#cause its so special to me!! being aro is a large part of me and i would never replace it or wish it away cause im so happy for it

[thebleedingeffect]

Couple hours late but here’s aro questions for you

2. 4. 5. 9. 15. 16. 25. 27. 32. 35. 38. 44. 45. 50. aaaand 53. :] enjoy

Oh my gosh so many!many!! YES yes I love oversharing and talking about aro stuff ty so much for giving me the opportunity and don't worry about it ^-^!

2. How would you describe your identity?

I'm pretty happy and content with the label of aroace agender to describe myself! Really I'm just vibing and gender is a mystery to me so that's just part of my identity now lmao

4. Are you romance favorable, neutral, or repulsed?

Oof, this one is slightly complicated but I would say I lean slightly more on the repulsed side as I just can't see myself ever being in a straight up romantic relationship and tbh, I don't want to SJSJSJ

5. What kind of attraction do you feel?

PLATONIC!! PLATONIC, with a little dash of queer platonic to spice things up but im a big old sucker for platonic affection and love over literally any over kind of love lmao. Call me your friend or just friend terms and I'll be falling over myself

9. What made you realize you were aspec/arospec?

Okay so, funny story about that, I unironically figured out that I was aro thanks to techno. I found it out cause I kept reading queer platonic em duo stuff and every time techno talked about his love for philza but zero romance attached to it I was just like....... Oh....... another thing is that weirdly the dsmp fandom is just the only one that I've ever seen actual aspec rep IN the fandom content itself

15. What made you realize you wanted a queer platonic relationship?

I think the one thing I do like in the idea of romance is the loyalty and commitment attached to it which is how I began wanting a queer platonic relationship. That type of love that feels like home but without the romantic expectation and just creating your own definition of love with your partner is the dream for me :]

16. What confuses you about typical romantic relationships?

So many things you have absolutely no idea. I've never really understood the whole physical longing thing and having someone take up all of your thoughts and decisions to a worrying degree. I've never got wanting to act in an idealized way so that your crush might like you cause what's the point? I've never got how love confessions are this big relationship changing thing cause I just don't care and never thought of romantic love as a concern. Grade school was hell man SJSJSJ

25. Are you good at flirting? Do you flirt often?

I don't really think I flirt?? Idk if compliments can be seen as flirting as I love being nice and complimenting people but I, don't think that's flirting?? Im hopeless at this whole flirting thing just throw me to the curb

27. Do you enjoy seeing romance irl/online/in media/etc.?

Irl it's kinda impossible to avoid romance so I've just gotten really good at ignoring it in that context! But in media and online? I'll fully admit that my romance repulsion comes out really hard and I don't like seeing or reading romantic content if I can help it. God the amount of blocked shipping tags that I have in my filters SJSJJS

32. Come up with the stupidest way to ask someone out, right now!

Hey baby wanna find out how I can make this heat wave even worse?

(was that good? I have absolutely no fucking idea SJSJSJS)

35. Do you enjoy valentine's day?

For the sweets and chocolates? Yes, for the romance? Oh god no, I always end up staying completely offline for that entire day cause I get so annoyed that it's just better for me to play video games or something sjsjsj I do enjoy the red, white, and pink aesthetic though, it's cute! ^-^

38. How many arospecs do you know irl/online?

Fun fact! My wife is actually on the aro spectrum herself! :DD I love her so much she found out she was aro a bit after me and its been great lmao. All in all I believe I only know two aro people overall? Which is a crime I need to make more aro friends but making friends is so hard sjsjsj

44. Do you have an aro ring? Do you want one?

I don't have one yet but I've been thinking about getting one! :D it's just a really pretty and lovely idea so I genuinely might do it, that is if my brain allows me to wear a ring lol

45. Do you have an ace ring? Do you want one?

Gonna get both so I can give the simultaneous finger to both sex and romance SHSHSJ

50. Any arospec headcanons

YES, LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA. Loz wise I strongly believe oot link and hyrule warriors link to be on the aro spectrum!! ^-^ I mean, oot link literally ignored a whole ass marriage proposal so hard that I half believe the fact Ruto was interested didn't even REGISTER. hw link is so extremely funny to me cause the IDEA of him being aro and being chased by an evil sorceress is the embodiment of my poor aro meow meow. He didn't ask for this, he didn't want it, he doesn't even understand what's the big deal about romance WHY is she destroying REALITY FOR IT!!!

53. What is the best part about being aro?

The relief of knowing that I don't have to force myself to find or force myself to pretend that I feel romantic love. The relief that I can be my genuine self and be happy in the different forms of love that bring me happiness instead of what society expects of me. The fact that I have a name to explain what I've been experiencing my entire life and the fact that people reflect my thoughts have brought me more comfort than you can imagine. It's the relief of knowing I don't have to act or sell myself for a nonexistent partner and instead pursue the queer love that I've always dreamed of. It's the fascination of exploring the very foundation of love and how I interpret it by having a complete absence of romantic love but so much love for other things. For me being aro is comfort, acceptance, and living with the fact that you are not lesser for not experiencing something that a large amount of people, it's finding happiness in that absence as it allows you to instead fill that space with what you choose to love. It's carving out a little space for that queer love whenever it arrives and it fits perfectly within all the other things you've given love to, so much so that you never even think of how you may be different or may never experience something that everyone else cause you're so incredibly happy with what you have! That you could never think or want anything else, that's what being aro is for me and I've been much happier with my identity ever since I realized that ^-^

#oh BOY i went on a rant at the very end SJSJSJS but ty so so much i love talking about aro experiences #cause its so special to me!! being aro is a large part of me and i would never replace it or wish it away cause im so happy for it #i could never imagine myself being romantic cause that's a horrible scenario for me lmao. but really!!! ty so much for asking i had so- #much fun ^-^!! #thebleedingeffect talks #rip dashboard sorry im on mobile no read more for you. look upon my aro thoughts

[lnkedmyheart]

My personal opinions on the various ships I am/was drawn to in Yuumori

I'd like to start by saying that I didn't actually go in planning on shipping anything. I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and I have always had a thing for (not entirely romantic) Sherlock/Irene just because I found the way she could throw him off hilarious. (I also relate really hard with Sherlock's utter disinterest in most things romantic and sexual). Disclaimer: she/her is used to refer to Irene before Bond.

Anyhoo.

James/Sherlock

As someone who is super fond of this pair ever since the RDJ movies the anime left a bitter taste in my mouth with these two. Their interaction was too short and rushed for me to reasonably believe that Sherlock actually had a reason to be fond of her. Sure she was fascinating cause he couldn't pin her profile but just...it made no sense. There was nothing particularly special about her outside of sneaky, hot and kind and it just felt like a not like other girls narrative done badly. It felt very Bella/Edward with the whole "I can't read your mind" angle. Also they only know each other for like one day. Even Bond never truly has any interaction with Sherlock and just passes him by. I don't like the "pass by" way of developing romance.

The manga develops them far better with Irene having a lot more personality and keeping Sherlock on his toes rather easily. While they still barely know each other and she dips out quickly, its still believable that Sherlock is fond of Irene by the time she leaves. However it is also made clear at multiple points that Sherlock has no interest in her romantically or sexually. Which lets be real is closer to his general aro/ace personality from the source material. He also explicitly states being uninterested in women and is super fascinated with Irene solely because she's unusual. There's also the fact that the person who says Sherlock may have had special feelings for Irene is Mycroft, the same person who is playing off the "rumor had it that Sherlock was seeing her" lie. There's also the fact that Irene's main focus is protecting innocent people like Sherlock, Watson and Hudson as opposed to Sherlock out of romantic interest and Sherlock's obsession with keeping Irene safe is stated to be more out of her being innocent and undeserving of death just for wanting a better world and his growing obsession with the Lord of Crime and the fear of what he would do to Irene. Basically the ship ends when Irene dies and Bond is born.

That being said...Bond isn't a woman so... Anyway the ship seems to have stagnated for now and I've heard there is a manga scene later (that I'm wary of from stuff I've heard) which I'm yet to reach but so far this ship kinda...sunk itself for me.

I'm also uninterested in seeing if the fandom for the ship can convert me because a large part of James/Sherlock fans I've seen are actually Irene/Sherlock shippers and it irks me on a personal level.

John/Sherlock

This ship has historically been popular for a reason. Something about friends to lovers resonates with people a LOT especially with Sherlock's disinterest in romance and the opposite sex as well as his emotional dependency on Watson. Its rather sweet especially since John also cares for Sherlock deeply. However in the anime their bond barely gets time to develop. We still get more from John than we do from Irene however and Sherlock clearly has a far more positive interaction with John throughout.

In the manga however, John and Sherlock are developed a lot more compared to the anime and their arguments feel like they hold more weight because of this development. I rather like the way they play off of each other and just how dorky John is in general. I do however know how absolutely smitten John is with Mary so I'm sorry but I can't... I just can't seperate those two cinnamon rolls. But this ship is still good.

Sherlock/William

Okay so I didnt go in expecting to ship them. I ended up shipping them anyway. See, I love enemies to lovers ships but usually when there is something warmer there. I need some warmth and emotional tension and its usually missing from this specific ship in other adaptations. However here, holy shit, the anime gave them this "best friends in another life" vibe right up until the last 2 episodes where it just launched into the starcrossed lovers territory.

The manga on the other hand starts us off with "besties in another life" vibe but quickly starts giving us Sherlock being a huge dork over William, and this extremely flirtatious back and forth all while retaining the point that Sherlock is still suspicious of Liam. His interactions with William are also some of the softest we get from Sherlock in the story. Idk man, he acts like he has a huge crush on that pretty blonde professor. Seriously he needs to stop smiling softly at Liam whenever he gets the chance. He's the enemy my sweet idiot child.

