#Martha Solar

[solarduckarts]

here are my favorite girls!! I'm so glad I got to make these arts of them, I really think they are my favorite companions and series 1 to 4 are really special to me, so here they are, the bad wolf, the girl who walked the Earth, and the most important woman💛

[herpsandbirds]

my life has only known joy since i learned of elysia chlorotica

E X Q U I S I T E

Eastern Emerald Elysia (Elysia chlorotica), family Plakobranchidae, found along the East Coast of the United States

This creature engages in kleptoplasty, taking the chloroplasts from the algae that it eats, and using the chloroplasts for the waste products they create though photosynthesis. Its kind of a... solar powered sea slug!

These sea slugs are not nudibranch, but are in a different order of gastropods.

image via: Views of Elysia chlorotica from Martha’s Vineyard. Figure 15 of Krug et al., 2016, Zootaxa 4148:1

image via: Karen N. Pelletreau et al.   http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0097477

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #12

March 29-April 5 2024

President Biden united with Senator Bernie Sanders at the White House to review Democratic efforts to bring down drug prices. President Biden touted his Administration’s capping the price of insulin for seniors at $35 a month and capping the price of  prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year. Biden hopes to expand both to all Americans through legislation next year with a Democratic congress. The President also praised Senator Sanders' efforts as chair of the Senate Health Committee which has lead to major drug manufacturers capping the price of inhalers at $35 a month. “Bernie, you and I have been fighting this for 25 years,” Biden said “Finally, finally we beat Big Pharma. Finally.”

The White House gave an update on its actions around the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster. The federal government working with state and local governments hope to have enough of the remains of the bridge cleared to partially reopen the Port of Baltimore by the end of the month and have the port working normally by May. The Administration has already released $60 million in emergency money toward rebuilding and promises the federal government will cover the cost. The Department of Labor has released $3.5 million for Dislocated Worker Grants and plans up to $25 million to cover lost wages. The Small Business Administration is offering $2 million in emergency loans to affected small businesses. The Administration is working with business and labor unions to keep workers at work and cover lost wages.

Vice-President Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced $20 billion to help finance tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across the country. The kinds of projects that will be financed through this project include distributed clean power generation and storage, net-zero retrofits of homes and small businesses, and zero-emission transportation. 70% of the funds, $14 billion, will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The project is part of a public private partnership so for every 1 dollar of federal money, private companies have promised 7 dollars of investment, bring the total to $150 billion for ongoing financing of climate and clean energy projects for years to come.

The Department of Transportation announced $20.5 billion in investments in public transportation. This represents the largest single investment in public transit by the federal government in history. The money will go to improving and expanding subways, light rail, buses, and ferry systems across America. The DoT hopes to use the funds to in particular expand and improve options for public transport for people with disabilities and seniors.

The Departments of Energy and The Treasury announced $4 billion in tax credits for businesses investing in clean energy, critical materials recycling, and Industrial decarbonization. The credits till go toward 100 projects across 35 states. 67% of the credits ($2.7 billion) will go to clean energy, wind, solar, nuclear, clean hydrogen, as well as updates to grids, better batter storage, and investments in electric vehicles. 20% ($800 million) will go to to recycling things like lithium-ion batteries, and 13% ($500 million) to decarbonization in industries like automotive manufacturing, and iron and steel.

The Department of Agriculture announced $1.5 Billion in investments in climate-smart agriculture. USDA plans to support over 180,000 farms representing 225 million acres in the next 5 years move toward more climate friendly agriculture. 40% of the project is reserved for disadvantaged communities, in line with the Biden Administrations standard for climate investment. $100 million has been reserved for projects in Tribal Communities.

The Department of the Interior approved the New England Wind offshore wind project. To be located off Martha’s Vineyard the New England project represents the 8th such off shore wind project approved by the Biden administration. Taken together these projects will generate 10 gigawatts of totally clean energy that can power 4 million homes. The Administration's climate goals call for 30 gigawatts of off shore wind power by 2030. The New England Wind project itself is expected to generate 2,600 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes in the New England area.

The Department of the Interior announced $320 Million for tribal water infrastructure. Interior also announced $244 million to deal with legacy pollution from mining in the State of Pennsylvania, as well as $25 million to protect wetlands in Arizona and $19 million to put solar panels over irrigation canals in California, Oregon and Utah. While the Department of Energy announced $27 million for 40 projects by state, local and tribal governments to combat climate change

[starry-bi-sky]

thomas wayne au excerpts - things that could've been part of a grander fic except there's no grander fic

thomas wayne au - an au i made last year where danny is literally just. thomas wayne. his full name was Daniel Thomas Fenton and he started going by Thomas Nightingale after he was disowned. because of course. here is a link to the first post if anyone wants to see a more in depth view of the au (its also the start of me using the ‘danny fenton is not the ghost king’ au lmao

additional info: bruce is the result of a failed cloning attempt from vlad - vlad used a combination of danny's dna and an unnamed girl (Martha's) to make him to try and balance out the ectoplasm use. this resulted in a slightly liminal but otherwise completely human and stable baby boy. Bruce is, by all accounts, Danny's biological son. Danny named him Bruce

Danny was 24 when he died, he took in Bruce when he was 16. He is, so far, a single father in this au. (But if I WERE to add martha she wouldn't be sam or a DP character but rather a separate character on her own.)

Essentially they would go as:

Martha, 19: water does terrifying things to corpses

Danny, 19, half ghost: *heart eyes* really? tell me more they're morticia and gomez your honor

---- Like starlight -----

Bruce's father could light up a room. He was like a sun, his gravitational field could just pull you in, and before you knew it you'd be orbiting around him like one of his many planets.

He's seen it in action before, in the rare moments Thomas Wayne would allow him to accompany him to the socialite events he went to; the fundraisers; the charities. Bruce, as tall as his father's waist, would cling to his leg and watch as people drifted towards him and his star-blinding smile.

It's fitting that his father's favorite thing in the world were stars, he fit right in with them.

As an adult, Bruce has tried copious amount of times to mimic him. To try and capture a fraction of that light, that charm, in his own act - but here's the thing. Thomas Wayne wasn't made of starlight only in front of the cameras, he was made of starlight outside of it as well.

(So when older socialites laugh and tell him he's so much like his father, Bruce just thinks they are liars. They've only ever seen the Thomas Wayne his father showed them, Bruce is nothing like his father.)

In the manor, whatever room he stepped into seemed to brighten, and maybe it was just Bruce's own child-memory fuzzing it to raise his father onto a pedestal, but he stands by it. His father was a solar system, his very own galaxy. Bruce was just the lucky planet that was close enough to orbit him.

--------- arrival time ------

Ancients, ancients, what the fuck convinced Danny to ever go to Gotham of all places? Crime Capitol of the world? He's not sure, but he's been wandering around the country for the last few months, swapping between flying late at night as Phantom, and taking the busses and trains when he had the money, and was too exhausted to fly.

And of course, what convinced him to come here with his kid no less, who was just at the cusp of turning a year old? Whose curiosity of the world was growing greater by the day? Who wanted to look around and explore, and was growing tired of being held at all hours of the day by his father.

But he was going to be held, at least for as long as they were in Gotham for. He didn't trust the stuff on the sidewalks, and he didn't trust the people walking on it. Bruce was tiny, and Danny would lose his mind if he lost him in a crowd.

