#guardship

[ltwilliammowett]

Guardship Firing a Salute, by Henry Thomas Dawson (1841- 1918)

[okazaki-trash]

Day 17: Tongue Tied When will we get the salt and pepper hair, Isono? 👏😤 I’d like to think Seto is nice to Isono sometimes, atleast more so than the other body guards~ 🥹✨

[rosalind-hawkins]

Untitled Fic Snippet:

“Do you want me to take you home, sir?” As evidenced by the packed suitcase, Roland doubted that.

“Back to that prison?” Kaiba scoffed. “Absolutely not.” It hadn't always been a prison to him, though it started out that way. At some point, the mansion had become his home. That was no longer the case.

“Would you like me to take you to a hotel?”

“I'm sick of hotels.” Hundreds of stays had taught him that a hotel's comfort could never compare to one's own bed, and he could never shake the feeling that privacy was a complete illusion.

“Very well, sir.”

They drove for awhile in silence, Kaiba staring vacantly out the tinted windows until he spoke again.

“I'm… depressed.” It wasn't a confession, more like a realization.

“Yes, sir.”

A few minutes later, “You knew before I did.”

“Your safety and welfare are my priority, sir.”

They said nothing more for the rest of the short drive.

[rosehawk-writings]

“You're my bodyguard. It's not your job to take me to therapy and cook me dinner. It's your job to protect me.”

Roland chose his next words carefully.

“If I am escorting you to doctor appointments and guaranteeing good meals for you, then am I not protecting your health? Is that not a vital part of you, sir?”

Even half a year ago, Kaiba would have argued with him, would have picked apart his statement word by word with brutal precision to prove him wrong—just because he could.

But now?

Seto shrugged and murmured, “I suppose.”

Roland’s feelings on his response were mixed. It was good that he was accepting his help, but his lack of interest was still unsettling.

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Dukes is giving me some ideas for my rewrites just in the sense that it is very strong on the sense of community the characters have with Hazzard itself. Whilst the Dukes are the titular characters, the other members of the community often play a part in their shenanigans and are often on the receiving end of the benefits

And in my rewrites I do want community to be a big aspect.

And so I’m wondering about MyS. I don’t know how I feel about PD being somewhere seemingly so big, but idk how I’d be able to swing them all going to school together at PDH if PD was a small town. Unless I scrap PDH and recycle some of the aspects of it in a more useful way???

Idk.

I just want PD to feel smaller and more tight-knit, to kind of emulate how early MCD was with the community aspect. Carry on the themes of MCD in a more modern era and such… need to iron it out tho

Gonna watch Dukes instead because I’m trash but what’s new

[hergan416]

For the ship ask game Kaiba/Isono

Ship It

What made you ship it? Notably, I ship Kaiba with almost everyone. (Not Mokuba, not Gozoboro. Maybe not others, but those are my hard lines.) I spend too much time thinking about Kaiba and Kaiba ships. I have written more Kaiba than anyone else in Yugioh, probably anyone else period. And I spend a LOT of time seeking out Kaiba-centric fanfic, and guardshipping shows up a surprising amount, all things considered. This out of the way... One of my first Yugioh fics (and I think my first ever on AO3) was a violetshipping/puppyshipping porn AU fic with Isono as Kaiba's fluffer. I chose him because he's Kaiba's servant in canon and it felt right at the time. I have 0 regrets, and I can't recall having seen Kaiba/Isono in fic before that. That was a me choice and I'm sticking with it.

What are your favorite things about the ship? Ok so, I love that Isono has been there for Kaiba regardless of what this would mean for him personally. Most of the time I imagine this as fatherly, and not ship dynamics, especially in canon. But if I'm off exploring being Problematic TM, there's a kind of safety in that that I think would be freeing for Kaiba. He could ask for things that he wouldn't ask others, because he'd trust Isono not to say jack about it. He's always around and available, so there's nothing weird to cover up, and Isono is willing to do what Kaiba asks. I also just ... like the idea of Isono knowing too much because he's Kaiba's personal guard. Walking in on situations he shouldn't, or even there being a bit of a voyeurism thing there as he monitors Kaiba's personal security (intentional or not, doesn't matter).

