#Stellar Build Challenge

[yusuke-of-valla]

I really wish there was a way to articulate how just annoyingly unbalanced Tera Raids are without being accused of being bad at them.

Because like. There's a fun challenge, and then there's Blaziken starts one shotting anything you hit it with, even really bulky Pokémon like Archaludon at about halfway through the fight

"Oh but you're supposed to do online" WELL IF THEY WANT TO ENCOURAGE ONLINE THEN THEY SHOULD MAKE SURE ONLINE FREAKING WORKS

Plus in my experience online doesn't even make it easier it just makes you lose faster

[phantombanquet]

【Ikemen Zunka】 [Dress rehearsal report] Theatrical Company Dramatica ACT 4 / Witch and Gingerbread House

Original Article

translated by phantombanquet

The first day of Theatrical Company Dramatica ACT 4 / Witch and Gingerbread House has kicked off at Shinagawa Stellar Ball on August 23, 2024! Here is a report on the stage rehearsal.

※ Please note that the report below the cut contains spoilers

For ACT 4, “Witch and Gingerbread House” will be performed based on Grimms’ Fairy Tale “Hansel and Gretel”!

This work is an original story by the theater circle and theatrical company ‘Dramatica’ organized by Wataru Hibiki, a character appearing in the idol produce game Ensemble Stars!!.

The appeal of the theatrical company Dramatica is its ‘double theatrical structure’ in which the characters from the game play the roles. This is a stage where fans of the game hold high expectations as they will be aboe to see a new side of the characters.

Another popular stage project of Enstars!!, which has continued to adapt stage projects since the first performance of ACT 1 in 2021, will depict a new story based on the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”!

We bring to you a detailed report on the stage, where the audience was captivated by the singing, dancing, and acting!

Wandering through the forest, the brothers arrive at an ‘unfinished gingerbread house.’

The play begins with a scene in which Hansel (played by Mika Kagehira / Hiroki Ino) and Gretel (played by Nazuna Nito / Natsuki Osaki), who were abandoned by their step-mother, wandered into a forest, huddled up together.

Hansel and Gretel realize that they have been abandoned, and try to act cheerful to shake off their sadness.

As they travel deeper into the forest, they discover a strange house. The house made up ‘sweets.’ In there, Patty (played by Wataru Hibiki / Kazuma Yasui) and Ark (played by Hokuto Hidaka / Ikkei Yamamoto) were are arguing over something.

The cause of their argument is that they cannot compromise to their commitment to each other in order to fulfill the request of “creating the ultimate gingerbread house.” When Hansel hears their argument, he offers to help build the gingerbread house.

Hansel is first asked to pick fruit for the raw ingredient of sugar. As he heads into the forest with his ‘taming whistle’ to ward off beasts, he is immediately attacked by a beast. Hansel was given a ‘taming whistle,’ but is unable to tame the beast because he has not been taught how to blow it.

In a tight spot, the witch Dicey (played by Shu Itsuki / Taiki Yamazaki) appears.

Dicey plays a beautiful tune and tames the beast in the blink of an eye. The beautiful sound and the kindness shown by Dicey captivated Hansel as if “time had stopped.”

Hansel is fascinated Dicey and asks to be his apprentice. Even though Dicey refuses, saying, “You are not a witch to begin with,” Hansel—with all his strength—pushes his way into Dicey’s house. Thus, Hansel became Dicey’s helper.

Just when it seems that they are living in peace, something strange begins to happen to Dicey. It appears that the ‘secret’ that the witches possess is affecting them. Once the ‘secret’ is revealed, their relationship begins to change.

A suspicious figure watches over Dicey. Lao (played by Tsumugi Aoba / Hiromu Kudo) calls himself “a strange person who likes to take walks,” but what exactly is his true identity and purpose...

Theatrical Company Dramatica ACT 4 is based on the Grimms’ fairy tale Hansel and Gretel and begins with a new story involving the strange encounter between a witch and children. Please enjoy the ‘miracle’ they create in the theater☆

Cast Comments:

Dicey (Shu Itsuki) played by Taiki Yamazaki

I thought that this work, Dramatica ACT 4, which was challenged under a new organization, was a result of fearless triar and error. Although this work is derived from Ensemble Stars!!, I think it has been completed as a single story, and I feel that we are getting closer to the real ‘Dramatica’ one step at a time. I would be happy if you could come visit the theater.

Hansel (Mika Kagehira) played by Hiroki Ino

First of all, I am happy to be involved in Enstars!! once again. I would like to take on the baton firmly and pass it on to the next in hopes that the series of works that have been performed and weaved will continue to be loved for many years to come! The result is a typical fun and pop-like work of Dramatica. I know this is personal... But I am sure I’ll be able to show you a side of myself that can only be seen in this work.... (Laughs). Everyone in this company is looking forward to your sweets.... No, or rather, your ‘visit’!

Gretel (Nazuna Nito) played by Natsuki Osaki

Since it was my first time to join Dramatica, I was quite nervous until rehearsals started, but I read the script, shared lines with everyone, and had a lot of fun being engaged during the rehearsals. This is Gretel, not played by Natsuki Osaki, but played by Nazuna Nito. I would like to bring you the fresh ideas born out of our imagination during rehearsals!!

Lao (Tsumugi Aoba) played by Hiromu Kudo

This will be Tsumugi's first time participating in Dramatica troupe, and I am very much looking forward to playing him as completely different from the Tsumugi Aoba in Enstage, which I did in the past! This work is based on ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ a fantasy filled with a human touch. I look forward to working with Tsumugi to figure out how to portray this original role of Lao. I will do my best to convey a wonderful work and show you a new side of Tsumugi Aoba. Please look forward to it!

Patty (Wataru Hibiki) played by Kazuma Yasui

I am truly grateful that this theatrical company Dramatica has continued to ACT 4 and that I am still able to play the role of Wataru Hibiki! ACT 1, 2, 3 each had their own unique color, and we will bring you another unique color this time as well! Please enjoy the newly directed and powered-up Dramatica by Ikkei-kun, who plays the role of Hokuto!

Ark (Hokuto Hidaka) played by Ikkei Yamamoto

Finally! Theatrical Company Dramatica ACT 4 / Witch and Gingerbread House has begun! A new fairy tale story based on Hansel and Gretel. The entire company has been working hard during rehearsals to create a work that will remain in everyone's hearts. In this work, the characters of Enstars!!, each played by a different person, faced their own thoughts and worries about their roles, and the answers to their worries are found in this work. I hope that you will remember each and every one of them in your hearts. I would like to deliver this production without missing a single person until the final performance, so we appreciate your support until the very end!

[widowsistersandfriends]

Sore Loser

Request: Could you write a story where the reader challenges wanda to a ping pong game best of 3. The two agree that the lower should be tickled as a punishment. Each person wins one game but wanda wins the third. Rather than accept their fate, the reader runs around the compound with wanda (who is a bit slower) chasing after her. The reader escapes. Wanda recruits Yelena and Kate to go help chase the reader in like a hide and go seek type of way. Eventually the reader is caught wanda sits on the readers hips while the other two sit at either side of the readers head. They focus purely on upperbody tickling with an immense focus on the ribs and sides. Eventually they stop the tickling, the reader gets up and challenges Kate to a round of 5 in pingpong... (ler!wanda, ler! yelena, ler!kate x lee!reader)

Note: Thank you so much for this request! I had so much fun writing it and it was a very creative idea! Hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 1810

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Today there were no missions and you all had a day off at the compound. Given that Tony Stark was a rich man, there were rooms for any activity that you could think of. Today, you decided to challenge Wanda at a game of ping pong. You two had been in a long series of games, keeping track of who won what. You were both competitive and refused to lose without a fight.

“Ready to lose again?” Wanda asked, as you picked up  your paddle. 

“If I recall correctly, I beat you in basketball yesterday, so I’m actually ready to win again,” you corrected her cheekily.

“Wow, someone’s cocky,” Wanda tsked, sending some magic over to tickle your side.

“Ah! Wahahanda! That’s cheheheating!” You giggled, squirming around and trying your best not to fall.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do that during the game,” Wanda smirked.

“Fine, let’s make a deal. We’ll play best of 3, all games to 11 points, and whoever loses gets tickled,” you said confidently.

“Deal,” Wanda said, sticking her hand out to shake on it.

Each one of you had won one game already, and it was down to the third game. The score was currently 10-9, and it was match point for you.

Wanda served the ball, and you returned it with ease, feeling a grin form on your face. Wanda turned her body, fooling you and thinking she would hit it in the direction she was facing. However, with a quick flick of her wrist, she shot the ball across her body, catching you off guard. 

“Tie game!” Wanda cheered, having a trick up her sleeve.

You gritted your teeth, feeling the pressure now. Before the game, you both agreed that it was first to 11, and you would not go into a deuce to save time.

“Nervous?” Wanda asked, grinning evilly at you.

You shook your head, feeling your stomach turn with excitement and nervousness. 

Wanda was one to take a risk to win, so she pulled out a trick serve to try and seal the game. She let the ball bounce on the table, before hitting underneath it, sending it super high in the air. The key was to not hit it too far.

You eyed the ball carefully, unsure if it was gonna go out or not. It was super close, and you swung your paddle as the ball came down. However, the ball just nicked the edge of the table before falling off, causing you to whiff and hit nothing but air.

“HA! I WIN!” Wanda cheered. However, you knew you were gonna get wrecked and couldn’t accept the fact that you lost, so you took off running in the compound. Where you were going, you didn’t know. But you knew that you would not give her the reward she had earned.

Wanda knew she could easily fly and catch you, but she decided to build up the suspense by participating in the chase. You had stellar speed, so you were able to escape her. 

The witch ran into Kate and Yelena playing Go-Fish on the couch.

“What happened to you?” Yelena questioned, as the witch was clearly out of breath.

“I beat Y/N in ping pong, and we agreed that the loser gets tickled. However, she lost and was being a brat and ran off. Can you guys help me catch her?” Wanda asked the two girls.

They smirked at each other, both accepting the opportunity to chase and tickle you.

The three women took off, looking in places they thought you were hiding. You were currently in Natasha’s closet with the lights off. You heard Yelena enter the room, calling out your name.

“Oh Y/N! Come out, come out wherever you are!” Yelena said, adding a teasing tone to her voice. 

You peeked through the small crack of the door, watching as Yelena ventured further into the room. As soon as she got in enough, you threw the door open and bolted out of the room.

“Come back here Y/N!” Yelena shouted, while also yelling out to Wanda and Kate that she had found you.

You sprinted at full speed, ducking into a bathroom and closing the door.

You giggled with glee, knowing that you had an advantage speed wise. You positioned yourself to where you would be behind the door when it opened, meaning they wouldn’t see you. Or so you hoped.

Kate opened the door to the bathroom and turned the lights on. If it were somebody else, you probably would have been caught. However, Kate was a bit clumsy and not thorough in her search, as she took a quick peek inside and left. 

You sighed in relief, but were starting to get a bit thirsty from all the running. You knew it was risky, but you decided to venture to the kitchen to get a drink.

You tiptoed slowly out of the bathroom, taking quiet steps through the compound. You found it weird that you hadn’t seen Wanda in a while, given that she was the one who was mainly trying to find you.

You finally made it to the kitchen, as you did a quiet fist pump. However, you were startled and jumped when you heard a voice from above.

“I knew I’d find you eventually,” Wanda said, smirking down at you. Wanda was flying above, as she used her flying abilities to scout around the compound where you were.

You quickly downed a cup of water and tried to take off. However, this time, Wanda was not letting you escape. She flew down and grabbed you, as you kicked and shouted for her to put you down.

“Kate! Yelena! I found her! Meet me in Y/N’s room!” Wanda called out, as she flew with you in her arms to your bedroom.

“Put me down! You insisted, squirming in her grasp.

“You think you can mess with me?” Wanda asked, gently tossing you on the bed.

“Well clearly I did,” you said with an eye roll.

Just then, Kate and Yelena entered the room, to your surprise.

“What are they doing here?” You asked Wanda.

“They’re here to help me tickle a brat to tears,” Wanda explained with a grin. 

“W-What?” You stuttered.

“You heard me,” Wanda said.

“But that’s not fair! It’ll be 3 vs 1!” You cried, now sitting up quickly to bolt. However, Wanda tackled you and sat on your hips to prevent you from going anywhere.

“Better luck next time. Maybe you should work on your ping pong skills and you won’t be in this predicament,” Wanda teased.

“Girls, why don’t you go ahead and hold Y/N’s arms above her head?” Wanda asked, as you quickly wrapped your arms around your torso.

Yelena and Kate tried to grab your arms away from your torso, but you were stubborn and used all your strength to not allow it.

Wanda began to scratch at your sides, making you burst into giggles, weakening you by the second.

“Wahanada stahahap!” You giggled, as your strength was depleting.

Eventually, Kate and Yelena tickled your neck, which made you even weaker. They grabbed your arms and pinned them above your head, leaving your entire upper body open.