Moran/James

I love this ship. I have no idea why this ship is so underrated but not only do they develop beautifully around and through each other within one volume, they continue to have one of the most playful and entertaining dynamics in the series (so far). Also up until this point we only know Irene, Irene isn't the character we need to follow, she's just an introduction. Her entire arc with Sherlock is just an introduction to her capabilities and character however it is only when Irene ends and Bond begins that we truly see any development of the character. The main source pushing for this development? Moran. Now i know some people think Moran is mysoginistic and transphobic, but tbh, I didn't feel that way. For starters the setting is Victorian England, women in men's clothes was hardly considered decent, the gender roles were extremely strict, transgenderism was not something really taken into consideration, women were considered weaker and less useful than men. Keep in mind Irene was already unconventional simply for being too bold than most women of the time. Bond being ftm or nb or what have you while not impossible, would still have been met with some discomfort. Keeping in mind that Moran is the most normal of the entire crew it'd make sense that he has a hard time reconciling with Bond's gender switch. Keep in mind, Moran didn't know Bond before and to him he is just pretending to be a man. Its also about the fact that he realises that Bond thinks he isn't a person but a tool waiting to be told what to do. This conflict and its resolution prove that Moran isn't a bigot (or a mysoginist, he respects Moneypenny a lot) and just has a problem with people playing pretend and is super comfortable with Bond once Bond comes to terms with his role and place in the crew and starts taking initiative.

Moran/Moneypenny

Listen I dunno how to say this, but the golden army arc has me dying over this ship. Anyway, Moran is a war vet with severe ptsd and a huge flirt, Moneypenny is a no nonsense, warm hearted badass lady who is both feminine AND not super feminine. I love how much care and respect Moran shows towards her and it develops him from this womanizing dumb muscle into a genuinely sweet guy with a dumb flirt streak. Its not super deep. I just love them.

James/Moneypenny

I'm sorry but like what the fuck is happening behind the scenes you two??? I ship it simply because...BECAUSE REASONS.

Note- the reason I like Moran/Bond and Moran/Moneypenny despite their short time together and not James/Sherlock is because Moran, Bond and Moneypenny actually developed in their arc while neither Sherlock nor James developed in their interaction. We didn't get to learn anything new about Sherlock or find out about his hidden depths (except that he hates clingy people). The reason Sherlock/Irene from the RDJ movies worked for me was because a) they had a lot of chemistry and it was more of a back and forth and b) there was a mysterious past involved there. In yuumori, the back and forth and chemistry is absent so there isn't really a fun dynamic that I liked about them nor is there a past to truly justify the lack of interaction. There's also the issue that Sherlock comes across as more irritated throughout the arc than interested and that just rubs me the wrong way since we know he is moody and he doesn't show any positive feelings towards her outside of the last few scenes. Meanwhile there is a lot of time given to Moran and Moneypenny's interaction and we see them both grow and Moran and James actually have a conflict and resolution with active back and forth. The reason I like James/Moneypenny is because it is introduced with a scene that implies that something is going on offscreen and like RDJ Irene/Sherlock, this pair leaves me wondering and creates interest.

#I don't think Sherlock is the kind to fall for someone he JUST met #I did't even consider his general giddiness about William romantic till much later #and that was AFTER the 2 Detectives chapter where he's literally a hyper blushing mess #for Sherly I think its more a case of finding Irene fascinating as opposed to being attracted since he never seems to show attraction #if anything it only has him repeatedly and vehemently denying any such thing and even telling Irene off for picking on Miss Hudson #it also creates a contrast between his fascination with Irene and his friendship with William #since both of them keep him on his toes but his response is vastly different #i do wish John and Sherlock's friendship was developed even more but its still good in the manga #i officially ship James/Moran/Moneypenny as an OT3 #sherliam #is still chef's kiss in the manga #I'm also glad this show gave us a seperate shio name #also before anyone comes here with a. Sherliam feels onsided #let me remind you #Liam was accidentally cold towards his own blood brother eho he cares for deeply #Liam is bad at showing affection in general and I think the letter proves how much he genuinely cared for Sherlock

[aro-comics]

Fashion Analysis (Part 5: Aromanticism & Fashion?)

[Note: This post is a part of a series analyzing self-expression, fashion, aromanticism, and how they interact with other parts of identity. For full context please read the whole thing!]

Aromanticism and Fashion?

Now that we have gone through LGBTQ+ History with fashion, and the importance of self expression - I think we’re in a good place with all this context to discuss how aromanticism and fashion can intersect. (and again, as a disclaimer, all of this is purely speculative!). 

Personally, I think there may be a few philosophies on how Aromanticism and Fashion may interact. You can look at it a few different ways, either considering the influence amatonormativity may have on our methods of dress, but also the context in which Aromantic communities are forming (online). 

On the influence of Amatonormativity

Up until this point I’ve been side-stepping the consideration of amatonormativity – but it does impact self-expression, I think, and it’s worth discussing it’s relation to aromanticism.

I had a discussion with one of my aroace friends about the idea of wanting to avoid “attention” in the romantic and/or sexual sense growing up. There is an inherent tie-in with wanting to appear desirable (as shown in the beginning of the comic, and also reinforced through many pieces of popular media), with romantic outcomes. In both of our experiences, I believe it made the idea of being seen as conforming to beauty norms an uncomfortable activity. 

And looking back to lesbian fashion history too, we can see this subversion of heteronormative expectation is tied into a lot of their community’s means of dress. Which leads me to wonder - will we also see this with an emerging Aromantic sense of fashion? How could this impact clothing choice, and general expression as it relates to an amatonormative society? 

I want to note that personally, outside of professional contexts, I like to dress femininely in a subversive and “alternative” way. I LOVE the idea of being hyperfeminine as a performance, being a living, breathing, work of art, while simultaneously creating an aesthetic that would not consider “attractive” in an amatonormative context. And another aroace friend has confirmed feeling this way with me too! She mentioned she likes to dress in a way that will make women go “wow, we love this outfit” but at the same time cause *conservative straight old men* go “what are you wearing” (to paraphrase our conversation). 

I think some good examples of this from my personal experience would be the following:

1. I love aggressive, graphic liner - generally makeup is thought of as something that feminizes the face, something that softens. But I also like to use it to create the angles and shapes that adorn my face, something abstract for the sake of being beautiful. Like mentioned before, I don’t want to appear romantically attractive to anyone, and I think that for me, at least, this is a part of using femininity to subvert these expectations. 

2. I love ethereal-looking, avant-garde sheer dresses, not in the sense that they could be romanticized, but in the way they again make me feel detached from the idea of beauty for the sake of appealing to anyone else. Instead, for me it feels like beauty as a wild, untameable form of nature and being. 

But … maybe I should mention the unconventional tastes are partially tied to the fact I spend a lot of time in creative spaces because of my degree, and overall I am exposed to more diverse ranges of self-expression to begin with! Either way, though, I am curious what other aros have to say, so feel free to let me know your experiences with this. I’d love to provide an update with thoughts from other aros! 

Forming Community Online and its Possible Impacts

The online nature of the development of Aro Culture leads me to wonder if this medium of interaction will influence the development of our fashion, much like how it influences the development of fashion overall.  For example, with tiktok, the app is often credited for its major influence on modern fashion trends (and leading to the emergence of microtrends). 

Most visual designs are being affected by the way social media algorithms work too. The “allegria style” created by facebook, otherwise known as the “flat gangly limbed drawing style beloved by tech companies”, has exploded in popularity. Regardless of how one might feel about the widespread adoption of this style of illustration, it’s clear that it has significant advantages that have led to its popularity, one of which is its ability to be “consumed” or visually understood at high speed due to its graphic nature and simple design. Basically, when people look at things on their phones, and they’re scrolling quickly, they’re more likely to understand what they see and interact with what they see if it’s easy to visually “read”. And I truly believe that this is influencing most forms of design, including fashion (which subsequently, will influence aro fashion). If you’d like to learn more about this subject, sources 14, 15, and 16 provide more insight into how social media algorithms have influenced design and visual culture at large. 

I think another factor to consider here is the effect of seeing the whole world at once - having the influence of all different media, visuals, and pop culture at the same time has created a very unique environment for development. As one example, the wider aspec communities have developed with the existence of our flags (which are purple and green centered for ace and aro respectively). This would be knowledge that wouldn’t be so easily spread through the whole community in a pre-internet era, and I personally (THIS IS ONLY MY THEORY) feel this is part of the reason there is a far stronger connection to these colours within aspec culture. It’s something that unifies us and was one of our first introductions to the community (since most of us probably looked up the definition of aromantic, or asexual, online), and I think for this reason these colours hold special significance and are present in a lot of of our means of self expression and communication with other members of our community. 

Obviously, the formation of symbols and ways of self-identification will occur anyway (many symbols exist for other members of the LGBTQ+ community too), but I do think being online has a particular influence on the ways community symbols are communicated, and create a different context in where these cultural symbols take shape.

[Note from Author: For Part 6, click here!]

#NotAComic #Fashion #FashionAnalysis

[oloreaa]

Vencuyanir Ch. 5 - The Razor Crest

vencuyanir [ven-COO-yah-neer]: sustain, keep alive, preserve

Summary: After Bean’s display of power, Elana waits for him to wake up… and it is not easy with the stubborn Mandalorian

Words: 5.7k

Notes: Thank you for the feedback on the last chapter! I hope you will enjoy reading this one as well!! One of my fav moments of Ven is in here :)

Warnings: references to canon-typical violence, distress for child, discussion of loss/grief

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……………

"Is he still sleeping?" Elana could hear someone say, mind fuzzy and the world spinning around her as the darkness finally receded from her mind.

"Yes," another one answered, his voice familiar.

"Was he injured?"

"I don't think so." A tall figure, rifle slung across his back. "Not physically." Something reflecting off him, rust red armour and silver pauldron.

"Explain it to me again. I still don't understand what happened." Kuiil. Kuiil the Ugnaught. The farmer on Arvala-7.

"Neither do I." Silver beskar helmet, black T-visor, the Mandalorian.

Elana opened her eyes wider, beyond the slits that had just made out the rough shapes of the two men. The setting sun was directly facing them, and she sat up with a groan, squinting at the sky. What happened? Slowly, her senses came back to her, the rushing in her ears became quieter and the scent of machine oil and rock dust filled her nose. Her mouth was as dry as the desert.

"Ah, you're awake," the voice of Kuiil greeted her. He was sitting on top of his blurrg, swaying in the seat with every step the steed took.

"What-?" Elana rasped out, feeling as if her chest was caving in, "Bean?"

"He's here," the Mandalorian said quietly, and her head whipped around to the voice right next to her, his voice instantly making her tense. He was sitting, a pile of his ship parts behind him, and the pram floated next to the sled they were on. She scrambled over to it, not caring as her side brushed his knees, reached into the pod and took her baby out. Bean was a small, lifeless bundle in her arms, the bond between them empty, echoing when she tried to reach him, a stark contrast to the vivid and warm tendrils that had connected them before that swell of force had overwhelmed her.