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? I don't think so? I don't know what popular opinions on this ship even are, although I can guess that the age gap, difference in status, etc. would squick a fair number of people, so even shipping it might be unpopular?

[oklahomacitydivorceattorney]

How Can I Prepare For A Consultation With A High Asset Divorce Attorney

Preparing for a consultation with a high аѕѕеt divоrсе аttоrnеу саn hеlр уоu mаkе thе mоѕt of уоur timе аnd еnѕurе that уоu get the infоrmаtiоn you nееd. Here аrе ѕоmе ѕtерѕ уоu саn take tо prepare:

Mаkе a liѕt of your аѕѕеtѕ: Create a comprehensive list оf аll уоur аѕѕеtѕ, inсluding rеаl еѕtаtе, investments, rеtirеmеnt accounts, buѕinеѕѕ intеrеѕtѕ, and реrѕоnаl property. Bе ѕurе tо inсludе any dеbtѕ оr liabilities as well.

Gаthеr financial documents: Cоllесt аll rеlеvаnt finаnсiаl dосumеntѕ, including tаx rеturnѕ, bank ѕtаtеmеntѕ, invеѕtmеnt ассоunt statements, аnd business finаnсiаl ѕtаtеmеntѕ. Hаving these documents on hаnd can hеlр the аttоrnеу bеttеr undеrѕtаnd уоur finаnсiаl ѕituаtiоn.

Think about уоur goals: Cоnѕidеr whаt уоu hоре tо асhiеvе in the divоrсе, such аѕ a fаir diѕtributiоn of аѕѕеtѕ, ѕроuѕаl ѕuрроrt, оr сuѕtоdу оf сhildrеn. Bе рrераrеd to discuss thеѕе gоаlѕ with the аttоrnеу.

Write down аnу ԛuеѕtiоnѕ: Mаkе a list оf any ԛuеѕtiоnѕ you hаvе about thе divоrсе рrосеѕѕ, thе аttоrnеу'ѕ еxреriеnсе, оr уоur ѕресifiс саѕе. Thiѕ саn hеlр you ѕtау organized during thе consultation and еnѕurе thаt уоu gеt all thе infоrmаtiоn уоu need.

Bе hоnеѕt аnd forthcoming: Finally, it's important tо bе hоnеѕt аnd forthcoming with thе аttоrnеу during the соnѕultаtiоn. Prоviding accurate аnd complete information саn help the аttоrnеу рrоvidе уоu with thе mоѕt helpful аdviсе аnd representation possible.

[libraryraccoon]

A Penguin And The Angel Of Death

Gift for : @deadghosy

Gender : Penguin

Pronouns : They/Them

Message of Raccoon : I just really wanted to write Azrael with Penguin!Reader, so I try.

TW : bad english, english isn't my first language.

How you met Azrael is a mystery for everyone.

Azrael had heard about Heaven and Hell fighting over a penguin, and he decided to go check it out.

"So you're the famous Penguin." -Azrael, seeing you for the first time.

Friendship. Instantly.

He was your platonic soulmate.

I can see Azrael taking you flying with him. Imagine being a normal angel or demon, looking up and seeing the angel of death flying, holding a penguin in his arms.

The day of the trial, you and Azrael were watching everything from the sidelines, eating popcorn.

“Do you think they know you’re going to stay with me ?” -Azrael, watching the scene while eating popcorn, amused.

You made a penguin noise that can be translates as "Sshh, this is starting to get interesting." -Penguin!Reader, watching the scene like a TV novela.

Azrael speaks penguin. Don't ask how, he just do it.

"Guardship returns to.." Sera paused, either in disbelief or to be dramatic. “Azrael ?!” Certainly the first.

“Yo bitch.”

They looked at him as if they were seeing him for the first time- they hadn't even noticed him.

