathing enough, and gasped for several deep breaths.

He looked into his lap with a self-pitying laugh. “I … sorry, I’m rambling.”

James dug the toe of his shoe into the wood chips, pushing his swing lightly. Why had he done this again? Liam was barely out of his class and he was already hounding after you. God, how desperate and creepy was that? He hadn’t even truly confessed and he was sure he’d already ruined every chance of you even talking to him again, let alone—

The crunch of wood chips made James wince. He closed his eyes, certain you would simply leave him on the swings without so much as a goodbye, until he heard your steps stop abruptly somewhere in front of him. Carefully, one eye peeked open, and he saw your ballet flats standing directly in front of his seat on the swings, facing him. He looked up.

James felt like he knew you pretty well at this point, but the face you were making was one he wasn’t familiar with at all. One moment he thought it was hope, but it would switch and look like fear next, then reluctance, then … was that excitement? Happiness? Eventually, you took a deep breath, shoulders squared and ready to speak.

“Do you like coffee?”

There was a moment of silence before James very eloquently responded, “What?”

You smiled—genuine this time, if awkward.

“I mean, if you don’t, that’s totally fine, I just … figured we could go somewhere to get coffee or—or tea, or a muffin or something before I go to work rather than just, you know, talking by the mailboxes.” You let out a meek laugh, and James feels his shoulders melt away from his ears.

“Do you like coffee?” he asks back.

“I’m a nurse—coffee is the only thing keeping me from falling apart at the seams,” you quip. James outright laughs, which makes you smile, which makes him smile.

“We can go for coffee,” he agrees. “I know a café that has muffins and stuff that’s pretty close to the hospital if you’d like to go there. The Leaky Cauldron. Have you been?”

“Oh, yeah,” you say with a nod of recognition. “Me and Poppy went there for lunch once. They have a rather nice quiche.”

“Alright, it’s a date—”

James’ eyes widen as soon as the words are out of his mouth, and he looks at you like he’s in trouble. The same look of reluctance and a drop of fear clouds your eyes once more, and James finds he loathes it. He prepares himself for the worst.

“I want to say, before we … before we move forward, there are some ground rules.”

James nods quickly, eyes wide as he peered up at you. “Anything.”

You try to strangle the blush that creeps up your neck at that.

“Well, really only one ground rule,” you amend. “No matter what, I’m Liam’s mother first. Always. He already likes you, which is part of the reason I offered to get coffee—I would never go out with someone he didn’t approve of—but when it comes down to it, he’s always going to be my top priority. No matter what.”

James’ eyes soften, and he nods, reassured.

“That was one of the first things I liked about you,” he admits. “Liam is your son—your world—and I completely understand that. I would never ask you to change that, or to think of me before him. Never in a million years.”

James watches your shoulders relax, and you take a small, relieved breath before nodding.

“Thank you,” you say quietly. James just smiles up at you, eyes adoring. You finally allow your own gaze to roam freely over his features, to take in his nose, his eyes, his lips.

You take a step closer, knees brushing lightly against James’ where he sits. Ever so gently, you reach a hand out of your pocket to brush a stray curl behind James’ ear, and your hand lingers there, fingertips brushing against his jaw. James is about even with your sternum, and he can’t help but love with all his heart how pretty you look from this angle.

Slowly, leaving plenty of time for him to pull back, you bend at the waist towards him. You don’t stop until his lips are on yours in a small, tentative kiss. It's gentle and the two of you scarcely move. Just a simple press lasting a handful of seconds before you pull back just enough to look into James’ eyes.

It takes a second for him to come back down to Earth, but you can see the moment when he realizes what just happened because his eyes seem to glow with a radiant sort of joy that has you wanting to kiss him again just so that look never goes away. He smiles broadly, and it must be contagious because you end up smiling slightly too as you slide your palm against his cheek and he reaches a hand up to cup the back of your neck. He simply holds you there for a moment before laughing disbelievingly and bringing your lips to his again.

This is the last one as of right now! Click here for the series masterlist

#james potter x reader #james potter x y/n #james potter x you #james potter x mom!reader #james potter x single mom!reader #teacher!james potter #teacher!james potter x reader #kindergarten teacher!james potter #nurse!reader #nurse!single mom!reader #kindergarten teacher!james potter x nurse!single mom!reader #james potter fluff #james potter x reader fluff

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alex-the-nonsensologist · 11 months ago

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Wish Rewrite

Thought I’d try my hand at rewriting Wish for fun. In my version, Asha is Magnifico's daughter. This gives them a more compelling relationship, a more plausible reason for Asha to find out his secrets, and officially makes Asha a royal princess to boot. Additionally, Magnifico is a sympathetic tragic villain, and Amaya has passed away. While I would love to see a fully evil version of Magnifico that’s better written, along with an evil Amaya (I LOVE @hah-studios‘s version here), my version of the story features a twist that heavily depends on his relationship with Asha.

Of course, this version would be 2D animated (or at the VERY LEAST have more ambitious and stylized CG that perfectly mimics 2D), and have songs written by people with actual musical theater backgrounds.

I am not a writer, so I apologize for the disjointed and clunky ideas.

Opening Storybook

“Once upon a time, in a world of magic, on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, there was a little kingdom called Rosas. The harvests were never quite plentiful, the town was barren and gray, and the work was long and hard. The people of Rosas knew life could be better, and spent many days wishing it were so.

“A young man, who called himself Magnifico, spent years studying magic to become a master sorcerer, in order to better the lives of those around him. He believed magic was the solution to make one’s deepest desire come true. The King of Rosas was impressed by Magnifico’s skills, as was the king's daughter Amaya. Magnifico and Amaya fell fast in love and soon wed, becoming the new king and queen of Rosas. Together, they brought joy and prosperity to the kingdom. It was a celebrated occasion when the queen announced she was with child.