“This is your punishment for losing…and for running from me,” Wanda said, as she reached down and began to claw at your ribs, making you gasp in ticklish surprise.

“WAHAHAIT PLEHEHEASE!” You laughed, arching your back as much as you could. 

“What's wrong Y/N, does that tickle?” Wanda cooed, as she dug in between your ribs.

You screamed with laughter, begging for her to stop.

“Stop? We’re just getting started,” Wanda teased, as she signaled to the girls to join in.

Kate and Yelena both used one hand to hold your arms and the other to now wiggle into your armpits, causing you to squeal.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA NOHOHOHOHO IHIHIT TIHIHICKLES,” you shrieked, shutting your eyes tightly in despair. 

Wanda moved her hands back down to your sides, making you snort and pull desperately at your arms. You tried to buck against her, but this only made her bend down and blow a raspberry on your tummy.

“OHOHO MY GOHOHOD STAHAHAP IHITS SOHOHO BAHAHAD,” you laughed and shouted.

Kate and Yelena stopped tickling your armpits, as Wanda now raked her nails over your soft stomach.

You sucked in your stomach, trying to avoid the tickles and hold in your laugh. Wanda caught on to this, and stuck her finger in your belly button to make you bark out with laughter.

“Are you gonna stop being a sore loser?” Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Are you?” You responded back, immediately regretting it when Wanda went full force, spidering and squeezing up and down your sides, and scratching her sharp nails over your delicate exposed ribs.

“OHOHOKAHAHAY WAHAHANDA STAHAHAHAP ENOHOUGH IHIHI CAHAHANT,” you pleaded, as Wanda stopped to give you a break to see if you were being serious.

“Say you lost and this will all be over,” Wanda warned you.

You laid there for a bit catching your breath. Kate and Yelena began to lightly drag their nails over your arms, stopping just before the armpit to make you freak out in anticipation. Over and over they did this, as you struggled against them.

Wanda felt you squirm and buck slightly under her, but she knew it wasn’t from the tickling. You were trying to escape. 

Wanda moved down slightly before giving you a look of warning.

“Are you gonna say it?” She asked.

You shook your head firmly, bracing yourself for the next attack.

“Your funeral,” Wanda sighed, as she began to squeeze and dig into your hips. Kate and Yelena also resumed their armpit tickle attack, which sent you over the edge.

You screamed and gasped for them to stop, eventually breaking out of their grip and tapping out on the bed as Wanda continued her hip tickle assault.

Wanda ceased her tickling, as you muttered out that you lost.

“What was that?” Wanda asked.

“Yeah we couldn’t hear you,” Kate and Yelena both chimed in.

You rolled your eyes, before jumping as Yelena poked your ribs.

“Okay stop!! I said I lost!” You said desperately, now curling up to protect all of your ticklish spots.

“Atta girl,” Wanda said, ruffling your hair as you swatted at her in annoyance. 

“I may not be able to beat you at ping pong, but I can definitely beat Kate,” you huffed in annoyance.

“Hey! Why am I getting dragged into this!” Kate exclaimed. 

“Sounds like Y/N is challenging you,” Yelena said.

“Loser gets tickled?” You suggested again, knowing that Kate had no ping pong experience.

“I didn’t agree to that!” Kate shouted, now getting worried.

“Too late!” You said, taking off for the ping pong table for a best of 5 match.

[nextstopwonderland]

Nigel’s heel work and build for this match has been stellar. Let’s think about how he kept hemming and hawing on commentary that he doesn’t really want to face Bryan and that Bryan’s the one afraid of him. He’s always put the onus on Bryan for why it hasn’t happened, for a year now. Injuries, fear, cherry picking his opponents, you name it.

He calls Bryan a coward and yet cowers away from him out of the ring during the Swerve face to face.

Then, suddenly, he enters the gauntlet. Why? Well, it had a stipulation of anytime, anyplace. Nigel, just like Christian is doing now, knows he could have cashed in when Bryan was at his weakest. He had a built-in security factor. So he put himself in there.

Doesn’t work out, he says he gave it a good go and leaves it at that acting like that’s it. Until the events of All Out and Mox’s proposal to Darby. All of a sudden he sees another security factor: Mox is saying the world champ is too indisposed to defend the title but Nigel doesn’t care about the title, he cares about facing his former nemesis or getting bragging rights if he doesn’t show up. So he issues the challenge for Bryan to have a match on the card with him if he’s cleared.

He knows he’ll be getting Bryan either not at 100% or possibly not at all. He also knows that, after getting his entire world blown apart, the last thing Bryan wants to focus on right now is his bitter rival who’s been trying to get his attention for a year now. So, he double down. He cuts together a revisionist history video promo of their matches. He starts The Fragile Countdown, once again acting like it’s Bryan who fears him (and even having a shirt made).

Meanwhile, Bryan is sitting at home trying to heal and cope with the devastating events that took place and now he’s got this guy from his past so badly wanting to be his present. Throughout all of this, Bryan hasn’t been the one focused on Nigel. Nigel’s been in his periphery.

Until that one moment in March when he wasn’t anymore, and Bryan was thrown back into the past. Nigel raises his hands in fear just from getting caught in the dragon’s gaze.

Their next interaction he gets a little bolder, but also there wasn’t any eye contact.

In May, Bryan addresses possibly facing Nigel at Wembley and says he “worries about fan expectation” something we can be sure was a work now given a) Bryan does not give a fuck what the fans think so this didn’t track to begin with b) we now know that by this time Bryan was already pitched Swerve and the title

In August, during his press for Wembley, Bryan flat out addressed Nigel’s repeated commentary digs saying Nigel is the one who has unfinished business with him

I love the idea of Nigel trying so hard for Bryan’s attention, especially when he’s at his lowest point and this being the absolutely worst timing. Of course this is when Nigel would shoot his shot. Of course this is when this match is happening.

It’s the perfect work of a heel, and the moment Bryan finally does snap his focus on Nigel is going to be epic.

[bluemanticism]

I came from being hypnotized please tell me about Coran as a young man becoming a diplomat and his job app journey and how he bevacme notable

I would love to omg ok so.

Coran, as a university student, had worked INTENSELY hard to achieve top marks. He wasn't ever popular growing up; he'd been physically weak his whole life, had odd fascinations with studying other cultures® histories, and was known to ask strange questions. In his solitude, he felt the urge to combat his perceived faults with his work ethic.

He spent days among archives, poured his heart into his studies, and finally, emerged with a shiny diploma and a stellar report card.

University marked an important shift for Coran: his first friend. He'd met Jayell in his History of Modern Medicine class and they'd hit it off ever since. Jayell didn't care for the other members of their year, so the two instantly bonded. The University was known to admit nobility, many of whom had difficult temperaments and narcissistic tendencies. Coran and Jayell were among the select few who had gotten in on grades alone.

Jayell spent hours with Coran between and after class. They pored over ancient texts, debated the ethics of court cases, and challenged one another constantly.

"The monarchy ignores their judicial system, it's quiznak-ing terrible," Coran would bemoan, shoving records at Jayell. The other man laughed in response, but accepted the papers, reading them over thoughtfully.

Oftentimes, Jayell would admit to being wrong in their arguments. It startled Coran at first. He'd rarely met an Altean so willing to confess their faults. It was... inspiring.

If Jayell, a respected student and well-regarded man, could admit his faults, then maybe Coran could wear them as well.

Now, armed with his knowledge and his newfound confidence, Coran would enter his interviews with all the eagerness and bluster of a young man desperate to make an impact on the world.

Only, things were not easy. As it turned out, the rather conservative and graceful Altean society didn't care for Coran's oddities being on full display. Rejections outnumbered acceptances ten-to-one, and eventually, Coran began to wonder if it was time to try something else.

Maybe he wasn't destined for a life in public service. Maybe he wasn't a change maker.

He professed his worries to Jayell later, orange stubble dusting his chin due to days of stress. Jayell's eyes widened.

"I can't believe you didn't apply," he remarked.

"Haven't you been listening?" Coran grumped, crossing his arms. "I've applied for everything."

"Not quite," Jayell said, pulling out a flyer and sliding it over to Coran, who leaned over to inspect it.

His eyes snapped up. "I couldn't."

Jayell's glinted knowingly. "You could."

So he did. Some unmeasurable force, some driving hope, compelled Coran to fill out the application and toss it in the mailbox a dobosh later. It was hastily done, but still, Coran was proud of how he looked on paper. It wasn't so much of a shock to receive his interview summons after some time. This was a stage he was familiar with. He put on his best finery and headed toward the provided address, gawking up at the massive building that towered over him.

He was quickly escorted through the sweeping halls to his interview location. As Coran reached the enormous, intricate white doors, he sucked in a deep breath.

At that moment, the doors swung open.

"The Prince will see you now," a voice boomed.

Coran barely heard its next proclamation, a sudden rush of wind stealing his breath and making him pale in shock.

The room itself was gorgeous, but the chandelier and the desk weren't what caught his eye. No, it wasn't Jayell, wearing a simple crown, sitting behind a desk.

"Jayell?" Coran demanded, rooted to the ground. Jayell- Prince Alfor- laughed. He laughed.

"Not quite."

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

what were the Doctor's and the Master's education like? like which Chapter schools did they go to and how long did they stay and such?

What were the Doctor and the Master's school days like?

The early lives of the Doctor and the Master contain a lot of contradictory information, so below is the path of least resistance.

🌱Early Days

The Doctor (AKA Theta) was from the Oldblood House of Lungbarrow, and the Master (AKA Koschei) was from the Newblood House of Oakdown, both of which were in the Prydonian Chapter.

In their youth, they would have both undergone a period called brainbuffing. This intensive education, supervised by robotic avatroids in their Houses, involves learning the very basics.

🎓Academy Initiation

At the age of 8, candidates for the academies take an entrance exam. Both Koschei and Theta passed these and were taken from their Houses and put in dormitories at the Prydon Academy.

Theta and Koschei met on the first day and instantly bonded, becoming fast friends. They were both tutored by Borusa, a stern yet influential mentor. They would often cause trouble together and go AWOL from classes. One excursion led to the death of a fellow student named Torvic - an event that would change Theta and Koschei's lives forever.

🌌 The Untempered Schism

Somewhere in the first term, both Theta and Koschei were taken for the Untempered Schism initiation, where they were made to stare into a gap in spacetime.

Koschei: Koschei's experience was very traumatic. He was overwhelmed by the sound of drums—a relentless beat that would haunt him for the rest of his lives. This drumbeat, coupled with the fallout from that day with Torvic began to warp his mind and soul.

Theta: Theta, on the other hand, was terrified by the Schism, and he ran away. This instinct to run would become a defining characteristic of his lives.

Once this was complete, their proper education began.

For more on grade levels/years, see the related section.

🏫 Entrance to the Time Academy

In 5th Grade at around aged 20, students take the entrance exam for the Time Academy. Both Theta and Koschei passed these. They didn't need to go anywhere else, because Prydon Academy is also the Time Academy - it's the only academy able to give out the title of Time Lord.

🧠 The Time Academy

For more on classes taught, see the related section.

The curriculum at the Time Academy was challenging and varied. From advanced temporal theory and stellar engineering to telepathic disciplines and even recreational mathematics, the Academy was designed to push young Time Lords to their limits.

Theta and Koschei were inseparable for a lot of this time, sharing a love for experimenting with forbidden sciences. They played pranks, like trapping a teacher in a time loop, and often skipped classes to engage in unsanctioned experiments. Koschei excelled at hypnotism and took pleasure in teaching Theta some of his tricks, although their uses of these skills would diverge dramatically in the future.

They were also part of an elite group known as the Deca, which included other future renegades like Ushas (who would become the Rani). The Deca engaged in activities ranging from building 'time flow analogues'—devices to disrupt each other's experiments—to forming a band called the 'Gallifrey Academy Hot Five,' where Theta played the lead perigosto stick and Koschei played the drums.

Amidst all their studies and mischief, the two made a pact to one day explore every star in the universe together. Cue the sad violin music. 🎻

🎓 Graduation

As they approached graduation, the differences in their outlooks became more obvious. Koschei saw himself as destined for greatness, driven by a desire to control and shape the universe. Theta, in contrast, was more of a dreamer, fascinated by the beauty and mystery of the universe rather than its domination. Their friendship began to fracture after an incident where Koschei broke a promise, leading Theta to realise that their paths were too different to remain friends.

According to some accounts, both Theta and Koschei graduated at around 236 years old, as part of 'The Class of the 4th Millennium' or 'the Class of '92'. While Theta supposedly passed his Time Lord qualifying exams with the lowest possible passing grade—51%—other stories suggest he was expelled before he could graduate due to his political views.

🚀 Beyond Graduation

Some accounts suggest Koschei stayed on at the Academy to get another degree, while others say he went into teaching for a while, or maybe something else. Theta, meanwhile, might have worked a few jobs before he took a TARDIS and left, depending on who you ask.

Related:

💬|🧸🏫What are young Gallifreyans/Time Tots taught?: Detailing what the kids of Gallifrey are taught.