In his arms, Bruce whined and wriggled, pushing at his shoulders in the signature way he did when he wanted to be let down. Danny tightened his hold, and adjusted his place on his hip.

"I know, bumblebee." Danny muttered, resting his chin on Bruce's small head. His hair was still thin, but it was dark and soft, and tickled his throat a little. "But not yet, I need to find somewhere for us to stay first."

He needed to find somewhere for them to stay, permanently. He couldn't keep living like this, and he couldn't let Bruce grow up like this either. Constantly moving, homeless, unsure of when he was going to eat next? It wasn't good for him. But he needed to find a city he liked, and after that? He wasn't sure. Where did he start?

But Bruce doesn't like his answer, he whines at him, louder, and his wriggling increases. He wants down, he wants to move. They were in a new place again, he wanted to explore. He's too little to fully understand what his dad's saying. "Dada." He said, his voice thick with the accent of a child first learning to speak.

"I know," Danny repeats, stressing the word as his eyes flitted about. There was a park nearby -- maybe he and Bruce could stop there for a bit. Bruce could move around, and Danny could figure out his next move.

It was getting dark, he didn't want to be out in Gotham when it was dark. Shuffling, he moved the inside of his jacket to wrap around Bruce better. It was getting cold, too. Last winter with Bruce had been hellish - Bruce's liminality meant that Danny's immunity to the cold hadn't been passed down to him. Danny had spent all winter terrified that Bruce was going to get sick and die. He didn't want to go through that stress again, especially now that Bruce would be moving.

He hoped they could find new living arrangements soon.

---- dniwer eht klolc - clockwork's conversation ---

Laughing quietly as Bruce ran out of the room, Danny turned his attention back to the mirror, his fingers curled around the knot of his tie. They'd been planning this outing for weeks since the movie was first announced, and Danny wasn't going to let anything ruin tonight.

Humming under his breath, his hands fell from his tie and he steps back. They were leaving in half an hour, at best, but experience from the last six years has taught Danny that he wants to be ready before then.

In his reflection, the clock behind him stops ticking, and a wave of nothing washes over him, a subtle shift he's gotten used to that was the sensation of time stopping. Ticking, soft and coming from all four sides of the room, filled his ears.

Danny's smile drops. And behind him, Clockwork swirled into existence like a blackhole reversing its pull. "Don't go out tonight, Thomas." He says, his voice stern.

That wasn't happening.

He reaches up to push back a loose strand of hair out of his face. "Does something happen to Bruce, Clockwork?" He asks, his voice deceptively calm. That would be the only reason he would postpone tonight. If it endangered Bruce, then he would just have to break the news to him that they'd have to go tomorrow.

In the reflection, Clockwork's lips thinned, pressing together tersely. He looked tense, the grip on his staff was tight, tighter than Danny's seen it before in recent years. And it worried him a little.

Clockwork is silent for a few seconds, hesitant, before he finally speaks. "No, Bruce will be fine." He says, and uncharacteristic of him, he shuffles, "But--"

Ah, good then. Danny's smile returns briefly across his face. Then it could be something Danny can handle. "But nothing then, Clockwork." He says, interrupting the Ancient firmly. He leans back slightly to look over himself again in the mirror, before going to undo his tie. He's changed his mind about it.

"Boo has been looking forward to our movie all week, I'm not crushing his hopes by changing my mind last minute." In just a few seconds the tie was off his neck and tossed onto bed behind him. And Danny was reaching over the dresser beside him to grab a pearl necklace, he normally didn't wear it, it belonged to Mrs. Wayne and he inherited it after she and Mr. Wayne passed away last year. It wouldn't hurt to wear it for a special occasion like this.

Clockwork's lips tightened, and his shoulders tensed up. "Thomas," He says lowly, "Please."

...Clockwork never said please. Danny's never heard him say please in the last ten years he's known him. This... must have been pretty serious -- but, his core tugged at him. He couldn't cancel without finding the reason why. Bruce was so important to him, Danny couldn't break his heart with this without learning why. He wouldn't allow it, and neither would his core.

He hooks the necklace around his neck and turns to face Clockwork, frowning deeply. "Does something happen tonight?" If he knew the reason -- he just needed to know the reason.

Clockwork stares at him, and something that Danny can't catch appears across his face. "...I cannot tell you." He says after a long moment, his voice quiet.

That... is not the answer Danny wants. He won't cancel.

He frowns. "If something happens tonight..." He says slowly -- Clockwork said that Bruce is unharmed. That must mean Danny was able to handle it. He allows himself to smile reassuringly, and he steps forward to clap a hand on Clockwork's shoulder. "Then I will handle it, alright? I promise."

He gets no response back. Clockwork's expression unreadable as he nods silently - Danny's anxiety curls in his gut. He's being so unlike himself. But he shakes Clockwork's shoulder gently and steps around him, leaving the room.

After a minute, he feels time return to normal.

[kawaiialeisha]

A Year of The Beloved Boy! 🎉

It was Mori’s birthday back on the 7th of July :D

I’ve had my little boy for a year now! I love him and his family as much as he does!

Oh and here are my Art Fight attacks from the previous week!

(Dandy isn’t really an attack… but I just wanted to show it)

OC OWNERS (in order) ✨

Starii Sky - @dianacoreexe

Solar Sundown - @bowlfullofsunshine

Nova Moonlet - @ilovethecolorblue

Mori Moonlet - I wonder who…

Dandy Leon - @sketchy-tour

Mimix - @sleepyzuku 💕

Orca - @mrb0unty

Iya - Mar1_Mary_

Tidal - @the-amazing-dr-banana

Caine - gooseworx (i am too scared to tag them)

Bing - PumpkinCatCarnival

Martha Enderson - @mushroomfernfox

Holy moly… that’s a lotta people

Anyway! Good news to my familiar fans!

I’ve made more Reboot Wally art 👁️ 👁️ (and my discord server is being worked on, nearly releasing soon!)

Love you all 💕

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic (and Meat) Recs 60

I'M BACK! I had a lovely time on PTO! I went home, visited with family, visited with the cattle, celebrated my birthday, attended a banquet, got a wicked sharp meat cleaver (very excited about this), visited a new arboretum, saw birds, took pictures of birds, and survived the solar eclipse! All and all, a good time all around :) Got some reading done too, so there are fic recs from what I read last week and this week on this list. Also, a meat 101 lesson at the end, USDA beef quality grades edition!

The Brothers Wayne by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. An update to the Bruce and Wade Wilson are brothers fic. Some family bonding between the brothers, the only way siblings know how. Beating the shit out of each other :)

Fresh Wounds (Still Cut Deep) by Inkwell1013 - Batfam, complete. A fic inspired by this art from sully-s. Alfred taking care of a newly orphaned Bruce and having no clue what he's doing (except his best).

dead man's party by TheResurrectionist - Batfam, wip. An update to Jason sees ghosts fic (while being haunted by Martha Wayne)

Patroclus by widow_account - Superbat, complete. I shrieked when I saw this fic was completed! I need to go back and reread it again in it's completed glory. Clark is kidnapped and sent to War World to fight. Bruce saves him. Much feels are involved too.

They Also Serve by Ginevra_Benci - Batfam, complete. Alfred wakes up to a surprise, Bruce kidnapping adopting a small angry child (Dick).

