#also thinking of doing a weapons design board

[revive-the-fandom]

Tried to redesign the riders to be a little more believable? … as in convincing but not historically accurate? Tried taking the ac:Valhalla approach, I think they look kinda cool (pls ignore hiccup he was my test & I can’t get him to look any better but this is more abt design than polish I guess)

The helmets were kind of a nightmare and irl Viking’s defo wouldn’t wear any of those designs but I wanted it to still feel like their helmets. Snotlout esp needed his horns they’re too cute I’m sorry.

[silverwarewolf]

DUNGEON MESHI EPISODE 24 THOUGHTS

Oh, I had asked to see what the party's thoughts regarding the changeling situation were, especially when it came to their lifespans, but I didn't think it would turn out like this!

GOOD FUCKING JOB, CHILCHUCK. YOU'VE TRAUMATIZED MARCILLE EVEN FURTHER. Oh but I do so love the horrors of this situation of theirs. Marcille babygirl I would like to hug you and have a nice chat.

Anywya, on we go to think about Falin and any solutions that might help us here. Which is great! I love how much foreshadowing there is (in terms of what I've been vaguely told about the manga).

Laios Touden's problem solving skills, everyone.

That's honestly the SICKEST weapon design, I'm so on board with you Laios. This could be Kensuke's Halloween makeover. BUT DONT JUST TAKE THOSE MUSHROOMS WITH YOU OH MY GOD

... was this the opening sequence foreshadowing everyone was freaking out about? was that it? (don't actually tell me, though. if it was it, say yes. if it wasn't, don't say anything)

no comment here I just love them.

I just will never get used to elfshi's hands being Like That. But it's also kinda nice to see him and Izutsumi working along so nicely! Like, don't even get me started on how Izu is presented as the pickiest eater of the party (Marcille has been dethroned severely) and usually you'd see that presented as a Hassle, but here in DM, Senshi doesn't even bat an eye. He knows and respects Izutsumi's tastes and preferences and works his meals out around it! That's such a based thing for him to do. <3

This is a renaissance painting. (I love it when they adapt Ryoko Kui's visual gags and I LOVE when she does zoomed in faces like this. Truly one of the artists ever)

I did not have "Laios gets Pissed On" on my bingo card but every day I grow more and more convinced that the animators KNOW what they're doing and - OH MY GOD IS THAT SENSHI'S DWUSSY. ELFSHI ALTERNATIVE TO PANTY SHOT.

Ah, yes, Izutsumi sprawls all over them when sleeping, we been knew, again it's a little unexpected to see it front and center but I guess it works to demonstrate them returning to - THAT WAS LAIOS??? AND CHILCHUCK IS JUST LIFTING HIS LEG LIKE THAT?? OKAY THEN. SURE.

(and then there's a few more seconds of laiosfoot and laios bedhead)

BUT HEY THEY'RE BACK TO NORMAL

1) Yep, they're back to normal.

2) Laios I love you and I love Gothsuke but someone needs to be careful about biohazards and it's not going to be you.

3) Add this to the "Marcille Donato gets threateningly close to you in three steps" folder.

4) Truly only they can match each other's freak. When the NECROMANCER is telling you not to do something, don't do it! I know last time you smuggled a "normal" sword, it turned out to be useful, but I'm sure that's not the case here!

5) Poor Laios tho. I'll learn to blacksmith just to give you a cool sword. <3

I'm so glad they kept this. One of the silliest touden siblings moments. 10/10 no notes. Also, Falin is never beating the blunt force trauma allegations.

IS THAT CHILCHUCK'S WIFE. ARE YOU - MA'AM. HELLO?

"Why aren't you a twink like I thought you'd be?!" gets adapted! (I'm pretty sure that's the scene meant to be here, anyways)

I get it, girl.

Oh dear, they're going to eat Falin. And SENSHI was the one to suggest it! For a guy who was just fighting the doubts of accidental cannibalism a week ago, you're taking bold steps forward.

(I do love how it mirrors Laios' kindness back then, in truth. Even if it's an idea so shocking and dire at first, it comes from a place of reason and logic and love)

Marcille "I said I wanted to eat her OUT, not eat HER" Donato Izutsumi "That's going to taste gross as fuck" Izutsumi Chilchuck "If it brings her back..." Tims Laios Touden, the man with a thousand things on his head right now, two of which I reckon are "I don't want to eat my sister" and "Dragon-Chicken... what might it taste like?"

Yes, well. Valid as your concerns are, Laios, because how the fuck would five people eat THAT much meat, you can't just ramble on about what dishes you're going to make out of your sister.

(...I get it, though. I mean if you're going to eat, might as well make it good, right? I know no one wants to grill one of Faligon's ribs but I'll go ahead and say it would be worse to tell them to eat her raw)

FUCK! we DID lose those scenes about the twin bell that toshiro kept!! forever sad about that.

oh my godddd they're going back into the dungeonnn we're going to reunite with themmm

I know they're really fucking competent, I mean, Namari and Toshiro are already described as pretty formidable warriors (and we've seen it), and Kabru is... admittedly much more geared to fight humans but he's a decent fighter either way. And a good leader!

Speaking of, where the fuck is everyone else.

I know they're meant to be scary (and I suppose they are! If we have the reference that, firstly, marcille is an excellent spellcaster so these elves could be just as good in their own areas of expertise, yes?, and secondly, the canaries are Well Known)

... plus, Namari, Toshiro and Kabru are wary of them. Namari, Toshiro and Kabru are wary of them.

BUT damn it Lycion, I need to- (gets dragged off stage)

Anyway, while we wait for the next season (WHICH HAS BEEN GREENLIT! WOHOO!), have these wonderful images of chicken falin being a cathedral painting (...if cathedrals ever added dragons, i guess) and my beloveds, who have finally returned!

[nataliasquote]

Tattoos for troubled minds | n romanoff

Summary: Natasha struggles to trust anyone when it comes to touching her body. But that becomes rather difficult when a tattoo idea comes into her mind that she just can’t shake

Warnings: mentions of scars, tattoo needles, slight internalised homophobia

wc: 3.6k

note: I don’t actually have tattoos (despite wanting one so badly) so this is probably really inaccurate. I do apologise if this doesn’t make sense. also, I hate this so much but the guilt of not posting is eating me alive so I’m sorry

-⧗-

Natasha was a quiet soul. She kept to herself, usually sitting at her own table in the Shield cafeteria, eyes focused on her plate of food as she ate quickly, just wanting to get out of there. None of the other agents dared make conversation with her, too spooked by her fighting skills to approach. But that didn’t bother her. Her hyper independence made her hesitant to trust people.

Clint was the only one she spoke to outside of working hours. They weren’t exactly friends, but she tolerated him enough to flash a small smile if she saw him in the hallways or feel slightly relaxed if they were paired for missions together.

And he liked her too, especially since her first words had been a jab at his choice of weapon.

“Bow and arrow? What did you do, get your training in a forest?”

But he didn’t take offense to it. After all, he’d made the call to save her and she owed him her life. Which is how, two years later, she was sprawled on his couch, chewing on take out pizza for the second time that week with a scowl.

“I think I want a tattoo.”

Clint frowned at her, wondering where her brain cells had disappeared to. “What?”

“You know, the permanent drawing-“

“Yes I know what a tattoo is Tasha,” he rolled his eyes at her teasing smirk, already over her sarcasm. “But you know it’s a bad idea for spies to have unique markings like that.”

Natasha shrugged, tugging up her sleeve to reveal a strange shaped scar across her bicep. “I’d say I’ve got enough of those naturally. And it would be hidden on my ribs or something.”

Clint just shook his head and turned back to his food. He was used to Natasha’s odd comments and her tattoo phase probably wouldn’t last in his eyes. Just like her ‘wanting to be blonde’ phase didn’t.

But it didn’t end. A month later and Natasha had fallen down the rabbit hole that was tattoo designs on pinterest, courtesy of a fellow agent who introduced her to the app. She didn’t understand it at first, but now it was 3am and her tablet screen was still glaring bright in her face, a plethora of images scattered across her screen.

She saved a couple to a board, now set on design and placement, before placing it to one side with a grin on her face. Natasha climbed out of bed and padded over to her mirror, pulling up her shirt and smiling softly to herself. But the dim lamplight made her scars glisten and she caught herself, a sudden feeling of repulsion shuddering through her body. She looked like a freak and no tattoo artist would want to go near that. Her scars weren’t normal and she wasn’t ready for the questions yet.

Tears glazed her eyes over and her arms snaked across her stomach, her reflection in the mirror now blurry. Even as the salty tears dripped down her cheeks and soaked the collar of her shirt, she didn’t step away, too engrossed with how disgusting she felt in her body.

That stubborn hope that the redroom failed to squash out had ignited inside her once more, except this time she just wanted to laugh at it. Natasha would never be normal. She was what they’d made her into, and a tattoo was never going to change that.

Clint noticed the change in her demeanor when she sat down at breakfast. Natasha barely engaged in her usual small talk, more focused on her food in front of her.

“Did you do anymore tattoo research yesterday?” He asked, knowing that would catch her attention. But instead of the usual spark, she remained dejected, stirring her yogurt half heartedly.

“Yeah,” came her response, albeit rather forced.

“There’s probably a lot of places in DC that would kill to tattoo a shield agent.” Nat shot him a look. “Just saying!”

“Sure. But I don’t think I can anymore.”

Clint looked at her with a frown. “Why not?”

Natasha just looked down and tugged at her sleeve, suddenly feeling exposed in her tight fitting suit. The image in the mirror from last night came into her mind and she pushed her food away, no longer hoodie. And beside that, she didn’t trust people she worked with, so how would she trust a complete stranger to add something permanent on her body? Getting a tattoo would be nothing but a dream for her, she knew that, but it still crushed her.

Clint studied his best friend for a moment in thought, before he placed his hand gently on her arm. “I might know someone who can help.” Natasha looked up, now interested. Her face was still stony but Clint knew she was excited. “A friend of Laura’s, we helped her out even before you came here.”

“An agent?” Clint hadn’t mentioned anyone like that before and it confused Natasha.

But Clint shook his head. “No, nothing like that. She came to Laura and I when she was a teenager and had nowhere else to go. And you know my wife-“

“Can’t let anyone suffer,” Natasha finished for him, warmth spreading in her stomach at the thought of the soft woman she’d grown to adore. Laura really did have the biggest heart out of everyone.

“Exactly that. Y/n was fourteen, I think, parents kicked her out of the house. How she got to ours, I’ll never know, but she just appeared on the doorstep one night and Laura melted at the sight of her.” Clint’s expression softened at the memory. “But anyway, what I’m saying is that she’s a tattoo artist. She’s got trust issues just like you and I think she’ll help.”

Natasha scowled at the last part, wanting to protest his comment. But she knew he was right; her trust issues were what got her into this mess in the first place.

“But she’s a kid?”

“No, almost the same age as you,” Clint said with a laugh. “You’ll like her, but she can be a little scary.”

“Scarier than me?”

Clint smirked. “Oh, you’d be surprised. That glare of hers rivals yours.” This vague description intrigued Natasha and Clint could see the cogs turning in her mind. “She knows what we do and she’s seen my scars. Trust me, they won’t put her off.”

