#high-calibre weapons

[historyandwarfare]

Light combat vehicles with high-calibre weapons

Requirement for wheeled armoured vehicles appeared between First and Second World Wars, and in 1930s Germany started serial production of such vehicles for its recon units. Widespread usage of wheeled armored vehicles only started after World War II. In 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, new generations of wheeled armored vehicles appear, responding to military requirements for increased mobility,…

[ha-rinrin]

Wired for War

Summary: You and your beautiful wife, Jinx, are preparing for war, and you decide to let your family step into the game.

Pairing: Jinx x fem!reader (you come from a powerful family)

Wordcount: 2.1k

Authors note: soo, this randomly popped up in my head and I HAD to write it, I love married jinx x reader its an obsession. Hope you enjoy this one!

Jinx was hunched over her workbench, the dim lights of her lab casting flickering shadows over scattered blueprints, spare parts, and glowing vials of chemtech. She was absorbed, her eyes lit with a fierce focus as she twisted wires and calibrated triggers, whispering to herself with excitement. In her hands, each screw and bolt was a promise of devastation to come, a chaotic edge Zaun would soon wield.

Just as she adjusted her goggles, ready to test her latest creation, a familiar voice echoed through the room.

“Well, if it isn’t my destructive little genius.”

Jinx froze mid-assembly, a wicked grin spreading across her face before she turned around. “You know I can’t concentrate when you sneak up on me like that,” she teased, eyes narrowing playfully as they roamed over you.

You chuckled, stepping fully into the room, and Jinx felt a surge of warmth as you closed the distance. Dressed in sleek attire that hinted at the influence of your powerful family overseas, you looked as formidable as you did elegant, a reminder of the depth of strength you brought with you.

“Just checking on my favorite weapons designer,” you said, reaching out to tilt her chin up so she looked at you. “I see you’ve been busy,” you noted, glancing over the disassembled parts and the eerie glow of her latest chemtech concoction.

Jinx smirked, her hand resting over yours briefly. “Busy is an understatement. You know, I’ve got some surprises for Piltover that’ll blow them right off their high horse.” Her voice was charged with enthusiasm, that hint of chaos behind every word.

You nodded, running a hand along one of the blueprints on her desk. “I’d expect nothing less from you. But remember, there’s more to this than firepower.” Your eyes softened as they met hers, the playful glint in your gaze tempered by genuine concern. “War can be dangerous, even for a genius like you.”

Jinx’s smirk softened. “And that’s why I’ve got you, don’t I?” She stands up, leaning her back against the workbench, crossing her arms. “The powerful, mysterious wife with all the connections. You’re my ace, y’know that?”

You rolled your eyes but smiled. “Maybe, but you’re still going to be careful, right?”

Jinx stepped closer, slipping her arms around your waist as she murmured, “I’m always careful. Well, careful enough. Besides,” she smirked, looking up at you through her lashes, “you’d come storming in to save me, wouldn’t you?”

A grin tugged at your lips. “Oh, I would. But let’s try not to get there, alright?”

Jinx laughed softly, brushing her lips against yours. “Alright, wife. Just for you.” Then, with a mischievous glint, she added, “Now, wanna help me test out some of these bad boys?”

You immediately got to work, testing the connections on a detonator Jinx had just handed over, both of you shoulder-to-shoulder at her chaotic workbench. The room was filled with the faint hum of chemtech and metal grinding against metal, but the real electricity was in the way her gaze lingered on you, pride and mischief flickering in her eyes.

As you adjusted the detonator, you broke the silence with a casual mention. “I spoke to my parents about all this,” you said, glancing at her. “They offered their soldiers to support Zaun.”

Jinx’s eyes widened as she paused, looking at you with a mix of surprise and delight. “Wait, seriously?” Her smirk grew wider, almost mischievous. “They’d throw their whole army behind us?”

You nodded, a grin tugging at your lips. “Just like that. They might not be from Zaun, but they’ve got no love for Piltover. And as long as it’s to help keep you safe… well, they wouldn’t think twice.”

A flicker of warmth softened Jinx’s face. “Guess I really picked the right wife, huh?” She nudged your shoulder, her smile full of gratitude and affection. “Didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to have a family at my back… especially one that actually likes me.”

You laughed, setting the detonator back on the table. “They more than like you, Jinx. Remember the wedding?”

Jinx’s grin widened as she recalled the day. Your family, powerful and influential as they were, had completely embraced her the moment they met her. She was so different from anyone they’d ever known, but they’d loved her energy, her fire, and, most importantly, her devotion to you.

“Oh, I remember,” she said with a chuckle, her tone softening as she lost herself in the memory. “Your parents practically threw me a parade when we said our vows. Never thought anyone would get so worked up over a troublemaker like me.”

You reached out, tucking a stray strand of blue hair behind her ear. “That’s because they could see what I see. They knew you’d do anything for me, even if it meant going toe-to-toe with Piltover.”

Jinx smirked, a glint of mischief in her eye as she looked back at the blueprints. “Guess they’ve got good instincts. But it goes both ways, you know.” She leaned closer, her voice soft but fierce. “Anything for you, too.”

You leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Then we’re both all in.”

Jinx grinned, slipping her fingers through yours. “Looks like Piltover’s got a storm coming. With you at my side—and that little army of yours—they don’t stand a chance.”

Your fingers brushed over a pile of metal scraps, picking up a thin wire as Jinx adjusted the fuse on her latest invention. The two of you worked in sync, comfortable and in tune, even amidst the chaos of her lab. She was about to speak when you decided to drop the real bombshell.

“That’s not all,” you said, your voice low, but carrying a weight that made her look up instantly. “My family’s pulling out all the stops. They talked to… well, you’ve heard of the Black Rose?”

Jinx’s brow shot up, and a spark of curiosity lit in her eyes. “The Black Rose?” Her voice dropped, almost reverent, like she’d just uncovered a secret too wild to be true. “You mean… the Black Rose is real? The whole dark magic, underground network, shadow-in-every-corner thing?”

“Oh, they’re real all right,” you replied, crossing your arms as you watched her face shift through surprise and intrigue. “They’re willing to offer their resources, but there’s a catch.”

Jinx tilted her head, clearly eager to hear what kind of condition such a group would demand. “What’s the price?”

“They’ll only help if we let them ‘take care’ of Ambessa Medarda,” you said, voice edged with dark amusement. “They want her gone, and not in some subtle way. They want her head.”

A wide, wicked grin spread across Jinx’s face, her eyes glinting with manic delight at the idea. “So, they want us to clear the path and let them take out the queen of Piltover’s power brokers? Just hand over Ambessa’s head on a platter?”

“Exactly.” You smirked, meeting her gaze. “They think she’s too much of a liability to leave standing. They’ll only help if they get full access to her and… take care of her their way.”

Jinx let out a low laugh, clearly reveling in the twisted web of alliances that had just come into play. “I have to say, toots, your family has taste.” She twirled a screwdriver in her hand, eyes practically gleaming. “And here I thought I’d be the craziest one in the room. Let the Black Rose do their thing, and we get all the backup we need.”

“Exactly. We get their resources, and they get their revenge on Ambessa,” you replied, feeling the thrill of the plan settle in your bones. “And my family? Well, they’re more than happy to keep the Medardas off their backs.”

Jinx leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Then let’s give them what they want. Let them paint Piltover red if they need to. With the Black Rose on our side, it’s not just gonna be war—it’s gonna be a whole damn reckoning.”

Her hand slid into yours, her grip firm and electrifying. “So, partner… ready to let the games begin?”

As Jinx’s hand held yours tightly, her wild grin softened, and her eyes, still blazing with excitement, met yours with a warmth that cut through the thrill of war planning. She leaned closer, her expression softer, almost tender—a side of her she saved only for you.

“Didn’t think I’d ever get this lucky,” she murmured, thumb brushing over your knuckles. “Having you by my side… having a whole family by my side? Didn’t think it was in the cards for me.”

You felt a smile pull at your lips, squeezing her hand in return. “Well, you’re kind of hard to resist, you know.”

Jinx’s lips curled into a smirk, but there was a trace of a blush on her cheeks as she rolled her eyes. “Pfft. Me? It’s you who’s too perfect for your own good. Sweet-talking war councils and charming dark magic cults into doing our dirty work.”

“Just doing my job as your wife,” you said with a playful wink.

She laughed, the sound warm and genuine as she pulled you closer, her forehead pressing softly against yours. “Guess I got myself the best one, then.”

For a moment, the plans, alliances, and whispers of war faded away. It was just you and her, together in the quiet of her workshop, like you had all the time in the world. Her gaze softened, and she let her hand move to cup your cheek, her fingers cool against your skin.

“Stay with me,” she whispered, her voice barely a breath. “No matter what happens out there. Whatever crazy plan I come up with. Just… stay.”

You tilted your head, pressing a gentle kiss to her fingertips. “Always. From here to wherever this takes us.”

Jinx’s eyes sparkled with a mix of fierce devotion and rare vulnerability as she leaned in, pressing her lips to yours—a kiss that was slow, lingering, and filled with everything words couldn’t capture. You could feel her smile against your lips, that mischievous grin you’d fallen in love with, softened just for you.

When she finally pulled back, she wore that familiar, confident smile again, but it was edged with warmth and love only you could bring out. “Alright, wife of mine,” she murmured, her fingers twining with yours. “Let’s go turn the world upside down.”

As you and Jinx stood there, savoring the quiet moment, the door to the workshop creaked open. Before either of you could react, a little voice shouted, “Surprise!” and a burst of glitter erupted in the air, sparkling bits of color showering down onto you and Jinx.

