#Tech bro ship can stay where it is

[holdbeast]

Damn, why is all the good HSR lore locked behind NPC conversations? Was I really supposed to grill a random shopkeeper in Exalting Sanctum to figure out that the Luofu’s role in the Xianzhou Alliance is basically to be the Trailblazer ship?

Apparently yes!!

Luofu’s bringing in immigrants from other Xianzhou ships (not the least being Baiheng, Yingxing, Fu Xuan, and Sushang). They’re welcoming outworlders. They help planets that were afflicted by abominations get back on their feet. They’ve got trade and cultural exchange.

So that’s why pushing them into an alliance with the Astral Express makes sense. They’re probably the only ship in the fleet that would have welcomes the Astral Express in the first place, and no, that’s not because of Dan Heng.

It also explains a lot about why Jing Yuan decided to become the General. He really is living his dream of travelling the stars and seeing new places - just, with more stress and responsibility than a Galaxy Ranger would have.

[sailorkamino]

you can sit with us

wildflower masterlist

relationships: twi'lek!jedi!reader x bad batch, background reader x plo koon & 104th battalion [gn, can be platonic or romantic]

summary: you're knight aola, a jedi with an abnormally strong connection to the living force and commander of the 104th. a reassigment leads you to kamino where you meet some equally unique (and chaotic) men, clone force 99.

word count: 1.6k

warnings: no use of y/n (reader will be called commander aola or smth flower related), proective!wolffe, shinies are in love with you, one mention of slavery, set 1 yr into clone wars so no echo yet

ryl translations: aola - flower

mando'a translations: Gar copad at jorhaa'ir laam, vod - you want to speak up, bro?

gif found on pinterest! credits to owner

When Yoda suggests getting your own special forces unit after your knighting you know you had to meet them before making any decisions.

You decide to go to Kamino rather than have them come to Coruscant, that way you can train together. Besides, you like to visit Kamino between assignments when you have time. Shaak says it’s good for the clones’ morale… mainly because they start showing off as soon as you enter the room. Plus the employees are on their best behavior when they have an audience.

That’s how you find yourself a few days later in a large mess hall. You can feel hundreds of brown eyes on you as you hold your tray. Beside you Wolffe glares at as many of them as possible. Your co-commander had brought you to the ocean planet to meet your new squad and ship, he only needed to drop you off but he seemed determined to stay as long as possible.

You assume it has to do with the young shinie’s who keep ogling you. A few have already approached you in the hallways on the way here but Wolffe took it upon himself to scare them away.

It's not hard to spot clone force 99 amongst the sea of identical haircuts. Like all vode they're completley unique in the force: from deep browns, to vibrant pinks, to dusty yellows, to blood reds. Oddly enough no one else is sitting with them. You lean towards Wolffe's ear as you get closer to the table. “Play nice.”

“I’m always nice.”

You hold back a snort at his deadpan tone. You pull your lips into a polite smile as you come to a stop. “Is this seat taken?”

Instead of a verbal response the four clones gawk at you. The pricking of jealous stares from all around the mess hall make your lekku twitch but you don’t let any discomfort show on your face. You once again remind yourself these men have very limited experience with nat borns.

“Yeah, of course, general!” The big one answers. He hastily makes room on the bench, almost shoving his grey haired brother to the floor in the process.

You hold back a laugh as you sit beside him yet the new title rings in yours ears. You never wanted to be a solider in the first place and now you're a general? You do your best to release your feelings to the force before introducing yourself.

Wolffe still hasn’t spoken. You subtly kick his boot under the table. “Commander Wolffe. He/him."

“You want to sit with us?” The goggled one asks with a cocked head, reminding you of a curious purgil. Ah, he must be Tech. “I do,” you respond confidently. Although you’re a bit confused they don’t know who you are, weren’t they briefed on their new officer? They probably weren’t shown a holo of you though. Well, this should be fun.

Your response seems to break the long haired clone out of his stupor. “I’m Sergeant Hunter. This is Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech. We're all he/him."

You note it will be easy to remember who specializes in what. You can sense the batch glancing at Wolffe’s cybernetic eye and you know he can too. They haven’t been deployed yet so it’s most likely the worst injury they’ve ever seen. Without looking up from his food the commander simply says: “lightsaber.”

The clones around you not so subtly glance to the two sabers at your waist. You slap his armored shoulder indignantly. “You can’t just say lightsaber, it looks like I did it!” You look at the curious shinies around you, tilting your head in Wolffe’s direction, “that would be courtesy of Dooku’s apprentice, Ventrass. But I think it just adds to his roguishly handsome vibe.”

Wolffe scowls but his cheeks flush at the compliment. You were there for every step of his recovery and since then you had taken it upon yourself to be his personal hype man. Plus seeing the stiff commander flustered is just too entertaining to pass up.

“Is their name really Ventrass?” Tech asks curiously.

“No, it’s Ventress, but she’s a real ass. Hence the name.”

You look down at your tray as they process the new info. “Ugh, this food should be considered a war crime. Remind me to never complain about the temple’s cafeteria again.” Wolffe doesn’t react, long used to your non sequiturs. The other clones share bewildered looks.

"As soon as I take you boys off world I’m getting you real food.” You add for good measure. Now you can literally feel the confusion radiating off of them.

"What do you mean 'off world’?” Hunter asks.

You look at him curiously. Okay maybe they don’t know they’re getting a new officer at all. “Wait, you guys haven’t talked to master Ti yet?”

“No, we haven’t.”

“Oh, well that explains your confusion. We’re gonna be working together.”

Hunter and Tech’s eyes widen comically. Crosshair squints suspiciously. Wrecker chokes on his mystery meat. You pat his large back to help it pass, wordlessly handing him some juice. “Sorry boys, it was kind of a last minute assignment but I was hoping you’ve been briefed.”

A stunned silence follows that quickly becomes awkward. You clasp your hands in front of you, ��well that’s alright! After you eat we can run a sim together!”

Your comm pings. You've never been so greatful for a distracion because clone force 99 is still gawking at you. Then you see the sender and any gratitude drains from your body. You roll your eyes without realizing it (a habit you picked up from your co-commander.)

"How do I diplomatically tell Tuan We to kriff off?” You ask said clone.

Wolffe's lips twitch up, which is his version of laughing. “Negotians are your department, sir.”

“You don’t like ‘em either?” Wrecker asks, wonder in his voice.

You lean towards him with a conspiratorial whisper. “Jedi aren’t supposed to be vengeful but between us I’m about one interaction away from drop kicking the prime minister.” Pride feels your chest at the shocked laughs you recieve. Even Crosshair and Wolffe are unable to hide their amusement.

Another alert from your comm has you prepared to cut it in half with one of your saber's but then you see the sender: Master Shaak Ti! You have always been quite close to the togruta who brought you to the jedi order (and subsequently saved you from a life of slavery.) You haven’t got to see her in person in forever. She must’ve been pretty busy lately if she wasn’t able to brief your new unit on your arrival.

You look at the table of clones with a cocky grin. “Hey, have you boys ever seen a lightsaber duel?”

You pointedly ignore Wolffe’s eye roll. You’re convinced his cybernetic eye is gonna get stuck in that position one day.

💀

Shaak Ti happens to be a master of makashi, aka the form both Dooku and Ventress prefer. That’s why neither of you are trying to end the duel by winning. It’s more of a studying opportunity. Especially considering you have a nasty habit of pissing off sith. To be fair what was Master Plo expecting when he asked Obi-Wan to teach you about negotiation?

You flip to avoid a graceful lunge from the general. Her violet eyes shine with pride. “Your ataru has greatly improved, young one.”

The slightly breathless praise has you grinning, feeling like an eager youngling again. You skillfully dodge her green blade, “am I tiring you out, master?”

She tries to appear disapproving but you can feel her amusement. “A jedi should be humble.”

You beam at her through the clash of your sabers. “I’ll have you know humility is one of my best traits.”

A beeping goes off from Tech’s datapad, alerting the end of your allotted sparring time. You come to a halt. The adrenaline of a good duel leaves you both glowing softly in the force.

“Woah! That was awesome!”

The bellowing voice makes you grin. “Thank you, Wrecker."

You power down one of your lightsabers, clipping it back to your hip. You extend your now free hand as you call your water bottle into it. Shaak Ti bows, bidding goodbyes to you and the clones before making her leave.

“What is ataru?” Tech asks, fingers stilled above his datapad screen.

You take a few gulps before answering. “Form four of lightsaber combat. It’s known as the aggressive form but really it’s more acrobatic than anything.”

Wolffe mumbles something along the lines of ‘show off.’ You aren’t surprised. He’s never been a fan of ataru. He thinks all the flips are impractical. “Gar copad at jorhaa'ir laam, vod?” You tease. Your eyes flick to the bad batch, noting their confusion in the force. “Do you speak Mando’a?” You ask and immediately regret it. You didn’t mean to put them on the spot.

“Some. Tech knows the most,” Hunter answers gruffly. His tone makes you think there’s a deeper meaning to them not knowing the language. You and Wolffe share a curious look but neither of you say anything. “Well I just told him to speak up,” you translate a bit awkwardly. You don't want them to feel excluded.

“How many lightsaber forms are there?” Tech suddenly asks.

You shoot the genius a thankful look for breaking the tension. “Seven. I can show you if you’re interested?”

“That would be fascinating!”

You’re starting to really like Tech’s enthusiasm. You glance at his brothers. They don’t necessarily feel bored but they aren’t as excited as Tech. “You boys don’t have to stay for this if you don’t want to.”

“Are you gonna do more tricks?” Wrecker asks. You can’t help but chuckle. Despite his size he reminds you of the younglings back at the temple. You miss them.

“I am.”

“Then I’ll stay!”

Crosshair tries to seem uninterested. “I don’t have any other plans,” he simpers. You can tell bonding with this vod won’t be easy but you’ve always liked a challenge. You look at Hunter expectantly since he has yet to speak up. “Sounds interesting," he shrugs.

“Great. Tech, you can record this if you like.” He flashes a small, grateful smile as he clicks away on his pad. You leave your shoto by your waist, igniting your regular saber as you fall into a familiar stance. “The first form is the most basic, shii-cho…”

As you move through katas you know you’ve found your answer for Master Yoda.

[dbphantom]

Just finished Skypiea with the bestie (not telling him G-8 is filler because I fucking love G-8) and damn I need to ramble about one piece. I'm gonna ramble about one piece. I love one piece.

Mild spoilers for most recent chapters below the cut just to address Things and Stuff

Mostly because I want the Cross Guild to reach it first so that Buggy will use it to declare himself PK. Marineford foreshadowing.

I know it is kind of being undermined rn but I still want to believe that either the OP (unlikely) or something with the OP (more likely, still unlikely) will allow whoever finds it to communicate with the entire world directly

But on a more serious note I think it would eventually be used to broadcast the true story of the Straw Hat Pirates (and probably also the Void Century, given Robin's dream + the Rio Poneglyph) to the entire world, kinda like the ending of TAZ.

I hope the reason Roger n his crew were too early wasn't solely because of a prophecy (poseidon not being born yet I can cope w/ yknow), but because they wanted to free the world from the WG and they knew if they told the truth to the entire world right then, too many people would die in the resulting uprisings and the movement would be smothered.

(I think this is also why Crocus is hanging at reverse mountain and Rayleigh is vibing on Sabaody. They are like 'check-in' points for pirates on the grand line, so they're just making sure things go smoothly. Also probably why Shanks was going after the Nika fruit bc if they are trying to weaken the WG's hold on people, having an old god of freedom and icon of hope running around would help. And why he showed up at Marineford. Also also I hope the man the burn scar is another of Roger's old crew. Scopper Gaban, I miss you every day...)

But the polical climate of the OP world is changing a lot in the current day, and I think the reason Roger chose to be executed instead of dying to the disease was to have a grand stage so he could set up the Great Pirate Era. Essentially his final words would kickstart a new world where people are more comfortable living and trading and exchanging information on the rising seas. They won't be stuck isolated on their islands and therefore easier to control by the WG.

I said in the above that recent chapters are kind of undermining this and that's bc obviously we already have the tech to broadcast to the entire world, so why tf would the OP or something as important to be included with the OP be that? But I personally think the den dens are too easily controlled/interfered with by the Marines. They were still able to cut off VP's message and (unintentionally) deflect the blame of his death onto the SHs despite his best efforts and he's probably the smartest person in the OP universe. So I think a way to 'directly' communicate (be it telepathically or via memory transfer or a comic book or whatever) so that the truth can come out would be neat. Fuck censorship. Stay silly. Uphold freedom. Or something.

Also the manga is named One Piece and I think the final broadcast reaching us through dimensions would be cool af. I'm sorry, I really just think it would be neat, that's the reason I am writing this. It'd be so cool and I love stories that get meta 🤩

Anyway yeah I just finished rewatching Skypiea and given just how many parallels are within it compared to the rest of the series I will continue to hold on to this belief that the one piece is the EOS equivalent of the golden bell. It guides lost souls home. And home is currently at the bottom the ocean so I think we are all lost souls

... That's so romantic 💙

(Also ngl the end of Skypiea is also why I believe in Space Piece so much... I want terraforming so fucking bad bro... Ship coating and knock-up streams and the space pirates and the kingdom on the moon HAVE to come back, right? Please please please please please please please please please-)

Anyway if you actually read this, thank you, here is my favorite panel of Hawkins

[louff4tw]

So I have this head cannon about Casey Jones Jr and Donnie

Edit: Don has prosthetics that he got at different points in Caseys life. Both legs when he was 7. A arm when he was 10. He only really went on the most dangerous missions cause they involved Krang ships directly

So. Donnie’s specialty is defence. So he needs to stay back most of the time but he does most of his fight with drones. He is the only one that spends more then a few days at the base. Only leaving once in awhile when a mission involves a lot of tech.

Cue Cassandra tasking him with also caring for Jr. She doesn’t trust many and she trusts him and his family. Cause they are her family.

So he has this infant that he basically raises. She’s gone a lot. They all make jokes about how he’s such a dad. Raph and Mikey think it’s adorable. Leo sees it as blackmail material for how Donnie almost cried when Jr started walking.

Jr even started calling him Dad. He tried discouraging it. He didn’t know where Jr learned to (Leo just to mess with him). Cass wasn’t sure how she felt about it. At one point Don wasn’t his dad. But on the other. Splinter wasn’t hers. But he was. One night she’s exhausted and Jr won’t stop crying cause he was teething. So she brings him to Donnie going “when he can’t stop crying. Your his dad. Make him stop”.

Shelldon 2.0 is best big brother and is AI that helps run the place.

He makes soothers while he’s almost crying. By now everyone has accepted he’s a dad. (Boogie woogie woogie). His Bros and April are uncles and auntys and Splinter is a Grandpa.

