#it’s the same w crystals for crafting

[impossible-rat-babies]

at this point I’m doing DT prep for two people 🧍‍♂️

[mychlapci]

Broody Carriers!! There's this fic on Ao3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/58022971#main (I'm on mobile so I'm not sure it'll work, it's called Brooding Brain and is a Jazz/Prowl fic.) and it scratches my brain so good. Just what I needed to add to my personal headcanons regarding carriers.

Personally, I prefer mechs laying eggs over live birth. Makes more sense in my brain and some species, like chickens, get broody when it's time to lay some eggs. Prefect to add to my egg-laying carriers. And because my favorite pairing is TFA Megop (as you might have noticed from some other asks you've gotten lately, I'm just going to refer to myself as Rozie Anon from now on) most of the word vomit I'm throwing at you is based on them.

So, Optimus is usually the one to get sparked, so I'm gonna focus on his brooding state. (Imagine this is some vague peacetime au and Megop is already established as conjunxes.)

At the beginning when he first gets sparked - once he's gotten over the shock and subsequent urge to murder his conjux - things are going pretty smoothly for the first trimester. His body is reconfiguring itself to better support the bitties and is putting on weight due to the cravings of various material. From hard metals like iron and titanium to soft, precious, metals like gold and silver. Energon prepared in different ways like extravagant, well-crafted and nutritious, 5-course meals or just the raw crystal to munch on. (I like to imagine he has a small hoard of various, common to hard-to-find, non-perishables. Gold and silver nuggets, coins, and chains, crystals either energon or otherwise, even shed armor pieces that would have normally been smelt down. It's like a little dragon hoard :3c)

His hips have widened with his growing belly and his thighs are thicker to accommodate for the shift in weight. He has the same pregnant thought process of "Oh Primus, I'm getting fat, I'm fat! My conjux is never going to want to touch me again!" Megatron has to reassure him that he's just a beautiful as before and honestly to him, he looks even more so, if that was even possible.

Second trimester comes around and Optimus is starting to get achy. He's starting to get more and more moody and, well, broody, as time goes on. He's crafted a wonderful little nest which Megatron pitched in for finding the right size frame, mattress, and buying a shit-ton of material for it. (He's a warlord, it's fine, he's got the funds to spare, anything for his wifey.) Optimus starts complaining his back and feet ache, his protoform has gotten more sensitive, and his titties are finally swelling. Megatron pulls out all the stops for him, back rubs and foot baths, massages (that often turn into back-blowing sex), milking his swollen titties, and just generally spoiling his wife rotten.

Optimus finds that it's getting harder and harder to concentrate, he's reluctant to leave the nest, and he starts getting more snippy and aggressive with anyone other than Megatron. He once snapped at Strika for something minor and then began apologizing profusely, only for her to laugh and say that she knew he didn't mean it, he's brooding and can't control himself. In fact she says Lugnut's brooding state was worse when they had their bitties. He's really more of a hissing kitten compared to Lugnut.

By the time he's in his third trimester and his due date is coming up, all his higher brain functions are shutting down quickly and his core temperature has risen. He rarely ever leaves the nest anymore and can really only get out one word answers for things like "fuel", "energon", "cuddles?", and "spark". The only time where Optimus is more or less cognizant at this point is when they're spark-merging. Spark-merging for a Carrier, especially with the sire of the sparklings, is one of the main ways to properly stabilize the sparks. It takes a lot of strain on the Carrier's spark to support the clutch (for Optimus, a clutch of five), and sharing sparks with the sire or another mech with a close relationship helps lift that stress. It's also a good bonding experience for the bitties even before they hatch.

Optimus is still getting railed and milked even while broody though. With his higher brain functions shut down, all there is left is instinct, and he's become Horny As Fuck. Being horny and broody at the same time makes him insatiable. Megatron is the only one who can properly satisfy him because he's the only one who can get close enough to him without the threat of getting mauled. He was basically getting fucked 24/7 before, but now Megatron has to tie Optimus up and set a sex machine on him so he can take a break.

Finally, his bitties are ready to be laid. The eggs are bigger than expected so it's a tight squeeze and long labor. Megatron is by his side the whole time, coxxing Optimus through the whole process with Ratchet as the mid-wife (the only other person that was able to get close to him). And once the eggs are out, Optimus immediately sets upon laying on them, all his vents open to dump as much heat as possible on them. Eggs need to be kept at a very specific temperature, which is why incubators were created, but it would take a few months before Optimus would be coherent enough to allow them to be moved to an incubator.

After those months are up and Optimus has started coming back to his senses, Megatron is able to convince him to move the eggs to the incubator. And once they're safe and secure, it doesn't take long for Optimus to regain his composure. He's still a little moody and occasionally takes an egg or two out of the incubator to place in his pouch (I like to think they also have a marsupial-esque pouch to carry the bitties while their either still in their eggs or still small enough to fit, the pouch can get up to forging temperatures for eggs), but is otherwise back to normal.

Until Megatron knock him up again.

ohhh inch resting... broody carriers are certainly fun, and i draw extreme satisfaction from imagining a tuckered out Optimus all splayed out over his precious eggs... He's all hazy and hyper-protective of his clutch, not even Megatron could tear him away from them. It's best to leave the happy little carrier alone...

[blackcherryvelvet0909]

Sandcastle King (Leona x GN!Reader)

You admired the many sandcastles as you walked along the beach. They were all constructed uniquely to the tastes of their sculptors - to the dorms they belonged to. Despite the short two hour time frame, they were all so intricately designed, every detail well thought out. The most impressive, in your opinion, was the ones belonging to Diasomnia, Octavinelle, and Savanaclaw. They were around the same size as the others, but the way they were erected was most impressive. Diasomnia’s almost looked as though it were made of stone - Malleus’s craftsmanship, no doubt. Octavinelle’s was a near-exact replica of the dorm itself, special seashells placed on the peak of the towers resembling the spires of Octavinelle. 

Savanaclaw’s sandcastle, however, had been the one to win out. You honestly hadn’t expected much, and neither had the other onlookers. Of course, Jack and Ruggie worked hard, along with some other students, but there were those who really didn’t do anything at all. It was hard to get even half the dorm to participate! You supposed it was because magic was not allowed to be used to construct the castles; apparently some could not last without their magic for more than a couple hours. Leona himself, the leader of them all, had grumbled away about the magicless competition as well. He really didn’t do much in terms of labor…but he showed up in other areas of the contest. 

Never would you have guessed Leona knew so much about architecture, nor how such structures would hold up with sand as their body. Despite the difficulties of crafting with such loose material, Leona had managed everything so well that nary a crisis had occurred during the castle's construction. Truly, Leona’s secret knowledge was the envy of all other contestants - you noticed even Malleus pouted when Savanaclaw won. Never would anyone doubt Leona again. Well, in the construction and design department, at least. Any other kind of task was up for debate. 

You gazed out to the sea, various Savanaclaw students splashing in the crystal waters. Most were still celebrating their victory, even though some hadn’t contributed at all. You glanced over to your right to see Ruggie sitting pretty in a chair close to the shoreline, the throng of corndogs he’d received as his prize nearly gone. He could certainly gobble down food in a hurry. You hoped he was getting enough to eat during the trip. As for Jack, he’d gone with Epel and Deuce to get some ice cream - and Ace some aloe vera. He never listened when people warned him to put on sunscreen…

As you scanned the beach, wondering what to do next, you finally spotted the king of the castle himself: Leona. He was laid back on a large towel, eyes closed as he took in the sun’s rays. He looked like he was sleeping - you weren’t surprised. For someone who napped a lot, you expected him to be tired after the competition. You were honestly surprised he participated at all; at first, he was going to assign Ruggie to lead the pack to victory. It was when Malleus taunted him for turning tail that Leona agreed to the whole thing. You were sure Malleus regretted that teasing now.

Before you realized it, you were standing beside Leona. You watched him sleep for a minute, his bangs brushed aside to keep sweat out of them. His arms were folded behind his head, chest rising and falling steadily. Idia was right that one time he ranked your friends by attractiveness: Leona was, indeed, one of the top three men on campus. You wondered if that was why he and Malleus fought sometimes, to see who could outbest the other in that regard. You would have to ask Malleus to confirm later - you doubted Leona would tell you. 

You were pulled out of your thoughts when Leona’s eyes suddenly opened. He stared up at you, brow furrowed as he nearly snarled. “Oi, I’m sleepin’ here. You’re blockin’ the sun.” 

You couldn’t help but tease. “I thought you liked the shade?”

“Yeah, when I feel like it.” He smacked your leg with the back of his hand. “Move.” 

“You can’t even ask me nicely?” 

“You want me to make you?” 

“Alright, alright,” you stepped out of the way, “you don’t have to be so whiney.” 

He grumbled as he turned to lay on his side, away from you. “I’m not whiney.” 

“Yeah, right!” you laughed. “You’re whinier than Ace half the time!” 

Leona glanced over his shoulder at you, thoroughly unamused. “Are you gonna keep mocking me, or can I finally enjoy the sun in peace?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.” You began to walk away as you mumbled to yourself. “It’s not like you need it anyway.” 

A small gasp left your lips as a large hand wrapped around your ankle. You looked back to see Leona, glare directed up at you. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I mean, you’re already tanned,” you replied. “I don’t think you can get anymore baked.” 

“That so?” A sly smile stretched across his face. Oh no. “‘S that why you were oglin’ me?” 

You scoffed. “Ogling? I wasn’t ogling.” 

“Suuure you weren’t.” You stumbled as Leona tugged at your leg, forcing you to come closer. “Tryin’ to get a look at one of the college’s ‘top tier men’, right?” 

If you were beastmen your ears would have perked up in shock at the familiar term. “Where did you…?”

“Ruggie,” Leona said. “He overheard your lil conversation with radish sprout the other night. Thought it was so funny he’d tell me about it.” He smirked as he eyed you mischievously. “And you know what he told me? He said you agree enthusiastically when Idia said I was in the top three.” 

Well, caught red-handed, weren’t you? You could not stop the blush that tore across your cheeks, embarrassment flooding your veins. You wanted to run, and then maybe go dig a sandpit and die. Your eyes glanced over to Ruggie, who happily bit into his last corndog. You’d deal with him later. For now, you had your honor to defend. 

“Y-Yeah, and?” You mentally cursed yourself for stuttering. “I’m not gonna lie and say you’re ugly.”

“So I’m handsome then?” He was practically grinning now. 

“I never said that…” 

“They say the truth will set you free~” 

“Oh, shut up!” 

Leona breathed out a sound of amusement as he shrugged. “Suit yourself.” You thought you were finally free from this humiliation - and then you felt yourself fall. You yelped in surprise, hand flailing to try and grab onto something to catch yourself. Instead, your back hit Leona’s towel. You felt arms circle you and tug you close into a near suffocating hold. Leona’s expression was unreadable now, as his face was now hidden in the crook of your neck, but you could hear the amusement in his voice. 

“Guess I’ll just have to keep you here until you come clean.” 

Though you struggled in his grasp, it was no use - he was too strong for you. There was no escape. You glared daggers into the top of the lion’s head as you spoke. “Leona, I have to go-” 

“Well, you’re not.” 

“I need to see where Grim-” 

“He can take care of himself for a bit.” 

“Leona, get off me!”

Leona’s ears twitched, as though searching for genuine hurt in your voice. When he found none, his hold grew ever tighter. You felt him smile against your neck, “As I said, the truth will set you free.” 

“Bastard,” you hissed. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Leona brushed you off as he relaxed. “Wake me up when you’re ready for a confession.” 

He meant yours, no doubt. You didn’t want to, you wouldn’t! He’d have to get tired of this at some point; once he let you go, loosened his grip just enough, you’d run and never look back! Maybe one of your friends could help you escape…you hoped. For now, you had no choice but to sit - well, lay - tight and get comfy. Hopefully your sunscreen hadn’t washed off earlier, or you’d surely end up just like Ace. You sighed as you stared up at the sky, an incoherent grumble spoken under your breath. 

The purr that reverberated through Leona’s chest was surely at your strife.

[unformula1]

Changed (LS2 x OP81)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ synopsis: Logan thinks about Oscar. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ pairing: Logan Sargeant x Oscar Piastri  w/c: 645 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ a/n: messy but eh. hopefully this becomes a series (yea?) day 16 of loscar posts until we get a loscar podium! (series masterlist) masterlist ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Logan didn’t know when it started, when everything started to fall apart at the seams, when the four walls came crashing down, when life started to make less sense. 