💬|🧸🏫How do grade levels work in Gallifreyan schooling?: How the Gallifreyan education system works.

💬|🏡👪What does a traditional family/House dynamic look like?: Houses and their internal structures.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[bella-atz]

welcome!

✩ timeline: after pirate king era

✩ summary: bella and ateez meet for the very first time.

A petite and delicate seventeen-year-old trainee dressed in cozy clothing strides her legs to a place she calls her “Second Home.”

Every day, Bella would spend most of her afternoons and nights in the KQ Entertainment building. Plus, she does her schoolwork and studies in the practice room to manage time and her rest. At some point in life, Bella’s family was concerned about her choosing this pathway. Despite admitting the challenges to her loved ones and the hardships of becoming an idol, Bella kept going. She doesn’t know how long it’ll take or where she’ll end up, but she hopes for the best. 

KQ Entertainment is a peculiar place, according to Bella. It originally was a marketing business that turned into a record label. They successfully accepted plentiful artists who have been in the industry for years. Not to mention, KQ recruited eight boys and created their first group. Now, they are rising stars. 

ATEEZ has been getting the world’s attention like magic sparked into people’s lives. 

Unfortunately, Bella wasn’t as close to the group. She had seen their faces and their stellar talent but never knew them personally. However, it’s all going to change. Two months after ATEEZ’s debut, the group will be welcoming someone. 

Bella attended a meeting with KQ’s big boss and had a long discussion that would impact the company and the K-pop industry. The boss allowed her to debut with ATEEZ. Of course, Bella was baffled for a lot of reasons. In other words, she wasn’t sure if it was safe. Having only one girl is going to raise eyebrows for many. However, to Bella’s surprise, from what the boss told her, all eight agreed to have her be part of ATEEZ.

So, today, she’ll be seeing the guys.

Once she says hello and bowing to the workers, Bella can feel her nerves running wild. Before arriving, the teenager keeps questioning if they will like her or think she is awkward and strange. Bella has to eventually develop communication skills because it’s a tough world to survive. The girl enters the elevator to take deep breaths and relax. 

Good thing she is a formal person. It’s not that Bella finds herself to be dull. She was raised in a household with manners and being immaculate. Most importantly, she doesn’t want to make a fool of herself. 

As Bella exits the elevator, she heads to the practice room. “Hm. Maybe I’m too early.” The girl figured because she noticed the darkness from the outside. Her hand grabs the knob to open the door. She switched on the lights to have the room bright as day. Instantly, eight handsome, cute, and beautifully bared-faced guys in warm outfits yell at the top of their lungs. 

“WELCOME TO ATEEZ BELLA!”

Lost for words, the girl has her eyes widened owlishly and mouth gaping. The guys couldn’t contain their laughter at her adorably shocked reaction. Bella can see they all have party hats on, decorations layered in the room, and a snack table with a delicious cake. 

“Hyung, I think we broke her,” Wooyoung whispered to Hongjoong. 

“Ouch!” 

The captain smacks the boy, who is pouting like a hurt child. 

Hongjoong clears his throat and goes up to Bella. “Sorry that we scared you. We didn’t know a better way to make a surprise.” He apologizes so politely. Bella shakes her head. “N-No! You didn’t! I thought it was going to be simple and formal.” Her expectations are the complete opposite. 

The guys glanced at each other and started chuckling. It takes them back to when everyone got together, one by one. Most of them had friendly attitudes, but they soon learned they weren’t normal. In a good way, to not be mistaken.

San comes forward with a big, bright smile and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “We thought it would be too lame to do the typical greetings. So, why not throw a party? Also, it’s okay to drop the formalities because we’re family here.” The young man with cute, deep dimples tries to convince Bella that she doesn’t need to shy away from her true colors. 

Bella looks at their sweet smiles. The atmosphere has become fuzzy and warm. She is also feeling a bit emotional. Bella breathed, “Okay, I’ll try to be myself.” She said. All of them cheered. Soon enough, she and the guys form a circle on the floor to talk about themselves, like an ice-breaker. 

“So, what is your position in ATEEZ, Bella?” Yeosang asked the girl.

Not just him, but the rest are curious to know. Bella responded, “Our boss put me as lead vocalist and maknae. I’ve been singing since I was very little and I am thankful that my appa introduced me to K-pop.” She tells them a piece of her background. 

“Ooo~ vocal buddies~” Wooyoung playfully nudges Jongho. The now second youngest shyly smiles. Bella and the others laugh at him merrily. 

“Wait, maknae? How old are you?” San was so straightforward that it kind of surprised the members. Though Bella didn’t mind answering. “I’m 17.” 

At once, they gasped at their new maknae. She is a baby! Their baby!

When getting done with the introductions, Bella can see that everyone has a unique personality. But overall, they are super kind and caring. She witnessed them helping each other give out food because she and all of them were starving. Bella predicts she’ll have the time of her life in ATEEZ.

“Oh! Bella, look what we got for you!” Yunho exclaimed happily.

He and Mingi pulled her arms to drag her to the snack table. They showed her a cutely baked cake of My Melody. “For me?” Bella questions the two. 

Mingi nods earnestly. “Yep! We actually made it, and if it’s not good, then it’s okay to get upset.” He is so blunt that Bella starts laughing. Her laugh is so mellifluous that the guys thought an angel from heaven graced their ears. 

She shakes her head. “I’m sure it’s tasty! Thank you so much!” The new member of ATEEZ sincerely appreciates the whole lovely celebration.

[thestarserpent]

Cyfel

For its last expedition, the veteran starship IEV Crucible jumped into the orbit of a red giant, at a considerable distance away, which had deterred a full survey for a century even as surrounding stars were charted. On the edge of the system is an enormous sub-brown dwarf, hosting 5 major moons. As a swan song for the interstellar exploratory vessel's long service, the giant star was redesignated as Crucible and the sub-brown dwarf as Crucible Minor, later known as Cyfel.

There were 2 reasons behind this expedition and subsequent colonization: the discovery of possible rare mineral deposits in the system and as a new navigational nexus node. 3 of the 5 moons got settled: Wendell's Gold, New Ganymede, and Mirador. The first being a major mining colony, the second home to large urban development, and the last serving as an important port of call.

The resources brought from the Colonies of the Cyfellian Moons fueled the construction of 2 hypergates in the neighboring Adonis system, while its FTL beacons created a shortcut to the Ocaso (now Pixia) colony, which was especially pertinent following the Lost Flotilla. Fortune would change with the crippling Great Blackout. The following decades would continue to be difficult as shifting circumstances caused the Crucible system to lose relevance. Worker strikes, especially on Wendell's Gold, became increasingly common and longer over poor working conditions and the ailing economy, before quickly encompassing other issues.

When war came, the secessionist forces of the Independent Worlds Concord took control of the Cyfellian Moons in an almost bloodless simultaneous coup and conquest. The general population was apathetic to the occupation and similarly so to its eventual recapture by Earth forces led by the Strategic Coalition of Allied States in one of the most significant engagements of the Secessionist War, the decisive Battle of Mirador.

In the aftermath, the Crucible system gained a new importance, its location as a gateway crossing the Treaty Line. Being of such strategic value to the reformed Stellar Confederate Union, investment flowed in, a large portion of which was military aid going towards building up the system as a fortress, centered around the expanded joint-use station of Port Rubidea. To ensure its continued membership, near-total self-governing power is given to the newly established government of the United Cyfellian Moons.

Numerous challenges still persist within the UCM: a weak domestic economy, a fragile government built on compromises and concessions, a precarious military situation, a divisive political environment over the nation's position in geopolitics, and a general concern over whether the Cyfellian Moons can hold themselves together as one. The balance of power in Colonized Space and the stability of the Treaty Line hinge on a few star systems. Crucible is one of them.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Astronomer finds gas giant exoplanets formed earlier than previously thought

New study upends conventional planet formation models

A fresh look at past data reveals that exoplanets with masses similar to Jupiter formed much sooner than previously thought, according to new research. 

The Ohio State University study’s results provide new information about the timing of  accretion – the process of accumulating a large amount of gas as well as solid particles that are rich in carbon and oxygen to make large planets, like Jupiter.

Planets are formed from protoplanetary disks, spinning clouds of dust and gas that are the perfect ingredients for planet formation. This new study suggests the accretion takes place early, when disks are massive and much younger than researchers previously believed.

While the number of newly confirmed exoplanets has continued to grow, the origins of these worlds and the factors that impact their formation is a puzzle scientists are still aiming to solve. Jupiter-like exoplanets, for instance, were initially thought to take nearly 3 to 5 million years to fully form; recent observations now suggest that for a gas giant like Jupiter, this process is likely closer to about 1 to 2 million years. 

This discovery challenges researchers’ existing theories regarding at what “age” of the protoplanetary disks these planets were formed, said Ji Wang, author of the study and an assistant professor in astronomy at Ohio State. The results could lead scientists to re-evaluate and revamp their theories of planet formation for the solar system and elsewhere. 

“Everything we know about exoplanets can be put in the context of the solar system and vice versa,” said Wang. “Usually planet formation is a bottom-up scheme, meaning it starts with small objects that build up to form a bigger planet, but that way takes time.”

Though exoplanets refer to planetary objects that orbit far beyond the confines of our solar system, understanding more about how they form could help researchers gain more insight into the evolution of the solar system and early Earth, whose formation was much later than Jupiter’s, but was still greatly impacted by it.

The “‘bottom-up” interpretation of planetary formation is called the “core accretion theory,” but another possible formation mechanism is when planets are formed through gravitational instability – when the clumps in a disk around a star are too massive to support themselves and collapse to form planets. Because a planet’s accretion history could be closely linked to these two compelling yet complementary formation mechanisms of evolution, Wang said, it’s important to determine which process is more often the case. 

The study was recently published in The Astrophysical Journal.

The study analyzed a sample of seven gas giant exoplanets whose stellar and planetary chemical properties had already been directly measured by previous studies and compared them to data on the gas giants in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn.

Wang showed that the early formation of these exoplanets is consistent with recent evidence that Jupiter formed much earlier than previously thought. This finding is based on the surprisingly high amount of solids these exoplanets accreted.  

All the materials accreted at the beginning of a planet’s formation increase the metallicity of its atmosphere, and by observing the traces they leave behind, researchers are able to measure the amount of solids the planet once gathered. 

The higher the metallicity, the more solids and metals – anything on the periodic table more massive than hydrogen and helium – scientists can assume were accreted during the formation process, said Wang. 

“We can infer that on average, every one of the five planets sampled accreted the equivalent of 50 Earth masses worth of solids,” he said. “Such a large amount of solids can only be found when a system is younger than 2 million years, but in our solar system, the total solids available is only on the order of 30 to 50 Earth masses worth.” 

This new data implies that the building blocks used to form the exoplanets were available at an earlier stage of the protoplanetary disk’s evolution than once expected and their availability of these building blocks greatly decreased over a span of millions of years. Because scientists usually don’t expect to find proof that planets formed that early, it’s a finding that current theories will likely struggle to reconcile, Wang said. 

“These exoplanets formed so early that there was still a large reservoir of metals available,” said Wang. “This is something that the scientific community was not fully prepared for so now they’ll have to scramble to come up with new theories to explain it.” 

Because gas giants pull in huge amounts of matter during accretion, their formation and migration through space also affects the development of rocky planets elsewhere in a protoplanetary disk. In the solar system, this phenomenon is believed to have caused Jupiter and Saturn to push Mercury out of its original orbit, and caused Mars to become much smaller than the Earth or Venus. 

That said, to aid astronomers looking to do similar planetary formation analyses in the future, the work also provides a statistical framework for inferring the total mass of solid accretion for any other exoplanet, which the study notes can be an ideal tool for investigating other kinds of complex elemental data as well. 

And while this research relied purely on archival data, Wang expects his work to be further complemented with new high-resolution data collected by better instruments, such as more powerful ground-based astronomical observatories or next-generation technologies like the James Webb Space Telescope. 

“By expanding this work with a larger sample of exoplanets, we hope to see the trend of evidence found in this paper continue to hold,” said Wang. 

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation. 

[vincentstlouis]

Elementia

Two December’s ago, I was listening to a podcast of a sermon, delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Community of Charlotte, North Carolina. The speaker was talking about the wonder of the Universe, and how she shared a passion for all things Space with her daughter. She shared that her daughter once asked her, “Why don’t we celebrate a birthday for the Universe?”

“That’s a good question.” She responded, a proceeded to share how they had thrown an impromptu birthday party for the Solar System.

Well, that definitely got me thinking. It is no secret to anyone who knows me that Space has always fascinated me. Born in my own personal stellar nursery fueled by a dedicated membership to National Geographic, a fidelity to Star Wars and Star Trek, and the simple past time of just looking up at the night’s sky, I hold the strong conviction that the Universe is meant to be known, meant to be shared, and meant to be celebrated.