As Jr grows Don starts teaching his Son™️ about tech. Jr is like a natural. More “no these aren’t tears Leon. My eyes are leaking blinker fluid”

Raph dies when Jr was 4. He doesn’t really remember him. Anymore but he spent weeks after asking for him cause he didnt understand death yet. He inherited one of Raphs bear. And when it clicked Don spent hours holding him while quietly sobbing together.

He understood death when his mom died 2 years later. He rarely left Dons side. Terrified that if he did. He would loose him to.

Don made him his weapon to look like his moms with a mic of his own. Told Jr when he’s older he can show him how to fully trick it out. He never got the chance.

When Jr was 13 the krang found their base. Emergency protocols were set in place. A mass exact took place. Many didn’t make it out. One of their own leaked their plans to the krang in hopes of being allowed to survive. (They killed him anyway)

Jr was one of the ones who couldn’t make it out.

Donnie didn’t even think of leaving until Jr did. He found Jr facing some Krang. He took Jr and ran. All exits blocked. He went back to the lab and hid him. There was only room for Jr. Donnie went full out on the Krang. The parental mom lifts car mode activated.

The krang fought hard. But he fought harder. But there was so many of them. He got several down, he’s so hurt but he can’t stop. Leo and gang arrive. They are able to take down the last of them/scare them off.

“Great work Donnie! Donnie? DONNIE!” From Leo. He was hurt so bad he could barely move. His brothers and April run to him. He’s trying to reach where he hid Jr when he bursts out and books it to Don.

He collapses onto Don begging him “Please be okay Dad! Dad please! I can’t loose you”

Cue movie moment where Don smiles a genuine smile while he caresses Jrs face. Hand and smile Drop. Gravity kicks in and his head Lulls in the opposite direction.

He clings to Leo and the others from then on. They continue his training and he continues his Dads work of doing the tech Defence. Shelldon helps.

Leo eventually becomes his main teacher and he shifts from calling him Uncle to Sensei. He takes it upon himself to raise his twins Son. He and Mikey do everything to keep him safe. EVERYTHING.

Cue being in the past. It’s not till after the krang are defeated they start asking more questions. And he meets his young Mom. They learn that Don was his dad. He and Cass look at each other and he just goes “not the worst person to co parent with”

Splinter makes a joke how he’s so calm when raised by his two chaotic children (yes he counted Cass. To him April and Cass are his daughters)

Casey Jones Jr is happy to see them safe and okay. But part of him will miss his family. And find it weird how his family is becoming a extension of his family.

Either way. Mission accomplished for the future Mad Dogs. Casey is safe and happy(ish)

[rhodestoruin]

≛ main ≛ bio ≛ face ≛ muse ≛ starters ≛ wishlist ≛

about:

This is a sideblog, and I follow back from my main @grimmusings. Please direct IMs there, since it's easier for me to keep all my messages on one blog. It's also easier to start interactions with me there, where I regularly post open starters and meme prompts. For a full list of rules, see my main. Honesty hour questions will largely be answered IC and treated as anonymous unless signed by a muse.

Rhodey is a mix of Earth-616, MCU, and headcanons, all of them meshed them together for Earth-3490. All details vary based on verse, and I'm happy to write him into AUs and fandom crossovers. His characterization is heavily inspired by The Components of Construction. All post-CW threads in an MCU timeline are written with the faceclaim Gabrielle Union. I do not acknowledge any of the D+ shows in my verses.

wanted connections:

This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I can roll with most muses as far as basic interactions. I'm happy to ship Rhodey with other Marvel characters and OCs/fandom crossovers based on chemistry, but unless they're on my OTP list, they need plotting and interaction first. There is never any pressure to ship with me, even if they're on my list.

OTPs: Carol Danvers, Clint Barton, Tony/Natasha Stark Possible Ships: most Avengers NOTPs: n/a Family: Safe to say he'd love to be the Cool Uncle to all of Tony's various canon and AU children, but given the age difference, this is probably not the Rhodey they grew up with. Other: TONY TONY TONY. Whether it's bros, romance, or platonic soulmates, I'd love all the Tony connections.

default verses:

616: A mix of comics and headcanons where Rhodey and Clint Barton were dating pre-Civil War and chose opposite sides, ending the relationship. As this is not an MCU verse and Vision was not involved, Rhodey wasn't seriously injured.

3490: A blip universe in the comics where Steve Rogers and Natasha Stark are married, and the Avengers' Civil War never happens. I'm most comfortable writing this version of him, so feel free to have your muse playing tourist in his dimension or vice versa, especially if the age is off.

multiverse!madness: Various comics universes collide, whether Marvel/DC/etc. have always existed on the same Earth, or other-dimension shenanigans are at work. Duplicate friendly!

verses by request only:

I'm happy to write these, but since they're more specific AUs, I don't default on them for asks/memes. Please feel free to request them.

alt!3490: A blip universe in the comics where Stephanie Rogers and Natasha Stark are married, and the Avengers' Civil War never happens. (fem!rhodey / fc: vanessa morgan)

alt!postblip: An MCU timeline where Steve Rogers stays in the present timeline, Tony Stark doesn't die, and the snap brings back Natasha Romanoff. Jane Rhodes was paralyzed from the waist down in the Avengers' Civil War and uses Stark tech leg braces to walk. She identifies as homosexual and only ships with female muses. (fem!rhodey / fc: Gabrielle Union)

college!verse: A modern/realistic AU where Rhodey is an engineering and ROTC student at MIT.

[dickthyology]

Oh please, allow me to rekindle that reaction, because i love small boat sailing and history and i think this is dumb tech bro shit that exists to get VC money then fizzle.

These parafoils (which is whats pictured in previous posts), or kites, or parasails, or spinnakers all are established technologies. For like hundreds of years, thats why i could name so many similarly mastless sails. (Oh btw all of them work better with masts, but with the right winds they can be deployed however)

Previous posters did a great job speculating about retrofitting existing ships and i really am not trying to attack them, however i put forth that it doesnt really matter how you mount them, cause they wont be installed. Not because people underestimate the value of free energy from sails, but because everyone forgets how great screw propellors are

First, these kites are nowhere near as effective as sails on a mast. Lets look at two diagrams.

The first diagram shows the possible points of sail for a masted vessel, whereas the second shows that for a kite sail (kitesailing, windboarding, whatever) but with an emphasis on the “power zone” where it will get far more power. This is more important for the kites because in the “soft zone” the kite will hopefully have enough force to stay aloft, and behind it it will certainly not. Its worth noting that masted sails also get considerably more power on a run, which its equivalent to the power zone, only if the wind is slightly behind the path of the masted boat (labeled close) the boat still moves forward and does not have to turn around and pick up their sail.

So the sails will only be deployed of the wind is such to push the boat forward. Okay, sure most people figured thats the thing but its usually windy so like whatever right? Lets look at two maps detailing wind conditions in the atlantic, then compare it to a chart of global shipping corridors to see what kind of winds the cargo ships encounter.

Uh oh! Looks like the cargo ships LOVE crossing that really quiet non-windy bit in the middle. They love it like they’ve wanted to take that more direct route for hundreds of years but have only been able to do so for the last 150 years or so.

But look, the routes overlap with the winds sometimes! Sometimes in one but not the other? Ah yeah its wind and it changes based on the month, day, and hour. That right there is enough to take every statement made anywhere with huge grains of salt. Especially mine.

But, the strawman insisted, there are times when the wind is blowing with the ships, surely then it could be- SO LETS CONTINUE LOOKING into these kite sails. Recreationally there is an amount of wind which will not be able to lift the sail up into the air. These sails are made of various materials, all of them effected by gravity. The sails needed to pull a cargo shit weighing thousands of tons would need to be WAY bigger than to pull an instagram user, but nonetheless lets assume they have the same minimum relative windspeed to lift off, 10 kts. This means anywhere with darker blue sails will not work at all, cant even be deployed.

Oh right i said RELATIVE wind because if the sail is meant to be in ADDITION to engine forces then we can only use the wind thats going FASTER than the ship to pull us forward. So lets take the average leisurely, and fuel efficient speed of a cargo ship, 21kts. They often go faster, but they also at times purposefully slow roll, im not going any further into ocean bound logistics though and im not sorry. Look at this post is a monster already.

So! 21kts plus the 10 kts minimum gives us 31 kts minimum speed to get anything out of this sail we dragged along. Now on our wind maps anything blue, including some blue green is disqualified as useful wind. Sometimes its not nothing even!

The next question we must ask is how much power are we getting from that sail? I dont want to do the exact calculations so lets use a heuristic to calculate how much power;

0.015 hp/sqr ft of sail @ 7-10 kts wind speed

0.020 hp/sqr ft of sail @ 11-16 kts ''

0.040 hp/sqr ft of sail @ 17-21 kts "

0.070 hp/sqr ft of sail @ 22-27 kts "

Lets consider the MS beluga skysails which made its partially kite powered maiden voyage in 2008 across the atlantic. This kits has a square footage of 17,000 m2, giving it a maximum of 119 hp.

The average container ship engine with a screw propeller has between 26,000 and 33,000hp. I told you screw propellers were underestimated.

And that’s at the maximum relative wind. And again, its relative wind because the MS beluga Skysails was a hybrid vessel! It still burned fossil fuels on every single one of its tests and voyages, and never turned off its engines. WHEN sail power could be used it reported a 5% reduction in that portion of the journeys fuel usage. The PORTION.

So all thats left is to decide if its worth it to bring along. Every ounce of weight added to a ship affects the hulls drag coefficient, as well as the system and sail taking up physical space on the ship, which is the valuable part of a journey, meaning they are effectively paying or losing out on revenue in order to take the damn thing with it.

So is it worth it? Is it useful? Maybe the 15 years between 2008 and 2023 are because it was foolishly overlooked by an entire planet seeming to squeeze every last drop of efficiency out of the global trade networks. I kinda want it to be, I genuinely love sailing and recommend the experience to anyone. Hell even a tarp and a skate board will give ya a fun afternoon.

But its not anyone entrypoint into a cherished hobby its just another tech-esque headline that doesnt hold up to scrutiny. Doomed to be spread for the glimmer of hope we may not end our own species, though it may only achieve a few rounds of venture capital funding.

We dont need to speculate whether this new innovation will sweep across the worlds shipping lanes, because the numbers have already been run, the consensus is deafening; no it’s dumb.

Shout out to the other passionate posters, i mean nothing against them. Its just a thing that bothers me everytime i see it.

And lastly; enjoy this photo of a few small sailboats called sunfish because i love them.

[sarahjtv]

BNHA Chapter 309 Spoiler Thoughts: Izuku and Inko Midoriya, and Some More Things Along The Way

The chapter leaks are here again!  Thanks to all the people on Twitter and here on Tumblr for providing us with scans and translations.  This chapter helps explain some things that a lot of us were wondering about.  Sadly, there’s still no Bakugo, or Shoto, or any other UA kids really; they’re only in flashbacks.  But, we do get to see what All Might and the Top 3 Heroes (Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist) are up to, so that’s something.  Anyway, remember to take what I say with a grain of salt until the official translations come out on Sunday:

The chapter starts a few minutes after Deku beat Muscular.  He’s flying through the air taking an unconscious Muscular tied up in his Black Whip.  The other Ketsubusu Academy students from the Lisence Exam see him too.  Thankfully the stubborn civilians from 2 chapters ago are willing to help Yo Shindo recover in exchange for not listening moving to the school shelters.  Also, Shindo’s barely conscious, but he does actually remember Deku.  He’s just not the same Deku as before.  Not much for me to say here except that I wonder if Shindo’s going to help spread the word about Deku’s actions.  Not just to his classmates, but I wonder if the words’ going to get out to the news and UA.  Actually, word might not even get that far since Shindo was only one of the few people in that exam that really even interacted with Deku...

Deku hands Muscular over to the police for them to take care off.  He also makes sure to cover himself up in Smokescreen to hide his identity.  So, Deku really is working in the shadows here.  It is best that the public doesn’t know what Deku is doing so that the LoV don’t track him down.  My man’s really going down the Batman route.  Oh, I also have to admire Deku’s smartphone here kept in this steel case.  I was going to say it’s a burner phone, but burner phones break easily for a reason and this one clearly doesn’t.  Maybe it’s a special one that can’t be tracked down.    

And we finally get to see All Might again!  He is actively working with Deku instead of just not knowing where his protege is.  He’s wearing casual clothes (jacket, jeans, sunglasses, the works) when he meets up with Deku in an alleyway.  I’m honestly glad that All Might is still supervising Deku.  I mean, Deku on his own would’ve been badass, but when you’re going up against people like AFO and Shigaraki, you’re going to need some help.  Especially when laying low.  Even with supervision, I still think Deku counts as a vigilante b/c I don’t think his license works if he’s not at UA.  I will believe this unless proven otherwise.  

It’s explained that the “wrapping” on Deku’s arms are actually gauntlets called “Mid-Gauntlets”, which are what are helping hold Deku’s arms together.  And they are VERY similar to the gauntlets that Melissa Shield from Two Heroes gave Deku.  Deku even says that All Might ordered them from the USA before travel restrictions were put in place.  I know that it’s only implied, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Deku’s new gauntlets were made by Melissa.  Even if you want to doubt it, at this point, Two Heroes (and by extension Heroes Rising and probably the upcoming 3rd movie, World Heroes Mission) are canon.  Honestly, I’m cool with it.  I liked Melissa and I’m glad her presence is still around (she was even in a Team-Up Mission chapter with Hatsume).  I do wonder if we’re ever going to see her in the main story.  It would be nice to see Melissa again.

The gauntlets are test samples and are used to enhance endurance.  All Might says that they can’t withstand 100% of OFA yet.  Which means that Deku actually beat Muscular with less than 100% unlike their first fight where Deku had to use over 100% just to knock him out.  So, does this mean that, say, Deku’s current 45% is stronger than his 100+% back in the Forest Camp?  Or maybe it was just the combo of moves and strategy rather then Deku just punching his way through things.

Small detail, but All Might’s phone goes off with that “I AM HERE” ringtone we heard before and Deku comments that this particular one is from All Might’s Silver Age TV Special!  It’s such a small thing, but I love that Deku still has that All Might fanboy in him despite everything 💚!  Somethings truly never change.

And back to the Top 3: Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist!  Endeavor and Best Jeanist are teaming up to kick a villain’s ass while Hawks is talking to All Might on the phone.  It looks like Hawks got a few costume changes particularly his visor/glasses which look more boxy than they did before if that makes sense.  Oh, and they’re also helping All Might work with Deku.  Makes sense since all three vowed to help take down Dabi earlier and Shigaraki and AFO definitely extend from that.

