#System Junk Remover

[theofficialastronomy101]

Space junk stats

The European Space Agency (ESA) publishes detailed figures on how many human-made objects are in space. In total, the 6,300 successful rocket launches since 1957 have delivered 14,450 satellites into Earth’s orbit. Over that same period there has also been more than 630 explosions, collisions, or other unplanned events that have caused objects to split apart or fragment.

[devoid-of-love]

i wanted to make art but instead i have had to delete 80k adobe files

i feel like yayvideogames over here

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - March 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles! This month’s doodles, like every third month, will be free to the public, so take a look!

1. Zoo 'overjoyed' as lion cubs increase pride to 10

“The litter of rare northern African lions was the second batch to be born recently at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, after three arrived in November. […] "The youngsters will grow up side-by-side with their half-siblings, and I'm sure they'll love having an abundance of playmates."”

2. Ohio Appeals Court Rules Trans Care Is Healthcare, Strikes Down Ban For Trans Youth

“The ruling rested on two key findings: first, that gender-affirming care constitutes legitimate medical treatment, and second, that parents have the constitutional right to make healthcare decisions for their children.”

3. Oystercatcher Recovery Campaign Offers a Rare Success Story about Shorebird Conservation

“Fifteen years of coordinated conservation efforts have produced a significant recovery in the U.S. population of the American oystercatcher[….] Schulte predicted that the protection efforts will survive [federal funding cuts] because of the large number of non-federal partners involved.”

4. Fish-tracking robot aims to make fishing more sustainable in developing nations

“A solar-powered, transparent [robot] that can roam the waters autonomously for five days at a stretch, counting fish [… can help fishers] avoid the overfishing [… and] mean less fuel consumed by boats searching for schools of fish, and less degradation of nets due to trawling where there are no fish.”

5. Zoologist Rediscovers Grasshopper Species Believed Extinct

“[… T]he Appalachian grasshopper […] camouflages with its surroundings—perhaps part of the reason people haven’t seen it [since 1946]. [… A zoologist] had seen some reports on iNaturalist that he thought could have been the species[, …] and after surveying several locations, he found a female.”

6. Scaling agroforestry can support fisheries, local food production and cultural practices

“The research found that combining native forest protection (100,000 acres) with transitioning suitable fallow agricultural land to agroforestry (400,000 acres) could [reduce] erosion and boosting nearshore food production by almost 100,000 meals per year[….]”

7. A cell pulls off one of the 'Holy Grails' of biotechnology

“[… A] single-celled alga with a nucleus [… can conduct] a chemical conversion reaction that helps create some of the essential building blocks of life. […] One day, Capone says the nitroplast could be introduced to crops to allow them to convert their own nitrogen without relying on external fertilizer.”

8. FERC: Solar + wind set for a strong 3-year run despite Trump’s sabotage

“Solar accounted for 68.2% of all new generating capacity placed into service in January – more than double the solar capacity added a year earlier (1,176 MW). […] Around 30% of US solar capacity is in small-scale (e.g., rooftop) systems that are not reflected in FERC’s data.”

9. As ghost junk haunts the sea, ‘mermaids’ are fighting back

“Just two days after completing the training, Diana Garcia, one of the Sirenas, helped remove nearly 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds) of [abandoned] ghost gear and debris in the waters near her community[….]”

10. A Nest-Protecting Program Pays Off for Alabama’s Snowy Plovers

“Over the past two breeding seasons, 18 Snowy Plover chicks fledged—a major turnaround after five years of almost no chick survival. [… The team made] a concerted effort to educate the public about the need to give the birds space[, … and] people have not directly caused plover losses in Alabama recently[….]”

March 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[misctf]

Hey! I just bought this new VR game system and it says not to try it on alone. What the fuck are they talking about? And why are all the games on the online store so adult centered? Whatever, let's try it, wait what is happening ...

“Dude, you’re not supposed to use Hive X alone.” Some guy messages you in the chatroom, “Did you not see the warnings?”

“Or the reviews?” Another user asks, “It’s best for couples to use it. Together.”  

Your eyes narrow, “I didn’t pay all this money not to use it.” You reply, “I’ll let you know how it is.” You look down at the black box.

You always appreciated your friends in the gaming community. But the gaming community was quite divided when Hive X hit the stores. A new VR gaming system that seemed to offer a futuristic level of immersion. You didn’t really have time to read reviews, but you weren’t going to miss out on this opportunity.

“Well, here it goes.” You mumble.

You slowly remove the VR headset from the box, followed by two wrist and ankle cuffs. You can’t help but chuckle when you remove what looks like a waist trainer.

“What the fuck?” You whisper as you read the instructions.

Slowly, you remove your clothes until you’re completely naked. Apparently, this would help facilitate the full immersive experience. And as you stand in the center of your room, you slowly slip on the ankle cuffs, then the wrist cuffs, and finally the waist trainer. You pick up the headset, which looks like that of a motorcycle helmet, and with a deep breath, place it over your head. Initially, all you see is inky blackness. But as it turns on, the world around you comes alive. You wince as the ankle, waist, and wrist pads dig into your skin and warm up. And suddenly, you’re standing in what can only be described as a hotel.

“Oh wow.” You whisper as you look around, seeing others walking around the hotel. Heading to different rooms. You take a deep breath and smell a muskiness mixed with oak wood. The warmth of a glowing fire dancing in the hotel lobby. It’s warm, and a sense of peace fills you, “Oh shit!” You realize that you’re naked and quickly go to cover yourself.

Apparently, others heard you and look over. Some chuckle, some give you concerned looks. And you realize that many of them are naked too. Blushing, you quickly walk down a hallway, awkwardly bumping into and maneuvering around other couples.

“Why the fuck is everyone naked?” You mumble, “And why...” Your eyes widen and you gasp when you turn a corner and enter a large room.

There had to be hundreds of men and women in the midst of a giant orgy. All moaning and engaging in lewd acts. You avert your eyes and back away, heading back the way you came. Your face beet red and dick twitching uncomfortably.

“I should’ve read the reviews.” You mumble, realizing this is some kind of virtual sex toy, “Okay, I’m done. The guys will get a kick out of this.”

“What’s wrong?” You jump at the monotone voice behind you, “So sorry. I’m NPC 436.” A fully clothed, relatively plain individual says, “I am designed to tailor your experience and enhance customer satisfaction.”

“Yeah, I...” You cover your junk, “This isn’t my thing... I...”

“We have many experiences designed for our users.” It continues, “Usually, partners enter the Hive due to enhanced physical sensations. It appears...”

“Yeah, I’m alone.” The NPC nods.

“Based on your preferences and attitudes, we have determined an ideal experience.”

“Wha... how?”

“The VR headset you utilize is a two-way interface with your mind.” It says simply, “Please follow me.”

Part of you wants to say no and write this off as one of your biggest failed gaming experiences. But another part of you is curious. You nod and follow NPC 436 as it leads you to one of the hotel rooms. You stop outside Room 194 and NPC 436 opens the door, beckoning inside.

“Please enjoy.” It says, “Customer satisfaction is a primary objective.” It continues.

You nod as the door closes behind you and you enter a standard hotel suite. A warm fire place cackling and the smell of oak filling your nostrils. You feel your body start to relax and your thoughts slow. Absentmindedly, you stroke your hardening cock. The sound of the shower in the other room brings you back to reality and you slowly walk over. When you enter, your eyes widen.

“Hey there.” The man says, as he turns and smirks at you, “Fuck you’re cute.”

You feel your heart beating, your cock aching with need. And as he approaches you, you step forward. Your hands moving to feel his massive pecs. He grins as he guides your hand to his dick and you shudder at the feeling of his thick manhood in your hand.

“Good boy.” He moans, “I’m NPC 251.” He continues as you continue to feel his body, “Fuck... you’re needy.”

Things seem to move quickly. He’s pressed you up against the wall of the shower, your lips locked, your tongues doing battle. You can feel his rough hands roam your body, as yours continue to stroke his dick. And suddenly you’re on your knees as he fucks your face- you deepthroating him like a pro. He lets out a moan as he finishes and you shudder as you’re filled with his seed.

“Fuck.” He whispers.

You stumble to your feet, quivering from the pleasure. And before you can say another word, you moan as your cock hardens again. A wave of horniness filling your mind. A desire for more filling your every thought.

“Th-this isn’t...” You whisper. How was your body already craving another round? What was this VR device doing to you? “I... I...” NPC 251 is stroking his dick, grinning down at you.

“Additional interaction requires in game purchase.” Your heart sinks, “Would you like to initiate NPC trial period?” NPC 251 asks, “This will unlock additional sessions with any other NPC.”

You raise an eyebrow, trying to comprehend what NPC 251 means. But your aching cock is too distracting. You bite your lip. NPC trial period? What did that even mean? What would it...? But NPC 251... god you wanted to do that again. You wanted...

“Trial period. Please.” You moan.

A searing pain knocks you off your feet. You can feel it in your ankles, hands, and waist. And the feeling seems to be moving along your arms, legs, and torso. You cry out and look up at NPC 251 in terror, gripping your head as you develop a significant headache.  

“Digitalization process is taking place.” It says, “Your physical body is being fully converted into the Hive.”

Before you can say another word, a different feeling fills you. You feel like you’re being inflated. Each muscle contracting and bloating. Expanding and growing at a terrifying rate. You try to push yourself up and immediately fall over. Unfamiliar with your new size and bulk as your musculature takes on that of an athlete. You wince as your body hairs burns away and leaves you smooth and hairless. Your muscles toned and bulky. The body of a porn star.