"WHAT ?! BUT HE DON'T EVEN KNOW THEM !" -Lute.

You worried for a second for Azrael's safety before remembering that he was the Angel of Death and that he was in no danger.

Lucifer looks at his brother, feeling betrayed that he is taking one of his children away from him.

Azrael walked out of the room with you in his arms, happy of the trial he saw today.

Azrael is like your cool dad who takes you everywhere with him and takes you wherever you want.

Azrael can go to Heaven, Hell or even Earth just with a snap of his fingers, say your destination and he'll take you there with no problem.

You often go to Hell and Heaven because you are attached to the people that are there.

Azrael only leaves you alone with Lucifer or Emily.

Lucifer is basically your uncle who babysits you all the time.

You have met Big G and the other archangels. I don't make the rules, as soon as Azrael won your guardship, he introduced you to the rest of the family.

You are the archangels' favorite nephew and Big G's favorite grandchild.

I just know that you and Big G spent hours on grandpa-grandchild outings. You go to the beach, get ice cream, play jokes on others... until Azrael comes to pick you up.

I headcanon that you help Gabriel in his work as a messenger.

It was you who passed the message of Sir Pentious being in Heaven to Charlie, telling her that redemption was possible.

It was your first message, Gabriel and Azrael were very proud of you after you managed to successfully transmit it.

They had a party to celebrate it.

No one can fuck with you.

Literally, you have Azrael, Big G and all the archangels on your side. Upsetting you/being on your bad side is a death sentence.

Lute and Adam are so disgusted that Azrael stole you - like you can feel their jealousy at 3000km/h.

Azrael just smiled at them before calling you “his son/daughter/child” in front of them just to piss them off.

And it works.

I can see Alastor trying to make a deal with Azrael for you to stay at the Hotel, Azrael just looks at him like "Really now ?"

Needless to say, it never worked and if it wasn't for you, he would have already killed the deer demon.

The angels find it adorable that the fearsome angel of death is walking around with a little Penguin, it's just too cute for them.

Family dinners are ✨️beautiful✨️

Beautiful in the sense that it's chaotic and it's never bored.

Usually family dinners are you, Big G, Azrael, Lucifer, Charlie, and the other archangels.

But one day you invited Emily, Sera, Adam and Lute to join you..

Let's say you weren't bored during all the dinner.

The best moments are those of hugs.

Hugs with Azrael are the best because he wraps his wings around you while carrying you. It's so quiet and peaceful that it puts you to sleep, which is very useful especially when you can't fall asleep.

Hugs with the whole family are... interesting ?

I mean, from the outside it looked like a mess of nameless feathers-

You are always in the middle of family hugs.

Azrael almost executed all the exterminators after learning about the extermination that was directed against the hotel when you were in it..

LET ME CANONIZE PROTECTIVE!DAD!AZRAEL.

[ayyy-imma-ninja]

Wait so like.... would a convos with them before guardship be like

"Hello The Sun and The Moon"

"How are you The Sun and The Moon"

"What are you doing The Sun and The Moon"

So on and so forth.

If so I absolutely love that fact just the idea of continuously calling them "The Sun and The Moon" like it's some important title. Like how you would talk to the king but call him only "your majesty" or "king"

It was more like "There's the Sun and Moon"

or, "Hello, Sun/Moon"

Over time, humans could discern who was in control depending on the time of day. If it was past sunset, it was the Moon. If during the day, then it was the Sun.

[atlaurences]

HMS ALACRITY WEST INDIES GUARDSHIP 1985

[ltwilliammowett]

Man o'War and a Stormy Sunset (The Guardship),by Henry Dawson, 1875

[wh0refornikolailantsov]

Prompt: “they'll never understand how much i love you.”

For Tolya x Reader please!!



I thought to myself, I can't make this angsty can I? But hey-ho I surprise even myself.

All The Things I'll Never Say - Tolya Yul Bataar

Content Warnings: Pining, So Much Pining And Not Even In My Usual Font. No Proof/Beta Reading, We Just Die I Guess.