Therefore, the mere idea that the Universe should have its own birthday resonated like a Big Bang for me. After all, I love holidays, ALL holidays. Life can be hard, and redundant, and boring. I joke all the time that I could never be a Jehovah Witness. Every single day being exactly the same, forever. If there is a Hell, that sure sounds like it. Yes, I go after every holiday with a Clark Griswald passion. Of course Halloween and Christmas hold twin Sentinel status in the pantheon of yearly celebrations, but I’m also the one ready to throw-down for Cinco de Mayo, the Indian Autumn Festival of Lights known as Diwali, or the pageantry of German Reunification Day which now is the culmination of the Annual Oktoberfest. My son once came home extremely upset that his classmates had never heard (or celebrated for that fact) Mardi Gras. His own teacher told him it “wasn’t a real holiday”, which he no doubt passionately challenged in his knowledge that his father had taken off work and was probably at that moment boiling crawfish and sautéing shrimp for jambalaya as he filled the house with Second-Line Jazz.

When President Biden solidified Juneteenth into the Federal Holidays, he of course was behind the times for my household. Columbus Day rebranded as Indigenous People’s Day? Sounds great! Indigenous People deserve to be celebrated, Columbus was a genocidal maniac, and we all know that we can celebrate the Italian contribution to the American Experience on the Italian Summer Holiday called Ferrogosto on August 14th. So I digress, I love holidays, I am always eager to embrace new holidays, especially ones with deep spiritual significance. And what holds more deeper spiritual significance to the human experience than the Universe from where we are born?

As Carl Sagan so eloquently put in the opening of his timeless masterpiece “Cosmos”, “The cosmos is all there is, all there ever was, and all there ever will be.” All of us carry within ourselves the remnants of stars forged at the birth of our Universe, trillions of years ago. Without the precious balance of elements, the synchronicities of planetary orbits and molecular compositions we would not exist. Our galaxy is one of millions born, and one of trillions unborn. Our sun, one of millions forged in a stellar nursery, our Earth one of millions of pieces of rock spawned from cosmic collisions—-most of which burned away untold eons ago, but ours persisted to become our island home. The sperm that made you, the only one of millions to hit the mark, the others dying away in the chaos that permeates the fabric of existence.

We live in a time of increasing scientific ignorance. The rise of far-right extremism has an unfortunate parasitic companion, that of anti-intellectualism and science-denial. This is in turn fueled by a Anthropocentric ethic born out of a certain strain of Fundamentalist belief in Abrahamic traditions.

Despite the fact that engineers who build vast highways have been factoring in the curvature of the Earth for their measurements for centuries, the belief in a Flat Earth is on the rise. Despite the fact that if you tune any radio or television in between stations and get a giant burst of static—-literally the cosmic radiation from the Big Bang hitting our atmosphere—The so called Mom’s For Liberty continue to push for the teaching of the pseudo-science of Intelligent Design. Despite overwhelming fossil evidence and geological data to refute any idea of a global flood, Ken Hamm’s Ark Encounter Museum in Kentucky gets about a million visitors a year.

One would perhaps want to throw up their hands and say, “Oh what’s it hurting for people to believe what they want?” Well, I’m sorry to say, it hurts a lot. First of all, the idea that a certain segment of the population holds an absolute truth while the rest is either ignorant or an active enemy of that truth creates an Othering, and Othering leads to racial strife, war, class struggles, etc. Also, the idea that this Earth is a disposable temporary home, and one day we will all be taken up into a new plane of existence in some Day of Judgment is already causing profound negative effects to society.

The Abrahamic expectation of imminent divine judgment, wrapped up in those institutions embracing of Capitalism, leads to inaction when it comes to disease, famine, war, and environmental catastrophe. The idea that our rights are endowed by a Creator and are not contrived by the collective consent of the people, leads the hyper individualism that cost lives during a Pandemic, continues global hunger, and fuels the sense of disinterest and skepticism in regards to the greatest existential threat facing humanity: Climate Collapse.

“Why should we act on Climate Change when Jesus is gonna take us up on the last day?” This was said to me once by a Conservative Christian, as a result of a long conversation about why this person didn’t Recycle?! RECYCLE?! In 2025?! The same person also questioned me, in regards to my stated disbelief in Hell (due to the lack of Biblical evidence may I add) by saying, “Well what if you’re wrong?”, insinuating it would be better to avoid burning for eternity by just believing in something there is no evidence for.

My answer to that question doesn’t matter in the context of this writing. However, this is a question I could flip on them when it comes to scientific animosity and ignorance so prevalent in these communities. The fact is that there is uncountable evidence for a round Earth, a Big Bang, and Climate Change. Most is right in front of your face. The fact also remains that the evidence for a Flat Earth, a Rapture, and an afterlife, is pretty much non-existent. So what if you’re wrong?

If you’re right, so what. We made the Earth a better place by avoiding Climate Collapse, and toppling the systems of oppression that hold us back from the great commandments of the Prophets of Scripture, including Christ himself. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, tend to the sick. In order to fulfill this mission, the straightest arrow in the quiver, would have to be science. Rapid data collection, the sharing of resources, the ability to distribute goods to all who need them isn’t a far flung Star Trek Utopia, it is technology we possess right here in this moment. In the words of Jacque Fresco: “If we look at things scientifically, there is more than enough food and material goods on Earth to take care of all people's needs - if managed correctly.”

In my Episcopalian upbringing, I remember the solemn celebration of Ash Wednesday. The palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration was burned in fire and the ashes of which used to mark the congregants’ heads in a visible symbol of repentance, and a symbolic gesture that the old sinful self dies and returns to dust.

“Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6.

The Priest would impose the ashes in the sign of a cross on my forehead and say, “Remember you are but dust, and to dust you shall return”.

What an extremely powerful reminder that time if fleeting, we are mere mortals who will die, and as you look around a see your fellow congregants all being marked with the ashes, it is hard not to notice that we are all equally marked, all equally dust, all equally will die, regardless of race, creed or class.

Well this earth is fleeting. This galaxy will one day die, this Universe will one day be no more. Every Universe is equally marked with this fate, regardless of how big or impressive or spectacular it may be. Regardless of the fact that within it there’s small blue planet, orbiting a medium sized star, and on this planet is every person who has ever lived or will ever live. All of our art, music, culture, history, hate, war, causes…whatever. It will all be burned away in the cosmic chaos that holds up the fabric of existence.

But you are here now. In this moment. And this moment is all we have. So celebrate the Universe, it’s all we got. Look up. Wonder. Learn. And remember that you are but stardust, and to stardust you will return.

Happy Elementia

PS: I would like to credit my wife Hollie for the name “Elementia”. When we were trying to come up with names for the holiday, she came up with it and we all fell in love with it. We chose January 11th for the celebration of the holiday. It’s as good of a day as any other.

[badbatchposts]

Quiet Corners of the Galaxy, Ch. 17

Fic Teaser: While on a routine mission for Cid, the Bad Batch encounter a woman fleeing from the Empire. Crosshair suspects her seemingly free-spirited, nomadic existence is actually a cover for something else, but struggles to keep his attraction toward her in check as their personalities and ideals clash.

Relevant tags/content warnings: Crosshair/Original Female Character, Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Periodic Smut, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use

Author's note: I have to give an enormous shout-out to @cloneflo99 for not only letting me bounce ideas off of her for this chapter, but helping me get over some writer's block by giving me stellar comments on a draft and even creating this very cool banner for the fic! THANK YOU FRIEND!!!

Read the full fic so far on AO3

Read previous chapters on Tumblr: Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l Ch. 6 l Ch. 7 l Ch. 8 l Ch. 9 l Ch. 10 l Ch. 11 l Ch. 12 l Ch. 13 l Ch. 14 l Ch. 15 l Ch. 16

Chapter 17 summary: The Batch and an increasingly restless Dara meet up with Rex and Howzer.

It hadn’t occurred to Crosshair that meeting with Rex meant that they were not just exposing the clone network to Dara, but also exposing her to them. As a result, he was thoroughly unprepared for how high Howzer’s eyebrows shot up when he saw her descending from the Marauder. He caught the clone captain giving her what was surely meant to be a surreptitious once-over while Rex was busy clasping forearms with Hunter and Echo, and wasted no time in angling himself to glare protectively over Dara’s shoulder in a silent challenge.

Howzer’s casual interest in the woman accompanying the Batch was a stark contrast to the way his gaze hardened when he glanced toward Crosshair. While they managed to keep things civil, Howzer had never fully forgiven him for Ryloth—and to be honest, Crosshair didn’t blame him. He didn’t much deserve to be forgiven.

Wrecker interrupted them before their staring match could escalate, barreling to the front of the group to draw Rex and Howzer into a bone-crushing hug that both captains protested against weakly.

“Been a good while since we saw you two! How’s things? Where’s my pal Gregor? I was hoping he’d be cooking tonight!” Wrecker exclaimed, before having mercy and releasing the pair.

Rex grinned, always much happier to be subjected to the bigger man’s affections than his discontents. “Just finishing up a quick mission—he’ll be back in a few hours. So…” He eyed Dara with curiosity. “Who’s your newest member?”

“Oh—oh yeah!” Wrecker wrapped a beefy arm around Dara, dragging her forward for introductions. She clutched at him for a moment before catching her balance with a look of vague amusement. “Dara’s a stray we picked up on one of our jobs!” He looked around conspiratorially and made eye contact with Crosshair, mischief glinting in his good eye. “You’ll never believe this, but Crosshair rescued her,” he explained in an exaggerated stage whisper.

The sniper rolled his eyes. “Only for you to nearly manhandle her to death every chance you get, apparently,” he complained, eyeing his brother—who still had his arm around Dara—with a touch of resentment.

Wrecker ignored him, still gleeful. “Anyway! Dara, meet Captains Rex and Howzer.”

“Ma’am,” Rex nodded toward her respectfully, though his eyes lingered searchingly on the woman’s face for a long moment. Crosshair knew that Rex was familiar with their suspicions about Dara, and he wondered whether the Captain thought he’d be able to read her secrets there.

Howzer reached a hand out to shake Dara’s, grasping it warmly. “Miss,” he murmured, with a charming smile.

“Dara, please,” she insisted, returning the smile. “Nice to meet you both.”

Rex gestured over his shoulder at the building behind him. “Let’s head on inside and catch up for a bit.”

They had landed the Marauder next to Rex’s ship, which was parked by a small cluster of squat, abandoned warehouses. They were the only buildings nearby, surrounded by endless kilometers of orange scrublands. Skinny, red, six-legged lizards the length of a forearm darted between the clumps of vegetation and climbed the walls of the building.

“They are harmless, so long as you do not attempt to eat them,” Tech informed the group helpfully as they followed Rex and Howzer inside.

“Wasn’t planning on it, Tech,” Hunter reassured him, eyeing the creatures with distaste.

The warehouse was dusty and bare, apart from a low table boasting a holoprojector and circle of crates. Dara leaned against the wall with her arms crossed as the men situated themselves around the table. Crosshair frowned as he glanced up at her. He had thought she seemed antsy on their approach to the planet, fidgeting uncharacteristically and unable to sit still. Even now her eyes were darting about the warehouse while her fingers tapped restlessly against her biceps.

Rex gave the woman an apologetic grimace from across the room as he booted up the holoprojector. “Sorry, Dara, but do you mind…?”

Dara stilled, then nodded. “Got it. Clone business. Just let me know if I can be of help.” She gave the group a small smile which didn’t quite meet her eyes before striding back out the way they had come.

Crosshair leaned over toward Hunter, still staring resolutely at the doorway where she had disappeared. “Does she seem…agitated to you?” he murmured.

“Mm-hmm,” his brother confirmed. “Heartbeat’s elevated, smells stressed.” Hunter raised an eyebrow and nodded his head toward the exit. “Why don’t you go and keep an eye on her?”

Crosshair glanced toward Rex, who nodded in approval, before following Dara. When he stepped outside he found the surrounding area surprisingly empty; she had moved off quickly. He rounded the corner of the building, looking for a ladder that would give him roof access for a better vantage point to locate her, and peeked up once he found one, only to spy a familiar pair of boots dangling over the edge above him.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Dara grumbled as he hauled himself up onto the roof. She had pulled a length of leather cord from her pack and was distracting her restless fingers by weaving a new project, eyes occupied with scanning the horizon.

“No?” Crosshair sneered. He sat down on the opposite side of the ladder, letting his own legs dangle over the edge of the roof as well. He pulled out his rifle to follow her gaze with his scope. “Then what has you so worked up?”

Dara’s shoulders stiffened, and she pursed her lips at him. “I’m just bored. Hard to keep busy when you boys don’t want my help.”

The sniper hummed noncommittally. There was nothing in the distance that he could identify, and he wondered what was drawing Dara’s attention.

“What planet is this?” she asked suddenly.

He lowered his rifle and turned to her, raising an eyebrow. She had stopped her restless scanning and was now watching him instead, her expression betraying only a vague curiosity.

Crosshair scoffed. “What’s it matter to you?”