"What happened to him?" Elana asked the Mandalorian, voice shaking as her fingers traced over Bean's little face. He was still breathing, thank the Stars, snoring peacefully, but she could feel nothing from him. Not the slightest emotion, no indication that they were even bonded at all. It was not as if the bond had snapped, more that it just flickered out of existence.

Elana snapped her face up to the beskar helmet, "What happened to him?" She did not recognize her own voice, guttural and venomous as she threw the accusation into his face, body trembling under the fury that rushed through her.

"Nothing," he said, voice rough.

"I don't believe you," she spat, "I told you that he should have stayed! What were you thinking, taking him to get a Mudhorn egg? He could have died!"

"I protected him," the Mandalorian defended himself, aggression pouring off him in waves, "I did my best."

"Your best is not enough if my baby had to stop a charging Mudhorn for you!" Elana shrieked, and pushed his pauldron roughly, uncaring about the repercussions, white hot anger overtaking every rational thought.

The Mandalorian grunted as if in pain, and Elana stopped, feeling cold. Suddenly she saw how banged up he looked, completely covered in mud splatters, his armour dented and broken into pieces, his chest plate looking as if it needed a complete replacement. His dirty T-visor was staring her down accusingly. Before Elana's eye, the memory of what Bean saw flickered to life, how the Mudhorn had rammed the Mandalorian, sent him flying through the air. Her mind raced at hyperspeed as she stared at him.

A part in Elana wanted to apologise, for her shove, which probably caused some amount of pain or added to existing injuries, and her words because it was obvious that he had at least tried to keep Bean safe. The pram was free from mud, free from damage, and if it were not for the missing bond, she would have thought that Bean was simply catching up on his midday nap. The difference between them could not have been bigger, and it only highlighted the effort the Mandalorian had taken to make sure Bean was safe. But still, the baby had used whatever that power in him was to help slay the Mudhorn. Elana had always known that Bean was special. Not only the bond between them, but also the way he would always land lightly, always know whom to trust, could always react a second faster than expected. She had always been able to do some of the things he was able to do as well, to an extent, but she was nowhere near as strong as her little baby was.

"Explain two things to me," the Mandalorian said, voice leaving no room for arguments, "One, how was he," he pointed to the pram, "able to stop that charging Mudhorn for me?" The bounty hunter threw her words back at her, mud-speckled visor trained directly on her. Elana opened her mouth to answer, but he cut her off, "And two, how do you know about it?"

They stared at each other, and for one moment, she did not know what to say. The truth? Some version of it? Straight up lying? Her eyes flickered between Bean, the ground, the Mandalorian, the rocks around them, the shiny parts of the ship, while she opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure what to say. Taking a deep breath when the Mandalorian sighed impatiently, she started to talk in a hesitant manner.

"I don't know why he can do that," she confessed, blinking fast as she furrowed her brows, deep in thought as she tried to find a way to explain the uniqueness of Bean, "I don't know if he was born with it, if it is something that is specific to his species, or he learned it somehow." The blurrg gave a low growl in response to something on the road, and she used this small break to sort out her thoughts. "Sometimes he can lift things, and sometimes he can't, even if he tries. And I think this is why your client wants Bean," she whispered, "they want him for what he can do." It was quiet between them, the words hanging in the air.

"Answer my second question," the Mandalorian ordered, tilting his helmet in a threatening manner. She felt her chest hollow with fear, but raised her chin with defiance despite her trembling bottom lip, and glared at him. "We are connected in our minds," was what she settled on, "What he feels, I feel as well."

"That's impossible," the bounty hunter scoffed, turning his head towards Kuiil as if to gather a second opinion. Kuiil harrumphed, face set into a frown when he looked over his shoulder.

"I have heard of stories like these," the Ugnaught said haltingly. "Stories in which great warriors have bonded within their minds to become more efficient in battle." Kuiil caught her gaze, and nodded gravely. "Even if I have not heard of a child and its caretaker being bound in this manner, I would not dismiss her claims. It could very well be."

The Mandalorian's helmet was turned towards them, and she tightened her hold on Bean. His visor was trained on them, and Elana looked away, clenching her jaw, thumb tracing over the baby's cheek. The blurrg moved slowly and steadily, and they made rest after it had long become dark. Not a word was said as the Ugnaught and her shared a meal while the Mandalorian sat behind the large pile of parts for the Razor Crest, eating on his own. When they went to sleep that night, Elana could not get the strange feeling out of her chest, the memory of what Bean had done echoing in her mind, the way she had felt it through her body.

The next day passed, and other than a few words between Kuiil and the Mandalorian, nothing was said. Elana spent the entire time either holding Bean, watching the landscape lost in her thoughts, or glaring at the Mandalorian. It was one of the most uncomfortable days she had ever had the displeasure to witness, and she was still absolutely fuming. Elana stewed in silence, laying out argument after argument with which she could verbally destroy the bounty hunter. More and more complex wording and phrasing started to pop up in her mind, and with a distinct sense of vindication she slowly felt like she could rip him a new one successfully.

Not that she actually voiced them out loud.

Elana still wanted to live, thank you very much.

The threat of him becoming violent again made her bite her tongue, swallow the accusations down, because Bean would not be safe if she got gunned down. Elana had to stay alive for Bean, she had to make sure that he had someone that cared about him, someone who gives him the love he deserved. She had not let go of Bean the entire time they traveled, unwilling to put him into his pram even as he got heavy, just wanting to feel him against her, breathing steadily, even if the bond between them was nothing but an empty echo.

When they set out on the next day, Kuiil tried to strike up conversation, clearly as done with the uncomfortable silence as she was. It continued the entire day long, small talk occasionally breaking up the tension in the air that could be cut with a knife, and Elana was honestly glad when they arrived at the mess the Jawas had left behind. She stared at the Mandalorian's gutted ship as they slowly neared, the blurrg swaying steadily. As soon as they stopped in front of it, the Mandalorian and Kuiil jumped off the sled and started to inspect the state that the ship was in.

"There is no way we're gonna get this to work without a full maintenance facility," the Mandalorian stated, staring up at his ship, shoulders slumped.

Elana refused to feel bad about the defeated tone in his voice, knowing that as soon as the ship was repaired, they would head off to Nevarro. Kuiil lifted a tool bag out of the sled, and started to heave it towards the ship.

"This is gonna take days to fix," the Mandalorian sighed, looking around.

"If you care to help, it might go faster," Kuiil said, and set the bag down, handing a part to the Mandalorian, "There is much work to do." The Mandalorian just sighed again, and took the offered part. Then, he walked over to the Razor Crest, and started to fiddle with something on the landing gear. Kuiil nodded approvingly, before looking at her.

"What about Elana?" Kuiil asked loudly, and the Mandalorian looked over his shoulder.

"She looks after the quarry," was his response, "He should be waking up soon."

Elana stared hard at him, both for his assumption that she could not help, that she was only good for keeping an eye on Bean, and for the condescending tone he had used. Blowing out air in annoyance, she folded her legs, sat up straight, and simply watched them start work on the ship. Bean made a soft noise, and Elana looked at him, but the hope rising in her chest was quickly crushed when there was still not a single nudge over the bond. She sighed heavily, heart feeling like it was breaking into two. This just keeps getting worse.

After an hour of them working, Kuiil looked up at the sky and announced: "It is late, we will need to get sleep if we are to continue this."

The Mandalorian made a noise in protest. "We have good momentum right now," he said, stalking around the corner where he had been repairing a part of the ramp.

"We will continue tomorrow," Kuiil said decidedly, and set down his tools, walking over to the sledge, "I will take the blurrg and head to my farm. The sledge can stay here. I have spoken."

Elana watched as the Ugnaught pressed a few buttons, and the sledge disengaged with a hiss. "I shall return. Good night."

"Good night," the Mandalorian sighed.

Elana simply nodded at him, and Kuiil gave a small smile that was probably meant to be encouraging. Patting the side of the blurrg with his foot several times, the creature turned with a loud huff, and started to waddle off in the direction of Kuiil's farm.

"Has he woken up?" The Mandalorian asked when the Ugnaught was some distance away. Elana tensed, a breath escaping her as fear coursed through her veins, and she forced herself to look at the bounty hunter, unwilling to show weakness.

"No," she answered, barely stopping herself from glaring at him, "I don't know when he will."

He said nothing, but his shoulders dropped almost imperceptibly. The only reason Elana noticed it was because she was looking at them to avoid looking into his face.

"Have you eaten?" Elana asked, and cursed herself in the same moment, the question slipping out almost without her noticing. He was quiet, just looking at her.

"No," he said after a short while. Elana frowned, and tugged her rucksack close.

"Here," she said, pulling two ration bars out, and tossing them to him, "I don't think you've eaten since before yesterday."

The Mandalorian tilted his helmet at her. "I didn't think you noticed," he said, and his voice held a tone she could not place. Was it mocking? Defensive? Or something different?

She resisted the urge to scoff at him, and explained instead: "You don't eat regularly. When you're in company, you don't eat, that's not healthy." He said nothing, and Elana felt herself become indignant, some part in her unable to comprehend why a grown man would just forgo food, especially a bounty hunter like him. "Is it normal that you simply don't eat? What species are you, can you store food over long periods?"

He did not answer, but his fingers curled around the ration packets.

"And all that Jawa business, I don't think you ate then either? I'm sorry if I'm overstepping but that doesn't seem healthy."

"I had some stims before I went to get the egg," he muttered.

Elana raised an eyebrow, staring at him. "You mean to tell me that you went to fight a Mudhorn with no food, no water, only some stims?"

"I had water," he corrected.

"That does not improve your situation," Elana said, crossing her arms, "Do you have a death wish or are you just acting like it?"

He tilted his helmet at her, and the amount of annoyance he could convey without saying a single word was astonishing.

"You know, running on stims is not--"

"Are you the baby's caretaker or mine?" The Mandalorian asked dryly.

Elana glared at him. "Seems like I have to, if you're stupid enough to fight a Mudhorn on stims."

"Cut the sass," The Mandalorian growled, stepping closer, towering above her.

"Make me," she snarled without thinking, scooting back until her back hit the spare parts on the sledge, curling a protective arm around the sleeping Bean.

He seemed to realise that he was too close, and backed off without a word, hand clenched around the ration bars. Elana got out the water bottle, and set it on the edge of the sledge by reaching forwards, and leaned back as soon as the metal bottle was standing safely. The Mandalorian gave her a nod, and she glared at him in response, feeling the fear of him starting to take over again.