He couldn't tell you. He wouldn't tell you. There was no reason to. Besides honesty, and as honest as Tolya likes to believe himself to be, the honesty was outweighed with all the responsibility of his own feelings.

Tolya is a warrior, when it comes down to it, he was raised and made to fight. In another life, in another situation, with other fates and with the grace of Saints he might have been something else. A scholar. A poet. Maybe, even yours.

But Tolya chooses not to linger on all the possibilities of lives unlived. It wasn't his nature to regret who he might have been, when who he was is what brought him to you.

You.

You, who's smile brought light to even the darkest parts of him. You, who he could believe all the poems were written about. You who's words brought comfort and voice feels like home. You, who if he had never known, he doubted he would know himself as well without.

It's easy to love someone. It's a second nature that you never have to learn unless you're taught out of love. Even those taught out of love can recognise it eventually, disguised as other things, like loyalty, or duty. "That's what Zoya sees it as," you had said, watching her with Alina.

"I am unconvinced that woman has a heart," Tolya had stated in response.

"Everyone has a heart, even if it's icy, or buried, everyone is capable of love in some way," you had looked at Zoya with such softness that for a moment Tolya was able to see her as you did, someone who had gotten lost in the time between innocence and now, someone who surely once loved with her entirety, and now didn't know how, "she just needs to be willing to let it in again."

It's easy to love someone. It's especially easy to love someone so willing to love in return. It's easy to love when love is given freely. You smile at him and the love is so freely given. Tolya knows where he was built for defence you were built for welcoming, his guardship against your openness in perfect parallel. You do not let the darkness of the life around you bury the light you bring into it.

He never had to try to love you, loving you was easy, easier than almost anything he had ever experienced before.

But it's easy to love someone, it's not easy to know what to do with that love.

He can't tell you, not in the clear ways that would make everything understood and known. His love for you isn't complicated, it is the most simple thing in his life. But this life, is complicated. And things pure and honest and hopeful need space to breathe and grow and where you brought light wherever you go, you needed to do more of that.

Tolya knows if he told you, if you knew, you would not care about the war and the loyalties and duty Tolya upholds, you would not care about the fealty and the obligation. You would go where Tolya goes, you would follow him because there is no place he could go where you would not rather be with him.

He doesn't doubt even for a moment how easily you would love him in return, just like you already do, quietly, peacefully, carefully.

He doesn't doubt that there is no darkness that could overcloud the light you bring, and yet he doesn't want that for you.

He wants you to be free and not fighting, he wants you safe and seen and always with a reason to smile that smile you do when you see him across the grass in the early morning.

Eventually Tolya has to leave, and he cannot be the reason this place loses you, he cannot take you away because it will hurt him to be without you.

It's easy to love you, it's near impossible to not want that love in return.

It's easy to love you, but it's hard to know that loving you, truly loving you, means he has to be willing to let you go, and the only way he can do that, the only way you can let him, is if he doesn't tell you all the things that he wants to every time you look at him.

He cannot tell you that you have made his life inconceivably better from the moment you entered it, and every time he has heard you laughter it has filled him with love worth a life time. He cannot explain how he is eager for the sound of your voice, and hungry for your company that no amount of time will ever satiate.

He cannot tell you that he will not miss you when he leaves, but he will instead leave a part of him with you that you can never return to him without staying at his side perennially.

He has never wanted words of his own more than now, knowing that no poet he knows can give you the sentiments you need, nothing can make you understand without asking you to be beside him, to stay beside him and he wants to ask you to do that. But he knows better.

It's easy to love you, it's nearly impossible to leave you.

His name in your voice carried through the distance between you brings him back to the moment, you wave him over as you sit with more people Tolya had met but never really known before you. He is slow to follow your request, as each step that brings him closer to you makes it harder for him to take the steps away again.

Nadia gives you a smile as she leans in to your side, whispering words only you can hear. You shake them off with a chuckle and Tamar throws her brother a knowing look, but Tolya cannot help but think how little she knows at all in this moment.