“Unfortunately, the queen fell ill and died shortly after giving birth to the princess. The king was saddened by the loss of his wife, but he vowed to raise his daughter to become a worthy queen like her mother, and to better himself as a sorcerer so that such tragedy would never befall anyone ever again.”

Young Asha and Magnifico

Every Disney heroine this era has had an intro flashback of them as a child, so it only seems fitting Asha should get her own as well. We cut from the storybook to a scene of Magnifico, with a visible gray streak in his mostly brown hair, showing young Asha the stars before tucking her into bed.

She asks if anyone wishes on the stars anymore. Magnifico explains that people stopped doing that because the stars never answered. Perhaps the stars could be magic, but no one has ever been able to study them because they're so far away. Perhaps one day.

🎶 At All Costs is reframed as Asha's lullaby.

Transition

Asha finally falls asleep and Magnifico kisses her on the forehead. Camera pans up to the night sky before fading to black. For a short moment, there is complete darkness, then some very faint sparks of light. Someone is calling Asha's name, but their voice sounds very far away, before it’s suddenly clear and Asha wakes up; it is morning. We are now in the present and Asha is 17. This establishes that she's always had the same odd dream of a dark void with faint sparks for as long as she can remember.

Present Day Asha

Asha is studious and hardworking, but is frustrated that her father does not trust her with more important duties. Magnifico is training her in magic to succeed him, or at least he promised he would, but he seems hesitant to teach her more advanced magic than the basics. Asha has memorized every law textbook assigned to her, as well as a handful of magic textbooks she snuck from her father’s study.

Today Asha is going down to give a tour to new visitors, and she takes this very seriously. Dialogue implies Magnifico was hesitant to let her do this, but eventually gave in, hinting at how overprotective he is. Even more than wanting to prove her worth as a future ruler, Asha wants to connect to the people, and secretly wants a friend her own age.

Dahlia and Simon

In this version, Dahlia is older, and renamed to something like Yuki or Bianca to more subtly reference Snow White instead of Doc. Simon is also older and serves as Asha’s bodyguard, and references the Huntsman from Snow White instead of Sleepy. (Two new character designs would be created to reference Doc and Sleepy, and the seven teens are relegated to one-off townsfolk.) “Dahlia” and Simon are the only people Asha is close with, since her father is reluctant to let her leave the castle except on supervised royal duties. “Dahlia” serves as an auntie figure, and Simon is very understanding of Asha’s frustrations of being cooped up in the castle and occasionally lets her sneak off (but he always emphasizes safety and resourcefulness). She can confide in them when she feels she’s being ignored by her father.

🎶 Welcome to Rosas

The song would be cheery at first glance, but on closer inspection, it’s apparent Rosas has seen better days. There’s some cracks in the buildings, and the murals and statues have lost some of their shine. The townsfolk and Asha explain it’s just a bunch of minor hiccups, and they’re working on it.

The visitors ask if there are rules for wishes being granted. Asha and the townsfolk explain the basic rules (which include no wishing for death or harm, no making people fall in love, and no wishing for the dead to be brought back to life; as a shout-out to Aladdin). Also, Magnifico does not grant them right away, but needs time to make sure the work is done just right. After all, magic is a science as well as an art.

When the visitors ask the townsfolk about wishes that have previously been granted, they're told about relatively simple things, like being given a new food cart or a pet cat. This foreshadows what Magnifico does with their wishes. When the townsfolk are asked if they had ever wished for something more significant, they stumble for an answer. They say they're just content with what they have, but they seem unsure. Some of the townsfolk appear lethargic, and some even slightly fumble during their dance routine, but manage to make the big finale. They ask the visitors if they’ve been convinced to live in Rosas and are given a noncommittal answer, “Too soon to say. We'll just stay the night and see how it goes.” Asha brings the new visitors to her father. (Sabino’s character design can be re-used here as one of the visitors, as he’s no longer Asha’s grandfather in this version.)

Side note, I would love it if some of the townsfolk were given a few notable quirks to stand out. The artbook for this movie was lovely, but in the final film, all the townsfolk sort of blend together into genericness. The only one I can recall from the movie with clarity is the girl who wished to fly and meets “Peter Pan” in the end. Even Ecanto’s “We Don't Talk About Bruno” had memorable townsfolk and most only had a single line of dialogue or less. The seven teens would of course feature in this song number.

Present Day King Magnifico

Magnifico's hair is completely gray and white now, and he’s got wrinkles under his eyes. He seems burnt out from his job, but puts on a professional face for his subjects and visitors. Asha is the only one Magnifico shows any tenderness. But for the most part, Asha feels her father has been distant for a long time.

Magnifico thanks Asha for bringing the visitors and tries to dismiss her, but she argues she should start sitting in on the wish-granting sessions so that she can properly learn to take over from her father. This is an argument they have gone over many times before, and her father finally relents today.

The inciting incident

They begin the consultation, starting with Sabino. Magnifico specifies that the wisher must meditate and reach deep within themselves, and recall their desire with every fiber of their being, which manifests as a wish orb. In this version, while a wish orb contains the many memories of the wish in question, handing it over does not automatically erase the memory of it from the wisher.

When Asha and Sabino’s backs are turned, Magnifico does something to the wish. This hints that Magnifico steals wishes and plants false memories, so that the wisher is unaware that they were granted a false wish. In many cases, Magnifico grants a much simpler wish than what the wisher desired (This is hinted at earlier in “Welcome to Rosas”.). Magnifico finishes collecting wish orbs and tells everyone to come back later tonight for them to be granted. Asha wants to stay and help her father more, but he quickly dismisses her.

