#horrible powers squad

[threemoonwatchers]

I saw the base and I KNEW.

The therapist in question isn’t… anyone… don’t worry about it

[cutetaka]

I came up with a scenario and maybe i'll draw it someday😭😭

Imagine this... Hunter, Echo and Wrecker finally found Mount Tantiss. Rex and some other clones are with them. It's a huuuuge rescue mission. Chaos reigned, but thankfully every prisoner was saved from crumbling imperial facility. Then Crosshair noticed that Hunter was missing. He came back for him and carried him like he carried Mayday before. Hunter then asked him this: "why did you come back for me?" and Crosshair answered after a minute of silence: "we don't leave our own behind". And then Hunter broke down and started crying feeling so much guilt and shame because his little brother still loved him so much despite the fact he left him behind... a few times. 

[whalehouse1]

Amanda Waller getting treated like she’s Harley Quinn nowadays, I swear.

[themyscirah]

Why are recent comics incapable of being at all normal about Amanda Waller

Hate this so much

[exhaled-spirals]

« Almost all Americans believed when the full-scale invasion began that Ukraine would immediately collapse under Russian might, and that Zelens'kyi would flee the country. But he did not. His physical courage in remaining in Kyiv, an echo of the physical courage shown by millions of Ukrainians, changed the overall situation. Because Ukrainians resisted, western arms began to flow. The courage of Ukrainians made possible an American and European policy to hold back Russian aggression. That same Zelens'kyi, the man who was brave enough to stay and lead his country when the Russians were approaching the capital and the assassination squads were already there, was yesterday made the subject of a public attempt at humiliation by Americans. No doubt Ukrainians should express their thanks to Americans. As they do. But it is illogical, to say the least, for Americans not to thank Ukrainians, or to treat their courageous president as an object of contempt. The coercive ritual of gratitude hides from Americans the basic reality of what has happened these last three years.

During this war, Ukraine has delivered to the United States strategic gains that the United States could not have achieved on its own. Ukrainian resistance gave hope to people defending democracies around the world. Ukrainian soldiers were defending the basic principle of international law, which is that states are sovereign and that borders should not be changed by aggression. Ukraine in effect fulfilled the entire NATO mission, absorbing a full-scale Russian attack essentially on its own. It has deterred Chinese aggression over Taiwan, by showing how difficult offensive operations can be. It has slowed the spread of nuclear weapons, by proving that a conventional power can resist a nuclear power in a conventional war. Throughout the war, Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and the Ukrainians have resisted the nuclear bluff. Should they be allowed to be defeated, nuclear weapons will spread around the world, both to those who wish to bluff with them, and those who will need them to resist the bluff.

Yesterday Vance and Trump repeated familiar Russian propaganda. One example was Trump's claim that it was the Ukrainians who, by resisting Russia, were risking "World War Three." The truth is exactly the opposite. By abandoning Ukraine, Trump is risking a terrible escalation and, indeed, a world war. Everything that Ukraine has done these last three years can be reversed. Now that the Trump administration has chosen to throw American power to Russia's side, Russia could indeed win the war. (This was always Russia's only chance, as the Russians themselves well knew, and openly said.) In this scenario of an American-backed Russian victory, opened yesterday by American choices in the American capital, the horrible losses extend far beyond Ukraine. Zelens'kyi quite sensibly made the point that the consequences of the war could extend to Americans. This was, in a sense, overly modest: Ukrainian resistance has thus far spared Americans such consequences. He said so very gently, and was yelled at for it -- which is itself quite telling. The Americans have a sense of what they are unleashing upon the world by allying with Russia, and they made noise to disguise that. »

— Timothy Snyder, "The War Trump Chooses"

[electronicdelusionstarlight]

You know, I was thinking about Monstrous Regiment as I always do, and I just say, damn, Terry Pratchett sure as shit did the "Female attack drone operator killing children" joke ages before we even got there culturally.

Like, OK, during the climax of the book we find out that half of the Military high command are also women right? Disguised as men and wanting to keep their secret hidden as they live as men yes, but still women.

And here's the thing.

That's not, unlike Jackrum's ending, to be read as a trans allegory.

These are women, who joined the military, a sexist and awful military force who would have killed them had it found out for both being women and for crossdressing, got in a position of power by following the rules and not rocking the Boat (unlike Polly and her squad, who were offered the perfect way out yet still decided to come out as women), and then once they become the high command of the military they do NOTHING.

They do not change those same structures who oppressed them, because now they are in power so who care if other women get hurt.

And they do not stop the war, continuing it instead.

"Women can do the same things man can" is one of the Book's arc words, and it does sound like a pretty neat message, until Terry points out how this very same message can be used to sponsor horrible actions too and passing them for progress.

Women can be war criminals just like man can.

Much like back in the days, cigarette companies sold women cancer on a stick presenting it as freedom and liberation for their gender.

Much like The pilot of the drone that's going to burn your house to the ground has a pride flag pin on their lapel.

You are not immune to fucking military propaganda.

[crisalidaseason]

Reason why some booktok people hate Violet is because they want her man so badly.

There are so many reasons to criticise Violet and they try to distort her character just to make their hate seem more valid.

I just scrolled past a video in which a person said Violet never sacrificed herself like Xaden did.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?????

She risked exposing Andarna's power when saving Liam from dying in war games.

She fought in Resson after being lied and betrayed to. Went to a battle inexperienced in everything and accepting her death.

She forfeited her relationship with her sister and squad to keep Xaden's secrets in the best of her abilities, therefore making her feel isolated as fuck and make decisions that reflected her mental affliction.

Risked her life bringing the daggers to Xaden every time she went to Samara. Something that could not only get her and the apostasy children killed but HER SISTER TOO! THEY'D KILL MIRA FOR SURE IF THEY FOUND OUT.

