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runwayrunway · 2 years ago

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No. 16 - SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System)

I mentioned this was coming beforehand. Today we’re diving into a livery that has a lot more going on than you might think at first glance, a haunting portrait of what Lufthansa’s livery wants to be - the livery of the only airline to be mentioned in more or less every YTP ever made, SAS!

This isn't actually the modern livery, sorry. I'm a fraud. This is an anachronistic 2007 Avro RJ that apparently even back then had a livery basically all but identical to the modern one save for the lack of the SAS text. It still bodies Lufthansa and then some. I just had to find a place to slide it in because it's a very funny image that I love very much.

Legally known by the extremely catchy name “Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark-Norway-Sweden”, SAS was founded in 1946 as a consortium of the national carriers of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. This makes it among the very few airlines to currently serve as the flag carrier of multiple countries.

It’s been around for nearly 80 years, but it’s only had four liveries in that time. I mention these because I think it’s worth contrasting with Lufthansa, which bled off traits over the decades until it was nothing but a dry husk. Unlike the slowly putrefying decrepit corpse which is Lufthansa, SAS is a young adult trying to find her identity who can't stop dyeing her hair different colors and deciding she hates it. Let's talk about those phases, and where we ended up at the end of it all.

1946 - The Original

image: Bene Robió

This picture is of a modern plane, OY-KBO “Christian Valdemar Viking” (all SAS planes have names ending in ‘Viking’) wearing a retro livery, but it contains the only part of SAS’s original livery of any interest at all.

If we zoom in we can take a look at the end of the cheatline, where it morphs into the figurehead of a Viking longship. This is a nifty little touch that represents their national identity and is itself sleek and nicely designed.

And it looks even better on the 747.

It’s also the only notable thing about this old livery, so it’s not worth lingering on for too long. I thought it was worth mentioning because it's neat, but this livery was literally adopted when they very first began flying - in 1946! At that point it was pretty rare to see airlines have any livery at all aside from their name painted on bare metal. This was actually above and beyond for the time.

image: towpilot

It didn't look half bad on the DC-3, either. This was a consistently nice style and for its era I would say it was pretty good. But are we judging by the standards of the time? No.

So, for the time I would probably have given it a high grade. But it is not the time.

So I am giving it a C-.

There are still things to like about the longship design, don't get me wrong. But there is just literally nothing else going on, and it's not enough to have the only piece of your livery that's actually identifiable be so small and easy to miss.

1983 - Belly Stripes

image: Lars Wahlstrom

In 1983 they swapped to this livery, commonly known as “belly stripes”, designed by the iconic Landor Associates, prolific purveyors of liveries. It’s a pretty abrupt change, isn’t it? I like this livery, actually. It’s nice, if understated. The stripes are specifically the colors of the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish flags. Apparently they worried the figurehead would be hard to understand (fair) and the association with Vikings might be bad optics (yet they continued to name their planes this way).

Like I said, it’s nice. It’s fine.

This, like the original livery, is something that can be evaluated by modern standards or by those of its time. In 1983 majority-white liveries weren’t as ubiquitous as they are now and planes still frequently had cheatlines and all-over color and even bare metal fuselages so the bare white plane with the tiny bit of color and the nice font was actually something of a statement. Even by modern standards it’s executed a lot nicer than many similar liveries, but the market is just so saturated that it only really works in the context of its time, I think. Having a plane be nearly all white is no longer an artistic choice. It's a non-choice. And that's the world I live in, and that has to color how I look at this. But all the same...I can't tear myself away from it. In photographs from the time it is as pristine as newly fallen snow.

So I'm giving it a B.

I like the belly stripes livery. It's a neat and unique way of showcasing the flags. It's cleanly executed. I like that the stripes are diagonal instead of straight and that they're aligned with the letters, which are also in a very nice typeface. I just wish it existed in a less Eurowhite-saturated environment where it could shine to its fullest.

I somehow never noticed how adorably stubby the pre -30 DC-9 models were. Thankfully this has been remedied. Just look at her. Like a really round bird hopping through the air.

I think it’s interesting how, while Lufthansa slowly lost creative interest but only ever became a different design altogether in a sort of Ship of Theseus way, SAS fully overhauled their livery multiple times. They’re definitely trying to find something that works for them, regardless of the cost. They refuse to rest on their laurels. I admire that mindset, and it’s not ended badly so far.

And then it was 1998.

If you look very closely you can see something horrible in the distance.

No, okay. It can't be as bad as you're making it out to be, you say. And you are a fool for saying this.

Oh no. Oh no. Sweetheart, what happened to you?

So, this is really really bad. Really really really bad. This looks like it was designed with the same philosophy I used to design original characters in middle school - oh, I like this color, let me add it without considering the overall balance or composition. This design was made by people who were paid to make it.

This has almost all the features I hate most in a livery, all the way up to the abrupt color transition at the tailfin, but an additional one: that absolute atrocity right at the front. If you’re confused what I’m referring to, I don’t blame you - they made it nearly invisible. If you squint very hard, though, you can see ‘SCANDINAVIAN’ above the windows and ‘AIRLINES’ below it, completely illegible due to being painted in a silver color barely darker than the main fuselage itself.

It looks amazingly funny with rear-mounted engines, though. That's her fanny pack.

All I can really say is: why. Why did you do this? Why.

I am actually somewhat ashamed of how little I noticed this when out in the wild. It’s a testament to the sheer saturation of mostly plain liveries with a hint of red and/or blue that this monstrosity blended into the background and evaded my notice. (And in my defense I’ve never been to one of their focus cities so sightings have only been in passing.)

This might sound harsh, but I'm about to say this and stand by it. Here is a better SAS livery from the same time period.

With the engine covers on it looks like one of those plastic tips they put on toy pistols. Also, doesn't keeping the red engine caps defeat the purpose if you also have red engines, since they're meant to be clearly visible so you don't accidentally try to use the plane with them on? Do they not have a different color available for red engined freaks? Many questions.

That's right, SAS's 1998-2019 livery fails the Star Alliance Test!

What is the Star Alliance Test, you ask? It's very simple. Star Alliance is an airline alliance - basically a club for the world's most elite carriers to hang out in and codeshare. The three major alliances all have special liveries that they might have a couple planes from each of their members wear.

I hate alliance liveries. I think airline alliances should be represented by a little symbol on the airline's standard livery, not the other way around. I would like to know what airline this plane is from before I know if it's a member of OneWorld or SkyTeam. And if I need to know that they usually have a symbol for the alliance somewhere on the plane anyway.

The Star Alliance logo on a SAS ATR 72, directly behind the cockpit window and in front of the door. If you really squint you can even see the words 'Star Alliance' written underneath it.

Star Alliance is my least favorite. SkyTeam's livery actually looks pretty good. OneWorld's is the ugliest at base, but it lets the airline keep some of its branding at the back of the plane, which makes me hate it less. So Star Alliance loses by default. (Let me know if you'd like a full review for these, though.)

The Star Alliance Test has exactly one question. Would I prefer that all this airline's planes were forcibly repainted into Star Alliance liveries instead of allowed to remain in their current state?

In this case, yes. I very much would. And that means there's only one grade I can give to this livery.

F. See me after class.

That's right. Fly away. Ideally to get repainted in something more presentable.

The 2019 Overhaul

(To clarify, when I compared Lufthansa to SAS in my post about them I did not want to imply that they literally copied SAS - their revised livery obviously came out a year earlier, and they were definitely developed privately around the same time to keep up with modernized trends surrounding livery - they’re just similar safe, non-revolutionary concepts that SAS executes a lot better.)

I don’t normally buy the whole ‘the darkness must come before the light’ line of thinking, but SAS clearly does. Because even here, in this abomination, are the building blocks for what would become something reasonably decent. And, in 2019, SAS made that happen.

Those are engine covers, by the way. There's no red on the engines. There's actually a tasteful silver trim under there.

So, this is what we've achieved. At first glance, it looks pretty similar to Lufthansa, but the closer you examine it the clearer the differences become.