Later that night, when Magnifico grants a false wish for Sabino, and Asha is suspicious because she knows it is not what he actually wished for. (Sabino’s wish could still be the same one from the movie, perhaps refined to something like, “I wish to leave a lasting legacy that will inspire the next generation, and that I won’t be forgotten.” And when Magnifico grants the wish, it has been reduced to “Your wish to write a memorable song.” or something along those lines. Side note, in the movie I was totally expecting Asha to tell her grandfather that he already inspires her everyday, so his wish had in fact already been granted, so I was quite disappointed when that did not happen.)

Magnifico deflects and dodges the question, and tries to gaslight Asha into thinking she misheard or misinterpreted Sabino’s wish, and that this is why she’s not ready and should wait a while before she’s taught more magic, and basically shoos her away for the night. Asha is too frustrated at her father to dwell on the discrepancy she caught, and storms off.

🎶 This Wish

This song is reframed to be a more straightforward “I Want” song. In this version, Asha wishes to be taken seriously and supported by her father. She feels quite alone and wants someone to believe in her. “Please stop seeing me as a helpless child. …I wish someone would notice my potential.” Star descends.

Star

Would of course, follow the scrapped shapeshifter design from the artbook. I refer to Star as male here, but I am also open to the idea of them being designed as a genderless character. I also think it would be fun if Star could rapidly switch between art styles when he’s excited (2D classic, CG, 2D sketchbook, 2D Picasso, CG mimicking stop-motion / paper puppets, etc). Maybe he can also occasionally transform into his chibi form from the movie when sneaking around.

Star is very weird, almost like an alien. He seems to have general knowledge of various things on Earth, but can never seem to get them exactly right. For example, he never transforms into a normal animal. There’s always a fantastic element; instead of turning into a normal rabbit, he turns into a jackalope. In addition to having a personality inspired by Peter Pan and Genie, he is also a less chaotic version of The Collector from The Owl House and Discord from My Little Pony.

Star would also be incredibly powerful. Instead of only making animals and plants sing, he can also change their size, color, species in the blink of an eye (and maybe even change their art styles). He can spontaneously conjure random outfits from all time periods (including the future) for the animals to wear. He can also change the shape of the landscape; at one point, Asha could suddenly find herself in the middle of an elaborate maze that Star conjures to tease her.

🎶 “Star’s Song”

A new song inspired by Genie’s “Friend Like Me” and Maui’s “You’re Welcome”. Replaces “I'm A Star”, which I didn’t really like. (It had far too many words to poorly explain weird worldbuilding, and I wasn’t a fan of the rhythm. Though to be fair, I dunno if the worldbuilding in my version is all that strong either, lol.)

Star basically shows off all kinds of weird things he can do with various transformations and conjurings. He elaborates he comes from “someplace beyond the edge of the world” and that he’s often found Earth fascinating, but never found any reason to descend until he heard Asha. There’s something special about Asha he can’t quite put his finger on. This foreshadows the reveal.

Valentino

Quick detour, I don’t hate Valentino. I think there is great story and humor potential, especially in regards to his deep voice provided by Alan Tudyk. Unfortunately, in my version, I felt Asha’s sidekick needed to be someone who could quickly keep up with her. At first I thought about changing him into a bird, but then I thought it would be funnier if he was a pet goldfish and Star granted him the ability to fly and breathe out of water. Fish Valentino is happy to not be cooped up in a pool, but is fond of Asha and content to stay with her instead of flying off. For the most part, he offers moral support and perhaps helps Asha make friends with the other animals, but otherwise I don’t really have many ideas for what to do with him.

The Middle Part

Admittedly, I couldn't come up with a definitive idea for this part. Basically, there needs to be a reason for Magnifico to be occupied and unaware of Star’s presence; a reason why Asha does not immediately tell him about Star. One silly idea I had is Asha immediately tries to tell him, but we turn around and find Star’s conjurings and alterations gone and everything is back to normal. Magnifico brushes this off as Asha having a weird dream and tries to tuck her into bed. Star reappears later and explains he wants to run around and have fun first before being “studied” by Magnifico. Other ideas include:

Asha thinks Star is the answer to Rosas’s and her problems. Star agrees to grant various wishes, and let Asha take the credit, in hopes that her father will notice her and finally take her seriously and teach her real magic. Star thinks this will be a great opportunity to see more of Rosas and have fun, and Asha is frustrated enough with her father being dismissive of her to agree to this.

Alternatively, Star will teach her magic. Problem is, Star’s magic is wild and unlike anything Asha has studied in her father’s books. Star is incredibly powerful and Asha has to constantly ask him to tone it down. She runs around trying to fix the chaotic results of the wishes he grants, and this attracts the attention of her father.

Alternatively, with Star’s help, Asha grants small wishes, and fixes things around town. For the most part, everyone is grateful, except for one grumpy older citizen (maybe an older version of Gabo) who remembers “the good ol’ days” and thinks Rosas needs more competent rulers than Magnifico and Asha. An argument breaks out and attracts the attention of Magnifico. Alternatively, again, this could also be replaced with someone who instead wants a selfish wish like a mountains of riches, or to be king and replace Magnifico, and Asha refuses to grant it, leading to the argument.

🎶 “Not What I Expected”

Montage of Star and Asha granting people’s wishes. Includes lots of hijinks of Star overdoing things and Asha getting Star to undo them (For example, someone asks for a new cottage, and Star conjures a giant mansion with mismatching colors and architectural details, and upside-down rooms.). “Dahlia” and Simon help them to ease tension with the townsfolk, especially after Star reveals himself to be a non-human magical being. The seven teens can also appear here again in one-off gags. Along the way, Star and Asha experience the joy of community and begin falling in love with each other. Star slowly learns about being human and cares about the townsfolk as much as Asha does, and Asha is given the freedom to take charge and be responsible but is also surprised to find just how good it feels to finally connect with the townsfolk after being cooped up in the castle for so many years. Star and Asha both find each other fascinating and full of energy, and are glad for each other's support.

