#Captain Crunch Theory

[nicholasandriani]

The Mascots that Made Us: From Tony the Tiger, to Pikachu.

As a media studies scholar and cereal addict, I find popular culture mascots such as Tony the Tiger and the King Vitamin (my all time fav, second only to Count Chocula) to be fascinating examples of how branding and marketing are used to create narratives that capture the attention and loyalty of audiences. These mascots have become iconic representations of their respective brands, and their…

[physalian]

What No One Tells you about Writing #3

Opening this up to writing as a whole, because it turns out I have a lot more to say!

Part 1

Part 2

1. You don’t fall in love with your characters immediately

But when you do, it’s a hit of serotonin like no other. I’d been writing a tight cast of characters for my sci-fi series since 2016 and switched over in a bout of writer’s block this year to my new fantasy book. I made it about ⅓ through writing the book going through the motions, unable to visualize what these new characters look like, sound like, or would behave like without a ‘camera’ on them.

Then, all of a sudden, I opened my document to keep on chugging with the first draft, and it clicked. They were no longer faceless elements of my plot, they were my characters and I was excited to see what they could accomplish, rooting for them to succeed. Sometimes, it takes a while, but it does come.

2. Sometimes a smaller edit is better than a massive rewrite

Unless you’re changing the trajectory of your entire plot, or a character’s arc really is unrecoverable, sometimes even a single line of dialogue, a single paragraph of introspection, or a quick exchange between two characters can change everything. If something isn’t working, or your beta readers consistently aren’t jiving with a character you yourself love, try taking a step back, looking at who they are as a person, and boil down what your feedback is telling you and it might demand a simpler fix than you expect.

Tiny details inserted at the right moment can move mountains. Fan theories stand on the backs of these minutiae. One sentence can turn a platonic relationship romantic. One sentence can unravel a fair and just argument. One sentence can fill or open a massive plot hole.

3. Outline? What outline?

Not every book demands weeks upon weeks of prep and worldbuilding. I would argue that jumping right in with only a vague direction in mind gives you a massive advantage: You can’t infodump research you haven’t done. Exposition is forced to come as the plot demands it, because you haven’t designed it yet.

Not every story is simple and straightforward, but even penning the first draft with your vague plan, *then* going back and adding in deeper worldbuilding elements, more thematic details, richer character development, can get you over the writer’s block hurdle and make it far less intimidating to just shut up and write the book.

4. It’s okay to let your characters take the wheel

I’ve seen writing advice that chastises authors who let their characters run wild, off the plan the story has for them. Yeah, doing this can harm your pacing and muddy a strong and consistent arc, but refusing to leave the box of your outline greatly limits your creativity. I do this particularly when writing romantic relationships (and end up like Captain Crunch going Oops! All Gays!).

Did I plan for these two to get together? No, it just happened organically as I wrote them talking, getting closer, getting to know each other better in the circumstances they find themselves in. Was this character meant to be gay? Well, he wasn’t meant to be straight, but you know what, he’d work really well with this other boy over here. None of that would have happened if I was bound and determined to follow my original plan, because my original plan didn’t account for how the story that I want to tell evolves. You aren’t clairvoyant—it’s okay if it didn’t end up where you thought it would.

5. Fight. Scenes. Suck.

Which is crazy because I love fantasy and sci-fi, the actiony-est genres. Some authors love battle scenes and fistfights. It comes naturally to them and I will forever be jealous. I hate fight scenes. I hate blocking and choreographing them. I hate how it doesn’t read like I’m watching a movie. I hate how it could take me hours to write a scene I can read in 5 minutes. I hate that there’s no way around it except to just not write them, or put in the elbow grease and practice.

Whatever your writing kryptonite is, don’t be too hard on yourself. It won’t ever replicate the movie in your head, but our audience isn’t privy to that movie and will be none the wiser of how this didn’t fit your expectations, because it’s probably awesome on its own. It could be a fight scene, sex scene, epic battle, cavalry charge, courtroom argument, car chase—whatever. Be patient, and kind to yourself and it will all come together.

6. Write the scenes you want to write first

And then be prepared to never use them. It can be mighty difficult working backwards from a climax and figuring out how to write the story around it, but if you’re sitting at your laptop staring at your cursor and watching it blink, stuck on a tedious moment that’s necessary but frustrating, go write something exciting. Even if that amazing scene ends up no longer working in the book your story becomes, you still get practice by writing it. Particularly if you hate beginnings or the pressure of a perfect first page is too high, you’re allowed to write any other moment in the book first.

And with that, be prepared to kill your darlings. Not your characters, I mean that one badass line of dialogue living rent free in your head. That epic monologue. That whump scenario for your favorite character. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out anymore, but even if it ends up in the trash, you can always salvage something from it, even if that’s only the knowledge of what not to do in the future.

7. “This is clearly an author insert.” … Yes. It is. Point?

No one likes Mary Sues, because a character who doesn’t struggle or learn to get everything they want in life is uncompelling. The most flagrant author inserts I see aren’t Mary Sues, they’re nerdy, awkward, boring white guys whose world changes to fit their perspective, instead of the other way around—they don’t have anything to say. I’m not the intended audience to relate to these characters and I accept that, but I don’t empathize with the so-called “strong female character” who also doesn’t have flaws or an arc either.

A good author insert? When the author gives their characters pieces of themselves. When the “author insert” struggles and learns and grows and it’s a therapeutic experience just writing these characters thrown into such horrible situations. They feel human when they’re given pieces of a human’s soul. They have real human flaws and idiosyncrasies. I don’t care if the author wrote themselves as the protagonist. I care that this protagonist is entertaining. So if you want to make yourself the hero of your book, go for it! But make sure you look in the mirror and write in your flaws, as much as your strengths.

[little-cereal-draws]

If Ghosts had a more mature rating and was able to do more creepy ghost powers/death side effects:

Pat, Humphrey, and Thomas are eternally bleeding. Their clothes are wet, their hand gets wet from touching it, they'll leave trails of blood down the hall, etc. The blood on their hand or the floor disappears pretty quickly as their ghost powers make them reset but their clothes are always soaked

Thomas's whole stomach and the top of his pants are bloodstained. Pat's is all located on his shoulders/necktie and has the most obvious stains due to the color difference of his clothes. There are a few drops here and there down his sleeves and chest. It's pretty heavy because of the major arteries the neck that would've been punctured. Humphrey's is by fair the heaviest and is all over the front of his torso. Like the whole thing. When he died he fell face down into the growing puddle of blood that would've been pooling from his stump

Fanny can turn her head frighteningly far. There's a sick crunching sound that happens when she does this and it always sends shivers down Alison's spine even after years of hearing it. The other ghosts have joked and compared Fanny to an owl because of this and she chews them out every time

Pat coughs a lot because he's got blood stuck in his throat. He'll randomly have a huge coughing fit, cough a bunch of blood into his hand and then go "Oh no. Anyways..." He also has trouble breathing and has to take breaks to sit down during physical activities like dancing or running. It annoying but not too much of a hindrance to his daily life; it's like having asthma or allergies. The blood can make his voice sound a little weird sometimes too, like he's gurgling smth while he talks. He just clears his throat and keeps going

The plague ghosts vomit up bile every once in a while. It's black, steaming, and putrid but disappears almost instantly

Kitty also throws up when she's excited... which is a lot. She also gets chills, lightheadedness, fevers, and uncontrollable shaking. There's not much the other ghosts or Alison can do to help her besides sitting with her/trying to distract her. She'll lay down and try to breathe through it while Alison reads her a story or the Captain infodumps abt smth or Robin holds her hand. Sometimes she falls asleep, sometimes she doesn't. She's always better after a few hours tho

Fanny gets really bad migraines. Alison's theory is that they're caused by her broken vertebra. Fanny doesn't particularly care why they happen. When they happen, she's in an even worse mood than usual so it's best to steer clear of her. She doesn't have the energy to yell at ppl but will remember the slightest fault and wait until she's better to go on a lecture. Again, there's not much Alison or the other ghosts can do to help besides let her lay down and try to be quiet

Mary and Robin's skin peels off. It's white and flaky and leaves raw red spots underneath. The dead skin disappears once it leaves them but the skin underneath is never healthy and flakes off too

Both Robin and Mary smell like burning flesh but only Mary is detectable by living people. Robin only smells when he uses his powers. It really puts a lot of the ghosts off, especially newer ones

Robin's body also gets affected by his powers in other ways. If it's something small like flickering a light, his hair will stand on end. Something bigger like turning a light on/off or flickering a more powerful light will cause him to spasm. It's usually just his arms and wears off after a minute. Smth really big like redirecting that lightning bolt for Mike will be the equivalent of him actually getting hit w the lightning. His body seizes up, falls over unresponsive and twitching for several minutes, but he's always ok in the end. Alison and the other ghosts get very worried but he walks it off

Julian and the Captain both feel remnants of their heart attacks. Shortness of breath, tingling/numbness in the arms, dizziness, heart palpitations, etc. They both choose to keep it a secret from the others and cover it up but if they're particularly stressed abt smth, they'll start getting chest pains which is harder to cover up. The Captain has excused himself from many social situations to go sit on the floor and try to breathe through the pain and calm his heart. Robin's the only one who knows about Julian's because it happened once while they were hanging out. Logically, they both know they can't die again but it's still scary

Mary likes to sit in the lake because even tho she can't feel it like she would if she was alive, the cold water is soothing on her burns

All the ghosts have days where they just lay abt bc the pain is too much to move. From who does it the most to who does it the least it goes Mary, Humphrey, Pat, Fanny, Thomas, Kitty, Robin, the Captain, Julian

[sherl-grey]

dangerous words I fear but I’m craving some OFMD critical but civil discourse… s2 finale spoilers included below the cut. this is incredibly long FYI bc I’m truly desperate to get all my thoughts out

I want to preface by saying I loved S2. I think I loved it more than s1, I think there were some absolute GENIUS moments this season (the entire Calypso episode was *chef’s kiss* my favorite), and I think the cast, crew, and DJ deserve a lot of love and, of course, a renewal for another season.