You glanced down to find Isha, her face lit up with pride and mischief, holding the remnants of a small glitter bomb in her tiny hands. “Did I surprise you?” she asked, her eyes wide and gleaming with joy.

With a laugh, you crouched down, scooping Isha into your arms as she giggled, her little fingers still sticky with glitter. “Oh, you definitely got us,” you said, smiling as she beamed up at you, clearly pleased with her work.

Jinx let out a chuckle, brushing glitter off her shoulder as she watched the two of you, a soft look in her eyes. “You didn’t tell your parents about our new daughter, did you?” she teased, raising an eyebrow at you as she ruffled Isha’s hair, getting a fresh handful of glitter in the process.

You rolled your eyes, grinning. “Not yet, no. I figured the glitter bomb announcement would probably be Isha’s idea of breaking the news anyway.”

Isha squirmed in your arms, a sign for you to let her down, and so you did, her attention now fixed on Jinx’s workbench, full of half-built gadgets and brightly colored wires. “Mom, can I help?” she asked, looking up at Jinx with wide, hopeful eyes.

Jinx softened, her smirk melting into a genuine smile as she knelt down to Isha’s level, nodding. “Alright, but just this once, kiddo,” she said, her voice filled with affection. “And we’ll keep the explosions to a minimum this time, yeah?”

You watched them together, your heart swelling as Jinx handed Isha a small, harmless trinket to tinker with. She shot you a wink, her hand resting on your shoulder, grounding you in this moment that felt like a gift in the middle of all the chaos.

“Looks like we’ve got a little troublemaker on our hands,” Jinx murmured, her gaze sliding over to you as you both watched Isha focus intently on the tiny piece in her hands.

You wrapped an arm around Jinx’s shoulders, pulling her close. “Well, with a family like this, it’s no surprise, is it?”

Jinx grinned, resting her head against yours. “Nope. She fits right in.”

[hotheadedhero]

In Unrequited Love

Love and relationships can't be forced but sometimes they can be built on common ground and an understanding of one another's tribulations.

Part 2 here

Donatello x Reader

Having a crush on someone sucks. Having a crush on someone who has eyes for someone else sucks even more. This is the sad truth of your current circumstances. You knew that high school would come with its challenges but you weren’t prepared for the fact that you’d fall for the careless, hockey-loving maniac from your math class. It began with a casual friendship before feelings deepened on your end. Feelings that wouldn’t seem so terrible were it not for April O’Neil. You have absolutely nothing against the girl but it’s clear as day that she unfortunately has Casey’s heart in her stronghold. It’s not like you could even vent these frustrations, given that the only friends you have happen to be those two people. 

Then, through some shenanigans that seem like the norm for you now, you meet four turtle brothers - one of whom is in the same boat as you. Not to mention, between the very two friends in question. Were it not heartbreaking to witness each other trying your hardest to grab the attention of your crushes, you’d find some humour in this.

You tried hanging out with Raphael more in an attempt to get in close quarters with Casey, seeing as they’re practically tied at the hip, only for you to realise that the rough-and-tumble environment isn’t your strong suit. That’s when they both suggested you try your hand at assisting Donatello in his laboratory given your aptitude for the sciences. What they failed to realise is that you do well in class but that doesn’t inherently mean you enjoy it. Theoretical sciences and learning about how things work are interesting but there aren’t enough practical applications that allow you to engage in the school environment. The closest you’ve gotten to having fun was when you made “elephant toothpaste” for a chemistry lesson but that’s about it. 

Nonetheless, you see no harm in passing by the lab and giving the brainiac brothers a visit. Other than your not-so-subtle pining towards the other humans in the group, nothing has been outwardly mentioned about the situation you are both in. Neither of you has hung out enough to have that conversation. It wouldn’t be weird to talk about it, would it? A query that shall not yet receive an answer seeing as you’ve already knocked on the large, metal door. You walk through the open garage to see a couple of legs poking out from under the battle shell. 

“Huh? Oh! (Y/n), sorry- Ow!” He slides out from beneath the vehicle and rubs the fresh bruise forming on his head. “Sorry, I’m a little busy, right now. I think Leo is watching Space Heroes if you’re looking for someone to hang out with, though.”

“Actually, I came by to see if you needed any help,” you offer, holding your hands behind your back respectfully whilst also trying not to laugh. 

His eyes widen, having not expected such a proposal, and he’s quick to scramble to his feet.  “Oh, okay! Let’s see- uh… how are you with engine repairs?”

“Depends.” Your tongue clicks contemplatively. “Is it gas, electric, or hybrid?”

“That already tells me you know more than enough,” he chuckles. “Here, I’ll show you.”

He opens the hood of the van to reveal the ensemble of burnt-out parts and overworked mechanisms. The guys’ last mission must have been intense because this engine is almost in complete disarray. Were it not for the fact that your Uncle is a mechanic, you’d be sweating under the pressure of somehow ruining this heap of metal more than it already is. A probability still if you want to jinx your person but that’s getting ahead of yourself. 

Donatello gestures towards a box of spare parts and holds the back of his neck. “These just need to be taken out and replaced. It’s probably the easiest of what needs doing but I also need to finish rewiring the brakes, check the throttle calibration, replenish the weapons ammunition-”

“You need an extra set of hands to get it done quicker,” you cut him off with a smile. “I’ll see what I can do.” 

He bares a gap-toothed smile in response and nods before resuming his initial position beneath the vehicle to finish the brake wiring. This leaves you to begin on your assigned job. For starters, you’re glad that this is a case of piecemeal repair rather than a complete engine rebuild. You’d be out of your depth were that the case. You start by pulling the entire engine out via a hoist, assisted by a load levelling bar so that it doesn’t tilt at a funny angle. Then, you secure it onto a stand and glance over what you’re working with. The crankshaft, piston ring compressor, oil filter, and fan need the most attention, so you start with those first. Just to save the disturbance, you look into a few tutorials on your phone to make sure you’re doing it correctly. 

During this entire time, the two of you work on separate parts of the battle shell in silence, seemingly content with your tasks. By now, Donnie has moved on to tightening the wheels’ lug holes. Admittedly, you had been concerned about a lack of things to talk about but this is a nice settlement. It’s certainly the most relaxed you’ve felt in a while; something to keep you distracted from the quelling of your hopeless romantic attraction. Plus, you have this sense of relief from finally being able to work on something with your hands rather than straining your brain over textbooks and pop quizzes.

"Question,” he starts abruptly, keeping his eyes on the centre cap of the wheel. “What’s it you like so much about that cave mouth?"

First, you blink quickly to yourself, having not expected to get into the nitty gritty of it so soon. So much for being distracted but you can’t be mad. Curiosity isn’t something to be berated. Then, you find yourself snickering at the mildly degrading nickname. The question may appear brash but he’s puzzled by why April seems to like Casey so much. Hearing it from you might give him the insight he needs to turn the odds in his favour. He’ll take anything at this point. 

"I dunno. There's just this air to him that I like. He's an ass, I am well aware of that, but he's fun, you know?” you admit awkwardly. “Psh! Don't ask me to explain it. You can't really put that stuff into words." You squint down at him, lips poised mockingly. "What is it you like about April so much?"

He halts his own task and glances down at his hands, cheeks reddening as he thinks about the girl of his dreams. "She just... had my heart from the first moment I saw her."

"Wow. The first girl you ever see in your life and it's just like that.” Yes, that bit of information is known thanks to our dear Raphael. “'Pretty shallow to fall in love with someone based on looks if you ask me." 

"You would know,” he scoffs sarcastically.

"Now you're calling Casey ugly?” you ask, both playful and moderately offended on your crush’s behalf. “Man, you really don't like him."

"I’m sure the same goes for you with April!"

"Hey! I don't stoop so low into my dissatisfaction of the circumstances to insult her." A wry grin then beckons your lips. "Although~"

"Whatever you think you're going to say, don't."

The staring match doesn't last long, breaking beneath a shared laugh; fond and unwilted by the ache in your hearts, which has been forgotten for a split moment to enjoy each other's company.

From that point on, that’s precisely what you did. More often than not, you found yourself in the confines of his garage, assisting him with the occasional doohickey and thingymabob. Even if there wasn’t much you could help with, you wound up being a decent lab partner in any case. In turn, he would offer to help you with your homework if you had any particularly difficult assignments. Your grades have never looked so good. When neither of you were doing that, you’d simply hang out and rant about little annoyances with your unreciprocated infatuations. 

“I mean, I try some jokes here and there but nothing seems to land,” he concedes begrudgingly, throwing his body weight into the back of his chair.

“Can I hear one?” you inquire as you gently swing around in your own seat. 

His lips press together and he mulls it over before sighing, “Okay, so, you remember how I told you about Metal Head?” You nod, to which he continues, “Well, the first time I took him out for a spin, we were on watch duty together. That’s when I asked her if she likes metal.”

He groans to himself as he replays the memory in his head, only now realising how corny that must have sounded at the time. However, you laugh and not the heckling kind either. Your head tilts back into your chair, knees lifting to compensate for the tension in your shaking stomach. How could April have not loved something as precious as that? The girl must be crazy because that would have worked on you in a heartbeat. 

“You should’ve asked if her favourite dance move is the robot,” you say in between laughs. “No, wait, wait! I got a better one! Ask her out to the circuits for a date!”

Donatello can only smile at your self-induced amusement, happy that there’s an appreciation for nerdy pickup lines and puns. They may not work on his crush - and his brothers sure don’t find them that funny - but he’s glad at least one person around here gets it. 

It felt good to know that you had a friend you could be closer to because of your mutual understanding. For the first time since you realised your feelings for your schoolmate, you didn’t feel so alone. This bond formed on cluttered affection may have seemed unlikely to begin with but who are you to complain now? You and Donnie have a good thing going given your positions. 