Perhaps there’s a dance with the townsfolk. When earlier during “Welcome to Rosas”, the townsfolk were lethargic and clumsy, here they are more spirited and coordinated. Star is incredibly happy and shines bright, and his light “melts” away Magnifico’s false memory spells. The townsfolk finally wake up and are confused as they recall their true wishes and do not understand why Magnifico lied to them. Asha and Star go to confront Magnifico.

Confronting Magnifico

Star senses something in Magnifico’s study. They find a secret room that holds the records of every wish Magnifico has ever stolen. Asha is in disbelief, but can’t ignore the fact that her father has been distant and negligent of the town for a long time. And maybe this would explain why Magnifico doesn’t teach her magic or let her do anything, because he had no intention of giving the throne to her. They find some documents about using wishes as life force, and conclude that maybe Magnifico was using everyone’s wishes to become immortal. Magnifico walks in on them.

🎶 “Everything I Do”

Replaces "This Is The Thanks I Get?!" and "Knowing What I Know Now" This new song is not quite a villain song. It’s a duet between Magnifico and Asha, of them arguing back and forth. Asha argues to her father that he’s lost sight of his responsibilities and that he only cares about staying in power; Magnifico argues that Asha is naive and could never understand that everything he does is for her benefit, and she argues back how could she when he never tells her anything.

The reveal

Magnifico had an impossible wish: to bring Asha back from the dead. Baby Asha in fact died almost immediately after birth. Magnifico could not bear losing both his wife and his daughter, and desperately wished for Asha to live again. However, no magic can bring the dead back to life. Instead, what ended up happening is a new baby was created from Magnifico’s wish orb. In his anguish, his desire was so strong it brought a new person into being. (Side note; this does in fact mean that the original baby is still dead, so Magnifico had to secretly bury a dead baby to hide the fact that Asha is an artificial human taking her place. Perhaps a bit too morbid of an implication for a modern Disney movie, but my mind likes to go to weird places.)

At first Magnifico was happy. It was a miracle come true. But over time, the magic would run out and Asha would begin to fade. Magnifico used his own magic and tried to wish again to fuel Asha's form, but it took a toll on his health and age. This explains why his hair turned white so quickly. So eventually he began using his subjects' wishes. The more heartfelt and significant the wish is, the more powerful it is, which is why Magnifico ends up replacing the townsfolk’s wishes with simpler things and false memories that didn’t require much magic.

As Asha grew older and became a more complex human, more wishes were needed to fuel her. This is why Magnifico refuses to teach her magic, because he is afraid that she would accidentally use up the magic that makes up her being instead of the magic that a regular sorcerer would draw from the environment around them.

Magnifico grew more desperate to draw in new citizens to get more wishes, while also exhausting more wishes from the townsfolk already living in Rosas, leading them to become lethargic. Keeping track of so many wishes and false memories to cover his tracks took a toll on Magnifico’s mental state. Also a growing bitterness that he has to live with this burden that no else could ever know, and perhaps resenting the people of Rosas for getting to live worry-free.

This is why Star answered Asha's call: she is a living wish who made a wish of her own.

Asha's death

Magnifico and Star fight. Asha gets caught in the crossfire trying to stop it. It’s a heart-wrenching moment as glowing cracks form all over Asha’a body. She looks to her father with absolute terror in her eyes as cracks spread across her face. Her legs snap. Magnifico runs to his daughter a second too late and just fails to catch her body as she disintegrates into stardust.

Star stares in disbelief as Magnifico screams in agony: “YOU COULD HAVE LET ME SAVE HER!” He looks like he’s about to attack Star in revenge, but quickly gives up and falls to his knees.

“...Nothing matters anymore.”

There is no need for an evil book as a lazy plot device. Years of paranoia and bitterness have reached a breaking point with Asha’s death, and now Magnifico’s magic is corrupted green by his anguished heart. He transforms into a monstrous dragon-like creature (in homage to Maleficent). This creature is blind with rage, and in a great roar it bursts from the castle, causing it to collapse. The creature summons storm clouds that cover the sky and fierce green lightning that strikes the town, destroying buildings and terrorizing the townsfolk. Monster Magnifico also spreads a green fog that drains everyone’s energy. As the good king he brought joy and hope, but now as a monster he brings only despair. (Inspired by Madoka Magica, when magical girls turn into witches.)

Star attempts to stop Monster Magnifico while also shielding the townsfolk from harm. Rubble from the buildings collapse and bring the camera to black.

Beyond the Edge of the Universe

A short moment of complete darkness and silence.

Slowly, faint sparks shine in the darkness. Asha’s voice weakly asks, “Where am I? ... Who am I?”

The faint sparks grow into a kaleidoscope of colors. Asha has been reduced to a single spark. Her consciousness floats in the chaotic void beyond time and space, where Star comes from. She quickly feels overwhelmed in this sea of color and sound. It’s a great big cacophony of voices all jumbled together, like musical instruments all playing off-key all at once.

A blue light in the distance grows brighter and closer before it reveals itself to be the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio (Disney's first wish-granter). She welcomes Asha’s consciousness. “Hello, little one.” She explains this is a space between worlds, where the emotions of humanity reach far across time and space.

“Listen carefully…” The Blue Fairy helps Asha’s consciousness tune into the voices of the void to hear the words clearly. These voices will be familiar to the audience.

Asha’s consciousness hears the hopeful, longing voices of Snow White, Ariel, Hercules, Rapunzel, and Moana. (This can include snippets from their “I Want” songs.)

She hears the wicked laughter and the dark, selfish wishes of Maleficent, Ursula, Jafar, Scar, and Facilier. (This can include snippets from various villain songs.)