Precedent by Cdephiki - Batfam, complete. Damian joins the family early AU! The second fic in the series. This story is about Jason joining the family.

Padam by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. More of college Clark at a gay club. Bruce Wayne has entered the chat :)

Just A Little Bit... by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. More of eldritch Bruce and alien Clark! A plan is in the making to infiltrate Cadmus. Jason and Dick visit Ivy to ask for help

Unreasonable Love by elizabethgee - Superbat, wip. Bruce and Clark start dating and it is found out by the media. This wouldn't be too much of a problem except the fact that this awakens something in Clark's Kryptonian brain and he gets a little possessive protective of his mate boyfriend :)

shiftwork by TheResurrectionist - Bruce Wayne, complete. A neat fic from an outsider's point of view! Bruce visits one of Wanye Enterprise's worksites.

Oh Can't You See What Love Has Done (What it's Doing to Me?) by dio_icaurtica - Superbat, complete. A fic inspired by this post from frownyalfred!

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat, Batfam, Superfam, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! Tim and Bruce are recovering from their injuries.

Azure Catching the Moonlight by RenaiRin - Superbat, wip. Superman gets hit with some pink kryptonite. Be sure to read the tags! :D

Show Me How to Lie (You're Getting Better All The Time) by BookwormByNight - Superbat, wip. A Superman from an other universe shows up in the watchtower. He doesn't want to leave and takes a special interest in Bruce for some reason :)

Bruce Doing Mundane Things by aesthetic_pleasure - Superbat, wip. Exactly what it says in the title. Bruce does mundane things and Clark enjoys watching him do them.

Happy reading!

And now, as promised above:

BEEF QUALITY GRADING 101!

Since I live in the USA, my experience with beef quality grading is with the USDA standards. But, most of these rules (kinda) apply to other countries, they might just have different standards of what carcasses make it into what quality grades (for fun, look up USDA beef marbling cards and then Japanese beef quality grading cards. Marbling that would be acceptable for high quality beef in the US would be considered lower quality in Japan!)

What are USDA beef quality grades? Have you ever been in the grocery store, looked at a package of beef steaks (ribeye, sirloin, strip loin, filets, etc.) and saw a sticker on the package that said "USDA PRIME" or "USDA CHOICE"? That's the beef's quality grade! It determines the worth of the carcass. That, in combination with the Yield Grade (how much sellable meat can a processor/retailer/etc. can get off the carcass) gives you the overall price of the carcass.

There are two major factors that go into determining the quality grade of a carcass, the marbling and the maturity. Marbling is the intramuscular fat (fat inside of the muscle). Since marbling contributes to flavor and tenderness, more marbling is better! Below are the USDA marbling standards for beef carcasses:

The other factor is the maturity of the carcass. This is determined by looking at the ossification (cartilage turning into bone) of the dorsal processes (the long spiny fingers along the back bone) along the spine of the carcass. Look at the cartilage caps in the green boxes in the picture below:

The one on the far left is very white. If you were to scratch it with your fingernail, it would feel smooth. This would be considered an young carcass, or "A" maturity. The more those caps fill with bone, the older the carcass. The one on the far right has those caps completely filled with bone, so that would be considered and older carcasses, or "D" maturity. When a carcass passes into "C" maturity (like the one in the middle), that carcass can no longer be graded in to the higher priced quality grades (USDA Standard to Prime).

The maturity matters because as the animal gets older, they develop more connective tissue in the muscles. This decreases the tenderness of the meat, and consumers don't want to pay more money for tough meat. This is also why meat coming out of the middle of the carcass (along the back, so ribeye and loin) are more expensive. Those muscles have less connective tissue, so they are more tender. The tenderloin (Impress your friends by calling it by it's scientific name, psoas major!) is the most tender muscle on the carcass, so that's why it tends to be the most expensive.

Below is a chart showing what maturities and marbling scores are needed to reach what quality grade. For example, a carcass with "B" maturity and "Modest" marbling would be graded as USDA Choice.

USDA Prime is the highest quality grade a carcass can receive (well, actually USDA High Prime, but I can go more into how that's determined if someone asks about it). The lowest qualty grade you see in a retail store would be USDA Standard. The USDA Commercal, Utility, Cutter, and in the verrrrryyyy tiny corner in the bottom right is Canner. These grades are given to older animals, like old cows and bulls. USDA Commercial might be sold whole muscle (boneless) in restaurants after it has been enhanced (pumped with water, salt, sugar brine to make the meat more flavorful and tender). Otherwise, these carcasses that are lower quality grades are ground up for ground beef! Nothing more tender than ground beef! They can also get canned for canned beef. I have had many delicious meals of beef and noodles from canned beef from my family's herd 😋

As I mentioned before, this quality grade, along with the yield grade, determines the price of the carcass. If you want to check those out, click the link below:

USDA AMS daily beef reports

The report for beef carcass price per hundred weight is the second link down, called "Beef Carcass Price Equivalent Index Value". The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service always has these reports and they are always updating them each day. You will see price fluctuations throughout the year. I looks like for April 12th, the most valuable carcass for that day is a carcass that grades USDA Prime, with a Yield Grade of 1-3, and a hcw (hot carcass weight) of 600-900 lbs. A carcass that hit those standards will get you $297.92 per hundred weight (every 100 lbs, you get that much amount of money). So, a 800 lb carcass that is USDA Prime, Yield Grade 3 is worth $2383.36. This would be considered very rare though. Most carcasses in the US are grading USDA Choice, Yield Grades 1-3.

Anyway! I hope you enjoyed that Beef Grading 101! If you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask! I love discussing this!

[jackobbit]

I MADE A MISTAKE

I MADE A MISTAKE I SCROLLED THROUFH THE SOLAR FLARE TAG AND RHE FICATION JUST HIT ME LIKE A TRUCK AHAIN

MARTHA IM COMING HOME SWEETIE /ref

[notgonnaedit]

Given to Fly

Con Job

Summary: Martha "Marty" Thorne was a basic teenager, a little antisocial maybe. But her life changed the day she met the Autobots and joined them in their fight.

Pairing: Optimius x Teen!OFC (Platonic)

Chapter summary: Bulkhead's old buddy comes to visit, but is he really what he seems?

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, hostage situation, sad movie, (If I miss a tag LMK)

Updates are sporadic. If you want to be tagged LMK

@dreamsight73

A/n: I recommend looking up the plot of the Iron Giant if you haven't seen it

Master list

Marty ran through the base as she followed Optimius. They had been checking the security system and were now making their way back to the main hangar. She had never been very athletic, but she could keep up with the other kids at school.

Optimius, however, was not the other kids at school. A simple step for him was a million paces for Marty.

"Optimius," she called through pants. "Wait up!"

Optimius stopped and looked back at her, brow furrowing slightly.

When Marty finally reached him, she rested her hand on his foot, using it as a support as she caught her breath.

"My apologies, Little One," Optimius said. "I had forgotten that it takes more effort for you to keep in stride with me."

Still panting, Marty waved him off. "It's no problem. You're fine."

Suddenly, Marty's feet were taken out from under her. "Whoa!" She adjusted her glasses, looking out a her new high vantage point.

Optimius had lifted her up and set her on his shoulder. The brunette became suddenly aware of how tall her guardian truly was as she looked down at the distant floor.

"Better?" Optimius asked as he began to walk through the base.

