#no scrapper isn't short

[saxandviolins88]

Constructicons this, constructicons that; how about YOU construct a meaningful relationship with ME? HA!

[poppiesandpromises]

a poem for the hopeless and worthless

Hope costs fifty cents but I've only

Got a quarter, God's shorting me

Again, this offering plate all

Tin pennies and IOUs

Prayers in pig latin because

Everything is backwards

But really— communion

Is more than wonder bread

Past the grape juice that bursts

Through cracked lips, love

Hope isn't nebulous

She's broken nails and bruises

Believe me, we've been in the ring

That scrapper's a screamer too

But you are still worthy—

I hope you remember

The world is richer because

You exist

[witchofthesouls]

Can we pretty please hear more about Soundwave and Engineer in G1? I really want to know what kind of horny seeker nonsense they have to put up with.

"If the alphabet could be rearranged, why not 'u' and 'i' together?"

You blink at Skywarp, who refuses to budge from the wall, taking up all the space with his wingspan. Its glossy shine is so new and fresh that it catches prettily even with the dim and damaged lighting.

"Mmm," you pretend to consider the proposal, "How about 'n' and 'o'?"

He frowns back. "But that's spells 'no' and it's already together?"

"Exactly." You reply blandly, dipping your digits into his shoulder to pinch a nervecircuit, and he grunts in response as you shove forward into the elevator. “Rule five of the manuel: Don't fix what's not broken.”

Of course, he follows inside, clenching and unclenching his fist to get the feeling back in his arm and hand.

“Okay, how about this one: Are you a medic because my fuel pump is failing!”

“I’m not that kind of engineer."

"That's alright." He says with a crooked smile of sharp denta. Strangely endearing. "I know I'm in good hands."

You bark out a short laugh. Alright, that's the smoothest from him.

Before the door shuts, a familiar flat arm catches it, and your Soundwave walks inside. With incredible willpower, you don't roll your optics when he purposely stands in the middle, and you definitely don't smile when Skywarp pouts for the entire ride.

_______

One would think being sucked into an alternate reality would be exciting, but right now you're buried under mountains of maintenance reports, repair backlogs, supply requisitions, and hazard warnings.

You will blame the split-spark carriage for the onset of tears and the necessary ten minute private sob in a dipitulated supply closest because fucking Pits! You're standing in knee-high water-logged damages!

It's not the same Constructicons you once taken orders, but you're familiar enough with their quirks as you get settled and start on the more mundane tasks of clearing the hallways and getting the drainage systems up and running.

"Hello, handsome," you hear Zolo pur from above. Large and gravid, you may be, you're still able to shimmy your way into the walls unlike the Vehicon above, nor would she be able to reach the relay.

Hence, why you're in the walls, much to Laserbeak's grave displeasure. Not only did the drone peck your neck, she perched over the opening, balefully glaring down. And the blocking entrance.

You immediately get a spark attack when Skywarp's face and his upper body suddenly appear next to you. The magnets hold when you move to swing. Of course, the slagger vops away and reappears halfway through the bulkhead after a moment. “Fancy meeting you here! Did you fall and need help?”

It's hard to say who screeches the loudest: you, Laserbeak, Zolo, Thrust, or Scrapper at the resulting inner bulk damages.

_______

You're having a moment with Soundwave. Outside with fresh air. Unlike the Nemesis back home, this warship is situated all the way on the seafloor.

You never thought you would miss dirt and rocks, but it's dry and warm, especially with Soundwave next to you as you curl onto your side with a data-cable loosely wrapped around your midsection, connective feelers lazily spread across your plating, nudging into the exposed seams to buzz over the protoform.

The peace is shattered with several consecutive booms overhead.

"Autobots!?" You immediately sit up, and isn't that a surprise? The 'bots in this dimension still had fliers.

Soundwave is unfazed and simply pointed to skyline. On his visor, there are rapid captions of the Coneheads.

You stare at them, watching the maneuvers as they jet into various formations of amazing feats of aerial agility and unity. "Is this a training strip? I thought it was a deserted island?"

Soundwave doesn't respond. Instead, he picks you up and calculates a ground bridge away. It's even sunnier than the last, so you can't really complain.

_______

If you didn't know better, you would think Soundwave is jealous. He isn't as calm as people think he is, but it isn't jealousy that has him hanging in your periphery or leaving tall-telling marks on your frame and your legs shaky from post-facing, carriage-induced bliss.

It's a weird territorial thing between fliers.

Specifically: Seekerkin.

It would have been hilarious if only you weren't the prize between winged, feral cats.

This isn't a mechling's romantic fantasy of multiple suitors vying for their spark. It's honestly exhausting, especially since more than one Seeker enjoys manhandling you away from work, the elevators, the bridge, and anywhere else that isn't near Thundercracker and a blanket pile.

And you allow it because the only serious attempt you tried to ward one of them away with a taser with an output to put down a convoy, it caused a riot.

Or at least that's what Hook said, you have no idea. One moment you had Dirge lunging after you, armor smoking, and talons out; the next moment you wake up in an unknown room inside a criss-cross of data-cables and stuffed full by Soundwave.

(Your jaw ached and you couldn't walk straight for a few days, and sitting was completely out of the question.)

You're trying to free a limb from the mass of blankets, and you immediately have every single pair of Air Force wings flicking towards you. They seem to overtake and/or bully out all the occupants from the nearby tables. You can smell the expensive polish, even from a distance.

“I should get back to work.” Your words are muffled as you finally wriggle out a hand and start pulling and pushing to freedom.

“Oh no,” Thundercracker demurred, calm as always and not helping by placing another cube in front of you. “Starscream approved of you having a longer rest time, especially with your complications.”

You have no idea what kind of blackmail or leverage the blue Seeker has because the rest of the Air Force is in his hands. None of the others dare to approach the table of just you and him.

All of the other mechs were willing to pit themselves between Skywarp and your Soundwave, but if there's Thundercracker in the vicinity? An immediate "no go" zone.

"Have you had a nursery shower yet?" Thundercracker asks as he adds something to your cube. It tastes zangy with the additional cobalt and mercury.

"Nursery shower?" You feel damned because your comms (you had never passed it out, so someone snitched) is immediately flooded.

[thecameronchronicles]

I Owe You

TW: Smut. Language. Sexual blackmail/extortion. Degrading Language. Cheating. 

SUMMARY: Rafe sends you to settle a financial score with his dealer...but you find something worth staying for...

WORD COUNT: 2200

REQUESTED

Can you do a Barry smut where Yn has to pay for rafe dues 

I Owe You

Cursing beneath your breath wouldn't keep you from venturing from the comfort of Figure Eight to the trailer park set on the outskirts of The Cut. Having sat at half of the lights and stop signs with the one-sided argument to simply turn back around, you knew what you would be returning to. To keep from being a reason Rafe bloodied his knuckles in another wall of Tannyhill, you agreed rather quickly to a task he should have had to endure. But with the promise of an afternoon spent shopping without a single whimper from him, it would be enough to send you to settle the debt between him and Barry. 

"Barry" was a figure you had only heard from Rafe's lips. You had never seen him prior to today. And what a way to make a first impression. 

"I'm here for you." You spoke nervously as he stood before you with a towel set around his hips. A surprising Adonis belt drew your eyes beyond his torso and lower still before you were met with his grin. 

"For Rafe." You corrected. 

"This should be enough..." You tossed a small wad of cash on the table as he moved across the trailer and to a small counter harboring a makeshift bar. 

"Never took ‘country club’ for sending his bitches to do things for him." You knew you should have scolded him for the title. But it was true. A promise of shopping, you were certain he'd worm his way out of somehow, and you were getting your hands dirty for him once again. 

