#and i havent gone back yet. oopsies

[lovely-showtimes]

i'm in a very vicious cycle of wanting to write more characters than just tsukasa/wxs all the time -> not feeling confident in my ability to write them in character -> not having enough motivation to go and read other events that arent just wxs ones

[stormyykat]

actually so real

[bookwyrminspiration]

i was scrolling through your blog again today and i got down to that ask i sent you about chapter 11 and....wow. i just checked and it's.......7477 words. the essays i write for school are less words than that??? thank you for getting me back into writing????

amd im still thinking about chapter 11 and what it could all mean, too! i havent the faintest clue where this is going and i am so grateful for it. a lot of the time i have the unfortunate ability to guess where things are gonna go so whenever something stumps me i am !!!!

and i realized i never replied to your reply on ao3, so i guess i'll take the opportunity and do that now? thank you a lot for replying to it with your own thoughts! im very excited to see where the connection linh and marella have to the dragons goes. dragons are great since they can really be anything, too, so i dont even know what you're gonna have them look like! and if they are part-dragon, itd be really interesting if maybe they were different kinds of dragons, since it would make sense for linh to be a rain or river dragon, but marella has her fire and all. either way, im super stoked for the future of the wings au! thank you tons for writing it :']

(i still have no idea whats going on with oralie and bronte's messages, though....maybe ill reread what you said on that and see if i can find any hints. i should probably do a reread of the chapters so far, too, to make sure i havent missed anything....)

- pyro

welcome back, pyro!! also oh damn that's a lot of words--also several of my posts on here are longer than essays I turn in. Just the other day I wrote an answer that was 1200 words...and my paper due this sunday for my contemporary social problems class is supposed to be between 600 and 900 (haven't started it yet but i'll be fine).

I think you're talking about the post that starts "So. Chapter 11. I have many thoughts." But if it's a different one that's also fine! also you're welcome, I think! Anything I've done to help you write and be creative is super cool!! i'm always a little shocked when I see people creating things based on stuff I've done--fanart and asks and things like that in general! just people thinking! I was just scrolling through my blog and saw a few art pieces from you about the wings au and I just sat there for a moment like oh fuck ve made a thing for my thing. So cool!

I am also thinking about chapter 11 tbh (I think you sent this before chapter 12 was posted so you're probably thinking more about chapter 12 now but still!!) Also I'm so glad you're confused about where this is going--I get so worried that my twists are gonna be predictable and bland so it's always nice to hear that there are some surprises along the way! But even if you do guess things that's also excellent! because it means what I wrote made sense and is believable! there can be a certain amount of satisfaction in guessing, but it's also so much fun to be surprised. Hopefully the au is full of several more surprises for you because I am not done yet! I have so many plans and ideas and I want to share them all.

oh also this reminded me I never responded to your comment on chapter 12 on ao3. oopsie. that's what I get for having such a busy schedule I guess! but!! I think things will kinda calm down in the new few days and then I can get back to writing and answering asks more. Had several things disrupt me and make life very chaotic, hence less frequent posts recently--still trying to recover from that! so I will reply to that comment soon, I promise! (and to all your asks!!)

also all your thoughts and speculations about dragons are so cool!! that's actually something that's coming up very soon in the au so I can't talk about it a lot without spoiling! but if you couldn't tell from Marella sneaking out, there's gonna be a little more focus on her for a little bit. the dragons have actually gotten more complex in my head as the au has gone on. they're were accidental, so I didn't think to much about what they'd look like or their purpose aside form the immediate shock factor, but now...I have several thoughts about them!! and Linh's connection...was also an accident but I'm so pleased with it. Do we know exactly what that connection is? nope! but it's not the same as Marella's and it's gonna be really fun to explore what is happening to the two of them!

"either way, im super stoked for the future of the wings au! thank you tons for writing it :']" thank you for reading it! your enthusiasm has really helped me through some of the tougher spots and kept me going. it wouldn't be the same without you! I wouldn't say I cater to the readers, but knowing what excites everyone and catches interest helps me make decisions on what to focus on later! and also gives me ideas for things to add in! and I'm also very excited for the future of this au--I have some ideas that are probably gonna be a pain in the ass to execute but I can't wait to get to them! they're still a ways off but ahh!

and those messages...so much meaning behind them. so cryptic! this is actually one of those bigger ideas I was just talking about! so if you do figure it out (not that I would tell you) you might have an idea of what's coming in the wings au in the future! I don't remember exactly what hints I gave, but I do think it's entirely possible to figure out at least parts of the clue! what it leads to is mostly me making up worldbuilding things and drama, but the hints are drawn from canon!

also if you do reread the chapters...good luck? there's so many words I wish you luck. according to google the average reader would take five hours to read that, but that's at 200-250 wpm, and I don't know your reading speed! honestly I should probably reread the au for inspiration for future chapters...we can reread it together!!

[naralanis]

My first pen was a Pilot Metro Retro. And was promptly broke by an E-2 I let borrow it to sign paperwork (i kept the cap so he would have to give it back, but alas). And then a couple years later I jumped to a TWSBI Vac700 Iris. Anyway, i have a few different pens, but I havent found even a basic instruction on how to tune tines or maintain them besides washing them out with distilled water. And suggestions?

Hi there! Sorry about your Metro, and hope you're happy with the TWSBI! I once let someone borrow my Décimo and they... mangled it. Heartbreaking! I was eventually able to fix it, but it took some doing, and it was also a last ditch effort -- I was already fully prepared to dish out the money for a brand new nib unit, so I figured there was no harm in trying.

I'll get to the easy stuff first: if your fountain pen is writing OK, it doesn't really require more maintenance than a good flush every now and then. You don't even have to use distilled water (unless the water in your area is like, exceedingly mineral-heavy) -- plain tap water and regular dish soap will do just fine.

As for nib tuning/readjustments, they are not part of a pen's general maintenance. Readjustments are done if there's a problem with how your pen is writing, and personally I view nib tuning as something done to improve the experience to the user -- mostly to smooth a scratchy nib.