That is until your heart diverts its attention towards the very turtle. 

You came to the realisation when he expressed his excitement in showing you his newest invention. The fact that he had called upon you first made you feel special. It made you feel wanted and desired for the first time in your life. A seemingly small phenomenon given how he merely wanted to showcase something to you but the way it had tugged your heart was unparalleled to anything else you had ever experienced - and that smile. You could have happily fawned over that proud grin of proclaimed accomplishment and self-justified pride for the rest of that day. Then, it all came crashing down on you like heaps of scrap in a junkyard. You have fallen for someone who is in love with April. Again. Are you just doomed to fall for any man that crushes this girl? This must be some sick joke. One that you don’t find yourself laughing at. 

It eats away at you for the days - weeks - to come. You can’t console anyone on the matter, either. If any of his family catches wind, there’s a chance of him finding out. An outcome you wish to avoid if possible. As for Casey and April, dear lord you don’t even want to know what would happen if you told them. You’re at square one again just as before: crushing on someone who will never feel the same way about you. Rotting in a pool of your self-made disillusion.

Alone.

Having a crush on someone sucks.

[idk6123]

‘Un-official couple’ (Garrus Vakarian X Male Reader)

Sheperd’s team is a bunch of odd folks. Whether humans or aliens, soldiers or criminals, sane or insane people. All kinds of people from different lives come in to help Shepard and the rest of the galaxy to defeat the Reapers. Two of them are Garrus and Y/N, who got along quickly.

From the start, they got along well, whether on or off the battlefield. The crew find it a bit endearing, but as time passes, the crew thought differently about it. They considered Garrus and Y/N an ‘un-official couple’. Hell, they aren’t even sure they are aware of how close they are.

While sitting in their quarters, both soldiers are having their gun maintenance. Whether they clean the weapons, upgrade it or make sure the ammo is high enough.

“They should make snipers tinier.” Y/N states as he and Garrus move on to check out the snipers. “Easier to carry them around.”

“That might be the dumbest thing I ever heard. You need great strength for the bullet to crack through a skull of the poor bastard. That means recoil and in other words, need a bigger gun to deal with it.”

“It was just a suggestions. Pretty sure it can work.”

“You say that, but I know you like your weapons big.” Garrus says a bit teasingly.

Y/N knows what’s he getting at. “Do I?”

“Yes. Long, with a good area to grip it tight.” Garrus says with a deepening voice, enjoying every second of messing with his friend. “Can shoot miles away.”

Y/N hums. “I bet I’m not the only one who likes that. Since you defended big snipers, I bet you love big weapons.”

“Oh, I do-” Garrus then cracks up and begins to laugh, causing his friend to laugh along. “Alright, I’m done with the dick jokes.”

“Oh, you were joking?”

“Oh, shut it.”

While the two friends continue messing around as they do their duties, someone overhears them. It’s none other than their commander, Shepard. Wondering what’s going on with them, he decided to ask about it later.

-

As Garrus is doing a bit more calibration, Shepard walks in on him.

“Hey Garrus.”

“Hey. Is there something?”

“Just chatting.” Shepard stands beside his friend and leans against the wall. “Always nice to do something mindless while we may die tomorrow.”

“You can say that again.” Garrus responds a bit roughly. “But I try to look at it positively. We probably die next week.”

Shepard chuckles. “So… you and Y/N…”

The Turian looks beside him. “What about it?”

“I’m just glad despite everything that is happening, you two still act the same.” Shepard admits. “Kinda envious to be honest.”

“You got friends too, even if it doesn’t look like it.” Garrus jokes.

“Hey, I’m serious.” Shepard sounds amused. “You’re lucky you got him.”

“You say that like we’re a couple.”

“You kinda sound like you already are.”

Garrus looks a bit confused. “What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying…” Shepard is carefully looking at the right words as Garrus stares. “Some of the team consider you two as an ‘un-official couple’.”

“What!? Why?” Garrus sounds genuinely confused. “Can’t two people just be friends without it being romantic?”

“It can. Just not how you two treat each other.”

Garrus scoffs. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m just saying what the team thinks.” Shepard defends himself. “But let’s be honest. You two constantly flirt with each other.”

“It’s call bantering. Look it up and you know what I means.”

“Does it?” Shepard replies. “I remember something about ‘having a manly time in the shower’.”

Garrus looks a bit flustered. “That was just a joke.”

“I know, I know!” Shepard assures. “I’m just saying, some people may think you two are an item.”

“Well, they’re clearly wrong.”

“Right then.” Shepard is then ready to leave. “Glad we got to talk. Let me get you back with your celebrations.”

Once left alone, Garrus begins thinking about what Shepard has said. He never thought he flirted with Y/N, at least genuinely. Still, he understands that can be interpreted as such. As he thinks further about it, he wonders if Y/N thinks so too.

-

The following day, the crew got to the Citadel. During which, everyone does their own thing. For Garrus, he goes to purgatory. He then sees Y/N hanging out with Liara and Tali. Without hesitation, he joins his friends in the lounge.

“So that’s why you can’t slam Omni-gel to bypass locks or other security systems?” Y/N questions.

“Yes.” Tali replies.

“But… why?”

“I’m not sure.” Tali shrugs. “I personally find it a lot less efficient.”

“You weren’t the only one.” Liara speaks up. “That security upgrade made a lot of people unhappy.”

That’s when Garrus joins in. “Hey.” He sits down beside his best friend. “Again with the rents about the Omni-gel controversy?”

“Yes.” Y/N sounds like it’s obvious. “I just don’t get it. Why would you make something worse, even if it was a massive security risk?”

“Look, you’re asking the wrong people.” Liara replies.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the Shadow Broker or something?” Tali points out.

“Just because I know what goes around 99% of the universe, which doesn’t mean I know everything.”

As Liara and Tali further chat, Garrus stares at the human man. Looking at him, he thinks about what Shepard has said. Maybe he should settle down while he still got the chance? And it’s not like he settles with someone he doesn’t like. After all, any day now, either he or Y/N can die, so they might as well make the most of it.

“Y/N.” The human looks back at his friend. “So, uh… you come to places like this often? Because, well, I don’t, but maybe I would if… um, if you were here.”

Y/N blinks a few times. “What?”

Garrus clears his throat. “I-I meant, you come here often?”

“Not really. Only to hang out with friends, but that’s it.” Y/N answers. “Just not a fan of music blasting my ears of.”

“I agree. I imagine people only come here to wish to become deaf.” Y/N raises his eyebrow, with Garrus becoming a bit flustered. “Not that I think you want to become deaf. You probably love your ears. I mean, I love mine. Uhh… the ears I got, not the ears humans got… yeah, sounds right…”

“O-kay?”

-

Y/N notices ever since that day, Garrus has been acting odd. Whenever he tries to be fun or nice, the Turian stutters and fumbles through his words. While Y/N knows his friend doesn’t mean any harm, he can imagine a stranger to think he’s a weirdo.

With another day living means another day training. Thus, getting in the hanger, Y/N is wearing his workout clothes, revealing his big muscles. Usually doing with Garrus, he sees his sparring partner.

“Nice outfit. It, uh, really accentuates… um, you know, everything.” As Garrus checks out his best friend, Y/N raises an eyebrow. “Not that I’m looking at everything, but—yeah. You get it.”

“I don’t?”

“Uhh…” Garrus awkwardly looks away. “Let’s just spar.”

On the mats, the two begin exchanging blows. While Y/N is training hard as usual, Garrus is holding himself back. The human isn’t sure why, but he doesn’t question it.

“Nice one. I mean, you’ve got… great form. Not that I was looking at it like that, but, uh… good muscles. Or… coordination. You know.”

“Thanks?” Y/N sounds a bit confused. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he begins to mess around a bit. “There is more where these muscles come from.”

“I bet. I mean in the sense of strength, not the sexual attraction thing. …Not that I’m saying you’re not attractive. Uhh… I mean…”

Y/N then stops and just stares at his best friend. “Alright, you’ve been acting weird for days. What’s wrong?”

“There is nothing wrong.” Garrus replies.

“Is isn’t? Because whenever we talk, you don’t know how to have a decent conversation.” Y/N clarifies. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No! You didn’t do anything.”

“Then did you do something?”

“…Not necessarily.”

Y/N groans. “Can you stop being so cryptic and just say what’s wrong?”

After some hesitation, Garrus speaks up. “Fine. Shepard told me other people view us as an… well… a couple.”

“Oh. Okay.” Y/N casually says.

Garrus looks dazed. “Okay? What do you mean ‘okay’?”

“It means I don’t really care about what other people think about us.” Y/N stated. “Does it bother you?”

“No. Not really.” Garrus replies.

“Good. Then why are you acting weird?”

“Uhh…” Garrus looks hesitant again. “I’ve been thinking about it. We… we would be a good couple.”

Y/N smirks. “You want to become a couple?”

“Yes, no, uhh…” Garrus feels a bit embarrassed. “What do you want?”

“I think we would be a great couple if you want to. Is that what you want?”

“…Is that what you want?”

“Stop avoiding my question.”

Garrus sighs, having no choice but to answer. Still, he doesn’t have the guts to fully admit it. “I would like that…”

Y/N smirks. Without shame, he walks over to his partner in love to kiss his partner. Garrus in return, remains frozen. It doesn’t take long before the human pulls back.

“And?”

“Your lips feel nice. Kinda wishes I had lips.” As Garrus looks at his partner, he looks a bit awkward. “So… your waist looks really supportive.”

Instead of finding it weird, Y/N laughs it off. “Yeah, we need to work on your flirting skills.”