She risked her and her loved ones lives to retrieve a book to help Aretia raise wards.

She was tortured for 5 days because of said book stealing.

Overlooked her injuries, trauma and chronic condition to translate said book as fast as she could. This girl just went through 5 days of torture and just brushed it off for the sake of saving Xaden's home.

Almost turned venin with how desperate she was to imbue Basgiath ward stone. Almost made a decision that could fuck everything up with her dragons and family and loved ones.

Lost her mother. As much as her relationship with Lilith wasn't good, it was still her mother.

Don't get me started on onyx storm sacrifices...

Look. I'm not saying her sacrifices are bigger than Xaden's...but that doesn't mean Violet didn't go through horrible shit just for him.

[fryingpan1234567]

Missed You—Liam Mairi x marked!necromancer!reader

guess who finished Fourth Wing today

sorry this is less actually Liam focused and more bringing-him-back-from-the-dead at first, but you get to be a total badass and you still get to see him later, so like it’s fine

f!reader, we ignore canon and I have no idea how the fortress is built sorry, reader is an absolute badass, this is prolly not gonna be proofread

happy reading!

————————————————————————

You hadn’t seen Liam in five days.

It was the last of the five-day War Games excursion you and your classmates had been subjected to just before your graduation to second year, and you were getting restless. When Violet got moved to Xaden’s little band of… people, Liam of course in tow, it had caused some shifting in other groups as well. You’d gotten dumped in some random wing with people you barely knew, only your dragon and memories to keep you company, the feeling of Liam’s fingers tracing down your face, your neck, your waist, your thighs…

Well, you didn’t particularly want to masturbate while on night watch as your unknowing squad peacefully slept the night away, but—

“Getting needy, are we?” Sif teased in your head, crashing your train of thought. You shifted uncomfortably, wishing to ease the ache between your legs. You stared into the dying fire to distract yourself.

“I am not needy,” you shot back mentally so as to not wake your squadmates. “I just… miss him. Is that a crime?”

“No, but jacking off six feet from your superior officer might be.”

“I hate you. I really, truly do.”

“I could bite you in half.”

“You love me too much—“

Sif slammed her mental barrier down, effectively blocking you out. You huffed a laugh to yourself. You think, despite the constant sass and general need to get in the last word, your orange scorpiontail was probably the best thing that had ever happened to you— aside from Liam, of course. After all, she’d given you power greater than any rider could dream of.

But you had to keep that to yourself.

Necromancy was absolutely unheard of. You knew, because you’d checked— normally you stay far away from the Archives, but you’d gone soon after discovering your signet months ago and checked the records for any mention of magic like yours. Nothing. It was supposed to be the one thing dragons couldn’t give to humans.

And yet here you were, and you couldn’t tell anyone. Certainly not your professors— a marked one with that kind of power? They’d kill you. But even Xaden, Bodhi, any of the others… you didn’t know enough. You thought you could trust them. You were pretty sure. Xaden was your savior, in a way, but he was also mildly unstable if you were being honest. Even Liam’s loyalty to him made it impossible to share your secret.

You sighed. Liam. You’d heard your section leader say something about defending an outpost, but that’s about all you knew about his assignment.

He’s tough. And smart. And with Xaden and Violet. He’s surely fine.

You fell asleep, a pit of unease growing in your chest.

In the morning, everybody flew back to Basgiath, as the game had concluded. You hadn’t seen much action, not that you cared as much about that as you did about seeing Liam again.

In the sea of milling students, you’d normally be able to spot him immediately, his golden hair a head above the rest. You stood on your toes to scan the area, but you didn’t see him.

You did see Xaden, pushing his way towards you through the crowd.

“Xaden!” You gripped his hand in greeting and resisted the urge to look over his shoulder for your boyfriend.

“Hey, y/n.” The way Xaden didn’t smile made yours fade immediately. His tone of voice only ripped the hole that had been growing in your core since the night before bigger, and you had a horrible feeling he didn’t have good news for you. “How were your past few days? Sorry we left you behind.”

Yeah, all the other marked kids had gone with Xaden. Liam included. Who you still did not see anywhere at all.

“It’s— they were fine. Where’s Liam?” you blurted, moving to pull your forearm out of Xaden’s grip.

His fingers tightened, onyx eyes boring into yours. “Y/n… we lost Liam.”

“You—“ Your mind reeled, heart dropping like a stone into your stomach. But not as far as it should’ve. “You what?”

“There was a venin attack on our outpost,” Xaden said quietly so other students wouldn’t hear. You stared up at him with wide, horrified eyes, noting the grief etched into his features. He’d known Liam much longer than you. “Our options were to run or fight. He chose to fight.”

It probably wasn’t the question you should be asking, but it’s the one that came out of your mouth: “You didn’t burn him, right?”

“We—“ Xaden blinked, clearly not expecting that to be your first reaction either. “No, he and Deigh are in the family tomb at the fortress. Why—“

Your nails dug into Xaden’s forearm, a burning urgency building in your throat. You could do something. You could fix this.

“You need to take me to him right now,” you demanded.

Xaden pulled a face. “It’s broad daylight, we just got back, it’s probably not good for you to see your recently deceased boyfriend and his dragon, I could list a thousand reasons why we can’t just fly off again—“

“Xaden,” you begged, then pulled him down to cup a hand to his ear and whisper, “I can bring him back. That’s my signet. But it won’t work if the decaying process starts, so you have to take me to him right fucking now.”

He stiffened, staring down at you in disbelief. You stared back, unwavering.

“You serious?”

“Deadly, Xaden,” you insisted. “Please.”

There was zero hesitation as he dragged you across the room towards the perch where all the dragons still resided. You spotted Sif next to Tairn, because of course she’s always one to push the limits. Her eyes narrowed on you as you approached.

“You told the wingleader,” she hissed in your mind, coiled and angry. Her barbed tail flicked where it rested by her talons, digging into the stone of the wall.