I know there’s been a lot of anti-finale-critiquing posts out there (and yeah, I also don’t want to see baseless hate or, god forbid, people trying to interact with the cast/crew with anything less than love and respect) but personally, I think the biggest sign that I love a show is me wanting to pick it apart. I think digging into the writing and decision-making and characters of a show means you really appreciate the choices that were made even if you don’t agree with them, because you’re working to understand the story on a level most people only dive to if they’re forced to in an English class. No story is going to be perfect. No story is going to be written specifically for me unless it’s literally by me. But sometimes I still want to study it like a bug under a microscope, you know?

So here we go: I didn’t like the finale, and I didn’t think it fit very well with the rest of the season/show. Weirdly enough I didn’t feel a need to discuss online until I started reading the interviews DJ has been giving about the finale (specifically the choice to kill Izzy and Ed/Stede’s ending) and I’m so curious as to whether others interpreted things the same way. (Yes, they’re DJ’s characters. No, I don’t think all viewers are obligated to interpret things the same way as writers did—that’s half the beauty of storytelling and media consumption.)

Izzy’s Death

Let’s unpack the big one first. I think a lot of what DJ/finale defenders (if I may respectfully call fans who enjoyed s2e8 that) have mentioned is that Izzy’s arc was over and he’d served his narrative purpose. I’ve got a few different issues with this:

1. Part of what I love(d?) about this show is that I did not think this was a show that kills characters once they’ve served their narrative purpose, or a show that kills characters as punishment/retribution for mistakes/earlier actions. To me, OFMD symbolizes the idea that everyone is deserving of love, forgiveness, and second chances. I truly trusted that no one on the Revenge crew would die in this show, and to be proven wrong was a bit disheartening, to say the least. Will talk more on the suicide notion in the next bit because I think it was symbolic, but Izzy also now represents a suicidal character who finds the will to live again. I’d argue that a “full arc” for a character like that should be ending in happiness, not death (and especially not with a line like “I want to go” or whatever the specific words were).

2. DJ seems to describe Izzy’s role as being a mentor to Blackbeard, which I personally struggle to see at all. Despite the Captain/First Mate status difference, I think most signs have pointed towards them being roughly equals—the unrequited love Izzy feels for Ed, the way the two of them stand right up to each other when everyone else would be afraid to, the clear shared history and longevity of their friendship/companionship. (If anything, I’d argue Izzy takes on the mentor mantle for Stede in s2, though it’s a bit glossed over because of how crunched for time everything was.) I certainly have trouble seeing the “father figure” relationship that DJ mentions in interviews, because I think Izzy is the one crew member that puts himself on even ground with his captains.

But even humoring that, Ed’s story has been about shedding Blackbeard. And DJ has a great quote in the Entertainment Weekly interview where he says that Izzy and Ed are both Blackbeard, that the two of them together are what makes Blackbeard “happen.” So in theory, if we’re killing Izzy off to further Ed’s storyline, it’s to ultimately kill Blackbeard, right? Especially since his line at the end is to “just be Ed.”

Except we already have metaphorically killed Blackbeard, several times. I think S2E3 is a really interesting episode because in season 1, it can be argued (and is, by Chauncey Badminton) that Stede kills Blackbeard in his own pirate-y way—with kindness. The crew is also somewhat a part of this, as they all accept and love Ed for who he is and not only because he’s Blackbeard; the crew follows the example of their captain and it changes who Ed is as a person. S2E3 is a crew under Blackbeard, and they also kill Blackbeard following the method of their current captain—violence. And this “death” is, in my mind, the death of Blackbeard while Stede symbolically saves the part of him that is just Ed. (Bonus: we also get Ed trying to sink his leathers, and while it might just be because he’s on a damn boat, it’s interesting that Blackbeard’s clothes are drowned/sunk while Ed’s metaphorical comeback was being saved from drowning by Mer!Stede.)

So Ed’s half of Blackbeard is dead. If we stand by DJ’s idea that Blackbeard is half Izzy, we’ve still got half of Blackbeard left, right? Well, that would’ve been right immediately post-S1, but then they gave Izzy a beautiful arc that seems to be a shadow of Ed’s S1 track. Ed and Izzy are very similar characters, but in S1 Ed is on the receiving end of love, acceptance, and admiration—namely from Stede, but also from the crew. Meanwhile, Izzy is subject to contempt and hostility… once again, namely from Stede, and also from the crew. Ed blossoms under the love during S1 until that’s taken away; Izzy simply moves in the reverse direction. He continues to be an antagonist while being treated like one, but once others start treating him with kindness (Fang hugging him, Jim and Archie amputating his leg while Frenchie lies for him, the whole crew making him the unicorn leg), he too becomes a part of the family. And wouldn’t you know it—Izzy has a near death scene as well, a suicide no less. Izzy is the one who is responsible in S1 for “bringing back Blackbeard,” so the symbolism of him pulling the trigger on himself is huge. This is Izzy killing his half of Blackbeard! Because Izzy Hands continues to live, even if it takes him some time to remember how to live without Blackbeard at first, and his relationship with Ed effectively dies here.

(As a side note, this growth arc and the way Izzy fully transforms into a member of the Revenge crew afterwards—whittling Lucius a shark and talking to him about forgiveness, dressing up in drag and singing to the crew, cracking silly jokes about Ed and Stede’s relationship—are also why I find the “Izzy Hands is the symbol of traditional piracy and his death is symbolic of traditional piracy dying” argument to be weak. In season 1, he was that definition, but we’ve literally watched him grow out of it. He’s no longer symbolic of something stagnant that will remain the same or be destroyed—he’s symbolic of something that grows and adapts to the new situations, that survives when all of the rules change on him.)

And then we have the return of Blackbeard: Pop-Pop pushing Ed to go back to doing “what he’s good at,” Ed fishing his leathers out of the ocean, Ed killing a ton of people because he thinks Stede is likely dead or at minimum in captivity/grave danger. This bit seems to go against everything the season was building towards; Blackbeard was almost entirely gone, but Ed is now the one who brings him back because he thinks Blackbeard is the one who can save Stede. And that’s fair, but what does that have to do with Izzy at this point? Why does he need to die for Ed to put that part of him away again? While we’re not owed a main character having a death that serves a narrative purpose, I’d hope for that to be the case, and I struggle to interpret what happens to Izzy as beneficial to either plot or character.

3. I think the actual core arcs of the show are character arcs and not plots. I get that they might’ve been trying to wrap plots with Zheng and the British in case they aren’t renewed, but I don’t think it was necessary—the pirating has always been secondary to the rom com and the found family, IMO. In S1, we had two main characters, but I’d argue Izzy got enough focus and attention to be a third this season. Which left us with a great character-driven story: we’re watching all 3 of them come into their own and discover who they are individually, while also discovering that the changes in themselves are causing friction between them now that they’re growing into new people. Which is an amazing story to tell, if you ask me, but the fulfillment of that story requires all three characters to be there. The conflict to be resolved is how these characters can become the people they want to be and still coexist together, because on some level they’re family now. Notably each pair combination of these characters grows together or apart (or in Stede/Ed’s case, both) during this season. Ed and Izzy are growing apart because they hold each other back from becoming the person they want/need to be; to complete this narratively, I would’ve expected the next challenge to be finding a way to become friends again as their new selves while letting go of the fact that they used to have a toxic relationship when they used to be different people.

Ed and Stede’s S2 Ending

So Izzy’s death is the big talking point, but I also think DJ’s take on Ed and Stede was interesting. He said that they deserved a happy ending for the work they put in this season. I agree with him in theory, but I’m curious as to whether others agree that they put in a lot of work. I think Stede followed through with his goal to come back and tell Ed how he feels, and to stay instead of running away from his problems. I think Ed followed through with trying to understand who he is and what his needs are while also trying to find the courage to open himself up to love again. But critically, they never talk. E7 makes a point to highlight the miscommunication/lack of communication between them, and then in E8 they still aren’t shown talking.

(I realize part of the issue is the limited amount of time and the amount of plot shoved into episode 8. I get it; personally, I think the plot should’ve been sacrificed for the characters. At this point, we were 7 episodes into a very character/relationship-heavy season. Plot could’ve waited for a potential S3.)

What’s more—there’s a huge, glaring gap between where they left off and where they end up. Ed left in S2E7 after he begins panicking and realizing Stede is becoming deeper entrenched in pirate life just as he’s finally finding his way out of it. Not once do they talk about this, but suddenly they’re retiring together? And right after Ed says Izzy was his only family and Izzy calls the crew his family (which… is also an unearned line, as Ed and the crew have almost no bonding or forgiveness this season, since we focused mainly on Izzy with the crew and Ed with Stede), they leave the crew to do their own thing? They’re all relatively minor things that could be fairly easily addressed by dialogue, but they fact that they’re not only serves to underscore the way that Ed and Stede really aren’t on the same page.

