#hawk's lab report

[nenoname]

Journal 3’s references to Stan

(…does the Lost Pages count as J3 when some had to be in J2 and also may or may not be a truth lie turducken? idk. Ford’s TBoB letters sure as hell don’t count as J3 but I’m including them here anyway)

Lost Journal Pages

"STANLEY COULD HAVE MADE HER LAUGH"

“My stomach sank a bit when I realized… it was my birthday. This day has felt… odd, since S and I… parted ways.”

"I was adjusting my TV antennae for weather reports (looking for ideal conditions for F's first portal test) and spat out my coffee when I saw THIS! My brother hawking scams under the name "Panley Stines." I had half a mind to call that number, just to pretend to be the police and maybe scare S straight for once! There is something so galling about seeing your OWN FACE committing crimes on your own TV! When my Muse saw me break my stress ball, I decided it was finally time to vent about Stanley."

""How about that; you've got an inferior clone! Why didn't you just eat him in the womb? Think of how powerful you'd be!"

"You can't just eat your twin, Bill."

You'd be surprised what you can eat! I say sure, call him if you want him to start mooching off you again! ME, I went no contact with my home dimension and I don't regret it. All they did was hold me back and sabotage my talents! Can you imagine?"

"More than you know. But you do ever wonder if maybe... maybe things could have been different?""

"Our heat budget was so tight that Mom forced S and me to wear one sweater at the same time. (She called it the "Abominable Snow-Stan." Our cat lived in fear of it year-round.)"

“DAMN! This morning I found F rummaging through my old copy of Urban Legends of New Jersey, where I had forgotten I had hidden some old personal items! I’ve quickly re-hidden them here, away from prying eyes.”

"But then he crossed a line. Helplessly I watched Cipher in my own body limp up to a pay phone and dial... STANLEY'S phone number from the infomercial?! No. He wouldn't.

"Hey brother, it's Sixer. I'm going to take a swim in the frozen lake tomorrow, and I might not ever come back, so if you don't hear from me, I just want you to know that it's because I never loved you. BUH-BYEEEEE."

My heart was in my throat until I heard the dial tone... The pay phone was out of order. The message hadn't gotten through. Cipher turned back to address me.

"TSK, TSK, TSK. LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME MAKE YOU DO! TOMORROW'S TAPE IS GONNA BE MUCH WORSE.""

(Bro secret code) "miss you"

“The snow has begun to fall again and there’s very little time. There’s only one left I can turn to to protect my journals while I prepare for the journey…”

"S is an overgrown child with none of my rigorous mental training. Who knows what could happen if Cipher stepped inside Stanley's mind for even one minute...

What if Stanley somehow manages to destroy the portal just like he destroyed my perpetual motion machine? I suppose that machine did work in its own way... It kept me perpetually angry for thirty years."

(Bro secret code) "HAVE I BEEN TOO HARSH ALL ALONG?"

"What if he tries to rope me into his latest get-rich-quick scheme? His latest commercial was for "Stan Sauce: The Miracle Sauce that's too cool for the FDA!"

What if... he mocks me? What if he sees that I abandoned our family to become a recluse on the brink of madness? Could I risk admitting that I was... wrong?

PROS: I have no one else. Well, that settles it. It's time to come face-to-face with a face I haven't seen in 10 years. My own face. Which... is my brother's face. God, I miss sleep."

Ford’s Letters

"In the weeks since Weirdmageddon, I conducted numerous tests on Stanley's mind (his terrible jokes are still intact) and inspected the state for dimensional leakage (we also took turns kicking the statue, and Stanley took a few cracks with a crowbar). I burned every Cipher-shaped item I had ever collected, and even threw away all my one-dollar bills, just to be safe (Stanley, of course, found and pocketed them).

“I emerged from my lab after days of agonized contemplation to find- to my shock- that Mabel was reading the book, out loud, to Stanley, Dipper, Soos, and Wendy!”

“They didn’t see me as an irredeemable screwup. Stanley said, "So, your past is just a giant pile of mistakes? Congratulations- you really are a Pines!”��

"Bill may tell you that happiness requires conquering galaxies and living forever, but I've seen enough of the universe to tell you that he's wrong. I've found my happiness. And it looks like this:"

"If you're reading this... then I am dead. Kidding! Sorry, Stanley thought that would be funny. Ha-ha! We're currently out shopping for harpoons to prepare for our trip to the arctic."

"Stan, if you end breaking into my lab at some point later today- Bravo! Still as good a locksmith as in 8th grade. Beers are under the desk."

(It kinda strikes me that the BoB Lost Journal pages about Stan sound far more like post-portal Ford’s opinions on Stan instead, where he’s openly angry at both being pushed into the portal + at the portal being opened again + his murder suicide attempt being foiled + Stan disowning him + turning his house into a tourist trap + taking his identity vs pre-portal Ford being more… melodramatic(?) constantly being reminded of him but not wanting to linger too long? idk the vibes are different

Plus pre-portal Ford pretty consistently only calls Stan "S” or just refers to him as his brother (with the exception of him writing his name in a Caesar cipher). I think he only ever messes up the general naming scheme a single time when he wrote Fiddleford instead of F

…not to mention the perpetual motion machine comment says thirty instead of ten years)

Other sections: Pre-Portal, Post-Portal, Post-Weirdmageddon

[felassan]

Some thoughts on this article from Game Informer [source]. ^^

Teia and Viago as the 'face' of the Crows/the Crow 'agents', pretty please..? 🥺 👉👈 And I hope maybe Strife and Irelin can be the same but for the Veil Jumpers..? :D

Customizing qunari Rook's horn type and material reminds me of Taash's gem-horn design

Which faction do you think has the coolest casual threads? in my mind's eye [wild speculation] it's a toss up between Mourn Watch and Antivan Crows :D

What do sword and shield warriors 'hip-fire' with?

What is a "night blade" :D

Faction selection/backstory (while not playable) determining who Rook was before, how they met Varric, and why they travel with him reminds me of the different origins in DA:O and how each possible HoF crossed paths with and was recruited by Duncan in a different way.. 🥺

Factions and groups in the world working together to save it.. it felt like there were hints of this in Tevinter Nights. In that book, we saw different groups and factions from across Thedas working with the Inquisition, with varying degrees of cooperation, on being concerned about Solas. Yet other groups were also interested in keeping tabs on him. now we see the same kinda thing in DA:TV with different groups being involved in saving the world from the Evil Gods.

"'You help them, they help you now" but first they all have serious problems you need to solve' has echoes of how in DA:O, the HoF solved a problem for each major group (Dalish elves/werewolves, Circle Tower/templars, Orzammar etc) before they would obey the Grey Warden treaties and agree to help fight the darkspawn for the final battle

Do you think that some of the voices in the Thedas Calls teaser trailer were some of the 'faces' of the factions? For example, the Antivan Crow woman speaker as the face of the Crows, and the Nicholas Boulton-sounding Warden man speaker as the face of the Grey Wardens?

Each spec being tied to a faction explains the faction symbols being on the specializations, as here. From this, we can see that the faction each spec is tied to is as follows:

Mage: Death Caller - Mourn Watch Evoker - Shadow Dragons Spellblade - Antivan Crows Rogue: Duelist - Antivan Crows Veil Ranger - Veil Jumper Saboteur - Lords of Fortune Warrior: Champion - Grey Wardens Reaper - Mourn Watch Slayer - Lords of Fortune

The Mirror of Transformation returns. Do you think that means Rook will also be able to go to the Black Emporium, like Hawke in DAII and Inquisitor in DA:I? Will Xenon the Antiquarian also return? ^^ Maybe not though, since it's said the Mirror is in The Lighthouse

I'm not sure about "If you find yourself unhappy with your lineage or your class, you can change them using the Mirror of Transformation". It was previously reported that "You can change your character’s physical appearance at any time during the game, but not their class or backstory" [source] [prev post mentioning it]. I guess one article is incorrect, but am not sure which. or maybe this aspect of the game changed in development. ^^ UPDATE: please see here re: an update/clarification from Game Informer on this. it reads:

"Editor's Note: This article previously stated players can change their physical appearance, class, lineage, and identity using the Mirror of Transformation. That is incorrect as class, lineage, and identity are locked after you first select those. The article has been updated to reflect that, and Game Informer apologizes for any confusion this mistake may have caused."

What do you think is the problem[s] faced by each faction that we have to solve? :D We got some hints about this already. For example, for the Crows, something "is amiss" in Antiva and they're trying to uncover the source. The Qunari have also invaded Antiva. For the Wardens, they just recently discovered one of Ghil's underground monster labs and learned there are 11 more (Tevinter Nights), and ominous tremors of unknown cause have been creating disturbances in the Anderfels lately. The Lords of Fortune have lost dominion over the coasts of Rivain and dragons are laying waste to their ships. The Shadow Dragons probably have the Venatori, who are still around and up to mad shit, to contend with. Arlathan Forest is currently all timewarped, reality-fragmented, awash with darkspawn and corruption etc. For the Mourn Watch.. maybe the Veil rips and weakening has caused more premature possessions of corpses and demons possessing corpses and wreaking havoc in the Necropolis, or the Nevarran politics stuff? In TN Dorian also mentions learning from a Mortalitasi mage that there are things "past the Veil of our world, neither demon nor spirit". maybe they're having problems with those things?

[source]

[depresssant]

thinking about a venom!reader in the MHA world...

ok i got very carried away with the dabi part but ykyk. uh two are platonic yan and the other is romantic. but basically, i was thinking about a quirkless reader who becomes the host for venom in the mha world. how cool would that be?

maybe i'll do a deadpool one as well, but i love venom too much atm.

⏤ venom!reader: you're just a quirkless reporter with a dark past. you work⏤well, worked for a news channel diligently, making sure to bring justice if not through a quirk, then through a camera. that is, until you investigate a company accused of trafficking quirkless civilians to test for quirk development. however, the chairman of the company doesn't take kindly to your intrusion and has you fired.

⏤ venom!reader: you sneak into the company's lab with the help of one of the chairman's closest scientists. you stumble across an alien, symbiote, from a whole different planet. this symbiote picks you as its host and you now have a literal parasite feeding off of you. the chairman is ecstatic since none other hosts have lived as long a you, so he sends men to capture you but venom is having none of it.

⏤ venom!reader: you escape from the chairman's men while accidentally getting your boyfriend, soon-to-be fiancé murdered in the process. you swear to get revenge, and the hero commission is more than willing to turn you into a hero if it means using you to push their agendas.

⏤ venom!reader: you accept despite knowing this won't end well. your mind is on revenge and revenge only. you want to murder the chairman, but for now, you have to bide your time. you're paired with the pro hero hawks, and he wants to be your friend so damn bad. you're assigned as an apprentice under the number one hero and decide to use these people to help you with your revenge.

— venom!reader: you're able to charm everyone with a charismatic personality. okay. that was a lie. you're brash, reckless, and stubborn, but perhaps that's something the number one hero's masterpiece loves about you. you're like... the wild older sister that's always bringing chaos to the family. you take shoto todoroki out on outings when you're not working yourself to the bone, and it warms his icy heart. you return to his home bloody and bruised up after a long day of fighting villains, and the first thing on your mind is to help him with his homework? the way you look after him is so domestic and familial.

— venom!reader: you make shoto want to keep you in his home forever, away from harm's way. you're destined to be his older sister, and there's no way you can be anything else, right? he doesn't know you don't really care about him. you just treat shoto todoroki well to get on his father's good side. but he finds out your true feelings the night you spend rambling off in a drunken haze to fuyumi, who may as well be as wasted as you. you and her talk about one day moving and leaving everything behind, and shoto can feel his entire world fall apart. no. no. no. no. you and fuyumi are his older sisters! you're supposed to love and care for him. nothing more! your jobs have gotten into your heads too much! he can't let either of you leave. no. he won't let either of you leave. you've become shoto's lifeline, and he'll die of you disappear.

— venom!reader: if you aren't hunting down the people on your list at night, you spend the day doing the commission's dirty work. your partner, hawks, who aides you with your work, isn't the most tolerable person to be around, but he pays for your food every time the two of you go out, so you're not too keen on dropping him just yet. his constant remarks about how you should be his apprentice instead of endeavor's are a bit annoying, but you brush them off. the heroes working directly for the commission are all fucked up in some sense. you would know since you've worked for them, and your old partner form the old days is no exception. he shows you off to the media as his best friend, but just because the two of you hung out so much back when you were younger doesn't make you friends. at least in your eyes.

