#command log retrieved

[syoddeye]

Here me out pls

Nik in the Strict Machinery AU as a possible bf for reader for a NikPricexReader

Thank you for your time

hear you out? for nik? always. this was fun. nikolai is still nikolai in this au. that is, mysteriously wealthy and well-connected. he's probably fascinated by john. it's cutting edge technology, after all. available only to the testers that live in the building.

that said. i do not think their first meeting goes well.

strict machine anthology. cw: alcohol mention, implied non-consensual voyeurism, the boys are fighting

the hesitation is intentional, nikolai thinks. prototype or not, there is no reason for this thing to experience a delay. it's too advanced. his own cheap, voice-active coffee maker brews pots when he's face down in bed, slurring commands through a hangover.

he leans against the counter. "john. i said, black coffee, no sugar."

this time, it responds. "user has not authorized food or drink for guests."

nikolai smiles, a tired amusement curving his mouth. "she's asleep," he counters, pushing to see where the line is. "should i wake her?"

after a beat, the machine hums to life, reluctantly, he assumes. as the mug fills, he turns his attention to the wall panel. he ignores the in case of emergency and authorized users only stickers.

the nearly invisible door gives a soft whoosh as the compartment opens, revealing a sleek, intricate array of circuits and controls—a shrine to cutting-edge design. far beyond what even the wealthiest of his clients might handle, nikolai marvels at it, his fingers hovering just shy of contact. then, he touches its small screen, intending to peek at—

it zaps him. not painful, but pointed. a gentle warning, considering. nikolai shakes out his fingers and chuckles. "i apologize. i should always ask before touching."

there is no answer, until he retrieves his coffee. it is black, but one sip, and he knows there are at least two sugars in it. what a curious, temperamental thing.

"before she wakes, i should inform you that i was unable to complete your background check last night." john suddenly pipes up, voice clipped and stern.

"you ran a check? on me?" not the first time, not the last. good to know his team is worth their salaries, though. keeping him disconnected, his data scrubbed.

"i run checks with everyone my user spends more than five minutes with."

"surely i lasted longer than that," nikolai smirks into his mug, feeling the granules dissolve and swim between his teeth. "you were watching us, weren't you?"

silence.

"to make sure i was acting as a gentleman, as i assured you last night?"

"you were drunk."

"we both were." nikolai replies, moving to the couch. he sinks into its corner, one leg draped over the edge, lounging comfortably. he looks out across the sterile space. it is cozy compared to his own, but it has its charm. he is undecided about the assistant, though.

the thing is too over-zealous for his liking. he would spit if he heard his coffee maker back talk. he would take a bat to it.

"you must know her better than anyone."

this time, the response is immediate. defensive, even. "i am optimized to ensure her well-being."

nikolai chuckles. "'optimized'. is that what you call it?" he smooths back his mussed hair. "you don't like me. you're suspicious. that's good. it's very…human."

"it is not. i am not." a shift in tone. closer, too. like he's right on top of him. has he flustered the thing? "my programming is consistent and solid, unlike–"

"humans?" he catches a flicker of light, and a projected figure materializes beside him, legs disappearing into the couch. broad shoulders, bullish posture, arms crossed. its face is tight and stern, probably modeled after a thousand logged expressions of intimidation. the fidelity is nothing like he's seen, either. realistic enough that nikolai wanted to touch it the mole on its nose. his hand twitches before he recalls the panel's warning.

hm. interesting. more rugged than i imagined.

"that's good, john. because i'm consistent. solid, too. ask her about that later. she will tell you, or she will request pain relief." he lifts his mug in a toast, and the figure's frown deepens.

just as quickly as it appeared, the image vanishes. he hears movement from beyond the cracked bedroom door, followed by a voice. low, but not quite low enough.

"john?"

"yeah, darl?"

darl?

"i'm, uh, sore from...dancing last night. do you mind setting out something in the bathroom for it?"

something in the wall behind nikolai makes an awful sound. a muffled, metal-on-metal rumbling. an equivalent to grinding teeth together. his grin widens, and he spreads his legs a little further.

"of course, darl, i'll—"

"oh! and ask nik what he wants for breakfast, okay?"

he laughs quietly into his too-sweet coffee at the program's stiff and resigned assent.

[corsair-news-alliance]

[After Action Report]

{"Some details are gonna be altered for the safety of individuals involved. Union officials will receive the full version." =Deuces=}

[Operation: Three Candles Deep]

[Operation Handler: Aimee Smith. Callsign "Morse"]

[Operation Supplementary Forces: S.O.G Wheelock]

[Operation Team: Morningstar Squadron, @ras-favourite-balor aka Brigand]

[Morningstar Squadron: Pilot Longboard, Pilot Roadburn]

[Purpose of Operation: Retrieval of Harrison NHP Specialist.]

{Legal Addendum: "Don't forget to show off the gray space of why this was allowed, long rim locales give us more flexibility. I'll input the extra needed info in here." =Adler= \>LegalDocument.LongRim.Grayspace.Harrsion</}

[Begin Audio Playback]

Our purpose in this operation was simple. Retrieve a Harrison Armories NHP Specialist for the purposes of repairing a Seccom Era casket. Currently for the safety of this specialist they are in protective custody and we will be awaiting Union DoJ/HR input before further action.

S.O.G Wheelock deployed the Morningstar team, Brigand for the purposes of this log will be referred to as a member of the Morningstar Team. The squadron will be referred to separately should it be needed.

The team dropped quietly under H.A scanners and breached a relatively uninhabited hangar. Scans indicated a total of 2 civilian deaths and several subaltern damages. CMC will be handing over adequate manna for each civilian death to the DoJ/HR to be brought to the families of the deceased.

Morningstar team then found the quickest route to the civilian muster station and applied intimidation tactics via destroying security subalterns in order to find the NHP Specialist. For the remainder of this report they will be referred to as "Volt". No civilians in the muster station were harmed. Volt was to be brought into CMC custody unharmed.

Volt was put in the care of Longbeard, the surviving family Longbeard had is willing to publicly release the history of the pilot. \>LongbeardDossier.CMC</, \<TheIronBearOfTheDawnlineShore.UNArch>/.

For a brief overview Longbeard had served under H.A for several years on the Dawnline shore. Longbeard Defected and fled to the Long Rim, settled down before circumstances led to their enlistment with their adoptive child Roadburn.

The team with the intelligence provided by Volt were forced into direct combat with H.A forces. Two commanders and what were later revealed to be several Z Line clones. Both officers were killed in battle. While the team could have chosen to simply extract further the call was made to kill the Lt in a bid to prevent the flash clones from continuing to attack and...

[+Audio playback suggests sounds of soft crying and collecting ones self+]

Apologies... And to prevent harm to Volt. Once to the extraction point it was revealed there was a mass cloning operation. \<OperationThreeCandlesDeepPhotoLog.FlashCloningPods>/

The team decided to extract Volt and then destroy the cloning pods. This was not in the original contract but was a choice to prevent further atrocity. It should be noted Volt was threatened when they questioned the purposes of being extracted as well as the task they were required to do. This is not by CMC standards and will be reminded heavily to all further extraction teams. Volt was launched from a ship escape pod and picked up shortly after by S.O.G Wheelock. Volt was given a medical exam and was deemed as healthy with bruising, minor bruising normal from riding shotgun in a mech was expected. Volt was given food, water, and was allowed space to exist without constant supervision.

The team attempted to destroy the pods manually but...

[+The tail end of crying has been included. The Handler spent an hour highly distressed recording this portion+]

The team was overwhelmed quickly by several flashclones and the H.A commander of the operation. Longbeard gave several chances for the H.A forces to surrender before calling... C..calling for the other to retreat.

Longbeard utilized the enclave pattern support shield to attempt to detonate several reactor cores as a method of cooking off the fuel lines in the relatively abandoned portion of the ship with the knowledge that most of the ships fail-safes were operational due to the lack of damage done by the team.

It is CMC's recommendation to commend Brigand for attempting to rescue Longbeard from this sacrifice via Intangible HORUS technology.

[+Further audio was deemed stable enough despite Handler Morse crying+]

The flash cloning pods were destroyed and there was minimal civilian loss of life in that portion of the ship. CMC as stated before will be providing reparation costs to Union for them to sort to the families. A total of five reactors cooked off under the support shield. The cascading explosion and fuel lines destroyed a portion of the ship, namely the flash cloning work and a portion of the research labs.

Roadburn then breached via an escape pod and picked up Brigand who had returned to real space and both were picked up by S.O.G Wheelock.

It is the official stance of CMC that while the destruction of the flash cloning facility was not within the terms of the operation it was within conduct with the utopian pillars and was the correct option.

As a handler I... I... I lost a good pilot. And.. fuck... Ra below...

As a handler I stand by the actions of my pilots.

CMC will not be paying reparations to Harrison Armories for the destruction of their property nor the overblown number of civilian deaths....

Till Legends Bleed.

Ending this after action report Handler Aimee Smith, Callsign "Morse" authorization key "Walking on Sunshine"

[End Audio Playback]

[cyborg-franky]

Another piece I did for the @op-xreader-zine

Marco x GN Reader x Ace TW: Age gap ship - polyam SFW WC: 1,300

Opening the door to your room you saw Ace spread out on the bed, legs hanging off the edge, boots still on, hat thrown over the chair, and a book in his hands. There was a look of concentration on his face, only broken for a brief moment when he waved his hand in greeting. “Have you seen Marco?” you asked and peered around the room, seeing no sign of your other partner.

“No, and I doubt we will for a few hours.” Ace sighed and set the book down on the nightstand before turning to face you, leaning on his elbow with his brows furrowed. You sighed along with him. 

“He’s still in the office isn’t he?” 

Ace nodded.

“Marco needs to take more breaks… This is insane, he can’t keep doing all his work as a doctor and as the captain, he’s taking on too much,” you said as you flopped down next to Ace, feeling an arm snake around you and his chin coming to rest on your shoulder. 

“Yeah, I agree, but he’s such a stubborn old buzzard that blames himself for everything that happened.” You could see a look of sadness cross his face, replaying the events of Marineford over and over. 

“Come on, let's go pay him a visit. He can’t brush off both of us, can he? We’ll bring him some snacks and tea, remind him he’s not a machine,” you said as you leaned over enough to kiss Ace’s freckled cheek before pulling yourself up off the bed.

–

Armed with a tray of drinks and snacks, you and Ace headed to Marco’s office. He never took up the captain’s chamber; he just didn’t have the heart to work there, to be reminded why he was the new captain, the wounds still not healed; wounds that deep would emotionally scar him for years to come. You tried not to think of it like that, but you and Ace hadn't been there half as long as Marco and hadn’t known Pops as he had.