Marty nodded, although she couldn't quite tear her eyes away from the floor, or rather, how far away it was. She didn't want to prove Ratchet right and go splat! 

As if sensing her thoughts, Optimius spoke up. "Do not worry," he said with a ghost of a smile. "I won't let you fall."

By now they had come to enter the main hangar where everyone else was gathered. Miko sat atop Bulkhead's shoulder, the two of them rambling on about a monster truck show.

"Optimius," Ratchet said. "I'm receiving a signal on a restricted band. It appears to he coming from a starship inside this solar system," he tapped away at the controls before speaking up again, his voice a mix of apprehension and awe. "It's an Autobot identification beacon."

"So there are other Bots out there?" Asked Jack as he stood on the platform with Raf.

"The masses scattered to the galaxies when Cybertron finally went dark," Arcee told him. "But Cons have been known to bait traps with false beacons."

Optimius stepped forward towards the computer. "Unknown vessel, this is Autobot outpost Omega One. Identify yourself."

"I've had warmer welcomes from Decepticon combat brigades," crackled a gruff voice. 

Bulkhead's face lit up. "Wheeljack?!" He surged forward, causing Miko to yelp. "You old Con crusher! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Bulkhead?" The voice asked. "That you? What's with all the security?"

"The rock we're on is crawling with Cons," Bulkhead with a slight eye roll. "How soon can you get here and even the odds?"

"Tomorrow, if I put the metal to the pedal."

"Another Bot's coming here," Miko said. "How cool is that!?"

Optimius hummed in thought. "Wheeljack–I know of him by reputation only. Can you verify his voiceprint?" He asked Bulkhead.

He nodded excitedly. "He is 1,000% the real deal, Optimius."

The Prime turned back towards the screen. "We will send landing coordinates, Wheeljack. Safe journey."

"See you soon, buddy," Bulkhead added before Ratchet severed the comm link.

A smirk found Marty's lips as she looked over at Bulkhead. "So, who's the boyfriend?"

He chuckled. "Me and Jackie go way back," he explained. "We were part of the same war unit, the Wreckers. Which means the Cons are gonna wish  he never found us."

Miko grinned, her gaze meeting Marty's. "Another Bot! How cool is that, McFly?"

Marty rolled her eyes at the nickname.

Optimius looked to his charge, confusion painted across his face. "McFly?" He echoed.

"We watched Back to the Future the other night at a sleepover," The brunette explained.

The only response she got was a blank stare.

"Y'know, Back to the Future? The main character is Marty McFly?"

Blank stare.

"Seriously?" Marty slumped slightly. "We need to watch all the cult classics sometime."

)()()()()(

The next day, everyone gathered to prepare to greet Wheeljack.The kids watched with excitement was the blinking dot on the screen representing Wheeljack's ship grew closer to the coordinates.

"Wheeljack's ship is approaching the landing zone," Arcee said with a smile.

"You think he's here to visit?" Raf asked.

"Maybe he'll stay!" Miko suggested. She hummed in thought, tapping her finger to her chin. "Have to find his own human, though."

Marty chuckled. "We'd have to find one for Ratchet first."

Speaking of the medic, he was powering up the ground bridge to pick up the new Autobot. "Ground bridge cycling up," he said. The machinery whirred to life before a few sparks shot out. Ratchet grunted as he slammed his fist on the controls, temporarily fixing the problem. "Blasted scraplets!" He cursed. "Equipment hasn't been the same since the infestation."

A small look of confusion crossed Jack's face. "So, Wheeljack's gonna land halfway around the world and then you'll bridge him here?" He asked.

"We can't risk revealing the location of our base just in case the Decepticons are tracking Wheeljack's ship," Optimius explained. 

Miko walked across the platform to talk to Bulkhead, who was pacing back and forth. "Dude, I've never seen you so excited!" 

"Oh, you're gonna love Wheeljack," Bulkhead told her. "We were like brothers. And tonight we are gonna party!"

Miko's chestnut eyes lit up. "Sweet!"

An alarm blared suddenly. Arcee's smile dropped to a scowl. "Bogies closing fast on Wheeljack's position."

"Con scum!" Bulkhead cursed. He ran to the ground bridge, Arcee and Bee on his heels. "Open the bridge, Ratchet! We're missing all the action!"

Ratchet activated the portal. "I'll prepare sick bay."

"Who for? The Cons?" Bulkhead asked with a smirk. "This is Wheeljack were talking about."

They ran through the bridge stepping out into the desert with their weapons ready. However, the sight they saw was not the one they were expecting.

A white Autobot with green and red markings pulled twin blades out from a Con's torso.

"I taught him that," Bulkhead said with a smile.

Wheejack turned to them, sheathing his swords as he walked. "Ever think I might need a hand here?"

"What, and spoil the show?" Bulkhead retorted.

"You missed one," Arcee said.

Wheeljack changed his hand for a blaster and shot the remaining Con lying on the ground. He deactivated his battle mask, observing them. "If this is all you got, this planet's in bigger trouble than I thought."

Just then, Bulkhead's face broke into the widest grin. "Jackie!" He surged forward and lifted his old friend into a hug.

The Wrecker let out a laugh. "What's to finish, you old wrecking ball?"

)()()()()(

The kids watched as the Bots ran back in from the ground bridge. Is suddenly shut down, sparking and earning a soft groan from Ratchet.

"Jackie, come here," Bulkhead said to the new Bot. "Meet my other best buddy, Miko."

The pink haired girl walked down the steps to meet them. "Hiya."

Wheeljack leaned down. "You keeping Bulkhead out of trouble?"

"I try, but trouble find us anyway."

Wheeljack turned back to Bulkhead. "We're gonna get along just fine."

Optimius walked in, earning his attention.

"Optimius Prime," he said respectfully. "It's a privilege."

"Likewise, soldier," Optimius said with a nod. "What have you to report from your long journey?"

"Been bouncing from rock to rock searching for signs of friend or foe," Wheejack answered. "Now I find both."

"We are few, but strong. We have suffered losses, but we have grown," Optimius glanced at where Raf, Jack, and Marty stood. "And we would relish welcoming a new member into our fold."

"I would be honored," Wheeljack said.

Bulkhead punched him playfully. "Then let's get this party started!"

Wheeljack pushed him back, then both clashed in a chest bump.

Ratchet shook his head. "Oh, joy."

)()()()()(

Miko's fingers danced along the frets of her guitar, providing music for the party. Bulkhead and Wheeljack threw a large ball of scap metal back and forth, throwing each other around a bit as well.

"So, what's that about?" Jack asked as he sat by Arcee.

"It's called lobbing," she explained. "a favorite pastime on Cybertron, especially among the Warrior class."

Miko turned to look at the wild haired boy behind her. "Come on, Raf! Show us some moves!"

The boy adjusted his glasses and stood. "Oh, alright."

Miko changed the rhythm from solo to upbeat power chords. As she played, Raf moved his body in short, jerking motions.

Jack let out a laugh. "Of course–the robot."

Bumblebee watched intently, copying Raf's moves slowly at first, but now moving with him confidently and happily.

Ratchet shook his head as he worked on the ground bridge, but said nothing.

Jack looked around and realized the base wasn't as full as usual. "W-where's Optimius and Marty?"

"Went for a drive," Arcee said with a glimmer in her eye. "Primes don't party."

