#let’s fry those circuits

[soyellowcurtainsthen]

I can’t stop thinking about this but why do the humans in robot uprising movies never use water guns as weapons

[aluciahaz]

may i just say that your character writing is AMAZING! i honestly don’t check up on your blog a lot but when i do i’m left SHAKING because your shit is soooo hot.

Anyways i humbly come requesting mommy kink with vox because you know i’m all about that. he’s so desperate for validation and scared of rejection i feel like he’d be weeping at a domme mommy type reader. Anyways, do what you want with this!

once again i love your work! sincerely, bimbo <3

oh my god it's one of my favorite writers on tumblr🦅 thank you so much for the compliment it means a lot 😭 also i loved writing this ive desperately needed more vox asks! hope you enjoy! (kinda went ham on metaphors 💀 mb)

greed never stops

—vox x f!reader

—includes: overstim, tons of crying, begging, light bondage

vox was a walking, living(?) juxtaposition.

he’ll go barking orders to his subordinates, control most situations with smooth, quick thinking, and command his business with an iron fist.

but with you, the other side of his screen is on full display. his vulnerable, attention-desperate, failure-fearful self. you’ve seen it enough times to notice how it seeps into his daily life. how his control is really just a mechanism to take hold of his vulnerability, hiding it behind a mess of steel wires to make anyone who would try and reach it get tangled in its grasp.

but the moments he lets you untangle his facade, allowing you to see his true self, he feels free. even if most of the time it was during more intimate moments in the night. it was where he could truly indulge in his unfamiliar desires, crying and begging for the validation he was always seeking.

and you were the one he needed it from.

your praise was one of the highest in the hierarchy of compliments, making him feel like he was burning up, frying his brain in a way that made him feel like he’s short-circuited, but the feeling of fuzziness was intoxicating. he could never give up the taste of your compliments.

“come on, aren’t you a good boy? you can hold out for a little longer.”

those words were like rich liquor, and vox was an eager drinker. it swirled his thoughts into a never-ending spiral, and he could only cry in response as you touched his face with a gentleness that rivals an angel’s.

“b-but, mommy—!” he sobs as your fingers drive into him for what seems the thousandth time, his voice module starting to struggle as he tries to speak.

“oh?” you raise your eyebrow, feigning shock before narrowing your eyes, pressing him further down the sheets in disdain. is he still being ungrateful?

“but what, huh? don’t tell me you need more already! you’re such a greedy fucking slut,” you spit out, watching his eyes shoot open from the whiplash of your cruel words. “maybe i should stop—,”

“NO! nono, please! no! i’m sorry—!” he keens as your fingers slowly start to slip out of him, the sound so indecent it makes him shiver.

he pushes his hips up into your hand, trying to follow them only for your other hand to shove his hips back down on the sheets, your fingers twisting nearly all the way out before ramming back in, curling in wickedly that seems to shut him up briefly as he catches a breath that ran away.

vox weeps, unable to do anything else as his claws rip into the mattress, his legs shake and tremble as though they weren’t practically crushing you before. he seems so fragile at this moment, yet you knew he could take much more.

he just didn’t deserve it.

he whines and screams at your touch, tears starting to fall down his pretty little face as the small amount of dignity he had seems to get lost, overrun by your torturous fingers and unyielding pleasure that shoots through his body like a current.

“mommy—ha—please jus—zz—t fuck me, oh, god!” his head drops back down onto the pillows as your fingers wrap around his weeping cock, making his back arch as he sobs out noncoherent pleads. it’s beautifully pathetic.

his legs, weak and feeble, were strewn across the bed with previous markings trailing up his inner thigh, his neck even more decorated with a necklace of red, the glimmer of sweat that covers his whole body making those bites shine similar to crude rubies.

his hands, now tied with his own wires behind the bed (he charges there before he goes to sleep) were sullied with crimson from the tightness of the metal around his wrist, but not as bright crimson as his eyes, which flashed with bright red hearts intermittently. it was always a pleasant surprise, and a sign that he fucking loved this. no matter how much he complained at the start, his eyes spoke the truth.

which is why now, as you replace your fingers with his favorite strap, you know he’s absolutely overjoyed as those beating hearts seem to overtake his pupils once more, pulsating with a hypnotizing spiral.

“finally—! oh—zzz—FUCK!” his last word is practically inaudible with the airiness in his voice, his tone starting to distort, yet, your pace was slow. shallow, even. tears of frustration started to form at the ends of his eyes, his whines more pitiful as he tries to fuck himself back on your strap, only to be stopped by your sturdy grip on his hips.

“what do you say, vox?“ you asked, irritation slipping into your voice. how could he still be so ungrateful? but, he catches on fast, looking up at you with round, glossy eyes.

“thank you! thank—thank you, mommy!” he stumbles out before you switch up your pace instantly, brutally ramming into him just how he likes it. it makes him unable to fathom he could have been known to be anything but yours, surrendering his well-built persona to you. all of it, for your praise.

“such a good boy.”

those words were priceless, but he always ends up trying to buy them with obedience. and even though he’s successfully checked out with such praise, they still have the same effect on him every time.

he shudders and wails with ruined pitch, his screen flickering in and out of error messages and his lovely expression as he gets his reward. there was just something so satisfying about earning your praise.

sure, he can buy pretty much anything, and yes, he can get people to kneel at his feet, but he can’t cry without shame, or indulge in his true desires of being completely wrecked with soft words and fast hips with anyone. no, it could only be you. and even if he practically has everything under his hands, he will always be greedy for your affection, begging, screaming for a chance to have it set his whole body ablaze with its foreign warm feeling.

it makes him lost. no matter how much intelligence vox has, he always finds himself unable to search his way out of the feeling of pure lust overtaking his senses when you fuck him with abandon, his need to keep face seemingly never being there in the first place as tears make him short-circuit, and pleads for you to never stop. he doesn’t want to leave this labyrinth of carnality. he wants to stay lost in it forever.

it’s why even after he cums with a high-pitch sob so loud you thought his volume module broke, he kept weeping incoherently as the lights flicker in the room, his legs practically numb. and finally, he looks up at you, sniffling and choking on his words he’ll pretend to regret the next morning.

“m-more. please, mommy—! AH!” his whole body jolts as you heed his wishes, leaving him to fall back into the pleasure that he craves. he babbles on and on with thank yous and nonsensical sentences, the night seeming to become never-ending even with daybreak inching closer and closer.

vox is unable to speak at the end, and god does everything fucking hurt. his arms ache and his legs are definitely going to be an issue when he has to walk. there are marks all over his skin that will never see the light of day, yet be around for plenty of nights.

but you both know he’ll come back for more. his greed is an unquenchable thirst, and your praise is the only fountain that seems to satiate it, even if only for a little while.

(i totally didnt forget to tag)

tags: @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @mvskedxrtist @drlucichen @luciferspetduck

[crying-fantasies]

Spark play

Masterlist

Featuring G1! Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, smut/fluff/humor, CW: sensual thoughts, heavy make-out, the twins being a menace (what's new?), Sunny vowing to kill his brother (what's new??), jealousy, almost oral (giving and receiving), spark electricity, a little of bit of foot (how else are we supposed to touch them while being so little?)

Sunstreaker, upon learning the primitive concepts of human courting, among all the options available that made him gag or feel irritated, if not both, seemed to be partial to the concepts of long-term relationships and exclusivity of a couple.

Well, exclusivity between you, him, and Sides. His brother's preferences weren't entirely known to him, and boundaries and limits may be few between spark split brothers, nevertheless, the last thing Sunstreaker wants to know from his brother is what he does in the berth with a partner he doesn't like, just to feel everything in the other end of the bond at the end of the cycle.

It's the headache of having a twin, and having that very same moron forget he has a twin before banging.

It started with a little flash between the cycles of his optics, just a fleeting moment, a glimpse of the left side of your face, reading something before he is taken back to the detailing suit, Sunstreaker puts his datapad down, venting with both light irritation and amusement, knowing full well he won't get any real work done now that, as evident as possible, Sideswipe is with you, streaming overflowing fondness into the bond by just looking at you.

In any other circumstances he would've made fun of his brother, but he gets it, that tingle of warmth is familiar and welcomed to this point in life, yet again, this isn't Sideswipe's turn to be with you, and now Sunstreaker understands why you haven’t come with him to buy some cleaners and foundation, another flash passes by, gracing him with the image of you kissing his brother, heavy charge promising to fry his circuits, sending a wave of arousal burning from his spark, Sunstreaker tries to seem unaffected as he walks out the door; Mirage, Hound, and Cliffjumper look at him funny, asking to himself what in the world are the last two doing there when he looks at the fallen noble, Sunstreaker is fast to turn the other way, closing the door as he goes, totally unchanged, once the door closed his pedes tried to get him faster to his destination.

On the other hand, Sideswipe is soon to burn down some delicate circuitry by the way you press those tiny lips against his upper derma, he can not contain himself anymore as he pushes down to your neck, derma heavy against your skin, he can feel the rise of energy in your little electric system, albeit weak, he can feel all of them peak and glow anew, going from any sensor you have inside your skin, he can almost see their work, sending electric pulses to your processor, it takes a lot of concentration, to which he normally has none, still, it’s incredible sexy how much charge it gets into his system, totally worth the struggle to keep up with every shift inside your neural system.

Sideswipe chokes on a groan when you hold on to his audial receptor, bringing him back to your waiting, loving, acid-spilling lips, “Someone is eager-”, you love his boyish motor mouth but right now you need it in other places, holding him now by the crevices of his faceplate, your little footsies doing pressure over shifts in his armor, applying enough pressure to touch the protoform beneath, pushing him back first to the floor, you shriek by his actions, reminding him to be careful while holding onto his faceplate, “Oh Ho, now we play safely, who are you and what have you done to my-”

There is not much to say, or more like you don't let him finish, plopping your hips just above his chin, dragging your center just shy of his derma, “I’m the same as always”, he is practically screaming internally, he loves it, he loves this, he loves when you are all timid and he has to work for your arousal and necessity, or the moments of your sleepy gazed eyes while just waking up, full of energy but still dragging on tiredness enough to let him get full access, but he really loves the moments you get horny as hell, that playful side of yours looking at him as the last mech in existence, it isn't long until his communicator pings, he puts a digit up for letting you know to wait, “Yeah-?”

“Hey, Sides”, it’s Sunny, of course, it is him, “care to say where our dear human is right now?”, Sideswipe looks at the ancient clock you keep in their living space, you were supposed to go with his brother more than fifteen minutes ago, then he looks at you, who is now looking very interested, extremely interested, to his chest plate.

His optical ridges perk up when your fingers trace over the seams in the armor, his interest overwhelming any whining when your hips get away from his intake, “Um, sweetspark is doing some owed maintenance on yours truly”, your fingers finally get into his plating, reaching the fingertips into sensitive wires, his HUD crashed there for a second, you find everything but refusal when his spark chamber opens, taking a step back before reaching out again, the feeling of your nails and fingers over the glass casing making him shiver “uhum, really nice, overdue since forever”

“Sides”, his brother calls sternly, Sunstreaker needs a moment, or better yet make it two, because he feels that tremble inside his chest compartment, closing his optics for a moment so he has a great view of your ass before you get in a comfortable position over his spark, his brother's spark, Sunstreaker finally transforms, speeding to his limit and impart some words, “of course, you can't wait for your turn, you always take mine!”