Here's the short answer as to why info on making these adjustments is a little less widespread (though still relatively easy to find):

1) While often simple, these alterations can be a bit fiddly, and it's very easy to irreparably damage your pen.

2) These alterations, but especially tuning/otherwise modifying your nib/feed, will almost certainly automatically void your pen's warranty.

Keep that in mind if you decide to undertake any tuning -- it is always at your own (and your pen's) risk.

That's the short of it! For the (much, much) longer version, as always, see below the cut!

sorry this one took so long, I got really, really into it and it is stupidly long adalskjadhls

So, first things first. Your pen writes completely fine, you wash it every now and then or whenever you're changing inks, and have an overall pleasurable experience writing with it.

Congrats! Nothing else needs to be done. Enjoy your pen.

Now, let's say your pen isn't writing completely fine. Maybe it's skipping, maybe it feels scratchy, maybe it's laying down too much ink or not enough.

Before you go straight to tuning your nib, the first thing you do is: you clean it.

"But Nara, I already cleaned it." Clean it again. You'd be amazed how often a more thorough flush fixes simple flow problems -- do it with dish soap if you used only water the second time.

The next step? Try a different ink, if you have some. Then, try some different paper. It's good to have a paper/ink combo that you're familiar with to use as a standard. I like to use a Rhodia No. 19 Dot Pad and Waterman Serenity Blue to test all of my pens -- nearly every pen I buy writes an 'inauguration' page with that exact combination.

If your pen is a cartridge/converter, always make sure the cartridge or converter is the right fit and that it's seated properly. It should fit securely without a ton of pressure -- if you can basically bop it off without trying, it's probably the wrong fit. If the converter provided to you by the retailer doesn't fit, contact them -- maybe you got a defective pen.

Alright, so you've done all of the above, but your pen is still writing funky or not at all. Now it's time to take a closer look at the nib.

Enjoy this expertly made reference image I made on my phone before I realized I could just link you to a better one.

Before you start researching how to tune/grind your nib, let's check the nib and feed alignment -- the feed is what allows the ink to travel from reservoir to paper, and if cleaning your pen hasn't solved the problem, there's a good chance it is probably not seated correctly.

Here's what you should check for:

1) Make sure your feed is flush to the underside of your nib

If there's a major gap between the underside of your nib and the top of the feed (where the ink channel is), the ink simply can't get to where it needs to be (i.e. the tip of the nib). I

If there is a major gap, you can check if your nib and feed are seated correctly in the nib section. This depends a little bit on the pen and the model, but most of the time, you can try grasping nib and feed together and gently pushing down. Remember to never grab your nib by the shoulders/tines, as that will most likely ruin it.

2) Make sure your feed is properly centered with the nib.

This is easier to check if your pen has a breather hole, which most of them do. Basically, check to see if the ink channel at the top of your feed (you can see it through the breather hole) lines up with the ink slit. Here's a good example:

And here are... not so good ones. Coincidentally, both on Conklin pens.

This is usually a simple fit -- sometimes you can gently wriggle it back in place. Other times, you need to remove the nib and feed from the collar (basically the plastic thing that holds the nib unit together) or they are friction fit to the section altogether (like in the Lamy AL-Star). Do a bit of research on your pen model before you try disassembling it.

Feed is centered? All good to go? OK, now we move on to checking the metalworks, so to speak. I recommend using a magnifying glass or loupe for this part. Here's the one I use.

4) Check your tines for a) factory oopsies and b) misalignment.

Here's an example of tines that were just... cut very wrong (sorry for poo-poo pic quality, but you should be able to see the tine on the right just... ain't right)

In the case above, contact your retailer. I noticed this one before even inking my pen, but they should cover a replacement regardless.

DISCLAIMER: all adjustments from here on out may void your pen's warranty.

(maybe not a simple realignment, but don't risk it, or ask your retailer before you try anything).

Here's an example of slightly misaligned tines (ON THE SAME PEN AFTER EXCHANGE BTW).

I stupidly didn't get pictures of my Décimo or the Duragraph above looking straight at nib pointing up -- you could actually see one of the tines sloping slightly downward. That causes unbearable (to me) scratchiness and can tear off paper fibers. No fun.

There are better examples from JetPens' Fountain Pen Troubleshooting Guide (which you should absolutely check out!)

You can fix misaligned tines yourself. It requires patience, a little pressure, and a lot of finesse not to overdo it. You can manually bend the tines back into place, but before you try it yourself, I recommend going to YouTube to see how other pen people do it. My method is similar to this one, but there are several others. You can use your fingernail to push it down, just be very careful with how much force you use.

The one method I personally don't recommend is, ironically, the one JetPens recommend on their guide. It might work just fine, but I just think it is way too easy to overdo it and get splayed tines or create a major gap between nib and feed.

OK, seems like the tines on your pen are fine? Time to...

5) Check the distance between your tines.

Your tines should, ideally, be juuust a hair apart-- only enough for the ink and capillary action do their thing. They shouldn't be touching, since that would hinder ink flow, but there should not be a gulf of distance between them either. Let's revisit another Conklin

Yay. Fun.

This is also fairly simple to fix, but again: you have to be delicate about it. I manually manipulate my tines into position and kind of go by feel by now, always testing and checking with my loupe. Here's how PenBoyRoy does it:

Again, there are many different methods, and you will often hear different things from different pen people. It's down to preference and what works for you!

OK, now we've gone through an odyssey of troubleshooting (I AM SO SORRY), let's talk about nib tuning.

Yet another disclaimer: doing anything I describe below will 100% void your pen's warranty.

Tuning your nib isn't necessarily fixing it. It certainly can, if you've done pretty much all of the above and everything looks fine but the pen isn't writing the way you want it to. I use it to smooth down pens that are technically writing OK, but the experience of writing with them isn't entirely pleasant for me.

Essentially, you're using a rougher surface to basically... 'sand down' your nib. There's a wide variety of techniques (from using a rough paper bag all the way to actual fine-grit sanding blocks), but the most important detail you need to remember is you're removing tipping material (however little).

While tuning your nibs isn't necessarily hard, it's very, very easy to overdo it, and that will cause pretty much irreparable damage. If tuning nibs is something you're interested in, practice on inexpensive pens first -- I practiced on ye olde Pilot Varsity.