“To save Liam,” you snapped, “of course I did. I can save him—“

“You’ve only revived woodland creatures so far and then passed out for hours at a time,” Sif growled as she allowed you to mount anyways. She flapped her wings, preparing to take off after Sgaeyl.

Your stomach was left on the balcony as the two of you launched into the air, taking after Xaden ahead of you. There were shouts of alarm from below, but you didn’t look back. You had to power through and, most vitally, not get caught by anyone trying to drag you back to the school. Sif, being only marginally smaller than Sgaeyl, was able to keep pace. Your job was to stay on.

“I can do it,” you insisted aloud. Xaden glanced down at you curiously.

“Have you ever brought a human back?” he shouted down to you over the roaring wind.

Your turn to pull a face. “Biggest thing I’ve ever brought back was a mountain lion,” you called back, ignoring the ripple of fury from Sif at yet another spilled secret. Doesn’t matter now. “But I figure because a human is smaller…”

“Will you burn out?” he asked.

Fantastic question. Gods, you hope not. You shouldn’t— the mountain lion in question was much bigger than Liam and you really hadn’t slept for that many days afterwards, so—

“But it will not be just the boy,” Sif grumbled. “He’s still tethered to Deigh, remember? A full size red scorpiontail? You will burn out.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” you bit back. Your legs tightened a fraction around Sif’s shoulders. “I won’t burn out. I… can’t.”

You couldn’t dwell on the notion of not being able to bring Liam and Deigh back. If you did— if you didn’t—

“Easy, human,” Sif hummed, a stark contrast to her earlier tone. Warmth faded through you, compliments to the rippling muscled scales beneath you. “I will do everything I can to aid you. We will… try.”

“Thank you,” you managed back, too tired to speak aloud anymore. Risking a glance upwards at your wingleader, Xaden’s gaze was laser focused on the mountain range miles away you knew marked the border of Navarre’s ward.

You flew for nearly thirteen straight hours.

Normally, with average speeds and ample rest time, the trip would take closer to a full day. But Sif and Sgaeyl were not flying at an average speed. And they didn’t stop once.

It was dark again when you and Xaden stumbled off your dragons on the roof of the Aretia fortress, each of you feeling the weight of your dragons’ exhaustion. But you didn’t fall. No time.

“Come on,” Xaden beckoned, gesturing towards the yawning doorway that led into a dark ramp. You’d never seen this part of the fortress before. To your surprise, Sif was able to follow you down the tunnel.

“Where are we?” you asked, turning your attention away from Sif after she flicked her tongue at you. Xaden’s pace was harder to keep as, unlike your dragons, the two of you were very different in stature. Your legs were significantly shorter than his, and you nearly had to run to keep up with his stride.

He conjured a mage light to float above his head like a ghostly halo, and you did the same. There were no other lights in the corridor.

“Entrance to the crypt,” was all he said. Figures. “Big enough for dragons to carry other dragons, if need be.”

Your heart tugged at the thought of Sgaeyl or maybe Tairn hauling Deigh’s lifeless body down this same tunnel, Xaden carrying Liam’s in tow. You shook the image away. You were gonna need your concentration.

You didn’t speak the rest of the journey down, down into the mountain, farther underground than any other part of the fortress. Eventually the tunnel widened into a positively cavernous room, and you couldn’t suppress your gasp.

It was stunning. From what little light your mage lights could provide, you saw vaulted ceilings painted with murals of battles from even before the rebellion. Massive pillars stood close to the walls, engraved with names going back generations. There was a massive shrine to Malek right in the center of it all.

And scattered around the floor were skeletons. You noticed it was two to a group— a human, and a dragon, the dragon’s curled protectively around the human’s. Of course there were some humans without dragons, accompanied instead by artifacts or offerings left by family. This was generations of Aretians.

And the sloping form of a red dragon that did not rise and fall in turn with its breaths.

“Oh, gods,” you whispered aloud to yourself, breaking into a run as you passed Xaden. You came around Deigh’s head and froze as your gaze met Liam.

He looked… asleep.

No blood. No horrible injuries, like you’d been afraid of. You hadn’t thought to ask many questions about what had happened on the way here, and now was certainly not the time. Liam’s head rested against Deigh’s limp forearm, golden curls falling softly against the scales there. Some remaining blood was smeared across Deigh’s wings and a couple spots on his underbelly, but no gaping wounds on him either. Brennan cleaned him up, if you had to guess.

You fell to your knees at their side. Xaden knelt beside you, and you knew he didn’t want to pressure you, but he was more anxious than you were. You felt Sif’s presence stalk around Deigh’s other end and stop, sitting by his tail as hers flicked over his spinal ridges. They’d been friends. A new wave of grief washed over you.

But grief for what? You were here, weren’t you?

“What do you need?” Xaden asked you softly.

It’s go time now. “Maybe stand back. I’ve been told it gets pretty bright.”

Xaden did as you suggested and backed away, and you scooted closer to Liam and Deigh. Your lips parted in a shaky sigh as your fingers carded through his hair for the first time in nearly a week. His skin was ice cold to the touch. Your other hand found one of Deigh’s talons, and you braced yourself for what was to come.

“Remember to not die,” Sif reminded you, hints of anxiety leeching into her voice. You returned her earlier wave of comfort.

“I can do this,” you promised.

You found the floor of your childhood bedroom. You looked under the bed for Sif’s power, and you brought it out, like you’d slide out a box of old toys to go through in nostalgia.

This was not nostalgia. This was hot, syrupy energy seeping from your heart to your shoulders, down your arms, into your hands, and finally into golden locks and red scales.

You inhaled deeply. You could feel their pain, still residing after however many days it had been since they left this plane of existence. You grabbed onto that pain and tugged it like a loose thread on a sweater, because you knew their souls were on the other end of it.