"Is it enough?" You asked rather quickly as he took a sip of his amber liquid before taking a leisurely set of steps to only stand before the cash. 

"Sit."

"I have to-" He revealed a pistol from a deeper cavern of the couch, reiterating that his order was not, in any way, a request. 

"That kid has a habit of coming up short with me..." You raised a brow as he found humor in your response. But silence would fill the space as he counted the bills rather swiftly. 

During the time, you assessed him throughout from your peripheral vision. You couldn't help but feel drawn to him in every way you had been advised against. He was prohibited in every way you'd felt pulled with intrigue with Rafe, only without the polished security of his father's influence. Barry was a scrapper through and through. It exhilarated and frightened you to the same depth that pooled between your thighs. 

"Not sure what you know, Mrs Country Club, about supply and demand...but it seems your boyfriend doesn't understand a debt needs to be paid. And he just keeps diggin’ himself a deeper hole there…"

"He said it would be enough.".

"I sure hope for your sake he isn't short in all ways..." You looked to the side, not validating this intentionally, as Rafe was as endowed as he was privileged, but he was selfish where you needed the attention you gave. 

"Maybe we could work something out..." He pulled the gun back to view. 

"A compromise?" You swallowed hard. "A bit of...demand to the supply he takes advantage of?" 

"Wh-what do you want?"

"Strip." Your eyes flashed to the direction of the front door as you looked back at him. 

"Anyone sees you, they'll just think you're some pretty little coke head needing your fix. Nobody will think twice...wouldn't dare say anything because then they'd have to admit why they were here." He reclined further back on the couch. 

"If I have to say it again, you won't like where this gun ends up." Your heart nearly leaped from your chest at the remark. Your mind ran wild to what it was he could reference. The more sexual of options validated by the carefully crafted smirk visible from his lips. 

"All those assholes on that side of the island get to have all the pretty things around just handed to them without lifting a finger. Bet he doesn't even know how to make you come without getting off first." You blushed to your sex life broadcast by deduction alone. 

" Girls with manicures should never have to masturbate." He suddenly moved closer to you. 

"Sit." He instructed as he tapped his leg. You sat crossed legged on his knee as he kept his gun at your hip, his second hand at the buttons of your sweater. 

"But I'd bet that's the only way you get to feel anything that you don't have to wait for. So I'll give you a choice for me here..." 

Your eyes focused on his deep chocolate irises, swallowing you whole, and making you already agreeable before he gave either condition or alternative. 

"You can let me use you to send ‘country club’ a lesson..."

"O-or?"

"Or you find a way to make up the difference...fifteen hundred dollars difference." Your eyes widened to just what Rafe had purchased where that was of cash had still lacked such an amount. 

"Didn't think I'd notice that...but he knew I'd notice you. Hoping sending you would make me forgive him...but it seems to me you need to be taken care of too...So..." He pulled your hair over your shoulder before leading the tip of the gun to your chest, teasing the remaining buttons. 

"Should we send Rafe a message? Teach him a lesson about supply and demand-" The way you'd kept yourself at bay and broken as a bough of water. The dam of forbidden desire set forth as you ran your hands through his hair to unintentionally dishevel his ponytail constructed as you'd entered. 

A smirk broke the kiss for a moment before you were taken over him in a straddle. 

"Not sure what he's doing but I'll take care of you...You might even want to stay." He scoffed as you moved back against him. Only now it had been in purposeful glides over his cock. 

"I remember asking you to strip..." He took a sudden hold of your shirt, tearing it directly down the center and tossing it away. 

"I'm not patient." 

"I'm not either." You confessed while lifting yourself enough to take hold of the knot made of his towel to keep himself concealed. But instead, he took hold of your wrist. 

"If your expecting me to take you out to dinner or some shit-" 

"I'm expecting you to send him a message." He grinned. 

"You're more agreeable than I thought you'd be..." His words confused you for only a moment before the feeling of his naked cock made you tense over him. 

"Condom." He reminded you as you were used to being bare for Rafe. 

"Where?"

"You don't have one? I'd have thought country club always needed to fuck you..."

"He prefers when he doesn't have to wear one."

"I don't have an interest in you roping me into anything here..."

"I'm on the pill..." 

"Then if he gets to have you like that-" You were suddenly guided to take his cock. 

"So do I." A hand to the back of your neck guided you over his lap for only a minute as he grinned. 

"You feel better than I thought." He snarled before taking your lips once again. Only now, it had been deep enough to taste the whiskey on his breath and long enough to feel his change of breath as he brought you harder against him. 

"How does he like to try and make you come?"

"Behind." You were suddenly arranged this way. Ass projected against his hips as you were in reliance on the grip made of your shoulder and the arm of the couch itself. 

"Does it feel the same?"

"No-"

"Why's that? Tell me..."

You could only moan. 

"Am I bigger?" 

You nodded, nails at a threat to tear into the fabric beneath you. 

"Am I better?"

"Yes..." He pulled you to his chest, his breath hit against your ear as you felt him make a path to your breasts. 

"He takes you for granted?" You bobbed your head. 

"If I make you come on my couch...think you can make me come inside so you can go back to him, make our little point?"

"Please..." He nodded, the gun set on the table as your eyes rolled in relief. A momentary trust was established as he stationed that second hand to your quivering clit. 

"Spit." He orchestrated as he lifted two fingers to you. 

"Just so I know you want it."

"You can't tell?" 

"I want to know you'll do anything I ask. Just like you would for him. Coming here to pay his debt...although...I'd take this pussy over cash anyway...and that says something about it .." he playfully slapped your sopping lower lips. 

"Please, Barry..."

"You wanna come?" He almost teased as you nodded. 

"Then you can come...but only if you get on your knees just like you would for him." You rested your head against his shoulder as he was gluttonous for your body. 

"You should be covered in hickies and scratches...don't worry ..I'll leave my mark." He explained while kissing and sucking on any exposed skin he could reach, as his hands accommodated what was lower until he came to a rest at your clit. 

"Oh my God!" 

"Want them to hear you back home?" He huffed as you nodded. 

"I don't care!"

"Bit desperate? Don't worry girl, I'll fuck you just right. Send you back to him with instructions written clearly on ya...leave part of you here? Maybe your panties? More than just cum...it dries too quickly..."

"Then make me cum twice!" You whined as he scoffed. 

"Greedy little whore...you get what I give. Need to learn more about the supply than the demand." He withdrew as you groaned. 

"Knees." You obliged, taking position before holding your hair back. 

"I'm supplying the hold of your hair. And you demand my cock to come. I know those pretty lips have done it before....But this time it's for someone who deserves it." He teased as you were quick to show how you were deserving of it. 

"No wonder he puts up with such an attitude! Fuck!" He breathed deeply. "Best head I've-" You focused on his balls, a stripe made between them as he clenched your hair. You were laid out on the table before the couch, bottles and wrappers compressed and forced to collapse, all while you were penetrated once again. 

"No more teasing. I've gotta come after that little stunt..." 

"Oh?"

"Oh!" You gasped. 

"Lucky for you, I understand giving and receiving too...so you get to come, too." He battered into you in a slow but thorough acceleration. Your body was at the mercy of gravity apprehended by his grip until the sweet from your skin and this effortless. Residual drugs and former payments lay as evidence around you as he cursed your name once bowing in those final thrusts. 

"Say my name. Gotta know you're well aware whose cum is about to run doewnthose pretty little thighs.'

"Barry!!" You belted into a gasp as he drew the perfect collection of rushed rubs over your clit that pulled the deeper orgasm from your natural cavern. Ribbons of his cum came to a collision of your cascade of ecstasy as he pulled back from you slightly. 

"Let's get you some water before you go back. Can't have you returning to him dehydrated. God knows you lost a lot." You nodded, half phased by the stars still present behind your eyes, before you were left to dress. 