"Thank you," he said, before turning around, disappearing behind the Razor Crest.

Elana scrunched her nose at him, took out a ration for herself and bit into it viciously while cursing the Mandalorian in her mind. Cursing him for being an asshole. Cursing him for being their captor. Cursing him because she could do nothing but curse and hope for some kind of escape. Cursing him because Bean would not wake up.

When he finally came back, he handed her a noticeably lighter water bottle, but she did not comment. Without looking at the Mandalorian, she took out a clean shirt of hers, carefully poured water on it, and opened Bean's mouth. She made him suck on the fabric so he could at least get some moisture without the risk of choking on the water. Repeating the process a few times, the little one instinctively drinking, she sighed in relief when Bean smiled in his sleep, and cuddled closer to her, ignoring the Mandalorian who watched her. He is all right, she told herself, and put a kiss onto the baby's forehead.

"Can you move the pram?" Elana requested after gathering the courage to open her mouth, and the Mandalorian gave a start.

"Of course," he rasped out, and manoeuvred the pod right next to her. She put Bean into it carefully, and tucked the blankets into his side, keeping him warm. Then, closing the pram with a press of the button, she sighed. Taking the water bottle, Elana drank the rest of the water herself, grimacing at how there was not enough left for how dry her throat felt.

Turning the moisture bead on, she slumped into herself, feeling the days catching up on her. She was unbelievably tired. "Were the Jawas happy? When you gave them the egg?" Elana asked, thoughts far away, eyes on the stars above them.

The Mandalorian gave something that could have been an amused huff. "Yeah," he said, "Yelled a lot again."

"Suga," Elana quoted quietly, shaking her head, somehow missing the little robed creatures. They have been strange, but kind in the end, careful with their treatment of them.

"Suga," the Mandalorian agreed, derision in his voice, "If I never have to deal with them again it would be too soon." Elana suppressed a snort and blamed it on how tired she was instead of the sarcastic note in his voice. "Good night," she told him after a while in silence, and turned around, back facing him. He said nothing for a long time, but she heard him perfectly when he said "Night" back, voice crackling through the vocoder.

When Elana awoke the next day, the Ugnaught was just arriving, jumping down from his blurrg mount, the creature giving a low purr.

"Good morning," Kuiil said, patting the bag he had on his side, "I brought breakfast."

Elana sat up, rubbing her hands over her face, and yawned. "Thank you," she told Kuiil, smiling through another yawn. The Mandalorian was already up and fiddling with his broken chestplate. Elana stared at the wiring that was visible, and marvelled at how intricately it was built into the armour. It was exquisite craftsmanship even without the technical gadgets surrounding it, and she suddenly understood how he was able to regulate his temperature on a desert planet without difficulties.

She was envious of it and was not even able to deny it. Elana brought herself into an upright position, walking on her knees to the pram, and checking on Bean. Her heart sank. He was still sleeping, nothing changed. Bean must not even have moved much during the night. Kuiil set down his bag and pulled out three mugs and plates, as well as a big thermos, packets of instant bread and a few cacti fruits.

"We can eat here while you can eat on the ship," Kuiil told the Mandalorian, who nodded at him.

"Thanks. It's very kind of you," he said, taking the portion from him and waiting for Kuiil to unscrew the thermos, who then poured a generous amount of caf into the mug, and left for the ship. The Ugnaught settled down on the sledge as well, and poured the rest of the caf into their respective mugs.

Starting to nibble at one of the cacti fruits, Elana propped a knee up, resting her arm on it. "I'm hoping we're not eating all of your food," she said to Kuiil, "I would hate to be a burden to you."

"You are my guests, and I am therefore in your service," Kuiil responded, "I can assure you, you are not a burden."

"Why are you helping the Mandalorian?" Elana asked after hesitating for a while,

The Ugnaught sighed. "There is no peace on Arvala-7. There are always bounty hunters arriving, without fail, all seeking the same bounty."

Elana frowned, looking at him in a mixture of sympathy and confusion.

"This little child has caught the eye of some high-up Imperial, if I had to guess," Elana felt her blood run cold at the confirmation of her fears, "And they will not stop until they get what they want."

Imperials.

It was not the first time that her mind had wandered since they had left the encampment. She had been thinking about every one who could want them, who could have enough money to keep the bounty hunters coming. It could have been some crazy collector, it could have been Bean's parents, it could have also been fanatic remnants of the Empire who wanted the child for his powers. Kuiil just confirmed what she had feared the most, and Elana was struggling to comprehend it.

"I want my valley to know peace," Kuiil said, looking imploringly at her, brows furrowed, "And peace will only come when the bounty hunters stop."

Elana looked at Bean, who was snoring peacefully. "And you are willing to have peace in exchange of an innocent child?" Elana asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"I did not say that," he sighed, "But it is not in my hands anyways. The Mandalorian has claimed him as his bounty, and it is in his hands now."

"You could help us," she whispered, looking him straight in his eyes, desperate, "you could help us escape."

Kuiil shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, and I do, I cannot. My farm would be the first place the Mandalorian would look for you, and the end result would be the same."

"So you're just letting him take us away?" Elana hissed, feeling anger rise in her, "You would sacrifice Bean for the sake of your valley?"

He looked at her evenly, an unspoken grief lingering behind his eyes that made her pause. "Where are you from, Elana?" Kuill suddenly asked.

"Alderaan," she answered, "What does that have to do with anything?"

The Ugnaught hummed. "If a choice had to be made, between Alderaan or your princess, which one would you have chosen?"

Elana reared back, mouth dropping open. "This is nothing close to it," she pressed out between gritted teeth, eyes shooting daggers at him.

"Is it not? A place to keep safe and a person to sacrifice. Would you have sacrificed your princess if it meant that Alderaan would have survived?"

"That is a vile thing to ask, Kuiil." Eyes blinking fast, she refused to let the tears collect, refused to let him see how he had struck a nerve.

"I'm just hoping that you can understand my point. Both options are wretched, but if it was between a valley I protect and a child I do not know--"

She jumped up, furious, "Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Elana yelled, burning up in rage, "You don't get to make that decision!" Kuiil looked at her, wise eyes that saw straight into her soul stripping every layer she had away.

"Listen here, Ugnaught," she snarled, "I will do anything to protect Bean, I don't care if this entire planet burns! He deserves to grow up, not being experimented on by Imperials for the rest of his life!"

"If you would condemn an entire planet to burn, you would give up many that are just like him," Kuiil pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Chest heaving, she stared at him, jaw clenched together. "Thank you for the breakfast," she said as calmly as she could, "I'll leave now." Scooping Bean up in her arms, she started to stalk away.

"Where do you think you are going?" The Mandalorian asked, standing on the ramp of his ship.

"I'm going to get some air," Elana snapped, "Don't worry, you'll be able to find us."

"You're staying here," he commanded, annoyance in his voice

"I don't care," she spat, glaring at him. With those words, she walked further to stew in silence, knowing fully that the reaction she had was childish. But she thought they could cut her some slack, and if they would not?

She would make them.

Clutching Bean close to her, she dropped down on a comfortable rock, with some overhead shelter should she choose to stay away for a longer time, and far away so she would not have to put up with them.

Leaning against the rocky wall, knees bent slightly and Bean snoring on her lap, she did her best to breathe deeply, trying to calm down. "Bean, honey, now would be a good time to wake up, don't you think?" Elana whispered to him, fighting back her tears, "It would be perfect if you would wake up this moment." Bean just let out a rattling snore, making her laugh slightly, burying her face into his belly as her shoulders shook.

"I guess that's fine as well," she huffed, smile watery, "but could you wake up? Please? I worry about you." Letting her fingers trace over his face carefully, over his brows, the wrinkles on his head, the closed eyelids, his cheeks, she sighed. "Why is the bond broken, sweetpea?" Elana asked as if he would answer, staring hard at his little features, "Why can't I feel you now?" There was no response, no answer, not through him stirring or a flicker across the bond.

Elana pulled him close, and closed her eyes, resting her cheek on the top of his head, feeling his weight and warmth on her body, and she tried to let herself be soothed by it. "I miss you, Bean," she whispered, "Please wake up soon. I love you, okay?"

After about half an hour later, the Mandalorian appeared, the water bottle in his hand. "Here," he said, and threw it on the sand next to her feet, along with the shirt she had used yesterday, but tossed that in her lap.

She stared up at him, frowning. "Thanks?" Elana asked, squinting at him, the sun at his back and in her eyes.

"You can stay in the shade if you want to," he offered, gesturing to her.

"Thank you," she said, secretly grateful that he did not expect or want her to help with the repairs in the midday sun. Not that she was the most experienced at it anyways.

"Does the baby need anything else?"

Elana shook her head, "He only needs to wake up."

The Mandalorian was quiet for a moment. "Do you know when he will wake up?"

It did not slip by her how he had deliberately used the word when instead of if, for which Elana was thankful. It was a consideration she did not think he would give her.

"I don't know," she confessed, looking away, and then to Bean, "I hope soon."

After a nod at her, the Mandalorian walked back to the Razor Crest, where Kuiil was currently soldering something. Scowling at the sight of the Ugnaught, she watched the Mandalorian go, the beskar pauldron and his helmet glinting in the sunlight. Sighing to herself, she drank some water, and gave Bean a bit as well. Were her eyes deceiving her or did Bean drink more water today? Was he dehydrated or was he starting to wake up? But despite her hopes, he did not open his beautiful dark eyes that day.

Or the day after.

On the fifth day after the Mudhorn incident, Elana was starting to go crazy. She had managed not to burst into tears in front of Kuiil and the Mandalorian, but they could probably still tell when she had cried, or tried to hide it. She was grateful for them not mentioning a word when she started to help with the rebuilding of the Mandalorian's ship, despite being below average at it. If Bean had been awake, she probably would not have helped at all, trying to prolong the time between them leaving Arvala-7 and getting to the suspected Imperial client. But doing nothing was driving her mad. Completely, utterly mad with worry over the small baby, and the only times when that worry was lifted from her shoulders was when she was neck deep into wiring and parts and tools.

They did not comment, and she gritted her teeth, checking on Bean every hour, getting more jittery the longer he stayed asleep.