[sunlightedcockroach]

A Tree strangler

Not connected to anything little dude, I just wanted

to draw em

1-these people live in a forest in which there is a pact of the type "no living person should enter this territory", well, they got out of this problem by creating peculiar shoes from human feet, and reviving them with necromancy.

When they come down from the trees to the ground, they put them on so that they are not cursed because of violating pact.Usually, these shoes are made from the feet of deceased ancestors and are inherited, calibrated only slightly to the new owner.

2-A knife made of cursed wood, they use it only when they don't have to eat a corpse later, it's not a weapon for hunting or small skirmishes.

3-A belt of tendons with loops for carrying things.They don't like bags and containers at all and usually carry everything on this belt/in their hands, except maybe a water bag.

4-Throwing knives made of white stone, there is plenty of it in the forest and it is not so difficult to make them.They are usually used for small game / killing or scaring people away.

5-Hooks for easier climbing on giant trees / rocks, sometimes used to slowly torture those who have especially annoyed them (they stand in a wide circle around the victim, throwing and sticking a hook into it, attract to themselves, and immediately another in the circle does the same; they drag victim on a hook over sharp stones; they hang victim on hooks on two bent trees, which spring up to tear a person apart, etc.), for this they just need to be irritated by someone up very much.

6-With these wooden clubs, they methodically beat especially large game, having previously hindered its maneuverability with a lasso.

7-A water bag made from someone's colon is wrapped as a second belt.

In the cursed forest, clean water is not too common, so they always carry a supply.

8-Actually, that's why they got the nickname: the lasso, with which they tend to hang game during hunting, throwing it around its neck, sitting in trees and jumping off so that it gets off the ground and breaks its neck / slowly suffocates (most often the first, in this forest it's better to do everything quietly).

9 and 10 - air rifle and needles to it (the tube is extended through the hole in the helmet),needed to fighting in large distances/hunting high flying birds.

They trade all the metal they use from the outside world and carefully protect it

It's not all their stuff, just what fit/what I had time to think about

[mossy-covered-bones]

Hey, yall! I participated in @ecto-implosion this year, and I was paired with @avensartt -- here is the fantastic art she made that inspired this fic!

Puppeteer, Chapter 1

ao3 link

warnings: just a panic attack for the first chapter

*

     Maddie flicked the Ectoradiation Radar on, watching the sensor boot up. The screen glowed a light green, harsh against the black grid. The brightest section of light centered on a point just left of center--that would be the ambient ectoplasm from the portal registering. A yellow spot flickered in the portal's place, as some of the fluctuations pinged significantly above average. 

     "Honey, do you want to head out for a patrol soon? We could use a test run on the Ectoradiation Radar," Maddie called to the other side of the lab, where Jack was maintenencing some of their weapons. "I want to make sure it's calibrated correctly, away from the portal interference."

     Jack started reassembling the weapon he was working on, slamming the pieces back into place.

     "Careful, Jack!"

     "I am!" he called back, snapping the barrel back into place. He grabbed one of the ectocharge magazines and slotted it into the weapon. "C'mon, let's hunt some spooks!"

     Maddie couldn't help but grin, clipping the Radar to her belt and starting to gather her usual weapons from the armory wall. "Don't forget to bring some extra magazines, dear."

*

     The baseline scale on the side of the Ectoradiation Radar inched down the further they got from the lab, the ambient ectoplasm dropping fairly quickly once they were away from the portal. The seatbelt dug into the shoulder of Maddie's jumpsuit as Jack took a turn too fast.

     "You added a range modifier to this, right, dear?"

     Jack shot her a grin that took his eyes off the road long enough for him to veer into the curb. "Of course, Mads! Slider on the right." He yanked the wheel to the left, overcorrecting a bit and making the GAV wobble.

     She felt along the side for the slider, watching the grid grow and shrink as she fiddled with it. "Okay, the readings are following with the scale change... take a right here, there's an area with a higher ectoradiation level I want to investigate."

     The GAV jolted, crossing one too many lanes of traffic to turn at the light. A car horn was just audible over the squealing of tires.

     "This looks like the way to the high school," Jack commented.

     Maddie glanced up from the Radar screen to scan the buildings around them. "I think that's where the higher readings are centered on--the scale looks right. I didn't think it was that large of a difference, though."

     "We should get some updated readings."

     "That could be useful." She glanced over her shoulder at the back of the GAV, past the back seat to where they kept the equipment. "Do we still have the other instruments? I want to get a cross reference to make sure the sensitivity's right on the Ectoradiation Radar"

     "Pretty sure!" Jack took another sharp corner, pealing into the virtually empty parking lot and slamming on the breaks. He barely paused to yank the gearshift to park before he threw himself out the driver's door. "C'mon, let's check it out!"

     Maddie scrambled to unbuckle her seatbelt and follow him, barely fighting back a grin from the excitement.

     She ducked under Jack's arm to get to the GAV's stash, fishing out the computer display for the Signature Sensor from one of the miscellaneous bins, plugging it into the readings equipment while Jack booted it up.

     Maddie handed the display over and twisted the settings dial on the Ectoradiation Radar, turning it from 'area' to 'local'. The grid disappeared in favor of a list of numbers, a flood of scales and measurements that brought a smile to Maddie's face. "Okay, what are you getting for ambient?"

     "Just under one rem per hour. Yours?"

     "Zero point nine four, and the estimated digit keeps varying between... two and five. Most of that is tied to a signature--a lot of that is signature. Are you picking anything up?"

     Jack frowned, sweeping the Sensor around a bit more. His eyes stayed trained on the display, searching for change. "Nope, no spooks."

     "Right, it must have been recent, then." Maddie hummed. "There have been a lot of sightings here, it could have raised the baseline. Should check the logs when we get back..."

     "Is it that much higher?" Jack leaned over her shoulder to glance at the Ectoradiation Radar's screen. "I don't think we measured type of ecto when we found Amity Park's standard, should we--"

    They both froze as the Signature Sensor's display computer beeped, eyes flicking to the screen.

    Jack let out a bark of laughter. "It's Phantom! C'mon Mads, let's go!"

*

     Jack was going at least double the local speed limit to keep their quarry in range, little flickers of a tail in the sky or readings on the Signature Sensor's display keeping them on path.

     "It's switching course--left, turn left!" Maddie shouted, leaning to try and follow Phantom's path. She braced herself before Jack threw the GAV to the side. It shuddered as the wheels slammed back into the asphalt, and they raced down the road.

     "Looks like it's leading up towards the woods, Mads!"

     They managed to keep on its tail up until town limits and the road veered away from the ghost's path. They'd have to go on foot to follow, with how dense the trees grew---no luck getting the GAV through there.

     They were out the second Jack parked, grabbing the most essential equipment before striking out.

     It was slow going, trying to trek through the underbrush after Phantom's ectosignature. It didn't take long for Phantom's ectosignature to travel out of range, leaving them to follow the general direction the ghost had been taking and hope they'd stumble on the path again.

     It was dim, the canopy blocking most of the evening light. Jack had the Signature Sensor at the ready, and Maddie kept the Ectoradiation Radar in hand just in case. They kept a brisk pace, doing their best to keep their direction consistent.

    They were maybe thirty minutes in before Maddie spotted a change on her screen, a little sliver of brighter green at the top of her screen. "Look, Jack, there's an area up ahead with more ectoradiation--we found something."

     "Let's go check it out," Jack cheered, diving back into the underbrush. Maddie followed his wake, letting him push aside bushes and trample the plants so she could keep an eye on the screen, watch that sliver of green get wider, grow brighter. The area baseline creeped up with every step, well past the readings they got around Casper High. If this was some sort of natural phenomenon, it was groundbreaking. Possibilities starting flipping through Maddie's mind. A large amount of microportals, maybe? Or an overlap of several haunts all coalescing into a cesspit of residual ectosignatures? Maybe even a place for assembling shades or blob ghosts, or some sort of old graveyard.

     "Mads, I'm getting a reading again. It's nearby."

     They shared a look. This could be their chance.

     Maddie clipped the Ectoradiation Radar to her tool belt and grabbed her recorder, the gentle click of it starting almost deafening in the still, darkening woods.

     "Recording 026B-03," Maddie whispered, reading off the label on the tape. "Research topic, where Phantom goes after a sighting. We have been following it through the forest for..." She glanced at her watch. "...seventy-four minutes. It seems that--"

     "Mads!" Jack hissed, barely quieting his voice. "The ectosignature's getting stronger--it's close."

     Right, game time.

     "Get ready." Maddie slipped the still-running recorder back into her belt, bringing a weapon to the ready. Jack followed suit, and they creeped forward,

     "There." Jack took a step forward, pushing some of the underbrush aside to get a better look. The glow was just barely visible under the sunlight filtering through the canopy, discoloring the foliage around it more than illuminating anything. It was fuzzy around the edges, insubstantial, like static forced into solidity. All black and white and bright vivid green that barely looked substantial. A messy, smoky impression of hair, a long, whispy tail, glowing white claws hooked under the arms of an unconsious teen.

     Phantom didn't seem to register their presence, too busy drifting through the underbrush, clutching at the boy he was carrying around. The grip looked secure, possessive, with how deep its claws were latched into his hoodie. The taste of static sat heavy on her tongue.

     Jack's face set with resolve, and he aimed the Fenton Bazooka right at it. "Put him down, ghost."

     Phantom's head snapped around to stare at them, neck twisting just too far to be natural. The only features on its face were the two green specks of light where eyes should have been. It pulled the teenager a little closer, claws catching on the seams on the shoulders of his hoodie, leaving little tears Maddie could just barely make out in the dying light.

     Maddie's grip tightened on her own weapon, and she moved a few steps to the left, just far enough that Phantom had to swivel his head to look between the two of them. "We're not going to let you hurt an innocent child."