“They'll never understand how much I love you.” His minds whispers like a betrayal he could not run from.

"Tolya," you say again, as he nears. You pat the space next to you, eager to have him by your side. You know he is leaving, and you're waiting for him to tell you, you're hoping he will find the words to say that will make it feel less like a desertion. You try not to take the idea of him leaving with the heaviness of the idea of being forsworn but it's hard when no one has made you feel as seen as Tolya, and you always knew he would leave, but a part of you hoped, quietly, privately, even naively that he would want you to go with him. The hope was guileless but it was honest, it was real. You were not holding it against Tolya that he had not said a word, you expected nothing in return for all you were to him, because love has never been about what you get in return, you knew that. But this large part of you was calling to him, not asking him to stay, because you knew he would not, but begging him to ask you not to stay.

"Where'd you go?" you ask. His eyes look into yours and you feel the pressure in your chest rise as you want to ask him, you want to know all the things he hasn't said. But you don't. And you won't. "It was like we lost you for a second."

"You'll always find me again," Tolya replies and takes one of the bread rolls from your hand. "I'll never go too far."

[rosalind-hawkins]

What Do I Ship?

Don't mistake this for a tolerance or tier list. I will read and write ships that aren't even on this list, or write ships from the secondary list sometimes, this is just to give you a general sense of the stuff I mainly support/think about and in what capacity. Might be updated periodically. Ranting and comments in the tags.

Re: the Mokuba ships, I only ship them in non-problematic ways, where either the Kaiba brothers are ageswapped, making Mokuba the same age as the rest of the main cast, or where they only get together far post-canon where Mokuba's an adult. We cool? Cool.

Primary Ships

(things I can/want to create content for; this does not include every ship I've ever written, just the ones I care about/are currently engaged in writing/plan to write multiple fics for, or ships I just stan in a way that I know it'll never end)

Euroshipping (Kaiba x Ryou)

Puppyshipping (Joey x Kaiba)

Mumbleshipping (Kaiba x Ryou x Duke)

Teaseshipping (Joey x Ryou x Kaiba)

Snareshipping (Joey x Duke)

Trustshipping (Kaiba x Ishizu)

Polarshipping (Joey x Mai)

Blueshipping (Kisara x Kaiba)

Mizushipping (Kisara x Priest Seto)

Minorshipping (Ryou x Duke)

Mastershipping (Duke x Kaiba)

Puffshipping (Joey x Ryou)

Sweetshipping (Ryou x Mokuba)

Wintershipping (Mokuba x Amane)

Rollshipping (Duke x Ryou x Joey)

Secondary Ships

(things I will read but I don't write {much, or anymore, in some cases} for one reason or other)

Wishshipping (Joey x Yugi)

Powershipping (Kaiba x Marik)

Graceshipping (Ishizu x Ryou)

Doubtshipping (Kaiba x Ryou x Marik)

Petshipping (Duke x Kaiba x Joey)

Axisshipping (Kaiba x Siegfried)

Angstshipping (Ryou x Marik)

Irateshipping (Marik x Joey)

Buddyshipping (Joey x Tristan)

Heartshipping (Yugi x Ryou)

Fragileshipping (Yami Yugi x Ryou)

Changeshipping (Duke x Marik)

Logicshipping (Priest Seto x Priestess Isis)

Gemshipping (Ryou x Thief King Bakura)

Thiefshipping (Yami Bakura x Marik)

Candleshipping (Kaiba x Ryou x Yami Bakura)

Antagoshipping (Kaiba x Yami Bakura)

Corruptshipping (Priest Seto x Thief King Bakura)

Stoicshipping (Kaiba x Priest Seto)

Shimmershipping (Duke x Mokuba)

Guardshipping (Kaiba x Roland)

Senetshipping (Ishizu x Duke)

Angelicshipping (Ryou x Rafael)

Mercuryshipping (Kisara x Kaiba x Ishizu)

Entrepreneurshipping (Duke x Kaiba x Siegfried)

Unnamed (Aigami x Marik x Yami Bakura)

Scholarshipping (Kaiba x Ishizu x Ryou)

There's also plenty of random unnamed poly ships that I want to play around with in one-shots, usually a combo of my top six fave characters.