When she woke with puffy red eyes, the only thing the Mandalorian would do was hand her the water bottle along with a ration pack, T-visor turned away from her in a resemblance of privacy. Kuiil had let them use his sonic washing machine as well, so the days were actually the most bearable since the encampment, with clean clothes, regular food and water breaks, and enough time to sleep.

But they were still hell for Elana.

When finally, after almost seven days of silence over the bond, something flickered across it, Elana dropped the part she was holding without preamble, and rushed to the pram, kneeling in front of it.

Bean was starting to stir.

Bean was starting to stir!

He started to frown, flailing his limbs around, fingers flexing, nose twitching. Elana did not think, just got him out of the pram, and sat down on her heels. She put him on her lap, and waited with bated breath. The green child started to whine lowly, scrunching his eyes shut even more before slowly blinking up at her. She laughed, smile watery and eyes misty. "Bean!" Elana gasped, pulling him close to her, squishing him in her arms, "You're awake!"

"Mwa," he told her, voice a bit raspy, and raised his little claws to her face. Crying in joy, she pressed their foreheads against each other, relishing in the way the bond suddenly opened wide. It was as if a tidal wave of power rushed over her, the beautiful, familiar and dearly missed sensation of their minds connecting with each other. Knowing exactly what he felt right now, his own relief mingled with hers.

"Oh, Bean," she told him, voice thick, "oh, sweetpea, honey, the best baby in the whole galaxy--" Elana showered him with kisses while he giggled under the onslaught, and she felt as if the entire weight of the world was dropped off her shoulders at once. Repeating his name as if it were a prayer, she pressed their foreheads together again, his little hands patting at where her face was wet from her tears.

"Mwa," he cooed, giggling brightly when she playfully scrunched her nose at him, ears pointing high. He turned his head towards something behind her, and made a loud happy noise, his face lighting up with a bright smile. Elana followed his gaze and saw the Mandalorian standing there, watching them.

"He's awake!" Elana beamed at the bounty hunter, too relieved to care about her dislike and fear of the man.

He tilted his helmet slightly. "I can see that," he said, and he sounded like he was smiling. Bean cooed loudly, clearly excited to see the Mandalorian, wriggled in her hold and tried to get to him. Elana released the baby from her grip, and watched as the bundle of brown robes made his way to the Mandalorian, trilling at him in exhilaration. It was hilarious to see the big bounty hunter stumbling back from the little bean on the ground, trying to avoid the overeager baby.

Searching the bond, Elana realised why Bean was so excited. "He is happy to see you. He was not sure if he had saved you in time," she spoke, looking at the Mandalorian, "He thought the Mudhorn got you."

Deftly avoiding Bean trying to grab his boot, the Mandalorian stared at her. "He's happy to see me?" He sounded dumbfounded, T-visor whipping down to where Bean had succeeded in catching his shoe, and cooed up at him.

"Obviously," Elana said, unable to make her voice dry in the light of Bean's happiness. The Mandalorian sighed deeply, shoulders slumping as the baby tightened his hold on his leg even more, completely enamoured with the man.

Kuiil appeared, pulling his goggles off and setting them on top of his head. "I'm glad the child awoke," he said, smiling at the overexcited Bean.

Bean's tummy made a loud grumble at that moment, and he turned his head, frowning up at her, patting the offending area while whining. Elana could not help her laugh at his face. The Mandalorian sighed again, and she knelt next to him, carefully prying Bean away. She placed him on her hip, and Elana beamed at being able to do the familiar motion again. "We'll get you something to eat, sweetpea, don't you worry," she told him, and made her way past the Mandalorian and the Ugnaught, towards the makeshift table with ration bars and jerky on it.

As soon as she had a packet in her hand, Bean reached out, took it, and bit into it with the packaging still on. Whining again, looking up at her with big watery eyes and a pout on his lips, he patted his tummy once more. She quickly removed the packaging and watched as he tucked in, eating the whole bar in two bites.

"Do you want more?" Elana asked, and when he reached out to the pile again, she set him on the ground carefully before getting another bar, opening it for him. In the end it took three ration bars and a jerky strip before the baby gave a satisfied burp, and after some gulps of water, he waddled to her, buried his face in her stomach and cooed.

"I missed you too, Bean," Elana murmured, rubbing the small one's back soothingly, "Don't scare me like that again, all right?"

……………

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!

Huge shout out to @mndalorians for smoothing over everything and both dealing with my grammar and general nonsense (like our discourse with @teaofpeach today lmao)

Tags: @binggrae-banana-milk @b0n-chann @pisss-offf-ghostt @chibi-liz05 @din-damn-djarin @soldade @yourexcellentboiiii @chaotic-noceur @ezrasarm @hdlynn @mndalorians @over300books @agirllovespancakes @crookedmoonsaultpunk @teaofpeach @shadylightbearherring @mitchi-c @concussed-to-pieces @adikaofmandalore @buckythewhitewolfx @thirstworldproblemss

#the mandalorian #star wars #din djarin #din djarin x oc #pedro pascal #oloreaa writes #vencuyanir

[anakin-danvers]

to wish upon a star

Rex x gender neutral!reader

Request: “For a fic, from prompt list #2, "Look! A shooting star! Make a wish," with any character you want to write from the Star Wars prequel trilogy? (Not entirely sure who you write for, do I'll leave it up to you.)” as requested by @valkyriesandbrokenhalos​

Description: While on a mission in your home world, you take the time to enjoy the night sky. To your surprise, a certain Clone Captain decides to join you. 

Word count: ~2.2 k

Warnings: Fluff. This is pure and utter all fluff. Some drinking! Tinyyyyy bit of angst if you squint to see it. Also, first time writing for our boy Rex so please be kind!

A/N: I decided to do Rex for this fic after a suggestion from @acnini​ (also special shoutout to her for beta reading 💖)! I hope you all like it, especially you Aro! Thank you for participating in my celebration! 🥳💗 

P.S. I have another Rex request I am working on which will most likely be a part 2 for this!!

tags: @acnini​ , @catsnkooks​ , @kaminobiwan​

—

Sitting in a dinner hall in a table full of tipsy clones was not what you imagined you’d be doing when General Skywalker told you to pack your bag for the mission this morning. But here you are, in your home planet, eating delicacies you’d only dreamt of as a child. 

Music bounces off the walls, not loud enough to hurt your ears, but definitely loud enough to make it hard to think. You look around, feeling a bit overwhelmed with the setting you are in. Usually, you wouldn’t be attending these sorts of things; your position as an engineer for the 501st allowed you to stand on the sidelines, focus on your job and nothing more. But this is a special mission. The meeting General Skywalker has is with none other than the head of foreign operations of your home world Elzu. 

The small planet could have been as beautiful as Naboo, were it not for the exploitation of natural resources by the government. By the time Elzu joined the Republic, it was drastically divided. Those who had been part of the group exploiting the resources are still the ones in power now. The rest are left to fend for themselves, many immigrating to other planets in search of a better livelihood. Your parents were part of the latter group, taking you and your siblings to Coruscant when you were about 9 years old. Thanks to their sacrifice and hard work, you now have the job you have. 

So when General Skywalker asked if you’d be willing to join him and the 501st to the meeting as a point person for all things Elzu, you were hesitant. Elzu held many bittersweet memories, and you’d only been back a handful of times since your family had left all those years ago. General Skywalker had sensed your hesitation, and asked if instead you could help by giving him a list of the customs of the planet. However, as you were writing the list, you thought back to all the ways Skywalker and the 501st had helped you get to where you are, and knew that the least you could do was help with the trip in person. Though now that you’re here, you’re starting to wish you’d just stuck to the list. 

The boisterous laugh of Fives rips you from your thoughts. You blink a few times in an attempt to refocus on the present. You turn to look at Fives, who’s sitting at your table, in an attempt to see what he’s laughing at. When your eyes travel around the other clones in your table and settle on a rather flustered looking Dogma, you have an idea of what Five’s source of entertainment currently is. 

In spite of your otherwise uncomfortable feelings, you can’t help but smile. It was rare that the clones of the 501st were so at ease while on a mission. Seeing them all gathered in the main dinner hall enjoying good food made you happy, especially knowing this type of mission would be one of a kind. 

The eating and socializing continues, and though you converse with the clones around you, you mostly stay quiet. After deciding you’d had enough to eat, you excuse yourself and walk out of the dinner hall. 

You hate to admit it, but the palace you’re currently in is gorgeous. The large and intricate structure was built from different Elzian resources, Elzian marble being the most predominant. As you mindlessly walk down the hallway, you stay close to the wall, the smooth walls leaving a cool sensation on your fingertips. You keep walking around, not really knowing where you intend on going. That is, until you spot  a sliver of the night sky. 

Your feet make their way to the landing deck on its own. It isn’t until you feel the cool night breeze on your skin that you realize just how hot it is inside. Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, you step out onto the seemingly unused landing deck. You almost gasp at the sight; the height of the deck makes you feel as if you’re in the sky. 

If there was one thing you’d always miss most about Elzu, it’s the sky. It’s easy to forget that there’s even a sky in Coruscant due to the endless bustle of traffic. But that isn’t the case here. No, here, the sky is clear, the stars densely decorating it to look like the most royal of sparkling gowns. 

You take a seat directly on the landing deck, sprawling your legs out in front of you and placing your hands on the durasteel ground. Maker, you can almost reach out and touch the stars, pick them like the fruit of a tree, with how close they seem. 

“Beautiful night.”

If you weren’t sitting, you would have jumped at the sudden voice behind you. However, as the initial shock leaves you, you recognize the voice, a deep honey voice you never get tired of hearing. 

Footsteps approach you, and you can feel them under your palms. They stop as two white and blue armored legs appear next to you. Your eyes follow the legs up to their owner’s face, the brown skin and blonde hair of your favorite person making the feeling of a thousand pairs of wings erupt in your stomach. 

“Rex.”

“How are you, nau?”

At the sound of his tone, you know he can tell you’re not feeling your best. You also know there’s no point in trying to convince him otherwise. 

“I’m doing okay, given the circumstances,” you say. 

Lightly dropping his helmet to his side, he takes a seat next to you. You look at him as he mimics the way you’re sitting, legs spread out in front of him, hands on either side of him. And honestly, you can’t help but admire just how beautiful he looks. 

Your eyes move from where you see his legs brushing your own, landing instead on his face. You find him looking at you, concern etched onto his features. 

“You know how I feel about this place, Rex. It doesn’t hold the best memories,” you finally say. 

“I know,” he simply says. 