Natasha’s head shot up, staring at her best friend with confusion. Was she that easy to read? Or did he just know her too well?

~~~

With the news of her favourite girls coming back home, Laura had been in a frenzy of cleaning and preparing. Clint had texted to say he was only minutes away so she left the dishes to soak and headed to the porch, anxiously staring at the track beside their house as she waited.

Anyone would have thought she was married to Natasha over Clint by the difference in reactions she gave them. Sure, Clint got a kiss and a hug, but Natasha truly got the special treatment, with Laura scanning her to make sure she wasn’t injured and quizzing her about how she was. Poor Clint was left to grab their bags as the women disappeared into the farmhouse.

Tea was poured and snacks were eaten in the cosy kitchen before the doorbell rang and Laura excused herself, leaving an anxious Natasha on her own for a moment. Muffled voices could be heard but she tried to go against her instincts of listening in and instead busied herself with a loose thread on the tablecloth. She heard footsteps approaching and turned in her chair, ignoring the way her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

The woman who walked in the kitchen doorway was stunning, Natasha couldn’t deny it, and her eyes darted to the patchwork of tattoos that littered her exposed arms. Their eyes met, and Natasha swore she could see the walls up in the other woman’s mind. But it didn’t scare her off. No. It brought her a weird sense of comfort and her body started to relax.

Clad in a black cropped tank and black cargo pants, Y/n hesitated in the doorway, duffle bag slung over her shoulder hitting the wall gently. Laura appeared behind her, gentle hands falling to her shoulders.

“Y/n, this is Natasha, the one I told you about.” The y/h/c girl made no effort to move. “She’s Clint’s partner.” Clearly not much of a talker, Y/n just nodded, not hiding the fact she was scanning Natasha from head to toe. She didn’t trust strangers, but she trusted Laura and Clint who seemed to love Natasha. So maybe she wasn’t a threat.

“Hi, you can call me Nat if you want.” No one called her Nat except Laura, but it was a feeble attempt to make the atmosphere more comfortable. Another nod came but Laura smiled.

“Do you want to go set up? All of your stuff is still exactly where you left it,” Laura addressed Y/n who adjusted the grip on her bag and disappeared down the hall without a word. Natasha’s eyebrows raised at Laura who watched her go, a fond look in her eyes. “She does speak, I promise.”

Natasha shook her head, brushing her off. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I can tell you care about her a lot.”

“She’s like a daughter to me, kind of like you are.” Natasha’s cheeks flushed at that. “She doesn’t have anyone except us, so I worry. She’s a real sweetheart though, she’s just been through a lot. Kind of like someone else I know.”

“I’ll be kind, don’t worry.”

Laura couldn’t help but smile as she stirred her tea. “Oh I know. She already likes you, you don’t need to worry about that.”

Natasha let out a sigh and started to play with the hem of her zip up jacket. It suddenly felt real, the whole tattoo thing. And whilst she weirdly trusted Y/n, it didn’t help ease her nerves any less.

The redhead sensed a new presence before she spotted her, standing in the doorway just like she was before.

“Ready when you are, Nat.” Her voice was slightly raspy from lack of use and she spoke quietly, almost as if she was scared she’d get into trouble. Natasha smiled softly at the sound of her nickname and squeezed Laura’s hand before she followed the y/h/c girl down the hallway of the house she considered her second home.

Clint’s office had been turned into a makeshift tattoo studio with all new equipment and furniture decorating the small space. The tattoo bed had a fresh paper layer on top and Y/n gestured for Natasha to take a seat.

“Ok, do you have an idea of what you want? And where?” Y/n sat down at a small table and picked up her pen before looking at Natasha expectantly.

“I’ve got a couple of reference pictures on my phone.” The small device was handed over and Y/n swiped between them, nodding in approval before setting it down. “The last one is just for placement ideas.”

“I’ll work up a sketch and you can tell me what needs changing.” Luckily Natasha’s design was incredibly simple and it didn’t take long for Y/n to hold up her page.

Natasha slid off the bed and slowly walked over, not wanting to startle the skittish girl. But Y/n just moved over, clearly welcoming the redhead into her space.

“I love that a lot,” Natasha praised, studying the simple lines. “But maybe it could be a bit smaller.”

“I can scale it down when I make the stencil, no problem. But is the design alright? Remember, it is permanent so I want you to be completely happy with it.”

Natasha studied it for a moment, a smile tugging at her lips as she imagined it on her body. Y/n had talent, anyone could see that even from such a simple drawing, and Natasha nodded before she slid the notebook back to her.

“I love it, I really do.”

Y/n nodded, grabbing her stencil paper from a drawer by her leg. She wordlessly began making the stencil and Natasha took this as her cue to return to her seat. She peered around the room, admiring a few pictures that were on the walls. Incredibly complicated tattoos which she guessed Y/n had done.

The young girl sketching away in the corner thoroughly interested her and something inside Natasha was drawn in. She wanted to get to know her because aside from the shy and hesitant exterior she was effortlessly cool and seemed sweet. Maybe Y/n could be the start of Natasha’s project to make friends.

“If you lie back on the seat and lift your shirt, we can make sure this is exactly how you want it before I start.”

Natasha took a deep breath and slowly lifted her shirt and lowered the waistband of her sweatpants so her hip bone was exposed. She shivered despite the room being warm, fully aware that her nastiest scar was on full display on her lower stomach.

But Y/n didn’t care. Or at least she didn’t make it obvious if it bothered her. “Is it ok if I touch your hip?” She asked, looking Natasha straight in the eyes. The redhead almost melted at her words, not used to ever being asked that question.

“Of course, do what you need.” Y/n’s fingers were soft and delicate as she placed the stencil on Natasha’s skin. She didn’t touch anywhere she didn’t need to and worked quickly, making sure it was fully stuck down before stepping back to allow Natasha to step over to the mirror.

Although it wasn’t permanent, Natasha’s heart was racing as she saw the way the black ink stood out against her pale skin. The symbol was small but perfect in her eyes, and she turned back to Y/n with a grin.

“It’s perfect!”

“Then I’ll get started.”

Due to the design being so small, it took no more than fifteen minutes for Y/n to complete. Her hand was incredibly steady and Natasha’s pain tolerance was so high she barely felt it. The room was silent aside from the faint buzzing, no conversation stemming from either woman. Questions spiralled around Natasha’s head but she knew this wasn’t the place to ask them.

Completely lost in her head, Natasha failed to notice the silence or the fact that her hip bone was no longer burning. Y/n kept working, wiping away the excess ink and making sure she hadn’t missed a spot. But it was perfect, as usual, and she gently tapped Nat on the thigh to snap her out of her head.

“You’re now free to look.”

Natasha grinned and hopped off the bed, holding up her shirt again as she looked in the mirror. Tears almost sprung to her eyes as she admired the finished product, and they probably would have tumbled down her cheeks if she had been alone.

A small spider sat on the front of her hip, legs slightly bent. It looked so delicate on her skin and for the first time in her entire life, Natasha actually liked looking at herself in the mirror.

“It’s so beautiful,” she began to ramble, unable to tear her eyes away. “You’ve got real talent Y/n, I can’t thank you enough. It’s so perfect.”

Y/n blushed and couldn’t stop the smile that graced her lips, catching Natasha’s eyes in the mirror and making the redhead freeze.

Her smile.

The young woman hadn’t smiled the entire time she’d arrived, but seeing her now was like a breath of fresh air. Smiling looked so good on her and Natash couldn’t get enough.

“If you want to show Laura, you can, but you’ll need to come back so I can wrap it safely.” Natasha glanced at her new addition and nodded, but hesitated once she was by the door.

“I think you should come too. The artist and her artwork.” Natasha spoke with a smirk and Y/n couldn’t ever imagine saying no to that woman. So she nodded again, her usual response, and meekly followed her back down the hall, pulling off her gloves as she walked.

Laura was already waiting for them in the kitchen and she placed her reading glasses in her hair to get a good look at Natasha who still hadn’t dropped her shirt down. She’d never seen the Russian with such a wide grin before, her usual collected expression completely out of the window.

“It looks beautiful, Nat, truly. You did such a good job Y/n.”

“You never told me how talented she is!” Natasha stepped to the side to allow Y/n to come forward, but the humble woman stayed where she was, already hating the attention. She didn’t see her art as talent, more like a form of escapism. But it made people happy and that was all she wanted.

“I wanted you to see for yourself,” Laura replied. “And besides, she never believes me when I tell her how good she is.”

“You’re really easy to tattoo. You don’t squirm or cry like other people do, so really I should be thanking you.” Laura was taken aback by Y/n’s comment, not used to more than three words coming out of the girl’s mouth. But the more she observed her, the more she saw her change. The darkness she’d noticed since Y/n was a teenager had lifted a little and she seemed a lot less guarded, looking over at Natasha with a soft expression.

And Natasha looked back at her just the same, purely in awe of how gentle she was. As Y/n gestured for them to return to the office and offered to hold Nat’s shirt, Laura felt like squealing like a child.

Two of her favourite people in the world had found each other and, despite both being so broken and fragile, fit together so perfectly it was like they were made for each other.

Natasha was strong enough and sure of herself enough for the both of them, and Y/n treated her with such delicacy and care that it slowly broke away Natasha’s trust issues and allowed her to open up. And Natasha’s protective nature came out around the other woman, wanting to keep her safe from the world.

With a quick word about going to show Clint, Natasha disappeared into the front yard with her newly wrapped hip, leaving Y/n to find Laura again. The older woman welcomed her with a hug and pulled a chair close to her own.

“You like her, don’t you?”

Y/n kept her gaze on the crossword Laura was doing, not wanting her eyes to give her away if she looked up. “She’s nice.”

“Hey,” Laura said softly, carefully taking Y/n’s hand in her own. She didn’t miss the way she flinched but unfortunately she was used to that by now. “You’re not back there. You’re allowed to like her if that’s what you want and feel. She’s a good person, but so are you, you don’t need to be scared.”

Y/n’s eyes followed where their hands were clasped up to Laura’s face, trying to find any hints that showed she was lying. But all that came back was the soft and caring face she’d grown to love, one that didn’t lie to her and didn’t hate her for who she was.

“I don’t like her like that.” Call her a hypocrite for lying, but Y/n had her reasons. Loving a woman was still unnatural in her eyes, despite her contrasting feelings that longed for it.

“Y/n…” Laura’s ‘mom’ tone was one she was used to and she knew she was caught out. “I’m not asking you to tell me now, but you deserve happiness, as does she. And I haven’t seen either of you that relaxed in a really long time. So please don’t push her away.”

Y/n didn’t know what to think. How could she? Her whole life had centred around hating who she was, so how could anyone ever like her like that? It messed with her head and Laura could see that.

But what was Natasha if not a life saver. She came strolling into the kitchen, her tshirt now tucked up into the band of her sports bra to allow her tattoo to be on full display. Y/n smiled slightly at the sight.

Sinking down into the chair beside her, Natasha noticed the clasped hands of the women and wondered what she’d interrupted. But that wasn’t her place to ask, so she turned to Y/n.

“How can I pay you? How much do you charge?”

Y/n shook her head frantically, pulling her hand away from Laura. “Nothing, honestly. You’re a friend, it’s no big deal.”

“Absolutely not. If you won’t take money, at least let me repay you another way.”

“Nat-“

“Dinner? How about you let me take you to dinner next week. You’re from the city, right?” Y/n nodded, her brows creasing. She turned to Laura for help but the older woman just smiled widely and nodded, giving her as much non verbal encouragement as she could. “Please, Y/n?”

She’d said yes before she could even process what was going on. After all, they were just friends going to dinner. People in the movies that she’d seen did it, so she could too.

What was so wrong with that?

[buttl0rd]

I'm watching like a hawk for that new kid 🤲 THE BABY

ALRIGHT HERE HE IS!! lemme introduce you to the new kid 👉👉

this is carroway - he's the best 😎👽

this is gonna be a long post cause i have so much art and content to gush about. i love this kid 👇

Some fun character details:

he was originally supposed to be like the 90's movie tough bully kid but he's ended up just being a stupid asshole. he probably likes to think he's really cool and tough 💪

has 3 younger sisters, hates being outnumbered by girls

huge foodie and finishes whatever you don't eat. not fussy at all

always leaving his mittens outside. they get all wet and gross in the snow

affectionately ripping on everyone he loves. he's a total asshole but most people know he doesn't mean half the shit he says. the real ones tolerate him 😔🤙

