#and the community has to pay hunters to control it so

[weedlovingweed]

i saw some dumbass showing a pic of a coyote that had killed a fawn saying smth like “not such cute coyotes now huh?” trying to justify killing them and it’s like…

1. the coyotes do have to eat?? and don’t you want them eating wild animals instead of domestic ones???

2. i am pretty sure this dude only cared because HE wanted to hunt the ADULT deer but literally we should be letting the predators control populations before bringing in people. stupid ass.

3. coyote beautiful animal, every animal and their natural behaviors are beautiful ❤️

[musedeluce]

Failure to Communicate

Sylus X Reader - (In which Sylus learns the hard way that he must actually tell his partner his plans)

Tags/Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Fluff, slight miscommunication, hospitalization.

A/n: This is set rather early in their relationship. After it becomes cordial but before it becomes openly romantic.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

You were quite good at calculating the outcomes of all kinds of situations. Honestly, it was an extremely useful skill to have, but it wasn’t needed in this particular situation. Anyone paying attention could see that you and Sylus were about 10.9.8.7.6.5. seconds from careening straight off a cliff, into some dark chasm.Right before your determined “point of no return” you grabbed him and wrenched you both off the motorcycle. There was an extremely disturbing crunch as you hit the ground, and seconds later you were cradled in reddish black shadows while sliding forward. The pain in your arm was searing, and honestly this might be the worst break you’ve ever been through in your life. But, you as a hunter have broken bones before, and you were able to keep your wits about you as you slowly come to a stop, not three feet from the chasm’s edge.

Sylus is running up to you, looking uncharacteristically shaken. It’s a relief to see that he’s okay. Immediately, he inspects your arm and makes sure that’s the only thing that’s broken. Then, the two of you are at an impasse, looking at each other silently. The bike, annoyingly, is unharmed.

“Sweetie, if you wanted off the bike all you had to do was ask.” His deep voice is smooth, but the slightly longer pause after he called you that pet name betrayed how shaken he was.

“Sure, because the situation was totally under your control.” You clutch your arm, and his eyes flicker to it as he winces ever so slightly. “It genuinely looked and felt like we were about to careen of a cliff! What the actual fuck? Even if you’re pissed, I. Do. Not. Care. That was the only action I could take to make sure you didn’t plunge five stories downward.”

“Sweetheart...” Sylus switched to using the full version of the pet-name he usually called you. Well, that and Kitten. “The fact you got hurt is what pains me the most. While I am mad at that stunt, I failed to communicate what was going on, and you acted on the information you did have.” His smile now is somewhat insolent. “I’m flattered you were so worried about me, to the point you ignored that you’d be going down with me.”

“What even was going on?”

“I was going to use my evol to maneuver over the edge of the chasm. It has the benefits of being a shortcut, and a surprise.”

“I know you’re used to working alone, and I know you’re used to not explaining your actions but I swear to whatever deities may exist, you have got to start telling me shit like this. Now the mission is a failure.” You’re clutching your arm to your chest, tightly, because every time your arm moves, intense, stabbing pain burrows through the length of it.

“Come on.” Sylus gently lifts you up, providing support as you stand. “Let’s get you fixed up.” The N109 Zone isn't quite known for being an extremely safe and lovely place to live, let alone state of the art medical facilities, but he'd be damned if you weren't going to get the best possible medical treatment he could provide. Hence, how you found yourself expertly bandaged up with your arm in a cast and on a morphine drip in "the finest back alley clinic you'll ever visit.”

“It’s a good thing I used some vacation time for this” you joked, trying to ease the tension in the minuscule room. The twins and Sylus are crammed in as well, making you feel like a sardine. Although you address them all, your gaze catches on Sylus's intense red eyes as he takes your hand, holding it tightly but gingerly. You can see a myriad of emotions swirling in them, worry, relief and anger all conveyed in his intense stare.

"How do you feel?" Sylus has lost is teasing lilt, genuinely asking after your well being.

"Hmmm. Not that bad, I'm in a fair amount of pain but it's more of a dull sort, probably thanks to the drugs. I'm also quite thirsty and hungry, actually." A glance to the twins from Sylus, and they immediately took action. "On it, Boss! We'll bring water and foods gentle on the stomach" Kieran saluted and they both left the room. Sylus still hasn't let go of your hand, and in fact holds it with both of his.

"Sweetie. You surely must know how I adore you. It would be devastating for me to lose you, and because you protected me? All that matters is that You're alive. That you're okay. Why would you do that? "

"Aren't we supposed to protect each other? I was just trying to do that, and there wasn't any time to consider alternate courses of action. Even with your evol, I doubt you'd enjoy being dashed to the ground at terminal velocity. ”

Sylus chuckles, brightening just a bit for a moment. "You know, I'm quite angry at myself for not preventing this. And slightly frustrated with you for your pragmatic thinking." His eyes rove over your bandages. "I will say thank you, as owed though. Thank you for protecting me." A playful smile graces his lips after he finishes speaking and he brings your hand up to his face, pressing it to his cheek and leaning in. "While I do so appreciate your protection, please don't do that ever again. All your efforts to save and protect me would be undone by the simple fact of your death."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

[richincolor]

New Releases - March 4, 2025

I cannot quite believe it, but there are a dozen new books that we are watching for this week. It's a phenomenal week for YA.

Love Points to You by Alice Lin Delacorte Romance

Sixteen-year-old Lynda Fan has the skills and the drive to get into the Rhode Island School of Design—but not the money. Her parents are too busy paying for her stepsister’s violin lessons to help Lynda get into art school.

So when her rich and arrogant classmate, Angela Wu, offers to hire Lynda as a character designer for an otome game—a love story-based video game—she jumps at the opportunity.

Lynda isn’t exactly a romantic, but in pursuit of her dreams, she discovers things she never knew about herself while also finding love with every heart she draws.

Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

In this sweet, incredibly heartfelt companion to A Pho Love Story, Vietnamese Americans Viet and Evie juggle family expectations with their desire to forge their own path in between college classes and falling in love.

To his friends back home, Viet Ho is calm and collected and a lovable oddball who nurses an obsession with forensic science. He’s relieved to head off to UC Davis and escape from being in the middle of his bickering immigrant parents. Yet, on campus and with the school year unfolding at an overwhelming pace, Viet struggles to belong and to keep his depression hidden.

Evie Mai is a junior biology major and the eldest daughter who has never trod far off the beaten path. She has everything: good grades, a solid group of friends, and a smart, ambitious boyfriend, who’s the son of a well-connected university board member. But their busy schedules, as well as their interests, no longer align. Determined to close the distance, she and her boyfriend both apply to a student-run clinic for underserved communities. But will that save or expose the gaps in their relationship?

When a clumsy accident brings Viet and Evie together, they bond over their shared hometown and similar history—and their orbits grow smaller as their friends collide. The more time they spend with each other and support each other, mentally and emotionally, the more their friendship shifts into something else.

A sweet, emotional slice-of-life story, Solving for the Unknown is about characters questioning the paths they have taken and finding a new path that will lead them to their happiest selves.

Encanto’s Curse (The Encanto’s Daughter, #2) by Melissa de la Cruz G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

A curse has befallen Biringan. Stalking the night sky and sinking sharp teeth in its prey, a vampire-like creature—a manananggal—is terrorizing the kingdom. Now MJ Robertson-Rodriguez must fulfill her duties as the newly crowned queen and restore peace. Except . . . when MJ wakes up in tattered clothes stained with blood, she quickly realizes the monster lives within her.

To prevent more destruction, MJ flees to Mount Makiling with select members of her court, all while keeping her curse secret. By her side is Lucas, the talented knight who broke her heart by giving his own to another. And there’s Prince Qian, the devilishly handsome monster hunter from the Jade Empire who’s visiting on a diplomatic mission.

In the mountains, MJ is charmed by Qian’s valiant spirit. Could he be the one to finally mend her broken heart, which still beats for Lucas? But as the manananggal fills MJ with bloodthirst, she must set love aside and break the curse before it consumes her forever.

When a neighboring kingdom threatens to wage war on Biringan, can the young queen regain control of herself before she loses control of the crown?

The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu Carolrhoda Lab

Los Angeles, 1924

Sixteen-year-old Ruby Chan considers herself a modern, independent American girl. But when her secret relationship with a white boy implodes―and then is revealed to her very traditional Chinese parents―she’s in a tough spot. Horrified that Ruby’s reputation is at risk, her parents hire a matchmaker to find her a Chinese husband. Ruby is determined to foil their plans. But how?

Meanwhile, Ruby meets the nineteen-year-old film star Anna May Wong, one of her neighbors in LA’s Chinatown. The girls quickly strike up a friendship. Anna May defies Chinese convention by working as an actress on the silver screen, and she scoffs at white people’s assumptions about her. If she can forge her own path, surely Ruby can too.

Not everything is as it seems, though. Danger and betrayal lurk amidst the new possibilities. To build the life she wants, Ruby will have to contend with how others see her―and decide if she’s ready to truly see herself.

Oathbound (Legendborn Cycle, #3) by Deonn Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Severed from the Legendborn. Oathbound to a monster.

Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them…or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.

Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar HarperTeen

Plant-loving Ridhi Kapadia and popular Nilesh Batra were friends once.

Now, seventeen and alone, Ridhi blends natural perfumes, wears flower crowns, and wanders her local woods, listening for the leafy whispers of her beloved trees. Pleading for the yakshas to admit her into their enchanted forest kingdom, where she knows she truly belongs.

After learning his parents’ perfect marriage is a sham and getting suspended from school, a heartsick Nilesh lands at Ridhi’s doorstep—the last thing either of them wants. So when a pretty yakshini offers him the distraction of magic, the same magic he mocked Ridhi for believing in, he jumps at it.

Furious, Ridhi strikes a bargain with a noblewoman named Sulochana. In return for helping restore her reputation, Sulochana will turn Ridhi into the yakshini she yearns to be—and teach her to divine the trees’ murmurs.

But when Nilesh ends up trapped in the yakshas’ realm, Ridhi realizes the leaves might be telling a disturbing story about the forest her heart is rooted in—one that, even if the two of them band together, threatens to shred the future like so many thorns.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms, #1) by Amélie Wen Zhao Penguin Random House

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran Bloomsbury YA

A red algae bloom has taken over Mercy, Louisiana. Ever since a devastating hurricane, mutated wildlife lurks in the water that rises by the day. But Mercy has always been a place where monsters walk in plain sight. Especially at its heart: The Cove, where Noon’s life was upended long before the storm at a party her older boyfriend insisted on.

Now, Noon is stuck navigating the submerged town with her mom, who believes their dead family has reincarnated as sea creatures. Alone with the pain of what happened that night at the cove, Noon buries the truth: she is not the right shape.

When Mercy’s predatory leader demands Noon and her mom capture the creature drowning residents, she reluctantly finds an ally in his deadly hunter of a daughter and friends old and new. As the next storm approaches, Noon must confront the past and decide if it’s time to answer the monster itching at her skin.

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries HarperAlley

In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity resides on its last-ditch effort at Meridian, a remote alien planet where you’re more likely to be born superhuman than left-handed.

None of that is important to Oberon Afolayan. Since his mildly public breakdown, his whole life seems to be spiraling out of control—from dropping out of university to breaking up with his boyfriend, it seems like only a karmic inevitability when he wakes up one day with the ability to conjure his dreams in the real world.

Oberon’s newfound powers come with a facsimile of his high school crush, Kon, who mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago and who is a little more infuriating (if not also infuriatingly hot) than Oberon remembers.

Kon makes it his mission to turn Oberon’s life around, and while they struggle to get a handle on his powers and his disastrous personal life (not to mention the appearance of strange nightmare creatures), it turns out this dream version of Kon has secrets of his own—dangerous ones.

Oberon might have more on his plate than he originally thought, but is giving up his dreams—even the one he might have accidentally fallen in love with—the only way to find happiness in reality?

Dear Manny by Nic Stone Crown Books for Young Readers

Jared Peter Christensen is running for junior class president at his university.

Based on early polls, Jared’s pretty sure he’s got a good shot at beating the right-wing business major he’s running against. After all, his platform built on increased equity and inclusion on campus makes him the popular choice.

A new candidate enters the Dylan, transfer student from a HBCU and the most beautiful girl Jared has ever seen. She calls him out for his Woke White Boy mentality.

Jared starts writing letters to his deceased best friend Manny to make sense of his confusion.

What’s a white boy to do when love and privilege collide?

Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (in Love) by Laura Gao HarperAlley

Once dubbed the Queen of Balance as her school’s top rock climber, Kirby Tan suffers an injury that sidelines her for the rest of the season. Now she’s forced to join the newspaper club for some desperately needed extra credit. Worse, she’s recruited by crystal-wearing, tarot-reading Bex Santos for her astrology-based love advice column. As Kirby reluctantly agrees to orchestrate “matches made in heaven” with Bex, she begins to wonder if their own stars could be aligned. But loving who she wants isn’t so easy when her family and church community are on the line. Can Kirby pull off her greatest balancing act yet?

From Laura Gao, the acclaimed creator of Messy Roots, comes an authentic slow-burn romance and coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Heartstopper, lovers of astrology and tarot, and anyone looking for answers on the right way to fall (in love).

Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers Rights edited by Ashley Hope Pérez Holiday House

A dazzling YA anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read, featuring the voices of 15 diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators.

Books are disappearing from shelves across the country.

What does this mean for authors, illustrators, and—most crucially—for young readers?

This bold collection of fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres explores book bans through various lenses, and empowers teens to fight back. From moving personal accounts to clever comebacks aimed at censorship, fifteen legendary YA authors and illustrators confront the high-stakes question of what is lost when books are kept from teens.

Contributors include Elana K. Arnold, Nikki Grimes, Ellen Hopkins, Kelly Jensen, Brendan Kiely, Maia Kobabe, Bill Konigsberg, Kyle Lukoff, MariNaomi, Trung Lê Nguyễn, Ashley Hope Pérez, Isabel Quintero, Traci Sorell, Robin Stevenson, and Padma Venkatraman; the collection is a star-studded must-read that packs strength and power into every last word.

Striking illustrations from Ignatz-nominated artist Debbie Fong pair perfectly with the searing, impactful narrative. Resources include tips from the Vandegrift Banned Book Club and other teen activists, as well as extensive recommended book lists, a How to Start Your Own Little Free Library flier, and more.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * *

How to make enemies and repel people.

February 24, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Trump and Musk have turned the corner—in a bad way. There is a great scene in the motion picture Broadcast News where Holly Hunter tells Albert Brooks that she has “crossed a line” because she is starting to “repel people I am trying to attract.”

At town hall meetings across the nation, Republican representatives are learning the hard way that Trump and Musk are not the anti-hero crusaders they imagine themselves to be. See NYTimes, Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash. (Behind a paywall; out of gift subscriptions; please post a shared link if you can.) Instead, Trump and Musk personify the “mean-boss” bullies who are born into privilege and spend their time offending and alienating people without a clue they are doing so.

Musk’s weekend email demanding that government workers prepare five “bullets” of their accomplishments in the prior week or face termination was about as “un-self-aware” as it gets. Most people in America hate Elon Musk so badly that he is accomplishing something that Trump's eight-year run of criminality, insurrection, and racism could not do: Musk is causing people to turn on Trump. Political gravity is real, and Elon Musk is a gravitational wave of karma that is finally pulling Trump back to political accountability.

I am surprised how often readers respond to my references to Trump's negative poll numbers by saying, “Trump doesn’t care about polls.” Assuming that’s true (and I don’t believe it is), that’s not my point. Trump has been able to force the GOP into mass capitulation because his favorability ratings remain stubbornly flat despite his crime sprees, civil findings of sexual abuse, revelations of extramarital relationships while married to the current First Lady, and open courting of white supremacists.

If Trump's favorability declines, it means two things: (a) Trump is losing support among Independents (and Republicans lose) and (b) Republicans at the margin in Congress can take the risk of voting for the best interests of their constituents rather than the idiotic, self-destructive, revenge-driven agenda of Trump.

It matters that people are beginning to see Elon Musk as the evil billionaire hellbent on controlling the world who is portrayed as the instantly unlikable bad guy in every science fiction and spy-thriller movie. Musk is easy to hate. As hundreds of thousands of federal workers fear for their financial security, Musk wielded a bejeweled chainsaw on stage at the CPAC convention while MAGA acolytes laughed at the now-unemployed working-class Americans who are lying awake at night wondering how they will pay their mortgages.

It doesn’t get any crueler or more clueless than that. Read the room, Elon.

None of this suggests that Trump or Musk will stop their offensive, hateful abuse of the American people. But it does suggest that we can build a firewall in Congress to join the courts in slowing down Trump's revenge tour. And it should certainly give Democrats confidence that they can craft winning messages and coalitions in 2026 and 2028.

Musk’s email was so unpopular it ran into resistance within Trumpworld. Heads of various federal agencies, in including the FBI, Department of Defense, State Department, intelligence community, and judiciary told employees to ignore the email. See generally, The Hill, Agencies push back on Musk email, including FBI, Pentagon, State, Intel.

Two of the largest unions representing federal workers also advised employees to ignore the email and sent a response to the Office of Personnel Management stating that the request was “plainly unlawful.”

By overstepping in such a mean and petty way, Musk may have sparked a backlash that overturning the Constitution could not achieve.

The same resistance is appearing elsewhere. Trump threatened to pull all federal funding from Maine because it refused to adopt Trump's anti-transgedner policy in sports. See Portland Press Herald, Trump threatens to cut federal funding to Maine over transgender athlete policy

Governor Janet Mills of Maine sent a blistering response to Trump. See Governor Mills’ Statement on Notice of Investigation From U.S. Department of Education | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills.

Governor Mills writes, in part,

“No President – Republican or Democrat – can withhold Federal funding authorized and appropriated by Congress and paid for by Maine taxpayers in an attempt to coerce someone into compliance with his will. It is a violation of our Constitution and of our laws, which I took an oath to uphold.

“Maine may be one of the first states to undergo an investigation by his Administration, but we won’t be the last. Today, the President of the United States has targeted one particular group on one particular issue which Maine law has addressed. But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it – and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so.

Well said, Governor Mills! And nice work noting that Trump's threat to withhold funds violates the Constitution—something that is frequently overlooked in the back-and-forth political discussion.

To similar effect is the recent speech by Governor Pritzker of Illinois to the Illinois legislature regarding the state’s 2025 budget. The speech is worth watching in its entirety. The video is here: Gov. Pritzker delivers Illinois State of the State Address 2025. Governor Pritzker said, in part,

I’m watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now. A president who watches a plane go down in the Potomac – and suggests — without facts or findings — that a diversity hire is responsible for the crash. Or the Missouri Attorney General who just sued Starbucks – arguing that consumers pay higher prices for their coffee because the baristas are too “female” and “nonwhite.” The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems.

I just have one question: What comes next? After we’ve discriminated against, deported or disparaged all the immigrants and the gay and lesbian and transgender people, the developmentally disabled, the women and the minorities – once we’ve ostracized our neighbors and betrayed our friends – After that, when the problems we started with are still there staring us in the face – what comes next.

All the atrocities of human history lurk in the answer to that question. And if we don’t want to repeat history – then for God’s sake in this moment we better be strong enough to learn from it. [¶]

Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the “tragic spirit of despair” overcome us when our country needs us the most.

Concluding Thoughts

I need to cut this newsletter short due to travel. I recommend reading the Comment section to Sunday’s newsletter, where readers posted responses to Musk’s “justify your existence” email. Sunday Comments open

I have been in correspondence with several readers over the weekend regarding the events of last Friday in the upper echelons of the military. Some commentators have referred to the broad-ranging replacement of top military leaders as a second coup by the Trump administration. I don’t disagree, although I feel less qualified to comment on military matters than general politics. I therefore urge everyone to read Heather Cox Richardson’s essay on the military terminations on Friday, here: February 22, 2025 - by Heather Cox Richardson. This is an important story, please read HCR’s take on the firings.

I agree with the sense of alarm and urgency that everyone is raising over the firings. But I have spent some time over the weekend disagreeing with readers about one point: I have great faith in the men and women of the military to abide by their oath to defend the Constitution. Frankly, I feel much more comfortable with the 1.3 million Americans who have volunteered to serve their country than I do with the six members of the reactionary majority on the Supreme Court.

The military is representative of America. They are you and me. They look like America. They are America. And they are professionals who are loyal to the Constitution despite the handful of leaders at the top who live fantasy lives as heroes in first-person shooter video games.

Despite Hegseth’s efforts to corrupt the military, he might as well try to corrupt the American people. He can’t. Will some follow his lead? Certainly. But a million or more will not. Asking millions of men and women in the military to violate their oaths is the quickest way to dissolve military order and discipline.

To be clear. We should be alarmed by Hegseth’s moves with military leadership. But I believe in and trust the professionalism and patriotism of the 1.3 million Americans who serve their country—and us.

[Robert B. Hubbell]

[bonefall]

BB!Profile: Fernsong

(Oops I finished this art months ago and am just now making this profile)

[ID: The Better Bones version of Fernsong. He is a thick, pale golden tabby with thin stripes and a flat, round face.]

Clanmew Name: Nanyanaya (Nan, generic term for fanned-leaf groundplants + Yanaya, singing)

Old Name: Fiddles (Pronounced "Fibuls")

Alignment: ThunderClan, ex-Kittypet

Relationships: Mate - Ivypool Ex-Mate - Minty Children - Bristlefrost, Flipclaw, Thriftear Friends - Stormcloud, Jessy, Daisy, Briarlight Person who hates his guts - Blossomfall Mentor - Lionblaze

Sweet man! Den dad! Guy who gets washed in by a big flood and lands smack in the middle of a messy breakup before being getting his hardass nightmare dad-in-law assigned as a mentor!

In cleaning up the Kin of your Kin prophecy and reworking the plot of Po3 and OotS, I made it so Ivypool is now the daughter of Lionblaze and Cinderheart, and secretly the child of Jayfeather and Poppyfrost! I always found the sheer amount of kids Canon!Lionblaze has to be pretty ridiculous, since it does nothing with those relationships and makes half of ThunderClan descended from Firestar in the process.

So, instead, the tree has been overhauled and BB!Fernsong is an ex-kittypet. The Firekin family is traced exclusively through Dovewing, Ivypool, and Hollylark.

And BOY does he enter in a doozy! ThunderClan's Tempest replaces Bramblestar's Storm, now full of different perspectives as ThunderClan recovers from the Battle of the True Eclipse. Fiddles finds himself drawn to the Clan as a refugee, accidentally becoming the final straw that breaks the camel's back in Ivypool's toxic relationship with Blossomfall.

(Note: At the time, Blossomfall has a Dishonor Title, Shredbloom, for her involvement in the Dark Forest. Shredbloom = Blossomfall.)

When he finally has the chance to return home, he realizes that Clan life offers him something Kittypet life never quite did; Community. While he's not much of a hunter or a fighter, he comes to feel needed and fulfilled by the connections he makes to lots of cats within ThunderClan.

More under the cut!

In ThunderClan's Tempest, he came from the same home as Minty. The family couldn't evacuate them, because they ran and hid out of fear.

She was his mate a few times, but in the way that some kittypets of the same house are. Purebreds. They'd had litters that the humans made sure were well cared-for, brought to new homes at six months.

They had a sort of love more out of convenience and safety than passion.

When he was found by ThunderClan, they brought him back to their base in the caves, and Daisy was able to help break the language barrier.

Ivypool, still destroyed from seeing her Dark Forest mentor Hawkfrost make a stand against his father and "die," started helping Daisy out with them. At first, she just needed to feel useful.

She had been in a relationship with Blossomfall (Shredbloom at the time) for a long time, at this point, and had even begged her to stop during the final wave of the BOTTE.

In a way, Ivypool felt like she needed to "save" someone from the Dark Forest, and for a long time after, she felt like she needed to save Blossomfall from her own pain.

But it was incredibly toxic. Blossomfall was controlling, Ivypool was touchy. They were fighting constantly, and Blossomfall was about to repeat it again.

Ivypool spending time helping out with Daisy, acclimating the refugees to Clan life, learning to communicate with them... made Blossomfall jealous.

When Ivypool broke it off with Blossomfall, it wasn't because she loved Fiddles yet, thought Blossomfall DID accuse her of just wanting to move on "with the KITTYPET"

It was just because she was sick of living like this.

Fiddles happened to just... be there. They had become friends, but weren't anything more at that point.

For him, it felt good to pay her back for all the comfort she provided him, and she was grateful that she had someone without bias.

He didn't have a side yet, so when he told her that what she did was the right thing, it felt honest.

Ironically, Bossomfall accusing Ivypool of "just wanting to go googoo over the new kittypet" pushed Ivy and Fiddles closer together.

It wasn't JUST Ivypool he got close to, though! Briarlight was also starting to realize that she needed to start distancing herself from her family because of Millie's ableism... and Fiddles was there for her, too.

Emotional support king, quickly becoming friends with everyone.

The fact that he was close with Ivypool AND her sister, though?

To this DAY, even AFTER all she'd been through and having adult children of her own, Blossomfall still can't shake the negative feeling she gets when she looks at Fernsong. But she's wise enough now to know it's somewhat irrational.

The Impostor DID exploit this, however. But that is a story for another time.

What's most important is that in this moment, Ivypool, Fiddles, and Briarlight became good friends.

By the time the floods had receded and the humans were coming home, he found himself not wanting to go. Jessy was hard at work on improving Briarlight's mobility device, Frankie was taking to battle like a fish to water, and he was falling in love with Ivypool.

He walked Minty home, made her promise she'd prevent their twolegs from missing them, and headed back to ThunderClan...

Where Bramblestar made him the first apprentice of his father-in-law to be, the hardass hero of ThunderClan, Lionblaze! Gulp!

CLOSING TRIVIA

He is NOT named after Ferncloud! Ferncloud survived the BOTTE in Better Bones-- DUSTPELT died.

Birchfall and Whitewing's daughter, Duststripe (prev. sorrelstripe) is named after him.

Fernsong's name comes from how Fiddles was convinced his name referred to a type of fern. What type of fern? He didn't know!!