Deku’s Danger Sense is going off, so he’s probably going to check out any danger he can find in case it’s the LoV.  I do wonder if that harms Deku still.  It was said that it felt like a stabbing in his head and it must’ve been bad enough for the 4th OFA Holder to live in the forest away from society.  Man, I really hope our boy is ok (I know he’s not really, let me have this).

But yeah, Hawks (still wingless, but with a nice little undercut btw😳) explains that Deku's afraid of dragging other people in his battles like All Might.  Hawks also goes on to say that it’s best to take the initiative in taking down AFO and Shigaraki rather than waiting for them to appear all powered up.  He also wants All Might to keep supporting him despite the difficult position he’s in (remember that All Might’s technically Qurikless again and can’t really fight on his own).  It makes sense for them to go after the Villains again while they can.  If Deku fought Shigaraki while Shigaraki was at full strength, Deku would lose easily.  Even at 75%, Shigaraki was able to kill and injure A LOT of people, and Deku was lucky to even make it out there alive.  They need to find Shigaraki SOON!  

Flashback to Central Hospital before Deku jumped UA ship!  Recover Girl and Central Hospital’s high-tech were responsible for many of the patience recovering quickly and being discarged.  Deku was just there a little longer than the others.  So, we can assume that all our UA kids and some notable heroes made it out alive after being treated.  Still don’t know what happened to some people like Tamaki and Fat Gum tho 😭.  

All Might and Deku’s mom, Inko (thank god she’s ok), are by Deku’s bedside as his casts are taken off.  Deku’s doctor (who looks like Super Mario/Luigi; the whole Super Mario crew must run this damn place.  Where’s Bowser and Princess Peach) explains that despite his former warnings about his ligaments, Deku’s limbs are still functioning because he’s not the same as he was before.  So, before, Deku’s injuries were like his limbs were exploding from the inside, but this time those “explosions” were able to escape his body.  Also his Black Whip cast helped keep Deku’s arm in tact so that he wouldn’t pulverize himself.  His ligimates are still degrading too, so Deku still has to be careful.  I think he might have a few more small scars too, but that could just be shadows or muscle lining from Horikoshi’s pen-work.  

Ok, honestly, I’m not sure how this logically works...  I’m no medical professional, but I assume this means that Deku’s built his body up so much that it’s naturally able to withstand more damage than before and that’s why he’s more durable.  But, I don’t know how Deku was able to let the “explosions” escape this time.  I get the reverse; I get how he got injured before, but I don’t get this.  Was it the Black Whip brace he made for himself?  I honestly don’t really understand this.  Maybe the official translations will clear this up.  Or Horikoshi will in a Tweet or Volume Extra.

And Inko is finally informed of OFA thank the gods!  She was in the top of my list of “People who should really, really know OFA and what’s going on with Deku because I swear...”.  She’s clearly shaken up as anyone would be, but I’m glad she at least knows what’s going on with her son.  Yes, she’s still worried, but at least she can stop guessing why all this is happening.  

Deku announces the reason why he won’t go back to UA and it’s basically that Shigaraki can sense where Deku is and he doesn’t want to see anyone else close to him get hurt and/or die.  So, basically what I thought would be the reason.  Absolutely no surprise there.  But, going after Shigaraki and AFO first was originally Deku’s idea, so that’s something new.  Kid’s bold.

And this broke my heart 💔!  Inko insists that Deku stay with her to stay safe, but Deku knows what he has to do.  So, he thanks his mom, thanks her for making him happy, and tells her that he’ll be ok and that he’ll come back home with a somber smile on his face.  We see a flashback to Little Deku and Inko too when they were happier.  Bro, I don’t even know what to say.  I am in tears just writing this 😭  I’ll just post these two panels so y’all can cry with me.  I will never recover from this.  I’m fucking devastated.  You better come home, Deku: 

*sniffs* All Might remembers what he said to Inko.  He remembers how he said that he will protect Deku with his life.  All Might encourages Deku to go and he says that he’ll go with him with tears in his eyes.  He asks the Top 3 to help with this mission (finding Dabi) as their own mission coincides with Deku’s (finding Shigaraki and AFO).  I’m so glad all these adults are staying by Deku’s side throughout this.  It’s good to know that Deku still has support, though I wish it were from some of his friends too.  Maybe one day.

Deku goes to see Grand Torino in his hospital room to talk to him about OFA.  He mentions his friend and 7th Holder Nana Shimura.  Torino thinks he was responsible for killing Shigaraki (he really wasn’t let's be real).  He also tells Deku that Deku shouldn’t be so persistent in saving Shigaraki as killing can sometimes lead to salvation. Ok, few things:

1. I am surprised Grand Tarino is still alive.  I mean, we don’t know what happened to him after this talk, but at least he got to hear from Deku again.  It’s kind of nice to know that Tarino willingly passed down his cape to Deku too instead of Deku just taking it after his death.  Also, I’ve been watching some of Jujutsu Kaisen like everyone else has and this give me some Yuji & his grandfather vibes to it.  Knowing what happens there and that JJK’s magaka is good friends with Horikoshi, I have a sinking feeling I know what happened after this talk...

2. Deku looks so much older here.  Like, it’s not that cute, innocent baby face we knew at the beginning.  I don’t even know what it is exactly (maybe the eyes), but he just looks more mature here.  Also, his uniform some buttons down looks really good on him, I’m sorry but I need to mention that too 💚.

3. “Killing is a means towards salvation”.  Oh, boy...  I mean, I get it.  Some people just can’t be saved or captured in hopes of rehabilitation/redemption.  Sometimes killing people is necessary to save others.  But, Deku is not a killer.  He will try to save Shigaraki no matter what.  That was established again last chapter.   He tried to save Muscular for god’s sake.  But, I am curious if Gran Tarino’s words are going to hold any weight in the final fight. Like, will Deku have to kill Shigaraki?  What will that do to Deku as a person?  I’m really curious if Horikoshi is going to make Deku do this.

And finally, there’s a page showing off the Top 3, Deku, and All Might team up with the resolve to beat the LoV.  I am really interested to see where this goes.  Deku is working with the big Pro Heroes instead of his classmates/friends.  This hasn’t really happened before.  I also wonder if Shoto and Bakugo know what Deku’s doing then.  Because Shoto’s going to help Endeavor and his family find Dabi.  Endeavor’s activley helping Deku.  Also, Endeavor and Best Jeanist are both Bakugo’s mentors.  All Might too actually.  Look, maybe I’m making excuses to see my Origin Trio together again, but I do have to wonder if Shoto and Bakugo are involved somehow.

Welp, that’s it.  This chapter was a rollercoaster!  I was excited, I was confused, I was worried, I cried my eyes out at one point because THOSE TWO PANELS I CANNOT 💔😭!  I’m honestly just waiting for Horokishi to drop some major time-skip on us at some point.  I don’t want him to, but I won’t be entirely surprised if he does.  The end of this chapter is a good place to end if Horikoshi wants to segway into something else like, oh IDK, THE UA KIDS LET ME SEE THEM AGAIN HORIKOSHI PLS I’M BEGGING 💸  

Me @ Horikoshi almost every week:

[jessiebanethedragon]

Scuttle (3/?)

You don't remember passing out in the troopers arms, waking only when he sets you down, in front of the tree that's all too familiar to you. It’s raining  even more now and Crosshair feels particularly inadequate as he paces in front of you. What do you tell someone who’s just lost everything? 

“Crosshair…” Your voice is quiet as you say his name, he whips around at the sound, terrified someone had followed him into the forest. He waits for your next words, and it takes a moment but a small ‘thank you’ leaves your mouth. He nods and goes back to pacing in front of you. 

The crashing sound breaks both of you out of your perspective trances. Something is moving towards you, and quickly. In response, you haul yourself up off of the rainforest floor. Looking to the man in front of you for direction. 

“It’s fine.” He tells you, monotone. “Jus’ Wrecker.” You’re not sure what a Wrecker is, but quickly you discover a Wrecker happens to be Crosshair's older and much bigger brother. 

“Crosshair!” He booms, when he clears the undergrowth, clapping a rather large hand on  his shoulder, and you watch as the trooper takes a step backwards. ‘Not one for touchy-feels’ you think to yourself. 

“Ran into some trouble, bucket got chucked in a lake.” He explains. “Couldn't com in.” this ears him a boisterous laugh from Wrecker. 

“Accident prone as always.” He chuckles, before turning away to, presumably tell his comrades he's found Crosshair. You on the other hand, had backed up into the tree bark whilst watching this interaction. Crosshair is watching you watch Wrecker, and he wishes he could pick you up again, just to feel your heartbeat go from crazy to calm as you relaxed in his arms. It would be so much easier than talking or trying to talk,  to just scoop you up and  hide you from the world.  

“Tech and Hunter are only a few clicks out.” Wrecker says to Crosshair, subtle nudging him as if to say, ‘stop staring bro, you’ll spook her.’  Before moving over to you, and bringing his hand out, watching as you recoil more into the branches. Wrecker takes the hint, and  takes his helmet off before trying to shake your hand again. This time you let him, offering a small ‘hello’ in return. 

“You must be Fairywren.” He says, and you confirm the guess with a nod. “Cool name, much cooler than Crosshair.” He smiles at you, and you immediately decide that his talent, even with all the muscle, is undying kindness and radiating happy energy. Crosshair scoffs at his brother. 

“I hate to disappoint but it's just a nickname.” You’re still smiling a little, your old self shining through for that brief moment. 

“Still” He assures you, “it’s way better than any of ours!” You decide to lose yourself in the moment of happiness. Firing back at him with a:

“Oh I don't know, Crosshair isn’t that bad.” Wrecker laughs again, and you see Crosshair pause as he lifts a toothpick to his mouth, a small smile in the shadow of his tall figure. 

“Wrecker” he draws out that voice, so different to any other clone. He gestures to the forest edge he’d been watching as the leaves and twigs break and moves as Tech and Hunter join the three of you. They exchange words, far enough away from you that you don't hear them. A few glances thrown your way. And Crosshair starts to look more and more unimpressed. Breaking from the group with a grumble, and heading over to you, opting to lean against the tree with you. 

“Tech’s the small one.” He whispers to you. “Sergeant Hunter has the ridiculous hair.” rolling the toothpick in his mouth, you look up at him. 

“Why are you telling me this?” you're not trying so rude, but you're genuinely curious.

“I’m telling you, because you’re going to be putting up with them for the foreseeable future.” He sounds a tad annoyed but you dont push further.  

“You named after the tattoo?” You ask without thinking. Tracing it with your eyes, giving them something to do other than tear up in panic. 

“Got it after.” He responds, and from that you can gather he’s not very social, but what you need right now is a distracted mind, so you decide to test your luck. 

“Why  Crosshair though? Like I get it's your name but like why?��  You want to curse at how stupid you sound, but, the adrenaline has totally warn off now and your brain feels like goo.  

“Sniper.” He says blankly, turning around so you see  the huge rifle strapped to his back. 

“Oh…” you say, finally connecting the dots. “Well i'm called Fairywren after-”

“The birds, I know.” Crosshair  interrupts, before moving away from you as the rest of the group breaks apart from what you’re guessing was a debrief? Taking small steps towards them, taking in how different they all are. 

“Sergeant Hunter, at your service.” The one with longer hair says, shaking your hand. You take note of his face tattoo as well and wonder if he got his with Crosshair. 

“Wren, thanks for the save.” You introduce yourself, not pausing to think where you’d be without them.

“No problem,” Hunter says, his voice is deeper than Crosshairs but no less gruff. “Shall we get off this kriffing rock?” Turning around to his group, taking in their nods, before scaling the tree. 

The Havoc Marauder isn't exactly what you expected, but then again you don't know what you expected it to be like.  Maybe a bit more cluttered than it actually is but you like it nevertheless. 

“How many species are on this planet?” The clone named Tech asks you, he's the only one that hasn't introduced himself to you, but you're guessing it's only because his brain is working a million parsecs a second. 

“I'm not actually sure,” You say, feeling guilty as his face drops. “There's a number of overall species and all but the variations are so unique it's hard to classify them.” You quickly add, watching his eyes light up.

“So why the Fairywren then?” He asks after a lengthy (and largely sided) conversation of evolution in rainforest species. You feel Crosshair's eyes on you, tuning back into the conversation off and on again as he took or lost interest. 

“My grandmother once told me that the Fairywrens kept guard on your heart.” You tell him, and you see Crosshair lean forward on his knees to hear better. “She said that every Fairywren watches over someone, they keep them safe. She said my Fairywren was the brightest one there ever was because of how much she loved me.” Tech stays silent taking in the story, and Crosshair seems to be frozen in place. You don't realize that he’s realizing how stunning you are and kicking himself for not seeing it sooner. Of course you're the Fairywren, bright blue and so beautiful it almost seems fake. 

“How do you know Krexx.” Hunter asks walking into the brig area where you had been sitting. And you freeze at the name, Crosshair glares at his sergeant for bringing him up, he hates the way your face falls at the mention of his name. 

“He took over when the separatists showed up, and he was put in charge of keeping everyone in line.” You snap.

“Hunter, maybe we should-” Crosshair starts but he gets interrupted. 

“How many Trandoshans were on your planet?” Hunter interrupts, and if you didn't think Crosshair could glare any harder than he was, you were very mistaken. 

“At least a hundred.” You tell him. “Less now.” 

“Why less now?” Tech jumps in, and his honest interest makes you smile a little. 

“I used to catalog plants when I was a kid, my dad kept journals, because he was a healer. So it was like a hobby of ours.” You explain, “Trandoshans don’t take too well to plant venom apparently.” 

“Genius” Tech breathes and you can't help but flush. 

“Any chance of a tail?” Hunter asks, and this time Crosshair interrupts. 

“No, checked the whole way back to the ship and then some.” His voice sounds taught, like he's about to snap. 

“Good, either way, I'll take the first watch, I don't want any missteps here. Get some rest.” He nods to you all, and even though it's nowhere near close to nighttime you don't argue. Wrecker passes by and ruffles your hair saying “g’night little bird.” Tech offers you a mock salute that makes you smile, before heading to where you assume the bunks are. 

“Extra bunk is down the hall. Door on the left.” Crosshair tells you standing up, and the air seems to shift, you feel lonely thinking about him leaving. So you follow him, hoping he’ll stay up just a little longer with you. He stops in front of what you guess is his door. And you thank every god  out there that it's across from the empty one. You see that there's no blankets in the empty bunk. 

“Need anything?” he asks, and he almost cringes by how rude it sounds. ‘Sure’ he thinks to himself. ‘Be rude to the sopping wet, traumatized girl in front of you, good one Cross.” You turn back to him. 

“No it's okay, i'll get blankets from Hunter or just snoop around until I find them.” You joke, Rubbing the back of your neck as the man in front of you sighs and rolls the toothpick in his mouth around. 