“Malek, forgive me, for I am about to rob you of not one but two brave warriors’ souls,” you murmur aloud to no one but yourself. The pain gets brighter, more intense. Good. It’s working.

“Okay?” Sif nudges, but you don’t answer. You have to focus. This is going to be more difficult than anything you’ve ever done before.

And you’re going to do it. For Liam.

The pain unfolds deep in your chest, worsening inch by treacherous inch as you forcibly drag two souls back into their bodies. But it’s working, and that’s the only fucking thing that matters.

“Malek, forgive me,” you repeat in a whimper. “I commend you my own soul, my own heart, you may punish me for eternity when I go into the ground, but please, please,” you beg. You feel like you’re melting from the inside out. But you can also feel Liam and Deigh coming closer, and that means you can’t stop or slow down.

“Uh, you okay?” Xaden calls from somewhere behind you. Sif audibly hisses and snaps at him for disturbing your concentration. “What?! Sorry, I— she’s— y/n, you’re glowing. Are you supposed to glow?”

“Yep,” you choke out over your shoulder. “Good, all good. Shut up now, please.”

He did. It took several more minutes, maybe hours, before you had Deigh and Liam’s souls floating just above each of their bodies. You were shaking like a leaf. You could probably pass out from heat exhaustion right now. It was the most pain you’d ever been in. You’d dragged two souls straight out of Malek’s hands and into your own.

Final push. Liam’s whispered name fell from your lips as his soul settled back into his physical body. His chest jolted to life beneath you with new air and a revived heartbeat, as did Deigh’s. You vaguely hoped he wouldn’t roll forwards and crush the two of you.

Liam’s bright blue eyes cracked open. His gaze met yours for half a second, and he smiled, that dimple that you loved so much appearing, and—

And you passed out, falling back into Sif’s outstretched wing.

Those blue eyes were the first thing you saw when yours opened, several hours later.

You were back at Basgiath.

You sat up way too fast, and the world tilted, sliding you right back down onto your pillow. Well, not your pillow— this was not your room, it was Liam’s, judging by the window placement and—

Liam.

Your eyes snapped to his, which crinkled as he smiled at you. You nearly started sobbing right then and there.

Liam! Alive! Smiling at you!

“Morning, sunshine,” he said softly, and that was it for you. You curled into his arms, sobs wracking your sore body as he held you tight to his chest, holding you like he never wanted to let you go again.

“Li— Liam,” you hiccuped, muffled from his blankets. “I— you—“

“I know, baby,” he whispered, pressing a kiss into the crown of your head. “You’re okay. I’m okay, somehow. Breathe for me.”

It took several moments, but you came down from your high, clutching at Liam’s bare shoulder with shaking hands. He kissed your tears away and whispered comforts to you all the while, which was a little bit ridiculous. He’d literally just come back from the dead, and he was comforting you.

You, who’d brought him back. It fucking worked.

“It worked,” you whispered aloud.

Liam laughed at that, his sweet dimple making its appearance again. You couldn’t squash the smile that took over your face at the sight. You resisted the urge to kiss it like you had so many times before.

“It worked, baby,” he agreed. He stared into your eyes with his electrifying blue ones, grin softening into a contented smile. “Xaden told me… as much as he could, I think. Your signet is necromancy, which you neglected to tell any of us.” He poked at your side teasingly, and you twisted away from him with a giggle.

“I’m sorry,” you managed, finding your hand under the covers and laying it on Liam’s forearm, lazily drawing circles there. Fuuuck, you’d missed him.

He pressed a kiss to your temple. “It’s okay; I get why you did it. It’s dangerous for people to know.” He studied your face thoughtfully. “You’re…”

“Too nice to be a necromancer?” you supplied, half joking. You did have a lot of friends for a reason.

“I was gonna say amazing,” he said, “but close enough. Did Sif tell you she and Sgaeyl had to pretty much carry Deigh and I back here, by the way?”

Your jaw dropped. You supposed it made sense— it’s not like Liam or his dragon would be in tip top shape right off the bat after coming back from the dead. But still, the image was frankly hilarious.

You reached out to Sif. “Is that true? Did you actually have to carry Deigh?”

“And your sorry unconscious ass,” she responded immediately. Her words were biting, but her tone was undeniably relieved. “The wingleader took your boy. He seems touch starved, but he also seems like he’d never admit that aloud.”

You suppressed a laugh, clapping a hand to your mouth. If that wasn’t the most Xaden thing you’d ever heard in your life…

“She filling you in on all the glorious details?” Liam raised a perfect eyebrow, clearly amused.

“Sif says Xaden is touch starved but he won’t admit that to anyone,” you relayed.

Liam snorted. “I’ve never been cuddled by that man before in like twenty years of knowing each other except for the past thirteen hours. Maybe don’t tell him I said that.”

You exhaled your laugh, curling back into him. Your ear found his chest, and the steady thrum of his heartbeat nearly made you break down again.

Mental note: sacrifice a very large animal to Malek later today.

What time is it?

You poke your head up over Liam’s shoulder to find the clock he keeps at his bedside. Nearly noon.

“How long was I out for?” you realized, hoping it hadn’t been days like it normally was. After that, you wouldn’t be surprised if you’d passed out for a month.

“The whole time we were there, the whole flight back, and four hours,” Liam recited as if he’d been counting. Knowing him, he probably was. The thought brings a smile to your face. “We had Brennan mend what he could. You’d probably sleep through the month if he hadn’t sped the process up.”

“Read my mind,” you murmured, rubbing your face against his chest like an affectionate cat. He huffed a laugh, carding a hand through your hair.

“You missed me, huh?” he murmured back in the same tone as yours.

Preening dickhead. You figured you’d indulge him, if only because he was definitely right this time.