All he did know was that Oscar wasn’t there.

“Promise?” Logan asks.

“Always.” Oscar assures.

“Always there?” “Promise.”

It was just a bunch of empty, pointless promises. 

He couldn’t blame Oscar, they were kids, naive and innocent, unaware of how the world would treat both of them differently.

He couldn’t blame Oscar, how was he supposed to know that he would find someone better eventually.

He couldn’t blame Oscar, he never expected Oscar to keep his promises anyway. As he grew older, he knew that their promises would eventually fall apart.

He couldn’t blame Oscar, he really couldn’t.

Logan leans against the walls of his drivers’ room. The silence is deafening, it’s just him and his thoughts which aren't always good. He’s forced to sit down and run through everything in his head.

They’re usually messy jumbles of information which he’ll probably forget within hours, faded memories like old reports turning yellow and crystal clear mistakes which will never go away.

He throws a ball against the wall, it bounces back and he catches it. It’s stupid, but it helps to arrange Logan’s thoughts. It’s pathetic. Who the hell throws balls against the wall to think properly?

If younger Logan could see him now, he can only imagine the disappointment on his face. The sighs coming out from his mouth, the subtle head shakes. 

Logan forces himself to stop messing around with his thoughts. He rolls the ball to one side of the room and steps out of his driver’s room. Usually this shouldn’t be hard, but it is. It’s unbearably difficult for Logan to walk into the paddock and see everyone but him having fun.

He makes his way around the paddock, finding something to occupy his mind with. It’s harder than he expects. He loiters around the different garages before finally landing at the McLaren garage.

Oscar’s face is plastered on the giant entryway, Logan looks at it for a solid few seconds before kicking a tiny pebble on the ground and walking off. He looks back at it one more time. He misses Oscar. 

He really does.

Oscar used to be that one constant in his life, the one who would always be there for him, the one who always regarded Logan as his first choice. Not anymore. Oscar had someone else, he had something more important to focus on.

They used to be a perfect pair, made for each other, crafted to be each other’s halves and now they were a wilting rose, a loose thread hanging on to whatever’s left, an invisible string losing its glow.

It was absolutely devastating to think about it. Logan wipes the small tear that he shed. 

Just like the universe playing some sick trick on Logan, Oscar walks out of the garage, standing super close to Lando, who follows him. A media crew surrounds him. They’re probably filming some media day content which reminds Logan he needs to head back for media day filming too.

He looks one more time at the McLaren duo and for a split second, him and Oscar lock eyes. Logan gives Oscar a smile and suddenly, everything slows down and Logan feels the rising urge in him to just run over and hug Oscar.

Then reality comes back and hits him in the head, Oscar turns away, barely acknowledging Logan’s presence.

Logan stands there as the McLaren duo walk off, camera crew following behind. 

Logan feels his world crashing around him, not even a smile back, not a glance, nothing. Everything was gone. 

Everything’s changed, nothing stayed the same, it’s all different now.

It was like peeling the petals of a rose, wondering if they love you back and ending up with the last petal of “he loves me not”.

[tainted-liquor]

'Cuddle Monster(s)☾‧₊˚ ⋅

E42!Miles Morales x Witch!BlackFem!Reader ┆˚✧Ingredients: Crack, kisses, and a lil bit of smiles! ┆∘⋆TWs: Cursing, Reader being a menace, n I think that’s it? ┆⁺˚⋆W/C: I’ll fix this later😭 ┆`✦A/N: I lowkey used this as spanglish practice

"Miles? Can you get me some basil and patchouli while you're out?" You called from your bathroom as you heard your front door swing open. "I'm only going to the bodega, but I'll see what I can find Mami!" he shouted back from downstairs before swiftly exiting out your house. You smiled to yourself, thinking about just how much you loved your boyfriend as you threw a slew of items and herbs into a small jar. For the past 5 months, you've been perfecting your new craft of spirit-raising, the art of manifesting a living vessel from the hole between your world and theirs. These spirits, or "monsters" as many people would call them are...usually grateful when you raise them, often repaying your kindness by offering protection and energy in exchange for being their path to this world and theirs.

Since these spirits can be seen as an extension of you due to bringing them into this world, they tend to be in tune with your emotions. When you cried, they cried, when you yelled, they yelled, and when you loved, so did they. When Miles first learned about your ability to pull spirits through that invisible portal, he didn't really care. He's murdered people before, so what's a little witchcraft? After all, he hadn't actually seen exactly what came through that portal just yet.

You casually dumped more herbs and tiny crystals into your jar, maintaining perfect focus on the task at hand as you slowly dumped almond oil into the jar. When everything was finished, you sealed the jar with purple wax before throwing it rather aggressively into your full bathtub. You closed your eyes, silently hoping that you didn't do shit wrong as you kneeled down next to the tub, dunking a hand into the numbing and cold water for a couple of minutes. When you didn't notice anything happening, you sighed to yourself and went to pull your hand out of the water. But no sooner than you moved, you felt something unfamiliar and cold grab your hand.

You felt a harsh tug, then watched as what appeared to be an all-grey horned creature emerged through the tub. It was around 8 feet in height and looked like something straight out of a horror fantasy movie. It had no face, only one massive pitch-black eye where what would be a nose. It stared at you unblinkingly, processing its surroundings before emerging from your bathtub and standing behind you. It looked more afraid of you than you were slightly of it, so you gave it a small wave and a pat on the...knee? to calm it down.

It sat down motionless and limp in the bathroom, radiating content as you heard the front door open. It wasn't even a fraction of a second before the creature came darting out of the room, you following quickly behind it as it advanced toward Miles. Miles didn't even get the chance to scream before it scooped him up, hugging him like the tiniest of babies as its eye closed in joy. "WHEW. OKAY. MAMI, QUÉ ES ESTO?" He shouted with wide eyes. "It's...my new protector! I just raised it...It's not gonna hurt you it just loves you" you quickly explained as Miles froze up in the monster's hands. "Shit...warn me next time" he huffed, slowly relaxing as he processes what was happening.

From that day forward, he learned to accept the sudden appearance of various creatures in his house. A bone dog, a very very long horse, several people that weren't quite people, and various spirits that took on many many forms. He wasn't gonna pretend like it never caught him off guard or scared him, occasionally stepping out of the shower to see a monster or two staring at him silently always managed to raise his heart rate by a couple beats per minute. He knew they loved him with the same affection you always gave him, so he was never truly terrified by them. He had been told it was rude to not speak to them, so he always gave them a rather quiet and shaky "Hola..." whenever he saw them.

"Mama, te amo tan mucho...pero, por favor dime cuando tus 'spirits' will be watching me shower."

"Sorry love!"

And it never quite stopped there. Whenever you were outside of the house and a few entities decided to loom and fawn over your boyfriend, he always knew how you felt in the moment. There were times when he would be sitting on the couch, eating a nice bowl of cereal and a sea of non-human crying could be heard. He immediately jumped up from whatever it was he was doing, running to his phone to check on you. Whether you were minor stressed or full-blown crying, he was able to tell how you truly felt at the drop of a hat. In some sense he was grateful because it allowed him to further understand and navigate...you!

"Mami are you mad at me?"

"...no"

"Tell me the truth, c'mon muñequita"

"What makes you think I'm mad?"

"You deadass?" he huffed as he pointed at the strange thing hovering above him, staring at him with crossed arms and an annoyed grimace.

"okay maybe..."

[cyten0]

A Symphony In Crimson

Act 1: A Movement in Black

Chapter 22

You stand next to your family, defending them. You don’t see a way out.

✸ “The fact is, I have a few ways to fix this! If you won't kill me then... Well, I can’t go back to Stardust if they're dead~”

Instantly, your family rounds about you, to defend you instead!?!

✸ “Oh dear? That devoted! Well then…”

Loop steps back and space folds in on itself, as you suddenly feel something behind you.

✸ “Let’s play~”

Loop grabs your arm, and you pull back, detaching it quickly before a surge of craft energy incinerates it. You regrow the arm back quickly and grab your dagger, as Mirabelle charges at Loop.

Loop easily sidesteps the attack without flinching, and then without even looking, grabs Isa’s fist when they try and attack from behind.

✸ “You’re going to have to try harder then that~”

Loop tosses Isa aside, and then fires another craft at you, as you dodge by mere inches!

Wait- You block the followup blow, as they closed the gap in the cover. Of course, you know that move!

You slash back at him, trying to hit him, but he dances just out of range. He knows your moves too.

Bonnie fires at him from behind, but he vanishes away into the shadows.

◆ “Fighting awfully hard for someone trying to die.”

✸ “If you can’t kill me, you won’t be ready when dear Stardust becomes a danger!”

▲ “Sif isn’t gonna do that.”

Loop appears from above, dive bombing Odile. Mira sets up a craft shield to block the blow, while Isa pulls her out the way.

✸ “HAHA!!!! But I’m proof they COULD!!!! And If you aren’t ready for that… Then I’d best remove that possibility~”

They fall into the earth, and you block the blow from your side. You knew it! They still fight like you somewhat! You snap your fingers to speed up Odile, who takes the opening to blast loop back into the tree.

✦̵ “Which is why you’re fighting like me, aren’t you?”

◉ “Wait, They are! Okay! We can work with that, circle up and protect each others openings!”

As the others close in around you, back to back, Loop begins to laugh, staring you down, perched in front of the tree.

✸ “Oh, think you Know me? YOU THINK I’M THE SAME AS DEAR LITTLE STARDUST???”

They pull their mask off their face.

✸ “Then I’d best change up my tune~ After all…”

Loop smashes the mask against the ground, and thousands of bright red, glowing flowers bloom around you all. Spider Lilies?

Loop plucks one from the earth.

✸ “I was made with a lot more then just Stardust~”

Loop crushes the flower in their hands, and their stance changes. They stand more straight, more calculating. A more serious, and uncannily familiar expression crosses their face. The bits of flower wither and transform into black crystal, slowly taking the vague form of a book.... Wait!

✦̵ “Mira, Shield!”

Mira crafts as quick as she can before a massive blast of craft energy slams into you all! Even with the shield, it knocks you all off your feet, and stings a bit.

Loop chuckles, in a voice not their own, their own voice only a faint echo behind their new, all too familiar voice.

◆ “Oh gems, I might have overdone it. Ah well.”✸

◆ “Right, That’s disconcerting.”

◆ “Well within Siffrin’s capabilities, I assure you. If only I’d stopped them when I had the chance…”✸

BANG

Loop narrowly blocks the shot with their book, as it starts to shatter. Isa runs around and tries to tackle them while their distracted, and Loop has to dive out of the way.

✿ “Don’t act like Dile! And Stop trying to hurt Frin!!! They’d never hurt us!”

BANG

Isa takes a hit in the shoulder, as Loop suddenly has a mimicry of a pistol in their hand, and an innocent yet terrified face.

✿ “But if Frin wouldn’t hurt us, How’d I end up like this?! It hurt so much! It hurt so much…”✸

Bonnie shakes hearing that. NO. That’s too far.

You charge at Loop, driving the dagger straight into the earth beside them, just managing to cut open their flank. They scramble to their feet, with another flower in hand.

Crystal forms into a rapier, as Loop heals themselves with craft. Their face is a familiar, determined look. Their stance unwavering.

◉ “Just stop it! We don’t want to hurt you!”

◉ “Neither did we! And we died for it! I won’t let you go the same way! We have to protect you!”✸

Mirabelle charges at Loop, who parries her attack. The two duel for a brief few seconds before Isa charges in the way, as Loop ducks under the blow.

They slide backwards, and grab another flower. Crushing it quickly, their hands become coated in crystal, and they charge at Mira, making several swings at her.

▲ “We might not like it, but that doesn’t make it better! We just gotta know you can handle it, please! I can’t let that happen to Sif again! We have to know you can stop it if it would!”✸

Isa jumps in, putting themselves between Mira and Loop, and holding back their blows.

▲ “Nobody is dying today, got it? If the worst happens, we’ll find a better way then this!”

You can’t take any more of this. Can’t take any more of hearing versions of them who died. Can’t take this fighting.

You unravel, and grab Loop while their preoccupied, and fling them against the favor tree, then leap towards them, and try to wear them down in a flurry of fangs and tendrils.

✦̵ “That’s enough! I’m not gonna let that happen, never again!”

✸ “… Then why. Are you BLINDING. HESITATING?!?!”

Loop grabs a limb and throws you back towards the party.

✸ “...I expected them to hesitate. They always did... But YOU?!?! YOU KNOW THE STAKES!!!!”