he doesn’t know he’s bisexual (don’t tell him, he’ll find out on his own)

Hobbies & Interests

Aliens. Carroway is a firm believer in alien life and has an immense interest in UFO sightings, alien communication and all things outer-space. He often brags to his classmates that he has been abducted and probed, and is friends with the Martians that visit South Park sometimes (do any of them believe him?). He has a telescope that he set up in his friend Dante’s treehouse which he uses to spot UFOs in the night.

FUN FACT: His probe is linked with Cartman's. It's the connection that makes it possible for OCs to exist in the same universe as canon characters.

Drums. He has a drum set in his garage on which he practices every day after school. He has exceptional rhythm and is very talented. He keeps drumsticks in his backpack just in case he encounters a drumset or anything he can make a beat with (tables, benches, trashcans, etc.) Neighbors complain to his parents about the noise, so his garage is sound-proofed to the best of Mr. Carroway’s ability. 

Snowboarding. Carroway goes snowboarding every few weeks. His family do snowboarding trips and he LOVES it. He also skateboards and rides his bike when he’s not up in the mountains, kid just likes to go fast. He dreams of being a professional snowboarder when he’s older.

TFBW: Boarderline

Boarder is a special flying support unit, part of Coon & Friends. He delivers high-impact quick attacks with his hoverboard and can heal/cure status conditions with his awesome space beams. As a speedster he utilizes the whole battlefield and is constantly moving, making him difficult to hit.

Origins:

He was a human that got abducted and genetically modified by Martians to serve and protect the alien race. After battling in many galactic wars he returned to his home in Colorado. His abilities were noticed by the superhero organization, Coon & Friends and Boarder was recruited to join their alliance. He provides support to Coon & Friends in battle.

Design:

Inspired by the gear he wears when he goes snowboarding.

His superhero costume consists of a white bodysuit with black tape accents and a big old metal zip. There's reflective blue strips on the gloves, boots and around the edge of his signature spaceboard. He's got these iconic space goggles that protect his face when he’s flying at the speed of light.

His name is a play on words - board (from his hoverboard) and borderline (being only just good enough for Coon & Friends). Allies call him Boarder for short.

SOT: Skullrogue

Skullrogue is Carroway’s Stick of Truth character.

He is a rogue-class unit and is quick and sneaky on the battlefield. He has a long black hooded cloak and a skull mask. His main weapon is a pair of daggers that are enchanted with flame magic. He cannot use magic himself but he is proficient with weapons, especially the daggers. He throws them and uses them to stab enemies in the back.

Skullrogue has an undisclosed edgy backstory, like any rogue player. He is mysterious and broody and so cool. He is loyal to the Wizard King and thinks Princess Kenny is hot.

Post-COVID

As a young adult, Carroway becomes a professional snowboarder and competes nationally in competitions. He becomes famous and earns a lot of money from his career, travelling the world for competitions. He makes it all the way to the Winter Olympics, representing the USA in the snowboarding category

After a career-ending injury in his mid-30's, he had to retire from snowboarding early and now lives off his sponsors and used-to-be-a-big-shot money. Despite being wealthy, he moved back to South Park and lives in a trailer (it’s easier than having a huge house). 

He sometimes needs a walking aid to get around and is medicated for chronic back pain.

He was too busy with his career to find love when he was younger, so he stays single and lonely in his 40s. He still goes out and does sport events, commentaries and sponsorships - he remains famous even though he cannot compete anymore. He’s like a living legend in the winter sports community. 

I'm still working on a PCOV design for him so stay tuned for that...

Anyway that's it for now!! I hope you love him 😘

[skatingbi]

So hear me out on my headcanon guys:

Sanji with heterochromia (i cant spell that fuckin word man..) where one eye is blue and another is brown. He always hides the blue eye.

The first one to notice is Zoro, who is immediantly like "holy shit youre eyes are pretty" and sanji is like "what the FUCK"

Actually fuck it im gonna write about this nobody can stop me.

Sometimes, on lonley nights in the gallery, when Sanji is busy prepping, he looks in the reflection of his knife. Underneath the frizzy mess of a fringe that is part of his hair reveals the blue eye he struggles looking at. He stares, scrutinizing that light blue in the gleam of his knife gripped tightly in his hand. He looks away to force his attention back on prep work. His hands are always slightly unsteady after those moments. He always ends up with a cut on his hand one way or another on those nights.

When Sanji was a kid, his brothers would use his heterochromia as a weapon against him. He was the freak with two colored eyes. They would say his blue eye was creepy, too. Not only was he weak but also too different to be called their brother.

When you're a kid, you take these insults to heart. Eventually, when you're barely into adulthood, they'll still plague you. They become a part of you, just like how Zeff's teachings became a part of Sanji.

Judge looked at his eyes with disgust masked by indifference. It was another reason for Sanji to assume why he was the failure. The outcast. The runt of the litter.

His mother had blue eyes. She always claimed Sanji got his blue eye from her because her father had heterochromia, too. That was the only time little Sanji felt normal. When she died, Sanji started to grow out his hair to hide the only thing he had left of her: her eyes.

Now, Sanji still hides her eyes from view. Realistically, Sanji is fully aware that none of the crew would give a rats ass what he looked like. Regardless, old habits die hard. He feels safe under the mask he made for himself. As he goes about preparing lunch, perhaps grilled sea king again with how luffy is always eager to fight those things, he lets his mind wander to his eyes more. While hands expertly move through his knife like an extension of his body, he thinks about the mess of blond hair that's always in the way. He'd never admit it out loud, but his hair actually bothers him. Since it started growing out, it gets everywhere; his mouth, in his eyes, and tangled in the buttons of his shirt. Is sanji happy with his longer hair? Absolutely. It's a nusiance to leave it down constantly, though.

As he's thinking this, he's blowing the fringe of hair covering his face out of the way every so often so it stops tickling his nose. He continues to evenly slice through a portion of sea king meat until somebody, Nami he realizes immediantly, speaks up.

"Do you need a hair tie, sanji?" Nami asks sweetly. Her smile is radiant, as always, while she looks up from the map shes been studying. Sanji didnt even realize Nami came in and made the kitchen table into a study until now, but he doesnt dwell on it. Nami is welcome in his kitchen, after all.

"Oh no, thank you, Nami-swan! I think I just need a haircut soon," Sanji lies as he's moving through the kitchen. He gives Nami a quick smile before turning back to the meat on the cutting board and avoids Nami's gaze under the disguise of being busy. His lie wasn't as believable as he wanted it to be, especially when he's stumbling over his words while he is usually eloquent with them towards Nami and Robin.

"But until then, you should take one! I probably have hundreds lying around my room anyways," She says. It's a peace offering designed to be in Sanji's language of communication. It secretly says he's getting that hairtie whether he wants it or not, and Sanji is weak enough to accept the offering. He takes the hair tie with a grateful smile, wrapping it around his wrist and going back to his current task. Nami and Sanji work in comfortable silence after that, but the hair tie weighs on his wrist like a weighted bracelet.

A few days pass by. Through every single one, he stares at the hair tie in the morning. He really should tie his hair back. It reaches his shoulders for gods sake, and it keeps getting in his mouth - but that small part of him that clings onto grief like its all that he knows refuses to. He doesn't think he can bring himself to share the only part of himself that he truly loves deep down. What if the crew really thinks it's weird? What if his brothers are right?

These what if's roam in the back of his mind. They lurk just beneath the surface like an unknown predator hidden in murky water. He ignores it along with the anxiety that crawls up his throat every time he looks at his wrist.

Then, a week passes by. Now he's in his kitchen making a simple breakfast for his nakama. Franky, in particular, will enjoy this since his tastes lie within American style food most of the time. He focuses on seasoning the eggs, some of them cooked differently to cater to everyone's tastes. While he goes through the familiar and therapeutic motions of cooking, the door opens to reveal an annoying head of mossy hair and the steady noise of three swords bumping each other at the hip.

" Oi, go to sleep in your own bunk. I dont need you stinkin' up my kitchen while im trying to work." He utters without looking up from the stove.

"Why can't I just sleep here shit cook?" Zoro grunts. Sanji hears him shuffle around on the gallery's couch behind him. He's probably lying down, or maybe he'll sleep sitting up again, or maybe he'll watch Sanji cook. That's the most irritating one, which usually ends up with them fighting out on the deck one way or another.

"Because youre fuckin' annoying, get out."

"The hell I am, I'm taking a nap here."

"Oh my - You know what?" Sanji whips around to glare at Zoro, making sure the knife he was using is now in his hand to point at the source of his ire, "Fine, but if I hear a single snore out of you I'm kicking you into the ocean!" He threatens and turns around to finish up with breakfast. By now, all he has left is pancakes. The batter was prepped earlier, so now it's just focusing on pouring evenly. It's task that's menial but still important to him regardless.

His hair is covering his face too much. He tries to shake his head to flip it to the side. It falls back to where it was before he can pick the bowl of batter back up. He brushes it over his shoulder, and it simply flows back over it. He blows his hair out of the way, a classic move, but not even that works and he's slamming the bowl down on the counter before he can even stop himself and walks away from his work to grab the hairtie from around his wrist. In a few fluid motions, he ties his hair back haphazardly into a poor attempt at a low bun, but it's out of his face, and now he can focus.

He's too deep in concentration to even remember that he has heterochromia in the first place. Cooking lowers his guard unlike anything else in the world. The gallery acts like a safe space and cooking is his comfort. He still forgets, too, while calling for Zoro to get his lazy ass up to help since he's decided to loiter in his kitchen.

"Hey moss, if you're gonna laze around my kitchen, set the table for me." His request demand is met with a middle finger, which Sanji gladly returns as he walks over to the couch to kick Zoro on the stomach. The half asleep annoyance is now suddenly alert and glares at Sanji for a moment before it's quickly replaced with a look Sanji has yet to add to his mental notes he likes to call "Marimo Dictionary". Zoro's eyebrows are slightly raised, and his eyes glitter with something Sanji rarely sees. He's never been able to place a name on that look. Now he's confused. "What? Dont give me that youre tired crap youre not fuckin 10." He says.

Zoro is still looking at him, though, and now Sanji looks back with confusion because what the fuck is he-

Oh. His eyes.

Shit.

Sanji rips the hairtie out of his hair at light speed, probably pulling a few strands out by accident in the process but he could honestly care less when theres something more important. Like whatever the fuck just happened.

Before he can turn away and go set the table himself to distance himself from the marimo, Zoro's hand moves suddenly to grab his wrist, stopping him from running away.

"Wait, wait, hold on," Zoro pleads. And what the fuck. Zoro has never said anything like that and its fucking with Sanji's head because what the fuck. "You...uh." He continues in his signature graceless way. "Your eyes..." He pauses after that, sitting up and looking at Sanji, but not just looking, he's looking.

"Marimo," Sanji's own voice is riddled with anxiety with how shaky it is now. "Let me go dumbass," He demands but it could have been mistaken for him begging with how much he's struggling to keep himself together.

He's anticipating the worst. He knows what he's expecting. Sanji has experienced it countless times before, and he's aware he will again right now while a pancake is probably burning on the pan for all he knows.

It doesnt.

Zoro is looking at him still, maintaining eye contact but also darting between both eyes. He's looking at him like those golden eyes are looking into his soul and its too much.

It's too much because Zoro's response is uncharacteristically soft in so many ways. Zoro speaks to him like he's speaking with reverence, "Your eyes are beautiful."

Sanji shatters on the gallery floor there. His soul is bare for Zoro to see suddenly and that terrifies Sanji. Nobody has ever told him he's beautiful. Especially his eyes. He yanks his wrist from Zoro's grasp and speed walks to the stove to turn it off and remove the burnt pancake from the pan. He doesnt respond. He cant, not when his heart flutters when it should have been anchored down by rejection.

Then, Sanji walks up to Zoro, grabs onto both his shoulders, pushes him out the gallery door with surprisingly little resistance, and slams it shut. He leans against the door, sliding down until he's sitting on the floor with his head tucked between his knees. His face is burning and his face is probably red like a tomato right now. He stares at the ground with wide eyes and a weirdly giddy feeling in his chest and stomach nearly akin to happiness but also dangerously close to feeling freaked the hell out.