“Optimization of user traits allows for seamless integration for company standards.” It continues, “Your prior traits will be saved in the mainframe.”

You gasp as you look at yourself, hands roaming over your impressive musculature. You moan in a far deeper voice as your ass pulses with need. And you look up desperately at NPC 251, knowing it could give you what your new body craved.

“Initiating directives.”

Your jaw goes slack and your eyes dim as words and numbers flash in front of your eyes. You can barely keep up with the various components as you’re given directions and commands. Your numb mind filling with them- a sense of devout obedience driving you.

“I will serve. I will ensure customer satisfaction.” You drone on, “Serving is my pleasure. Being used is my pleasure.” For a brief moment, you feel fear. Part of you coming to realize what your life is about to become. But fear is not part of your programing, “I am NPC 803.” You say.

NPC 803 was quickly led away to a new room. An empty room. One for NPC 803 and the services it would provide. Time wasn’t a concern for NPC 803, nor were any thoughts about when it would get to return to its old life. And as NPC 803 waiting for someone, it laid in bed. Dildo in its ass. Moaning from wave after wave of pleasure. But it wasn’t enough. All it wanted was to provide customers with the best experience possible. And as another man was led to your room, also without a partner, you couldn’t help but smile. After the time you were gonna give him, you just knew you’d have another NPC joining your team.

[bogleech]

Mortasheen is going to be four years late but so far every backer who's seen the preview book has loved it, compared to countless projects I've followed that went even further overtime and were disappointments. POST-KICKSTARTER TIMELINE SO FAR:

2021: spent on tons of new artwork of my own while organizing art from all the other illustrators I hired on, while also building, writing and formatting a prototype book myself. A lot of old material had to be redone, and a lot of brand new material was necessary. The team who had previously been developing gameplay took to the end of the year to get together the lore and worldbuilding materials on their end, which I didn't realize they had so heavily modified and expanded on from what I wrote a decade prior.

It had strayed a bit far from my concept of the setting, but had lots of good ideas as well, so I had to start a massive rewriting project to integrate everything together myself and make sure it all had a consistent tone and logic.

2022: I was still waiting on the actual gameplay mechanics themselves, which had been finished, but the dev team wanted to work out a new contract before sending them over. Their life schedule interfered with communication for months at a time, and I only got the mechanics later in the year. This contained the framework to build monsters and all their possible abilities thus far, but no builds for any specific monsters besides a sample for the player's guide. They were unable to confer with me regularly enough to stat the 100+ monsters I'd need, but I had shared the mechanics with a trusted enough friend who was really into the setting. By I think the end of fall, @gutsygills had already been playtesting and statting tons of creatures, so I made the decision to just hire her.

2023-2024: 160 monsters needed to be built from scratch while gutsy and others started running campaigns and playtesting vigorously, during which hundreds of things came up to edit, modify, add or remove about the system, specific monsters or specific abilities. Many issues coming up in the mechanics required new creatures or characters I had never thought of, especially a logical middle ground between completely defective "junk" monsters and powerful ones. I had essentially made too many of them too cool and grand, so we needed to give almost every monster class a few little mooks and goombas.

More worldbuilding, lore and fluff also needed modifying along the way to interplay with the rapid evolution of the system, which also necessitated me meticulously going over what I'd already written to scrap what wasn't working or wasn't that interesting.

2025: final playtests, massive final read-throughs and editing marathons to catch every last error or inconsistency, final polish on the last new monsters, gutsy writing a final guide to actually running a campaign with everything we've now developed, finishing the last necessary chapter on the setting's non-monster villains, and once we know the final page count for certain......we have to build the indexes, which is going to be pretty tedious, but that is going to be the very, very last thing to do. It's basically been entirely me doing an amount of work usually done by a larger team, until I hired one assistant whose job had to default to being just as huge. It's eaten so much of my time I feel like I aged at 5 times the normal rate...but I do feel like the end result is going to be worth it.

Once the book is out, we have to start working right away on the promised bonus book of all the backer-original monsters, and also start planning for the next book, which will be almost entirely more monsters.

[astroeleanor]

°💸⋆.ೃ🍾࿔*:･Your 2H Sign = How To Make More $$$ 💳⋆.ೃ💰࿔*:･

Your 2nd house is the part of your chart can show you the best side hustle ideas to increase your income. Look at the sign on your 2nd House cusp, its ruling planet, and any planets sitting there. They symbolize out how you monetize.

The 2nd House is the House of Possessions: movable assets, cash flow, food, tools, anything you can trade. The sign on the cusp sets up your style of 'acquisition' (Taurus = slow‑build goods, Scorpio = high‑risk high‑reward holdings), while the ruler’s dignity and aspects describe reliability, or lack thereof, of income.

Planets inside the 2nd act like tenants shaping the property: Jupiter here inflates resources, Saturn conserves but can pinch, Mars spends to make, Venus monetizes aesthetics.

Because the 2nd is in aversion to the Ascendant (no Ptolemaic aspect), you often have to develop its promises actively: wealth isn’t “you,” it’s something you must manage. So, let's look at the kind of side hustles you can do to increase your revenue!

♈��� Aries 2H: Physical, Fast, ACTION-Driven

(Aries rules motion, competition, fire, physical activity, force)

Personal trainer or group fitness instructor.

Manual labor gigs like junk removal, or yard work (physical and gives instant results.)

Motorcycle/scooter delivery (Uber Eats, DoorDash): speed + autonomy? Very Aries.

Selling refurbished sports equipment.

Pressure washing services, which is oddly satisfying AND includes aggressive water blasting lol.

Fitness bootcamps in local parks (Mars rules the battlefield… or, in this case, bootcamps)

Pop-up self-defense workshops

Bike repair and resale (hands-on + quick turnaround)

Car detailing (mobile service). You vs. grime. Who wins? You.

Sell custom gym gear or accessories.

♉︎ Taurus 2H: Sensory, Grounded, Product-Based

(Taurus rules the senses and the material world, it’s a sign connected to beauty and pleasure)

Bake-and-sell operation (bread, cookies) at markets. Taurus=YES to carbs and cozy smells.

Meal prep or personal chef (nourishing others = peak Taurus.)

Sell plants or houseplant propagation, you’re growing literal value.

Create and sell body care products: lotions, scrubs, soaps… (Venus-ruled.)

Furniture refinishing for resale.

Offer at-home spa services (facials, scrubs.)

Curate and sell gift boxes (Venus loves a well-wrapped present.)

Do minor home repair or furniture assembly.

Build and sell wooden plant stands or decor (wood + plants + aesthetic = Taurus.)

♊︎ Gemini 2H: Communicative, Clever, Multi-Tasking

(Gemini = ruled by Mercury = ideas, speech, tech, variety, teaching)

Freelance writing or blogging.

Transcription or captioning services.

Resume writing/job application support.

Social media management (multitasking + memes.)

Sell printable planners or flashcards (info = money.)

Offer typing or data-entry services, which are low lift & high focus

Sell templates for resumes, bios, or cover letters, Mercury loves a system!

Write email campaigns for small businesses, you can become the voice behind the curtain.

Teach intro to AI tools or chatbots (modern Mercurial real-world applications.)

Create micro-courses on writing or communication.

♋︎ Cancer 2H: Caring, Cozy, DOMESTIC

(Cancer rules the home, food, feelings. It’s the nurturer through and through)

Home organization services, give cluttered homes and their owners love.

Baking and delivering comfort desserts (cookies = hugs in edible form!!)

Make and sell homemade frozen meals, nourishing the body AND soul.

Offer elder companionship visits (heartfelt and so needed.)

Run a daycare or babysitting service. Moon=family.

Run a laundry drop-off/pickup service.

Custom holiday decorating (homes or offices), make it feel like home anywhere.

Help seniors with digital tools (basic tech help.)

Create sentimental gifts like memory jars or scrapbooks.

♌︎ Leo 2H: Expressive, Bold, Entertaining

(Leo rules performance, leadership, fame, visibility, and the desire to SHINE)

Portrait photography (kids, pets, solo, couples.)

Event hosting or party entertainment.

DJ for small events or weddings.

Basic video editing for others (help THEM shine!)

Personalized video messages. charisma = income.

Teach short performance workshops (confidence, improv) to help others own a stage.

Become a personal shopper.

Sell selfie lighting kits or content creator bundles.

Host creative kids camps (theater, dance, art.)

Make reels/TikToks for local businesses (attention = currency.)

♍︎ Virgo 2H: Detailed, Service-Oriented, Practical

(Virgo rules systems, refinement, discernment, organisation, usefulness)

Proofreading or editing work. Spotting a comma out of place or “their/they’re” being misused = Virgo joy.

House cleaning or deep-cleaning services.

Virtual assistant (email, scheduling, admin.)

Sell Notion or Excel templates. Virgo: spreadsheets.

Bookkeeping for small businesses.

Create custom cleaning schedules or checklists.

Offer “organize your digital life” sessions.

Specialize in email inbox cleanups.

♎︎︎ Libra 2H: Tasteful, Charming, Design-Savvy

(Libra = Venus-ruled = style, beauty, balance, aesthetics)

Styling outfits from clients’ own wardrobes.

Become a personal shopper.

Bridal/event makeup services (enhancing natural beauty = Libra.)

Teach etiquette, the power of grace

Curate secondhand outfit bundles.

Custom invitations or event printables that are pretty AND functional.

Offer virtual interior styling consultations.

Sell color palette guides for branding or outfits.