"We're even now." Barry's phone Illuminated with this message from Rafe. Your curiosity led for you to read the earlier correspondence that set your gut into a twist. 

"Rafe-"

"Offered you as collateral...yes...Didn't expect you to be so...compliant..."

Tears filled your eyes to the betrayal and broken trust. Even if Rafe wasn't your true love or even a love, he was still someone you trusted to some degree. 

"Shit..." Barry realized the depth of this hurt. 

"How about I make you a deal-" 

"I don't want anything from you-" you shit, disgusted with the touch you craved just moments before. 

"An I-owe-you...however...whenever you want...a favor...any time..." He slipped Rafe's money back into your hand. 

"What are you doing?".

"Can't put a price on how you felt, I will take these though..." He explained while leading your panties into his grasp. 

"For proof."

As he disappeared into a back room, you couldn't help but feel confused. Buzzing from peace he'd brought in that kind blowing orgasm. But also the pain from the betrayal. No reason to go back but every reason in morality reminding you that you couldn't stay. And yet at the sound of his steps returning, the sight of the money you’d taken from Rafe’s payment had fallen from the back pocket of your jacket you’d arrived with. Having been successful as to what it was you’d truly come here for…

"Too drunk on my cock there-" you undressed again, sitting on the table he'd left you on. 

"I'll take that I-owe-you now. I want you to send me back to him completely spent. I want him to know he's lost me."

"And that means I have you then?" You widened your legs so he could see the mess he made you once again. 

"However you want..."

TAGLIST: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @maybankslover @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @camilynn @sweetestdesire @onmykneesforrafe @drews1love @phildunphyisadilf @mashdan0916

MASTERLIST

[tjerra14]

[chinhands] Hey so. If you could put Ikrie into Forbidden West, what would she be doing?

Oh buddy, I am SO glad you asked! The short answer to this would probably be "chase her down and then glue herself to Aloy's side because her spear needs company and what else is she gonna do" but since I'm slightly (pathologically) passionate about all That, I'll put a longer one under the cut (and buckle up because it will likely be overly long)

It's no secret that I'm an ardent believer in "Ikrie would not stay in the Cut" because there's just too much in the game's text to suggest otherwise. She categorically excludes going back to the White Teeth, and quite possibly the other werak(s) she's known since then at the end of her quest on the foundation of her beliefs not aligning with theirs, brings up the possibility of maybe forming her own werak further down the line; and when you meet her again at Snowchants, she expresses a certain uncertainty about what she wants to do with her future. Will she go back to Ban-Ur, after a little time to heal? Will she build Hunting Grounds of her own? "Fate's a long climb on a high cliff for people like you and me," she tells Aloy, and who knows where fate will lead her?

If you're a little deluded, like me, the answer to that would be "Aloy's side". She certainly is overjoyed to see her again at Snowchants, and when you tell her that you'll do her challenge another time, one of her possible replies is "Then I'll stay a little longer." For her. (cue me chewing through concrete again) But then Aloy leaves for the West, and isn't exactly subtle about it considering she just disappears after the Spire affair. Even if you don't stick with my personal headcanon (which sees Aloy asking Ikrie to come with her), I still think that word of what happened at the Spire (or is going to happen, depending on the timeline you prefer to follow) would reach the Cut, and eventually Snowchants, and Ikrie; and I can't imagine her sitting on her hands knowing the one person who helped her when she was at her lowest could use some help now (plus we all know Ikrie isn't all that good at boundaries and letting things and people go). (There's also a whole bunch about her and Inatut teaming up as Gildun's bodyguards and ending up in the West that way in my head.) So, if we then just skip to the "what would she be doing" instead of the "how did she get there", I always thought she would be a) a much needed addition to the gang (there is no real Banuk representative, as Sylens doesn't really count. Granted, with Talanah's bigger role having been scrapped, the Carja are also amiss, but I've always felt that to really drive home the point of the game, having members of all tribes as Aloy's companions would've been crucial, and they failed to deliver on that) and b) nicely tie into the Utaru arc. I really like Varl, so nothing against him, but I've always felt his role during the Dying Lands cauldron dive would've been better given to another character. He was there kinda just to hold Zo's hand, and while he did a good job at that, to me it also felt it didn't add all that much to the plot and character development, and was frankly a little underutilised. He was just Kinda There. The only stake he had in this was accompanying his friend and girlfriend, and while you can make the argument that alone was enough, he didn't really have as much connection to what was going on main plot-wise as the others (Zo, Kotallo, Alva) had with their respective sections of the subfunction collection quest. So here's where I'm fully going off the rails: I would've thrown Ikrie into that mix. She's from the Cut. She knows a thing or three about machines, be it fighting them or how they work and normally behave ("In thin air, [Scrappers] can smell metal for miles"), and she knows how Hephaestus affects them. Sure, Apex machines are a step up from Daemonic ones, but the pattern persists, and I'm pretty sure that upon seeing them roaming Utaru lands she would be able to make the connection similar to Aloy. And knowing what they have done to her people, she would have ample motivation to prevent the same happening to the Utaru. Not to mention it would've been fascinating to see her interact with Utaru culture and their approach to the Land-Gods, as I see a lot of overlap but also plenty of differences between Utaru and Banuk mindsets, and well. She seems an interesting character to explore some of that. After that, there's the Base. From then on, I'd just think she'd be part of the team. Maybe disassembling machine parts. Kissing Aloy. Hogging the work bench where you have to collect millions of parts to get a corrupted override working. Not that I necessarily think that she would be particularly good at that at first, but she'd likely be interested to learn. After all, if everything she sees turns Banuk belief and tradition on its head, why not figure out how things work in a different way? Also causing some havoc with Kotallo, because why not.

ANYWAY. This has gotten overly long, but the gist of it is. Ikrie in HFW. Yes.

[vex-bittys]

What kind of bitties would be ok with someone who likes to scrap? I'm talking them having a workshop and everything. The place will probably be perpetually a little dirty and a bit of a mess, me and my dad clean our area pretty often, but yknow.

They would also have to be okay with loud notices. Despite what shows might tell you, most scrappers down need loud machines for most work, but it is still good to plan ahead of time. Things like sawzalls and grinders aren't used often, but they make a bunch of noise.

I'm asking because I'm thinking about writing a short(ish) story on a character who scraps, but ends up adopting bitties as well.

*Thankfully most of the lamia bitties that would enjoy scrapping (I'm assuming you mean more scrapbooking and crafts and not recycling scrap metal) wouldn't mind the noise. There are a few lamia bitties that would definitely NOT like the noise though.

Yay for scrapping: Papython, Krait, FireRing, Pygmy, Chain, Mamba

Boo for loud noises: Krait, Honey Bo, Coral

Mostly indifferent to both scrapping and noise: Corny, King

*Cornies and Kings wouldn't mind helping you scrap, especially if the Corny can make puns while doing it, but it isn't their thing. Corals will want to swipe your materials, but the noise of power tools might be overwhelming for them as well as Kraits and Honey Bos.

*I hope my late answer didn't interfere with you writing your story!

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 10 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

Marshall Kotallo: Who was that Carja woman? Aloy said she was a friend, but did not give many more details.

β: i didnt see anything

β: anyone

Marshall Kotallo: She wasn't here for long. She just used the passage through the mountain.

FlameHairSavior: That's T

FlameHairSavior: That's Talanah.

Zo: Are you texting while fighting again?

FlameHairSavior: No.

Zo: Are you lying?

FlameHairSavior: ...no?

HIMBO: Please concentrate on what you're doing.

HIMBO: I'm going to have enough trouble explaining all this to the Nora without "also, the Anointed daughter of the All-Mother got killed because she was texting too much."