So when he eventually picked his prefix, he simply chose the generic term for ferns; Nan.

(Ferncloud's prefix, Marssi, is actually totally different in Clanmew. It's a specific species, Dryopteris filix-mas, known as Manfern in English. A species used in medicine for treating tapeworm.)

When I design ex-kittypets that aren't just common street cats, I intentionally avoid referencing one specific breed with the idea that this universe's history is slightly different. Fernsong is designed as a mix of an exotic shorthair and a british shorthair. An Exobrit, if you will.

I've decided to make him come from a home that bred cats, just because I think that's an interesting idea.

Not a mill or an abusive situation, but he's had a life before Ivypool, like she had a life before him.

He will be a den dad in BB. Ivypool comes in to nurse their kittens, but Fernsong is their Mi and she is their Ba.

[bakera-0]

★ INTRODUCTORY LIU POST

this post is one long overdue. i finally found the time to sit down and write, so here i am! sorry in advance if my writing is a little rudimentary, i haven't done this in a while. that being said, anyone who's seen my recent content has likely wondered, "who is liu?" he's the dark-haired guy with the closed eyes and scar across his nose, if that name doesn't ring a bell. part of the reason i haven't discussed him already is because there's just SO much lore surrounding him, enough that the thought of laying it all out in a organized way is overwhelming to consider. but despite that, i'm here to tell you a little about him today, so please enjoy :D

★ The Surface

for starters, liu is a g-rank (or master rank) hunter—and that title's one earned through honest blood, sweat, and tears—not just for show. he was initially stationed on a separate continent, but after the events of mhst2, he was officially reassigned to lulucion. the reason for it? liu had been requested to work for the royal scriveners as a protective asset, a group known for investigating the ecologies of various monster species, from mere herbivores to fearsome elder dragons. and liu, given his rank, was chosen to aid in the research of elder dragons, as they were his specialty.

as for his character? liu is the kind of person you pass in the guild hall without ever really knowing. head down, armor on, polite nod if you’re lucky. blink and you'll miss him. he shows up when he’s supposed to, completes the mission, and vanishes before anyone remembers he was there. he’s competent. terrifyingly so, if you’re paying attention. but most people aren’t, and that’s by design.

he wears his full armor in public—his silverwind nargacuga gear, complete with helmet, always. you only ever see his eyes, and even those are often closed. you’d think he’s just trying to look cool and intimidating, but there's a deeper reason—he’s trained himself to navigate the world without sight. self-imposed sensory deprivation. it’s how he hones his instincts and other senses. he chooses not to see. he’s always choosing distance, in whatever way he can.

liu’s entire life is structured around precision and control. he’s a hunter. a quiet one. and up until very recently, he thought that was all he’d ever be. not in a tragic way—just in a resigned, practical, almost peaceful way. wake up. finish the job. report in. repeat. people were unpredictable; monsters weren’t. people made mistakes; monsters had reasons. he preferred monsters.

and then reverto came into play.

this isn’t a ship post (not yet), but it's kind of impossible to talk about liu without mentioning the cracks in the armor—and reverto is a very specific crack. not the only one, but a meaningful one. liu doesn’t change for reverto, exactly. it’s more like he relaxes in his presence in ways he didn’t think he was capable of. he laughs when reverto’s around. he eats in reverto’s house, which is a big deal—liu has a whole thing about not doing that in another person's home out of respect. he takes off his helmet. not all the time, but enough that it matters.

★ Diving Deeper

though, liu isn't cold. he’s just… careful. you can be careful and kind. and liu is deeply, achingly kind. the way he treats rola (his nargacuga) speaks volumes. when it comes to rola, he doesn’t speak loudly and doesn’t need to. he and rola are synced like muscle memory—they communicate through glances, subtle movements, shifts of weight. rola was bonded to liu before he even had a kinship stone. they understand each other in ways that transcend language. rola has seen every part of liu that the world doesn’t get to, and he stayed. that’s important, because liu doesn’t expect people to stay.

when he's hurt, he doesn't lash out. instead, he just folds inward as quietly and efficiently as possible. he won’t let you see the wound, and he’ll act like it isn’t there until the scar forms. but don't mistake it for pride—it’s a measure of self-preservation. he's learned that vulnerability is something people use against you, so he gives them nothing to use. ever.

but that doesn’t mean he’s unfeeling. far from it, really. i'd even argue he feels too much, he just doesn’t know what to do with it. for liu, it’s easier to face a raging elder dragon than sit next to someone and say, “i think i’m lonely.” he wants to connect, wants to befriend people, wants to feel comfortable and safe. but he doesn’t know how to ask for that. and when he tries—when he reaches out—it doesn’t always go well. that kind of rejection stings worse than any blight or ailment ever could. so naturally, he stops trying. tells himself he doesn’t need it. tells himself rola is enough. and maybe he is. but, ultimately, that’s just another way of keeping his distance.

★ Deepest Layers

liu doesn't think he deserves cruelty. he doesn't think he deserves love, either. he thinks he deserves fairness. a good job equals good pay. clean work earns clean sleep. respect is something that is earned and exchanged in quiet glances and shared silences. anything else feels risky. indulgent.

outwardly, people think he's stoic, unbothered, unreadable. and sure—he can be. but he’s also the guy who breaks routine to track a wounded monster for hours because it doesn’t deserve to suffer. the one who bandages the wounded without a word and never asks for thanks. the one who starts to hum when the room is safe. the one who never asks to be seen, but wants it, authentically and deeply, so badly it hurts.

i don't think he's a mystery. he’s not even complicated. he’s just private, maybe scared, maybe a little tired. and maybe—just maybe—he's starting to believe there’s more to life than clean kills and exits. even still, it'll be a long while before he realizes that fulfilling his purpose doesn’t have to mean giving himself up to it entirely.

[hugmekenobi]

S2: The Bad Batch (11)

Chapter Eleven: Metamorphosis

Gif by @dreamswithghosts

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Some time has passed since everything that happened at Kamino and you and the Batch are trying to figure out your place in the rapidly changing Imperial galaxy. And you're having to do all this whilst figuring out where your relationship with Hunter fits into it.

Chapter Summary: A final mission from Cid sees you encountering something that you never would've expected.

Masterlist for S1

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical violence, very light angst and feelings/protectiveness, Hemlock making an appearance

Word Count: 3.6K

Author's notes: Very much just sticking to the episode, with a couple little extra scene details but it'll be a more chill read for sure! Hope you still enjoy! Excited to begin work on Ch12 and please do let me know on this post if there is a preference cause sometimes I need a little creative help lol

With you all having caught up on some sleep, it was time to get in touch with Cid and her reaction came as no surprise to any of you.

“Not sure what’s got you all twisted up in knots.”

“We were stranded on that planet, Cid. We needed you, and you left us.” Omega said hotly.

“You’re fine now, aren’t you? And you got your ship back.”

“Yeah, with no help from you.” Wrecker complained.

“Do you wanna mope or make money? Because I got a tip on a downed ship, which means cargo ripe for the taking. I’ll even give you 30% of the cut.”

You scoffed at the way she acted like she was giving you all a gift.

“That is our standard percentage.” Tech pointed out.

“All right. This one time, let’s say 35%.”

Wrecker thought that sounded okay but one glance at the rest of you told you that a better offer was expected.

“Okay, 40.” Cid said but again was met with hard stares. “Fine, 50% as a token of my goodwill, that you seem to have forgotten.” She added pointedly.

“Goodwill?” You repeated with a roll of your eyes.

Cid didn’t pay that any attention. “I’m sending you the intel now. Don’t come back unless you scavenge something valuable.”

“What makes you think we’d come back at all?” Hunter countered.

“Don’t test me, Bandana. Just get it done.” Cid snapped before she signed off.

Tech examined the intel on the datapad, “Severing ties with Cid could be problematic, considering what she knows about us. Perhaps we choose a diplomatic solution and complete this one last mission for her.” He suggested.

Hunter sat down and took the datapad from his brother. “Cid only sent coordinates. No ship transponder code or indication of what caused it to crash.”

“Limited intel. There’s a surprise.” You muttered as you stood beside Hunter’s seat.

“How hard could scavenging cargo be?” Omega offered.

“Omega, don’t ever lose that optimism.” You said affectionately before you heard a heavy breath leave Hunter’s lips and there it was again, that exhausted sigh. You placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

--

Omega gasped from her room as the ship left hyperspace and entered the atmosphere, “There’s a village here.

“That would explain how the wreckage was reported so quickly.” Tech said in reply from his seat in front of the hall control panel. “The crashed vessel appears mostly intact. The cargo aboard should be in fair enough condition to transport.”

--

The ship landed and fully kitted up, you all left the ship, and searched for the vessel.

It didn’t take long to find.

“What kinda ship is this?” Wrecker asked as he studied the wreckage.

“Don’t know. No hull markings.” Hunter responded.

You shone your torch across it. Whatever had caused this ship to crash, it had made it crash hard. There were no signs of life and there was debris scattered all around the main crash site.

“Based on the severity of the impact and the lack of communication signals, the crew aboard most likely perished.” Tech said as he stared at his datapad.

Omega had climbed up to access the door. “We don’t know for sure. They could be trapped inside. Come on.”

“All this time with us, how has she kept this up?” You pondered as you made to follow her up.

“Couldn’t tell you.” Hunter agreed, a smile in his voice. He knew the rest of you had been hardened by war and had seen the very worst of people and it had left its mark. You all could find that hope when you really needed to, you wouldn’t have made it this far otherwise, but it didn’t come as easily as it used to, and he worried that that would start to show in Omega, but he was yet to see that. If she could keep that type of outlook and strength within her, then they’d have done something right.

--

The door whirred open, and Hunter and Omega shone their lights into the dark corridor, but it seemed to be clear.

Hunter led the way in.

--

The more you walked through the ship, the more uncomfortable you got. It was eerily silent and empty, yet you felt like you were just waiting for something to jump out from any number of the dark corners, leaving you with the sensation that you were intruding.

“Where is everyone?” Omega breathed.

Wrecker’s foot nudged something on the ground. “Oh, check it out.” He gasped eagerly as he picked it up. “High-volt electrostaff.”

You barely registered what he said, you were too busy examining the markings on the wall.

Tech followed your trail of light with his own. “Something unfortunate happened here.”

“Whatever did this wasn’t human.” You added.

“I will get the power restored and check data logs on the bridge.” Tech said.

“By yourself?” Omega whispered nervously.

“Yeah, I don’t know about that one, Tech.” You agreed.

“Your concern is not warranted. I will be fine.” Tech said dismissively.

“Famous last words of anyone whose wandered off into a creepy, dark space.” You muttered but your concern was obvious.

Tech simply shrugged. “I will rejoin you all momentarily.”

With a sigh, you split up and the four of you continued your exploration whilst Tech went to the bridge.

--

What the rest of you next discovered as you carried on exploring the ship was not what you were expecting. Your torch light shone on what appeared to be some sort of tank and you immediately noticed the abrupt change of temperature.

“Why is it so cold in here?” Wrecker asked.

“It’s some kind of lab.” Hunter deduced as he led the way around the room.

“This medical equipment is Kaminoan.” Omega said, her breath coming out as smoke.

“Huh. So, what’s it doing here?” Wrecker asked.

Omega looked down at a broken piece of equipment. “It’s their cloning technology but this configuration is different than anything I saw in Tipoca City.”

Hunter clicked his comm. “Tech, find anything on the bridge?”

--

“Not yet. Still rerouting the reserve power. Stand by. The grid should be restored momentarily.” Tech was then distracted by a loud clatter. He followed the sound to what he thought was the source which was a broken droid that was repeatedly saying ‘danger.’ “What happened? What attacked this ship?” He asked it but it simply stuttered ‘danger’ again powered down. It was then he heard the sound of something clanking above him again and he knew he needed to find his way back to the rest of you.

--

Wrecker examined and touched a gloopy like substance next to a section of scratched on the walls. He grunted in disgust. “These are reinforced walls. What were they keeping in here?”

There was a faint creaking sound echoing throughout the room and the hairs on the back of your neck stood up. “I don’t know, but it’s still on board.”

The sound of water dripping and something chittering about you all started to grow louder and it was then you caught sight of a creature you’d never seen before hanging upside down from the ceiling, saliva dripping form it’s jaws but there was also an electric spark coming from its mouth which reminded you of something, but you couldn’t remember what.

“Hunter, what is that?” Omega whispered.

“Back away slowly.” Hunter ordered quietly. He kept a protective arm out in front of Omega as he did so.

You all did as he said but suddenly a pipe burst and you all instinctively turned to look at it but when your attention went back to where the creature had been, you were horrified to see that it had jumped down from the ceiling and was now stalking towards you all.

You made to step out, but Hunter’s hand caught your wrist.

“You’re not going to try and connect with this.”

“Hunter-”

“This isn’t something that’s up for debate. It’s an order. You’re not going near it.” He said firmly as he pulled out his blaster.

“Hunter, this isn’t going to help.” You hissed as you reluctantly did as he said and drew your blaster.

“This thing destroyed this ship. I’m not taking any chances here.”

Wrecker attempted to stab it with the electrostaff but the creature simply snatched and swallowed it.