“Yeah,” you said quietly, simply, and that was it. You could talk about the battle that cost him his life some other time. You could get his and Deigh’s help groveling to Malek later. You could answer all his questions about your power when he felt the need to ask them. But for now, you were great right where you were at: in his arms, in his bed, as it should be. Thinking he was dead 24 hours ago seems distant, a faraway worry.

Alive. Liam Mairi is alive. And he’s all yours.

————————————————————————

see I fixed it! everyone’s happy now

[varpusvaras]

The first three Resident Evil games become so much funnier when you look at them a little closer. Okay, first game. 12 people consisting of ex-military special forces and other experts (Jill is a former counter terrorist squad member, Chris was in the Air Force), get trapped inside a mansion with a handful of zombies and a few other bioweapons. All but four of them die horribly. Now you can say that they all died because they were caught off guard and didn't have enough resources to actually fight back, there was a traitor, all of that. The last boss battle is the four of them all against one single Tyrant, and they manage to make it out because they are, actually, ex-military specialists and they need their well-earned moment of skill and badassery.

Third game. Jill, the ex-military specialist from the first game, is stuck in the full city-wide zombie apocalypse, with a Tyrant targeting her specifically. She's helped out by mercenary military forces, and Carlos is the only one of those mercenaries to make it out alive with Jill. It's a disaster and complete chaos, but they are experts and badasses and Jill has been through this before, so it's feasible for someone like them to survive all the horror and monsters.

Then there's the second game. Same setting as the third one. A city full of zombies and monsters that keep getting bigger and bigger and more horrifying every second. Our main characters? A 21-year-old rookie cop who has not worked a day in his life, and a 19-year-old university student whose ex-Air Force brother kinda taught her how to shoot a gun. These two then proceed to obliterate absolutely everything that's on their way, all the while Claire takes care of a literal child. Leon gets shot at one point and just shrugs it off. Claire grabs a minigun and mows down a guy who has grown seven more limbs during the past four hours and barely breaks a sweat. Remember the Tyrant from the first game? The one that took three to four people to take down, with three of them being ex-military special forces? Yeah here's another one! This one is a much more durable and intelligent than the previous Tyrant. Here's Leon, the 21-year-old whose workplace got turned into a flesh pit on his first day at work. Takes down the Tyrant no problem. What, like it's hard?

In conclusion, Leon and Claire are just built different and Capcom has been keeping them away from each other because they would be too powerful together

[kit-williams]

A thought occurred. A terrible premonition.

Admittedly I don't know much about 40k but I have heard about the Lamenters and their supernatural bad luck.

And I've had a tedius few days (my ride had to cancel so I had to walk around on a hot sunny afternoon, can't find the TV remote, tripped going up the stairs, lost three hairbands with ten minutes of trying to do my hair, and more) SO my thinking:

A squad of baselines who also just have... the worst luck. Their called Canary Squad on account of an old Terran story of a bird being used by miners to suss out dangers somehow. When they go, just about anything that can go wrong does. It's safer for those who go in afterwards... but let's just say the mortality rates for this particular squad is high.

You would think command would get rid of such an unlucky team, but no. Besides the nightmare of red tape, clerical errors, delays and scheduling that is the administrative powers if the Imperium, their higher ups have... mostly figured out how to use this for their benefit. Mostly.

These poor souls could, and have, gone on patrol in a peaceful sector where Nothing Was Wrong... and it ended with a lot of fire, explosions, a Cult getting into a fight with some rebellious locals, a small Ork Warband crashing near their location, and a Chaos Space Marine accidentally getting teleported in the middle of the mess.

They always have some kind of injury or bruise or story, no matter what they do or say.

And then they meet the Lamenters. Everyone expects for them ALL to meet some horribly unfortunate end. Canary Squad jokes their gonna accidentally kill off a bunch of Space Marines, the Lamenters are already mourning these brave men and women they will inevitably lead to their deaths.

Only... that doesn't happen.

Oh, things go wrong, sure. They get hurt, and things are very touch and go for most of the mission, but... the mission is a success?

What?

Nobody died (on their teams, at least), they completed the mission, and managed to get off planet (by launching an airtight tank into space for someone to pick up) and back onto their ship.

It turns out their individual teams/chapters bad luck just... cancelled each other's out.

When a Canary trips, their paired Lamenter pauses to help them up, which delays them just enough to not get crushed by a sudden collapse when the support beams in the building fails. A Lamenters foot goes through the floor, causing the Canary to stumble/fall, which saves them from a malfunctioning pressure gauge that explodes and would have put metal scrap through the baselines skull.

A Lamenter saves a Canary from a sudden drop, and because they had to bend/kneel to catch them they avoid the thing that would have hit him and sent him tumbling down that same drop.

A Canary accidentally activates a security alarm/trap/defense, but the Lamenters bolter misfires and causes a power outage, cancelling said alarm (and possibly causing the people there to think it was a malfunction due to the power outage).

They get surrounded, somebody drops a grenade, somebody else kicks it, and it lands near something explosive and/or flammable. The Lamenters cover their baseline buddies, and suddenly there are no enemies. The building/ground does begin to collapse tho.

Like a weird symbiosis. One sides bad luck counters the other, and they just keep cancelling each other out until they end up in a kinda-okay situation? By their standards at least.

Everyone is baffled, but none of them are gonna complain. If anything they think it's a gift/blessing from their genefather or them Emperor (or both). They all get very attached to each other.

All of this to say:

*Lamenter holding up his designated human* "this is my lucky charm."

I genuinely wish I could add more to this but like the idea is complete and wonderful and that the idea their combined bad luck is so bad that it cancels each other out because the bad luck is trying to get them killed and trying to get the others killed just this is peak

[ultfreakme]

The Naruto fandom has an odd tendency to take underwritten female characters and focus on making them morally unquestionable rather than actually engaging with the characters for what they are and giving them depth. Like there's foundation here for complex, different stories but it always lands on "she's perfect and always correct". Which is.......boring, uninspired, and feels about as misogynistic as Kishomoto. This on top of trying to make the female characters the image of perfection in the eyes of deeply corrupt system, unwilling to examine the rot in Konoha.