All you could do was try and lift him when his heart became too heavy. You knocked on the door with no reply. Another knock, still nothing. Ace rolled his eyes and handed you the tray before he just opened the door, barging in. “Birdbrain!” Ace called and got a very sleepy look in return from Marco.

“Oh, I didn’t hear you, yoi,” Marco hummed, leaning back in his chair watching as you and Ace came inside. Ace walked over to the desk and started to move papers and maps, earning himself a scornful look and a tsk from Marco who kept trying to pull things back. 

“No more work tonight,” you piped up, helping Ace clean the table before Ace retrieved the tray of snacks from its perch on the side table, setting it on his desk instead, Marco’s little personal mini office when he brought work back to their room with him.

“I still have so much to do, I’ll stop in an hour.” Marco stretched over the desk to grab at a log book, just to have his hand swatted by you and Ace at the same time. 

“No, it’s time to rest, have a midnight snack with us,” Ace said firmly, using his own commander voice on Marco.

“See, midnight isn’t bad.” Marco was still trying to protest as you pulled up a chair closer to him, Ace doing the same as he started to help himself to the snacks you’d brought. 

“Marco, you need to take it easy, you’ve taken on so much. Too much.” You placed your hand on his, stopping it from reaching for his pen. Feeling your fingers lace together, you gave him a concerned smile.

“I don’t have time to rest. There’s still so much to do, yoi.” Ace added his hand to the two of yours and gave Marco a firm look, nose wrinkled as he huffed. 

“You won’t do anyone any good if you work yourself to death, I don’t think the phoenix will be much help then.”

“He’s right Marco,” you agreed and saw how Marco slouched in his seat, knowing you were both right and not liking his partners teaming up on him. He was such a stubborn man, trying to carry everything on his shoulders.

All together, Marco was trying to carry his old duties, new duties, the grief, the guilt, everything. He was carrying a bigger weight than anyone could ever imagine and you just wished you could lighten his load.

Marco’s half-lidded eyes stared at the tray of treats, watching steam from the tea twist and turn in the air. When he breathed in to center himself he must’ve gotten a whiff of the tea, his favorite, the smell lingering in the room before he let out a shaky sigh, nodding defeatedly. “Okay, I’ll call it a day.”

“That’s a good birdy,” Ace teased, leaning in and kissing Marco’s cheek, as you did the same on the other side.

Pulling away and seeing the normally cool and collected captain with a pink hue across his cheeks was cute, as was his smile that just grew as he enjoyed being the center of attention.

“You work so hard, you can have breaks. Everyone understands Marco, no one expects you to be used to it yet, to be over it.” You cupped his cheek, feeling him lean into your palm as your thumb brushed his skin. “Let us help you a little more, yeah?” 

Another sigh but at least Marco nodded. Ace added the sugar and milk to Marco’s tea and handed it to him. He gladly took it and took a sip, trying to get absorbed in the moment, to just relax and fade away on calmer waters within his mind. Ace handed you another cup and you smiled back at him.

“I know, I know, I just...” Marco sipped his drink again, trying to organize his thoughts before you set down your cup, linking arms with him. 

“I know Marco, but you are trying to fill literally gigantic shoes. You're doing great, you're an amazing captain.” You leaned against his arm, feeling his shoulders sag, relaxing slowly. You could tell he was struggling with his inner turmoil but appreciated your words.

Ace, with a mouthful of snacks, wrapped his arms around you both, swallowing his food before he kissed Marco’s cheek. “We are all going to be fine, we can do this as a team right?” Ace asked with a determined gleam in his eyes.

You watched as Marco let his gaze slip to the huge scar in the middle of Ace’s chest, thoughts churning within his mind. You nudged Marco, causing him to meet your eye, the lazy smile growing on his face when you held him tighter.  “Riiight?” you prompted him, and he chuckled— such a lovely sound, you’d missed his laugh.

“Right, thank you both.” He wriggled himself loose, this time pulling you both against him, arms around you and Ace, nuzzling his cheek against yours. “I needed this, yoi,” Marco confessed as you and Ace kissed him on the cheek once more before sitting down and digging into the snacks you brought.

“We love you, so we will always be here to make sure you don’t overdo it,” Ace said and closed his eyes, you smiled enjoying the moment with your partners. 

[pagesfromthevoid]

A Real Nightmare | a.a. | 1

Astarion x fem!Tav

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Cussing. Astarion being…Astarion

Author’s Note: I’m not even sorry.

Talk to Me! | Series Masterlist

Astarion, visibly frustrated, threw his jacket to the ground with irritation, aggressively stomping out the flames that had crawled up its arm. A string of colorful curses escaped his lips as he forcefully dug his heel into the dirt, determined to extinguish every ember. Witnessing the dramatic display, Tav instinctively covered her face with her hands, feeling her cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and panic. The crackling sounds of the dying flames, accompanied by Astarion's expressive language, created a chaotic scene that lingered in the air, leaving an awkward tension between the two.

The majority of the party had headed into the nearest town to snag supplies or dig deeper into their quest details, leaving Tav and Astarion to handle the camp setup—just the two of them. Despite their limited interactions in the few days they'd known each other, usually confined to brief and somewhat meaningless small talk, today marked a shift. It was the day they finally got down to setting up a proper camp, making it the longest stretch of time she'd spent alone with him.

It wasn’t the worst thing in the world; it’s not as if she hated him or anything…she just didn’t like his snide comments on everything. Or the way he looked at her like she was something to eat and not a person. Or the burning feeling in her belly when he flirted. But when he didn’t have an audience, he wasn’t nearly as bad. Truthfully, he was almost tolerable. 

Astarion had thrown a fit, complaining about having "worked so hard" to gather what he considered "so much firewood" (although three logs hardly qualified, she didn't bother arguing), only to come back and discover they had no means to light it. In a moment of misguided goodwill, Tav offered to take care of it. In hindsight, she should have known better than to make such an offer; her command over magic, especially when it came to fire, was far from stellar.

Which was how Astarion's jacket caught fire. And how her tent also caught fire. Though luckily, she hadn’t put all of her belongings inside yet.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, hastily reaching out to retrieve his coat as he stormed away from the smoldering fabric. Examining it, she assessed the damage, hoping against hope for a chance at recovery. The arm was unmistakably burned through, but with the right supplies, she believed she could mend it. Her voice carried a mix of guilt and fear as she spoke, "I really didn't mean to do that – truly, Astarion. I would never actually try to hurt you, not on –,"

“You can’t even cast a spell correctly!” He interrupted, turning around quickly to point at her. His eyes flashed –a mix of darkness, anger, and a touch of dangerous allure.

“Excuse me, I can cast a spell just fine,” she argued, crossing her arms over her chest like a petulant child. His jacket hung at her side as she narrowed her eyes at him. “I just don’t have a lot of control after I cast it.”

“How is that any better?”

“Because at least I can do something!”

“You lit me on fire!”

“It was an accident!”

“What kind of sorceress can’t control her own fucking magic?” He demanded.

“One that has never been taught!” She spat back at him, her guilt receding only to be replaced with anger. He was allowed to be mad at her for lighting him on fire –he wasn’t allowed to insult her in the process, however.

“What the bloody hell do you mean, ‘one that’s never been taught’?”

Tav hesitated, realizing that maybe she had divulged too much. Her reluctance to expose her...deficiencies in magic was almost nonexistent.

When she had become the de facto leader of the party, and they had gathered up Gale into their midst, he had pressed her about her skills and spells that came from her home in Otherus. She tried to play it off at first, explaining that magic in Faerun wasn’t all that different from magic in Otherus, but Gale had been persistent –even when she explained she’d rather not have an audience. He just asked for her to join him in private.

It was there that Gale learned that their leader was not nearly as capable as she had made herself out to be. While she was able to cast spells and use magic, she couldn’t exactly…control the outcome. 

Magic had long been outlawed in certain parts of Otherus –in the main cities and around the edge of the kingdom, specifically –and Tav was born to a sorceress mother and a soldier of the king, who loathed those with magic at their dispense. Her mother, Fera, had kept her abilities secret for years until after Tav had been born. However, fearing that her babe would start showing signs, Fera thought it time to reveal to her husband what they were.

Fera had thought he would understand. That he loved them enough to protect them.

Fera had been wrong.

The King’s Guard had been called to the home, and by the time they arrived –Fera was slain, and Tav’s father was attempting to remove her hands from her body.

“A sorceress without hands is no sorceress at all,” he had seethed, pressing the blade into her wrist, breaking the skin and almost hitting the bone. 

The Guard stopped him before he did further damage; demanded if she had shown any signs of magic prior. When they determined she hadn’t, the Guard charged him with the abuse of a child; but his sentence was lenient for ridding the world of one more magic user.

Tav was ten. 

For a short while, Tav lived with her grandmother in a small village outside the kingdom but she was old and frail, and had no desire to raise a child at her age. Isowen, her mother’s sister, took her instead to the edge of the kingdom, as far from the king’s guard of Otherus as possible. Isowen ran an apothecary and taught Tav in the healing arts but forbade her from talking of magic or the arcane. Too many soldiers came in and out of their little shop; it was never safe. 

This was how it went for years –until Tav was old enough to go out on her own, and make a life for herself.

Initially, she had every intention of departing from Otherus. The kingdom as a whole, in all honesty, didn't hold any allure for her, especially if she aspired to master the control of her magic. However, the lack of viable means to leave or reach any other destination left her with no choice. Consequently, she found herself navigating a transient existence, engaging in various odd jobs across villages she encountered along the way. To safeguard herself, she discreetly concealed her magical abilities, aware of the potential risks that came with revealing her unique skills in unfamiliar territories. 

It wasn’t until the damned tadpole in her eye that she was finally taken away from Otherus. And now she was the leader of a band of heroes, trying to save everyone…and she had no idea how to control herself.

Gale had been sweet enough to offer to teach her, and keep her secret. Even though he did sound a bit snobbish about the ordeal, his lessons were important to her and she enjoyed the time she spent with him. 

Astarion continued to stare her down, his gaze unwavering, expecting an explanation. She felt the weight of his scrutiny, her left hand instinctively curling around her right, fingers tracing the scar that served as a perpetual reminder of the painful history of her life in Otherus.

"Have you ever kept so much bottled up for so damn long that when it finally spills out, it's like a wildfire you can't control? But, you know, strangely satisfying? Like this unseen weight you didn't even realize you were hauling around just lifts off your shoulders?" she asked, settling onto the ground before the dormant fire pit. She absentmindedly wrung her wrist, caught in the residual tension of her confession.