You, Hunter, and Wrecker let out a series of shots as the creature screeched and made to lunge for you. There wasn’t a fatal hit but luckily your actions seemed to be off putting enough as it retreated back up to the ceiling.

The four of you stayed on guard but it was then that the power came back on so at least that made seeing this thing an easier task.

Any relief at having actual light was short lived for a rattle behind you saw you all turn to see the animal again only this time it didn’t hesitate to charge at you all.

You- thanks to your Force abilities- were able to dive over it and Hunter reacted quickly enough to grab Omega and jump out of the way. Wrecker unfortunately got knocked to the side.

The four of you sent a round of blaster fire down the corridor after the creature but it was too fast and too slinky for any shot to find a weak point and it turned around the corridor out of sight.

“Tech, we’ve got a problem. Get off the ship. Now!” Hunter urged into his comm.

--

Tech was already running as he replied, “I suspect this is some type of research vessel.”

--

“We know!” You said as the four of you ran through the corridors whilst keeping an eye out for any sign of the creature.

“And whatever they were researching just got loose.” Omega added.

“And it’s headed your way.” Hunter informed him.

--

You all rounded the corner to be met with an incredibly bizarre sight: the creature appeared to be feeding off the electricity coming from one of the power outlets on the ship and the creature itself seemed to be using it as a way to… grow?

“Does that thing look different to you?” Wrecker asked nervously.

It did but again, something about this animal was striking some degree of familiarity in you and you were infuriated that you couldn’t think of how or why that was the case.

Tech had appeared on the opposite side of the corridor, but he came to an abrupt halt as he witnessed what this animal was doing. He was not deterred by the fact that now its attention was on him, in fact he liked that it gave him a brief moment to study it. “Fascinating.” He murmured to himself as he watched the electrical energy be absorbed by the animal.

The four of you weren’t prepared to let the creature get closer to him. You opened fire once more to distract it.

“Take cover.” Tech ordered you all as he pointed his blaster to one of the power outlets.

Wrecker picked up Omega and turned to shield her body with his own whilst Hunter did the same with you, minus the picking up part.

Tech fired the shot.

The explosion created a hole in the ship which gave the creature the chance to slip away.

You all followed it out but lost sight of it in the woods.

Tech lowered his visor and saw the fading heat signature of the animal. “The creature appears to be headed in the direction of the village.”

“We’re the ones who let it out. We have to neutralize it before it hurts anyone.” Hunter said.

“How? Our blasters our useless on it.” Wrecker countered.

“Given the fact that the crew was most likely eaten by the creature, I doubt it is currently hungry-” Tech said nonchalantly.

“It ate the crew?” Omega interrupted, backing into you with fear.

You laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “How is that helping, Tech?” You scolded.

“It ate the crew.” Omega repeated breathlessly.

“Just stop.” You advised as you saw Tech getting ready to say something else.

“Access the lab files and find out what species we’re dealing with and how to stop it.” Hunter directed Tech.

“Mmm, I can help.” Omega offered, finding her courage again. “I know my way around Kaminoan tech.”

“Go.” Hunter said. “You two, with me.” Hunter ordered you and Wrecker and the three of you set off for the ship.

--

“Hunter, if we can’t take care of this thing before it hurts anyone, you need to let me at least try my way.” You said as you got into the co-pilot’s seat whilst he got the ship in the air.

“I know.” Hunter agreed. He regretted not letting you do it earlier, he’d let emotion be the ruling judgement in the heat of the moment. Balancing both his professional and personal relationship with you was something he was still finessing.

“See anything?” Wrecker called from the gun turret as he scanned the woods below.

You looked at the scopes. “Zero, two, five.”

Wrecker saw it then. It was moving fast. His shots couldn’t make a hit and it disappeared from view.

“Did you get it?” Hunter asked.

“No.” Wrecker grunted.

--

Tech had managed to infiltrate the lab’s files. “Look at this.” He said to Omega as he examined the information on his datapad. “These appear to be designs using the creature’s genetic material for modified armour plating. That must be why it was unaffected by our blaster fire.”

“Then how do we stop it?” Omega asked.

“Uncertain.” Tech unplugged and moved on to the next panel. “However, this confirms that the species feeds on energy, which propels its rapid growth.”

“You mean it’ll get even bigger?!”

Tech’s eyes widened as he stared at the information on the screen. “Yes. Much bigger.”

--

Your jaw dropped as you watched out the window as the ship past over the woods. The creature had reached a power plant and had drastically transformed and then it hit you. “Hey, I recognise it now!” You hadn’t been there the day Coruscant was attacked but you had seen the holonet reports and the images were pretty memorable.

“You recognise it?” Hunter repeated, stunned.

“I wasn’t there and I’m blanking on what it’s called but it attacked Coruscant a few years ago.” It was then that Tech’s voice came through the comms and confirmed what you were saying.

“Hunter, the creature is the same species that attacked Coruscant during the war. You must not let it get near the power grid or it will increase exponentially in size.”

Yeah, you were pretty clued into that now. “We were a bit late on that one, Tech.” You responded as the creature spotted your ship and let out a roar.

Hunter took evasive action but not before the creature’s tail collided with the side of the ship.

“Still want me to drop you off?” Hunter glanced at you as he righted the ship.

You grimaced. “Uh maybe not right now.” The animal was too aggressive now, too scared and felt to threatened. There would be no room for you to work your way into forming any kind of bond with it. If it really came down to it, you would go but it didn’t need to happen right away yet.

Hunter was quietly relieved although he knew that if things got too out of hand, you would be the only option they had left.

--

The best strategy you guys had come up with to protect the village was being the source of distraction. Wrecker continuously opened fire on it but it was having no effect.

“Stop it before it gets any larger.” Hunter said to Wrecker.

“I’m trying!” Wrecker shouted back.

You took a deep breath. “Hunter, you gotta put me in there.” It was the only other option you had.

Hunter’s jaw clenched but he nodded.

You moved towards the door but just as Hunter got the ship in position, the alarms went off. “We’ve got ships on our tail.” He swerved the ship out the way as they opened fire.

You stumbled backwards. “Where’d they come from?” You said as you righted yourself and Gonky before you went back to the cockpit. There was no chance of you getting down to the animal now.

“Hold on.” Hunter signalled as he kicked the ship into high gear.

“Tech, Omega, you’ve got Imperial inbound. Get out of there.” You said urgently into you comm.

--

Omega picked up her comm as she heard your voice. “On our way.” She replied before she looked to Tech who showed no signs of hustle as he stared at his datapad. “Tech, let’s go.”

“Not yet. I am not finished transferring all of the data.”

An explosion sounded outside, and the ship shook with the impact of it and the power went out.

“Come on.” Omega implored before she started to run.

Tech followed her but their way off the ship was tricky as it was starting to fall apart. The explosions continued to surround them. They managed to vacate it but not before a series of ships passed overhead and fired down at the wreckage.

Tech grabbed Omega and took cover from the resulting large explosion behind a larger piece of debris as the ship got completely destroyed.

--

You were too busy avoiding the other Imperial ships to see what exactly had been done to the creature, all you caught sight of was the power plant exploding. “They’re not killing it. They’re taking it.” You murmured as you saw the now unconscious creature being taken up into another Imperial ship. What could the Empire possibly want with something like that?

“Let’s not be next.” Hunter said, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“Hunter, they’re going to take that village.” You said quietly, unhappily, as you caught sight of some ships taking up position in front of the houses, but you knew that there was nothing you could do. You were outnumbered and Tech and Omega needed you guys to get them out.

“We can’t help them.” Hunter said regretfully. He wished they could, but they’d be no good to anyone if they were dead and if they didn’t get out of here soon, that’s how they would wind up and Tech and Omega needed out of there too.

--

Tech and Omega paused for breath and Tech tapped into his comm. “Hunter, we’re clear of the vessel and heading to the landing zone.”

“Copy that.” Hunter acknowledged and he got the ship in position. He didn’t let it land though, there were too many ships on their tail to do that. The best he could do was slow it down and open the main doors.

Tech leaped onto the stairs and grabbed Omega’s hand as she jumped up after him to get her secure. The two of them made their way into the ship and sat, with Tech making sure Omega’s safety support was down first before he did his own.

Hunter got the ship out of there and sent it into hyperspace.

--

“The crashed vessel was part of the Imperial cloning operation.” Tech informed the rest of you as he sat in front of one of the control panels in the ship corridor.

“The Empire cloned the Zillo Beast?” You echoed as you stood behind Tech’s chair and studied the information on the screen.

“Yes and no.” Tech responded. “The directive came straight from the Supreme Chancellor before he became Emperor.”

“What’s he want with it?” Wrecker asked.

“The creature’s genetic material has the potential to be weaponized in the hands of the right scientist.”

“Where were they taking the creature?” Hunter asked his brother.

“Unknown. The ship did not have a destination logged. Hunter, there is far more to this than we realised. From what I have gathered, I suspect the Empire did not destroy the cities on Kamino to end cloning.”

“They wanted to control it.” You said softly but there was a hint of anger in your voice.

“Indeed.” Tech said in agreement.

Hunter set off towards the cockpit but paused hallway and turned back to face Tech. “Send the data to Echo and Rex. See what they can find out.”

--

Daro

“Doctor. The creature has been recovered and is now safely secured below.”

“Good. And our other guest?”

“The shuttle is arriving now.”

The doctor set off towards the landing platform with a squad of troopers. “Did any of the villagers see the Zillo?” He asked the leader.

“Several. The locals have been detained and will be dealt with. However, one vessel escaped our assault. It was a military class shuttle.”

“Find out who it was.”

“Yes sir.”

The doctor watched on ahead as the shuttle landed. “Hello, Prime Minister.” He greeted the Kaminoan as he came off the ship. “Apologies. Former Prime Minister.”

“Why have I been brought here?”

“The cooperation of you chief scientist has not been forthcoming. Nale Se’s defiance is problematic.”

“It must be frustrating to have your resources but lack the expertise to achieve your goal. And if you fail to convince her, it won’t be long before you are in a cell like me.”

The doctor was not intimidated. “I fear you misunderstand your situation here. If you know of a way to persuade the scientist, now would be the time to mention it.”

“Indeed. In exchange for my freedom.”

“I’m listening.”

“There is a particular clone you must locate. A young girl. She is the key to controlling Nala Se.”

“How very interesting.” The doctor invited him to follow him inside. “It seems we have much to discuss.”

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @fuckoffthanos, @tpwkcalli, @graciexmarvel, @arctrooper69, @nightmonkeysstuff, @brujaporfavor, @flyingkangaroo, @sunkissedclones, @ladytano420, @keep-calm-and-drink-caf, @yyourmotherr, @xxeiraxx, @dragonrider9905, @starwarsnerd111

[harloqui]

I see there's new people in the tags? 👀

I'm kinda concerned about the amount of shifters trickling in and your safety, so I hope y'all don't mind if I offer up some information and tips for newbies looking to safely navigating the community:

Avoid people who start talking about doomsday conspiracies. They never come true, and tends to create unnecessary drama and anxiety. Also be wary of people who talk about hunters a lot - those who talk about them aren't typically dangerous but it can still lead to a lot of unnecessary paranoia and drama, so you might want to avoid those conversations if you're not in a good headspace for them.

Never pay for any claimed tricks or secrets to shifting. Never give any of your personal info (as in, photos of yourself, your address, etc.) to someone offering to turn you. Never meet up with someone who claims to be able to turn you. Most (if not all) of the people offering "the secrets to p-shift" freely like this have nefarious intentions, and you don't want to get caught up in their plans.

Don't feel pressured to do things that make you feel worse, or impair you. Nobody should be forcing you to shift, cut off connections or friends, hurt yourself or do anything that you don't feel comfortable doing. If they are, cut them off or tell someone who can help.

If you're the pack-faring type, remember that packs should be democratic and fair to all its members. A pack should not be a dictatorship, or a place where some members gang up on others. An alpha or beta should not be power-hungry and controlling. Packs are more like found family, a group of friends, or an online forum, not an abusive cult.

Keep up with your health and life. Don't neglect it because you're a shifter, make sure you're healthy (or as healthy as you can be.) Shifting sucks when you're sick, so make sure you're taking care of yourself! But don't overdo it (don't take too much vitamins or drink too much water, for example) - even too much of a good thing can be dangerous! And don't do anything that seems too dangerous for your body. Even as a shifter (and even when shifted) your body still has limits.

Also, don't forget to take care of your mundane duties either. You may be a shifter, but you're also living in a human society, and unfortunately you can't survive in one without living like a human. (I know younger shifters tend to get a little overzealous and forget about their everyday lives for a bit, so this is moreso geared towards them than the experienced ones.) Stay in school, learn well, pick up a new hobby or two, enjoy what human society has to offer.

(Also take this, it will help you on your journey)

I'm pretty sure most of you know this already, but since I don't know who knows, I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a refresher. Stay safe out there!