“Hey”, his vocalizer glitches with static at the feeling of your tongue over the glass protecting his spark, his helm was thrown back, digits massaging your scalp, your soft hair, his pedes dig into the soft mattress when he can't kick to get the excessive charge out, “At least I'm showing you, be a little more grateful”.

“Oh right”, Sunstreaker’s words are heavy with jealousy, still, he needs a moment to park and let the electric pulse over his network cool down a little before he gets involved in some stupid accident inside the stronghold, “how considerate of you”.

Considerate enough to at least let him see, Sideswipe is being very merciful by showing him and not doing the same his brother did the last decacycle, it was his turn, Sideswipe’s turn, one he had prepared for, anticipated every minute, he would dine and wine you as human costume, put a little bit of spice on it at the end as many movies, a perfect date. A perfect date went to waste as Sunstreaker, the show off that he is, taking you at the last second to go see him at the shooting room, almost parading himself while holding the blaster like he was some model for a magazine, doing stupid poses to make his finish stand above the others, preening like a seeker.

So, this was revenge, while groaning and moaning and overwhelming their shared bond Sideswipe could feel his brother about to blow a gasket by the way he was trying to seem normal in front of bystanders.

A hiss of steam surging from his intake has him rendered relaxed, feeling the surge of charge over his interface array when your little hands reach around and in between his spark, Sunstreaker feels it, too, making it difficult to drive while having the annoying pressure of his modesty panel, but his desire overwhelmed it, he can see you, he can feel you, your fingers dragging along the wires, the connections, tugging a little too soft for his liking but it has Sideswipe moaning like he is in those cheap human reproduction movies, exaggerated and loud if it is sincere or he is just teasing Sunny, you are not the wiser, but Sideswipe would vow on his favorite assault manual gun that it came from his very spark because when you look at him like that, with the most scorching love you can offer while reorganizing his entire wiring, he can only do so much; still, it just feeds his mischievous nature, he can feel Sunstreaker desire from the other side of the bond, the intensity with which he is looking at you through his very optics, wouldn't it be funny if he just closed it?

Oh dear, it is hilarious, “we’re waiting for you so don't take long, bu-bye!”

One instant he is so hot, every venting of cool air a struggle, he could feel the phantom plush sensation of your lips over his spark, the next it is ripped away, “Sides?”, Sunstreaker needs a moment to realize what happened, one moment he is soon to come undone under your touch, feeling like the center of your universe in the way your breath fans over his spark chamber, then, he has nothing, “SIDES!”, he transforms back, wishing for his brother to hear his pedes near their habsuit.

“Is Sunny coming over?”, your sweet voice, one innocent not because you're feigning, on the contrary, you really do believe Sunstreaker willingly left his turn of the day to him, believed you were all alone with him, Sideswipe could hardly stop himself from grinning with absolute mischief, expecting to see your surprised face and Sunny’s pent up one.

His smirk can barely be covered when the door opens with a kick.

.

I love how unhinged and destructive but also affectionate this pair of twins can be, a dream come true.

@tf-kinktober2024

[refiwrites]

a little leon drabble here we go! (new to writing for the RE fandom and besides this is just purely self indulgent :p) 

leon kennedy x gn! reader 

you were never a morning person, you knew that. 

so when your body had decided it was time to wake up, your eyes opened to be met with the striking colors of red on the digital clock that was on your bedside table. 

10:05

you blinked for a few moments, letting yourself adjust to the light. you weren’t all that panicked, besides, it was the weekend. it would have been a very different story if it was a weekday. 

your tongue darts out to swipe on your bottom lip, throat feeling dry as you swallowed. you didn’t want to get up yet, changing positions in the bed, opting to sleep in more, just a few minutes more. 

your mind doesn’t even bother about the empty space beside you as you hugged his pillow, his scent acting as a sleep-aid for you. you inhaled for a moment, but another scent caught in your nostrils. 

the scent of coffee, followed by what smelled like food. 

you closed your eyes, trying to fight your hunger, convincing yourself you needed to sleep more when your stomach grumbled in protest at your actions. 

letting your eyes open again, you decide to give up sleep, wriggling out of the blankets to sit up on the bed, the air providing the right chill as it touched your skin. 

it occurred to you that you were wearing nothing. 

looking at the floor you found the pieces of discarded clothing were you could’ve sworn you were just wearing last night, until a certain someone decided you wouldn’t be needing those. 

cheeks heating at the thoughts of last night, you quickly pick up a shirt on the ground, wearing it as you began your search for someone. 

it was easy as your feet already knew the way as you tracked the smell of food that was making your stomach grumble the closer you got to it. 

then you reached the kitchen, the scene somewhat coming straight off your dreams. 

leon was there, his bare back turned to you as he was busy cooking something, his muscles moving occasionally as he made sure he wasn’t burning what he was frying, his dirty blonde hair almost poking in different directions. maybe he just woke up too. the sun shining from the window almost gave him a god-like appearance as it shined down on him, further highlighting his physique. 

but the sight had you leaning against the bar counter, eyes taking him in. you also noted he was wearing sweatpants, almost making your brain short circuit. 

biting your lip, you approach him, hands raising up, both index fingers landing on the blades of his shoulders, slowly dragging them down to the middle of his back.

leon’s back muscles tensed at your sudden touch, a shaky breath leaving his lips, then a breathless chuckle as your warmth embraced around him, hands resting themselves on his lower stomach, just above the garter of his pants that laid low on his hips. 

“good, you’re awake.” he said.

“don’t forget what you’re cooking.” you reminded him as your cheek laid against his back, noting how his actions stopped. you closed your eyes, making leon your makeshift pillow where you stood.

he lets out another breathless laugh, muscles now relaxing as he turns off the stove. you were sure you were about to fall asleep there when he turns around, now leaning against the counter as you almost fall into his chest. 

“hey there, sleepyhead. you’re gonna miss breakfast if you keep dozing off like that.” he spoke softly, his arms now taking the job from you as they now wrapped around you, almost cradling you. 

“mm, can’t help it, who knew you make such a great pillow?” you mumble into his chest, taking in his warmth. 

leon takes your wrists and gently pries you away from him, taking you towards the counter to sit you on one of the chairs, going back to prepare both your food. 

“pillow huh? well i wouldn’t oppose to having you on top of me all the time.” he casually said, though two of you knew it held another meaning. 

rolling your eyes and trying to stop yourself from smiling, you playfully pinch his arm when he got close, placing a plate with food in front of you, plus a hot mug of coffee. “ow.” 

“really, ow? you’ve dealt with worse.”

“yeah, just how i’m dealing with you right now.” he teased you again, laughing as you frowned, leon taking the chance to leave a kiss to your forehead when he finally sat across from you, getting ready to eat.

“offense taken.” you said as he was already munching down on his breakfast. he swallows then looks at you.

“i’ll make it up to you, now eat up.” 

[gh0stsp1d3r]

ℳ𝒶𝓎𝒷𝒶𝓃𝓀𝓈 𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓇

Part 2 chapter 7- failed heists

Previous chapter

Series masterlist

Not a lot of rafe in here, I’m trying to get more of him in the next chapter I swear ): 😭

“Well, news flash, we’re not getting out of here unnoticed with a giant cross.” Kiara told you all, everyone turning to her.

“We don’t have to. We can nab it somewhere further in the country. Just gotta figure out how to stop the train.” Pope spoke.

“Leave that to me.” You told them, an idea popping up.

“How you gonna do that?”

“You remember Uncle Tom, right, JJ?”

“Yeah… what about him?”

“When you were like a baby, I remember when he was drunk, he would throw an old chain across the tracks, literally just for fun. The chain stops the train traffic, in coastal Caronlina.”

“A chain?” Kiara asked, not too sure how this whole thing would work.

“Shes actually right. Theres a low- voltage current that runs across all rail tracks. Throw a chain on it, you close that circuit. It would read as another train, crossing lights come down. Science is actually pretty sound.” Pope explained to them.

“See? I can be smart too.” You said with a proud smile.

“Well, we don’t have a chain.”

“No, but I bet toppers dad has jumper cables in the truck.” Sarah suggested. “Would that work?”

“Yeah.”

“Yo, what’s going on? Are we doing this or what?” Topper shouted, everyone turning to him.

“All right, you all wait here. Me and Pope will go look for it and send a signal once we find it.” Cleo spoke.

“Do we actually have a plan right now?”

“Think we do.” JJ said, all of you beginning to walk down.

“That’s impressive.”

“Let’s not jinx it while we’re ahead.”

“Nobody ever listens to me.” Cleo said.

——-

"What's taking so long?" Sarah asked, Pope and Cleo were down searching while the rest of you sat.

“I mean there is like a thousand damn cars out there. Patience, young padawan,” you said, patting her shoulder. No one got the reference except for you and JJ.

“726,” Cleo read off the car.

“Hold on.” Pope said, shining his flashlight onto the car. “750X, baby. This is our car!” Pope began to climb on it, glancing back at Cleo. “Run and tell the other pogues.”

“Careful up there.”

Pope climbed, shining his flashlight as the signal.

“That’s it, we’re green.”

All of you quickly got up, but noticed something.

“What’s that?”

“You hear that?”

The brakes hissed, and the cars started moving. “Trains moving, trains moving.” JJ said, everyone running over there now.

“Oh, hey Sarah.” Topper remarked.

“Do you have any jumper cables?” She asked.

“Here I am involved in illegal activities.”

“Not that illegal.” She shrugged.

“I’m not even close to being okay with thi-“

You came up from behind, putting your arm on his neck and pinning him to his car.

“Shut the fuck up, dude.”

“I mean- j-jumper cables what are we doing with those?” He asked.

“If you don’t wanna go, fine. We’ll take the truck.” You said.

“T-the truck?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, I just wanna make sure everyone here is okay with ending up in federal prison.”

“I think we’ve all ran away from the cops before, think we’ll be fine.”

“And if it gets to that, yeah, I’ll do it for Pope.” JJ chimed in.

You hopped on the back of JJs bike, rest of them in the truck.

Pope and Cleo held onto the cars.

“Hey!” Pope shouted over the moving cars.

“What?!”

“Just so you know, I’m not normally this crazy. It’s just getting this cross back, it means a lot to me. I have to do this! It’s worth it.”

“It better be after all this shit, man!”

You ran with the cable, JJ tripping and falling before getting back up.

“You good?” You asked him, beginning to tie it to something.

“Yeah. Oh shit, you can hear it coming.” He said.

“Let’s fry this sucker, right?”

“Okay, now, all you have to do.. is change the current,” you grabbed the other end, putting it onto the tracks.

“Anddd.. red.” You spoke, both of you getting away from the tracks now.

The lights flickered, but didn’t turn red.

“Okay, that’s what he would do. That’s literally what he would do- so then it’d change red..”

“What if you.. blockaded the track? That’s what you could, maybe put like a tree-“ he said, but you realized what you did.

“Fuck, I’m stupid.” You mumbled, grabbing the cable and clipping it onto the other side. “The train hits both sides of the track.” You told him, shaking your head at yourself as you both now watched the light.

Soon, the light turned red.

“Fuck yeah!” You exclaimed.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” He gave you a high five with a grin on his face.

“Science for the win, right?” You said with a laugh, JJ laughing as well. You both watched the tracks.

“It’s gonna work. It’s gonna work.” JJ mumbled to himself.

“The trains stopping. It’s stopping, they did it!”Pope told Cleo.

“She’s slowing down.”

“We got brakes, dude.”

Pope and Cleo hopped off the car, walking back towards the side of the car.