“Stay here.” He says, a little softer, disappearing into his room. In reality he wants nothing more to let you into his room, to drop that cold exterior he’s created. But he already knows he's no good for you. Crosshair slips out his door again with a blanket. 

“Wrecker will be passed out already, Hunter doesn't use blankets and Tech has what he calls the ‘mathematical epiphany of correct blanket weight, fluffiness and size’ to ensure a proper sleep. So the only extra one around is this.” He states, holding out a black fluffy blanket that looks so cozy you want to cry. You take it from him silently, subtly bury your face in it so you can tell if it feels the same way his shoulder does. It's softer but smells the same, and you can't wait to burrito yourself in it. Crosshair has turned away, going crazy as he sees you snuggle into something that's not him.    

“Crosshair,” you call as his door slides open again. “Thank you.” And before you can embarrass yourself you slide into the extra room. 

“You’re welcome.” He whispers even though he knows you won't hear it.

[tragedy-for-sale]

In your post about Ahsoka and her older brothers you mentioned that Cody brings her along in adventures, any chance one of those involved the Bad Batch?

Oh! Mmm??? Leeme think.....

Yes.

◈ ━━━━━━ ◆ ━━━━━━ ◈

"Cody, make sure you take care of her," Obi-Wan told his Commander, his hand on his shoulder. "Don't let her get carried away" he continued as Ahsoka came running excitingly down the hall.

"Of course, sir." Cody assured, putting his own hand over the General's, "Sir, I can assure you these boys will protect her, and they won't fail" he said, letting go as Ahsoka approached them, dropping the bag and panting.

"Geezy Codes! What's in this thing?" She asked as he grabbed it, Ahsoka shook her head. "Oh, Master Kenobi, thank you again for letting me go with Commander Cody, I promise I'll stay out of trouble" she spoke, smiling wide.

Obi-Wan gave her a solemn smile, "I know, Ahsoka, make sure you take care of yourself and the Commander, but most importantly, have fun, my child" he smiled as she gave him a hug. Ahsoka nodded as she pulled away from Obi-Wan and walked excitingly with Cody as they left. The Commander gave one last look to the General before leaving Obi-Wan alone on the bridge.

"So, What do martials even do anyway?" She asked, skipping along side him. Rex did some cool stuff but Cody always got to go on cool missions, that's what she wanted to see.

"Well, 'soka, I do a lot of running around and checking on smaller units. I've gone to medical facilities, even to Coruscant to serve the Chancellor" Cody recalled as they boarded a shuttle and got settled in the cockpit promptly. "And today, we are going to check on one of those smaller units, a special unit"

Ahsoka's eyes lit up as they jumped to Hyperspace, she let out an excited gasp, "Oh! Are we gonna meet some commandos?!" She squealed, "I've always wanted to meet some!" She commented.

"You have," Cody recalled, "Commando Gregor, he's been missing for some time, but he was a Commando" Cody turned to her, watching her remember the lost soldier, "But, we're not working with some commandos, we're working with a group that could very well challenge a Jedi with a fighting chance" he stated, Ahsoka nodded, understanding why Cody chose Jedi, so she'd understand how awesome these guys must be.

When they got out of hyper space Ahsoka was shocked to see a single ship, "That's it?" She thought, the young padawan had imagined a giant ship, but... She looked to Cody who had commed whoever was on this ship. She then followed quietly behind. They stood at the ship's door waiting for it to open. While they waited, Ahsoka could hear who was inside.

"Wrecker! Put some pants on! He's here!" A voice called. Ahsoka and Cody gave each other a look of 'wtf' as the door opened. "Commander!" The man greeted with a huge smile, giving him a 'bro' shake, as Ahsoka called it, "Good to see you, still look as terrible as ever I see ." He joked, getting a chuckle from Cody

"Sergeant, lovely to see you, I see you're still living in the same hobble as always." Cody retorted. Ahsoka was taken back, when has Cody ever been this.. Casual? She then coughed, elbowing Cody, who looked to her, "Oh, my bad" he smiled as they stepped into the ship, "Commander Tano, this is Sergeant Hunter" he introduced.

Hunter looked to the kid and held out his hand, he was taller than Cody. "Howdy kiddo, I'm Hunter, the one holding that glass of milk like he'll die if he doesn't is Tech, I dunno where the other two ran off to" he laughed. Ahsoka noticed how the two didn't look much like clones. They were clones though, right?

"Greetings, Sergeant Hunter, it's an honor to meet you" she shook his hand then bowed as she knew Obi-Wan would want her to. "Do you live on this ship?" She asked. Cody had gone to talk to.. Tech- She felt weirdly out of place.

"Oh yeah, the boys and I are-" Hunter turned as he saw another brother in the doorway, Ahsoka was taken back yet again, she had sensed him, how had Hunter, "Crosshair, you good?" Hunter asked his brother, who was staring at the two.

Crosshair stood still before turning his head and heading back down the hall, "WRECKER! There's a child here! Put on your pants!" He screamed yet again. Hunter shook his head.

"Ah, sorry, lil' one, Crosshair and Wrecker aren't very good in situations like these" he explained, "I told them ya'll were coming, but apparently they went back to sleep" he continued as he walking to a counter, Ahsoka following, "Can I get you something kid? Milk? Water?" He asked.

She looked to Cody, he was busy, "Oh, yes please, just some water please." She stumbled over her words. She found herself nervous, very out of place. She wanted to go to Cody, she didn't know why she felt so anxious all of a sudden. Hunter was very kind, so she didn't understand. "Thank you" she spoke as Hunter handed her a glass.

"Sure thing, I'll leave ya with those two, imma check on the other two" Hunter told her before heading down the doorway. Ahsoka nodded and almost ran to Cody, who was chatting away. She wasn't expecting Cody to be close with a group so, casual. She grabbed Cody's arm.

Cody looked down, "Hey little one," he spoke softly, "This is Tech" he introduced her as he grabbed her hand. He could tell from her posture she was anxious, "He's very smart" he explained as Ahsoka looked up.

Tech gave her a small smile, he'd taken in account to her body language that she most likely was uncomfortable in this situation, "Greetings, Commander Cody here has told me you're already quite the Jedi" he recalled. Ahsoka looked to Cody, then to Tech.

"I-" humble, a Jedi is humble, "I can only work to be as great as a Jedi as my masters are," she replied as she took another drink of water, she was suddenly so thirsty. They then all turned to see the other three come through the doorway. Ahsoka let out a soft gasp at the sight of whom she suspected was Wrecker.

"Go you two." Hunter hissed at them, shoving their backs as they walked. "Sorry 'bout that, these two are a handful" he sighed as Tech laughed, causing Crosshair and Wrecker to glare at him.

"Boys, having issues?" Cody asked, raising an eyebrow as he recalled their conversation. Crosshair crossed his arms and shook his head. Wrecker wasn't paying attention for he'd seen Ahsoka.

"You have a child." Wrecker pointed to her, Ahsoka's grip on Cody's hand tightened, "Where'd you get a child from?" Crosshair looked to her, she sensed his icy glare.

Cody shook his head, "No, Wrecker, it's not mine, it's Obi-Wan's, this is Ahsoka Tano." Cody explained, giving Ahsoka two hand squeezes, which meant it was okay.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you" she spoke, she scolded herself, that's not how she was suppose to greet people. Jedi talked different. Wrecker held out his fist and Ahsoka looked to him but then realized he was waiting for a fist bump, so that's what she did.

"Yo!" Wrecker exclaimed, "I'm Wrecker, they call me that cause I like to wreck things!" He laughed as he grabbed Crosshair's arm, who tried very hard to break free from his brother's grip, "This is Crosshair, he's a really sour prickle because I'm better at destroying droids than him" Wrecker dissed.

Crosshair snatched his arm, crossing them again before shaking his head and giving Ahsoka a nod. "Oh, sorry 'bout that" Hunter inturrupted, "Crosshair isn't one for conversation," he explained as Crosshair squeezed away from them all, "Well that's all of us, there ain't anymore." Hunter said, looking to Cody, "Well Commander? How's the mission gonna go down? Since ya brought a Jedi?"

Cody nodded, his business frown displayed as he let go of Ahsoka's hand, "Well, Hunter, ypu boys better get ready" the Marshal begun to explain as he pulled out a communicator and presented a planet. Ahsoka looked to Cody, he hadn't mentioned they were going on a mission. She saw him give her a smile as she realized. That's why Obi-Wan and Anakin didn't want her going. She tuned in as Cody composed his thoughts, this was going to be fun,

"Let's get started."

[distinguisheddwarffriend]

Yo but just IMAGINE the Tolkien characters reacting to FanFiction!

No, really, stay with me for a mo'

It's always a funny scenario, but not only is this a world without tech & internet = no publicity/ media, the stories they tell are also like 99% based solely on real events, the whole "making something up" just... doesn't happen?

So just imagine, those characters that are so unfamiliar with ALL of those concepts, reading our lil weird kinky delulu shit & at first thinking this is just like fake news & people actually believe this about them????

And then, once they understood (it took some time, trust me), there is an absolute SPECTACLE of various reaction between "bro you're literally shipping me with a STAR" and "what is Durincest AM I FUCKING MY BROTHER OR UNCLE OR BOTH WHAT THE -?"

And while the Elves superficial totally pretend to be all aloof & "this is beneath us & not worth our time" they ABSOLUTELY are the most invested shippers & start doing the best fan art in secret, but remain mainly with popular ships like Bagginshield/ FinrodxMaeglor (that's the one-handed due he saves right? The names in Silm are just-).

The Dwarves mainly don't take it seriously, but get weirdly competitive about it: "I have 5 more ships about me than you do, one is even with Sauron/ an Elf/ my literal brother, I'm that popular, make way you peasant!"

Humans are mainly like "okay, y'all do you, I'll keep lookin for a REAL wife because biological clock & stuff" (but secretly the girls LOVE the Elf stuff, ESPECIALLY if it's gay cus that's a not so widely spread concept for them, and the guys read it first just"to see what all the fuss is about ", but then get fingernail-chewingly invested in the most twisted romances, and jabe at least one (1) gay crisis).

Now the Dunedain, whenever they meet, will have HOUR LONG deep & philosophical discussions about rare ships & why they make sense/ should happen. (My People!)

The Hobbits on one side completely adopt all kinds of curtain fics, reading them to each other & cooing about all the fluff, but behind closed doors they own the Dead Dove Tag like none other.

Following: Angry Rant about Fandom etiquette:

While I'm at it:

LET PEOPLE ENJOY THEIR SHIPS & HEADCANONS IN PEACE!!!!

JUST BECAUSE YOU DONT SHIP/ HC SOMETHING (WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE!!!) DOESNT MEAN YOU GET TO TELL OTHERS THEY SUCK/ ARE SICK FOR THEIR PREFERENCES!!!!

I for example am absolutely WEAK for Durincest.

In FICTION.

(I DO have a rather controversial "laissez-faire"-attitude about incest between siblings (as long as no kids happen), but that's another can of worms.)

Because what we enjoy in fiction does NOT translate to real life.

On the other hand I HATE A/B/O or Soul-Mates, anything where the choice of whom you love/ are attracted to is taken from you.

YOU KNOW WHAT I DO ABOUT THAT?

That's right, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!

I simply don't read it!!!!!

Okay, that's it, proceed, Love, Bye! 😘👍🏻

It's only polite to ask first.

(In the third panel, Elrond is thinking "Who else does this sort of thing? Where in his tiny body does he keep all that Audacity? This kind of thing is why I love this guy").

[blackevermore]

x Secrets of The Lake: Company of Misery and Pain

{ Chapter 1 }

Summary: Vladimir Masters' family tree has always been tainted by secrets swept under the rug. From generation to generation there have been countless reasons the Masters' family had seemed to keep private from the public. Even to this day, Vladimir was no exception. But what was one to do when a restless spirit from the settlement years finally breaks free from restraints and demands you answer for your ancestor's crimes? Vladimir doesn't know. However, Clockworks does.

Notes: We just having fun, rewriting some of the canon, new adventure new characters. I will apologize now for any grammar, spelling, weird sentence structuring in advance. My brain writes faster than my fingers and even when I go back through to reread it I still miss things. Sorry about that!

Word Count: 1693

Usually, there would be an inkling of life that swirled around the Ghost Zone that informed others of each other. Like an unspoken energy communication that told you the mood of the day or even when to stay away. Ghosts of all kinds upheld this unspoken rule since the changing times of Danny’s arrival and the lack of the ghost king. However, as Danny flew around doing a monthly check-up it seemed deader than ever. Danny could feel the energy of others around him but the energy felt timid. Danny knotted his brows and flew lower towards locations he knew certain ghosts to be at. 

He rounded Skulker's island and didn’t see the tech-head anywhere, figure, he must have been out. Maybe with Ember. He then flew by the warehouse but all the lights were cut off which was very unlike BoxGhost and Lunch Lady. Danny looked through the high windows but there was nothing but stillness. Danny hummed in concern and flew off, he wasn’t planning on going too deep into the ghost zone today, but with how awkward it felt, it might be necessary to find out what was going on. As he scanned around him for any sign of a familiar face he finally found one. Youngblood’s ship floated idly in the middle of the zone, Danny really didn't want to be bothered with the little kid but maybe it was his only chance of an answer. So Danny brought himself to the deck of the ship and looked for any sign of the rambunctious kid.

“Youngblood?” Danny called out but received nothing, not even a snicker from a hiding place. Danny called out again in hopes the young ghost would give away his hiding spot but Danny was left in silence. A quick thought crossed Danny’s mind that as soon as he lowered his guard he would be pulled into a game. And that made Danny roll his eyes in annoyance. “God I don’t have time for any of his tricks. This was a bad idea.” Danny was about to fly away until he heard the squawk of a bird.

“He’s hiding inside, he isn’t coming out until the screaming stops.” Youngblood's assistant flew around Danny then perched on the ship’s wheel.

“Screaming? What screaming?” Danny hadn’t heard any screaming coming from the Ghost Zone the last time he visited.

“Recently there have been obnoxious waves of screaming rippling through the Ghost Zone. Everyone has been staying away from venturing outside because of it.” The bird squawked and used a bonny wing to rub its face.

Danny’s brows knotted and he thought for a moment, “Where has it been coming from?” It was best if Danny quickly found out who the ghost was causing trouble and why. Danny wouldn’t say the Ghost Zone has finally found peace in a settling sense. But there was peace in a way that everyone respected one another to a degree without too much hassle. If this new ghost had a problem with said peace, Danny wanted to handle it before it caused a bigger issue. The last thing he needed right now was ghosts leaking out of the portals and staying on Earth longer than normal. The vultures were enough now that Vlad allowed them to do as they pleased.