First, the white fuselage. Well, actually, that’s not the case for SAS. It looks white in bright sunlight, but it’s actually an off-white beige (Pantone 9083C). You can see that in this picture of an SAS plane parked next to a SWISS plane, and when you put a bunch of Scandinavians in crisp white shirts in front of it.

image source (left): Daniel Ross | image source (right): SAS

I mean, no, it’s not exactly neon pink or anything, but it’s still a noticeable change in tone relative to other planes, and that means it’s a decision someone made. And that makes me happy.

I think the world has begun to somewhat agree with me on the whole non-integrated-tail-colorblock being bad to look at, because SAS has also extended the stripe of blue down to loop under the rest of the fuselage. Honestly, if I were them I would have made it wider so it covered the full empennage on t-tail models, but that might make it look weird in its own way - I’m not here to design liveries, I’m here to complain about them. I just think it's still a bit too small to make the jet look fully balanced with the big SAS at the front.

The awful red engines have been replaced with a far more tasteful alternative - silver with a blue stripe at the front and silver trim on the very front edge. I like that a lot. No criticisms.

The silver text has been kept, but it’s been reduced from a bunch of small letters to just a very large SAS, which is a lot clearer even when in low contrast. It’s difficult to nail down my thoughts on this. Obviously it’s an improvement, and I wouldn’t want it to be removed entirely, and I’m not sure if a more solid, emphatic version, maybe in the same blue as the rest of the livery, would actually be better or not. I think I overall like the silver wordmark? As long as it’s not a really bad angle it’s visible enough, and it adds something a bit interesting. Even if it is illegible at least they also have the name on the tail. It probably helps that it’s only three letters long. Still, nobody is going to be confused about what airline this plane belongs to.

I think the wordmark looks its best on turboprops wearing the livery. I honestly feel like most good jet liveries look awkward on props and vice versa, but this transitions very well. Not many major airlines still fly props, and almost none of them adapt their liveries well to them, but the wordmark fills the space really nicely on the shorter fuselage of the ATR and the high wings break up the line in a way that looks pretty darn nice to me. More airlines need to fly props, and they need to take notes on how to make a livery work for them.

Aside from the too-small amount of blue, my one real outright complaint is the very small Noto Sans(?, unsure) ‘Scandinavian’ written on the engine nacelles. It feels pointless and looks out of place. It looks extra out of place because the rest of their livery is in Rotis semi-serif, and the combination really clashes. It’s a little baffling, because they certainly have the option of just using the SAS logo again - the only other place they use the full ‘Scandinavian’ is on the belly. My personal suggestion would be bringing back the longship figurehead for the engines, but that’s just me. It just looks more like a watermark than a design feature.

Look, I never said I loved the SAS livery, but someone clearly designed it. The implementation is still a little shaky in parts, as if the airline is regaining its footing after the red engine years, but it’s stumbling towards being good and it’s just short of the point where it can sit down and rest and reflect on its progress.

SAS gets an overall grade of C. Which is also what the GPA of the other three came out to, I think! My calculations are admittedly a bit improvised.

Makes Lufthansa look like chumps, though. I think we can all agree on that.

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onwriting-hrarby · 2 years ago

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Liquid Confidence--The last chapter is up!

The ending of this little fic is up! Yes, some songs end, and other morph into new ones. Here, we see Mikasa's wedding unfold before our eyes, told by the impressions of the people who matter her the most.

Read in here.

Some thoughts

It's been so fun writing this little fic, mainly because I had the idea a year back, while I was backpacking through Iceland. Back then, I thought I had to finish RJ before I started writing this. When I decided I didn't want to write for the EM fandom anymore, the first chapter of Liquid Confidence was sitting in my drafts. Eventually, I said to myself that I wouldn't go out before writing my last idea for them, and then words started spilling. Writing from a song structure has been sometimes challenging, even more in Mikasa's contradictory thoughts and feelings. Nonetheless, it's been fun (and long. This was supposed to be a one-shot).

Even though the fic is angsty and short, I feel like it encapsulates a lot of my growing up with this fandom these two / three years. The first fic I wrote for EM was about figuring out your dreams in college. The second one was figuring out your dreams after, and which role love played in your life. The third one is about grudges and moving on, and how to forgive. This one talks about motherhood, marriage and long-time promises. Even though I believe that there's not just a soulmate in your life (and so I have been preaching in my fics), I realized I have been all my life with just one partner, and he might be a soulmate, too. So, writing Liquid Confidence was more about acknowledging these contradictions and playing with what society demands of us, our childhood wishes and our self-worth.

I know one doesn't have to ask for comments, but if you read it, I'd like to know what you think about it. It's been almost a year in making, 70 pages long, and a lot of playful writing (maybe I'll do a post about it soon). Thank you for your patience regarding the updates.

I hope you like it!

-hera

#eremika #eremika fanfiction #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #aot fanfiction #writing #my writing #fanfiction writing #writing community

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ramblinganthropologist · 8 months ago

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Fictober 24 31

Summary: Ray's a great actress, but she's struggling with a scene in the drama she's in. So, who better to help her run lines than her best pal Kyouko? Actually... she might be the best and worst person for the job, all things considered. Keep your head, KK, or else you might do something stupid.

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RJ to KK: I’ll be there in five minutes.

RJ to KK: Thanks again for helping me run lines!

Kyouko smiled at her phone screen as she read over the messages. It was just two simple lines, but even reading them made her insides flutter. She knew she was being completely ridiculous, and logic would win over eventually… but she was free to fly off into the distance for a brief moment.

It was a crisp fall Saturday in late October, just before Halloween. She was waiting inside Sew Lolita, straightening displays of frilly dresses and making sure the accessories were nicely displayed. It was second nature to her – she moved as if on instinct, tidying and adjusting things as she went.

Perhaps it was natural – she had been around the shop her entire life. One day, it might even be hers if her parents decided to let her take the brand over.

“You seem happy, Kyou-chan. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

Her grandma’s voice called from the counter, bringing her back to reality. She shook her head, coming back down to earth and adjusted her glasses in response. At least her cheeks didn’t turn pink, but they definitely felt a little warm.

“Oh, uh, nothing, grandma. I’m just waiting for Ray to show up.”

Granny smiled at her, eyes sparkling. “Oh, is that all? Are you two just going to hang out today?”

Kyouko felt her face burn for sure that time as she glanced away. “No, uh, she needs help running lines for something she’s in. Not sure why, she’s usually got a handle on the acting thing.”

Having a handle on things was putting it mildly – Ray was a phenomenal actor. Somehow, the grumpy looking punk idol was able to morph into the characters she portrayed with seemingly effortless ease. Truly, she had a talent for the role and no doubt a sparkling future if she decided to stick with it.

In a weird way, it was comforting. Even if she did have talent, she still had to work on things to be at her best.

“Maybe it was something she couldn’t prepare on her own.” The entry bell rang, cutting off the conversation. “Ah, Ray-chan. Nice to see you. How’s the weather out there today? Does it look like I need to sweep the storefront?”

Ray’s heavy boots hit the wooden floor hard as she entered the shop, and the sound made Kyouko’s heart race. “Hi, Granny Momo. It’s pretty nice out there, though it’s a bit windy. If you want, I can sweep for you when we finish up.”

That made her grandmother chuckle softly. “Thank you, but I can still handle a broom just fine. You just focus on running lines with Kyou-chan. I’ll come up with snacks later to see how you two are doing.”

Then she was heading outside, broom in hand. When the door closed again, Kyouko blinked back to reality. Ray was standing at the counter, backpack slung over one shoulder. Just seeing her there made her heart skip a beat, but she did her best to reign it in.

After all, she was supposed to be helping.

“Thanks again for helping me, KK. This scene is driving me nuts, and Aya couldn’t really help me get it right last night.”

Kyouko nodded as they headed up the stairs that led to her family’s home above the shop. Today, it was empty due to the fact her parents were away on business. So it was just her and her friend as she unlocked the door to let them in.

She had tried not to think about it, but it hit her like a ton of bricks as they entered her room and shut the door behind them. There were no adults in the house, and her grandmother was busy with sweeping. It was just the two of them, completely alone, with no one to keep an eye on them.