She hears the sad voices of Cinderella, Belle, Quasimodo, Tiana, and Mirabel at their lowest points. ("There's nothing left to believe in. Nothing." and other such lines.)

(Yes, this basically establishes a Disney multiverse. As I’m writing this, I think visually this could resemble the Ahtohallan scene in Frozen 2, but in space instead of in ice.)

(February EDIT: I randomly thought it was also be a neat idea if all magic in the universe originates from this realm. Pieces of magic fall into the different worlds and adapt to make their own unique rules depending on the world. For example, Cinderella's fairy godmother could come from here, as well as the drop of sunlight that grows into Rapunzel's flower. A drop of magic could fallen into a certain world, becoming a trident and transforming the local sea life into merfolk, who would then go on to build Atlantica. Little sparks seeping to random worlds could also explain certain things in otherwise non-magical worlds, such as why toys and video games come to life.)

Not many humans come here after death, but Asha is a special case, as she is literally made up of hopes and dreams. She is spontaneous life (The Blue Fairy of course has experience in this department.). Asha’s consciousness finds herself moved by all the voices of the dreamers and wishers throughout the universe, and thinks she wouldn’t mind going to sleep forever in this void. She just feels so tired. She almost fades away until she hears Star's voice, her father's voice, and the people of Rosas whose wishes made up her very being. She remembers being human. The spark of Asha’s consciousness shines and she returns to her human form. The Blue Fairy asks her, “What will you do now, little one?”

Asha hears the anguished cries of the people of Rosas in trouble, and she decides she must return to help them. The Blue Fairy smiles, and tells her, “Before you go, there’s someone who’d like to meet you.”

She gestures behind her to reveal Queen Amaya and the baby Asha. Asha is stunned to see them, but is overcome with emotion, and Amaya embraces her.

“I am so proud of you, Asha. I wish I could have stayed and been your mother. Please, take care of your father for me.” Amaya gives her a kiss on the forehead, and the baby Asha gives her a happy giggle. The Blue Fairy tells Asha to close her eyes and think of home.”

Return to Rosas

Asha is reborn in a great big burst of light in the sky and gains a new dress made of starlight. Monster Magnifico has not noticed her and is still rampaging the kingdom. Asha sees Star has been defending the citizens, but is exhausted, and Magnifico finally manages to strike him down. Finished with Rosas, Monster Magnifico turns to the coast, intent on continuing his destruction to the mainland.

Asha descends to help Star get up. He is surprised to see her, but her appearance reinvigorates him, and explains the situation to her. They turn to the frightened people of Rosas and promise them that they will fix this. They take hold of each other’s hand and fly to confront Monster Magnifico.

🎶 Combined This Wish and At All Costs Reprise

Monster Magnifico does not recognize Asha, and tries to strike her, but she and Star conjure a magical shield. They dodge lightning and repel Magnifico’s fire breath. Asha begins singing, determined to reach out to her father. There is a moment where it appears Magnifico has gained the upper hand.

“Dahlia” and Simon are inspired and lead the townsfolk into the song. Asha and Star, combined with the hope of the people of Rosas, shine brighter than ever before, dissipating the fog and melting away Magnifico's monstrous form. The storm clouds are cleared away in a shower of sparks. Asha grabs her father’s unconscious body and holds him tight in her arms as she slowly descends to the ground and sings her lullaby. Magnifico is very disheveled (maybe even a little bit of fanservice with his top torn off), but is otherwise alright. He soon comes to.

"...Amaya? ... ASHA!" Magnifico is in disbelief, but overjoyed to see his daughter alive and well. He embraces her and bursts into tears. “I thought I lost you! I thought you were gone!”

"I was. I disappeared beyond the edge of the universe. But I came back!"

Rebuilding Rosas

They turn to the townsfolk. Asha gives a speech about how not every wish should be granted, but that does not mean they’re not worth pursuing. It just requires careful consideration, and being open to finding a something new. (Someone with better writing skills please step in to write this speech without making it too sappy.)

Magnifico is greatly ashamed of the harm he has caused and steps down as king. Asha understands if the townsfolk do not want to see them anymore, but promises to do what she can to help them rebuild, and to help them pursue their dreams in an ethical manner. Star concurs. The townsfolk, having been touched by her earnestness and genuine emotions from when she helped grant their smaller wishes, embrace her with open arms and express that they would love if she remains their ruler. They are hesitant to forgive Magnifico, but think it's for the best that he be allowed to stay with his daughter.

Cut to some time later, and there is scaffolding all throughout town and the castle. Star and Asha have been using their magic to help with the rebuilding, with mixed results. Progress has been slow, but the people are hopeful. Asha and Star hold daily consultations with the people who were granted false wishes. Some are easy to grant, while others Asha advises that they can pursue on their own. (The girl who wished to fly meeting "Peter Pan" can be re-used here. I honestly thought that was a clever bit. While she could easily fly with magic, I like that the movie implies she'll find more meaning in learning to build a flying machine.)

Asha visits the original baby Asha’s grave. She renames herself. Perhaps to something like Stella? “I loved being Asha, but now I think it’s time I return your name back to you. Thanks for the loan.” She conjures some flowers for her and Amaya's grave, and goes to join the celebration.

🎶 “Finale Party Song”

Asha/Stella, Star, the townsfolk, and even Magnifico join in on the grand finale. Asha/Stella and Star kiss, and Hidden Mickey fireworks light up the sky.

End Credits

While the end credits were cute, I would revise them to include characters from the missing movies (the package films, The Rescuers, Black Cauldron, Meet the Robinsons, etc.). I would also change some of the character selections (For example, I'd have the three kittens represent The Aristocats, instead of just Marie by herself. It always annoys me to no end when they market Marie by herself. I'd also swap out Yokai/Professor Callahan with Baymax. What an odd decision to have Yokai of all characters represent BH6.). And also have some of the characters be animated instead of just still images. (I liked for Cinderella's credit they had a trail of sparkles surround her, but it would have been even better to actually see her transform from her ripped dress to the ballgown.)

