#keith is the seeker

[bluemantics]

Everyone knows Keith is an adrenaline seeker. He’s the poster child for jumping into a reckless situation, fire at his back and danger at his front, a blazing comet that won’t let anything stop his path.

What people don’t realize is that Lance is cut from the same cloth. It wouldn’t be a proper rivalry if it wasn’t interesting, if Lance couldn’t rise to Keith’s raging passion. If Keith is a blaze through the night sky, Lance is a tsunami, a buildup of deep-sea pressure before a volcanic eruption.

He’s felt this way long before Voltron. When he was a kid, he desperately yearned for the feeling of a plane landing. While most gripped their armrests and sucked in a breath, he’d lean forward into the sensation, the bumpy tug at his heart as he floated for just a moment.

Maybe that was why he wanted to fly so badly.

He’d first flown on an airplane when he was 12. His mother had seen the starstruck look in his eyes, the way his hand itched as the plane took off. Helpless to stop him she’d instead directed him to the pilot, who gave him a junior pilot badge. God, Lance had been thrilled.

Voltron hadn’t done much to mitigate his desire for danger. If anything, it kept delivering thrills in small doses and then removing them, leaving him chasing something intangible.

He’d seen the fear flash in his teammate’s eyes when he pulled reckless stunts on those rare occasions he’d erupt. After a particularly dangerous one, Keith had even lectured him in front of the whole team. The irony of that hadn’t been lost on Lance. If only Keith knew the easiest way for Lance to chase that gut-swooping, all-consuming, addicting feeling was by chasing Keith himself.

Their push-pull dynamic electrified Lance from the inside out. Sometimes, getting a rise and a challenge out of a Keith was enough to satisfy the fire that tugged at Lance’s ribs. Occasionally even that wasn’t enough for him.

That’s how Lance found himself at Keith’s right hand, riding the comet’s tail. In some ways, Keith’s presence started to relax Lance’s relentless thrum. In others, it only worsened it. But unlike before, when he’d been blindly staggering after an intangible thing, Keith was perfectly solid and real.

Later, when the war ended, Lance was able to bask in their push-pull for what it really was: balance.

[maybe-moonchild]

CH4 𓆣 James Potter x Slytherin Reader summary: the first match of the season arrives and you receive the last name 'POTTER'. wc: 6.3k ⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ

The first Saturday in November arrived and you were so nervous that you couldn’t eat breakfast. 

You’d barely been able to sleep either, having arrived at the dining hall earlier than necessary. Every nervous drum of your fingers against the table did nothing to calm your nerves. Absentmindedly pushing your eggs around your plate did nothing for your appetite to return.

Lance was in the same boat like usual, always a bundle of anxieties before each game. He was the picture of overthinking. His leg bounced before you finally nudged it with your knee. When you quit, Keith quit without a second thought. He’d been the Slytherin seeker, having spent the past five years going head to head with Lance to go after the snitch. 

“This is weird, huh?” Keith sighed as he slipped into the seat across from you. The two of you shared a grimace while Lance barely hummed in response. “I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t playing on game day.”

“First game. Fifth year,” Lance droned. “You had detention.”

Pausing from reaching over our friend, Keith considered that before shrugging. That checked out, you hadn’t won that game which had been a massive disappointment for your house. 

“Sounds like you’ll be catching a lot more snitches this year,” he teased and dropped eggs on his plate.

Lance mumbled something in Spanish. The only thing you could make out was something like ‘bite me’.

You nudged Lance's plate in his direction to get his attention. “Stop freaking out. They have a new Slytherin seeker. How good can they be?”

The Gryffindor shot you a flat look, “You’re  literally freaking out too.”

“So?” You scowled. “Different reasons.”

Keith tossed a breakfast potato at both of your heads to divert the tension. It was a weird morning and the last thing anyone needed was more weight hanging over the results of the match. 

“You,” he pointed at Lance, “Stop spiraling. I helped with tryouts last year, unless our house has been harboring a secret quidditch star, you're fine. They were all awful.”

Your smug look vanished when it was your turn to be pointed at. “You, also stop spiraling. If Gryffindor loses, Kaston never even needs to know you were involved. There. Now pass me the bacon.”

It didn’t take long for Remus and Peter to join you, soon followed by the other star players, Sirius and James. You were holding it together but every second that ticked closer to the start of the game just made the dam of panic harder to contain. 

“I’ll make sure to send a bludger directly into Kastons face,” Sirius winked as he slipped between Remus and Lance.

“Focus on the plays Black.”

James chuckled as he squeezed to sit beside you, nearly spilling Peter’s orange juice to make room. "Now, now, Padfoot," he said with a grin. "We want to win this match fair and square. No need to stoop to Kaston's level."

The atmosphere at the Gryffindor table was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The first game of the season was always a big deal, and this one especially so, with the tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin running high this year.

Somehow, the act of Remus elbowing Sirius in the side looked incidental. “Don’t get disqualified in the first game of the season. You already know how thin of ice you're on already with McGonagall.”

“Watch it you tosser,” he muttered around a mouthful of breakfast. 

“Oh my god, please don’t get disqualified,” you groaned, covering your face in your hands. Someone clapped you on the shoulder but you didn’t bother to look up. “Why am I so nervous? I never got this nervous the past six years and I’m not even playing.”

“Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to catch the snitch in the first five seconds since I’m no longer up against Keith,” Lance joked, grinning at the bored looking Slytherin at his side, donned in his jersey. Keith always got Lance’s good sweaters considering he hoarded most of them the entire year. 

You were content enough to watch the game in the red and gold scarf, paired with the matching mittens. 

James tried to give you a reassuring smile, hoping to ease your worries. When you still hadn’t looked up, he sighed and lifted your head with one hand. "We'll do fine," he said, his tone comforting, yet determined. "We have practiced our asses off, and we know all of Kaston's tricks."

He knew this game was important to you. To him it was maybe even more personal than just... house pride.

“Now shush and eat something so you don’t make yourself sick. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

You held his gaze, glowering under his cheerful watch. James just leaned over you, his arm grazing yours as he dropped your favorite muffin on your plate. Letting him win, you picked up your muffin in defeat in the hopes that his good luck would continue and translate to the score.

“If I wasn’t so desperate for you to win,  I’d hope your karma comes in the form of a quaffle to the head,” you grumbled back,voice lacking any real bite.

“Here, I’ll hand feed you. Hand me your fork.”

“Taking it back. I hope you win and get a quaffle to the head.”

Eventually the players needed to head down to the locker rooms to get ready to warm up. The groups said their goodbyes, exchanging words of encouragement before splitting up. 

You joined the players, no one batting much of an eye that you were hanging around after you’d been doing it the past two months. 

“Kastons aim is better when he has the chance to be still. Odds are, if he’s not stopped, he’ll hit the bludger at the closest player, specifically to his left,” I rambled, going over what I could for the hundredth time in the past few days. “Simmons is faster when going up and to the right. When going to goal, aim down and left. Oh! And-”

James listened to you intently, his expression focused as he tied his shoes and pulled on his jersey. He knew how important this information was for the upcoming game, but at some point, what was done was done. There was no more drilling and studying that could be done besides applying everything he knew. 

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he glanced over at you, "I got it, I got it," he assured you, a hint of playful teasing in his tone. "I've got it down, don't worry."

He stood up and stretched, turning to face you fully. At some point over the past two months, his physical touch no longer felt foreign, his hands coming to grasp your shoulders until you relaxed. 

James smiled at you, eyebrow cocked as he waited for you to crack. It only took a few seconds before you folded, finding it impossible to do anything but bite down on your lip in semblance of remaining stoic. But James knew he had you when he grinned proudly. 

It was hard not to believe in him when he looked so damn sure of himself. 

Despite how obnoxious you’d always found him, you actually enjoyed spending the past few weeks scheming and strategizing. 

And as much as you hated Elias Kaston- which you did vehemently with a white hot passion- if he hadn’t ran you off the Slytherin quidditch team… well, you wouldn’t be standing there, face inches from James’s very pretty one. 

You liked being there. 

Seemingly satisfied that you were no longer about to fly off the handle, he stepped back to continue getting ready for the match. The match you had to believe he was going to successfully lead his team to win.

“I know. I know that. You’re… you’re great.” When you realized what you’d said, your eyes widened and you stuttered to correct yourself. “At quidditch. You’re great at quidditch and you’ll be fine.”

Damn it, the damage was already done. James couldn't help but grin as you corrected yourself, a mischievous glint flickering in his eyes. 

"What was that? You think I'm great? Sorry, did I hear that right? You did use the word great, yeah?" 

At the realization you’d just made his ego swell before your eyes, you hang your head in defeat. 

“Oh, I'm never going to hear the end of this,” you groaned under your breath, arms folding over your chest as you leaned back against the locker. 

Sirius grinned as he passed, “Oh you are certainly not.” You scowled when he clapped you on the shoulder. The two boys exchanged nods, Sirius first as if giving his friend the okay to do something. You were a bit too distracted taking a breath to calm your nerves that were threatening to bubble up again. 

Most of the team had either already slipped oJames reached for his bag, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out the extra jersey. He held it up, presenting it to you as he stood up from the bench.

"Here," he offered, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. "You better wear this and cheer extra loud for me. A good luck charm for us." 

out of the locker room and onto the pitch, the space growing quieter but the sound rising as students filled the stands. That was your cue to find the rest of the group and take your seat. 

James took a breath and reached for his bag, rummaging around for a moment. "Here," he offered, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. You barely managed to catch it as you held it up, inspecting it with furrowed brows.

It was his spare jersey. The shirt was the exact same as yours had once been, aside from the red and gold material and the name POTTER stitched on the back. You’d barely registered what it was before looking up to see James already back towards the door.

"You better wear this and cheer extra loud for me. A good luck charm for us." 

“Why?” you blurted out. All you received in response was a shrug, cheeky grin and a wink before he was gone, the curtains of the tent flapping closed behind him. That was it; he was gone and it was just you and his jersey remaining in the locker room. 

That was totally on purpose. 

You scoffed, mouth falling open in disbelief. “That asshole.”

For a while, you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything but stare at. The material was familiar in your hands, making you frown as you studied it like it would make everything make sense. 

If you put it on, you were accepting something. You just didn’t know what that was. That was what scared you. Putting on this jersey wasn’t the same as throwing on one of Lance’s generic sweaters in support of the Gryffindors.

You wouldn’t just be supporting their house; you would be supporting James Potter specifically. You would be broadcasting that support right on your back. 

Not wearing it… well, it would be rude not  to wear it…

You were quick to strip off Lance’s scarf and toss it into his locker, slipping James’s jersey over your head. Maybe if you somehow did it fast enough, it wouldn’t have happened by your own doing. Like magic. 