This is because the fandom as a whole has no interest in engaging with the abhorrent politics in the show which villainizes any critique or push back against Konoha's "Will of Fire".

I doubt I'm the first person to point out how everyone's oh-so horrified about Zabuza saying he became a ninja by killing all his classmates, then flash-forward 5 episodes and our main gang is being put in a forest which forces them to kill each other & crippling children permanently. It's fine guys! Because Will of Fire!

Hinata exemplifies my conundrum. Despite the anime's efforts to make her into A Character of Significance, she's nothing without Neji. She exists to highlight him, and she simply cannot stand on her own without the commentary Neji brings.

Which is like, fine. Tenten exists like that. She's the assigned Girl of the Squad. But highlighting Neji and his story in Part 1 makes Hinata into a terrible person in the context of Naruto as a show. The show does a lot of work in establishing the significance of the clans and the power they hold in Konoha. This is crucial. The discrimination the Uchihas faced led to genocide and is the main motivation for our secondary protagonist.

The Hyuuga clan discrimination creates a good base to work off of but building Hinata would mean writing a female character, but more importantly, examining the politics of the world that has been set up, which the show has been avoiding like the plague after Land of Waves. The fandom completely disregards the clan system discrimination which is an IMPORTANT aspect of the show, and essential to the world-building, instead making Hinata into a "nice girl who's super-duper strong yay feminism!". And that's it. The elephant in this porcelain storage room is ignored.

It's not even actually engaging with the character in any capacity. Boiling them down to a laundry list of achievements and the vague label of "morally correct" is not better than what the actual show does. Some of the best written female characters are horribly flawed (literally everyone in She-Ra, G.L.O.W, Legend of Korra, Claymore, etc). And on top of that their "perfection" is always in context of comparison to the male characters of the show. "Sakura's too good for [insert whichever male character" or "Hinata's so good, even more than [insert other male character]".

Maybe it's because this is a fandom which came about during the 2000s and a majority of the people in it were children when they first watched it, but it's genuinely painful to see the fandom still be at Feminism 101. There IS a middle ground between praising every woman to high heavens to the point it's nauseating and bashing a female character solely for the purpose of hating.

The problem with the way Hinata, Sakura or whoever the hell is written isn't just about misogyny, and it won't be fixed by giving them magic power-ups and pitting them against each other in some weird match-up of "best kunoichi", "best medic", "best taijutsu fighter". That is entirely unimportant.

I have read mangas where the FMC has no friends, no special skill that makes her stand out, the story doesn't make her into a shining beacon of anything but she was deeply compelling and well-written because she worked with what she had, and the aspect assigned to her were thoroughly explored.

What does it even mean to be the best kunoichi or whatever the fuck when the character does nothing in the main story?

This isn't even a Naruto specific problem tbh. Arcane, DC Comics, practically every fandom I've been does a half-assed attempt at engaging with the politics of the art they're seeing. It's giving Lockheed Martin putting up pride flags and going "we support the gays <3" and sending horrific weapons to massacre and cleanse innocent people.

A lot of Naruto fandom seems to think that Naruto & Konoha are in the right, because the "good guys" keep talking about the Will Of Fire, which mandates people to:

Have 12 yr olds die for them

Genocide an entire clan after falsely accusing them of a thing they had no part in

Letting people discriminate against shinobi based on bloodline and social position

Killing without questioning order

Doing whatever it takes to "protect Konoha" whereas even slight digressions against Konoha are seen as threats that rewquire utter eradication

The show's wrong. Your main character is wrong. It's not even intentional on the writers' part after Part 1. They're just fucking wrong and suck at this.

[threemoonwatchers]

Sue me I think about Moon Peril and Turtle as a trio a lot like how Turtle sees himself in Moon and what he could’ve been in Peril

That being said sleepover :D in a currently half-baked AU slightly based off a yt video

Okay this is awkward in dark mode considering that Moon’s glasses are on the floor and black 🥲

Base (from Pinterest) and version without the weird attempt at a vignette filter below cut

[renee-writer]

It took 50-years for Americans to finally figure out the Warren Commission's report was pure fiction. Today, the sad horrible truth we've suspected for decades is now confirmed. SCREW YOU LBJ!!!

- Summary of what was released about JFK's death in recently declassified documents.

"The truth is even darker than we thought. On January 30, 2025, new intelligence leaks have blown the lid on what we thought we knew about the JFK assassination. The released documents don't just reveal more about the cover-up — they confirm that we were dealing with a full-scale military intelligence coup, involving forces far beyond what ordinary historians are willing to acknowledge.

The surfaced files reveal a web of fraud so intricate and so heavily vetted that it becomes painfully clear: JFK's murder was a pre-planned high-level operation carried out by intelligence, globalist banks, and secret elite organizations. to eliminate a President who no longer followed their rules.

The recently released files from the National Archives and CIA Black Vaults include shocking, never-before-seen documents, and let's be clear, these are the records THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU TO SEE. These papers were never intended to be released to the public. They describe secret murders, destruction of important evidence, and direct orders from the highest levels of the US government to delete all evidence of who really pulled the strings that day in Dallas.

THE ELITE INCREASE PLAN - WHY JFK MUST DIE

Recently surfaced documents confirm what many of us have suspected for years: JFK was a threat to the globalist Deep State. He took the country in a direction that the shadow government could not afford. His murder was not just about revenge – it was a calculated execution designed to stop his policies, prevent a shift in power, and send a message to future leaders who might dare to challenge the system.

