#and I know that torrenting is a whole issue over there

[theallianceofcelestials]

Update on the AI scrapping situation

I really wish I didn't have to make another post about this, but here we are.

The AO3 dataset, while currently unavaible on the HuggingFace website. has been made into a downloadable, still avaible Torrent file by the person who scrapped AO3

And all the others are avaible here too!

This person scrapped all of these works, whether they be drawings or writings, for AI purposes and to sell them!

The website datafish, the one these are avaible on, is based in Russia, and from what I know it's not responding to DMCAs. Despite all these datasets consisting of stolen work, so far nothing has been done against these!

This was brought to my attention by @mazois in the previous post's comment section, and I've did a little bit of further digging into this, but just know I'm not an expert in this! I'm just another scared person who's work was stolen

This dataset is still downloadable! This can still be downloaded and used by anyone who wishes for it!

Now I really hate doing these tumblr posts, mostly because I shouldn't need to, but also because I kind of feel like I'm bothering people with this, but I just want everyone to have a chance to do something about this.

Right now I don't know if the same approach will work with this one. Even enough DMCAs get filed, maybe something will get done. But I don't know. All I know is that these things are still avaible, even at least one of those that were deleted off of HuggingFace

Now I've tagged the same things as before, with a couple extra added tags, and I'll also link the last post relating to this issue here

Now, while this is a shitty situation, please do not harrass this person! Not because of the whole don't get on their level or whatever, but because it might help them get these datasets back online if they can say they've been harrassed over this! If we want something to get done about this, we must not give this person ground to push back!

Sorry to bother everyone about this again, but I wanted to share this in case someone wanted to know this.

[calicoheartz]

hi could u pls write about Paige comforting and helping reader who tries but can’t get her grades up and just feels overwhelmed due to some friendship issues too pls ? You could do different parts or a fic abt this would be rlly nice pls 💐💐

Whispers of Comfort ; Paige Bueckers

꣑୧ — summary | just paige comforting you with your personal struggles 💌💐❤️‍🩹

wc ; 900

— warnings | tw mentions of depression , anxiety , mental health , angst (has a happy ending dw!!)

my master list ㇀♡

a/n : this is somewhat similar to one of my other fics that you can read here , so I tried to add a different spin on it! Enjoy :)

The fluorescent lights of the university library cast a harsh glow over the hunched figure buried in textbooks and notes. That figure was you, desperately trying to make sense of the chaos of academics that seemed determined to swallow you whole. Yet, despite your best efforts, the numbers on your latest exam paper stared back at you with cruel finality—another failure in a long line of disappointments.

Your heart sank in remembrance of the unfortunate outcome of the test you studied hours for, the test you dedicated to studying for almost 3 weeks in advance. Your heart sank as the weight of inadequacy settled in your chest, suffocating you with each labored breath. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you struggled to hold back the overwhelming tide of despair threatening to consume you whole.

“Hey, mind if I join you?”

You quickly recognized the sweet and gentle voice, startled, you looked up to find your girlfriend standing right before you, with a concerned look marring her brow. Her presence alone was enough to ease the tightness in your chest, offering a small glimmer of hope amidst the uneasiness and darkness that threatened to swallow you whole.

“Paige..” you managed to stutter out, your voice echoing with emotion. “I didn’t expect to see you here, I thought you were at home?”

A sympathetic smile graced the blondes lips, as she took the seat opposite of you, as her eyes filled with genuine concern.

“You weren’t answering any of my texts, so I figured you’d be here. I couldn’t help but wonder what was on your mind.” she said softly, her voice laced with sincerity. “Is everything okay?”

Paige knew you had struggled this year academically, but she never knew to what extent. You were ashamed to ask her for help, I mean compared to her you’re only a fraction of her success. While she’s an all american academic, juggling both sports and her studies, you were even struggling to pass a simple quiz or project. Which in term made it very difficult to ask her for help, afraid she would realize that you weren’t worth her time.

It’s almost as if the floodgates collapsed, the weight of your burdens spilling out a torrent of pent-up emotions. You poured your heart out to Paige, confessing the struggles that had plagued you for weeks - the sleepless nights spent studying, the countless hours wasted in a fruitless pursuit of academic perfection, the forgotten and skipped meals, everything seeming to slowly creep up onto you all seemingly at once.

Paige listened intently, offering words of comfort and trying to understand as you bared your soul into her. In her presence, the walls you had built around your heart began to crumble, revealing the vulnerable soul that lay beneath the facade of strength you had so carefully constructed.

"I just don't know what to do anymore," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get my grades up. And on top of that, I'm having issues with my friends..."

Your words trailed off, a sense of helplessness washing over you as you struggled to articulate the depth of your despair. Paige reached out, her hand intertwining between yours in a gesture of solidarity that sent warmth spreading through your veins.

"You're not alone, you know," she said gently, her voice a soothing balm to the wounds of self-doubt that had long plagued your spirit. "We all face challenges in life, but it's how we confront them that defines who we are. You're doing the best you can, and that's all anyone can ask for."

Her words resonated with you, striking a chord deep within your soul as you looked into her eyes and saw the unwavering belief reflected there. In Paige's presence, you found the strength to confront the demons that had held you captive for so long, emboldened by the knowledge that you were not alone in your struggles.

Together, you and Paige embarked on a journey of self-discovery, navigating the treacherous waters of academia and interpersonal relationships with unwavering determination. With each passing day, you found solace in each other's company, drawing strength from the unbreakable bond that had formed between you.

As the weeks turned into months, you began to see glimpses of progress—small victories that served as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. With Paige by your side, you faced each challenge head-on, armed with the unwavering belief that together, you could overcome anything life threw your way.

And in the quiet moments shared between late-night study sessions and heartfelt conversations, you discovered something far more precious than academic success or fleeting friendships. You found solace in each other, a bond forged in the crucible of adversity, bound by the unbreakable ties of love and understanding.

In Paige's arms, you found refuge from the storm raging within, a sanctuary where the burdens of the world melted away in the warmth of her embrace. And as you leaned into her, basking in the glow of her unwavering affection, you knew that no matter what trials lay ahead, you would face them together, united in a love that transcended the boundaries of time and space.

For in the midst of chaos, you had found peace, and with the love of your life Paige, you had found home.

we love good girlfriend Paige !! i want a paige in my life 🥴😞 as always , thank you for reading !!

psa ! if u are struggling w mental health my dms are always open 💗 rmb that ur so loved by me and so many others

[bethsvrse]

𝓘T’S OKAY

PAIRING Jean Grey x fem!mutant!reader

A/N I believe in lesbian jean supremacy

WARNINGS death, risking your life, set in X2

The jet wasn’t taking off. The engines sputtered, power flickering in and out as you all sat there, fear mixing in with desperation. The dam was breaking. You could hear the distant groaning of concrete giving way, a sound that made your heart race. In less than a few minutes, a torrent of water would be unleashed, rushing down into the valley and over the forest, drowning everything—and everyone—in its path.

You felt panic settling in, clawing at the edges of your mind. The others were frantic, trying to figure out what was wrong with the jet. Voices overlapped as everyone shouted, desperate for a solution. But nothing was working. The dam wouldn’t wait.

That’s when your thoughts turned inward, to the one power you had that no one else did. You could absorb energy, store it, and, when needed, release it in controlled bursts. You’d done it before, though never on this scale. The only issue? To jump-start the jet, you’d have to expel a huge amount of energy—more than you could safely handle inside the cabin. If you stayed inside, the release could destroy the jet, or worse, harm the people you cared about most. If you went outside... you’d be exposed to the incoming flood.

One glance around the cabin sealed your decision. The people you loved were all here, in this moment, clinging to hope. The children, their wide eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. They had their whole lives ahead of them. You couldn’t let them die here, not like this.

Your eyes locked with Jean’s from across the cabin. She froze, instantly reading your intentions. The rest of the team was still too absorbed in trying to fix the jet to notice the silent conversation passing between the two of you. She crossed the room with a determined, yet heartbroken look, moving quietly, unnoticed.

“I can’t change your mind, can I?” Jean’s voice was soft, almost drowned out by the background noise, but you heard the sadness in her words. She already knew the answer.

You shook your head slowly, feeling your chest tighten. This wasn’t how you imagined things would end, but there was no other way. You took a small step toward her, reaching out briefly, the briefest touch of her hand grounding you.

“No,” you whispered. There was no use in dragging it out. You had made your choice.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I can do it,” she said, though even as the words left her lips, you both knew it wasn’t possible. “You don’t have to.”

You smiled, a sad, knowing smile. “The jet needs energy, Jean, not telekinesis.” You placed your hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “I need you to hold the water back until I can get the jet in the air.” You paused, the weight of the moment crashing down on you. “I’ll be okay. I’m okay,” you added, knowing full well that it was a lie. You weren’t coming back from this. And from the look in Jean’s eyes, she knew it too.

She blinked, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I… I love you,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Your smile softened, though your heart ached. You had known for a while, even if the two of you had never said it aloud. It was always there, in the quiet moments, in the looks you shared when no one else was watching. “I know,” you replied, smirking just enough to coax a small laugh from her, despite the situation.

With one last lingering look, you turned and walked toward the exit. The roar of the dam breaking echoed louder now, the threat of the flood pressing ever closer. As you descended the stairs and stepped outside the jet, the cool air hit your face, mingling with the distant spray of water already breaking over the far hills. You heard the stairs retract behind you, sealing the jet and everyone inside.

You positioned yourself in front of the jet, taking a deep breath. Slowly, your eyes began to glow a bright yellow, the energy inside you building up as you floated slightly off the ground. You could feel the immense power radiating through your veins, ready to be unleashed.

Inside the jet, Ororo was the first to notice. “What is she doing?” Her voice was shaky as she stared through the window, wide-eyed and filled with fear.

“What?” Scott turned, confused. Following her gaze, he spotted you hovering just outside. His face drained of color as realization dawned. “No…” He leapt out of his chair, rushing toward the stairs. “We can’t let her do this!”

Jean moved quickly, stepping into his path. “Scott, stop.”

He shook his head in disbelief, eyes pleading. “Jean, we can’t let her die!”

“I don’t want her to die!” Jean’s voice cracked, her emotions barely held in check. “But I’m not letting you stop her.”

Logan, his usual calm cracking under the weight of the situation, glanced over his shoulder at Kurt. “Can you get down there? Teleport her back?”

Kurt’s expression was solemn as he shook his head, his gaze shifting to Jean. “She won’t let me.”

“Jean, what the hell?” Logan snapped, his frustration boiling over.