     The ghost's face split open in mockery of a mouth, jagged with the impression of teeth, and let out a sound like nails against a chalkboard that made their audio filters hiss. It started to back up, grip not faltering.

     Maddie took a step forward, heard Jack follow suit. "We're not asking again, spook. Let him go." Her eyes flicked down to the unconscious teenager. The hoodie looked familiar.

     The barrel of her ectogun drifted as she tried to make out his face in the poor lighting. Was that... "Danny?"

     Phantom let out another squawk of grating static and Maddie couldn't help but flinch that time, weapon pulling back up to aim directly at its chest, but the space where the ghost--the ghost holding her son--had been was empty, the faint, sickly green light gone. Her eye's snapped to Jack, fumbling for the Sensor's display.

     She held her breath for a beat while he checked, but Jack just shook his head.

     Phantom was gone.

*

     Shit. Fuck.

He could hear himself trying to breath, like radio interference echoing through the empty observatory. He needed to switch back, before his--his parents managed to catch up, or track him down like they had in the woods. They had been right there, in the middle of--

     The world was getting fuzzy, turning to static around him. Danny could barely register his hoodie tearing even further as his claws dug into it, still unable to let go of his body. He couldn't still be ghost when--if his parents got here, holding his dead fucking body, but he could hardly think through the sheer panic of being so, so very close to his parents finding out.

     He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force himself back to human, but he couldn't get the change to take through his core screaming at him to hide, that he was in danger.

     Shit, what was he supposed to do if they stayed there and kept looking? They couldfind the graves, find--

     Danny let out a whine, high and shrill, and pulled his body closer, burying his face in his hair. He still needed to bury himself, he couldn't just... not go back there, he...

     He needed to find Sam and Tucker, or Jazz, just somebody. He scrambled for his body, grabbing his phone from the pocket of his jeans. His claws scrabbled against the screen, password failing a few times before he managed to hit the right buttons and unlock. The message to the group chat was riddled with so many typos it was almost unreadable, but his phone started to ring just a few beats later. 

     Tucker's voice came through the speaker the second he hit answer. "Hey, Danny, what happened?"

     Danny let out another wheeze of static, curling closer to his body.

     "You're still in ghost form? Um. Nothing for no, sound for yes, alright?"

     He tried to parrot the words back, but trying to force out the sounds just jumbled them together into nonsense. Sound. Yes. Good enough.

     "Alright--are you safe?"

     It was harder to swallow back the noises than it was to speak.

     "Can you get home?"

     He bit down on his nails to keep the static in.

    "Could you get to my or Sam's house?"

     Yes, yes--Danny let the burst of noise force itself out from behind his teeth.

     "Go to whichever is closer, I'll let Sam know--want me to stay on the call?"

     The staticy whine echoed through the observatory, and Danny tugged his body further into his chest.

     "Okay, I can do that."

[blubushie]

i love your bullet/casing post so much i jumped up and down and squealed upon reading through it do you have any more cool gun facts that people often get wrong

So I wrote a long spiel and accidentally closed my tab so now I'm pissed. Let's do this over lmao

FOR ANIMATORS/AUTHORS/ARTISTS

While the sound of a pump-action shotgun being cycled is really cool and very intimidating, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR AMMO WHEN YOU DO IT. Every time you pump a shotgun, you're ejecting a spent shell. If there's no spent shells, you're ejecting perfectly good ammo.

You rack a slide. You rack a pump-action shotgun. YOU DON'T RACK A BOLT ON A BOLT-ACTION RIFLE. You CYCLE a bolt. If I see one more person say they're racking the bolt of a bolt-action I'm gonna shove my boot so far up their--

Recoil is a bitch. You can always tell who has never fired a firearm in their life because of how they write/animate recoil. Do you know what makes fully automatic weapons dangerous to the user? The bloody recoil. It's hard to control. Your aim will move up, and especially in fully-automatic handguns or SMGs like Tommy guns which are smaller weapons, there's not much gun to brace against your body to steady it. That means it's harder to control. That makes it dangerous and puts you at risk.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A SILENCER. They're called suppressors, and they don't make the gun silent. They only bring the volume down by a few decibels so (usually) you won't have to wear ear protection when firing. This is especially useful in combat scenarios like what military and police experience when you're firing in an enclosed space like a building where sound reverberates, or just firing in an indoor firing range. If you have a larger calibre firearm, bring your suppressor because the bloke in the booth next to you will thank you for it.

Handguns usually aren't very accurate, and perfecting your accuracy with them takes a LOT of time that most people don't have to put in. I guarantee you that unless your character is a notoriously skilled marksman and has trained extensively with handguns, they're not shooting that guy in the forehead on the first try.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS BULLETPROOF, ONLY BULLET-RESISTANT. Even the USA's ACH (Advanced Combat Helmet) is NOT DESIGNED to stop bullets. You know what kills people most in war, more than bullets? Shockwaves from blasts. That's what helmets are designed to protect against: shockwaves from explosions (which causes brain trauma) and shrapnel. The ACH can protect against handgun-calibre rounds, but don't rely on it to protect you against rifle-calibre rounds. Bullets will penetrate basically everything and half the time what characters use as shields (couches, tables, furniture, metal plates) are things bullets will penetrate with ease. VESTS WILL NOT PROTECT AGAINST HIGH-CALIBRE ROUNDS. Hell, vests often don't even protect against handgun-calibre rounds. The reasons one of the rules of firearm safety is identifying your target is because bullets will penetrate people and strike whatever is behind them. Sometimes that's another person. Also, bullet-resistant vests don't protect against knives.

People don't shrug off bullet wounds unless it's something like a graze, and even then you have burning to the skin. Rounds are fucking hot when they're fired---both as a result of air friction while travelling through the air, and as a result of being propelled from the barrel by hot gunpowder.

YOU CAN MOST DEFINITELY DIE FROM A BULLET TO THE SHOULDER. In your shoulder is an artery---worst case scenario, if it hits above your collar bone it ruptures the subclavian artery. Second worst case scenario, if it hits where your arm meets your shoulder it ruptures the axillary artery. You're going to lose an extensive amount of blood, probably go into shock, and the wound will be singed from the heat of the bullet. The impact alone can break bones without even touching them. When I hunt deer and I get a neck shot (not what I aim for, but mistakes happen) I don't usually hit the vertebrae. The vertebrae is severed simply by the shockwave of the impact.

Guns don't click when they're empty. That click you hear is the firing pin moving forward to strike the primer of the cartridge. In handguns, the slide will move backwards and lock when the magazine is empty. It will not click. The only firearms that "click" when empty are double-action revolvers, as pulling the trigger of a double-action will pull the hammer back. A complete pull makes the hammer strike the back of the firing pin, which then strikes nothing because there isn't a round in the chamber of the cylinder. Unless you're pulling the hammer of a handgun back yourself and pulling the trigger, you will not hear a click. It just won't fire. This is why you keep track of how much ammo you're using, folks.

Most modern firearms don't have a muzzle flash. It's something you see more in things like a muskets. Handguns, military-style rifles, and machine guns don't usually have muzzle flashes, and military and police specifically use low-flash gunpowder so that their position isn't given away by the muzzle flash. For firearms that do have muzzle flashes (for example, some bolt-action rifles) that's what a flash suppressor is for!

MODERN FIREARMS WILL NOT FIRE WHEN THEY'RE DROPPED. Firearm manufacturers go through EXTENSIVE testing to ensure that this doesn't happen because it's a safety risk. In Ye Olde Days (1800s) companies would go bankrupt for putting firearms on the market that are susceptible to accidental discharges. Nowadays, THEY GET SHUT DOWN. The only firearms that CAN fire when dropped are VERY OLD revolvers without a safety mechanism that modern revolvers have, and even then that's only if they fall at the perfect angle directly onto the hammer. Just to be safe, that's why you keep your revolvers half-cocked! (There's some exceptions to this rule with older firearms but it's a general rule of thumb.)

SNIPERS WORK IN TWO-MAN TEAMS. If you're shooting over a thousand yards, most snipers will have a spotter who does his calculating for him. ALL MILITARY SNIPERS WORK IN TWO-MAN TEAMS REGARDLESS OF RANGE. I can do my own spotting up to 1100yd, but anything beyond that requires the assistance of a spotter. There's a lot of maths that goes into sniping. Wind direction, wind speed (what we call windage), bullet drop, trajectory of the Earth, and the Coriolis effect when shooting due north or due south. If you're in the northern hemisphere, the bullet will shift right. If you're in the southern hemisphere, the bullet will shift left. I have no idea how it works at the equator.

When fired at night (and ESPECIALLY in snow) rifles don't make a "BANG" sound. They crack. Sound carries differently at night, which changes the distinctive "bang" of a rifle to a cracking sound, like what you'd hear when ice is breaking on a lake. The best example of this DONE RIGHT is when Sniper fires his rifle in the SFM Art of Justice. You can hear that sound at 3:05.

If I think of any more later I'll add some.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to send me an ask!

[bullet-prooflove]

TheWall! Series Part One: Poker Night - Bishop Losa x Reader

Tagging: @crazy4chickennuggets @kmc1989 @oureternalbond  @wakeama @fanfic-n-tabulous @dreamlandcreations @anime-weeb-4-life @keyweegirlie @danzer8705 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @the-wandering-lunatic @alwaysachorusgirl @beardedbarba @multifandomloversworld @est1887 @mortal--soul @buddinglinguist @purrrrfect @adaydreamaway08 @stressed-chas @spookyboogyuniverse @librarian1002 @msjava1972 @thanossexual @kishie8 @saltyunicorn079 @nessamc @thebaileybugle @spaghettificationandpretzels @nu1freakshow @justreblogginfics @beccabarba @legally-a-bastard @trublu2u @irishavengersassemble @fanfic-n-tabulous

Companion Series to:

Complicated - Bishop already knows your secret.