“Can you pick a lock?” He asked her.

“Sure.” She said, getting to work.

“Shit, JJ,” you mumbled, pulling him to the side when you saw a car come into view. You saw a figure running over to you both.

“Shit.” He whispered.

“No, no, no. That’s not part of the goddamn plan.” You mumbled to him, both of you watching as they came out the vehicle.

—-

Cleo and Pope were caught when a bright flashlight shone at them.

“Hey! Hey! Stay right there.” He said, walking up to them.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Sir, I’m so sorry. It is not what it looks like. I know it looked like were criminals, but that’s not our intention. I promise, sir.” They both held their hands up.

——-

Pope, Cleo, Kie and Sarah were now in the car, and they finally found the cross.

“Cameron development, this is it!” He shouted.

“We’re gonna put this in your truck bed.”

“No, no, it’s gonna scratch the paint.” Topper spoke.

“You’ll be able to get a thousand paint jobs after we do this.”

“This thing right here?” He pointed to the giant box.

“Just help us spot it.”

They all got their hands on it, guiding it down onto the floor.

The train horn blared again, all of them panicking now, attempting to get it off faster.

“The trains starting.” You told JJ.

“We gotta go get them.” He said. “There goes the plan, we gotta help them.” He spoke, standing up now. Both of you all ran over, something dropping out of JJs pocket.

“You dropped it.” You spoke, picking up the wallet with ‘MC’ on it. Kiara’s dad’s initials.

You were glad he was taking your teachings about not letting anyone talk about him like that to heart. You handed it to him, he pocketed it.

You got on the back of his bike, he went to go start it, but the car drove past.

“That’s Top. And that’s the cross.” You spoke, JJ started the engine and quickly followed them on the road.

“Shit.” You muttered, seeing and hearing the cops behind the both of you.

“The hell is this kid doing?���

JJ went over next to them, switching lanes.

“What are you doing?” Topper shouted.

“Top, keep going straight!”

“Y’all be careful, all right?” Topper shouted.

“Get ready to jump.” JJ spoke to you, you quickly protesting.

“What?!”

“What?” Pope exclaimed.

“Have you lost your mind, JJ? I’m not fucking leaving you!”

Despite him telling you to, you did not. Although he could’ve seen that coming.

“I told you to fucking hop off!” He shouted, the car now in front of you both as he stopped the bike.

“I’m not leaving you JJ, you’ve really lost your mind if you think I am!”

He turned his bike around, picking up a rock, and sighing as he handed it to you.

“Let’s dance.” He mumbled, starting the engine again.

He drove towards the car, you getting ready to throw it. You threw it at the car, pumping your fist in the air, proud of yourself as the window shattered. The car turned around, and JJ continued to run away.

“They did it! They’re chasing them.”

“Stop the truck!” They all shouted at Topper.

“I’m not stopping the truck.” He protested.

“We gotta get them, please.” Sarah begged.

“All right. All right, damn it. All right, all right.” He groaned, stopping the truck.

“Turn around!”

“I’m not going… I’m not going to jail.” He mumbled.

“Topper, look at me.”

“They’re gonna arrest them both, we can’t leave them behind.”

“Damnit. Damn. Rafe’s gonna fucking kill me if I leave her behind.” He mumbled, mostly to himself.

He turned the truck around, and JJ kept running. He did a sharp turn, tricking them, making them slow down before he picked it back up.

“Turn left!” They all shouted, and he began to disagree before finally listening.

“They’re getting closer!” You shouted to him.

“I know that!”

There was another car coming by, directly in front for the both of you, making the cops swerve.

“JJ!” You shouted with a shrill voice, as the both of you fell off the overpass, his bike breaking and the both of you falling to the ground and off the overpass.

Your eyes were screwed shut, JJ groaning and turning his head to you. He was right next to you, putting his hand on your shoulder and jolting you.

“Y/n. Y/n, wake the fuck up.” He spoke, more worried about you than himself.

“Shit, you okay?” He asked when your eyes finally snapped open.

“Never been better, right?” You asked with a quiet laugh, making him have a small grin.

“JJ? Y/n?!” They all shouted, none of you getting up until Kie started sobbing.

You groaned as you hopped up to your feet.

“I wish I could say I did that on purpose. Butttt…”

“That was the gnarliest powerslide I think anyone’s ever done.” You told him, holding your side.

“I know, right?”

“You’re alive!” Pope went to hug JJ, and then Sarah hugged the both of you.

“I really thought you did it this time, Jayj.”

“The pleasantries are nice, but we should really get out.” You told them all, nodding your head.

Kiara came up to him, all of you heading to the truck.

“Don’t… don’t ever do that again.”

They both stared at each other for a moment before interrupted.

“Hey! Hey, kids! Don’t move!”

They both ran towards the car, both hopping in.

—-

“You guys are an absolute nightmare, don’t argue about everything?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Maybe put it a little bit, you’re going 65!”

“All right, all right, screw it!”

“There you go, that’s what I’m talking about! Need for fuckin’ speed!”

Your sentence was interrupted when the car jumped, all of you caught off guard as the cords fell off the truck.

“Stop! Stop, we lost the cross.”

Everyone got out, and the top was off the crate. The cross wasn’t there.

“Shit…”

“It’s fake… it’s all a freaking fake.”

“Of course we did, of course we stole a fake.” JJ muttered. The sirens wailed behind.

“Y’all hear that? Okay, I can’t be here. My grandfathers a judge-“

“Fuckin’ shut up, Top! Nobody cares!” You shouted at him. “They’re not gonna think some dude in flip-flops is a part of a robbery.”

“Oh, yeah, with the crate sitting right next to my truck.” He argued with you.

“Pope, we gotta go.” Kie said.

“Y’all coming?” Topper said.

“Pope, we gotta go. We gonna find it. We gonna find it later.” Cleo said, helping him stand up and go to the car.

———

“This shit is straight out of the Popes vault, bro. You don’t think we can get more for it as it is? I mean, this straight out of church, bro.” Barry said, turning to Rafe.

“This is how we turn the cross into untraceable money.”

“Untraceable money.”

“You know, I heard some crazy shit that happened last night.”

“Is that right?”

“You know that fake cross we put in there?”

“Yeah.”

“It was stolen.”

“Does sound like them pogues, don’t it!”

“Oh, no doubt. Also heard something about a boy and a girl on the back of a motorcycle, hoping off a damn overpass.” He scoffed, covering up the rest of the cross.

“Sounds like your girl and her brother.” Barry spoke, shaking his head with a laugh.

“That’s what I thought. I mean- I’d pay half the value of this just to see the look on their faces when they opened the box.”

“I’ll bet you would.”

——-

Tag list

@cassie0sstuff @rafesgiirl @fals3-g0d @tiaamberxx @callsignwidow @saintnourah

[cozzzynook]

blitzbee double date with megop?

- Megatron teases Blitzwing for having a size kink constantly.

-In return Blitzwing teases Megatron that he has a size kink too, not to mention how star optic Megatron gets when he makes Optimus curl with energon around the faceplates.

- They always banter before landing on the clearing to meet their autobots. Optimus is fussing over Bee who looks ready to fry Optimus circuits. Optimus doesn’t know what Blitzwing means when he calls Optimus a “natural creator” while smirking at Megatron who fires a blast his direction that gets misdirected by Bee.

- Blitz thinks Bee know exactly what it means, he just doesn’t see any point in telling Blitz to stop since its true and annoying the yellow bug. When Bee says he hopes their breeding kink kicks in soon so Optimus can stop parenting him, Blitzwing cackles so hard his random persona almost bites his own glossa off.

-Only Optimus is clueless as to why Megatron is refusing to look any bot in the optic as he swells with energon on his cheek plates making Optimus worry and creator him further proving the two bots point.

- Megatron pulls out a special blend of high grade and oil for himself and Optimus while Blitzwing enjoys being fed copper and nickel sheddings that Bee seasoned to perfection with energon.

-Optimus tells Megatron things he’s learned while researching forbidden archives while Megatron listens star optic and captivated. Completely spark sick for this caring bot who has no idea the power he holds. If he so much as asked Megatron to seize every forbidden datapad from Cybertron itself, he would.

-Bee and Blitzwing shake their helms at the two spark sick leaders while also being quite touchy and affectionate themselves.

-Blitzwing has to hold Bee, needs to feel his frames warmth to be assured he is safe and whole while Bee needs to feel Blitzwing beside him. Within optics search and servo’s reach. Both have some ugly scars of the past they only share with the other and they understand. It was not at all rushed in their opinion when they spark bonded very very early in the relationship. They didn’t tell others knowing how it would look but they knew each others sparks and each other as well as themselves.

-they could not survive nor live let alone exist without the other and so they bonded. They could see Optimus and Megatron were in the same boat except they waited a normal rushed pace to spark bond.

-it was odd meeting like this so often to simply be with their other so intimately while with another couple but they felt a comfort in their double dates as well.

-it was both a safety and familiarity in having frequent double dates.

- strength in numbers and Optimus had a horrible time away from Bee. The bot bonded to Bee early on before meeting Megatron or even leaving Cybertron when he accidentally sire bonded with the younger mech. Bee was still not happy about it for reasons only Blitzwing and oddly Prowl, a far closer friend to Bee than the others beside Blitzwing, knew about.

-As much as Bee still didn’t like it he loved it. He had a hard time staying away from his now sire and felt utmost comfort and safety when in the presence of him and his conjunx.

-a far strangled distant connection was felt to Megatron as well and while they didn’t comment on it, Optimus was always happy to see them acknowledge and sit in comfortable silence with the other by choice. At times going out of their way to find the other even.

-Not to say Blitzwing didn’t have a more friendly relationship with Optimus. The two simply enjoyed their shared love of fine arts together. Blitzwing was more into physical art but he did enjoy novels and literature too. They compared their favorites to those of Earth who learned could be quite talented even with such a short lifespan.

- they enjoy going out on solo dates yes but they much prefer their double dates more often than not. But none will admit it aloud. It was known. Just never spoken.

As always from the river to the sea.

May every oppressed be free.

[flwrkid14]

Percy Jackson and the Inexplicable Curse of Technology

We need to talk about how Percy Jackson is cursed when it comes to technology. I’m convinced it’s an unspoken side effect of being the son of Poseidon. Like, water and electricity don’t mix? Well, Percy and tech definitely don’t either.

He’s the kind of guy who tries to send a text and the app crashes. The moment he touches a computer, it blue screens. Even the camp’s celestial bronze laptops? Yeah, Percy’s somehow managed to short-circuit three of those. Chiron gave up on him ever learning how to check his email, and let’s not even mention the time he tried to Facetime Annabeth. It was like watching static for ten minutes before the phone completely died.

Annabeth’s always been the one who has to fix everything. She’ll sit there, watching Percy try to reboot his phone for the umpteenth time, giving him that look™—you know, the “I love you, but how are you this helpless” expression. Of course, Percy just laughs it off with, “Guess I’ve got that Poseidon charm.” Annabeth tries to stay annoyed, but she can’t help but smile when he’s being that cute.

And don’t even get me started on how dangerous it gets when Percy’s actually near water with his phone or laptop. Like, one time he brought his phone to the beach, and five minutes later it was toast. He swears he didn’t drop it in the ocean, but somehow, the sea still managed to fry it. Probably Poseidon’s way of telling him, “Stick to your strengths, kid. Like battling monsters. Not… texting.”