He knows. Of course he knows. He knows because he’s been by your side when you’ve had a few too many drinks at 79’s and spilled all about your childhood hardships. He knows because he’s been by your side when you try to discreetly get information on how the less fortunate of Elzu are holding up with the war. He knows because he’s always been there, with you.

Relief washes over you when you realize you don’t have to explain all the feelings caused by being on Elzu. Bringing up your legs to hug them to your chest, you look up at the sky again, the smile from earlier returning. 

“Have you ever heard of shooting stars?”

“Shooting stars?” At his question, you nod. “I haven’t, nau.”

“Well you’re in for a treat tonight.”

His brow raises, and a faint smile paints his face. “Is that right?”

You nod again. “Elzu is known for its shooting stars, sometimes called flying stars. The people of Elzu believe they’re the souls of beings who have passed all around the galaxy as they make their way to their final resting spot. Legend has it they grant wishes.”

Rex laughs lightly, not in a mocking way, but rather in a surprised way. For someone who’s usually surrounded by so many facts, Rex doesn’t expect you to be so invested in old tales. 

“Hey, I’m being serious!” you say, a laugh coming out of you as well. “I used to make a wish every night when I was a kid.”

Rex won’t ask what you wished, you know that. He doesn’t want to impose, pour salt on the wound that is already being constantly poked at while being here in Elzu. But either way, you continue, part of you needing to tell him what you wished for all those years ago. 

“I’d initially wish for childish things; a new toy or the chance to taste one of those many pastries they have inside. But then the guilt would creep in, and instead I’d wish for the star to bring my family and I stability. Not riches, those weren’t necessary, just stability. Food on the table, a roof over our heads, shoes on our feet. And the next night I’d do the same again: wish for something childish then scrap it for a worthwhile wish.”

As you finish, you don’t know what you expect Rex to say. You don’t know if you even expect him to say anything. And initially he doesn’t, he sits there next to you in silence looking up at the same sky you’d stare at endlessly as a child. 

“Ca’tra.”

You turn to look at him, the word foreign to your ears. For the most part, you knew the phrases of his native Mando’a he’d speak around you. Nau, for example, was what he called you, a nickname of sorts. He’s told you it means light, a nod to the way you two initially met during a blackout on a ship you’d been working on, a flashlight in hand as you bumped in face first to his chest. But ca’tra you didn’t know, so you waited for him to continue. 

“It means ‘night sky’,” he explains, and you make a mental note to add that to the list of Mando’a words you have written on your data pad. “I often gazed up at the night sky back in Kamino growing up. It brought me calm whenever I’d feel...uneasy.”

“Ca’tra.” You test the word in your mouth, hoping you pronounced it correctly. At his smile and nod, your heart blooms with pride. 

“And though we have no word for shooting star, we do have ka’ra, which means stars.” 

Another word to add to the list, you think. 

Your eyes go back to the sky, and almost as if on queue, you see the flash of light that filled you with hope as a child. 

“Look! A shooting star! Make a wish,” you say, closing your eyes to mentally make your own. You wish for progress in the war with as little casualties as possible, you wish for his safety. A whisper of a thought adds another part to the wish: I wish for Rex to stay by my side. 

You open your eyes slowly, glancing over at Rex to see if he’s done with his wish. Only, you don’t find him with his eyes closed as you’d had them. He’s not even looking up at the sky. No, he’s looking at you. 

For a split second, you forget how to breathe at the sight of his beautiful eyes on you. Taking a small breath, you speak. 

“Did you make a wish?” You don’t intend for your voice to be a whisper, but with the way he’s looking at you, you don’t manage anything else. 

Rex nods. “Yes, I did.”

You want to ask what it is, but know that the way wishes come true is by keeping them to yourself. 

“Well,” you say, your hand seemingly moving on its own will as it lands on top of his. “I hope your wish comes true.”

“I hope so too,” he responds. 

You turn back to look at the sky, your hand still on Rex’s. And maybe it’s the glass of Elzian wine you drank, or the fact that you’re looking up at the night sky you spent your whole childhood wishing under, or even the drunken state Rex causes you to be in regardless of the amount of alcohol in your system, but you think you know what Rex wished for. Well, you hope you know what he wished for. 

As if to put your mind at ease and to confirm your thoughts all at once, Rex moves his hand so that he’s now holding yours. The cool feeling of the durasteel you both are sitting on makes for a sharp contrast to just how warm his hand feels on your own. Before you have time to process his actions, he hits you with another jolt of electricity when he softly squeezes your hand.  

You don’t have to look at him to know he’s smiling, because you’re smiling too. You’re smiling the smile that only appears whenever Rex is with you, by your side, safe. 

And as the two of you sit under the night sky, you don’t feel the guilt you’d expected to feel at the last addition to your wish. It’s a bit selfish, you admit, wishing for something exclusively for you. But you don’t, can’t feel guilt when all you feel is warm, kind love with Rex by your side. 

When the next shooting star paints the sky, you once again wish for Rex to stay by your side, nothing more, nothing less.

#all I want is for rex to hold my hand while we look up at the night skyyyyy #hope you all enjoy! #chasity reaches 100!🥳 #captain rex x reader #captain rex imagine #captain rex x you #captain rex x y/n #captain rex fanfic #captain rex fanfiction #star wars fanfiction #star wars fanfic #captain rex reader insert #userkarina #usernobie #chasity's work #my work #gender neutral reader #anakin-danvers work

[the-seas-song]

Tolkien Gen Week Day 5

DAY FIVE: diversity How does diversity affect Tolkien’s characters and your interpretations of them? Does a disability or orientation affect relationships with other characters? Have you lost sleep thinking about hobbit race relations? This is the day to consider all the other factors that go into a character’s life.

Work has been insane lately, so unfortunately I wasn't able to write everything I wanted to for this amazing week, but I really wanted to make sure I got this one done.

This is mainly a thank you post. First, I want to give a big thank you to @starlightwalking for creating and running this week. A lot of time must have gone into it, and I've had a great time.

I love all forms of love, and one of my favorite things about Tolkien's works is that he highlights a large variety of emotionally intimate platonic relationships. Thank you Tolkien. And also thank you to everyone who worked on the films, for not only portraying those in the texts, but actually adding and expanding the amount of deep platonic relationships.

As someone who is gray aro/ace, another one of my favorite things about Tolkien's works is the diversity in racial sexualities.

Elves only fall in love once in their life (technically it is possible for them to fall in love a second time, but we are only given two cases in all of Tolkien’s works, and both times there was a greater power at work). The foundation of elven-kind is memory and emotion. Their souls control their bodies. Elvish memories remain crystal clear, no matter how many decades or centuries pass. They never fade, even the slightest bit. Connected to memory is emotion. Elves feel things in a clearer way. They are ruled by emotion. They can literally just lie down and kill themselves with their mind, if they wish. Also, because of this clarity, they know from the beginning if they are feeling romantic-love or friendship-love for someone. There is nothing more important to an elf than their relationships, of any kind. Their anti-possessiveness goes so far that they will not even say 'I have two children’.

Tolkien says in LACE that almost all elves marry, and marry young. However, the entire legendarium contradicts that. Over half the elves we meet very marry/are never said to be married, and almost all of those that do marry do so well into their centuries and millenniums. Feanor and Nerdanel are literally the only elven couple that we are told married young.

Also, who could ever forget the tragedy of Beleg's death? “Thus ended Beleg Strongbow, truest of friends, greatest in skill of all that harboured in the woods of Beleriand in the Elder Days, at the hand of him whom he most loved; and that grief was graven on the face of Túrin and never faded.” - The Silmarillion

We are also given a tantalizing hint of one deep female friendship: “Fingolfin’s wife Anaire refused to leave Aman, largely because of her friendship with Earwen wife of Arafinwe (though she was a Noldo and not one of the Teleri). But all her children went with their father.” - The Shibboleth of Feanor

Another thing I rarely see people mention is Tolkien explicitly separating sex and gender:

According to the Eldar, the only 'character' of any person that was not subject to change was the difference of sex. For this they held to belong not only to the body but also to the mind equally: that is, to the person as a whole. [cut] Those who returned from Mandos, therefore, after the death of their first body, returned always to the same name and to the same sex as formerly.

[cut]

For the [souls] of the Elves are of their nature male and female, and not their [bodies] only. - LACE

Because their souls control their bodies, there are no trans elves. However, the fact that Tolkien took pains to explicitly say this for elves, throws the door wide open for all of the other races!

We're also told that about two thirds of dwarves are naturally aromantic, and those who aren’t only fall in love once. So, another gray aro/ace race!

There are so many amazing fanworks out there that diversify Tolkien's works even more.

Throughout my years of being a fan I've met a fair amount of purists, and there's nothing wrong with being a purist. Most of them are lovely people. I am, however, a firm believer in Roland Barthes's The Death of the Author (found here) theory. The great thing is Tolkien was too:

The Lord of the Rings has been read by many people since it finally appeared in print; and I should like to say something here with reference to the many opinions or guesses that I have received or have read concerning the motives and meaning of the tale. The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them. As a guide I had only my own feelings for what is appealing or moving, and for many the guide was inevitably often at fault. Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer. But even from the points of view of many who have enjoyed my story there is much that fails to please. It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points; for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages or chapters that are to some a blemish are all by others specially approved. The most critical reader of all, myself, now finds many defects, minor and major, but being fortunately under no obligation either to review the book or to write it again, he will pass over these in silence, except one that has been noted by others: the book is too short.

As for any inner meaning or 'message', it has in the intention of the author none. It is neither allegorical nor topical. As the story grew it put down roots (into the past) and threw out unexpected branches: but its main theme was settled from the outset by the inevitable choice of the Ring as the link between it and The Hobbit.

[cut]

Other arrangements could be devised according to the tastes or views of those who like allegory or topical reference. But I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.