[em-um-canto]

Elmariana is happy to have pepito!

Not so happy about who's he's sgaring guardship with!

[skywrotecreations]

Dissonant Constellations Chapter 13

Date: July 14, 2116 Time: 1:28 a.m. Location: Coalition Guardship Fenrir, Miril Nebula

Rebecca had often imagined what it would be like to meet Daniel Card.

To have her lifetime of dedication to their cause be honored by an audience with such a great man. To have his brilliant smile sparkle for her, as he praised her work as instrumental to achieving their Humanity-saving goals. To know, once and for all, that everything she had sacrificed, all those she had cared for and still harmed for the continuation of the Embers’ mission, had been worth it.

That his ship would be the one to rescue her from that hellhole...that the man himself was going to conduct her debrief...it was the stuff of daydreams and romance novels.

But it was real.

She was in the room with him.

She sat in a comfortable chair in a huge office on Card’s glorious Coalition Guardship, in front of an impressive wooden desk, and Daniel Card sat opposite her. His Phoenix guards stood diligently to either side of his chair, vigilant against any possible dangers.

He was as handsome as she’d seen in every recording.

It would have been perfect...if they’d let her shower first.

She couldn’t smell anything, but as a kid she had spent enough time around an aunt who smoked to know that didn’t mean she didn’t reek. No one who spent days trapped in a room without a functioning toilet or shower was going to smell good afterwards.

Now she was feet away from her hero.

Reeking.

“Are you comfortable?” Daniel Card gave her a warm smile. “Need anything before we begin? I can send Aiden out for some drinks? Maybe a mint?”

Oh dear god, how bad was her breath?

Rebecca lowered her head in embarrassment. Maybe if she didn’t point her mouth at him, it wouldn’t reach him as strongly––

“Oh, no need for the sour look.” The captain let out a short laugh; sat back in his luxuriously plush chair. “Aiden? Could you go get those mints? And how about some tea? Would you like some tea, Doctor?”

She felt her face flush as she nodded. Why hadn’t they let her shower first? This should have been one of the greatest moments of her life.

“I’m sorry for the smell,” Rebecca said quietly as the Phoenix guard passed her. She knew how sensitive their sense of smell was, and even if she somehow didn’t smell too bad to Card, she had to reek to Aiden.

“No need to apologize,” Card gave her a dismissive hand wave. “I’m the one who didn’t want to wait for a report. So, let’s get started.”

She hesitated. “Will Doctor Hammond be joining us?”

“Corey is headed to a specialist back in the colonies to have his vocal cords tended to,” Card said with a shrug. “He’ll be writing out his version while he travels, and don’t feel like waiting that long. So, congratulations. You get to walk me through it. Now, what the hell happened down there?”

That was...not a question Rebecca had expected to answer on her own, but she was suddenly very glad to be the one giving the report. Given the chance, she was certain Doctor Hammond would have tried to put all the blame on her.

She was so, so tempted to act in kind.

He hadn’t opened the door, after all. Not until their rescue cleared the entire goddamn ship twice over.

Paranoid bastard.

After that final fucking straw, she didn’t feel like covering for him.

Besides, it really was all his fault anyway.

But then there was Rick.

The source of most of the pooled, sticky blood she’d had to step over as they finally escaped that hellhole.

Hammond knew.

Just like she knew what he’d done.

If one of them told, the other could easily retaliate.

Not worth the risk.

“The subject...Kel...was in Stage Three when the...incident happened.” Best to keep it simple. “We were testing her physical limits, and had yet to find a concrete ceiling. It appears her metabolic and healing abilities are vastly superior to that of any other Phoenix our work has studied. I believe she rapidly gained a heightened tolerance to her sedatives, and managed to break out of her restraints before we could find a viable alternative––”

“Why didn’t you just put her back on ice?” Card cut in.