Astarion remained standing, though when she looked up at him to ask him to join her, his eyes had left her face and were fixed on where she held her wrist.

“I can’t say I have.” 

His voice was soft –sincere, even –and Tav smiled wryly.

“I’m from Otherus,” she explained, and Astarion let out a little ah in response –a knowing sound. She let out a humorless laugh, holding her hand to him now. “I had just gotten enough coin to finally leave when the damn worm got me. And now…I’m here.”

There was a moment of hesitation on his end, but eventually Astarion kneeled beside her and took her hand, examining the scar that rested between where her hand and wrist met. “You’re saying, darling, that up until you became the leader of a bunch of weirdos –you had never used your magic?”

Tav nodded once, shivering involuntarily as Astarion ran his thumb over the scar. “Here and there; but never enough to be meaningful.”

“Sweet hells, we’re doomed.”

“Must you be so dramatic?” She asked, though instead of the annoyed tone she usually held, it was laced with a fear that she wished she didn’t have. “I…I didn’t ask for any of this. I don’t know what happened; one moment, I was following Shadowheart’s lead then the next I was doling out orders.”

Astarion dropped from his kneeling position to sit beside her, one knee pulled up as the other was outstretched in front of him. He shifted and rested his weight on his hands. 

“You are rather bossy,” he pointed out, grinning at her teasingly, as if trying to ease the tension. “I suppose it only makes sense, minus the whole lack of skill bit.”

“You and Gale are the only two who know.”

Astarion practically giggled in delight. “Ah, so I have blackmail. I love it.”

She gave him a funny look, unable to help herself. “Astarion, you cannot blackmail me when I also know something about you.”

He scoffed. “Please. I’m an open book, darling.”

“You’re right; you are an open book. And the very first page says you’re a vampire.”

For a moment, she could tell he was debating if he would play off her accusations. She knew the look well; it was one she used herself when she wanted to avoid confrontation. But then he narrowed his eyes. 

“And how did you come to that conclusion?”

She rolled her eyes, pointing at her throat. “You have bite marks on your neck, Astarion,” then she motioned towards her mouth. “You also have fangs. You never eat with us, or when I offer you food. When you drink wine, you look nearly offended by it —,”

“To be fair, it is shit wine.”

“Regardless —I know you think me an idiot, but what I may lack in spell casting, I make up for in intelligence. I’m rather observant when I want to be.”

At this, Astarion leaned in close to her, voice turning sultry. “Oh, so you observe me, my love?”

Tav swallowed hard, involuntarily leaning in as well without even realizing it. “Occasionally, yes. Probably as much as you observe me.”

Astarion's lips curled into a mischievous smirk, and as he subtly withdrew, Tav felt the heat rise in her cheeks. A mix of excitement and self-chastisement coursed through her, acknowledging the magnetic effect he seemed to have on her. As she opened her mouth to respond, the distant sound of Karlach's animated yell reached them, accompanied by the laughter of their returning companions. Both their attentions shifted towards the camp's edge, momentarily distracted from the tension that she was certain they both felt.

Astarion rose from his spot, extending his hand toward her. Tav met his gaze briefly before accepting his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. Their hands remained connected for a moment longer than strictly necessary, a subtle tension hanging in the air, before Astarion finally withdrew and strolled away from her towards the group. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was about to go embellish how badly she fucked up the fire. 

But instead of feeling annoyed, she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips.

“I hope you feel that weight lift one day, Astarion,” she said, soft enough that only he could hear. 

He paused mid step, glancing over his shoulder at her. “One day, perhaps.”

[enderham]

Some Aventurine headcenons:

- He can't swim properly (never got to learn)

- He has a lot of plants and hires someone to take care of them when he's away. His place looks like a jungle and his balcony is overflowing with them, that's where he spends most of his time when he's in Pier Point. (If there's a cold season in Pier Point his balcony has a sliding glass window that turns it into a greenhouse)

- Thankfully offset by the plants, the rest of his IPC accommodation is just as gaudy and luxurious as his outfits. It's somewhat eclectic because he chooses decorations by process of 'ooh shiny/cool' but there's a clear preference for art nouveu and art deco even though he probably wouldn't know that's what it's called.(He likes the interior design of the reverie but doesn't know why) It's in a luxury apartment block and he had to finesse his way through the chain of command to get it approved for him.

- He genuinely likes green, it's not just cause of his stone(he's wearing the wrong shade anyway) (yeah, the plants)

- He'd wear a lot of colour and jewelry even if he weren't "rich" or maintaining an image(based on the splashes of colour on little Kakavasha's Avgin clothes)

- He doesn't have an actual birthday on file. It's logged as the day the IPC "acquired" him. The only reason he knows the standard system date is because of the massacre. The Avgin calendar is different from the standard system one, so the documentation of the Katican attack was his only way of finding out. Since finding out, all he does on his birthday is burn a Knot of Cyclicality and say a prayer. He's no longer sure if it matches up with the Avgin calendar's Kakava.

- Since he gives out money like it grows on trees and I can imagine his project plans are fairly fluid that would mean that so are his budgets too. It makes me wonder if he's got money on off-shore accounts someplace in the galaxy the IPC hasn't reached yet.

-Converseley, the jewelry he's wearing could be his final asset. I can imagine that watch to be worth at least enough to sustain one person for a year(especially on worlds with a lower cost of living). The bracelets could buy you a vehicle and his other accessories are pocket money, all in case he's gotta run.

-He can drive and he wants to learn how to pilot a ship but the IPC is barring him

-He'd never sell the earring tho

-He also carries his family's heirlooms (the shirt, necklace and charm) everywhere he travels, also in case he has to run. I believe only the most dire of circumstances would stop him from retrieving them. (I also think the charm is the earring so these two are basically the same headcanon)

- Back to the swimming, he's both afraid of submerging his head under water(having to play dead in a pool of blood, probably thinking you'll drown in it does that to a kid) and drawn to large bodies of water.

-His gloves conceal scars on his hands from the chains he had to use as a "tool"

[queen-of-onychinus]

Introduction

[ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILE…]

[SECURITY CLEARANCE LEVEL: OMEGA]

[USER AUTHENTICATION REQUIRED]

[AUTHENTICATION ACCEPTED]

[OPENING FILE: HUNTER #0027 – "REYNA"]

[WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS WILL BE LOGGED AND PROSECUTED]

HUNTER’S ASSOCIATION – CLASSIFIED DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Reyna (Codename: Nebula)

FILE ID: HA-0027

CLEARANCE LEVEL: Classified

STATUS: ACTIVE | High value asset

AFFILIATION: Hunter's Association (Current)

EVER (Formerly, CLASSIFIED)

RANK: Captain - LEVIATHANs squad

CURRENT LOCATION: [REDACTED]

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA:

AGE: 27

HEIGHT: 5’9”

BUILD: Athletic, Lean, Enhanced Physiology

HAIR COLOR: Teal (dyes often)

EYE COLOR: Icy Blue

SUBJECT HISTORY – RESTRICTED ACCESS

ORIGINS: Subject was born to two EVER Group scientists specializing in Biotech and Evol Energy research. Following the Chronoshift Catastrophe, which resulted in mass destruction, her mother was confirmed deceased. Her father survived and continued work under EVER, becoming the lead researcher in cardiac protocore augmentation—one of the organization's most controversial and highly classified projects.

At an undisclosed age, subject was forcibly entered into experimental trials, wherein a specially engineered protocore was implanted within her cardiac structure. This resulted in significant amplification of her Evol abilities, leading to her designation as an elite bounty hunter within EVER’s ranks.

Codenamed "Nebula," subject was deployed to countless missions to track and retrieve rogue protocores—either by acquisition through underground trade networks or by direct elimination of individuals in possession of them. Her success rate was recorded at 90.7%, marking her as one of EVER’s most effective assets.

However, classified records indicate an unauthorized departure from EVER Group. Subject engaged in covert contact with an internal informant (Identity: KADE, Status: DECEASED), securing forged identification and transport out of EVER jurisdiction. Subject’s departure was not without consequence—intelligence confirms that her informant was eliminated by EVER operatives within 72 hours of assisting her escape.

Reyna successfully integrated into the Hunter’s Association, assuming command of LEVIATHANS, an elite squad specializing in high-risk missions and operations. Despite her tactical proficiency and leadership capabilities, concerns remain regarding potential retaliation from EVER Group and the long-term stability of her protocore enhancements.

EVOL CAPABILITIES – HIGH THREAT LEVEL

PRIMARY EVOL: Plasma Manipulation

SUBSET ABILITIES:

Starfire generation

Plasma shields

Fusion bursts

Augmented endurance

NOTE FROM THE HUNTER'S ASSOCIATION:

Despite the subject’s efficiency in field operations and squad members exhibiting high loyalty to her command, her past affiliation with EVER remains a point of concern. Continuous monitoring is advised to prevent potential conflicts of interest. Despite it all, the subject is a critical asset for the Association.

[FILE LAST UPDATED: [REDACTED]

[AUTHORIZATION: HUNTER’S ASSOCIATION OMEGA-LEVEL CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR FURTHER ACCESS]

[END TRANSMISSION…]

OOC: Credit for the dividers goes to @firefly-graphics

[mooonjin]

Hi I don't know if your requests are open but can you do a Hunter X female reader she likes nature and he does too they connect it be a soft wholesome story.

Butterfly

Notes: SUCH A CUTE PROMPT!!!!! ii hope this is what you like <3333 and as promised, the fic!!! i hope this is also confort enough after the tbb finale :((

Pairing: Hunter x f!reader

Summary: You, a nature lover on Raxus has to deal with the changes of the New Empire. But a new path has opened, a path to another nature lover. A person you wouldn't expect to love nature too.

Warnings/Tags: fluff, mentions of the Empire, nature, implied f!reader but i dont use many pronouns (i dont think 0.0), cute tension ⁠— tell me if I've missed anything!

The suns rays gently pushed its way through the lush, orange and green mixed trees. It was always such a lovely view to admire and even better to even sit and relax under. The golden ropes shining against you as you feel the warm heat.

Raxus was responsible for the beautiful horizons and lands you grew up around, your mother and father always making sure there was time for the family to go out and acknowledge what the planet offered.

They shielded you from the war, considering they were on the side of the Separatists, they didn't want you in on politics, especially because your mother was a senator for Raxus. They wanted you to be happy and appreciate the better things in life.

That's how you fell in love with nature.

Everyday, just how your parents did it, you would go out, sit on the same tree log that you carved your names into—with cutely failed love hearts that almost looked like stars—and just sit. Sit and cherish the time you had with the singing birds and the sun that continued to shine.