The Wall - Bishop comes home to find you covered in blood.

It’s poker night at Vicki’s.

Bishop thinks it’s going to be quiet. A couple of drinks, a few rounds of cards while the rest of the guys blow off a little bit of steam. It’s more toned down than it used to be now that most of them have coupled up, but they’ve got a few guys up from Yuma who were looking for a specific form of entertainment and Vicki’s happy to oblige.

Bishop’s playing out the best hand of his life when they hear the gun shots. He knows the sound of a high calibre, long range weapon when he hears it. Despite your best efforts the Reed Coalition are still hunting down immigrants. He knows you’re not out there tonight. You’re meeting with the accountant to discuss the community centre’s finances. Still hearing those gun shots, it puts the shits up him. They were close, too close he thinks.

It's the flash of headlights that makes his heart sink, the sound of wheels spinning out on gravel. Creeper slides the curtain back and Bishop sees the colour drain out of his face before an expletive leaves his mouth. He’s on his feet as the door is thrown open.

It’s you that Riz is carrying, you who’s bleeding out in the other man’s arms. Drops of blood trail down your limp wrist, pattering onto the hard wood floor. Bishop knows that he’ll hear that sound in his fucking dreams.

Coco uses his arm to sweep the cards and poker chips from the table, the plastic disks scatter across the floor, rolling under chairs that are being shifted to make way for the causality. Riz is careful as he lays you down, Bishop takes in the sight of him as Gilly assists. Theres’s glass in his hair, miniscule shards glittering in the warm glow from the lights above. Streaks of crimson run down the left side of his face in rivets from slices across his forehead, cheek and neck. His shirt is soaked with blood, a mixture of both yours and his.

You’re awake, your hand is pressing Riz’s hoodie against the wound just under your clavicle. Coco covers your palm with his own, taking over the task. Bishop’s hand slips into yours, clasping it tightly, quiet reassurance that he’s there, that you aren’t alone. He feels that relief thundering through his system when you squeeze back. You hiss when Coco removes the hoodie, his features pinched as he tries to assess the wound.

“Stitches is on route, but she's an hour out.” Creeper informs them before Vicki shoves a First Aid kit into his hands and directs him to one of the bedrooms up the stairs. Her attention switches to Riz, guiding him onto one of the barstools as Hank flicks open the clasps of his own First Aid box.

“We need to take you upstairs.” Bishop tells you. “Get you some privacy so that Coco can get a better look at that wound. I’ll follow you up alright?”

You nod, a tear leaking down your cheek that he chases away the calloused pad of his thumb.

“I’m gonna be right here Mi Cielito.” He promises you. “Everything is gonna be ok.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[three--rings]

Starfield Tips/Things I Wish I Knew Earlier

Starfield is honestly amazing if you like this kind of game, but it does seem to be pretty invested in letting you figure out how it works on your own by experimentation. And it's very easy to overlook features of the game.

So...

The traits that give you parents, a fan, and a house are really neat. You get some cool stuff from them. I only did the parents but damn I'm glad I did. So consider these.

You can make your spacesuit and helmet automatically disappear if you're in breathable atmosphere/in a settlement. This way you don't have to worry about taking them off and on and potentially leaving your ship without them. And you don't look like a dork in town. The option is in the inventory page for each of them.

You can boost/sprint when floating. This is important in the Certain Plot Relevant Places.

There is a part of New Atlantis called The Well with a bunch of people and shops and you get to it from an unmarked elevator behind Jemison Merchantile in the Spaceport (or the unmarked elevator in the MAST transit station.) I played 30 hours before I found this out.

Read the skills closely, including the locked ones. Multiple times I put points in the wrong thing, thinking it would let me do things, when that was actually a different skill elsewhere.

Don't avoid the UC Vanguard questline. A lot of people I think are avoiding it because it's joining the military on a side that is a little sketchy/sus, but there's a lot of reasons to do this EARLY.

There's a museum you go through that gives you the entire lore background and recent history of the world

There's a flight simulator "test" you can take as much as you want to practice the space combat.

The storyline is REALLY REALLY good. (um, warning for horror elements) There are two different quest lines it opens and one also opens access to joining the Crimson Fleet faction.

7. When you upgrade your pilot skill it unlocks using thrusters in space flight. These let you maneuver without moving forward, so you are way more agile in combat. Use RB with a controller, IDK what the keyboard thingy is. But they're actually great. You hold down the button and then move sideways or up and down. Makes moving to new targets much better.

8. Weapons have different levels. Base which just has the name and then Calibrated, Refined, and Advanced. So pay attention and pick up the higher level ones. If you get a good advanced gun early you can use it and upgrade it for EVER. There's also rarity levels, which is the colored things. But that's about bonus effects. So you might get a really shitty gun with a Legendary bonus effect and it's still trash. If you get a high level weapon with a good bonus effect TREASURE IT.

9. Certain quests give you really good items, including SHIPS. IMO the best ship to get is the one from the Freestar Rangers.

10. Once you get a house you can build in it just like in an outpost. Also you can drop things from your inventory into an outpost or a house and then in build mode move that item around onto shelves, etc.

11. There is Universal time and Planet time. So if you wait or sleep, depending on where you are that may count as more time passing than what you chose. All shops refresh their money and inventory in 48 hours UT, but on Jemison, for example, that's only 24 hours of planet time.

12. Ship building can be intense and intimidating but it's really really worth it. You can always cancel out and undo what you did, so experiment. And when in doubt, add more engines, lol. (But really you want to add cargo space ASAP and then you need more engines, and then you end up wanting whole new ships.) Different ports have different makers of parts, and the best items are in the home port for each brand.

13. Unlocking the Ship Targeting skill is a game changer for space combat. It lets you lock on and then slows down time while you pummel the enemy's ship systems. If you take our their engines, and they are alone you can then dock with them and fight them and take their ship. Space piracy FTW.

14. If you get contraband avoid cities. Go to the Wolf System to The Den to sell it. This is very lucrative. At the slight price of your personal integrity.

15. As a general rule if something is sucking, you need to find the skill for it and invest points in it. This is true for piloting, scanning, boost packs, etc. They really made the skill trees count and be necessary in this game. Also surveying planets is really good XP actually. To help you get those points.

16. Speaking of surveying, if you are trying to complete a planet you need to visit all the biomes. If you click on the planet it will tell you the percent complete of that biome before landing. If you have one lone fauna left that fucker is probably in the ocean so look for COAST.

17. When placing outposts make sure there's not a lot of annoying mountains in it, and also you really want to prioritize sites with He-3 because you need it to really do anything. (Helium, iron, aluminum are the most important to build with.) And you have a limited number of outposts without taking a high level skill to get more.

That's all I can think of for now.

[artnerd1123]

They're always on time, and their work's always prime!

profile undercut~

Name: Robot Pronouns: they/she/he (used in rotation, starting with they/them each time)  Gender/sexuality: genderfluid + aromantic + asexual Species: human  Height: 5’9” Age: late 20s  Occupation pre-dungeons: student, general office/deskwork, IT worker Dungeon wish: to live a life without sleep :)  Fighting style: actually doesn’t physically do 90% of the fighting. Rather, they pilot a mech, which can take and throw a punch leagues better than they can on their own. As such they don’t really fight with actual hand to hand/long range strategies, but with strategies befitting of a card game. Their mech can be upgraded to handle a variety of weapons, and they have no real leaning towards particular specializations. In fact, they prefer to be as generalized as possible! This gives them a wide range of actions to take, and even when pieces of their mech get deactivated or damaged, they’re not missing a vital piece of their fighting ensemble. TLDR they cover all their bases and then go with whatever strategy best serves them in the moment (close combat, range, stack damage, just dodge, etc).  Strengths: extremely pragmatic, completely unbothered by fast paced/stressful situations, once they’ve set their sights on a particular task they’ll see it through to the best of their ability, able to step back and view most situations from a practical/logical viewpoint without much emotional involvement, well versed in politeness and niceties, extremely slow to anger, always gentle, kind -but NOT to the point where open abuse is met with compliance- and firm, knows when to put things down and walk away if it’s really not getting anywhere, insightful, perfect memory/recall, avid listener and reader, catalogs all information learned about people to best calibrate a workspace/living space suited to them, well aware of their limits and strives to accommodate them and become the best version of themself, able to navigate complex situations/puzzles/problems easily, operates fine on little sleep, very good at controlling emotions, always offers to help others Weaknesses: has a surprisingly cynical worldly outlook- bad things are bound to happen and everyone is bound to lose everything good eventually/people never stay forever/the world is a cruel place- despite their determination to be kind- which is driven by “not wanting to contribute” to the badness of life, the reason they work so well on little sleep is because they’re an insomniac and are used to it, likewise they’re used to controlling their emotions because they don’t actually know how to properly process them, has low physical endurance/strength which makes keeping up with high energy physical activities impossible, and they hardly ever ask for help from others with their own issues (unless they’re a licensed therapist. But cmon dude let your friends help you at least a little) Personality: Robot is a soft spoken, incredibly well mannered person of very mild disposition. They’re not very good at emoting through facial expressions or body language, but they carry their mood in sparks in their eyes to offset the uncanny effect. They’re always polite and kind to everyone, though by no means a pushover- more like a rock that lets water flow over it and remains unchanged no matter how wild the waves are. Robot is highly intelligent, well read, and has several college degrees under their belt, an avid lover of learning anything and everything. They can seem offputting with their textbook voice cadence and quiet observation of their surroundings, but they genuinely don’t mean any harm, nor do they try to be the smartest in the room. They’re genuinely delighted to learn they aren’t! They’re constantly striving to better themself, staying up to date on all the best ways to manage nutrition, time outside, screentime, hobby time, etc- you name it, they’ve got self help books on it. They’ll never try and push solutions on people who don’t ask, but they will absolutely try to assist in any way they’re able should someone (who isn’t in the business of harming people) request their assistance.