— venom!reader: you don't see the maniacal glint in hawks's eyes when he looks at you. he looks at you as if you're the entire world, but you don't even spare him a single glance. why? why do you not smile at him like you used to? why do you keep a distance from him? why? why do you hate him? why won't you just LOOK at him? why? why? why?

— venom!reader: weeks after the grand chase between you and the corporation's men, you're still left with a terrible reputation. you work as a hero, but the people view you as a villain, and your symbiote doesn't really help in fixing your tarnished reputation. so many people died because of the chase. you seem like such a villain. would it be surprising if you tried to join the league of villains? you join hawks as a mule in the l.o.v after much conviction, and none of the villains unsettle you as much as that guy, dabi.

— venom!reader: dabi's gaze unsettles you. it feels like he's picking you apart with his haunting sickness that has you questioning how good of an actor you are. he's clearly done his research on you when he asks about your apprenticeship under endeavor and how you live with the man. there's distaste in his tone not for just the todoroki family, but you too. the two of you fight a minute into the conversation, and you evade him so quickly, he's quite embarrassed. the two of you are forced to partner up multiple times, and it's the usual mean and snarky banter that has both of you wishing death upon the other.

— venom!reader: walking in on blood running from his eyes, you offer him your help to which he denies quite harshly. but you're adamant on gaining the trust of the league, and dabi's too tired to deal with you so he lays back on the couch and lets you clean up all the open wounds he's got. touch makes him disgusted. it has him wanting to hurl and scrub away at his skin till it bleeds all over again. but you're touch... isn't so bad. you handle him with care, something dabi thinks he's never felt before, and even though he feels that similar nausea creep up his throat, he can still let your hands ghost over his stables and open wounds.

— venom!reader: you're able to read him like an open book, and dabi hates it so damn much. he hates your sarcastic remarks. he hates your brash and reckless behavior. he hates how you treat him with such gentle care. like... like you actually care about him. it reminds him of fuyumi. he misses her. you're like her. then, he sees you get a call from that brat—that "masterpiece"—and dabi's blood boils a fury. you talk to that twerp with a tone full of care and understanding. why won't you talk to him like that? why is his puny little brother able to call you older sister? why do you smile at his words? you're supposed to smile at him. let him be your brother. damn it, the scarred villain will do anything if it means taking away everything endeavor and his damned masterpiece love. but you? endeavor doesn't matter at all. he just wants to see you call him brother. once. just once. though, dabi knows he'll lose it if you give into that wishful thinking.

⏤ venom!reader: you don't realize just how horrifying of a situation you've found yourself into until you are gifted the dead body of your next target with the name of the villain that killed the person carved on their back. there's eyes always on you, and red feathers constantly litter around the corners of your apartment. but you brush it off. you know, but you push it aside. your revenge was more important. you're so dedicated to your cause that it starts to take a toll on you physically and mentally.

⏤ venom!reader: you turn more and more villainous as you take away the lives of all the people standing in your path of revenge. you've become a blood-thirsty anti-hero, feeding your parasite human brains and yourself the blood of your enemies. you're getting closer and closer to your goal, but at what cost? the lives of so many that you've lost count? innocent and guilty—you're losing your ability to differentiate. blood, guts, and revenge are the only things on your deranged mind.

⏤ venom!reader: you keeps pushing the brewing situation away until you're running away from the very heroes and villains that are after you. you're like a ghost with how you've disappeared, but it seems like no matter where you run to, you're enamored admirers will always find you.

also, if ya'll are looking for a story with this prompt or premise, i've got the one for you. my book is called venom (link btw) and idk... now that i've gotten my e-begging out of the way, enjoy ur day.

[animestsstuff2]

Twitterpated

Part 2

Masterlist here!

Your villain alias is Angel! Sometimes referred to by Dabi as Dove due to your wings but for anonymity purposes you (the reader) will be referred to as Angel for the majority of this fic🤍

Content warning: this is set after season 4/5 and will have spoilers up until season 7 mainly in later chapters tho! Hawks flirting cuz hes lowkey smooth with da ladys

Night two, 2:00am.

Hawks was jittery, was it from the third can of coffee? Or from his jumbled thoughts? He called the doctor after his shift yesterday and didn’t get a helpful solution. He shifted from his standing position on the top of his agency, crouching low as his eyes scanned the streets below not really focused as his mind drifted to the phone call.

“Sounds like your primal needs are poking through hawks” Hawks sighed as he lay on his bed, fingers carding through damp hair.

“Primal needs? What’dya mean?” He asked uselessly, he knew exactly what the doctor meant.

“Your quirk. You didn’t just get the mutation of wings Hawks like most mutation quirks other qualities are mixed. An example would be a cat-like quirk they, not all the time now, can be prone to getting a heat. Thats dependent though on how cat-like they are, its differen-“ Hawks zoned out, his face pink as the doctor continued on about heats and mating seasons. His body warm as his mind filled with thoughts.

He knows everything about his quirk, knows the weight of each feather, the way his wings have to be folded, the way they stretch. Its like breathing, so..why didn’t he know this? If animals mate every year why didn’t the spring months bother him until now, what has changed.

“Anyways! I digress. I speculate the reasoning for your sudden awaken in your more primal instincts is due to meeting someone of interest” Hawks attention was back on the phone pressed to his ear as he sat up. A sudden thought pushing to the forefront of his mind.

“Uh, yeah thanks. Gotta go” click, the phone was tossed aside as he got up, naked as the day he was born and began pacing his bedroom.

Was this your doing? Maybe this was your quirk. You had pressed something into his back last night and he forgot to figure out what. A groan fell from his lips as he sat back on his bed, hands cupping his face. No, this wasn’t some stupid quirk other than his in play. He wasn’t one for relationships, no time for them. He never reacted this way before towards his few flings. It had to be related to you, to your quirk. If only you weren’t a villain, maybe a mutual agreement could have be-

Beep!

Hawks blinked as his visor displayed a sudden report of criminal activity. A break in at a lab thirty minutes away. Hawks was gone from the rooftop. It would only take him ten to reach the crime. His heart beat hard against his chest as he thought of you being there, was this you? Would he see you again. This intrusive thoughts filled the blondes mind, one after the other. It was like someone else was in his brain, they didn’t feel like they were coming from him

Hawks eyes scanned the lab, seeing the sirens blare and lights illuminate the surrounding area. His wings flapping and keeping him up high as he saw two other pros join the scene below. Hawks eyes narrowed watching as they entered through the main door but just as they did a flash of white flew through the window to the left. He didn’t miss a beat as he soared after you. His heart beating faster now, easily catching up with you as he stayed above seeing you with a handful of supplies. He pulled a long feather from his back but his hand faltered. You flipped over now, slowing your pace as your eyes met his. Your gloved hand trailing up to trace the edge of the fluffy feather. Hawks heart skipped at the touch, it felt too sensitive, too raw even with gloves.

“C’mon Hero, it’s for the league. You’re not gonna stop me are you?” Your voice was low and teasing as you slowed even further. Your white wings outstretched as you circled one another high in the sky, going up and away from view.

It looked almost like a dance as Hawks felt his words get caught in his throat, only able to focus on the eyes that gleamed above the mask. You had a new one, no long a plain white cloth but rather a white mask now fit on your face. Hawks put his feather back regaining his composure as he flashed a grin, ignoring the way his wings stretched too far, tensed too much and his body ran warm. The two of you now alone, above the clouds. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing at the white wings behind you, smaller than his both in length and size overall but big enough to carry you.

“Stop you? I’d never lay a hand on a pretty thing like you” He wasn’t intending to say that but the words slipped out before he could think of another response. Your cheeks flushed and the reaction egged him on, something pulling in his chest.

Didn’t know you liked it rough Angel. I promise i’ll not hurt you too bad” the implication behind his words made your wings falter slightly and you almost fell. Your face definitely red as you thought of a response. Your eyes breaking contact with the avians yellow ones as you felt your stomach twist. Your emotions had been wired since meeting him yesterday, unable to play it cool anymore.

“Um, right. Well..Do I have to make it look like we fought? So people don’t ask questions?” You mumbled, thankful for the night sky and your mask for hiding the pink on your cheeks. Hawks brow raised at your reply and he chuckled. You really must be new to the league. Why were you even part of it? You didn’t seem crazy like the rest of those nut-jobs, especially that blood freak. Hawks wings bristled as he recalled the time he first met her. He focused back on you. The grin never leaving his face.

Thats not what I meant! I-I have to go!” Hawks grin feel as your wings flapped and spun you round. His hand moved quicker as he grabbed your forearm and your body tensed as the feeling went straight to the tension in your stomach

. “W-Wait. I was just messing with ya Angel” He didn’t know what else to say to make you stay. He didn’t know why he was even bothering, no rational thought could make sense of why the feeling in his chest wanted you to stay near him so badly.

“Whatever. I have to go. It’s already quarter to three if i’m not back before then boss will kill me” you mumbled, turning your head over your shoulder to glance at him. Your hair moving in the slight wind which picked up had strands falling over your face. Hawks all but blinked dumbly as his grip on you faltered and you pulled away.

You were quick immediately taking off as your white wings became nothing but a blur. His own puffed out and twitching, not even realising how fast they were flapping. His mind finally zoning back in as he let himself drop, coming down from the sky just a ways away from the hospital and going over seeing police already at the scene.

“Hawks! Did ya see anything?” His eyes moved over to a police man waving his hand. He headed over shaking his head and plastering a familiar grin on his face.

“Nah. I got sight of somethin’ but they disappeared through a portal before I could get close” he lied, it was for the league, not you. Hawks left before he could be questioned further remembering Kurogiri was in police custody, not a great lie.

His wings bringing him to a large building just a bit away from the lab. He felt it again. His body warm and skin sweaty. His wings spanned out from his back as he removed his gloves and wiped his clammy hands onto his bottoms. His throat feeling dry all of a sudden as he tried to ignore the tension in his stomach. His fingers carding through his hair as he let out a sigh.

Did you feel this?…

You did in-fact feel it. Your wings bristled as the wind caught under them, stretched out. You swooped through the air as you grew closer to the ground. Your arms wrapped around the supplies you’d been asked to gather. Your cheeks warm and hands clammy. You landed softly on the rooftop your wings staying stretched out slightly behind you as you made your way over to the fire exit door.

It swung open as you stepped inside the dingy stairwell. It was lit by a single bulb with no shade. The door swung shut behind you as you made your way down and into the sort of communal area below. The warehouse served as a secondary base of operations before the planned move to Deika city to uncover some ‘present’ One For All left behind for Shigaraki.

You entered the communal area seeing Toga and Twice sat on the dusty sofa toying with some board-game the most likely stole. You spotted Spinner hunched over the stove by the Kitchenette as he fumbled with a knife.

“Where’s Shigaraki?” You asked all of them.

“Tomura? Hes out right now! - no hes in his room! Twice gave a typical double response and your eyes moved to Toga.

“He’s in the workspace with Dabi!” She giggled and you nodded. She creeped you out the most to be honest. Her insistent begging to have some of your blood so she could fly bothered you.

You headed down the hallway to the ‘office’ it was really just Shigaraki’s room that he liked to call his office. You knocked once and heard the raspy voice beckon from inside as you stepped in and placed the supply boxes on his desk. His hands folding the papers in front of him and moving them away. Dabi who was previously leaning over the table straightened himself as he looked you over.

“How’d it go? Any run ins Dove?” The tall man asked as a smirk stretched across his marred skin. Your eyes averted from his as some feathers fluffed up recalling your encounter with the blonde haired hero.

“N-, No it went fine” you mumbled out. Your skin growing warm as your cheeks flushed. A single finger curled around your mask and pulling it down as it fell under your chin.

“No? Why ya all red for then? You run into our little bird?” His voice teased you as Shigaraki straightened up. This information new to his ears.

“Whats this? What little bird Dabi?” His fingers already scratching at his forearms skin.

“Ya know, our little birdy Hawks. Angel here has some feelings for him I reckon” Dabi chuckled as your skin prickled with bumps. The villain costume you had made thankfully hiding the goosebumps which prickled your arm.

“Hmm, that’s not good..no, not good at all Angel” Shigaraki stated as his nails curled against his skin further.

“No! It’s not true. I did run into him but he let me go. My face is just warm from flying so fast to get away” You quickly shot out and Shigaraki’s eyes gave you a once over before shrugging his shoulders and waving a hand.

“Whatever, just don’t let it become bothersome. You can leave the supplies here. Dabi you can go too” He mumbled and you nodded turning as Dabi followed close behind you now both exiting the room.