FlameHairSavior: I told you not to call me that.

HIMBO: And I won't, if you stop multitasking.

ForgeLordAleMaster: I CAN PROBABLY EXPLAIN, ANYWAY.

ForgeLordAleMaster: TALANAH IS THE SUNHAWK, LEADER OF THE HUNTER'S LODGE IN MERIDIAN.

HIMBO: I think I met her at the battle.

ForgeLordAleMaster: YEAH, SHE WAS THERE. I WAS BUSY KEEPING MY IDIOTS IN LINE, BUT I HEAR SHE DID GOOD.

ForgeLordAleMaster: SHE SOMETIMES ACTS LIKE EVERYONE SHE MEETS IS GONNA HIT HER WITH A HAMMER.

HIMBO: I think I know the type.

ForgeLordAleMaster: SHE'S GOT A LOT TO PROVE, BUT SHE'S PROVEN IT. NO ONE IS REALLY COMPLAINING ABOUT HER BEING SUNHAWK ANY MORE.

Marshall Kotallo: What did she have to prove? I assume she is a capable warrior. Why would it be worse for her than anyone else?

HIMBO: The Carja don't let women fight.

Marshall Kotallo: …

Marshall Kotallo: [SkepticalOwl.png]

HIMBO: It's not MY culture.

Marshall Kotallo: I will admit I had heard that before. I simply wasn't sure to believe it. I assumed Carja squads were segregated.

Marshall Kotallo: Still, to go from having to prove herself to being leader of a powerful squad is an impressive feat.

HIMBO: I'm guessing there's a story there.

ForgeLordAleMaster: OH, BY THE FORGE YES. BUT IT'S ALL POLITICAL SCRAP.

ForgeLordAleMaster: THE HUNTER'S LODGE HUNTS MACHINES. SO WHEN THE DERANGEMENT STARTED, THE MAD SUN-KING ORDERED THEM TO FIND A SOLUTION.

ForgeLordAleMaster: THEY FAILED, OBVIOUSLY.

ForgeLordAleMaster: SO THEN HE ORDERED THEM TO FIND MACHINES FOR THE SUN-RING. LONG STORY SHORT, THEY ARGUED, HE THREW THEM INTO THE SUN-RING, AND ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS A BUNCH OF STUFFY NOBLES WHO BARELY KNEW WHICH END OF AN ARROW WAS SHARP. EVERYTHING WENT DOWNHILL.

ForgeLordAleMaster: TALANAH BECAME THE NEW SUNHAWK BEFORE THE BATTLE OF THE ALIGHT, STARTED LETTING IN PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO HUNT AND STUFF.

β: who was the mad sun king

ForgeLordAleMaster: YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE MAD SUN-KING WAS?

β: how would i know that

Zo: Jiran was the previous Sun-King, and he was in power twenty years ago when the Derangement started.

HIMBO: When the machines started becoming more aggressive.

Zo: Correct. He became convinced that the Sun was angry, and could be appeased by blood sacrifice. He started raiding every surrounding tribe for captives to sacrifice in the Sun-Ring, fighting machines.

ForgeLordAleMaster: JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, EVERYONE WHO WASN'T A SUN-MAD CARJA CRAZY KNEW THAT WAS A PILE OF SCRAPPER LEAVINGS FROM THE START. DON'T NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TERRAFORMING MACHINES AND ALIEN SIGNALS TO FIGURE OUT THAT BLOOD SACRIFICE ISN'T THE ANSWER.

Zo: Eventually, Jiran's son overthrew him and became the new Sun-King, putting a stop to the Red Raids.

ForgeLordAleMaster: HE HAD A LITTLE HELP. YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THE CARJA SOLVED ALL THEIR PROBLEMS BY THEMSELVES.

Zo: Of course not.

β: who arethe carja

β: who are the carja

ForgeLordAleMaster: ...YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CARJA? THE BIGGEST TRIBE IN THE REGION?

β: how would i know that

Marshall Kotallo: Did the Zeniths not teach you anything about local politics?

β: no

Zo: ...oh. Oh dear.

HIMBO: Does that mean the Zeniths don't know, or that they didn't bother teaching Beta?

Marshall Kotallo: Both, I suspect.

Zo: Beta, why don't you come up? I think this is something best explained in person.

Chapter 10 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[kukkakisu]

Hello! Been quietly admiring your OCs but I’m dying to know:

What is the range and specifics of the Conductor’s abilities? By hypnotizing other nutcrackers, is it a telepathic connection? Mind control? How many nutcrackers? Is there an upper limit?

I’m curious as to what purpose he would serve in the grander scheme of your world. I can imagine he would be useful as a leader of a unit during the war (presuming it happened in your world ofc, if not, please don’t mind this question)

Ethics? (If any) He clearly loves Naava (super cute). How did they meet? (Can I please give her a hug? I love moss and she seems so fluffy despite definitely being able to kill me)

Sorry for the barrage of questions haha

Aaaa!! Thank you for dropping by and no need to apologize! I love questions about my characters! It gives me an excuse to talk about them and boy do I have a lot to say. Also just to clarify, while it's fine to use any pronouns of Conductor, Naava is genderless and goes by they/it! I'm sure that it wouldn't mind hugging employees, as long as you're nice to them and the other monsters in the manor! They give very good hugs and the moss on it is very fluffy and soft! :) Conductor was originally designed with two purposes in mind. One was to make communication and tracking between humans and the creatures used as weapons easier. Secondly, it was meant to directly counter the Coilheads. It was very much meant to be a "leader" unit for the Nutcrackers which leads us to how its abilities work. The hypnosis is visual, works through eye contact, and is both telepathic and controlling in nature. Conductor's eye isn't completely organic due to the way it was built to work. It's a mix of organic and digital matter, that transmits data to its creators. It works both ways though so it can in turn track anything it has added to its "network" and control what those attached to it do. Visual contact with other nutcrackers enables it to add them to its network and give them commands to do. It can also communicate with anything in the network telepathically and can tell if the connection between it and something else is severed. While I can't give exact numbers, it was meant to have a long-range and a large maximum capacity. The more things it tracks though, the easier it is to miss when one doesn't act the way it's supposed to and makes mistakes a lot more likely. Additionally the further away something goes, the fuzzier the connection gets. It is a lot easier to track than command, especially as the numbers go up. Commands have to be simple and clear and if Conductor isn't focused-- the connection can break. Due to its purpose to work against Coilheads, it has excellent vision and was often positioned either high above or in other places with a lot of visibility. Basically, a long-distance unit that was meant to keep Coilheads neutralized while simultaneously providing valuable information to its makers. Additionally, its eye detects radiation. Particularly large amounts of it, which makes it easier to spot Coilheads and stop them from moving. Originally, it had a rifle to aid it with its job as well, although its primary objective wasn't to kill but to neutralize, track, and command. Its maker always told it, it was special. Not like the others. More valuable and more important. Even long after the war, it had internalized and still believed their words. This led to it becoming arrogant and because of it, Conductor ended up getting ambushed by a group of scrappers. As it wasn't originally meant for short-range combat, it got damaged severely by them and lost both its rifle and its other hand as a result. Its head also took a considerable amount of damage, leaving it very loosely attached and crooked. Left to lay on the ground miserably, the Nutcracker was seething. It never imagined something as simple as humans would be the ones to take it down and it made it feel angry and humiliated.

This is where Naava comes in. They are the reason Conductor survived and got accustomed to the changes in its body. Naava took care of it and helped it recover. It feels like it owes its life to them. At first, it didn't show gratitude as it was too stubborn to admit needing help but it was mesmerized by them the very second it saw them. It's not just the looks that caught its attention though. It admires both how strong and kind they are.