Jean’s face was a mask of grief. “I’m not going against her wishes.” She glanced back toward you through the window, her heart shattering. Even if I don’t want to lose her.

The jet began to tremble as the power surged through it, systems slowly coming back online. Jean stepped forward, her focus shifting to the massive wave of water rushing toward them. With a deep breath, she raised her hands, her telekinesis flaring to life as she held the water back, preventing the flood from consuming the valley—for now.

Through Charles’ telepathy, his voice echoed in the cabin, though everyone knew the words weren’t his. His eyes fluttered shut, his brow furrowed in concentration as he reached out, connecting with your mind.

“I’m here,” Charles spoke aloud, but it was your thoughts he was conveying, your emotions coursing through him. “I’ve got the jet. Don’t worry.”

The team glanced at each other, their panic still palpable, but they could feel the jet’s engines whirring back to life, the floor beneath their feet trembling as the aircraft began to lift off the ground. Charles’ voice continued, calm and steady, trying to soothe them even as the tension in his own body betrayed the weight of the situation.

“Everything will be fine,” he added, but there was a heaviness in his tone, a shared understanding that this wasn’t fine, that the price being paid was too high. Still, he stayed connected with you, until the last spark of energy surged through the jet, lifting it higher into the air.

But in that brief moment, as Jean's concentration wavered, the flood surged forward. Her grip on the water faltered for a split second, and it was enough. The dam broke completely, and the water rushed forward, sweeping you away in a violent, unstoppable wave.

Jean’s control shattered. The jet soared higher, safe now, but below… she knew. You were gone.

For a moment, there was silence inside the cabin. The engines hummed steadily, lifting the jet higher and higher, but no one moved. The weight of what had just happened settled over them like a thick, suffocating blanket.

Jean collapsed into a seat, her hands trembling, staring at the spot where you had been only moments ago. She closed her eyes, the tears falling freely now, and in her mind, all she could hear was your voice—I’m okay.

[vee-dmsr]

hi miss vee, i saw in your tags a while back that you were raised catholic and something about sexual guilt (either your own or being into that for a character i can’t recall) and i was also raised catholic and i think i am also into a little sexual guilt? once i was watching porn and was pleasantly surprised when one of them apologized to their partner for something (i replayed that part until i came) 🥴 i also def have mommy issues and love it when my gf is dominant but that’s a whole other ask i could send lmao

i generally have a lot of guilt and shame (thanks catholicism) and i do carry a lot of shame for my sexual interests, specifically the aforementioned interests. i want to be as accepting of my Freak Side as you are, hopefully someday ill achieve it

yes anon i was raised catholic! i went to catechism class and attended mass every sunday when i was young. didn't really retain anything tho LOL (sure would have come in handy when i was reading the locked tomb series). i often day dreamed during mass and wrote gay fanfic in my head. i was a horny perverted teen but still dealt with occasional bouts of guilt. i remember one time when it was bad i deleted all the gay porn off my pc that i had torrented [devasted] i still remember one in particular that had scenes that are STILL in my spank bank to this very day AUGH. i also remember feeling a wave of guilt when i started drawing nsfw art and posting it on twitter 🙈 i also blame my catholic guilt for the reason i didn't even entertain the thought of finding women sexually attractive until i was in my late 20s. i went from calling myself straight to straight-ish to finally accepting im bi right at the start of the pandemic.

i do find it BONKERS HOT when characters experience sexual guilt. and anything that mixes catholic imagery with sexual imagery makes my dick insanely hard.

i think as u get older u will naturally get more comfortable with ur freak side. i feel like I've successfully eradicated any lingering catholic guilt i may have had. i also think perhaps it was easier for me since ive been a freak since i was a teen and my parents, while being religious, weren't like... crazy religious if u know what i mean?

but yeah, anytime u get hit with shame u just gotta tell urself it's okay. u might sound like a broken record but just keep it up and eventually you'll get over it. we only get one life to live, u MUST let ur freak flag fly 🫵🏼🫵🏼🫵🏼

[sombritas-des]

Dam

-body count au- -Driftcells au- [previous] ------ Why re-reading this I felt like drawing this just the pure expression reminds me of this whole chapter...anyways, I hope I haven't bored you all with this ----

The Drifter's hands stroked the Beheaded back, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on their skin. He felt the tremors running through their body, the subtle shaking of their frame as their arms holded him for dear life.

"Crying?" he whispered, his voice soft and gentle.

The Beheaded response was immediate, their voice rough and husky. "Shut it."

But the Drifter didn't push the issue. Instead, he pulled them closer, his arms wrapping tighter around their frame. He held them with a quiet strength, his presence a steady comfort.

The Beheaded trembling grew more pronounced, their body shaking with suppressed emotion. But they didn't pull away, didn't try to hide. They just let  Drifter hold them, their face buried in the crook of his neck.

At that moment, the Drifter understood. He knew that the Beheaded tough exterior hid a deep well of pain and vulnerability. And he was honored that they felt safe enough to show it to him.

And they showed ,Beheaded body shook with sobs, their tears soaking into the Drifter's shoulder. They couldn't remember the last time they'd cried, couldn't recall the sensation of emotions flowing so freely.

It was as if the vessel had unlocked a dam, releasing a torrent of feelings they'd long suppressed. And yet, it felt right. It felt like a weight was lifting, like a burden was slowly being removed from their shoulders.

 Drifter held them close, his arms a steady anchor in the storm. He didn't try to shush them, didn't attempt to stem the flow of tears. He just let them cry, let them release all the pent-up emotions that had bottled up over decades, he could only imagine how this felt for them.

As they wept, the Beheaded felt a sense of peace creeping in. It was as if they'd finally found a sense of permission, a sense of safety. They were allowed to feel, allowed to be vulnerable.

And in that moment, they knew the Drifter was right. The vessel was changing them, awakening something deep within. But they didn't care. They were too busy feeling alive.

The Beheaded sobs slowly subsided, their body relaxing into the Drifter's embrace. They took a few deep breaths, their chest heaving as they struggled to compose themselves.

Drifter's arms never wavered, his hold gentle but firm. He waited patiently, his presence a comforting constant.

Finally, the Beheaded trembling stilled, their breathing slowing to a gentle rhythm. The Drifter's soft voice broke the silence."Are you alright?" His voice was lace with concern but held the genuine sentiment of care.

The Beheaded nodded, their face still buried in the Drifter's shoulder. They couldn't meet his gaze, not yet.

The Drifter's hands stroked their back, his touch soothing. "I'm here," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

The Beheaded voice was barely audible, their words muffled against the Drifter's shoulder. "I...I don't know what's happening to me."

The Drifter's hold tightened, his arms enveloping them in a warm embrace. "You're feeling," he whispered. "You're finally allowing yourself to feel.”

The Beheaded mind was a maelstrom of emotions. They were only familiar with a few feelings, like rage and anger, but this was something new. They felt happy, but with a tinge of sorrow. They wanted to cry and scream again, but at the same time, they felt loved.

Their mind was a jumble of emotions, but the Drifter's grip anchored them. They buried their face in the Drifter's shoulder, feeling safe in his arms.

The Drifter held them close, his arms a steady presence. He knew the Beheaded needed time, time to understand and accept their emotions. He didn't try to offer words of comfort or solutions. He just held them, letting them feel the storm of emotions.

As they stood there, the Beheaded sobs slowly subsided, replaced by a sense of calm. They felt the Drifter's warmth, his steady heartbeat, and his gentle touch. And in that moment,after so many years, they knew they were not alone.

The Beheaded arms slowly wrapped around the Drifter, embracing him in a desperate hug. The Drifter's smile grew wider, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He could feel the dampness of his clothes, the remnants of their tears, but he didn't care.

In fact, he welcomed it. He welcomed the vulnerability, the openness, the trust. He knew that the Beheaded tears were a sign of their growing connection, a sign that they were finally allowing themselves to feel.

 Drifter's arms tightened around the Beheaded, holding them close as they stood there, swaying gently. He could feel the Beheaded heart beating against his own, their breathing slowing to match his own rhythm, a feeling he never thought he'll be able to get.

For a moment, they just stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, savoring the warmth and comfort of their embrace. No words were needed, no explanations or apologies. Just the gentle touch, the soft breathing, and the quiet understanding that they were in this together.

The Drifter's hands gently pried the Beheaded arms loose, his fingers tracing the contours of their face. The Beheaded grip hesitated, their instincts screaming to hide, to conceal their vulnerability. But something about the Drifter's gentle touch, his soft smile, put them at ease.

With a subtle nod, the Beheaded allowed the Drifter to pull back, their face slowly emerging from the shadows of their embrace. The Drifter's eyes met theirs, his gaze warm and tender, filled with a deep understanding.

For a moment, they just looked at each other, the Beheaded face exposed, their emotions raw and unguarded. The Drifter's eyes roamed their features, taking in the subtle signs of their vulnerability – the red-rimmed eye, the faint smudges of tears, the slight tremble of their lips.

The Beheaded gaze faltered, their eyes dropping, but the Drifter's fingers lifted their chin, guiding their gaze back to his. "You're strong," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Inside and out.”

The Beheaded gaze dropped, their gaze casting downward as to hide away the confusion in their eye, but the Drifter's gentle fingers lifted their chin once more. This time, the Drifter's lips brushed against their forehead, a soft, gentle kiss that sent a shiver down their spine.

The Beheaded eye fluttered closed, their heart skipping a beat as they felt the warmth of the Drifter's touch. It was a tender moment, a moment of pure connection, and the Beheaded felt their defenses crumble.

As they opened their eye, they met the Drifter's smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. The Beheaded thoughts swirled, a realization dawning on them - maybe vulnerability wasn't so bad, at least not around the Drifter.

The thought was foreign, yet tantalizing. The Beheaded had spent centuries building walls, fortifying their defenses, but the Drifter's gentle touch, his kind words, made them wonder if it was okay to let those walls down.

The Beheaded gaze held the Drifter's, a spark of connection igniting between them. In that moment, they felt a sense of belonging, of being seen and accepted for who they were, vulnerability and all, but at the same time it made them feel weak or something close to it.

The Beheaded hands gently pushed the Drifter away, creating a subtle distance between them. It wasn't a forceful or rude gesture, but rather a hesitant attempt to conceal their vulnerable moment.

The Drifter's eyes never left the Beheaded face, his expression understanding and empathetic. He knew the Beheaded pride was a fragile thing, and he respected their boundaries.