)()()()()(

Marty sat in the passenger seat of Optimus' cab, her gaze fixated on the passing scenery of the desert wrapped in night. There wasn't much, save for the stars or the occasional coyote hunting a rabbit.

Optimius had asked if she wanted to go for a drive with him. He wasn't big on parties, and since neither was Marty, she happily joined him.

Her mind drifted back to the base. Wheeljack was different than how she imagined. The way Bulkhead described him was rowdy, but he seemed quiet. Maybe he just needed to warm up to them. After all, he'd been alone for a long time.

"Are you alright, Little One?" Optimius asked, his baritone voice rumbling around her.

Marty pulled her gaze away from the window. "Yeah, just lost in thought I guess," she shifted in her seat slightly, noticing the city lights of Jasper coming into view. "Where are we going?"

"I did not have a destination in mind. However, if there is somewhere you would like to go, I would be happy to take you."

Marty hummed in thought. They were in Jasper now. She glanced back out the window and one sign caught her eye.

"We could go to the drive in," she suggested. "They play movies, and if we're lucky, they'll be showing Back to the Future."

Without another word, Optimius pulled into the drive in. Marty read the sign to see what was playing. "It's not Back to the Future, but The Iron Giant is a really good movie," she turned back to the dash. "Wanna watch it?"

She felt a rumble through the cabin, something remnet of a chuckle. "If it's as good as you say, then I suppose I do."

Marty flashed a grin, a rare sight on her usually mundane expression.

)()()()()(

"So there we were– No communications, low on Energon, surrounded by Cons," Bulkheads hands moved wildly as he told his story. Miko's eyes lit up with every word.

"So, what does Wheeljack do? Tell them, Jackie!"

Wheeljack barely glanced his way. "Well, what I do best."

Bulkhead laughed. "He chucks his only grenade smack into the primary heat exchanger."

Wheeljack nodded apathetically. "Yeah, seemed like a good idea at the time."

Bulkhead grinned. "The joint went supernova!"

"Awesome!" Miko declared.

"Yeah, I'm still picking shrapnel out of my backside," Bulkhead admitted.

"I'm not surprised," Arcee said with a smirk. "Given the size of your backside."

Bee buzzed a laugh.

"There it is, Jackie's signature–One grenade, one shot," Bulkhead frowned when he saw his friend wasn't present, at least, not mentally. "Hey, you alright?"

"What?" That snapped Wheeljack out of his thoughts.

"You don't seem like yourself."

He tensed. "What do you mean?"

Bulkhead shrugged. "I don't know. You seem quiet."

Wheeljack waved him off. "Ah, I've been stuck in a can too long. I should go topside before I get stir-crazy."

"I have patrol in the morning. You can come with," Bulkhead offered.

"Let's go now."

"And break up the party? Come on! The gang's loving you!" Bulkhead said cheerfully. "You gotta to tell them about them Battle of Darkmount Pass!"

"You tell them. You're better at it.l," Wheeljack looked to the pink-haired girl watching them. "How about if Miko here shows me the rest of your base?"

Bulkhead was surprised, shocked even. "Well, yeah. Sure, Jackie. Go ahead."

Miko hopped off the crate she was sitting on. "Tour starts now."

As she and Wheeljack walked off into one of the tunnels, she rambled on with a plethora of questions. Bulkhead couldn't help but feel something was off.

"You alright?" Arcee asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah, just...out of sorts, I guess."

"Don't tell me you're jealous," she said with a teasing tone.

"That Miko's making a new friend? Come on!" He looked at the tunnel they had walked into and frowned. "Something... something's just not right about Wheeljack."

"Bulkhead, really?" Arcee asked. "He's traveled galaxies. You haven't seen him in centuries. He could be rocket-lagged or, well, Bots do change, you know?"

"Not Jackie."

)()()()()(

As they pulled out of the drive in, Marty couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness overcome her. "That movie was a lot sadder than I remember."

Optimius stayed silent, imploring her to continue.

But she didn't. She stayed silent, thinking about how similar her life was to Hogarth's. There was even a crazy government agent. Although, the end of the movie wasn't something she wanted to experience.

"Something on your mind, Little One?" Optimius asked.

She let out a soft sigh. "I was just thinking about the movie," she chuckled, a twinge of sadness in the sound. "Who would've thought I would get to live it out?"

Optimius was silent for a beat. "There are many risks that come with a war," he started. "But rest assured, I do not plan on becoming one with the Allspark in the foreseeable future."

The seatbelt tightened around Marty in a makeshift hug. She smiled softly, taking her hand and holding the strap. How Optimius had known what she was thinking, she would never know. Maybe she wasn't as good as masking her emotions as she thought she was, or maybe he just knew her too well. 

But maybe it wasn't so bad to have someone to open up to.

)()()()()(

"Look, I know Wheeljack better than anyone," Bulkhead insisted.

"Hey," Wheeljack and Miko entered the main hangar. "What are you guys talking about?"

Bulkhead turned to him. "I was just telling the guys all about you and me at the Battle of Darkmount Pass."

Wheeljack nodded. "That's a heck of a story."

"Yep," Bulkhead narrowed his eyes. "Tell it."

Miko faked a yawn. "Talk, talk, talk. How about after we go off-roading?"

"Miko! Stay out of this!" Bulkhead snapped.

"Bulkhead, easy," Arcee warned.

Wheeljack wavered. "I'm not sure I–"

"Tell it!" Bulkhead demanded.

Wheeljack met his glare. "Fine. You want to live in the past, Bulkhead? The Wreckers were trapped between a Decepticon patrol and the smelting pit. The Cons were vicious, bearing down on us with everything they had. Me and Bulkhead engaged the enemy, left them for scrap then I made us a way out using their backsides as stepping-stones to cross the molten metal," he glared at Bulkhead. "Isn't that how it happened?"

"Yeah. That's exactly how it happened," Bulkhead confirmed. "Except for one little thing. I wasn't there."

All eyes were on Wheeljack, even Ratchet.

"What?" The Bot(?) asked.

"I'd already left the Wreckers to join up with Optimius, but you wouldn't know that if all you did was access Wheeljack's public-service record," Bulkhead pointed an accusational finger at him.

Miko looked between the two, confusion painted across her expression. "Bulkhead, what does that have to do with– Ahh!"

Wheeljack(?) grabbed her and ran out of their circle, standing defensively near the ground bridge controls. "Stay back, or I'll squeeze her into a pulp."

Miko beat her fists against his hand. "Wheeljack, what are you doing?!"

"Decepticon coward!" Bulkhead cursed. "Let the girl go and face me!"

The Con's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Don't fret. Plenty of fighting to come."

"Is there a real Wheeljack?" Jack asked.

The Con nodded. "Oh, indeed, and expect Lord Starscream is making sport of him," he turned to the controls and powered up the ground bridge, which had finally finished it's repairs.

Once the swirling green was activated, he moved in front of it, ready to escape back to the Decepticon Warship. "Let's gets this party started."

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the portal wielding two blades. He kicked the Con in the back, sending Miko flying. Bulkhead caught her and set her gently on the floor.

"I'd shut that hole before the stink comes through," the second Wheeljack said.

Ratchet quickly closed the ground bridge. 

The two Wheeljack's circled each other, blades drawn. Bulkhead stepped forward, but one, the one who came from the ground bridge, stopped him. "Ugly's mine."

