#the-helixverse

[the-helixverse]

Medusa-Class Battleship

Creator: Thai'Qul Length: 798 Meters Width: 378 Meters (Widest Point); 70 meters (Narrowest Point) Propulsion: Nuclear Pulse Drive; Five Fusion Drive Thrusters Crew Complement: 5,000-7,000 (Normal complement); 10,000 (Max. Capacity) Radiator Type: Solid-State/Droplet Armaments:

x8 40mm Point Defense Cannons (PDCs) (Aft)

x4 Cargo/Torpedo Bays (Aft)

x2000 5-kiloton driver warheads (Aft)

x4 Ultra-Relativistic Electron Beam (UREB) Cannons (Bow)

Interior

Because the Thai'Qul are an aquatic species, their ships are unique in being almost entirely filled with water. This pulls triple duty in protecting the occupants from intense G-forces, radiation and heat; providing resources for the fusion reactor and torpedoes, and in the event of a hull breach, lost water can be more easily retrieved than air. The consequence of this is that it increases the ship's overall mass, requiring more energy for any kind of acceleration or deceleration. This is also another reason for their ruthless pragmatism: the lack of air pockets outside the cargo sections prevents them from easily taking prisoners or taking larger ships aboard.

Creators

An average Thai'Qul male. Roughly 85% of the species is male, carrying out tasks for the rarely-seen matriarchs, who outsize them significantly. On ships such as the Medusa-class, prepubescent matriarchs- referred to colloquially as "Countesses"- serve the role of captains and admirals.

Strategic Overview

If there's any way to describe the Thai'Qul military doctrine, it would be ruthless pragmatism. Rather than engaging in widespread power projection, heavier ships are mostly concentrated within their own systems, while smaller vessels are the most commonly encountered. These represent the first line of defense, focused on patrolling defense perimeters.

Should a perimeter be broken and an enemy force infiltrate a Thai'Qul system, either by evading or destroying lighter vessels, this is when battleships such as the Medusa-class are deployed. This typically follows barrages of Thai'Qul frigates and corvettes, which will try to guide invaders into designated kill zones, where the Medusa-class will engage them at close range, such as near large asteroids, space stations or ring systems.

While these battleships lack high speed or fine maneuvering, they make up for it with powerful defenses and overwhelming firepower, particularly their UREBs. Once the invader's shields and other defenses have been exhausted, should they refuse to surrender, attacks from these beams will irradiate and effectively sterilize the target.

This is done because, rather than simply blowing up bellicose ships, the Thai'Qul will always try to salvage as much technology and information from them as possible, either to assess motivations or reverse-engineer whatever they discover. Of course, should a ship surrender instead, the Thai'Qul will gladly accept, taking the time to analyze captured ships just as thoroughly.

This doctrine has proven to be quite effective in multiple engagements and ensured invasions of their systems are rare.

Ship Diagram

The Bow Shield is a large dome entirely covered in ablative heat-resistant armor.

The nose of the craft houses the four UREB cannons, which cover a large hemispherical field. While the beams lose effectiveness over time or when fired at an angle, time dilation effects prevent them from completely dissipating over longer ranges. Maximum energy from the bremsstrahlung resulting from impact has been measured at over 5,000 Sieverts.

The UREBs are only possible via the battleship's length, where the linear accelerator (Linac) runs along the central axis of the ship.

The Medusa-Class doesn't have a designated bridge or command module, but instead 36 large windowless spheres, where most of the crew resides. Commands, controls and sensor readings are instead performed using holographic display interfaces that crew members can pull up at any moment. This ensures damage to one area of the ship will not compromise control, and that key staff can be moved into the interior.

The ship uses a combination of solid-state and droplet cooling with liquid lithium, firing the molten coolant into space, where it condenses into larger drops before being recaptured in a dish section for recirculation. Additional radiators vent excess heat to prevent the lithium from completely vaporizing. In times of duress, this coolant can be used as everything from makeshift flares to additional thrusters.