With a soft nod, the Drifter leaned back, giving the Beheaded space to collect themselves. He didn't try to fill the silence with words or attempt to close the distance. Instead, he waited patiently, his presence a gentle reminder that he was there for them.

The Beheaded gaze dropped, their eye hiding behind a veil of lashes. They took a deep breath, their chest rising and falling as they struggled to regain their composure.

The Beheaded hand rose to their face, their palm gently wiping away the remnants of their tears. They took a few deep breaths, their shoulders sagging as they struggled to compose themselves.

Their posture remained slumped, their shoulders dropped in a subtle sign of defeat. But it wasn't a defeat of will, rather a defeat of their carefully constructed facade.

 Drifter watched them, his eyes patient and understanding. He knew the Beheaded was fighting an internal battle, one that required no words or actions from him. He simply waited, his presence a warm oasis in the maelstrom of thoughts that swirled inside the beheaded.

The silence between them was heavy with unspoken emotions, a palpable sense of vulnerability that hung in the air like a challenge. But the Drifter didn't shy away from it. Instead, he leaned into it, his gaze never wavering from the Beheaded face.

He waited for the right moment to speak, for the Beheaded to open up and reveal their true feelings. And when that moment came, he would be ready, his words a gentle balm to soothe their fractured soul. The waiting game had its payoff as beheaded shoulders finally relax as they took in a deep breath.

The Beheaded voice was barely above a whisper, their words laced with self-doubt and vulnerability. "I'm a disaster, I'm right?"

The Drifter's eyes lit up with understanding, his expression softening as he moved closer. "You're not a disaster," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "You're just... complicated."

He paused, his gaze roaming the Beheaded face as if trying to decipher the puzzle that lay before him. "I think that's what draws me to you," he continued. "The complexity, the layers... the depth."

The Beheaded eye narrowed, their gaze searching for any sign of deception. But the Drifter's words were laced with sincerity, his tone genuine.

"You're a puzzle, Beheaded," he said, his voice filled with wonder. "A puzzle I'm eager to understand."

The Beheaded shoulders sagged further, their defenses weakening.The Beheaded defeated chuckle was a small victory for the Drifter. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, as he heard the nickname "Drippy" slip from their lips.

"Ah, that's a good sign," he thought to himself. The use of nicknames was a subtle indicator of comfort, a hint that the Beheaded was slowly letting their guard down.

"Drippy, huh?" he replied, his voice light and teasing. "I'll take that as a compliment." As a subtle smile parted his lips.

The Beheaded gaze met his, a hint of a smile playing on their lips. For a moment, they just looked at each other, the tension between them dissipating.

The Drifter's heart swelled with hope. Maybe, just maybe, he was getting through to the Beheaded. Maybe they were starting to see him as more than just a stranger, more than just a nuisance.

[Masterpost] [Next]

[skycapt4in-a]

SOME ABSOLUTELY USELESS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPACE THIEF literally what the title says

-> he can play the banjo! pretty well, actually. in another life he might've been able to make a career out of the talent. but he found it in his early twenties in a market on a planet known for it's high crime rates and originally the only reason he bought it was because it was one of the first things he'd seen from earth that didn't come from his abduction. it's a bit.. well, he's had it for over ten years and shockingly there aren't a lot of places that can repair it properly when it gets damaged, but it still functions and plays well, although i think he lives in constant fear of the strings snapping on his hands again. he's also recently picked up the guitar and is quietly teaching himself how to play that.

-> shockingly his music taste isn't usually things that feature the banjo, although he does like some of those genres, but his main thing is.. it's metal. he's a metalhead, but the type of metal with the folks screaming. the more intense the song and the less the screaming sounds like actual words, the more he'll like it. he's also a big fan of punk, because go figure the criminal with authority issues would like music about hating the government.

-> his first kill was at the ripe old age of 17 and it was a lucky shot. not for the person he shot ig but still. see the thing with being hired into an organized space criminal gang is that you'll probably end up facing death once you're finished being shown the ropes. his crew were conducting business and it had gone poorly, so poorly that when he saw them running back to the ship and firing shots behind them he immediately grabbed the closest pew pew and went out to give something of cover fire and was able to take out two of the ten badder guys not the most interesting first kill i know but thems the cards.

-> his biological earth family are wealthy folks in the whiskey industry. but they're the nice fictional rich people that give back because they remember their roots and growing up poor. i refuse to write rich people unless they're destined to die or they're good about their money. plus i've kinda gotten attached to gary & clara because even though they only exist in my mind and on a few pages, they're such a sweet old couple. goals, even. anyways, the abernacky family is a wealthy one and they're still offering quite a chunk of money if you have any information about their missing son.. [ nudge nudge ]

-> on the subject of noah's earth family, this is something i've purposefully left out when i talked about him before but his older brother, nick? he's a vampire. it's a whole thing. like a whole thing. i've always had a soft spot for sibling characters that just have a completely different life, aesthetic and basically everything from their more known sibling. it works because nick is absolutely miserable so he immediately fit the bill.

-> back to pointless noah things, a small list of things he's scared of that you wouldn't think someone like him would be scared of: the ocean/large bodies of water in general, clowns, dragonfruit, killer whales, eels, jellyfish-- anything that comes from the ocean really, gnomes but the garden decorations and not the lil creatures, mannequins, and the crushing fear that he's going to die alone and without somewhere he was once able to call his home and it felt right. y'know, the usual. oh, and spiders.

-> he's actually angry that dragons aren't real, he found out about them during his stint in the archive and for a brief moment imagined having one as a buddy, but his dreams were ruined when he was told that they don't exist. it still angers him to this day.

-> he will shoot to seriously hurt but not kill, if you call him 'noah abernacky.' just don't do it if you ever learn his last name, he's keeping his brother's name as his last one and he will fight about it. and he thinks that noah torrent sounds cooler, it does, i'll give him that.

-> he likes the colour purple a bit too much if you ask me, shi'p's hallways and corridor lights are usually tinted in a purple hue, the sparce detailing on her outside is also purple. anything he could make purple on board was made purple. not the lenses on his mask though, heaven forbid.

-> another creature he wants as a buddy is a polar bear, but he's kept away from those for the obvious reason that they're absolutely terrifying and would kill him. they remind him of a much more docile and friendlier creature on cryon that i honestly cannot remember the name of, it's somewhere in one of his notebooks and i'll be real i'm too lazy to look through it for the name, but i can tell you that they're very similar to polar bears, just picture them a bit longer, with an extra set of legs and sabre-tooth tiger like teeth. they can be domesticated, they're basically like the wolves of cryon.

[camcanime]

Celebrate - In More Ways Than One

Another oneshot based on one of my dreams and one that took waaaaay longer to write than I would have liked but here we are I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoy!!

(Kirishima x Fem!Reader) ((and slight Bakugo x Reader))

As far as parties go, this one was going to be big. No one could have anticipated it being this lively but that's what happens when you make a lot of friends. In the beginning, anyone would have assumed that your graduation party would be segregated into each class of UA.

Nope!

Once the rivalry with class 1-B (and grievances with the other courses) had been diminished, there was no doubt that everyone would want to be a part of this together. It has been an arduous journey for you all but you've made it. You all made it. Now, everyone can enjoy the spoils of a well-deserved celebration. A big thanks has to go to Yaoyorozu and her family for lending her homestead for the afterparty. This should have been expected. Who else would have the space for this many people?

Nerves are becoming an undesirable companion for your poor self. The torrent of people is neither a problem nor the concept of mingling - that is all fine. No, the issue lies with you sticking out like a sore thumb. You assumed that there would be at least one other girl who would opt for trousers but they're all either in dresses or skirts. God knows you would have done the same but that sort of style has never been your thing aside from the compulsory uniform. It took trying on a full store's worth of fancy garments to realise that you best just wear what's comfortable. You're rocking a blazer jacket with matching smart trousers, the ensemble especially pops with the bright (f/c), laced camisole finishing the look. It’s a little snug in your opinion but a certain pink-haired friend of yours insisted that it shapes you perfectly. The blazer shall remain fixed on your shoulders, you think. Mina spent all of the previous day boosting your confidence and psyching you up like the queen she is but you can’t shake off those last remnants of worry. You're having a conversation with her when you notice Kirishima out of the corner of your eye and the skip of your heart isn’t something to ignore. Even you couldn't have predicted him looking as dashing as he does in that suit.

Mina leans over and whispers in your ear excitedly, "Now’s your chance! You gotta get over Bakugo, anyways."

Ah, yes. That whole situation. Over the years, you silently admired the explosive student and awkwardly pined for his attention. You had even attempted to make subtle advances on the guy but he just never took the bait. After so many missed shots, you eventually decided that it would be best to reserve your ammo lest you risk depleting your aching heart. It was only a matter of time before you ended up hanging out with his best friend more and, like some sick twisted fate, found yourself falling victim to those wretched butterflies again. If you had any doubts about having a type before, you don't now. Unwavering resolve, irrefutable strength, and a powerful dedication to becoming a hero? It doesn't seem to get much more attractive than that. 

"I dunno, Mina. 'You sure I'm not too... masculine in energy? I know Kirishima admires manly things but..."

Sighing, she just rolls her eyes and pushes you into him before darting off, giggling like a troublesome child. Cheeky bitch. You love the girl and understand that she's trying to help but her methods aren't always appreciated. Before you fall, Kirishima catches you and that jump of your stomach evolves into a stuttered sprinting when you gaze up at him shyly. Part of you wishes you had landed on the ground just to be saved from this embarrassment. Being met with the cold floor has never sounded more inviting. It's hard to tell in the lighting but it looks as though his cheeks are reddening as he's holding you. Dear God, you've made a fool of yourself, haven’t you? Scratch that. There’s only one person to blame in this and she’s run free from the scene like a coward. 

Kirishima eases you back up onto your feet and smiles, albeit a little teasingly. "What happened there, twinkle-toes? 'You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry,” laughing bashfully, you dust yourself off. “I must've just tripped on something."

Your attention darts around to get a clue onto Mina so you can send her a silent scream of aggravation for what she just did. However, it would appear that she has disappeared among the sea of students and you instead catch a glimpse of Bakugo, who has had his attention on you for a while now. When your eyes meet, he's quick to turn away, the expression on his face unreadable. That's happened a handful of times recently and you can't figure out why. Admittedly, you don't spend as much time together as you used to but that doesn't mean you've entirely withdrawn yourself from him. He is still a friend. Even with the unrequited crush in mind, you would never blank him. The last few months have been a different story but hitting the books has been everyone's priority in the lead-up to finals. 