“You sure nothin’ happened Angel?” Dabi’s voice from behind made you jump as fingers trailed up the spine of your wing. His slender fingers pinching a feather..pluck! You flinched and spun round on reflex seeing Dabi with a sly grin on his face.

“You know. I don’t care much for the league or everyone else’s agenda except my own. The care I have for them is solely to fuel my own agenda and consequently it’s in my benefit to ensure everyone stays in their place” You swallowed thickly as the hallway became hot. Dabi’s hooded eyes staring at yours as your feather lay flat in his palm.

“See, i don’t bother going out of my way to learn about mutation quirks, the ins and outs. But I understand some people come together due to them, ya know, hook up or breed even” he laughed at his snide comment. You felt yourself grow warmer, cheeks flushing and heart rate increasing.

“And i just wanted to make sure our little Dove isn’t all twitterpated over our little Birdy, Hawks. Cause’ ya know, that wouldn’t benefit me at all” He stated and your eyes honed in on the blue flame that swallowed your feather. All that remained was ash and your right wing twitched feeling a slight twinge of pain.

“You understand, don’t ya Dove?” His grin only grew, stables stretching as they held the charred skin together.

You just nodded unable to form any words to reply but it was enough for Dabi and he turned without another word. You watched him retreat down the hall and through the door to the communal area and only then when the door shut did your rigid muscles relax and your breath finally become short as you clutched a hand over your chest.

“Fuck” you mumbled as you forced your feet to take you to your room. Your hand gripping the handle too tightly as you shut it behind yourself and rested your forehead against the wood. Your mind buzzing with thoughts as you concluded the only thing you should do and that was to ignore Hawks, which couldn’t be that hard.

Right?..

I also don’t know whether to make the character (you) a real villain with a vendetta against hero society or make her a unfortunate but good person who has caught herself intwined and/or in debt to the L.O.V

[gemini-sensei]

Imagine shy!Eli has a crush on chubby!bimbo!Reader. She's super bubbly and sweet, always kind to him when others aren't or just ignoring him. Sure, she's a little dumb, and he can't help but like that about her too. He's her lab partner and she doesn't understand a lot of what's going on sometimes, so he explain it to her and she looks at him like he's the smartest guy in the world. It makes him feel a little better when she thanks him for his help.

The only issue is that she's dating Kyler. How a sweet soul like her ended up with a bully like him is beyond Eli. She's deserves so much better than him.

When he becomes Hawk, he thinks he can be that for her, but can't show her that. She's in a relationship and it would be wrong of him to break them up, knowing it would hurt her in the end. So he waits for her because he just likes her that much.

But then one day she comes to class with puffy eyes and fst tears running down her cheeks. She keeps trying to wipe them away and hide her face, but Hawk sees. He asks her what happened and she explains that Kyler got angry at her and yelled at her. Not only that, but he ended up telling her that she was just a bet. He'd been told to take her virginity and report back what it was like to sleep with a fat girl. She's so upset over the whole thing because she hadn't immediately slept with Kyler and he had sweet talked her a lot, told her all these things that weren't true. He ultimately ended up telling her that he wasn't even all that attracted to her, but she was "good enough for a fat chick."

Hawk's pissed when he hears all of this. Here's the sweetest, nkcest, most genuine girl in the whole Valley - Hell, the whole world - and Kyler managed to fuck it up.

He comforts her and does all of their lab work for the day. He doesn't want her to worry about it at all. It feels like he can't do enough for her and her broken heart, but he wants to do everything for her. He also wants to beat Kyler's face in.

And he just might.

[unhappy-last-resort]

Wanshi's Report Log

Warning: yandere themes

A/N: another drabble, trying to work out how I want these fuckwads to be written

I got assigned to a scout mission in City 006 to investigate an old research lab. Everything went according to the plan Captain planned out, though he put some emphasis on finishing this quickly... Guess Captain's busy. Hopefully that means I can catch up on my sleep.

Anyway, Me and Camu went on either side of parameters of the lab while Captain and Kamui started investigating inside. Nothing too unusual, other than catching a glimpse of someone scurrying out into the city...they looked pretty similar to that ascendant Roland, the one with the newer frame.

I told Capt about it and he told us to continue investigating the outer areas and keep an eye out for anything else before meeting up in the center of the lab.

We continued investigating and didn't find anything of note, other than some dusty puppets and a makeshift stage in an abandoned apartment. One of the puppets looked like Roland, and the others looked like Alpha, Luna, Lamia and... Uh, I forgot the last one.

I told Captain about the puppets when we met up, though he was acting a little weird. He was smiling to himself and had his hand on his in-ear piece...he's been doing that a lot lately, Kamui even made a joke that Captain must have a partner, but then Capt scolded him about staying focused. Even though it was a joke, he seemed unusually upset about it...

Sorry, this doesn't belong in a mission report. Anyway, we searched through the rest of the lab with only an occasional corrupted impeding our path. We successfully found all of the mission targets and are currently en-route to Babylonia.

-

A soft click of my terminal announces the end of my report log. All things considered, this was relatively easy, especially for something that called the entire Strike Hawk squad. A displeased sigh left my lips as I stared idly at the ceiling of the transport craft. I could've been sleeping in the Gray Raven lounge instead of doing this.

I steal a glance at my teammates. Kamui is playing a game he somehow got on his terminal, Camu is sitting farthest from us seemingly thinking about something, and Captain... He's doing it again. Chrome's sitting across from me and staring at something in his private terminal while listening to something on his in-ear piece, whatever he's watching...it's certainly making him happy in a way I've never seen before.

I look at him for a moment longer in apprehension. In the recent past, I wouldn't hesitate to ask him what's going on... but now, there's something drifting between us. Between all of us that no one seems willing to talk about.

I have my suspicions of course. Like how Kamui and Camu seem excessively clingy to the Commandant, excessively so, and how Chrome always seems to be watching the Commandant like a hawk whenever they're in his vision.

I'm in no place to judge though. I can't say with confidence my weekly visits to their room are entirely pure in nature anymore, I'm also finding it harder to be without them. I look down at my hands for a moment and close my eyes, it's not my fault their room is so much more comfortable than anywhere else and how their scent is so relaxing.

I sigh again and cast a glance over my three teammates again, carefully observing their facial expressions and body language. If it wasn't for them keeping me grounded, I don't know where I'd be. Probably killed by some self-righteous Purifying Force member by now. That's why I can't stand that this is happening. Even if the Commandant finally gives themselves to me tomorrow, if I can't live with Strike Hawk by my side, then what's the point? I'd be dead if it wasn't for them, no way am I letting something come between us.

Maybe I'm too greedy, but I can't help it. I want what's mine to stay mine. I can't let go of either of them.

I inhale deeply as a multitude of ideas and potential outcomes race through my M.I.N.D.. "How troublesome." I mutter to myself close my eyes and ready myself for a nap. I'll need the energy for what I have to do later.

[beardedmrbean]

Three Mexican suspects were arrested with two South Africans when elite police units raided a multimillion-dollar crystal meth lab hidden in a remote farm north of Johannesburg, police said Tuesday.

The owner of the farm near Groblersdal, about 125 miles from Johannesburg, was among four men arrested on Friday, police said.

A third Mexican was picked up on Monday, the spokeswoman for the elite Hawks unit told AFP.

"The drugs were obviously intended for local and international sale," Brigadier Thandi Mbambo told AFP, adding that the manufacturing facility was operating "at a large scale."

Authorities also seized large quantities of chemicals used to manufacture illicit drugs, including crystal meth and acetone, valued at around two billion rands (more than $100 million), police said.

The Hawks and other specialized units raided the farm in the Limpopo province after a tip-off of suspicious activity there. Police photographs showed the operation was fairly sophisticated and included large machinery.

So far this year, the Hawks have uncovered ten 10 clandestine drug laboratories and made 34 arrests, police said in a statement.

South Africa is a major consumer of meth and the market is growing in neighboring countries and elsewhere in the region, according to a 2021 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

"The consumer base for meth in South Africa appears to be significantly greater than initially imagined, marking it potentially among the largest meth consumer markets in the world," the report says.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in a 2023 report that South Africa is an appealing hub for illicit drugs destined for other countries.

"South Africa's geography, porous borders and international trade links with Asia, Latin America, Western Europe and North America have made it an attractive drug transit country," the report says

The country's ports are believed to regularly receive containers of cocaine that are in transit and do not even land ashore, the drugs agency said.

The crystal meth bust in South Africa comes about two months after police in Spain said they had seized 1.8 tons of crystal meth that Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel was trying to sell in Europe, the country's "biggest-ever seizure" of the narcotic.

[rayn1lazd]

How did Tessa become a robot? Did Cyn skin her alive and stuffer her innards inside a worker drone body?

"reporting from the Elliot james mansion no drones insight not even a sign of life either and all that is left is just nothing but some flesh like material and some blood stained walls"

"God im not gonna eat tonight

"We are approaching in the main gala"

"No drones insight either not even the suspected AS host too but only the just some corpses of the guest and a huge hole where seems the The New host escaped"

"Hawk check the perimeter we might catch the host"

"Roger that"

"report alpha did you find the suspect New host?"

"negative"

"Oh"

"but we only have just the gore of flesh that we cant even recognize it anymore if its human flesh or the new host doing"

"Really just nothing, Like something, anything we could use for?"

"hold on.. doc i think theres one that is different it looks like its just got torn and skinned alive???"

"is the head is still there?"

"Yah just the entire skull is still recognizable like quite literally"

"Alpha we have check the perimeter no sign of the new host"

"Bring the head to me"

"what"

"Just bring the head to me ill find a way no questions"

"Roger that"

"HEY!!! Cleaner up crew the doc orders to bring this head in his lab"

"Ahhh....ahh..uhhhh..... yah sure, ill just...put it in here and.......yah that might helped that"

"And also find the host do not let it escaped we cant have any of what happened 3010 understood?"

"Roger that"

[ahamkara-apologist]

you have GOT to post guardian pics I'm begging you. feed us (me?) information about your characters. I must know. it is imperative

TYSM FOR ENABLING ME ANON BC THEY ARE MY BLORBOS AND IM VIBRATING ABOUT THEM. buckle the fuck up because this is gonna be a long fucking post

Okay first up is Aeris Sharphawk- aro/ace, he/him. he's my main character, my hunter, and the Young Wolf of my timeline.

He’s half-Awoken, half-Human (I’ll get to that in a moment, he’s actually an older oc of mine that I ported over from Bloodborne whose bastard nature needed a D2 equivalent), and the older half-brother to my solar titan, Marcelline Attenbough- one of the few little remnants from their past life that they were able to discover in a diary on Marcie’s corpse when they were rezzed together (which occurred because their ghosts are twins). He’s autistic, lawful neutral, and vastly prefers using Darkness over Light because of sensory issues; his ghost (Hoarfrost, previously Mercury) mods his helmets to drastically reduce noise, but he can’t help how Arc tingles, Solar burns, and Void numbs. Tends to spend most of his battles either hyperfocused or dissociated to deal with it. As for the lawful neutral title, that’s because he doesn’t fight for the Vanguard because of a loyalty to humanity, but exclusively for the survival of the Last City and everyone in it. This extended to House Light and the Cabal under Caital instantaneously, and would do so to Eramis if she so chose, because he really just doesn’t take most things personally. He's sometimes derogatorily called 'the Vanguard's Hound' because of this.  

He’s skilled with a bow, and is cursed with a resting haunted stare that can rival even the fiercest bird of prey- hence his title, given to him because his last name wasn’t present in the little diary that Marcie had when they were rezzed. Personality wise, he’s quiet, stoic, extremely efficient at what he does, fiercely protective of those he loves, and deeply curious about the unknown- though if you don’t know him, you’d never be able to guess it, because he struggles deeply with facial expressions and tone, giving him the appearance that he’s ruthlessly cold and unfeeling (pretty much the Guardian we see in game). Because of this, he tends to do much better with Eliksni than most of humanity- bar the Awoken, though Mara makes him deeply uncomfortable- and is thus far more comfortable with them. He’s the moon to Marcie’s sun, and helps keep her in check, for despite her cheery personality, she has a very strong sense of justice and a penchant for impulsive, temperamental behavior when she thinks that justice has been wronged. This goes both ways, however, as Aeris is the very definition of ‘curiosity killed the cat’; he voluntarily gets bit by venomous snakes at venom labs to see how immunity/allergies develops over time, and has a fascination with the Vex that got him a ‘needs watching’ report after he nearly jumped into a pool of radiolaria to see what would happen. The older-brother affection isn’t related to just Marcie, though; he’s unofficially adopted Eido as his younger sister (or kid? Because uhhh that curiosity of his has extended to fucking Misraaks once or twice), and is a mentor figure of sorts to Crow, though he’s unaware that Crow idolizes him; he only hunted Uldren down to keep Marcie out of trouble, as he didn’t like Cayde and was neutral on Uldren, so seeing Crow for the first time didn’t bother him at all. Tutored on occasion by Osiris, and thus has a very deep respect for him. 