The aft section consists of a large octagonal cylinder, which houses bay sections designed to be drained of water so cargo, torpedoes and other craft can be sent into space. This is also where the ship's fusion reactor is housed.

The PDCs, nicknamed "Barnacles," allow the ship to fire at targets behind or beside the ship.

Contrary to popular belief, the piston supports are only painted blue and not transparent, though they are full of water to help cushion the impact following a pulse.

The pistons and their shock absorbers are attached to a set of electric motors, which extract a small, but not insubstantial amount of power from every pulse.

The Drive Cone is fitted with flexible rings and is even colored bright white to take advantage of as much radiation pressure as possible. Usage of this drive is why the battleship can't be used in a planetary orbit, as the risk of creating radiation belts poses a threat to orbital infrastructure.

[a-student-out-of-time]

is it me or does that ship/cannon/whatever it is have a lot of balls?

//Yep! And there's a good reason for that

//I explain it in detail here ^^

[outpost51]

Six Sentence Sunday

ty @writernopal for the tag, sorry it's so late before i'm filling it lmao

Writers: post (approximately) six sentences from something you’re working on. If you aren’t ready to do that, add six sentences to your WIP.

tagging: @monstrousfreedom @sparatus @starknstarwars @asher-orion-writes @void-botanist @tabswrites and leaving it open!!

Told y'all I missed Helix, have some Jaen and Saren being terrible together, it's definitely six sentences, don't count them just trust me

The fact that Saren was already waiting for her at the exit before she’d even finished changing was likely less a testament to the efficiency of the store’s checkout process, and more to his permanent resting homicide face. “God, you must have girls falling all over you,” Jane drawled as she fell in stride beside him. “On occasion, yes, when Nihlus feels the inclination to flail about in a pit of bodies and thus drags me out of my comfortable, quiet apartment. Unfortunate, really.” Jane hadn’t realized she’d stopped walking until Saren’s talons latched onto her shirt to usher her onwards. She opted to ignore the worst possible way to describe a nightclub. “Unfortunate for who?” “For whom,” Saren corrected, “and for all parties involved, as I’m both a homosexual and an abysmal lay.” Theory amended: she’d space herself at the first opportunity. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.” Saren glanced over his shoulder, and for just a moment, Jane thought she saw a spark of humor shining through the permafrost. “Gravely,” he quipped, and shoved her bodily into an Armax outlet.

[non-fantasy]

https://www.tumblr.com/the-helixverse/739166703813083136/planet-profile-harvest?source=share

I spent several days adding all those red lights individually

[all-devouring-history-hub]

If you're interested, I finally posted some more lore on my Helixverse blog. It's quite a departure from our own history : P

https://the-helixverse.tumblr.com/post/721949074055643136/helixverse-lore-neocytes

-Mod Bubbles

Ok, I will check it out when I have the time. I'm busy.

Edit: I checked it out. It's really good :)

[millllenniawrites]

millllennia’s frequently asked questions

Last Update: November 19 2021

Who the heck are you?

I’m Mack (though there’s a couple people on here that have called me Milli which I thought was adorable and that is also a perfectly fine thing to call me) I’m a full-time uni student from Canada that’s been writing on here since 2016. I use she/her pronouns usually but like really what is a gender. I used to be fanfiction-trashpile (which is still my user on ao3). 

Can I translate your work? 

Short answer: no. 

Long answer: still no, but it’s more complicated than that. No one has permission to repost or translate my work. Even if you message me and offer to give me credit, I will say no. If you want to create for fandom, you should do it yourself and I will stand by that. 

I welcome fanart, podfic, and fanfic of my fics, and I’d love if y’all would message me/send it to me/tag me in it so that I can hype you up! 

If you decide to write with my original characters (the Helix universe or Dear Love of Mine) I will ask that you give me credit for the characters, but I don’t mine anyone else writing them. The only canon content created for the Helix universe belongs to myself and vampy ( @vampirewithbedsidemanners) but even we write alternate universes of the Helixverse, so it’s totally okay for other people to do that too.

