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im-a-wonderling · 10 months

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Rescue Me, Part 1 ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi

I started writing this in August of 2022. Four rewrites later, I’m posting it now in August of 2023. Shoutout to @writing-on-the-wahl for inspiring me and helping me smooth this over as well as to my brother for supplying all the military/niche Star Wars knowledge I needed.

Summary: A simple mission takes a turn, and suddenly Y/N has to work carefully with Master Kenobi to ensure they both survive.

Warnings: Satine doesn’t exist, mentions of mistreatment, mentions of Pong Krell (yes, this is a warning, Clone Wars fans get it. If you haven’t watched Clone Wars, you should still be able to understand this fic)

Word count: 7.5k

Rescue Me masterlist

Never in my entire life had I been so cold.

The cold sucked all the Force-given agility from my limbs, numbness spreading from my toes to my knees. I could feel the hairs inside my nostrils freezing, and every gasp of air burned its way down my throat and into my lungs. My nose felt moments away from falling off my face altogether.

There was no blushing horizon, no boulders or trees visible, no dynamic landscape whatsoever. There wasn’t even a way to discern where the sky ended and the land began.

It was just white.

The pelting snow obstructed everything from view, keeping me unaware of anything unless it was two feet from my face. For all I knew, we could’ve been walking in circles.

The very idea set my teeth on edge, and I quickly attempted some deep breaths to calm myself down. I kept pushing forward, practically dragging Master Kenobi along through the snow that had reached my knees.

It was because of this blasted snow that he hadn’t seen the D’oemir bear trap until its metal jaws closed around his foot. I’d been busy studying the defenses of the Separatist base when a shout of pain came from behind me, alerting the Separatists of our presence and our location.

What had started as a simple scouting mission was now a fight for survival.

I took more deep breaths, trying to lean on the Force for peace, just as I’d always been taught. And yet, like every other time I tried, the mystical energy seemed muted, like it’d been covered in a blanket to hide it from view. For all intents and purposes, Master Kenobi and I were alone.

As if the planet somehow eavesdropped on my thoughts, the wind picked up, sending an extra bite of pain through my exposed cheeks. “How much farther to the ship?!” I yelled in an endeavor to be heard, holding tighter to the arm slung around my neck.

Master Kenobi didn’t answer, and my heart sank. We weren’t even close then.

A particularly brutal gust of wind buffeted past us, nearly pushing us backwards.

"We can't go on much further!" I shouted. "Master, I don't think we're going to make it!"

Master Kenobi held up his free hand, holding it up to block the gale from his face. His lips moved, but the sound coming from them was lost.

"What did you say?!"

He leaned in, positioning his lips right beside my ear. "You need to get yourself to the ship!"

A blast of anger imploded in my insides, momentarily warming me up. "I'm not leaving you!" Another squall of wind nearly sent us toppling over.

"There's no point in both of us being stuck out here when you can save yourself!" Master Kenobi pulled his arm, unwinding it from its position around my neck.

I fixed him with a glare and gripped his arm tighter. "I'm not deserting you!" I didn’t know what exactly the council would do if I showed up on Coruscant without Master Kenobi, but I knew the judgment would be swift and severe.

Master Kenobi's exasperation grew as well. "I'm your master, you need to do as I say!"

Yet another gust of wind barreled past us, breaking the conversation and forcing us to brace ourselves.

"The only other shelter for miles is the base, and we can't go back there!" I said, once the wind returned to its previous howling intensity. “So we have to find some other means of staying warm!”

Master Kenobi straightened, studying our surroundings. I tried not to roll my eyes. There was nothing to see except wind, snow, and desperation, yet he surveyed it all with great care. Even a gaze as hypercritical as Master Kenobi’s wouldn’t be able to conjure something from nothing.

Suddenly, Master Kenobi twisted around, looking behind us. A strange light jumped forth in his eyes. He mumbled something, but the wind blew it away.

"What?!"

"That way!" he shouted, pointing off to the side.

"What about that way?!"

Master Kenobi still didn't answer. He took a step in the indicated direction and would've fallen, had I not shifted to take the weight.

I glanced down at his injury. The sight of the dried blood that long since had soaked through his boot sent my stomach flipping. Ironically, the only thing keeping him from bleeding out was the same infernal cold that would kill us if we were exposed much longer.

We didn’t have much time.

"C'mon!" he yelled, bringing me out of my thoughts with an impatient look thrown at me.

"Where are we going?!"

"There's a bunker this way, I've been in it before!"

I stared at him warily. "How do you know where it is?! I can’t see a thing!"

"I just know!”

He just knows, I thought sourly. The almighty Jedi master in his boundless knowledge just knew everything about everything.

An irritated grunt left my lips. Thankfully, the wind covered up my defiance, and my mental shields kept any doubt from spilling over. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter where we freeze, I thought to myself grimly before obeying Master Kenobi.

“Just keep heading towards the mountain!”

Mountain?

I glanced around, checking to see if a mountain had somehow snuck past me since the first time I’d looked around. But no, the terrain was the same.

“What mountain?” I shouted back.

Master Kenobi shut his eyes for a moment, and I couldn’t tell if it was due to exasperation or pain. “Reach out with the Force, and you can feel it!”

The Force? As some sort of land radar?

I wanted to scoff, to argue with him. But while giving into my doubts seemed appealing, I knew Master Kenobi would still be assessing every move I made. So I pushed on, fighting the snow and the wind for every step of distance covered. What felt like an eternity later, Master Kenobi reached out his free hand to point ahead of us. “Look, there it is!”

I peered around us, feeling the snowflakes stuck in my lashes. “I don’t–”

“Just keep going!” Master Kenobi urged.

I’m never leaving Coruscant again, I promised myself with every step. The numerous threats and corrupt politicians would be manageable, especially because death would likely come in a swifter and more exciting package. Like poison. Or a dramatic duel to the death. Not something as rudimentary as snow.

To my utter surprise, I felt the ground underneath us start to slope upwards. Could I really be at the foot of a mountain and not see it? I squinted in the direction of the slope and caught sight of hits of gray mixed in with the white.

Son of a mudscuffer, there really was a mountain.

Master Kenobi brought the hand that wasn’t around my neck to his mouth, tearing his glove off with his teeth. Fingers free, he pressed his hand to the snowy rock.

“Welcome, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” an automatic voice said. The wall of rock slid to the side, revealing a door that opened.

A sudden burst of heat came from the doorway, and I nearly lost my grasp on Master Kenobi as I stumbled through the doorway, leaning against the wall immediately inside. Clearly aware of my exhaustion, Master Kenobi leaned his weight away from me and up against the wall as the door closed behind us.

The roaring of the wind dulled, making me feel as if someone had stuffed earplugs into my ears. But I couldn’t make myself care about that.

The delicious warmth caressed my face, like flickering flames running their soft, welcoming hands up and down my skin. I started to regain feeling in the tips of my ears and my nose.

Then the burning started.

The flames grew hotter, setting my skin on fire. It itched. I could feel my joints getting stiffer and stiffer as parts of my body started to swell. The heat that I’d so desperately craved a few moments ago was proving to be just as dangerous as the chill.

“What the–” Master Kenobi said, raising his rapidly puffing fingers.

“We’re warming up too fast,” I gasped, picturing a description from a med book I’d read once, accompanied with gruesome pictures I didn’t want to recreate. “We have to slow down the temperature change. Is there a refresher in this place?”

Master Kenobi stepped forward to show me the way, and he immediately pitched forward, losing his balance.

My arms shot out, grabbing him before he could fully fall to the floor. “Silly old man,” I said through gritted teeth as I began to drag him once more.

“I’m not that much older than you,” Master Kenobi bit back before pointing down the hallway with his free hand. Wordlessly, I followed his direction. Scorching pain started where his arm met the skin of my neck, but I only held him tighter as I focused on getting us to the refresher. Master Kenobi tried to help, leaning some of his weight against the wall as we passed, but it didn’t make much of a difference. “Last door on the left,” he panted.

I slammed my hand against the pad, and the door slid open.

The revealed quarters could barely be called a refresher. It wasn’t even big enough for a Wookie to hide in. Would Master Kenobi and I even fit?

Only one way to find out.

I lowered him to the floor and quickly turned the water on. “We have to get in.” I jerked my hat off, shrugging out of my coat. “If we take too long, our hearts are going to fail.” I pulled off my overtunic, cursing the number of layers I had on. After getting the undertunic off as well, the exposed skin of my arms and stomach started to prickle painfully. It grew even worse when my pants came off, leaving nothing to protect my skin from the heat except a pair of tight undershorts and the fabric binding my chest. All I wanted to do was get under the stream of water for some relief.

I stepped towards the refresher, my foot touching the water as I glanced over at the master.

Master Kenobi’s shoes lay discarded as his fingers fumbled with the fastenings of his coat. He saw me watching him. “Get under the water!”

I didn’t hesitate, crouching in front of him, clumsily pulling at the fastenings of his coat. By some miracle, they opened, and I tugged the coat off.

“Get under the water!” Master Kenobi ordered, but I ignored him, fisting his overtunic in my stiff hands. “Leave me!”

I met his eyes, ignoring the fire ants crawling all over my skin. “Arms up.”

“Y/N-”

“The more difficult you make this, the longer it will take for me to get in the refresher,” I barked. “Arms up.”

Looking extremely vexed, Master Kenobi finally sat forward, lifting his arms to allow the overtunic to be tugged over his head. I tossed it to the side, getting to work unwrapping his undertunic. He shifted his weight, hooking his thumbs into his pants and pulling them down his legs. I pulled them off, discarding them as well.

Then I stared down at his body, a new conundrum taunting me.

Master Kenobi’s frame far exceeded mine in size, and it was riddled with heavy muscle. The refresher was barely big enough for us to stand in it together, so he couldn’t crawl in and sit on the floor. But how was I supposed to get him into a standing position and into the refresher?

“Go.” Master Kenobi’s shove was far from gentle. “Get in.”

I grit my teeth. “I told you,” I learned forward, hooking my arms under his armpits, “I’m not leaving you.”

“You are my padawan, and you will listen to–”

I hoisted, trying to pull Master Kenobi up. He barely budged.

“–me because I am your–”

I tried again and failed again.

“–master–”

I screwed up my face, shutting my eyes and summoning every last bit of strength I had.

Master Kenobi’s body lifted, his arms wrapping around me as he let out an alarmed yelp.

For a moment, satisfaction wracked through my core…but I’d underestimated how much momentum we’d generated.

I stumbled backwards, my arms wrapped around a toned torso and heavy arms wrapped around my shoulder. The stream of water hit my back, it’s chill making me gasp. Then my back collided with the wall, just before a body slammed against mine, knocking all the air from my lungs.

My eyes flew open, and all I could see was Master Kenobi.

His usually voluminous hair stuck to his head as water ran down in torrents. His lips, surrounded by his overgrown beard, were parted, and his chilly blue eyes were wide.