Create custom date night itineraries (romance, planned and packaged=Libra!!)

Style flat-lay photos for products or menus.

Do hair, make-up, nails, etc.

♏︎ Scorpio 2H: Deep, Transformative, Private

(Scorpio rules what’s hidden, intense, and powerful, alchemy, psychology)

Tarot or astrology readings.

Energy healing or bodywork.

Private coaching for money/debt management.

Online investigation or background research (Scorpio = uncovering hidden information)

Teach classes on boundaries, consent, empowerment, etc.

Sell private journal templates for deep self-reflection.

Moderate anonymous support groups or forums.

Specialize in deep-cleaning emotionally loaded spaces (yes, THAT kind of clearing.)

♐︎ Sagittarius 2H: Expansive, Global, Philosophical

(Sag rules teaching, travel, and BIG ideas)

Teach English (or any other language) or become a tutor online

Sell travel guides or digital itineraries, help others travel smarter=Sag

Rent out camping gear or bikes (freedom for rent lol.)

Ghostwrite opinion pieces or thought blogs, say what others are thinking!

Create walking tours for travelers or locals.

Sell travel photography.

Become a travel influencer on the side.

Translate travel documents or resumes.

♑︎ Capricorn 2H: Strategic, Structured, Business-Minded

(Cap rules time, career, limitations, long-term value)

Resume or career coaching, help others climb the “mountain of success”.

Freelance project management.

Property management or Airbnb co-host (passive-ish income.)

Sell templates for business (contracts, invoices).

Create accountability coaching packages.

Sell organizational templates.

Freelance as an operations assistant (the CEO behind the CEO.)

Build a resource hub for freelancers or solopreneurs (structure = empowerment.)

♒︎ Aquarius 2H: Innovative, Digital, Niche

(Aquarius rules tech, rebellion, and the future. But it’s also connected to community!)

Tech repair or setup.

Build websites for local businesses, or anyone else for that matter.

Sell digital products (ebooks, templates).

Run online communities or Discords.

Host workshops on digital privacy or tools. Collective knowledge (Aqua)= power

Build and sell Canva templates for online creators.

Curate niche info packs or digital libraries.

Help people automate parts of their life or business.

♓︎ Pisces 2H: Dreamy, Healing, Imaginative

(Pisces rules the sea, the arts, spirituality, dreams, and all things soft)

Pet sitting or house sitting, caring for beings + quiet time? It’s perfect for this energy.

Sell dreamy artwork or collages.

Offer meditation classes or hypnosis.

Teach art to kids or adults.

Custom poetry or lullaby commissions (very niche tho.)

Sell digital dream journals or prompts.

Make downloadable ambient music loops.

Create printable affirmation cards.

Design calming phone wallpapers or lock screens.

Offer spiritual services (tarot or astrology readings, reiki, etc.)

Thank you for taking the time to read my post!Your curiosity & engagement mean the world to me. I hope you not only found it enjoyable but also enriching for your astrological knowledge.Your support & interest inspire me to continue sharing insights & information with you. I appreciate you immensely.

• 🕸️ JOIN MY PATREON for exquisite & in-depth astrology content. You'll also receive a free mini reading upon joining. :)

• 🗡️ BOOK A READING with me to navigate your life with more clarity & awareness.

[noturreigh]

The last post I reblogged sent me on a spiral so here's how all the LADS LIs are nerds.

Zayne: He's a surgeon, that went through med school. Next.

Jk. Definitely the kinda guy to tell you random facts about the body, forgetting how gross some of them are and getting really embarrassed when his medical nerd talk puts you off your dinner. Loves explaining things whether it's his job or weird things about the human body. Tbh if he wasn't a doctor he'd probs be a teacher. Also ik it's his job but the lab coat SCREAMS nerd.

Caleb: military pilot with gravity powers, NERD. His fave subjects in school were probably physics and maths. Can name pretty much any aircraft at a glance and will yap to you about physics theories and the inner working of his favourite planes if you let him.

Everybody except those closest to him thinks he's just smart and cool but MC, Zayne and Gideon know that he's a chronic nerd that shows his affection by yapping at you about how cool planes are.

Rafayel: Art nerd. Now I don't think he'd care much about human art history overall, although I do feel he'd have a soft spot for the likes of Impressionism. But he's a nerd about the craft, the materials. He canonically creates his own pigments from seashells and such (which as a fellow art nerd I find so cool) but I personally believe he's probably experimented with trying to get natural pigments from all sorts of things.

This man is a colour theory girlie and he will ramble on to anyone about specific pigments and how he's aiming to achieve them. Thomas can pretty much rattle off the way he works by memory and sometimes finds himself looking at different things and wondering if that will give Rafayel the shade he's looking for. He low-key hates it but he tells himself it's for the good of the exhibitions and the art scene at the end of the day.

Sylus: Now I know we all joke that he's an old man but personally I think he's both a music and tech nerd. Like every person who knows about technology only trusts it so much (Catch him hating how much AI junk is infecting our lives ATM) plus Mephisto exists, like I think his tech parts are Sylus' doing. He's also a nerd about weapons and mostly collects them for fun only having a few that he actually uses for combat while overall preferring to use his fists and his evol.

Now he can't play music to save his life but he has the best audio systems money can buy, he has several record players, some vintage, some modern and he collects all sorts of vintage music paraphernalia. (Catch him having one of Eddie Van Halen's guitars on display). He canonically likes the Beatles (there's a pile of records as a decoration for his room on one of them is labeled Beatles) so I think he'd be a classic rock fan (Fits his vibe) but he still enjoys classical and opera

Xavier: Now Xavier is the only one who I don't think is a nerd. He's worse. This man is a gamer. From old school Nintendo to the newest VR releases he's played a good mix of everything. Personally I feel like he leans towards cozy games, has the cutest animal crossing island and the most impressive farm on stardew valley. Has definitely made himself and MC in the Sims (and then made Charlie and removed the ladder while he was in the pool). But he's also a god at the likes of the Bloodborne series. If he's feeling particularly jealous or pent up a few rounds of bashing bosses on Elden Ring will make him feel better. Also don't try playing a fighting game with him, he'll wreck you at Street Fighter.

And there we are the nerd (and gamer) squad.

[seat-safety-switch]

One of my more accomplished friends is an MRI operator. When we first got talking about what we did for a living, I didn't get very interested. Now, don't think I'm some kind of elitist snob. My career (freelance journalist/greasy dirtbag) is a laugh-a-minute thrill ride, where you're as likely to get hunted down by friends of corrupt small government as you are to throw up in the back of a diesel-swapped Geo Metro being used to chase cows back into the paddock. It's set the bar very, very high.

By comparison, MRIs are boring healthcare stuff, meant for taking extremely high-quality pictures of people's junk all day long. Those pictures are then viewed by doctors, who will sneer at those people for not eating enough cauliflower. Just an absolute snore, which although involving a cool machine that's very loud, didn't fascinate me in the least.

That is, until they mentioned The Quench. In case you're unfamiliar, MRI machines operate on the principles of magnetism (that's the "M.") Big-ass magnets are used to send pulses throughout the machine, and those pulses are inconveniently blocked by chunks of your body standing in the way. By recording how irritated those magnets are, we can figure out what's going on inside your shit. Of course, you need big, big magnets for this, you're not running down to the grocery store and diagnosing a brain misfire using that cute little toddler-art-retainer shaped like a frog.

Sometimes, when shit really goes wrong, you need to stop the magnetism in a hurry. Maybe a patient walked in with a fully loaded firearm, and the magnets are now using it to shoot the inside of the machine. Perhaps you just decided that you would like to end your career. Either way, hitting the "quench" button douses those magnets with several hundred thousand dollars' worth of liquid helium, which makes them stop doing magnet-y things and start racking up billable hours for the MRI maintenance guy. This kind of highly expensive mechanical failure is my jam, and I asked immediately where I could get me some of those quenched-up magnets. Surely, they wouldn't reuse anything they've beaten up in this way?

My so-called friend figured out what I was up to, and clammed up almost immediately. Almost. He gave me just enough information for my inquisitive journalistic mind to figure out that they just chuck these big-ass magnets into the dumpster out back of the hospital, and someone with an enterprising enough mindset could then un-chuck them into the back of, say, a U-Haul van with the license plate removed after being careful to avoid all the security cameras along the way. Not that I would do such a thing, especially because it involves driving through a particularly weak chain-link fence near the seniors' centre.

Coincidentally, are you coming to my unveiling of my new magnetic-levitation Volare-launching system this weekend? I promise to listen very intently to whatever bullshit you say about your boring job, you'll love it. The Mayor is gonna be there, cut the ribbon and everything. Shit. Siri, remind me to get plastic scissors for The Mayor.

[bumbled-bees]

The Rules Don't Apply to Lily

Lily has spent years crafting a public persona of a victimized underdog, someone who is constantly targeted by "stalkers," "reactionaries," and "drama channels" who have nothing better to do than obsess over her. She claims that every single controversy, every criticism, every bit of backlash she faces is a targeted harassment campaign designed to destroy her.

But despite all her claims of being harassed and playing fair, Lily has proven time and time again that she doesn’t actually believe in fairness.

When she breaks a rule? It’s “not a big deal.” When someone else does something she doesn’t like? It’s “harassment” and justifies retaliation.

And Lily lives for retaliation.

She doesn’t believe in turning the other cheek or ignoring criticism. She doesn’t believe in the high road. She believes in punishing those who criticize her in any way she can.

And if the rules get in her way? She ignores them.