Closing notes

There are a lot of things in my version that could use some more polishing, like the build-up to Magnifico's reveal about Asha. There should be at least one scene that foreshadows that the times when Magnifico tucks Asha into bed is when he magically absorbs the wishes into her to fuel her.

In addition to the whole wish theme, I thought it would be neat to also include themes of legacy, to tie in to Disney's 100 Anniversary. Disney Animation has come a long way, but is still capable of making big missteps. With many of the old talent gone, it's understandable that passing the torch to the next generation would make anyone nervous, but despite it all, I do have faith that Disney Animation can make a comeback. They've been through low points before; we just have to wait and see.

#wish rewrite #includes a plot twist and a connection to the Disney multiverse #disney wish #wish 2023 #wish movie #princess asha #king magnifico #star boy #star x asha #asha x star #wish critical

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exquisite-peculiarity · 3 months ago

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Update on the Fur Affinity hack!

For those who don't know, Fur Affinity is a furry site that hosts furry art, writing, photos, etc. It's an important and unique community beloved by its userbase. The person who founded and ran the site, Dragoneer, passed away 8/6/24. His friends and family are working together, with the support of the community, to keep the site up and running. They have a gofundme campaign to cover site expenses and the debt of his estate to keep the site from getting sold off as an asset. So far, it is looking bright. Unfortunately, this week, bad actors hijacked the site. They didn't break into the private info, but redirected traffic and communications to other places, including Kiwifarms (alt right site) who promptly released a statement that they weren't involved, and the hijack was at the expense of both websites. Fortunately for everyone, it's been resolved, and the site is safe to use again.

Here's the statement from their discord:

"Good Afternoon!

Yesterday, after meeting for several hours with Network Solutions (our domain registrar), they finally agreed to our demands to lock our account and revert changes made to our domain name’s NAMESERVER configuration. This lock also prevents anyone from signing in and making further changes. A fraud investigation has been launched on their part, and upon conclusion, our account will be fully released to us and we will receive more information on how this hijacking occurred. Our domain is directing traffic correctly.

While the bad actor was in control of our domain between Tuesday, August 20th at 12:47AM ET and Wednesday, August 21st at 2:28PM ET, they redirected our traffic to other websites and they set up an email server to receive any emails that were sent to any of our @furaffinity.net accounts. If you sent any emails to our @furaffinity.net accounts during that time, then the bad actor has those emails, we did not receive them, and you should act appropriately to secure and protect your information. Furthermore, any emails sent from @furaffinity.net during that time would have been sent by the bad actor and should not be trusted. The bad actor never had access to our actual email accounts, any previous emails, nor data we have previously received.

It is important to stress that the Fur Affinity web server itself was never compromised, and the bad actor never had access to any private information therein such as our user and server data (It's as if someone stole your home address and had your mail and visitors routed somewhere else. Your house and everything inside is fine, only the address and incoming/outgoing mail were affected). **As a precautionary measure during the incident, we invalidated all current login sessions and you will need to log back into your account.**

**✨🌟🎉 FUR AFFINITY IS NOW ONLINE AND MAY BE ACCESSED SAFELY! 🎉🌟✨**

Furthermore, as of last night (August 21st at 9:53PM ET), we have regained access to our Twitter account, and with the help of Whanos (@KernelJunkie), reclaimed our username (@FurAffinity). And as of this morning (August 22nd at 10:45AM ET), we also secured Dragoneer's personal Twitter account.

We have also been made aware of various sources claiming to have identified the bad actor responsible for this attack. We have no way to verify that these accusations are accurate, but will continue to share all information with the FBI. With that said, we want to remind everyone that we have a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment, no matter the circumstances. Recently, there have been instances where speculation has led to individuals being harassed, even if they have no proven connection to the incident.

It is important to note that Fur Affinity, with direct insight into the situation, has not conducted its own investigation. We are leaving that responsibility to law enforcement. Speculation only spreads misinformation and causes harm, so please be cautious about what you share or believe online.

We kindly urge everyone to avoid engaging in further speculation or harassment. It is the role of law enforcement to determine the facts and make decisions, not ours.

Finally, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support during this incredibly difficult time. Your kindness, patience, and understanding have meant the world to us as we've navigated these challenges together. We are committed to continuing to foster a creative and welcoming environment for all, and it is your strength and solidarity that make our community truly special. Thank you for standing with us.

Please note FA might suffer from the "hug of death" - basically, everyone interacting with it at once causes it to run slowly. (: It's not broken, just overwhelmed by your support!! "

In my opinion, the people who are running the site at this time are doing a good job with a really terrible situation.

We love and protect tumblr, as a special and queer community that is unique in it's function. Fur Affinity is important in the same way. It is a safe space for both nsfw and sfw queer expression, and that's something important to protect. ♥️

#furry #fur affinity #furaffinity #queer spaces

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apocalyp-tech-a · 7 months ago

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW 🌈 (TechxReader)

Hello! This is my Bad Batch XReader Exchange gift for @deezlees for the @cloneficgiftexchange run by @ghostofskywalker!!! 💜

Prompts: Learning to ride a horse || Going on a vacation together || His first time at a history museum || Confident reader persona

Words: 2500

Warnings: None except flirtation maybe

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55173340

A/N: Having background in public history and having already written Tech at museums, this was a perfect matching!!! Hope you enjoy it! 🤓 And thank you to @cloneficgiftexchange for running it!