Let's be real tho—Percy probably doesn’t mind the tech struggle all that much. He’s the guy who’d rather be out exploring the ocean or goofing off with his friends at camp than stuck in front of a screen. And, really, as long as he can still get Iris messages and, you know, save the world, who needs a working laptop anyway?

[sojournerdiraq]

COLD CIRCUIT

A cyberpunk novel

I sit up and open my eyes, the neo-fluorescent light irritating my left eye.

“You’re still here,” I say, taking in her soft features. Misleading, for someone of her calibre.

A black woman, military cropped hair, a pistol in her lap. Her citron eyes are focused on the control panel.

“You paid me well,” she answers flatly.

Fuck, exactly how much did I pay this merc for her to be so entangled in my shit?

Another thought arises, unbidden, in the back of my mind:

If she’s here to kill me, then why didn’t she do it already?

“Anything new?”

I raise my left arm to the cord jacked into my brainstem, a sense of despair washing over me once again as I pull the plug, severing my connection.

Despair? What connection do I have to—

“Another cold circuit,” I tell the mercenary.

My left arm whirs to life, and I wiggle the prosthetic fingers, a standard procedure to ensure that my neurons are still intact.

A cold circuit, an implanted memory.

I seem to come across a lot of those as of late.

“Have I paid you yet?”

“Yeah,” the merc answers, “two billion, upfront.”

“Where did I—”

“Neurocryptographer, Sybil. We’ve been through this already.”

“You’re not going to tell me any more?”

“You didn’t let me. You’d fry my nervous system otherwise.”

A sigh escapes my lips.

Whatever my past self was running from, she didn’t make it easy to trace.

Six months ago, a woman named Sibyl awoke in the kitchen of La Mano del Plata Cafe, guarded by an unknown mercenary and a single phrase in her mind:

I always lie.

Now, six months later, She finds herself entangled in a corporate war between two domineering forces, both of whom want her dead for different reasons.

Armed with her memories, both real and implanted, and a mysterious merc, Sibyl sets out to uncover the true nature of this war, and how she can put an end to it once and for all.

(think Cyberpunk 2077 meets Inception meets Neuromancer, and you have an idea of what this novel is about)

I am a relatively new account, so let me know if you would like to be added to a tag list for this story or my other one

[reachartwork]

Hardening Your Electronics Against Technopathic Threats

Introduction

Welcome to the not-so-gentle art of hardening your hardware against technopaths. Now, before you panic about some rogue superhuman frying your precious rig from the inside out, let's get a few things straight. This isn't about turning your PC into a tank, but about being smart. Think of it as cyber hygiene for the age of brainy hackers who skipped the keyboard and went straight to mind control.

So: Here's how we prevent these new-age hacker freaks from getting more intimate with your home network than you'd ever been with your girlfriend.

First things first: the "Principle of Least Resistance" in dynology. Sounds fancy, but it's simple. About 80% of superpowers that do shit do so in predictable ways. They're like that one annoying friend who only knows one joke. Once you've heard it a hundred times, it's easy to see coming and dodge. The good news is, this predictability is your armor. Sure, every technopath is unique, like a snowflake, but most of them melt the same way under heat.

So, what does this mean for hardening your electronics? It means don't freak out thinking you need to prepare for a million different powers. Most technopathic threats follow certain patterns, and if you can guard against those, you've covered your bases against the majority. Think of this guide as your cheat sheet to keeping your tech safe without breaking the bank or your brain. Let's dive in and show those brainy hackers that we're not just sitting ducks in this digital pond, and I'll teach you how to make your hardware tougher than a two dollar steak, well-done.

Common Technopathic Abilities: The Usual Suspects

Alright, let's talk about what these technopathic troublemakers can actually do. Most of them fall under a few basic categories, so don't worry, you won't need a PhD in Superhuman Studies to get this.

Direct Electronic Manipulation: These guys can chat with your electronics without saying a word. They might turn your devices on and off, mess with your settings, or even fry your circuits. It's like having a ghost in the machine, but less spooky and more annoying.

Data Messing: Think of these technopaths as the ultimate data thieves. They can read, rewrite, or delete your data. If you thought regular hackers were bad, these folks can do it without even touching a keyboard.

Signal Highjacking: Wireless signals? More like open invitations for these types. They can intercept, disrupt, or spoof wireless communications. Think of it as someone eavesdropping on your Wi-Fi conversation, but with the power to shout louder than you.

Power Surge Creators: Ever had your lights flicker during a storm? These technopaths can do that to your devices on purpose. They generate power surges to short-circuit your electronics. It's like giving your tech an unwanted electric shock therapy.

How These Abilities Wreck Your Hardware

These abilities aren't just cool party tricks; they can turn your beloved gadgets into expensive paperweights. Direct manipulation can damage your hardware's physical components, data interference can compromise your privacy and security, signal highjacking can cut you off from the digital world, and power surges... well, they're just bad news all around.

In the next sections, we'll cover how to turn your devices from sitting ducks into digital fortresses.

[faytelumos]

Know Thy Enemy pt2

This is so long, oh my gosh, it's 4.7k words and I still felt like I was cutting it down a lot.

@those-damn-snippets

allergens: tactless references to sex

cw: car accident (mild), medical emergency, presence of alcohol

previous

---

The doorbell rang at two on the dot. Hero stood, wiping her clammy palms on her leggings. This was recon. This was recon. If anyone from the agency asked, she would tell them the opportunity presented itself and it was in everyone's best interest for her to take it. She straightened her knee-length pleated skirt, she adjusted her blouse, and she opened the door.

Villain smiled at her, his hair coiffed back. He was wearing slacks and a nice sweater, and he had a simple bouquet of pink and yellow flowers. She gaped at them.

"Oh, I, I didn't know you were bringing flowers," she blurted. His smile turned lop-sided.

"What kind of date would I be if I didn't bring flowers?" Ahk, there was that word again—

"Er, let me…." Hero didn't finish her sentence, just taking the flowers from him and walking into her kitchen. She didn't own any vases, but she had a small set of tall drinking glasses that would probably work. What kind of date brought flowers with no vase, she might ask?

Once the flowers were set with cold water, she put them in the middle of the table. They'd be good there for now. She turned around to find Villain crouched down beside her TV, riffling through her book collection.

She'd never been so mortified to own romcom novels as she suddenly was right now in this moment. He pulled a book out and thumbed across all of the pages in two seconds, then turned the book around to read the back. He was right about to get to her favorites section, and she didn't feel like dying of the embarrassment.

"We should get going," she blurted. She could fry an egg on her face right now. She suddenly wished she'd picked a more open top; it was too hot in here. Villain looked up at her, then made a little sound and put the book back before standing. He was all smiles again.

"Right this way, my dear."

Villain drove her into a more run-down part of town. She was expecting an out-of-the-way restaurant, some kind of hole-in-the-wall hangout that only people in that neighborhood would have heard of.

She definitely wasn't expecting a room of a dozen kids screaming excitedly upon Villain's arrival.

Hero watched like a deer in headlights as Villain was crowded by shrill screams and little hugs. He lit up around them, hugging as many of them at once as he could.

"Everyone, I brought my new girlfriend —"

"Girlfr—?!"

"—This is Ro!"

The room echoed with an unharmonious cry of, "Hi, Ro!" and it scared the hell out of her for just a moment. But there was no recognition in these children's eyes.

"Ro's gonna help us with today's science project," Villain announced, turning the last words into a conspiratory kind of stage whisper. Once again the kids screamed excitedly, but this time, they all ran to the various little tables in the room. Villain reached out and froze one of the kids in place, making Hero's heart stop. What was he doing? They were just a kid!

Hero was just about to start yelling at him when the kid unfroze and spun around, giggling and jumping excitedly. Villain crouched down and motioned for the little kid to come forward with a finger.

"Now, Milly," Villain whispered, looking around suspiciously.

"Yeah?" the kid replied, nodding his head excitedly.

"I have a special assignment for you," Villain whispered as he reached up and grabbed Hero's hand. She flinched, looking down at where he was touching her. She wasn't used to feeling his skin; his powers nullified all sense of touch. His hand was slightly rough, like a half-formed callous, and his skin was cool to the touch. He pulled down on her wrist, and she hesitantly crouched down next to him. "My girlfriend, here," Villain explained and Hero bit her tongue for now, "doesn't know how to build a circuit." How did he know that? What if she did? Her training could have included electrics.

It didn't. …But it could have.

"I need you to bring her up to speed on your project," Villain finished, smiling his charming, movie star smile. Milly looked to Hero suspiciously. Hero looked back, raising an eyebrow. He raised one right back at an impressive angle. He crossed his arms, and she did the same.

"Okay, over here," Milly said slowly, getting up and going to a table. Hero glanced at Villain as he continued to smile. He gave her a little wave, then turned and walked to a different table.

Milly apparently knew all about circuits. Unfortunately, Hero didn't know the first thing. He started explaining things three levels above her head and she struggled to keep up. She asked questions and had him clarify as he worked, but she was drowning. She wouldn't come out of the situation knowing anything more than she had entered with.

But Milly didn't mind at all. As he talked more, he became absolutely aglow with excitement, and he answered all of Hero's questions animatedly and eagerly. Once he started smiling, he didn't stop. And it made Hero smile, too.

Before they knew it, an hour and a half had passed.

"Alright, kiddos!" Villain cried, clapping his hands together. "Ro and I have to go!" He smiled at his own silly rhyme and several of the kids shared their disappointment. Surprisingly tough crowd. Hero looked to Milly, and he looked at her hopefully.

"Are you gonna come back?" he asked. His brown eyes were melting Hero's heart.

"I don't know, kiddo," she uttered. "Maybe. I liked spending time with you."

"Me, too!" He beamed, and she smiled right back. Hero's attention was drawn to the bulk of the kids as they started chanting, "Up! Up! Up!" and then Milly raced over to be with them. Villain's smile became mischievous, and he crouched down as if ready to pounce.

"Alright, just once!" The kids screamed and all crouched down, too. Hero leaned back, crossing her arms and observing.

"Okay, one…" The kids crouched deeper, quieting down except for excited giggles. "Two…!" Villain got lower, giving everyone a crazed grin, wiggling his fingers like some old-timey cowboy in a tense shoot-off. The kids waited an extra beat, one of them flinched partially upright, and then— "Three!"

All of the kids jumped as high as they could as Villain sprang to his feet, flinging his hands skyward like some kind of mad scientist. The kids suddenly all stopped, hovering in the air even as they flapped their arms and kicked their legs.

"Higher!" one cried, trying to fly. Another groaned, long and strained as they kicked and reached as if to climb. A third was desperately trying to swim upwards.

Hero put a hand over her mouth, giggles rolling up her throat as Villain gasped and strained, acting for all the world like he was trying to hold something massively heavy in his hands. He lowered them to his shoulders, then leaned back and grunted, holding his invisible burden at his belly. The kids protested, and Hero finally noticed they were slowly slipping back down to the ground. More and more protests filled the room as Villain fell to a knee, then heroically hiked his burden once more to his shoulders. But it was too much, and he started to collapse. Hero couldn't help the full-on laughter that shook her when he plopped belly-down onto the floor, all of the kids falling and yelling and then running up to jostle him upright, chanting for another go. He got to his feet as if exhausted.

"No more," he panted. "No more."

"Again! Again! Again!" Hero grinned, climbing to her feet, rushing over and joining the others. Villain looked at her with… something fond. She didn't want to think about it too hard.

"Okay, okay, one more time."

He did it four times all told.