[poindexters-labratory]

🧡👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

💜👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

@smellyzs & @drinkinboilingcoffee & @glitch-1983

Based on this fnaf ask game :3

Got so many asks about Henry and William's childhoods, wowie

Henry's childhood was a pretty standard childhood as ranch hand childhoods go. He grew up running around sheep, cattle, horses, goats, going to state fairs, and getting really bad sunburns. He's a hunter, a mechanic, a herder, and the gifted one in the entirety of his family. Henry may have gotten a bit of a big head for his individuality in his tiny Utah community. His older siblings think he's annoying as hell because of Henry's inability to take a joke and will state facts at them unprompted, his younger brother intimidated. Also, he got special treatment from their parents for his gifts.

Henry has an older brother, Barry, an older sister, Jenny, and a younger brother, Quincy, making him the second youngest. His mom really likes her 'y's. When it comes to his parents, there's his mother Joanna and his father Floyd. Floyd served in WWII, a little bit after Henry was born in August of 1943, and Joanna is the area's expert on whatever strange question or task you had.

Henry was exceptional in school, both athletically and academically, but as he got older, he became more reclusive and stand-offish, starting high school with friends and a part of many programs, but by the time he graduated, he didn't have much of anyone at all and flat out didn't want to be around anyone.

Even as a child, Henry could be described as having a dry personality. His grandmother probably makes jokes about having a stone-still face even as a baby. He made friends easily, but it was keeping them that was the problem. Very controlling even as a child; bossy about how things were done and convinced that there was a right and wrong way to play games. A lot of this behavior usually lead to physical altercations.

Still, pretty decent childhood overall.

William was far less successful in his childhood.

He doesn't like to talk about his family, only having opened up to Henry about it a few times, but from the details Henry heard, Henry doesn't want to hear much else.

William attended Catholic school in the English countryside, within walking distance of his old house. He hated going home, frequently running away into the woods. His father, Edward, was practically never home because he worked in the city and when he was home, he was drunk. Will is the youngest of five kids (three boys, two girls) and does not like any member of his family, has more of a fear, really. Especially of his oldest brother, Eddie. He doesn't talk about his mom.

Still, despite everything, there were things he loved to do, like reading, dressing up, running around outside, drawing, and bunnies. Unfortunately, he had to keep these hobbies a secret, but he loved them, nevertheless. He was very kind to animals but loathed people. He hated a lot of things about people, especially religion. William was known to get into spats with other kids in the schoolyard and fuss about going to mass. He was bored in school for the most part and had a problem with sitting still and paying attention, of which he would get punished for.

When he was twelve, his father moved him and William to the city and they've been staying in the mechanic shop where Edward works ever since then. Perhaps the only kind gesture his father really ever showed to him was moving them. He stopped going to school and started hanging around with other kids in alleys and streets. His sweet nature was soon replaced with something brash and vulgar. Still loves his bunnies though.

[satoshi-mochida]

Nightmare Busters Rebirth reveal trailer, Kickstarter campaign coming soon - Gematsu

Publisher Pix’n Love and developer Aurora Game Studio will launch a Kickstarter campaign for the April 2021-announced Super Nintendo Entertainment System 2D run-and-gun game revival Nightmare Busters Rebirth “soon,” the companies announced. It will be available for PlayStation, Switch, PC via Steam, and more.

The game, now several years into development, promises to offer a “thrilling adventure that blends frantic action and modern 2D graphics while staying true to the spirit of classic arcade games.”

Get the latest details below.

One Game, Two Eras

Inspired by the great names of arcade gaming, Nightmare Busters Rebirth immerses players in a stunning universe where the supernatural meets unbridled action. Take control of Flynn and Floyd, two leprechaun brothers and nightmare hunters, as you journey through many environments and test your reflexes against relentless waves of enemies and devilish bosses! Combining intense gameplay, punchy action, and graphics that merge traditional hand-drawing techniques with modern tools, this 2D run-and-gun promises to thrill fans of the genre on Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation, Steam, and more!

An Upcoming Kickstarter Campaign

Born from deep reflection and an unconditional love for video games, Nightmare Busters Rebirth is the brainchild of the Pix’n Love / Aurora Game Studio duo. Initiated in 2023, this project has steadily grown over two years of development, gathering a team of dedicated enthusiasts. With graphics and animations blending hand-drawn art and contemporary techniques, Nightmare Busters Rebirth boasts a truly unique visual identity and now aims higher than ever. To deliver the best possible experience and make Nightmare Busters Rebirth a future reference in the 2D run-and-gun genre, Pix’n Love and Aurora Game Studio will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Nightmare Busters Rebirth hopes to gather a passionate community to support its development. The funds raised will be used to add new features, optimize existing levels, and enhance the adventure with fresh gameplay elements. With your unwavering support, the development team is determined to provide an authentic and memorable experience for every backer. In that spirit, we are excited to reveal a special surprise on April 9, 2025!

A Classic Reimagined With Care

Originally developed in 1994 by Arcade Zone for the Super Nintendo, Nightmare Busters’ release was unfortunately canceled in 1995. Eager to pay tribute to this enchanting arcade game, Aurora Game Studio and Pix’n Love Games have joined forces to bring this extraordinary project back to life. Thanks to Nightmare Busters Rebirth, and with the support of some of the original creators, players will have the chance to experience this intense adventure through a complete overhaul. The game now features enhanced visual quality, polished animations, and a reorchestrated soundtrack—all while preserving the essence of what made the original so special.

2025: The Year of Nightmare Busters

To stay updated on all the exciting announcements and surprises to come, be sure to follow Nightmare Busters Rebirth on Kickstarter and across our social media platforms:

Kickstarter

Twitter

Facebook

Bluesky

And visit our dedicated website.

Watch the Kickstarter campaign announcement trailer below.

Kickstarter Campaign Announce Trailer

[askbensolo]

Chapter 7: Welcome to Ryloth

Hi, I’m Ben, Nice to Meet You Masterlist

A couple of weeks after Fannie came to visit my family, I came to Ryloth to visit hers.

I’ve told you that I’ve lived all over. But my residences have been limited to metropolitan worlds—planets with the infrastructure to host the New Republic capital, and planets that are part of the New Republic to begin with. So, Ryloth is a little different than I’m used to.

Ryloth is located in the Outer Rim, beyond Tatooine and Geonosis. It is the homeworld of the Twi’lek people, and features both lush forests and rocky terrain. It is not like Hoth, or Dagobah, where the entire planet is comprised of a single biome.

The people of Ryloth are as diverse as the planet itself. Its villages and communities are much more isolated from one another, and have developed distinct societies with their own cultural quirks. Even the language—which is called Twi’leki in its spoken form, and Ryl in its written form—differs from area to area, and is made more complex by the addition of lekku gestures (which are sometimes indicated in Ryl with special accents). A word said in one Twi’leki dialect can mean something completely different in another dialect. Even within the same dialect, words can have different meanings depending on the tone with which they are spoken and the way one moves one’s lekku.

The Twi’lek people have suffered thousands of years of oppression, going all the way back to the Old Republic. Their women have been sought after as sex slaves—their men, as forced labor. During the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems invaded Ryloth, forcing them to seek alliance with the Galactic Republic. The Republic offered the Twi’lek people its protection…until, of course, the Republic turned into the Galactic Empire.

The Empire, though not stated explicitly, was a speciesist regime. They treated the Twi’leks like animals, and subjected them to the same injustices they had faced for centuries prior. The people of Ryloth rejoiced when the Rebel Alliance defeated the Empire at the Battle of Endor.

Sick of being controlled by outside governing systems, Ryloth is now an independent world, and belongs to no one but the Rylothians (though, this, of course, does not render it entirely free from outside influence).

But there has always been another type of power at play, in the lives of the Rylothian people—besides the warring governments and the despots at their helms—and those are the criminals and the outlaws: the Hutt gangs, the spice cartels, the slavers.

You have the pirates like the famed Hondo Ohnaka, reckless and cunning and lawless.

You have the bounty hunters like Cad Bane and Boba Fett, surprisingly professional despite their bloodlust.

You have the Han Solos—the “I’m just doing a job” sort of guys—who may only be in it for the money, but keep the machine of oppression running nonetheless. 

And then you have the Jabba the Hutts, the Dryden Voses—the ones who make you wonder how they ended up in such a position of power, when they even hardly seem to lift a finger—and yet, they are the ones who drive the game, and pay everyone else to keep on playing.

Ruut Pentarra is one of those men.

I asked Fannie what she knew about her father. Despite being his offspring, she knows very little about him.

Nor does she particularly wish to know.

Most of Ryloth is poor. Their economy is weak from centuries of exploitation. It is common to know Twi’leks on your own world who are sending credits back home to their families on Ryloth. Even free Twi’leks, you may often find, are sometimes suffering slavery under another name.

Ruut Pentarra, however, is not poor. And I would tell you why, and how—but again, I don’t know.

I don’t think he wishes for anyone to know.

The Pentarra estate is located in the dry, mountainous Tcha’buli region, surrounded by imposing red rockfaces and far away from any other surrounding villages. There is little rainfall in this area, and the ground is stone, veiled with a shallow layer of dry dust and crumbled shale—but the estate itself resembles an exotic oasis, encased in a green, vibrant garden, which is supported by an invisible climate control field surrounding the grounds. You cannot see the clime-con field, but you can immediately feel the rise in humidity when you step within the gates. It is as if Pentarra wished to thumb his nose at nature, and prove he could live quite luxuriously even in a place where nature had never intended him to.

When my taxi speeder dropped me off outside the grounds, Fannie was waiting for me—along with three other women: one older, and two younger. I recognized them from Fannie’s holos as her mother and two of her sisters. I waved, feeling nervous all of a sudden—but Fannie came at me, and hugged me, and then I felt better.

“Oh, Ben, you made it!” she said, beaming.

“Sure did,” I said, kissing her on the cheek, and patted her on the back with my free hand—but over the top of her head I was looking at her family, who, well…did not seem very happy to see me.

I glanced down at Fannie. She seemed unaware of this.

“Ben, I’d like you to meet my mother, Fashha,” Fannie said, stepping back and gesturing toward her mother, who was staring at me, and not kindly.

Fashha looked to be in her late thirties. She had pale blue skin—a cooler tone than Fannie’s seafoam green—with dark blue stripes on her lekku, like the design on a fish’s scales. She was dressed in a deep violet outfit that covered all of her, yet did not conceal much. It wrapped snugly around her frame, unlike the flowing tunics that Fannie liked to wear. And I also noticed she wore a headdress of little seashells.

She was also looking at me with a great deal of surprise…and suspicion.

Fashha turned to Fannie, and urgently whispered something I didn’t understand while Fannie’s sisters exchanged glances and wry smirks. Fannie whispered back, doing her best to smile—but I could tell something was off.

Finally, Fannie took her mother’s arm and pulled her a couple of steps toward me. “Mamaa, this is Ben Solo.”

Fashha did not seem interested in knowing who I was.

I tried to assume the best, and carry on like normal. She was my girlfriend’s mom, after all.

“Hi, Fashha. I’m Ben,” I said, putting out my hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you.” I was thankful to have remembered what handshakes were this time, unlike when I had first met Fannie.

But…Fashha only stared at my hand distrustfully.

I stared, hand out, helpless.

Fannie chuckled, embarrassed, and took my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“On Ryloth,” she told me in a hushed voice, “men bow.”

“Bow?”

Fannie demonstrated for me—she crossed her right arm over her chest and put her left arm behind her back, and then she crossed her left ankle behind her right, and bent over at the waist.

“You couldn’t have shown me that earlier?” I muttered, trying clumsily to copy her.

“Sorry,” she said apologetically. “Would you have remembered to teach me how to give a handshake, if I didn’t know?”

That was fair. I guessed I wouldn’t have.

I bowed toward Fashha, and only wobbled a little.

Fashha placed both hands behind her back and inclined her head to me, and said something I didn’t understand.

“She says she’s pleased to meet you,” Fannie translated.

Could’ve fooled me, I thought to myself. The woman wouldn’t smile, or even look my way.

I supposed I could forgive that Fashha didn’t speak much to me. After all, she didn’t speak Basic.

But I knew Fannie’s sisters did—and they wouldn’t speak to me, either.

“Ben, this is Connie,” Fannie said amiably, gesturing toward the sister with blue skin. “Connie, this is Ben.”

Connie said something in Twi’leki that I couldn’t understand—but I’ve had a younger sister long enough to know sass when I hear it, regardless of language. Connie seemed to have the most attitude out of the four sisters (I hadn’t met Pennie, yet, but Fannie had described her as quiet and timid and shy.).

“Yes, Connie, I know you know who he is,” said Fannie patiently. “I’m just introducing you formally.”

Connie was taller than Fannie, but not as tall as Ginnie. She had deep blue skin that was a little darker than her mother’s complexion, and deep-set brown eyes, sharply lined and with thick, dark lashes. She had the same full lips as Fannie, which often quirked up in a smile that seemed to be at your expense. She had the same striped lekku as her mother and a shapely figure: narrow at the waist but rounded elsewhere, and she dressed to complement these features. She wore a crop top with a low, square neckline and long, slender sleeves, and low-rise trousers that were open at the sides and revealed the full length of her legs.

I bowed to Connie. She did not make any gesture in reciprocation—though she did at least put in the effort to glare at me.

Awesome. Cool.

“Ben, this is my other sister, Ginnie,” Fannie went on, seemingly unperturbed. “Ginnie, this is Ben.”