Loop vanishes, and the earth starts to shift. The world itself begins to tilt. Their voice seems to echo from everywhere at once.

✸ “hahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Even when face to face with the monster within, When you FINALLY have the chance to kill it for good, YOU CAN’T BLINDING DO IT?!?!?”

The ground keeps tilting, and you grab your family, bringing them to the tree before they lose their footing and fall into the sky. You all stand upon the branches of the tree, hoping they’ll hold you up.

✸ “MAYBE you need a REMINDER.”

As the world becomes completely flipped, the flowers begin to drip a dark red substance. But you can smell what it is…

✿ “What’s happening? What’s coming from the flowers?”

✦̵ “Blood. I-It smells like blood.”

Stars not this nightmare. Nonononono

Faces start to form in the dark abyss below, rising into view. Blood-formed images of your family. Thousands of them. Their eyes lifeless, their bodies mangled. Staring at you. Screaming in pain.

◆ “Gems alive!”

◉ “Change!”

✿ “No no no that's not okay!”

You can’t help but shake, and grip the tree for dear life.

▲ “S-Sif? You okay?”

✸ “Of course not, they’ve had this nightmare every other night for almost a blinding year now!!!! Because even if YOU all deny it, It never left THEIR mind!!!!!! THEY ALWAYS KNEW!!!! KNEW WHAT I AM COULD BECOME REAL!!!!”

✦̵ “Nonononononono I won’t hurt them I won’t hurt them I won’t hurt them I won’t hurt them”

You won’t hurt them you won’t hurt them you won’t hurt them It’s not real it can’t be real please don’t let it be real you wouldn’t you wouldn’t!!!!

◆ “Snap out of it Siffrin!”

▲ “We’re right here, just stay calm!”

✸ “That didn’t stop it before.”

Loop appears. But their stance. No. It’s all to familiar. Their stance is that of a feral beast. A horn of crystal forms on their head. A claw forms on one hand. And a dagger in the other. A cloak of shadows, barely visible. And the moment they open their mouth, the voices quiet, and harmonize with them.

✦̵ “We can’t let them die. We have. To stop. The monster.”✸

They let out a manic laugh. They lift their face. Their eyes are dark voids, as tears flow down their face, contorted into a twisted smile.

✸ “So it ends here. One way, or another.”✦̵

They charge right at you. You can barely breath, the blood is making it hard to think! Gotta.. Gotta..

Isa blocks the blow before it can reach you.

✸ “BLINDING KILL ME!!!!! KILL US BEFORE WE HURT YOU AGAIN!!!!!!”✦̵

▲ “No! We can find a better way!”

✸ “No You CAN’T!!! Even I struggled to pull Stardust from the brink! YOU’LL DIE IF YOU TRY!!!!”✦̵

◆ “Wait, What do you mean by that?”

Nonononononono please don’t tell them!!!!

Loop sees your expression, and their grin widens.

✸ “HAHAHA Oh I didn’t mention?!? The king was one CRUEL MONSTER!!!! By their hand, Stardust already has a taste for human!! I won’t say which one!!! But when they came back, well… It’s a good thing I had a corpse ready!!!”✦̵

You choke. The smell is sickening, the memory still in your mind, and the corpses of your family still stare you down. You can’t move you can’t breathe they're all horrified and you can’t move!

Loop tosses Isa aside, and continues to charge at you.

Odile slows them with craft, straining herself to bring them to a crawl.

◆ “Siffrin! Get it together!”

✦̵ “Blood. Can’t. Think.”

There’s so much and every breathe just brings in more, and you can’t, you can’t!!!

✸ “SEE??? EVEN NOW THEY HAVE TO FIGHT IT!!! Even with AGES WORTH of getting away from it, EVEN WHEN FRESHLY FED, they can BARELY handle it!!!! And TRUST ME, I’d be FAR WORSE!!!!”✦̵

◆ “Gems this is bad.”

Loop takes advantage of her distraction and throws their knife directly at her, hitting her hand and disrupting the slow. Mira throws a quick heal at Odile, and then crafts a shield to block Loop from you.

◉ “Siffrin! You can do this! Prove them wrong!”

Mira… You... You can’t let her down. You shakily try and get to your feet. You wrap a tendril around the other side of Mira’s shield, trying to grab Loop and restrain them. They break out with ease.

✸ “STOP HESITATING!!!! I THOUGHT YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON WITH THE KING??? YOU. CAN’T. SPARE. MONSTERS!!!!”✦̵

They take their claw and smash through Mira’s shield, grabbing her by the throat and tossing her aside.

You can still barely move, you’re shaking too bad. Loop continues to charge and-

Stops. Because Bonnie. Put themselves in the way. Arms outstretched. Not defending themselves.

✸ “… Clever, Bonbon.”✦̵

✿ “Y-Yeah! You won’t hurt us!”

✸ “… I can’t lose you all again, that's true.... But you misunderstand.”✦̵

Loop grabs Bonnie and vanishes with them. They reappear, hovering in the air just beyond the branches, holding Bonnie up with one hand. A new crystalline knife in the other.

✸ “I won’t KILL you.”✦̵

They bring the knife up to Bonnie’s eye! NO!!

YOU WON’T LET THEM!!!!!!

You reach out with your tendrils and grab Loop, and then, with a single motion.

You dig a fang into their heart.

✸ “Ah!”✦̵

The distortion shatters like glass...... as the world suddenly returns to normal.

Your family drops to the ground, including Bonnie, with Loop having released their grip. You wrap yourself around the tree, Holding yourself up, and holding Loop in place, slowly turning them upright.

✸ “Do it, stardust. Please.”

✦̵ “...No. Not after everything.”

✸ “….”

✦̵ “Wasn’t the whole point to not hurt anyone again?”

Loop just stares at you silently...

✸ “… Why. Why did it have to go this way?”

You slowly lower the both of you back down to the ground. The others start to get up.

Bonnie walks up to Loop, as you let them go. Bonnie has a scratch on their cheek, but is otherwise unharmed. Loop’s heart is cracked a little. But otherwise fine. Tears run down Loops cheek.

Bonnie hugs Loop.

✿ “… Cause you’re both stupid crabs who don’t talk about stuff.”

✸ “...Hah. I guess we are?”

You meander towards the both of them. And just put a hand on Loop’s shoulder.

✦̵ “...Sorry I put you through that...”

✸ “Well. If I’m not dying here, I guess you might experience it anyways.”

◆ “...Loop. Care to get this Fool Arcana to chat?"

Odile smiles a bit.

◆ “… I still have a Coinflip to win, and might as well use it on something that matters.”

Loop thinks for a second. Then tosses Odile a silver coin. The same one you carry around.

✸ “… They say Heads, I go to Stardust, Tails, I go with them... And that they already know the result.”

Odile nods. And Holds the coin out. She takes a deep breath. And flips.

… You look at the coin, laying in the grass. Tails.

✸ “… Guess they haven't had enough of me yet…"

Odile chuckles to herself. Guess she got that wish.

✸ “...Thank you.”

Odile walks over to them, and puts a hand on their shoulder.

◆ “Of course... Heh, Such a drama queen, all this over nothing.”

◉ “D-Does that mean this is the last we see of you?”

Mirabelle sort of hovers, nervous.

✸ “… Maybe. Not that we have time for proper goodbyes~”

You look, and see Loop is fading away slowly already.

▲ “Then... If you get the chance, you better say Hi. I’m pretty sure you’re part of the group now!”

✸ “...Of course. I promise… But can you promise me one thing?”

You all nod. They look at your family members. Before closing their eyes. And in several voices, speak.

✸◆✿◉▲ “Take care of them for us, Okay?”

Everyone else is kind of taken aback for a second.

◉ “… We will.”

✿ “Can do!”

◆ “As if it was in doubt?”

▲ “No problem!”

You sit there for a second.

✦̵ “…I will too.”

✸ “...Good… You really are, frankly, quite helpless without them, Stardust!”

Loops body starts to fade away into nothing.

✸ “...Farewell.”

As their body finally dissipates into nothing, you see a small, red light appear on the ground where they sat. As a single, bright red Spider-Lily blooms in their place.

✦̵ “Sorry, to all of you. And… Thank you. Loop.”

You all take a moment of Silence. Just looking at this site.

▲ “...Let’s go. I think this has been a long day for all of us.”

You nod. You just lean up against Isa. Your family heads up to the house, to talk with Euphrasie, and clear up any last minute mess.

As the Morning sun shines down around you, with your family by your side. You feel content.

Your brain keeps telling you that things won’t go well but. You ignore it.

Because somehow. You know this will work out.

… The road is long. But. You know that, for the first time. In a long. LONG time. Really, truly, in every sense...

You are no longer alone.

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

In the light the sins are burned

From deepest black they have been turned

For family the monster lives

Nigredo past, To Hope they give

Yet can they withstand purification?

In Albedo they will find life. Or damnation.

[writing-till-i-am-dead]

What If Patroclus Hadn’t Gone To Troy?

Moving my fanfics to this blog. Contains all parts.

T/W: Suicide

I felt the anger well up in my chest. He knew now he shall die at Troy. He knew now he would leave me, alone. All alone. Again. Like I used to be before Achilles. 

I clenched my fists so hard they turned white. I saw the look on his face when he saw my own reaction. 

“Patroclus-“ he said softly, reaching for my tightened fist, but I pull away. 

“Fine.. go to Troy. But I will not be coming.”

I saw the horror in his face. I hated the satisfaction that it gave me. But, I wanted him to regret his decision.  

“I cannot go to Troy with you, as you go battle to battle, I never knowing if it will be your last. Never knowing if someone will return to the camp and bring the news that you have fallen.”

He stumbled and landed on his knee before me, desperation in his eyes. “Patroclus.”

I feel my heart ache. Pa-tro-clus…

I turn my head. “I don’t think I can bare watching you every day, waiting for you to die..” I forced any tears that dared try to make their way out to cease. 

The pain and sorrow on his face. I had never seen him like this. So helpless and full of despair. It almost made me change my mind. But I stayed firm. I got off of my knees and stormed out of the bedroom and left. I didn’t know where I’d l go for the time being. Just anywhere but here. 

The days of preparation, I couldn’t bare to be around him. Every time I saw him, the grief of his death yet to come. I knew this hurt him. Some part of me was happy it was. Maybe then he would change his mind. 

Oh, I was being cruel. I hated that I was. I knew Achilles always wanted to go down as a remembered hero. If he became forgotten, that would be such of waste of his strength. So I understood why he joined the war, but.. I can’t be there when he dies. 

As we sailed home, he occupied himself with speaking to Odysseus. 

I desperately wanted to hold him. To be with him, just like the many nights we’ve had since that night on Mount Pelion in the crystal cave..

Once we arrived in Phthia and Achilles greeted his father, the two of us headed to our old room. 

We were alone for the first time since our fight. He gave me an anxious look, I had noticed from the corner of my eye. 

The cot had been removed so we’d have to share a bed. We’d gotten used to this. In fact, we preferred it, but it was painful. 

When he lied next to each other, he was warm, and yet it felt like lying next to a corpse. 

“Patroclus..”

His voice ran through my head. 

His hands reached to hold mine, his hand perfectly fitting into mine, like Prometheus had crafted our hands from the same cut stones. 

“I will live..” he whispered. 

“You cannot try and avoid The Fates. Every hero who has tried has died a horrible death..”

“But I might be different!”

“Jason probably said those same words. And Heracles. Every hero has probably said those words. You’ve said it yourself. They don’t let you be both famous and happy.”

“I swore it..” he reached out and I felt his warm hand graze against my arm. “You swore it too..”

“We swore it back when we thought it to be possible..”

I felt his hand slowly fall off. 

I felt my heart sink with guilt. 

“I love you..” he whispered. 

I didn’t respond. 

I noticed that in the last few days he stayed in Phthia, he was always busy, crowded, as he and his men prepared to set off for the war. 

Our nights were quiet with one another, with no passion or speaking or warmth. We would just lie there. He seemed exhausted from working so much. He looked older. I hated it. I hated seeing the once free spirited and young looking boy looking so tired and worn. 

And when he left, when I saw the fleet of what seemed like 100 ships, once they were gone, it dawned on me. 

I would never see him again. 

I didn’t know what made my throat so raw. 

Until I realized. 

I had sobbed and screamed until I could no longer produce any more noise. 

In just one week of laying in bed, I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t take the pain. The longing. The memories. 

I missed his touch. His smile. His humor. His charm.

I missed watching him run, watching him train, watching the sun shine through his hair. 