Not… that they were going to do anything untoward. After all, they were just… friends. Just friends, nothing more. Nothing more…

“Oh, uh, not a problem. I’m happy to help.” She settled down on the cushion in front of her low table and watched as Ray landed hard on the floor across from her. “So, you didn’t say what kind of scene you were struggling with. What are we working on today?”

The other idol didn’t answer at first because she was busy digging into her backpack. Her eyebrows knit in concentration, and for a brief moment anxiety flashed through her green eyes. It was a look Kyouko had learned to read well – the meaning was like a flashing neon sign in the middle of the night.

“Did you forget the script?”

Ray shook her head as she kept digging. “No, I know I packed it. My bag is just a mess from school. I’d dump it out, but it’s not like I’m in my room right now. Just give me a second, I’ll find it.”

Kyouko shook her head, chuckling slightly. “Didn’t you say you were going to try and keep your work bag and school bag separate this year?”

Her friend had been insistent about that – she had promised she would be better about it after summer break was over. Apparently, that hadn’t lasted very long. Though her will was great in most things, Ray couldn’t keep organized to save her life. It was one part ADHD, one part her natural propensity for chaos.

In a strange way, it was kind of charming.

“I may have to put that off until next term.” Ray chuckled sheepishly, reaching back to rub the back of her neck. That little chuckle made her stomach bubble – it was hard to keep herself from smiling. “But I know I got it! I remember packing it before I left the house…”

A few more seconds of digging continued, and briefly Kyouko had to wonder if she might have really forgotten it after all. However, her fears were put to rest as the idol triumphantly pulled a thick book of paper from the depths of her bag.

Apparently, she had packed it after all.

“Ha, I knew I brought it!” She grinned broadly, eyes glittering. “I tried to get a second copy so we could each have one to read off of, but I wasn’t able to do it in time. Is it ok if we read off the same copy?”

Reading off the same copy? Kyouko’s heart skipped a beat as she glanced over at her friend. If they needed to do that, she couldn’t sit on the other side of the table. The thought of moving so close made sweat trickle down the back of her neck, though she did her best to keep it off her face.

She could do this… it was to help out her friend.

“Sure, that shouldn’t be a problem.” She settled in next to Ray, adjusting her glasses as she glanced down at the cover of the script. That close, she could smell the idol’s shampoo. Much to her surprise, it wasn’t a sharp or masculine scent – instead, she was pretty sure she smelled rather… flowery. It was light and sweet, and definitely not something she would’ve expected. Yet the more she smelled it, the more it was completely right for her.

Weird how the heart worked sometimes.

Still, her face heated up as she flipped open the script to the portion Ray had marked for them to work on. It was for a scene in the drama she was costarring in with another idol, currently being touted online as the slow burn of the year for the development between the two leads. She was playing a shy artist who harbored feelings for her energetic classmate, and the scene they were working on…

Her heart skipped a beat as she read over the script.

“Wait, they’re doing a confession scene this week?”

Ray nodded in response. “Yeah, it’s time to crank the slow burn up a few notches. It’s just going to be my part, though. Maika’s response is gonna come in the next episode.”

Kyouko could only imagine how that was going to drive the internet absolutely insane. However, just as insane was how fast her heart was going as she read over the lines Ray was supposed to say. Apparently, the shy art student finally decided to spit out how she felt to her love interest. It was the culmination of episodes of character development, all hinging on that moment.

“No wonder you’re struggling with it.”

That made her friend sigh and nod. “Yeah, I just can’t get it right. Every time I try it feels so… bleh. I really want to nail this, you know? Feels like I owe it to the fans to get it right. Plus, I really want to be true to Yuki and get her feelings across like she would do if she was actually real.”

Then she sighed. “Problem is, I have no idea how she’s feeling. So I’ve been watching a lot of dramas and reading books but it’s just not landing right. I figure if I run lines with someone else, we can figure something out.”

She made it sound like they were working on a school project they would have to present to the class – if they put their heads together, they could get a passing grade and avoid summer classes. It was charming in a weird way, and she would’ve chuckled if it wasn’t so bizarre.

Leave it to Ray to contextualize things like that.

“Well, how about you show me what you’re working on so far, and then I’ll see what you can do.” Kyouko leaned in to read. Thanks to that, she drew closer to Ray, brushing against her shoulder. She felt her face heat up but shook her head instead. “Alright, are you ready?”

Ray nodded, so she picked a line to start on. “Hey, Yu! I got your message, what’s up? Did you want to go over the guidelines for the next assignment?”

It was weird – the other character was much more energetic than she was, so the casual dialogue felt odd on her lips. Still, she stuck the landing as best as she could in order to give her friend the best launchpad she could.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Ray shifted position. She seemed to fall into herself, nearly shrinking in the process. Then she bit her lip, glancing away. Unlike Kyouko, she wasn’t reading the script – this part she had memorized.

“Na-chan… I… yes. I wanted to talk to you about something. Thank you for coming.”

Kyouko scanned the lines before she spoke. “What’s up, Yu? You’re looking awfully nervous. Are you worried about the assignment or something? I don’t get why, acrylics are your favorite!”

She could practically picture the scene in her head – a high school art classroom after classes had let out for the day, the late day sun streaming through the window and highlighting the canvases of art club members. It was empty, save for just the two characters.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t being honest when I asked you to come here.” Ray’s voice grew soft as she hesitated. “Na-chan… I can’t think straight around you anymore. Every time I get close, my heart start to pound.”

Her hand went to the front of her t-shirt, and she gripped the faded black cloth tightly. “It’s scaring me, Na-chan. I can’t sleep… all I can think about is you anymore.”

It was hard to hear the idol’s words her heart was pounding so hard, but Kyouko managed a shaky nod as she read the next line. “What do you mean, Yuki?”

Then her mouth went dry as Ray turned to face her, eyes burning. Her mind went blank as she waited for the next line, hanging on it and hoping it would never come at the same time. Every second was an agony that felt like a lifetime.

“Natsuki… it’s you. It’s always been you.” Ray shut her eyes tightly. “I… I think I love you, Natsuki!”

And then she sighed, slamming her forehead on the table and breaking the illusion altogether. “Fuck, that was so lame!”

Kyouko practically hopped out of her skin as she came crashing down to earth. It was a miracle that sweat wasn’t dripping down her brow in that moment given how hot she felt. Luckily, it was cool in the room, but there was little chance to hide her pink cheeks.

She needed to get her head in the game… it was just acting. It wasn’t like Ray was actually confessing to her.

That was only emphasized as Ray let out a groan from her spot on the table. “Every time I run that line, it just feels so dumb.”

One green eye met her as she turned over. “I don’t get how Yuki feels in this scene at all. I mean, I understand that she really likes Natsuki and wants to tell her how she feels, but I just can’t get in her head like I can with all the other scenes.”

“It sounded good to me, though. Maybe it’s ok if you can’t feel it for yourself as long as you play it like you just did. People say you have good chemistry with Sato-san…”

Even as she said it, Kyouko knew it wasn’t going to work. Ray was going to drive herself insane trying to get it right. The best thing she could do was help her nail down what she was trying to get out.

It might kill her, but what were friends for?

“I don’t get the whole chemistry thing either. We’re just acting.” Ray sighed again, sitting up and rubbing her sore forehead. “I don’t know… have you ever had a crush on someone and wanted to confess to them, KK?”

She was so sincere about the question that Kyouko would’ve laughed if it hadn’t felt so ridiculous. Truly, the gods were enjoying her suffering in that moment – they probably had snacks and were watching with bated breath. Had she done something terrible in a previous life to deserve this? That was the only way she could’ve explained it.

This was where having a pointless crush on her good friend hurt the most. It was one of the many moments that laid bare her feelings were one sided and rather pointless. After all, Ray didn’t even consider that it could be true.

They were just friends to her.

So it was hard to keep a smile on her face as she nodded. “Yeah, actually, I did.”

That made the idol straighten up. “Really? How’d it work out? Did you confess to them?”

All she could do was shake her head and fight to keep the smile straining on her face. “There was nothing to work out because I didn’t tell them about it. It was clear they didn’t share my feelings, and I didn’t want to make things awkward between us.”

She didn’t have that many friends… it would hurt too much to lose one of her best ones by acting on her feelings.