Why are you so darn specific about the style you write in? 

Okay so there are a few things about this that I’m really picky about: 

I never use y/n or any other derivatives of the term (y/e/c or the like). For me, it’s much harder to avoid using those kinds of stand-ins for terms, so I like to challenge myself by never ever using them. If the fic calls for the reader’s name to be directly said, I’ll just give the reader a last name (like in dear love of mine where the reader’s last name is Dean) 

(NOTE: this is not to say that people that use y/n are taking the easy road or whatever. it’s entirely a personal decision and writers that use it are still good. it’s just not for me)

All my sfw fics are completely body/gender neutral unless otherwise specified

All my nsfw fics are with an afab reader (because I only know my own biology and I’d hate to try to write something for another biology type and end up getting it wrong and just alienating everyone)

I’m specific about these things because I do not look like the skinny/blonde/straight-haired/blue-eyed/wattpad version of a reader in RI fanfic. It alienated me back when I read on that platform and I’d hate to make anyone feel like that. I’m still learning, and I’m not perfect, but I really want people who read my content to feel like they can actually be immersed in the story, no matter what they look like. 

That being said, I do not write readers from specific backgrounds/with specific features because I am whiter than white and that’s not my place (though I have reblogged some stuff that has specific readers so there definitely is some on my page! check out the recommended tag) 

My own personal tastes obviously affect my writing (because everyone writes from their own experiences) so there is often dancing/hair touching in my fics because I like that stuff. There will be warnings for basically anything that could alienate the reader including but not limited to: hair mentions, the reader getting picked up, the reader’s clothing being mentioned, and abnormal physical activity (dancing, swimming, etc). If you

Are requests open?

Requests for moments, headcanons, one-shots and drabbles are open! please send me headcanons i love hearing what y’all are thinking! with that being said, i reserve the right to not write or respond to requests that i don’t want to do because at the end of the day, this is my space and my writing makes me happy. 

What fandoms do you write for?

I am currently writing for:

Star Wars (literally any character including rebels/CW) 

James Bond (Craig era) 

Dune (I love the books and the film so I write based on both!) 

Marvel (including all movies and the Punisher)

But I will generally write for any content I have consumed in the last 2 years (so I'd be super down to write for mortal instruments/shadowhunters, for example, it might just take longer). If you request something I am not currently writing for, I will keep your request until I recirculate that fandom/character/concept because I am basically a garbage disposal for fandom. 

Do I need to give you plot details in my requests?

Requests can be as simple as “Fluff with Poe Dameron!!” but can be as complex as you would like. Some formats include:

dialogue prompts (ie. “I missed you” with Jace)

type of fic (ie. I would love some Billy Russo angst)

relationships with canon characters (ie. can you write some reader x kylo ren where the reader is Rey’s sister?)

any amount of plot details (ie. thanksgiving at the Weasley’s where you and Percy get stuck hand washing dishes)

Moments Collection prompt (ie. I read your Poe “The moment they first saw you” fic. Can you write one with Dani from Prodigal son?)

Headcanon prompt (ie. how do you think Poe finding out you’re alive after thinking he had lost you would go?) 

Or any combination!! I like writing what you guys want to see and challenging myself with your ideas. 

What “out of the box” ideas are you willing to write?

Many writers will not write the following, so I wanted to be clear that anything on this list can be requested and will be written without being altered (assuming it’s in my lane). If any of these things are used in a work, they will be listed in the Warnings category at the top of the post.

graphic descriptions of violence (including but not limited to: injury, torture, emergency surgery)

death (major characters and reader included. I just won’t write drowning for my own personal safety) 

homophobia 

nightmares/night terrors/forced dream sequence/drug trips/things like in spiderman: far from home before peter gets hit by a train 

lemon/smut/that kind of thing (but I’m very new to this so take it easy on me folks)

panic attacks

dubcon/noncon/dark fic 

I will also write the following things that are not “warning” related but not all writers will dabble in: 

alternate universe (though I usually prefer canon-compliant work) 

crossover content 

polyamorous relationships 

What don't you write?