Ginnie, in contrast to her two other sisters, was tall and thin, with an angular face and a yellow-green complexion. Her lekku, also narrow, had the same dappled pattern that Fannie’s had—that pale green spotting near the top of her head. The expression on her face hardly ever changed, and she didn’t speak often. Her eyes were set in a squint that reminded me of my dad, or Rey. She was dressed in a one-piece outfit: a halter top connected to long, flowing pants.

Actually, neither Connie nor Ginnie’s clothing would have looked particularly out of place at a shopping mall on my world. I wondered if, even here in the Outer Rim, fashion was still mostly dictated by those on the Core Worlds. They looked even trendier than Fannie—even though Fannie had been offworld, and they hadn’t.

…Then again, perhaps that wasn’t a good metric. It’s not difficult to be trendier than Fannie. She doesn’t pay attention to any of that stuff.

Ginnie seemed about as thrilled to meet me as Connie and Fashha were. “May we go now?” she said—which was the one thing she said at all during the entire course of our introduction. She had a low, earthy voice—in contrast to Fannie’s delicate tones, Connie’s melodic croon, or Fashha’s hushed utterances.

“I…I suppose,” Fannie said, sounding disappointed, and hurt, while also trying to sound grateful and accommodating. The resulting mix was a strange cocktail of wounded sweetness that failed to hide her true feelings, and I felt bad for her.

But if her family noticed, they didn’t seem to care. Fashha and Connie and Ginnie turned swiftly away from us, and walked off toward the house. Fannie sighed as they left.

I put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her…but she seemed to think I did it because I needed her to comfort me. She lifted her head to give me an apologetic smile.

“Don’t worry, Ben,” she assured me. “They’ll warm up to you.”

“You don’t need to promise me that,” I told her, then paused. “Hey, uh…what was your mom saying to you? When you were first introducing us?”

“Oh, ah…” Fannie said, sounding embarrassed. She fiddled with her skirts, and then reached out her hand toward my suitcase, as if looking for something to do.

I swatted her hand away affectionately. She was so much smaller than me—I wasn’t about to let her carry it.

We began to walk toward the house.

“Well…” said Fannie slowly, “I…I think my mother was expecting you to be Twi’lek.”

I looked at her, surprised. “You hadn’t told her before I was a human?”

“I shouldn’t have had to,” Fannie said stubbornly. “What difference does it make?”

“Well…you’re right that it shouldn’t make a difference,” I said. “But…that doesn’t change the fact that it is, for some people.”

Interracial relationships aren’t uncommon in our galaxy, but it depends where you go. On the more cosmopolitan worlds, where all kinds of sentients mix, it’s a given—although, there remains a tendency for people to choose partners of species that are similar to their own (and if you want to have biological offspring, that’s your only option). You don’t see a lot of humans and Hutts, for example; unless we’re talking about Jabba the Hutt—but Jabba was pretty well-known for being a little eccentric in his attractions.

But…on a more culturally-insulated planet like Ryloth, I guess I can see why they’d be less ready to accept it.

Twi’lek-human relationships are actually the most common type of interspecies relationship in our galaxy—especially human guy, Twi’lek girl relationships. I’m not sure why…though there’s probably some sociological explanation. People make jokes about it: Rylothian fever, it’s called, when a guy seems to be on a Twi’lek-only dating streak.

Well: I’ve only had one girlfriend, so far. I don’t think we can make a call at this point.

I had never thought about race having a significant impact on our relationship. To be honest, I’d never even thought about Fannie being different from me at all. And maybe part of that was because when she wasn’t on Ryloth, she blended in with the larger galactic melting pot that surrounded her—but whatever the reason, the fact that she was Twi’lek and I was human didn’t matter to me any more than the fact that she was short and I was tall.

But clearly, it mattered to her family.

And…especially to her mother, apparently.

“It’s ironic that my mother and sisters have no problem with my father pursuing Pennie, and yet, this is where they draw the line,” Fannie sighed.

“Well…I can understand why,” I told her. “Ryloth has been invaded by other worlds, especially human-dominated ones, for centuries. I mean…you know that. You’re from here. I know you know that.” I looked at her curiously. “Were you hoping that, when your mom saw me, she’d be too focused on being polite to make a scene?”

Fannie looked embarrassed. “Perhaps I had made such a wish.”

“Aw, c’mon, Fan, you know better than that.” I spread my fingers over the top of her head so that they spanned the entire round part of her skull, and playfully rubbed her head around. (She hates it when I do that.)

“Yes…you’re right. I’m sorry,” she apologized, ducking away and grasping my hand so she could prevent me from annoying her again. She dropped her hand to her side, and we held hands as we walked.

“Y’know…come to think of it, Deirak’s a human, too,” I said. “Did he ever meet your family, when you two were together?”

“No, he never met them,” Fannie replied. “I had told my family beforehand that he was a human, and because of that, they refused to meet him. Which was why, this time, I did not tell my mother what you were. I thought I was making the best decision, given the circumstances…but I suppose it was not the most honest of me.”

That was the second time this month I had become aware of Fannie being less-than-honest. It was strange.

“Well…don’t worry about it,” I said. “It’s not your fault. Though…it does feel weird, I guess, to feel  like an outsider. Humans are the dominant species on most worlds where I’ve lived.”

“Yes, that would feel odd for you, wouldn’t it?” Fannie said, with genuine compassion, and I almost laughed—she was too sweet.

“Geez, sister, you don’t need to give me sympathy,” I teased. “You encounter a heck of a lot more speciesism than I do.”

Fannie smiled demurely. “Well. Not really. The only other place I’ve lived besides Ryloth was the Jedi school. I am used to being thought strange by the people around me…but not for my species.”

“Yeah, I guess not, huh,” I said. “But—it’s not just how they treat me that makes me feel weird. It’s also the concept in general, that anyone could be so openly discriminatory. Where I come from, speciesism is seen as a thing of the past. A problem that’s been fixed—though, perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to think so…but that’s another topic. Anyway. It’s pretty much ingrained in us that all species are equal. We have a mandatory unit on species relations in the New Republic education system.”

“Are all of the schools in the New Republic controlled by the government?” Fannie asked incredulously.

“Well…kinda,” I said. “I mean—obviously there’s thousands of schools per planet, and thousands of planets in the New Republic, so there’s, like, different levels of authority. There’s the galactic level, and the system level, and the planetary level, and the district level—”

“With so many levels, I doubt whoever’s in charge at the largest level would be able to accurately assess what is needed at the smallest levels,” Fannie mused.

That was a good point.

Not that I was gonna give it to her.

“But you don’t even have an organized education system on Ryloth,” I pointed out. “Nor did Luke’s school actually teach you anything, besides how to lift rocks with your mind, or whatever. I mean, the sheer amount of galactic history that I’ve had to teach you—”

“What are you talking about? We learned history at Luke’s school,” Fannie protested.

“Well, yeah—Jedi history—”

“Oh, do be charitable, Ben Solo; Luke taught us about things besides the Jedi—”

“All right then, pop quiz: in what year was the Rimma Trade Route established?”

“Well—I don’t know—that hardly sounds like something I would need to know—”

She was getting so worked up, I found it kind of funny.

I laughed and bent over and kissed the top of her head, and she made a face at me.

“Well, anyway,” I said. “Returning back to the previous subject: I’m always on worlds where everyone looks like me. So it’s probably good for me to get away from that, sometimes. Cultural enrichment. That kind of thing.”

And right as I said that, we entered through the large swinging doors into the house, and I stopped short…and stared.

The Pentarra house is very magnificent, and very large. So large, you’d almost need a mouse droid to help you navigate, if they used those here—but Pentarra does not own droids. He owns people.

And there were people everywhere. Because the Pentarra house was almost like its own mini-city, and his family not just a family, but a clan: a tribe made up of women he had married and some he had not, children he had fathered and some he only claimed he had, slaves that he had purchased and slaves that had been born to him. All of them lived there. I didn’t know if they were all happy there, but I assume they didn’t have much other alternative.

The mansion’s massive atrium had all the grandeur of the ancient historical Nabooian buildings I had toured in Theed. But while the style of Nabooian architecture was light and windowed and flourished, Pentarra’s house was dim and moody and austere, with exotic archways that resembled lotus petals—round at the sides, pointed at the top.

And immediately I felt strange here, in my “Go Shaaks!” college hoodie and my skinny jeans—in this place that was somehow both more wealthy and more destitute than anywhere I was accustomed to.

And I didn’t just feel strange. I was strange. I was strange in this place, and I knew it by the way the other people in the hall looked at me. The way women eyed me with fear and distrust or curiosity and intrigue. The way children stared at me and pointed and made remarks about me to their companions. The way grown men did not think it rude to do exactly the same.

And then I cast my eyes upward, and saw a very large mosaic portrait in a gilded frame on the upper wall, directly facing me from where I stood at the entrance. I squinted against the sunlight—the only sources of natural light in the great hall were the two skylight windows on either side of the portrait, and right now they were shining directly into my eyes. Through the little specks of dust that caught the light, floating in and out of my line of vision, I observed the likeness—a Twi’lek man, as magnificent-looking as the hall in which I stood, portrayed from the waist up: in rich crimson robes, and with one of his long lekku wrapped around his neck like a scarf. His hands, bejeweled with many rings, were folded serenely before him, and a placid, yet somehow cruel expression rested on his rounded face. He had sage-green skin that resembled Ginnie Pentarra’s, and his lekku darkened at the ends like Fannie Pentarra’s, and he had Connie Pentarra’s deep-set brown eyes…but the look of savage mirth in his smile was all his own.

I felt a chill run down my spine, and my skin prickled.

The portrait was not labeled with a name. But I did not need one to know who the subject was.

And as I lowered my gaze to the people bustling around or milling below the picture’s watchful presence, I realized that many of this man’s features were reflected in the younger Twi’leks I saw in the hall around me. Not in all of them, but in enough of them so as to be disconcerting—like something out of a thriller holofilm. And they continued to stare at me, and point at me, and whisper—or not even bother to lower their voices at all.

Fannie noticed my discomfort, and drew me aside to a bench against the wall, away from the others’ prying eyes.

“Ben. Are you all right, dear?”

“Yeah. Fine,” I said. “Just feelin’ a bit like I’m in a zoo.”

Her face fell sympathetically, and she drew up the hood of my hoodie for me.

It was a small gesture. But for some reason it made me feel very loved.

“Here,” she said. “I will draw you a map, so you can find your quarters and get settled—and hopefully find a bit of reprieve in which to gather yourself. You can come back and find me when you’re ready. Do you have your notebook with you?”

“Oh—yeah,” I said, and slung my knapsack off of my shoulder, and fished out my paper notebook and my fountain pen. (I know, I know—call me a mythosaur.)

I flipped to a blank page, and handed her both of them. Usually people have to ask how my pen works, but Fannie didn’t need to—she had grown up using paper and ink at Luke’s school. I watched as she began to sketch out a rough map.

“So—this is where we are, down here, in the entrance hall,” she said as she drew. “The sleeping quarters are all on the upper floor, up those stairs—either staircase will do. The men’s quarters are on the west, and the women’s to the east. The dining hall is through that archway right ahead, on the bottom floor, in the center atrium. I think that’s all you need to remember. And your room is going to be right here—” She circled a spot in the men’s wing, and wrote a number in the circle, first in Basic numerals and then again in Ryl. “Room Twenty-Three—and here is the key.” And she fished in her pocket, and handed me a phys-key.

“Thanks,” I said. “Want to come up with me and help me find the room?”

“Oh—but that’s why I drew you the map,” Fannie said. “So you could find it.”

I tilted my head at her. “But…you could still come, though.”

“But…those are the men’s quarters,” she said, with a serious stare, like there was something here I was supposed to be understanding.

“Well…you don’t have to come into the room with me, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said with an awkward laugh. “You could just…you know…help me find it.”

“It’s—it’s best that I stay out of the west wing,” Fannie said firmly, with an embarrassed laugh of her own. “It’s…simply the way things are, here. But—you can go and get settled, and put your things away, and then meet me right out here again when you’re ready.”

“Are you gonna show me your room?” I asked.

“Not unless my mother and sisters are also there,” she said quickly.

I rolled my eyes. “Fan. We lived together for like, three months last summer. Why are you being so fussy?”

“We were friends then,” Fannie insisted. “It was different.”

“Well, if we were friends back on Naboo, we must’ve been the special type of friends,” I said, shouldering my knapsack again, and gripping the handle of my suitcase. “‘Cause you and I? Sure got pre-tty friendly.”

Fannie blushed. “Well—we didn’t mean for things to happen that way; it simply—turned out that way. But…that was Naboo, Ben. This is Ryloth. Things are different here. And…I don’t want people to assume.”

As we began to ascend the staircase, I looked up just in time to watch a teenage boy slap a servant girl right on the ass. The nature of her garments allowed him to strike flesh—the sound echoed on the polished stone, and the boy laughed and skirted away.

I turned to Fannie—she had seen it too.

“...Well, I don’t know what you’re afraid of people assuming, Fannie,” I told her, watching as the girl turned her back to the wall and tried to discreetly rub her sore bottom. “People here sure do a lot out in the open.”