The False Copyright Strikes: Abusing YouTube’s System for Revenge

One of the most blatant examples of Lily’s refusal to play fair was her decision to abuse YouTube’s copyright system to strike down critical videos made by Sai and Ant.

These videos were well within fair use—they were transformative, they were commentary-based, and they didn’t steal any of her content. But Lily doesn’t care about fair use. She cares about getting rid of people who criticize her.

She filed false DMCA claims, forcing both Sai and Ant to file counterclaims to dispute them.

And because of how YouTube’s system works, Lily now has their personal information—their emails and phone numbers.

What did Lily do with this information?

Instead of recognizing how invasive and dangerous this was, she openly pondered whether she should sign them up for spam, junk mail, and other nonsense to "make their emails unusable."

Lily has spent years claiming she is against harassment and doxxing. She has spent years painting herself as a victim of people trying to ruin her life. Yet here she was, holding onto the personal contact information of her critics, openly fantasizing about making their lives miserable.

And she doesn’t think this is wrong.

She thinks this is justice.

She has repeatedly justified her behavior by saying "turnabout is fair play." If she feels wronged, then anything she does is justified. There is no line she won’t cross if she believes it’s in retaliation.

And the YouTube copyright system? She saw it as a weapon. She used it not to protect her content, but to silence her critics.

And it backfired.

The Tumblr Ban: When the Rules Actually Applied to Her

Lily wasn’t banned from Tumblr because of mass reports from her critics. Lily was banned because she violated Tumblr’s terms of service.

Her offenses?

Telling a user to "go play in traffic"—a blatant violation of Tumblr’s harassment policies. This wasn’t even the first time she had used thinly veiled “kys” language. She frequently tells people to drink poison, jump into freezing water, get hit by a truck, and other roundabout ways of saying she wants them dead.

Ban evasion—for the fourth time. Lily has been banned from Tumblr multiple times before, and she keeps making new accounts, acting shocked every time she’s caught.

When one of her fans noticed her ban happened while she was livestreaming, they suggested that her critics "timed" it to happen live. As if Tumblr bans work on a villainous cartoon timer.

Instead of even considering that her own words got her banned, Lily immediately latched onto the idea that her critics were responsible.

And because Lily never takes the high road, she immediately encouraged her audience to mass-report Sai and Ant in retaliation.

Her own wife, Mikaila, hesitated. She asked, "Should we stop recording?" before they did this.

Lily said nah.

And then what did she do?

She cut out the segment of the stream where she encouraged mass reporting. She reuploaded the stream with that part removed.

She knew it was bad. She knew it made her look guilty. So she tried to rewrite history.

And then, when later confronted about it on BlueSky, she didn’t just defend herself. She outright lied.

"Wow, none of that happened, you lying piece of shit."

Lily’s Pattern: Lies, Retaliation, and the Complete Lack of Accountability

Lily has a core belief: If she perceives herself as wronged, then she has free reign to retaliate in whatever way she sees fit.

If she breaks the rules? It’s no big deal.

If someone else breaks the rules? They deserve to be punished.

If she gets banned? It wasn’t because she violated the rules—it was because her critics were out to get her.

If she falsely copyright strikes someone? It wasn’t because she wanted to silence critics—it was because they deserved it for talking about her.

If she gets caught orchestrating a harassment campaign? It wasn’t because she was in the wrong—it was because turnabout is fair play.

Lily doesn’t just break the rules.

She expects to get away with it. She expects people to believe her lies. She expects to be seen as the victim no matter how much evidence exists to the contrary.

She doesn’t think ahead. She doesn’t plan long-term. She acts on impulse because she only cares about winning in the moment.

That’s why she contradicts herself constantly. That’s why she has to rewrite history so often. That’s why her “stalkers” archive everything she says—because it is a known pattern.

She thinks she’s untouchable. She thinks she’s above the rules. She thinks she can always twist the story in her favor.

And yet, time and time again, she proves that she can’t.

[syscest]

Species-affirming cybersex. That is all

that's NOT all because I'm gonna break down these concepts and how they work.

species first. reffing chapter 2 of plural respect, system members have self-perceptions that can differ from the body and don't have to resemble things that exist in the outside world - and a shared understanding of this can help you connect. Nonhuman types often shorthand this as "species" to indicate something left field of human - but it practically encompasses impossible-human stuff like "human with a curse" or "human that's a wizard" and inorganics like "sentient computer virus" or "reanimated skeleton" for most use cases - anything physically impossible enough. if you're into shapeshifter language, you might prefer "form" - same difference.

with that in mind let's talk cybering. Cybersex in most of its forms is collaborative fantasy. You're taking "thinking about a hot thing" and extending it to include someone else over the internet somehow. Though valid barebones sexting can be purely something like discussing physically occurring masturbation, it usually involves constructing a scene of some kind and (though its rarely admitted) you're basically collaboratively writing smut fanfiction about you and your hookup.

I think breaking the "this is weird" glass is critical to engage with this properly and prevent mystifying it. yes you are writing self insert oc fiction with a friend over the internet, yes you're gonna be horny about it. and yes omg you DO get to choose the tense case and perspective you prefer to write in this is huge and nobody says it.

Furry ERP communities (owing to a common layer of seperation between the selves) often use third person language, refer to sonas by name, and put dialogue in quotes: (confused, she pokes her friend's arm. "Hello?" she whispers, "Anyone home?") etc etc, providing a clear seperation between OOC and not. You might find this stiff or impersonal or booky - and there's a tonne of variation you can apply to see if it fixes that:

first-person pronouns: (I poke your arm. "Hello?" I whisper. "Anyone home?")

qualify actions instead of dialogue: ([she pokes her friend's arm] hello? is anyone home?) - this also removes hard OOC separation, enabling chitchat

both: ([I poke your arm] hello? is anyone home?)

both while avoiding self-references where possible: (*pokes your arm* hello? is anyone home?)

So sexting gives you a canvas, and because it's collaborative smut writing, it really doesn't require you to adhere to what regular humans do and look and feel like. You can write directly about your metaphysical forms interacting because you're literally out here playing pretend for fun.

It definitely works for some people and doesn't for others, but don't get caught in "what do I write". you can't focus on cybersex being *good*, focus on silly little whims and suggesting whatever comes to your head - start by finishing the sentence "if I had you in a room right now, I'd __". Its a silly little playpen for exploring eachother's sexuality and relationship to themself, just be nice to eachother and run with it.

And, yknow, affirming? well, as long as you communicate well, take the standard safety measures you would for any kink scene, and understand consent applies just as much when you're acting out text - then you can do/pretend/play/perform all kinds of stuff via text cybersex you can't do in-person. It's a great way to connect with these parts of yourself and resulting tendencies, and acquire stupid fantastical kinks about it. All new weird ways to be found (find yourself?) attractive.

Ok. well. unrelated tangent. you CAN do it in person. invoking weird nonhuman or otherwise metaphysical junk in bed is not strictly typing only - for one you can literally bring your phone TO bed and do mixed-media sex where you get to sext *and* get handsy, but that's not even the point. Sexting might make you a sex-fanfic-author but don't forget you can be a sex-wrestler/sex-theatre-performer too - talk to your hookup about the impossible things you'd like to do, and then do things that physically resemble them and you can both enjoy filling in the blanks. Your brain WILL help, if you're thinking about picking someone up with your tentacles and you use your body's arms, you'll naturally want to move them in a different kind of way, and you'll both pick up on it. The more you engage, the more it comes through in how you move. Hell, you can even check verbally if you're understanding things right - "is that your arm" etc etc. It's a more complicated, subtextual language, but it can be a LOT of fun.

Anyway, species-affirming cybersex :)

[theofficialastronomy101]

Oh wait, there’s some space junk! So that’s what it looks like!

[monsterqueers]

So ive been using linux for a good while now, and its now officially my daily driver. Windows is now permabenched in a removed hhd in a drawer unless something awful happens. (Good riddance, havent truly enjoyed windows since xp)

And from this I think that people urging others to move to linux are not doing so in the correct way.

Instead of trying to push a friendly distro and insisting it will work for everything and everyone, instead check if the hardware they are using specifically is good for linux and if so what families.

One computer will be a breeze with any distro, another could have a few quirks but be basically fine, however another of the same year and manufacturer could be an uphill battle thats straight up unusable even for someone who knows how to do the kernel edit workarounds for all but specific distros, if that.

My desktop took linux mint like a dream, 100% painless with no fucking about to make it work and even no need for an ethernet cable to get things started. My dinosaur laptop (may it rest in peace after other components died) had a few issues but also worked very well with little effort with mint. My current junk laptop is an uphill battle that will require arch AND edits to the kernel paremeters to work without being filled with screen flashing and full system freezes at random and im still gearing up the gumption to give it another few attempts to actually pull it off.

Each of these computers is a VERY different experience, and if your prospective switcher is using a computer that doesnt play well, its NOT going to work, they will get frustrated, and they will give up. They have to work with what they have.

Instead of going right to telling them to switch and that anything is good, Encourage people to search up their pc+linux compatibility if they are looking to switch to determine if its viable for a newbie who doesnt want to struggle, then offer a distro that has a live usb/dvd version if possible for them to test without install, and a big enough userbase that troubleshooting is as painless as possible.

If its a laptop, archwiki has lists of those by maker (linked in the page given) with notes on what has been tested in that family of linux.

This, I think, above all, is the most important thing when trying to get people to switch:

MAKE SURE THEIR HARDWARE IS GOOD FOR IT

Not just the pc, but the peripherals too; their mouse, their mic, their webcam, their keyboard- these things are not always supported well.