I absolutely will not write: 

suggestive content with underaged characters (I’ll age them up)

the act of self-harm (I will write post-getting clean or talking about self-harm vaguely, but won’t write the action or witnessing the action for my own safety)

drowning/water boarding/violence involving water (I know, very specific, but I don’t write this for my own safety)

readers that deal with transphobia/racism (I am blessed to not have experienced either of these things and it’s absolutely not my place to think I can write about these struggles. I will however reblog content I find and enjoy because it is so important to talk about these things and bring awareness to these communities)

mental illness other than anxiety/depression/ptsd (outside of canon determined elements)

specific pronoun requests. all of my sfw work is gender neutral. the reader insert/imagine space has been historically very heteronormative and I want everyone to be able to enjoy my writing, no matter how they identify and which pronouns they use. if a fic is requested with pronouns, I will still write the request. it will just be gender neutral

real life people. non-negotiable. this makes me feel icky. no judgement to those that do it. I just won’t

abo!AUs. not my jam. 

magic AUs.

I hope this clears some stuff up! I’m looking forward to hearing from you guys! my inbox is always open so feel free to come chat! 

[the-helixverse]

A brief glimpse into more social media in the Helixverse (Circa June 2017)

[the-helixverse]

ART DUMP

//Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, but here's some art I've made. Some of it is recent, some is from a few months ago and I don't think I ever shared it here

//Hope you enjoy!

[the-helixverse]

//Hey, everyone!

//After trying to sort things out for months, this a (very early) layout I had in mind for my Wordpress account, so this is me kinda testing things out.

//And yeah, I finally finished some details, including the first short story, and I really wanted to share. Hope you enjoy!

[the-helixverse]

Villain Profile: Iron Lung

The emergence of posthumans in 1951 brought with it a new revolution in biotechnology. Many prominent scientists, psychologists, biologists, physicians and others sought to use these to their fullest potential. One of them was Dr. Julius Leichtenberg.

Born in Hesse in 1937 and later immigrating to the UK, Leichtenberg was an aspiring neurosurgeon who attended the University of Oxford. His biggest influences were American neurosurgeon Robert White and Soviet organ donation pioneer Vladimir Demikhov.

Leichtenberg was fascinated by the idea of head and brain transplants, and believed it was possible to utilize this technology to save lives, whether it was preserving the brain or attaching it to a new body, either natural or artificial. The procedure had yet to be performed on a human and Liechtenberg and others were looking for willing subjects.

However, it was during this search that Leichtenberg, along with several other bystanders, were gravely injured in a fight between a posthuman criminal and police in the streets. The collateral damage left him so badly injured that being rendered quadriplegic was the best case scenario. It was more likely he would not survive.

Already a rather bitter man after facing criticism for his support of brain transplants, Liechtenberg's embitterment turned to spite and he decided to volunteer for his own work. With the help of thoroughly detailed notes and several assistants, he had his brain removed and preserved in solution and attached to a set of artificial sensory relays.

It would've been easy enough for Liechtenberg to simply find a donor body or have one grown for him and move on from there. But, after spending days, weeks and months fixating on his resentment- as well as possible unexpected psychological effects of being an isolated brain- he opted instead to pursue revenge.

The full details of what happened afterward is unclear, but Liechtenberg opted to have his brain preserved in a blast-proof canister and encased in an artificial body, which was then armed with various weapons and means for destruction. Early models were large, clunky and mechanical, which is where he earned his moniker in the press: "Iron Lung."

Iron Lung's primary M.O. is targeting posthumans, particularly those who try to use their abilities to make the world a better place, and either killing them or mutilating them to the point where they can no longer use them. He's shown no qualms about doing the same with other philanthropists, leaders, law enforcement or anyone else who gets in his way.