Finding Peter, Remus and Keith in the sea of red took longer than you anticipated. It was a struggle to track their faces through the giddy students nearly bouncing in their seats. You pushed through to join them, ignoring their shared and knowing looks as you took your seat.

You had maybe three, whole seconds of peace. 

Keith grinned, his smirk widening as he studied the jersey you were wearing. "What's this? Trying to show some Gryffindor pride?" He teased playfully, bumping your shoulder with his own.

“Shut it.” You didn’t even turn in his direction, focusing up at the players warming up around the pitch. 

“Just saying.”

“You also ‘just said’ that there was something particularly softer about Lance’s sweaters-” your mumble was cut off by a playful swat of your head but you didn’t miss the pink flooding Keith's cheeks. 

“He doesn’t use magic to wash his clothes, they are softer.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You waved a dismissive hand in his direction, your eyes narrowing in Kastons direction when you saw him flying around. “I get it. I’m a real cheerleader.”

Remus, who was sitting on your other side, raised an eyebrow. While he said nothing, you knew he had something to say. Whatever it was, he kept it to himself and pretended to be very interested in the players above your heads. 

“Well, we are happy to have you in the stands with us today,” Peter said warmly as he leaned forward, flashing you a smile that you returned wholeheartedly. 

Watching the place you had once been spent all of your free time hurt, but not as badly as you’d anticipated it to. There was a flash of a moment that your eyes stung, throat constricting around the fact that your time playing quidditch had come to an end. As quickly as it came, it was gone; because it was okay. 

You’d get over it, you really would. That was clear now. 

You also had more fun with quidditch the past two months than you had the past six years. No one had undermined your abilities or ideas, your efforts were appreciated, taken into play. It just felt right. While you were a good player, maybe you were a better coach when you had a receptive team. 

James hovered in the center, running over your notes and information in his head as he accounted for all of the Slytherin players. His teammates worked on practice drills, warming up and exuding tenacity. 

The sight of you wearing his jersey caused a wide grin to spread across his face, and he fought hard to keep his focus on warming up and not swooning. The knowledge that you were proudly donning his jersey to watch him play had his heart racing with adrenaline.

Sirius' laughter rang out from where he was circling, slowing to a stop beside James. "You know, you’re  probably going to be insufferable after the game," he teased, his eyes glinting with amusement.

James couldn't help himself. He smirked up at Sirius, his eyes gleaming with a fire that couldn't be contained. "Oh, absolutely, Pads. I'll be riding this high for weeks. No, months. I'll ride this high for months."

A wry smile tugged at Sirius’s lips. "Months, eh?" He asked, arching an eyebrow playfully. "Are you sure it'll be months and not years?"

"Probably," James agreed with a nod, his cocky grin widening. He glanced down, his gaze resting on your form once again. Your eyes darted around the players, making it clear you were running plays through your own head like James was doing himself. Occasionally, you’d lean over and murmur something to Keith, directing him towards a Slytherin player with a nod of your head. 

James could get used to his name stretched across your back and he wasn’t even scared of that thought anymore. 

Gryffindor played with a ferocity and focus they had never played with before. Their plays were clean, flight patterns direct and intentional as the Slytherins struggled to catch up. They didn’t even know what hit them. Every move they made was calculated, as if they knew exactly what would happen next. Which they kinda did, thanks to you. 

James was unstoppable, relentless as he flew around the pitch, scoring goal after goal

Kaston's frustration was evident on his face and in his flying, his anger growing and making his bludger hits erratic. He lost control on where he was sending them and they rarely met their mark. 

You cheered. You cheered with every goal, cupping your hands around your mouth to yell with the crowd. The energy was electric and you were not disappointed at the experience. 

You couldn’t place the exact Kaston figured it out. At some point he had, likely when he saw you repping ‘Potter’ on your back and realized that all of Slytherin’s tactics had spread to their rival team. Which was why Sirius had to block three bludgers that Kaston had tried to hit into the stands, another attempt to take your head off and you weren’t even playing. 

No one seemed to notice that it was intentional aside from you and your friends around you. The game had become ruthless and fierce, with every score against Kaston sending a wave of pride and excitement through the crowd. The tension was palpable, the atmosphere charged with the intensity that was building between the players.

You were on the edge of your metaphorical seat when Lance and the new Slytherin seeker caught sight of the snitch. Given the score, 130 to 40, you expected the fight to catch the snitch would be more intense given it normally was between Keith and Lance. 

But no, Lance left him in the dust; easily weaving through the game in pursuit. 

And then, the moment you had all been waiting for – Lance finally caught it. The crowd went wild, cheering and screaming as the Gryffindor team surged forward, celebrating their victory. Your section erupted in celebration, the energy infectious as they all stood to cheer and yell in celebration.

You nearly lost your footing when Remus, Keith and Peter slung their arms over your shoulders, their whoops and hollers making you laugh. 

He had done it- well the entire team worked for the win- but James was the one that delivered his promise. He led his team to victory, kept his end of the deal to humiliate Kaston and his team after what they had done. They swarmed their captain, clapping for themselves and their performance. 

James, grinning brightly on his broom, shoving his dark hair off of his forehead and clapping his team on the back, had never looked more like the sun. 

There was a collective wince from the crowd when Kaston slammed right into James on their descent. You gasped as the force of the impact sent both boys tumbling to the ground. It didn’t stop there as Kaston and James grappled in the grass, their limbs twisting in a dangerous dance as both fought to regain control.

Your eyes were wide, completely taken aback at the blatant violence from your old teammate. Remus didn’t miss a beat, shoving at your shoulder to get you to move. 

“Go. Go. Go,” Remus urged and you moved, pushing Keith forward who complied. The four of you shoved through the crowd and down down the stands, all of the students starting to cheer or boo depending on their hoped outcome of the fight. 

By the time you got down there, fists were flying. 

Everyone was yelling as you jogged over, both teams adding fuel to the fire as they circled the altercation. Sirius was not attempting to hold James back, instead chest to chest with Alder as they shoved at each other. Lance was shouting to calm the two of them down but no one seemed to be listening. 

You slowed to a stop, hands flying to cover your mouth at the sight of James; his usual happy go lucky demeanor something else entirely. He was nearly unrecognizable, grappling on his back before managing to get the upper hand. 

Keith intervened first, like always, to run and step between Lance and Alder. Remus was moving forward in an instant, focusing on yanking Sirius back to keep the violence from spreading. You just stood there, unable to move. It wasn’t like you could really help at this moment.

Kaston's eyes were filled with fury as threw James off of him and onto the grass. "You think you've won," he spat, his voice laced with anger. "You think she's won this game for you. But you've got another thing coming."

"You think you can get away with that?" James shouted, his voice echoing across the field. "You'll pay for last year you Git!”

He moved fast, launching himself at the Slytherin captain with a violent intensity. A sickening crack echoed through the silence as his fist connected with Kastons’ jaw, sending him stumbling backwards with a pained cry. Your hands flew to cover your mouth in shock, unable to move from your spot beside a wide eyed Peter. 

Kaston roared in pain and anger, launching himself into the fight with a feral growl. He pounced forward, landing a hard punch of his own into James’s nose with a satisfying crack.

"You think you're above me, Potter," he growled, hatred seeping into every word. "But you're just a lucky prat with a pretty face. And she-“

James stumbled back from the intensity of the hit, his teeth gritted as the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Anger flared through him like wildfire, his vision tinted red as he launched himself at Kaston once more. 

"Shut. Up," James growled, his breath coming in quick, shallow gasps of air. His nostrils flared as he wiped his bloody nose on his forearm, his expression filled with rage. "Don't you dare mention her," he snarled. "Do you know what I'm going to do to you, you filthy rat?"

Sirius and Remus were trying to separate the two, but they weren't having much luck. Sirius pulled at James, trying his best to pry him off of Kaston. "James, snap out of it!" As Dumbledore and McGonagall, followed by Slughorn, crossed the field in a concerned hurry, you were at least thankful that no one was swinging anymore. 

Lance helped keep James at bay with the others. You were hardly surprised that Keith was trying to keep Kaston back, only because he didn’t have to be gentle with the asshole. 

Tension seemed to be dying down, the fire in their eyes starting to diminish as their flared nostrils turned to panted breaths. You were stunned and maybe you shouldn't have been considering Kaston tended to speak with violence. 

Kaston managed to make note of you, his eyes finding your place in the crowd. 

“Enjoy the mudblood, blood-traitor.” His sneer revealed his red tinged teeth before he spit near your feet. 

You sucked in a breath, stiffening at the word like it had delivered a blow to your own face. It set James off again, the boys stopping him mid lunge from landing another blow. 

"You don't get to speak to her like that," James seethed, his voice low and dangerous. He felt a fire surging through him, his teeth gritted, his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

But Remus held him back firmly, his eyes dark with anger. "Prongs, enough," he said, his voice low but stern. "You need to calm down."

“What on Earth- Potter! Mr. Kaston,” McGonagall shrieked, her voice cutting through the chaos. All of the spectators in the crowd barely quieted themselves but the players on the field were happy to fall still. “Enough! Both of you, to your locker rooms now!”

James’s shoulders heaved up and down but, without tearing his eyes away from Kaston, he let his friends tug at him until his feet moved. 

From the pursed lips and set stance of your professor, she clearly was livid, containing her emotions until she unleashed them later. Most likely that rage would be directed at Kaston because he had thrown the first punch and called you something no one should ever be called. 

“Both of you will report to my office immediately after you are presentable.”

It seemed Slughorn was in agreement as he curtly nodded, looking flabbergasted at the behavior of the new quidditch captain he’d picked for the Slytherin house. As if on cue, he caught your eye. Slughorn frowned and you looked towards the ground. It wasn’t like things couldn’t be pieced together now; why you’d turned down his offer to resume your position as captain for a second year after being so successful. 

If you could lift your head up, then you would've seen the matching frowns on Dumbledore’s and McGonagall’s faces, the two of them likely putting together the same events. 

The two groups retreated as they were told. Despite spending the past hour standing out in the November chill, you were hot all over. You watched James’s back, watched his head turn and he caught your eye. Instantly, the fire in his eyes seemed to dim immediately at the sight of your distress. 

James’s blood still boiled with anger and anger consumed him, but he forced himself to look away. He didn't want to see the look on your face – he didn't want to see the disappointment or disgust. He couldn't bear it.

And then he was gone, successfully shoved through the curtains of the Gryffindor locker room by Remus. 

“What the hell just happened?” you breathed out, eyes trained on the spot he had just disappeared. Only Peter remained at your side, the other boys having followed James to follow McGonagall orders. 

"Bloody hell," Peter muttered under his breath. "James went mad. I’ve never seen him so angry before."

Now that the show was over, the students' excitement began to settle, their interest no longer obtained as they trickled out of the stands. You glanced at the professors speaking in hushed tones as they huddled together. As soon as you made eye contact with McGonagall, it was clear that you were a part of their conversation. 