I shoved him away, forcing him to catch his balance by bracing himself on the wall opposite the refresher head. Unfortunately, the refresher was so small, if I wanted to, I’d still be able to place my palm on his chest without even straightening my arm. The tempo of my heart hastened, the little pitter-patter sounding akin to quickening footsteps. What my heart barreled towards, I didn’t know, but my body seemed to.

A shiver ran up my spine, causing me to tremble.

“Are you alright?”

“S’cold,” I said shortly.

“I believe that’s the point,” Master Kenobi shot back. Despite the humor in his comment, I couldn’t find any in his expression, not even so much as an upturn of his mouth. His face was a hard slab of stony displeasure.

Standing here in a refresher with Master Obi-wan Kenobi in nothing but my undergarments was not my idea of a good time either, but it was better than freezing to death.

“Next time,” he grunted, “you’d better get in the refresher first.”

Nevermind.

Master Kenobi pursed his lips, still looking upset. “I’m not solely charged with teaching you–.”

“I get it.” The impertinent words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Master Kenobi’s face spoke of vexation, like it always did when he was interrupted. “You are not just my student, you are my ward. I am responsible for you, so when I tell you to save yourself, you are to listen, do you understand?”

I hated that he was talking to me like I was a child. I may not have been his padawan for longer than a week, but I wasn’t a youngling.

“It is not a hard concept to grasp.” His tone danced between stern and impatient.

I remained silent, twisting the refresher dial to make the water slightly warmer and keeping my face impassive as I’d always been told. But his words only fed the fiery furnace roaring inside me.

The crease between Master Kenobi’s eyebrows flattened. “You’re angry.”

My cheeks heated up. I quickly shoved the rage down, frustrated that it had momentarily broken through my mental shields and bled through my Force signature. My previous master had been able to harness the Force to hide his emotions as easily as breathing. I tried to do the same, but the Force rarely allied itself with me.

“I understand,” I said as evenly as possible, keeping my eyes averted and my temper in strong hand. “I'm just a padawan. You're the master.”

“There is no ‘just a padawan’,” Master Kenobi interupted. “Being a padawan is just as crucial a part of the Jedi cycle as being a master.”

I barely withheld my huff as I turned the water slightly warmer again. I didn’t need any Jedi propaganda about the value of life and each stage of it.

“You’re angrier.”

I quickly raised my mental shields again, cursing them for continually breaking down.

“Tell me why you’re angry.”

I eyed Master Kenobi warily. To discuss this with him was wrong, but to disobey a direct order from my master was even worse.

“Y/N-” he began, and I snapped.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” I barked. “That I don’t know this mission is a test? If I show up on Coruscant without you, the council will assume I’ve followed in Master Krell’s footsteps and execute me.”

“Why would you be executed?”

“Master Krell was,” I said with gritted teeth. “A padawan stands in their master’s shadow, don’t they?”

His mouth turned down in a deep frown. “You haven't gone over to the dark side and killed scores of clones.”

“And yet if the council trusted me, we wouldn't be here on a so-called surveillance mission!” Master Kenobi didn’t immediately reply, watching me, waiting for more answers. I lifted my hands to pull the pins out of my bun, letting my hair fall. My outrage cooled slightly. “Look,” I set the pins off to the side, “saving myself doesn’t do me any good here. Can we leave it at that?”

Master Kenobi didn’t seem to catch the hint. “No.”

I lifted my eyes to the ceiling. The more my irritation grew, the more he questioned me, making my irritation rise even further. It was an endless cycle.

“You're frustrated.”

I slammed my mental shields back into place.

Master Kenobi tilted his head. “Why do you try to hide your emotions from me?

Distantly, I knew the more anger I showed, the more likely I was going to get into trouble, but when there’s enough heat to make the pot of boiling water froth and overflow, slamming the lid down only worked for so long. “If you want to quiz me on the Jedi Code, can it wait until we’re back on Coruscant?”

“No, it can’t.”

I wanted to scream.

“You’re getting angrier.”

Gripping the reins of my temper, I yanked them back so hard, my body hit the wall of the refresher. “Why do you care?” I bit back.

“Because only a Sith tries to hide their true feelings.” He looked me directly in the eyes. “Are you a Sith?”

It was a natural thing to ask, yet the question still felt like a hammer between the eyes.

No! I wanted to scream. Of course not! How could you think such a thing?!

But as I looked into Master Kenobi’s grave expression, a small trickle of doubt started.

Master Kenobi wouldn’t lie. It was against his character and offered him no advantage here. If hiding emotions was a component of the Code of the Sith instead of the Jedi Code…

Pong Krell was my master. As his padawan, I was expected to follow his lead and take his teachings to heart. To be a padawan was to be molded. Master Krell abandoned the Jedi Code, lost his respect for life, regardless of whose it was, and started ending lives instead of saving them. How long ago had he chosen the dark side? And how long had he been molding me the wrong way?

Maybe…maybe I didn’t know how to be a Jedi at all.

Thoughts started swirling in my brain, picking up speed until they were so fast, I couldn’t catch hold of them.

“You don’t want to be one,” Master Kenobi said softly, more to himself than to me. “And you’re worried you are.”

I almost went to reinforce my mental shields, but if that was truly the method of a Sith…perhaps my own impulses were untrustworthy. “I’m so confused,” I managed to say.

“Why are you trying to hide?” Master Kenobi asked, slowly and clearly. I considered him, no longer with skepticism or a wild need to prove myself, but to see him as he was.

Tall. Pale. Strong-browed. Sturdy-shouldered. Piercingly blue-eyed. Hair charmingly tousled. Mouth sternly set.

All of it whispered of forbearance.

I felt it then, deep within myself. A push to speak.

“Because Master Krell told me to,” I mumbled. “He…he said my thoughts were too loud, so…he taught me to conceal them.”

Master Kenobi’s mouth opened and closed, producing no sound as he stared at me. Finally, he closed his eyes, looking pained. “I didn’t realize that his teachings were so corrupt.”

I blinked at him. “What?”

Blue eyes rested on my face, striking me with soft wisdom. “I am sorry. Krell’s failings should’ve been spotted long before they were.”

I nearly gaped at him, discomfort coursing through me as my skin started prickling again. A master, apologizing to a padawan? It wasn’t seemly.

“His failings?” I repeated.

Master Kenobi squared his shoulders. “To be a master is to be your padawan’s strength so you can aid them in their weakness. To protect them, to respect them, to build their confidence.” Master Kenobi’s eyes turned sad. “Did Krell do that for you?”

I thought I felt bare already, but Master Kenobi’s question stripped me completely. To ask for my opinion…it felt wrong. So wrong, that I couldn’t even fathom giving it. I crossed my arms, bowing my head to let my hair fall forward like a curtain. I stared at the drain at our feet, wishing I could melt and slide away with the water.

A hand rested on my shoulder, calluses gently scraping against my skin.

I started to lean away from it, but I froze when I looked up, coming face-to-face with the fiery resolution in Master Kenobi’s face. “Now that you are with me, things will be different.” Master Kenobi’s hand squeezed my shoulder.

A simple gesture. A kind one.

Different, Master Kenobi said, did I dare to hope it could even be better?

I immediately buried the hope in an avalanche of doubt. My display of emotion and insubordination surely warranted chastising at some point, as neither of them were signs of a competent Jedi. He was waiting. He would scold me for my actions at a later date, surely.

Yet no trace of Master Kenobi’s displeasure remained in his face. The moments that passed were only filled with the sounds of water hitting the refresher floor.

My body still felt too big for my skin, like my skin was straining to stay together, but my skin no longer burned. I reached over, turning the dial farther, and the water could finally be called warm.

A small sigh sounded, and Master Kenobi leaned his head against the refresher wall, his eyes closed. Even with his slumped posture, the ends of his hair brushed his shoulders. With the rapid succession of our last few missions, neither one of us had much time for personal grooming, even by Jedi standards. Judging by the way he’d been absentmindedly brushing his hair out of his face these past few days, it was far past the length that he liked it to be. It’d fallen into his face now, collecting in a tangled clump on his forehead.

As I watched and without opening his eyes, Master Kenobi lifted a hand, pushing the hair back. As my eyes remained on the locks, a bizarre fluttering started in my stomach.

The sensation started out subtle, but the longer I looked, the more it grew.

Was I getting sick?

Had our traipse through the snow caused some further harm than just the discomfort I was now experiencing?

His eyes fluttered open without warning, meeting mine. I read the question there, clear as day. Had he picked up on my feelings? “Your hair,” I replied, hoping the Force hadn’t given him the exact subject of my musings. “It’s long.”

He self-consciously ran his fingers through it. “I know, I know. It’s high time for a haircut.”

“I could cut it for you.”

Suspicion bloomed on his face. “Have you ever cut hair before?”

I gestured to my own hair. My work was a bit choppy, but I wore my hair up most of the time anyway.

“Yeah, you’re not touching my hair,” he said, running his hand protectively over his locks. “I’d probably end up having to shave it all off.” He shuddered, and I nearly snorted, reaching over to turn the water off.

“Are there towels in this place?”

“Here, I’ll-” Master Kenobi stepped forward and immediately crumpled.

I sprang forward, but my strength was only enough to slow his descent to the floor.

I’d forgotten about his wound. I kneeled beside him, reaching for his bare leg, but he quickly shifted out of my reach. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

“Taking a look at your injury, old man,” I said matter-of-factly, trying not to show how worried I was.

“I assure you, I’m fine–”

Before he could finish his protests, I grabbed the leg, pulling it towards me. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on it that it was bad.

The punctures oozing blood were not the worst of our worries, nor was the swelling and bruising already making their way up and down the appendage. It was the odd angle of the foot.

I looked up at him. “I think it’s broken.”

A ripple ran up his jaw as he grit his teeth. “Can you set it?” he asked.

“You didn’t even want me to cut your hair!”

“Can you set it?” he repeated.

“I-I know the theories of how, but you should really have a med droid do it.”

“I don’t have a med droid.” Master Kenobi paused, his expression softening before he said: “I have you.”

“I could hurt you.”

He glanced at the wound. “I think we’re beyond that now.”

“I could make it worse.”

“You won’t.”

He was…trusting me…to help him.

I shook my head slightly. I was the best chance he had. There was a difference.

I studied Master Kenobi’s foot. If I did something wrong, would there be lasting complications? What if I did something that delayed his healing? Or worse, what if I made a catastrophic mistake that led to him losing his foot altogether?

I didn’t want to do this now.

But if we waited, the untreated break would surely take ages to heal.

“I’ll do my best.”

He nodded, looking determined, and his resolve lent me strength. As gingerly as I could, I prodded the skin.

Master Kenobi’s whole body tensed. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the exact point of the break. It doesn’t seem as though the bone has pierced the skin, but it’s displaced.” I finally located what I was looking for and got my hands in the right position. Then I stopped. If Master Kenobi tensed up, it’d make it harder to shift the bone. I could put him through all the pain of trying to set it, only to not get the bone back to where it needed to be.

I needed him to loosen up, something I hadn’t seen the Jedi Master do in all the time I’d known him.

“How do you know all this?” Master Kenobi asked. “About the rewarming and the bone setting?”