The Varsity is great to practice tuning because 1) it's super cheap, so even if you fuck it up completely, it's not the end of the world. 2) It has a medium tip.

The bigger the tip = the more tipping material = more room for error.

I mainly use two things to tune my pens: micromesh and mylar paper, which are both super fine abrasives. Goulet (and other pen retailers) sell entire nib-tuning kits with everything you might need to get started, but here's my own (plus a few extras that may look scary, but trust me, you don't need all of this):

In my pen kit above, you can see my newer sheets of micromesh and mylar and the scribbles I use to tune my nibs. I hold the pen the way I normally would when writing with it, and scribble over the abrasive, but I don't do it randomly. Figure 8s are usually the go-to for simple tuning; you can also go a particular direction if you know exactly which area of your nib needs to be smoothed.

Again, even micromesh and mylar paper (particularly the latter) are incredibly fine abrasives, it is still very easy to overdo it. I have fucked up nibs before, mostly on my practice pens, but also on a not-super-cheap pen, and I had to buy a whole new nib unit.

So, like I said, possible? Very! Simple? Sure! Finicky? Hell yeah.

Side note: tuning a nib is mostly just making it write more smoothly. If you'd like to change the shape of the tipping material entirely (and thus create line variation), that is totally something that can be done!

It is called nib grinding, and it is better left to the professionals, but it is super cool!

pOK, I didn't quite mean to go into a full nib troubleshooting post, but I should have known my brain could not be stopped. Hopefully, this (extremely) long-winded, tangent-riddled descent into the rabbit hole was at least a little bit useful!

Thanks for dropping by!

[dokoni-mo]

Fireworks || Darth Vader x Reader

(A/N ***please read if you havent read the epilouge to my series*** : yes hi I wanted this to go out earlier but oopsie ig lmao, but I was inspired by the fireworks of last night so yuhhh :))) This is based off my vader x reader series, but not canon to the story!! (or maybe it is, i’ll let you be the judge of that). for those of you who havent read the epilogue of my series Far Away, Together, all you need to know is that vader and his bby yeeted out the empire and now are living in the middle of nowhere together :)) taglists are open, enjoy!!)

(P.S.: if you wanna read the epilogue, you can find it here, as well as all the other chapters of FaT)

WARNINGS: None!! Very fluffy

Key: (F/N) = first name 

Word Count: ~3200

~~~

You both always hated it when you had to go to the wreckage, but you both knew that you had to. 

After fixing your love a nice lunch and leaving him to eat in his meditation chamber, you begrudgingly pulled on your going-out clothes, a slight frown on your face all the while. Pulling on your walking boots and securing your tools to your belt, you heard your love’s meditation chamber open and close, alongside his heavy footsteps drawing closer and closer to you. Your hearing perking up, you noticed how he stopped in the doorway without having to turn your head. 

You smiled to yourself. You could feel his gaze on you, warming your heart. 

“When do you plan to return, darling?” Vader asked you, his voice as deep and rumbling as ever. If this had been some years ago, you would have been scared. But now, all you felt was warmth. 

Maker, you were so in love. 

“I’ll be back before sundown, Vee.” you responded without turning to him, combing out your hair with your fingers. 

You could practically feel how much he didn’t like that. It made the air thick yet almost uncomfortably sharp at the same time. Your smile faded a little at this. You hated leaving for so long just as much as he did, but you had to go. His bacta tank had been acting funky recently, and you had finally narrowed the problem down to the filter. 

And, of course, you were all out of filters. 

This meant you had to go to the wreckage of the crashed Star Destroyer to find a new one, or at least the parts you needed to make one. 

Your favorite activity. 

Your smile now completely faded away, you reached inside one of your dresser drawers, retrieving out a long, black cloth from it. The ends of the cloth were heavily tattered and torn, and there were even large holes in some areas. 

His old cape. 

Since he hardly wore it anymore, you took it over as your own. He had long since abandoned the black one for a medium-toned blue one you had made him not too long ago. He told you that he wore that one because you had made it, but you knew the real reason. 

After the Empire fell, he wanted to shed as much of the past as possible, and did this little by little. It started with his cape, but has slowly branched out to other means. 

For example, his saber. 

“Take my weapon with you, dear. Use it to protect yourself while I am not present.” you heard him say as you fastened his old cape around your shoulder such that the cloth ran diagonally across your body, scraping only slightly on the floor. Turning to face him, you smiled up at his mask, the sound of his steady breath filling your ears. 

He always worried about you. Ever since you had professed your love for one another, he seemed to never stop worrying. You would ordinarily tease him for things like this, but you knew better in this situation. You knew he had lost so many in his life… 

And you knew losing you would destroy him, once and for all. 

So, it was clear to you why he troubled himself so much about you. And it was even clearer why this worry was even greater when you had to make these trips. He couldn’t come with you, much to your shared disdain. The hike would be too strenuous on him. Even though he had survived his encounter with his old master…

It still did a large number on his health. 

You didn’t want to shorten his lifespan, so you made these trips by yourself. 

Even though you both knew this and accepted it, this didn’t stop his worry. He always made you take his saber with you, even if you had your own blaster. 

Stepping closer to your love, your eyes stayed upon his mask as you took one of his hands into your own, pressing a soft kiss on the leather of his gloves as he looked down upon your face. Looking back up to meet his gaze, a small, warm smile enveloped your features. 

Vader wondered how someone could be so damn perfect. 

“I will, don’t worry.” you assured him, “Where is it?” 

“I have placed it in our safe, my sweet.” he rumbled out, his gaze unable to falter from off of your frame. 

Giving him a firm nod and standing on your tip-toes, you placed a small peck on the cheek of his mask before pushing past him, the tatters of his old cape upon your shoulders fluttering in the breeze of your steps. 

Vader almost never carried his saber anymore. The crimson blade only reminded him of the past. He only seemed to wield it if he sensed some sort of danger threatening to disrupt your shared home. These instances were often in the middle of the night, and often woke you up from your sleep. And, even more often, there was absolutely no danger. 

He was always so hard to calm down on those nights…

And even harder to convince to go back to sleep. 

Stopping your steps in front of the safe, your knelt down in front of its door, punching in the code to open it as you felt his presence draw behind you. Reaching in, you wrapped your hands around the cool, polished metal of the hilt of his saber, attaching it to your belt as you closed the safe and stood up again. Turning on your heel, you were a bit spooked when you realized just how close he was. Taking a tiny step back, you looked up at his mask. 

He seemed… off. 

Even more so than usually when you had to go out. 

Feeling his shift in mood, you shot up a warm smile at him before turning your gaze to the cape around his shoulders. Reaching your hands up, you took the blue cloth into your hands, smoothing it out as you spoke. 

“Vee, I’ll be fine. I’ve done this a million times before, and there’s always nothing out there.” you tried to reassure him. 

“I am aware, my dear.” he rumbled out. 

Despite him not having much flavor to the inflections in his deep voice, you knew he wasn’t convinced. Moving your hands from his lapel to his mask, you cradled the metal in your palms, making him meet your gaze. 

“Then there’s no need to worry, hmm?” 

Gazing down at you in a long moment of silence, Vader contemplated your words. You wondered if he would ever say anything, but were quickly met with an answer as he placed his much larger hands upon yours. 

“I suppose not…” he finally said. 

You breathed out a smile as he continued. 

“But please do be careful, my sweet. I shall eagerly await your return.” 

Letting out a soft giggle, you gave him a broad, dopey smile as you spoke your response. 

“Whatever you say, loverboy.” 

