#wonder if its something to do with where it comes from? like the habitat...? if that makes sense

[cookingmamatwo-dinnerwithfriends]

chocolate frog terrarium || theodore nott x reader

a/n: WARNING: ur a HUFFLEPUFF GIRL and now you have made-up siblings lol the chocolate frog thing was something i thought of a while ago and i think it’s funny. and i played hogwarts legacy so i have to reference it <3

to say that theodore was nervous about the date was an understatement. he was overwrought and maybe even querulous (thank you thesaurus.com). he didn't know what to wear and he was worried that his hair looked stupid. eventually he decided he looked as good as he was going to and left to meet (y/n) in the bell tower courtyard.

when he made it outside he saw her waiting by the fountain. she was conjuring three little yellow canaries, a spell they had recently learned in mcgonagall's class. when she saw him walking towards her she waved her wand and all of the birds disappeared.

"theo, you made it!" she walked towards him, grinning widely.

"you didn't think i'd show?" he pretends to be offended. "i see you've mastered the avis charm?" he watches as a few yellow feathers fall to the ground at her feet.

"truly i was worried you and malfoy were having me on..." she trailed off before quickly pivoting to a brighter topic. "are you ready to go?"

"yeah let's get going," he offers his arm and she takes it, looping hers through his.

they make small talk as they walk across the rickety bridge and all the way to hogsmeade, talking about everything from potions class to what they think harry potter will manage to do before this year is up. they also make a brief pitstop at the puffskein den on the way to the village ("they're so cute, let's just look at them for a second!").

"where do you want to go first?" theo asked as the both of them entered the wizard village.

"honeyduke's," (y/n) answered immediately.

"that was quick," theo teased her, but still led them to the candy store.

as they walk around together theo watches as she examines almost everything in the store.

"what's your favorite thing in here?" she asks him while still perusing the shelves.

he thinks for a minute before answering, "probably...every-flavor beans."

"are you a sociopath or something?" she asked with mock-seriousness. "i can't eat those. ever since i got a dragon dung flavored bean." she shivered at the memory.

he laughed loudly, "i've never got one like that...what's your favorite?"

she picks up a chocolate frog and holds it up to theo, suddenly laughing lightly at something.

"you know i come from a muggle family, right?" she asked, tilting her head at him. he nodded, so she continued. "i bought one of these for my brother one time, and when it jumped out he thought it was a real frog, so he set up a little habitat for it and kept it as a pet."

"how long did it stick around?" theo asked, genuinely curious as he had never left a chocolate frog open and uneaten for longer than five minutes.

"a day, then it melted under the heat lamp," she chuckled, putting the chocolate frog back. "i wish you could have seen his face when he found his brand new pet frog melted in his tank."

"i've always wondered how muggles would react to all of these different candies," theo said, imagining the scene of a boy finding his new pet as a melted chocolate blob.

"don't get me started on my sister," she rolled her eyes before continuing, "she tries to talk to the cards. she has a crush on her gilderoy lockhart card."

"so you've exposed your muggle family to the wizarding world as well?" he asked.

"yes," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "i think it would be rather selfish to keep all of this to myself."

"did your parents freak out when they found out?"

"oh yes, my mom nearly lost it when i made a worm grow to, like, double its size."

"i would too, that sounds vile," he scrunched his nose up at the thought of a fat fucking earthworm.

(y/n) grabs two chocolate frogs and a box of fizzing whizbees before going to the counter to pay. before she could even get her coin purse open, theo had already given the cashier enough money to cover it.

“you didn’t have to do that,” she frowned.

“i wanted to impress you,” he shrugged.

she rolled her eyes before offering him one of the frogs. they both opened them, caught them, and began eating them.

“what card did you get?” she asked, peering over his shoulder to see.

“fig,” he said unenthusiastically. “i have like eight of him already. who did you get?”

“ooh! i got mcgonagall! i don’t have her yet!” she said excitedly, pocketing the card. “i don’t have fig though….”

she side-eyed him in hopes that he would hand over the card. which he did. he didn’t need a ninth eleazar fig.

they started their walk back to the castle shortly after this. shyly brushing hands until theo made the move to fully hold her hand. he walked her down to the hufflepuff common room where he found himself sad to part ways.

“i had a really nice time today theo…” (y/n) said shyly, looking down at her feet. “we should do this again sometime.”

“yeah definitely! i had a great time too,” he smiled down at her softly.

he was wracking his brain, trying to think of something NORMAL to say, when she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“goodnight theo,” she smiled softly and went into her common room.

he smiled as he turned around to walk to the dungeons. when he made it to his dorm, malfoy and mattheo (yep he’s here IM SORRY) were waiting for him.

“how’d it go mate?” mattheo asked, smirking at theo.

“it was really great,” theo answered earnestly, too giddy to say something cool and nonchalant.

“that’s just adorable,” malfoy cooed at him.

“shut up…” theo rubbed the back of neck, before plotting with the boys on how to ask (y/n) out again.

[thegreenwolf]

Howdy! I stumbled across a broken link to your WordPress blog where you mentioned your views on people who believe their religious/spiritual practices exempt them from wildlife laws. I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts, since this is a topic I have a hard time getting through to others about. If you don't have the time (or don't want to), don't sweat it! Have a wonderful day ^-^

@raspberrysquid Well, it's something I've primarily run into in the Pagan/etc. arena. These religions, as a general rule, are recently created, though they may seek to emulate older polytheisms to varying degrees. (There are also polytheist reconstructionists who do not consider themselves under the modern Pagan umbrella for varying reasons, FTR, but that's a whole other discussion I'm not going to get into here. The Venn diagram is complex, and not everyone fits under the Big Tent, so to speak.)

The attitude I seem to run into repeatedly is the idea that Neopagan religions should be on an equal par with indigenous American religions with regards to access to restricted items such as eagle or other migratory bird feathers. For example, Lady Suzy Bunnysnuggles picks up a red-tailed hawk feather that a bird molted, and decides that this must be a sign from [insert deity or other higher power here] that she must incorporate that animal's energy into her spiritual practice somehow, and so she takes it home.

Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with interpreting an encounter with an animal (or its shed bits) as being personally, spiritually profound. However, if Lady Suzy Bunnysnuggles is--like many of us Pagan folk--an American citizen of varying European origins or otherwise not in a federally enrolled* Native American tribe, she is breaking the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) which prohibits the possession of almost all native wild bird parts, other than a few exceptions like turkeys. This law is in place because in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries bird populations in North America were being absolutely demolished for both restaurant tables and the feather trade. Since you can't really tell the difference between a feather that was naturally molted, and one that was torn off of a poached bird, the law has a blanket prohibition on possession regardless of origin.

There are some exceptions to the MBTA, and to the Bald and Golden Eagle Act, for federally enrolled people to have access to otherwise prohibited parts for religious or cultural use. However, people like Lady Suzy Bunnysnuggles, when informed of the laws, huff in indignation that they, too, should have religious exemptions, and that they are not, in fact, going to put that feather back where they found it. In fact, they may very well hang it from their rearview mirror or on a ritual staff, in blatant violation of the MBTA, and with the assumption that they will not run across a USFW law enforcement agent or other authority who is familiar with the laws. If pressed, they may claim "Oh, it's a TURKEY feather**!", but they're banking on the idea that no one is actually going to recognize what they have.

My thought on it, as a longtime Pagan of various European descent, is that it's my people who basically screwed up everything for everyone else by coming over here and overhunting species and systematically destroying their habitats. I've been working with hides, bones, and other remains in my practice for over a quarter of a century, and I am totally fine with staying within the confines of various laws. I have plenty of things I can legally work with, AND I am creative and flexible enough to come up with legal alternatives to prohibited items. My traditions are my own, and they don't pre-date me. Indigenous people, on the other hand, have been dealing with over 500 years of physical and cultural genocide, and the previous ban on their possession of eagle feathers and the like is just one more manifestation thereof; reversing that ban and making allowances for feathers/etc. for their spiritual and cultural practices is a TINY piece of trying to undo centuries of damage.

I am not going to try to argue that the erasure of European polytheistic traditions by Christianity many centuries ago affects me in the same way that the ongoing oppression of indigenous Americans affects them. They're not even comparable. Any problems I may have experienced as a relatively out Pagan in the United States are nowhere near in comparison to the immensity of 500+ years of active racism and other violence enacted upon Native American communities by both individuals and governmental entities.

Moreover, if we open exceptions to Neopagans and other followers of modern nature spirituality, then anyone can step up and say "Oh, hey, I'm a Wiccan/Druid/etc., can I have some eagle feathers?" that would then open up a greater demand for otherwise prohibited animal remains, and feed into a still-substantial black market. Therefore, I think it's best if I and Lady Suzy Bunnysnuggles simply find alternative ways to work with the archetypal spirit of Red-Tailed Hawk, rather than argue that our supposed religious oppression is somehow on par of that of indigenous Americans, and use their plight to try to weasel our way out of following a law that is in place to protect wildlife after other white people have demonstrated time and again that they couldn't be trusted to hunt wildlife at a sustainable level. Is it a case of some bad actors ruining things for everyone else? I mean, sure, maybe. But it's one of those things that I've long since made my peace with.

*This is with the understanding that there are also significant problems with federal recognition of some tribes, but not others, and the immense amount of bureaucratic bullshit a group of indigenous people have to wade through just to prove their legitimacy to the BIA.

**I once pointed out to a fellow vendor at an event that some of the feathers on their wares were, in fact, from various species of owl, because the last thing I want is for someone who is simply ignorant of the law to get in trouble, and generally speaking people are pretty cool about removing the illegal bits of their work and grateful that they met me before they met someone who could actually issue a ticket and/or cause trouble for the event runners. This person instead insisted repeatedly, both to me and to event staff, that they were turkey feathers, in such a manner that it was clear they knew what they were but was assuming we all played the "wink wink, nudge nudge, yeah, those sure are TURKEY feathers!" game. Needless to say, they had to take down anything made with owl feathers in order to stay in the vendors' row.

[bigfan-fanfic]

He Doesn't Like Sand Either (Male!Reader x Percy Jackson x Anakin Skywalker)

@jayfeather965 Ok so. Can I request a story about living with anakin and Percy in the Pokémon world?

The gods are strange things indeed.

They have been here forever and yet they are new.

The have existed since the beginning, and yet their stories have only been told for a fraction of the universe's lifespan.

None are quite sure what to make of the stranger form the stars.

Percy found him a few years ago because, as he grumbles, his life just isn't allowed to be normal.

Percy has grown to a fine man in his thirties, far past where he thought he'd be able to live. Though he and his Dewott still train in the warrior's style, he is happy with his life, which by any metric might even be called boring.

Percy loves it. And you.

Anakin was stunned at the existence of Pokemon - here there are creatures that are truly one with the Force. They display incredible power, but their true wonder is something that goes almost unnoticed - their ability to form true emotional bonds with each other and with their Trainers.

But with your help, and that of Percy, he came to accept this odd system he had been stranded on - and the very likely possibility that he'd never be able to return to the galaxy he called home.

Now that he's been dating you both for a few years, Anakin has finally given in to the offers you both make - to help him bond with a Pokemon of his own.

He feared, for a long time, that a bond with him would corrupt a Pokemon - these creatures of pure Force should not be bonded to a nearly-fallen Jedi, should they?

But the beauty and tranquility of this world has convinced him.

In living with Pokemon, this world has found the secret to living in the Force.

Percy has some times to the Professor of the region, and you gladly bring Anakin to find a Pokemon right for him.

They have a rescue - a Poochyena, the runt of its litter of Eggs.

Far from their usual habitat, it was born on the beach, and perhaps knowing it was abandoned, goes wild at the feel of sand, barking madly.