Hero waved out of the car window as she and Villain backed away from the shabby little school. Parents had begun arriving, and most of the kids waved back as they walked to another car in the parking lot.

"You were really good with Milly," Villain uttered softly as he turned the wheel. Hero looked over to him.

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. "Yeah. He's a sweet kid."

"He is," Villain agreed. He pulled slowly away from the parking spot. "He doesn't usually like adults."

Hero glanced over at Villain, but his eyes were on the little road to the parking lot entrance. She'd gotten the feeling that Milly was distrustful of her at first. And she didn't blame him — she was a stranger, after all. But the way Villain said, "He doesn't usually like adults," seemed a bit… loaded. Had something happened? She wasn't sure she'd want to know. But part of her burned to know that sweet little boy wasn't being hurt.

"Why not?" she whispered. Villain glanced over to her, slowing to a stop to pull onto the street, and he gave her a lopsided, dorky smile.

"Most people get petty when they realize he's smarter than they are."

Hero stared at him. There was a muscle in her head that instantly pulled the, "How dare you!" switch in her brain. But also, Milly had been much more knowledgable than her on their topic for the day.

And why the hell should that be a bad thing?

She shrugged. "Their loss. He's a great kid." Villain beamed brightly at her before looking back to the road and pulling smoothly into traffic.

"I knew you'd get along," he said, almost to himself. For some reason, that made Hero blush, and she looked back down to her hands.

Their next stop was a "friend's" house. Hero stopped as soon as the words left Villain's mouth, one foot still in the car, the other on the sidewalk.

"Wait," Hero blurted, "this isn't… Supervillain's house, is it?" Villain barked an incredulous laugh, turning around on the walkway to face her.

"No?" he said, the expensive-looking, two story house looming behind him. "I would never willingly spend time with that square."

This time, Hero barked a laugh. Villain grinned brightly in his movie star way, then motioned for her to follow and continued to the door.

He didn't knock, he just walked right in. "Oh, Misses Norris!" he sang loudly into the entryway, leaving the door wide open for Hero to walk in. She closed it behind them. "Yoohoo!"

"I'm in here!" came a cranky reply. Villain strode off to the right with a little skip in his step, and Hero followed close behind. They came into a pretty living room — all of the walls and carpet and tabletops were white, and the chairs and flowers were all dark blue. A little, old woman was sitting opposite a large TV, knitting something, and the look she threw Villain as he walked in with wide arms was distinctly annoyed.

But the look she threw Hero was downright dangerous.

"Who's 'at?" Misses Norris demanded, shooting Villain a suspicious look.

"Who?" he said too dismissively to be innocent. He looked up and around and then at Hero as if he hadn't been sure she was even in the room. "Oh, Ro?" he said, looking down and waving dismissively at Misses Norris. He was wearing that movie star smile again. "She's just my friend. Had nothing better to do today."

Hero could have scoffed. But Misses Norris was making her too nervous, so she just waved shyly. The old lady looked her over with sharp, judgmental eyes.

"What do you do for a living, Ro?" Norris demanded.

"I'm a civil servant," Hero replied instantly. Norris scoffed, then looked down to resume her knitting. Something about it made Hero shrivel a little.

"So you're a government slave?"

"N-no—"

"Basically," Villain interrupted. Hero looked at him, betrayed and uneasy, and he patted Norris on the shoulder. "I was hoping to get her to change her career to hospice care."

Hero almost choked.

"I'm not dying yet, you little shit!" Norris barked, and Villain tried to dance out of the way but still got a punishing smack on the ass. Hero put a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Villain was laughing.

"Ro, would you mind making us some turkey sandwiches?" Villain asked, all smiles as he put a hand once more on Norris' shoulder. Hero just nodded, glad for the excuse to leave Misses Norris' sight.

Thankfully, the kitchen wasn't very hard to find. It was big and clean, and Hero got the distinct impression this was far too much house for Norris to keep up on her own. Either way, the fridge was tidy and the kitchen well-organized, and Hero set about using the blessedly narrow range of options to put together three sandwiches. She was just putting the last one together when she nearly had a heart attack.

"Are you trying to get into Villy's pants?"

Hero jumped and almost didn't catch the butter knife, then put a hand on her chest. She looked to Misses Norris, panting. Norris didn't seem the least bit remorseful, just raised her eyebrows from the kitchen entrance as if to say, "Answer the damn question."

"I think it's kind of the other way around," Hero blurted. Norris snorted.

"Villy? Nah. He wouldn't know what to do with a woman if she was spread out in front of him."

Holy shit, this woman had no filter.

"Uh—" Hero looked down at the sandwiches, then the knife in her hand. "Well, I-I promise I'm not trying to seduce him." She rinsed the knife off in the sink, but she could still feel Norris' eyes on her back.

"Good," she grunted. "Because he's a good boy, and he doesn't need to be pulled around by some harlot."

Hero paused. Then she turned off the water. She didn't turn to Norris, not yet. She wanted to make really sure she had heard that correctly.

On the one hand, this lady was being very rude. Downright mean. Hero hadn't asked to come into this house, but she was being set upon. And where the hell was Villain right now? Hero hadn't done anything to this lady except make her a sandwich.

On the other hand, this woman was just about the right age to have chronic, low-grade lead poisoning. Irritability and difficulty opening up to new ideas were some of the most common symptoms.

Hero turned her head. If she thought about it, Norris was just worried about Villain. Thinking about it twice, Norris had probably walked in here to give her a shovel talk. So what did Norris want to hear? Would she believe it if Hero said she wasn't interested? Would she be put off if Hero tried to act sweetly?

People give the kind of love they want to receive. And Norris had cursed at Villain and smacked him before coming in here to threaten Hero should she hurt him.

"You're right," Hero said, turning and leaning back against the sink, crossing her arms. Her heart was pounding like she was walking into a fight. "He deserves to be taken care of." Hero looked straight into Norris' eyes. "And if he's being mistreated, I will do something about it."

Norris waited a moment, then narrowed her eyes at Hero. Hero held eye contact, the butter knife glinting in her hand. Norris turned her head, parting her lips as if to speak, then paused again.

"Are you… threatening me?" Norris challenged. Hero gave her best impression of a nonchalant shrug.

"Are you hurting him?"

"Of course not!" Norris barked.

"Well then, there you go."

Norris stared at Hero, but it wasn't a glare anymore. Hero tried not to grit her teeth too hard, but nervous energy was welling up in her throat like it was dammed. Norris gave Hero another once-over, more assessing now than judgmental.

Norris looked Hero in the eye, then turned and left. Hero counted to ten before sighing in relief and putting a hand to her forehead.

Norris kept watching Hero while they all ate lunch. She sat close to Villain, fussing about the way he ate and then trying to bait him into saying how much he needed her around. Hero would have been put off by such behavior normally, but there was something… playful about it. Like Norris was just trying to get him to say something he'd sworn not to so she could laugh and call him out on it. But Villain was too smart for that sort of thing, and he cleverly dodged her verbal strikes.

Hero watched Villain as he smiled at Misses Norris and pulled the crust off of his sandwich. He smiled a lot, she was noticing. She'd seen it in the field, but it was always his movie star smile or his wry smirk. She liked the goofy smile. It… made him really handsome.

She carefully raised her sandwich and took a bite.

By the time they left Norris' house, it was getting dark. Villain kissed her on the crown of her head before stepping off of the porch.

"Come back before Hell freezes over, would ya?" Norris called as Hero and Villain walked to the car. Villain laughed and called over his shoulder:

"I'll see what I can pencil in!"

Hero hid her smile, and they climbed in. Villain let out a long sigh. He looked a little drained, and Hero picked the first joke that came to mind.

"Taking me to see your mom on a first date?" she ventured warily, buckling her seatbelt. Villain barked a laugh.

"Think of Misses Norris more like…." He put a tongue into his cheek and rolled his head thoughtfully. "A long-lost lover."

Hero balked for a moment. Norris was… delicate. She moved slowly and her right hand trembled and not all of her fingers were straight. Hero suddenly couldn't help but wonder if Norris and Villain were still… active. Oh, God, suddenly she was picturing Villain naked!

Stop! Stop, oh, jeez!

Villain laughed at her as she put her hands on her face. How did he make her so nervous? Nobody else in her life had this effect on her.

"If she's your lover, you're obviously not doing a good job," Hero moaned as if the words were being dragged out of her. Villain's laughing stuttered to a stop.

"What?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

"She's so cranky!" Hero cried, looking to Villain with probably the loudest blush she'd ever worn in her life. Villain howled with laughter, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to the steering wheel, and Hero covered her face again to hide her own laughter.

The next stop was supposed to be the last. They went back into town, and Hero admired the lights as Villain drove. The sky was still darkening, but all of the signs and street lamps were on and ready for the night.

Villain pulled into what was apparently a popular restaurant. The parking lot was pretty full, so they took a spot further away from the building.

Hero was getting nervous again. It hit her again that she was on a date. With Villain. This was definitely going into her file. What even was the punishment for dating the enemy? She didn't want to lose this job. She wanted to be where she could help people. And there wasn't exactly a surplus of hero agencies around.

"What's on your mind?" Villain asked. Hero looked up to see him watching her face. His expression was so soft. She admired the gentle part of his lips for a moment before looking down.

"I just… don't want to get in trouble," she admitted. It sounded stupid to say out loud. Like she was twelve years old and worried her parents would ground her. Villain took a deep breath and looked to the building as they continued towards it.

"I really meant it when I said you're too good for them," he uttered. Hero played with her hands. He didn't get it. Most villains were basically freelancers, and there was no central body for them to answer to. They didn't need to be organized to do what they wanted. But Hero did. She couldn't get situation reports on unfolding trouble from a news channel. She couldn't get from one end of town to the other in ten minutes in her own car.

Villain bumped her elbow softly.

"Why do you work for them?" he asked. She sighed and examined the lines on her palms.

"I don't know how else to help people," she whispered. There was nothing else for a hero to do except sign onto the agency.

Although, it wasn't exactly like she was a good hero.

"You helped Milly," Villain offered. Hero blinked. She… supposed. Milly did look happy, at least. And he'd asked if she was coming back. "And Misses Norris sure liked you," Villain went on. "I figured she would; you're whip-smart."

There it was again. Hero frowned, looking away. She really wished he'd stop —

An old sedan jumped the curb next to them, headlights gnashing, engine roaring.

They couldn't get out of the way in time.

"Look out!" Hero screamed, grabbing Villain.

The car struck Hero's outstretched palm, metal twisting as she adjusted her stance to let the car continue across her right side in a tight arc. She twisted, holding onto the grill as something broke, letting the car turn until it was on Hero's other side, facing the sidewalk it had just screamed over, bouncing on its wheels as the radiator bled onto the pavement.

Hero panted, shaking, staring with wide eyes at the now motionless car. The grill was practically ripped apart and one of the front wheels was twisted. She'd probably totaled it.

She looked back at her other hand where she was holding onto Villain by the shirt. She had his sweater balled up in her fist, and he was holding onto her wrist with both hands, eyes wide. He was trembling all over, breathing shallowly. He looked away from the car to Hero, and she noticed for the first time that his eyes were a dark brown.

She let go of him carefully, then dug out her phone. He was panting, and his shaking was getting worse.

"I could've died," he breathed.

"Shh, Villain, listen to me," Hero said, using her hero voice. She put a hand on his face and flashed the phone's flashlight into his eyes in a practiced motion. "You need to sit down and focus on your breathing," she commanded, noting his eyes were dilating normally. They were a rich color, like fudge, but a bit lighter towards the pupil. He turned them to her, and they dilated slightly.