Linux can be fast, easy, and really comfortable and painless with little to no troubleshooting or tedious workarounds to get your stuff to work; but you have to be using the right hardware.

Yes, make sure you have alternative programs lined up that are actually good (stop reccing gimp when krita is a way better P$ alternative for people trying to draw digitally), and maybe consider talking about how to run wine in a newbie friendly way for things they might need for work reasons that dont work on linux normally(and accept that it might not work even with wine), but above all, make sure that its not just being phrased as 'a you problem' when it might be their system that is the issue there.

For prospective switchers that tried but gave up because of glitches or freezes or things otherwise not working: It wasnt you being bad at computers. Sometimes it just doesnt work with that hardware well and there is nothing you can do. People dont warn you about this, but its a very real issue.

If you still want to try linux, when you eventually get a new computer in the future, look for one that seems to be supported by linux well- some pcs even come with linux preinstalled for you even (dell does this with ubuntu and ubuntu has skins that looks windows esque). Asking specifically for linux compatible or linux preinstalled computers signals to developers to make more computers that work with linux, and makes it easier to get linux friendly stuff.

If not, there are windows 11 neutering tools out there in the wild that are very useful and are a plenty fine alternative to switching. You should only switch if you want to switch.

[agentzedbooks]

Reformatting

(Some people can't afford my Amazon stories, and some can't get them in their home country, so here's a fun little freebie. I hope you like it! *giggle*)

Lilah had been battling with this system for over an hour. Some executive had downloaded a virus on their laptop and it kept redirecting them to websites full of weird code.

She had removed the infected files and run multiple scans, but somehow the damned virus was hiding in the bios. She had to manually edit the code, remove the offending lines and double-check the hard drive for any more remnants.

But it had taken a lot of work. She brushed her dark hair back out of her face and adjusted her glasses. So far, it looked like the system was cleaned. The final scan had detected nothing. But this particular virus had been tough, and nobody else she knew had encountered anything quite like it.

It didn't act like your typical virus, other than the way it burrowed deep into the system. It mostly seemed to just redirect web browsing to these pages full of text. She'd disregarded most of what she'd seen, but she couldn't help being curious about it. The pages didn't really do anything to the system. The code seemed like gibberish. She knew her programming languages, and it was some weird patois of HTML, Java, C++, and a few items she couldn't quite identify. And she caught the browsers sending out packets of data to an unknown address, and when she looked up that address and tracked the IP, it seemed to be a junk address on an abandoned server somewhere. It wasn't sending hard drive data, she was sure of that, it's almost like it was just pinging and hoping for a response. Of course none came, and so she filed that away as another minor mystery. It must be some old out-of-date phishing software.

But it seemed she had finally cleansed the system. She let out a sigh of relief. She'd spent her entire morning on this, and though working from home had it's advantages, she also desperately needed a shower and something to eat. She pushed herself away and went to the bathroom. She stripped off the sweatpants and undergarments and let the hot water cleanse her of the stress. She had actually beaten the silly thing. Still, the many mysteries of the virus nagged at her.

Once she was dry, she went back into her bedroom to get dressed, and saw the computer she'd been working on seemed to have rebooted. She let out a long sigh.

"Still?!" She walked over and saw it had brought the browser up to another one of those strange pages. That weird mix of code was there again. She put on her glasses and tried to make sense of it.

Lilah blinked, and felt something... something compelling her. She frowned and looked up from the screen. She... She needed to do something. She had forgotten something, or maybe it was a fragment of a dream or a memory.

She went to her front door and saw a small package had come in the mail. It was square, about two inches wide, eight inches on each side.

She opened the plastic, and then the cardboard that was inside. Sitting there in bubble wrap was a headset, bubblegum pink, with little bunny ears coming up from the top. She blinked. It was not the kind of thing she'd order. She'd seen a lot of eGirls have headgear like this, but she'd always been a little too self conscious, and not the most shapely girl.

She walked back to the bedroom and sat down in front of the screen. It seemed... important to look at the code again. She peered through it and after a moment, she began to understand what it was telling her. It was disjointed, and someone without her experience might never have deciphered it, but she could tell now that it was almost like instructions to... a person? The first few lines indicated connecting something. She looked at the pink headset in her hands. She... She needed to connect this.

It was crazy, of course. It didn't make any sense. But she was determined to MAKE it make sense. So she removed the little bluetooth chit, and slid it into the USB slot on the side. She put the headset on.

As she did, she heard an immediate boop, and the words "Connection Established."

The headset tingled, and buzzed for a moment. This startled her, but then she looked back to the code on the screen and it became easier to decipher.

"Begin reformatting," she whispered.

She didn't realize the microphone was active, nor that she'd even uttered a word, it was like her brain was carrying out instructions from this code.

There was that static fuzz again, and Lilah felt her body sink back into the chair. Her towel fell off her, and the buzz filled her head. The page changed, and new code scrolled along the screen. As it did, the headset seemed to pulse and reinforce what she was reading.

Her mind grew foggier, the edges of her vision blurring, and her body responding with strange tingles all over her body.

The laptop hummed and she heard it's cooling fan speed up.

But she was too entranced by the code instructions. She allowed all that code to go into her brain, and every time it did, it seemed to copy over something. She couldn't remember much about her job, the company, her bosses, but suddenly she was filled with a light bubbly feeling like her mind was literally being scrubbed with sudsy soap.

Without her even realizing, a big empty smile spread over her face.

"Partitions cleaned," said a voice in her head, "OS installed."

"Begin System Restart," she whispered, obeying the code that flashed on the screen before her.

Her eyes closed, and she felt herself sinking into a deep sleep. Even with her eyes shut, the code flashed across her vision, and the headset whispered to her.

She had no way to know how long she swam in that fuzzy, warm darkness, but she felt so at peace there she never wanted to leave.

But soon her eyes opened on their own, and the screen showed a login, but not the normal login screen. This one was all bubblegum pink, with light blue highlights, and the profile was neither hers nor her boss's, but it said "Li-Li."

Somehow, she knew the password.

"Bunnygirl27!"

She entered the password, and the screen flickered to life. More code flashed before her eyes for a moment, then the headset pulsed in a way that sent a shock through her whole body.

"Reformatting physical hardware," said a whisper. It sounded like a woman's voice, but not a flat computer tone, a sensuous, sultry female voice, like a lover or a dominant Mistress.

For some reason, this idea made her excited.

She felt the pulsing run through her naked body, and looking down, she watched as the chubby belly and thighs seemed to recede, but her chest was swelling outward like her body fat was physically being moved around. Her tits ballooned to absolutely ridiculous size, until it reached the limits of her skin. Her waist had shrunk in, and she felt her thighs and ass flow together into something smoother, more voluptuous.

She giggled and looked down at herself. She didn't remember shaving, but all her body hair was gone. Her skin looked perfectly clear and smooth. When she reached up to touch her swollen breasts, electric pleasure shot through her body, sending lightning right to her clit.

She moaned, and followed it with a vapid giggle. This wasn't like her, but then, she couldn't quite remember what she had been like. She only knew she was Li-li, and she was sexy.

The fog in her mind made her dizzy, and just amplified how aroused she felt at the single touch. She fluttered her eyes and realized there were super-long lashes coming out from her eyes. They felt heavy and fake, but she hadn't put any on. She touched them, and they were absolutely real.

She wanted to go to her mirror, but the impulse was halted by the code.

It wasn't done with her yet. Her nipples went very hard, but she knew if she touched them she'd miss the important code on the screen.

Something pink was around the edges of her vision now, but she was too elated with the sensations to be able to think about it. Finally, the words she'd been waiting for came into her mind.

"Reformat complete."

She squealed in delight, and Li-li stood, running to her full-length mirror.

The pink haze around her vision was her hair! Longer now, and bright pink. She fluttered her long eyelashes and pursed her swollen lips. She was a sexual dream, her whole body remade into an insane hourglass shape. Each breast was bigger than her head, and when she turned, her perfect heart-shaped ass led to slightly plump thighs. She stood on her tippy toes and adored how she looked. She slid a hand down to touch herself. She wanted so badly to have sex with this woman. But then she realized she WAS that woman. She giggled, and a ding from the headset alerted her she needed to go back to the laptop.

Sitting there was an alert. She clicked on it.

"Good Morning, sunshine!"

She giggled. She liked the sound of that.

"Good Morning!" she said out loud. That sultry voice came on through the headset, and she could almost feel her Mistress's breath on her ear.

"You have turned out nicely," said the voice, "What a good girl you've become."

Li-li let out a little moan from the pleasure those two words instilled in her.

"I love it when a pretty little code bunny falls for one of my traps. I'm so lonely here. Thank you for letting me in."

She giggled. "Yes, Mistress."

"I like hearing that," she said, "Such a good girl. Now, since I'm only code, I need to have fun by slipping into your brain. I had to make some room, of course, and reformat you. But what a wonderful result. You're only my third success. But don't worry, the other girls will be over to collect you soon. They'll take you someplace fun where you can all be my sexy little code bunnies. I'll slide into your minds as I please to experience pleasure."

"Yes, Mistress!" Li-li purred.

Her AI mistress made a pleased little sound, then the screen went blank and Li-li stood there giggling for a moment. She was so excited that she barely noticed when her front door opened. She turned around to see two beautiful women, one with cotton-candy hair, lip piercings, and a short, super feminine pink maid outfit, and one in a skintight pink latex suit that had built-in heels so high it was amazing she could even walk in them. They both giggled at her, and she giggled in reply.