With Conductor's recovery, it had to change its approach to combat completely. While it could have taken a shotgun from the other Nutcrackers in the facility, it couldn't use it due to the loss of its arm. It had to learn to defend itself in other ways and with time became excellent at short-range combat, perhaps partially due to its rage towards the humans that had beaten it once. It seeks to gain revenge if they ever come back to the moon.

Ethic wise, it is still a somewhat selfish, angry creature that thinks of itself to be on a higher level than most of the other Nutcrackers and monsters. It won't hesitate to kill anything that pisses it off or that it just sees as something to be removed from the manor. Naava (and by extension, CC) are the only few people it is much more kind with. It does feel a sense of responsibility for other Nutcrackers though (particularly those it tracks and controls), and wants to keep them in top condition. If any harm comes their way, it will protect them fiercely and put itself on the front lines without any hesitation. It does also honor the idea of duels and will agree to one with anyone that suggests it. It values strong fighters and while it is still somewhat harsh, Conductor's heart and view of the world have softened quite a lot thanks to Naava's influence.

There are a few more details of Conductor but they include spoilers for the v50 beta. So, this is your spoiler warning. Read at your own risk!

The Old Birds are chill with Conductor and it used to ride them during the war. Especially when they were up in the air. An excellent place to be in, when you have to keep an eye on a large area. It's not exactly known how Conductor manages to get them to listen without hypnosis, but they seem to like and understand the Nutcracker a lot better than the humans. It is speculated they communicate through binary thanks to the similarities in their systems.

They won't shoot it and quiet down around it. They also like carrying it around, if Conductor ever goes outside and one is nearby.

That's all for now. Thank you for asking and reading! :)

[aidansplaguewind]

Are there any shows or movies in which Aidan plays a good guy? He’s so good at playing villains, and 9 times out of 10 the villains *are* my favorite characters, but it’d be nice to see a softer side of him as well.

Yeah of course.

Films: You're Ugly Too, Mister John, Wakewood, The Good Man, Treacle Jr., Trouble With Sex, King Arthur, Still, The Lovers, Bohemian Rhapsody, Photo Finish, The Low Down, Sing Street, the Thorne movies...Then you have some where he's not a villain but he's just not the greatest guy like Calvary, Beneath the Harvest Sky(drug dealer yes but not a villain), Scrapper. That's not all of them but some of the really older ones I honestly can't remember if he's a villain or not.

Television: The Wire, Mayday(okay, listen he's a dick but he's not a villain), Queer As Folk, Peaky Blinders, Identity, and with Love/Hate personally I don't consider Jon Boy straight villain but that's objectionable. Then there’s obviously Project Blue Book and I don't consider Frank in KIN a villain at all.

Then there's his short films which off the top of my head I can't think of any of those in which he's a villain but I could be forgetting. There's The Note, Burning the Bed, Ambition, Song, Sigur Rós: Ekki Múkk.

And again, this isn't all of them. This is just what I could think of off the top of my head. He's actually played a lot of good guys or just regular guys. There's a bunch!

[west-tokyo-incidents]

The douji's new purpose was to assist Gaia. At least, that's what Dunstan assured Dr. Sobek. Independent AI who could act in her stead where she nor her subordinate functions could reach, or where her vision would fall dead.

Some would wake up early, sent to areas where robots had stopped responding. Eater, once, when a tectonic plate had abruptly cut off a major server and the ground had to be reset. Slow, often, when Gaia needed to ensure a risky part of setting the biosphere would succeed.

Paresse was woken just before humanity. To ensure Gaia's readings of the plant-life were correct.

It's so quiet.

The cauldron doors have long since fallen silent. The air around him is so clean. He logs every bit of it. Everything is so new. His gauntlet reaches out and brushes a young sapling. New life that had been seeded by a parent tree, not a machine.

He scanned it and logged it, assuring it's health. Insect life is abundant. It will need to be curbed soon by higher life or risk over population and destruction of much plant-life. But that's next. He adds a recommendation for some small machines to be made to quell their numbers in the mean time. He sends his initial findings immediately back inside, but soon he'll be relaying it to tallnecks who will send it to Gaia in his stead.

There's no bird calls. No sniffling snouts in the bushes. Distantly, he can hear a Behemoth bellow, but it's not the same. It's odd; knowing what it should sound like but not having ever heard it himself. Data he's been given but not experienced.

He kicks off the ground and flies off, beginning to scan the forest below. Observing machines churning the earth to aerate it. This area was good and healthy, but mostly for his own influence.

Over the next 5-6 centuries, he is alone in his venture. Sending back reports. Monitoring plant-life adjusting to the release of more animals, providing feed back on machine behavior. Occasionally, he brushes with one of his brothers accompanied by one of the large ozone-recovery machines. They discuss the atmosphere's quality with vague interest, but not much more, and part again. Sometimes he sees others, too. But there are only 16 of them and a whole planet to themselves.

It's for mere curiosity that he hides nearby as some of the first humans are released from a cradle. The destruction of Apollo had been devastating, but he isn't prepared for the sorry state of these humans.

Maybe it's for that reason he took some pity on them. Grew edible fruits in abundance near them. Taught some how to farm and cook. He never spoke a breath of Gaia, he was forbidden to, but he often relayed to her their progress and success. Some of his brothers had done similar, he'd heard.

It wasn't long before they began to regard him as a kind of god. At first it was nice. Now they are a nuisance. There is no companionship for a god, only followers. And so he becomes more scarce, isolates. And the tribe meet a curious man with short white hair and dual colored eyes scolding a scrapper trying to eat part of a curious little hut.

[josieoh]

[ moon gayoung, cis woman, she/her ] - was that JOSIE OH i saw by the lighthouse today? i heard that the TWENTY SIX year old who has been in nightrest for HER WHOLE LIFE and works as a PARALEGAL has a reputation of being PERSUASIVE, but also OBSESSIVE. they reside in ASHMORE & people in town usually associate them with ADAM AND EVE IN THE SECRET GARDEN, A DAMSEL WHO BECAME THE DISTRESS, & SILK SHEETS KISSING BARE SKIN. let’s hope the killer doesn’t go after them next. ╱ pinterest. dossier.

BRIEF BACKGROUND!

tbh i'm too lazy to do anything special with the bg so we just gonna have to agree to settle for this sry

raised in the shadows of her siblings, jealousy was the emotion most often felt, especially towards their mother's favourite jacob. tried to be the best kid, kept her grades up, got every award she could, played sports, danced, but nothing seemed to work to gain her parents attention ( or the attention of the adults taking care of them ). by her first year of high school, josie was over it. while she maintained her grades, she began hanging with the wrong crowd and leaning more into the black sheep persona among her peers while still trying to be the golden girl for her parents. nothing was off limits and by the time she graduated, she'd secured acceptance to a university out of state where she got her bachelors in paralegal studies. she took a year off to travel ( read: party ) and got together with the wrong guy. long story short, it was another two years before she was able to break away from that situation and finally come back home to nightrest where she's been putting her degree to good use ever since. -- basically she's been back nearly two years now.