“Before I was chosen as a padawan, I was studying to be a healer,” I answered distractedly, still trying to figure out how to get him to relax. Perhaps he was ticklish?

Master Kenobi cocked his head. “You didn’t continue that study after you were chosen?”

I shook my head.

“Why not? The Jedi Order always needs healers.”

I glanced up at him, slightly irritated that he’d chosen this moment in time to ask questions. “Um…I tried to help heal a Clone once.” Maybe laughter would help him relax. What were the odds of me telling a joke that would make him laugh?

Master Kenobi raised his eyebrows. “And?”

“When Master Krell found out, he hit me.” So distracted by my task, the words left my mouth before I could even think about them.

Master Kenobi’s eyes grew wide as his limbs went completely slack. “He-”

I seized the moment, wrenching the bone back into its proper place.

To his credit, my master only let out a strangled groan. After a moment passed, he shifted. “Y/N–”

“It’s a good thing you’re not a Vodran,” I said, trying to change the subject. “Their bones are considerably harder to set because their skin is so tough.” Sitting down, I pulled his foot into my lap, grabbing my overtunic. The fabric was thicker than the fabric of my undertunic, meaning it would behave more like bandages.

“What are you–” Master Kenobi started to say.

“I have to bind your foot so that we didn’t just set the bone for nothing.”

“But that’s your tunic!”

I shot him a confused look. “It’s just fabric.”

He went quiet, but judging by the ferocity with which he started chewing on his lower lip, he was still anxious. Why was Master Kenobi, the most practical creature I’d ever met, worried about a tunic?

Maybe he was experiencing the same weird feelings I felt earlier, where pain and low temperatures met to form a delirium.

I wrapped his foot up as best as I could, but I had no idea how tight to tie it. I didn’t want to cut off circulation, but the bone needed support. He definitely needed a med droid, and that would require us somehow getting back to our ship. But that wasn’t going to happen until the snow let up, which meant we were stuck here for the foreseeable future. We could only hope that the Separatists didn’t find our ship, and that the ship was still functional when the snowstorm ended.

In the panic of getting his foot set, the water clinging to our skin had evaporated. Grabbing my pants and undertunic, I shrugged them back on, getting to my feet. “I’m going to go see if there’s food.” I nodded towards his foot. “And you should elevate that.”

An exploration of the bunker didn’t reveal much. It was small and almost completely empty, save for two bunks that had been built into the wall, one on top of the other. There were some empty boxes here and there, but there were no provisions to fight against hunger or cold. This bunker functioned as a hiding place and nothing more.

I returned to Master Kenobi to find him not elevating his foot, but instead struggling to put his pants on over his undershorts. I briefly considered helping, but if he wanted help, he would ask for it.

“Did you find anything?”

I shook my head. “Just empty boxes. What is this place anyway?”

Master Kenobi shifted side to side, slowly inching the pants up his legs. “Anakin and I once had to lay low here for a week. It was originally a hideout for some workers from the shadowport on Socorro, but Anakin reprogrammed everything to only respond to us two.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why were the two of you here for a week?”

A mischievous glint gleamed in his eyes. “We might have had a bounty on our heads.”

“What did you guys do?”

“Anakin made a bet with some mine slavers on Socorro. They lost and had to free fifty slaves.”

A pang shot through me at the casual pride in Master Kenobi’s tone.

Anakin Skywalker.

The chosen one himself.

The relationship between master and padawan was a profound thing. An eagerness to learn and single minded devotion on one side, and knowledge rooted in deep compassion on the other. Given the Jedi stance on attachment, it was the most important relationship a Jedi experienced. Everyone in the Order, padawan, knight, or master, had heard stories of Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker. No pair got in more trouble nor accomplished as much as they had. It didn’t matter if Skywalker was no longer a padawan; the admiration and respect they held for each other was unmatched.

I didn’t need to hear it from Master Krell’s lips to know that he never felt that way about me. All I ever received from my old master was guidance, and stern guidance at that.

Suddenly I realized my mental shields were up again. Without meaning to, I was again trying to hide my thoughts and feelings. I frowned. I didn’t want to lower my shields, to expose myself to Master Kenobi, but…if I wanted to be a Jedi, I needed to act like one. Slowly, I let my defenses fall, carefully watching Master Kenobi for a reaction. Master Kenobi’s gaze remained on his foot. Perhaps his pain was blinding him to my feelings.

Master Kenobi put on his undertunic, but he left his overtunic where it was on the floor.

I shook my head, letting the thoughts fall away. “C’mon,” I said lightly, holding my hand out to Master Kenobi. “Let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.”

Lifting his arm to wedge myself into his armpit, I hoisted him to his feet, and together, we shuffled towards the bunks. I helped him sit on the bottom bunk and stepped back, stretching out my neck.

“When you say Krell hit you,” Master Kenobi started, causing me to freeze, “what do you mean by that?” I shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t mean that he physically struck you, right?”

As I hesitated, a wave of discomfort washed over me so suddenly, I nearly staggered back.

It wasn’t my own, I realized, as I looked at Master Kenobi’s face.

As a youngling, I hadn’t heard of any physical punishments being used by the Jedi to discipline their padawans, but it happened often enough with my previous master, that I’d assumed it was common practice. Did Master Kenobi’s reaction mean that it wasn’t?

“I can feel your turmoil,” Master Kenobi murmured. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He was apologizing again?

“It…” I licked my lips. “It wasn’t that bad.”

Really, it wasn’t.

He raised a hand to me once in a while, but most of his aversion was reserved for the clones. Unlike them, I was never intentionally put in danger for the purpose of furthering strategy. Master Krell treated me more like an ally than them, and that counted for something.

Still, a memory surfaced from a few weeks ago, shortly before Master Krell’s deceit had been uncovered.

Master Krell had caught me dragging the battalion’s captain out of danger during a conflict, but he hadn’t said anything until the battalion had camped for the night.

The deep tenor of his voice and his related stance with all four of his hands clasped behind his back hadn’t matched with the accusation in his words when he’d asked me what I was doing, neglecting my duty in a fight to save a clone.

I didn’t have time to reply before Master Krell took matters into his own hands. A phantom burst of pain across my face, the memory as clear as when it’d happened.

“Caraya's soul,” Master Kenobi said softly, the color draining from his face. “He hurt you.”

Out of habit, I threw my mental shields back into place. “It could’ve been worse.” It could have been so much worse.

Master Kenobi must’ve been in a lot of pain, for his face was screwed up in an unpleasant expression.

“Is your leg alright?” I asked worriedly. Maybe the bandages were too tight, and he was losing blood flow.

“Leg?” he asked slowly. “Oh, my leg…it’s fine.” He seemed almost distracted, as if he’d not only forgotten that his leg was injured but that he even had a leg in the first place. Master Kenobi sat up, leaning closer with such intention, I knew more questions were coming.

“I should go check the status of the storm,” I said, getting up.

“What?”

I grabbed my coat off the floor, pushing my hands through the sleeves. “The snow might have stopped.”

“I’m coming with you.” Master Kenobi sat up in his bunk.

“No!”

Master Kenobi blinked at my outburst. “You’re injured,” I said abruptly. “You shouldn’t be putting any weight on that leg.”

“You can’t go on your own.”

“Why not?” I rubbed nervously at the inside of my wrist. “I can secure a perimeter.”

“You should have someone watching your back.”

“It won’t take long.”

“Wait!” Master Kenobi held up his overtunic. “At least wear this. You can’t go out in the cold with just your undertunic.”

I hesitated.

“Please.”

I gingerly took it, wrapping it around me as carefully as I could before walking to the door.

As I lifted my hand to push the button on the pad, a strange, masculine smell drifted up into my nose.

Master Kenobi’s smell.

It made my head spin a bit, and I quickly hit the button before ducking back into the harsh winds. I couldn’t be angry with the pain flashing through my face, not when the winds seemed to blow away my momentary vertigo.

I glanced around. The snow had stopped, and the planet had lightened, meaning I could decipher where the sky ended and the land began. The wind continued to blow, and that was probably the reason that there was no sign of our footprints.

Now was the time to make a break for the ship.

The biting wind continued to harass us on our trek back to the ship, but being able to see made the journey much quicker. I kept us moving, worried that when we got to the ship, we’d have to commence the warming process again, especially Master Kenobi, since he’d insisted I wore his overtunic.

As we neared the ship, I noted with relief that the astromech droid was still in its droid socket. It beeped and whistled in droidspeak, relaying its concern for our tardiness.

As soon as Master Kenobi was inside, I went straight for the cockpit, turning the ship on while thanking the Republic fleet for allocating us a ship designed to withstand freezing temperatures. The ship turned on with a slight hum. Wasting no time, I maneuvered the ship off the ground and into the air, straight for the atmosphere.

Once we left the planet’s atmosphere, I relinquished the ship to the astromech droid, quickly ducking back into the hold to check on Master Kenobi, who lay on the cot, using the stiff pillow not for his head but to elevate his foot.

“We’re maybe a few hours away from Coruscant.”

Master Kenobi didn’t say anything and didn’t spare a look in my direction. I lingered for a few moments, waiting to see if he would break the silence. If reputation was to be believed, he didn’t stay silent for long, prone to questions, criticism, even wisecracks. Perhaps he would dig more into my past or shed more light on the actual teachings of the Jedi code.

But the silence remained unbroken.

Unsure of myself, I walked into the cockpit, and the door slid shut behind me. The astromech was doing all the work, so there wasn’t much point in sitting here. But to go back in there…for some reason, the idea of it made my stomach twist.

I realized, as I sat in the pilot’s chair, that my mental shields were up again. Frustrated, I lowered them.

And then, what I could only describe as the humming of light came from behind me.

Master Kenobi, I realized. I could feel him. Not his thoughts or his feelings, but his presence. Here, in a separate part of the ship, I felt closer to him than when I’d been standing skin-to-skin with him in the refresher.

“What in the name of Chobb?” I muttered to the stars, who of course, offered no answers.

“Master Kenobi, we are pleased to see you and your padawan returned safe,” said Master Windu, clasping his hands in his signature, thoughtful look. “I will say, your mission took quite a turn.”

“That it did,” Master Kenobi said. “I certainly didn’t expect to nearly lose a limb.”

Chuckles rippled through the councilroom. I nearly rolled my eyes. When we’d landed, I brought Master Kenobi to a healer right away, who declared that Master Kenobi would heal just fine. From my position slightly behind Master Kenobi, I could see that he was still favoring his uninjured side, despite the healing sheath that was currently wrapped around his injury. Even so, the healer had never even mentioned amputation.

“What did you observe of the base before the snowstorm hit?” Master Murag asked.

As Master Kenobi rattled off the information we’d gained, I subtly gauged the expressions of the masters.

Their expressions were pleasant, but revealed nothing. They kept their attention on Master Kenobi, barely sparing a glance in my direction. I couldn’t tell if that was good or bad.

“Well done,” Master Koon said once Master Kenobi had finished. “This information is valuable. We have another mission for you, once you have healed up.”

I bowed, expecting the meeting to be over.

But Master Kenobi didn’t move.