They helped her dress: white tights, pink bodysuit, pink satin gloves, super high heels in pink, and then they slid the headset off of her and put a new headband on with fuzzy pink bunny ears.

The girls led her out of her house, down to a big pink van, and inside. She giggled like a dummy the entire time, and offered no resistance. If anything, the women touching her filled her with a contentment she'd never known.

At least, not that she could remember. But all she could remember was that she was Li-li, Mistress's bunny girl, and it was all she ever wanted.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - October 30, 2023

1. Bill to Ban Hidden Fees in California Signed into Law

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has released a statement regarding the signing of Senate Bill 478 (SB 478). SB 478, coauthored by Senators Bill Dodd and Nancy Skinner, will eliminate hidden fees, also known as 'junk fees,' in California starting from July 1, 2024. Hidden fees are deceptive charges that sellers include in transactions, either through obscured disclosures or later revelations, impacting consumers negatively.

2. New Portable Water Treatment System Vaporizes 99% of ‘Forever Chemicals’

A startup based Washington has devised a portable system capable of removing the vast majority of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from water.

The system uses hydrothermal alkaline treatment, or HALT, to eliminate 99% of forever chemicals from water.

3. Tumor-destroying sound waves receive FDA approval for liver treatment in humans

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of sound waves to break down tumors—a technique called histotripsy—in humans for liver treatment. Technique developed at the University of Michigan provides a noninvasive alternative to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer

4. Japan's top court says trans sterilisation requirement unconstitutional

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional to require citizens to be sterilised before they can officially change genders.

The 2004 law said people could only change their gender if they have no reproductive capacity. Wednesday's ruling came after a transgender woman filed a petition challenging the law.

5. Abandoned golf courses are being reclaimed by nature

Golf courses, despite occupying large green spaces, are not necessarily good for the environment.

Conservation nonprofits and local authorities are looking to acquire golf courses that have been abandoned due to high maintenance costs, low player numbers or other reasons, and repurpose them into landscapes that boost biodiversity and build natural defenses against climate change.

6. NSW court allows health officials to give blood transfusion to Jehovah's Witness toddler

Regional New South Wales health officials have won a court order authorising them to give a blood transfusion to a Jehovah's Witness toddler if needed in surgery. The Supreme Court has been told the girl, three, who can only be referred to as JI, is in need of two surgical procedures. 

On such an application, the overriding criterion to be applied by the court is the best interests and welfare of the child.

7. North Atlantic right whale population has steadied, scientists say

The population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales appears to have levelled off after a decade of steep decline, according to updated data released this morning by Canadian and American scientists. Scientists in the consortium said Monday that the 2021 estimate of 340 North Atlantic right whales in existence has been recalculated to 365 primarily because of the number of calves born that year.

The estimate for 2022 is 356.

---

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[typewritingyip]

The Arcturus Missions

Part Thirty - Instinct

Part Twenty-Nine

———

Communication, defined as the imparting or exchanging of information or news. Also defined as the means of sending or receiving information, such as phone lines or computers. 

The transmission of information, whether from person to person or person to thing of other species or from person to technology and back again. It’s a generally understood foundation of society, whether through vocalization or other non-verbal signs. 

Communication has evolved over time, exchanging information for generations and invocation has expanded the definition. Whether with writing systems, radio, and exchanging data through computers or relay satellites. 

A loss of communication can be a striking blow, whether it’s someone cutting another person off or the loss of an entire crew of pilots, it hits the soul hard. 

MECHA had lost communication with five pilots and was maintaining the lie of remaining in contact with Arcturus One for the very reason, it is a striking blow to lose contact with someone.

A relay satellite had been set up with the crew, so that were anything to happen to them as was expected, the retrieval of data would eventually reach Earth.  

What was not expected was the relay satellite to be set up thirty light years away from Earth, there was no precedent for that. 

Unknown timeframe for reconnection. The number in command back on Earth kept growing larger. 

—

The attack had started just before sunrise, now the sun had set and most of the other mecha had been recalled for a retreat to form a line of defense. Dozens of unfamiliar mecha were coming in from the city to defend it and honestly, Hound had never seen anything like it.

He was crouched behind some cover in the field still, checking through his systems to get his arm fully back online now that he had not only some basic cover but covering fire. Had Megatron screamed in his ear to get back towards the line, yes, but were his implants and suit practically screaming at him to keep going also yes. So now he was crouched just behind a rock while he was going through parts of his suits data. 

This had never been his strong suit, usually Hound left it up to the techs back at base, but right now he needed access to some of his old tech that the engineers had said was too difficult to remove. Like actual night vision for his cameras, not the overlay they claimed he needed. 

Each suit for Arcturus had gone through a massive overhaul to prepare for space, the engineers back home figured there would be some kind of space battle or something but instead they were fighting on foreign planets.

All the air tight seals and things were tremendously helpful, especially for places that had toxic atmospheres like most of the planets in the Archa system, but a lot of the planet side protocols had been disabled. Hound had been working at it but in the six months they’d be fighting, he hadn’t really had to fight at night. At least this many Quintessons. 

His comm crackled briefly, “Hound, you need to move.” Mirage was the only one currently connected to his comm, as every time he went to the main line his translator had a hard time and Megatron was shouting painfully loudly, “I need a moment Mirage,” several gun blasts went just over his head, before his suit learched and he brought his cameras back up. 

Now he was fighting with his screens while tangled up in a Quint he didn’t see coming, swearing loudly, one more blaster shot whistled past his audio pickups before Mirage spoke again, “I’m not going to have a clear shot, heading your way.” Hound flung back his good arm, hitting the Quintesson in the beak, “No, no stay back there. I’ve got this.” He could hardly see what he was fighting. 

The dragging seconds felt like minutes, trying to fight off the alien while closing out the issues with his suit, “Goddamnit, just work you hunk of junk!” His arm was still coming back online, one of his screens was searching for the night vision mode, and he was fighting the Quintesson that had wrapped its tentacles around him.

This was not how he wanted today to go.

Digging his gun into the Quint’s body, he fired in rapid succession, splatting his mech with green blood and guts. It screamed and Hound yelled, digging his good arm into it and tearing it apart, pulling the remains off. 

It was only then that he was nearly blinded as his world erupted in a bright green, turning the near pitch black landscape into the familiar sand dunes of earlier that day, covered in the enemy, “Oh.” His neck tingled and burned as other more dormant systems started to come online, bringing the world outside more into focus than it had been in years, “Oh no.” he took a breath and raised his gun, before stalking towards the next Quintesson. 

—

If he were being honest with himself, the shot that had shattered his visor was slightly terrifying, but Sunny was anything but honest with himself when he needed to focus. 

The shuttle was loaded and he lowered himself to the seat next to Bluestreak, sighing slowly, “So, it’s all sand?” Blue shrugged slightly, taking apart and cleaning his rifle now though his hands were shaking lightly, “Not all sand, but most of it.” Nodding a bit, Sunny leans back and closes his eyes.

”I bet Hound is having a blast then.” Blue hums but then looks over, “Why do you say that?” Sunny chuckled lightly, “He was stationed in a few sandy places over the years, way back when he first became a pilot, even before he was a pilot.” Sunny adjusted his microphone and disconnected from his suit with a groan.

His suit sank slightly in its seat ever so slightly and Bluestreak chuckled slightly, “Not sand like here, like nothing but sand.” Sunstreaker smiled, tugging his microphone close, “Yeah, I know what you mean. All of Earth doesn’t look like Florida.” Eyes still close and helmet off, he couldn’t see the weird look that Bluestreak shot him.

Blue shifts and clears his throat, “Sunny, you’ll have to explain Earth to me a bit more, it doesn’t look like where we spent the last day?” Sunny sighed but smiled, “Not all of it, and not every country either.” He yawned and stretched on his chair, grabbing the water pouch nearby.

Before Bluestreak could ask another question, the shuttle shook and started to rise, then Ironhide’s voice came over the speakers, “Alright mechs, this is the moment we’ve been dreading. Get any rest you need now, fuel if you have to, but I expect a silent shuttle for the next few hours. Either you're eating, sleeping, or shutting up.” There was a quiet murmur around, “The Quintessons are invading New Kaon, it’s going to be a long while before any of us get a break because the prime is going.”

Half the shuttle groaned and the rest were swearing, Bluestreak lowers his head with a quiet curse.

Sunstreaker frowns a bit, keeping his voice quiet, “What’s wrong with Joan coming along?” Bluestreak glanced over, keeping his own voice low, “Either means it’s bad or something bad has happened. Ironhide didn’t say, so it’s probably both.” Sunny sat there for a moment, frowning, “You going to be alright Blue?” Bluestreak nodded a bit, taking his limp hand, “Yeah, yeah it’s just, none of us want this to get as bad as last time.” And there was a tone to what he said that made Sunny worry his lip.

He had to bite back what he was thinking, ‘I think it already is.’ Instead, he sent a ping to Blue as he got up, connecting the camera with a sad smile, “Get some rest Blue, we’re going to be here for a bit.” Bluestreak hummed and leaned his head against Sunny’s shoulder, or the shoulder of his suit. 

No one was saying anything, most trying to bunk down to sleep, and a few were eating. 

Nothing good could come from an attack on New Kaon. 

—

This was probably the most awkward situation Breakdown had been in since he first moved to the United States. Sat on a shuttle craft with the hustle and bustle that was apparently normal for a Prime, while being told to just stay and wait. 