So you nudged Peter and nodded towards the exit. “Come on. Let’s head back and wait for them.”

It was almost an hour before Lance and Keith spilled into the Gryffindor dorm room, sans one James Potter. You and Peter had opted to sit on the beds in quiet- well you were quiet- quiet and appreciative of Peter filling the silence in an attempt to brighten the mood. 

They informed you that after James’s cool down, he’d gone off to have a stern talking to with McGonagall before being sent to the infirmary. It was clear by your fidgeting that you were dying to go there to see him.

You weren’t sure whether you wanted to hit him yourself or-

Oh. 

Oh.

Clearly you must’ve been more shaken up than you had thought if… kissing him… had been… instinctual…

That was weird.

Waiting around became too much after two minutes but no one seemed surprised when you shoved off the bed and out of the room. You had to remind yourself not to run through the halls, especially when the occasional student passing by glanced in your direction. The need to see him, see that he was okay and why he didn’t stop fighting him and ask him why you felt so overwhelmingly concerned for his stupid well being- you just needed to see him. 

You might've over compensated with your enthusiasm, shoving open the infirmary door a bit harder than you intended. You almost stumbled into the room, catching yourself before actually tripping. When you looked up, there were three pairs of eyes already on you. 

James sat up straighter immediately, his eyes wide in anticipation of your presence. His jersey had been exchanged for a dark colored sweater and jeans. That served as a reminder that you were still clad in his own jersey, the sleeves rolled up so you didn’t drown in its size. All traces of blood had been wiped from his face, his perfectly messy hair indicative that he’d showered before Madam Pomfrey cared for his injuries. 

There was little evidence of the fight at all. Aside from the faint bruises on his cheek, jaw, and nose that were already healing. You still were impressed with the magic of healing in the wizarding world.  

“Hi,” you said lamely.

Sirius had to look down in an effort to not laugh, receiving a subtle kick from Remus to shut up. 

James couldn't help but feel a tinge of anxiety as you took in his injuries, feeling self-conscious as your eyes studied his face. He still was unable to look away as he tried to guess what was running through your mind.

Perhaps you were disappointed or even disgusted at his behavior. 

“Hi,” James returned just as breathlessly. 

The boys exchanged a look before getting to their feet. If your presence wasn’t enough of a sign to leave you alone, then the long stare the two of you shared only solidified that their presence was unnecessary. Their movement in your peripheral finally made you look away and clear your throat. 

“Hey.” You greeted them again as you approached the bed just to break the quiet. 

“Hey, hey, hey! Look who it is!” Sirius called out, a beaming grin crossing his face at the sight of you. "The mastermind behind our win!”

From across the room, Remus raised an eyebrow and glanced at James, giving him a knowing look. He missed it entirely since he was too busy staring at you. Sirius' eyes twinkled with mirth as he greeted you with a mock salute to break the ice.

You shook your head, “No. That was all you guys. Congratulations. You played really well, cleanest game in a while.”

“Cleanest game I’d seen. Well, up until Kaston got his blood all over the field-”

“Padfoot, out. Now.” Remus just groaned silently, ensuring you and James that they would see you later as he pulled a pouting Sirius out of the infirmary. 

For the past hour, you hadn’t been able to get your brain to shut off. Memories had been playing on a loop, plaguing your mind with images of James’s head snapping back or the glob of blood tinged spit landing in the grass at your feet. 

But now, standing there in front of him, you couldn’t think of a single thing to say. 

You expelled all of the air from your cheeks just so there was sound before dropping down on the edge of the bed. A sudden urge to reach out and touch him shot through your nerves, insisting that you brush the hair from his forehead, to trace his split lip with your fingertip. Purple ebbed along his knuckles, matching the purple on the bridge of his nose under the frames of his glasses. 

“I think this was proof enough that you truly are the most dramatic person I’ve ever met.”

His shoulders sagged in relief, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, despite the pain that still coursed through him. He let out a soft chuckle, his eyes shining with warmth. You did the same, peeking up at him from your lashes to confirm some of the tension had broken. 

Your quiet voices carried along the stone, the empty infirmary lacking any audience. Kaston must’ve been recovering separately to prevent any more altercation. 

"What can I say," he shrugged, an easy grin spreading across his face, "if I'm going to get myself into trouble, I at least want to make it memorable."

“Oh, I’m aware.” You leaned over him to pick the half melted ice pack up from the table, tossing it between your hands absentmindedly. “How much detention did you get?”

"Oh, you know me, just a week's worth. Got an earful of it from Minnie.” He reached over and snatched the ice pack from your hands and placed it back on his shoulder, wincing at the cold. “Just her usual ‘hitting is wrong even if deserved’ and ‘leaning more on your back leg will land a harder hit’.”

There was more damage hidden under his sweater, the sling on the end table was evidence of that. You grimaced at the sight, guilt tugging the smile on your face into a frown. He’d really gotten hurt at the end of the match, hitting and getting hit in front of the entire school. 

You looked down and sighed, “Sorry. This shouldn’t have happened. That was… oh god… that was bad and you shouldn’t be sitting here like this.”

James shook his head instantly, looking somber as he scooted down the bed to sit next to you. 

“Hey, don’t apologize. I wanted to hit him, and he deserves it, honestly. He’s a prick. I should’ve done it before."

His hip brushed your lower back as he settled closer. your breath would’ve caught in your throat but you were too distracted by him reaching out to touch your chin. You let him nudge your head in his direction, reluctantly meeting his eye, unable to look away. 

“Can’t say I’m not jealous,” you snorted softly. “I’ve been itching to hit him since first year.”

Not trusting yourself, you kept your hands clasped together in your lap, attempting to suppress the urge to touch him back.

"Jealous? No need to be. I'd be happy to lend you my services any time. Just say the word, and I'll hold him down so you can land a hit or two.”

And then he smiled. 

Your stomach did that thing, a flipping sensation that you always associated with nose diving on your broom. Pulling up at the last second kept you from smashing every bone in your body. The risk only made the thrill more intense the longer you could go before giving in. 

Right then, you were well aware that you were horribly and irrevocably fucked.

James' hand didn’t fall away when you looked down at the comforter. He only secured the home of his touch on your face, cupping your jaw with the faintest of touches. 

“Congratulations, by the way,” you said after a long second, voice softening unsurely under his stare. 

"For what? The fight or the win?" he asked, ducking his head to try and meet your eye. James got quieter as he found it harder to bite down his smile. "For being so great?" 

You rolled your eyes but the flat look you tried to give him was far too fond to do any damage. All it did was make you aware of how close the two of you were. 

“All three. It was great,” I breathed out, leaning into his hand as we sat side by side on the edge of the infirmary bed. “It was really great.”

"Not as great as seeing you in my jersey." His hand on your cheek grew firmer as he allowed himself to feel the warmth of your skin against his fingertips.

Your head was beginning to spin, thoughts tangled in a dizzying mess of questions and desires. But amid the chaos, one thing remained clear: you enjoyed being with him, more than you ever had thought possible.

James Potter had an ego the size of a lake, but a heart to match.

James’s leg dangled off the edge of the infirm bed, the toe on his hightop grazing your own. The other was tucked under him, adding more contact between his shin and your thigh. The two of you had spent the past two months bumping elbows, his chest brushing against your back when he’d lean from behind you to read something over your shoulder. 

At the beginning of the year, his touch made you tense, you’d hold your breath until the moment passed. Along the way, it stopped feeling like your heart was thrown off the top of the astronomy tower as you formed a routine together. 

This was different. This was intentional. 

You wondered if he could feel how hot your face was under his palm. It was almost embarrassing, how you felt like one of the first year girls that would giggle with their friends as he ran past. It would’ve been embarrassing if it didn’t feel so good. So you leaned your head into his hand.

“You make no sense. It’s like, anytime I think I have you figured out, I realize I have you all wrong, again.”

With a cocky grin, he leaned in towards you, his face mere inches from yours. "Ah, but that's what makes me interesting, isn’t it?" he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Keeps you on your toes, keeps you guessing. I'm a complete mystery. I don't even understand myself sometimes." 

You scoffed and he leaned a bit closer, the warmth of his breath now brushing against your cheek. "But isn't that what makes me so fascinating?”

“I still think the most fascinating thing about you is how you manage to get your massive head in the air with your broom,” you murmured.

“Oh, you thought my head was big before? Just wait until you see how big it is after I do this.”

James closed the distance, his mouth finding yours with ease. His thumb slid under your chin to tilt your head back, allowing him to lean further over you. 

You’d had your fair share of kisses over the past few years, but none had ever felt like this. This was like drinking liquid luck until you got sick. You gripped his collar, pulling yourself closer and he was happy to wrap an arm around your waist to tug you closer. 

Every sense was heightened, the touch of his mouth sending your mind spiraling. Everything faded away, the world narrowing down to the feeling of his tongue swiping your bottom lip, the slight weight of his hand resting against the side of your neck, the sound of your own uneven breaths.

This was what it must have been like to taste the sun. It was like laying under an open window and basking in the early morning light on the first day of summer. Tangling your hands in his hair was like growing roots into the earth as it orbited around the sun.

You were burning alive and nothing had ever felt better. 

The two of you pulled back after what felt like both an eternity and no time at all, your breathing ragged and eyes wide. You searched his face for any sign of dislike and were ecstatic when you couldn’t even imagine what that would like on his face. 

Not when the two of you were breaking into smiles. 

If you had thought James Potter glowed before, now he was blinding.

“Yeah,” he drew out and brushed your hair behind your ear. “I’m about to be insufferable now that I’ve finally done that.”

quid pro quo master list here

[cherrywrites626]

Fighting Chapter 35 Sneak Peek

Friday classes could not end soon enough.

Even with the two back-to-back, delicious little stress relievers his roommate had obliged him the evening prior, Lance was still wound so tightly with excess energy he practically could not sit still for more than a handful of minutes at a time without wanting to leap up and go run endless laps or something around Black Lake to help him cool his jets further. 

Quidditch often had that effect on him, so it was no surprise there.  Once the final games began in earnest, he was bouncing off the walls of the school and finding himself incapable of settling for long periods.  Especially the day before a momentous occasion such as Hufflepuff annihilating Slytherin.  Who wouldn’t be excited for that show?

That it was also roughly a year from the time Shay was first injured and had to step down as the team’s goalie only seemed to ignite within him a burning need to see Rosier fail spectacularly, and anything that could put that git in his place was worth buggering a few spells and making his wand retaliate against his inability to focus properly.  

By the eighth time it had done it in Charms class alone, he was glad for the reprieve of not needing the blasted thing for the remainder of the afternoon where Herbology was concerned.  At least Longbottom never demanded they do complicated spell work on the eve of such a highly anticipated match the entire school was abuzz with similar excited energy.  Not that the field of study ever used a lot of wand magic, anyhow, but that was beside the point.  