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW 🌈 (Tech X Reader)

The sun shone through the early morning commute of speeders and ships traversing Coruscant's sky, its pale blue color muted by smog that even the planet's filtering system could not alleviate. Towering skyscrapers of grays in every hue passed by as you navigated to the Grand Army of the Republic's base.

Upon pulling up in your speeder, a bright millaflower red Mustang XD38, you saw your future passenger salute you by casually flicking three fingers from his brow. You brought the speeder to a stop and flirted. "Hey good looking. Looking for a ride?"

"That depends," he said as he hopped into the passenger side with one dexterous and confident move.

"Depends on what, Tech?" You raised an eyebrow at him.

"On if I can be the driver." He adjusted his goggles hopefully.

"Can I pilot the Marauder?"

"No."

"Then you can be my CO-pilot. Just remember, I am the Captain here." You winked at him playfully.

You revved up the engine, but it wasn't loud enough to cover Tech's large sigh of frustration. You chuckled to yourself proudly before shooting him a grinning glance. "Aw, don't be like that, maybe you can drive back."

"That is exactly what you said on our previous two outings." Tech held up a pointed finger in a very casual, yet disgruntled manner.

"Yes. Hence the word "maybe."

Tech's propensity for arguing about who was driving dissipated as the museum came into view. His eyes were wide with excitement, though you knew he was trying to keep that emotion at bay. You had seen him go on one of his excited know-it-all rants before. You found them amusing, endearing, and most of all impressive. He was the smartest person you knew, whether it was from Kaminoan meddling or not, didn't matter. You loved listening to him, and he loved to talk. And you didn't just like listening to him because of the pleasing sound of his voice and looks, but because he actually did talk about things that were interesting.

After parking, you both walked to the museum's main entrance. Tech adjusted his goggles as his head tilted back to take in the much larger than necessary doors adorned by a full arch of sculpted marble, stone, mythological figures from all over the galaxy.

"Shall we?" You suggested with a smile.

Tech nodded in the affirmative. "After you, Madame." Tech took note of the strange face you gave him upon being called 'Madame.' Perhaps it was a little old fashioned, but he still had not figured out what else he could use in place of your name without being too forward or disrespectful. Sometimes you called him 'Hot Shot' or 'Ace' which were exceedingly better than the names his brothers called him.

As for you, his brothers were not without suggestions. Crosshair suggested 'Doll,' Hunter suggested 'Sweetheart,' Echo suggested 'Dearest,' and Wrecker suggested 'Booboo-tooka.'

None of those monikers were quite sufficient, however, but Tech knew a solution would eventually present itself.

Since you had already purchased tickets as a surprise for him since he had not only repaired, but upgraded and heavily modified the repulsor system for your speeder, you were able to acquire visitor badges quickly and began your mosey through the museum.

With twenty levels, there was no way you could see everything in one day let alone a few hours, but you knew Tech had marked out an itinerary on his datapad to follow at your suggestion. You knew he only had so much leave to see what most piqued his interest. Even though he wanted to see everything, you finally convinced him to whittle it down to four floors.

"Let's start with the Paleolithic and Neolithic," he said with a tweak of his goggles. He started walking toward the lifts as if he had been there before, but you knew he had simply memorized the entire museum's layout.

"Sounds good to me," you said walking beside him. As you stood in the lift, you tilted your head up to study his profile as he continued to look down at his datapad. You wanted to blame the movement of the lift tube for the slight buckling in your knees, but you knew it was all due to his handsomeness.

Your heart pitter-pattered the moment you had seen him at 79s three months ago. You weren't one to go pick up guys at bars, but there was something unique and enticing about him. You thought little of it or him, figuring to never see him again until he came into your electronics shop in search of a capacitor.

Apparently your knowledge of computers made an impression because he came in the next day looking for a hyper-regulator. With fate on your side, you asked if he wanted to meet you for a drink and after some adorable awkwardness, he agreed.

The lift doors slid open and you stepped into a carefully curated world of wood and stone. Dioramas with the first humans, the first Trandoshans, the first Rodians, Twi'leks, and Pantorans were set up along one corridor.

"It is fascinating, the similarities between different species as pertains to the genesis and evolution of technology," Tech marveled as you came to the exhibit of like tools from all over the galaxy. "The Twi'lek arrowhead is quite similar to the Devaronian and Human. The same goes for ax-heads and needles. But once you get to items like beads and pottery vessels, you see the cultural trajectory lose conformity and develop based on materials available by individual local environment and customs."

"I had never really thought about it like that. I'm used to technology and more recent history I guess." You shrugged.

"Indeed. One can hardly expect the modern mind to memorize all of the information whether historical or technological. Though I do try."

"You have some 'exceptional' advantages that the rest of us do not," you teased. You had not known him three rotations when he went on a detailed explanation of he and his brothers' 'defects' which did not sound like defects at all to you. Then he continued to explain how those traits made them more deviant than defective. You certainly understood that side of him as he often met with you when he should have been attending to GAR duties.

Satisfied with your visit to the 'stone' ages, you next traveled through time and to the fifth floor to the rise of cities and nation states.

Tech stared at the first exhibit with fascination. "The agricultural revolution varied by planet. Those that did not have crops that could be mass produced could only sustain small settlements, whereas those with large crops could maintain large cities that grew exponentially into kingdoms and nations."

"And wars and starvation."

"Yes," Tech turned to you, his brow furrowed with concern at your statement. Did you not find history as fascinating as he did? He knew your views on the war and cloning. He dared not ask, but all he could do was agree with you.

When Tech continued to stare at you, you realized maybe you had gone too far and put a damper on an outing that was supposed to be fun. "I'm sorry, Tech. I didn't mean to rain on your parade."

He adjusted his goggles thoughtfully. "I have seen plenty of rain on Kamino," he said understandingly. "You need not apologize. That is an unfortunately correct assessment of civilization. With growth and progress comes conflict and suffering. The two seem to go hand in hand, but I think rather to have faith that intelligence and good intentions have the advantage."