"Anakin... you were worried about being able to bond and train a Pokemon." You remind him. "Aren't you just a little concerned about taking in a rescue?"

"He needs me." Anakin says simply. "Or maybe I need him."

"Hello, little friend." You watch Anakin speak to the Pokemon, kneeling down low and offering it a treat with his flesh hand.

The Poochyena sniffs suspiciously, gazing up at Anakin.

"I know what it's like to be left behind. And to feel so afraid there's no room for anyone else. Someone very special to me saved me from that feeling. And I hope that I can be the one to do the same for you."

His Poochyena leaps into his arms, and Anakin cries healing tears at the feeling of something so pure and innocent trusting him.

Anakin and Percy often excercise together, though Anakin also takes his Poochyena on a walk. When he meditates, the poor thing gets so bored it either falls asleep in his lap or come to find you for attention.

Anakin becomes more outgoing and curious the more time he spends with you and his Pokemon. Becoming a Trainer is a way he can feel connected to the Force, even here and now, and he thrives in it.

He's always a little more stern and quiet, especially compared to Percy, but you'll catch him smiling when it comes to his Poochyena.

[yestrday]

HI IM like... fixating on ur hybrid au rn so I apologize for the influx of hybrid asks (if they get annoying, feel free to just delete idm!!) 😭 but I really adore the thought and consideration you put into world building !! I belive u enjoy world building from some previous asks of the academy au, so I think it's really nice to see u so consistent with world building across multiple au's !! although there's only one part of the hybrid au rn, I'm excited to learn more about the estate that mc and their hybrids live at !! like wooow their backyard and gardens must be massive considering they turned a portion of it into something that resembled kazuha's homeland, and there must be a big lake nearby since the other hybrids sometimes gets rocks to show to mc and aether !! (I wonder if that's a hint for maybe some aquatic hybrids.. hmm?) and the fact mc seems so estranged from social civilization must imply that they live in a very remote location with lots of space and little interaction. (and perhaps that could also explain why the boys were wary of kuni when he first showed up.. bc who would come to a remote location and ask for shelter??)

I did have one question though, since there is a loooot of genshin boys to be added, I'm curious about how the living situation works? room-wise, I mean. is our mc's villa THAT big that each hybrid can have a room to claim as theirs and sleep comfortably (or maybe they have to share with one another hejehdje BUT its also possible they just take turns sleeping with mc lol) or did mc perhaps have to build extensions to their main villa or even separate, mini houses entirely, to accommodate for the many hybrids (also, I wonder if any of their rooms have special features that cater specifically to their hybrid forms?)

ooh and another thing!! while I'm sure most of the boys' obsession with mc and their yandere tendencies started to become more prominent after living with mc, I also find it interesting how multiple of them stalked watched mc for a little while before making themselves known and asking to take part in actually living with them !!

and on a more minor note, as im sure it doesn't contribute much to the actual story, I am partially curious as to what mc's family do and why they're such a target for competition and sabotage :o

(sorry if this is a lot (╥﹏╥) I got a little enthusiastic about it, and seeing that you're kind of active I figured I'd ramble :P)

mc's mansion is situated upon a hill and its surrounding land. it's big enough to be almost considered a villa, and it's legally under their father's name. it was built when they were younger, think 12 or 13, after the father realizes what an easy target mc could be if he let them live in the city. it used to be just one building with a small lake at the back, but as more hybrids came, the more renovations happened. mc had the head butler submit these requests to their father, and since money isn't an issue, these came easily.

the hybrids don't actually have an officiated claimed room to them. most of them don't have their own things, so there's no real need to store things. only the rather picky ones have claimed a bedroom to themselves, much preferring a bed to their natural habitat.

ayato, for example, has picked out a room to himself and has lived there ever since neuvillette moved into the lake. he actually much prefers it that way, although it's a bit of a shame since he was the first inhabitant of the lake.

other hybrids that sleep in rooms are zhongli and xiao, who sleep in his office. aether, who sleeps with you. scara and haitham, who are often found in the library. albedo and occassionally tighnari, who decided it would be much more efficient if they just slept in the lab.

kazuha is usually found sleeping in a tree found in the part of the garden that you renovated for him. the first tree that you met him in, actually. the other hybrids sleep like this. they pick out a part of the mansion where they feel most comfortable in and sleep there. the avian hybrids (minus scara) have made themselves comfortable in high places, the lake is obviously home to the aquatic hybrids, and the garden is home to hybrids like foxes, dogs, etc.

there's only one room that's been renovated specifically for your hybrids, and it's a cold room underground that replicates the arctic. it's for your ice-affiliated hybrids! after the head maid had found them snoozing in the kitchen near— even in!— the fridge, she chased them out. out of pity, you decided to submit a renovation request to make them an icy room. it's a lot of electricity, but it also doubles as an ice storage room that you guys sell to the village below as well as a storage room for the scientists' experiments.

lastly, mc's family is the owner of many corporations under one company. think of the chaebols in korea. they're that powerful. mc's father is the ceo, so you can imagine how knee deep he is in corruption and complicated entanglements.

[stagkingswife]

Do you know of any good ways to communicate with spirits beside tarot reading? I feel like I need to change the way I communicate for whatever reason but I'm having a hard time finding alternatives (maybe I'm not googling correctly?) so I was wondering if you had any tips? since in your pinned post it said your interested in spirit work.

There’s lots of options besides tarot!  I can’t remember the last time I used tarot for spirit work, I mostly use it for readings for IRL friends these days because it’s my most “accessible to normies” divination method, so let’s brainstorm some alternatives!

Direct Input:  I call this the Sight, other people use the “clairsense” terms.  This is probably one of the harder methods to discern, because it all has to filter through our minds.  It can be hard to distinguish what is actual input from an outside source and what we are generating ourselves.  Let’s say you want to receive a message from one of the spirits you work with, and then you start having thoughts that are kind of like how this spirit “talks.”  Is the spirit really communicating with you or is your mind manufacturing what you want? Same thing with dreams - was that dream with mysterious imagery a message from a spirit or a natural psychological reaction to your day time activities?  Environmental Signs: Signs and omens are a classic communication tool, but another one that are easy to misuse/misinterpret.  A natural environmental occurrence, like seeing an animal in its natural habitat is just a natural environment occurrence, but if you ask spirits for specific signs, and are careful to ask for signs that would truly be unique or unusual, you can set up a pretty good call and response communication system.  A bad example - Deer are very common where I live.  Seeing a deer is not a reliable sign for me, even though they are strongly associated with my divine spouse.

A good example - Birds are very common around my home, but not birds of prey, which are also associated with my divine spouse, so if I wanted to know if he approved of something I could ask him to send a bird of prey to my home as a sign. Usually I would also request a time frame (within a week, for example) so you know whether or not you got your sign and you aren’t just waiting indefinitely.  

Otherworldly Travel:  This is another one that’s a slog to master, and it’s not at all necessary, I just find it adds a nice depth to some spirit relationships if you can go visit them “at home” in addition to them coming to you. For the spirits that don’t have something that represents them in this world I feel like I get to know them better when I see them in their “natural habitat” like a spirit David Attenborough. That being said, spirits have an advantage in the Otherworlds, I find that it’s much easier for them to manipulate their appearance, presentation, and our perceptions of them in the Otherworlds.  If planning to use Otherworldly Travel in spirit work I highly recommend taking your time and really verifying all of your experiences with other methods. Other Divination Methods:  And most importantly - Tarot isn’t the only divination method!  I know it’s very popular and very easy to find materials and resources on, but it’s not the end all be all of divination. I firmly believe that you need some sort of external verification system to be confident in your spirit work, otherwise you’re just relying on those methods above which can all be subject to well meaning imaginations.  Experiment with other divination systems and find something that works for you that you can be consistent with that is hard for you to manipulate, consciously or unconsciously, to give yourself the results you want.    Instead of Tarot I like oracle decks, I have built my own osteomancy method, and my keyboard divination method - when I do it for myself - are all great for double checking my other experiences. 

[t34-mt]

hiya!! I absolutely love your stuff, I was just curious is there more info on morang and kapone’s relationship? Just small facts or anything, I think they are a sweet pair to see :^D like em a lot

thank you!! i like them too :] I could mention about how they meet first

morang and kapone meet as adults in GA time period, during organised events between kyhuine and maanuls colonies. Where the goal is to exchange several willing members of respective colony with the other. Essentially at opposite species colony the exchanged members just learns the others culture and the way of living of their bigger/smaller cousins. One of the several tactics colonies agreed upon to introduce one another, exchanged members would be taken in charge by chosen community "teachers" from the colony they're staying at (person who takes in charge is fluent in the language of opposite species).

You could almost say its like summer camps, they'd stay there for a month or more, come back home to talk about how pleasant it was and how different they are. Some would sometimes come back to give news to family but still travel back because they've fallen in love with the practices, culture, all the differences and so on. Or because they've found a partner there, and they decided to live at the other's place. Because, yes while GA starts with war and ends with it, not every colony were under the two war faction controls and others were lucky to be able to function the way they wanted, and said colonies who were free would then do stuff like the colony member exchanges i mentioned, to learn and understand this new species they've learned about at the end of AOS. BUT im babbling now, back to morang kapone, this was for context

Morang and ak'laam, whos previously studied kyhuine language volunteered to be part of the group that will welcome and guide exchanged kyhuine members coming to their colony, morang was in charge of kapone and that's how they first meet. While the person in charge of 1-3 people does most of the work, welcoming kyhuines/maanuls into colony is something every members should take part on, offering gifts and being overall nice. But yeah, morang teacher her culture (western maanul in this case), her food, her language, showed ceremonies,shared songs, thought her the animals, the way maanuls preach the ocean and the religious myths surrounding it and how the weather is vastly different. Essentially they bond and get closer during this moments, and while she would've loved to teach kapone how to swim so she could show her the wonders of the reefs near home, kapone is a kyhuine, and they hate the feeling of being wet and plus they dont have an oil gland that they can coat their feathers with, so when wet kyhuines are soaking and heavy. they're from desert so they never experienced being in water before.

In return kapone would help her with accent when speaking in her language, cause yes fun fact morang's language when speaking kyhuine language sucks a bit, but ak'laam quite fluent. She'd describe how home was like for her, eventually when kapone goes back to home colony morang goes with her because she wants to see kyhuine life and habitats. Like morang did, kapone nows the one who teach her and bring her to ceremonies and events in colony to show her.

They end up visiting each other's place frequently, usually staying several weeks or months at one's colony. Firstly for expanding their knowledge and view of world, then they'd do it just because they wanted to see each other's. I'd say, 2 or 3 years after they've meet is when they became romantic mates, but yeah that's in short how they meet.

Did one move out to the other's place permanently? Not really, morang says her heart belongs at sea so she never permanently moved to be where kapone originates from. Both just spend time at each other's place alot but they never move out forever, tho kapone stays at morang's place the most but she regularly visits her home family.

Even on the discussion of burial they won't be togheter at death (first off cause kyhuines live longer) and because they agreed that morang will have the traditional maanul burial at sea (about burials, I'd suggest to not go read the old ask answer because I'd like to publish an updated text about it soon), and kapone will be burned after death. They agreed on having memorial wall paintings of them togheter to celebrate the time they had with those temporary vessels, while death can be scary it's not the end to them since they believe that they'll find each other's in every next lives, every time their respective diety will give them a new vessel to explore the world again, whenever that would be as a plant or any animal, they'll find each other's each time without even knowing.

Fun fact, since maanul and kyhuine size differences is quite big, in the home of kapone (which is quite narrow) morang's head would rub against the ceiling so she'd move around all crunched down head low

[melodystone57]

Chapter 1: Beware My Power, Green Lanterns Light part 1

"Y/n L/n of Earth, sector 2814, report to Oa immediately"

of course. Why am I always called when I am quite literally in the middle of something?