People other than Marcie that he likes:  Zavala, Ikora, Osiris, Eido, Misraaks, Eris, and Variks, Petrichor-12 (oc), Viper-4 (oc, lightless guardian), Crow

People he dislikes: Cayde, the Spider, Clovis Bray, Savathun, Mara Sov, Petra Venj (can’t read her very well), anyone who is loud or insistent or confusing 

Primary class (Dark): Stasis

Primary class (Light): Arcstrider

Motifs: Dark, cool blue/silver, viper and hawk symbolism

Likes: Learning about things, working with the Eliksni, being good at being a hunter, bows/glaives/swords, playing with Strand, Gambit (surprisingly)

Dislikes: Crucible, loud noises, fusion rifles, snipers because of the kick (despite being very good with them), shotguns, fans and most other guardians 

Fun fact: When Hoarfrost and Solaris found them, it was in a frigid part of old Russia, with Aeris holding Marcie close to his chest with his back to the door- they had frozen to death while trying to keep each other warm, and were under a thick layer of permafrost. When they were risen, they found out their names, their relationship to each other, and the fact that their father was a cheating bastard who produced Aeris after screwing an Awoken woman for the novelty of it because Marcie had a little diary in her front pocket, which had been somewhat preserved by the cold. Both their ghosts theorize that the reason why Aeris is so drawn to Stasis and Marcie to Solar is because of how they died, though neither guardian will say anything about it. He can also speak near-fluent Eliksni.

.

Then there’s Marcie, younger half-sister to Aeris and the sun to his moon; she/her, Solar Titan, lesbian, lawful good. Where he is quiet and introverted, she is loud and bombastic, and where he likes to dart in and strike down his enemies from afar, she likes to punch. I just recently made her in Destiny because the character creation doesn't really match how I see her, hence why she's got Arc on here

(closer to her actual face minus the blue eyes; this is a very old bloodborne pic)

Unlike her half-brother, Marcie is a full human, and- according to the diary she rezzed with- was objectively her father's favorite, though the feeling was not mutual, and their relationship was strained by her taking so kindly to the bastard son he tried to send away. Compared to Aeris, she's bright, bubbly, and outgoing, but has a fierce temper, and is quick to snap if something has pushed her too far-think a jack russel's terrier of a human being. Her ghost's name is Solaris (previously Quicksilver), and she prefers the Light and Solar by far. Her preferred method of combat is to hit first, ask questions later, which can be incredibly effective or incredibly dangerous depending on who's on the opposite end of her wrath. Her and Aeris share many quests together, with me typically attributing all the seasons that I didn’t play to Marcie, given that I didn’t make a Destiny character for her for the longest time. 

She was best friends with Cayde, and was so devastated by his death that Aeris had to go instead, as she would have killed anything and everything in vengeance without a second thought. She did, however, kill Riven- something that Aeris himself was somewhat reluctant to do,given his fascination with the Ahamkara. She's stubborn as a mule, surprisingly strong despite her small stature (well, small-ish), and is an absolute massive lesbian, with her type specifically being 'big strong ladies who can kill me'- which was primarily why she wasn't allowed to fight Eramis, or other big hotties, as she has a pretty hardcore crush on her. (The second reason was that she would have stood and bickered with Eramis about the ethics of what she was doing until either one or the other yielded). Instead, she was assigned to work with Misraaks to evacuate House Light refugees, which ended up being a fortuitous partnership with the coming of the Endless Night. Now, her primary work for the Vanguard consists of aiding Eliksni refugees, along with general alien-human politics and tackling xenophobia, as well as working on being an apprentice Splicer. She is very, VERY passionate about equal rights and will drag you to the Crucible if you fight her- and good fucking luck winning against her, because she fucking loves the Crucible and will beat your ass everytime. She’s somewhat of a local celebrity in that reguard

Her deep fondness for her brother comes primarily from the fact that he is one of the few people to take her seriously without either asking her to calm down or come off as patronizing- he's also a well of stability to her excitable moods, the voice of reason to her hyperempathy. While he keeps her from biting off more than she can chew, she acts as his translator + guide, yanking him back onto the path of sanity if he starts to wander into the Deep, and helping him with dysfunction things that Hoarfrost can’t do. She also enjoys working through the data he collects, even if she has no desire to go searching for it herself, so they make a good pair- even if, like most siblings, they will argue over every little thing and sometimes drive each other up the walls with their stubbornness.

I've already mentioned that she got along with Cayde, but her other friends at the tower are Shaxx, Drifter, Saint-14, and Ada-1. Misraaks is her mentor, as well as one of the few people who can talk her down from stupid shit, with uh…questionable results. And while she couldn't stand the sight of Crow when Aeris dragged him back, she managed to befriend him reguardless, mostly because he was so different from the Uldren she remembered that she couldn’t help but accept him for who he was. She often went out drinking with him and Amanda, and was devastated when she died. 

People she likes: Cayde, Shaxx, Drifter, Saint-14, Ada-1, Misraaks, Crow, Amanda (rip), Caiatl

People she dislikes: Uldren Sov, The Osmium Siblings, The Spider, Lakshmi-2, anyone against the Eliksni or people who are rude to Aeris, Calus

Likes: Crucible, Gambit, fucking around with weapons in new and creative ways, going out to drink with friends, playfully flirting, helping with construction work around the Eliksni District, playing around with the Light, moths and other fuzzy creatures

Primary Class (Light): Solar

Primary Class (Dark): Strand

Dislikes: Fighting Eliksni, any exploding enemies that she can’t punch, bows because Aeris will always be better than her at using them, the fact that Aeris fucked Misraaks at one point for science, being alone, her inability to score a girl who isn’t a war criminal

Motif: crimson and gold, bears or lion with eagle wings

Fun fact: Her grasp on Eliksni is actually more fluent than Aeris, and she spends a good deal of her time in the Tower socializing with people while he’s off doing…whatever.

.

Okay, now onto Petrichor-12, who decided to nope out of being a Guardian so I deleted their slot to make Marcie before I really did anything to dazzle them up

Petrichor-12 is a now-retired guardian that actually came from a dream I had before I even played Destiny. They/them or he/him, neutral good, Void titan, ghost is seldom-speaking and called Whisper. Neutral good. I attribute them with D1 content, so they’re the guardian that killed Crota and Oryx, though Marcie and Aeris were also there to help.

Petrichor is an older, somewhat quiet, melancholy do-gooder that's been haunted by guilt ever since they found out the memories of who they were via the Deep Stone Crypt- a bodyguard for Clovis Bray that was turned to a path of anger, abuse, and violence after agreeing to be tested on for power, and got corrupted by the Darkness. This, paired with being rezzed in the Dark Ages, means that they have a lot of trauma surrounding violence, power, and the dilemma of being made to kill when all you want to do is save people. As such, Eramis's predicament troubles them greatly, and while it was them who gunned her down in conjunction with Aeris, they often found themselves returning to her frozen body on Europa to talk to her (presumed corpse) about Darkness corruption in a sort of venting monologue-advice system, which worked both as a way of fending off their troubles as well as keep an eye on her state- though now that she’s defrosted they’ve vowed never come near her again out of embarrassment. 

While retired, they are a stalwart defender of anyone who needs it and a keeper of peace, driven partially by a genuine desire to do good and a need to prove themselves not the person that they used to be. No longer able to mingle with other guardians or humanity at large due to PTSD from what they learned, they live in the Botza district as an ambassador between the Eliksni and humanity, they like to knit + quilt in their free time, teaching whichever hatchlings will listen and getting tutored on weaving by old Wolves in return. They're also 6'3", so…lorge. Zavala and Misraaks are the two people they talk to the most outside of the Eliksni refugees, and they drop by to say hi to Eva and knit with her whenever they have the chance. The war with the Witness is threatning to bring them out of retirement, something that they are deeply unhappy with. 

People he likes: Namrask, Misraaks, Saladin, Zavala, Ikora, Osiris (recently), Marcie and Aeris, Saint-14, Eris (complicated)

People they dislike: Themselves, Osiris (formerly), Eramis (reminds them of themselves), Ghaul, Oryx, Xivu Arath, Clovis Bray, anyone who goads them to fight, Elsie and Ana Bray by association, Rasputin 

Motif: gold and sapphire blue, used to have a gryphon motif but stopped wearing it because they don’t want to be recognized as the Kingkiller

Likes: Knitting, sewing, weaving, gardening, really anything restorative they can do with their free hands that forces their mind not to wander

Class (Light): Void, sometimes Arc

Class (Dark): no.

Dislikes: War, fighting, being a guardian, everything that has to do with what they used to be, anything Braytech sciences, the cumulative trauma from the Dark Ages and seeing recordings of who they used to be in the Deep Stone Crypt, their own fear of themselves

Fun fact: Petrichor-12 can speak Eliksni fluently, having modulated their voice and hearing to be able to incorporate the subsonic clicks and chirps in their speech, and is now working on learning Ulurant despite not at all liking the Cabal empire

.

Ash: Another dream character of mine, and my newest Guardian (so she’s somewhat of a wip). She/her, solar + void warlock, chaotic neutral to lawful evil depending on her mood. Pansexual but bitchless. Rezzed in the tail end of the Dark Ages, just long enough for her to see how horrible everything was but not long enough to see the true extent of it. Scholar of the Light, and most recently a scholar of the Dark as well.

Ashe is a warlock with an awful temper, a moral code that changes on a whim, and a ravenous appetite for knowledge that comes at the cost of everyone else, including herself. Her ghost (an anxious and caring little lass) is called Nutmeg, and is pretty much the only indicator that she has a soft spot. Ashe dedicated herself to learning how to get closer to the Light, but unlike the more conventional meditations that people usually do to, she was inspired by ancient Greek priestesses and decided for a more unconventional route- by doing hard drugs. By getting either extremely drunk or very high, she claims that she overcomes the need for meditation (or, rather, bypasses it entirely because she’s too impatient for it) and gains a deeper connection with her powers, as she’s connecting with it instinctually rather than choosing to seek it out. Nutmeg and many others are not as convinced about this method, but they also can’t deny that it doesn’t have its perks, as Ash does have a very powerful connection to her light- mainly through exploding things, or setting everything around her on fire. It’s how she used to survive the Warlords she’d steal from in the Dark Ages, and she’s known specifically for her ability to mimic a nova bomb, but with solar power, which is strong particularly for how unexpected it is. 

However, being constantly hungover and harbouring no friends doesn’t exactly have its benefits, and as a result Ashe is almost always grumpy, abrasive, quick to anger, quick to turn to cruel jibes and mocking when being defensive (which is often), and is generally awful to be around. She has no friends other than Nutmeg (whose bond has become strained as of late, since Ashe is now turning to substance abuse for coping with the impending threat of the Witness rather than simply using it for her studies), her apartment is an uncleaned shithole she only uses for crashing in when she’s particularly out of it, and she's constantly in a state of passive-aggressive warfare with Osiris, as she and him used to occasionally cross paths and share research; they might have had a student-teacher dynamic if they didn’t grate so abrasively, and if Ashe wasn’t so much of a lone wolf. He’s tried to whip her into shape a couple of times, but to no avail- they just devolved into shouting matches. Pretty much the only people she listens to are the Drifter and Nutmeg, but whether or not she’ll actually take their advice is a toss-up. 

Despite this, she will overall always choose to do what's right and will begrudgingly trudge along with people in random strikes to ensure that important missions get done, as she fears failure more than she does judgment. And yet, to an extent she also fears judgment, for part of the reason why she’s so cruel is to keep people at arm’s length, so as to prevent them from learning her weaknesses- not even her constant complaining about being bitchless will cover up that the core reason why she makes no effort to clean herself up and be nicer is because she fears vulnerability. She’s also brilliant with the Light and cunningly adept with the Dark, which is why the Vanguard continues to ask for her help and expertise.   