A soft nudge to your side pulls you out of your contemplation and you are greeted with another one of those heart-melting smiles. "Good thing I was here to catch you, huh?"

You resist the urge to look away and giggle, "I guess it was pretty lucky."

Lucky your ass. A certain pink rascal will be paying dearly for this later.

"I love the outfit, by the way."

Thoughts of revenge slip away like a sinking ship and you slowly gawk down at yourself. It’s a lovely apparel, even you won’t deny that, but it hardly feels worth complimenting when one considers the array of frilly fabrics flaunting around your person. The flattering remark is meant in earnest and you try to keep that in mind, especially with him. He always means what he says, anyone knows that. As stated before: insecurity is an undesirable companion that lingers at your side, practically sewn to your hip. If only you could cut the tie and be rid of it. All you want to do is enjoy your graduation. Is that too much to ask?

You harbour enough strength to look back up sheepishly. "Really?"

"Of course!” His eyes widen with a confused smile. He can’t believe you wouldn’t think the same. “It really suits you!"

"Thanks." You manage to push past your nerves at least a little and grin. "Wanted to make sure I could dance, you know? S'not easy to bust out the full calibre of my moves in a skirt and heels." Oh yeah. You opted for flat shoes just so you wouldn’t risk stumbling over yourself like some schmuck. 

The two of you share a fond laugh and he holds a hand to the back of his neck. An unspoken tension writhes between you both when his gaze drops to the floor. Confidence is a fickle thing, fleeting away as fast as it had been regained. Those nerves prickle against your shoulders once more and you fear you may have sullied your image with the poor attempt at a joke. Taking compliments isn't exactly a strength of yours, so you're quick to deflect with silly responses.

"Well, seeing as you mentioned it, do you... wanna dance? I mean, I'm not very good but..."

Maybe you didn't come across as lame as you had initially thought. Luckily, at his time of asking, a particularly catchy tune is playing; one with a beat you are sure you can get into if you really want to. Might as well. Already making your way to the appointed dance floor, you gesture for him to follow. 

"Come on, then."

It takes a while but eventually, the two of you are dancing with no shame. At one point, you even slip off your blazer and unceremoniously throw it into the crowd, earning many cheers and calls of excitement from your peers. Any doubts about the mildly flashy top beneath your jacket have quickly faded, getting lost in the wildness of your beaming soul along with the music. There's that crazy energy he's fallen in love with. Watching you light up with such conviction is a sight that he relishes any time he is lucky enough to witness it. Whether it’s on the battlefield, during training sessions, or you passionately speaking about something you love, he lives for it. Amidst his fawning, everything around him blurs and soon vanishes. All of his focus is on you and how you manage to effortlessly succumb to having a good time. He tries his best to keep up but he would much rather admire you. Were it possible, he’d watch you for hours on end. The shine of your smile, the gleaming sparkle your eyes hold, how your hair bops side to side with every movement - the guy is unequivocally transfixed and hypnotised by the allure of your enjoyment.

Gradually, the fast pace siezes with a slow song and, unable to look at Kirishima, your eyes wander. Oh, this fucking girl. You can see Mina standing by the speaker, holding her thumbs up at you with a grin that would be contagious were you not writhing in loathing. She must think she's the hottest wing-woman on the block with these unwelcomed antics. Perhaps it’s high time you surrender to her shenanigans and let bygones be bygones. Besides, you can hardly pay much attention to her with your current circumstances. It’s time to face your fears and face the man beside you. When you turn to meet him, equally wondering how he feels about the situation, his hand is already outstretched towards you. As curious as you are, you won’t question how long he’s been waiting for you. Best not to test his patience either. It’s time to get your head in the game. Don’t mess this up.

No pressure. 

With a steadying breath, you oblige and take the offer, fingers gently landing in his palm. His clasp shut around yours and he takes a step forward. Given how resolute his bravery typically is, this moment would be considered comedic were you not just as terrified yourself. Now is the perfect opportunity for Mina to run in and push the two of you into each other. Thankfully, such a dreaded imagining of events doesn’t appear to come to fruition. Although, it’s as if she’s working some strange voodoo magic because you step closer and place a hand on his shoulder. This sudden daring threatens to recoil in fear of coming across brash but Kirishima’s hand on your hip stops that from happening. Those bright, red eyes shimmer with a determination you’ve only ever seen during your sparring sessions. The two of you share a shy smile before you allow yourself to rest your head on his chest. Content, you hum into the fabric of his tux, only hoping that the music is loud enough to drown it out.

Whilst swaying gently side to side in each other’s embrace, your pupils flick around, gazing over the beautiful twirls of elegant cloth that surround you. They’re gorgeous. Every one of them might as well be a princess suspended in iridescent clouding whilst you weep into the muddy ground like a peasant. With how glorious this longed-for moment is, you scold yourself for getting distracted by the heavy tug in your chest. Pulling away only slightly, your shoulders slump against the crux of your fragility. 

Kirishima is unfortunately very good at picking up on these things. "Something on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah… it’s just..." You contemplate throwing out some last-ditch excuse but decide against it and sigh. "It's gonna sound stupid but it just feels like this moment would look better if I was wearing a beautiful dress like all the other girls," laughing sadly, your gaze drops to your feet. "It'd probably be nicer for you, too."

A gentle pressure hugs your cheek and the warm hand guides your attention back to him. Eyes wide with worry, his brows turn up and his face is brought forward, foreheads almost touching. These actions alone draw out whatever breath you have left in your lungs and, with that soft stare of his, you forget how to breathe completely.

"You crazy or somethin'? I don't care about any of that. Sure, I bet you'd look amazing in a dress but this is you. It's about what you're comfortable in and I love that you can do that." The concern in his expression subsides, being replaced with a sheepish grin. "Besides, I reckon you're the most beautiful girl in this room."

The evidence is undeniable and, yet, your mind makes haste in excusing it for his kind nature. He’s likely just saying all of this to calm your anxiety. That isn’t Kirishima’s style but why else would he feed you such lovely words like this? Nagging, your inner voice piles lie upon lie to keep you from believing what’s right in front of you. You shake your head and prep your own voice for defiance but nothing comes out. By now, his forehead is pressed firm into yours and you pray that he can’t feel the flush of your suddenly fevered skin.

“Please, believe me,” he whispers and it’s as if the music aids his words, uplifting like a crescendo despite how quiet they are. “You’re stunning. Even if you don’t think it, I… I always have. I do.” His mouth clamps shut for a moment whilst he collects himself, negotiating his options, and then he speaks again, “You really are beautiful and I don’t know how else to say…”

He trails off with the piano’s cadence and this entire time you are starstruck. The raw emotion is palpable even in its softness. Kirishima edges ever closer to you, that shimmering grit blazing his crimson eyes like before. He’s usually strong with his words, having bellowed many motivational speeches for the benefit of his comrades but, at his core, he is a man of action. Hesitant breaths exchange with one another, blowing into one betwixt the little space between your lips. Your temptation to feel them pressed on yours urges you forward and is the clear sign that coerces him into making the jump. Violins sing, percussions crash, and then all fades into a multi-colour visage as you melt into each other. 

He took it. 

He took his chance and is soaring on cloud nine. 

In reality, the dream was much, much shorter but I just couldn't stop writing once I started. So many ideas kept coming to me. Speaking of...

BONUS:

Bakugo's eyes have been on you and his friend like a hawk for quite some time now. He's taken note of the awkward glances, your touch on Kirishma's shoulder when he makes you laugh, the way he smiles bashfully at you. This is hardly anything new. The two of you have been like this for the last couple of months now and it's almost enough to make him sick. Hell, you're even slow dancing with one another. 

"They're like a couple of love-sick puppies," he huffs to himself and leans back against the wall. "It's obvious they like each other. Just say something already."

"That's a little rich coming from you."

Of all the people to come and bug him, why did it have to be that dunceface? He's become more tolerable over the years but there's still a pinch of irritation whenever he has something dimwitted to say. The smug demeanour of Kaminari is almost enough to coax out a bark but, instead, there's a short moment of silence. 

Bakugo's glare narrows more so than before. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on! You mean to tell me you didn't know?" When that blazing scowl deepens, he continues, "Dude! (Y/n) had the biggest crush on you for, like, the first two years of U.A. I'm surprised our ever-observant Kacchan didn't pick up on it."

Kaminari is quick to make an escape when a threatening hand rises towards him. What does that sorry excuse for a spark plug know? He falls for any woman stupid enough to say hello to him. Bakugo's clenched fist slowly drops to his side and he goes back to watching you and the redhead. There's no way you had a crush on him. He would have noticed.

He would have acted on it. 

The majority of Class 1-A are good at picking up on when a fellow classmate is bewitched and hopelessly smitten: Midoriya and Uraraka are prime examples. It took those two idiots way too long to finally nip it in the bud and admit their feelings for one another. On the other hand, figuring out if Bakugo has ever become prey to such romantic infatuations remains a mystery to his peers. Eventually, everyone came to the assumption that he was too targeted on his goal of becoming the greatest hero to get distracted by such things. 

That couldn't be further from the truth. 

It started as a high level of respect, shifted into trust, maybe even adoration for a while, and then a strange sensation of euphoria when he'd see you. The whole "realising crush" period didn't hit him until you spent less time together. It dawned on him that he missed your company. How does that mushy saying go? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Ah, whatever. Bad feelings weren't harboured. He had just put it down to you wanting to knuckle down for the third and final year of school. Then, about halfway through the year, you got closer to his friend. Kirishima has had it bad for you for a while now and it looked as though you'd fallen hard for him as well. A sharp disdain manifested when this turn of events materialised. Had you acted towards Bakugo the way you have been with Kirishima these last two months, he would have made no hesitation in asking you out. 

He's about to put it out of his mind, deciding it's not worth the trouble at this point, but those cogs start turning against his will. You did always put in the effort to make sure he was included, more than anyone else. Not to mention, your fingers used to fiddle with your hair a lot whenever you two hung out. Then there's taking into account the times he caught you and Mina whispering amongst each other, your face growing red when you'd catch his eye. A tightness burdens his chest as the memories start flooding. All of those little instances: the way you'd glance at him in moments of silence, how you'd always ask to be his study partner, the way your voice rose in pitch when he'd enter the room - it all comes crashing down on him like an ocean wave laced with shards of glass. How did he not see this sooner? Was he so insecure about his feelings not being reciprocated that he just subconsciously ignored you? At the very moment of realisation, his eyes re-focus, land on your figure once more and... you and Kirishima are kissing - a beautiful tragedy that burns a hole in his heart. Any opportunity he had of asking you out is long gone and out the window now. 