" Mr. Saltzman, may I use the restroom?", I asked, raising my hand in the air.

" Why did you not go before the test? or before you came into class Mrs. l/n?" He questioned as he leaned against his desk, arms crossed and glaring at me.

"I don't know, why do you have a dad bod? Oh yeah, life happens. Now may I go to the bathroom, or shall I pee myself?" I replied while cocking a brow.

" Go before I change my mind. "

Rushing to my feet, I hurried out the door and towards the bathroom. Charging into the room, my nostrils were attacked by cheap Victoria's Secret perfume with a hint of old-period blood.

" Holy Hell! How many girls have been in here!? It is Rank in here! " I exclaimed, changing into my Green Lantern suit. Slowly the suit materializes across my body starting with my feet and moving up to my head.

"Oh, my good lord. We so desperately need to get a Febreeze." I rant while opening the window and starting to squeeze my top half and my hips through. " Jesus how thick am I?." Once the rest of my body is out of the window, I start flying to oa.

" Green Lantern Salak, not that I don't enjoy your company but why have I been summoned," I ask him on our call through the rings.

"You are needed as a material witness in the Green Lantern Hal Jordan hearing," Salaak said. Great. What has he done now? I swear to Loki himself that if he did something stupid again, he is getting a swift kick where the sun doesn't shine." Might I suggest though, that you use hyperspeed? Hal Jordan will be here any minute and the guardians would like To hurry everything along."

"Thank you for the heads up, Salaak. I will be there shortly" I replied ending our call to engage hyperspeed.

ah oa. you beautiful beast. I started to feel the gravitation pull as well as the change in the temperature. it is strange how oa is colder than space is. You would think it was the other way around. As I fly down, I get to witness the spectacular display of the other green lanterns in what seemed to be their natural habitat. So many of them flying or simply walking around engaging in friendly banter and conversations. It's a wonderful sight to see all types of different species mingling together in peace. if only Earth was able to be so open-minded with its people. I spot Kilowog standing in front of the entrance to the grand hall on my descent down to him.

"Well look who it is. Sargent Kilowog." I said jokingly

"If it isn't the royal hard ass of the green lantern corps. What are you doing here?" He asked while pulling me into a hug,

" I'm here as a witness to something Hal must have done," I replied while pulling away from the hug and walking toward Salaak and Hal.

"Of course you are, always cleaning up Jordans's mess."

"He's not that bad Kilowog. Good Afternoon Salak. Is everyone ready to get this over with I know I am." I said and asked while walking into the meeting hall.

"Ah good you all are here. Let us move forward with this shall we." Apa said very grimly. The others had come into the room and stood next to me.

" Hal Jordan of Earth, Green Lantern of Sector 2814. The viceroy of Demrakk 7 claims that when we assigned you to police crucial peace negotiations you punched him in the face. is this true?" he asked.

"uh, er, no, sir. I punched the viceroy in the stomach. Then I head-butted him in the face...Sir," Jordan replied " The viceroy was a serious dirtbag, who was using diplomatic immunity to cover up his slave trafficking ring" he continued.

"The council Should note that Hal Jordan's claims have since been proven true by Demrakk's authorities." Ganthat intervened.

"That is not the point." said Apa, "This lantern clearly seems to revel in exceeding his authority, ignoring our orders' and making his own.." Apa was interrupted when the ceiling bay door opened and a Green Lantern Ring Dropped down from it and onto the floor.

" Oh,no" Kilowog said.

Hal hovered over slowly and picked up the ring to examine it while saying " We can argue about my conduct later, but right now.....somewhere out there, there's a dead Green Lantern."

"Salaak, whose ring is this?" Kilowog asked as he placed the ring in the middle of Salaak's mobile command center.

" Green Lantern M'Ten," he said while pulling up a picture of him.

"Never seen this guy before in my life," Kilowog replied

"Salaak, Display gaurdian Space." ganthat ordered.

A holographic globe with squares all around it is in the middle of it and displayed high enough so everyone can see.

"There are 3600 sectors of guardian space " Ganthat continued " For millennia, we have dispatched our power rings' to choose a worthy protector of each sector. You are Green Lantern Corps'."

"This part we know" Jordan whispered quietly earning him an elbow to the gut from me.

" Display the homeworld of Frontier Lantern M'Ten," said Ganthat

"Frontier Lantern" Kilowog wondered.

"This is the guardian Frontier, the very edge of our territory," Sayd explained as the globe enlarged into different sections of Frontier space.

"We have seated Lanterns there, but they are few and far between. The vast distance makes contact with the frontier lanterns sporadic, at best."

"Then who trains them?" Kilowog questioned

"They receive limited instruction from their rings. That is all." Says intervened

"What do these lights signify?" Hal Asked.

"These are locations where operatives went offline. Those Power Rings are currently in search of new hosts. Or en route back to Oa." Apa answered. "Meaning they're Dead" I muttered under my breath. Of course, they don't care about what happens to them.

"That is unfortunate, but accurate," Apa replied, hearing me mutter under my breath. I take that back, it's just Apa that doesn't care.

"And you just sit there, doing nothing?" Hal remarked, "You did not even see it fit to inform us about these Lantern deaths?" Salaak Continued sharing Hal's thought process on the whole ordeal.

" There is nothing to be done right now. Flying at top speed you wouldn't reach the frontier for 18 months. We are formulating a plan." said calmly

"There are Lanterns dying out there! We need to get out there and stop whoever is targeting them now!" Hal barked.

"Let me remind the Green Lantern of Earth that the Guardians are not on trial here. He is." Apa Yelled.

"Appa Ali Apsa, it has been an eventful session. Perhaps a period of refreshment is required. Or as our earthman would say; A coffee break." Ganthet Intervened. Thank God. I was about to lose my mind.

"Good call Ganthet. Another minute and I might've said something..." Hal Started to say before Kilowog cut him off "Incredibly stupid? Yeah, I think that ship sailed a long time ago Jordan. Hey, this ain't the way to the commissary."

"Indeed. I thought we might enjoy taking a more scenic route." Ganthet agreed

"Aren't you just full of surprises today?' oops wrong choice of words. My bad. "I am sorry about the brutal word battle that happened in their Ganthet. None of it was directed towards you." I said

"That is quite alright. I understand all of you, and your need to protect those who can't protect themselves. That is why you make an excellent green lantern. That is why the ring choose you."

He replied as we flew over the science center. The docking bay opened up to a beautiful white Matted ship with green accents as well as a green power core.

"Ganthet what is that?" Hal Asked

"Oh, that! Nothing really. An experimental prototype powered by the green lantern energy itself."

" Holy crud," Kilowog said amazed.

"How Fast?" Hal asked, looking at Ganthet with his arms crossed.

"Well, the interceptor is potentially the fastest ship ever created by sentient life."

"Potentially?," I asked

"This prototype is so sophisticated and travels so fast that the nav-computer is an actual artificial intelligence."

"I know that Look Jordan, this isn't one of your earthen jet thingies," Kilowog said trying to shut down whatever idiotic plan Hal is trying or already has come up with.

"Look, I'll take her up and work the bugs out. Then we'll fly to the frontier and we'll take care of the Lantern killer." He explained.

" I doubt that will come to pass. It is much too risky. And all Guardians must be in agreement. Some will doubt the very existence of this Lantern killer." Ganthet explained as the doom doors closed. Once they were shielded shut he started flying back to the Grand Hall.

" Then why show us this?" I asked. Curious as to what is going on in his head.

"I told you, my friends. We're simply taking the scenic route."

" I can't believe I let you talk me into this," I muttered under my breath, as Hal and I walked through the science center halls toward the docking bay.

" Simple, You love me and would do anything for me."

"I'm more likely to skin you alive than to ever like you. Let alone love you."

"You say that now, but just wait. Someone is going to melt that icy heart of yours. And then you will realize that you truly love me." He replied as we hid against the wall. Peaking around the corner, we noticed a Identification Robot, scanning the walkway to the doors.

" Great. Now what?" I asked

"Don't worry, I've got a plan."

This so-called plan was him creating a construct of ganthat, to "float" over to the machine.

"Identification please"

"Ganthet of the guardians," Hal said very deeply.

" Dude he does not sound like that" I whispered harshly in his ear.

"Incorrect. Alarm detected." We both look at each other with wide eyes. Moving from the wall I start shooting at it before it can raise any more attention as to what we are doing. "Contacting secur..."

After the robot fell down we rushed to the motion sensor doors. Bruh, what is the point of an identification bot if the doors are automatic? That's just stupid. Once were inside we slowed down, and walked to the ship. we canvased the area to make sure no one saw us come in.

"I think we're good to go, Hal," I said looking over my shoulder to do a double-check, not paying attention to what was in front of me. Bumping into a wall full of muscle I look in front of me and see Kilowog standing there, Arms crossed and eyes narrowed at Jordan.

"Kinda figured you'd turn up here, hotshots. Just your style. You borrow the ship. Rush into danger. Catch the killer. Save the day. Big heroes." He stated boringly.

"You forgot "get the girl". There's probably a girl somewhere in this, " Hal said "Don't try to stop us, big guy." he continued

"Who's trying to stop you? I'm coming with you! Forget anything?" he asked as he held up three portable batteries. Definitely a good thing that he brought those. My Ring is nearing 30%.

"Okay, you can tag along," I said teasingly walking onto the ship's ramp.

" Oh please, I've been saving your butt ever since boot camp No reason to stop now.Wow."

"Look at that." Hals to say the least was amazed. Walking into the ship it was like looking at any movies based in deep space and the future. The med bay was in close proximity to the Science Cell and the Engine.

"This thing's engine's gigant power battery," Kilowog exclaimed.

"Hey now we have a backup battery for our backup batteries," I said over my shoulder, looking towards the middle of the room there was a small standing area that looked to be some sort of training simulator. Walking further into the ship we head to the cock pit. Hal being ahead of us sits at the main center console housing the winch and runs his hand smoothly across the console.

"Wow. She's beautiful." He stated

"She?" Kilowog and I questioned, raising my and his non-existent eyebrows.

"She. A ship is always she. Wonder how you fly this baby?"

A Small blue orb with a circle in the middle appeared from the console and asked "Please define the term: Beautiful." with a Female voice.

"That must be the AI nav computer," Kilowog muttered to both of us.

"Hello, Aya. We're your new best friends: Hal, Kilowog, and Rory." He Introduced.

"Uh, Hal AI doesn't spell Aya it spells Ayeee." I corrected

" But Aya is a pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty girl."

"Don't you ever stop?" Kilowog Asked.

"New designation accepted. Aya."

"Aya, would you like to play a game?" I asked

"What game?"

"This Game is called Joyride."

"How does one play Joyride?"

After explaining the rules of "Joyride", we start flying over Oa. Waiting for the engine to properly prep for travel, we fly over the open grand hall dome. Catching all of the Gaurdian's attention.

They Start following us.

"Somebody's coming." Kilowog Warned. They caught up to the ship and started tapping on the window. Looking over at them Apa Started tapping harder and pointing to the ground.

" Aya initiate ultra-warp, now!" Hal yelled

"Ultra-warp protocol requires at least 43 minutes to calculate."

"Aya, listen to me. Kilowog, Rory, and I are Green Lanterns. We help people. Right now there's some other Green Lanterns in trouble at the coordinates I gave you."

"It is unsafe to bypass protocols."

"Green Lanterns risk their lives to save the lives of others. Aya, please." Giving in, she disappeared and started up the coils and input the coordinates and calculations for Fronteir's space. Flying faster and forward we started surging into a rainbow sort of opening. We were going so fast it felt like the zero gravity machine at a carnival or fair. Sirens blared and red lights started flashing on the console in front of me.