“Man, that sucks. I’m sorry to hear that, KK.” Ray sighed. “But, like, what does that feel like? Yuki makes it sound like it hurts or something.”

Hurt was putting it mildly – it felt like her heart was getting torn apart whenever she thought about losing Ray to a failed confession. As much as it hurt to hide her feelings, it was a pain she was used to by then. And in the end, maybe it was better to go with the devil she knew instead of the one she couldn’t even dream about.

Yet… her heart still ached as she looked over at her friend.

“It does hurt… and maybe it’s a hurt that Yuki can’t stand. She’s probably scared, but I bet she’s even more afraid of letting Natsuki go without saying anything.”

It was weird how a fictional character was far stronger than she was, even though they were in the same position. In that moment, she envied words on a page played by one of her best friends. There had to be some grand irony there – the gods had put her in that position to watch her suffer.

“Well, can I see you do the confession scene?” Ray nudged the script over to her. “Maybe if I see you do it, I can get a sense of how to play it.”

Kyouko felt a pain in her heart as she accepted the script. Running away sounded like a great idea then. The problem was that if she took off, Ray would chase her. Then there would be awkward questions she didn’t want to answer, and then it would just make things worse.

The only way around it was through it.

So she nodded and adjusted her glasses. “Alright. I’ll give it a shot. I’m going to start from here.”

Then she cleared her throat to dislodge the lump.

I’m sorry, I wasn’t being honest when I asked you to come here. Na-chan… I can’t think straight around you anymore. Every time I get close, my heart start to pound.”

Just like her heart was pounding now. She could feel it struggling against her ribs, only held there by her skin and clothes. It was ringing in her ears, bust she could still hear her words as clearly as a bell.

“It’s scaring me, Na-chan. I can’t sleep… all I can think about is you anymore.”

The sleepless nights were the worst. How many nights had she rolled around in her bed, seeking rest but only finding racing thoughts instead? Even worse were the dreams she had about the other girl… but she loved and hated them at the same time. It was even worth it when she went to class tired in the morning, with nothing to show for it but deep circles and a yawn.

“What do you mean, Yuki?”

“Natsuki… it’s you. It’s always been you.” Kyouko’s mind went blank as she stared over at her friend, still staring down at the script. Her mouth kept moving as her heart pounded in her ears, as if she was acting on instinct. “I… I think I love you, Ray.”

And then her body breeched the gap without her wanting it to do so. She was suddenly way too close to the idol, but all she could focus on was her face – her dark skin and bright eyes, the scar that stretched across her face, and her lips. They were so close… and getting closer. A few more centimeters, and they’d be close enough to touch.

What would her lips feel like?

“W-whoa, wait, time!”

Ray jumped back, eyes wide. “KK, what the hell are you doing? There’s no kiss scene in this episode!”

Kyouko’s mind raced as she crashed back down to reality. Her face burned red hot as she played her words over. Right then, she wanted to crawl into a hole and die – or maybe just disappear off the face of the earth altogether.

How the hell was she going to get out of this one?

Lucky for her, the door swung open. Granny was on the other side, holding a tray of snacks and wearing a smile. That smile fell, however, as she surveyed the scene in front of her. Kyouko had no idea what she was seeing in that moment – probably utter chaos.

“Is everything alright, girls?”

Ray nodded shakily as she got up to accept the snacks. “Yeah, we just got a little too into the scene is all… thanks, granny Momo.”

“You’re welcome, dear. I’ll let you get back to it.”

And then she was gone, leaving them behind as she closed the door and cut off Kyouko’s escape. Now she was once again alone in the room with Ray, with nothing to show for it but a plate of snacks and the worst mistake of her life.

She had really stepped in it this time.

For a few moments, they ate in silence. Or rather, Ray ate. Her stomach was churning like a storm-tossed sea, and even the thought of food made her want to throw up. Instead, she clutched at a cup of tea like it was her lifeline, praying she could somehow erase the last handful of minutes from existence.

Had she really just tried to kiss her?

“So uh… I guess you were just reading ahead or something. No doubt that’s probably going to happen in the next episode, I doubt they’d let the fans get their hopes up.”

Ray’s tone was light. Kyouko dared to glance over. Much to her horror, the idol wasn’t looking at her. She couldn’t meet her eye and was instead staring at the cup of tea in her hands. For someone so big, she looked small.

It was an out, though.

“I guess I was reading into it too much. My apologies.” She sipped at her tea, feeling it slosh around in her stomach. “Are you… if they go that way, is that going to bother you?”

She got a shoulder shrug in response. “Not like I’ve ever kissed somebody before. Would that count as my first kiss, or would it be a work thing instead? I like my costar and all, but like… not like that, you know?”

Yeah, she knew. Kyouko could only keep drinking her tea in order to keep her tongue in line. A thousand thoughts were running through her mind in that moment, all of them screaming to get out first. But none of them could – she fought them off into the silence.

Ray suddenly stood, grabbing for her backpack. “Thanks for the help, KK. I think I know what I’m working with now. I’ll, uh, I’ll text you when I get home.”

Then she was gone without another word. Kyouko didn’t get up to see her to the door – instead, she listened as the girl’s footsteps thundered down the stairs and headed out the door. Briefly, she saw her riding down the street on her bike, but then she vanished from view as she turned the corner.

As soon as she was out of sight, her head hit the table.

“Why did I do that?!”

She groaned, shutting her eyes tightly. There was no forgetting how Ray had looked in the moment, or how close they had been to… she couldn’t even put words to it. Worst of all, she had said the words she had been trying to hide for years.

In the worst way, she had ruined everything. And now she had gone and made things awkward. Who knew if they would ever be able to speak to each other again without that hanging over their heads?

So much for helping… Kyouko was sure now she had just made everything worse.

#Ray Jones Sunburst Idol Unit #Sunburst Idol Unit #Kyouko Sunburst Idol Unit #ramblinganthropologist's writing #fictober 2024

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withsubsplease · 2 months ago

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These questions are fun to think about--- thank you @whateverisbeautiful for the opportunity to chime in!

DAY ONE

#1: How do you think Rick would respond if Jadis had told him early that Michonne had a baby named RJ back home? Or if he was able to get yearly updates on his family’s well-being? Would it have helped him to know or made it hurt even more, since he’s still being kept from them?

What we see from Rick is even in his lowest moments, he's making a play to break free. And that would be true even if he'd known about RJ. His motivation would have been that much greater. Over time, Rick learned to channel his pain and grief and use it to fuel him and keep him moving. Keeping his goal, ever in sight--- his family. All that ever stopped him was the threat of his family's safety. However, if Jadis had told him about RJ; the fact that not only had she taken him away from his family but keeping him from a child he doesn't know (or know him), Michonne birthing and raising both children alone, he would have been trying to escape and plotting to kill Jadis. Throughout his time in the CRM he didn't really have the opportunity (from what we saw) but I doubt he ever truly entertained the idea because she saved his life. But if she was taunting him with updates, news and the bombshell of RJ? He'd have made good on his promise sooner, become even more desperate to leave and be with them, the pain of separation morphing into rage. He saw the CRM as a prison but I don't think he "blamed" anyone specifically for his predicament. He just needed to be free. However, dangling his real life before him would change all that.

It's perhaps a major reason Jadis keeps her knowledge to herself and ensures she moves up the ranks quickly, making herself invaluable. She needed Rick alive, hostage, and reasonable. But he was always a wildcard. She knew he'd never able to escape but he wasn't the perfect asset. Makes me wonder how his many attempts to escape blew back on her.

#2: How soon, upon arriving at the CRM and getting medical treatment, do you think Rick made his first escape attempt home? Do you think he tried to break out even before his body was back to full strength?

Oh, Rick tried to break out immediately. We've seen him react this way on numerous occasions but I think back specifically to when he woke up in the hospital, or even when he makes it to Morgan's... Rick doesn't play it safe when it comes to getting to his family. He wasn't trying to sit around and figure anything out, let things play out. All he cared about was getting back to them. He had to be convinced by the clear and present danger to slowdown. But even then, it was only hours and a short nap, before he left. He needed to be with them and relied on his mind and determination to be successful. He will always take the chance first. Then, if it doesn't work, he'll regroup and start again.