People she likes: the Drifter, Hawthorne, Nutmeg, Eido, Toland, Shaxx to most everybody’s surprise

People she dislikes: Pretty much the whole Vanguard and 90% of other guardians, Saladin, the Iron Lords, Osiris, Misraaks, 

Primary class (Dark): Stasis, wants to learn Strand but has a hard time letting go

Primary class (Light): Solar, Void

Likes: Learning nuances of the Light that others don’t go into detail to, connecting with the Light, growing more powerful and shaping it into new, experimental Supers that would make Zavala have a heart attack if he saw them in action, taking leadership in Strikes and prodding around New Lights to teach them about what it is to be a Guardian (but gently), killing assholes to put them in their place, spooking people

Dislikes: Being told what to do, being reminded that she’s a mess, being reminded that she’s afraid and that her behavior is starting to turn self-detrimental, being looked down on by other Guardians, the restrictive nature of Vanguard protocol that keeps her from playing around with her experimental supers, guardians who have no respect or care about mortal lives, getting kicked from bars for fighting said guardians with no respect or care for mortal lives, being reminded that she has a soft side and cares so much for other people that it scares her

Colours/theme: black, flame-gold, and green

Fun fact: Likes the Hive aesthetic, and knows their tongue just for the hell of it. Has quite a bit of fun tormenting and taunting Hive Lightbearers, loves digging around the Osmium Siblings. Despite this, she’s not passionate about the Hive, and doesn’t care one bit if they’re wiped out or not. She also pretty much never takes off the Stag helm, as dropping a rift on death has saved her ass more than once, and tends to sleep in her robes. It’s a miracle that she doesn’t stink something awful, but smells perpetually like smoke instead.

.

and last but not least: Viper-4, an ex-guardian who I have almost nothing on because he tends to be a side character: he/him, trans exo, primarily black chassis with red markings, not yet settled on alignment. A friend of Aeris, he's an ex-Hunter who is now the primary caretaker for a variety of venomous snakes whose species have survived the Collapse. He collects their venom to try to recreate old Golden-Age medicines and antivenom- which he does with Aeris's help- and had his forearms modded with soft silicone so that the snakes don't hurt him if they bite him. Generally a friendly and chill guy, but has a melancholy air as most Ghostless do, and wants to learn Strand so that he has some modicum of control over the elements again, as his lack of feeling the Light was the hardest part about his Ghost's death. Much like Brya and Sagira, his ghost sacrificed her to save him, but he blames himself for her death and pretty much entirely refuses to talk about it. Used to be quite adept with Void. I note that he's trans here because it carried over into his exo body, as he was raised with synthetic top surgery scars that were then worked into beautiful engravings of flowers, swords, and snakes by Viper-1

[kickingitwithkirk]

Restless Man Pt II

Summary: Beau Arlen finds himself in the middle of a case with more twists than a country road.

Pairing: Beau Arlen x Reina Cetanwakuwa-Stanley

Word Count: 1681

Warnings: cursing, show level violence, derogatory remarks (some in native languages) poisoning, murder

A/N: The inklings for this started the first time I heard Jensen singing Restless Man. This work is partially from historical information and canon elements from the Big Sky series.

*Set after the series finally 3:13 That Old Feeling.

A/N II: All Native American words/sentences in this part are Lakota resourced from freelang.net and glosbe.com *some algorithmically generated on these sites.

*Translation:  lala -grandfather  Cetanwakuwa -attacking hawk or to hunt and chase

A/N III: Biology isn't my strong suit, so all references likely have errors.

*divider by @firefly-graphics

*no beta -all mistakes are mine

Pt I masterlist

5:30 AM

Arlen pulls into the bank's back park lot and spots Reina sitting on an old pickup’s hood. Parking next to it, he climbs out and with hands on hips snaps, “Why the hell are we here at this ungodly hour?”

“Look who’s running a quart low on civilized this morning.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” 

“It means you’re a grumpy asshole till you get some lead in your system.” Hopping off the hood, Reina hands him a to-go cup, “So fuel up Texas.”  Arlen catches a whiff of the fresh roast bouquet and a far more civilized thank you darling slips past his lips making her eyes roll. 

“And to answer your question being here at the ass-crack of dawn ensures what we're doing doesn’t get out any time soon. Oh, by the way, I flunked charm school so nothing stops me from being an asshole darling.”

***

The bank manager removed their key grumbling as they left. 

“Obviously, not a morning person either,” Arlen commented while pulling the large rectangular box from its cubby and placing it on the table opens its hinged lid revealing an assortment of documents. Picking up the top one he reads the contents. “This is a medical file dated almost eight months ago. Gerald started seeing a Dr. Johnson in Billings who ordered..wow, that’s a boatload of tests.”

Reina began reading over his shoulder, “This doesn’t make sense, Lala Gerald was healthy as a horse for a man his age and preferred the healer over western medicine.” Handing it to her he starts going through the others. “Found the test results. Great, it’s one of those percentages per whatever. Personally, I like the connect the dots ones.” She points to the first results. “These here are chemicals you’d normally find on a working ranch. They’re within the safe margins for exposure.” Arlen was surprised, “You know how to read this?” 

“What? You thought I was only a fabulous derrière?” 

Arlen tilted his head a certain way letting his expression say it all. “Man, you got that dad’s done with your shit look down pat!” He’s still unamused. “Okay, I worked for the mobile vet a few summers, taught me how to do work-ups on the livestock.” Reina goes back to explaining the results then pauses at the end. 

“Huh. These look like medicinals from the healer, but the lab could not identify all the plants used.” She gives Arlen a contemplative look, “You got anything on your plate this morning?”

“Nothing pressing Hoyt can’t handle. Why?” 

“I have an idea where to find out what these could be. Your truck or mine Texas?”

Montana State University

Bozeman 

“Remind me again why we drove all this way?” A tense Arlen dodges another Twalking student in the crowded corridor. “Because these people won’t know me or my family connections like in Helena. Here we are,” Reina opens the door under the Biotechnology Department sign. 

“Dr. Newsom?” The person writing on a whiteboard turns. “Hello, I’m Sheriff Beau Arlen. Dean Wilson said you might be able to help with some toxicology report results.” 

Arlen hands over the file and the doctor skims over the pages, “I take it’s the last one set marked inconclusive you’re inquiring about?” “Yes. My partner here believes they might be compounded from some types of plants?” 

Newsom seemed impressed and wrote out the information on the board then stepped back studying it. “Would you mind if I called in another colleague to consult on this?”

***

Sometime later 

“Everything all right?” Reina inquires when Arlen walks back into the room. “Hoyt was checking in.” Retaking his seat, he hears her mutter, “Some things never change.” 

“What the hell does that mean?”

“That your girlfriend can’t stand not knowing where you are, who you’re with, and when you’ll be back.” 

“Hoyt’s my undersheriff.…” “…from what I hear, under in the literal sense.” “She’s not my girlfriend or significant other so what's your problem with her?” “It’s always been her problem. Never mine.” Newsom's colleague interrupts their terse discussion. 

“Your assumptions were correct. These here,” circling a few abbreviations, “Are used in many medicinal compounds by the local native healers. Unfortunately, we cannot identify what species they come from because we can’t find any record of the source materials.”

“Hypothetical question,” Reina says, “Could their source be something the People purposely choose not to share but still retain knowledge of how to create?” Arlen shoots her a quizzical look.

“Yes, that is a possible hypothetical. We know from early expeditions writings and verbal stories passed on among native inhabitants that much of their knowledge has been lost due to time and habitats, or intentionally hidden due to subjugation and indoctrination.”

Arlen's thumbs' tapping became more intense and thirty miles down the road he suddenly detoured his vehicle, Pedro, onto a dirt track. “Umm, do you know whose road we’re on?”

“Not a damn clue! Call it Bob’s Road.”

“Hope Bob doesn’t take a shot for us trespassing.” Arlen slams on the brakes and cuts the engine before shifting in his seat to glare at her, “What with the wild goose chase?”

“Sorry, I don’t….”

 “Don’t bullshit me Reina! I want you to tell me the truth.”

“I needed confirmation.”

“Conformation of what?”

“That you weren’t in on it!” Arlen was taken aback by her insinuation. “You think I had a hand in Gerald’s death?”

“No, in its cover-up!” She climbs out slamming the door shut emphasizing how pissed she was.  “I don't know if you can be trusted AssButt!” A now equally pissed Arlen copies her.  “That why you pulled a subterfuge ‘bout being a Texas Ranger?” His question makes Reina whirl around as he continues. “I know a lotta Montanans still have this old west mentality regarding the law."

“Don’t turn this to be about me!” Reina yells stalking towards him, not stopping till she invades his personal space. "I know about your partner in Houston so let me ask you something. How'd drowning your guilt and shame in booze and other avenues work out for ya?” Arlen's eyes narrow. “Seems you ended up in the same place as every other motherfucker who takes that route. Leaving a trail of collateral damage in your wake including your family.” Arlen's low growl of Leave them outta this only makes her double down. 

“Your ex remarried some guy and moved three states away with your kid to escape the humiliation! And what did you do? You followed them up here like a dog with its tail,” Arlen surges forward, slamming his hands flat on either side of her head, pinning her against the truck's door. His heart hadn’t pounded this hard since trying his damnedest not to kill Buck Barnes for kidnapping his daughter when Reina did something most would consider not only insane but confused the hell outta him by leaning forward so close he could feel her breath caress his lips as she spoke. 

“I bet you’re weighing your options on whether to sock me or kiss me.” Arlen jerks back with such an incredulous expression it makes her chuckle, “I have that effect on people.” 

“No more bullshit Reina! Did you know what that report would say?”

“Had an inkling you helped confirm.” Reina sagged back against the door. “After I left Montana, Lala and I talked practically every day. I knew something was wrong around six months ago when he suddenly stopped video chatting.” She looked up towards the clear blue sky, “I couldn’t get leave. DPS had just sent me to the Del Rio sector to help track down cartel smugglers. You can’t fathom the shit they’re doing, what’s being covered up by the mainstream media and those fuckers in D.C.”  Reina swiped at her eyes.

“I had a few run-ins with cartel elements which was bad enough.” Arlen placed his hand on her shoulder, “I’m truly sorry you didn’t have the chance to say goodbye.” Reina nodded in gratitude, and he asked in a gentler tone, “Do you have any idea why someone would want to do away with Gerald?”

“Have you heard of the new housing development proposed north of the city?” Arlen acknowledged he has. “Did you know the day lala died, the developers submitted an impact study on expanding that small airport in Silver City?” Arlen looked confused. “Helena already has a good-sized airport...what a minute. Why would a suburb need its own airport? It wouldn’t unless it’s a guise for something bigger.”

“Like something that’ll eventually run from outside Helena’s city limits up to the foothills of the Flathead and Lewis and Clark national forests?” Arlen's brow furrowed, “Okay. Excuse me, I need a map,” he opened the passenger door and glove box retrieved one and moves to the hood. “I’m not really familiar with that area,” Reina reaches over, pointing to a smaller valley snug between the mountain ranges.

“Phase one is here. It’s proposed to expand the airport to accommodate more traffic and have its own charter service catering to the financially privileged.”

“Darling, if there’s one thing I know about people with money, they don’t like to be too far from their modern conveniences.” Reina raised an eyebrow, “Well Darling, the deal includes building a luxury resort which will increase the tax base so much it’ll price the current residents living there out so they’ll end up doing what?”

“Sell to the developers who’ll eventually build residences tailored for their clientele.” Arlen shakes his head in disbelief. “Wait, what’s in Phase Two?” Reina’s voice took on a serious note, “I need you to swear on whatever you hold sacred, you’ll keep this under wraps because I could go to jail for possessing this information.” Arlen holds out his hand, “I give you my word.” She takes his offered hand before pulling out her phone and showing him a picture of a scale model representing the future Helena Valley.

“How far would you go if one man was standing in your way of building the next metropolis?”

tbc

SPN TAGS: @donnaintx  @lyarr24  @flamencodiva  @lassie-bird @nancymcl  @spnbaby-67  @leigh70

Dean/Jensen:  @thoughts-and-funnies  @stoneyggirl2  @akshi8278  @beabutterfly987 @smoothdogsgirl

@deans-spinster-witch

[koreposion]

The dim hum of fluorescent lights filled the work space. An office that doubled as a lab in order to keep everything in tact and sorted. Old solutions to new ones were filed away nearly in cabinets. Medicine bottles and salves were kept stored away in multiple methods. Hawk always worked diligently, if no one else could do it he could.

He had worked his whole life to get where he is now and wasn't stopping anytime soon. He was testing different reactions with new medication he was developing, just to make sure it was safe for consumption. It was important that it worked the way he wanted to while also not causing any further harm to the sickly.