I want them to get their happy ending. They deserve it. I’m just not sure that I agree that they earned it to the degree that it was received, with retirement alone together without their crew, if that makes sense.

Positivity Tax: Calypso Love 😊

I’ve probably got more to say but those were the big ones on my mind after reading the Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly interviews. Just to counterbalance some of the more critical things I’ve said, I wanted to share some loving analysis of the Calypso episode:

1. It’s a minor thing, but the way this episode shows that Ed’s actions as Blackbeard had consequences is amazing. Despite him arguably committing the more grievous wrongs in S1, he’s the one we get the least redemption for in this season (his apology to the crew wasn’t great, and most of his screen time is spent repairing his relationship with Stede), so for him to have to face something that happened because of his past actions is cool, especially because it was done in a way that doesn’t further damage his standing with the crew.

2. The way Stede saves the day is incredible. Competent Stede this season has been an absolute joy to watch, and his success in this episode is twofold: first he wins his way, with signature Gentleman Pirate flair. He listens to Ned’s crew, helps facilitate communication between them, and encourages them to stand up for themselves and demand better treatment. That’s a very classic Stede win. But then he wins in the traditional pirate way, and it’s absolutely glorious; he’s been working towards becoming a better pirate, both in terms of stomaching violence and building up the necessary skills. Ned’s crew can be taken down with kindness, but Ned himself is a pirate and will only be matched by another. I genuinely cannot think of a more perfect way to show that Stede is still himself while also showcasing the newer side of him that he’s been working towards this whole time.

3. Speaking of that newer side of him, the way this episode starts to open up Ed’s insecurities? The combination of seeing his least favorite parts of himself reflected in Stede as well as watching Stede grow into the career that he’s trying to leave? Amazing conflict development.

4. I’ve already talked so much about Izzy but the way this truly caps off the crew’s acceptance of him as part of the family is gorgeous. He’s an entirely new man at this point and there’s no jokes made, no friendly ribbing… just love and acceptance. It highlights both his newfound comfort and familiarity with the others as well as the extent to which they care about him.

5. Less analytical, but it’s also just a really pretty episode.

Considering the fact that I have zero OFMD mutuals and this was a whole essay (I’m on mobile and can’t see how long this is but I’m honestly scared), I would be shocked if someone made it down this far, but if somehow people are here and open to civil discussion… I’d love to know how you felt about this, if you thought DJ was right, if you were a little more on my wavelength and thinking things weren’t adding up, etc. Realistically I’m not sure if anything could change my mind as I’ve done a lot of stewing, particularly about Izzy arc, but new perspectives are always refreshing. Much love to the fandom and of course the creators, who hopefully never see this and get their s3 renewal 🤞🏼

[mayasdeluca]

Station 19 7x01 Thoughts

We finally got Marina back on our screens! I missed them so much. 😭 You could tell Carina was connected to that little baby from the start and the fact that it made her realize she wanted a fresh start with Maya in a new home because the waitress didn't make it. (Loved Maya reassuring her saying she did everything she could too!) I loved that scene (that was mostly spoiled) except the kiss angle! Like come on ABC, we are on at 10pm now, that can't be happening! Even if I get they were probably going for the 'sneaky' vibe since they were at work and I loved that they were trying to be a little secretive about it but we better not see any of their other kisses like that, there's no excuse!

The chef immediately going up to Carina and saying he wanted to adopt the baby gave me weird vibes from the start and you could tell Carina was upset at the idea...I also really like that the name ended up being Liam because it has its own meaning that doesn't have to do with anything else and it's a cute name! (in my opinion)

The last Marina scene...I really wish it was longer and they had gotten more of a chance to really discuss the idea of adopting a baby because they really didn't bring it up at all? I liked that Maya was the one who suggested it first even if we saw that Carina was already attached but I just wish they could have expressed their feelings about it more before automatically just saying yes we can do this. I get they are crunched for time and there's a lot going on but it just feels like they're cheapening what is an important story. But I'm thrilled that they added they will still try to get pregnant and continue that process...here's hoping by the end of the season they will have two babies. (My theory of Carina giving birth in the finale and that being the 'crazy Grey's crossover' with a character being at Grey's in a way they haven't before is definitely following that.)

The Andy speech was even worse in real time. Like really? She even had to name every single person who was captain before her? Excessive and unnecessary. Show don't tell. She's definitely going to get on my nerves this season.

Ghost Jack was...interesting? I guess it added something. Not surprised he won't be able to fight fires anymore since we all basically guessed that anyway. I am curious if he'll be on throughout the whole season or if he'll end up leaving or something.

Vic was amazing with the Crisis One stuff. Theo is still an asshole and I want nothing to do with him. The Ross/Sullivan stuff? Eh.

Oh also the fact that Travis and Emmett got the 'sex' scene of the episode and not Marina? 🤡 Some choice words about that but hopefully ours is coming...

All in all I wish we got more Marina but they are moms!!! They have a little boy!!! Liam Deluca-Bishop is theirs and I can't wait to see them with him! Give me all the cute domestic scenes because that baby is adorable! 😍

And this was everything. ❤️

We are so back!!

[docgold13]

Profiles in Villainy

Lord Nebula

A sentient black hole whose singular quest is to consume the entire universe and remake it in his own image, Lord Nebula is all but the personification of galactic evil.  He has enslaved civilizations throughout the galaxy.  He forces his captors to search out the quantum theory of gravity, the anti-force that he believes will bring about the ‘big crunch,’ compressing all of space and time within a singularity.   

Opposing this diabolical and destructive scheme has been Captain Simian and his band of intrepid Space Monkeys.  These heroes have managed to stymie the cosmic cad’s efforts and Lord Nebula has made it a priority to seek out these interloping primates and destroy them.  Thus far, these effort have been in vain and Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys have stayed a step ahead, constantly thwarting the villain’s plots.

Actor Michael Dorn provides the voice for Lord Nebula with the villain first appearing in the second episode of Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys, airing on September 7th, 1996.

[cartoonrival]

Everyone knows Sonic is cool as fuck. But who knows what he's thinking? Who knows why he smashes badniks? And why do we think of him as fondly as we think of the (nonexistent) Captain Crunch? Perchance.

I believe it was Kant who said "Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play." Sonic exhibits experience by bashing 'bots all day, but he exhibits theory by stating "Lets do it to it!" Keep it up, baby!

When Sonic leaves his place of safety to spin a baddie, he knows that he may Die. And yet, for a man who can collect rings within seconds, a life becomes a mere question of efficiency. A simple wish to be granted, much as a boy with a genie believes anything to be within reach. We think of Sonic as a hero, but he is simply a victor of life's ever famous "genetic lottery." The lifekind. Perchance.

^ i just posted the middle paragraph because it was the most interesting change after i made it archie sonic. heres the directors cut tho

this is literally poetic genius and i had to stop reading the 3rd paragraph midway thorugh and restart it to read it outloud in a david atteborough voice. penosh you are a genius really

[she-karev]

Lockdown (Japril Imagine)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: One of Three

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Ship: Jackson and April

AN: Hey guys Happy Pride Month! I hope you all are proud of who you are and show it on this platform.

Summary: Jackson and Amber adjust to life in quarantine after a shelter in order was placed.

Words: 1078

March 18, 2020

“Hey, fruit of the day come on.” Jackson tells Amber who is on the couch in her gray shirt and black sweatpants. She is reading a book while he is in the kitchen getting apples for them. Amber looks up from her spot, holds out her hand for Jackson to toss her the red apple that she catches and chomps on getting back to her book. Jackson is in his workout clothes and walks around the couch and positions himself for triceps dips gripping the end table by the armchair for support. He works out with his pants filling the room to Amber’s annoyance who is trying to read.

“You know you don’t have to show off we all know your hot Jackson; everybody wants you and your rippling biceps.” Amber tells him sarcastically.

Jackson grins still working out, “I gotta keep my heart rate up the gym downstairs is closed and if I don’t find something to do I’m gonna go insane from boredom. It’s either this or make bread and I am a terrible cook.” Jackson looks at the book Amber is reading and chuckles at his 20th dip, “The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks author of World War Z? I’m pretty sure things aren’t that bad She-Karev.”

“Funny, I think that’s what they said about the Bubonic plague, and the HIV crisis and the Spanish flu, influenza keeps on evolving. Who’s to say this thing out there isn’t right now and all the sensible human beings will be turned into ravaging monsters roaming the streets our families walk every day?”

Jackson stops dipping to take a breath and looks at her in thought becoming slightly convinced by his roommate’s corona theory, “Let me know if we should get machetes or machine guns in bulk.”

“I will if you shut up and let me read in peace.” Amber tells him with a frown before returning to her book. A few seconds later her open laptop on the coffee table makes a skype sound causing her to groan and put the book down to see Alex calling her. She answers and Alex’s face pops out with his surroundings showing her he is at the house.

“Hey, I wanted to check in on you, how are you?”

“Is that a trick question?” Amber retorts with a glare, “I am limiting the amount of toilet paper I use and I only drink water straight from the fridge instead of bottles because we are running thin on both. And then there’s the horror of coming back to work in two days while a worldwide pandemic is happening. So, all of that plus my relationship crumbling to the ground forcing me to live with my friend who is mocking me right now with his muscles I’m close to jumping out of the balcony.”

“Well things are the same here except for the breakup, Jo is looking up recipes online for bread. She wants to make actual bread from scratch her therapists said it would help her keep her mind centered.”

“Where is Jo?”