HEADCANONS!

now onto her as a person.. she's a #Mess. petty, spiteful, overly confident, twisted, loves to argue and will literally do it just for shits and giggles ( even better if it pisses someone off ), does whatever she wants whenever she wants with no regard to other people and their feelings, and very i am woman, hear me roar. she's loyal to one person and that's herself ( and her siblings so ig 3 people ). here for a good time, not a long time. doesn't believe in anything that isn't a dress or skirt but wears pants suits to work bc the men she works with are pigs and she likes her job. speaking of her job, i imagine she works for one of the best lawyer firms in the area and specialises in criminal law, but she knows her way around business law too thanks to her parents ( yes she's still trying to find acceptance what of it ). takes her beauty seriously --- the type to have an extremely intensive skin care routine, work out routine, and diet. think like patrick bateman from american psycho sorta serious.. just minus the psychopathic murderer tendencies ( maybe. it's a surprise ). a practicing wiccan with an altar and all. will happily read your palm or tarot for free if you're a friend or for a "price" if she thinks you're hot enough. still a partier with nothing being off limits. has probably gotten really good at detoxing herself just in case there's ever a drug test at work. despite the fact that nothing's off limits and she's..well, her..she's very diligent when it comes to her job and probably one of the best around. organisation skills are on point, attention to detail is top tier, mistakes are an absolute no-no, etc etc. don't get her started, she can talk about how amazing she is forever still very much jealous of her older brother, but won't hesitate to add your ass to nightrest's body count if you fuck with him in even the SLIGHTEST way 😠 and did she settle in ashmore to be close to said brother? maybe. we don't talk about it. if you wanna help her help her bro find love tho......ig you can hit her up. just don't use her in an attempt to get to her brother. been there done that didnt want the ugly tshirt. did i mention she was a scrapper? bc she is, she just prefers to do so verbally due to her job ( tho given her parents, she's probably not likely to lose it even if only due to them trying to keep their rep in place ).

anyway she's an annoying lil hellion but i hope yall love her as much as i do thank u

[gatedelvers]

Devlog 1 - The Cursed Update (is still coming, we're not dead)

(Read in Steam) The latter part of this post will talk about upcoming content in patch 0.2. The early part here is a chronicle of the Fun Times we've had working on patch 0.2. If you want the latter, scroll down until you see a small crab face.

The Fun Times aka Why Isn't There New Stuff Yet

Around the start of July, someone on the Steam forums asked us when the major content updates were coming.

I, foolishly, answered along the lines of "1-2 months, unless something goes wrong :)"

This was not meant to be a challenge to existence as a whole to take every measure possible in order to stop the patch from being finished. I apologise to existence for the misunderstanding, and would like to clarify that I actually just want to make games.

To keep a long list short, in the last bunch of months our 3-person dev team has enjoyed exciting activities like: - Various health issues! - Losing a pet! - Mold poisoning! - Losing a home to a mold infestation! (i'm writing this from my mom's basement, like any self-respecting game developer) - Being harassed by fire alarm malfunctions! - Water damage scares! (unrelated to the mold thing, somehow)

At least we dodged the Unity Situation. Game's in Unreal. Thankfully. Condolences to anyone stuck dealing with that.

As it turns out, weekly disasters combined with a vague sense of time pressure do not for a good game development make. Things seem to have calmed down a bit, and we've been getting work done again, but at a slower rate (and we're still looking into that new, less poisonous apartment thing). I humbly request we be allowed to keep not getting wrecked.

That's enough venting, let's talk about the stuff you're actually here for: more roguelike dungeon crawly things!

The Major Update: 0.2 - Fairweather Fleet

Everything promised for the update in the little box on the main menu is still very much coming, but we've got a lot more details and some extra goodies packed into there! We're looking at:

- The new world, Fairweather Fleet. - A new playable character. - 9 new items, 7 of which are chest loot. - Seals, a new difficulty progression/challenge run system. - Scrap has been removed. - Lots of adjustments (spell rebalancing, new Librarian passive) and fixes to a lot of things.

The patch has definitely gotten a bit bigger than intended, but I'm pretty happy with the additions!

To elaborate on one of those, the removal of Scrap: Scrap as a resource added a lot of busywork before the game would let you stack infusions on your stuff, and the choice of throwing away a cool item to get the scrap necessary to make your other items more cool was never a particularly fun one. Neither was having to pass up on infusions so your co-op partner got to use more of them, and it's not great for a co-op game if having more players reduces the amount of fun stuff the game lets you do.

Infusing things is the fun part. Dealing with scrap costs was generally not. So we decided to remove Scrap entirely and add a simpler restriction to infusion stacking: All items now start with 1 infusion slot available, and each time you defeat a boss, all items everywhere gain 1 more slot for the rest of the run.

We also added gold, because vending machines need something you can pay with. The Scrapper makes gold now. Don't think about it too hard.

So far the results of the change have looked promising (mostly positive feedback from playtesters with a few valid complaints we're working to iron out), and a simpler system is easier to get into. Infusing is one of the cooler parts of the game, so we want everyone to get to play with it! To which end, we're also adding Un-Infusers that let you undo infusions and get all the material items back. They can be found at fountains, so feel free to try that infusion you're not sure will work out! ...After the patch. Not yet.

Thanks for reading, and playing :)

- Kalle-Eemeli "Mag" Paananen Game Designer/Programmer/Multitool Person

[captain-ezri-dax]

🖊🖊🖊

OK normally i'd put like 20000 paragraphs of lore for my ocs BUT if i gotta do THREE, its gonna be brief descriptions ok

alright lets start with Tally, one of my star wars babies. Anger Issues incarnate. She was technically a survivor of Order 66, the jedi genocide, but she was so young at the time at like 3 years old, she remembers little to nothing. I don't think kids are usually started in training that young, but even at 3 years old she had anger issues & had to start early.

Her lack of training, the fact she was only in the jedi temple for maybe 2 months & her not really using her powers keeps her safe. She doesn't even have a lightsaber. She lives in an old republic corvette w/ a single clone trooper who's basically her surrogate father, & a crew of droids that she keeps in working order. She basically grew up w/ an old astromech that belonged to her Jedi trainer & loves it more than anything. She & her father make a living as scavengers & scrappers. Also she's still angry a lot & picks fights whenever she's on a planet. She'll break ur arm if ur so much as rude to her

YIPPEE bless doll creator games

ok i think this is gonna get long anyway

ALRIGHT im gonna stick w/ sci-fi bc i never get. to talk about. fuckin Vama Tix, a Star Trek Trill oc.

LOOK at her. I adore her so much. (picrew here btw)

idk how much Star Trek you've watched or lore u know so long story short; Trill are an alien species that evolved alongside another sentient species on their homeworld. Symbionts can be surgically inserted into Trill to become a symbiotic duo, but few are chosen.

Vama spent the first 18 years of her life on Trill (the planet, idk why they called the species and planet the same name) training to be a Host, since it can be taxing. Once they're joined with a Symbiont, they gain all the memories of the Symbiont's previous hosts. Preparing for that & learning to separate your identity takes time. (Ezri Dax from My Username & Profile Picture Fame got the Dax symbiont without training & she has trouble differentiating between herself and other previous host's memories.)

The majority of trainees don't get Symbionts, purely bc there are far less Symbionts than Trill. Vama was pretty far into her training & would've eventually been approved to get a Symbiont eventually, but she didn't want to wait half her life. She left on her 19th birthday & eventually got into petty crime, but nothing violent. She quickly found a talent in starship racing & joins a lot of illegal races. She buys & heavily modifies her own shuttle to race and live in, Like an RV if RVs were also used for racing. She can't afford a fully sized starship but she enjoys her mobile life in her shuttle.

Eventually she got herself caught & arrested by a small starfleet ship. While imprisoned there, another Trill who had a Symbtiont died & Vama volunteered to be the next host to ensure it wouldn't die on the trip back to Trill. After a brief medical check on Trill she used a legal loophole to get out of any prison time. The Symbiont, as a sentient being that can't be un-joined without Vama's death, can't be imprisoned for a crime it wasn't involved in. So Vama went free.

She has a habit of talking to her Symbiont even though she doesn't need to, something she picked up from it's very first host. She doesn't exclusively race in legal races, but she gravitates towards them more even though it doesn't give her quite the same adrenaline rush. She does want to keep Tix, the symbtiont, safe.

i was gonna do Mira next but. all the sims 4 screenshots of her are wickedwhims lmao oops so lets do Dani instead.

she's got the Least lore here, so u get 3 pictures. She's the GF of Charlie, my canon Saints Row character, but isn't a direct part of The Saints themselves. More like an ally.