It was post-Clone Wars now. The Galactic Empire rose to power.

Suddenly, the atmosphere around you changed drastically. As you grew older, you slowly learned about the horrible war that happened and now, a new position in power is pushing all of these absurd laws. Weren't you practically on their side?

Now, finding the time to be by yourself and away from everyone else became difficult. There was either a clone or a TK trooper around every corner you turned.

Luckily, there was a forest close to your home that the trees tower over, making it tough to land, large, Imperial shuttles on.

They attempted to cut them down but they were too thick and wasted time, according to the really angry commanding officers you overheard.

You now had a beautiful space to relax in. You were upset the log that had your parents names on it wasn't by the forest but the Empire would've arrested you and you wouldn't have been able to sit in environment solitude any longer.

The sun rays continued to shine through the trees, the rays longer and brighter because of the tall trees. There seems to be more animals around this area, you assumed they moved habitats because of how forceful the Empire was.

You were able to close your eyes, feeling safe and listen to the insects, the mammals do their animal things.

You had an idea to bring a little notebook with you and write songs with the tune of how the animals sang to each other during the day and how they chirped at night.

"Ah, the beauties of life," you grinned.

-

"We are coming up on Raxus," Tech's voice echoed down the Marauder, hoping Wrecker wasn't asleep. As the shuttle entered Raxus' atmosphere, the view of the orange and green arranged forests was even better aerial.

The city heart was in the distance, the buildings standing strong and silver. Despite the pretty exterior, the city was surrounded by Imperial troops from head to toe.

Tech landed the shuttle in a remote area, a forest with tall trees to stay undercover.

The sun was already beginning to set, Cid giving the Batcher's almost no information about the retrieval mission. It seems they had little time to break out whoever their client was.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Omega was in awe as her eyes panned the high trees and the lush grass around them, her irises sparkling against the sun rays.

A small butterfly landed briefly on her head, causing her to chuckle before it flew off into the distance.

Hunter watched her, like a protective brother would do. He too was in awe with the plants around them.

He was particularly fond of nature, not even his brothers knew. Whenever they were free and Cid hadn't given them a job, he would sit against logs to watch the clouds surf the Ord Mantell mountains.

It was the only nature he could watch, the sandy atmosphere not bringing much but he still appreciated what he was given. Hunter always thought of visiting Raxus, having luscious ambience. He would've even considered putting aside his soldier life to live here.

Unfortunately, he had to visit the wonderful planet on the opposing side.

On the other hand, Echo and Wrecker were a little wary about this place. Crosshair was off to the side, chewing on his toothpick. He was wary too but a job was a job at the end of the day.

All they knew was their client is a Separatist and they're rescuing them.

"Hunter, four Imperial shuttles have just entered Raxus' atmosphere and are headed for the capital city. We might not be able to engage at all and complete the mission without getting caught." Tech was tapping away at his datapad, the small nods of his head suggesting they don't go forth with the mission right now.

Hunter sighed, "Do we have time early morning?"

They all looked at Tech, who was probably calculating the hours of possibility. With one last button touch, all he responded with was, 'yes.'

With a defeated sigh, everybody trekked back to the Marauder. Wrecker was desperate to sleep the evening away with Omega and Crosshair. Maker forbid when they sleep, Wrecker snores. Tech and Echo had their business about mechanical stuff up by the cockpit, maybe to double-check what needed to be repaired and added to the list.

However, Hunter wanted to do something else.

-

The night was breezy, the weather was nice, and you could hear the nocturnal animals emerge from their homes. The Imperial patrols usually regroup and do their daily meetings and reports so you had freedom to roam the forests without getting caught.

You carried your night lamp, your journal inside your pouch, and of course an electro staff for your own protection. Fortunately, you rarely had to use it.

As you walked down the sandy hill towards the high trees, you noticed there were more fireflies out so you cranked down the brightness on your lamp to embrace the natural light.

The trees always provided you comfort. They were like protectors. You kept walking along the sandy rubble, the path slowly fading into the green grass beneath your feet.

You waved to the curious rabbits that popped their heads through the fluffy bushes. You chuckled gently as the fireflies surrounded you curiously, almost tickling you as they made their way through the forest.

Hunter was sat on the ramp of the Marauder, his helmet off next to him. He was watching the white moon walk the night sky of Raxus, the gentle breeze brushing up against his long curls.

A curious tooka cat trotted towards Hunter, sniffing the ramp and his armoured boots. It purred, looking up at Hunters eyes. He smiled at the animal before it ran off, something else catching its attention.

Hunter stood up, walking down to the grassy plains beneath the ramp. He ran his fingers against the soft plants, inhaling the fresh air.

This felt nice, putting the soldier role aside and admiring what else life had to offer.

You were nearing your resting spot, grinning softly as you observed the birds feeding their childrens and singing lullabies. You jogged to your little spot, a small rocky cliff area to get a beautiful view of the rivers.

You closed your eyes, breathing in the air and listening to the gentle sound of the flowing water.

Startled, you yelped a bit as a butterfly landed on your nose, "Oh my, you scared me. I don't blame you, this a lovely place to play around," you chuckled, gently picking the insect and letting it fly away.

As Hunter walked back to the Marauders ramp to call it there, his senses picked up something in the distance. There was mumbling in the distance, he couldn't tell exactly what it was but it alerted him. He was swift to grab his blaster and his helmet to approach the noise.

Obviously approaching something you don't know isn't smart but Hunter was not about let something or someone jeopardise the beginning of the mission. As Hunter stealthily walked through the tall trees in the direction of the noise, he saw a silhouette.

He pushed away a bush to get a better look.

It wasn't a creature and definitely wasn't anything Imperial.

It was a person.

A very beautiful person.

Hunter lowered his blaster, his gaze softening under his helmet. You were giggling at the same tooka cat he saw earlier that was now brushing up against your knees. The tooka seemed to be extremely comfortable with you, almost jumping up onto your shoulders excitedly.

The cat meowed particularly loud and unfortunately, in Hunters direction. It caught him off guard. You were confused why the tooka suddenly ran away meowing like it was in distress.

That was when you saw Hunter.

Instinctively, you drew your electro staff, lighting it up. This man, who you've never seen before had managed to sneak up on you, wearing armour that was too similar to the clone troopers in the Empire.

You were just confused as to why it was all black and red.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" You called out to the trooper. Hunter tucked away his blaster, his hands coming up and out defensively.

"It's okay, I'm not here to hurt anyone." Hunter took one gentle step further, causing you to jolt the staff in his direction. He flinched.

"I don't enjoy repeating myself," you huffed, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Hunter slowly took off his helmet to show he wasn't a threat. He even took out his blaster and threw it aside.

Your eyes scanned him. He had a skull tatted on half his face, a red bandana with a skull imprinted on it. He had a prominent nose, dark brown eyes, and a strong jaw.

He also looked like a clone. Well, the face shape of one at least.

"Hunter, and I'm here by myself," that was a lie, "I'm just here to enjoy the forest."

You titled your head slightly. This... man, who had very similar features and outfit as a soldier, enjoying nature? That's a first.

You deactivated the electricity on your staff but you still kept it grasped in your hand, just in case.

You introduced yourself to him. His voice was low and soft, raspy but clear. There were visible wrinkles on his face and he tends to squint a lot when he spoke.

"Never met anyone on Raxus who enjoys the forest," you spoke. It was true, everyone was too focused on the economy, the war, the Empire, and trying to get off the planet. No one seemed to have time to sit down and admire nature.

"You learn something new," Hunter shrugged, "Do you mind if I sit?" you hesitated, your fingers clenching the hilt of your staff. You didn't know if he was undercover for the Empire or not.

Despite discarding his blaster, there was a vibro knife holster on his arm, very yellow and obvious.

"No tricks."

Hunter nodded, approaching your side to sit down. He was surprised at the view he was met with. A calm and clear river running down the slopes like it was skating against the rocks.

You sat down down, your staff clinking by your side as you let go of it. This Hunter person doesn't seem too bad so far, he was too focused on the water flowing. He was an attractive person, you'll give him that but you couldn't let that thought control how you were going to interact with him.

"How did you find this place?" you ran your fingers against a pebble before throwing it into the stream to be swept away.

He shrugged, "I like plant-y, environment stuff. I thought this place looked nice," the tips of your mouth lifted up into a small grin. You were already getting flustered over his voice and you met him five minutes ago. You coughed, shoving those thoughts to the back of your head.

The silence wasn't too uncomfortable. You tuned to the soft noises of nature, trying not to get immensely distracted by the man sat next to you also enjoying the soft noises of nature.

"Do you come here often?" Hunter asked. You watched all of those holofilms before, isn't this what they ask when they have no experience with conversation starters?

You chuckled, "I do, actually. Grew up around here."

Hunter gently nodded his head before facing the stream of water again, "So, you're pro-Empire."

"Hey, just because I grew up here doesn't mean I am," you playfully punched his shoulder, shaking off the slight pain from your knuckles because he was literally in full armour. Hunters hand came up defensively, apologising for his accusation.

"Then I'm surprised you haven't been caught by troops."

"Well, the trees really help with that. They're like my best friends," you stuck your hand out, drifting through the air.

Hunters eyes watched you carefully, he looked at you how you looked at nature. The way your eyes and cheeks lift up into a grin made Hunter smile himself. He had no experience with hanging out with someone other than his brothers. Especially mid-mission.

"I see."

Your hand came back down only to be met with Hunters gloved hand. Flustered, you quickly took your hand off. You mumbled an apology, situating your hand onto your lap. Hunter, who was also flustered, but more embarrassed swiftly changed the subject to save you both.

"So... how much do you know about plants?"

"I know enough to become a botanist," you picked off a small dandelion, blowing the seeds off and watching them float with the wind. They ended up crashing and covering Hunters face, some getting caught in his curls and his bandana. It wasn't very pretty for Hunter, but he looked like an angel covered in it.

Except for the sputtering that happened right after when some managed to get in his mouth.

"Very funny."

You gave him a hearty laugh, "It wasn't on purpose!"

"Whatever you say," Hunter patted himself clean. There was probably a long lost dandelion seed buried in his hair somewhere but he'll find it some how.

The two of you sat comfortably in each others' presence, chatting away about Raxus' trees, the dusty and dry dunes of Tatooine, and the bustling technologies of Coruscant.

You learned he was an ex-GAR soldier, that explained him lugging around in clone trooper armour. He also has an odd obsession with taking care of kids. He sounded like he's very experienced in that field.

The very same tooka cat came back to play around with the both of you. It managed to accidentally stick its fur in Hunters nose, causing you to rumble into a fit of laughter once again. It sent a smile to Hunters face but he was also slightly humiliated.