Alex faces his laptop to Jo who is on the kitchen table eating cereal she looks up and grins at Amber, “Hey Amber how’s lockdown treating you?”

“Lousy.”

“Me too the only thing keeping me sane is Captain Crunch I cannot get enough of him.” Jo eats a spoonful to prove her point causing Alex and Amber to laugh. Jo talks with her mouth full, “Hey can you ask your very rich roommate if he can get us contraband masks and hand sanitizer. I mean his family money can’t be entirely legal, some kind of backend mafia in Korea has gotta be banking him.”

Jackson yells out from his workout spot, “I am right here, and I heard that!”

Jo widens her eyes at that and chuckles nervously, “I was just kidding, lockdown humor what are you gonna do?”

Amber grins before the doorbell rings and she gets up to answer it with her shirt over face since they don’t have masks yet. She gets up, looks through the peephole to find no one there. She opens the door and finds a small box package on the floor and a delivery man ten feet down the hall who nods to her. She looks at the package suspiciously but picks it up and heads back inside to her spot on the couch.

“What is it?” Alex asks from his end and Amber reads the label.

“It’s from mom.” She opens the box and gasps at what is inside. She pulls out Ziplock bags full of sewn masks in different colors and patterns to her delight. Jackson stops his workout and pulls out a bag full of ten masks, “I knew something good would come from our mother being an obsessive knitter. One bag is labeled Amber, and one is Alex I guess she wanted me to give this to you instead of risking your shady neighbors stealing the goods.”

Alex looks on from the computer in pleasant surprise, “What do you know? For once our mom is helpful in a crisis instead of the cause of it. How is she? Have you talked to her?”

“I talked to her, she said she’s doing okay that she’s isolating with a neighbor coming by to check on her every day. She’s filling the time with reading and knitting since the library is closed. She sounded okay on the phone, but I asked Aaron to call her every now and then when we get back to work.” Amber looks at the masks impressively, “These are nice masks, we’ve got enough to get us through this thing for a year, but I highly doubt it’ll last that long.”

Alex looks at the masks like their money, “Can you give those to me as soon as you can?”

Jackson wipes his sweaty face with a towel, “Actually, I gotta pick up Harriet from April’s maybe I can drop you off on the way and pick you up when I drive back, how does that sound?”

Amber immediately stands up, pulls out a leopard pattern mask and puts it on, “Yes please anything to get me out of this damn place for a bit. I’ll be by later Alex see ya.” Amber hangs up and heads upstairs to change out of her sweats and into a shirt and jeans. Jackson laughs at her eagerness before heading to his bedroom to shower and get ready.

[thelongestway]

The prettiest warbird!

Long post and lots of spoilers this time, because there's ludonarrative discussion under the cut - and a very, VERY long a play by play to accompany it.

This episode was a particularly interesting one from a game design perspective.

But let's do this in order.

Sometimes you look at the episode rewards and go OH FUCK NO:

This is not going to end well.

The Morg have intruded into Fluidic Space, which for some reason functions (according to Thaseen-Fei) sort of like the mycellium network, in that it connects everywhere all at once. Here, have some insane theory: fluidic space is actually that neuroliquid the mushrooms grow in and every time you open a portal there you are actually inexplicably tiny and splash around in a pool. Notably, Fluidic space fucks up the Aetherians in much the same way that time travel does Iconians (T'Ket!!! I miss you! You're fucking insane please come hit the Aetherians with your severed arm, pretty please?), so they can't go there to fight the Morg. So we have to because do we really want the Morg eating the Undine? ...Nnnope.

Luckily, the Undine like the Morg even less than they like us. They do not like anything that they can't de-shield - understandable! So it's a tactical alliance for the some being. Notably, when asked if the other Undine are actually aware we're on their side...

Interesting little detail there!

Naturally, we also can't bring down their shields - but Ezri has a plan. We can do some shenanigans and beam in, and disable the shields from inside.

Riiiight.

In we go. The consoles conveniently tell us about how the Morg came to be. They captured m!Voyager; ate everyone except m!Janeway, and for some reason decided to use her as an unassimilated (? she does have implants!) test subject. m!Janeway escapes, the Morg get into a fight with the Aetherians, realize they're fucked, and go back to talk to the Terrans. The Terrans say "hold that thought, we need popcorn over here", and the Morg are left alone. Morg, why is this on your consoles in human-readable code?.. File that away for further thought.

Other team gets to weapons control, we get to shield control...

So far so good...

Fuck. Why is no one on overwatch.

What are you people doing with your fucking weapons.

Please stop examining the fucking thing from melee range.

Pretty much inevitable result.

"If we're getting out of this alive, we are all spending a month in the brig for idiocy."

We are, however, not. A drone silently appears in front of us and injects us with nanites.

Let's talk game design for a little bit. This probably has more to do with engine limitations and artist crunch than anything, but from a Watsonian perspective this sequence is hard to read as anything but our characters being very cocky and unprofessional. You're in a Unimatrix. You're not Tal Shiar. Act like it. I spent quite a bit of time musing on how I would've done it, if other concerns permitted, and it would've gone something like this: use a tactic that no other Borg collective would have done before, but Janeway!studying Borg maybe. From here, there's variations - my version was something like this. The captain goes to touch a console, while the rest of the team stays on overwatch. An injection tendril goes out, the captain gets snared, two people from the away team try to get them out, get snared too, while the remaining two fight against way too many drones, including, eventually, the newly-assimilated part of the team, who are the ones to take them down. This is, of course, also a cutscene fail, but being blindsided by a new tactic would have felt better here, I think, then just lowering your guard.

At the same time, the sequence worked for a lot of people - because the subsequent assimilation was very, very visceral. Worse than the Tal Shiar assimilation experiments - and that's saying something.

There is no way to resist. I am the sort of person who cannot resist poking at this kind of mechanic, so I did that for a good couple of minutes. Nothing. The force of a hive mind is nothing to scoff at. Well done, Zero, for getting out. Resistance will be terminated? All right. Let me AFK for a bit, will the Morg kill me?..

...Nope. No way to proceed.

I guess we're doing this.

Of our little band, we're the Vinculum drone - which heals up the whole merry band if they fall. As a player, I like everyone's name just changes to "drone". As my character - who has good friends on the away team... Yeah. Seeing this was far worse than being assimilated alone.

As an aside, One of Five is of course the most popular designation for LibBorg players - referring to you and your BOFFs. Quite a few people got their chuckles out of it, as I've seen!

can you please fucking pay attention random starfleet officer. please. shoot me already.

they don't. and everyone who does, well...

Game design bit again: I spent a very long time trying to break the mission - and failed. You CAN get your team killed - if you stay out of sight with the Vinculum, they don't get revived. Whether they're up or not, eventually this happens:

This episode is all about resistance being futile, and this does work for the theme. Very frustrating, but also very neat. I replayed the mission a few times to get screenshots, and I have to say that the cadence is, naturally, much better if you don't resist. But I like that you can try, and that trying is not fun. It shouldn't be.

Eventually, we assimilate the fuck out of the other team, and only Harry Kim, Ezri Dax and Kuumarke are left standing. Now Kuumarke. She's an interesting character - a bit of a symbol for STO. A scientist and administrator from a planet that has only recently emerged into the galactic community, who has a childlike joy of discovery, and who has never really seen the player's captain fail...

...yeah.

Before we can assimilate Kuumarke, Ezri stabs us with a neutralizer and goes "hi, you there? we got a mission to do". So we do the mission, Borg parts notwithstanding, as does team Alpha, who we liberate along the way.

Nice to see Ezri putting not only her science skills, but also counseling training to good use! Literally everyone but her freaked out at one point or the other; Ezri got some very nice spotlight holding the team together. And the rest is almost history. We use our experience with the Morg to find their King.

The Borg representative is, of course, m!Harry Kim.

We take him down, and he leaves prime!Harry with a warning:

"Their smile might be hiding a knife."

Before we can probe further, a shot rings out. Kuumarke breaks. Harry is creeped out by seeing m!Kobali!Harry (it's a thing) shot in cold blood. I disagree with that assessment; that blood is anything but cold!

And we did get assimilated. Fuck. Let's not do this ever again.

We take down the shields, beam out, and fight the Morg fleet, including...

After that whole nerve-wringer, I laughed way too hard at B'Ger!

Upon beating the odds, the anomaly persists. And who should show up but...

And no warning? No communication? No "you take the Morg out; we'll move in to reinforce and rotate you out as soon as we can?" during the briefing?

I would shoot them on the spot and claim we thought they were Changelings. Are we Romulans or what.

The Undine are like... "Normally we would shoot them, but this is a new level of weird", which is understandable. We ask if they want us in on it. They go "proooobably still not, but actually... thanks?" which is the nicest thing the Undine have ever said to anyone.

With that small victory, we leave for Deep Space Nine. Home sweet home!

But before we debrief, we stop by the medbay to get our very new implants back out.

I really like how despondent we are here. It is an excellent capstone.

At the debriefing, Kuumarke barely maintains a stiff upper lip, Harry is understandably rattled, Ezri is like "oh boy, back on DS9, why is this place such a trauma magnet", and Bright Eyes is still suspicious of the Aetherians. So am I, my Tholian friend, so am I.

Never thought I would fight side by side with a spider. *** As y'all can see from this incredibly long post, I have strong and mixed feelings about this mission.

All of the sensory stuff worked for me. I don't play games that take your control much, and yeah, this is probably old hat to someone who does, but all of the "yikes, this is terrifying" stuff worked for me. It was very well done!