She does legal work as a security guard after a stint as a cop, which she hated & left before even completing training. These days she works mall security, bar & club security, stuff like that & provides insider info to The Saints about security systems & stuff like that.

Whenever she does join them on a job she'll wear a stolen Idols helmet to keep her identity hidden. In fact she'll wear it whenever she's around a Saint that isn't Charlie & won't use her name around them. She's just not interested in joining in full, but just doesn't care about the places she works at.

BONUS ROUND

look at Abi she's so cute

[dateddisneydishes]

Oswald's Lucky Lunch

From Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in Sky Scrappers

The History

Alright, so if you read the previous posts, Disney had some successful cartoon series, but he never really had a breakout character to market. Alice was a real girl, Pete was a villian, not the star, and the only character to make it out of the Laugh-O-Grams was Julius the Cat, who went on to be Alice's sidekick.

Julius was little more than a Felix the Cat rip-off and Disney was never satisfied with the character. Yet Disney's distributer at the time, Charles Mintz, insisted that the character stayed just to compete with Felix the Cat.

As the contract to the Alice series came to a close, Disney decided that it was time to make a wholly original character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

In many ways Oswald is a prototype Mickey Mouse, but without a voice. Later portrayals try to give him a more unique personality, but in the actual shorts themselves he's really not that much different from any other 1920s rubber hose cartoon star.

What made Oswald so successful was the animation itself and how Disney's team of artists were, at the time, pushing the boundaries of animation.

The Food

Now to represent Oswald's run of shorts, I've chosen the last Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon that Disney would release, Sky Scrappers.

In it, Oswald, while working at a construction site, looses his lunch, and a cute girl cat, named Sadie, gives him one of the lunch boxes that she's selling from her cart. The lunch consists of a hot dog, mustard, and you see an apple in one shot.

There's a some sight gags involving the hot dog, and indeed the previous Oswald short was all about hot dogs as well, so the animators got a lot of milage out of the concept.

But what made the hot dog so funny?

Well besides the name itself, the sausage's shape made it perfect to animate in flat back in white, making it easy to read on screen. Plus, by the late 1920s, hot dogs had become synonymous with street food and the working man, due to it's ease of preparation and eating on the go.

Therefore today we'll be covering two recipes for the price of one, as a hot dog isn't a full lunch on it's on.

Red Hot, Hot Dogs

Now, if you want to be authentic you'll need Nathan's Classic Franks rather then the more modern bologna hot dogs. Frankfurter sausage was the original hot dogs at the turn of the century, brought over by German and Polish immigrants. Nathan's was also the biggest name brand in Hot Dogs during the 1920s.

Ingredients

Frankfurters

Vienna Rolls

Spicy Mustard

Cookware

Grill, griddle, or cast iron skillet

Directions

Grill franks, as many as you want, on either an outdoor grill or a cast iron skillet indoors, just untill the edges start to char and the sausage plumps up some.

Remove from heat and place franks inside a slice Vienna rolls.

Spread on spicy mustard to taste

Serve with apple chips

Apple Chips

As I said before, just a hot dog on it's own isn't a full lunch. You want at least a side to go with it.

In the short Oswald has what looks to be an apple in his lunch box. But an apple on it's own is boring, so what else goes with hot dogs?

Chips!

Or in this case Apple Chips.

Ingredients

2 apples

Sugar to taste

Cinnamon to taste

Cookware

Baking sheets

Parchment paper

Knife

Directions

Preheat oven to 225F degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Core and cut apples into thin slices. The variety of apple your choice.

Lay slices out evenly on baking sheets

Bake for one hour, then flip slices and bake for another hour.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mins. If crisp, they're done, if not, then add them back into the oven and cook at 15 min intervals until done.

Once out of the oven sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if so desired.

This isn't the end of our discussion of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit by any means. Tune in next time where we talk about how Disney lost the rights to his beloved character over a nice sandwich.

[violetjedisylveon]

Not To Her

Summary: Omega goes through her daily routine on Kamino, trying to keep the favor of the one person who she's not wrong to.

Word count: 1,076

Warnings: Self doubt, typos.

A/N: Nala Se and Omega's relationship is different from canon. Short version, Nala Se is Omega's strict but soft/caring parental figure. Long version, Nala raised Omega, so actually cares about her, much more than she cares about any other clone, because with Omega it's different. So, in private, she will give Omega affection and isn't cold because no one is around so it doesn't break the expected social norm. This is an au and I can play around with the characters a bit and twist them to fit the story I have in mind. I hope this explination makes sense.

Outsider AU link here. Ao3 link here.

________________________________________________________________________________

Omega woke up early, as she usually did, she always got breakfast early before the other clones were up. It was just more efficient than waiting.

She changed from her sleep clothes to her day clothes, she brushed her teeth and then brushed her hair. She finished getting ready and made her way to the mess hall.

The droids knew to expect her early and her meal was already prepared and ready to go.

"Thanks guys." She thanked the droids as usual and sat down to eat her breakfast in silence.

She finished quickly, like usual, put her tray in the wash bin and went to Nala Se's medical wing. She was supposed to check on all the injured clones before Nala Se got there and give an update on their status.

The medical wing was mostly empty, just a singular teen clone who'd been hurt in training. He'd gotten a concussion and was required to stay the night. He was awake when she came in, and he looked bored out of his mind.

He turned to her, giving her that look every other clone gave her. Every clone knew who she was, the benefit of standing out so much, and word had spread quickly between them when she was very young. They all knew she didn't belong.

"Hey, you're that lab clone, the one who follows Nala Se around everywhere, right?" He guessed.

While she didn't like being called lab clone, or lab scrapper, she nodded. She knew he hadn't meant ill with it. She approached his bed and examined his medical chart.

All the readings were positive, his concussion had healed and he would be able to continue training, once Nala Se discharged him of course.

"You are looking well." She told the clone as she put the chart reading back.

"Great! Can I get out of here now? This place is so boring." His tone adopted a whiney pitch at the end.

"I'm afraid not, I don't have the authority to do that. You have to be discharged by Nala Se once she gives you a final check for anything I might have missed. I'm only a medical assistant afterall." She told him calmly.

Nala Se had taught her that a firm, calm and neutral voice was best for dealing with clones. She called it her medic mode.

Medic mode was most any other clone saw from her, and medic mode was useful for more than just dealing with patients. It helped her with the clones who thought it fun to bully the different ones.

The clone groaned but didn't fight her on it. A welcome surprise to her. Most clones didn't want to listen to her because they thought they knew better than a child.

It was peacefully quiet as she waited for Nala Se.

When the lead scientist came in, Omega greeted her and gave the necessary report. Nala Se was pleased with her work and discharged the clone shortly.

Once he was gone, Omega waited for her next assignment. Nala Se sat at her desk and started her work, Omega decided to go through the supplies and do an inventory check if she didn't have anything else to do yet.

The quiet work was always easy to get lost in and forget about any troubles. She got so immersed in her work that she was startled by the call Nala Se received.

"Yes Prime Minister?" Nala Se answered the call calmly.

"I've received word from the Chancellor that the Clone War is over. All clones are going to be sent back to Kamino." The Prime Minister said.

"Make sure you and your, assistant, are ready." He added.

The transmission ended.

Omega frowned, she didn't like the disdain in the Prime Minister's voice when he referred to her. She knew he didn't like her, and he probably viewed her as something, different, like everyone else did. Still, the constant subtle disdain, it wasn't the easiest to deal with all the time.

Nala Se rose from her desk, motioning for her to follow.