#3: How do you think Rick described Michonne & Judith to the portraitist Benjiro?

We learn so much about Rick's state of mind and guardedness during that scene with Benjiro and Michonne, I imagine it took him awhile to not only approach Benjiro but believe it was safe to share his mind's eye. I find Rick to be such a private man that he had to have been desperate to sit and talk to a stranger about the people he loves to get the results he got from Benjiro. I think it's also a testament to the artist, making him feel comfortable enough to share.

When it comes to descriptions, I think he probably initially approached the task as a transaction being perfunctory in descriptions but Benjiro drew out of him more information to get the images right. Therefore, he spoke more about how Michonne makes him feel, what her features do, not just what they are (if that makes sense). Whereas with the kids, I think it was easier to convey because Carl had his hat and his eyes and Judith (he would suspect) would grow up to look more and more like Carl.

Reveling in Richonne - Questions

I always enjoy the many interesting and thoughtful asks that I’ve received here, and lately I’ve been having lots of Richonne/TOWL-related questions of my own that I’m curious if others have thoughts on. I know my Q’s are more like short answer questions than poll questions, but I’ve just been ruminating on these so wanted to ask here. I figured this week I’d share a few questions each day, and if you want to weigh in on any of them, I’d love to hear your take! 😊💗

DAY ONE

#3: How do you think Rick described Michonne & Judith to the portraitist Benjiro? And when Rick is with Michonne, what are some ways you can envision Rick verbally complimenting Michonne’s external beauty/do you think it’s something he vocalizes often to her?

#forever loves #richonne thangs #rick and michonne #rick x michonne #the ones who live #twd towl #richonne #towl

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kimberlyannharts · 2 months ago

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honestly, unicorns do canonically exist in power rangers, so do nightmares (everybody say thank you mystic force), but do you think the writes for the comics know that or did they just pick a unicorn because mmpr. also, do we have any recent references to post zordon era pr in prime?

While that's technically true, besides the fact that we don't know the status of Briarwood and its fantasy creatures in Prime's world, the fact of the matter is the Unicorn powers just stick out as too fantastical for their mundane origins as just "pieces of museum exhibits," especially compared to how everyone else's powers are animals you can reasonably expect to find in any normal museum. (Though I say that and just watch Valentina's powers be confirmed as a griffin or a roc or something.) Back when the suits were first revealed there were theories that Rita was going to create them from previous Ranger powers, and Blue being a Unicorn seemed like the most definitive proof of that; especially when the actual issue made a point to show the Triceratops coin being studied in a lab. However, the Triceratops coin doesn't show up when Rita makes the powers, and she doesn't reference taking power from previous Rangers either. It's literally just "there's a unicorn in this museum, I guess," and it's like. Wait, what? That's it?

And yes, Melissa Flores is the current author, and not only did she write for the Recharged/Darkest Hour era of the 2016 series, she was one of the heads of PR back when Saban owned it in the 2010s. So I think she knows about Mystic Force lol which admittedly is an another reason why a connection between the Triceratops coin and Mark being a unicorn not being established as purposeful in-universe is so weird.

As for post-Zordon Era references:

= Lauren and Orion are members of the main cast (Lauren as Red, Orion as Pink) and their backstories are generally the same, with Lauren growing up as the Red Samurai Ranger with her father and Jayden while Orion is a former miner and last survivor of the Andresians. It's kind of implied Samurai were the main Rangers of this Earth until the Eltarians showed up. It hasn't been stated if the Armada are the ones who destroyed Orion's home. Also we never see Lauren morph into Samurai Red in the book proper, just on covers.

= RJ makes a cameo as the head of a meditation center that's been set up in the Command Center. Rita burns it down and that's the last time we see him.

= The VR Troopers were mentioned to be fighting mutants, and it looks like the Prime team will be dealing with them next issue.

= An alien that looks like Piggy or IS Piggy (they don't say his name) shows up in a flashback being racist to Orion and Mark.

= The museum where they get their powers is full of Ranger artifacts from different seasons, but they're not elaborated on.

#transmission #anonymous

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ihopesocomic · 4 months ago

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Wait a fricken minute, are Hopeful, Adamant and Quiet meant to represent The Scapegoat, The Golden Child and The Invisible Child respectively? The archetypes commonly found in narcissistic households? And the names they’re given are meant to represent their “role” in the household? Because if so, that’s amazing. Am I an idiot for only realizing this today?

You're not an idiot at all! We want people to interpret things while reading this comic and come to their own conclusions. It's very much what smart people do vs. just looking at things from a surface level and not even bothering to try beyond that. So, you're very much the opposite of an idiot to be able to re-read the comic and realise things like this, in fact. So, well done on doing that

And you're correct! They are meant to represent the different 'roles' in abusive families, yes. It also helps us show that abuse is not a universal experience and affects different people differently and that trying to water it down to one unique experience is harmful and only results in abuse victims being invalidated and discounted.

For example, you're not any less valid or brave just because you didn't fight back and curbstomp your abuser vs. those who are able to do so. Yep, it's 2025 and we still have weirdoes who think like this.

Their names aren't really tied to their 'roles', it's literally personality-based... but these personality traits were certainly morphed by their environment. It's why Adamant and Quiet would not have the same names if they had had different parents (i.e. they would've been Adventurous and Kindly respectively if they had been the kids of Merry and Clever). . c: - RJ

#ask #ask us stuff #rj answers #hopeful #adamant #quiet #golden grove

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askthechronoverse · 9 months ago

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Last Chapter •||• END

After her last stray manipulations of the plate, the next conscious memory Kit had was watching the planet of Syspocalypstar disappear through the window of a 80's style spaceship. She could barely register the voice that spoke to her.

“Aren't you sure WyldStyle said you could come up here?” The voice came from the pilot, a blue suited spaceman with a cracked helmet.

“I have to see my dad, Uncle Benny,” was the only reply she gave the driver. She was alone on the ship. A pink ribombee poked a sleepy head from Kit’s hood. It flew groggily to Kit’s shoulder, where she gave it a pat on the head. Her father's phone vibrated consistently from inside her bag but she ignored it. She didn't need to read the texts begging her to head back to Morph's Landing and Syspocalypstar right now.

The ship landed and Benny wished her luck, letting her know to call him when she wanted to go home. She ran toward an imposing, impossibly large building surrounded by a barbed wire fence guarded by sharks wearing lasers. She ran past an old blue police call box, stopping for a brief moment to look at it. She didn't linger long and moved past it, stopping only to tap on the window of the guard post. A creature with a shark head looked down at her.

“Name?” He grumbled, shoving a cruller in his mouth.

“Catherine Doris Brickowski. I'm here to see Prisoner PS3252022.” She spoke with confidence, head held high to see the guard.

“Yeah, you're approved. Go through.” He pushed a button and the gate opened sluggishly. By now, the ribombee was hidden in her hood again. She looked around the yard that led to the main entrance, seeing a bronze statue of a man in the Unitron spacesuit with a short military cut and sunglasses. He was clean shaven and had a stoic look on his face. Kit glanced at the base of the statue and saw it was to commemorate Blaise Starhawk. She rolled her eyes as she walked past, moving through the door to the lobby, where she was met by a woman, a white rabbit with glasses and a messy tuft of chocolate brown hair.

“Catherine?! You know I have to tell your father you're here, right?” She held a clipboard in her hand as well as a book on Syspocalypstarian law. She sounded tired, though that was plain to see on her face and in her stance.

“I'm here to see Dad, Doctor Bunny.” She played with the strap of her hoodie. “Am I able to?”

“There is a lull in courtroom proceedings, so I don't see why not. Come on.” She took Kit’s hand and led her through the halls to a white room. The buzzing of the iridescent lights was the most prominent thing she could hear as Doctor Bunny showed her to a chair that overlooked a window into another room. The chair in that room was empty, some time after Bunny had excused herself to get a guard, a draconic kid walked in and sat in the chair next to her. He turned his head to her and she looked at the spot her dad would soon occupy.

“Catherine.” Apocalypse looked ahead.