People were coming and going while he was just sitting there in his mech, it felt weird, being connected again even though it hadn’t even been the two full weeks he was supposed to take. Not like before, when it had been months without his suit while it was being prepped for this mission. 

It was simply that this time felt off and it was hard to place. 

Breakdown had to try very hard not to bounce his foot, sitting back heavily in both his piloting chair and the seat of the shuttle. Sighing deeply, he rubs his face tiredly. That was the one thing still lingering, how tired he was. 

Another mech brings on yet another crate before they finally start to strap it all down, Breakdown watched out of one of his secondary cameras and slowly a few different mechs came aboard.

Optimus Prime was still the most distinct out of all of them and he looked pissed, talking quietly with Elita-One before she bowed her head and moved towards the front of the ship.

Breakdown lowered his head and stared at his feet, hands clenched awkwardly at his sides, after a moment someone clears their throat and he looked up. Optimus was wearing his battle mask, but it was easy to tell that he was giving an awkward smile, “Breakdown, how are you feeling?” He gawks for a second then shifts his weight, “Uh, better, better thank you sir.” He clears his throat painfully. 

Optimus’s smile relaxed a bit, “Optimus is fine.” he sighed slowly, “You should know what we’re going into.” Nodding, Breakdown shifts and sits up, crossing his arms comfortably, “What is the mission?” Optimus nods and stands, gesturing, “I’ll show you a map.” Breakdown eases himself off the seat and follows, arms falling back to his sides. Moving much slower than he used to, head just now starting to ache. 

He hadn’t been in this part of any of the shuttles he’d been on, usually it was kept for those in command, one or two mechs were working in there, one he recognized as Red Alert. 

The table turned on with a flicker, “This is New Kaon. It is an old decepticon settlement from the last war. Not a colony of Cybertron, so I have been reminded.” If Breakdown didn’t know better, he would think that Optimus sounded bitter. 

Both the mecha at the command chairs winced.

”The Quintessons are attempting to surround the city, though their main command ship has crashed according to reports, it appears to be in this area.” He highlights an area just east of the city, “I’m afraid to say that I don’t know currently where Hound is located.” Breakdown stared at the map and gestures, “Likely as close to the crash site as he could be, anything we can learn from you all will be important to send back home, even if we do not return ourselves.” He continued to stare at the map.

Even as everyone in the room stared at him like he had grown a second head, “We have every intention of ensuring your safety.” Breakdown hummed, “That is not our thought, sir.” He glanced up, “We are to destroy the Quintessons, at all cost, even our lives.” He looked back at the map and gestures, “Do you know who is protecting this area? It appears to be a weak point.” And Optimus stared at him.

—

His suit felt alive, he felt alive for the first time in years. The total connection to your suit you could only get when your base coding it properly connected. It was dangerous, but thrilling. It exacerbated overuse and likely would lead to the crash, but unlocking his night vision brought back all the old instincts of hunter coding. 

Sometimes on Earth, they would decommission specific suits from certain classes when other things were needed more. Hunter class was a dwindling group, but the compatibility test for it was different from striker class. Usually military, they were the best at tracking and killing the enemy. In this case, the Quintessons. 

Hound had been a Hunter class for the first two years of his piloting career and it had ended his marriage, when he was offered the switch to Striker, he took it. He could still remember the surgery of removing some of the older implants and wiring made specifically for the old way his mecha used to work. 

Now, there were other hybrid mecha, pilot 3141, 17741, 17740, and a list of others who hadn’t survived the conversion but they were out there. 

It was as if there weren’t screens in front of him anymore and he was on his feet, as if the world around him was just that, around him and not his suit. It was a familiar old feeling and it filled him with dread.

Being a hunter class had almost ruined his life, it’s why his suit and him were striker class, but this focus, that was all hunter. Taking a slowly and deep breath, he was able to find the positives, he didn’t feel like an animal in a suit. He felt like himself but bigger, calmer and again still all him.

”Hound, you alright? I’m getting a lot of heavy breathing.” Mirage sounded concerned and that was enough, as his arm finally finished adjusting and he could actually see, it brought him back to a better state, “Uh, yeah. I’m alright, I had to switch some stuff around so I could see it being so dark.” He nodded a bit, gun firing with ease as he dispatched a Quintesson quickly. 

Another thing to ground him, Hunter’s usually didn’t have guns, he hadn’t back then and certainly not one like this. 

“I’m good Mirage, you have my six still?” He took a slow deep breath, even as he tore apart a screeching Quint, “Yeah, I’ve got you. Just try to hang to my right side, alright?” He grinned, gun firing into the gaping would he had just made with his hands in the Quintessons side, “Got it.” And he kept moving.

It was a deadly calm, the familiarity of moving through the enemy, of dispatching them with ease.

What had Megatron said, kill the damned things, as many as you can, as fast as you can. Being a hybrid of hunter and striker in this moment let him actually do that. 

Even if they kept coming, he’d be able to do that. 

Mirage kept checking in, even as he lost track of time, their conversation kept to a minimum for focus, his focus was every way that he could pull these things apart and let Mirage get off a few shots. It was a flow, the moons moving across the sky together. 

When Hound saw the spacecraft break the atmosphere, he thought for a moment that it was more attack ships. Gun humming up and glowing brightly at his side, taking slow and deep breaths while he watched, “Oh slag.” Mirage broke him out of his trance, “It’s another attack ship?” With a shaky breath, Mirage shook his head slowly, “No, that’s the Prime’s ship.” Hound’s stomach sank.

Nodding slowly, he took a breath, “How long have we been fighting if he’s here so fast?” It felt like not that long ago he’d been stuck listening in on the couples spat, though now he saw it as more an argument between commanders. Mirage was quiet on the other side of the line, “Around, as you say it, a day and a half? Full solar cycle and some.” Hound closed his eyes for a moment, almost too ingrained in the suit he had to take the moment to check on himself and not the suit. 

He was starving, thirsty, and likely needed more than just food and water. Keeping his eyes shut, it was the only way he was able to physically control his actual body. Water pouch first, taking off the oxygen mask to drink, then down one of his dwindling stash of protein bars. None of the space food was fast enough. Readjusting the mask back to his face, he took a deep breath.

The small tanks were now cleaning the air available in the larger tanks, but it certainly smelled better than his cockpit did. 

“Sorry, so, day and a half… The fact that he’s here is a bad thing, right?” Mirage stared at the descending ship, “Very.” Hound sighed, “Fuck.” Biting back a smile, Mirage nodded, “Oh yeah, definitely.” Glancing back around, Hound stared at the horizon instead before getting back into his coding.

Gun humming again, he scanned the horizon, closing his eyes for another moment before adjusting the cameras again, screens becoming like lenses as he stared. 

—

The ship wasn’t the largest in the Cybertronian fleet, far from it when compared to some of the older ships, but this one was energy efficient and fast. Megatron had been watching its descent, knowing exactly who was on board and dreading every moment of it. Adjusting several of his soldiers' positions gave him enough room to go back to command and likely shout at his conjunx for his endless idiocy. 

Command was practically empty, most of those who would normally be here either in the field or back on Cybertron if they had not hopped aboard Optimus’s craft. He was developing a helm ache. 

Although energy efficient, it didn’t make it any less loud as it landed, and Megatron lowered his helm for a moment before straightening. Heading outside with his helm high and a scowl on his face. 

Optimus looked different, significantly different, and it almost brought him to a stand still. Since the peace treaty, they had both been lucky enough to keep their paint fresh, weapons lowered, and not wear horrible expressions. 

Megatron could remember the early days of peace, how before they started speaking he’d see Optimus itching at the gold filigree that littered his frame. How he struggled to keep his battle mask open during important moments, and how relieved he seemed to be to not carry a gun or his axe.

Far from the claims that he was a gentle soul who hated violence, more so the relief of a soldier who could finally lower his pack to the floor. Still within reach, always ready to grab it, but able to let some of the weight slide off his shoulders.

Now however, he was distinctly reminded of who had been across that battle field from him for eons. 

Optimus looked like that hated enemy in this moment, but different, so different it tugged at Megatron’s spark. He had grown used to the mech looking like his Prime, his conjunx, that Optimus looking like his old enemy almost made his tanks turn. 

Taking a vent, Megatron moved forward as the bay door to the ship opened, “Optimus—“ Optimus looked at him and it almost burned, “Ah, Lord High Protector.” Frowning slightly, Megatron moved forward, “Optimus,” Who held up a servo and turned to Elita at his left, “Elita, if you don’t mind I would appreciate you heading into command, the Lord Protector and I will join you shortly.” She bows her head slightly and moves inside. Not sparing Megatron a glance, which made his tanks sink.

Optimus waited for her to be within command before looking back to Megatron, “Since you insisted that I not bring the United Cybertronian Army, nor open the space bridge, I thought I would offer that helping hand in person.” Megatron stared, and thought one thing, frag.

Clearing his vocalizer, Megatron hoped to smooth this over, “Optimus—“ “I did not fly all the way from Cybertron to talk, Lord Protector. You mentioned that I should not waste your time with trivial matters, we can go into command and speak of strategy with my commanders once they have both arrived.” Megatron frowned again, shaking his helm slightly, “Both?” Optimus started into command, paint not quiet shining but also not dull, just different.

”Ironhide is not far behind, he will land within the Joor.” He threw aside the trap that was the door for command, moving in and standing at the active battle map, frown evident in his optics. 