“If we knew where it was coming from, it would have been dealt with long before you arrived.” The bird rolled its eyes then flew down to float in front of Danny’s face. “I will say some think it comes from beyond the endless paths of the ghost zone. Maybe farther depending on how far you go. Maybe you could find it before it makes everyone’s ear bleed and put a stop to it.” The bird flew away from Danny’s face and let out a few more squawks. Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose, great, he already had a lot to deal with back home and now this. With the little information he got from Youngblood's assistant, Danny started to float up and plan out what he was going to do.

But before he could get far he heard Youngblood's assistant call out to him again.

“As much as the child can be a bit much, he is still my master and I would prefer not to have to see him cry. The screaming reminds him of his mother.” With that, the bird flew back into the small peephole of the ship. Danny took the words into consideration and flew off. Well, this check-up was a mess and now Danny had to sit down and figure out what to do. With his head already swimming with what-ifs and what-nots, Danny made his way back to the Fenton portal. Maybe he could run this by Jazz if she wasn’t busy and get her opinion on it before he ventures out. As he was about to step through the portal the zone started to shake violently. Danny could hear what was coming before it was close to him and he quickly covered his ears. The scream was ungodly and knocked Danny out of balance, he had to hold on to the edge of the portal just so he wouldn’t be knocked in the other direction.

In retrospect, the scream only lasted a few seconds but for the unwilling listener, it felt like stretched out minutes. Danny knew what pain felt like, so many years of dealing with it left permanent scarring in his brain, and this scream was every bit of pain. A sudden wave of sadness peaked in Danny’s heart and tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.

“What the-” Danny quickly whipped his face, looking down at his fingers to see the wetness then back up into the void of the zone. “This isn’t good.” Danny turned around quickly and shot through the portal and closed it. Once he was back home, he changed into his human self and leaned against the lab table and sighed.

“Skulker give you a run around again?” Danny snapped his neck towards the stairs and smiled. His older sister came down the stairs looking over a stack of papers shoved into a thick book.

“What are you doing home, don’t you have some big time exam to be studying for?” Danny made quotations around ‘big time’ and smirked at his sister. Jazz had been away from home for the past 3 years at her top ivy league university in Chicago. But every so often she’d make the trip back up to visit or just to get away from the stresses of being the far smarter person, as she put it.

“I opted to take it early so I could have a long weekend.” Jazz placed her book down on the table beside Danny and crossed her arms with a smirk. “So Skulker?”

“No, something worse.”

“Worse?”

“All the ghosts are hiding from something, there is this ear killer scream rippling through the zone and no one knows where it's coming from.” Danny rubbed the back of his neck and looked towards the closed portal with worry. Although he spent far more time on Earth, the Ghost Zone was a second home to him, he couldn’t help but be sympathetic to everyone in there dealing with that.

“Could it be Pandora?” Jazz asked, Danny quickly shook his head.

“I spoke with her last month and as always she keeps her promise. It’s not Ember, she’s shacked up with Skulker and they’re fine.” Danny thought through all the possible ghosts who could cause a loud enough scream like that but they all cancelled out. Last month's check-up had everyone in the Ghost Zone perfectly okay wherever they were.

“You’re not thinking of going too far to find where it's coming from are you?” Jazz quickly became worried for her brother. He was older, smarter, wiser, and a lot quicker than three years ago. Even at 17, Danny was still her reckless 14 year old brother who chose to save the world. Danny hadn’t gone too far into the zone in all these years. Sure he had been to almost every corner but never too far where their communication broke. With the Ghost Zone being as massive as space there was no telling how far he could go or how long it would take for him to come back.

“I don't wanna think about it but I’m guessing I might have to. I got hit with one of the waves when I was coming out and I can tell by the velocity that it’s not far from the main area but still farther back.”

Jazz snickered, “The velocity? I thought you sucked at physics?” Danny knew she was trying to lighten the mood a bit from all the seriousness. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in a matter of factly manner.

“I’ll have you know staying up late and falling asleep watching space documentaries does teach you things. There’s a Planet X just outside our solar system that is too far to reflect the sun's light so it’s likely we’ll never find it because Nasa refuses to tell us about it.” Danny felt an air of power being able to flaunt his knowledge of space.

“And Pluto is a planet,” Jazz waved her hand in the air to shoo away Danny’s self-righteousness.

“Well duh, he is small but mighty and has a very big heart. Pluto is a planet to me.” Danny chuckled and Jazz shook her head before wrapping an arm around her brother to usher him back upstairs. Danny didn’t protest, he could deal with the Ghost Zone issue when he wasn’t freaking out about a new threat. It was better to figure things out when you weren’t ready to fall over and die a second time.

“Not since 2006, little bro.” Jazz smiled and allowed him to go up first. When Jazz closed the basement door behind her either of the siblings heard the dripping coming from the portal doors. Slowly but surely a puddle of water formed at the foot of the entrance.

[thenixkat]

Voltron notes 1 (edited?)

Ep 1

No spoiler opening theme

Those are some skinny ass space suits. Shouldn’t they have like tethers and shit to keep them from accidently floating off?

Harvesting ice cores on Pluto or Kerberos or whatever

They wanna meet aliens

No one notices the ship until its right on top of them. Shiro just assumes its a hostile ship

Bullshit and lazy. Fuckin aliens speaking and understanding English

Also Shiro looks so much better with the darker skin. Like, bring back this look.

This ship is very green and that’s unusual compared to later lighting schemes 

Lance is a dick to his friend

Also, you’d think an air and space program would weed out the folks with motion sickness

Lance is overestimating the abilities of himself, the crew, and the ship

Welp, Hunk fucked up the electronics with the barf. Pidge fell from not using her seatbelt. 

Mutanious comments.  

Lance got the team killed

Iverson called them jackasses

I know I shouldn’t be mentioning stuff that hasent happened yet but like? How the fuck does Iverson not recognise Pidge? She looks just like her brother but tiny and that didn’t raise any alarms? She didn’t even dye her hair or anything? Also is her mom ok with this? Is she skipping out on her classes that she should be having as Katie?

Vomit is not an approved lubricant. Heh 

One of those chicks has green hair

Military exploration school

Pidge doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut

Lance is a fuckin bro

Why is Iverson chewin out Lance for something Pidge said?

Poor Lance

Lights out by five? And it's already getting dark?

Ok but Lance and Hunk in civilian clothes makes them stand out so much while they’re trying to sneak around. WHy not carry backpacks with their regular clothes in them while they wear the uniforms until they find a safe place to change. 

Lance is that friend who gets everyone into trouble

Have I mentioned that I hate fat jokes?

Also these kids are shit at sneaking. They didn’t even wait a minute to make sure the patrol dude couldn’t just turn his head and see them. They also made a shit ton of noise.

Pidge is bad at sneaking too, didn’t make sure she wasn’t followed and didn’t keep an eye out for anyone who might spot her on the roof.

Hunk is scared of heights

Pidge is bad at lying

Hunk is nosey af

Lance is trying to be a good team leader

Pidge is trying to uncover a government conspiracy and picked up alien radio chatter. 

If a teenager with little funds and homemade equipment can pick up alien radio chatter than the people who listen to the stars for a living sure as shit picked this shit up.

Lance doesn’t believe in aliens.

Hunk is scared of aliens

School is on lock down

Holy crow. Lance is a potty mouth

Hunk didn’t believe in aliens either

Pidge and Lance jump at the chance to go check out a crashed alien ship. Hunk doesn’t like this.

How the fuck did Pidge remotely hack a camera feed?

Ok but like it makes total sense for them to quarantine Shiro. He might have space pox.

Also Shiro’s skintone changes between 2 dif frames

Hunk neither knows nor cares who Shiro is. And is trying to be the voice of reason

I’m taking that as a fat joke. So fuck you show.

Where’d Keith get the hover car?

Where does Keith get all the explosives? Does he make them?

Lance spotted his eternal rival and doesn’t want to be beat in rescuing the hero. Hunk knows who Keith is

Pidge doesn’t know who Keith is

Why’d they choose that ugly ass tone for Shiro there? He looks kinda grey

Lance was not important enough for Keith to remember him

They’re making Keith take them along for the ride. Also that is not a vehicle designed to carry so many people.

Keith’s got snark.

Pidge yer not doing anything else the least you can do is be useful and keep Shiro from falling off the bike.

Hunk can identify every teacher chasing them

Keith is having fun driving while everyone else screams in terror

So Shiro’s just wearing Keith’s dad’s clothes

Convenient amnesia

Also Shiro’s got a generic ass masculine face

Keith can sense energy

So, those markings and paintings had to have been made by some Native Americans. Which group? What’s the timeframe? Those paintings are showing Blue do stuff so how long was her pilot still around and kicking for? Did she have other pilots before going into lockdown and just chose to stay on Earth? How’d she get to Earth in the first place if fish dude probably died in battle with Galra forces?

Lance hesitates b4 shaking the mystery alien cyborg hand

Hunk is nervous that there might be an alien invasion soon.

Hunk is nosey as hell and a bit of a dick

If I point out everything that is or probably is a fat joke I’ll be here forever

Hunk is smart as hell

Matching a wavelength of an element to a terrain carved by erosion? What? That’s not how anything works

Wait, if Keith has pics of the murals why didn’t they start looking there?

Yeah no those kids are hurt, possibly dead from that fall

The Voltron

The eyes have no pupils and the head isn’t moving, how can you tell the eyes are following you?

So did all of the lions pick these kids and college student from seeing them through Blue’s perspective? How does the lion choosing thing work?

Hunk states the obvious

How is Lance supposed to read the screen when the text is constantly changing. That’s not how computer.

Lance takes Blue on a joy ride and even Keith is not having fun

Also Blue is just fucking up the poor desert

Hunk is a little bitch who thinks giving people what they want will stop them

Holy crow. Hunk has a potty mouth.

So there’s just like a Galra ship right at Earth. The Galra know where Earth is and probably invade it. We just gonna forget about that? Like yes that ship is chasing the lion but nothing is stopping more galra going to Earth.

Shiro is the senior officer so Lance defers to him

So the lions can open wormholes on their own.

Hunk vomits inside Blue

Lance why?

How did none of them notice the castle. Like that is a massive ass castle

They just didn’t check to see if the air was human breathable

Pidge, why the fuck would the steps be bigger if the control seat of the lion was human sized?

Alien tech speaks english

Why do they reuse Cree’s voice for so much

Why do aliens from 10000 yrs ago fucking speak english

Also fucking elves

Also fucking Europeans

Rude. Allura’s first response to meeting an alien is insulting his species looks

Quiznak. Coran has a potty mouth

Also how the fuck do you know anything about this alien’s biology? Why the fuck would a sleeper hold fucking work?

SO why didn’t Alfor use the ‘strongest weapon in the universe’ to fight Zarkon? What, did Black not want any other paladin than Zarkon?

Alfor lies to children.

So how did they send away the other 4 lions? Alfor probably got caught and killed but like from that flashback ep the other three og paladins weren’t in their armor nor shown near the lions or anything. Did the lions hide themselves? Did they have other paladins that piloted them away?

King of the Galra? Bitch he was an emperor well before his fall you should know this.

Convenient amnesia.

How long is the average Galra lifespan?

Could Haggar not? Sense the Blue lion on Earth? How?

Also Haggar really went and got herself a whole ass monster husband

Zarkon calls in the squad. Sends Sendak to fuck shit up

Lance is not good with numbers

Sigh

How do yall even know the food in the castle is safe for humans?

Coran how the fuck u know yall the last Alteans left? Did ya fuckin look?

How the fuck did some nasty ass mice get into the fucking cryopod? How did they survive in a cryopod calibrated for an altean? Why are the mice necessary to the story?

How do the alteans recognize a galra battleship after 10000 yrs?

Lance starts a fight with Keith for no reason. Shiro breaks up the fight.

Did I mention that I hate body functions humor? 

Why and how did Alfor connect the lions to Allura’s life force?

Coran just straight up called Pidge a slightly less stupid than average primitive. Racist as fuck.

Lion’s choose their paladin so Allura just fucking assigns lions to aliens she’s known for less than an hour.

How does she know anything about these aliens? Its been less than 5 mins since she met them.

How the fuck does Allura know here all the lions are but the red one?

How do we know Voltron is the most powerful in the universe? They ain’t seen the entire universe

How do the Alteans know how long an earth hour is?

So an altean brought Green to this planet?

What the fuck kinda dumb ass rabbits come out of hiding when they know strange creatures are near?

To be fair, peaceful might mean something else in Altean. They are fucking space Brits

Hunk asks good questions when he’s not stating the obvious

Also that is a barren ass planet. But it was formerly inhabited.

Hunk rewires alien machinery while under heavy fire

Why does it take so long for yellow’s murals to start glowing? Was Yellow thinking about whether or not she wanted Hunk as her Paladin? Yellow really said if you want me you gotta put in effort.

The Galra were this close to getting Yellow too.

Pidge asks questions.

Who built that pyramid for Green and why did they let it get overgrown?

Pidge somehow didn’t break a leg from that jump

So I’m gonna assume that Blue told Yellow what was up

How well can Yellow move through rock?

Green really wanted Pidge. Like she was lighting shit up immediately.

So Blue actually got pretty damaged from regular ship fire and hiding the ground wrong

Hunk would apparently have let Lance die

Pidge and Shiro are some lyin ass bitches

Lord of the Known Universe. Most of the Galra empire is empty space

It took 600 yrs between a grandfather and grandson altean?

Lance and Hunk vote run

Pidge votes stay and fight

Um. Why would the Galra fuck up Arus when yall are the top priority? Like, sure they can come back for it but the lions are a bigger deal and thus they would chase yall over take Arus

Hunk is making very good points

Also Keith, while Sendak could destroy Arus and then come after yall. It’d be a waste of time and resources. 

Keith votes stay and fight

Shiro chooses not to vote

Alfor’s hologram admits he fucked up with sending the lions away

Allura votes stay and fight and I guess Coran isn’t voting like Shiro

Fuck you show. Why did we need eighteen thousand fuckin fat jokes?

Coran is an asshole

Ok but like that doesn’t look like a good chest plate? Like it looks like if they bent over they’d get poked/stabbed by it? And what’s up with the high sides of the belts?

What the fuck Pidge?! That coulda killed Lance or taken him out for a good while?

Wait, if the ship has a thing that can like just fucking make suits? Why can't they just make more bayards? Why wouldn’t Alfor design something to make more bayards?

Why doesn’t the galra ship have rear view cameras?

Wait! How the fuck do you cut a hole in a space ship and that not fuck with pressurization or set off any safety allarms?! The fuck kinda bullshit is that?

Sendak? Why do you expect aliens to know what that beam was for if you didn’t tell them?

~False surrender is a fucking war crime b/c it removed the option of surrendering for real if the need arrives so it leads to more fucking people dying~

No they didn’t Shiro. Battleships are things that get mass produced. If this is the exact same ship u got put in after the green one then that is bullshit on a cosmic scale.

