TITLE — A TALE AS OLD AS TIME*

status: taken by me
faceclaim: jessica henwick
oc: nya* o'connell
fandoms: night at the museum / the mummy
love interest: akhmenrah
first appearance: night at the museum
last appearance: night at the museum: secret of the tomb

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NYA O'CONNELL WAS RAISED ON the stories and adventures of her Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. How her Great-Grandfather was a chosen warrior of the Gods who ended up killing the so called 'Scorpion King'. How her Great-Grandmother was a reincarnated Egyptian Princess, Nefertiri, who was then killed by the reincarnation of her Father's mistress only to be brought back to life by her son, Nya's Grandfather. How he grew up to find the tomb of the legendary Dragon Emperor only for him to be resurrected and cause chaos everywhere he went. And how her Grandmother was thousands of years old, protected by Shangri-La and guardian of the Emperor's curse.

The O'Connells were history enthusiasts and thrill seekers through and through and nothing would ever change that. Even if the world was oblivious to all that the family had done to save it, all the times they had prevented an undead monster from destroying the planet, the O'Connells were still proud of what they had accomplished. Besides, so many academic circles praised their family for all their contributions to museums over the years, so at least some of their hard work didn't go unnoticed.

And as next in the line of O'Connells, Nya had a lot to live up to.

The young woman had spent her entire childhood enraptured by the wonders and mysteries the past had to offer, putting a smile on her the faces of her Parents and Grandparents. It was in that moment they knew that the next generation of O'Connells was going to continue their family tradition. Nya went on to study history at college, specialising in Egyptology, and graduated top of her class. No one was exactly surprised by that, Nya had always had an aptitude for learning.

Years later, Nya noticed a job opening at the one and only Museum of National History and when she turned up at her interview, they gave her the position on the spot. And on her first day she meets the museum's new night guard Larry Daley before being sucked into the world her new job had to offer. But then, after staying late the following evening, Nya becomes witness to the nighttime magic that flowed through the place, all because of a special tablet they had hung up in the Pharaoh's quarters.

A Pharaoh who comes to life through the power of the tablet after having died millennia ago. And despite her family history, Nya slowly grew to like him. Proving that the connection between Ancient Egypt and the O'Connell family was a tale  as old as time.

If you don't particularly like this summary, feel free to edit it to your liking.

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epigraph:

"She wasn't sure which scared her more, the fact that he wanted to explore her depths and understand her...

or the fact she was willing to let him."

- emma blake

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quotes:

"Why is it that you do not trust me?"

"Let's just say my family has had bad experiences when it comes to undead mummies."

akhmenrah and nya o'connell

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about:

fullname: Nya Evelyn O'Connell
age: 28 (in movie one)
family: Rick O'Connell (Great-Grandfather) †
Evelyn O'Connell (Great-Grandmother) †
Alex O'Connell (Grandfather)
Lin O'Connell (Grandmother)
Kai O'Connell (Father)
Catherine O'Connell (Mother) †
Jonathon O'Connell (Brother)
Other unnamed family †

the o'connell legacy

• The O'Connells are well respected in the academic field and are famous archeologists. They have a legacy, especially at the British Museum, where they are practically royalty.

• Alex and Lin got married not long after The Mummy 3 and travelled the world. Lin hadn't seen much of it considering she spent so long guarding the Emperor's tomb. And end up exploring tombs and donating all the treasures they find back to their country of origin.

• Kai O'Connell, their son and Nya's Father, was raised on both Ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures. He too became obsessed by history and spent his life studying the past which is how he met his wife Catherine.

• Nya is the next in the O'Connell line along with her younger brother Jonathon aka Johnny. Johnny is the first one in a few generations to not do something history-related with his life as he's a solider in the army. Nya applies for a job at the Museum of National History where all this chaos begins.

If you would like to know any other details about Nya, please private message me and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions.

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notes:

• Yes, we are talking about THE O'Connells from the Mummy, Nya's great-grandparents. If you would like faceclaims for her family, you can choose who.

• Nya is a badass and was trained by her Grandmother Lin to fight. So she's most definitely strong enough to get some of the more difficult exhibits under control.

• Despite all the stories she's heard, Nya hasn't actually seen any magic/curses for herself so the tablet and Akhmenrah is her first 'O'Connell adventure' which both excites her and frightens her.

• Nya is scared of Akhmenrah at first and attempts to stop Larry from opening his sarcophagus. When he's out, she's cautious around him and he doesn't understand why so he tries to be kind to her and asks her what's wrong. By the end of the first film, Nya has accepted that Akhmenrah is a good guy and actually quite likes him. During the second film, they've grown pretty close which is how she knows about his brother. And in the third film, they really have bonded and have feelings for each other. They're so cute by the end!

ACT ONE
night at the museum

• Nya accepted a job at the Museum of National History, her speciality is Egyptology but she loves all History. She never got to meet the old nightguard so Larry is the first one she knows. Nya stays late the night Larry has his son which is how she gets roped into it all. She's hesitant of Akhmenrah considering her family's history with mummies but ends up really liking him.

ACT TWO
night at the museum: battle of the smithsonian

• Larry calls Nya in for her help with finding the tablet and the others at the Smithsonian. She really doesn't like Akhmenrah's brother and does all she can to protect the tablet. She's used to the Museum of National History exhibits so she's really excited to see what these guys have to offer. Nya finds the Egyptian warriors interesting as her family never mentioned anything like it before.

ACT THREE

night at the museum: secret of the tomb

• Nya and Akhmenrah are getting really close despite her family's poor history when it comes to mummies. Nya is full for getting the tablet restored and takes full charge of the mission. At the British Museum, she sees a photo of her Great-Grandparents with her Grandfather which makes her happy and a bit sad. Akhmenrah's parents really like her. Her heart breaks when she sees what the dying tablet is doing to him. At the end, she moves to the British museum with Akhmenrah and helps the exhibits before travelling with them.

If you would like, you could write a sweet epilogue to tie it all together.

IMPORTANT — anything not mentioned in this timeline is up to you to develop, giving you space for your own ideas. Also, if you have any questions, please private message me, I'm more than happy to answer them.

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password — The Mummy or Night at the Museum? And why?