“To say, more have you, Master Kenobi.” Master Yoda said, showing his famed clairvoyance.

“Yes.”

I tried to keep my face impassive while desperately wishing I could see Master Kenobi’s. What was he doing? What more could he have to say about this mission that hadn’t been in his report? I’d been both at the mission and in this room when he gave his report. There was nothing he missed.

Master Kenobi rounded out his shoulders, standing tall.

“Padawan Y/N’s diligently-gained knowledge kept me safe from threats I myself would not have known how to approach.” My breath caught, and I stared at the back of his head, wondering what he was doing. “Without her, I would not have made it back. She was invaluable.”

None of the masters reacted, their faces not showing a single hint of surprise, as if they had no investment in the conversation at all. I, however, felt like I’d swallowed a box of fireworks and been told to stand still.

“Is that so?” asked Master Tiin.

“Indeed. I believe she is well on her way to being a great asset to the Jedi Order.”

Master Windu glanced over at Master Yoda. “Well, thank you for your words. You both are dismissed. We will inform you of your next mission once your injury has fully healed.”

Master Kenobi nodded to his fellow masters and walked out of the councilroom.

I followed him through the door and through the Jedi temple, completely at a loss for words.

“Why did you say all that?” I managed to ask once we’d passed the library.

Master Kenobi didn’t even bother to act confused or clueless. “Because it was the truth. And they need to know the truth.”

“But they weren’t asking about my conduct.”

Master Kenobi stopped walking, looking at me dead in the eyes. “The way Krell treated you was abominable. I suspect I know very little of the true extent of his mistreatment, but had any of us known what I do know, we would’ve put a stop to it immediately. But you spent years under his tutelage, suffering.” He paused, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “It is my responsibility to right his wrongs. That starts with clearing your name.”

“Why?”

“Because I am your Master. It is my job to help you become the best Jedi you can be.”

“But–” I froze, wishing I could recall the interjection. It wasn’t right to question my master like this.

Master Kenobi gave me a meaningful look.

I shifted. “You’re not going to pass me off to someone else?”

Master Kenobi smiled softly, like there was some secret joke between us. “I may not have chosen you traditionally, but I did choose you.”

“Why would you–”

“Because you saved Captain Rex.”

My mind went utterly blank, and it was only by some miracle that my jaw did not drop. Saving a clone—the action Master Krell condemned me for—was what appealed to Master Kenobi?

“Who told you I saved him?”

My only answer was a tiny gleam in Master Kenobi’s eyes. “I believe it is time for you to wash up and get some sleep. In the morning, we will start to fix Master Krell’s teachings.” He turned and started limping down the corridor.

“Master Kenobi?” I called, and he turned to face me. “How...how am I supposed to know which of his teachings were good and which were bad?”

“Simple,” Master Kenobi said. “You ask.” With a nod, he went on his way.

I watched him go.

When I’d been informed after Master Krell’s death that I would now be reassigned to Master Kenobi, I expected a period of adjustment, but I hadn’t known the two masters would be so different.

Master Krell accomplished much in this war, because his single-minded approach meant nothing else mattered besides victory. He was brutal and untrustworthy. Because he’d been my master for so long, I’d nearly forgotten what the Jedi Order valued.

Over the course of this mission, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi had proven himself to be the epitome of everything a Jedi should be.

A selfless, powerful warrior equipped with bravery and strong with the Force.

I didn’t…I didn’t have the words to explain it, this feeling rising up in me. The feeling that made me hold my head high. The feeling that challenged some of my long held beliefs. The feeling that perhaps I wasn’t completely alone in this galaxy.

I only knew that whatever it was, it was because of the Jedi Master with hair too long and heart much bigger.

Part 2

Overall tag list:

@thelastpyle @valiantlytransparentwhispers

Rescue Me tag list:

@penfullofwordsaheadfullofstories @starlazergazer

#obi wan kenobi #obi wan fanfiction #obi wan fanfic #obi wan x reader #obi wan x y/n #padawan!reader #star wars #star wars fanfic #star wars fanfiction #pong krell #kenobi #sw #sw fanfic #sw fanfiction #rescue me

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michaelgovehateblog · 2 years

Note

Even sky sports is showing the funeral ffs, like i wouldnt be watching the sports either but I'm not sure that this is really their niche

Gotta turn over to channel five, watch the emoji movie

#it is ridiculous though #like all the channels #ask

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laylaisthename · 1 year

Text

ILW // Here they are! All 7 different end cards you can get in the many many more variations of the niche endings available in the game.

Google Drive Link to the cgs here

I am beyond honored to have been allowed to leave my own mark in the game like this, and honestly never in a million years expected to actually become involved with the game.

Everyone is fine to use these as phone backgrounds but if you do youre legally required to tell me which one is your favorite.

Putting it under the cut for length, but here's a breakdown of each card;

Starting with the Evil!MC end cards, that are lovingly dubbed Judas' Kiss if you stayed with Matty, or Scorched Earth for MC's solo end.

The images really mostly speaks for themselves; the flaming heart, hand in atrocious hand if you chose to share the power with Matthias, but then when you put it next to the solo end is where it got fun for me. The heart is broken, its just you now, but the glowing eyes are smiling. My first time testing the judas kiss route I did not hestiate for a second to hit "kill him"

Next is the death card

I really liked the idea of (if your mc wasnt a huge dick anyway) that they give you a grave outside the cave, something for people to leave Rowan flowers and gifts. A classic grave didnt quite feel like it fit so I settled on a cairn. It felt very fitting with the Power being a respect for nature and such. I set it to be at night, with moonlight streaming down on the grave to give it a melancholic sort of feeling, with the sun charm sunny gives you strung off it, and then placed flowers at the grave to kinda show that people have come by because they care about Rowan. Meanings for the flowers are below and while not canon, I like to think each of the LI's left behind one of them; red roses from Abel, blue violets from Amalia, sunflowers from Lincoln and the marigolds from Joss, though really they were all chosen more generally.

Onto the blood end card! Which I named New Horizons, and not because of animal crossing. A winding road in the mountains at sunset; the road has been long, it has been hard and now youre choosing to move on. Symbolically what i wanted this card to be is that feeling of leaving everything behind. The sun is setting on your old life as you go to embrace the normal life that Blood MC wants so much. Youre on the top road moving around the bend, not sure where life will take you but that's alright, you have the rest of your life to look forward to figure out where you'll go.

Onto my own canon end; the Mixed end!

Lovingly called "Best of Both Worlds" because mixed rowan is playing that hannah montanna life. More seriously; this card in contrast to the blood end is not about leaving everything behind, but embracing what you are. The card itself is set at dawn to contrast this; soft yellows and pinks, morning dew and fog clinging to the forest floor with a streak of Power playfully dancing among the trees. Its the dawn of a new day, seeing everything in new light after the darkness of the past weeks/years rowan spent trying to understand themselves. It's my personal favorite end even if my mc and Linc gotta do long distance for a while. But to me its about accepting yourself; moving on from the grief of losing your family without alienating yourself from your memories of them and embracing that Power side of yourself without being changed by it. The life you built after being ressurected is your own and no one can take that from you.

Next up my almost canon end, that does live rent free in my mind because I love angst.

Closed gate shadow end, Far, Far away (yes this is a shrek/starwars/nerd refrence); its a fairly straight forward card, thought it does have one of my personal favorite little details. This is the second draft I made of it after this scene from Lincoln's shadow goodbye stuck with me; looking up through the trees at the night sky.

I really wanted to hide an eye shaped constellation in the stars but couldnt make it look good sadly :sob: But my favorite little detail are the fireflies and how some of them are cyan; touched by the power Rowan is now again a part of. Not canon, but I like to think these little cyan fireflies come to sit on the LI's heads next they wander too close to the woods (Fireflies by Owl City starts playing).

Shadow end is just. Its so beautiful really. From sharing your experiences with the wisps, how Rowan's wisp has been changed by their time as a person, how despite their grief they are not sad or unhappy, melancholic yes but this is where you want to be. Its a cosmic love, the joy of having lived, coming inside on a cold winter day to find your home warm and inviting, your family waiting for you to tell them about your day. The card itself is a little whimsical, hopeful despite the closed gate that the power will forever be part of the world, even if its been cut off. And this brings us to the other shadow ending card; the flower

Eternal Bloom, a ghostly hand reaching out to hand this flower over to the world, a final gift, a final goodbye. Maybe a promise of "I'll see you soon" but first and foremost, it is a promise of love.

Thats right babes. Its all about Love. Unfading Love.

symbolically there isnt anything hidden in the card, but thats also in part of it at face value telling you all you need to know; its about love! its a gift, for you, to remember me by. You have not forgotten me, and even changed as I am, I have not forgotten you. Rowan's change in personality after merging shadow was sooooo heart breaking tbh but ITS SO GOOD. You found joy in what you were, but its time to come home, take off your coat, hang it up, take off your shoes.

And it is all about love! All these cards (well, not all of them) were for me made from the heart, trying to keep in line for the different themes each end resolves to give the players something to remember each route by.

To anyone that made it this far, let me know which one is your canon card/which card you like best! And im kissing you on the lips I love rambling about my thoughts and if you got to here then you deserve a reward. So.

#ilw #it lives within #it lives within spoilers #art #but seriously i will forever remember these last 4 months #it was soooo much fun seeing my name in the credits #also fun fact! I made male harper's outfit!!!#and reb picked it but i also did the colors for female harpers #we wanted them to match #and i liked the red bc it reminds me of their power fit

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hollowed-theory-hall · 1 month

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Any HC's or theories on Regulus Black?

Hi! This was a really fun ask actually and I ended up blabbering a lot about Regulus Arcturus Black because I have thoughts.

Okay, so I'm going to do something similar to what I did with Theodore Nott since there isn't a lot of info about Regulus, but there's a lot implied and I love extrapolating. I think Regulus is a fascinating character that can be read in multiple ways (part of the fun!)

It got a bit long, but here are my thoughts about him:

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

“Leave?” Sirius smiled bitterly and ran a hand through his long, unkempt hair. “Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal . . . my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them . . . that’s him.” Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name REGULUS BLACK. A date of death (some fifteen years previously) followed the date of birth. “He was younger than me,” said Sirius, “and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.” “But he died,” said Harry. “Yeah,” said Sirius. “Stupid idiot . . . he joined the Death Eaters.” [...] “No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the Wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having purebloods in charge. They weren’t alone either, there were quite a few people, before Voldemort showed his true colors, who thought he had the right idea about things. . . . They got cold feet when they saw what he was prepared to do to get power, though. But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.”

(OotP, 112)

So, first, we have some background. Regulus Black was the younger brother of Sirius. Part of the main male line of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

What we know of Sirius' childhood is that the Blacks were pure-blood fanatics. From Elladrora who hung house-elf heads on the wall to Araminata who billed the ministry to legalize muggle-hunting. Not to mention the Blacks' tendency to disown and disinherit anyone who doesn't fall in line with their standards of purity. They are, after all, "Always Pure".