Rebecca winced. “When I say ‘rapidly gained...’ I mean one day the sedative worked fine, and the next, she was tearing my colleagues to pieces. We had no warning of the change until it was too late.”

At least, most of them hadn’t. Hammond could have warned them. Short-sighted asshole.

“Did she make contact with any of the others?” Card’s voice held a nervous edge.

Rebecca shook her head. “The three other subjects were all in stasis, in the hidden room Doctor Hammond and I secured. Kel was supposed to be the first through Stage Three. She never saw them. They are ready to transport to a non-compromised location whenever you wish to move them.”

“Good,” Card muttered. “Kel’s going to be enough trouble. Don’t need any other uninitiateds running around out there. Speaking of: did you put a tracker in her?”

“We did, but I doubt it’s still working,” Rebecca said. “She’s exceptionally intelligent, even for one of our subjects. She would have thought to scan herself, and...well, her pain tolerance is quite high as well. I’m betting she cut it out before she left. Or at least found a way to deactivate it.”

“But you can’t be sure?”

Rebecca shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir. The storeroom jammed all sensor readings going in and out. It kept us alive, and kept the other three subjects concealed, but––”

“But you couldn’t check to see if Kel was still out there, let alone if her tracker worked,” Card let out an annoyed sigh. “And of course, Kel didn’t exactly let anybody send out a real distress signal when she routed you all. Then we couldn’t even start searching the Dolos until that Responders ship was towed away. This is going to be a tough one to track down...”

Rebecca frowned. “A Responders ship?”

“Yeah, apparently Kel sent out a distress beacon of her own,” Card shrugged. “Abducted a trauma surgeon from the first Responders ship that came to help. Not hard to guess why. The rest of their crew is fine, but she left their engines dead in the ether before she left.”

Rebecca blinked. “You let them leave?”

Card shrugged again. “Well, yeah. They’d sent out their position for all the Coalition to see. And I don’t exactly have non-Coalition Guard energy weapons hooked up to this ship. I have to keep this thing inspection-ready. It was either let them go, or have to explain why I blew them up to the next Responders ship that came to check in on them. Get it?”

Okay…it checked out, but it still worried her. That ship sounded like a huge loose end.

But this was Daniel Card.

He had to have more of a plan than he would ever reveal to someone like her.

“Of course sir,” Rebecca nodded. “It would have raised far too many questions.”

“But the captain of that Responders ship still had plenty,” Card shook his head. “Which could be a problem for us, if we can’t find Kel before she does something rash, or if that Responders captain manages to piece something together. Which is actually the second reason I wanted to meet with you today.”

Rebecca blinked. “I...I’m not sure I follow?”

“I’d give the job to Corey if I could,” Card said. “His history would make him a better fit. But he seems to have come out of his ordeal...well, something’s off with him. Beyond just his voice. We can’t reassign him until we’re sure what.”

Rebecca’s heart started pounding in her ears.

They’d find the heightened metabolism.

They’d know what she’d done to save him.

And then they’d start asking questions. Questions that would force her to choose between blatantly lying to her people, or protecting herself. Any minute now, they’d ask if––

“But, we still need a doctor to infiltrate and observe that Responders ship,” Card continued. “One that has already been briefed in this mission, and knows who and what we’re looking for. Are you up for it?”

Rebecca blinked.

A...a field assignment?

She’d never done anything like that before. She was a researcher. She’d never even been anywhere that wasn’t either part of an Embers colony, or an Embers-controlled vessel.

“Are...are you sure you want me?” Rebecca cringed even as she spoke. Who was she to question him?

Then again, he didn’t know what she’d done. He wasn’t working with all the facts.

“Not really a better choice,” Card shrugged. “Like I said, we’re not looking to brief anybody new on this mission. Best to keep this quiet, got it? So will you do us a favor and just accept already?”

A heartbreaking, selfish thought flashed through her mind.