I missed his warmth. The smell of the oils he would rub on his feet. The sweetness of his lips. 

I. Missed. Everything. 

I’m surprised I even made it a week of this pain when I decided that I had enough. 

I took a barely anything with me. My mother’s lyre. His favorite hunting dagger. 

I wanted to go out with my greatest possessions. The things I cared for the most. The idea of my mother’s lyre being sold off as junk. The idea of his dagger being used as a novelty to remember the great warrior, Achilles. I hated both of those ideas. 

So I brought them with me. They would be the last things I would hold before Thanatos finds my spirit and sends my soul down to the house of Hades. 

I tread up the mountain. Mount Pelion. I had a specific spot to end it all. I would camp out day after day until I would reach the spot. 

The spot in the woods. The spot where I would let out my deepest thoughts and desires of Achilles. The spot where I would simply just daydream. I sit in the same spot, leaning against a tree. I place the lyre in my lap. I pluck the strings between my fingers. I remember how beautifully Achilles would play this lyre. 

I lift his hunting knife to my neck. 

I remember when Achilles had pressed his finger against the bulb in my throat..

I remember every touch he used to make on my body. Every moment. All the warmth. 

And then I felt the coldness of my life before meeting him creep along my body as I fall into the grass, blood staining my hands and Achilles’ knife. 

I feel the world drift away. I feel it all about to end. 

But, I then hear quick noises running toward me. Heavy footsteps. 

No. Not footsteps. Hooves. 

I feel Chiron lift my body. I don’t remember what happens next. 

I just know I woke up in his crystal cave afterward. 

…

As we took over Troy, I expected to die. I expected to get killed. I haven’t died yet. This shall be the last battle. I have lived through the long 10 years of this war. I was destined to die. But I haven’t. 

Patroclus left me because of this war.

I must die. 

Or it would have been for nothing. Yes, the fame will be great, but.. 10 years without Patroclus, not knowing where he was. 

As we left Troy, as it burned, I felt rage overcome me. 

I. Was. Alive. 

I. Lived. 

“ODYSSEUS!” I yelled. 

I stormed over to Odysseus, who was heading to his own ship to go home. 

“YOU LIED!” I punched him in the face. 

He fell to the floor, clutching his face. “What are you talking about?!”

“You said I would die! I’m supposed to be dead!”

“And you’re not! Why are you so livid?!”

“Patroclus! He left because I was supposed to die. I lost him because of this decision! Are you telling me that was for nothing? You watched him leave me, and you stuck with your lie!”

“It wasn’t a lie! It’s the truth! I don’t know why you aren’t dead, but I was told the prophecy. You want to know how I’m lying? Because Thetis also knew of it! You know she was trying to have you stay away from the war, so why would she play into this idea of a ‘prophecy’?!”

I freeze. He was right. Mother would have just claimed the prophecy was a lie. 

But..

I board my ship and sail home. I can barely focus and I feel like crying. But I can’t cry in front of my men. 

Patroclus.. Patroclus.. My Patroclus..

10 years. 10 long years. 

10 years of waiting to die. 

10 years of being separated from my Patroclus. 

10 years of not feeling his touch. His warmth. 

It hurt so much. Multiple nights when I would be sure it be my last, I craved and remembered his kiss. 

The breeze moved through my hair. I had been second guessing myself all this time, wondering if I made the right decision. Guilt. Intense guilt. 

I would have dreams that all of this war was a dream and I would wake next to Patroclus in the crystal cave, our legs tangled together and our clothes on the bed below us. He would greet me with a sleepy smile with lazy, slow kisses and I would stroke his hair and breathe in his scent. He would laugh softly into my shoulder as I told him about my dream. He would kiss me and caress my face and all would be right in the world again. 

But then I’d wake up and realize that was the true dream. And, quietly, alone in my own tent, I would allow myself to cry. 

Eventually, our ship reached Phthia. People were standing at the shore, they’re cheering and screaming reminding me of the day when we returned from Scyros. 

But that was so long ago. I’ve changed so much. I greeted my father. But I was in no mood for small mingling. I rushed us to get into the castle and cornered my father. 

“Where is Patroclus?”

My father needed a moment. He was surprised by my sudden urgency. 

“I..”

“Where is he?! Please!”

“Patroclus.. no one knows.”

I freeze. “What do you mean.. no one knows?”

“10 years ago, one week after you left, he disappeared.”

“No..” I run through the castle, shoving past guards. I go to our old room. It looked almost the same from when I left. The bed laid untouched. 

“No, no, no..!”

I forced the sob in my throat to cease and continue to run, thinking foolishly he’s hiding somewhere in the castle. “Patroclus!!”

I went to the spot we would train together. I went to where we would practice the lyre. I went to the spot where we had our first kiss. 

He wasn’t there. 

He was no where. 

I felt my knees give out on me. “Patroclus. Patroclus. Patroclus.”

I sat in the spot. This was where he had kissed me. This was where I had run away from him. 

The choked back tears made their way out and spilled down my cheeks. 

Where was he?

Could he be..

No. 

He can’t be dead. 

He can’t. 

He cannot be dead. 

No. 

No..

No…

That night for dinner, my father was telling me what I have missed in my years away. 

“Chiron will want to see you. He shall be happy to see you return home safely.”

Chiron.. he knew of the prophecy, didn’t he? He too thinks I’m dead. 

“Yes, I’ll be sure to do that

I slept in my old bed that night. Another empty bed. Another cold, lonely bed. 

I thought I would never have to deal with a cold bed again once I died. 

But.. I was alive. 

And my love was missing. 

I cried again. I clasped my hands together, something I would do often in my nights alone in war, pretending he was there, holding my hand. 

But despite this, my body was still cold. 

I did not sleep that night. 

I prepared for my trip to see Chiron on Mount Pelion. The climb up the mountain was exhausting. Before, I was happy, excited to go up the mountain, because I knew that Patroclus would follow after me. 

I knew he would be there at my side the whole time. 

But this trip was slow and depressing and unmotivated. Yes, I wanted to see Chiron, but.. 

Patroclus..

I half of me had been ripped from me that day we departed. 

I had been thinking of my own selfishness that sprouted from how young I was at the time. 

Patroclus and I promised we’d be with each other, always. And yet, I chose fame over my life with him. 

I regretted my choice every day throughout the war, but there was nothing I could do about it at that point. 

Days later, I finally reached the top of the mountain. 

I see the centaur. He appeared to have been waiting for me. 

“Achilles,” he acknowledged me. 

“Chiron..” joy overflowed through me and, forgetting who he was, I threw my arms around him. 

He was shocked by my informality, but doesn’t get angry. Instead, he hugs me back. 

“You’re alive..”

“I’m alive..”

“And you’re filthy.”

“Ha.. ya.. I’ve been climbing the mountain for a few days.”

He nodded and took me to the crystal cave. It was strange. It seemed rather lived in. Like there was someone else here. 

“Chiron..” I murmured. “Patroclus.. he.. he’s been missing. I.. I don’t know where he is. Apparently he’s been gone for all 10 years of the war… so you know where he is?” I was desperate. 

“I cannot say I do.”

I feel dread spread all throughout my being. 

Patroclus.. Patroclus..

I place the bread he gave me down. “I.. am not hungry..” I murmur. 

He nodded. “I understand..”

“I am going to go to the river and bathe..”

“Of course. Go on ahead.”

I turn to head to the river, the one I used to bathe at so many times, the one I would bathe in with Patroclus. 

But, as I turned, I thought I saw a glimmer of.. mischief in Chiron’s eyes. How strange..

I push through the reeds to the river. 

But.. there was noise. Like someone was shifting around. I freeze and slowly reached for the sword I keep on my hip. 

I creep forward, slow, steady, ready for action. 

The person behind the reeds doesn’t seem to have noticed I was here, for their shifting did not cease. I jump from the reeds. 

The boy turns to me with wide, startled, frightened eyes. 

His name gets caught in my throat. My breath staggers and I feel I can no longer breath. 

The only word that manages to escape my lips is simply…

“Patroclus..”

…

It definitely was Patroclus. I knew the curls of his and the way he held himself up so well, better than anyone probably could ever know him. 

But he was different. He sat in the river, bathing and staring at me with wide eyes like he had seen a ghost. His brows were heavier and his arms and chest were wider and broader. He must’ve been put to work by Chiron. 

Before I knew it, my legs were moving, closing the gap between us, but despite my enhanced speed, it felt that the gap between us took forever to close and I had finally wrapped my arms around him. 

“Patroclus, Patroclus!!” I sobbed out. 

His shoulders were much wider than I remembered. And he had a beard. 

“A ghost..” I heard him whisper, his voice was deeper, but it sounded raspy. “You’re a ghost..”

I freeze, my grip on him tighten and I want to let go so I can look into his eyes and reassure to him I’m real. But I can. I can’t let him go. I can’t stop hugging him. “I’m real..” I say. “I’m real. I’m here..”

I feel his arms lift and them rest on my shoulders and then I feel him pull away slowly. 

I look at his eyes, beautiful, sparkling with halfway tears. 

Seeing his face truly, knowing he’s real.. I can’t help but feel tears in my own eyes. Usually, I’d force them down. I cannot cry in front of anyone. But, despite these 10 years, I still feel the connection with him. That I could do or say anything in front of him and feel no shame. I feel tears spilling down my face uncontrollably. 

I see Patroclus’ eyes widened and his hands cup my face. “Achilles..” I hear him whisper. 

His touch. His voice. His breath. His skin. His warmth. His everything.  I’ve missed everything about him. I was so ready to die in the war, hoping it would come soon so I wouldn’t have to deal with the pain of Patroclus leaving me. But instead, I only suffered battle after battle. 

I feel his thumb rub on my face and I can barely see through the tears. I think he’s crying too. We sunk to the ground, still in the river and my clothes began to soak with water. 

I try to blink away the tears, desperately wanting to see his face more clearly. 

I trace my fingers along his jaw and neck, so much more heavy and larger over these 10 years.. how much has he changed..?

My eyes land on his neck, the place where I would often have my head rest and I would always kiss. 

A scar. A long, old looking scar resting on his neck. 

“What..?” I whisper, my fingers tracing along it. “What happened?!”

I feel anger bubble inside me. Who dare hurt my Patroclus?

“Oh, um.. ya, uh.. this was from after you left.. I did it.. luckily Chiron saved me..”

My body feels numb and my tongue can no longer move and my jaw in locked shut.  Guilt and shame overflow through my body as I realize that this was.. my fault.. I was going out to die and leaving Patroclus behind.. I did that to him.. I did that to my other half.. my Patroclus..

I kiss this scar. I feel him grip my head. 

My Patroclus..

.

.

.

I hadn’t seen Achilles in 10 years. I truly thought I’d never see him again. 

Chiron convinced me I wouldn’t. I convinced myself that as well. 

And yet here he was. 

How was he alive? He didn’t know either. 

I had been working on the mountain, helping Chiron and keeping him company and trying to forget about Achilles. Trying to forget about the guilt of making him go to war on his own. 

I had never seen Achilles cry before. It was unusual, almost unsightly simply because of how painful it is to see Achilles cry, his nose scrunched up and his face ruddy and pained looking. 

Words cannot describe how much it hurt. Once we both managed to calm ourselves, we left the river and I changed back into my clothing and led him back to the cave. 

Chiron walked past them, heading out to the woods to collect herbs. 

We enter the cave, where I had been sleeping for these 10 long and lonely years. 

The cave where we used to lie together, drinking in the sweetness of each other..

I sit on the pallet and take in a deep, heavy, shaking breath. 

Achilles sits right next to me, his hand grasping mine, tightly, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he isn’t holding onto it. 

“I thought you had died..” I whispered. 

He nodded, he’s beautiful green eyes were dull and looked so old. It broke my heart. He looked nothing like the sweet, innocent boy I grew up with. 

I ran my fingers through his golden hair. It was long and it felt surprising dirty. He must’ve not gotten to bathe much during the war. 

“I’m surprised I’m still alive.. I truly.. truly.. thought I’d never see you again.. it pained me..”

I felt him lean on my shoulder. 

I turn to him. Despite his many years out in war, his face was still elegant. But he didn’t look young anymore, despite his still young looking features. The way he holds himself, the bags under his eyes, the way his jaw seems permanently clenched. 

He looks up at me. Stars at me. Like he would do all the time. When we were kids at the dinner table. When we were teenagers in the cave, looking expectantly at each other for a night of love, when we would look at each other for all of our years together to see simply what the other was thinking. 