“Which is why it’s very important to me to demonstrate quite the opposite,” she said with resolve. “Pardon me.” She rushed back down to the foot of the stairs to ask the girl if she was okay, and I watched the way Fannie approached so carefully—the way she had always been with me, when I had found myself in dark places—and I noticed, too, how the girl did not seem as disturbed as I would have expected her to be.

…As if what had just happened was commonplace, here—if not expected.

I waited for Fannie to come back, and then we walked together to the top of the stairs. The scene I had witnessed had given me some pause.

“...Hey,” I said gently, and she looked up at me. “Sorry for givin’ you a hard time. You know this place better than I do, and I want to make sure you feel okay, so—yeah, you can wait and show me your room when your family is there.”

Fannie smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Ben.”

“Will Pennie be there?” I asked. “I still haven’t met her—though, I’m not holdin’ out much hope she’ll like me any more than the rest of your family does.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, dear,” Fannie said. “I think Pennie will like you much more easily than the rest. I think she has always felt left out, in a similar way that you have. And she always was the sweetest one out of all of us.”

I stared at her curiously. “Sweeter than you?”

Fannie giggled. “I told you. I used to be, ah…spunky, when I was young. But…Pennie was always such an angel.” Her face lit up with fond memories of her younger sister…and then she looked up at the portrait of Pentarra, which was now directly above our heads, and looked even larger than ever—and her face grew ashen.

“I…I am not sure when you will be able to meet Pennie,” she said sadly. “She…does not often come home.”

And then she stopped, and corrected herself. 

“Well—she is always in this house, of course,” she murmured. “In fact, I can often sense her presence when I close my eyes. But…she rarely comes back home to us.” Her full lips twitched, and her shoulders sank.

My heart went out to her.

I dropped my bags immediately, and pulled her into me.

“I’m so sorry, Fan,” I whispered.

“Thank you, Ben,” she said, wrapping her arms around me tight, and burying her face in my chest.

“Of course,” I told her, rubbing my hand over her back. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.”

And as I held her, I looked up again at that massive portrait, holding surveillance over the entire hall with those piercing yellow eyes.

I had mentioned before that I could see Pentarra’s features reflected in his many offspring. But perhaps most chilling of all was that, now that I had seen him (or at least, a rendering of him)...I could see his face in Fannie’s. The round shapes of her jaw and her nose were his.

I wondered if that ever bothered her. To carry with her always, in every holo of herself and in every mirror she looked at, the reminder of from whom she had come.

I held Fannie closer to me, and cradled the back of her head in my hand.

I’m not a super Force-sensitive person, despite my family background—probably due to a lack of practice. But…even I could sense something in this place; something bad: a dark, ominous energy that pervaded the whole house like a dense, low fog.

I heard a snuffle coming from my chest region—I pulled Fannie up, alarmed.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I said softly.

“Sorry,” she apologized. “Sorry…”

“No, don’t say that—you don’t need to be sorry, sister,” I said. “But: I do want you to be brave.”

“That’s just it, Ben,” she said, her lashes damp. “I’m always having to be brave. It gets so tiring after a while.”

I gazed at her quietly, wiping the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs.

When I had first met her, she had always seemed so strong and so self-assured. And well, she was…but I knew now that her strength was something she was able to project in spite of her sadness, not in absence of it.

“...Well, how about this,” I said, holding her by the shoulders. “Be brave a little while longer. I’m here now. I’ll put my stuff away—and then, I’ll come back and find you.”

“I think I’ll be okay by then,” Fannie said with an apologetic laugh, wiping the heel of her hand against her eyes. “I just—need a minute or two.”

“Be brave for five minutes,” I said. “Then, I’ll come find you, and I’ll be brave for you for a while, and you can let it out, for a bit. Okay?”

She smiled, her wet eyes glistening. “Okay.”

“Atta girl.” I kissed her on the top of the head, and gave her one last squeeze.

And then I picked up my bags again, and turned, and entered the archway leading into the west wing, casting one last glance up at the enormous portrait as I left.

I knew it was facing away from me, as I departed down the hall.

But…somehow…I could still feel those gleaming yellow eyes on my back.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Primitivism

Primitivism is a set of views and perspectives based on the idea of a natural and spiritual humanity in harmony with nature that began to disappear as civilization developed from Neolithic times, to the extent that today humanity is alienated, de-sensitised and increasingly in thrall to modern industrial society’s conditioning and control. Its more extreme proponents (like John Zerzan) propose a radical regression of social organization and technology to the level of the hunter/gatherer. A radical reduction in human population is a fundamental principle and aim of all primitivists. Some green activists believe humanity has become so corrupted by modern ‘civilization’ that it is humanity itself (all humans equally, whether they are road sweepers or the heads of corporations) that is responsible for the ecological crisis. They argue the planet would be better off with fewer people living on it, and this view has led to homophobia, racism and support for terrorism by some primitivists.

Extreme primitivists believe that the total destruction of civilization is a necessity and the inevitable rapid reduction in human population appears to be a price worth paying. We would agree that we would not like to live in the urban dystopia of 20 billion ravaged souls that primitivists portray but nor would we want to live in a rural arcadia of only fifty million sturdy individualists. With primitivists we agree that “Never has civilization manufactured so many means for its own disappearance. To stop this path to suicide, change the world order and invent a new way of organizing social life becomes each day more urgent because at the end of that road lies, perhaps, the end of humanity”. We also agree with those who say, “Only widespread refusal of this system and its various forms of control, revolt against power itself, can abolish civilization and pose a radical alternative”.

Primitivists believe that humanity has a natural condition but now exists in an unnatural state that is rapidly heading towards spiritual and possibly physical extinction. Most blame the development of civilization which, by inventing certain processes (for instance mathematics) and systems (for instance trade), objectified and commodified Nature and alienated humankind from it. Civilization domesticates individuals from an early age. It alienates and creates ‘alien’ emotions (longing, greed, selflove) that express themselves in conflict, possessiveness, the desire to accumulate and defeat. Most illness and disease, including mental illness, are said to be direct products of civilization. Modern medicine offers only palliatives or a further alienating and controlling hi-tech solution. Hierarchy, division of labour, the subjugation of women, states, priests, kings and armies are all products of a civilization primitivists would like to unbuild. We profoundly disagree with primitivists on the question of humanity and spirituality. Firstly, we reject the notions of a ‘natural humanity’ that can be rediscovered and its more subtle idea that a ‘good’ humanity can only be achieved by regression to either a hunter-gatherer existence or an extremely purified and simplified individualism. Modern humanity is a social construct, something that can be uncreated and redefined in the direction of autonomy, mutual aid and solidarity without any need to bow to the unreal. As revolutionaries, we accept that no future society can be built without the ethical development of millions of people, the development of awareness and understanding, their free and conscious adherence to its principles and modes of action via a social-organic conscience or ethic shared by all humanity. We disagree with primitivism’s desire to randomly unbuild society and the sometimes fervent approval of irrationalist and chaotic attacks on civilization – this is not the revolution which must contain within it the seeds of a sustainable, fulfilling social ecology, a free society, anarchist communism.

Anarchist communists certainly agree with the problems but we are often accused of only wanting to reform society. This is nonsense. The abolition of money, wage relations, the socialization of production and consumption with all goods free to use, an end to all forms of ownership and hierarchy, the end of democracy and all other changes needed to bring about an anarchist communist society are not ‘reforms’ but truly revolutionary. If production and consumption are to be brought into harmony on the basis of human need and ecological sustainability, then all things involved in satisfying human need — knowledge, science, technology, production, distribution and propagation, exchange, communication and so on — will need to be deconstructed and changed in truly revolutionary ways.

Primitivists hate technology and seek a regression to levels of technology which would not be able to support current world levels of population nor give access to many things beneficial to humans. Anarchist communists agree that the extent to which our essential humanity can develop is important and that not all technologies are neutral. Where we disagree is that a society with a high level of technology is necessarily evil and self-destructive, viewing this as a consequence of capitalism’s misuse of technology. Some primitivists see all forms of organization and collective action as alienating and advocate a reversion to a ‘society’ of self-sufficient, self-realising individuals, a ‘natural’ humanity. Anarchist communists in contrast, see society as the truly liberating and liberatory environment in which humanity may find its greatest expression. While agreeing with many that ‘technology’ is not neutral and that civilization must be radically-reformed in ways that are sustainable and maximize both human individuality and sociability (freedom and society), we are completely neutral in our approach to what technology, which tools, used how and when. Technology is not a matter of morals but what works, within the context of sustainability and humanity.

[art-of-manliness]

A Field Guide to Military Hand Signals

Soldiers often need to operate in complete silence to maintain the element of surprise and avoid detection by enemy forces. But they still need to communicate with each other. So, how do they do it without telegraphing their position? With hand signals. During the past century, the military has developed hand signals that allow its members to communicate with each other while in stealth mode. The hand signals also allow communication when things are too loud for their comrades to hear oral communication. The U.S. Army first developed uniform hand signals during WWII. As time went on, the vocabulary of this visual language expanded. Other branches of the military also developed hand signals, typically following the Army’s lead. The most recent standardized hand signals from the U.S. Army are codified in TC 3-21.60. There are many of them for different situations: patrol, convoy control, ground-to-air communication, etc. To find out which military hand signals might be useful for a civilian to know, I talked to fellow Okie and former Green Beret Harrison Anderson, who did 12 years of active duty service in the Army. He’s now a retired colonel in the Army Reserves and finishing up his business education at OU (Boomer Sooner, baby!). A Guide to Military Hand Signals While you might not find yourself in Nam trying to sneak past Charlie, it can still be useful for civilians to know a few military hand signals. As Harrison noted, “Hand signals can come in handy if you’re out hunting and need to keep quiet.” If you’re not a hunter, you can use them when paintballing, playing capture the flag with your bros, or attempting to avoid being detected by a horde of baby-eating barbarians during the apocalypse. Plus, they’re just cool to know. Here’s a rundown on some of the main military hand signals: Numbers Because one of a soldier’s hands may be occupied with a gun, the Army has developed a system to indicate numbers with just one hand. Basically, the hand signals for numbers 1-5 are straightforward, with one finger extended up for each numeral. Then when you get to 6-9, you turn your hand to the side and extend out the number of fingers you’re adding to 5, e.g., two fingers out is 5 + 2 or 7. A closed raised fist is zero. Useful Patrol Hand Signals Slow down. Tell people to slow their pace by extending your arm horizontally to the side, palm to the front, and waving your arm downward several times. Halt. Signal for someone to stop by raising your hand above your head, palm facing forward. Freeze. Use the same signal for halt, but make a fist. Freeze tells someone to not only stop, but to not move at all to avoid detection. Stop, Look, Listen, Smell. Place your open hand behind your ear to tell your crew to pay attention to their environment. Assemble. Raise your arm vertically above your head, palm open, and make a circle with your arm. Use this signal when you need your buddies to rally around you so you can talk shop. Double time. Use this signal to tell your crew to hurry the hell up. It’s a lot of fun to do. Just pump your fist like you’re trying to get a truck driver to blow his horn. Understood. The U.S. Army actually codified this common civilian gesture. Flash a simple thumbs up like the Fonz to indicate you understand the communication. I Don’t Understand. This was my favorite one because it’s so funny. Just shrug your shoulders like you have no clue what’s happening, which indicates you don’t understand the communication. Useful Vehicle Hand Signals Harrison shared a few hand signals that can be used when you’re communicating with the driver of a vehicle. He told me he actually uses these a lot out in the civilian world when he or someone else is backing up a big truck with a trailer hitched to it and the driver’s visibility is compromised. When your friend’s behind the wheel, you can use these signals to help him maneuver his vehicle safely (or vice versa). Indicate How Far a Driver Has to Back Up. Use this hand signal when… http://dlvr.it/T9mkds

[zarathelonewolf]

Books I plan on writing but I Bet I Am Gonna Be Shitty At It™:

For monsterfuckers or monster romance enthusiasts:

-A STORY ABOUT A HUMAN DIPLOMAT in a world where humans and vampires aren't at war anymore, but humans Fucked Up™ so they almost went to war again. However the vampires have decided to simply only allow human diplomats to communicate with them through special mirrors and keep their territories separate. The tradition is broken due to a human diplomat rescuing the child of a vampire sovereign who had rebelliously challenged his parent's authority by visiting human territories... Without however remembering that vampires built their Empire underground and in cave systems for a reason, the reason being their high sensitivity to sunlight. Lucky for him the future diplomat saves him...

Vampires here are similar to bats, but are humanoid and are "Homo noctus". They do not strictly drink blood, but they are carnivorous. They absolutely cannot digest vegetables. They are not allergic to garlic, garlic was the symbol of a group of humans who fought for freedom from a realm of vampires that had conquered a lot of other vampire realms and pushed them to consume the blood of humans as a terror tactic and a form of taxation. This happened after humans stole a sacred cross, which symbolizes the moon falling unto the surface of the Earth "left right and center, permeating all" for the vampires. As a result the extremist groups of blood-sucking vampires, who had been waiting for a reason to justify their uprising, after the longest period of peace between the two species, decided to lead vampires to what they thought was "destined supremacy". They were defeated and vampires momentarily subjugated, the vampires rebelled, the two species decided to coexist to avoid destroying their planet, yadda yadda... There is a lot more stuff that I am not going to expose here. There will be fantasy creatures aside from vampires as well. Werewolves are a type of vampire more closely related to canids than other vampires. The vampires ride giant spiders, scorpions and centipedes. Dhampirs exist and are born through pregnancy HEAVILY AIDED by magic. I will have fun creating this universe but I plan on writing the book "diary style" and on inserting romance, and I think I will NOT get good results writing either.