So Regulus grew up wealthy in a family that considered themselves magical nobility (and probably are, in that I think they have a family Wizengamot membership). He never lacked anything, but his childhood came with expectations, more so after Sirius left.

I've seen many write Walburga and Orion as abusive, but I don't think they cursed their children. I don't think they were great parents, but I truly believe they never raised a wand (or hand) against one of their sons. What I think they did, was heft some impossible standards on their sons.

Sirius is the eldest, the heir, therefore as children, he would've carried most of these expectations. Sirius would be the one Walburga and Orion dotted after. Kreature says Sirius leaving broke Waburga's heart and I honestly believe it to be true. I think Sirius was Walburga's favorite. The eldest, the brightest, the cleverest, the most handsome. The brightest star in the night sky.

Regulus, as a child, would always come second. He would see his brother cause havoc and get all their parents' attention, so, in his bid to get attention too, he did the opposite of Sirius. If Sirius got attention for being a rebel, Regulus would follow each and every standard their parents put down to the latter. This is something you see in many families, each sibling wants to have their own "niche" so they tend to do the opposite of the sibling that came before them. And that's exactly what we see with Regulus. Sirius was the rebel, so Regulus became the dutiful, obedient perfect pure-blood son his mother wanted to win her affection and differentiate himself from Sirius.

These comparisons between them Sirius mentioned, they probably went both ways. Walburga reminded Sirius of how dutiful and reliable Regulus is and "Why can't you be more like your brother," but Regulus heard the exact same sentence. "Why can't you be as witty/talented as you're brother".

And after Sirius left, I think these comparisons got worse. I think Walburga and Orion talked about Sirius constantly after he left.

I believe Sirius and Regulus were actually close as young children and started growing apart once Sirius started school. Sirius being sorted into Gryffindor was a new point of tension in the home. The constant comparisons they both heard to each other made resentment grow and after Sirius left, Regulus couldn't speak to his parents without hearing "Oh, Sirius would say this" and "Sirius would think that" I think that resentment and bitterness got worse. So, he did what he always did to differentiate himself from Sirius — be the perfect Slytherin pure-blood.

I think this helped his decision to join the Death Eaters. Not the only factor, mind you, I don't think it's Sirius' fault Regulus joined the Death Eaters, it was still Regulus' decision. But I think the situation at home after Sirius left factored into it.

Who was Regulus as a person?

Now I want to talk a little bit more about Regulus' personality before covering his untimely end everyone is familiar with.

It was a pompous little sign, neatly lettered by hand the sort of thing that Percy Weasley might have stuck on his bedroom door. Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black

(DH, 163)

They moved over the threshold together, gazing around. Regulus’s bedroom was slightly smaller than Sirius’s, though it had the same sense of former grandeur. Whereas Sirius had sought to advertise his diffidence from the rest of the family, Regulus had striven to emphasize the opposite. The Slytherin colors of emerald and silver were everywhere, draping the bead, the walls, and the windows. The Black family crest was painstakingly painted over the bed, along with its motto, TOUJOURS PUR. Beneath this was a collection of yellow newspaper cuttings, all stuck together to make a ragged collage. Hermione crossed the room to examine them. “They’re all about Voldemort,” she said. “Regulus seems to have been a fan for a few years before he joined the Death Eaters . . . ” A little puff of dust rose from the bedcovers as she sat down to read the clippings. Harry, meanwhile, had noticed another photograph: a Hogwarts Quidditch team was smiling and waving out of the frame. He moved closer and saw the snakes emblazoned on their chests: Slytherins. Regulus was instantly recognizable as the boy sitting in the middle of the front row: He had the same dark hair and slightly haughty look of his brother, though he was smaller, slighter, and rather less handsome than Sirius had been. “He played Seeker,” said Harry.

(DH, 164)

I believe you can learn a lot about a person from their living space. Regulus' (and Sirius') bedrooms remained unchanged by their parents from the moment they left them. As Regulus died when he was 18 or 19 the room is frozen as it was when it served him. So, what does Regulus' bedroom tell us about him?

Harry refers to the sign on the door as something pompous, and written in a nice handwriting. I believe the sign was put up when Regulus was younger, specifically against Sirius. It's one of these signs children put on their doors specifically against their annoying siblings who steal their stuff or rummage through it. And even after they grew out of it, after Sirius left, Regulus kept the sign up. I think he couldn't really muster to put it away even once Sirius wasn't around to poke into his room anymore.

As I mentioned above, Regulus tried to be the opposite of Sirius and decorated his room accordingly. The most Slytherin pure-blood child of Hosue Black there could be. The Hogwarts memorabilia is some of that perfect Slytherin son image, but it's also really sad. It's a reminder of just how young Regulus was when he died. Sure, he would've probably kept a lot of it as an adult, but it's unlikely he would've displayed Slytherin banners and pictures of the Quidditch team in the same way long after school was over. But Regulus graduated a year before his death, he didn't have time to grow up and grow away from his school experiences. So his room, like him, is stuck at 19.

The Black family crest and motto painted above the bed is another extra mile to show Regulus' dedication to being the perfect son, the perfect child his mother wanted. I headcanon this was painted after Sirus left. A sort of sign to say that Regulus wouldn't leave. That he cares about his family.

Harry also mentioned Regulus was a Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, according to his seating in the photo. It doesn't tell us much more about Regulus, I think it's just more of him trying to please his parents. That and I think he genuinely liked Quidditch, which is a fun little tidbit.

Now, we don't know much about Regulus at school, but I'd say he was a good student. He wasn't as naturally talented and gifted as Sirius, but Regulus knew to work his ass off. The neat handwriting on the door sign is probably his, I bet he had really organized notes in school that everyone wanted to copy. Regulus as the second best to Sirius, would be more of a hard worker than Sirius in general and strive for perfection in his school work out of his desire for attention and recognition from his parents.

Now, let's talk about the newspaper clippings elephant in the room...

Regulus the Death Eater

Sirius said his parents thought Voldemort had the right idea about muggles and muggleborns, and it's clear Regulus agreed with them. Regulus was a Voldemort fanboy before he became a Death Eater, yes, the circumstances he grew up with and his resentment towards Sirius were part of it, but it was a choice he made. He thought it was a good idea, he thought muggles and muggleborns should know their place. I think there are a lot of parallels between Regulus Black and Draco Malfoy, especially when Kreature talks about how Regulus was at first as a Death Eater:

“Master Sirius ran away, good riddance, for he was a bad boy and broke my Mistress’s heart with his lawless ways. But Master Regulus had proper order; he knew what was due to the name of Black and the dignity of his pure blood. For years he talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and the Muggle-borns . . . and when he was sixteen years old, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord. So proud, so proud, so happy to serve . . . And one day, a year after he joined, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said . . . he said . . . ” The old elf rocked faster than ever. “. . . he said that the Dark Lord required an elf.” […] “Oh yes,” moaned Kreacher. “And Master Regulus had volunteered Kreacher. It was an honor, said Master Regulus, an honor for him and for Kreacher, who must be sure to do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him to do . . . and then to c-come home.” Kreacher rocked still faster, his breath coming in sobs.

(DH, 168-169)

Like Draco, Regulus was proud to be a Death Eater, excited to do something against the "filthy mudbloods" plaguing their society. He considered helping Voldemort an honor. A good thing. Same as how Draco talks about it at first. But like we see with Draco in book 6, that it became too much for him, that he was having mental breakdowns in the toilet with Myrtle, I think Regulus experienced something similar.

He grew up spoiled, well-treated, well-mannered. He wasn't raised a soldier, a killer. I don't think Regulus had it in him, same as Draco. He couldn't bear to torture and kill.

Regulus, Kreature, and Empathy

The other interesting note in the above quotes is "Master Regulus always liked Kreacher". I find this adorable and jarring. We see how Sirius treats Kreature, he doesn't treat him as an equal being, he treats him like a slave, like a house-elf. Sirius does it because that's how he was raised to see house-elves, even the Weasleys think of house-elves in this way. It's a societal thing. But Regulus doesn't.

Regulus is kind to Kreature, and cares about him, likes him. It's kind of insane for a blood-purist Death Eater to show affection for a house-elf, especially the kind of affection in which Regulus chose to die instead of torturing his elf (his choice to die had other factors in it, and I'll get to it later). It's just, I don't know, the dynamic Regulus and Kreature had is really precious to me, okay?

Like, the fact it could happen goes to show how compassionate Regulus was even with his bigoted views and choice to become a Death Eater. Sirius calls Regulus "soft" and I think he is 100% right. Regulus was the "softer" and more empathetic of the two brothers. That softness doesn't mean he didn't think muggles and muggleborns are lesser and chose to become a Death Eater on his own accord. But that empathy is what probably made him uncomfortable among Death Eaters and get cold feet once he saw what was going on inside.

I imagine Kreature and Regulus were friendly for years. Kreature has served the Hosue of Black for a good while, which means he likely raised Regulus and Sirius. I think he helped with Regulus more than with Sirius, just because of how they reacted to him differently. Also, Waburga and Orion probably had less attention to give to Regulus when he was just born as Sirius was still really young then (a year or a year and a half old), so their attention would be more divided and Kreature would help more. I headcanon when Regulus was a young child Kreature would, like, sneak him extra desert and such and a young Sirius would complain he's not getting any.

How do we know what happened to him?

“Was he killed by an Auror?” Harry asked tentatively. “Oh no,” said Sirius. “No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort’s orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don’t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime of service or death.”

(OotP, 112)

Now, what's interesting about this quote is how Sirius found this out. Why would he know that's what happened? Who could he have spoken to that would've known to tell him this?

Voldemort killing traitors is known, and many other characters mention it, but who would know Regulus turned traitor?

Other Death Eaters. Specifically, highly valued Death Eaters that are related to Regulus, like Bellatrix, who happened to be in Azkaban with Sirius.

I believe Sirius "found out" from Bella or other Death Eaters in a neighboring cell who told him that's what happened. I just don't really see any other way he'd come to this conclusion on his own. It's either that or wishful thinking on Sirius' part.

I think the inner circle Death Eaters were told Regulus was killed for treachery but nothing beyond that. I didn't really write about how I think the Dark Mark works, but I think it allows Voldemort to magically know when a Death Eater dies (and a bit more). I don't think he knew how Regulus died, just that he did. But Sirius mentioned he knew Regulus betrayed Voldemort, it means someone had to know. It means Voldemort likely knew Regulus was a traitor and told some of his Death Eaters. The same ones Sirius was in Azkaban with.

Regulus' betrayal and Death

“So what happened when you got back?” Harry asked. “What did Regulus say when you told him what happened?” “Master Regulus was very worried, very worried,” croaked Kreacher. “Master Regulus told Kreacher to stay hidden and not to leave the house. And then . . . it was a little while later . . . Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night, and Master Regulus was strange, not as he usually was, disturbed in his mind, Kreacher could tell . . . and he asked Kreacher to take him to the cave, the cave where Kreacher had gone with the Dark Lord. . . . “ […] “And he made you drink the poison?” said Harry, disgusted. But Kreacher shook his head and wept. Hermione’s hands leaped to her mouth: She seemed to have understood something. “M—Master Regulus took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had,” said Kreacher, tears pouring down either side of his snoutlike nose. “And he told Kreacher to take it and, when the basin was empty, to switch the lockets . . . ” Kreacher’s sobs came in great rasps now; Harry had to concentrate hard to understand him. “And he order—Kreacher to leave—without him. And he told Kreacher—to go home—and never to tell my Mistress—what he had done—but to destroy— the first locket. And he drank—all the potion—and Kreacher swapped the lockets—and watched . . . as Master Regulus . . . was dragged beneath the water. . . and . . . “

(DH, 171)

To the Dark Lord I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.