Indigo's blood was a wonderful asset even if it was hard to work with at times. He had used to before as it was a useful ingredient, especially when it came to curing the effects of air born poisons. A common problem when Heros and Villians would do what they wanted for the sake of their goals. Leaving residential areas unhabitable even if the mundane couldn't live anywhere else.

The loss of life was not worth the struggle of those with power. If they put more care into their actions then many people wouldn't even be worse off. It only befits them when those who can afford treatment try to get it. Those who cannot simply die and whatever is left of their life crumbles.

Hawk grinded crystal blood into powder mixing it with other dry herbs and chemicals. Solid medicine would be better than liquid medicine, even if some weren't the best at taking it. He made sure that they could at least be paired with juice or tea, coffee wasn't something someone should be drinking if they were here. He used a tray to shape the power into pills, a careful process to make sure they didn't break.

He then went to freeze them while taking out another tray. If he was correct in his inventory of the medical cabinet some would need a refill soon. It was better to get it done now and make sure it was in there before they bottles ran out. When it came to taking medicine a schedule was important, seeing as the side effects manifested differently. It would be unwise to do anything that required focus while feeling lethargic.

He gently popped the pills out of their container. Counting them before making sure none of them had cracked. He then placed them into a bottle to take up to the front later.

He sat down for a moment to check the files of the most recent patients. He could only keep a certain number at a time and Indigo had a habit of... eliminating those unworthy of care. Even though they stay in the clinic disorderly behavior was not ideal, it did not help with recovery. He flipped through all of the files, removing the ones that have already left the clinic or that he's taken care of himself. A daily report was always given on them from Indigo, small details were always important.

He always took in mind that certain people didn't mind bitter pills but they preferred lighter ones. Tea drinkers had a habit of eating biscuits or cookies, so he gave Indigo certain recipes to help in that regard. Sweets were to be carefully managed and kept away from children especially. However the worked wonders for giving them out as rewards.

Certain gases made it harder to properly digest food, blood flow differently, and made body temperature change rapidly. Injuries were always easier to treat, however he always kept the pain medication in his office. Addiction was not good for recovery. In that regard he watched patients who had them closely to make sure they didn't try anything. He also gave them different files than the rest of the others so Indigo could put tabs on it.

The weight of the paperwork would be overbearing on anyone else but this is what he wanted to do. If he could not properly care for someone then there would be no point in all of his studies. His success was far more important than extra work that came his way.

After sorting through some of the files he made extra or new notes to place in the ones out front. The passage of time was always lost on him when he was alone. He took his notes and stood up, leaving the backroom to sort through the files in the front. It was already dark outside and the moon was high in the sky.

He looked at it for a moment before hearing a loud clattering noise from the kitchen. He became more alert, making sure his footsteps were quiet as he approached. As he looked into the kitchen he saw...two patients eating buttered crackers. He paused, surprised that they didn't decide to have something sweet.

"What are you two doing up." Hawk's cold voice filled in the silence that the two rule breakers were trying to maintain. They quickly screamed, hugging each other in fear before realizing it was just Hawk.

"Oh wait look it's the doctor." One of them said to the other that was still frightened. They had a scar on the side of their face, it was scarring which was better then it being a festering wound.

"We're still in trouble!" The other said, they had been missing an arm. Hawk had to cut it off after it was too damaged to function anymore. He was working on a prosthetic for this particular pair.

"Yes you are, you should be resting and not eating late at night. At least it's crackers and you both don't have digestive issues. However you will not get away without a punishment, I can't just let you do as you please. It's not safe." Hawk was stern as he spoke, not leaving room for them to get out of this.

"You both can work with Indigo tomorrow to help do all of their prep work." The punishment wasn't so harsh, but Indigo had a high energy way of taking care of things around the clinic.

They always followed instructions down to the finest letter and refused to stray from them. Their ridged approach and anger at the two misfits would be enough to set them straight. After all, Indigo personally makes everything from scratch and to find out that the crackers they had made are mostly gone...They have held grudges for less.

The two misfits' mood clearly dampened hearing the news. They looked as of they were about to complain before they both said, "Sorry, Doctor" and accepted defeat.

Even if Hawk had not found out about this, Indigo certainly would have. Both of the patients left and returned to their room with the others. Playfully shoving each other while claiming that their overall carelessness got them caught.

A sigh left Hawk as he had dealt with the problem, he would probably have to set up a rules board somewhere. It was better for a warning to be made before anyone takes their chances with misbehaving. Luckily he did need to switch around the files in the kitchen. He opened the cabinet where he kept all of their nutritional information, adding and removing notes. It was always important to check on these things daily.

He then headed into the common room where all of the patients slept. With icy blue eyes in the dark he watched over their bodies. He stood over each one to make sure that their heartbeat and breathing was normal. If someone woke up while he was doing so, he simply quietly hushed them.

He then sorted through the files in the room, doing the same as he did before. Then he made small notes, reminding Indigo to check their vials, suggesting different activities for those who are bedridden, and some healthy treats that could be added to the fridge.

As he stood up to leave, a child was staring right at him. Their eyes milky white as they just...looked up at him curiously. They didn't say much to Hawk but walked up to him and tugged on his sleeve. He blinked twice, confused by the action until he was led out into the garden.

Indigo had fell asleep above the dirt, laid there like a corpse. The child went up to Indigo and shook them. Hawk watched as he saw a response from the small patient. He remembered Indigo's note about one of the children suffering from mental trauma. They started crying as Indigo laid there, not understanding why they wouldn't wake up.

Hawk's eye twitched involuntarily, and he gently pulled the child away, "Indigo is okay, they are just sleeping."

"Everyone says that..." The child responded, hugging Hawk's leg, he had no idea how to deal with this.

Frozen in place he patted their back and explained what was happening in the only way he knew how, "Indigo sleeps in the dirt because they're like a plant. So when night comes they're not awake because the suns not up."

There was a moment, and he felt the patient rub snot and tears on his clothes. He didn't have the heart to be upset at them for this. After all it was normal for children to be emotional when they didn't understand...

"You should go to bed, if you wake up early then you might see Indigo face towards the sun." He spoke softly and patted the child's head, taking them back inside and giving them a small glass of hot milk and honey.

They drank it and he washed the glass, putting them to bed before heading back outside.

Indigo usually tried to leave before dark, or if they stayed they had something to keep them up. They must have been working on the garden when they fell asleep, it was hard to wake a dragon. At first it could be seen as a nap, but Indigo didn't need to breath. That must have been what frightened the child.

Hawk grabbed a nearby shovel and dug a shallow grave. He placed Indigo's body inside of it before covering it with dirt. His clothes and hands became dirty, it was a necessary mess. Indigo was extremely helpful, if they didn't rest well then they wouldn't preform their best. Their energy always made the stark white, sterile clince easier for people to live in.

He walked back inside, heading off to go take a shower and change his clothes.

Hopefully there would be another productive day tomorrow.

----------------------

@wr-n I fuckin love Hawk and I think about him so much! I hope you like the details I added in about him!

[twothpaste]

fic bit featuring Claus and Nana. a scientist and a paramedic debate the former's relentless work ethic, despite a No Good Very Bad Lobotomy-Induced Chronic Headache. 😏😖🙄

The process is a softer affair than it used to be. When the world population clambered by the billions, pharmaceuticals comprised a labyrinthine industry. Bloodthirsty minotaurs n' all. Ruthless steel compaction, from the milling n' grinding to the pretty penny on the opposite end. Stuff's still made of powdered plants, mostly. They've still got laboratories, concocting the rest. Factory lines, however, were a centuries-prolonged growing pain. As was the chokehold on your very biology. We're post-apocalyptic anarcho-communists, for Christ's sake. Get with the times. Y'need pills, just take 'em.

When the Commander clambered from its recharge station, it took what was fed to it. And asked for nothing more. Any pang or spasm, no matter how severe, warranted not even a note in its data log. Biology was superfluous. Far as it was aware - ruthless steel had always trumped flesh.

Claus comes to. Six on the dot. Darkness strobing like sun spots. An aching exhale, through a clenched windpipe.

Their left brain says:

- [ Loading Status Report… ] -

- [ <STATUS: "Migraine."_> ] -

Their right brain says:

Ow.

Zolmitriptan makes it into the running, this morning. Alongside painkillers of an entirely unrelated ilk - dosed low, for his eighty or ninety pounds of biomass. There's the Adderall that almost works like a charm. The SSRI that failed him, the other night. Cyclosporine's what keeps his insides from breaking out into unrestricted civil warfare. A calcium supplement might accompany his lunch. Assuming he can stomach it. Ocean waves send the cramped bathroom roiling, and his guts right along with it. Yellowish wood walls, closing in tight, parrot the creaks in his joints. Or vice versa. Or vice versa… Cold fingers knead the right temple, with blunt faux-nail tips. Incidental luster stings like tarantula hawk.

A ghoulish countenance greets him in the mirror.

He grins back. Crooked teeth n' all.

"G'mornin', sunshine."

The Commander wouldda headed to work nonetheless, bright n' early, on nothin' but a stern order. Claus does it on a cane. N' a belly full of get well soon.

See? Softer.

As they don their lab coat and step outside, the upper bunk remains utterly undisturbed. Hardback volume nestled somewhere ajar in the covers. Sweet dreams of omelets and Middle Earth carry on, and on. Lucas' slumber is as nigh-sacred as it is boulder-esque.

Anyways.

Rhinos predate hippos by thirty-four million years in the fossil record. Prototype Rhinocerocket models, likewise, predate Hippo Launchers by about twenty-two months. With New New Pork shrinking, year by year, tighter quarters had driven both clades to territorial disputes. A contributing factor toward the latter's increased aggression, Claus hypothesizes. They've gotta wonder if similar bloodshed arose along the Nile, when planet Earth simmered to a fever pitch. Or whether Noah took care to board 'em on opposite ends.

(They consider these things in meticulous detail, mulling them back n' forth between circuits n' neurons, to distract themself from the dawning sunbeams. And the nauseous discrepancies beneath their boots, trekking uneven terrain. Both of which gnaw incessantly at every periphery.)

Sanctuary Shipment Part 2: Electric Boogaloo begins in - [ <3 DAYS, 21 HOURS, 27 MINUTES, 49 SECONDS_> ] -. Hippo Launchers, as I'm sure you've gathered, will not simply march onto a ship 'cause you asked 'em nicely. N' those Rhino whistles do fuckall to charm 'em. They'll have to bring out the big guns. Literally. It's an old Pigmask blaster. Standard issue. The heavy sort, that pink suits used to haul around. Yank out all the laser beam cartridges, and replace 'em with a transformer n' a capacitor. Ain't aimin' to hurt 'em. No pain nor irreparable damage is due upon any chimera. 'Specially not on Dr. Westwood's watch. Tune the copper coil just right, n' the big lugs'll doze right on off to sleep mode. No fried wiring. No ruptured batteries. Their artificial hearts won't skip a single beat.

Of course, should he miscalculate his extremely precise adjustments, this chimera may be in for an absolute boatload of pain and irreparable damage.

Claus ain't allowed to work on the EMP Gun unattended. Which is fair, he thinks. Totally reasonable. He most certainly and definitely has no restless qualms about it.

If he wants his electronics specialist, he'll have to wait another four hours. Sheep sleeps in almost as late as Lucas, when given the luxury. His weapons specialist, however, retains the circadian rhythm of a true soldier. Hell, Hox was prob'ly up long before the accursed sun clawed its way over the horizon to chew on Claus' frontal lobe. Now, if he can just find her…

"Hi, Claus," chirps a dearly familiar voice, from the elevated walkway to his left. Pitchy, yet even-keeled. A far cry from the ex-colonel's gruff zeal. "Good morning."

"Hah.. Uh - Mornin', Nana!" Their headache strains in unheeded protest, as they swivel sideways n' up-ways to face her. Cane wobbling ever so slightly. "You're out early! Whatcha up to?"

"Restocking first aid supplies. Bronson got a papercut in the mailroom yesterday. He's on those blood thinners now, you know. Have you ever seen any slasher movies? It was like that. We went through so many sanitizer wipes."

"Sounds like a bloodbath."

"It was."

"I bet the doves were totally traumatized."

"They were. And I figured, well. If I need to restock there, I may as well check everyplace else. I'm headed to the transit ship, next."

"Aw, same here. I'm lookin' for Hox. Have ya seen 'er?"

"No. Why are you down there?"