~~~

The hike to the wreckage had left you sweaty and sore. It always did, but this didn’t stop you from complaining silently to yourself. Wiping the sweat that moistened your brow, you gazed upon the familiar wreckage for a moment before stepping inside, watching the ground to avoid any missteps. 

The filters were usually located in the old medical bay of the old Star Destroyer. Fortunately, the walk from the entrance to the demolished medical bay wasn’t all that far. However, it was extremely dark. The power of this ship had gone out long ago, and darkness had quickly made it’s new home in it's dilapidated walls. Your pupils widening in the dark, you reached down to your belt, pushing your cape out of the way. 

Your hand finding a long, cool cylinder of metal, you shot out a quick smile as your fingers wrapped around it. 

Your love always was there for you, to guide you in the dark. 

Unclipping the saber from your belt, you made sure to point the tip away from you as you pushed the igniter, springing the weapon to life. With a continuous, dull humm, the crimson of the blade illuminated your face in red, as well as your nearby surroundings. Wrapping your other hand around the hilt, you held your love’s weapon firmly as you made your way through the wreckage, following the red light that surrounded you. 

Trailing on for a long while, you were eventually met with the old medical wing. Securing the saber into your left hand, you held it above your head as you pushed the doors open, the metal making an awful squeak as you did so. 

Searching around the cracked and damaged storage bins and compartments of the old unit, you were pleased when you found a clean, unused filter. Hissing out a quiet yes to yourself, you took Vader’s old cape from off your shoulders and placed it on the ground. Putting the filter on top of the cloth, you made a make-shift bag out of the cape. 

Bunching up the fabric and slinging it over your shoulder, you jumped as you heard a crash from behind you. Letting out a yelp and turning on your heel quickly, your heart started to race as you gripped both hands onto the crimson blade’s hilt, ready to strike at any moment. 

When you were greeted with nothing but the sight of wreckage, you let your shoulders relax. Your heartrate slowing, you realized that there were no intruders or critters there to kill you. Dropping your gaze to the floor, you were met with the sight of a knocked-over crate. Focusing your eyes harder, you noticed an odd substance spilling out of the crate. 

Kneeling down, you kept your lover’s saber above your head as you went in for a closer look. Your eyes adjusting in the red light, you were able to make out what the substance was. 

Powder. 

Overcome by your curiosity, you reached your hand down and took a few granules of the powder in between your pointer finger and thumb. Rubbing your two phalanges together as you brought them closer to your face, your eyebrows raised as you finally were able to deduce what it was. 

Black powder. 

Shifting your gaze down to the contents of the knocked-over crate, you saw that there were other tubes of other types of powders from a plethora of different materials. 

Seeing these items struck an old chord deep inside you. You were familiar with what they would do when mixed together, but this familiarity was sourced from a long, long time ago. All the way back from when the empire was just forming. All the way back from your home planet…

As the memories flooded your mind, you felt the grip you had on your love’s saber tighten without you having to think about it. Realizing this, your lips parted as the beginnings of an idea formed in your mind. Letting it form for a few more moments, you smiled softly as you slipped the cape-bag off of your shoulders and opened it up, placing a few canisters of powder into it alongside the filter. 

Tonight would be a good night for you and him. 

~~~

Just as you had promised, you were back to the house before sundown. In fact, the excitement you felt from your idea coupled with the promise of returning to him made you come back before the sun had even begun to set, your steps having a certain pep to them. 

Pushing open the door to your shared home, you called out an I’m home as you closed it behind you. Almost instantly, you heard the sound of his boots thudding over to you, alongside the sound of his respirator. Setting down his saber on a small table, you noticed in your peripheral a large, looming, black figure watching you from afar. A smile forming on your face, you turned your head towards the figure. 

Your love. 

You could tell from the aura around him that he was happy you were home again. 

“(F/N),” he rumbled out, a hint of amusement in his voice, “How was your voyage?”

“It was good.” you responded, adjusting the cape-bag on your shoulder as you kicked off your boots, “I found another filter, and even a little surprise for later.” 

Your love tilted his armored head at this. He often did when he was curious.

He was too damn cute sometimes. 

“A surprise?” he asked. 

“Yes, a surprise, Vee.” you said as you walked up to him, standing on your tiptoes to press a soft, quick kiss on his mask’s cheek as you walked past him to the living area. 

Turning to face you, your love stayed put as he spoke, his gaze seemingly unable to falter off of your frame as you poured your bag’s contents out on the floor and sat in front of it. 

“What is it, darling?” he asked, making you breathe out a giggle as you glanced up at him. 

“If I tell you, then it won’t be a surprise anymore.” you said. 

You could tell he was miffed as you saw his shoulders and posture stiffen. You could only smile as you started to poke through the items you had brought home. 

“I wish to know what you are scheming, my dear.” he rumbled out. 

You giggled again. Maker, you found him almost too damn cute. 

“You’ll find out eventually what I’m scheming, love.” you said as you began to unscrew the lids to the powder canisters, “I promise you’ll like it.” 

“I do not doubt that, my sweet.”

“Then stop fretting.” you giggled again, “Come on, you can help by keeping me company while I set this up.” 

Realizing that he would get absolutely nowhere by pestering you further, Vader gave in to your scheme. Entering into the living room, he found a place where he could comfortably watch you work. 

Watching you do what you were best at was one of his favorite pass-times. 

And knowing what you were doing was for him only made it better. 