“How's your mom?” The tone in her voice sounded borderline sarcastic, but not enough so for her to not seem a little sincere.

“Fine. Master Doom rebuilt after the reset.” He put his hood over his head. “She doesn't remember much of anything and especially not how the fight ended. That's for the best. She doesn't need to remember.”

“Why do you remember?”

“I remember because of my father. It's a unique trait, to be able to remember fluctuations in the dimensions.” He wrapped his cloak around him. “I'm honestly shocked you remember anything.”

“My dad gave me a present a long time ago. It helps me remember.” Kit and Apocalypse kept staring straight ahead.

Bad Cop led RJ into the room, but on the opposite side of the barrier. He leaned against the door frame. RJ glanced down at the chains that looked like they may connect to the floor, then at Bad Cop. The other man shrugged and glanced at his watch before focusing on talking to Apocalypse from behind another barrier.

Like Doctor Bunny, RJ looked tired. His normally long and untamable hair was cut short and he was clean shaven, making the dark spots under his eyes far more prominent. He wore a jumpsuit in an unflattering neon blue, his prisoner number stamped onto it in Systarian. His hands were cuffed, but in a position where he could place them on the table in front of him. He looked at his daughter, concerned.

“Please tell me you came with Lucy.” He spoke softly, far softer than she ever heard him speak.

“I've… I had to see you.” Kit continued to play with her hoodie straps. “I have a lot to tell you and I know we don't have a lot of time.”

“Kitten, you know you can tell me anything. Or ask me anything. Even if anything I say can be held against me right now.” He smiled weakly. Kit broke down and started crying. This caused RJ to put a hand on the glass. “Hey, hey now! It's OK! It'll be OK! I know things are scary right now, but I'm still gonna be here for ya! I'm still your dad!”

“I've been all of the multiverse and all I wanted was to make sure you were okay.” Kit said between sobs. “I don't want to lose you!”

“You won't. I promise you, you won't.” RJ’s eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to hold his child, but looked pained that he couldn't. “Catherine. Look at me.” She looked up at her dad with a tearstained face. “I don't know what happened to you in the last 24 hours, but I think you've been so strong this whole time.” Kit opened her mouth to speak. “Yes, even when you yelled at me. I couldn't be prouder of you than I am right now.” RJ’s eyes teared up as well. “You always make me proud.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Raisin’ you was one of the best things that has ever happened in my life, just slightly above marryin’ your father.” RJ’s weak smile became a little brighter. Bad Cop looked out the window on the door on their side, then gestured to his wristwatch. “Gotta go, kiddo. Time’s up.”

“Please, give me five more minutes! I-!” Bad Cop opened his mouth to speak as well, but RJ cut them both off.

“You'll see me again. I'll never be too far away. Love you, Kitten. Be good.”

Kit nodded as RJ was led from the room. She couldn't help but notice that Bad Cop was holding a letter behind his back. RJ waved to his daughter and Kit replied by pressing her hands to the glass. As he left, Richard rushed into the room with Doctor Bunny.

“Catherine! What are you doing here? I thought your father left you with your aunt on Syspocalypstar!” Instead of showing signs he was angry, he pulled Kit into a warm embrace. Kit could feel he had been crying recently, his breath weak and light.

“Don't get mad at my Uncle Benny. I told him I had permission.” Kit gave her father as much of a bear hug as she could. “I was so scared I wasn't going to see Dad… or you again. I needed to see him again. It… it feels like it's been months since I saw him… and you. “

“I know things have been scary. It's been just as scary for me as they have been for you, I'm sure. But your father and I were worried when Lucy said you weren't at her house.” He held her tighter as he spoke.

“I'm sorry.” She wasn't entirely sure if she was apologizing for hopping on a ship without permission or for the whole adventure she had just completed.

“You'll want to go back to Syspocalypstar as soon as possible.” The girl's stomach growled loudly. “However, if you meet me in the commissary, I'll make sure that you are fed before the trip home. I may be stuck here for a while, but I'm going to make sure you are fed.”

“Okay, Papa. I'll be there in a sec. I'm sorry again for worrying you.” Richard nodded and walked away with Doctor Bunny, seemingly leaving Kit alone.

“Orion Starfall.” Apocalypse said after the adults were out of eyesight, startling Kit.

“Who's that?” Kit said after taking a calming breath.

“It's me. That's the name the guards gave me.” He hopped off of the chair and walked over to Kit. “I see why you wanted to save him.”

“What did you see?” She didn't look at Orion, focusing only on where her father once was. Orion offered his hand to help her down from the chair. He looked where Kit continued to look.

“Love. You love him. Even without you saying that, and you did a whole lot, I could tell. And he loves you too. That's obvious to anyone who's talked to him. You and your other father are the only things that are on his mind. I used to think it was kind of annoying.” His shoulders fell.

“Love isn't selfish.” Kit said after a period of silence. “That's what my father told me. I don't know why I didn't remember that… or why I didn't tell you that when you kept calling me selfish.”

“You're talking like that’s something I'm familiar with.” Orion shrugged. “I'm going to go. Hopefully, you make good on your offer to show me what it's like to be a kid without a purpose. I want to see what that feels like.”

“That sounds good. I guess let my daddy know if he has to stay any longer. He'll let me know.” Kit shoved her hands in her hoodie pocket.

“I can show you where the commissary is… or even the cafeteria. That's not too much farther. Come on. I'm pretty sure if you decide to go to the cafeteria you'll see both of your parents there, since it's dinner time for the prisoners.” Kit nodded as she let Orion lead her out of the visitors room. She doubted they were going to be fast friends, but it was nice to, for once, not be fighting the guy.

Orion led her outside, where a familiar blonde man stood just outside of the doorway. He wore a white spacesuit with red accents, gloves and boots that had a collar that was conical and covered his neck. The draconic boy rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe, gesturing with his glowing purple eyes from Kit to the man. She ran to him and gave him a hug.

“Ken! What are you doing here?” She asked as she pulled away, the necklace he gave her glinting in the low light.

“The Doctor is letting me stick with her while I find myself. We're not staying long, but she wanted me to give you something.” He knelt down for a moment, putting something on her bag. “Keep the necklace, too. So you have something to remember me by.” She gave him another hug and smiled.

“Thanks, Ken. Good luck with your search. I could never forget you.” She giggled as the man turned to sprint for the police box that she saw at the entrance.

“Come on. We don't have time to stay here.” Orion began to walk away. As she followed, Kit looked down at her bag and grinned. Ken had added new patches to her bag. One looked like a stamp that depicted a sunset on a beach, another was the silhouette side view of a Pikachu. The last one was of a sun peeking over a mountain that looked like it was designed in the 80's. The Ribombee in her hood snored softly as she walked into another nondescript building. Kit's hand found its way to the horseshoe pendant and wrapped around it.

Maybe she could wait to tell her parents about her adventures. She could have her secrets too, after all.

#⌈the ashes of disaster drift to you⌋ ⋆❈⋆ ⌈days of oblivion⌋#⌈the newspaper isn't antiquated⌋ ⋆❈⋆ ⌈writings⌋

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junglekarmapippa · 2 years ago

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Robbie on Robbie #16: "I know it's coming, there's gonna be violence"

from Tripping (from Intensive Care)

RJ looked up from his working table when his boss, Billy Cranston, entered his office.

"RJ," Billy started. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes," RJ said with a shaky voice.

"What is it?"

RJ bent to retrieve something from under his work table as he spoke. "I have been working for Cranston Technology for almost three years."

"I know, I plucked you out of university myself, you are exceptional."

"Thanks," RJ said from under the table. "I just wanted to say that, first of all, I honestly appreciate the opportunity to work with you, and in this level of clearance."

This was a red flag for Billy. Suspicion lit up like a Christmas tree in his brain.

"What's going on, RJ?"

RJ finally came out from under the table, with a safe box in his hands.

"I didn't mean to step on your toes," he said, putting the box on the table.

"What are you talking about?" Billy said, genuinely confused. "What's in the box?"

RJ used his fingerprint to open the box. "I call them the Solar Morphers," he said, showing Billy the content of the box: three pairs of sunglasses: one red, one blue, and one yellow.