He lost it.

He lost his chance and is seething in a fiery inferno.

[sharpth1ng]

hey again!! thank you for answering my ask, and for the clarification! i figured you probably had it all sorted out because you're a grown adult and seem to know your stuff but i still said something anyways just in case haha

i should have been more clear with my original ask but i myself still find all this stuff quite confusing so thats my bad sorry 😞 basically it has nothing to do with the labour of printing or if the company publishes it or not, it’s because fan fiction is already grey area, it’s ok when no one is making money off it. as soon as at any point someone makes any money off it, like these printing companies, or commissioning someone on etsy, or even just going somewhere local to get the pages printed, it now becomes illegal - fanworks infringe on the creator's intellectual property and you need a licencing agreement if it's not public domain etc blah blah blah you get it lol

as soon as the word "pay" comes in, it's illegal - you can't pay for anything, even if you are the one that wrote the fanfic (which fucking sucks). but your merch and stuff is completely fine because the references are based on your original writing, like theyre not gonna be like "how dare you sell this tshirt with a bloody B on it thats illegal!!" bcs that whole thing is entirely unique to your work and has no ties to the original property 👍

but thats just my understanding of it, and the specifications of it can get really confusing!! same thing happens with fanart too, technically you aren't allowed to sell fanart - that's why people often only sell it irl at cons to avoid copyright strikes. but then again there is people selling fanart on redbubble and in fanzines etc so like, i honestly don't know how that side of it works as well?? i think its under a different law since it’s a transformative work maybe...??

its all very confusing i wish clarification was more clear 😭 but you sound like you've looked into it and know what you're doing so thats fantastic, and i'm glad to hear. thank you again for answering so quickly i dont mean to be a bother. ur a talented writer and i loved debaser, keep it up 😊

Yeah no problem! I do appreciate the effort to give a heads up. And like to be fair I’ve done my research but I’m not a copyright lawyer or a legal scholar and the law on this stuff is very confusing to me.

In terms of the fanart stuff my understanding is that it is illegal to sell but for the most part fan Artist are too small for copyright holders to go after, it’s just not really a thing that’s done for the most part. There’s even a number of situations where selling fanart led to those artists being directly employed by the copyright holders. I think it’s very rare for fan artists to get sued for copy right and the only examples I know of are from Disney.

For the most part fanart sold is illegal, but it’s similar to torrenting content where its not really enforced so people do it anyways, and often at a pretty large scale. The stuff on red bubble and in fanzines is also illegal as far as I know, it doesn’t count as transformative.

Honestly I think it’s very unlikely that anyone printing my work would get targeted like that, mostly because this fandom is small and I’m even smaller. I only have a little over 1000 followers here and while that’s more followers than I’ve ever had before in my life it’s pretty much microscopic on the internet. Beyond that there’s less than a handful of printed copies as far as I’m aware.

Honeslty I have a lot of issues with copyright law- obviously it needs to apply to things like generative AI which is essentially a very environmentally damaging collage machine, but in terms of fanart and fanfiction I really don’t see how it could be construed as taking away profit from copyright holders.

People for the most part only read my work because they were already into scream, and a number of people have even told me my work got them to watch scream so if anything I’ve created profit for them. Fandom is the reason these original works have the legacy they do, and fanworks are a massive part of that because you can only consume the original content so many times before you get bored.

Beyond that we wouldn’t have some of our most highly acclaimed cultural works if copyright law had existed hundreds of years ago. Like, Shakespeare would have been fucked.

Alright lmao rant over. Tl;dr I’m doing my best to do this all in a legal way, but it’s good for folks to be aware that there may be an issue with the legality of printing my work even if they aren’t paying me. I think it’s unlikely any of you will face repercussions because this fandom is miniscule but if you’re worried maybe don’t post on Tumblr- but feel free to dm me or post in my discord 👍

[toschestationed]

Chapter Summary:

Kix is so used to being the one to take care of his brothers, but what happens when they need to take care of him?

Set in an Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies AU, roughly based on my Hard Knocks 'verse fic, but can be read as-is.

Fic Summary:

Medical Leave or Leaving Medical? A collection of fics where Kix takes care of his brothers, despite their initial protests. Inspired by a comic by @swdomesticverse on tumblr of various troopers needing a week of bedrest. Set in canon/near-canon timeline unless otherwise specified.

Notes:

This chapter is roughly set in my Hard Knocks ‘verse AU, but that background isn’t technically needed to enjoy this fic. Basically, Hardcase survived the supply ship explosion on Umbara with some scarring and chronic pain, Dogma lives and gets some medic training, and Fives and Tup survive the chips arc, although Tup has some brain damage, resulting in vision issues, mood swings, and some executive functioning issues (he has glasses when he’s not using his helmet, and he either looks like a hipster or a tired college kid, lol). Kix was still captured by the Separatists, but was rescued after like a month, and Echo was still captured at the Citadel, but he was rescued recently with the help of the Bad Batch. He and Fives are currently in a “shared custody” arrangement with the Bad Batch and the 501st, splitting their time with each, since I didn’t want to get rid of that arc altogether. Basically, I’ve put too much thought into the background for this little fic, lol. Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Kix (Part 1)

“I’m so sorry, Kix. If I’d known, I would’ve–” Rex’s voice bled with conviction as he apologized to Kix, still a little hoarse from a recent cold. The reason for his apology became apparent as the medic doubled over in another rough coughing fit, having been kicked out of medbay the moment Coric saw him attempting to start his shift.

Kix sighed tiredly, “Don’t worry about it, Rex. It’s not pleasant, but I’ll live.” After all, how was he supposed to know that his month-long cryo nap had weakened his immune system? Altogether with himself, Rex and Echo (who was still nursing a fever of his own), Torrent was accumulating quite the collection of under-the-weather troopers. 

“Is there… anything I can do to help?” Rex asked, still feeling guilty about the whole thing. Kix raised an eyebrow with a small smirk before responding. “Any chance you’d reconsider that requisitions request I sent you last week?” Didn’t hurt to ask, especially while the Captain clearly owed him one.

Rex stifled a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose even as guarded amusement entered his tone. “A massage chair for the medic’s break room? Really?” 

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. My ears are kinda clogged from this cold, and it’s a little hard to focus right now; muscle aches and all that.” Kix responded smugly, his fever only partially responsible for the exaggerated shiver he gave as the Captain rolled his eyes.

“Look, I’ll think about it. Now, get some rest, Kix. Preferably before Jesse tries to drag you back to the barracks.” Rex huffed, giving the medic’s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze before he wandered off in search of a warm meal before he inevitably crashed in the barracks.

“Kriffing– Jesse, let go! I’m more than able t-to–” Kix’s protests broke off with a sneeze, closely followed by another one as Jesse attempted to cart him off towards the barracks. Ever since going through ARC training, his vod had taken an unnecessary amount of pleasure in the fact that he could now easily carry most troopers, and he seemed to take Kix’s pause as permission to pick him up bridal style, much to his embarrassment.

It also didn’t help with his growing sense of vertigo, Kix noted as he blinked dizzily for a moment before regaining his bearings enough to continue arguing. “ –and put me down! If anything, you’re making my headache worse, you overgrown womp rat!”

Jesse huffed in amusement but complied, a look of concern crossing his face as he put him back down. He kept a steadying hand on his brother’s shoulder, though, which ended up being appreciated as Kix started listing to the right.

“Easy there, vod. You need anything before we head back to the barracks?” He asked, noting how Kix started to shake his head before thinking better of it.

Kix sniffed, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead. “No, should be alright…” He swiped at his nose again, and Jesse didn’t comment, instead offering him a packet of travel tissues, probably stolen from medbay, now that Kix thought about it. But that was a problem for on-duty medics, Kix reasoned as he blew his nose, offering a muffled, “Thanks,” to his batchmate.

“No problem, vod. Let’s get you back to the barracks, yeah?” Jesse responded. Kix nodded tiredly and didn’t protest this time as he was herded towards his bunk.

Arriving at the barracks, Kix was quick to spot Echo dozing under a pile of blankets, his prosthetic legs in a haphazard pile near his bunk. He woke up just enough to glance blearily at Kix and Jesse, taking in Kix’s haggard appearance before lifting his blankets enough for the medic to join him. Like the heat-seeking missile he was, Echo was quick to curl up close to Kix, whose own shivers lessened under the small mound of blankets. Even before the whole Citadel fiasco and the chips, both Echo and Fives had been cuddlers. Now that they were all back together again, that tendency had increased tenfold, not that anyone really minded.

Thankfully, he’d worn his medic grays today, and they’d never gotten a chance to get dirty thanks to Coric’s insistence that he rest. In Kix’s opinion, the scrub-like fabric was about as close to civvies as most troopers got, and they were nearly as comfortable as their off-duty reds, after removing the belt. Snuggling up next to his vod, It wasn’t long before he was warm and comfortable.

Of course, his cold just couldn’t have that, and Kix’s breath hitched at an oncoming sneeze, only for him to groan in frustration when it disappeared. This process repeated itself a few times until Echo made a disgruntled noise, muttering, “Look at a light or something, vod.” Not having any better ideas, Kix complied, and sure enough, a harsh fit of sneezes quickly followed. Kix groaned, somehow feeling worse than before as he blew his nose before settling in next to Echo again. 

He had just managed to drift off when Echo’s comm went off near their bunk, its shrill beeping stabbing his brain, worsening his headache. Echo groaned before reluctantly reaching out of their blanket pile to check his messages.

“It’s from Fives,” He said, raising an eyebrow before reading aloud. “Why did the computer take a day off from work?” Looking decidedly unamused when his comm buzzed again, thankfully now on silent, Echo read the next message in silence before letting out a slow, beleaguered exhale through his nose.

“What?” Kix asked, peering out of the blankets enough to read Fives’ most recent message.

‘Because it had a virus!!!’

Despite himself, Kix snorted. That was such a terrible joke. Echo glared at his comm, grumbling, “I’m gonna kill him. Best nap I’ve had all week, and he interrupts it for this?!”

Rolling his eyes, Kix muffled a cough before responding. “Please, you’ve told jokes much worse than that. I still don’t know how you’ve convinced that new squad of yours that you’re the reasonable one.” Kix was still a little bitter about the whole “shared custody” agreement that Clone Force 99 had worked out, stealing their most-experienced ARCs every other mission. The only reason Fives wasn’t there now was because of a last-minute mission on Mimban, but they’d be back later tonight. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Echo responded smugly, intentionally leaving his messages on ‘Read at 1302,’ before settling back under the blankets, and Kix was quick to join him. 