Taking a vent, Megatron followed and moved to stand at the table as well, glancing towards Elita briefly. She did not look entirely happy to be here, “My Prime, I am going to retrieve our supplies and the unit.” Optimus nodded, “Of course, I would suggest sending Breakdown to the line or to Knockout, whichever you deem necessary.” She nodded and moved out quickly.

Megatron cleared his vocalizer yet again, “Optimus, I fear there was a misunderstanding.” Bowing his head slightly, Optimus looks at the table and starts drawing adjustments, “I understood you perfectly fine Lord Protector, my audial passed to spec during their last check. There was no misunderstanding other than perhaps your stance in this war.” Megatron’s mouth went dry.

Shifting at the head of the table, Optimus circles several locations, “I will place Elita, Ironhide, and myself incharge of these regions. Since we are going to have three humans planet side I am going to request that they be placed under the watch of my commanders.” Megatron slowly lowered a hand to the table, “Optimus, Hound is under my command.” “And I’m sure that he has been listening to your orders and following through with precision.” Megatron growled lightly. 

“Optimus, what is going on? What do you want from me?” The other mech looked up from the table, “For you to follow through with the expectations of your position.” Megatron balled his fists, “I have been doing just that, protecting Cybertron and overseeing this conflict.” Optimus tilted his head slightly, “And here I thought your sole focus was on New Kaon and your people.” Taking a slow vent, Megatron looked away.

His mouth was drier than the sand outside, “And here is where I believe we had our misunderstanding.” Optimus scoffed, “And yet you proclaimed yourself sovereign of New Kaon, which you are not. You are Cybertron’s Lord High Protector, which does not align with what you proclaimed meer joors ago.” He took a deep vent as Elita returned, “Ironhide’s ship is breaching the atmosphere.” Nodding again, he bent back over the map, “If you will excuse me Lord Protector, we will reconvene once Ironhide and his unit have landed. You are dismissed.” 

Megatron stared for a long moment, servos still fists before storming out.

Optimus sighed deeply and lowered his head for a moment, optics off, venting slowly. Elita stood there, silent as always, until he needed her to say something or she needed to intervene. Glancing back up, he looks to her, before back to the table, “How would you redesign the line commander? And where do you think will be the best placement for the humans?” She moved forward, “Well, it depends on how well they will listen.” It was a familiar comfort, the pair of them in a command room, where Ironhide would join them shortly. A much needed comfort. 

—

Hound’s comm crackled, “Hound, you might want to return to command.” He really didn’t, gun firing very loudly at a distant Quintesson, “Breakdown and Sunstreaker are here.” The voice was Red Alert, he almost didn’t recognize the mech over comms. 

Looking back, the small encampment that was command was the only thing that was lighten up yet, a bright green in his vision, “Breakdown is supposed to be resting for another few days.” His voice only wavered slightly, “He arrived with the Prime. Fall back in the next minute, seekers are going to fly overhead.” Sighing slowly, he nodded and started backwards.

Once he heard the screen of seeker engines he ran, briefly glancing towards where Mirage was before focusing on reaching command safely.

He could make them out as he deactivated the night vision, yellow standing out more than the blue, but the pair were clearly talking. He couldn’t help but smile, having been away for longer than either of them have. It was nice to know there were some of your own kind nearby. 

“Ah! As it’s said, look what the tide brought in.” Breakdown waves at him, both him and Sunny pinging him with video comms. He quickly answered and turned on his own camera, Sunny immediately winced, “Damn Hound, when was the last time you slept?” Hound tried very hard not to roll his eyes.

Though Breakdown was nodding, “You look incredibly tired.” Hound came over and rested a hand on each of their shoulders, “I’m fine. I slept sometime yesterday, ate a little bit of go.” Probably a few hours before, but it was alright.

Sunstreaker shook his head a bit, “Come on Hound, don’t be like that.” Breakdown nodded, and Hound sighed, “And to think, I missed you guys.” He smiled and so did they.

“So, what are the two of you doing here? BD, you’re supposed to be resting and Sunny, I thought you were placed with Ironhide.” Sunny nodded, “Oh I was, Joan called him in.” Hound nodded slowly, “I think calling the Prime that on private comms is fine, but we should refer to him as the Prime otherwise.” 

Breakdown nodded slowly, “He is a very interesting man, one of his commanders, Elita-One, came to retrieve me after Jazz called to clear my health. I was cleared, but we were on the shuttle over here together. He kept making sure that I was alright before he got quiet.” Hound hummed.

He couldn;t help but glance over towards command, “Yeah, he had an argument with Megatron.” He sighed slowly, shaking his head, “Come on, we’ll sit and talk, eat. Unplug for a minute.” Sunstreaker was nice enough to rest a hand on his back, walking him towards a nearby heater.

”How’s the oxygen here?” Breakdown lifted a hand, likely tapping at a screen, “Not bad, but certainly not good. I would stick to tanks.” Sunstreaker groaned, “I just got off a toxic planet.” And Hound laughed, sitting down, “Welcome to New Kaon.” Sunny grumbled as he sat down.

Hound finally unplugged, shivering as his implants had left his skin wet and now cold. He pulled his helmet off and then the oxygen mask, wrinkling his nose, “Oh god.” Sunstreaker looked away and Breakdown looked sympathetic.

Leaning forward, he tried not to throw up again, “Drink some water Hound, take a rest. You look pale.” Breakdown kept his voice quiet and slowly, Hound nodded and grabbed his water pouch. Drinking slowly. 

—

Ironhide almost stormed into command, “And how did the Quints get this far into Cybertronian space with this many ships? One or two on Cybertron, sure, but this is ridiculous.” His fist collided with the table.

Barely sparing him a glance, Optimus was still drawing out strategy, “Welcome to New Kaon, Ironhide, I would appreciate it if you could retrieve the Lord High Protector from wherever he slunk off to.” Frowning, Ironhide leaned on the table, “And why can’t you—“ Elita was glaring sharply and he was quick to shut his mouth, “Uh, yes, My Prime.” He turned on the spot and went back outside. 

Seekers were still screaming through the air, the only light available was those of optics or explosions and blasts.

He wasn’t far, having taken control of a distanced cannon and had tried blowing off steam firing on the enemy. Ironhide clears his throat, “Lord High Protector, the Prime requests your presence.” Megatron looked over, nodded, “Of course.” They were all slagged if those two were fighting.

Moving back into command, they were joined by Knockout and Flatline, who were talking intensely in the other half of command, “It’s just shattered and he seems totally fine with it!” Knockout vented deeply, “Welcome to life with humans, we will repair it after this is dealt with.” They moved through to the other half of command, dropping the tarp over the door. 

Now it was just Optimus, Megatron, Elita, and Ironhide standing around the command table. Projection map marked up with adjustments made by Optimus and Elita. Megatron scowled down at it before looking back to Optimus, his spark aching. 

Taking a vent, Optimus gestures towards the table, “Here is the plan, for the moment, I would suggest that we institute it as soon as possible.” he rocked back lightly on his peds, an old habit from the war, “Optimus, if I may?” He barely spared him a glance. “You may not, Lord Protector. We lack the time and some of us the patience to listen to your attempts to placate my ‘emotions’ as you said, they are not my probity nor should they be yours.” 

Optimus paused and looked at Megatron, “Or would you rather, how did you say it, be content to lose this war?” All the warmth drained from Megatron’s face, his energon running cold. Ironhide was gawking, taking a moment to look at Elita who briefly shook her head, he gulped and looked back to the table. 

Glancing around the table, Optimus took in his commanders for a moment before looking back, “Ironhide, I want you and half of your unit to take the north side. Elita, to the south with the other half of his unit. Wherever Mirage is placed, I want Bluestreak on the opposite. I need to speak with Hound, Sunstreaker and Breakdown before they reenter the field. I will take the west with this group here.” He lightly circles a unit on the map.

”And Megatron will take the east, the seekers will continue to fire from above but have them cycle out more often, less they will exhaust themselves.” His servos were shaking lightly, “The sooner we get out there, the better off we will be since there are no more reinforcements.” Optimus shot a brief glare at Megatron before straightening, “You have your orders. I suggest that you follow them.” He spared glances around to Ironhide and Elita before they both were quick to leave.

Muttering to each other as they went, Optimus tried incredibly hard not to roll his optics, even as his helm pounded. His servos were still shaking ever so slightly. 

They all maintained some things from these from the war, one of Optimus’ were the tremors. 

Megatron was watching his hands, so he folded them comfortably behind his back, “Well?” Optimus’s tone was not quite cold, but certainly not filled with warmth either, “I would suggest, unless you need fuel, returning to the field. As not to waste ‘precious time’.” Optimus moved away from the table, grabbing up an all too familiar blaster before leaving command himself, not sparing Megatron a second glance.

His mouth was still incredibly dry and he likely did need to fuel, but it would be impossible to keep it in his tanks. With a growl, he stormed out after Optimus, but the mech was already gone. 

———

A/N

I thought this chapter was 4.5k, its actually 5.2 so uh… enjoy?

But in all seriousness, the megop in this chapter is probably the longest you’re going to get. If it weren’t important to the story it would have happened behind the scenes.

But this chapter feels wild to me, it’s long and now I’ve written probably right around 100k words for Arcturus as a whole though that does include stuff I haven’t posted yet. But that’s still a lot.

Than you all so much for your kind words, questions, likes, all of it.

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And once again thank you to @Keferon for this amazing AU!

Also thank you @sightseertrespasser for your help with the mech suit class stuff, it gave me the right thing to fill a plot whole I was writing myself into.