"In that case, it's almost as if sentient life is collectively "defective." You smiled, grateful for his understanding and wisdom. For being a clone maybe a third your age, if that, you can not but admire his calm and collected approach to situations and problems. The only thing he seemed to ever be nervous around is you, but that was understandable because you knew the clone troopers didn't exactly get lessons in romance in the GAR.

Tech merely pushed his goggles up the bridge of his nose with a knowing smile. He was never quite sure how to take your sarcasm, probably because he was self aware of his own and that of his brothers, Crosshair in particular. But the affectionate twinkle in your eyes and gentle flourish of your smile made his heart beat a little faster and the tips of his ears feel a little warmer.

He had not expected to become interested in a female. He was engineered to be a soldier, nothing more. Yet, you made him feel like he was more than that, that he wanted more even. He found himself returning to your shop even though he really did not need to.

And yet he did 'need' to.

Tech found himself smiling back at you. "Indeed. I must apologize. We have been to two floors of exhibits that I wanted to see. Is there something you would like to see?"

"No, Tech. This was all for you."

"I should very much like to learn about what interests you."

"Well, there is an atrium level. Gardens and ruins from other worlds. I remember being taken with the one from Naboo when I was a child." You felt a little weird saying that considering Tech was technically the same age as you were at the time. "You can actually sit there and relax. Or meditate like a Jedi." You shrugged.

"I would very much like that."

After browsing the garden exhibits of Kashyyyk, Chandrila, Selonia, and Old Coruscant, you settled in the Naboo section. A small waterfall splashed down a rock cliff before flowing through a makeshift river that encapsulated the area and then recycled back to the top of the waterfall. Lush green grass spread across one half before melding with a more tree and moss covered rocky area that housed some Gungan head statues. But what really amazed you not only as a child, but as an adult as well, were the guarlara statues that guarded the Naboo area.

Tech studied you as you gazed upon the statues, content to witness your own fixation with something in the museum since you put up with his. "The guarlara, a quadrupedal mammal native to Naboo, having evolved the physical trait of speed on that planet's grassy plains and also a long mane of hair. Used as transportation before the speeder was invented and now only used for official royal business such as coronations."

"Sadly, I don't think I'll ever get a chance to ride one."

"No. They are reserved for royalty," Tech said a little too bluntly. But you knew he didn't mean anything by it and that he for the most part sympathized with you.

"Indeed," you echoed a word he had a habit of saying. "Let's sit over on that fancy stone bench. My feet are a little sore from all of the walking we've done."

"Indeed," Tech said in reply with a grin. He forgot you were probably not used to walking five or ten klicks or more as he was.

You both sat in silence as the sound of the waterfall drowned out the low chatter of the museum. You took extra satisfaction because Tech is sitting right next to you, so close that your arms and legs were touching.

You knew he was a little nervous because he continued to look down at his datapad rather than enjoy the soothing sound of the waterfall, but maybe water just wasn't his thing.

“Hey Ace. What cycle are we heading for next?”

There it was. 'Ace.' One of your pet names for him. He wanted so badly to find one for you as well, but he wanted a special name, not the usual. He knew you liked driving and piloting as he did, but Ace could not work for both of you. He knew you also liked guarlaras, but there were not many equus related monikers that seemed suitable. Guarlara itself did not roll off the tongue very well. Pony was not very romantic. And mare simply sounded unsuitable.

Tech's eyes went from studying his datapad to studying the floor. He was disappointed that he could not find an ideal solution to this very simple quandary.

He now turned to you, studying your delicate features, so content to be in your favorite part of the museum, yet you were so colorful as well, not like anyone he had ever met before. When you turned to him, he took to studying the sparkle in your eyes, that seemed to represent everything he admired about you.

“What is it?” you asked, noticing Tech staring at you strangely.

He took your hand in his. "I was simply thinking about what an extraordinarily colorful woman you are. You remind me of the rainbows on Kamino. They were always so vibrant after a storm. And you are a vibrant beacon after all of the missions we go on. You are like a rainbow to me, albeit in adult human female form."

“Awwww...” You squeeze his hand and place your other hand over your heart. "I think that might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

Tech could not help the large smile that spread across his face. “Then it is settled, Rainbow.”

You could not stifle the huge goofy smile that was spread across your face, beaming with happiness at Tech, whose eyes reflected your contentment. “You know, Ace, I think you might have earned the title of Captain.”

“That is not possible. Hunter is our Sergeant and first in line for that- Oh. You are referring to your speeder. You are going to let me pilot it?” Tech asked with a hopeful tweak of his goggles.

You laughed at him. “Come on, Captain Tech. Let's finish out the rest of the museum, then you can take me for ride.” The sly wink you gave him gave you exactly the fumbling reaction you desired.

Tech pushed his goggles up the bridge of his nose nervously and cleared his throat. “Yes. I shall take you for a ride in your speeder.”

After you were all done at the museum, you took note of Tech's excitement to sit on the pilot side of your speeder while you took the seat he had earlier. Before you knew it, you were speeding away from the museum, up into the sky at a breakneck, but controlled speed, but it didn't matter, you knew he was a skilled pilot, and you trusted him with your life, and your heart.

Tech looked over at you, a huge smile spread across your face as the speeder breezed through the bright, neon signs and beaming lights of the other vehicles in the skylanes and shining through the windows of the skyscrapers. All of the colors of the Coruscant evening did not compare to the lovely colors of you, his own personal Rainbow.

#TBBE24 #tech the bad batch #tech tbb #tech x reader #star wars #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader #aelfwynn on ao3 #fan fiction #reader exchange #aelfwynn / techpopstar on ao3

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