It would be his bad luck they’d run into one of the snakes in the hall that day.  The fifth-year Seeker brat Livius Greengrass wasn’t even part of their rotation, and yet he still somehow managed to appear out of thin air beside the two of them as they headed in the direction of the courtyard after lunch at a time when good little students should have had their nose stuck in a book or something considering the alternating schedules different years upheld to ensure there wouldn’t be a lot of students flooding the halls at any given time to create undue reasons to stop and have a chat between classes.

“Hey, Kogane, do you have a minute,” the brat asked as he sidled up beside the two of them, not even bothering to hide the way he refused to so much as spare him a fleeting glance to indicate that he was part of the equation in the least.

If Lance didn’t already dislike the kid for the simple fact he was a rival player, the obvious crush he had on Keith would have likely gotten him there sooner or later.  Knowing him, probably sooner.  It was hard to enjoy watching other people encroach on his territory no matter who or what that encroachment entailed.

How his roommate was oblivious to any of it was beyond him, but you’d think the brat would’ve realized he was barking up the wrong tree long before his attempts to seek out future contact for the hell of it became pitiful to watch.

After their trip to the infirmary to check on the boy had proven his theory as solid with the way his pale cheeks flushed with shy embarrassment when Keith said they just wanted to make sure he was doing okay and see if he had any requests to fulfill in the meantime while Pomfrey kept him a few extra hours to check over his injuries, they’d found themselves the unlucky recipient of a few more surprise encounters over the course of the next week plus that always managed to get his hackles raised all the way up to his ears.

Far be it from him to point out when innocent childhood crushes began to border on the obsessive stalking side of things.  Lance would know that fact better than anyone, he’d done quite similarly to the very same person for years without ever really knowing why, and that was exactly why it pissed him off to no end to see some dorky shrimp of a boy wander over and attempt to usurp him as the most cringey prat who ever had a big dumb crush on Keith fucking Kogane.

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

Read the latest chapter here and don't forget to look for this one dropping around May 5th, give or take!

[sparklingmusicofstars]

i wish we know more about the Hamefura Character in Fortune lover counterpart 😫 do you have any thought about it? Like their personality and story more.

Hello,

I honestly think we know quite a lot of things since Catarina often compare her friends with their game version. And for what we know about them :

To make it shorter Geordo was your typical perfect prince who can do anything with ease but with a sly, twisted and short-tempered personality hidden behind an angelic smile (he was also quite emotionless) He was using people to get what he wants including his fiancée Catarina who he was finding very boring and was just polite with her because of their status. Alan was the selfish, spoiled, arrogant and tsundere character, he loved his fiancée Mary as nothing more than a cute little sister so he was only kind to her and he hated Geordo. Keith was a frivolous and lonely playboy, son of a prostitute who had an affair with his father, a nobleman. and Nicol was the calm, taciturn and impudent character, he also has a "sister complex".

Catarina, Geordo's fiancée was spoiled and arrogant (much like Alan). She was very proud of her status as a noble. She was very selfish and considered Geordo as her property (quite ironic) Her parents had a cold relationship during her childhood because of a misunderstanding that worsen after her adoptive brother arrived. Her father was very doting towards her. Though it wasn't explicitely mentionned it seems that, like Mary she was the very image of a noble lady because she was aware of her status as a noble lady. She is closer to her mother in the game.

Mary became the very example of a noble lady to become worthy of Alan whom she fell in love with as a child. She is a kind and dignified woman. Though she has a strong personality in the game it's nowhere as much as now. She care a lot about her fiancé's happiness to the point of even breaking their engagement for him to be with the one he loves and bless their union. Sophia was a bookworm and a shut-in in the game because of her appearance that a lot of people considered scary and because of that she thinks badly of herself. She was a very shy and reserved child but she was quite possessive toward her brother because of how much she loved him. And Maria was the perfect heroine, she was smart and hardworking and knows how to cook. Though she is a lonely and is a bit a bit of an attention seeker.

Sora, in Fortune Lover II, is a laid-back man with a seductive aura. He has a very dark past that he isn't very proud of, which he would then reveal to the heroine after they become close. His past makes him act like quite the playboy, as he is used to women that cling to him.

Dewey, Cyrus, Raphael and Cezar are the same as in the game.

As far as I am concerned I think that we know quite a lot of things about the original versions of the first main characters in the game but not much about charcters that came after. Though most of the time it's because it didn't change.

If you want to know more you can read the side story "Verge of doom" where everyone has their original personality of the game.

[unknownnullified]

Part 3: Uttara-Ashadha Nakshatra and the Exploration of Identity/Multiplicity of Selves

Starring Tom Hanks (Uttara-Phalguni ASC), Halle Barry (Krittika ASC), Hugo Weaving (Purnavasu Moon) etc..

"Cloud Atlas," directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer (Krittika Sun), is a cinematic adaptation of David Mitchell’s work (Uttara-Ashadha Sun, Swati Moon), a novel of the same name. The film spans multiple timelines and interweaves several narratives, each showcasing how individuals' actions reverberate across different lives and eras. The film beautifully illustrates the concept of karma, where the actions of individuals in one lifetime influence outcomes in subsequent lives. This aligns with the idea of the Vishvedevas as embodiments of cosmic order, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all beings and the perpetual cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that Bharani Nakshatra is confided to delve subconsciously and consciously. "Cloud Atlas" suggests that all characters, regardless of the epoch they inhabit, are part of a singular, collective consciousness. This mirrors the Vishvedevas, who represent not just individual deities but a unified divine presence that transcends individual identities.

Halle Berry being a fixed entity plays multitude of roles in each timestamps of the film. It extends with Hugo Weaving, Tom Hanks, James D’Arcy etc., the only two actors who only plays one singular role in the film are Actors Ben Whishaw and Donna B. Each character's journey underscores how one’s actions can inspire and shape the lives of others, even across vast temporal distances. This theme resonates with the philosophical teachings associated with the Vishvedevas, highlighting the enduring impact of one’s deeds on the fabric of existence.

The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing (1849)

Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess Krittika Sun): An American lawyer navigating the morally treacherous waters of colonialism in the South Pacific. Ewing's existential journey signifies a burgeoning awareness of ethical imperatives, as he grapples with the abhorrent realities of slavery and exploitation. His transformation embodies the spiritual awakening of the soul, aligning with the universal quest for empathy and justice.

Autua (David Gyasi Uttara-Ashadha Sun): A Moriori slave whose resilience and quest for liberation serve as a catalyst for Ewing's moral epiphany. Autua’s plight epitomizes the struggle against systemic oppression and the inherent dignity of the human spirit.

Letters from Zedelghem (1931)

Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw Sun Chitra, Jyestha Moon): An aspiring composer whose artistic ambition leads him into a dynamic interplay of love, betrayal, and creative expression. Frobisher's correspondence unveils the transcendent power of art, illuminating its capacity to forge connections across temporal boundaries. His magnum opus, "The Cloud Atlas Sextet," serves as a metaphysical bridge, linking disparate narratives and reinforcing the film's exploration of the eternal nature of creativity.

Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent): A venerable composer who exemplifies the avarice and moral vacuity that often accompany artistic genius. His character serves as a cautionary tale regarding the ethical ramifications of exploitation within the creative domain.

Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery (1973)

Luisa Rey (Halle Berry): A tenacious journalist who embodies the archetype of the seeker of truth, delving into the treacherous influences of corporate malfeasance and environmental degradation. Luisa’s unwavering commitment to justice mirrors the spiritual warrior's journey, as she endeavors to unveil hidden truths that threaten the sanctity of existence. Her narrative underscores the interconnectedness of ecological and humanistic concerns, advocating for a harmonious coexistence.

Haskell Moore (Keith David): An executive emblematic of systemic corruption, whose efforts to obfuscate the truth illustrate the moral dilemmas inherent in positions of power. His character serves as a foil to Luisa’s virtuous quest.

The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish (2012)

Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent): A self-absorbed publisher whose comedic misadventures in a nursing home evoke existential reflections on aging, autonomy, and the absurdities of life. Cavendish's evolution from a state of denial to one of acceptance resonates with the spiritual journey toward enlightenment, as he learns to embrace the fragility of human existence and the inevitability of mortality.

Dame Judi Dench (as the nurse/Hugo Weaving): A figure of compassion amidst chaos, representing the redemptive power of kindness and human connection, essential elements on the path to spiritual awakening.

An Orison of Sonmi~451 (2144)

Sonmi~451 (Bae Doona): A genetically engineered fabricant who transcends her programmed existence to attain self-awareness, becoming a symbol of resistance against dehumanization. Sonmi's awakening encapsulates the spiritual imperative of liberation and the reclamation of identity, emphasizing the ethical dimensions of technological advancement. Her revolutionary narrative serves as a clarion call for consciousness expansion and awakening in the face of oppression.

Commander K (James D'Arcy): A manifestation of authoritarian control, whose character embodies the existential struggle between individuality and systemic subjugation. His moral ambivalence highlights the complexities of power dynamics.

Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After (2321)

Zachry (Tom Hanks): A tribesman in a post-apocalyptic landscape, grappling with fear and superstition. Zachry's spiritual journey toward enlightenment reflects the archetypal hero's quest, as he learns to navigate the remnants of a fractured world. His eventual connection with Meronym signifies a transcendence of fear and a movement toward unity and understanding.

Meronym (Halle Berry): A representative of a technologically advanced society, Meronym's quest for knowledge and connection symbolizes the potential for reconciliation between disparate cultures. Her character advocates for a holistic understanding of existence, embracing both the past and the future.

The Uttara-Ashadha natives are profoundly engrossed in the contemplation that our existence may be fundamentally reduced to a dichotomy of soul and corporeal vessel. The soul, posited as the grand, unseen architect, orchestrates the intricacies of consciousness, enabling its journey through dimensions that are not only foreign but also transcend the familiar, ultimately guiding one towards the ultimate verity: that the soul embodies an indomitable essence, impervious to annihilation, while the temporal corporeality is but a transient guise. This is why the teachings encapsulated in the Bhagavad Gita resonate with such profundity, for they unveil the stark realities that dismantle the deceptive illusions perpetuated by the matrix and by Maya who only precedes to use her powers in order to keep you safe from the truth that inherently will have you extremely frightened and who constricts our access to this profound truth combined if one isn’t liable to have this powerful truths. This revelation bears the potential to either unravel one's psyche and cultivating serenity amidst physical adversity, compelling the individual to persist in realizing the spiritual objectives essential for the soul's manifestation within the physical realm, thereby facilitating its progression to higher states of existence. We shall delve later into the intricate correlation between Uttara-Ashadha, the penultimate Nakshatra, and the final celestial entity within the pantheon of constellations, namely the Abhijit Nakshatra, aptly translated as "The Unconquerable Star." This luminary, intricately linked to the Vega Stellium, serves as the genesis for the profound concepts of Krishna Consciousness and Christ Consciousness, illuminating the spiritual landscape with its transcendent significance. The next progression will be the Shakti of this Nakshatra

[usafphantom2]

VX-9 ‘Vampires’ F/A-18F Super Hornet Brandishes Heavy Air-to-Air Loadout During Gray Flag 2024

David Cenciotti

AIM-174

The heavy loadout, featuring four AIM-174s, three AIM-120s and two AIM-9s, first spotted on “Vandy 1” at the beginning of September, was not a one-off test.