Claus, hardly perturbed, grants his lowly surroundings only a cursory glance. There's a marked sinkhole next to him. And a big pinkish-whitish hunk of billboard signage. So bleached with age, you can scarcely read the words "YOU HAD ME AT BACON." (Come to think of it, the Harbor's garbage is a trench knife to his right eye's nerves, too.)

"Oh. Heh. Shortcut," he answers.

Nana's ponytail's already comin' loose in the breeze, sending wild strands of blonde across her face. She squints through the thicket. Inspecting her old friend with about as much scrutiny as the litreage of rubbing alcohol available in each work station's first aid kit.

"You look awful."

"Well, shucks, thank ya."

"You've got another migraine. Don't you."

"I resent that accusation," Claus retorts. Leanin' back, shruggin' his arms wide, in a show of lackadaisical cowpoke bravado. Only for his balance to lurch beneath him. And for his head to sear with a particularly potent throb, when he jolts to steady himself. He opts to cough, instead of whimper. "Ah-ugh…!"

"I'm surprised Lucas let you by."

"Hngh.. Luc's asleep," they remind her. With a little shushing hiss, and an index finger to their lips.

"Come on. Up here. I'll get you an ice pack at the med bay."

"Nah. Don't worry. M'fine."

Their winking thumbs-up is less than persuasive. Folks like Jill n' Bateau love to mistake Nana for a terminal case of social agnosia, on account of her tactless tirades. Makes 'em feel real psychologically savvy. But they're simply incorrect. She can tell the difference between an earnest smile and a set of clenched teeth from a mile away.

"You know you don't have to do this to yourself, Claus." They seem to perk up, at that. Their one eager eyebrow, beckoning forth a forehead wrinkle or two. "You could take the day off, or at least stay in bed until you feel a bit better. We don't need you working yourself sick -- "

" -- Dr. Westwood!! We need you over here! Immediately!"

Nana doesn't flinch at the brash bark, or the imposing presence, or the heaps of curly hair that've erupted abruptly beside her. Just glances sideways, expressionless. Heartfelt sentiments sink in her chest, as she sees who's actually snagged Claus' attention.

"Heyyy, Hox! I was just lookin' for ya! What's up?"

"Found somethin' weird out by the Junkyard. You'd better come check it out."

"Aw, yeah? What kinda weird?"

"Weird weird."

"Couldja be more specific?"

"'Fraid I can't. No one on staff right now can identify it. If yer askin' me, I would describe it as ooey-gooey, Mx. Look, with all due respect, can you just get the hell over here?"

"Ten-Four, comrade. Agh. Ughff…"

Their metal hand clatters onto the walkway. Followed by their cane, sideways, clenched in a fist. Boot treads gnash and heave, from garbage to pristine timber. Eighty or ninety pounds of biomass. The other hundred n' ten or so's all metal n' plastic. And every remaining bone's got somethin' to say about it. Climbing used to be Claus' strong suit, back in the days of yore. Nana could offer him a helpin' hand, up top a beachside oak tree, and the little hooligan'd take it as an insult. This morning, he grips tight. Nearly pops every one of her knuckles, as she hoists him up n' over the railing.

"Hah.. Whew. Thank ya, Nana. 'Preciate it."

"Sure," she replies. Dryly.

She spots his limpish leftward lean, sparing his opposite hip, as he rises back to his feet. Hox's limp leans right. Conversely.

"Make sure they take it easy," says the paramedic to the ex-colonel. Doctor's orders. "They've got a migraine. Just so you know."

"A migraine? Huh. I didn't know cyborgs got headaches."

"Oh. Claus gets them all the time."

"Alright, alright! Ha, jeez, y'all! I toldja, I'm fine…! I promise I can handle a little ooey-gooey."

Hox snorts. Nana rolls her eyes.

[honey-0tu]

Brits Against Hawks AU

ALRIGHT!! SO!!!!!

I’ve talked off @theminiartblog ’s ear about this au (pls pls check out her amazing Flora AU pls) and I have three drabbles and an 80+ page fic in my google docs about this au but I have only explained it in scattered discord dms to one person who knows layton and two people who have the misfortune of being great listeners despite knowing jack about lost/unwound future

Also this is very much an AU rather than, like, my opinion on what actually happened in canon.

OKAY NOW TO GET INTO IT, major lost/unwound future spoilers under the cut!

I always found it. odd. how there were all these people in the Underground London yet we don't get an explanation for the presence of anyone other than the scientists and organizers? I like to believe that Hawks’ actions pissed off way more people than just Clive and during his time as a reporter, he found more and more people who had been wronged by him in one way or another. There were 10 people killed in that explosion, if we take off Claire and Clive’s parents, that still leaves 7 other people whose deaths were covered up. Layton was hospitalized for his investigation, I would hazard a guess that not everyone who has investigated Hawks managed to do so and walk away with their lives. Not every future London resident was connected to that accident but it’s hardly a stretch to think that Hawks pissed off people in other ways. He was backed by a corporate sponsor so I could see him sabotaging businesses so his corporate sponsor could add new branches to their businesses and so on.

Now, it would be significantly harder to find a bunch of people who were super chill with the idea of tearing up London from the ground upwards. But with more people comes more money and connections so I believe the group as a whole bought up the area which was above the cavern where future London sat so no civilians would be harmed by the mobile fortress. Dimitri still didn’t know anything about it since he was one of the people who they were getting revenge on, Clive had planned to have Dimitri take the fall for the possession of weapons in the research lab but Clive always planned to take responsibility for his side of things as he is the only one in the group with the resources for the consequences of it, he didn’t want that falling on an average civilian.

Now it gets a little tricky because since I handwaved casualties and added accomplices, it starts to look like Clive is acting as a martyr but. well. no. He still destroyed an area of London which will be hell to rebuild and he kidnapped the prime minister, throwing the country into turmoil. He’s well aware of what he’s doing even if he believes it to be right, he knows there’s no 110% guarantee the evacuation will go perfectly, he knows there’s a chance people will die and the blood will be on his hands.

Now, going back to the residents of future London, Becky was my favorite as a kid and still is my favorite NPC so I put her in the role of Clive’s actual partner and accomplice since Dimitri was just a pawn both in this AU and in canon tbh. I think her levels of refusing to take nonsense and getting straight to the point would balance out Clive well, keep him from going a bit too self-sacrificial or elaborate. She wants to get revenge on Hawks originally for ruining her family’s business of several generations but that motivation grows stronger when she discovers people have died because of him. However, she wants everyone to get out of this as unscathed as possible.

Besides some of the people around his age who could be old classmates and former Dove family staff, he found most of the residents during his time as a reporter. He tried to use his position to find other victims of Hawks so they could work together to pool their evidence together but it kept failing. These repeated wasted efforts to hold Hawks accountable in a legal manner are what led to the desperation which fueled the construction of Future London.

Ok so they’re getting ready for the big 'show', maybe half a year before Lost Future happens, and Clive starts to wonder if he’s going too far. Cue Dimitri’s plan to bring Hershel into the story. There’s no great way to write this but basically Clive starts to wonder if he can gaslight Hershel into realizing what’s going on and helping him and the residents find another way to hold Hawks accountable publicly without causing mass panic. The Thames Arm reveal happens and Clive gives up on hoping the professor will help. Ending of Lost Future ensues.

After the events of Lost Future, Hawks is first arrested on embezzlement or something along those lines while Chelmey and Barton search for evidence from 10 years ago. The professor and Clive were a great help with that, as the professor remembered enough that he could fill in blanks from Clive’s gathered evidence and corroborate it.

Dimitri is arrested along with Clive, they’re the only people from Future London who are arrested, Clive always intended to make sure the rest of the group weren’t caught or found out. A handful of them came forward to lighten Clive’s sentence and Clive’s lawyer was able to keep them from receiving any sentences because their involvement was limited to stuff which weren’t crimes. The rest of the residents worked on assisting the professor with gathering evidence on Hawks. 

Now Clive’s mask is gone, he cannot be left in a room with Dimitri without them arguing and bickering lol Clive always thought Dimitri’s motivation was stupid and hated the idea of a time machine but he had to pretend Dimitri was valid but now he gets to complain at him so now he’s a pain in Dimitri’s butt

Now there’s a gaping hole in London, Clive (under unpaid community service during his prison sentence) and a handful of other construction workers from Future London (under actual paid employment from the city) build an area called Undertown in the space where Future London was (there’s an underground city in the Wandering Castle book so there’s some other canon precedent for the idea!)

That’s all I’ve got for this post but I’ll make a tag to compile future posts under for this!

[scripted-downfall]

Dark Angel Reaction: PILOT

@typicalopposite reacts [with occasional asides by scripted-downfall]

Hawkins lab vibes are strong

Shoot them!? They are bebes

Hawkins vibes gone he didn’t try to kill her 😂😂  Just bring her back

Now lady hawke vibes? She fell through the lake

Ok discount Clint Eastwood.

Ma’am.  Ma’am why were you in the clearing.  Where they can see you.  Under the ice.  When there’s all that snow covered spaces

“Hope is for losers.  Still, I hope they are ok.”  LOSER

[scripted-downfall here mentions that clips from this show were used in Hitman despite them not making any sense given the film’s plot]

She was not bouncing around fren.  She was seizing.  There’s a difference

Ok so regardless of how I feel about her character or the actress herself. Ma’am’s foine [scripted-downfall here mentions that she should watch Sin City, then]

I love his accent ☠️☠️☠️

I have met Normal

They have lgbt; How advanced [scripted-downfall here says: OC MY BELOVED]

Oh bby not the first date anniversary

Is that Logan?  On the tv?  I know the voice 😂 Tony was my favorite on NCIS [scripted-downfall confirms because she has no follow-through on the no-spoilers rule.  Also, she’s already said way too much previously to try that now]  now I’m just picturing a news reporter kneeling over a dead body with a quill pen… dipping it in the blood to write

I have no idea what she just said. Just heard ones and zeros… then No way.   

I thought he said he pissed on some one. ☠️☠️  But he said I pissed and moaned

CHEATER!!  CHEATER!!  OMG!  ON THE BIG 1-0!  How dare he?!  MENNNNN

WHAT A GIFT  Bruh.  Men.

“Hey bby girl. I know you're mad at me for leavin you for someone else. But I only did cause you sucked.  Take me back”

“You’re like a mystery… it’s… mysterious”

Ma’am, you can’t drive your bike in here

Them straight across brows Are killing me 

I thought that was Mary.  Or Ellen.  Le gasp

“She was a white lady! With blonde hair and blue eyes. How hard is that to find!”  ☠️☠️☠️

How.  Howwwww.  Did that little ass knife.  Open that door

Don’t do it max- Fuck that.  Lady just yeeted her self off the building

Tony!  I mean Logan

It looks like he cocked a flashlight

This is the most monotone back and forth

That run.  THAT RUN ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Oh shitttt They slicing him up, poor kid 😖😖😖

[scripted-downfall, while watching the show for the second time: this is the most friendly/smiley I’ve ever seen Max; wth happened!?]

Oh Theo dyinnggg

“We gotta talk” “Nothing” Bruh MEN

🤔🤔🤔 Why did she open the can in his face ☠️

It’s scary spice’s hi for me.

“Let me get my coat”  “The one you’re wearing?” ☠️

A man that understands she’s stronger. A little respect!

Poof she gone  *insert “A ghost!” gif*

Ok Lydia stfu

I’m ded.  This whole scene ☠️☠️☠️  “Imma claw you.” *sticks hand in face… max grabs it*  “let go of my hand.”  Just.  Wot

“I broke into your house.  HOW DARE YOU BREAK INTO MINE?  And then cook for me!?”

Is Peter a robot?  He seems like a robot

“I had to see you… pretty thief lady”

[scripted-downfall interrupts: WTF IS THAT CHIN GRAB I DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT]

– – –

Brief hiatus because we had to pause for a bit.  After being asked about what she thought thus far: 

Not too bad.  I’ll definitely have to rewatch it once work comes down and I can watch it at home but I like it

– – – 

Gotta love the classic your telling me exactly how it was but I’m gonna play dumb

He’s like bitch you got a barcode on your neck

Oh nooooo guy got mugged.

 Well, “Mugged”

Oh nooo Theo

Ninja kids!  Minus one

Ooooh. Normal, buddy… you just put your foot all the way down your throat [scripted-downfall interjects: Yeah, he, uh.  Does that a lot.]

Not robot Peter!!!

Ahhh guilt

So she gonna go save the kid?

Is that discount Clint Eastwood?

“Oh pretty boy! I’m sawwry I got you ded”  [scripted-downfall: I hadn’t noticed the religious imagery starting this early because I didn’t know the significance from Pollo Loco.  That’s interesting.]