"Solar Morphers?" Billy repeated. "You've created Morphers?"

"Well, not functional morphers," RJ cleared. "I couldn't connect them to the Morphing Grid, I don't know how."

Billy took a few seconds to look at the Morphers in the box. "How do you even know about the Morphing Grid?"

"There's a database--"

"How did you access that database?"

"Brute force," RJ admitted.

"Brute force?!"

"Yes." RJ shook his head. "That's beside the point, the point is I need to connect these Morphers to the Grid. Can you teach me how?"

"Absolutely not," Billy said, closing the box.

"Can you connect them for me?"

"No," Billy said sternly. "The Morphing Grid is not a toy, RJ."

"I know it's not. Please, Billy, I need them."

"What for?"

RJ looked at the box. "I can't tell you."

"Then the answer is no."

Billy turned to leave and RJ called after him: "Fine! I'll tell you, please, don't go."

Billy turned around and looked at him with his arms crossed. RJ struggled to pull his shirt up his arm and ended up taking it off. He showed Billy his forearm tattoo.

"I'm a part of a secret Kung Fu academy called the Pai Zhua, the order of the claw." Billy showed no response to this. "We have an ancient enemy, Dai Shi, the great death. He's an eight-headed dragon demon, and he's currently captured in the academy."

"What do you need the Morphers for, RJ, I don't have all night."

"I was chosen to train the three Protectors. Students, tasked with stopping and destroying Dai Shi, should he escape like the prophecies say. The Protectors will be sent my way, for me to train and guide them in their battle. They will be teenagers, Billy. Three teenagers armed with some Kung Fu moves to defeat a ten-thousand-year-old demon. They won't stand a chance." RJ stopped talking, looking for any reaction on Billy's face but there was still none. "They will die unless I can figure out a way to protect them," RJ continued, opening the box again. "This is the only thing I can think of."

"You want these morphers for your students?"

"Yes. Please, Billy, I'm just trying to protect them long enough. Dai Shi will escape soon. I know it's coming, there's gonna be violence. I'm just trying to find a way to protect my students."

"And you think a Morpher will guarantee their victory?"

"No, of course not," RJ replied shaking his head. "But it will at least give them a fighting chance, as their Master, that's all I need."

"And which one will be yours? Let me guess, the red one."

"No."

"No?"

"This is not my battle to fight. All three Morphers would go to my students."

Billy took a minute to consider what RJ had told him. He took one of the Morphers out of the box and inspected it. He was impressed by the craftsmanship RJ had put in them. He put the device back in the box.

"I'll connect them to the Morphing Grid for you with some conditions."

"Shoot!" RJ said, his face illuminated with hope.

"The design of these is proprietary technology of Cranston Tech, so we can put it somewhere where it won't ever see the light of day again."

"You'll have the blueprints on your desk within the hour."

"And you will make one for yourself. It's only fair."

"A Morpher for myself?"

"Yes. If you're sending your students to the battlefield, you are joining them."

RJ took a few seconds to respond to that.

"Fair enough."

"And you have to promise me you won't give them to someone unworthy. If there is a chance they might misuse them, they can't have them, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Fine. Stay after hours, so we can connect them without anyone noticing." He turned to leave, then stopped in his tracks. "Oh, and RJ--"

"Yes?" RJ said with a smile on his face.

"If I ever catch you brute forcing your way into another database, I will fire you on the spot."

RJ smirked and nodded. Billy left the office and RJ let out a small laugh of victory.

His students wouldn't be completely safe, but at least they would stand a chance. The rest was in his hands.

Dai Shi wouldn't know what hit him.

#power rangers #powerrangers #lyrics #rj #fanfic #fanfiction #power rangers jungle fury #robbie williams #robbiewilliams #powerrangersjunglefury #Robbie on Robbie

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skyland2703 · 3 years ago

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The Morphin Grid Headcanons + Some Questions

It’s been a while since I watched the show but this has been on loop in my head for a while.

I think the Dino fury team are the only ones to actually be able to “SEE” it. Like see the grid in it’s real form. Beast morphers tapped into it, but I doubt they were able to actually see what it looked like, without it physically manifesting as the morph-X energy.

Alpha and Steel (technically) are the only ones who have been able to step into it, so far. So I’m guessing it isn’t very compatible for humans.

One more thing: while Alpha could go in and do whatever fixing he needed to do in Once a Ranger, Steel clearly couldn’t survive the pressure/energy of the stream of morph-X energy and died.

This makes me wonder how much of it was because of “human intervention” because it’s like stepping into water in a river or a lake, vs stepping into the water that turns a turbine at a dam. So maybe the grid could sustain a human stepping into it if it’s in its pure form.

It’s a network, that somewhat looks like space, with stars, that all connect to each other through lines. Hence the name “grid” but not only that, the stars are actually maybe planets that sustain life, which also have Power Rangers, because they’re an intersection of the nodes; Examples: Mirinoi, KO-35, Aquitar and of course, Earth.

Most of this can be wrong, but if the grid sustains life, and is energy, and is technically equivalent to “God” or “the supreme entity” in the Power Rangers Universe (not the morphin masters, they’re the guardians of the grid) does that mean Beast Morphers could actually toy with the power of god/the supernatural and make it feel completely normal?

We know the grid can give life. Mack Hartford and Steel Silva are examples. This also brings the question of whether the Corona Aurora is actually a physical manifestation of the grid, the way morph-X was, that maybe someone, all those ages ago was able to tap into the grid and make a crown that had it’s power, and the gems. This also adds on to the question of whether Sentinel Knight was something like the morphin masters, or maybe a lesser version of them.

Another thing: in the earlier seasons, the interaction with the grid was bare minimal. It was treated like an entity that couldnt be touched, or tampered with. Then moving on, people— humans, like Andrew Hartford, and the guy who RJ got the jungle fury morphers from— could tap into it, and harness the ranger energy to make morphers, and create their own power rangers.

KO-35 had this technology already, they were aliens, and already had KO-35 human-made morphers for all rangers. Time force and SPD are set in the future, so leaving them for now, the first human organisation to do so was Lightspeed Rescue (unless I’m forgetting something)

Other than LSR, most of the teams got their powers in seemingly “mystical” ways. Ninjor, Zeo, whatever the heck turbo was, the swords at Mirnoi, the animarium, (still not sure about Ninja Storm), the Dino gems and then finally the magic wands in mystic force. Then from overdrive, we consistently have more and more people tapping into the morphin grid to make morphers and teams of rangers. This pattern lasts till neo-Saban era where we once again go back to the mystical ways the powers come to be.

Exceptions would be Noah who wanted to tap into the powers and make power ups, Kendall for an obvious reason, and finally Mick, who, like Noah, makes the enhancements.

In Beast morphers, it’s the saturation point, where humans have finally discovered the ultimate source of energy, and like humans do, have decided to exploit it to their own use. Morph-X powered bikes, keys, ranger powers, zords, and so on, which in a way lays foundation for spd. But beast morpher learns that lesson that exploiting the energy too much is a bad idea too. And that results in the morphin grid technically not being mentioned in SPD and Time Force, in universe, because now it’s a resource that’s to be valued, and not exploited.

So what I’m trying to say through all my rambling’s is: as the seasons progress, the teams also progress from seeing the grid as just a mystical entity, to an exploitable resource to once again, a mystical entity that IS a valuable resource (Check Dino Fury, treating the grid as both, something to derive power from, AND respect). It’s like lightning. When people didn’t know what it was, they created mythical gods who fought and their chariots clashed to produce the lightning, to realising it was a phenomenon of charges interacting, and could be used for energy.

And I think, with how subtly it was done, that it’s pretty neat.

#power rangers #power rangers dino fury #mighty morphin power rangers #power rangers operation overdrive #power rangers beast morphers #power rangers Dino charge #power rangers megaforce #power rangers RPM #Power rangers jungle fury #power rangers Lightspeed rescue #power rangers wild force #power rangers time force #morphin grid #theories #fan theories #skyland’s theories #you can expect more posts like this

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shimmershae · 3 years ago

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An Endless River of Stars (a Walking Dead story, Caryl.)