Shiro is ok with letting prisoners die. Pidge is not, granted it's probably b/c she thinks her family might be on there.

Poor Mrs. Holt. She just got fuckin forgotten by everyone.

So Pidge has an outburst and fucking disobeys the mission leader. Shiro decides to help her just b/c he might know one or two of the people he was willing to let die. And they leave Keith with no fucking backup.

Keith would have legit died if the guards remembered that they have fucking guns and can shoot him when he dropped his shield. Which means Keith would have died if not for plot bullshit b/c his teammates don’t particularly care about his health and safety. Pidge and Shiro care more about the male Holts than Keith and all of the other prisoners that might be on the ship.

Wow.

How does Keith not hold this against them?

No the mice were not necessary, not if either of these dunces whent and opened the control panel from the other side.

That sounds like bullshit. 

Ya know I didn’t have any problems with Hunk the engineer being able to operate an alien elevator or drill by hotwiring shit. But I do call bullshit on Pidge reprogramming a sentry pod thing by changing the connection of one wire.

I still call bullshit on aliens speaking english and all atmospheres being 100% agreeable to humans. B/c that is bullshit

And why the fuck would the color of Rover’s lights fucking change?

… they only checked one fucking room for prisoners but that’s  it I guess? The fuck

Why did the Red lion let the Galra take her? Did she consider that one of the galra on the ship might make a good paladin for her?

Keith gets caught b/c his dumb ass starts shouting on a stealth mission

Keith, they already have the lion. Yer the one trying to take it

Like I said previously the guards forget they have guns and thus Keith lives.

So… how did Keith impress the Red lion? He fought people, lost and blew out the airlock. Which is still a loss if the lion didn’t feel like saving him.

Vore

Guards continue to forget they have fucking guns for plot reasons.

Hunk and the gang leave without destroying the enemy ship or making sure that its irreparably damaged

Coran, Lance, and Hunk have foul mouths

And this is why you fucking confirm yer kill

Why isn’t there a combine button?

Heh, Yellow’s face after slamming Red. Also Red looks so offended about being rammed. 

What the cheese

Hunk’s gone into panic mode and Keith has accepted death.

Shiro gives a speech and they form Voltron

Why are the bad guys giving them the time to form voltron?

Why doesn’t Voltron have a tail? Where does Black’s tail go? Voltron should have a tail.

Any other prisoners on that ship are dead as fuck

How did I watch this show  the first time? It's not good. It’s pretty but it is not good.

[moonchildsaurora]

The Hercules of a Weapons Master/Mechanic

»»—— Crew Member #8 of Space Pirates ATEEZ ——««

all aboard The Perihelion, welcome to the co-pilot’s log system! here you’ll be able to access the crew’s profiles should you wish to read about their journeys: (no nsfw content)

[CAPTAIN] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

“so you want me…to break them? As in literally or figuratively?”  

is the baby of the crew but actually the eldest in his own family

epitome of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. With a well-grounded and balanced mindset along with a great sense of independence and self-discipline

is a native Draerair born and raised on Corebos, a relatively peaceful planet where several clans co-exist across the different regions specialising in agricultural and metal work

[database file: Draerairs are shape-shifters by ancestral blood, however not every individual are born with the ability to shift into their bestial forms (though they retain some of their inhumane strength and traits). Each clan’s lineage has a specific beast they’re associated with. Individuals with the ability to shift can do so at will, be it partially or fully]

Jongho and his family are descendants of the Silverclaw clan, their associated beast is that of a bear. He’s the only one currently in his family that was born with the shifters ability, his grandmother was the previous individual with the ability

in his human form his hair is dark like the coals in his father’s workshop, honey tanned skin from hours of work under the sun and a gentle shade of hazel for eyes        

when partially shifted he gains a good 2 and half feet in height as bones and muscle mass expands, nails are elongated into claws, canines sharpened and eyes become more of an amber gold colour. Faint markings appear around his eyes as well as down his arms. Fur of black-brown shade emerge the closer he shifts into his beastial form

his strength is renowned throughout his clan, at the tender age of 5 he shocked the souls out of his parents after they found that he’s managed to bend the metal bars of his youngling playpen simply to get out so he could go on a mini adventure to find an afternoon snack

“oh sweet Zeus, we’ve lost the baby!”

they found out very quickly that he particularly liked snacking on fruits especially apples and sometimes would have to hide extras from him, otherwise they’d have none left

Jongho had always looked up to his father and his speciality with weapons forging. During his youngling years he’d be allowed to sit at a safe distance and observe, wide eyes with wonder when he looked at his father welding ambthanite metal together or carving a blade from crystalline emeyl

it was no surprise that Jongho followed in his footsteps and begun his apprenticeship by his 12th summer, his immense strength was a sure advantage when it came to being efficient and how easily some techniques were mastered 

“who needs a machine when you can just bend it with your bare hands?”

his younger siblings adored watching their older brother (it felt like déjà vu) build anything as small as a hunter’s dagger to fixing up parts of visiting ships. It’s also an extra treat for them whenever Jongho would crush fruity snacks single-handedly, because he loves hearing their joyous laughter and applause

The Perihelion had actually made a supply stop within the region that Jongho resided in to trade for food and energy cells. Under the recommendation from some of the market farmers, the crew were led to the Chois’ smithing workshop to fix up minor damages on the ship’s hull and to assess if any defence upgrades were available to be installed on such short notice  

“…I can’t tell if that’s Hercules or a beast hammering away in there”

the expressions on half the crew’s faces were priceless once they met Jongho, right after they saw him heave a 7 tonne slab of frerhil iron [database file: a common metal for heavy duty spears used by barbarians & warmasters] on to the bench without batting an eyelid

“you sure are one strong baby!”

“MINGI SHUT YO-“

“oh don’t worry, I get that. A lot”

and if it wasn’t for the overly toothy smile that Jongho sent their way that made the crew slightly nervous, it would’ve been the way his muscles flexed tauntingly as he gripped Mingi’s hand in a handshake during introductions Seonghwa nearly sweated out his worries just wearily watching that exchange

“I think what our lovely tech engineer meant was that you have a bab-ahh youthful face, yeah, youthful appearance! Not that you’re a baby at age”

“of course, I just passed my 15th summer not too long ago actually. So what can I do for you lot today?”

Hongjoong didn’t even try to hide how impressed he already was, he hadn’t come across too many shifters before and knew very little of their nature and abilities so this was great insight for him. He couldn’t care less with Wooyoung snickering in the background when his chest puffed out proudly after Jongho complimented his ship

Jongho was genuinely amazed that The Perihelion had managed to hold out until now (after hearing brief stories as to how the damages were acquired), without even having a ship’s mechanic for regular maintenance. His awe elevated when Hongjoong told him that he, a self-taught, was the one who worked and spruced the ship up from its near-scrap stage

Jongho’s father made similar comments when he came round to check up on his son and the workshop, even helping a bit with fitting in newer protective panels around the engines and windows. It wasn’t anything fancy, but Jongho did promise should the crew make another stop by in the future he’d have some better upgrades for them

it wouldn’t be till nearly 4 years later where their paths would cross once again in the city of Acreon. Jongho having made the decision to leave his home planet to start living life a little more, though he’d still pick up smithing-mechanic work along the way of his travels. Probably not the most ideal way to reunite with the crew, especially amidst a bar brawl of all things    

having not fought in his entire life (unless you count sand wrestling during his youngling days), Jongho was running entirely on pure adrenaline when he recognised Hongjoong and swiftly grabbed him out of the way – seconds before a stool came smashing down

“what th-OH hey! It’s you!”

the crew witnessed Jongho partially shift that time, almost bowling the entire crowd over with his solid mass to get Wooyoung and San out of the fray. Throwing them over his shoulders and bolting with the rest out the back door of the bar (Wooyoung’s shrieking could be heard down the street)

“thank you for that, really, we owe you one”

“do your evenings out usually end up like this? Never would’ve pinned you lot as the type to throw punches at a bar”

“listen here, that slimy loathsome spawn of a troll deserved it for inappropriate treatment of the dancer”

well at least Jongho couldn’t fault them for having good morals and standing up for it, though he wouldn’t be able to live it down come the following day when news spread throughout the city of ‘a beast from the nether realms’ being involved in the incident at The Illusion he dreaded getting an earful from his parents should his family ever catch wind of the news

Hongjoong invited him to tag along with the crew for the rest of their time in Acreon (highkey hoping this time Jongho would stick around more permanently), which allowed him time to evaluate the state of The Perihelion since it’s been a long while

Jongho officially became a member of the crew after he convinced Hongjoong to head over to Vostrilles, a place he knew had supplies of the latest ship weaponry and mechanical resources, and stuck by long enough to help with the upgrades that the crew pretty much adopted him into their wholesome chaotic family

he grew to thoroughly enjoy their company and now have the luxury of being doted on by his older sibling figures (he’d still deck anyone who dares call him a baby with the exception of mumma Seonghwa)

“watch your language! There are children on board”

the crew realised just how much they needed a proper weapon smith/mechanic on board after a few close-calls with a rival crews – Jongho’s newly installed point-defence canons had given the ship an advantage on its durability and defensive structure that it could withstand enemy attacks enough to make an escape

no one would openly admit that they cannot stay angry at Jongho for longer than 2 minutes, even when he was being in an argumentative mood

not to mention that everyone is extremely protective of their baby bro  

ends up being closest to Mingi, Wooyoung and Yeosang, the latter having a calming presence when he needs some downtime and he appreciates the other chaotic duo when they join in singing random duets with him (a habit he does whenever he’s in his workshop)

recently Jongho found some quality metal paint, he pitched the idea of giving The Perihelion a proper makeover – Hongjoong and others could customise the colour palette they’d like and finally give the ship the glo-up she deserves (no one noticed Yeosang’s little character doodles he so sneakily painted at random spots/corners of the ship hehet)              

(moodboard made with love, by @s1ardusk​ ♡)

[ladyanidala]

Goodie, I get to talk about TBB and y'all get to suffer :D

I got into the show bc it was the next thing Star Wars released, lol. I watched the final two episodes of TCW and didn't want to let the show go, and so I started up with TBB when it released.

Crosshair, because he's such a complex character. I've always liked him, and it made me so happy to get much more screentime with him this past season!

No, I've liked all the members for their quirks.

My favorite non-Batch character from the show would have to be Phee. I have to admit, I really didn't like her at first, but she's grown on me tremendously. Love you, Phee!

Out of all the characters, I relate to Crosshair the most. I may not have tried to kill my family, but the guilt he carries from his actions? The way he tries to sacrifice himself in a way to atone for his mistakes? That I can relate to.

Favorite villain? Ventress. Granted, she's not totally a villain, but I've grown to love her character, especially since starting Dark Disciple.

Crosshair. Without a doubt, Crosshair.

I can see Echo and Hunter trading off movie night, or picking up slack where the other accidentally drops it. Mom and Dad of the Batch, respectively.

Something I didn't notice? It wasn't until I saw a tweet on here from the lighting guy (Joel Aron, I think???) that I noticed the foreshadowing and connection to the plot that the lighting has on the show. Absolutely incredible making that connection and then seeing it play out!!

One uncommon headcanon I have that I haven't seen anywhere else is that Hunter will absolutely go somewhere with a guitar for several hours and just jam out. It gives him space that he needs from his family, it gives him the ability to choose the stimulation he can handle, and he gets to sing. What a win for my man.

One character moment that I see unappreciated in the show is the one where Hunter yells Tech's name when the ship is impounded after he ran outside Cut's house. The animation is just so great with Hunter's body language, and ok yes, maybe it looks a little attractive, sue me.

s3, ep5 lives in my head rent free. Give me all the emotional angst and resolution, I neeeeeed ittttttttt

My favorite way to participate in the fandom is lurk. Ofc, I do exchanges and stuff, which is so much fun(!!!), but I love to see what others come up with! It's truly a blessing to see what our love for this show brings forth!

Omega, with Wrecker a close second. Omega has the shrillness to pierce the ears of everyone around her, hahaha.

Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair. Ofc, if I'm adding in Echo and Omega, then Echo, Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair, and Omega. You'll have to pry my Tech/Crosshair twin headcanon from my cold, dead hands.

My favorite episode from the show would have to be either s3 ep5 or the one where Hunter and Wrecker go to space Louisiana. Bros are fighting for their lives, and Crosshair and Omega get to chill, what a great time XD

My least favorite episode is the s2 finale for multiple reasons almost all relating to Tech. I refuse to watch it ever again. I was nauseous for a good 30 minutes after watching it once, and I will never do it again.

Honestly, the best memory I have associated with the show is staying up until 3 AM when the episodes for s3 would drop so I could facetime @aknightreaderr after so we could screech about what we'd just seen, lololol. Great stuff, I loved it.

Brother Bear, they'd 100% love Brother Bear.

My favorite thing about the fandom is how wild we can get, and how often we can come to the same conclusion independently of each other (like how Tech is alive).

Bonus question - Yes, 1000% committed voter fraud and I have 0 regrets. 99% sure my prompts sandwiched the rankings for the first 26 prompts too, which makes it all worth it, lol

Tagging: @aknightreaderr @callmevexx @ahsokathegray and anyone else who wants to join!

BAD BATCH 20 QUESTIONS

Get to know your fellow Bad Batch fandom community! Answer the following 20 questions! (Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for this Ask Game!)

Answer the questions and tag whoever you'd like to see their answers too 🥰

When/How did you get into the show?

Who is your favorite character from the show and why?

Was there a member of the Bad Batch you didn't like at first? If so, why? Has your view changed?

Who is your favorite non-Batch character?

Which character from the show do you most relate to?

Who is your favorite villain/antagonist from the show?

If you needed a Bad Batcher to help you commit a crime, who would it be?

Which Bad Batcher would be in charge (or take charge) of movie night?

What's something you didn't notice the first time watching the Bad Batch? (Or...what's something you didn't notice until someone else in the fandom pointed it out)

What is one strange head canon you have about any of the Bad Batchers that you haven't seen anywhere else?

What is a character quote/moment that is under appreciated from the show?

What scene/moment from the show lives in your head rent free?

What's your favorite way to participate in the Bad Batch Fandom?

Which Bad Batcher would scream the loudest on a rollercoaster?

Based on vibes alone, what is the "birth order" of the Batch? (Oldest, middle, youngest)

What's your favorite episode from the show and why?

What's your least favorite episode from the show and why?

Do you have any fun memories associated with the show?

What family movie would the Cadet Batch watch on repeat?

What is your favorite thing about being part of the Bad Batch fandom?