[eyeofnewtblog]

Things that happen at work:

There are three teenage girls and five teenage boys that are new hires. (Gotta love those summer high school jobs) I have trained the three girls how to properly shoot a rubber band with just one hand, AND how to fire multiple shots at once. We are now a well trained, calibrated weapon of work place chaos.

I consider it a failure if I do not “organize” a rubber band “drive by shooting” at LEAST 3 times a shift that any combination of us work together.

As for the boys…there’s a very deadpan talking shit culture sort of going on? Like I let them talk shit, and I try to fire back if I can, but also there are free sharpies and highlighters in the office and I WILL throw pens and markers at them after they pop off at the mouth. They throw them back at me! (Very proud of them for doing so, btw 🥰) I’m obviously much better at picking my spots to throw FROM. I wait until they’re out in the open, restocking stuff, and fire away at them from behind the counters and computers. They always try to grab the markers or pens and hit me back, but, obviously, I am far superior in my tactics of picking the more defensive positions.

I cannot WAIT for them to eventually organize and hit me with everything they’ve got in some sort of ambush.

[fioreofthemarch]

Finding Her - a field log

Link makes notes, takes photos and keeps time on his quest across Hyrule, in the hopes of finding Zelda and staying sane until he does. [ Next | AO3 ]

Booting... Booting... The current date is: 999999–!!! Error: Memory exceeded !!! Please select calendar convention for date calibration.

> New Hylian Calendar

NHC convention selected. Calibrating… The current date is: 104 AC (After Calamity). 5th month, 12th day. This time of year is commonly known in Hylian nomenclature as Spring's End. Save settings?

> Yes

Date confirmed.

* Welcome to the Purah Pad *

The Purah Pad is a state-of-the-art, fully portable adventure-class Sheikah Slate. The Purah Pad can be used to:

View far-away objects using the Scope

Take photographic images

View maps and current location (requires Sky View data)

Teleport instantaneously to travel gates registered to the Purah Pad

Record materials, creatures, monsters, and other objects found in Hyrule

Log activities and requests received from fellow travelers

Take additional field notes, as required

The Purah Pad is currently in development. We are not accepting feedback at this time.

Please direct any complaints to Symin at Hateno Village Research Laboratory.

Log date 09:55. 5th month 12th day 104AC Location: Great Sky Island. Weather: Mild. Clear skies.

Arm hurts, really hurts. In a bad way. Master Sword is damaged, or worse. What the hell happened down there?

It's bright here, gotta be high up in the sky. Were there always islands here?

A green construct-type person (like Guardians but with a face?) had this Purah Pad. Looks in OK condition. Zelda would know more. No sign of her. Apparently she's nearby, in a temple.

Not sure how many logs to make. Normally Zelda’s thing. I’m used to her being here. Used to the sound of her voice. Will just take notes until she’s back. Not sure how, but will find her.

Have to find her.

Log is accompanied by a picture of a Zonai Steward Construct. Its large, see-saw head is angled slightly to the side, as if perplexed.

Caption: He seems friendly.

Log date 12:30. 5th month, 13th day 104 AC Location: Ukouh Shrine Weather: Mild. Partly cloudy.

A lot has happened. Arm still hurts, whole body hurts. Rauru (source of arm) has been helpful. Not sure if he's trustworthy but no choice. Have to find Zelda, no matter what.

There are Shrines here on this sky island - deja vu. Seem older than the Sheikah Shrines though.

This arm and its powers are something else. Made a raft with fans. Put them on the wrong way, fell off the raft. Tried again a few times until it worked. Repeat.

Two more Shrines left, maybe next time Rauru will give me the power to summon a hot meal. Click of the fingers and snap: fried eggs. But probably not.

A photograph of some roasted mushrooms beside a fire, slightly charred, as a Zonai Steward Construct looks on.

Caption: These will do for now.

---

Log date: 16:30. 5th month, 14th day 104 AC Location: In-Isa shrine Weather: Mild. Partly cloudy.

Stopping to catch my breath. Going to sit by this Shrine a while.

Got this Fuse ability. Feels good to have a sword even if it's made from a tree branch and bits of dead robot.

Sword arm is not what it used to be. Reflexes slower too. Can feel the gloom under my skin. Fought a Captain Construct, got hit one too many times. Some bad bad bruises but the Light of Blessing healed them up quick. Mostly pride hurt now.

Back to the Temple of Time tomorrow. Zelda’s not far, can feel it.

A photograph of a fused rock-hammer weapon, resting against the weathered structure of a Shrine of Light.

Caption: Using a rock to break rocks!

---

Log date: 20:55 5th month, 14th day 104 AC Location: Temple of Time Weather: Cool. Clear skies.

It doesn't make sense. She was here, and then she wasn't. In the Temple of Time. Or her spirit? A memory? An echo? That's what Rauru called it. Said it was Zelda's sheer will, but how can he know? He won't even say who he is.

She looked so different. She looked.. divine. And then she gave me something. I can feel the name of it on the wind - Recall

She’s gone. But where? What happened to her?

Gonna leave this place tomorrow, just need to find that last Shrine. The fire's burning low but the nights here are short. There's something up above, the Purah Pad compendium calls it a Light Dragon. Currently watching it swim circles in the air til sleep comes, and then will see what tomorrow brings.

Zelda’s out there somewhere. Gotta find her, and put everything right. Don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t. Hope wherever she is, it’s warmer than here.

A photograph taken from below of a golden dragon, floating peacefully through the air.

Caption: How's the weather up there?

[wolfofcelestia]

Can you please show the team you used for Zayne's trial? And what your stats were? I'm stuck on the same level, and wanna know where I'm going wrong.

Honestly, you're probably not doing anything wrong. Your cards and protocores are probably just not at high enough levels. Because it's not really a technique issue, it's just that the dragon has a lot of hp or def

This was my team when I beat Zayne's 70-2 orbit

I was experimenting with different weapons and outfits, but I just got stuck on Dawnbreaker again so he stayed. Despite his longer 2◆ cooldown, he's the one who usually gets me through the big bosses. As for weapons, guns were very close but I ended up beating it with claymore. You just need a bit of training to get the hang of it

My strategy was to reach the start point, then start calibrating x3 while the dragon is doing its opening animation. Then when you break through the dragon's shields, use the 1◆ skill immediately, then begin to calibrate x3 again. If you do it perfectly, you'll be able to use your 1◆ skill again before the dragon's shields are back up

You can practice in the training room and I highly suggest turning your volume up when you use claymore because it's a lot easier to get the calibration timing down if you think of it as a rhythm game

Claymore animations are also slow and waste time, so to cancel them, just dash. Basic attacks are 1 2 3 4 dash. Empowered Frangere Slash is 1 2 dash. Again, think of it as a rhythm game

For protocores, my strategy is to focus on ATK first and ATK bonus second. Preferably, you'll have both stats on the same core but if you can have the first core focus on ATK and the second core focus on ATK bonus, that would help too

Make sure you load up your ATK talent cards with your strongest ATK cores so they can get that extra boost

I load all my HP and DEF cards up with ATK too even though they don't get a bonus, but the strongest ATK cores go to the ATK cards first

I've seen other people lean into CRIT instead and you could try that too, but in my eyes, having a high base level of ATK is better for consistent damage instead of hoping the RNG is on your side. And as of right now, we don't have any CRIT talent cards. CRIT and any other stat that focuses on damage is good to have, but they're not my priority

Here are the protocores I used:

That's pretty much it. Again, to me, this stage is just a card/core level check. If you made it this far, your technique isn't an issue. But try your hand at claymore and see how you do with that too

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to answer

[cousticks]

If given the chance to live, what personality do you think Chuuya's clone would have had?

Gosh. Poor dear clone boy didn't get much of a chance to have one of those, did he. I probably go off topic a couple times, but I promise speculation on his personality is actually in here somewhere.

So. I don't trust a word out of N's mouth at any point in time. He's a horribly unethical scientist and even worse father figure but he does seem to be a relatively decent liar. This is the only decent thing about him.

That being said, if N were to be believed, then the boy in the coin-flipping video demonstrating a self-contained singularity is poor Cloney.

Quoting N's words:

"The owner of the self-contradicting skill. Other than his skill, he was an ordinary boy born in a hot spring district in the San'in region. This special vessel was calibrated so he wouldn't be crushed by the singularity's gravity. That's the only reason why he's still alive."

Looking back at the scene of the coin video, we don't really see much of the boy himself.

Someone was twirling the coin between their fingers. They were young fingers, but everything past their arm was off camera, so it was impossible to see who exactly the person was. They were, however, speaking in an almost singsong manner.

Whoever's in the video recites a couple verses of Upon The Tainted Sorrow. Not the activation verse we know, though.

Someone was holding a glittering coin in the center of the screen, but the camera was too far away to make out their face. The only thing discernible was how oddly spacious the concrete chamber was.

The video is obscured. We can't confirm or deny if it was Cloney in the video, we only know that he's young. But for the sake of speculation, let's say he is. To rule out the idea that it might be Chuuya in the video for the sake of narrowing down options: Chuuya had residual memory, or at least recognition, upon walking into Research Facility B, as its layout is similar to Research Facility A, aka what is now Suribachi City. He's got a pattern of that--seeing snippets of his true past having to do with the Arahabaki program, and it sparking his memory. He didn't do that when watching the coin video, so I'm just going to assume that whoever it was, it wasn't him. It would be off pattern for him.