"Warning! Bypassing protocols have resulted in an unstable ultra-warp field. Disintegration is imminent. Hull integrity at seven point seven five percent." Aya warned.

"Aya, can you convert to manual controls?" Hal asked

"Affirmative. However manual control of a vehicle while in ultra-warp..."

"Do It!"

The winch reappears from the center console, Hal Grabs it a makes a hard right. The right side of the ship started scraping the sides of the ultra warp.

"How is this better?!" Kiliwog asked, yelling at Hal.

"If I can slow us down I might be able to punch through the ultra-warp conduit without breaking the ship apart." He answered.

A few more seconds of us scraping the wall we break through with a blinding green light. We start spinning out of control before stopping at an abrupt stop. We all smack into a console and fall to our butts.

"Oh god, please never do that again?" I asked

Kilowog agreed while getting up and looking out of the window "Wow, frontier space."

"We made it," I said, while staring out the window amazed. This part of space was beautiful. Mixes of blue and reds that never mix, with brilliant white stars lighting the sky.

"I wonder what the odds are for me making my dinner with Carol?" Hal wondered as he fell into his seat.

" A billion lightyears from home, and that's what you're thinkin'? You must've really lost it for this girl." Kilowog teased

"Uh, no!"

"Attention! I am picking up telemetry from a nearby Power Ring." Aya said over the intercom.

Kilowog walked over the the side console and pressed on the intermission signal.

"It's a GL! And Hal, whoever he is, he's alive."

"But not for long. He is in a firefight. And losing." Aya Informed.

"Buckle up, people. This is now officially a rescue mission." Hal Informed.

We arrive on a planet that has many canyons but not many villages. We noticed immediately multiple red lights firing and a dim green light. We head over and see two men, one Lengthy and muscular in his upper torso, and the other one appears to look like a beach ball with arms and legs. Both of them were in a red and black uniform. The two mystery men seemed to be chasing after a GL. We Land the ship and fly over to the Green Lanter to provide assistance. The GL was hit in the back, landing roughly on his stomach and sliding. Trying to crawl away from his attackers, he managed to get a few inches away before getting hit again. Giving into the pain, he stopped and layed on his back looking up at the two men in fear.

"Not bad. In fact, I'll graciously allow you to make up for your earlier squeamishness. You can strike the final blow, Razer. Unless of course, you are too weak!" The beachball said speaking to the other male in red. Razer started to power up his ring and fired. Kilowog and I flew faster and jumped between the wounded Green Lantern and the blast, to create a brick wall. The beach ball roared in anger at us stopping their kill.

"Weaklings! Your feeble constructs are crushed beneath the Red Lantern might!" He said

"Red Lantern? What the Norx is a Red Lantern?!" Kilowog asked while staring at them in pure confusion. We kept the wall up as the "Red Lanterns" kept firing at us.

"These guys I'm guessing. We need to move, fast!" I said over the sound of the ring fire.

"Easy, we're the cavalry here to rescue you," Hal said and he landed next to the hurt GL.

" I'm running low. You have enough juice to fly him back?" He asked Kilowog after checking his ring percentage. Both Hal and I started firing back at the Red Lanterns.

"Big shot GL from Oa, Huh. Maybe I ought to be saving you." The Green Lanter teased at Hal.

"We'll draw their fire while you get the comedian back to the interceptor," I said referring to me and Hal.

"Yeah, I had a feelin' that was comin'. What do you want written on your tombstones?" Kilowog asked.

"Spent the rest of his long life making sure his ring was charged." " She loved herself some good pussy and dick."

"Yeah, no way I'm putting that on there."

" Well fuck."

Distracting the Red Lanterns, we diverted them away from the interceptor. Flying through the air is hard and it's even harder when you are being shot at. Dodging fire I yell over to Hal,

" I got tall and Lengthy, you get Beach ball." I started firing at Razer and leading us away from the other two. Sending a spear towards him, I fly under him to try and get him unexpectedly. But luck is not on my side. He caught the Spear as I started to fly under him and threw it at me. Dodging out of the way he landed a punch to my Jaw and stomach. Kicking him in the stomach I managed to pull away far enough to make a construction to grab and throw him. After he hit the ground, I flew down to arrest him. Thinking he had passed out I tried to grab his wrist only to receive a blast to my stomach that sent me straight into a mountain. starting to see spots I got up to attack but Kilowog beat me to it. Unable to stay awake I fell to the ground and passed out.

I thought waking up hungover was bad, this felt like an elephant was jumping on my brain. Sitting up from a med bed I heard Kilowog's voice.

"Easy, hotshot. Think you're pretty clever charging your ring off the engine like that huh? I say you're lucky not to blow your arm off."

Looking over I saw that he was talking to Hal. Next to him is the GL, he however was still asleep. Getting up, walked over to the other two.

"What going on?" I asked them both.

" Thank god. Your ok, you had me worried for a second." Kilowog said as he pulled me into a hug.

"I'm okay Kilowog. I Promise." Hugging him back I started to feel sleepy. But I wanted to stay awake to see what happened. Pulling away I turn to look at the GL.

" Don't worry about hard cases over there. He's gonna be a little sore for the rest of his life." Kilowog said answering my unanswered question.

"Where are our friends, Ball and Chain?" Hal asked as he got up and started walking to the cock pit.

"Your firework display sent them on a little trip. But I got a bad feeling we'll be seeing them again soon. But in the meantime, who knows Maybe we'll be back in time for your date with Carol after all." Kilowog said.

"Dinner will have to wait. We're here now, we fight them. We stop them. Whatever it takes. However long it takes. We stop them."

[raemanzu]

Garden updaaaate. We've been renting this place from friends for about 9 months and have been slowly trying to make better use of the yard than just mowing a weed lawn full of burr-y plants. I've planted a few native trees out front but they're still very small. Also planted baby blue eyes and some poppies and other native flower seeds. My most recent additions to the native stuff is coyote mint and another salvia. Pilfered stumps and logs from a neighbor's green waste bin to add habitat for insects, we have a small brush pile and a dirt pile where we've been putting all the clay soil we dig up that is extra after we've mixed in the free (!!) municipal compost. Got free wood chips from the county utility company too, to use for mulch, an some nice redwood chips from someone on a buy nothing facebook group, which has been a big help in trying to get our vegetable garden going.

The raised beds were constructed from disassembled pallets (just taking them apart was more work than using the lumber to put the raised beds together). We have 18 tomato plants, several tiny pepper plants, some edamame, purple greenbeans, cucumbers, small winter squash, snow and snap peas, small asian greens, strawberries, cilantro (which has bolted and is 5 feet tall lol), a few lettuces, lots of volunteer borage (lol), and the most exciting recent development is that Cal scored a bunch of really cheap flowers AND the spanish peanuts they planted are coming up!

We also got not one but TWO volunteer grapevines (our next door neighbors have grapevines). The most recent one was, fascinatingly, attached to a stick or something?? makes me wonder if a piece broke off the original vine and propagated itself in the dirt?

Anyway our yard is apparently acceptable to at least some wildlife now because a pair of mockingbirds built a nest over our catio this spring and successfully raised 1 chick, who has fledged and who we saw preening in the orange tree this afternoon. The fledgling left the nest about 3 weeks ago which means it's almost ready to be fully on its own, but it has been fun seeing the parents bring it all kinds of food to eat, from craneflies to bits of cherry which I watched them separate from the pit carefully before giving it to their child. Now the parents are building a new nest in the plum tree, which is a much better spot where they won't be stressed out by the cats.

This weekend has felt good, I managed to bake a few loaves of bread (well, I'm in process of making the second and third loaves because the first one I FORGOT THE SALT AAAH) and make lasagna and do yardwork AND trim my hair, do my laundry, and get all my homework done, which is.. a lot, actually, and I should be proud of that. I think doing all those things was important for my mental health so I don't feel like my life is nothing but work and school. There are also mockingbirds, and soil, and sprouts, and kneaded dough, and the miracle of things changing under your hands from one thing to another over time. Considering how bad I felt on Thursday this is really great.

[cyncerity]

okay was rereading how Tommy and Ranboo met and fun question I have is clothing.

What kind of clothing does everyone wear? Like Boggins wouldn't wear green and such like leafman and I know I've got the actual movie for reference, but like what's your take?

Like Bugfolk would surely be different too right?

Also also I just wanna know, what kind of fur is ranboos jacket made from? cause its half black half white and my first thought was: hehehe skunk jacket.

And also while we're on the the topic of clothes: weapons and armour.

What do you imagine each races preferred choice of weaponry is and made from what? Cause I'd imagine certain bug folk would have natural defence mechanisms like spiders and venom ya know? So would they still use a weapon?

Where as I kind of imagine boggins bigger and bulkier so they'd probably prefer hand to hand combat but then again also they ride bats in the movie so theres that as well as leafmen and their bows on hummingbirds.

Curious I am :3

Don't have to answer them all but thanks for your time 🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭

ALL WONDERFUL QUESTIONS THANK YOU

ok first with the clothes: boggins wear lots of furs and weird armor-esqe things (like the shells of those spikey circle plants as shoulder guards [i don’t know what the spikey plants are called but if you google that they’ll come up sorry for my non american readers who have no fuckin clue what i’m talking about] or like bug shells as shields). bone jewelry/accessories, giant stitching, lots of sacks, bandages, belts, lots of overlayed raggedy fabrics. i took a lot of inspiration from viking type clothing. basically the boggins wear all this because their part of the forest doesn’t have much/any sun and they mostly live underground or in the trunks of dead trees where it’s very damp and cold.

as for leafmen, they don’t wear clothes. they’re perfectly built to survive in their natural habitat and since they’re basically sentient plants there isn’t really a need for clothes anyway, if you get what i’m saying. they all have different types and patterns of leaves which can look a lot like clothes and provide some extra support like clothes do, but they don’t put anything extra on their bodies unless it’s practical (like bags) or pretty (some leaf men wear jewelry).

as for bugfolk, they’re somewhere in between. most of them only wear clothes for an aesthetic or for practical reasons. Like, a warm weather bugfolk that lives in the bogs would probably wear a coat. but most of them are kinda like cartoon animals in the sense that they wear whatever clothes they want. like, think of the mickey mouse gang, and how some wear pants and no shirt, shirt and no pants, etc. that’s how bugfolk are. they just mix and match.

also thank you for the Ranboo skunk jacket comment i didn’t even think about what his clothes would be made of but yes canon it’s skunk fur now.

as for weapons, i’ve had some ideas about those too >:)

ok so first off, big folk with natural defenses probably either don’t carry weapons or carry small ones. bugfolk that can fly probably only carry small weapons as well as to not weigh them down, given that it’s almost always a better option to fly from danger than fight. ground dwelling bugfolk are probably the more bulky and tough kind of bug (ants, beetles, etc) so they are probably gonna be fine in a fight without a weapon but probably carry bigger ones to be safe. also bugs are strong, so i can totally imagine an ant carrying around a sledgehammer double it’s body weight like it’s nothing just in case lmao. but all in all, most of them probably just carry the equivalent of a pocket knife or maybe a machete or something.

as for boggins and leafmen, i actually have a couple of visual references i pulled from pinterest! most of the time they use very similar types of weapons, but created very differently and sometimes with very different purposes. Boggins, being much bigger and tougher than leafmen, create weapons that are mostly close range, giant, and pack a powerful hit. Leafmen, being more nimble and fast than boggins, create weapons that highlight their best way of fighting, which is mostly long range. Both use long (like a bow and arrow) and short (like a sword) range, though.

starting with boggins, they love using bones in their weapons. they also use a lot of belts, straps, and bandages in their weapons along with their clothes. all in all, their weapons aren’t as well put together as a leafmens, but they focus more on brutality, size, and endurance than making their weapons look pretty. all in all they make the scariest fuckin weapons ever and this is definitely part of the reason leafmen think they’re bloodthirsty monsters.

leafmen, however, have a lot more class with their weapons. it’s way more civilized, and they have more complex and harder to craft weapons. i especially like the idea that they have things like the first picture made out of vines and stuff that they can use to swing and maneuver through a fight, which a boggin can’t do cause they’re not as nimble.

the movie itself also had this little piece of concept art, which also highlights the differences well;

and thank you for asking questions!! i love putting a needless amount of effort and thought into world building so when i get questions like this i get super excited hskdlskjs

so please ask more if you want to!! i’m working on drawing stuff for the other asks but i wanna talk about everything!!