BONUS QUESTION

Did you commit voter fraud during prompt voting for @summer-of-bad-batch? 😂 (I have a google sheet that I'll share screenshots of at the end of the challenge with PROOF of the insanity of Summer of Bad Batch voter fraud...peak insanity, peak hilarity, loved every moment of it!)

No Pressure Tags: (all the Summer of Bad Batch community...I'd tag y'all, but that tag list would get insanely long...you know who you are 😘)

[weeklyfangirl]

Frat Boy Pt. 19

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7 (1), part 7 (2), part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13 , part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18

You’re a gal on a mission in this one. And you’re determined to get answers one way or another ;) Share this with a friend and drag them them along for a roller coaster ride too! xx 

“This is a bad idea,” Renny muttered. We were parked a street away from the frat house, waiting for the boy who’d been ignoring me the past week to appear and get in his car. Granted, I’d only reached out once, but still. He’d never replied. Never reached out. It was the radio silence that scared me more than any gang tags. Ignorance might be bliss, but conscious ignorance was hell.

 After our dinner, I’d woken up to my car in the driveway. The windshield clean. Spotless, even. He must’ve hardly gotten sleep. 

 “Why is this necessary again? Do you think he’s cheating on you?” Renny asked. 

 I shook my head too quickly at the word cheating, because even if he was seeing somebody else it wouldn’t technically be cheating. We’d never even defined this. The only thing I hated more than knowing I was in the dark were gray zones. I shook my head too soon, though. What else could I tell her? I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth - that I think I’m being targeted as a cause of Harry’s random association with a gang and that we need to follow him to confirm my crazy conspiracies so I can affirm that one, I am not crazy, and two, I can reach a decision about whether I should talk to the cops. 

 That was too complicated.

 “Actually, you’re right. I think he’s seeing someone else.” I let the lie slip from my lips.

 “Shit. You think he’s seeing Viv?” 

 I wanted to smile at the edge in her voice. The first evidence she didn’t really like the girl either. “He already told me they slept together,” I said casually, as though I’d mentioned I ate Cheerios for breakfast again.

 Renny almost spat. “Ew!! Seriously? I mean, I guess we kind of already thought that. But still…-” she shivered “-GROSS.” 

 “Yeah. Gross,” I agreed. Something stirred next to the bins, and I clutched her arm. But it wasn’t Harry. The random associate walked on, blissfully unaware of the two girls watching his every move and so completely disappointed by his presence. We both sighed. 

 “Wait, he’s behind him!” Renny screeched. 

 Sure enough, Harry emerged, trailing behind the associate. His hair looked damp. He’d probably showered after practice, then. They did some sort of weird bro handshake and parted ways. 

 A beep of an alarm and Harry slid into his Maserati. Let the chase begin.

 “Still can’t believe he drives that thing to school,” Renny muttered. “I mean I would if I had one, too, but … cheating prick.” 

 I had to hand it to Renny. Even if someone was the most likeable person in the world, if they’d done something to cross her friends, she’d find a way to make them the most detestable. At least in her eyes. 

 We waited as he revved the engine and pulled out. He drove fast, but thankfully Renny’s VW could keep up. Grandpa would’ve been a different story. 

 “Where the hell are we going?” 

 “I don’t know.” I fought the urge to add ‘that’s the problem.’

 We travelled towards the coast before he senselessly veered inland again, ending up somewhere I’d never been before. We trailed him slowly, past locked up storefronts, and tagged alleyways, until he turned into a gritty-looking neighborhood. We slowed around the corner, making sure to keep several streets between us. 

 Around the bend, Harry suddenly slammed on his brakes. Renny lurched forward. 

 “What the fuck-” Renny ducked lower in her seat. “Do you think he saw us?”

 In the split two seconds I had, I wagered our chances of reversing and getting through this unseen. But my split two seconds were up, and I hadn’t moved. 

 The motor ran as he got out of the car, calmly, not bothering to shut the door. He’d known. He’d known all along. Time slowed when he faced us, arms crossed, squinting as his judgement penetrated through his Ray Bans all the way through the windshield. He stalked towards our car. No one was around in the rundown neighborhood street to yell at us to get our cars moving. No one could save me from this eternal embarrassment slowly mounting with each step of his black Chelsea boots. 

 The gig was up. 

 I rolled down my window when he tapped on the glass.

 “Go home,” he ordered. 

 I scoffed. “Really? You haven’t talked to me all week and those are the first words you’re going to say to me?” 

 He stepped backwards, acknowledging nothing. “Go. Home,” pointing the direction whence we came. 

 “We weren’t even following you. We were already in the neighborhood asshole!” Renny yelled. 

 I couldn’t have it end like this. I couldn’t have another week of silence, of questions unanswered. The plan was to follow him and see where he ran off to, not utterly expose my desperation. But now that plan was obliterated. Was this it? Was this seriously how he wanted to end things so… pointlessly?

 I opened the car door, running after his sulking frame. The second I placed a hand on his shoulder blade, he whipped around. I cowered. 

 He hadn’t needed to bare his teeth or shout at me to be intimidating. This oppressive darkness rolled off of him in waves, knocking me down repeatedly just when I saw the shore. Like a tired sailor, I’d return to the ocean, knowing the damage it could cause, but knowing it was worth it. It would be worth it… if I could only see beneath the surface. 

 He flinched as I pulled the shades off, but he didn’t look at me. My hand went along his jaw, against the slight stubble that’d made its way through. He relented.

 His pupils were blasted, almost shadowing the outer ring of green. 

 “I changed because of you,” I breathed. Something flashed in his eyes. Something beneath the darkened surface. “I’m not the same as I was before. And I don’t know even know how to… express it. I don’t even know if that’s a good thing,” I admitted. He opened his mouth, but I raised a hand. “I need to know what you’re not telling me. The old me could’ve gone without it, but who I am now? I can’t.” 

 But it was like he only heard half of what I’d said. “I never asked you to be in my life, Y/N.”

 “No, that’s right. You just swindled me into it by pretending to be dumb. You’re a little too good of an actor.”  

 It was his turn to scoff. “No one’s making you run after me.” 

 “No one’s making you be a complete and utter asshole right now, either. Besides yourself. Can you just-” I pushed his chest- “PLEASE. I’m clearly tired of getting nowhere.” 

 Harry looked at his watch, and his jaw clicked. “You know for someone so concerned with their life, you certainly don’t seem to have much of one.” His eyes bore into mine. 

 I swallowed, hard, unmoving though it stung. “I know Viv’s in on it.” 

 It was a stab in the dark, but it worked. He nearly growled.

 I heard Renny open her door behind me.

 “She’s involved in a lot of parts of my life, Y/N. But at least she doesn’t ask too many questions. And she sure as shit doesn’t overstep,” he growled. 

 “We both know I’m not Viv.” 

 “Yeah,” he chuckled. “You’re right…” His eyes levelled with mine. At least she actually fucks me.” 

 I felt like he should’ve stayed, watch the awful betrayal fill my eyes. But he walked away as the air was ripped from my lungs. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run up to him, push him to the ground and tell him-! 

 ...tell him what? 

 It was true. 

 He paused at the car door, not even trying to face me. “Get yourself home.” 

 I didn’t see him drive away. I just heard the slam of the car door as he left me, halfway up the hill. 

 Renny pulled the car up next to me, and I suddenly felt dirty. Like I needed a shower. A very hot, scalding shower, that would burn every inch of him off my body forever. 

 “What’s the plan?” she asked.  

 Clearly, our plan to trail the subject in very deep question had turned out very deeply miserable. 

 In a close encounter, the sailor realizes fairly quickly that the ocean holds all the power to kill them. But the second they acknowledge that, they don’t abandon what they’re looking for. 

 “Can you drop me off at a friend’s?” I asked.

 They just get a bigger ship. 

 -----------

 The just-built senior apartments were the envy of everyone on campus. Modern architecture and sleek interior made it THE choicest option for the upperclassmen - especially the athletes. It was the next best thing for those not living in fraternities or sororities.

 It was also the most expensive on-campus housing available. You could live there if you were rich enough, but more importantly, if you were lucky enough. There was one other way you could live here, though. Chapman held a raffle to “make our housing opportunity equal for everyone.” Which, was bullshit, considering the apartment only reserved four out of sixty rooms for those “raffle winners.” Four raffle winners, out of four THOUSAND upperclassmen.  

 Felix and Zayn had some pretty insane luck. 

 I knocked on their door, antsy as I thought of their probable reaction: “Why is Y/N standing beyond our door on a Thursday night without Renny?” She was my strongest link to them. I’d begged her to come up with me, but she wasn’t budging. Though she wouldn’t admit it, she was a little annoyed at spending the whole day only to have found no other woman and to have been told off by Harry - who she now deems worse than Lying Panty Tossing Baby. 

 A tall athletic-built woman eyed me as she carried their trash down the hall. 

 Felix opened the door. 

 “Oh, hey.” It was the awkward I remember you but we aren’t friends dance. “S’been a while. Come in.” 

 I noticed he was at least 6’ 2” as I moved past him into the foyer where Zayn and Andre paused the video game. They had a whole tech center set up around the T.V. and dull EDC music came from their speaker system. 

 Andre waved and Zayn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Hey! What’re you doing here?” He moved a pizza box out of his way to head to the open kitchen. Before I could answer, he returned with a cracked beer, handing it to me. 

 “Thanks,” I said, taking a sip out of politeness. Old Da Vinci maps hung on their walls along with tasteful sketches of nude women, and a framed vintage Star Wars poster was in the hallway. 

 “Where’s Renny?” Felix asked, arms crossed as he sat on the arm of the couch. He’d meant it to be casual, but it wasn’t quite casual enough.

 I didn’t want to be the one to break his heart and tell him about Niall if he didn’t already know. And something told me Renny wasn’t cruel enough to rub it in his face. “Uh, not sure. She had to buzz off somewhere though.” To Niall’s bed. I looked between the three of them. “All of you got so. Lucky. With this place. I almost didn’t believe it when Renny told me.” 

 “Not me!” Andre lifted his beer and dramatically pounded it, slamming it down on the table next to the other four beers.

 “Woah-ugh! Pa! That’s mahogany!” Felix spluttered. 

 “You found it at a garage sale!” 

 “It’s still mahogany!” he squeaked. His gangly arms flailed before adjusting his collar. “Either I’m never donating furniture to this apartment again - or you’re not allowed back in this apartment again. Or both.”

 Andre didn’t answer, just fell flat on the couch. Something was off with him. The energy shifted in the room as the guys eyed Andre. I’d clearly come at a wrong time. 

 “I can swing by later, I know you guys were in the middle of a... game…” 

  Zayn swatted his hand. “No, you’re fine. He’s just…” 

 Andre perked up, awaiting Zayn’s next words. 

 “You want to tell her?” Zayn finished. 

 Andre let out an awkward moan. “You know how date night is coming up?”

 My brows stitched. 

 “No??” He cleared his throat, surprised he had to explain. “So Sig Chi’s date night is coming up and basically we just bring a date, and… party. There’s a theme and everything. You really haven’t heard about this?”

 I shook my head.

 “Huh. It’s kind of a big deal that’s why I’m kind of... huh.”  

 “When is it?” I asked.

 “Tomorrow.” 

 “Tomorrow?!” I paused, thoroughly confused. Had Niall told Renny about this? And if it was Sigma Chi then… Harry must already have a date. For tomorrow. My blood boiled thinking that could be part of the reason why he’d dropped off the face of the Earth this week. So he wouldn’t have to take me as his date. 

 “Mine cancelled on me,” Andre said, running a hand over defined black coils. 

 “Dude, for the hundredth time, it’s not that big of a deal.” 

 “You’re not the one in a frat, Felix!” He laughed humorlessly before landing in a pile on the couch again. In a rare moment, I laughed with him. It was slightly ridiculous how important parties were.

 “Oh-kay,” Felix muttered. His blonde hair flopped on the couch next to Andre. He looked up to me, shrugging. “He’s helpless. Without the distraction of video games. Absolutely helpless.” 

 Zayn gave me a once-over. “You’re in the sorority with Renny, aren’t you?” 

 “Uh, yeah. Kind of. Not officially official yet. Kind of in the process of everything right now. Uh, but” -his eyes narrowed from my rambling- “Yeah. Yeah, I’m in it,” I settled on. 

 Andre came to life again. “Would you go with me?” 

 “Oh! Uh…” 

 “You don’t have to,” Zayn offered. 

 “I can do it. I wasn’t doing anything anyways.” The Netflix I was betraying threw a tantrum in the back of my mind. This weekend I’d been wanting to do nothing but lay low, and preferably, in bed.  

 But if today taught me anything, it’s that my plans clearly never work out too well.

 “Seriously?! It’ll only be a couple hours, I won’t make you stay the whole time. Actually, you can leave whenever you want. Just walk in with me.” 

 “Excuse me?” I asked, half-smiling. 

 “Okay, that sounded bad.” He let out a breathless laugh. “What I meant to say was, thank you. You’ll have a great time.” He threw up the finger guns. 

 Zayn nudged my shoulder with his beer. “Want to go on the balcony?” His eyes bore into mine, and I knew that he knew this wasn’t just a friendly visit. A slight chill ran through me at his perception. It was unnerving how he always seemed to… know. But I guess I shouldn’t judge him for having a keen sixth sense. 

 I let him lead me to the sliding glass door.  

 “Oh, the theme’s James Bond, too! So dress like a Bond girl!” Andre called after us. 

 “Like heels?” I asked. But Zayn slid the door shut behind us. It was dark out, but inside I could see Andre give me a thumbs up before resuming the video game with Felix. 

 “Saved his life. Mate wouldn’t stop gabbin’ ‘bout how gutted he was.” Zayn muttered. The flick of a lighter grabbed my attention. The slight orange illuminated dark features and hollowed cheeks as he took a drag. There was no denying he was handsome, especially in this mood lighting. He probably could’ve been recruited for any fraternity off looks alone, but something told me he wouldn’t step near the place. His vibe was too… anti-organization. He blew the smoke over his shoulder. 

 “Very tortured artist of you,” I noted.

 His head tilted at tortured as if throwing the title back to me. “Artist, maybe. Tortured, no.” 

 “What’s a yes for you, then?” 

 “Yes to whateva you’ve been plannin’ on asking me,” he smirked. “Must’ve been important if you didn’t find me in the studio.” 

 I looked down, then out at the city. Thousands of little people scattered everywhere. Students crawling from late-night classes on the fringes of campus looked like ants. I held my thumb up for scale. Verified ants. Maybe smaller. 

 “I came here to find a different perspective.” My hand fell. I faced him square. “Your perspective.” 

 He took another drag, letting the smoke fill the space between us. “On?” 

 I was a little surprised he didn’t know.

 “Harry.”  

 If he didn’t know, he also didn’t seem too surprised. He leaned against the railing, hazel eyes undressing desperate thoughts. “What do you want to know?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

 The ash from his cigarette floated down to his feet, but an unseen wind carried it up again, rolling over and down like dirty snowflakes to the street below. 