Dara shrugged and looked out towards the scrublands again, though now her eyes roamed at a more leisurely pace, taking in the landscape with an easy interest. “It’s quiet. Pretty. Figure maybe I’ll stay here for a bit when I get my ship back.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be naïve, burk’yc. You’re not getting your ship back. If the Empire hasn’t impounded it, then scrappers have pulled it apart by now.” Crosshair almost immediately regretted the cruel comment when a pained expression crossed Dara’s face, though the hurt was quickly replaced with a glare.

“That ship is my home,” she snapped. “Eventually I’ll have to go back, at least to know for sure. I don’t have anywhere else to go. I’d think you would understand.” She gestured meaningfully in the direction of the Marauder.

Crosshair considered her thoughtfully. She was only partially correct; yes, the ship had been a home for them that Kamino never had, and thinking about what they would do if it were lost made him squeamish. That wasn’t to say that he was sentimental—but cynical though he was, he supposed he could understand the impulse to hope that her ship wasn’t simply gone forever.  

Still, what she didn’t know was that, even if they lost the Marauder, they would have Pabu. Even though the island was almost too bright, too friendly for his taste, it had made all the difference for them to have a place to lay low, a home base that wasn’t just stable, but safe for Omega. She deserved a place out of harm’s way, a chance at a normal childhood, and Crosshair knew that any of the Batch—himself included—would trade the Marauder any day to protect that for her. And even without the Marauder, even without Pabu, they would have each other—their squad; their family—which was a fact that, after all his time away from them, he more than anyone could appreciate.

As far as he could tell, Dara didn’t have anywhere, or anyone, like that. Her ship meant even more to her than the Marauder did to them.

Her hands stilled suddenly, and her hair flashed in the afternoon light as a movement out in the scrubland grabbed her attention; a flock of white birds, moving in shimmering sync, had suddenly taken flight. Crosshair glanced through his scope, quickly locating the source of the disturbance.

He plucked a toothpick out and popped it into the corner of his mouth. “They were just scared off by a tooka,” he drawled. “You’re jumpy.”

“I’m not jumpy,” Dara protested. The sniper simply raised an eyebrow in challenge, his lips curling into a smirk, and she rolled her eyes in response. “Okay, maybe I’m a little restless today,” she conceded. “I don’t usually stay in one… situation… long. I’m starting to think… it might be time for me to move on.”

Crosshair felt his mouth downturn almost instinctively before he schooled his face into a more passive expression. Still, he couldn’t stop the low, swooping feeling that had suddenly invaded his chest. Not since the villa heist had he seriously considered the possibility of Dara leaving; while he still doubted that she was telling the truth, over time he had gotten used to her presence. And now that the idea was staring him in the face, he found that he no longer wanted her to go.

He was quiet, watching her. Suppressing the desire to protest, to ask her to stay.

Dara quirked an eyebrow. She closed the gap between them for a moment to bump her shoulder gently against his. “What? Thought you’d be happy to get rid of me.”

He chewed on his toothpick and contemplated the horizon. “What will you do if your ship is gone?” he probed, trying to sound nonchalant. “Would you…want to find someplace—someplace nice, safe like this—permanently?” She would like it on Pabu, he thought. He could even picture her, sitting beneath the weeping maya tree, chatting with the islanders, watching the waves roll in while she wove her crafts and drank her tea.

If she decided to leave, then maybe, at least, they could tell her. Maybe she’d even want to go back with them. If he brought it up to the others, he thought Hunter would consider it.

Dara didn’t respond immediately, thinking the idea over, maybe. Crosshair opened his mouth again, hesitated—

“Crosshair!” A familiar voice called from the foot of the ladder. Both of them leaned over the edge, past their dangling feet, and spotted Howzer looking up at them. “You’re needed,” the clone informed him.

Crosshair sighed and flicked his toothpick off the edge of the roof, landing it in directly in Howzer’s hair, who plucked it out and smoothed his graying locks with a scowl. Wordlessly, the sniper descended. Behind him, Dara stepped off the ladder, helped the final few feet by Howzer’s gallantly outstretched hand.

“So, Howzer,” Crosshair heard her ask as he strode away. “Do you have any interesting war stories for me? Where were you stationed?”

“Oh, plenty of stories. I supported General Syndulla on Ryloth, miss.” Howzer’s voice was effortlessly friendly, respectful but engaging.

“Ryloth! I visited there for a few months before the war started. Is the central market square on Lessu still…”

Crosshair felt a twinge of annoyance as he stalked around the corner toward the entrance to the warehouse, leaving the pair conversing amiably. He had a strong suspicion that, if he had offered Dara his hand at the bottom of the ladder, she would have rolled her eyes and pointedly ignored it. And that didn’t bother him—no, what bothered him was that she accepted it from Howzer. In fact, she would have accepted it from anyone else—except him. She was agreeable, friendly, charming, for anyone besides him. For weeks now she had been with the Batch day and night, and still she was hiding who she was—the venom, the snark, the determined competence. The grief.

Howzer could talk to her for hours, and he wouldn’t know her. Not like Crosshair did.

He wasn’t sure what about that bothered him so much.

Back inside, Crosshair tried to keep Dara out of his mind for the moment as the others caught him up on Rex’s briefing—something about a group of missing clones they were trying to track down. Almost automatically, he contributed what he knew about the Empire’s policies on clone prisoners, highlighting a few facilities they could have been taken to or held at.

“We’ll have to reach out to some other sources to try to locate them,” Rex reflected thoughtfully. “Maybe do some recon once we get the intel in. I wonder if you boys would mind coming to help out—we’re spread a little thin at the moment.”

Hunter glanced carefully at the rest of his squad, trying to assess their thoughts on the subject. “I dunno, Rex,” he hesitated. “We’ve been away from Omega for too long as it is.”

The Captain nodded. “I understand. Still—maybe you could take some time to think about it while you do one last favor for me? Gregor should be arriving soon with some supplies he scavenged from a decommissioned Republic facility. We were hoping Cid would be able to offload what we don’t need for some extra credits. You mind doing a drop-off and swinging by base with the credits?”

“That we can do,” Hunter agreed. “We’ll just head back to the Marauder for a bit—gotta check in with the kid.”

Rex grinned. “Sure thing. Tell the boss I said hi while you’re at it,” he called after them as they filed out toward the ship.

***

“That went well,” Crosshair drawled when they turned off the holocomm half an hour later. Tech and Echo rolled their eyes, and Wrecker gave him a shove. Hunter just sighed.

While Omega had been happy, at first, to see them and hear news of Rex, the idea that they would be delaying their return even further was received poorly, to put it mildly. She had treated them to much huffing after they said that it would be at least a few days longer for them to pass by Ord Mantell and then Rex’s base.

Then the huffing had escalated to arguments and scowling when Hunter had mentioned that Rex had asked them to help with a mission, even though—he asserted—they hadn’t committed to it. Omega insisted that they should help search for the missing clones, but—of course—wanted them to return for her before joining Rex at his base. They had ended the conversation with Hunter reassuring her that they would come back to Pabu soon, and that they would check in again after they completed the exchange for Rex, and could discuss whether or not to take the mission then.

“Omega has always had strong opinions, especially about not wanting to be separated from the squad,” Tech observed. “Although recently she has been asserting some independence, she is also advancing further into her adolescence which means we are likely to be treated to, let us say…even stronger opinions.”

Wrecker laughed. “Just say you mean arguments, Tech.”

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose. “We have another problem. What do we do with Dara?”

Crosshair crossed his arms and scowled. “What do you mean?”

“He means, do we trust her enough to bring her to Rex’s base, or do we leave her on Ord Mantell?” Echo pointed out, gesturing vaguely with his scomp.

Hunter looked pointedly at Crosshair. “It’s a risk. You’ve always been the most skeptical of her—so what do you think?”

The sniper hesitated, chewing on his toothpick thoughtfully. He reflected on all his suspicions of the past few weeks and her easy explanations, his certainty that she was putting on an act. And then he thought about how, for a moment this afternoon, he had been seriously considering telling her about Pabu, just because he didn’t want her to leave.

Crosshair gritted his teeth. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I trust her.”

He was rescued from having to deal with his brother’s reactions to this change of heart by the beeping of the proximity alert on the Marauder’s console, indicating a ship was soon to land nearby.

“That’ll be Gregor,” Echo remarked. “We’d better get Rex.”

They found the Captain outside the Marauder, already aware of Gregor’s imminent arrival. “Anybody know Howzer’s whereabouts?” Rex wondered.

“I’ll get him,” Crosshair replied. He made his way back toward the warehouse, wondering if he could still pick up his conversation with Dara where they had left off—he still wanted to gauge her thoughts on what she would do without her ship. If, maybe, restless though she seemed, she might be interested in an island on a quiet planet with too much sun and too friendly neighbors.

Then he turned the corner and saw them.

Dara was perched on the edge of a crate, Howzer standing close in front of her. His hands cradled either side of her face, holding her gently, deepening their kiss, while her arms were strewn over his shoulders. The kiss wasn’t quite intense enough to be passionate, their bodies still holding space between them—for now.

Kriff, Crosshair thought.

Next chapter

Tag list: @stardusthuntress @skellymom @megmegalodondon @somewhere-on-kamino

[crusherthedoctor]

Not anon, hope you don't mind :P

I always admired your conviction to your beliefs. You hold onto your opinions, but you express them in a calm, clear way that makes me consider my own as well. It's not something to underestimate.

I think you're a great writer - you hooked me with BTS and I know Stellar will be even better with more experience! You have a vivid imagination, a way with words I can only envy, a keen understanding of every character (I really enjoyed your take on the Sonic and Amy dynamic you showed in one of the early chapters, and that one is so easy to mess up), and of course. Trudy best girl :3

And you're a caring, loving friend, and I can't thank you enough and I hope to match your energy <3

You don't need to match anyone's energy: you're already incredible in your own distinctive way. :)

It's a bit childish, but in an age where hour-long essays are all the rage (which applies double for SonicTubers...), I sometimes fear that people might perceive me as the dumbass of our group circle because of how laconic a lot of my posts tend to be by comparison - the right time and mental energy for me to write up a longer one on a whim, including stuff like Sweet or Shite, tends to be randomized, and I also hate repeating myself too often as it is cause I don't like to be redundant - so I'm glad I manage to pull through by being concise and without sacrificing the core points of what I say. ^^

I'm still very relieved that my take on Sonic and Amy's dynamic is not terrible lol. As you can imagine, Amy has been one of the most challenging factors to account for when writing Sonic and Trudy's building relationship, but even despite my current... *vague gestures* ...thoughts on her good-to-bad portrayal ratio across the franchise, I refuse to throw my hands in the air and turn Amy into a mid-2000s yandere. That's not fair on her, and it wouldn't make sense for Sonic or Trudy either since they both like and respect her. (Hell, one of Trudy's reasons for initially hesitating to speak up on her growing fee-fees is because she knows about Amy's crush, and doesn't want to risk creating an Archie soap drama upsetting her friend.)

Besides, I'm not one to insert pointless conflict for pointless conflict's sake anyway. I don't need to have a scene where Amy the Sheep throws Trudy the Wolf on the ground, or a scene where Sonic and Shadow argue at length over nothing, because Eggman and his #1 simp are right there.

[piastrixpole]

iv. jeddah

pairing: logan sargeant x fem!oc (daisy shaw)

genre: written

based on the 2023 season

prev/ masterlist/ next

twitter!

🚨 Exciting news! 🚨 We're thrilled to announce that Daisy Shaw will be hitting the track for qualifying in Jeddah today! 🏁Shaw has made a speedy recovery after an incident with Sargeant in FP2 and is geared up to take on the challenging circuit today. Let's show her some support as she returns to the track💪 #F1 #JeddahGP #DaisyShaw

There was an energy like no other pulsating through the stands around the track. The streets of Jeddah were lit up so brightly that Daisy didn't know where to look without getting blinded by the artificial yet vibrant spectacle.

Qualifying kicked off with a bang. Daisy's team had come together once she had been confirmed to drive and they had strategised for Daisy to not go all out. To simply do the bare minimum while still ensuring that she made it into Q2 and then she could start getting more competitive as she progressed further into the session.

So she approached the session with caution, fully aware of the lingering pain from yesterday's crash and the fact that she wasn't in peak physical condition. The focus was on finding thr right balance between delivering the best performance for the team and preserving her physical state.

Each lap she ramped up her pace. Steadily building a momentum as she worked her way around the circuit. Lap after lap she noticed progress being made but the exertion continued to wear her down.

"Currently you're sitting in P8 Daisy, the teams happy for you to bring it back in."

"Copy that," Daisy did as she was instructed and headed back "Who's out?"

Anja paused before getting back to her "Both Williams, both Alpha Tauris, Bottas and Norris."

The extremely competitive part of her was glad to hear that Sargeant was already out. As toxic a mindset it may be, she knew that if their roles were reversed there'd immediately be reports and stories questioning her competency. The media had not been kind to her last year and the odds had been stacked against her - a female rookie in a new team who were just finding their footing on the grid. Daisy had essentially been a guinea pig for their development and also a major target of critics for this reason.