[kivaember]

o/! Was thinking on your Coral post and was wondering: Would the Coral mutate on new planets or would it 'stay the same'? Like if it appeared on a planet with hotter biomes, could it eventually mutate to not burn so easily/faster fire recovery? Would it have to give 'something else' up to adapt this way or would it be strength to strength? (It also sounds like it'd eventually reach a situation where you could achieve Coral Release on other planets/through eventually combining the Coral from several planets...would that be possible?)

Also, also, any thoughts on what might happen if Coral was to arrive on Earth...?

Thank you for the question! The short answer is yes, Coral would be strength to strength when it comes to its adaptability.

After several hundred years, the Coral colonies on each planet would be different to each other depending on the adaptations it needed to do, and how it settled into that ecosystem (if there is one, provided its not some mining habitat bolted onto the surface of a barren moon). This is where the Coral finds humans to be the perfect host for it, bc it would allow these different colonies to, ah, cross-pollinate?

So an example: a Tau Ceti Coral colony would be different to a Rubicon Coral colony, and both would have adaptations that neither have. A group of humans move from Tau Ceti to Rubicon, and this introduces the Tau Ceti Coral to Rubicon Coral - on a very tiny scale, but upscale that with frequent traffic coming to and from, as well as intermingling from humans from different planets breeding with each other and- well, you get the idea.

Humans are the perfect hosts for Coral because they're gripped with wanderlust and different groups frequently mingle. It lets the Coral be in a constant state of evolution and change, and seeds them further across the galaxy.

As for Coral Release... I believe that in its natural, stable state like in above, Coral Release would never happen. From the looks of it a lot of Coral needs to be densely packed in a highly pressurised and small environment, and be triggered by... something... whereas if its just naturally chilling in the environment, doing its own thing, it's "inert". Coral would be universally abundant after several hundred years, yes, but very specific conditions would need to be set to cause a Coral Release, and by that point Coral itself might've evolved to the point where it could consciously prevent Coral Release, because it would be detrimental to them as a whole - and lose them their perfect symbiotic hosts.

NOW ONTO EARTH... if Coral was to arrive on Earth and given a chance to seed into the planet, it'd actually be better for Earth in the long run. Coral would stabilise the climate and with a bit of help from human and terraforming technologies, actually encourage hardy plants to start growing in the wastelands, etc. It'd be very slow-going, but overall the effects would be positive.

Earth humans as well would find their lifespans increasing, lmao. I mentioned before, but the average lifespan of an unaugmented but "pure-blood" Rubiconian (their lineage traced back to the original colonists) is around 120 years old, whereas on Earth, the life expectancy is crazy varied depending on your citizenship status.

A worker? You're lucky to see 45. A bronze citizen? Average lifespan is about 70. Silver and gold? About 90. Platinum? Now you're reaching Rubiconian averages, and that's if they have deep enough pockets to pay for longetivty treatments, rather than it being natural. The problem is that living on Earth as it is is actively detrimental to any living being. It's highly irradiated, the air is unclean (even with all the air filtration systems they've installed in their cities), and when it rains there's all kinds of stuff in the water despite their best attempts to clean up the atmosphere.

Carla's a good example of Rubiconian longevity. She's unaugmented, but she's pushing around 95 by APV time, which is old by Rubicon standards, but not elderly. Walter, meanwhile, is also unaugmented, and is Rubicon's version of "middle aged" in his late 60s. However, he feels a lot older - older than Carla, in fact! - because he grew up in the Ganymede slums which was actively detrimental for his health. The average worker life expectancy on Ganymede is, again, around 45, bc of all the toxic fumes and low food/water quality combined with the stressful and long work hours. It definitely made a massive dent on Walter's lifespan, and it would've been a lot worse for him if he hadn't been Rubiconian. Definitely would've had some form of COPD or the like otherwise.

Flatwell, meanwhile, is an augmented Rubiconian, so his lifespan is ridiculous. While the rough living on Rubicon has certainly taken its toll on his body, he's "only" 70 and so people assume him to be much younger than he actually is. No one actually knows how long an augmented Rubiconian can live for, bc they actually haven't reached the end of their natural lifespans yet. It's something Flatwell tries not to think about too much because he finds it a bit unnerving to think that he may potentially outlive Ziyi from her dying of old age while he's still alive, lmao.

(Rusty was also very shocked to discover how "short-lived" Earth humans were when he infiltrated Arquebus. Was literally baffled when he learned that 60 is considered super old on Earth when that's just middle age for a Rubiconian, even a Rubiconian on post-Fires Rubicon.)

Uh, wow I went off topic a little but YEAH. Coral. It's nuts.

[heptolab]

Meet Zepht - one of the Researchers at the Lab!

Hope you're having a heptoful start to 2024! We thought to start the year with an exclusive interview with one of the staff here at the Lab.

Zepht is our Laboratory Head and is in charge of discovering new heptopods, and everything about them!

---

Who are you and what's your role/profession? What do you do in this role?

Hi, I'm Zepht and I am an artist and programmer, dabbling in game design! I just also really enjoy making things, whether digital, physical or even written.

But more importantly, I am a scientist at the Heptopod Research Lab, studying the history, anatomy and behaviour of these wonderful specimens.

So many people have been fascinated by the discovery of a new anthropomorphic octopus species. As the head researcher, what can you tell us about this new discovery?

While heptopods have been known about in passing for a while, proper research has never been conducted on this ever less elusive species. We are hoping to bring a better understanding of these cephalopods to the public's perception!

We know that these "heptopods" come in three types. Can you briefly describe each one and their unique traits?

The three main distinctions of heptopod sub-classifications have derived from how the species historically had to adapt to different environments. The three main clans that were formed by the evolution into more societal patterns are the Clans of Covert, Impact and Artisan. Distinctly, each of these lineages has a different layout of its 7 limbs.

Heptopods of the Covert lineage tend to have finer control over their natural abilities of mimicry and bioluminescence, allowing them fluid control over their bodies' appearance.

Heptopods of the Impact lineage tend to have much better ability in physical prowess and martial arts, making the most of the densely packed muscles in their twin tails.

Heptopods of the Artisan lineage tend to be much more refined in craftsmanship, and wielding ink based composites between their 4 arms.

There seems to be a lot of heptopods that we know of in existence! What have you gathered by their presence?

I think we are living in a great time where we can interact and learn so much about the Heptopod species as a whole, but also listen to the individual and unique stories each one has to offer.

Of course, we know that heptopods have actually been in existence for a while - we just only found out about them recently. What can you tell us about their history?

The heptopod species is a distant relative of the octopods we know today. It is believed to have stemmed from a small population taking refuge in a sprawling undersea network that was secluded from the rest of the world for many centuries until relatively recent history.

The population thrived in this environment and settled in distant corners from one another. As the many generations passed, each of these split populations took on advantageous forms to become apex predators in their habitats, eventually forming societies that would one day start to clash with each other.

Each of the three clans used their unique skill sets in combat against one another, as they fought for space and resources. We have limited knowledge on these conflicts so far, or how they resolved, but that is something we are hoping to learn more about eventually.

But what we know for certain is that at one point, the Suctucalix Chambers opened up to the outside world again. The Heptopod species has spread far and wide,adapting to a lot more environments and setting up many settlements around the globe.

We know that the lab has started experimenting regarding matching humans with heptopods. Can you tell us more about this experiment?

The Heptopod Research Lab has been self funding a project, where human volunteers quantise preferable traits they would like to see in themselves given the assumption they were to be a heptopod. Surprisingly enough, following through with this process has ended up with a very high ratio of heptopods being found, matching said traits to a high degree of accuracy. 

That being said, finding the human subjects after the process completion has been posing some difficulties...

Each heptopod seems to be so unique and individual! What heptopod characteristics make this possible?

The heptopod species simply has a plethora of physical features, abilities and characteristics that vary across individuals. That’s on top of the 3 clans a heptopod can originate from. Heptopods come in all sorts of:

Heights

Proportions

Colours

Patterns

Personalities

Form preferences

Skill sets

Clothing preferences

Quantising preferable traits has a lot of wiggle room, and our staff can offer suggestions of characteristics to explore.

We've seen that some heptopods have the ability to mimic other animals around them. What can you tell us about this phenomenon?

The mimicry phenomenon in heptopods is very clearly derivative of the natural behaviours they evolved to dissuade predators and confuse prey. It is believed that it may also have been used for communication purposes too, especially in conjunction with their bioluminescence.

Mimicry is actually a tactic employed by many other cephalopods, so encountering it in this species isn’t all too surprising. Nowadays, modern heptopods are still found using it, whether it be for survival, mischief, a light source, socialising or just general comfort of the self.

The heptopods look very human-like, similar to some other anthropomorphic creatures we've seen. What makes them stand out? I've noticed that heptopods have suction cups on their ‘hands’ and ‘feet’...

Heptopods do have suction cups on their arms and legs, with more on their tentacle ears and tails too. These can have some great grip strength, which can make up for the entire lack of rigid bones in their body!

The only bones in a heptopod are the beaks, which can resemble a set of fanged teeth. The species can stand upright by compacting areas of muscle into pseudo-bones. This even allows them to stretch or ‘melt down’ when relaxed and I think that’s a pretty noteworthy feature!.

That's all the questions we have for you, but is there anything else that you'd like to add?

I encourage anyone who wants to be involved in the research to think about what sort of heptopod they could be. Each individual in the study gets given an illustration of their assigned heptopod appearance, but this can also be done DIY by anyone who wants to participate, the species is open to all!

---

Thinking about it now, I should probably get interviewed - I've had so many enquiries, but I'm just so busy being the Lab Coordinator and working on our reachout program to get volunteers involved with our research - but maybe you might hear from me soon!

🐙 Hyla, Hepto Research Taskorce

[cursedfortune]

Send 💞 for RECEIVER to wake up and find SENDER watching them adoringly.

Soft II. @fallesto

It was predictable, despite their confidence the humans always found a way. They had said once that they'd return, that they would always return. A flower. So she found the one felt like them and uprooted it with a healthy amount of soil. They had warned her at first, she remembered, about even touching a plant. Little did they know her alchemical curiosities won out on what she could created. Inside the bag of holding was a garden all its own now.

Perhaps for the best, given the way things turned out. Now the witch had some very special flowers to nurture and see blossom. Back home within the heart of the Deep Woods, the witch had created a new grove within her garden. Transplanting the curious darling into a sizable pot at the center of the (non-hostile) plants she had brought back with her, Mortem spent day after day taking care of it all. It seemed only right to save what she could. In this forest full of beasts and wondrous flora all its own, this colorful new grove would be welcomed with ease.

None could say she wasn't dedicated. Protecting their flower during storms and as winter neared she opened a spot where the most sunlight poured in from. The fire warmed the cabin and come night she brought the potted plant a little nearer, knowing well the habitat it once hailed from was of a warmer climate.