So. Here’s the deal. This story started off as a fun little Christmas distraction and ultimately I may leave it as that. But until I make up my mind, until I can figure out if my muse is going to stay cooperative, if inspiration is going to keep flowing, if you lovelies might be interested in reading more or not, I’m not going to mark it complete. Just a heads up.

Now that we got that established, a few quick words about this fic.

It’s a post finale fic. Kind of. What I mean by that is, should I continue it? It’s potentially going to expand beyond the nifty little unexplored year-long time jump Kang and Co. left us with as a parting gift, the same time jump I neatly slotted this story into. It may morph into a different animal altogether. Whatever does or doesn’t happen with this fic, I guarantee you I’m not gonna stomp on your hearts unless I kiss it better eventually. M’kay?

So. You got that? You still wanna read the story? Cool beans.

Without further ado----

“Shit, shit, shit.”

“Language!”

Judith’s pointed rebuke is quickly lost in the scramble of Daryl’s preoccupied thoughts as he bustles around the kitchen. The place looks like Ground Zero. Like a literal bomb of flour and sugar exploded in it and hell if he can find anything. Not the timer that’s buzzing insistently. Definitely not the silver wrapped package he’s safeguarded half the never-ending day only to misplace it sometime in the last ten, fifteen minutes. Daryl yanks open cupboards. He rifles through cutlery drawers and peeks beneath RJ’s abandoned comic book. He gives the Ass Kicker approved “decorating station” a brief once-over but the damn oven mitts seem to have vaporized along with the last shred of his good sense. Temporary insanity. That’s the only explanation for the fool thing he does next. “SONUVABITCH!!!” White hot, throbbing pain immediately has him clutching his hand to his chest, a litany of quieter expletives whistling through his clenched teeth like little aftershocks.

“Oh, Uncle Daryl.”

Judith’s face is pale and pinched with worry when it appears in his squinted line of vision. RJ hovers fuzzily nearby, slack jawed with horror. But it’s her, Carol, gently tsking at him as she reaches for his hand that Daryl hones in on. “When’d you get here?”

“Just in time for that impressive show. I thought you’d be happy to see me. Not literally tossing your cookies.”

Daryl huffs a would-be laugh. It’s tinged with pain, echoes with embarrassment as she peels back his sleeve, unfurling his fingers and frowning at the angry, inflamed skin of his palm. She inspects his wounds with tender efficiency, that old familiar concerned furrow drawing her brows together. He loves and hates that groove in equal measure so he touches his uninjured hand to her crimson sleeve. “Hey.” When her blue sky eyes light upon his face, he issues a gravel-laced reminder. “Tried to tell you I couldn’t bake.”

She smiles at him.

It’s just a tentative twitch of a thing at first. They’re still navigating the wreckage of too many harsh words delivered in festering hurt and anger, still tiptoeing their way through what feels like their last second chance, the one that sticks. Her smile’s barely even a flicker. But it’s enough to ease the ache that’s lived inside of him since that dusty Georgia highway. He smiles back. “I did.”

She ducks her head then and fusses with his sleeve. “You did,” she concedes softly. “Forgive me for thinking you knew the basics.”

“The basics?”

“The basics,” she reiterates as she peeks up at him with eyes that have started to dance just as merrily as the twinkle lights the kids outfitted their tree with, eyes that glow with soft affection as she teases him. “Hot things are hot, Daryl. Kinda thought you knew that.”

The infectious curl of her lips and the pink dimpling of her cheeks widen Daryl’s smile by degrees until his cheeks hurt and he laughs freely when his second-favorite little wiseass chimes in. Never has an implied Dumbass been delivered so fondly.

“Yeah, Uncle Daryl. Hot things are hot.”

“Ain’t fair, you two ganging up on me.” His protest is weak, even to his own ears, and goes ignored. He doesn’t bother to pretend he’s disappointed, just soaks all of it in. The world’s been trying to end on them since the day they met. It’s been unflinching and cruel, stealing so many they’ve loved. It almost wrenched the little girl they both love so dearly away from them. It almost took them away from each other a thousand times over, be it grief swallowing them whole, a hail of bullets striking them down, or walkers threatening to tear the flesh from their bones. He shakes the chilling thought off, bone weary of almosts and regrets, and makes a gruff plea. “Can somebody find that timer? Throw it out the window when you do.”

In a flurry of giggles, Judith and RJ leave to do just that.

Or at least, that’s what Daryl assumes they do because it’s mercifully quiet sometime later when Carol takes his hand in her own again and coaxes it open. The cloth she dabs his palm with is cool but doesn’t compare to her soothing touch and he barely breathes as she softly shushes him. His gaze lingers on the freckles that finely dust her skin. He finds himself entranced by the faint flutter of her eyelashes against her cheeks. When she nearly catches him in his act of admiration, he resolutely focuses on her hair instead and belatedly realizes she’s replaced the braid he’s come to expect with the short silver curls of yesteryear. Henry’s voice suddenly threads through his consciousness and a peculiar tightness seizes his throat as he meets the shimmery shine of her eyes. “You cut it.”

“Andrea always said you were observant.”

Her mouth twists into something aching and uncertain. Words meant to tease hang heavy between them like the glittering tears she stubbornly refuses to cry. He’s on the edge of a precipice here. He’s certain of it. As reckless as she’s ever been with her life, she’s been twice as stingy with her heart. Maybe, finally, she’s tired of playing it so safe. “It suits you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought. I just. We get to start over. I want to. I want to try, Daryl. If that’s still something you want. Do you still—”

Her voice breaks painfully over the words he spoke to her so long ago. Unable to trust his own voice in that moment, Daryl nods. He reaches for her and the cloth falls away forgotten. She nuzzles her damp cheek into the palm of his hand and kisses the abused skin when his thumb collects the tears that have valiantly conceded defeat. He wants to tell her she’s the most beautiful being to walk this godforsaken earth. He doesn’t. Life’s too fucking short; doesn’t mean he wants to spill the contents of his heart all over the damn place like those misshapen lumps of dough with an audience and that’s what they have, a captive one. He cuts his eyes toward the two littlest Grimes hanging on their every word then back to Carol. He winks. “Think we can salvage some of them cookies?” It turns out the joke’s on him.

Carol bites back a giggle. “What Dog didn’t gulp down. Maybe.”

His head turns on a swivel with Judith’s and RJ’s to the mutt still licking his chops across the room. The opportunistic sonuvabitch sits up straight and smiles, smiles, showing them all his teeth, and the woman so close to being in Daryl’s arms loses it. The kids do, too. “Guess the damn things were a little on the done side.”

“A little?”

“Fuckers looked like hockey pucks,” he admits sheepishly.

“Language!”

Judith’s censure is sputtered this time, all but strangled by her giggles. For his part, for somebody sporting the oven mitts Daryl had searched for futilely on his hands like a goalie’s gloves, RJ just looks borderline bewildered.

Daryl catches Carol’s eyes again. They’re happy, bright, and soft all at once. “You brought backups didn’t you?”

“You know me, Pookie. What do you think?”

“Do, don’t I?”

She takes the hand he offers her and their fingers interlock like reunited halves of a whole.

The ache within Daryl intensifies but it’s the good kind of ache. The kind he didn’t know until he met her. The kind that comes from loving someone so damn much and hoping, believing, they just might love you back just as much. Even still, he won’t overwhelm her with the entire contents of his heart in one magical night. He’ll gift it to her one piece at a time, starting with the silver wrapped package he spies lying beneath the rubble of their cookie making. He’ll kiss her on the cheek underneath Ass Kicker’s strategically placed mistletoe, even if his lips long to meet her smile instead. He’ll ask her to stay here with them and leave that lonely apartment of hers behind once and for all. And one day? He’ll journey with her beneath an endless river of stars. He’ll do all those things. But first. “You ready to do this thing?”

Her fingers tighten around his own and she takes a steadying breath. “I’m ready.”

#The Walking Dead #Caryl fanfiction #Caryl #Carol x Daryl #Carol Peletier #Daryl Dixon #stuff that I write #Judith Grimes #RJ Grimes #some language #fluff #things that make me smile and cry #for reasons #my heart

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