"You just saved my life," he breathed. She put her phone away and didn't bother to mention that he was only here because of her.

"Sit down, focus on deep, long breaths; I have to check on the driver." Villain nodded, watching her face, and she let go of him and hurried to the car.

There was only one person inside. He looked to be older, and he was leaning hard on his right side. He turned his head slightly when Hero came to the window, and she noticed right away his expression was completely lop-sided.

She grabbed the door handle and pulled, but it didn't open. She braced her feet and grabbed with both hands, but it still wouldn't yield.

Shit, what was more expensive, the hinge or the window?

She reached over and gripped the door, pulling and crushing the metal in her hand to get access to the hinge. She forced her hand in, wincing at the loud, awful noises the metal was making, and crushed and tore the door hinge until the whole thing suddenly sagged. She gripped the door and removed it from the latch, then laid it carefully aside to avoid any further damage.

She reached in and flashed her light in the man's eyes.

"Hello, sir, do you know where you are?" she asked commandingly, careful not to move his head. His right pupil was blown and didn't respond to the light. "Sir, can you tell me your name?"

He swallowed and went to speak, but no coherent sounds came out.

Hero was already dialing emergency police.

"Sir, sit still and don't move your head, okay?" Hero commanded. He stared at her, swallowing again as the line was picked up.

Hero calmly and quickly relayed the important details of the situation to the dispatcher. She carefully pulled out the man's wallet and searched for any information about his health, monitoring him for any signs that he was getting worse.

Once the man's condition was communicated, she checked on Villain again and determined that he didn't need an ambulance. She didn't really want him on the scene when the paramedics arrived if she could help it, so she suggested he hide somewhere. He muttered something about grabbing them a table and then went inside.

It took forty five minutes to clear the scene, and all the while Hero was anxiously glancing at the restaurant. What if Villain wasn't okay? What if she missed something and he was just sitting there, going into the next stage of shock? She kept waiting to hear another ambulance, to see another set of emergency lights coming towards them. But she gave her statement to the police, and when they dismissed her, she hurried into the building and was shown to the booth where Villain was looking into a glass of wine. He looked up suddenly when she started to sit.

"I am so sorry," Hero blurted, smoothing her skirt. "Are you okay? Are you dizzy or light-headed at all?"

Villain stared at her, and it made her worry. Normally he might have smiled and tried to make a joke.

"I'm okay," he said with a slight nod. She nodded, too, leaning forward over the table. Villain looked down at his glass, swirling it softly. Then, much to Hero's relief, he cracked a smile.

"So," he uttered, looking up at her through dark lashes. She felt a slight blush warm her face, but didn't look away, the trickle of adrenalin still in her veins making her brave. "How about that second date?"

She was too shocked to laugh. He sipped his wine, one hand wrapped delicately around the glass while the other stayed flat on the table.

He really wanted to do this again? They'd barely had any time alone together all day. And she was sure the near-death experience would have warded him off of her. She realized she was expecting him to call this date off, expecting him to be mad he had to wait after nearly getting flattened, expected him to say, "You know what, I think you're just too much trouble," and leave.

She stared at him. There was no way he'd really had a good time today. He was still pale even now, and his fingers were still shaking when he wasn't hiding it.

"You… still want to go out again?" He gave her his movie star smile.

"Never stopped," he said. Hero looked down at her hands. She wasn't exactly sold on the idea of fraternizing. He was the enemy, and if the agency found out, she'd be toast.

But… she'd felt more helpful today than she had in a long time. Sure, Milly wasn't in any kind of trouble, but he was engaging, and knowing he normally couldn't do that made Hero's heart swell. Sure, Norris was cantankerous and rude, but Hero could tell she really appreciated having company. And the crash had been awful, but Hero was proud of the quick and effective way she handled the situation.

She met Villain's gaze. He was relaxing again now that she was here. Because she was here. Realizing that made her chest warm up. He wasn't a regular citizen, no, but… she was starting to finally feel wanted by spending time with him.

And maybe it was selfish of her to pick that over the moral high ground. But as she played with the roll of silverware in front of her, she decided that she maybe deserved to get something she wanted. Because it wasn't like breaking agency rules meant she couldn't help people, evidently enough.

"A second date sounds great."

[stalkedbytrains]

Beneath the Electric Sky

Chain One: Preload

Sequence One: Specialization

The city's atmospheric regulators were working overtime, venting steam from deep underground. The entire city was bathed in steam and fog as the city tried to deal with the never-ending climate crisis and the still active half-life fallout.

It made the building the sniper was surveilling hard to pick out, but it also hid her from view. Not that she needed a lot of help to remain undetected.

Synthia was having a hard time with the building and that was even before the winds started blowing across the Pacific strongly enough to bring in some of the radiation from overseas.

The targets she had been sent after were based in a building that was harder to get into than The Collection she was a part of. They had a small army of personnel that all had advanced combat training, what appeared to be some kind of complicated employee tracking system that hunted and killed anyone that was in the building without permission.

Then there was the suspicion of extremely illegal technology and gene splicing.

The assassin that Synthia was after was employed by these people so getting at the organization itself and whatever bullshit they did to make their assassin borderline uncatchable was in there, and it was Synthia's job to get it. She also had a score to settle with the assassin.

Synthia had tracked him down, got ahead of him, and instead of having a halfway civilized conversation he shot Synthia three times with Teflon coated rounds which would have killed her pretty quickly (but painfully) if she had been totally human.

The real problem with this stupid building and this stupid company and their stupid assassin was that they were protected by an EM field. The powerful electromagnets would fry anything with a circuit that got in without proper protection or authorization. Which meant that Synthia would die. Her systems would shutdown and she'd basically suffocate as her heart slowly gave up. She'd die trapped within her body, no matter how state-of-the-art it was.

She could attempt to drop in from above but there were no nearby buildings in which to do it quietly. Unless she dropped in from the air, and while it had been a very long time since her last HALO jump, she could probably manage it. But she couldn't rule out the chance that there was an EM field on top of the building, which could be a problem. However, such a field would only be a problem if she could hit the target of a single building from 30,000 feet up. Synthia was good, she was even extremely good, but she wasn't that good.

Of course she could just storm the building. Blow up the EM generators with a couple of smart rockets or even just break out the magnetic accelerator rifle that she is only allowed under special circumstances, but that would give her away instantly and take away any chance of recovering information or the assassin intact or mostly intact.

This was going to require an inside man, and this goddamn cult was extremely picky about who they let into their premises. That was a skill set that Synthia did not have.

Stealth, insertion, infiltration, sniping? All of those she was one of the best in the world at. But those skills wouldn't get her in there without getting noticed immediately.

She was going to have to call in a ringer.

Hopefully the bosses would let her choose the ringer, because she knew the perfect guy for the job. And he was local.

[000]

At the tiny two room headquarters that Synthia had in the city, she had spent the better part of ten minutes laying out the assault on the building and why it was such a difficult pain.

"What about a HALO jump? Get in over their defenses?" Seth asked.

Seth was nominally her partner but he acted more like a boss.

"I can't tell if there is any defenses on the roof, the weather has been absolute shit the last few days and there's no sign of it getting any better in the next few days, and I don't want to give them anymore lead time since they know we're coming. Besides HALO jumps are fine, but we're talking about hitting the courtyard of a building, which is not necessarily the easiest thing to hit when falling at terminal velocity."

Seth rubbed his beard. "Yeah, and there's no good way in?"

"Not unless you can see something. And I can't lie my way in, since they know what we look like since the fucking debacle with the cops."

He gave Synthia a hard look.

"You can't even remotely blame that fucking bullshit on me," Synthia snapped. "We have strict orders to bring in the assassin if we can and the cops came in guns blazing absolutely burning that bridge as evidenced by him shooting me three times!"

"So what do you suggest? A tactical nuke?"

Synthia didn't even feign a laugh at the jab. "We need an inside man, but, again this cult is paranoid so their members are scrutinized within an inch of their lives. We need someone else to get inside and turn off the EM field long enough for me to get inside."

"What do you suggest? There's no other Collection agents on this coast. You want to get some outside help? You?"

"I have friends."

"That you haven't gotten killed or killed yourself?"

"Io has known me for a very long time. He's a great con man, he's in this city right now, and he has the added benefit of being almost completely human. If he does get caught in the EM field, he's not gonna just die like I will. Like you would."

Seth frowned. "Fine. We don't have many other options and we need this wrapped up quickly. But if this goes sideways even a little bit, I'm torching this friend of yours."

Synthia sneered at Seth in response.

"You know where to find him?"

"I have a pretty good idea."

[010]

There was a black tie party happening at the penthouse of the extremely wealthy socialite and minor celebrity Mason Filmont. The man had a penchant for buying rare and expensive per-singularity technology, and he was both stupid and an asshole, which was Io's favorite target.

Sneaking into the party was extremely easy. It was a party, there was a certain expectation of people coming and going.

Io could have made his way into the party as just a guest, but that wouldn't have got him nearly as close to some of the tech he wanted to steal as he would have liked. So he spent the last few weeks charming his way into the inner circle of Mason.

It was tiring to be sure, and the sex wasn't good either which was a criminal crime, but it was all about to pay off.

"You know I'm worried about all of these gang killings."

A snippet of party conversation caught Io totally off guard. He couldn't quite place it, but there was a familiarity with the voice that spoke. He whipped around and saw a tall but almost tragically slim redheaded woman in an ill fitting black dress.

She saw him turned and raised her glass of champagne at him.

There was something so familiar about the stance, about the hungry and tired look that told him that this woman hadn't slept properly in a long time but the sharp blue eyes told him that he was being hunted by an apex predator.

Io stopped in his tracks and turned to face the woman and the person she was talking to.

"Hey there River," Io said, slipping his hand across the waist of the person he was actively scamming. "Who are you talking to?"

The woman smiled a smile, that put Io very ill at ease. That smile said that she had pulled on over on him.

"Name's Synthia," she said as she held out a hand to shake Io's.

The grip was almost crushing, but it didn't seem to be a deliberate power move, and was instead something that came from her unnatural strength.

"Synthia, pleasure. I'm-"

"Io. I know. We've met before."

"Oh, you two know each other?" River said with a bemused look.

"Oh yes," Synthia said. "But I'd be surprised if Io remembers me. We haven't seen each other in years."

Io's stomach dropped out as she said that. It was the voice, the hair, and the eyes that did it. Nothing else was the same.

"Synthia. Yeah. I haven't seen you in a real long time. Last time I saw you was when you were looking for a particular gun."

Synthia rolled her eyes. "I mean, yes, but we've communicated since then. You helped me find some people. Shame what happened to them."

"You-" Io started but Synthia shook her head just a little bit, a fraction of a movement. "Yes. You're right, how silly of me to forget. How have you been?"

"Lots of changes," she said, indicating to herself. "Lots. But I'm doing well. Some aspects could be better. The job is something of a pain."

"You still in the military?" Io asked.

River had gotten bored by this point and kissed Io. "I'm going to go back to the party, you two have fun."

Once he was gone, Io dropped the smile.

"What the fuck?" he whispered.

"New job," she explained. "Like top secret shit, so careful what you say and what you ask. They're listening."

"And so you thought you'd just drop in on your old friend Io for shits and giggles?"

"I mean, I've been keeping tabs. You seem to be doing good."

"I'm alive," he said. "I thought you were dead, or gone, spirited away to some black site prison."