The witch tirelessly guarded this unique treasure from a place far away, not for the sake of hoarding it from all others - but to keep them safe until they decided upon what they wished to do. There was no sense in leaving something so lovely all alone, to leave them to potentially die for real. Such a thing possessed zero logic to it, to abandon this flower. Fingers brushed over their petals as she rested her chin within her hand, watching it fondly as it grew too large to keep indoors. Despite the storm that raged above them, the witch sat with herself to brace against the wind, her cloak tenting both the flower and herself against the downpour. Spring had come and with it all the rain one could ask for.

Softly she'd sing at times, speak a few words though she knew not to expect back an answer so soon. Wondering if like plants in general, some part of them was acknowledging her company. If they could feel the bits of her own energy she shared to keep them growing and thriving-- to become how they knew themselves to be once more. To become whatever they'd like themselves to be. Part of this was selfish, she'd admit. Having found enjoyment with a being that was so alike to her, it was a rarity. Though she hadn't needed their protection she had welcomed it nonetheless back on the island. This was a repayment in some manner, perhaps. Her own want to oversee their care, their protection for she couldn't trust that another wouldn't have plucked them too soon.

Immortality was a farce. Longevity could exist but nothing could evade entropy, whether it was her own or what existed naturally within this vast world of theirs. But with the witch present she could help them avoid it, too see them bloom and flourish once more.

The fond look hardly left her face as her eyes shut, weathering the storm as though she had done so time and time again. Here she rested, generating enough warmth in the energy within the cloak that hid them both from the rain. "It'll be nice to fall asleep against you again." Light amusement filled her voice as she let out a little sigh. Perhaps even to hear their voice. She missed the company another who seemed to just get it, perhaps more than she had initially thought.

So for now she'd protect.

[manwalksintobar]

Kissing God Goodbye or Who's in Charge (Poem in the Face of Operation Rescue) // June Jordan

You mean to tell me on the 12th day or the 13th that the Lord which is to say some wiseass got more muscle than he reasonably can control or figure out/some accidental hard disc thunderbolt/some big mouth woman-hating/super heterosexist heterosexual kind of guy guy he decided who could live and who would die?

And after he did what? created alleyways of death and acid rain and infant mortality rates and sons of the gun and something called the kitchenette and trailer trucks to kill and carry beautiful trees out of their natural habitat/Oh! Not that guy?

Was it that other guy who invented a snake an apple and a really retarded scenario so that down to this very day it is not a lot of fun to give birth to a son of a gun?

And wasn't no woman in the picture of the Lord? He done the whole thing by himself? The oceans and the skies the fish that swim and the bird that flies? You sure he didn't have some serious problems of perspective for example coming up with mountains/valleys/rivers/rainbows and no companionship/no coach/no midwife/boyfriend/girlfriend/ no help whatsoever for a swollen overactive brain unable to spell sex

You mean to tell me that the planet is the brainchild of a single    male    head of household

And after everything he said and done the floods/famines/plagues and pestilence the invention of the slave and the invention of the gun the worship of war (especially whichever war he won) And after everything he thought about and made 2 million megapronouncements about (Like) "Give not your strength to women" and "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman" and "An outsider shall not eat of a holy thing" and "If a woman conceives and bears a male child then she shall be unclean seven days .... But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean 2 weeks ... and 'The leper who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, "Unclean, unclean!" and "Behold, I have 2 daughters who have not known man, let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please" and "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children" and "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering" and in the middle of this lunatic lottery there was Ruth saying to Naomi; "Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go and where you lodge; your people shall be my people. And your God my God; where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you." and David wailing aloud at the death of Jonathan who loved him "more than his own soul" and David inconsolable in lamentation saying ".... very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women" and "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing ...... and this chaos/this chaos exploded tyrannical in scattershot scripture (Like) ".. . those who belong in Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desire" and "Cast out the slave and her son" and "If in spite of this you will not hearken to me, then ... You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. And I will destroy your high places.. . I will lay your cities waste ... I will devastate the land ... And as for those of yours that are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies the sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight . . etcetera etcetera That guy?

That guy? The ruler of all earth and heaven too The maker of all laws and all taboo The absolute supremacist of power KISSING GOD GOODBYE the origin of the destiny of molecules and Mars The father and the son The king and the prince The prophet and the prophecy The singer and the song The man from whom in whom with whom of whom by whom comes everything without the womb without that unclean feminine connection/ that guy?

The emperor of poverty The czar of suffering The wizard of disease The joker of morality The force of rape The pioneer of slavery The priest of sexuality The host of violence The Almighty fount of fear and trembling That's the guy?

You mean to tell me on the 12th day or the 13th that the Lord which is to say some wiseass got more muscle than he reasonably can control or figure out/some accidental hard disc thunderbolt/some big mouth woman hating/super- heterosexist heterosexual kind of guy guy he decided who could live and who would die?

And so the names become the names of the dead and the living who love Peter John Tede Phil Larry Bob Alan Richard Tom Wayne David Jonathan Bruce Mike Steve

And so our names become the names of the dead and the living who love Suzanne Amy Elizabeth Margaret Trude Linda Sara Alexis Frances Nancy Ruth Naomi Julie Kate Patricia

And out of that scriptural scattershot our names become the names of the dead

our names become the names of the iniquitous the names of the accursed the names of the tribes of the abomination because my name is not Abraham my name is not Moses/Leviticus/Solomon/Cain or Abel my name is not Matthew/Luke/Saul or Paul My name is not Adam

My name is female my name is freedom my name is the one who lives outside the tent of the father my name is the one who is dark my name is the one who fights for the end of the kingdom my name is the one at home my name is the one who bleeds my name is the one with the womb my name is female my name is freedom my name is the one the Bible despised my name is the one astrology cannot predict my name is the name I am learning to preach to the world my name is the name that the law cannot invalidate my name is the one who loves

and that guy and that guy you never even seen upclose

He cannot eat at my table He cannot sleep in my bed He cannot push me aside He cannot make me commit suicide

He cannot say my name without shame He cannot say my name My name My name is the name of the or contemplate one who loves

And He has no dominion over me And his hate has no dominion over me

I am she who will be free

And that guy better not try to tell anybody about who should live and who should die or why His name is not holy He is not my Lord He is not my people His name is not sacred His name is not my name His name is not the name of those who love the living His name is not the name of those who love the living and the dead

His name is not our name who survive the death of men and women whose beloved breath becomes (at last) our own

[aestheticvoyage2023]

Day 231: Saturday August 19, 2023 - Special Day at the Zoo

A lot of special reasons to get to the Zoo this Saturday. Earlier in the week, the long awaited two-toed Sloth habitat opened and it was also Nandi the Elephant's 9th birthday and so the zoo was a buzz. William and I ventured downtown after kissing Mama goodbye, and started by getting rid of some duck food in the big pond. The few ducks that ran off with the large pieces of hot dog bun William tossed their way had to wonder what was the hurry, but I knew - he had his eyes on that Train. And he let me know over and over and over, even after we were in line with our tickets. There was no secret, he expected a train ride before going to the Zoo. We got our seat right up front and he screamed his pretend train whistle as we crossed the little stream bridges and raced the ducks he was throwing oyster cracks too a few minutes before. With that out of the way, we could now get on with the business of the day, which was to see our friends at the zoo now that its not so danged hot.

We went straight for the Sloth after checking in, down into the South America Loop to say hi to Niko, check in with the Cappy and the Monkeys, and to meet Gwen the new Sloth. He was tucked up into a hammock bowl where we could just see some fur, but we listened to the informational talk there and enjoyed seeing the really beautiful habitat they built for him. William agreed, it was like a Sloth WildKatz. We planned to check back later - and after 3 trips back here to the Sloth's den, he never moved. So we'll have to meet him another day - great reason to have to come back! For now, William will have to enjoy the stuffed sloth I got him. I just couldn't resist - especially knowing Im fudging it a little bit with his age, but I gladly give it back in the market with the zoo fries and the gift shop!

Out on the back 40, they had games and puppets and all kinds of crafts to celebrate Nandi's birthday. William wasn't interested in the craft birthday hats, but he was captivated by the puppet show and also the bubble machine. I was happy that William was not at all interested in the kids elephant mud pit (though we would have been in it had he wanted to! - maybe next year!) He liked the idea that Elephants have birthdays just like him, and we waved to Nandi out on her plaground and blew her kisses, and then wanted cake. I compromised and fed him french fries with mayonnaise. He did not complain.

It was nice with this cooler and cloudy weather - wonderful day in the park with temps down in the 90s for once. It was nice to be able to get some normal routine back. And for all the many dozens of times William and I have been to the zoo in the last 10 months, its still fun every time. From a fun stare down with the giraffe, seeing poison dart frogs grow, catching the Otter swimming and playing in the pool, or knowing the name of the ant eater. The zoo has been our favorite place to be together. Its a place that I am grateful for. As we left, my happy little boy bolted his pointer finger over my shoulder at the carousel and said "go back there" which I clearly understood to mean, let's go ride on the carousel! and so I responded with "which animal do you want to ride?" He said "Duck" which I thought was an odd choice, but given how this all started with feeding the duck's I figured why not. And as we scanned for a duck to ride, I was happy when distracted by the Alligator, he had changed his mind. Which in absolute irony, he had picked out an Alligator in the gift shop before we found the sloth, to which William's immediate reaction was not to get the Sloth but to hand me the Alligator and exclaim "Put this back, please!" Which I took to mean, we're definitely taking the sloth home. But now we're on the carousel, and as if to tip his hat to the Gator, and tell him he still loves him, he sat proudly and confidently upon the big toothy smile like he was really onto something, squealing and laughing as we waited for the ride to start. He loves the zoo. And while we've had some fun venturing out to what other zoos have to see, this one, on a Saturday morning, with Dad, will always be his favorite. And it will be mine too.

Song: Raffi - Going To The Zoo

Quote: “I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.” ― Audre Lorde

[meritatem]

When wildlife rehabilitators free animals back into their habitats, they take precautions with dangerous specimens; it's common sense not to stand close to the cage's door after it's open... that's why when Damian was sure Jason was fit to be cleared, he gave him instructions like a medical professional would, explained the layout of the safe house, pointed where to find his things and everything else he'll need and finally, took most of what he brought with him, gave him one last look and just left with a farewell, ignoring Jason's complaints in the background.

Only when he got out of the building and entered the closest one he selected to keep with surveillance, Damian activated the command to open the bed's constraints. While Todd was amenable enough for someone that had been kidnapped and put under medical procedures against his will, Damian wasn't under the belief that things would be safe for him once Jason was free. Although the Lazarus Pit had been a foreign influence affecting him physically, it didn't mean that his mental state had become stable now that it was gone. Todd was going to need time to come to terms with the things that happened to him; expecting those issues to be resolved in a couple of weeks was unrealistic, but Damian knew he'd have a better outcome if he waited some time before approaching Jason again, at the very least Todd would be less likely to shoot him again.

Damian headed towards the room he selected beforehand to do his actual stakeout and once there, he resigned himself to more waiting. Given how much he spent in silence with his thoughts in the past few days, the two hours it took for Jason to resurface to the world practically flew by. That’s what he had been waiting for: to see Jason in the screen of his laptop through the security cameras, up and ready, walking on the garage, bag on his shoulder and looking so much better after a shower, if his seemingly damp hair was anything to judge by. Jason got on the first motorcycle that caught his attention and put the helmet over his head, not even bothering with looking for trackers, so either he didn't care at this point or he was planning on ditching it as soon as possible.

And there Todd went, out of the garage using its secret entrance, free to roam the streets of Gotham once again.