"What the fuck."

[nightlyrequiem]

Hello dere :3

small request b4 they close ‼️‼️ could we have some Valeria x designer reader? I think it would be tooth-rottingly sweet for Valeria to reluctantly try on everything her girlfriend makes -- from ballgowns to suits.

And designer reader fucking adores her, and constantly makes her fancy clothes, with colours perfectly, primmly picked out to match Valerias skintone, eyecolour, manicure, tattoos, and all.

Hello hello hello :3 Valeria would definitely try on whatever thing Reader has made at her request. She's this strong, brute of a woman but with you? Oh, she's just so soft. It helps that your designs are so well done too.

Also, much apologies for the wait 🫂

Designer!Reader x Valeria

Out of the two of you, you're definitely the more fashionable one. You can take one look at someone and already know what colour or style would suit them best. Valeria doesn't care all that much about matching patterns and colours and what goes best with her undertone. You do though. Valeria is your favourite person in the world and such a good model too.

You've made a few designs inspired by her. Pieces with little scorpion inspired details. Snake details. Any animal you can vaguely associate with her. You make Valeria try on every single one.

You like to make pieces based off of animals in general. Foxes, cats, moths, peacocks, swans. Those are Valeria's favourite to model for you. The peacock one in particular. There's something so special about seeing your eyes light up as you see your ideas in the flesh. Or rather, on flesh.

She acts like she doesn't like doing it, but secretly she enjoys how much you hype her up. She struts down the hallway of your shared home in elegant gowns and dresses and suits that she'd otherwise never wear. A part of her wishes she had more time or the safety to dress up but in her line of work she has to stay lowkey. The less attention the better.

I've heard bigger chested girls have a harder time finding dresses and tops that fit them properly. (I wouldn't know because I'm not even pushing a B cup. 👎) Now, it's no secret that Valeria's chest is on the bigger side. She's found quite a few tops and dresses that she loved in her size, only issue was, they didn't fit her chest right. So, you being her loving girlfriend with the ability to sew, tailors her clothes.

You tailor her pants too. Adding on extra pockets for her and secret sheathes for her weapons.

Back to designing. In your expert opinion, Valeria suits dark red and green the best. Most of the pieces you've made for her specifically heavily features those colours. Some are pink though, to pay respect to her favourite colour.

Valeria has let you dedicate an entire room to your hobby. Mannequins, shelves full of all kinds of fabrics, needles and pins, a sewing machine, an iron and ironing board. Valeria partially regrets that decision for the sheer amount of time you spend in it. Although it's great when she's too busy to be with you.

Valeria has one suit that you made her that she wears for every formal occasion. Never during a cartel meeting, because she simply doesn't respect anyone enough to dress up, but for dates or events. Dark red and tailored to perfection, severe lines to match her sharp attitude. You wish she'd wear some of the other things you've made but you can't bring yourself to complain when she looks that good. It's like she was born to wear that suit.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Sheep Man

Debut: Mega Man 10

Most of the Robot Masters are too "Man" for my tastes. But this one? This one is Sheep! And that makes him so awesome. Sheep Man was created to be a sheep herding robot, which is rather silly, since humans have already created a guy to help with sheep herding. That guy's name is "Dog", and he loves to do it! Sheep Man, however, left this job to work as a circuit board tester, which makes more sense. I don't think any dog breeds have been developed to do that yet.

Sheep Man's job at the circuit board manufacturer was in their static resistance test division, since he noticed static buildup in his wool. And this got me thinking, is there really truth to the Electric Sheep concept? I mean in the sense of static wool, of course. I am well aware that, unfortunately, regular sheep cannot use Zap Attacks. Wool is indeed likely to give up electrons and take on a positive charge, but it is also great at retaining moisture, and thus can in fact prevent static cling from occurring! I guess Sheep Man must be inhabiting some very dry environments!

Considering his stage is a sort of Cyber's World, I guess it is a very dry environment? I don't know. I've never been in a digital world. Let me know if you have, and know how moist they are!

Unfortunately, as a Robot Master, you probably know that Sheep Man is sort of a Bad Guy. But it's just because he is sick, infected with Roboenza, and can be cured! I am happy that this funny sheepborg is typically a nice fellow. In battle, he demonstrates the awesome power of Sheep, by turning into four clouds of wool that float independently and zap the ground! (Shouldn't the metal ground be zapping him, if anything?) He's like a four-pack of wool dryer balls for reducing static in your clothing. When the first three do their zappies, they disappear, and the fourth turns back into Sheep Man. I'm over here trying to apply real-world physics to Sheep Man, and there he goes, generating infinite matter!

At least there is a bit of Physics Phun in that his weakness is the Rebound Striker, a rubber ball weapon. It hurts him extra because it's stealing his electrons! Give those back!

Generally, Robot Masters are "pretty neat at most" to me. You know me! I love creatures, and when robots are funny little guys that don't look like humans! So it is no surprise that I am VERY happy with the final Sheep Man design we got. The sleepy eyes are cute, yes, but I am so glad he was decided to be so much more Sheep than Man. It even looks like the design process was basically to give him more wool until he had no visible torso! Congratulations on your cephalothorax! A very excellent Man!

[partycatty]

do you think johnny could kick a door down with his foot and how hot do you think he’d look doing it

johnny cage > kick the door down

short but sweet about him kicking doors in bc it's sexy

[ masterlist ]

okay but being a set designer for johnny's new crime fighting movie. he'd of course be the sexy no-nonsense cop that's full of one-liners and endless charm for the ladies. if there's one thing he loves doing, it's playing himself in media.

so you make a prop door, one that's hollow and a little lighter than a typical door. the scene calls for him kicking the door down to discover the serial killer caught in the act. as you're laying down the varnish, you hear a knock on the prop department door. he's standing in the doorway, admiring the rows and rows of wigs, weapons, and various doohickeys that gave the film life. he puts his hands on his hips and rests his sunglasses on the top of his head.

"i've been thinking," he starts immediately, stepping into the room and inspecting the nearly finished door. "i do my own stunts, you know? i feel like a fake door would look too... cheesy. let's put a real one in, love, whatdya say?"

you wanted to protest, to say something in return, but he's the star. you couldn't say no to his intoxicating closeness and sweet tone. deep inside, you were annoyed that he waited until now to propose the option, but considering you just made what was called for, you had to listen.

the door gets screwed onto the hinges, a heavy front door-type of material. you stand to the side alongside various replacement props, in case one malfunctioned or failed during filming. unamused, you're frustrated that the hollow door you created was now crumpled and thrown away.

the scene is prepared and brought to life. johnny clutches the fake gun in his hands, lifting one leg up and kicking outward with so much force, you realize the camera shakes. the crew tries their best not to gasp, and the serial killer and victim actor visibly jolt at the sudden sound. you also could have sworn you noticed a strange, glitching effect around his dominant leg, but that must have been the speed of his motion to distort your vision in such an odd way.

you didn't think he had it in him, to be honest. you didn't expect his kick to have the strength to knock a real door down, but here he was proving the point that it'd be far more effective than a shabby fake one. and god, you couldn't lie. it was literally the hottest thing you've ever seen. he barely even strained himself, the damn thing was torn in two within a blink.

it only took a few minutes for the shooting of that scene to end, ringing bells and clicking boards as johnny wiggles the tension of his character out of his arms. he strides toward you and the prop table with an all-knowing grin.

"how was that?" he asked, leaning against the wall. "pretty sexy, yeah?"

you nod and swallow dryly, feeling as if eye contact was an impossible task. he was toying with you, a lowly prop creator. he twists his top half to look back, chuckling at the assistants sweeping away the broken wood.

"the real door was a smart idea," you croak out in a desperate attempt to give a genuine compliment. "looked... realistic."

"realistic? honey, i split the damn thing in half! of course it was realistic, because it was real!" he laughs to himself, patting his chest as his nose scrunches. your stomach flutters.

in an attempt to escape the awkward closeness, you pivot and try to walk away, an attempt that fails miserably when you feel his large hand holding your wrist. your eyes trail up from his hand to his face, and you notice a smug expression that's more pronounced than usual.

"hey..." he purrs, voice dropping. his eyes dart to the side, making sure no other cast or crew was within earshot. "i can think of something else i could split in half." his toothy grin feels like a clothesline shot to the neck.

your face warms up so quickly you might've gotten clocked for having a fever. as you try to come up with something, anything to respond with, the A-List action star already laughing loudly and walking away with that damn swagger, pointing finger guns at the director and waving off audio specialists.

and you stayed where you were, in your tiny corner next to the props.

[zebaji]

au where I mix up all of the Ninja's powers and backstories into a slushie mess and see what happens.

So far I have:

Wu gets bitten by the Great Devourer and becomes super manipulative and toxic, as he tries to make Ninjago perfect, neat, and orderly with the Golden weapons. (Think lord business from the lego movie) Too bad he refuses to use his Oni side to obtain four arms to use them together.

Garmadon still trains under Chen and practices the Dark arts, but understands the balance of good and evil, and is filled with guilt over the fact that Wu got bitten when it should have been him. Wu, who doesn't like that Garmadon leans into "evil" practices and banishes him to the underworld.

The Green Ninja is Morro, who is biologically Wu’s son. (yeah, you thought canon morro was bad, this morro is so much worse since he's literally the weapon in making Ninjago in Wu's image) His personality is pretty much the same as canon (perfectionist, obsessive, crazy) it's just that he is in fact the Green Ninja and Wu enables him a lot.

Before everyone figures out that Morro is the Green Ninja, they think it might be Kai, who is the brother of Maya and has the power of Wind. He's Morro's replacement in this au, in the sense that he is also desperate to become the Green Ninja by whatever means necessary, and Wu pits Morro and Kai in a rivalry to see who becomes the Green Ninja. And Morro, who cannot fail his father, becomes violent and kills Kai. Kai isn't great in this au either and ends up in the cursed realm and later becomes a ghost.

Misako sees how problematic Wu is and after Garmadon gets banished, she runs away with baby Lloyd and tries to take Morro too, but Wu freaks out and thinks she tried to kidnap Morro so that she could use the Green Ninja's power for her own gain and he kills her to "save Morro," and thinks he kills Lloyd too.

Lloyd's actually fine, and just grows up at Darkley's until he gets adopted by the Royal Family, much to his dismay, and becomes the Quiet One who is willing to punch a dude to get his dad back. Because he doesn't have his powers, he relies a lot on his dragon and Oni heritage.

Nya is the only child of Ray and Maya, and when they disappear, Chen finds and adopts her, and she becomes the sister of Skylor. Despite having the element of fire, she relies heavily on mechs, and loves to invent, letting her sister use her powers while she designs Chen’s button chair.

Pixal is Ninja of Ice and still was created by Cyrus Borg, so Zane is still in the Birchwood Forest, forgotten and stuck there until Lloyd finds him and offers him a place in the cult group he’s starting.

Cole's dad dies, and while he tries to honor his dad's dancing legacy, he still inherits his powers and is forced to become a ninja. He's still a popular entertainer and pretty well known in Ninjago as such, and he really doesn't want to be a Ninja full-time and is only doing it because he's scared of what Wu will do to his loved ones. I do not know what power he should get and I am open to ideas.

Jay was raised as Cliff Gordon's son and so he's wealthy but he is also extremely talented in robotics. He and Cyrus Borg collaborate a lot and is best friends with Pixal. He does not have powers and tries to help Cole get out of the team. Honestly, I have no idea about Jay either.

Harumi releases the Serpentine after her parent sends her to a boarding school and forget about her. She does not want to be forgotten, and in a rage over it, discovers she can control Lightning.

Morro finds her and takes her in, reassuring her that there is a place for her on his team.

The team consists of Morro, Ash, Cole, Pixal, and now Harumi, all trained under Wu.