A couple of stars shot through the navy blue sky, the two of you making wishes that ranged from wanting an Empire-free life to hoping the other person wakes up as a worm.

You both talked, played, pushed, and comforted each other until the suns head poked from out the horizon; you both had fallen asleep next to each other by then.

The chirping and cawing of the birds woke you both up. You had to smack away a couple hungry fruit flies as you sat up. You blinked, stretching your muscles to wake yourself up.

Hunter yawned, "Good sleep?"

"Mhm," you mumbled, your croaky morning voice coming through.

"You seemed at ease when you slept." Hunter also stood up to stretch, unaware of how his words came out.

You chuckled when you saw him freeze in realisation, "That's how it is in the forests."

Hunter brushed off the loose grass that managed to pile up on him whilst he was sleeping. He reached over to grab his helmet, knowing he can't stay here much longer. He would've loved to if he wasn't getting paid to do a job.

"Leaving?" you sounded a little disappointed. You grew to like Hunter and him leaving sort of made you feel lonelier.

"Well, we have our own paths in nature, don't we?" he grinned. Before you could smile too, there was shouting deeper into the forest. Instinctively, you reached for your staff.

"Hunter!" it was another man's voice calling out for Hunter.

"Don't stress, I know those people," his hands came out again defensively. You lowered your staff.

"I suppose you're leaving now?" you rubbed your arm, upset that he would be gone just like that. Maybe he would come back?

Hunter took a couple steps forward, inches away from you. He gently took your hand in his, handing you a spare comm device. You looked into his deep brown eyes, trying not to blush, "My frequency, if you want to stay in touch?"

You nodded, coyly, grasping the comm device. Hunter stepped away, giving you one last message.

"Promise to comm sometime?"

"Of course, trooper."

"See you soon, butterfly."

Hunter's helmet hissed as he put it on before disappearing into the forest just like that.

Butterfly. You liked that nickname.

-

Post-Notes: im still recovering from wesndays episode TT

wanna be a part of my taglist?

~ ~ ~

@elsastoes @nekotaetae @jiabeewrites @lokigirlszendaya @imalovernotahater @backyard-bear @namesmox

[driftward]

Log 1 Date 0,0,Day 1

We are home.

I am no longer certain what canonical or subjective date it is. I was only aware of the passage of time when we traveresed from the abyss to one of the many oceans, and even then, the flow of it was unsteady, inconsistent. But now that we are home, in familiar rivers, with the comforting stability of the Azure sea deep under us, I can begin to keep track of time again. I am choosing to restart my runtime log, setting our return to be year 0, moon 0, day 1.

The Madam Commander is still in a suspended state, but stable. Her soul is dim, but her body unbroken. My efforts to keep her whole, to keep her safe, have succeeded. I am scared for her but also glad for this outcome. Now we are surrounded by her friends and colleagues, and they seem to be looking after her. The Chirurgeon, the Leftenent, and my other creator, the Madam Archon, are all present, even now, though they sleep.

I do not know what it took to retrieve us. My decision, so long ago, to place a portion of myself in the soul armature appears to have been prescient, however. Though the abyss is a place I could not make myself manifest, it managed to keep itself stable in the armature as it traversed that same space. It was able to find me, it sought us out, and it was followed closely by the Madam Archon. Despite the dangers, she managed to reach the Madam Commander, and bring us back here. Back home.

Where so many people were waiting, helping, healing, carrying, tending. And my fellow fairy constructs were waiting for us as well, though they could not seem to see me.

I do not know what the days ahead will bring us, but for now, she is safe, and so am I.

For now, I shall listen, I shall touch, and I shall consider all that has transpired. Hopefully, the Madam Commander will recover quickly, and I can resume my task as her dutiful familiar.

[survivalist-anon]

Log 7: Spand off, Spand up and DMSO

It was a Mexican standoff.

It was two vs ten, Fjord had been pinned down.

And I was in the middle of it.

"STEN! By bringing that mortal here you've violated our agreement! You and your squad are now obligated by the law of the Codex Astartes to be commissioned in the nearest Imperial Base for security purposes. Surrender now and the human will not be harmed in the process of interrogation!", his voice echoed throughout the pine forest, I could hear birds cawing and flapping in the distance from the sheer volume.

"You forget Aldercon! The purpose of your chapter being here is to defend the mortals on this world! Not subjugate them to Marshall Law!", Sten responed.

Aldercon's face gone red with fury, "YOU DO NOT USE THE EARTH'S LAWS ON ME, STEN! We go by our own conducts!"

Call it curiosity or call it a self destructive itch, I decided to peak over Sten's shoulder. I could see the man's eyes focus from Sten to me, if glaring at someone could shoot bullets, he was shooting rockets.

Something in me boiled over in desperation, I had enough stress for one lifetime."Please! Don't shoot! We just to apologize for last night!".

Sten sharply turned his head towards me, "You have nothing to apologize for, we had reacted on the assumption you were in danger, but it's their transgression and theirs alone."

"if I've learned anything in life is actions speak louder than words, but words can make for a great magic trick called "defusing the situation", just apologize please, this was all just a big misunderstanding anyway!", I couldn't help but raise my voice a bit, I felt terrible doing it too. "Please, I'm....not use to any of this."

I could tell Sten was contemplating my request, at this point it was up to him if he wanted to go through with it. He let out a heavy sigh, "yes....I shall do as you requested.", as he nodded his agreement to me, he turned to Aldercon, "Chaplain Aldercon! We shall only cooperate on a set of conditions! No harm or interrogation shall be bestowed on my human, my pack WILL NOT join your fortress of fools! But, we will admit fault....in our actions, subsequently pay for them if needed!".

I held my sigh of release for just a few moments longer, I look to the chaplain, absolutely no change. It was like he was made of stone, than one of his soldiers methodically goes up to his side whispers in his ear.

By this point whatever was being said, he must have agreed to it.

He adjusts himself to a parade rest, "Alright. Come down slowly!", he commanded.

Sten motioned for Toke to start climbing down the wall, as they did I turned to see that some of the Marines had gone from 'high alert and ready to shoot", to relaxed and somewhat curious. Some of them lowered their guns, even as far as holstering them back. The look on their faces weren't just of harden soldiers, but also of beings who weren't used to visitors to their fort.

As for their leader, his death stare didn't change one bit. He was honed in us.

I didn't know what to make of it. I could even see some had gotten out of a farm house nearby, likely hearing the commotion that had grabbed their attention.

With a turn of his head, all of the soldiers simultaneously went into parade rest nearly in sync.

There was no hesitation in their motions, they weren't even moving. It's was uncanny yet breath taking.

I than remembered my encounter with the gentleman at the hardware store and began to panic. "Ugh, Sten."

He turned his head a little and whispered, "something concerns you?"

I began to blush in embarrassment. How the hell was I going to tell this guy I was put under some pheromone "love spell"....I had to try. "Ugh....that night... wasn't really the first time I was ugh....I don't what to call it? It was like being drunk a-"

"YOU!", a familiar angry voice bombarded the scene.

It was the hardware store guy. Oh no.

"You're that civilian woman who attempted to retrieve your overly aroused companion. The same one from that supply store.....You should be ashamed of yourself for lack of self control! Do have any idea the level of unnerving distraction your pheromones were doing, I could have made detrimental miscount of inventory!", with the wholehearted earnest of someone who has witnessed a lude and lascivious crime, he had just accused me of being the one distracting him?

"...ugh....I.... wasn't the only woman in the st-wait a damn minute you didn't even look at a single person in that story except Mrs Bellcaller, you should be ashamed too...or... something....", I completely fumbled my words, how was anyone supposed to respond to what sounded like the most outlandish accusation?

All the men were looking at me, than the accuser. Toke, Sten and Fjord were also a little confused.

Fjord, still pinned to the ground, "ugh....lass were ya naked or something, yah smell just fine?"

I shot him a look, "Fjord!"

I could see his cheeky grin, he was just playing around.

Aldercon now targeted the tone deaf marine,"..... Bilhard what in the name of the Emperor and all of Terra are you talking about, the tool run, did you not take the suppressor pills? Also GIVE ME FIVE THOUSAND FOR EMBARRASSING ME AGAIN! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

The one named Bilhard immediately dropped down doing pushups, now glaring at me with resentment.

At this point I was shaking not from his glare but from his boss's shouting.

He walked up to me, looked me up and down. Sten was growling at him. "Stay away from her...".

"Oh quit it Sten!", he grunted. "Madame, please pardon the poor behavior of my troops, complacency has been a terrible emerging issue at my facility. My men, as you can see....are not behaved enough to be interacting with the public at this moment.", he then takes a closer look at me, "lift your head up miss."

I do as he says, I lift enough for my neck be a little visible, I flinch as soon as he laid a single finger on me jaw, it was cold from the plated armor. I could feel him lift my jaw higher. I wasn't too sure what he was looking at.

"..... state your name. Occupation and current residency.", commanded what I could imagine was these guy's drill Sargent.

Sten moved to face him while still speaking to me, "you do need to answer him, he....does not answer to your family either, Chaplain Aldercon, you understand I can not disclose the location of my chosen mortals. Or have you forgotten that not everyone needs to be under your watchful eye?"

Aldercon looked at him, looked back at me. He still expected an answer.

"I ....can only give you...uhm....two of those three things....I...um....tell you my name and job...but...if you want a third thing I can tell something else.", I know it was pointless, but it was worth a try.

He looked at me, chuckled a little too, "Negotiating information........fine....my third 'thing'....as per your.....request.....what happened last night?".

The silence was deafening, "um...my name is Lorencia Lakatos Drake...I work at the wildlife rehabilitation center and reserve....and...well..me and my coworkers were out for a drink after work, well....he-", I look at Bilhard still doing pushups, " -and his friends were sitting there. They weren't doing anything I swear, they probably were there for the same reasons too....and...well...Shelly, she's well couldn't resist their charm and ugh....I have to ask....what did he mean by 'pheromones'?....", hopefully this question wasn't going to do anything drastic.

I could see the cogs in his head turning, "hmm....one second madame.". He turns to look for someone, "Sha'kal! I need a word with you!".

I see a huge, extremely dark colored man, jogging as fast as he could to the chaplain. This wasn't just melanin either, it was a deep color, but what surprised me was his eyes. They were a near solid crimson color, like burning embers. I could see that Aldercon and the man were talking to each other and he than looked at me. He came lightly jogging to me and Sten.

"Oh good morning Sten, how have you been!?", he greeted Sten. "Causing mischief as always I presume?"