It was a couple hours later when a quiet Tup entered the barracks, closely followed by Dogma. Both troopers were carrying a tray of rations, as well as a couple hypos. Setting the trays down nearby, Tup looked apologetic for having woken them.

“Coric asked us to bring these up to you two.” He said, gesturing to the trays. He adjusted his glasses, a new addition since the whole inhibitor chip fiasco. Personally, Kix thought they suited the vod’ika, giving him another thing to fiddle with when he was deep in thought. The blue-light filters also helped with his headaches, he’d admitted to Kix earlier. 

While Tup chatted quietly, Dogma set about administering their meds. Technically Kix could do it himself, but he didn’t protest when Dogma offered, tiredly tilting his head to one side. Dogma’s hands were surprisingly gentle; he’d gotten a lot better at it since Kix and the other medics had taken him under their wing all those months ago.

Kix and Echo sat up in the bunk to eat. Echo, at least, had regained his appetite now that he was starting to recover from whatever bug Rex had accidentally inflicted upon them, but Kix only got through half of his before setting it back down. He rubbed his forehead with a groan, feeling tired and achy.

“Headache?” Tup asked sympathetically. Kix nodded, saying, “I’m starting to realize why you take so many naps, vod’ika. Headaches are exhausting.” He leaned back into his pillows, waiting for the meds to kick in. 

Tup snorted in agreement before moving to sit with Echo and Kix. Much like he’d done with Kix, Echo was quick to bundle himself up next to Tup, mumbling something about needing to kidnap Tup for his personal space-heater. Tup huffed a quiet laugh before moving a pillow into his lap and gesturing for Kix to lay back down, which Kix did with a tired grumble. Once he’d settled down, Tup started running a hand through his hair, lightning-bolts fuzzy from neglect. He’d have to ask Hardcase to fix them up again when his brain stopped trying to pound its way out of his skull. As Tup continued, Kix could feel his tension slowly fading, letting out a relieved murmur of thanks.

Tup quirked a smile, nodding. “Any time, ori’vod.” 

Hazily, he could hear Dogma moving around the space and offering to grab them some tea from the officer’s lounge, but it wasn’t long before Kix drifted off again in his vod’ika’s embrace.

“Well, you look miserable,” Hardcase commented as he came over, plopping himself on Kix’s bunk, watching the poor medic try to shiver out of his skin. Echo had gone to take a shower and Tup had needed to leave for guard duty, leaving Kix all alone under a too-small pile of blankets. 

“Thangks,” Kix sniffed, feeling congested and terrible. “I try my best.” He responded sarcastically, sighing in defeat when Hardcase offered him another tissue. 

Huddling under his blankets as another shiver wracked through his body, Kix didn’t notice Hardcase moving around the barracks until an entire mattress flopped on the floor in front of him, having been pulled off the top bunk.

“ –‘Case, what’re you doing? You know that’s not even your bunk anymore?” Jesse and Hardcase had switched bunks after Umbara, when Hardcase’s injuries made it tricky getting up and down. Nowadays, the heavy-gunner appreciated the lower bunk; said it was easier to tinker with his Z-6 without having to sit on the floor.

“I am making-” Hardcase grunted, pulling another two mattresses onto the ground, using his right arm more than his left, “a vode pile.” He made a triumphant noise as he pulled the last mattress down, arranging them more comfortably. 

Kix huffed in amusement. “Can’t have a vode pile with only two vode, Hardcase.”

“Who said it’s just me?” Hardcase asked with a grin, and right as he spoke, the barrack doors opened, revealing Fives, fresh from his mission, Jesse, and Rex trailing behind. Fives was quick to shuck off his armor and flop onto the pile of blankets and pillows while Jesse gave Kix a hand up before they joined the ARC trooper.

“Sent your request up to General Skywalker. I’m willing to bet he signs it without reading it, so you should have that requisition filled by the next time we make port.” Rex said, giving Kix a look of weary amusement as he took the spot between Fives and Hardcase. 

“Thank you, sir.” Kix grinned, happy to hear that his request was as good as granted. 

Settling in next to Jesse, Kix sighed in contentment as he finally started to feel warmer, at least until Hardcase shoved his frozen feet under the blanket near Kix. This prompted another round of groaning and shuffling under the blankets, by the end of which, Echo had returned and was quickly pulled in next to Fives. As the evening continued, more troopers joined the pile, but even if Kix was feeling more smothered than comforted by the end of the night, he wouldn’t change it for the world.

[benevadeca]

In my beautiful mind post trolls 3, after everything settles down in a (work out family issues / get floyd some medical assistance / the mt rageous courtsuit over reparations / etc) floyd staying at the pop village and very belated someone brings up "So did you like, have anything we should've picked up or did it all get lost in the whole 'months long kidnapping' thing?"

And Floyd is like oh yeah no worries I already got a guy I know who owes me a favor to come bring my stuff down from where I was staying. And a trolls-world moving truck animal comes and it's fucking Creek driving it.

And before branch can be like WHAT ❗️ Creek comes out (oblivious, regular smug) before deer in headlights at the people who want to kill him for real and going (realization of family relation, worse smug, fearful and desperate) and dropping a 'babygirl' at Floyd and then everyone is like WHAT ❗️❗️❗️❗️ before floyd is like (oblivious to the backstory we the audience know and so just thinks everyone thinks hes a pain) What?

And before he can meaningfully respond to the torrent of confused exclamation Creek is like Wow 🥺 (big wet eyes, insufferable) Can't believe you didn't even tell them about me? And everything we are?

And tldr they were married for 3 months for tax fraud and through a series of events that exist only in my mind they are both the worst person the other knows. Floyd is Creek's I don't argue with my girl bc I'm scared of her and Creek in turn in his wet pathetic (through gritted teeth) IDK whats wrong with this guy but he followed me home singed and afraid so ig he's my charity case.

[goldenagenonsense]

Action Comics #5 [October 1938]

After last issue, I feel like there’s not much that can unpleasantly surprise me. Superman’s questionable morality aside, we have a ways to go before we even get to Batman, much less Marvel comics and whatever else I find. It’s also a shorter story today - nine pages instead of thirteen. Hopefully that’ll make it a bit easier to go through!

Not much to say about the cover. Could be vaguely racist. That is not my problem.

On the other hand, the pre-story ad page had me double-take for a second when I thought it was Oliver Queen. But no, it was just a random dude with the same facial hair and haircut. Though now that makes me wonder what situation poor Ollie could have been caught up in to end up in a flooding dungeon.

We open up this story to telegraph lines broadcasting news of a terrible disaster. The Valleyho Dam is cracking under the strain of a huge downpour; should it give way, a mountain of water will sweep down the valley, killing thousands and destroying fertile land.

…you know, I think I saw a clip of this story before, when I was watching a youtube video on Superman. It pulled on some clips from an animated series that was clearly based on these original tales. Dunno when said series was animated and broadcast, but I kind of want to track them down and watch them, since they’re tied into this whole ‘golden age’ thing. Probably will be a while, though, if ever. Don’t want to spoil myself on content that’s 85 years old.

[Friend insert:

Solem: That'd be the Fleischer series. Classic short films from back when animation was too expensive to be shown in anything but cinemas, made in 1941 and 1942.]

Sounds like I have something to look forward to then in the nearish future!

At the Daily Star, the editor-in-chief demands Clark be brought to him. Lois tells him that Clark’s not in the office; the editor tells her to look for him and have him report in before he loses his mind. Lois asks why she can’t handle the assignment. The editor says it’s too important for a girl. Lois is not impressed with that logic, thinking mildly violent thoughts as she heads out.

Coincidentally, Clark is just outside the building. She puts on an eager air as she approaches him. Clark is shocked she’s actually happy to see him. She asks him to do her a favor and cover an assignment for him; he leaps on the task, eager to please. She tells him to head to the local hospital’s maternity ward, since a Mrs. Mahoney is expecting… septuplets? (My god, that poor woman. Someone help her. Can a person even have that many kids at once?) Clark thanks Lois for the chance to handle it. 

While Lois is getting herself a ticket to Valleyho, Clark is at the hospital, learning that Lois lied to him. Gasp! Honestly, that makes way more sense than having to worry about the poor theoretical woman he could have had to deal with. Clark starts to make his way back to the office, wondering if Lois double-crossed him.

The editor is not pleased when he finally shows his face - the biggest news story in months on the fire, and Clark wasted time at a hospital?? Clark tries to explain that he didn’t know, but the editor isn’t hearing it - the last train’s already left! Clark’s fired, he can report to the cashier.

Clark, however, has bigger fish to fry. He finds himself an empty room and strips out of his work suit, revealing he had his costume on underneath, cape included. Which, you know what, sure, why the fuck not. Maybe he just keeps the cape in his briefcase and puts it on afterward. 

Superman leaves the Daily Star from the roof, leaping out into the night. Leap after leap, covering huge distances, until he’s caught up to the train that Lois is on. He hits the ground running, quickly outpacing the train, all while smugly thinking about how if Lois thinks she can scoop him, she’s got another thing coming! 

He quickly reaches a bridge the train is set to go over - only to stop when he notices something wrong. A torrent has loosened the bridge’s supports, causing the track to tilt at an angle that makes a wreck inevitable. The train whistles in the distance - there’s no time to lose. Without a moment’s hesitation, Superman dives forward, seizing the supports and starting to push until the tracks level out again. He holds it in place as the train passes by, then allows it to crash. 

The passengers are startled at the sound, quickly gathering at the windows to see what happened. They gape at the collapsed bridge behind them, one of them commenting on how they’d be dead if it’d happened an instant earlier. The drivers note that they need to send a warning at the next junction for the other trains.

When the train arrives at Valleyho, Lois has to fight through everyone getting on board. She quickly flags down a taxi, but the driver wants nothing to do with going to the dam - she can have the car, he’s getting out of there! Lois, not to be deterred, does take the taxi for a spin, speeding her way to the dam. 

God, Lois truly is her best self, in full gremlin mode. She will get her story, dammit, even if it means throwing herself bodily into danger. It’s good to know that that’s been a core trait of hers right from the start. I already think this is my favorite story so far, and it’s half because of her.

Meanwhile, Superman’s struggling to hold the dam together, desperate to buy the people below enough time to evacuate. 

(Which, can I just say, this is the other half of the reason this story is delighting me - we’re seeing the core of the hero that we’re most familiar with 85 years later, the man who has incredible power and uses it to save lives. Like, yeah, the bits with him tackling rich people corruption, including flexing his investigator skills, is well and good, and gives a showcase of what he as Clark capable of. But him holding the dam together to buy the people below time to escape is just. Mmm. That’s the core of Superman we all are familiar with.)