And then Lord Garmadon crawls out of the Underworld, eyes glowing purple and with four arms, demanding to see his son, and everyone starts to panic because they are pretty sure Lloyd is dead.

[whiteheartlight]

thinking more about my idea where Artakha has mini versions of the Toa Mata made (Matoran-esque) for personality and neurological testing. they won't remember any of it when they're Toa but it's a test run for him to check some things

little Kopaka hates having any kind of testing done on him and is always aware of experiments. he keeps purposefully skewing results and acting against his impulses whenever Artakha tries to test him in a situation. Artakha takes this to mean that he's perfect

the Matoran on Artakha have gotten very used to peace and quiet and certain mini Toa Mata (one in particular) keep disrupting them... but then reminding them how to throw better parties

balancing Tahu's temper between the lines of "soft-hearted" and "insensibly filled with rage" takes SO many models. when Artakha settles on his final personality Kopaka looks at him like he's lost his mind

Gali gets annoyed with Artakha one day and just surfs out to the edge of the realm and won't come back in. it starts storming and she won't get off her board all day no matter what he tells her. on a similar note, Onua has been found digging straight down Minecraft style and getting himself stuck very contentedly miles below the surface

Pohatu loves living in Artakha and starts picking up every hobby the incredibly skilled craftsmen who live there will teach him

Karzahni hasn't quite lost it completely at this point in time, but when he comes to visit his brother, he's intensely jealous of the little life forms he has running around. he wants Artakha to make a Toa Mata for him too. the mini Mata are generally uncomfortable around him, but Pohatu makes an effort to befriend his uncle, which is when Artakha starts to feel that his creations are not safe around his brother. Karzahni is much too eager to have some company

Artakha tries the marshmallow test where you give a kid a treat and tell them that they can eat it now or wait and have another one later. Lewa and Tahu can't wait for a second one, Onua and Gali can. Kopaka, to Artakha's surprise, eats his immediately, and when Artakha asks if he couldn't be patient, Kopaka tells him he has much more important things to do. When Pohatu gets his second marshmallow, he offers it to Artakha

Artakha designs them carefully to balance each other out, and is very focused on the synthesis of the Kaita. Pohatu should energize Onua and Tahu, Tahu should call Onua and Pohatu to action, Onua should direct them both with a little more wisdom. Kopaka should be Wairuha's cold intellect, Gali should be their stability, and Lewa should be their verve and joy.

there is a point where he makes the Kaita too different from each other, and suddenly he's noticing Tahu sprinting across the hall to get away from Kopaka and Gali because they started prophesying at him while speaking at the same time again and he HATES that. Artakha brings them back down to earth a little

there's also a point where Onua studies and understands Artahka's plans and notes so thoroughly that he figures out exactly what his destiny will be. Artakha looks at him for a second and just goes "I'm going to turn you off now, Onua" and ok that's fair

it's very different for Artakha to have new creations running around, breaking things, causing fights, and getting into trouble when he's been used to nothing but Great Spirits and perfect Matoran for so long. he finds he doesn't mind it too much. when Lewa paints poorly over the masterpieces in the dining hall, Tahu and Gali break ancient weapons while "playing," and Onua gets mud all over the floors, Artakha leaves things messy.

[hoarah-babylon]

I had to make a BIG post going over everything that's got my brain whirring after watching the story trailer - it's all my speculation and personal opinion so don't take it as fact yada yada IT'S FUN SPECULATION TIME

(I'll put it under the cut bc this is gonna be a LONG one)

“Miquella the kind spoke of the beginning. The seduction. And the betrayal. An affair from which Gold arose. And so too was Shadow born."

My interpretation of this scene is that we are seeing the creation of the Golden Order by Marika. She plucks grace from something dead and fleshy, and holds it up to the Greater Will, beckoning in her new age. It would make sense to me, considering the voiceover, that this is a dead god that has been betrayed by Marika so she can pursue her Order and claim power. It does like quite reminiscent of Kos from Bloodborne to me. The fleshiness of the corpse also reminds me of the godskins/snakeskin. However, I don't believe this is the Gloam Eyed Queen. From my understanding of the timeline (mainly thanks to @eldenringslut) the GEQ didn't come about until later on during Marika's reign - if we are seeing the creation of the GO, and my understanding of the timeline is correct, I don't think it would make sense for this to be the GEQ. I can't deny different aspects of this do allude to things related to her though - the dusky sky, the godskin-like flesh. But I almost think that would be too 'perfect' for it to fit together like that, especially with how much people want to know more about the GEQ, I think fromsoft would want to keep us in the dark and surprise us. Whatever we are seeing here, Gold and Shadow seemingly came about at the same time.

We get our first look at what appears to be Messmer's army. They appear to all wield spears which ties into Messmer's whole Impaler thing, along with the shot of the person(?) impaled on the steps. I wonder who these people were, if they had to stay in the Shadow Realm after the battle was done (if it is?). I find the design on the helmet interesting - at first glance I thought it could be a tree or roots, but actually doesn't it kind of remind you of the black tendrils that shoot out of Messmer's flame? I think it could be either, or both, or maybe it's a chicken and egg situation and they're related somehow... my first thought when the initial gameplay trailer came out was that the dark tendrils in Messmer's flame could be deathroot or something similar to that. Maybe I wasn't far off?

We get our first shot of Messmer here. His pose pretty much solidifies to me that this is his army - this is the pose of a character commanding an army. It's so classic fantasy, the composition and everything, I love it. Messmer is awesome. I'm obsessed with the snake-like flames flying above the carnage.

"What followed was a war unseen. One that could never be put to song. A purge without Grace, or honour. The tyranny of Messmer's flame."

My take on this is that once Marika had won her battle/betrayed the God we see her pluck Grace from, she had her opponents banished and/or wiped out at the hands of Messmer. I have to say, it does surprise me that it seems Messmer was around and fully grown at the creation of Marika's Order. The implications there leave me with so many questions. Who is his other parent? Marika is Numen, and they seldom give birth. This is not an insignificant thing for her to have a child, especially if the theory of births being governed by the Erdtree/Golden Order is to be believed, and this must have came about before then. It would also go against the idea that Messmer is the full brother/secret triplet of Miquella and Malenia, considering that Miq + Mal were not born until Marika had left Godfrey for Radagon. I find that detail so intriguing... especially because I was so on board with the butterfly theories.

No idea who this is, but they're cool and that definitely looks like the kind of weapon we'd be able to pick up. It just looks like a PVP weapon, know what I mean? Very reminiscent of Vyke as well imo, similar pose to the box art of him along with the billowing cape. This reminds me, I'm noticing an emphasis on hair in this trailer too - I never took much note of Marika's hair before but in this trailer there was a lot of emphasis put on how long it is, how similar it is to threads of Grace, and Miquella's hair too. It's making me think of the bible story of Samson but let me not go too off the rails

Here we have some of the coolest shots in the trailer imo. This posits the Lion/Omens as enemies of Messmer to me - which to me supports the view that Messmer is aligned with Marika. The Lion/Omens always came off to me as if they were making a mockery of the GO - positioning themselves as enemies to Marika/the GO. We get another good look at his Flame, with the tendrils. They almost remind me of thorns actually. That final shot looks like a victory scene to me. It also really hammers home the Impaler thing. The man knows his brand!

Then we pan up to see what hangs above this burned city - this 'shadow tree'. THIS IS MARIKA'S RUNE.

I think we are seeing the origins of her rune as part of the modern Elden Ring here - Grace/blessings dripping from the bough of this tree. I have to say given the imagery relating to motherhood on the run up to the DLC, the rune does look vaguely yonic, especially on the seals. I think references to motherhood are in this trailer too - Marika taking something from a fleshy orifice with a voiceover talking about seduction, I can't imagine that wasn't intentional. So far the main character we have seen is her child, after all. The whole story of Elden Ring revolves around Marika's children. I have a feeling Marika's relation to motherhood and childbearing is going to be a big theme in the DLC.

I remember when the first gameplay trailer dropped, people theorised that this was Ranni's rune, and I was happy to believe that because of the similarities to Rennala's rune. But now I believe it's Miquella's rune, for several reasons, one being it reminds me of Malenia's rune, and they are twins after all. Although Rennala and Malenia's runes are oddly similar, it just makes more sense to me that it would be Miquella's, considering we are following in his footsteps. I think these rune spikes are going to be our DLC equivalents of sites of grace.

"And so kindly Miquella would abandon everything. His golden flesh, his blinding strength..."

Abandoning his flesh is very reminiscent of Ranni... but why would he need to abandon his flesh? Perhaps after Mohg stole him away? Though I have to say, I'm warming up the idea that Mohg never actually had Miquella, he just thought he did. That might not make sense considering that body in Mohg's palace is how we get to the Shadow Lands, but I don't know, something about it doesn't sit quite right with me for some reason. The line 'his blinding strength' is a bit odd. I can't take credit for this next idea, I saw it on twitter, but someone suggested that this is referencing him potentially abandoning Malenia - his strength, his blade. For Miquella to abandon Malenia though, it doesn't exactly align with what we know of his character. This is the person that turned his back on the GO because it could do nothing for Malenia's sickness. He'd need a really good reason to do that to her. Maybe it was his only option? I'm so intrigued about why Miquella is even in the Shadow Lands to begin with. What are his motivations? Perhaps it's something to do with his proclivity to want to welcome all, especially those outside of Grace, I suppose those in the shadow lands fall under that mantle.

"Even his fate."

Now THIS is super interesting - our first look at St. Trina! In her usual purple - associated with sleep. It does also look like she's sleeping here, sinking... What on earth does it mean to say that Miquella abandoned his fate as we are shown an image of St. Trina? Was he meant to eventually become Trina fully? We don't know much about her, but we do know Trina is an aspect/alter-ego of some sort of Miquella. Considering his parents were one in the same body, it's not a stretch to assume this could be the same case here. But in Marika/Radagon's case, it doesn't seem completely intentional - with the Ring shattering, I always got the impression they each fought to be in control of their singular body. Perhaps Miquella/Trina worked together rather than against each other? The queer part of me can't help but think of some kind of allegory to transition and Miquella having to walk away from it for whatever reason... but I really don't know enough to figure anything out from this.

I saw someone point out that this shot of Trina looks like Trina's lilies too, which is super cool (sorry I don't remember who that was).

"But we are not deterred. We choose to follow. Will you walk with us?"

I'm honestly surprised to see all these characters that we saw in the previous trailer just hanging out, I assumed they'd all be enemies of different factions. But here they look like allies, and from the voiceover they sound like it too, asking if we will join them. I think the voiceover is one of these NPCs. Seeing the fighting guy second on the left has got me super excited, what if he teaches us the hands-on combat we saw him do in the first trailer? I also think the crouching character on the right is the one we saw sleeping in the purple area (Trina?) from the last trailer:

Anyway, these are my thoughts, I hope they resonate in one way or another. I can't wait to come back in a couple months and see how wrong I was <3 yayyy

[allmyworth]

I was silenced by the last episode.

IT. WAS. SO. GOOD.

MONSTA DID SUCH A GREAT JOB??? THE ANIMATION, THE OST, EVERYTHING.

I was so caught off guard by the fact they killed Garumbang. I didn't expect death in something directed towards kids. But then again, many kids have experienced lost. Kuputeri crying over the general was another punch to the gut. Genuinely teared up. And Gempa kind of got his redemption so, that's nice lol

I'm gonna go on a small rant. (Not a bad one) Might not be organized, but who cares.

Despite the comics being more teen rated, I was kind of surprised by the darker themes of the animated version of BBBG Windara. And I'm happy about it. I'm so glad they didn't make light of anything that had happened in Windara, nor the death of General Karumbang. He's not coming back, no "Gotcha" moment. I love the effects of the death were red, mimicking blood. The way the scars on Reramos's face healed with that red effect.