They went at it, slicing at each other without mercy.

Raf adjusted his glasses. "Which one is the real Wheeljack?"

Miko stammered as she wagged her finger between the fighting Cybertronians. "Uhh, I lost track!"

Finally, one of them took the other to the ground. Bulkhead smiled. "That's my Jackie."

Wheeljack, the real Wheeljack, glanced to Ratchet as he sheathed his blades. "You, hit the switch. It's time to take out the trash."

As Ratchet fired up the ground bridge, Wheeljack turned to Bulkhead. "All yours, buddy."

Bulkhead grinned and grabbed the Con. He hurdled him into the ground bridge. 

Wheeljack nodded in approval. "Nice lob."

)()()()()(

With the real Wheeljack at the base it was time to really party, much to Ratchet's displeasure. He shook his head as he watched Miko and Marty play guitar together and Jack, Raf, and Bee dancing to it. "It's like a reaccuring nightmare."

"Now that you're part of Team Prime, we need to pick out a vehicle mode for you," Bulkhead said to his friend. "I have some ideas."

Wheeljack shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, about that, Bulk– Now that my ship's repaired, I'm itching to know what else I might find out there."

"Wait," Miko's voice directed her attention to the kids who had gathered at their feet. "You're leaving? Why?"

Wheeljack looked pained, like he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Bulkhead smiled, a bit sadly. "Because some Bots never change."

"Wheeljack, know that you'll always have a haven here," Optimius told him.

Bulkhead threw his arm around Wheeljack's shoulders. "Jackie never stays, but he always comes back."

)()()()()(

"There's room for two, Bulk," Wheeljack said his his friend as they stood outside his ship. "Even with a backside like yours. Who knows what we might find out there– Some of the old crew?"

Miko looked down at the ground, a small frown on her face. Marty placed a hand on her shoulder.

Bulkhead chuckled. "Heh. It sounds like fun, Jackie. But my ties are here now with them. With her."

Miko looked up, a small smile on her face at at her guardian's words.

Wheeljack nodded and smiled. He turned to Miko. "If anything happens to my favorite Wrecker, I'm coming after you," he said with a playful smile.

Miko nodded. "I'll take good care of him," She took her phone out of her pocket and held it up to the friends. "Now, say cheese!"

Previous

Next

[tf-rpg]

Hey there, here are our 'sona's for Tales of Lore, the TF-RPG, or TOLsona.

For @cloud-kaiju, we've got Martha, stuck as a growy mossy behemoth lady. Her race is Bountiful Behemoth, a hybrid of Troll, Drake, Dryad and Minotaur, and she's a Wildfist Brawler, a strength punch class with some chaos magic. Her background is Cursed Princess, so perhaps she'll get cured someday.

For @lulu-the-kaiju, we've got Billie, a cute sunshine arcanist alien shork girl. She's a Yellow Scion, an all terrain fusion of Star Spawn, Chimera, Deep One, and Pixie, and a Solar Arcanist, working sun magic. Her background is Charlatan, though she pretends to be Martha's "knight".

Given Martha grows by absorbing sunlight, we're quite a chaotic duo.

[ineedlelittlespace]

It isn't her first New Year away from Preservation. It isn't even her second, her third, or her fourth. And given that this is only her first semester in the graduate program, it’s going to be far from her last. It is, however, the first one she's had the opportunity to spectate from a few solar systems away.

[solarduckarts]

my girl, my favorite girl, Martha Jones🥹💛

I love her SO much you have no ideia

[aurumacadicus]

It's that time of month again, friends! And for June, we're doing something special: Queer-themed books, both a fiction and non-fiction selection! We'll be reading both over the course of five weeks. Tumblr will vote, and the book club will then vote among the top three in Discord. If you'd like to join the book club, send me a message and I'll send you a link to the discord! Keep an eye out for the other poll, and check out the books' summaries under the cut!

My Deary Henry – A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life—and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry’s expulsion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry’s relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.

But Gabriel doesn’t want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what’s become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.

In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can’t help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.

But the secret behind Henry’s apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood…

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.

Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without the cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

Compulsory + All Systems Red by Martha Wells

“As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.”

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid – a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

Sophie Chi is in her first year of college (though her parents wish she’d attend a “real” university rather than a liberal arts school) and has long accepted her aroace (aromantic and asexual) identity. She knows she’ll never fall in love, but she enjoys running an Instagram account that offers relationship advice to students at her school. No one except her roommate can know that she’s behind the incredibly popular “Dear Wendy” account.

When Joanna “Jo” Ephron (also a first-year aroace college student) created their “Sincerely Wanda” account, it wasn’t at all meant to take off or be taken seriously—not like Wendy’s. But now they might have a rivalry of sorts with Wendy’s account? Oops. As if Jo’s not busy enough having existential crises over gender identity, whether she’ll ever truly be loved, and the possibility of her few friends finding The One then forgetting her!

While tensions are rising online, Sophie and Jo grow closer in real life, especially once they realize their shared aroace identity and start a campus organization for other a-spec students. Will their friendship survive if they learn just who’s behind the Wendy and Wanda accounts?

Exploring a-spec identities, college life, and more, while perfect for fans of Alice Oseman’s Loveless, this is ultimately a love story about two people who are not—and will not—be in love!

A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann

Lucky Hart has a special affinity for the supernatural but almost no one takes parapsychology seriously. She's estranged from her family, lost her friends, and has been rejected from graduate school. Twice. But her big break finally arrives when she gets insider info about a troubled production company. Every actor on their new show mysteriously quits after spending three nights inside Hennessee House, an old Victorian with a notorious reputation.

After scheming her way onto the show to investigate, Lucky meets Maverick Phillips and chemistry instantly crackles between them. He tempts her in ways no one ever has, challenging and supporting her, and making her finally feel seen. Their connection is so palpable everyone notices it—including Hennessee House.

Now Lucky and Maverick’s relationship has a challenger: the lonely, sentient house desperate for her undivided attention. As love begins to clash with career, Lucky refuses to choose one over the other because everyone deserves a happily ever after, even houses with haunted hearts. But when all her plans begin backfiring one-by-one, she realizes that if she wants to have it all? She’ll have to risk everything.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

[cipher-fresh]

Remember how Martha and Ten saw the 1969 Moon landing 4 times? I bet if the Doctor has ever taken companions to see solar eclipses, they have the TARDIS hover over bodies of water in the path of the eclipse so they get their own private view, and don’t run into themselves if they want to see it again

[doumekiss]

My Personal Favorites of 2023

Books - Fiction 

Children of Time Series (Adrian Tchaikovsky) 

Penric & Desdemona Series (Lois McMaster Bujold) 

Teixcalaan Series (Arkady Martine) 

Kitchen (Banana Yoshimoto) 

The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov) 

Homegoing (Yaa Gyasi) 

One Day All This Will Be Yours (Adrian Tchaikovsky)

Shards of Honor (Lois McMaster Bujold) 

Elder Race (Adrian Tchaikovsky) 

Bryony and Roses (T. Kingfisher)

Ogres (Adrian Tchaikovsky) 

The Blue Castle (L. M. Montgomery)

Bambi (Felix Selten) 

System Collapse (Martha Wells) 

Lost in The Moment and Found (Seanan McGuire) 

Books - Non-fiction 

Economics: The User’s Guide (Ha-Joon Chang)

Animals Make Us Human (Temple Grandin) 

Shockaholic (Carrie Fisher)

Yours Cruelly (Cassandra Peterson) 

The Autistic Brain (Temple Grandin) 

The Hot Zone (Richard Preston) 

Love, Lucy (Lucille Ball) 

Furious Love (Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger)

Spare (Prince Harry) 

Cinema Speculation (Quentin Tarantino) 

Immune (Phillip Dettmer)

Bad Girls (Camila Sosa Villada)

The Exquisite Machine (Sian E. Harding)

My Girls (Todd Fisher)

The Future of Geography (Tim Marshall) 

Comics/Manga/Manhwa 

Dungeon Meshi 

Sousou no Frieren 

Uzumaki 

Asadora 

The Apothecary Diaries 

Snow, Glass, Apples

Bokura no Shokutaku 

She Loves to Eat, She Loves to Cook 

What Happens When The Third Wheel Goes on Strike

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint 

Semantic Error

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon and Mu 

Are you my Mother? 