~~~

He was spending some time in his meditation chamber when you finished. Instead of immediately getting him out of there, you took the opportunity to set up your scheme, as he called it.

Taking a blanket out of your storage closet, you picked up your scheme alongside the cloth and carried it outside. Finding a nice clearing of grass, you laid out the blanket in just the right spot.

It was now night time, and the cool breeze of the darkness made your hair sway as you set up your scheme. Once it was all finished, you stood up from your crouching position, looking out on the fields of  your new home planet with a small smile on your face. 

It was the perfect night. It was the perfect night for him. The stars were as bright as ever, and the rich blues and blacks of night accented the green of the vegetation so very well. 

This was all for him. You loved him endlessly, and you dedicated yourself to making the rest of his days as comfortable as possible. He had been through so, so much… 

And you hoped that nights like this would help him accept everything and move on. 

Maker above, did you try so hard to make him accept the past. 

But you didn’t mind. 

Not one bit. 

Dusting off your hands, you headed back inside once everything was complete. Making your way into your shared bedroom, you focused your gaze upon the meditation pod that took up nearly half of the space. Slowly but surely, you reached up your hand and knocked gently on the metal. 

“Vee?” you called out, hoping you weren’t disturbing him too much, “Your surprise is ready, if you wanna come out…” 

After a moment, the metal of the pod finally raised up with a sharp hiss, causing you to take a step back. Watching him rise from his seated position and begin the motions of stepping out, you stepped forward. Taking one of his hands into yours and draping your arm across his back, you helped him step down from the pod, giving him support in case he started to feel weak. 

“Have you finished your scheme, darling?” he asked you once he was stable. 

You breathed out a smile, keeping his hands secure in your own. 

“Yes, love. My scheme is done,” you said, “Come on, come see.” 

With that, you turned on your heel and led him by the hand outside. You could feel that he was perplexed, but pushed on anyway. You only stopped once you reached the blanket you had laid out. 

“Here we are,” you cooed, “Take a seat, Vee.” 

Following your request, he shifted his weight to sit upon the blanket, leaning some of it upon you as you helped him be seated. Taking a seat next to him, you reached out and grabbed a panel of buttons you had thrown together that evening. Fiddling with the panel, Vader looked down at you as you worked, feeling his heart swell with awe and pride. 

He had never been so in love. 

“Do you wish to finally tell me what this plot is, my dear?” he asked, making you smile. 

“Yes, I do.” you responded without looking up from the buttons. 

“Then please, enlighten me.” 

Letting out a giggle at his teasing vocabulary, you spoke your response. 

“Well, in my home village, we called them color rockets, but you probably know them as fireworks. We would make our own and launch them on holidays or days of harvest…” 

Pressing one final button, the sound of one of your home-made fireworks launching filled your ears. Shifting your gaze to the sky, your smile broadened as you saw the streaks of color illuminate the night, the hues reflecting on your skin and in yours eyes. 

Looking to him, your eyes softened with warmth as  you continued. 

“Or, we would make them as a token of love for our partners.”

Vader couldn’t even begin to think of something to say in that moment. He was unquestionably, undeniably, and totally speechless. 

You were so damn beautiful. Both inside and out, your beauty outshone even the brightest stars in the galaxy. Even though the two of you had been together for years now, he still wondered why you chose him of all people. You were so good, and when the two of you met… 

He wasn’t. 

Not in the slightest. 

He was cruel. 

Mean. 

Unforgiving. 

Evil. 

Yet still, even through all the bad, even through all his baggage, even through all the moments where his past came back to haunt him…

You stayed with him. Supported him, even…

Loved him, even. 

And  maker above did he love you for it. 

Alongside all the other million reasons why he loved you. 

He hoped that you didn’t mind that he didn’t know what to say in that moment. The way you smiled up at him and looked at him said that you didn’t, and that was all the confirmation he needed. Reaching up his hand, he placed it upon your cheek, holding your face as gently as he could. He felt his heart swell as your smile broadened as you leaned into his touch, placing your small hands on top of his own. 

Maker above, if Lord Vader were able to stop time…

He would do it in this exact moment. 

Never in his life had he felt so at peace…

So in love…

So relaxed…

So...