(HBP, 609)

So, there are a few things to talk about here:

1. Why did Regulus choose to betray Voldemort when he did? What changed?

As I mentioned above, I think Regulus was always empathetic, just not towards muggleborns (at least until he saw torture first-hand perhaps?), but he was towards Kreature. That worry over Kreature, that's the first big seed of doubt about Voldemort. Regulus cares a lot about Kreature and he's clearly clever. He's smart enough to realise Voldemort must think Kreature is dead so it'll be better if he didn't see Kreature, hence why he told the elf not to leave the house.

I think seeing Keature in a state after he was in the cave is what really caused the shift in how Regulus thinks about Voldemort. I think there were doubts before, I don't think Regulus was ever on board with being the one to torture and murder, he doesn't strike me like the sort, but as long as he didn't really need to partake and it was only "filthy mudbloods" he could kinda excuse it to himself. And whenever a pure-blood was killed or tortured (the first war killed more pure-bloods than muggleborns) he could excuse that too, "they were against us, after all". But then Kreature was hurt too, it was the final nail for Regulus. That's what he couldn't excuse to himself as "justified" anymore.

So Regulus continues being a Death Eater, but he is suspicious, he doesn't trust Voldemort's goals are what he always promised them, and he is uncertain about the means being justified anymore. He is unsure if he is willing to go as far as Voldemort is. So he watches, and study, and waits for his chance.

And that chance came when he found out about the Horcruxes.

After Regulus finds out about the Horcruxes Kreature describes him as "disturbed in the mind" and "strange", it's clear the something rattled him. A lot.

I think finding out Voldemort made a Horcrux pushed Regulus' betrayal to happen. Like, I think Horcruxes are very taboo magic, even among wizards who practice the dark arts. As I mentioned in the past, you need to essentially kill yourself to make a Horcrux. I think messing with your life and soul is considered perverse and twisted even for dark wizards, and Horcruxes even more so. I mean, I think it's uncomfortable to learn you swore your allegiance to someone who's willing to kill himself to gain immortality. It means that someone would stop at nothing to achieve their wishes.

And Regulus is already disenchanted with how far Voldemort is willing to go for goals he isn't even certain of anymore, and then he discovers the Horcrux. A magical item that says that as far as Voldemort went with the war, he could go further, because he is a man who'd stop at nothing, not even self-mutilation is too high a tool for him. That is frightening. Following the orders of someone like that, someone who doesn't care for you and is never going to say "maybe this is too far" is terrifying. The idea of someone like that ruling a government is even worse... no wonder Regulus turned traitor the moment he learned about the Horcrux...

So I think finding out about the Horcrux is why Regulus decided to turn on Voldemort and destroy the Horcrux.

As you can tell, his opinions on muggles or muggleborns aren't the main factor I believe changed Regulus' mind. The means, and how far Voldemort was willing to go is what mostly caused the change of heart. I think Regulus had too much heart for it, even if he thought muggles and muggleborns lesser, he took no sadistic joy in others' pain the way some Death Eaters do. And seeing pure-bloods like him could be hurt in the same way (the Order were mostly pure-bloods), I think was especially abhorrent to him.

2. Why did Regulus choose death?

Regulus chose to drink the potion because he wanted to spare Kreature. This is the same kindness and empathy that I've already discussed, but he could've ordered Kreature to take him back home, nothing stopped him from doing that... and Kreature would've, happily so. So why didn't he?

In the letter Regulus outright said he'd be dead by the time Voldemort reads it, he went into the cave with the full intention to die, he never planned to leave. Kinda like how Harry walked into the forest in Deathley Hallows... but why? Why did he choose death?

I think Regulus chose to die because he knew he wouldn't be able to hid his treachery from Voldemort. I mentioned already I believe Voldemort told his inner circle Death Eaters that Regulus turned traitor and died for it. Voldemort knowing Regulus is a traitor makes Regulus' decision to die make more sense.

The phrase "I want you to know it was I", makes me think Voldemort suspected someone had learned of his Horcruxes but didn't know who. Maybe Voldemort suspected there was a traitor who knew about the Horcruxes, and after Regulus died Voldemort investigated after the fact and figured it was Regulus that turned traitor. Maybe he even checked on the cave and saw Regulus was dead there, so he didn't bother to check on the Horcrux. I don't think he would've expected Kreature to have been there too, otherwise, he'd see no reason for Regulus to be dead. Because for Voldemort, it wouldn't make sense to allow yourself to die like that, he wouldn't really understand why anyone would choose to die if they had the choice.

So Regulus even kept the secret of the Horcrux being taken at all by his death.

Additionally, Regulus chose to die and take out the Horcrux while doing it to avoid being tortured and killed by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. By dying, he also protected his family from being hunted down to try and locate him. He died to protect himself and everyone he cared about from the treatment of Death Eater traitors. Which we know is not pleasant...

3. How did Regulus find out about the Horcruxes?

This is something I'm less sure of and is foraying into heavier speculation. The only hint we really get is: "I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret" from his letter, but what exactly does this mean?

Well, Kreature told Regulus everything he saw. He told him a locket was placed in a cave filled with magical protections. Kreature's information about the locket is probably how Regulus made/bought the replica. But how from "well protected magical item" Regulus reached the conclusion that it's a Horcrux? How did he discover the secret?

I don't know how he was discovered, as for the Horcrux, I have a guess.

Regulus said he discovered the secret, I think what he did was piecing the puzzle together not unlike Dumbledore. He knew from Kreature that Voldemort had an item he guards very securely, he might've heard from Bellatrix that Voldemort is immortal since I'm pretty confident she was told what the cup in her vault is. And I think Regulus, as a member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and a clever enough dark wizard, could trace a book about Horcruxes and figure out that's likely what the locket is.

Some random headcanons

1. I think Regulus could be just as much of a little shit as Sirius. I mean, there's a certain edge to how he words his note. I like to think, that when they were young, before Hogwarts, they'd pull pranks together in balls or other stuffy functions and get in trouble together.

2. I have little to no basis for this headcanon, but I'd like to think the painting of the Black family crest and motto above Regulus' bed was painted by Rregulus. I mean, he can do nice calligraphy on the sign on his door, I see no reason he couldn't also paint.

3. And finally, to a kinda sad headcanon, Harry actually saw Regulus in the cave:

the wandlight had slid over a fresh patch of water and showed him, this time, a dead man lying faceup inches beneath the surface, his open eyes misted as though with cobwebs, his hair and his robes swirling around him like smoke.

(HBP, 565)

I assume most of the corpses are muggles, and most of them are actually described as worse for wear than the one robe-wearing wizard corpse Harry describes above. For these reasons, I believe this corpse is Regulus. It's a sad thought, but it crossed my mind when I read this passage in my recent HBP reread.

#harry potter #hp #asks #anon asks #anonymous #regulus black #hp meta #harry potter meta #regulus black meta #regulus arcturus black #r.a.b #hollowedtheory #hollowedheadcanon #hp headcanon

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lubedoo · 2 days

Text

CC Origin Story Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of my Fanfic of @e-vay's awesome OC CC's origin story. Tails discovers WW Widgets and meets William, but where is CC?

Please enjoy, and comments/suggestions are most welcome!

Chapter 5: Re-Discovery

One little spark, of inspiration

Is at the heart, of all creation

Right at the start, of everything that’s new

One little spark, lights up for you

The tall young fox smiled at the music that floated across his laboratory. Through careful experimentation over his years of inventing, he determined that the rhythm and flow of these tunes stimulated his thought processes and made his clever ideas even more brilliant. His two Tails swished along to the music as he tinkered with another of his genius devices that helped him and his Team of friends better face the challenges of their World. This song in particular floated through the lab with a happy and lilting melody, speaking volumes with few words and making his work flow smoothly with its notes. It was something he had picked up in scanning across wide bands of transmissions that appeared to originate from outside of Mobius. Something I’ll have to look into further, thought Miles Prower. But first, let’s test this gadget!

A flick of the power switch brought the little device to life, gears whirring and motors humming. Tails smiled at this tiny symphony in front of him… until a dissonant hum warned that something wasn’t right. Before he could react the device started smoking and sparking, then finally sent its parts flying with a loud POP.

Good thing I was wearing my safety glasses, thought Tails, picking through the pieces he could find. I was so sure I had this perfected. I wonder what went wrong?

He sat heavily in his lab chair. Miles had grown considerably in many aspects since his early adventuring days, and his heightened physical stature now matched his technical prowess, both casting shadows that nearly all in the Science and Engineering community viewed with a tremendous measure of respect. From the connections he forged through his collaborations, he formed a consortium of talented and like-minded specialists into a Team to help clear some of societies’ greatest hurdles, a group that grew and morphed into Yellow Sky Industries… the company Miles Prower now led as both a scientist and businessman. He showed maturity beyond his years, yet still battled considerable frustration when faced with a malfunctioning device such as this one.

“By all tests and designs, this SHOULD work,” he exclaimed to himself. “Perhaps I need to check the literature. See if someone has done something similar that might help me past this roadblock.”

Miles exchanged his safety glasses for reading glasses and fired up his search engine console. He had designed this particular supercomputer to delve deep into past databases and reference servers to find obscure and long-forgotten innovations that could be the next “new old thing.”

Cross-referencing his design with its intended purpose and adding potential applications yielded few useful results. In fact, many inventors with similar ideas had their creations meet similar fates to Prower’s most recent flame-out. He was about to give up for the day when an alert window chimed at the bottom corner of the screen. It was from a small company located close to Yellow Sky’s current headquarters, something not from the distant past, but also not exactly recent either. They rose onto the technical scene quickly, were very active for a reasonable amount of time, then all but disappeared almost as rapidly. Only a small trickle of their devices were manufactured after their zenith, but it did appear that some were still sparingly available.

“WW Widgets,” mumbled Tails to himself. “Never heard of them before. Looks like a niche business for sure, but their customers really liked what they did.” He looked through their technical bulletins and design specifications. Their inventors were very secretive with regards to details, but the information they did provide greatly piqued the fox’s curiosity.

“Look at this,” he marveled, finding a patent application. “the design of this Widget is remarkably close to what I’m trying to do… and how it’s laid out is incredible!”

He downloaded several files onto an optical drive. “I need to show this to the Board. Yellow Sky could learn so much from these Widget makers. Maybe we can offer to have them join us!” His lab coat swished around his tails as he rushed out of the room, leaving his chair spinning in the wake of his enthusiastic exit.