On the other hand though she did pity him. As a driver you are naturally grateful for your seat and the opportunity to drive in F1 in the first place but not all opportunities are equal. She couldn't imagine the high expectations and pressure to perform when driving a notoriously difficult Williams with very little experience. And she had to admit that not many drivers would accept culpability so quickly in a situation like that crash with their first priority being apologising for ruining the others lap time. It was admirable.

Moving into Q2 the intensity was ramped up. Daisy had to push even harder if she wanted to get a chance at fighting for a spot in the top 10. Embracing the mounting pressure she pushed the Porsche until it reached its limit. Every corner became a battle against the clock to improve her times and secure her place in Q3.It was a nail biting session, with the margins between success and failure razor thin. But Daisy rose to the challenge, putting in a stellar performance to clinch a spot in Q3.

"Looks like P9 Daisy but Hulkenberg is still out and 4 tenths off Gasly and 6 off you."

Daisy grimaced, the last thing she needed was to be knocked down by a Haas even if she was racing the day after a significant crash.

"Any good news?" she asked Anja tentatively.

"That's Hulk out," Anja answered seconds later "Good job Daisy, Q2 knockouts are Hulkenberg, Daniel, Zhou, Magnusson, Ocon and Verstappen."

What the actual fuck. A red bull out in Q2. The very bottom of the pack in Q2. Not just any red bull though, Max's. It would be slightly more believable if Anja had told her Checo had been knocked out because his qualifying could be shaky but no, it really was Max Verstappen starting at basically the bottom of the grid. She knew he'd probably find some way to win tomorrow still or at the very minimum get a podium with that rocketship of a car but it was still a small win.

"Sorry, Anja, am I going crazy or did you just say Verstappen is out?"

"No, you heard correctly Daisy, there was an incident with the driveshaft in his car which messed him up."

"Mint," Daisy tried not to sound enthusiastic "not for him obviously but hey more of a chance for the rest of us."

"I'm just as surprised as you are," Anja remarked "knowing him he'll probably fight his way back up the grid in the first few laps but right now lets just focus on getting you the best start for tomorrow."

As the final qualifying session, Q3,got underway, Daisy faced her toughest challenge yet. The pain from yesterday's crash still present, serving as a constant reminder of the risks inherent in her sport. Despite the discomfort, she remained focused on the task at hand, determined to make the most of her opportunity. With the adrenaline pumping and the stakes higher than ever, she pushed herself to the limit, extracting every ounce of performance from her car. Lap after lap, she teased the boundaries of her skill and endurance, refusing to let her physical condition hold her back. In the end, her efforts paid off, as she crossed the finish line with a time that earned her a hard-fought P10 on the grid. Under normal circumstances it wouldn't be a result that Daisy would be overly proud of but considering the circumstances she saw it as a win.

Anja quickly consulted her tablet, scanning the list of drivers and their respective positions. "Leclerc has been given a 10 place grid penalty so the starting grid for tomorrow is as follows Daisy," she began, her eyes darting across the screen. "In the top ten, we've got Perez on pole, followed by Alonso in second, and Russell in third. Then it's Sainz, Stroll, Hamilton, Piastri, Gasly, you and then Hulkenberg has moved up to P10."

"Not too shabby team," Daisy commented after that "we'll aim for better tomorrow."

Emerging from her Porsche as she stopped outside the garage her pit crew quickly surrounded her. Daisy slipped off her helmet and then her balaclava with a practiced ease, letting her two now messy braids fall loosely onto her shoulders.

Despite the physical toll qualifying had on her Daisy still wore a satisfied grin, feeling proud of the performance she had delivered with the added challenges. If she could maintain a spot in the top ten tomorrow during the race she'd be pretty content with herself.

Daniel stood nearby, shoulders slightly slumped as he surveyed the bustling garage around them. In spite of the evident disappointment permeating his demeanour, there was a genuine warmth in his eyes as he watched Daisy eagerly fist bump the nearby mechanics and every single member of her pit crew.

"Hey, Raincloud," he called out, his voice carrying over the hum of activity in the garage. Daisy's head turned in his direction, her tired features brightening at the sound of his familiar nickname. It was a moniker he had bestowed upon her in their early days as teammates, a playful nod to her penchant for scarcely smiling and depressing music taste. "You did bloody well out there," Daniel continued, his tone a mixture of genuine admiration and self-deprecation. "Especially after what happened yesterday. Can't say the same for myself, but at least one of us did well."

She let a small smile slip at his words. Appreciating that he was able to be supportive towards her even in the face of his own disappointment. If Daisy was being completely honest if their roles had been reversed and she had been massively outqualified by her teammate who'd crashed the day before, she would be far less composed and way more moody but that was where they differed. "Cheers Danny," Daisy nodded "honestly just glad to be back behind the wheel already. You'll easily gain places tomorrow though don't sweat it too much," before her tone turned more teasing "wouldn't expect anything else from a high performance athlete like yourself."

"Were you even born when that clip was made?" he mocked her playfully.

"I was born in 2001 you dickhead," Daisy cackled "do you even remember that in your old age?"

"2001-...wait you're literally a child. Do you even have a driver's licence?"

Rolling her eyes Daisy admitted "I might have failed it five times but yeah, I do now."

Not even hiding his wince at her words Daniel just paused momentarily before saying "yeah,ok...remind me to never get in a car with you."

"Oi," Daisy shoved him lightly to the side  "that's just plain rude Ricciardo. I'm an unreal driver."

"Whatever you want to think raincloud."

Daisy mustered up her sweetest possible smile "you'll see it yourself tomorrow when you get to admire my rear wing the whole race."

Night races held a special place in Daisy's heart. There was something so captivating about the tracks when the only light sources were the flood lights across the circuit and from the cars themselves. All other distractions eliminated, it was just her and her race that mattered.

From her position on the grid she could see the orange McLaren of Oscar Piastri sitting to her left to whom she gave a little wave and directly behind him was the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg who she had prevented getting into Q3 yesterday.

With her hands finding their home on her steering wheel she sat idly by. Her eyes were firmly fixed on the starting lights above and the tension was palpable in the air as 20 drivers all sat eagerly waiting that impending battle to the top. Setting off on the formation lap Daisy started to warm her tires with subtle weaving left to right staying firmly behind Oscar.

And it's lights out and away we go! Fernando Alonso beats Perez into turn 1 and takes the lead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It's Alonso, Perez, Russel - Lance Stroll has just overtaken Sainz and moved up a place. What a strong opening lap for the Aston Martin team! Further back, Max Verstappen is still in 15th but not for long and Charles Leclerc has really taken advantage of those soft tires he's on and gained 3 places finding himself directly behind Shaw.

Piastri and Gasly look to separate themselves from the pack in the midfield trying to take the inside line heading into the corner of turn eleven but what they didn't see was Daisy Shaw coming around the outside and slipping right past both of them into P7. And Piastri's got damage to his front wing. Gasly and Leclerc speed away and Zhou moves up into P10. Meanwhile Verstappen has started gaining placements, currently sitting in P13 and it's only lap 2.

"Alonso's got a 5 second penalty for positioning at the start Daisy," Anna's voice came smoothly through the radio "and nice work on the double overtake on Gasly and Piastri there. Leclerc is not a threat yet but he is on softs so just try to keep him at bay for now and keep your tires intact."

"Copy," Daisy activated the radio button on her wheel "how far back is Leclerc?"

"Currently 6.3 seconds," Anja told her.

"Ok," Daisy bummed to herself "keep me updated."

In her read mirrors she could see the distinct blur of red in the distance but he wasn't close enough for her to worry about yet. Then in front of her, none other than a seven time world champion who she'd have to overtake at some point if she wanted to progress further up the grid, which she did of course.

Daisy had never been an overly patient person. Even though Anja had advised her to hold off on performing any more overtakes for the moment in favour of preserving her tires until the optimal time to pit, the urge was there. Itching away at her self control and it was difficult to resist the temptation.

The balance between aggression and restraint was a delicate one and Daisy had experienced that last season. It could make or break a race. So, as tantalising as it was to essentially be told to let Lewis drive off ahead of her she reminded herself of Anja's instructions to bide her time. Yet lap after lap her already non-existent patience wore thinner. Her gap to Lewis had narrowed with the laps but she wasn't in DRS range yet so she hung back.

"Alright, Daisy," Anja's voice crackled over the radio, cutting through the intensity of the race. "Gap to Hamilton closing you can attempt an overtake on him. Leclerc is gaining on you from behind, so we need to stay ahead of him. You'll have DRS enabled, so use it to your advantage."

Lewis was defending his position annoyingly well from Daisy as he wove through the circuit and she followed suit, eyes narrowed in concentration as she focused only on the subtle movements of his car. Once she was within DRS range Daisy pulled off a highly calculated manoeuvre that bordered on overly risky but brilliant in her opinion. Daisy's heart quickened at the prospect of finally making her move.

With Lewis just ahead of her and the DRS zone approaching, she could practically taste the opportunity to advance her position. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her focus sharpening as she prepared to execute the overtake. Diving down the inside of Lewis' car she inched ahead, navigating the corner side by side until they were out of the corner and with a final push Daisy surged forward and overtook him.

Pushing the car even further, Daisy's aim was to dart out of reach of Hamilton and Leclerc who were trailing her now as fast as possible.

"Brilliant move," Anja praised instantly "keep it up."

Daisy's response on the radio would definitely be memes later as it was a mess of incoherent screaming from excitement. Sure she had a season's worth of experience racing now under her belt but the sheer joy of racing alongside and getting past a long time idol of hers was a feeling she never got used to.

Shaw is now up into P6 after a side by side fight with Lewis Hamilton and Perez takes the lead of the race from Alonso. Can he hold out this lead or will Alonso be able to snatch it back momentarily. Speaking of Perez, his teammate Verstappen has made it past both Haas drivers and is in P11 now. Only lap 6 and incredibly action so far this race.

Before she knew it though and seemingly out of no where there was a red bull behind Daisy and gaining on her at a rapid pace. His car loomed larger in her mirrors, his presence an ever-present threat to her position on the track with each passing second.

Daisy grit her teeth, fully aware of the challenge that lay ahead. She defended her position with everything she had, weaving expertly through the corners and utilizing every ounce of skill and experience at her disposal. But Verstappen was determined, his car inching closer with each passing moment.

As they approached a particularly tight corner, Daisy braced herself for the inevitable showdown. Verstappen made his move, diving towards her with lightning speed. Daisy fought back valiantly, refusing to yield an inch as they jostled for position through the corner. He'd ultimately gained the upper hand though and Daisy's Porsche had been unable to hold him off any longer. Unfortunately for her, she had to concede the position and fell back down to P7.

With Perez in the lead of the race now and Max continuing his stampede up the field she knew it wouldn't be long until he joined his teammate up at the top of the pack. It absolutely didn't come as a surprise to her that this race was probably going to end in a red bull 1-2 with the insane pace of their cars. All Daisy hoped for was that she'd be able to cut ahead soon and move up some more positions.

The race continued smoothly. Stroll pitted ahead of her so Daisy moved back up to P6 and shortly after that Sainz also headed in to the pits. Daisy flew around the track with a fire burning inside of her. If she could end this race in P5 or higher she'd be over the moon.

"Yellow flag in sector 2," Anja warned her "repeat, yellow flag in sector 2. Stroll is stopped on track at turn 13."

"Heard," Daisy's mind was racing at this news "any word on safety car?"

"Full safety car confirmed," Anja sounded pleased "box now Daisy."

Being able to put under safety car conditions was going to benefit her race enormously. On the restart she'd be able to start from P5 because Lance was now out and Carlos hadn't caught up her after his pit stop so she'd hopefully get to dart away and create a gap large enough that she could hold that position for the rest of the race. Or even better, if the opportunity presented itself.

With precise coordination, Daisy navigated into the pit lane, her team springing into action as they swiftly swapped her worn tires for a fresh set of hard compounds.

As the cars followed the safety car around the circuit for a lap, Daisy emerged from the pits, rejoining the track with renewed determination. With the advantage of fresh rubber beneath her, she was poised to make the most of the upcoming restart and capitalize on her improved position in the race.

Once the safety car period came to an end, the race kicked back into full throttle action. As the safety car peeled off into the pit lane, the drivers prepared to unleash their machines once more upon the twisting circuit.

Daisy wasted no time in getting back up to speed. Seeking to gain that gap she had been building on the pack behind her before the safety car conditions. The restart saw a flurry of activity as drivers jostled for position, each vying to gain an advantage in the unfolding battle on track. Daisy held her own amidst the chaos, threading her way through the pack with precision and skill.

As the laps unfolded, she steadily gained ground, her sights set on closing the gap to the cars ahead. With each corner conquered and each straight navigated, Daisy pushed herself and her Porsche to the limit, determined to make the most of the remaining race distance. At the half way point, 25 laps in as Daisy had expected - Max had ended up in second place just behind his teammate. Leaving Alonso to call back into third and Russell was now in front of her.