Free. 

~~~

TAGS: @captainrexstan , @spaghetti-666 , @breakfastpizzagalaxy , @missmannequin , @clearnostolgia , @easterncryptid​ 

[bigbrothernetflix-st]

EPISODE SIX A&B

“Honestly this game is starting to heat up and I've already set up all my pieces its just time to play with them.” - aria

HOH: Brianna UPSIDE DOWN: Josh C & Nick NOMINEES: Nathan & Nash & Jev POV: Brianna FINAL NOMINEES: Nash & Jev EVICTED: Nash (9-0)

HOH: Joshua UPSIDE DOWN: Josh C NOMINEES: Brianna & Nathan POV: Emma / DPOV: Jacob FINAL NOMINEES: Nick & Nathan EVICTED: Nick (4-3)

JOSHUA

i think i should be safe this week! well that's what brianna told me.. so hopefully she doesnt alivia me and put me up. other than that monty going home was ideal for me i think, yes i liked him as a person but he definitely didn't trust me as much as joey might. and he was a duo with nick so like.. he had to go ewp. nathan and nick were probably the votes to keep him. hopefully jury is at f11 which could possibly mean a double, which could possibly mean im fucked! :D

EMMA

I think its a high chance of me getting nominated i mean i got the upside veto but its like still i hate and love this game im having fun meeting people i love joshua play with jev again been fun i love aria i love jacob i love and miss gina and saira but its outside reasons why i cant focus however today is the very first day that i havent felt depressed but im scared of it creeping up on me again this game has been so confusing these people are so quiet yet so cracked it makes me frustarted the fact that the alliances or supposed alliances are all people who played in pasio or bbdanganronpa idk if its true but if it is it feels like i got no chance of winning the game alot of people are pretty outsided to me i like to think i got a good social game but i aint some social goddess idk its gonna take for me some dark magic for me to survive or have a chance of me winning this game at this point also the nathan thing i am pretty sure i go to him more then he comes to me and also im pretty sure if he and monty were final noms i would probably kept nathan over monty uwu but damn the victim card isnt cute like i been there done that games are fucking hard but u need to pick urself back up if you want to do well like damn nathan i hope ur okay its hard but he could probably do it if he tries i just guess i need to tell him that i dont want him to feel isolated. 

JOEY

Sooooooo..... TANK BOWL SZN is still on. I threw yet another competition, but I’m literally so fucking safe this week, all I have to do is just relax, let Brianna take some blood on her hands, and hopefully Nash or Nathan go home this week. Nash and I don’t talk, but that’s what half the house has said. I need Jev here as a shield. Nathan I also need gone since I think he’s tryna manipulate me, and honestly, I ain’t here for it. Literally, if I have to get rid of Nash or Joshua myself, I’ll do it.

NASH

like... genuine congrats to brianna for making moves but i also think this decision was a bit of a choice? getting nathan out would be a predictable move, yes, but hes also messy/chaotic so i don’t see why i or jev would be seen as bigger threats than him? idk.... 

BRIANNA

https://youtu.be/YxxaFmBTQXc

ARIA

well. Perhaps its been a while HBFSDJF oopsie whoopsie,, so yeah this is going to be realllllyyy long but ive been doing a lot!! and yall deserve to know the mental olympics ive been going through these last couple weeks so its time for bullet point time!! ALSO I MISS SAIRA GINA MO AND MONTY A LOT BRING EM BACK

-in the stab comp, josh c has some sort of connection with jev and emma because they both stabbed him when they've both told me they liked him, so he threw 

-joey finally snapped and made the alliance between me/kiki/joey/bri

-kiki is in a GREAT position but wbk (kiki jev joshua have to be together in some sense)

-joshua takes a shot at monty/nathan,,,conviently leaving nick the person WHO EVICTED SAIRA alone,,,inch resting

-joshua heard someone said his name, asked monty who ratted out josh, asked jos who ratted nathan-  which leads to a nathan/joshua fight

-nathan ratted out the nathan/monty/nick alliance first

-joshua good at comps

-nash and emma(?) won something from the ud

-nick then leaks the alliance to me,,,after the veto is announced

-nick hinst at going after jacob

-nick warned me i was being grouped with bri/jacob

-whole house considers bri/jacob a group

-NATHAN WINS VETO FUCK YEAH

- jacob leaks kiki/nash/joshua/jacob alliance

-emma feels close with nick (REMEMBER THIS)

-jacob AND nick told nash gina was after them

-leaked to jacob nick is after them

-josh acted like he didnt know nash was connected?? is it a front???

-BRIANNA WINS HOH YASSSSSSSSS

-jacob tells me and bri nash has a dpov (might be fake)

-nathan blows up and clocks the majority thing and pisses everyone off

-i come up with cracked plans that WILL NOT be shared

-JOEY RECORDS CALLS!!! REMEMBER THIS!!!

-joey wants to go after joshua on live night

-joey feels close ot nick

-nick comes to me with a plan of voting out nathan with joshua/kiki so jev and nash come after bri and take her out weakening jacob

-using that knowledge i convince bri to veto nathan :)

-nick is super close to kiki

-talked to joshua josh nathan emma nick who are all evicting nash

-nathan wants kiki out before joshua 

-nick thinks jacob leaked the everyone but... alliance

-nick wants to take a shot at jacob live night

So here we are. I somehow have no blood on my hands and someone whos very connected with major players (jacob and nick) is leaving :))) literally this week turned out so well im still squealing that the rumored "dpov" didnt get used fhbasjfd like when i saw the time limit passed  i jumped around my room and squealed But!! the next big thing is where do i go from here. I THINK me bri and jacob are all safe in live night bc jacob's dpov can help if we're in trouble so im feeling kinda confident for the three of us, and then for some reason nick trusts me?? like a lot??? so i can get information and the perspective of the other side whenever i need it. Not super sure where to go from here but i want to keep the "sides" even so if someone like joshua/kiki/jev could go next that would be great although it probably won't. Honestly this game is starting to heat up and I've already set up all my pieces its just time to play with them.  

Also kinda want to address that people in this house think that bri just ruined her game by doing that but i think i made a good point when i wrote this in my dr- 

"You have a clocked group but you don’t want to take a shot at them because you might have “connections” within that group and think you can be the last person standing but at the end of the day they’re always gonna choose each over over you"

and i think Bri just broke the expectations of sheep being taken to the slaughter and rewrote her own destiny and im proud of her, shes literally the SWEETEST human being ive ever met and the rest of this house is NOTHING compared to her. This is @ someone btw you know who you are :) 

and thats on pewiod <3

JEV