In September, we reported on a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet from VX-9 “Vampires” showcasing an unprecedented air-to-air loadout, featuring four CATM-174B, three CATM-120, and two CATM-9X missiles, along with a targeting pod and an IRST (Infrared Search and Track) mounted on an external fuel tank. What made the photos taken at Naval Air Station Point Mugu especially notable was that the heavy loadout was carried by “Vandy 1,” BuNo 166673—the flagship of the Vampires squadron. This aircraft sports a unique black livery celebrating the squadron’s 30th anniversary, inspired by the classic livery of VX-4 commander’s F-4s and F-14s, which previously bore the “Vandy 1” callsign.

The heavy loadout, featuring four AIM-174s, three AIM-120s and two AIM-9s, first spotted on “Vandy 1” at the beginning of September, was not a one-off test.AIM-174B

Interestingly, this configuration wasn’t a one-time test. On September 24, 2024, “Vandy 1,” again equipped with the same extensive air-to-air loadout, joined a VX-9 F-35C and a 422nd TES F-15E in a photo session over the Point Mugu Sea Range, marking the conclusion of the Gray Flag 2024 exercise.

From September 17-23, Gray Flag 2024 brought together U.S. and allied forces, alongside academic and industry collaborators, for a large-scale, joint testing event hosted by Naval Test Wing Pacific and VX-9 at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, California. This year’s event saw participation from over 3,000 personnel across the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force, executing more than 60 test initiatives. With roughly 600 aircraft sorties and more than 26 distinct systems tested on the ground, Gray Flag highlighted the vast scope of multi-domain capabilities under rigorous evaluation. Conducted on the expansive 36,000-square-mile Point Mugu Sea Range, operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), the event used Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) test elements to simulate advanced, multi-domain combat scenarios in a controlled, realistic environment.

“Gray Flag 2024 was an unparalleled opportunity to bring together diverse branches of the military, academic institutions, science and technology experts, and allied forces,” said Capt. David Halpern, Naval Test Wing Pacific commodore.

The range of participants enabled realistic evaluation of system interoperability, informing future requirements and tactics across domains. Importantly, allied involvement was integral to the event, reflecting the coalition-based approach crucial to real-world operations. Rear Adm. Keith Hash, commander of NAWCWD and Chief of Test at Naval Air Systems Command, emphasized that integrating and operating with allies remains a strategic priority:

“The U.S. Navy operates within a global warfighting ecosystem. To deter aggression and uphold freedom of the seas, we need to test alongside our partners, just as we operate with them.”

AIM-174B

As we’ve detailed in recent months, the AIM-174B missile is a variant of the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) repurposed for air-to-air engagements. Originally designed as the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM), the SM-6 serves as the U.S. Navy’s primary long-range anti-air and anti-missile defense solution, integrated with the Aegis Combat System on Navy vessels.

The SM-6 ERAM is a key asset in the Navy’s long-range air defense strategy. Derived from the RIM-156A SM-2ER Block IV airframe and equipped with an active radar seeker from the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the SM-6 is capable of reaching Mach 3.5 and has a range of 200 nautical miles in its ship-based form.

While traditionally ship-launched, the SM-6 has been tested in air-launched configurations as early as 2018 and again in 2021 on other VX-31 Super Hornets, but only this year has its deployment accelerated, with further involvement from operational units.

In April 2024, an F/A-18 was spotted carrying the AIM-174, then, on Jul. 2, 2024, an F/A-18E Super Hornet belonging to the VFA-192 “Golden Dragons” was photographed taxiing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, carrying two AIM-174B missiles marking the first appearance of the missile on a frontline platform during RIMPAC 2024. At the beginning of September, images of VX-9’s Super Hornet carrying four AIM-174s mounted on both inner and middle hardpoints, along with AIM-120s set a new benchmark for its air-to-air load capacity. Additionally, the ASG-34A IRST integrated on the fuel tank complemented the Super Hornet’s radar, providing advanced tracking capability in electronic warfare or radar-denied settings.

While details on the air-launched AIM-174B’s maximum range remain unclear, it is likely to exceed the surface-launched version when launched at altitude and speed, positioning it among the longest-range air-to-air weapons in the U.S. inventory and filling the void left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix.

Officially acknowledged in July as operationally deployed with CVW-2 aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the AIM-174B’s availability in IOC (Initial Operating Capability) extends the U.S. Navy’s reach in long-range engagement. Although publicly seen with only inert and training versions, live missiles are likely already available in the fleet.

As we explained in a previous post:

With the induction of the AIM-174B into service, the U.S. Navy joins a number of air arms capable of deploying an extra-long-range beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), like the MBDA Meteor, the Russian R-37M and Chinese PL-15 and PL-21. In fact, the AIM-174B enables the U.S. Navy Super Hornets to engage targets at much greater distances than is currently possible with the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Integrated with the E-2D, F-35, and AEGIS within the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) system, the AIM-174B would extend the Navy’s capability to intercept aerial targets at ranges comparable to (if not greater than) those achieved against naval targets using the baseline SM-6.

In essence, this new missile fills the gap left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix. The AIM-54 was a long-range air-to-air missile used by the U.S. Navy’s F-14 Tomcat and retired in 2004 alongside the F-14. Known for its impressive range of over 100 nautical miles and multiple-target engagement capability, the AIM-54 left a significant void in long-range engagement capabilities.

While there wasn’t a direct replacement for the AIM-54 Phoenix in terms of range, the U.S. military has been developing advanced air-to-air missiles to enhance its fighter aircraft capabilities. The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is one such development intended to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Although not a direct replacement for the AIM-54 Phoenix, the AIM-260 aims to offer improved range and performance compared to the AIM-120.

@TheAviationist .com

[sparkythefirefly]

Voltron gang Hogwarts houses

(Don’t come for me, this is just my opinion)

Hufflepuff: Hunk, Coran (professor)

Ravenclaw: Pidge,

Gryffindor: Lance, Shiro (professor)

Slytherin: Allura, Keith

Lance, Pidge and Hunk all met on the Hogwarts express when Lance was running to get on the train and almost tripped and got left behind. Hunk caught him and pulled him on to the train and introduced him to Pidge, whom he had already befriended.

Despite all being sorted into different houses, they always found time to hang out together.

Lance starts his “rivalry” with Keith the first time Gryffindor and Slytherin went against each other in Quidditch and Keith caught the Snitch. (Keith is a seeker and Lance is a chaser)

Hunk becomes friends with Allura when Coran introduces the two, and Allura begins to hang out with Hunk, Pidge and Lance.

Alternately, Pidge befriends Keith when she finds him trying to activate the Three-Eyed Witch passageway to Hogsmede and helps him. He begins to hang out with her often, and she introduces him to Hunk, Lance (whom he didn’t know he had a “rivalry” with) and Allura.

Allura is snooty and entitled towards Keith at first on account of him being Muggle-Born, but quits when the other three talk to her about it.

Lance starts crushing on Allura in his second year when they’re in charms class. Allura is called on to do a demonstration and executes it flawlessly.

Coran teaches Muggle Studies and is head of Hufflepuff house.

Shiro teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts, and is head of Gryffindor house.

Shiro caught Keith trying to run away one night during Keith’s 1st year, and despite being head of Gryffindor, took him under his wing.

Coran is close with Allura because he was close friends with her late father, and practically raises her outside of school.

Lance becomes friends with Keith when they accidentally find the Room Of Requirement together and share a heartfelt moment.

Hunk and Allura became Prefects in their 7th years.

Lance and Allura date in year 7, but quickly break up due to constant arguing, disagreements, and distrust between the two.

At the end of year 7, Lance and Keith confess to each other and date.

Allura, Lance and Coran are purebloods.

Hunk, Pidge and Shiro are halfbloods.

Keith is muggle born.

[lhs3020b]

The General Election Fallout Post

Hello again; I, uh, forgot to visit Tumble Dot Com for a bit.

Anyway, I'm back. For now, at least.

And yes, Election Day has been and gone. So let's start with some anti-Tory schadenfreude: ROFL, LMAO, LOL, get fucked, idiots. Good riddance, rust in pieces, you will not be missed.

Unfortunately, the overall political picture is - well, let's be honest, for a massive anti-Tory defeat it's ended up more bleak than I would have considered likely.

Unfortunately, the Tories didn't quite collapse in the way I hoped - they had a very bad night, but they're still the official Opposition, so the party will survive as a corporate entity. And that means we'll probably get it back at some point, which I'm not exactly thrilled about.

Meanwhile Labour managed to produce the most flimsy landslide anyone's ever seen. I say flimsy because actually, they took fewer votes than they did in 2019 - remember how our good friends the wise and all-knowing centrists assured us that that was a true sin unto the ages, and we should all hang our heads in shame and never be seen in public again? Yeeeeaaaaah. Your boy Keith did worse, guys. Meanwhile, Labour's fraction of the actual vote-that-was-cast was ... actually not great, either, at 34%. While he won, it's clear he's not loved.

Yes, that's right, their performance is barely a percentage-point better than 2019. And, uh, about 10 percentage-points down on what the Very Serious And All-Knowing Opinion Pollsters claimed it would be. So yes, there's been another fuckie-wuckie from the pollsters; unfortunately, as they technically got the headline result right (if none of the details), I suppose they'll get away with it :(

(Rewards for failure; it's very on-brand for the 2020s, isn't it?)

The only reason last night's landslide happened was because the Tory 2019 voter-coalition disintegrated (though, not as far as the pollsters claimed it would - honestly, we're overdue a period of silence from those guys).

In fairness yes, Labour get to form a government and yes they have a huge majority. But, what they pulled off yesterday will only work once - there will be no second Tory collapse - and their economic plans in particular have some ticking timebombs under them. A hint: what if the GDP Growth Fairy doesn't visit these sceptred isles after all ... ? How will Starmer's leadership ratings cope once their fiscal rules force them to deliver another austerity budget? What will they cut? What public services or government departments will simply stop?

TBH I wouldn't be even slightly surprised if, even one year in the future, Starmer's ratings and his party's have imploded. Yes, I'm fallible and I could be wrong, maybe they'll land another massive landslide in 2029 - but I'm worried about the future.