Eventually, even Superman isn’t enough to keep the dam up; with a huge roar, it falls to pieces, sending floodwater roaring down the valley. Superman leaps above the turbulent rapids - but Lois can’t do the same, stuck in her taxi as the waters rush towards her. Superman spies the car, and rushes to save her, but the waters are faster, dragging the vehicle under and along for the ride. Lois braces herself, expecting a watery death -

Only to be pulled from the car by Superman, who quickly rushes towards the surface with her in his arms. Once they’re on the shore and Superman can readjust her, so she’s in a more comfortable bridal carry, he takes off like a shot, racing ahead of the floodwaters. 

Lois stirs, holding on tightly as he leaps up to a high pinnacle. He sets her down so he can put all of his strength into pushing on the rock; soon enough, the peak starts to crack, cascading downwards into the path of the water. The rocks seal up the mountain gap entirely, forcing the water to take another route away from the town.

Superman exhales in relief - that had been too close. Lois is ecstatic, gushing about how he saved all those people, before declaring that she could - and would - kiss him. Superman starts to refuse, only to be cut off by the kiss, temporarily dazed afterward from how good it was, much to her amusement. 

Superman sweeps her off her feet soon after, taking her to someplace she’ll be safe - where he’ll be safe from her as well. During the trip, she talks about how the first time he’d carried her like that, she’d been frightened - of the trip and of him. But now she loves it, and him! When he finally sets her down at Valleyho town, she begs him to stay, but Superman merely wishes her well and takes off.

Soon after, Clark calls in, stating that he’d gotten himself a plane to Valleyho and had some sensational news. He asks if he’s rehired; based on his reply afterward, the answer seems to be yes! When he finally leaves the phone booth, Lois happens to be there. Clark states that while the stunt she pulled wasn’t nice, he still likes her. Lois snubs him, thinking about how Clark is a spineless worm she can hardly bear to look at, especially after having been in the arms of a real man.

And with that, this story is a wrap! Wow! Short, but I loved it. This feels like the first establishing moment for both of them, in multiple ways. Here’s to hoping we get more stories like this going forward!

[poorly-caffeinated-diatribes]

This!! Piracy is actually super ethical most of the time, and it's a tool for preservation, anti-capitalism, and acceptance.

Streaming services have been known to produce exclusive shows, and then to cancel and even go so far as to remove the show entirely from their platform. Shows like Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies are only available through piracy sites and torrents. The same goes for movies likeThe Abyss or Mannequin, which, although being an 80s rom-com and therefore subject to rightful feminist criticism, are still movies that are hard to find unless you scour secondhand DVD stores.

Similarly, this affects music, like the Motown single Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Frank Wilson, of which nearly all copies were destroyed, never to see the light of day. There are less than five existing original copies, and though there are versions that were ripped and put on YouTube, there is no guarantee that they will always exist on the internet, and unless you happen to have 25k lying around, your best bet for "owning" this single is piracy.

Not to mention the many indie bands that released albums and then pulled their work off of streaming services. There's a punk band named Blaster the Rocket Man that once pulled their one and only existing album off of Spotify and Apple Music, and although they eventually put the music back up, piracy was the only method available for a bit. And they're far from the only band this has affected. Many people who grew up in the indie punk-rock/garage band scene lost all their favourite artists and are only able to find a few of them through online piracy.

Video game companies stop manufacturing games all the time, and with changing technologies there are many old game systems that simply don't work anymore for most people. I know I can't afford to go out and refurbish an old CRT television, and so I don't expect most people can. Games like the (legit garbage game, but an example nevertheless) ET Atari game, most of which have been destroyed and lost through time, have no way of being played without emulators. Games myself and other gamers can only really play on emulators include previously famous ones like Bad News Baseball, T-2: Judgement Day, 1942, and some of Tomb Raider games. These are games that are cult classics or that were loved by many kids in the 80's, 90's, and early 00's but will never be remade or manufactured by a company again.

Now, software in particular, is where it gets more complicated. I recommend checking out this video by Ben Jordan over on YouTube, because he explains it really well. He's worked in the music industry his whole life, and he's used a lot of different softwares, and he has some very interesting things to say about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7EHRpnJICQ

All in all, as a TLDR for his video, software piracy is often beneficial given that companies often steal their own software from others. You'd be surprised how much money these people make, and there is a wide web of lies and complications behind the scenes that ultimately show that, especially the big software companies, are really really not your friends. Part of the reason that we have legal issues with piracy, especially software piracy, is because of companies that stole their own products from other creatives and then made enough of a fuss in courts that people took their side.

This aside (and my apologies, I know this is a longer post), piracy is also often the only method for many individuals to get media that they otherwise wouldn't have access to. This includes countries where certain media is nearly impossible to get. As you can imagine, due to trade agreements, politics, and media publishers ultimately being greedy and messed up, there are plenty of countries that never see a lot of the media that people in the west might find super easy to get ahold of. Places like the Middle East are generally thought of last in terms of media releases. People in places like China that have their own privatized systems often rely on VPNs and piracy to get ahold of certain media as well. Due to media distribution BS, a lot of countries and regions get the short end of the stick.

Another reason piracy can be helpful is if you live in a particularly strict household, or a household where certain media is frowned upon. I pirated a shit ton of queer media in high school because my parents didn't want me watching things like Love, Simon or Carol. When you're a kid with no job, no money, and homophobic parents, piracy can be your friend.

Now, unfortunately with piracy there are definite downsides. Pirating indie companies and indie films or things like that can get very murky, so when you watch things that were created by an independent team of people who generally should get the money for their product, the common courtesy is to just pay for it. For bigger companies, lost media, and other complicated situations, piracy is great. In general, there are more ups than downs with piracy, and it's not the big bad guy that companies make it out to be.

They just shut down the eShop too lmao

[diseaseriddencube]

😈

[whitmore]

It's super annoying that we're PAYING to see Stargirl and they're cutting out scenes that would've been in the episode if WB and Berlanti weren't greedy and thought that CW viewers should get everything we're getting but for free

i mean not to be anti capitalist but i very much do not care lmao like. i choose to pay my wages towards dcu for their comics & tv and stuff (it’s a sinking ship but i’m still on it!!) but like if ppl wait until tuesday? cool!! i, eleanor whitmore, want everyone to be able to enjoy stargirl when they can and at the price they can afford!! i just want ppl to enjoy stargirl tbh

[riieks]

Imagine: Tony comforts you.

Desperate sobs escaped you unstoppably and the tears shot out of you in torrents. There was absolutely nothing you could do to hide or quell the sadness. You had had a bad feeling for a few days and now it was confirmed.

But probably the worst part was seeing your first love make out with another chick in bed. What did you do to deserve that? If the relationship wasn't worth anything to him anymore, why on earth hadn't he ended it before?

No. Instead, he broke your heart again. So that it splintered into pieces. But did you really blame him?

You had been blind the whole time and just didn't notice certain signs... Now you had your result.

You were so incredibly angry. Which was then simultaneously overwhelmed by pure disappointment. As a result, you curled up in the blanket and silently release your emotions. Nobody should get wind of this. It would just be embarrassing if one of the Avengers saw you like that. So you grabbed the fabric under your fingertips and escaped from the huge living room, which by the way was just one of countless in Stark Tower.

As one of Shield's best agents, you had been invited, or rather asked, to live in the gigantic base. Since you still always had your freedom, why shouldn't you live there?

Actually, you even thought about moving in with your boyfriend.. well.. ex-boyfriend. But that was finally over now. Thinking about it again gave you a dismal headache and made you run. Just hoping that no soul found out about your stress.

However, fate really wasn't kind to you and you heard muffled footsteps coming straight at you. You abruptly pushed your body behind the nearest wall and waited for the person to pull away. Your pulse rose automatically and you were even afraid that your hectic breathing could be heard.

"I know that you are hiding back there", came an amused voice and the blood froze in your veins. Why couldn't something just go the way you wanted it to for once? Ironically, the man you least expected had found you and you promptly wished you were somewhere else. What should you do now? Run away so your boss doesn't see you? Childish and at the same time stupid idea. There was only one way forward and it was being blocked by Tony Stark. The situation was cursed.

So you slowly came forward with your head down so that your face couldn't be seen and quickly apologized before you tried to get away.

But the brown-haired billionaire remained skeptical and didn't want to let you go so easily. He gently grabbed your arm and looked at you expectantly. "Are you all right?" he asked cautiously, not really knowing what to do.

You shook your head silently, because it wouldn't do any good to lie now anyway. Nevertheless, you didn't want to look bad in front of him, which is why you wanted to leave vehemently. However, Tony took a different view and gently ushered you into his office, where he kindly offered you a drink. You promptly accepted the glass and took a long gulp of the alcohol. Maybe that was what you needed right now. You weren't a big drinker, but in that moment you were just grateful for the desired effect and for the company.

With a still tearful voice, you just started talking and told him everything that was on your mind. Why you were so damn miserable and why you were so worried. The fact that you were chatting with Iron Man himself blurred with the tense feeling you had towards him. It had become a side issue. And it was just good that you had someone by your side who listened to you without ever interrupting you. When you finished your story, Tony smiled at you and put his hand on yours.

"You know, I've never been good at anything like this, but... I'd like to put it this way, you're one of the best I employ here and that's saying something. You have so much potential and you are a wonderful person. It's not going to help you, but there's no way this guy deserves it."

You returned the cute grin and nodded. "Yes it does. Thank you Mr Stark."

"Tony. Call me Tony," he said generously, draining his glass before beginning to bring music to his office to cheer you up even more. You had to chuckle at his attempt at drunk dancing.

[pooka167]

Okay, Okay I'm not the best at explaining my ideas but here me out. So in the clone wars movie we're originally led to believe this padawan showing up is going to Obi-wan's. Obviously though when Ahsoka arrives she ends up with Anakin. I know I've read some bonding fics where its kinda hinted or outright stated that Cody, Ghost Company and the 212th were expecting Ahsoka to be theirs and I'm taking this idea and running with it. (I for some reason have hyper fixated on Ahsoka and Cody's dynamic like their friendship has so much potential)

Also just a heads up I'm going on for a while.

- So like imagine this after Ahsoka's been with the 501st for a few months, Anakin is charged with a mission lets say by the chancellor cause don't tell me Palpatine wouldn't try and nip any growing bond between Anakin and Ahsoka any chance he got.