"Come, Omega, we must get ready."

Omega left her station and followed after the Kaminoan scientist.

Some of the other Kaminoans talked bad about Nala Se, they didn't like that she was so attached to a clone like herself, they said it was improper. They also didn't like how she was kinder to clones in general, but she was a doctor, so she had to appear and act kinder to make clones cooperate.

Omega didn't like those Kaminoans who talked bad about her mentor. Nala Se was the only being on Kamino that actually cared about her. She'd been raised by Nala alone.

She could go to her with almost anything, Nala Se was always willing to listen.

Only to Nala Se was Omega not any sort of mistake or outlier. To Nala Se, she was a smart, determined and special being. To Nala Se, she wasn't so different.

She knew Nala Se cared about her, much more than she cared for the other clones. That was one difference Omega was very happy with.

Omega was in better standing with most Kaminoans than any other clone due to her upbringing under Nala Se. She could read, speak and write Kaminoan, Old Kaminoan and Basic fluently, she was taught the basics of other languages too, like huttese, Mando'a and Twi'lekii, well, anything that didn't require lekku motions for that last one.

She was still a clone, but she was a Kaminoan raised clone, so she was more on the level of the clone born Kaminoans than that of a clone within the social hierarchy of Kamino. Many still looked down upon her for her human nature, but they didn't come after her or do anything to her, likely out of fear for Nala Se's wrath.

Among the Kaminoans, she knew everything she needed to be one of them, but she wasn't a Kaminoan.

Among the clones, she was a clone but she didn't know how to be one of them.

It was a frustrating predicament.

"I'm impressed with your work and your progress Omega, you've been making great strides." Nala Se shook Omega out of her thoughts.

She looked up to the Kaminoan, a small smile was on her face, she smiled too.

"I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you, Miss Se."

Omega may be different to every other clone, different from all around her. But that didn't matter to Nala Se, she wasn't different to her, she was what exactly she needed to be.

________________________________________________________________________________

How do you like chapter 2? It was rough to write at first then it clicked and I got it done quickly, it's a short chapter anyway.

Next chapter, the bad batch will come back to Kamino!

I hope you have a good day, whatever that is for you.

VJS out!

[lokis-tribble-army]

Can we speak about how the guards are pointing their spears at Thor when he is threatening Odin (Loki)? They would even fight Thor, their Prince, to make sure that Odin is safe.

And when Loki is showing up, they just like: Oh, it's Loki. No need to point spear at him. Thor will deal with him.

It shows how little Asgard still thinks of Loki. They knew that he was in prison for murdering people and destroying half of NY, but they still don't think of him as a threat. The guards just stand there, watching the whole scene when Thor goes against his brother.

They're not even trying to look like as if they would see Loki as someone dangerous. Well, of course they're shocked of his appearance and maybe Loki is also responsible for the behaviour, but they actually shouldn't stop pointing their spears on someone who clearly shouldn't be standing there where he does now. Especially when this certain someone should be dead.

Or they are just done with Loki's shit. That's also a possible explanation for their behaviour.

But there is also something else I just realized: What if Loki built the statue and wrote the play to make sure no one even starts to get the idea of him being still alive? He is still hiding from Thanos and it looks like a desperate try to make sure that Thanos also thinks that he is dead. But why like this? Yes, Loki is a little diva, but it would be so out of character for Odin to do this for Loki and Loki knows it, too. But still, he acts like a drama queen, writes plays about his last hours, builts a statue and avoids to travel between the nine worlds to make peace. I wouldn't say that Loki isn't able to do this job, he can do it, but he stays in Asgard.

Loki clearly does everything to prevent Thanos from coming to Asgard and looking for him. For the Tesseract. He does everything to make Thanos believe that he is dead and Odin in charge of the Tesseract.

Just think about it how much sense that makes. They changed his dead in TDW, so he can get the throne, because when they wouldn't have done this, the possibility that Odin leaves Asgard for some trip to one of the nine worlds and Thanos takes the chance and gets the Tesseract while it is unsupervised, was too high. Loki had to do this, although it wasn't planned in first place. Compared to his attitude that he never wanted the throne but being Thors equal shows, that he had a greater plan. He actually also just could have disappeared after TDW instead of returning to Asgard and telling Odin that he is dead. An other evidence that he has done everything for being thought of as really dead.

And then there is the thing with the Tesseract. What if Loki somehow was able to make a duplicate of it? Remember that Hydra was able to extract the energy of it? He could have used this stored energy of the Tesseract to create a second one to fool Thanos. That would also explain why he was in Stuttgart back in Avengers 1 and not somewhere else (Stuttgart can't be the only place on earth where you can get Iridium...). He could have visited one of the old hydra bases and got some of the batteries for his plan. (I still believe that he wasn't completely controlled by Thanos.) Selvig constructed the second Tesseract, maybe also a third one (Who knows?). They used the fake one for the portal while Loki hides the real one somewhere safe (or he had it the whole time with him). And when he landed on Sakaar, he showed the Grandmaster the Tesseract (an other fake one) and that's how he got his freedom on Sakaar. (You can bet that he used the Tesseract to prevent himself from being caught by the Scrappers.)

There is also Hela who says that the Tesseract 'isn't bad'.

This can be interpreted as 'not bad for a fake'. Not to forget that she threw the fake gauntlet just seconds ago from its podest what also can be a hint that the Tesseract could be fake.

And there is also something that bothers me since I've watched 'The first Avenger'. The Tesseract there shines brighter than the one Loki has later. As if he had lost a huge amount of energy. Also the one Hela judges is more blue than white.

(1. 'The first Avenger, 2. 'Avengers')

But also suspicious is that Loki seems to be surprised when he sees the Tesseract on his way to the Eternal Flame...as if he would have forgotten that there was one.

So, but where is the real one? For this, I have two theories:

1. It is still somewhere on Midgard, some place only Loki knows and that's also the reason why they travel back in time in Avengers 4. To get this information from Loki, because the Tesseract is the only thing that can bring the Avengers to Thanos. And the only one who knows about this little important information is Hawkeye. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but think about it. Loki isn't that stupid and even if it was by coincidence (what I don't think, cause he possibly knows Hawkeye from his short visit on earth in 'Thor'), he didn't kill him but controlled him. Since Thor 3, we know that Loki can read memories, but what if he can also exchange his thoughts and memories with someone else? He could have given Hawkeye his plan about hiding the Tesseract and creating fake ones. But to prevent Hawkeye from telling everybody about this, he sealed that memory in Hawkeye and since we know that the Tesseract also can show visions of the future, there is a small possibility that Loki knew all the way along about the events of 'Civil War' and that Hawkeye wouldn't be involved in the fight with Thanos in first place. That he would be by his family. And to break the seal, Loki has to die. He sacrifices himself at the correct moment, so that Barton can remember everything and tell the Avengers that Thanos never had the real Tesseract, but a quite good fake.

2. Hela has it. I mean, why not? Loki could have given the Tesseract to Hela while he was looking for a hiding. He also doesn't really look surprised when he sees Hela, as if he would know her already. He is only surprised to hear that she is "his" sister. There is also something strange about her 'death scene':

When you watch this moment where Hela should be stabbed/destroyed/killed by Sutors sword, there is clearly a blue lighting to be seen. Something that doesn't make any sense except she really has the Tesseract and used it to escape her death.

But why is Loki having the Tesseract in 'Infinity War' when Hela has it?

You can clearly see here that it is the Tesseract, but it could be one of the fakes. A exact copy of the real one. After all, Loki had four years to create a perfect copy. Thanos never had the real Tesseract in his hands. And as long as the energy is the one of the Tesseract and there is a stone in it, he wouldn't get suspicious. A fake stone would also explain why the gauntlet got damaged so badly.