This was something Damian spent so much planning for and while it had been exhilarating at the beginning, now it left him feeling like climbing a mountain and stopping just for a small respite, before being forced to keep up, carrying the invisible weight of his past. No rest for the wicked, so they said.

He gave three updates - more than enough time to cover up what he had been up to - before announcing his whole operation was a bust.

It was embarrassing to admit such juvenile overlook from his part, but when he arrived later at the bunker, the sight of Grayson, full in costume, took him by surprise. And it was something expected, logical, but the fact that Damian hadn't conjured this foreseeable imagery until now, meant he purposely avoided thinking about this inevitability, even when it was so impossible to ignore the reality of this fact... the mind certainly was capable of doing wonders when denial was part of the mix. Drake was there too, sitting in front of the computer and both of them seemed busy with something, but when Grayson noticed his presence, he turned and gave Damian his full attention.

“Hey there,” he said more warmly than he had any right to be. “Welcome back, kiddo.”

Tim threw at him a cold glance before returning his gaze to the screen and any hope Damian had of making this quick, died when Dick starting walking towards him.

“I'm sorry things didn't go well this time.”

Damian had spent too much time with Todd clearly, because his first impulse was to answer as crassly as him. “A mere setback, it comes with the territory.”

“Look at it this way, we can all work at this together now.”

“If you must.”

Like hell, Damian was going to bury everything about his cover a never brought it up again, even if he had to go and look for trouble to make it up for it.

“So,” Dick said in a playful tone and a little pause. “What do you think?”

Grayson was referring to the suit, but he must thought Damian needed the clarification because he extended his arms, trying to show better the assemble. It wasn't all different from the original suit he once donned but Damian could see the small changes... changes based on his own design, mostly in the armor. And in another time, seeing again that ridiculous bat buckle would've make him smile, but at the moment he wasn't in the mood for the small joys of life.

“Acceptable,” was the neutral answer. “Could be better.”

Grayson laughed and it was so irrational how Damian wanted to just hate it; hate a sound he treasured so much he even dreamed of it while walking the barren land of the future.

Whatever Grayson was going to say next it was interrupted by Drake, who didn't even bother in looking in their direction. “Dick, come here and take a look, I think I found something.”

“Sorry,” Grayson said, directed at Damian. “We'll catch up later, okay?”

At the same time that Dick turned around, Damian extended his arm and for a second his hand twitched with the need to grab the cape, but he stopped himself right on time, covering that hand with the other, like it suddenly had its own will and needed it to be controlled.

Before he made a fool of himself, he hurriedly retreated to change his clothes, so he could go to look for Alfred. Damian wouldn't be his parent's son if he couldn't put himself together by the time he made it to the penthouse, where he found the man in the kitchen, preparing what it must be a midnight snack, just like he always used to do when someone was down in the cave working.

“Master Damian,” he said as soon as he saw him, stopping what he was doing. “I'm so relieved to see you again.” He could've said the opposite and the tone he used would've show the true meaning of his words.

“Your lack of faith is disappointing.”

“I'll let you know my faith is always unwavering, sir.”

Ah, Pennyworth, always a lighthouse in the middle of tempestuous nights. Damian could lose everything time after time, but as long as Alfred was there, extending his hand to him, Damian could endure it and even force himself to smile while doing it.

“There was nothing for you to worry about,” he said instead. “If you have time, we could discuss the final details of my mission.” The true intention of his words was clear: he wanted to talk about what happened with Jason away from unwelcomed ears.

Alfred gave him a once-over and the disapproving twist of his mouth told Damian everything he needed to know. “I feel this little conversation will have to wait, I recommend you sleep first.”

“I'm fine.” He said out of principle, because he certainly would prefer not to have important conversations right now.

“I'm afraid this is nonnegotiable, Master Damian.”

“Very well, I'll be talking to you in a few hours then.” He gave a small bow as a goodbye and he turned around to leave, but before taking the first step he added. “It's good to see you were fine in my absence.”

That was the closest he could manage to said he missed Alfred, but it was understood regardless.

Damian took a so much needed shower and while it was refreshing enough, it did little to relax him. After he made a quick check to make sure everything was in place in his room, he turned off the lights and climbed on the bed; at this point in his night routine is when he'd usually took the earbuds and music player that were on the nightstand, so he could sleep without waking up at the smallest sound. But today he made no attempt to move and just lied there, eyes wide open even if the only thing he could see was the darkness surrounding him.

When his eyes filled with tears to the point where they threatened to fall out, he just absentmindedly wiped them with the tips of his left index and thumb. Normally crying came with warnings: a lump in his throat, a tickle in his nose, a sting in his eyes... it was rarely this easy and sudden, leaving him unable to just will the tears away; he turned to his right side, curling up and hiding his head under his arms and the pillow. The whole time Damian didn't make a sound even when he had to start breathing through his mouth.

He left behind the League long ago... but crying still felt like a sin.

The next day found him in a better mood for his conversation with Pennyworth... at least what it passed for better given the circumstances.

When he first decided to talk with Alfred about this mystical cure he knew about - which design he attributed to one of his tutors as a side project from his mother - and how it could help Jason, Damian tried really hard to convey the sincerity of his intentions and the mastery of his skills to pull it off.

Alfred asked question after question and Damian did his best to be as truthful as possible, without giving away his ruse of just being the right kind of person at the right time and place. Astonishingly, Pennyworth agreed that something like what Damian wanted to do was better left under wraps, because even if Dick knew that helping Jason was the right thing to do, he'd be more reticent in doing something so drastic, not without proof that Damian was saying the truth or being completely sure it'd work; it was a testament then, of how much trust he had gained from Pennyworth for him to go along with Damian's plans without doubting his methods. Damian wasn't sure if he really changed enough for an adult to finally recognize he wasn't just a stupid child, one with too many skills for his own good, or if somehow this was just Alfred being terribly conditioned by his father into doing morally questionable things in secret. Whatever the case, it was a godsend for someone trying to change the past without risking the future.

Tea time was the most appropriate moment to talk about Damian's little adventures in kidnapping and after he was done explaining the important parts, he took out a pen drive from one of his pockets and put it in the middle of the table.

“It contains my whole conversation with him, although you might want to skip my readings.”

Alfred looked at the pen drive like it was an object he was seeing for the first time and not being very impressed with it. “I think it's for the best if you destroy it,” he held the cup of tea that was in front of him and took a sip. “Some things are better left between two people.”

It wasn't the answer that Damian was expecting, but it was entirely just like Pennyworth to said something like that. He retrieved the pen drive and put it back where it had been previously and none of them say anything for a moment. Damian distracted himself by watching his reflection on his own cup of tea, still hating Earl Gray but drinking it anyway, because Alfred liked it.

“I don't believe things have changed,” Damian finally said. “But whatever happens now it's going to be entirely on him.”

They spoke about that a couple of times already, about how it was the most likely possibility that Todd was still going to raise chaos whenever he went, Lazarus' side effects or not. The only thing Damian did was to give him back agency and in a way, make him more dangerous. Jason with stupid ideas like dressing like a rejected superhero and challenging all the criminals in a hundred-mile radius, had still been manageable enough for an unwilling Batman and a bellicose Robin... but Todd with the advantage of a clear head? Well... good luck, Grayson and Drake, Damian was out.

But despite the discouraging prediction, Damian was convinced that Jason would follow a similar pattern to the Todd he knew, because as time passed, Todd relented on his own and gradually came around, becoming part of their tragic family again. Maybe this time Todd could stay away from this whole “bat-family” mess, surely it would save him a lot of heartbreak, of that Damian could attest well.

“And that's all I wanted for,” Alfred answered, more soft and open. “Master Jason has been through so much, at the very least he deserves the right of choosing the path he wants to follow, on his own. And for that I will be forever grateful, my boy.”

“Pennyworth, please, I'm allergic to niceties.”

Alfred didn't insist because in the course of their coexistence, he realized very early that Damian didn't feel comfortable with displays of affection or gratitude, something Alfred assumed had to do with his upbringing. The truth of course, was more complicated, because the current reason was that Damian didn't feel like he deserved any of those demonstrations; he wasn't being selfless or self-sacrificing in his actions, it was the complete opposite: he was desperately trying to amend the biggest mistake of his life, even if it meant breaking the laws of time and space, because that's how big his regret and egoism were.

And speaking of mistakes...

“There's something else I'd like to discuss, this too, requires your discretion.”

“Oh,” Alfred raised both eyebrows, preparing himself to hear something shocking because the first time Damian asked for something like this, he told him about the Lazarus Pit and his intentions for Jason. “Do tell.”

“I want to acquire a property from my father's state, I'll pay its fair price, of course. There's a project I want to start now that I have back my own founds.”

“I'm sure this can be easily solved, I don't think there's a need for you to pay to have access to the family's state. What asset are you interested in?”

Damian straightened up against the back of the chair and put his hands over the table, intertwining his fingers. “The MacDubh Castle in the Gaweyne Island.”

“...oh, my.”

Usually when Damian called for Colin, he did it late in the night, when he knew Colin was already out doing his own business. This time however, he asked if it's was possible for them to meet as early as ten o'clock.

That's how he found himself waiting at the agreed hour, sitting on the roof's edge of one of the buildings that were next to the street he asked Colin to meet. To Colin's credit, he was late only fifteen minutes and Damian couldn't help but smile at seeing his figure approaching under the street's lights, looking like the most untrustworthy character with that terrible trench coat and hat. Clearly it was about time Damian did something to remedy that attire.  

Colin stopped close to the corner looking for him, first in his surroundings and then, because he knew him well at this point, he looked up, finding him without much trouble, happily waving a hand at him. Damian chose that moment to stand up and then, without even thinking about it, he jumped, arms firmly grasping his cape and spreading it against the wind. Colin seemed positively awed when he securely landed in front of him, something he missed being able to do due to the lack of appropriate equipment made especially for him. 

“You have a new costume!”

Of course only a kid would pay more attention to that than the reason of their meeting or Damian gliding from a building. Calling it new was an exaggeration, it was basically the same design as his League uniform but everything was black; from head to toe there wasn't even the smallest flicker of color, nor there existed any design or symbol that could exhibit an allegiance or selfhood. The bigger changes were only the pointy ends of his cape and the laced up boots he had been thinking about. Outside of that, Damian was just a shadow. In more ways than one.

“Now you really look like a ninja!”

“I can take you down.” Colin laughed and Damian turned around so he could hide the slight twitch of his mouth that betrayed a smile, and started to walk. “Let’s go before it gets too late.”

Contrary to what one would expect, Colin didn't ask where were they going but hurried to his side excitedly. “You were right!”

“I'm right about a lot of things, you have to be more specific.”

Colin playfully showed him, always mindful of their size difference, so Damian only staggered for a couple of steps. “Batman is back!” Now the excitement made more sense. “He put Scarecrow in Arkham! Everybody is talking about it, even robbers and thugs, some are scared because they think he's back from the death, like a zombie or some kind of demon.”

Oh, child, if only you knew. “Good, they deserve to be scared.”

“They deserve worst,” that right there was one the reasons Damian and Colin got along so well in the first place. “But I'm just happy he's finally back, I mean, we were handling it, but there's things only he can do and who knows, maybe next time he needs to be away for a little, he can let us in charge?” He sounded so hopeful that Damian didn't have the heart to tell him that it was very unlikely. “Have you been able to talk to him?”

“Barely, he and Robin are very busy at the moment, I imagine it's going to be like that for a while.”

“Oh,” Colin's disappointment was momentary, because next he seemed as animated as before. “And how's your brother?”

Damian had to stop himself from cringing because ugh... he had done a lot of unwise things and calling Todd “brother” was definitely one of them. But at the moment it seemed like the easiest way to convince Colin to help him, because kidnapping some random guy without any context undeniably sounded like criminal behavior, but saying he was trying to help his brother, who was in a similar situation like Colin had been at the beginning with Bane's Venom, was a much more sensible explanation.