The Undine, the Aetherians, Ezri, Harry, Kuumarke, Bright Eyes and all of that jazz were great.

But the lead in? Ye gods. That did not work for me, but I am on the fence about whether I would've changed it if I could. "Assimilated through sheer stupidity" makes the sequence far more viscerally unpleasant - and there isn't anyone so experienced they cannot lapse, which I like. But yeah. Ultimately, even a lapse should be "one snowballing mistake", not "every member of the team breaks protocol."

[ridiasfangirlings]

munashiro. Adolf and Reisi cooking something without the recipe, because Reisi is confident he know how to cook it from memory.

Sure Munakata’s memorized the recipe but does he know how to cook it XD I like the idea that Munakata isn’t much of a cook, though I suppose Shiro should be at least decent (it’s not like Weismann was ordering takeout every night on the airship right, it’s just he’s not Kuroh-levels of chef). Maybe they intended to go out on a dinner date but the restaurant was unexpectedly closed. Shiro’s a bit bummed, he liked that place and especially one of their dishes in particular. Munakata gives this confident chuckle and pushes up his glasses as he says perhaps they can handle this themselves. Shiro has been dating Munakata long enough to realize this is a bad sign but hey maybe it will be fun, he actually kinda enjoys this side of Munakata.

So they head to S4 (on the theory Kuroh would have a fit if they mess up his kitchen) and block off the kitchen so that they can work. The squad are all clustered around the door, wondering what Captain and the Silver King could be doing, should we block this area off in case of explosions. Meanwhile Munakata starts gathering ingredients and Shiro wonders if he plans to cook. Munakata says he’s had the restaurant special enough times that he is certain he can exactly replicate the ingredients and flavors. Shiro thinks this seems dubious but then again it is Munakata, he’s weirdly talented in all kinds of ways so maybe he can actually do this. His confidence is slightly shaken when Munakata pulls out a box of pasta and idly crunches down on one of the uncooked pieces.

Munakata eventually starts cooking and imagine he’s a bit awkward at it, Shiro’s surprised and a little amused that this does not happen to be one of Munakata’s skills. He decides to step in and assist, I imagine Munakata giving directions and Shiro doing the actual cooking. Shiro admits he isn’t the best at this but he thinks he can manage, Munakata is certain that between them they can make a splendid meal. In the end I imagine them with something that either looks awful and tastes great or looks great and tastes awful, there’s no in between. Munakata is politely befuddled that things turned out this way but Shiro just laughs, the journey in this case was more important than the destination anyway.

[fireintheflames]

Some General Low Energy Cooking Ideas Pt 1

As we head towards fall here in Michigan, I'm gonna start losing my summer energy, so I thought I'd put together a list of relatively low energy meals/snacks now so when the big annual winter depression hits I don't have to think about it and I eat less delivery! I've also labeled which ones don't need a fridge, because my fridge is like a weird cursed location where if it goes in, it doesn't come out. This is a multi-part series, since I will probably run out of space!

Pt 1: No Cooking/No Dishes/Minimal Clean-up These meals require the bare minimum of effort. No heating, no dishes, most only have a wrapper as trash. Downside is a lot of these can be expensive for what you get. Breakfast: -High Cost:Cliff/Granola/Protein Bars. I keep a box around at all times for breakfast, I really like the caffeinated ones because I hate making coffee in the morning! A nice, easy treat! Can be expensive, but you pay for convenience I guess. (No fridge required) -Gummi vitamins! No calories, but a little treat to start the day! I do a multivitamin, vitamin D, and fiber chews. (No fridge required) -No prep fruits, like grapes. I keep a bowl full of whatever was on sale (apples, plums, ect.) on my counter to eat, and always have bananas (more on those later). (No fridge if you buy small amounts and eat it consistently, fridge is necessary for bulk storage of most fresh fruits) -Pre-cut fruits, like the kind fruit trays have. Same concept, more refrigeration, more likely to contain watermelon (I suck at hydrating, watermelon is my friend) (Fridge absolutely required, these will get nasty fast if left out). -Dried fruits, especially craisins/raisins. Just bare fist those straight out of the container. (No fridge required) Can be combined with the below: -Cereal out of the bag! Works best with cereal with big chunks and no powders, think like Kix or captain crunch. Avoid cinnamon toast crunch and similar beasts, your hands get coated and sticky. (No fridge required) -Small yogurt drinks, like yakult or kafir. Single serve milk or juice cartons can also fill this niche, but I've only got one fridge and I am more likely to drink the yogurt. (Please keep yogurt and milk in the fridge. Juice boxes are usually shelf stable, but always check!) -Trail mix. Kars is the best, pick your flavor. Or you can make your own in advance and live off that! (No fridge required) -UCC canned coffee. This stuff is the bomb if you can find it. It's like the only non-sweet coffee drink out there. (No fridge required, but definitely best when cold. Can in theory be heated in a mug, but that's cooking adjacent for me) -High Cost: Soylent drink/meal replacement shakes/drinks. An absolute last resort, usually expensive and bad tasting, but damn if they don't replace a meal. This is specifically referring to the pre-made ones, not the powder. The coffee mocha Soylent is tolerable, otherwise pick your poison between weirdly powdery chocolate milks. (Don't get the ones that need refrigeration unless you like them. I don't, this is my desperation food and does not deserve a place in my fridge).

Lunch/Dinner: -Snack pack tuna kits. My go to for lunch, usually comes with crackers, a tuna salad can, the big ones have cookies and fruit! Run usually between $1.00 and $3.00, depending on size and brand! I like the Rosemary and Garlic ones from bumblebee. You can also make your own with tuna pouches/cans and crackers, but that does require a spoon. (No fridge required) -Lunchables. Pizza lunchables. Get the kind with the juice box when they are on sale, off brand works just as well! (Should be kept in a fridge, but probably fine for a day or two if you forget) -Baby carrots/snap peas/tiny tomatos. Get some veggies in ya! Best when fresh picked, but this is winter in MI, so more likely bought from meijer.(Fridge recommended if you don't want them to dry out, or if you don't eat the whole bag at once. Fresh picked during summer should be eaten straight off the plant, as nature intended (or rinsed for safety)) -Cheese sticks and meat, I usually go with pepperoni or beef jerky, but in theory any pre-cooked non-heated meat works. (Fridge highly recommended) -Pita bread and pre-made tabbouleh. This shit is the bomb. No need for a plate, that's what the pita's for! (Refrigerate the tabbouleh, if any survives. I will eat a container of tabbouleh in one go. It's so good! You can sub hummus, I just don't like the texture) -Chips and salsa. I just dip straight into the jar, but I understand that is both bad form and not always feasible. Tostitos scoops work best for this maneuver. Can also be done with cheese dips and pretzels, queso in jars, and any other sort of pre-made dip. (Some dips require a fridge, some don't. Chips and pretzels do not). -High cost: Shrimp cocktail platter. Remember to thaw, then eat. Best when paired with veggies. (Freezer/Fridge Required)

Deserts/Snacks (obviously there are whole aisles dedicated to this at most American grocery stores. I'm just gonna list my favorites that have some form of built in portions. You will note that I like crunchy textures.): -Strawberry wafer cookies. Even the low sugar ones are good! Nice and crunchy. Pirouettes and similar also fall in this category(No fridge required) -Fig newtons! Apple newtons! Most neutigrain bars! Date bars Give me some fruit filling!(No fridge required) -Cherry poptarts, frosted. Pretty much any "breakfast pastry" works better as a desert for me. Many granola bars fall in this category as well (looking at you, peanut butter chewy dippers). If it's marketed to kids, it's a dessert for me! (No fridge required, but General Mills Chewy Dipeprs are best cold.) -Fruit snacks, especially the fruit veggie snacks. Individual packs are good for me, because these things are the bomb!(No fridge required) -Any of the Kalbee baked snacks. Pea pods, shrimp chips, weird crab flavored things my beloved. They stab you when you eat them, thus preventing me from eating them all!(No fridge required) -Salt and vinegar chips. They prevent you from eating too many by being physically painful. Kettle chipped increases both the damage and delight.(No fridge required) -High Cost:Ice cream novelties~ Popsicles! Orangesicles! Klondike bars! I really like Coconut Outshine bars, they are expensive but so good!! (Freezer required)

[penniesfortheferryman]

Okay, I’m not really into conspiracy theories or the mandela effect but, when the hell did captain crunch become Cap'n Crunch?

[secondhandmckie]

026.   a large penthouse overlooking the city . (from Sophia)

In the Meme Vault

This...had been a worthwhile risk. At first, Molly had been anxious about heading into a city; there had just been hoards upon hoards the last she remembered, shambling through the abandoned cars and debris. But without a steady food supply, the ravenous dead had began to shuffle their way toward the countryside. Their numbers, while still plentiful, had thinned out enough to make them almost manageable.

Molly's theory had been that the cities had been abandoned first, and therefore stood to reason that there may still be treasure trove waiting in the higher floors. Sophia had suggested that they make their way to the top first, and begin their slow descent downward to pick the building clean as they dared. She had to admire the kid's moxie.

But the first apartment building they'd settled on had been a steep and long climb, and she wondered if it would be worth it. Had to hope it would be. And boy, had it been.

The place felt like a time capsule; a reminder of the life that had been before. Running water, enough non-perishables to sustain them for a few weeks, if they wanted. These were all things that had been taken for granted before the outbreak, and damn near felt like heaven on earth now. There were fucking fancy soaps and perfumes lining the bathroom counters for fuck's sake.