William sat back in Walter’s old chair and sighed. The once younger woodchuck showed the weathering and wear of the years, brown fur lightened to gray and snowy lines forming across his brow and at the corners of his eyes. His frame had widened somewhat from reduced activity as he aged, and his glasses resembled those his Uncle once preferred, with just enough modern style to set his look slightly apart from the relative so long gone. Those who knew both of them would say he had grown to resemble Walter physically, but William notably retained his easygoing nature despite recent challenges.

WW Widgets was still a going business, but barely. They now operated out of a makeshift production line in the garage of their house… literally back to where it all began. William and a small cadre of five or six ‘bots managed to keep some of the more popular designs moving to key customers, producing them by hand. As the years wore on, however, it became more and more difficult to carry on Walter’s legacy with what little they had left… and without CC.

“Well, guys,” he said to the ‘Bot team circling around him, “looks like the Artica Project was a success. Should keep us running for a few more months anyway.” William had gained some technical knowledge from studying his uncle’s designs and notes, but had nowhere near the proficiency of his forerunner in developing new applications or improving on existing ones. WW Widgets’ output over the past couple decades consisted almost entirely of old customers wanting more of classic designs. The phone rang often enough, but not nearly what it had in its heyday… so it was no surprise when those familiar chimes lit up the dank workspace. It was still enough to startle William from his daydream, though. He picked it up with his usual cheery yet tired greeting:

“WW Manufacturing. Want Widgets?”

The voice on the other end was new to William, yet somehow he knew he’d heard it somewhere before: “Yes, may I speak with Walter Woodchuck please?”

William sighed. “Walter is no longer with us. He passed away many years back. This is his nephew William, current owner of WW Widgets. How may I help you?”

There was an awkward pause. “I’m so sorry… I was looking through your product offerings on-line and they were so unique and innovative that I didn’t realize how long ago they had been filed. My name is Miles Prower, I am the COO and CTO of Yellow Sky Industries. I’m interested in meeting with you regarding your designs. Would you have time to talk in the next week or so?”

Miles Prower. Why was that name so familiar? William didn’t follow current events very closely but he was sure that he heard of this Mobian… and really should know who he is.

William wheeled his desk chair over to a worn laptop and began typing information into a search engine. “Sure, my schedule is open. We can meet tomorrow if you like. Do you know where we are located?”

“Looks like you’re near the Chase Brook Meadows by the edge of Thickering Forest if I have my map correct.” “That’s the place,” replied William. “Can I send exact coordinates to this number?”

“Yes, please!” came an excited reply. “What time tomorrow?”

“Say around 1pm?”

“I’ll be there! Thank you for your time, William… er… Mr. Woodchuck! I look forward to meeting you.”

“You as well Mr. Prower. Take care and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

The search results displayed on the laptop screen as the call ended. William’s eyes widened as he peered over his glasses. He read through the pages of information with increasing awe and excitement, then about sprung from his chair with energy he hadn’t felt in a very long time. William had a LOT of work to do in an exceedingly short time, to prepare for a VERY important guest.

The next day arrived quickly, and Tails checked out a Company sedan from the motor pool for his journey. He would have preferred to take the Tornado or maybe his own “propulsion” to get to the Widget Maker’s location, but figured he should go with the more low-key form of transportation for this Business call. As he motored down the busy freeway, he donned his sunglasses and chose some more of his “mystery music” to set the mood and pass the time:

It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down, I had the radio on, I was driving

Trees went by, me and Del were singing, “Little Runaway,” I was flying

Yeah Running Down a Dream, that never would come to me

Working on a mystery, and going wherever it leads. Running Down a Dream…

After a reasonable distance, the vehicle’s mapping system chimed to take the next off-ramp. He turned off the main highway and onto a lonely country road. As he approached his destination he saw a modest house with an oversized attached garage, nestled into a heavily wooded lot. Not unusual for a smaller operation, thought Tails, but I thought the on-line site mentioned a dedicated manufacturing facility. Again, the information he could find on WW Widgets was many years old, so maybe they had downsized or otherwise adjusted their business model over time.

He pulled up to the building, parked, and walked up to the garage. A small entry door stood out from the rest of the weathered structure, mostly due to its gleaming sign:

WW Widgets, Inc.

Welcome Dr. Miles Prower!

Tails chuckled to himself. Well, they sure did their research. He had only recently formalized his education to add titles to his impressive array of accomplishments, and now held multiple doctorates given his wide-ranging expertise. Although he thought being called “Doctor” was unnecessary (and made him feel old), he certainly appreciated the effort and show of respect. He knocked on the door, not wanting to be presumptuous.

The door opened immediately, and Tails was greeted by an older and very enthusiastic woodchuck. “Dr. Miles Prower, it is SUCH an honor to meet you in person!” beamed his host as they shook hands. “I am William Woodchuck, owner and proprietor of WW Widgets. Please, please come in!”

“Thank you, Mr. Woodchuck… I’m glad to be able to come out here today,” replied the fox, feeling a little uncomfortable with all the formality. “And please, just call me Miles.”

“Whatever makes you feel most at home,” smiled William warmly. “We have set up a short presentation to show you our business and a few samples of our work.” He gestured towards a table and chairs set up as a makeshift reception area and conference room, partitioned from the rest of the garage by a freshly painted moveable wall.

They chatted for nearly an hour over a slide show projected onto the wall, as well as a few Widgets that William had laid out on the table. Tails was impressed with what he had seen so far, but was curious as to what else was behind the “curtain.”

“Mr. Woodchuck…” he started. “Please, William is fine… Mr. Woodchuck was my uncle.” “William… I’m very impressed by your designs and knowledge and these samples are amazing. But I can’t help but notice that you keep referring to ‘we.’ Who else is here?”

At that moment, one of the Production Robots burst into the room, holding a half-assembled Widget and chattering away at William. William appeared absolutely mortified, and turned to his guest hastily. “Uh, this is one of our ‘we’ right here. Slight production issue. May I have a minute?”

“Of course,” replied Miles, amused by the little ‘droid’s enthusiasm. “Yes, yes… I see that it’s off slightly from the blueprint,” said William, trying to calm the little bot as it flailed its pincers wildly. “Try adjusting the secondary pitch by 4 degrees and decrease operating power 5 percent.”

“I think he’s more concerned with the lower end torque and gear rotation,” interjected Miles. William turned to him, surprised. “You can understand him?” “Definitely,” smiled the fox. “All machine languages are interrelated. He ‘speaks’ with an interesting accent, but I would recognize Techley C-22b code anywhere.”

William’s jaw literally dropped. “I’m very impressed, Miles. Even CC had a hard time understanding Gary here.” Miles grinned again, becoming even more comfortable with the techy woodchuck. “Do you give all your robots such familiar names?” William seemed to stumble a bit. “Unc… Uncle Walter named them all, but only after what they did. ‘Gary’ was originally ‘Gear Aligner’ but given our evolving business model he learned to do other things. So like CC, we gave him a name that was more… versatile.”

“And CC is another of your robots?” William looked sad. “She was… and was one of Unc’s greatest creations. She started off as Code Compiler, communicating between our ‘bots to make the business run better. Her AI grew rapidly and she was instrumental in helping the business flourish, but she and Unc had a falling out and… well, Unc deactivated her. Unc never told me what became of her, and I’ve searched everywhere for her with no luck.”

Tails noted the sadness in William’s voice. Both the business and the robots in it were very special to William, and it showed in his tone and body language. “Can you show me around the Production area? Maybe meet a few more of your ‘Team’?” William seemed to brighten up some. “Yes, of course. Please forgive my spell of melancholy there.”

They stepped behind the wall into a scene of well-organized chaos. Parts tables and shelving were set up to allow the small team of robots access to what they needed to assemble William’s remarkable devices. Some of the ‘bots zipped around the floor while others rolled slowly and accepted the work-in-progress Widgets, doing their part to complete the assembly. Every so often a ‘bot would wheel up to William with a problem or question. The woodchuck would examine the device, offer his inputs, and send the mechanical minion on his way with a gentle scoot or pat on the chassis.

The young fox’s tails swished with appreciation over what this little team was able to accomplish, and with anticipation over what could be with more resources and backing. But this was more than just an assembly line… it was truly a “family” business, and something worth helping.

“William, this is absolutely incredible.” Miles folded his arms in admiration of the scene in front of him. “The cleverness of your devices, the warmth of your process… I’m truly impressed.” William beamed with pride at the compliment. “But I need to ask… your informational site mentioned that you have or had a manufacturing building. What became of that?”

William’s countenance fell as quickly as it rose. “Maybe it’s better if I show you.”

They walked up an overgrown driveway that led through a wooded area towards the back of the Woodchuck property. As they came to a clearing, a moderately sized building appeared behind a sea of tall grass. While its walls were standing it appeared heavily weathered and all but abandoned. The “WW Widgets” sign near the front corner was badly faded and hung askew from bolts that had deteriorated over the years. What was once a glass storefront was boarded over and secured with a rusted metal lock and heavy chain. Roofing material was strewn in front of the building and hung over one section of the wall, lazily flapping in the breeze. Miles took in the sight with as much sadness as his host.

“Do you remember the big storms we had about 10-15 years ago?” asked William. “Vaguely,” replied Miles. “I was pretty young back then.” William nodded. “The Fabratory took a direct hit from one of them. I got as much of our machinery, robots, and technical drawings out as I could, but after a while the building became too unstable to continue salvage work. And our remaining business wasn’t enough to fund demolition or rebuilding.”

William handled the lock and chain gently. “So I secured the site. I didn’t want anyone coming up here and getting hurt. I’ve tried to do what I can to clean it up, but I’m one Mobian… and I’m not getting any younger.”

The story pierced Tails to his core. He admired William all the more for carrying on in the face of such insurmountable odds, and now knew he’d made the right call talking to the Board before he came up here.

The fox put his hand on the old woodchuck’s shoulder. “William, I am so, so sorry this happened to you and your family. Excuse me for a minute. Let me make a call.”

“Of course,” whispered the woodchuck, holding back waves of sadness.

William only heard bits and pieces of the conversation from there. Miles clearly wasn’t trying to hide what was being said, but the woodchuck also didn’t want to intrude on what was obviously a business call:

“Yes, I met with William. It’s everything I expected and more.” “Yes, the factory is still part of the Business but the building is derelict.” “Hard to say until we get in there. It’s like Scrapnik Island. I’m sure there is tech we can salvage, but what and how much…” “Yeah, that’s what I think it will take.” “No. No that’s not enough.” “NO. That’s a non-starter. They deserve better than that.” “_NO_. It’s the whole package. It’s the right thing to do.” “Okay. Thank you. I appreciate you trusting me on this. Will let you know.”

Miles ended the call and walked towards William, clearly frustrated. “Sorry about that,” he started. “Sometimes the business end of things can be very… maddening.”