Reramos was evil, through and through. I'm glad they were able to show that other than the things he had already done. To be able to show his greed for power right before people and not off screen. To show that he's willingness to do more for more.

If that's just Windara, I'm quite excited for Gentar's.

Don't even get me started on Beliung's appearance. I was skeptical, especially the design change. BUT GOD. IT WAS AMAZING. THE FIGHT???? OH MY GOD.

Gopal pointing out BBB Beliung became a butterfly was adorable. And when Beliung used Maripos's technique of illusion- THE SMILE HE GAVE???? THE "Peniru." UWAHHHHHHH.

Of course, we can't leave out BBB losing control of Beliung. The scenes they changed were EVERYTHING. Also, detail- When his eyes turned that bright colour along with his sclera, there were literally crack(?) like marks spreading out from his eyes to his actual face. It was so cool. The wing weapon was dead amazing.

At least we got to see him without his hat! I was worried they wouldn't remove it at all. Which, now that I think about it, is unlogical. With the storm surrounding the castle, it wouldn't make sense if he didn't lose his hat.

THE FLASHES OF RETAK'KA IN THE BACKGROUND? GOD, I WAS GRINNING NONSTOP. The amount of fics of Windara angst I could think of is legendary. Monsta fuels the writer in me each and every time.

Also, the way my jaw kind of DROPPED... WHEN KUPUTERI PUSHED BOBOIBOY OFF??? She planned it, of course. But that scene of BBB getting pummelled by rocks, losing his head piece, AUGRH.

I dig the way the butterfly board/weapon actually flapped while Beliung was in the air. Man's an actual butterfly and I'm here for it.

BBB wanting to give the tempest element back in the end was less emotional than I thought. But, I think General Karumbang was enough emotions, so I guess I'm not that upset by it. And we got a scene with the full 7, our beloveds. That's a good amount of happy chemicals for my brain.

If there's anything more I missed, I would love to hear someone point it out. I wanna show my appreciation for this silly little show. Changing my brain chemistry and whatnot, you know?

I hope BBB doesn't get time to heal before Gentar, that would be fun to watch.

[calamaroo]

Wassup California love!

Do you have any Dashi HC's from any of your AU's or just for Dashi in general.

Also lowkey would love to hear some more pirate AU stuff cause I love it!

THE LIST IS GROWING!!! CALIFORNIA LOVE!!!

(I love beyond words all the absolute absurd nick names/various ways to say my name, I cherish each and every one 🥹)

Dashi Masina Dachshund

Some general headcanons:

She/her, 34 years old, Bisexual (I dont know a lot about different sexualities, but that seems fitting).

Loves fashion (along with Kwazii) and their styles are the most out there compared to everyone else's. They modify their uniforms the most out of the crew, and Dashi has a particularly love for a pink, tropic, and techy aesthetics.

This is how I imagine her general aesthetic and/or vibe looks (Absolutely drop dead gorgeous) :

AfroAmer + Samoan ( original idea from @animalsalvationassociation ) grew up in Australia with her mother, who was a wildlife photographer. They traveled often but always returned home eventually. --- mother is Samoan, and father was AfroAmer

Her middle name : "Masina," mean "moon" in Samoan. I think it's fitting because the moon affects the tides, and having the moon in your good graces would grant you safe passage on the sea.

Was a pilot before the Octonauts, where she continued to travel and took photos of all her destinations. Even now, she sends almost all of the pictures she takes back to her mother.

( @hers-underwraps ) said she would be into meteorology, and that sounds very fitting.

Pirate!Dashi

AU Lore/Headcanons :

Is the Black Ice's Navigatior (like a Skipper). She pilots the ship and is the best at it. She could dock even the biggest warship on a dabloon if she wanted.

Met the Gentleman Blue (+ crew, which was only Tweak and Kwazii at the time) after she tried to steal his ship. Barnacles was impressed by her skills and bravery and asked if she'd like to join them. She agreed.

She is closest with Shellington (the new guy) and occasionally helps him with his alchemy.

Primary weapons would be something focusing on distance. Poison darts, throwing knives, and the occasional flintlock shot. Knives and darts are quicker than guns to reload, so she sticks to that. She doesn't fight often though, as on the rare occasion an enemy managed to get on to the Black Ice, they are quickly removed or killed before they can reach the helm.

Master of seduction and trickery. She knows she's drop-dead gorgeous and will use that to her advantage. (Because she's hot like that, and a pirate. She's gotta be a least a little evil and sexy.)

Nicknamed : "The Black Ice Siren"

Extremely competitive at card games/fun stuff they do on board in their free time. She wins most of the time, and it infuriates Kwazii (who is twice as competitive)

This is what I envision for her pirate design (which I have yet to draw, but have a vision/general idea of) :

That's all I can think of rn, i hope you like it <3

Tried to make it look pretty to impress you 👉👈

[leapingbadger]

Safe

Summary: It’s finally time to return Jax to his family after his ordeal on Tantis and time on Pabu. But as usual, things don’t go to plan.

Read on AO3

Notes: This follows my general head canon.  You don’t have to read any of the other stuff I have written to understand what is going on but Tested ties directly into this story. If interested you can also check out some of my other stories at these links: Hope; Sunrise; Sunset, Goodbye and Tattoo

Word Count: 4697 (sorry, it's a long one)

***

It had taken a while to get to this point, but Hunter was still nervous. Rex had heard from Ventress and Vos and they were ready to get Jax and his family back together. They thought it best that they do this with one kid at a time in an effort to draw less attention.

With his family extracted and at a safe house, Hunter and Omega were tasked with transporting Jax. Crosshair had been less than enthusiastic about missing out on yet another mission, but until he had a permanent prosthetic, he wasn’t capable a wielding a weapon properly. Wrecker also grumbled at the plan, but he stood out way too much for a covert mission.

“And you don’t?” he had barked at Hunter, pointing at his tattoo.

Hunter had been thinking about it for a while but Wrecker’s indignation made him act on it. He had grown a beard as a way to try and hide his most prominent feature. The dark hair covered enough of his tattoo to soften the appearance of the skull’s mouth, leaving the top part of the tattoo passing for a strange birth mark. It was unlikely that the empire was still looking for them, but it didn’t make sense to make things too obvious. His new helmet would also help with that. It lacked the distinctive design he had had since the war, and for this one mission he was thankful for it.

Jax and the other Tantis kids had had a long, sad goodbye. They didn’t have the comfort of knowing they would see each other again. They didn’t know if they’d be able to stay in touch. These siblings, forged in fire and trial may never meet again, and they all knew it, well…maybe except Behrn.

Hunter watched sadly as Jax turned from the farewell party and boarded the ship. He brushed hurriedly at his green cheek and slunk up the ship’s ramp. Omega put her hand to his back in comfort and he nodded appreciatively.

Hunter hung back and said yet another goodbye to his brothers. It was rare for them to take on missions alone, but it seemed to be all he was doing since Pabu had become their permanent home. At this point it was routine, but they still said the same things anyway, it was comforting in a way.

“Comm us if you need us,” Wrecker said after squeezing Hunter into a hug. Hunter nodded obediently.

“Watch out for her. You know what she’s like,” Crosshair said, eyebrow arched, eyes on Omega.

“Yeah, I do.” Hunter said with a sigh, “I will.”

He really hadn’t wanted to take Omega along but there was only so much resistance against their kid’s strong will. She had made some excellent points, pacing the floor in their small common room.

“Jax will need comfort. You know I’m better at that than you, Huntah. He needs me with him.” She had said, foot stomping in place. Hunter was reminded of their first mission together on a desolate moon long ago. She had refused to be left behind then too.

After the third go around, Hunter had relented and as much as he was concerned for her safety, as he always was, he was glad to have the company. She was right, comfort wasn’t his strong suit in most cases.

He waved at his brothers from the ship’s ramp with promises to check in at regular intervals. He took one last deep breath of the salty, sweet, Pabu air and walked onto the ship, the door hissing and closing with a clang behind him.

***

Hunter, Omega and Jax sat in the back of the ship. Echo was on a different mission and none of them, nor their pilot were interested in small talk. Hunter could see the familiar blue swirls of hyperspace from where he sat. Omega was opposite him, Jax asleep with his head on her shoulder. They were taking multiple jumps just in case there were any designs on following them. You never know with the empire.

“You okay?” Hunter asked Omega with a whisper.

She nodded her head and smiled in answer. She wore her old jacket and hat but it didn’t fit her like before, the sleeves were too short and the hat sat at an odd angle because of her ponytail.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been off world,” he said quietly.

She nodded again, gave a concerned look at Jax as he stirred and spoke in a soft voice only after he settled.

“I’m kind of looking forward to it. Pabu’s wonderful, but this was part of my life for so long. It’s nice to be amongst the stars again,”

Hunter smiled and nodded. He felt the same way. He’d spent most of his life flying around the galaxy with his brothers. Being planet bound, no matter how beautiful, felt unnatural in many ways.

The ship rumbled as they came out of hyperspace. Hunter didn’t have much intel on who was meeting them but knew Rex and Vos had arranged for someone to take Jax for the next part of his journey. Hunter wasn’t happy about not seeing him to his final destination, but Rex had assured him it was for Jax and his family’s safety and Hunter was trying to be okay it.

He gave his thanks to their pilot as they exited the ship into a back world space port. Muffled announcements rang overhead as he guided the two kids through various hangers to a cantina on the outskirts.

“We have to go in there?” Jax asked nervously.

“It’ll be okay, I practically grew up in a place like this,” Omega said reassuringly taking his hand.

Hunter led them down the uneven steps into the dark space. Pink and blue neon lights shone and reflected off the shining metal surface of the bar. Music thumped from a juke box in the corner, the beat making the bottles behind the bar rattle.

“Stay close,” Hunter instructed, and he made his way over the bar, taking in his surroundings. The cantina wasn’t full by any means. A Rodian was draped over the bar on his right, head on the metal bar, bottle in hand. A mon calamari couple argued loudly on a booth, something about gambled tickets.

Hunter froze when he saw her. In the far corner booth, boot propped up on the table, black and orange helmet at her side sat Fennec Shand. Hunter instinctively pushed Omega and Jax behind him.

She had spotted him too and raised her fingers lazily in greeting with a lopsided smile on her lips.

Hunter swore under his breath and Omega looked up startled.

“What is it?”

“Shand,” he said quickly. He looked at the entrance they had come in. A large party of patrons had entered after them, blocking the exit.

Shand had sat up straighter now, eyes wide and on Omega.

“Head for the exit, I’ll cover you,” Hunter whispered to Omega. She didn’t hesitate to follow his order. She threw her arm around Jax and led him back the way they had come.

Hunter walked backwards slowly, hand resting on his blaster.

Shand was up now, walking towards him. She left her helmet at the table, her long black hair, braided with thick orange cord trailed over her shoulder. Her hands were up and facing him, not resting on her blaster like he had expected.

She had crossed half the distance between them now, Hunter shifted again, trying to hide Omega and Jax from view as they made it to the stairs.

“It’s been a while, Tracker,” She said in a smooth voice, “Hi, Omega,” she called over his shoulder.

Hunter drew his blaster, aiming it directly between her eyes. She didn’t flinch or move, but a smile crossed her lips, and he didn’t like it.

“Nice to see you too,” She said with grin, “Ventress sent me.” she said calmly.

Hunter paused. His blaster was still raised but he relaxed his stance slightly.

“Didn’t think bounty hunters worked for noble causes,” he growled.

Fennec shrugged, crossed over to the bar and grabbed the bottle out of the now passed out Rodian’s hand, “friendship makes the galaxy go ‘round,” she said, knocking back the last of the bottle and gently placing it back on the bar.

Hunter gave a quick glance at Omega and Jax. They were three steps up the stairs, Jax pulling at Omega’s arm while she crouched, energy bow primed (Echo had come across a few Zygerian’s and had…liberated it). Good girl, Hunter thought.

“I told Ventress you wouldn’t trust me.”

“Why would I?” he said again, his blaster still pointed directly at her. The other patrons hadn’t noticed or simply didn’t care. Most skirted around them to get to the bar. The music thumped loudly in Hunter’s ears.

“I came through with the Intel, didn’t I?”

“You sent a Sith assassin to find us,” said incredulously.

Fennec shrugged again. “Former Sith assassin. And did you or did you not find out that you wanted to know?”

Hunter huffed but didn’t respond. This wasn’t getting them anywhere.

“So, I’m supposed to just give you the kid and trust that you’re taking him where he needs to go?” he finally lowered his blaster and jerking his head to Omega who obediently came over, a nervous looking Jax in tow.

Fennec smiled, “that’s about it, yeah.”

Hunter took off his helmet and cupped it under his left arm. He kept his blaster in his right hand, just in case. He hated talking to bounty hunters. Everything was double talk.