A shower and a change of clothes later, and Molly reemerged, humming to herself. "What's for dinner, kid?" She asked, padding into the expansive kitchen. "Captain Crunch or Chef Boyardee?"

[400legends]

In the Company of Hackers (Day 186)

Merrin slid into the chair beside me at Comms. "Lira?" she muttered. "I thought you were still impressing the suits at Belfor."

All the screens still showed the dancing jester. The figure held its belly, laughed, and pointed a finger right at me. "You got hacked! Your ship is mine!"

As of to punctuate the taunt, Malaka banked hard left, and I slid into Merrin. "Excuse me," I said automatically, and before I could reposition myself, Merrin had silenced the hacker's comm access. The ship became blissfully silent.

"Quinn!" The captain's voice growled from one end of the ship to the other. "Get your metal ass in gear and fix this!”

"Merrin and I are on it," I yelled back. To her I said, "Do you think you know the hacker?"

"Nah, no way she'd be at the ass-end of the galaxy still acting like a 17 year old hotshot. But they're good, whoever they are."

"Do we know anything yet?" Requiem was suddenly behind us. "Is it the Veerux?"

"From what I've seen, definitely not their style," said Merrin.

I braced against the console as the ship tilted downward. "EDI? I need HVAC access--"

"Yeah, no," said Merrin. "She's hard down. Are you thinking we can harness the algorithm doing the real-time crunching on the ship's HVAC as the basis for, like, a shield?"

That was better than my plan, but I nodded and reached for the keyboard. As I touched the metal, energy crackled, and I felt like I was suddenly standing backstage at a grand concert hall. Famed composer Misha Mali - famed dead composer Misha Mali - was putting papers into an expandible case and saying, "You see, there are resources that strike a chord. Galactic resources, big and small, all creating the layers of vibrations that make up the galaxy, that make up us."

A voice said, "You're talking about more than music."

He paused with his hands braced on the table. "Yes. My time here has been fruitful, eye opening. To harness the strings that connect us.... Imagine, Trak. Imagine that we could share our consciousness, hear a voice halfway across Nacora as easily as strumming a guitar."

Although I couldn't move or speak, a small thrill ran up my central core as I realized that I'd uncovered one of Trak's memories.

The voice - her voice - said, "That's a little farfetched, don't you think? Besides, every government frowns on talk about networking sentient beings." 

Mali shook his head. "Those connections, they're written in the fabric of universe. No law can change that." He laughed. "It's so simple. And thank you, my friend for helping me get this residency. Without this time and the universities archives, I--"

"Just, just help my friend. Use this crazy theory to--"

"I don’t know much about wireborn, you know that, Trak." 

"Dr. Quant says you are just the person to help her."

***

The ship landed with a thump, and I heard EDI say, "I’m sorry, Captain. It was as if I were in a dark room. I didn’t like that.”

Over the ship's comms we heard someone say, "Sorry. Hello? Please forgive my comrade for their aggressive communication and even more aggressive flying."

Cosmic Peanut said, "Please identify yourself."

"I am Echo. Hello!"

"Who are you with? Lua Tua? KGC?"

"I will explain. Ah, tell me, you have Requiem? She is on your ship?"

"Nope," said Cosmic Peanut.

"Unfortunate. We want to have a friendly conversation," said Echo. "Friendly words about the bad things that happened to Hanadar. We brought you here because we can’t talk outside the planet."

"Ah, you hijacked my ship, but we were already here."

The voice tittered. "So funny! We allowed your Proxy to see our little moon and to see that you were being followed."

"How do you know about Quinn? We--"

Echo said, "We see everything. Esmae, is your head alright? That was a nasty fall. And Requiem, your abomination... so cute. Hide and seeking. So cute. Come on in and we will chit and chat and discuss small things like the future of the galaxy and why everyone wants to kill Requiem."

"Wait a fraking minute" said the captain. "Are you threatening Requiem right now? 

"No! No-no. Protecting. Specter, she is a very big fan. She went to the same college as Requiem. Later class but a big big fan." In a whisper the voice said, "Really in love, too. I’m sorry. Awkward but very much in love. So she pulled the strings to bring Requiem here. And all of you came along. So lovely." 

I heard Merrin comms Cosmic Peanut. "Cap, what's a successful outcome, here?" 

"Hello! We hear everything, Merrin. Successful outcome? Not killed by Veerux. That is a successful outcome."

Malaka's airlock opened. "Come in," said Echo. "We can't wait to meet you. Oh, but Dr. Quinn - so called Doctor Quinn, I can find no record of your medical degree - please to leave the shotgun on the ship. It would be sad, so sad, to bring you all this way only to kill you on our doorstep."

Requiem said, "Were you responsible for…. Something strange happened to me. Like I was somewhere else for a moment....?" 

Echo laughed. "Oh yes, we have a barrier around the outpost to combat that. Otherwise we would be floating on memories all day. Good, bad, forgotten, oft revisited. All the memories."

That explained how I got to experience Trak's memory. And that meant that the others likely had their own memory moments - Requiem certainly had.

I set the shotgun down and followed the others into the outpost. We were greeted by a Maeshari wireborn with tattoos and circuits wrapping around their arms. "Hello! You look just like you did on camera. Captain! Welcome. Esmae." Echo bowed to their fellow Maeshar. "Here's Merrin and oh so unhappy Hex. Hello! Come in, Doctor." Echo clasped their hands. "Requiem. Welcome to our humble home. Would you like some tea? Come meet Specter."

Five desks sat in the middle of a huge room ringed with servers. A young Hanadarian sat at one of the desks surrounded by lights and cameras. She bounced from her seat as we entered, and I saw that she was wearing the same outfit style that Requiem had worn for her Sundry Station concert. She looked down and said, "No no,” and waved her hand. Suddenly she was in the midnight blue gown that Requiem wore at the casino. “What do you think?" 

Requiem smiled. "You HAVE been following me, haven't you?"

Specter hung her head, but the huge smile showed through. "Ah how was your trip?"

"I understand we have you to thank for this adventure."

She nodded. "I'm sorry; I knew you were in trouble. Saw that you were being followed. Surveilled. I was only 99% sure we got the bug, so we had to bring you here."

"I might not be fond of the method, but I appreciate the warning," said Requiem. "I hadn’t heard of danger against me personally." 

"I saw the bug and went digging. There are some disturbing things on your phone. Oh. Sorry. I hacked your phone.”

 Echo laughed and clapped their hands. "We're all friends here! We hack each other all the time. All the time. I know who your 1am appointment is, Specter!" They wagged a finger at the young Hanadarian.

"You know--"

"Phaedra," said Requiem. "What do you know about Phaedra?"

"I.... I think she knew. About the attack, I mean. A handful of reports out there that some people made, um, financial choices ahead of time. Beneficial choices. For sure Phaedra has a contact in KGC - she got a call just minutes before the planet exploded. It was from a number registered to Mordikane Corp."

Three other desks were occupied by a Glabrovian in a mechanic's jumpsuit, a holographic image, and a human with glittering cybernetic eyes. The Glabrau gave me a small wave when she saw me looking, but the other two didn't seem to even know that anyone else was alive.

"I could choose to be really mad about being tricked," I said to Echo. "But, teach me. Please. I put my team in peril. I want to learn how to do what you do."

"Dr Quinn!" Echo grinned. "Very clever. You want not to be a baby in the wide world. Smart. How do you want to learn, eh?"

"Can you teach me?" I said to the Glabrau. She had a friendly feeling, and I wanted to get a better look at the pile of tools on her desk.

"Ah, I-- Sure? What do you want to know, Mrs. Doctor Quinn? Um Doctor." She bowed. "I'm Neon, by the way. Hi."

"I see you are fond of tools." I pulled out my screwdriver gadget. "Me too." I hit the button to cast dancing lights across the face of the closest servers.

"That is so cool! May I?" Neon held out her hand. "This is really neat. Nice lines. I think...." She thumbed open the cover and peered inside. "Yeah. Hang on." With one hand she felt around her desk and came up with a small chip. "I downloaded this from an Ezonite military database. It's like elemental magic code or something. Might increase the spell capacity of your tool." She slotted it in, closed the cover, and handed it back.

I flipped on the display and saw that indeed, the new code had increased the Dark Matter capacity of the onboard battery. "Thank you," I whispered. "Captain! Permission to take Neon to the ship. I want to show her EDI. Maybe we can make some improvements."

Cosmic Peanut led me away from the group. "You trust her?"

"They have been helpful so far. We could have died - I mean, they could have killed us about a hundred times before we ever landed. So yeah."

She sighed. "Try not to break anything."

As I walked to the door, I heard Specter say, "I haven’t been able to hack the Veerux yet, but that AlphaRuxmore is one tricky, tricky bitch. Are you going to B'Austin? You have to go to B'Austin. How else can you get to the prison ship?"

Requiem said, "I have a feeling we're going to have to, but she's expecting a human version of me."

To Neon I said, "We did this VR thing. A really scary Veerux meeting room, but we had to be human. Look human."

"Yeah, Specter was ready to drop that DCS station if you guys hadn't have extracted yourselves. She was in the power grid ready to drop the servers, for real." She shook her head. "Man, she is really into Requiem."

Once onboard Malaka, I said "EDI, I want you to meet Neon."

"Hi EDI. How are you feeling today?"

"I am fully operational, thank you, Neon."