William looked concerned. “Is everything all right?” Miles smiled in response. “It is now.” He pulled out his data pad and entered a few codes. A formal presentation and offer sheet appeared on the screen. “Yellow Sky Industries is very interested in helping WW Widgets return to its glory years,” Miles started. “Your uncle’s brilliance and family’s resilience are exactly what we need to continue to grow both our businesses together. We… _I_ am prepared to make you a generous offer to have WW Widgets join Yellow Sky Industries as a fully funded subsidiary. We have the perfect space to set up a new Factory and return your devices to full production.”

The woodchuck seemed surprised, and maybe a bit taken aback. “What will become of me and my ‘bots though? This is all we’ve ever known.”

Miles continued, a warm grin spreading across his face: “We will hire you on as a Technical Staff Advisor to the business. You will retain as much control and involvement with WW Widgets as you want. Your ‘bots will definitely be as big of a part of the new Production facility as they always have been.” William seemed more hopeful, gesturing towards the building behind them. “And what of the Fabratory?” “Yellow Sky will send in our Reclamation Team to help in salvage, dismantling, and area remediation. You and I will oversee the entire process together, and afterwards the land will be returned to your family.” Miles handed the data pad to William. “It’s all right here.”

William gingerly took the pad from Miles and looked over the contract. “This… this is amazing,” he said, choking back tears. “I can’t believe… we’re going to make a comeback! I wish CC could see this…” He signed the agreement, which Miles, clearly pleased, also approved. They shook hands warmly to seal the deal.

“Thank you so much, Miles!” beamed William. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”

“It’s the least I could do, William,” replied the fox. “And please. Call me Tails.”

Tails’ music for Chapter 5:

“One Little Spark,” The Sherman Brothers ca. 1982.

From the original Journey into Imagination Pavilion: EPCOT Center, Disney World, FL

“Running Down a Dream,” Tom Petty, “Full Moon Fever” album, 1989

#cc the ai #fanfic #e-vay #tall!tails #william_woodchuck

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lol-jackles · 22 days

Note

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C67FtY5y2kp/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Couple of questions.

Why does Jensen insist on playing Dean in every role? Even someone asked him at the FBBC party if he chose the “Dean clothes” for Tracker and he admitted that he purposefully played Dean in this show. Doesn’t this make him seem less desirable to hire?

Why would CBS want to include so many supernatural elements into a new series like Tracker? From the lines, to including an Impala look alike, to his clothes, to specific scene setups. Even using “carry on” song in their promos.

Help it make sense.

Link. Oh man the clip blasting the "Carry On" song was jarring. it hit me between the eyes and gave me sink eyes.

Jensen has been playing Jensen "Dean Winchester" Ackles for quarter of a century, since Days of Our Lives. It made him a multi-millionaire by his 30s so I don't blame him for typecasting himself. Ideally, he should go the Tom Cruise route and really commit to The Dean by showcasing the character in different ways. I read that Jensen was able to do this for his father-daughter scenes in Big Sky when he's not copying and pasting Dean Winchester the rest of the time. That's the downside of typecasting if you're not improving your craft, you start to see those same roles as mere jobs and gone are the passions and true capabilities. Unless you want to play the same role over and over again, then typecasting is good.

Ideally Jensen the personality actor should be "mastering a niche". By repeatedly playing similar roles, actors can refine their skills in portraying certain characters or emotions. This can lead to mastery over that niche, making them the go-to person for those specific roles and sometimes even earning them critical acclaim for their expertise. For example, Morgan Freeman embraced his typecasting as an authoritative, wise, and often calming presence, and he's frequently cast in roles that require a dignified figure even when he's playing a baddie in Hard Rain. Freeman used this typecasting to become one of the most respected figures in Hollywood.

This hasn't happened yet, as seen in The Winchesters ;Jensen went from Jason Teague to Dean Winchester when he's thinking and talking about Sam. From the 30 second Tracker SPN sizzle reel clip, it looks like Jensen is showcasing a version of Dean Winchester as a lone wolf archetype and Justin just happens to be in the scene. If any of you seen the 90's Renegade about a lone wolf ex-cop on the mission to clear his name with the help of a Native American partner/assistant, this is what the clip reminds me of.

That said, the amount of SPN easter eggs in the clip was not fun, mostly because I kept looking for Sam Winchester and instead I get some dude who looked like he accidentally wandered in the SPN verse in a daze and giving Dean Winchester the side eyes. Look, I'm sure Justin is awesome as the lead of Tracker, but I couldn't tell with the SPN sizzle reel featuring a Dean-solo show. One or two easter eggs are fine, like Nathan Fillion's Rick Castle dressing up as Nathan Fillion's Malcom Reynolds from Firefly for 5 seconds in a Halloween episode and speaking fluent Mandarin. But Rick wasn't behaving or dressing like Malcom 2.0 for the whole episode.

Either the episode was written by a SPN fan or CBS is testing the waters to see if "Supernatural" without the actual supernatural could work in Tracker by adding Dean 2.0 as a recurring character.

#jensen ackles #tracker #supernatural easter eggs

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libbee · 1 year

Text

About a water lover

Water men (sun in scorpio/sun in pisces/sun in cancer//sun in 4th/8th/12th house)

1. As authentic as it can get, they tell emotional truth, they tell what they feel, they tell what they think, exactly as it is, no artificial colours, as real as it can get. Often they are not interested in the material ends like money, power, status, but they are interested in the process and the work, since they are very self aware they like to observe themselves how they evolve and grow with effort and work. They need to put the effort to push their boundaries and really grow themselves, realize their potential. This is why, they focus on the process not the goal and once they reach the goal, they pick another goal and dedicate themselves to it.

2. Introverted nature, dont like crowded places, they question everything because they are not concerned with conformity. They will not pretend to be someone just to impress others, you dont like it? Please move on.

3. Want emotional security as much as possible. In relationship, material life, friendships, they want and give emotional security. It is about reciprocation, no hypocrisy. They are very concerned about their ethics and values. They cannot do or say anything that makes them feel ashamed of themselves or lose their self respect. There is core fear of abandonment which is balanced with relationships and friendships where they give a lot of emotional security because it also makes them feel emotionally secure in return.

4. They hide their undesirable emotions like anger, shame, insecurity and actively work on them. On the exterior they will appear cool like ice cube but when probed they show their anger which can be very dangerous and intense, so this appearance on outside can be illusory.

5. Prone to low confidence issue. Especially when sun is in water sign or house, it does not shine bright like in air or fire or earth. In water, sun is submerged and cold. Like a lava ball in Pacific, sun in water sign feels limitation in shining brightly in material world. To the contrary, this sun shines brightly in the spiritual world which makes them very self aware, emotionally intelligent and spiritually awakened. When sun is in the water sign or house, it illuminates what is underwater, spiritual, emotional; it illuminates the depths as opposed to the heights of the sky. It is very literal association but easy to understand this way if you look at this diagram:

6. They are all about depths and not the heights. But depths and heights are not too far away, as above so below-you know? The deeper you go, the higher you reach. It is about that enlightenment and awakening that society in general does not talk about and appears like a very niche group. For example, if other people are religious for community purpose, solidarity, practice etc then the native is religious because of its core philosophy, idealism, beliefs.

7. Aware of their mortality and not afraid of death. They want to live a life that they are prepared for death when it comes and are not ashamed of anything they did. This is another reason for their authenticity. They also prioritize mental peace over noise/music/sound because they are already acquainted with the chaos in their mind, they dont need any more of that.

8. Of course with the task of spiritual development, they need money, lifestyle and services too, they do not neglect the material life unless they are ascetic in which case Ketu the signification of detachment and separation comes into play.

9. Finally, there is not enough time in life to do self actualization. It is an endless journey, perhaps there is no end, perhaps death is not the end either. Water men know this and so they make the most of their time in life and strive to do as much self expression as possible.

Water men (moon in cancer/scorpio/pisces//moon in 4th/8th/12th houses)

1. Either very talkative or very reserved. When they talk, they appear like such extroverts but then can appear like introverts when they retreat to their solitude.

2. They think and feel or feel and think because both functions are interconnected. But it is not think or feel for them. Emotions are as important to them as reasoning.

3. What do women want in relationships? Emotional security; and who can give that? Water men. Emotional security is also guarantee for loyalty because they won't have sex with someone they are not emotionally connected with and interested in. Sex is not about adventure or power or confidence boost or ego stroke to them, sex is rather about surrender, transformation and dissolution to them. They want to dissolve in the arms of their lover, they want to merge and lose control. They want to exter that state between death and rebirth, where they are transformed and reborn. They crave that little rebirth.

4. Water men can be either immature or mature. Maturity does not mean perfection, maturity means self awareness. Maturity means if they make mistake, they are aware enough to identify it, accept it and correct it. Maturity does not mean that they are flawless and make no fuck ups, maturity means they have experience, wisdom and depth, something more than their age to show that they have lived a life.

5. Water men want water women because it is only them who can understand their nuances, desires, fears, complexity and needs. Who else can understand their needs? Fire will boil them and air will blow over them. Water will mix with water and earth will give them the bed of the ocean. I am associating symbols with zodiac signs because it makes them easy to understand since we are aware of the nature of elements.

6. Please dont try to befriend them if you are both not compatible. They are looking for friends who will not hurt them emotionally, who will keep them grounded and stable, who will understand their chaotic nature. A friend who understand you is an asset, he is more valuable than 100 people with buckets of gold. They really put effort into emotional bonding, they know the value of their time and that only those who are also willing and capable of bonding with them are welcome in their life. They know the effort and time it takes to create emotional bond, so they only do it with those who are worthy of it. This is why they are very selective in their social networking and prefer few chosen ones only. This is also the reason for stereotype of being possessive because they dont want you to be adulterated by someone else, they dont want someone else to influence you, they dont want someone else to create bond with you. You are a canvas and they are the artist. You are their painting and theirs only, okay? And this service is reciprocal, they are yours and yours only, okay? Promise? It is a mixture of innocence and insecurities but the right person will understand. In case of an immature water man, this possessiveness can be toxic and pathological, but in case of mature water man, it is authenticity and surrender. "You are my painting and mine only":

7. What is this emotional bonding that I speak of? It is your thoughts aligning with their, your ideas resembling them, your traits similar to them. It shows you are a reliable person, someone they can rely on in danger and weakness. Someone who will stand by them in dark times and not run away in cowardice. Someone who will give them as much as they take. It can a very passionate and mentally peaceful bonding. Passionate because emotional moon and peaceful because they are striving to give you security.

8. Why are they so loyal and faithful? Because sex is not really about pleasure, it is about confidence, power. We somehow think that somebody who has sex with a lot of people does it because they love orgasm and pleasures but it is not really about that. Only that person can love who knows how to love, otherwise it is just for confidence boosting and to feel powerful. Since water people are the only ones who truly know how to lose control and surrender, they are the only ones who can make love for the sake of love. Water people are the only ones who can set aside their insecurities and fears, and make love just for the ritual and pleasure of it. I don't know why someone who does not have a water placement will claim to know what it feels like to make love.

"Love is like God; both give themselves only to their bravest knights" - Carl Jung.

Note = A birthchart also has other inner planets and placements that can influence the overall personality and preference of the man. I am confident this post will resonate with most water placements but if something doesn't click please avoid accepting that.

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