The leaked files in 2025 reveal that JFK actively worked to dissolve the Federal Reserve and return the United States to a gold-backed currency. These papers explicitly mention Executive Order 11110, which JFK signed, which directly challenges the central banking cabal that controls the global financial system. Within six months of signing this warrant, he was dead, and Lyndon B. Johnson immediately changed his policy and ensured that the Federal Reserve remained full control.

⚪ NEW DISCOVERED: FED's "JFK Hit Memo"

One of the most damning documents unearthed in the latest declassification dump is a previously uninformed memo from the Federal Reserve from 1963 — a report labeled "Directive Alpha" — which outlines the "economic destabilization risks" as JFK's pursuit of a sovereign currency free of central bank control. . The document was sent to key agents within Wall Street and the CIA, warning that “failure to limit the situation” could lead to an “irreversible change of U.S. monetary control.” "Weeks later, JFK was dead.

This memo was kept in a classified section of the National Archives, completely forbidden even for researchers working under the JFK Records Act. Now we know why.

CIA SECRET DEATH SQUAD - OPERATION EXECUTE

Forget Oswald. Forget the myth of the Lone Gunners. Latest leaks directly reveal CIA involvement in a covert murder program, codenamed “Operation Execute,” which was tasked with eliminating world leaders who threatened American intelligence interests.

Recently discovered names linked to JFK's murder

According to the leaked files dated January 2025, this program had operators stationed at several locations around Dealey Plaza that day, working under direct orders from high-ranking Langley officials. Among them:

William King Harvey — a CIA black op specialist, is described in the recently released PM as “an asset to ensure continuity of power in extreme scenarios. "This man was conducting murder patrols in Europe and was brought back to the United States months before JFK's assassination.

E. Howard Hunt - The notorious CIA agent linked to Watergate was present in Dallas, according to leaked radio communication logs recovered in 2025. His personal notes, which are found in the classified files, affirm his belief that "the mission was clean and well completed. ”

David Atlee Phillips - Chief of CIA operations in the western hemisphere, who had personal ties to Lee Harvey Oswald during his mysterious trip to Mexico City just weeks before the murder.

George H.W. Bush - Yes, the former president. A recently obtained FBI memo places him in Dallas on the morning of November 22, 1963, despite his decades of denial.

Explosive new evidence: CIA's fake Oswald conspiracy

Another document, buried for decades, confirms that several Oswald's bodies were used to create a false trail, ensuring the real perpetrators could frame him and silence him before he had a chance to speak. The leaked "Oswald Counterfeit Directive" outlines how a CIA-run identity unit deployed agents in Mexico, New Orleans and Dallas, to ensure Oswald's movements would match the official narrative — whether he was actually there or not.

JFK KNEW HE WAS GOING TO GET KILLED

JFK was not blind to the forces that worked against him. The leaked files contain several first-hand accounts from White House aides and secret recordings made in the Oval Office, where Kennedy directly confronts his closest advisers about murder threats.

Newly released JFK audio recording - His last words about Deep State

One of the most frightening discoveries in this latest set of documents is a never-before-heard audio tape recorded just a few days before JFK's trip to Dallas. In the band, JFK says:

"They'll come and get me soon. The war machine is too strong. But if I fall, let history know I tried to warn them. ”

This explosive evidence was buried for decades to sustain the cover-up. But now it has surfaced - proof that JFK KNEW his days were numbered.

========

WHY IS THIS TRENDING NOW

This is not ancient history. The same forces that executed JFK are still in control today - the intelligence, the secret banking elites, and the corporate power structures that benefit from endless wars, economic slavery and absolute control.

JFK’s murder was the day America lost it’s virginity. But January 30, 2025 is the day when the blackout finally dies.

They kept us in the dark for decades. But now the darkness lightens. The truth is here. And it will never be buried again."

[beartitled]

I think Normal Bill is almost just as intelligent and knowledgeable as his canon counterpart, since he had more time to focus on science and such instead of chaos and despair and.. just about every problem in the book.

Can he also still see through trees and The All Seeing Eye on the dollar bill?

Does he have all the powers of Canon Bill?

How does he feel about Ford and Dipper?

What would he think if he saw his parents?

And.. how does he feel about all the.. imagery of him throughout the world? (Remember how Ford had a fucking golden statue of him? And with the cave paintings.. and the dollar bill, the pyramids have a vague eye shape on them (since canonically they were statues of Bill until the top hat and hands fell off) The Eye Of Providence being a sign for God.. yeah it’s REALLY suspicious, I don’t think he really trusts the Pines family at this point, because they are horrible at hiding things, you don’t need to be an all seeing god to know that.

(Sorry for the long rant, I just love this AU)

Don’t apologise for a rant 🫵 I love rants, my brain just can’t comprehend them sometimes 💥

And also aww 🥹 glad you enjoy this AU ❤️

Okay lemme try answering 👏

First yes, absolutely, he’s a smart boi

His energy is just in the nerd stuff now, instead of chaotic insane vibes he has in the canon

Yea and I think he considers it normal lmao

“Wait what do you mean you don’t see through trees Mabel? Like.. I thought everyone did??”