He reached up and kissed me. 

I forgot how his lips felt. Like silk and he tasted like almonds freshly fallen from the tree. 

Achilles.. my Achilles..

I finally realized that this wasn’t a dream. With our noses still pressed against each other, the only words I can mumble out is..

“Welcome back.. Achilles..”

[x-i-l-verify]

「Dream SMP Daemon AU 」

    ◈ BAD BOY HALO + SKEPPY (GOLEM) ◈

Nether denizens deposit their Dust in physical objects that then gain a sentience of their own instead of having projected facets – such as daemons – like Overworld denizens. But while Piglins forge living weapons, Nether demons build animate golems out of rock or metal. Golem-building is an intuitive and sacred process that begins when demons are still infants. The first time an imp laughs, a grand party is thrown, with everyone in the community invited. Every adult brings one small crystal, rock, gem, or chunk of ore, and the imp is presented with all of them. The rock the baby is drawn to first becomes their phylactery, put in an enchanted, protected pouch worn on a string around their necks and kept with them at all times. Their Dust accumulates in the rock they chose, and develops a sentience of its own during the imp's childhood.

When the imp turns the equivalent of seven, they begin construction work on their phylactery’s outer shell, the golem. First, they choose a building material, which can be the same as the phylactery, but usually is different. The imp will mine for enough construction supplies and learn crafting techniques pertinent to the material they chose. It is also customary for the imp’s parents or caretakers to add a piece or two of their own golems into their offspring’s as it's being constructed. (For example, Bad’s phylactery is a chunk of pink scapolite with a golem shell made of diamond, which has obsidian eyes from his dam’s golem, and a ruby tongue from his sire’s.)

Whenever the child finishes constructing their golem, usually sometime during early to mid-adolescence, they are considered “settled,” a mature, adult demon. A ceremony is done wherein the imp’s parents and their golems transfer their phylactery to a special chamber inside the imp's golem, which then fuses with and animates the previously inanimate material. Golems choose their own names, always derived from the material their core is made from.

Phylacteries are only capable of communicating through impressions and emotions, much like a piglin's morai-kelul. Once they obtain a shell and become a golem, they gain an audible voice of their own and become capable of verbal speech. Golems are always the same gender as their demon.

Because the phylactery is safely encased in a strong, protective shell, demons have no issue whatsoever with touching each other's golems. However, touching someone’s phylactery without their consent is taboo, a crime tantamount to rape. There is no limit to how far a demon can go from their golem as long as they do not try to leave the Nether, the Overworld, the End, or their server without them. If this happens, the demon will instantly become like a zombie, with a living body but no conscious mind. It is not uncommon to see demons walking around without their golems and vice versa, and they are masters of multitasking because of this. However, this has also led to some Overworlders viewing demons as soulless monsters because of their visible lack of a facet.

Golems are very tough, but it is still possible to damage or pry open their shell to get to the phylactery within. If the phylactery is broken or shattered, the demon will instantly perish, and the golem will become an inert statue. It is customary for dead golems to be broken down into crafting materials for other projects, usually for a building or a weapon, but sometimes they will be left whole as a memorial to the dearly departed.

Bad is ambitious, conflict-avoidant, anxious, and empathetic. Skeppy is Bad’s id personified; impulsive, blunt, easygoing, and chaotic to the extreme.

~

NAME MEANING "Skeppy" is derived from scapolite, the term for a group of minerals that are essentially complex silicates of aluminum, calcium, and sodium, which can be used as semiprecious stones. They are considered symbols of inner peace, personal growth, and faithfulness to oneself, able to help individuals see what is truly important, find their true calling in life, and face difficulties and responsibilities head on instead of avoiding them.

~

SOURCES https://www.jewelsforme.com/gem_and_jewelry_library/scapolite

[floralcavern]

What if Patroclus didn’t go to Troy with Achilles (1/3)

T/W: Suicide

I felt the anger well up in my chest. He knew now he shall die at Troy. He knew now he would leave me, alone. All alone. Again. Like I used to be before Achilles.

I clenched my fists so hard they turned white. I saw the look on his face when he saw my own reaction. 

“Patroclus-“ he said softly, reaching for my tightened fist, but I pull away. 

“Fine.. go to Troy. But I will not be coming.”

I saw the horror in his face. I hated the satisfaction that it gave me. But, I wanted him to regret his decision.  

“I cannot go to Troy with you, as you go battle to battle, I never knowing if it will be your last. Never knowing if someone will return to the camp and bring the news that you have fallen.”

He stumbled and landed on his knee before me, desperation in his eyes. “Patroclus.”

I feel my heart ache. Pa-tro-clus…

I turn my head. “I don’t think I can bare watching you every day, waiting for you to die..” I forced any tears that dared try to make their way out to cease. 

The pain and sorrow on his face. I had never seen him like this. So helpless and full of despair. It almost made me change my mind. But I stayed firm. I got off of my knees and stormed out of the bedroom and left. I didn’t know where I’d l go for the time being. Just anywhere but here. 

The days of preparation, I couldn’t bare to be around him. Every time I saw him, the grief of his death yet to come. I knew this hurt him. Some part of me was happy it was. Maybe then he would change his mind. 

Oh, I was being cruel. I hated that I was. I knew Achilles always wanted to go down as a remembered hero. If he became forgotten, that would be such of waste of his strength. So I understood why he joined the war, but.. I can’t be there when he dies. 

As we sailed home, he occupied himself with speaking to Odysseus. 

I desperately wanted to hold him. To be with him, just like the many nights we’ve had since that night on Mount Pelion in the crystal cave..

Once we arrived in Phthia and Achilles greeted his father, the two of us headed to our old room. 

We were alone for the first time since our fight. He gave me an anxious look, I had noticed from the corner of my eye. 

The cot had been removed so we’d have to share a bed. We’d gotten used to this. In fact, we preferred it, but it was painful. 

When he lied next to each other, he was warm, and yet it felt like lying next to a corpse. 

“Patroclus..”

His voice ran through my head. 

His hands reached to hold mine, his hand perfectly fitting into mine, like Prometheus had crafted our hands from the same cut stones. 

“I will live..” he whispered. 

“You cannot try and avoid The Fates. Every hero who has tried has died a horrible death..”

“But I might be different!”

“Jason probably said those same words. And Heracles. Every hero has probably said those words. You’ve said it yourself. They don’t let you be both famous and happy.”

“I swore it..” he reached out and I felt his warm hand graze against my arm. “You swore it too..”

“We swore it back when we thought it to be possible..”

I felt his hand slowly fall off. 

I felt my heart sink with guilt. 

“I love you..” he whispered. 

I didn’t respond. 

I noticed that in the last few days he stayed in Phthia, he was always busy, crowded, as he and his men prepared to set off for the war. 

Our nights were quiet with one another, with no passion or speaking or warmth. We would just lie there. He seemed exhausted from working so much. He looked older. I hated it. I hated seeing the once free spirited and young looking boy looking so tired and worn. 

And when he left, when I saw the fleet of what seemed like 100 ships, once they were gone, it dawned on me. 

I would never see him again. 

I didn’t know what made my throat so raw. 

Until I realized. 

I had sobbed and screamed until I could no longer produce any more noise. 

In just one week of laying in bed, I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t take the pain. The longing. The memories. 

I missed his touch. His smile. His humor. His charm.

I missed watching him run, watching him train, watching the sun shine through his hair. 

I missed his warmth. The smell of the oils he would rub on his feet. The sweetness of his lips. 

I. Missed. Everything. 

I’m surprised I even made it a week of this pain when I decided that I had enough. 

I took a barely anything with me. My mother’s lyre. His favorite hunting dagger. 

I wanted to go out with my greatest possessions. The things I cared for the most. The idea of my mother’s lyre being sold off as junk. The idea of his dagger being used as a novelty to remember the great warrior, Achilles. I hated both of those ideas. 

So I brought them with me. They would be the last things I would hold before Thanatos finds my spirit and sends my soul down to the house of Hades. 

I tread up the mountain. Mount Pelion. I had a specific spot to end it all. I would camp out day after day until I would reach the spot. 

The spot in the woods. The spot where I would let out my deepest thoughts and desires of Achilles. The spot where I would simply just daydream. I sit in the same spot, leaning against a tree. I place the lyre in my lap. I pluck the strings between my fingers. I remember how beautifully Achilles would play this lyre. 

I lift his hunting knife to my neck. 

I remember when Achilles had pressed his finger against the bulb in my throat..

I remember every touch he used to make on my body. Every moment. All the warmth. 

And then I felt the coldness of my life before meeting him creep along my body as I fall into the grass, blood staining my hands and Achilles’ knife. 

I feel the world drift away. I feel it all about to end. 

But, I then hear quick noises running toward me. Heavy footsteps. 

No. Not footsteps. Hooves. 

I feel Chiron lift my body. I don’t remember what happens next. 

I just know I woke up in his crystal cave afterward. 

Next

[torturecave]

[uploading an answer from my retrospring, just bc i wanna document trolls-related things on here.]

whats you and avvys opinion on velvet in veneer from trolls 3 ?

We like them! They're good villains, I like that they carry the theme of: siblings. :) Speaking honestly, I do really think it is smart to have your villains' conflict be similar to your protagonists; the conflict between Velvet and Veneer isn't so dissimilar from what BroZone deals with at the start of the film. JD is overly controlling and micro-managing his brothers, preoccupied with their fame, associating all their value with being 'perfect'... Meanwhile Velvet feels the same, willing to do w/e it takes for her and Veneer to succeed — without their fame, they'll be "nobodies", there's no point in being anything less than super famous celebrities.

Now what makes me sad is that Veneer adores Velvet so much that he is willing to defer to her, regardless of how he gets treated. He's not quite like the self-respecting Clay and Spruce of the past, who get fed up with JD's treatment, walk out on him. I feel like it's a testament to how attached Velvet and Veneer are, that Veneer can't even conceptualize it being different without Floyd's suggestion. Sad puppy about it... Need to be there for sister? :( Though, I even get the impression that Velvet would be lost without him... Er. She seems, unstable, in a particular way, makes me feel like it drove their peers away growing up. Naturally isolating for Velvet to be so self-centered and pushy, unaccommodating. Explosive.

It's played for laughs BUT, me and Avvy try and internalize that in Velvet's perspective, her and Veneer came from nothing and had a terrible childhood kfkfjhg... That's. Her reality! Her parents made her feel attacked and like a victim. Regardless of whatever is 'true'... It makes her actions feel pathological and like she really can't, help it, or check herself. So between this and the two feeling very attached, I find myself sympathizing with Velvet a lot more than with JD... who just comes off as a normal jerkish guy LOL. I think his complex is like, annoying, because he doesn't even like doing it, so it's weirdly self-imposed and ignoring the protest of his brothers. I at least feel as though Velvet ENJOYS when things are going 'well' for them, she is relishing in it more, and Veneer is mostly her yes-man, not fighting her. They're like, thotting out, languishing in their luxury, at the very least.

I like their scenes overall, I like their dialogue back and forth, ehh I especially like their strange, ostentatious kitty outfits in that interview, it's just INTERESTING... The vibes ongoing here. They're a bit weird with one another in a way that's like... lol... [watches......] Though I will be real, these designs are not actually horny for us. We just feel like a general appreciation for them?

I'll say in general it's good what the rageons are adding, having these weird betty spaghetty dolls in this craft world, it's like yeah sure! Especially in tandem with the muppety hacky sack guys on Vacay Island. We're all for expanding the variety of 'races' in the world, I enjoy going beyond the dichotomy of Bergen vs Troll. In fact, bergens wind up feeling really distinct, pretty 'organic' feeling compared to these other two... I like that rageons feel boneless and rubbery, their clothes feel like some real polly pocket snap-on pieces, the architecture feeling like playset crystals, perfume bottles... Even the 'fruits' that Crimp loads into the smoothie-machine are soo fake looking, very different from what Bergen food looks like! Greasy pizza and fries, verrry different feel to it all.

Trolls is the kind of franchise where you just enjoy being shown Things in the world, the enrichment is knowing... 'oh, there's a place like this, and these things are possible as well!' I mean just hearing about Veneer's monkey makes us go UGHHh whats that look like, must be so different from fuzzy monkey-like creatures you'll see in the woods near Pop troll village, aouauu what is it some solid color plastic monkeys-in-a-barrel lookin' thing... That is the delight experienced. So it's stimulating to be shown a new location and new inhabitants. Fun bonus that I like Velvet and Veneer as individuals. :)

[mostthingskenobi]

CASSIAN'S RECKONING - Chapter 7: The Salt

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Jyn needs a minute to herself. Tarkin is more ruthless than ever. All I can say is poor Cassian.