- Anakin doesn't like the idea of taking his new padawan into whatever crazy high stakes mission he's been issued with (lowkey tho Palpatine probably pulled oh but I do worry for your young Padawan learner this is a much more dangerous mission and I would hate for anything to happen to her, like really Anakin how can the council approve of this) and decides Ahsoka can learn a bit from her grandmaster. So he drops her off with Obi-wan

- Ahsoka while excited to spend more time with Obi-wan is understandably a bit nervous on being around the battalion led by the brother Rex looks up to the most cause what if he and the other clones don't like her. She really took Rex's words about experience to heart and she doesn't want them to think she's in over her head and won't listen to them. At this point while the 501st have fully accepted Ahsoka (Torrent company especially) and would tear apart the galaxy for her, she herself is still feeling very insecure about it especially after the whole ryloth blockade fiasco.

-Of course this experience is gonna make her realize that she is very much loved but not just by the brothers she spends most her time with. Cause as soon as she gets to the Negotiator (I think that ship still around in the timeline at this point) She finds not only Master Kenobi waiting for her but most of ghost company waiting to greet her. Waxer and Boil are immediately offering her ration bars with dried meat in it and that's not something she's had in a while since they haven't been able to restock and as much as the 501st love her they had not be prepared to feed a largely carnivorous child. Wooley meanwhile is asking her what kind of paints she likes and does she want to help him paint his armor. Ahsoka of course is touched by this and enthusiastically says yes.

- Before she can run of with Wooley though Cody and Obi-wan admit that Helix is expecting her in the medbay as he wants to do a check-up. Ahsoka of course isn't too thrilled with the idea but Cody manages to bribe her by whispering that if she does this he'll teach her how to kick droids the way he does in battle. This works like a charm and Cody files that information away for himself and to share with Rex, bribery with useful skills is the best way to earn Ahsoka's cooperation.

- So to the Medbay Ahsoka goes followed of course by Ghost company, Obi-wan who knows what the men are up too decides it best to get his council duties over and done with so he can witness this. He's already been hounded by the men before Ahsoka even got on board if they can keep her since she was supposed to be theirs anyway. He's looking forward to the look on Ahsoka's face when she inevitably hears this.

- Meanwhile Ahsoka is being looked over by Helix who bombards her with questions about what the 501st medics have done and when Ahsoka mentions they haven't had the chance to do anything like this yet cause they're still doing research on togruta biology so they don't accidentally hurt her she notices the incredulous looks from alot of the clones presents and quickly babbles about how its not their fault they just weren't prepared for her and learning takes time especially since they go from one battlefield to the next frequently. Helix looks annoyed at this but a sharp look from Cody stops him from saying anything. Though the medbay is admittedly crowded so Helix and the other medics have to strongarm a lot of brothers out of the medbay. The clones exiled from the medbay staunchly wait outside.

- They don't even try to move Cody cause they know as much as he won't admit he was probably one of the clones most excited about having a Padawan and he's rarely going to let Ahsoka out of his sight for the entire duration of her stay with them.

- Ahsoka curious as ever asks Helix and Cody why the 212th seem so interested in her. She quickly assures them that its not a bad this she's just a little confused since she's just their generals grandpadawan. Helix and Cody share a chuckle and Cody nudges her shoulder teasingly

"Well we were under the impression you were supposed to be stationed with us, the boys were quite upset when they learned we'd lost you to the 501st, we helped prepare your quarters and everything"

-Ahsoka is of course touched by this and since she's still a child whose been thrust into a war gets a little choked up. This sends Helix and Cody into panic mode. "Hey kid I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." she quickly reassures them explaining its just nice to see they were excited to have her join them even if she didn't in the end. There's a look in her eyes that makes Cody thinks he's gonna have to talk to Rex about her first few weeks with Torrent. He guessed it wasn't gonna be easy for the 501st or skywalker to adjust to the kid but something tells him it took them awhile to get their heads out their shebs but he shelves it away for another time.

- Right now he's more focused on showing the kid just how awesome her would've been battalion is. So as soon as Helix is satisfied he takes Ahsoka to the training rooms and fires up the training sims to teach her how to roundhouse kick droids like a badass. He also takes the chance to assess her hand-to-hand and is pleased to see Rex has obviously been drilling that into her. Sure her lightsaber is her life but with the amount of times his General has dropped his, he's not taking any chances with the tiny commander so he lets the boys teach her some of their own moves with a mischievous wink cause she can use those moves to knock Rex and Torrent on their shebs, cause as much as Cody loves his little brother is so much fun to to tease him.

- This is how Obi-wan finds them Ahsoka amongst ghost company and some other stragglers in the 212th laughing merrily as she spars with them and makes bets. A twinge of regret sparks in him that he had not taken the girl on himself but he quickly releases it into the force because she was doing wonders for Anakin and he needed this lesson in attachment badly. He can at least settle for being her grandmaster and while he knows how disappointed the men were at least they'll still be able to interact with Ahsoka somewhat frequently because of this. He chuckles when Ahsoka notices him and waves excitedly yelling at him to come in and join the fun and honestly how could he say no. Merry moments in the war were few and far between and his heart ached for the young togruta who had been thrust into a conflict like so many other younglings at the temple too soon.

- So Obi-wan decides to spar with her using training sabers and he's impressed at Ahsoka's skill level for someone so young. He decides to teach her for the forms of soresu because he knows Anakin favours Djem so and he wants her to be able to defend as well as attack. She is clearly very excited and the men form a circle to watch. When they're finished the men or cheer for the two of them and a few go over and clap Ahsoka on the shoulder. "Good Job Vod'ika" he hears and he smiles to himself seeing Ahsoka grin so hard her fangs are revealed, clearly she knows the meaning of the word and is ecstatic that the 212th have bestowed the honour of the term on her.

- The rest of the trip goes similarly they fight a few small space battles and offer relief to planets recently free of separatist control and Ghost company even help Ahsoka pull off a few pranks, all harmless such as jump scaring a group of troopers or himself (he can sense her but he pretends to be slightly shocked when she pops out of a vent the first time) Even Cody doesn't tell on her and Obi-wan smirks to himself cause he knows Ahsoka has now got two battalions wrapped around her fingers (three if the rumours about the 104th's attachment to Plo Koon are true)

-Finally the day comes for Ahsoka to return to Anakin and the 501st and to Obi-wan. Anakin as well as Rex, Jesse, Fives and Echo who all accompany him turn up in the landing bay to find an amused Obi-wan and smirking Cody and no Ahsoka to be found. The clones don't take this well and Rex immediately pulls Cody aside and inquires as to where their commander is. Anakin just stands there clueless, and utterly confused as to why his padawan isn't here to come back with him.

- As the clone captain and commander engage in some light banter in which Cody is purposely evasive as to where Ahsoka is, Obi-wan offhandedly comments on how attached the 212th have become to their padawan to Anakin who chuckles and says he's not surprised. Echo, Fives and Jesse however have missed one of their favourite Vod'ika and take it upon themselves to find her. They go the rec rooms first near the barracks knowing their kid commander likes to socialize with the men. When they don't find her they enter the barracks only to be shushed by about half a dozen clones who are all huddled around a sleeping pile containing Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Longshot and Trapper and of course their tiny commander. Who blinks blearily when she hears the hushed murmurs of her brothers.

- The 212th are very reluctant to let her go but they eventually hand over the exhausted togruta to Jesse, Echo and Fives (yes they do argue over who gets to carry theyre sleeping commander, Echo wins) The three make their way back to the landing bay and Anakin, Rex and Cody (who had paused in their banter) all melt at the sight of the sleeping padawan and Cody and Obi-wan go over to say their goodbyes. Obi-wan merely pats her shoulder and smiles kindly sending calmness and care through the training bond he and Ahsoka had created with her brief stay with them.

- Cody flicks her forehead gently and salutes her and Ahsoka tiredly salutes back grinning slightly. Anakin and co leave not long after.

- Ahsoka gives the entirety of the 501st a heart attack when a few days later, Ahsoka's lightsaber is forced out of her hand by a stray blaster bolt in battle and she does not hesitate to kick the droids head off. Rex can only think oh god there's two of them now. And Ahsoka is lectured by both Kix and Rex for hours afterwards about how dangerous it was to do that. Ahsoka merely shrugs and tells them not to worry cause Cody taught her proper form and she uses the force to help her. Kix relays this to Helix so Cody is also dressed down but he's unperturbed. Ahsoka got it on holovid and sent it to him and he couldn't be prouder.

- Of course next time they're on Coruscant on leave both Anakin and Obi-wan get comms from Commander Fox saying they need to come pick up their men yes even their CO's.

-Turns out Torrent and Ghost companies had gotten themselves in a brawl while drunk at 79's and the guard had to step in and deescalate the situation. (I.e lock them all up in the drunk tank where unsurprisingly more arguments were taking place) What shocks Anakin is that Plo Koon is also there and its then Anakin learns that the Wolfpack had gotten involved as well. Fox honestly looks so done with his brothers and merely jerks an arm to where the three companies are being held when the Jedi arrive.

- They take one look inside and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what caused this fight. 501st blue, 212th orange and 104th grey huddles in groups shoving each other and yelling loudly about how she was their vod'ika. While Helix and Snap were chewing out Kix and Coric over Ahsoka's health. The two torrent medics were not taking it very well.

-Much to the surprise of the three jedi their commanders and captain are probably the most vicious in this debate. Each of them are sporting a few darkening bruises on their faces.

-Plo Koon chuckles and loudly remarks on how lucky lil'soka is to be have the three strongest battalions in the GAR looking out for her. This has the desired effect because even while absolutely hammered the clones all straighten with pride at the praise from one of their Generals.

- They corral their men up and herd them back to their separate barracks one company at a time to avoid more fights breaking out.

-Each Jedi profusely apologies to Fox, Thorn, Stone and Thire for the trouble their men has caused. Fox just sighs and rolls his eyes saying it wouldn't be the worst things his di'kut brothers have done. While Stone comments that it would be an honour to meet this little commander the three battalions speak so highly of. Anakin smirks and says next time they're own extended leave on Coruscant Ahsoka can learn how the guard works.

-Needless to say the next time this happens the guard hold it over the others head that Ahsoka always drops by with stories and new treats for them to try anytime she's on Coruscant before she even vists them. (That of course is a lie but what the other three don't know won't hurt them)

Okay so I really prattled on. Anyone who made it this far you're a real one. This was mainly very self-indulgent and very much niche for me but I figured I may as well release it to the void. But I hope you enjoyed this silly little bit regardless