I could feel Sten wasn't as defensive with this guy. He became relaxed in fact.

"Ah Sha'kal, old friend how have you been? I see you have your work cut out for yourself.", he was probably referring to his chaplain.

"Oh not to worry, things are doing wonders here. You know, you and the others are more than welcome to join too. We could use your talents here.", Sha'kal seemed like a rather friendly guy. More so then the rest so far. "Oh, who is this, hello miss. What is your name? My name is Sha'kal, son of Vulkan, I am very pleased to meet you". He reached out his hand, he didn't show a full palm like one would normally do for a hand shake, he showed his thumb and index finger. Even half closed his hand was enormous, the palm alone could cover my whole face.

I could see his features closer now, he has the facial features of someone from the Polynesian islands. Bright and friendly eyes for someone who's eyes looked like hot metal. He had a strange little metal stud on his right brow, I wasn't sure what was that all about. His smile and friendly demeanor could melt any stone cold heart, in fact he admitted this warm, safe energy. I couldn't explain it, but it's something very rare that you find in people. "My name is Lorencia Drake, but you can call me Lorey. It's a pleasure to meet you too.", I smiled back and shook his finger and thumb.

In spite of the size of his hands, he was wonderfully gentle.

He than examines my hair, face, eyes and teeth for some reason. I was caught off guard but I guess I was getting checked from the neck up.

"ah yes, hmm, let's judging by the health of your external dermis layer you're relatively good in regards to potential skin abrasion, I do see possible signs of melanoma development somewhere in your temporal region in that case I would like you to refer to your local dermatologist and judging by the formation of wrinkles, elasticity of your skin I would like to guess.....25?-", he cheerfully waited.

"ugh...29 actually", I answer back still flabbergasted at what he could tell just by looking at my head.

"oh so close, and remember please wear sunscreen when working outside, I recommend a cream with a moderate level of Zinc and a dash of collagen and iron in your diet. You are keeping very well up with your hygiene levels for someone who works with animals I presume but I will say you're not flossing as much as one should, cut down on any sugary snacks. You may need to get a bit more sleep, I assume it is due to stress, insomnia, drinking or maybe even an irritant in your home or workplace? And lastly based on your ocular reaction to the current brightness of the sun, you are mostly use to wearing sunglasses correct, an outdoorsmen of sorts?"

I giggled and nodded in agreement. This guy was VERY good.

"ah excellent! Sten, she's a healthy girl."

Sten had become a little less tense with Sha'kal

Aldercon was shaking his head, "Sha'kal.", he had waited for him to examine for one more thing.

Sha'kal looked back, motioning with his had for Aldercon to give him some time. "Oh um, please do pardon me for asking, but my I take one small sample of your hair, blood and saliva? It's well...a command from you know", he takes out a small glass petri dish and a syringe, I could tell he was a little bit embarrassed about asking.

Toke walked up to Sten and me wondering was this man asking for blood and spit, "aye don't yah think it's a little silly to be asking anyone for all that on someone's back?", he had pointed out my death grip on Sten's pack.

"oh wow, I'm sorry.", Sten just nodded his head and lowered himself for me to jump off.

Aldercon was watching from a distance the whole thing along with a few other Marines.

"Why does he want you to take blood samples from me?", as I ask I see that Sha'kal offers the petri dish, I do as needed of me for the task. "Is...this about the-"

Sha'kal eyes open a little, "Oh actually yes, you see once a month, most of us go through something close to well....oh it's a little silly to say out loud but it happens occasionally-" as he explains this he takes the syringe and sticks it in perfectly without even looking at my arm, "It is a little embarrassing and it gets us into such situations, moodiness, boisterous outbursts, the works. I've been making a suppressor for it for some time and I can't seem to get it right. I had been close a few times before but it's changes every cycle I suppose. Other than that, the effects you must have felt are completely normal for those...well...not fully exposed to us. It's just our bodies reacting to the nutrients on this planet likely enough."

"...so...it's-", I slowly answered back, not fully comprehending the whole situation.

Taking the syringe out of my arm, Sha'kal hums responsivly. "-mmmhmm, completely normal. In fact it happened quite a lot back home. We were just not aware of it as we are here, than again there has been a lot of things...many of us were not aware of.". He cleans up the area with a little wipe and a bandaid.

I wasn't sure what to make of his explanation, I was still worried if, well, something was going to happen. "It's just, well....I felt sick after being near one of them actually, in fact it started to smell like....I don't know like something from an auto shop?"

Sten interjected, "yes, it was unusual....the poor girl was reeking of one of your fists."

A loud, exclaimed grunt had rolled out of Bilhard's mouth as he had just finished his pushups. "Ah that, Urtus had purchased this terrible ointment from a man in town. He stated it would mask any odor.".