This brings us to Reform, Nigel Farage's latest vanity vehicle/puppet party-shaped object.

Unfortunately, a lot of the ex-Tory vote went to Reform UK, and if there was any question that Refuck are actual full-fat fascists, then I think the recent mini-scandal put paid to that. (For those who don't know, some Refuck activists were recently caught on camera by Channel 4 News, literally calling for asylum seekers to be machine-gunned, demanding a police pogrom against LGBTQ people, and so on. In as many words. No dog whistles, no coded remarks or anything like that. It was literally - and horrifyingly - what it sounded like. A call for deliberate, directed State violence against minority groups. Centrists, please, if you can't see that for what it is, then please consider why that might be!)

So, given that Refuck have won 5 seats, we now have actual, unambiguous fascists in Parliament. And that was something that had never quite happened before - our politics could often be an awful cesspit but even during the worst parts of the post-2016 crisis we hadn't quite tipped off that ledge.

Not now. Yay us, I guess?

You can tell I'm not enjoying this post anywhere near as much as I wanted to, can't you?

Anyway, fuck the Tories, fuck their ex-MPs, fuck their remaining ones and as for the people who still voted for them in spite of everything, honestly, what's wrong with you? (Seriously - why? What do you see in them? They've done nothing for you. They spent lockdown pissed on expensive wine and laughing at you. Why are you still supporting them?)

The other news is that the Lib Dems are back. They've done a surprisingly-efficient job of turning votes into seats - in fact it looks like they barely wasted any votes anywhere, and so have managed to get from 12 seats to 71 - yes, 71! - while taking only about 12% of the vote. Well, credit where it's due, I suppose. And much as I will never forgive the Coalition for setting us onto the path of ruin that we're on, nonetheless during the campaign Ed Davey was the only person who actually seemed to be enjoying himself. It seems to have worked out - the LDs have had their best election result since the 1920s.

If you want to look for some (possible) rays of light in this mess ... well, the Green Party did relatively well. Their vote went up, and they now have four MPs, vserus 1 in the previous Parliament. (Full disclosure: I voted Green. I don't think they're perfect, I'm not a stan, but Sir Keith's "changed" Labour Party has obvious contempt and loathing for people like me so ... fine? We'll go our separate ways, then.) Much to my surprise, they came second in my constituency, which I genuinely hadn't expected. Apparently my vote was less wasted than usual, it would seem. And the Greens' growth happened in spite of them being resolutely ignored by the entire print and broadcast media, so apparently they don't need the media to keep making progress. It is possible that their growth could continue, and maybe another election-cycle might give us back a semi-worthwhile left-of-center opposition party ... but here I am committing the Sin of Optimism, aren't I?

Also, well, lots and lots of Tories are miserable today. Grant Shapps has had a case of the slaps, Rees-Mogg has been time-warped back to the 18th Century (honestly he'll probably be happier there, it's for the best for everyone) and Liz Truss got yeeted feet-first into the Sun. (Sorry, Sol.)

Also a lot of bootlicking newspaper opinion columnists are having a proper meltdown today, and that is genuinely funny. They certainly deserve no sympathy.

So yeah, the overall picture is a) good riddance to Sunak, b) fuck the Tories and c) oh dear goodness, it's somehow all still a mess.

[bopinion]

2025 / 07 - Catch up issue

Aperçu of the week

“After all, we now have so many strangers in the country that a Holocaust would be worthwhile again.”

(Marcel Grauf, parliamentary staff member of the AfD in a chat transcript)

Bad News of the Week

Two attacks shake the Alpine region: in Munich, a perpetrator deliberately drove his car into a crowd of people; in Villach in Carinthia, Austria, a man attacked others with a knife. In both cases, the crime took place in broad daylight. In both cases there were fatalities. In both cases, the attackers were Arab asylum seekers. As a result, the focus is almost reflexively only on the migrant background. Once again, a fanatical radical who has no place here. Close the borders!

This is happening at an inopportune time in both countries. There are elections in Germany next Sunday. And the more right-wing parties have managed to ensure that the political discourse is almost exclusively focused on the topic of migration - or even remigration, if the far-right AfD (Alternative für Deutschland / Alternative for Germany) has its way. In Austria, on the other hand, coalition negotiations have just broken down and new elections are on the cards. In which the already leading right-wing populists of FPÖ (Freedom Party für Österreich / for Austria) with their slogan “Build Fortress Austria” would gain even more support.

The mood is changing all over Europe. Arab-looking fellow citizens are increasingly becoming victims of prejudice, “knife men” and “headscarf girls” are still among the more harmless nicknames that have now become socially acceptable. The overreaction will not only make actual immigration more difficult, but will also act as a deterrent to highly qualified foreign specialists that Germany actually urgently needs. As we Germans are not having enough children, are an ageing society and the baby boomer generation will be retiring at a high cost in the coming years, we need almost half a million young immigrants who are willing to work hard for the labor market. That's not exactly good PR for recruiting.

Good News of the Week

The USA is currently rumbling through the Ukraine issue with heavy equipment. First, President Donald Trump says he expects Ukraine to provide rare earths worth 500 billion and that they should relinquish territories occupied by Russian troops. Then Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg justifies a phone call between Trump and his despot buddy Vladimir Putin, which was not coordinated with either Ukraine or the allies, by saying that his boss "wants to take the peace deal project into his own hands". At the same time, Defense Minister Pete Hegseth makes it clear during his inaugural visit to the Brussels headquarters of the defense alliance that the Europeans are expected to provide peacekeeping troops - without the support of the USA. Vice President J. D. Vance also confirmed that NATO membership for Ukraine was no longer an option. And then it was said by whoever that the interests of the Europeans would be taken into account, but that they would only be consulted and not directly involved in the negotiations. Boom.

From the perspective of an Ukrainian, I would ask myself whether these imperialist approaches from the other side of the Atlantic could be a sell-out of my country. The US plans and what Trump has negotiated are an “absolute strategic point victory” for Putin, analyzes ex-NATO strategist Stefanie Babst. It shows that an aggressor can commit war crimes and then be “rewarded” with a “bilateral meeting” with the new US president: “This means that we cannot be talking about any kind of peace agreement here, but ultimately about Ukraine's terms of surrender”.

To my great and positive surprise, the first thing this par force attitude with farcical aspects brought about was resistance. And from the whole of Europe. Volodymyr Selensky made it clear that his country could not be blackmailed and expected Europe to sit at the table during peace negotiations. And practically all of Europe forbade that geostrategic developments on their continent would be agreed over their heads. Solutions can only be found together, emphasizes the current EU Council President and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. That would indeed be an echo that neither Trump nor Putin would have expected: Europe more united than ever and armed with a solid self-confidence.

Personal happy moment of the week

I overlooked the holy florist holiday this year - Valentine's Day. But since my wife did the same, we were able to laugh about it together. So I was lucky...

I couldn't care less...

...about the ignorance and negligence that more and more countries are displaying when it comes to dealing with climate change. Only 10 out of 195 countries have submitted their climate plans on time in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Absurdly, this includes the USA, which will be pulling out. And not Germany, which still has a green party in government. But why should something work well in theory that fails in practice anyway?

It's fine with me...

...that Deutsche Bahn and the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) have been able to agree on a new collective wage agreement. Especially in winter, I don't want to have to read on the display board on a draughty platform that my train has been canceled because of a strike.

As I write this...

...I'm looking forward to a business meeting in the evening. To do me a favor, it's taking place in a restaurant where I really appreciate a specific meal. Since then I have been indulging in culinary anticipation.

Post Scriptum

I've been a few days behind with this blog since the beginning of the year and have only just managed to post my review at the end of the following week. Which is why it has been a little out of date recently. As there are federal elections next Sunday, which will bring fundamental change to Germany one way or another, I've kept this time rather short in order to be up to date again. Thank you for your understanding.

[still-not-over-transformers]

My Favorite Characters to Write For:

There are so many to choose from, but at my Spark I am a hardcore Transformers Prime fan. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I love a lot of other continuities too:

TFA:

Blitzwing (the 3 personalities are fun & it’s easy to be creative)

Megatron (…big mech, big shoulders, & that voice 😫)

Lockdown (obvious reasons)

The Seekers (they’re fun)

TFP:

Ratchet (I identify with him easily 😅 & writing for him is second nature)

Dreadwing (….I may have a bias :3)

Predaking (Yes I may have an unhealthy love for this smexy dragon-robot. He’s both commanding & sweet deep-down)

Skylynx & Darksteel (again… smexy dragon robots)

Knockout (Absolutely adore him. Easy to write for him)

Soundwave (…who doesn’t love him?)

Earthspark:

Megatron (Love love LOVE this version of him)

Bumblebee (He’s fun and I like him)

Nightshade (absolute adorable nerdy baby. They are a SFW ONLY!)

Tarantulas (Normally I kill any spider in my home, but maybe it’s the voice actor or his kind and understanding personality, but DAMN I like him okay? The mandibles are a little weird though)

Starscream (enough said)

Grimlock (….just saw his episode and KEITH DAVID?)

ROTB:

Mirage (duh…)

Bumblebee (again, duh…)

(Really wish there was a larger cast for ROTB)

[deersaints]

⤑ keith powers, 29, agender, they/them 𓇢𓆸 my my, if it isn't carnelian st. germain, my favorite witch in town. you know, though people say they can be rather overwrought and quixotic, i know they’re really effulgent and sedulous. but hey, what do i know? i’ve only known them for their entire life. if you need to get in touch, you can probably find them at their work as a manager & waiter at the rusty rail.

content warnings for... anxiety.

profile.

full name — carnelian laramie st. germain.

nickname(s) — carn; neil ( if you hate carn and want them to di– ); lars ( steven universe tease, only if you hate carn and want them to di– twice over ); laramoo ( mothers, affectionately; siblings, maliciously ); red.

place of birth — blackwater, colorado.

date of birth & age — june 30th, 1995, twenty9.

gender / pronouns — agender, they / them.

orientation — queer.

occupation — manager & waiter at the rusty rail, astrology bullshitter, tarot reader, amateur wizard ( virginal or not left to be seen, life school in wizards101 ), proud band member.

astrology — cancer sun, leo moon, libra ascending.

kind of being — witch.

abilities — spell - casting and potion brewing; communication with nature, minor healing. illusions and lunar - cycle based magic.

residence — a historical apartment in blue spruce commons; all creaking floorboards and rusted door hinges. used mostly to entertain and sleep. the ancient st. germain home in oldstone bend, time more often spent with family than on their own.

interests — punk and any variation of it, especially ska. any instrument involving blowing, strumming, or any variation of fondling. reading the daily horoscopes; shuffling tarot cards and pretending their word is law ( sometimes it is ). smoking in any capacity. crying during 80's power ballads. their family. the stars and all their constellations; moonlight. charging their crystals. landslide parties. camping, but only in groups of five. thrifting. hand - sewn clothing. cooking for others. curating mixtapes and playlists. native plants and animals to blackwater. underground raves. getting lost inside the woods. dungeons and dragons.