“Omega, look at you,” Fennec said, sounding like a proud aunt. “nice energy bow,” she said with a wink.

Omega glared at her but didn’t speak.

“I’m glad you found you way back to each other.” Fennec said sincerely, turning and walking back to her table.

Hunter and Omega exchanged a confused look and followed. Hunter rested his hand on Jax’ shoulder, “it’s going to be okay. You’re safe,” he said, trying to force himself to believe it. Jax looked up at him and gave what Hunter thought was a half-smile at best. He supposed it was better than nothing.

They slid into the opposite side of the booth, Jax in between Omega and Hunter. He nervously played with the fastener on his jacket.

“I’m not just giving him to you,” Hunter said gruffly, before she could talk.

“Then this is going to be a short visit,” she replied, her eyes narrowed.

“What if we come with you?” Omega interjected leaning over the table looking between Hunter and Fennec.

Fennec paused for a minute looking from Jax to Omega and finally rested on Hunter.

“I suppose that could work,” she said smoothly, “I’m not one for babysitting duty anyway,” she looked at Omega and Hunter scowled at her. He heard his kids trembling voice after her first and second encounters with the bounty hunter. “What do you think, Tracker?” she said calmly, a teasing tone in her voice.

“It’s Hunter,” he said gruffly. He hated nick names. He looked at Omega and then Jax, who looked like he was holding it together by a thread. He couldn’t leave this kid with Fennec Shand, even if this was not the plan. “Fine,” he said finally.

“Great,” Shand said, hopping up from the booth, “let’s get going,”

She shoved her helmet on her head and strode out of the door. Hunter, Omega and Jax followed.

“Do you think we can trust her?” Omega asked Hunter, out of earshot of Jax.

Hunter scowled, “Not sure. Keep your guard up and your weapon ready,”

Omega nodded.

***

Hunter looked up at Fennec Shan’s ship in the hanger, the black and orange paint peeling away. He had told himself last time he would never set foot on this particular ship again but here he was.

Hunter had sent a hastily prepared message to Rex, Crosshair and Wrecker letting them know the change of plans. He hadn’t heard back and didn’t expect to before they took off, but at least they knew who they were with.

Shand lowered the ramp and Hunter hesitated for a second before following her aboard. He heard Omega and Jax’ footsteps behind him and waited at the top of the ramp to usher them onboard. He noticed omega looking wearily at the number of ray shield protected cages as they walked thorough the hold. No doubt thinking of the first time they met Shand and the fact that this is where she would have ended up had they not been able to evade her on Pantora.

“You okay, Kid,” he whispered gently, as they continued to follow Fennec through the massive ship.

“Yeah, just…thinking,” she said introspectively.

Hunter nodded and rested his hand on her shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring way. They climbed a set of steep steps up to the cockpit. Shand disappeared behind the sliding door and Hunter indicated for Jax and Omega to take the seats outside. There were only two, he supposed bounty hunting didn’t lead to friends or the need for extra seats.

Hunter propped himself against the door, still holding his helmet under his arm. He felt the rumble as they took off and blasted out of the planet’s atmosphere. He heard Shand’s chair swivel and braced as he heard her boots on the deck.

The doors slid open with a swoosh. It was tight proximity in the space, so much so that Hunter backed up to the top of the stairs to put a gap between him and Shand.

“We’ll make a couple of jumps, just to be safe,” she said, parroting what their other pilot had told him. He had trusted the clone though, Shand, not so much.

“Where are we going?” he asked

“That’s need to know,”

“I agree,” Hunter said doggedly. Why Rex hadn’t told him to expect a bounty hunter he didn’t know. He should have been aware of their previous run ins with Shand. Even if Echo only mentioned them in passing. Either Rex wasn’t aware, or Ventress was lying to him.

Hunter looked down at Jax, he was huddled in on himself, clearly scared. Perhaps reliving the horror of being stolen from his family those many months, possibly years ago. They really had no idea how long the kids had been kept on Tantis. Hunter nodded to Shand and stepped over the threshold to the cockpit.

She followed quickly, the door closing behind her.

“This kid’s been through a lot. I need to make sure he gets to his family in one piece.” Hunter whispered.

“That’s why I’m here,” Fennec said.

Hunter studied her face. He reached out with his senses as though he was trying to read her mind. Trust was so hard to gain. In this galaxy, everyone was out for themselves.

“How much are they paying you for this job?

“That’s a pretty personal question there, Hunter,” she said slyly.

Hunter sighed, a long, exasperated sigh. “Bounty hunters are only out for themselves. You’ve gotta be making something off this deal to make it worth your while. You’re not altruistic and you’re not above kidnapping children.” He added pointedly.

“Money’s not everything.” she said with a smile, throwing his own words back at him.

“It is to people like you” he growled back.

“The galaxy is a dangerous place. Having a ‘former Sith assassin’ as an ally is priceless as far as I’m concerned.” She stepped closer to Hunter than he was comfortable with and looked up at him, “I’m taking the kid to safety as promised. I’ll make more than enough money on my next bounty to make up for it.”

She reached her hand up to his face, but he caught her wrist and glowered at her. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, “loving the beard.” She said before he let her go. She gave him a look over her shoulder and walked out in the corridor with a whoosh of the door.

What is wrong with these women, Hunter thought. He followed her out and gave Omega a reassuring nod when he returned. Shand had gone down the narrow steps into the bowels of the ship.

“I think she likes you,” Omega said in her usual cheery voice.

“Omega, don’t,” he said warningly.

She smiled up at him, that knowing smile. He ran his hand through his hair. This really was the longest day and it had only just begun.

***

Hunter started as the ship shook. Omega and Jax were both gasping as they awoke to the flickering lights above them and the ship listing to the side.

“what’s going on, Shand?” Hunter called

“Relax, just some rough air,” she called calmly from the cockpit. Hunter raised an eyebrow and went to look for himself.  He heard Omega rise too and let her follow.

They were cutting through the sky of an unremarkable looking planet. There didn’t seem to be any cities to speak of as far as Hunter could see. Clusters of tall, dark green trees swerved in and out of view as Shand moved the ship this way and that. This was not the smooth, if a little eccentric, flying Hunter was used to. Even Phee was a steadier pilot.

She landed on a circle of dirt that looked like it had once been grass. Shand swiveled in her chair and grabbed her helmet from the shelf.

“We better move if we want to make it by nightfall,” she said coolly.

Hunter and Omega followed her out of the cockpit, picking up Jax as they exited the ship. The temperature was cooler than expected. Omega zipped her jacket up to her chin and pulled her hat over her ears. He noticed Jax pull his jacket tighter around him and fished in his backpack for something.

“Here,” he said, handing him a red scarf with thin, white lines. Jax smiled up at him.

“Thanks, Hunter.” He said, quickly wrapping the scarf around his neck.

Hunter adjusted his pack and followed Fennec across the landing pad, as it was, and through the small village. The smell of roasting meat and cooked vegetables wafted out of a tavern on their left. Hunter’s stomach grumbled and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything since they left. He pulled out ration sticks for the kids and smiled as they inhaled them hungrily.

“You kids doing okay?” he asked, dropping slowly behind Shand so she wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.

“Yes,” they both replied in unison.

“Are we almost there?” Jax asked, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his jacket.

“It’s just passed the other side of the village,” Shand called back.

Omega and Jax looked at Hunter who nodded reassuringly. They continued the walk in silence. The wind started to whip up as they left the safety and warmth of the village. They followed a dirt track up a small hill, through a enclave of impossibly tall, green trees. Hunter hadn’t realized how big they were from the air.

Jax started to look nervous again and Hunter noticed Omega instinctively put her arm around his shoulders. He smiled up at her and whispered “thanks, Sis.” Omega smiled back at him.

Hunter noticed Fennec watching the exchange and sank back so she was in lock step with Hunter.

“She’s a pretty remarkable kid,” Fennec said quietly as the kids continued on in front.

Hunter nodded but didn’t engage.

“It takes a special kid to inspire such…loyalty,” she continued.

Hunter stopped and looked at her. She paused too. “You even think about trying to take her again I’ll kill you where you stand,” he said, his voice deep and threatening as it had ever been.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled, “I believe you, but I’m not interested in being a babysitter, remember? I just meant that there’s something about her. She even got to me. Offered me a spot on your squad when we first met,”

Hunter laughed despite himself, “of course she did,” he said, thinking back to that sweet, innocent and hopelessly naive version of Omega they first took off Kamino.

“I have to admit I was a little tempted. She certainly had Nala Se wrapped around her finger too,” she said, glancing up at him.

Hunter stopped again, eyes narrowed, “Nala Se hired you?”

Fennec raised her eyebrows and shrugged, “she called me off, once she realized she was safe with you.”

Hunter looked down, trying to organize these thoughts in his mind.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked. He noticed Omega and Jax had paused ahead, watching their conversation with interest.

“If we’re both working for the path we need to trust each other. I figured this was the quickest way to get there.”  She started walking but turned around to watch him, “besides, what does it matter now that Nala Se is dead and the Kaminoan’s are gone,” She shrugged and caught up with the kids. Hunter jogged to follow.

The path curled around and opened up to a small wooden house. Hunter noticed Jax stop dead, fear in his eyes.

“Jax, it’s okay,” Hunter said gently. Omega took hold of his right hand and led him forward.

“Are you sure it’s them?” he asked Hunter.

“it’s them,” Fennec supplied.

Brown paint was peeling off the door. Hunter reached out with his senses. There was nothing that would indicate a dangerous situation. He kept his hand on his blaster, just in case.

Shand knocked on the door and to Hunter’s surprise, Ventress answered. Her chin length hair was still cut in the same sharp bob at her chin. She nodded in greeting and stepped back to let them in.

The cabin was warm, a stove on the far wall roared to life and to the far left, gathered around an old table was what could only be Jax’ family.

All hesitation in him melted away as he sprinted to the other side of the room and threw his arms around a green skinned women in a blue dress. His mother buried her head into his neck and Hunter knew she was drinking in the scent of him. Sometimes your eyes can lie to you, but your nose never can.

Hunter felt awkward, like he was intruding into a private moment. He noticed Ventress and Fennec sneak out of the door, mumbling quietly to each other. He gently touched Omega’s shoulder and indicated for her to follow him.

He looked back at the family reunion. Jax had now moved on to his father whose arms were wrapped around him, quiet sobs coming from him. Perhaps they didn’t think this moment would come. Jax had a few siblings to work his way through as well. It was best they wait outside.

Omega smiled up at him as he leaned against the exterior of the cabin. Fennec and Ventress had walked further to the tree line. He kept a close eye on them, his enhanced hearing picking up most of their conversation. He was pleased to know there was nothing duplicitous, just two friends catching up.

Ventress noticed them and walked over.

“Omega,” she said with a fond nod, “…Hunter…” she said trepidatiously as if not sure she was correct.

He nodded confirmation and her eyes traveled back to Omega.

“This is an unexpected surprise. Any changes, Omega?” she asked

“No,” Omega said confidently.

“And you?” she asked Hunter. Last time they spoke she implied he might be force sensitive. Hunter just shook his head at her. He had no interest one way or the other.

Fennec crossed to the group, “I told you he wouldn’t trust me,” she said with a smirk.

“Trust is earned,” Hunter retorted.

“And now? Ventress asked, stepping in front of Fennec as though shielding her.

Hunter shrugged, “for now,” he said simply. He wasn’t really comfortable with any of this, but if this was the situation they were in, and it seem like they were part of the path whether they liked it or not, he at least have to be civil.

The latch on the door clanked and Jax wrenched the door open. He was followed by his mother, father, brother and two sisters.

Hunter had never seen him look so joyous, although given the circumstances that wasn’t a huge surprise.

His mother threw herself at Hunter, arms around his neck sobs falling onto his pauldron. “I can’t thank you enough,” she sobbed. Hunter was taken aback. He looked down at Omega who was grinning ear to ear.

“Omega is actually the one who saved him. We just kept him out of trouble until we found you.”

The mother enveloped Omega, a fresh round of sobs rang out. Ventress and Fennec had stepped back to the tree line.

Jax came over and offered the scarf to Hunter. “You keep it,” he said with a smile. Jax nodded and  held out his hand. Hunter took it and pulled the young boy into a hug. “Take care of yourself,” he said ruffling his hair. “we’ll miss you.”