 “I know he doesn’t like you.” 

 Zayn’s laugh was light, soft, but carried the same fullness as Renny’s. “Perceptive girl, ya? S’not what you want to know though is it.” 

 “Why is he so scared of you?” His brow arched, and I could tell I was losing him. “What do you know?” I clarified. 

 Another drag and his shoulders straightened. “Thought you were flatterin’ me there for a second.” Something glimmered in his eyes, something just beyond the surface, and I looked away before I could see anything more than friendly. “Can I ask you somethin’ in return?” 

 I nodded. 

 “Why do you want to know?” he murmured. 

 “I just want to understand.”

 “Mm,” he hummed, the treble of his voice like slow-spilling silk. “Curiosity killed the cat.” 

 I swallowed a little too loudly, but his words hit a little too closely. 

 “S’all right,” he continued. “S’human nature t’want to understand.” He cocked his head a little. “I actually met Harry before school started during the summer. I was working at Hilltop Resort.”

 “Really?” 

 “I was his server.” He let out a short breath as if he couldn’t believe it happened. “Tipped well, actually.” 

 “I remember you working there!” Faint summer memories of Renny whisking us away for lunch on our treat yourself day came back, stirring faint feelings of happiness. It seemed so long ago. I felt like I’d aged five years in three months. “So let me get this straight. He doesn’t like you because you’re in the service industry?” I spat.

 He winced. “No, s’more like…” He took a breath. “There was a coworker of mine. He wasn’t mean, but he wasn’t exactly nice either. Kept to himself on breaks, never really chatted with any of us except to flirt with the bartender. Anyway, I used to see Harry a lot there, but when Jack got promoted Harry’d only sit in Jack’s section.”

 I crossed my arms, the night time air finally sinking in. 

 “I didn’t think too much of it at first,” he admitted. The cigarette moved in his mouth, hand fiddling with the lighter. “But one night I was running out to give a guest the card they’d left behind, but I saw them together instead.” 

 Before I could picture Harry and Zayn’s coworker making out against the wall, he continued - “He was giving Harry stacks of cash.”

 Flashbacks of Viv trying to pass Harry money in the Catalina Island bar played out like a movie in my mind. 

 “What’d you do?” I pressed.

 He shrugged. “I saw Harry slip something else in his pocket. It looked like a little bag. Must’ve been a bonus.” He muttered the last words. 

 “A bonus for what?” 

 “I didn’t know then. I just thought he’d somehow found a way to steal from the manager’s safe and was splitting the profits.”

 “Why give it to Harry though?” 

 “That’s what I couldn’t figure out.” He leaned in. “I saw them together a few more times. The second was an accident. Third, not so much. Harry saw me that time. Then before I left for the night, I searched his locker. Took me a while, but I found some pills. Little bag of coke, too. He came in right when I was putting it back.” 

 “No.” 

 “Yeah. He didn’t say anything. Just stared at me like he was going to kill me. I got my shit and got the hell out of there. Next day, the boss said they received a tip to check my locker and they found the drugs in mine. You know the fucked up bit? I was fired.” 

 “But it wasn’t yours!” 

 “Doesn’t matter. Still found it there.” Zayn stamped out his cigarette, blowing away the last smoke. I guess pity was etched in my face, because he suddenly turned defensive. “Don’t look at me like that. I work at Javier’s now. I’m fine.” 

 Javier’s was the fancy Mexican restaurant overlooking the Pacific. He was doing more than fine.

 “That’s still not fair to you,” I muttered.

 “I didn’t want to be involved, anyway. S’better I left one way or another.” 

 “What was his name again? Your coworker’s?”

 “Jack.” 

 Jack. Why did that sound so familiar? 

 “He’s not sound, you know,” Zayn added. 

 “Well clearly if he gave you murder eyes.” 

 “No, not Jack. Harry. He’s not…”

 “Sound,” I repeated. The word felt heavy on my tongue.

 Zayn nodded, tucking a cigarette behind his ear.

 “I can’t believe Harry got you fired.” 

 “Well, I don’t exactly know. Jack must’ve been the one to move the drugs into my locker.”

 “Yeah, but who told him to?”

 Zayn didn’t answer. The facts had been there this entire time, but I didn’t want to see it. I still didn’t want to see it. But Zayn was here, undeniably linking them together for me. Harry and drugs and money were three things that’d been circulating in the same place much longer than I could know. For some reason beyond me, Harry was a dealer. Or ran as head of them. Which meant his association with the men who’d assaulted me was… what? A business deal gone wrong?

 “England’s a small country, you see the same faces everywhere. Like here, if you’re perceptive enough. And in each, he’s jus’... involved in something bigger, while at the same time trying to hide. S’like he’s a magnet for infamy to his own detriment.” 

 “Are you referring to his adoption?” 

 He twisted the cigarette behind his ear, realizing I didn’t really need an answer to this question and that now I was just testing him for what he knew. “Contrary to what he may believe, I don’t know everything.” 

 But I couldn’t fight the feeling that he was talking about me. Smooth artist’s fingers fiddled with the lighter again, but he didn’t light the second cigarette. He knew more than what he was telling me. 

 But even the new me didn’t want to hear much else tonight.  

 “You don’t want to stay?” he asked.

 I didn’t realize I was walking towards the door ‘til his words stopped me in my tracks. Disappointment tinged his words. I felt a little guilty, heading out the door as soon as I’d gotten what I’d needed. 

 But I was tired. And sadly, unless there was a sketch pad in front of him, I didn’t know what else we could talk about. I didn’t know what else he’d see. 

 I shook my head, and he lit the cigarette, not bothering to walk me out. 

 ------

Racing down the spindly halls, my heart pounded out of my chest. I heard the cries above the whispers of the Watchers, and they grew louder with a sickening urgency. A gutteral wailing meant for me. 

 I looked down the hall, awaiting the dark shadow to appear from the walls, when he’d creep closer, suffocatingly closer. 

 The door wouldn’t open, not past an inch. 

 But he called for me, this time. My name fell from unseen lips.

 “Y/N,” he called. It was hoarse. He was scared. I’d never heard that cry before. This time it wasn’t solid air the door was against - it was pills. Tiny pills, hundreds of them, thousands of them, multiplying on top of each other until they filled what I could see of the room. Until they were spilling out the crack. 

 “Y/N!!!” His voice was panicked, but muffled. It was muffled now. Why wasn’t he opening the door?? Why couldn’t he reach me?? The shadow drew closer. It surrounded me, outside, every inch of the hall covered by darkness. 

 My heartbeat was the only sound. 

 A waterfall of pills. The glint of a knife. 

 I couldn’t reach him in time. 

 I couldn’t save Harry. 

 I couldn’t even save myself.

part 20

[smokeybrand]

Mutiny

I’m not a fan of Joe Rogen. I find a lot of what he says to be problematic as f*ck but the way he says it, is FAR more damaging. Dude pushes some wild, dangerous, nonsense under the guise of “free speech”, disingenuous “debate”, and insidiously leading questions. Rogen is the Frat Boy version of Tucker Carlson in a lot of ways and that sh*t just doesn’t appeal to me. Beta males who think too highly of themselves listen to this due and take him seriously. These are people who are not self-actualized, who’s entire personality is based on their car or their sneakers or some other superficial bullsh*t they confuse for a personality, and that’s what Rogen’s entire show is; Superficial bullsh*t. So when he pushes dumb-f*ckery like “Don’t get the shot if you’re young and healthy”, these idiots who are either teenagers or have the mentality of teenagers, f*cking listen and we have a spike in cases. Because Joe Rogen said so.

The other day, this asshole bought into that whole “White Fear” sh*t, talking about how the Straight White Male is the most persecuted demo in America and i just groaned. This is the same exact sh*t Carlson does on his show, verbatim, just slightly less racist. It’s the current strategy of what is fast becoming the American Fascist Party, Republicans. It’s hypocritical f*cking nonsense and i hate it. How the f*ck would Joe Rogen, a Straight White Male with a whole ass podcast, be silenced or censored or persecuted/ He’s a multi-millionaire with one of the most popular platforms on f*cking Spotify. How the f*ck would any White person, especially Straight White Males, get silenced in the US? The bones of this country are built to uphold a very specific form of White Supremacy. Hell, cats talk about all these rights and liberties but, in the very beginning, those rights were only extended to White Male Landowners; basically Rich White Men, and guess who the f*ck Joe Rogen is? The constitution had to be amended to include every one else which means this country was designed to be a haven for objective White Supremacy. The fact that they replaced Straight with Rich is just a misnomer used to broaden that division and you have assholes with real audiences buying into that dangerous bullsh*t, disseminating that poison to their followers. And they just drink that persecution complex kool-aid, up. It’s f*cking absurd.

The irony in all of this is the fact that the country is getting younger and browner. Statistically, by the time Gen Z’s kids come of age, we’ll outnumber White people. The margin will be slight but they’ll be the overall minority in this country and that’s why we have all of this fear-mongering and treasonous tantrums. That system the Founding Fathers built to protect their power, is falling apart. It's all a matter of time. Why do you think they're fighting so hard to keep DC and Puerto Rico from becoming actual States? I can guarantee those cats who signed the Constitution never anticipated the influx of melanated people over the years, interbreeding with their lily White sensibilities, or the homogeneity desegregation would bring to society or the way Black culture ended up shaping the entire American zeitgeist or how the Internet just blew the doors off any illusion US citizens had about our true status in the world at large. I was born in 1984. Ten years before i existed, the South was still heavily segregated. My generation, the Millennials, were the very first to be completely free from the social consequences of the Civil Rights Movement. We were far enough removed from that to just see people, not race. I was exposed to so many more cultures, religions, and people, as a kid, than my ma had been when she was young. It wasn’t like, all of a sudden, we were singing kumbaya together, but it was definitely a start, one that has only gained more and more momentum as the Generations who came after mine, started coming of age in a world whose borders are just ceremonial at this point because of the Tech age.

I met my chick and made friends across the globe in a chatroom. One of my closest friends lives in New Zealand. Another stays in Finland. My birthday twin lives in England. She’s a year older than i am and has a beautiful family. My Puerto Rican sister met her dude around the same time i met my chick. He’s from Alabama. She moved from the island to be with him and they've settled down in Georgia where they share a beautiful daughter. My best friend became so close with an Asian girl from Australia, that he adopted her as his own sister. They spoke at least twice a week for the next fifteen years, all the way up until he passed away. The world is much smaller, much clearer, than it has ever  been before, and it turns out that it’s full of color. Color these Straight White Men are, apparently, terrified of. That’s got to be it. That’s got to be why they’re throwing these big ass tantrums and constantly fear-mongering about it. I don’t understand. When Brie Larson said what she said, it was the truth. There are THOUSANDS of films about White dudes you can watch. The entirety of film history is Straight White Males. What is so bad abut getting some chicks or People of Color or some LBGTQ representation in a few leads? Why can't we have strong Black performances in movies where we don't play the “magical Negro” or f*cking Slave? Why can't we have an all Asian cast when the principals aren't constantly fetishized? What is so terrible about giving a role to a Muslim that isn't linked to some ridiculous terrorist trope? Who’s really offended by this and why are they so goddamn fervent about it? Straight White Males, bud.

It’s because their grip on the reins is slipping. The power and the privilege they’ve had for so long, too long, is started to tip in the other direction. The playing field is, ever so slowly, evening out and these Straight White Males are losing their sh*t. They’ll talk about “being racist against white people” and “it's fine to interview everyone but hire cats who are qualified” with one breath but then absolutely savage voting rights directly focused on crippling the Black vote and desperately cling to the idea that 45 still deserves to be president, even though a steady stream of his criminal incompetence has been flowing out of the the White House since he’s left. The level cognitive dissonance is f*cking hilarious. It’s as bad as the GOP complaining about “cancel culture” while literally silencing Liz Cheney. Are you f*cking kidding me? I gotta sit here and listen to a very vocal minority complain about the direction of the MCU because they’ve decided to add a plethora of female and POC roles going forward into Phase Four. They keep asking “who's this for?” and it's obvious it's for everyone, not just Straight White Males. That, to them, means it's going to be bad. Just because the focus has shifted from three White dudes in leading roles, suddenly the MCU has lost it's way. It’s like, all of a sudden, just because the MCU wants to represent their audience as a whole, not just a narrow and shrinking part of it, we’re not supposed to trust in Feige anymore. Are you kidding me? The Green Knight is slated to be another massive hit for A24. The cat who wrote that film was bounced from studio to studio because he created that story specifically as a vehicle for Dev Patel and no major studio wanted to make it with him in the lead. Dev Patel is a f*cking Oscar winner and a brilliant actor but this movie, draped in surreal and beautiful imagery, driven by a visceral, bloody, focus, wasn’t going to get made because the lead this plot was specifically written for, happens to be brown. But Straight White Males are the ones being silenced? Okay, bud.

Joe Rogen is a symptom of a greater problem and it’s the problem of White Fragility. White Fragility fuels the worst of our society. It's the genesis of racism and bigotry. It drives Nationalism and is fertile ground for cults of personality which blossom into whole ass dictatorships. These motherf*ckers are in they’re feelings and will burn this country to the ground if it means they will stop getting their way. Brie Larson calls out the ridiculousness of the race bias in Hollywood? They attack. Arizona flips Blue because Indigenous people and Black folks come out to vote in droves? Voter fraud and four recounts, one months after the election has been called and Biden has already taken office. Jordan Peele says, out loud, to the entire country, that he’s not interested in telling stories with White people in the lead? Shadow banned from Hollywood. Dude was the toast of Hollywood after Get Out and Us. He said what he said and cat's been trapped behind the camera as a Producer ever since. It’s nuts because these people complaining about how hard it is to be and how unfair the current social climate is to Straight White Males, have called Twatter NPCs whiny, SJW, children, for years. Bro,you’re the same, just racist! You are the Trump to their Obama. You are the thermodynamic reaction to their Civil action. You assholes are arguing the same merit, just on the opposite ends of the spectrum so, if they’re whiny assholes, wouldn’t you have to be, too? The only difference is that the Twatter assholes have a zeal for inclusion while you Rogen Bros have a penchant for White Supremacy and, given the choice, I'd have to agree with the Blue Checkmarks in this regard.

Straight White Males have had the run of this country since before it was a country and look what they’ve done with it. Look where we are, right now, in the year of our lord, 2021. This is as far as we have come under their stewardship. It’s time for a new captain, i think. Sorry if that hard truth hurts your feelings. Now please steer us away from those very obvious rocks. I’d rather not violently crash into that reef and sink into a watery grave before we can get our hands on the wheel to right this ship, all because you assholes are in your feelings, thank you.