What did you eat yesterday? 

Oshi Ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu

Movies 

Dog Day Afternoon 

The Three Faces of Eve 

The Lion in Winter 

Pride

Leave her to Heaven 

Ladyhawke 

Catherine Called Birdy 

Kiss of The Spider Woman 

God’s Own Country 

The Crying Game 

A Knight’s Tale 

The Company of Wolves

Dungeons and Dragons : Honor Among Thieves 

The Joy Luck Club 

Bottoms 

Tv Shows (Liveaction)

Yellowjackets - S02 

Bokura no Shokutaku - S01 

This Country - S01-S03

She Loves to Cook, She Loves to eat - S01

What we do in the shadows - S05 

Peacemaker - S01

Oshi Ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu - S01

Taskmaster AU - S01 

Class of ‘07 - S01 

Good Omens - S02 

Barry - S04

Succession - S04 

Ghosts US - S02

From - S01-02 

Our Flag Means Death - S02 

Tv Shows (Animation)

Star Trek: Lower Decks - S01-S04

The Apothecary Diaries - S01 

Fionna and Cake - S01 

Sousou no Frieren - S01 

Oshi no Ko - S01 

My Adventures with Superman - S01 

Solar Opposites - S04 

Kaguya Sama : Love is War - S01-02 

Undone - S01-S02 

Bob’s Burgers - S13-S14 

Skip to Loafer - S01 

My New Boss is Goofy - S01

Tondemo Skill - S01 

The Great North - S03 

Futurama - S11 

2022

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Doctor Who, but Chronologically 27

JOYOUS NEWS!!! We are now seeing our first two-parter that is

A) Actually supposed to be a two-parter, and

B) Set in the same time period so we can watch them back to back like you're meant to.

It's just nice to have a bit of normalcy in this deeply stupid watch order.

Anyway: Family of Blood. We pick up where we left off. Tim, aka the boy with the fob watch from Love, Actually, opens it just slightly, which is distracting enough to the Family that Martha promptly punches Mother firmly in the solar plexus, steals her shrimp-shaped gun, and takes her hostage.

"You won't shoot!" says Son. "You're scared!"

"Yes, guns and fear are a famously winning combination, Mummy's Little Genius," says Martha, and tells the Doctor to get everyone else out.

He does not. Human Doctor is still a trembling useless wimp. Instead, Nurse Joan the Love Interest takes over, and herds everyone out.

... and then we get the first of many Very Upsetting Scenes in this episode, as the Doctor turns back to Martha, who is still holding the Family at gunpoint.

"What about you?" he asks.

And Martha visibly steels herself, doesn't look away, and says perfectly evenly, "Mr Smith, I think you need to get your lady friend to safety, don't you?"

And he leaves her.

... fuck me, this one has more emotional resonance than that time Amy got shot by her plastic fiance

ANYWAY

Martha is then menaced by a scarecrow and yet still manages to get away. To their credit, the Doctor an Joan are waiting for her outside, at least, and they all run back to the school where the Doctor gets all the school boys to unload the guns and get ready to fight in preparation for Very Upsetting Scene #2. But just before it, we get given an emotionally charged warmup that punches our hearts out the backs of our ribcages like Mortal Kombat characters, as my excellent friend Maia once put it, because as the Family gather outside with their scarecrow army, the headmaster goes out to talk to them.

It's such a good exchange and so incredibly acted and edited that I literally looked up the quote:

Headmaster: Well I warn you, the school is armed. Brother: All your little tin soldiers. But tell me sir, will they thank you? Headmaster: I don’t understand. Brother: What do you know of history, sir? What do you know of next year? Headmaster: You’re not making sense, man— Brother: 1914, sir. Because the Family has travelled far and wide looking for Mr. Smith, and oh the things we have seen. War is coming. In foreign fields, war of the whole wide world with all your boys falling down in the mud. Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?

I literally cannot convey how well delivered both that "Tell me sir, will they thank you?" and that "Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?" is. The little blond inbred lad who loves dragons on Game of Thrones. By god. Sweet christ does that boy deliver the hell out of those lines. My husband literally GASPED.

Meanwhile, we have what passes for a pallette cleanser in this episode - Martha is tearing the study apart looking for the watch, and Joan the nurse comes to speak to her. Martha tells her she's a doctor from the future.

"Don't be ridiculous," Joan says. "You can't be a doctor, you're a woman and black."

I mean I know I said Freema Agyeman is not... the BEST at acting. And I stand by it. But the LOOK she levels in this scene, my lord. Somehow, in spite of only saying the words "Oh, do you think?", she manages to convey the sentiment "Let me just disembowel this bitch real quick."

"Bones of the hand," Martha says, and lists them all.

"You read that in a book," says Joan.

"YES, TO PASS MY EXAMS" says Martha.

Anyway, it's enough to convince Joan that her new boyfriend is an amnesiac alien (we've all been there, sis), so she goes off to talk to the Doctor. She asks him to describe Nottingham; but he can't, other than facts. And he has the first hint of a breakdown. He does NOT want to be a Time Lord.

"But you know this is wrong," Joan says. "These are children, going to fight the Family. The Doctor wouldn't want it. Nor would John Smith."

Tim is setting up with Classic White Bully Hutchison. But he decides that he needs to do something else with the watch to help. "It's okay!" he tells Hutchison. "You and I will survive this! I've seen us in a WW1 trench in 1914!" and then runs off, as though that is remotely comforting.

Which sets us up nicely for Very Upsetting Scene #2. Outside, a truly unfeasibly large number of scarecrows has now amassed (when did the family make all these scarecrows??!?) The shooting begins, a hymn playing over the top as these weeping, sobbing children load bullets into machine guns and fight supernatural terrors...

And the Doctor, standing there with a loaded rifle, cannot bring himself to shoot a single shot.

Fucking. Harrowing.

Anyway then Daughter-of-Mine turns up and shoots the headmaster for not listening to black women or somethign IDK Martha told him to stay back, he told her to fuck off, the Daughter killed him. Seems fair. Freaks the Doctor out though so everyone retreats into the school, the Family in hot pursuit, and then it's Chaos for a bit until the Father turns up with the TARDIS.