An author cannot of course remain wholly unaffected by his experience, but the ways in which a story-germ uses the soil of experience are extremely complex, and attempts to define the process are at best guesses from evidence that is inadequate and ambiguous. It is also false, though naturally attractive, when the lives of an author and critic have overlapped, to suppose that the movements of thought or the events of times common to both were necessarily the most powerful influences. One has indeed personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression; but as the years go by it seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years. By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead. Or to take a less grievous matter: it has been supposed by some that 'The Scouring of the Shire' reflects the situation in England at the time when I was finishing my tale. It does not. It is an essential part of the plot, foreseen from the outset, though in the event modified by the character of Saruman as developed in the story without, need I say, any allegorical significance or contemporary political reference whatsoever. It has indeed some basis in experience, though slender (for the economic situation was entirely different), and much further back. The country in which I lived in childhood was being shabbily destroyed before I was ten, in days when motor-cars were rare objects (I had never seen one) and men were still building suburban railways. Recently I saw in a paper a picture of the last decrepitude of the once thriving corn-mill beside its pool that long ago seemed to me so important. I never liked the looks of the Young miller, but his father, the Old miller, had a black beard, and he was not named Sandyman. - LotR Foreward

And:

The Lord of the Rings as a story was finished so long ago now that I can take a largely impersonal view of it, and find 'interpretations' quite amusing; even those that I might make myself, which are mostly post scriptum: I had very little particular, conscious, intellectual, intention in mind at any point.* Except for a few deliberately disparaging reviews – such as that of Vol. II in the New Statesman,3 in which you and I were both scourged with such terms as 'pubescent' and 'infantilism' – what appreciative readers have got out of the work or seen in it has seemed fair enough, even when I do not agree with it. Always excepting, of course, any 'interpretations' in the mode of simple allegory: that is, the particular and topical. In a larger sense, it is I suppose impossible to write any 'story' that is not allegorical in proportion as it 'comes to life'; since each of us is an allegory, embodying in a particular tale and clothed in the garments of time and place, universal truth and everlasting life. Anyway most people that have enjoyed The Lord of the Rings have been affected primarily by it as an exciting story; and that is how it was written. Though one does not, of course, escape from the question 'what is it about?' by that back door. That would be like answering an aesthetic question by talking of a point of technique. I suppose that if one makes a good choice in what is 'good narrative' (or 'good theatre') at a given point, it will also be found to be the case that the event described will be the most 'significant'.

* Take the Ents, for instance. I did not consciously invent them at all. The chapter called 'Treebeard', from Treebeard's first remark on p. 66, was written off more or less as it stands, with an effect on my self (except for labour pains) almost like reading some one else's work. And I like Ents now because they do not seem to have anything to do with me. I daresay something had been going on in the 'unconscious' for some time, and that accounts for my feeling throughout, especially when stuck, that I was not inventing but reporting (imperfectly) and had at times to wait till 'what really happened' came through. But looking back analytically I should say that Ents are composed of philology, literature, and life.

[cut]

That of course does not mean that the main idea of the story was a war-product. That was arrived at in one of the earliest chapters still surviving (Book I, 2). It is really given, and present in germ, from the beginning, though I had no conscious notion of what the Necromancer stood for (except ever-recurrent evil) in The Hobbit, nor of his connexion with the Ring. But if you wanted to go on from the end of The Hobbit I think the ring would be your inevitable choice as the link. If then you wanted a large tale, the Ring would at once acquire a capital letter; and the Dark Lord would immediately appear. As he did, unasked, on the hearth at Bag End as soon as I came to that point. So the essential Quest started at once. But I met a lot of things on the way that astonished me. Tom Bombadil I knew already; but I had never been to Bree. Strider sitting in the comer at the inn was a shock, and I had no more idea who he was than had Frodo. The Mines of Moria had been a mere name; and of Lothlórien no word had reached my mortal ears till I came there. Far away I knew there were the Horse-lords on the confines of an ancient Kingdom of Men, but Fangorn Forest was an unforeseen adventure. I had never heard of the House of Eorl nor of the Stewards of Gondor. Most disquieting of all, Saruman had never been revealed to me, and I was as mystified as Frodo at Gandalf's failure to appear on September 22.1 knew nothing of the Palantíri, though the moment the Orthanc-stone was cast from the window, I recognized it, and knew the meaning of the 'rhyme of lore' that had been running in my mind: seven stars and seven stones and one white tree. These rhymes and names will crop up; but they do not always explain themselves. I have yet to discover anything about the cats of Queen Berúthiel.8 But I did know more or less all about Gollum and his pan, and Sam, and I knew that the way was guarded by a Spider. And if that has anything to do with my being stung by a tarantula when a small child,9 people are welcome to the notion (supposing the improbable, that any one is interested). I can only say that I remember nothing about it, should not know it if I had not been told; and I do not dislike spiders particularly, and have no urge to kill them. I usually rescue those whom I find in the bath! - Letter 163

Tolkien's loathing of allegory is well known. However, most don't talk about the fact that his fundamental reason for loathing it is because it enforces the domination of the author over the freedom of the reader - “I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”

So, as we continue to love these works and create our own, let's never forget that Tolkien himself believed in our agency.

P.S. I have to share this quote from Letter 66. It's too funny!

A new character has come on the scene (I am sure I did not invent him, I did not even want him, though I like him, but there he came walking into the woods of Ithilien): Faramir, the brother of Boromir – and he is holding up the 'catastrophe' by a lot of stuff about the history of Gondor and Rohan (with some very sound reflections no doubt on martial glory and true glory): but if he goes on much more a lot of him will have to be removed to the appendices — where already some fascinating material on the hobbit Tobacco industry and the Languages of the West have gone.

#Faramir #Tolkien #tolkiengenweek #Mine

[ofcloudsandstars]

Hello, dear! A little fae told me that you live in NJ. I do as well! I wanted to ask for your recommendations on magical places to go/see in the NJ/NY area! I have a day of next Monday and my friend who i'm chilling with said she'll go anywhere I want and I'm so overwhelmed at the possibility! I normally work, so this is a rare opportunity that I cannot pass up! I'd really appreciate the suggestions! ~May good energies surround you!~

I have mentioned a number of times on this blog that I live in NJ! That’s cool you live here too, NJ is pretty special in it’s own way!

For NJ there are tons of cool abandoned places that feel like a strange liminal space. NJ is notorious for legends of strange creatures living in these spaces so like whether or not you believe in that be careful cause that tends to attract a sketchy type of crowd. In a natural reservation by my house for example it’s advised people don’t go alone cause weird people do strange rituals there and malicious energy shit cause they thrive off those type of sinister legends. It’s also like Fort Tyron in NYC which is my favorite park ever, it’s INTENSE with magical energy, ghosts and entities but there’s some parts of the park that has a very dense and somewhat negative vibe and you don’t want to linger there for too long. It’s still an incredible place though!

So NJ has A lot of abandoned places as you may know. These abandoned places have tons of energy and history to them and are pretty magical in their own way. I will link some sites to them too.

Abandoned Railroad station-Like there are a million abandoned NJ railroad graveyards and stations but this one might be easier for you to access. It’s by Jersey City. Be careful that some abandoned places are not protected by some law cause sometimes you can end up trespassing and you don’t want police to be all up in your grill

Ashbury Park-Honestly my favorite beach in the north east. It’s beautiful, clean and very classy NJ Americana with all the wonderful boardwalk treats like saltwater taffy and orange creamsicle soft serve, but it has a lot of fascinating energy too, the nicest waves and sea shells and sand. They also have a Paranormal museum and shop that holds tours there and a lot of abandoned shit like shipwrecks a haunted paramount theatre and Asbury Lanes. Great to go for a summer day trip!

Clifton’s Gates of Hell-I’m not far from Clifton but this place is incredibly dangerous. I’m just letting you know about it since you asked but its like.. dangerous.. lol. A lot of kids from my high school would come here for the thrill but would leave kind of disturbed. Like if the NJ devil is real he would be chillin here. It’s like a series of storm drains and there has been cults doing weird magic inside. I would suggest you go with someone and be armed or something but also this is totally a bad idea and like how horror films start. A lot of kids in my school knew about weird haunted abandoned places in NJ like there is an abandoned asylum that still has electric chairs intact and an abandoned mansion but the stories they told always sounded really creepy and really dangerous. Like aside from being very empathetic and probably feeling the trauma the ghosts went through their waking lives there, I am moreso always concerned about living people and what they’re capable of. I think it’s cool to know about The Gates of Hell but I am giving you a long ass disclaimer about going there haha. (btw the asylum was called Greystone Psychiatric Hospital in case you are interested lol. My friends said that they still have medical records and everything in tact. Its like they had to evacuate one day and never cleaned up anything). Also like mentioned above if you do go- I think at least for Greystone it’s a halfass protected historical site. Halfass meaning it has a cheap metal chain fence around it but police might be snooping around so you want to be careful because I am assuming that for the hospital you could be trespassing if you enter anyway. (Clifton Gates I don’t think it’s protected at all)

Pine Barrens-Also for more creepy places I would suggest you should avoid but should know about are Pine Barrens. I feel like everyone that needs to know anything witch-history related and paranormal and weird about NJ should know about Pine Barrens. Like Pine Barrens is the heart of the bizarre of this state lol. Supposedly witches used to live there on some long ago colony and they summoned or gave birth to The Jersey Devil that still lingers in this land. That’s basically where the beast was born. The Pine Barrens is very ‘The Blair Witch Project’ in vibe. People go there and leave weird shit on purpose. Witches probably go there and do some dank magic. It’s a giant swamp so the energy is kind of dank anyway.

Even though Weird NJ might seem like a super corny and kitschy magazine, in it’s very childishness presentation it kind of does hold a guide to the paranormal and bizarre of the state. It’s cute in a goosebumps-ish way where most people wouldn’t take the magazine seriously but if you really go on the adventures it suggests you will probably end up on a hell ride haha.

There are also a lot of waterfalls in NJ. Like NJ is known for waterfalls. Check out this link. Also just google NJ waterfalls or top 10 waterfalls in NJ or whatever it will give you some great advice since the best are often listed everywhere but tend to be far and out of the way. 

For towns there are a few that are nice. Montclair is a beautiful artistic town. There are a lot of magical shops there too like Blu Lotus that sells a lot of magical tools and items and is beautiful. I posted a few pictures of it before. There are more magical stores up and down bloomfield ave which is where the downtown stores are centered around. There is also Parcel further up bloomfield ave that sells really nice stationary and has an Amelie, whimsical faerie-like feel. There is an incredible crystal shop also on Bloomfield Ave called Rocky’s Crystals & Minerals. There’s a new magic tool and spiritual shop further down bloomfield ave called Mystic Spirit Metaphysical Shoppe. I’ve never been there yet. If you want to hang around Bloomfield Ave in downtown Montclair I’d suggest for lunch go to Raymonds which is a super cute classic Americana restaurant that sells great Egg Creams and Burgers. That’s like their specialty don’t get anything else haha. If you are vegetarian/vegan there is a great vegan restaurant on that same street (Church ave where Blu Lotus is) and there is a smoothie acai bowl shop on that street too for dessert. Other than downtown Montclair has a lot of beautiful parks and a really nice reservation called Eagle Rock. Eagle Rock can be a little sketchy so check it out with a friend but overall its a cool place. Oh yeah and there is the Van Vleck house which is a mansion with beautiful gardens open to the public. It is MAJESTIC in the summertime. Sooo fucking gorgeous. Its worth checking out. There are wild bunnies that run across the garden too. It has a very french style to it (montclair has a large french community).