Verstappen takes second after working his way up from 15th. Now there's only one more position he's aiming to take - race leader from his teammate. Perez takes the current fastest lap with a comfortable 5.6 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Further towards the back Albon is pitting and oh! Albon is retiring because of a break issue. That's two retirements now half way through the race, Stroll and Albon both out of this Grand Prix. Williams are down to just Sargeant now in his second ever race and he's currently P13 fighting Nico Hulkenberg for 12th.

With each turn of the wheel, Daisy pushed her car and herself to the limit, seeking to create a comfortable buffer between herself and the relentless pursuit of the seven-time world champion. Every apex, every braking zone, and every acceleration phase became a battleground as she fought to maintain her position.

Despite the pressure from behind, Daisy remained composed and resolute, refusing to yield an inch to her pursuer. Lap after lap, she executed her lines with precision, exploiting every opportunity to stretch her advantage and solidify her position in the midfield.

Remaining steadfast in her commitment to defend her position. Daisy felt the physical strain intensify as the laps ticked away, a reminder of her less than optimal condition heading into the race.

Nevertheless, Daisy refused to let her exhaustion dictate her performance. Drawing upon her reserves of mental fortitude, she continued to play a defensive game, fending off the advances of those behind her with calculated precision. Each corner was a test of endurance, each straight a battle of wills as Daisy fought to maintain her position in the midfield. Despite the physical toll exacted by her efforts, she pushed herself to the limit, determined to see the race through to its conclusion.

The final moments of the race were unfolding and Daisy found herself tantalisingly close to George Russell. But the realisation has dawned on her that she would likely not have the time to execute an overtake on him before he crossed the checkered flag.

As the checkered flag beckoned, Daisy poured every ounce of her remaining energy into one last push. With the roar of the engines and the cheers of the crowd echoing in her ears, she navigated the final corners with precision and determination.

Crossing the finish line in fifth place, Daisy's heart swelled with pride. Despite the challenges she faced throughout the race, she had persevered, proving once again her skill and tenacity on the track. Though just shy of the podium, Daisy's performance was nothing short of remarkable. With a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, she eased off the throttle, reflecting on a hard-fought battle and looking ahead to the next challenge that awaited her in Australia in just 2 weeks time.

It's Perez who takes the race win for Redbull here in Jeddah. Following him, his teammate Max Verstappen. It's been a Redbull 1-2 these first two races of the season but this is Perez's first time standing on that top step in this position. Third place and finishing off the podium Fernando Alonso joins them alongside George Russell and Daisy Shaw rounding out the top 5. After Shaw, it's Hamilton, both Ferraris - Sainz then Leclerc, Ricciardo and Gasly.

[esperfruit]

Obligatory Kim Possible Pokemon AU with bios of the characters and Pokemon below

Kimberly Anne Possible

Better known as Kim Possible is a young student at the Pokemon Academy at Middleton City near the Unova Region and a skilled Trainer. She is kind, compassionate, confident and almost never refuses a request but is also very competitive and has the never-ending urge to prove herself as a person and Pokemon Trainer. 

While she loves Pokemon, wants to fight with them for a better cause and is a prodigy in terms of battles, she struggled bonding with them at first, which turned out problematic when she got her first Pokemon, a highly sensitive Sobble. But thanks to her best friend, turned boyfriend Ron, she managed to form close bonds with her Pokemon and they all fight together to save the world from several villains.

Kim is the daughter of a Pokemon researcher and a Pokemon doctor and older sister of two genius younger brothers and lives an ordinary student life with good grades, reliable friends such as Ron, Monique and Wade and a stellar reputation despite her clumsiness in non-Pokemon related everyday situations. She enjoys both saving the world and living an ordinary life as a teenager and Trainer and tries her best to find a good balance in it. Despite her talent in battles and competitiveness, she is not interested in any Gym Challenges.

Team:

Inteleon:

Kim’s Starter Pokemon entrusted to her by the Academy. As a Sobble it was very sensitive and a crybaby but Kim with the help of Ron was able to open up to it and build up its courage. When it evolved into Inteleon, it became reliable, confident and a powerful partner, who got inspired by its Trainer.

Lurantis:

The first Pokemon Kim caught when it was a Formantis. It is loyal and graceful but also very vain and prideful and has a rivalry with Bonnie’s Tsareena.

Togekiss:

On a mission, where Kim and Ron were meant to support a safe transport of Pokemon eggs, one of the eggs hatched. The Pokemon that hatched was a Togepi, which thought that Kim was its mother and after the mission was a success, Kim was allowed to keep Togepi and raise it. At first Kim was overly protective of it as it was only a baby but it quickly became a strong and dependable Togekiss, which protects its Trainer and comrades with fierce determination

Ceruledge:

When it was still a Charcadet, it struggled to find a Trainer it could accept as it only wanted one, who could make it truly strong. Said Trainer it then found in Kim when she saved it from becoming a soldier for Professor Dementor. As a Ceruledge it is by far Kim’s most prideful Pokemon and it hates nothing more than losing. It is also rivals with Professor Dementor’s Armarouge and its older sibling.

Silvally:

Silvally got temporarily entrusted to Kim as a Type:Null to combat and catch Ultra Beasts in Alola but when she and Ron found out the organization Type:Null originally belonged to was cruel and heartless towards their Pokemon, especially their own creation Type:Null, Kim decided to keep and protect it and after this succeeded, it evolved into Silvally as a form of gratitude.

Ogerpon:

In the Land of Kitakami, a group of villains awakened the Loyal Three and their leader Pecharunt to cause chaos and take revenge on Ogerpon. Kim helped Ogerpon protect it, returning its special masks and clearing its name. Out of gratitude and because it grew to like Kim very much, it allowed itself to be caught by her after she defeated it in battle.

Ronald “Ron” Stoppable

Kim’s best friend, sidekick and boyfriend, who she had known since they were toddlers. His strong belief in others is one of the best confidence boosts someone can wish for, especially Kim. Ron grew up with a Morpeko named Rufus and it’s his most reliable partner. He is exceptionally good at bonding with Pokemon and bringing out their full potential with care and trust alone. 

Most Pokemon he meets immediately like him, however there was an exception when he went to a horrific summer camp, where he was attacked by a wild Pansear, Pansage and Panpour resulting in him developing a fear of monkey-like Pokemon and he is quite uneasy around Bug-Types. His phobia is tested when he is entrusted to become the Trainer of a Zarude to awaken its true power.

Ron has a very ordinary family and he views everything about him as completely ordinary except his eccentric personality. Despite his undying belief in others, he struggles to believe in himself. He is not the best in terms of battles, has bad grades, is not the most popular and can be easily scared. However, whenever a Pokemon or someone he cares about is in danger, it is like a switch flips in him and he becomes courageous and just as good of a battler as Kim.

Team:

Morpeko:

Rufus the Morpeko is Ron’s very first Pokemon given to him by his parents and is his best partner. Rufus is a glutton and very silly but also witty, loyal, kind and Ron’s biggest hypemon. It may be small and look weak compared to the rest of Ron’s team but it is actually very strong and can bring surprising wins. 

Greninja:

Given to him by the Academy as a Froakie to become Ron’s “official” Starter Pokemon. Froakie is very strong and its ninja skills only improved when Ron participated in an exchange program that sent him to a ninja school in Kanto, evolving in the process every time Ron fought alongside Yori to combat the monkey Pokemon Master, Lord Monkey Fist.

Ludicolo:

The former mascot of Middleton City’s Bueno Nacho, Ron’s favorite restaurant, and is always in a contagious good mood. When Ron temporarily became manager of this store, Ludicolo took a liking to Ron and followed him everywhere even after quitting. Reluctantly, Ned told Ron he could keep it as it would never give up to have Ron be its Trainer.

Braviary:

As a Rufflet it was the first Pokemon Ron caught and wasn’t handed to him. It is as cowardly as Ron and at first completely refused to battle out of fear but got inspired by Ron, who got a courage boost in a dire situation and when Rufflet evolved, it decided to become the main protector of the team.

Goodra:

When it was a Goomy, it was used to being picked on by its fellow Dragon Pokemon at its former home for how weak it was. After Ron caught it he promised to make it super strong to prove them wrong. After it became a powerful Goodra, it and Ron challenged the strongest dragons at Goodra’s old home and managed to defeat them all, even the leader, a menacing Garchomp. Ron kept his promise and Goodra became the heart of the team with its jolly and caring character.

Zarude:

A mythical Pokemon of which is not much known aside that it holds unbelievable powers, which lie dormant until it finds a true partner. It wandered the world for ages until it settled in a jungle in Alola. Monkey Fist planned to capture it and use its powers for his own but Ron, Yori and Sensei stopped him and Sensei caught Zarude instead. He then entrusted it to Ron, who he believed to be Zarude’s true partner. Ron and Zarude did not get along for a long time as Ron was constantly afraid of the mythical monkey Pokemon and Zarude did not respect Ron as a Trainer, refusing to fight for him. But when the Lorwardians attacked Earth with an army of Ultra Beasts and Eternamax Eternatus, Ron and Zarude finally became true partners, unleashing Zarude’s full power to save the world.

Shego/Sheena Go

Shego used to be a hero alongside her brothers but she got sick of her brothers’ bickering and everything around being a hero so she decided to embrace the freedom of villainy. She started off as a casual mercenary, offering her skills to the highest bidder but then decided to stick around with Dr. Drakken permanently. First she only stayed out of business but then felt a certain intrigue whenever she worked with Drakken even if she found him silly and ridiculous. Her skills as a thief are astounding just like her skills as a Pokemon Trainer. 

She is ruthless, calculating, methodical, callous, sassy and violent and seems to only care about herself (on the surface). Despite those traits, she and her Pokemon work together impressively well because even if Shego might be strict with them, they share a mutual respect, resulting in good and dangerous teamwork.

Out of all the villains Kim faces regularly, she is the most competent and threatening but Shego never aims for higher goals for herself due to her lack of ambition and prefers to stick with Dr. Drakken, even if it leads to countless failures. Shego really enjoys being Drakken’s partner and Kim’s rival but it would take her a long time to admit that as she is very proud and bad with emotions.

Team:

Umbreon:

All members of Team Go had an Eevee as their first Pokemon, which all evolved differently and Shego’s became an Umbreon with her brothers teasing her about it as it seemingly fits her because of her permanent gloomy mood. Because Umbreon is a constant reminder of her former life as a hero, Shego used to be very distant towards it for a while but she never wanted to release Umbreon as it was her only friend and she still felt the bond they have.

Gardevoir:

The first Pokemon Shego caught when she was looking for strong Psychic-Types, which could help her in her crimes. Shego already caught it as a Kirlia so it would not take long to evolve it into a powerful Gardevoir. This Gardevoir is the most loyal and protective Pokemon anyone has ever seen and it follows every one of Shego’s orders without hesitation. It is the Pokemon Shego calls her true ace as they work together the best and it can also mega evolve. 

Spiritomb:

A rare and intimidating Pokemon Shego caught on a ghost ship, which was haunted by this very Spiritomb. It is very introverted and spends most of its time inside its core. Spiritomb might be calm and level-headed but it is also ferocious in battle, something Shego can relate to.

Pheromosa:

An Ultra Beast Shego caught when Ultra Wormholes were researched in Alola. She and Drakken planned to catch more Ultra Beasts but this was the only one they were able to get their hands on and Shego couldn’t complain as Pheromosa was her favorite anyway. It and Shego have a lot in common and thus get along very well.

Meowscarada:

When Dr. Drakken planned to steal all Starter Pokemon from the facility in Middleton City as revenge for taking Mudkip away from him. They were foiled by Kim and Ron once again but a single Sprigatito took a liking to Shego and followed her on its own free will. It had always been mischievous and its magical tricks and sneaky methods were a great addition to the team.

Chi-Yu:

During the time the Treasures of Ruin were running wild in Paldea, Kim and Ron did everything they could to reseal them and succeeded with all of them but Chi-Yu, which got caught by Shego after a long and hard battle. This Treasure of Ruin might be small but is incredibly powerful and needs constant supervision as it is a pyromaniac and hard to control, even Shego struggled at first with Chi-Yu.

Dr. Drakken/Drew Theodore P. Lipsky

Dr. Drakken, formerly known as Drew, is an evil mad scientist, who plans to take over the world in his main lair in the Orre Region with the help of Shego. Originally he is from Middleton City and wanted to become a Pokemon researcher, going in with the belief that humans and Pokemon can only truly prosper and unleash their full potential if there is a strong, unbreakable bond between them. Young Drew was on his best way and even made some groundbreaking discoveries until one day one of his peers stole his research and claimed it to be their own. When Drew wanted to step up and prove it was actually his research nobody believed him, even his former friends. As punishment for “his lies”, his Starter Pokemon, a Mudkip, got taken away from him.