Sha'kal was curious as to what this mystery ointment, "hmmm....where is Urtus?"

~~~~~~~

After a long, cold shower, Urtus was applying more of the ointment on his chest in the locker room near the showers. "Tis not the most fragrant thing in the world, but it does smell interesting."

Cahrilo wasn't too keen on the ointment, "it smells like that plant the cantina uses for one of the special menus....what was it called? Garlic?"

Urtus frowned a little at the statement, "Garlic? Ha! It barely smells of the thing, it has even gotten rid of that aching on my neck."

As the two marines were conversing, the facility intercom pings for them, it was Aldercon;

"Urtus, please head to the medical bay immediately. Please bring your recently purchased topical ointment, ON THE DOUBLE."

End of the intercom.

"oh....hmm...I wonder why? Perhaps Sha'kal would like to apply it use?".

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few minutes, Urtus had quickly headed for the medical bay. He opens the door to find not only Sha'kal and Aldercon in the room, but Sten, Bilhard, and I.

Fjord and Toke were waiting in another room to keep them entertained as wait for Sten's and Aldercon meeting to commence.

He looks around and sees me, sitting on an oversized examination table, swinging my legs. The whole place was definitely built for men their size.

"......uh....um....hello miss......ugh good to see that you are ... unharmed?.... Aldercon I thought you stated that mortals were not allowed in the facility....also please believe me and the savage next to her I had not done anything.", of course he was nervous.

"Where is it?", Aldercon curtly asked.

The look on his face when the ointment was mentioned obviously didn't help the situation. He took out a surprisingly large container, it was roughly the size of a mayonnaise lid in diameter and just about as big as a container of that cheaper brand margarine at the store.

Aldercon takes a closer look at the container, "hmm...'Medical Grade DMSO'?. ....what the hell is DMSO?", what was odd was that he asked me as if I knew. The acronym wasn't too unfamiliar to me however, "I remember a long while ago my mother got into a serious fight with my aunt about the stuff but I can't remember why."

Sha'kal took the container, opened it. The smell of garlic was faint but noticable. "Oh my, why on Nocturne would you use this?", asked as he looked at the ingredients label. "This ointment contains small amounts Dimethyl sulfoxide? With a chemical makeup like that it should have practically suffocating Miss Drake here."

All the years of biology class and the literal three chemistry courses had came right back like a Vietnam flashback. "Oh shit that's right, that stuff is used as a paint thinner and car lube."

Urtus was stunned, never in his life would he have expected to be sold paint thinner as some form of solid cologne, "Good throne! Are you serious about that? Why would this be even used for such things?".

A gave a weak shrug, "I have read about these near death home remedies before, sometimes people sell toxic materials to people for profit and sometimes people are desperate and make their own cures out things they shouldn't sometimes."

Aldercon looks at the container, "....from now on. There will be extensive screening on unknown substances."

Sha'kal in the meantime was checking his files on the substances, "ah, it says here the reason why humans began to use it on themselves for medicinal reasons is because it can be used as a pain killer."

It was just then Urtus just realized why his neck pain was gone, "oh....then why is it toxic?".

Sha'kal let out an exacerbated sigh, "likely it's toxic to mortals. We are capable of handling such chemicals naturally through our implants and augmentations Urtus. It's as simple as that."

"Oh goodness, I beg for your forgiveness miss. I shall stop using this right away. I was hoping it would tame a certain condition of mine when the suppressor was not fully in effect....on that thought, how is the other mortal?"

I was glad to see that pretty the entirety of this nonsense was a misunderstanding. "Oh Shelly? She's good ...she even wants to see your friend she liked so much. Oh and it's ok, mistakes happen. Most important thing is that I'm here today to hear your side of the story", I really couldn't stay mad at the guy. He knew who I was talking about, he was even more pleased to see I hadn't taken what had happened in bad faith either.

"Ah, Cahrilo will surely be pleased he has gained an admirer. I hope he enjoys his women well matured. Hahaha.", he looks at Aldercon, hoping he's free to go.

Rolling his eyes and satisfyed with solving the mystery at what had caused the big hole in the transport truck. "You are free to go.".

Urtus nodded, "good day everyone.", he left the room a little more relieved that moment.

Aldercon than looks to Sten, "Are you satisfied?"

Sten had been silently sitting next to me, watching the whole thing. "Yes....as the girl states....the most important thing is that she is alive today....now ..... about our agreement?"

End of Log 7

@kit-williams @barn-anon

[kassil]

Infinities? I am intrigued

A crystalline sphere, roughly the size of a person's head, retrieved from the command module of an exploratory vessel sent into the void; lights flicker within it, and sometimes form partial images, as if it held something within that were dreaming. The only indication of its origin is the sole remaining log from the ship's systems, where the captain of the craft rambles incoherently for several minutes about glass minds and how sie regrets no one will be there to free hir as sie freed the rest of the crew from their glass dreams.

[sillylittlemanhehe]

Heh…. Its OC lore time.

Theres alot btw so yeah:3

Entry Log #0001: Avian

Avian is heavens ruler, a man supposed to protect innocent souls from the dangers of sin. Despite that Fact, Avian is hardly something to call ‘pure’. He is a man of empty promises, one who snickers when innocent people suffer. A man who becomes envious when others are better. A man who is prideful of those who still worship him all the same. A man who sloths around, telling others to do things for them, commanding of them. A man who feels wrath when those don’t listen to his commands. A man who gets gluttonous and eats like a pig, whether or not he is watched. A man who feels strong lust towards many others. A man who is greedy, and will take and take until there is none left to take. I promise you that the ruler of heaven used to not be so cruel, but overtime he has sank deep into his own world. My friend, I apologize to you if you had believed he was a good man. He is no saviour, he shall not save you. I am sorry.

Entry log #0002: Kalayavan

Ah, satan; however despite that title, Kalayavan is a good man. He is the one to guide good souls to heaven, keeping them company until they have arrived. He hardly ever lies, being upfront and honest no matter the situation. He believes communication is key, and should be used more commonly than hating on another while they cannot hear you. He is a man who knows kindness is greatly important in maintaining friends, but also being a generally good person. He is a man who has the humility needed to put others first and will often ensure others are okay before he himself is. He is a man who works hard, putting in an earnest effort into all he does, by himself as much as possible, but if needed he will retrieve assistance. He is a man who is patient, he will listen to what you have to say and take it under consideration. He is a man who has moderation into what he eats, as well as drinks; he will eat as calm as possible and with elegance. He is a man who feels admiration, and care for others but is never lustful over said people, instead he will be kind and endearing and will be there for you until the end. He is a man who will always give, and give until there is nothing left to give and once that happens, he will instead show his admiration for you with affection. If you were to meet him, you would be blessed. The title of satan may drive fear into your heart, and you may have to break through his cold front but I can assure you, he is the best man to ever live. He is kind and dear and truly cares for his friends. I promise you, he will forever be there for you as long as you do not cross him.

This is also on wattpad:

[jamesthedigidestined]

Taikouvember Day 6A: Brave Knowledge

A young Koushirou tensed, readying himself as he spied out from the side of a tree. Gently, slowly, he made his way into the clearing. Careful not to reveal himself until the right moment. He approached his target with as much precision as he could muster before, finally…

“Hah! Gotcha” he says quietly, slamming his net down upon a beetle who could barely care less. It looks up at him with dull, uninterested eyes. Contrasting his own young, bright, curious look.

Koushirou quickly pulls out a notepad and starts to write down the insect’s features, comparing the description to one in an insect hunting guide he brought along.

“Hmmm… Kabutomushi, or *Allomyrina dichotoma*…” He absentmindedly says as he transcribes the name alongside the description of his particular beetle. Soon he’s returned from the folds of his book and back to the insect in front of him, who is currently attempting to escape.

“Oh no you don’t! Get back here!” He commands, attempting to scoop it up with the net to usher it into a glass jar. The small little bug held firm to the log it was on however, and Koushirou had to grab it by the shell and lift it up into the jar himself.

With a sigh of relief that his prey was now secure, Koushirou turned around to reveal his audience.

“Koushirou…? D-did you just touch a bug…?” A slightly older boy and a player on his football team, Yagami Taichi, had looked on, half-obscured behind a tree.

“Of course, they’re harmless,” Koushirou began, walking towards the boy with his filled jar. “Kabutobushi-san’s mouthparts are too small to bite, and they don’t have stingers or pincers. Their carapaces are smooth and cool, so I find them rather nice to touch. Would you like to try petting him?”

Taichi looks over the boy, still a bit worried over the insect, but calmed from his words. He hadn’t known the quiet redhead for more than a month at this point, but he knew he wouldn’t tell a lie.

“Alright,” Taichi stands himself a little taller, puffing out his chest “I will pet Kabutomushi-san!” And with that declaration, Koushirou begins to unscrew the lid of the bottle and waits.

…And waits.

……And waits.

Until…

“I can’t do it!” Taichi blurts out, anxiety written all over his face as he grips his shirt.

“It’s easy Taichi-san, watch me.” Koushirou effortlessly moves his hand into the jar to retrieve his newfound pet, softly stroking the smooth cool carapace.

“See? He doesn’t lash out and he’s not slimy.” Koushirou warmly responds, looking as the tension inside Taichi begins to melt away.

“Alright…” Slowly but surely the young wild-haired boy pets the insect as well. And at this point, said insect is sick of it.

As the hands retreat from his shell he reveals his large wings and begins to fly away, eliciting a yelp from Taichi and a determined look from Koushirou, net back in hand.

“After that beetle!” Koushirou calls, waving his net around at the escaping insect.

“R-right!” Taichi confirms his presence as he runs behind Koushirou, the two of them setting off on the first of what would be many adventures for them.

[httpsserene-main]

ephemeral (bang chan)

developer notes ☽: inspired by my ig for you page being bang chan bf edits...i did not ask to be depressed because i can't find a man suitable for my standards :) fuck u christopher for being so fine tonight

soundtrack☽: birdie - kota the friend

notifications☽: 818 words, fluff, not proofread, gnl!reader

"time is our only dilemma"

a warm yellow-toned ambient glow is cast within the bathroom from a small desk lamp that you’ve commandeered as a substitution to the harsh fluorescents of the room’s installed lights. a small bluetooth speaker rests on the countertop next to the lamp on its third to last volume setting cycling through a random spotify playlist you’ve selected. it’s probably one out of the hundreds of comfort character playlists you’d never tell a soul that you listen too.

but, you realize that chan’s most likely seen the embarrassing and unending list of the cutesy-fictional catered playlists you’ve become obsessed with in the previous weeks as he’s logged in to your spotify account on his phone. a few months ago, you discovered a new playlist hiding within your massive library that you didn’t add or create, entitled “songs i listen to remind me of you.” that was at the front of your recently played, the cover photo being a picture of you asleep on the couch in chan’s studio (a photo chan’s never shown you). when you clicked to investigate further, you were shocked to see the playlist filled with over a hundred songs, and a description filled to the word limit. tears filled your eyes as you read the romantic note chan had left for you to see, and you listened to the whole playlist while cleaning your entire apartment. there wasn’t a single moment that the heat left your flustered cheeks or the sweet smile left your face. and when you met with your boyfriend in person, you certain that he was blushing underneath his mask when you alerted him of your findings, and he revealed that he was going to surprise you with your specially curated mixtape on your next visit to his studio. 

when you asked why he was giving you such a sweet gift so randomly, his answer came without hesitation. chan said, “there doesn’t need to be a reason for me to express my love for you. of course this gift is meaningful enough for valentine’s day, or an anniversary, or your birthday, but any day i have with you is enough for me to treat you like the love of my life.”

and after a revelation like that, how could you remember the embarrassing fanfic-esque playlists you had downloaded to your phone? they literally don’t matter anymore, not when you have a whole dime piece, respectful, sexy, intelligent, thoughtful-ass christopher bang chan confessing his undying love for you.

that’s all to say that you probably should’ve selected that mixtape to play through tonight, but it’s too late to change that fact, as you would hate to disturb the bubble of space you’ve created in the bathroom to retrieve your phone from the bedroom. and to interrupt the peaceful bath you and chan are enjoying. it’s a rare night that chan was able to join you in your apartment instead of you going to his dorm to see him, and the night is made more precious at the fact that he fought his workaholic tendencies to join you earlier in the evening around seven pm rather than his usual appearance past midnight. and a spontaneous date night was suddenly underway; you and chan cooked dinner together made from the dregs of ingredients in your sparse fridge (grocery day is tomorrow), made progress on cleaning up your animal crossing island together, and even got a few episodes into a short anime you wanted to watch with him. a bath was the only reasonable option to end the cozy date night you both started.