He’s a smart boi, but he is oblivious in some instances

Not sure about all powers, but some for sure

Also this Bill walks everywhere, bc he never saw humans fly and didn’t consider trying (maybe he saw one human attempt it and decided to never try it himself 💀)

I honestly not really sure

Again not my initial idea, but remember one person saying that Bill would have some intrusive thoughts about Pines time to time, not understanding where they come from and probably feeling really guilty about those

But ultimately I think he would consider them a semi family to him

If y’all want a more detailed answer

He’s probably the closest to Mabel, bc she’s a forgiving person and treats Bill as a new person

This version of Bill would be in a girls squad and hang out with them during sleepovers (he’s a gossip girl come on 💅)

Dipper would still be cautious around Bill (as well as Ford), but would get used to him over time forming some sort of brotherly bond

Also Bill would ship Dipper and Pacifica, occasionally playing cupid for them during Dipper crushing on Wendy

He saw an opportunity to tease Dipper (and he said it would be a good enemies to lovers trope)

When people said “Stan would’ve taken that shot” yea, he would kill the child

But perhaps after seeing Mabel being buds with Bill, he just might be a little less defensive

It could both ways really: either Stan would be completely against Bill, but grow to tolerate his presence with occasional (semi)friendly bullying; or Stan would double down and just actively trying to kick Bill out

Either way they would have some sort of rivalry for sure

He would be buds with Soos and Wendy, just chilling with em on the occasion

And the last but not least Ford

He would be the most paranoid and cautious, not because he’s afraid of Bill like Dipper, but because Ford is afraid of “trigger the old Bill inside”

He and Dipper had an agreement to hide all possible information that could potentially remind Bill about his old self (all the Pines agreed to it too to some extent)

Were they successful in it? Who’s to say

Bill obliviousness saved em a bunch of times

And to address the elephant in the room: no, Billford does not exist in this AU

*booing can be heard across the fandom space* NO, YOU’RE NOT GETTING OLD MAN YAOI ON THIS ONE

🍅💥🐻‍❄️ *tiny bear screaming*

Anyway

I just don’t think it would be fitting in that particular scenario

Don’t get me wrong I like canon Billford (I love the memes and the fact that they are implied to be canon exes is hilarious), but canon Billford

This particular AU just makes the situation incredibly specific 💥

I tried to imagine a scenario where Billford could happen (like i dunno, they gave baby Bill to Oracle and then met his “normal” version)

But with the direction in which this AU went, I think it’s best to leave Ford and Bill with a platonic/parental relationship

To be fair it would be incredibly weird to raise your ex in a baby form 😭💥

But I never actually considered to continue this AU originally, so um 💥💥

I think Ford would just eventually start treating Bill like Mabel: he’s a new person now and to keep that new person undamaged, you need to keep a lot of information hidden (for everyone’s and Bill’s own sake)

This version of Bill and Ford would get along, bc they would both be nerds

(btw Bill’s design is similar to Ford, bc this is how nerds look 🤓💅/silly) (but you can adapt it in a way that Ford just had an influence on Bill, they have a family nerd look™️)

I’m still not sure what kind of time paradox shenanigans the went through to raise Bill tho 💥

This

Honestly I think it would be hilarious if he just thought it was some different guy

“A triangle… with one eye… what if.. naaaah I don’t have a top-hat”

Anyway thank u for the ask ❤️ hope it was fun to read through💥

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

(Attack on Titan) Annie, Mikasa, Sasha, Historia, and Ymir with an affectionate S/O

Hoo it's been a bit since we've seen these gals huh?

Annie doesn't particularly care that her S/O is very affectionate, at least not in private.

She doesn't get it, but she doesn't stop them either.

Though she's surprised upon hearing S/O's answer to her question.

(Annie) "Without any regrets..."

Annie still makes zero remarks about their clinginess, but she subtly holds them a little tighter from then on.

She won't say it, but she has the same thoughts, to die without regrets for the ones she loves.

Mikasa gets a bit flustered whenever S/O hugs her, not caring about the PDA to the rest of her squad.

It felt...nice.

When Mikasa asks S/O why they're so clingy, their answer doesn't exactly surprise her. Not in the way most people would expect anyway.

(Mikasa) "Not holding to my arm would be a regret of yours?"

(S/O) "Huh? N-No, I mean just not getting to hug you at all!"

Mikasa's cheeks slightly flush from such an obvious answer getting horribly misunderstood.

(Mikasa) "R-Right."

Mikasa always holds S/O tightly back, even if it does embarrass her a little.

Sasha does not care at all about the PDA.

She embraces it, and S/O openly.

Connie and Jean usually roll their eyes at their hugging, and try to avert their eyes to avoid dying of cringe.

Sasha on the other hand loves that they're so clingy! Physical affection was nice after all.

But, she wasn't expecting their answer.

(Sasha) "No regrets, huh?...I think I get that."

She says nothing else as she smiles, putting their head onto her shoulders.

Historia admits S/O's physical gestures were endearing, no matter how ill-timed they seemed to be.

Which was all the time, apparently.

It reminded her a bit of her cadet days, and wished they could go back to that time.

She was already in a somber mood when asking S/O what made them so clingy beside the obvious answer, and simply hums at their response.

(Historia) "I wish to live without regrets as well, S/O...It's all we can do at this point, isn't it?"

Ymir can't help but laugh and returns their affection with gusto, to hell with anyone watching!

Ymir feels powerful, knowing S/O needed her like this.

She plays up their affection and her role a lot, to the point of looking being overdramatic to anyone watching.

But behind closed doors, her attitude shifts from playful to far more quiet and thoughful.

(Ymir) "Hey, remember when I asked why you're so clingy? Truth is...I'm the same. If we're going to die soon, might as well make sure we live to the fullest before our time's up."

[spookysapphicdisaster99]

I really wished Infinite's story was handled like Sonic's in Sonic 3:

If we strip away some of Infinite's inconsistent backstory; his whole thing is that Shadow killed his family/squad and that's what drove him to teaming up with Eggman. Either that or Eggman used his grief against him to manipulate him into using the Phantom Ruby. Shadow essentially made a version of himself. Infinite had his loved ones taken from him for no reason; they were just working when Shadow showed up and killed them. He was consumed by anger and pain and was so deep in it he became violent and drowned in it. We could have had a moment like in Sonic 3 where Shadow shows his disgust for him going down the same route he did, and realizes he created Infinite into this horrible, hurt villain. We could have had a powerful moment of Shadow understanding what he did. He could see all the pain he caused this person, relate to it. Just food for thought.