And then we get Very Upsetting Scene #3, as the Doctor cries and begs to be allowed to stay human. A good man, with a good life, in love. This segues into Very Upsetting Scene #4, where Joan takes them to the house of the Daughter on the well-reasoned grounds that the real child who used to be the Daughter had parents who would have tried to stop their little girl from leaving, and been killed. The Doctor lashes out at Martha.

"You're his companion!" he rages. "What good are you, exactly? Why does he need you?"

It is SO fucking upsetting. Poor Martha.

Anyway then Tim turns up with the watch, so THAT becomes Very Upsetting Scene #5, as the Family start bombing the village i.e. St Ffagan's village square, and Martha is telling him to open the fucking watch, and the Doctor is now screaming and begging and pleading to be allowed to live because he doesn't want to go and become someone else. But Joan realises he has to - otherwise, the Family will consume a Time Lord, and then they'll live forever and destroy everything.

She tries to convince him. He says he wants to stay and love her, but knows he won't as the Doctor. And then they touch the watch together and so they both see the life they could have had together INCLUDING THE CHILDREN WHO NOW WON'T EXIST and fuck me we all need therapy forever. Who okayed this. Who allowed this on television. Why must David Tennant be so good at acting.

So it's a bit of a shame it's then all downhill from there tbh.

Obviously, he opens the watch, although it happens off screen, so in this watch order we have had THREE SEPARATE WATCH STORIES but still haven't seen one be opened. He blows up the Family's space ship, and then... well, it's a bit weird. Bit fairytale. He suspends each of them in time in some way so they'll be imprisoned for all eternity, including trapping the Daughter in mirrors... somehow, bit vague on the details. "He ran from us to be kind," the narration says dramatically. "To spare us the rage of a Time Lord" and whoa there Mary Sue, we're back on this bullshit.

A final scene with Joan, with upsetting exchanges like

"Could you change back?"

"Yes"

"Will you?"

"No"

It's another difficult scene, but then it ruins itself by doing the old "People here died because you came and that's your fault" thing, which is eternally boring and terrible and I wish successive showrunners would stop doing it. The Tortured Man Pain side of the Mary Sue. Fuck off.

Anyway, the Doctor and Martha hug it out back at the TARDIS, which is sweet. Tim turns up.

"I've seen the future," he declares. "And I know now what I must do."

You're very intense, Tim.

The Doctor gives him the old watch, and away they go. I hope they're off to an ice cream planet where twelve-fingered aliens give great massages. Martha needs some serious aftercare.

Flash forward. Tim and Hutchison are staggering through a WW1 trench. Tim realises it's the moment from the watch vision he saw, and makes them dive right out the way of a shell. He saves Hutchison. Then Hutchison says "I'm not going to make it."

"Oh yes you are," declares Tim. "Didn't I promise you, all those years ago?"

Tim. It was last year.

ANYWAY this episode was fucking harrowing. We've now seen what the fob watches can do! But no further plot threads I don't think, nor any resolved, so the list remains... extensive.

“She” (an unknown person) is returning (perhaps River returned as Missy. Maybe Me? Maybe Clara???!)

There is something on Donna’s back

An entire planet, Pyrovilia, just… disappeared, somehow. (Maybe because the TARDIS is exploding??? Saturnine was also lost, and that WAS because of the TARDIS exploding. The lion man’s planet was also lost but he was a bit of a knob about it if I’m honest.)

Amy is maybe dead (she’s not)

The Doctor has been cubed (he’s out, but how?)

River is possibly blown up  (unless she’s Missy)

The TARDIS has blown up  (It’s fine now. Except it’s sort of melting now because it’s corrupted, but it’s fine again)

The universe appears to have ended  (the universe is back again)

The Doctor has employed(?) Nardole (And Nardole was “reassembled???”)

There’s a vault in the TARDIS and it contains Missy but we don’t know why (sometimes she knocks for the bants)

What has happened to all these companions and where are the new ones coming from?

There’s an immortal Viking girl now. Her name is Me and she’s now looking after the people the Doctor abandons

What’s With The Silence?

Why was Rory entirely unconcerned by the entire world suddenly going silent when that is Not Normal and should have been, at the very least, extremely disconcerting?

What did the Doctor do to Queen Lizzie One?

Who is Captain Jack Harkness? (Is he the one who gave the companions a warning about the lone cyberman?)

Why is Amy seeing a one-eyed woman in a vanishing window?

What’s with the Doctor’s future involving getting shot by an astronaut?

Is Amy pregnant and why is it inconclusive?

Who is Sarah-Jane Smith?

How is the Doctor Bill’s teacher and why/where does he have an office?

What is going on with the Cyber War and the Cyberium???

Who did the Doctor lose to Cyber Conversion?

What happened with the Other Cyber War?

What happened with the Third War that deleted the void?

Why does Rose seem particularly important?

What’s with the Weeping Angel statues, and why can’t you blink at them?

What order do these Doctors go in? (Eccleston, Tennant, uncertain, Smith, Capaldi.)

Which companion just… forgot the Doctor, and how?

Yaz and Vinder are about to die as Mori/Mwri/Muuri

There is a Lupari shield around Earth.

What’s a Time War?

What’s the Rift?

What’s Bad Wolf?

What happened with Amy’s pregnancy?

In which war did the Doctor become a war criminal, and how?

Who is the Master?

Why has Amy forgotten Rory?

Is Rory plastic or not?

Why is the Doctor sulking on a cloud?

How exactly does the Doctor have a cloud?

What exactly happened with Strax to, uh, tame him?

Which friend killed Strax?

Which friend brought Strax back?

Where did this lesbian lizard and human couple come from?

What happened with Clara as Souffle Girl and the Daleks?

How does Clara actually join?

Why so many Claras?

Why is Missy apparently in robo-heaven?

Why is probably!Missy pushing Clara and the Doctor together?

What is Trensilor and what happened there?

Who is Handles?

The Doctor is about to be dissolved by a beautiful geode man

The universe is being crushed by the Flux

Will the Doctor open the fobwatch?

Sontarans are invading Earth again

Who is Kate?

Who is Osgood? Another name of Clara’s again?

The fuck is the deal with the Grand Serpent

Does Martha get to go to an ice cream planet with 12-fingered massage aliens?

[pin-crusher2000]

Solar Sons Ask:

1) Does Jake often help Jon with his homework or vice versa?

2) Whose the taller one between them?

3) did they ever try to switch outfits during a Halloween night?

4) Is it common for Krypto to give Jake doggy kisses in his face anytime he comes by to where Jon lives?

5) Speaking of which, Does Jon and family live at the Kent Farm? If yes, is it the one along with Martha and Pa at Smallville or their own at Hamilton County?

5) Do the Solar Sons have their own HQ like the Fortress of Attitude or is it Titans Tower?

1: yup 👍 mostly Jon helping Jake cause he is in a higher grade, don’t see Jake helping Jon that much unless Jake is super smart lol

2: I say Jon by a inch lol

Jon: 11, 5’1

Jake: 10, 5’0

3: during one night yes they did

Jon got a wedgie in the front and back

Jake’s hands were covered in sleeves

4: definitely

Jake is like krypto’s top 10 humans lol

5:

Yes, definitely the one in Hamilton county (I can picture Hamilton being in maybe Maine or New York; up in the country side)

6: I say their main base is the fortress of attitude, but I can see the titans (dick and Tim’s) letting them use the titans base(s)

Let me know if you got more @paladin-of-nerd-fandom65 ;-)