Jax wiped a tear away and moved to where his mother was finally letting Omega go. Hunter looked on with pride as the two former prisoners, hostages, kids, hugged each other for the last time.

“Goodbye, Sis,” Jax said, tears freely streaming down his face. “Thank you for saving me,”

Omega smiled and nodded, silent tears tracing tracks down her cheeks. It took a few more hugs, handshakes and tears before Hunter could extricate them.

Hunter, Omega and Fennec walked back to her ship in relative silence. Ventress stayed behind, just in case any trouble showed up although Hunter couldn’t imagine it would in a place like this.

The ride back to Pabu was uneventful. Fennec dropped them at the space port where she had met them. The ship landed with a jolt.

Fennec spun around in her chair in the cockpit.

“And here we all are. You’re all in one piece, as promised.” She said smugly, “Shame I didn’t get to see you in action with that bow, Kid,” she said to Omega as she stood up.

“Maybe next time,” Omega said with a smile, as she made her way to the narrow staircase and down to the cargo hold below.

“Wait,” Hunter said suddenly, “you have to wipe the navcomputer,”

“Why?” Fennec asked, eyebrow raised.

“what’s the bounty on Jedi these days? Why don’t you humor me?” He stepped closer, ensuring she wouldn’t be able to leave the cockpit, unless she wanted to shoot him of course. This thought tingled in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. This was important.

“Fine,” she said cooly. He watched her delete the data and he nodded, satisfied. Hunter followed Omega down and out of the ship. Fennec trailed after them, Perhaps to make sure they got out, Hunter thought.

Omega waived energetically at the bounty hunter; all concern about her seemingly forgotten. Hunter’s memory wasn’t that short though.

“So, I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” she said to Hunter, “we’re both part of the path after all.

“We’ll see,” he said gruffly.

“Looking forward to it,” she called after him. He didn’t turn around.

He jogged to catch up with Omega who had spotted their ride home.

“I think she likes you, Huntah,” she said with a giggle.

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose, “Omega, she literally tried to kidnap you twice,” he said exasperated.

“Maybe if you have a girlfriend, you wouldn’t spend so much time worrying about the rest of us,”

Hunter rolled his eyes as Omega took his arm and interlocked it with hers.

“I’m pretty sure worrying about you is my life’s purpose, kid.”

She giggled and nudged him with her shoulder, “Then I better not make it too easy for you,” she said.

Hunter laughed as they climbed abroad Rex’s ship. They were all safe and headed home. What more could he ask for.

[cybergrinding]

Routine Maintenance

You gently laid down on the table and unbuttoned the top of your uniform. It was time for your mistress to perform your routine maintenance, your heads-up display notifying you of recognized issues. It was all part of the job, and perhaps for any other doll engineer, would be as bland and clinical as working on any other machine. Your engineer, however, your mistress, was different. She reveled in getting to play with your wires and parts more than anyone else that's ever worked on you. You squirmed on the table just thinking about what she had in store for you today.

You heard her speak from across the room, she was still getting her tools ready. "Alright Eris, any problems you're currently having? Any parts need replaced?" She spoke casually to you, using the nickname she made for you rather than your proper designation, E-415. She may have been reprimanded had any of her higher-ups witnessed her casual conversation with you, let alone what her maintenance entailed.

"Sensors have recognized a bulging capacitor in section A, number 3 specifically. No other issues of note currently."

"Mm, I'll probably have to replace the whole section. You'll also want to keep notice of any other ones too, if one has reached its end of life, the others probably aren't far off. No issues with connecting to your weapons?" She walked over to the table, holding a screwdriver and a toolbox of common replacement parts. She was already wearing her anti-static wristband. Though your external armor was plenty capable of warding off damage to any of your interior circuitry, you would still be pushed to the limit so regularly that bits and pieces needed replaced frequently, necessitating every frontline combat doll have dedicated maintenance staff.

"None, all weapons were fully operational when last connected, high altitude thrusters functioning normally. All weapons disconnected without issue."

"Good, good. Sounds like this won't take too terribly long before we can get to your favorite part." She shot you a devilish grin, you could hear the fan on your back spinning faster to disperse the heat. Not giving you a moment to calm yourself, she took the screwdriver to your abdomen, removing each of the screws holding the steel plate in place. She then pulled the plate off, and set it aside.

“E-enabling hot-swapping mode, mistress.” Though most maintenance staff would set their combat dolls into a low power mode while swapping parts, mistress always preferred to keep you largely powered, doing the minimum to allow parts to be replaced over without causing you to blue-screen.

She took a small flashlight in her hand and shined it into your now open abdomen, looking for the faulty capacitor in question. “Yeah, I see it here, shouldn’t be too hard to replace.” She placed the flashlight in her mouth, and grabbed out the necessary parts. A portable desoldering tool in one hand and the new capacitors in the other, with a soldering iron to the side to set the new ones in place. She reached in with the desolderer, and began working to remove the faulty capacitor. “You know, used to be that I’d need to pull out this whole board to remove the capacitors, but nowadays you can keep your insides inside while I work” She continued giving casual conversation as she worked, hard to understand with the flashlight in her mouth.

Before you knew it, all four had been replaced. Ordinarily, that would’ve been it, your engineer would give you a quick look over and close you back up. Mistress had other plans, of course. “Okay, I think we’re ready for a bit of stress testing.” She removed the flashlight from her mouth and set it down. “Are you ready, machine?”

Machine, there was always something about the way she called you that, so formal, yet so sensual whenever she said it. Nothing else made being a doll feel so good in your mind. You eagerly nodded your head.

She gave an amused chuckle and continued. “Very well, how about we start with…” She reached her hand into your open abdomen, and unplugged a small 3 prong connector from its socket. The fan on your back quickly slowed down and came to a stop. “It’s always important to test for these things, right?”

“A-ah, yes mistress.” You could feel yourself begin to warm up, you still had more than enough airflow to keep yourself from overheating, though to have your wires played with still excited your mind, the disconnected fan prompted a warning on your heads-up display, which you quickly dismissed.

“Hm, How about we test your radar tracking next?” Before you could respond, she disconnected the cable to your camera, leaving you unable to see. Another warning popped up, another warning dismissed. Despite this, you were still able to track what your mistress was doing, no combat doll would be limited to visible light camera for tracking targets.

You tracked your mistress as she clambered onto the table with you, and sat herself on your hips. She leaned forward slightly, and suddenly your vision came flooding back, the connection being restored. Actually seeing her now, on top of you, overwhelmed your senses.

“I’m almost done here, there’s just one last little thing I’d like to test before I’m satisfied.” The playfulness in her voice excited you, until suddenly all feelings of bliss cut off. Another warning popped up, notifying that another cable had been disconnected. You looked up to your mistress, she was holding a small 4 pin connector in one hand, the one that controls all feelings of pleasure. In her other hand was a paper clip.

She unfurled the paper clip until it was just a bent piece of metal wire, and leaned in again moving the metal wire towards the pins the connector used to be plugged in at. “So, all I have to do here is touch this to the first and fourth pins inside you, and…” A jolt of pleasure surged through your body, stronger than you could have ever imagined. By bypassing any sort of control and monitoring system, and simply shorting the two pins, she could overload your mind from sheer ecstasy leaving you, the once fearsome aerial combat doll, little more than a quivering mess on her mistress’s table.

After a couple more taps from the metal wire, you couldn’t focus on anything anymore. You hardly even noticed when your mistress got off of you and began reconnecting everything she unplugged. It was only when you heard the cooling fan on your back spin up that you finally came to your senses.

You looked over to your mistress. She was screwing your abdominal plate back into place, a content smile rested on her face. At all other times, you were E-415, an Excelsior class combat doll. But here, in these few tender moments you had, you were Eris, a machine loved by your mistress.

-----

I really hope you enjoyed this little thing I wrote, its my first time putting anything like this out on Tumblr, and I really enjoyed writing it^^

[brainrotbabe24]

OH MY DAYSSS CAN YOU DO THORINS COMPANY AND THE COURTING GIFT THEY'D MAKE FOR THEIR PARTNER???

Okay thanks love MWUAH MWUAH😙😙😙

Hi, omg, so I love this!!! I had so many ideas and I kinda rambled on and on lol! I also wrote a lot so i have to split this up into two part...I'm sorry 😭 Thank you for this request 💖💖

Courting Gifts: Part 1

Balin: Balin seems like the type of dwarf who would want to repurpose something as a courting gift. He wants to show off his skills, craftsmanship, and hard work to give you the best gift. Since falling in love with you he knew he needed to court you with the best he had. So, he would take his favorite belt buckle, the one he wore on his journey back to Erebor, and use that as his raw material. He would spend days in the forge crafting the most beautiful necklace. He beams with pride each time he sees you with it on your neck. 

Dwalin: This idea was inspired by the art book. Dwalin is not known for his words of affirmation or his romantic gestures. As a hardened warrior, his greatest skill is wielding his weapon. Because of this, he wants to give you something that he finds useful and demonstrates his strengths and values. Dwalin would court you with matching axes. He would spend weeks to months meticulously forging these beautiful axes, ensuring that yours was engraved with his name and his was engraved with yours. He would see this as a secret connection, thinking you are always looking out for him. You might even be able to catch him tracing his fingers over your name.

Óin: Oin would gift you a beautifully carved wooden box filled with herbs and other healing remedies. He would handpick each one to ensure that what he selected was the best option. The box would be intricately designed, maybe even with runes for protection. I feel like once he gave it to you, he would go over how to use each herb and even offer to prepare the remedies together so you felt confident using them.

Side note: I couldn't find a GIF of what I was thinking, but this was a cool idea of possibly the type of box he gave you, lol

Glóin: After reading the art book and seeing a whole bunch of people online saying braiding is a dwarf courting tradition, I would have to go with that. Gloin is a traditional dwarf who deeply values connection, heritage, and commitment. So, of course, hair braiding is how he courts you. It's a very personal event between you two. He wants to keep it sacred and sees it as a way to strengthen your bond. His family might use specific beads or braiding styles unique to their lineage. So, when he uses a particular style, it helps him preserve his heritage and family legacy. Gloin sees braiding as a way to express his devotion to you. It's a way for him to show his commitment to standing by your side, caring for you, and always loving you.

Bifur: Bifur is known for his skill in toy making. So his courting gift would be creating a wind-up dancing toy for you...like a jewelry box ballerina. He was captivated by the way you danced at Bilbo's house while the company played their song "That's What Bilbo Baggins Hates." The grace in your movements, the confidence you exuded, and your bright smile..oh, it melted him. He was smitten and regretted not having danced with you that night. Bifur designs a mechanical toy with the two of you dancing to recreate that moment of pure joy. When wound up, the toy plays the song from that evening, capturing his happiness. 

Bofur: He immediately fell for you and wanted to give you something meaningful but also unique. He spent a lot of time thinking about the perfect gift, enlisting both Bifur and Bombur to help bring the idea to life. He decided on a love spoon—a carved wooden spoon with beautiful intricate designs that symbolize his intention of courting you. He would spend hours whittling, going back to the drawing board, and making multiple versions until it was perfect. This wasn't just a gift; it was a labor of love that took time and effort to create. By offering you this love spoon, he's not just asking you to be with him but asking you to be a part of his family.

Bombur: He would be hesitant at first to court you, unsure how you would react to his gift. He didn't buy you something expensive or offer a family heirloom. Instead, Bombur, knowing that the way to someone's heart is through their stomach, decided to make you a plethora of cookies. You'd be shocked to come home and find your kitchen counter filled with boxes of different types. Each type would represent a meaningful aspect of your life together. One box in particular stands out to you. It would have moon and star-shaped cookies, symbolizing his vast love for you…A love beyond comprehension.