aversions — riding their bike into ditches and creeks for the 5th time that week. the come down after a particularly nice high. the color greige because it's fake and shouldn't exist. invasive species. the time they almost drowned in aforementioned creek. industry plants; both nuclear and hollywood. calling modern fans of punk "posers"; elitism. snobbery. their never - ending spiral of thoughts. seafood because they're too in land for it to be fresh ( usually ). not being listened to; their concerns being turned into mockery. thrill seeker behavior because they are not trying to die while white water rafting.

quirks — constantly drums their fingers against any surface present; whether it's a table or their own thigh. uses hand gestures often. bleaches their hair, lathers it in oil, then dyes it every week in a vicious cycle of damaged hair. accidentally ate selenite once; it wasn't a great time. cycles around instead of drives because it's better for the planet. curates playlists for every situation; including breakups. will send it to the person they're meant for.

most played — sound system by operation ivy.

notable features — more tattoos than bare skin; they seem to change everyday. charms sewn into every hemline, hanging from every piercing adorning nose and lip and brow.

general disposition — like they're about to shit themselves out of fear & excitement, maybe both. impossibly lanky for someone well - built.

character study — burton guster ( psych ) & seth cohen ( the o.c. ).

background.

the st. germains have lived in blackwater since the near - founding of the town; witchcraft born of the earth, their power was small but significant. once they made home in the mountains, the miner's luck increased; there were less animal attacks, better harvests. they've lived in the same house since the beginning; new sections built every year to accommodate their family's growth over the years.

somewhere in the 80's; their family grimoire - curated by their family for generations - was stolen by a rival family, an opposing coven. nothing more but a petty feud; the next generation of st. germains had to learn their magic from scratch.

anxiety; carnelian was born to that struggle, though their parents had made due with what was passed along via word and demonstration. their siblings - the lot of them - never seemed to struggle with their abilities. it came to them naturally, their specializations showing at a young age. carnelian was different; it wasn't so easy to them. their spells became laced with anxiety; tainted with it. things would go wrong; spell jars turning sour, fruit rotting off the trees.

while their magic was always weak - it strengthened considerably with the lunar cycle; the new moon was their enemy, but the full moon allowed them to channel it with relative ease. without the anxiety overpowering it. they began to practice in tandem with the moon, waning when it waned - waxing when it waxed. eventually, the stars begin to whisper down at them.

while their siblings are moving onto more ambitious things; ranging from recreating their family grimoire to getting it back from their rivals, to using their magic to help the community wherever they can - carnelian is talking to the stars. they guide their every decision; influence every magical decision. sometimes they feel like it's not the stars at all; but they push that feeling down. ignore it.

carnelian starts sleepwalking. it's subtle at first, waking up in different parts of the house. then outside. then across the street; then in the middle of the woods. each night it worsens until carnelian awakes atop a mountain, nothing but rocks beneath them.

they stop practicing magic after that; besides tarot cards and minor predictions, things that have no greater bearing - carnelian doesn't reach for the stars again. they want something from them - and they don't think it's something good.

details.

carnelian often feels like a magician more than anything else, reduced to cheap tricks and illusions to keep their magic at bay. anything else - and they overdo it, overwrought with anxiety. they're one of the weaker st. germains, and while it's never been a competition - there's that constant want to do more.

big on cleansing spells, good luck charms, crystals, the lot. their charms and trinkets are passed down, found from friends and lovers; hold weight to their meanings.

they will pick up any instrument handed to them with relative ease; has always been a natural musician, though they don't do much with the talent besides turn 80's synth pop classics into acoustic ballads. has cried during them before.

believes firmly in self medicating, prefers the feeling of melting into the backseat of a friend's van to the feeling of actually being present.

despite their friendliness and loyalty to their friends - carn is a natural skeptic. isn't quick to trust or believe others, but they're kind. always kind, always giving more of themselves than they should. the clothes off their own back kind of person.

carnelian is so nosy it's insane. purposefully seeks out information, if only just to hold it; doesn't spread rumors, or idly gossip - is a good secret keeper. they just like to know.

has a tendency to be self - righteous; thinks they know the best out of anyone, and can be a little arrogant in a way that isn't entirely annoying.

they're hopelessly idealistic, to the point where they're shit at advice. a big advocate of drop everything and follow your heart. they're indecisive themselves, often looking to their friends for guidance.

carnelian hates change, hates new things and new experiences. would prefer the same routine, the same life, over and over again. they don't cope well with loss, or shifts in their friendships.

[chirp-a-chirp]

Ikemen Prince/Vampire: Master List

Ikemen Prince - The Lion and the Light (Leon X OC Named Carla)

Transcendence (Also features Clavis)

Flickering Light (Also features Gilbert)

Seeker (Also features Clavis)

Simmer (NSFW 18+)

Ikemen Prince - Leon’s Tales (Leon X Emma/MC)

The Last Petal

Dating Problems

Bare (Also features Leon’s future daughter)

Free; Magic

The Lion Lives On

Your Love My Home (Domus Mea)

Breaking Point (also features Jin, Nokto, Yves, Sariel)

Ikemen Prince - Clavis’ Workshop

Transcendence (Also features Leon)

Cat-astrophe

The Song that Never Ends (also with Cyran and Chevalier)

Clavis Tries Resetting his Password Part I; Part II; Part III

A Hellcat and Devil Collaboration (Sariel, Clavis, and Yves)

A Day Off (also with Cyran and Emma); The Plural of Octopus Is...

Ikemen Prince - Short Stories & Headcannons 

How to Instantly Find the Princes (Jin, Chev, Clavis, Leon)

A Rhodolite Thanksgiving

Kitchen Carnage (Domestic Faction Boys)

Chibi Petshop

Fireworks (Leon, Clavis, Licht, Rio)

If Silvio and the Princes Ran a McDonalds

Oxymorons ; Alternate Descriptions

Dear Diary (Rhodolite Princes)

An Icy Treat (Jin, Clavis, Leon, Yves, Licht, Nokto, Sariel, Keith, Cyran)

Bittersweet (Jin, Chev, Leon, Nokto)

How the Beast Grieves (Domestic Faction Boys)

Dirty Pictures (Rhodolite Princes plus Gilbert)

Translating Passive Aggressive Emails (Most of the Princes)

Rhodolite Princes’ Reactions to Alarm Clocks

In His Arms (Rhodolite Princes); 

Rhodolite Princes as Squishmallows

Ikemen Vampire Stories

Revolve (Issac X MC)

Unwind (Comte X MC)

[rinterests]

keith only headcanons bc I love him sm and he deserves his own post

- he’s a hothead, thrill seeker, “dive in head first ask questions later” kinda guy everywhere except amusement parks. man fuckin HATES theme park rides bc “they pack them up and MOVE them!! They’re UNSTABLE!”

- he does NOT take his coffee black contrary to popular belief. he definitely doesn’t do it as sweet as lance does but he WILL take some vanilla syrup for a latte or a sweet cream cold brew thank u v much

- he’s tried knitting and it frustrates him. he doesn’t get how it’s ‘supposed to be relaxing’

- once the war is won and everything settles down, keith rlly dives into trying out a bunch of hobbies. He never had the chance to growing up being in and out of the system so now he’s doing Any Sport He Can Get His Hands On

- his mom drives him to “soccer practice” (it’s Keith and a couple friends playing a game for fun it’s not practice) just for shits n giggles once

this is all for now but trust me this will be reblogged w more at some point

[yzeltia]

Wolgraha Week

Day 5: Comfort Characters: Keith Summers, G'raha Tia Rating: Explicit Notes: CW Sex

“Raha. Raha, wake up,” Keith cooed, gently stroking his cheek as the Miqo’te violently thrashed in his sleep.

“No, I’ve been…I’ve,” G’raha panted, slowly coming out of his dream, feeling his love carefully stroke over his ears, “Keith! I’ve been shot! I need…I need…”

“It’s okay. You’ve not been shot. You’re in bed with me.”

Kieth lifted the other’s hand then placed it on his chest, giving it a little rub so that G’raha could feel his unblemished chest.  The Miqo’te laced his fingers with his boyfriend’s, shaking as he came down off the adrenaline racing through him from the dream. With a whine, the Scion turned to press his face against Keith’s chest, nuzzling lightly as he took breaths to calm down.

“So I am. The dreams, they feel so real…Like I am back in that body…everything feels so stiff.”

Keith hummed then leaned in, kissing the other cheek.

“No crystal here…or here,” he whispered, moving down to the other’s neck.

G’raha rolled onto his back, letting Keith toss their blanket off them as he trailed kisses lower, each one sending a rush of warmth through the Miqo’te, assuring him that he was all flesh and blood. His leg lifted up on Keith’s shoulder, he shivered then closed his eyes.

“I think you’ve made your point.”

“I’ve only just begun to make a point,” Keith chuckled, kissing the bottom of Miqo’te’s foot.

“None of that or you can go back to your own room,” G’raha huffed, ears folding back shly as his Hyur gave a little nip at his ankle.

“You would just grow restless and come after me.”

Keith leaned forward, cheeks red as he let his length graze over the top of G’raha’s, folding the other’s leg around his waist. The Seeker reached up, pulling the other on top of him as he raised his hips to greet him in full. “I am unsure how I feel that you’ve gone from babbling nervously at the mere mention of physical intimacy and now you fancy yourself an irresistible loverrr.”

Keith moaned softly, kissing up his lover’s chest as his hand slid down the other’s thigh and onto his ass, giving it a firm squeeze, “Am I not? I was trained to be by a rather enthusiastic teacher. A Scion of the Seventh Dawn no less.”

“Your attempts at flattering me are best spent focused elsewhere,” G’raha said, tilting the other’s chin to face him.

“You? I was talking about Archon Y'shtola,” Keith teased, grinning wide before leaning in for a kiss before being stopped by the other’s palm.

“Y-You are not funny! Not in the slightest Keith!”

“I’m a little funny,” the Hyur said under the palm as he shifted his hips, letting his length run down G’raha’s thigh and the flick upward beneath the Seeker’s orbs, “And I think I’ve provided ample distraction, Raha.”

The Scion flushed, feeling the other lift his hips and start to nudge against his entrance. “So you have…Though, maybe you should ground me further then.”

Keith nodded, shifting so that he might angle himself properly before feeling the warmth of the Miqo’te engulf him as he pressed forward. A moan escaped the Hyur as he lowered back down on top of G’raha, rolling his ships in shallow circles as he watched his partner’s face shift from strain to pleasure. Shaking, the Scion’s arms reached around him and pulled him down to bite on his neck.

“Careful,” Keith whined, “Remember how much we were teased the last time you left marks.”