This escalated into severe bullying from all fronts, which got so bad he dropped out of the Academy. Spiteful and full of vengeance, he decided to make everyone acknowledge his genius the hard way and entered the path of villainy as Dr. Drakken, adapting the mantra of Professor Dementor and many other villains that Pokemon are nothing but tools and treating them with kindness only makes them weak. A mantra he only follows on the surface level to seem more intimidating as in reality he still loves Pokemon, especially the ones in his team. Something his arch-nemesis Kim noticed doesn’t view him as 100% evil.

Drakken is silly, immature, clumsy, overly emotional, reckless and very cocky, leading to the reason some of his plan’s failings being self-sabotage. He is also not the best at forming relationships with others as the people he is in contact with the most are only Shego, his mother, his cousin Motor Ed/Edward Lipsky and the Pokemon in his team. These are the ones he holds the most dear and truly cherishes them all. Even though Drakken is seen as an incompetent buffoon most of the time, he does have his moments of brilliancy and being genuinely intimidating, especially when he gets furious.

Team:

Porygon-Z:

One of Drakken’s first acts of villainy was hacking into a Pokemon research facility and stealing a Porygon from its database, making it his first ever Pokemon after losing Mudkip. Porygon usually just follows orders with no question due to being a tangible program and used to be emotionless. Realizing Porygon was in a very unfinished state, Drakken decided to upgrade it into a Porygon-2, gaining more power and sentience as result. When Drakken wanted to upgrade it even further during a scheme, he got interrupted by Kim thus he made some mistakes during the programming, resulting in Porygon-2 to become corrupted and evolve into Porygon-Z. With its mind completely scrambled, it started to go berserk but Drakken managed to calm it down when it finally recognized him again. While still crazy and unpredictable sometimes, it is one of Drakken’s most loyal companions. 

Golisopod:

During a bug catching contest Drakken participated in disguise, it got caught by him by pure chance as he originally wanted a Sizzlipede but the Sport Ball he threw got redirected and landed on a Wimpod. Surprisingly he ended up winning the competition with how rare Wimpod is. Said Wimpod turned out to be a massive coward as it is in the nature of its species. Calling raising it or even making it fight a struggle would be an understatement. It cost Drakken all his patience and some outside help to finally be able to deal with it and to finally evolve into Golisopod.

Furfrou: 

Drakken basically got it the exact same way as Jessie in the anime got her Wobbuffet and instead of a Lickitung, he lost a Phantump and the new Trainer got a Trevenant. When he checked his new Pokemon’s ID, he realized it had the nickname Commodore Puddles and because traded Pokemon’s nicknames couldn’t be changed, he had to live with it. Lucky for Drakken, it immediately liked him while it growled and even attacked everyone else. It and Rufus the Morpeko are serious rivals.

Iron Jugulis:

When Drakken and Shego did some research in Area Zero in Paldea for his greatest scheme ever (taking over the world with cybertronic replicas of future Paradox Pokemon), Drakken encountered Iron Jugulis and caught it in self defense as it is very violent and powerful just like a real Hydreigon. To the disbelief of many, he actually managed to form a connection with the believed to be unfeeling future Paradox Pokemon and it became one of his strongest.

Pecharunt:

This mythical Pokemon got caught by Drakken when the plan to reawaken it and the Loyal Three severely backfired and the villains and Team Possible teamed-up to stop them. Drakken used the moment when Pecharunt got defeated to throw an Ultra Ball at it and succeeded in the catch to the shock of everyone present. He and Pecharunt got along perfectly from the get go as they share the same mischievousness and desire to be liked and appreciated. Once Drakken even tried to brainwash the world by selling Pecharunt’s poisoned mind-control mochi. It was considered to be Drakken’s ace for a while especially as it is Drakken’s primary choice for Terastalization with the Tera-Orb he stole during his research in Paldea.

Roserade:

To finally gain the upper hand against Kim Possible, since even Iron Jugulis and Pecharunt weren’t enough, Drakken wanted to steal a very powerful Pokemon from a high-security facility but when Kim and Ron were about to stop him again, he still managed to get away with one singular Pokemon and when he called it out of its ball triumphantly it was a…tiny, pitiful Budew. Drakken couldn’t be more disappointed and did not hesitate to show it to Budew, which absolutely adored him to his annoyance. In an act of either condescendence or mild optimism, he hung a Shiny Stone around it (one he won in the bug catching contest) so when it may evolve sooner or later it can directly take its final form but Drakken doubted that would ever happen as Budew need a very strong bond with their Trainer to evolve, something what was one-sided at this point. 

When Drakken and Kim got kidnapped by the Lorwardians and thrown into a cell, one of his Pokeballs fell out and he hoped the Pokemon coming out could help them. That hope died when the Pokemon coming out was Budew. But to their surprise Budew actually was able to free them. After Pecharunt went down in the final fight against Eternamax Eternatus, the only Pokemon Drakken had left was the tiny Budew he never fought with before but he reluctantly had to try it. The Budew gave everything it got and its courage and devotion were impressive even if the Lorwardians were mocking it the whole time. But when it took a fatal strike and got seriously injured, Drakken picked it with with genuine worry and when he heard the aliens call Budew a pathetic excuse of a Pokemon, undeserving of a Trainer with how weak it was, which should just return into the ground so it won’t embarrass Pokemon-kind any further Drakken lashed out at them, defending Budew (in a very similar way as Ruby did with his Feebas in the Pokemon Adventures manga). 

Touched by all of this, Budew evolved into Roselia and immediately evolved further into Roserade with the Shiny Stone. What nobody expected, this Roserade was absolutely and ridiculously overpowered, seeming to turn the battle into the heroes’ favor all by itself. Roserade and awakened Zarude became the key factor for Earth’s victory.

[roguerevieweradl]

Heathers Review (Pelican Productions) - 12/09/2024

Stepping into Heathers, I knew we were in for a wild ride, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer power and presence of this cast. 

Tayla Prime as Heather Chandler was an absolute force of nature. She dominated the stage with so much authority that I found myself genuinely intimidated from the audience! I wouldn’t dare cross her Chandler—if I were in Westerberg High, I’d be running for the hills. It was a performance that oozed confidence and power, embodying the iconic ‘mythic b****’ perfectly.

Teagan Garvey as JD had some great moments, especially in the beginning where he played up JD’s charm to a T. His descent into madness was compelling, with Garvey really showcasing the complexity of the role. There were a few moments where his vocals fell a little flat, but overall, he was stellar and brought a lot to the table.

Then there’s Samantha Keough as Veronica—wow. I have never been so in awe of a voice. She didn’t just deliver; she owned the character, adding her unique vocal flair rather than just doing a by-the-numbers version of Veronica. I’d go so far as to say she’s one of the best Veronicas I’ve seen in Adelaide!

Caitlin Laventure as Heather Duke was a standout for me. Talk about a triple threat—the dancing, the singing, the acting, all flawlessly executed. I honestly can’t believe she isn’t already a staple in the professional scene. It was hard to keep my eyes off her whenever she was on stage.

Lily Horton-Stewarts Heather McNamara was another highlight. "Lifeboat" was a real emotional journey, and she took the audience right along with her. I could feel her anxiety bubbling under the surface, and when it broke, it was powerful. A beautifully crafted performance.

And then, Darcie Yelland as Martha—my heart. She brought so much warmth and life to Martha that you just wanted to give her a hug. By the time "Kindergarten Boyfriend" hit, I was a complete mess. It’s a challenging role to pull off, but Yelland absolutely nailed it.

I have to mention my favorite duo of the night: Zach Bartlett and Freddie Windle as Kurt and Ram. These two bounced off each other perfectly, delivering the humor and energy the roles require. They’re an iconic duo, and I truly hope to see them working together in the future!

Hannah Brown as Ms. Fleming brought so much life to the ditzy teacher role. You could really sense how much she cared about her News Crew… which made for a lot of laughs. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her performance!

The song of the night had to be ‘My Dead Gay Son’. The dads, Leo Sage and Hanno de Klerk, absolutely nailed it! The audience couldn’t stop clapping, and we just wanted more. Well done to both actors for a standout performance.

The ensemble deserves massive credit as well. The choreography and vocals were tight and well-constructed, with each piece fitting together like a perfectly synchronized puzzle. You could just feel the joy radiating off the entire cast, which gave the performance an extra spark of magic.

As for the set design, it was nothing short of spectacular. I loved the concept—especially how the brick wall split apart, and the two-story levels made the stage feel dynamic and immersive. I found myself wondering how long it took to build because it was just so beautifully crafted.

The lighting was also brilliantly executed. I loved how they played within the scheme. My favorite moment had to be during the bomb sequence, where the stage transformed into what looked like a disco ball for just a moment, symbolizing the explosion—it was an inventive and effective choice.

Sound was mostly on point. While there were a few minor issues with mics not being turned on in time or some effects coming in late, the sound mix overall was fantastic. Missing a couple of lines didn’t take away from how well everything sounded.

Big shoutout to the creative team. You’ve put on an amazing rendition of Heathers, and I’m excited to see what you all work on next. Overall, this cast for Heathers knocked it out of the park. From powerhouse performances to stellar ensemble work, this show was a treat from start to finish.

[raccoonfallsharder]

I think Rocket would be like, INSANELY good at Hanayama Enigma puzzles. They're these little puzzles made out of interlocking metal parts, and the goal is to take them apart and then put them back together. I could see him just coming across one and fiddling with it for a few seconds before having it taken apart not even realizing it's supposed to be a challenge. He's so good at intuitively knowing how things fit together that these puzzles would be no match for him.

sorry for my delay, sweet nonnie. i've been a little burnt-out and reclusive lately, and i apologize! i'm back now (sorta), and so grateful you sent me this ask. i had to look these up and then i fell into a hole watching youtube videos of people solving them. wild. my brain does not work this way.

rocket's brain, however, absolutely works this way. you are 100% correct. of course, you'd know. the first time he sees you fucking around with one of these puzzles, he peers over your shoulder for a whole two seconds before being like, you're doing it wrong.

you don't even know what i'm trying to do, you say, annoyed, and he rolls his eyes.

fuck off. do too. twist that piece there. no, not that much. moron.

you follow his less-than-stellar directions - more out of curiosity than anything else - and outside of a few false starts when he's just not being clear about what he wants you to do, every new step takes you closer to the perfect solution.

it would be enraging if it weren't for how fascinated he looks. not by the puzzle itself, so much as the idea that it is a puzzle. for him, it just makes sense. he looks at these pieces of metal and - from your perspective - it's like he can see right through time, to the thing it's supposed to be. and god forbid he gets his actual hands on it. he's even faster when you convince him to try one himself and to do it blindfolded. if anything, it's almost like his eyes get in the way.

of course, it makes sense. every gun and weapon and ship he builds is ultimately just a bigger puzzle.

he doesn't understand why any of these toys are more difficult for you to figure out than something as simple as a clothespin, and that's what's got him all entranced. if you can understand how a key works in a lock or how to take apart a quad blaster to clean it, why can't you understand how to dismantle this tiny sculpture and put it back together again? that's the real puzzle, as far as rocket's concerned, and it's the one he decides he's gonna solve. so he starts making puzzles of his own - for you - little bits of interlocking metal, shapes that come together into new shapes. he tries to figure out the perfect combination of pieces that makes a thing hard for you to solve, but not too hard.

when a planet isn't being saved and the galaxy doesn't need guarding, this is how the citizens of knowhere find the two of you: in the dim dusky light of the artificial knowhere sunset, sitting outside mantlo's with either a pair of gargleblasters (yours is watered down) or milky fizzes, depending on the night. both of you are clinking away, the streetlights reflecting on the smooth glossy pieces of metal in your hands. you're trying to figure out the most recent puzzle rocket has given you, and rocket's busy bending and twisting metal to make the next one.

i'm using you, he tells you one night, after he's finished crafting your next puzzle and is just drinking his booze and looking down the street, watching people snack on streetfood and the star children play something like tag because drax is a pushover when it comes to enforcing bedtimes.

yeah? you mumble distractedly.

mmhm. he nods solemnly. i figure out how hard a puzzle is, depending on how long it takes your dumb ass to solve it. then, when some asshole comes to ask me questions or wants something, i give it to them so they get distracted and leave me alone.

yeah, okay, captain, you drawl, taking a sip of your drink and going back to the cool metal between your fingers. you've seen him doing exactly what he's describing, but you've noticed he never gives anyone a puzzle that's too difficult for them - just something for them to wrap their minds around for a few rotations, something to stretch their brains. they're always so proud when they come back to their captain with their toy figured out, even if he just gives them a blank stare - pretending he really does think they're idiots.

of course, the people of knowhere see right through him.

rocket's such a hard ass, you mock. who knew.

he makes a typical scoffing sound, but when you look up, you can see him: watching his people with soft eyes. nebula's out today, talking with some of the vendors, and one of the kids is perched on her back. you can hear drax laughing down the street, and somewhere, cosmo barks happily. rocket's shoulders are relaxed, and his tail flicks lazily, and you're not sure you've ever seen him so at ease.

you lean over and nudge him with your elbow.

joke's on you, bud.

everyone here just thinks you're handing out presents because you like them.