(I have to laugh at my own mediocre photoshop job on that cover photo LOL!!!!!)

I would say this is probably one of the more brutal chapters…

READ THE FIC ON AO3

THIS IS A WHUMPY FIC W/GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE. PLEASE HEED THE TAGS ON AO3.

——————–

CHAPTER 7: THE SALT

Jyn had an hour to kill while the mechanics finished fueling and loading the Patrol Craft into a bulk cruiser. She had checked her gear and then made the rounds with her crew, making sure all the necessary elements were in place. Now the worst of it began, the waiting, the second guessing. Her imagination ran wild with worry as visions of Cassian in pain snuck into her consciousness. She hated that her mind could come up with such awful scenarios, but, ultimately, she knew whatever she imagined was nothing compared to what he actually endured.

She made her way through the base, retracing the steps she and Cassian had walked a few days prior. She wound a course past the barracks, into a dark, narrow passage that led to the higher-ranking officers’ quarters. Privacy on Yavin was scarce; most of the grunts, Jyn included, slept in a giant room filled floor-to-ceiling and end-to-end with bunks. Rogue Squad had a little corner where they all slept near each other, except for Cassian. Due to his rank and position in Rebel Intelligence, he’d been assigned a private room slightly larger than a maintenance closet.

Jyn went there now, pausing at the door and looking around to make sure no one saw her before she punched the access code into the keypad—only she and Cassian knew it. Being inside without his permission felt wrong, like she was violating his privacy, but she needed to feel him, be near his energy to clear the fear from her mind.

Nothing untoward had ever happened in this tiny room; it had simply become a place where they retreated to sip booze or play cards or talk when Scarif nightmares made it impossible to sleep. Rogue One was the family Jyn needed; she loved each member for different reasons, and would lay down her life to protect them. But Cassian’s friendship had become something deeper, something nourishing, comforting, familiar, nonjudgmental, easy, trustworthy. The whole crew had been through a lot together and had seen each other in their darkest moments. But when Cassian wrapped his body around her on Scarif’s beach, whispering that he would hold her until they died, her heart had been pierced. She had never felt so afraid and so safe at the same time.

Jyn and Cassian’s bond was forged in kyber and blood and brutal truth. They shared an unspoken trust that was more meaningful to Jyn than any romantic overture. And though they were both too afraid to confess anything deeper than friendship, too afraid to disturb the private good they shared, she knew she would care about Cassian Andor until she took her last breath.

His brown Corellian-cut field jacket lay tossed across his neatly made bunk. She reached out and clutched it into her hands, her fingers closing over the familiar, sturdy fabric. She traced the transponder sewn into the chest where she knew Cassian concealed a “lullaby” suicide pill. He would never use it, she thought. Though right now he probably wishes he had brought this with him.

The thought made her lightheaded. Jyn felt a chill run up her spine and she quickly sat down on the bed, overwhelmed with the sense that she could feel Cassian through the universe’s ether. The kyber crystal her mother had tied around her neck suddenly felt warm against her skin. A vision flashed through her mind and she saw Cassian’s long eyelashes fluttering as water poured over him, burning cuts on his body.

Her fists tightened around the jacket, squeezing it until the frightening sensations drained away. I’m coming, she thought, willing the message across the galaxy to wherever her friend was suffering. Don’t let go, Cassian.

She looked down at the jacket in her hands, her knuckles white and bloodless from crushing it in her grip. Jyn hesitated for a moment, as though afraid someone might see her, before pressing the jacket to her face, breathing deeply. It smelled like his aftershave and fresh air, flooding her with a hundred tiny memories.

The balm fortified her resolve. Jyn was going to get Cassian back, or die trying.

——————–

When Tarkin, the IT-O droid, and the death troopers returned, they came with an air of bloodthirsty savagery. Cassian knew he’d seen his last shred of mercy.

The troopers circled him and each took hold of his body in a different spot—his feet, his hands, his neck and face. Their gloved fists tightened and Cassian clenched his teeth in anticipation.

“I’ve had a chance to review your interrogation footage,” Tarkin launched in without prelude. “I noticed something quite interesting.”

Cassian refused to take the bait, biting back a retort, determined that fear would not get the better of him.

“You swallow your pain.” Tarkin’s brow arched severely with amusement. “You almost never scream.” He strode forward until he was towering over the rebel. “What kind of man endures relentless torment with nary a sound?” He hooked a finger under Andor’s chin and forced his head up. “We created you, didn’t we? Hung your father in the town square. Sent you to prison as a child. Let your mother die as our suffocating grip tightened around Ferrix. And countless other perceived wrongs not in our official records.”

Cassian burned with rage at the mention of these painful memories and the casualness with which the Grand Moff paraded them out like afterthoughts. His youth had crumbled with each loss, a childhood, a family, stolen by the Empire. Andor began to shake with emotion, with a fire he had never been able to fully stamp out. He couldn’t hold it back any longer.

His father had hung in the Ferrix snow for weeks. Cassian had to walk by the body nearly every day on his way to school.

And his mother, her love as sharp and enduring as her pointed opinions, had died cold and alone, without her son by her side for comfort.

Tarkin’s nostrils flared as he nearly bared his teeth like a predator. “You, the Rebellion,” he said, revulsion dripping from every word, “you’re a by-product, an inevitability. The Empire is creating order out of chaos, and as we contract our hold, collateral damage is certain.” He grasped Andor roughly by the chin, barely containing his own rage. “You think your righteous anger exempts you from stepping into the new order. No more. It’s time for you to learn your place.”

He released Cassian and stepped back, nodding to the death troopers. Their gauntleted hands instantly tightened, twisting into the rebel’s flesh, ripping open all the wounds the IT-O droid had made the day before. They rubbed his face and neck, scraped over his chest and hands, until each thin cut bled afresh, dripping down his skin in rivulets.

Cassian cried out, desperately trying to pull away, curling inward as much as his restraints allowed.

The troopers retreated as Tarkin approached once again. He gripped a fistful of the prisoner’s hair and wrenched his head up. “We will eventually tear a scream from your throat,” he snarled.

The young man glared at the Grand Moff, his body still shaking. Tarkin seemed to have forgotten that Maarva Andor, speaking from beyond the grave, had inspired the insurrection on Ferrix. Her barbed rhetoric lifted a community long exploited by the Empire. And Tarkin obviously didn’t know her son had been there to witness it. Maarva’s words came back to Cassian now as he looked into his oppressor’s eyes. “The Empire is a disease that thrives in darkness.” His voice was strained but he spoke with conviction. “It is never more alive than when we sleep.”

Tarkin’s lip curled. “Flood the reservoir with sea water,” he barked at the droid.

Cassian’s eyes widened, knowing the agony that was coming. He felt the blood dripping from his wounds and imagined rubbing salt into each one. “It's easy for the dead to tell you to fight,” he continued, anger building in his heart.

“Tell me the names of every rebel with you on Scarif,” Tarkin demanded.

“Maybe it's true, maybe fighting is useless.” Cassian refused to look away from the Grand Moff, refused to break eye contact. He felt Maarva’s spirit rushing through his veins, renewing his strength. “Perhaps it's too late. But I'll tell you this...”

“Last chance, Captain Andor.”

“If I could do it again, I'd wake up early and be fighting these bastards from the start. Fight the Empire!”

Tarkin released him and moved far enough away to avoid getting soaked as the IT-O droid activated the water nozzle above the rebel.

When the salty sea water seared across his wounds, Cassian screamed.

——————–

END NOTES

NEXT CHAPTER IS CALLED “THE POWER" - Cassian tries to mentally spar with Tarkin but is nearing his breaking point. Jyn receives special instructions from Draven right as she's about to leave on her rescue mission.

Thank you for reading!

Likes, comments, and reblogs are very welcome!

Much love!

——————–

READ IT ON AO3- Kudos and Comments Welcome :-)

READ CHAPTER 1 “The Razor”

READ CHAPTER 2 “The Scythe”

READ CHAPTER 3 “The Cold”

READ CHAPTER 4 “The Expendable”

READ CHAPTER 5 “The Truth”

READ CHAPTER 6 “The Detritus”

READ CHAPTER 7 "The Salt"

READ CHAPTER 8 “The Power”

READ CHAPTER 9 “The Betrayal”

READ CHAPTER 10 “The Ruse”

READ CHAPTER 11 "The Reprieve"

READ CHAPTER 12 “The Ghosts”

READ CHAPTER 13 “The Redemption”

READ CHAPTER 14 “The Spoils”

READ CHAPTER 15 “The Interrogation”

READ CHAPTER 16 "The Rogues"

READ CHAPTER 17 “The Absolution”

READ CHAPTER 18 “The Reach”

READ CHAPTER 19 “The Hologram”

READ CHAPTER 20 “The Divide”

READ CHAPTER 21 “The Cost”

READ CHAPTER 22 “The Fallout”

READ CHAPTER 23 “The Wounds”

READ CHAPTER 24 “The Hand”

READ CHAPTER 25 “The Heart”

READ CHAPTER 26 “The Beginning”

[xsvndropx]

25+ writer (they/them) looking for 21+ discord roleplayers — willing to discuss trigger warnings. big believer in creating safe spaces. please read everything before reaching out. i am not interested in joining RPGs or public servers. OCs are welcome and encouraged. open to discuss crossovers. i'm a very friendly writer!

【 dm or like this post to interact 】

some rules i write by:

- literate roleplay; 1+ paragraph minimum in replies with no length limit; my replies are usually 2-4+ paragraphs in length; willing to match length of my writing partner.

- smut/lewd will be limited to age appropriate relationships; ask for my 'Will Not Do' fetish and kink list; general smut/lewd will be allowed after chemistry has been developed; smut/lewd is not a focal point of my plotting.

- no real life celebrity roleplays; i'm tolerant of real life fakes who are OCs but i'm not currently seeking any form of real life/fake life roleplay.

- i hold everyone to the same basic standards. these are not negotiable and i will delete you out of my online life if you act up: NO transphobia, NO real serial killers, NO homophobia, NO domestic abuse, NO sexual assault, NO pedophilia, NO beastiality (human x animal), NO racism, NO ableism, NO phobias of any kind alligned with oppressed religions, and NO offensive neo-pronouns (i meant it: slurs and culturally sensative words/dieties are NOT pronouns; I WILL NOT DISRESPECT WHOLE COMMUNITIES AND OPPRESSED RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR NORMALIZE N*ZI TERMONOLOGY TO MAKE YOU FEEL 'COMFORTABLE').

- i will NOT write with ANY character using a deceased faceclaim; find an alternative character to write or recast your character pfp; i will not back down from this rule.