After numerous skirmishes, he's also gradually adapted his artificial bodies, upgrading them with new and better technology, weapons and equipment. He has now become a large, snake-like figure with a highly flexible body composed of synthetic muscle. He's also learned and employed a great deal of tactical skill, showing both proficiency in combat and the willingness to retreat when overwhelmed.

To date, no one has ever been able to capture him. The most that can be done is to cause him enough harm to force him to retreat and repair himself. With the only vital component of him being his brain, which is always hidden behind several layers of protection, the damage he can take is staggering. Efforts to stop him have gone so far have included RPGs, a Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne and an FV4201 Chieftain tank.

He also possesses and artificial voice that retains his native accent, and while it sounds disturbingly even throughout (comparable to HAL 9000), the more damage he takes, the more this voice distorts until it devolves into a loud series of electronic whirs and blaring.

Because of the viciousness of his attacks and the nature of his existence, head and brain transplants remain a contentious subject, although a handful have been performed in the years between Iron Lung's emergence.

[the-helixverse]

Helixverse Lore: Neocytes

One of the unexpected consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution was the ability to harness the power of DNA. Even before the structure of the molecule was fully mapped out by British chemist Rosalind Franklin, experiments were being performed to study the lengths posthumans could manipulate the structure of life.

Following the end of the Korean War in July 1951, when hundreds of posthumans came forward, the medical community quickly began studying both the changes done to their bodies and the changes they could induce in others. While this was not an ability shared by all of them, some were able to alter the structure and behavior of cell cultures through touch, and sometimes even though just their presence.

Through this process, known as morphogenesis, posthumans could essentially rewrite DNA and RNA on a whim, which would lead to a cascade of changes throughout a culture. The results were referred to as “neocytes,” literally meaning “new cells.” While this was not a new term, having been used to describe cells produced by bone marrow, the term stuck.

Some of these changes also undid many preconceptions about Earth life, such as microbes with metallic cell membranes, to alternate nucleic acids, to even cell lines based on different bio-chemistries. Most of these were short-lived outside of controlled environments, but the possibilities with morphogenesis were seemingly endless.

However, there soon came unexpected consequences within the first year of testing.

Morphogenesis, while potent in and of itself, lacked the finesse of skilled hands in most cases. Individuals from ordinary or uneducated backgrounds often have no inherent understanding of how to craft changes in living cells. While certainly not impossible to teach, this meant the application was often disorganized and dangerous.

Morphogenesis was not a universally applicable skill. For reasons unknown, the ability does not affect all cell structures equally, sometimes not even in the same organism. Some are limited to a small set of genetically similar species, while others are limited to what they can perform on a wider range of organisms. On average, they can induce some effects on most types of cells.

Contrary to initial findings and popular belief, posthumans are not the only ones capable of morphogenesis. Their application of it is simply the most refined.

Most critically, morphogenesis can be used subconsciously, and is often stimulated by the emotional and mental state of the user. Collective contributions can also be made, both consciously and subconsciously, from others within the vicinity.

While the initial findings suggested it was possible to accidentally alter, injure, sicken or even kill others through this ability, the truth proved to be much more concerning.

NOTABLE INCIDENTS:

Organism 001- α: “Flatwoods”

On 12 September 1952, in the community of Flatwoods, located in Braxton County, West Virginia, a trio of children witnessed a bright object landing on a nearby farm, property of G. Baily Fisher. The boys, brothers Edward and Fred May, and their friend Tommy Hyer, returned home to inform Kathleen May. The initial four, along with local children Neil Nunley and Ronnie Shaver, and West Virginia National Guardsman Eugene Lemon, went to the Fisher farm in an effort to locate whatever it was that the boys said they had seen.