"You're not half wrong there."

"Fucking hell," Io said, cutting himself off from saying the name he remembered Synthia using. "What's up? Why are you coming back to me now? Am I fucked? Am I being black-bagged?"

"No," Synthia said. "I'm just in a severe problem right now and need a favor."

"Of course, why didn't that occur to me sooner. I'm on a job, a very delicate one, and I'm really close to closing it."

"You're going to what? Steal Mason's cybertruck? That ugly fucking thing?"

"Yes, but that's not the goal. I was going to use it as a getaway vehicle for a bit. I mean it's a legendarily bad truck, and Mason has a fully restored 2025 model. I want to drive it so bad. But I was going to steal some stuff, a couple of art pieces to sell, and some old videogame stuff for myself. Then drive out in the truck."

Synthia nodded. "I'm impressed. A step up from the shit you pulled back in the day."

"You're being weirdly coy."

"They don't know a lot about me before I joined the military, and I aim to keep it that way."

"Then you contacting me is..."

"Very serious."

"What's up?"

"You know those murders everyone is concerned with?" Synthia asked.

"Yeah, some dude is killing gang leaders."

"And about a hundred other people. Ranging from war criminals to CEO's and randomly some random dude in an apartment complex."

Io took a deep breath. "That's a lot of dead people. You know I'm not a fan of that."

"Well the problem is that it is one dude."

"Hasn't this only been going on for like a week? He's killed more than a hundred people in less than a week?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck. How do you think I can possibly help you?"

"This guy has some illegal tech I'm going to rip out of him. And he shot me three times and tried to kill me."

Io hung his head, resting it on the metal railing of the nearby stairs. He knew what that meant. Synthia, whatever she was calling herself now, would never let that stand.

"The thing is I know where his headquarters is, and the cult that is supporting him."

"There's a cult too?" Io whined.

"Yeah."

"Motherfucker."

"It's more religious fanaticism and shit and not like the people sacrificing kind."

"I'm really dreading when you get to the point where you ask me to do something."

"I just need you to open the door."

Io looked at Synthia incredulously. She really was almost entirely different. The person that Io knew from twenty odd years back was still in there, and this conversation, brief as it had been, they really were the same person.

"The entire area is surrounded by EM fields and guards and turrets and extreme paranoia of the religious fanatics. They know me because their assassin failed to kill me, so I can't get in. I can't even get close or I'm gonna die."

Io shuddered. "You really went down that route?"

Synthia shrugged. "Yeah, it gave me the body I always wanted. Cost me a lot in other ways. But still worth it."

"I love tech, just having it be inside me grosses me out."

"The other reason I'm here. You won't instantly die if you screw up like I will."

"How badly does this need to be done tonight?" Io asked as he looked longingly at the rich person's very easily stolen things.

"Badly. We've got a very small window to strike before they realize we're on to them and move and if they move we're never getting to the assassin."

"Why not?" Io complained, even know Synthia knew he was coming with her.

"I'm fairly certain the assassin can teleport. So this is our one and only opportunity."

"Fuck me," Io said. "Let's go, but I hope you can at least pay me for this."

"The company has deep pockets."

"Goddamnit," Io moaned as they went to leave the party. "Don't tell me I'm actually doing work for The Company Company."

"The CIA? Those fucks? Oh hell no."

Io heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank fuck. They are really the worst."

"Yeah and they've put out hits on me like three times," Synthia said as she led Io to the car she had waiting out front.

As they climbed into the car Io turned to Synthia and said, "So I have two questions for you."

"Shoot."

"Pronouns?"

"She and her," Synthia replied instantly.

"Good, good," Io said. "Honestly I've never cared much for the whole pronoun game so whatever works for you works for me. But it might just save time to use he and him for me."

Synthia pulled away from the party with dangerous speed. "Sounds just like you. What's the other question?"

"Lorelei know you're alive?"

Synthia swore. "No."

buy me a kofi

[mozzdie24]

COLIN THE COMPUTER X READER HEADCANONS👾💚💕

-Basically, he’s the bipolar one who keeps having mood swings and is very obnoxious but you’re the only one who can tolerate or even encourage it because oh well you still love him so of course you two end up together.

-He has a very strange system when it comes to physical touch.

-Gets mad if you touch him without consent, will touch YOU without YOUR consent, but sometimes will almost fry his own circuits from you touching him

-The relationship is very complicated. Not to mention the fact you’re dating a literal computer.

-Because of that y’all don’t really do that much romantic stuff. You’ll give him a kiss on the head, he’ll try his best to return it, but it’s an occasional thing.

-He does tolerate cuddles every so often. Again, it varies, mostly depending on his mood.

-When Colin is in a good mood, cuddles and physical affection as a whole are a must for him. So it’s easy to tell when he’s in a good mood.

-But what you do most of the time is more calmer activities like watching a movie or going to the park.

-Colin’s invited you to his digital world several times, and even though you trusted him, it was just too far out of reach for you. If you didn’t understand it, you didn’t want it.

-When you two first met, he was a bit skeptical of you, but your endless curiosity piqued his interest.

-You’d go online on Colin more and more often looking for information and he got more used to it, rather enjoying your company. It was nice having someone who appreciated him as much as you did.

-While Colin could come off as braggy or obnoxious, it DOES come with some insecurity and it felt good to have confirmation from others every once in a while.

-So basically a Leo.

-As he warmed up to you, he would interact more friendly and let your hands roam the keyboard without stopping you every few sentences.

-He doesn’t feel it when not in his humanoid form, but it still bothered him for people to touch parts of him.

-You were merely the exception for a while until Colin started looking forward to your visits. He had started to get to know you better.

-After a few months, you suspected he had taken a liking to you, but you didn’t say much about it. You knew the computer had feelings, but you doubted he had THOSE feelings.

-Until something slipped out of his search history.

-Oh, no, no, it wasn’t anything PG-13, just some harmless “how to confess to crush” stuff you teased him about. Then he started acting all weird and you narrowed it down to, yup. He had feelings for you.

-It was a little weird, but also kind of sweet considering your first meeting.

-Nonetheless, he asked for a chance and you gave him one. You felt a LITTLE better seeing him in his humanoid form.

-After the first week or so of “dating”, you began to develop a crush on him, too. And once that got out, Colin was clingy as ever trying to fluster you. He found it hilarious.

-What a hypocrite.

[wordswithaven]

A Letter to the Havens of Learning

We were

Your little stars,

Your little prodigies,

But you were blinded by our light,

you only care for the shimmer,

not the destructive processes happening in our cores.

...

‘Let’s drain them for all they’re worth,

so we can increase our net worth.’;

‘Let’s pretend we don't see the tears,

the fears, the hatred from their peers, the shears.’

...

The factory’s best machines:

the most efficient:

the future of humanity;

but you don't see 

how we are being overclocked,

how our circuits are frying and burning us from inside.

...

We were the helpers, the gifted, the bright ones,

we were sacrificial lambs,

slaves to the system that promised us greatness.

...

You used children.

...

Children who only wanted to learn and please.

...

You told us we were worth nothing but the number on our tests.

When in reality we were worth only as much

as the increase in money and reputation we could give you.

...

You tell us that you are saving us,

preparing us for the future,

giving us opportunities,

but we fuse iron before we even get there,

collapse into black holes and become invisible

to those that promised us greatness 

if we just burned brighter.

...

When the well runs dry do you punish the well

or those that took too much water?

...

You wonder why this generation’s brightest minds

are all mentally ill,

maybe instead of blaming us,

you should look at the system that raised us,

because I promise you

that we didn't choose to base our worth on our achievements,

we didn't choose to let those numbers define us,

we didn't choose to become the puppets of that factory

of conformity,

of anxiety,

of perversity,

of self hatred.

...

I promise you,

we would not have worn that title with pride,

if we knew that the brightest stars

ended with the most silent and heavy deaths.

...

Yours sincerely,

The past stars of the future.

[missshezz]

Title: Experience

Warnings: None Apply

Rating: All ages

Word Count: 1025

Tags: pre-clone wars movie, Rex and company are sent to help reader, war, death, angst, drama, loyalty, clone protocol

Summary: Rex teaches you a lesson about experience and respect

You spot the battle droid from the corner of your eye. Even with the Force flowing through your veins, you cannot deflect the blaster bolt.

It hits the trooper next to you in the upper part of his chest.

He goes down without a sound.

His pain is a ripple in the Force.

You can do nothing to help ease it, though.

Not with that battle droid rapid firing at you and the clone in command of this small regiment.

His designation number is CT-7567.

If he has an actual name, you don’t know it.

There hadn’t been time for formal introductions. The captain and his men arrived as you found yourself surrounded by a horde of battle droids.

Death seemed imminent.

Something you accepted.

As all Jedi did.

“Sir, watch out!”

You turn to see one of the super battle droid’s advancing towards you, arms raised, intent clear.

You use the Force to throw the droid into the others coming your way.

“Tinnies advancing on the left!” CT-7567 shoots a droid in the head with one of the DC-17 blaster pistols he’s holding. “Deploy droid poppers!”

Immediately, a dozen balls flew into the air.

All arcing in one synchronized motion before dropping in front of the droids.

Streaks of blue strike the droids, frying their circuits, and powering them off for good.

Your reprieve is short-lived, however.

For every one droid that falls, twenty replace them.

“Captain!” you hear. “Clankers advancing on the right!”

“Get ready!” CT-7567 orders. “Give ‘em everything we got!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Soon as the droids are within range, they let loose a barrage of blaster fire. The pings as bolts slam into the thick metal covering the battle droids remind you of the steel drums you heard while on a mission with your former master.

They, too, sounded of death.

Droids fall but are quickly replaced by more.

They’re just bodies Separatists send out to die for their cause.

Programmable, dependable, expendable, and above all else, replaceable.

It’s not lost on you how the same thing is being done by the Republic.

Only, they’re sending out an army of cloned humans instead of droids.

Living, thinking, feeling, and killable sentient beings.

You find it utterly abhorrent.

War, your master once told you, is never a solution and is never justified.

“It doesn’t matter who wins to those dead,” he said. “They are the ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

You’re determined to see as few dead as possible.

You’re a guardian of peace and not a soldier, after all.

Or you weren’t until now.

“Captain.” You stop to deflect blaster bolts with your lightsaber. “Have your men pull back to that outcropping of rocks. We can make a stand there while waiting for reinforcements to arrive!”

“Yes, Commander!”

His address stuns you.

You’re not a commander.

You’re barely a Jedi Knight.

Your promotion, in fact, came right before you were deployed to this inhospitable planet.

You don’t correct the captain, though.

There’s no time for it.

Not with a horde heading in your direction.

And what a swarm it is, you realize, stomach churning with dread.

Battle droids.

Super battle droids.

Droidekas.

Spider droids.

Hailfires.

All coming right at you.

The reality of the situation is clear.

There are no fighter tanks to combat those hailfires.

No AT-RTs to mow down the battle droids.

It’s just you and a rapidly diminishing squadron of men.

Clones are not like droids.

Their numbers aren’t infinite.

It took time to grow new clones.

Train them.

Prepare them for battle.

Time you do not have.

You and these men are going to die.

Not before you take as many droids with you as you can.

A hailstorm of blaster fire erupts.

Bodies fall around you.

Each life extinguished is like a candle blown out by a strong breeze.

Leaving you cold, cold, cold.

You’re a Jedi, however, and don’t allow your grief to consume you.