- we have OSDD/DiD; we keep this part of our life private due to littles and the safety of our system; do NOT ask to be introduced to our system; do NOT ask about triggers or traumas; do NOT ask to meet any of our littles; if we decide you need to know that side of our life then WE will approach YOU.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

FANDOM MASTERLIST:

【 masterlist of characters i write — open to romance, friendship, and enemy connections 】

MOVIES — HORROR

○ tara carpenter - scream

○ moira karp - some king of hate

○ velma - mystery inc

○ laurel - bit

○ carolyn - dark shadows

○ elvira - elvira

○ sara - the craft

○ bonnie - the craft

》 ships: laurel x izzy; velma x daphne; tara x amber; tara x mindy; sara x nancy; carolyn x wlw

MOVIES — FANTASY

○ nimona - nimona

○ deet - dark crystal

○ sara - labyrinth

○ sir didymous - labyrinth

○ jareth - labyrinth

○ toothless - how to train your dragon

》 ships: sir didymous x the bog of unbearable stench; jareth x hoggle

MOVIES — COMEDY

○ becca - pitch perfect

○ megan - but im a cheerleader

》 ships: becca x chloe; megan x graham

MOVIES — DISNEY

○ merida - brave

○ jane - decendants

○ mal bertha - decendants

》 ships: mal x evie; jane x evie; jane x wlw; merida x elsa

TV — HORROR

○ charlie - supernatural

○ lilith - supernatural/myth

○ zoey freemont - supernatural

○ castiel - supernatural

○ sam w - supernatural

○ max - stranger things

○ robin - stranger things

○ willow - buffy the vampire slayer

○ dawn - buffy the vampire slayer

○ buffy - buffy the vampire slayer

○ dru - buffy the vampire slayer

○ wednesday - the addams family

○ kenzi - lost girl

○ dagny - lost girl

○ evony - lost girl

○ sabrina m - chilling adventures of sabrina

○ dorcas - chilling adventures of sabrina

○ theo - chilling adventures of sabrina

○ madame satan - chilling adventures of sabrina

○ scarlett winslow - american horror stories

》 ships: charlie x the dnd faerie; cas x dean; robin x nancy; max x el; max x lucas; wednesday x enid; wednesday x lydia deetz; buffy x willow; willow x tara; buffy x faith; lauren x bo; kenzi x bo; evony x bo; evony x lauren; madame satan x zelda; theo x robin; scarlett x maya; scarlett x ruby

TV — SCIFI

○ jenny flint - doctor who

○ ashildr/me - doctor who

○ clara oswald - doctor who

○ river song - doctor who

○ clarke - the 100

》 ships: jenny x vastra; river x doctor; clara x wlw; clara x 11; clarke x lexa

TV — ANIMATED

○ catra - shera

○ amythest - steven universe

○ marceline - adventure time

》 ships: marceline x bubblegum; catra x adora

TV — FANTASY

○ morgana - merlin

○ merlin - merlin

○ ciri - witcher

○ yennefer - witcher

○ arya stark - game of thrones

○ daenerys - game of thrones

○ regina mills - once upon a time

○ ruby - once upon a time

○ merida - once upon a time

○ elliot - magicians

○ bloom - winx

○ terra - winx

○ musa - winx

》 ships: morgana x gwen; merlin x arthur; ruby x dorothy; ruby x snow; regina x emma; merida x mulan; merida x ruby; bloom x beatrice; bloom x stella; terra x musa; terra x kat

TV — DISNEY

○ olive - ant farm

○ creepy connie - jessie

○ lilly - hannah montanna

○ luz - owl house

○ alex - wizards of waverly place

○ stevie - wizards of waverly place

○ juliette - wizards of waverly place

○ maddie - liv and maddie

》 ships: lilly x hannah; luz x amity; alex x stevie; alex x harper; juliette x alex; juliette x harper; maddie x willow

TV — NICKELODEON

○ cat valentine - victorious

》 ships: cat x jade; cat x freddie; cat x sam

COMICS - DC

○ kara zorel - supergirl

○ posion ivy - harley quinn

○ nia nal - supergirl

○ alex danvers - supergirl

○ lena luthor - supergirl

》 ships: nia x brainy; kara x lena; ivy × harley; nia x kara; alex x kelly; alex x lena

COMICS — MARVEL

○ nebula - guardians of the galaxy

○ squirrel girl - squirrel girl

○ rocket raccoon - guardians of the galaxy

○ yelena - hawkeye

○ kitty pryde - xmen

○ mystique - xmen

○ kurt - xmen

○ toad - xmen

》 ships: yelena x kate; kitty x rouge

BOOKS — GREEK MYTH

○ thalia - percy jackson

○ annabeth - percy jackson

○ bianca di angelo - percy jackson

○ athena - percy jackson/myth

○ artemis - percy jackson/myth

》 ships: annabeth x percy; thalia x annabeth; bianca x wlw

GAMES — ASSASSIN'S CREED

○ ciara - valhalla

○ evior (fem) - valhalla

○ randvi - valhalla

○ tracer - overwatch

》 ships: evior x ciara; evior x randvi; evior x petra; eivor x kassandra; tracer x lena

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☆ ADDITIONAL INFO DUMP ☆

writer has AuDHD, OSDD1b, and a few processing disorders — all of this will affect our ability to be online from time to time; please allows us time to respond at our own pace, especially when our chronic illness or autism begins to act up.

[toonabby]

Three days until Christmas (sorry I skipped out on the first two days)

(April 2024 update to fix spelling mistakes)

Since Christmas is three days away I'm just gonna list out a bunch of foreign, non-Japanese animation that debuted this year. I'm just gonna keep this first entry short and sweet:

The Girl Downstairs

I really liked the more laid-back tone of the series focusing on the male lead, a drop-out idol who lives at his apartment downstairs, and his college friends. Speaking of which I adore stories that are set in college and I want more works from SoL genre (or any genre in general) to take place in college, ESPECIALLY anime. I am sick and tired of anime only taking place in high schools especially when the dreaded "fanservice" trope is involved... 😒 (I also found out it was based on an ongoing webtoon as well as being one of the two adaptations released this year - the other being a live-action Netflix series called Doona!)

Xyrin Empire

Rare harem W Maybe its me excluding this (and DAL) from the terrible harem animes solely because its made in a different country from the same continent AND has CG animation that isn't god awful, but from what I seen of the first few episodes or so its not that. Not that good either since it falls into the tropes common in anime (the "boring but overpowered" MC, the love rivals, the 'tsundere' childhood friend, "really 300+ year old" childlike character who wears age-inappropriate attire), but I can at least tolerate this show compared to other works from this genre and even with the tropes there not as awful and apparent as the other harem animes, but that's probably because I haven't watched much from this show.

Rainbow Bubblegem

If this was an anime, then I'll pay my life-savings for what would be a return of the traditional Magical Girl genre in a loooong while after we've been bombarded with PMMM wannabees that fall in the "ow the edge" territory while forgetting what made MadoMagi phenomenal for the genre in the first place, remakes of old Magical Girl animes (e.g. Sailor Moon Crystal and Tokyo Mew Mew New), and the Precure franchise being the sole survivor of the traditional magical girl genre. I really like the premise that is essentially a combination of H2O: Just Add Water, Miraculous Ladybug, and Sailor Moon, and how Red Ruby (on of the main characters) isn't just a stereotypical alpha bitch, no she's actually helpful and friendly to the main girl, if a bit self-centered.

As for the shows I started to get invested in....

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (2004)

This is a childhood of mine that resurfaced in my mind. Out of all of the Cartoon Network shows this one is my personal favorite, and I'm really excited on what the new preschool show spin-off will take us to. That, and me being a Bloo fan since I've started remembering this show. "It's hoooooot in to-pe-kaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

Ba Da Bean (2021)

I adore the show's aesthetic of an arts and crafts-laden environment where everything and I mean EVERYTHING was made out of art (such as the houses being cardboard boxes or an impossible bottle) and the 'fish out of water' premise of a science project from a school's science lab transferring to an art class where he gets to meet and befriends the town's residents while also having a knack for science. I love the dynamic between Bean and Cosa too. Kami the origami bibliophile is my favorite solely because of how relatable she is (I'm also an introvert). That's of course mnot even mentioning the impressive voice cast of the English dub such as Stephanie Panisello (Resident Evil's Claire Redfield and Genshin Impact's Cloud Retainer/Xianyun), Suzie Yeung (Chainsaw Man's Makima, Genshin Impact's Eula, and HSR's Hanya), Amber "FoxyVox" May (Genshin Impact's Dehya and HSR's Yanqing), Dino Andrade (Zuzubaland's Zuzu, whose dub coincidentally was also recorded by the studio that recorded BDB's dub, BangZoom!), and Kelly Baskin (Genshin Impact's Amber and Azure Striker Gunvolt 3's Kirin), with four of the working on Genshin Impact and two on Honkai: Star Rail.

FriendZSpace (2021)

I'll be real. Had it not been for the official YouTube channel uploading all of the BangZoom dubbed episodes (plus the Discovery Kids LA YT channel uploading a few clips of the eps in Spanish), this show would've likely become lost media. When I first watched the show in English I enjoyed it, and I was actually surprised that one of the sealife characters in the first episode was voiced by Melissa Fahn, and I couldn't believe it at first glance she sounded nothing like the other roles Fahn played. Other than that I loved the show and wised I got more from it.

Underdogs United (2022)

For the most part, I didn't even acknowledge that this show was an actual thing until a year later; even the more obscure cartoons from South America at least had a cult following. Even less was me acknowledging this show is a TV adaptation/spin-off of Metegol, a movie with three of the main Foosball players (Capi, Beto, and Loco - the precursor to Kiko) being transplanted there with a bunch of original characters. Hell, the company and producer of the original film (MundoLoco CGI and Juan J. Campanella respectively) also made UU, and Metegol itself is an adaptation of Memoirs of a Right Winger - a short story by Roberto Fontanarrosa that film loosely based itself on. In other words, a TV series about Foosball figures living in a sport-centric world spun-off from a movie about said Foosball figures coming to life in the real world which was loosely adapted from a short-story by an author from Argentina who died 6 years before the movie came out....

Anyways, of the characters I like in UU, it's THE BETO! His personality can be basically described with any adjective for self-centeredness. He's so egotistical that his spot in the intro has him flexing his muscles after he kicks the ball, AND THEN looks at the camera with smug-ish eyebrows and puckered lips. But what I really like about him is not his selfishness but rather the fact that he is deep-down a kind and friendly individual who cares for his allies and would even put aside his arrogance to help others. That's what I like about him - he's selfish, but not too selfish to the point of being annoying. He's obsessed with his looks and popularity but when the chips are down, he'll prioritize the safety of his allies and his loved ones over his own.

[mysticdeath]

lizzie, do you still have that crush on raf?

and there it is — fingers twitch instinctively, wanting to twist the lie she wants so badly to say, to craft the perfect smirk, to float away on some razor - sharp comment that would effectively deflect, distract, and distort. but then she feels it : the creeping warmth in her veins, the telltale tingle just beneath her skin. blue calamus. a truth teller, an enforcer. its effects are sneaky, like a cloud shifting just slightly to the left, letting the light hit everything just a touch too sharply. and as it spreads through her like a wildfire, lizzie knows she cannot lie. not to themself, not to anyone.

her mouth moves before she can stop it. "no." it should be that simple, shouldn't it? so painfully easy that it should end right here and now, a single word and nothing more. but once the words start, they only continue to spill. gathering in their throat like a tidal wave that's impossible to hold back. "no, i don't still have a crush on raf. i don't think i ever really did." she can feel her cheeks burning, the warmth creeping up her neck. she wants to say, stop, shut up, you don't have to do this, but it's no use. it's not that they don't care; it's that they care too much. too much about how everyone else sees her. too much about how she sees herself.

raf was an escape, lizzie realizes, the truth unfurling and crystalizing before her eyes. and the blue calamus pulls her deeper, demanding honesty like a lighthouse beacon guiding her to a treacherous shore. "it was … easier, i guess. to imagine that he could like me. someone who didn't know me. someone who didn't know all the mess and the drama and the chaos that follows me around like it's some kind of sick perfume." she laughs — a hollow, sharp sound. the sound hurts her own ears. but not nearly as much as her heart. "it was the idea of someone new. someone who could like me without seeing all my cracks."

in the back of their mind, they try to trace the memory of raf's smile. that easy, carefree grin that had seemed so different from the tension that strung them so tightly, so often. he'd been a blank canvas to her painted - over life, and she thought maybe if she looked at him long enough, his emptiness could fill her, replacing what had once been too much and yet, somehow, still never enough all the same. but they know now that it was just a dream, another desperate hope to escape themself. and what a childish thing that had been. what a lizzie saltzman thing that had been.

the honesty continues to spill out like wine on white sheets, staining everything. "i think i liked the idea of him more than i ever liked him. because it wasn't really him, it was what he could be for me. a fresh start. a new perspective. and … i wanted that so badly, i convinced myself it was love. but no, no … it wasn't. it was just … me." the silence that follows is thick, and lizzie feels almost like the air has turned to honey, slowing every heartbeat, every breath.

she can feel the truth sitting heavy in the room; a living, breathing thing that has finally broken free, stretching it's wings out and casting shadows on the walls. and they know, without looking, that everyone else can see it, too — this ugly, raw truth that is just them, just lizzie saltzman, uncut. no mask and no pretense. and maybe that's okay, maybe it's not. right now, it simply is.

lizzie hates that she said it, hates the way it hangs in the air, undeniable and naked. the blue calamus is relentless, dragging them to the edges of their soul, forcing them to peer over and stare inot the depths. and for a moment, all she can feel is that cliff. that horrible, sinking feeling that she's just fallen off, that she's just exposed a part of herself she never wanted anyone to see. vulnerability tastes like blood in her mouth.

but then, there's something else. something that feels almost like freedom. because now the lie is gone. the story she'd woven about raf is unraveling, and it's messy and it's painful, but there's something clean about it, too. something that nearly feels like a beginning. like the first step into a storm that maybe, just maybe, will be able to wash away everything and leave something better behind. so they sit back, pulling their shoulders up, squaring themself against the world, because they have to — because that's what lizzie does. she takes a breath, steady and slow, feeling the heaviness settle and the words fall quiet. for once, content just to simply … be.

| | | | 🩸 — curiosity hour, accepting.