Verona also has a magical shop called Goddess in Eden. The owner used to work in Blu Lotus in Montclair but branched off into her own shop. She is wiccan and works with the fae and is often in her own head so she’s hard to kind of have a conversation with haha. The store is facing Verona park which is beautiful and has always been one of my favorite parks.

Edgewater NJ is pretty special. In that area of NJ there are a lot of Japanese Americans and there is a huge supermarket and restaurant that the area is known for that caters to Japanese culture but aside from that Edgewater has these incredible trails I discovered with an intimate partner there. There are raspberry bushes growing all over the trail and the most TRETCHEROUS FUCKING STONE STAIRS leading AS STEEP AS POSSIBLE down to the river. Its beautiful and at one point you will feel like you are in a fort or castle at some time but its kind of intense tbh.

Also Nj has the most CUTEST industrial towns along the delaware river. I have yet to explore there but I’ve been wanting to go.

Anyway for NYC there is:Manhattan- 9th street between ave 1 and A is like the most magical street in Manhattan. You have Flower Power which is a great apothecary/herb shop and the people in there are amazing. It looks like a store out of harry potter with cute green library shelves filled with herbs. Then there is Enchantments which is NYC’s oldest witchcraft shop. The staff might be kind of unwelcoming but the cats are worth it. There is also Good Beer which is a craft beer place that sells seasonal ciders and beers and is partially a bar. I think if you like beer, cider and drinking its worth checking out. There is also a vegan confectionery on that same street. There is also a crystal shop and a psychic place but I haven’t been to the psychic there. There is also a cat shelter on that block that lets you come in for free to hug and pet the cats.

Fort Tyron Park- basically 181 off the A and above. The park is a long park on the north west side of Manhattan’s island and is gorgeous. It faces the river and has a lot of rocky mountainous cliffs and hills and old stone bridges, walls and structures. It’s well known for the Cloisters which is a kind of castle built from old pieces of old monasteries from Europe. It’s a medieval museum apart of the MET that does wine tastings in the summer and hosts a renaissance fair. There are parts of the park that are super mysterious and can get creepy. You would have old stone stairs leading down into an overgrown growth of vines that grows into a forest by the foot of the stairs. You have a lot of walkways that descend into stone tunnels that are super dark in the middle. There are a lot of strange liminal spaces there. It’s relatively safe so you can be fine alone but you should be able to pick up weird vibes if something too strange is afoot. Also if you are around 181 there’s a fantastic Irish bar called Le Cheile that has this very whimsical feel and a great cider and beer selection. It would be cool to drink there after checking out the park!

North Woods Central Park-Some forest that is easier to get to and not too out of the way is the north woods on the upper left side of Central Park. It’s beautiful and intense and drowns out the whole city. You can get very much lost in it and some of the path has been devoured by the earth and overtaken by weeds and dirt. I love walking through this forest in winter. There are old brown stone troll-like bridges in there and a lot of beautiful streams everywhere. You might want to be with a partner while going through because for central manhattan it can be a bit troubling to be alone in the woods and some sketchy types threaten you. I’ve never been bothered but I try not to chance myself too much. I find the ramble safer but wayy more populated but ok to be alone in. (The ramble is a smaller woods in the more central area of central park).

Lillies by Union Square-Its not really magical, but it’s super charming and I love it, especially around christmas when they decorate the fuck out of it. It’s super whimsical and has a very old classic NYC vibe

Abracadabra-On west 19th street. It’s not that magical as it is kind of creepy, paranormal and a spooky goosebumps adventure. If you’re ever in NYC it’s worth going in and laughing at.

BrooklynOff Morgan on the L line is Catland which is Brooklyn’s witchcraft store and community. They CONSTANTLY have witchy events there, from parties to rituals to symposiums. I’m going to a discussion with a witchy friend there this Saturday to talk about Death, the afterlife, channeling spirits, ouija boards and contacting ancestors. They have parties like queer witch prom and its a very queer witch friendly space as it’s run by queer witches

I know there are definitely places in the Bronx but I honestly do not know the Bronx well enough to write a lot on it.

Governor’s Island-OHBOY HOW DID I FORGET THIS ONE, everyone knows this place cause they hold music festivals there but governor’s island is the most liminal space ass place I’ve ever been to. It’s beautiful but littered with haunted feeling houses that some artists have taken to making into even more haunted vibe art studios. Check out the HoloCenter which is an art center for laser art and holographs. Its literally like an old creepy decaying house filled with black portrait spaces that when you walk too close a fucking holograph face pops out at you. It’s super beautiful, cool and creepy tech art that for some reason never was popular enough to take off so it feels really alternative.

I hope some of these places are interesting to you! Stay safe! Especially in NJ’s more paranormal spaces they feel very Blair Witchy meaning that it’s not always so friendly so it’s good not to be alone, but of course there are a lot of wonderful places too! I hope you guys have fun!!! 

#long post #nj #magic places #paranormal #witchy

[teenagekittything-blog]

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Nutrients and Nutrients: Some successful nutrients and basic weight reduction supplements are likewise present in the recipe of Purefit Keto Dragons Den Dragons Den.

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Purefit Keto Dragons Den tone is a successful equation since it is free from a contamination, engineered and remote materials. This item is fabricated under the direction of FDA in the US which demonstrates the wellbeing and wellbeing are organized. It gives double advantages of decreasing the weight and initiating the body. On regular routine, the utilization of this equation guarantees compelling and positive results.

Advantages OF Purefit Keto Dragons Den TONE DIET

Purefit Keto Dragons Den gives a few advantages to the body. From the evacuation of over the top fats to poisons, this enhancement has the accompanying favorable circumstances:

Stifles APPETITE: Purefit Keto Dragons Den is additionally known for the capacity to diminish the craving. Along these lines, the calories admission are decreased and fat is changed over into vitality.

Reductions FAT CELLS: Purefit Keto Dragons Den likewise assists with consuming the over the top fats in the body. Alongside that, the arrangement of fat is additionally controlled to deal with the body weight.

Assimilation ASSISTANCE: This weight reduction supplement likewise detoxifies the stomach related framework. Along these lines, the normal issues related with the stomach related tract, for example, sharpness, gas and swelling are likewise diminished.

Evacuation OF TOXIN: The destructive and poison material that contrarily influences the organs are expelled.

NO SIDE EFFECTS: The equation is free from all kind of destructive reactions alongside the evacuation of corpulence and difficult fats.

Accessibility OF Purefit Keto Dragons Den

On the off chance that you need to try this mystical weight reduction supplement out, It is accessible on the producer's site for the entrance. You won't discover this enhancement in the neighborhood or online stores. With the end goal to achieve the measurements guidelines and transportation points of interest, visit the producer's site specifically. On the off chance that you will purchase in excess of a solitary jug of this item, you will accomplish a markdown. With the end goal to purchase the site, add the enhancement to your truck from the site. You will get an affirmation message in regards to the request. You will get the item in three to five working days. Adhere to the guidance on the bundling and accomplish the required outcomes. Proprietor's site isn't the main source where yopu could buy it. It is likewise accessible on greater part of prevalent online stores on same value those incorporates the names of walgreens, eBay, Amazon, GNC and other many. It is claimed by an American organization situated in Florida. More insights about them can likewise be seen on the site we have given here.

Has it been included by any well known Television arrangement or a show?

Numerous American shoppers are being informed that shark tank which is a standout amongst the most mainstream mark including and pioneering thought exhibiting appear, has advanced unadulterated fit keto on their show. Yet, when we attempted to really discover the correct scene in which it was talked about then the main the truth was that it was only a promotion spread by a few questions. May some sort of outsider merchant or somebody other however when you go check the genuine maker, you will discover they have not expressed shark tank's support like thing.

After shark tank there is additionally another gossip which is adjusting the corners is that mythical beast's den which is another of the most famous British TV arrangement. This is the place business visionaries are since its getting late to express their business thought so that intrested multi-millionairs could contribute their cash to bring that thought into the real world. Be that as it may, this isn't where you will discover weightloss items or other comparative stuff. In this way, this is likewise a straight lie that unadulterated fit keto was supported or included there.

Confusions

Following are the most misjudged confusions ascribed to unadulterated fit keto.

Individuals believe that it is an eating routine arrangement which it isn't. These are pills which ought to be incorporated into your standard eating regimen that supports your stomach related framework and aides in liquefying loaded fats.

It doesn't thin you instantky, yet the time taken by unadulterated fit is really not exactly ordinary weightloss item that has helped alot in its prominence.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS REGARDING Purefit Keto Dragons Den

The clients of Purefit Keto Dragons Den have a positive assessment with respect to the usefulness. They are completely fulfilled. Here are a portion of the surveys from the normal clients.

Nancy surveys unadulterated fit keto saying that "I have seen a positive change in my body. It isn't just the weight reduction be that as it may, it is additionally my liveliness. I feel empowered and confident. I prescribe this to every one of the general population experiencing heftiness".

Lauren surveys Purefit Keto Dragons Den "It truly worked for me. I needed to take a stab at something that could assist me with my difficult fat. My over the top fats made me discouraged. I am grateful to unadulterated fit keto for bringing such an adjustment in my life."

Check looked into: "I was grief stricken with my stoppage, acid reflux, irritation and regularly developing weight. Every one of those things added to decaying my wellbeing which constrained me to go see some specialist. My specialist's straight answer was to cut your midsection and stomach measure. At that point I read some place about keto eats less which wound up in purchasing unadulterated fit-keto diet. It trimmed my abdomen line 3 creeps in first month from 45 to 42. In around 4 months I shed somewhere in the range of 30 pounds and disposed of those overweight issues.

Purefit Keto Dragons Den is greatly valuable for individuals who are experiencing body fats. The common element of this recipe helps the body in accomplishing a perfect figure.

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