“Let us be teased then.”

Keith groaned as he felt the other’s fangs move and dig back into his shoulder. He started to thrust absently, earning little whines out of the nibbling Miqo’te. A shudder escaped him as he felt run down his chest and drip onto the Scion. Heat spread through his body as the other tightened around him. G’raha’s bite lowered, fangs digging into the man’s clavicle as their bodies rocked together as he squeezed the other within him.

“Raha-ha…wait. No fair…I’ll…” Keith panted before pushing the other’s head back, kissing his love hard as his hand snaked down to grip the Miqo’te’s dripping length.

G’raha smirked in the kiss, lifting his other leg to wrap himself tight around Keith’s waist, gyrating around his cock while thrusting into his hand. He gave a playful bite to the Hyru’s lip, feeling the man flex within him in response. Growling, Keith rolled them over, laying on his back forcing the Miqo’te to unhook his legs and sit back on him. The Scion on top, he cried out, Keith angled now into his sweet spot.

“Now who isn’t playing fair,” the Miqo’te moaned out, tail raising as he bounced steadily while thrusting into Keith’s palm.

Keith chuckled as he caught his breath, free hand on the Scion’s thigh, digging the pads of his finger into his flesh before reaching up to lightly tweak at his love’s nipple. G’raha cried out in response, sitting firmly down on the Hyur’s length before tensing up as he was sent over the edge, painting Keith’s stomach and chest.

G’raha tensed up around him, Keith too came soon after, heels digging into the bed as he lifted the Miqo’te on his lap. Covered in the Miqo’te’s mess, he patted at his stomach then looked up to the flustered Scion. “All this ‘cause of me?”

“Shush,” G’raha ordered, tail thrashing as he crossed his arms and pouted, “Yourrr attempt to comforrrt me is appreciated but I’ve said many times that we need to be morrre preparrred. The bed is now a mess and I’m all wound up. By the time we clean ourselves and change I’ll be rrroused awake and then hungry. You’ll of course fall asleep with ease and when I go to wake you’ll be grrrumpy. Then-”

“How about this,” Keith interrupted, moving to the edge of his bed before standing with the Miqo’te in his arms, “Purr-haps we wash off and go to the purr-fectly unused bed in my cham-purrs.

“Enough mocking,” G’raha huffed before kissing the other as Keith walked them outside and around the corner, “That will be amenable though…Maybe we should think about finding a largerrr sweet in the Annex to sharrrre.”

“Sounds purr-fect.”

[bddypsn]

[HELIOS Rising Heroes] 1st Full Album; Drama Track "Big Brother Audition" — Translation

[Narrator Junior: Big Brother Audition]

Billy: Next!

Entry number 3 and 4, please enter!

Brad: What is this situation?

Gray: Billy and… Junior?

Billy: Brad-paisen*, Gray! Thank you for accepting my invitation! Come on, come on, sit in that chair over there!

Brad & Gray: Huh?

Billy: Welcome! “Lightning Boy Big Brother Audition”!

Brad & Gray: Big Brother Audition?

Billy: Hosted by me! Billy Wise, East Sector's big brother! Please take good care of me!

Brad: I can't read the story at all. When you asked for permission to use the briefing room, I thought you were just playing games...

Gray: M-me too. I mean, what happened to you, Junior? You look like something bad happened...

Junior: *Grumpy noises*

Billy: Lightning Boy has ve~ry mixed feelings right now… The reason is that his beloved brother is going away for a week!

Gray: What?

Billy: Lightning boy seems to have said "I'll have a good time, brother!". Even though they live apart from each other, it's rare that they can't get in touch for a week. He can't help feeling lonely.

Gray: Is that right, Junior?

Junior: Yeah. I’m holding back like crazy.

Gray: Huh, I can't believe Junior can't stand it, even though he usually would say “that’s not true”. He must really miss him.

Billy: By the way, it’s only been two days since his brother left on his trip.

Gray: What?

Billy: I could see that if we went on like this, we would be in trouble. So, I suggested an audition. The audition to find the perfect big brother to fill Lightning Boys loneliness while his big brother is away.

The participants were also chosen by me, with my own dogma and prejudice. But I also asked Lightning Boy what he wanted to see, and carefully selected the participants.

Brad: So, this is the situation. Since we are number 3 and number 4, you’ve already screened two people?

Billy: Yes! By the way, number 1 and 2 are Mr. Willson and Brother Gust.

Gray: I see, they are two of the representative big brothers of the 13th period. But it wasn’t settled there?

Billy: They both made a great impression on us. They each have their own merits, and they are tied for first place. But before we make a decision, I wanted to invite Brad and Gray to join us as well.

Entry number 3, Brad Beams-paisen.

The only big brother among the mentors, closest to Junior’s brother in age, and number one attention seeker.

Brad: Is… that right?

Junior: My brother is 29, so he's actually close to Keith and Dino too.

Billy: But I thought those two were a little less “brotherly” than Brad-paisen, so I left them out this time.

Brad: I-I see.

Billy: I'd like to ask a lot of questions. There is one first thing you want to know, Lightning Boy?

Junior: Yes… umm, well… can you call me every day?

Brad: …what?

Junior: I call my brother almost every day, we talk about what we say today, and some of our problems. When it comes to replacing my brother, that is the most important thing. Anyway… you can’t get over my real brother anytime soon.

Brad: H-hmm…

Billy: I think this is the best point. Brad-paisen, you must be very busy every day, right? I wonder if he would still have time to chat with you even if he got to the audition.

Brad: Yes, that’s right. If you don’t mind me calling you, when I got all the work done for the day.

Junior: How much is that? I'll be asleep by the time the date changes.

Brad: Sometimes after midnight.

Junior: Eh? Hmmm…

Billy: This is a downhill to Brad-paisen. He seemed like a strong contender, but I guess the disadvantage is that he is busy.

Brad: Why did they called me here?

Billy: Okay, entry number 4, Gray Reverse.

Gray: Yes?!

Billy: How about Gray? If you become a Lightning Boy's brother, would you like to chat on the phone every night?

Gray: W-well… are you usure you want me?

I’m not much of a caller, but if it would make you happy to talk on the phone with me… that’s fine.

Junior: Oh!

Billy: Wow! That’s great, Gray! He is suddenly a big lead! As expected, you are the dark horse* that I predicted! Yes, yes!

Gray: Eh? I’m the dark horse?

Billy: Thats right! Gray may not look like an older brother, but he is in fact the eldest son with a younger brother and sister!

Sometimes I felt him like a big brother when I’m with him.

Gray: I-I see. Thats a little embarrassing.

Billy: Hahaha! Now let me ask you a few more questions here to explore the power of big brotherhood for both of you.

Brad: Is there anything else?

Billy: Yes! Please continue, Lightning Boy.

Junior: What would you do if you were eating a snack and your brother said “I want some of that too”?

Brad: Snacks? What exactly? Is it something you and your brother both like?

Billy: Brad, you are very literal. You must be flexible and creative in this area.

Gray: I think I would split. If I had just eaten half, I would give them all the rest. That’s what I did with my actual brother and sister.

Junior: Ooooh!

Brad: Yes, I see.

Billy: Oh? Brad-paisen, you seem to be starting to think seriously about something. I wonder what is he going to say!

Brad: I will give everything to my brother and buy the same thing again later.

Billy & Junior: Eh?

Brad: That’s all.

Billy: Huuuh? I think I might have gotten an answer that was kind of skewed from what I expected.

Junior: But my brother does that too, once I told him I might like this, he'd buy it for me every time I said.

Billy: Wow! Apparently, it has struck a chord with Lightning Boy! Maybe he can catch up from here!

Junior: T-the next one! Would you be happy if your brother told you that you and him should have matching clothes? Or would you not like it?

Gray: I don’t think there’s any reason to say no.

Brad: Yes, I agree with you.

Billy: Oh! You have got an opinion. Let’s dig a little deeper… What is the acceptable level of matching?

Gray: To what point?

Brad: Any level.

Billy: Wow! You say that with confidence, don’t you?

Gray: Well, if my younger brother himself wants to match with me, I’d say “go ahead”… I’m rather worried if it is okay to imitate me.

Brad: It is a pleasure for the olders to be adored by their youngest.

Junior: Isn’t Brad acting a little different than he did earlier? You seem to be having second thoughts about it.

Billy: Huhuhu. Hey, Brad-paisen. I think the first question we asked would have a different answer not, wouldn’t it?

Brad: What?

Billy: What would you do if your brother wanted to chat with you on the phone every night?

Brad: We… can hang out as long as you want.

Billy & Junior: Wow!!

Billy: Phew!!!

We have completed the rounds of judging for the Lightning Boy Big Brother Auditions. As the results indicate, weren’t all the big brothers wonderful? I’ve heard that it's hard to narrow it down to just one. May I ask for a favorable review from Lightning Boy?

Junior: Sorry. It was too hard to pick just one, after all the trouble we went through to get them all together. But, I think every brother was seriously the best. I'm not going to throw away Elios, either.

Billy: You mean you have reliable brothers here, right? Yeah, I think that’s kind of a good summary. I mean, if you can't choose, why don't you just let everyone pass?

Gray: Sure, we don't have to pick any one person, we'll all play big brother to Junior. If that's what you want.

Junior: R-r-really?!

Billy: Wow! A big brother harem!

Junior: Big brother? Harem?!?!

Amazing!!!!

Billy: Hahaha! Lightning Boy looks very happy!

Oh, Brad-paisen, thank you so much for your cooperation despite your busy schedule!

Brad: No, well, at first I wondered what was going on…

Billy: Huhuhu, it was fun to see an unexpected side of Brad Paisen!

I wish I had invited DJ too!

Brad: Eh?

Billy: Brad-paisen, I'm sure you were thinking about replacing him with your real brother halfway through!

Brad: Ah, that's...

Billy: Don't worry, I'm not going to bother telling DJ.

Well, I don't know what I'd do if I had a lot of money in front of me?

Brad: Hey, Billy!

Billy: Hey, hey, Lightning Boy!! Which brother are you going to pick today? You have freedom of choice.

Junior: Is it true?! Big Brother Auditions are the best!!!

Notes:

Paisen. Very informal way of saying “senpai”, which means a “senior” or “an upperclassman who mentors an underclassman”.

Dark horse. A candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds.

[the-gershomite]

The Punisher: Annual #2 -May 1989- Marvel Comics

"Dark Seeker"

written by Roger Salick

pencil art by Tod Smith

inked by John Beatty

letters by Ken Bruzenak

colors by Gregory Wright

"Punisher's Fighting Techniques"

written by Roger Salick

pencil art by Jim Lee

inked by Scott Williams

letters by Ken Lopez

colors by Gregory Wright

Pin-up art by Peter Sanderson, Mark Bagley and Keith Williams