The group reached the top of a hill, where Nunley said they saw a pulsing red light. It was there that the group witnessed some sort of creature; eyewitness accounts described it as standing 3 meters/10 feet tall, with dark black or green skin, small arms, two bright red eyes and surrounding its head was a large hooded structure shaped like an Ace of Spades. When the creature made a hissing sound at them, Lemon dropped the group’s flashlight and they ran off.

Mrs. May called the local sheriff and deputy, who were skeptical of the situation but came to investigate regardless. While they made no sighting of the creature, the following morning revealed what appeared to be residue leading away from the site. The eyewitnesses gave their testimony to the local newspaper, whose initial speculation was that it was some sort of alien.

Analysis of the gummy residue in the was performed not long afterward, utilizing newer techniques posthuman experimentation had made possible. It was found that the substance, while initially thought to be oil or secretions from a UFO, revealed it to be Earthly in origin. In particular, it matched secretions made by salamanders in the region.

Two days later, at 5:58 PM on 14 September, a similar report was made by residents near Ross Fork, a small stream that ran beside Salt Lick Road. The sheriff and deputy were once again dispatched to the region, not expecting much, but quickly changed their tune when they also became witnesses.

The organism, dubbed the Flatwoods Monster, matched many of the descriptions from the first group of witnesses. It remained in place long enough for photographs to be taken and for eyewitness testimony to both verify and discredit many prior claims, as well as offering new insights.

Rather than a robe or large skirt, the creature’s body tapered downward into a massive muscular foot that expanded and contracted to allow it to move. The hood, which was able to fold inward like that of a Venus Fly Trap, offered protection for the creature’s head, and witnesses claimed the rim was also covered in many smaller eyes.

The flesh glistened in the low light, described by eyewitnesses as a mottled mess of black, dark yellow, orange, forest green and brown. The eyes were large, taking up most of the face, and reflected an eerie red light.

Organism M1: “Chunder”

(See Document 639-Σ: “1960 Commission Report on Sydney Attack” for full details)

TRAITS COMMON AMONG NEOCYTES

Inconsistent Anatomy- Because of the nature of their creation, particularly when the effects of morphogenesis occur subconsciously or through collective effort, neocytes often lack recognizable body plans. Organs and organ systems may be scattered between different parts of the body, but still retain enough functionality to allow the creature to survive.

This has resulted in two primary classifications of neocytes:

DEPENDENT- These neocytes lack one or more fully-formed organ systems, such as the digestive system, peripheral nervous system, immune system, or skeletal system. These tend to be fairly short-lived, either surviving on stored energy like that of a Luna Moth (Actias luna) or dying from a combination of injury and disease. Risk presented by Dependent-Class Neocytes tends to involve short-term risks.

AUTONOMOUS-These neocytes have enough functional organ systems to survive long-term in the local environment. This class presents a much greater threat, as they may be capable of reproduction and establishing a sustainable population. Even for those that don’t, the priority is to locate and dispatch these organisms to clear out infested areas.

Aggressive Behavior- Neocytes, on the whole, are highly aggressive, attacking and devouring other organisms on sight. This may continue until the neocyte has decimated the animal and/or plant populations of a local area, or until they have consumed so much material that their bodies fail. Some attacks are more territorial in nature, attacking and trying to drive residents away from an area they’ve come to inhabit.

Problem-Solving Skills- Despite the nature of their creation resulting in malformed forms, neocytes are often surprisingly intelligent. They will not deliberately plunge headfirst into danger, navigate environments well, can learn to avoid traps or open doors, recognize which sounds and symbols represent threats to them, and will hide for as long as possible when confrontation seems too risky.

Aversion to Silver- The ultimate weapon against neocytes is silver. The oligodynamic effect, a natural biocidal property of many metals, is most pronounced in objects containing silver; exposure to silver nanoparticles will kill bacteria on contact and is why utensils made of the material are self-sterilizing. When used against neocytes, their bodies can completely break down, experiencing mass apoptosis. In many cases, the neocyte’s body structure will completely denature and they’ll melt into a protein sludge. This result is observed in other oligodynamic metals, but silver has proven the most effective thus far.