So just a little recap of the week, I wasn't surprised to be nominated in the slightest. It kinda bugged me that Brianna brought social interaction into her reasoning for nominations since she doesn't seem to be very responsive in PMs to anybody but I guess it had to happen sooner or later. I just hope me and Nash can survive this week because I don't think either of us deserve to leave over Nathan. Being called out by Nathan earlier this week really annoyed me since he was literally grasping at straws to throw anybody but himself under the bus then had the nerve to say he isn't a messy player... girl the delusion but hopefully he'll leave this week, that's if Brianna is smart and doesn't use the veto on him. He's loyal to nobody but himself and he's proven that this week with his house meeting.

KIKI

im super excited to make jury.... hopefully ill be able to make it this time longer... i seem to be cursed with horrible situational circumstances lately JDJEIDJDJFKD. anyway as of now my strategy was just to lay low until jury but i think i might continue that for a while... try not to win hoh. i have a finger in every pie as of right now and am in an alliance with everyone in the cast but nathan.... and in doing so have hopefully reduced myself as a target in the eyes of others.... kiki is a master of psychological manipulation. for the live night im banking on that to keep safe but i do tend to be good under pressure so if need be i can count on myself and probably even my closer allies such as joshua and nick to help me out if i end up in a sticky spot. shakes ass in here for the hosts. thats all thank u

ARIA

https://youtu.be/wekzYKEGI-8

HOST WEEKLY CAST ASSESSMENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJtu5a78U8c&list=PLFEwPPy8j010XXwntq80VSU0qLNTNpSIN&index=7&t=0s

[survivor-rebelsvsroyals]

EPISODE 2- I made an oopsie!! - Asya

HEY GUYS WELCOME BACK TO MY CHANNEL lmfaooo it’s been so damn long i’m so rusty but we’re here and we're doing this ladies! Going into this I was worried it was gonna be a ton of new school people I didnt know who were all friends but I was fairly pleased that I actually know a good majority of the cast and I know everybody on my tribe except Anabel which is WILD. I didn't expect to know that many but its great. I’m gonna talk a bit about everybody then ill go into more: Anabel is the one person I didn’t know coming in but i’ve heard she’s super social which is MY THING so i gotta watch my back with that. We’ve had fun conversations though so nothing bad to say yet Dane Dane Dane where do I start? I don’t trust him one bit. I know we can have fun conversations but because of personal things with my friends I will forever watch my back with him because i’m a stubborn protective Mama Bear. Ryan and I already talked about getting him out lmfao Gloria has always been sweet to me but I have to figure out how to talk game with her. I’ve never actually played with her myself before just been in VLs or a jury host for a game shes in or something so this is a different perspective. Im not sure how its gonna go yet. Linus is my TUMBLR SURVIVOR BUDDY HERE LMFAOO Ive played with people on this tribe before but I don’t think i’ve played TS with anybody else? Either way we played to the end of Myanmar- oh wait excuse me ALMOST THE END BECAUSE OF A DUMB TWIST but yeah I honestly trust him alot because if I remember correctly he wasnt afraid to make moves but he was straight up with me and I appreciate that I’d rather someone be blunt with me and I dont like what they say than deal with a shady bitch! Also we just have good conversations imo and I think we’d be on the same wavelength talking game so he’s definitely someone I wanna work with Pippa is a SWEETIE I always love talking to her we can talk musicals all day all night but with her schedule we’ll have to see how much shes here because idk if she’s gonna be that into it tbh Ruthie is another sweetie but shes also smart and she knows i’m smart so I gotta watch she won’t kick my ass and stab my back singing Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Ryan Matthew OK SO RYAN AND I HAVE A WILD HISTORY we always either love or hate eachother and so far we’ve decided this is a love game? Hopefully it’s legit but we’ll see im sure he’d flip on my ass if he felt like it lmfao but i’m gonna take it for what it is right now. We both don't trust dane and want him gone so I think right now we’re kinda following that “the enemy of your enemy is your friend” kinda motto. I actually wanna work with him this time though so we’ll seeeee RTP is always a blast I don't remember if i’ve actually ever played with him before but we’re both old as fuck in this community so we’ve been around the BLOCK. I know he knows how shit goes so he’ll probably pick up on bullshit quick so I wanna keep him on my good side! I definitely can see myself working with him Seamus i’ve always assumed is a hot ass mess lmfaooo he’s another one i dont remember if i’ve actually played with but I dont know if I trust him we had fun chats but idk how much I’ll trust him as a strategist but we havent gotten to that kind of discussion so we’ll see how that goes. For the most part I have general vibes/ experiences with these people on their own but I don’t know how they’re gonna mesh together so I really gotta watch them all and try to sort it out. I really think I can be in a good spot on this tribe and weasel my way through it but I have to calculate it PERFECTLY. These people aren’t newbies all of us have been here before and know how this works. I’m gonna work my social, be decent in the challenges and keep my mouth zipped while I try and figure our where everyone lies. I haven’t honestly really tried in a game in a long time and if people have forgotten what i’m capable of when I give a shit I can use that to my advantage. So i just gotta try and gage where everyone falls. STAY TUNEDDDD ALSO I JUST WANNA SAY MY FRIENDS AND PEOPLE I KNOW I COULD TRUST ARE ON THE OTHER TRIBE AND IM SAD I wanna work with them 😩😩😩 I need Dan Coffeycakes and Asya to get to swap but I'm also praying to the survivor Lorde™️ for the Royals so I don't die lol i’ll give more entertaining updates as thing progress but I just wanted to knock out the basic intro update ok byeeeeeeee 😘

THE GAME HAS OFFICIALLY COMMENCED AND I AM IMMEDIATELY SHOOK. My number one ally and my friend or die and most importantly my friend got first boot but I’m proud of myself that I didn’t sell myself out and didn’t vote him. So the vote was 7-1-1-1 7 Keaton 1 nic 1 Lachie 1 Raffy which was me After the tribal finished I told everyone on call (Chloe Asya Lachie and Raffy) THST I voted Raffy because I had already told John anyway and I didn’t want it to get spread around so I came clean and I can just hope they all respect me for it. I gotta take it day by day and continue to build and maintain bonds. I wanna see if I can’t build a majority alliance I gotta go balls to the wall and leave no stone unturned because for my own sanity I want no regrets when I’m eventually voted out. I think Raffy respected that I can’t clean and that our game relationship can be worked on from here.