You let it pass into the Force.

“Sir, look!” CT-7567 points to the sky. “Reinforcements are on the way!”

A sigh of relief escapes you as Republic gunships break through the barrage of laser blasts, bringing desperately needed backup, and much needed air support.

The battle you feared lost turns into a Republic victory a short time later.

There’s no celebrating for you, however.

There’s injured and dead soldiers to attend too.

You move to a clone leaning heavily on a pile of rocks. He tries to straighten as you approach but you shake your head.

“We do not need such formalities.”

“Sir?”

“You’re injured.” You slide an arm around his waist. “I think we can forego protocol until after you receive medical attention.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Twyla, please, Trooper.”

“I’m Jesse.” A pained grunt escapes him. “Sir.”

You go to correct him but the arrival of CT-6116, Kix you heard the medic called, puts an end to the subject. You turn Jesse over to the medic and go to help the others in need of medical attention. CT-7567 materializes at your side after you help the last injured trooper into the waiting transport.

“Commander? Your transport is waiting.”

“I’m not a commander.” You turn to the captain. “I’m a Jedi. A newly knighted one, in fact.”

“In my books, sir, experience outranks everything.”

“Please, just Twyla.” You walk with him towards the waiting gunship. “And you and your men definitely outrank me, Captain.”

“It’s Rex.” You think you detect a hint of humor in his tone but can’t be sure. “Commander.”

You accept the address despite feeling you haven’t earned it.

Something tells you that you will before this conflict is over.

If we don’t end this war, and soon, it will end the Republic and everything it stands for.

Something as a Jedi you cannot allow to happen.

Still, you find yourself wishing there was another way to bring about a resolution.

If only to stop more lives from being sacrificed.

Enough were lost here this day.

Men you swear to see honored for their sacrifice.

“Let’s take our leave…” You look at the captain. Committing his image to memory. Just in case you never see him again. “Rex.”

“Sir, yes, sir.”

[emeraldzephyr]

Some Cyberpunk Cowboy Steddie inspired by @trashpocket and their excellent art

The only thing for miles was sand. Rolling dunes, shifting and dancing in the wind, the twin suns scorching the earth and reflecting the heat back into the atmosphere. Luckily, Harrington Model #85 only suffered minor damage when he crash landed on the planet's arid surface. His thermoregulation system sputtered to life as soon as he clambered out of the ship pod's wreckage, perspiration beading on his forehead.

"Birdie, what's our status?" He grunted out, hauling his recon bag over his shoulder.

"Looks like we unceremoniously crash landed on Beta Earth 83, Steve" the navigational matrix chirped out, using the moniker she dubbed him with, "it's an arid but uninhabited planet. Should be safe here assuming you don't fry under these suns. Or get eaten by some creature. Or fall in quicksand. Oh, that reminds me! I should probably scan for quicksa-"

"Birdie" Steve says,"Let's maybe scan for water or food first."

"Says someone completely and blissfully unaware of the dangers of quicksand!"

This draws an eye roll from Steve, who decided that the direction he was facing was a perfectly good way to start looking. He hoisted the bag higher on his shoulder, pulled his wide brimmed hat lower over his eyes, and pulled his handkerchief up around his nose to block the sand and wind.

"Hey Steve?"

"Yeah Birdie?"

"You may want to course correct 15 degrees north. There should be some aquifers we can tap around there."

-

The sand stretched for miles and miles around him, no relent from the scorching rays. He felt his nose and cheeks beginning to blister, and the servos in his arm were beginning to grind from the sand worming its way into the joints. He flexed his inorganic hand, feeling tightness in the joints, electing to grab his canteen with his organic hand instead. He gave it a shake and upended it into his mouth. A small trickle was all that was left. He savored every bit, swishing the tepid water around in his mouth.

"Birdie, we close to those aquifers yet?" He croaked out, feeling the burgeoning pressure in between his eyes that signaled an incoming migraine.

"I don't understand," the voice trilled out "they should be right here..."

"Well all that's here is sand, so unless you can suddenly make water out of that, we may be out of luck."

Most cyborgs didn't believe in the concept of luck. Outcomes were a consequence of probability matrices and a complex web of cause and effect. Whether it was because he was only half cyborg, having one too many head injuries on recon and rescue missions, or his unceremonious crash landing into the planet knocking some circuits loose, Steve Harrington was not like most cyborgs. And perhaps referencing the Lady Luck was all that was needed to draw her favor as his boot thunked down onto something metallic.

Steve instantly clicked on his own personal range scanners, causing his single inorganic eye to glow blue with light. It outlined a hatch, buried beneath a layer of sand.

"Birdie... Thought you said that Beta Earth #83 was...uninhabited... "

"It's supposed to be! The data is-"

"Rather outdated, and I'd love for it to stay that way" a voice drawled from behind him.

Steve moved to turn but instantly felt the cold iron of a revolver press into his spine between his shoulder blades.

"Now could you do us the honor of dying," the voice crooned in his ear, dark curls falling over Steve's shoulder from the proximity, "That would be splendid, sweetheart."

[spacefinch]

Incorrect Quotes, Wild Field Trips edition

(for @daiohficblog)

Chris: *walks into the Tortuga*

Chris: *casually looks up* Ah, a spider.

Carlos (with spider powers): WHERE?!?!

Phoebe: Bears are easily one of the most animals of all time, but a close second is the fossa.

Phoebe: *shows the team a picture of a fossa* Like that sure is an animal all right.

Keesha: Ralphie, we can't just hold a rope between some bushes and expect one of the villains to run through and trip on it! It's just bad planning!

*Zach runs by and trips over the rope*

Keesha: Never mind, I like this plan!

Mikey, in the science lab: I'm like 75% sure this won't explode.

Wanda: *miniaturizes herself*

Wanda: Ok, time to go back to normal size!

Wanda: *can't find the Miniaturizer*

Wanda: *has an idea*

Wanda: *has climbed up onto Aviva's work station computer and is now typing a message by jumping on the keys*

Several minutes later...

Aviva: Hey, who wrote "HELP I'M A BUG" on my computer program?

Martin: I went to the store and bought Quick Oats. The next day, my brother came back with Instant Oats. I will not be humiliated like this. I must now find an even sooner oat.

The crew: *watching footage of a cheetah chasing a gazelle*

Carlos: That gazebo is so screwed.

D.A.: Are you sure gazebo is the correct word?

D.A.: Are. You. Sure?

(overhead from another room)

Martin: Are you sure this is a good plan?

Chris: Trust me, this will work. I have the leg strength of a blue whale.

Martin: Blue whales don't have legs.

Wanda: (sits in front of the Tortuga computer) Knowledge!

Koki: What kind?

Wanda: Knees! Penguins! Do they have 'em?

Koki: Yes.

Wanda: Knowledge!

Koki: Want to watch cat videos? Those make you happy.

Wanda: Where penguins go when die?

Koki: (sending her the link) Here.

Wanda: Orca eat penguin video.

Koki: Here.

Wanda: How survive orca attack.

Koki: Here.

Wanda: How survive shark attack.

Koki: Here.

Wanda: When shark eat leg, when shark poop leg out?

Koki: WHY?!

Wanda: I crave knowledge!

Koki: Here.

Wanda: How shark make shark babies?

Koki: Here.

Wanda: SHARK BABIES EAT EACH OTHER?!

Koki: (shrugs) Some kinds.

Wanda: Little serial killers.

Koki: Yeah…. OHHHH. Oh no.

Wanda: True crime!

Koki: NO.

Wanda: YES!

Koki: I hate you.

Wanda, already typing: EVIL CRIME NEVER CAUGHT MOST LIKELY KILL ME IN SLEEP LOCATION ON.

Koki: *sigh* Here.

….

Koki: So cat videos?

Wanda, close to tears: Yes please.

Everyone: *chilling in the Tortuga— reading, working on inventions, playing video games, etc..*

The lights: *suddenly go out*

DA: So much for reading my book.

Phoebe: Why is it so dark?

Carlos: I think the power went out, Phoebs.

Aviva: All right, which one of you was touching the electric panels again?

Martin: You want me to just activate electric eel powers?

Aviva: No! That’ll fry the circuits. Just let me.. just let me figure it out.

*footsteps*

"Ow, you’re standing on my foot!"

“Wasn’t me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t see you.”

“Are you hugging me?”

“No.”

“Are you scared of the dark?”

“What? No. No. I’m not.”

Chris: Hey guys. I’m gonna head outside for a little bit. But if you see Aviva, it was not my fault.

Aviva: I heard that!

Chris: See you guys later! 

*sound of running footsteps*

Everyone: RUN, CHRIS, RUN!

Carlos: Let me think of a plan. I'm best at plans.

D.A.: No, you're not.

Carlos: Name one bad plan I've made.

[SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE TYPING...]

Martin: I just found out that my gecko friend’s tail works on my Creaturepod’s touch screen, so I’m gonna let her make a post and let spell check interpret the words.

The gecko’s post: Funks go e y y man kill zucchini angst

Chris: The gecko has spoken.

Announcement from the Tortuga:

ATTENTION: There will be no snakes at this Friday’s movie/sleepover night. There was a typo in last week’s announcement bulletin that said we will have snakes. SNACKS is what we will have.

Not that we have anything against snakes— in fact, we think they’re great. In fact, we will have snakes at the Tortuga HQ in May during our Reptile Hangout Day.

To summarize:

April 12: No snakes.

May 22: Yes snakes.

Mikey: Today a kid in my drama class* got detention, but he pulled a Monopoly Get Out of Jail Free card out of his pocket and my teacher let him out of it.

Gavin: How do you get detention in drama?

Mikey: Long story short, he kicked the ceiling by accident.

Gavin: How you do kick a ceiling by accident?

(*that kid was Carlos. Mikey's own brother.)

Keesha: None of ya'll know what propaganda is, do you?

Carlos: It's when a British person takes a good look at something.

Jimmy: I spent all day doing side quests instead of progressing the main story.

Ralphie: I know you're talking about a video game, but this is actually a really good metaphor for my life.

Wanda: I despise you with every inch of my being.

One of the villains: Well, it isn't a lot of inches.

Carlos (struggling to hold Wanda back): RUN

Carlos: I go to Home Depot

Carlos: I eat the tools

Aviva: Stop it

Carlos: crumch

Carlos: You see, I LOVE classical music. I like Bach, Mozart, and ... ummmm.....

Carlos: *looks at smudged writing on his hand that's supposed to say "Beethoven"*

Carlos: That's right. Beef oven.

Ralphie: Guys, it actually happens! I saw a documentary about it!

Wanda: Was it a documentary, or was it that movie about the robots we watched at your birthday sleepover?

Ralphie: It was a documentary!

Ralphie (once Wanda is out of earshot): It was the movie about the robots.

Tim: A DND party made entirely of orc bards

Carlos: An orchestra

D.A.: NO

(during a game of Uno)

��Brother, please, no.”

“I’m sorry. I have to.”

“Please, I’m begging you, after all we’ve been through?”

“I’m sorry. [places a draw 4 card] Uno.”

(This could either happen with Martin and Chris or Carlos and Mikey.)

Phoebe: *trying to wake Carlos up* Don’t make me get the water bucket.

Carlos: (half-asleep) You wouldn’t.

Ralphie: *walking past them while dripping wet* Yes, she would.

D.A.: ðe best þing about learning languages is all ðe new characters you get to use, þank you for coming to my TED talk.

Koki: I agree with you, but you have to stop trying to bring back the thorn and eth.