Fantasy creatures being cared for

- ANOTHER DIARY, BELONGING TO A PERSON WHO DOES REHAB FOR DRAGONS captured and hurt by poachers and hunters in a world where people aren't so keen on the idea of caring for these beasts... Even though they keep at bay other predators, such as their smaller cousins the wyverns, that are much more likely to eat humans than a dragon is, since humans are too small a meal for a dragon. There are talks about preserving other dangerous mythical creatures, due to the important of preventing an imbalance in the ecosystems both local and global.

-CREATURE POV OF A "CONUNDRUM", a creature made by humans through machinery and artificial intelligence closely mimicking that of a human and highly intelligent species of animals. Conundrum are created to act as entertainment for humans in circus enstablishments and in special enclosures after the great majority of mammals, reptiles and birds have become extinct. Each conundrum however has much deeper intelligence than the one humans think they have.

The tale focuses on a Conundrum created by a "master-maker", thrown away due to being considered defective, repurposed by a rich inventor turned loser by a "mistake" in his lab that led to the death of a few people. The inventor gives it to his daughter in order to keep her company while he works to try and sell old-fashioned trinkets. It is later discovered that the inventor had wanted to bring animals back to life after succeeding to recreate the DNA of a tiger. It is also found out that corporations that control the manufacturing of Conundrum machinery pay governments to keep silent in regards to the fact that there are actually a lot of DNA recovered for a lot of species, and that different ones could be created as well: but the corporations want to keep selling their product. There are even specimens of the supposedly extinct animals alive, but they are hidden, and used by the corporations to model the Conundrum's personalities. The inventor is killed because he wants to use the evidence gathered to cause an upheaval, after managing to smuggle a flesh animal. The murder of the scientist is turned into a tale of suicide due to lost fame. The inventor has, however, unbeknownst to all, and knowing that he would probably be murdered after realizing that the person who had sold him the animal would betray him, put the information in his daughter's Conundrum friend. The story does not end here... I do not want to spoil everything though, this is just the tip of the Iceberg.

-CREATURE POV INTO THE MIND OF A GRIFFIN WHO IS THE MOUNT OF A SOLDIER. Griffin here are like wyverns: they don't have front legs. The wings are their front legs, in the sense that they are part of the front legs, which have two fingers sticking out with very big claws to latch onto surfaces. Think archeopteryx but Eagle™

-CREATURE POV OF A CERBERUS HOUND FINALLY RETIRING AFTER BEING USED IN DOG FIGHTS

Fantasy setting

-NECROMANCY IS GOOD, ACTUALLY, AND IT CAN BE USED AS MEDICINAL ART AS WELL AS PROTECTION FOR YOUR ALLIES. This tale is about necromancer nurses and warriors, who provide assistance for their companions whether they are on the front line or at the back. Necromancers and Paladins are both given the same tier of respect.

The enemy the world at large is facing is the revenge of a wounded thousand-years old alien. The creature didn't use to come from the planet but it has now set root in it. It has been its inhabitant for a long time, and the environment has been used to its presence for thousands of years. But when a sect of wizards sets out to uproot the creature in order to study its composition up close and halt its unstoppable, but all things considered, harmless spread, the creature gets inevitable hurt... And, understandably so, acts out, turning from a silent web of fungi to a truly aggressive army of spores. At the end of the books, the creature is isolated from the rest of the world with a protective spell so that it may advance without being hurt ever again. The real reason why the wizards wanted to uproot the creature was because it was accidentally found out that it's vital fluids could grant immortal life and visions of the future.

-EIGHT BIG SNAKES GOT CORRUPTED WHILE TRYING TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM THE MISTAKE OF A MAGE. Their offspring suffered, and now people bearing the mark of the once great defenders of the land are not faring well, to say the least...

-AN ARCHEOLOGIST IS TASKED WITH TRYING TO FIND OUT THE SECRETS HIDDEN in what his colleagues keep saying will certainly be revealed to be the ruins of a civilization believed to have been a hoax for generations... Even though the rest of the community keeps dismissing them on the matter. The truth is that the conspiracy theorists are right, but humankind will never be able to know. It should NOT be able to know. The protagonist is supposed to keep it that way.

-A FORMER PIT FIGHTER WHO'S LOST THEIR FAME AND GLORY is hired as bodyguard for a very low price and after a lot of convincing (since said former champion wanted to drink triple their weight in alcohol and end up in a basket) by a bartender who wants to abandon their academic career, which they were pressured into by their parents, after said parents finally died. Neither of them get what they want, but they will get what they need. There is romance and found family. It is slice of life, mostly, with some drama, and a fantasy-steampunk ambience. There are humanoid species that aren't Homo sapiens but I haven't decided which ones to put.

-URBAN FANTASY WHERE HUMANS... AREN'T HUMAN AT ALL. None of them are. Actual humans have been eliminated by them a long time before the moment in which the story sets. The neo humans do not know this. It was the only thing the last first human were able to achieve with their powers, a form of vengeance.

The novel or novels are based on a few humans, part of a union of other humans fighting against monsters... While knowing that they are monsters themselves. The monsters believe that the humans that aren't monstrous are authentic humans and those that turn into monsters weren't human in the first place. Kinda complicated, I know, but if you guys read it again maybe you will understand it. If not, sorry.

-THE SAME UNIVERSE AS THE NECROMANCER NOVEL, THIS TIME WE FOCUS ON THE JOB OF A HYPNO-MAGE tasked with making someone forget or otherwise "handle better" memories of the war. Not all things need to be remembered. There is romance, non conventional one though.

-RACERS WHOSE RIDES ARE RAPTORS AND VARIOUS DINOSAURS. No, this is not planet Earth we are talking about. Some of the dinosaurs are invented by yours truly. Think about the plot of a sport anime/manga centered on horse-riding except that there are no horses, there are Big Lizards™

You can send asks about them! My asks are open!

[spuddy-buddy]

Client Beware: kitsunaluna(Tumblr)/cactusbasedcola(Discord)

Reasons for beware:

refusal to communicate

refusal to pay

ordering commissions while knowingly unable to pay

Sometime last year, kitsunaluna commissioned me to create a full reference sheet of one of her characters. For reasons outside my control I was not able to finish which I explained, and she accepted this and was willing to wait until I could finally finish. I was finally able to finish in April of this year, some time after a personal falling out in January that is neither relevant to this situation nor severe enough to warrant any kind of call-out on its own.

I sent her a watermarked version of the piece she commissioned on April 5 of this year, with no response. I messaged her again multiple times between June 4 and June 10, again hearing nothing back. On June 22 I finally threatened action in the form of setting a deadline for October 2023 and stating that I would be posting this very Client Beware if I did not receive payment for my work by then.

At this point she finally responded, saying that I had supposedly cancelled the commission. I had done no such thing and told her such, to which she said I had done so over voice chat. I know that was certainly not the case, as I have not spoken to her since mid-January. It also wasn't in my best interest to cancel a piece when A. I was in great need of the money I should have received, and B. I was rather far along and had put a lot of work into it up until I was rendered unable to finish.

Alas, I must admit that I don't have written proof of any of this in writing, as all of our discussion regarding her commission had occurred over voice chat(but even if I had, that evidence would be impossible to retrieve, as you will see in one of the below screenshots). I know it's easy to get burned when someone's source is "dude, just trust me", but further evidence should support my claims of her tying to lie to me.

Back when we still talked, she would often remark on how she wanted to commission artists but had no money to do so, or how she was stressed because she owed artists money for work they'd done for her even though she was struggling with bills.

I am aware of other artists she has commissioned, and have contacted them to ask about their experiences with her.

One artist has done work that went unpaid, and even refunded work that was partially paid for.

One artist was paid for a few pieces, then stopped being paid after a while. She continued to ask them for more commissions despite still owing them money.

One artist has not been paid, but was smart enough to not start yet.

One artist has done work that had been paid for, so credit where credit is due I suppose.

As of time of writing(July 13, 2023) I have received no further communications from her.

Here is proof of her purposefully ignoring my attempts to get in contact and trying to get out of paying me:

(Note the date of the screenshot I sent kitunaluna: January 14, 2023)

Here is proof that I was rather far along with the piece prior to my technical difficulties(this is a rather old message with no accompanying text, but I can assure that I would not have cancelled a commission this far in):

Here are testimonies from other artists she has commissioned/attempted to commission(with names, profiles, and avatars redacted + color coded for clarity):

(Note the mention of an entire channel in her Discord server being nuked; even if there was proof, I wouldn't be able to access it.)

In conclusion, I believe it is in the best interests of both any potential commissioner's and kitsunaluna herself that any artist denies any future commissions from her. She is evasive when confronted, has unhealthy spending practices, and has no respect for artists' time and work.

You're most likely to run into her if you're into Monster Hunter, Cookie Run Kingdom, or Don't Starve IIRC.

[brinefathomcaves]

Faction: The Brine Vultures

The Brine Vultures are an ex-pirate crew that currently control travel in and out of the main entrance to the Brinefathom Caves. Racially, they’re mostly humans, half-orcs, and goblins. They make their living by extracting tolls from people traveling into and out of the dungeon—currently 1 GP/person to enter, with the exit toll depending on whether the travelers found any treasure. They can also be hired as guides and bodyguards for an additional fee. At any given time, about half of the Brine Vultures are in the caves, with the rest off hunting, fishing, or just getting drunk in town, where there’s booze other than algasina.

Until a couple months ago, most of the traffic through the cave was people going to the tomb complexes deeper on the first level (which I’ll cover next month). However, bodies there have started to rise as zombies and ghouls, making the tombs much more dangerous and sharply decreasing the traffic to the tombs. Thus, the Brine Vultures have had to start charging more to the smaller number of treasure-hunters going into and out of the tomb. When possible, they don’t kill people unwilling to pay the toll—just beat ‘em up and steal their stuff. This isn’t any kind of moral stand; killing is just more likely to attract serious attention from town and beyond.

What They Want

The undead are the Brine Vultures’ main problem right now. Not only have those shambling bastards seriously cut into their profits, but the stupid things keep wandering into the Vultures’ section of the caves and attacking people. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just killing all the undead (which would still be challenging for the pirates). There are hundreds of bodies interred in that part of the caves, and more will just keep rising unless the root cause is addressed. The Vultures have some (incorrect) theories—that its due to grave robbing, or because of the literally defaced statues in [AREA], but they lack the courage and manpower to 

NPCS

Vulture-Eye Vertin (M Human, LE): A balding, heavyset man in his 60s, Vertin still looks (and sounds!) like a stereotypical pirate captain, right down to an eyepatch covering his left eye. He views the caves as a sort of retirement compared to the constant work of sailing. He has no ambitions of exploring more of the caves (and in fact forbids his crew from going to the lower levels). He’s somewhat reclusive, largely keeping to his room, but he’s generally well-liked by his crew because he provides good loot shares and more free time than they had as pirates.

In conversation, Vertin is friendly enough, but prefers to direct the conversation away from himself. He likes to use jokes, irony, and deflection to hide the fact that he avoids giving straight answers.

The source of Vertin’s nickname is hidden under his eyepatch: the vulture’s eye, a filmy blue magic item that replaced his original eye. It allows him to see how close creatures around him are to death, and to identify undead and constructs. He claims he earned it by giving a sea witch the best sex of her life.

Lur Flatnose (F Goblin, NE): Lur was promoted to First Mate (upon her predecessor’s death) two weeks before Vertin decided to give up shipboard life. She therefore feels like she never got a real chance to prove herself. With Vertin's increasing isolation, ordering the crew around mostly falls to Lur. Lately, Lur’s been thinking that she doesn’t need Vertin at all—she does all the work, so why shouldn’t she be the boss? Then they can use their foothold to delve into the dungeon rather than just picking up scraps. Only a few trusted crewmates know about her plans for mutiny.

Talking to Lur, you’d think that her vocabulary consists mostly of cusses. She doesn’t talk much, but she’s an incredibly inventive swearer. The Vultures have known her long enough not to take offense (her more colorful phrases often become mini-memes within the community), and she’s not concerned with being palatable to outsiders.

Cookie (M Orc, NE): Cookie is the Brine Vultures’ cook, and one of the longest-serving crew members—mostly because he never participated in battles if he could help it. For a pirate, he’s very combat-averse, and he prefers to strike unaware foes when possible. His only qualm about being on land is that staying in one place makes it harder to indulge his true passion, culinary experimentation. There’s only so many types of food common on a single island, after all.

Cookie is easier to talk to than either of his bosses, and he likes having people around to chat with while he cooks. The best ways to get on his good side is to either help with food prep or bring him an interesting carcass. He has no problems eating sentient creatures, but finds the meat of all humanoids except elves too boring to bother with.