He needs to just sit up and go… bitch wtf are you talking about

Pshhhh you’re face screamed guilt shush woman

“I don’t feel guilt. Imma save him… cause he’s pretty. And imma talk to him and tell him a story the whole time… but I don’t feel guilty”

Blahblahblah angsty girl blah

Side note: We should totally watch a scary movie and commentate on it [scripted-downfall: YES.]

No one sees spider girl.  Yeah. Right

Well that was easy ☠️

Ooo 👀  [scripted-downfall: ma’am is looking disrespectfully]

Her hair is a lil greasy tho

… welp I had a dirty thought to that ☠️  Just gonna keep it to myself ☠️☠️☠️☠️

☠️☠️☠️ MEN

Le gasp Is she double crossing or is this part of it?

You have tired eyes.  But… same so eh

Typical MANNNNN

SAME MAX (her face at his little attempt)

Oooh super speeed [scripted-downfall: as you can see, she’s being very subtle about being from Manticore]

She just threw that man by her ears

Did she really ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ [scripted-downfall: was that about her smacking his ass?] Yes.  She pulled his pants down and I was like…. What’s this rated again  [Yes.]

How long can ma’am hold her damn breath. Cause GEEEEZ [scripted-downfall: Another Manticore power.]

Okie dokie [scripted-downfall: *inserts Supernatural “I like him; he says okey-dokey” gif*.]

Why is the one holding his mouth like that!?!

angelic music cause buddies are dumb

Clint sees something [scripted-downfall: His name is Lydecker, btw]

Nah man you just had her, dummy

More angelics to ride away angstily on

[scripted-downfall: This won’t make sense yet, but I didn’t realize that Sky was already here in the pilot.]

Oh wow Normal. That’s dirty.  They just be shipping people. That’s- Is that legal?  IS THAT LEGAL?  I can’t even take my dad in the car with out his death certificate; cops might think he’s cocaine [scripted-downfall:  I don’t think the cops much… care.]

Oh so is he paralyzed the whole show? [scripted-downfall: It’s… iffy.  You’ll see.]

“I need you to do a little leg work for me” Cause mine don’t

Angelics one more time.  [scripted-downfall: You do know the show’s called Dark… Angel.  Yeah?  :)]  On top of a building.  In front of the moon.  How angsty.

-- -- --

I like it!  But alas I cannot watch another!  I’ll publish a summary judgement later though

[scripted-downfall: That's a wrap, folks! Next episode will be... tomorrow? *smiles and puppy-dog-eyes at @typicalopposite and prays it works*]

[boundinparchment]

Of Blood and Sparks - Interlude IV

Karina Alexandre of Fontaine lost her position, her family, and her Archon's favor. A dead Electro Vision is her mark of guilt. A reminder to never fail again. Faith shattered, and suspicious of the Fatui, she eventually makes her way to Liyue, where she encounters a certain funeral parlor consultant. Little does she know it's only the beginning. Original character centric; eventual Zhongli/OC. Posted originally at @chevalier-of-fontaine. ArchiveOfOurOwn || FF.net || Rhiannon Details

“Again.”

Rhiannon inhaled and focused on the device at her throat and the space between her hands instead of the broken whimpering nearby.  The very sound tugged at her core, so reminiscent of Karina’s sleepless nights.  A servant, probably working just to send money home to their family.  Lost, confused, terrified.  

They’d failed in their duties.  This was their punishment.

She needed to do this.  If she didn’t, she risked a lot more than just the ire of the red eyes watching her like a hawk.

Anemo energy pulsed through her veins and when it finally reached its peak, she stretched out the energy that gathered between her hands as the air in the large cavern danced around her.  The gusts swirled until they formed a rotating column of air around her target.  The vortex swallowed the last of the whines as pleas turned to gasps.  Rhiannon pushed on the Anemo energy between her palms before jerking her hands away suddenly, dissipating the last of the elemental power.

She heard the thud more than she saw it.  Whether the lighting was for her sake or for effect, she didn’t know nor care.  She let out a shuddering, painful breath as the last of the Delusion energy burned away.

At least her voice wasn’t affected this time.  But that didn’t mean the Delusion summoning didn’t hurt like an absolute bitch.

Her heart skipped when she heard applause from the only other individual in the room.  Enthusiastic and prideful.  

“Brava, Ancella,” Dottore crooned as he descended into the lower level of the lab.  “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

The Harbinger sauntered over to the slumped figure and nudged it with his boot.

“I would have preferred a bit slower but it’ll do.  It was, after all, your first.  I can’t blame you for wanting it to end quickly.  Most do.”

Years ago, the glint in his ruby eyes would have made her squirm with fear.  Now, she met his gaze, unwavering and determined.  She would be useful, no matter the task, no matter the cost.  She had to be.  Rhiannon didn’t have much left.

“As long as I am here, you are to report to me every evening you do not have a performance,” Dottore said, abandoning the corpse out of boredom and closing the distance between them.  His voice echoed off the stone walls, ancient and weeping.  “I need additional data to adjust the mechanisms throughout the catacombs before I head to Sumeru.”

“What of Inazuma?” Rhiannon forced herself to ask.

Although her voice wasn’t hoarse, it hurt to speak, her chest wanting nothing more than to expand further than her corset allowed.  A frown tugged at Dottore’s mouth, hidden all but for the right side.  He straightened his shoulders, displeased, and was probably on the verge of another rant.  She hadn’t had time to change; he gave her no notice and simply whisked her out of her dressing room before she was entirely out of costume.

“Turn, Ancella.”

Skilled fingers worked at the knots her maid spent what felt like hours tying.  Her stays loosened almost instantly and she inhaled deeply in relief.  He gave her three more breaths, muttering about how useless her servant was and that Pantalone needed to stop hiring incompentent morons.  Dottore tied the corset again, this time loose enough for her to provide more air to her lungs.

“Inazuma is on track.  The Delusion factory is running and the Vision Hunt Decree has been causing discord and anger at the Shogun.  As long as Liyue continues to run smoothly for Signora and Tartaglia, all should go as expected.”

He nudged her forward after he was finished, his mind already elsewhere.  

“I heard Tartaglia made quite a scene again, standing in for that no-good primo uomo who continues to ignore rehearsal.”

He spat the probing words with annoyance as he made his way over to the lab table that functioned as his desk.  The surface was covered in papers, the occasional dish or cup and saucer, and trinkets and pieces she couldn’t put a name to if she tried.  Rhiannon trailed behind as she gauged his attitude and mood; mercurial, as always.

She enjoyed her rehearsal with Tartaglia.  A nice change of pace did her, as well as the rest of the cast, a bit of a good once in a while.

But over the past few years, Rhiannon found that she preferred Dottore’s voice instead when it came to duets.  Richer, exact in its notes and technique.

“Your range is better,” Rhiannon admitted, words spilling without a second thought, as if compelled.

Dottore stopped in his hunt among the items on his desk and looked at her, his head tilted ever so slightly.  He looked at Ruin machines and foreign dignitaries that way.  As if her words were a puzzle that needed re-assembly but he couldn’t figure out the next course of action.

He scowled when she didn’t continue and Dottore turned his attention back to wherever his mind was.  But Rhiannon’s words, careless as they were, seemed to snag on something in his mind because he found what he wanted, and then looked up at her again.  He opened his mouth to say something and then shut it again, words failing him.

“A favorable opinion, although you would be hard-pressed to find others to agree with you,” he muttered at last.  “I will escort you back to your rooms.  No doubt someone is wondering where you are.”

As they traversed the passageways back to the surface and into the opera house, Rhiannon felt her stomach sink in realization that she’d given him leverage.  Very easily, to boot.  A dangerous thing for any Harbinger but especially the man holding the lantern in front of her.  He would dig as deep as he could, without a care for much else.  He destroyed Ruin Guards in the process of understanding their inner mechanisms and he did the same to humans, too; she was all too keenly aware.

When he noticed she was trailing behind, Dottore took her hand to keep her close.  

“The catacombs are no place to dally, Ancella.  Keep up.”

They arrived in her dressing room backstage soon enough.  Unlike her escapade with Tartaglia, Dottore was quieter, authoritative, as he stalked through the corridors towards the residence wing of the performance hall, off the grand entranceway and lobby.

It was still early enough that they came across a few stragglers, those who came to visit performers or who had late meetings with management.  No one dared say a thing, of course, and any in Dottore’s path moved as quick as a mouse being chased.

“Ah, Dottore, I was hoping I would find you lurking around.”

The Harbinger slowed their ascent up the grand staircase in the foyer at the voice.  Rhiannon’s spine stiffened, the hairs on her neck prickling as Dottore led her up a few steps, placing her behind him.  She knew that voice.  

The man at the foot of the stairs had eyes the color of an icy lake, his dark hair neatly arranged.  He would, perhaps, be handsome, Rhiannon mused, if he didn’t frown all the time.

“Évreux, you can leave a message with the embassy,” Dottore drawled.  “My schedule is incredibly busy but I’m sure someone far less important can assist with military materials.”

The name tickled her memory.  Évreux…

“Yes, you’re quite busy running away with Fontaine’s favorite soprano, aren’t you?  And you don’t seem to be the only one, if what my men say is true from their patrols in these halls.”

Rhiannon felt eyes on her and she steeled herself as she had earlier.  What was he insinuating, precisely?

Her disgust must have shown, for the man let out an amused breath from his nose before he spoke again.

“Forgive my rudeness, Baptisia, but it is difficult to work with a diplomat who evades meetings that are crucial to a special relationship between leadership.”

“Then perhaps you should consider sending someone else in your stead.  Have you considered that you are not the one that should be present?” Rhiannon said, blood thrumming in her ears.

Perhaps her bravery was more stupid than anything but she hated this kind of thing.  Karina dealt with it for long and Rhiannon hated being reduced to little more than her physical traits.  Fontaine’s nobility was notorious for its quiet sexism, as was the military, but it was what it was.  The Fatui didn’t care for such a mentality nor did it have the room for it.  Everyone had a role regardless.  

Dottore’s fuse was growing shorter by the second.  She could see the glimmer of his catalyst above his shoulder, waiting to be summoned.

“Mouthy, isn’t she, doctor?”

“So are you.  And you won’t have a mouth for much longer if you do not leave.”

Silver needles appeared without additional gestures, aiming precisely for the stranger’s heart.  The threat didn’t deter the man in the slightest.

“You remind me of someone, Baptisia.  She died some years ago, tragic accident.  You probably know it, the one with the disgraced chevalier.  She had a sister, beautiful as a spring day.  Some say her ghost haunts the lower quarter, bringing comfort to the poor and destitute.”

Rhiannon’s blood ran cold.  Dottore’s fist clenched and the catalyst charged up, a low hum emanating from the weapon.

Évreux raised a hand in surrender, a smile she would never classify as sweet crossing his lips.  Never reaching his eyes.

“I was close to the family.  But I can see now how incorrect those notions are.  I’ll send my men to the embassy, Harbinger, but our meeting is long overdue.”

Dottore’s weapon remained on the other man until he left the lobby and the vestibule door beyond it slammed shut.  The catalyst powered down as the Harbinger clicked his tongue and sighed.

“He’s going to be more trouble than he’s worth,” Dottore muttered.  “Should have killed him when I had the chance.”

His eyes narrowed on her after he turned and found her attention still on the door.  “You needn’t concern yourself with the matter.  He’s a good dog.  He’ll do as he’s told as long as the reward is great enough.”

Once she was in the quiet and comfort of her bedroom, Rhiannon wracked her brain as she readied for bed.  Évreux, Évreux…the name ran over her tongue and her memories as she braided her hair, tying it with a spare ribbon.

She almost snapped the fabric when a familiar face came to mind.

Oh.

[insert-math-username]

[ID: A screenshot of an email:

Hello my dear students,

2 reminders for you all:

#1 is that your lab report on the cellular energetics lab(s) is due TOMORROW NIGHT! Get to work on it if you haven't started!

#2 is that we DO meet for lab tomorrow. This is a very important meeting, because we will be reviewing for the lab final exam. However, past experience leads me to expect poor attendance for exam review sessions, so I have decided to give you all an incentive to come to class. "Free snacks?" you might wonder, "Maybe bonus points?" But no. The incentive is, if you guys show up tomorrow, I will bring my hawk so you can meet him. You might even get to pet him.

Don't miss out! Come to class tomorrow for the review!

Cheers,

JH

End ID]

Attempting to get my students to fucking come to class