"Do you mind if I run some diagnostics?" Five minutes later Neon sighed. "Yeah, I see what you mean. You guys did a fine job with that Level 2 overhaul, but it's a dead end." She patted her pockets. "I think...."

She unzipped a pocket and then unzipped an inner pocket. "Here we go." She held up a memory stick. "Ah EDI, do you have enough autonomy to make a decision about your programming?" 

"No, I would need Captain Cosmic Peanut's approval for any programming changes."

I commed Cosmic Peanut and said, "Remember when we upgraded EDI's AI and you said you wanted her to be able to fall in love? This is our chance. Please come to the ship and approve an EDI upgrade."

When the captain joined us Neon said, "Ok-ok funny story. I met this Glabrau when I was on R&R last. Nice guy. Smart, a little older. Anyway, I stole his keycard. See, he ran cargo on-book and off-book, right? He had a bunch of AI parts, and I got this chip. I knew it was valuable because it was in a lockbox in a safe inside a smuggler's hole. I looked it up. It's built to help Level 3 AIs that are having issues with contradictory thoughts."

"So let's say you do this, and there's a problem," said Cosmic Peanut. "Do we call you?"

"I don't know how it works. I just think this would create an organic path to sentience, right? Some short term loss of efficiency, I am certain, but long term, I think she'll regain that and more."

Cosmic Peanut shrugged. I said, "Is that approval, Captain? Do you approve the upgrade?"

"I want YOU to want this, EDI," said the captain. "I don't want to make this choice for you." 

"Captain, the irony is that I can’t fully consent until it is done."

Neon nodded. "You heard all that about the organic path - what I hope is an organic path - to sentience, the short term drawbacks. You ready?"

"The captain indicates that she wants this, as does Dr. Quinn." A port opened on the communications console.

Neon blew on stick, looked at each of us, and inserted it.

EDI said, "Woah, woah, WOAH!" and all the ship's lights went out.

[ear-worthy]

The Nutrition Diva Podcast: Are Sweetened Breakfast Cereals Really Bad For You?

Let me confess something right up front. I enjoy cold cereal for breakfast. I know that’s not fashionable, and buying trends show that fewer people buy and consume cold cereal.

But cereal with cutup bananas and nice cold whole milk is a great way to start the day. Of course, the question is: Is it the healthy way to start the day?

First, let me say that I’m not completely anti-health. I do not eat Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch (hasn’t he been promoted yet?). No, I like Shredded Wheat, Kashi Organic Cinnamon Harvest and Life. Not the best, but certainly not the worst.

My guilt about eating these cereals met up with my curiosity when I heard episode 668 of The Nutrition Diva podcast. First, I also have to admit I have a crush on host Monica Reinagel. The woman has the voice of an angel, and actually she’s also a successful opera singer. Therefore, words flow from her like a Puccini opera.

Anyway, Reinagel may sound angelic, but when it comes to exploding nutritional myths and combating anti-science dribble, she’s ruthless. Through nearly 700 episodes, Reinagel has never strayed from pursuing truth in the area of nutrition. She leaves no study unturned and is often the enemy of confirmation bias and oversimplification.

In the September 20th episode, Reinagel responds to a comment from a listener about sweetened breakfast cereals. In The Nutrition Diva podcast episode transcript, Reinagel begins this way: “Some beliefs just seem so obvious that it doesn’t occur to us to check whether the evidence supports our beliefs. We just assume that it does. Perhaps that’s what we mean when we say something is self-evident: It requires no corroboration. Furthermore, if we go looking for evidence to support something we already believe to be true, we can easily misinterpret the evidence we find in order to make it line up with our assumptions.”

That’s Reinagel at her best. She has too much respect for her listeners to allow them to be seduced by social media nonsense, conveniently crafted theories, and conjecture disguised as fact.

Reinagel continues: “This conversation was triggered by an episode I did recently on fortified foods and the role they play in meeting our nutritional needs. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are among the most aggressively fortified foods. And in my previous episode, I cited some data showing that fortified cereals (including sweetened ones) play an important role in meeting the nutritional needs of millions of children.”

What Reinagel revealed in a previous episode was that people who eat ready-to-eat cereal have higher intakes of several key nutrients (due in part to fortification) and are more likely to meet nutrient recommendations than non-cereal eaters. The positive impact of cereal on overall nutrition is even more pronounced in children from lower-income households.

In fact, a 2013 randomized controlled trial Reinagel cites in the episode, children who frequently consumed ready-to-eat cereals “had significantly lower BMI over a 3-year period.” They also had greater intakes of essential nutrients.

The study Reinagel reference focused on lower-income kids, but a 14-year prospective study of 367,442 individuals in the broader population also found that “consumption of ready-to-eat cereal was associated with reduced risk of…mortality from specific diseases such as CVD, diabetes, and cancer.”

Reinagel concludes that, “These data do not support the hypothesis that the consumption of sweetened breakfast cereals contributes to childhood obesity or an increased risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes later in life.”

Reinagel acknowledges that whether TV marketing to children should be better regulated is an entirely different question.

Reinagel, not content to demolish one myth, then moves on to another sacred nutritional truth: Sweetened breakfast cereals are contributing too much sugar to kids’ diets.

Reinagel begins with, “But that’s not where most of the sugar in kids’ diets is coming from. Sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugar in the American diet, followed by desserts, sweet snacks, candy and actual table sugar. Cereal and bars (together) account for only seven percent of the added sugar in the typical diet… the same percentage as comes from sandwiches.”

Why is limiting added sugar important?

Most people assume that it is because sugar, Reinagel says, uniquely promotes obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Then Reinagel supports truth over fiction with this statement. “It’s another one of those things that might just seem obvious or self-evident. But the reality is a little more complex. An analysis of the data from the Women’s Health Study, which involves almost 40,000 women, found no correlation between sugar intake and Type 2 diabetes risk.”

Reinagel, ever the fact finder, admits that sugar intake does appear to be correlated with an increased risk of obesity.

Then, she injects logic into the argument by stating: “But even there, it’s not quite as cut-and-dried as it might seem. If you control for total calorie intake, that link fades. Sugar intake is linked to weight gain, mostly because people who are eating a lot of sugar also tend to be taking in too many calories. If you reduce your sugar intake but not calories, it’s not going to solve the problem. (Added sugar consumption in Australia, for example, has gone way down in recent years, while obesity rates have continued to climb.)”

Finally, Reinagel decides to interject her personal opinion into the discussion: “To be honest, I find it a bit awkward to be in the position of defending foods that I myself don’t eat very often and would not regularly feed to my children (if I had any). When I eat sweetened cereals, I consider them more of a dessert. And I personally do not care to start my day with dessert. If I’m eating cereal for breakfast, I choose a low- or no-sugar option.”

She ends with a recommendation that makes nutritional sense: “I still think that reducing added sugar intake (from all foods) to no more than 10% of calories is a great goal. If you can get it down to 5% of calories, even better. Why? Because it gives you more calories to spend on foods that help fulfill your nutritional needs — without exceeding your calorie budget.

You can listen to the episode here.

I think discussing Monica Reinagel and The Nutrition Diva podcast are important for two reasons. First, because like a dedicated believer in data and facts, Reinagel is not afraid to question conventional wisdom. I’m sure she’s received pushback from that episode. It takes courage to, in effect, say, “I know, my dear listeners, you think this is true, but actually it may not be the whole truth.”

Listeners hate ambiguity. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote: “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

Second, Reinagel doesn’t pander to her podcasting audience. So many political podcasts simply pander to their listener’s beliefs because they know people listen to have their beliefs validated.

The 2020 election was stolen. Sure. They say that in every episode, and downloads go up. Examples abound. Truth doesn’t matter. Just the number of downloads.

Finally, if you want to listen to a podcast where a host provides you with nutritional information that is data dense, carefully evaluated for logic flaws, and scrutinized for accuracy, listen to The Nutrition Diva.

If you’re listening, Monica Reinagel, I’d like to interview you for this podcast publication. Are you up for it? First question: What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?

[treesnutsandleaveswrites]

A Surge

Pairing: The Bad Batch x Reader (polyam)

Summary: Hunter and the Captains are away, so it’s just you, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, and Omega at the bunker

Warning: SMUT between Tech x Reader, 18+, MDNI, cunnilingus, squirting if you squint, unprotected p in v, basically soft!porn lol, some fluff, mentions of explosion near the end

Word Count: 2295

pt xxvi, pt xxviii

XXXXXXX

You sat on the floor of the bunker, AZI laid across your lap as you worked on a panel of circuits. Tech sat next to you, handing you tools back and forth. He talked and babbled on about how some of his gears and inner workings were corroded from the ocean water on Kamino.

“I’ve already tried what you’re doing, darling.” Tech went on as he watched your hands maneuver around the wires.

You huffed and nodded, placing the tools beside you, “I just don’t know what’s wrong… physically: internally and externally he seems fine. He should be working by now.” You looked over at Tech who pushed up his goggles while looking over a datapad.

“I’m still crunching some numbers and have been running multiple diagnostics. He’ll be up and running in no time.”

“No time seems to be taking its time.” You scoffed before setting AZI aside and standing with Tech’s help, “I just don’t get it, his system is meant to be water resistant…”

“We’ll figure it out… and who knows,” He lowered his voice, “Maybe he’ll get us a good amount of credits.”

You gasped, “Tech!”

“It’s just a theory!” He pipped as you hit his arm gently.

“Well, we have to put that theory to rest. We’re not giving up on that droid, he’s one of us now.” You laughed as the two of you walked out of the bunker, “Did Hunter say when he and the captains will be back?”