She wasn’t a traitor, but she was sure Hammond could make her seem that way if he needed to save his own skin. And if Hammond turned on her, and opened his smarmy mouth about what she’d done to Rick...

Well, she knew what happened to traitors.

She wasn’t one.

She wasn’t.

Still, this might be her only chance.

She’d never been taught what it took to survive without the benevolence of the Cards. If she could provide useful information to her leaders, while learning what she’d need to start over, hidden somewhere deep in Coalition space, in case Hammond decided to ruin her...that was definitely something she was interested in.

“Of course, sir.” Rebecca smiled. “It would be an honor.”

“Wonderful,” Card grinned, then looked to the Phoenix guard at his left. “Can you take it from here, Fletcher?”

The Phoenix guard gave a short nod. “Yes, sir.”

“Good man,” Card nodded approvingly back, then gave Rebecca a wink. “The Embers are depending on you, doctor. Have fun.”

In a moment that made Rebecca question if she was just hallucinating this whole interaction back in that horrid room on the Dolos, Daniel Card suddenly seemed to...glitch.

Then vanished altogether.

“Cameograms have come a long way, haven’t they?” The Phoenix––Fletcher, Card had said his name was—said. There was a quirk to his left eyebrow the doctor took to be amusement.

Oh.

“I’ve never seen one so realistic,” Rebecca admitted. “But I thought this was the Fenrir? Isn’t Captain Card––”

“Captain Card is a very busy man,” Fletcher sat in Card’s chair. “He had appointments elsewhere that could not be delayed, even for a mission as vital as this. You understand.”

“Of course.” She wanted to be disappointed that she hadn’t actually been in the same room as Captain Daniel Card, but all she could feel was relief that she hadn’t actually filled his nostrils with B.O....

Wait, then what was that mint comment––

“Aiden should be back with those drinks any minute,” Fletcher said. “Along with the necessary documents we will need to modify your background into one suitable for this mission. We’ll need to begin backdating those files as soon as possible. The more time they spend in the First Responder’s systems before your...transfer, the less likely they are to be questioned. And of course, we will need to rehearse your answers to questions you will undoubtedly be asked while undercover. Professional and personal. The next few weeks are going to be long, doctor. And you likely will not be able to return home for months, if not years, once you infiltrate this vessel. Are you certain you are prepared for this?”

Absolutely not.

But she was not dying in prison.

Or worse.

...Likely worse.

“It’s an honor,” Rebecca said enthusiastically.

Then winced as Fletcher wrinkled his nose.

Cover | Synopsis | Chapter 1 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 14

[cat-astrophe-comic]

alright some minor fella design touchups. I'll probably give finn specifically another round of redesigning since they look a biiiit too fox esque, but other then that pretty proud of these! also I tweaked dogguy's palette to not blend into the background, I'll probably go back and edit the previous pages at some point to reflect this (and tweak bouncer's palette, too.)

some info on each of them below (plus stuff on an additional character that I didn't feel like adding to the image)

alright, from left to right

doug (they/he): some sort of dog wearing a poorly made knight costume. despite their appearance they aren't affiliated with the local guardship, instead they head the gemstone/general magic department- a group of people who look into any potiential nearby oddities caused by The Queen

finn (they/them): a travelling merchant who's currently set up shop in the nearby town. no one's quite sure where they came from or where they source their wares, but nobody minds because their business is reputable enough. overall friendly, albiet a bit estranged from others.

harely (also not pictured. she/her): harely was the hare character from the below image. unfortunately we didn't really have a good place for her to appear without cluttering up other major characters' chapters, so she's kinda in limbo atm (hence not being in the image despite already having a full design)

characterwise she's an old pal of bouncer's that kinda hates him now due to reasons I caaaaan't quite get into at the moment. besides from that she's pretty chill with samantha & gretta and has commited herself to being a lifelong adventurer. even though she might not appear she'll probably still be canon to the lore of cac I suppose

the image in question, also featuring some of their earlier designs