DANGERS PRESENTED BY NEOCYTES

Since their discovery in 1952, neocyte populations have become entrenched in across the world. Infestations of them have ranged a few dozen to hordes of thousands at a time; so much so that reports of them can be made from the air and broadcast on the radio.

While the abilities of posthumans and genetic engineering has proven invaluable in restoring large amounts of environmental damage, neocytes have done just as much on their own, decimating animal populations in many areas. In some cases, infestations have proven overwhelming to authorities and too costly to clear out, and the region has to be quarantined.

Quarantined areas are often bombed with incendiary weapons to control the neocyte populations, but even this is only so effective. The areas are often effectively terraformed by the neocytes as local organisms are replaced by heavily mutated varieties.

The danger present by them has resulted in many countries providing citizens with weaponry such as swords, pole-arms, spears, and even modern bayonets to supplement guns. These are often laced with silver, requiring massive imports from nations with large stocks.

An unexpected benefit of neocytes is that, due to being composed of DNA from various species and producing large quantities of naturally-occurring proteins, polymers and compounds used in medicine, in-tact body parts such as venom glands, organs, bone marrow and blood have become highly sought-after. This has allowed “Monster-Hunting” to emerge and thrive as an occupation.

In terms of total continuous area, the largest concentration of neocytes is an area known as the Red Zone, a large section of the United States encompassing 2.62 million km2 of land between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. Large cities situated in and around the region have fortified themselves, setting up large walls and turret emplacements, while any trains and vehicles passing through the area require protective armor plating and bulletproof glass.

Borders of the “Red Zone” as of January 1968.

[the-helixverse]

Tbf that’s the one thing of the Boys that irks me the most, the fact that people thinks it’s ‘realistic’ that a celebrity culture based on Superheroes pops up and it becomes hedonistic. There’s a big difference between celebrities and people with actual superpowers.

//Yeah, exactly. The Boys show is really more of a critique of celebrity culture and politicization of many celebrities, who feel like they can get away with anything. The comic, meanwhile, is basically Garth Ennis' anti-superhero manifesto. I couldn't even get past the second issue, it made me so sick.

//It's a portrayal that fails to acknowledge that we already have a word for people who use their powers and abilities for selfish, evil reasons: supervillains.

//It's also not really a subversion anymore because this grim, nihilistic portrayal has become the new norm. It's what everyone and their mother is doing.

//That's why Invincible is better than The Boys imo, because it actually has someone who has good morals and wants to use their powers to help others. Superheroes, and characters in general, can be flawed and interesting without being horrible people as a result.

//I personally wanted to do something a little different. That being create a world that needs superheroes, people who can and will go out of their way to do good things for others just because they need doing. To actually break the status quo and make things better.

//Idk, I think it could be fun, you know? : P

[outpost51]

Happy blursday! 💜💌 What are the fic-y tropes (generally romantic, but not necessarily) that your blorbo(s) would LEAST be able to stand being involved in, and what are they doing to tolerate or to get out of these situations? (e.g., who is sleeping on the floor when There's Only One Bed; who starts going to a different coffee shop to avoid The AU?; who digs their way out of the snowstorm to avoid being Snowed In? Who's out here crushing the would-be Enemy to Friend to Lover's dreams?)- @liv-is

OMG this is really fun to think about actually THANK YOU

Enemies to Lovers: you know I thought about this one for a hot minute bc it totally would be funny if one of the blorbos subverted it but I’m too weak as the author about homoerotic tension potential. I like a dramatic villain too much LMAO

There Was Only One Bed: That’s fine, Jane’s more comfortable making a nest of blankets in the corner anyway — and she has a knife. And a gun. And bites. And—

Coffee Shop AU: Dillon has other options in town, also The Love Interest’s coffee is now worms. Enjoy.