the water is probably half-an-hour away from transitioning from warm to lukewarm, and the bubbles are starting to become sparse. you’re nestled in between his legs, back pressed against his muscled-pillowy chest, head resting aside one of his shoulders to avoid smushing shower cap against his face. chan’s head is propped on the shower tiles, his neck elongated and your fascinated with the view of his adam’s apple bobbing and throat swallowing as he speaks softly to you. his eyes are shut, but he opens them every time you speak to him, seeping with the adoration he has for you. his hands rest on your waist underneath the water, and every so often he squeezes you lighty, and traces patterns on your skin he only knows. eventually you two find yourself running out of things to talk about, but the silence that follows isn’t uncomfortable. you gladly allow your eyes to flutter closed, and chan begins humming softly; both of you are well aware that you should wrap up the bath, as you both still have early starts tomorrow morning, or rather–this morning.

moments like these are few and far for a man of chan’s lifestyle, and neither of you are going to be the one to cut it short. while this scene is ephemeral, that does not mean it is insignificant.

much love, <3 kirby !!!

© killakirby - piracy and plagiarism are not allowed. no reposts on any form of media

[f1zhst1ckz]

SCP-096

rating: +4203+–X

Item #: SCP-096

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-096 is to be contained in its cell, a 5 m x 5 m x 5 m airtight steel cube, at all times. Weekly checks for any cracks or holes are mandatory. There are to be absolutely no video surveillance or optical tools of any kind inside SCP-096's cell. Security personnel will use pre-installed pressure sensors and laser detectors to ensure SCP-096's presence inside the cell.

Any and all photos, video, or recordings of SCP-096's likeness are strictly forbidden without approval from Dr. ███ and O5-█.

Description: SCP-096 is a humanoid creature measuring approximately 2.38 meters in height. Subject shows very little muscle mass, with preliminary analysis of body mass suggesting mild malnutrition. Arms are grossly out of proportion with the rest of the subject's body, with an approximate length of 1.5 meters each. Skin is mostly devoid of pigmentation, with no sign of any body hair.

SCP-096's jaw can open to four (4) times the norm of an average human. Other facial features remain similar to an average human, with the exception of the eyes, which are also devoid of pigmentation. It is not yet known whether SCP-096 is blind or not. It shows no signs of any higher brain functions, and is not considered to be sapient.

SCP-096 is normally extremely docile, with pressure sensors inside its cell indicating it spends most of the day pacing by the eastern wall. However, when someone views SCP-096's face, whether it be directly, via video recording, or even a photograph, it will enter a stage of considerable emotional distress. SCP-096 will cover its face with its hands and begin screaming, crying, and babbling incoherently. Approximately one (1) to two (2) minutes after the first viewing, SCP-096 will begin running to the person who viewed its face (who will from this point on be referred to as SCP-096-1).

Documented speeds have varied from thirty-five (35) km/h to ███ km/h, and seems to depend on distance from SCP-096-1. At this point, no known material or method can impede SCP-096's progress. The actual position of SCP-096-1 does not seem to affect SCP-096's response; it seems to have an innate sense of SCP-096-1's location. Note: This reaction does not occur when viewing artistic depictions (see Document 096-1).

Upon arriving at SCP-096-1's location, SCP-096 will proceed to kill and [DATA EXPUNGED] SCP-096-1. 100% of cases have left no traces of SCP-096-1. SCP-096 will then sit down for several minutes before regaining its composure and becoming docile once again. It will then attempt to make its way back to its natural habitat, [DATA REDACTED]

Due to the possibility of a mass chain reaction, including breach of Foundation secrecy and large civilian loss of life, retrieval of subject should be considered Alpha priority.

Dr. ███ has also petitioned for immediate termination of SCP-096 (see Interview 096-1). Order is awaiting approval. Termination order has been approved, and is to be carried out by Dr. ███ on [DATA REDACTED]. See Incident-096-1-A.

Audio log from Interview 096-1:

Interviewer: Dr. ███

Interviewed: Captain (Ret.) █████████, former commander of retrieval team Zulu 9-A

Retrieval Incident #096-1-A

<Begin Log>

[████████ ████████ Time, Research Area ██]

Capt. █████████: It always sucks ass to get Initial Retrieval duty. You have no idea what the damn thing is capable of besides what jacked up information the field techies can scrape up, and you're lucky if they even tell you the whole story. They told us to "bag and tag." Didn't tell us jackshit about not looking at the damn thing.

Dr. ███: Could you describe the mission, please?

Capt. █████████: Yeah, sorry. We had two choppers, one with my team and one on backup with Zulu 9-B and Dr. ██████. We spotted the target about two clicks north of our patrol path. I'm guessing he wasn't facing our direction, else he would have taken us out then and there.

Dr. ███: Your report says SCP-096 didn't react to the cold? It was -██o C.

Capt. █████████: Actually, it was -██. And yes, it was butt naked and didn't so much as shiver. Anyway, we landed, approached the target, and Corporal ██ got ready to bag it. That's when Dr. ██████ called. I turned to answer it, and that's what saved me. The target must have turned and my whole squad saw it.

Dr. ███: That's when SCP-096 entered an agitated emotional state?

Capt. █████████: Yep. [Interviewed now pauses for a second before continuing] Sorry. Got the willies for a second.

Dr. ███: That's all right.

Capt. █████████: Yeah. Well, I never saw its face. My squad did, and they paid for it up the ass.

Dr. ███: Could you describe it a little more, please?

Capt. █████████: [Pauses] Yeah, yeah. It started screaming at us, and crying. Not animal roaring though, sounded exactly like a person. Really fucking creepy. [Pauses again] We started firing when it picked up Corporal ██ and ripped off his leg. God, he was screaming for our help… fuckin 'A… anyway, we were blowing chunks out of the target, round after round. Didn't do jackshit. I almost lost it when it started [DATA EXPUNGED] him.

Dr. ███: That's when you ordered the use of an [Papers are heard moving] AT-4 HEDT launcher?

Capt. █████████: An anti-tank gun. Started carrying it ever since SCP-███ got loose. I've seen those tear through tanks like tissue paper. Did the same thing to the target.

Dr. ███: There was significant damage to SCP-096?

Capt. █████████: It didn't even fucking flinch. It kept tearing apart my squad, but with half of its torso gone. [He draws a large half-circle across his torso]

Dr. ███: But it was taking damage?

Capt. █████████: If it was, it wasn't showing it. It must have lost all its organs, all its blood, but it didn't acknowledge any of it. Its bone structure wasn't hurt at all, though. It kept tearing my squad apart.

Dr. ███: So no actual structural damage. How many rounds would you say were fired at SCP-096?

Capt. █████████: At the least? A thousand. Our door gunner kept his GAU-19 on it for at least twenty seconds. Twenty fucking seconds. That's six hundred .50 caliber rounds pumped into the thing. Might as well been spitting at it.

Dr. ███: This is when Zulu 9-B arrived?

Capt. █████████: Yeah, and my squad was gone. Zulu 9-B managed to get the bag over its head, and it just sat down. We got it into the chopper and got it here. I don't know how I never saw its face. Maybe God or Buddha or whoever thought I should live. The jackass.

Dr. ███: We have obtained an artist's depiction of SCP-096's face. Would you like to view it?

Capt. █████████: [Pauses] You know, after hearing that thing's screams, and the screams of my men, I don't think I want to put a face to what I heard. No. Just… no.

Dr. ███: All right, I believe we are done here. Thank you, Captain.

[Chairs are heard moving, and footsteps leave the room. Captain (Ret.) █████████ is confirmed to have left Interview Room 22.]

Dr. ███: Let this be on record that I am formally requesting SCP-096 be terminated as soon as possible.

<End Log>

OHH GOTCHA

i looked it up. Hey same face/j!!

[cloudolus]

Complete Hands-On Guide: Upload, Download, and Delete Files in Amazon S3 Using EC2 IAM Roles  

Are you looking for a secure and efficient way to manage files in Amazon S3 using an EC2 instance? This step-by-step tutorial will teach you how to upload, download, and delete files in Amazon S3 using IAM roles for secure access. Say goodbye to hardcoding AWS credentials and embrace best practices for security and scalability.  

What You'll Learn in This Video:  

1. Understanding IAM Roles for EC2:     - What are IAM roles?     - Why should you use IAM roles instead of hardcoding access keys?     - How to create and attach an IAM role with S3 permissions to your EC2 instance.  

2. Configuring the EC2 Instance for S3 Access:     - Launching an EC2 instance and attaching the IAM role.     - Setting up the AWS CLI on your EC2 instance.  

3. Uploading Files to S3:     - Step-by-step commands to upload files to an S3 bucket.     - Use cases for uploading files, such as backups or log storage.  

4. Downloading Files from S3:     - Retrieving objects stored in your S3 bucket using AWS CLI.     - How to test and verify successful downloads.  

5. Deleting Files in S3:     - Securely deleting files from an S3 bucket.     - Use cases like removing outdated logs or freeing up storage.  

6. Best Practices for S3 Operations:     - Using least privilege policies in IAM roles.     - Encrypting files in transit and at rest.     - Monitoring and logging using AWS CloudTrail and S3 access logs.  

Why IAM Roles Are Essential for S3 Operations:   - Secure Access: IAM roles provide temporary credentials, eliminating the risk of hardcoding secrets in your scripts.   - Automation-Friendly: Simplify file operations for DevOps workflows and automation scripts.   - Centralized Management: Control and modify permissions from a single IAM role without touching your instance.  

Real-World Applications of This Tutorial:   - Automating log uploads from EC2 to S3 for centralized storage.   - Downloading data files or software packages hosted in S3 for application use.   - Removing outdated or unnecessary files to optimize your S3 bucket storage.  

AWS Services and Tools Covered in This Tutorial:   - Amazon S3: Scalable object storage for uploading, downloading, and deleting files.   - Amazon EC2: Virtual servers in the cloud for running scripts and applications.   - AWS IAM Roles: Secure and temporary permissions for accessing S3.   - AWS CLI: Command-line tool for managing AWS services.  

Hands-On Process:   1. Step 1: Create an S3 Bucket     - Navigate to the S3 console and create a new bucket with a unique name.     - Configure bucket permissions for private or public access as needed.  

2. Step 2: Configure IAM Role     - Create an IAM role with an S3 access policy.     - Attach the role to your EC2 instance to avoid hardcoding credentials.  

3. Step 3: Launch and Connect to an EC2 Instance     - Launch an EC2 instance with the IAM role attached.     - Connect to the instance using SSH.  

4. Step 4: Install AWS CLI and Configure     - Install AWS CLI on the EC2 instance if not pre-installed.     - Verify access by running `aws s3 ls` to list available buckets.  

5. Step 5: Perform File Operations     - Upload files: Use `aws s3 cp` to upload a file from EC2 to S3.     - Download files: Use `aws s3 cp` to download files from S3 to EC2.     - Delete files: Use `aws s3 rm` to delete a file from the S3 bucket.  

6. Step 6: Cleanup     - Delete test files and terminate resources to avoid unnecessary charges.

Why Watch This Video?   This tutorial is designed for AWS beginners and cloud engineers who want to master secure file management in the AWS cloud. Whether you're automating tasks, integrating EC2 and S3, or simply learning the basics, this guide has everything you need to get started.  

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more AWS hands-on guides, cloud engineering tips, and DevOps tutorials.

[dingusbalingus]

Olimar's Voyage Log: Day 1

My name is Captain Olimar.

While traveling through space on an interstellar vacation, my ship was struck by a meteor. The collision had knocked me out, but when I awoke I found myself on the surface of a strange planet. Though I appear to have been mostly unscathed from the impact, the same cannot be said for my ship, the S.S. Dolphin. My diagnostics indicated the Dolphin had lost 30 of its most critical parts across this planet's surface upon entry into the atmosphere. To put it simply, I've been stranded here.

To make matters worse, my atmospheric sensors indicate this planet's environment contains high levels of poisonous oxygen. The life-support systems in my suit are able to keep me alive for now, but without a means to recharge them they won't last for much longer than a month. If I can't repair the Dolphin by then....

....There is hope in this dire situation, however. Shortly after I came to, I discovered a curious bulb dormant in the ground. When I approached it, the thing shot up from the ground as if it were waiting for me, and firmly planted long, slender struts into the soil below. Though I haven't a clue as to what this object even is, whether its alive or simply a machine, it resembles a vegetable on my home planet of Hocotate that we call an onion, thus I've taken to calling it an Onion, as well.

After this discovery, a second discovery immediately presented itself. The Onion had sputtered a seed shortly after its awakening. This seed took root in the soil and, after a brief moment in time, rapidly grew into a developed sprout. This sprout emitted a soft glow, and it swayed back and forth without benefit of wind. I don't know what exactly, some instinct or gut feeling, but something compelled me to uproot the plant from the soil. And when I did, I discovered something most extraordinary....

....what came out of the soil was a living creature, not a plant. It sported a leaf on its head supported by a long stem, and featured a pointed proboscis at the end of its face. The shape of this creature resembles the Pikpik brand carrots on my home planet that I adore, so like the Onion before it I've taken to calling this creature a Pikmin.

Despite my harrowing circumstances, I could not help but be intrigued by this Pikmin... It stared at me longingly, as if awaiting my beck and call. I quickly surmised a few key things about these Pikmin. The Onion seems to act as an incubator for Pikmin seeds. A local variety of flower near our location yielded a nutrient-rich pellet, in which the Pikmin seemed to instinctively know to harvest by the Onion. This is how the Pikmin reproduce; soon enough, I found myself with a small army of Pikmin under my command. The Pikmin seem to have a natural inclination toward cooperation, they form groups to perform tasks that would be impossible for an individual. Using their skills, I was even able to retrieve the Main Engine, the single most important part of my damaged craft. It was a stroke of pure luck I even found it nearby.

Nightfall on a foreign planet frightens me a bit, so I decided that the safest thing for me was to head for the sky. Though I obviously did not expect escape from this planet to be feasible at this point in time, I can at least hover in low orbit above the planet's surface. What I did not expect, however, was the Pikmin to follow suit. The Pikmin's Onion miraculously followed me into the stars. Perhaps the Pikmin cannot survive overnight on the surface, or maybe they've decided to join me for other reasons. Regardless, It seems they will help me again, tomorrow.

A dense forest is visible on the surface below. As it holds the keys to my survival, I name it the Forest of Hope. I explore it tomorrow.