“Alive. Hopefully not psychotic anymore, only time will tell.”

“Oh, alright, hope he gets well soon.”

This was Damian's life now, this kind of absurdity.

“Where are we going?” Colin finally asked the most important question and it only took him a couple of minutes.

“There.” Damian pointed to some spot in front of them.

Colin squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what Damian's was referring to. “Bat Burger?” He asked uncertainty.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To celebrate the possibility that I may be able to keep my spine intact.”

“Okaaay... are we really going there?”

“I'm not being clear?”

“It's not that, it's just... I didn't know, I don't have money with me, sorry.”

“I do, enough to buy anything and everything you want. And I'm not accepting refusals or else I'll remove your permissions to access the Grave.”

When Damian decided to baptize their little hideout with the ominous name of “the Grave”, Colin had alarmingly asked why like any normal person would, to which Damian replied that their activities as vigilantes were an absolute secret and secrets went to the grave. Colin must've thought it sounded “cool”, because he warmed up to the name instantly.

“You can't do that,” and he sounded genuinely offended. “I helped a lot with stuff.”

“We're not a democracy.”

This time when Colin tried to shove him again, Damian dodged it, because he knew it wasn't a playful push what was awaiting him.

Naturally, Damian's will was imposed at the end and although Colin seemed still hesitant while ordering, he didn't have problems to happily start eating once their food was on the table. 

Bat Burger was at this point a relatively small business, with just three restaurants in the city. It opened not long ago to a moderate acceptation, but he knew that in the next few years it was going to grow into a very lucrative chain. Once Colin had commented about wanting to visit it, but Damian, busy with the need of being a warrior and not a kid, never thought that was probably Colin's way of expressing his desire of going there with him.

The best thing about a restaurant with a gimmick such as this, was that Colin and Damian didn't raise brows and could pass as some fools playing superhero dress-up or something; surely they must've a Batman cosplayer at least once a week. So no one questioned Damian's sword - that he put in the seat next to him -, or the fact that he used a batarang to slice a piece of his hamburger. He considered the piece - a perfect quarter of the whole - for a moment, like it was a clue in a crime scene before finally putting it in his mouth; he carefully chewed before finally swallowing with an unconvinced look on his face.

“Would you like the rest of my hamburger?” Damian asked while pointing to his food with a hand gesture more appropriate to reveal culinary wonders.

“Why? You didn't like it?”

“I limit my consumption of meat to what is necessary but I was curious, the advertisement highly exaggerates, this is below average at best.”

“Really?”

“See for yourself.”

With Damian's encouragement, Colin took a good bite of the now infamous hamburger. “It's not bad, I think is tasty.”

“Tt, I'm a snob then.” And he took one of the fries from his order directly to his mouth.

“You're not, you just talk funny.”

“I can hurt you, severely.”

And like every time Damian threatened him, Colin just laughed. “See? You talk funny but you're also funny.”

Damian just sighed, all pretense and theatrics. “I used to be feared.”

Colin giggled because clearly he was having more fun in this place than Damian, so to appease him, he offered him his box of nuggets. “Do you want one?”

“No, thank you.” He answered with a wrinkle of his nose.

Acting like this was an actual problem, Colin looked over the table to the things he ordered, finally stopping in the stickers that came with said order of nuggets. “And a sticker?”

Now that caught Damian's attention. A couple of colorful stickers with the Batman symbol were a far cry from the toys that eventually will come with their meals, but Damian found himself taking the blue one because it made him think of something else.

“They could at least introduce some variety, Batman's not the only one keeping this city standing.”

“Well, we're at Bat Burger.”

“Batman's overrated.”

Damian didn't understood the “gravity” of his words until he heard Colin's gasp of surprise. “That's not true.”

Maybe it was the ridiculousness of the place they were in, but he couldn't help the sudden need of doubling down. “There's dozens of heroes better than him, I can even use them to count instead of sheep.”

“Take that back! Batman is amazing even when he doesn't have powers, because he can always win without them.”

Colin could try to look like he was very offended, but the slightly tremor of his lips gave him away, so Damian put his left elbow over the table so he could rest his head against his hand, smirking. “Nightwing could easily defeat him, if he really wanted to,” and he made a point of taking another fry and biting it with his canines. “Or in terms you will understand better... he'll wipe the floor with Batman any day of the week.”

He caught the ketchup package that Colin threw at him, so Damian did accordingly and threw it back and from there, an array of things flew over the table - but not food, because both of them had respect for it -, so it wasn't surprising that by the time they tried to use the trays too, they were promptly kicked out.

And while sitting on the sidewalk in the cold of the night, finishing their food, they were still laughing.

⪻Chapter 10

Chapter 12⪼

[radioactiveshitstorm]

fuck it, no-context writing dump! a variety of characters, but all based around one R6S/CoD mashup roleplay server

we do a little what-if (Vasya/Ghost) [WIP - noncanon]

It all happened too fast.

One moment, Vasya had been heading back to the bus stop, shopping in hand, Rosie loping along beside him, wondering what to make for dinner. Maybe borsch again, or perhaps he’d go for solyanka this time. Maybe he could really push the proverbial boat out and make shuba. Did Ghost like fish? He’d have to ask, make sure.

Too wrapped-up in his thoughts to notice the van pulling up alongside him. Too preoccupied to notice the back opening or the dark-clad pair clambering out. Too slow to react to Rosie’s warning bark as they approached him. Too weak to fight back when they grabbed him, dragged him to the open doors. A ziptie, tight around his wrists, ripped him from whatever fuzzy safety dissociation could’ve offered, forcing him to listen to Rosie’s furious barking, then a thump, and a pained yelp.

Doors slammed shut as he hit the floor, head bouncing painfully off the metal. Duct tape slapped over his mouth - not that it mattered, panic having already stolen his voice.

The last thing he heard, before the van pulled away, was the mournful baying of his frantic dog.

...........................................

He can’t remember passing out, but he must’ve done at some point, because he wakes up somewhere completely different. The ziptie is still a sharp presence, but the duct tape is gone. A small mercy, although his throat and mouth feel coated with dust, and no wonder; the room he’s in has seen better days, all peeling wallpaper and well-trodden carpet imbued with a distinctly damp smell. A house, then.

Beyond that, he has no idea where he is. It’s quite possible that nobody else does either. After all, it’s not like he told anyone where he’d be going. His only hope would be if Rosie was smart enough and okay enough to find someone, or… Ghost. Ghost, who always keeps an eye on him, always makes sure he’s safe.

As a fresh wave of panic threatens to wash over him, Vasya clings to that thought with all the desperation of a drowning man. Even that specific voice in his head, the one that strives to protect him, keep him from getting his hopes up, can’t sway him. It cries and shrieks that of course nobody’s coming for him, he’s been abandoned like always, nobody will notice he’s gone, and this is what he gets for trusting people. Vasya ignores every word.

From outside come voices, real ones. His captors, assumedly. The words are difficult to process, exhausted and already slipping back under as he is, but he makes out “inside knowledge” and “easier than a soldier”. Answers, yes, but nothing that makes dealing with this any easier.

2. Protector (Kapkan)

Maxim Basuda. Kapkan. Soldier. Spetsnaz. Hunter. Protector.

.................

He's all of these things. Some might say that "hunter" and "protector" are too far apart, that one cannot possibly be both. Mutually exclusive, for sure; one attacks, one defends. But they're wrong.

Kapkan is a hunter. He tracks, follows, corners. Learns the patterns, stalks his quarry, sets the trap, and waits. His successes outnumber his failures, but still they weigh on his mind. A busted snare. A lost trail. A life taken before its time.

He's a protector, too, of those who can't protect themselves. It's the whole reason he became a soldier; to protect, to defend, to be the reason someone's beloved family member makes it home. This isn't just limited to civilians on missions, oh no, he extends this to all he cares about. Stray animals on the street, given food and water, taken to a vet if the situation allows. Threatened habitats, causes donated-to, articles shared in the hopes that the attention will do something. His teammates… all so capable, protectors in their own rights; sometimes even they need helping.

There was a sort-of joke amongst the operators of Team Rainbow: befriend one of the Spetsnaz, and they'll die for you without hesitation. It contains, as all jokes do, a nugget of truth. The Spetsnaz are a protective bunch by nature, primarily of each other, but of chosen outsiders as well.

It becomes far too real during one mission. A hostage in need of defending, White Masks descending upon their small team from every direction, so many, too many, more than expected. His traps can't catch them all, not even when backed up by Frost's own mats. A hunter like him, with a different approach; after the gadget eval years ago, the sharing of skills and stories, he's come to call her a friend. The Canadian he can bear the most.

It's a close-call. An explosion rocks the room, Frost's gun skitters across the floor, she dives after it, instinctively. Kapkan watches as a White Mask makes an appearance, at that very moment, shotgun raised. He doesn't pause. He doesn't think. He only acts. Leaps out of cover, uses his body to shield her, tackles her into cover right after fingers close around her fallen gun, and a single finger closes around a trigger. Allies appear, the White Mask falls. Kapkan falls, too.

.............

He awakes in the Medbay, lying on his front, thick waves of pain emanating from his back. Sees familiar faces swim into view. Doc, who undoubtedly kept him alive; Jager, exhausted-looking but relieved. Frost, alive and unharmed, exactly as he'd hoped.

Some try to call him a "hero" after that; Kapkan hates it. He's no hero, only a man. He'd do it again, he tells them, simply because it's what he's meant to do.What he's always been meant to do. Protect, no matter what.

There's a saying on base: "Befriend one of the Spetsnaz, and they'll die for you without hesitation." It's not a joke any more. They all know how true it really is.

3. Hanukkah (Ludwik/Aleks) [Aleks belongs to my m8 Z33N]

It's weird, not being home for Hanukkah.

Sure, Ludwik's missed it before, but he didn't have a choice for those times. This is by choice. He wants, more than anything in the world, to spend the first holiday season with a new place in the actual new place.

And that's something as well. As it's the holiday season, he expects that Aleks will want to decorate in some way. "It's okay", he says. "I don't mind if it's you. We can put a tree up and stuff." To his surprise, Aleks says no, says he can go without Christmas decorations if having them will make Ludwik uncomfortable. "This is your home, you shouldn't have to feel out of place in it."

The sentiment warms his heart to an indescribable degree, damn near brings tears to his eyes. He packs the feeling into a hug, and knows Aleks understands.

But something still feels wrong. This is a home for both of them, and Aleks shouldn't be left out either. So he makes a decision. Even with permission to disregard Christmas entirely, as he has done all his life, he chooses something different.

Not bad, even if I do say so myself, Ludwik thinks. Little twinkling lights are pretty, regardless of religion, and the miniature tree on the table isn't too much. It almost looks nice, sat alongside the dreidel and the blue and white ornaments. There's just one more thing.

His menorah, brought with him for years, and set-up wherever he stays when he can't get home. He gives it pride of place, on a windowsill overlooking the street; visible from outside, as it should be.

And when evening falls, and the first candle is lit, and he recites the two blessings (and the Shehechiyanu, since it's the first night), he pauses to look around. That's when it hits.

This is home. It has parts of him, and parts of Aleks, and belongs to both of them. They'll make memories here, for better or for worse. They'll return here after getting married (and isn't that a thought to send excited shivers through him). They'll grow and love and heal within these walls.

The realisation sends him to Aleks, tears in his eyes for real this time, as he lets himself be enveloped in a hug that feels like pure safety. I'm fine, he says, these are good tears. In this moment, he's so unbelievably happy.

He can't wait for more moments like this.