Snowed In: Atria’s fixing the snowmobile out in the shed and LEAVING goodbye

Huddling for Warmth: Frankie’s setting the shelter on fire.

[outpost51]

Okay for random shenanigans in the name of Blursday, hit me with it. Stick three of your OCs in a paintball scenario. Who 1. takes it waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too seriously, 2. is just here to have fun c'mon guys lighten up, and 3. calmly, quietly lays absolute waste to their foes and has everyone collectively going "holy shit"??? 👀

AHAHAHA YESSSSSSSSS obvs you get no-crash au helix

john is taking it waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. just because it's a teambuilding exercise doesn't mean they can slack off or disobey the rules. in fact, those rules are there for OUR safety--

jane is just here to have fun, and gladly shoots her brother somewhere Unpleasant. he still can't find her. THE RULES EXPLICITLY SAID NO SNIPING.

and hannah? well, she was the alliance's attack dog on shanxi for a reason. she mercilessly cuts down her own (grown) children while karin cheers her on from the sidelines.

[outpost51]

don’t yell help.

For the Shrimp Skwad Surprise Challenge 004: blaze it

Just shout ‘fire’.

Rating: Teen+

Word Count: 420

Warning(s): none

Summary: Backing a wild animal into a corner seldom ends well. Backing Jane Shepard into a corner never does.

Fill below the cut. [Mood music.]

Jane had been backed into many corners in her life. Not all of them were bad; sometimes she’d have a hand over her mouth or around her throat for fun reasons.

She’d also, however, been a terrible little asshole in her youth and most of those corners involved guns pointed at some part of her anatomy she wouldn’t last long without. The Reds weren’t exactly top of the food chain back on Earth.

Once, she and Jenny and Tuesday had been chased all over the city by big goons with bigger guns, and no matter where they ran, they couldn’t shake their pursuers. Jane thought they’d lost them when they ducked into a crowded shopping mall – it was just before Christmas, she remembered that much; there was snow on the ground and her lungs were on fire from hyperventilating in the bitter chill. It wasn’t hard to blend in with the milling crowd, especially once she nicked a hat from a store display to hide her hair. They got comfortable. Started enjoying themselves.

Tuesday managed to con some upper middle-class office type into feeding her and her ‘sisters’. Just as they finished up, Jenny spotted one of the big bastards – the one in the purple suit. Blue-suit and Black-suit couldn’t have been far behind, Tuesday said, and sure enough, Purple-suit’s friends joined him not long after. He made eye contact with Jane.

The girls all slipped beneath the table, out of their pursuers’ line of sight, and squat-ran through the crowd.

“What’re we gonna do?” Tuesday hissed. “We can’t just keep impersonating ducks all damn day.”

Jane turned to tell her that bitching about it was less helpful than trying to have a single independent thought in her life, but the theater caught her attention. “Wanna catch a vid?”

The detour granted them about a quarter of a Blasto movie of peace before three large familiar silhouettes darkened the theater’s doorstep.

Mom told her once that screaming for help in public did nothing, that she should yell ‘fire’ instead.

In theory, she knew the result would be chaos, maybe the bad guys getting knocked around, and yet she still wasn’t expecting the cacophonous stampede that followed. They shook the suits.

Jane imagined that trick wouldn’t work half as well when the entire crowd was bad guys.

“End of the line, Commander,” one of the Suns snarled.

Amplifying the trick, however… yeah, that might work.

Jane engaged her thermal shields.

Then threw an incendiary grenade into the eye of the storm.

[outpost51]

child of the stars.

For the Shrimp Skwad Surprise Challenge 002:

Garrus makes a friend, loses a friend, and finds a friend again.

Rating: General

Word Count: 2,221

Warning(s): implied/referenced character death

Preview below the cut. [Mood music]

{READ HERE ON AO3}

Oceans were so much bigger in real life than the ones in pictures. Palaven had oceans, of course, but he’d never seen those either.

Dirt had big oceans.