I have one more quote to pull before rambling about what Cloney could have been like. Unfortunately it's the bit where he dies, but y'know, I only have so many scenes to pick from.

His face was no different than Chuuya's, but his eyes were a little kinder and much feebler. The boy grabbed Chuuya, his gaze pleading. He opened his mouth as if to say something. His lungs filled with puff of air. And that was it. His life had come to an end.

That's the part that really gnaws at me. His eyes were a little kinder. Assuming this is the same boy that has been a living experiment used to create an advanced version of himself (or having been created) and really only knowing dangerous experiments or a murky tube for going on 16 years now, seeing kindness in his eyes is almost baffling. You'd expect him to be kicking and screaming against anyone coming near him, probably. Or some kind of resignation, maybe. But he spent his last breath trying to communicate.

If he'd made it out of Facility B, I like to think he'd have been a hopeful sort. He probably wouldn't have been very well, though. The coin video scene notes the subject (Cloney) going into cardiac arrest. And surviving that comes with a lot of complications (unless the facility had some kind of healing ability on hand, but I'm calling that a 50/50 shot at best. The kindest thing I can imagine is trying to design transferable healing abilities in a similar way to how ability weapons were produced, but that may be too optimistic.) If I ignore the physical complications, there's extremely high rates of depression and anxiety after surviving cardiac arrest, which would probably be made worse by Cloney's living conditions for the last several years.

Verlaine is a bad example of how any reasonable person acts, but one thing pretty understandable is his distrust and paranoia of pretty much everything. And arguably, Verlaine has the most similar background to Cloney. So lets borrow some Verlaine traits, too, maybe.

And the fact that in the video, he spent most of the time flipping a coin. Young Cloney probably thought he was so cool like some movie character. I think his coin flipping is kind of similar to Chuuya's bit in Fifteen asking for hard rock music while he beats people up. They're both losers that wanna be action heroes at heart, to me.

It might manifest differently, but I like to think from his final scene that he got a lot of Chuuya's resilience (y'know, the kind that Verlaine really lacked.) I think coming out of the lab he'd be a very troubled boy, but really that would make him fit right in with the cast around him. But still trying to make the best of things. I think he'd like bad action movies. I think he'd be a little claustrophobic, a little afraid of the dark, but adverse to big empty rooms too. I think he'd like being around people. I don't think he'd want to join the Port Mafia, and he'd definitely steer clear of the Special Abilities Department. So of our major Yokohama-based organizations, the best place for him would be the Agency... but I don't think he'd want to be there either. I don't think he'd want anything to do with any ability based organizations at all, really. I kind of doubt he'd be up to learning any coin tricks after what happened the last time, but that idle hand habit never really goes away. Maybe he'd pick up cool methods of shuffling cards and end up working as a dealer at the Sky Casino or something weird like that. I don't know, really. We only have one scene we know is Cloney, and some speculation, but I think he'd have a few traits similar to Chuuya, but maybe without some of his aggression. I think he'd have a few traits similar to Verlaine, too. And every character that struggles with humanity struggles with it in a different way, and I'm sure he'd be no exception to that. Lots of issues and problems, but I think he'd be the kind to just want to move on. I think Kenji would fix him.

[burnwater13]

Concept art by Christian Alzmann depicts Kuiil the Ugnaught, lifting up IG-11 after the Mandalorian (not in scene) effectively deactivated the droid. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 1, Episode 7, The Reckoning. Calendar by DateWorks.

The Storyteller

Kuiil was an exceptional storyteller. As he explained to the Mandalorian and Cara Dune how he had rebuilt and reprogrammed IG-11, Grogu was drawn right into the tale. Grogu felt like he was there, every moment, watching the Ugnaught patching the droid’s housings and fusing it’s circuits and replacing it’s power supply. When the Mandalorian deactivated the droid to save Grogu’s life, he had deactivated it pretty thoroughly based on Kuiil’s description of the repairs he had to perform. 

Next came the updated imprinting. The process of providing IG-11 with a new set of imperatives to replace the ones that had been installed at the factory sounded grueling. Grogu set aside, for the moment, that any factory had thought it was good business to create a droid for the primary purpose of ending sentient or other life. The risk of the droids making those people their first targets seemed pretty high.

That allowed him to focus on the humor of the situation as Kuiil described the learning process. The tall, slender droid picked up stuff and fell over because it couldn’t balance. It picked stuff up and droped it because it didn’t understand gravity. It couldn’t aim because it’s visual sensors weren’t perfectly calibrated. It couldn’t move with anything like stealth or grace. It didn’t seem remotely dangerous unless you were worried about having your feet stepped on.

Based on Kuiil’s description of what took place, Grogu thought it had been as funny as watching the episode of Diggle and Daggle when they went fishing for the hydrated, crenelated, blob fish. Those critters were impossible to catch. As soon as you hooked one part of the critter, three new ‘heads’ appeared and nibbled the hook off. It was horrifying and humorous at the same time, because you would suddenly realize that the blob had turned into a thousand mouths and they just wanted to bite you but kept biting itself.

But then, unlike that blob fish, IG-11 was being repaired by someone who cared about it surviving the experience. Kuiil was patient, kind, and relentless. It was like the Ugnaught knew that one day the Mandalorian would be returning to Arvala-7 and seeking out his assistance. After all, what help would a rebuilt-repurposed assassin droid be to an Ugnaught? Yes, it seemed adept at serving tea, but what else did Kuiil need it to do? Train blurrgs? 

Grogu would have asked that question if the conversation hadn’t turned to other matters once the story was over and Cara Dune and the Mandalorian put their weapons down. It seemed like they were finished arguing with the Ugnaught and Grogu could understand why. When you had a storyteller who was that accomplished, telling you a story about all the work they did that was ultimately for your benefit, well, it was hard to argue with them. And if you were the Mandalorian, there were only so many stories that you could stand to hear in any given day, anyway. 

It had been Grogu’s experience, just during the short period of time that they had been traveling together, that the Mandalorian could sit through approximately one story per day. Grogu didn’t know why that was the bounty hunter’s limit. Maybe it was an occupational hazard. He must have listened to dozen people give conflicting reports on whoever a fob had been set up to identify. As soon as IG-11 had told the bounty hunter that it’s orders were to bring the target in cold, the Mandalorian had deactivated the droid. 

Grogu wondered if the Mandalorian did that to everyone who challenged him, but he didn’t really know the Mandalorian very well to say one way or the other. His limited experience with the bounty hunter did indicate that the penalty for annoying the Mandalorian was pretty severe. After all, the ex-Imps who’d protected the Client hadn’t fared any better than IG-11 had. Or those other bounty hunters on Nevarro. Or the Jawas on Arvala-7. Or the raiders on Sorgan. Definitely not that kid, Calican. Or those ‘friends’ from the Mandalorian’s past. Malk and that guy who just wouldn’t stop talking. Although, come to think of it, that guy hadn’t been brought in cold, which in Grogu’s opinion was a pity. But that was beside the point. The bunch of them, including that droid that had gone after him, had been. 

If the Mandalorian had been more like Kuiil, more of a storyteller, more patient, more thoughtful, more whatever else the Ugnaught was, could he have made friends with those folks? Turned them into allies? Had them help him accomplish his goal of protecting Grogu and returning him to his people? Grogu didn’t know, but it was a good question. Would being more like the best people help any of them at being better? Or would it just make them crabby and less helpful because they didn’t want to do the work? 

Now that was a question that Grogu wished he had asked himself before he tried to stop Cara Dune from hurting the Mandalorian during that arm wrestling game. If he’d been more like Kuiil, maybe he wouldn’t be sitting in ‘time out’ listening to the lecture that the Mandalorian was always one breath away from delivering in his general direction. That was a ‘story’ Grogu never wanted to here again. 

He has spoken!

[beardedmrbean]

The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, said troops have depleted the power of the Islamic State for West Africa Province, ISWAP, terrorists in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, forcing the terror group on a recruitment drive for new fighters across the region.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the terrorists in the North West also suffered the same fate and were on membership recruitment on social media.

“Troops are aware of the situation and working with other security agencies and governments to thwart the plans.

“Troops are also deployed in strength to assist the police in ensuring a hitch-free off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State, slated for November.

“Indeed, troops’ presence is to ensure the security of citizens enabling them to cast their votes without any form of harassment or intimidation while keeping mischief-makers at bay.

“The NAF is already engaged in flying sensitive electoral material in support of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,” he said.

While giving updates on successes across various theatres of operation in the past week, Buba said troops killed 88 terrorists, arrested 228 criminals, and rescued 181 kidnap victims.

According to him, troops recovered 84 high calibre weapons, comprising 34 AK47 rifles, 15 fabricated rifles, 11 Dane guns, five fabricated revolver pistols, eight locally made pistols, three pump action guns and one magnum pump action.

The Defense spokesman added that troops recovered 2,393 pieces of ammunition, comprising 1,807 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 314 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 146 rounds of 7.62mm PKM ammo, 77 rounds of 9mm ammo, 49 live cartridges, and 25 magazines, among others.

Speaking on troops successes in the Niger Delta region, Gen. Buba said troops destroyed 59 illegal refining sites and arrested 40 oil thieves.

“Troops recovered 942,420 litres of stolen crude oil, 175,075 litres of illegally refined diesel and 4,980 litres of petrol.

“Troops also discovered and destroyed 13 crude oil cooking ovens, 20 dugout pits, 73 boats, 25 storage tanks and 59 illegal refining sites, three barges, seven speedboats, and 73 drums, among others,” he added.