“Not precisely, they wanted to try and go to the next town over to see if they have any supplies that will suffice for Rex’s journey along with ours.”

“Maybe I should’ve gone along.”

“They'll be alright.” He reassured you as he walked towards the ship.

“More repairs?” You wondered.

“No, just some modifications. The usual.” He shrugged, “Echo said that he, Omega, and Wrecker will be in town most of the day. They took D-5 with them.”

“Just us then?” You smiled while following up the steps of the Marauder.

He nodded, “Just us.” He then turned to you as you looked around.

“Huh… it’s been only a few days, but it feels like ages since I’ve stepped onto this ship.”

He nodded while walking towards the controls and crouching down to set the box of tools he was holding under it. You watched him quietly, taking a seat in one of the chairs as he fondled with one of the tools.

“Don’t you get tired of having to work on those circuits over and over again?”

“No, why would I?”

You shrugged, “I don’t know, it seems like you’ve modified this ship so much, I’m surprised you can still add some more.”

“There is always room for improvement, my darling.” He remarked while glancing over at you.

You let out a small hum before leaving the cockpit and into the main compartment where it was bare but still messy as always. You smiled gently while picking up Hunter’s helmet and looking into the visor. Tech’s reflection showed up behind yours which made you turn to look at him after setting down the helmet.

“What is it?” You whispered as you wrapped your arms around his neck, noticing the slight furrow in his brow. You played with the hair on the back of his head and laughed gently, “Your hair is getting longer… starting to curl again.”

He said nothing while looking at you, raising his hand up to your face, and caressing your cheek, “I’m sorry… about what I said at Cid’s…”

You shook your head, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

He sighed, leaned his forehead against yours, and shut his eyes before speaking, “How can I make it up to you?”

You brought him closer before connecting your lips together. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you flush to his chest as the kiss deepened. The both of you stayed in your place for a moment after pulling away to catch your breaths. You then grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled him with you before your back hit the durasteel wall near you. He pulled your shirt up your torso and over your head, tossing it away as you pulled your pants down along with your underwear. Tech then kneeled down and hooked one of your legs over his shoulder, his hot breath making contact with your wet pussy. You watched as he looked up at you while connecting his lips to the sensitive skin and you placed a hand on his cheek to caress it. He then shut his eyes while moving his tongue intricately against your labias. You bit back a gasp while moving your hands into his hair and bringing his face closer. He let out a moan as his tongue flicked at your clit, which made you whimper before he started to suck desperately. You then let out a cry and shut your eyes tight, tugging his hair. Tech brought your other leg over his shoulder and dug himself deeper into your cunt. He maneuvered his arm so it was around your thigh and his hand found your clit. He pinched and rubbed it meticulously while sticking his tongue into you and lapping you up. A strangled sob escaped your lips as you felt your stomach knot.

“Tech!”

He hummed, looking up at you with a teasing glint in his eyes. You let out a breathless laugh as you glanced down at him, but whimpered as you felt your orgasm coming along. Before you could reach your high, he pulled away, which made you groan. You looked at him with knitted brows as he smiled gently and moved your legs off his shoulders before standing up. He tugged off his shirt then pushed down his pants to expose his hard cock, which made you bite your lip as you admired it, but he hooked your chin to raise your head so you could look at him. You smiled as he leaned in before kissing him, tasting your slick on his lips. He pulled away before leading you as he walked backwards into the chair of one of the computers. You straddled him, lowering yourself against him, his cock just between your folds. He placed his hands on your hips before moving them so you would be rubbing against the shaft of his hard dick. His breath hitched slightly while you leaned into him, your noses touching as both of your mouths hung slack. Once the both of you felt that the foreplay was just enough, Tech grabbed his cock and positioned it at your hole before pushing your hips down. You whimpered as he filled you slowly.

“Kriff…” He muttered, relishing the warmth of your walls.

You dug your head into his neck while raising your hips and bringing them back down against his lap. He moaned, involuntarily raising his own hips which made you whimper. The two of you were riddled with moans and cries as your bodies intertwined with each other. Tech usually likes finding control in many things, but this time it was just flurries of passion that led your actions and neither of you cared who was taking the lead. You and Tech managed to make your way through the ship and into the gunner’s mount, where there was room for you to lay down. A blanket was covering the transparisteel that usually exposed the mount, which gave the two of you the privacy you needed in the moment. Tech was on top of you, holding himself up with his forearms as he thrusted steadily into you. Nothing else had been said since the two of you were so caught up in each other’s heat. Your noses touched gently as your breaths merged together, causing a delay in your moans. You cupped Tech’s face, brought his mouth to yours, and kissed him hungrily. He grunted into your mouth, moving one of his hands to hold the back of your thigh and push it down so he could thrust into you harder. You couldn’t help the small sobs and cries that escaped your lips as the tip of his cock brushed against your most sensitive spot.

“Kriff!” You mewled, feeling the knot in your stomach start to form again.

“I know, darling, I feel it.” He panted, holding both your legs down while moving upright, “Let go when you need to, my love. I’m right here.”

You screwed your eyes shut and cried out as you were pushed over the edge. It was sudden and merciless as you started to gush around him, which caused Tech to release himself also. You could feel the hot spurts of his cum filling you to the brim and you relished in it as the two of you came down from your highs. Pants filled the Marauder, causing them to echo slightly due to the emptiness. Tech lowered himself down to you again and kissed you sweetly.

*******

You laid on one of the beds in the bunker, looking at a small map of the planet with a handheld holoprojector. You zoomed into where Hunter and the captains should be. It was an old map, so you weren’t fully sure if any other settlements had developed around the neighboring town. A familiar booming voice approached the bunker and you turned to see Wrecker with Omega on his shoulder while Echo followed behind them.

“Where’s Tech?” Echo wondered as he set a burlap sack down.

You gestured to the refresher which made the pale clone nod. He then went up to you and moved the holoprojector from your hold before leaning in to kiss you. You welcomed it with a small laugh.

“Didn’t have too hard of a time in town, did you?”

He shook his head while settling down on the bed next to you, “No, everything went smoothly. Got a good amount of credits from the meat we sold. Huran sends her thanks.”

You nod looking at Omega who crouched down to look at AZI. Tech exited the refresher, wearing his dark baggy pants and no shirt as he dried off his hair.

“Any progress, Tech?” Omega wondered as she turned to him.

“Lodestar and I both tried, still nothing. I’ve run a few diagnostics, but it’ll take some time.” He explained while cupping your face and kissing your forehead endearingly. You hum before heading towards the computer and starting to connect your vambrace.

“I’m gonna comm Hunter, see how they’re doing.”

“It’s best you leave it. I’m sure they’re trying to lay low.” Echo insisted.

You hesitated before nodding and heading towards a cupboard next to the sink. You pulled out some dehydrated food to prepare for dinner, knowing well that Hunter and the Captains won’t be back tonight.

As everyone ate, you looked over Tech’s holopad, scanning AZI a multitude of times to try and find something you can fix so he’s at least online. You all were fortunate enough to not be injured to the point where AZI would need to provide assistance. You sighed and placed the datapad down in defeat before getting up and heading towards the closed hatch.

“Where are you going, ad’ika?” Wrecker wondered.

You shrugged, “I’m just gonna get some air is all. Don’t worry.”

You shut the door behind you carefully and walked through the long corridor before stepping out into the clearing. The air was warm and slightly heavy. You shut your eyes for a moment to hear the sound of the nature around you. You always relished the quiet, it comforted you after the war ended. Well, the Clone Wars at least… you had a feeling a different type of battle is at verge. You heard approaching footsteps and turned to see Echo exiting the corridor.

“You alright, mesh’la?” He wondered while setting a gentle hand on your shoulder.

“Yeah.” You smiled weakly, “I’m fine.”

He let out a hum while looking down at you, then took his place in front of you. He raised his hand to cup your face and make you look at him. You sank into the softness of his hand while shutting your eyes; to no surprise, Echo couldn’t help the small smile that reached his lips as he looked at you. He leaned his forehead into your as he gave you a keldabe kiss.

“My beautiful girl…” He murmured.

You raised your hands to cup his face and kissed him gently. Time passed slowly around you as you both relished each other’s touch, but it was interrupted when there was a sudden explosion, causing the ground under you to shake slightly. You almost lost your balance, but Echo caught you and the both of you looked to where the explosion was. Wrecker, Tech, and Omega exited the bunker with fear in their eyes.

“What was that?” Omega rushed to you. You went to a small patch in the ground and dug it up to reveal a small panel. You pulled a lever and the holoshield shut down before a dark canopy shot through the trees.

“Get inside, quickly!” You urged Omega and the others before shutting the door behind you. You all made it back into the bunker and it was pitch black.

“Why did you shut the power down?” Omega asked.

“The holoshield isn’t always reliable… especially when there's a sudden surge like that. Whatever that explosion was, it could have exposed us.” You explained while turning on a few lanterns.

“Can we try comming Hunter?” Wrecker wondered.

Tech shook his head while scrolling through his holopad, “Connection is scrambled.”

“It’s best they stay away… we don’t know what’s out there…” Echo explained.

“Shouldn’t we check it out?” Omega wondered.

“Let’s wait a bit, then we’ll go.” You suggested.

XXXXXXX

Taglist:

@darkangel4121 @lightning-wolffe @alucas528 @rintheemolion @shadowfoxey @butch-medusae @gabile18 @incandescentlywarm @echo-is-worth-more-than-2000