Tribal was absolutely crazy. Keaton just popped the fuck off on everyone. He was the fourth crackhead that we needed, but didn't deserve. Asya, Lachie, and I being in an alliance? Nic controlling the game? Absolutely wild. The most interesting thing for me is that Brien voted me. I get that you know Keaton personally, but that just tells me that you will always choose your pre-existing relationship over me. It makes me hesitant to work with Brien since I don't know if he has anymore of these relationships throughout the game. I need to be careful what I say to him and how I come across from now on. I'm still playing the social game, talking with everyone, making sure things are going well for them. Hopefully it continues to go well and I can position myself into multiple alliances, but I don't know if I want to get that messy just yet. This two day challenge enables me to branch out my social game, so that's a plus. John brought up an alliance with Asya and Lachie that would include the Crackheads. However, he meant it as a joke. I wouldn't be entirely opposed to such an alliance. Though I would replace Lachie with someone else like Brien or Nic. It's just that I talk the least with Lachie and Asya so it would go pretty terrible in my opinion. We have to talk about that on call soon.

*a little while later*

Brien wants to start an alliance with me, him, John, Nic, and either Chloe/Trace. It would be a majority alliance, but I need to tell the Crackheads about it. We all need to be on the same page about things, otherwise we'll be a hot mess of an alliance (more so than we already are). Personally, I'd be perfectly fine with that kind of alliance, it'll give me the majority that I so desperately want.

i’m gonna cry i have no time to do this challenge i hate this i hate isaac pls let someone be the dummy who doesn’t submit at all so i don’t get 19th

Calling John and Raffy is like the highlight of my day

*a few minutes later*

"I need to find a shirt that I don't mind getting wet" - John 2K19 

 So what I'm hearing from that is he doesn't wash his clothes

My tribe is absolutely THRIVING and I’ve never been happier. I know I’ll see tribal one day but until then it’s nice to have another night off! I can go about my day not scrambling around to make sure I’m good! Now to search for the idol HMM

It sucks that we lost the challenge again. It's really bringing down morale. Because of this, I do think the next vote is going to be based on challenge performance which I take issue with. The two who did the worst are Chloe and Asya which means it's a pretty clear cut choice for me of who goes. It sucks because I like Asya a lot, but she just hasn't been as active as I would like her to be. At the end of the day, however, I just have to let it go and focus on the now. I'm not going to be pushing for Asya, but I sure hope she goes instead of Chloe.

i made an oopsie !!! was the lowest scoring person in the whole game so that’s hot !!! don’t feel good about my chances this round since in the early game, challenge strength IS what you have to go off of. but i’ve had good conversations w people and i will continue to build on that til i’m gone. i think i have a solid grasp on dan, chloe and lachie. like i don’t think they’ll vote me. i think i’m getting along well w brien? idk. there’s also that one unaccounted for stray vote from last round so like. much to consider. i just need 4 people to not vote for me and i’m fine. who i’m voting for? wish i knew !!

I was talking to Nic about the vote and he brings up two names: Chloe and Asya. I obviously preferred Asya to go so I said that to him. Then, not 5 seconds later, I hear from Chloe that Asya came up to her saying that I threw Asya's name out. Obviously Nic told Asya that I said her name. He's a little snake. I want him out of this game because he cannot be trusted with any information right now. I'm trying to leverage the situation in my favor by spreading that Nic told me it was Asya. So, something needs to be done.

*a little while LATER (you know the drill, this man talks A LOT)*

I'm currently talking to Lachie and Trace. However, Nic has also gotten to them too. I don't like this gut feeling that I am getting voted out. Apparently, Trace is onboard with getting Asya out according to Nic. Furthermore, Chloe told me that Asya is confused about what is happening with this vote. I am trying to confuse her. I told her that her name is getting thrown around, but I want to keep her. I need to keep this up till tribal in order to keep myself safe. Paranoia is the best coverage. Honestly, Nic going right now would not be bad. However, I need to make my play carefully

*literally like six seconds later*

Nic is very shady. The Crackheads want to vote out Nic now instead of Aysa. Chloe suggested making an alliance with Lachie and Asya to vote him out this tribal council. This only works if the two of them are online and agree. Lachie seems down for it, but Asya is a mystery. I just have a feeling that things are going to blow up in our faces. Hopefully, we can make a big move, but if Asya doesn't respond then nothing can happen.

Everyone is confused

ok SO im now in an alliance w me dan nic trace and brien which like?? is not the alliance i envisioned myself in but idc because thats majority and im not trying to go home tonight. with that group not an option i kinda wanted to push for raffy to go so i brought up how like aggressive he is and not even a second later nic tells me that raffy is saying my name so like. it's time for that man to go. did i flop in the challenge? yes, but i know how to talk my way out of a bad situation and thats what im gonna do. mark my words, raffy is getting voted out tonight. keaton made points!

*exactly 11 minutes later*

ok so... ignore everything i just said. it's been wiped from the record. never happened. i'm officially aligned with everyone on my tribe one with myself, dan, brien, trace and nic, and another with myself, chloe, raffy, john and lachie. alliance one is voting raffy, alliance two is voting nic. I ! AM ! THE SWING ! shook. if i don't get a vote tonight then... my fucking mind but... there will be consequences no matter what i do. at this point in time, i think that nic is a snake. raffy is a bigger target, and if he makes the swap he will keep making himself a target. nic is sneaky and will slide thru this game. so. i think my mind is made up

The Godfathers Alliance is officially set in stone. With this, we can make a move against Nic who is very talkative. Now we have a majority alliance that will dominate this tribe. I'm winning in this stage of the game.

The royals are killing it and I’m so proud of this tribe. So far I’m not a part of any official alliance, there’s been very little actual game talk, but Dane and I are both saying we won’t vote each other if we lose, and Seamus and I started sharing idol guesses. I wish there was more I could say but really when it comes to talking the tribe is kinda a bunch of lame ducks right now. A loss would probs change that, but it’s a slow burn atm.

Dan was messaging Asya about voting Nic, so we are trying to bring him into the vote in order to lessen the blindside. Plus, if we let Dan think he's in control, then we can put the heat on him in case of a potential blindside.

I'm sharing my idol guesses with Amanda and Ryan. I kind of made a F2 with both of them and they're my dream f3 but I have no idea how they feel about each other. But idk i guess im kind of fake. Tried my best at immunity, I hate scav hunts!!!!!!! But thank god we won immunity I never wanna go to tribal. I wanna be immune until f2.