[beachsidemaldives]

Discover Ultimate Luxury at Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

Kudadoo Maldives Private Island invites you to indulge in a fully inclusive experience where everything you could dream of is yours, anytime, anywhere. This secluded paradise isn’t just another getaway – it’s tailored to astound even the most selective traveler, offering an oasis meticulously crafted for escaping the routine of everyday life.

Kooddoo Island, home to the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort, operates its airport under the same name. This resort, a part of the renowned Accor Hotels’ Mercure brand, marks Accor’s debut in the Maldives, promising a new level of convenience and comfort for holidaymakers.

For travelers seeking swift transfers from their flights to luxurious villas within minutes, day or night, Kooddoo Resort presents an appealing option. Unlike the high-end exclusivity of resorts like Amilla Fushi, W Maldives, or Velaa Private Island, Kooddoo Resort is a 4-star property catering perfectly to middle-class guests.

In Kooddoo Maldives private island has a total of 68 villas, the resort boasts 43 Water Villas, 25 Beach Villas, and 20 villas featuring private pools. Kooddoo takes pride in its Sunset Overwater Pool Villas, which are claimed to be top-notch. Although not physically seen yet, the allure of the lagoon, ideal for snorkeling or enjoying a private sunset, adds to the appeal. Some Water Villas sit on the house reef, providing a unique experience. For those celebrating special occasions like honeymoons or anniversaries, reaching out to reserve a corner room might be worthwhile. However, room confirmations typically occur a day before arrival based on availability.

Situated amidst the Maldives map between the local islands of Vilingili and Maamendhoo, Kooddoo Island stands close to both, reachable within minutes by boat from their nearest points.

Gaa Alifu Atoll and Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, located in the southern region of the Maldives, boast rich biodiversity and a vibrant cultural heritage. While Dhivehi is the common language spoken by locals across the Maldives, this region features its distinct dialect, making it challenging for outsiders to comprehend the locals’ speech fully.

About Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort

The Maldives captivate with their pristine beaches, rich culture, and luxurious resorts. It’s a tropical paradise, boasting white sandy shores and crystal-clear turquoise waters that beckon beach lovers and those seeking serenity. Imagine putting a pin on your travel map for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – the Maldives promises a space in your heart. The Island of Romance exceeds all expectations with its natural beauty, drawing couples to create unforgettable memories. Think candlelit dinners by the shore, stargazing under a blanket of stars, and leisurely walks along the beach with your partner.

Among the many resorts, the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort stands out with its overwater sunset pool villas, fulfilling every traveler’s desires. These midscale water villas blend Maldivian tradition with elegant design, creating a comfortable and captivating environment. Picture yourself relaxing under palm trees, feet in the soft sand, surrounded by the stunning aquamarine waters – just some of the highlights at the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort. Located on the lush Kooddoo Island near Gaafu Alifu Atoll in the southern part of the Maldives, it’s a slice of paradise waiting to be explored.

Here is the list of the best resorts in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island.

Beach Villa

Overwater Villa

Over Water Sunset Villa

Beach Pool Villa

Over Water Sunset Pool Villa

Bedroom Family Beach Villa

Beach Villa in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

“Beach Villa Maldives” is a unique accommodation in the stunning Maldives islands. These villas offer an exquisite experience right by the turquoise waters and powdery white sands. They’re your haven, combining luxurious comfort with the beauty of the beach. Imagine waking up to the gentle ocean breeze and stepping onto your private terrace to witness breathtaking views of the crystal-clear waters. These villas often come with modern amenities and a serene ambiance, creating a perfect retreat for anyone seeking relaxation and the ultimate beachside escape in the Maldives.

Overwater Villa in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

An “Overwater Villa in the Maldives” is a magical haven suspended above the glistening turquoise waters. These villas are like your private sanctuary, perched atop wooden stilts above the ocean’s surface. Imagine waking up to the gentle lapping of waves beneath your estate and stepping onto your private deck to witness the mesmerizing expanse of the sea. These villas often boast luxurious amenities, including direct access to the crystal-clear waters for a swim or snorkel right from your doorstep. It’s a dreamy escape that combines luxury and the natural beauty of the Maldives, offering an unforgettable experience above the tranquil waters.

Over Water Sunset Villa in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

The “Over Water Sunset Villa in the Maldives” is a breathtaking retreat suspended above the tranquil waters. These villas offer an incredible experience as the sun paints vibrant hues across the sky during sunset. Imagine unwinding on your private deck, feeling the gentle sea breeze while witnessing the mesmerizing colors of the setting sun reflecting on the water. These villas often boast luxurious amenities and direct access to the crystal-clear lagoon, creating an unforgettable setting to enjoy the beauty of nature’s evening spectacle. It’s a magical escape that combines luxury and the stunning sunsets of the Maldives, providing an extraordinary experience above the serene waters.

Beach Pool Villa in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

The “Beach Pool Villa in the Maldives” is your slice of paradise by the sea. These villas offer a luxurious blend of beachfront living and a private pool steps away from the powdery white sands. Imagine waking up to the soothing sounds of the waves and taking a refreshing dip in your pool while basking in the island sun. These villas typically boast modern comforts and direct access to the pristine beach, creating an unforgettable experience where luxury meets the beauty of the Maldives’ coastline. It’s a dreamy escape offering the best beachside living and exclusive relaxation in your private oasis by the sea.

Over Water Sunset Pool Villa in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

The “Over Water Sunset Pool Villa in the Maldives” is pure enchantment suspended above the azure waters. These villas redefine luxury with a private pool and an unparalleled view of the breathtaking sunset. Picture yourself relaxing on your deck, surrounded by the gentle lull of the waves as the sun paints the sky in mesmerizing colors. These villas often boast lavish amenities and direct access to the serene lagoon, creating an unforgettable experience where luxury meets the captivating beauty of Maldivian sunsets. It’s a haven where you can savor the best of both worlds – indulgent relaxation and nature’s awe-inspiring spectacle, all from your private oasis above the tranquil waters.

Bedroom Family Beach Villa in Kooddoo Maldives Private Island

The “Bedroom Family Beach Villa in the Maldives” is a perfect sanctuary for your family’s getaway. These villas offer a cozy and welcoming space right by the beach, designed to accommodate families seeking comfort and togetherness. Imagine a spacious bedroom layout where everyone can unwind and create lasting memories amidst the beach’s serene surroundings. These villas often provide modern amenities and easy access to the sandy shores, making it an ideal spot for families to enjoy quality time together. It’s a haven where the beauty of the Maldives meets the warmth of family bonding, creating an unforgettable retreat by the sea.

Food & Dining

Alita Restaurant, nestled within Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort, offers a delightful dining experience with indoor and outdoor seating. Alita serves up delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners from this vantage point overlooking the pool and the mesmerizing aquamarine waters of the reef. Indulge in diverse flavors and cuisines, all within reach as you dine in comfort.

For themed dining nights, there’s a palate-pleasing lineup at Alita: Asian Sundays, Seafood Mondays, Sri Lankan Tuesdays, BBQ Wednesdays, Mediterranean Thursdays, Maldivian Fridays, and International Saturdays.

At the Pool Bar in Mercure Maldives Kooddoo, unwind on a cozy lounger by the poolside while soaking in mesmerizing sea views. Sip on traditional cocktails, creative mocktails, international beers, wines, spirits, aromatic coffees, teas, refreshing juices, and soft drinks.

Experience the vibrant Vistas Gastro Bar at Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort, perched over the water with an unbeatable view of the island’s stunning sunsets. This lively spot is perfect for a laid-back evening, with a pool table and a separate karaoke room. Enjoy an array of delights, including TWG teas, Merki coffee, signature cocktails, mocktails, and soft drinks, and be captivated by the breathtaking sunsets.

Your dining experience at Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is nothing short of extraordinary. Start your day with a floating breakfast in your private pool, savor breakfast and lunch on a secluded island while your waiter ensures impeccable service.

Indulge in unique dining experiences such as the Floating Morning Breakfast, the Lobster Night Dinner, and the Romantic Private Dinner, adding a touch of exclusivity and romance to your once-in-a-lifetime getaway at Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort.

Activities in Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort

Exploring the Depths: Scuba Diving

Dive into the vibrant marine world of Gaafu Alifu Atoll, renowned for its rich biodiversity, promising you extraordinary adventures in the Maldives. At Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort, SuvaDiva Divers, our PADI 5-star dive center, unveils an underwater paradise teeming with sharks, sea turtles, and rays amidst the vast blue lagoon. Please note that prices are in US dollars, including a 10% service charge and 12% GST. Insurance is mandatory.

PADI Scuba: $100 (1 boat dive with instructor + 1 lagoon training)

PADI Bubble Maker: $100 (1 lagoon pool dive)

PADI Discover Scuba Diving: $130 (1 lagoon, one boat dive & pool lesson)

Riding the Waves: Water Sports

Embark on thrilling water escapades amidst the Maldivian waters.

Windsurfing: $50

Catamaran: $50

Jetski: $100 (rental for 30 min)

Wakeboard: $25

Kayak: Complimentary

Stand up Paddleboard: Complimentary

Celebrate Special Moments

Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort crafts unique packages to make your romantic celebrations unforgettable. Our coordinators ensure every detail is perfect – from welcoming massages at Suvadiva Spa to intimate ceremonies with traditional Maldivian music and private seafood dinners on the pristine beach.

Suvadiva Spa offers specially curated couple massage packages, allowing you both to unwind and connect.

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions vary based on the package.

Inclusions may encompass:

Airport greeting

Welcome drinks

Accommodation choices

Breakfast at Alita Restaurant (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)

Lunch buffet at Alita Restaurant (12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Afternoon snacks at Alita Pool Bar (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)

Mini-bar service for guests on All-Inclusive package (11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.)

Variety of beverages

Snorkeling and non-motorized water sports

Wi-Fi access

Exclusions might include:

Local transportation

Private events

Private dive instructors

Domestic flight tickets

Opting for an all-inclusive stay at Maldives resorts grants you access to many amenities—meals, accommodations, and activities. Discover more details on the Baglioni Resort Maldives official website. Among global tourist destinations, Maldivian water villas stand out for their uniqueness, especially the Overwater villas, essential for an unparalleled Maldivian vacation experience.

[mrm101]

Update: The deorbit retro burn was conducted at 20:44UT (21 Feb) followed by return capsule separation. Landing was at 21:40UT in the USAF Utah Test & Training Range (UTTR). There was no coverage of any kind, but hopefully some pictures later. The capsule will now be returned to Los Angeles and the vials of Ritonavir will be shipped to partner 'Improved Pharma' for characterisation. Hypersonic flight data was shared with NASA and USAF. Another mission is planned later this year.

Update: Second of three burns conducted to change orbit for landing early this morning (21 Feb), no time or details given, raising the apogee of its orbit. The final burn should be the retro burn for landing. No time has been given by Varda or Rocket Lab but the FAA has between 21:05 and 21:32UT listed on its Operational Plan.

Landing tomorrow (21 Feb) will be the return capsule of Varda Space Industries W-1 'Winnibago-1'. The first of four (so far) spacecraft designed to autonomously produce 'things' in microgravity and then return the results in a small, 2.5m (3ft) diameter capsule. The products in question are things like silicon for microchips and pharmaceutical products. This first one has been producing Ritonavir crystals, a drug commonly used as an antiviral medication for HIV and hepatitis C (the reentry capsule itself can also be used to test new designs of heat shields, hypersonic sensors or communications systems etc). It was launched along with 71 other satellites on one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 (232) rideshare missions called Transporter 8 on 12 June 2023. It had been due to return in September but the FAA refused to issue a reentry license because the paperwork had not been filed correctly between them and the USAF who own the landing site (not surprising really as this would be the first such licence issued to a commercial company). Varda had been looking to land in Australia instead when the FAA granted the license on 14 February. It will be landing at the USAF Utah Test & Training Range (UTTR), the same place that the OSIRIS Rex return capsule landed, but no landing time has been posted yet.

The spacecraft and capsule have been built, and is being operated, by Rocket Lab, based on their Photon spacecraft but launched on a Falcon 9 rather than their own Electron rocket. The capsule and Photon spacecraft are pictured during launch assembly, the cylinder at the back is the multiple payload adapter ring of the Falcon 9, so the craft is the gold bit. Pic: Varda/Rocket Lab.